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The Arctic is warming rapidly, significantly reducing the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) surface mass balance (SMB) and raising its contribution to global sea‐level rise. Since these trends are expected to continue, it is essential to explore the GrIS SMB response to projected climate warming. We compare projections from three polar regional climate models, RACMO, MAR, and HIRHAM, forced by the Community Earth System Model CESM2 under a high‐end warming scenario (SSP5‐8.5, 1970–2099). We reveal different modeled SMB by 2100, including a twofold larger annual surface mass loss in MAR (−1735 Gt/yr) and HIRHAM (−1698 Gt/yr) relative to RACMO (−964 Gt/yr). Discrepancies primarily stem from differences in projected runoff, triggering melt‐albedo positive feedback and subsequent modeled ablation zone expansion. In addition, we find different responses of modeled meltwater production to similar atmospheric warming. Our analysis suggests clear avenues for model developments to further improve SMB projections and contribution to sea‐level rise. Plain Language Summary: We explore how three different polar climate models predict the future surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS), a major contributor to global sea‐level rise. Our results show that SMB projections among these models differ significantly by the end of the century. Differences primarily stem from how models convert meltwater into surface runoff toward the ocean, a crucial SMB component that directly contributes to sea‐level rise. Another key factor is the response of these models to climate warming, substantially affecting future melting rates. Our research highlights the need for further improvements of these climate models. By identifying and understanding the drivers behind model differences, we can improve SMB predictions and better estimate future global sea‐level rise. Key Points: With identical forcing, Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance from 3 regional climate models shows a two‐fold difference by 2100Different runoff projections stem from substantial discrepancies in projected ablation zone expansion, and reciprocallyThe response of meltwater production to similar atmospheric warming differs significantly among regional climate models [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium metabisulfite (SMB) is commonly utilized in food to preserve freshness by acting as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. However, when SMB interacts with water in biological systems, it produces harmful byproducts such as sulfite and sulfur dioxide. These byproducts induce cellular stress and programmed cell death, known as apoptosis, by triggering excessive production of reactive oxygen species. Our study demonstrates that supplementation with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) effectively mitigates the damage caused by SMB to porcine oocytes during their cultivation in laboratory conditions. NMN supplementation not only preserves the oocytes' ability to undergo meiosis with intact spindle and chromosome structures but also enhances their capacity for fertilization by promoting the activity of cortical granule component protease. The protective effects of NMN on porcine oocytes exposed to SMB involve the restoration of mitochondrial function and the reduction of accumulated reactive oxygen species, leading to inhibition of apoptosis. These findings suggest that excessive SMB will impair mitochondrial function in porcine oocytes, which in turn causes oxidative stress and apoptosis, and impedes maturation of porcine oocytes and development of post-fertilised embryos, and that supplementation with NMN is a promising strategy to protect oocytes from the deleterious effects of SMB exposure.

Asset pricing models are widely applied for explaining variations in stock returns. The applicability of these models is tested on different markets for assessing different stock price anomalies. In this paper, Fama and French three-factor model and Carhart Model were applied to the KSE-100 Index, over the period of 2004 to 2019. Following the FF 3 factor methodology, we create a relatively large number of portfolios based on size, value, and momentum, whereas the existence of the momentum factor was checked through the Carhart model. The results indicate that, out of 25 portfolios, 15 were able to explain the variations in stock returns, which shows 60% efficiency of the Carhart model compared to the FF 3 factor model with 56% efficiency whereby only 14 portfolios were able to explain the variations in the stock returns. The momentum factor is thus evident from the results, whereas the value factor is found to be redundant. Our findings suggest that while projecting stock prices, financial experts and analysts should not ignore the momentum factor as by doing so there may be chances of underpricing or over-pricing of stock.

We examine how the small-minus-big (SMB) size premium changes when firms from different industries are included and excluded from its calculation. Through this analysis, we are able to deduce whether firms in a particular industry play a significant role in generating the size premium, whether certain industries are irrelevant to the size premium, and if the firms in certain industries detract from the phenomenon. We carry out this examination in the context of the monetary policy being pursued by the Federal Reserve over the time periods in which the returns are generated. We find large variations in the returns to a SMB portfolio depending on the monetary policy and the industry to which the firms being considered belong. Analysis of which industries contribute to which patterns is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Simulated moving bed (SMB) technology is considered one of the most successful techniques in chromatographic separation. However, due to the nonlinearity caused by discrete events and sensitivity to numerous separation performance parameters, purity control in SMB systems has been a challenging issue. Fuzzy controllers are increasingly popular in industrial environments due to their simplicity and effectiveness in handling nonlinearity. However, traditional fuzzy controllers used in industry often overlook considerations of error acceleration, resulting in slight deviations from target values under steady-state conditions and oscillatory behavior when system parameters change. This study proposes an advanced fuzzy controller, where in a series of experiments, the purity control targets for component B are set at 94% and 96%, and for component A are set at 96% and 96%, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the advanced fuzzy controller achieves higher precision, with an average deviation of around 0.1%, for both components B and A. Importantly, under variations in adsorbent parameter(from 0.01 to 0.03), feed concentration(from 4.5 to 5.2), and switching time(from 178 to 182), the experimental results demonstrate smoother control with the advanced controller, particularly when oscillations occur with conventional fuzzy controllers due to switching time variations, indicating robust control with the advanced fuzzy controller.

Chromatographic separation plays a pivotal role in the manufacturing of chemical products and biopharmaceuticals. This technique exploits differences in distribution between stationary and mobile phases to separate mixtures, impacting final product quality. Simulated moving bed (SMB) technology, recognized for its continuous feed, enhances efficiency and increases production capacity while reducing solvent and water consumption. Despite its complexity in controlling variables like flow rates and valve switching times, traditional control theories fall short. This study introduces an intelligent fuzzy controller resembling an approximate neural network (NN) for SMB control. Simulation results demonstrate the controller's effectiveness in achieving desirable outcomes for the SMB system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a reconstruction of basin scale long-term annual surface mass balance (SMB) estimates for 91 glaciers (≥ 1 km2) of Chandra basin in Western Himalayas from 1989 to 2020. The presented approach requires three inputs: annual Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA), long-term average mass balance, and an estimate of mass balance gradient across ELA for a representative glacier. Here, the annual ELA for each study glaciers is estimated using freely available optical remote sensing images. The average mass balance of the study region and mass balance gradient of a representative glacier are obtained from satellite-based geodetic method and available field estimates, respectively. The obtained results indicate that the average ELA of the basin increased at a rate of 4.22 m asl year−1 during study period. The reconstructed SMB estimates indicate that the glaciers in the Chandra basin were in near-steady state between 1989 and 1999; then, lost mass at an accelerated rate. The basin-wide average SMB for the study period is estimated to be − 0.47 ± 0.50 m w.e. year−1. Overall, Chandra basin lost 13.72 ± 12.5 m w.e (7.3 ± 6.5 Gt) ice mass between 1989 and 2020. Though the estimates have relatively high uncertainty compared to other available studies, the results are encouraging considering the simplicity and parsimonious nature of the approach. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis shows that reduction in overall uncertainty can be achieved using average mass balance estimates characterized by less uncertainty. Encouraging results suggest that the adopted approach can be extended to other regions. However, detailed studies with proper validation are needed in other regions of Himalayas to ascertain the use of this approach on the unmonitored glaciers of Himalayas to reconstruct time series of annual SMB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0 provides new paradigms for the industrial management of SMEs. Supported by a growing number of new technologies, this concept appears more flexible and less expensive than traditional enterprise information systems such as ERP and MES. However, SMEs find themselves ill-equipped to face these new possibilities regarding their production planning and control functions. This paper presents a literature review of existing applied research covering different Industry 4.0 issues with regard to SMEs. Papers are classified according to a new framework which allows identification of the targeted performance objectives, the required managerial capacities and the selected group of technologies for each selected case. Our results show that SMEs do not exploit all the resources for implementing Industry 4.0 and often limit themselves to the adoption of Cloud Computing and the Internet of Things. Likewise, SMEs seem to have adopted Industry 4.0 concepts only for monitoring industrial processes and there is still absence of real applications in the field of production planning. Finally, our literature review shows that reported Industry 4.0 projects in SMEs remained cost-driven initiatives and there in still no evidence of real business model transformation at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium metabisulfite (SMB) is commonly utilized in food to preserve freshness by acting as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. However, when SMB interacts with water in biological systems, it produces harmful byproducts such as sulfite and sulfur dioxide. These byproducts induce cellular stress and programmed cell death, known as apoptosis, by triggering excessive production of reactive oxygen species. Our study demonstrates that supplementation with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) effectively mitigates the damage caused by SMB to porcine oocytes during their cultivation in laboratory conditions. NMN supplementation not only preserves the oocytes' ability to undergo meiosis with intact spindle and chromosome structures but also enhances their capacity for fertilization by promoting the activity of cortical granule component protease. The protective effects of NMN on porcine oocytes exposed to SMB involve the restoration of mitochondrial function and the reduction of accumulated reactive oxygen species, leading to inhibition of apoptosis. These findings suggest that excessive SMB will impair mitochondrial function in porcine oocytes, which in turn causes oxidative stress and apoptosis, and impedes maturation of porcine oocytes and development of post-fertilised embryos, and that supplementation with NMN is a promising strategy to protect oocytes from the deleterious effects of SMB exposure., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, a novel high-temperature superconducting flywheel energy storage system (SFESS) is proposed. The SFESS adopts both a superconducting magnetic bearing and a superconducting alternating current (AC) homopolar motor. The superconducting AC homopolar motor has structural advantages in high-speed operation, however performance of the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) field coil is easily affected by the external magnetic field generated by armature windings in the process of flywheel charge and discharge, and should be paid attention. We established an electromagnetic-thermal co-calculation model of the HTS coil to analyze the coil characteristics in this application. Simulation results demonstrate that the magnetic flux density is small near the central region of the coil and is the largest at the edges of the coil. The temperature rise caused by the change of magnetic field distribution reduces the critical current density of the tapes and increases AC loss. Furthermore, we studied the grid connection control strategy of the SFESS, which adopts double closed-loop control and direct power control, and verified the feasibility of the control strategy by multi software real-time and dynamic co-simulation. Works in this paper give some guidance to further development of a 50 kW·h SFESS prototype. All the configurations of the SFESS, the method of calculating AC loss of HTS field coil, and the control strategy of the SFESS system could be extended to large commercial units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Latin America, firms of all sizes are less innovative and prone to risk than their counterparts in other regions. This is especially harmful for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs), which face the paradox of not having the resources to innovate, and, at the same time, they may not be able to keep competing unless they introduce some degree of innovation to their market offerings. In light of this, the following article proposes the use of design as discipline that can be configured as a fundamental driver of the conditions needed for innovation by working as an articulating agent between all the areas of business development within SMBs, particularly in limited-resource settings such as Latin America. This is done by establishing both design as an innovation driver in an entrepreneurial context, and the role of the designer as an innovation champion within a SMB. The article presents a cultural contextualization of Latin American innovation and entrepreneurship, followed by a brief historical and cultural investigation of the rise of the SMBs in Chile, probably the country in the region with the most advances in this area, to then use it as a starting point to devise and apply this novel approach. Later, in order to understand the dynamics of these businesses, the operating factors of the business venture ecosystem and its actors are analyzed, as well as the innovations that facilitate productivity; the infrastructures that make possible the access to commerce and distribution of products and services; and the improvements for sustainable development. The article concludes by establishing recommendations and conditions for this change to happen, as well as its implications and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulated moving bed (SMB) is one of the most successful technologies in chromatographic separation, which is widely used in chemical industry and food industry. There are many parameters that can affect the separation effect of SMB, and the sensitivity is very strong, so the effective control is always a difficulty problem for SMB. In this paper, a self-tuning advanced fuzzy controller is proposed to control the purity of the SMB outlet, and the study finds it has smaller steady-state error and better adaptability of in SMB when compares with the traditional and advance fuzzy type controller.

Capreomycin (CMN) is a second-line aminoglycoside antibiotic for treating multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. Produced as a complex broth in microbial bioreactors, the downstream purification of CMN traditionally requires multiple steps. Current work aims to purify CMN as mixed isomers in a single step by preparative macroporous cation-exchange chromatography in >98% purity in >90% yield. Selection of the adsorbent best suited for CMN purification was guided by modeling the molecular interactions, followed by wet-lab static and dynamic adsorption studies that validated the simulation results. Among the evaluated adsorbents (both weak and strong cation resins), the weak cationic Macro-Prep CM showed a favorable combination of selective binding and elution of CMN. Solute loading and elution conditions were further optimized to produce the desired quality of CMN. This single-step method was integrated with a continuous simulated bed reverse-phase desalting chromatography to produce 99% pure salt-free CMN. The proposed method provided productivity of about 2 g product/L resin/h of CMN on Macro-Prep CM; and 0.7 g product/L adsorbent/h on SMB. The study provides for a robust and scalable process for the industrial-scale production of purified capreomycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study about the possibility of system identification for a simulated moving bed (SMB), which is an important step for developing a smart SMB automatic control mechanism with a precise control capability. An SMB is a very complex and nonlinear system that is constructed from multiple columns in series and complex valve arrangements. All feed mixtures and solvents and the desorbent flow are controlled by the columns and valve devices at a fixed switching time. Thus, if the operational behavior of an SMB system can be identified in advance, then the precise control of the system can be achieved easily. In this study, the neural network (NN) technique was used to identify an SMB system. From the experimental results shown, an NN was found to be a very effective tool for SMB system identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is aimed at studying the basis of formalized approach to the management of small and medium-sized business (SMB) according to the principles of social and ecological responsibility. The fundamental modules of the ethical code of SMB management are formed, becoming a reflection of causal relations between the global goals of sustainable development and the prospect of Ukrainian business in the foreign economic activity, as well as its initiative on the world stage. The content modules of regulation of the basic relations between the key subjects of SMB and their orientation to a qualitatively new level of business are defined. The key provisions of the code, regulating social responsibility of SMB, are proposed as follows: guarantee of favorable and safe working conditions; support for cultural diversity versus discrimination and harassment; regulation of the recruitment and employment process; motivation to increase intellectual capital through training and development. During the self-regulation of the SMB ecological responsibility it is proposed to adhere to such provisions of the code: compliance with ecological policy; optimality of strategies and instruments in accordance with the environmentally friendly goals; ecological orientation in relations with contractors.

Greenland Ice Sheet surface elevation is changing as mass loss accelerates. In understanding elevation change, the magnitudes of physical processes involved are important for interpretation of altimetry and assessing changes in these processes. The four key processes are surface mass balance (SMB), firn densification, ice dynamics, and isostatic adjustment. We quantified these processes at Summit, Greenland, where monthly Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) snowmobile traverses measured elevation change from 2008 to 2018. We find an elevation increase of 0.019 m a−1. The sum of the effects of the four processes reproduces the measured elevation time series, in linear trend and in intra‐annual variability. The short‐term variability in elevation is primarily explained by the variability in SMB. Since SMB has not changed significantly over the last century, and the other processes change over longer time scales, the elevation change likely has been ongoing for at least the last 100 years. Key Points: Measurements of ice sheet elevation, flow divergence, firn densification, and accumulation are self‐consistent at Summit, GreenlandThe ice sheet surface at Summit, Greenland, is rising at 1.9 cm/year over the last decade, a trend likely unchanged in the last centuryShort‐term ice sheet elevation changes are dominated by surface mass balance changes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a strong relationship between short-term small-firm premium and future low-beta anomaly performance. Rises (declines) in small-firm prices temporarily improve (deteriorate) funding conditions, benefiting (impairing) the short-run returns on the low-beta strategy. To investigate this phenomenon, we examine returns on betting-against-beta (BAB) and small-minus-big (SMB) factor portfolios in 24 developed markets for the years 1989–2018. A zero-investment strategy of going long (short) in BAB factors in the quintile of countries with the highest (lowest) three-month SMB return produces a mean return of 1.46% per month. The effect is robust when controlling for major risk factors in equity markets, alternative portfolio construction methods, and subperiod analysis. The predictability of BAB performance by SMB returns is also present in the time series of individual country returns, forming the grounds for effective timing in the low-beta strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global Positioning System (GPS) provides critical geodetic constraints on Earth's elastic response induced by ice and other mass loadings in Greenland. Previous studies focused on long‐term ice mass changes, with relatively fewer studies on transient signals and had used fewer GPS stations. Here we reconstructed 44 Greenland‐wide coastal decadal GPS time series using multichannel singular spectral analysis and quantified the origins of spatiotemporal patterns of transient to seasonal signals. We used an exhaustive list of geophysical processes, including surface mass balance (SMB), atmospheric pressure, continental hydrology, nontidal ocean loading, bedrock thermal expansion, precipitation, runoff, and ice discharge, and identified that most of Greenland's GPS sites exhibit SMB‐induced transient signals during 2012–2015, with maximum displacement reaching 20.45 mm. Analyses of differenced time series between adjacent GPS stations near peripheral glaciers reveal that locally varying seasonal signals are primarily attributable to SMB, followed by atmosphere. Plain Language Summary: Prior studies on Greenland ice sheet mass change mainly focused on long‐term and accelerated signals. However, the effects of multisource geophysical mechanisms on GPS observed transient or abrupt signals are relatively less studied, including quantifying locally varying spatiotemporal patterns between adjacent Global Positioning System (GPS) stations over entire Greenland. In this study, we model crustal displacements caused by an exhaustive list of geophysical mechanisms in Greenland, including atmospheric pressure, continental water storage, nontidal ocean circulation loading, bedrock thermal expansion, surface mass balance, and ice discharge. We then reconstruct the transient signals from 44 Greenland‐wide coastal GPS decadal records using multichannel singular spectral analysis. The differenced time series between adjacent GPS stations located near the peripheral glaciers reveals that locally varying deformation is primarily caused by surface mass balance loading, followed by atmosphere loading. Most of GPS observed transient signals are attributable to surface mass balance and ice discharge loading, 2009 to mid‐2011, and 2012 to 2015, which can reach a maximum displacement of 20.5 mm, with a mean displacement of 5.97 mm. Key Points: Interpretation of Greenland‐wide 44 GPS deformation time series, manifested by multisource seasonal and transient mass loading signalsWe use M‐SSA reconstructed Greenland GPS and modeled deformation data to quantify origins of spatiotemporal loading patternsDifferenced GPS time series between adjacent sites reveals that locally varying seasonal signals are primarily attributable to SMB [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of high efficiency and cleanness, the simulated moving bed (SMB) is the most important technology in chromatographic separation. SMB system, which contains several sectors of flow rate, the switching time of valves and many other possible influencing variables, is complex, highly sensitive and difficult to control. This paper proposes adjusted fuzzy control; the adjusted fuzzy controller is applied to the SMB system to control the separation concentration by establishing a variable direction correction formula. Compared with the traditional fuzzy controller, the adjusted fuzzy controller does not need to analyze the dynamic direction of the control force in advance, moreover, the control accuracy is high and the fluctuation is small for SMB system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work was carried out to evaluate the safety of shrimp (Solenocera crassicornis) treated with different concentrations of sodium metabisulfite (SMB) by soaking or spraying during frozen storage. Shrimps soaked in higher concentrations of SMB showed higher sensory scores, lower total color differences, and better anti-melanosis effects than shrimps in the control and other treatment groups throughout frozen storage (-18°C). Lower total volatile basic nitrogen and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and higher salt soluble protein contents were detected in shrimp soaked with high doses of SMB compared with other samples. In addition, lower counts of total aerobic plates and psychrotrophic bacteria were observed in shrimp treated by soaking with higher doses of SMB than those in control shrimp and shrimp treated with other methods during frozen storage (-18°C). However, the SO2 content of 5% SMB-soaked samples exceeded the maximum allowable limit of 100mgkg-1. Overall, the use of 1.5% SMB soaking to treat shrimp results in good antioxidant and antimicrobial effects and, thus, may be suggested to preserve S. crassicornis under frozen conditions. The results of this study present important guidance on the use of SMB to maintain the quality of marine-trawling shrimp from manufacturing to consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to analyze the three-factor asset-pricing model applicability in south Asian countries and addressed the methodological issues by introducing alternative measure of size that would increase the estimation competence of Three-Factor Asset- Pricing Model. The study includes the listed companies of major players of South Asia that are China, India, and Pakistan. The sample consist monthly stock prices of 1148 companies that cumulatively represents Pakistan, China, and India over the period from 2001 to 2017. This study assumes the panel data models that includes fixed effect and random effect for the estimation of three Factor Model that ultimately address the methodological gap identified in a context under consideration. The results suggested that market equity is a weak measure of size in emerging economies and total assets as size measure is more efficient than market equity measure. It is also inferred that market equity measure of size is more relevant to matured markets where the investors are well informed, while total assets measure of size is more relevant to emerging economies where the markets are not mature and investors are not well informed. This study provides the new insight and new path by introducing alternate size measure that leads towards the further development in the three-factor model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method is frequently used for the estimation of direct surface runoff depth from the small watersheds. Coupling the SCS-CN method with the Soil Moisture Balance (SMB) method, new simple 2-parameters rainfall-runoff model and 3-parametrs rainfall-sediment yield models are derived for computation of runoff and sediment yield respectively. The proposed runoff (R2) and sediment yield (S2) models have been tested on a large set of rainfall-runoff and sediment yield data (98 storm events) obtained from twelve watersheds from different land use/land cover, soil and climatic conditions. The improved runoff (R2) and sediment yield (S2) models show superior results as compared to the existing Mishra et al. (S1) and original SCS-CN (R1) models. The results and analysis justify the use of the proposed models for field applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Geodetic data and model reveal transient mass changes in Greenland. • NW Greenland exhibited different change patterns than the rest subregions. • Precipitation anomalies were opposite in signs in east & west Greenland. • Atmospheric circulation anomalies may cause most of the transient mass changes. Much of the research to understand the ice mass changes of Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) has focused on detecting linear rates and accelerations at decadal or longer periods. The transient (short-term, non-secular) mass changes show large variability, and if not properly accounted for, can introduce significant biases into estimates of long-term ice mass loss rates and accelerations. Despite the growing number of geodetic observations, in terms of spatial coverage, types of observables, and the extent of the time series, studies of the transient mass changes over GrIS are lacking. To address this limitation, we apply multi-channel singular spectral analysis to the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mass concentrations (mascon), surface mass balance (SMB) model output, and ice discharge data, to determine the transient mass changes over Greenland over the decade (2007 to 2017). The goal of this analysis is to elucidate the spatio-temporal variability of the ice mass change. For the entire GrIS, both the mascon and SMB transient mass changes are characterized by a sustained mass gain from late 2007 to early 2010, a sustained mass loss from early 2010 to early 2013, and a mass gain from early 2013 to mid-2015. Global Positioning System sites deployed along the coast of Greenland showed uplift from early 2010 to early 2013 and subsidence from early 2013 to 2015, consistent with the corresponding ice mass loss and gain of the entire GrIS. The peak-to-peak amplitude of the transient mass change was estimated to be −294 ± 27 Gt from GRACE mascons and -252 ± 16 Gt from the SMB where the latter value includes the effect of ice discharge. The transient mass change due to ice discharge accounted for less than 10% of the total transient mass change. Our regional assessment reveals that the central-west, southwest, northeast, and southeast regions display similar time-varying patterns as we found for the entire GrIS, but the north and northwest regions show different patterns. Atmospheric circulation anomalies as measured by the Greenland Blocking Index (GBI) are able to explain most of these transient anomalies. More specifically, high-GBI-associated high temperature was one of the main reasons for the transient mass loss of the entire GrIS during 2010-2012 while low GBI can explain the transient mass gain during 2013-2015. Contrasting behaviors of precipitation anomalies in east and west Greenland under abnormally high or low GBI conditions may explain the different patterns of the transient mass change in the northwest and the rest of Greenland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Α novel approach to optimize TMB units is presented. • A new version of the PSO algorithm is presented, the Parallel PSO. • Parallel PSO is the best compromise between productivity and iterations to converge. • TMB performance was significantly higher than previous results in literature. • TMB results were used to simulate SMB units. Abstract The Particles Swarm Optimization (PSO) is an optimization technique that has been gaining attention in the last years. In this work, the PSO method is applied to optimize the productivity and the eluent consumption of the separation of the bi-naphthol enantiomers in a True Moving Bed (TMB) device. Three optimization strategies are presented: the two-steps optimization , the single optimization and a new version of the PSO algorithm, the Parallel PSO. All the three strategies showed to be efficient to perform the desired optimization. Comparing in terms of productivity and computation time (represented by the number of iterations), the Parallel PSO appeared to be the best compromise, which emphasizes the relevance of this new version to perform the optimization of the mentioned separation process. Generally, The TMB optimization results presented in this work had an average productivity that was 30% higher than the results previously reported in the literature. The best result was obtained using the Parallel PSO strategy in which a productivity of 209.2 g/L ads /day (corresponding to an eluent consumption of only 83.9 dL/g) was achieved. As the TMB is only a theoretical model, simulations with Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) devices with four, eight and twelve columns were obtained using the equivalence between the two models, and the results were compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we compare two different approaches to estimate the credit risk for small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), namely a classic parametric approach, by fitting an ordered probit model, and a non-parametric approach, calibrating a machine learning historical random forest (HRF) model. The models are applied to a unique and proprietary dataset comprising granular firm-level quarterly data collected from a European investment bank and an international insurance company on a sample of 464 Italian SMBs over the period 2015–2017. Results show that the HRF approach outperforms the traditional ordered probit model, highlighting how advanced estimation methodologies that use machine learning techniques can be successfully implemented to predict SMB credit risk, i.e. when facing high asymmetries of information. Moreover, by using Shapley values, we are able to assess the relevance of each variable in predicting SMB credit risk. • We estimate and compare credit rating accuracy using machine learning and traditional models. • We use a unique proprietary dataset comprising balance sheet and credit rating data for SMBs. • We find ML methods outperform traditional methods especially when historical data is not accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the long term relationship of risk premium and fundamental factors in emerging stock markets of China, India and Pakistan keeping in view leading contribution of Fama and French (1992) and Carhart (1997) models. Contrary to the macroeconomic multifactor models, this study incorporates firm-specific risk factors related to the market premium; size (SMB), value (HML), momentum (WML) and growth (UMD) as determinants of risk premium. The firm-specific growth factor is incorporated based on evidence from Ho, Strange, and Piesse (2008) by employing (UMD) which is based on assets to market equity of the firm. Sample of 1198 companies from the three emerging markets for the period of 2001-2013 depicts market risk premium as the leading factor affecting risk premium in Indian and the Pakistani markets. Results reveal market momentum being high enough to overestimate coefficients in the short run. However, the relationship is stabilized and adjusted in the long run. Chinese markets, where all the risk factors seem to play their role to determine risk premium, are relatively much stable and grown-up and clearly represent maturity of the Chinese markets. Distinction between the short run and long run might be useful for the investors of the three emerging economies. According to the principle of high risk associated with high returns, small value happens to deliver higher returns with higher volatility. The growth stocks outperform value stocks in these economies.

β-adrenergic antagonists (β-blockers) with at least one chiral center are an exceedingly important class of drugs used mostly to treat cardiovascular diseases. At least 70 β-blockers have been investigated in history. However, only a few β-blockers, e.g., timolol, are clinically marketed as an optically pure enantiomer. Therefore, the separation of racemates of β-blockers is essential both in the laboratory and industry. Many approaches have been explored to obtain the single enantiomeric β-blocker, including high performance liquid chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography and simulated moving bed chromatography. In this article, a review is presented on different chromatographic methods applied for the enantioseparation of β-blockers, covering high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and simulated moving bed chromatography (SMB).

A modified SMB system composed of two pumps was developed for the separation of L-ribose and L-arabinose from its binary mixture. In two-pump SMB operation, the flow rates required for separation in every column zones and product ports are identical to those in conventional SMB equipped with four pumps and are controlled by appropriate operation of valves during a cycle of switching time. The purity, yield and enrichment of sugars obtained by two-pump SMB separation were comparable to that of conventional SMB. The two-pump SMB system is therefore considered to be more economically efficient than conventional SMB by reducing the cost for SMB installation and pump operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are some disadvantages in conventional cryogenic liquid pumps (CLPs) with mechanical bearings, such as difficult lubrication and short working life. In this paper, we propose a new structure of CLP-submerged cryogenic disk motor-pump with superconducting magnetic bearing (SMB). The impeller and the rotor of the disk motor are combined as the suspension rotor of the disk motor-pump. The suspension rotor which is supported by SMB system, rotates frictionlessly with self-stabilized. The SMB system includes a radial-type SMB, an axial-type permanent magnet bearing, and an axial flux disk motor. Theoretical calculations and experimental measurements of levitation forces in the SMB system are carried out. The levitation force of radial-type SMB is calculated by using H-formulation finite-element model in COMSOL. The kinetic model of the suspension rotor is established to ensure the force balance and torque balance. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed submerged cryogenic disk motor-pump with SMB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]