Cosolute partitioning in polymer networks: Effects of flexibility and volume transitions

We study the partitioning of cosolute particles in a thin film of a semi-flexible polymer network by a combination of coarse-grained (implicit-solvent) stochastic dynamics simulations and mean-field theory. We focus on a wide range of solvent qualities and cosolute-network interactions for selected polymer flexibilities. Our investigated ensemble (isothermal-isobaric) allows the network to undergo a volume transition from extended to collapsed state while the cosolutes can distribute in bulk and network, correspondingly. We find a rich topology of equilibrium states of the network and transitions between them, qualitatively depending on solvent quality, polymer flexibility, and cosolute-network interactions. In particular, we find a novel `cosolute-induced' collapsed state, where strongly attractive cosolutes bridge network monomers albeit the latter interact mutually repulsive. Finally, the cosolutes' global partitioning `landscape', computed as a function of solvent quality and cosolute-network interactions, exhibits very different topologies depending on polymer flexibility. The simulation results are supported by theoretical predictions obtained with a two-component mean-field approximation for the Helmholtz free energy that considers the chain elasticity and the particle interactions in terms of a virial expansion. Our findings have implications on the interpretation of transport processes and permeability in hydrogel films, as realized in filtration or macromolecular carrier systems.Comment: Macromolecules (2017

Family Firms strategies in times of crisis: a study of the influence of socio-emotional wealth and Top Management Team characteristics

Las empresas familiares representan la mayor parte de la economía mundial, contribuyen a la generación de cerca del 70% del PIB a nivel global, crean el 60% de los puestos de trabajo en el mundo y es el tipo de empresa predominante en la mayoría de las economías desarrolladas, llegando a representar al 65% de las empresas existentes en el mundo. Concretamente en España representan el 89% del total de empresas existentes, proveen el 67% de los puestos de trabajo del país y contribuyen a la generación del 57% del PIB nacional. A pesar de la importancia de las empresas familiares en la economía mundial y de su importante papel en la sociedad, menos del 30% de las empresas alcanzan la segunda generación y de ellas menos de la mitad llegan a la tercera generación. Existen factores intrínsecos y factores extrínsecos a la organización que pueden en cierta forma explicar estos resultados. Los factores intrínsecos están relacionados con la gestión interna de la propia organización y cómo esto afecta a los resultados de la empresa sin tomar en cuenta el entorno. Mientras que los factores extrínsecos están relacionados en cómo el entorno afecta al desempeño de la empresa y a su vez a la toma de decisiones por parte del equipo directivo. En los últimos años las empresas en el mundo han sufrido grandes crisis provocadas por factores externos, desde la crisis financiera del 2008, la pandemia del COVID-19 o la reciente guerra de Ucrania. Esta disertación doctoral se centra en analizar cómo entornos adversos tales como la crisis financiera del 2008, afectan a la toma de decisiones en empresas familiares. Concretamente, nos enfocamos en analizar cómo la composición de los equipos directivos determina la intensidad de las estrategias de retrenchment y cómo esto afecta a su vez al tamaño del equipo directivo. Para analizar las hipótesis planteadas, se realizó un cuestionario a 113 empresas familiares españolas que habían enfrentado la crisis financiera del 2008. Con el propósito de analizar el proceso de turnaround se obtuvieron dados de dos períodos: 2008-2013 relativos a la fase de retrenchment y 2014-2016 relacionados con la fase de recovery. Específicamente, se estudiaron las decisiones relacionadas con la estrategia de la empresa durante ambos períodos en aspectos tales como la expansión/reducción de la oferta, cambios en el portafolio de productos/servicios, la propiedad, la gobernanza o la composición y estructura de los equipos directivos. El objetivo principal de este estudio es analizar el rol de los equipos directivos y la influencia de la familia en las decisiones estratégicas tomadas por las empresas familiares bajo la perspectiva de la riqueza socio-emocional (SEW). Concretamente estudiamos cómo las motivaciones no económicas que caracterizan a las empresas familiares y se explican a través de la riqueza socio-emocional determinan su comportamiento estratégico. En la primera parte de esta disertación doctoral se realiza una revisión sistemática de la literatura sobre el proceso de turnaround en empresas familiares. Uno de los aspectos que más nos llamó la atención fue que pocos estudios sobre turnaround en empresas familiares se centran en la dimensión humana, es decir en cómo aspectos como la composición de los equipos directivos pueden determinar las decisiones estratégicas de empresas familiares en entornos de crisis provocadas por factores externos. En la segunda parte del trabajo se analiza el efecto que tiene la composición de los equipos directivos en la intensidad de las estrategias de retrenchment como respuesta a crisis externas. Concretamente, evidenciamos que los CEO familiares son más proclives a aplicar medidas severas de retrenchment que los CEO no familiares, en parte debido a que en la primera generación al tratarse de CEO fundadores están muy centrados en salvaguardar su inversión. En esta misma línea, nuestros resultados de muestran que si bien es cierto que los equipos directivos que incorporan a miembros de la familia promueven estrategias de retrenchment más severas, en los casos en los que más del 65% del equipo directivo es miembro de la familia se produce el efecto contrario. La tercera parte de esta tesis está centrada en demostrar cómo la intensidad de las estrategias de retrenchment afecta al tamaño del equipo directivo en mayor o menor medida dependiendo de la composición del equipo directivo. Nuestros resultados evidencian que a medida que las estrategias de retrenchment se intensifican, se reduce el tamaño del equipo directivo. Sin embargo, en algunos casos, este efecto puede ser moderado por la edad del CEO, la edad del equipo directivo, el número de miembros de la familia en relación al tamaño del equipo directivo o la simultaneidad de estrategias de retrenchment/recovery. Concretamente, nuestros resultados evidencian que los equipos directivos de mayor edad son más proclives a reducir el tamaño del equipo directivo como consecuencia de la aplicación de medidas de retrenchment de alta intensidad. Por otro lado, el análisis de los datos demuestra que el tamaño del equipo directivo crecerá cuanto más agresivas sean las estrategias de recovery. Por último, en lo referente al porcentaje de miembros de la familia en el equipo directivo, nuestros resultados evidencian que la reducción del tamaño del equipo directivo será menor cuanto mayor sea el número de miembros de la familia en el equipo directivo. Para finalizar, en nuestra investigación demostramos que la composición de los equipos directivos en las empresas familiares que se enfrentan a crisis de origen externo influye en la toma de decisiones, en particular en lo que respecta al tamaño del equipo directivo. En consecuencia, variables como la edad media del equipo directivo, el número de miembros de la familia en el equipo directivo o la edad del CEO influyen en las decisiones relativas al tamaño del equipo directivo tras la aplicación de estrategias de retrenchment.  Family businesses represent the largest part of the world economy, contribute to the generation of nearly 70% of the global GDP, create 60% of the jobs in the world and are the predominant type of company in most developed economies, representing 65% of the existing companies in the world. In Spain, specifically, they account for 89% of all extant businesses, provide 67% of the country's employment, and generate 57% of the national gross domestic product. Despite the significance of family businesses in the global economy and their vital position in society, less than 30% of businesses reach the second generation and less than 50% reach the third. There are factors intrinsic and extrinsic to the organization that can partially explain these results. Intrinsic factors are related to the internal management of the organization itself and how this affects the results of the company without taking into account the environment. While extrinsic factors relate to how the external environment influences the company's performance and, in turn, the management team's decision-making. The 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent conflict in Ukraine are just a few examples of the external factors that have caused significant crises for businesses in recent years. This dissertation examines how adverse environments, such as the 2008 financial crisis, impact the decision-making of family businesses. Specifically, we analyze how the composition of management teams influences the intensity of retrenchment strategies and, in turn, the size of management teams. To test the hypotheses, a questionnaire was distributed to 113 Spanish family businesses that had experienced the financial crisis of 2008. In order to analyze the reversal process, data from two time periods were collected: 2008-2013 for the retrenchment phase and 2014-2016 for the recovery phase. Specifically, decisions related to the company's strategy during both periods were studied in aspects such as expansion/reduction of the offer, changes in the product/service portfolio, ownership, governance or the composition and structure of the management teams. The primary objective of this study is to analyze, from the perspective of social-emotional wealth (SEW), the role of management teams and the influence of the family on the strategic decisions made by family firms. In particular, we investigate how the non-economic motivations that distinguish family firms and are explained by socio-emotional wealth influence their strategic behavior. The first section of this dissertation is a systematic literature review on the reversal process in family businesses. Few studies on revival in family firms concentrate on the human dimension, i.e. how factors such as the composition of management teams can influence the strategic decisions of family firms in crisis environments caused by external factors. The second section of the doctoral dissertation examines the impact of management team composition on the magnitude of retrenchment strategies in response to external crises. In particular, we find that family CEOs are more likely to implement severe retrenchment measures than non-family CEOs, in part because first-generation CEO founders are so intent on protecting their investment. In a similar vein, our results indicate that while it is true that management teams with family members promote more severe retrenchment strategies, the opposite effect occurs when more than 65 percent of the management team consists of family members. The third section of this thesis demonstrates how, depending on the composition of the management team, the intensity of retrenchment strategies impacts the size of the management team to a greater or lessened extent. Our findings indicate that as retrenchment strategies intensify, the management team shrinks. In some cases, however, this effect may be moderated by the age of the CEO, the age of the management team, the number of family members in relation to the size of the management team, or the simultaneous implementation of retrenchment and recovery strategies. Specifically, our findings indicate that senior management teams are more likely to reduce their size in response to the implementation of severe retrenchment measures. On the other hand, the data analysis indicates that the size of the management team will increase as retrenchment strategies become more aggressive. Regarding the percentage of family members in the management team, our findings indicate that the reduction in the size of the management team will be lesser as the percentage of family members increases. In conclusion, our research demonstrates that the composition of management teams in family businesses confronting externally induced crises affects decision-making, particularly in terms of team size. Consequently, variables such as the average age of the management team, the number of family members on the management team, and the age of the CEO influence decisions regarding the size of the management team after retrenchment strategies are implemented

Gas flow in near surface comet like porous structures: Application to 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

We performed an investigation of a comet like porous surface to study how sub-surface sublimation with subsequent flow through the porous medium can lead to higher gas temperatures at the surface. A higher gas temperature of the emitted gas at the surface layer, compared to the sublimation temperature, will lead to higher gas speeds as the gas expands into the vacuum thus altering the flow properties on larger scales (kilometres away from the surface). Unlike previous models that have used modelled artificial structures, we used Earth rock samples with a porosity in the range 24 – 92 % obtained from X-ray micro computed tomography (micro-CT) scans with resolution of some μm. Micro-CT scanning technology provides 3D images of the pore samples. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method for the rarefied gas dynamics is directly applied on the digital rock samples in an unstructured mesh to determine the gas densities, temperatures and speeds within the porous medium and a few centimetres above the surface. The thicknesses of the rock samples were comparable to the diurnal thermal skin depth (5cm). H2O was assumed to be the outgassing species. We correlated the coma temperatures and other properties of the flow with the rock porosities. The results are discussed as an input to analysis of data from the Microwave Instrument on Rosetta Orbiter (MIRO) on the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Effect of miscibility on mechanical and thermal properties of poly(lactic acid)/polycaprolactone blends

This is the accepted version of the following article: Ferri, J. M.; Fenollar, O.; Jorda-Vilaplana, A.; Garcia-Sanoguera, D.; Balart, R. (2016). "Effect of miscibility on mechanical and thermal properties of poly(lactic acid)/polycaprolactone blends". Polymer International. 65(4):453-463. doi:10.1002/pi.5079., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pi.5079 .Binary blends based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) were prepared by melt mixing in a twin-screw co-rotating extruder in order to increase the low intrinsic elongation at break of PLA for packaging applications. Although PLA and PCL show low miscibility, the presence of PCL leads to a marked improvement in the ductile properties of PLA. Various mechanical properties were evaluated in terms of PCL content up to 30wt% PCL. In addition to tensile and flexural properties, Poisson s ratio was obtained using biaxial extensometry to evaluate transversal deformations when axial loads are applied. Very slight changes in the melt temperature and glass transition temperature of PLA are observed thus indicating the low miscibility of the PLA PCL system. Field emission scanning electron microscopy reveals some interactions between the two components of the blend since the morphology is characterized by non-spherical polycaprolactone drops dispersed into the PLA matrix. In addition to the improvement of mechanical ductile properties, PCL provides higher degradation rates of blends under conditions of composting for contents below 22.5% PCL.This research was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness - MINECO, ref. MAT2014-59242-C2-1-R. The authors also thank the Conselleria d'Educacio, Cultura i Esport - Generalitat Valenciana, ref. GV/2014/008 for financial support.Ferri Azor, JM.; Fenollar Gimeno, OÁ.; Jorda-Vilaplana, A.; García Sanoguera, D.; Balart Gimeno, RA. (2016). Effect of miscibility on mechanical and thermal properties of poly(lactic acid)/polycaprolactone blends. Polymer International. 65(4):453-463. https://doi.org/10.1002/pi.5079S45346365

Smart Dairy Cattle Farming and In-Heat Detection through the Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) technology has been being revolutionized in various aspects of agriculture around the world ever since. Its application has already found its success in some countries. On the contrary, this technology has yet to find its substantial breakthrough in the Philippines. This study shows the application of IoT in improving the detection efficiency of standing-heat behaviors of cows through automated detection using Pan-tilt-zoom cameras and a Python-driven Web Application. The dimensions of the barn were measured, and the Cameras' Field of Views (FOVs) were pre-calculated for the strategic positions of the cameras atop of the cowshed. The program detects the cows and any estrus events through the surveillance cameras. The results will be sent to the cloud server to display on the web application for analysis. The web app can allow updates on cow information, inseminations, pregnancy, and calving records, estimate travel time from the user's geolocation to the farm, provide live monitoring and remote camera accessibility and control through the cameras and deliver reliable cross-platform push-notification and call alerts on the user's device(s) whenever an estrus event is detected. Based on the results, the program performed satisfactorily at 50% detection efficiency

Bilobate comet morphology and internal structure controlled by shear deformation

Bilobate comets—small icy bodies with two distinct lobes—are a common configuration among comets, but the factors shaping these bodies are largely unknown. Cometary nuclei, the solid centres of comets, erode by ice sublimation when they are sufficiently close to the Sun, but the importance of a comet’s internal structure on its erosion is unclear. Here we present three-dimensional analyses of images from the Rosetta mission to illuminate the process that shaped the Jupiter-family bilobate comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko over billions of years. We show that the comet’s surface and interior exhibit shear-fracture and fault networks, on spatial scales of tens to hundreds of metres. Fractures propagate up to 500 m below the surface through a mechanically homogeneous material. Through fracture network analysis and stress modelling, we show that shear deformation generates fracture networks that control mechanical surface erosion, particularly in the strongly marked neck trough of 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, exposing its interior. We conclude that shear deformation shapes and structures the surface and interior of bilobate comets, particularly in the outer Solar System where water ice sublimation is negligible.Additional co-authors: M. A. Barucci, J.-L. Bertaux, I. Bertini, D. Bodewits, G. Cremonese, V. Da Deppo, S. Debei, M. De Cecco, J. Deller, S. Fornasier, M. Fulle, P. J. Gutiérrez, C. Güttler, W.-H. Ip, H. U. Keller, L. M. Lara, F. La Forgia, M. Lazzarin, A. Lucchetti, J. J. López-Moreno, F. Marzari, M. Massironi, S. Mottola, N. Oklay, M. Pajola, L. Penasa, F. Preusker, H. Rickman, F. Scholten, X. Shi, I. Toth, C. Tubiana & J.-B. Vincen

Observation of long-range, near-side angular correlations in pPb collisions at the LHC

This article is published Open Access at sciencedirect.com. It is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0.-- et al.Results on two-particle angular correlations for charged particles emitted in pPb collisions at a nucleon–nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV are presented. The analysis uses two million collisions collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The correlations are studied over a broad range of pseudorapidity, η , and full azimuth, ϕ , as a function of charged particle multiplicity and particle transverse momentum, pTpT. In high-multiplicity events, a long-range (2<|Δη|<42<|Δη|<4), near-side (Δϕ≈0Δϕ≈0) structure emerges in the two-particle Δη –Δϕ correlation functions. This is the first observation of such correlations in proton–nucleus collisions, resembling the ridge-like correlations seen in high-multiplicity pp collisions at s=7 TeV and in AA collisions over a broad range of center-of-mass energies. The correlation strength exhibits a pronounced maximum in the range of pT=1–1.5 GeV/cpT=1–1.5 GeV/c and an approximately linear increase with charged particle multiplicity for high-multiplicity events. These observations are qualitatively similar to those in pp collisions when selecting the same observed particle multiplicity, while the overall strength of the correlations is significantly larger in pPb collisions.Acknowledge support from BMWF and FWF (Austria); FNRS and FWO (Belgium); CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, and FAPESP (Brazil); MEYS (Bulgaria); CERN; CAS, MoST, and NSFC (China); COLCIENCIAS (Colombia); MSES (Croatia); RPF (Cyprus); MoER, SF0690030s09 and ERDF (Estonia); Academy of Finland, MEC, and HIP (Finland); CEA and CNRS/IN2P3 (France); BMBF, DFG, and HGF (Germany); GSRT (Greece); OTKA and NKTH (Hungary); DAE and DST (India); IPM (Iran); SFI (Ireland); INFN (Italy); NRF and WCU (Korea); LAS (Lithuania); CINVESTAV, CONACYT, SEP, and UASLPFAI (Mexico); MSI (New Zealand); PAEC (Pakistan); MSHE and NSC (Poland); FCT (Portugal); JINR (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine Uzbekistan); MON, RosAtom, RAS and RFBR (Russia); MSTD (Serbia); SEIDI and CPAN (Spain); Swiss Funding Agencies (Switzerland); NSC (Taipei); ThEP, IPST and NECTEC (Thailand); TUBITAK and TAEK (Turkey); NASU (Ukraine); STFC (United Kingdom); DOE and NSF (USA).Peer Reviewe

Measurement of the Υ(1S), Υ(2S), and Υ(3S) polarizations in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

The polarizations of the υ(1S), υ(2S), and υ(3S) mesons are measured in proton-proton collisions at √s=7 TeV, using a data sample of υ(nS)→μ+μ- decays collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 fb-1. The dimuon decay angular distributions are analyzed in three different polarization frames. The polarization parameters λ™, λφ, and λ, as well as the frame-invariant quantity λ, are presented as a function of the υ(nS) transverse momentum between 10 and 50 GeV, in the rapidity ranges |y|<0.6 and 0.6<|y|<1.2. No evidence of large transverse or longitudinal polarizations is seen in the explored kinematic region. © 2013 CERN.We acknowledge support from: BMWF and FWF (Austria); FNRS and FWO (Belgium); CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, and FAPESP (Brazil); MES (Bulgaria); CERN; CAS, MoST, and NSFC (China); COLCIENCIAS (Colombia); MSES (Croatia); RPF (Cyprus); MoER, SF0690030s09 and ERDF (Estonia); Academy of Finland, MEC, and HIP (Finland); CEA and CNRS/IN2P3 (France); BMBF, DFG, and HGF (Germany); GSRT (Greece); OTKA and NKTH (Hungary); DAE and DST (India); IPM (Iran); SFI (Ireland); INFN (Italy); NRF and WCU (Korea); LAS (Lithuania); CINVESTAV, CONACYT, SEP, and UASLP-FAI (Mexico); MSI (New Zealand); PAEC (Pakistan); MSHE and NSC (Poland); FCT (Portugal); JINR (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan); MON, RosAtom, RAS, and RFBR (Russia); MSTD (Serbia); SEIDI and CPAN (Spain); Swiss Funding Agencies (Switzerland); NSC (Taipei); TUBITAK and TAEK (Turkey); STFC (United Kingdom); and DOE and NSF (USA).Peer Reviewe

Search for a non-standard-model Higgs boson decaying to a pair of new light bosons in four-muon final states

This article is published Open Access at sciencedirect.com. It is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0.-- et al.Results are reported from a search for non-standard-model Higgs boson decays to pairs of new light bosons, each of which decays into the μ+μ- final state. The new bosons may be produced either promptly or via a decay chain. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.3 fb-1 of proton-proton collisions at s=7 TeV, recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2011. Such Higgs boson decays are predicted in several scenarios of new physics, including supersymmetric models with extended Higgs sectors or hidden valleys. Thus, the results of the search are relevant for establishing whether the new particle observed in Higgs boson searches at the LHC has the properties expected for a standard model Higgs boson. No excess of events is observed with respect to the yields expected from standard model processes. A model-independent upper limit of 0.86±0.06 fb on the product of the cross section times branching fraction times acceptance is obtained. The results, which are applicable to a broad spectrum of new physics scenarios, are compared with the predictions of two benchmark models as functions of a Higgs boson mass larger than 86 GeV/c2 and of a new light boson mass within the range 0.25-3.55 GeV/c2. © 2013 CERN.Peer Reviewe

Fine synchronization of the CMS muon drift-tube local trigger using cosmic rays

33 páginas, 12 figuras.-- Open Access.-- CMS Collaboration: et al.The CMS experiment uses self-triggering arrays of drift tubes in the barrel muon trigger to perform the identification of the correct bunch crossing. The identification is unique only if the trigger chain is correctly synchronized. In this paper, the synchronization performed during an extended cosmic ray run is described and the results are reported. The random arrival time of cosmic ray muons allowed several synchronization aspects to be studied and a simple method for the fine synchronization of the Drift Tube Local Trigger at LHC to be developed.Individuals have received support from the Marie-Curie IEF program (European Union); the Leventis Foundation; the A. P. Sloan Foundation; and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.Peer reviewe