Equity research-American tower valuation analysis

This individual part explains parts of the perspective of projection for the valuation of American Tower. Especially the situation in the Europe and Africa market, the key risks of American Tower, and discounted cashflow valuation estimation. After considering about risks of American Tower, I also prepare the sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis to see the effects of some important factors (e.g. WACC, growth rate, and so on). This report aims to give a recommendation to investors about the current international environment of American Tower and our expected stock price at the end of 202

Content Quality Assurance on Media Platforms with User-Generated Content

This paper develops a duopoly model of user-generated content (UGC) platforms that compete for consumers and content producers in two-sided markets with network externalities. Each platform can choose the level of investment into a content quality assurance (CQA) system and the level of advertising. Our model shows that network effects are crucial in determining the platforms' optimal strategy and the behavior (single vs. multi-homing) of their users. Specifically, we find that consumers are multi-homing and producers are single-homing when the network effects obtained by producers are weak, while the opposite is true if these network effects are strong. Moreover, our model shows that the user behavior and the network effects determine whether a platform has incentives to place ads and/or invest into CQA. In general, weak network effects induce a platform to invest into a CQA system except when consumers and producers are multi-homing. The results in our model suggests the need for platform companies to assess the magnitude of network effects on their platform to predict the behavior of their users, which in turn will determine the optimal CQA and advertising strategy

Adaptive Fault Diagnosis of Motors Using Comprehensive Learning Particle Swarm Optimizer with Fuzzy Petri Net

This study proposes and applies a comprehensive learning particle swarm optimization (CLPSO) fuzzy Petri net (FPN) algorithm, which is based on the CLPSO algorithm and FPN, to the fault diagnosis of a complex motor. First, the transition confidence is replaced by a Gaussian function to deal with the uncertainty of fault propagation. Then, according to the Petri net principle, a competition operator is introduced to improve the matrix reasoning. Finally, a CLPSO-FPN model for motor fault diagnosis is established based on the motor failure mechanism and fault characteristics. The CLPSO algorithm is used to generate the system parameters for fault diagnosis and to improve the adaptability and accuracy of fault diagnosis. This study considers the example of a three-phase asynchronous motor. The results show that the proposed algorithm can diagnose faults in this motor with satisfactory adaptability and accuracy compared with the traditional FPN algorithm. By establishing the system model, the fault propagation process of motors can be accurately and intuitively expressed, thus improving the fault treatment and equipment maintenance of motors

Electrogenic amino acid exchange via the rBAT transporter

AbstractA cDNA clone was isolated from rabbit renal cortex using DNA-mediated expression cloning, which caused alanine-dependent outward currents when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The cDNA encodes rBAT, a Na-independent amino acid transporter previously cloned elsewhere. Exposure of cDNA-injected oocytes to neutral amino acids led to voltage-dependent outward currents, but inward currents were seen upon exposure to basic amino acids. Assuming one charge/alanine, the outward current represented 38% of the rate of uptake of radiolabelled alanine, and was significantly reduced by prolonged preincubation of oocytes in 5 mM alanine. The currents were shown to be due to countertransport of basic amino acids for external amino acids using the cut-open oocyte system. This transport represents a major mode of action of this protein, and may help in defining a physiological role for rBAT in the apical membrane of renal and intestinal cells

Prevalence and predictors of polypharmacy prescription among type 2 diabetes patients at a tertiary care department in Ningbo, China: A retrospective database study

ObjectivesTo determine the prevalence of polypharmacy prescription among type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients at a tertiary care department in Ningbo, China, and to determine factors that independently predict this polypharmacy prescription.MethodsA retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using an existing computerised medical records database. This database was screened from 2012 to 2017 for adult patients with T2DM and parameters like prescribed medicines and socio-demographic, behavioural and other medical information. Polypharmacy prescription was defined as the simultaneous prescription of ≥5 medicines by the clinician at the time of discharge for daily usage by the patient as part of his/her long-term treatment plan.ResultsThe study inclusion criteria were satisfied by 3370 T2DM patients. Over a 5-year period, 72.2% (n = 2432) of T2DM patients were prescribed polypharmacy. On an average, eight medicines were prescribed to them. The odds of polypharmacy prescription increased with patients’ age (18–39 years: 1; 40–59 years: OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.28–2.71; and ≥60 years: 2.42, 1.65–3.55), duration of T2DM (≤1 year: 1; >5–10 years: 1.70, 1.10–2.62; and >10 years: 2.55, 1.68–3.89), and length of hospital stay (≤5 days: 1; >5–10 days: 2.43, 1.86–3.17; and >10 days: 2.99, 2.24–3.99), and were higher in those with poor blood glucose level (2.09, 1.67–2.62) and with comorbidities like other endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (2.24, 1.76–2.85), circulatory system diseases (4.35, 3.62–5.23), skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases (1.64, 1.04–2.59), and musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases (1.61, 1.27–2.03). The odds of polypharmacy prescription were lower in those with comorbidities like neoplasms (0.51, 0.36–0.70) and during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (0.06, 0.01–0.49).ConclusionsAround three fourth of T2DM patients at the tertiary care department were prescribed polypharmacy, and the predictors were identified. The study findings could be taken into consideration in future interventional studies aimed at supporting medicines optimisation (and deprescribing) among these patients

The Research Field of Meat Preservation: A Scientometric and Visualization Analysis Based on the Web of Science

Meat plays a significant role in human diets, providing a rich source of high-quality protein. With advancements in technology, research in the field of meat preservation has been undergoing dynamic evolution. To gain insights into the development of this discipline, the study conducted an analysis and knowledge structure mapping of 1672 papers related to meat preservation research within the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) spanning from 2001 to 2023. And using software tools such as VOSviewer 1.6.18 and CiteSpace 5.8.R3c allowed for the convenient analysis of the literature by strictly following the software operation manuals. Moreover, the knowledge structure of research in the field of meat preservation was synthesized within the framework of “basic research—technological application—integration of technology with fundamental research,” aligning with the research content. Co-cited literature analysis indicated that meat preservation research could be further categorized into seven collections, as well as highlighting the prominent role of the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of plant essential oils in ongoing research. Subsequently, the future research direction and focus of the meat preservation field were predicted and prospected. The findings of this study could offer valuable assistance to researchers in swiftly comprehending the discipline’s development and identifying prominent research areas, thus providing valuable guidance for shaping research topics

Multiple fractal characterization of medium-high rank coal integrating mercury intrusion porosimetry, N2 and CO2 adsorption experiments

Multifractal features of the pore structures of coal reservoirs control the transport and sustainable production of coalbed methane (CBM), which directly determines the efficiency of CBM extraction and is of great importance for CBM extraction. In order to investigate the multifractal characteristics of the pore structures of medium-high rank coals and their evolutionary trends during coalification, the medium-high rank coal samples from production mines in the Qinshui coal field were collected to investigate the evolution of the multiple fractal characteristics of medium-high rank coals macropores (> 50 nm), mesopores (2−50 nm) and micropores (< 2 nm) during coalification and their influencing factors by using multifractal theories and integrating the mercury intrusion porosimetry, low temperature nitrogen gas adsorption and low temperature carbon dioxide adsorption experiments, respectively. The results show that the generalized dimensional spectrum (Dq−q) and the multifractal singular spectrum (f(α)−α) of macro-, meso- and micropores of medium-high rank coals both satisfy the multifractal characteristics, which implies that the macro-, meso- and micropores of medium-high rank coals all exhibit multifractal behavior. Compared with macropores and mesopores, micropores have stronger non-homogeneity and lower pore connectivity exhibiting larger α0 and ∆D values and smaller H values. Coalification promotes the aggregation of macromolecules in coal, which changes the coal reservoir type from macropores dominant reservoir and macropores-micropores coexisting reservoir to micropores dominant reservoir, and the pore size distribution of different scales in coal tends to be homogenized, leading to the improvement of pore structure homogeneity and pore connectivity in medium-high rank coal reservoirs. Macropore and micropore volume fractions have positive and negative effects on pore structure heterogeneity in their respective pore size ranges, while mesopore volume fraction is not an effective constraint on mesopore pore size distribution heterogeneity. The vitrinite and inertinite groups show opposite effects on the heterogeneity of pore size distribution, with a positive correlation between V/I and H values and a negative correlation with α0. Vitrinite-rich coals develop more micropores and thus showing stronger pore structure homogeneity and better pore connectivity