V-subdifferentials of convex operators

AbstractFor any convex operator ƒ from a convex set C of a topological vector space E into another one F endowed with a convex cone F+ a notion of V-subdifferential ∂vƒ(a) of ƒ at a ϵ C is introduced. Although it is equivalent to the notion of ε-sub-differential when F=R, it enjoys many important properties which are not satisfied by the ε-subdifferential whenever int F+ = Ø. The nonvacuity of ∂vƒ(a) is proved whenever V is a neighbourhood of zero in F and ƒ belongs to a large class of mappings analogous to the class of lower semicontinuous real-valued convex functions. Other properties of V-subdifferentials are studied and applications to differentiability of ƒ are made

Subdifferentials of nonconvex vector-valued functions

AbstractThe formula of Clarke's subdifferential for the sum of two real-valued locally Lipschitz functions has been extended by Rockafellar to the case where one of the two functions is directionally lipschitzian. We introduce in this paper a notion of cone related to the epigraph of a function and with the aid of this cone we extend the directionally lipschitzian behaviour to vector-valued functions and we study the sum of two vector-valued functions

Electrical properties and non-volatile memory effect of the [Fe(HB(pz)3)2] spin crossover complex integrated in a microelectrode device

We report on the deposition of thin films of the [Fe(HB(pz)3)2] (pz = pyrazolyl) molecular spin crossover complex by thermal evaporation. By means of impedance measurements and Raman microspectroscopy, we show that the films maintain the structure and properties of the bulk material. The conductivity of the films decreases by ca. 2 orders of magnitude when the freshly deposited compound goes through a first (irreversible) thermal phase change above ca. 380 K. This property can be exploited as a non-volatile (read-only) memory effect

Well-posedness results for non-autonomous dissipative complementarity systems

This paper deals with the well-posedness of a class of nonsmooth dynamical systems: dissipative complementarity systems. Both the linear and the nonlinear cases are treated, and the systems are non-autonomous. The dissipativity property is used to perform a particular change of state vector which allows one to transform the dynamics into a perturbed Moreau's sweeping process. As an example an electrical circuit with ideal diodes is presented

Lack of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids causes synapse dysfunction in the drosophila visual system

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential nutrients for animals and necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system. A lack of PUFAs can result from the consumption of a deficient diet or genetic factors, which impact PUFA uptake and metabolism. Both can cause synaptic dysfunction, which is associated with numerous disorders. However, there is a knowledge gap linking these neuronal dysfunctions and their underlying molecular mechanisms. Because of its genetic manipulability and its easy, fast, and cheap breeding, Drosophila melanogaster has emerged as an excellent model organism for genetic screens, helping to identify the genetic bases of such events. As a first step towards the understanding of PUFA implications in Drosophila synaptic physiology we designed a breeding medium containing only very low amounts of PUFAs. We then used the fly’s visual system, a well-established model for studying signal transmission and neurological disorders, to measure the effects of a PUFA deficiency on synaptic function. Using both visual performance and eye electrophysiology, we found that PUFA deficiency strongly affected synaptic transmission in the fly’s visual system. These defects were rescued by diets containing omega-3 or omega-6 PUFAs alone or in combination. In summary, manipulating PUFA contents in the fly’s diet was powerful to investigate the role of these nutrients on the fly´s visual synaptic function. This study aims at showing how the first visual synapse of Drosophila can serve as a simple model to study the effects of PUFAs on synapse function. A similar approach could be further used to screen for genetic factors underlying the molecular mechanisms of synaptic dysfunctions associated with altered PUFA levels

Investigation of wall normal electromagnetic actuator for seawater flow control

Submitted versio

Applying the win ratio method in clinical trials of orphan drugs: an analysis of data from the COMET trial of avalglucosidase alfa in patients with late-onset Pompe disease

Background: Clinical trials for rare diseases often include multiple endpoints that capture the effects of treatment on different disease domains. In many rare diseases, the primary endpoint is not standardized across trials. The win ratio approach was designed to analyze multiple endpoints of interest in clinical trials and has mostly been applied in cardiovascular trials. Here, we applied the win ratio approach to data from COMET, a phase 3 trial in late-onset Pompe disease, to illustrate how this approach can be used to analyze multiple endpoints in the orphan drug context. Methods: All possible participant pairings from both arms of COMET were compared sequentially on changes at week 49 in upright forced vital capacity (FVC) % predicted and six-minute walk test (6MWT). Each participant’s response for the two endpoints was first classified as a meaningful improvement, no meaningful change, or a meaningful decline using thresholds based on published minimal clinically important differences (FVC ± 4% predicted, 6MWT ± 39 m). Each comparison assessed whether the outcome with avalglucosidase alfa (AVA) was better than (win), worse than (loss), or equivalent to (tie) the outcome with alglucosidase alfa (ALG). If tied on FVC, 6MWT was compared. In this approach, the treatment effect is the ratio of wins to losses (“win ratio”), with ties excluded. Results: In the 2499 possible pairings (51 receiving AVA × 49 receiving ALG), the win ratio was 2.37 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30–4.29, p = 0.005) when FVC was compared before 6MWT. When the order was reversed, the win ratio was 2.02 (95% CI, 1.13–3.62, p = 0.018). Conclusion: The win ratio approach can be used in clinical trials of rare diseases to provide meaningful insight on treatment benefits from multiple endpoints and across disease domains

Lamination and folding in electromagnetically driven flows of specified geometries

Accepted versio