bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Econometric Analysis of Panel Data Models with Multifactor Error Structures
Authors: Karabiyik Hande , Palm Franz C. , Urbain Jean-Pierre
Published: August 2019

Economic panel data often exhibit cross-sectional dependence, even after conditioning on appropriate explanatory variables. Two approaches to modeling cross-sectional dependence in economic panel data are often used: the spatial dependence approach, which explains cross-sectional dependence in terms of distance among units, and the residual multifactor approach, which explains cross-sectional dependence by common factors that affect individuals to a different extent. This article reviews the theory on estimation and statistical inference for stationary and nonstationary panel data with cross-sectional dependence, particularly for models with a multifactor error structure. Tests and diagnostics for testing for unit roots, slope homogeneity, cointegration, and the number of factors are provided. We discuss issues such as estimating common factors, dealing with parameter plethora in practice, testing for structural stability and nonlinearity, and dealing with model and parameter uncertainty. Finally, we address issues related to the use of these economic panel models.
Robustness in Mechanism Design and Contracting
Authors: Carroll Gabriel
Published: August 2019

This review summarizes a nascent body of theoretical research on design of incentives when the environment is not fully known to the designer and offers some general lessons from the work so far. These recent models based on uncertainty and robustness offer an additional set of tools in the toolkit, complementary to more traditional, fully Bayesian modeling approaches, and broaden the range of problems that can be studied. The kinds of insights that such models can offer, and the methodological and technical challenges that they confront, broadly parallel those of traditional approaches.
Weak Instruments in Instrumental Variables Regression: Theory and Practice
Authors: Andrews Isaiah , Stock James H. , Sun Liyang
Published: August 2019

When instruments are weakly correlated with endogenous regressors, conventional methods for instrumental variables (IV) estimation and inference become unreliable. A large literature in econometrics has developed procedures for detecting weak instruments and constructing robust confidence sets, but many of the results in this literature are limited to settings with independent and homoskedastic data, while data encountered in practice frequently violate these assumptions. We review the literature on weak instruments in linear IV regression with an emphasis on results for nonhomoskedastic (heteroskedastic, serially correlated, or clustered) data. To assess the practical importance of weak instruments, we also report tabulations and simulations based on a survey of papers published in the American Economic Review from 2014 to 2018 that use IV. These results suggest that weak instruments remain an important issue for empirical practice, and that there are simple steps that researchers can take to better handle weak instruments in applications.
Econometrics of Auctions and Nonlinear Pricing
Authors: Perrigne Isabelle , Vuong Quang
Published: August 2019

This review surveys the growing literature on the econometrics of first-price sealed-bid auctions and nonlinear pricing. The complexity of the economic models has initiated fruitful collaborations between econometrics and empirical research. We review the benchmark models and their extensions, the identification of the model primitives, and their nonparametric and semiparametric estimation. We discuss the future of the field, which goes beyond auctions and nonlinear pricing, as both can be viewed as economic mechanisms for price formation, allocation, and market organization.
History, Microdata, and Endogenous Growth
Authors: Akcigit Ufuk , Nicholas Tom
Published: August 2019

The study of economic growth is concerned with long-run changes, and therefore, historical data should be especially influential in informing the development of new theories. In this review, we draw on the recent literature to highlight areas in which study of history has played a particularly prominent role in improving our understanding of growth dynamics. Research at the intersection of historical data, theory, and empirics has the potential to reframe how we think about economic growth in much the same way that historical perspectives helped to shape the first generation of endogenous growth theories.
Universal Basic Income in the United States and Advanced Countries
Authors: Hoynes Hilary , Rothstein Jesse
Published: August 2019

We discuss the potential role of universal basic incomes (UBIs) in advanced countries. A feature of advanced economies that distinguishes them from developing countries is the existence of well-developed, if often incomplete, safety nets. We develop a framework for describing transfer programs that is flexible enough to encompass most existing programs as well as UBIs, and we use this framework to compare various UBIs to the existing constellation of programs in the United States. A UBI would direct much larger shares of transfers to childless, nonelderly, nondisabled households than existing programs, and much more to middle-income rather than poor households. A UBI large enough to increase transfers to low-income families would be enormously expensive. We review the labor supply literature for evidence on the likely impacts of a UBI. We argue that the ongoing UBI pilot studies will do little to resolve the major outstanding questions.
NT‐proBNP and Risk of Dementia in a General Japanese Elderly Population: The Hisayama Study
Authors: Nagata Takuya , Ohara Tomoyuki , Hata Jun , Sakata Satoko , Furuta Yoshihiko , Yoshida Daigo , Honda Takanori , Hirakawa Yoichiro , Ide Tomomi , Kanba Shigenobu , Kitazono Takanari , Tsutsui Hiroyuki , Ninomiya Toshiharu
Published: August 2019

Background

Epidemiological evidence implies a link between heart disease and dementia. However, few prospective studies have assessed the association between serum
NT
‐pro
BNP
(N‐terminal pro–B‐type natriuretic peptide) levels and dementia.

Methods and Results

A total of 1635 community‐dwelling Japanese elderly aged ≥60 years without dementia (57% women, mean age±SD 70.8±7.7 years) were followed up for 10 years. Serum
NT
‐pro
BNP
levels were divided into 4 categories (≤54, 55‐124, 125‐299, and ≥300 pg/mL). The hazard ratios were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. During the follow‐up period, 377 subjects developed all‐cause dementia, 247 Alzheimer disease, and 102 vascular dementia. The age‐ and sex‐adjusted incidence of all‐cause dementia was 31.5 per 1000 person‐years and increased significantly with higher serum
NT
‐pro
BNP
levels, being 16.4, 32.0, 35.7, and 45.5, respectively (
P
for trend <0.01). Subjects with serum
NT
‐pro
BNP
levels of ≥300 pg/mL had a significantly higher risk of all‐cause dementia (hazard ratio=2.46, 95% CI 1.63‐3.71) than those with serum
NT
‐pro
BNP
levels of ≤54 pg/
mL
after adjusting for confounders. Similar risks were observed for Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia. Incorporation of the serum
NT
‐pro
BNP
level into a model with known risk factors for dementia significantly improved the predictive ability for incident dementia (c‐statistics 0.780‐0.787,
P
=0.02; net reclassification improvement 0.189,
P
=0.001; integrated discrimination improvement 0.011,
P
=0.003).

Conclusions

Higher serum
NT
‐pro
BNP
levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of dementia. Serum
NT
‐pro
BNP
could be a novel biomarker for predicting future risk of dementia in the general elderly population.
The War-Trumpet and the Sound of Domination in Ancient Greek Thought
Authors: Nooter Sarah
Published: August 2019

In this piece, I contend that the war-trumpet (salpinx) was understood in ancient Greek literature as connected to the divine and invincible. I show how this understanding arose from a focus on the sound of the war-trumpet, accompanied by silence around the physical act of playing it, inasmuch as this act, in the parallel case of the aulos, reveals embodiment and vulnerability. In archaic and classical texts, ranging among Aristophanes, Thucydides, Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Aristotle, we see that the sound of the salpinx is both infallible and capable of connoting the domination of Greek males in several fields: battles, courts of law, and the imagining of human and nonhuman ontology.
Reading and Writing, Singing and Playing on Three Early Red-Figure Vases
Authors: Pöhlmann Egert
Published: August 2019

The tools for reading and writing, the writing tablets and the papyrus scroll, were inherited by Greece from the East together with the Phoenician alphabet. The oldest papyrus scroll and writing tablets with Greek text were found in the tomb of a musician in Daphne dated to 430 BC. After 700 BC writing tablets were ubiquitous in Greece. However, black figure vases do not depict them. The first writing tablet appears on a red figure kylix of the Euergides Painter from Vulci (520). The first papyrus scrolls appear, together with writing tablets and the lyre, on a kylix from Ferrara (c. 480-70). Papyrus scrolls, writing tablets, the lyre and aulos appear together on the famous Berlin kylix of Douris from Caere (480).
On Kinesias’ Musicopoetic Paranomia
Authors: Hadjimichael Theodora A.
Published: August 2019

In this article I focus on the New Poet Kinesias and on the ways in which he was depicted, ridiculed, and criticized in our sources. I contextualize his depiction as a poetic and musical corrupter and as a thin and disabled individual within the criticism of the New Music in late fifth- and early fourth-century philosophical works, namely those by Plato and Aristotle, to argue that he was considered the poet who embodied the musicopoetic paranomia and the lack of orthotēs in the New Music. I also bring into my analysis a fragment from a speech of Lysias against Kinesias, where I focus on the accusations against the poet, in order to show that both his political actions (as described in the fragment and in Athenaeus who transmits the passage) and his experimentations with the chorus and with poetic performances were interpreted as a threat to the coherence and stability of the community.
Irish Quaker Identities: Complex Identity in the Religious Society of Friends
Authors: Kennedy Maria
Published: August 2019

This work is a sociological study of Quakers, which investigates the impact that sectarianism has had on identity construction within the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland. The research highlights individual Friends’ complex and hybrid cultural, national and theological identities, mirrored by the Society’s corporate identity. This publication focuses specifically on examples of political and theological hybridity. These hybrid identities resulted in tensions that impact on relationships between Friends and the wider organisation. How Friends negotiate and accommodate these diverse identities is explored. It is argued that Irish Quakers prioritise ‘relational unity’ and have developed a distinctive approach to complex identity management. It is asserted that in the two Irish states, ‘Quaker’ represents a meta-identity, which is counter-cultural in its non-sectarianism, although this is more problematic within the organisation. Furthermore, by modelling an alternative, non-sectarian identity, Quakers in Ireland contribute to building capacity for transformation from oppositional, binary identities to more fluid and inclusive ones.
Avoiding the sapling and the elephant: A case study from Uganda of the impact of short-term teams on participants and host communities
Authors: Barr David
Published: August 2019

Short-term teams are a growing phenomenon that are gaining increasing attention, with some arguing such trips can create empowered citizens devoted to social justice. But there has also been increasing scrutiny on the impact of such trips on host communities, with questions arising over whether more harm is done than good. This research seeks to contribute to this debate by considering a case study of a short-term team from Ireland which traveled to Uganda, and examining the impact on the participants and host community. It is found that the team is viewed in a positive light by the host community, and with many criticisms of short-term teams not emerging as strongly as the literature suggests, it is postulated this is due to the team characteristics, which could serve as potential guidelines for best practice for other organizations sending short-term teams. Furthermore, recommendations are suggested so implementation can be improved further. However, it is suggested that the negative impacts of short-term teams are too potentially grievous to justify their unchecked proliferation, and that organizations should strongly reconsider sending teams unless they can ensure they are occurring within specific parameters such as those suggested within this research.
Teaching Children with Autism Abduction-Prevention Skills May Result in Overgeneralization of the Target Response
Authors: Ledbetter-Cho Katherine , Lang Russell , Lee Allyson , Murphy Caitlin , Davenport Katy , Kirkpatrick Marie , Schollian Melissa , Moore Melissa , Billingsley Glenna , O’Reilly Mark
Published: August 2019

We replicated previous research using behavioral skills training (BST) to teach four children with autism to engage in a safety response following lures from civilian strangers. This study extends previous research by (a) employing abduction lures incorporating highly preferred tangible items; (b) assessing for maintenance and generalization across settings and caregivers; and (c) probing for overgeneralization of the safety response. A multiple baseline across participants design demonstrated target behavior acquisition and generalization to novel settings and caregivers. However, children who complied with directions from police officers during baseline emitted the safety response (e.g., running away) when approached by police officers following BST. Overgeneralization of the targeted safety response was corrected with discrimination training procedures. Maintenance of appropriate responses to civilians and officers was inconsistent and booster sessions were required for two participants. Results suggest practitioners should incorporate discrimination training and program for maintenance when teaching abduction-prevention skills to children with autism.
Ethical Concerns About Private (and Public) Corrections: Extending the Focus Beyond Profit- Making and the Delegation of Punishment
Authors: Montes Andrea N.
Published: August 2019

Common criticisms of privatized corrections are that tying punishment to profits is unethical and that the administration of punishment should not be delegated to private entities. Such criticisms are important to consider but other ethical concerns also arise when privatizing corrections. For example, do private correctional entities protect individuals’ rights? The focus on profit-making also overlooks ethical considerations that arise with public corrections. Indeed, focusing only on the ethics of financially incentivizing punishment or the delegation of punishment obscures important nuances about the ethics of privatization and corrections generally. To these ends, a framework is presented that highlights that a range of ethical considerations attend to private corrections as well as to public corrections. It also reveals that a focus on ethics, while a good unto itself, could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of private and public corrections.
Teacher-Delivered Training to Promote Paraprofessional Implementation of Systematic Instruction
Authors: Walker Virginia L. , Douglas Karen H. , Brewer Chelsea
Published: August 2019

As paraprofessionals gain more instructional responsibilities for individual students, feasible training strategies must be established to promote effective delivery of instruction. This train-the-trainer study was designed to teach paraprofessionals how to implement an evidence-based instructional practice under the direction of the classroom teacher. After receiving training from a university researcher, a special education teacher trained three paraprofessionals to implement constant time delay while teaching three students with multiple disabilities. The paraprofessional training consisted of a workshop, video modeling, and coaching with performance feedback. A single-case multiple baseline across paraprofessionals design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the teacher-delivered training package. All paraprofessionals implemented the systematic instructional procedures with high levels of fidelity and accuracy after training. The special education teacher and paraprofessionals shared their perceptions on the highly effective training and value of the study through social validity surveys. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
Performing Rhythms of the Brazilian Bateria
Authors: Howard Karen
Published: August 2019

Bateria (bah-teh-REE-ah) means drum set in Portuguese. In terms of Brazilian samba music, the bateria is the percussion ensemble driving the groove of the whole samba band. Organizing a batucada (bah-tooKAH-dah), a Brazilian percussion jam session, is possible in general music classes throughout elementary and secondary school. The necessary instruments are easily available through percussion and educator websites. In addition, quality online tutorials are easily accessible.
Exploring the relationship between parent–child communication about epilepsy and psychosocial well-being
Authors: O’Toole Stephanie , Gallagher Pamela , Benson Ailbhe , Shahwan Amre , Austin Joan K , Lambert Veronica
Published: August 2019

This study examined the relationship between parent–child communication and psychosocial well-being of 47 children living with epilepsy and 72 parents of children living with epilepsy. Open communication was associated with positive illness attitude, positive self-perception and greater health-related quality of life for children living with epilepsy; positive response to illness for parents; and more perceived social support and less need for epilepsy-related support for children living with epilepsy and parents. By contrast, closed communication was associated with poorer psychosocial well-being in children living with epilepsy and parents. Healthcare professionals should provide guidance for families living with childhood epilepsy on the importance of open communication in promoting greater psychosocial well-being.
Reach, Uptake, and Satisfaction of Three Delivery Modes of FUEL Your Life
Authors: Padilla Heather M. , Zuercher Heather , Robertson Melissa , DeJoy David M. , Wilson Mark , Vandenberg Robert J. , Corso Phaedra S.
Published: August 2019

Background. FUEL Your Life (FYL) is a worksite translation of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). In a randomized controlled trial, participants in a phone coaching condition demonstrated greater weight loss compared to participants in a group coaching or self-study condition. The purpose of this article is to describe the differences in participant reach, intervention uptake, and participant satisfaction for each delivery mode. Method. Employees who were overweight, obese, or at high risk for diabetes were recruited from city–county governments. Process evaluation data were collected from health coach records, participant surveys, and research team records. Differences between groups were tested using Pearson chi-square test and one-way analysis of variance. Results. Employee reach of targeted enrollment was highest for the self-study condition. Overall, intervention uptake was highest in the phone coaching condition. Participants who received phone coaching had increased uptake of the participant manual and self-monitoring of food compared to participants who received group coaching or self-study. Discussion. FYL demonstrated that DPP could be effectively delivered in the worksite by three different modalities. When implemented in a self-study mode, reach is greater but intervention uptake is lower. Phone health coaching was associated with greater intervention exposure.
Description of Multilingual Participants Who Stutter: An Update 2011-2018
Authors: Werle Danielle R. , Byrd Courtney , Coalson Geoffrey
Published: August 2019

Coalson, Peña, and Byrd published a systematic review that demonstrated significant limitations in the language profile descriptions for multilingual participants who stutter for studies that were completed through September 2011. Given the average number of investigations of multilingual speakers who stutter has shifted from one study every 5 years to three and a half studies every year, the purpose of this study was to determine if these limitations in language profile descriptions have persisted. A systematic search of the stuttering literature between October 2011 and October 2018 was conducted to identify the number of published studies focusing on multilingual participants. Descriptors of participants’ language history, function, and proficiency were assessed within and across studies. The quality of these descriptions remains insufficient. Despite the marked increase in published research, these persisting limitations in language profile descriptions continue to compromise our understanding of the manifestation of stuttering in more than one language.
Effect of rolling on the friction coefficient in three-body contact
Authors: Miftakhova Almira , Chen Yang-Yuan , Horng Jeng-Haur
Published: August 2019

The contact problem of system of particles rolling over a viscoelastic layer bonded to the rigid half-space was considered. Particles have a spherical shape and their radiuses are distributed along Gauss. Earlier, the friction coefficient was obtained for the particles between surfaces in the relative movement of the surfaces using the three-body interaction method. In this study, the contact area was calculated for a system of particles rolling over the viscoelastic layer bonded to the half-space. Using the three-body interaction approach, the friction coefficient was calculated, taking into account the rolling of particles. The results demonstrate that the coefficient of friction, calculated using the three-body model, decreases when the rolling of particles is taken into account.
Futures Studies as a Quest for Meaning
Authors: Slaughter Richard A.
Published: August 2019

This article reflects on four decades of activity in the futures arena. Overall, it tracks a process of deepening insight and growing appreciation for the richness and complexity of life in all its myriad forms. Coupled with this is what I have come to regard as our inescapable responsibility for being active in ways that protect and nurture our natural and cultural heritage, both of which are under-sustained and ever-deepening threat. To do so, we need to recover a clear perception of how extreme and “abnormal” our present situation vis-à-vis Planet Earth really is. This entails removing the veils from our eyes, setting aside convenient fictions, and gaining the courage to face reality. This view can also be framed as “finding ways forward in impossible times.” It is a kind of “sub-text” for the kind of Futures Studies I have pursued. Part 1 provides an overview of early influences and experiences. Part 2 summarizes some core learnings. Part 3 provides examples of the kinds of “depth appreciation” that I believe prefigure long-term solutions to the global emergency.
The Value of Focused Echocardiography During Cardiac Arrest
Authors: White Julie
Published: August 2019

Cardiac arrest is the absence of a centrally palpable pulse and no respiratory effort in an unresponsive patient. This often-lethal medical condition affects hundreds of thousands of people in the United States alone every year. Immediate intervention is crucial to provide the patient with any chance of survival. Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) is the cornerstone therapy for cardiac arrest. Increased awareness and proper identification of life-threatening arrhythmias is critical, as it may lead to prompt medical treatment and improved mortality. The use of focused echocardiography, during a cardiac arrest, has been a developing area of interest over the past several years. The specific aim of this literature review was to emphasize the role of a focused echocardiogram and the valuable information that can be provided during a cardiac arrest.
Physical Dependence in Patient With Chronic Low Back Pain Treated With Topiramate: A Case Report
Authors: Bratton Roscoe H. , Ward Sameh A.
Published: August 2019

In the last decade, prescription of anticonvulsants for treatment of low back pain (LBP) increased 4-fold. Among them, topiramate has frequent side effects and a mechanism of action that is not fully understood. The authors describe a 65-year-old woman with dependence on topiramate prescribed for chronic LBP and discuss how she was successfully weaned off topiramate using duloxetine. A significant agonistic effect by topiramate on α-2 adrenergic receptors in the brain likely accounts for the symptoms of withdrawal that were seen. We attribute the resolution of her topiramate withdrawal symptoms to reduced norepinephrine (NE) release, a known effect of duloxetine administration.
Drudgery Tales, Abjectified Protagonists, and Speculative Modes in the Adjunctroman of Contemporary Academic Fiction
Authors: Quynn Kristina
Published: August 2019

This essay presents an analysis of narratives of contingency in the contemporary academic novel, particularly the mode of the “adjunctroman.” It contends that adjunct protagonists frustrate the most recognizable mode of academic fiction—the “Professorroman”—with sagas of a Sisyphean lack of progress, unsympathetic or abjectified antiheroes, and tales of instructional drudgery and intellectual woe. Such recent academic fiction may be self-published and may feature protagonists who are adjuncts, non-tenure-track faculty, or workers just passing through the ivory tower on their way to better employment elsewhere. Providing readings of novels by well-known writers of academic fiction such as James Hynes and Alex Kudera alongside lesser known authors such as Geoff Cebula, Gordon Haber, J. Hayes Hurley, and Julia Keefer, the essay ultimately argues that the adjunctroman reveals and at its best revels in the “crises” of higher education to begin imagining the twenty-first-century professoriat anew.
Dark, Darker, Darkest: The Mood and Genre of Sardonic Death in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” as Told by Ambrose Bierce, Robert Enrico, and Rod Serling
Authors: Kratzke Peter
Published: August 2019

Comparing Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (as framed by Bierce’s illuminating philosophical attitude) with the Frenchman Robert Enrico’s film adaptation (how his adaptation decisions are manifest in the film) and Rod Serling’s use of that film for an episode of The Twilight Zone (as the show’s cultural context was and is perfect for the task) reveals afresh that mood (involving an author’s attitude toward content) is necessarily more important than genre (involving content itself) when narrative content approaches the unknowable. What perhaps surprises in this comparison is that, arguably, Bierce’s short story is the least dark of the three versions of what may be called the mood and genre of sardonic death, for it only denounces (especially in terms of free will versus determinism) the doomed man, while Enrico’s film elicits sympathy and Serling’s episode empathy.
How involved are involved fathers in Hungary? Exploring caring masculinities in a post-socialist context
Authors: Takács Judit
Published: August 2019

This study examines what can enable or constrain Hungarian fathers to be actively involved in care through analysing interviews by applying Hanlon’s approach to caring masculinities as valued identities for men and Dermott’s concept of intimate fathering. The empirical base of this qualitative study – the first of its kind in Hungary – is a collection of 55 semi-structured in-depth interviews. Several interrelated factors were shown as potentially enabling or constraining men’s active engagement in their paternal role, including work- and work–life balance-related factors, practical cost-benefit calculations, quality of life concerns, childhood socialisation patterns and attitudes towards the gendered parenting models of one’s own parents.
Obesity Is the Most Common Risk Factor for Chronic Liver Disease: Results From a Risk Stratification Pathway Using Transient Elastography
Authors: Harris Rebecca , Card Timothy R. , Delahooke Toby , Aithal Guruprasad P. , Guha Indra N.
Published: August 2019

INTRODUCTION:

Obesity has been associated with liver fibrosis, yet guidelines do not emphasize it as an independent risk factor in which to have a high index of suspicion of advanced disease. We aimed to elucidate the effect of a raised body mass index on the risk of liver disease using data from a community risk stratification pathway.

METHODS:

We prospectively recruited patients from a primary care practice with hazardous alcohol use and/or type 2 diabetes and/or obesity. Subjects were invited for a transient elastography reading. A threshold of ≥8.0 kPa defined an elevated reading consistent with clinically significant liver disease.

RESULTS:

Five hundred seventy-six patients participated in the pathway; of which, 533 patients had a reliable reading and 66 (12.4%) had an elevated reading. Thirty-one percent of patients with an elevated reading had obesity as their only risk factor. The proportion of patients with an elevated reading was similar among those with obesity (8.9%) to patients with more recognized solitary risk factors (type 2 diabetes 10.8%; hazardous alcohol use 4.8%). Obesity in combination with other risk factors further increased the proportion of patients with an elevated reading. In multivariate logistic regression, increasing body mass index and type 2 diabetes were significantly associated with an elevated reading.

DISCUSSION:

Obesity as a single or additive risk factor for chronic liver disease is significant. Future case-finding strategies using a risk factor approach should incorporate obesity within proposed algorithms.
Role of Reflux in the Pathogenesis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Comprehensive Appraisal With Off- and On PPI Impedance-pH Monitoring
Authors: Frazzoni Marzio , Penagini Roberto , Frazzoni Leonardo , de Bortoli Nicola , Mauro Aurelio , Tolone Salvatore , Bertani Helga , Marsico Maria , Marocchi Margherita , Marchi Santino , Conigliaro Rita , Savarino Edoardo
Published: August 2019

OBJECTIVES:

Role of reflux and mechanisms of response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) have not yet been fully elucidated. Comprehensive assessment by impedance-pH monitoring could clarify these issues.

METHODS:

Prospective multicenter study comparing EoE patients with healthy controls and gastroesophageal reflux disease cases. Patients with EoE were evaluated off- and on PPI; responsiveness was assessed by histology. Impedance-pH appraisal included chemical clearance, assessed with the postreflux swallow-induced peristaltic wave (PSPW) index, and mucosal integrity measured with mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI).

RESULTS:

Sixty consecutive patients with EoE were compared with 60 age- and sex-matched healthy controls and 60 subjects with gastroesophageal reflux disease. The number of total refluxes was higher, while the PSPW index was lower in patients with EoE than in healthy controls. Off PPI, a lower MNBI gradient between the mid and distal esophagus distinguished 20 patients with PPI-refractory EoE from 40 patients with PPI-responsive EoE and was a predictor of PPI failure. On PPI, a lower PSPW index was the sole reflux parameter distinguishing PPI-refractory from PPI-responsive EoE; all reflux parameters improved in PPI-responsive patients, whereas the PSPW index was not modified in PPI-refractory cases and was independently associated with PPI-responsiveness. MNBI in the distal and mid esophagus improved much more in PPI-responsive than in PPI-refractory EoE.

DISCUSSION:

Reflux plays a role in the pathogenesis of EoE, more relevant in PPI-responsive cases. Low impedance gradient between the mid and distal esophagus may be useful to predict PPI refractoriness. PPIs mainly act by improving chemical clearance, i.e., by an antireflux action supporting long-term prescription in PPI-responsive EoE.
Variability and Lability of Ammonia Levels in Healthy Volunteers and Patients With Cirrhosis: Implications for Trial Design and Clinical Practice
Authors: Bajaj Jasmohan S. , Bloom Patricia Pringle , Chung Raymond T. , Hassanein Tarek I. , Padilla-Martinez Marielys , Kayali Zeid , Rockey Don C. , Sasso Roula , Muthukumar Alagar R. , Lee William M. , Denney William S. , Gavis Edith A. , Anderson Cami , Blankstein Larry , Brennan Aoife M. , Puurunen Marja K. , Lawitz Eric
Published: August 2019

Introduction:

Ammonia levels are used to assess hepatic encephalopathy, but their levels are highly variable in clinical practice.

Methods:

We studied factors associated with variation in ammonia values in cirrhotic patients without previous hepatic encephalopathy and healthy volunteers (HVs).

Results:

Ammonia increased by 12% and 18% at 1 and 2 hour, respectively, after a protein meal in 64 cirrhotic patients (P < 0.001). In 237 HVs, ammonia levels varied significantly between sites (P < 0.0001). New site-specific ammonia upper limits based on HV levels using a strict analysis protocol differed from routinely used values. Correlation between paired fresh samples was high (r = 0.83) but modest between fresh and frozen samples (r = 0.62).

Discussion:

Sample handling, processing, and protein intake impact ammonia levels across sites.
Hemorrhoid Energy Therapy for Treatment of Deep Chronic Anal Fissures
Authors: Malik Fahad , Reyes Jonathan , Patel Bhavin , Kim Marina , Gonzalez Manuel , Wickremsinghe Prasanna
Published: August 2019

Energy therapy is a well-known, minimally invasive treatment for internal hemorrhoids. This treatment has not yet been studied in anal fissures refractory to medical therapy. Anal fissures, such as hemorrhoids, can disrupt the quality of life for patients. Currently, nonsurgical treatments available for anal fissures are only supportive measures. Definitive for chronic anal fissures refractory to medical therapy is internal sphincterotomy. This treatment has chances of relapse and a risk of anal incontinence. We propose the use of hemorrhoid energy therapy with bipolar cautery as a safer, less invasive, and effective therapy for recurrent anal fissures refractory to conservative management.
Sustained Resolution of Multifocal Low-Grade Dysplasia in Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Canakis Andrew , Dellatore Peter , Josephson Matthew , Canakis Justin , Alruwaii Zainab , Lazarev Mark , Brant Steven R.
Published: August 2019

In inflammatory bowel disease, prolonged disease duration, pancolitis, histological inflammation, and subsequent dysplasia are associated with an increased risk for colorectal cancer. Recommendations regarding treatment of low-grade dysplasia (LGD) indicate an individualized approach between colectomy and surveillance. We present a unique case of a patient with ulcerative colitis who had multifocal LGD on 2 consecutive colonoscopies. However, after 10 years and 16 surveillance colonoscopies, she had no further evidence of dysplasia. This appears to be the first case of proven, permanently resolved multifocal LGD in inflammatory bowel disease that challenges our understanding of the natural history of LGD.
Gastric Inguinoscrotal Hernia
Authors: Mehta Tej , Weissman Simcha , Vash Ann , Yim Douglas , Serrano Oluwagbenga
Published: August 2019

A 75-year-old man presented to our facility with a 5-day history of hematemesis. He reported a left inguinoscrotal hernia that had been present since 1990. Physical examination demonstrated an incarcerated inguinoscrotal hernia. Abdominal computed tomography revealed the stomach, small, and large bowel in the hernia. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed food and brownish liquid in the stomach. Neither the antrum nor the pylorus could be identified during the esophagogastroduodenoscopy, consistent with an incarcerated portion of the stomach. Blood was not seen in the examined portion of the gastrointestinal tract. He was emergently treated with surgical intervention.
Enhanced 3D Mapping with an RGB-D Sensor via Integration of Depth Measurements and Image Sequences
Authors: Wu Bo , Ge Xuming , Xie Linfu , Chen Wu
Published: August 2019

State-of-the-art visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques greatly facilitate three-dimensional (3D) mapping and modeling with the use of low-cost red-green-blue-depth (RGB-D) sensors. However, the effective range of such sensors is limited due to the working range
of the infra-red (IR) camera, which provides depth information, and thus the practicability of such sensors in 3D mapping and modeling is limited. To address this limitation, we present a novel solution for enhanced 3D mapping using a low-cost RGB-D sensor. We carry out state-of-the-art visual
SLAM to obtain 3D point clouds within the mapping range of the RGB-D sensor and implement an improved structure-from-motion (SfM) on the collected RGB image sequences with additional constraints from the depth information to produce image-based 3D point clouds. We then develop a feature-based
scale-adaptive registration to merge the gained point clouds to further generate enhanced and extended 3D mapping results. We use two challenging test sites to examine the proposed method. At these two sites, the coverage of both generated 3D models increases by more than 50% with the proposed
solution. Moreover, the proposed solution achieves a geometric accuracy of about 1% in a measurement range of about 20 m. These positive experimental results not only demonstrate the feasibility and practicality of the proposed solution but also its potential.
Geometric Calibration for the Aerial Line Scanning Camera GFXJ
Authors: Wang Tao , Zhang Yan , Zhang Yongsheng , Jiang Gangwu , Zhang Zhenghao , Yu Ying , Dou Lijun
Published: August 2019

The Gao Fen Xiang Ji (GFXJ) is the first Chinese self–developed airborne three–line array charge-coupled devices (CCD) camera and is designed to meet 8 cm ground sample distance (GSD), 0.5 m planimetry accuracy, and 0.28 m elevation accuracy for ground three-dimensional
(3D) points at a flight height of 2000 m. These values also meet the 1:1000 scale mapping requirements in China. However, the original direct geopositioning accuracy of the GFXJ is approximately 4 m in the planimetry direction and 6 m in the elevation direction. To meet the ground 3D point
accuracy requirements and improve the direct geopositioning accuracy of the GFXJ, this paper carries out a deep investigation on the GFXJ geometric calibration. This geometric calibration includes two main parts: the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) lever arms and inertial measurement
unit (IMU) boresight misalignment calibration, and the camera lens and CCD line distortion calibration. First, a brief introduction is given on the imaging properties of the GFXJ camera. Then, the GNSS lever arms and IMU boresight misalignment calibration models are built for the GFXJ camera.
Next, a piecewise self-calibration model based on the CCD viewing angle is established for the GFXJ lens and CCD line distortion calibration. Subsequently, an iterative two-step calibration scheme is proposed for the geometric calibration. Finally, experiments were implemented using multiple
flight blocks obtained in the Songshan remote sensing comprehensive field and the Hegang area of Heilongjiang Province. Through calibration experiments, geometric calibration values were obtained for the GNSS lever arms and IMU boresight misalignment. Reliable CAM files were independently
generated for the forward, nadir, and backward line arrays. The experiments showed that the proposed GNSS lever arms and IMU boresight misalignment calibration models and the piecewise self-calibration model had good applicability and effectiveness for the GFXJ camera. The proposed two-step
calibration scheme can significantly enhance the geometric positioning accuracy of the GFXJ camera. The original direct geopositioning accuracy of the GFXJ is approximately 4 m in the planimetry direction and 6 m in the elevation direction. Using the GNSS lever arms and the IMU boresight misalignment
calibration values and the CAM files, the positioning accuracy of the GFXJ camera can fulfill the 3D point accuracy requirements and the 1:1000 mapping accuracy requirements at a 2000 m flight height after aerial triangulation with only several ground control points. The planimetry accuracy
is approximately 0.2 m, and the elevation accuracy is less than 0.28 m. In addition, the calibration models and calibration scheme established in this paper can provide a reference for calibration studies on other airborne linear array CCD cameras.
Collaborative Sparse Coding with Smoothness Regularization for Hyperspectral-Image Classification
Authors: Liu Yang , Wang Ruisheng , Ji Xiaofei , Wang Yangyang
Published: August 2019

Hyperspectral-image (HSI) classification plays a key role in numerous applications in remote sensing, urban planning, and environmental monitoring. Sparse-representation models have been increasingly explored for HSI classification because of their compactness, flexibility, and discriminative
power. In this article, a novel HSI scheme is proposed based on collaborative sparse coding combined with smoothness regularization (CSCSR). First, based on the spatial piecewise continuity of HSIs, spectral-spatial preprocessing is performed to improve classification accuracy. Second, a collaborative
sparse-coding model with smoothness regularization is proposed and applied for HSI classification. In our model, the sparsity level and smoothness regularization are tuned to improve classification performance. In addition, weighted pixel similarities are computed in pixel neighborhoods and
then used to incorporate spatial information in the HSI classification scheme. A feature-sign search algorithm is used for sparse coding of feature descriptors. Experimental results on real HSI data sets demonstrate that the proposed CSCSR method effectively outperforms the current state-of-the-art
HSI classifiers in terms of both qualitative and quantitative metrics.
PPD: Pyramid Patch Descriptor via Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Wan Jie , Yilmaz Alper , Yan Lei
Published: August 2019

Local features play an important role in remote sensing image matching, and handcrafted features have been excessively used in this area for a long time. This article proposes a pyramid convolutional neural triplet network that extracts a 128-dimensional deep descriptor that significantly
improves the matching performance. The proposed approach first extracts deep descriptors of the anchor patches and corresponding positive patches in a batch using the proposed pyramid convolutional neural network. Following this step, the approaches chooses the closest negative patch for each
anchor patch and corresponding positive patch pair to form the triplet sample based on the descriptor distances among all other image patches in the batch. These triplets are used to optimize the parameters of the network using a new loss function. We evaluated the proposed deep descriptors
on two benchmark data sets (Brown and HPatches) as well as real image data sets. The results reveal that the proposed descriptor achieves the state-of-the-art performance on the Brown data set and a comparatively very high performance on the HPatches data set. The proposed approach finds more
correct matches than the classical handcrafted feature descriptors on aerial image pairs and is observed to be robust to variations in the viewpoint and illumination.
ANALISIS FLUKTUASI PEMAKAIAN AIR PDAM TIRTA MOEDAL KOTA SEMARANG WILAYAH STUDI DMA TEJOSARI DAN MEGA BUKIT MAS
Authors: Prasasti Riski Adyan , Samudro Ganjar
Published: August 2019

Setiap wilayah memiliki pemakaian air yang berbeda-beda pada setiap jam dan hari sebagai fluktuasi pemakaian air. Dengan pemakaian air yang berbeda-beda, maka sistem penyediaan air membutuhkan suplai air yang berbeda pula, sesuai dengan fluktuasi pemakaian air tiap wilayah. Dengan mengetahui fluktuasi pemakaian air, maka operasi sistem penyediaan air minum dapat direncanakan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan air. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk merencanakan operasional sistem penyediaan air secara efisien berdasarkan fluktuasi pemakaian air. Dalam penelitian ini, wilayah kajian adalah DMA Tejosari dan Mega Bukit Mas, PDAM Tirta Moedal Kota Semarang Cabang Semarang Selatan. Pengambilan data didapatkan dari pembacaan meter induk di wilayah studi selama tujuh hari. Hasil penelitian ini didapatkan bahwa jam puncak penggunaan air berada pada jam pertama air mengalir, dengan faktor jam puncak secara berturut-turut adalah 1,64 dan 1,68. Sedangkan untuk faktor harian maksimum kedua DMA sebesar 1,25. Selain untuk mengetahui faktor jam puncak dan harian maksimum, pembacaan meter induk juga bertujuan untuk mengetahui volume reservoir yang dibutuhkan yaitu sebesar 628,25 m3  untuk DMA Tejosari.
PENGELOLAAN LIMBAH BAHAN BERBAHAYA DAN BERACUN (B3) STUDI KASUSPT. HOLCIM INDONESIA, TBK NAROGONG PLANT
Authors: Utami Khurnia Tri , Syafrudin Syafrudin
Published: August 2019

PT Holcim Indonesia, Tbk merupakan perusahaan yang bergerak di bidang industri semen. Dalam kegiatan produsksinya, PT Holcim Indonesia, Tbk menghasilkan limbah bahan berbahaya dan beracun (B3), baik limbah padat maupun limbah cair. Pengelolaan limbah bahan berbahaya dan beracun tersebut berpedoman pada Peraturan Pemerintah No 101 tahun 2014 tentang Pengelolaan Limbah Bahan Berbahaya dan Beracun. Pengelolaan limbah padat bahan berbahaya dan beracun (B3) yang dilakukan oleh PT Holcim Indonesia, Tbk meliputi identifikasi dan inventarisasi, pengemasan, pelabelan dan pemberian simbol, penyimpanan, pengangkutan internal maupun kepada pihak ketiga dan pemanfaatan limbah B3. PT Holcim Indonesia Tbk. memanfaatkan sebagian besar limbah B3 yang dihasilkan dan limbah B3 dari pihak ketiga untuk digunakan sebagai substitusi bahan bakar maupun bahan baku di dalam proses produksi. Pemanfaatan yang dilakukan sesuai dengan peraturan dan izin yang berlaku.
POTENSI GAS RUMAH KACA CO2 PADA PENGOLAHAN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE DENGAN METODE BIODRYING
Authors: Hardyanti Nurandani , Hadiwidodo Mochtar , Saraswati Lutfi
Published: August 2019

Jumlah sampah di Indonesia semakin meningkat, seiring dengan peningkatan jumlah penduduk. Namun, pengolahan sampah di Indonesia masih berupa penimbunan sampah di TPA yang menimbulkan dampak negatif bagi lingkungan. Oleh karena itu diperlukan suatu pengolahan sampah alternatif yang dapat meminimalisir pencemaran salah satunya adalah pencemaran udara. Biodrying merupakan salah satu metode yang menawarkan solusi berkelanjutan untuk pengolahan sampah perkotaan. Namun, proses biodrying masih menghasilkan gas rumah kaca. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui  bagaimana pengaruh penambahan debit udara dan variasi debit udara terhadap parameter emisi gas rumah kaca, terutama CO2 pada pengolahan Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) dengan metode biodrying dan mengetahui berapa besar debit udara yang optimum untuk menghasilkan emisi gas CO2 yang paling minimum pada pengolahan Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)  dengan metode biodrying. Variasi debit udara pada penelitian ini adalah 0 l/m, 2 l/m, 3 l/m, 4 l/m, 5 l/m dan 6 l/m. Pengambilan sampel emisi dilakukan pada hari ke-1,ke-2, ke-15 dan ke-30. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah proses biodrying menghasilkan emisi dengan rata-rata CO2 sebesar 6214,66 ppm. Penambahan debit udara pada proses biodrying mampu menurunkan emisi CO2 sebesar 74,5%. Debit optimum yang diperoleh dari penelitian ini adalah sebesar 6 liter/menit