scholarly journals Impact of Long-Term Annealing on Photoluminescence from Ge1−xSnx Alloys

Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 905
Author(s):  
Oluwatobi Olorunsola ◽  
Hryhorii Stanchu ◽  
Solomon Ojo ◽  
Krishna Pandey ◽  
Abdulla Said ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Defect Density ◽  
Energy Separation ◽  
Threading Dislocations ◽  
Misfit Dislocations ◽  
Optical Transitions ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Dislocations Density ◽  
The Impact

We report on the connection between strain, composition, defect density and the photoluminescence observed before and after annealing at 300 °C for GeSn samples with Sn content of 8% to 10%. Results show how the composition and level of strain influenced the separation between the indirect and direct optical transitions, while changes in the level of strain also influenced the density of misfit dislocations and surface roughness. The effect of annealing is observed to lower the level of strain, decreasing the energy separation between the indirect and direct optical transitions, while also simultaneously increasing the density of misfit/threading dislocations and surface roughness. The reduction in energy separation leads to an increase of photoluminescence (PL) emission, while the increase of misfit/threading dislocations density and surface roughness results in a decrease of PL. Consequently, the competition between these factors is observed to determine the impact of annealing on the PL. As a result, annealing increases the collected PL for small (≤40 meV) separation between the indirect to direct optical transitions in the as-grown sample while decreases the PL for larger (≥60 meV) separations. More generally, these numbers have a small dependence on the level of strain in the as-grown samples.

scholarly journals The Demerger Impact upon Sustainable Development of Economic Entities: Evidence from Romania

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8316
Author(s):  
Camelia Mirela Baba ◽  
Constantin Duguleană ◽  
Marius Sorin Dincă ◽  
Liliana Duguleană ◽  
Gheorghița Dincă
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Ex Post ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Profitability Ratios ◽  
Positive Effect

The Covid-19 induced economic crisis has significantly affected almost all businesses from nearly every sector, causing severe financial problems, lack of cash assets, and decrease of revenues. In this context, the economic entities were forced to look for adjustment and rescue solutions of their activities. One possible solution for the recovery and reorganization of economic entities’ activities is demerger. This paper evaluates the impact of demerger upon the sustainable development of economic entities in terms of economic efficiency and financial performances. To achieve this goal, a statistical analysis of profitability ratios before and after the demerger, as well as a structural analysis of 268 demerger projects for the April 2012–April 2021 period, were performed. The results attest there are no significant differences between the ex-ante and ex-post financial performances. However, demerger seems to have a positive effect upon analyzed companies helping them to overcome economic hardships, rethink their business strategies, and continue their activity in the medium and long-term time horizon.

scholarly journals Surgical Results of Retrograde Mastoidectomy with Primary Reconstruction of the Ear Canal and Mastoid Cavity

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao-Yin Kuo ◽  
Bor-Rong Huang ◽  
Hsin-Chien Chen ◽  
Cheng-Ping Shih ◽  
Wei-Kang Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Events ◽  
Mastoid Cavity ◽  
Surgical Results ◽  
Ear Canal ◽  
Hearing Results ◽  
Hearing Gain ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Hearing Outcomes ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this study was to retrospectively review the long-term hearing results and the impact of mastoid exclusion/obliteration in patients with cholesteatoma (102 ears) who underwent retrograde tympanomastoidectomy and in whom bone chips/paté were applied as the sole materials during the procedure. In 79 ears, this was combined with ossiculoplasty in a single-stage procedure. In >71% of ears, the results of audiometric testing were monitored for more than 2 years. The results suggested there was a significant gain in hearing following surgery, with respect to the postoperative change in both air-conduction thresholds and air-bone gaps (P<0.001). Linear regression analyses of pure-tone averages at different frequencies, before and after surgery, demonstrated that patients benefitted from a postoperative hearing gain at low and middle frequencies, but their hearing often deteriorated at frequencies of 8000 Hz. As for the impact of the type of tympanoplasty on hearing outcomes, type III-interposition markedly increased hearing gain. The overall rate of postoperative adverse events was 8.8%. We conclude that reconstruction of the ear canal and mastoid via mastoid exclusion/obliteration using bone chips/paté can be considered as an alternative procedure following retrograde mastoidectomy. It gives excellent surgical results and has fewer postoperative adverse events.

Accrual management and the decision to sell or hold shares acquired from the exercise of employee stock options

2020 ◽  
pp. 0000-0000
Author(s):  
Thomas Smith ◽  
G. Ryan Huston ◽  
Richard M. Morton
Keyword(s):  
Stock Option ◽  
Employee Stock Options ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Post Exercise ◽  
Employee Stock Option ◽  
Holding Period ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Accrual Management ◽  
The Impact

This study extends the employee stock option literature by examining the impact of accrual management, before and after stock option exercise, on the timing of sales of shares acquired at exercise. We find evidence that accrual management prior to exercise is positively associated with the decision to quickly sell shares after exercise, facilitating a short-term exercise-and-sell strategy. Alternatively, we find that, among executives initially choosing to hold at exercise, tax incentives appear to drive both post-exercise accrual management and the timing of sale transactions. Specifically, our results suggest that executives use income-increasing accruals during the holding period to bolster their stock option gains sand then sell immediately after satisfying the minimum (twelve month) holding period for long-term capital gain treatment. These results provide context for prior research that found evidence of earnings management leading up to option exercise on the expectation of an immediate sale.

scholarly journals Prospective Evaluation of the Strategy of Functionally Optimized Coronary Intervention

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry F. Uretsky ◽  
Shiv K Agarwal ◽  
Srikanth Vallurupalli ◽  
Malek Al‐Hawwas ◽  
Rimsha Hasan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coronary Intervention ◽  
Interquartile Range ◽  
Fractional Flow ◽  
Long Term Outcomes ◽  
Flow Reserve ◽  
Pressure Wire ◽  
Percutaneous Coronary ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Background Long‐term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) relate in part to residual ischemia in the treated vessel, as reflected by post‐PCI fractional flow reserve (FFR). The strategy of FFR after PCI and treatment of residual ischemia—known as functionally optimized coronary intervention (FCI)—may be feasible and capable of improving outcomes. Methods and Results Feasibility and results of FCI using an optical‐sensor pressure wire were prospectively evaluated in an all‐comer population with 50% to 99% lesions and ischemic FFR (≤0.80; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03227588). FCI was attempted in 250 vessels in 226 consecutive patients. The PCI success rate was 99.6% (249/250 vessels). FCI technical success—that is, FFR before and after PCI and PCI itself using the FFR wire—was 92% (230/250 vessels). Incidence of residual ischemia in the treated vessel was 36.5%. Approximately a third of these vessels (34.5%, n=29) were considered appropriate for further intervention, with FFR increasing from 0.71±0.07 to 0.81±0.06 ( P <0.001). Pressure wire pullback showed FFR ≤0.8 at distal stent edge was 7.9% and 0.7% proximal to the stent. FFR increase across the stent was larger in the ischemic than in the nonischemic group (0.06 [interquartile range: 0.04–0.08] versus 0.03 [interquartile range: 0.01–0.05]; P <0.0001) compatible with stent underexpansion as a contributor to residual ischemia. Conclusions FCI is a feasible and safe clinical strategy that identifies residual ischemia in a large proportion of patients undergoing angiographically successful PCI. Further intervention can improve ischemia. The impact of this strategy on long‐term outcomes needs further study.

Evaluating the impact of ballast undercutting on the roughness of track geometry over different subgrade conditions

2017 ◽  
Vol 232 (5) ◽  
pp. 1266-1276
Author(s):  
Kirk M Scanlan ◽  
Michael T Hendry ◽  
C Derek Martin
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Organic Soils ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Railway Ballast ◽  
Track Geometry ◽  
Track Maintenance ◽  
Heavy Haul ◽  
Long Term Trends ◽  
The Impact

The progressive degradation of railway ballast is often cited as a primary factor that contributes to the development of track roughness, while ballast renewal (undercutting) attempts to manage its long-term development. Soft subgrades have been shown to strongly influence track geometry and are a contributing factor that has not been considered during conventional track maintenance. This study evaluated the impact of undercutting on long-term trends in track geometry roughness, and what impact softer subgrades had on the effectiveness of undercutting. A combined 6.90 km of Class II–IV heavy-haul track in Western Canada (undercut in 2010 and 2011) formed the basis for this analysis. Annual traffic on these sections typically totals 50 million gross tonnes. Long-term trends in the track crosslevel, alignment, and surface roughness after ballast renewal were derived from 50 track geometry surveys carried out over a five-year period (2010–2015). The results showed that undercutting significantly reduced track roughness over sand, silt, clay, or till subgrades; however, it was often ineffective when used over soft organic subgrades. Thus, while ballast degradation is the primary cause of track roughness in segments constructed on mineral subgrades, it is not a mechanism that results in track geometry roughness over soft organic soils.

Complete Donor T-Cell Chimerism Predicts Lower Relapse Incidence after Standard Double Umbilical Cord Blood Reduced Intensity Conditioning Regimen Allogeneic Transplantation in Adults

Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 2479-2479
Author(s):  
Pierre Peterlin ◽  
Jacques Delaunay ◽  
Thierry Guillaume ◽  
Thomas Gastinne ◽  
Beatrice Mahe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Cord Blood ◽  
Acute Gvhd ◽  
Chronic Gvhd ◽  
Conditioning Regimen ◽  
Allogeneic Transplantation ◽  
Reduced Intensity Conditioning Regimen ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Double umbilical cord blood (dUCB) allogeneic transplantation following low dose TBI, cyclophosphamide and Fludarabine (TCF regimen)-based reduced-intensity conditioning regimen (RIC) is increasingly used in adults lacking a suitable related or unrelated donor. Currently, there is little data regarding the impact on long-term outcome of CD3+ T cell chimerism (TCC) in this particular setting. Thirty-six adults with various hematological diseases and who receieved dUCB conditioned with TCF were included in this retrospective study. Peripheral blood CD3+ TCC was considered until day +100 post-tranplant in order to determine the impact of full versus mixed chimerism on long-term outcomes. Twenty-nine and 7 patients were documented with full and mixed CD3+ TCC, respectively, within the first 100 days post-transplant. With a median follow-up of 36 months, 3 year-OS, DFS, and relapse incidence were 61%, (95% CI 43-75); 50% (95% CI 32.5-66) and 28% (95% CI 16-44), respectively. In univariate analysis, a full CD3+ TCC was associated with a better 3-year DFS : 59% (95% CI 39-75.5) versus 14% (95% CI 7-46), (HR=0.24 [0.09-0.65], p=0.005) and a lower cumulative incidence of relapse : 24% (95% CI 21.5-57) versus 78% (95% CI 52-99), (HR=0.18 [0.05-0.5], p=0.004). In multivariate analysis, a full CD3+ TCC remained associated with a lower incidence or relapse (HR=0.17, 95% CI 0.028-0.99, p=0.049). CD3+ TCC has no impact on GVHD and NRM in this study. In conclusion, in our study, full CD3+ TCC was independently associated with a lower risk of relapse after dUCB TCF RIC allogeneic transplant in adults, highlighting the need to develop immunotherapy approaches allowing for early conversion to full chimerism after dUCB. Abstract 2479. Table 1 Patients, sustained cord blood and transplantation characteristics. Patients, sustained cord blood and transplantation characteristics Full TCC (n=29) Mixed TCC (n=7) p No.of patients % No.of patients % Patients characteristic Age at transplant, years, median (range) 57 (22-69) 47 (17-64) NS Sex female 14 48 3 43 NS Hematological malignancy : Lymphoid / myeloid 14 / 15 48 / 52 3 / 4 43 / 57 NS Statut at transplant : RC / RP 23 / 6 79 / 21 6 / 1 86 / 14 NS Time to transplant, days, median (range) 395 (137-5645) 216 (92-604) NS Cord blood characteristics Age of cord blood, months, median (range) 31 (9-165) 116 (23-140) NS Matching cordon with patient NS 4/6 10 35 3 43 5/6 19 65 3 43 6/6 0 0 1 14 Number of total nucleated cell 10^8/kg before and after thawing, respectively, median (range) 0,28 (0,16-0,455) ; 0,248 (0,157-0,406) 0,222 (0,135-0,492) ; 0,22 (0,11-0,392) NS Number of CD34+ cell 10^6/kg before and after thawing, respectively, median (range) 0,066 (0,022-0,215) ; 0,043 (0,02-0,2) 0,078 (0,031-0,427) ; 0,041 (0,019-0,259) NS Mismatch between cord blood and patient Sex 14 48 3 43 NS Serology CMV 13 45 3 43 NS ABO 16 55 2 28 NS Rhesus 22 76 6 86 NS Graft Neutrophil count recovery >0.5 G/L, days, median (range) 17 (6-32) 11 (7-20) NS Platellet recovery >20G/L, days, median (range) 41 (0-164) 31 (0-67) NS Acute GVHD (grade II-IV / grade III-IV) 19 (12 / 6) 65 (41 / 21) 4 (3 / 1) 57 (43 / 14) NS Chronic GVHD (Limited / Extensive) 11 (8 / 3) 38 (28 / 10) 3 (2 / 1) 43 (28 / 14) NS Chimerism Rate, %, median (range) 100 (96-100) 82 (14-94) <0,001 Table 2 Multivariate analysis for DFS, OS and CIR. Multivariate analysis Hazard Ratio 95% CI P values DFS Age (continuos variable) 0.97 0.93 to 1.01 0.174 Sex 0.37 0.10 to 1.26 0.111 TCC full versus mixed 0.28 0.074 to 1.04 0.058 Chronic GVHD : noversus yes 4.68 1.12 to 19.53 0.034 OS Age (continuous variable) 0.95 0.91 to 0.99 0.022 myeloid vs lymphoid 9.13 1.7 to 49.05 0.010 Acute GVHD : none vs grade 3-4 0.24 0.06 to 0.93 0.038 TCC full versus mixed 0.62 0.15 to 2.46 0.495 CIR Age (continuos variable) 0.95 0.91 to 1.00 0.057 Sex 0.88 0.15 to 5.26 0.892 TCC full versus mixed 0.17 0.028 to .99 0.049 Chronic GVHD : no versus yes 8.19 0.46 to 146.41 0.153 Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The impact of a TV report in schizophrenia stigma reduction: A quasi-experimental study

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaly de Oliveira Bosoni ◽  
Geraldo Busatto Filho ◽  
Daniel Martins de Barros
Keyword(s):  
Brief Intervention ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Mass Communication ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
The Social ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact

Background: Stigma is a major problem in schizophrenia, and the most effective way to reduce it is to provide information. But literature lacks studies evaluating long-term efficacy of mass communication. Aims: This is a pilot study to assess if a brief intervention (TV report) may have long-term effects. Method: Assessing stigma scores from subjects before and after seeing a vignette. Results: We found that the social distance and restriction to patients not only fell after a brief intervention but also kept lower after 1 and 3 months. Conclusion: We conclude that even brief intervention may create persistent impact in reducing discrimination.

scholarly journals Transurethral Catheterization in Early Training: The Impact of Peer-Led Mentorship

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Mohamed Mubarak ◽  
Qasim Isa ◽  
Mahmood Alsaeed ◽  
Mohamed Alalawi
Keyword(s):  
Procedural Knowledge ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Confidence Levels ◽  
Transurethral Catheterization ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Average Domain ◽  
Early Training

Introduction. Transurethral catheterization (TUC) is a common hospital procedure. According to the literature, junior doctors contribute to the majority of TUC-related injuries. Our aim is to evaluate the immediate and long-term impact of a short procedure-centric TUC workshop on junior doctor’s confidence, procedural knowledge, and ability to identify potential complications of catheterization. Materials and Methods. Intern doctors were invited to attend a one-hour workshop on TUC. A questionnaire was completed before and after the workshop. Three months later, the questionnaire was readministered to assess the workshop’s long-term impact. The questionnaire consisted of three domains. A: experience, training, and confidence levels (using 5-point Likert scales), B: procedural knowledge (the highest possible score was 10 points), and C: identification of TUC-related complications (the highest possible score was 3 points). Results. 81 interns participated and reported a confidence level of 3.03 ± 1.05 in performing a straightforward TUC. Preworkshop domain B and domain C were 3.92 ± 1.63 and 1.75 ± 0.69 points, respectively. After the workshop, reported confidence levels improved to 3.71 + 1.02 ( p < 0.05 ). Likewise, the scores in domains B and C increased significantly to 8.85 ± 1.40 ( p < 0.005 ) and 2.65 ± 0.6 ( p < 0.005 ), respectively. Three months later, the same parameters were evaluated, and confidence levels were higher than those of the preworkshop levels at 3.83 ± 0.77 ( p < 0.05 ). The average domain B score was 7.85 ± 1.88 ( p < 0.005 ), and domain C score was 2.69 ± 0.53 ( p < 0.005 ). All scores reported after three months were significantly better than the preworkshop levels ( p < 0.005 ), but there were no statistically significant differences when compared to the immediate postworkshop scores ( p > 0.05 ). Conclusion. Short peer-led TUC workshops positively impact intern doctors’ confidence levels, procedural knowledge, and identifying complications.

scholarly journals EMPIRICAL STUDY ON ALTERNATIVES FOR SAVING AND INVESTING IN THE POSTPANDEMIC PERIOD. CASE STUDY: ROMANIA

2021 ◽  
Vol S.I. (2) ◽  
pp. 27-40
Author(s):  
Alexandru Mihai Alexandru Mihai ◽  
◽  
Ruxandra DINULESCU ◽  
Florin PUCHEANU ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
The Past ◽  
Trading Market ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Double Approach ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Potential Strategy ◽  
The Impact

This paper develops investigations in the field of saving and investing techniques related to the impact of the COVID19 pandemic on the Romanian trading market. The study focuses particularly on the alternatives for accumulation of money capital which can lead to a positive long-term return. The research aims to investigate the available current services and opportunities in the Romanian investment market and their returns after the pandemic. Towards this objective, the study presents the past returns for several products and the users potential risks. Furthermore, an investigation is conducted based on the latest statistics whereas different variants of portfolios are presented. Unlike most of the previous studies, this analysis has a double approach: evaluating viable alternatives depending on several characteristics and simultaneously developing a long-term potential strategy that could be used to ensure the financial future of an individual in the period of the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic. This contribution provides an initial analysis of the saving and investing market of Romania before and after the pandemic.

scholarly journals Control Study of Short-Term Aftereffect in Diving Exposure Related Pulmonary Ventilation Function

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Ventilation ◽  
Flow Index ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Expiratory Flow ◽  
Hyperbaric Exposure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pulmonary Ventilation Function

Objective: Ventilation attenuation often happened in professional divers due to long-term cumulative effects in diving exercises. By case-control experiments, we observed the immediate effects of pulmonary ventilation before and after the exposure of 12m-depth underwater for 20 min to discuss the relationships between the short-term and long-time effects caused by diving environment. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned into the Experimental Group (EG) who stayed for 20 min under 12-m water environment or the Control Group (CG) who stayed in hyperbaric chamber under the pressure of 2.2ATA. Pulmonary ventilation function parameters including VC, FVC, MVV and MV were detected respectively before and after hyperbaric exposure by the Spirometer. Immediate effects of pulmonary ventilation before and after diving were compared by paired t test to reveal the different influence caused by environmental pressure. Results: The value of VC appears to rise while the MV, MVV were detected decreased after the exposure of 2.2ATA of environment pressure for 20min in the two groups. VC increased more significantly in the CG (t=-1.26, p=0.23) after hyperbaric exposure, that leads to the FEV1.0%t (=FEV1.0/VC %) increase in EG (t=-0.73, p=0.48) while decrease in CG (t=0.42, p=0.17). The same trend in VC, MV and MVV after high pressure exposure in the two groups mainly due to the effect of common factors –the pressure. In addition to the impact of the pressure itself, EG members also face diving related immersion effect, influence of diving equipment load and water under low temperature. The FVC is detected decreased in EG (t=1.21, P =0.25) while it increased in CG (t=-0.42, P =0.68) , but the differences are not significant and couldn’t affect the measured FEV1.0% (=FEV1.0/FVC %) values showed both increasing in EG (t=-1.48, P =0.16) and in CG (t=-0.23, P =0.82). The expiratory flow rate including PEF, FEF25-75, MEF75, MEF50 increased in EG (t are -0.72, -0.69, -0.87 and -0.36 respectively with P all greater than 0.05) while decreased in CG (t are 1.67, 0.50, 1.53 and 0.71 respectively with P all greater than 0.05). MEF25 is the expiratory flow index of not affected by respiratory muscle force and the measured values of MEF25 increased in the EG (t=-0.68, P =0.51) and in the CG (t=-0.36, P =0.72). Conclusion: Water immersion and water temperature during diving exposure could cause and accelerate hemodynamic changes in pulmonary circulation induced pulmonary interstitial edema and led to the increase of external respiratory work. Instant effects of diving exposure in the study are quite consistent with the long-term cumulative effect of professional divers in previous research, which is FVC reduced because small airway become narrower. The results illustrate even the small depth of short-range diving exercise have definite influences on pulmonary ventilation, which mainly comes from the environmental factor but not the pressure increases.

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