bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Restoring Credit in Post-Napoleonic France: Settling French War Claims
Authors: Gauchet Thomas , Haynes Christine
Published: February 2019

This article examines a forgotten episode in the Napoleonic Wars: the Restoration government’s liquidation of claims from the Allied invasions of 1814 and 1815. While paying requisitions and reparations to the Allied powers, the new regime reimbursed its own subjects for debts – in taxes, requisitions, and damages – incurred by the previous regime. This indemnification was central to the monarchy’s strategy to restore its political and economic credit. Tracing the goals and mechanisms of this indemnification, the article argues that, though it succeeded in re-establishing the state’s financial credit, it exacerbated divisions between royalists and revolutionaries, thereby undermining its political stability.
The Shōwa Political Crisis, July 1940: The Imperial Japanese Army Courts a Breach with its Sovereign
Authors: Mauch Peter
Published: February 2019

This article examines a criminally understudied moment in modern Japanese military and political history. It is well known that the Imperial Japanese Army, in July 1940, toppled the cabinet of Prime Minister Yonai Mitsumasa. Yet, the damage thereby inflicted on the army’s relationship with the emperor remains virtually unnoticed. So, too, are the army’s subsequent efforts at repairing its relationship with its emperor. By exploring these issues, this article enters the long-standing and polarized debate concerning the Shôwa Emperor’s role in Japanese aggression in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Anti-Submarine Warfare in the Pre-First World War Royal Navy: A Cultural Failure?
Authors: Dunley Richard
Published: February 2019

In August 1914 the Royal Navy entered the First World War without a clear sense of how it was going to undertake anti-submarine warfare (ASW). In part this was a technical issue; fundamentally the requirements of ASW were at the very edge of what was then possible. This article will, however, argue that the problem ran deeper, and stemmed from cultural assumptions about what the role of the Royal Navy was, and how it should seek to address the challenge posed by submarines.
Dynamics of Actors in Innovation in Public Health Services: Brazilian Experience
Authors: Nodari Cristine Hermann , Almeida Guimarães Luciana Gondim de , Veiga Neto Alipio Ramos , Olea Pelayo Munhoz , Barros Rasia Isabel Cristina Rosa
Published: February 2019

The analysis of development of innovation in services starts from the interaction of different actors. This research aimed to identify the dynamics of the mobilization of preferences and capabilities of different actors (political decision-makers, users and servers) in the development of the final characteristics of the service and, consequently, of the innovation in the public health context of a municipality located in the south of Brazil. Was carried out analysis of data from descriptive and inferential statistics of case study. The main results highlight the preponderance of the operation of server capacity for mobilization of different types of innovation, and consequently the production of the final characteristics of the health service. In this context, service innovation can finally be taken as the endogenous decision-making process of the organizations that make up the sector and that derive from the very nature of health services. Finally, we described the limitations and future research opportunities.
Evaluating Level Efficiency Versus Growth Efficiency in the Indian Automobile Industry in a Non-parametric DEA Approach
Authors: Panigrahi Ramakrushna
Published: February 2019

This article examines level (static) efficiency vis-à-vis growth (dynamic) efficiency for the Indian automobile sector which faces intense competition following the liberalization policies of 1991. In recent times, with stricter environmental norms and rising costs of production, the industry faces an uphill task to keep the costs down to remain relevant in the global market characterized by an oligopolistic market structure with sticky output price phenomenon. To remain profitable in such a hyper competitive market, a firm needs to innovate constantly and manage the costs by ensuring optimality in production, distribution and the entire supply chain. This requires that a firm needs to have dynamic efficiency along with static efficiency so as to achieve cost competitiveness. The empirical findings of dynamic efficiency of our study provide deeper insights regarding the growth strategy behaviour of firms in the Indian automobile industry.
Structural state awareness through integration of global dynamic and local material behavior
Authors: Habtour Ed M , Cole Daniel P , Kube Christopher M , Henry Todd C , Haynes Robert A , Gardea Frank , Sano Tomoko , Tinga Tiedo
Published: February 2019

Structural health monitoring and nondestructive inspection techniques typically assess the lifecycle and reliability of high-value aerospace, mechanical, and civil systems. Maintenance and inspection intervals are typically time-based and dependent on the structural health monitoring/nondestructive inspection technique to detect macroscale damage resulting from fatigue or environmental damage. The current work proposes an integrated materials-structures-dynamics approach for providing state awareness of structural health. The proposed approach shifts the conventional structural health monitoring/nondestructive inspection focus of searching for cracks to a health state awareness based on tracking changes in the energetics of the materials-structures-dynamics states. Energy variations are tracked in a cantilevered structure exposed to nonlinear harmonic oscillation, where the strain energy of the beam was derived and used to determine a health state index. Nanoindentation was used to probe the near-surface mechanical properties of the beam to characterize local material variations as a function of fatigue cycles. A nonlinear ultrasonic approach was considered in order to connect the local material behavior changes to the variations in the dynamic performance of the beam. The intent of the investigation was to connect the traditionally detached materials, structural, and dynamics approaches to structural health monitoring/nondestructive inspection, while providing a framework for enabling damage precursor detection.
Stepfather: Where Is the Accent Placed in This Compound Word?
Authors: Gold Joshua M.
Published: February 2019

This article delineates therapeutic directions for counselors providing service to stepfamilies and, particularly, stepfathers. In the first section, an analysis of the professional literature confirms the numbers of stepfamilies nationwide, resulting in their presence of the caseload of counselors regardless of counseling setting. The second segment presents current conceptualizations of the determination of the role of the biological father–child relationship in determining the “fathering role” of the stepfather. Then, the practical directions section discusses clinical interventions with the children and biological father, the biological mother and the stepfather, and then the stepfamily as whole in the crystallization of the fathering role of the stepfather. This proposed treatment orientation is supported by implications for future study toward confirming its theoretical and therapeutic efficacy.
Prospective Risk and Protective Factors for Juvenile Arrest Among Youth At Risk for Maltreatment
Authors: Morrow Anne S. , Villodas Miguel T. , Cunius Moira K.
Published: February 2019

This study aimed to prospectively identify ecological risk factors for juvenile arrest in a sample of youth at risk for maltreatment. Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector analysis was performed with data from 592 youth from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect to identify the optimal combination of age 14 predictors of past-year arrest at age 16. Results extended previous research, which has identified being male, having more conduct disorder symptoms, suspension from school, perceived school importance, witnessing family violence, and having a jailed family member as key risk and protective factors for arrest by identifying important interactions among these risk factors. These interactions differentiate youth at the greatest risk of arrest, which, in this sample, were males with greater than two symptoms of conduct disorder who witnessed family violence. These findings suggest that longitudinal and multi-informant data could inform the refinement of actuarial risk assessments for juvenile arrest.
Essays, Essayists, and Essayism: A Slow Critique
Authors: Badley Graham Francis
Published: February 2019

In this essay I provide a slow critique of essays, essayists, and essayism. By “slow critique” I follow the lead of Foucault by adopting a patient process of slow rumination. I also try (which is what essayists do) to resist “fault finding” but feel that, at times, I fail in the attempt. Not all essays are fully successful. As well as appreciating the essay as form and process I offer a few examples of highly achieving essayists. My approach to essayism, however, verges on disparagement.
Predictors of Assertive and Nonassertive Styles of Self-Defense Behavior During a Lab-Based Sexual Assault Scenario
Authors: Anderson RaeAnn E. , Cahill Shawn P. , Silver Kristin E. , Delahanty Douglas L.
Published: February 2019

The current study examined how psychological factors influence hypothetical behavioral responses to threat (BRTT). College women ( n = 113) with a history of sexual victimization completed a standardized lab-based self-defense scenario. Interpersonal skills, coping style, and assertive and nonassertive BRTT during a prior assault predicted assertive BRTT during the task. The use of nonassertive BRTT during past assaults no longer predicted assertive BRTT during the task when accounting for rape acknowledgment. Findings regarding rape acknowledgment demonstrate the complexity of recovery from sexual assault. Our results highlight interpersonal skills as an intervention target for innovative sexual assault risk reduction interventions.
Common feline problem behaviors: Urine spraying
Authors: Horwitz Debra F
Published: February 2019

Practical relevance:

Urine spraying (synonymous terms include urine marking or scent marking) is commonly described as urine deposited on vertical surfaces while the cat is in a standing position. With the increasing trend of keeping cats indoors in some countries and the potential resultant increase in frustration-related behaviors, urine spraying may occur in the home. Although also a normal feline behavior, it is usually not deemed acceptable when the cat targets household possessions. Urine spraying is a common behavioral complaint that practitioners receive from cat owners and has the potential to disrupt the human–cat bond. In fact, feline elimination issues are a frequent reason cited by owners when they relinquish their cats to shelters and rescue organizations.

Clinical challenges:

While the location of the deposited urine should be diagnostic, this is not always the case. Urine marking can occur on horizontal surfaces, thus complicating the diagnosis. Urine spraying by intact males and females is used to signal availability for mating but the behaviour can also be exhibited by neutered animals. Multiple factors including medical problems can trigger the onset and maintenance of urine spraying, and correct identification of these is necessary for treatment to be most successful.

Evidence base:

This review draws on information from multiple studies that have been published on the normal aspects of urine spraying in cats, the frequency as reported by owners, the relationship of urine spraying to intercat aggression and various treatment options including behavior modification, pheromone therapy and use of psychoactive medication.
Common feline problem behaviours: Owner-directed aggression
Authors: Amat Marta , Manteca Xavier
Published: February 2019

Practical relevance:

Aggression towards owners is a common behavioural problem in cats, particularly in cats that have been obtained from pet shops or other sources where there has been inadequate socialisation with people, and in those kept only indoors. Very often aggression is associated with a stress response and it may potentially lead to relinquishment and euthanasia of the cat. Therefore, preventing and treating owner-directed aggression has significant benefits for the welfare of the cat and the quality of the cat–owner bond.

Aim:

The objectives of this article are to highlight the characteristics of the most common types of feline aggression towards human family members and to describe, in a very practical way, the main treatment strategies. The article is aimed at general practitioners; for severe cases of aggression and/or cases involving feral cats, referral to a specialist behaviourist is recommended.

Clinical challenges:

Veterinarians and behaviourists are not always able to witness the aggressive behaviour of the cat and therefore a detailed and accurate interview, as well as the use of complementary tools such as video recording, is essential to reach a diagnosis.

Evidence base:

This review draws on evidence from an extensive body of published literature as well as the authors’ clinical experience and own research.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T Gene Polymorphism as Risk Factor for Psoriasis in Saudis
Authors: Huraib Ghaleb Bin , Harthi Fahad Al , Arfin Misbahul , Khlaiwi Ahmad Al , Rizvi Sadaf , Al-Asmari Abdulrahman
Published: February 2019

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) has been linked with the etiopathogenesis of psoriasis with inconsistent results. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism was evaluated in 106 Saudi psoriasis vulgaris patients and 280 matched healthy controls using PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length plymorphism) technique. The cardiovascular risk factors were also compared in cases and controls. Allele T and genotypes CT and TT were found to be increased while allele C and genotype CC significantly decreased in psoriasis patients as compared with controls ( P < .001). These results showed that the T-allele and T-containing genotypes (TT, CT) of MTHFR C677T are significantly linked with psoriasis susceptibility while C-allele and CC genotype are protective for it. Body mass index, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein, known markers for cardiovascular diseases, were found to be significantly elevated in the patient group as compared with the controls. It is concluded that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism increases psoriasis risk in Saudi patients.
Pleomorphic Mantle Cell Lymphoma of the Tongue Base Presenting With Dysphagia
Authors: Ryan Marisa A , Cheng Tracy , Yoo David S , Fisher Samuel R
Published: February 2019

Objectives:

We aim to increase awareness of pleomorphic mantle cell lymphoma as a rare, but aggressive form of lymphoma with propensity for recurrence in secondary locations.

Methods:

We report the case of a 70-year-old man who presented with chronic post-nasal drainage, dysphagia, and voice changes caused by a tongue base mass.

Results:

Partial excision and pathology showed a pleomorphic mantle cell lymphoma, and radiation treatment was completed. A regional recurrence was detected 3 years later and treated with radiation. He had no evidence of disease 17 months after treatment of the recurrence and is under close surveillance.

Conclusions:

Pleomorphic mantle cell lymphoma is an aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that can affect the head and neck. Confirming the diagnosis with immunotyping and genotyping from fresh specimens can guide appropriate treatment and then close clinical follow-up.
Robustness against outliers: A new variance inflated regression model for proportions
Authors: Di Brisco Agnese Maria , Migliorati Sonia , Ongaro Andrea
Published: February 2019

This article addresses the issue of building regression models for bounded responses, which are robust in the presence of outliers. To this end, a new distribution on (0,1) and a regression model based on it are proposed and some properties are derived. The distribution is a mixture of two beta components. One of them, showing a higher variance (variance inflated) is expected to capture outliers. Within a Bayesian approach, an extensive robustness study is performed to compare the new model with three competing ones present in the literature. A broad range of inferential tools are considered, aimed at measuring the influence of various outlier patterns from diverse perspectives. It emerges that the new model displays a better performance in terms of stability of regression coefficients’ posterior distributions and of regression curves under all outlier patterns. Moreover, it exhibits an adequate behaviour under all considered settings, unlike the other models.
The institutional consequences of decoupling exposure
Authors: Hensel Przemysław G , Guérard Stéphane
Published: February 2019

What happens to a norm when it becomes publicly known that organizations are decoupling their activities from it? Since the publication of Meyer and Rowan’s pivotal paper, the institutional consequences of publicly denouncing that organizations engage in decoupling have been examined only tangentially. Our article fills this gap by offering a model that explains the institutional consequences of decoupling exposure. We show how sanctions, initial norm validity, reactions of exposed organizations, and evaluations by field members witnessing the exposure lead to either the reinforcement or the disruption of a norm that is transgressed. We also offer a counter-intuitive explanation as to why decoupling exposure may actually weaken rather than reinforce norms that activists attempt to promote by exposing decoupling.
The Emerging World of TCR-T Cell Trials Against Cancer: A Systematic Review
Authors: Zhang Jianxiang , Wang Lingyu
Published: February 2019

T-cell receptor–engineered T-cell therapy and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy are 2 types of adoptive T-cell therapy that genetically modify natural T cells to treat cancers. Although chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy has yielded remarkable efficacy for hematological malignancies of the B-cell lineages, most solid tumors fail to respond significantly to chimeric antigen receptor T cells. T-cell receptor–engineered T-cell therapy, on the other hand, has shown unprecedented promise in treating solid tumors and has attracted growing interest. In order to create an unbiased, comprehensive, and scientific report for this fast-moving field, we carefully analyzed all 84 clinical trials using T-cell receptor–engineered T-cell therapy and downloaded from ClinicalTrials.gov updated by June 11, 2018. Informative features and trends were observed in these clinical trials. The number of trials initiated each year is increasing as expected, but an interesting pattern is observed. NY-ESO-1, as the most targeted antigen type, is the target of 31 clinical trials; melanoma is the most targeted cancer type and is the target of 33 clinical trials. Novel antigens and underrepresented cancers remain to be targeted in future studies and clinical trials. Unlike chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, only about 16% of the 84 clinical trials target against hematological malignancies, consistent with T-cell receptor–engineered T-cell therapy’s high potential for solid tumors. Six pharma/biotech companies with novel T-cell receptor–engineered T-cell ideas and products were examined in this review. Multiple approaches have been utilized in these companies to increase the T-cell receptor’s affinity and efficiency and to minimize cross-reactivity. The major challenges in the development of the T-cell receptor–engineered T-cell therapy due to tumor microenvironment were also discussed here.
Intersection of Cultural and Religious Beliefs About Mental Health: Latinos in the Faith-Based Setting
Authors: Caplan Susan
Published: February 2019

Introduction:

Hispanics/Latinos utilize mental health care at a rate that is about half that of non-Hispanic Whites. Stigma and cultural and religious values play a significant role in mental health care utilization disparities. The purpose of this study was to explore beliefs about mental illness among Latino faith-based communities.

Methods:

A qualitative approach was used to explore perceptions of mental illness that were elicited during “El Buen Consejo,” a mental health literacy intervention delivered within three faith-based settings.

Results:

Participants were socialized to believe that persons with mental illness were dangerous, out of control, and suffering from an incurable illness that resulted in rejection and ostracism. Most families would deny the existence of depression and mental illness, unless symptoms greatly interfered with daily functioning or were life-threatening. Religious coping such as prayer, and faith in God, were believed to be protective factors. Causal attributions for depression were both biomedical and religious, such as lack of faith, not praying, demons, and sinful behaviors of parents.

Conclusion:

Latinos rely upon churches as a major social, educational, and spiritual resource. The cultural values among Latinos can be a source of strength but also contribute to stigma. The faith-based community is an important target for mental health literacy and antistigma interventions.
Additive manufacturing: Challenges, trends, and applications
Authors: Abdulhameed Osama , Al-Ahmari Abdulrahman , Ameen Wadea , Mian Syed Hammad
Published: February 2019

Additive manufacturing is a recent trend in production processes owing to its many benefits. It can be defined as the process of producing parts through the deposition of material in a layer-by-layer fashion. It has been a topic of intense study and review by many researchers. In this work, a comprehensive review pertaining to additive manufacturing has been accomplished. The evolution of additive manufacturing as a prominent technology and its various phases are discussed. The importance of part orientation, build time estimation, and cost computation has also been reviewed. The remarkable aspect of this work is the identification of problems associated with different additive manufacturing methods. Because of the imperfections in additive manufacturing, its hybridization with other methods, such as subtractive manufacturing, has been emphasized. This review will help readers understand the different aspects of additive manufacturing and explore new avenues for future research.
Comparison and evaluation of multi-criteria supplier selection approaches: A case study
Authors: Alkahtani Mohammed , Al-Ahmari Abdulrahman , Kaid Husam , Sonboa Mohammed
Published: February 2019

Supplier selection problem has a major regard in terms of the performance of supply chain of an organization. Several various approaches were proposed, including the analytic hierarchy process, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, and fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). However, no comparative researches of these three approaches related to the supplier selection problem have been carried out. Therefore, this article proposes a methodology to evaluate the selected approaches. The evaluation was conducted based on the following factors: agility during the decision process, computational complexity, number of criteria and alternative suppliers, and adequacy in supporting a group decision. The methodology is implemented in X company. The results show that each approach is convenient to the supplier evaluation and selection problem, particularly toward the support of group decision-making and uncertainty modeling. In terms of computational complexity, analytic hierarchy process performs better than fuzzy TOPSIS and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. Moreover, the fuzzy TOPSIS approach is better suited to the supplier evaluation and selection in terms of agility during the decision process, the number of criteria and alternative suppliers, and the adequacy in supporting a group decision.
An improved spatio-temporal context tracking algorithm based on scale correlation filter
Authors: Li Wei-Guang , Wan Hao
Published: February 2019

Spatio-temporal context algorithm is commonly used in geology and has been introduced into the field of target tracking in recent years. The algorithm improved the robustness of visual tracking through dense contextual information around the target and thus achieved great tracking results. However, updating errors may occur in spatio-temporal context algorithm when the target has rapid changes in scale and appearance, resulting in the algorithm cannot extract the target area accurately and completely. In order to overcome this problem, this article proposes an improved spatio-temporal context algorithm based on scale correlation filter. First of all, the algorithm extracts samples of different scales around the target after the target is settled by spatio-temporal context algorithm and then forms the pyramid of scale characteristics through samples extracted by histogram of oriented gradients operator. Second, the best scale parameter will be achieved by means of scale correlation filter to update the scale model. Finally, the results show that the algorithm has good tracking effect and robustness through two experiments which are contrast experiment before and after the improvement of algorithm and comparison experiment with other advanced algorithms.
Study on prior information fusion method of low-voltage switchgear
Authors: Wang Jingqin , Wang Li , Zhang Guangzhi , Chi Changchun
Published: February 2019

The reliability analysis of low-voltage switchgear is of great importance to the safety of power system. Bayes theory is a widely used reliability evaluation method because it can make full use of historical data. Therefore, the reliable prior information is the key factor to ensure the correctness of the reliability analysis results when the Bayes method is used to evaluate the reliability of the low-voltage switchgear. In order to obtain the priori information of low-voltage switchgear with high reliability, a feasible prior information fusion method was proposed and a reliable prior distribution function was obtained. First, kinds of historical data and effective information were collected from manufacturers and users. Then, to get more accurate prior distribution, the parametric and nonparametric test method was used to test the compatibility of the collected historical data, the effective information and the field information. Finally, the prior distribution and the expert experience were fused, and the conjugate prior distribution of the reliable low-voltage switchgear was constructed, which provided the theoretical basis for improving the accuracy of reliability evaluation of the low-voltage switchgear.
Numerical simulation and experimental study on a cone-plate clarifier
Authors: Yang Xinghua , Liu Peikun , Zhang Yuekan , Jiang Lanyue
Published: February 2019

The large amount of fine and light particles in the mine water are difficult to be removed using the traditional separator. In order to improve the separation efficiency, this article presents a new type of compact cone-plate clarifier with which a hybrid process combining magnetic flocculation separation with hydrocycloning can be achieved for sewage treatment. Addition of cone-plates to the elongated vortex finder provides more possibility for small magnetic flocs to aggregate and form into large flocs as well as increase the sedimentation area. The numerical simulation indicates that the cone-plate is conducive to the agglomeration of small particles in the cylindrical body and favorable for flocs to precipitate steadily in the conical part of the clarifier. Further comparative experiment verifies the effectiveness of the cone-plates. Then, the influence of cylinder height, insertion depth, and spacing of cone-plates on the water quality of the clarifier have been researched, and the optimum structural parameters have been determined. With the optimum parameters—a cylinder height of 600 mm, a cone-plate insertion depth of 400 mm, and plate spacing of 20 mm, a property index of 93.71% for suspended solids removal and 70.17% for turbidity decrease has been obtained for the mine water treatment.
Gearshift performance improvement for an electromagnetic gearshift system based on optimized active disturbance rejection control method
Authors: Lin Shusen , Li Bo , Jiao Weidong
Published: February 2019

Electric automated manual transmission usually adopts direct current motors and intermediate gearings to accomplish gear change. The structure can be simplified further to achieve better dynamic response and mechanical efficiency. A new type of gearshift system which adopts two electromagnetic linear actuators is presented. The intermediate gearings including motion converters are canceled, and the electromagnetic linear actuators drive the shift fork directly to move the synchronizer to engage different gears. The novel gearshift system is described in detail, including the connection, working principle, and performance. Specific working phases of the synchronization are introduced and mathematical equations of each phase are provided. After the specific feature analysis of each phase, the performance effect factors are deduced and the corresponding control requirements are proposed. Considering the stability of the performance, the robust control method, namely, active disturbance rejection control, is adopted. The time optimal method is introduced to optimize the dynamic response of the active disturbance rejection control method to achieve a shorter gearshift time. Comparative simulations among the active disturbance rejection control, time optimal–active disturbance rejection control, and proportional–integral–derivative methods show the distinct improvements of the novel gearshift system combined with the time optimal–active disturbance rejection control method. Finally, gearshift experiments are implemented. The results demonstrated the availability of the novel gearshift system and the designed control strategy.
The mathematical model and a case study of the cosine face gear drive that has a predesigned fourth order function of transmission errors and a localized bearing contact
Authors: Lee Cheng-Kang
Published: February 2019

Traditionally, a face gear drive uses an involute pinion. If the number of teeth of pinion is smaller than the minimum number of teeth without undercutting, the pinion will be undercut. To avoid undercutting, it is necessary to quit using involute pinion. This paper proposes a new face gear drive called cosine face gear drive. The cosine face gear drive has a predesigned fourth order function of transmission errors and a localized bearing contact. Therefore, it has a smoother motion curve and no edge contact problem. According to coordinate transformation theory, the theory of gearing, and differential geometry, the mathematical model of the cosine face gear drive is created, including position vectors, unit normal vectors, principal curvatures, principal directions, the condition of contact, and the condition for producing the predesigned fourth order function of transmission errors. A numerical case is studied to verify the mathematical model. The geometric solid model of the case is created. The actual form of the function of transmission error is analyzed. Contact paths and contact ellipses are analyzed. The effects of assembly errors on contact paths and on the function of transmission errors are analyzed. Contact and fillet stresses are analyzed using finite element analysis.
A novel model of increasing block fine for red-light running recidivism
Authors: Fu Chuanyun , Xiong Yaohua , Zhang Yaping , Zhang Wei , Liu Yan
Published: February 2019

Red-light running is one of the major causes for traffic crashes at signalized intersection. In addition to traffic engineering and management measures, enforcement countermeasures are employed to encourage drivers to comply with traffic signal through the threat of penalty points and fine. However, the fine associated with red-light running is fixed no matter how many times one vehicle violates red signal during a given period. Such issue results in little deterrence effectiveness of fine for red-light running recidivism. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore a novel model of increasing block fine structure based on the number of one vehicle committing red-light running in 1 year so as to prevent red-light running recidivism. First, using optimal partition method, the number of one vehicle committing red-light running in 1 year is categorized into a few groups that are regarded as the blocks for an increasing block fine structure. Second, the price elasticity is introduced and discussed to determine the changed number of red-light running and corresponding fine at each block. Third, an optimization model is proposed to determine the varying fine at each block and solved via the simulated annealing algorithm. After that, a case study is conducted to verify the validity of the developed model. The results indicate that this novel fine structure can effectively deter red-light running recidivism from running red signal. In addition, the fine structure established in this research not only offsets the defect of the present fine structure but also reduces red-light running to some extent.
An overview of double-bar single-wheel rotary combustion engine
Authors: Mahmood Fahim
Published: February 2019

This rotary engine comprises a cylindrical chamber inside a casing wherein there is a concentric rotatable power shaft and a rotatable asymmetric main wheel mounted eccentrically enough as such to avoid contact with the wall of cylindrical chamber. In addition, two bars traversing the main wheel radially further have a wiping contact with the cylindrical chamber wherein one bar is fixed with power shaft and other bar is hinged with said power shaft. A combustion process is in detonation phase within a demarcated combustion chamber whereby the combustion chamber rotatably travels from a bottom dead volume to a top dead volume, and hence, a power, generated during this path of rotational travel, is subsequently available for delivery at the concentric power shaft.
Optimization design for downhole dynamic seal based on response surface method
Authors: Zhang Yi , Zhang Xiaodong , Yang Lin , Yu Xin
Published: February 2019

The downhole temperature and drilling fluid pressure have a significant influence on the contact pressure and leakage rate of the dynamic seal. This article attempts to improve the seal performance using response surface method and multi-objective optimization. The width of the sealing interface, the pressure difference, the hardness of the O-ring and the hardness of the support ring are defined as independent variables, while the outer contact pressure and the leakage rate of the seal are chosen as objective functions. The response surface method has been employed to construct mathematical models combining both the independent variables and the objective functions, and the accuracy of the mathematical models has been proved. Furthermore, the leakage rate was regarded as a constraint function; hence, the minimum outer contact pressure and corresponding design parameters were obtained. The outer contact pressure of the seal increases with the increase in the drilling pressure difference, but decreases with the width of the sealing interface; the relationships between the leakage rate and the independent variables have also been obtained. According to the multi-objective optimization, the leakage rate of the improved seal decreased by more than 10% compared to the previous seal.
Effects of particle size of colloidal nanosilica on hydration of Portland cement at early age
Authors: Zhang Xiuzhi , Yang Haibo , Yang Qing , Du Xiaohan , Li Chunsheng , Cheng Xin
Published: February 2019

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of different particle sizes colloidal nanosilica (30, 60, and 140 nm) on the early performance of Portland cement. Flowability, mechanical property, and microstructural characterization tests were conducted to investigate the macroscopic and microscopic properties. The results revealed that the flowability of the paste decreased with the reduction of the particle size of colloidal nanosilica. The main reason was that the sol may form flocculation restricting a part of free water under ion environment, and this phenomenon became more serious as the particle size decreased. The compressive strength with 60-nm sol was higher than that of the other two, and hydration activities under different situations were further proved by hydration heat analysis. The reasons causing this result were mainly because flocculation limited the original chemical activity like pozzolanic and seeding effects of nanomaterials. Through thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction, it can be concluded that the seeding and pozzolanic effects of nanomaterials dominated the hydration process at different periods. Comparing images from scanning electron microscopy, the microstructure was most compact when incorporated into 60-nm sol, and filling effects also contributed to the performance during hardening.
The effects of using taxi-hailing application on driving performance
Authors: Feng Xiexing , Cao Libo , Zhang Yunxian , Gao Hongbo , Tan Lifan
Published: February 2019

Driver distraction has become a major threat to the road safety, and the globally booming taxi-hailing application introduces new source of distraction to drivers. Although various in-vehicle information systems have been studied extensively, no documentation exists objectively measuring the extent to which interacting with taxi-hailing application during driving impacts drivers’ behavior. To fill this gap, a simulator-based study was conducted to synthetically compare the effects that different output modalities (visual, audio, and combined visual–audio) and input modalities (baseline, manual, and speech) imposed on the driving performance. The results show that the visual output introduced more negative effects on driving performance compared to audio output. In the combined output, visual component dominated the effects imposed on the longitudinal control and hazard detection; audio component only exacerbated the negative effects of visual component on the lateral control. Speech input modality was overall less detrimental to driving performance than manual input modality, especially reflected in the drivers’ quicker reaction to hazard events. The visual–manual interaction modality most severely impaired the hazard detecting ability, while also led to strong compensative behaviors. The audio–speech and visual–speech modality associated with more smooth lateral control and faster response to hazard events, respectively, compared to other modality. These results could be applied to improve the design of not only the taxi-hailing application but also other input–output balanced in-vehicle information systems.
Potential distribution of Aquila chrysaetos in Mexico: Implications for conservation
Authors: D’Addario Maristella , Monroy-Vilchis Octavio , Zarco-González Martha M , Santos-Fita Dídac
Published: February 2019

The golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos) has been poorly studied in Mexico. Even though it is listed as threatened in this country, partly because of habitat fragmentation and direct persecution, little is known of its distribution. We assessed the potential distribution of this species in Mexico using ecological niche modelling (ecological niche factor analysis, artificial neural network, genetic algorithm for rule-set production, environmental distance, support vector machine, MaxEnt) and the weighted average ensemble method. The models were evaluated using the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristics. We applied a threshold of 50% probability to obtain high-suitability areas and considered marginality and specialization calculated by ecological niche factor analysis and the most important variables to the model. We assessed and evaluated the percentage of high-suitability area occurring in all Mexican natural protected areas. The performance of the ensemble model was high (area under the curve = 0.93) and the most important variables contributing to the model were grasslands and tree cover percentage. The resulting high-suitability area is considerably fragmented, it comprises 16% of the country and just 8% of it is located in natural protected areas. We propose some urgent actions and conservation measures to face the main problems that are threatening the species in Mexico.
Exploring the regulatory challenges of a possible rollout of smart water meters in the Netherlands
Authors: Espinosa Apráez Brenda , Lavrijssen Saskia
Published: February 2019

Big data have become a driver of innovation in multiple sectors, including the management of infrastructures employed for the provision of essential goods and services, such as drinking water. As technology enables new possibilities of action for infrastructure managers, it could be questioned whether the regulations in place still deal adequately with such possibilities or if certain adjustments are necessary, especially considering that infrastructure managers usually operate in highly regulated environments. This study explores the regulatory challenges of introducing smart water meters (SWM) in the Netherlands. In particular, it discusses whether the introduction of SWM will require adjusting the regulations of the sector, to deal with the new possibilities of action enabled by this technology.
Teaching project management using project-action learning (PAL) games: A case involving engineering management students in Hong Kong
Authors: Law Kris MY
Published: February 2019

How to educate project management (PM) professionals has always been a topic for debate, and it remains popular to discuss the teaching and learning of PM within higher education sector. Learning approaches such as action learning and game-based learning are proven effective in enhancing students’ participation and motivation. Game-action learning (GAL) offers an attractive and challenging learning environment for students to learn and apply, in specific problem scenarios. GAL supports a better understanding of the importance of critical concepts and fills the teaching gaps. This article presents a game-based action learning (GAL) approach in simulating a new product development project, which can be adopted in an short intensive course or a semester long subject. In this article, reflections from the instructor’s perspective are presented to offer a good reference for educators who are keen on using GAL in PM teaching.
Attentional Blink Effects on S-Cone Stimuli
Authors: Zhang Xin , Li Feiming , Wang Hui , Mao Zhenghuan , Li HaiFeng , Wang Jun , Jia Lei
Published: February 2019

This study aimed to compare attentional blink (AB) effects on S-cone and on luminance stimuli. Recent research had revealed considerable AB effects not only on high-order visual areas but also on low-order visual areas. Therefore, whether AB formation occurred or not at primary visual cortex must be examined. Previous studies had reported the absence of attention modulation in an early koniocellular pathway driven by S-cone stimuli; therefore, the AB effects on S-cone stimuli would be a strong piece of evidence for late-stage hypothesis at least in the koniocellular pathway. For this study, 12 participants were instructed to identify a centrally presented target (T1) only or to identify either T1 or a peripheral target (T2). The targets were either luminance or S-cone stimuli. As expected, comparable AB effects on S-cone and luminance stimuli were observed. Findings suggested that AB formation through a koniocellular pathway must occur at a later cortical processing stage.
StressadaMente: Mental health promotion program for direct care workers of older people
Authors: Figueiredo Margarida , Teixeira Laetitia , Paúl Constança
Published: February 2019

Background:

In the current context, associated with the increase in longevity, there is a greater need for institutionalization of old people in search of formal support. The direct care workers of institutionalized older people, who work at day care centers and residential homes, are at risk of being victims of occupational psychosocial risks. There are several psychological complaints of these workers, highlighting the need to develop a mental health promotion program aiming at job satisfaction of direct care workers, improving their provision of care at work and quality of life.

Aim:

The StressadaMente program is a mental health promotion program for direct care workers of institutionalized older people in day care centers and residential homes. This article aims to describe the StressadaMente program and to evaluate the level of satisfaction of the direct care workers with the program.

Methods:

The program was implemented in two day centers/residential homes, enrolling 25 participants, and comprised one session per week, with 90 min per session, during 7 weeks. Sociodemographic information of direct care workers was collected. The assessment protocol comprised a satisfaction questionnaire of the program.

Results:

In general, the program was evaluated as “very good” and “excellent” by 9.5% and 90.5% of the participants, respectively. These results may indicate that mental health promotion intervention seems to encourage new skills and changes to a better practice, prevent adverse effects of caregiving by improving the mental health of professionals.
Public positions, private giving: Dark money and political donors in the Digital Age
Authors: Oklobdzija Stan
Published: February 2019

Dark money—campaign funds raised by 501(c)(4) designated non-profit corporations whose donors are exempt from disclosure—has become an increasingly large fraction of outside spending in American elections at both the state and the federal level. This paper makes use of the only publicly available donor list for a dark money group in existence today—that of “Americans for Job Security,” who contributed $11 million to two conservative-leaning ballot initiative campaigns in California during the 2012 elections. In comparing the ideological scores of donors of this dark money group to traditional donors to the two conservative propositions, I find a strong liberal tilt of donors to Americans for Job Security—indicating a social pressures motivation behind concealing one’s donation via a dark money group. These results also show disclosure laws have an effect on a donor’s calculus to contribute to a political cause.
Neurolymphomatosis caused by T-cell lymphosarcoma in a cat: imaging description and treatment review
Authors: Beasley Michaela J , Hiebert Elizabeth C , Daw Danielle N , Alexander Kayla J , Gambino Jennifer M
Published: February 2019

Case summary

A 16-year-old domestic shorthair cat was evaluated for acute-onset right pelvic limb monoparesis localized to the sciatic nerve. MRI revealed a homogeneously contrast-enhancing, well-demarcated mass effacing the right sciatic nerve from its intravertebral origin to the end of the viewable field (mid-femur). Abdominal ultrasound revealed thickened small intestinal loops and enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Cytology of the small intestine was suggestive of lymphosarcoma. T-cell lymphosarcoma of the sciatic nerve and small intestines was confirmed with incisional biopsy. Treatment consisted of systemic chemotherapy with vincristine followed by the Wisconsin–Madison feline lymphosarcoma protocol, but despite treatment the patient neurologically worsened and was euthanized after 54 days.

Relevance and novel information

We present herein one of the first descriptions of neurolymphomatosis in the domestic cat that included post-intravenous contrast MRI. Treatment options based on recommendations for people with neurolymphomatosis include systemic chemotherapy, intrathecal chemotherapy and/or localized radiation chemotherapy. The authors recommend that all cats be screened for concurrent non-neuronal areas of lymphosarcoma before undergoing treatment for neurolymphomatosis, regardless of clinical signs.