bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multinomial Choice with Social Interactions: Occupations in Victorian London
Authors: Guerra José-Alberto , Mohnen Myra
Published: October 2020

We study the importance of social interactions on occupational choice in Victorian London using a multinomial choice model within an incomplete social network. Individuals form heterogeneous rational expectations about their peers' behaviors, taking into account their characteristics and the strength of their ties. We show the conditions under which the endogenous, exogenous, and correlated effects can be identified and a unique equilibrium can be established, Using a novel data set, we proxy social groups by parish boundaries and strength of ties by geographic distances, Our results show the importance of the endogenous effects and reveal distinct effects by occupation.
The Pass-Through of Minimum Wages into U.S. Retail Prices: Evidence from Supermarket Scanner Data
Authors: Renkin Tobias , Montialoux Claire , Siegenthaler Michael
Published: October 2020

This paper estimates the pass-through of minimum wage increases into the prices of U.S. grocery and drug stores. We use high-frequency scanner data and leverage a large number of state-level increases in minimum wages between 2001 and 2012. We find that a 10% minimum wage hike translates into a 0.36% increase in the prices of grocery products. This magnitude is consistent with a full pass-through of cost increases into consumer prices. We show that price adjustments occur mostly in the three months following the passage of minimum wage legislation rather than after implementation, suggesting that pricing of groceries is forward-looking.
Unemployment Effects of Stay-at-Home Orders: Evidence from High-Frequency Claims Data
Authors: Baek ChaeWon , McCrory Peter B. , Messer Todd , Mui Preston
Published: October 2020

We use the high-frequency, decentralized implementation of stay-at-home (SAH) orders in the United States to disentangle the labor market effects of SAH orders from the general economic disruption wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that each week of SAH exposure increased a state's weekly initial unemployment insurance (UI) claims by 1.9% of its employment level relative to other states. A back-of-the-envelope calculation implies that of the 17 million UI claims between March 14 and April 4, only 4 million were attributable to SAH orders. We present a currency union model to provide conditions for mapping this estimate to aggregate employment losses.
Edmund Burke and the Ambivalence of Protection for Slaves: Between Humanity and Control
Authors: Menon Parvathi
Published: October 2020

This article focuses on the period between 1812 and 1834, when the British Empire introduced protection measures to mitigate the suffering of slaves from planter brutality, but also to protect planters from slave rebellion. By examining the impact and influences wielded by Edmund Burke’s Sketch of a Negro Code (1780), this article studies protection as an alliance between the abolitionists and planters who, despite contestations, found in Burke’s Code a means to attain their separate ends. Through the workings of the Office of the Protector, instituted by the imperial authorities in the slave colony of Trinidad, this study examines how it granted slaves the humanity of ‘rights’ against their masters, while also protecting the right to property (in slaves) of the planters. I argue that the paternalistic practice of protection was, as is in the present, at the center of the exploitation of subjugated groups.
Strength through Diversity? The Paradox of Extraterritoriality and the History of the Odd Ones Out
Authors: Herren Madeleine
Published: October 2020

This contribution argues that the right of access to extraterritorial jurisdiction shaped privilege-based communities across national borders. It discusses extraterritoriality as a legal framework that enabled and shaped the building of communities of foreigners from many different backgrounds. Extraterritoriality – counterintuitively – amalgamated and strengthened a community through that very diversity. This was precisely why that community of foreigners – specified as the odd ones out – understood itself as a social unit across national boundaries, loosening and even contesting its affiliation to a specific nation and/or empire.
The Road to Collective Security: Soviet Russia, the League of Nations, and the Emergence of the ius contra bellum in the Aftermath of the Russian Revolution (1917–1934)
Authors: Henry Etienne
Published: October 2020

This article argues that the quest for ‘peaceful coexistence’, sometimes depicted as an inherent quality of Soviet foreign policy, rather reflects a re-interpretation of actual practice in the light of subsequent developments – in connection with the emergence of Joseph Stalin’s doctrine of Socialism in one country. The latter was primarily inspired by tactical necessities rather than doctrinal dogmas. Even though Soviet Russia was perceived and sometimes acted as an outsider, if not a disrupting agent, until the accession of the USSR to membership in the League of Nations in 1934, Soviet foreign legal policy discourse in the 1920s and early 1930s, with its increasing focus on ‘peaceful coexistence’ and collective security rather than world proletarian revolution, contributed substantively to the emergence and development of modern ius contra bellum.
Three Wartime Textbooks of International Law
Authors: Whitehall Deborah
Published: October 2020

Three wartime textbooks of international law published and then reissued by Hersch Lauterpacht, James Brierly and Georges Scelle between 1940 and 1945 present a collective argument against the politics of war by analysing the design flaws of interwar international law. Though the criticism was not new, its repetition in textbooks during war highlights the strategic significance of using basic principles to defend the pacifistic function of international law when lawlessness reigned the global imaginary. The textbook genre became an unexpected, critical field which enlivened when its first readers found the past of international law in their present, conditioned by crisis. There, against the scene of first reading and writing, the texts became counter texts which side-stepped diplomatic controversy to critically examine the reasons for the breakdown of order and remind internationalists about the continuity of law despite war, the political limits on legal function, and the tasks for their diligent, expert attention.
International Law and the European Court of Justice: The Politics of Avoiding History
Authors: Erpelding Michel
Published: October 2020

Using the example of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), this article addresses the lack of historical contextualization which is prevalent in most general accounts of EU law and EU institutions. It argues that this narrative is the result of a tradition established by the founders of the discipline. For these early ‘Euro-lawyers’, distinguishing the practice of European institutions from earlier international institutions had important political implications. This was especially true with regard to the ECJ. By providing a selective and partly decontextualized narrative of this court and describing it as largely unprecedented in international law, early Euro-lawyers were not only able to bolster the ‘supranational’ and ‘sui generis’ character of their nascent discipline. They were also able to avoid comparisons between the ECJ and prior international courts and tribunals whose similarly wide-ranging powers and integrated nature had been considered as politically problematic.
Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Qatar v. United Arab Emirates): So Far, So Good?
Authors: Owie Udoka Ndidiamaka
Published: October 2020

International law has a long history of dealing with racial discrimination, including its involvement in the perpetration of racial discrimination. However, in establishing a body of norms to tackle the problems of racial discrimination, several multilateral instruments have been adopted under the auspices of the United Nations addressing this malaise to various extents with the most extensive being the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) of 21 December 1965. While lauded for its singular and dedicated focus on racial discrimination, the Convention is challenged, at least interpretatively, as to the grounds for racial discrimination within its remit. Events occurring between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on 5 June 2017 have afforded the International Court of Justice as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, an opportunity—the third since the coming into effect of the Convention—to interpret this landmark treaty.
Numeral classifiers and number marking in Indo-Iranian
Authors: Cathcart Chundra A. , Hölzl Andreas , Jäger Gerhard , Widmer Paul , Bickel Balthasar
Published: October 2020

This paper investigates the origins of sortal numeral classifiers in the Indo-Iranian languages. While these are often assumed to result from contact with non-Indo-European languages, an alternative possibility is that classifiers developed as a response to the rise of optional plural marking. This alternative is in line with the so-called Greenberg-Sanches-Slobin (henceforth GSS) generalization. The GSS generalization holds that the presence of sortal numeral classifiers across languages is negatively correlated with obligatory plural marking on nouns. We assess the extent to which Indo-Iranian classifier development is influenced by loosening of restrictions on plural marking using a sample of 65 languages and a Bayesian phylogenetic model, inferring posterior distributions over evolutionary transition rates between typological states and using these rates to reconstruct the history of classifiers and number marking throughout Indo-Iranian, constrained by historically attested states. We find broad support for a diachronically oriented construal of the GSS generalization, but find no evidence for a strong bias against the synchronic co-occurrence of classifiers and obligatory plural marking. Inspection of the most likely diachronic trajectories in individual lineages in the tree shows a stronger effect of the GSS among Iranian languages than Indo-Aryan languages. Taken as a whole, these findings suggest that the association of classifiers and optional number marking in Indo-Iranian is neither solely the effect of universal mechanisms nor of the contingency of local contact histories.
Wiesław Krzemiński—a man of a great passion for fossil flies

Authors: SOSZYŃSKA-MAJ AGNIESZKA , SKIBIŃSKA KORNELIA , KOPEĆ KATARZYNA
Published: October 2020

Wiesław Krzemiński was born on 26 October 1948, in Oświęcim, south of Poland. In his youth he was an addicted book reader and developed his love for nature. After few years of playing in a big beat band he eventually focused on biology. Currently, he is a full time Professor and works in the Institute of Systematics and Evolution Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków (ISEA PAS) and the Pedagogical University in Kraków.
New Cecidomyiidae from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber (Diptera)

Authors: AZAR DANY , NEL ANDRÉ
Published: October 2020

The oldest representatives of several cecidomyiid tribes are characterised and described from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber, viz. a Lestremiinae with uncertain tribe affinities; two Winnertziinae Winnertziini: Libanoclinorrhytis jaschhofi gen. et sp. nov., and Lebanowinnertzia perrichoti gen. et sp. nov.; and two Porricondylinae Dicerurini: Cretadicerura salimi gen. et sp. nov. and Libanohilversidia doryi gen. et sp. nov. These taxa are the oldest representatives of their respective tribes.
Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair: Undervalued by the Relative Value Unit System
Authors: Kapadia Sonam , Ozao-Choy Junko , de Virgilio Christian , Kim Dennis , Moazzez Ashkan
Published: October 2020

Work relative value units (wRVUs) serve as a proxy of surgeon’s effort, technical skill, and time to determine reimbursement. The aim of this study is to determine how accurately wRVUs reflect the work effort of surgeons performing laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) as compared to open repair (OIHR). Within the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, 40 099 patients who underwent LIHR and 99 176 patients who underwent OIHR between 2012 and 2017 were identified. Mean wRVUs, wRVUs per minute, and operative times were compared between 8 groups based on clinical factors (unilateral vs. bilateral; obstructed vs. non-obstructed; primary vs. recurrent; 2 × 2 × 2 = 8). In both aggregate and matched cohorts, wRVUs for LIHR were significantly lower than OIHR in all 8 categories ( P < .001). On regression analysis, the mean difference in assigned vs. calculated relative value units (RVUs) was most divergent among unilateral, recurrent, obstructed IHR (3.12 mean RVUs, P < .001). Despite the rising utilization of LIHR, current wRVUs significantly undervalue this technique across all categories and consequently the work of surgeons who perform laparoscopic procedures. This RVU discrepancy in an increasing minimally invasive, value-driven surgical environment calls for more objective criteria to assign RVUs, whereby the value is measured by operative complexity—patient clinical factors and severity of the hernia itself—not solely operative technique.
Treatment Factors Associated With Overall Survival in Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: An Institutional Review
Authors: Kwong Mei L. , Lee Becky , Kunihira Karissa , Sutjiadi Brian , Reeves Mark E. , Selleck Matthew , Yang Gary , Solomon Naveenraj
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) is a rare malignancy, and curative resection is considered the main therapy. Use of chemotherapy and/or radiation in addition to surgery (multimodality therapy) is controversial.

Objective

To determine treatment factors that influence overall survival in RPS.

Methods

This retrospective Institutional Review Board-approved study identified patients with RPS treated at a single institution between 2000 and 2017. Patient, tumor, and treatment modalities were collected. Prism (v.8.2.1) was used to calculate Kaplan-Meier survival curves.

Results

There were 695 patients with sarcoma between 2000 and 2017, and 61 adults had RPS. The mean age was 59 (range 31-86) years, with 57.4% females (n = 35). Patients were 68.9% Caucasian (n = 42), 21.3% Hispanic (n = 13), 8.2% black (n = 5), and 1.6% Asian (n = 1). There were 4 patients who had neoadjuvant therapy (chemotherapy, n = 3; radiation, n = 2) and 17 who had adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy, n = 6; radiation, n = 14). There was no significant difference in survival between the groups who received multimodality therapy compared to surgery alone. There was a significant improvement in the median overall survival for patients who underwent one or multiple surgeries ( P < .05).

Conclusions

These institutional data suggest that treatment factors associated with overall survival included multiple resections. Use of multimodality therapy was low and did not influence overall survival in patients with RPS compared to surgery alone.
Safety and Efficacy of an Enhanced Recovery Protocol After Hepatic Resection
Authors: Lee Jennifer A. , Young Stephanie , O’Connor Victoria , DiFronzo Louis Andrew
Published: October 2020

Enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) have shown to improve outcomes in multiple specialties and were recently applied to hepatic resections. The objective of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of ERP in hepatic resection. Between 2013-2017, 208 patients underwent hepatectomy. The ERP included early ambulation, early oral intake, and multimodal analgesia. Primary study end points were hospital length of stay (LOS) and overall morbidity; secondary end points were return of bowel function (ROBF), 30-day readmission, and 90-day mortality. Major hepatectomies were selected for separate analysis. Overall, pre-ERP (N = 99) and ERP (N = 109) were similar in demographics. ERP patients had earlier oral intake and ROBF with similar overall morbidity. Although median LOS was 5 days, 43% of ERP patients had LOS ≤4 days vs. 27% in the pre-ERP cohort ( P = .02). 30-day readmission was similar (12%), and 90-day mortality was 2.8% vs. 3.0% (pre-ERP vs. ERP, P = .90). In major hepatectomies, pre-ERP (N = 41) and ERP (N = 33) demographics and operative characteristics were similar. ERP patients had earlier oral intake and ROBF with similar morbidity and mortality. There was no significant difference in median LOS; however, 36% of the major hepatectomy ERP patients had LOS ≤4 days vs. 17% of pre-ERP patients, P = .06. In conclusion, ERP can be safely implemented in hepatectomy, with earlier oral intake and ROBF, shorter LOS in some patients, and no increase in morbidity or mortality.
Assessment of Competitive Position of a Firm Using a Multi-dimensional Herfindahl–Hirschman Index and Linear Additive Directional Distance Function
Authors: Sarkar Subhadip
Published: October 2020

Herfindahl–Hirschman has been one of the renowned techniques for the measurement of market concentration. This article proposes an assessment of concentration with the aid of a matrix termed as a multi-dimensional Herfindahl–Hirschman index for a set of outputs which are possibly categorised under line items. The extant research is aimed to achieve the sole objective of investigating and obtaining a direction vector for augmenting the market share of a firm in a specified manner to strengthen the competitive position. The first eigenvector computed from the normalised non-centred covariance matrix of output set is found to be carrying high degree of explanation of the market concentration. Directional distance additive model (DDAM) is applied to detect the peer firm while replacing the input–output vector of a firm with its vector of market share due to these inputs and outputs. The first eigenvector of the above stated covariance matrix is proved to be a legitimate direction vector which is inherited by the DDAM itself. Benefits of this model is illustrated finally with the aid of an example.
Introducing a Responsive Multimodal Oral Presentation Pedagogy: Integrating TED Videos with Web 2.0, Collaborative Learning and Teacher Feedback
Authors: Sze Seau Lee , Azman Hazita
Published: October 2020

This article introduces a classroom innovation, which was developed based on the principles of multiliteracies and scaffolding to enhance the mastery of multimodal skills of oral presentations among tertiary English as Second Language (ESL) students. The innovation, named the Responsive Multimodal Oral Presentation Pedagogy (RMO2P), was designed to systematically scaffold learning through the integration of TED (Technology, Education and Design) videos with Web 2.0, collaborative learning and teacher feedback. RMO2P aims to disrupt conventional ways of teaching by transforming the prevailing passiveness among ESL students during classroom learning into active engagement. This article explicates the rationale underpinning the responsive pedagogy and describes the five learning phases, which were developed based on the pedagogical principles and students’ learning needs, and complemented the designated textbook. Classroom data revealed enhanced conceptual knowledge, engaged interests and improved oral presentation skills among the students after one semester of implementation. Hence, the findings affirm the potential of RMO2P as an innovation that can be adopted or adapted for the teaching of oral presentation skills in similar ESL contexts.
Realism and great power subversion
Authors: Wohlforth William C
Published: October 2020

I present a realist theory of subversion among great powers, an understudied phenomenon in the burgeoning literature on subversive statecraft. I show that a simple, rational cost-benefit calculus accounts for comparatively low-levels of subversion among non-belligerent great powers, much higher levels among belligerent great powers, and more frequent, violent and larger-scale subversion against weaker targets. Brief case studies of mid-twentieth century subversion featuring the Soviet Union and the United States illustrate the theory and provide preliminary support. Theory and evidence show that the conditions that are conducive to highly consequential subversion among great powers are quite limited and reversible. This gives rise to skepticism concerning claims that today’s strategic environment has fundamentally transformed the nature of great power rivalry so as to accord a newly central place to subversion.
How biased media generate support for the ruling authorities: Causal mediation analysis of evidence from Russia
Authors: Sirotkina Elena
Published: October 2020

If a medium has a monopoly in covering political news and daily distorts the news in favor of the ruling autocrat, how large will the persuasion effect be? Through which channels will such persuasion operate most? Working with a representative sample of the Russian population, I use a causal mediation analysis to explore whether (1) frequency of exposure and/or (2) reliance on biased reporting mediate the link between how people voted for incumbent elites and how they evaluate these elites in the present. Perceiving explicitly biased information as credible transmits a large and robust effect from voting to evaluation, while frequent exposure to this information produces an insignificant mediating effect. Another important finding is that the effect of perceived news credibility overrides the effect of previous electoral support: Accepting state propaganda as credible information converts people into regime supporters even if they did not support these elites at previous election.
Macromarketing Metrics of Consumer Well-Being: An Update
Authors: Sirgy M. Joseph
Published: October 2020

This commentary updates much of the research related to the various constructs and metrics of consumer well-being. Specifically, I review the research to date concerning several conceptualizations and metrics of consumer well-being from both public and academic sectors. Public sector metrics include Cost of Living, Total Consumption Expenditure, Consumer Complaint, and Quality. Selected contributions to consumer well-being metrics from the academic sector include Shopping Satisfaction, Shopping Well-Being, Possession Satisfaction, Acquisition/Possession Satisfaction, Consumption Life Cycle, Community, Need Satisfaction, Perceived Value in Life, and Bottom-up Spillover. I then provide some thoughts about how these metrics can be improved and ideas that may spur future research. In doing so, I address issues related to construct validity to public sector metrics by demonstrating association with human development measures. Metrics from the academic sector can also be improved by testing association with newly established constructs of well-being (e.g., eudaimonia, social well-being) and introducing moderating effects of individual differences (e.g., consumer involvement, consumer lifestyle) as well as product-related differences (e.g., experiential versus material consumption; marketplace activities related to luxury versus nonluxury goods and services; and products beneficial to society versus “sin” products).
CT reconstruction with thick slices not only underestimates lymph node size but also reduces data reproducibility in colorectal cancer
Authors: Onuma Yurina , Tsuruta Chie , Okita Kenji , Hamabe Atsushi , Ogura Keishi , Takemasa Ichiro , Hatakenaka Masamitsu
Published: October 2020

Background

Reliable size measurement of lymph node (LN) metastases is important for the evaluation of cancer treatment. However, image analyses without proper settings may result in inappropriate diagnoses and staging.

Purpose

To investigate whether reconstruction slice thickness in computed tomography (CT) affects measurements of LN size and reproducibility.

Material and Methods

We analyzed 48 patients with histological diagnoses of sigmoid colon and rectal cancer who underwent contrast-enhanced CT colonography as part of a surgical treatment preparation. A board-certified radiologist selected 106 LNs whose short-axis diameter was ≥5 mm on 1-mm-thick images; the short-axis diameters were measured on 1- and 5-mm-thick images by the radiologist and residents and compared using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. Data variation and reproducibility were evaluated using the F test and Bland–Altman analysis. P<0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Short-axis diameters measured on 5-mm-thick images were significantly lower than those measured on 1-mm-thick images ( P<0.01), even in the LNs whose short-axis diameters were over twice the slice thickness ( P<0.05). Of the 106 LNs, 57 showed short-axis diameter <5 mm on 5-mm-thick images; the maximum short-axis diameter was 6.7 mm on a 1-mm thick image. Data variation was significantly larger on 5-mm thick images than 1-mm-thick images in small LNs ( P<0.05) and reproducibility on 5-mm-thick images was inferior to that on 1-mm-thick images.

Conclusion

Thick reconstruction slices in CT can result in an underestimation of LN size and reduce data reproducibility. When measuring LN size, a thin reconstruction slice would be recommended based on targeted LN size.
Value of contrast-enhanced malignancy imaging features in secondary grade diagnosis of BI-RADS-US type 4 breast lesions
Authors: Gao Junxi , Han Wei , Ai Si Mu Tu La Di Li Mu La Ti , Hou Xueqin , Li Zhi Ming , Song Tao
Published: October 2020

Purpose:

To explore the value of contrast-enhanced malignancy imaging features in secondary grade diagnosis of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System for Ultrasonography (BI-RADS-US) type 4 breast lesions.

Methods:

After initial diagnosis by ultrasound, 124 BI-RADS-US type 4 patients with 130 lesions were examined by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and were classified again before surgery according to five contrast-enhanced malignancy imaging features: inhomogeneous enhancement, peripheral ring-like enhancement, expansive enhancement, internal filling defects, and surrounding radioactive convergence. Lesions with no contrast-enhanced features of malignancy were categorized as type 3; lesions with one, two, or three features of malignancy were categorized as type 4A, 4B, or 4C, respectively; and lesions with four or more indices of malignancy were categorized as type 5. The value of contrasted imaging features of malignancy in diagnosing BI-RADS-US type 4 breast lesions was analyzed.

Results:

The accuracy of CEUS diagnosis for type 3 lesions was 93.8% (46/49), 76.9% (10/13) for type 4A, 71.4% (5/7) for type 4B, 75.0% (9/12) for type 4C, and 93.8% (46/49) for type 5 lesions. The sensitivity of CEUS in diagnosing malignant lesions was 90.4%, specificity was 83.6%, and accuracy was 86.9%. CEUS decreased the benign lesion biopsy ratio to 68.5% (46/67) and increased the diagnosis ratio of malignant lesions to 73.0% (46/63).

Conclusions:

CEUS can further optimize the classification of BI-RADS-US type 4 breast lesions and may provide a better reference basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of those breast lesions.
Validating Dewey’s Notion of Genuine Interest
Authors: Jack Brady M. , Chen Chi-Chen , Smith Thomas J.
Published: October 2020

This investigation (1) elucidates genuine interest in the context of learning from Dewey’s perspective, (2) assesses construct validity evidence for a genuine interest conceptual model using data from the Factors Effecting Ethics Learning survey, and (3) assesses measurement invariance of the genuine interest constructs between male ( n = 352) and female ( n = 188) Taiwan high school students. Results provide support for genuine interest as a two-dimensional construct. Second-order factor analysis shows that latent variables of genuine interest in learning socio-scientific issues and interpersonal communication ethics-related issues are represented by sub-latent constructs of learning interest and learning enjoyment. Assessment of gender invariance in the conceptual model provides evidence of measurement equivalence.
Automated Coding Using Machine Learning and Remapping the U.S. Nonprofit Sector: A Guide and Benchmark
Authors: Ma Ji
Published: October 2020

This research developed a machine learning classifier that reliably automates the coding process using the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities as a schema and remapped the U.S. nonprofit sector. I achieved 90% overall accuracy for classifying the nonprofits into nine broad categories and 88% for classifying them into 25 major groups. The intercoder reliabilities between algorithms and human coders measured by kappa statistics are in the “almost perfect” range of .80 to 1.00. The results suggest that a state-of-the-art machine learning algorithm can approximate human coders and substantially improve researchers’ productivity. I also reassigned multiple category codes to more than 439,000 nonprofits and discovered a considerable amount of organizational activities that were previously ignored. The classifier is an essential methodological prerequisite for large-N and Big Data analyses, and the remapped U.S. nonprofit sector can serve as an important instrument for asking or reexamining fundamental questions of nonprofit studies. The working directory with all data sets, source codes, and historical versions are available on GitHub ( https://github.com/ma-ji/npo_classifier ).
Application and improvement of a direct method optimization approach for battery electric railway vehicle operation
Authors: Schenker Moritz , Schirmer Toni , Dittus Holger
Published: October 2020

While the largely electrified rail network allows for direct utilization of renewable energy sources, there is still a considerable share of diesel-powered trains operating on non- and partly electrified tracks. To replace these, the more sustainable alternatives such as battery electric railway vehicles need to present a viable option with sufficient range. This paper aims to adapt and improve an existing optimization algorithm, previously used with diesel-powered trains, for the operation of battery electric railway vehicles. In this new approach, battery control is optimized alongside train control, utilizing a direct method solver to find the minimum energy trajectory. Furthermore, a detailed train model is implemented that is designed for operation on partly electrified tracks. To yield a highly accurate, yet also sufficiently fast algorithm, a numerical analysis is conducted and the parameters of the algorithm are determined accordingly. Finally, the application of the adapted algorithm on a use case in Germany shows that both velocity profile and control adapt in a way that minimizes utilization of the battery. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm presents a reliable and robust method to obtain minimum energy controls for battery electric railway vehicles with any electrification pattern.
Mobile Wallets: Theoretical and Empirical Analysis
Authors: Kapoor Ashwarya , Sindwani Rajiv , Goel Manisha
Published: October 2020

Mobile wallets (m-wallet) have played a prominent role in changing our system of payment from cash to digital payment. The current study employs a systematic review of articles published on m-wallets between January 2008 and January 2020. To identify the relevant studies, research databases are searched using different keywords. Research articles published on m-wallets are selected based on particular inclusion criteria and clustered on the basis of keywords, abstract and title. To ensure a reasonable accuracy in the selection and grouping of published literature, suggestions of experts are taken into consideration. The articles on m-wallets are categorized on the basis of their themes. Eight dominant themes are identified by the authors. The findings suggest that although m-wallets have been in existence for more than a decade, there is hardly any study related to m-wallet service quality measurement. Thus, the authors propose 10 dimensions to measure the service quality of m-wallets based on the extensive review of studies on electronic services (e-services) and m-wallets. The proposed dimensions of m-wallet service quality are prioritized using the fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach. The m-wallet service quality dimensions proposed in the article will help practitioners to develop strategies for building a customer base. Moreover, the results of the fuzzy TOPSIS technique employed in this study will apprise managers about critical quality factors that need sincere attention for gaining competitive advantage and retaining customers.
Straddling Death and (Re)birth: A Disabled Latina’s Meditation on Collective Care and Mending in Pandemic Times
Authors: Torres Lisette E.
Published: October 2020

This critical autoethnography, informed by Critical Race Theory (CRT), intersectionality, and DisCrit, explores the lived experience of a disabled Latina mother-scholar during COVID-19. She uses meditation to think about macroscopic conceptions of independence and time, asking how COVID-19 has changed the way she relates to others and her scholarship. In the process of journaling and engaging in different evocative prompts, she has visceral responses to the death of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement, and the suffering of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The author realizes that contemplative methodologies should center collective care and mending to “let go” of White supremacy, ableism, and sexism.
Actual body weight dosing of temozolomide and overall survival in patients with glioblastoma
Authors: Hsu Phoebe (Yu Hsuan) , Folkman Frances , Ghosh Sunita , de Robles Paula , Leckie Catriona , Dersch-Mills Deonne , Coppens Roland , Chambers Carole
Published: October 2020

Background

Adult glioblastoma patients receiving standard radiation therapy and concurrent temozolomide chemotherapy have a median survival of 14.6 months. Based on the pivotal trial data by Stupp et al., temozolomide doses were calculated based on body surface area. However, no details regarding the weight used to calculate body surface area was included in the study. As a result, temozolomide doses have been variable across the province.

Methods

This retrospective chart review was conducted to determine the correlation between dose of first line temozolomide with overall survival. Patients between January 1st, 2009 and December 31st, 2014 who were newly diagnosed, pathology confirmed glioblastoma treated first line with temozolomide within Alberta Health Services were included in the study. Temozolomide doses above and below determined cut points were compared through the Kaplan-Meier method, then assessed using the log-rank test.

Results

A cut point of 97.8% of actual body weight calculated body surface area dosing was determined for concurrent phase temozolomide. At doses above this cut point, there was a statistically significant (p = 0.0158) increase of 0.3 years in median overall survival. As for toxicity concerns, there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of temozolomide dose reductions due to toxicity in patients dosed above the cut point.

Conclusion

Temozolomide doses at full actual body weight calculated body surface area dosing during the concurrent phase is required to achieve a similar median OS as seen in the pivotal trial by Stupp et al.
Pandemic and Sport: The Challenges and Implications of Publicly Financed Sporting Venues in an Era of No Fans
Authors: Mayer Martin , Cocco Adam R.
Published: October 2020

Professional sport leagues suspended their seasons as Covid-19 became a part of daily life in March 2020, leaving stadiums and arenas across the country empty. Lost in the hysteria of the global pandemic has been the consequences that a lack of sports may have on many state and local government budgets in their efforts to fund their share of sport-related infrastructure expenditures. This commentary examines the history of public sector stadium financing in the U.S. and focuses on two current examples in Arlington, Texas and Las Vegas, Nevada. The discussion highlights innovative measures and risk-mitigation strategies implemented after the Great Recession. Public sector finance challenges due to Covid-19 are discussed, before offering recommendations on strategies to limit public infrastructure risk surrounding sport facilities moving forward.
The Past, Present, and Future of Smart Tourism Destinations: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Bastidas-Manzano Ana-Belén , Sánchez-Fernández Juan , Casado-Aranda Luis-Alberto
Published: October 2020

Despite the emergence of the notion of smart tourism destinations in tourism research, few studies have delved deeply into the topic, and the little research focusing on the subject has not offered an overview of its evolution, current scope, and potential domains of interest. This study aims to fill this gap in literature by applying a bibliometric approach. The current research offers a comprehensive review of 258 investigations published between 2013 and 2019 in outlets indexed by the ISI Web of Science database and other relevant publications on information technology related to hospitality and tourism. The findings indicate the domains of tourism, journals, and themes that merit consideration in smart tourism destination future research and serve both professionals and academics as a guide for future lines to explore.
Comparative analysis of two different types of intracorneal implants in keratoconus: A corneal tomographic study
Authors: Sedaghat Mohammad-Reza , Momeni-Moghaddam Hamed , Belin Michael W , Piñero David P , Akbarzadeh Reyhaneh , Ambrósio Renato , Hosseini Seyed Rafi
Published: October 2020

Objective:

To evaluate changes in visual acuity and corneal tomographic outcomes at 6 months after femtosecond-laser assisted implantation of two different types of intracorneal implants in keratoconus.

Methods:

A total of 39 keratoconus eyes implanted with two segments KeraRing ( n = 22 eyes) or MyoRing ( n = 17 eyes) were enrolled. Tomographic data (Pentacam system, Oculus) were analyzed and correlated with enhancement in uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). The tomographic indices were front maximum keratometry (Kmax), corneal asphericity (Q-value) on both surfaces, average pachymetric progression indices (PPI), maximum Ambrosio relational thickness (ARTmax), Belin-Ambrósio enhanced ectasia total deviation index (BAD-D), index of surface variance (ISV), vertical asymmetry (IVA), height asymmetry (IHA) and height decentration (IHD).

Results:

LogMAR UDVA and CDVA improved 2.1 ( p = 0.003) and 0.7 ( p = 0.074) lines with KeraRing, and 8 and 2.5 lines with MyoRing ( p = 0.001). The highest and lowest mean differences in the tomographic indices between both groups were related to ISV and IHD, respectively. Changes in all indices differed significantly between two groups except for changes in front corneal astigmatism, ARTmax, ISV, IVA, IHD and IHA ( p > 0.05). Correlation of changes in CDVA with changes in other parameters was statistically significant only for IHD in the KeraRing group, while changes in in UDVA were significantly correlated with changes in spherical equivalent, back Q-value, ISV, IVA, and IHA only in the MyoRing group.

Conclusion:

Both implants promote corneal shape regularization and an enhancement in UDVA in keratoconus. A considerable flattening effect and reduction in prolateness in the front corneal surface were observed with MyoRing.
‘Any performer you pick!’ Playful manifestations of porn spectatorship
Authors: C Asman İhsan
Published: October 2020

This article presents a qualitative study of 18 porn spectators' selfreflective sexual narratives. It asks how porn spectatorship shapes one’s sexual self and how it connects to transformations in sexual desires, fantasies, and pleasures. Applying theorizations of play into thinking through the relationship between sexual norms and the uses of porn, the article further conceptualizes online porn as a toy – an object to play with and to use for pleasure. Also, it offers to frame porn spectatorship as a finite province of meaning, namely a sub reality and a particular realm of experience, and thus it sets out to develop a more nuanced understanding of the ecology of play at hand.
The dangers of distrustful complacency: Low concern and low political trust combine to undermine compliance with governmental restrictions in the emerging Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Lalot Fanny , Heering Maria S. , Rullo Marika , Travaglino Giovanni A. , Abrams Dominic
Published: October 2020

People comply with governmental restrictions for different motives, notably because they are concerned about the issue at hand or because they trust their government to enact appropriate regulations. The present study focuses on the role of concern and political trust in people’s willingness to comply with governmental restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic. We conducted a survey amongst Italian and French participants ( N = 372) in March 2020 while both countries had imposed full lockdown. Moreover, a subsample of participants reported on their actual levels of compliance one week later ( N = 130). We hypothesised that either concern or trust should be sufficient to sustain participants’ willingness to comply and actual behaviour, but that the absence of both (distrustful complacency) would reduce compliance significantly. Results supported this hypothesis. We discuss implications of the interaction between concern and trust for public behaviour strategies as the pandemic progresses.
Behavior and design method for offset multi-wedges swaged couplers under uniaxial tension
Authors: Liu Zexin , Wang Peijun , Liu Yuanjian , Chen Ying , Liu Fangzhou
Published: October 2020

This paper proposed an Offset Multi-Wedges Swaged Couplers (OMWSC) as mechanical connection of steel rebars. The behavior of the connection consisting of two steel rebars connected by one OMWSC under uniaxial tension is investigated by Finite Element Model (FEM) simulations, which is verified through test results by considering the load-displacement curve, the failure mode and the failure deformation, and the insertion force to install the wedges. Parameter studies are carried out using the verified FEM. Studied parameters included the rebar surface type, the wedge diameter, the steel rebar diameter, the overlap ratio of the wedges that is defined as the ratio of wedge distance to the effective wedge distance, the extrusion ratio that is defined as a half of the wedge diameter to the gap of the two rebars, and the edge distance. Design equations for the coupler and the wedge of an OMWSC are proposed. Verification of the proposed design methods proved the OMWSC designed using the proposed method would not fail prior to the failure of steel bars.
The effects of material and structure of main bearing caps on crankshaft lubrication of diesel engine
Authors: Wu Limin , Fu Yan , Li Mei , Liang Gang , Zhang Yanting , Cui Yi
Published: October 2020

The elastic deformation of the crankshaft and engine block has important effects on lubrication performance of main bearings of the diesel engine. But the effect of main bearing caps was rarely analyzed. The purpose of this article is to analyze and compare the tribological performances of main bearings of a 20-V medium-speed diesel engine with different materials and structures of main bearing caps. A coupled multi-elastic body and elasto-hydrodynamic model is established for a 20-V medium-speed diesel engine. The deformations of engine block, crankshaft and bearing caps are simulated with finite element modal condensation method. The bearing lubrication analysis is based on the extended Reynolds equation considering the deformation of contact surface and solved by finite difference method. Two materials and four structures of the main bearing cap are analyzed with the coupled model. The distribution of oil film pressure, thickness and bearing thermal loads are obtained and analyzed. The main bearing cap of iron is better than steel on bearing lubrication performance. With the lower edge stiffness of bearing cap, the maximum oil film pressure of bearing can be reduced by 13%. Meanwhile, the bearing thermal load can be reduced by 53%. The results show that when the bearing cap material is iron and with large trough on both sides of bearing cap, the peak value of edge pressure and the average heat load of main bearing can be reduced effectively under the premise of ensuring stiffness.
Investigating the impact of coercive exposure on web-advertisement performance: Focusing on the mediating role of advertisement fit
Authors: Kang Inwon , He Xue , Ma Ilhwan
Published: October 2020

These days, advertisers make every effort to attract users through coercive exposure, so as to achieve web-advertisement performance. However, the validity of crediting actual performances through forced exposure is a moot point, because accompanied unwanted digressive advertisements and unintended mouse clicks imposed on the user, are nuisance factors that can culminate in a negative way. Hence, this study investigates advertisement performance in an elaborate way by focusing on varying effects of coercive exposures. Moreover, when considering advertisement performance, it is appropriate to examine advertisement fit, that is, whether the advertising contents match with services provided by the host website. The results showed that, when subjectively forced to frequent unsolicited advertisement, a user’s negative attitude to the respective advertisement greatly impacts on advertisement performance. Furthermore, if the level of advertisement fit is low, negative attitude is strengthened. This study provides guidelines on more appropriate ways for performing web advertisement, to achieve a genuine performance of advertisement and provide practical web-advertisement strategies for advertisers.
Enablers and barriers for being physically active: experiences from adults with congenital heart disease
Authors: Bay Annika , Lämås Kristina , Berghammer Malin , Sandberg Camilla , Johansson Bengt
Published: October 2020

Background

In general, adults with congenital heart disease have reduced exercise capacity and many do not reach the recommended level of physical activity. A physically active lifestyle is essential to maintain health and to counteract acquired cardiovascular disease, therefore enablers and barriers for being physically active are important to identify.

Aim

To describe what adults with complex congenital heart diseases consider as physical activity, and what they experience as enablers and barriers for being physically active.

Methods

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews in which 14 adults with complex congenital heart disease (seven women) participated. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

The analysis revealed four categories considered enablers and barriers – encouragement, energy level, approach and environment. The following is exemplified by the category encouragement as an enabler: if one had experienced support and encouragement to be physically active as a child, they were more positive to be physically active as an adult. In contrast, as a barrier, if the child lacked support and encouragement from others, they had never had the opportunity to learn to be physically active.

Conclusion

It is important for adults with congenital heart disease to have the opportunity to identify barriers and enablers for being physically active. They need knowledge about their own exercise capacity and need to feel safe that physical activity is not harmful. This knowledge can be used by healthcare professionals to promote, support and eliminate misconceptions about physical activity. Barriers can potentially be transformed into enablers through increased knowledge about attitudes and prerequisites.