bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Production planning of Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC) using quantitative and multiple‐criteria decision analysis—A case in‐point
Authors: Yousaf Salman , Ali Yousaf , Sabir Muhammad , Masood Muhammad Tahir
Published: August 2017

The main purpose of this paper is to improve the production planning of Pakistan Tobacco Company by selecting the most preferred brand and subsequently generating maximum profit from it. As the company produces a variety of products, the technique of multi criteria decision making is used to select the most preferred brand. To generate the maximum output from the preferred brand, different methods of qualitative managerial analysis are used, which include decision analysis to decide “why and where” the manufacturing should be carried out, transportation model to minimize the logistics cost while meeting the demand, and linear programming technique to maximize the profit generated in 2014–2015. The result obtained from analytical hierarchy process shows that the most preferred brand of the company with respect to price, quality, and comfort is John Player Gold Leaf. The decision analysis explains that this brand should be manufactured in the Jhelum factory of the company as it is more cost‐effective to produce and there is a high availability of resources. Transportation model minimizes the logistics cost of this brand from the 2 factories while meeting the demand at each provinces, central warehouse. Linear programming contributes in generating a profit of 32.738 billion PKR with an amount of 0.35 million PKR, which is more than that of the current profit of the company in the year. These results will allow the top management of the company to take corrective decisions well in time, gain a core competency in cost reduction, and make the supply chain process more efficient.
Strategic hybrid approach for selecting suppliers of high‐density polyethylene
Authors: Ortiz‐Barrios Miguel A. , Kucukaltan Berk , Carvajal‐Tinoco Daniel , Neira‐Rodado Dionicio , Jiménez Genett
Published: August 2017

Supplier selection is an important process for companies in the plastic sector due to its influence on firm performance and competitiveness. For a proper selection, a number of criteria from different aspects need to be considered by decision makers. Yet, as in different fields, because there are numerous criteria and alternatives to be considered in the plastic industry, choosing an appropriate multicriteria decision‐making approach has become a critical step for selecting suppliers. Therefore, the aim of this research is to define the most suitable supplier of high‐density polyethylene through the integration of powerful multicriteria decision‐making methods. For this purpose, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is initially applied to define initial weights of factors and subfactors under uncertainty, followed by the use of decision‐making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) to evaluate interrelations between the elements of the hierarchy. Then, after combining FAHP and DEMATEL to calculate the final contributions of both factors and subfactors on the basis of interdependence, the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution is used to assess the supplier alternatives. In addition, this paper also explores the differences between the judgments of decision makers for both AHP and DEMATEL methods. To do these, a case study is presented to demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach.
Prospective motion correction with NMR markers using only native sequence elements
Authors: Aranovitch Alexander , Haeberlin Maximilian , Gross Simon , Dietrich Benjamin E. , Wilm Bertram J. , Brunner David O. , Schmid Thomas , Luechinger Roger , Pruessmann Klaas P.
Published: August 2017

Purpose

To develop a method of tracking active NMR markers that requires no alterations of common imaging sequences and can be used for prospective motion correction (PMC) in brain MRI.

Methods

Localization of NMR markers is achieved by acquiring short signal snippets in rapid succession and evaluating them jointly. To spatially encode the markers, snippets are timed such that signal phase is accrued during sequence intervals with suitably diverse gradient actuation. For motion tracking and PMC in brain imaging, the markers are mounted on a lightweight headset. PMC is then demonstrated with high‐resolution T2*‐ and T1‐weighted imaging sequences in the presence of instructed as well as residual unintentional head motion.

Results

With both unaltered sequences, motion tracking was achieved with precisions on the order of 10 µm and 0.01° and temporal resolution of 48 and 39 ms, respectively. On this basis, PMC improved image quality significantly throughout.

Conclusion

The proposed approach permits high‐precision motion tracking and PMC with standard imaging sequences. It does so without altering sequence design and thus overcomes a key hindrance to routine motion tracking with NMR markers. Magn Reson Med 79:2046–2057, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Simultaneous multi‐slice MRI using cartesian and radial FLASH and regularized nonlinear inversion: SMS‐NLINV
Authors: Rosenzweig Sebastian , Holme Hans Christian Martin , Wilke Robin N. , Voit Dirk , Frahm Jens , Uecker Martin
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The development of a calibrationless parallel imaging method for accelerated simultaneous multi‐slice (SMS) MRI based on Regularized Nonlinear Inversion (NLINV), evaluated using Cartesian and radial fast low‐angle shot (FLASH).

Theory and Methods

NLINV is a parallel imaging method that jointly estimates image content and coil sensitivities using a Newton‐type method with regularization. Here, NLINV is extended to SMS‐NLINV for reconstruction and separation of all simultaneously acquired slices. The performance of the extended method is evaluated for different sampling schemes using phantom and in vivo experiments based on Cartesian and radial SMS‐FLASH sequences.

Results

The basic algorithm was validated in Cartesian experiments by comparison with ESPIRiT. For Cartesian and radial sampling, improved results are demonstrated compared to single‐slice experiments, and it is further shown that sampling schemes using complementary samples outperform schemes with the same samples in each partition.

Conclusion

The extension of the NLINV algorithm for SMS data was implemented and successfully demonstrated in combination with a Cartesian and radial SMS‐FLASH sequence. Magn Reson Med 79:2057–2066, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Synthesis of nano‐TiO2/fluorinated polyacrylate core‐shell latex and its application in fabric finishing
Authors: Zhou Jianhua , Cui Yanjiao , Wang Linben , Ma Jianzhong , Wei Pengbo
Published: August 2017

Nano‐TiO2/fluorinated polyacrylate hybrid latex was prepared by soap‐free emulsion polymerization using reactive emulsifier. With the increase of modified nano‐TiO2 content, the monomer conversion gradually decreased while the gel rate slowly increased accordingly. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses indicated that the core‐shell latex particles were uniform with narrow size distribution. In addition, the hybrid film formed from nano‐TiO2/fluorinated polyacrylate latex presented higher thermal stability, mechanical and UV‐shielding performance than the film formed from fluorinated polyacrylate latex. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and water contact angles (WCA) analyses confirmed that the surface of hybrid film was slightly rough and hydrophobic. Furthermore, the energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis revealed that the organic fluorine segment had the tendency to migrate to the film‐air interface. At last, the results of the antibacterial activity and WCA showed that the cotton fabric treated with nano‐TiO2/fluorinated polyacrylate hybrid latex possessed good antibacterial property and remarkable water repellency. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:4467–4476, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Broadband dielectric and ultrasonic properties of WS2 nanotubes/polyurethane composites
Authors: Macutkevic J. , Belovickis J. , Otorgust G. , Dodiuk H. , Kenig S. , Samulionis V. , Banys J. , Zak A.
Published: August 2017

Broadband dielectric properties of tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanotubes/polyurethane (PU) composites over a wide temperature range (300 K–450 K) are presented for concentrations up to 2 wt%. Although no electrical percolation was observed in composites, at room temperature the dielectric permittivity of thermosetting composites with 2 wt% inclusions is 2 times higher than the dielectric permittivity of the pure polymer, that indicate that the composites are suitable for antistatic applications. Broadband dielectric properties of the composites are mainly governed by the α relaxation, the dynamics of the “soft” molecular segment of the PU chain. The Vogel temperature decreases with increase in the concentration of the WS2 nanotubes. At higher temperatures (above 380 K) the electrical conductivity dominates in properties of pure PU and composites with the WS2 inclusions as well. The DC conductivity increases with the WS2 concentration in thermosetting composites, while its activation energy is almost independent from the WS2 concentration far from melting point. The DC conductivity has some change in slope close to 420 K. Above room temperature, the large ultrasonic relaxational attenuation maxima and the velocity dispersion were observed. It was found that the attenuation peak in composites shifted to lower temperatures after addition of nanoparticles. The ultrasonic attenuation data of thermosetting composites were fitted to the relaxation equation with the single temperature‐dependent relaxation time. The thermal activation energy of the relaxation process, which was calculated from the ultrasonic data, was found to increase in PU with the concentration of WS2 nanotubes. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:4477–4485, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Extent and risks of antidepressant off‐label use in children and adolescents in Germany between 2004 and 2011
Authors: Schröder Carsten , Dörks Michael , Kollhorst Bianca , Blenk Tilo , Dittmann Ralf W. , Garbe Edeltraut , Riedel Oliver
Published: August 2017

Purpose

So far, only little is known about antidepressant off‐label use in pediatric patients. This is the first study examining the prevalence and the risks of off‐label antidepressant prescriptions in minors over time in Germany and analyzing patterns regarding age, sex, drug class, and type of off‐label use.

Methods

We used claims data of about two million individuals (<18 y) to calculate the share of off‐label antidepressant prescriptions for the years 2004 to 2011, stratified by age, sex, and drug class. Off‐label prescriptions were analyzed regarding underlying diagnoses, the prescribing doctor's specialty, and the type of off‐label use. Incidence rates of adverse events were calculated for off‐ and on‐label use, and the risk of suicidal events associated with off‐ or on‐label use was examined in a nested case‐control study.

Results

The prevalence of off‐label prescriptions decreased from 58.0% to 40.9%. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were more frequently prescribed off‐label than tricyclic antidepressants (37.7% vs 17.5% in 2011). The most common type of off‐label use was off‐label use by age, followed by off‐label use by indication, and off‐label use by contraindication. Adverse events were rare with no significant differences between on‐ and off‐label use.

Conclusions

Although off‐label antidepressant use in minors decreased over time, it is still common. However, this rather indicates a lack of approved drugs for the treatment of depression in this population than inappropriate medical treatment. This is supported by the fact that off‐label use was not associated with a higher risk of adverse events than on‐label use.
A theoretical study of antioxidant activity of some Schiff bases derived from biologically important phenolic aldehydes and phenylenediamines
Authors: Borgohain Romesh , Handique Jyotirekha G. , Guha Ankur Kanti , Pratihar Sanjay
Published: August 2017

Because of their numerous biological as well as industrial importance, the study of Schiff bases is an emerging field for the researchers, in recent time. In this study, we have designed some Schiff bases derived from biologically important precursors. The antioxidant activities of the designed compounds are thoroughly studied theoretically using density functional theory taking various parameters like bond dissociation enthalpy, ionization enthalpy, proton dissociation enthalpy, and electron transfer enthalpy followed by the study of effects of solvent, spin density, and molecular orbital on antioxidant activity of the compounds. The comparison of antioxidant activity of the compounds with that of phenol and their parent aldehydes reveals the superior antioxidant activity of the designed compounds. This study contributes towards the information of an important bridge between bioorganic and computational chemistry.
Partially bio‐based poly(amide imide)s by polycondensation of aromatic diacylhydrazides based on lignin‐derived phenolic acids and aromatic dianhydrides: Synthesis, characterization, and computational studies
Authors: Kuhire Sachin S. , Sharma Pragati , Chakrabarty Suman , Wadgaonkar Prakash P.
Published: August 2017

Two new bio‐based diacylhydrazide monomers, namely, 4,4′‐(propane‐1,3‐diylbis(oxy))bis(3‐methoxybenzohydrazide) and 4,4′‐(propane‐1,3‐diylbis(oxy))bis(3,5‐dimethoxybenzohydrazide) were synthesized starting from lignin‐derived phenolic acids, namely, vanillic acid and syringic acid. A series of poly(amide imide)s was synthesized by polycondensation of these diacylhydrazide monomers with commercially available aromatic dianhydrides. Poly(amide imide)s showed inherent viscosity in the range 0.44–0.56 dL g−1 and exhibited good solubility in organic solvents. Poly(amide imide)s could be cast into transparent, flexible, and tough films from their N,N‐dimethylacetamide solutions. Poly(amide imide)s showed 10% weight loss in the temperature range 340–364 °C indicating their good thermal stability. Glass transition temperature (Tg) of poly(amide imides)s were measured by DSC and DMA which were in the range 201–223 °C and 214–248 °C, respectively. The Tg values of poly(amide imide)s were dependent on the number methoxy substituents on aromatic rings of diacylhydrazide monomers. Molecular dynamics simulation studies revealed that chain rigidity is the dominant factor for observed trends in Tg. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 3636–3645
Synthesis of supramolecular precision polymers: Crystallization under conformational constraints
Authors: Reimann Sophie , Danke Varun , Beiner Mario , Binder Wolfgang H.
Published: August 2017

Placing artificial folding elements into precision polymers is an important strategy to systematically study structure formation in self‐assembly, particularly in the semicrystalline state. To this purpose, a series of precision polymers bearing either a N‐protected or N‐unprotected diaminopyridine (DAP) unit after every 16th, 18th, and 20th carbon as well as a urea unit after every 20th carbon along a polyethylene‐like polymer were synthesized via acyclic diene metathesis polymerization and subsequent hydrogenation. The polymers thus contain either H‐bonds (urea/DAP), π–π‐elements (DAP), or no H‐bonds (respective Nprotected urea/DAP‐units) in their main chain, able to consequently study the crystallization behavior under influence of such supramolecular moieties. Therefore, the thermal properties and crystallization behavior were analyzed via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as well as wide angle X‐ray diffraction. The obtained crystalline polymer is influenced by the different supramolecular interactions existing between adjacent polymer chains and the varying defect size exerted by the incorporated functional groups. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 3736–3748
Identification of Highly Expressed Plasmodium Vivax Proteins from Clinical Isolates Using Proteomics
Authors: Venkatesh Apoorva , Lahiri Anwesha , Reddy Panga Jaipal , Shastri Jayanthi , Bankar Sheetal , Patankar Swati , Srivastava Sanjeeva
Published: August 2017

Plasmodium vivax is the most geographically widespread species responsible for malaria in humans. Our study focused on identifying highly expressed parasite proteins using a shotgun proteomics approach. Parasites (P. vivax) are isolated from seven patient samples using saponin lysis. Protein extracts from these parasites are processed and subjected to LC‐MS/MS analysis. An overall proteome coverage of 605 P. vivax proteins along with 1670 human host proteins are obtained upon combining the data from LC‐MS/MS runs. While a major proportion of the P. vivax proteins are either hypothetical or involved in basic cellular activities, few proteins such as tryptophan‐rich antigen (Pv‐fam‐a; PVX_090265), Pv‐fam‐d protein (PVX_101520), Plasmodium exported protein (PVX_003545), Pvstp1 (PVX_094303) and hypothetical protein (PVX_083555) are detected in more than 80% of the clinical isolates and found to be unique to P. vivax without orthologs in P. falciparum. Our proteomics study on individual parasite isolates reveals highly expressed P. vivax proteins, few of which may be good candidates for vivax malaria diagnosis due to their abundance and absence in P. falciparum. This study represents the first step towards the identification of biomarkers for P. vivax malaria. In future, their clinical diagnostic values must be explored and validated on large patient cohorts.
Parents, local house prices, and leaving home in Britain
Authors: Bayrakdar Sait , Coulter Rory
Published: August 2017

Leaving the parental home is a significant step in young adults' housing careers and pathways to independence. Although a large literature examines how life course trajectories influence leaving home, much less is known about how the “linked lives” of parents and the local cost of housing shape young people's departures from the family residence. By enriching the U.K. Household Longitudinal Study with house price data, this study investigates how parental attributes and the geography of local housing costs influence home leaving in contemporary Britain. The results show that higher local house prices are associated with delayed departure from the parental home, although the relative magnitude of this effect is modest. By contrast, the effects of parental factors are more nuanced. Parental characteristics have little impact on the odds of leaving home to form partnerships, whereas the likelihood of departing to live alone or in shared accommodation is reduced by parental homeownership or living with both biological parents. Taken together, these findings suggest that young adults' residential pathways are shaped by the complex patterns of choice and constraint that are generated by disparities in family circumstances and local opportunity structures.
The geographical distance between nonresident parents and children in Norway
Authors: Dommermuth Lars
Published: August 2017

As union dissolution rates increase in most modern societies, a growing number of children are living in post‐separation families. The geographical distance between parental households shapes the possibilities for contact between nonresident parents and children, but empirical studies are lacking. This study investigates the geographical distance between nonresident parents and children in Norway using a total population sample, including exact geographical coordinates for residency. Results show that most children are registered in the maternal household, indicating a strong social norm favouring motherhood after union dissolution. The majority of nonresident parents live within a 10‐km radius of their child, but the average distance is greater for nonresident fathers than for nonresident mothers. Multilevel analysis show that the distance between the parental households decreases with regional level of urbanisation. There is evidence that the distance between the two parental households is greater if the child was either relatively young or old at parents' union dissolution. Parents' income at this time is negatively correlated with distance. This underlines the long‐lasting impact of family characteristics at the time of parents' union dissolution on subsequent residential moves. Also different events after parents' union dissolution are associated with the geographical distance between nonresident parents and children. Time since the break‐up, the formation of a new coresidential union, and the birth of subsequent children are positively correlated with the distance between the two parental households. If children move from one parental household to the other, this is associated with longer distances, especially to nonresident mothers.
“On the move, or staying put?” An analysis of intrametropolitan residential mobility and ageing in place
Authors: Atkins Mariana T.
Published: August 2017

Population ageing and urbanisation are worldwide phenomena that are transforming societies and having profound economic and social effects on cities and countries throughout the world. Ageing is not taking place evenly, and in many developed cities, ageing growth rates are greater in peripheral areas than in the centre. This paper determines how intrametropolitan residential mobility and ageing‐in‐place patterns vary across age categories and geographical scales, explored through a case study of metropolitan Perth, a rapidly growing, low‐density, sprawling city. Using a life course perspective, this study examines Australian residential mobility census data between 2006 and 2011 and disaggregates this into 4 age categories: preretirement (ages 55–64), seniors in active retirement (ages 65–74), mature‐aged seniors (ages 75–84), and older aged seniors (over 85 years). This study adds to the internal migration literature by offering new insights into the age‐specific mobility patterns of older populations within metropolitan areas. The results reveal that the overriding dynamic is one of stability across the metropolitan area with the dominant trend being “ageing in place.” It was found that the likelihood of residential mobility varies by age, and a 2‐peak mobility pattern was identified, with the preretirement and the older aged seniors exhibiting the most mobility. Additionally, although the majority of moves were short distance, younger ages moved farther than did the older aged categories. The study makes empirical and conceptual contributions to our understanding of ageing residential mobility trends within metropolitan areas.
Elastocaloric Effect Associated with Different Types of Martensitic Transformations: Typical First‐Order and Weak First‐Order Ones
Authors: Xiao Fei , Fukuda Takashi , Jin Xuejun , Liu Jian , Kakeshita Tomoyuki
Published: August 2017

Elastocaloric effects of a Ni50Fe19Ga27Co4 alloy exhibiting a typical first‐order martensitic transformation (MT) and an Fe‐31.2Pd (at.%) alloy exhibiting a weak first‐order MT, respectively, have been compared using their single crystals. A flat region appears in the temperature dependence of elastocaloric effect in the Ni50Fe19Ga27Co4 alloy, while such region is missing in the Fe‐31.2Pd alloy. The elastocaloric effect of the Ni50Fe19Ga27Co4 alloy originates essentially from the latent heat released by the stress‐induced MT, while that in the Fe‐31.2Pd alloy originates essentially from the entropy change caused by elastic deformation of the parent and martensite phases. Although the Young's modulus in the [001] direction at Ms is nearly the same for the two alloys (E ∼ 2 GPa), its slope dE/dT is largely different between the two alloys. It is approximately 0.003 GPa K−1 for the Ni50Fe19Ga27Co4 alloy and 0.2 GPa K−1 for Fe‐31.2Pd alloy.
Adaptive phase I/II clinical trials for drug combination assessment in oncology using the outcomes of each cycle
Authors: Yada Shinjo , Hamada Chikuma
Published: August 2017

Many new anticancer agents can be combined with existing drugs, as combining a number of drugs may be expected to have a better therapeutic effect than monotherapy owing to synergistic effects. Furthermore, to drive drug development and to reduce the associated cost, there has been a growing tendency to combine these as phase I/II trials. With respect to phase I/II oncology trials for the assessment of dose combinations, in the existing methodologies in which efficacy based on tumor response and safety based on toxicity are modeled as binary outcomes, it is not possible to enroll and treat the next cohort of patients unless the best overall response has been determined in the current cohort. Thus, the trial duration might be potentially extended to an unacceptable degree. In this study, we proposed a method that randomizes the next cohort of patients in the phase II part to the dose combination based on the estimated response rate using all the available observed data upon determination of the overall response in the current cohort. We compared the proposed method to the existing method using simulation studies. These demonstrated that the percentage of optimal dose combinations selected in the proposed method is not less than that in the existing method and that the trial duration in the proposed method is shortened compared to that in the existing method. The proposed method meets both ethical and financial requirements, and we believe it has the potential to contribute to expedite drug development.
Multi‐system reliability trend analysis model using incomplete data with application to tank maintenance
Authors: Na Il Yong , Chang Woojin
Published: August 2017

This paper focuses on the estimation of power law type reliability trend analysis model given incomplete failure data from multiple homogeneous machines. In many real situations, we encounter data having missing parts especially in the initial recording stage, so‐called left censored data. We provide a method to estimate the failure intensity function of power law process using left censored data from multiple machines. The method consists of two folds: initially estimate parameters via the law of large numbers theory and revise the estimated parameters recursively through the EM algorithm. The validity of our method is confirmed by simulation experiments. We also apply our method to the real‐world case, Korean ARMY tank maintenance data, and show that our proposed method is applicable to practical maintenance planning.
Quantification of six potential unspecific human biomarkers of 1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone exposure in Sprague‐Dawley rat urine using gas chromatography coupled with triple mass spectrometry
Authors: Bertram J. , Schettgen T. , Kraus T.
Published: August 2017

Rationale

The monomer 1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (VP) is a substance with excellent solvent features. It is used in a wide variety of pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food industrial or technical applications and produced on an industrial scale. Since VP has caused adenocarcinoma of the nasal cavity and liver cell carcinoma in long‐term experiments with rats, a human biomarker would be appreciated for risk assessment.

Methods

A sensitive analytical electron ionization gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) method for the determination of six possible biomarkers for VP in urine was established and validated. Two isotope‐labeled internal standards (ISTD) were used for quantification. A simple and easy to use freeze‐drying step was performed prior to derivatization with N‐tert‐butyldimethylsilyl‐N‐methyltrifluoracetamide (MTBSTFA) and following sample extraction for cleanup purposes.

Results

A calibration curve with six calibration standards ranging from 50 μg/L to 2000 μg/L (10‐fold higher for H‐OPAA) in urine was prepared. Validation results were satisfactory with recoveries ranging from 88.2 to 110.2 % with two exceptions for the lowest quality control for two substances without ISTD (126.4 % and 139.3 %). Three of the substances could be identified as VP metabolites in an exposure study with Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats.

Conclusions

A quick and easy to use method has been established for six target molecules investigated for a better understanding of the metabolism of VP. Two of three substances identified as metabolites of VP could serve as a nonspecific human biomarker for VP exposure as shown with an excerpt of an exposure study performed in SD rats.
Cooperative output regulation of heterogeneous multiagent systems based on event‐triggered control with fixed and switching topologies
Authors: Jia Hongwei , Zhao Jun
Published: August 2017

This paper addresses the cooperative output regulation problem of multiagent systems with fixed and switching topologies. Each agent is a heterogeneous linear system, and the output of the exosystem can be available to only a subset of agents. For the agents that can directly access the exosystem, a common observer based on an event‐triggered strategy is constructed to estimate the exogenous signal for feedback control design. For the rest of the agents, estimators based on an event‐triggered mechanism to acquire the estimation value of the exogenous signal are designed under some essential assumptions. A decentralized event‐triggered formulation is considered first by applying a Lyapunov function for a fixed topology. Furthermore, a topology‐dependent triggering condition and the average dwell‐time switching law are deduced simultaneously by using multiple Lyapunov functions for switching topologies. Under communication constraints, we propose observer‐based and estimator‐based feedback controllers to solve the cooperative output regulation problem using available local information among agents. Two examples are finally provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results.
An improved robust model predictive control for linear parameter‐varying input‐output models
Authors: Abbas H. S. , Hanema J. , Tóth R. , Mohammadpour J. , Meskin N.
Published: August 2017

This paper describes a new robust model predictive control (MPC) scheme to control the discrete‐time linear parameter‐varying input‐output models subject to input and output constraints. Closed‐loop asymptotic stability is guaranteed by including a quadratic terminal cost and an ellipsoidal terminal set, which are solved offline, for the underlying online MPC optimization problem. The main attractive feature of the proposed scheme in comparison with previously published results is that all offline computations are now based on the convex optimization problem, which significantly reduces conservatism and computational complexity. Moreover, the proposed scheme can handle a wider class of linear parameter‐varying input‐output models than those considered by previous schemes without increasing the complexity. For an illustration, the predictive control of a continuously stirred tank reactor is provided with the proposed method.
Does Corporate Sustainability Performance Increase Corporate Financial Performance? Focusing on the Information and Communication Technology Industry in Korea
Authors: Jung Seonmin , Nam Changi , Yang Dong‐Hoon , Kim Seongcheol
Published: August 2017

Corporate sustainability has increased in importance, because corporations must survive in a social and ecological network as an interdependent going concern. However, from a business perspective, it is an empirical issue whether the firm's corporate sustainability performance is associated with its financial performance. In this paper, based on Ohlson's residual income model, the effect of corporate sustainability performance on financial performance is examined by utilizing the newly developed Korea Sustainability Index as a proxy for corporate sustainability performance. It was found that a firm's corporate sustainability performance is positively associated with its financial performance, and this positive association is more sensitive in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry than in non‐ICT firms. Furthermore, this moderating effect is mainly attributable to the service sector in the ICT industry. These effects are prominent in smaller low‐leveraged firms. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Light‐Induced Contraction/Expansion of 1D Photoswitchable Metallopolymer Monitored at the Solid–Liquid Interface
Authors: Garah Mohamed El , Borré Etienne , Ciesielski Artur , Dianat Arezoo , Gutierrez Rafael , Cuniberti Gianaurelio , Bellemin‐Laponnaz Stéphane , Mauro Matteo , Samorì Paolo
Published: August 2017

The use of a bottom‐up approach to the fabrication of nanopatterned functional surfaces, which are capable to respond to external stimuli, is of great current interest. Herein, the preparation of light‐responsive, linear supramolecular metallopolymers constituted by the ideally infinite repetition of a ditopic ligand bearing an azoaryl moiety and Co(II) coordination nodes is described. The supramolecular polymerization process is followed by optical spectroscopy in dimethylformamide solution. Noteworthy, a submolecularly resolved scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study of the in situ reversible trans‐to‐cis photoisomerization of a photoswitchable metallopolymer that self‐assembles into 2D crystalline patterns onto a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surface is achieved for the first time. The STM analysis of the nanopatterned surfaces is corroborated by modeling the physisorbed species onto a graphene slab before and after irradiation by means of density functional theory calculation. Significantly, switching of the monolayers consisting of supramolecular Co(II) metallopolymer bearing trans‐azoaryl units to a novel pattern based on cis isomers can be triggered by UV light and reversed back to the trans conformer by using visible light, thereby restoring the trans‐based supramolecular 2D packing. These findings represent a step forward toward the design and preparation of photoresponsive “smart” surfaces organized with an atomic precision.
The architectural template method: templating architectural knowledge to efficiently conduct quality‐of‐service analyses
Authors: Lehrig Sebastian , Hilbrich Marcus , Becker Steffen
Published: August 2017

Software architects plan the realization of software systems by assessing design decisions on the basis of architectural models. Using these models as input, architectural analyses assess the impact of architects' decisions on quality‐of‐service properties. While the creation of suitable architectural models requires software architects to apply complex architectural knowledge, for example, in the form of established architectural styles and patterns, current architectural analyses lack support for directly reusing such knowledge. This lack points to an unused potential to make the work of software architects more effective and efficient.

To use this potential, we introduce the architectural template (AT) method, an engineering method that makes design‐time analyses of quality‐of‐service properties of software systems more efficient. The AT method allows to quantify quality‐of‐service properties on the basis of reusable modeling templates that capture recurring architectural knowledge. Architects just need to customize such templates with system‐specific parts. In a case study, we illustrate the applicability of the AT method in the domains of distributed and cloud computing and its suitability for the quality‐of‐service properties performance, scalability, elasticity, and cost‐efficiency. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
N‐Heterocyclic Phosphenium Dihalido‐Aurates: On the Borderline between Classical Coordination Compounds and Ion Pairs
Authors: Nickolaus Jan , Schlindwein Simon H. , Nieger Martin , Gudat Dietrich
Published: August 2017

2‐Bromo‐ and 2‐chloro‐1,3,2‐diazaphospholenes react with (tht)AuCl to afford isolable N‐heterocyclic phosphenium (NHP) dihalido‐aurates, which were characterized by analytical and spectroscopic data and in one case by a single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study. The T‐shaped metal coordination sphere found in the crystal consists of a pseudo‐linear AuX2 unit that is perturbed by a weakly bound NHP unit. DFT studies indicate that the subunits interact mainly through electrostatic and dispersion forces, with negligible covalent contributions, and that the phosphenium dibromido‐aurate is slightly more stable than an isomeric complex with an intact bromophosphane ligand. NMR studies reveal that the NHP‐AuX2 pairs persist in solution but are kinetically labile and readily undergo halide scrambling. The hydride/fluoride exchange reaction between a secondary phosphane‐AuCl complex and [Ph3C][BF4] implies that a gold complex with an intact 2‐halogeno‐1,3,2‐diazaphospholene ligand may be more stable than its phosphenium dihalido‐aurate isomer when covalent P–X bonding contributions are strengthened.
A seven-year retrospective analysis of the clinicopathological and mycological manifestations of fungal rhinosinusitis in a single-centre tropical climate hospital
Authors: Goh L C , Shakri E D , Ong H Y , Mustakim S , Shaariyah M M , Ng W S J , Zulkiflee A B
Published: August 2017

Objective:

To evaluate the clinicopathological and mycological manifestations of fungal rhinosinusitis occurring in the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, in Klang, Malaysia, which has a tropical climate.

Methods:

Records of patients treated from 2009 to 2016 were analysed retrospectively. Data from the records were indexed based on age, gender, clinical presentations, symptom duration, clinical signs and mycological growth.

Results:

Of 80 samples, 27 (33.75 per cent) had fungal growth. Sixteen patients were classified as having non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis and 11 as having invasive fungal rhinosinusitis. The commonest clinical presentation was nasal polyposis in non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis patients (p < 0.05) and ocular symptoms in invasive fungal rhinosinusitis patients (p < 0.05). The commonest organism was aspergillus sp. (p < 0.05) in non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis and mucorales in invasive fungal rhinosinusitis.

Conclusion:

There is an almost equal distribution of both invasive and non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, as seen in some Asian countries. Invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, while slightly uncommon when compared to non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, is potentially life threatening, and may require early and extensive surgical debridement. The clinical presentation of nasal polyposis was often associated with non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, whereas ocular symptoms were more likely to be associated with invasive fungal rhinosinusitis.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT MISS MARY HOLMES
Authors: Kyprianides Christine
Published: August 2017

From May 1850 to January 1851, the Lady's Newspaper and Pictorial Times of London featured a series of articles entitled “A Few Words about Music” by “M. H.” The author was the governess, composer, and Catholic convert Mary Holmes (1815–1878). Over the course of several months, Holmes extolled the value of music in women's education, offered practical advice on practicing the piano, recommended suitable repertoire for students, and provided useful guidelines for teaching music to children. In 1851, the articles were expanded into a small book and published by J. Alfred Novello as A Few Words about Music: Containing Hints to Amateur Pianists; to Which Is Added a Slight Historical Sketch of the Rise and Progress of the Art of Music, by M. H.
“THE ADDITIONAL ATTRACTION OF AFFLICTION”: DISABILITY, SEX, AND GENRE TROUBLE INBARCHESTER TOWERS
Authors: Gore Clare Walker
Published: August 2017

While there is neverany serious doubt that Mr. Arabin, clergyman hero of Anthony Trollope'sBarchester Towers(1857), is destined to marry our heroine, Eleanor Bold, there are moments in the novel when he is all but overcome by the charms of Signora Madeline Neroni, most beautiful and most amoral member of the rackety Stanhope family. Having spent her wicked youth in Italy, where her father has been taking an extended leave of absence from his clerical duties – curtailed only by a peremptory summons from the new Bishop – Madeline is entertaining herself during her enforced stay in Barchester by waging a concerted campaign of seduction, intending “to have parsons at her feet” (86–87; vol. 1, ch. 10). The fact that she never leaves her sofa does nothing to impede her success in this regard: although Madeline is described by the narrator as “a helpless, hopeless cripple” (270; vol. 1, ch. 27), every man she meets is shown to fall under her spell. In fact, when Arabin finds himself “mak[ing] comparisons between her and Eleanor Bold, not always in favour of the latter,” he reflects that Madeline is “the more lovely woman of the two, and had also the additional attraction of her affliction; for to him it was an attraction” (74; vol. 2, ch. 34). Far from diminishing her “loveliness,” Madeline's disability actually heightens her sexual appeal for Arabin.
Alternative splicing discriminates molecular subtypes and has prognostic impact in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Leivonen S-K , Taskinen M , Cervera A , Karjalainen-Lindsberg M-L , Delabie J , Holte H , Lehtonen R , Hautaniemi S , Leppä S
Published: August 2017

Effect of alternative splicing (AS) on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) pathogenesis and survival has not been systematically addressed. Here, we compared differentially expressed genes and exons in association with survival after chemoimmunotherapy, and between germinal center B-cell like (GCB) and activated B-cell like (ABC) DLBCLs. Genome-wide exon array-based screen was performed from samples of 38 clinically high-risk patients who were treated in a Nordic phase II study with dose-dense chemoimmunotherapy and central nervous system prophylaxis. The exon expression profile separated the patients according to molecular subgroups and survival better than the gene expression profile. Pathway analyses revealed enrichment of AS genes in inflammation and adhesion-related processes, and in signal transduction, such as phosphatidylinositol signaling system and adenosine triphosphate binding cassette transporters. Altogether, 49% of AS-related exons were protein coding, and domain prediction showed 28% of such exons to include a functional domain, such as transmembrane helix domain or phosphorylation sites. Validation in an independent cohort of 92 DLBCL samples subjected to RNA-sequencing confirmed differential exon usage of selected genes and association of AS with molecular subtypes and survival. The results indicate that AS events are able to discriminate GCB and ABC DLBCLs and have prognostic impact in DLBCL.
High sensitivity blood-based M-protein detection in sCR patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Mills J R , Barnidge D R , Dispenzieri A , Murray D L
Published: August 2017

We assessed the ability of a mass spectrometry-based technique, called monoclonal immunoglobulin rapid accurate mass measurement (miRAMM), to extend the analytical range of M-protein detection in serum samples obtained from myeloma patients in stringent complete response (sCR) post-autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). To aid the M-protein detection post ASCT, the accurate molecular mass of the M-protein light chain at diagnosis was determined in all patients (N=30) and used to positively identify clones in the sCR serum. Day 100 post-ASCT, sCR samples had miRAMM identifiable M-proteins in 81% of patients. Patients who had achieved only a partial remission (PR) pre-ASCT and those with IgG isotypes serum samples had the highest rate of M-protein detection by miRAMM. miRAMM positivity at single time points (day 100, 6 months or 12 months) did not correlate with progression-free survival (PFS). In contrast, sCR patients who did not decrease their miRAMM M-protein intensities in serial measurements had shorter PFS than those whose miRAMM intensities decreased (median 17.9 months vs 51.6 months; P<0.0017). miRAMM M-protein is a more sensitive blood-based test than traditional M-protein tests and could cost effectively aid in serially monitoring complete remission for continue response or biochemical relapse.
Whole-body computed tomography versus conventional skeletal survey in patients with multiple myeloma: a study of the International Myeloma Working Group
Authors: Hillengass J , Moulopoulos L A , Delorme S , Koutoulidis V , Mosebach J , Hielscher T , Drake M , Rajkumar S V , Oestergaard B , Abildgaard N , Hinge M , Plesner T , Suehara Y , Matsue K , Withofs N , Caers J , Waage A , Goldschmidt H , Dimopoulos M A , Lentzsch S , Durie B , Terpos E
Published: August 2017

For decades, conventional skeletal survey (CSS) has been the standard imaging technique for multiple myeloma (MM). However, recently whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) has been implemented into the diagnostic criteria of MM. This analysis compares sensitivity and prognostic significance of WBCT and CSS in patients with smoldering MM (SMM) and MM. Fifty-four of 212 patients (25.5%) had a negative CSS and a positive WBCT for osteolytic lesions (P<0.0001). Of 66 patients with SMM based on CSS, 12 (22.2%) had osteolytic lesions on WBCT. In comparison, WBCT failed to detect some bone destructions in the appendicular skeleton possibly due to limitations of the field of view. Presence of lytic bone lesions in WBCT was of borderline prognostic significance (P=0.051) for SMM patients, with a median time to progression of 38 versus 82 months for those without bone destructions. In conclusion, WBCT identifies significantly more sites of bone destruction than CSS. More than 20% of patients with SMM according to CSS have in fact active MM detectable with WBCT. On the basis of this and other studies, WBCT (either computed tomography (CT) alone or as part of a positron emission tomography-CT protocol) should be considered the current standard for the detection of osteolytic lesions in MM.
Erratum: A de novo 2.78-Mb duplication on chromosome 21q22.11 implicates candidate genes in the partial trisomy 21 phenotype
Authors: Weisfeld-Adams James D , Tkachuk Amanda K , Maclean Kenneth N , Meeks Naomi L , Scott Stuart A
Published: August 2017

Correction to: npj Genomic Medicine (2016) 1, 16003; doi:10.1038/npjgenmed.2016.3; published online 2 March 2016 The following text was missing from the paper and has now been added: In the Materials and methods section: ‘Informed consent was obtained from the mother of the patient for their participation in this study, including the use of medical information and the publication of the patient’s photograph (Figures 1a–c).
A 3D magnetic tissue stretcher for remote mechanical control of embryonic stem cell differentiation
Authors: Du Vicard , Luciani Nathalie , Richard Sophie , Mary Gaëtan , Gay Cyprien , Mazuel François , Reffay Myriam , Menasché Philippe , Agbulut Onnik , Wilhelm Claire
Published: August 2017

The ability to create a 3D tissue structure from individual cells and then to stimulate it at will is a major goal for both the biophysics and regenerative medicine communities. Here we show an integrated set of magnetic techniques that meet this challenge using embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We assessed the impact of magnetic nanoparticles internalization on ESCs viability, proliferation, pluripotency and differentiation profiles. We developed magnetic attractors capable of aggregating the cells remotely into a 3D embryoid body. This magnetic approach to embryoid body formation has no discernible impact on ESC differentiation pathways, as compared to the hanging drop method. It is also the base of the final magnetic device, composed of opposing magnetic attractors in order to form embryoid bodies in situ, then stretch them, and mechanically stimulate them at will. These stretched and cyclic purely mechanical stimulations were sufficient to drive ESCs differentiation towards the mesodermal cardiac pathway.