bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cutaneous Arteriolosclerosis Is Not Specific to Ischemic Hypertensive Leg Ulcers
Authors: Monfort Jean-Benoît , Cury Karine , Moguelet Philippe , Chasset François , Bachmeyer Claude , Francès Camille , Barbaud Annick , Senet Patricia
Published: September 2018

Background: The histological characteristic of hypertensive leg ulcers (HLU) is the presence of “arteriolosclerosis.” The pertinence of performing a skin biopsy to diagnose HLU is questionable, as cutaneous arteriolosclerosis may be related to patient comorbidities. The objective here was to evaluate the frequency of arteriolosclerosis in skin leg biopsies performed in patients without ulcer and in control patients with HLU. Methods: We performed a retrospective study between January 2013 and July 2014. Patients were included if they had undergone a deep skin biopsy on the lower limbs, in the absence of any leg ulcer. Controls were patients with typical HLU. Results: Fifty-eight patients and 6 controls were included. Hypertension was present in 25 patients (43%). Arteriolosclerosis, defined as fibrous endarteritis, was present in 35 out of 58 patients (60%) and in all of the controls. No hyalinosis or hyperplastic proliferative arteriolosclerosis was observed in the patients or controls. Only age was an independent factor associated with the presence of cutaneous arteriolosclerosis (p &x#3c; 0.0001). Conclusion: Cutaneous arteriolosclerosis is significantly and independently associated with age. Thus, skin biopsy seems not to be necessary for the diagnosis of HLU but only for a differential diagnosis.
Padrão Sazonal da Precipitação e Circulação na América do Sul Associado à Oscilação Decadal do Pacífico no Período 1970-2003
Authors: Lima Bruna Simões , Silva Carlos Batista da , Silva Maria Elisa Siqueira
Published: September 2018

Vários estudos apontam que os padrões da temperatura da superfície do mar sobre os oceanos Pacífico e Atlântico contribuem para modular os padrões atmosféricos da América do Sul.  As perturbações associadas à Oscilação Decadal do Pacífico, ODP, atingem toda a bacia oceânica e têm o potencial de impactar o clima de várias partes do globo. O presente estudo tem como objetivo caracterizar os padrões sazonais de circulação e precipitação sobre a América do Sul durante as fases negativa e positiva da ODP, entre 1970 e 2003, a partir dos dados da reanálise I do NCEP-NCAR e do Global Precipitation Climatology Center, GPCC. Durante a fase negativa da ODP, ocorre a intensificação dos alíseos sobre o nordeste da América do Sul e do escoamento de norte, na região central do continente, sendo estes processos mais intensos durante a estação chuvosa, do que na estação seca. Durante a fase positiva da ODP, ocorre o enfraquecimento dos alíseos no nordeste da América do Sul e do escoamento de norte, mas, ainda assim, o impacto climático durante a estação chuvosa é mais intenso do que na estação seca. Os dados de precipitação do GPCC indicam que durante a fase negativa da ODP ocorrem anomalias negativas de precipitação sobre o centro-leste da América do Sul e anomalias positivas sobre a região sudeste. Durante a fase positiva da ODP, o padrão de anomalias de precipitação se inverte.
Distribuição Temporal de Descargas e Alterações Morfológicas em Rios Semiáridos: O Rio Jaguaribe no Ceará, Brasil
Authors: Cavalcante Andrea Almeida
Published: September 2018

Este trabalho objetiva analisar a frequência de fluxos e a distribuição temporal de descargas para verificar os fluxos responsáveis pelas maiores alterações na morfologia do rio Jaguaribe-Ce, considerando as interferências da barragem do Castanhão. Foram utilizados dados de vazões diárias de 7 estações na bacia do Jaguaribe, utilizando a distribuição estatística de Gumbel para análises dos intervalos de recorrência (IR). As permanências de fluxos foram calculadas pela compartimentação dos intervalos de vazões médias diárias. A descarga de sedimentos em suspensão correlacionada às permanências de fluxos mostrou uma ideia da descarga efetiva, aqui entendida como descarga morfológica. Os resultados para IR revelaram que as maiores vazões observadas nas estações estão em cotas relativas acima de 6m. Plotando as cotas nos perfis transversais verificou-se que Q1,5 varia entre as cotas de 1,5m e 4,6m. Para Q2,33 tais cotas variaram entre 3,7m e 5,5m, indicando que esta se aproxima da vazão de recorrência para bankfull. As permanências de fluxos indicaram que vazões abaixo de 10 m3/s predominam nas estações. Na estação Peixe Gordo foi observado que após a construção da barragem, fluxos entre 10 e 20 m3/s passaram a ser predominantes no canal. Isso refletiu em alterações na descarga efetiva nesse trecho que passou a ter uma condição favorável para transporte nesse intervalo. Nas demais estações, a vazão de descarga efetiva ficou no intervalo de 100-199 m3/s. Assim, os resultados indicam que as descargas de bankfull não exerce papel fundamental na morfologia do rio Jaguaribe, sendo a vazão de 100-199 m3/s as principais no transporte em suspensão.
Frequência e Intensidade Pluviométrica na Região Norte do Estado do Paraná, Brasil
Authors: Terassi Paulo Miguel de Bodas , Oliveira Júnior José Francisco , Galvani Emerson , Gois Givanildo De
Published: September 2018

A precipitação pluviométrica é o atributo climático de maior expressão e importância nas regiões de clima tropical devido à ocorrência dos elevados totais anuais. O presente trabalho objetiva analisar os totais de pluviosidade nas escalas anual, mensal e diário, bem como a intensidade e frequência dos registros diários de chuvas a partir da utilização da técnica de quantis em localidades da região Norte do estado do Paraná (RNP), Brasil. Como objetivo secundário, avaliou-se a associação entre os totais anuais de precipitação e o número anual de dias de chuva (NDC) com os eventos de El Niño - Oscilação Sul (ENOS). Utilizaram-se as séries pluviométricas de cinco estações meteorológicas convencionais para o período de 40 anos. As análises exploratórias da série temporal dos dados pluviométricos foram realizadas no software ambiente R versão 3.3.2. Destacou-se a associação de anos de pluviosidade e o NDC que registraram menos que 25% dos quantis com a ocorrência dos eventos de La Niña. De modo contrário, notou-se que os anos de pluviosidade e NDC superior a 95% dos quantis estiveram relacionados à ocorrência do El Niño em sua maioria. Observou-se a maior frequência dos maiores registros de pluviosidade diária, para os quantis de 75%, 95%, 99% e >99% no período que vai de outubro a março.
As Territorialidades Insurgentes do Gigante Desperto: Jornadas de Junho de 2013 no Brasil e suas Dinâmicas Territoriais
Authors: Santos Gustavo Souza , Cunha Maria das Graças Campolina
Published: September 2018

Em 2013, protestos de iniciativa do Movimento Passe Livre contra o aumento da tarifa de transporte público na cidade de São Paulo tornou-se o estopim para a eclosão de manifestações sistêmicas por todos os estados brasileiros, o Distrito Federal e cidades do exterior. As vozes eram polissêmicas e vocalizavam por demandas sociais como transporte, saúde, educação, bem como protestos contra a corrupção. As manifestações com escopo ampliado se difundem pelo território nacional arregimentadas pela autonomia da comunicação via redes sociais, fazendo do mês de junho uma odisseia de insurgência: as jornadas de junho. Objetivou-se aqui analisar as dinâmicas territoriais destas manifestações. A pesquisa se apoia na análise documental de conteúdo noticioso para refletir sobre os contextos dos atos como sua difusão pelo país, a participação de cada estado, a conjuntura de sua territorialidade, multiescalaridade, suas redes e ativismos on-line. A mobilização de junho de 2013 compreendeu a formação de territorialidades de insurgência, fortalecidas pela comunicação autônoma proporcionada pelas redes sociais, difundindo suas mensagens e integrando os sentimentos de insurgência. O movimento apropriando-se do espaço pela tomada das ruas, desenvolveram uma mobilização reticulada que encontrou ressonância em todos os locais onde os atos se concentraram de modo multiescalar. O usufruto da comunicação digital como indumentária fez do ciberespaço um novo meio com o qual experiências socioespaciais podem se desencadear, como no ativismo despertado nas jornadas de junho.
Revision of Testechiniscus Kristensen, 1987 (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscidae) refutes the polar-temperate distribution of the genus
Authors: GĄSIOREK PIOTR , STEC DANIEL , ZAWIERUCHA KRZYSZTOF , KRISTENSEN REINHARDT MøBJERG , MICHALCZYK ŁUKASZ
Published: September 2018

The family Echiniscidae comprises limno-terrestrial heterotardigrades with a strongly sclerotised dorsum, typically covered with plates. Among other members of the Echiniscus evolutionary line, the genus Testechiniscus Kristensen, 1987 stands out with well-developed ventral armature and polygonal sculpturing of the dorsal plates. It has alleged bipolar distribution (with satellite alpine records in the Holarctic). Thanks to fresh material from terra typica (Svalbard), we integratively redescribe (i.e. using light and electron microscopy imaging, morphometry, and molecular methods) the nominal species for the genus, Testechiniscus spitsbergensis (Scourfield, 1897). A comparison of the neotype series with a number of Holarctic records revealed morphological variability suggesting that the species may encompass several taxa, which, most likely, will be possible to delineate primarily with molecular tools. Moreover, based on material from Simien Mountains (Northern Ethiopia), we describe a new sibling subspecies, Testechiniscus spitsbergensis tropicalis ssp. nov. Extensive morphometric datasets are provided for the genus members for the first time. A new generic definition is proposed, embracing the two subspecies of T. spitsbergensis and T. laterculus (Schuster et al., 1980), but excluding two circum-Antarctic species, T. macronyx (Richters, 1907) and T. meridionalis (Murray, 1906). The later species are likely to be erected in the future as separate genera, and their autapomorphies are described here. In the light of our findings, the genus          Testechiniscus should be recognised as a native element of the Northern Hemisphere, with mainly circum-Arctic distribution and additional, insular alpine records from the Nearctic, Palearctic and Eastern Afrotropic.
A Hierarchy of Idealized Monsoons in an Intermediate GCM
Authors: Zhou Wenyu , Xie Shang-Ping
Published: September 2018

A hierarchy of idealized monsoons with increased degrees of complexity is built using an intermediate model with simplified physics and idealized land–sea geometry. This monsoon hierarchy helps formulate a basic understanding about the distribution of the surface equivalent potential temperatureθe, which proves to provide a general guide on the monsoon rainfall. The zonally uniform monsoon in the simplest aquaplanet simulations is explained by a linearized model of the meridional distribution ofθe, which is driven by the seasonally varying solar insolation and damped by both the monsoon overturning circulation and the local negative feedback. The heat capacities of the surface and the atmosphere give rise to an intrinsic time scale that causes the monsoon migration to lag behind the sun and reduces the monsoon extent and intensity. Monsoons with a zonally confined continent can be understood based on the zonally uniform monsoon by considering the ocean influence on the land through the westerly jet advection, which reduces the monsoon extent and induces zonal asymmetry. Monsoon responses to more realistic factors such as land geometry, albedo, and ocean heat flux are consistently predicted by their impacts on the surfaceθedistribution. The soil moisture effect, however, does not fully fit into the surfaceθeargument and provides additional control on monsoon rainfall by inducing regional circulation and rainfall patterns.
The Relationship Between the Natural Environment and Individual-Level Academic Performance in Portland, Oregon
Authors: Donovan Geoffrey H. , Michael Yvonne L. , Gatziolis Demetrios , Hoyer Robert W.
Published: September 2018

We tested the hypothesis that exposure to the natural environment is associated with improved academic performance. Specifically, we examined the association between individual-level standardized math and reading test scores and exposure to the natural environment using data from Portland Public Schools (17,918 students attending 83 schools for the math model and 19,459 students attending 90 schools for the reading model). We found that a 1- SD increase in tree cover within 200 m of a child’s home was associated with moving from the 50th percentile to the 51st percentile on math tests. A 1- SD increase in tree cover within 100 m of a child’s school was associated with moving from the 50th percentile to the 56th percentile on reading tests. Finally, a 1- SD increase in road density within 100 m of a child’s home was associated with moving from the 50th percentile to the 47th percentile on reading tests.
Can a building social capital intervention improve the mental health of international students? A non-randomized quasi-experimental study
Authors: Khosravi Roghayeh , Azman Azlinda , Ayasreh Emad Abdallah Mustafa , Khosravi Sahar
Published: September 2018

Many empirical studies related to social capital have established that there is a relationship between social capital and mental health. However, little research has been conducted to evaluate interventions designed to improve the level of social capital and evaluate its impact on the mental health of international students. This research, applying a quasi-experimental nonequivalent groups design, aimed to address the gap by examining whether an intervention aimed at building social capital can improve social capital and the mental health of international students at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Study findings revealed that the intervention was effective in developing social capital and improving the mental health of international students.
A framework for high-level simulation and optimization of fine-grained reconfigurable architectures
Authors: Pasha Muhammad Adeel , Farooq Umer , Siddiqui Bilal
Published: September 2018

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), due to their programmability, have become a popular design choice for control and processing blocks of modern-day digital design. However, this flexibility makes them larger, slower, and less power-efficient when compared to Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). On the other hand, ASICs have their own drawbacks, such as lack of programmability and inflexibility. One potential solution is specialized fine-grained reconfigurable architectures that have improved flexibility over ASICs and better resource utilization than FPGAs. However, designing a fine-grained reconfigurable architecture is a daunting task in itself due to lack of high-level design-flow support. This article proposes an automated design-flow for the system-level simulation, optimization, and resource estimation of generic as well as custom fine-grained reconfigurable architectures. The proposed framework is generic in nature as it can be used for both control-oriented and compute-intensive applications and then generates a homogeneous or heterogeneous reconfigurable architecture for them. Four sets of homogeneous and heterogeneous benchmarks are used in this work to show the efficacy of our proposed design-flow, and simulation results reveal that our framework can generate both generic and custom fine-grained reconfigurable architectures. Moreover, the area and power estimations show that auto-generated domain-specific reconfigurable architectures are 76% and 73% more area and power-efficient, respectively, than generic FPGA-based implementations. These results are consistent with the savings reported for manual designs in the literature.
Ethno-nationalist Tourism in South Asia
Authors: Jamil Ghazala
Published: September 2018

Sasanka Parera, Warzone Tourism in Sri Lanka: Tales from Darker Places in Paradise. New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 2016, pp. 256, ₹750, ISBN: 93515 09222.
Dislocating the Masculine: How Nellie Bly Feminised Her Reports
Authors: Vengadasalam Puja
Published: September 2018

Nellie Bly’s pioneering contribution to eighteenth-century journalism has not been adequately recognised. The author bridges this gap in America’s media history by scrutinising the strategies she employed to make herself heard. By building in gender into her writing and articles and by interplaying the sensationalist with the reformer, Bly emerged out of the silence to which women were relegated to in the so-called Progressive Era. Not only was she thus able to chart new paths herself personally as an investigative reporter, travel writer and warfront correspondent, but she was also able to bring in some reform into the system, expose corruption and open the doors for the legion of women journalists who followed in her wake.
Book Review: Chapal Mehra (Ed), Tuberculosis India’s Ticking Time Bomb: The TB Survivors’ Manifesto
Authors: Chandra Shailaja
Published: September 2018

Chapal Mehra (Ed.), Tuberculosis India’s Ticking Time Bomb: The TB Survivors’ Manifesto. New Delhi: Speaking Tiger Books, 2018, 109 pp., ₹250, ISBN: 9789387693180 (Paperback).
Book Review: Peter A. Wilderer and Martin Grambow (Eds.), Global Stability through Decentralisation? In Search for the Right Balance between Central and Decentral Solutions
Authors: Shree Ruchi
Published: September 2018

Peter A. Wilderer and Martin Grambow (Eds.), Global Stability through Decentralisation? In Search for the Right Balance between Central and Decentral Solutions. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2016, 200 pp, ISBN-13: 978-3319243566.
Book Review: Ramnarayana S. Rawat and K. Satyanarayana (Eds.), Dalit Studies
Authors: Raju Chalwadi
Published: September 2018

Ramnarayana S. Rawat and K. Satyanarayana (Eds.), Dalit Studies. London: Duke University Press, 2016. 320 pp., $25.95, ISBN: 9780822361329 (Paperback).
Book Review: Aneela Zeb Babar, We are All Revolutionaries Here: Militarism, Political Islam and Gender in Pakistan
Authors: Chaudhury Proma Ray
Published: September 2018

Aneela Zeb Babar, We are All Revolutionaries Here: Militarism, Political Islam and Gender in Pakistan. New Delhi: SAGE Publications and Yoda Press, 2017, 196 pp., ₹695, ISBN: 9789386062482 (Hardcover).
Bundelkhand Development Package, Drought and the Development Question in India
Authors: Suthar Sudhir Kumar
Published: September 2018

This article discusses the case of the Bundelkhand Development Package (BDP). It shows how such short-term developmental policies for drought-affected regions in the country lack long-term policy imagination. The research reveals that there are major gaps between the government’s version of the package’s implementation and the situation at the ground level. The politics behind the package has failed to generate a more cohesive and consensus-based developmental policy framework for the region. Consequently, even after almost a decade, many parts of India continue to face farmers’ suicides and other calamities. The article largely analyses published government data on the progress of the package. It also includes some interviews and narratives as primary sources of information.
Regional Patterns of Deprivation in India: An Assessment Based on Household Characteristics, Basic Amenities and Asset Possession
Authors: Ansary Rabiul , Das Bhaswati
Published: September 2018

India remains home to 300 million people who live in extreme poverty and face multiple deprivations. Their homes lack basic services ranging from water, sanitation, electricity, health to education (Millennium Development Report, 2014). By mining the data available in the latest 2011 Census, this article attempts to provide a scheme of regionalisation on the basis of multi-dimensional deprivation of households across districts through an assessment of household dwelling characteristics, available basic amenities and assets possession. The study reveals that districts in the Empowered Action Group (EAG) states perform the worst, while states located in the western and southern part of India and their districts are comparatively better off. The analysis concludes that households deprived of good housing conditions and basic amenities, facilities essential for healthy and productive manpower, tend to be asset poor.
Foundational Models of Development, Underlying Assumptions and Critiques
Authors: Regmi Kapil Dev
Published: September 2018

Several theories of development (mainly modernisation, dependency, world system and postcolonial) are found in the current body of literature. However, the similarities and differences of these theories are not clearly articulated. This article has reviewed key scholarly literature in this field and found that major theories of development stem from three foundational models: modernist, dependency and post-development. The modernist model assumes that development a form of positive change in human societies, occurs in stages and has a fixed route applicable to all societies. The dependency model, on the other hand, challenges the assumptions of the modernist model and argues that the socio-economic prosperity of developing countries is not possible without dismantling the global capitalistic system. Finally, the post-development model challenges the assumptions of the modernist and dependency models and argues that development is an ideological discourse constructed by the West and hence we need alternatives to development theories.
Interpretations of Al-amanah Among Muslim Scholars and Its Role in Establishing Peace in Society
Authors: Islam Md Sirajul , Samsudin Sofiah
Published: September 2018

Al-amanah (honesty) is a fundamental virtue associated with all aspects of human actions. Its fulfillment is a command of the Almighty Allah and His Messenger. To achieve its understanding and in order to realise its significance in the contemporary world, we examine the concept of al-amanah as it is understood by experts from different disciplines. The study concentrates on the interpretations of the Qur’anic word al-amanah, mentioned in the Surah al-Ahzab 33: Ayah 72, which talks about it in various aspects of a person’s life. The study presents the meaning of al-amanah according to lexicographers and Muslim scholars from several disciplines such as tafsir, hadith, Islamic jurisprudence, as well as ethics. In conclusion, the study finds that al-amanah enables humans to eliminate ignorance, injustice, treason and so on from society, thus creating a more peaceful environment.
Mapping Lexical Innovation on American Social Media
Authors: Grieve Jack , Nini Andrea , Guo Diansheng
Published: September 2018

In this paper, we introduce a method for mapping lexical innovation, which we then use to track the origin and spread of new words on American Twitter, based on a multi-billion-word corpus of Tweets collected between 2013 and 2014. We first extract fifty-four emerging words from the corpus by searching for words that are very uncommon at the end of 2013 but whose use rises dramatically over the course of 2014. We then map the origin and spread of each of these words. Based on these results, we identify five main regional patterns of lexical innovation on American Twitter, primarily associated with the West Coast, the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Deep South, and the Gulf Coast. We conclude by proposing explanations for these results and by discussing their significance to theories of language variation and change, including both the actuation and diffusion of lexical innovations.
Anchoring in Mergers and Acquisitions: Does the Regulatory Environment Matter?
Authors: Ranganathan Kavitha , Singh Poonam
Published: September 2018

We examine the 52-week anchoring effect in the Indian takeover market that has a unique regulatory design. The Indian takeover regulation mandates the minimum offer price to be function of the target’s 26-week or 60-day high price. We show that the 52-week anchoring effect is robust even in the face of other regulatory anchors that differ from the widely cited 52-week high price. The anchoring effect dominates when the offer price exceeds the 52-week high price. Regulatory intervention in 2011 that shifts the floor price to a recent market price, such as the 60-day high price, does not attenuate the 52-week anchoring effect. We infer that acquirers are willing to pay a higher premium while anchoring to the 52-week high price, even when the regulatory focus is on lower reference prices. Besides, regulatory anchors also serve as additional focal points, demonstrated by the significance of the 26-week high price during its own period of regulation (2002-2011).
Media Use and Materialism: A Comparative Study of Impact of Television Exposure and Internet Indulgence on Young Adults
Authors: Behal Manisha , Soni Pavleen
Published: September 2018

Media exposure is often witnessed to promote materialism in youth. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate and compare the level of materialism in young media users due to television exposure and Internet indulgence. A sample of 714 young media users (15–24 years) has been taken from schools and colleges of Punjab (India) and data have been analysed through hierarchical regression analysis and independent sample t-test through SPSS 19.0. Using a three-factor structure to measure materialism—material success, material happiness and material centrality—the findings reveal that media (TV and Internet) strongly inculcates materialism in young media users, when effects of child and family variables are controlled. But, magnitude of the effect of media (TV and Internet) is more prominently visible on material centrality construct than other two constructs of materialism. Also, groups of child and family variables showed significant differences across materialism constructs. Internet indulgence coupled with socio-oriented family communication significantly contributes to materialism. Because of the highest influence of media on material centrality, the leaders in the media industry should be more involved in scrutinizing the content and encourage their clients to develop more socially responsible depictions in media.
‘It takes two to tango’: HIV non-disclosure and the neutralization of victimhood*
Authors: Speakman Erica
Published: September 2018

There is a rich and fulsome literature on victims and the processes by which certain groups or individuals come to be constructed as victims. Less attention has been paid to the rhetorical moves employed as counter strategies by groups who seek to challenge victim status and the use of the ‘victim’ label for particular groups. Using the debates around the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure as a case study, the aim of this paper is to contribute towards a better understanding of efforts to deny or neutralize victimhood. The paper identifies several strategies utilized by individuals and groups, the object of which is to raise questions about the appropriateness of a criminal response to HIV non-disclosure by constructing those who have had intimate encounters with HIV non-disclosers as equally responsible for their circumstances rather than as victims of non-disclosers.
Promoting Upstanding Behavior in Youth: A Proposed Model
Authors: Vera Elizabeth , Hill Lincoln , Daskalova Plamena , Chander Natasha , Galvin Sarah , Boots Tonya , Polanin Megan
Published: September 2018

Despite what we have learned about the causes and consequences of bullying, efforts to reduce bullying through interventions to date have yielded modest results. Most bullying prevention efforts have targeted perpetrators and victims, ignoring the powerful role that observers play in maintaining cycles of bullying. This article presents literature from the fields of bystander behavior, empathy training, multicultural education, and ally/social justice orientation development; integrates relevant findings; and proposes a comprehensive model of upstanding behavior to inform prevention efforts. Through helping youth understand the value of being upstanders, there is a greater propensity for our schools and communities to become safer, more compassionate places that value the contributions of all members.
Effective metrics for multi-robot motion-planning
Authors: Atias Aviel , Solovey Kiril , Salzman Oren , Halperin Dan
Published: September 2018

We study the effectiveness of metrics for multi-robot motion-planning (MRMP) when using rapidly-exploring random tree (RRT)-style sampling-based planners. These metrics play the crucial role of determining the nearest neighbors of configurations and in that they regulate the connectivity of the underlying roadmaps produced by the planners and other properties such as the quality of solution paths. After screening over a dozen different metrics we focus on the five most promising ones: two more traditional metrics, and three novel ones, which we propose here, adapted from the domain of shape-matching. In addition to the novel multi-robot metrics, a central contribution of this work are tools to analyze and predict the effectiveness of metrics in the MRMP context. We identify a suite of possible substructures in the configuration space, for which it is fairly easy: (i) to define a so-called natural distance that allows us to predict the performance of a metric, which is done by comparing the distribution of its values for sampled pairs of configurations to the distribution induced by the natural distance; and (ii) to define equivalence classes of configurations and test how well a metric covers the different classes. We provide experiments that attest to the ability of our tools to predict the effectiveness of metrics: those metrics that qualify in the analysis yield higher success rate of the planner with fewer vertices in the roadmap. We also show how combining several metrics together may lead to better results (success rate and size of roadmap) than using a single metric.
The need for school administrative policies to manage meningitis amongst students in Nigeria: a viewpoint
Authors: Nwobi Uju A. , Eseadi Chiedu , Okide Charity C. , Ogbonnaya Kingsley Asogu , Nwachukwu Ruphina , Onuigbo Liziana N. , Oboegbulem Angie I. , Nwaubani Okechukwu O. , Ugwu Uchenna C. , Ohia Nkiru C. , Aye Eucharia N. , Ololo Kennedy O. , Ofuebe Justina Ifeoma , Ezegbe Bernedeth N.
Published: September 2018

Students are at greater risk of meningitis than non-students of similar age. However, a lack of specific school administrative policies for the management of meningitis may contribute to the increasing incidence of meningitis in the student population. The study aims were to promote the need for a policy framework in school settings to manage meningitis, and to encourage research to assess the readiness of school administrators to adopt such a policy in Nigeria. The material reviewed here derives from expert opinion, gray literature, national data sources, websites, and peer-reviewed journals. It is important to offer comprehensible, reliable, and accurate information about meningitis to students and staff of every school in Nigeria, as one of the best ways of achieving the goal of preventing meningitis in students may be through the adoption and implementation of meningitis policy frameworks by school administrators. Furthermore, studies are required to examine the readiness of school administrators to adopt a meningitis policy framework.
Usefulness of surgical pleth index-guided analgesia during general anesthesia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Won Young Ju , Lim Byung Gun , Kim Young Sung , Lee Mido , Kim Heezoo
Published: September 2018

Objective

Previous studies comparing surgical pleth index (SPI)-guided and conventional analgesia have shown differing results. Therefore, we compared the intraoperative opioid requirement, extubation time, postoperative pain scores, and perioperative adverse events between these two modalities.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials comparing the intraoperative opioid requirement and other outcomes between the two modalities. The mean difference (MD) or the pooled risk ratio and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for analysis. A heterogeneity (I2) assessment was performed.

Results

Six randomized controlled trials comparing 463 patients were included. Intraoperative opioid consumption was significantly lower in the SPI-guided than conventional analgesia group (standardized MD, −0.41; 95% CI, −0.70 to −0.11; I2 = 53%). No significant intergroup difference was observed in the pain score on the first postoperative day or the incidence of perioperative adverse events. The extubation time was considerably shorter in the SPI-guided than conventional analgesia group (MD, −1.91; 95% CI, −3.33 to −0.49; I2 = 67%).

Conclusions

Compared with conventional analgesia, SPI-guided analgesia can reduce intraoperative opioid consumption and facilitate extubation. Moreover, no intergroup difference was observed in the degree of postoperative pain or incidence of perioperative adverse events.
Can a linear external fixator stand as a surgical alternative to open reduction in treating a high-grade supracondylar humerus fracture?
Authors: Rinat Barak , Dujovny Eytan , Bor Noam , Rozen Nimrod , Rubin Guy
Published: September 2018

Objective

High-grade pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures are commonly treated with closed reduction and internal fixation with percutaneous pinning. When this fails, open reduction followed by internal fixation is the widely accepted procedure of choice. Use of a lateral external fixator was recently described as an optional procedure, but evidence is scarce.

Methods

We investigated the outcomes of upper limbs treated by either open reduction with internal fixation or closed reduction and external fixation.

Results

Twenty-one patients completed the long-term follow-up; 11 underwent open reduction, and 10 underwent external fixation. Most patients in both groups reported excellent satisfaction. In both groups, the modified Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was extremely low and the average elbow range of motion was almost identical. Radiographic analysis consisting of Baumann’s angle and the carrying angle revealed no statistical difference between the two groups.

Discussion

Optional treatment using a linear external fixator for complex nonreducible supracondylar humerus fractures yielded acceptable clinical and radiographic results, as with open reduction. Our sample size was small, but the promising results may assist in the implementation of an alternative surgical procedure, especially in more complicated cases involving flexion-type fractures or severe soft tissue damage and swelling.
Characteristics of Female Youth Offenders in New Zealand
Authors: Lim Stacey , Lambie Ian , van Toledo Annik
Published: September 2018

Female youth offending is poorly understood, despite increased rates of such offending. Research indicates there are a range of factors that have a causal impact on the development of offending in young people. This study investigated risk factors using a retrospective file audit of 184 female youth offenders in New Zealand. The findings were classified using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, which highlights the different contextual levels that influence behavior, including individual, family, peer, school, community, and cultural factors. The results indicate that there are significant risk factors for female youth offenders. There were high rates of mental health difficulties, drug use, histories of maltreatment, family stressors, peer issues, and school behavior problems in the cohort. There was very little difference between violent and nonviolent offenders. All the young women had risk factors affecting them at many levels. Targeted, multisystemic intervention and prevention programs are therefore needed to address female youth offending.
Using Traffic Signal Control to Limit Speeding Opportunities on Bidirectional Urban Arterials
Authors: Furth Peter G. , Halawani Ahmed T. M. , Li Jin , Hu Weimin (Jake) , Cesme Burak
Published: September 2018

Although controlling speed on urban arterials is important for safety, conventional traffic calming techniques cannot usually be applied on arterials, and many jurisdictions prohibit automated speed enforcement. Moreover, unlike unidirectional arterials, bidirectional arterials with short intersection spacing are not amenable to green waves that can remove the incentive to speed. This research explores the ways that traffic signal coordination creates – or limits – speeding opportunities on bidirectional arterials. Two measures of speeding opportunity are proposed: number of unconstrained vehicles, meaning vehicles arriving at a stopline on green and with no vehicle less than 5 s ahead of them, and number of speeders in a traffic microsimulation in which 20% of the vehicles have been assigned a desired speed in the “speeding” range. Theoretical analysis, confirmed by two case studies, show how speeding opportunities are related to degree of saturation, cycle length, specified progression speed (as in input to signal timing software), intersection spacing, and recall settings. The important role of clusters of intersections with near-simultaneous greens, a byproduct of bidirectional coordination with short intersection spacing, is examined. Clusters with many intersections are shown to create a strong speeding incentive, and cluster size can be reduced by lowering the cycle length and the progression speed. Case studies show it is sometimes possible to substantially reduce speeding opportunities with little or no increase in vehicular delay by lowering cycle length, lowering progression speed, dividing an arterial into smaller “coordination zones” with each zone having its own cycle length, and by abandoning coordination altogether.
Comparing Pressure Aging Vessel Time to Field Aging of Binder as a Function of Pavement Depth and Time
Authors: Smith Braden T. , Howard Isaac L. , Jordan Walter S. , Daranga Codrin , Baumgardner Gaylon L.
Published: September 2018

The AASHTO R28 pressure aging vessel (PAV) binder conditioning protocol has been heavily used for over two decades as part of purchasing specifications. Many paving industry changes have occurred since PAV was implemented in the early 1990s. This paper provides discussion with respect to a controlled test section in which the exact binders from construction were subjected to multiple PAV times and compared with properties observed after 2 or 4 years of field aging. The data suggests that 2 and 4 years of field aging were best simulated by 21 h and 45 h of PAV time for binders extracted from the top 1.3 cm of the pavement surface. For binders extracted from 5.0 to 6.3 cm below the pavement surface (i.e., at depth), 2 and 4 years of field aging were best simulated by 3 and 14 h of PAV conditioning, respectively. These results indicate that a PAV rate of 11 h per year of simulation seemed adequate for binders aged on the pavement surface, and a PAV rate of 3 h per year of simulation seemed most reasonable for binders aged at depth. Considering these rates, the current 20-h protocol in R28 seems to simulate roughly 2 years of aging at the pavement surface and about 6.5 years at depth. The amount of field aging simulation at depth is within the range of 5 to 10 years of aging suggested by R28.
Integrating Dynamic Signaling Commands Under Fixed-Block Signaling Systems into Train Dispatching Optimization Problems
Authors: Luan Xiaojie , De Schutter Bart , Corman Francesco , Lodewijks Gabriel
Published: September 2018

In railway operations, when a disruption occurs, train dispatchers aim to adjust the affected schedule and to minimize negative consequences during and after the disruption. As one of the most important components of the railway system, railway signals are used to guarantee the safety of train services. We study the train dispatching problem with consideration of railway signaling commands under the fixed-block signaling system. In such a system, signaling commands dynamically depend on the movement of the preceding trains in the network. We clarify the impact of the signaling commands on train schedules, which has so far been neglected in the literature on railway train dispatching, and we propose an innovative set of signaling constraints to describe the impact. The determination of the signal indicators is presented using “if-then” constraints, which are further transformed into linear inequalities by applying two transformation properties. Activation of the train speed limits that result from the signaling commands is the core purpose of the signaling constraints, and this is implemented by using the signal indicators. Moreover, we formulate the Greenwave (GW) policy, which requires that trains always proceed under green signals, and we further investigate the impact of the GW policy on delays. In numerical experiments, the proposed signaling constraints are employed within a time-instant optimization problem, which is a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed signaling constraints and show the impact of the signaling commands and GW policy on the train dispatching solution.
Laboratory Evaluation of Mixture Type on Highly Modified Asphalt Mixtures in Virginia
Authors: Bowers Benjamin F.
Published: September 2018

The work presented attempts to address reflective cracking of asphalt-surfaced pavements through binder modification with a highly polymer (HP)-modified asphalt binder. Nine asphalt mixtures ranging from fine dense-graded mixtures to stone matrix asphalt (SMA) mixtures were investigated with conventional polymer modified binders and HP binder. The dynamic modulus test, overlay test (OT), and semi-circular bend (SCB) test were used to evaluate the mixtures. In the cracking tests, HP mixtures outperformed the conventionally modified control mixtures for the same mixture type. For HP mixtures, in general, SMA mixtures performed better in the cracking test than dense-graded mixtures. One of the dense-graded mixtures having larger nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS) performed better than the mixture with a smaller NMAS, whereas the other having a larger NMAS was not significantly different in crack testing. Further, a discussion on the calculation of bulk specific gravity and percent air voids in a cut OT and SCB specimen using saturated surface dry or vacuum sealing methods is presented.
Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing of Connected and Automated Vehicle Applications: A Use Case for Queue-Aware Signalized Intersection Approach and Departure
Authors: Ma Jiaqi , Zhou Fang , Huang Zhitong , Melson Christopher L. , James Rachel , Zhang Xiaoxiao
Published: September 2018

Most existing studies on connected and automated vehicle (CAV) applications apply simulation to evaluate system effectiveness. Model accuracy, limited data for calibration, and simulation assumptions limit the validity of evaluation results. One alternative approach is to use emerging hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing methods. HIL test environments enable physical test vehicles to interact with virtual vehicles from traffic simulation models, providing an evaluation environment that can replicate deployment conditions at early stages of CAV technology implementation without incurring excessive costs related to large field tests. In this study, a HIL testing system for vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) CAV applications is developed. The involved software and hardware includes a physical CAV controlled in real time, a traffic signal controller, communication devices, and a traffic simulator (VISSIM). Such HIL systems increase validity by considering the physical vehicle’s trajectories—which are constrained by real-world factors such as GPS accuracy, communication delay, and vehicle dynamics—in a simulated traffic environment. The developed HIL system is applied to test a representative early deployment CAV application: queue-aware signalized intersection approach and departure (Q-SIAD). The Q-SIAD algorithm generates recommended speed profiles based on the vehicle’s status, signal phase and timing (SPaT), downstream queue length, and system constraints and parameters (e.g., maximum acceleration and deceleration). The algorithm also considers the status of other vehicles in designing the speed profiles. The experiment successfully demonstrated this functionality with one test CAV driving through one intersection controlled by a fixed-timing traffic signal under various simulated traffic conditions.
Support Condition and Traffic Loading Patterns Influencing Laboratory Determination of Under Ballast Mat Bedding Modulus and Insertion Loss
Authors: de O. Lima Arthur , Dersch Marcus S. , Tutumluer Erol , Edwards J. Riley , Qian Yu
Published: September 2018

In recent years, noise and vibration concerns have grown as environmental regulations and requirements impose greater responsibilities on infrastructure owners. Under ballast mats, rubber elastomers inserted below the ballast or concrete slab, have been widely deployed and studied in Europe, but the amount of research to date in North America is limited. Current testing practices for obtaining component level properties of under ballast mats are based on European practices and loading environments. Moreover, these procedures use experimental setups, which are often not representative of field loading conditions. With this in mind, the research presented in this paper investigates static bedding modulus properties of three under ballast mats by varying support and loading conditions to simulate revenue-service field scenarios involving both ballasted and concrete slab track. Performance prediction indicators such as insertion loss (related to vibration reduction) were also evaluated using prediction models that required the use of the experimentally obtained bedding modulus results as inputs. Results showed a difference of up to 33% in bedding modulus results among the support conditions tested. Additionally, the insertion loss was changed by up to 1.8 dB. Traffic pattern simulations also demonstrated a sharp rate of stiffening due to static preload conditioning as well as a gradual rate of asymptotic stiffening with accumulated loading cycles. This finding further identifies the need to quantify a revenue service “working range” stiffness for the component.
Estimating Revenue-Neutral Mileage-Based Fees for Urban and Rural Households in Eight Western States
Authors: Fitzroy Stephen S. , Schroeckenthaler Kyle
Published: September 2018

This paper focuses on one alternative source of revenue—a mileage-based user fee—as a potential substitute for the current gasoline excise tax. It examines one of many questions that arise when this source of funding is considered—the potential for differential financial effects on urban and rural households. The issue has been characterized as one of “equity,” and more specifically whether rural households will pay a disproportionately greater share of the costs if states transition from a fuel-consumption-based to a mileage-based funding system. This paper presents an approach to address this question using existing sources of data and a set of assumptions designed to assess a “revenue-neutral” substitution of mileage-based charges for the current gasoline excise tax. Based on the methods used in this paper, it appears that rural households may, in fact, benefit from introduction of a mileage-based fee because they will pay less than under the current system in all states investigated for this study.