10 research outputs found
Efficacy and safety of adrenocorticotropic hormone gel in refractory dermatomyositis and polymyositis
No full text© 2018 author(s). Aim To evaluate the efficacy, safety, tolerability and steroid-sparing effect of repository corticotropin injection (RCI), in an open-label clinical trial, in refractory adult polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM). Methods Adults with refractory PM and DM were enrolled by two centres. Inclusion criteria included refractory disease defined as failing glucocorticoid and/or ≥1 immunosuppressive agent, as well as active disease defined as significant muscle weakness and \u3e2 additional abnormal core set measures (CSMs) or a cutaneous 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale score of ≥3 cm and at least three other abnormal CSMs. All patients received RCI of 80 units subcutaneously twice weekly for 24 weeks. The primary end point for the trial was the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies definition of improvement. Secondary end points included safety, tolerability, steroid-sparing as well as the 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism myositis response criteria (EULAR) Results Ten of the 11 enrolled subjects (6 DM, 4 PM) completed the study. Seven of 10 met the primary end point of efficacy at a median of 8 weeks. There was a significant decrease in prednisone dose from baseline to conclusion (18.5 (15.7) vs 2.3 (3.2); P10% and the physician global by \u3e40%. RCI was considered safe and tolerable. No patient developed significant weight gain or an increase of haemoglobin A1c or cushingoid features. Conclusion Treatment with RCI was effective in 70% of patients, safe and tolerable, and led to a steroid dose reduction in patients with adult myositis refractory to glucocorticoid and traditional immunosuppressive drugs. Trial registration number NCT01906372; Results
Effective Contract Management - A Key For Better HSE Performance-Author-Ali-Al-Failakawi
No full text
Water Supply Infrastructure Modeling and Control under Extreme Drought and/or Limited Power Availability
No full textabstract: The phrase water-energy nexus is commonly used to describe the inherent and critical interdependencies between the electric power system and the water supply systems (WSS). The key interdependencies between the two systems are the power plant’s requirement of water for the cooling cycle and the water system’s need of electricity for pumping for water supply. While previous work has considered the dependency of WSS on the electrical power, this work incorporates into an optimization-simulation framework, consideration of the impact of short and long-term limited availability of water and/or electrical energy.
This research focuses on the water supply system (WSS) facet of the multi-faceted optimization and control mechanism developed for an integrated water – energy nexus system under U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) project 029013-0010 CRISP Type 2 – Resilient cyber-enabled electric energy and water infrastructures modeling and control under extreme mega drought scenarios. A water supply system (WSS) conveys water from sources (such as lakes, rivers, dams etc.) to the treatment plants and then to users via the water distribution systems (WDS) and/or water supply canal systems (WSCS). Optimization-simulation methodologies are developed for the real-time operation of water supply systems (WSS) under critical conditions of limited electrical energy and/or water availability due to emergencies such as extreme drought conditions, electric grid failure, and other severe conditions including natural and manmade disasters. The coupling between WSS and the power system was done through alternatively exchanging data between the power system and WSS simulations via a program control overlay developed in python.
A new methodology for WDS infrastructural-operational resilience (IOR) computation was developed as a part of this research to assess the real-time performance of the WDS under emergency conditions. The methodology combines operational resilience and component level infrastructural robustness to provide a comprehensive performance assessment tool.
The optimization-simulation and resilience computation methodologies developed were tested for both hypothetical and real example WDS and WSCS, with results depicting improved resilience for operations of the WSS under normal and emergency conditions.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 201
Optimization Model for Design of Vegetative Filter Strips for Stormwater Management and Sediment Control.
No full textabstract: Vegetative filter strips (VFS) are an effective methodology used for storm water management particularly for large urban parking lots. An optimization model for the design of vegetative filter strips that minimizes the amount of land required for stormwater management using the VFS is developed in this study. The resulting optimization model is based upon the kinematic wave equation for overland sheet flow along with equations defining the cumulative infiltration and infiltration rate.
In addition to the stormwater management function, Vegetative filter strips (VFS) are effective mechanisms for control of sediment flow and soil erosion from agricultural and urban lands. Erosion is a major problem associated with areas subjected to high runoffs or steep slopes across the globe. In order to effect economy in the design of grass filter strips as a mechanism for sediment control & stormwater management, an optimization model is required that minimizes the land requirements for the VFS. The optimization model presented in this study includes an intricate system of equations including the equations defining the sheet flow on the paved and grassed area combined with the equations defining the sediment transport over the vegetative filter strip using a non-linear programming optimization model. In this study, the optimization model has been applied using a sensitivity analysis of parameters such as different soil types, rainfall characteristics etc., performed to validate the modelDissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Civil and Environmental Engineering 201
Postal services in the digital age
No full textIn recent years, the postal sector has undergone radical changes, which have primarily been driven by operational and technological developments. Not only has the advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) added competition to the market, but it has also provided ample opportunity for the broadening and improvement of services and product range. This book deals with the challenges faced by the postal sector in the digital age, and with the vast opportunities that technological advancements offer postal operators with regard to developing new business solutions and services tailored to the needs of their customers. It provides an analysis of these opportunities and identifies the ways in which postal operators might benefit from the digital age and new market requirements. The book is divided into three main parts: various digital dimensions; e-commerce challenges; and opportunities for partnership with governments. A final chapter discusses the developments described in the book and the views and ideas of the authors. The book will be of interest to all those responsible for developing and running postal services, as well as to anyone affected by the changes which have already taken place or the possibilities opening up for new and improved services.-- Editors and Contributors
-- Foreword, Bishar Abdirahman Hussein
-- Preface, Matthias Finger, Bernhard Bukovc and Muqbil Burhan
-- Introduction: Postal Services in the Digital Age, Matthias Finger
-- Section I. The Digital Dimensions
-- Character of Substitution and Its Significance for Letter Demand: The Finnish Case, Heikki Nikali
-- The Journey of Postal Operators into Digital Services Using the Concept of Business Models, Nandkumar Kollara
-- How to Become a Best-Run Postal Service Organization, Michaela Hohlwein and Hans G. Landgraf
-- The Digital Postal Network at the Heart of Service Innovation, Paul Donohoe
-- Section II. The e-Commerce Challenge
-- Postal Organisations in the Face of eCommerce: Part of the Steamroller or Part of the Road?, Richard Umbers
-- Postal Service Innovation: New Value Propositions to Enable International e-Commerce, Farah Abdallah
-- The New and Shifting Paradigm, e-Commerce and Its Future Impact, David Spottiswood
-- Section III. Partnering with Governments
-- Swiss Post and Public Administration: From Physical to Digital, Denis Morel
-- Postal Operators as Viable e-Government Partners: A Case Study of Three Major Postal Operators, Muqbil Burhan
-- Section IV. Thinking Ahead
-- Evolved: The New Systems of the World, David Williams
-- Intellectual Property Rights and the Future of Universal Service Obligations in Communications, Christian Jaag
-- Connectors and Solution Providers – Postal Services in the Digital Age, Bernhard Bukovc
-- Subject Index
-- Author Inde
Follow-up results of myositis patients treated with H. P. Acthar gel
No full text© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: [email protected]. OBJECTIVES: Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a group of autoimmune diseases characterized by proximal muscle weakness. H. P. Acthar gel [repository corticotropin injection (RCI)] is a formulation of adrenocorticotropic hormone and has been approved by Food and Drug Administration for use in IIM; however, literature is limited. In this study, we report longitudinal follow-up of myositis patients treated with RCI. METHODS: Patients with refractory IIM who were enrolled in the prospective, open-label RCI trial were included in this study. The post-trial follow-up period was 6 months with assessments every 2 months, which included myositis core set measures including extra-muscular global, muscle and patient global disease activities, HAQ, and manual muscle testing. RESULTS: Two patients were lost to follow-up after finalization of the trial, and the remaining eight patients were enrolled in the follow-up study. One patient remained on RCI after the trial. In the follow-up period, four of eight patients had flare at on average 4.1 months after the RCI trial. Among the patients who flared, three required an increase in prednisone. One patient was restarted on RCI at 5.5 months, but had minimal improvement after 3 months. Four patients who remained stable continued to satisfy criteria for the definition of improvement through the 6-month follow-up. However, none showed any further improvement in the primary or secondary efficacy outcomes after the initial RCI trial. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the follow-up results of patients treated with standard dose and duration of Acthar. We believe that our study will provide the basis for the development of future randomized RCI trials in IIM
Management Insights
No full text Jordi Blanes i Vidal, Mareike Nossol How does feedback affect performance? The authors study a firm in which workers are paid piece rates where management begins to reveal to workers their relative position in the distribution of pay and productivity. Are workers' incipient concerns about their relative standing activated by information about how they are performing relative to others? The authors find that workers are motivated by such information. The insight for management: Merely providing this information leads to a large and long-lasting increase in productivity that is costless to the firm. Robert Swinney When a new product is introduced, consumers have the option of purchasing the product early, before its value has been learned, or delaying the purchase decision until a time at which valuation uncertainty has been resolved. At the same time, a firm may either commit to a single production run at a low unit cost prior to learning demand or commit to a quick response strategy that allows additional production after learning additional demand information. The author examines the value of quick response production practices when selling to a forward-looking consumer population with uncertain, heterogeneous valuations for a product. The author finds that the value of quick response is generally lower with strategic (forward-looking) customers than with nonstrategic (myopic) customers. The author finds that it is possible for a quick response strategy to decrease the profit of the firm—when prices are constant or when consumer returns are not allowed. The insight for management: The value of quick response methods depends on customer purchasing strategies. David B. Brown, James E. Smith How can one best dynamically optimize a portfolio over time considering risk aversion, portfolio constraints, return predictability, and transaction costs? As it turns out, the problem is very difficult to solve with more than one or two assets. The authors present several easy-to-compute heuristic trading strategies with a risk-free asset and 3 or 10 risky assets. The authors find that the performance of the heuristic strategy is very nearly optimal. The insight for management: Tough asset management problems are simplified through heuristics that lead to improved asset allocation without the complexity of optimization. Onur Boyabatlı, Paul R. Kleindorfer, Stephen R. Koontz What are the optimal procurement, processing, and production decisions of a meat-processing company (a “packer”) in a beef supply chain? The packer processes fed cattle to produce two beef products, program (premium) boxed beef and commodity boxed beef, in fixed proportions, but with downward substitution of the premium product for the commodity product. The packer can source input (fed cattle) from a contract market, where long-term contracts are signed in advance of the required delivery time, and from a spot market on the spot day. The authors show that the packer benefits from a low correlation between the spot price and product market uncertainties, independent of the form of the contract. They show that higher variability (higher spot price variability, product market variability, and correlation) increases the profits of the packer but decreases the reliance on the contract market relative to the spot market. The insight for management: There is a value of long-term contracting as a complement to spot sourcing in the beef supply chain, and there is an interaction of contract terms with processing options. Bing Jing What is the interaction between exogenous learning (EL) such as magazine reviews and seller-induced learning (SIL) such as free trials and training programs? How do these approaches affect the firm's product release and pricing strategies? When learning of product characteristics takes some time, a firm introducing a new product such as appliances or technology faces the trade-off between releasing early to an uninformed market and deferring release to a better-informed market. The author notes three key findings. First, a strong learning intensity does not always imply deferred release. Second, SIL facilitates different product release strategies, depending on the unit cost level. Potential SIL investment facilitates early release for low or medium unit costs but may facilitate deferred release for high unit costs. Third, when customers have heterogeneous prior valuation, the high-end customers may buy early at a lower price and the low-end customers may buy later at a higher price. The insight for management: Product introduction timing depends on product complexity, cost, and form of product learning. Wenjing Shen, Izak Duenyas, Roman Kapuscinski Would a supplier deny a customer a product that they have in stock? Previous research has delivered conflicting results. It has been shown that, intuitively, it is never optimal to refuse to satisfy any customers when the firm has inventory of the product. But it has also been shown that production constraints may in fact lead a firm to reject customers' orders even when the firm has the inventory to satisfy them to slow down new product diffusion. These authors find it may be optimal to deny customers a product in inventory, but only if dynamic pricing is not an option. The insight for management: The unintuitive but optimal behavior of denying customers products that are in inventory disappears when the firm can dynamically set prices. Thomas Hellmann, Enrico Perotti Why do innovation-driven clusters such as Silicon Valley form, and how do they facilitate progress? The authors strive to understand the generation, circulation, and completion of new ideas in firms and markets. The authors show that markets and innovative firms complement each other in a symbiotic relationship for cultivating ideas. Novel ideas are initially incomplete and require further insight before yielding a valuable innovation. Finding the complementary piece requires ideas to circulate, which creates appropriation risks. Circulation of ideas in markets ensures efficient completion, but, because ideas can be appropriated, market entrepreneurs underinvest in idea generation. Firms can establish boundaries that guarantee safe circulation of internal ideas, but, because firms need to limit idea circulation, they may fail to achieve completion. Spin-offs allow firms to benefit from the market's strength at idea completion, whereas markets benefit from firms' strength at generating new ideas. The insight for management: Diverse organizational forms (such as internal ventures, spin-offs, and start-ups) naturally coexist and mutually reinforce each other. Mirko Kremer, Brent Moritz, Enno Siemsen Information or noise? That's the question that forecasters regularly need to answer. In a laboratory, the authors analyze how individuals make forecasts based on time-series data. They find that forecasters regularly make these mistakes: Forecasters overreact to forecast errors in relatively stable environments but underreact to errors in relatively unstable environments. The insight for management: Surprisingly, forecasting performance loss due to such systematic judgment biases is larger in stable environments than in unstable environments. Ashish Arora, Anand Nandkumar Is it enough to survive, or does a new venture need to thrive in order to be a success? Typically, venture survival is used as the measure of success in research. These authors use both entity failure and cash-out as indicators. Interestingly, high-opportunity-cost entrepreneurs prefer a shorter time to success, even if this also implies failing more quickly. Entrepreneurs with fewer outside alternatives will choose less aggressive strategies and, consequently, linger longer. Using a novel data set of information security start-ups, the authors find that entrepreneurs with high opportunity costs (other options) are not only more likely to cash out more quickly but are also more likely to fail faster. The insight for management: Not only is survival a poor indicator of performance, but its use as one obscures the relationship among entrepreneurial characteristics, entrepreneurial strategies, and outcomes. Qiao Liu, Kit Pong Wong What are the distinct roles played by intellectual capital in corporate financing decisions? Whereas intellectual capital limits a firm's debt capacity because of its low liquidation value, it enhances a firm's debt capacity through its positive impact on earnings. Using data on patents and research and development, the authors show that which role dominates depends on whether the rate of dissipation of intellectual capital upon default is large. Specifically, a one-standard-deviation increase in the level of a firm's intellectual capital is associated with an increase of 6.6% to 21.1% in its market leverage. The authors find this positive relation to be stronger for biotechnology firms. The insight for management: Financing decisions and intellectual capital are interwoven. Mohammed Abdellaoui, Olivier L'Haridon, Corina Paraschiv Prospect theory has been long well accepted as the best way to analyze decision making under risk. Generally, people evaluate an outcome relative to a reference point alternative, and often small probabilities are subjectively overweighted while higher probabilities tend to be underweighted. There is considerable debate as to whether decision makers behave differently when the probabilities are known (risk) and when they are not (uncertainty). Do decision makers behave differently when they are told the probabilities (description-based decisions) than they do when they learn the probabilities through experimentation themselves (experience-based decisions)? The authors observe a less pronounced overweighting of small probabilities and a more pronounced underweighting of moderate and high probabilities for experience-based decisions. On the contrary, for losses, no significant differences were observed in the evaluation of prospects across contexts. The insight for management: The two sources of information yield very similar decision making outcomes. </jats:sec
