CASE STUDY: Boeing Commercial Airplane Group Wichita Division (Boeing Co.)

Activity Based Costing and Management (ABCM) is one of many new financial and accounting tools aimed at providing more complete, better-aligned data on economic performance. It is important to explore early experiences with this concept since it represents a new set of “rules” that can have implications for all stakeholders in an aerospace enterprise. ABCM is of particular interest with respect to lean practices and principles since it links the cost of production or services to the relevant support activities, which is helpful in targeting continuous improvement efforts. Companies who are focusing resources on organizational learning initiatives will also find that ABCM processes add value to these efforts. This case study hopes to deepen understanding of ABCM principles by looking beyond the survey data and tracing early experience in an aerospace setting. Note that these are just pilot demonstration initiatives and do not represent full-scale implementation. In presenting this study, we are not advocating for or against this particular approach to financial accounting – just seeking to better understand its implications

Rotational fluid flow experiment: WPI/MITRE advanced space design GASCAN 2

The design and implementation is examined of an electro-mechanical system for studying vortex behavior in a microgravity environment. Most of the existing equipment was revised and redesigned as necessary. Emphasis was placed on the documentation and integration of the mechanical and electrical subsystems. Project results include the reconfiguration and thorough testing of all the hardware subsystems, the implementation of an infrared gas entrainment detector, new signal processing circuitry for the ultrasonic fluid circulation device, improved prototype interface circuits, and software for overall control of experiment design operation

Employing activity based costing and management practices within the aerospace industry : sustaining the drive for lean

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2001.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-116).by Rocco Paduano.S.M

Employing Activity Based Costing and Management Practices within the Aerospace Industry: Sustaining the Drive for Lean. Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, Wichita Division/IAM, Wichita, Kansas, 1999 and 2000.

ABCM is an accounting tool that can help companies recognize true costs and make critical choices. ABCM is designed to help firms shift their priorities from individual products to the overall manufacturing environment. BCAG is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial airplanes. It is crucial to move the corporate financial department from account role to that of business partner. The ABCM model organizes activities in terms of their relationship to final cost objects. Looking at two pilot studies, this case study shows the benefits that can be reaped from ABCM implementation. The IAM has supported the adoption of ABCM as a way to get at the true costs of production. There is caution, however, that ABCM is not a panacea

The Proteomics Big Challenge for Biomarkers and New Drug-Targets Discovery

In the modern process of drug discovery, clinical, functional and chemical proteomics can converge and integrate synergies. Functional proteomics explores and elucidates the components of pathways and their interactions which, when deregulated, lead to a disease condition. This knowledge allows the design of strategies to target multiple pathways with combinations of pathway-specific drugs, which might increase chances of success and reduce the occurrence of drug resistance. Chemical proteomics, by analyzing the drug interactome, strongly contributes to accelerate the process of new druggable targets discovery. In the research area of clinical proteomics, proteome and peptidome mass spectrometry-profiling of human bodily fluid (plasma, serum, urine and so on), as well as of tissue and of cells, represents a promising tool for novel biomarker and eventually new druggable targets discovery. In the present review we provide a survey of current strategies of functional, chemical and clinical proteomics. Major issues will be presented for proteomic technologies used for the discovery of biomarkers for early disease diagnosis and identification of new drug targets

Towards the Development of Antioxidant Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications: Controlling the Properties by Tuning Synthesis Conditions

In this work CeO2 nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) were synthesized through the thermal decomposition of Ce(NO3)3·6H2O, using as capping agents either octylamine or oleylamine, to evaluate the effect of alkyl chain length, an issue at 150 °C, in the case of octylamine and at 150 and 250 °C, in the case of oleylamine, to evaluate the effect of the temperature on NPs properties. All the nanoparticles were extensively characterized by a multidisciplinary approach, such as wide-angle X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, UV-Vis, fluorescence, Raman and FTIR spectroscopies. The analysis of the experimental data shows that the capping agent nature and the synthesis temperature affect nanoparticle properties including size, morphology, aggregation and Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio. Such issues have not been discussed yet, at the best of our knowledge, in the literature. Notably, CeO2-NPs synthesized in the presence of oleylamine at 250 °C showed no tendency to aggregation and we made them water-soluble through a further coating with sodium oleate. The obtained nanoparticles show a less tendency to clustering forming stable aggregates (ranging between 14 and 22 nm) of few NPs. These were tested for biocompatibility and ROS inhibiting activity, demonstrating a remarkable antioxidant activity, against oxidative stress

Etelcalcetide in Patients on Hemodialysis with Severe Secondary Hyperparathyroidism. Multicenter Study in “Real Life”

Abstract: Etelcalcetide is a new calcimimetic indicated for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in dialysis patients. Etelcalcetide ecacy in SHPT has been ascertained only in randomized controlled trials. This multicenter study was carried out in “real world” setting that is dierent from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to (1) evaluate the eectiveness of etelcalcetide in SHPT, (2) to assess calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase changes, (3) to register gastrointestinal side eects. Data were collected from twenty-three dialysis units with n = 1190 patients on the charge. From this cohort, n = 168 (14%) patients were on treatment with etelcalcetide, and they were evaluated for statistics. A median weekly dose of etelcalcetide was 15 mg (7.5–45 mg). Patients were either naïve (33%) or switched from cinacalcet to obtain better control of SHPT with reduced side eects or pills burden. Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) declined over time from a median value of 636 pg/mL to 357 pg/mL. The median time for responders (intact PTH (iPTH) range: two to nine times the upper normal limit) was 53 days; the percentage of responders increased (from baseline 27% to 63%) being similar in switched-patients and naïve-patients. Few patients had symptomatic hypocalcemia requiring etelcalcetide withdrawal (four cases (3%) at 30-day control, two cases (2%) at 60-day, one case (1%) at 90-day control). Side eects with etelcalcetide were lower (3–4%) than that registered during cinacalcet treatment (53%). Etelcalcetide is a new therapeutic option for SHPT with low side eects and pills burden. Etelcalcetide may improve adherence to therapy, avoiding unremitting SHP. It remains to be assessed whether etelcalcetide may reduce parathyroidectomy, vascular calcification, or mortality. Being etelcalcetide very potent in suppressing PTH levels, even in severe SHPT, future studies should evaluate the potential risk of more adynamic bone disease during long-term therapy

Correction: Etelcalcetide in Patients on Hemodialysis with Severe Secondary Hyperparathyroidism. Multicenter Study in “Real Life”. J. Clin. Med. 2019, 8, 1066

The authors wish to make the following corrections to the previous publication [...