SGS (Switzerland)

Despite the recognition of the benefits of the complex causality perspective to understand organizational phenomena, it remains difficult to apply. To address this gap, we propose an analytical framework ontologically grounded in Aristotle’s conceptualization of causes and causalities. This framework unfolds in three steps: First, it identifies the four primary and per se causes; second, the other causes, including accidents, instruments and secondary causes; and third, it examines their interrelations through two types of causalities—reciprocal and total, as well as partial convergent or divergent. By providing an ontological foundation for causes and causalities our framework allows researchers to investigate any organizational phenomena, thereby operationalizing and deepening our understanding of causal complexity.

Abstract US Persons (including foreign residents) should prepare for the reduction in the US estate and gift tax lifetime exemption scheduled for 2026. A common planning strategy is to set up irrevocable trusts to divest themselves of part of their wealth. However, for US Persons living abroad, a transfer into trust can result in double taxation of income with no treaty relief. An intentionally defective trust can thread this needle, constituting a completed gift for US lifetime exemption purposes while allowing the application of mechanisms to prevent double taxation of income.

Fixed Field Accelerators are a candidate for future hadron cancer therapy facilities as their high repetition rate and large energy acceptance enables novel treatment modalities such as high dose rate FLASH. However, conventional dose delivery mechanisms are still necessary, requiring continuous beam delivery over 1–30s. This work is the first study of slow extraction from a scaling Fixed Field Accelerator, using the LhARA facility for baseline parameters. At a horizontal tune of 10/3, the intrinsic sextupole strength of the nonlinear FFA magnetic field is sufficient to excite the resonance, although extraction is better controlled using an additional excitation sextupole at a tune close to 8/3, with radiofrequency knock-out extraction. Including considerations of issues due to nonlinear fields and limitations required to keep the tune energy-independent, slow extraction from Fixed Field Accelerators is successfully demonstrated.

Intensive use of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) results in their release into aquatic systems and consequently into drinking water resources. Therefore, it is important to evaluate how NPs can be effectively removed through water treatment processes, such as coagulation, to control environmental and health risks associated with NP exposure. This work investigates the effect of two conventional coagulants, polyaluminum chloride (PACl) and iron chloride (FeCl3 ), on NPs. Three bottled mineral and Lake Geneva waters, currently used as drinking water resources, were considered to get an insight into coagulation efficiency. TiO2 , CeO2 NPs, and polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics were selected, owing to their large number of applications and contrasting surface charge and aggregation behavior at environmental pH. Our findings indicate that PACl is more efficient compared with FeCl3 since lower dosages are required to coagulate all nanoparticles. On the other hand, nanoplastic coagulation is found less efficient compared with TiO2 and CeO2 NPs. This is an important outcome indicating that nanoplastic stability and dispersion state will be more pronounced and therefore more challenging to eliminate. Results highlight the key role of NP and PS nanoplastic surface charge, as well as water properties, coagulant type, and dosage on nanoparticle elimination from aquatic systems. PRACTITIONER POINTS: pH, water hardness, and NOM are playing roles in final coagulant dosage concentration. PACl is more efficient than FeCl3 in most conditions. Positively charged nanoplastics are more difficult to eliminate by coagulation. NP surface properties in bottled mineral and surface waters are controlled by pH, divalent cations, and NOM. NP surface charge and coagulation efficiency depend on water properties.

There are few estimates of influenza burden in the WHO Region for the Eastern Mediterranean. In this study we estimated the burden of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-associated SARI (F-SARI) in selected provinces of Islamic Republic of Iran, the trends of SARI and confirmed cases of influenza (F-SARI) over 12 months (seasonality), and the age groups most at risk. Using the electronic Iranian influenza surveillance system and data of cases in sentinel hospitals of 3 selected provinces, we estimated the monthly trend (seasonality) of incidence for SARI and F-SARI, overall incidence of SARI and F-SARI and their disaggregation by age with the aid using the Monte Carlo technique. The age groups most at-risk were children aged under 2 years and adults older than 50 years.

Abstract. Global seasonal forecasts of meteorological drought using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) are produced using two data sets as initial conditions: the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA-Interim reanalysis (ERAI); and two seasonal forecasts of precipitation, the most recent ECMWF seasonal forecast system and climatologically based ensemble forecasts. The forecast evaluation focuses on the periods where precipitation deficits are likely to have higher drought impacts, and the results were summarized over different regions in the world. The verification of the forecasts with lead time indicated that generally for all regions the least reduction on skill was found for (i) long lead times using ERAI or GPCC for monitoring and (ii) short lead times using ECMWF or climatological seasonal forecasts. The memory effect of initial conditions was found to be 1 month of lead time for the SPI-3, 4 months for the SPI-6 and 6 (or more) months for the SPI-12. Results show that dynamical forecasts of precipitation provide added value with skills at least equal to and often above that of climatological forecasts. Furthermore, it is very difficult to improve on the use of climatological forecasts for long lead times. Our results also support recent questions of whether seasonal forecasting of global drought onset was essentially a stochastic forecasting problem. Results are presented regionally and globally, and our results point to several regions in the world where drought onset forecasting is feasible and skilful.

Abstract. Global seasonal forecasts of meteorological drought using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) are produced using two datasets as initial conditions: the Global Precipitation Climatology Center (GPCC) and the ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalysis (ERAI); and two seasonal forecasts of precipitation: the most current ECMWF seasonal forecast system and climatologically based ensemble forecasts. The forecast skill is concentrated on verification months where precipitation deficits are likely to have higher drought impacts and grouped over different regions in the world. Verification of the forecasts as a function of lead time revealed a reduced impact on skill for: (i) long lead times using different initial conditions, and (ii) short lead times using different precipitation forecasts. The memory effect of initial conditions was found to be 1 month lead time for the SPI-3, 3 to 4 months for the SPI-6 and 5 months for the SPI-12. Results show that dynamical forecasts of precipitation provide added value, a skill similar or better than climatological forecasts. In some cases, particularly for long SPI time scales, it is very difficult to improve on the use of climatological forecasts. Our results also support recent questions whether seasonal forecasting of global drought onset was essentially a stochastic forecasting problem. Results are presented regionally and globally, and our results point to several regions in the world where drought onset forecasting is feasible and skilful.