Linkage Structure Research Articles

A Bayesian Record Linkage Approach that Adjusts for Variables in One File

In many healthcare and social science applications, information about units is dispersed across multiple data files. Linking records across files is necessary to estimate associations between variables exclusive to each of the files. Common record linkage algorithms only rely on similarities between linking variables common to all the files. Moreover, analysis of linked files often ignores errors that may arise from incorrect or missed links. Bayesian record linking methods allow for natural propagation of linkage errors, by jointly sampling the linkage structure and the model parameters. We extend an existing Bayesian record linkage approach to integrate associations between variables exclusive to each file being linked. We show analytically, and using simulations, that the proposed method improves the linkage process, and results in accurate statistical inferences. We apply the proposed method to link Meals on Wheels (MOW) recipients to Medicare Enrollment records, and examine the relationship between activities of daily living and healthcare utilization among MOW recipients.

A Study of Mechanical Scanning High-frequency Ultrasonic Color Flow Imaging

Abstract High-frequency Ultrasonic imaging can promote high-resolution images and detailed diagnostic information, which has great clinical application prospects. However, due to the difficulty and high cost of high-frequency multi-channel ultrasound systems and multi-array element transducers, it is not conducive to popularization. Mechanical scanning high-frequency ultrasound imaging system is an alternative and low-cost method. However, current mechanical scanning systems cannot perform ultrasound flow imaging, and hemodynamic information is clinically important. Therefore, an improved high-frequency, miniaturized mechanical scanning system for color flow imaging was designed and developed. The system uses a crank linkage structure to drive a miniature transducer with a center frequency of 12 MHz for reciprocating scanning imaging within a range of 15 mm. By optimizing the clutter filter and dynamic domain flow imaging process, two methods are realized: real-time rapid ultrasound imaging and highly sensitive ultrasound flow imaging. The two optimized methods used power Doppler and color flow Doppler for flow phantom imaging, and the final measured blood flow error was less than 5%, which indicates that the mechanical scanning high-frequency ultrasonic color flow imaging system has a good application prospect.

Structure optimization and contact law study for transmission linkage of manipulator grasping fragile parts

According to the grasping requirements for fragile workpieces with cylindrical inner walls, a manipulator with internal bracing has been designed. The manipulator utilizes a constant-speed push cylinder to drive the linkage mechanism and accomplish the related works. Considering the fragile nature of the workpieces, reducing the impact velocity between the manipulator finger and the workpiece is a primary objective in the mechanism design. To achieve this, an optimization design is carried out, which maintains the overall average speed of the manipulator, while reducing the average speed only during the contact between the finger and the workpiece. The goal of optimization is to minimize the impact velocity at the contact point, using the linkage structure parameters as variables. The genetic algorithm (GA) is employed for the optimization process. The results show that optimization reduces the impact velocity at the contact point by 44.80%. To gain further insight into the influence of the process, a finite element model of a finger grasping a fragile object was created using joint modeling with the SolidWorks, Hyper Mesh, and LS-DYNA software. Simulations reveal that, after optimization, the maximum internal stress of three workpieces with thicknesses of 2.00 mm, 1.00 mm, and 0.50 mm was reduced by 47.42%, 41.53%, and 44.20%, respectively. To study the general law of the mechanical hand grasping fragile workpieces, the relationship between the cylinder driving speed and the impact speed is established. Based on the simulation results of maximum contact impact velocity, workpiece wall thickness, and maximum contact force, a prediction model of workpiece internal force is established using the Kriging prediction model theory. Additionally, the feasible range of grasping parameters under different wall thickness conditions is determined and discussed. The reliability of the designed structure is experimentally verified, providing valuable insights for ensuring the lifting work reliability of manipulators handling fragile workpieces.

Urban children at risk of violence: A qualitative study of experiences of parents, teachers, and service providers of collaborative support.

Children who are at risk of involvement in violence need assistance from multisector agencies such as social services, law enforcement, health, and education. The aim of this study was to understand the perceptions and experiences of parents, teachers, and service providers (i.e., counselors, psychologists, paralegals, and social workers) on collaborative support for children at risk of violence in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Twenty-four structured interviews were conducted with ten parents whose children were victims of sexual or physical abuse or were involved in substance abuse and theft and have received support from the Integrated Service Center for the Empowerment of Women and Children in Banda Aceh, Indonesia; ten service providers; and four teachers who either worked with the concerned children or knew them. Using a thematic analysis approach, the data was systematically coded and analyzed to identify important themes. Most parents who sought help or support from governmental agencies were referred by other service providers or recommended by relatives or friends. Parents hesitated to discuss their children's problems with the teachers, worrying about stigma, particularly for sexual abuse victims. The school's lack of collaboration with external agencies was consistent with the teacher's claim that they seldom work with other agencies outside of school, resulting in a siloed system of care. It can be concluded that the biggest barrier to communication and coordination among parents, teachers, and service providers is the parents' and service providers' lack of willingness and confidence to work with teachers. Clear policies are needed to establish a cross-institutional linkage structure that promotes shared responsibilities.

Organic polymer/inorganic heterostructure coupled with efficient allosteric bicycle strand displacement for photochemical sensing

In this work, a high-performance conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) decorated with BiOBr (Tr(PhXOD)3-CMP/BiOBr) is synthesized to application in construction of ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor for sensing miRNA-122, by firstly coupling with efficient clip toehold-mediated allosteric bicycle strand displacement (ABSD). Notably, the Tr(PhXOD)3-CMP/BiOBr not only owns self-enhanced D-A-D structure that extremely shortens migration distance of photo-generated electron, but also forms Z-type heterostructure for accelerating electron-hole separation, thereby significantly enhancing the photocurrent with 10-fold higher than commonly used methods. Meanwhile, the clip toehold-mediated ABSD based on ternary linkage structure transformation avoids the attrition of invading strand, endowing the conservation of high concentration for undergoing rapid reaction with high-efficiency DNA amplification, which dramatically improves reaction time and superior target conversion. The experimental results indicate that proposed PEC biosensor had a high sensitivity to miRNA-122 with a detection limit of 0.49 fM, which provides a newly organic/inorganic photosensitive nanomaterials and efficient DNA strand displacement in bioanalytical and early clinical disease diagnosis.

3D auxetic linkage based on Kirigami

The structural design of 3D auxetic linkages is a burgeoning field in digital manufacturing. This article presents a novel algorithm for designing 3D auxetic linkage structures based on Kirigami principles to address existing limitations. The 3D input model is initially mapped to a 2D space using conformal mapping based on the BFF method. This is followed by 2D re-meshing using an equilateral triangle mesh. Subsequently, a 3D topological mesh of the auxetic linkage is calculated through inverse mapping based on directed area. We then introduce new basic rotating and non-rotating units, employing them as the initial structure of the 3D auxetic linkage in accordance with Kirigami techniques. Lastly, a deformation energy function is defined to optimize the shape of the rotating units. The vertex coordinates of the non-rotating units are updated according to the optimized positions of the rotating units, thereby generating an optimal 3D auxetic linkage structure. Experimental results validate the effectiveness and accuracy of our algorithm. Quantitative analyses of structural porosity and optimization accuracy, as well as comparisons with related works, indicate that our algorithm yields structures with smaller shape errors.

Structural characterization and anti-inflammatory activities of a purified polysaccharide from fruits remnants of Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) Burtt. et Smith

We reported here an interesting source of Alpinia zerumbet Polysaccharides (named AZPs) from the residues after extracting essential oil by steam distillation from Alpinia zerumbet fructus. After a series of purifications, a homogeneous polysaccharide (AZP-2) of molecular weight 1.25 × 105 Da was obtained. Structure, anti-inflammatory activity, and anti-inflammatory mechanism were investigated. AZP-2 was mainly composed of galactose, arabinose, xylopyranose, glucose, and galacturonic acid. The main linkage structure of AZP-2 was determined after integrating the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and methylation analysis, and the structure was comparatively complex. The results indicated that AZP-2 significantly decreased the production of NO and ROS in the inflammatory model established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW264.7, particularly at the concentration of 200 μg/mL. Furthermore, AZP-2 significantly modulated the secretion of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Notably, the mechanism of AZP-2 exhibiting inhibitory effects was related to regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway. Overall, AZP-2 could be used as a potential anti-inflammatory agent for further in-depth studies.

Exploring the Impact of Linkage Structure in Ferroelectric Nematic and Smectic Liquid Crystals.

The liquid crystal molecule 3-fluoro-4-(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)phenyl 2,6-difluoro-4-(trans-5-n-propyl-1,3-dioxane-2-yl)benzoate (DIO) has attracted considerable interest owing to its unique ferroelectric nematic phase and extraordinarily high dielectric constant. To expand the DIO series, novel analogs with 1,3-dioxane units converted to ester units (EST analogs) were synthesized, and their physical properties were characterized. The EST analogs exhibited ferroelectric phases similar to those of the corresponding DIO analogs. Interestingly, an EST analogue featuring a defluorinated benzoate unit exhibited a ferroelectric smectic A phase, despite its smaller longitudinal dipole moment of 6.9 D. This result diverges from the common knowledge that the formation of large longitudinal dipoles is traditionally effective in the emergence of ferroelectric phases. Unlike the DIO series, the EST analogs can be readily obtained without the formation of undesired geometric isomers, which is advantageous for practical applications. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the design of liquid-crystalline materials expressing ferroelectric phases.

Development of Mobility Type Upper Limb Power Assist System —Mechanism and Design of Power Assist Device—

In fruit cultivation, viticulture requires the longest working hours in extended arm postures, much of which is carried out in standing postures to accumulate fatigue on arms, shoulders, and legs: a tough working environment. In this study, we propose a power assist system to assist its users in their extended arm work while they move in vineyards. The proposed system largely consists of a mobile robot, a power assist device for work, and a control system. The mobile robot is structured with a tracked vehicle for rough terrain arranged on its left and right sides so that the users can sit between the two vehicles and be assisted by the power assist device for work installed on it. The power assist device for work with a single linear actuator utilizing a linkage mechanism has the function to retain users’ hand attitude angles while assisting the flexion and extension movements of their shoulder, elbow, and carpometacarpal joints. Then, we verify by simulations the effects that the arrangement and lengths of links will have on the carpometacarpal joints’ trajectories as well as on the hand attitude angles. Finally, in order to check the effectiveness of the proposed power assist device for work, we conducted the evaluation experiments for assumed grape-harvesting work and gibberellin treatments. As a result, we proved its work assisting effects from the muscle activity states as well as its applicability to other kinds of work by altering its linkage structure and hand support part.

노인장기요양서비스 평가체계의 변화에 관한 연구

The evaluation system for South Korea's long-term care services for the elderly was reorganized with a focus on services quality management through the long-term care facility evaluation system following quasi-marketizing reform in the late 2000s. However, unlike the old evaluation system, service quality is managed through the evaluation of providers who voluntarily entered the market, and this provider evaluation is conducted in connection with the benefit provision process by the insurer (National Health Insurance Services) as a characteristic of South Korea. With regard to the evaluation system, there is dissatisfaction with provider evaluation, and it is argued that a separate independent dedicated evaluation organization should be established together with the strengthening of the role of local governments.
 Therefore, taking notice of cases in Japan, which is introducing an evaluation system that is different from the one in South Korea, this study is intended to examine how the evaluation system for long-term care services for the elderly in Japan has been reorganized and changed in comparison with South Korea and find implications for South Korea. To that end, this study will analyze how the institutional devices for various evaluations such as the third-party evaluation system, the policy evaluation system, and the evaluation system for long-term care insurance business plans for the elderly have been reorganized to be pluralistic and multilayered in the institutional reform following quasi-marketization reform in Japan. Second, it will derive the fact that objective-based policy evaluation (=performance management) and participatory evaluation are being strengthened amid changes in policies regarding the evaluation system for long-term care services for the elderly in Japan. Third, it will capture the governance structure of the evaluation system by revealing the intergovernmental and inter-institutional linkage structure of Japan's evaluation system. Fourth, by identifying the functions carried out by the evaluation system through cases in Japan, this study will present policy implications that will enable the problems of South Korea's evaluation system to be overcome.

Industrial Chain Map and Linkage Network Characteristics of Digital Economy

The development of the digital economy in the modern era significantly embodies a country’s comprehensive strength. This paper uses the data from China’s 2012 and 2017 input-output tables to analyze the linkage structure between the digital economy industry and other industries using the average propagation length model and social network analysis. The Weaver–Thomas model was used to obtain the industrial linkage matrix and network characteristics. An industrial chain map of the digital economy was depicted as the core. This paper is of practical significance in depicting the industrial chain structure and network characteristics, understanding the position of digital economy industry in the economic system and promoting the integrated development of the digital economy and traditional manufacturing industries, which allows them to incorporate the new generation of technology and industrial transformation with the digital technology as the core to promote their transformation and upgrading.

Bayesian record linkage with variables in one file.

In many healthcare and social science applications, information about units is dispersed across multiple data files. Linking records across files is necessary to estimate the associations of interest. Common record linkage algorithms only rely on similarities between linking variables that appear in all the files. Moreover, analysis of linked files often ignores errors that may arise from incorrect or missed links. Bayesian record linking methods allow for natural propagation of linkage error, by jointly sampling the linkage structure and the model parameters. We extend an existing Bayesian record linkage method to integrate associations between variables exclusive to each file being linked. We show analytically, and using simulations, that the proposed method can improve the linking process, and can result in accurate inferences. We apply the method to link Meals on Wheels recipients to Medicare enrollment records.

Research on indirect measuring method of dynamometer diagram of sucker rod pumping system based on long-short term memory neural network

Traditional mechanical models and sensors face challenges in obtaining the dynamometer diagram of the sucker rod pump system (SRPS) due to difficulties in model solving, high application costs, and maintenance difficulties. Since the electric motor powers the SRPS, its power output is highly correlated with the working state of the entire device. Therefore, a hy-brid method based on electric motor power and SPRS mechanical parameter prediction is proposed to predict the dyna-mometer diagram. First, a long short-term memory neural network (LSTM) is used to establish the LSTM-L model for predicting the dynamometer load based on electric motor power. Then, a mathematical and physical calculation model (FLM-D) of the dynamometer diagram displacement at the hanging point is constructed by combining the four-bar linkage structure of the sucker rod pump. Finally, the experimental production data of oil wells are collected through an edge computing device to verify the prediction performance of the LSTM-L&FLM-D hybrid model. Experimental results show that the proposed LSTM-L&FLM-D model has a high fitting degree of 99.3%, which is more robust than other models considered in this study, and exhibits better generalization ability.

Analysis of mixed linkage β-glucan content and structure in different wheat flour milling fractions

β-glucan is a dietary fibre component with health benefits that relate to its structure and solubility. The polysaccharide structure consists predominantly of β-(1–4) linked cellotriosyl (G3) and cellotetraosyl (G4) units joined together with β-(1,3) linkages. The ratio of G3:G4 blocks affects the solubility with very high or very low ratios causing lower solubility. Wheat, a major staple crop, is a source of β-glucan in the human diet; however, there is a lack of research on β-glucan in wheat, especially white flour which is used in many food products. Here we quantified β-glucan in different wheat milling fractions, showing a low content in the first and second break (white) flour fractions (0.2%) with increasing amounts in bran flour (0.5%), wholemeal (0.8%) and bran (2.8%). A high proportion (30%) of β-glucan in the white flour fractions was soluble, while in bran a far smaller proportion (10%) was soluble. In agreement with differences in solubility, the G3:G4 ratio also differed, with the white flour fractions having lower ratios (∼2.5) and bran-containing fractions having higher ratios (∼3.8). We conclude that while total β-glucan in white flour is low, it is substantially soluble, and that high extraction and wholemeal flours have the potential to be a significant source of β-glucan.

A Bayesian record linkage model incorporating relational data

AbstractIn this article, we introduce a novel Bayesian approach for linking multiple social networks in order to discover the same real world person having different accounts across networks. In particular, we develop a latent model that allows us to jointly characterize the network and linkage structures relying on both relational and profile data. In contrast to other existing approaches in the machine learning literature, our Bayesian implementation naturally provides uncertainty quantification via posterior probabilities for the linkage structure itself or any function of it. Our findings clearly suggest that our methodology can produce accurate point estimates of the linkage structure even in the absence of profile information, and also, in an identity resolution setting, our results confirm that including relational data into the matching process improves the linkage accuracy. We illustrate our methodology using real data from popular social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Flow Field Characteristics and Structure Improvement of Double-stage Safety Valve

The paper proposes a new double-stage large flow protection relief valve based on the double-stage linkage structure, to solve the problem that when it is impacted by the top plate, the traditional hydraulic support protective relief valve has smaller overflow and lower sensitivity, which causes the column circuit to be damaged. The flow field characteristics of double-stage protective relief valve are numerically simulated by the computational fluid dynamics method and semi-implicit connection pressure equation calculation model. Then the dynamic characteristics of the flow field distribution of the double-stage protective relief valve are obtained. According to the law of fluid flow, the structure of main valve core is optimized for the negative pressure, cavitation and vortex area. The flow field characteristics of the optimized double-stage protection valve are simulated and analyzed. In the end, the flow field characteristics of optimized double-stage protective relief valve are compared with the original. The results show that the negative pressure value of double-stage protective relief valve is reduced by 15%, and the outlet velocity of double-stage protective relief valve is reduced by 21% compared to the unoptimized when the main core is fully opened. The research results provide reference for the evolution design of high-flow, impact-resistant hydraulic support safety valve structure.

The effect of multiple shocks on domestic production network: evidence from China’s manufacturing industries

ABSTRACT The domestic production network in China has been affected by multiple shocks in recent years, and this study reveals the dynamic changes of the shocks’ effects. Based on a domestic trade model with industry-level unobserved factors, we examine the trends of multiple shocks to the domestic market of China’s manufacturing industries and find that the domestic market has been bolstered by upward shocks until 2010, while has been depressed by downward shocks thereafter. Furthermore, based on multi-regional input–output analysis, we evaluate the impacts of domestic market shocks on industries’ value-added in the domestic value chain (DVC). We find that from 2004 to 2012, the domestic market shocks significantly promoted industries to participate in DVC embodied in the global value chain (DVC1), while after 2012 the shocks began to promote industries to participate in DVC completely based on endogenous capabilities (DVC2). However, the DVC2 position has not been upgraded by domestic market shocks. From another perspective, we investigate the impacts of domestic market shocks on the industrial linkage structure and find that the impact on industries’ centrality turns from negative to positive after the 2008 global financial crisis.

New perspectives in architecture through transformable structures: A simulation study

Structures enabling transformability of buildings, components and materials at different levels gain significance in view of a sustainable built environment. Such structures are capable of obtaining different shapes in response to varying functional, environmental or loading conditions. Certain limitations of classic tensegrity and scissor-like structures, applied so far in an architectural and engineering context, are attributed to a limited number of possible configurations and a big number of actuators required. In this context, rigid-bar linkages offer a promising alternative with regard to constructability, modularity, transformability and control components integration. In achieving improved flexibility and controllability with a reduced number of actuation devices, a kinematics principle has been previously proposed by the authors that involves the reduction of the system to an externally controlled one degree-of-freedom mechanism in a multistep transformation process. The paper presents application of the kinematics principle in two classes of a transformable spatial rigid-bar linkage structure. Investigation of the system kinematics was conducted using parametric associative design. The kinematics principle is applied on a torus-shaped spatial structural system composed of planar interconnected linkages. Alternative motion sequences of multiple transformation steps by the planar linkages can be implemented for the stepwise adjustment of the joints to their desired values. The actuators employed are positioned at the ground supports and are detached from the main structural body. Thus, minimum structural self-weight, simplicity and reduced energy consumption become possible. The transformation approaches using parametric associative design are exemplified based on a selected motion sequence pattern. The case study demonstrates the high degree of control flexibility and transformability of the system.

Bayesian Graphical Entity Resolution using Exchangeable Random Partition Priors

Abstract Entity resolution (record linkage or deduplication) is the process of identifying and linking duplicate records in databases. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian graphical approach for entity resolution that links records to latent entities, where the prior representation on the linkage structure is exchangeable. First, we adopt a flexible and tractable set of priors for the linkage structure, which corresponds to a special class of random partition models. Second, we propose a more realistic distortion model for categorical/discrete record attributes, which corrects a logical inconsistency with the standard hit-miss model. Third, we incorporate hyperpriors to improve flexibility. Fourth, we employ a partially collapsed Gibbs sampler for inferential speedups. Using a selection of private and nonprivate data sets, we investigate the impact of our modeling contributions and compare our model with two alternative Bayesian models. In addition, we conduct a simulation study for household survey data, where we vary distortion, duplication rates and data set size. We find that our model performs more consistently than the alternatives across a variety of scenarios and typically achieves the highest entity resolution accuracy (F1 score). Open source software is available for our proposed methodology, and we provide a discussion regarding our work and future directions.

One-step synthesis of a benzothiadiazole-based nonbranching functionalized covalent organic framework and its application in efficient removal of Hg2.

In recent years, a variety of adsorbents have been developed for Hg2+ removal. However, these adsorbents are unsatisfactory for adsorption due to narrow and irregular pore channels or poor adsorption capacity and low stability. Therefore, it is worth exploring a porous Hg2+ adsorbent material with high adsorption performance and stability. In this study, a benzothiadiazole-based nonbranching functionalized covalent organic framework (COF) material (TPS-COF) by one-step synthesis was reported, which exhibited a high specific surface area of 1564 m2 g-1, high crystallinity and stability attributed to its high conjugated linkage structure of benzothiadiazole. In addition, due to the rich S and N elements of the benzothiadiazole unit, it exhibited excellent adsorption performance on Hg2+, including excellent adsorption amount (1040 mg g-1), high initial adsorption rate (448 mg g-1 min-1) and very short adsorption equilibrium time (10 min), with an efficient removal rate of Hg2+ in the pH range of 2-8. After desorption, the TPS-COF still retained good pore stability, adsorption capacity, and reusability. Such a one-step synthetic unbranched functionalization strategy provides further insights to achieve a good balance between the high crystallinity, functionality and stability of COFs.