bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compound Mutation in Cardiac Sarcomere Proteins Is Associated with Increased Risk for Major Arrhythmic Events in Pediatric Onset Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Pollmann Kathrin , Kaltenecker Emanuel , Schleihauf Julia , Ewert Peter , Görlach Agnes , Wolf Cordula M.
Published: November 2021

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is associated with adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling causing dysfunction and malignant arrhythmias. Severely affected patients present with disease onset during childhood and sudden cardiac death risk (SCD) stratification is of the highest importance in this cohort. This study aimed to investigate genotype–phenotype association regarding clinical outcome and disease progression in pediatric onset HCM. Medical charts from forty-nine patients with pediatric HCM who had undergone genetic testing were reviewed for retrospective analysis. Demographic, clinical, transthoracic echocardiographic, electrocardiographic, long-term electrocardiogram, cardiopulmonary exercise test, cardiac magnetic resonance, and medication data were recorded. Childhood onset HCM was diagnosed in 29 males and 20 females. Median age at last follow-up was 18.7 years (range 2.6–51.7 years) with a median follow-up time since diagnosis of 8.5 years (range 0.2–38.0 years). Comparison of patients carrying mutations in distinct genes and comparison of genotype-negative with genotype-positive individuals, revealed no differences in functional classification, LV morphology, hypertrophy, systolic and diastolic function, fibrosis and cardiac medication. Patients with compound mutations had a significantly higher risk for major arrhythmic events than a single-mutation carrier. No association between affected genes and disease severity or progression was identified in this cohort.
Research on Optimization of Parametric Propeller Based on Anti-Icing Performance and Simulation of Cutting State of Ice Propeller
Authors: Lu Yu , Wu Chunxiao , Liu Shewen , Gu Zhuhao , Shao Wu , Li Chuang
Published: November 2021

When a ship sails in an ice area, the ice could cause damage to ship hull and the propeller as well as the rudder. In the design process of an ice class propeller, the strength verification of the propeller has always been the focus of the design and research of the ice propeller. Based on the International Association of Classification Societies Unified Requirements for Polar Class (IACS Polar UR), it is required that the maximum torque from the propeller cannot exceed the required value to ensure the safety of the propeller shafting equipment. This paper investigates the hydrodynamic performance of the propeller under the condition of satisfying the propeller’s ice strength. A parametric propeller optimization design procedure was established in which the thrust coefficient and open water efficiency solved by CFD method were selected as the objective function and optimization target, the maximum ice torque was used as the optimization constraint under the condition that the ship’s shafting equipment remains unchanged, the propeller pitch, thickness, and camber at each radial direction were taken as the optimization design variables, and the optimization algorithm of SOBOL and NSGA-II was adopted. The interaction mode of propeller and ice was simulated by the method of explicit dynamics. The equivalent stress and displacement response of the blade during the cutting process of the ice propeller were calculated, monitoring the ice destruction process. The results show that the multi-objective Pareto optimal solution set of thrust coefficient and open water efficiency of the ice class propeller was formed at the design speed while maintain the maximum ice torque not exceeding the original ice torque.
The Benefits of 3D and 4D Synthesis of Marine Geophysical Datasets for Analysis and Visualisation of Shipwrecks, and for Interpretation of Physical Processes over Shipwreck Sites: A Case Study off Methoni, Greece
Authors: Gkionis Panagiotis , Papatheodorou George , Geraga Maria
Published: November 2021

Through the study of three wreck sites over the Methoni Bay (Greece), this article presents the benefits of spatio-temporal integration and correlation of marine geophysical data in a common three-dimensional (3D) geographical platform for analysis, and visualisation of shipwreck ruins and for interpretation of physical processes over wreck sites. The integration of 3D datasets has been proven to support identification of archaeological features over and under the seafloor, evaluation of the wreck structure state, and assessment on the wrecking event and the wreck site arrangement at that time, due to interactive cross-examination of datasets acquired in separate planes. Data synthesis is fundamental for 3D digital reconstruction of scattered and partially buried shipwreck ruins in complex geology as every dataset acts as interpretive and complimentary to each other. It is also shown that data synthesis highlights the signatures of physical processes over the wreck sites, and the interaction between the processes and the shipwrecks. The analysis of spatio-temporal, four-dimensional (4D) integrated datasets has proved to provide knowledge on the wreck site evolution through time, and highlights the disturbance of underwater archaeological resources due to human activities. The study has also shown that the creation of a shoalest depth true position bathymetric surface supports the realistic 3D wreck representation over the seafloor.
Wind Features Extracted from Weather Simulations for Wind-Wave Prediction Using High-Resolution Neural Networks
Authors: Wei Chih-Chiang
Published: November 2021

Nearshore wave forecasting is susceptible to changes in regional wind fields and environments. However, surface wind field changes are difficult to determine due to the lack of in situ observational data. Therefore, accurate wind and coastal wave forecasts during typhoon periods are necessary. The purpose of this study is to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-based techniques for forecasting wind–wave processes near coastal areas during typhoons. The proposed integrated models employ combined a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model and AI techniques, namely numerical (NUM)-AI-based wind–wave prediction models. This hybrid model comprising VGGNNet and High-Resolution Network (HRNet) was integrated with recurrent-based gated recurrent unit (GRU). Termed mVHR_GRU, this model was constructed using a convolutional layer for extracting features from spatial images with high-to-low resolution and a recurrent GRU model for time series prediction. To investigate the potential of mVHR_GRU for wind–wave prediction, VGGNet, HRNet, and Two-Step Wind-Wave Prediction (TSWP) were selected as benchmark models. The coastal waters in northeast Taiwan were the study area. The length of the forecast horizon was from 1 to 6 h. The mVHR_GRU model outperformed the HR_GRU, VGGNet, and TSWP models according to the error indicators. The coefficient of mVHR_GRU efficiency improved by 13% to 18% and by 13% to 15% at the Longdong and Guishandao buoys, respectively. In addition, in a comparison of the NUM–AI-based model and a numerical model simulating waves nearshore (SWAN), the SWAN model generated greater errors than the NUM–AI-based model. The results of the NUM–AI-based wind–wave prediction model were in favorable accordance with the observed results, indicating the feasibility of the established model in processing spatial data.
Numerical Investigation of Hydrodynamics and Cohesive Sediment Transport in Cua Lo and Cua Hoi Estuaries, Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Viet Thanh , Vu Minh Tuan , Zhang Chi
Published: November 2021

Two-dimensional models of large spatial domain including Cua Lo and Cua Hoi estuaries in Nghe An province, Vietnam, were established, calibrated, and verified with the observed data of tidal level, wave height, wave period, wave direction, and suspended sediment concentration. The model was then applied to investigate the hydrodynamics, cohesive sediment transport, and the morphodynamics feedbacks between two estuaries. Results reveal opposite patterns of nearshore currents affected by monsoons, which flow from the north to the south during the northeast (NE) monsoon and from the south to the north during the southeast (SE) monsoon. The spectral wave model results indicate that wave climate is the main control of the sediment transport in the study area. In the NE monsoon, sediment from Cua Lo port transported to the south generates the sand bar in the northern bank of the Cua Hoi estuary, while sediment from Cua Hoi cannot be carried to the Cua Lo estuary due to the presence of Hon Ngu Island and Lan Chau headland. As a result, the longshore sediment transport from the Cua Hoi estuary to the Cua Lo estuary is reduced and interrupted. The growth and degradation of the sand bars at the Cua Hoi estuary have a great influence on the stability of the navigation channel to Ben Thuy port as well as flood drainage of Lam River.
Observation of the Relationship between Ocean Bathymetry and Acoustic Bearing-Time Record Patterns Acquired during a Reverberation Experiment in the Southwestern Continental Margin of the Ulleung Basin, Korea
Authors: Jung Youngcheol , Lee Keunhwa
Published: November 2021

We observed a distinct drop-off region in the bearing-time record of acoustic reverberation data acquired from the south-western continental margin of the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, in the summer of 2015. 3 kHz continuous waves with pulse lengths of 0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 s were used as source pulses, with an R/V Cheonghae vessel towing a variable depth source and a triplet towed array toward the deep sea from shallow water. The observed pattern changed as the R/V Cheonghae moved across the continental slope further into the sea. This pattern arises as a result of the downward-refracted beams in the 1/2 convergence zone interacting with the soft bottom. In addition, the boundary of the drop-off region was modeled with the two-way maximum travel time of the first bottom-reflected rays using the bathymetry model of the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans, 2020. Some discrepancies were observed when comparing the modeled curve to the measured results, and the inaccuracy of the bathymetry model on the continental slope could be the main cause of these discrepancies. This pattern could be useful for bathymetry mapping, as well as estimations of source and receiver configurations.
Wave Energy Resource Harnessing Assessment in a Subtropical Coastal Region of the Pacific
Authors: Gorr-Pozzi Emiliano , García-Nava Héctor , Larrañaga Marco , Jaramillo-Torres Melissa G. , Verduzco-Zapata Manuel G.
Published: November 2021

Most wave energy converters (WECs) are designed to operate in high-latitude energetic seas, limiting their performance in regions usually dominated by milder conditions. The present study assesses the performance of complete test-stage WECs in farms that satisfy a decentralized energy scheme (DES) on the coast of Baja California, which is considered one of the most energetic regions along the Mexican Pacific. A high-resolution 11-year nearshore wave hindcast was performed and validated with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) data to characterize the wave energy resource in the study area. Two hotspots were identified from the wave power climatology. In these sites, the extractive capacities of seven well-known WEC technologies were determined based on their power matrices. Finally, the power extracted by small WEC farms, with the minimum number of devices required to satisfy a DES, was estimated. The studied region has moderate wave power availability with marked seasonality and low inter-annual variability. Out of all the evaluated devices, WaveDragon extracts the highest wave power; however, Pelamis has the best performance, with maximum monthly mean capacity factors up to 40%. Coupling WEC farms with storage modules or hybrid renewable systems are recommended to satisfy a continuous DES during the less energetic summer months.
SsPEP1, an Effector with Essential Cellular Functions in Sugarcane Smut Fungus
Authors: Lu Shan , Wang Yukun , Shen Xiaorui , Guo Feng , Zhou Chunling , Li Ru , Chen Baoshan
Published: November 2021

Biotrophic fungi have to infect their host to obtain nutrients and must establish an interaction with the host to complete their life cycle. In this process, effectors play important roles in manipulating the host’s immune system to avoid being attacked. Sporisorium scitamineum is the causative agent of sugarcane smut, the most important disease in sugarcane-producing regions worldwide. In this work, we functionally characterized the conserved effector PEP1 in S. scitamineum. The mating process and the expression of genes in the MAPK signaling pathway and the a and b loci were adversely affected in Sspep1-null mutants. The requirement for SsPEP1 in pathogenicity and symptom development was allele dosage-dependent, i.e., deleting one Sspep1 allele in the mating pair turned a normal black whip with abundant teliospores into a white whip with few teliospores; however, deleting both alleles almost abolished infectivity and whip development. ΔSspep1 mutants produced significantly less mycelium mass within infected plants. Additionally, SsPEP1 was identified as a potent inhibitor of sugarcane POD-1a peroxidase activity, implying that SsPEP1 may function to relieve reactive oxygen species-related stress within the host plant. Taken together, our work demonstrated that SsPEP1 is a multifaceted effector essential for S. scitamineum growth, development, and pathogenicity.
The Bicarbonate Transporter (MoAE4) Localized on Both Cytomembrane and Tonoplast Promotes Pathogenesis in Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Dang Yuejia , Wei Yi , Zhang Penghui , Liu Xinchun , Li Xinrui , Wang Shaowei , Liang Hao , Zhang Shi-Hong
Published: November 2021

Bicarbonate (HCO3−) transporter family including the anion exchanger (AE) group is involved in multiple physiological processes through regulating acid-base homeostasis. HCO3− transporters have been extensively studied in mammals, but fungal homologues of AE are poorly understood. Here, we characterized the AE group member (MoAE4) in Magnaporthe oryzae. MoAE4 exhibits more sequence and structure homologies with the reported AE4 and BOR1 proteins. In addition to the common sublocalization on cytomembrane, MoAE4 also localizes on tonoplast. Yeast complementation verified that MoAE4 rescues boron sensitivity and endows NaHCO3 tolerance in the BOR1 deleted yeast. MoAE4 gene is bicarbonate induced in M. oryzae; and loss of MoAE4 (ΔMoAE4) resulted in mycelial growth inhibited by NaHCO3. Lucigenin fluorescence quenching assay confirmed that ΔMoAE4 accumulated less HCO3− in vacuole and more HCO3− in cytosol, revealing a real role of MoAE4 in bicarbonate transport. ΔMoAE4 was defective in conidiation, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity. More H2O2 was detected to be accumulated in ΔMoAE4 mycelia and infected rice cells. Summarily, our data delineate a cytomembrane and tonoplast located HCO3− transporter, which is required for development and pathogenicity in M. oryzae, and revealing a potential drug target for blast disease control.
Conserved and Noncanonical Activities of Two Histone H3K36 Methyltransferases Required for Insect-Pathogenic Lifestyle of Beauveria bassiana
Authors: Ren Kang , Mou Ya-Ni , Ying Sheng-Hua , Feng Ming-Guang
Published: November 2021

Set2 and Ash1 are histone methyltransferases (KMTs) in the KMT3 family normally used to catalyze methylation of histone H3K36 (H3K36me) but remain unexplored in fungal insect pathogens. Here, we report broader/greater roles of Set2 and Ash1 in mono-/di-/trimethylation (me1/me2/me3) of H3K4 than of H3K36 in Beauveria bassiana and function similarly to Set1/KMT2, which has been reported to catalyze H3K4me3 as an epigenetic mark of cre1 (carbon catabolite repressor) to upregulate the classes I and II hydrophobin genes hyd1 and hyd2 required for conidial hydrophobicity and adherence to insect cuticle. H3K4me3 was more attenuated than H3K36me3 in the absence of set2 (72% versus 67%) or ash1 (92% versus 12%), leading to sharply repressed or nearly abolished expression of cre1, hyd1 and hyd2, as well as reduced hydrophobicity. Consequently, the delta-set2 and delta-ash1 mutants were differentially compromised in radial growth on various media or under different stresses, aerial conidiation under normal culture conditions, virulence, and cellular events crucial for normal cuticle infection and hemocoel colonization, accompanied by transcriptional repression of subsets of genes involved in or required for asexual development and multiple stress responses. These findings unravel novel roles of Set2 and Ash1 in the co-catalysis of usually Set1-reliant H3K4me3 required for fungal insect-pathogenic lifestyle.
Laccase Activity in Fungus Cryphonectria parasitica Is Affected by Growth Conditions and Fungal–Viral Genotypic Interactions
Authors: Nuskern Lucija , Tkalec Mirta , Srezović Bruno , Ježić Marin , Gačar Martina , Ćurković-Perica Mirna
Published: November 2021

Laccase activity reduction in the chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica usually accompanies the hypovirulence caused by the infection of fungus with Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV1). However, the different methods utilized for assessing this phenomenon has produced varied and often conflicting results. Furthermore, the majority of experimental setups included only one prototypic system, further confounding the results. Considering the diversity of fungal isolates, viral strains, and variability of their effects on the phytopathogenic process observed in nature, our goal was to ascertain if laccase activity variability is affected by (1) different C. parasitica isolates infected with several CHV1 strains, and (2) growth conditions. We have demonstrated that some CHV1 strains, contrary to previous assumptions, increase the activity of C. parasitica laccases. The specific fungal isolates used in the experiments and culture conditions also affected the results. Furthermore, we showed that two commonly used laccase substrates, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) and 2,4-dimethoxyphenol, cannot be used interchangeably in C. parasitica laccase activity measurements. Our results illustrate the importance of conducting this type of study in experimental systems and culture conditions that resemble natural conditions as much as possible to be able to infer the most relevant conclusions applicable to natural populations.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation of NHEJ Mutant Aspergillus nidulans Conidia: An Efficient Tool for Targeted Gene Recombination Using Selectable Nutritional Markers
Authors: Casado-del Castillo Virginia , MacCabe Andrew P. , Orejas Margarita
Published: November 2021

Protoplast transformation for the introduction of recombinant DNA into Aspergillus nidulans is technically demanding and dependant on the availability and batch variability of commercial enzyme preparations. Given the success of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) in diverse pathogenic fungi, we have adapted this method to facilitate transformation of A. nidulans. Using suitably engineered binary vectors, gene-targeted ATMT of A. nidulans non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) mutant conidia has been carried out for the first time by complementation of a nutritional requirement (uridine/uracil auxotrophy). Site-specific integration in the ΔnkuA host genome occurred at high efficiency. Unlike other transformation techniques, however, cross-feeding of certain nutritional requirements from the bacterium to the fungus was found to occur, thus limiting the choice of auxotrophies available for ATMT. In complementation tests and also for comparative purposes, integration of recombinant cassettes at a specific locus could provide a means to reduce the influence of position effects (chromatin structure) on transgene expression. In this regard, targeted disruption of the wA locus permitted visual identification of transformants carrying site-specific integration events by conidial colour (white), even when auxotrophy selection was compromised due to cross-feeding. The protocol described offers an attractive alternative to the protoplast procedure for obtaining locus-targeted A. nidulans transformants.
Very Long-Term Follow-Up in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Wider Paced QRS Equals Worse Prognosis
Authors: Leitz Patrick , Köbe Julia , Rath Benjamin , Reinke Florian , Frommeyer Gerrit , Andresen Christian , Güner Fatih , Wolfes Julian , Lange Philipp S. , Ellermann Christian , Eckardt Lars , Dechering Dirk G.
Published: November 2021

Background: Different electrocardiogram (ECG) findings are known to be independent predictors of clinical response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). It remains unknown how these findings influence very long-term prognosis. Methods and Results: A total of 102 consecutive patients (75 males, mean age 65 ± 10 years) referred to our center for CRT implantation had previously been included in this prospective observational study. The same patient group was now re-evaluated for death from all causes over a prolonged median follow-up of 10.3 years (interquartile range 9.4–12.5 years). During follow-up, 55 patients died, and 82% of the clinical non-responders (n = 23) and 44% of the responders (n = 79) were deceased. We screened for univariate associations and found QRS width during biventricular (BIV) pacing (p = 0.02), left ventricular (LV) pacing (p < 0.01), Δ LV paced–right ventricular (RV) paced (p = 0.03), age (p = 0.03), New York Heart Association (NYHA) class (p < 0.01), CHA2DS2-Vasc score (p < 0.01), glomerular filtration rate (p < 0.01), coronary artery disease (p < 0.01), non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) (p = 0.01), arterial hypertension (p < 0.01), NT-proBNP (p < 0.01), and clinical response to CRT (p < 0.01) to be significantly associated with mortality. In the multivariate analysis, NICM, the lower NYHA class, and smaller QRS width during BIV pacing were independent predictors of better outcomes. Conclusion: Our data show that QRS width duration during biventricular pacing, an ECG parameter easily obtainable during LV lead placement, is an independent predictor of mortality in a long-term follow-up. Our data add further evidence that NICM and lower NYHA class are independent predictors for better outcome after CRT implantation.
Personalized Medicine in Autoimmune Diseases
Authors: Díaz-Peña Roberto
Published: November 2021

Autoimmune diseases are multifactorial disorders caused by both genetic and environmental factors and without a known cure [...]
Characteristics of Bipolar Patients with Cognitive Impairment of Suspected Neurodegenerative Origin: A Multicenter Cohort
Authors: Musat Esteban Munoz , Marlinge Emeline , Leroy Mélanie , Olié Emilie , Magnin Eloi , Lebert Florence , Gabelle Audrey , Bennabi Djamila , Blanc Fréderic , Paquet Claire , Cognat Emmanuel
Published: November 2021

Bipolar disorder is associated with an increased risk of dementia with aging. Little is known regarding this association, limiting appropriate diagnosis and management. We aimed to describe the characteristics of bipolar patients with late cognitive impairment for whom the hypothesis of an underlying neurodegenerative disease had been raised. We performed a retrospective multicenter study, recruiting bipolar patients over 50 years old from five French tertiary memory centers who had undergone cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker assessment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Clinical, neuropsychological, and paraclinical characteristics were analyzed and 78 patients were included. The mean age at the onset of cognitive impairment was 62.4 years (±9.2). The mean MMSE score was 22.8 (±4.5), the mean FAB was 11.7 (±3.9), and the mean FCRST was 15.8 (±7.4)/36.8 (±9.7) (free/total recall). A total of 48.6% of the patients displayed cognitive fluctuations, and 38.2% showed cognitive improvement during follow-ups; and 56.3% of the patients showed Parkinsonism, of which 12.7% had never received antipsychotics. Among patients who underwent DAT-scans, 35.3% displayed dopaminergic denervation; 10.3% of patients had CSF AD biological signature (“A+ T+” profile), while 56.4% had other abnormal CSF profiles. Thus, clinical presentation was dominated by executive dysfunction, episodic memory impairment, fluctuating cognition, and a high frequency of Parkinsonism. Specifically, high frequency of delusional episodes suggests limited tolerance of psychotropic drugs. Most patients had abnormal CSF biomarker profiles, but only a minority displayed AD’s specific biomarker signature. Therefore, while our results unveil shared common neurocognitive features in bipolar patients with cognitive impairment of suspected neurodegenerative origin they suggest a participation of various underlying pathologies rather than a common degenerative mechanism in the pathophysiology of this condition.
Neoadjuvant/Perioperative Treatment Affects Spatial Distribution and Densities of Tumor Associated Neutrophils and CD8+ Lymphocytes in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Hoffmann Anne , Behrens Hans-Michael , Heckl Steffen , Krüger Sandra , Becker Thomas , Röcken Christoph
Published: November 2021

Tumor associated neutrophils (TANs) and cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) are part of the tumor microenvironment of gastric cancer (GC). We explored their tumor biological significance in neoadjuvantly/perioperatively treated GC. Immunostaining was performed on whole tissue sections of 173 GCs, using antibodies directed against myeloperoxidase (MPO) and CD8. Stained specimens were digitalized, and the densities of TANs and CTLs were assessed separately in the mucosa, tumor surface, tumor center, invasion front, and tumor scar. The densities were correlated with clinicopathological patient characteristics. Compared with a historical cohort of 449 treatment naive GCs, the TAN density in the invasion front was significantly lower in neoadjuvantly/perioperatively treated GCs. TAN density in the tumor center and invasion front correlated with tumor regression. TAN density also correlated with CTL density in the tumor center and invasion front. A high density of CTL in the tumor center correlated with an improved overall survival and tumor specific survival. We show that neoadjuvant/perioperative (radio-) chemotherapy impacts on the immune microenvironment of GC, while also depending on sex. The density of TANs in neoadjuvantly/perioperatively treated GCs differed from findings made in a treatment naive GC cohort.
Unmanaged Pharmacogenomic and Drug Interaction Risk Associations with Hospital Length of Stay among Medicare Advantage Members with COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Ashcraft Kristine , Moretz Chad , Schenning Chantelle , Rojahn Susan , Vines Tanudtanud Kae , Magoncia Gwyn Omar , Reyes Justine , Marquez Bernardo , Guo Yinglong , Erdemir Elif Tokar , Hall Taryn O.
Published: November 2021

Unmanaged pharmacogenomic and drug interaction risk can lengthen hospitalization and may have influenced the severe health outcomes seen in some COVID-19 patients. To determine if unmanaged pharmacogenomic and drug interaction risks were associated with longer lengths of stay (LOS) among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, we retrospectively reviewed medical and pharmacy claims from 6025 Medicare Advantage members hospitalized with COVID-19. Patients with a moderate or high pharmacogenetic interaction probability (PIP), which indicates the likelihood that testing would identify one or more clinically actionable gene–drug or gene–drug–drug interactions, were hospitalized for 9% (CI: 4–15%; p < 0.001) and 16% longer (CI: 8–24%; p < 0.001), respectively, compared to those with low PIP. Risk adjustment factor (RAF) score, a commonly used measure of disease burden, was not associated with LOS. High PIP was significantly associated with 12–22% longer LOS compared to low PIP in patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A greater drug–drug interaction risk was associated with 10% longer LOS among patients with two or three chronic conditions. Thus, unmanaged pharmacogenomic risk was associated with longer LOS in these patients and managing this risk has the potential to reduce LOS in severely ill patients, especially those with chronic conditions.
Skewed Binary Regression to Study Rental Cars by Tourists in the Canary Islands
Authors: Dávila-Cárdenes Nancy , Pérez-Sánchez José María , Gómez-Déniz Emilio , Boza-Chirino José
Published: November 2021

Tourism is one of the economic sectors that contributes the most to the gross domestic product in many countries, moving, in turn, other economic sectors such as transport. In particular, the automotive industry constitutes an economic subsector that moves vast amounts of money. Concerning tourism and transport sectors, car rental is a crucial element contributing considerably to gross domestic product and job creation. Due to the effects that vehicle rental seems to have on various economic sectors, it seems interesting to know why a tourist chooses to rent a car during their vacation in a specific destination. This work aims to study those factors that can be considered relevant and affect the probability of renting a vehicle. The document addressed the following research topics: (a) identifying significant variables; and (b) can information on these factors help car rental firms? Empirically, it is shown that more tourists do not rent a car and this fact has to be considered. Thus, the classical logistic and Bayesian regression models do not seem adequate in this case, so that the authors will consider an asymmetric logistic regression model. This work analyzes 28,235 tourists who visited the Canary Islands during 2017. From a Bayesian point of view, asymmetric logistics regression is chosen as the best model because it detects relevant development factors not seen by standard logistic regressions. In light of the document’s findings, various practice recommendations improve decision-making in this field. The asymmetric logit link is a helpful device that can help rental companies make decisions about their clients.
Maximum Drawdown, Recovery, and Momentum
Authors: Choi Jaehyung
Published: November 2021

We empirically test predictability on asset price using stock selection rules based on maximum drawdown and its consecutive recovery. In various equity markets, monthly momentum- and weekly contrarian-style portfolios constructed from these alternative selection criteria are superior not only in forecasting directions of asset prices but also in capturing cross-sectional return differentials. In monthly periods, the alternative portfolios ranked by maximum drawdown measures exhibit outperformance over other alternative momentum portfolios including traditional cumulative return-based momentum portfolios. In weekly time scales, recovery-related stock selection rules are the best ranking criteria for detecting mean-reversion. For the alternative portfolios and their ranking baskets, improved risk profiles in various reward-risk measures also imply more consistent prediction on the direction of assets in future. Moreover, turnover rates of these momentum/contrarian portfolios are also reduced with respect to the benchmark portfolios. In the Carhart four-factor analysis, higher factor-neutral intercepts for the alternative strategies are another evidence for the robust prediction by the alternative stock selection rules.
The Impact of Unsystematic Factors on Bitcoin Value
Authors: Merkaš Zvonko , Roška Vlasta
Published: November 2021

The results of empirical analyses confirm that analysed unsystematic factors, the Stock-to-Flow index (S2F), and information on the Bitcoin (BTC) are directly correlated with BTC values. These results are expected and in line with the economic theory; however, this research paper aimed to investigate the impact of unsystematic factors on the value of decentralised virtual cryptocurrency BTC. Its aim was also to analyse the reasons for significant oscillations of market values in relation to the S2F and S2FX model and thus confirm the reliability of these models in the estimation of BTC value. The research further confirms the strong influence of non-technical information directly linked with the BTC. The limitations of this paper are the lack of possibilities for examining the impact of non-technical information affecting the Bitcoin price deviation regarding the S2F model. In addition to all mentioned limitations, the research results indicate the relevance of the S2F and S2FX models and show a strong impact of (half) the information on the value of cryptocurrencies.
Design of a Home Fire Detection System Using Arduino and SMS Gateway
Authors: Suwarjono Suwarjono , Wayangkau Izak Habel , Istanto Teddy , Rachmat Rachmat , Marsujitullah Marsujitullah , Hariyanto Hariyanto , Caesarendra Wahyu , Legutko Stanislaw , Glowacz Adam
Published: November 2021

Fire is a problem that can happen at any time. Delay in coping with house fires can induce in loss of human life or material. If the fire is not held severely, incidents like house fires can occur and create more significant losses, especially with the increasing number of residents’ settlements in the formation of huddled houses, which will be more challenging to handle in case of a fire. This research aims to build a prototype system that quickly helps house owners and firefighters to detect fires and gas leaks. This home fire detection system is utilized to measure room temperature and gas levels in a room, then the output of this system is sending information of short messages and alarms. The results revealed that the prototype room with a scale of 1:25, 1:50, and 1:75 which uses a temperature sensor and a gas sensor could run as desired. In 10 testing trials, the system works according to the designed plan, which means the system could interpret the temperature and gas leakage of a room, then the system will send a short message and ring the alarm.
Spatial Distribution of Shrubs Impacts Relationships among Saltation, Roughness, and Vegetation Structure in an East Asian Rangeland
Authors: Kono Akito , Okuro Toshiya
Published: November 2021

Vegetation influences the occurrence of saltation through various mechanisms. Most previous studies have focused on the effects of vegetation on saltation occurrence under spatially homogeneous vegetation, whereas few field studies have examined how spatially heterogeneous cover affects saltation. To examine how spatial heterogeneity of vegetation influences saltation, we surveyed the vegetation and spatial distribution of shrubs and conducted roughness measurements at 11 sites at Tsogt-Ovoo, Gobi steppe of Mongolia, which are dominated by the shrubs Salsola passerina and Anabasis brevifolia. Saltation and meteorological observations were used to calculate the saltation flux, threshold friction velocity, and roughness length. The spatial distribution of shrubs was estimated from the intershrub distance obtained by calculating a semivariogram. Threshold friction velocity was well explained by roughness length. The relationships among roughness, saltation flux, and vegetation cover depended on the spatial distribution of shrubs. When the vegetation was distributed heterogeneously, roughness length increased as the vegetation cover decreased, and the saltation flux increased because the wake interference flow became dominant. When the vegetation was spatially homogeneous, however, the saltation flux was suppressed even when the vegetation cover was small. These field experiments show the importance of considering the spatial distribution of vegetation in evaluating saltation occurrence.
Measuring the Differences of Public Health Service Facilities and Their Influencing Factors
Authors: Fu Shihang , Liu Yaolin , Fang Ying
Published: November 2021

The equitable distribution of public health facilities is a major concern of urban planners. Previous studies have explored the balance and fairness of various medical resource distributions using the accessibility of in-demand public medical service facilities while ignoring the differences in the supply of public medical service facilities. First aid data with location information and patient preference information can reflect the ability of each hospital and the health inequities in cities. Determining which factors affect the measured differences in public medical service facilities and how to alter these factors will help researchers formulate targeted policies to solve the current resource-balance situation of the Ministry of Public Health. In this study, we propose a method to measure the differences in influence among hospitals based on actual medical behavior and use geographically weighted regression (GWR) to analyze the spatial correlations among the location, medical equipment, medical ability, and influencing factors of each hospital. The results show that Wuhan presents obvious health inequality, with the high-grade hospitals having spatial agglomeration in the city-center area, while the number and quality of hospitals in the peripheral areas are lower than those in the central area; thus, the hospitals in these peripheral areas need to be further improved. The method used in this study can measure differences in the influence of public medical service facilities, and the results are consistent with the measured differences at hospital level. Hospital influence is not only related to the equipment and medical ability of each hospital but is also affected by location factors. This method illustrates the necessity of conducting more empirical research on the public medical service supply to provide a scientific basis for formulating targeted policies from a new perspective.
The Spatial Distribution and Prediction of Soil Heavy Metals Based on Measured Samples and Multi-Spectral Images in Tai Lake of China
Authors: Zhao Huihui , Liu Peijia , Qiao Baojin , Wu Kening
Published: November 2021

Soil is an important natural resource. The excessive amount of heavy metals in soil can harm and threaten human health. Therefore, monitoring of soil heavy metal content is urgent. Monitoring soil heavy metals by traditional methods requires many human and material resources. Remote sensing has shown advantages in the field of monitoring heavy metals. Based on 971 heavy metal samples and Sentinel-2 multi-spectral images in Tai Lake, China, we analyzed the correlation between six heavy metals (Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cu, Zn) and spectral factors, and selected As and Hg as the input factors of inversion model. The correlation coefficient of the best model of As was 0.53 (p < 0.01), and of Hg was 0.318 (p < 0.01). We used the methods of partial least squares regression (PLSR) and back propagation neural network (BPNN) to establish inversion models with different combinations of spectral factors by using 649 measured samples. In addition, 322 measured samples were used for accuracy evaluation. Compared with the PLSR model, the BP neural network builds the model with higher accuracy, and B1-B4 combined with LnB1-LnB4 builds the model with the highest accuracy. The accuracy of the best model was verified, with an average error of 19% for As and 45% for Hg. Analyzing the spatial distribution of heavy metals by using the interpolation method of Kriging and IDW. The overall distribution trend of the two interpolations is similar. The concentration of As elements tends to increase from north to south, and the relatively high value of Hg elements is distributed in the east and west of the study area. The factories in the study area are distributed along rivers and lakes, which is consistent with the spatial distribution of heavy metal enrichment areas. The relatively high-value areas of heavy metal elements are related to the distribution of metal products factories, refractory porcelain factories, tile factories, factories and mining enterprises, etc., indicating that factory pollution is the main reason for the enrichment of heavy metals.
Form-Based Regulations to Prevent the Loss of Urbanity of Historic Small Towns: Replicability of the Monte Carasso Case
Authors: Pedrycz Paweł
Published: November 2021

Small towns are a significant component of the landscape in Europe and a key element of its cultural heritage. Currently, they face socio-economic crisis and spatial disintegration. Against this background, the spatial transformation of the Swiss town of Monte Carasso is of particular interest. It was initiated in the 1970s as a design intervention made by the architect Luigi Snozzi and eventually constituted a local spatial policy with a scope to maintain or even restore town urbanity and identity. This paper describes the case through its decomposition into primal elements such as context, main procedure elements, supplementary action, and obtained results. The results were measured by calculating urban parameters and observations compared with the adjacent town of Sementina, whereby they proved that the policy is effective. In the next step, a synthetic diagram was proposed that describes the interrelation between specific elements of the procedure. It was then modified to serve as a model for other possible contexts. Finally, its main potentials and limitations were described. It was concluded that the construction of the Monte Carasso urban regulatory mechanism has the potential to be replicated elsewhere. However, some of its features need to be rethought—mainly the role of an individual architect, which was highly exposed in the original case.
Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Where Do We Stand?
Authors: Tepasse Phil-Robin , Vollenberg Richard , Nowacki Tobias Max
Published: November 2021

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Immunosuppressive medication is the main therapeutic approach to reducing inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Immunocompromised patients are more vulnerable to severe courses of illness after infection with common pathogens. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogen of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) following severe pulmonal damage in a significant number of cases. The worldwide circulation of SARS-CoV-2 has led to major concerns about the management of IBD patients during the pandemic, as these patients are expected to be at greater risk of complications because of their underlying altered immunological condition and immunosuppressive therapies. Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is considered the main approach in containing the pandemic. Today, several vaccines have been shown to be highly effective in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease course in subjects without underlying conditions in respective registration studies. Patients with underlying conditions such as IBD and/or immunosuppressive therapies were not included in the registration studies, so little is known about effectiveness and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in immunocompromised IBD patients. This review provides an overview of the recent knowledge about vaccine response in IBD patients after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.
VCAM-1 Is Upregulated in Uranium Miners Compared to Other Miners
Authors: Ass’ad Nour A. , Shore Xin , Myers Orrin , Camacho Alexandra R. , Jacquez Quiteria , Pollard Charles , Cook Linda S. , Leng Shuguang , Page Kimberly , Sood Akshay , Zychowski Katherine E.
Published: November 2021

The United States has a rich history of mining including uranium (U)-mining, coal mining, and other metal mining. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are largely understudied in miners and recent literature suggests that when compared to non-U miners, U-miners are more likely to report CVD. However, the molecular basis for this phenomenon is currently unknown. In this pilot study, a New Mexico (NM)-based occupational cohort of current and former miners (n = 44) were recruited via a mobile screening clinic for miners. Serum- and endothelial-based endpoints were used to assess circulating inflammatory potential relevant to CVD. Non-U miners reported significantly fewer pack years of smoking than U-miners. Circulating biomarkers of interest revealed that U-miners had significantly greater serum amyloid A (SAA), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1, ng/mL), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1, ng/mL), and VCAM-1 mRNA expression, as determined by the serum cumulative inflammatory potential (SCIP) assay, an endothelial-based assay. Even after adjusting for various covariates, including age, multivariable analysis determined that U-miners had significantly upregulated VCAM-1 mRNA. In conclusion, VCAM-1 may be an important biomarker and possible contributor of CVD in U-miners. Further research to explore this mechanism may be warranted.
The Influence of Finishing on the Pilling Resistance of Linen/Silk Woven Fabrics
Authors: Kumpikaitė Eglė , Tautkutė-Stankuvienė Indrė , Simanavičius Lukas , Petraitienė Stasė
Published: November 2021

The pilling resistance of fashion fabrics is a fundamentally important and frequently occurring problem during cloth wearing. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the pilling performance of linen/silk woven fabrics with different mechanical and chemical finishing, establishing the influence of the raw material and the peculiarities of dyeing and digital printing with different dyestuff. The pilling results of the dyed fabrics were better than those of the grey fabrics and even a small amount of synthetic fiber worsened the pilling performance of the fabric. Singeing influenced the change in the pilling resistance of the linen/silk fabrics without changing the final pilling resistance result. Singeing had a stronger influence on the fabrics with a small amount of synthetic fibers. The pilling resistance of printed fabrics was better than that of grey and dyed fabrics without and with singeing. The pilling resistance of pigment-printed fabrics was better than that of the reactive-printed fabrics.
Analysis of Causes of Porosity Change of Castings under the Influence of Variable Biscuit Height in the Filling Chamber
Authors: Gašpár Štefan , Majerník Ján , Kolínský Jan
Published: November 2021

Quality properties of castings produced in a die casting process correlate with porosity that is conditioned by a number of factors, which range from input melt quality to setup of technological factors of the die casting, and through structural design of the gating system. One of the primary parameters conditioning the inner soundness of the casting is the liquid metal dose per single operation of die casting. This paper examines the issue of metal dose. The experiments are performed with casting a gate system of an electromotor flange. The gating system examined was die cast with a variable volume of metal dose per single operation. The metal dose was adjusted to reach the height of a biscuit of 10, 20, and 30 mm. The examination of the inner homogeneity of the castings of the individual variants of gating systems with variable height of the biscuit proved that decreasing biscuit height results in an increase of porosity share in the casting volume. The programme MagmaSoft 5.4 revealed the main causes of changes in porosity share. The simulations detected that the change in biscuit height and volume of liquid metal directly influence thermal conditions of the melt in the filling chamber, and in the mould by means of the period in which the holding pressure action is influenced. Simultaneously, the melt flow mode in the sprues and gas entrapment in the melt volume are affected as well. Correlation of the factors consequently influences the final porosity of castings.