Terminal Time Research Articles

Final Amalgamation Processes of the Southern Altaids: Insights from the Triassic Houhongquan Ophiolitic Mélange in the Beishan Orogen (NW China)

AbstractThe Permian–Triassic tectonic setting is still controversial in the southern Altaids. The Beishan orogen is an ideal region to address the final tectonic of the Altaids. These systematic mapping, geochemistry, and geochronology studies on the Houhongquan ophiolitic mélange in the south Beishan are conducted to address this issue. New mapping reveals that the Houhongquan ophiolitic mélange consists of blocks of gabbro, basalt, chert, granite, and strongly deformed and cleaved sandstone in the southern Beishan. The studies reveal that the mafic fragments are relics of normal-mid-ocean ridge (N-MOR) and suprasubduction zone (SSZ) types of oceanic lithosphere. The four sandstone matrix samples yield the maximum depositional ages of 222±5 Ma, 233.8±2.3 Ma, 263.4±2.5 Ma, and 263.5±2.8 Ma, respectively, indicating that the youngest sandstones were tectonic emplaced in the Houhongquan ophiolitic mélange after ca. 222 Ma. The sandstone matrices display two types of age spectra. Early Permian sandstones have a single Devonian to Early Permian peak age patterns, indicating the existence of an independent Permian intraoceanic arc. In contrast, Late Triassic sandstones have multiple peaks with some Precambrian zircons, suggesting that they were sourced from a continental arc. Accordingly, we consider that the Houhongquan ophiolitic mélange tectonic was emplaced in the intraoceanic island arc during the Middle Permian and docked to a continental margin arc during the Late Triassic. Thus, we argue that the terminal amalgamation timing of the southern Altaids was probably during ca. 222-217 Ma.

H^1 Solutions for a Kuramoto–Velarde Type Equation

Kuramoto–Velarde equation describes the spatiotemporal evolution of the morphology of steps on crystal surfaces, or the evolution of the spinoidal decomposition of phase separating systems in an external field. We prove the well-posedness of the classical solutions for the Cauchy problem, associated with this equation for each choice of the terminal time T.

Multi-Objective Bus Timetable Coordination Considering Travel Time Uncertainty

This paper proposes a timetable coordination method for transfer problems in a bus transit system. With a given bus network, a stochastic mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model has been formulated to obtain coordinated bus timetables with the objective of minimizing a weighted sum of the average value of total waiting time and its average absolute deviation value, allowing for random bus travel time. The vital decision variable is the terminal departure offset time of each target bus trip within a certain off-peak period. The robust MILP model can also be used to solve the first-bus transfer problem with the introduction of several new linear constraints. A solution method based on the Monte Carlo simulation has been developed to solve the MILP model. Numerical experiments have been conducted for different scenarios. The results indicate that bus timetables coordinated by the developed model are capable of substantially reducing waiting time for transfer and non-transfer passengers. In addition, the feasibility of simplifying a common sub-route into a single transfer stop in a timetable coordination problem has been explored based on numerical experiments.

The Potential of Cover Crops for Weed Management: A Sole Tool or Component of an Integrated Weed Management System?

Cover crops are an important component of integrated weed management programs in annual and perennial cropping systems because of their weed suppressive abilities. They influence weed populations using different mechanisms of plant interaction which can be facilitative or suppressive. However, the question often arises if cover crops can be solely relied upon for weed management or not. In this review we have tried to provide examples to answer this question. The most common methods of weed suppression by an actively growing cover crop include competition for limited plant growth resources that result in reduced weed biomass, seed production, and hence reductions in the addition of seeds to the soil seedbank. Cover crop mulches suppress weeds by reducing weed seedling emergence through allelopathic effects or physical effects of shading. However, there is a great degree of variability in the success or failure of cover crops in suppressing weeds that are influenced by the cover crop species, time of planting, cover crop densities and biomass, time of cover crop termination, the cash crop following in the rotation, and the season associated with several climatic variables. Several studies demonstrated that planting date was important to achieve maximum cover crop biomass, and a mixture of cover crop species was better than single cover crop species to achieve good weed suppression. Most of the studies that have demonstrated success in weed suppression have only shown partial success and not total success in weed suppression. Therefore, cover crops as a sole tool may not be sufficient to reduce weeds and need to be supplemented with other weed management tools. Nevertheless, cover crops are an important component of the toolbox for integrated weed management.

Effect of extracorporeal hemoadsorption in critically ill patients with COVID-19: A narrative review.

COVID-19 has been affecting the world unprecedentedly and will remain widely prevalent due to its elusive pathophysiological mechanism and the continuous emergence of new variants. Critically ill patients with COVID-19 are commonly associated with cytokine storm, multiple organ dysfunction, and high mortality. To date, growing evidence has shown that extracorporeal hemoadsorption can exert its adjuvant effect to standard of care by regulating immune homeostasis, reducing viremia, and decreasing endotoxin activity in critically ill COVID-19 cases. However, the selection of various hemofilters, timing of initiation and termination of hemoadsorption therapy, anticoagulation management of extracorporeal circuits, identification of target subgroups, and ultimate survival benefit remain controversial. The purpose of this narrative review is to comprehensively summarize the rationale for the use of hemoadsorption in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and to gather the latest clinical evidence in this field.

Probabilistic Flooding Performance Analysis Exploiting Graph Spectra Properties

Probabilistic flooding is an efficient information dissemination policy capable of spreading information to the network nodes by sending <i>information messages</i> according to a fixed <i>forwarding probability</i> in a per-hop manner starting from an <i>initiator</i> node. It is a suitable approach, especially in topologies where the number of information messages sent under traditional approaches is significantly increased. The analysis presented in this paper considers graph spectra properties such as the <i>largest eigenvalue</i> <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda_1$</tex-math> </inline-formula> of the adjacency matrix, and the <i>eigenvector centrality</i>. Both are analytically investigated and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\frac{4}{\lambda_1}$</tex-math> </inline-formula> is derived as a <i>lower bound</i> of the forwarding probability that allows for <i>global coverage</i>, i.e., all network nodes receive the information message, under certain conditions also investigated here (e.g., the condition of the binomial approximation). It is shown that for any value of the forwarding probability equal to or larger than <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\frac{4}{\lambda_1}$</tex-math> </inline-formula>: (i) coverage is proportional to the initiator node&#x2019;s eigenvector centrality; (ii) the probability a node receives the information message is proportional to the node&#x2019;s eigenvector centrality; (iii) <i>termination time</i> decreases as the initiator node&#x2019;s eigenvector centrality increases. If knowledge of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda_1$</tex-math> </inline-formula> is not available, then the <i>average node degree</i> <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\bar{d}$</tex-math> </inline-formula> can be used for ensuring global coverage. If knowledge of both <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda_1$</tex-math> </inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\bar{d}$</tex-math> </inline-formula> is not available, a dissemination policy is proposed that forwards messages to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$m$</tex-math> </inline-formula> (randomly selected) neighbor nodes. It is analytically shown that any value of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$m \geq 4$</tex-math> </inline-formula> allows for global coverage. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the considered analytical approach and the introduced policy.

Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of SH-1028, an irreversible third-generation EGFR TKI, and two of its metabolites in human plasma: application in clinical pharmacokinetics

SH-1028 is a novel, potent, and highly selective epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) developed for the treatment of T790M Mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective was to develop an LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of SH-1028 and its metabolites, Imp2 and Imp3, in human plasma. The plasma samples were extracted through protein precipitation with acetonitrile on wet ice conditions. A rapid, sensitive, and specific method was developed and successfully applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of SH-1028 in patients with advanced NSCLC following single and multiple doses of SH-1028 (60 mg). After single-dose administration, the C max of SH-1028, Imp2, and Imp3 was 11.2, 50.2, and 7.99 ng/mL, respectively. The mean AUC0–24 h was 138, 602, and 76.7 h*ng/mL, respectively. And the terminal half-life time was 19.9, 14.4, and 26.1 h, respectively. After multiple-dose administration, SH-1028 exhibited a slight accumulation, with a mean accumulation ratio (R AUC) of 2.00. The study assessed the PK properties of SH-1028 following single and multiple doses in patients with advanced NSCLC and would provide meaningful information for the further development of SH-1028.

Prescribed-Time Stabilization of Nonlinear Systems via Impulsive Regulation

This article studies the problem of prescribed-time stabilization for nonlinear systems, in which impulses are cautiously regulated not only to stabilize the system in a finite-time sense but also to adjust the settling time to fit the prescribed terminal time. By fetching and utilizing positive effect of impulses, constrains on continuous flows are effectively relaxed for prescribed-time stabilization of nonlinear systems. Meanwhile, different from traditional prescribed-time approaches, where continuous flows of the system are generally required to be globally stable, it shows in this article that even systems involving unstable flows can be prescribed-time stabilized via the proposed impulsive regulation, but as a tradeoff, a constrained initial condition is needed for controller design. Thus, the main functions of impulsive regulation in this article are balancing unstable dynamics of the system, and regulating the settling time to fit the prescribed terminal time. As an application, the proposed impulsive regulation scheme is exploited in prescribed-time stabilization of affine dynamical systems involving uncertain input noises. Two examples, including the one focusing on the spin stabilization of spacecrafts, are given to verify the results.

Missed Miscarriage Runs without Complete Evaluation: A Retrospective Study

The causes of missed miscarriage are often unknown. The aim of this study was to know the rate of missed miscarriage and to assess whether the underlying causes are identified at time of termination. This study was a retrospective carried out in Al-Saba’een Hospital – Sana’a during a year (from Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st 2010).&#x0D; The hospital records were reviewed for all women admitted with miscarriage. The women with missed miscarriage were identified and their demographic and clinical data were obtained. The histopathological results noted when available. Of the 621 miscarried women, 225 patients were diagnosed as having missed miscarriage giving the rate of 36.2% of the overall miscarriages. Only 17.3% of these cases the underlying etiologies were diagnosed whereas in the remaining 82.7% patients the causes of loss were undetermined (p=0.0002). The histopathological study was performed only in 18.7% of patients.We concluded that missed miscarriage more frequently runs without complete evaluation of the underlying causes. It is a neglected and invisible issue and more efforts are needed to translate the theoretical knowledge into proven practice. &#x0D;

GAMBARAN TATALAKSANA PASIEN PREEKLAMPSIA YANG TERKONFIRMASI COVID-19 DAN NON-COVID-19 DI RSUD ULIN BANJARMASIN

Preeclampsia is hypertension in pregnancy which is characterized with blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg after 20 weeks of gestation, accompanied by proteinuria.3. There are three types of drugs that are often used in preeclampsia treatment, they are nifedipine, methyldopa, and MgSO4. This study was aimed to find out the description of confirmed covid-19 and non covid-19 preeclampsia patients treatment at Ulin Hospital, Banjarmasin in the COVID-19 period seen from administration of MgSO4, antihypertensive, method and time of termination. This study applied descriptive method with data collection through medical records. The sampling technique used purposive sampling which was selected based on the criteria. In this study, a sample of 176 preeclampsia patients with confirmed COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 were obtained. However, from the 176 samples, which met the criteria, only 55 preeclampsia patients had confirmed COVID-19 and 80 non-COVID-19 preeclampsia patients. The results showed that all severe preeclampsia patients with confirmed COVID-19 were given MgSO4 with a percentage of 100%.. Antihypertensives were often given was a combination of methyldopa + nifedipine. The most common method of delivery was by cesarean section.

Cover Crop Termination Method and N Fertilization Effects on Sweet Corn Yield, Quality, N Uptake, and Weed Pressure

Cover cropping is vital for soil health. Timing and method of termination are major factors influencing the agroecological benefits of cover crops. Delay in the termination of cover crops results in greater biomass production. Likewise, incorporation of cover crops during termination often speeds residue mineralization compared to no-till systems. We used four termination strategies for a late-terminated winter rye–legume mix (in tilled and no-till systems) and four N application rates in the succeeding sweet corn crop to examine how cover crop termination affected N response in sweet corn as well as the independent effects of N application rate and cover crop termination method. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with four replications. Increasing N fertilization up to 144 kg N ha−1 promoted yield and quality in sweet corn as well as summer weed growth. The cover crop termination method did not affect sweet corn response to N fertilizer. This suggests that when rye is terminated late in the spring before planting cash crops, the incorporation of its residues may not greatly affect the soil N dynamics. This indicates that decisions to incorporate rye residues may be taken by farmers with an eye mainly towards management issues such as weed control, environmental impacts, and soil health.

Association Between Early Surgery and Postoperative Opioid Use in Patients With Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Propensity Score-Matching Analysis Using an Administrative Claims Database in Japan.

Retrospective cohort study. This study aimed to investigate whether early surgery shortens the duration of opioid use in patients who underwent surgery with lumbar disc herniation. We extracted patients who underwent surgery at least 2weeks after they were diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation between April 2014 and May 2021. Opioid use after surgery was compared between patients who underwent surgery within 90days (early surgery group) and 90 days or later (late surgery group). Propensity-score-matching analysis and multivariable Cox hazard regression analysis with a restricted cubic spline model were conducted to evaluate the association between the timing of surgery and termination of opioid use after surgery. A total of 1597 eligible patients were identified, with 807 (51%) in the early surgery group. In the propensity-score-matched cohort, the early surgery group had a significantly lower proportion of opioid use than the control group (28% vs 48%, percent difference -20%, P < .001). Multivariable Cox hazard regression analysis showed that early surgery was significantly associated with the earlier termination of opioid use (HR, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.97-4.97; P < .001). Restricted cubic spline model showed a monotonically decreased hazard ratio and decreased hazard ratio of .50 in patients who underwent surgery 111days or later after the diagnosis. Early surgery, especially within 90days, was associated with earlier opioid use termination after surgery. Regarding the duration of opioid use following surgery, surgical treatment may be preferable to perform within around 4months after the diagnosis.

Determination of feeding rate ratio in coupled fed-batch fermentation with pH feedback considering limited number of switches

This paper focuses on binary optimal control of fed-batch fermentation of glycerol by Klebsiella pneumoniaewith pH feedback considering limited number of switches. To maximize the concentration of 1,3-propanediol at terminal time, we propose a binary optimal control problem subjected to time-coupled combinatorial constraint with the ratio of feeding rate of glycerol to that of NaOH as control variables. Based on time-scaling transformation and discretization, the binary optimal control problem is first transformed into a mixed binary parameter optimization problem consisting of not only continuous variables but also binary variables, which is then divided into two subproblems via combinatorial integral approximation decomposition. Finally, a novel fruit fly optimizer with modified sine cosine algorithm and adaptive maximum dwell rounding are applied to solve the obtained subproblems numerically. Numerical results show the rationality and feasibility of the proposed method.

Stability and numerical analysis of backward problem for subdiffusion with time-dependent coefficients

Our aim is to study the backward problem, i.e. recover the initial data from the terminal observation, of the subdiffusion with time dependent coefficients. First of all, by using the smoothing property of solution operators and a perturbation argument of freezing the diffusion coefficients, we show a stability estimate in Sobolev spaces, under some smallness/largeness condition on the terminal time. Moreover, in case of noisy data, we apply a quasi-boundary value method to regularize the problem and then show the convergence of the regularization scheme. Finally, we propose a completely discrete scheme by applying the finite element method in space and backward Euler convolution quadrature in time. An a priori error estimate is established. The proof is heavily built on a perturbation argument dealing with time dependent coefficients and some nonstandard error estimates for the direct problem. The error estimate gives an useful guide for balancing discretization parameters, regularization parameter and noise level. Some numerical experiments are presented to illustrate our theoretical results.

Minimum time control of a gantry crane system with rate constraints

This paper focuses on the development of minimum time control profiles for point-to-point motion of a gantry crane system in the presence of uncertainties in modal parameters. Assuming that the velocity of the trolley of the crane can be commanded and is subject to limits, an optimal control problem is posed to determine the bang-off-bang control profile to transition the system from a point of rest to the terminal states with no residual vibrations. Both undamped and underdamped systems are considered and the variation of the structure of the optimal control profiles as a function of the final displacement is studied. As the magnitude of the rigid body displacement is increased, the collapse and birthing of switches in the optimal control profile are observed and explained. Robustness to uncertainties in modal parameters is accounted for by forcing the state sensitivities at the terminal time to zero. The observation that the time-optimal control profile merges with the robust time-optimal control is noted for specific terminal displacements and the migration of zeros of the time-delay filter parameterizing the optimal control profile are used to explain this counter intuitive result. As a comparison to the proposed controller, an acceleration constrained time-optimal control is analyzed which as expected demands a larger maneuver time. A two degree of freedom gantry crane system is used to experimentally validate the observations of the numerical studies and the tradeoff of increase in maneuver time to the reduction of residual vibrations is experimentally illustrated.

On the bailout dividend problem with periodic dividend payments for spectrally negative Markov additive processes

This paper studies the bailout optimal dividend problem with regime switching under the constraint that dividend payments can be made only at the arrival times of an independent Poisson process while capital can be injected continuously in time. We show the optimality of the regime-modulated Parisian-classical reflection strategy when the underlying risk model follows a general spectrally negative Markov additive process. In order to verify the optimality, first we study an auxiliary problem driven by a single spectrally negative Lévy process with a final payoff at an exponential terminal time and characterize the optimal dividend strategy. Then, we use the dynamic programming principle to transform the global regime-switching problem into an equivalent local optimization problem with a final payoff up to the first regime switching time. The optimality of the regime modulated Parisian-classical barrier strategy can be proven by using the results from the auxiliary problem and approximations via recursive iterations.

All's well that ends well: the timing of floral meristem termination.

Floral meristem termination (FMT) represents one of the defining features of a floral meristem relative to a vegetative meristem. Timing of FMT is a major determinant of the total number of organs in a flower, and canalization toward relatively rapid FMT is considered to have been a major force in shaping angiosperm evolution. For decades, investigation of FMT has been focused on model systems that only produce four whorls of organs in a flower, while little is known about the molecular basis that underlies nature variation in the timing of FMT. Here, we hypothesize on how known pathways could have been modified to generate variation in FMT and explain how developing new model systems will help to deepen our understanding of the genetic control and evolution of FMT.

Time-varying LQ terminal control for compliant morphing structure using acceleration-based objective function

Flexible structures integrated with smart materials, like piezoelectric actuators, can constitute an active compliant morphing system with the advantages of lightweight, hinge-less, high precision, and adaptability. Such a system is desired to realize rapid, smooth point-to-point shape control without transient and residual vibrations. A time-varying linear quadratic terminal (TVLQT) scheme can be designed to satisfy such finite time control requirements with time-varying feedforward signal and feedback gains. However, the regular formulation of the objective function, with the quadratic expression of state and input, cannot ensure the control performance of the terminal point and especially residual responses after it. The sharp change of the input at the terminal time will induce a high level of residual structural vibration of the compliant structures. To solve such an issue, the key contribution of this study is presenting a new formulation of the objective function utilizing the acceleration of the system. This new objective function can be transformed in terms of state and input, but with the coupling term xTNu, and fortunately can still be solved via differential Riccati equations (DREs). Two compliant structures actuated by piezoelectric materials, a piezocompsite-actuated plate, and a smart space truss, are used to demonstrate the dynamic shape control problem and verify the proposed control scheme. The numerical simulations show that the sharp change phenomenon of the input has been canceled out, and the associated input at the terminal time is much closer to the analytical steady-state value so that the residual vibrations can be avoided. Finally, an experimental setup for shape control of the MFC-actuated plate is established and the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is experimentally verified. The results imply that improved, smooth dynamic shape control performance of the compliant morphing structure can be realized both during morphing processes and after the terminal point.

Multiple Sessions of Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation Using Implantable Thin-Film Wireless Nerve Stimulators Improve Functional Recovery after Sciatic Nerve Isograft Repair.

Although therapeutic electrical stimulation (TES) of injured peripheral nerve promotes axon regeneration and functional recovery, clinical applications of this therapy are limited to the intraoperative timeframe. Implantable, thin-film wireless nerve stimulators offer a potential solution to this problem by enabling delivery of electrical stimuli to an injured nerve over a period of several days post-surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal time course of stimulation for maximizing functional recovery in a rat sciatic nerve isograft repair model. Adult male Lewis rats underwent thin-film wireless nerve stimulator implantation following sciatic nerve transection and 40 mm nerve isograft repair. Immediately after surgery, animals began a daily regimen of TES for up to 12 consecutive days. Functional recovery was assessed by compound muscle action potential (CMAP), evoked muscle force, wet muscle mass, and axon counting. Serial CMAP measurements increased in amplitude over the course of the study, yet no significant difference between cohorts for serial or terminal CMAPs was observed. Axon counts and wet muscle mass measurements were greatest in the 6-day stimulation group, which correlated with a significant increase in evoked muscle force for the 6-day stimulation group at the terminal time point. 6 daily sessions of TES were found to be most effective for augmenting functional recovery compared to other time courses of stimulation. Future studies should incorporate additional subjects and track axonal sprouting or measure neurotrophin levels during the therapeutic window to further elucidate the mechanisms behind, and ideal amount of, TES. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman Equation for Differential Games with Composite Distribution of Random Time Horizon

A differential game with random duration is considered. The terminal time of the game is a random variable settled using a composite distribution function. Such a scenario occurs when the operating mode of the system changes over time at the appropriate switching points. On each interval between switchings, the distribution of the terminal time is characterized by its own distribution function. A method for solving such games using dynamic programming is proposed. An example of a non-renewable resource extraction model is given, where a solution of the problem of maximizing the total payoff in closed-loop strategies is found. An analytical view of the optimal control of each player and the optimal trajectory depending on the parameters of the described model is obtained.