Starting an R&D project under uncertainty

investment under uncertainty, R&D, demand uncertainty, technical uncertainty, entry threat

Magnetism in Carbon Structures

We discuss different magnetic phenomena observed in carbon-based structures, in particular the diamagnetism, paramagnetism and ferromagnetism observed in graphite, disordered carbon, fullerenes and irradiated carbon structures.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be published in the proceedings of JEMS04, JMM

Self-reported life-space mobility in the first year after ischemic stroke: longitudinal findings from the MOBITEC-Stroke project

Background Life-space mobility is defined as the size of the area in which a person moves about within a specified period of time. Our study aimed to characterize life-space mobility, identify factors associated with its course, and detect typical trajectories in the first year after ischemic stroke. Methods MOBITEC-Stroke (ISRCTN85999967; 13/08/2020) was a cohort study with assessments performed 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after stroke onset. We applied linear mixed effects models (LMMs) with life-space mobility (Life-Space Assessment; LSA) as outcome and time point, sex, age, pre-stroke mobility limitation, stroke severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale, comorbidities, neighborhood characteristics, availability of a car, Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), and lower extremity physical function (log-transformed timed up-and-go; TUG) as independent variables. We elucidated typical trajectories of LSA by latent class growth analysis (LCGA) and performed univariate tests for differences between classes. Results In 59 participants (mean age 71.6, SD 10.0 years; 33.9% women), mean LSA at 3 months was 69.3 (SD 27.3). LMMs revealed evidence (p ≤ 0.05) that pre-stroke mobility limitation, NIHSS, comorbidities, and FES-I were independently associated with the course of LSA; there was no evidence for a significant effect of time point. LCGA revealed three classes: “low stable”, “average stable”, and “high increasing”. Classes differed with regard to LSA starting value, pre-stroke mobility limitation, FES-I, and log-transformed TUG time. Conclusion Routinely assessing LSA starting value, pre-stroke mobility limitation, and FES-I may help clinicians identify patients at increased risk of failure to improve LSA

Etiology, 3-Month Functional Outcome and Recurrent Events in Non-Traumatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Knowledge about different etiologies of non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and their outcomes is scarce. METHODS We assessed prevalence of pre-specified ICH etiologies and their association with outcomes in consecutive ICH patients enrolled in the prospective Swiss Stroke Registry (2014 to 2019). RESULTS We included 2,650 patients (mean±standard deviation age 72±14 years, 46.5% female, median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 8 [interquartile range, 3 to 15]). Etiology was as follows: hypertension, 1,238 (46.7%); unknown, 566 (21.4%); antithrombotic therapy, 227 (8.6%); cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), 217 (8.2%); macrovascular cause, 128 (4.8%); other determined etiology, 274 patients (10.3%). At 3 months, 880 patients (33.2%) were functionally independent and 664 had died (25.1%). ICH due to hypertension had a higher odds of functional independence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00 to 1.77; P=0.05) and lower mortality (aOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.86; P=0.003). ICH due to antithrombotic therapy had higher mortality (aOR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.61; P=0.045). Within 3 months, 4.2% of patients had cerebrovascular events. The rate of ischemic stroke was higher than that of recurrent ICH in all etiologies but CAA and unknown etiology. CAA had high odds of recurrent ICH (aOR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.48 to 7.69; P=0.004) while the odds was lower in ICH due to hypertension (aOR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.93; P=0.031). CONCLUSIONS Although hypertension is the leading etiology of ICH, other etiologies are frequent. One-third of ICH patients are functionally independent at 3 months. Except for patients with presumed CAA, the risk of ischemic stroke within 3 months of ICH was higher than the risk of recurrent hemorrhage

Computed micro-tomographic evaluation of glide pathwith nickel-titanium rotary pathFile in maxillary firstmolars curved canals

Introduction: X-ray computed micro-tomography scanning allows high-resolution 3-dimensional imaging of small objects. In this study, micro-CT scanning was used to compare the ability of manual and mechanical glide path to maintain the original root canal anatomy. Methods: Eight extracted upper first permanent molars were scanned at the TOMOLAB station at ELETTRA Synchrotron Light Laboratory in Trieste, Italy, with a microfocus cone-beam geometry system. A total of 2,400 projections on 360 degrees have been acquired at 100 kV and 80 mu A, with a focal spot size of 8 mu m. Buccal root canals of each specimen (n = 16) were randomly assigned to Path File (P) or stainless-steel K-file (K) to perform glide path at the full working length. Specimens were then microscanned at the apical level (A) and at the point of the maximum curvature level (C) for post-treatment analyses. Curvatures of root canals were classified as moderate (<= 35 degrees) or severe (>= 40 degrees). The ratio of diameter ratios (RDRs) and the ratio of cross-sectional areas (RAs) were assessed. For each level of analysis (A and C), 2 balanced 2-way factorial analyses of variance (P < .05) were performed to evaluate the significance of the instrument factor and of canal curvature factor as well as the interactions of the factors both with RDRs and RAs. Results: Specimens in the K group had a mean curvature of 35.4 degrees +/- 11.5 degrees; those in the P group had a curvature of 38 degrees +/- 9.9 degrees. The instrument factor (P and K) was extremely significant (P < .001) for both the RDR and RA parameters, regardless of the point of analysis. Conclusions: Micro-CT scanning confirmed that NiTi rotary Path File instruments preserve the original canal anatomy and cause less canal aberrations. (J Endod 2012;38:389-393

Implementation of ACTS into sPHENIX track reconstruction

sPHENIX is a high energy nuclear physics experiment under construction at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The primary physics goals of sPHENIX are to study the quark-gluon-plasma, as well as the partonic structure of protons and nuclei, by measuring jets, their substructure, and heavy flavor hadrons in $p$$+$$p$, $p$+Au, and Au+Au collisions. sPHENIX will collect approximately 300 PB of data over three run periods, to be analyzed using available computing resources at BNL; thus, performing track reconstruction in a timely manner is a challenge due to the high occupancy of heavy ion collision events. The sPHENIX experiment has recently implemented the A Common Tracking Software (ACTS) track reconstruction toolkit with the goal of reconstructing tracks with high efficiency and within a computational budget of 5 seconds per minimum bias event. This paper reports the performance status of ACTS as the default track fitting tool within sPHENIX, including discussion of the first implementation of a time projection chamber geometry within ACTS

Status of light weight cassette design of SOFC

Lightweight SOFC stacks are currently being developed especially for automotive applications such as APU and for portable devices. Within the EU funded project MMLCR=SOFC the Jülich lightweight so-called CS-design was improved concerning better suitability for glass sealing, reduced manufacturing effort and increased power. Based on modelling in combination with manufacturing experience, test results, and post-test analysis substantial changes of the previous CS-design were made. The manufacturing of single parts, particularly due to the improved design of sheet metal interconnects, as well as the assembling processes are suitable for low-cost mass manufacturing. The novel decal concept of glass-ceramic sealant screen printed on foil in order to produce green tapes is used for joining the stack layers offering an enormous potential for cost savings in industrial assembly process. First stack tests with the new CSV–design showed a comparable electrochemical performance to the previous CSIV design having at the same time a better thermo-mechanical behavior.</jats:p

Effect of Canal Length and Curvature on Working Length Alteration with WaveOne Reciprocating Files

The article “Effect of Canal Length and Curvature on Working Length Alteration with WaveOne Reciprocating Files” by Elio Berutti, Giorgio Chiandussi, Davide Salvatore Paolino, Nicola Scotti, Giuseppe Cantatore, Arnaldo Castellucci and Damiano Pasqualini (J Endod 37[12]:1687–90; 2011] should have included this statement in the author information section: “Giuseppe Cantatore, Arnaldo Castellucci, and Elio Berutti declare that they have financial involvement (patent licensing arrangements) with Dentsply Maillefer with direct financial interest in the materials discussed in this article.” In addition, Dentsply provided some of the instruments used in this study." The authors regret this omission

Gamma-ray binaries: stable mass transfer from neutron star to black hole

Gamma-ray bursts are characterized by a duration of milliseconds to several minutes in which an enormous amount of radiation is emitted. The origin of these phenomena is still unknown because proposed models fail to explain all the observed features. Our proposed solution to this conundrum is a new class of mass-exchanging binaries in which a neutron star transfers mass to a black hole. According to recent studies binaries which contain a neutron star and a black hole are much more frequent than was previously believed. Mass exchange is driven by the emission of gravitational waves but the redistribution of mass in the binary system prevents coalescence. The phase of mass transfer is surprisingly stable and lasts for several thousands of orbital revolutions (about a minute). With a simple analytic model we demonstrated that this new class of binaries could provide an excellent candidate for the observed phenomena known as gamma-ray bursts.Comment: 15 pages including 2 ps figures, ApJ Letters in pres