Voltage controlled nano-injection system for single-cell surgery

Manipulation and analysis of single cells is the next frontier in understanding processes that control the function and fate of cells. Herein we describe a single-cell injection platform based on nanopipettes. The system uses scanning microscopy techniques to detect cell surfaces, and voltage pulses to deliver molecules into individual cells. As a proof of concept, we injected adherent mammalian cells with fluorescent dyes.     

Hydrocephalus in children: neurosurgical and neuroimaging concerns

The neuroimaging of hydrocephalus from the perspective of the pediatric neurosurgeon is discussed. Processes with new developments in therapy and imaging are described, including congenital causes of hydrocephalus, unilateral hydrocephalus, trapped fourth ventricle, and benign external hydrocephalus.     

Real-time disruption management in a two-stage production and inventory system

This paper presents a general disruption management approach for a two-stage production and inventory control system. A penalty cost for deviations of the new plan from the original plan is incorporated and the concept of a disruption recovery time window is introduced. We define two classes of problems: one with fixed setup epochs and another with flexible setup epochs. With linear or quadratic penalty functions for production/ordering quantity change and fixed setup epochs, the best recovery plan is obtained by solving a quadratic mathematical programming problem. With convex penalty functions for quantity changes and flexible setup epochs, it is shown that the second stage orders have identical order quantities within each production cycle. Therefore, in a lot-for-lot system, the ordering and production quantities for both stages are the same. As a special case, we consider disruption recovery problems with short time windows spanning one or two production cycles. We also discuss solution procedures for both major and minor disruption problems and give an extension for the case of multiple retailers. Throughout the paper managerial insights are presented that indicate how a company should respond to various types of disruptions during its operations.     

A quantitative foundation for defining and manipulating deals to facilitate automated e-commerce

We propose a goal programming framework that aims at automating e-commerce transactions. This framework consists of three basic layers: deal definition—defining the deal’s parameters and associated constraints (e.g., item, price, delivery dates); deal manipulation—a collection of procedures for shaping deals to attain desired goals (e.g., earliest delivery and minimum price) and an applications layer that employs these procedures within some negotiations settings (e.g., an auction-related application presents a “better offer” while bidding on a contract). Our proposed foundation is rich enough to support a wide array of applications ranging from 1-1 and 1-n negotiations (auctions) to deal valuation and deal splitting. Whereas the techniques are appropriate to a multitude of settings, we shall mainly present them in the context of business-to-business (B2B) commerce where we see the greatest short term benefits. O. Shmueli’s work is partially supported by the Fund for the Promotion of Research at the Technion.     

Resource allocation in stochastic,finite-capacity,multi-project systems through the cross entropy methodology

This paper addresses the problem of resource allocation in a finite-capacity, stochastic (random) and dynamic multi-project system. The system is modeled as a queuing network that is controlled by limiting the number of concurrent projects. We propose a Cross Entropy (CE) based approach to determine near-optimal resource allocations to the entities that execute the projects. The performance of the suggested approach is demonstrated through numerical experiments and compared to that of a heuristic, rough-cut based method.     

Towards a Guideline for Design of a Corporate Entrepreneurship Function for Business Development in Medium‐Sized Technology‐Based Companies

The speed with which global high‐technology markets evolve makes companies recognize that an effective innovation process is the best way to guarantee competitiveness. However, when (medium‐sized) companies then wish to set up a corporate entrepreneurship function to enhance business development processes, they can find little material available in literature to assist in such processes. In this article we have described a guideline and some backgrounds for creating a corporate entrepreneurship function to realize business development in a high‐tech context.     

Characterizing the Influence of Water on Charging and Layering at Electrified Ionic‐Liquid/Solid Interfaces

The importance of water on molecular ion structuring and charging mechanism of solid interfaces in room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) is unclear and has been largely ignored. Water may alter structures, charging characteristics, and hence performance at electrified solid/RTIL interfaces and is utilized in various fields including energy storage, conversion, or catalysis. Here, atomic force microscopy and surface forces apparatus experiments are utilized to directly measure how water alters the interfacial structuring and charging characteristics of [C₂mim][Tf₂N] on mica and electrified gold surfaces. On hydrophilic and ionophobic mica surfaces, water‐saturated [C₂mim][Tf₂N] dissolves surface‐bound cations, which leads to high surface charging and strong layering. In contrast, layering of dry RTIL at weakly charged mica surfaces is weakly structured. At electrified, hydrophobic, and ionophilic gold electrodes, significant water effects are found only at positive applied electrochemical potentials. Here, the influence of water is limited to interactions within the RTIL layers, and is not related to a direct electrosorption of water on the polarized electrode. More generally, the results suggest that effects of water on interfacial structuring of RTIL strongly depend on both (1) surface charging mechanism and (2) interfacial wetting properties. This may greatly impact utilization/design of RTILs and surfaces for interface‐dominated processes.     

Controlling Factor Weights in Data Envelopment Analysis

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a mathematical programming approach to assessing relative efficiencies within a group of Decision Making Units (DMUs). An important outcome of such an analysis is a set of virtual multipliers or weights accorded to each (input or output) factor taken into account. These sets of weights are, typically, different for each of the participating DMUs. A version of the DEA model is offered where bounds are imposed on weights, thus reducing the variation in the importance accorded to the same factor by the various DMUs. Techniques for locating appropriate bounds are suggested and the notion of a common set of weights is examined. Possible interpretations to differences in efficiency ratings obtained with the various models developed are discussed.     

Thirty-day self-reported risky driving behaviors of ADHD and non-ADHD drivers

The present study aims to compare differences in reported risky driving behaviors of drivers – males and females – having and not having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), by using a checklist of driving behaviors based on the Driving Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ). Unlike the studies which employ the DBQ by asking the subjects to fill the questionnaire once, in this present study, the participants were asked to report their behaviors on a daily basis for 30 consequent days. The checklist included two factors of risky driving behavior: Violation and Faults. Thirty-eight drivers – 10 males and 9 females with ADHD, and 9 males and 10 females without ADHD (N-ADHD) as control groups – participated in the study. The results showed that the mean of the unsafe behaviors of ADHD was higher, i.e., less safe driving, compared to that of N-ADHD. However, a statistically significant effect was found only between male ADHD and male N-ADHD for the Faults. In order to check the effect of the length of the study, the 30 days duration of the research was divided into three consecutive periods. The reported driving habits of the female ADHD showed safer behaviors than those of the males. Unlike the findings of N-ADHD of both genders, which showed a tendency towards safer driving reports in the three periods, both genders of the ADHD showed higher rates of Faults, i.e., a decrease in safety driving reports, in the three periods. The findings suggest that ADHD drivers differ from the N-ADHD drivers in making driving mistakes, i.e., Faults, due to their lack of sustained attention, but not in making Violations. However, some of the results in the present study were not very strong. Possible explanations for this as well as methodological considerations are discussed, and further research is suggested.