bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Route selection for a three-dimensional elevator using deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Hammoudeh Ahmad
Published: September 2019

While the car of the conventional elevator system moves only vertically in one dimension (up and down), the car of the three-dimensional elevator system travels in three perpendicular dimensions. The elevator moves through a vertical shaft to a certain floor and then the elevator serves multiple passengers distributed among different rooms at that floor. The controller decides which route should be taken to serve the passengers. This article proposes the use of deep reinforcement learning to select a route for the three-dimensional elevator. Deep reinforcement learning method learns from experiencing a large number of scenarios generated using Monte Carlo simulation offline. Once trained, deep reinforcement learning can select the route online. Numerical experimentations are used to show the superiority of deep reinforcement learning in finding an optimum or near optimum-route instantaneously. Although deep reinforcement learning is closer to finding the optimum route than other methods, finding an optimum route is not always guaranteed. Deep reinforcement learning has some limitations that include the long training time and the difficulties in training the neural networks.

Practical application:Multidimensional elevators have been of expanding interest to the elevator industry as well as to traffic analysis engineers. This article demonstrates that deep reinforcement learning surpasses other methods in finding an optimum or near-optimum route for the three-dimensional elevator, and it also overcomes the challenges of the non-intelligent methods. This article can help enterprises that develop multidimensional elevators in overcoming the challenges of the controller in addition to boosting the feasibility of multidimensional elevators.
Innate Lymphoid Cell–Dependent Airway Epithelial and Inflammatory Responses to Inhaled Ozone: A New Paradigm in Pathogenesis
Authors: Harkema Jack R. , Wagner James G.
Published: September 2019

Epidemiological associations have been made between the new onset of childhood rhinitis/asthma and exposures to elevated ambient levels of ozone, a commonly encountered gaseous air pollutant. Our laboratory was the first to find that mice repeatedly exposed to ozone develop nasal type 2 immunity and eosinophilic rhinitis with mucous cell metaplasia. More recently, we have found that these ozone-induced upper airway alterations are mediated by group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and not by T and B cells that are important in adaptive immune responses typically associated with allergic rhinitis and asthma. Furthermore, repeated exposures of mice to ozone cause ILC2-mediated type 2 immunity and airway pathology in the lungs, like those found in the nasal airways. Our recent findings in ozone-exposed mice complement and extend previous reports of nonallergic nasal airway disease in ozone-exposed rats and nonhuman primates. Overall, these experimental results in laboratory animals suggest a plausible ILC2-dependent paradigm for the toxicologic pathobiology that underlies the development of nonallergic rhinitis/asthma in children who live in environments with repeated occurrences of high ambient concentrations of ozone.
Entrepreneurial thinking and action in opportunity development: A conceptual process model
Authors: Clausen Tommy Høyvarde
Published: September 2019

This article develops a conceptual process model of how founders develop entrepreneurial ideas into opportunities. Drawing on translation theory, I conceptualise opportunity development as a process of translation between three interlinked but distinct entities over time: ostensive ideas (abstract entrepreneurial ideas), performative ideas (context-specific entrepreneurial ideas) and venture offerings. Whereas ostensive and performative ideas reside in the realm of conceptual and entrepreneurial thinking, venture offerings reside in actual business worlds and entrepreneurial action. The model identifies learning about the abstract nature of the entrepreneurial idea itself (ostensive) through lateral translation and abstraction and separates this from developing a concrete manifestation of the idea in time and space (performative) through vertical translation and concretisation. This is different from the venture offering, which is a specific empirical translation of the performative idea. Entrepreneurs receive feedback about the viability of the venture offering from social interaction that influence further opportunity development. The model portrays opportunity development as a triple-looped process driven by distinct types of translation, lateral, vertical and empirical. It clarifies the relationship between entrepreneurial ideas and entrepreneurial opportunities and maps the role of thinking and action in this regard.
Nonviolence beyond the state: International NGOs and local nonviolent mobilization
Authors: Gallo-Cruz Selina
Published: September 2019

Studies of nonviolence have taught us much about what makes nonviolence successful, emphasizing the importance of local circumstance and strategy. Little attention has been given to the effect of ties with international organizations on nonviolence: that is, how the embeddedness of local actors in global networks shapes nonviolent mobilization. In this article, a world society framework is applied with the objective of understanding the transnational factors shaping local nonviolent mobilization. Through global and historical models exploring political, economic, and cultural factors, it is found that: first, the global integration and structure of the nation-state is an important and significant factor in shaping the emergence of nonviolent movements; second, integration into global civil society networks significantly increases the likelihood for large-scale nonviolent resistance; and third, ties to a specialized network of nonviolent organizations significantly shape the path toward nonviolence over violent means of resistance.
Prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in suspected childhood tuberculosis in Shandong, China: a laboratory-based study
Authors: Zhou Xiao-Lin , Chen Qiao-Pei , Wang Mao-Shui
Published: September 2019

Objective

Currently, the prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in childhood tuberculosis (TB) in Shandong, China remains unclear. We retrospectively conducted laboratory-based surveillance in a high TB burden district, to analyze the local prevalence of MDR-TB in childhood TB.

Methods

We collected data, including microbiological results and demographic and disease information, using a questionnaire and medical records. We used the chi-squared test to compare the prevalence of MDR-TB in childhood TB between two periods: 2008 to 2013 and 2014 to 2018.

Results

In Shandong, the prevalence of MDR-TB in childhood TB was low, at 5.6%. Between 2008-2013 and 2014-2018 among children with TB, the prevalence of MDR-TB remained unchanged, the proportion with pulmonary TB decreased from 78.3% to 64.9%, and the proportion with a TB contact history decreased from 20.5% to 9.9%.

Conclusions

The prevalence of MDR-TB among childhood TB in Shandong, China was low and has remained stable over the past years. However, non-tuberculous mycobacterial diseases may be a new challenge in the management of suspected childhood TB.
Safety and tolerability of ubrogepant following intermittent, high-frequency dosing: Randomized, placebo-controlled trial in healthy adults
Authors: Goadsby Peter J , Tepper Stewart J , Watkins Paul B , Ayele Girma , Miceli Rosa , Butler Matthew , Severt Lawrence , Finnegan Michelle , Szegedi Armin , Trugman Joel M , Jakate Abhijeet
Published: September 2019

Background

Ubrogepant is a novel, oral calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist in development for the acute treatment of migraine. This trial evaluated the safety and tolerability of ubrogepant, focusing on hepatic safety, when administered intermittently with high-frequency dosing to healthy participants.

Methods

In this phase 1, multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group trial, healthy adults (age 18–50 years) were randomized 1:1 to placebo or ubrogepant. Ubrogepant was dosed at 100 mg (2 × 50 mg tablets) on 2 consecutive days followed by 2 consecutive days of placebo, alternating for 8 weeks. Primary outcome measures were safety and tolerability.

Results

Of participants randomized (n = 518), 516 were included in the safety population (n = 260 placebo; n = 256 ubrogepant). Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 45% of placebo and 44% of ubrogepant participants. The most common was headache (10% placebo; 11% ubrogepant). Overall, seven cases of alanine aminotransferase and/or aspartate aminotransferase levels ≥ 3 × the upper limit of normal (five placebo, two ubrogepant) were reported and adjudicated by a panel of independent liver experts blinded to treatment. Four cases were judged unlikely related to treatment. Two cases (one placebo, one ubrogepant) were judged possibly related, and one (ubrogepant) probably related. Alanine aminotransferase increases to ≥ 3 × the upper limit of normal in the two ubrogepant cases (possibly or probably related) were transient and resolved with continued dosing; both cases were asymptomatic, with no concurrent bilirubin elevation.

Conclusion

Ubrogepant was well tolerated following intermittent, high-frequency dosing in healthy participants, with no clinically relevant signal of hepatotoxicity.

Trial Registration

NA.
Outcomes of Hip Arthroscopic Surgery in Adolescents With a Subanalysis on Return to Sport: A Systematic Review
Authors: Chen Sarah L. , Maldonado David R. , Go Cammille C. , Kyin Cynthia , Lall Ajay C. , Domb Benjamin G.
Published: September 2019

Background:

There is a plethora of literature on outcomes after hip arthroscopic surgery in the adult population; however, outcomes in the adolescent population have not been as widely reported. Additionally, as adolescents represent a very active population, it is imperative to understand their athletic activity and return to sport after hip arthroscopic surgery.

Purpose:

To analyze patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after hip arthroscopic surgery in adolescents (aged 10-19 years) and present a return-to-sport analysis in the athletic adolescent subgroup.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to identify articles that reported PROs after hip arthroscopic surgery in adolescents. The standardized mean difference was calculated to compare the effect size of hip arthroscopic surgery on various PROs. For the athletic subgroup, a return-to-sport summary was also provided.

Results:

Ten studies, with 618 adolescent hips and a collective study period of December 2004 to February 2015, were included in this systematic review. Across all studies, the mean age was 15.8 years (range, 11.0-19.9 years), and female patients composed approximately 56.7% of the entire cohort. The mean follow-up was 34.5 months (range, 12-120 months). The modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) was reported in 9 studies, and at latest follow-up, scores were excellent in 4 studies (range, 90-95) and good in the remaining 5 studies (range, 82.1-89.6). All adolescents also showed significant improvement on the Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), the Hip Outcome Score–Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), the HOS–Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), the physical component of the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12P), a visual analog scale for pain (VAS), and both versions of the International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12 and iHOT-33) at latest follow-up ( P < .05). Further, mean improvements reported in all studies surpassed reported values of the minimal clinically important difference and patient acceptable symptomatic state for the mHHS, HOS-ADL, HOS-SSS, and iHOT-33. Finally, the collective return-to-sport rate among athletic adolescents was 84.9%.

Conclusion:

In the setting of labral tears and femoroacetabular impingement, hip arthroscopic surgery can safely be performed in adolescents and leads to significant functional improvement. Furthermore, athletic adolescents return to sport at high levels after hip arthroscopic surgery.
Oral Administration of Injectable Ketamine During Burn Wound Dressing Changes
Authors: Lintner Alicia C. , Brennan Phillip , Miles M. Victoria P. , Leonard Clinton , Alexander Kaitlin M. , Kahn Steven A.
Published: September 2019

Providing adequate analgesia during burn wound care is essential to patient-centered care. Both oral and intravenous (IV) ketamine are often used for analgesia and sedation. Ketamine may improve analgesia and decrease opioid requirements for burn wound care. Oral ketamine wafers and tablets have been used as a safe alternative internationally but are unavailable in the United States. The purpose of this study was to compare opioid usage and patient satisfaction scores in patients with and without the use of oral injectable ketamine for burn wound care, with each patient serving as their own control. Ketamine, opioid, and benzodiazepine dosages recorded during dressing changes were compared to dressing changes without ketamine use that occurred before and after ketamine-associated sessions in each patient. Fourteen patients received oral ketamine at a median (interquartile range [IQR]) dose of 2.5 (2.2-2.7) mg/kg. Ketamine use significantly decreased opioid requirements when compared to wound care sessions that did not use ketamine both before (50 [IQR: 30-75] mg vs 75 [IQR: 46–91] mg median IV morphine equivalents, P = .0097) and after (50 [IQR: 30-75] mg vs 63 [IQR: 50-96] mg median IV morphine equivalents, P = .0042) the ketamine-associated sessions. One patient experienced hallucinations, and no adverse events were observed. Hence, oral administration of injectable ketamine was associated with a decrease in opioid requirements during dressing changes. Additionally, ketamine use improved patient satisfaction ( P = .0034). Preliminary data suggest this promising analgesia method is safe and effective for burn wound care.
Israel, Guatemala, and the agricultural roots of an authoritarian internationalism
Authors: Cutipa-Zorn Gavriel
Published: September 2019

On Christmas Eve 2017, less than a month after President Donald Trump unilaterally announced his decision to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Guatemala announced that it would become the second country in the world to make the same move. This article locates the historical background to the recent embassy move in the building of model villages throughout Guatemala during the height of the Guatemalan Civil War. Throughout the early 1980s, Israeli agricultural and military advisors helped to militarize the Guatemalan highlands by training Guatemalan police and military to construct plantation-style model villages. Employing the language of rural development, these model villages became a core counterinsurgent tactic for former General Efrain Rios Montt’s infamous “scorched earth” policy. The article concludes by discussing how we practically cross our own mental barricades to refocus Palestine/Latinx solidarity movements toward agriculture. What possibilities are opened up when we stand from our grounded solidarities and commit to refuse exceptionalist narratives and single-issue organizing, particularly in our shared commitments to more effectively combat the ongoing practices of war-making and imperial violence?
Why Triple Helix governance is useful to dual apprenticeship systems
Authors: Coletti Michele
Published: September 2019

Apprenticeship is a contractual form of work-based learning that has existed for centuries, but despite its historical impact on innovation and competitiveness, it has been perceived as a system for the shop floor or low-skill jobs. The dual apprenticeship system combines school study with training on the job. Well developed in several European countries it can lead to highly qualified jobs, so attracting the interest of universities and other higher education institutions. Academic, business and government stakeholders working together enact a Triple Helix (TH) framework. This article analyses how the TH is suitable for the governance of apprenticeship systems and discusses the implications of the model.
Raw vibration signal pattern recognition with automatic hyper-parameter-optimized convolutional neural network for bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Li Heng , Zhang Qing , Qin Xianrong , Yuantao Sun
Published: September 2019

Bearing fault diagnosis is of great significance for evaluating the reliability of machines because bearings are the critical components in rotating machinery and are prone to failure. Because of non-stationarity and the low signal-noise rate of raw vibration signals, traditional fault diagnosis methods often construct representative fault features via the technologies of feature engineering. These methods rely heavily on expertise and are inadequate in actual applications. Recently, methods based on convolutional neural networks have been studied extensively to relieve the demands of hand-crafted feature extraction and feature selection. However, the raw vibration signal is rarely taken as a direct input. This study combines a convolutional neural network with automatic hyper-parametric optimization and proposes two deep learning models for time-series pattern recognition to achieve “end-to-end” bearing fault diagnosis: a one-dimensional-convolutional neural network and a dilated convolutional neural network. The architecture of the two models are tweaked by automatic optimization rather than manual trial or grid search. Further, we try to figure out the inner operating mechanism of the proposed methods by visualizing the automatically learned features. The proposed methods are applied to diagnose roller bearing faults on a benchmark experiment and a prototype experiment. The results verify that our methods can achieve better performance than other intelligent methods via a Gaussian-noise test.
Visual Search May Not Require Target Representation in Working Memory or Long-Term Memory
Authors: Li Zhi , Xin Keyun , Lou Jiafei , Li Zeyu
Published: September 2019

We spend a lot of time searching for things. If we know what we are looking for in advance, a memory representation of the target will be created to guide search. But if the identity of the search target is revealed simultaneously with the presentation of the search array, is a similar memory representation formed? In the present study, 96 observers determined whether a central target was present in a peripheral search array. The results revealed that as long as the central target remained available for inspection (even if only in iconic memory), observers reinspected it after each distractor was checked, apparently forgoing consolidation of the target into working memory. The present findings challenged the assumption that evaluating items in a search array must involve comparison with a template in working memory.
Effect of Shanxi pilot emission trading scheme on industrial soot and dust emissions: A synthetic control method
Authors: Cheng Xiao , Pu Yanping , Gu Ran
Published: September 2019

To launch the nationwide emission trading scheme, some provinces in China were approved to design their pilot work for emission trading scheme according to local circumstances. Shanxi Province is the only pilot area with provincial trading market for industrial soot and dust emissions. This paper investigates the effect of Shanxi Pilot emission trading scheme on industrial soot and dust emissions by using the synthetic control method. The idea behind the synthetic control approach is to construct a combination of comparison cities to approximate the emission paths that the cities in Shanxi would have experienced in the absence of the pilot emission trading scheme. We demonstrate that, following Shanxi Pilot emission trading scheme, industrial soot and dust emissions fell markedly in Taiyuan, Datong, and Linfen relative to the synthetic counterparts. The finding that emission trading scheme can help achieve emission reduction targets is shown to be robust to the reduction in the number of control units, placebo tests, and difference-in-differences estimation.
Cross-Cultural and Gender Invariance of Transdiagnostic Processes in the United States and Singapore
Authors: Zainal Nur Hani , Newman Michelle G. , Hong Ryan Y.
Published: September 2019

The Research Domain Criteria define cognitive and emotional processes (e.g., rumination, intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, emotion dysregulation) as key transdiagnostic elements of psychopathology. However, there is currently a dearth of construct equivalence studies on measures of these processes. We thus aimed to validate the latent structures of five transdiagnostic constructs using established and newer measures: two-factor Rumination–Reflection Questionnaire, six-factor Perseverative Cognitions Questionnaire, two-factor Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, three-factor Anxiety Sensitivity Index–3, two-factor Cognitive and Behavioral Processes Questionnaire (CBPQ). Measurement equivalence was examined across 292 American and 144 Singaporean undergraduates. Cross-cultural confirmatory factor analyses revealed strict invariance for all measures, with interfactor association differences on the Perseverative Cognitions Questionnaire and CBPQ. Across gender, full invariance was found on all measures except the CBPQ. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Strengths-Based Assessment for Suicide Prevention: Reasons for Life as a Protective Factor From Yup’ik Alaska Native Youth Suicide
Authors: Allen James , Rasmus Stacy M. , Fok Carlotta Ching Ting , Charles Billy , Trimble Joseph , Lee KyungSook ,   and the Qungasvik Team
Published: September 2019

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native youth, and within the Alaska Native youth subpopulation, the leading cause of death. In response to this public health crisis, American Indian and Alaska Native communities have created strategies to protect their young people by building resilience using localized Indigenous well-being frameworks and cultural strengths. These approaches to suicide prevention emphasize promotion of protective factors over risk reduction. A measure of culturally based protective factors from suicide risk has potential to assess outcomes from these strengths-based, culturally grounded suicide prevention efforts, and can potentially address several substantive concerns regarding direct assessment of suicide risk. We report on the Reasons for Life (RFL) scale, a measure of protective factors from suicide, testing psychometric properties including internal structure with 302 rural Alaska Native Yup’ik youth. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed the RFL is best described through three distinct first-order factors organized under one higher second-order factor. Item response theory analyses identified 11 satisfactorily functioning items. The RFL correlates with other measures of more general protective factors. Implications of these findings are described, including generalizability to other American Indian and Alaska Native, other Indigenous, and other culturally distinct suicide disparities groups.
Ultrasonographic honeycomb pattern of the spleen in cats: correlation with pathological diagnosis in 33 cases
Authors: Quinci Manuela , Sabattini Silvia , Agnoli Chiara , Bettini Giuliano , Diana Alessia
Published: September 2019

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the ultrasonographic (US) diffuse honeycomb pattern (HCP) of the spleen and a pathological diagnosis in cats, and to assess the influence of transducer type on HCP visualisation.

Methods

Abdominal ultrasounds of cats with an HCP were reviewed and splenic size, shape, margination, other parenchymal alterations and splenic hilar lymphadenopathy were recorded. When applicable, images acquired with high-frequency linear and curvilinear transducers were compared to determine if an HCP was more frequently demonstrated on high-resolution images. A retrospective review of the corresponding splenic cytohistopathological samples was also performed.

Results

Thirty-three cats met the inclusion criteria. Five cases were diagnosed by histology and 28 by cytology, confirmed by PCR for antigen receptor rearrangements (PARR) in uncertain cases. There were 15 cases of lymphoid hyperplasia, eight cases of lymphoma (four B cell, three T cell and one large granular lymphocytes), six cats with splenitis, three with extramedullary haematopoiesis and one with histiocytic sarcoma. The prevalence of lymphoma in cats with an HCP of the spleen was 24%. Splenomegaly was the most frequent US feature associated with an HCP and was observed in all lymphoma cases. In the images obtained from both high-frequency linear and micro-convex transducers the visualisation of an HCP was enabled in all cases (24/24) and in 62.5% (15/24), respectively.

Conclusions and relevance:

Based on our findings, a US HCP of the spleen in cats can be associated with benign and malignant disorders and is infrequently associated with lymphoma in comparison with dogs. Cytological or histological examination, possibly supplemented by PARR, should always be performed for diagnostic support. Use of high-frequency linear transducers is recommended to properly recognise an HCP or subtle changes in splenic parenchyma.
Structural behavior of joined hemispherical-cylindrical air-supported membrane structure under vertical loading deflation
Authors: Qing Qiang , Guo Xiao , Gong Jinghai , Li Zhongli
Published: September 2019

The structural behavior of an air-supported structure with long span and large volume probably experiencing severe deflation in a massive snow weather deserves in-depth assessment study for occupant’s safe evacuation. This article presents experimental and numerical studies on the loading deflation process of a 1:10 scale joined hemispherical-cylindrical air-supported structure, whereby three different sandbag loadings were respectively applied on the hemisphere in each test to study the effect of vertical loads to collapse process. Numerical models based on the vector form intrinsic finite element method were employed to predict the deflation responses of the structure under the three loading cases. The structural behavior was evaluated by the pressure response, the wrinkling distribution and development, and the structural collapse mode. A comparison of their pressure responses and structural deflated forms is made to evaluate the contribution of external loading to the deflation progress and the collapse mode. It is found that the pressure will decrease quickly first and then remain relatively stable at a higher level in response to a larger vertical load in addition to the membrane weight. Due to pressure reduction during deflation, the structure loses tension stress in vertical direction so that vertical wrinkles develop in addition to local wrinkles due to external loading. The vertical loading determines distribution of wrinkles in the structure hence produce different collapse progresses for the three loading deflation cases, and accordingly changes the residual pressure it needs to hold its deflated form. Accordingly, the study proposes a feasible method for residual pressure estimation by identifying the distribution of critical residual pressures at different heights from the equilibrium equation of vertical forces. The full-scale structure presents similar structural behaviors when subjected to snow loading deflation, and the feasible method is valid to predict its residual pressure.
Epistemic network injustice
Authors: Spiekermann Kai
Published: September 2019

To find out what is in one’s own best interest, it is helpful to ask one’s epistemic peers. However, identifying one’s epistemic peers is not a trivial task. I consider a stylized political setting, an electoral competition of ‘Masses’ and ‘Elites’. To succeed, the Masses need to know which alternative on offer is truly in their interest. To find out, the Masses can pool their privately held information in a pre-election ballot, provided that they can reliably find out with whom they should pool information. I investigate the process of finding the relevant peer group for information pooling by modelling this group formation process as dynamic network change. The simulations show that the Masses can succeed in finding the right peers, but they also suggest reasons why the Elites may often be more successful. This phenomenon generalizes to the notion of Epistemic Network Injustice. Such injustice arises when a subset of citizens is systematically deprived of connections to helpful epistemic peers, leading to their reduced political influence. Epistemic Network Injustice is a new form of epistemic injustice, related to but distinct from the notion introduced by Miranda Fricker.
Object and intention under Article 101 TFEU: Lessons from Australia, New Zealand and analytical jurisprudence
Authors: Kwok Kelvin Hiu Fai
Published: September 2019

What does it mean for an agreement to have an anticompetitive ‘object’ under Article 101(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union? Can the European Commission support an ‘object’ case by reference to the agreement parties’ subjective intention, and if so, how? What exactly is the relationship between an agreement’s object and the parties’ subjective intention under competition law? This article is the first to bring insights from Australian and New Zealand cases, as well as analytical jurisprudence, to bear on these underexplored yet important questions affecting the European Union and common law jurisdictions around the world. Using Ronald Dworkin’s theory of legal interpretation as the analytical basis, this article argues for a ‘mixed’ conception of the ‘object’ concept which enables an anticompetitive object to be proven either objectively or subjectively. Anticompetitive subjective intention accordingly provides an independent, alternative basis for competition law liability for agreements; the lack of such intention, meanwhile, does not help exculpate parties who are liable based on their objective purpose to restrict competition. This article also argues that voluntariness and evidentiary limits ought to be imposed on the use of anticompetitive subjective intention in the ‘object’ analysis of agreements.
A structural health monitoring system for data analysis of segment joint opening in an underwater shield tunnel
Authors: Tan Xuyan , Chen Weizhong , Wu Guojun , Wang Luyu , Yang Jianping
Published: September 2019

The opening of segment joints is considered critical for the stability analysis of a shield tunnel lining. In order to prevent tunnel disasters, an integrated framework was developed in this study based on the laboratory experiment, real-time monitoring, and statistic theory. As a case study, this presented method was employed in a typical underwater shield tunnel to prevent leakage disasters. The water pressure experiment was used to analyze the importance of joint openings for the tunnel waterproofing. Then, an automatic structural health monitoring system was installed in the study site to have real-time monitoring of segment joint opening and the variation of external load applied to the structure. Based on the monitoring data, a multiple linear regression model was developed to explain the response of joint opening to water pressure and temperature at the important positions of arch crown, spandrel, and hance of the tunnel. The multiple linear regression results were verified to be in agreement with those of the numerical simulation; they denote that (1) joint opening decreased with the rise in temperature, but increased with the rise in water pressure at arch crown and hance, and (2) the segment joint opening decreased with the rise in water pressure at spandrel. As a potential application, the developed model was applied to predict future behaviors of structure, which is vital to prevent disasters and provides a reference to underwater constructions.
The European Stability Mechanism and Domestic Preference Formation During the Eurocrisis: The Role of Non-Governmental Actors
Authors: Bojovic Jakov , Munta Mario , Puetter Uwe
Published: September 2019

This article addresses a gap in the Eurocrisis literature by investigating the role of important socio-economic actors, such as representatives from organised business and labour, as well as parliamentarians in determining governmental preferences on the European Stability Mechanism during the Eurocrisis and in more recent discussions on the future of the European Stability Mechanism. It is argued that the study of the roles of key interest groups, parliaments and public opinion adds important weight to existing studies and frameworks. It speaks particularly of studies which suggest that governments enjoyed important leeway in forming their preferences on the European Stability Mechanism and were driven predominantly by internal technocratic advice and their integration into EU-level structures of bureaucratic cooperation. The findings show that initial governmental preferences were not challenged by important interest groups and that where they were challenged by parliamentary actors, concessions did not affect the original principles of the European Stability Mechanism design.
The Influence of Item Characteristics on Acquiescence among Latino Survey Respondents
Authors: Davis Rachel E. , Lee Sunghee , Johnson Timothy P. , Conrad Frederick , Resnicow Ken , Thrasher James F. , Mesa Anna , Peterson Karen E.
Published: September 2019

Acquiescence is often defined as the systematic selection of agreeable (“strongly agree”) or affirmative (“yes”) responses to survey items, regardless of item content or directionality. This definition implies that acquiescence is immune to item characteristics; however, the influence of item characteristics on acquiescence remains largely unexplored. We examined the influence of eight item characteristics on acquiescence in a telephone survey of 400 Latinos and non-Latino Whites: qualified wording, mental comparisons, negated wording, unfamiliar terms, ambiguous wording, knowledge accessibility, item length, and polysyllabic wording. Negated and ambiguous wording was associated with reduced acquiescence for the full sample as well as subsamples stratified by ethnicity and sociodemographic characteristics. This effect was strongest among younger, more educated, and non-Latino white respondents. No other item characteristics had a significant influence on respondent acquiescence. Findings from this study suggest that acquiescence may be affected by interactions between respondent and item characteristics.
Development and Evaluation of a Blood Glucose Monitoring YouTube Video for Marshallese Patients Using a Community-Based Participatory Research Approach
Authors: McElfish Pearl A. , Rowland Brett , Riklon Sheldon , Aitaoto Nia , Sinclair Ka'imi A. , Ima Shumona , Kadlubar Susan A. , Goulden Peter A. , Hudson Jonell S. , Mamis Sammie , Long Christopher R.
Published: September 2019

The purpose of this study was to (a) describe the development of a culturally appropriate glucose monitoring video using a community-based participatory research approach and (b) assess the cultural appropriateness and effectiveness of the video. The topic of the video—using a glucometer and the importance of performing blood glucose checks—was chosen by Marshallese community stakeholders. The video was produced in Marshallese with English subtitles and disseminated through YouTube. Participants were recruited from August 16, 2016 to September 12, 2016 in a diabetes clinic that serves Marshallese patients in northwest Arkansas. Fifty participants completed a survey at pre- and postintervention, with questions capturing demographic information and questions on glucose monitoring self-efficacy using an adapted version of the Stanford Patient Education Research Center's Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale. Twenty of those participants who completed the survey also completed semistructured interviews that assessed cultural appropriateness and effectiveness of the video. Participants reported significant increases in self-efficacy related to glucometer use and the importance of performing blood glucose checks ( p < .001) and a 1.45% reduction in A1C between preintervention and 12 weeks postintervention ( p = .006). Qualitative results indicated the video was both culturally appropriate and effective. The findings of this study were consistent with evidence in the literature, which shows health education videos can be effective at improving health behaviors. Using a community-based participatory research approach to prioritize video topics, and including members of the community in the creation and dissemination of the videos, could aid in ensuring the videos are effective and culturally appropriate.
Visualizing effect modification on contrasts
Authors: Bruun Niels Henrik
Published: September 2019

A recurring problem in statistics is estimating and visualizing nonlinear dependency between an effect and an effect modifier. One approach to handle this is polynomial regressions of some order. However, polynomials are known for fitting well only in limited ranges. In this article, I present a simple approach for estimating the effect as a contrast at selected values of the effect modifier. I implement this approach using the flexible restricted cubic splines for the point estimation in a new simple command, emc. I compare the approach with other classical approaches addressing the problem.
intcount: A command for fitting count-data models from interval data
Authors: Pudney Stephen
Published: September 2019

In this article, I describe a community-contributed command, intcount, that fits one of several regression models for count data observed in interval form. The models available are Poisson, negative binomial, and binomial, and they can be fit in standard or zero-inflated form. I illustrate the command with an application to analysis of data from the UK Understanding Society survey on the demand for healthcare services.
Efficacy of Primary Stent-Graft Placement in the Treatment of Vascular Access Graft Outflow Tract Stenosis
Authors: Macchi Edoardo , Fontana Federico , Beneventi Alessandro , Curti Marco , Tagliaferri Chiara , Casamassima Nicola , Coppola Andrea , Piffaretti Gabriele , Tozzi Matteo , Genovese Eugenio Annibale , Piacentino Filippo
Published: September 2019

Purpose:

The aim of this study is to present our personal experience using covered nitinol stent-graft in the treatment of outflow tract stenosis of arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) for hemodialysis access.

Materials and Methods:

Between May 2015 and October 2017, we retrospectively evaluated 36 (24 males, 12 females; mean age: 65.6 years) patients with AVGs on hemodialysis who underwent percutaneous angioplasty followed by endovascular stent-graft deployment for the treatment of stenosis of the venous outflow of the AVG. Indication for treatment included early restenosis (<3 months after previous percutaneous transluminal angioplasty [PTA]), long stenosis (stenoses >50% extending for a length >5 cm), and recoil of the stenosis after PTA performed with a noncompliant high-pressure balloon. Of 36 patients, 27 (75%) required surgical thrombectomy prior to endovascular procedure. Technical success, clinical success, primary and secondary patency, and safety were evaluated.

Results:

Technical success was 100%, and clinical success was 94.4%. Primary patency was 94.4%, 72.2%, 63%, 45.9%, and 45.9% at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months (average: 215 days, range: 9-653 days); secondary patency was 94.4% and 86.1% at 1 and 3 months; 80.4% at 6, 12, and 18 months; and 53.6% at 24 months (average: 276.8 days, range: 9-744 days). No deaths were registered.

Conclusions:

In selected cases, the use of stent-graft represents an effective and safe solution for the treatment of stenotic complications of the venous outflow of AVGs, even in the setting of access thrombosis.
Functional Deficits in the Less-Impaired Arm of Stroke Survivors Depend on Hemisphere of Damage and Extent of Paretic Arm Impairment
Authors: Maenza Candice , Good David C. , Winstein Carolee J. , Wagstaff David A. , Sainburg Robert L.
Published: September 2019

Background. Previous research has detailed the hemisphere dependence and specific kinematic deficits observed for the less-affected arm of patients with unilateral stroke. Objective. We now examine whether functional motor deficits in the less-affected arm, measured by standardized clinical measures of motor function, also depend on the hemisphere that was damaged and on the severity of contralesional impairment. Methods. We recruited 48 left-hemisphere-damaged (LHD) participants, 62 right-hemisphere-damaged participants, and 54 age-matched control participants. Measures of motor function included the following: (1) Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JHFT), (2) Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT), and (3) grip strength. We measured the extent of contralesional arm impairment with the upper-extremity component of the Fugl-Meyer (UEFM) assessment of motor impairment. Results. Ipsilesional limb functional performance deficits (JHFT) varied with both the damaged hemisphere and severity of contralesional arm impairment, with the most severe deficits expressed in LHD participants with severe contralesional impairment (UEFM). GPT and grip strength varied with severity of contralesional impairment but not with hemisphere. Conclusions. Stroke survivors with the most severe paretic arm impairment, who must rely on their ipsilesional arm for performing daily activities, have the greatest motor deficit in the less-affected arm. We recommend remediation of this arm to improve functional independence in this group of stroke patients.
Brainwaves Oscillations as a Potential Biomarker for Major Depression Disorder Risk
Authors: Fernández-Palleiro Patricia , Rivera-Baltanás Tania , Rodrigues-Amorim Daniela , Fernández-Gil Sonia , del Carmen Vallejo-Curto María , Álvarez-Ariza María , López Marta , Rodriguez-Jamardo Cynthia , Luis Benavente Jose , de las Heras Elena , Manuel Olivares José , Spuch Carlos
Published: September 2019

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multidimensional disorder that is characterized by the presence of alterations in mood, cognitive capacity, sensorimotor, and homeostatic functions. Given that about half of the patients diagnosed with MDD do not respond to the various current treatments, new techniques are being sought to predict not only the course of the disease but also the characteristics that differentiate responders from non-responders. Using the electroencephalogram, a noninvasive and inexpensive tool, most studies have proposed that patients with MDD have some lateralization in brain electrical activity, with alterations in alpha and theta rhythms being observed, which would be related to dysfunctions in emotional capacity such as the absence or presence of responses to the different existing treatments. These alterations help in the identification of subjects at high risk of suffering from depression, in the differentiation into responders and nonresponders to various therapies (pharmacological, electroconvulsive therapy, and so on), as well as to establish in which period of the disease the treatment will be more effective. Although the data are still inconclusive and more research is needed, these alpha and theta neurophysiological markers could support future clinical practice when it comes to establishing an early diagnosis and treating state disorders more successfully and accurately of mood disorders.
Lubricity of paraffinic fuels additivated with conventional and non-conventional methyl esters
Authors: Rodríguez-Fernández José , Ramos Angel , Sánchez-Valdepeñas Jesus , Serrano Jose Ramon
Published: September 2019

Fuel lubricity prevents wear between metallic parts in relative motion inside the injection system of combustion engines. Among diesel fuels, paraffinic (gas-to-liquid or hydrotreated oils) and biodiesel (methyl esters) fuels are emerging since some of them are renewable and, in the case of paraffinic fuels, present excellent properties that can be exploited in compression ignition engines. However, the lubricant properties of raw paraffinic fuels are poor. This work explores the potential of individual methyl esters, found in different biodiesel fuels derived from a wide variety of sources, as lubricity additives for paraffinic fuels. Blends at 1% and 2% ester content in a surrogate of paraffinic fuel were tested under the standardized high-frequency reciprocating rig test for lubricity determination. Results confirm the extremely poor lubricity of the surrogate and that the wear scar diameter measured (the higher this, the lower the fuel lubricity) can be significantly reduced with any of the tested esters just at 1% concentration. Higher ester concentration (2%) does not always improve the lubricity further. The number of double bonds in the ester was revealed very significant, but to boost the lubricity of the blend and fulfill the limits set in fuel quality standards, two or more polyunsaturated esters are necessary.
Sequential or combined designs for Phase I/II clinical trials? A simulation study
Authors: Rossoni Caroline , Bardet Aurélie , Geoerger Birgit , Paoletti Xavier
Published: September 2019

Background:

Phase I and Phase II clinical trials aim at identifying a dose that is safe and active. Both phases are increasingly combined. For Phase I/II trials, two main types of designs are debated: a dose-escalation stage to select the maximum tolerated dose, followed by an expansion cohort to investigate its activity (dose-escalation followed by an expansion cohort), or a joint modelling to identify the best trade-off between toxicity and activity (efficacy–toxicity). We explore this question in the context of a paediatric Phase I/II platform trial.

Methods:

In series of simulations, we assessed the operating characteristics of dose-escalation followed by an expansion cohort (DE-EC) designs without and with reassessment of the maximum tolerated dose during the expansion cohort (DE-ECext) and of the efficacy–toxicity (EffTox) design. We investigated the probability to identify an active and tolerable agent, that is, the percentage of correct decision, for various dose-toxicity activity scenarios.

Results:

For a large therapeutic index, the percentage of correct decision reached 96.0% for efficacy–toxicity versus 76.1% for dose-escalation followed by an expansion cohort versus 79.6% for DE-ECext. Conversely, when all doses were deemed not active, the percentage of correct decision was 47% versus 55.9% versus 69.2%, respectively, for efficacy–toxicity, dose-escalation followed by an expansion cohort and DE-ECext. Finally, in the case of a narrow therapeutic index, the percentage of correct decision was 48.0% versus 64.3% versus 67.2%, respectively, efficacy–toxicity, dose-escalation followed by an expansion cohort and DE-ECext.

Conclusion:

As narrow indexes are common in oncology, according to the present results, the sequential dose-escalation followed by an expansion cohort is recommended. The importance to re-estimate the maximum tolerated dose during the expansion cohort is confirmed. However, despite their theoretical advantages, Phase I/II designs are challenged by the variations in populations between the Phase I and the Phase II parts and by the lagtime in the evaluation of toxicity and activity.