bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PubMed search filters for the study of putative outdoor air pollution determinants of disease
Authors: Curti Stefania , Gori Davide , Di Gregori Valentina , Farioli Andrea , Baldasseroni Alberto , Fantini Maria Pia , Christiani David C , Violante Francesco S , Mattioli Stefano
Published: December 2016

Objectives

Several PubMed search filters have been developed in contexts other than environmental. We aimed at identifying efficient PubMed search filters for the study of environmental determinants of diseases related to outdoor air pollution.

Methods

We compiled a list of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and non-MeSH terms seeming pertinent to outdoor air pollutants exposure as determinants of diseases in the general population. We estimated proportions of potentially pertinent articles to formulate two filters (one ‘more specific’, one ‘more sensitive’). Their overall performance was evaluated as compared with our gold standard derived from systematic reviews on diseases potentially related to outdoor air pollution. We tested these filters in the study of three diseases potentially associated with outdoor air pollution and calculated the number of needed to read (NNR) abstracts to identify one potentially pertinent article in the context of these diseases. Last searches were run in January 2016.

Results

The ‘more specific’ filter was based on the combination of terms that yielded a threshold of potentially pertinent articles ≥40%. The ‘more sensitive’ filter was based on the combination of all search terms under study. When compared with the gold standard, the ‘more specific’ filter reported the highest specificity (67.4%; with a sensitivity of 82.5%), while the ‘more sensitive’ one reported the highest sensitivity (98.5%; with a specificity of 47.9%). The NNR to find one potentially pertinent article was 1.9 for the ‘more specific’ filter and 3.3 for the ‘more sensitive’ one.

Conclusions

The proposed search filters could help healthcare professionals investigate environmental determinants of medical conditions that could be potentially related to outdoor air pollution.
Commissioning care for people with dementia at the end of life: a mixed-methods study
Authors: Gotts Zoe M , Baur Nicole , McLellan Emma , Goodman Claire , Robinson Louise , Lee Richard P
Published: December 2016

Objectives

To understand how end-of-life (EoL) care for people with dementia is currently commissioned (ie, contracted) and organised, with a view to informing the development of commissioning guidance for good-quality community-based EoL care in dementia.

Design

Mixed-methods study; narrative review and qualitative interviews.

Setting

8 National Health Service (NHS) clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and five adult services across England.

Methods

Narrative review of evidence; 20 semistructured interviews (telephone and face-to-face) with professionals involved in commissioning EoL care for people with dementia.

Main outcome measures

Summary of the existing evidence base for commissioning, commissioners' approaches to the commissioning process for EoL care for people with dementia in England.

Results:

In the context of commissioning EoL for people with dementia, the literature review generated three key themes: (1) importance of joint commissioning; (2) lack of clarity for the process and (3) factors influencing commissioning. In exploring health professionals' perceptions of the commissioning process, ‘uncertainty’ was elicited as an overarching theme across the CCGs interviewed. Organisation of the process, lack of expertise, issues surrounding integration and the art of specification were considered important factors that contribute to the uncertainty surrounding the commissioning process.

Conclusions

The current evidence base for commissioning EoL care is limited with considerable uncertainty as how clinical commissioners in England undertake the process to ensure future services are evidence-based.
Clinical impact of lifestyle interventions for the prevention of diabetes: an overview of systematic reviews
Authors: Howells Lara , Musaddaq Besma , McKay Ailsa J , Majeed Azeem
Published: December 2016

Objectives

To review the clinical outcomes of combined diet and physical activity interventions for populations at high risk of type 2 diabetes.

Design

Overview of systematic reviews (search dates April–December 2015).

Setting

Any level of care; no geographical restriction.

Participants

Adults at high risk of diabetes (as per measures of glycaemia, risk assessment or presence of risk factors).

Interventions

Combined diet and physical activity interventions including ≥2 interactions with a healthcare professional, and ≥12 months follow-up.

Outcome measures

Primary: glycaemia, diabetes incidence. Secondary: behaviour change, measures of adiposity, vascular disease and mortality.

Results

19 recent reviews were identified for inclusion; 5 with AMSTAR scores <8. Most considered only randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and RCTs were the major data source in the remainder. Five trials were included in most reviews. Almost all analyses reported that interventions were associated with net reductions in diabetes incidence, measures of glycaemia and adiposity, at follow-up durations of up to 23 years (typically <6). Small effect sizes and potentially transient effect were reported in some studies, and some reviewers noted that durability of intervention impact was potentially sensitive to duration of intervention and adherence to behaviour change. Behaviour change, vascular disease and mortality outcome data were infrequently reported, and evidence of the impact of intervention on these outcomes was minimal. Evidence for age effect was mixed, and sex and ethnicity effect were little considered.

Conclusions

Relatively long-duration lifestyle interventions can limit or delay progression to diabetes under trial conditions. However, outcomes from more time-limited interventions, and those applied in routine clinical settings, appear more variable, in keeping with the findings of recent pragmatic trials. There is little evidence of intervention impact on vascular outcomes or mortality end points in any context. ‘Real-world’ implementation of lifestyle interventions for diabetes prevention may be expected to lead to modest outcomes.
Cost-effectiveness of Early Surgery versus Conservative Treatment with Optional Delayed Meniscectomy for Patients over 45 years with non-obstructive meniscal tears (ESCAPE study): protocol of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: van de Graaf Victor A , Scholtes Vanessa A B , Wolterbeek Nienke , Noorduyn Julia C A , Neeter Camille , van Tulder Maurits W , Saris Daniël B F , de Gast Arthur , Poolman Rudolf W
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Recent studies show similar outcome between surgery and conservative treatment in patients with non-obstructive meniscal tears. However, surgery is still often preferred over conservative treatment. When conservative treatment is non-inferior to surgery, shifting the current standard treatment choice to conservative treatment alone could save over €30 millions of direct medical costs on an annual basis. Economic evaluation studies comparing surgery to conservative treatment are lacking.

Methods and analysis

A multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) with an economic evaluation alongside was performed to assess the (cost)-effectiveness of surgery and conservative treatment for meniscal tears. We will include 402 participants between 45 and 70 years with an MRI-confirmed symptomatic, non-obstructive meniscal tears to prove non-inferiority of conservative treatment. Block randomisation will be web-based. The primary outcome measure is a physical function, measured by the International Knee Documentation Committee ‘Subjective Knee Form’. Furthermore, we will perform a cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis from societal perspective and a budget impact analysis from a societal, government and insurer perspective. Secondary outcomes include general health, quality of life, activity level, knee pain, physical examination, progression of osteoarthritis and the occurrence of adverse events.

Ethics and dissemination

This RCT will be performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and has been approved by the Ethics Committee (number NL44188.100.13). The results of this study will be reported in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences. We further aim to disseminate our results to guideline committees.

Trial registration number

NCT01850719.
Monitoring the health and welfare of free‐living deer in deer parks
Authors: Green Peter
Published: December 2016

Deer in enclosed parks are free‐living, which means they cannot be handled, tested, vaccinated or effectively medicated. They are kept at densities that far exceed natural deer population densities in the wild and most enclosed herds cannot survive the winter without supplementary food. The welfare of deer in parks is increasingly a matter of public interest and veterinary surgeons may be consulted about the health and welfare of such animals. This article offers guidance on how to assess the welfare of deer in parks, based on visual assessment of the animals when they are alive and carcase examination after culling.
Identifying a core set of outcome domains to measure in clinical trials for shoulder disorders: a modified Delphi study
Authors: Page Matthew J , Huang Hsiaomin , Verhagen Arianne P , Buchbinder Rachelle , Gagnier Joel J
Published: December 2016

Objective

To achieve consensus on the most important outcome domains to measure across all clinical trials for shoulder disorders.

Methods

We performed an online modified Delphi study with an international, multidisciplinary and multistakeholder panel. A literature review and the OMERACT Filter 2.0 framework was used to generate a list of potential core domains, which were presented to patients, clinicians and researchers in two Delphi rounds. Participants were asked to judge the importance of each potential core domain and provide a rationale for their response. A core domain was defined a priori as a domain that at least 67% of participants considered core.

Results

In both rounds, 335 individuals were invited to participate (268 clinicians/researchers and 67 patients); response rates were 27% (n=91) and 29% (n=96), respectively. From a list of 41 potential core domains, four domains met our criteria for inclusion: ‘pain’, ‘physical functioning’, ‘global assessment of treatment success’ and ‘health-related quality of life’. Two additional domains, ‘sleep functioning’ and ‘psychological functioning’, met the criteria for inclusion by some, but not all stakeholder groups. There was consensus that ‘number of deaths’ was not a core domain, but insufficient agreement on whether or not several other domains, including ‘range of motion’ and ‘muscle strength’, were core domains.

Conclusions

Based on international consensus from patients, clinicians and researchers, ‘pain’, ‘physical functioning’, ‘global assessment of treatment success’ and ‘health-related quality of life’ were considered core outcome domains for shoulder disorder trials. The value of several other domains needs further consideration.
A case of neuronal vacuolation and spinocerebellar degeneration in a juvenile rottweiler
Authors: Cowan Allison Carley , Slanina Meghan , Choi April Eun Ju
Published: December 2016

A four‐month old female Rottweiler was presented for a ten‐week history of progressive dyspnoea, spinocerebellar ataxia and tetraparesis that had been unresponsive to empirical treatment. Neurological examination revealed obtundation, an ambulatory tetraparesis (worse in the hindlimbs) with spinocerebellar ataxia, head titubations, miotic pupils, positional vertical nystagmus, an intermittent ventrolateral strabismus and delayed postural reactions in all four limbs. General physical examination revealed inspiratory stridor. Signs were consistent with multifocal neurological disease with involvement of the brainstem, cerebellum, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Further diagnostics included an MRI, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and blood work, which were all unremarkable. The multifocal neurological findings in combination with normal ancillary tests in a young rottweiler were suggestive of a degenerative disease, with the top differential being neuronal vacuolation and spinocerebellar degeneration (NVSCD). Due to the grave prognosis and rapid progression of clinical signs, euthanasia was elected. A complete postmortem examination was performed, which revealed multifocal intracytoplasmic neuronal vacuolisation with axonal degeneration throughout the CNS; severe, generalised bilateral myocyte atrophy and degeneration of the cricoarytenoideus dorsalis (CAD) muscles; and moderate, multifocal, bilateral demyelination of the laryngeal nerves. The histological lesions were pathognomonic for NVSCD, thereby confirming the diagnosis.
Should we advocate neutering for all pet rabbits?
Authors: Bradbury A. G. , Dickens G. J. E.
Published: December 2016

The neutering of pet rabbits has become more common in recent years due to recognition of the importance of species‐specific social contact and the perceived risk of reproductive malignancies in unspayed older females. Here, Guen Bradbury and Greg Dickens argue that the benefits of neutering singly housed rabbits (still the majority in the UK) may not outweigh the adverse effects of the procedure.
Experience beyond value
Authors: Dymacz Grzegorz
Published: December 2016

Grzegorz Dymacz is a poultry vet who works with farmers in central European countries and the Middle East. He took a break while studying veterinary medicine at Wroclaw university to broaden his knowledge and experience as a student volunteer in the UK. The kindness and hospitality he was shown has left a lasting impression
Oscillator strengths for spin-changing P–D transitions in He I including the effect of a finite nuclear mass and intermediate coupling
Authors: Morton Donald C. , Drake G.W.F.
Published: December 2016

We have calculated the electric dipole (E1) oscillator strengths and spontaneous decay rates for 12 spin-changing P–D transitions of atomic helium. We included the effects of the finite nuclear mass and the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron. The specific transitions for 4He are [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] with n = 2, 3, 4 and n′ = 3, 4. To include the effects of intermediate coupling between pure LS and jj, we used the Breit formulation for the spin–orbit and spin–other-orbit operators and combined the results of the exact diagonalization of the 2 × 2 energy matrix with pseudostate expansions to perform the perturbation sums over intermediate states. We calculated both the length and velocity gauges as a check on numerical accuracy and the validity of the transition operators.
A Scalable Weight-Free Learning Algorithm for Regulatory Control of Cell Activity in Spiking Neuronal Networks
Authors: Zhang Xu , Foderaro Greg , Henriquez Craig , Ferrari Silvia
Published: December 2016

Recent developments in neural stimulation and recording technologies are providing scientists with the ability of recording and controlling the activity of individual neurons in vitro or in vivo, with very high spatial and temporal resolution. Tools such as optogenetics, for example, are having a significant impact in the neuroscience field by delivering optical firing control with the precision and spatiotemporal resolution required for investigating information processing and plasticity in biological brains. While a number of training algorithms have been developed to date for spiking neural network (SNN) models of biological neuronal circuits, exiting methods rely on learning rules that adjust the synaptic strengths (or weights) directly, in order to obtain the desired network-level (or functional-level) performance. As such, they are not applicable to modifying plasticity in biological neuronal circuits, in which synaptic strengths only change as a result of pre- and post-synaptic neuron firings or biological mechanisms beyond our control. This paper presents a weight-free training algorithm that relies solely on adjusting the spatiotemporal delivery of neuron firings in order to optimize the network performance. The proposed weight-free algorithm does not require any knowledge of the SNN model or its plasticity mechanisms. As a result, this training approach is potentially realizable in vitro or in vivo via neural stimulation and recording technologies, such as optogenetics and multielectrode arrays, and could be utilized to control plasticity at multiple scales of biological neuronal circuits. The approach is demonstrated by training SNNs with hundreds of units to control a virtual insect navigating in an unknown environment.
First-principles calculations for mechanical and electronic features of strained GaP nanowires
Authors: Mohammad Rezek , Katırcıoğlu Şenay
Published: December 2016

The mechanical and electronic properties of GaP nanowires are investigated by computing the Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, energy band gap and effective carrier masses using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The wurtzite structural nanowires with diameters upper limited to [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Å are strained by uniaxial strains in the range of [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text]. The Young’s moduli of nanowires are found to be decreased with increase of the size in the direction of the Young’s modulus of the bulk GaP. The Poisson’s effect is determined to be stronger in GaP nanowires than in the bulk. The energy band gaps of the unstrained and strained nanowires are obtained to be enlarged with decrease of the size due to the quantum size effect. The confinement effect is found larger in the compressed nanowires than in the stretched ones. All the unstrained nanowires except the largest one are indirect band gap materials. Indirect to direct band gap transition is determined to be size and strain dependent. The effective carrier masses in all unstrained nanowires are found small compared to the ones in the bulk GaP. The effective electron and hole masses are obtained to be modulated in nanowires of this work by the compressive and both compressive/tensile strains, respectively.
CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM ASEAN-5 BANKS
Authors: NOURANI MOHAMMAD , TING IRENE WEI KIONG , LU WEN-MIN , KWEH QIAN LONG
Published: December 2016

In today’s dynamic economy, banks should focus on improving their dynamic performance to stay competitive. Using a dataset for the period 2007–2013, this paper evaluates the dynamic performance of ASEAN-5 banks through a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model, called the dynamic slacks-based measure (DSBM) model. The DEA results indicate that banks in Malaysia perform better than those in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Frontier projections through DEA indicate that banks in the ASEAN-5 countries underutilize their long-term assets, resulting in inefficiencies. Furthermore, this study finds that capital structure as a whole is positively related to bank performance.
FUNDING LIQUIDITY RISK, SYNDICATION BEHAVIOR AND THE RISK CULTURE OF THE AUSTRALIAN VENTURE CAPITAL INDUSTRY
Authors: SIDDIQUI ASIF IQBAL , MARINOVA DORA
Published: December 2016

Venture capital (VC) is usually invested in high risk technology companies at their early stages of development. In response to the industry risk environment, the VC fund managers have developed a set of risk management practices appropriate for the industry which include investment syndication. Furthermore, the VC funds are supplied by individual and institutional investors with different risk profiles and investment focus, usually in finite amounts and for a limited period of time. The funding agreement between the VC firms and the fund investors combined with the limited amount and time can lead to additional funding liquidity risks as the VC funds are invested in the portfolio companies. In this paper, we develop a simple two period model from a VC firm’s perspective with funding liquidity constraints to demonstrate how funding liquidity risk can influence syndication decisions. We subsequently analyze the implication of the model, derive a set of predictions and validate them with VC investment data from Australia. The analysis shows that syndication has both instrumental function in risk management and behavioral implications on risk culture essential for addressing the emerging frontiers of sustainability risks.
Thermodynamic properties of black holes in de Sitter space
Authors: Li Huai-Fan , Ma Meng-Sen , Ma Ya-Qin
Published: December 2016

We study the thermodynamic properties of Schwarzschild–de Sitter (SdS) black hole and Reissner–Nordström–de Sitter (RNdS) black hole in view of global and effective thermodynamic quantities. Making use of the effective first law of thermodynamics, we can derive the effective thermodynamic quantities of de Sitter black holes. It is found that these effective thermodynamic quantities also satisfy Smarr-like formula. Especially, the effective temperatures are nonzero in the Nariai limit. By calculating heat capacity and Gibbs free energy, we find SdS black hole is always thermodynamically stable and RNdS black hole may undergoes phase transition at some points.
Localization of four-dimensional super-Yang–Mills theories compactified on Riemann surface
Authors: Nagasaki Koichi
Published: December 2016

We consider the partition function of super-Yang–Mills theories defined on [Formula: see text]. This path integral can be computed by the localization. The one-loop determinant is evaluated by the elliptic genus. This elliptic genus gives trivial result in our calculation. As a result, we obtain a theory defined on the Riemann surface.
Linearly constrained evolutions of critical points and an application to cohesive fractures
Authors: Artina Marco , Cagnetti Filippo , Fornasier Massimo , Solombrino Francesco
Published: December 2016

We introduce a novel constructive approach to define time evolution of critical points of an energy functional. Our procedure, which is different from other more established approaches based on viscosity approximations in infinite-dimension, is prone to efficient and consistent numerical implementations, and allows for an existence proof under very general assumptions. We consider in particular rather nonsmooth and nonconvex energy functionals, provided the domain of the energy is finite-dimensional. Nevertheless, in the infinite-dimensional case study of a cohesive fracture model, we prove a consistency theorem of a discrete-to-continuum limit. We show that a quasistatic evolution can be indeed recovered as a limit of evolutions of critical points of finite-dimensional discretizations of the energy, constructed according to our scheme. To illustrate the results, we provide several numerical experiments both in one- and two-dimensions. These agree with the crack initiation criterion, which states that a fracture appears only when the stress overcomes a certain threshold, depending on the material.
Symmetry breaking in indented elastic cones
Authors: Conti Sergio , Olbermann Heiner , Tobasco Ian
Published: December 2016

Motivated by simulations of carbon nanocones (see [S. P. Jordan and V. H. Crespi, Theory of carbon nanocones: Mechanical chiral inversion of a micron-scale three-dimensional object, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 (2004) 255504]), we consider a variational plate model for an elastic cone under compression in the direction of the cone symmetry axis. Assuming radial symmetry, and modeling the compression by suitable Dirichlet boundary conditions at the center and the boundary of the sheet, we identify the energy scaling law in the von Kármán plate model. Specifically, we find that three different regimes arise with increasing indentation [Formula: see text]: initially the energetic cost of the logarithmic singularity dominates, then there is a linear response corresponding to a moderate deformation close to the boundary of the cone, and for larger [Formula: see text] a localized inversion takes place in the central region. Then, we show that for large enough indentations minimizers of the elastic energy cannot be radially symmetric. We do so by an explicit construction that achieves lower elastic energy than the minimum amount possible for radially symmetric deformations.
Nonlinear Donati compatibility conditions on a surface — Application to the intrinsic approach for Koiter’s model of a nonlinearly elastic shallow shell
Authors: Ciarlet Philippe G. , Iosifescu Oana
Published: December 2016

An intrinsic approach to a mathematical model of a linearly or nonlinearly elastic body consists in considering the strain measures found in the energy of this model as the sole unknowns, instead of the displacement field in the classical approach. Such an approach thus provides a direct computation of the stresses by means of the constitutive equation. The main problem therefore consists in identifying specific compatibility conditions that these new unknowns, which are now matrix fields with components in [Formula: see text], should satisfy in order that they correspond to an actual displacement field. Such compatibility conditions are either of Saint-Venant type, in which case they take the form of partial differential equations, or of Donati type, in which case they take the form of ortho- gonality relations against matrix fields that are divergence-free. The main objective of this paper consists in showing how an intrinsic approach can be successfully applied to the well-known Koiter’s model of a nonlinearly elastic shallow shell, thus providing the first instance (at least to the authors’ best knowledge) of a mathematical justification of this approach applied to a nonlinear shell model (“shallow” means that the absolute value of the Gaussian curvature of the middle surface of the shell is “uniformly small enough”). More specifically, we first identify and justify compatibility conditions of Donati type guaranteeing that the nonlinear strain measures found in Koiter’s model correspond to an actual displacement field. Second, we show that the associated intrinsic energy attains its minimum over a set of matrix fields that satisfy these Donati compatibility conditions, thus providing an existence theorem for the intrinsic approach; the proof relies in particular on an interesting per se nonlinear Korn inequality on a surface. Incidentally, this existence result (once converted into an equivalent existence theorem for the classical displacement approach) constitutes a significant improvement over previously known existence theorems for Koiter’s model of a nonlinearly elastic shallow shell.
The colored Kauffman Skein relation and the head and tail of the colored Jones polynomial
Authors: Hajij Mustafa
Published: December 2016

Using the colored Kauffman skein relation, we study the highest and lowest [Formula: see text] coefficients of the [Formula: see text] unreduced colored Jones polynomial of alternating links. This gives a natural extension of a result by Kauffman in regard with the Jones polynomial of alternating links and its highest and lowest coefficients. We also use our techniques to give a new and natural proof for the existence of the tail of the colored Jones polynomial for alternating links.
Involutory quandles of (2,2,r)-Montesinos links
Authors: Hoste Jim , Shanahan Patrick D.
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we show that Montesinos links of the form [Formula: see text], which we call [Formula: see text]-Montesinos links, have finite involutory quandles. This generalizes an observation of Winker regarding the [Formula: see text]-pretzel links. We also describe some properties of these quandles.
A short survey of quantum computing
Authors: Kaiser Uwe
Published: December 2016

Quantum computing is closely related to [Formula: see text]-dimensional topological quantum field theory through its approach in topological quantum computation. The following are notes based on lectures given by the author at the Mathematics Department of George Washington University. The idea is to give a brief introduction and survey of a few basic facts of quantum computing to an audience of non-experts interested in taking a quick look at some of the most important concepts of quantum computing. The author is a topologist with strong interest in the general ideas of quantum computing. The notes touch on how quantum topology enters the field but emphasizes the general ideas of quantum computing in the first place.
Mechanical Characterization of Linen Fibers: The Turin Shroud Dating
Authors: Fanti Giulio , Basso Roberto
Published: December 2016

As the 1988 radiocarbon dating of the Turin Shroud (TS) was debatable also from a statistical point of view, new dating methods have been proposed. This paper presents the result of an improved mechanical dating. A recent cyclic-load machine has been improved to better fix fibers under test by using a special support designed for the purpose. The mechanical behavior of linen fibers of three different ages are measured and compared discussing these results in reference to the complex structure of aged linen fibers; the three samples are a linen fiber from an Egyptian mummy of 27[Formula: see text] Century B.C.; a linen fiber coming from the TS, and a recent linen fiber. This machine allowed to confirm the previous results regarding the TS mechanical dating, showing that these results are again compatible with the First Century A.D., the period in which Jesus Christ lived in Palestine. The improved machine also showed that the complex nonlinear behavior of the fibers is also due to the packing of the Secondary Cell Wall of the linen fibers, mostly composed of micro fibrils, that produces a memory-effect. The stiffening of the linen fibers with the loading increasing is a property detected for all the tested fibers that must not be forgotten also in the construction of flax fibers based composites.
Some Results on an Optimal Maintenance Policy for a Markovian Deteriorating System Subject to Random Shocks
Authors: Tamura Nobuyuki
Published: December 2016

This paper considers a system whose deterioration is modeled as a discrete-time and discrete-state Markov chain and is subject to randomly occurring shocks. The system is more likely to deteriorate after the occurrence of shocks. At each time epoch, we can select from one of three possible actions: operate, repair, or replace. The difference between repair and replace is whether the influence of shocks is removed or not. While repair does not change the number of shocks that the system has suffered, replacement can return it to zero. We derive an expected discounted cost for an unbounded horizon and show that a generalized control limit policy holds under certain assumptions on the costs and the transition probability. Several structural properties of the optimal maintenance policy are also investigated under different assumptions for the occurrence of shocks. These results are useful for numerically determining the optimal maintenance policy. Finally, we consider some special cases by imposing constraints on the costs and the probabilities.
Software Reliability and Cost Analysis Considering Service User for Cloud with Big Data
Authors: Tamura Yoshinobu , Takeuchi Tomoya , Yamada Shigeru
Published: December 2016

At present, the cloud computing with big data is known as a next-generation software service paradigm. However, the effective methods of software reliability analysis considering the big data and cloud computing have been only few presented. In particular, it is important to consider the optimal data partitioning in terms of cloud computing with big data. Considering the cloud computing with big data, it will be useful for the software managers to estimate the total software cost in order to make allocations the optimal data area to the cloud user. We propose the method of component-oriented reliability assessment based on neural network in order to the optimal data partitioning for cloud computing with big data in this paper. Moreover, we propose the method of system-wide reliability assessment based on the jump diffusion process model considering the big data on cloud computing. Furthermore, we propose the optimal maintenance problem based on the jump diffusion model. Considering the contract cost for the maximum number of subscriber as the cloud user, we find the optimum maintenance time by minimizing the total software cost.
Efficient Stability and Robustness Analysis of Uncertain Nonlinear Systems using a New Response-based Method
Authors: Son Young Kap , Savage Gordon J.
Published: December 2016

A stable dynamic system implies safety, reliability, and satisfactory performance. However, the determination of stability is very difficult when the system is nonlinear and when the ever present uncertainties in the components must be considered. Herein a response-based approach that uses both system and time information obtained through singular value decomposition is presented to determine the stability space of nonlinear, uncertain dynamic systems: any approximating linearization of the nonlinearities has been obviated. The approach extends previous work for linear systems that invoked only the variability of the left singular vectors to predict stability. In the new approach, the variability of the right singular vectors is augmented to that of the left singular vectors and it is shown that a simulation time span, as short as two or three periods, is sufficient to predict stability over the entire life-time dynamics rendering the method very efficient. The stability space is a subset of the design space and its robustness is proportional to the tolerances assigned to the random design variables. Errors due to sampling size, time increments, and number of singular vectors used are controllable. The method can be implemented with readily available software. A study of a practical engineering system with different tolerances and different time spans shows the efficacy of the proposed approach.
FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PLASMA ELECTROLYTIC BOROCARBURIZED LAYERS ON Q235 LOW-CARBON STEEL AT DIFFERENT DISCHARGE VOLTAGES
Authors: WANG BIN , WU JIE , JIN XIAOYUE , WU XIAOLING , Wu ZHENGLONG , XUE WENBIN
Published: December 2016

The influence of applied voltage on the plasma electrolytic borocarburizing (PEB/C) layer of Q235 low-carbon steel in high-concentration borax solution was investigated. XRD and XPS spectra of PEB/C layer confirmed that the modified boride layer mainly consisted of Fe2B phase, and the FeB phase only exists in the loose top layer. The applied voltage on Q235 steel played a key role in determining the properties of hardened layers. The thickness and microhardness of boride layers increased with the increase of the applied voltage, which led to superior corrosion and wear resistances of Q235 low-carbon steel. The diffusion coefficient ([Formula: see text] of boride layer at 280, 300 and 330[Formula: see text]V increased with borocarburizing temperature and ranged from [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m2/s to [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m2/s. The activation energy ([Formula: see text] of boride layer growth during PEB/C treatment was only 52.83[Formula: see text][Formula: see text], which was much lower than that of the conventional boriding process.
ANTERIOR LUMBAR INTERBODY FUSION WITH HARTSHILL HORSESHOE CAGE
Authors: Moon Myung-Sang , Kim Dong Hyeon , Kim Sang-Jae , Yoon Min-Geun , Kim Sung-Soo , Sihn Jang-Cheol
Published: December 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the role of the Hartshill horseshoe cage for lumbar and lumbosacral interbody fusion through anterior Robinson–Smith construct. Materials: About 25 adults (11 males and 14 females), aged 29 to 56 years were the subject materials. Disease entities were post-traumatic internal derangement, isthmic and degenerative spondylolisthesis and lumbar scoliosis (DLS). The fusion levels were L[Formula: see text] in 21 and L5–S1in four patients, braced postoperatively for 2–3 months. Results: Fusion took place at least five months on average (4–7 months). No complications were encountered. In one DLS patient who had multi-segment posterior instrument-aided stabilization (T[Formula: see text]–S1), the lowest pedicle screw became loosened gradually, but cage was maintained intact without loosening. Conclusion: Hartshill horseshoe cage offered a conducive biomechanical environment for anterior interbody fusion.
On the existence of Wp2 solutions for fully nonlinear elliptic equations under either relaxed or no convexity assumptions
Authors: Krylov N. V.
Published: December 2016

We establish the existence of solutions of fully nonlinear elliptic second-order equations like [Formula: see text] in smooth domains without requiring [Formula: see text] to be convex or concave with respect to the second-order derivatives. Apart from ellipticity nothing is required of [Formula: see text] at points at which [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is any given constant. For large [Formula: see text] some kind of relaxed convexity assumption with respect to [Formula: see text] mixed with a VMO condition with respect to [Formula: see text] are still imposed. The solutions are sought in Sobolev classes. We also establish the solvability without almost any conditions on [Formula: see text], apart from ellipticity, but of a “cut-off” version of the equation [Formula: see text].
BLM realization for 𝒰ℤ(𝔤𝔩 ̂n)
Authors: Fu Qiang
Published: December 2016

In 1990, Beilinson–Lusztig–MacPherson (BLM) discovered a realization for quantum [Formula: see text] via a geometric setting of quantum Schur algebras. We will generalize their result to the classical affine case. More precisely, we first use Ringel–Hall algebras to construct an integral form [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the universal enveloping algebra of the loop algebra [Formula: see text]. We then establish the stabilization property of multiplication for the classical affine Schur algebras. This stabilization property leads to the BLM realization of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. In particular, we conclude that [Formula: see text] is a [Formula: see text]-Hopf subalgebra of [Formula: see text]. As a bonus, this method leads to an explicit [Formula: see text]-basis for [Formula: see text], and it yields explicit multiplication formulas between generators and basis elements for [Formula: see text]. As an application, we will prove that the natural algebra homomorphism from [Formula: see text] to the affine Schur algebra over [Formula: see text] is surjective.
Anisotropic L2-weighted Hardy and L2-Caffarelli–Kohn–Nirenberg inequalities
Authors: Ruzhansky Michael , Suragan Durvudkhan
Published: December 2016

We establish sharp remainder terms of the [Formula: see text]-Caffarelli–Kohn–Nirenberg inequalities on homogeneous groups, yielding the inequalities with best constants. Our methods also give new sharp Caffarelli–Kohn–Nirenberg-type inequalities in [Formula: see text] with arbitrary quasi-norms. We also present explicit examples to illustrate our results for different weights and in abelian cases.
On the Pełczyński conjecture on Auerbach bases
Authors: Weber Andrzej , Wojciechowski Michał
Published: December 2016

We consider Auerbach bases in Banach spaces of dimension [Formula: see text]. We show that there exist at least [Formula: see text] such bases. This estimate follows from the calculation of the Lusternik–Schnirelmann category of the flag variety. A better estimate is obtained for generic smooth Banach spaces using Morse theory.
The maximum principles for fractional Laplacian equations and their applications
Authors: Cheng Tingzhi , Huang Genggeng , Li Congming
Published: December 2016

This paper is devoted to investigate the symmetry and monotonicity properties for positive solutions of fractional Laplacian equations. Especially, we consider the following fractional Laplacian equation with homogeneous Dirichlet condition: [Formula: see text] Here [Formula: see text] is a domain (bounded or unbounded) in [Formula: see text] which is convex in [Formula: see text]-direction. [Formula: see text] is the nonlocal fractional Laplacian operator which is defined as [Formula: see text] Under various conditions on [Formula: see text] and on a solution [Formula: see text] it is shown that [Formula: see text] is strictly increasing in [Formula: see text] in the left half of [Formula: see text], or in [Formula: see text]. Symmetry (in [Formula: see text]) of some solutions is proved.
Positive subharmonic solutions to nonlinear ODEs with indefinite weight
Authors: Boscaggin Alberto , Feltrin Guglielmo
Published: December 2016

We prove that the superlinear indefinite equation [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is a [Formula: see text]-periodic sign-changing function satisfying the (sharp) mean value condition [Formula: see text], has positive subharmonic solutions of order [Formula: see text] for any large integer [Formula: see text], thus providing a further contribution to a problem raised by Butler in its pioneering paper [Rapid oscillation, nonextendability, and the existence of periodic solutions to second order nonlinear ordinary differential equations, J. Differential Equations 22 (1976) 467–477]. The proof, which applies to a larger class of indefinite equations, combines coincidence degree theory (yielding a positive harmonic solution) with the Poincaré–Birkhoff fixed point theorem (giving subharmonic solutions oscillating around it).
Finite groups with two composite character degrees
Authors: Ghaffarzadeh Mehdi , Ghasemi Mohsen
Published: December 2016

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite group and let [Formula: see text] be the set of all irreducible character degrees of [Formula: see text]. We consider finite groups [Formula: see text] with the property that [Formula: see text] has at most two composite members. We derive a bound 6 for the size of character degree sets of such groups. There are examples in both solvable and nonsolvable groups where this bound is met. In the case of nonsolvable groups, we are able to determine the structure of such groups with [Formula: see text].
A closure operation on submodules
Authors: Hassanzadeh-Lelekaami Dawood
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we introduce a semiprime closure operation on submodules of a module. Several properties of this closure operation are studied and some applications are provided.
CRM Technology: Implementation Project and Consulting Services as Determinants of Success
Authors: González-Benito Óscar , Venturini Wander Trindade , González-Benito Javier
Published: December 2016

The success of a customer relationship management (CRM) strategy depends on the adequate use of technology, including CRM software. This paper offers empirical evidence regarding critical success factors for CRM software adoption, namely, implementation project management and services provided by information technology consultants. Data analyses involving 208 business customers of an international CRM software provider show that (1) successful management of the implementation project is a fundamental prerequisite for the firm to take full advantage of CRM software; (2) perceptions of tangible offers, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and training services provided by CRM consultants affect CRM success; and (3) the successful management of an implementation project mediates the effects of consulting service quality on successful CRM software adoption. These findings point to the relevance of service in the CRM software industry from the perspectives of both the professionals involved and the potential adopters of CRM software.
Gauge transformations of constrained discrete modified KP systems with self-consistent sources
Authors: Huang Ran , Song Tao , Li Chuanzhong
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we firstly recall some basic facts about the discrete KP(d-KP) and discrete modified KP(d-mKP) hierarchies, and then we find that d-KP hierarchy and d-mKP hierarchy are linked by a gauge transformation. What’s more, we give three gauge transformation operators of the d-mKP hierarchy and give their successive applications. We further construct the ghost symmetry and use this symmetry to give the definition the d-mKP hierarchy with self-consistent sources. We also give gauge transformations of a newly defined constrained d-mKP(cd-mKP) hierarchy and the constrained d-mKP hierarchy with self-consistent sources(cd-mKPHSCSs).
Weyl static axially symmetric field equations in modified f(T) gravity
Authors: Nayeh Saeed , Ghominejad Mehrdad
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we obtain the field equations of Weyl static axially symmetric space-time in the framework of [Formula: see text] gravity, where [Formula: see text] is torsion scalar. We will see that, for [Formula: see text] related to teleparallel equivalent general relativity, these equations reduce to Einstein field equations. We show that if the components of energy–momentum tensor are symmetric, the scalar torsion must be either constant or only a function of radial component [Formula: see text]. The solutions of some functions [Formula: see text] in which [Formula: see text] is a function of [Formula: see text] are obtained.
A Unified Formulation for Laminated Composite and Sandwich Plates Subject to Thermal Load Using Various Plate Theories
Authors: Mantari J. L. , Ramos I. A. , Zenkour A. M.
Published: December 2016

This paper proposes several normalized and non-normalized displacement fields based on hybrid and trigonometric hyperbolic shear strain shape functions in order to solve the analytical thermoelastic problem of simply-supported laminated composite and sandwich plates using the Carrera unified formulation (CUF) as strategy. The equivalent single layer (ESL) governing equations for laminated composite plate are obtained by employing the principle of virtual displacement (PVD) and are solved using Navier’s method solution. Linear and nonlinear temperature distributions through the plate thickness are taken into account. A hybrid and trigonometric hyperbolic shear strain shape functions are introduced in normalized and non-normalized form in the mathematical model. The obtained results are compared with the classical polynomial ones for several order of expansion. Interesting approximations with 3D solution are shown for low and high order of expansion.
An Improved Interpolating Element-Free Galerkin Method for Elastoplasticity via Nonsingular Weight Functions
Authors: Sun Fengxin , Wang Jufeng , Cheng Yumin
Published: December 2016

An improved interpolating element-free Galerkin (IIEFG) method for elastoplasticity is proposed in this paper. In the IIEFG method, the shape functions are constructed by the improved interpolating moving least-squares (IIMLS) method, and the final system equations are obtained by using the Galerkin weak form of elastoplasticity. Compared with the interpolating moving least-squares (IMLS) method, the weight functions are not singular in the IIMLS method, in which the shape functions have the interpolating property. The IIMLS method has fewer unknown coefficients to be solved in the trial functions than the moving least-squares (MLS) approximation. Hence, the IIEFG method is able to directly enforce the displacement boundary condition and obtain numerical solutions with high computational accuracy and efficiency. To show advantages of the IIEFG method, some selected elastoplastic examples are given.