bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interpretable AI Explores Effective Components of CAD/CAM Resin Composites
Authors: Li H. , Sakai T. , Tanaka A. , Ogura M. , Lee C. , Yamaguchi S. , Imazato S.
Published: April 2022

High flexural strength of computer-aided manufacturing resin composite blocks (CAD/CAM RCBs) are required in clinical scenarios. However, the conventional in vitro approach of modifying materials’ composition by trial and error was not efficient to explore the effective components that contribute to the flexural strength. Machine learning (ML) is a powerful tool to achieve the above goals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop ML models to predict the flexural strength of CAD/CAM RCBs and explore the components that affect flexural strength as the first step. The composition of 12 commercially available products and flexural strength were collected from the manufacturers and literature. The initial data consisted of 16 attributes and 12 samples. Considering that the input data for each sample were recognized as a multidimensional vector, a fluctuation range of 0.1 was proposed for each vector and the number of samples was augmented to 120. Regression algorithms—that is, random forest (RF), extra trees, gradient boosting decision tree, light gradient boosting machine, and extreme gradient boosting—were used to develop 5 ML models to predict flexural strength. An exhaustive search and feature importance analysis were conducted to analyze the effective components that affected flexural strength. The R2 values for each model were 0.947, 0.997, 0.998, 0.983, and 0.927, respectively. The relative errors of all the algorithms were within 15%. Among the high predicted flexural strength group in the exhaustive search, urethane dimethacrylate was contained in all compositions. Filler content and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate were the top 2 features predicted by all models in the feature importance analysis. ZrSiO4 was the third important feature for all models, except the RF model. The ML models established in this study successfully predicted the flexural strength of CAD/CAM RCBs and identified the effective components that affected flexural strength based on the available data set.
Examining Recovery Status Trends over 7-Years for Men and Women Clients of a Substance Use Disorder Recovery Housing Program
Authors: Logan TK , McLouth Christopher J. , Cole Jennifer
Published: April 2022

Adults who are homeless and/or involved in the criminal justice system have significantly higher risks of substance use disorders (SUD)s and they may have increased difficulty initiating and maintaining traditional SUD treatments. To address the needs of adults with SUDs who are homeless/criminal justice system involved the Recovery Kentucky programs were established. This study examined outcomes for this recovery housing program among an unduplicated statewide sample of men ( n=672) and women ( n = 732) clients who entered the Recovery Kentucky program and who were followed-up about 12 months after program entry across a 7-year period. Low, but similar rates of problem alcohol or illicit drug use at follow-up were found across the 7-year period. Men had higher rates of return to use than women. Further, about 40% of the clients had at least one recovery status vulnerability factor at follow-up each year of the study with no differences by gender.
Risk on the Edge: The Effect of Relative Spatial Location on Consumer Preferences and Choices
Authors: Esteky Sina
Published: April 2022

This article explores how consumers’ relative spatial location influences their preferences and choices. Drawing on the conceptual metaphor literature, the author proposes that people interpret the abstract concept of risk using a more tangible concept: their location relative to the center or edge of a space. Five main studies (and a pilot) reveal the existence of a metaphorical association between risk and spatial location and show how this association systematically affects consumer risk-taking behavior. Specifically, people positioned closer to the edges (vs. center) of space are disproportionately more likely to seek (vs. avoid) risky choices. This phenomenon is demonstrated across various decision-making scenarios in the laboratory and field, using both physical and virtual manipulations of space. This effect occurs because being located closer to the edges (vs. center) evokes concepts related to risk (vs. safety), making risky (vs. safe) products easier to process and, as a result, more desirable. Moreover, this research sheds light on the effect characteristics and boundary conditions. The author concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for consumers and businesses.
The Role of Prosody in Disambiguating English Indirect Requests
Authors: Trott Sean , Reed Stefanie , Kaliblotzky Dan , Ferreira Victor , Bergen Benjamin
Published: April 2022

Ambiguity pervades language. The sentence “My office is really hot” could be interpreted as a complaint about the temperature or as an indirect request to turn on the air conditioning. How do comprehenders determine a speaker’s intended interpretation? One possibility is that speakers and comprehenders exploit prosody to overcome the pragmatic ambiguity inherent in indirect requests. In a pre-registered behavioral experiment, we find that human listeners can successfully determine whether a given utterance was intended as a request at a rate above chance (55%), above and beyond the prior probability of a given sentence being interpreted as a request. Moreover, we find that a classifier equipped with seven acoustic features can detect the original intent of an utterance with 65% accuracy. Finally, consistent with past work, the duration, pitch, and pitch slope of an utterance emerge both as significant correlates of a speaker’s original intent and as predictors of comprehenders’ pragmatic interpretation. These results suggest that human and machine comprehenders alike can use prosody to enrich the meaning of ambiguous utterances, such as indirect requests.
Physical Exercise Affects Quality of Life and Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Patients With Chronic Kidney Failure Submitted to Hemodialysis: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Pereira Ana Beatriz Nunes , Santana Larissa Lopes , Rocha Letícia De Barros , Cunha Katiane Da Costa , Rocha Larissa Salgado De Oliveira , Santos Marcio Clementino De Souza , Normando Valéria Marques Ferreira , Torres Daniel Da Costa , Rocha Rodrigo Santiago Barbosa
Published: April 2022

Performing physical exercise during hemodialysis has been debated regarding safety and efficacy for improving life quality for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Thus, we explored the influence of physical exercise during hemodialysis on both autonomic modulation of heart rate and quality of life for patients with CKF in a randomized clinical trial. We randomly allocated participants requiring hemodialysis to an experimental exercise group (EG) and a control no-exercise group (CG) and assessed their quality of life with the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form—KDQOL-SF™ 1.3 and with Polar RS800CX to monitor their heart rate variability (HRV) before and three months after the end of the exercise intervention. EG participants reported a significant increase in their quality of life ( p = .05, physical function, physical aspects, pain, emotional well-being, emotional function; p = .03, energy and fatigue) and showed HRV improvement ( p = .05, RMSSD, SDNN, and SD2; p = .004, SD1) after three months of exercise. Thus, we recommend supervised physical exercise during hemodialysis for carefully selected patients.
Functional Disability Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: The Intersecting Roles of Ethnicity, Social Class, and Urban/Rural Residency
Authors: Lin Shen (Lamson)
Published: April 2022

This study explores how ethnicity, family income, and education level differentiate patterns of functional limitations among urban and rural Chinese (aged 45 ≥ years). Based on the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) (n = 16,589), this nationwide study employed binary/multinomial logistic regression analyses, stratified by urban/rural residency, to estimate the likelihood of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) disability (0/1–2/≥3 limitations) by social determinants of health (SDoH). The estimated overall prevalence of IADLs disability was 14.3%. The multivariable analyses did not find significant ethnic disparity in IADLs disability in urban China, while in rural China, ethnic minorities were 44% more likely to have IADLs disability than Han Chinese. Among rural residents, Mongolians, Tibetans, and Yi minority more than tripled the odds of having ≥3 limitations than Han Chinese; and the intersections of ethnicity and social class were associated with functional limitations. Long-term care and anti-poverty programs should target minority aging populations in rural China.
Friendship in Later Life: Thirty Years of Progress and Inequalities
Authors: Baeriswyl Marie , Oris Michel
Published: April 2022

Studies examining the impact of social change on individual development and aging postulate the growing importance of flexible relationships, such as friendship. Although friendship is well known as a factor of well-being in later life, the prevalence of friendship in older adult networks and its unequal distribution has been examined only in few studies. Through secondary data analysis of two cross-sectional surveys carried out in Switzerland in 1979 and 2011, respectively, the increasing presence of close friends was confirmed. Our results show that this trend was part of a broader lifestyle change after retirement, with increasing social engagements. However, this trend does not include a general decrease in social inequalities in friendship opportunities. Overall, friendship increase among older adults has contributed to a polarization of living conditions, with a majority of active, healthy persons contrasting with a minority of individuals who accumulate penalties.
The Development of Prison Officers’ Job Satisfaction and its Impact on Depersonalization of Incarcerated Persons: The Role of Organizational Dehumanization
Authors: Stinglhamber Florence , Nguyen Nathan , Josse Maryse , Demoulin Stéphanie
Published: April 2022

This article contributes to the literature on the antecedents and consequences of prison officers’ job satisfaction. First, we argue that organizational dehumanization (i.e., employees’ perceptions of being treated as tools by their organization) explains how work environment factors determine job satisfaction. Second, we propose that the role played by organizational dehumanization in the development of job satisfaction carries over depersonalization of incarcerated persons. The study ( N = 357 Belgian prison officers) supports the mediating role of organizational dehumanization in the relationships between four work environment factors (organizational justice, appropriateness of material resources, quality of the physical environment, and perceived organizational support compared with that of the persons who are incarcerated) and job satisfaction. In addition, the findings indicate that prison officers’ perception of being dehumanized by their prison trickles down in the development of depersonalized relationships with incarcerated persons, and this effect is mediated by prison officers’ job satisfaction.
“The Right to Define the Question”: The Center for Urban Affairs and Neighborhood Activism in 1970s Chicago
Authors: Satter Beryl
Published: April 2022

Chicago, the “city of neighborhoods,” was a center for 1970s community activism. This article uncovers the history of Northwestern University’s Center for Urban Affairs (CUA), which worked behind the scenes to create networks—and supply research—that helped Chicago community organizations be so effective. Their work was directed by two veterans of the civil rights movement, John McKnight and Stanley Hallett. Both were committed to “liberating data” and sharing it with community organizations, who used it to remake institutions so that they served rather than exploited surrounding areas. CUA students and faculty pursued research questions raised by community organizations while questioning existing institutional arrangements. CUA activities cast new light on 1970s neighborhood activism in Chicago, which produced innovations in credit, housing, health, municipal resource allocation, and more. Their approach remains critical today, as urban universities again seek models for nonexploitative, mutually beneficial relationships with surrounding communities.
Trajectory-tracking control of an underactuated unmanned surface vehicle based on quasi-infinite horizon model predictive control algorithm
Authors: Wang Hao , Dong Zaopeng , Qi Shijie , Zhang Zhengqi , Zhang Haisheng
Published: April 2022

The method of a designed trajectory tracking for an underactuated unmanned surface vehicle (USV) in the presence of ocean disturbances is addressed in this paper; the differential flatness theory is applied to get the reference inputs and speed states at the reference position trajectory. Second, a transition process is arranged for the reference trajectory to reduce the overshoot of the actuator, which caused by the large deviation in the initial tracking. Third, the nonlinear disturbance observer is designed to obtain the estimated values of unknown disturbances in the ocean. Then, a controller-based model predictive control (MPC) and terminal cost function is designed for the nominal system. The inherent robustness of the controller and estimates of the observer are used to resist and compensate disturbances. Finally, the simulation experiments of linear trajectory and sinusoidal trajectories are carried out to prove the effectiveness and reliability of the control algorithm designed.
An anomaly detection algorithm of rolling bearing combining random matrix eigenvalues and principal eigenvectors
Authors: Wang Heng , Zhu Wenchang , Zhang Wenyuan , Ni Guangxian , Cao Yupeng
Published: April 2022

An anomaly detection algorithm combining eigenvalues and eigenvectors in random matrix is proposed, which can solve the problem that present algorithms based on random matrix theory overly rely on eigenvalues and ignore useful information contained in eigenvectors. Firtsly, the time window method is used to select the original data of rolling bearing, and the sampling feature matrix is constructed by extracting bearing feature. Secondly, the eigenvalues and principal eigenvector of sampling feature matrix are investigated and combined to construct comprehensive feature index and its corresponding threshold. Finally, an anomaly detection based on comprehensive feature index is proposed to detect the early anomaly of rolling bearing. The application research is carried out by using bearing datasets of intelligent maintenance center and Xi’an Jiaotong University; the result shows that compared with the single eigenvalue index and kurtosis index, the algorithm based on the comprehensive feature index can detect the abnormal condition of bearing earlier. And the accuracy and effectiveness of the anomaly detection algorithm are proved through spectrum analysis, which provides guidance and basis for fault warning and equipment maintenance.
Reference governed ADRC approach to manage the handling-comfort contradiction in a full-vehicle suspension
Authors: Muhammed Alhelou , Yazan Dayoub , Gavrilov Alexander
Published: April 2022

This paper aims to add to the discourse surrounding the development of a new approach to managing the trade-off between the ride-comfort and road-handling experiences induced by car suspension systems. Indeed, at present, management of the handling-comfort contradictions in such a large system using traditional algorithms requires precise modeling and large calculations, for example, model predictive control (MPC) or different models of road disturbances and a genetic representation of the solution domain, such as genetic algorithms. The proposed algorithm takes advantage of the adaptive properties of the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) to construct a reference governor for the full-car suspension system. Resultant from the proposed algorithm, the required calculations are significantly reduced when compared to the MPC and the performance of the system is constantly monitored. The ADRC focuses on maintaining ride-comfort while the reference governor adjusts the reference signal to maintain the road-handling ability. The results demonstrate how the reference governor optimizes the input reference signals to prevent the suspension deflection from exceeding its imposed limits in instances when required to maintain the greatest degree of road-handling, while simultaneously acting neutrally when the suspension travel is far from the strokes.
The hidden layers of resistance to dominant HRM transfer: Evidence from Japanese management practice adoption in Indonesia
Authors: Soehardjojo Joey , Delbridge Rick , Meardi Guglielmo
Published: April 2022

While resistance to human resource management (HRM) practice transfers from multinationals has been widely researched in economically advanced countries, emerging economies are generally assumed to be institutionally more welcoming. This article contributes to debates on international HRM diffusion both by highlighting hitherto neglected arenas of host-country resistance and identifying the multiple levels at which this plays out. Specifically, this article examines the transfer of Japanese multinational corporations’ HRM practices into Indonesia. The study reveals that alongside apparently consensual micro-level ( organization) relations between home- and host-country management, important political power games are occurring at the meso-level ( subnational). These games involve competing notions of ‘best practice’ with host-country actors more powerful than deterministic models of diffusion would predict. The study shows how local actors seek to defend elements of the established Indonesian business system, while Japanese actors bypass host-country regulations by mobilizing corporate business associations. The findings extend current understanding of cross-border management practice transfer, highlighting contestation and negotiation at the meso-level.
Transitions to Family Caregiving and Latent Variables of Systemic Inflammation Over Time
Authors: Roth David L. , Bentley John P. , Mukaz Debora Kamin , Haley William E. , Walston Jeremy D. , Bandeen-Roche Karen
Published: April 2022

Circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers may be influenced by chronic psychological stressors such as those experienced by family caregivers. However, previous studies have found mostly small and inconsistent differences between caregivers and control samples on individual measures of systemic inflammation. Latent variables of inflammation were extracted from six biomarkers collected from two blood samples over 9 years apart for 502 participants in a national cohort study. One-half of these participants transitioned into a sustained family caregiving role between the blood samples. Two latent factors, termed “up-regulation” and “inhibitory feedback,” were identified, and the transition to family caregiving was associated with a lower increase over time on the inhibitory feedback factor indexed by interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-10. No caregiving effect was found on the up-regulation factor indexed primarily by IL-6 and C-reactive protein. These findings illustrate the advantages of using latent variable models to study inflammation in response to caregiving stress.
A Combinatorial Optimization Framework for Scoring Students in University Admissions
Authors: Shao Lucy , Levine Richard A. , Hyman Stefan , Stronach Jeanne , Fan Juanjuan
Published: April 2022

Background and Objectives

Selecting applications for college admission is critical for university operation and development. This paper leverages machine learning techniques to support enrollment management teams through data-informed decision-making in this otherwise laborious admissions processing.

Research Design and Measures

Two aspects of university admissions are considered. An ensemble learning approach, through the SuperLearner algorithm, is used to predict student show (yield) rate. The goal is to improve prediction accuracy to minimize over- or under-enrollment. A combinatorial optimization framework is proposed to weigh academic performance and experiential factors for ranking and selecting students for admission. This framework uses simulated annealing, and an efficacy study is presented to evaluate performance.

Results

The proposed framework is illustrated for selecting an incoming class by optimizing predicted graduation rate and by developing an eligibility index. Each example presents a selection process under potential academic performance and experiential factor targets a university may place on an admitted class. R code is provided for higher education researchers and practitioners to apply the proposed methods in their own settings.
How Homeland Experiences Shape Refugee Belonging: Rethinking Exile, Home, and Integration in the Syrian Case
Authors: Pearlman Wendy
Published: April 2022

Studies of refugee belonging, as a key facet of integration, primarily focus on post-flight processes. Adopting an approach to integration that is temporally and spatially broader, this article argues that refugees’ varied experiences of belonging or estrangement in origin countries fundamentally condition their subsequent experiences of belonging or estrangement in settlement countries. To explore this argument, the article develops a framework that distinguishes between the psychosocial and locational aspects of home, identifying five distinct categories of experience: home in the homeland, exile in the homeland, exile outside the homeland, home outside the homeland, or overlaps of exile and home across borders. The article illustrates these categories in the Syrian case, using original interviews with displaced Syrians and a range of texts by Syrian writers. In doing so, it demonstrates how knowing whether or how refugees found belonging inside their homelands before displacement enriches understandings of who refugees are, what they seek, and what home or exile means to them. While these pre-flight experiences cannot precisely predict integration outcomes, they shape the frame of reference that refugees carry into homemaking in refuge and, thus, the experiences of belonging that they develop there.
Local placement test retrofit and building language assessment literacy with teacher stakeholders: A case study from Colombia
Authors: Janssen Gerriet
Published: April 2022

This article provides a single, common-case study of a test retrofit project at one Colombian university. It reports on how the test retrofit project was carried out and describes the different areas of language assessment literacy the project afforded local teacher stakeholders. This project was successful in that it modified the test constructs and item types, while drawing stronger connections between the curriculum and the placement instrument. It also established a conceptual framework for the test and produced a more robust test form, psychometrically. The project intersected with different social forces, which impacted the project’s outcome in various ways. The project also illustrates how test retrofit provided local teachers with opportunities for language assessment literacy and with evidence-based knowledge about their students’ language proficiency. The study concludes that local assessment projects have the capacity to benefit local teachers, especially in terms of increased language assessment literacy. Intrinsic to a project’s sustainability are long-term financial commitment and institutionally established dedicated time, assigned to teacher participants. The study also concludes that project leadership requires both assessment and political skill sets, to conduct defensible research while compelling institutions to see the potential benefits of an ongoing test development or retrofit project.
Extending the Validity and Reliability of the Intent to Pursue a Sales Career Scale
Authors: Beuk Frederik , Weidner Kelly L. , Houser Lauren M.
Published: April 2022

This research is one of the first Intent to Pursue a Sales Career (ITPSC) studies to link intent to actual student behavior. In addition, this study systematically revisits the validity and reliability of the ITPSC-scale and its associated antecedents. Based on partial least square analysis, we find support for the validity and reliability of the four-item ITPSC-scale, but notice room for improvement on the ITPSC-Ethics and ITPSC-Knowledge antecedents. We extend prior work by investigating how ITPSC performs differently for women, students with a sales role model, and students who are more advanced in their academic career. We also observe differences in the antecedent structure compared with earlier work. Of the ITPSC-antecedents, the Perceptions of the Sales Profession construct dominates when it comes to predicting intent to pursue a sales career, something that calls into question the recent grounding of the ITPSC in the Theory of Planned Behavior.
Five-year outcome of non-shunting and primary closure technique during carotid endarterectomy: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Baram Aram , Mohammed Zana A. , Al-Bajalan Sarwer Jamal , Falah Fitoon
Published: April 2022

Objective

The long-term outcomes of primary carotid artery closure after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) have not been sufficiently studied. This prospective study was performed to analyze the 5-year outcomes of the non-shunting and primary arterial repair technique for CEA.

Methods

This study involved 150 patients who underwent CEA with the primary arterial closure technique without arterial shunting and completed 5 years of follow-up.

Results

The patients comprised 107 men and 43 women. The 30-day postoperative course was uneventful in 147 (98.0%) patients; however, cerebrovascular accidents occurred in 3 (2.0%) patients. With respect to the long-term results, most cases of restenosis at 5 years were <50%. Two patients developed asymptomatic total internal carotid artery occlusion. Eleven deaths occurred (mortality rate of 7.3%); one death (0.7%) occurred in the first 30 days.

Conclusion

Primary arteriotomy closure provides very good long-term patency. Routine use of patch closure is unnecessary.
Results From a Non-Randomized Pilot Study Evaluating the Impact of a Novel Group Treatment Program Targeting Aggressive Script Rehearsal and Emotion Regulation in a Sample of Incarcerated Males
Authors: Morrison Fiona P. , Fullam Rachael , Thomson Kylie , Meyer Denny , Daffern Michael
Published: April 2022

This study compared the efficacy of a novel group-based aggressive script rehearsal treatment program with an emotion regulation program. Participants were 48 incarcerated adult males (28 in the script rehearsal program and 20 in the emotion regulation program). Outcomes, including the frequency of aggressive script rehearsal, aggressive behavior, and emotion regulation difficulties, were measured pre-and post-treatment and at 46 days (on average) after treatment completion, and 104 days (on average) following treatment completion. Linear Mixed Model analyses revealed no significant difference in the frequency of script rehearsal overtime for either program. There was a significant reduction in aggressive behavior associated with the script rehearsal program and a reduction in emotion regulation difficulties for both programs. Future iterations of this aggressive script rehearsal treatment program may benefit from greater intensity and incorporation of strategies that address the many cognitive, affective, and situational factors that trigger and maintain aggressive scripts.
Aggregate Subgrade Improvements Using Quarry By-Product Fines: A Case Study
Authors: Qamhia Issam I. A. , Wang Han , Tutumluer Erol , Short Michael
Published: April 2022

This paper presents a case study for constructing aggregate subgrade improvement (ASI) layers using quarry by-product aggregates (QBA)—a quarry mix of large primary crushed rocks (PCR) and sand-sized quarry fines. The construction took place at Larry Power Road in Bourbonnais Township in Kankakee County, Illinois, where the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) placed two QBA mixes for performance evaluation. The first mix (QBA_M1) consisted of 45% quarry by-products (QB) and 55% railroad ballast-sized PCR. The second mix (QBA_M2) consisted of 31% QB and 69% PCR. Two conventional ASI sections with only PCR were also constructed. All sections consisted of a 229 mm (9 in.) QBA/PCR layer topped with a 76 mm (3 in.) thick dense-graded capping layer. Laboratory studies preceded the construction to recommend optimum QB percentages for the QBA materials and construction practice. The quality and uniformity of the construction was ensured through field testing using dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP), lightweight deflectometer (LWD), and falling weight deflectometer (FWD). The segregation potential of the QBA mixes was monitored by visual inspection, aggregate stockpile sampling, and image analysis techniques. Short-term field evaluation of the constructed QBA layers, particularly QBA_M2 with 31% QB, showed no evidence of major segregation. The QBA ASI layers had slightly lower but comparable strength and stiffness profiles to the conventional ASI sections. The use of QBA materials in ASI was therefore field validated in this case study as a sustainable construction practice to provide stable pavement foundation layers.
Effect of Ballast Degradation on Track Dynamic Behavior Using Discrete Element Modeling
Authors: Liu Zhongyi , Feng Bin , Tutumluer Erol
Published: April 2022

Ballast degradation refers to the traffic use of in-service track when aggregate particles become smaller in size and fines are generated because of particle breakage and abrasion to cause geometry defects and influence the serviceability of ballasted track affecting train operations. To evaluate effects of ballast degradation on track substructure maintenance needs, single crosstie models were developed to simulate new and degraded ballast behavior under train loading. Particle size distributions and shape properties of the new and degraded ballast materials studied were adopted from previous laboratory tests conducted at the University of Illinois, U.S. Crosstie vibrations, ballast particle contact force distributions and particle rotations, and localized contact force chain networks were compared among different single crosstie models incorporating new and degraded ballast. The following key observations were made based on the simulation results: (1) crosstie on degraded ballast exhibits larger vibrations and more inconsistent vibration patterns; (2) degraded ballast shows a higher number of localized force chains with more particle contacts while the characteristic trend observed for new ballast is the presence of more symmetric force chain networks, which might be attributed to the new ballast layer’s uniform gradation and good interlock; (3) average normal contact forces are distributed more uniformly in new ballast in both horizontal and vertical directions as opposed to these forces concentrated more in vertical direction in degraded ballast; and (4) more ballast particles experience large rotations in degraded ballast and the related impact zone, which encloses all particles with large rotations, is also broader and deeper.
Development of a Novel Road Weather Information System Location Allocation Model Considering Multiple Road Weather Variables over Space and Time
Authors: Biswas Simita , Kwon Tae J.
Published: April 2022

This study represents an advanced approach to road weather information system (RWIS) network planning. Here, a methodological framework is developed to determine optimal RWIS locations by integrating two analysis domains: space and time. Using a case study, the application of the proposed method is demonstrated using three critical RWIS variables: air temperature, road surface temperature, and dew point temperature. With these three variables, a series of geostatistical semivariogram analyses are performed to construct a single spatiotemporal model named joint semivariogram, which is able to preserve both spatial and temporal aspects. The constructed joint semivariogram is then used to find the optimal RWIS locations for a randomly generated study area using a popular heuristic algorithm—spatial simulated annealing. The proposed method enhances the previously developed RWIS location allocation model by considering both spatial and temporal components of multiple variables. The finding from this analysis reveals that optimal RWIS location strongly depends on the spatiotemporal autocorrelation structure of the variable of interest. Consequently, location solutions generated using the three variables are found to be different from each other. The variation among the RWIS location solutions is then further quantified by developing a spatial similarity index that is used to measure the degree of spatial similarities between different variables. Overall, the findings documented in this study will provide RWIS planners with a more complete and conclusive location allocation strategy and can act as a decision support tool for long-term RWIS network planning.
Streamlined Hierarchical Topology Network-Based Passenger Flow Assignment of Urban Rail Transit
Authors: Hao Yuanyuan , Bingfeng Si , Zhao Chunliang
Published: April 2022

In urban rail transit systems, passenger flow assignment is vital for administrators and designers. Many approaches using evaluation indicators seek to improve assignment accuracy. However, such approaches suffer from the inefficiency in traffic flow computation, especially in large-scale networks. K-shortest path searching is an essential component in flow assignment; its complexity depends on the network scale. This study proposes a simplified framework with a bi-layer network (BL-NSF) to find the K-shortest path as early as possible to improve the speed of flow assignment while meeting accuracy requirements. First, a bi-layer transformation operator is developed. Specifically, a first-layer transformation operator employs the station extraction function to simplify the type of stations. The network is, therefore, first reduced since non-transfer stations are extracted. Second, a second-layer transformation operator with a path filter function is designed to eliminate the non-effective connection structure. Thus, the complexity of the network is further reduced, and the streamline structure of the topology rail network is constructed. Sequentially, we search the K-shortest path by executing four designed matching mechanisms and a modified Yen’s algorithm, a traditional algorithm used in the existing transit system. After that, we perform passenger flow calculations for stations, links, and lines. Finally, a series of experiments is run on the test network to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of BL-NSF on the flow assignment. The results demonstrate that the proposed BL-NSF performs better and is more competitive than the state-of-the-art algorithms.
Perceived Safety and Security Barriers to Walking and Bicycling: Insights from Milwaukee
Authors: Schneider Robert James , Wiers Hayley , Schmitz Andrew
Published: April 2022

Two broad categories of barriers to improving pedestrian and bicycle transportation are concerns about traffic safety and personal security. Gathering residents’ perceptions of these barriers can help public agencies develop effective and equitable strategies to create more sustainable transportation systems. We analyzed open-ended responses to the 2020 Milwaukee Safe and Healthy Streets survey to identify common traffic safety barriers (e.g., driver behavior such as speeding and red-light-running) and personal security barriers (e.g., undesirable street behaviors such as gun violence, robbery, and assault) to walking and bicycling. Then, we developed binary logistic models to identify perceptions of neighborhood characteristics, and individual demographic characteristics related to perceiving walking or bicycling as unsafe with respect to traffic or personal security. For walking, respondents’ traffic safety concerns were most strongly associated with perceptions of fast neighborhood traffic speeds, and personal security concerns were associated with perceptions of poor neighborhood cleanliness. For bicycling, both traffic safety concerns and personal security concerns were most strongly associated with poor neighborhood opportunities for exercise. At an individual level, living in a zero-vehicle household and having self-reported poor health were associated with rating traffic safety for both walking and bicycling as unsafe; having disabilities was associated with rating walking as unsafe. In almost every aspect of our analysis, respondents living in lower-income communities reported greater barriers to pedestrian and bicycle safety and security than residents from wealthier neighborhoods. The results emphasized the importance of both the social and physical environment for improving pedestrian and bicycle transportation.
Consideration of a Tack Coat Bond Strength Test to Minimize the Potential for Slippage Failures on Flexible Airfield Pavements
Authors: Doyle Jesse D. , Jeremy Robinson W. , Stache Jeremiah M. , Cox Ben C.
Published: April 2022

Slippage failures on flexible pavements are a potential problem for airports given the large wheel loads and high tire pressures of modern aircraft. While not common, when slippage failures do occur the impact can be significant on flexible pavement performance. This paper has three components: (1) case studies of slippage failures that have occurred on airfield pavements; (2) a literature review of relevant interlayer bond strength test procedures; and (3) the results of an analytical, field, and laboratory research investigation. Component (3) was conducted to assess the suitability of interface bond strength tests to evaluate the sufficiency of interlayer bond strength between lifts of asphalt pavement, either new construction or an overlay of existing pavement. The analytical study found that for a fully bonded pavement (no-slip condition), subgrade strength was the primary factor affecting horizontal stress at the interface followed by wheel load. Field cores were obtained from recently constructed asphalt pavements and brought to the laboratory for monotonic direct shear testing to determine bond strength as well as monotonic indirect tensile testing to determine mixture strength. Testing was conducted at 77°F (25°C) and 136°F (58°C). Results showed better repeatability at room temperature with similar relative performance ranking to the critical case high temperature test. Bond strength was influenced by in-place mixture density. Overall, the bond strength test method was practicable for use in field laboratories for acceptance testing.
Cytokine mass balance levels in donation after circulatory death donors using hemoadsorption: Case series report
Authors: Baroni Stefano , Marudi Andrea , Rinaldi Simone , Ghedini Silvia , Magistri Paolo , Piero Guerrini Gian , Olivieri Tiziana , Dallai Chiara , Talamonti Marta , Maccieri Jessica , Benedetto Fabrizio Di , Bertellini Elisabetta
Published: April 2022

The use of hemadsorption has been purposed to reduce cytokine levels during the reperfusion phase during donation after circulatory death (DCD) programs. This paper aims to describe a cases series of the inflammatory cytokine levels before and after hemadsorption during normothermic reperfusion in DCD donors of liver and kidneys. In this observational pilot paper, we describe 8 DCD donors of liver or kidneys in our center from the year 2018 to 2019. All DCD donor subjects had similar age, were younger than 60 years, without evident critical conditions, no liver or kidney dysfunction known, and they presented with poor neurological outcomes instrumentally and clinically documented. We observed in our patients an interesting reduction of IL-10 and TNF-α levels during the normothermic reperfusion with hemadsorption. We transplanted all livers and kidneys from DCD donors without significant compliances.
Supine PCNL in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
Authors: Choudhury Sunirmal , Kasim Atar , Pal Dilip Kumar
Published: April 2022

Aims and objectives:

Standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) has routinely been performed in prone position in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) with nephrolithiasis. The objectives of our present study is to ensure optimum access to the renal collecting system, reducing operative time, and anesthetic morbidity during supine PCNL in ADPKD with nephrolithiasis.

Methods:

Seven patients were selected randomly. There were no preference for age, gender, size, location and laterality of stone, or BMI . All the patients fit into the AUA guideline criteria for management by percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Preoperative, perioperative, and follow up data were collected prospectively.

Results:

Seven patients underwent supine PCNL in approximately 2.5 year in modified supine position. There was no intraoperative, post operative, or on follow up complications in any patient. In all the patients stones were cleared completely in single sitting.

Conclusions:

Supine PCNL in ADPKD with nephrolithiasis is an alternative with similar outcomes to the standard prone PCNL. It provides an additional benefit of performing the procedure in a single position, which is known to reduce total operating time, less anesthesia related complications, less neuromusculoskeletal injury, and reduce physical strain on operating
Recent developments in manufacturing, mechanics, and design optimization of variable stiffness composites
Authors: Punera Devesh , Mukherjee Paulomi
Published: April 2022

The functional advantages of tailored stiffness, often seen in nature, are also utilized in composite structures. Advancements in the multiaxis tow placement and automated fiber placement (AFP) machines led to the development of variable angle tow (VAT) composites, also referred further as variable stiffness composites (VSC). These composites are shown to effectively enhance the stress distribution and buckling load capacity of structures with greater flexibility on the design space. This review systematically presents the status of recent research on the topic of VSCs. Various manufacturing techniques of VSC are discussed; constraints and the defects associated with the manufacturing processes are enlisted. The review highlights the optimization studies based on the fiber profile and macro-scale stiffness invariants. Several studies existing in the domain of buckling, vibration, and aeroelastic tailoring of angle tow composites are summarized to connect the important aspects of analysis and present a holistic approach for future studies in this area.
Altitude and Quality of Life of Older People in Colombia: A Multilevel Study
Authors: Pinzón-Rondón Angela Maria , Botero Juan Carlos , Mosquera-Gómez Luis Eduardo , Botero-Pinzon Maria , Cavelier Jorge Eduardo
Published: April 2022

Objective

To assess the association between municipality altitude and quality of life (QOL) of older people in Colombia.

Methods

Cross-sectional study with data from the Colombian Demographic and Health Survey Older Adult Questionnaire 2015 ( N = 13,970). QOL was measured in six domains: physical health, psychological health, functional status, social relations, medical history and economic status. Regression analyses were carried out adjusting by individual and contextual level variables.

Results

Low altitude was associated with better QOL: physical health (OR = 1.92, 95%CI 1.47−2.52), psychological health (OR = 1.59, 95%CI 1.26−2.00), functional status (OR=1.80, 95%CI 1.45−2.23), social relations (OR = 2.16 95%CI 1.73−2.70), and medical history (OR = 1.57, 95%CI 1.37−1.81). Economic status was not associated with altitude.

Discussion

Living at high altitude was associated with lower QOL for Colombian older adults. This finding encourages further study of high altitude and health outcomes among older adults in Colombia and other countries with populations living at high altitudes.
System dynamics-based prediction of municipal solid waste generation in high-cold and high-altitude area: The case of Lhasa, Tibet
Authors: Liu Hongbo , Zhang Qinxiao , Xue Zhuyuan , Zhuang Xinying , Li Jiacong
Published: April 2022

The ecological environment in high-cold and high-altitude area is fragile and sensitive, which raise higher claim for municipal solid waste (MSW) management. In the high-cold and high-altitude area, there are problems, such as the mismatch between the actual amount of MSW generated and the scale of transportation and treatment facilities, and the inefficiency of MSW management. In terms of MSW forecasting methods, it is also difficult to forecast due to the lack of data. This study is the first to propose a system dynamics-based method for predicting the amount of MSW generated in high-cold and high-altitude area, and apply it to Lhasa. The research results show that the total amount of MSW generated in Lhasa is small, but the growth rate is fast. Through dynamic simulation, it is found that the synergistic consideration of gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate, urban construction policy and tourism development policy can significantly reduce the growth trend (14% emission reduction in 2030). In addition, strengthening supervision and restraint, publicity and education in high-cold and high-altitude area can produce better waste sorting effects, minimise the pressure on treatment facilities, and improve resource utilisation. Finally, the policy implications are suggested, for example, in the process of MSW management, the impact of economy, urbanisation, tourism and so on, should be taken into account and comprehensively adjusted. It is anticipated that this model and policy implications can be applied to other high-cold and high-altitude cities to provide data support and policy reference for the whole-process management of MSW.
Cross-Validation of Multiple WAIS-IV Digit Span Embedded Performance Validity Indices Among a Large Sample of Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Clinical Referrals
Authors: Bing-Canar Hanaan , Phillips Matthew S. , Shields Allison N. , Ogram Buckley Caitlin M. , Chang Fini , Khan Humza , Skymba Haley V. , Ovsiew Gabriel P. , Resch Zachary J. , Jennette Kyle J. , Soble Jason R.
Published: April 2022

This study investigated the utility of four WAIS-IV Digit Span (DS) indices (traditional Reliable Digit Span [RDS], RDS-Working Memory [RDS-WM], RDS-Revised [RDS-R], and DS Age-Corrected Scaled Score [ACSS]) as embedded performance validity tests (PVTs) among a sample of 342 consecutive adults referred for neuropsychological evaluation of ADHD. All DS indices had acceptable classification accuracy (areas under the curve: .73–.76) for detecting invalid performance with optimal cut-scores of RDS ≤7 (35% sensitivity/93% specificity), RDS-WM ≤7 (56% sensitivity/86% specificity), RDS-R ≤12 (48% sensitivity/85% specificity), and ACSS ≤7 (46% sensitivity/87% specificity). Although all indices were able to detect invalid performance, DS indices incorporating the more complex working memory trials of the task yielded the best accuracy for identification of invalid test performance among adults referred for ADHD evaluation.