Implications of Emerging Financial Regulatory Reporting Frameworks for Digital Platforms Boundary Resources

Regulators and banks have identified the necessity of a more holistic and harmonized approach for financial regulatory reporting than the current approach of just adopting new regulations to decrease the reporting burden on banking industry. Thus, new platform-based reporting frameworks for supervisory and statistical reporting of banks are being discussed to foster more efficient processing and reporting of data in Europe. Toward this goal, we use the e3-value method to model the ecosystem of emerging financial regulatory reporting frameworks based on publicly available laws, legal documents, guidelines published, consultations and industry surveys by supervisory authorities. Extending Ghazawneh & Henfridsson (2013) conceptualizations of boundary resources, the paper reveals that the boundary resources for financial regulatory reporting platforms will have to be co-created with the emerging regulatory reporting framework itself as foundation for the boundary resources and the regulated entity (i.e. banks) as they require the control about their sensitive data

Investigation of potential interferences in the detection of atmospheric ROx_{x} radicals by laser-induced fluorescence under dark conditions

Direct detection of highly reactive, atmospheric hydroxyl radicals (OH) is widely accomplished by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) instruments. The technique is also suitable for the indirect measurement of HO2 and RO2 peroxy radicals by chemical conversion to OH. It requires sampling of ambient air into a low pressure cell, where OH fluorescence is detected after excitation by 308 nm laser radiation. Although the residence time of air inside the fluorescence cell is typically only on the order of milliseconds, there is potential that additional OH is internally produced, which would artificially increase the measured OH concentration. Here, we present experimental studies investigating potential interferences in the detection of OH and peroxy radicals for the LIF instruments of Forschungszentrum Jülich for nighttime conditions. For laboratory experiments, the inlet of the instrument was overflown by excess synthetic air containing one or more reactants. In order to distinguish between OH produced by reactions upstream of the inlet and artificial signals produced inside the instrument, a chemical titration for OH was applied. Additional experiments were performed in the simulation chamber SAPHIR where simultaneous measurements by an open-path differential optical absorption spectrometer (DOAS) served as reference for OH to quantify potential artifacts in the LIF instrument. Experiments included the investigation of potential interferences related to the nitrate radical (NO3, N2O5), related to the ozonolysis of alkenes (ethene, propene, 1-butene, 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene, α-pinene, limonene, isoprene), and the laser photolysis of acetone. Experiments studying the laser photolysis of acetone yield OH signals in the fluorescence cell, which are equivalent to 0.05 × 106 cm−3 OH for a mixing ratio of 5 ppbv acetone. Under most atmospheric conditions, this interference is negligible. No significant interferences were found for atmospheric concentrations of reactants during ozonolysis experiments. Only for α-pinene, limonene, and isoprene at reactant concentrations which are orders of magnitude higher than in the atmosphere artificial OH could be detected. The value of the interference depends on the turnover rate of the ozonolysis reaction. For example, an apparent OH concentration of approximately 1 × 106 cm−3 is observed, if 5.8 ppbv limonene reacts with 600 ppbv ozone. Experiments with the nitrate radical NO3 reveal a small interference signal in the OH, HO2 and RO2 detection. Dependencies on experimental parameters point to artificial OH formation by surface reactions at the chamber walls or in molecular clusters in the gas expansion. The signal scales with the presence of NO3 giving equivalent radical concentrations of 1.1 × 105 cm−3 OH, 1 × 107 cm−3 HO2, and 1.7 × 107 cm−3 RO2 per 10 pptv NO3

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin. Between March 9 and June 17, 2020, 614 adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and randomized within at least 1 domain following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory or cardiovascular organ support at 121 sites in 8 countries. Of these, 403 were randomized to open-label interventions within the corticosteroid domain. The domain was halted after results from another trial were released. Follow-up ended August 12, 2020. Interventions: The corticosteroid domain randomized participants to a fixed 7-day course of intravenous hydrocortisone (50 mg or 100 mg every 6 hours) (n = 143), a shock-dependent course (50 mg every 6 hours when shock was clinically evident) (n = 152), or no hydrocortisone (n = 108). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was organ support-free days (days alive and free of ICU-based respiratory or cardiovascular support) within 21 days, where patients who died were assigned -1 day. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model that included all patients enrolled with severe COVID-19, adjusting for age, sex, site, region, time, assignment to interventions within other domains, and domain and intervention eligibility. Superiority was defined as the posterior probability of an odds ratio greater than 1 (threshold for trial conclusion of superiority >99%). Results: After excluding 19 participants who withdrew consent, there were 384 patients (mean age, 60 years; 29% female) randomized to the fixed-dose (n = 137), shock-dependent (n = 146), and no (n = 101) hydrocortisone groups; 379 (99%) completed the study and were included in the analysis. The mean age for the 3 groups ranged between 59.5 and 60.4 years; most patients were male (range, 70.6%-71.5%); mean body mass index ranged between 29.7 and 30.9; and patients receiving mechanical ventilation ranged between 50.0% and 63.5%. For the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively, the median organ support-free days were 0 (IQR, -1 to 15), 0 (IQR, -1 to 13), and 0 (-1 to 11) days (composed of 30%, 26%, and 33% mortality rates and 11.5, 9.5, and 6 median organ support-free days among survivors). The median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% credible interval, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, respectively, and were 1.22 (95% credible interval, 0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone. Serious adverse events were reported in 4 (3%), 5 (3%), and 1 (1%) patients in the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone or shock-dependent dosing of hydrocortisone, compared with no hydrocortisone, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority with regard to the odds of improvement in organ support-free days within 21 days. However, the trial was stopped early and no treatment strategy met prespecified criteria for statistical superiority, precluding definitive conclusions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735707

Luftgestützte Messung von HOx_{x}-Radikalkonzentrationen mittels Laser-induzierter Fluoreszenz auf einem Zeppelin NT: Untersuchung der atmosphärischen Oxidationsstärke der unteren Troposphäre

The OH radical is the major atmospheric oxidant that dominates the photochemical degradationof trace gases and pollutants in the atmosphere. The consumed OH can be recycledthrough the HO$_{2}$ radical by reacting with NO, thereby forming ozone. Thus, OH and HO$_{2}$ are ideal parameter in order to test the current understanding of the atmospheric degradation of trace gases. In this work, an instrument for the measurement of OH and HO$_{2}$ radicals by laser induced fluorescence was developed and deployed on board a Zeppelin NT. The measurements presented here were conducted in July and August 2012 in the region Emilia Romagna in Northern Italy. The measurement platform Zeppelin NT allowed the observation of a comprehensive set of chemical and physical parameter within the lower troposphere between 75 − 900m above ground. During the measurement flights, strong trace gas gradients were observed in the early morning that could be explained by the layering within the lanetary Boundary Layer. Typically, low trace gas concentrations were found in the residual layer in high altitudes whereas the highest OH reactivities up to 10 s$^{−1}$ and NO$_{x}$ mixing ratios up to 10 ppbv were observed in the mixed layer which is strongly influenced by ground emissions. The linear correlation between observed OH and j(O$^{1}$D) with a slope of 4.4 × 10$^{11}$ cm$^{−3}$s is comparable to other field measurements in continental regions. Additionally, the observed OH depends nonlinearly on NO$_{x}$ resulting in enhanced mean OH concentrations by a factor of 2 for NO$_{x}$ mixing ratios between 1.5 and 2.0 ppbv. Observed mean HO$_{2}$ concentrations in air masses with [NO] 1 ppbv. For the first time, this HO$_{x}$ dependency on NO$_{x}$ was observed locally when crossing vertical and horizontal NO$_{x}$ gradients. Box model calculations based on the Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism reproduce the measured OH for [NO$_{x}$] < 3 ppbv. For higher NO$_{x}$ mixing ratios, the model overestimates OH for more than 50% of the data points. The model predicts HO$_{2}$ within the uncertainty of the measurements and the model. The prediction for OH could be improved by implementing a newly proposed gas phase machanism forming HONO (Li et al., 2014). The analysis of the HO$_{x}$ data does not hint at a significant NO independent, non-classical OH-recycling during the measurement flights performed in Italy

Luftgestützte Messung von HOx-Radikalkonzentrationen mittels Laser-induzierter Fluoreszenz auf dem Zeppelin NT: Untersuchung der atmosphärischen Oxidationsstärke der unteren Troposphäre

The OH radical is the major atmospheric oxidant that dominates the photochemical degradationof trace gases and pollutants in the atmosphere. The consumed OH can be recycledthrough the HO$_{2}$ radical by reacting with NO, thereby forming ozone. Thus, OH and HO$_{2}$ are ideal parameter in order to test the current understanding of the atmospheric degradation of trace gases. In this work, an instrument for the measurement of OH and HO$_{2}$ radicals by laser induced fluorescence was developed and deployed on board a Zeppelin NT. The measurements presented here were conducted in July and August 2012 in the region Emilia Romagna in Northern Italy. The measurement platform Zeppelin NT allowed the observation of a comprehensive set of chemical and physical parameter within the lower troposphere between 75 − 900m above ground. During the measurement flights, strong trace gas gradients were observed in the early morning that could be explained by the layering within the lanetary Boundary Layer. Typically, low trace gas concentrations were found in the residual layer in high altitudes whereas the highest OH reactivities up to 10 s$^{−1}$ and NO$_{x}$ mixing ratios up to 10 ppbv were observed in the mixed layer which is strongly influenced by ground emissions. The linear correlation between observed OH and j(O$^{1}$D) with a slope of 4.4 × 10$^{11}$ cm$^{−3}$s is comparable to other field measurements in continental regions. Additionally, the observed OH depends nonlinearly on NO$_{x}$ resulting in enhanced mean OH concentrations by a factor of 2 for NO$_{x}$ mixing ratios between 1.5 and 2.0 ppbv. Observed mean HO$_{2}$ concentrations in air masses with [NO] 1 ppbv. For the first time, this HO$_{x}$ dependency on NO$_{x}$ was observed locally when crossing vertical and horizontal NO$_{x}$ gradients. Box model calculations based on the Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism reproduce the measured OH for [NO$_{x}$] < 3 ppbv. For higher NO$_{x}$ mixing ratios, the model overestimates OH for more than 50% of the data points. The model predicts HO$_{2}$ within the uncertainty of the measurements and the model. The prediction for OH could be improved by implementing a newly proposed gas phase machanism forming HONO (Li et al., 2014). The analysis of the HO$_{x}$ data does not hint at a significant NO independent, non-classical OH-recycling during the measurement flights performed in Italy