bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DNA analysis of a non-native lineage of Sinanodonta woodiana species complex (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from Middle Asia supports the Chinese origin of the European invaders
Authors: KONDAKOV ALEXANDER V. , PALATOV DMITRY M. , RAJABOV ZAKIR P. , GOFAROV MIKHAIL YU. , KONOPLEVA EKATERINA S. , TOMILOVA ALENA A. , VIKHREV ILYA V. , BOLOTOV IVAN N.
Published: August 2018

The Sinanodonta woodiana species complex includes several cryptic species-level phylogenetic lineages, the taxonomic placement of which is unclear. Here, we present the results of molecular analyses of a Sinanodonta sample from Middle Asia (Uzbekistan). The COI haplotype of the Uzbekistan lineage is similar to those of invasive Sinanodonta populations from Europe, Russia and Myanmar. We show that the non-native Sinanodonta flocks in Europe and Middle Asia originated from a single source population in China. Our results reveal that the Sinanodonta woodiana species complex comprises at least six distinct biological species: S. cf. gibba (=temperate invasive lineage), S. cf. woodiana (=tropical invasive lineage), S. schrenkii (=S. amurensis), S. ovata, S. jourdyi, and S. lucida, and two phylogenetic lineages with uncertain taxonomic names.
DNA barcoding and an updated key to the genus Hesperentomon (Protura: Acerentomata: Hesperentomidae), with a new species from Northwest China
Authors: QIAN CHANG-YUAN , BU YUN , LUAN YUN-XIA
Published: August 2018

Hesperentomon bolense sp. n., described from Northwest China, is distinguished from other Hesperentomon spp. by having foretarsal sensillum b clearly shorter than c, a robust sensillum c broader than the other foretarsal sensilla, 18 posterior setae on the mesonotum and 16 posterior setae on the metanotum, 12 posterior setae on urotergites II–VI (P1a and P2a absent), 8 posterior setae on urosternites IV–VI (Pc absent), and absence of seta P2a on urotergite VII. The morphological characters of all described species of Hesperentomon are compared, and an updated identification key to species is given. The DNA barcodes of H. bolense sp. n. were compared to similar species of the genus; the K2P genetic divergences were 0–5.1% between individuals of H. bolense sp. n., but 21.4%–27.3% between H. bolense sp. n. and other congeneric species. The molecular data further confirmed H. bolense as a distinct species.
Television’s Interface With Kennedy, Nixon, and Trump: Two Politicians and One TV Celebrity
Authors: Silvestri Vito N.
Published: August 2018

With the historical televised first presidential debates of John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon, television made its national debut as a political influence. Television became a third player in the debates in the way it filmed the candidates. Kennedy and Nixon respectively served as models of effective and ineffective presentations of oneself on the electronic screen. Because of this event, “The Image” emerged as part of the sensibility for any public figure as well as an intrinsic part of the political lexicon. Kennedy, as President, also developed a model of his frequent usage of television as an outreach connection to the public. A few years later television became the dominant media when it presented the Vietnam War to the viewers’ living rooms. This sparked a series of protests not only anti-draft but from other movements: civil rights, black protest, student rights, women’s rights in a society that was becoming part of an unprecedented information age. Television not only reported these events, it repeated its visual imagery which helped to reinforce changing norms in our society. Fifty-five years later, Donald Trump, known for his television celebrity as well as his reputation as a successful businessman, became an unusual marker of reality about public tolerance and acceptance, largely helped by cable television and its effect after fifty-five years of viewers and the additional factor of hundreds of cable channels. Kennedy, Nixon and Trump serve as bookends for television’s prominent and definitely mediated influence on American history.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Everyday Self-Employment
Authors: Cohen Rachel Lara , Hardy Kate , Valdez Zulema
Published: August 2018

A “partial renaissance” of self-employment in labor markets of the global North has attracted policy concern within national, supranational, and global arenas, yet sociological thought has been somewhat slower to respond to this phenomenon. In response, this special issue focuses on everyday self-employment among workers drawn from countries across the world. The collection of articles in this volume originated, in part, from a recent symposium that took place at City, University of London, which highlighted the contribution of sociology and cognate disciplines to the study of self-employment. The volume considers the social and structural forces that condition this economic activity as an ideology and practice, as well as the constraints and opportunities for its maintenance and reproduction. It also examines the everyday lives of self-employed workers and in particular the ways in which self-employment is experienced across a range of geographical, occupational, and industrial contexts, and with regard to social categories including race, class, nationality, and gender. As neoliberal subjects, we are increasingly required to inhabit an entrepreneurial self. As such, a sociological understanding of the global patterns and everyday experiences of self-employment—or entrepreneurialism as practice—and the cultural legitimations associated with this oft-celebrated and aspirational economic activity are essential to a critical understanding of the economy and society. What are the current national and international trends in self-employment? What characteristics distinguish entrepreneurs from small-business owners or self-employed workers? If the image of an entrepreneur is an economically mobile rugged individualist, how do social relationships shape entrepreneurialism among transnational migrants or dependent visa holders? Is financial remuneration or maximizing profit always the primary goal, or are the self-employed from different social locations motivated by other, nonpecuniary benefits, such as spiritual fulfillment? Might vulnerable populations, such as undocumented immigrants, have the less lofty goal of basic survival? How is self-employment organized across different occupations? Can self-employment function as a strategy of collective resistance or subversion? The contributors in this volume often challenge mainstream views of self-employment and entrepreneurship to reveal the complexity and scope of self-employed activity; their perspectives provide new insights for researchers and policy- makers regarding the function of self-employment in a changing economy and society. This introduction initiates a discussion of the central debates in the study of self-employment and presents a brief synopsis of the articles in this volume.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Ménière’s Disease After Intravenous Administration of Gadolinium
Authors: Shi Suming , Guo Ping , Wang Wuqing
Published: August 2018

Objectives:

A three-dimensional (3D) inversion-recovery (IR) sequence with real reconstruction (3D-real IR) sequence 4 hours after intravenous (IV) gadolinium injection has been used to visualize the endolymphatic hydrops (ELH) in Ménière’s disease (MD). This study was designed to investigate the ELH characteristics in clinically diagnosed definite MD and to explore the pathology of MD with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods:

One hundred fifty-four patients with definite MD were included in this study. All patients underwent the IV method. The grades of ELH were analyzed on each image, regions of interest of the cochlear perilymph and the cerebellum white matter were determined, and the signal intensity ratio of the former to the latter (CC ratio) on both sides in patients with unilateral MD was subsequently evaluated.

Results:

Endolymphatic hydrops was observed in 148 patients (96.1%) on the clinically affected side; the remaining 6 patients (3.9%) had no apparent ELH. One hundred fifteen patients (74.7%) had unilateral ELH, and 33 patients (21.4%) had bilateral ELH. Eighteen patients (11.7%) had ELH on the clinically silent side. Patients with moderate and significant grades of ELH in the vestibule and cochlea accounted for 88.3% and 90.3%, respectively. The CC ratio of the affected side (1.39 ± 0.37) was higher than that of the unaffected side (1.18 ± 0.29) ( P < .01) in 115 patients with unilateral MD.

Conclusions:

Moderate and significant grades of ELH are common in MD; however, the proposed diagnostic criteria are not fully consistent with ELH. The elevated contrast effect in the affected side in patients with unilateral MD may better reflect the pathologic condition of MD.
Using peer research processes to understand strategies to support those with severe, multiple and complex health needs
Authors: Woodall James , Cross Ruth , Kinsella Karina , Bunyan Ann-Marie
Published: August 2018

Objectives:

There has been an increased focus in policy discourse on individuals with severe, multiple and complex needs. This paper seeks to understand how best to enable these individuals to take greater control over their health.

Design:

Qualitative, user-led, peer research.

Setting:

Large urban UK city.

Method:

Trained peer researchers with previous experience in contexts of severe and multiple disadvantage gathered data using a snowball sampling approach from 21 individuals engaged in a service specifically designed to provide for their needs.

Results:

The study identified enabling factors that create conditions for individuals with severe and multiple disadvantage to take greater control of factors impacting on their health and social situations. These included working holistically with individuals, understanding the interconnected issues impacting on health, developing trusting relationships with professionals and working within a positive framework that fosters self-belief and which is focused on salutogenesis rather than pathogenesis.

Conclusion:

There exists a set of enabling factors that may support individuals facing particular challenges in their lives. While derived from within a specific geographical context, findings have relevance to other settings in relation to ways of working. Peer research demonstrates itself to be a research approach well suited to understanding lived experiences.
Operationalizing routine activity theory in juvenile delinquency: A social work perspective
Authors: Mohammad Taufik , Nooraini Intan , Hussin Nur Atikah Mohamed
Published: August 2018

Routine activity theory, introduced by Cohen and Felson, may be useful in informing social workers to design better interventions with juvenile offenders. This article aims to apply the theory in the juvenile context through operationalizing the three elements specified by the theory – namely an absence of guardianship, a motivated offender and a suitable target. In order to do this, this article reviewed related studies that have been conducted to detail what is necessary to address juvenile delinquency. The operationalizations in this article may be used to advance further research and social work practice with juvenile delinquents.
Roads less taken: Pathways to care before near-lethal suicide attempts
Authors: Law Yik Wa
Published: August 2018

This study identifies the cultural values affecting near-lethal suicide attempters’ help-seeking behaviours. Six Chinese survivors of intentional near-lethal self-poisoning were interviewed and their medical records examined. Interviewees with strong suicidal intentions had less demand for healthcare services and were resistant to care. Non-contact with services was associated with perceived service irrelevance, unhelpfulness and personal need to maintain self-reliance and dignity. Service providers should be trained to be sensitive to these individual values to allow the delivery of a culturally-appropriate service for this population. Social work empowerment models that focus on users’ self-reliance should be adopted in practice for this high-risk group.
Carlo Passaglia’s De Ecclesia Christi: A Trinitarian Ecclesiology at the Heart of the 19th Century
Authors: Rossi Valfredo Maria
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this article is to explore an aspect of the Catholic theology of the 19th century which is relatively unknown: namely the Roman School and Carlo Passaglia’s position within it. This contribution is focused on presenting the main theological treatise of Carlo Passaglia (1812–87), De Ecclesia Christi (1853–56), an unprecedented work in the context of 19th-century theology, from which a Trinitarian ecclesiology, rooted in the economy of salvation, emerges. The article will be divided into three parts: the first will provide a brief outline of the Roman School, which played a significant role in the theology of the 19th century; the second will offer a biography of Passaglia; finally, the third will focus on the De Ecclesia and will present a basic survey of the whole monograph in order to highlight the most significant aspects of Passaglia’s ecclesiology. Moreover, this contribution will seek to emphasize that several aspects of Passaglia’s Trinitarian ecclesiology went on to be developed by the Second Vatican Council, particularly in Lumen Gentium.
Clostridium septicum arthroplasty infection: beware of occult aortitis and malignancy
Authors: Turnbull Gareth , Spierits Euan , Russell David , Clarke Jon , Picard Frédéric , Sarungi Martin
Published: August 2018

Introduction

The Clostridia species are responsible for life-threatening conditions such as tetanus, botulism and gas gangrene. Clostridium septicum is a rare cause of clinical infection, accounting for less than 1% of blood culture samples that test positive for Clostridia. However, C. septicum bacteraemia is associated with greater than 60% mortality and in over 80% of cases is associated with an underlying malignancy.

Case presentation

We present a review of the literature and the first case of an acute arthroplasty infection and concurrent infective aortitis caused by this organism in the absence of an identified underlying malignancy. Early diagnosis and multi-disciplinary input resulted in the patient surviving a rare and potentially fatal infective aortitis and septic arthritis.

Conclusion

This case demonstrates the importance of early systemic investigation to exclude occult infective aortitis in C. septicum infection. The key role of multi-disciplinary input into the management of this often fatal infection is also discussed along with the requirement to exclude occult gastrointestinal and haematological malignancy.
Moving Culturally Relevant Pedagogy From Theory to Practice: Exploring Teachers’ Application of Culturally Relevant Education in Science and Mathematics
Authors: Brown Bryan A. , Boda Phillip , Lemmi Catherine , Monroe Xavier
Published: August 2018

This article reports on urban elementary teachers’ understandings of cultural relevancy and the practices they enacted after a professional development on culturally relevant education (CRE) and cognitive apprenticeship. Focus group interviews support that participating teachers understood some principles of CRE but did not always match the theory to practice before our professional development. After training, video data of teaching support that this divide was mediated. These findings point to a need to engage in explicit theory-to-practice research about cultural relevancy in urban science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching. Implications are provided relating to teachers planning lessons purposefully to infuse cultural relevancy into their STEM classrooms.
What Makes Learning Management Systems Effective for Learning?
Authors: Chaw Lee Yen , Tang Chun Meng
Published: August 2018

Learning management systems (LMSs) may provide learners with resources in various formats, such as videos, quizzes, and forum discussions to support their learning, but having access to an LMS does not necessarily mean that learning has occurred effectively. Despite its apparent usefulness, whether the use of the LMS can indeed help learners learn more effectively remains an interesting matter for course providers, LMS vendors, and learners. Therefore, this study adopted the updated DeLone and McLean information system success model to examine whether LMS system quality, information quality, and service quality affect learners’ system use and user satisfaction, and ultimately their learning effectiveness. Through a questionnaire survey, responses collected from 123 university students who studied in a blended learning environment at a university were analyzed. Findings showed that system quality and service quality, but not information quality, had a significant relationship with system use. In turn, system use had a significant relationship with learning effectiveness.
Characteristics and formation mechanisms of tight oil: A case study of the Huahai Depression, Jiuquan Basin, Northwest China
Authors: Fan Chunyan , Tang Xianglu , Zhang Yuanyin , Song Yan , Jiang Zhenxue , Luo Qun , Li Baiying
Published: August 2018

The exploration of tight oil reservoirs has achieved a big success, especially in the Huahai Depression, Jiuquan Basin, China, but the characteristics and formation mechanisms of the tight oil reservoir are unclear. In this paper, a series of analyses including thin section, scanning electron microscope, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, isotope, and fluid inclusions were taken to study the tight reservoirs of the Xiagou Formation (K1g) and Zhonggou Formation (K1z) in the Huahai Depression. The results show that the main factors influencing the porosity and permeability of the tight reservoir are the compaction and two periods of carbonate cementation. The second type of carbonate cementation was related to the decarboxylation of organic acids in parts of the study area. The tight oil accumulation periods for different formations are confirmed, during 115–102 Ma in K1g1, 114–97 Ma in K1g2, and 103–85 Ma in K1z1, respectively. The tight oil migrations are executed for only several meters vertically but hundreds of meters even kilometers laterally. Two kinds of formation mechanisms exist in the study area. The main formation pattern is the “hydrocarbon accumulated after reservoir had tightened,” which has occurred in most of the study area. The other pattern, the “hydrocarbon accumulated during reservoir was tightening,” is found in several places of the study area.
Boundary-work that Does Not Work: Social Inequalities and the Non-performativity of Scientific Boundary-work
Authors: Pereira Maria do Mar
Published: August 2018

Although the STS literature on boundary-work recognizes that such work unfolds within a “terrain of uneven advantage” vis-à-vis gender, race, and other inequalities, reflection about that uneven advantage has been strikingly underdeveloped. This article calls for a retheorizing of boundary-work that engages more actively with feminist, critical race, and postcolonial scholarship and examines more systematically the relation between scientific boundary-work, broader structures of sociopolitical inequality, and boundary-workers’ (embodied) positionality. To demonstrate the need for this retheorization, I analyze ethnographic and interview data on scientific boundary-work in the natural and social sciences in Portugal, showing that scholars’ gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and nationality affect the success of their boundary-work. I suggest, therefore, that in unequal societies where credibility is unevenly distributed, the conditions are not in place for some scholars’ boundary-work to work. I draw on Sara Ahmed (and J. L. Austin) to argue that we must conceptualize scientific boundary-work as always potentially performative, but not always successfully so, and explicitly interrogate the actual conditions of performativity. Recognizing the links between inequality, embodiment, and non-performativity in scientific boundary-work will enable STS to better understand, and hopefully transform, the relations between contingent struggles over scientificity and entrenched structures of power.
Estimation of a Relative Risk Effect Size when Using Continuous Outcomes Data: An Application of Methods in the Prevention of Major Depression and Eating Disorders
Authors: Lee Yong Yi , Le Long Khanh-Dao , Stockings Emily A. , Hay Phillipa , Whiteford Harvey A. , Barendregt Jan J. , Mihalopoulos Cathrine
Published: August 2018

Introduction. The raw mean difference (RMD) and standardized mean difference (SMD) are continuous effect size measures that are not readily usable in decision-analytic models of health care interventions. This study compared the predictive performance of 3 methods by which continuous outcomes data collected using psychiatric rating scales can be used to calculate a relative risk (RR) effect size. Methods. Three methods to calculate RR effect sizes from continuous outcomes data are described: the RMD, SMD, and Cochrane conversion methods. Each conversion method was validated using data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the efficacy of interventions for the prevention of depression in youth (aged ≤17 years) and adults (aged ≥18 years) and the prevention of eating disorders in young women (aged ≤21 years). Validation analyses compared predicted RR effect sizes to actual RR effect sizes using scatterplots, correlation coefficients ( r), and simple linear regression. An applied analysis was also conducted to examine the impact of using each conversion method in a cost-effectiveness model. Results. The predictive performances of the RMD and Cochrane conversion methods were strong relative to the SMD conversion method when analyzing RCTs involving depression in adults (RMD: r = 0.89–0.90; Cochrane: r = 0.73; SMD: r = 0.41–0.67) and eating disorders in young women (RMD: r = 0.89; Cochrane: r = 0.96). Moderate predictive performances were observed across the 3 methods when analyzing RCTs involving depression in youth (RMD: r = 0.50; Cochrane: r = 0.47; SMD: r = 0.46–0.46). Negligible differences were observed between the 3 methods when applied to a cost-effectiveness model. Conclusion. The RMD and Cochrane conversion methods are both valid methods for predicting RR effect sizes from continuous outcomes data. However, further validation and refinement are required before being applied more broadly.
Factors Affecting Interview Duration in Web-Based Travel Surveys
Authors: Bourbonnais Pierre-Léo , Morency Catherine
Published: August 2018

Historically, travel surveys have been conducted face-to-face, by mail, or by phone. With the increasing share of households having access to the Internet, other survey modes have been deployed. This paper focuses on web surveys. Among other advantages, using the web to conduct surveys reduces costs and helps mitigate poor response rates among young households. Very few studies have been conducted on interview duration and its determinant using paradata from web travel surveys. Such knowledge is necessary to validate the context in which travel data are gathered and can be used to understand sample and data quality. Interview duration modeling is also essential for allocating survey servers and monitoring interviews during the data collection phase. This paper models interview duration using paradata from nine web surveys conducted in the Quebec province from 2010 to 2014. The main objectives of the model are to assist the monitoring of interviews by detecting outliers, provide a better estimate of the interview duration to respondents and survey managers during the interview, and allow a more precise evaluation of the server performance needed before conducting web travel surveys. Using a multiple regression model, we observed that the most important variables in explaining interview duration were number of car and transit trips as well as number of unique places visited during a day. Conducting the interview on a small-screen device also increased interview duration. The model also provides a baseline estimate of interview duration on the basis of demographic features and questionnaire design.
Long-Distance, Multimodal Freight in a Continental Transportation Model
Authors: Noekel Klaus , Williams Ian , Fiorello Davide
Published: August 2018

This paper proposes a model of long-distance freight traffic that is suitable for transportation models covering very large areas. Three challenges are discussed in turn. First, the geographic distribution of trips not only depends on locations of production and consumption, but also on the choice between alternative logistic distribution chains and the locations of intermediate distribution centers. Second, any stage of the distribution chain may combine several modes into a multi-leg transport. Third, the large scale of the model leads to large zones, implying a significant share of intrazonal traffic. The proposed approach adapts the four-stage model by generalizing destination choice into a distribution channel model and by introducing a mode sequence choice model for multimodal transport. A simplified distance band model is applied to intrazonal traffic.
Determining the Age and Smoothness of Asphalt and Concrete Pavements at the Time of First Rehabilitation using Long-Term Pavement Performance Program Data
Authors: Robbins Mary , Tran Nam , Copeland Audrey
Published: August 2018

Initial performance period is an important input in life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). An objective of this study was thus to determine actual initial performance periods, as the pavement age at first rehabilitation, for asphalt and concrete pavements using Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program data. In addition, most agencies use International Roughness Index (IRI), a measure of pavement roughness applicable to both asphalt and concrete pavements, in their decision-making and performance-evaluation process. A secondary objective was, therefore, to determine the pavement roughness condition at the time of first rehabilitation using the same dataset. Based on surveys of highway agencies, initial performance periods frequently used in LCCA for asphalt pavements are between 10 and 15 years, while the average asphalt pavement age at time of first rehabilitation in the LTPP program was found to be approximately 18 years. For concrete pavements, most initial performance periods used in LCCA are between 20 and 25 years, whereas the average concrete pavement age at the time of first rehabilitation in the LTPP program is about 24 years. This suggests initial performance period values used for LCCA do not adequately represent the actual age of asphalt pavements at the time of first rehabilitation, while they are generally representative of actual concrete pavement age at the time of first rehabilitation. Also, it was found that asphalt pavements are typically rehabilitated when they are in good or fair condition according to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) IRI criteria whereas concrete pavements are typically not rehabilitated until the pavement is in fair or poor condition.
Modeling Urban Bus Fuel Consumption in Shanghai, China, Based on Localized MOVES
Authors: Jia Wenjian , Chen Xiaohong , Shan Xiaonian
Published: August 2018

In China, urban bus energy consumption is an increasing concern due to system expansion and poor energy efficiency due to frequent stopping and starting by buses. This study develops a mesoscopic bus energy consumption model based on the U.S. Environment Protection Agency’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES). To localize MOVES, link operating mode distribution is calculated by bus GPS data collected from nine routes in Shanghai, China. A comparison of bus fuel economy between the U.S.A. and China is conducted to determine the model years in U.S.A. and China which have similar fuel consumption performance for buses with a certain weight. After MOVES localization, link energy consumption factors are estimated, and then the impacts of average speed, vehicle stops, acceleration, and road facility on link energy consumption factors are explored. Based on this exploration of influential variables, this study develops link-level bus energy consumption factor look-up tables for a variety of bus types. Model validation indicates that using link-level indicators to estimate bus energy consumption can achieve acceptable accuracy, and that the link type classification method can influence the accuracy of the mesoscopic bus energy consumption model. This study is useful to estimate bus energy consumption when instantaneous speed data is unavailable. This study also explores the extended application of MOVES by offering a procedure for applying MOVES to develop a bus energy consumption model in regions beyond the U.S.A.
Micro-Simulation of Truck Platooning with Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control: Model Development and a Case Study
Authors: Ramezani Hani , Shladover Steven E. , Lu Xiao-Yun , Altan Osman D.
Published: August 2018

Cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) systems have the potential to improve traffic flow and fuel efficiency, but these effects are challenging to estimate. This paper reports the development of a micro-simulation model to represent these impacts for heavy trucks using CACC when they share a freeway with manually driven passenger cars. The simulation incorporates automated truck-following models that have been derived from experimental data recorded on heavy trucks driven under CACC, adaptive cruise control (ACC), and conventional cruise control (CC). The simulation includes other behavioral models for lane changing, lane change cooperation and lane use restrictions for trucks to better capture real-world traffic dynamics. The paper explains the calibration of the simulation method for a 15-mile urban freeway corridor with heavy truck traffic and significant congestion. Simulation results for different market penetration rates show that truck CACC improved traffic operations for trucks in terms of vehicle miles traveled, average speed, and flow rate. In addition, truck CACC did not adversely affect passenger car operations and in some locations it even produced considerable improvements in the general traffic conditions.
Data-Driven Ranking of Coordinated Traffic Signal Systems for Maintenance and Retiming
Authors: Day Christopher M. , Li Howell , Sturdevant James R. , Bullock Darcy M.
Published: August 2018

Automated traffic signal performance measures (ATSPMs) have been deployed with increasing frequency. At present, the existing ATSPMs are focused on the performance of individual movements or intersections. As the number of ATSPM users has increased, a need for system-level metrics has emerged. This paper proposes a method of evaluating corridor performance at the system level using high-resolution data. The method is demonstrated for eight signalized corridors in Indiana, including 87 intersections. This method develops five subscores for the areas of communication, detection, safety, capacity allocation, and progression; these five interrelated aspects of performance are each given a category subscore based on quantitative performance measures, with scales appropriate to the context of the operation. An overall score for each corridor is determined from the lowest subscore of each of the five areas. This approach simplifies the analysis process, as opposed to examining several hundred individual movements as currently would be required using ATSPM tools that are commonly available at present. The methodology is presented as a prototype for further development and adaptation to individual agency objectives and data sources.
A Comparative Analysis on Performance of Severe Crash Prediction Methods
Authors: Avelar Raul E. , Dixon Karen , Ashraf Sruthi
Published: August 2018

The objective of this paper is to compare the performance and tradeoffs between two alternative analysis methods for developing crash prediction models for severe crashes: a direct estimation of severe crashes using frequency models, and an indirect but popular approach of combining frequency of total crashes models and some form of severity distribution functions (SDFs). The researchers conducted a comprehensive comparison of these modeling methods to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of each alternative, and to inform future research that intends to develop such models. An examination of the theoretical characteristics of the modeling approach is presented and discussed. The performance of the two modeling alternatives is compared using two different datasets. The results of those comparisons showed very similar performances by both techniques. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is presented to explore how the performance of these techniques vary by degree of dispersion and observed correlation levels of total and severe injury crashes (KAB; injury scale in which K = fatal [killed], A = incapacitating injury, B = nonincapacitating injury) with potential explanatory variables. The results from these analyses tended to favor the use of SDFs in combination with total crashes safety performance functions (SPFs), as the prediction tended to show reduced dispersion under most conditions. However, performance of the KAB SPF model outperformed the combination of SDF and SPF for total crashes when KAB and non-KAB crashes had a common predictor but with effects in opposite directions.
Estimation of Passengers Left Behind by Trains in High-Frequency Transit Service Operating Near Capacity
Authors: Miller Eli , Sánchez-Martínez Gabriel E. , Nassir Neema
Published: August 2018

Measuring rail system crowding is important to transit agencies. Crowding data has implications for safety, operations control, service planning, performance measurement, and customer information. This paper proposes a bi-level regression model that transit agencies can use to estimate the number of passengers left behind on a platform by high-frequency trains operating at capacity. Inputs to the model include the number of passenger arrivals between trains and train departure times, which are derived from automatic fare collection and vehicle location data. The data are used to calculate the proposed measure of cumulative capacity shortage, which is shown to have high correlation with the number of passengers left behind. A bi-level regression approach is introduced and applied to calibrate the model parameters based on manual counts of passengers left behind. A case study using data from the Chicago Transit Authority’s Blue Line demonstrates promising results, with an adjusted coefficient of determination of 0.81. The model could be used for post-hoc analysis of crowding performance or, in the context of real-time operations monitoring, for near-term predictions of passengers left behind.
Machine Learning Methods to Analyze Injury Severity of Drivers from Different Age and Gender Groups
Authors: Mafi Somayeh , AbdelRazig Yassir , Doczy Ryan
Published: August 2018

Access to non-biased and accurate models capable of predicting driver injury severity of collision events is vital for determining what safety measures should be implemented at intersections. Inadequate models can underestimate the potential for collision events to result in driver fatalities or injuries, which can lead to improperly assessing the safety criteria of an intersection. This study investigates how injury severity differs between drivers of various ages and gender groups using cost-sensitive data-mining models. Previous research efforts have used machine learning methods for predicting injury severity; however, these studies did not consider the consequences (cost) of incorrect predictions. This paper addresses this shortfall by considering the monetary cost of incorrect injury severity predictions when developing C4.5, instance-based (IB), and random forest (RF) machine-learning models. One model of each method was developed for four distinct cohorts of drivers (i.e., younger males, younger females, older males, and older females). Each model considered a selection of driver, vehicular, road/traffic, environmental, and crash parameters for determining if they significantly influenced driver injury severity. A five-year period of two-vehicle crash data collected at signalized intersections in the metropolitan area of Miami, Florida was used in the models. Results indicated that cost-sensitive learning classifiers were superior to regular classifiers at accurately predicting injuries and fatalities of crashes. Among cost-sensitive models, RF outperformed C4.5 and IB models in predicting driver injury severity for four groups of drivers. The models displayed substantial differences in injury severity determinants across the age/gender cohorts.
Developing Elementary Students’ Digital Literacy Through Augmented Reality Creation: Insights From a Longitudinal Analysis of Questionnaires, Interviews, and Projects
Authors: Hsu Hsiao-Ping , Wenting Zou , Hughes Joan E.
Published: August 2018

This mixed-method case study investigated digital literacy (DL) development among 32 elementary-level students who created multimodal, contextual, and interactive augmented reality (AR) artifacts in a 20-week after-school program in Northern Taiwan. The instructional design combined situated and spiral learning experiences with AR, implemented through a blended learning environment. Data sources included pre- and post-program digital learning student surveys, student and teacher interviews, classroom observations, and AR artifact assessments. Results indicated statistically significant increases with moderate effect sizes in five areas of students’ DL practices: information management; collaboration; communication and sharing; creation; and evaluation and problem-solving. Students did not increase DL in one area: ethics and responsibility. The situated and spiral learning-by-design approach offered increasingly complex AR creation projects in which students developed and transferred their DL. The face-to-face and online learning settings offered multiple ways to collaborate and facilitated the development of students’ DL. The AR technology enabled students to develop DL through designing AR using three types of representation features: multimodal, interactive, and contextual. Practical and theoretical implications for adapting or enhancing this instructional design in future DL programs and for future research are discussed.
Prevalence of Emotional and Physical Intimate Partner Violence Among Married Women in Pakistan
Authors: Iqbal Meesha , Fatmi Zafar
Published: August 2018

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects millions of women across the world, and Pakistan is no exception. However, there is wide variance in reported frequencies worldwide and even within the same population. No standardized representative national and subnational estimates were available for IPV in Pakistan. We analyzed 3,666 ever-married women (15-49 years), from the most recent Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS; 2012-2013), to determine the prevalence of emotional and physical violence among women in Pakistan and its major subpopulations. The Conflicts Tactics Scale (CTS) was used to ascertain violence. Furthermore, we examined the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, which have the potential to increase the risk of emotional and physical violence. Weighted multivariate logistic regression was carried out to determine the association of IPV with the potential risk factors using Stata version 13.0. The prevalence of emotional and physical violence was, respectively, 36.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: [33.8, 39.1]) and 18.4% (95% CI: [16.4, 20.6]) in Pakistan. The frequency of emotional and physical violence was highest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK; 54.9% and 36.4%) followed by Balochistan (50.0% and 25.5%), Punjab (35.9% and 15.8%), and Sindh (24.7% and 13.3%) provinces. The prevalence of any form of violence (emotional or physical or both) was higher in rural than in urban areas (45.2% vs. 30.6%). Higher age of the husband and lower socioeconomic status were associated with emotional violence in KPK. Furthermore, alcohol intake by husbands and lower educational status of women or their husbands were associated with greater risk of emotional and physical violence across the provinces. IPV is high in Pakistan and large variations exist in the prevalence of violence across the provinces. The predictors of emotional and physical violence included occupation and education of the husband, alcohol intake, woman’s occupation, and wealth index. Further studies are needed to explore the underlying factors of violence and reasons for variation across different regions in the country for contextual interventions.
A Pilot Clinical Trial of Smoking Cessation Services Implemented in the Workplace for Service Industry Employees
Authors: Bold Krysten W. , Kimmel Lisa , Hanrahan Tess H. , Romano Denise , Rojewski Alana M. , Krishnan-Sarin Suchitra , Fucito Lisa M. , O’Malley Stephanie S.
Published: August 2018

Purpose:

Evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of implementing evidence-based tobacco treatment at the workplace for service industry employees.

Design:

Randomized trial using 6 paired worksites (3 test and 3 delayed intervention control sites).

Setting:

US Northeast city.

Participants:

Employees were recruited from university food service settings.

Intervention:

Comprehensive smoking treatment was provided at the workplace including individual counseling, free pharmacotherapy (dual nicotine replacement therapy or varenicline), and 5 weeks of contingency management that reinforced abstinence or reductions in smoking to encourage progress toward quitting.

Measures:

Primary measures included a smoking status survey administered at the end of treatment at the test sites and before treatment began at the delayed intervention control sites.

Analysis:

Analyses compared rates of quit attempts and successful abstinence for at least 24 hours between the test and delayed intervention control sites.

Results:

Twenty-five employees were enrolled in treatment. The majority were single (12/25), black (16/25), and reported their educational attainment as high school or less (18/25). Employees in the test (vs delayed intervention control) sites reported higher rates of quit attempts (66.7% vs 12.5%, P = .02) and success quitting for at least 24 hours (53.3% vs 12.5%, P = .08). Participants rated the treatment as very helpful overall.

Conclusion:

Findings support the feasibility and efficacy of providing workplace-based smoking cessation services and may inform strategies to increase access to treatment.
Constructing a Public Narrative of Regulations for Big Data and Analytics: Results From a Community-Driven Discussion
Authors: Popham James , Lavoie Jennifer , Coomber Nicole
Published: August 2018

This article reports on community perspectives about the regulation of municipality-led Big Data initiatives developed through an exploratory, deliberative democracy-informed approach. While analytics hold great promise for policy design and service delivery improvements, their mythologized nature may elicit a blind faith in empirical outcomes, leading to misrepresentation or omission of marginalized populations. Scholars have begun pointing to public consultation as a means of avoiding these challenges, suggesting that a truly “smart city” should vet potential Big Data polices through the community in order to identify locally relevant concerns. The Big Data in Cities: Barriers and Benefits symposium, held in May of 2017, took a deliberative democracy approach designed to contribute toward a midsized southern Ontario city’s regulatory framework for data aggregation and mobilization. Approximately 100 self-selected participants (primarily public advocates) attended a 2-day symposium that featured a series of presentations designed to introduce critiques to and strategies for the implementation of Big Data initiatives. Participants also engaged in several facilitated roundtable discussions during the symposium, and their transcribed conversations served as the data for this study. Thematic analysis identified three recurrent concerns: publicly vetted data ethics, consultation and literacy practices, and regulatory frameworks. The public consultation process employed by this study produced results that reflect critiques raised in other academic papers.
A sustainable approach of damping treatment for aluminium honeycomb sandwich structures
Authors: Monninger P , Thite A N
Published: August 2018

The damping plays a vital role in structural dynamic and acoustic performance of aluminium honeycomb sandwich structures. The viscoelastic damping treatment of skins is most common. An alternative, the use of sustainable cork inserts to improve the damping of cores and the whole assembly is investigated in this study. Structures with different filling degrees are analysed, as well as the optimum location for inserts is determined. The structural dynamic as well as the vibro-acoustic performance is estimated numerically. Average squared displacement amplitude reduction efficiency [Formula: see text] is defined as the target parameter for structural dynamic performance, whereas average transmission loss effectiveness [Formula: see text] is designed for vibro-acoustic performance. The structural dynamic models are validated by experimental vibration analysis, whereas the vibro-acoustic models are validated against published data. Different ways of bonding the inserts to the host structure are analysed in order to maximise damping. The highest improvement is obtained with a filling degree of 64% honeycomb voids and 9.76% increase in mass, for which an average squared displacement amplitude reduction of 35.25% and an average increase in transmission loss of 1.5 dB is achieved. The transmission loss increase in relation to the added mass is much higher than that achieved by doubling of mass in the mass law region. The introduction of cork inserts spreads the energy in local modes to a larger space, effectively decreasing the resonance amplitudes. Interestingly, damping does not increase with the number of inserts in a monotonic way and the improvement depends on the spatial distribution of inserts.
An investigation of laboratory test methods for predicting the in-use leakage performance of urine-absorbing aids in nursing homes
Authors: Cottenden Alan , Macaulay Margaret
Published: August 2018

The absorption before leakage method for measuring the absorption capacity of urine-absorbing aids was investigated. Along with the existing international standard (ISO 11948-1:1996, the Rothwell method), it was run on 12 experimental products whose in-use leakage performance was established by 55 incontinent nursing home residents. Methods were evaluated by considering their simplicity, their repeatability within – and their reproducibility between – six laboratories, and their correlation with in-use product performance. ISO 11948-1:1996 – which measures the absorption capacity of products under simple conditions – showed good repeatability and reproducibility, and reasonable correlation with in-use data. However, it proved blind to the effects of leg cuffs that conferred measurable benefits in real use. It should, therefore, be used with caution. The absorption before leakage method – which measures how much a product will hold before leakage when it is mounted on a manikin and standard aliquots of liquid are applied – is more complex and had poorer repeatability and reproducibility. However, it had stronger correlations with in-use data and successfully detected the benefits of leg cuffs on insert products. It is concluded that it holds potential as a new international standard to replace or complement ISO 11948-1:1996, and the necessary refinement work has been ongoing since the 2007 project described here. Two other laboratory methods were run opportunistically. A rewet method (Spanish national standard UNE 153601-2:2008) – for measuring the escape of fluid from a product under pressure – showed poor repeatability and reproducibility. Finally, an acquisition method was used to measure how quickly products absorbed two successive standard aliquots of liquid. It proved robust, showing good repeatability and reproducibility. Although measurements generally correlated well with in-use leakage performance, a direct causal link is unlikely. Products with high absorption capacity tend also to absorb quickly.