A feasibility approach for constructing combinatorial designs of circulant type

In this work, we propose an optimization approach for constructing various classes of circulant combinatorial designs that can be defined in terms of autocorrelations. The problem is formulated as a so-called feasibility problem having three sets, to which the Douglas-Rachford projection algorithm is applied. The approach is illustrated on three different classes of circulant combinatorial designs: circulant weighing matrices, D-optimal matrices, and Hadamard matrices with two circulant cores. Furthermore, we explicitly construct two new circulant weighing matrices, a $CW(126,64)$ and a $CW(198,100)$, whose existence was previously marked as unresolved in the most recent version of Strassler's table

Examining the Adoption of Extensible Business Reporting Language among Public Listed Companies in Malaysia

AbstractThis study examines the adoption of an accounting information systems language known as Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) among public listed companies in Malaysia. Using 100 top public listed companies as the sample study, this study examines whether these companies have adopted XBRL, consistent with the call made by the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) for such adoption. Such call was made to encourage listed public companies to provide their annual reports via XBRL and ultimately improves harmonisation between companies and between countries. The result of this study shows that to this date, no public listed companies have adopted XBRL. Such scenario indicates that there could be issues and challenges that have deter the implementation of XBRL among these companies. The result in this study serves as a starting point for CCM and other Malaysian regulators to consider the issues and challenges as to why such scenario exists and subsequently, provide strategies to encourage these companies to adopt XBRL

Process simulation and assessment of a back-up condensate stabilization unit

YesA simulation was conducted using Aspen HYSYS® software for an industrial scale condensate stabilization unit and the results of the product composition from the simulation were compared with the plant data. The results were also compared to the results obtained using PRO/II software. The results show that the simulation is in good agreement with the plant data, especially for medium range hydrocarbons. For hydrocarbons lighter than C5, the simulation results over predict the plant data while for hydrocarbons heavier than C9 this trend is reversed. The influences of steam temperature and pressure, as well as feed conditions (flow rate, temperature and pressure) for the product specification (RVP and sulphur content) were also investigated. It was reported that the operating conditions gave rise to the production of off-specification condensate and it was also found that the unit could be utilized within 40–110% of its normal throughput without altering equipment sizing and by the operating parameters

Multi-objective Optimization under Uncertainty using the Hyper-volume Expected Improvement

The design of real engineering systems requires the optimization of multiple quantities of interest. In the electric motor design, one wants to maximize the average torque and minimize the torque variation. A study has shown that these attributes vary for different geometries of the rotor teeth. However, simulations of a large number of designs cannot be performed due to their high cost. In many problems, design optimization of multi-objective functions is a very challenging task due to the difficulty to evaluate the expectation of the objectives. Current multi-objective optimization (MOO) techniques, e.g., evolutionary algorithms cannot solve such problems because they require hundreds of thousands of function evaluations. Therefore, an alternative methodology must be used to identify a Pareto front, a set of optimal designs of MOO. Recent extensions of Bayesian global optimization are able to do exactly that. The idea is to replace the expensive objective functions with cheap-to-evaluate probabilistic surrogates trained using few input-output pairs and to sequentially query designs that maximize the improvement of the Pareto front. For these purposes, we developed SMOOT, a Rappture tool built on a NanoHUB platform. It enables experimentalists to optimize their expensive processes without a need to understand the optimization methodology and guides them to make better decisions in order to find optimal designs

Schottiin, a New Prenylated Isoflavone from Psorothamnus schottii and Antibacterial Synergism Studies between Methicillin and Fremontone against MRSA

Presenter: Mallika Kumarihamyhttps://egrove.olemiss.edu/pharm_annual_posters_2021/1001/thumbnail.jp

Evaluating mild traumatic brain injury in adults: an emergency physician’s dilemma

Background: Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is a common presentation in emergency departments across the globe. A controversy about the policy of evaluating them with CT scan and hospital admission or discharge and for these patients. This study is directed towards correlation of clinical profile with CT brain findings of the patients to predict the possibility of an intracranial lesion and need for early neurosurgical intervention.Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out in the Emergency Department (ED) of a tertiary care government medical college and hospital. All patients aged more than 12 years presenting to the ED with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) within 24 hours of injury in whom NCCT head (trauma protocol) was done during the Study. Descriptive and analytical statistics were applied. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors related to different outcomes.Results: 178 patients with MTBI were enrolled in the study among which intracranial injuries were found by CT scan in 28 patients (15.7%). Odds of finding intracranial injuries were highest with the presence of post-traumatic vomiting, post traumatic amnesia (PTA), pre-existing alcohol use disorder, GCS≤14, focal neurological deficit and clinical signs of basal skull fracture. 2.8% patients required urgent neurosurgical intervention.Conclusions: Presence of post-traumatic vomiting, PTA, alcohol use disorder, GCS≤14, focal neurodeficit and signs of basal skull fracture in a MTBI patient should be considered as high-risk factors for significant intracranial injuries. 

Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia During Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography

Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) has been frequently performed safely and renders important diagnostic information of underlying myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease. During DSE, death or other major events, such as myocardial infarction and sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), have been extremely rare. We herein present three patients who developed three different types of sustained VT during DSE. These clinical observations indicate that various mechanisms may be involved in the development of this malignant arrhythmia during DES