bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A cluster of three cases of botulism due to Clostridium baratii type F, France, August 2015
Authors: Tréhard Hélène , Poujol Isabelle , Mazuet Christelle , Blanc Quentin , Gillet Yves , Rossignol Frédérique , Popoff Michel-Robert , Jourdan Da Silva Nathalie
Published: February 2016

A cluster of three cases of food-borne botulism due to Clostridium baratii type F occurred in France in August 2015. All cases required respiratory assistance. Consumption of a Bolognese sauce at the same restaurant was the likely source of contamination. Clostridium baratii was isolated both from stool specimens from the three patients and ground meat used to prepare the sauce. This is the second episode reported in France caused by this rare pathogen.
Modeling Social Network Influence on Joint Trip Frequency for Regular Activity Travel Decisions
Authors: Sadri Arif Mohaimin , Lee Seungyoon , Ukkusuri Satish V.
Published: February 2016

Interest in activity-based travel demand modeling has recently increased significantly because of the level of accuracy offered by this type of modeling and its applicability in travel behavior research. Understanding the linkage between social influence and travel behavior enables efficient characterization of discretionary activities that account for a major fraction of total urban trips. In particular, some recent studies looked at the social network structure of individuals and measured the influence that social network members have on the performance of social activities. However, it is expected that the process of taking joint trips (trips that individuals take with their network members) has an intrinsic social context for different activities in general (not only social activities). In this regard, this study used an egocentric (i.e., personal) network approach to explore empirically the influence of personal network characteristics on the frequency of weekly trips that individuals (egos) took part in with their personal network members (alters). With the help of zero-inflated Poisson models and egocentric social network data, the results of this study present a framework for predicting the number of joint trips for six types of activities: work, eating out, shopping, recreation, study, and extra curricular activities. Estimation findings suggest that personal network measures such as network density, homophily, heterogeneity, and ego–alter tie attributes have a significant impact on the joint trip-making process, that is, the number of weekly shared trips in which an individual participates. The findings of this study should help practitioners implement targeted policies such as car sharing for various user groups.
Walking Behavior
Authors: Mjahed Lama Bou , Frei Charlotte , Mahmassani Hani S.
Published: February 2016

With the growing interest in nonmotorized modes of transportation in general and walking in particular, there is an increasing need to understand the underlying motives and determinants of walking behavior. Active modes such as walking and biking can enhance public health and safety. As many cities seek to shift drivers out of their vehicles toward more active transportation modes by building the appropriate walking and biking infrastructure, research should capture the individual and community attributes that influence these travel mode choices. While this question has been addressed in the literature, through analysis of the role of neighborhood characteristics, walkability, self-selection, attitudes, and inertia, among others, the aim of this paper was to explore the role of childhood experience on these factors. To do so, this study gathered retrospective information through an attitudinal survey divided into sections pertaining to sociodemographics, neighborhood characteristics, residential location choice factors, and precollege travel experience. The survey results proved the existence of a relationship between travel behavior during childhood and the determinants of walking behavior during adulthood. The results also suggested that the determinants of walking differed on the basis of the individual's region of residence. These results might suggest that transportation policy at the childhood level could result in benefits not only during childhood but also throughout the life cycle of the individual.
Evaluation Methods for Estimating Vehicle Miles Traveled with GPS Travel Survey Data
Authors: Blei Alejandro , Kawamura Kazuya , Javanmardi Mahmoud , Mohammadian Abolfazl
Published: February 2016

This research investigated the degree to which traditional routing algorithms, including those that took congestion levels into consideration, could be used to accurately predict GPS-recorded vehicle miles traveled (VMT) if only activity locations were known. Given recent policy interest in distance-based charges, the ability to predict household VMT accurately is an important research area because it can improve the quality of distributional assessments of distance-based proposals. This analysis found that shortest-time travel paths that incorporated congestion levels performed best across all income groups, urban locations, and trip lengths when compared with shortest-travel time paths with no congestion or shortest-distance paths. The average margin of error from this analysis was considerably smaller than those found in other studies. Failure to incorporate congestion effects into distance estimates consistently resulted in underestimation of household travel distance, sometimes rather significantly.
Joint Modeling of Household Vehicle and Activity Allocation
Authors: Arman Mohammad Ali , Kalantari Navid , Mohammadian Abolfazl
Published: February 2016

Traffic is a major problem, even in countries with low per capita vehicle ownership. Governments often use vehicle restriction measures to combat severe traffic, especially in developing countries. However, such restrictions can disrupt economic efficiency as well as the daily lives of citizens. The discipline of transportation modeling has emerged as a response to these problems. In particular, activity-based travel demand models show great promise. These models require an accurate consideration of the social factors involved in travel behavior; however, recent studies have only considered intrahousehold relationships separately from vehicle usage. This paper describes the development of a joint model for household activity and vehicle allocation. A paired combinatorial logit model was used to estimate the share of each household member in nonmandatory activities. A vehicle allocation model is a multinomial logit model that assigns an allocation probability to each household member. The two models were estimated by a joint modeling framework. The model was estimated with data collected from three cities in Iran. A strong relationship was found between the activity allocation pattern and gender, the role of the individual in the family, employment status, time of day, and duration of the activity. These effects were especially pronounced in households with young children. Incorporating demographics into transportation models can more robustly model vehicle usage behavior. This study focused on Iranian cities, but the results can be extended to other countries with similar characteristics.
Development of Application for Estimating Daily Boarding and Alighting Counts on New York City Buses
Authors: Zeng Qifeng , Reddy Alla , Lu Alex , Levine Brian
Published: February 2016

To support bus service scheduling and planning, New York City Transit (NYCT) put into production a ridership application to determine surface transit boarding and alighting locations for each of approximately 2.8 million daily passenger trips on 218 bus routes. The application combined data from an automated vehicle location (AVL) system, a multimodal entry-only nongeographic automated fare collection (AFC) system, and general transit feed specification schedule file streams. To accomplish this objective, NYCT developed a highly optimized network-generation tool to estimate bus link loads and boarding and alighting locations by creating a scaled-down custom network based on first-bus trajectory (from AVL boarding location data) and a few possible AFC- or AVL-inferred second-leg pickup stops. Solving for the shortest walking path on this subnetwork yielded connection and alighting points more efficiently than did solving for all 128 million potential origin–destination (O-D) pairs systemwide. The program executes in less than 3 h in an automated environment that can support the operations management need for next-day reporting and the monitoring of patterns and trends in ridership behavior. The program also allows the aggregation of multiple days of route-level program output for schedule-making purposes and thus provides a significantly more representative understanding of passenger loads than were obtained historically from a few labor-intensive onboard observations (ridechecks) collected over a multiple-year period. Results were validated and found to be consistent with manual ridechecks, limited O-D surveys, and other sources. The accuracy obtained was sufficient to achieve acceptance of AVL-AFC data in lieu of traditional onboard observations for NYCT schedule making.
Assessment of Transit Quality of Service with Occupancy Load Factor and Passenger Travel Time Measures
Authors: Bunker Jonathan M.
Published: February 2016

The quality of service (QOS) and resource productivity implications of transit route passenger loading and travel time are investigated. The value of the occupancy load factor is highlighted as a direct measure of QOS measured as passenger comfort. Automatic fare collection data for a premium radial bus route in Brisbane, Australia, are used to investigate the time series correlation between the occupancy load factor and passenger average travel time. This correlation is strong across the entire span of service in both directions. Passengers tend to make longer commuter trips under significantly less comfortable conditions in the peak direction than in the off-peak direction. The Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual uses segment-based load factor to determine QOS measured as onboard loading comfort. Additional insight into QOS is provided by relating the route-based dimensions of occupancy load factor and passenger average travel time in a two-dimensional format, from the perspectives of the passenger and the operator. Future research will apply value of time to QOS measurement that will reflect perceived passenger comfort as related to crowding and average time spent onboard. Study results would assist the econometric modeling of transit service quality. The proposed method can be applied in a practical setting where automatic fare collection data are available for fixed-schedule routes. Study outcomes also provide valuable research and development directions.
Event-Driven Holding Control for High-Frequency Transit
Authors: Sánchez-Martínez Gabriel E. , Koutsopoulos Haris N. , Wilson Nigel H. M.
Published: February 2016

Transit operations are subject to disruptions caused by events. Some events cause unpredictable disruptions (e.g., signal failures in rail transit and traffic accidents along a bus route operating in mixed traffic). Other events, such as concerts or sport contests, cause foreseen disruptions. In some cases, dynamic functions of running times and demand can be used to predict and model disruptions. Past research has explored the use of operations control to respond to disruptions after service deteriorates, assuming constant running times and demand. The proposed framework enables anticipatory control strategies by dynamically modeling expected changes in running times and demand during events. A holding optimization model formulated to capture dynamics is applied to a simulated transit system experiencing disruptions induced by an unforeseen event and a foreseen event. Controlling operations with an awareness of events has little effect in the unforeseen event case but significantly improves performance in the foreseen event case. Erroneous estimates of the time an event will occur can lead to counterproductive control policies.
Use of Smart Card Fare Data to Estimate Public Transport Origin–Destination Matrix
Authors: Alsger Azalden A. , Mesbah Mahmoud , Ferreira Luis , Safi Hamid
Published: February 2016

Over the past few years, several techniques have been developed for using smart card fare data to estimate origin–destination (O-D) matrices for public transport. In the past, different walking distance and allowable transfer time assumptions had been applied because of a lack of information about the alighting stop for a trip. Such assumptions can significantly affect the accuracy of the estimated O-D matrices. Little evidence demonstrates the accuracy of O-D pairs estimated with smart card fare data. Unique smart card fare data from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, offered an opportunity to assess previous methods and their assumptions. South East Queensland data were used to study the effects of different assumptions on estimated O-D matrices and to conduct a sensitivity analysis for different parameters. In addition, an algorithm was proposed for generating an O-D matrix from individual user transactions (trip legs). About 85% of the transfer time was non-walking time (wait and short activity time). More than 90% of passengers walked less than 10 min to transfer between alighting and the next boarding stop; this time represented about 10% of the allowable transfer time. A change in the assumed allowable transfer time from 15 to 90 min had a minor effect on the estimated O-D matrices. Most passengers returned to within 800 m of their first origin on the same day.
Estimating the Destination of Unlinked Trips in Transit Smart Card Fare Data
Authors: He Li , Trépanier Martin
Published: February 2016

Smart card automated fare collection systems have been effective for the collection of data about the travel behavior of users on public transit networks. Because some systems record only the boarding (origin) locations, a method is needed for estimating the alighting (destination) locations. Existing algorithms can estimate the destination for most trips. However, unlinked trips, which are not part of a trip chain during the day, are more difficult to analyze. The proposed improvement to the existing model for destination estimation, especially for unlinked trips, is based on kernel density estimation of the spatial and temporal probabilities of each destination. The Société de Transport de l'Outaouais, a medium-sized bus service near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, provided data for a 1-month period in 2009 (908,303 total transactions). Existing algorithms can handle only 80.64% of the trips; the proposed method handles an additional 10.9%. These results are analyzed, and future research directions are discussed.
Short-Term Prediction of Ridership on Public Transport with Smart Card Data
Authors: van Oort Niels , Brands Ties , de Romph Erik
Published: February 2016

Public transport operators are collecting massive amounts of data from smart card systems. In the Netherlands, every passenger checks in and checks out; this system creates detailed records of demand patterns. In buses and trams, users check in and check out in the vehicle; this factor provides good information on route choice. Options for analyzing smart card data and performing what-if analyses with transport planning software were explored. On the basis of big data, this new generation of transport demand models added to the existing range of transport demand models and approaches. The goal was to provide public transport operators with a simple (easy-to-build) model to perform what-if analyses. The data were converted to passengers per line and an origin–destination matrix between stops. This matrix was assigned to the network to repro-duce the measured passenger flows, and then what-if analysis became possible. With fixed demand, line changes could be investigated. With the introduction of an elastic demand model, changes in the level of service realistically affected passenger numbers. This method was applied to a case study in The Hague, Netherlands. Smart card data were imported into a transport model and connected with the network. The tool proved to be valuable to operators, who gained insights into the effects of small changes.
Examining the Influence of Internal Service Characteristics on Social Benefits of Multimodal Transit
Authors: Jaroszynski Michal A.
Published: February 2016

Recent research has demonstrated that certain transit planning decisions about internal performance factors appeared to serve as successful strategies for improving transit ridership and productivity. However, the research has not assessed overall social benefits or the operating and capital costs of implementing such strategies. The influence of several transit performance factors, internal and external, on the annual net benefits generated by 13 U.S. bus and light rail transit systems was investigated with data from 2001 to 2011. The evaluation started with a benefit–cost analysis, which estimated net benefits (equal to agency revenues plus indirect social benefits minus operating and capital costs). Then, the statistical relationship between specific performance factors and the average net benefits generated by the systems studied was evaluated with a panel regression model. Results indicated that high frequency and service density positively influenced net benefits, but network decentralization (i.e., volume of service headed out of the central business district) played an insignificant role. Surprisingly, only one of several external factors, reflecting congestion volume, appeared to be correlated significantly with the benefits. These results provide new insight into the outcomes of planning decisions on the basis of internal factors and imply that the costs of certain transit service enhancements may be outweighed by increased revenues and indirect benefits. The results also indicate that bus and light rail systems can improve their economic feasibility by adjusting specific types of internal service characteristics.
Revised Raff’s Method for Estimating Critical Gaps
Authors: Troutbeck R. J.
Published: February 2016

The estimation of the critical gap was introduced in the 1970s to evaluate the capacity of vehicle and pedestrian movements at unsignalized intersections. The critical gap is the smallest gap that a driver is assumed to accept. The population of drivers, each with his or her own critical gap, will have a distribution of critical gaps; and it is this distribution, or its characteristics, that is the subject of this paper. These statistics for the critical gap are difficult to estimate; several methods have been developed and used. Raff’s method has been frequently used because of its simplicity. This paper examines the original method, an adaptation of the method that is frequently used, and a proposed adaptation of the method. Simplified traffic and driver behavior characterizations are used to demonstrate the ability of each process to predict the mean critical gap. When given exponential headways in the major stream and a uniform distribution of headways, unbiased estimates of the critical gap would be obtained by using a modified version of Raff’s method involving the accepted gap and the maximum rejected gap. The mean critical gaps estimated with a modified Raff’s method using the maximum rejected gap are slightly inferior to those from the maximum likelihood method. It is recommended that the maximum likelihood method be the preferred technique; it was used in measuring values for the Highway Capacity Manual. However, the modified Raff technique is an acceptable alternative.
Some Remarks Regarding the Estimation of Critical Gaps
Authors: Brilon Werner
Published: February 2016

For the estimation of critical gaps for unsignalized intersection analysis, the so-called maximum likelihood method currently is treated as the best approach. This paper demonstrates that the maximum likelihood method is a special case of the more general mathematical survival theory for the estimation of interval-censored parameters. The assumption of a special mathematical type for the statistical distribution of critical gaps is an essential part of the method. Test applications with various types of functions show that the results do not significantly depend on the applied type of distribution. Therefore, the traditional lognormal distribution is not an essential part of the theory. Instead, it is reasonable to apply that type of distribution that can be handled more easily. From this standpoint, the logistic distribution is favorable. Because the variance of each kind of distribution of the critical gaps does not contribute to the precision of the result, a simplified method is useful if the standard deviation of the critical gaps can be predefined and if only the scale parameter of the function is adjusted to the measured gap data. The results from this single-parameter method are rather congruent with those from the more complicated two-parameter method. The simplified approach opens the way to apply critical gap estimation in traffic engineering practice to adjust capacity calculations to local driver behavior.
Model Development for Use of Portable Traffic Signals in Conjunction with Pilot Car Operations at Two-Lane, Two-Way Rural Highway Work Zones
Authors: Schrock Steven D. , Patil Shivraj S. , Fitzsimmons Eric J.
Published: February 2016

A portable traffic signal (PTS) system is a traffic control device designed to facilitate the movement of one-way traffic at work zones where there is a temporary lane closure. The 2009 edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) provides minimal guidance for the use of PTS systems with a pilot car, flaggers, or a pilot car and flaggers. Furthermore, the MUTCD also gives minimal guidance on appropriate signal timings and the traffic volume thresholds for work zones at which a PTS system might fail, and safety could be compromised. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a model and provide guidelines for the use of PTS systems in conjunction with pilot car operations by using factors such as the roadway average annual daily traffic (AADT), length of the work zone, length of the green interval, and the pilot car’s round-trip time. Over a 4-week period from August 5, 2014, to August 28, 2014, 161 h of video data were collected at four rural highway work zones in Kansas. The video field data were used to calculate the values for saturation headway and start-up lost time, which were 3.3 s and 6.0 s, respectively. The developed equations and the existing Kansas Department of Transportation policy of a maximum round-trip time for the pilot car of 15 min and a maximum pilot car speed of 40 mph were used to determine that PTS systems would fail to accommodate all traffic at and above AADTs of 7,083 vehicles per day and at a corresponding maximum green time of 446 s.
Data-Driven Reinforcement Learning–Based Real-Time Energy Management System for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Authors: Qi Xuewei , Wu Guoyuan , Boriboonsomsin Kanok , Barth Matthew J. , Gonder Jeffrey
Published: February 2016

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) show great promise in reducing transportation-related fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Designing an efficient energy management system (EMS) for PHEVs to achieve better fuel economy has been an active research topic for decades. Most of the advanced systems rely either on a priori knowledge of future driving conditions to achieve the optimal but not real-time solution (e.g., using a dynamic programming strategy) or on only current driving situations to achieve a real-time but nonoptimal solution (e.g., rule-based strategy). This paper proposes a reinforcement learning–based real-time EMS for PHEVs to address the trade-off between real-time performance and optimal energy savings. The proposed model can optimize the power-split control in real time while learning the optimal decisions from historical driving cycles. A case study on a real-world commute trip shows that about a 12% fuel saving can be achieved without considering charging opportunities; further, an 8% fuel saving can be achieved when charging opportunities are considered, compared with the standard binary mode control strategy.
Imperfect Preventive Maintenance Strategy for Flexible Pavements Based on Threshold Reliability, Cost Optimization, and Mechanistic–Empirical Analysis
Authors: Bhattacharjee Sudip
Published: February 2016

Often preventive maintenance (PM) performed to a pavement does not restore a condition to as good as new. This study presents a practical pavement maintenance policy based on imperfect PM and mechanistic–empirical analysis. The international roughness index is used as the condition indicator. The policy is based on an increased hazard rate model from one cycle to the next and on a minimum reliability threshold. Monte Carlo simulations are used to develop the reliability function of flexible pavements, from which the hazard rate function is determined. The change of hazard rate from one cycle to the next is modeled with the age reduction factor and the hazard-rate increase factor. The expected cost per unit time of the pavement is minimized such that the minimum reliability is always maintained. The minimization procedure produces the number of PM cycles required. Case studies are presented with analyses of results showing the application of the procedure. The study indicates that hazard-rate function increases over time, and more-frequent PM actions are needed when the selected threshold reliability level is higher.
Outcome of hospital discharge on postoperative Day 1 following uncomplicated tethered spinal cord release
Authors: Poonia Seerat , Graber Sarah , Corbett Wilkinson C. , O'neill Brent R. , Handler Michael H. , Hankinson Todd C.
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

Postoperative management following the release of simple spinal cord–tethering lesions is highly variable. As a quality improvement initiative, the authors aimed to determine whether an institutional protocol of discharging patients on postoperative day (POD) 1 was associated with a higher rate of postoperative CSF leaks than the prior protocol of discharge on POD 2.

METHODS

This was a single-center retrospective review of all children who underwent release of a spinal cord–tethering lesion that was not associated with a substantial fascial or dural defect (i.e., simple spinal cord detethering) during 2 epochs: prior to and following the institution of a protocol for discharge on POD 1. Outcomes included the need for and timing of nonroutine care of the surgical site, including return to the operating room, wound suturing, and nonsurgical evaluation and management.

RESULTS

Of 169 patients identified, none presented with CSF-related complications prior to discharge. In the preintervention group (n = 113), the postoperative CSF leak rate was 4.4% (5/113). The mean length of stay was 2.3 days. In the postintervention group, the postoperative CSF leak rate was 1.9% (1/53) in the patients with postdischarge follow-up. The mean length of stay in that group was 1.3 days.

CONCLUSIONS

At a single academic children's hospital, a protocol of discharging patients on POD 1 following uncomplicated release of a simple spinal cord–tethering lesion was not associated with an increased rate of postoperative CSF leaks, relative to the previous protocol. The rates identified are consistent with the existing literature. The authors' practice has changed to discharge on POD 1 in most cases.
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in the outpatient ambulatory surgery setting compared with the inpatient hospital setting: analysis of 1000 consecutive cases
Authors: Adamson Tim , Godil Saniya S. , Mehrlich Melissa , Mendenhall Stephen , Asher Anthony L. , McGirt Matthew J.
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

In an era of escalating health care costs and pressure to improve efficiency and cost of care, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have emerged as lower-cost options for many surgical therapies. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is one of the most prevalent spine surgeries performed, and the frequency of its performance is rapidly increasing as the aging population grows. Although ASCs offer significant cost advantages over hospital-based surgical centers, concern over the safety of outpatient ACDF has slowed its adoption. The authors intended to 1) determine the safety of the first 1000 consecutive ACDF surgeries performed in their outpatient ASC, and 2) compare the safety of these outpatient ACDFs with that of consecutive ACDFs performed during the same time period in the hospital setting.

METHODS

A total of 1000 consecutive patients who underwent ACDF in an ACS (outpatient ACDF) and 484 consecutive patients who underwent ACDF at Vanderbilt University Hospital (inpatient ACDF) from 2006 to 2013 were included in this retrospective study of patients' medical records. Data were collected on patient demographics, comorbidities, operative details, and perioperative and 90-day morbidity. Perioperative morbidity and hospital readmission were compared between the outpatient and inpatient ACDF groups.

RESULTS

Of the first 1000 outpatient ACDF cases performed in the authors' ASC, 629 (62.9%) were 1-level and 365 (36.5%) were 2-level ACDFs. Mean patient age was 49.5 ± 8.6, and 484 (48.4%) were males. All patients were observed postoperatively at the ASC postanesthesia care unit (PACU) for 4 hours before being discharged home. Eight patients (0.8%) were transferred from the surgery center to the hospital postoperatively (for pain control [n = 3], chest pain and electrocardiogram changes [n = 2], intraoperative CSF leak [n = 1], postoperative hematoma [n = 1], and profound postoperative weakness and surgical reexploration [n = 1]). No perioperative deaths occurred. The 30-day hospital readmission rate was 2.2%. All 90-day surgical morbidity was similar between outpatient and inpatient cohorts for both 1-level and 2-level ACDFs.

CONCLUSIONS

An analysis of 1000 consecutive patients who underwent ACDF in an outpatient setting demonstrates that surgical complications occur at a low rate (1%) and can be appropriately diagnosed and managed in a 4-hour ASC PACU window. Comparison with an inpatient ACDF surgery cohort demonstrated similar results, highlighting that ACDF can be safely performed in the outpatient ambulatory surgery setting without compromising surgical safety. In an effort to decrease costs of care, surgeons can safely perform 1- and 2-level ACDFs in an ASC environment.
Turbulence Effects on Modified State Observer-Based Adaptive Control: Black Kite Micro Aerial Vehicle
Authors: S. R. Pappu Venkatasubramani , Steck James , Ramamurthi Guruganesh
Published: February 2016

This paper presents the implementation of a modified state observer-based adaptive dynamic inverse controller for the Black Kite micro aerial vehicle. The pitch and velocity adaptations are computed by the modified state observer in the presence of turbulence to simulate atmospheric conditions. This state observer uses the estimation error to generate the adaptations and, hence, is more robust than model reference adaptive controllers which use modeling or tracking error. In prior work, a traditional proportional-integral-derivative control law was tested in simulation for its adaptive capability in the longitudinal dynamics of the Black Kite micro aerial vehicle. This controller tracks the altitude and velocity commands during normal conditions, but fails in the presence of both parameter uncertainties and system failures. The modified state observer-based adaptations, along with the proportional-integral-derivative controller enables tracking despite these conditions. To simulate flight of the micro aerial vehicle with turbulence, a Dryden turbulence model is included. The turbulence levels used are based on the absolute load factor experienced by the aircraft. The length scale was set to 2.0 meters with a turbulence intensity of 5.0 m/s that generates a moderate turbulence. Simulation results for various flight conditions show that the modified state observer-based adaptations were able to adapt to the uncertainties and the controller tracks the commanded altitude and velocity. The summary of results for all of the simulated test cases and the response plots of various states for typical flight cases are presented.
Entropy Production Rate of a One-Dimensional Alpha-Fractional Diffusion Process
Authors: Luchko Yuri
Published: February 2016

In this paper, the one-dimensional α-fractional diffusion equation is revisited. This equation is a particular case of the time- and space-fractional diffusion equation with the quotient of the orders of the time- and space-fractional derivatives equal to one-half. First, some integral representations of its fundamental solution including the Mellin-Barnes integral representation are derived. Then a series representation and asymptotics of the fundamental solution are discussed. The fundamental solution is interpreted as a probability density function and its entropy in the Shannon sense is calculated. The entropy production rate of the stochastic process governed by the α-fractional diffusion equation is shown to be equal to one of the conventional diffusion equation.
Particular Solutions of the Confluent Hypergeometric Differential Equation by Using the Nabla Fractional Calculus Operator
Authors: Yilmazer Resat , Inc Mustafa , Tchier Fairouz , Baleanu Dumitru
Published: February 2016

In this work; we present a method for solving the second-order linear ordinary differential equation of hypergeometric type. The solutions of this equation are given by the confluent hypergeometric functions (CHFs). Unlike previous studies, we obtain some different new solutions of the equation without using the CHFs. Therefore, we obtain new discrete fractional solutions of the homogeneous and non-homogeneous confluent hypergeometric differential equation (CHE) by using a discrete fractional Nabla calculus operator. Thus, we obtain four different new discrete complex fractional solutions for these equations.
Prevalence of Residential Dampness and Mold Exposure in a University Student Population
Authors: Lanthier-Veilleux Mathieu , Généreux Mélissa , Baron Geneviève
Published: February 2016

The impact of residential dampness or mold on respiratory health is well established but few studies have focused on university students. This study aims to: (a) describe the prevalence of exposure to residential dampness or mold in university students according to socio-geographic factors and (b) identify associated housing characteristics. A web survey was conducted in 2014 among the 26,676 students registered at the Université de Sherbrooke (QC, Canada). Residential dampness and mold being closely intertwined, they were considered as a single exposure and assessed using a validated questionnaire. Exposure was compared according to socio-geographic and housing characteristics using chi-square tests and logistic regressions. Among the 2097 participants included in the study (response rate: 8.1%), over 80% were tenants. Residential exposure to dampness or mold was frequent (36.0%, 95% CI: 33.9–38.1). Marked differences for this exposure were noted according to home ownership (39.7% vs. 25.5% among tenants and owners respectively; OR = 1.92%, 95% CI: 1.54–2.38). Campus affiliation, household composition and the number of residents per building were associated with exposure to dampness or mold (p < 0.01), while sex and age were not. Exposure was also associated with older buildings, and buildings in need of renovations and lacking proper ventilation (p < 0.001). This study highlights the potential risk of university students suffering from mold-related health effects given their frequent exposure to this agent. Further research is needed to fully evaluate the mold-related health impact in this at risk group.
Disclosing the Ligand- and Solvent-Induced Changes on the Spin Transition and Optical Properties of Fe(II)-Indazolylpyridine Complexes
Authors: Vela Sergi , Gourlaouen Christophe , Fumanal Maria , Ribas-Arino Jordi
Published: February 2016

The family of the spin crossover (SCO) compounds based on the 1-bpp unit has furnished striking examples of how subtle changes in the crystal packing have important consequences in their spin transition. Small modifications of the 1-bpp unit itself have been recently reported, obtaining the indazolyl and pirazolyl derivatives [FeII(1-bip)]2+ (1, 1-bip = 2,6-bis(indazol-1-yl)pyridine), [FeII(1,2-bip)]2+ (2, 1,2-bip = 2-(indazol-1-yl)-6-(indazol-2-yl)pyridine), [FeII(2-bip)]2+ (3, 2-bip = 2,6-bis(indazol-2-yl)pyridine), [FeII(1-ipp)]2+ (4, 1-ipp = 2-(indazol-1-yl)-6-(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridine) and [FeII(2-ipp)]2+ (5, 2-ipp = 2-(indazol-2-yl)-6-(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridine). In this work we study the consequences of a change in the ligand structure and solvent on the SCO of 1–5. More specifically, we demonstrate that their different behavior is not due to an intraligand H···H contact, as suggested experimentally, but to an unfavorable arrangement of the FeN6 core that some of the ligands might create, which destabilizes their Low Spin (LS) state structure and, thus, alters the transition temperature. Further, by means of solid state calculations, we disclose the effect of the solvent on the structure and crystal cohesion of the crystals. Finally, we analyze the emission and adsorption properties of 1–5, with special interest in the evolution of the absorption spectroscopy of the ligands upon complexation, and its relation with the spin multiplicity of the iron ion.
Potential Anti-Atherosclerotic Properties of Astaxanthin
Authors: Kishimoto Yoshimi , Yoshida Hiroshi , Kondo Kazuo
Published: February 2016

Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring red carotenoid pigment classified as a xanthophyll, found in microalgae and seafood such as salmon, trout, and shrimp. This review focuses on astaxanthin as a bioactive compound and outlines the evidence associated with its potential role in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Astaxanthin has a unique molecular structure that is responsible for its powerful antioxidant activities by quenching singlet oxygen and scavenging free radicals. Astaxanthin has been reported to inhibit low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and adiponectin levels in clinical studies. Accumulating evidence suggests that astaxanthin could exert preventive actions against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) via its potential to improve oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid metabolism, and glucose metabolism. In addition to identifying mechanisms of astaxanthin bioactivity by basic research, much more epidemiological and clinical evidence linking reduced CVD risk with dietary astaxanthin intake is needed.
Jasmonate Signalling and Defence Responses in the Model Legume Medicago truncatula—A Focus on Responses to Fusarium Wilt Disease
Authors: Thatcher Louise , Gao Ling-Ling , Singh Karam
Published: February 2016

Jasmonate (JA)-mediated defences play important roles in host responses to pathogen attack, in particular to necrotrophic fungal pathogens that kill host cells in order to extract nutrients and live off the dead plant tissue. The root-infecting fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum initiates a necrotrophic growth phase towards the later stages of its lifecycle and is responsible for devastating Fusarium wilt disease on numerous legume crops worldwide. Here we describe the use of the model legume Medicago truncatula to study legume–F. oxysporum interactions and compare and contrast this against knowledge from other model pathosystems, in particular Arabidopsis thaliana–F. oxysporum interactions. We describe publically-available genomic, transcriptomic and genetic (mutant) resources developed in M. truncatula that enable dissection of host jasmonate responses and apply aspects of these herein during the M. truncatula-–F. oxysporum interaction. Our initial results suggest not all components of JA-responses observed in M. truncatula are shared with Arabidopsis in response to F. oxysporum infection.
Groundwater Quantity and Quality
Authors: Luczaj John
Published: February 2016

The world’s population is facing a water crisis, which is expected to worsen dramatically during the 21st century. Problems due to over exploitation of groundwater, as well as from natural and anthropogenic contamination are major challenges facing humanity. This Special Issue contributes a selection of topics on groundwater quantity and quality issues that face different parts of the world.
IEEE 802.15.4 ZigBee-Based Time-of-Arrival Estimation for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Cheon Jeonghyeon , Hwang Hyunsu , Kim Dongsun , Jung Yunho
Published: February 2016

Precise time-of-arrival (TOA) estimation is one of the most important techniques in RF-based positioning systems that use wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Because the accuracy of TOA estimation is proportional to the RF signal bandwidth, using broad bandwidth is the most fundamental approach for achieving higher accuracy. Hence, ultra-wide-band (UWB) systems with a bandwidth of 500 MHz are commonly used. However, wireless systems with broad bandwidth suffer from the disadvantages of high complexity and high power consumption. Therefore, it is difficult to employ such systems in various WSN applications. In this paper, we present a precise time-of-arrival (TOA) estimation algorithm using an IEEE 802.15.4 ZigBee system with a narrow bandwidth of 2 MHz. In order to overcome the lack of bandwidth, the proposed algorithm estimates the fractional TOA within the sampling interval. Simulation results show that the proposed TOA estimation algorithm provides an accuracy of 0.5 m at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 8 dB and achieves an SNR gain of 5 dB as compared with the existing algorithm. In addition, experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm provides accurate TOA estimation in a real indoor environment.
Transnationalism: A Vehicle for Settlement and Incorporation of Muslim Iraqi Turkoman Forced Migrants in Sydney
Authors: Karim Firdaws
Published: February 2016

Based on a qualitative study of eight “less visible” Muslim Iraqi Turkoman immigrants in a multicultural Sydney, this article highlights the dynamic nature of immigrant identity that is constructed of multiple ethno-communal identities. This article explores the significance of transnational activities, due to readily available communication technologies, and how this allows Muslim Iraqi Turkoman immigrants not only to hold multiple identities, but also move and mix in societies with plural ethno-religious communities, such as Sydney. Through a transnational lens and the use of qualitative study, this article looks at how Muslim Iraqi Turkoman forced migrants have engaged in identity reproduction and settlement in Sydney, and how their experiences compare with the utopic dream of a “multicultural Australia”. The key findings in this article show that: firstly, “less visible” Muslim Iraqi Turkoman ethnic minority usually finds it difficult to self-define their identity, and often uses nation states as point of reference; secondly, Islamophobic attacks affect feelings of belongingness to the larger Australian society; thirdly, maintaining home culture promotes feelings of belongingness to Australia.
Sequence Mining of Comorbid Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using the SPADE Algorithm
Authors: Pimus Inna , Schertz Mitchell , Peleg Mor
Published: February 2016

Objectives: Understanding the progression of comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) during different critical time periods may contribute to our comprehension of the underlying pathophysiology of NDDs. The objective of our study was to identify frequent temporal sequences of developmental diagnoses in noisy patient data.

Methods: We used a data set of 2810 patients, documenting NDD diagnoses given to them by an NDD expert at a child developmental center during multiple visits at different ages. Extensive preprocessing steps were developed in order to allow the data set to be processed by an efficient sequence mining algorithm (SPADE).

Results: The discovered sequences were validated by cross validation for 10 iterations; all correlation coefficients for support, con -fidence and lift measures were above 0.75 and their proportions were similar. No significant differences between the distributions of sequences were found using KolmogorovSmirnov test.

Conclusions: We have demonstrated the feasibility of using the SPADE algorithm for discovery of valid temporal sequences of co-morbid disorders in children with NDDs. The identification of such sequences would be beneficial from clinical and research perspectives. Moreover, these sequences could serve as features for developing a full-fledged temporal predictive model.
Evaluation of a Veress needle for the fluid egress system of stifle arthroscopy in toy dog breeds
Authors: Cha Jae-Gwan , Beom Lee Hae , Cheong Hye-Yeon , Heo Su-Young , Ragetly Guillaume
Published: February 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a Veress needle as a fluid egress system for stifle arthroscopy in toy dog breeds.

Methods: Cadaveric canine stifle joints (n = 32) were prepared to induce an artificial intra-articular haemorrhagic effect, followed by stifle arthroscopy. The stifles were randomly assigned to one of three groups, and a fluid egress portal was established using a Veress needle (VN), a standard egress cannula (SE), or an intravenous catheter stylet (CS). Time to establish the egress portal, arthroscopic visibility, and egress portal performance were evaluated during the arthroscopy. After the arthroscopic examinations, iatrogenic cartilage lesions were identified and analysed using the percentage area of cartilage damage (%ACD).

Results: The overall arthroscopic visibility and egress portal performance were not significantly different among the groups. The egress portal establishment was faster for the VN (33 sec) and the CS (34 sec) groups than for the SE (43 sec) group (p = 0.001). On gross joint examination, no iatrogenic laceration was found in the VN group, whereas four out of 10 of the SE and two out of 10 of the CS specimens had linear cartilage excoriation on the stifle joints. The %ACD score of the VN group was lower than those of the SE group (p = 0.009) and the CS group (p = 0.001).

Clinical significance: The Veress needle method used in this study was useful to establish a fluid egress system and limit iatrogenic cartilage excoriations. This technique could become the method of choice for stifle arthroscopy, especially in smaller dogs.