bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Propofol-Thiopentone Admixture: Recovery Characteristics
Authors: Chilvers M. , Jones D. , Rushmer J. , Bignell S. , Boots R. , Prankerd R.
Published: January 2019

We have investigated, in a prospective double-blind study, recovery from anaesthesia induced by two admixtures of propofol and thiopentone and compared it with a third group of patients who received propofol and lignocaine. Ninety unpremedicated ASA 1 or 2 patients scheduled for elective gynaecological laparoscopy as a daycase procedure were randomly allocated to receive one of three different mixtures for induction of anaesthesia as part of a standardized anaesthetic: Group P50: propofol 1% 10 ml/thiopentone 2.5% 10 ml, Group P75: propofol 1% 15 ml/thiopentone 2.5% 5 ml, Group P100: propofol 1% 20 ml/lignocaine 1% 4 ml. Recovery from anaesthesia was assessed for up to four hours post-induction by critical flicker fusion threshold and best post-box toy completion time. Comparison was made with preoperative baseline performance. There was no significant difference in postoperative recovery between the three groups with either assessment but no group returned to their mean preoperative performance levels within the first four hours post-induction. Nor was there any difference between the groups with respect to postoperative analgesia or anti-emetic administration. Utilizing the most sensitive end-point, a sample of nearly 1000 patients in each group would be required to confirm the observed difference with a power of 0.8 based on the data from this study. In comparison with lignocaine, the addition of thiopentone to propofol does not delay recovery from anaesthesia and does not increase postoperative analgesic or anti-emetic requirements.
Mydriasis and Acute Pulmonary Oedema Complicating Laparoscopic Removal of Phaechromocytoma
Authors: Tauzin-Fin P. , Hilbert G. , Krol-Houdek M. , Gosse P. , Maurette P.
Published: January 2019

This report describes the perioperative management of an adrenergic crisis occurring following insufflation of the peritoneum for planned laparoscopic surgery for phaechromocytoma. Despite preoperative alpha and beta adrenergic blockade, the occurrence of acute severe hypertension, mydriasis and pulmonary oedema prior to direct surgical manipulation caused the procedure to be abandoned. The severity of the event was unusual and most likely contributed to by haemorrhagic necrosis of the tumour releasing catecholamines. Serum levels of noradrenaline and adrenaline at the time were 744,600 and 166, 940 pg.ml−1 respectively. Treatment included bolus doses of esmolol, nicardipine and urapidil (an α1 adrenergic antagonist) by constant intravenous infusion and mechanical ventilation. Postoperative cerebral CT scan was normal. An abdominal CT showed central haemorrhagic necrosis of the tumour. Two weeks later, open surgical removal of the phaeochromocytoma was successfully performed under general anaesthesia. Induction of pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopy may be particularly hazardous in a patient with a phaeochromocytoma.
Survival following Fulminant Hepatic Failure from Fluconazole Induced Hepatitis
Authors: Crerar-Gilbert A. , Boots R. , Fraenkel D. , Macdonald G. A.
Published: January 2019

We present a case of recovery from fulminant hepatic failure secondary to high serum levels of fluconazole precipitated by amphotericin B induced renal dysfunction. Fluconazole dose adjustment or alternative antifungal treatment should be considered in patients with impaired renal function.
Bridging the Quantitative-Qualitative Divide in Public Participation: A Learning Model Approach
Authors: Grossardt Theodore H. , Bancroft Robyn G. , Wormald David
Published: January 2019

There exists a gap between the quality of public participation practices experienced by communities and the quality they expect. This paper presents the theory and case study of applying a learning model to a transportation project to help close that gap. Such learning models are widely used in other public sector realms, but heretofore not applied to transportation planning projects. Through application of this approach, residents of the community were able to specify purpose and need outcomes that were not anticipated by the agency. Further, these qualitative outcomes were able to be evaluated quantitatively by the community and incorporated into the overall assessment of alternatives. As a result, the desired process outcome of partnership was more fully realized for this project.
Factors That Influence Older Canadians’ Preferences for using Autonomous Vehicle Technology: A Structural Equation Analysis
Authors: Hassan Hany M. , Ferguson Mark R. , Razavi Saiedeh , Vrkljan Brenda
Published: January 2019

Accessible and safe mobility is critical for those aged 65 years and older to maintain their health, quality of life, and well-being. Being able to move beyond one’s home and participate in activities in older adulthood requires consideration of both transportation needs and preferences. This paper aims to address a gap in evidence with respect to understanding factors that can affect older adults’ perceptions and willingness to use autonomous vehicles. In addition, it examines how these factors compare with those of younger adults to better understand the potential implications of this technology on mobility and quality of life. Using responses of those aged 65+ to a national survey of Canadians, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to identify and quantify factors significantly associated with older adults’ willingness to use autonomous vehicles. The SEM results suggest that factors such as using other modes of transit (e.g., sharing rides as passenger, bicycle, public transit, commuter rail, ride and car sharing) as well as distance traveled by automobile, income, gender (being male), and living in urban areas, were all positively associated with older adults’ perceptions of using autonomous driving features. The findings also suggest that older Canadians are more concerned about autonomous vehicles than younger Canadians. This study provides valuable insights into factors that can affect the preferences of Canadians when it comes to autonomous technology in their automobiles. Such results can inform the way in which transportation systems are designed to ensure the needs of users are considered across both age and ability.
Investigation of Design Speed Characteristics on Freeway Ramps using SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Data
Authors: Brewer Marcus A. , Stibbe Jayson
Published: January 2019

Freeway ramp design guidance has existed in the United States for many decades, coinciding with the advent of the nation’s freeway network and the Interstate Highway system. Some principles associated with ramp design are largely unchanged since their inception, and a review of those principles in the context of today’s drivers and vehicles is beneficial for identifying potential updates to existing guidance. The process of collecting the necessary data may consist of a variety of methods, each with limitations on the number of ramps, vehicles, and trips that can be studied. A current research project is exploring the feasibility of using data from the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) to identify relationships between ramp design speed characteristics and drivers’ choices of operating speeds on those ramps. The NDS data provides a dataset that is unprecedented in its size and detail, but its suitability for this type of analysis is largely unknown. This paper summarizes the activities and findings of the current research project, including basic models for estimating vehicle speeds on freeway ramps based on the NDS data; these models may be used in conjunction with other ongoing related research efforts to suggest material for potential updates to existing ramp design guidance.
Challenging the Current Concept of Critical Glenoid Bone Loss in Shoulder Instability: Does the Size Measurement Really Tell It All?
Authors: Moroder Philipp , Damm Philipp , Wierer Guido , Böhm Elisabeth , Minkus Marvin , Plachel Fabian , Märdian Sven , Scheibel Markus , Khatamirad Mohammad
Published: January 2019

Background:

Bone loss at the anterior glenoid rim is a main reason for failure of soft-tissue based surgical stabilization procedures in patients with anterior shoulder instability.

Purpose:

To evaluate the capability of conventional glenoid bone loss measurement techniques to provide an adequate estimation of the actual biomechanical effect of glenoid defects.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Thirty consecutive patients with unilateral anterior shoulder instability and varying degrees of glenoid defect were included. Patient-specific computer tomography–based 3-dimensional shoulder models of the affected and unaffected sides were created. The bony shoulder stability ratio (SR) was determined in various potential dislocation directions with finite element analysis. Values obtained from conventional glenoid defect size measurement techniques (Pico and Sugaya) were correlated with the finite element analysis results. Additionally, a mathematical model was developed to theoretically analyze the correlation between glenoid defect size measurements and the SR.

Results:

The authors found substantial interindividual differences of the SR of the unaffected shoulders in all directions of measurement. Bone loss at the anterior glenoid rim significantly reduced the SR in the 2-o’clock ( P = .011), 3-o’clock ( P < .001), and 4-o’clock ( P < .001) directions referring to a right shoulder. The correlation between the defect size measurements and the SR for the 2-o’clock (rho = −0.522 and −0.580), 3-o’clock (rho = −0.597 and −0.580), and 4-o’clock (rho = −0.527 and −0.522) directions was statistically significant. However, it showed only moderate strength and was nonlinear as well as dependent on the inherent shape of the concavity. As shown by the mathematical model, bone loss has the most considerable effect at the edge of the glenoid rim, and an increasingly concave-shaped glenoid leads to an increase in loss of SR provoked by the same extent of bone loss.

Conclusion:

Current glenoid bone loss measurements are unable to provide an adequate estimation on the actual biomechanical effect of glenoid defects because (1) the relation between the glenoid defect size and its biomechanical effect is nonlinear and (2) patients with shoulder instability have constitutional biomechanically relevant glenoid concavity shape differences.

Clinical Relevance:

These findings challenge the current concept of setting a general threshold for critical glenoid bone loss, which requires bony reconstruction surgery.
Tibial Slope and Its Effect on Force in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Grafts: Anterior Cruciate Ligament Force Increases Linearly as Posterior Tibial Slope Increases
Authors: Bernhardson Andrew S. , Aman Zachary S. , Dornan Grant J. , Kemler Bryson R. , Storaci Hunter W. , Brady Alex W. , Nakama Gilberto Y. , LaPrade Robert F.
Published: January 2019

Background:

Previous work has reported that increased tibial slope is directly correlated with increased anterior tibial translation, possibly predisposing patients to higher rates of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and causing higher rates of ACL graft failures over the long term. However, the effect of changes in sagittal plane tibial slope on ACL reconstruction (ACLR) graft force has not been well defined.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to quantify the effect of changes in sagittal plane tibial slope on ACLR graft force at varying knee flexion angles. Our null hypothesis was that changing the sagittal plane tibial slope would not affect force on the ACL graft.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Ten male fresh-frozen cadaveric knees had a posterior tibial osteotomy performed and an external fixator placed for testing and accurate slope adjustment. Following ACLR, specimens were compressed with a 200-N axial load at flexion angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60°, and the graft loads were recorded through a force transducer clamped to the graft. Tibial slope was varied between −2° and 20° of posterior slope at 2° increments under these test conditions.

Results:

ACL graft force in the loaded testing state increased linearly as slope increased. This effect was independent of flexion angle. The final model utilized a 2-factor linear mixed-effects regression model and noted a significant, highly positive, and linear relationship between tibial slope and ACL graft force in axially loaded knees at all flexion angles tested (slope coefficient = 0.92, SE = 0.08, P < .001). Significantly higher graft force was also observed at 0° of flexion as compared with all other flexion angles for the loaded condition (all P < .001).

Conclusion:

The authors found that tibial slope had a strong linear relationship to the amount of graft force experienced by an ACL graft in axially loaded knees. Thus, a flatter tibial slope had significantly less loading of ACL grafts, while steeper slopes increased ACL graft loading. Our biomechanical findings support recent clinical evidence of increased ACL graft failure with steeper tibial slope secondary to increased graft loading.

Clinical Relevance:

Evaluation of the effect of increasing tibial slope on ACL graft force can guide surgeons when deciding if a slope-decreasing proximal tibial osteotomy should be performed before a revision ACLR. Overall, as slope increases, ACL graft force increases, and in our study, flatter slopes had lower ACL graft forces and were protective of the ACLR graft.
Anatomic Features of the Tibial Plateau Predict Outcomes of ACL Reconstruction Within 7 Years After Surgery
Authors: Kiapour Ata M. , Yang Daniel S. , Badger Gary J. , Karamchedu Naga Padmini , Murray Martha M. , Fadale Paul D. , Hulstyn Michael J. , Shalvoy Robert M. , Fleming Braden C.
Published: January 2019

Background:

Multiple anatomic features of the femoral condyles and tibial plateau have been shown to influence knee biomechanics and risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. However, it remains unclear how these anatomic factors affect the midterm outcomes of ACL reconstruction.

Hypothesis:

Decreased femoral notch width, increased posterior and coronal slopes, and decreased concavity of the tibial plateau are associated with inferior clinical, patient-reported, and osteoarthritis-related outcomes 7 years after ACL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Prospectively collected data from 44 patients who did not have a subsequent graft or contralateral ACL failure within 7 years after unilateral ACL reconstruction were reviewed (mean ± SD age, 23.7 ± 9.2 years; 64% women). Notch width (after notchplasty), posterior slopes of the medial and lateral tibial plateau, maximum depth of the medial tibial plateau, and coronal tibial slope were measured from magnetic resonance images. Anatomic predictors of side-to-side differences in anterior-posterior knee laxity, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), medial joint space width, and side-to-side differences in Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) x-ray score, measured at 7 years, were identified with linear regression (bivariate) and stepwise regression (multivariate).

Results:

Increased posterior slope of the lateral tibial plateau was associated with increased side-to-side difference in knee laxity (bivariate model only), increased side-to-side difference in the OARSI score, and decreased KOOS subscores ( R2 > .10, P < .05). Increased posterior slope of the medial tibial plateau was associated with a higher side-to-side difference in the OARSI x-ray score (bivariate model only) and lower KOOS subscores ( R2 > .11, P < .03). Increased coronal tibial slope was associated with lower KOOS subscores ( R2 > .11, P < .03). Decreased medial tibial depth was associated with increased knee laxity as well as decreased KOOS subscores (ie, quality of life and symptoms; R2 > .12, P < .03). Postoperative notch width was not a significant predictor for any surgical outcome. None of the anatomic features were predictive of medial joint space width narrowing.

Conclusion:

Results partially support the hypothesis and highlight the importance of knee anatomy on several outcomes of ACL reconstruction among patients without subsequent graft or contralateral ACL injures. Increasing slopes in the coronal and sagittal planes with decreasing concavity of the medial tibial plateau lead to less favorable outcomes 7 years after surgery.
Kapi Wiya: Water insecurity and aqua-nullius in remote inland Aboriginal Australia
Authors: Judd Barry
Published: January 2019

Water has been a critical resource for Anangu peoples across the remote inland for millennia, underpinning their ability to live in low rainfall environments. Anangu biocultural knowledge of kapi (water) developed in complex ways that enabled this resource to be found. Such biocultural knowledge included deep understandings of weather patterns and of species behavior. Kapi and its significance to desert-dwelling peoples can be seen in ancient mapping practices, whether embedded in stone as petroglyphs or in ceremonial song and dance practices associated with the Tjukurpa. While in the past the sustainability of kapi was facilitated by mobility that spread human dependence on this resource across multiple sites, since the 1940s Anangu have been coerced by the settler-colonial state to live a sedentary lifestyle in remote communities such as Haasts Bluff, Papunya and Yuendemu. In many of these communities the supply of kapi is becoming increasingly insecure in terms of viability of supply, cost, quality and threats from mining. This paper provides a brief insight into how kapi has become devalued in the context of contemporary remote communities with particular reference to my area of expertise – Aboriginal identity, well-being and Australian sports.
Comparison, Triangulation, and Embedding Research in History: A Methodological Self-Analysis
Authors: Tarrow Sidney
Published: January 2019

Over the course of five decades, a social scientist can register many achievements – but can make many mistakes as well. This paper details some of those achievements but also admits to some of those mistakes and explains what can be learned from them over a career spent studying social movements, local politics, political parties, and contentious politics more generally. The underlying methodological strand in the work described below is to try to find ways of bringing qualitative-historical and systematic-quantitative materials together in a search for the tangled relationships between contentious and institutional politics.
A Political Ethnography of Rural Communities under an Authoritarian Regime: The Case of Belarus
Authors: Hervouet Ronan
Published: January 2019

This article firstly explains the conditions for a political ethnography survey conducted in rural Belarus between 2006 and 2013. Three difficulties became apparent: conducting a survey primarily among the lower classes; carrying out this ethnographic study in an environment – the rural world – in which the State, via its economic and administrative structures, is omnipresent, and in which there is particularly strong control over the people; and studying politics in an authoritarian regime inherited from the Soviet Union, which does not tolerate challenges to its authority or critical debate. The article then characterizes the implementation procedures for a “discrete ethnography”, which proved to be a fruitful approach for the collection of material, based primarily on three techniques: the “deceremonialization” of the survey situation, familiarization with the subjects of the survey and the symmetrization of relationships by self-exposition. It is worth noting that this article is the translated version of an article called “Enquêter en Biélorussie. Une ethnographie politique des mondes ruraux en régime autoritaire”. The original version is openly available on the BMS website as a complementary document to this article.
Observational Pain Assessment Instruments for Use With Nonverbal Patients at the End-of-life: A Systematic Review
Authors: Tapp Diane , Chenacher Sara , Gérard Ngangue Patrice Alain , Bérubé-Mercier Philippe , Gelinas Celine , Douville Frédéric , Desbiens Jean-François
Published: January 2019

Purpose:

To review studies pertaining to the reliability and validity of observational pain assessment tools for use with nonverbal patients at the end-of-life, a field of research not documented by previous systematic reviews.

Methods:

Databases (PubMed, Embase, Epistemonikos, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL) were systematically searched for studies from study inception to February 21, 2016 (update in May 9, 2018). Two independent reviewers screened study titles, abstracts, and full texts according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Disagreements were resolved through consensus. Reviewers also extracted the psychometrics properties of studies of observational pain assessment instruments dedicated to a noncommunicative population in palliative care or at the end-of-life. A comprehensive quality assessment was conducted using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) to derive poor, fair, good or excellent ratings for the psychometric tests reported in each study.

Results:

Four studies linked to 4 different tools met the inclusion criteria. Study populations included dementia, palliative care and severe illness in the context of intensive care. All the studies included in this review obtained poor COSMIN ratings overall.

Conclusions:

At this point, it is impossible to recommend any of the tools evaluated given the low number and quality of the studies. Other analyses and studies need to be conducted to develop, adapt, or further validate observational pain instruments for the end-of-life population, regardless of the disease.
Psychopathic Personality Traits and the Risk for Personal Victimization
Authors: Boccio Cashen M. , Beaver Kevin M.
Published: January 2019

Previous research links psychopathic traits with involvement in criminal behavior and numerous negative life outcomes. To date, however, a relatively limited amount of research has examined whether psychopathic traits confer an increased risk of victimization. This area of research is of interest as some scholars contend that psychopathic traits may confer several advantages for life outcomes including outcomes related to criminal conduct. As a result, psychopaths may be at a decreased risk of victimization. On the contrary, research examining the victim–offender overlap indicates that as psychopaths are likely to be involved in criminal behavior they would be more likely to be victimized. This article addresses this gap in the literature by examining whether psychopathic personality traits are associated with odds of victimization in a large nationally representative sample of Americans from adolescence to adulthood. Specifically, our study employs logistic regression and Poisson regression to test associations between psychopathic personality traits and victimization in data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Our findings reveal that psychopathic personality traits are positively associated with odds of victimization in adolescence and adulthood. In addition, our findings indicate that psychopathic personality traits interact with criminal involvement to predict odds of victimization. The findings of our study have implications for the literatures concerning successful psychopathy and the victim–offender overlap.
A new strain gauge configuration on the rail web to decouple the wheel–rail lateral contact force from wayside measurement
Authors: Yu Feng , Hendry Michael T
Published: January 2019

The simultaneous presence of bending moments and torques produced by the lateral and vertical contact forces between the wheel and the rail generates a complex strain state on the rail surface, which makes it difficult to identify the strain signals produced purely from the lateral contact force. In this study, a new strain gauge configuration is proposed to decouple strain signals of the wheel–rail lateral contact force from wayside measurements by analyzing the bending strains on the rail web using a full Wheatstone bridge. For this purpose, a finite element modeling of the wheel–rail contact is performed to analyze the bending strains on the rail web and to optimize two instrumented sections for eight electric resistance strain gauges. Laboratory testing is also used to examine the installation scheme of the strain gauges at the two optimal instrumented sections. A good agreement is observed between the experimental data and the simulation results. Strain signals are evenly distributed for about 10 cm in the middle region between the two optimal instrumented sections and only account for the lateral contact force.
Risk assessment in mission planning of uninhabited aerial vehicles
Authors: Avanzini Giulio , Martínez David S
Published: January 2019

A procedure for evaluating the risk related to the use of unmanned aerial systems over populated areas is proposed. A nominal trajectory, planned for performing a given mission, is represented by means of motion primitives, that is segments and arcs flown in a steady-state condition. The risk of hitting a person on the ground after catastrophic failure is evaluated as a function of vehicle reliability and population density (assumed known), and position of the impact point (which depends on initial conditions at the time of failure and trajectory flown afterwards). In the deterministic case, a lethal area is introduced and the risk at each point on the ground is proportional to the amount of time spent by the point inside the lethal area. Under the assumptions of a ballistic fall, the position of the lethal area with respect to the nominal trajectory depends only on altitude and velocity at the time of failure. When the effect of navigation errors is introduced, impact points are described by a statistical impact footprint, assuming that position and velocity errors at time of failure are normally distributed with known standard deviations. The two approaches are compared for a fictitious, yet realistic, mission scenario.
Effect of geometric and operating parameters on the spray characteristics of an open-end swirl injector
Authors: Chen Chen , Yang Yang , Wang Xiaorong , Tang Wenxian
Published: January 2019

To study the influence of geometric and operating parameters on the spray characteristics of an open-end swirl injector, seven injectors with different tangential inlet diameters ( D p) and injector length to injector orifice diameter ( L/D) ratios were tested and simulated. Using high-speed backlight, the evolution laws of liquid film thickness, discharge coefficient, spray cone angle, breakup length, and velocity distribution in the swirl chamber under different geometric and operating parameters were captured after unified image processing. Low-injection pressure drop is directly proportional to the discharge coefficient and the spray cone angle. When the injection pressure drop approaches or reaches a critical value of 0.4 MPa, the discharge coefficient and spray cone angle remain nearly constant with maximum fluctuations of 1% and 5%, respectively. With an increase in the geometric characteristic constant A, the liquid film thickness, discharge coefficient, breakup length, and velocity in the swirl chamber decrease, whereas the spray cone angle increases. As the viscous effect increases for increasing L/D, the discharge coefficient and breakup length increase, whereas the spray cone angle decreases. Based on experiment results, empirical formulas for the discharge coefficient, spray angle, and breakup length were put forward as reference for engineering applications, including the effect of the geometric and operating parameters.
A novel hybrid metaheuristic optimization method to estimate medium-term output power for horizontal axis wind turbine
Authors: Ekinci Firat , Demirdelen Tugce , Aksu Inayet Ozge , Aygul Kemal , Esenboga Burak , Bilgili Mehmet
Published: January 2019

The increasing damage caused by fossil fuels has made it a necessity for new and clean energy sources. In recent years, the use of wind energy from renewable energy sources has increased, which is a new and clean energy source. Wind energy is everywhere in nature. The wind speed changes depending on time. Thus, the wind power is unstable. In order to keep this disadvantage at a minimum level, future power estimation studies have been carried out. In these studies, different methods and algorithms are applied to estimate short and medium term in wind power. In this study, artificial neural network, particle swarm optimization and firefly algorithm (FA) as a new method are used for the first time in predicting wind power. As input data, temperature, wind speed and rotor speed the data recorded in the SCADA in wind turbines are used to predict medium-term wind speed and also wind power. Each method is compared in detail and their performances are revealed.
Parametric study of slotted diffuser effects on a highly loaded centrifugal compressor
Authors: Zhang Yingjie , Lu Xingen , Zhang Yanfeng , Han Ge , Zhu Junqiang
Published: January 2019

Flow separations in the vaned diffuser play a critical role in the stall margin of centrifugal compressors. To extend the stable operating range of a highly loaded centrifugal compressor, a flow control technique of locating a slot near the vaned diffuser's leading edge is proposed. A parametric study of slot geometry variations, in terms of the slotted portion depth and length, is carried out to summarize the trend of compressor performance and to reveal the corresponding flow physics related to the slot geometries. The design methodology is concluded to provide a guideline for stall margin improvement by the slotted diffuser. Application of a well-designed slotted diffuser shows that the flow separations inside the diffuser passages are suppressed at low flow rates, and the stall margin is increased without performance deterioration. The leakage flow passing through the slotted portion intensifies the passage vortex at the hub/suction surface corner, and decreases the flow angle at the diffuser inlet, leading to the suppression of flow separations on both the suction and pressure surfaces of the diffuser, respectively. However, it is found that the compressor performance deteriorates with increasing slotted portion depth and length, even though the stall margin is increased. When the slot depth is increased by up to 12% of the diffuser vane height, the leakage flow is not able to roll-up into a vortex that has the potential to mitigate the flow separation at the hub/suction surface corner. Instead, it enhances the flow separation region near the suction surface due to the negative effect of leakage flow; eventually, the stage performance is deteriorated. In conclusion, the slot depth should not exceed 9% of the diffuser vane height, and the optimum slot length is no greater than 6%–12% of the diffuser chord length, which provides a basic guideline for slotted diffuser design.
Sub-regional Security Challenge: ECOWAS and the War on Terrorism in West Africa
Authors: Akanji Olajide O.
Published: January 2019

In recent years, the West African sub-region has been faced with a wave of terrorism, resulting in the death of hundreds of people, destruction of public and private properties, and the displacement of millions. In response, states and multilateral institutions within and outside the sub-region have developed and introduced different mechanisms to address the issue. This article, however, investigates the experience of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in counterterrorism in West Africa. The idea is not to go over the role of ECOWAS with a fine-tooth comb but to focus attention on the themes that have emanated from its different efforts to address the problem. Specifically, it examines the kind of issues and challenges ECOWAS has faced in the current international political environment and the factors that influenced its ability to respond effectively to these issues and challenges.
Serious leisure qualities and participation behaviors of Chinese marathon runners
Authors: Qiu Yajun , Tian Haibo , Lin Yeqiang , Zhou Wenting
Published: January 2019

In recent years, unprecedented developments in marathon events have occurred in China. Participating in marathons has become a serious leisure activity, and people show many leisure qualities in the process of continuous participation. This study explored the relationship between the serious leisure qualities of marathon runners and their participation behavior. Data were collected from 603 marathon runners during the 2017 Nanjing Marathon Event and the 2017 Hangzhou Marathon Event. The results showed that marathon runners differed significantly in serious leisure qualities based on different demographic variables. Serious leisure qualities and demographic variables can be positively associated with marathon runners’ number of years of running, running frequency per week, and longest marathon event. However, they did not predict marathon runners’ running distance per week or the number of marathon events participated in each year. These study findings broaden the research on serious leisure sport behavior in China and provide both theoretical and empirical support for leisure sports management. The limitations and implications of this study are also discussed.
Brigatinib: Novel ALK Inhibitor for Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Spencer Sara A. , Riley Angela C. , Matthew Adia , Di Pasqua Anthony J.
Published: January 2019

Objective: We review here the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, dosage and administration, potential drug-drug interactions and place in therapy of brigatinib for abnormal anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) specific non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Data Sources: A literature search using PubMed was conducted using the terms brigatinib and ALK positive NSCLC from January 2013 to November 2018. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language articles evaluating brigatinib were analyzed for this review. Data Synthesis: Brigatinib was granted approval for the treatment of patients with metastatic ALK+ NSCLC who have progressed on or are intolerant to crizotinib. It is administered at a dose of 90 mg orally once daily for the first 7 days then, if tolerated, increased to a dose of 180 mg orally once daily. Common adverse effects include nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, increased creatine phosphokinase levels, headache, dyspnea, and hypertension. Serious treatment-emergent adverse effects were pulmonary related. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: This article discusses the clinical trials that led to the accelerated approval of brigatinib for its ability to overcome crizotinib-resistant mutations and for its increased central nervous system penetration properties. Conclusion: Brigatinib was granted accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with metastatic ALK+ NSCLC who have progressed on or are intolerant to crizotinib. In a subset of NSCLC patients, brigatinib increases survival for approximately 1 year; however, side effects were detected.
Measuring Adherence to Key Teaching Techniques in an Evidence-Based Treatment: A Comparison of Caregiver, Therapist, and Behavior Observation Ratings
Authors: Herschell Amy D. , Quetsch Lauren B. , Kolko David J.
Published: January 2019

Traditionally, treatment adherence has been measured in outcome studies by highly trained, independent raters who code audio- or video-taped treatment sessions to understand therapists’ adherence to preestablished treatment session components. Unfortunately, this method of assessing treatment adherence is time-, labor-, and cost-intensive, and does not translate well to community settings. This study compared expert-coded behavior observations, therapist and caregiver report of therapists’ adherence to nine teaching technique items assessed in treatment sessions using Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) to determine whether other raters (outside of traditional expert coders) could effectively and accurately measure therapist adherence. A total of 533 therapy sessions were coded across experts ( n = 2), therapists ( n = 20), and caregivers ( n = 42). Outcomes indicated strikingly different ratings across all reporters suggesting that therapist and caregiver reports may be supplement to, but not substitute for, observer ratings.
State Policy Outcomes and State Legislative Approval
Authors: Langehennig Stefani , Zamadics Joseph , Wolak Jennifer
Published: January 2019

Does the public’s approval of their state legislature reflect their satisfaction with the outputs of state government? Using survey responses from the 2014 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we consider the roots of public approval of state legislatures. We find that people are more likely to voice approval of their state legislature when it produces policy outcomes that correspond with their interests. Liberals view their state legislature more positively when policy outputs are liberal, while conservatives evaluate their state legislature more favorably when policy outcomes are conservative. These effects are the most pronounced among those who are the most knowledgeable about state politics. Using panel data from 2012 to 2014, we also show that changes in state policy liberalism are associated with changes in state legislative approval. Even though we have reasons to be pessimistic about the quality of citizens’ assessments of state government, our results demonstrate that citizens evaluate their state legislatures based on the policy outcomes they provide.
Percent Change as a Measure of Price Escalation in Water and Energy Utilities
Authors: Honey-Rosés Jordi , Pareja Claudio
Published: January 2019

We advance the idea of using percent billing changes as a simple measure of price escalation. This simple yet underused metric may help evaluate rate structure design in public utilities. We illustrate how price escalation may generate useful insight for utility managers by analyzing rate structures from water utilities in British Columbia, Canada. We observe that increasing block rates may send weaker relative price signals to users than a simple constant unit charge, and that low volume users tend to receive the strongest relative price signals. Measuring price escalation may also allow one to quantify the distortions generated by fixed charges. We conclude that analysts may find it useful to include measures of price escalation in their portfolio of metrics to evaluate rate structures in energy and water utilities.
Effectiveness of the VAMOS Strategy for Increasing Physical Activity and Healthy Dietary Habits: A Randomized Controlled Community Trial
Authors: Meurer Simone Teresinha , Lopes Aline Cristine Souza , Almeida Fabio Araujo , Mendonça Raquel de Deus , Benedetti Tânia Rosane Bertoldo
Published: January 2019

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the VAMOS strategy (Health-Improving Active Life) in improving physical activity (PA), dietary habits, and anthropometric variables of primary health care (PHC) users in Brazil. A randomized controlled community trial was conducted at two units of the Health Academy Program (HAP; a service provided by PHC), which were randomly assigned either to control group (CG) or intervention group (IG). Participants in both groups (CG = 156 and IG = 135) took part in physical activity classes provided by HAP facilities with those in IG also participating in the VAMOS strategy for 12 weeks. This strategy is based on social cognitive theory. The main behavioral constructs addressed were self-efficacy, goal setting, self-monitoring, identification of social support and barriers, and solutions for the identified barriers. Physical activity was measured with accelerometers, and nutritional status was assessed using dietary habits questionnaires and anthropometric measurements. Intention-to-treat analysis revealed that participants in IG increased the daily time of moderate-vigorous PA and the frequency of raw vegetable intake, while the intake of ultra-processed foods was reduced. Weight loss among participants who were classified as overweight/obese at baseline was observed in the intervention group compared to control. These results suggest that the VAMOS strategy was effective in increasing PA, healthy dietary habits, and decreasing weight among PHC users. Therefore, VAMOS could be used as a strategy to strengthen individuals’ autonomy regarding healthy choices and improve their overall health.
Computer-Aided Facial Reconstruction of “Mary-Magdalene” Relics Following Hair and Skull Analyses
Authors: Charlier Philippe , Froesch Philippe , Benmoussa Nadia , Morin Stéphane , Augias Anaïs , Ubelmann Yves , Weil Raphaël , Morin Soizic , Straub François , Deo Saudamini
Published: January 2019

The supposed relics of “Mary-Magdalene” are preserved in Provence (France) in an ancient tradition. They consist of a dry skull and a lock of hair. For the first time, they were officially subjected to an extensive medico-surgical examination by photogrammetry, high-magnification binocular lenses, scanning electron microscope, and energy-dispersive X-ray elemental analysis, to propose a full computer-aided facial reconstruction. The preliminary results are presented here.
The moderating effect of board size on the relationship between diversification and tourism firm performance
Authors: Zheng Chen , Tsai Henry
Published: January 2019

This study examines the effects of diversification strategy and board size on firm performance as well as the moderating effect of board size on the relationship between diversification strategy and firm performance in the Chinese tourism industry from 2008 to 2015. The results show that related diversification positively influenced Chinese tourism firm performance, and unrelated diversification negatively influenced it. Board size was found to negatively moderate the relationship between related diversification and firm performance and to positively moderate the relationship between unrelated diversification and firm performance. In addition, the results imply that small boards are beneficial to Chinese tourism firms when both related and unrelated diversification strategies are implemented.
Winning and losing on social media: Comparing viral political posts across platforms
Authors: Larsson Anders Olof
Published: January 2019

Research on social media use during election campaigns has largely focused on Twitter. Building on recommendations from previous scholarship, the work presented here provides comparative insights into party and citizen engagement on several platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube – during the 2017 Norwegian elections. Results indicate that the themes of popular, ‘viral’ posts vary across platforms, suggesting the need to adapt political messages to each specific outlet. The findings are discussed in the light of the suggested ‘analytics turn’ – when political actors can gauge the minutiae of how their online efforts are engaged with, how do those types of insights influence the shape and content of political campaigns?
Spoken grammar practice in CALL: The effect of corrective feedback and education level in adult L2 learning
Authors: Penning de Vries Bart WF , Cucchiarini Catia , Strik Helmer , van Hout Roeland
Published: January 2019

Although most second language learning studies involve high-educated participants, addressing low-educated participants seems important as research suggests that education background impacts second language (L2) learning efficiency. A controversial point in the L2 learning literature is the role of corrective feedback (CF). Research on CF in relation to individual differences, including education background, requires controlled experimental environments. This article presents a study in such a controlled environment: a computer assisted language learning (CALL) system with logging capabilities and automatic speech processing to provide CF on spoken grammar practice. In the experiment, 68 Dutch L2 learners were randomly assigned to either an automatic grammaticality CF condition or a NOCF (no corrective feedback) condition. We analysed learning outcome, evaluative measures, and practice behaviour logged by the CALL system. Practice behaviour differed with education background, which in turn related to learning outcome. Learners with high and medium education levels benefitted from speaking practice in both conditions, while low-educated learners did not benefit from practice, in neither condition. For medium and high educated learners there was a trend for CF to increase practice effectiveness. Education level therefore is an important individual difference in L2 learning research that influences the effectiveness of CF.
It’s all relative: Explanationism and probabilistic evidence theory
Authors: Gelbach Jonah B
Published: January 2019

I provide a brief comment on Allen & Pardo’s “Relative plausibility and its critics”. I agree that their relative plausibility explanationism (RPE) provides an attractive positive description of fact finding in litigation. But unlike Allen & pardo, I see RPE as methodologically consistent with the leading conceptions of evidentiary probabilism, Bayesianism and likelihoodism. Thus, I argue, the best view of the relationship between the approaches is that RPE is a friendly amendment to–because it provides a positive foundation for–probabilism.
Bayesian residual analysis for spatially correlated data
Authors: Lobo Viviana GR , Fonseca Thaís CO
Published: January 2019

This work considers residual analysis and predictive techniques for the identification of individual and multiple outliers in geostatistical data. The standardized Bayesian spatial residual is proposed and computed for three competing models: the Gaussian, Student-t and Gaussian-log-Gaussian spatial processes. In this context, the spatial models are investigated regarding their plausibility for datasets contaminated with outliers. The posterior probability of an outlying observation is computed based on the standardized residuals and different thresholds for outlier discrimination are tested. From a predictive point of view, methods such as the conditional predictive ordinate, the predictive concordance and the Savage–Dickey density ratio for hypothesis testing are investigated for identification of outliers in the spatial setting. For illustration, contaminated datasets are considered to assess the performance of the three spatial models for identification of outliers in spatial data. Furthermore, an application to wind speed modelling is presented to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed tools to detect regions with large wind speeds.
Dividing the Pie: Parties, Institutional Limits, and State Budget Trade-Offs
Authors: Yu Jinhai , Jennings Edward T. , Butler J. S.
Published: January 2019

Although many studies on budgetary outcomes of state politics focus on budget sizes, budget trade-off studies focus on budget composition. This study examines the role of state politics in explaining budget trade-offs. We apply Peterson's typology to analyze budget trade-offs among developmental, allocational, redistributive, and educational expenditures. We focus on the roles of partisan and ideological factors and their interactive effects with institutional limits. Results show that politics matters. The Democratic Party and liberal citizen ideology increase state spending in redistribution relative to other categories, while the Republican Party shifts state budgets toward developmental spending. Partisan effects increase when tax and expenditure limits become less restrictive. Using more recent data and improved measurements, this study explains trade-offs among theoretically meaningful expenditure categories with a comprehensive model while providing a test of Peterson's typology.