End State Research Articles

Controllability problems for the heat equation with variable coefficients on a half-axis

In the paper, the problems of controllability and approximate controllability are studied for the heat equation wt = 1/ρ (kwx)x + γw, x > 0, t ∈ (0, T), controlled by the Dirichlet boundary condition. Control is considered in L∞(0, T). It is proved that each initial state of this system is approximately controllable to any its end state in a given time T > 0.

Coordination and planning: central categories in interagency relationships

The article reflects, based on a literature review and document analysis, on the coordination and planning categories as central to interagency relations. The study results indicate that cooperation is the most basic level in this type of relationship, given its informality and being based on personal and little institutionalized relationships. Coordination, on the other hand, would be the improvement of cooperation through elaborate arrangements, when agencies would consider the objectives, visions, purposes and desired end states of the other agency in the planning. The second category was worked from theorists and professionals of the interagency environment, who highlighted the importance of relationships to materialize through a planning process that produces an intelligible plan and that increases the chances of success of operations. We conclude that the full interagency relationship effectively materializes when it occurs through joint planning with the participation of all agencies involved in solving the problem.

Leptin mutation and mycobacterial infection lead non-synergistically to a similar metabolic syndrome

IntroductionThe leptin signaling pathway plays an important role as a key regulator of glucose homeostasis, metabolism control and systemic inflammatory responses. However, the metabolic effects of leptin on infectious diseases, for example tuberculosis (TB), are still little known.ObjectivesIn this study, we aim to investigate the role of leptin on metabolism in the absence and presence of mycobacterial infection in zebrafish larvae and mice.MethodsMetabolites in entire zebrafish larvae and the blood of mice were studied using high-resolution magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, respectively. For transcriptome studies of zebrafish larvae, deep RNA sequencing was used.ResultsThe results show that leptin mutation leads to a similar metabolic syndrome as caused by mycobacterial infection in the two species, characterized by the decrease of 11 amine metabolites. In both species, this metabolic syndrome was not aggravated further when the leptin mutant was infected by mycobacteria. Therefore, we conclude that leptin and mycobacterial infection are both impacting metabolism non-synergistically. In addition, we studied the transcriptomes of lepbibl54 mutant zebrafish larvae and wild type (WT) siblings after mycobacterial infection. These studies showed that mycobacteria induced a very distinct transcriptome signature in the lepbibl54 mutant zebrafish compared to WT sibling control larvae. Furthermore, lepbibl55 Tg (pck1:luc1) zebrafish line was constructed and confirmed this difference in transcriptional responses.ConclusionsLeptin mutation and TB lead non-synergistically to a similar metabolic syndrome. Moreover, different transcriptomic responses in the lepbibl54 mutant and TB can lead to the similar metabolic end states.

Oil Production Optimization by Means of a Combined “Plugging, Profile Control, and Flooding” Treatment: Analysis of Results Obtained Using Computer Tomography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Due to long-term water injection, often oilfields enter the so-called medium and high water cut stage, and it is difficult to achieve good oil recovery and water reduction through standard methods (single profile control and flooding measures). Therefore, in this study, a novel method based on “plugging, profile control, and flooding” being implemented at the same time is proposed. To assess the performances of this approach, physical simulations, computer tomography, and nuclear magnetic resonance are used. The results show that the combination of a gel plugging agent, a polymer microsphere flooding agent, and a high-efficiency oil displacement agent leads to better results in terms of oil recovery with respect to the situation in which these approaches are used separately (the oil recovery is increased by 15.37%). Computer tomography scan results show that with the combined approach, a larger sweep volume and higher oil washing efficiency are obtained. The remaining oil in the cluster form can be recovered in the middle and low permeability layer, increasing the proportion of the columnar and blind end states of the oil. The nuclear magnetic resonance test results show that the combined “plugging, profile control, and flooding” treatment can also be used to control more effectively the dominant channels of the high permeability layer and further expand the recovery degree of the remaining oil in the pores of different sizes in the middle and low permeability layers. However, for the low permeability layer (permeability difference of 20), the benefits in terms of oil recovery are limited.

Multi-Scale Modeling of Residual Stresses Evolution in Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Inconel 625

Laser powder bed fusion exhibits many advantages for manufacturing complex geometries from hard to machine alloys such as IN625. However, a major drawback is the formation of high tensile residual stresses, and the complex relationship between the process parameters and the residual stresses has not been fully investigated. The current study presents multi-scale models to examine the variation of process parameters on melt pool dimensions, cyclic temperature evolutions, cooling rate, and cyclic stress generation and how they affect the stress end state. In addition, the effect of the same energy density, which is often overlooked, on the generated residual stresses is investigated. Multi-level validation is performed based on melt pool dimensions, temperature measurements with a two-color pyrometer, and finally, in-depth residual stress measurement. The results show that scan speed has the strongest effect on residual stresses, followed by laser power and hatch spacing. The results are explained in light of the non-linear temperature evolution, temperature gradient, and cooling rate during laser exposure, cooling time, and the rate during recoating time.

Policy Series/ESPO and Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section Symposium: It’s a Practice, Not an End State: Centering Equity in Gerontological Research and Policy

Social, economic, and health inequities shape the experience of aging, reflecting a landscape of unequal resources, opportunities, and stressors that accumulate over the life-course. These inequities are not accidental, but rather reflect systems of power that act through institutions, policies, and people to simultaneously privilege some groups and disadvantage others based on socially constructed categories. These systems include, but are not limited to, racism, ageism, and capitalism. The unequal and unjust distribution of resources and opportunities over the lifespan results in health, social, and economic disparities in older adulthood. For example, Black older adults are at higher risk of experiencing chronic disease burden and shorter life expectancy than white older adults due to greater economic disinvestment, interpersonal and systemic racial discrimination, and lower health services access over the life course. This symposium features three leading scholars whose work centers racial and health equity in later life. The symposium will engage with issues related to long-term services and supports infrastructure, community-engaged and culturally relevant programs and education, and research activities (e.g., recruitment, study design, grant writing, dissemination). Panelists will also discuss their research agendas and recent scholarship, career trajectories, insights, and practices. We hope symposium attendees will identify opportunities and strategies for focusing on elimination of health disparities across the life-course in their own work. We believe this symposium can serve as an opportunity for SRPP members and emerging scholars and practitioners to center equity, highlight intersectionality, and amplify our colleagues at the forefront of addressing inequity through their work.

Research on energy management strategy of fuel cell–battery–supercapacitor passenger vehicle

The energy management strategy of passenger vehicles that adopts the hybrid energy form of the fuel cell, battery and supercapacitor was complicated. Traditional power following-logic threshold filtering strategy could better use the power directly output by fuel cell(FC) and reduce the loss of charge and discharge. In some power ranges, the energy produced by the fuel cell lagged behind the demand power. In response to this problem, the power following-logic threshold filtering strategy is optimized based on dynamic allocation. According to the parameters of the vehicle, Simulink/Powertrain was used to build a power system model to verify the effectiveness of the current strategy under urban dynamometer driving schedule (UDDS) and then compared with the traditional control strategy. The optimized energy management strategy decreases hydrogen consumption by 1.9%; the proportion of power above 10 kW is reduced by about 20%; the battery end state of charge (SOC) values under the control strategy before and after the improvement are 51.64 and 50.91, respectively.

Positive Education: The Key Role of the School Counsellor

As the field of Positive Education gains traction globally, there is a recognised concern around sustainability. Many schools utilise external providers to engage and educate schools on ‘wellbeing science’, which in the main is comprised of research from the field of Positive Psychology. This often involves a significant financial and time investment, and while most schools have good intentions for their desired end states, often the initial motivation for change is impacted by the many competing responsibilities occurring within a school setting. Those schools that have successfully implemented strategic and sustainable approaches often continue to work with an external consultant who guides the school to successfully apply their learnings. Many schools, however, are unable to fund ongoing consultancy and are required to utilise their own internal resources. In many cases, this is the inspired and motivated educators who are keen to support the initiative, yet who are generally time-poor, often with other learning and extra-curricular responsibilities. More often than not, the school counsellor has not been consulted or included in these initiatives. We explore the potential role of the school counsellor in providing guidance on the implementation of a Positive Education approach aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing and performance.

Voicing stakeholder visions for biodiversity indicators: A framework using content analysis

Aotearoa New Zealand's Eco-index research programme is developing a 100-year national biodiversity vision. The purpose of the vision is to establish a concrete restoration goal that land managers can pursue through relatively small year-by-year actions and investments that lead to large cumulative biodiversity impacts over generations. This paper presents findings from a content analysis method developed to identify biodiversity restoration visions of major land management stakeholders including government, industry, NGOs, and indigenous communities. The method combines these biodiversity visions to establish a meta-vision that represents the collective national position across groups. The purpose of this research is to determine the individual and collective position of stakeholders, in order to develop the 100-year National Biodiversity Vision that reflects their stance to improves uptake and action. The meta-vision emerged as ‘strategies and initiatives to protect and maintain indigenous regional and New Zealand (biodiversity) values and outcomes.’ Both the meta-vision and group stakeholder visions highlighted processes for protecting and maintaining biodiversity but were generally technocratic and vague. Perhaps most importantly, they lacked a vision for regional or national biodiversity restoration end states and targets from which indicators could be developed and land managers could orientate action around. Consequently, we present some suitable 100-year National Biodiversity Vision suggestions which incorporate clear end-states while retaining the key values identified in biodiversity visions of land management stakeholders.

Bedform segregation and locking increase storage of natural and synthetic particles in rivers

While the ecological significance of hyporheic exchange and fine particle transport in rivers is well established, these processes are generally considered irrelevant to riverbed morphodynamics. We show that coupling between hyporheic exchange, suspended sediment deposition, and sand bedform motion strongly modulates morphodynamics and sorts bed sediments. Hyporheic exchange focuses fine-particle deposition within and below mobile bedforms, which suppresses bed mobility. However, deposited fines are also remobilized by bedform motion, providing a mechanism for segregating coarse and fine particles in the bed. Surprisingly, two distinct end states emerge from the competing interplay of bed stabilization and remobilization: a locked state in which fine particle deposition completely stabilizes the bed, and a dynamic equilibrium in which frequent remobilization sorts the bed and restores mobility. These findings demonstrate the significance of hyporheic exchange to riverbed morphodynamics and clarify how dynamic interactions between coarse and fine particles produce sedimentary patterns commonly found in rivers.

Small-sample limit of the Bennett acceptance ratio method and the variationally derived intermediates.

Free energy calculations based on atomistic Hamiltonians provide microscopic insight into the thermodynamic driving forces of biophysical or condensed matter systems. Many approaches use intermediate Hamiltonians interpolating between the two states for which the free energy difference is calculated. The Bennett acceptance ratio (BAR) and variationally derived intermediates (VI) methods are optimal estimator and intermediate states in that the mean-squared error of free energy calculations based on independent sampling is minimized. However, BAR and VI have been derived based on several approximations that do not hold for very few sample points. Analyzing one-dimensional test systems, we show that in such cases BAR and VI are suboptimal and that established uncertainty estimates are inaccurate. Whereas for VI to become optimal, less than seven samples per state suffice in all cases; for BAR the required number increases unboundedly with decreasing configuration space densities overlap of the end states. We show that for BAR, the required number of samples is related to the overlap through an inverse power law. Because this relation seems to hold universally and almost independent of other system properties, these findings can guide the proper choice of estimators for free energy calculations.

The differential for chest pain: when the most common cause is not the answer-a case of de novo esophageal bezoar

BackgroundHaving a broad differential and knowing how to manage the different possibilities in a patient with chest pain is important. Esophageal bezoars are rare entities and are even less common in patients without any recent hospitalizations, known achalasia, or nasogastric tubes. Despite their rarity, having it in one’s differential, and knowing how to manage it is important.Case presentationThis case presents a patient with mega-esophagus secondary to an esophageal bezoar; and runs through the gamut of morbid chest pathophysiology, its differential, work-up, and management. The case is interesting in that the patient’s initial presentation brings to mind a bevy of feared chest issues to include myocardial infarction, dissection, pulmonary embolus, achalasia, and perforation.ConclusionThis clinical case highlights more than just the rare diagnosis of esophageal bezoar. It also goes through initial resuscitation, key concerns, “can’t miss diagnoses”, and finally discusses the feared end state of an esophageal perforation.

Surface step states and Majorana end states in profiled topological-insulator thin films

The protected helical surface states in thin films of topological insulators (TI) are subject to inter-surface hybridisation. This leads to gap opening and spin texture changes as witnessed in photoemission and quasiparticle interference investigations. Theoretical studies show that universally the hybridisation energy exhibits exponential decay as well as sign oscillations as a function of film thickness, depending on the effective band parameters of the material. When a step is introduced in the TI film e.g. by profiling the substrate such that the hybridisation has different signs on both sides of the step, 1D bound states appear within the hybridisation gap which decay exponentially with distance from the step. The step bound states have linear dispersion and inherit the helical spin locking from the surface states and are therefore non-degenerate. When the substrate becomes an s-wave superconductor Majorana zero modes located at the step ends are created inside the superconducting gap. The proposed scenario involves just a suitably stepped interface of superconductor and TI and therefore may be a most simple device being able to host Majorana zero modes.

Current Trends in IBD-Development of Mucosal-Based Biomarkers and a Novel Minimally Invasive Recoverable Sampling System.

Despite recent developments in therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), there have been limited advances in diagnostic tools available to aid in disease management. A growing body of evidence suggests that there are important host-microbe interactions at the mucosal interface that modulate the inflammatory response in patients with IBD. Additionally, the importance of mucosal integrity and its disruption appears to be important in the pathophysiology and perpetuation of the disease. The ability to characterize this interface may provide valuable information for both disease monitoring and identification of new treatment targets. Endoscopy remains the primary tool for disease monitoring, and mucosal healing is the primary therapeutic target in IBD treatment. However, establishing mucosal healing requires repetitive endoscopic procedures, and endoscopy is limited by factors such as invasiveness, cost, and risk of adverse events. Moreover, the use of a bowel preparation for colonoscopies alters the mucus layer and thus perturbs evaluation of the host-microbe interaction. Stool sampling may also be inaccurate because it reflects the end state of metabolites and proteins, failing to take into account the degradation or alteration of substrates of interest by bacterial proteases and other enzymes during passage through the colon. A novel sampling capsule, called the Recoverable Sampling System (RSS), is being developed as a complementary tool to colonoscopy. The RSS is intended to be a platform for noninvasive autonomous sampling, preservation, handling, and storage of analytes of interest found in the gastrointestinal fluids. A proprietary preservative contained within the chambers of the capsule has been developed to stabilize DNA and proteins for ex vivo microbiome and metabolomics analyses. Surrogate markers such as SPP24 and GUCA2a have been identified to correlate with gut health, intestinal permeability, and inflammation and could be locally sampled by the RSS. The potential clinical utility of an RSS device is broad and would likely be able to guide therapy by allowing for more frequent disease monitoring, aiding in disease characterization, and facilitating in the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

Dynamic PRA Prospects for the Nuclear Industry

This review paper highlights approaches and tools available to the nuclear industry for dynamic probabilistic risk assessment (DPRA) using dynamic event trees. DPRA is an emerging methodology that has advantages as compared to traditional, static PRA predominantly owing to the addition of time dependent modeling. Traditional PRAs predefine events and outcomes into Event Trees (ET) and Fault Trees (FT), that are coupled with various combinations of Initiating Events (IE), Top Events (TE), branches, end states and sequences. A more complete depiction of the system and accident progression behavior can be quantified using DPRA to account for dynamic events such as those involving human actions. This paper discusses the strengths and needs of existing DPRA tools to align with the risk informed methodology currently used in the nuclear industry. DPRA is evolving during an exciting time in the nuclear industry with emerging advanced reactor designs also coming on the scene. Advanced nuclear (Gen IV) designs often incorporate passively safe systems that have less readily available data for traditional PRA due to their limited operating history. DPRA is a promising methodology that can address this challenge and demonstrate to the regulatory bodies and public that advanced designs operate within safety margins. In this light, the paper considers the historical role of PRA in the nuclear industry and motivation for considering dynamic PRA models. An introduction to the differences inherent in DPRA and how it complements and enhances existing PRA approaches is discussed. Additionally, a review of research from U.S national laboratories and universities features recent DPRA tool advancements that could be applied in the nuclear industry. These DPRA approaches and tools are summarized and examined to thoughtfully provide a path forward to best leverage existing research and integrate DPRA into advanced reactor design and analysis.

Weyl Curvature Hypothesis in Light of Quantum Backreaction at Cosmological Singularities or Bounces

The Weyl curvature constitutes the radiative sector of the Riemann curvature tensor and gives a measure of the anisotropy and inhomogeneities of spacetime. Penrose’s 1979 Weyl curvature hypothesis (WCH) assumes that the universe began at a very low gravitational entropy state, corresponding to zero Weyl curvature, namely, the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) universe. This is a simple assumption with far-reaching implications. In classical general relativity, Belinsky, Khalatnikov and Lifshitz (BKL) showed in the 70s that the most general cosmological solutions of the Einstein equation are that of the inhomogeneous Kasner types, with intermittent alteration of the one direction of contraction (in the cosmological expansion phase), according to the mixmaster dynamics of Misner (M). How could WCH and BKL-M co-exist? An answer was provided in the 80s with the consideration of quantum field processes such as vacuum particle creation, which was copious at the Planck time (10−43 s), and their backreaction effects were shown to be so powerful as to rapidly damp away the irregularities in the geometry. It was proposed that the vaccum viscosity due to particle creation can act as an efficient transducer of gravitational entropy (large for BKL-M) to matter entropy, keeping the universe at that very early time in a state commensurate with the WCH. In this essay I expand the scope of that inquiry to a broader range, asking how the WCH would fare with various cosmological theories, from classical to semiclassical to quantum, focusing on their predictions near the cosmological singularities (past and future) or avoidance thereof, allowing the Universe to encounter different scenarios, such as undergoing a phase transition or a bounce. WCH is of special importance to cyclic cosmologies, because any slight irregularity toward the end of one cycle will generate greater anisotropy and inhomogeneities in the next cycle. We point out that regardless of what other processes may be present near the beginning and the end states of the universe, the backreaction effects of quantum field processes probably serve as the best guarantor of WCH because these vacuum processes are ubiquitous, powerful and efficient in dissipating the irregularities to effectively nudge the Universe to a near-zero Weyl curvature condition.

CONSOLIDATING GAINS AND THE CONSOLIDATION AREA IN NATO DOCTRINE

Consolidating gains is an integral part of combat operations that leverages tactical, operational, and strategic level advantages to retain the initiative and create irreversible momentum towards the desired end state (TRADOC, 2017). How successfully armed forces consolidate their gains often informs the outcome for how a conflict is viewed today. Successfully consolidating gains in NATO operations have a clear impact at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war. By increasing the importance of consolidating gains and incorporating the consolidation area as a new geographic framework within Alliance doctrine, NATO will be better prepared to maintain the initiative, while creating the required momentum to achieve the military and political end state.

ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES OF THE MECHANIZED BRIGADE IN OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS

In the current context, when the dynamics of defensive and offensive operations is pronounced, which involves numerous and frequent movements and maneuvers of forces and means, modern armies attribute the primary role in ensuring their own mobility and countermobility of adversary forces which demonstrates the pronounced dynamic character of military actions. Due to the conditions and volatility of the operational environment in which the military forces must act, the engineering support is an important factor in the preparation and conduct of operations, but also in achieving the desired end state. In offensive operations, which are executed jointly, the engineer’s missions support the development of the combat environment for the maneuvering forces in contact, accelerate through mobility, tactical movement and provide the necessary infrastructure to protect their own forces.

Temporal structuring in project organizing: A narrative perspective

Time is at the heart of project organizing because it is fundamentally about drawing on the present and the past to articulate desired future states, yet it has received relatively little explicit attention in the literature. The dominant systems paradigm in project organizing advocates an objective view of time while the actuality counter-perspective advocates a subjective view. Our contribution to theory in project organizing is to propose moving beyond these binary perspectives by arguing that project organizing is both goal-orientated and emergent through temporal structuring. We then develop this insight with the concept of project narratives as a form of future-perfect-thinking by which end states are articulated and resources are mobilized to achieve those desired end states. Drawing on an illustrative vignette, we then identify three different kinds of temporal work in project organizing: convincing oneself; convincing the team; and convincing stakeholders.

Disentangling ecosystem services preferences and values

Preferences for ecosystem services provide information on what people find important in their human-nature relationships, which can enhance environmental governance. However, preferences are ‘reason-blind’, obscuring the underlying values that shape them. Increasingly, values – concepts or beliefs about desirable end states or behaviours that transcend specific situations and guide behaviour – receive attention in environmental governance, but lack of clarity in values terminology could hamper communication and reduce the ability to successfully align governance. There is a need to disentangle preferences and values to examine whether ecosystem services preferences provide adequate information on people’s values. Seychelles provides an interesting case to study the relationship between policy, preferences, and values, due to recent neoliberal economic restructuring and emergence of the blue economy. We conducted 50 semi-structured interviews with resource users (fishers, tourism operators) and 130 population-wide Portrait Values Questionnaires to explore differences across the population and examine the link between values and preferences. We find a disconnect between ecosystem services preferences and underlying values. Exploring people’s reasons for prioritising ecosystem services can improve understanding of underlying values, contribute to reconciling conflict, and clarify impacts on communities. Newly introduced worldviews and values accompanying the blue economy have the potential to clash with collectivist values found in Seychelles. Potential mismatches need explicit discussion to make decision-making more procedurally complete, but also improve equity and public support.