bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of autologous stem cell transplantation after induction therapy with lenalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone
Authors: Arcani Robin , Venton Geoffroy , Colle Julien , Suchon Pierre , Ivanov Vadim , Mercier Cédric , Farnault Laure , Roche Pauline , Lafage Marina , Brunet Corinne , Azouza Wakil , Pourroy Bertrand , Fanciullino Raphaëlle , Costello Regis
Published: July 2019

Objectives

Recently, phase III trials assessed a new combination of lenalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (RVD) in induction therapy in transplantation‐eligible multiple myeloma (MM) patients, before consolidation with RVD and lenalidomide maintenance. We present a retrospective study evaluating this approach with patients from the real life.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective single‐arm study to assess efficacy and safety of RVD combination in induction therapy before high‐dose chemotherapy with melphalan followed by autologous stem cell transplantation, and RVD consolidation followed by lenalidomide maintenance, from February 2011 to May 2016.

Results

Forty patients were enrolled. The mean age at diagnosis was 56 years. Median progression‐free survival was 45 months, and median overall survival was 76 months. The only factor found associated with better PFS was a negative minimal residual disease (P < .01). Twenty‐six (65%) patients experimented adverse events: 8 patients (20%) underwent 12 serious AE (≥grade 3). Treatment discontinuation occurred in 2 patients (5%) because of severe AE.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this work provides the first evidence of the efficacy and the safety of RVD combination in patients treated in common practice.
Evaluation of the ability of dental clinicians to rate dental anxiety
Authors: Höglund Markus , Bågesund Mats , Shahnavaz Shervin , Wårdh Inger
Published: July 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of dental clinicians to rate dental anxiety. A total of 104 clinicians from 24 public dental clinics in the Region of Östergötland, Sweden, examined 1,128 adult patients undergoing their regular dental examination. The patients rated their dental anxiety using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale and a Visual Analogue Scale. After the examination, the clinicians rated the patients’ levels of dental anxiety on a Visual Analogue Scale. The correlation (rs) between the clinicians’ and patients’ ratings of dental anxiety was 0.45. Among highly dentally anxious patients, there was no correlation between clinicians’ and patients’ ratings. Dental clinicians rated dental anxiety lower than their patients did, especially if the patients were highly anxious. The ability of clinicians to rate dental anxiety was better when the clinician was older and the patient was older. There was an inverse association between clinicians’ confidence and their ability to rate a patient's dental anxiety. In conclusion, clinicians are unsuccessful in identifying a dentally anxious patient without the concurrent use of patient self‐assessment tools. A Visual Analogue Scale is a suitable screening tool in general practice for detection of dental anxiety.
Screening Family and Psychosocial Risk in Pediatric Migraine and Tension‐Type Headache: Validation of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT)
Authors: Law Emily F. , Powers Scott W. , Blume Heidi , Palermo Tonya M.
Published: July 2019

Objective

To present data on psychometric properties of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool 2.0_General (PAT), a brief screener for psychosocial risk in families of youth with medical conditions, in youth with headache.

Background

Emotional and behavioral disturbances, parent distress, and poor family functioning are common among youth with recurrent migraine and tension‐type headache; however, tools to comprehensively screen family and psychosocial risk in youth with headache are not currently available. The PAT could address an important gap by facilitating identification of psychosocial treatment needs among youth with headache.

Design and Methods

Youth with recurrent migraine (with and without aura; chronic migraine) or tension‐type headache (episodic and chronic) completed the PAT and validated measures of adolescent emotional and behavioral functioning, parent emotional functioning, and family functioning at baseline (n = 239; 157 from neurology clinic, 82 from the community) and 6‐month follow‐up (n = 221; 146 from neurology clinic, 75 from the community).

Results

Internal consistency for the PAT Total score was strong (α = .88). At baseline, the PAT Total score was significantly associated in the expected direction with established measures of child emotional and behavioral functioning (r = .62), parent anxiety and depressive symptoms (r = .49; r = .53, respectively), and family functioning (r = .21). Predictive validity was demonstrated by a significant association between PAT Total scores at baseline with child emotional and behavioral functioning (r = .64), parent anxiety (r = .37), parent depression (r = .42), and family functioning (r = .26) at 6‐month follow‐up.

Conclusions

The PAT is a promising tool for screening psychosocial risk that could facilitate identification of psychosocial treatment needs among youth with recurrent headache at risk for poor outcomes.
Mountain building, climate cooling and the richness of cold‐adapted plants in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Hagen Oskar , Vaterlaus Lisa , Albouy Camille , Brown Andrew , Leugger Flurin , Onstein Renske E. , de Santana Charles Novaes , Scotese Christopher R. , Pellissier Loïc
Published: July 2019

Aim

The summits of mountain ranges at mid‐latitude in the Northern Hemisphere share many ecological properties with the Arctic, including comparable climates and similar flora. We hypothesize that the orogeny during the Oligocene‐Miocene combined with global cooling led to the origin and early diversification of cold‐adapted plant lineages in these regions. Before the establishment of the Arctic cryosphere, adaptation and speciation in high elevation areas of these mountain ranges may have led to higher species richness compared to the Arctic. Subsequent colonization from mid‐latitude mountain ranges to the Arctic may explain similar but poorer flora.

Location

Arctic‐Alpine regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Methods

We mapped the cold climate in the Northern Hemisphere for most of the Cenozoic (60 Ma until present) based on paleoclimate proxies coupled with paleoelevations. We generated species distribution maps from occurrences and regional atlases for 5,464 plant species from 756 genera occupying cold climates. We fitted a generalized linear model to evaluate the association between cold‐adapted plant species richness and environmental, as well as geographic variables. Finally, we performed a meta‐analysis of studies which inferred and dated the ancestral geographic origin of cold‐adapted lineages using phylogenies.

Results

We found that the subalpine‐alpine areas of the mid‐latitude mountain ranges comprise higher cold‐adapted plant species richness than the Palearctic and Nearctic polar regions. The topo‐climatic reconstructions indicate that the cold climatic niche appeared in mid‐latitude mountain ranges (42–38 Ma), specifically in the Himalayan region, and only later in the Arctic (22–18 Ma). The meta‐analysis of the dating of the origin of cold‐adapted lineages indicates that most clades originated in central Asia between 39–7 Ma.

Main conclusions

Our results support the hypothesis that the orogeny and progressive cooling in the Oligocene‐Miocene generated cold climates in mid‐latitude mountain ranges before the appearance of cold climates in most of the Arctic. Early cold mountainous regions likely allowed for the evolution and diversification of cold‐adapted plant lineages followed by the subsequent colonization of the Arctic. Our results follow Humboldt's vision of integrating biological and geological context in order to better understand the processes underlying the origin of arctic‐alpine plant assemblages.
Divergence of tropical pitvipers promoted by independent colonization events of dry montane Andean habitats
Authors: Salazar‐Valenzuela David , Kuch Ulrich , Torres‐Carvajal Omar , Valencia Jorge H. , Gibbs H. Lisle
Published: July 2019

Aim

A poorly explored feature of the origin and maintenance of Neotropical biodiversity is how the evolutionary dynamics of colonization and differentiation in relation to lowland and highland habitats has impacted lineage formation. Most speciation models for this region have focused on vicariant events, whereas the need to assess the influence of demographic processes has been recognized only recently. We evaluate if the origin of Andean montane lineages of terciopelo pitvipers is explained by either of two historical processes that represent distinct phylogeographic mechanisms: differentiation by isolation within the highlands or different dispersal events from the lowlands.

Location

Western Ecuador.

Taxon

Terciopelo pitvipers (Bothrops asper species complex).

Methods

We use genomic data and genetic clustering analyses, evaluation of historical migration between genetic clusters and demographic model selection to investigate recent diversification events in South America using a vertebrate group rarely explored in phylogeographic studies: tropical Andean snakes. Specifically, the origin of two Ecuadorian montane lineages of terciopelo pitvipers was evaluated given ambiguous phylogenetic relationships with the presumably ancestral Pacific lowland lineage.

Results

Discrepancies of evolutionary relationships previously obtained with tree‐like methods are resolved through the use of modelling approaches. We found strong support for the independent origin of montane lineages based on topologies inferred by maximum‐likelihood trees and modelling approaches that take into account possible gene flow. This suggests dispersal rather than in‐situ differentiation as the most likely mechanism by which the montane linages originated.

Main conclusions

Recent large‐scale studies have found support for identifying dispersal events as important drivers of diversification in the Neotropical region. We contribute to these ideas by identifying a fine‐scale case in a rarely studied group of animals ‐Andean snakes‐ in which river valleys acted as an entrance for the upward colonization of montane dry habitats and subsequent ecological diversification.
Periodicity of the growth‐band formation in vertebrae of juvenile scalloped hammerhead shark Sphyrna lewini from the Mexican Pacific Ocean
Authors: Coiraton Claire , Tovar‐Ávila Javier , Garcés‐García Karla C. , Rodríguez‐Madrigal José A. , Gallegos‐Camacho Rodney , Chávez‐Arrenquín Dario A. , Amezcua Felipe
Published: July 2019

The age of 296 juvenile scalloped hammerhead sharks Sphyrna lewini caught by several fisheries in the Mexican Pacific Ocean from March 2007 to September 2017 were estimated from growth band counts in thin‐sectioned vertebrae. Marginal‐increment analysis (MIA) and centrum‐edge analysis (CEA) were used to verify the periodicity of formation of the growth bands, whereas elemental profiles obtained from LA‐ICP‐MS transect scans in vertebrae of 15 juveniles were used as an alternative approach to verify the age of the species for the first time. Age estimates ranged from 0 to 10+ years (42–158.7 cm total length; LT). The index of average percentage error (IAPE 3.6%), CV (5.2%), bias plots and Bowker's tests of symmetry showed precise and low‐biased age estimation. Both MIA and CEA indicated that in the vertebrae of juveniles of S. lewini a single translucent growth band was formed during winter (November–March) and an opaque band during summer (July–September), a period of faster growth, apparently correlated with a higher sea surface temperature. Peaks in vertebral P and Mn content spatially corresponded with the annual banding pattern in most of the samples, displaying 1.19 and 0.88 peaks per opaque band, respectively, which closely matched the annual deposition rate observed in this study. Although the periodicity of growth band formation needs to be verified for all sizes and ages representing the population of the species in the region, this demonstration of the annual formation of the growth bands in the vertebrae of juveniles should lead to a re‐estimation of the growth parameters and productivity of the population to ensure that it is harvested at sustainable levels.
Variations in Costs of a Collaborative Care Model for Dementia
Authors: Rosa Talita D. , Possin Katherine L. , Bernstein Alissa , Merrilees Jennifer , Dulaney Sarah , Matuoka Jessica , Lee Kirby P. , Chiong Winston , Bonasera Stephen J. , Harrison Krista L. , Kahn James G.
Published: July 2019

OBJECTIVES

Care coordination programs can improve patient outcomes and decrease healthcare expenditures; however, implementation costs are poorly understood. We evaluate the direct costs of implementing a collaborative dementia care program.

DESIGN

We applied a micro‐costing analysis to calculate operational costs per‐participant‐month between March 2015 and May 2017.

SETTING

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

PARTICIPANTS

Participants diagnosed with dementia, enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid, 45 years of age or older, residents of California, Nebraska or Iowa, and having a caregiver. The sample was 272 (UCSF) and 192 (UNMC) participants.

INTERVENTION

A collaborative dementia care program provided by care team navigators (CTNs), advanced practice nurses, a social worker, and a pharmacist, focusing on caregiver support and education, medications, advance care planning, and behavior symptom management.

MEASUREMENTS

We measured costs (personnel, supplies, equipment, and training costs) during three program periods, Start‐up, Early Operations, and Continuing Operations, and estimated the effects of caseload variation on costs.

RESULTS

Start‐up and Early Operations costs were, respectively, $581 and $328 (California), and $501 and $219 (Nebraska) per‐participant‐month. Average costs decreased across phases to $241 (California) and $142 (Nebraska) per‐participant‐month during Continuing Operations. We estimated that costs would range between $75 (UNMC) and $92 (UCSF) per‐participant‐month with the highest projected caseloads (90).

CONCLUSION

We found that CTN caseload is an important driver of service cost. We provide strategies for maximizing caseload without sacrificing quality of care. We also discuss current barriers to broad implementation that can inform new reimbursement policies. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2628–2633, 2019
Hypertension Treatment in US Long‐Term Nursing Home Residents With and Without Dementia
Authors: Boockvar Kenneth S. , Song Wei , Lee Sei , Intrator Orna
Published: July 2019

OBJECTIVES

To describe patterns of antihypertensive medication treatment in hypertensive nursing home (NH) residents with and without dementia and determine the association between antihypertensive treatment and outcomes important to individuals with dementia.

DESIGN

Observational cohort study.

SETTING

All US NHs.

PARTICIPANTS

Long‐term NH residents treated for hypertension in the second quarter of 2013, with and without moderate or severe cognitive impairment, as defined by the NH Minimum Data Set (MDS) Cognitive Function Scale.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary exposure was intensity of antihypertensive treatment, as defined as number of first‐line antihypertensive medications in Medicare Part D dispensing data. The outcome measures were hospitalization, hospitalization for cardiovascular diseases using Medicare Hierarchical Condition Categories, decline in physical function using the MDS Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) scale, and death during a 180‐day follow‐up period.

RESULTS

Of 255 670 NH residents treated for hypertension, 117 732 (46.0%) had moderate or severe cognitive impairment. At baseline, 54.4%, 34.3%, and 11.4% received one, two, and three or more antihypertensive medications, respectively. Moderate or severe cognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.80 vs no or mild impairment; P < .0001), worse physical function (OR = 0.64 worst vs best tertile; P < .0001), and hospice or less than a 6‐month life expectancy (OR = 0.80; P < .0001) were associated with receipt of fewer antihypertensive medications. Increased intensity of antihypertensive treatment was associated with small increases in hospitalization (difference per additional medication = 0.24%; 95% confidence interval = 0.03%‐0.45%) and cardiovascular hospitalization (difference per additional medication = 0.30%; 95% confidence interval = 0.21%‐0.39%) and a small decrease in ADL decline (difference per additional medication = −0.46%; 95% confidence interval = −0.67% to −0.25%). There was no significant difference in mortality (difference per additional medication = −0.05%; 95% confidence interval = −0.23% to 0.13%).

CONCLUSION

Long‐term NH residents with hypertension do not experience significant benefits from more intensive antihypertensive treatment. Antihypertensive medications are reasonable targets for deintensification in residents in whom this is consistent with goals of care. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2058–2064, 2019
Modeling copper demand in China up to 2050: A business‐as‐usual scenario based on dynamic stock and flow analysis
Authors: Dong Di , Tukker Arnold , Van der Voet Ester
Published: July 2019

In this paper, we develop a dynamic stock model and scenario analysis involving a bottom‐up approach to analyze copper demand in China from 2005 to 2050 based on government and related sectoral policies. The results show that in the short‐term, China's copper industry cannot achieve a completely circular economy without additional measures. Aggregate and per capita copper demand are both set to increase substantially, especially in infrastructure, transportation, and buildings. Between 2016 and 2050, total copper demand will increase almost threefold. Copper use in buildings will stabilize before 2050, but the copper stock in infrastructure and transportation will not yet have reached saturation in 2050. The continuous growth of copper stock implies that secondary copper will be able to cover just over 50% of demand in 2050, at best, even with an assumed recycling rate of 90%. Finally, future copper demand depends largely on the lifetime of applications. There is therefore an urgent need to prolong the service life of end‐use products to reduce the amount of materials used, especially in large‐scale applications in buildings and infrastructure.
The Scope of Midwifery Practice Regulations and the Availability of the Certified Nurse‐Midwifery and Certified Midwifery Workforce, 2012‐2016
Authors: Ranchoff Brittany L. , Declercq Eugene R.
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Studies have linked midwifery practice laws to the availability of midwives but have generally not related workforce data to potential demand for reproductive health services. We examined state regulatory structure for midwives and its relationship to midwifery distribution and vital statistics data at the state and county level.

Methods

Midwifery distribution data came from the Area Health Resources Files, distribution of women of reproductive age came from the US Census, and birth statistics came from US Natality Files from 2012 to 2016. Midwifery regulations were drawn from American College of Nurse‐Midwives Annual Reports. We used bivariate analysis to examine the relationship between state midwifery practice regulations and the number of midwives available in states and counties to potentially meet women's health care needs.

Results

Twenty states and the District of Columbia had autonomous practice regulatory frameworks, whereas 24 states had collaborative practice regulatory frameworks during the years between 2012 and 2016. Six states changed regulations during that period. In 2016, the number of midwife‐attended births per number of midwives in a state was not related to the regulatory framework. However, states with autonomous frameworks had 2.2 times as many midwives per women of reproductive age (P < .0001) and 2.3 times as many midwives per total births when compared with states with collaborative statutory frameworks (P < .0001). At the county level, 70.1% of US counties had no midwife. Of those states with autonomous practice, only 59.7% of counties had no midwives, compared with 74.1% in states with collaborative models (P < .0001).

Discussion

Midwives have the potential to help address the shortage of maternity and reproductive health service providers. Our research suggests that increasing the number of states with autonomous regulatory frameworks can be one way to expand access to care for women in the United States.
Casticin inhibits invasion and proliferation via downregulation of β‐catenin and reversion of EMT in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Xie Yaxin , Zhong Liang , Duan Dingyu , Li Taiwen
Published: July 2019

Background

Casticin expresses multiple anti‐cancer activities, whereas the effect of casticin on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still unclear. β‐catenin signaling plays a crucial role in the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition which is closely related to tumorigenesis. Herein, we aimed to study the functions of casticin on invasion and migration of OSCC, and clarify whether the effect of casticin on OSCC has a relationship with β‐catenin signaling.

Methods

Human OSCC cell lines UM1 and HSC‐3 were treated with different concentrations of casticin. The cell viability was evaluated by MTT and soft agar colony formation. Transwell assay and wound‐healing assay were performed to measure the ability of cell invasion and migration. The protein expression was assessed by Western blotting.

Results

Casticin displayed inhibitory activities of cell viability, invasion, and migration on OSCC cell lines. Meanwhile, casticin could reverse EMT process and inhibit the expression of β‐catenin in OSCC. Knock‐down or overexpression of β‐catenin could alter the effect of casticin on OSCC.

Conclusions

Casticin impaired invasion and migration of OSCC by inhibition of β‐catenin and reversal of EMT and could be a potential anti‐cancer bioactive agent.
Clinical and laboratory findings and survival time associated with cardiac cachexia in dogs with congestive heart failure
Authors: Ineson Deanna L. , Freeman Lisa M. , Rush John E.
Published: July 2019

Background

Cardiac cachexia, loss of muscle mass associated with congestive heart failure (CHF), is associated with increased morbidity and shorter survival times in people, but an association between cardiac cachexia and survival has not been reported in dogs.

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of cachexia and its associations with clinical, laboratory, and survival data in dogs with CHF.

Animals

Two hundred sixty‐nine dogs with CHF.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study. Cachexia was defined by 1 of 2 definitions: (1) mild, moderate, or severe muscle loss or (2) weight loss of ≥5% in 12 months or less. Variables were compared between dogs with and without cachexia.

Results

One hundred thirty of 269 dogs (48.3%) had cardiac cachexia based on muscle loss, whereas 67 of 159 dogs (42.1%) with pre‐evaluation body weights had cachexia based on weight loss. Dogs with cachexia (based on muscle loss) were significantly older (P= .05), more likely to have a cardiac arrhythmia (P= .02), had higher chloride concentrations (P= .04), and had a lower body condition score (P < .001), hematocrit (P= .006), hemoglobin (P= .006), and albumin (P= .004) concentrations. On multivariable analysis, cachexia (P= .05), clinically important tachyarrhythmias (P < .001), azotemia (P < .001), and being under‐ or overweight (bothP= .003) were associated with shorter survival times.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Cardiac cachexia in common in dogs with CHF and is associated with significantly shorter survival. This emphasizes the importance of preventing, diagnosing, and treating muscle loss in dogs with CHF.
Selection for barriers between honey bees and a devastating parasite
Authors: Evans Jay D.
Published: July 2019

Rivaling pesticides and a dearth of flowers, the parasitic mite Varroa destructor presents a tremendous threat to western honey bees, Apis mellifera. A longstanding, but minor, pest for the Asian honey bee Apis cerana, these obligate bee parasites feast on developing and adult A. mellifera across several continents. Varroa reproduction is limited to a short window when developing bee pupae are concealed in wax cells. Mated females target developing bees just before pupation and then have about one day to initiate reproduction, eventually laying one male and up to several female offspring. Female mites often fail to reproduce at all, instead waiting in cells until their bee host finishes development and then hitching dangerous rides on a succession of adult bees for up to several weeks, before scouting for a new host pupa. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Conlon et al. (2019) have explored mite reproductive success via a clever and thought‐provoking association study. In so doing, they have identified a protein whose actions could be integral to the dance between bees and their mite parasites.
A New Quasi‐Transcendental Approach to Kant's Theory of Radical Evil
Authors: Lu Chao
Published: July 2019

How to make sense of Kant's theory of radical evil is a controversial problem, for the solution of which three approaches have been attempted: (1) the anthropological, (2) the transcendental, and (3) the quasi‐transcendental. This article aims at developing a new quasi‐transcendental approach to radical evil, and its main innovation consists in reinterpreting the propensity to evil as a potential for moral evil, whose nuanced modality (i.e., potentiality) lies between full actuality and logical (empty) possibility. This evil potential inherent to our species' nature can be actualized by individual Willkür in one's evil Gesinnung. Thanks to this reinterpretation, not only the compatibility of radical evil with individual freedom will be convincingly demonstrated, because the potential for evil only strongly pushes rather than necessitating individuals to do evil, but also Kant's bold statement “the human being is by nature evil” becomes easily confirmable, because even a single individual's illegal action provides sufficient empirical evidence to a regressive argument for the transcendental precondition for evil in his species' nature.
A Fuzzy‐Based Risk Assessment Framework for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Under‐Ice Missions
Authors: Loh Tzu Yang , Brito Mario P. , Bose Neil , Xu Jingjing , Tenekedjiev Kiril
Published: July 2019

The use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for various scientific, commercial, and military applications has become more common with maturing technology and improved accessibility. One relatively new development lies in the use of AUVs for under‐ice marine science research in the Antarctic. The extreme environment, ice cover, and inaccessibility as compared to open‐water missions can result in a higher risk of loss. Therefore, having an effective assessment of risks before undertaking any Antarctic under‐ice missions is crucial to ensure an AUV's survival. Existing risk assessment approaches predominantly focused on the use of historical fault log data of an AUV and elicitation of experts’ opinions for probabilistic quantification. However, an AUV program in its early phases lacks historical data and any assessment of risk may be vague and ambiguous. In this article, a fuzzy‐based risk assessment framework is proposed for quantifying the risk of AUV loss under ice. The framework uses the knowledge, prior experience of available subject matter experts, and the widely used semiquantitative risk assessment matrix, albeit in a new form. A well‐developed example based on an upcoming mission by an ISE‐explorer class AUV is presented to demonstrate the application and effectiveness of the proposed framework. The example demonstrates that the proposed fuzzy‐based risk assessment framework is pragmatically useful for future under‐ice AUV deployments. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates the validity of the proposed method.
Understanding the spatial distribution of crime in hot crime areas
Authors: Wang Zengli , Zhang Hong
Published: July 2019

Hot crime areas are always targeted for police patrol to deter crimes. While much research has studied the distribution patterns of hot crime areas, research on the spatial distribution of crime within hot crime areas remains limited. Using burglary records in a large Chinese city, the ‘hottest’ place with the highest crime density was located using two spatial temporal kernel density estimation methods. The results indicated that the majority of crime within hot crime areas was concentrated within a small area distant from the hot area's center. These results provide a micro view of crime distribution within hot crime areas. Our analysis indicates that the results will not be affected by the methods adopted in identification of hot areas. This research is expected to improve the efficiency of police patrols.
Analytical queries on semantic trajectories using graph databases
Authors: Gómez Leticia I. , Kuijpers Bart , Vaisman Alejandro A.
Published: July 2019

This article studies the analysis of moving object data collected by location‐aware devices, such as GPS, using graph databases. Such raw trajectories can be transformed into so‐called semantic trajectories, which are sequences of stops that occur at “places of interest.” Trajectory data analysis can be enriched if spatial and non‐spatial contextual data associated with the moving objects are taken into account, and aggregation of trajectory data can reveal hidden patterns within such data. When trajectory data are stored in relational databases, there is an “impedance mismatch” between the representation and storage models. Graphs in which the nodes and edges are annotated with properties are gaining increasing interest to model a variety of networks. Therefore, this article proposes the use of graph databases (Neo4j in this case) to represent and store trajectory data, which can thus be analyzed at different aggregation levels using graph query languages (Cypher, for Neo4j). Through a real‐world public data case study, the article shows that trajectory queries are expressed more naturally on the graph‐based representation than over the relational alternative, and perform better in many typical cases.
Investigation of interference from canine anti‐mouse antibodies in hormone immunoassays
Authors: Bergman Daniel , Larsson Anders , Hansson‐Hamlin Helene , Ström Holst Bodil
Published: July 2019

Background

Canine anti‐mouse antibodies are a potential source of immunoassay interference, but erroneous immunoassay results are not always easily identifiable. Anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a marker for the presence of gonads in dogs, but elevated AMH concentrations in neutered dogs could also be caused by antibody interference. For other assays, a discrepant result obtained after antibody precipitation might indicate antibody interference.

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate if canine anti‐mouse antibodies are a source of erroneous results in the AMH assay and if antibody precipitation with polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a useful tool for detecting antibody interference in a variety of immunoassays used in the veterinary clinical laboratory.

Methods

Twenty‐nine positive and 25 negative samples for anti‐mouse antibodies were analyzed for AMH, canine total thyroxine (TT4), canine thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) and progesterone before and after treatment with PEG. Results that differed by more than four SDs from the intra‐assay coefficients of variation were considered discrepant. Elevated AMH concentrations in neutered dogs with anti‐mouse antibodies and no visible gonads present were considered evidence of interference.

Results

Evidence of antibody interference was found in two samples analyzed for AMH. The presence of anti‐mouse antibodies did not lead to a higher proportion of discrepant results after PEG treatment for any of the immunoassays. The overall incidence of discrepant results for healthy controls was very high (73%).

Conclusions

Canine anti‐mouse antibodies are a source of erroneous AMH results. Antibody precipitation with PEG is not a useful tool for detecting interference caused by such antibodies.
MIMO Channel Capacity for Rail Transportation Applications: The Impact of Tunnel Curvatures
Authors: Aziminejad Arash , He Yan
Published: July 2019

Rail transportation industry has drawn a growing interest on the use of Radio Access Technology for critical and non-critical services to improve safety/reliability, performance, and passenger experience. During the past two decades the theory and practice of the MIMO communications has solidified to the point where MIMO is now the main infrastructure for several legacy and emerging radio access standards.

In this paper, the impact of subway tunnels’ curvatures on the MIMO channel capacity is explored. A heuristic approach is proposed which provides an efficient and low complexity solution for the MIMO channel capacity in curved subway tunnels for both the C-MIMO and the D-MIMO paradigms. The suggested approach is quite versatile and can be swiftly expanded to the case of multi-segment inhomogeneous tunnels.
The Future of Train Control in Canada and an Analysis of the CaRRL Report on Enhanced Train Control
Authors: Thurston David F.
Published: July 2019

Transport Canada, the regulatory arm of the Canadian Government commissioned a report from the Canadian Rail Research Laboratory (CaRRL) to investigate the risk mitigation of train to train collisions and other train control preventable accidents. This paper looks at the risks reviewed in the report and proposes a formula to provide a level of mitigation for individual railway lines to use in determining the minimum level of train control as discussed in the CaRRL report. Risks to be included are traffic levels, traffic type, track speed, track configuration, among others. Data used will be taken from the ROD database results used in the CaRRL report.
Effect of Strand Indentation Types on the Development Length and Flexural Capacity of Concrete Railroad Ties Made With Different Prestressing Strands
Authors: Momeni Amir Farid , Peterman Robert J. , Beck B. Terry , Wu Chih-Hang John
Published: July 2019

Pretensioned concrete prisms made with five different prestressing strand types (four 7-wire strands and one 3-wire strand) were load tested to failure to understand the effect of strand indentation types on the development length and bonding performance of these different reinforcements. The prestressing strands were denoted SA, SB, SD, SE and SF. SA was a smooth strand while the other four were indented strands. All strands utilized in manufacturing ofprisms had diameter of 3/8″ (9.52 mm). Among all types of strands, SF was the only 3-wire strand and the remaining strands were all 7-wire strands. For all types of strands, four straight strands were embedded into each concrete prism, which had a 5.5″ (139.7 mm) × 5.5″ (139.7 mm) square cross section. The strands were tensioned to 75 percent of ultimate tensile strength of strands and gradually de-tensioned when the concrete compressive strength reached 4500 psi (31.03 Mpa). A consistent concrete mixture with type III cement, water-cement ratio of 0.32 and a 6-in. slump was used for all prisms.

Prisms were load tested in 3-point-bending at different embedment lengths to obtain estimations of the development length of each type of strand. Two out of three identical 69-in.-long (175.26 cm) prisms were load tested at one end and one was tested at both ends for each reinforcement type evaluated. First prisms were tested at 28-in. (71.12 cm) from the end, while second prisms were tested at 20-in. (33.02 cm) from the end. Third prisms were loaded at 16.5-in. (41.9 cm) from one end and 13-in. (33.02 cm) from the other end. Thus, a total of 20 load tests (5 strand types × 4 tests each) were conducted in this study.

During each test, a concentrated load with the rate of 900 lb/min (4003 N/min) was applied at mid-span until failure occurred. Values of load, mid-span deflection, and strand endslip were continuously monitored and recorded during each test. Plots of load-vs-deflection were then compared for prisms with each strand type and span, and the maximum sustained moment was also calculated for each test. The load tests revealed that there is a large difference in the development length of the strands based on their indentation type.
Impact of Reduced Share of Rotary Frequency Converters in a Low Frequency Synchronous Railway Grid: A Transient Stability Study
Authors: Laury John , Abrahamsson Lars , Bollen Math
Published: July 2019

Most low-frequency AC single-phase railway grids have both power-electronic based Static Frequency Converters (SFCs) and electrical-machine based Rotary Frequency Converters (RFCs) connecting them to the three-phase public grid.

Already today, in some such grids, a majority of the power conversion is from SFCs. As railway traffic (and thus power demand) increases, more SFCs are installed for capacity increase, while the number of RFCs remains (almost) constant. Thus, the share of SFCs is expected to increase, and the ratio of installed rotational inertia over installed power to decrease.

This paper investigates how different shares of SFCs affect the transient stability of low-frequency AC railway grids when having a mix of RFCs and SFCs converting three-phase AC power to single-phase AC power. Results from numerical simulations of the interactions that occur between converters when and after the grid is subject to a fault are presented.

The numerical studies show that with an increased share of SFCs there is an increased oscillatory behavior, for example in the voltage magnitude and active power after fault clearance.
A Framework for High-Speed Passenger Train Wireless Network Radio Evaluations
Authors: Banerjee Subharthi , Hempel Michael , Albakay Naji , Ghasemzadeh Pejman , Sharif Hamid
Published: July 2019

By 2030, the United States Federal Transit Administration (FTA) plans to have High Speed Train (HST) systems deployed that span over 12,000 miles across the US.

Given the rapidly accelerating growth in consumers demand for fast on-board Internet services, there is a need for a robust and dedicated railroad wireless network architecture for their onboard and Train-to-Ground (T2G) communication systems. And while there are several potential candidates for radio access technologies (RAT), a full understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of each is still missing.

We therefore have developed and studied a simulation framework that offers railroads the ability to perform an in-depth evaluation of capabilities for different RATs in terms of interoperability, throughput, handover and bit error rate for various user-driven scenarios. The framework is capable of studying and analyzing conditions such as network performance at different train velocities, base station spacing requirements, as well as analyzing US-specific geographical or track-related architectural scenarios. Our Past experiences in researching railroad wireless solutions have shown that wireless network performance varies widely in environments like tunnels, viaducts, bridges, stations, etc. The simulator offers the network designers significant flexibility in terms of defining parameters to create simulation scenarios and obtaining a detailed understanding of network performance.

The work has created a novel, flexible and adaptable simulation framework for high-speed passenger train wireless network evaluation. The simulation tool supports 220MHz-100GHz systems for simulating LTE and 5G-New Radio (5G-NR), and it can support other technologies such as 220MHz PTC, in a time-variant channel. In this paper we present the architecture and the capabilities of the simulator with a sample scenario evaluation. The developed framework aims to support HST wireless communication designers to conduct more detailed analyses and to make more informed decisions in optimizing system deployments.
Evaluating a Constant-Current Load Model Through Comparative Transient Stability Case-Studies of a Synchronous-Synchronous Rotary Frequency Converter-Fed Railway
Authors: Abrahamsson Lars , Laury John , Bollen Math
Published: July 2019

This paper continues the pursuit of getting a deeper understanding regarding the transient stability of low-frequency AC railway power systems operated at 16 2/3 Hz synchronously to the public grid. The focus is set on the impact of different load models. A simple constant-current load model is proposed and compared to a previously proposed and studied load model in which the train’s active power is regulated.

The study and comparison is made on exactly the same cases as and grid as with the already proposed and more advanced load model. The railway grid is equipped with a low-frequency AC high-voltage transmission line which is subjected to a fault. The study is limited to railways being fed by different distributions of RFC (Rotary Frequency Converter) types. Both AT (auto transformer) and BT (booster transformer) catenaries are considered.

The RFC dynamic models are essentially Anderson-Fouad models of two synchronous machines coupled mechanically by their rotors being connected to the same shaft.

The differences in load behaviour between the proposed constant-current load model and the previously proposed and studied voltage-dependent active power load model are analyzed and described in the paper.
Big Data Analytics for Proactively Optimizing Rolling Stock Maintenance
Authors: Albakay Naji , Hempel Michael , Sharif Hamid
Published: July 2019

Rolling stock, particularly of freight railroads, is currently maintained using regular preventative and corrective maintenance schedules. This maintenance approach recommends sets of inspections and maintenance procedures based on the average expected wear and tear across their inventory. In practice, however, this approach to scheduling preventative maintenance is not always effective. When scheduled too soon, it results in a loss of operating revenue, whereas when it is scheduled too late, equipment failure could lead to costly and disastrous derailments. Instead, proactive maintenance scheduling based on Big Data Analytics (BDA) could be utilized to replace traditional scheduling, resulting in optimized maintenance cycles for higher train safety, availability, and reliability. BDA could also be used to discover patterns and relationships that lead to train failures, identify manufacturer reliability concerns, and help validate the effectiveness of operational improvements. In this work, we introduce a train inventory simulation platform that enables the modelling of different train components such as wheels, brakes, axles, and bearings. The simulator accounts for the wear and tear in each component and generates a comprehensive data set suitable for BDA that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of different BDA approaches in discerning patterns and extracting knowledge from the data. It provides the basis for showing that BDA algorithms such as Random Forest [9] and Linear Regression can be utilized to create models for proactive train maintenance scheduling. We also show the capability of BDA to detect hidden patterns and to predict failure of train components with high accuracy.
Probabilistic Structural Analysis of Railroad Subgrade Using Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Arshid Asif , Huang Ying , Tolliver Denver
Published: July 2019

The reliability of finite element (FE) based deterministic structural analysis of railroad trackbed has improved significantly due to ever increasing computational powers. However, the application of probabilistic methods to incorporate the material and geometric variabilities in these FE analyses is still profoundly underworked. In this study, the influence of variability in granular layers’ modulus and thicknesses values on the railroad subgrade performance have been investigated by applying probabilistic method and using a 3-dimensional FE based numerical trackbed model previously developed and validated by the authors’ research group. The influence of these factors is accounted for by changing their coefficients of variance (COV) while keeping their means constant. Preliminary results revealed that the variation in subgrade modulus is the most influential factor for subgrade performance, both in terms of progressive shear failure and excessive plastic deformations, followed by ballast modulus. Variations in depths, for the range studied, remained passive to the subgrade performance. The findings of this work is of particular significance in evaluating the subgrade performance while including the material and geometric variations, which may be caused by construction imperfections, weather changes, and/or rail operations.
Influence of Rail Cant on High Rail Side Wear on Sharp Curve of Urban Transit
Authors: Shaofeng Wang , Yu Qian , Qingsong Feng , Xinwei Luo , Feng Guo
Published: July 2019

The increasing of traffic and operation speed in urban transits has accelerated the degradation of track components. Rail wear, especially extended side wear of the high rail on sharp curves has caused rail premature failure. The factors that contributing to the rail side wear should be investigated in order to seek possible solutions to extend the rail service life and reduce maintenance cost. The rail wear is caused by the aggressive contact between the wheel and the rail. Rail cant directly affects the wheel-rail contact and the values varies depending on the choice of the transit agencies. There are several popular rail cants cross the world, namely 1:40, 1:30, 1:20, and so on. However, the optimal rail cant to minimize rail wear remains unknown. This study performs a numerical parametric analysis on the effect of rail cant on high rail side wear based on the vehicle-track multi-body dynamics. The wheel-rail contact state is calculated first with trains passing sharp curves with different rail cants. Then the high rail wear value is quantified by the Archard wear model. The numerical simulation in this study covers the whole process of the development of high rail side wear from the new rail status to the heavily worn status. The findings from this study could potential help to set the optimal cant for sharp curves in transit tracks.
A Machine Learning Approach for Track Condition Assessment Through Repeated Historical Data Analytics
Authors: Afzalan Milad , Jazizadeh Farrokh , Ahmadian Mehdi
Published: July 2019

Condition monitoring of rail infrastructure is an important task to ensure the safety and ride quality. The increasing travel demands of the rail network due to higher miles traveled requires regular monitoring of the infrastructure and efficient processing of the data for timely decision-making. Despite the regular data collection on different parameters such as acceleration and track geometry, the data processing is commonly performed to document the track performance and maintenance without further knowledge discovery to realize all the potential from historical data. Motivated by the wealth of historical track data in practice, this paper investigates the feasibility of using onboard data that is repeatedly collected over a period of time on a segment of track to potentially identify changes to the track. The proposed approach has been envisioned to learn from repeated historical time-series data to identify both the location and timing of unexpected changes to the track system. To account for stochastic nature of the collected data, associated with the temporal mismatch between the time-series across different inspection runs, we propose a framework by adopting the concept of Matrix Profile without relying on time series synchronization. The approach divides the entire data into smaller track segments, performs extensive similarity search of time-series signatures, and associate locations with higher dissimilarity to changes of the track either due to maintenance or a potential defect. To demonstrate the efficacy and potential of the method, evaluation on both synthetic data and the field geometry data from a revenue-service Class I railroad has been conducted. The findings provide promising results in predicting the location of track changes with a reasonably high degree of certainty, with an automated offline analysis.