bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How the COVID-19 pandemic can distort risk adjustment of health plan payment
Authors: van Kleef Richard C. , Reuser Mieke 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to disruptions in healthcare utilization and spending. While some changes might persist (e.g. substitution of specialist visits by online consultations), others will be transitory (e.g. fewer surgical procedures due to cancellation of treatments). This paper discusses the implications of transitory changes in healthcare utilization and spending for risk adjustment of health plan payment. In practice, risk adjustment methodologies typically consist of two steps: (1) calibration of payment weights for a given set of risk adjusters and (2) calculation of payments to insurers by combining the calibrated weights with enrollee characteristics. In this paper, we first introduce a simple conceptual framework for analyzing the (potential) distortions from the pandemic for both steps and then provide a hypothetical illustration of how these distortions can lead to under- or overpayment of insurers. The size of these under-/overpayments depends on (1) the impact of the pandemic on patterns in utilization and spending, (2) the distribution of risk types across insurers, (3) the extent to which insurers are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and (4) features of the risk adjustment system.
High-Temperature and Low-Frequency Acoustic Energy Absorption by a Novel Porous Metamaterial Structure
Authors: Liu Qihang , Liu Xuewei , Zhang Chuanzeng , Xin Fengxian 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIn this paper, we propose a novel porous metamaterial structure with an improved acoustic energy absorption performance at high-temperature and in the low-frequency range. In the proposed novel porous metamaterial structure, a porous material matrix containing periodically perforated cylindrical holes arranged in a triangular lattice pattern is applied, and additional interlayers of another porous material are introduced around these perforations. The theoretical model is established by adopting the double porosity theory for the interlayer and the cylindrical hole which form an equivalent inclusion and then applying the homogenization method to the porous metamaterial structure formed by the equivalent inclusion and the porous matrix. The temperature-dependent air and material parameters are considered in the extended theoretical model, which is validated by the finite element results obtained by COMSOL Multiphysics. The acoustic or sound energy absorption performance can be improved remarkably at very low frequencies and high temperature. Furthermore, the underlying acoustic energy absorption mechanism inside the unit-cell is investigated by analyzing the distribution of the time-averaged acoustic power dissipation density and the energy dissipation ratio of each constituent porous material. The results reveal that regardless of the temperature, the acoustic energy is mostly dissipated in the porous material with a lower airflow resistivity, while the acoustic energy dissipated in the porous material with a higher airflow resistivity also becomes considerable in the high-frequency range. The novel porous metamaterial structure proposed in this paper can be efficiently utilized to improve the acoustic energy absorption performance at high temperature.
Forced displacement: critical lessons in the protracted aftermath of a flood disaster
Authors: Mucherera Blessing , Spiegel Samuel 
Published: July 2021

AbstractForced displacement and resettlement is a pervasive challenge being contemplated across the social sciences. Scholarly literature, however, often fails to engage complexities of power in understanding socio-environmental interactions in resettlement processes. Addressing Zimbabwe’s Tokwe-Mukosi flood disaster resettlement, we explore hegemonic uses of state power during the pre- and post-flood induced resettlement processes. We examine how state power exercised through local government, financial, and security institutions impacts community vulnerabilities during forced resettlement processes, while furthering capitalist agendas, drawing insights from analysing narratives between 2010 and 2021. Concerns abound that multiple ministries, the police, and the army undermined displaced people’s resilience, including through inadequate compensation, with state institutions neglecting displaced communities during encampment by inadequately meeting physical security, health, educational, and livestock production needs. We explore how forcibly resettling encamped households to a disputed location is not only an ongoing perceived injustice regionally but also a continuing reference point in resettlement discussions countrywide, reflecting concerns that land use and economic reconfigurations in resettlement can undermine subsistence livelihoods while privileging certain values and interests over others. Policy lessons highlight the need for reviewing disaster management legislation, developing compensation guidelines and reviewing encampment practices. Analytically, lessons point to how state power may be studied in relation to perspectives on the destruction of flood survivors’ connections to place, people and livelihoods, underscoring the critical need for theorising the relationships between power dynamics and diverse experiences around displacement.
Energy–entropy method using multiscale cell correlation to calculate binding free energies in the SAMPL8 host–guest challenge
Authors: Ali Hafiz Saqib , Chakravorty Arghya , Kalayan Jas , de Visser Samuel P. , Henchman Richard H. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractFree energy drives a wide range of molecular processes such as solvation, binding, chemical reactions and conformational change. Given the central importance of binding, a wide range of methods exist to calculate it, whether based on scoring functions, machine-learning, classical or electronic structure methods, alchemy, or explicit evaluation of energy and entropy. Here we present a new energy–entropy (EE) method to calculate the host–guest binding free energy directly from molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Entropy is evaluated using Multiscale Cell Correlation (MCC) which uses force and torque covariance and contacts at two different length scales. The method is tested on a series of seven host–guest complexes in the SAMPL8 (Statistical Assessment of the Modeling of Proteins and Ligands) “Drugs of Abuse” Blind Challenge. The EE-MCC binding free energies are found to agree with experiment with an average error of 0.9 kcal mol−1. MCC makes clear the origin of the entropy changes, showing that the large loss of positional, orientational, and to a lesser extent conformational entropy of each binding guest is compensated for by a gain in orientational entropy of water released to bulk, combined with smaller decreases in vibrational entropy of the host, guest and contacting water.
A Generalized Ky Fan Minimax Inequality on Finite-Dimensional Spaces
Authors: Castellani Marco , Giuli Massimiliano 
Published: July 2021

AbstractAn existence result for a generalized inequality over a possible unbounded domain in a finite-dimensional space is established. The proof technique allows to avoid any monotonicity assumption. We adapt a weak coercivity condition introduced in Castellani and Giuli (J Glob Optim 75:163–176, 2019) for a generalized game which extends an older one proposed by Konnov and Dyabilkin (J Glob Optim 49:575–577, 2011) for equilibrium problems. Our main result encompasses and generalizes several existence results for equilibrium, quasiequilibrium and fixed-point problems.
A Numerical Approach for Evaluating the Time-Dependent Distribution of a Quasi Birth-Death Process
Authors: Mandjes Michel , Sollie Birgit 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThis paper considers a continuous-time quasi birth-death (qbd) process, which informally can be seen as a birth-death process of which the parameters are modulated by an external continuous-time Markov chain. The aim is to numerically approximate the time-dependent distribution of the resulting bivariate Markov process in an accurate and efficient way. An approach based on the Erlangization principle is proposed and formally justified. Its performance is investigated and compared with two existing approaches: one based on numerical evaluation of the matrix exponential underlying the qbd process, and one based on the uniformization technique. It is shown that in many settings the approach based on Erlangization is faster than the other approaches, while still being highly accurate. In the last part of the paper, we demonstrate the use of the developed technique in the context of the evaluation of the likelihood pertaining to a time series, which can then be optimized over its parameters to obtain the maximum likelihood estimator. More specifically, through a series of examples with simulated and real-life data, we show how it can be deployed in model selection problems that involve the choice between a qbd and its non-modulated counterpart.
Candida Endocarditis in Patients with Candidemia: A Single-Center Experience of 14 Cases
Authors: Hitzenbichler Florian , Joha Tobias , Simon Michaela , Grosse Jirka , Menhart Karin , Hellwig Dirk , Camboni Daniele , Sag Sabine , Sag Can Martin , Hanses Frank , Salzberger Bernd , Mohr Arno 
Published: July 2021

AbstractA retrospective, single-center analysis of 14 cases of Candida endocarditis (from 355 candidemia cases during the years 2012–2019) revealed a high in-hospital mortality (57.1%), a high proportion of healthcare-associated infections (13/14) and a high treatment preference for echinocandins. Transthoracic echocardiography and 18F-FDG PET/CT had a sensitivity of 54.5% and 57.1%, respectively. Patients were older than previously described and most patients with Candida endocarditis had persistent candidemia for ≥ 3 days despite antifungal therapy.
Differentiation of S. chartarum (Ehrenb.) S. Hughes Chemotypes A and S via FT-IR Spectroscopy
Authors: Ekruth Julia , Gottschalk Christoph , Ulrich Sebastian , Gareis Manfred , Schwaiger Karin 
Published: July 2021

AbstractStachybotrys (S.) chartarum is a cellulolytic mould with the ability to produce highly cytotoxic macrocyclic trichothecenes. Two chemotypes are defined according to their ability to produce either atranones or satratoxins. S. chartarum has been well known as the causative agent of the lethal disease stachybotryotoxicosis in horses. Further investigations revealed that this disease is strictly correlated with the presence of macrocyclic trichothecenes. Furthermore, their occurrence in water-damaged buildings has been linked to adverse health effects such as the sick building syndrome. As the chemotypes cannot be characterized via phenotypic criteria, different methods such as PCR, MALDI–TOF MS, LC–MS/MS, thin-layer chromatography and cytotoxicity assays have been used so far. Fourier-transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) is commonly used for the differentiation of bacteria and yeasts, but this technique is also applicable to filamentous fungi. Hence, this study aimed at evaluating to which extent a reliable differentiation of S. chartarum chemotypes A and S is possible. Besides, another objective was to verify if the recently introduced third genotype of S. chartarum can be identified. Therefore, 28 strains including the two chemotypes and the third genotype H were cultivated on malt extract agar (MEA) and potato dextrose agar in three biological replicates. Each sample was applied to FT-IR measurements on day 7, 14 and 21 of cultivation. In this study, we achieved a distinction of the chemotypes A and S via FT-IR spectroscopy after incubation for 7 days on MEA. In terms of genotype differentiation, the PCR detecting satratoxin- and atranone-gene clusters remained the only applicable method.
Antifungal Effect of Long Noncoding RNA 9708-1 in the Vulvovaginal Candidiasis Murine Model
Authors: Wu Ying , Jiang Lisha , Zhang Lingling , Liu Xia , Yan Lina , Luan Ting , Rui Can , Mao Zhiyuan , Fan Chong , Liu Yu , Li Ping , Zeng Xin 
Published: July 2021

AbstractVulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) caused by Candida spp. affects 70–75% of women at least once during their lives. We aim to elucidate the potential mechanism of VVC and investigate the therapeutic effects of long noncoding RNA 9708-1. Female BALB/c mice were randomized to four treatment groups, including the blank control group, VVC control group, vehicle control group and lncRNA 9708-1-overexpressed group. Mice were euthanized on Day 4, Day 7 and Day 14 after treatment. Colony-forming unit (CFU) was measured, and the inflammation was detected by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Gene and protein expression levels of lncRNA 9708-1 and FAK were determined by real-time PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The overexpression of lncRNA 9708-1 significantly decreased the fungal load from Day 4 to 7. H&E staining indicated that the impaired histological profiles were improved in lncRNA 9708-1-overexpressed group. LncRNA 9708-1 led to a significant increase in FAK level of vagina tissue which is expressed mainly in epithelial basal layer. This study suggests that lncRNA 9708-1 played a protective role on murine experimental VVC by upregulating the expression levels of FAK.
CF Fungal Disease in the Age of CFTR Modulators
Authors: Bercusson Amelia , Jarvis George , Shah Anand 
Published: July 2021

AbstractFungi are increasingly recognised to have a significant role in the progression of lung disease in Cystic fibrosis with Aspergillus fumigatus the most common fungus isolated during respiratory sampling. The emergence of novel CFTR modulators has, however, significantly changed the outlook of disease progression in CF. In this review we discuss what impact novel CFTR modulators will have on fungal lung disease and its management in CF. We discuss how CFTR modulators affect antifungal innate immunity and consider the impact of Ivacaftor on fungal disease in individuals with gating mutations. We further review the increasing complication of drug–drug interactions with concurrent use of azole antifungal medication and highlight key unknowns that require addressing to fully understand the impact of CFTR modulators on fungal disease.
Taxonomy of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes/T. interdigitale Species Complex Harboring the Highly Virulent, Multiresistant Genotype T. indotineae
Authors: Tang Chao , Kong Xue , Ahmed Sarah A. , Thakur Rameshwari , Chowdhary Anuradha , Nenoff Pietro , Uhrlass Silke , Verma Shyam B. , Meis Jacques F. , Kandemir Hazal , Kang Yingqian , de Hoog G. Sybren 
Published: July 2021

AbstractA severe outbreak of highly virulent and multi-resistant dermatophytosis by species in theTrichophyton mentagrophytes/T.interdigitalecomplex is ongoing in India. The correct identity of the etiologic agent is a much-debated issue. In order to define species limits, a taxonomic study was undertaken combining molecular, morphological, and physiological characteristics as evidence of classification. Molecular characteristics show thatT. mentagrophytes s. str. andT. interdigitale s. str. can be distinguished with difficulty from each other, but are unambiguously different from the Indian genotype,T.indotineaeby sequences of the HMG gene. The entities were confirmed by multilocus analysis using tanglegrams. Phenotypic characters of morphology and physiology are not diagnostic, but statistically significant differences are observed between the molecular siblings. These properties may be drivers of separate evolutionary trends.Trichophyton mentagrophytesrepresents the ancestral, homothallic cloud of genotypes with a probable geophilic lifestyle, whileT.indotineaeandT.interdigitalebehave as anthropophilic, clonal offshoots. The origin ofT.indotineae, which currently causes a significant public health problem, is zoonotic, and its emergence is likely due to widespread misuse of antifungals.
Allergic fungal airways disease (AFAD): an under-recognised asthma endotype
Authors: Pashley Catherine H. , Wardlaw Andrew J. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe term allergic fungal airways disease has a liberal definition based on IgE sensitisation to thermotolerant fungi and evidence of fungal-related lung damage. It arose from a body of work looking into the role of fungi in asthma. Historically fungi were considered a rare complication of asthma, exemplified by allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis; however, there is a significant proportion of individuals with Aspergillus fumigatus sensitisation who do not meet these criteria, who are at high risk for the development of lung damage. The fungi that play a role in asthma can be divided into two groups; those that can grow at body temperature referred to as thermotolerant, which are capable of both infection and allergy, and those that cannot but can still act as allergens in IgE sensitised individuals. Sensitisation to thermotolerant filamentous fungi (Aspergillus and Penicillium), and not non-thermotolerant fungi (Alternaria and Cladosporium) is associated with lower lung function and radiological abnormalities (bronchiectasis, tree-in-bud, fleeting shadows, collapse/consolidation and fibrosis). For antifungals to play a role in treatment, the focus should be on fungi capable of growing in the airways thereby causing a persistent chronic allergenic stimulus and releasing tissue damaging proteases and other enzymes which may disrupt the airway epithelial barrier and cause mucosal damage and airway remodelling. All patients with IgE sensitisation to thermotolerant fungi in the context of asthma and other airway disease are at risk of progressive lung damage, and as such should be monitored closely.
Why Does Mary Weep? Emotion and Gender in Advent Lines 164–213 (Advent Lyric VII)
Authors: Jorgensen Alice 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThis article re-reads Lyric VII of the poemAdvent, the dialogue of Mary and Joseph. The division of speeches in this lyric has been debated, largely on grounds of the plausibility of the emotions that are apparently expressed by the characters, but there are in fact clear pragmatic grounds for seeing only three speeches in the poem. The emotional expression in these speeches should not be seen in terms of character psychology, but rather the establishment and negotiation of relational stances. In her first speech, Mary expresses bitter grief and draws attention to her weeping, which is because of the insults and gossip she is suffering; the accent on shame and reputation is a distinctive emphasis in the poet’s treatment of the material. Her display of grief elicits Joseph’s response and paves the way to resolution in Mary’s final speech. Mary’s tears are gendered, but not so much because tears are inherently feminine as because they are associated with petition and dependence, and reflect Mary’s social subordination to her betrothed spouse. Lyric VII prompts its audience to a partial identification with Mary and reflection on their need for God and his mercy; such identification would work differently for female and male readers.
Do frequent satisfying trips by public transport impact its intended use in later life?
Authors: De Vos Jonas , Waygood E. Owen D. , Letarte Laurence , Cao Mengqiu 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPrevious studies have indicated that factors such as the built environment, attitudes and past behaviour can influence travel behaviour. However, the possible effect of travel satisfaction on travel mode choice remains underexplored, despite many studies focusing on travel satisfaction over the past years. It is likely that individuals experiencing satisfying trips with a certain travel mode will use this mode (more) frequently for future trips. In this study—using data from 984 students from Laval University, Canada—we analyse how satisfaction with public transport and the frequency of public transport use affect the intention to use public transport in later life stages. Our results indicate that public transport frequency, public transport satisfaction and the interaction between these two factors (i.e., the frequency of (dis)satisfying public transport trips) significantly affect people’s intentions to use public transport in later life, although variations in effect sizes exist between different life stages. Making public transport more pleasant and increasing ridership of children and young adults (e.g., by giving them free public transport passes) may consequently result in a higher public transport frequency in later life stages. We argue that travel satisfaction can play an important role in the formation of habitual mode use, and that satisfying trips (if undertaken frequently) are likely to be repeated in the future.
European Banking Union and bank risk disclosure: the effects of the Single Supervisory Mechanism
Authors: Altunbaş Yener , Polizzi Salvatore , Scannella Enzo , Thornton John 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThis paper provides evidence on the impact of European Banking Union (BU) and the associated Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) on the risk disclosure practices of European banks. The onset of BU and the associated rules are considered as an exogenous shock that provides the setting for a natural experiment to analyze the effects of the new supervisory arrangements on bank risk disclosure practices. A Difference-in-Differences approach is adopted, building evidence from the disclosure practices of systemically important banks supervised by the European Central Bank (ECB) and other banks supervised by national regulators over the period 2012–2017. The main findings are that bank risk disclosure increased overall following BU but there was a weakening of disclosure by SSM-supervised banks relative to banks supervised by national authorities. We also find that the overall positive effect of the BU on bank disclosure is stronger for less profitable banks and in the most troubled economies of the Eurozone (GIPSI countries), while the negative effect on centrally supervised banks is stronger if bank CEOs act also as chairmen (CEO duality). We interpret these findings in light of the fact that the new institutional arrangements for bank supervision under which the ECB relies on local supervisors to collect the information necessary to act gives rise to inefficiencies with respect to the speed and completeness of the information flow between SSM supervised banks and the ECB, which are reflected in bank disclosure practices.
Micropropagation and experimental field cultivation of Pulsatilla turczaninovii Kryl. et Serg. (Ranunculaceae)
Authors: Hanus-Fajerska Ewa , Kocot Dawid , Wiszniewska Alina , Koźmińska Aleksandra , Muszyńska Ewa 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPulsatilla turczaninovii is an important medicinal plant, valued for high ornamental value of melliferous flowers. We assessed the efficiency of reproduction under in vitro conditions and the ex situ growth capacity of this important representative of the world flora. The seed germination percentage was assessed, followed by determination of micropropagation rate and rooting efficiency. Then, the possibility of plant development in three consecutive growing seasons was assessed. The in vitro germination percentage was approximately 55%. The highest multiplication coefficient, amounting to 5.17, was obtained on modified MS medium supplemented with 2.5 mg L−1 2iP and 1.0 mg L−1 IAA. Our study provided unique insight on biochemical background of root regeneration in P. turczaninovii. In comparison with standard auxin-supplemented rooting medium, the treatment with 1.0 mg L−1 level of ethylene precursor ACC elevated rooting by about 20%. The total content of soluble sugars was proved to be biomarker of rhizogenesis in the studied species. Their concentration was positively correlated with rooting efficiency, while a level of phenolic was positively correlated with the length of regenerated roots, and their number per rosette. The cultivation of the acclimatized material was successfully carried out and was evaluated over three subsequent years. In the third year of cultivation, the plants entered the stage of generative development and most of them bloomed profusely.