bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of TRMM in Deriving Intensity-Duration-Frequency Curve in Bandung Area
Authors: Sanjaya S , Yudianto D
Published: August 2021

A rainfall Intensity-Duration-Frequency curve serves vital purposes in urban water management, typically generated using a long historical rainfall record. In most cases, such measurement is often sparse or poorly done. Hence it becomes a significant challenge to derive this curve. However, many studies have demonstrated the use of satellite rainfall measurement to cope with this data shortage. One of them is TRMM 3B42 Daily, which is employed in this study. This paper presents the application of TRMM to derive a better IDF curve in a data-scarce region for urban water management. It takes place in Bandung, where most of the upstream catchment area has limited rainfall records. The result shows that the TRMM-derived IDF curve demonstrates underestimated rainfall intensity compared to the ground measurement one. Consequently, the correction of daily data TRMM is necessary to improve the performance of TRMM-derived IDF. The correction of daily TRMM has statistically improved the performance of IDF. It is exhibited by the decreasing value of RMSE and RE. This analysis was culminated by producing an updated IDF curve using TRMM data from 1998-2019 for Bandung City. There is no significant trend that appears in rainfall intensity from 2016-2019.
Simulation of Rainfall Data by The GPM Satellite (Case Study at Sriwijaya University, Indralaya)
Authors: Iryani S Y , Al Amin M B , Muhtarom A
Published: August 2021

The problem in obtaining rainfall data information is that the measurement results of rainfall from the measuring station are not recorded and areas are difficult to reach to measure rainfall directly. Lack of data availability and continuity of rainfall data is one of the obstacles in obtaining climatological information in South Sumatra. GPM satellites (Global Precipitation Measurement) need to be researched in order to overcome obstacles in obtaining rainfall measurement data in an area. This study aims to validate rainfall data from the GPM satellite and daily rainfall data from the measurement results of the Hellmen type automatic rain gauge located in the Hydraulics Laboratory of Sriwijaya University. Validation of rainfall data was carried out to determine the accuracy of the measurement results. Validation was carried out by the Root Mean Square Error Method and the Nash-Sutcliffe Method. The results of the validation showed a high correlation value for the average daily rainfall. The correlation coefficient value is 0,77, the RMSE value is 11,42 and the NSE value is 0,996. The results of the validation of these methods show a strong correlation between the measurement rainfall data in the field and the GPM satellite.
Evaluation of Total Pressure Velocimeter
Authors: Maryono A , Nuranto S , Pratama D , Sembada P T S
Published: August 2021

An accurate and multifunctional water velocity meter is developed to fullfill the need for the appropriate water velocity measurement in Indonesia. The water flow velocity itself can be calculated using the principle of total pressure in the water flow. The total pressure to be detected for speed is obtained by using the basic workings of the Pitot Tube which is equipped with a pressure sensor in the form of four resistors arranged in a Wheatstone Bridge pattern. The output from the sensor in the form of a small electric current is processed into a digital signal to obtain an accurate reading. In the previous experiment, it was obtained that calm water measurement data resulted in a voltage of 0.03V and 0.21V at a depth of 2 cm and 10 cm from the surface. Whereas in flowing water, the voltage is 0.04V at small currents and 0.09V at heavy currents using a current source from the hydraulic bench. Furthermore, this speed measuring instrument will be calibrated to determine the response of the tool in graphical form and will be used as a digital readout. The calibration process was carried out using a comparison tool, namely orifice and free jet flow with orifice diameter hole of 6 mm which previously obtained a velocity coefficient value of 0.879. In the next research, the total pressure measurement method is expected to obtain data about the turbulence of a flow and turbulence flow with particles (emulsion) and can detect the speed and type of velocity and turbulence in the flow within a wide range.
Prediction Model Safety Perfomance Model on The Dam Construction Project Based Bayesian Networks
Authors: Asrar M N , Adi T J W
Published: August 2021

Low understanding of Safety Perfomance on Dam Construction Project due to ignoring risk factors in the implementation of the construction process. Work accidents that occur in construction projects can put workers at standstill and result in low Safety Perfomance. Thefore by improving Safety Perfomance in construction projects can increase the competitiveness of contractors in the Dam Construction Industry. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the identification of relevant variables to measure Performance Safety in construction projects based on the level of risk of work accidents so that, it can achieve modern Performance Safety Management in the Dam Construction Project. This research aims to measure Safety Performance using a probabilistic approach that is able to accommodate uncertainty in the Bayesian Networks based on Dam Construction Project. By creating a Safety Performance prediction model on the Dam Construction Project. We will be able to know the safety and health performance of the work on the Dam Construction Project.
The Safety of Bengawan Solo River Embankment at Dengkeng-Pusur Segment in The Return Periods of Discharge
Authors: Sirait N D , Sobriyah  , Ikhsan C , Hadiani R
Published: August 2021

This study aims to assess the safety of the Bengawan Solo River embankment at Dengkeng-Pusur segment in the return periods of discharge in terms of the freeboard’s adequacy. The embankment was designed to control flood discharge of 1.240 m3/sec with a freeboard of 1.1 meters. The hydraulic analysis using Hec-Ras software from point P.1 to P.14 with a Q2 return period of discharge of 811.9 m3/sec to a Q100 return period of discharge of 1442.5 m3/sec shows that the embankment is still able to pass the flood discharge. However, based on the freeboard’s adequacy, at a Q10 return period of discharge of 1050.1 m3/sec, the freeboard on the left embankment at P.8 less than 1 meter, namely 0.98 meters. Thus, it can be concluded that the Bengawan Solo River embankment at the Dengkeng-Pusur segment is not safe starting in a Q10 return period of discharge because, at any time, the capacity of flow discharge can be exceeded by wave phenomena and backwater effects so that can be endanger the embankment. This analysis also shows that the embankment is not safe at the design flood of discharge.
Laboratory Physical Modeling of Rakuna IV Armor Block Stability and Overtopping Discharge of Patimban Port’s Rubble Mound Breakwater
Authors: Istiyanto D C , Cholishoh E , Murtiaji C , Widagdo A B , Sukmana C I , Hamid A , Wiguna E A , Marta A S D , Setiawan J , Santosa B
Published: August 2021

A series of 2D physical model experiment was carried out to examine the potential advantage of Rakuna IV armor block over Tetrapod blocks in term of stability, number of blocks for the same cross-section and overtopping discharge under predetermined experiment conditions. For the sea side slope armor, Rakuna IV – 2ton armor blocks perform advantageous stability in comparison to Tetrapod-2ton blocks for the case of Hmo= 1.2×Hs. For the harbor side slope armor and toe armor, rocks of 300-1000kg/pc performs high stability with very less damage, with S << 2 and S=0.11 respectively (S=2 is initial damage condition). For the crest elevation +2.5mCD, overtopping discharge over either Rakuna IV or Tetrapod armored slopes are more or less at the same amount and both are still within allowed criteria limit. For the crest elevation +2.1mCD, overtopping discharge over Rakuna IV is still within allowed criteria limit. Reduction of breakwater crest from +2.5mCD to +2.1mCD (Rakuna IV) has relatively increased overtopping discharge four times higher, but it is still within allowed criteria limit. For the present experimental design, Rakuna IV armor layer is requiring less number of fabricated blocks for the same cross-section compared to Tetrapod block.
Mapping the Problems, Stakeholders, and Potential Solutions of Solid Waste Management in a New-Emergence Tourist Area: A Case Study in Nglanggeran, Gunungsewu UNESCO Global Geopark
Authors: Nayono Suwartanti , Nayono Satoto E.
Published: August 2021

After being selected as a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2015 and promoted as an ecotourism area, Nglanggeran Village in the Gunungsewu area can attract as many as 300,000 visitors/year. Although tourism activities on one side bring economic benefits, on the other side they raise environmental problems. One of the problems is the increase of solid waste volume generated by the visitors. This study aimed to map the problems and investigate the stakeholders in current solid waste management in Nglanggeran. An ethnographic approach was applied in this research. Primary data was collected during the field works through participant observation, interviews with key actors, and Focus Group Discussions with stakeholders. The result reveals that the relevant stakeholders in solid waste management in this area are: the community-based tourism organization, women in the households/homestays, informal waste collectors (scavengers), and informal waste traders. The absence of formal waste management in the area and the missing link to the existing solid waste infrastructure become the main problems in this area. Integrating informal stakeholders (waste collectors and traders) as well as educating the visitors to reduce their waste become survival strategies in the short-term.
Strategic Approach in Human Resource Management at Construction Companies in Indonesia
Authors: Susilowati F , Chrishnawati Y
Published: August 2021

This research was carried out to take a strategic approach to Human Resources Management in Indonesia’s construction companies. This was accomplished to complement previous research with the scope of 20 large contractor companies that have handled infrastructure projects and selected randomly throughout Indonesia. Collecting data using questionnaire techniques, followed by observations and interviews, to get more information. The data obtained is processed using descriptive data analysis and plotted on a mapping diagram of HR management. Data processing is carried out using the SPSS program to test the validity and reliability findings. The research results are information related to the mapping patterns of HR management in the construction and the main factor that is the key to success in the implementation of HR management. This study’s results can be used as a reference for companies in making policies and determining the right strategies to improve the quality of their human resources to improve the company’s performance in infrastructure. It is hoped that this research can support HR management systems within the scope of industry organizations more broadly to support government programs in realizing superior human resources for the build of Indonesia’s progress.
Ultra-short-term Wind Power Prediction Model Based on VMD Decomposition and LSTM
Authors: Liu Xingdou , Zhang Li , Zhang Zhirui , Zhao Tong , Zou Liang
Published: August 2021

With the rising demand for environmental protection, wind energy has made considerable progress as a clean energy source. Due to the uncertainty of wind power generation, accurate forecasting of wind power is conducive to achieving stable grid-connected control of wind turbines. This paper proposes an ultra-short-term wind power forecasting model composed of variational modal decomposition (VMD) and long short-term memory (LSTM) networks. Obtain the recorded historical wind speed and historical power from the wind field data acquisition and monitoring control system (SCADA), and use VMD to decompose and reconstruct the historical wind speed of the wind field to form 5 training data sets. Using historical power, historical wind speed, and predicted wind speed as input, wind power forecasts for the next 4 hours (15 minutes apart) are made. In order to evaluate the prediction ability of the proposed model, two algorithms, LSTM and XGBoost, are used for prediction. Taking root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) as evaluation indicators, the results show that the prediction accuracy of wind power is significantly improved after VMD processing, and the performance of LSTM is better than XGBoost in the two evaluation indicators.
Voltage Assessment of High PV Penetration in Radial Power Distribution Network
Authors: Huang Kecan , Li Zepeng , Tang Wenhu , Qian Tong
Published: August 2021

The total photovoltaic (PV) installed capacity of China plans to increase above 56 GW by 2050 to realize the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. As a result, the hosting capacity of PV in a power distribution system affects the operation performance such as the quality of voltage, power balance, stability, and frequency problems. To investigate impacts of different PV penetration levels on the voltage and feeder in a typical power distribution network, this work considers uncertainties of PV output, and a Monte Carlo-based method is employed to simulate the impacts for different PV penetration levels on a power distribution network to evaluate voltage deviation from the normalized level (0.9 to 1.1 p.u.). A typical IEEE 33-bus system is studied and the connected PVG is based on 10-min resolution historical data from California in America in 2006. Results of the studied power distribution network are showed under three different cases: underloaded, overloaded, and fully-loaded that the 33-bus system injected with a higher PV penetration causes more voltage problems on the buses as well as the main feeder utilization tends to increase when the distribution system is underloaded or overloaded.
Research on Influence Factors of Leakage and Diffusion of 5 m3 High Pressure Hydrogen Cylinder
Authors: Qiang Chen , Zhan-qing Liu , Yan-yun Liu , Qing-guo Sun , Tian-xiang Wang , Gang Lei , Su-jiang Li
Published: August 2021

According to the characteristics of 5m3 hydrogen cylinder in a hydrogenation station, the influence factors of high-pressure hydrogen leakage and diffusion under different leakage aperture, cylinder pressure and wind speed were studied by using the safety analysis software PHAST. The results show that the area of downstream dangerous cloud cluster and diffusion isolation area increases with the increase of leakage diameter, cylinder pressure and wind speed. The aperture has a great influence on the mass leakage rate and the distribution range of cloud clusters, while the cylinder pressure mainly affects the distribution of cloud clusters. The influence of pressure on mass leakage rate is not as obvious as the influence of aperture. The wind speed has no effect on the mass leakage rate, and has only a slight impact on the downstream cloud cluster distribution.
Porous Ni-Cr-Mo-Cu alloys fabricated by elemental powder reactive synthesis
Authors: Yang Junsheng , Li Xide , Lv Li , Liu Xiaopeng , Zou Haoran , Zhang Chuo , Xiong Lieqiang , Liu Yuzuo
Published: August 2021

Fabrication of porous Ni-Cr-Mo-Cu alloys is available through Ni, Cr, Mo and Cu elemental powder reactive synthesis at the sintering temperature of 1150 °C. The pore structures, including swelling behavior, open porosity, pore size and viscous permeability of the porous Ni-Cr-Mo-Cu alloys are systematically investigated. The results revealed that the parameters of pore structure firstly increased, and then decreased with the increase of the sintering temperature. When the sintering temperature rose to 1000 °C, the volume expansion, open porosity and viscous permeability of porous Ni-Cr-Mo-Cu alloys reached the peak value of 8.0%, 41.6% and 17.2 μm2, respectively. In addition, it was confirmed that the pore structure evolution was based on three stages, that is, in the low temperature section before stearic acid decomposition, the formation of pores was initiated by the volatilization of pore-forming agent and the interstitial pores of green compact; when the temperature was lower than 1083 °C, the increase of open porosity was mainly due to the Kirkendall effect caused by solid partial diffusion; while, when the temperature is within the range of 1083 ∼ 1150 °C, the shrinkage behavior at high temperature and a small amount of metal solution formed by the unreacted Cu led to decrease in pore structure parameters.
RETRACTED: Gas-foaming three-dimensional electrospun nanofiber scaffold improved three-dimensional cartilage regeneration
Authors: Jia Zihao , Liu Yang , Wang Yingying , Peng Shiyuan , Jia Peng , Zhang Wei , Tan Xiaoyan
Published: August 2021

Repairing cartilage defect is always an intractable problem in joint surgery field. Tissue engineering, in the industry, is universally considered as a decent solution for overcoming this challenge. Especially the three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds play a significant role in cartilage repair. Thereinto, the electrospinning has become a very attractive method for the preparation of scaffolds. In recent years. However, these scaffolds are limited in terms of their three-dimensional (3D) applications due to their two-dimensional (2D) structure and pore size which are smaller than a cartilage cellular diameter and thus limit the cellular migration in these structures. To address this issue, this study will present an promising post electrospinning approach that can transform two-dimensional scaffolds into three-dimensional scaffolds via the way of insitu gas foaming within the pores of the nanofiber membranes as the driving force. Our previous study reported that agelatin/polycaprolactone (GT:PCL) ratio of 7:3 might be suitable for the cartilage regeneration [Zheng R, et al The influence of Gelatin/PCL ratio and 3D construct shape of electrospun membranes on cartilage regeneration. Biomaterials 2014;35:152-164]. Therefore, in the present experiment, we chose the above ratio (GT:PCL = 7:3) to realize two types of scaffolds (2D and 3D scaffolds) transition via the gas-foaming technique and investigated whether the three-dimensional structure was more conducive to cartilage regeneration than 2D.The experiment results have revealed that 3D scaffolds can achieve a larger pore size, higher porosity and higher biocompatibility than 2D scaffolds. In addition, both scaffolds which were implanted with chondrocytes all had formed mature cartilage-like tissues after 8 weeks of culturing in rabbits, and the 3D scaffold formed a three-dimensional structure, whereas the 2D scaffold only formed a thin layer of cartilage. As the macroscopic and histological results showed after 12 weeks postoperation, in the 2D scaffold group, the defect was full of fibrillar connective tissue, and as shown by HE staining, obviously there is no staining with Saf-O/FG and toluidine blue on the surface of repaired site. On the contrary, in the 3D scaffold group, homogeneous and mature cartilaginous tissue were found in the defect area. The defect was filled with numerous new chondrocytes, and the histologicalstaining revealed a large amount of regenerated cartilage tissue which was perfectly integrated with normal cartilage tissue. The results distinctly indicated that the 3D scaffold led to better cartilage repair effects than the 2D scaffold. Generally speaking, the current study demonstrated that a gas-foaming three-dimensional electrospun nanofiber scaffold would be a potential platform for cartilage regeneration and might provide a potential treatment option for repairing articular cartilage defects.
Generator functions and their applications
Authors: Grenier Emmanuel , Nguyen Toan
Published: August 2021

We had introduced so called generators functions to precisely follow the regularity of analytic solutions of Navier-Stokes equations earlier (see Grenier and Nguyen [Ann. PDE 5 (2019)]. In this short note, we give a short presentation of these generator functions and use them to construct analytic solutions to classical evolution equations, which provides an alternative way to the use of the classical abstract Cauchy-Kovalevskaya theorem (see Asano [Proc. Japan Acad. Ser. A Math. Sci. 64 (1988), pp. 102–105], Baouendi and Goulaouic [Comm. Partial Differential Equations 2 (1977), pp. 1151–1162], Caflisch [Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. (N.S.) 23 (1990), pp. 495–500], Nirenberg [J. Differential Geom. 6 (1972), pp. 561–576], Safonov [Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 48 (1995), pp. 629–637]).
GAMMA: a tool for the rapid identification, classification and annotation of translated gene matches from sequencing data
Authors: Stanton Richard A , Vlachos Nicholas , Halpin Alison Laufer
Published: August 2021

Motivation

Tools used to identify genes in microbial sequences using a reference database generally report matches as a percent identity, which can be difficult to interpret in cases with <100% sequence identity, as changes to specific amino acids can have dramatic effects on protein function, such as when they occur in substrate binding regions or enzyme active sites, which in turn can have dramatic effects on phenotypes like antimicrobial resistance or virulence.

Results

Here, we present GAMMA, an open-source tool for Gene Allele Mutation Microbial Assessment, which uses protein coding-level identity to make gene calls from any gene database and generates a classification (e.g. mutant, truncation) and translated annotation (e.g. Y190S mutation, truncation at residue 110) for these calls. GAMMA accurately called antimicrobial resistance genes from a large set of genomes faster than three other tools. It can also be used with any gene database, as we demonstrated by identifying virulence genes in the same genome set. Because of its speed and flexibility, GAMMA can be used to rapidly find and annotate any gene matches of interest in microbial sequencing data.

Availability and implementation

GAMMA is freely available as a Bioconda package (https://bioconda.github.io/recipes/gamma/README.html) and as a command line script (https://github.com/rastanton/GAMMA).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Cultivating Client Initiatives in Social Work: An Interactional Exploration
Authors: Dall Tanja , Jørgensen Sabine
Published: August 2021

Client participation is one of the social work’s central ideals, yet several studies have illustrated the challenges around including client perspectives in decision-making and action-planning procedures in institutional settings. The present study explores how social workers can help clients form and expresses their views to influence decisions about how to proceed in their case. We use a discourse analysis methodology focused on naturally occurring interactions in meetings in which a client initiative has consequences for the decisions made. Our analysis illustrates a process where the social worker assists the client in taking the initiative to form and express their views about how to proceed in the case followed by joint exploration, adjustment and concretisation of the client’s initiative into an institutional referral. This account casts participation in conversation as more than the acceptance or implementation of clients’ ideas or requests. Rather, participation in this setting is a negotiated activity that entails supporting clients in developing thoughts and ideas about how to achieve their long-term goals within the available framework of institutional resources. The analysis offers concrete implications for practice, as the single case illustrates interactional practices involved in facilitating client participation within a welfare-to-work context.
Advanced brain ageing in Parkinson’s disease is related to disease duration and individual impairment
Authors: Eickhoff Claudia R , Hoffstaedter Felix , Caspers Julian , Reetz Kathrin , Mathys Christian , Dogan Imis , Amunts Katrin , Schnitzler Alfons , Eickhoff Simon B
Published: August 2021

Machine learning can reliably predict individual age from MRI data, revealing that patients with neurodegenerative disorders show an elevated biological age. A surprising gap in the literature, however, pertains to Parkinson’s disease. Here, we evaluate brain age in two cohorts of Parkinson’s patients and investigated the relationship between individual brain age and clinical characteristics. We assessed 372 patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, newly diagnosed cases from the Parkinson’s Progression Marker Initiative database and a more chronic local sample, as well as age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Following morphometric preprocessing and atlas-based compression, individual brain age was predicted using a multivariate machine learning model trained on an independent, multi-site reference sample. Across cohorts, healthy controls were well predicted with a mean error of 4.4 years. In turn, Parkinson’s patients showed a significant (controlling for age, gender and site) increase in brain age of ∼3 years. While this effect was already present in the newly diagnosed sample, advanced biological age was significantly related to disease duration as well as worse cognitive and motor impairment. While biological age is increased in patients with Parkinson’s disease, the effect is at the lower end of what is found for other neurological and psychiatric disorders. We argue that this may reflect a heterochronicity between forebrain atrophy and small but behaviourally salient midbrain pathology. Finally, we point to the need to disentangle physiological ageing trajectories, lifestyle effects and core pathological changes.
The Incidence of Hepatitis C Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Australia, 2009–2019
Authors: Harney Brendan L , Sacks-Davis Rachel , van Santen Daniela K , Traeger Michael , Wilkinson Anna L , Asselin Jason , El-Hayek Carol , Fairley Christopher K , Roth Norman , Bloch Mark , Matthews Gail , Donovan Basil , Guy Rebecca , Stoové Mark , Hellard Margaret E , Doyle Joseph S ,   Australian Collaboration for Coordinated Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance of Sexually Transmissible Infections and Blood-borne Viruses (ACCESS), Bastian Lisa , Bateson Deborah , Bowden Scott , Boyd Mark , Callander Denton , Carter Allison , Cogle Aaron , Costello Jane , Dimech Wayne , Dittmer Jennifer , Ellard Jeanne , Franklin Lucinda , Kim Jules , McGill Scott , Nolan David , Patel Prital , Pendle Stella , Polkinghorne Victoria , Nguyen Long , Nguyen Thi , O’Connor Catherine , Reed Philip , Ryder Nathan , Selvey Christine , Vickers Toby , Walker Melanie , Watchirs-Smith Lucy , West Michael
Published: August 2021

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been reported among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) globally including GBM with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HIV-negative GBM, particularly those using HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). In Australia, HCV direct-acting antiviral treatment (DAA) was government-funded from 2016. Large implementation studies of PrEP also began in 2016. We examined HCV incidence among GBM to assess whether HCV incidence has changed since 2015.

Methods

Data were drawn from the Australian Collaboration for Coordinated Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance. We included GBM who tested HCV antibody negative at their first test and had ≥1 subsequent test. Generalized linear modeling (Poisson distribution) was used to examine HCV incidence from 2009 to 2019 stratified by HIV status, and among HIV-negative GBM prescribed PrEP from 2016 to 2019.

Results

Among 6744 GBM with HIV, HCV incidence was 1.03 per 100 person-years (PY). Incidence declined by 78% in 2019 compared to 2015 (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.22 [95% confidence interval {CI}: .09–.55]). Among 20 590 HIV-negative GBM, HCV incidence was 0.20/100 PY, with no significant change over time. Among 11 661 HIV-negative GBM prescribed PrEP, HCV incidence was 0.29/100 PY. Compared to 2016, incidence among GBM prescribed PrEP declined by 80% in 2019 (IRR, 0.20 [95% CI: .06–.64]).

Conclusions

HCV incidence among GBM living with HIV declined following DAA availability. There was no observed change in HCV incidence among HIV-negative GBM overall. Among GBM prescribed PrEP, incidence declined since the early years of PrEP implementation in Australia. Australia is on track to eliminate HCV among GBM before global 2030 targets.
The role of age in the spreading of COVID-19 across a social network in Bucharest
Authors: Hâncean Marian-Gabriel , Lerner Jürgen , Perc Matjaž , Ghiţă Maria Cristina , Bunaciu David-Andrei , Stoica Adelina Alexandra , Mihăilă Bianca-Elena
Published: August 2021

We analyse officially procured data detailing the COVID-19 transmission in Romania’s capital Bucharest between 1st August and 31st October 2020. We apply relational hyperevent models on 19,713 individuals with 13,377 infection ties to determine to what degree the disease spread is affected by age whilst controlling for other covariate and human-to-human transmission network effects. We find that positive cases are more likely to nominate alters of similar age as their sources of infection, thus providing evidence for age homophily. We also show that the relative infection risk is negatively associated with the age of peers, such that the risk of infection increases as the average age of contacts decreases. Additionally, we find that adults between the ages 35 and 44 are pivotal in the transmission of the disease to other age groups. Our results may contribute to better controlling future COVID-19 waves, and they also point to the key age groups which may be essential for vaccination given their prominent role in the transmission of the virus.
Wastewater monitoring, surveillance and epidemiology: a review of terminology for a common understanding
Authors: Larsen David A , Green Hyatt , Collins Mary B , Kmush Brittany L
Published: August 2021

Response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic saw an unprecedented uptake in bottom-up efforts to incorporate community wastewater testing to inform public health. While not a new strategy, various specialized scientific advancements were achieved to establish links between wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and public health outcomes. Maximizing public health benefit requires collaboration among a broad range of disciplinary experts, each bringing their own historical context to the central goal of protecting human health. One challenge has been a lack of shared terminology. Standardized terminology would provide common ground for this rapidly growing field. Based on the review herein, we recommend categorical usage of the term ‘wastewater-based epidemiology’ to describe the science of relating microbes, chemicals or other analytes in wastewater to public health. We further recommend the term ‘wastewater surveillance’ to describe continuous monitoring of health outcomes (either microbes or chemicals) via wastewater. We suggest that ‘wastewater tracking’ and ‘wastewater tracing’ be used in more narrow ways, specifically when trying to find the source of a health risk. Finally, we suggest that the phrase ‘wastewater monitoring’ be abandoned, except in rare circumstances when ensuring wastewater discharge is safe from a public health perspective.
Secondhand Smoke Exposure Impairs Ion Channel Function and Contractility of Mesenteric Arteries
Authors: Le Thanhmai , Martín-Aragón Baudel Miguel , Syed Arsalan , Singhrao Navid , Pan Shiyue , Flores-Tamez Victor A , Burns Abby E , Man Kwun Nok Mimi , Karey Emma , Hong Junyoung , Hell Johannes W , Pinkerton Kent E , Chen Chao-Yin , Nieves-Cintrón Madeline
Published: August 2021

Cigarette smoke, including secondhand smoke (SHS), has significant detrimental vascular effects, but its effects on myogenic tone of small resistance arteries and the underlying mechanisms are understudied. Although it is apparent that SHS contributes to endothelial dysfunction, much less is known about how this toxicant alters arterial myocyte contraction, leading to alterations in myogenic tone. The study's goal is to determine the effects of SHS on mesenteric arterial myocyte contractility and excitability. C57BL/6J male mice were randomly assigned to either filtered air (FA) or SHS (6 h/d, 5 d/wk) exposed groups for a 4, 8, or 12-weeks period. Third and fourth-order mesenteric arteries and arterial myocytes were acutely isolated and evaluated with pressure myography and patch clamp electrophysiology, respectively. Myogenic tone was found to be elevated in mesenteric arteries from mice exposed to SHS for 12 wk but not for 4 or 8 wk. These results were correlated with an increase in L-type Ca2+ channel activity in mesenteric arterial myocytes after 12 wk of SHS exposure. Moreover, 12 wk SHS exposed arterial myocytes have reduced total potassium channel current density, which correlates with a depolarized membrane potential (Vm). These results suggest that SHS exposure induces alterations in key ionic conductances that modulate arterial myocyte contractility and myogenic tone. Thus, chronic exposure to an environmentally relevant concentration of SHS impairs mesenteric arterial myocyte electrophysiology and myogenic tone, which may contribute to increased blood pressure and risks of developing vascular complications due to passive exposure to cigarette smoke.
Political Taboos in the German Democratic Republic
Authors: Grashoff Udo
Published: August 2021

The article outlines a new framework for the study of communicative taboos in repressive political regimes such as the GDR. The concept goes beyond the somewhat reductive position that understands political taboos as mere silencing. The approach developed here aims at refining our understanding of discursive regimes in dictatorial regimes, where one dominant ideology has become deeply ingrained in most aspects of society. It starts with the observation that the discursive sphere in the periphery of the taboo, characterized by corrupted speech, and the silence in its core are complementary elements of the taboo. I develop my concept with reference to three political taboos: the official discourse on betrayal of members of communist resistance groups during the Third Reich, expulsions after the Second World War, and the uprising of 17 June 1953. The discussion shows that a precise conception of the general appearance of communicative taboos—including distinguishing between core and periphery, comprehensive analysis of the gamut of linguistic and semantic distortions, study of privileged speakers able to transgress taboos, and paying attention to the perceived taboo—provides a promising starting point for the historical study of tabooing, including its modifications and transformations.
Dietary Intake Patterns of Community-Dwelling Older Adults After Acute Hospitalization
Authors: Deer Rachel R , Hosein Erin , Mera Alejandra , Howe Kristen , Goodlett Shawn , Robertson Nicole , Volpi Elena
Published: August 2021

Background

Malnutrition and sarcopenia are a growing concern in community-dwelling older adults. Hospitalization increases the risk of malnutrition and leads to a decline in functional and nutritional status at discharge. Persistent malnutrition after hospital discharge may worsen posthospital outcomes, including readmissions. The aim of this study was to determine dietary intakes and nutrient distribution patterns of community-dwelling older adults after acute hospitalization.

Method

Participants (65 years and older, n = 85) were enrolled during acute hospitalization and dietary 24-hour recalls were collected weekly for 1 month postdischarge. Analysis included change in dietary intake over recovery timeframe; daily intake of energy, protein, fruit, vegetables, and fluids; comparison of intake to recommendations; distribution of energy and protein across mealtimes; and analysis of most common food choices.

Results

Most participants did not meet current recommendations for energy, fruit, vegetables, or fluids. Average protein consumption was significantly higher than the current recommendation of 0.8 g/kg/d; however, only 55% of participants met this goal and less than 18% met the 1.2 g/kg/d proposed optimal protein intake for older adults. The protein distribution throughout the day was skewed and no one met the 0.4 g/meal protein recommendation at all meals.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that community-dwelling older adults did not meet their nutritional needs during recovery after hospitalization. These data highlight the need for better nutritional evaluation and support of geriatric patients recovering from hospitalization.
Velocity and azimuthal anisotropy structure underneath the Reelfoot Rift region from Rayleigh wave phase velocity dispersion curves
Authors: Basu Urbi , Powell Christine A
Published: August 2021

Phase velocity and azimuthal anisotropy maps for fundamental mode Rayleigh waves are determined for a portion of the central United States including the seismically active Reelfoot Rift (RFR) and the enigmatic Illinois Basin. Dense seismic array installations of the Northern Embayment Lithosphere Experiment, the EarthScope transportable array and the Ozarks Illinois Indiana Kentucky array allow a detailed investigation of phase velocity and anisotropy in a broad period range (20–100s).We obtain more than 12 000 well-constrained, unique two-station paths from teleseismic events. The two-station method is used to determine dispersion curves and these are inverted for isotropic phase velocity maps and azimuthal anisotropy maps for each period. The presence of fast phase velocities at lower crustal and uppermost mantle depths is found below the RFR, and Ste. Genevieve and Wabash Valley fault zones. At periods of 30s and higher, the RFR is underlain by slow phase velocities and is flanked to the NW and SE by regions of fast velocity. Fast phase velocities are present below the centre of the Illinois Basin in the period range 75–100s. Anisotropy fast axis orientations display complex patterns for each period and do not trend parallel to the direction of absolute plate motion. Anisotropy fast directions are consistently parallel to the trend of the RFR from 50s to higher periods, suggesting the presence of either frozen-in anisotropic fabric or fabric related to material transport from a recently discovered, pronounced low velocity zone below the Mississippi Embayment.
Clonal Hematopoiesis Is Associated With Low CD4 Nadir and Increased Residual HIV Transcriptional Activity in Virally Suppressed Individuals With HIV
Authors: van der Heijden Wouter A , van Deuren Rosanne C , van de Wijer Lisa , van den Munckhof Inge C L , Steehouwer Marloes , Riksen Niels P , Netea Mihai G , de Mast Quirijn , Vandekerckhove Linos , de Voer Richarda M , van der Ven Andre J , Hoischen Alexander
Published: August 2021

Clonal hematopoiesis, a common age-related phenomenon marked by expansion of cells with clonal hematopoiesis driver mutations, has been associated with all-cause mortality, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. People with HIV (PWH) are at risk for non-AIDS–related comorbidities such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and cancer. In a cross-sectional cohort study, we compared clonal hematopoiesis prevalence in PWH on stable antiretroviral therapy with prevalence in a cohort of overweight individuals and a cohort of age- and sex-matched population controls. The prevalence of clonal hematopoiesis adjusted for age was increased and clone size was larger in PWH compared to population controls. Clonal hematopoiesis is associated with low CD4 nadir, increased residual HIV-1 transcriptional activity, and coagulation factors in PWH. Future studies on the effect of clonal hematopoiesis on the HIV reservoir and non-AIDS–related comorbidities are warranted.
Homework questions designed to require higher-order cognitive skills in an undergraduate animal physiology course did not produce desirable difficulties, testing effects, or improvements in information retention
Authors: Cadaret Caitlin N , Yates Dustin T
Published: August 2021

Studies show that retrieval practices such as homework assignments that are completed during the encoding phase of learning benefit knowledge acquisition and retention. In addition, desirable difficulties, which are strategies that intentionally create a greater challenge during initial learning to enhance encoding and retrieval pathways, also benefit learning long term. Our objective was to determine whether weekly homework questions intended to create desirable difficulties by requiring higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS) benefited students’ long-term retention of physiology concepts compared to questions designed to require lower-order cognitive skills (LOCS). Undergraduate students in a junior-level animal physiology course were presented information during weekly laboratory periods, and then required to complete retrieval practices in the form of online homework assignments 5 d after each lab. Homework questions were formatted per Bloom’s Taxonomy to require HOCS (i.e., level 4 or 5) or LOCS (i.e., level 1 or 2). Information retention was assessed the next week via performance on an in-class quiz and again at semesters’ end via performance on a final practical exam. We observed no differences in performance on the in-class quiz or final practical exam between students randomly assigned to complete homework with HOCS questions compared to LOCS questions. However, students that received homework with HOCS questions had decreased (P < 0.05) performance scores on 9 out of the 11 homework assignments compared to those receiving homework with LOCS questions. These findings indicate that desirable difficulties were not created by our HOCS homework questions because students receiving these more difficult retrieval practices did not achieve equal success on them. As a result, this attempt to create variations in cognitive demand did not enhance retention of knowledge in this study.
A novel lattice structure topology optimization method with extreme anisotropic lattice properties
Authors: Zhang Chenghu , Liu Jikai , Yuan Zhiling , Xu Shuzhi , Zou Bin , Li Lei , Ma Yongsheng
Published: August 2021

This research presents a lattice structure topology optimization (LSTO) method that significantly expands the design space by creating a novel candidate lattice that assesses an extremely large range of effective material properties. About the details, topology optimization is employed to design lattices with extreme directional tensile or shear properties subject to different volume fraction limits and the optimized lattices are categorized into groups according to their dominating properties. The novel candidate lattice is developed by combining the optimized elementary lattices, by picking up one from each group, and then parametrized with the elementary lattice relative densities. In this way, the LSTO design space is greatly expanded for the ever increased accessible material property range. Moreover, the effective material constitutive model of the candidate lattice subject to different elementary lattice combinations is pre-established so as to eliminate the tedious in-process repetitive homogenization. Finally, a few numerical examples and experiments are explored to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The superiority of the proposed method is proved through comparing with a few existing LSTO methods. The options of concurrent structural topology and lattice optimization are also explored for further enhancement of the mechanical performance.
Scalable supervised online hashing for image retrieval
Authors: Fang Yuzhi , Liu Li
Published: August 2021

Online hashing methods aim to learn compact binary codes of the new data stream, and update the hash function to renew the codes of the existing data. However, the addition of new data streams has a vital impact on the retrieval performance of the entire retrieval system, especially the similarity measurement between new data streams and existing data, which has always been one of the focuses of online retrieval research. In this paper, we present a novel scalable supervised online hashing method, to solve the above problems within a unified framework. Specifically, the similarity matrix is established by the label matrix of the existing data and the new data stream. The projection of the existing data label matrix is then used as an intermediate term to approximate the binary codes of the existing data, which not only realizes the semantic information of the hash codes learning but also effectively alleviates the problem of data imbalance. In addition, an alternate optimization algorithm is proposed to efficiently make the solution of the model. Extensive experiments on three widely used datasets validate its superior performance over several state-of-the-art methods in terms of both accuracy and scalability for online retrieval task.
Dosing Schedules of Gemcitabine and nab-Paclitaxel for Older Adults With Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Winer Arthur , Handorf Elizabeth , Dotan Efrat
Published: August 2021

Background

Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (GA) is a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPDAC). The traditional dosing schedule of GA is days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Frequently, older adults are given a modified dosing schedule using 2 doses per cycle because of toxicity. We retrospectively analyzed treatment patterns and outcomes of older adults with mPDAC given these 2 dosing schedules.

Methods

Patients 65 years or older with mPDAC treated with GA in a nationwide real-world database between January 1, 2014, and May 31, 2019, were included. Demographic, disease, and treatment information were collected. Patients were grouped by dosing at treatment initiation (traditional vs modified dosing schedules). Endpoints were time on treatment (TOT) and overall survival (OS) in patients receiving at least 2 cycles. All statistical tests were 2-sided.

Results

1317 patients were included (traditional dosing schedule: n = 842; modified dosing schedule: n = 475). Median age at diagnosis was 72 and 73 years for traditional and modified dosing schedules, respectively (P < .001), but sex, race, and performance status were not statistically significantly different. The median TOT and OS were better for the traditional vs modified dosing schedule (unadjusted median TOT, first-line = 4.18 vs 3.26 mo, P =.04; OS = 9.44 vs 7.63 mo, P =.003).

Conclusion

In this real-world cohort, treatment of older mPDAC patients with a modified dosing schedule of GA resulted in shorter TOT and worse OS vs a traditional dosing schedule. With the caveats of potential confounding that exist in a nonrandomized retrospective database, these results suggest that dose intensity may be important, and prospective studies are necessary to ensure we treat our patients most effectively.
Laryngeal malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor mixed with high- and low-grade malignancies
Authors: Kajiyama Taihei , Komori Masahiro , Iguchi Mitsuko , Nakashima Junko , Nagao Asuka , Hyodo Masamitsu
Published: August 2021

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), as defined by immunohistochemical evaluation, are identified along a spectrum ranging from atypical neurofibroma to high-grade MPNST because these tumors are similar in terms of cell shape and tissue components on hematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining. The patient was a 57-year-old male referred to our hospital, with a recurrent red tumor at the anterior commissure of the larynx and submucosal swelling of the right vocal fold. A surgical specimen from a right horizontal partial laryngectomy was evaluated immunohistochemically. A high-grade MPNST lesion was included in the submucosal white tumor, whereas a low-grade MPNST lesion was encountered around the high-grade MPNST lesion. This tumor may involve different malignancies even when it is small. Although intra-tumor heterogeneity in cancers has been reported recently, careful immunohistochemical examination can be important and beneficial for eradicating the tumor while preserving vocal function.