bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Can Yardstick Competition Reduce Waiting Times?
Authors: Savva Nicos , Tezcan Tolga , Yıldız Özlem 
Published: January 2019

Yardstick competition is a regulatory scheme for local monopolists (e.g., hospitals), where the monopolist’s reimbursement is linked to performance relative to other equivalent monopolists. This regulatory scheme is known to provide cost-reduction incentives and serves as the theoretical underpinning behind the hospital prospective reimbursement system used throughout the developed world. This paper uses a game-theoretic queueing model to investigate how yardstick competition performs in service systems (e.g., hospital emergency departments), where in addition to incentivizing cost reduction the regulator wants to incentivize waiting time reduction. We first show that the form of cost-based yardstick competition used in practice results in inefficiently long waiting times. We then demonstrate how yardstick competition can be appropriately modified to achieve the dual goal of cost and waiting-time reduction. In particular, we show that full efficiency (first-best) can be restored if the regulator makes the providers’ reimbursement contingent on their service rates and is also able to charge a provider-specific “toll” to consumers. More important, if such a toll is not feasible, as may be the case in healthcare, we show that there exists an alternative and particularly simple yardstick-competition scheme, which depends on the average waiting time only, that can significantly improve system efficiency (second-best). This scheme is easier to implement because it does not require the regulator to have detailed knowledge of the queueing discipline. We conclude with a numerical investigation that provides insights on the practical implementation of yardstick competition for hospital emergency departments, and we also present a series of modelling extensions. The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2018.3089 . This paper was accepted by Serguei Netessine, operations management.
On the Control of Fork-Join Networks
Authors: Özkan Erhun , Ward Amy R. 
Published: January 2019

Networks in which the processing of jobs occurs both sequentially and in parallel are prevalent in many application domains, such as computer systems, healthcare, manufacturing, and project management. The parallel processing of jobs gives rise to synchronization constraints that can be a main reason for job delay. In comparison with feed-forward queueing networks that have only sequential processing of jobs, the approximation and control of networks that have synchronization constraints is less understood. One well-known modeling framework in which synchronization constraints are prominent is the fork-join processing network. Our objective is to find scheduling rules for fork-join processing networks with multiple job types in which there is first a fork operation, then activities that can be performed in parallel, and then a join operation. The difficulty is that some of the activities that can be performed in parallel require a shared resource. We solve the scheduling problem for that shared server (that is, which type of job to prioritize at any given time) when that server is in heavy traffic and prove an asymptotic optimality result.The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/moor.2018.0935 .
UMA ANÁLISE DA CRISE DO ESTADO DE DIREITO A PARTIR DA ORDEM MONETÁRIA / ANALYSIS OF THE CRISIS OF THE RULE OF LAW FROM THE MONETARY ORDER
Authors: Do Amaral Marcelo Quevedo 
Published: January 2019

O processo de desterritorialização e perda de soberania que caracteriza a “crise do Estado”, cuja ênfase se dá com as transformações definidas como “financeirização”, também pode ser analisado a partir da perspectiva da evolução da ordem monetária. O deslocamento do sistema capitalismo de uma dinâmica produtiva para a financeira trouxe consigo a questão do financiamento do Estado e da dívida pública para o centro do debate na atualidade. Esse debate envolve a legitimidade democrática, a transparência e/ou o déficit democrático existente nas instituições responsáveis pela gestão da política monetária. Esses pontos representam um grande desafio à sociedades balizadas pelo ideal do Estado democrático de direito. Dentro de uma perspectiva hermenêutica-jurídica, o desafio é propor respostas orientadas por uma interpretação integral e interdependente, partindo da premissa que a transparência e o controle social da ordem monetária são elementos indispensáveis à efetividade do ideal democrático e republicano dentro de um projeto Estatal e\ou pós-Estatal.
Does electronic decision support influence advanced life support in simulated cardiac arrest?
Authors: Jones Ian , Ann Hayes Julie , Williams Janet , Lonsdale Hannah 
Published: January 2019

Introduction: In-hospital cardiac arrest is common but survival rates vary considerably. The reasons for this may relate to human factors. Decision support systems and tools have been suggested as a means of reducing human errors and improving outcomes. Methods: This study aimed to: investigate if an electronic decision support system (eDSS) influenced advanced life support (ALS) in a simulated in-hospital cardiac arrest scenario; and explore practitioners' views of their performance with and without the eDSS. Teams of nurses and student nurses managed two scenarios with and without using an eDSS, and their adherence to an ALS protocol was assessed. Teams then took part in group interviews. Results: Teams using the eDSS were more likely to adhere to the drug and shock administration elements of the ALS protocol but were less safe in doing so, which may have been because they were unfamiliar with it. The interviews yielded one overarching theme—team working—and three subthemes of team performance and dynamics, team leader performance and areas for development. Some considered the eDSS as a source of reassurance that supported organisation and communication, while others found it a distraction; reduced situational awareness was observed when it was used. Conclusion: While an eDSS can support practitioners managing a simulated cardiac arrest, it is important to test prototypes in extensive simulation-based situations before they are used in clinical practice.
Examining the results of cardiovascular outcome trials
Authors: Holmes Patrick 
Published: January 2019

The second in a series of three articles, Patrick Holmes reports on the results of several cardiovascular outcome trials and summarises them class by class This article takes a look at the recent type 2 diabetes cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs), and attempts to summarise the results class by class. This is the second in a series of three articles, the third and final article will look at the recently published American Diabetes Association/European Association for the Study of Diabetes position statements as well as where to tailor glucose management in type 2 diabetes to improve patient-orientated outcomes.
Trifocal versus bifocal bone transport in treatment of long segmental tibial bone defects
Authors: Catagni M. A. , Azzam W. , Guerreschi F. , Lovisetti L. , Poli P. , Khan M. S. , Di Giacomo L. M. 
Published: January 2019

AimsMany authors have reported a shorter treatment time when using trifocal bone transport (TFT) rather than bifocal bone transport (BFT) in the management of long segmental tibial bone defects. However, the difference in the incidence of additional procedures, the true complications, and the final results have not been investigated.Patients and MethodsA total of 86 consecutive patients with a long tibial bone defect (≥ 8 cm), who were treated between January 2008 and January 2015, were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 45 were treated by BFT and 41 by TFT. The median age of the 45 patients in the BFT group was 43 years (interquartile range (IQR) 23 to 54).ResultsThe size of the bone defect was significantly longer (p = 0.005), the number of previous operations was significantly higher (p < 0.001), the operating time was significantly longer (p < 0.001), and the bone transport distance was significantly increased (p = 0.017) in the TFT group. However, the external fixation time (p < 0.001), the healing index (p < 0.001), the number of additional procedures (p = 0.013), and the number of true complications (p < 0.001) were significantly reduced in this group. Both groups achieved highly satisfactory bone and functional results.ConclusionTFT can significantly reduce the treatment time, the number of additional surgical procedures, and true complications compared with BFT in the treatment of long segmental tibial bone defects.
Preoperative bisphosphonate treatment may adversely affect the outcome after shoulder arthroplasty
Authors: Mai D. H. , Oh C. , Doany M. E. , Rokito A. S. , Kwon Y. W. , Zuckerman J. D. , Virk M. S. 
Published: January 2019

Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of preoperative bisphosphonate treatment on the intra- and postoperative outcomes of arthroplasty of the shoulder. The hypothesis was that previous bisphosphonate treatment would adversely affect both intra- and postoperative outcomes. Patients and Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving patients undergoing arthroplasty of the shoulder, at a single institution. Two patients with no previous bisphosphonate treatment were matched to each patient who had received this treatment preoperatively by gender, age, race, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), and type of arthroplasty. Previous bisphosphonate treatment was defined as treatment occurring during the three-year period before the arthroplasty. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of intraoperative complications and those occurring at one and two years postoperatively. A total of 87 patients were included: 29 in the bisphosphonates-exposed (BP+) group and 58 in the non-exposed (BP-) group. In the BP+ group, there were 26 female and three male patients, with a mean age of 71.4 years (51 to 87). In the BP- group, there were 52 female and six male patients, with a mean age of 72.1 years (53 to 88). Results Previous treatment with bisphosphonates was positively associated with intraoperative complications (fracture; odds ratio (OR) 39.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.42 to 6305.70) and one-year postoperative complications (OR 7.83, 95% CI 1.11 to 128.82), but did not achieve statistical significance for complications two years postoperatively (OR 3.45, 95% CI 0.65 to 25.28). The power was 63% for complications at one year. Conclusion Patients who are treated with bisphosphonates during the three-year period before shoulder arthroplasty have a greater risk of intraoperative and one-year postoperative complications compared with those without this previous treatment.
A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Rebamipide Plus Lansoprazole for the Treatment of Postendoscopic Submucosal Dissection Ulcers
Authors: Yan Bin , Lu Zhongsheng , Ge Zhizheng , Liu Side , Guo Xuegang , Tian Dean , Yang Yuxiu , Li Xiaobo , Gong Wei , Liu Zhiguo , Liu Mei , Zhou Bingxi , Zhao Kabing , Pan Fei , Yang Jing , Yang Yunsheng 
Published: January 2019

OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the healing efficacy of rebamipide and lansoprazole combination therapy with lansoprazole alone for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)–induced ulcers and clarify the ulcer healing-associated factors.

METHODS:
Three hundred patients were randomized into control and experimental groups after they underwent ESD. The patients received intravenous pantoprazole (30 mg) every 12 hours and oral rebamipide (100 mg, experimental group) or placebo (control group) 3 times daily on days 1–3. On days 4–56, patients received oral lansoprazole (30 mg daily) and rebamipide (100 mg) or placebo 3 times daily. Endoscopic evaluations were performed at postoperative weeks 4 and 8.

RESULTS:
At week 4, the ulcer reduction rate was significantly higher in the experimental than in the control group (0.97 ± 0.034 vs. 0.94 ± 0.078; P < 0.001). The ulcer healing (18.2% vs 20.3%; P = 0.669) and ulcer improvement rates (94.2% vs 88.7%; P = 0.109) in the 2 groups were not significantly different. At week 8, the ulcer healing and ulcer improvement rates were 90.6% and 100%, respectively, in both groups. Multivariate analysis showed that the combination treatment was an independent factor associated with ulcer area reduction after ESD. The maximum diameter of the initial ulcer (≥35.5 mm vs <35.5 mm) was an independent factor associated with the ulcer improvement rate after ESD.

CONCLUSIONS:
The rebamipide and lansoprazole combination therapy can help accelerate the reduction rate of post-ESD ulcer compared with the lansoprazole monotherapy at 4 weeks of therapy.
Paget’s disease of bone, biphosphonates and jaw osteonecrosis: a case report
Authors: Magremanne Michele , Grysolle Anne , Reychler Hervé 
Published: January 2019

Objective: Paget’s disease of bone is characterized by a focal increase in bone
resorption and accelerated bone formation leading to a weaker and disorganised bone. Bisphosphonates (BPs) have been the treatment of choice of Paget’s disease since the 1990s. Medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a rare event in non oncologic patients. We describe a rare case of Paget’s disease
involving the maxilla with osteonecrosis in a context of bisphosphonate treatment.

Case report: an 87-year-old woman presented with 4 episodes of bone necrosis in 15 years. In this case report there is a clear chronologic association between the occurrence of MRONJ and the administration of iv BP for Paget’s disease.
Maxillofacial involvement of Paget’s disease occurs in less than 15% of cases. There is a lack of information in the literature about the association of MRONJ and Paget’s disease. Even if osteonecrosis of the jaw could be a consequence of the
disease, in this case, it is more in relation to the BP treatment.

Conclusions: Although MRONJ might be considered a rare condition in Paget’s disease, patients prior to starting antiresorptive therapy and in particular iv BPs should have a complete dental examination and panoramic X-Ray.

Nemesis relevance: side effect of bisphosphonate treatment
An Action Research Aiming to Reveal the Effects of Paired Reading on Eliminating Reading Difficulties
Authors: YILMAZ Muamber , KADAN Ömer Faruk 
Published: January 2019

The effects of paired reading on developing reading skill of a student who had difficulty in reading were researched in the study. The study designed as an action research was carried out with one 5th grader having reading difficulty and studying at Bartın Gazi Secondary School in the second term of 2016-2017 academic year. First, the student was asked to read two informative reading texts – Trash (Çöpler) and Recycling (Geri Dönüşüm) – in the 5th grade Turkish coursebook , and his reading was recorded in order to determine his reading level. His reading level was scored based on the error analysis inventory. It was found that his reading level was at anxiety level. Next, the student was asked to read an informative text entitled “Traveler Turtle is in Denizli (Gezgin Kaplumbağa Denizli’de)” in the 4th grade Turkish coursebook. It was seen that the student was still at anxiety level. Then, he was asked to read an informative text entitled “Traffic Rules (Trafik Kuralları)” in the 3rd grade Turkish course book. The instruction period was 30 hours in total – 5 hours a week. At the end of the reading instruction period, the student was asked to read a text entitled “Domestic Goods (Yerli Malı)” selected from the 3rd grade Turkish course book. It was revealed that the student’s reading level reached independent level.
Narratives of Sri Lankan Displaced Tamils Living in Welfare Centres in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Authors: Chattoraj Diotima 
Published: January 2019

This article addresses the kind of attachment that the Sri Lankan Tamil IDPs, refugeed in the welfare centers of Jaffna, have to their Ur/homes in the post-war era. This article is to explore, how they describe the meaning of attachment to their Ur even after two decades of displacement and how this is related to the negotiations with displacement. To understand this relationship, I used the concept of attachment to analyze my collected data. The qualitative materials are drawn from the data collected during my ethnographic field-visit in Jaffna in February-March 2013. The focus is on narrative interviews with IDPs staying at the welfare centers in Jaffna. This article discusses in detail the narrative of an IDP who spoke on behalf of several others who were in the same situation and staying at the center since the early 1990s. From his narrative, I show their intense sense of attachment not only to their Urbut also to the memories and emotions which are related to their Ur. I argue that the meaning of Urand attachment to it, has remained unchanged for this group of population in Jaffna due to socio-economic reasons and aspirations to a good life.
Planned Solvency III Regulation: Should It Be Adopted Outside the European Union?
Authors: Zweifel Peter 
Published: January 2019

Abstract
Several countries outside the European Union consider adopting its solvency regulation for their insurance industries. However, Solvency I and (to a lesser extent) Solvency II were found to run the risk of inducing more rather than less risk-taking by insurers (Zweifel, Peter. 2014. “Solvency Regulation of Insurers: A Regulatory Failure?” Journal of Insurance Issues 37 (2): 135–157.). Companies are led to neglect parameters that link them to developments in the capital market when determining their endogenous perceived efficiency frontier (EPEF), causing it to become steeper. Given homothetic risk preferences, senior management is predicted to opt for increased rather than reduced volatility. By way of contrast, if modeled after Basel III for banks, planned Solvency III will ask insurers to take developments in the capital market into account in their formulation of business strategies designed to ensure solvency (Principle 5 of Basel III). In addition, the stipulated decrease in their leverage ratio is shown to reduce the slope of the EPEF for insurers with little solvency capital. Contrary to its predecessors, Solvency III is therefore predicted to make insurers take on less risk, which argues for its for adoption beyond the European Union if properly implemented.
Transmission Performance Comparison of 16*100 Gbps Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed Long Haul Optical Networks at Different Advance Modulation Formats under the Influence of Nonlinear Impairments
Authors: Ali Farman , Khan Yousaf , Shafique Qureshi Shahryar 
Published: January 2019

Abstract
Higher spectral efficiency and data rate per channel are the most cost-effective approaches to meet the exponential demand of data traffic in optical fiber network communication system. In this paper, diverse modulation formats are analyzed for Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed system at 100 Gbps * 16=1600 Gbps data rates. The performance analysis of proffered system for Non-Return to Zero, Return to Zero, Carrier- Suppressed Return to Zero and Duo binary RZ with duty cycle 0.5 to 0.7 ranges like modulation formats are considered to find optimum modulation format for a 100 Gbps bit rate per channel optical fiber transmission network system. The simulations are analyzed for different values of input power, length of fiber, nonlinear refractive index, nonlinear dispersion and nonlinear effective area for all above mentioned modulation formats with spacing 100 to 250 GHz. to evaluate the effect of modulation format Fiber Bragg Gratting, optical fiber amplifier and Dispersion Compensation Fiber dispersion compensation techniques are enacted on this proposed optical network system.
The crystal structure of 3-amino-(2,4-dioxopent-3-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1,2,4-triazinium nitrate, C8H13N5O5
Authors: Kloda Matouš , Matulková Irena , Císařová Ivana , Němec Ivan 
Published: January 2019

Abstract
C8H13N5O5, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 9.1462(4) Å, b = 9.9732(5) Å, c = 13.5252(6) Å, α = 90.098(2)°, β = 91.031(2)°, γ = 109.874(2)°, V = 1160.02(9) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0392, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1015, T = 150(2) K.
Development of heavy oil upgrading technologies in China
Authors: Shi Quan , Zhao Suoqi , Zhou Yasong , Gao Jinsen , Xu Chunming 
Published: January 2019

Abstract
Heavy oils have high viscosity, density, and Conradson carbon residue and high contents of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, nickel, and vanadium, as well as asphaltenes, which can cause problems for producers, leading to catalyst deactivation and fouling and plugging of tubing, pipes, valves, and reactor flow lines. Heavy oil upgrading can be classified into carbon rejection and hydrogen addition processes, mainly including four technologies: (1) the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process, which catalytically converts heavy oil into light fractions, like liquid petroleum gas, naphtha, and light cycle oil; (2) the hydro-processing process, which catalytically converts heavy oil to high-quality feedstock for FCC and hydrocracking processes under the hydrogen atmosphere without coke formation; (3) the coking process, which thermally converts heavy oil into light liquid fractions and large amounts of coke; and (4) the solvent deasphalting process, which fractionates distillation resid to provide feedstock for residue FCC, such as the residue oil solvent extraction. This paper reviews the progress on basic research of heavy oil chemistry and processing technology developments in China. Heavy oils were comprehensively characterized by the supercritical fluid extraction and fractionation technology and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The FCC process for maximizing iso-paraffin, new residue hydroprocessing technologies, progress in coking process, and a new process – the Supercritical Fluid Selective Extraction Asphaltene Technology – were discussed. As an emerging and promising research area, molecular management techniques were prospected, as well as a new concept of coupling the SELEX-Asp with the conventional heavy oil upgrading processes.
Synthesis and structural characterization of two coordination polymers constructed by bis(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone and 5-(tert-butyl)isophthalate ligands
Authors: Wang Gao-Feng , Sun Shu-Wen , Wang Wei-Bing , Sun Hong , Song Shao-Fei 
Published: January 2019

Abstract
Two coordination polymers, {[Co(bipmo)(tbip)]·3H2O}
n
(1) and {[Cd(bipmo)(tbip)]·3H2O}
n
(2) (bipmo=bis(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone, H2tbip=5-tert-butylisophthalic acid), were synthesized by solvothermal methods and structurally characterized by elemental analyses, infrared spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data indicate that the solid state structures of 1 and 2 consist of metal-aromatic carboxylate layers, which are pillared by weak interactions to generate a three-dimensional network. The topological structures of 1 and 2 are uninodal nets based on 3-connected nodes with the Schläfli symbol of {63}.
Introduction to Symposium on Current Trends in Cement Standards
Authors: Struble LJ 
Published: January 2019

Abstract
[The Symposium on Current Trends in Cement Standards, held in Miami on 9 Dec. 1992, was sponsored by ASTM Committee C-l on Cement. The papers from that symposium are presented in this issue of Cement, Concrete, and Aggregates. Leslie J. Struble, assistant professor at the University of Illinois, was chairman of the symposium and served as guest editor for this issue of the journal—Editor.]