Flexible Procedure Research Articles

Percutaneous transcatheter closure of a large saphenous vein graft aneurysm with Amplatzer vascular plug

A saphenous vein graft (SVG) aneurysm is a rare complication seen in coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG). While the sternotomy for surgical correction is used in most of these patients, depending on the patient’s condition, an alternative method may be required. This case is a 64-year-old man who developed SVG aneurysm more than 10 years after CABG and underwent a successful percutaneous transcatheter exclusion of SVG aneurysm using 10 mm Amplatzer Vascular Plug 2, resulting in prevention of blood flow into the aneurysm and future rupturing. This case illustrates the potential of noninvasive treatment with flexible procedures based on the patient’s anatomy and risk for complicated surgery. Keywords: Amplatzer vascular plug, saphenous vein graft, saphenous vein graft aneurysm, coronary artery bypass graft

Critical Success Factors for the Widespread Adoption of Virtual Alternative Dispute Resolution (VADR) in the Construction Industry: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

This study explores the increasing adoption of virtual alternative dispute resolution (VADR) in the construction industry, enhancing efficiency and accessibility in dispute resolution. VADR is crucial for streamlining processes and reducing participation barriers. The study aims to investigate the critical success factors (CSFs) influencing the adoption of VADR in the construction sector. Given the rising importance of VADR technologies, understanding the key factors driving their acceptance is crucial. The background highlights the growing reliance on innovative technologies to boost operational efficiency and decision-making processes. The data for the study were collected using a cross-sectional design with online structured survey questionnaire (N = 97) from diversified construction industries. Using Smart PLS 4, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the validity, reliability, and proposed hypotheses of the study. The results showed that cost factors had the greatest impact on VADR acceptance, followed by user competence and training, procedural adaptability, and technological infrastructure. Logistical assistance and legal frameworks also had a considerable favorable impact. However, stakeholder buy-in had no significant influence on VADR implementation. The implications indicate that economic feasibility, logistical readiness, flexible procedures, supportive legal contexts, and user skills are significant factors for successful VADR integration. Governments and organizations should deploy VADR technologies to encourage innovation and operational improvement in the construction industry.

A Systematic Approach towards the Integration of Initial Airworthiness Regulatory Requirements in Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Conceptual Design Methodologies

The regulatory framework of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPASs) has recently experienced an extraordinary evolution. This article seeks to improve the integration of certification considerations in RPAS conceptual design approaches so as to enhance the safety, certifiability and competitiveness of their resulting designs. The first part of the research conducts a two-stage analysis of contemporary regulations related to an RPAS’s initial airworthiness. In the first stage, the broad international regulation paradigm is evaluated attending to a set of criteria that are tightly related to both airworthiness and design considerations. The second stage keeps the most promising documents from a design–integration standpoint, which are assessed according to their applicability considering both design and operational aspects. The results of this analysis provide insights regarding the main issues in airworthiness design criteria extraction and integration in design methodologies. To aid the designer in surmounting these challenges, a flexible procedure named DECEX is developed. Considering the documents and findings from the survey, and attending to the scope of the design methodology being developed, it aids in establishing a complete regulatory document corpus and in comparing and extracting the applicable airworthiness design criteria. Two case studies for different RPAS types are conducted to demonstrate its application.

Evaluating scanning electron microscopy for the measurement of small-scale topography

For predicting surface performance, multiscale topography analysis consistently outperforms standard roughness metrics; however, surface-characterization tools limit the range of sizes that can be measured. Therefore, we evaluate the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to systematically measure small-scale topography. While others have employed SEM for similar purposes, the novelty of this investigation lies in the development and validation of a simple, flexible procedure that can be applied to a wide range of materials and geometries. First, we established four different options that can be used for sample preparation, and we measured quantitative topography of each using the SEM. Then the power spectral density (PSD) was used to compare topography among the four preparations, and against other techniques. A statistical comparison of PSDs demonstrated that SEM topography measurements outperformed AFM measurements at scales below 100 nm and were statistically indistinguishable from (highly labor-intensive) TEM measurements down to 16 nm. The limitations of SEM-based topography were quantified and discussed. Overall, the results show a simple generalizable method for revealing small-scale topography. When combined with traditional stylus profilometry, this technique characterizes surface topography across almost seven orders of magnitude, from 1 cm down to 16 nm, facilitating the use of physical models to predict performance.

Сімейна медіація як модус вирішення спорів у сімейних правовідносинах

The article analyzes the place of the institution of family mediation in the settlement of family legal relations in general, and family disputes in particular, substantiates the importance and effectiveness of introducing this institution into the legal system of Ukraine as an alternative to the court. It was found that family mediation is a process of resolving family disputes in a peaceful way (through understanding), in which an independent party (mediator) facilitates communication between the parties to the dispute and helps to make balanced decisions that satisfy the interests of each party. Family mediation is a flexible procedure for optimal resolution of various family disputes, which can be adapted to the specific situation of each family. The main principles of family mediation are: equality of parties, voluntary participation, confidentiality, independence and impartiality of the mediator. Among the main advantages of family mediation, the authors identified: negotiations are carried out with the help of an independent mediator (mediator), who takes into account the position of each party and contributes to the formation of an appropriate atmosphere for further constructive communication; helps and enables the parties to independently form options for resolving the dispute, a plan of future actions, monitors the results of negotiations, taking into account the interests of not only the parties to the process, but in particular children; improves communication between parties, helps exchange ideas and information; decision options may go beyond the limits of legal remedies, while this is not possible in court; quick achievement of the result and resolution of the dispute in comparison with the court process; the solution is mutually beneficial, there are two sides to the win; relationships are terminated with less negative consequences; attention is focused on the needs of children, their interests are taken into account more, since the court examines the case on the basis of legal requirements, beyond which it cannot go, etc.

Moving from ecological impacts to social vulnerability in data-scarce places

Managers need to trace social impacts and vulnerability caused by environmental change all the way to its driving forces to target key system components for intervention. However, most available scientific evidence deals with either the ecological impacts of direct drivers or the value of ecosystem benefits to people. Our matrix-based tool combines these types of evidence to make environmental management problems traceable through a structured yet flexible procedure. The tool consists of a series of matrices that sequentially link direct drivers of environmental change, landscapes, ecological conditions, benefits to people, and stakeholder types. Qualitative matrices result from the integration and synthesis of available evidence from literature reviews, and where data is scarce, these are used to elicit quantitative scores from expert opinion. Expert scoring of links and multiplication of matrices allow for estimating the impacts of each driver of environmental change on each stakeholder type and using this information as input to assess stakeholders’ vulnerability through impact-influence diagrams. Applying the tool to the Argentine Gran Chaco, a globally threatened ecoregion, yielded a transparent and reliable picture of this data-scarce place, with important management implications. Tracing stakeholder impacts back to direct drivers confirmed that further encroachment of cleared areas around indigenous lands will increase the vulnerability of this social group. Also, assessing confidence levels for every social-ecological link suggested that incentivizing peasant farmers to restore natural forage supply represents a management opportunity to reverse degradation. Our tool makes interdisciplinary frameworks of linked ecological and social systems operational so managers can use the best available knowledge of a place and account for uncertainty to make environmental management decisions.

Penerapan Restorative Justice Dalam Sistem Peradilan Pidana Anak

The application of restorative justice with certain requirements must be implemented and used to provide opportunities and possibilities for crime victims to obtain restitution, a sense of security, enable perpetrators to understand the causes and consequences of their behavior and take responsibility in a meaningful way and enable society to understand the main causes of crimes, to promote society's sense of justice and prevent crime. A special restorative justice process strategy for children/adolescents that is balanced should be based on the idea that the source of children's crimes and violations is the community, family, school, so that strategies that only focus on individual perpetrators are not appropriate. This restorative justice will feature flexible procedures and a series of actions that can be adapted to the applicable criminal justice system and are fair to the parties.

EVALUATING NAVIGATION PERFORMANCE OF ELASTICALLY CONSTRUCTED HD MAP WITH MULTI-SENSOR FUSION ENGINE SYSTEM

Abstract. In response to the rapid development of autonomous vehicles and the increasing demand for HD maps, the conventional mapping processes following HD maps guidelines require significant manpower and time resources. Therefore, we propose flexible procedures and methods for HD maps creation, aiming to reduce cost expenditure by employing diverse source of ground control point, sensor data collection, and mapping algorithm. This approach accelerates the production speed and capability of HD maps. In this study, we select Taiwan's National Highway No. 8 as the trial field for the elastic HD map construction method, and equipped with autonomous vehicle-grade GNSS, IMU, and LiDAR systems.We align the constructed-map data to the global coordinate system, in order to realize the concept of control point cloud map. To assess the assistance and correction capabilities of HD maps in autonomous vehicle navigation systems, we conduct accuracy evaluation through both direct and indirect methods, and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The analysis result demonstrates that the elastic method-built HD maps not only meet the mapping accuracy requirements specified in the HD maps verification and validation guidelines, but also assist autonomous vehicles in realizing positioning, navigation, and timing with “where in lane” level (0.5 meter) accuracy.

Analysis of the Use of Agile Methods, Tools and Techniques in Foundry Enterprises

Abstract In an increasingly volatile environment, the importance of agile management, which should be based on flexible procedures and agile strategy, is increasing. The purpose of the study was to analyze the trend of development, level of knowledge and implications with the application of agile methods, techniques in project, program and manufacturing process management tools, as well as to identify areas of activity of foundry companies in the context of increasing the efficiency of their operations through the use of agile project approach. The completed research indicated that the knowledge and variety of application of agile methods, tools and techniques is at a relatively low level within the framework of project, program and manufacturing process management in the surveyed foundries. Among the most commonly used instrumentation are: PDCA, Kanban, SCRUM, SCRUMBAN, Lean Development, DMAIC and XP. The research showed that the use of agile instrumentation in the areas of projects, programs and manufacturing process management allows work to be done in an orderly and transparent manner. Foundries that consistently use agile instrumentation produce high-quality and non-conformity-free products with short time-to-market. Future research directions will be to perform a comparative analysis of the level of knowledge and implications of agile instrumentation in foundries located in Poland and selected neighboring countries.

Development of government disaster response strategies for multi-disasters – A case study of Taiwan's flood disaster responses during the Covid-19 pandemic

The purpose of this research is to develop disaster response strategies that can be used when more than one disaster happens at the same time. When different types of disasters occur at the same time, disaster response operations will become extremely complex. It is difficult for responders to directly perform response operations based on a single standard operation procedure. This research used flooding events that occurred in Taiwan during the COVID pandemic as an example case to develop the response strategies. The standard operating procedures before and after the pandemic were first reviewed. The authors also joined the response operations to have close observations on how responders execute response operations under restrictions of the pandemic. User interviews were then conducted to collect feedback from four responders. Finally, the multi-disaster response strategies, coined as OPERATE, was developed based on results of procedure review, field observations, and user interviews. OPERATE was developed for disaster response teams to smoothly execute response operations when multiple disasters occur simultaneously. It includes seven perspectives: simplified operation, flexible procedures, adjustable environment, personalized reminder, positive attitude, well-developed decision support tool, and preparatory education. OPERATE is developed to reduce the impact of multi-disasters on response teams, including the impact of the disaster itself and orders issued by other government departments in response to other disasters. Following the developed strategies, disaster response teams are expected to conduct stable and efficient operations in the context of multiple disasters.

Multivariate Weighted Total Least Squares Based on the Standard Least-Squares Theory

The weighted total least squares (WTLS) has been widely used in many geodetic problems to solve the error-in-variable (EIV) models in which both the observation vector and the design matrix contain random errors. This method is widely applied in its univariate form, where the observations and unknown coefficients appear in vector forms. However, in some geodetic problems, data sets appear in more than one dimension, and the vector representation of the univariate model may not be suitable to efficiently solve the problem. The observation and unknown parameter vectors can then be replaced with their counterparts in matrix representations in a multivariate model. In this paper, we propose a simple, fast, and flexible procedure for solving the multivariate WTLS (MWTLS) problem using the standard least squares theory. The method has the capability of applying to large-size and high-dimensional data sets. Our numerical experiments on both simulated and real datasets demonstrate the high performance of the proposed method for solving multivariate WTLS problems. In terms of computational complexity, our method outperforms the existing state-of-the-art methods, both numerically and analytically.

Quantile-based MANOVA: A new tool for inferring multivariate data in factorial designs

Multivariate analysis-of-variance (MANOVA) is a well established tool to examine multivariate endpoints. While classical approaches depend on restrictive assumptions like normality and homogeneity, there is a recent trend to more general and flexible procedures. In this paper, we proceed on this path, but do not follow the typical mean-focused perspective. Instead we consider general quantiles, in particular the median, for a more robust multivariate analysis. The resulting methodology is applicable for all kind of factorial designs and shown to be asymptotically valid. Our theoretical results are complemented by an extensive simulation study for small and moderate sample sizes. An illustrative data analysis is also presented.

Advances in Design of High‐Performance Heterostructured Scintillators for Time‐of‐Flight Positron Emission Tomography

AbstractCore to advancing time‐of‐flight positron emission tomography (ToF‐PET) toward a less invasive, more flexible procedure with a higher diagnostic power is the development of enhanced radiation detector materials. One promising avenue is the development of heterostructured scintillators where multiple materials work in synergy to exceed the performance of each individual component. Applied to ToF‐PET detectors, one component contributes predominantly to the absorption of gamma rays and the other to the creation of ultra‐fast photons. Whilst other authors have proposed various concepts, heterostructured scintillators are still in their infancy and scientifically guiding their development remains a challenge. Toward this aim and based on simulation and modeling developments, heterostructure properties are directly linked to ToF‐PET performance. This is made possible by redefining the notions of detector photo‐peak efficiency and timing response, as defined for monolithic detectors, in the context of heterostructured scintillators. Their overall potential is then discussed as a function of the materials and design used. This provides a quantitative framework to rapidly and efficiently support the advancement of heterostructured detectors for ToF‐PET technology.

Simultaneous selection and incorporation of consistent external aggregate information.

Interest has grown in synthesizing participant level data of a study with relevant external aggregate information. Several efficient and flexible procedures have been developed under the assumption that the internal study and the external sources concern the same population. This homogeneity condition, albeit commonly being imposed, is hard to check due to limitedly available external information in aggregate data forms. Bias may be introduced when the assumption is violated. In this article, we propose a penalized likelihood approach that avoids undesirable bias by simultaneously selecting and synthesizing consistent external aggregate information. The proposed approach provides a general framework which incorporate consistent external information from heterogeneous study populations as long as the conditional distribution of the dependent variable under investigation is same and differences in the independent variable distributions are properly accounted for via a semi-parametric density ratio model. The proposed approach also properly accounts for the sampling errors in the external information. A two-step estimator and an optimization algorithm are proposed for computation. We establish the selection and estimation consistency and the asymptotic normality of the two-step estimator. The proposed approach is illustrated with an analysis of gestational weight gain management studies.

A Model-Aware Comprehensive Tool for Battery Energy Storage System Sizing

This paper presents a parametric procedure to size a hybrid system consisting of renewable generation (wind turbines and photovoltaic panels) and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). To cope with the increasing installation of grid-scale BESS, an innovative, fast and flexible procedure for evaluating an efficient size for this asset has been developed. The tool exploits a high-fidelity empirical model to assess stand-alone BESS or hybrid power plants under different service stacking configurations. The economic performance has been evaluated considering the revenue stacking that occurs when participating in up to four distinct energy markets and the degradation of the BESS performances due to both cycle- and calendar-aging. The parametric nature of the tool enables the investigation of a wide range of system parameters, including novel BESS control logic, market prices, and energy production. The presented outcomes detail the techno-economic performances of a hybrid system over a 20-year scenario, proposing a sensitivity analysis of both technical and economic parameters. The case study results highlight the necessity of steering BESS investment towards the coupling of RES and accurate planning of the service stacking. Indeed, the implementation of a storage system in an energy district improves the internal rate of return of the project by up to 10% in the best-case scenario. Moreover, accurate service stacking has shown a boost in revenues by up to 44% with the same degradation.

A Concise and Flexible Synthesis of C2′-Sulfonylated Quinine Derivatives

AbstractA concise and flexible procedure for the synthesis of structurally novel C2′-sulfonylated quinine derivatives is developed. Through careful optimization of the reaction conditions, most of the reactions can be performed in high yields at gram or several hundreds of milligram scale. Since cinchona-based derivatives are widely used in asymmetric catalysis, the synthetic route developed herein provides an efficient and practical pathway for the diverse synthesis of new cinchona derivatives as potential chiral ligands or multifunctional organocatalysts.

The voluntary principle of mediation in notarial acts

The present work proposed to investigate the principle of voluntariness that governs the mediation system, as an effective device to solve extrajudicial conflicts. The methodological approach will be systemic, of a theoretical - deductive type, of a socio - legal nature and with the support of comparative law. Through comparative law, mainly the study of the regulations that contemplate the competence of notaries as mediators in Spain, Mexico and Germany, the possibility that its implementation within the Ecuadorian notarial system may be feasible was analyzed. The principle of voluntariness, notarial mediation and notarial acts were defined conceptually, to later proceed to carry out the respective discussion. It was concluded that in mediation it is the same interested parties who voluntarily accept the responsibility of resolving their conflicts and reaching satisfactory agreements for all parties. This through a simple and flexible procedure, assisted by the impartial and confidential presence of the notary trained for such purposes. In Ecuador, as in countries such as Spain and Mexico, notaries, as public officials of the State and specialists in Law, are able to advise on resolving certain conflicts that arise between the parties without having to go to trial.

Flexible Endoscopy Versus Rigid Endoscopy or Surgery for the Management of Zenker's Diverticulum: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Zenker's diverticulum treatment options range from endoscopic rigid or flexible procedures to surgery. There are limited studies available comparing these techniques. Frequently, the choice of treatment depends on the physician's preference or experience, as well as the institution's resources and capacity. Therefore, this study aims to define the best approach based on the highest efficacy and the lowest severe adverse events. In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search was performed.Only comparative studies were included,analyzing flexible endoscopy versus rigid endoscopy or surgery. The outcomes analyzed were clinical and technical success, severe adverse events, length of stay, and duration of the procedure. Analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4.1 (RevMan 5.4, The Cochrane Collaboration, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark). Eight retrospective cohort studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 1281 patients were identified, 492 underwent flexible endoscopy, 453 underwent rigid endoscopy, and 336 underwent surgery. There was no difference in clinical success [risk difference (RD), 0.07 (95% CI -0.05 to 0.19%); P = 0.26], technical success [RD, 0.07 (95% CI -0.03 to 0.16); P = 0.18], severe adverse events [RD, -0.03 (95% CI -0.13 to 0.07; P = 0.052), perforation [RD, 0.07 (95% CI -0.04 to 0.19); P = 0.22] or procedure time [mean difference (MD), - 10.03 (95% CI -26.93 to 6.88); P = 0.24). There was lower length of stay with flexible endoscopy compared to the other approaches [MD, -1.98 (95% CI -3.56 to -0.40); P = 0.001]. Based on the current evidence, the three main techniques are effective for the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum. Although there was no significant difference in the safety of each technique in this meta-analysis, this result should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited data and the risk of vies between the techniques, considering that the results tend to favor flexible endoscopy, mainly explained by the newer and safer devices. Length of stay is lower with flexible endoscopy versus the other techniques, which can be beneficial considering the geriatric populations where Zenker's diverticulum mainly occurs.

Nuclei Isolation from Mouse Cardiac Progenitor Cells for Epigenome and Gene Expression Profiling at Single-Cell Resolution.

The developing heart is a complex structure containing various progenitor cells controlled by complex regulatory mechanisms. The examination of the gene expression and chromatin state of individual cells allows the identification of the cell type and state. Single-cell sequencing approaches have revealed a number of important characteristics of cardiac progenitor cell heterogeneity. However, these methods are generally restricted to fresh tissue, which limits studies with diverse experimental conditions, as the fresh tissue must be processed at once in the same run to reduce the technical variability. Therefore, easy and flexible procedures to produce data from methods such as single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and the single-nucleus assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (snATAC-seq) are needed in this area. Here, we present a protocol to rapidly isolate nuclei for subsequent single-nuclei dual-omics (combined snRNA-seq and snATAC-seq). This method allows the isolation of nuclei from frozen samples of cardiac progenitor cells and can be combined with platforms that use microfluidic chambers.

Conceptual Framework for Urban Development Dynamics Dealing with Geo-Environmental Coastal Hazards (On the Northern Coast of the Nile Delta in Egypt)

The Geo-Environmental Coastal Hazards (GECH) causing serious damages in many areas around the world, are among the most important hazards due to its numerous effects. The coastal areas are important attractions for populations and activities. These areas are characterized with the phenomenon of sea-level rise that varies in its rate of change at large spatial and temporal scales, so it is difficult to be predicted locally [1]. As a result, the climate changes’ hazards affect the future of urban development processes in coastal areas. Based on the foregoing, the main question of the research is whether the potential effects of hazards have been taken into account while planning the coastal areas in Egypt and their integration into the development approaches or not. Hence, the research emphasizes the concept of dynamism and flexibility of coastal planning that may be compatible with these variables, and may be positively reflected on the urban plans of coastal cities. The research methodology tackles studying, analyzing, and evaluating coastal hazards and their implications on the Egyptian development. The analytical framework discusses the international case studies dealing with hazards from a developmental point of view, to formulate a proposed dynamic framework for developing the Egyptian coastal areas, which are exposed to coastal hazards, taking into account the temporal dimension and expected geo-environmental hazards, which vary according to the Sea Level Rise (SLR) scenarios. This framework is applied in the most dangerous low areas, such as the Egyptian Delta coast, reaching the gap of lacking dynamics and flexible procedures dealing with the changeable coastal geo-environmental hazards over different time periods.