bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Designing a scheduling decision support system for the skin pass line: A case study of the steel finishing line
Authors: Vaez Parinaz , Jabbarzadeh Armin , Azad Nader
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we investigate the scheduling policies in the iron and steel industry, and in particular, we formulate and propose a solution to a complicated problem called skin pass production scheduling in this industry. The solution is to generate multiple production turns for the skin pass coils and, at the same time, determine the sequence of these turns so that productivity and product quality are maximized, while the total production scheduling cost, including the costs of tardiness, flow of material, and the changeover cost between adjacent and non-adjacent coils, is minimized. This study has been prompted by a practical problem in an international steel company in Iran. In this study, we present a new mixed integer programming model and develop a heuristic algorithm, as the commercial solvers would have difficulty in solving the problem. In our heuristic algorithm, initial solutions are obtained by a greedy constraint satisfaction algorithm, and then a local search method is developed to improve the initial solution. The experimental results tested on the data collected from the steel company show the efficiency of the proposed heuristic algorithm by solving a large-sized instance in a reasonable computation time. The average deviation between the manual method and the heuristic algorithm is 30%. Also, in all the components of the objective function, the algorithm performs better compared to the manual method. The improved values are greater than 15. In addition, we develop a commercial decision support system for the implementation of the proposed algorithm in the steel company.
The reconstruction of burned area and fire severity using charcoal from boreal lake sediments
Authors: Hennebelle Andy , Aleman Julie C , Ali Adam A , Bergeron Yves , Carcaillet Christopher , Grondin Pierre , Landry Josianne , Blarquez Olivier
Published: June 2020

Although lacustrine sedimentary charcoal has long been used to infer paleofires, their quantitative reconstructions require improvements of the calibration of their links with fire regimes (i.e. occurrence, area, and severity) and the taphonomic processes that affect charcoal particles between the production and the deposition in lake sediments. Charcoal particles >150 µm were monitored yearly from 2011 to 2016 using traps submerged in seven head lakes situated in flat-to-rolling boreal forest landscapes in eastern Canada. The burned area was measured, and the above-ground fire severity was assessed using the differentiated normalized burn ratio (dNBR) index, derived from LANDSAT images, and measurements taken within zones radiating 3, 15, and 30 km from the lakes. In order to evaluate potential lag effects in the charcoal record, fire metrics were assessed for the year of recorded charcoal recording (lag 0) and up to 5 years before charcoal deposition (lag 5). A total of 92 variables were generated and sorted using a Random Forest-based methodology. The most explanatory variables for annual charcoal particle presence, expressed as the median surface area, were selected. Results show that, temporally, sedimentary charcoal accurately recorded fire events without a temporal lag; spatially, fires were recorded up to 30 km from the lakes. Selected variables highlighted the importance of burned area and fire severity in explaining lacustrine charcoal. The charcoal influx was thus driven by fire area and severity during the production process. The dispersion process of particles resulted mostly of wind transportation within the regional (<30 km) source area. Overall, charcoal median surface area represents a reliable proxy for reconstructing past burned areas and fire severities.
Estimation and inference for semi-competing risks based on data from a nested case-control study
Authors: Jazić Ina , Lee Stephanie , Haneuse Sebastien
Published: June 2020

In semi-competing risks, the occurrence of some non-terminal event is subject to a terminal event, usually death. While existing methods for semi-competing risks data analysis assume complete information on all relevant covariates, data on at least one covariate are often not readily available in practice. In this setting, for standard univariate time-to-event analyses, researchers may choose from several strategies for sub-sampling patients on whom to collect complete data, including the nested case-control study design. Here, we consider a semi-competing risks analysis through the reuse of data from an existing nested case-control study for which risk sets were formed based on either the non-terminal or the terminal event. Additionally, we introduce the supplemented nested case-control design in which detailed data are collected on additional events of the other type. We propose estimation with respect to a frailty illness-death model through maximum weighted likelihood, specifying the baseline hazard functions either parametrically or semi-parametrically via B-splines. Two standard error estimators are proposed: (i) a computationally simple sandwich estimator and (ii) an estimator based on a perturbation resampling procedure. We derive the asymptotic properties of the proposed methods and evaluate their small-sample properties via simulation. The designs/methods are illustrated with an investigation of risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease among N = 8838 patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, for which death is a significant competing risk.
Bayesian and influence function-based empirical likelihoods for inference of sensitivity in diagnostic tests
Authors: Hai Yan , Min Xiaoyi , Qin Gengsheng ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: June 2020

In medical diagnostic studies, a diagnostic test can be evaluated based on its sensitivity under a desired specificity. Existing methods for inference on sensitivity include normal approximation-based approaches and empirical likelihood (EL)-based approaches. These methods generally have poor performance when the specificity is high, and some require choosing smoothing parameters. We propose a new influence function-based empirical likelihood method and Bayesian empirical likelihood methods to overcome such problems. Numerical studies are performed to compare the finite sample performance of the proposed approaches with existing methods. The proposed methods are shown to perform better in terms of both coverage probability and interval length. A real data set from Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ANDI) is analyzed.
Robustness of risk-based allocation of resources for disease prevention
Authors: Gail Mitchell H , Pee David
Published: June 2020

Risk models for disease incidence can be useful for allocating resources for disease prevention if risk assessment is not too expensive. Assume there is a preventive intervention that should be given to everyone, but preventive resources are limited. We optimize risk-based prevention strategies and investigate robustness to modeling assumptions. The optimal strategy defines the proportion of the population to be given risk assessment and who should be offered intervention. The optimal strategy depends on the ratio of available resources to resources needed to intervene on everyone, and on the ratio of the costs of risk assessment to intervention. Risk assessment is not recommended if it is too expensive. Preventive efficiency decreases with decreasing compliance to risk assessment or intervention. Risk measurement error has little effect nor does misspecification of the risk distribution. Ignoring population substructure has small effects on optimal prevention strategy but can lead to modest over- or under-spending. We give conditions under which ignoring population substructure has no effect on optimal strategy. Thus, a simple one-population model offers robust guidance on prevention strategy but requires data on available resources, costs of risk assessment and intervention, population risk distribution, and probabilities of acceptance of risk assessment and intervention.
Digital Emotion Regulation
Authors: Wadley Greg , Smith Wally , Koval Peter , Gross James J.
Published: June 2020

People routinely regulate their emotions in order to function more effectively at work, to behave more appropriately in social situations, or simply to feel better. Recently, researchers have begun to examine how people shape their affective states using digital technologies, such as smartphones. In this article, we discuss the emergence of digital emotion regulation, both as a widespread behavioral phenomenon and a new cross-disciplinary field of research. This field bridges two largely distinct areas of enquiry: (a) psychological research into how and why people regulate their emotions, which has yet to systematically explore the role of digital technology, and (b) computing research into how digital technologies impact users’ emotions, which has yet to integrate psychological theories of emotion regulation. We argue that bringing these two areas into better contact will benefit both and will facilitate a deeper understanding of the nature and significance of digital emotion regulation.
Criminal justice in an age of austerity: The London Bridge killings
Authors: Brown David
Published: June 2020

In late November 2019, two weeks before the UK general election, a terrorist attack was carried out against attendees at a London rehabilitation conference involving released prisoners, killing two participants and seriously injuring others. The event and aftermath raise a number of issues including: the politicisation of the killings; responsibility for failings in a range of criminal justice processes; the effects of austerity policies on criminal justice; rehabilitation and the selective hailing of released prisoners among those citizens fighting back against the attacker as ‘heroes’.
Development of a droplet digital PCR for detection and quantification of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus
Authors: Cao Wei W. , He Dong S. , Chen Zhen J. , Zuo Yu Z. , Chen Xun , Chang Yan L. , Zhang Zhi G. , Ye Lei , Shi Lei
Published: June 2020

Porcine epidemic diarrhea, a disease caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), results in large economic losses to the global swine industry. To manage this disease effectively, it is essential to detect PEDV early and accurately. We developed a sensitive and accurate droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay to detect PEDV. The optimal primer-to-probe concentration and melting temperature were identified as 300:200 nM and 59.2°C, respectively. The specificity of the ddPCR assay was confirmed by negative test results for common swine pathogens. The detection limit for the ddPCR was 0.26 copies/μL, which is a 5.7-fold increase in sensitivity compared to that of real-time PCR (rtPCR). Both ddPCR and rtPCR assays exhibited good linearity, although ddPCR provided higher sensitivity for clinical detection compared to that of rtPCR. Our ddPCR methodology provides a promising tool for evaluating the PEDV viral load when used for clinical testing, particularly for detecting samples with low-copy viral loads.
Seroprevalence of influenza D virus in bulls in Argentina
Authors: Alvarez Ignacio J. , Fort Marcelo , Pasucci Juan , Moreno Fabiana , Gimenez Hugo , Näslund Katarina , Hägglund Sara , Zohari Siamak , Valarcher Jean François
Published: June 2020

Influenza D virus (IDV) is considered a new agent involved in bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Based on seroprevalence studies or isolation from clinical samples, this virus has been detected on several continents and in several animal species, including cattle, pigs, camel, horses, and goats. We used an indirect in-house ELISA to detect anti-IDV antibodies in 165 serum samples from bulls on 116 farms in the province of La Pampa, Argentina. Eighty-five of 116 (73%) farms had at least 1 positive animal, and 112 of 165 (68%) of the analyzed samples were positive. There were no significant differences in the proportion of seropositive samples depending on the geographic region in which the samples were taken. Our results suggest that IDV infection is endemic in La Pampa; the clinical importance of IDV in Argentina remains to be investigated.
Optimal Outcomes Reporting (OOR): A New Value–Based Metric for Outcome Reporting Following Cleft Palate Repair
Authors: Meara John G. , Hughes Christopher D. , Sanchez Karl , Catallozzi Liza , Clark Roseanne , Kummer Ann W.
Published: June 2020

Objective:

Palatoplasty outcome measurements vary widely among institutions. A standardized outcome metric would help provide quality benchmarks.

Design:

Retrospective review of primary palatoplasty patients from 2007 to 2013.

Setting:

Tertiary care children’s hospital.

Main Outcome Measures:

We created a novel conceptual quality metric called “OOR” (Optimal Outcome Reporting). Optimal Outcome Reporting is designed to reflect the percentage of patients with cleft palate who experience the best outcomes: one operation, velar competence by age 5 years, and no unintended palatal fistula.

Results:

Optimal Outcome Reporting was 72.3% (68/94). Eight patients had “suboptimal” outcomes for having undergone more than one operation. Eighteen patients failed for velar incompetence. No additional patients fell out of the algorithm for fistula. A significantly higher proportion of nonsyndromic patients demonstrated an “optimal” result compared to syndromic patients (61/80, 76.3% vs 7/14, 50.0%; P = .04). Patients who required more than one procedure had significantly more clinic visits (32.6 vs 14.9; P < .01) and accrued higher costs compared to “optimal” patients (US$34 019.88 vs US$15 357.25; P < .01).

Conclusions:

Optimal Outcome Reporting represents a novel quality metric that can provide meaningful information for patients with cleft palate. Optimal Outcome Reporting utilization can help cleft centers adopt changes that matter to patients and their families. By allowing for cross-institutional comparisons in a clear and objective manner, OOR can promote competition, innovation, and value in cleft palate care.
Band Directors’ Perceptions of Instrumental Conducting Curricula
Authors: Silvey Brian A. , Springer D. Gregory , Noon Christian M. , Baumgartner Christopher M. , Scherer Alec D. , Montemayor Mark
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to examine inservice band directors’ perceptions of their undergraduate instrumental conducting curricula. Members ( N = 141) of the Facebook Band Directors Group who had completed undergraduate conducting and rehearsal techniques coursework responded to an online survey. Respondents felt more confident demonstrating technical conducting behaviors versus expressive ones, perceived their instruction in conducting skills superior to their rehearsal skill instruction, and desired additional conducting and rehearsal experiences that were more representative of what they encountered once they began teaching. Respondents’ most desired curricular change was for additional instruction in rehearsal planning, error detection and correction, and instrument-specific pedagogy. The three most frequently used score study behaviors were “initial, casual read-through of the score,” “define all unfamiliar terms,” and “marking important cues.” Based on our findings, we discuss ways in which music teacher educators can improve their instrumental conducting courses.
Optimal Mean Arterial Pressure Within 24 Hours of Admission for Patients With Intermediate-Risk and High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Chen Jialong , Lin Jing , Wu Danshen , Guo Xiaolan , Li XiuHua , Shi Songjing
Published: June 2020

We aimed to determine whether the average mean arterial pressure (aMAP) in the first 24 hours of hospital admission is useful in predicting short-term outcomes of patients with intermediate- and high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE). We conducted a single-center retrospective study. From May 2012 to April 2019, 122 patients with intermediate- and high-risk PE were included. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcome was adverse events. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and cutoff values for aMAP predicting in-hospital death were computed. According to cutoff values, we categorized 5 groups defined as follows: group 1: aMAP < 70 mm Hg; group 2: 70 mm Hg ≤ aMAP < 80 mm Hg; group 3: 80 mm Hg ≤ aMAP < 90 mm Hg; group 4: 90 mm Hg ≤ aMAP <100 mm Hg; and group 5: aMAP ≥ 100 mm Hg. Cox regression models were calculated to investigate associations between aMAP and in-hospital death. In the study group of 122 patients, 15 (12.30%) patients died in the hospital due to PE. The ROC analysis for MAP predicting in-hospital death revealed an area under the curve of 0.729 with a cutoff value of 79.4 mm Hg. Cox regression models showed a significant association between in-hospital death and aMAP group 1 (ref), aMAP group 2 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.680, 95% CI: 0.020-140.335), aMAP group 3 (OR = 0.003, 95% CI: 0.0001-0.343), aMAP group 4 (OR = 0.006, 95% CI: 0.0001-1.671), and aMAP group 5 (OR = 0.003, 95% CI: 0.0001-9.744). In particular, those with an aMAP of 80 to 90 mm Hg had minimum adverse events. The optimal range of MAP for patients with intermediate- and high-risk PE may be 80 to 90 mm Hg.
Care Team Perspectives About an Inpatient Portal: Benefits and Challenges of Patients’ Portal Use During Hospitalization
Authors: McAlearney Ann Scheck , Hefner Jennifer L. , MacEwan Sarah R. , Gaughan Alice , DePuccio Matthew , Walker Daniel M. , Hogan C. Tory , Fareed Naleef , Sieck Cynthia J. , Huerta Timothy R.
Published: June 2020

While current research about inpatient portals has focused largely on the patient perspective, it is also critical to consider the care team point of view, as support from these individuals is essential to successful portal implementation and use. We held brief in-person interviews with 433 care team members across a six-hospital health system to explore opinions about patients’ use of an inpatient portal as perceived by care team members. Using the Inpatient Portal Evaluation Framework, we characterized benefits and challenges of portal use that care team members reported affected patients, themselves, and the collaborative work of these care teams with their patients. Interviewees noted inpatient portals can improve patient care and experience and also indicated room for improvement in portal use for hospitalized patients. Further understanding of the care team perspective is critical to inform approaches to inpatient portal implementation that best benefit both patients and providers.
Creative Tourism as Boosting Tool for Placemaking Strategies in Peripheral Areas: Insights From Portugal
Authors: Gato Maria Assunção , Costa Pedro , Cruz Ana Rita , Perestrelo Margarida
Published: June 2020

Creative tourism is starting in Portugal as a labelled and structured alternative aiming to produce a boosting effect in peripheral areas. By linking places, host communities and tourists in the cocreation of differentiated experiences, this tourism offer challenges destinations and communities to be creative and reinvent themselves as placemaking agents in the coproduction of territorial amenities. As such, creative tourism can be a useful tool to complement placemaking strategies in peripheral areas, once it has the ability to engage local communities and generate territorial benefits. This hypothesis is explored through a case study and preliminary findings, obtained through focus group, in-depth interviews and content analysis, show the advantages of planned placemaking strategies for the territorial promotion. The comparisons in terms of intervention focus by types of entities and placemaking strategies confirm the complexity of these dynamics, pointing relevant factors used to mobilize local tangible and intangible resources.
Forecasting Tourist Daily Arrivals With A Hybrid Sarima–Lstm Approach
Authors: Wu Don Chi Wai , Ji Lei , He Kaijian , Tso Kwok Fai Geoffrey
Published: June 2020

Timely predicting tourist demand is extremely important for the tourism industry. However, due to limited availability of data, most of the relevant research studies have focused on data on a quarterly or monthly basis. In this article, we propose a novel hybrid approach, SARIMA + LSTM, that is, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) combined with long short-term memory (LSTM) to forecast daily tourist arrivals to Macau SAR, China. The LSTM model is a novel artificial intelligence nonlinear method which has been shown to have the capacity to learn the long-term dependencies existing in the time series. SARIMA + LSTM benefits from the predictive power of the SARIMA model and the ability of the LSTM to further reduce residuals. The results show that the SARIMA + LSTM forecast technique outperforms other methods.
From Online Community to Offline Travel Companions: Technology-Mediated Trust Building and Ad Hoc Travel Group Decision Making
Authors: Zhang Chaozhi , Anthony Wong IpKin , Zhang Xin , Fyall Alan
Published: June 2020

This article explores how cycling tourists build trust in the process of transition from online community to offline travel companions. It uses data collected from participant observation and interviews of a cycling tourist group in China. The findings indicate that after building a social circle in an online community, the members of the “community” build trust by: identifying travel companions’ attitudes, values, knowledge, and experiences to build dispositional trust; identifying companions’ preferences, activities, or the patterns of cycling behavior to build institutional trust; identifying companions’ cycling experiences, occupations, and hobbies to build interpersonal trust. After the identification of travel companions and trust has developed, online community members make the decision to travel together as companions and their online social circle becomes a regulated group without hierarchy. A “triple-jump” explanatory model to explain the trust-building process and practical recommendations from these insights were outlined.
Recruitment of undergraduate students in kinesiology: Implications for physical education
Authors: Richards K Andrew R , Gawrisch Daniel P , Shiver Victoria N , Curtner-Smith Matthew D
Published: June 2020

Physical education teacher education enrollment numbers are declining with limited empirical understanding. Recruitment into the physical education profession has been passive, although scholars have begun to advocate for an active approach. The present study utilized occupational socialization theory to understand why undergraduate kinesiology majors select a kinesiology concentration outside of physical education. Participants ( n = 75) were kinesiology undergraduate students at a large, public university in the US Midwest. Quantitative data included forced-choice questions regarding socialization experiences ( n = 75) that were analyzed descriptively and through independent-samples t-tests to identify gender differences. Qualitative data included autobiographical essays ( n = 75) and semi-structured interviews ( n = 23), analyzed using a multi-phase process. Health and fitness was the most highly rated recruitment facilitator, and many of the facilitators were different than those noted in the physical education literature. The four qualitative themes included the following: (a) the influence of family, teachers and coaches, and medical mentors on career choice; (b) future career goals aligned with the helping professions; (c) negative experiences in physical education act as a barrier to recruitment; and (d) firsthand and active recruitment into kinesiology. Participants’ negative physical education experiences reinforces the idea that the passive recruitment process serves to socialize some students out of physical education. Future research should consider professional socialization within kinesiology-aligned fields outside of physical education. Active recruitment initiatives should be designed to increase enrollments in physical education teacher education.
Health behaviour changes during COVID-19 and the potential consequences: A mini-review
Authors: Arora Teresa , Grey Ian
Published: June 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about profound changes to social behaviour. While calls to identify mental health effects that may stem from these changes should be heeded, there is also a need to examine potential changes with respect to health behaviours. Media reports have signalled dramatic shifts in sleep, substance use, physical activity and diet, which may have subsequent downstream mental health consequences. We briefly discuss the interplay between health behaviours and mental health, and the possible changes in these areas resulting from anti-pandemic measures. We also highlight a call for greater research efforts to address the short and long-term consequences of changes to health behaviours.
Validation of the low anterior resection syndrome score in finnish patients: preliminary results on quality of life in different lars severity groups
Authors: Carpelan Anu , Elamo Eeva , Karvonen Jukka , Varpe Pirita , Elamo Sami , Vahlberg Tero , Grönroos Juha , Huhtinen Heikki
Published: June 2020

Background and Aims:

Low anterior resection syndrome is common after anterior resection for rectal cancer. Its severity can be tested with the low anterior resection syndrome score. We have translated the low anterior resection syndrome score to Finnish, and the aim of this study is to validate the translation.

Materials and Methods:

The translated Finnish low anterior resection syndrome score and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality-of-life questionnaire-C30 and QLQ-CR29 questionnaires were sent to 159 surviving patients operated with anterior resection for rectal adenocarcinoma between 2007 and 2014 in a tertiary referral center. Psychometric properties of the translation were evaluated in comparison to quality-of-life scales and in different risk factor groups.

Results:

In the study, 104 (65%) patients returned the questionnaires. Of these, 56 (54%) had major low anterior resection syndrome, 26 (25%) had minor low anterior resection syndrome, and 22 (21%) had no low anterior resection syndrome. Patients with major low anterior resection syndrome had a significantly lower quality of life and more defecatory symptoms as assessed with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaires compared with those with no low anterior resection syndrome. Patients operated with total mesorectal excision had significantly higher low anterior resection syndrome scores compared with those operated with partial mesorectal excision (median/interquartile range 32/15 and 29/11, respectively, p = 0.037). The test–retest validity of the translation was good with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.51–0.90).

Conclusions:

The Finnish low anterior resection syndrome score is a valid test in the assessment of postoperative bowel function and its impact on the quality of life. It can be implemented to use during regular follow-up visits of Finnish-speaking rectal cancer patients.
Problematising the restoration of trust through transparency: Focusing on quoting
Authors: Haapanen Lauri
Published: June 2020

Transparency is seen as a panacea for a major problem facing journalism and journalists today, that is, the loss of trust and credibility. However, the scholarly literature has focused primarily on normative considerations, without providing much empirical data that could confirm what are widely assumed to be the positive effects of transparency. In this paper, I argue, first, that editorial texts, in their various manifestations, are the most potent of the various established means of displaying transparency for opening up the production of news item. However, I then draw on my linguistic, process-focused research on quoting and highlight challenges this process creates for the use of editorial texts in the pursuit of transparency. It turns out that conveying the essentials of decision-making that occurs during newswriting requires profound understanding and awareness of the interplay between modalities, co-texts and contexts of language use. Finally, implementing the norm of transparency has allegedly led to the transformation of a well-intentioned goal into an institutional myth, leading journalists – constrained, for example, by the mechanism of impression management – to disclose only socially acceptable practices. Therefore, I conclude by arguing for transdisciplinary research in which scholars research ‘on, for and with’ (Perrin, 2018) other stakeholders in order to bring about a fundamental change in the culture of transparency in journalism.
A qualitative exploration of family carer’s understandings of people with dementia’s expectations for the future
Authors: Read Sheridan T , Toye Christine , Wynaden Dianne
Published: June 2020

Background

There is little evidence that outlines how family carers understand the person with dementia’s perspective, values and anticipated future needs. Whilst people with dementia should be consulted about their own quality of life and care values, carers – otherwise known as care partners – require such understandings to ensure that the support the person receives into the future upholds their quality of life and is consistent with what they desire.

Aim

This research aimed to explore and describe family carers’ experience of supporting the person with dementia to maintain their quality of life by understanding how carers developed an awareness and understanding of the person with dementia’s expectations for the future and what they believed was important for the person to whom they provided care.

Method

Using an application of the grounded theory method, data were collected from 21 carers during semi structured interviews and analysed using constant comparative analysis.

Findings

Four categories emerged from the data: Knowing the person, Process of decision making, Maintaining normalcy and quality of life and Out of their control.

Discussion

This study provides insights into how carers developed awareness of the expectations of people with dementia. Findings also illuminate carers’ perspectives of the changing nature of decision making during the dementia trajectory.

Conclusion

Understanding the perspective of the person living with dementia is essential to facilitate advocacy and support that is ‘person centred’ now and into the future. Assisting carers to incorporate this perspective into caring has the potential to be better facilitated by health professionals and merits further investigation.
Analysis of tugboat operation and towage fees in a Taiwanese port and alternatives for improving tugboat operation by the Delphi method
Authors: Chou Chien-Chang , Wen Chan-Chuan , Huang Yi-Jin
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this article is to analyze the towing operation problem and towage incomes of the Kaohsiung port in Taiwan, and then propose feasible improvement alternatives for making tugboat operations more smooth and efficient, solving the problem of port congestion, and enhancing the port’s navigational safety. First, by analyzing 23,336 sets of actual data of merchant vessels entering/exiting the port of Kaohsiung and the 28,787 sets of actual data of tugboat operation at the second channel of Kaohsiung port in 2017, we can understand the relationships among towing operations, merchant vessels, and towage income. Second, the scenario analysis associated with the concept of towage fee differentiation was applied to analyze the relationship between towing operations and tugboat revenues in various scenarios. Third, the study proposed feasible alternatives for improving the port congestion problem and enhancing tugboat operation effectiveness by using the Delphi method. We believe that the improvement alternatives and recommendations from this study are practical and feasible and can help in policy formation and decision-making of port tugboat operations in the future.
Community Targeting of Uncontrolled Hypertension: Results of a Hypertension Screening and Education Intervention in Community Churches Serving Predominantly Racial/Ethnic Minority Populations
Authors: Prendergast Heather M. , Escobar-Schulz Sandra , Del Rios Marina , Petzel-Gimbar Renee , McPherson Charles , Jackson Maya , Terrell KaLynn , Heinert Sara W.
Published: June 2020

Background. Uncontrolled hypertension is the primary risk factor for the development of cardiovascular complications and particularly burdens racial/ethnic minority populations. Aim. To determine the effectiveness of a community hypertension screening, education, and empowerment intervention on blood pressure (BP) improvement. Method. We screened 152 participants across four churches in predominantly racial/ethnic minority neighborhoods for elevated BP. During this visit, those with BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg were enrolled in the study and completed interventions. Individuals with moderately elevated BP (≥140/90 and <160/100 mmHg; Group 1) viewed a 3-minute hypertension education video. Individuals with severely elevated BP (≥160/100 mmHg; Group 2) additionally viewed echocardiograms images with subclinical changes from uncontrolled hypertension and had a brief on-site medication review with a pharmacist. Both groups received automated BP monitors and information on neighborhood federally qualified health centers for primary care. Participants returned to each church for follow-up 3 months later. We analyzed BP difference at 3 months and percentage with controlled BP for each group. Results. For Group 1, mean baseline and follow-up BPs were 143.5/88.0 mmHg and 138.5/85.8 mmHg, respectively. For Group 2, BPs significantly decreased from 165.4/98.3 mmHg to 150.4/90.8 mmHg. After the intervention, participants with controlled BP for Groups 1 and 2 were 35.5% and 55.2%, respectively. Discussion. Participants in both groups had BP improvements. Greater improvements were in individuals at higher cardiovascular risk due to severely elevated BPs (≥160/100 mmHg). Conclusion. This pilot highlights the impact that streamlined empowerment interventions with dedicated health personnel can have in high-risk communities with elevated BPs.
A Qualitative Study to Explore the Needs of Lung Transplant Caregivers
Authors: Yagelniski Ashley , Rosaasen Nicola , Cardinal Louise , Fenton Mark E. , Tam Julian , Mansell Holly
Published: June 2020

Introduction:

Providing support throughout the lung transplant process is an intensive task, which requires a dedicated caregiver. The needs of caregivers who must relocate with their loved one receiving the transplant are currently unknown. The objective of this study is to explore experiences and perceptions of lung transplant caregivers identified from a satellite clinic to inform the development of educational resources.

Methods:

A qualitative study with a phenomenology approach was undertaken with individuals who have taken on the role of a caregiver for lung transplant candidates or recipients and must travel to the specialized transplant center. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 caregivers. Interviews conducted by phone were audio-recorded and then transcribed verbatim. NVivo software was used to code the data and identify emerging themes.

Results:

Ideas were classified into the following 4 themes: (1) the stress of being a caregiver, (2) caregivers undertake a variety of roles, (3) caregivers require support, and (4) satisfaction with health care providers. Even though the caregivers lived an average of 7.1 (standard deviation 2) hours from the surgical transplant center, all expressed satisfaction with the level of care that they received. Caregivers identified several stressors during the transplant process and described various strategies for coping.

Conclusion:

Caregivers shared their experiences on the transplant process. It was evident that being a caregiver was a stressful and supports were necessary for those undertaking this role. These insights will help inform the development of a new educational resource for patients and caregivers.
Evaluating the Recessionary Impact on Election Administration Budgeting and Spending
Authors: Mohr Zachary , Pope JoEllen V. , Shepherd Mary Jo , Kropf Martha , Hill Ahmad
Published: June 2020

Recent research indicates the need to understand the role financial resources play in election administration. A key question is, when considering “financial resources,” how much does economic hardship affect the differences between the budgeted amount and the actual amount spent?. The limited research that has examined this question comes from the United Kingdom; it shows that there are significant differences between the two measures and they vary systematically based upon fiscal environmental conditions. This research examines whether the fiscal environment influences election administration budgets, spending, and the resulting budget variance in local US jurisdictions. Using county election administration spending data from four states, this research indicates election administration budgets, spending, and variances are related to the fiscal environment. Not only does this work have implications for measurement of election cost, but this work is key to understanding the financial situation election administration faces given pandemic-related economic woes.
Wearable Internet-of-Things platform for human activity recognition and health care
Authors: Iqbal Asif , Ullah Farman , Anwar Hafeez , Ur Rehman Ata , Shah Kiran , Baig Ayesha , Ali Sajid , Yoo Sangjo , Kwak Kyung Sup
Published: June 2020

We propose to perform wearable sensors-based human physical activity recognition. This is further extended to an Internet-of-Things (IoT) platform which is based on a web-based application that integrates wearable sensors, smartphones, and activity recognition. To this end, a smartphone collects the data from wearable sensors and sends it to the server for processing and recognition of the physical activity. We collect a novel data set of 13 physical activities performed both indoor and outdoor. The participants are from both the genders where their number per activity varies. During these activities, the wearable sensors measure various body parameters via accelerometers, gyroscope, magnetometers, pressure, and temperature. These measurements and their statistical are then represented in features vectors that used to train and test supervised machine learning algorithms (classifiers) for activity recognition. On the given data set, we evaluate a number of widely known classifiers such random forests, support vector machine, and many others using the WEKA machine learning suite. Using the default settings of these classifiers in WEKA, we attain the highest overall classification accuracy of 90%. Consequently, such a recognition rate is encouraging, reliable, and effective to be used in the proposed platform.
Using Video Games for Learning: Developing a Metalanguage for Digital Play
Authors: Toh Weimin , Lim Fei Victor
Published: June 2020

With technological advancement, digital play is increasingly popular as digital games appeal to all ages but are particularly attractive to youths and children. It is useful to develop a deeper understanding of digital play and to explore ways in which caregivers can guide young people in their play to recognize and develop different types of learning. This article attempts to address these issues through proposing a metalanguage for digital play. The theoretical orientation adopted in this article is that of social semiotics and critical multiliteracies. Our focus is on harnessing the affordances of digital play for learning by systematizing them into a metalanguage based on social semiotic theory that models the meaning potential of semiotic resources into the representation, engagement, and organization functions. From the metalanguage, the pedagogical implications or a set of principles of using digital play for learning in the classroom context are discussed.
Toxic Culture and a Wounded Leader: A Foray Into a Dysfunctional Educational Community
Authors: Mette Ian M.
Published: June 2020

This case was written for school leaders, specifically for administrators interested in addressing and improving school culture. Often efforts to address toxic culture and organizational change result in resistance, requiring leadership that is capable of influencing and inspiring cultural transformation. However, leaders who embark on these types of organizational improvement efforts can often experience leadership wounds inflicted by experiences and responses of others that are inevitable in education. These wounds can attack the beliefs, values, and psyche of leaders more broadly. Educators can use this case to examine their own wounds, and more specifically how this framework might be applied to leadership decisions, responses, and interpersonal and intrapersonal development as they respond to pressures of improving negative and toxic cultures.
Sound absorption, thermal, and flame retardant properties of nonwoven wall cloth with waste fibers
Authors: Lyu Lihua , Li Changwei , Wang Ying , Lu Jing , Guo Jing
Published: June 2020

In order to solve the recycling problem of waste fibers, the nonwoven wall cloth was prepared with waste wool fibers and low-melting-point polyamide fibers as raw materials by combing into a net and hot-pressing method. The effect of fiber length, hot pressing temperature, mass fraction of the waste wool fibers, volume density, thickness of materials, and thickness of the rear air layer on the sound absorption properties were studied by single factor experiments. Under the optimized technological conditions, the sound absorption coefficient was above 0.91 and the noise reduction coefficient was 0.56. Then, the sound absorption mechanism was analyzed. In order to meet the fire resistance requirements of materials in the construction industry, by the orthogonal experiments, range analysis, and variance analysis, the optimal process conditions were as follows: potassium fluotitanate concentration of 8%, treatment time of 40 min, and treatment temperature of 80°C. The limit oxygen index of the nonwoven wall cloth was 32.5%. The nonwoven wall cloth had good sound absorption and flame retardant properties.
Results of a three-year follow-up after endovascular therapy with multilayer flow modulator in complex thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm: A case report
Authors: Kankılıç Nazım , Aydın Mehmet S
Published: June 2020

Objectives

Studies on the short-, medium and long-term effects of flow guiding stents are still limited. In this case report, we present three-year follow-up of the multilayer flow modulator stent in a 55-year-old patient with Crawford Type 2 thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.

Methods

A 55-year-old male patient with Crawford Type 2 thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm had applied to our medical center. The aneurysm involved coeliac truncus and superior mesenteric artery and extended to the renal artery ostia. Multilayer flow modulator stent was successfully placed, and follow-up CT (Computed tomography) angiographic examination images recorded intermittently (36 months).

Results

After three years, it was observed that the left renal artery was thrombosed and the left kidney went to atrophy. Other major vascular branches were observed to be open. During this time, the aneurysm was completely closed with thrombus, but the diameter of the aneurysm continued to increase.

Conclusions

Multilayer flow modulator stents are safe in complex aortic aneurysms. The device increases the thrombus load in the aortic aneurysm and maintains the flow of the main vascular branches. But re-interventions, dilatation of the aneurysm sac and visceral branch obstructions are still challenging for multilayer flow modulator stents.
Magnetic linear driving method for high-voltage direct current inspection robot
Authors: Xu Xian Jin , Chen Hao Da , Yang Zhi Yong , Hu Shi Chao , Yan Yu
Published: June 2020

Faced with the problem of frequent slippage of the wheel-arm inspection robot in overhead high-voltage transmission lines, a magnetic linear drive method, based on high-voltage direct current (HVDC) magnetic field, is proposed: The ampere force of an enhanced HVDC magnetic field, generated by an innovatively arranged current-carrying coil, is used as the driving force for the traction robot, replacing the traditional wheel-arm driving method, thereby eliminating the slip. A physical model for the magnetic driving force is established, according to the characteristics of the magnetic field around the HVDC transmission line and the driving force requirements of the robot. The relationship between the magnetic driving force, the physical model size, and the number of coil windings is analyzed. The magnetic drive model is simulated using the COMSOL software version is 5.0. The simulation results of the magnetic drive force model are compared to theoretical calculations, proving the proposed method as correct. The magnetic drive device is constructed according to the proposed magnetic drive model and experiments are carried out. The results show that the magnetic drive device can provide enough traction to drive the robot motion, proving that the proposed magnetic linear drive method is technically feasible.
The path to WeChat: How Tencent’s culture shaped the most popular Chinese app, 1998–2011
Authors: Negro Gianluigi , Balbi Gabriele , Bory Paolo
Published: June 2020

This article contributes to the literature on WeChat, providing a historical perspective on the long-lasting culture of its mother company, Tencent. Through a corpus of primary and secondary sources, the article retraces four constitutive choices which characterized Tencent’s culture from 1998, when the company was founded, to 2011, when the first version of WeChat was launched. We argue that Tencent’s market strategy has always been based on four principles: mobility, media convergence, gaming/youth culture and Sinicization. The article concludes by highlighting that these constitutive choices paved the way to the creation of WeChat, thus contributing to its current success.
Effect of reactive oxygen species of the psoas major muscle in complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced inflammatory pain in rats
Authors: Xue Yan , Dai Sailin , Liang Jiexian , Ji Wenjin
Published: June 2020

Lower limb pain is a common clinical disease that affects millions of people worldwide. It is found in previous studies that reactive oxygen species is closely related to neuropathic, cancer, chemotherapy, and inflammatory pain, which can be relieved by reactive oxygen species scavengers. Furthermore, acupuncture or electroacupuncture on the psoas major muscle has a great effect on adjuvant-induced arthritis and lower back pain. In our study, we investigated the function of reactive oxygen species scavengers locally injecting into the ipsilateral psoas major muscle on complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced inflammatory pain. Our results demonstrated that in the development of complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced inflammatory pain, early local continuous application of N-tert-Butyl-α-phenylnitrone (PBN, 1 and 5 mg/kg/0.2 ml) on the ipsilateral psoas major muscle effectively reduced mechanical and cold hyperalgesia. However, intraperitoneal injection of PBN (1 and 5 mg/kg) or local injection of PBN (1 and 5 mg/kg/0.2 ml) into contralateral psoas major muscle, ipsilateral quadratus lumborum, and ipsilateral erector spinae showed limited effect. In the developed inflammatory pain model, local injection of PBN into the ipsilateral psoas major muscle also alleviated pain and paw edema. In addition, reactive oxygen species level increased in ipsilateral psoas major muscle at seven days after complete Freund’s adjuvant injection. In general, PBN reduces complete Freund’s adjuvant-evoked inflammatory pain by inhibiting reactive oxygen species in the psoas major muscle.