High-strength magnetic materials

Two new precipitation-hardened magnetic alloys are suitable for operation in 800 to 1600 deg F range. One is a martensitic alloy and the other a cobalt-based alloy. They possess improved creep resistance and have application in high temperature inductors and alternators

High temperature /800 to 1600 F/ magnetic materials

Tests of magnetic materials from 800 to 1600

Nanocoating with plant-derived pectins activates osteoblast response in vitro

Abstract: A new strategy to improve osseointegration of implants is to stimulate adhesion of bone cells, bone matrix formation, and mineralization at the implant surface by modifying surface coating on the nanoscale level. Plant-derived pectins have been proposed as potential candidates for surface nanocoating of orthopedic and dental titanium implants due to 1) their osteogenic stimulation of osteoblasts to mineralize and 2) their ability to control pectin structural changes. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the impact of the nanoscale plant-derived pectin Rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) from potato on the osteogenic response of murine osteoblasts. RG-I from potato pulps was isolated, structurally modified, or left unmodified. Tissue culture plates were either coated with modified RG-I or unmodified RG-I or – as a control – left uncoated. The effect of nanocoating on mice osteoblast- like cells MC3T3-E1 and primary murine osteoblast with regard to proliferation, osteogenic response in terms of mineralization, and gene expression of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), alkaline phosphate (Alpl), osteocalcin (Bglap), α-1 type I collagen (Col1a1), and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (Rankl) were analyzed after 3, 7, 14, and 21 days, respectively. Nanocoating with pectin RG-Is increased proliferation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 and primary osteoblast as compared to osteoblasts cultured without nanocoating. Moreover, osteogenic transcriptional response of osteoblasts was induced by nanocoating in terms of gene induction of Runx2, Alpl, Bglap, and Col1a1 in a time-dependent manner – of note – to the highest extent under the PA-coating condition. In contrast, Rankl expression was initially reduced by nanocoating in MC3T3-E1 or remained unaltered in primary osteoblast as compared to the uncoated controls. Our results showed that nanocoating of implants with modified RG-I beneficially 1) supports osteogenesis, 2) has the capacity to improve osseointegration of implants, and is therefore 3) a potential candidate for nanocoating of bone implants

The knowledge transfer process in Six Sigma subsidiary firms

Although the operative benefits of Six Sigma methodology in the business world are well accepted, the long-term benefits of the initiative are currently under discussion. This paper aims to analyze how Six Sigma methodology is related to the knowledge transfer process, a source of competitive advantage. For this purpose, we observe how team management in Six Sigma firms differs statistically from team management proposed by other quality management initiatives, and how Six Sigma team management is related to the knowledge integration and knowledge transfer processes. An ANOVA analysis and Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach were used to analyze data from 53 European Six Sigma firms, confirming the hypotheses developed. The results confirm that Six Sigma methodology offers new possibilities to companies and that implementation of Six Sigma has a positive effect on variables that influence long-term organizational performance, such as knowledge management. Relevant academic contributions and implications for practitioners are included.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Projects ECO2010-15885; ECO2013-47027P), Junta de Andalucia (P11-SEJ-7294) and the European Union (European Regional Development Funds)

Enzalutamide Reduces Oxycodone Exposure in Men with Prostate Cancer

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Up to 90% of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) will develop symptomatic bone metastases requiring pain medication, with opioids being the mainstay of therapy in treating moderate and severe pain. Enzalutamide is an androgen receptor antagonist for the treatment of CRPC and a strong inducer of cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4. Hereby, enzalutamide potentially reduces the exposure of oxycodone, an opioid metabolized by CYP3A4 and CYP2D6. Our objective was to evaluate the potential drug-drug interaction of enzalutamide and oxycodone.METHODS: A prospective, nonrandomized, open-label, two-arm parallel study was performed. All patients received a single dose of 15 mg normal-release oxycodone. Patients in the enzalutamide arm (ENZ-arm) received enzalutamide 160 mg once daily. Plasma concentrations of oxycodone and its metabolites were quantified using a validated liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method.RESULTS: Twenty-six patients (13 ENZ-arm; 13 control arm) were enrolled in the study. Enzalutamide decreased the mean AUC 0-8 h and C max of oxycodone with, respectively, 44.7% (p &lt; 0.001) and 35.5% (p = 0.004) compared with the control arm. The AUC 0-8 h and C max of the active metabolite oxymorphone were 74.2% (p &lt; 0.001) and 56.0% (p = 0.001) lower in the ENZ-arm compared with the control arm. In contrast, AUC 0-8 h and C max of the inactive metabolites noroxycodone and noroxymorphone were significantly increased by enzalutamide. CONCLUSION: Co-administration of enzalutamide significantly reduced exposure to oxycodone and its active metabolite oxymorphone in men with prostate cancer. This should be taken into account when prescribing enzalutamide combined with oxycodone.</p

The Effect of an 8-Week Tai Chi Exercise Program on Physical Functional Performance in Middle-Aged Women

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an 8-week Tai Chi Chih exercise program on physical functional performance (PFP) among women aged 45 to 65 years. A quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent comparison group was used. Forty-one healthy inactive women were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 19) or a comparison group (n = 19). A 60-min Tai Chi Chih exercise class was conducted twice a week for 8 weeks. PFP was measured at baseline and postintervention using the Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance–10 (CS-PFP 10). Between-group differences were analyzed using one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). After participating in the 8-week program, intervention group participants showed greater improvement in the CS-PFP measures (p .06). However, the comparison group had little changes. The findings from this study suggest that participation in an 8-week Tai Chi Chih exercise program can improve PFP in healthy, community-dwelling middle-aged women.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

How Does Reasoning (Fail to) Contribute to Moral Judgment? Dumbfounding and Disengagement

Recent experiments in moral psychology have been taken to imply that moral reasoning only serves to reaffirm prior moral intuitions. More specifically, Jonathan Haidt concludes from his moral dumbfounding experiments, in which people condemn other people’s behavior, that moral reasoning is biased and ineffective, as it rarely makes people change their mind. I present complementary evidence pertaining to self-directed reasoning about what to do. More specifically, Albert Bandura’s experiments concerning moral disengagement reveal that moral reasoning often does contribute effectively to the formation of moral judgments. And such reasoning need not be biased. Once this evidence is taken into account, it becomes clear that both cognition and affect can play a destructive as well as a constructive role in the formation of moral judgments

To plug-in or not to plug-in? Geomorphic analysis of rivers using the River Styles Framework in an era of big data acquisition and automation

n an era of big‐data acquisition and semiautomation of geomorphic river surveys, it is timely to consider how to better integrate this into existing and widely used conceptual frameworks and approaches to analysis. We demonstrate how Stage 1 of the River Styles Framework, which entails identification and interpretation of river character and behavior, patterns and controls, can be used as a “powerboard” into which available, developing and future semiautomated tools and workflows can be plugged (or unplugged). Prospectively, such approaches will increase the efficiency and scope of analyses, providing unprecedented insights into the diversity of rivers and their morphodynamics. We appraise the role of human decision‐making in conducting expert‐manual analyses and interpretations. Genuine integration of big‐data analytics, remote‐sensing based tools for semiautomated river analysis with expert‐manual interpretations including field insights, will be an essential ingredient to fully exploit emerging computational and remote sensing technologies to advance our understanding of river systems, to translate information into knowledge, and raise the standards of practice in river science and management

The cubicle warrior: the marionette of the digitalized warfare

In the last decade we have entered the era of remote controlled military technology. The excitement about this new technology should not mask the ethical questions that it raises. A fundamental ethical question is who may be held responsible for civilian deaths. In this paper we will discuss the role of the human operator or so-called ‘cubicle warrior’, who remotely controls the military robots behind visual interfaces. We will argue that the socio-technical system conditions the cubicle warrior to dehumanize the enemy. As a result the cubicle warrior is morally disengaged from his destructive and lethal actions. This challenges what he should know to make responsible decisions (the so-called knowledge condition). Nowadays and in the near future, three factors will influence and may increase the moral disengagement even further due to the decrease of locus of control orientation: (1) photo shopping the war; (2) the moralization of technology; (3) the speed of decision-making. As a result, cubicle warriors cannot be held reasonably responsible anymore for the decisions they make

Critical analysis of information security culture definitions

This article aims to advance the understanding of information security culture through a critical reflection on the wide-ranging definitions of information security culture in the literature. It uses the hermeneutic approach for conducting literature reviews. The review identifies 16 definitions of information security culture in the literature. Based on the analysis of these definitions, four different views of culture are distinguished. The shared values view highlights the set of cultural value patterns that are shared across the organization. An action-based view highlights the behaviors of individuals in the organization. A mental model view relates to the abstract view of the individual’s thinking on how information security culture must work. Finally, a problem-solving view emphasizes a combination of understanding from shared value-based and action-based views. The paper analyzes and presents the limitations of these four views of information security culture definitions