Experiments on the Artificial Disturbance Evolution in 2D and 3D Spanwise Modulated Boundary Layers at Mach 2 and 2.5

AbstractExperimental data on the nonlinear wave train development in 3D supersonic boundary layer over swept wing and experimental investigation of wave train development in spanwise modulated boundary layer on flat plate and swept wing at Mach number 2 and 2.5 are presented. Artificial disturbances in the boundary layer were excited by periodical glow discharge mainly at 10 and 20kHz. It was found, that some disturbance excitation downstream cannot be explained by linear stability theory. It was obtained that receptivity of supersonic boundary layer to the surface excited controlled pulsations and the wave train development essentially depends on the Mach number

Atrasentan and renal events in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (SONAR): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Short-term treatment for people with type 2 diabetes using a low dose of the selective endothelin A receptor antagonist atrasentan reduces albuminuria without causing significant sodium retention. We report the long-term effects of treatment with atrasentan on major renal outcomes. Methods: We did this double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial at 689 sites in 41 countries. We enrolled adults aged 18–85 years with type 2 diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)25–75 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 of body surface area, and a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR)of 300–5000 mg/g who had received maximum labelled or tolerated renin–angiotensin system inhibition for at least 4 weeks. Participants were given atrasentan 0·75 mg orally daily during an enrichment period before random group assignment. Those with a UACR decrease of at least 30% with no substantial fluid retention during the enrichment period (responders)were included in the double-blind treatment period. Responders were randomly assigned to receive either atrasentan 0·75 mg orally daily or placebo. All patients and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was a composite of doubling of serum creatinine (sustained for ≥30 days)or end-stage kidney disease (eGFR <15 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 sustained for ≥90 days, chronic dialysis for ≥90 days, kidney transplantation, or death from kidney failure)in the intention-to-treat population of all responders. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of their assigned study treatment. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01858532. Findings: Between May 17, 2013, and July 13, 2017, 11 087 patients were screened; 5117 entered the enrichment period, and 4711 completed the enrichment period. Of these, 2648 patients were responders and were randomly assigned to the atrasentan group (n=1325)or placebo group (n=1323). Median follow-up was 2·2 years (IQR 1·4–2·9). 79 (6·0%)of 1325 patients in the atrasentan group and 105 (7·9%)of 1323 in the placebo group had a primary composite renal endpoint event (hazard ratio [HR]0·65 [95% CI 0·49–0·88]; p=0·0047). Fluid retention and anaemia adverse events, which have been previously attributed to endothelin receptor antagonists, were more frequent in the atrasentan group than in the placebo group. Hospital admission for heart failure occurred in 47 (3·5%)of 1325 patients in the atrasentan group and 34 (2·6%)of 1323 patients in the placebo group (HR 1·33 [95% CI 0·85–2·07]; p=0·208). 58 (4·4%)patients in the atrasentan group and 52 (3·9%)in the placebo group died (HR 1·09 [95% CI 0·75–1·59]; p=0·65). Interpretation: Atrasentan reduced the risk of renal events in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease who were selected to optimise efficacy and safety. These data support a potential role for selective endothelin receptor antagonists in protecting renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk of developing end-stage kidney disease. Funding: AbbVie

On the development of controlled stationary and travelling disturbances in the supersonic boundary layer of a swept wing

Experimental data on the evolution of controlled stationary and travelling disturbances in a 3D supersonic boundary layer, over a 45° swept-wing at Mach number 2.0, is presented. Travelling artificial disturbances were introduced in the boundary layer by periodical glow discharge, at a frequency of 20 kHz. Stationary disturbances were acquired by setting the roughness elements on the surface of the model. Spatial-temporal and spectral-wave characteristics of the wave train at the frequency 20 kHz, in the linear region of development, were obtained. It was found that the periodic modulation of mean flow can lead to the stabilization of unstable travelling disturbances in the supersonic boundary layer of a swept wing. These experiments have investigated the viability of using roughness elements to control laminar-turbulent transition

On the development of controlled stationary and travelling disturbances in the supersonic boundary layer of a swept wing

Experimental data on the evolution of controlled stationary and travelling disturbances in a 3D supersonic boundary layer, over a 45° swept-wing at Mach number 2.0, is presented. Travelling artificial disturbances were introduced in the boundary layer by periodical glow discharge, at a frequency of 20 kHz. Stationary disturbances were acquired by setting the roughness elements on the surface of the model. Spatial-temporal and spectral-wave characteristics of the wave train at the frequency 20 kHz, in the linear region of development, were obtained. It was found that the periodic modulation of mean flow can lead to the stabilization of unstable travelling disturbances in the supersonic boundary layer of a swept wing. These experiments have investigated the viability of using roughness elements to control laminar-turbulent transition

Managed or free running : employee branding in Quality Hotel

Employee branding has received increased attention recent years and has now been established as a central aspect in the corporate branding literature. Employee branding focuses on how organizations build their reputation through own employees. Customer-facing staff in service organizations have the potential to make or break the corporate brand, and this way employee branding may be viewed as an important tool for both creating and maintaining the brand. There are currently few studies investigating the phenomenon in Norway and worldwide. The purpose of this research is to study how a specific hotel chain in Norway uses employee branding, and the consequences this has for employees’ commitment to the organization. The theoretical framework consists of two main parts: Approaches to employee branding and organizational commitment. The first part is based on literature from the Communication-, Identity- and HR field, which is modified to provide a starting point for two different approaches to employee branding. The second part is based on commitment literature and describes various forms of commitment the employees may experience in relation to the organization. During the work with this research we have answered the following research question: How do managers in Quality HotelTM use employee branding and what impact does this have on the employees' commitment to the organization? We have used a qualitative research design and have conducted 14 in-depth interviews with employees at different levels in the organization. The data material has provided insight and made it possible to develop a detailed description of employee branding in Quality HotelTM, from both the perspective of employees and management. The empirical findings show that Quality HotelTM builds their reputation through employees by indirectly- and directly controlling worker behavior in the process of delivering the brand image. The findings indicate that the branding approach has consequences for employees' commitment to the organization, which has mainly resulted in an emotional commitment.Intern omdømmebygging har fått mer oppmerksomhet de siste årene, og har etablert seg som et sentralt tema innenfor «corporate branding»-litteraturen. Intern omdømmebygging handler om hvordan organisasjoner bygger omdømmet sitt gjennom ansatte. I tjenesteproduserende organisasjoner er ansatte i direkte kontakt med kundene, og intern omdømmebygging kan derfor være et viktig verktøy for å skape og opprettholde merkevaren. Det er foreløpig gjort få studier på dette i Norge og på verdensbasis. Formålet med oppgaven er å se på hvordan en spesifikk hotellkjede i Norge benytter intern omdømmebygging, og hvilke konsekvenser det har for de ansattes forpliktelse overfor organisasjonen. Det teoretiske rammeverket består av to hoveddeler: tilnærminger til intern omdømmebygging og organisasjonsforpliktelse. Den første delen baserer seg på litteratur fra kommunikasjons-, identitets- og HR-feltet, som er tilpasset for å danne et utgangspunkt for to tilnærminger ledelsen kan benytte til intern omdømmebygging. Den andre delen baserer seg på forpliktelse-litteratur, og belyser ulike former for forpliktelse ansatte kan erfare overfor organisasjonen. Vi har gjennom arbeidet med oppgaven besvart følgende problemstilling: Hvordan benytter ledere i Quality Hotel™ intern omdømmebygging, og hvilke konsekvenser har det for de ansattes forpliktelse overfor organisasjonen? Vi har benyttet et kvalitativt forskningsdesign, og har gjennomført 14 dybdeintervjuer med ansatte på ulike nivåer i organisasjonen. Datamaterialet har gitt oss en innsikt som har gjort det mulig å gi en detaljert beskrivelse av intern omdømmebygging i Quality Hotel™, fra de ansattes og ledelsens perspektiv. De empiriske funnene viser at Quality Hotel™ bygger omdømmet gjennom ansatte ved å legge føringer på hvordan de ansatte skal formidle merkevaren. Funnene indikerer at tilnærmingen ledelsen benytter har konsekvenser for de ansattes forpliktelse overfor virksomheten, som i hovedsak har resultert i en emosjonell forpliktelse.  submittedVersionM-Ø

Creative Strategies for the Development of Modern Cities: Features, Essence of the Concept and Approaches to their Understanding

Introduction. Creative strategies are strategies for activating the development of urban agglomeration, built on innovative projects, usually with an emphasis on the active development of local culture, the preservation of historical heritage and experience, the development of the uniqueness of the agglomeration, and may also include the ideas of a “smart city”. In agglomerations, creative strategies are implemented according to different scenarios, since urban spaces have different cultural and infrastructural contexts. The purpose of this article is to analyze approaches to understanding creative strategies in urban planning and urban space management; to consider the experience of a number of creative cities of the Russian Federation, including the city of Krasnodar, which will allow developing a number of measures within the framework of creative strategy as the most universal and promising approach to urban creativity. Materials and Methods. The presented research is based on the results of the works of authors studying various aspects and approaches to the development and use of creative strategies within the urban environment, engaged in the search for promising universal strategies that contribute to the development of the potential of the cultural, social, economic sphere of the creative city. Diagnostics of the state of the urban cultural environment, assessment of the creative activity of the largest Russian cities, identification of threats and justification of priorities for the development of the urban creative environment are based on the use of retrospective analysis, comparison, synthesis, analogy, generalization. Results. The features of modern creative strategies based on the concept of new urbanism are identified and analyzed. A comparative characteristic of the indices of creativity of urban spaces is given, the problems of their use are analyzed. The experience of creating and implementing projects of creative urban space of Russian cities is analyzed. A comprehensive analysis of internal and external factors, significant challenges and significant threats to the active development of the creative sphere of the city of Krasnodar has been carried out, which makes it possible to develop a number of measures within the framework of the creative strategy as the most promising approach to urban creativity. Discussion and Conclusion. The study allowed us to identify approaches to understanding creative strategies based on innovative ideas, a creative approach to solving problems with an emphasis on the development of art, local culture, preservation of historical heritage and the uniqueness of urban spaces. The conclusions and suggestions of this study can be used as a universal matrix for the development of activities within the framework of a creative strategy for the development of modern urban space

Molecular dynamics simulations of the full-length prion protein

Many serious medical conditions are caused by the accumulation of amyloid aggregates in tissues and organs. One of the most well-known amyloidogenic proteins is the prion protein (PrP), which may undergo conformational change between the normal cellular isoform PrPC and aggregation-prone isoform PrPSc. Elucidation of this conformational transition is necessary for understanding the onset and propagation of prion diseases. However, the flexibility of PrP hinders its research by the experimental methods of protein structure determination. Here, we implement de novo protein modelling and molecular dynamics simulations to predict the interdomain interactions of the full-length PrPC. Our theoretical findings can serve as the basis for mutational analysis and further studies of the amyloidogenic behavior of the prion protein