bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Asymptotic output tracking for a class of semilinear parabolic equations: A semianalytical approach
Authors: Yang Kaijun , Zheng Jun , Zhu Guchuan 
Published: February 2019

SummaryThis paper addresses the problem of asymptotic output tracking of a class of semilinear parabolic equations with pointwise in‐domain actuation. First, the assessment of the well‐posedness of the considered systems is performed, and then, the stability of boundary controlled systems is analyzed via Chaffee‐Infante equation and Fisher's equation. The application of the zero dynamics inverse design results in a dynamic control scheme that is implemented by using the technique of trajectory planning for flat systems and the Adomian decomposition method. The convergence of the solution of the original systems to that of the corresponding zero dynamics and the convergence of the solution expressed by an Adomian series are also analyzed. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed approach.
Reduction of matched and unmatched uncertainties for a class of nonlinear perturbed systems via robust control
Authors: Ordaz Patricio , Ordaz Mario , Cuvas Carlos , Santos Omar 
Published: February 2019

SummaryThe aim of this paper is to design a robust control for stabilization of a class of nonlinear perturbed system subject to matched and unmatched disturbances. Here, the concept of dynamic sliding mode control and the attractive ellipsoid method advantages are used to design a robust nonlinear control algorithm, which reduces considerably the perturbation effects. Hence, in finite time, the dynamic sliding mode control brings the system trajectory to a specific configuration. After this time, the controller reduces the perturbation effects by using the high‐gain control obtained in the attractive ellipsoid method. Thus, based on the solution of a specific matrix inequality, the feedback control of the system guarantees that the trajectory will be stabilized in the ultimate uniform bounded sense. To illustrate the theoretical results, a numerical example with a comparative study is introduced. Finally, the performance of the controller designed in this paper is tested on an electromechanical real‐time system.
Correlation‐adjusted regression survival scores for high‐dimensional variable selection
Authors: Welchowski Thomas , Zuber Verena , Schmid Matthias 
Published: February 2019

Background:The development of classification methods for personalized medicine is highly dependent on the identification of predictive genetic markers. In survival analysis, it is often necessary to discriminate between influential and noninfluential markers. It is common to perform univariate screening using Cox scores, which quantify the associations between survival and each of the markers to provide a ranking. Since Cox scores do not account for dependencies between the markers, their use is suboptimal in the presence of highly correlated markers.Methods:As an alternative to the Cox score, we propose the correlation‐adjusted regression survival (CARS) score for right‐censored survival outcomes. By removing the correlations between the markers, the CARS score quantifies the associations between the outcome and the set of “decorrelated” marker values. Estimation of the scores is based on inverse probability weighting, which is applied to log‐transformed event times. For high‐dimensional data, estimation is based on shrinkage techniques.Results:The consistency of the CARS score is proven under mild regularity conditions. In simulations with high correlations, survival models based on CARS score rankings achieved higher areas under the precision‐recall curve than competing methods. Two example applications on prostate and breast cancer confirmed these results. CARS scores are implemented in theRpackagecarSurv.Conclusions:In research applications involving high‐dimensional genetic data, the use of CARS scores for marker selection is a favorable alternative to Cox scores even when correlations between covariates are low. Having a straightforward interpretation and low computational requirements, CARS scores are an easy‐to‐use screening tool in personalized medicine research.
Optimising the two‐stage randomised trial design when some participants are indifferent in their treatment preferences
Authors: Walter Stephen D. , Turner Robin M. , Macaskill Petra 
Published: February 2019

Outcomes in a clinical trial can be affected by any underlying preferences that its participants have for the treatments under comparison and by whether they actually receive their preferred treatment. These effects cannot be evaluated in standard trial designs but are estimable in the alternative two‐stage randomised trial design, in which some patients can choose their treatment, while the rest are randomly assigned.We have previously shown that, when all two‐stage trial participants have a preferred treatment, the preference effects can be evaluated, in addition to the usual direct effect of treatment. We also determined criteria by which to optimise how many participants should be given a choice of treatment vs being randomised. More recently, we extended our methodology to allow for participants who are unable or unwilling to express a treatment preference if they are assigned to the choice group.In this paper, we show how to optimise the two‐stage design when some participants are undecided about their treatment. We demonstrate that the undecided group should be regarded as distinct in the analysis, to obtain valid estimates of the preference effects. We derive the optimal proportion of participants who should be offered a choice of treatment, which in many cases will be close to 50%. More generally, the optima depend on the preference rates for treatments and the proportion of undecided participants, and the parameters of primary interest. We discuss some advantages and disadvantages of the two‐stage trial design in this situation and describe a practical example.
8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol causes G1 cell cycle arrest and blocks granulocytic differentiation in HL‐60 cells
Authors: Wang Xia , Zhou Chenqian , He Bingnan , Kong Baida , Wei Lai , Wang Rong , Lin Jiajia , Shao Yiyan , Zhu Jianbo , Jin Yuanxiang , Fu Zhengwei 
Published: February 2019

AbstractFluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) are fluorinated intermediates used in manufacturing specialty polymer and surfactants, with 8:2 FTOH the homologue of largest production. FTOHs were found to pose acute toxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, developmental toxicity and endocrine‐disrupting risks, whereas research regarding immunotoxicity and its underlying mechanism, especially on specific immune cells is limited. Here, we investigated the immunotoxicity of 8:2 FTOH on immature immune cells in an in vitro system. We observed that exposure of HL‐60 cells, a human promyelocytic leukemic cell line, to 8:2 FTOH reduced cell viability in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. In addition, 8:2 FTOH exposure caused G1 cell cycle arrest in HL‐60 cells, while it showed no effect on apoptosis. Exposure to 8:2 FTOH inhibited the mRNA expression of cell cycle‐related genes, including CCNA1, CCNA2, CCND1, and CCNE2. Moreover, exposure to 8:2 FTOH inhibited the mRNA expression of granulocytic differentiation‐related genes of CD11b, CSF3R, PU.1, and C/EPBε in HL‐60 cells . Furthermore, 8:2 FTOH exhibited no effect on intracellular ROS level, while hydralazine hydrochloride (Hyd), one reactive carbonyl species (RCS) scavenger, partially blocked 8:2 FTOH‐caused cytotoxicity in HL‐60 cells. Overall, the results obtained in the study show that 8:2 FTOH poses immunotoxicity in immature immune cells and RCS may partially underline its mechanism.
Evolution of sustainable energy policies in India since 1947: A review
Authors: Bardhan Ronita , Debnath Ramit , Jana Arnab 
Published: February 2019

India's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions in 2015 toward the Two‐Degree Celsius climate change goal has endorsed 15% of renewable integration in the primary energy mix by 2020. The energy space is strategy to meet the target without affecting its immediate sustainable development goals. This study documents this strategic effort by tracking the historical trajectory of energy policy planning since its independence in 1947. An objective ontological approach was adopted in reviewing the evolution of energy policy into five distinct phases. Phase I (1947–1970), focused on supply adequacy with the overall thrust on infrastructure development as the pillar of Indian economy. In Phase II (the 1970s) the focus shifted in addressing the energy access crisis. Phase III (the 1980s) was based on increment, diversification, and streamlining on supplies for energy security purposes. Phase IV (the 1990s) is the period of modernization of the overall Indian electricity system. Phase V (the 2000s) is the present phase of market transformation and climate change mitigation energy policies. A co‐assessment of India's policy to the international climate negotiations showed that India remained responsive to international climate goals. It became reactive in the planning for sustainable energy policy after its ratification of Kyoto Protocol in 2001. Since then, India has been instrumental in administering strict emission reduction norms and efficiency measures. This review concludes that the country needs to upgrade its inefficient transmission and distribution networks, which was broadly neglected. The subsidy allocations in domestic energy resources should be well‐adjusted without compromising on its social costs.This article is categorized under:

Energy and Climate > Economics and Policy
Energy Infrastructure > Climate and Environment
Energy Policy and Planning > Climate and Environment
Differing Romani Mobilities? The Case of Cross-Border Migration of Roma Between Slovenia and Austria
Authors: Sardelić Julija 
Published: February 2019

AbstractDifferent public debates discuss the position of Roma in Europe as if they were one of the most mobile populations in Europe. The position of mobile Romani individuals became especially visible after the 2004 and 2007 European Union (EU) Enlargements. However, only a certain type of mobility of intra EU Romani migrants became particularly highlighted by the headlines of European Media: the one that more or less corresponded to a stereotypical image of a “Roma nomad” and depicted Roma as a potential threat to the social welfare systems of host states. This chapter argues that the reasons why Romani individuals become mobile are more complex and diverse than of those presented in the European public domain. The chapter traces life histories of Slovenian citizens who identify as Roma and have been mobile for work between Slovenia and Austria. It offers counter-narratives on how differing mobility practices of different Romani individuals are.
Conformism or Inadequacy of Roma Inclusion Policies? Missed Opportunities at the European and Local Levels
Authors: Magazzini Tina , Chiozza Enrica , Rossi Monica 
Published: February 2019

AbstractRoma populations have been part of European societies for centuries, yet they started to be perceived as a European “issue” in occasion of the 2004 and 2007 EU enlargement. In Eastern Europe several Roma, already struggling to cope with critical living conditions, fell into an ever-more negative spiral of deprivation as a result of the transition to an open market economy. The accession to the European Union eased internal migration of Roma from Central and Eastern Europe and triggered the emergence of problems associated with service provision of shelter, education and health. Meanwhile, those who found themselves in severe marginalized situations and could not afford to migrate began to be regarded as a “problem” for local authorities. The European Union has taken several soft policy actions to establish a framework for Roma integration, and has conditioned the use of structural funds to said strategies. The difficulty of implementing the National Roma Integration Strategy and of investing integration funds at the local level is however heavily affected by the lack of administrative capacity, political will, and practical obstacles. This chapter describes the EU efforts made in this field, focusing on the need to involve the local level through the concrete case of the ROMACT programme.
When Housing Policies Are Ethnically Targeted: Struggles, Conflicts and Contentions for a “Possible City”
Authors: Manca Marianna , Vergnano Cecilia 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIn November 2011 the Italian Council of State declared unlawful the state of emergency concerning Roma settlements that had been in force since 2008. This decision gave rise to a new political phase, which started in 2012, characterized by a new National Strategy for the Inclusion of Roma people. One year later, in the city of Turin, the still unspent financial resources that had been assigned to the ‘emergency’ were converted into funds for ‘Roma inclusion’. This chapter addresses the question of how the implementation of the National Strategy at the local level was influenced by the so-called ‘Roma emergency’ politics. Through fieldwork in the informal slum of Lungo Stura Lazio, which has turned into the biggest rehousing project ever implemented in the city, called La Città Possibile (The Possible City) we were able to detect the persistence of an emergency, punitive and strongly selective logic at work, applied to a neoliberal approach to housing policies. The role played by local NGOs has been particularly significant in the reproduction of this logic, through the arbitrary selection between “good” (deserving) and “bad” (undeserving) Roma. The investigation was carried out between 2011 and 2016 and is based on ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews with 25 camp dwellers, 12 civil servants, 11 social workers from private NGOs, and 4 civil-society actors from grassroots movements.
Dwelling in Limbo. Temporality in the Governance of Romani Migrants in Spain
Authors: Vrăbiescu Ioana 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis chapter engages with the current debate on Romani mobility and Spanish state practices of implementing socio-educational programs and camp housing to migrant EU citizens. Taking the Madrid city as a case study, this chapter documents and analyses temporary devices of governance that both limit and force the mobility of Romani families from Romania. Implemented by local authorities through specific policies, temporary devices of governance deliver an enforced pressure on Romani migrants who are seen as prospective “failed” subjects of integration and potential returnees. While deterring migrants from accessing territorial social benefits, local authorities and private companies acting as state proxi assign Romani families a “social contract” that aims for their integration. The authorities not only implement problematic policies, but they interpret and label the mobility of Romani as a characteristic of their “provisional” way of living and dwelling. Following Cabot (2012) and Ringel (2016) on the temporality of governance and scholarship on the anthropology of time (Munn 1992; Fabian 2014), I aim to show two entangled processes in local governance: the subject formation of Romani migrants as an ethnicized mobile minority, and the long-term adverse results of project-based, profit-oriented social work. Romani migrants have become the target of a new type of social engineering by bringing into question the establishment of citizenship: agreeing to the social contract not only presumes that Romani migrants are not members of the same community, but also suggests that their lives have a different temporality.
The Migrating Poor: Romanian Roma Under Social Authoritarianism in Poland
Authors: Kostka Joanna 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis chapter critically examines the discourse on “Roma exclusion” in the context of European migration policy, presenting key findings from the case study of Romanian Roma migrants in a city of Wroclaw in Poland. The concept of “Roma exclusion” has come to dominate political discussions about the marginalization of the largest European minority. Placed at the centre of the European Union political agenda it recognized that Roma poverty has multiple and interrelated causes, which require multifaceted policy responses. Nevertheless, while the concept has acquired strategic connotations, by stressing socio-economic processes, it has remained open to different interpretation influenced by political perceptions of Roma identity, migration as well as domestic policy approaches to integration. The pivotal instability in the discourse concerns the question of whether exclusion entitles an individual or a group to seek opportunities through migration and whether receiving countries are obliged to provide necessary support. Building on equality scholarship, this chapter argues that portrayal of Roma as “welfare migrants” who move across Europe exploiting generosity of welfare states, legitimizes hostile public interventions that negate official commitments to the Free Movement principle. The case of Wroclaw has received unprecedented political and media attention and demonstrates that anti-Gypsy discourse is used to mask unwillingness and inability of the state to design and implement coherent migration strategies, reflective of the European principles and recommendations. It also shows that “migration panic” is equally strong in the new EU members, largely unprepared to act as receiving countries.
Ultrasound is an Alternative to X-ray for Diagnosing Developmental Dysplasia of the Hips in 6-Month-Old Children
Authors: Kitay Alison , Widmann Roger F. , Doyle Shevaun M. , Do Huong T. , Green Daniel W. 
Published: February 2019

Background Infants previously treated for developmental dysplasia of the hips (DDH) are routinely imaged with ultrasound initially and reimaged with an anteroposterior (AP) pelvis X-ray at 6 months of age to assess for dysplasia. It has become convention to transition from ultrasound to AP X-ray at 6 months of age, but no study has demonstrated that ultrasound is inadequate at this age. Question/Purpose The purpose of this study was to confirm that ultrasound for the 6-month DDH evaluation is a feasible alternative to the standard X-ray. Patients and Methods Thirty-one 5- to 7-month-old infants undergoing AP pelvis X-ray related to previous Pavlik harness treatment for DDH or to a history of breech presentation were prospectively enrolled. All patients were imaged with an AP pelvis X-ray and bilateral hip ultrasounds. Three senior orthopedic surgeons unfamiliar with the patient histories evaluated both types of imaging for standard measures of hip dysplasia, including acetabular index (AI), alpha angle, and bony rim percent coverage of the femoral head. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for the X-ray and ultrasound measures. Results Good quality ultrasound images were obtained in all patients, despite the presence of the ossific nucleus in 66% of the hips. All three reviewers correctly diagnosed the one dislocated hip via both X-ray and ultrasound. There were no false negatives on ultrasound, and none of the patients with negative ultrasounds required treatment during the mean 26 months of follow up. An increased AI on X-ray was correlated with lower percent coverage of the femoral head on ultrasound. Conclusions Ultrasound is a technically feasible DDH imaging modality that can be used as an alternative to X-ray for 6-month-olds.
Towards Ethical Guidelines of Using Telepresence Robots in Residential Care
Authors: Niemelä Marketta , van Aerschot Lina , Tammela Antti , Aaltonen Iina , Lammi Hanna 
Published: February 2019

AbstractRobotic telepresence is a potential technology to help alleviating the loneliness of elderly people. The impacts of long-term use of telepresence robots in residential care are not well known. We were interested in how using a telepresence robot influences the resident, family members and care workers at a facility, and what challenges and solutions there are for wider adoption of such robots in residential care. With a telepresence robot Double, we arranged a series of three trials in two separate residential care facilities: one 12-week trial in a private facility and two successive 6-week trials in a public facility. In each trial, we installed the telepresence robot in a room of a long-term care home resident for communicating with her/his family members. Based on the results, telepresence robots do increase presence and possibly engagement of family members in residential care, but privacy is a central concern. The mobility of a telepresence robot is hard to utilize in residential care, and to be able to do so, ethical consideration and guidelines are needed. We provide a draft of such ethical guidelines.
Internet of Things – striking the balance between competition and security
Authors: Rutherford Robert 
Published: February 2019

With a growing number of companies now recognising the vast benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is critical they put in place the right measures to protect their cyber security against the rising risk of scammers. With a growing number of companies now recognising the vast benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is critical they put in place the right measures to protect themselves against scammers. As the pressure to increase the level of connectivity intensifies, so too does the opportunity for systems to become compromised. It is vital that in their efforts to monetise services and keep pace with competitors, businesses are not overwhelmed by the applications on offer and become unwittingly vulnerable. The challenge is to strike a balance between enhancing their proposition and continuing to protect their security, explains Robert Rutherford of QuoStar.
THE HARRINGTON–SHELAH MODEL WITH LARGE CONTINUUM
Authors: GILTON THOMAS , KRUEGER JOHN 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe prove from the existence of a Mahlo cardinal the consistency of the statement that 2ω = ω3 holds and every stationary subset of ${\omega _2}\mathop \cap \nolimits {\rm{cof}}\left( \omega \right)$ reflects to an ordinal less than ω2 with cofinality ω1.
A SEPARATION RESULT FOR COUNTABLE UNIONS OF BOREL RECTANGLES
Authors: LECOMTE DOMINIQUE 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe provide dichotomy results characterizing when two disjoint analytic binary relations can be separated by a countable union of ${\bf{\Sigma }}_1^0 \times {\bf{\Sigma }}_\xi ^0$ sets, or by a ${\bf{\Pi }}_1^0 \times {\bf{\Pi }}_\xi ^0$ set.
Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (55 Gy in 20 fractions) for high-grade laryngeal dysplasia: report of acute toxicity and functional outcome
Authors: Kovarik J , Bhabra M , Tin A W , Shaikh G , Iqbal M S 
Published: February 2019

AbstractObjectiveRadiotherapy is an option to treat high-grade laryngeal dysplasia. This study aimed to evaluate the use of intensity-modulated radiotherapy, 55 Gy in 20 daily fractions, in treating this disease.MethodsAcute toxicity was evaluated in all 14 patients treated. In 10 patients, functional voice outcome was measured using the Voice Handicap Index, and the Grade, Roughness, Breath, Asthenia, Strain (‘GRBAS’) scale. These measurements were performed pre-treatment and three months after intensity-modulated radiotherapy.ResultsAll but one patient managed to complete radiotherapy. Acute toxicity was significant (one patient developed grade 4 and three patients developed grade 3 dysphagia). Four patients required hospital admission. In 9 out of 10 patients, radiotherapy improved voice quality.ConclusionThis radiotherapy regimen using intensity-modulated radiotherapy for laryngeal dysplasia is feasible and provided excellent functional outcome, but acute toxicity was significant. Dose de-escalation can be considered in the framework of clinical trials.