Anamneses-Based Internet Information Supply: Can a Combination of an Expert System and Meta-Search Engine Help Consumers find the Health Information they Require?

An increasing number of people search for health information online. During the last 10 years various researchers have determined the requirements for an ideal consumer health information system. The aim of this study was to figure out, whether medical laymen can find a more accurate diagnosis for a given anamnesis via the developed prototype health information system than via ordinary internet search

A study of data-driven momentum and disposition effects in the Chinese stock market by functional data analysis

We apply a functional data analysis approach to decompose the cross-sectional Fama–French three-factor model residuals in the Chinese stock market. Our results indicate that other than Fama–French three factors, there are two orthonormal asset pricing factors describing the behavioral biases in their historical performances: between winner and loser stocks, and extreme and mediocre-performing stocks, respectively. We explain these two factors through investors’ overreaction, overconfidence and the lead-lag effect. These findings empirically show the existence of momentum and disposition effects in the Chinese stock market. A buy-and-hold mean-variance optimized portfolio incorporating these two market anomalies boosts the Sharpe ratio to 1.27

Green and animal manure use in organic field crop systems

Dual-use cover/green manure (CGM) crops and animal manure are used to supply nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to organically grown field crops. A comprehensive review of previous research was conducted to identify how CGM crops and animal manure have been used to meet N and P needs of organic field crops, and to identify knowledge gaps to direct future research efforts. Results indicate that: (a) CGM crops are used to provide N to subsequent cash crops in rotations; (b) CGM-supplied N generally can meet field crop needs in warm, humid regions but is insufficient for organic grain crops grown in cool and sub-humid regions; (c) adoption of conservation tillage practices can create or exacerbate N deficiencies; (d) excess N and P can result where animal manures are accessible if application rates are not carefully managed; and (e) integrating animal grazing into organic field crop systems has potential benefits but is generally not practiced. Work is needed to better understand the mechanisms governing the release of N by CGM crops to subsequent cash crops, and the legacy effects of animal manure applications in cool and sub-humid regions. The benefits and synergies that can occur by combining targeted animal grazing and CGMs on soil N, P, and other nutrients should be investigated. Improved communication and networking among researchers can aid efforts to solve soil fertility challenges faced by organic farmers when growing field crops in North America and elsewhere

Genetic determinants of risk in pulmonary arterial hypertension: international genome-wide association studies and meta-analysis

Background Rare genetic variants cause pulmonary arterial hypertension, but the contribution of common genetic variation to disease risk and natural history is poorly characterised. We tested for genome-wide association for pulmonary arterial hypertension in large international cohorts and assessed the contribution of associated regions to outcomes. Methods We did two separate genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and a meta-analysis of pulmonary arterial hypertension. These GWAS used data from four international case-control studies across 11744 individuals with European ancestry (including 2085 patients). One GWAS used genotypes from 5895 whole-genome sequences and the other GWAS used genotyping array data from an additional 5849 individuals. Cross-validation of loci reaching genome-wide significance was sought by meta-analysis. Conditional analysis corrected for the most significant variants at each locus was used to resolve signals for multiple associations. We functionally annotated associated variants and tested associations with duration of survival. All-cause mortality was the primary endpoint in survival analyses. Findings A locus near SOX17 (rs10103692, odds ratio 1·80 [95% CI 1·55–2·08], p=5·13×10– ¹⁵) and a second locus in HLA-DPA1 and HLA-DPB1 (collectively referred to as HLA-DPA1/DPB1 here; rs2856830, 1·56 [1·42–1·71], p=7·65×10– ²⁰) within the class II MHC region were associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The SOX17 locus had two independent signals associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (rs13266183, 1·36 [1·25–1·48], p=1·69×10– ¹²; and rs10103692). Functional and epigenomic data indicate that the risk variants near SOX17 alter gene regulation via an enhancer active in endothelial cells. Pulmonary arterial hypertension risk variants determined haplotype-specific enhancer activity, and CRISPR-mediated inhibition of the enhancer reduced SOX17 expression. The HLA-DPA1/DPB1 rs2856830 genotype was strongly associated with survival. Median survival from diagnosis in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension with the C/C homozygous genotype was double (13·50 years [95% CI 12·07 to >13·50]) that of those with the T/T genotype (6·97 years [6·02–8·05]), despite similar baseline disease severity. Interpretation This is the first study to report that common genetic variation at loci in an enhancer near SOX17 and in HLA-DPA1/DPB1 is associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Impairment of SOX17 function might be more common in pulmonary arterial hypertension than suggested by rare mutations in SOX17. Further studies are needed to confirm the association between HLA typing or rs2856830 genotyping and survival, and to determine whether HLA typing or rs2856830 genotyping improves risk stratification in clinical practice or trials. Funding UK NIHR, BHF, UK MRC, Dinosaur Trust, NIH/NHLBI, ERS, EMBO, Wellcome Trust, EU, AHA, ACClinPharm, Netherlands CVRI, Dutch Heart Foundation, Dutch Federation of UMC, Netherlands OHRD and RNAS, German DFG, German BMBF, APH Paris, INSERM, Université Paris-Sud, and French ANR

An Alternative to Additional So₃ Injection for Fly Ash Conditioning

Small concentrations, approximately 2-10 parts per million (ppm), of injected sulfur trioxide (SO3) have improved particulate collection efficiencies of electrostatic precipita-tors burning lower-sulfur coal. However, the addition of extra SO3 not only incurs costs but also presents negative environmental effects. This work explored a method that could be applied to existing coal-fired power plants to convert the sulfur dioxide (SO2) already present in the flue gas to sufficient levels of SO3 for fly ash conditioning as an alternative to adding SO3 by burning elemental sulfur. During this research, a pre-mixed natural gas flame was used to promote the conversion of SO2 to SO3 in a drop-tube furnace with average non-flame, free stream gas temperatures of 450 and 1000 K. SO3 concentrations measured by wet chemistry and confirmed using elemental balances of other sulfur species measured by gas chromatography revealed that as much as 7% of SO2 was homogeneously transformed to SO3. The results also showed that at low temperatures, the rate at which SO3 is converted back to SO2 decreased, thus extending the time period during which SO3 concentrations would be sufficient for ash conditioning. An additional benefit of this technique is speculated to result from increased flue gas humidity

Essays on Investor Behavior and Bank Culture

The public defense on 5th May 2020 at 12:15 will be organized via remote technology. Link: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/65882094009 Zoom Quick Guide: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/zoom-quick-guideThis dissertation consists of an introduction and three original essays. In the first essay, I examine whether investors revise their beliefs about a stock's risk due to an increase in the stock's volatility. This revision makes loss-averse investors more willing to sell a riskier stock with a paper gain as the likelihood of having to sell it at a loss later increases. An analysis of a large dataset on the holdings and trades of individual investors yields empirical support for this prediction: a one standard deviation increase in volatility is associated with an 11% increase in the disposition effect. The effect primarily emerges from investors' increased propensity to sell stocks with small paper gains. In the second essay, I show investors exhibit a robust and systematic pattern of shortening their holding period in a stock on which they execute multiple round trip trades. On average, the holding period shortens by 11% with each additional round trip. I show this tendency to be short-termed is associated with reinforcement learning. Investors are more likely to shorten the holding period after a round trip where they could have realized a better return had they sold earlier. Investors become short-termed as they become more familiar with trading a stock. In the third essay, joint with Matti Keloharju and Deniz Okat, we analyze the effects of banks' "protected-weekend" policies, which aim at improving the work-life balance of junior bankers by guaranteeing them free time during weekends, in particular on Saturdays. We study how these policies affected bankers' working hours, as assessed from taxi rides from bank addresses and their immediate surroundings in New York City. While we find the policies induced bankers to stay at home on Saturdays, we also find they induced them to work more on other days. Our results suggest it is difficult to change bank culture by decree, and that well-meaning policies can have unintended consequences