bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soluble C-Type Lectin-Like Receptor 2 Is a Biomarker for Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Authors: Yamamoto Akitaka , Wada Hideo , Ichkawa Yuhuko , Tanaka Motoko , Tashiro Haruhiko , Shiraki Katsuya , Shimpo Hideto , Yamashita Yoshiki , Mastumoto Takeshi , Shimaoka Motomu , Iba Toshiaki , Suzuki-Inoue Katsue
Published: June 2021

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is induced by excess activation coagulation, and activated platelets are also involved in pathogenesis. Therefore, plasma levels of soluble C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (sCLEC-2), a new marker for platelet activation, can be expected as a marker of DIC in critically ill patients. Plasma levels of sCLEC-2 and D-dimer were measured using the STACIA system. Plasma sCLEC-2 and D-dimer levels were significantly higher in patients with underlying diseases of DIC than in those with unidentified clinical syndrome (UCS). Plasma sCLEC-2 levels were significantly higher in the patients with DIC and Pre-DIC than in those without DIC or Pre-DIC. Similarly, plasma D-dimer levels were also significantly higher in patients with DIC and Pre-DIC than in those without DIC or Pre-DIC. The plasma sCLEC-2 levels in all patients and those with a DIC score ≤ 4 were significantly higher in non-survivors than survivors. The plasma D-dimer levels in all patients, those with a DIC score ≥ 5 and those with a DIC score ≤ 4, were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors. The plasma sCLEC-2 is expected as a marker for DIC/Pre-DIC as well as the prognostic marker in critically ill patients.
Diagnostic Ability of Peguero-Lo Presti Electrocardiographic Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Criterion in Severe Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Gamrat Aleksandra , Trojanowicz Katarzyna , Surdacki Michał A. , Budkiewicz Aleksandra , Wąsińska Adrianna , Wieczorek-Surdacka Ewa , Surdacki Andrzej , Chyrchel Bernadeta
Published: June 2021

Traditional electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), introduced in the pre-echocardiographic era of diagnosis, have a relatively low sensitivity (usually not exceeding 25–40%) in detecting LVH. A novel Peguero-Lo Presti ECG-LVH criterion was recently shown to exhibit a higher sensitivity than the traditional ECG-LVH criteria in hypertension. Our aim was to test the diagnostic ability of the novel Peguero-Lo Presti ECG-LVH criterion in severe aortic stenosis. We retrospectively analyzed 12-lead ECG tracings and echocardiographic records from the index hospitalization of 50 patients with isolated severe aortic stenosis (mean age: 77 ± 10 years; 30 women and 20 men). Exclusion criteria included QRS > 120 ms, bundle branch blocks or left anterior fascicular block, a history of myocardial infarction, more than mild aortic or mitral regurgitation, and significant LV dysfunction by echocardiography. We compared the agreement of the novel Peguero-Lo Presti criterion and traditional ECG-LVH criteria with echocardiographic LVH (LV mass index > 95 g/m2 in women and >115 g/m2 in men). Echocardiographic LVH was found in 32 out of 50 study patients. The sensitivity of the Peguero-Lo Presti criterion in detecting LVH was improved (55% vs. 9–34%) at lower specificity (72% vs. 78–100%) in comparison to 8 single traditional ECG-LVH criteria. Additionally, the positive predictive value (77% vs. 72%), positive likelihood ratio (2.0 vs. 1.5), and odds ratio (3.2 vs. 2.4) were higher for the Peguero-Lo Presti criterion versus the presence of any of these 8 traditional ECG-LVH criteria. Cohen’s Kappa, a measure of concordance between ECG and echocardiography with regard to LVH, was 0.24 for the Peguero-Lo Presti criterion, −0.01–0.13 for single traditional criteria, and 0.20 for any traditional criterion. However, by the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis, the overall ability to discriminate between patients with and without LVH was insignificantly lower for the Peguero-Lo Presti versus Cornell voltage as a continuous variable (area under the ROC curve: 0.65 (95% CI, 0.48–0.81) vs. 0.71 (0.55–0.86), p = 0.5). In conclusion, our preliminary results suggest a slightly better, albeit still low, agreement of the novel Peguero-Lo Presti ECG criterion compared to the traditional ECG-LVH criteria with echocardiographic LVH in severe aortic stenosis.
Hindcasting Soundscapes before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Selected Areas of the North Sea and the Adriatic Sea
Authors: Sertlek Hüseyin
Published: June 2021

The national measures in several European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic also affected offshore human activities, including shipping. In this work, the temporal and spatial variations of shipping sound are calculated for the years before and during the pandemic in selected shallow water test areas from the Southern North Sea and the Adriatic Sea. First, the monthly sound pressure level maps of ships and wind between 2017 and 2020 are calculated for frequencies between 100 Hz to 10 kHz. Next, the monthly changes in these maps are compared. The asymptotic approximation of the hybrid flux-mode propagation model reduces the computational requirements for sound mapping simulations and facilitates the production of a large number of sound maps for different months, depths, frequencies, and ship categories. After the strictest COVID-19 measures were applied in April 2020, the largest decline was observed for the fishing, passenger and recreational ships. Although the changes in the number of fishing vessels are large, their contribution to the soundscape is minor due to their low source level. In both test areas, the spatial exceedance levels and acoustic energies were decreased in 2020 compared to the average of the previous three years.
Study on the Correlation between Soil Consolidation and Pile Set-Up Considering Pile Installation Effect
Authors: Dou Jinzhong , Chen Jinjian , Liao Chencong , Sun Min , Han Lei
Published: June 2021

In saturated fine-grained soil, the development and dissipation of excess pore water pressure (EPWP) during and after pile jacking change the effective stress of the surrounding soil, and thereby affect the pile set-up. In this paper, the entire process of steel-pipe pile jacking (the installation process and the subsequent consolidation phase) is simulated with three-dimensional (3D) finite element models, considering the pore water effect. After the model verification, a comprehensive numerical analysis was performed to investigate the development and dissipation of EPWP, changes in soil stress state, and the side shear resistance of pile with time after installation. On this basis, not only the influence of ks, cu, E, and OCR on EPWP generation during pile jacking and subsequent soil consolidation effect after pile installation but also the correlation between pile set-up and EPWP dissipation is investigated.
Effect of Depth-Induced Breaking on Wind Wave Simulations in Shallow Nearshore Waters off Northern Taiwan during the Passage of Two Super Typhoons
Authors: Hsiao Shih-Chun , Wu Han-Lun , Chen Wei-Bo , Guo Wen-Dar , Chang Chih-Hsin , Su Wen-Ray
Published: June 2021

Super Typhoons Maria (2018) and Lekima (2019) were adopted for this case study, although they only passed the northern offshore waters of Taiwan without making landfall. A direct modification technique was employed to create the atmospheric conditions for a wave-circulation model to hindcast large typhoon-driven waves. The radius of the modified scale (Rtrs) for a hybrid typhoon wind plays an important role in the significant wave height (SWH) simulations during the passage of typhoons. The maximum increment in peak SWH reached 3.0 m and 5.0 m in the deep ocean for Super Typhoons Maria (2018) and Lekima (2019), respectively if the Rtrs was increased from 4 × Rmax (radius of the maximum wind) to 7 × Rmax. The SWHs induced by the typhoon winds in the surf zone were more sensitive to different wave-breaking formulations used in the wave-circulation model. The maximum difference in peak SWH reached 2.5 m and 1.2 m for Super Typhoons Maria (2018) and Lekima (2019), respectively, when the wave-breaking formulations of BJ78 (proposed by Battjes and Janssen in 1978) and CT93 (proposed by Church and Thornton in 1993) were introduced to the wave-circulation model. The SWH simulations in the surf zone were insensitive to the wave-breaking criterion (γ) during the passage of typhoons. In shallow nearshore waters, the utilization of a constant γ for the wave-circulation model always produces peak SWHs that are smaller than those using γ based on local steepness or peak steepness.
The Focusing Waves Induced by Bragg Resonance with V-Shaped Undulating Bottom
Authors: Zhang Haiming , Tao Aifeng , Tu Junhao , Su Junwei , Xie Shuya
Published: June 2021

Intensive wave reflection occurs when the wavelengths of the incident waves and bottom undulations are in a 2:1 ratio. Existing studies have included the Bragg resonance phenomenon of waves passing over a continuous undulating bottom parallel to and oblique to the shoreline. More generally, the Bragg resonance mechanism is used as a means of coastal protection, rather than wave power generation. To focus the wave energy in a specific area, here, we propose sinusoidal sandbars of a horizontal V-shaped pattern, which is formed by two continuous undulating bottoms inclined at an angle to each other and the center axis of the angle is perpendicular to the shoreline. Based on the high-order spectral (HOS) numerical model, both the characteristics of Bragg resonance induced by the regular waves and random waves are investigated. In the scenario of regular waves, it shows that the wave-focusing effect is related to the angle of the V-shaped undulating bottom, and the optimal angle of inclination for the V-shaped undulating bottom is 162.24°. On that basis, considering the interactions between the random waves and the V-shaped undulating bottom of 162.24°, the Bragg resonance characteristics of random waves are studied. The BFI factor combining wave steepness and spectrum width can evaluate the focusing intensity of the Bragg resonance of the random waves. For BFI, in the range of 0.15–1.0, the values of Hsmax/Hs0 linearly increase with the increase of BFI.
Development and Application of STORMTOOLS Design Load (SDL) Maps
Authors: Silverman Isabella , Engelman Blaze , Leone Alexa , Rothenbucher Michael , Munch Allison , Sorrentino Josph , Markiewicz Brandon , Pearson Chris , Baxter Chris , Swanson Craig , Tsiatas George , Spaulding Malcolm
Published: June 2021

Under the STORMTOOLS initiative, maps of the impact of sea level rise (SLR) (0 to 12 ft), nuisance flooding (1–10 yr), 25, 50, and 100 yr storms, and hindcasts of the four top ranked tropical storms have been developed for the coastal waters of Rhode Island (RI). Estimates of the design elevations, expressed in terms of the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) and thus incorporating surge and associated wave conditions, have also been developed, including the effects of SLR to facilitate structural design. Finally, Coastal Environmental Risk Index (CERI) maps have been developed to estimate the risk to individual structures and infrastructure. CERI employs the BFE maps in concert with damage curves for residential and commercial structures to make estimates of damage to individual structures. All maps are available via an ArcGIS Hub. The objective of this senior design capstone project was to develop STORMTOOLS Design Load maps (SDL) with a goal of estimating the hydrostatic, hydrodynamic, wave, and debris loading, based on ASCE/SEI 7–16 Minimum Design Standards methods, on residential structures in the RI coastal floodplain. The resulting maps display the unitized loads and thus can be scaled for any structure of interest. The goal of the maps is to provide environmental loads that support the design of structures, and reduce the time and cost required in performing the design and the permitting process, while also improving the accuracy and consistency of the designs. SDL maps were generated for all loads, including the effects of SLR for a test case: the Watch Hill/Misquamicut Beach, Westerly, along the southern RI coast. The Autodesk Professional Robot Structural Analysis software, along with SDL loading, was used to evaluate the designs for selected on-grade and pile-elevated residential structures. Damage curves were generated for each and shown to be consistent with the US Army Corps of Engineers empirical damage curves currently used in CERI.
Occupational Histoplasmosis: Epidemiology and Prevention Measures
Authors: de Perio Marie A. , Benedict Kaitlin , Williams Samantha L. , Niemeier-Walsh Christine , Green Brett J. , Coffey Christopher , Di Giuseppe Michelangelo , Toda Mitsuru , Park Ju-Hyeong , Bailey Rachel L. , Nett Randall J.
Published: June 2021

In areas where Histoplasma is endemic in the environment, occupations involving activities exposing workers to soil that contains bird or bat droppings may pose a risk for histoplasmosis. Occupational exposures are frequently implicated in histoplasmosis outbreaks. In this paper, we review the literature on occupationally acquired histoplasmosis. We describe the epidemiology, occupational risk factors, and prevention measures according to the hierarchy of controls.
MaAreB, a GATA Transcription Factor, Is Involved in Nitrogen Source Utilization, Stress Tolerances and Virulence in Metarhizium acridum
Authors: Li Chaochuang , Zhang Qipei , Xia Yuxian , Jin Kai
Published: June 2021

The nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR) pathway is involved in nitrogen utilization, in which the global GATA transcription factor AreA plays an indispensable role and has been reported in many fungi. However, relatively few studies are focused on AreB, another GATA transcription factor in the NCR pathway and the functions of AreB are largely unknown in entomopathogenic fungi. Here, we characterized MaAreB in the model entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum. Sequence arrangement found that MaAreB had a conserved GATA zinc finger DNA binding domain and a leucine zipper domain. Disruption of MaAreB affected the nitrogen utilization and led to decelerated conidial germination and hyphal growth, decreased conidial yield, and lower tolerances to UV-B irradiation and heat-shock. Furthermore, the MaAreB mutant (ΔMaAreB) exhibited increased sensitivity to CFW (Calcofluor white), decreased cell wall contents (chitin and β-1,3-glucan) and reduced expression levels of some genes related to cell wall integrity, indicating that disruption of MaAreB affected the cell wall integrity. Bioassays showed that the virulence of the ΔMaAreB strain was decreased in topical inoculation but not in intra-hemocoel injection. Consistently, deletion of MaAreB severely impaired the appressorium formation and reduced the turgor pressure of appressorium. These results revealed that MaAreB regulated fungal nitrogen utilization, cell wall integrity and biological control potential, which would contribute to the functional characterization of AreB homologous proteins in other insect fungal pathogens, and even filamentous fungi.
Standardized Outcomes Measures in Physical Therapy Practice for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Cerebral PALSY: A Systematic Review
Authors: Apolo-Arenas Maria Dolores , Jerônimo Aline Ferreira de Araújo , Caña-Pino Alejandro , Fernandes Orlando , Alegrete Joana , Parraca Jose Alberto
Published: June 2021

Cerebral palsy (CP) treatment includes physical therapy and various complementary therapies to the standard clinical treatment. However, there are not many reviews that focus on the methods used and evaluation procedures. This study aims to analyze which tools are most suitable for the evaluation and methodology of patients with CP treated with physical therapy. Following the PRISMA statement, through a PICOS strategy, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, Science Direct, and Scielo were searched with the following terms: cerebral palsy AND (physical therapy modalities OR therapeutics) AND outcome assessment. The methodological quality of the RCTs was assessed with the Evidence Project risk of bias tool. Thirty-seven RCTs and six RCT protocols, comprising 1359 participants with different types of CP: spastic hemiplegia/paresis, spastic diplegia/paresis, and spastic CP, met the inclusion criteria, uncovering 21 variables measured through 77 different instruments and several interventions. The therapies most widely used in CP are gaming or technology-assisted therapies, aerobic training, hippotherapy, music therapy, gait training, and aquatic exercises. This study provides an overview of what the authors used in the neurorehabilitation field through procedure evaluation and checking the technological advance that began to be used.
Salivary DNA Methylation as an Epigenetic Biomarker for Head and Neck Cancer. Part II: A Cancer Risk Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rapado-González Óscar , Martínez-Reglero Cristina , Salgado-Barreira Ángel , Santos María Arminda , López-López Rafael , Díaz-Lagares Ángel , Suárez-Cunqueiro María Mercedes
Published: June 2021

Aberrant methylation of tumor suppressor genes has been reported as an important epigenetic silencer in head and neck cancer (HNC) pathogenesis. Here, we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the overall and specific impact of salivary gene promoter methylation on HNC risk. The methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale (NOS). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the strength of the association and Egger’s and Begg’s tests were applied to detect publication bias. The frequency of salivary DNA promoter methylation was significantly higher in HNC patients than in healthy controls (OR: 8.34 (95% CI = 6.10–11.39; p < 0.01). The pooled ORs showed a significant association between specific tumor-related genes and HNC risk: p16 (3.75; 95% CI = 2.51–5.60), MGMT (5.72; 95% CI = 3.00–10.91), DAPK (5.34; 95% CI = 2.18–13.10), TIMP3 (3.42; 95% CI = 1.99–5.88), and RASSF1A (7.69; 95% CI = 3.88–15.23). Overall, our meta-analysis provides precise evidence on the association between salivary DNA promoter hypermethylation and HNC risk. Thus, detection of promoter DNA methylation in saliva is a potential biomarker for predicting HNC risk.
Optimal Sampling Intensity in South Korea for a Land-Use Change Matrix Using Point Sampling
Authors: Moon Ga-Hyun , Yim Jong-Su , Moon Na-Hyun
Published: June 2021

To report changes in land use, the forestry sector, and land-use change matrix (LUCM), monitoring is necessary in South Korea to adequately respond to the Post-2020 climate regime. To calculate the greenhouse gas statistics observing the principle of transparency required by the Climate Change Convention, a consistent nationwide land-use classification and LUCM are required. However, in South Korea, land-use information is available from the 5th National Forest Inventory conducted in 2006 onwards; therefore, developing methods to determine historical LUCM information, including the base year required by the Intergovernmnetal Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is essential. To determine the optimal sampling intensity for measuring systematic land-use changes and to estimate the corresponding area of land-use categories for previously unmeasured years, seven intensities—2 × 2 km to 8 × 8 km—were tested using the areas of the 3rd and 4th aerial photographs in time series for forestland, cropland, grassland, wetland, and settlements, according to their standard deviations and estimates of uncertainty. Analyses of statistical accuracy, statistical efficiency, economic efficiency, and convenience showed that a sampling intensity of 4 × 4 km was ideal. Additionally, the categorized areas of unmeasured land-use years were calculated through linear interpolation and extrapolation. Our LUCM can be utilized for developing a national greenhouse gas inventory.
The Economic Role and Emergence of Professional Valuers in Real Estate Markets
Authors: Bartke Stephan , Schwarze Reimund
Published: June 2021

Land is a scarce resource. It is usually traded as real estate, an economic good with a market value. Often, this market value is not negotiated simply between the seller and the potential buyer, but is based on an assessment performed by a professional valuer, known as a surveyor or appraiser. This article questions the economic role and the emergence of valuers in real estate markets. An institutionally embedded framework for valuation intermediation is developed that elucidates a multi-tiered imperfect information cascade. First, valuers are understood as middlemen, counteracting information uncertainties regarding product quality, namely real estate herein. An additional constraint is constituted by information asymmetries between the valuer and the contractor. The contribution presents a conceptual integration of theories of price formation (and regulation) and theories of intermediation. Investigating new institutional economics concepts considering the emergence of professional associations and the specific formal and informal regulation of nature-related transactions, the contribution then discusses how the valuation professional with regularizations evolves as a superior institutional response to this cascade of information imperfections.
New Empirical Approaches to Grammatical Variation and Change
Authors: Bosch Sina , De Cesare Ilaria , Demske Ulrike , Felser Claudia
Published: June 2021

Research on grammatical variation and change has traditionally been based on diachronic and synchronic corpus analysis, but the growing importance of experimental approaches to the study of language has led many researchers to combine corpus study with experimentation to systematically examine linguistic variability and stability [...]
Evaluation of Energy Absorption Capabilities of Polyethylene Foam under Impact Deformation
Authors: Yang Baohui , Zuo Yangjie , Chang Zhengping
Published: June 2021

Foams are widely used in protective applications requiring high energy absorption under impact, and evaluating impact properties of foams is vital. Therefore, a novel test method based on a shock tube was developed to investigate the impact properties of closed-cell polyethylene (PE) foams at strain rates over 6000 s−1, and the test theory is presented. Based on the test method, the failure progress and final failure modes of PE foams are discussed. Moreover, energy absorption capabilities of PE foams were assessed under both quasi-static and high strain rate loading conditions. The results showed that the foam exhibited a nonuniform deformation along the specimen length under high strain rates. The energy absorption rate of PE foam increased with the increasing of strain rates. The specimen energy absorption varied linearly in the early stage and then increased rapidly, corresponding to a uniform compression process. However, in the shock wave deformation process, the energy absorption capacity of the foam maintained a good stability and exhibited the best energy absorption state when the speed was higher than 26 m/s. This stable energy absorption state disappeared until the speed was lower than 1.3 m/s. The loading speed exhibited an obvious influence on energy density.
A Comparative Study on the Hot Deformation Behavior of As-Cast and Twin-Roll Cast Mg-6.8Y-2.5Zn-0.4Zr Alloy
Authors: Kittner Kristina , Ullmann Madlen , Prahl Ulrich
Published: June 2021

The Mg-6.8Y-2.5Zn-0.4Zr (WZ73) alloy exhibits different microstructure characteristic after conventional casting compared to the twin-roll cast (TRC) state. Twin-roll casting results in a finer microstructure, where the LPSO phases are more finely distributed and less strongly connected. A transfer of the hot deformation behavior from the as-cast condition to the TRC condition is only possible to a limited extent due to the microstructural differences. Both states show differences in the recrystallization behavior during hot deformation. In the conventional cast state, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) is assumed to be delayed by the occurrence of coarse blocky LPSO phases. Main DRX mechanisms are continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), particle stimulated nucleation (PSN) and twin induced dynamic recrystallization (TDRX). The deformed TRC sample showed pronounced DRX at almost all deformation conditions. Besides the TDRX and the PSN mechanism, kink induced dynamic recrystallization (KDRX) can be observed. Optimum deformation conditions for both states are temperatures from 500 °C to 520 °C, and strain rates ranging from 0.01 s−1 to 0.1 s−1 for the as-cast material as well as a strain rate of 1 s−1 for the TRC material.
Cranberry Juice Extract Rapidly Protects Demineralized Dentin against Digestion and Inhibits Its Gelatinolytic Activity
Authors: Wang Yong , Green Austin , Yao Xiaomei , Liu Hang , Nisar Saleha , Gorski Jeffrey Paul , Hass Viviane
Published: June 2021

Improving the longevity of composite restorations has proven to be difficult when they are bonded to dentin. Dentin demineralization leaves collagen fibrils susceptible to enzymatic digestion, which causes breakdown of the resin–dentin interface. Therefore, measures for counteracting the enzymatic environment by enhancing dentin collagen’s resistance to degradation have the potential to improve the durability of dental composite restorations. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of polyphenol-rich extracts and a chemical cross-linker on the cross-linking interaction, resistance to digestion, and endogenous matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activities of dentin collagen under clinically relevant conditions. Ten-µm-thick films were cut from dentin slabs of non-carious extracted human third molars. Following demineralization, polyphenol-rich extracts—including grape seed (GSE), green tea (GTE), and cranberry juice (CJE)—or chemical cross-linker carbodiimide with n-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) were applied to the demineralized dentin surfaces for 30 s. The collagen cross-linking, bio-stabilization, and gelatinolytic activities of MMPs 2 and 9 were studied by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, weight loss, hydroxyproline release, scanning/transmission electron microscopy, and in situ zymography. All treatments significantly increased resistance to collagenase degradation and reduced the gelatinolytic MMP activity of dentin collagen compared to the untreated control. The CJE- and GSE-treated groups were more resistant to digestion than the GTE- or EDC/NHS-treated ones (p < 0.05), which was consistent with the cross-linking interaction found with FTIR and the in situ performance on the acid-etched dentin surface found with SEM/TEM. The collagen films treated with CJE showed the lowest MMP activity, followed by GSE, GTE, and, finally, EDC/NHS. The CJE-treated dentin collagen rapidly increased its resistance to digestion and MMP inhibition. An application of CJE as short as 30 s may be a clinically feasible approach to improving the longevity of dentin bonding in composite restorations.
Vacation Queueing Model for Performance Evaluation of Multiple Access Information Transmission Systems without Transmission Interruption
Authors: Dudin Alexander , Dudin Sergei , Klimenok Valentina , Gaidamaka Yuliya
Published: June 2021

We consider a MAP/PH/1-type queueing system with server vacations as a model that is useful for the analysis of multiple access systems with polling discipline without transmission interruption. Vacation of the server corresponds to the service providing competitive information flows to the polling system. In this paper, we consider a vacation queueing model under pretty general assumptions about the probabilistic distributions describing the behavior of the system and the realistic assumption, in many real-world systems, that ongoing service cannot be terminated ahead of schedule. We derive the criterion of the stable operation of the system and the stationary distributions of the system states and the waiting time. An illustrative numerical example is presented.
Inference for the Exponential Distribution under Generalized Progressively Hybrid Censored Data from Partially Accelerated Life Tests with a Time Transformation Function
Authors: Abdel-Hamid Alaa H. , Hashem Atef F.
Published: June 2021

In this article, the tampered failure rate model is used in partially accelerated life testing. A non-decreasing time function, often called a ‘‘time transformation function", is proposed to tamper the failure rate under design conditions. Different types of the proposed function, which have sufficient conditions in order to be accelerating functions, are investigated. A baseline failure rate of the exponential distribution is considered. Some point estimation methods, as well as approximate confidence intervals, for the parameters involved are discussed based on generalized progressively hybrid censored data. The determination of the optimal stress change time is discussed under two different criteria of optimality. A real dataset is employed to explain the theoretical outcomes discussed in this article. Finally, a Monte Carlo simulation study is carried out to examine the performance of the estimation methods and the optimality criteria.
Perishable Inventory System with N-Policy, MAP Arrivals, and Impatient Customers
Authors: Suganya R. , Nkenyereye Lewis , Anbazhagan N. , Amutha S. , Kameswari M. , Acharya Srijana , Joshi Gyanendra Prasad
Published: June 2021

In this study, we consider a perishable inventory system that has an (s, Q) ordering policy, along with a finite waiting hall. The single server, which provides an item to the customer after completing the required service performance for that item, only begins serving after N customers have arrived. Impatient demand is assumed in that the customers waiting to be served lose patience and leave the system if the server’s idle time overextends or if the arriving customers find the system to be full and will not enter the system. This article analyzes the impatient demands caused by the N-policy server to an inventory system. In the steadystate, we obtain the joint probability distribution of the level of inventory and the number of customers in the system. We analyze some measures of system performance and get the total expected cost rate in the steadystate. We present a beneficial cost function and confer the numerical illustration that describes the impact of impatient customers caused by N-policy on the inventory system’s total expected cost rate.
Solving the Longest Common Subsequence Problem Concerning Non-Uniform Distributions of Letters in Input Strings
Authors: Nikolic Bojan , Kartelj Aleksandar , Djukanovic Marko , Grbic Milana , Blum Christian , Raidl Günther
Published: June 2021

The longest common subsequence (LCS) problem is a prominent NP–hard optimization problem where, given an arbitrary set of input strings, the aim is to find a longest subsequence, which is common to all input strings. This problem has a variety of applications in bioinformatics, molecular biology and file plagiarism checking, among others. All previous approaches from the literature are dedicated to solving LCS instances sampled from uniform or near-to-uniform probability distributions of letters in the input strings. In this paper, we introduce an approach that is able to effectively deal with more general cases, where the occurrence of letters in the input strings follows a non-uniform distribution such as a multinomial distribution. The proposed approach makes use of a time-restricted beam search, guided by a novel heuristic named Gmpsum. This heuristic combines two complementary scoring functions in the form of a convex combination. Furthermore, apart from the close-to-uniform benchmark sets from the related literature, we introduce three new benchmark sets that differ in terms of their statistical properties. One of these sets concerns a case study in the context of text analysis. We provide a comprehensive empirical evaluation in two distinctive settings: (1) short-time execution with fixed beam size in order to evaluate the guidance abilities of the compared search heuristics; and (2) long-time executions with fixed target duration times in order to obtain high-quality solutions. In both settings, the newly proposed approach performs comparably to state-of-the-art techniques in the context of close-to-uniform instances and outperforms state-of-the-art approaches for non-uniform instances.
Adaptive Online Learning for the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Models
Authors: Shao Weijia , Radke Lukas Friedemann , Sivrikaya Fikret , Albayrak Sahin
Published: June 2021

This paper addresses the problem of predicting time series data using the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model in an online manner. Existing algorithms require model selection, which is time consuming and unsuitable for the setting of online learning. Using adaptive online learning techniques, we develop algorithms for fitting ARIMA models without hyperparameters. The regret analysis and experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets show that the performance of the proposed algorithms can be guaranteed in both theory and practice.
A Multi-Objective Bayesian Approach with Dynamic Optimization (MOBADO). A Hybrid of Decision Theory and Machine Learning Applied to Customs Fraud Control in Spain
Authors: González García Ignacio , Mateos Caballero Alfonso
Published: June 2021

This paper studies the economically significant problem of the optimization of customs fraud control, which is a critical issue for many countries. The European Union (EU) alone handles 4693 tons of goods every minute (2018 figures). Even though 70% of goods are imported at zero tariff, the EU raised EUR 25.4 billions in 2018, and customs-related income transferred by member states to the EU accounts for nearly 13% of its overall budget. In this field, (a) the conflicting objectives are qualitative and cannot be reduced to a common measure (security and terrorism, health, drug market access control, taxes, etc.); (b) each submitted item has dozens of characteristics; (c) there are constraints; and (d) risk analysis systems have to make decisions in real time. Although the World Customs Organization has promoted the use of artificial intelligence to increase the precision of controls, the problem is very complex due to the data characteristics and interpretability, which is a requirement established by customs officers. In this paper, we propose a new Bayesian-based hybrid approach combining machine learning and multi-objective linear programming (MOLP), called multi-objective Bayesian with dynamic optimization (MOBADO). We demonstrate that it is possible to more than double (with a 237% increase) the precision of current inspection systems, freeing up almost 50% of human resources, and outperform past results with respect to each of the above objectives. MOBADO is an optimization technique that could be combined with any artificial intelligence approach capable of optimizing the quality of multi-objective risk analysis in real time.
A Modified Rao-2 Algorithm for Optimal Power Flow Incorporating Renewable Energy Sources
Authors: Hassan Mohamed H. , Kamel Salah , Selim Ali , Khurshaid Tahir , Domínguez-García José Luis
Published: June 2021

In this paper, a modified Rao-2 (MRao-2) algorithm is proposed to solve the problem of optimal power flow (OPF) in a power system incorporating renewable energy sources (RES). Quasi-oppositional and Levy flight methods are used to improve the performance of the Rao algorithm. To demonstrate effectiveness of the MRao-2 technique, it is tested on two standard test systems: an IEEE 30-bus system and an IEEE 118-bus system. The objective function of the OPF is the minimization of fuel cost in five scenarios. The IEEE 30-bus system reflects fuel cost minimization in three scenarios (without RES, with RES, and with RES under contingency state), while the IEEE 118-bus system reflects fuel cost minimization in two scenarios (without RES and with RES). The achieved results of various scenarios using the suggested MRao-2 technique are compared with those obtained using five recent techniques: Atom Search Optimization (ASO), Turbulent Flow of Water-based Optimization (TFWO), Marine Predators Algorithm (MPA), Rao-1, Rao-3 algorithms, as well as the conventional Rao-2 algorithm. Those comparisons confirm the superiority of the MRao-2 technique over those other algorithms in solving the OPF problem.
Post-Prescription Audit Plus Beta-D-Glucan Assessment Decrease Echinocandin Use in People with Suspected Invasive Candidiasis
Authors: Murri Rita , Lardo Sara , De Luca Alessio , Posteraro Brunella , Torelli Riccardo , De Angelis Giulia , Giovannenze Francesca , Taccari Francesco , Pavan Lucia , Parroni Lucia , Sanguinetti Maurizio , Fantoni Massimo
Published: June 2021

Background and Objectives: Overtreatment with antifungal drugs is often observed. Antifungal stewardship (AFS) focuses on optimizing the treatment for invasive fungal diseases. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the utility of a post-prescription audit plus beta-D-glucan (BDG) assessment on reducing echinocandin use in persons with suspected invasive candidiasis. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective, pre-post quasi-experimental study of people starting echinocandins for suspected invasive candidiasis. The intervention of the study included review of each echinocandin prescription and discontinuation of treatment if a very low probability of fungal disease or a negative BDG value were found. Pre-intervention data were compared with the intervention phase. The primary outcome of the study was the duration of echinocandin therapy. Secondary outcomes were length of hospital stay and mortality. Results: Ninety-two echinocandin prescriptions were reviewed, 49 (53.3%) in the pre-intervention phase and 43 (46.7%) in the intervention phase. Discontinuation of antifungal therapy was possible in 21 of the 43 patients in the intervention phase (48.8%). The duration of echinocandin therapy was 7.4 (SD 4.7) in the pre-intervention phase, 4.1 days (SD 2.9) in persons undergoing the intervention, and 8.6 (SD 7.3) in persons in whom the intervention was not feasible (p at ANOVA = 0.016). Length of stay and mortality did not differ between pre-intervention and intervention phases. Conclusions: An intervention based on pre-prescription restriction and post-prescription audit when combined with BDG measurement is effective in optimizing antifungal therapy by significantly reducing excessive treatment duration.
Anaphylaxis to Sunflower Seed with Tolerance to Sunflower Oil: A Case Report
Authors: An Jin
Published: June 2021

Sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus) are an uncommon source of allergy; however, some cases of allergy to sunflower seeds have been reported. Sunflower seed sensitization occurs to storage proteins (2S albumins) and lipid transfer proteins (LTPs). A 46-year-old female presented three allergic reactions within minutes of consuming sunflower seeds. A prick-to-prick test indicated a positive reaction only to sunflower seeds and a negative reaction to other nuts, such as almond, hazelnut, pistachio, cashew, peanut, macadamia, sesame, and walnut. Prick-to-prick and oral provocation tests of sunflower oil were performed, and a negative result was obtained. The patient was prescribed a 0.3 mg epinephrine autoinjector device for emergency intramuscular administration. The patient is currently under avoidance of sunflower seed but eats food cooked in sunflower seed oil. Based on this case, we should recognize that sunflower seeds have the potential to cause severe anaphylaxis, which indicates tolerance to sunflower oil. An accurate and fast diagnosis allows timely recommendation to practice strict avoidance of sunflower seeds, thus reducing the possibility of recurrence of an anaphylactic reaction.
A Case Study of an 87-Year-Old Male Bodybuilder with Complex Health Conditions
Authors: Hackett Daniel A. , Mitchell Lachlan , Wilson Guy C. , Valenzuela Trinidad , Hollings Matthew , Fiatarone Singh Maria
Published: June 2021

This exploratory clinical case report presents an 87-year-old man who began bodybuilding at the age of 76 years and was officially recognised as the world’s oldest competitive bodybuilder, competing until age 83. He has a background of complex health conditions including polio, strokes, cardiac arrest, atrial fibrillation, prostate disease, osteoarthritis, depression, bowel obstruction, reflux, and bladder cancer. Assessments of body composition, bone density, muscle performance, and diet-related practices were performed. The bodybuilder had superior fat-free mass, lower fat mass, and generally greater muscle performance compared to untrained healthy males of a similar age. Commencement of bodybuilding in older age appears to be possible, even with ongoing complex health conditions, and the potential benefits of this practice require systematic investigation in the future.
Comparing Ictal Cardiac Autonomic Changes in Patients with Frontal Lobe Epilepsy and Temporal Lobe Epilepsy by Ultra-Short-Term Heart Rate Variability Analysis
Authors: You Sung-Min , Jo Hyun-Jin , Cho Baek-Hwan , Song Joo-Yeon , Kim Dong-Yeop , Hwang Yoon-Ha , Shon Young-Min , Seo Dae-Won , Kim In-Young
Published: June 2021

Background and Objectives: Abnormal epileptic discharges in the brain can affect the central brain regions that regulate autonomic activity and produce cardiac symptoms, either at onset or during propagation of a seizure. These autonomic alterations are related to cardiorespiratory disturbances, such as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. This study aims to investigate the differences in cardiac autonomic function between patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) using ultra-short-term heart rate variability (HRV) analysis around seizures. Materials and Methods: We analyzed electrocardiogram (ECG) data recorded during 309 seizures in 58 patients with epilepsy. Twelve patients with FLE and 46 patients with TLE were included in this study. We extracted the HRV parameters from the ECG signal before, during and after the ictal interval with ultra-short-term HRV analysis. We statistically compared the HRV parameters using an independent t-test in each interval to compare the differences between groups, and repeated measures analysis of variance was used to test the group differences in longitudinal changes in the HRV parameters. We performed the Tukey–Kramer multiple comparisons procedure as the post hoc test. Results: Among the HRV parameters, the mean interval between heartbeats (RRi), normalized low-frequency band power (LF) and LF/HF ratio were statistically different between the interval and epilepsy types in the t-test. Repeated measures ANOVA showed that the mean RRi and RMSSD were significantly different by epilepsy type, and the normalized LF and LF/HF ratio significantly interacted with the epilepsy type and interval. Conclusions: During the pre-ictal interval, TLE patients showed an elevation in sympathetic activity, while the FLE patients showed an apparent increase and decrease in sympathetic activity when entering and ending the ictal period, respectively. The TLE patients showed a maintained elevation of sympathetic and vagal activity in the pos-ictal interval. These differences in autonomic cardiac characteristics between FLE and TLE might be relevant to the ictal symptoms which eventually result in SUDEP.
A Case of COVID-19 Pregnancy Complicated with Hydrops Fetalis and Intrauterine Death
Authors: Popescu Daniela Eugenia , Cioca Andreea , Muresan Cezara , Navolan Dan , Gui Arina , Pop Ovidiu , Marcovici Tamara , Ilie Constantin , Craina Marius , Boia Marioara
Published: June 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly evolved into a worldwide pandemic causing a serious global public health problem. The risk of vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is still debated, and the consequences of this virus on pregnant women and their fetuses remain unknown. We report a case of pregnancy complicated with hydrops fetalis that developed 7 weeks after recovery from a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, leading to intrauterine death of the foetus. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 placentitis was demonstrated by the presence of viral particles in the placenta identified by immunohistochemistry. As we excluded all possible etiological factors for non-immunologic hydrops fetalis, we believe that the fetal consequences of our case are related to vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second reported case in the literature of COVID-19 infection complicated with hydrops fetalis and intrauterine fetal demise.
Effect of Intermittent Hypoxia on Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance in the General Male Population
Authors: Lee Jung-Yup , Kim Chan-Won , Lee Kyung-Chul , Lee Jae-Hyuk , Kang Sung-Hun , Li Sung-Won , Kim Kyubo , Hong Seok-Jin
Published: June 2021

Background and objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is closely associated with insulin resistance (IR) and is an independent risk factor for incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Most studies evaluate the correlation between OSA and IR in only obese or T2DM patients. Therefore, we tried to investigate the effect of OSA on metabolic syndrome and IR in the general healthy male population. Materials and Methods: 184 subjects who visited a preventive health examination program were recruited for this study. All subjects received overnight polysomnography by a portable device (Watch-PAT 200). We examined several metabolic parameters and a homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). The subjects were divided into three groups by AHI (Apnea-hyponea index): normal group (AHI < 5), mild OSA group (5 ≤ AHI < 15), and moderate-severe OSA group (AHI ≥ 15). They were also divided into two groups according to minimum oxygen saturation: low group, Min-SpO2 < 88%; and high group, Min-SpO2 ≥ 88%. Results: Parameters of metabolic syndrome, including waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed significant differences among the AHI groups. Furthermore, HOMA-IR showed significant differences among the AHI groups. Those parameters, including metabolic syndrome and HOMA-IR, also showed differences between Min-SpO2 groups. Conclusions: In summary, this study helps confirm that AHI is associated with HOMA-IR in the general male population. Furthermore, the severity of AHI correlated with the parameters of metabolic syndrome. Therefore, AHI might be an indicator for evaluating both T2DM and metabolic syndrome, even in the general male population.
Graphene Oxide Membranes for High Salinity, Produced Water Separation by Pervaporation
Authors: Almarzooqi Khalfan , Ashrafi Mursal , Kanthan Theeran , Elkamel Ali , Pope Michael A.
Published: June 2021

Oil and gas industries produce a huge amount of wastewater known as produced water which contains diverse contaminants including salts, dissolved organics, dispersed oils, and solids making separation and purification challenging. The chemical and thermal stability of graphene oxide (GO) membranes make them promising for use in membrane pervaporation, which may provide a more economical route to purifying this water for disposal or re-use compared to other membrane-based separation techniques. In this study, we investigate the performance and stability of GO membranes cast onto polyethersulfone (PES) supports in the separation of simulated produced water containing high salinity brackish water (30 g/L NaCl) contaminated with phenol, cresol, naphthenic acid, and an oil-in-water emulsion. The GO/PES membranes achieve water flux as high as 47.8 L m−2 h−1 for NaCl solutions for membranes operated at 60 °C, while being able to reject 99.9% of the salt and upwards of 56% of the soluble organic components. The flux for membranes tested in pure water, salt, and simulated produced water was found to decrease over 72 h of testing but only to 50–60% of the initial flux in the worst-case scenario. This drop was concurrent with an increase in contact angle and C/O ratio indicating that the GO may become partially reduced during the separation process. Additionally, a closer look at the membrane crosslinker (Zn2+) was investigated and found to hydrolyze over time to Zn(OH)2 with much of it being washed away during the long-term pervaporation.