Suitability and managerial implications of a Master Surgical Scheduling approach

Operating room (OR) planning and scheduling is a popular and challenging subject within the operational research applied to health services research (ORAHS). However, the impact in practice is very limited. The organization and culture of a hospital and the inherent characteristics of its processes impose specific implementation issues that affect the success of planning approaches. Current tactical OR planning approaches often fail to account for these issues. Master surgical scheduling (MSS) is a promising approach for hospitals to optimize resource utilization and patient flows. We discuss the pros and cons of MSS and compare MSS with centralized and decentralized planning approaches. Finally, we address various implementation issues of MSS and discuss its suitability for hospitals with different organizational foci and culture.     

Construction of the Γ9 × (g+ 2h) Jahn–Teller Hamiltonian

The coupling coefficients describing the linear Γ ₉× (g+2h) Jahn–Teller Hamiltonian in icosahedral symmetry are derived, and various coupling schemes are discussed.     

Constructive methods for certain Bergman operators

This paper is concerned with the class of linear partial differential equations of second order such that there exist Bergman operators with polynomial kernels (cf, [12]). In an earlier paper [ll] the authors have shown that these equations also admit differential operators as introduced by K. W. Bauer [I]. In the present paper, relations between different types of representations of solutions are investigated. These representations are of interest in developing a function theory of solutions; cf., for instance, K. W. Bauer [I] and S. Ruscheweyh [19]. They are also essential to global extensions of local results obtained by means of Bergman operators of the first kind. The inversion problem for those operators is solved, and it is shown that all solutions of equations of that class which are holomorphic in a domain of C² can be represented by operators with polynomial kernels. Furthermore, a construction principle for deriving the equations investigated by K. W. Bauer [2] is obtained; this yields corresponding representations of solutions by differential and integral operators in a systematic fashion     

Convergence results for a class of nonlinear fractional heat equations

In this article we study various convergence results for a class of nonlinear fractional heat equations of the form $\left\{ \begin{gathered} u_t (t,x) - \mathcal{I}[u(t, \cdot )](x) = f(t,x),(t,x) \in (0,T) \times \mathbb{R}^n , \hfill \\ u(0,x) = u_0 (x),x \in \mathbb{R}^n , \hfill \\ \end{gathered} \right.$ where I is a nonlocal nonlinear operator of Isaacs type. Our aim is to study the convergence of solutions when the order of the operator changes in various ways. In particular, we consider zero order operators approaching fractional operators through scaling and fractional operators of decreasing order approaching zero order operators. We further give rate of convergence in cases when the solution of the limiting equation has appropriate regularity assumptions.     

Interfacing Formate Dehydrogenase with Metal Oxides for the Reversible Electrocatalysis and Solar‐Driven Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

The integration of enzymes with synthetic materials allows efficient electrocatalysis and production of solar fuels. Here, we couple formate dehydrogenase ( FDH ) from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH) to metal oxides for catalytic CO₂ reduction and report an in‐depth study of the resulting enzyme–material interface. Protein film voltammetry (PFV) demonstrates the stable binding of FDH on metal‐oxide electrodes and reveals the reversible and selective reduction of CO₂ to formate. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR‐IR) spectroscopy confirm a high binding affinity for FDH to the TiO₂ surface. Adsorption of FDH on dye‐sensitized TiO₂ allows for visible‐light‐driven CO₂ reduction to formate in the absence of a soluble redox mediator with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 11±1 s^?1. The strong coupling of the enzyme to the semiconductor gives rise to a new benchmark in the selective photoreduction of aqueous CO₂ to formate.     

Furanosyl Oxocarbenium Ion Conformational Energy Landscape Maps as a Tool to Study the Glycosylation Stereoselectivity of 2-Azidofuranoses, 2-Fluorofuranoses and Methyl Furanosyl Uronates

The 3D shape of glycosyl oxocarbenium ions determines their stability and reactivity and the stereochemical course of S_N1 reactions taking place on these reactive intermediates is dictated by the conformation of these species. The nature and configuration of functional groups on the carbohydrate ring affect the stability of glycosyl oxocarbenium ions and control the overall shape of the cations. We herein map the stereoelectronic substituent effects of the C2-azide, C2-fluoride and C4-carboxylic acid ester on the stability and reactivity of the complete suite of diastereoisomeric furanoses by using a combined computational and experimental approach. Surprisingly, all furanosyl donors studied react in a highly stereoselective manner to provide the 1,2-cis products, except for the reactions in the xylose series. The 1,2-cis selectivity for the ribo-, arabino- and lyxo-configured furanosides can be traced back to the lowest-energy ³E or E₃ conformers of the intermediate oxocarbenium ions. The lack of selectivity for the xylosyl donors is related to the occurrence of oxocarbenium ions adopting other conformations.     

Overview of sample introduction techniques prior to GC for the analysis of volatiles in solid materials

Sample preparation and introduction techniques are very critical steps in gas chromatography analysis and particularly in the analysis of volatiles in solid samples. In these cases, they can be divided into two main categories: direct and indirect approaches, based on how the solid sample is treated, i.e. with and without dissolution (or extraction) of analytes from the solid sample. To enable routine application, coupling with sample preparation techniques (especially solid or solvent‐based microextractions) is needed to achieve automation. Here, an overview of the most common sample introduction techniques for gas chromatography with their advantages and drawbacks is presented and discussed, including references to relevant examples. So, this review can serve as guidance for new users.     

Quantifying Guest–Host Dynamics in Supramolecular Assemblies to Analyze Their Robustness

The most basic function of synthetic microenvironments for tissue engineering is to act as a physical substrate for cell attachment, migration, and proliferation, similar to the natural cell environment. Functionalization of supramolecular materials with guest compounds that display the same recognition moieties is a common strategy to introduce biofunctionality. However, besides a robust interaction with the material, a certain level of dynamics needs to be conserved for an adaptive interface toward the living environment. A balance between robust material functionalization and dynamic cell interaction needs to be met. The detailed analysis hereof using a ureido‐pyrimidinone (UPy) poly(ethylene glycol) system in dilute and transient network regime is demonstrated. Monovalent and bivalent UPy‐functionalized guest molecules are designed and their interaction with UPy‐host fibers is evaluated. Analysis of guest interaction in the dilute state by microfluidics, and in the gel state, by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and fluorescence resonance energy transfer is proven to be suitable to quantify the local and ensemble guest mobility. The results demonstrate that the interaction of bioactive moieties through supramolecular host–guest chemistry yields a dynamic system, which is stronger for divalent guests but risks unintended leakage in the case of functional monomeric units.     

Enhanced diffusion of a needle in a planar array of point obstacles

The transport of an infinitely thin, hard rod in a random, dense array of point obstacles is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Our model mimics the sterically hindered dynamics in dense needle liquids. Transport becomes increasingly fast at higher densities, and we observe a power-law divergence of the diffusion coefficient with exponent 0.8. This phenomenon is connected with a new divergent time scale, reflected in a zigzag motion of the needle, a two-step decay of the velocity-autocorrelation function, and a negative plateau in the non-Gaussian parameter. Finally, we provide a heuristic scaling argument for the new exponent.