bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive analysis of autophagy-related genes and patterns of immune cell infiltration in valvular atrial fibrillation
Authors: Liu Ao , Jia Kangni , Liang Huaibin , Jin Qi
Published: March 2021

Background

The development of atrial fibrillation (AF) following valvular heart disease (VHD) remains a common disease and is associated with substantial adverse complications. However, valid molecular diagnostic and therapeutic tools for post-VHD AF have not been fully established. This study was conducted to discover the molecular mechanisms and immune microenvironment underlying AF following VHD.

Methods

Gene expression profiles of the GSE41177 dataset were assessed to construct a protein–protein interaction network, and then, autophagy-related hub genes were identified. In addition, to determine the functions of immune cell infiltration in valvular AF, we used the CIBERSORT algorithm to estimate the composition of 22 immune cell types in valvular heart disease. Finally, correlation analysis was carried out to identify the relationship between differentially expressed autophagy-related genes (DEARGs) and significant immune cell subpopulations to reveal potential regulatory pathways.

Results

A total of 153 DEARGs were identified in AF-VHD patients compared with controlled donors. Moreover, we screened the top ten hub nodes with the highest degrees through a network analysis. The ten hub nodes were considered hub genes related to AF genesis and progression. Then, we revealed six significant immune cell subpopulations through the CIBERSORT algorithm. Finally, correlation analysis was performed, and six DEARGs (BECN1, GAPDH, ATG7, MAPK3, BCL2L1, and MYC) and three immune cell subpopulations (T cells CD4 memory resting, T cells follicular helper, and neutrophils) were identified as the most significant potential regulators.

Conclusion

The DEARGs and immune cells identified in our study may be critical in AF development following VHD and provide potential predictive markers and therapeutic targets for determining a treatment strategy for AF patients.
Diagnostic accuracy of symptoms as a diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV 2 infection: a cross-sectional study in a cohort of 2,173 patients
Authors: Romero-Gameros Carlos Alfonso , Colin-Martínez Tania , Waizel-Haiat Salomón , Vargas-Ortega Guadalupe , Ferat-Osorio Eduardo , Guerrero-Paz José Alberto , Intriago-Alor Marielle , López-Moreno Mayra Alejandra , Cuevas-García Carlos Fredy , Mendoza-Zubieta Victoria , Martínez-Ordaz Jose Luis , González-Virla Baldomero
Published: March 2021

Background

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to be a priority health problem; According to the World Health Organization data from October 13, 2020, 37,704,153 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported, including 1,079,029 deaths, since the outbreak. The identification of potential symptoms has been reported to be a useful tool for clinical decision-making in emergency departments to avoid overload and improve the quality of care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performances of symptoms as a diagnostic tool for SARS -CoV-2 infection.

Methods

An observational, cross-sectional, prospective and analytical study was carried out, during the period of time from April 14 to July 21, 2020. Data (demographic variables, medical history, respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms) were collected by emergency physicians. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was made using SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. The diagnostic accuracy of these characteristics for COVID-19 was evaluated by calculating the positive and negative likelihood ratios. A Mantel-Haenszel and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association of symptoms with COVID-19.

Results

A prevalence of 53.72% of SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed. The symptom with the highest sensitivity was cough 71%, and a specificity of 52.68%. The symptomatological scale, constructed from 6 symptoms, obtained a sensitivity of 83.45% and a specificity of 32.86%, taking ≥2 symptoms as a cut-off point. The symptoms with the greatest association with SARS-CoV-2 were: anosmia odds ratio (OR) 3.2 (95% CI; 2.52–4.17), fever OR 2.98 (95% CI; 2.47–3.58), dyspnea OR 2.9 (95% CI; 2.39–3.51]) and cough OR 2.73 (95% CI: 2.27–3.28).

Conclusion

The combination of ≥2 symptoms / signs (fever, cough, anosmia, dyspnea and oxygen saturation < 93%, and headache) results in a highly sensitivity model for a quick and accurate diagnosis of COVID-19, and should be used in the absence of ancillary diagnostic studies. Symptomatology, alone and in combination, may be an appropriate strategy to use in the emergency department to guide the behaviors to respond to the disease.

Trial registration

Institutional registration R-2020-3601-145, Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks 17 CI-09-015-034, National Bioethics Commission: 09 CEI-023-2017082.
Beta-trace protein as a potential biomarker of residual renal function in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Schwab Sebastian , Kleine Carola Ellen , Bös Dominik , Bohmann Sylvie , Strassburg Christian P. , Lutz Philipp , Woitas Rainer Peter
Published: March 2021

Background

Residual renal function is closely linked to quality of life, morbidity and mortality in dialysis patients. Beta-trace protein (BTP), a low molecular weight protein, has been suggested as marker of residual renal function, in particular in patients on hemodialysis. We hypothesized that BTP also serves as a marker of residual renal function in pertioneal dialysis patients.

Methods

In this study 34 adult patients on peritoneal dialysis were included. BTP, creatinine, cystatin C and urea concentrations were analyzed simultaneously in serum and dialysate to calculate renal and peritoneal removal of the analytes.

Results

In peritoneal dialysis patients with residual diuresis, mean serum BTP was 8.16 mg/l (SD ± 4.75 mg/l). BTP correlated inversely with residual diuresis (rs = − 0.58,p < 0.001), residual creatinine clearance (ClCr) (rs = − 0.69,p < 0.001) and total urea clearance (Clurea) (rs = − 0.56,p < 0.001). Mean peritoneal removal of BTP was 3.36 L/week/1.73m2(SD ± 1.38) and mean renal removal 15.14 L/week/1.73m2(SD ± 12.65) demonstrating a significant renal contribution to the total removal. Finally, serum BTP inversely correlated with alterations in residual diuresis (r = − 0.41,p = 0.035) and renal creatinine clearance over time (r = − 0.79,p = p < 0.001).

Conclusion

BTP measurement in the serum may be a simple tool to assess residual renal function in peritoneal dialysis patients.
Non-maintenance intravesical Bacillus Calmette–Guérin induction therapy with eight doses in patients with high- or highest-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: a retrospective non-randomized comparative study
Authors:   on behalf of the Japanese Urological Oncology Group, Miyake Makito , Iida Kota , Nishimura Nobutaka , Miyamoto Tatsuki , Fujimoto Kiyohide , Tomida Ryotaro , Matsumoto Kazumasa , Numakura Kazuyuki , Inokuchi Junichi , Morizane Shuichi , Yoneyama Takahiro , Matsumura Yoshiaki , Abe Takashige , Inoue Masaharu , Yamada Takeshi , Terada Naoki , Hirao Shuya , Uemura Motohide , Matsushita Yuto , Taoka Rikiya , Kobayashi Takashi , Kojima Takahiro , Matsui Yoshiyuki , Kitamura Hiroshi , Nishiyama Hiroyuki
Published: March 2021

Background

To explore possible solutions to overcome chronic Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) shortage affecting seriously the management of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) in Europe and throughout the world, we investigated whether non-maintenance eight-dose induction BCG (iBCG) was comparable to six-dose iBCG plus maintenance BCG (mBCG).

Methods

This observational study evaluated 2669 patients with high- or highest-risk NMIBC who treated with iBCG with or without mBCG during 2000–2019. The patients were classified into five groups according to treatment pattern: 874 (33%) received non-maintenance six-dose iBCG (Group A), 405 (15%) received six-dose iBCG plus mBCG (Group B), 1189 (44%) received non-maintenance seven−/eight-dose iBCG (Group C), 60 (2.2%) received seven−/eight-dose iBCG plus mBCG, and 141 (5.3%) received only ≤5-dose iBCG. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), progression-free survival, and cancer-specific survival were estimated and compared using Kaplan–Meier analysis and the log-rank test, respectively. Propensity score-based one-to-one matching was performed using a multivariable logistic regression model based on covariates to obtain balanced groups. To eliminate possible immortal bias, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month conditional landmark analyses of RFS were performed.

Results

RFS comparison confirmed that mBCG yielded significant benefit following six-dose iBCG (Group B) in recurrence risk reduction compared to iBCG alone (groups A and C) before (P < 0.001 and P = 0.0016, respectively) and after propensity score matching (P = 0.001 and P = 0.0074, respectively). Propensity score-matched sequential landmark analyses revealed no significant differences between groups B and C at 12, 18, and 24 months, whereas landmark analyses at 6 and 12 months showed a benefit of mBCG following six-dose iBCG compared to non-maintenance six-dose iBCG (P = 0.0055 and P = 0.032, respectively). There were no significant differences in the risks of progression and cancer-specific death in all comparisons of the matched cohorts.

Conclusions

Although non-maintenance eight-dose iBCG was inferior to six-dose iBCG plus mBCG, the former might be an alternative remedy in the BCG shortage era. To overcome this challenge, further investigation is warranted to confirm the real clinical value of non-maintenance eight-dose iBCG.
Adaptation and evaluation of the neighborhood environment walkability scale for youth for Chinese children (NEWS-CC)
Authors: He Gang , Huang Wendy , Salmon Jo , Wong Stephen H. S.
Published: March 2021

Background

The physical activity-environment relationship has been infrequently investigated in Chinese children. Reliable and valid environmental measures specific to the age group and the local context are crucial for better understanding this relationship. The purposes of this study were to adapt the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for youth (NEWS-Y) for Chinese children (termed NEWS-CC), and to examine the reliability and factorial validity of the NEWS-CC.

Methods

The development of the NEWS-CC involved the translation of the NEWS-Y to Chinese and the addition of nine new items capturing Hong Kong specific environmental attributes which were generated in our previous study. A total of 953 Hong Kong children aged 9–14 years volunteered to complete the NEWS-CC twice with 7–14 days apart. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to examine the factorial validity of the NEWS-CC. Test-retest reliability of subscales and individual items in the NEWS-CC was examined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results

The CFA identified a 7-factor measurement model for the NEWS-CC which fitted the data well, with an additional “pollution” factor not included in the original NEWS-Y. The final NEWS-CC consisted of 67 items in 10 subscales. The test-retest reliability of subscales (range of ICC = 0.47–0.86) and individual items (range of ICC = 0.41–0.79) in the final NEWS-CC was moderate to good.

Conclusion

The results of this study support the psychometric properties of the NEWS-CC. The NEWS-CC can be used to assess physical activity-related neighborhood environment among children in Hong Kong, as well as cities that share similar urban forms with Hong Kong.
Preoperative deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after femoral neck fracture in the elderly, the incidence, timing, location and related risk factors
Authors: Niu Shuai , Li Juan , Zhao Yan , Ding Dianzhu , Jiang Guangwei , Song Zhaohui
Published: March 2021

Objective

To investigate the epidemiologic characteristics of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture.

Methods

Retrospective analysis was performed on elderly patients with femoral neck fractures admitted to two institutions from January 2016 to October 2019. Duplex ultrasonography (DUS) was used to detect DVT. Patients’ hospitalization medical records were retrieved to collect the data, which were related to demographics, comorbidities, injury and laboratory results on admission. Patients with preoperative DVT were defined as the case group and those without DVT as control group, and compared using the univariate analyses. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent factors associated with DVT.

Results

Totally, 980 patients met the predefined criteria and were included. Sixty-seven patients were diagnosed to have preoperative DVT, with incidence of 6.8% for overall, 1.7% for proximal and 5.1% for distal DVT. The mean time from injury to diagnosis of DVT was 6.0 ± 4.7 days (median, 5.0). Most (76.1%) patients with DVT had thrombi solely in the injured extremity, in contrast with 14.9% (10/67) in the uninjured and 9.0% (6/67) in both injured and uninjured extremity. Multivariate analysis showed chronic renal insufficiency (OR, 3.37; 95%CI, 1.57 to 7.28), current smoking status (OR, 2.42; 95%CI, 1.23 to 5.63), time from injury to DUS (OR, 1.26; 95%CI, 1.07 to 1.61) and PLT > 220*109/L (OR, 1.94; 95%CI, 1.31 to 3.77) were independent factors for DVT.

Conclusion

Preoperative DVT is not very prevalent following elderly femoral neck fractures, but with a certain proportion in the uninjured extremity, necessitating the more attention. These identified risk factors aid in patient counseling, individualized risk assessment and risk stratification, and should be kept in mind.
Female nursing graduate students’ stress and health: the mediating effects of sense of coherence and social support
Authors: Jeong Yu Jin , Koh Chin Kang
Published: March 2021

Background

Ninety-five percent of nursing graduate students in South Korea are women, and most are often engaged in both academic coursework and work outside of the academic environment. Nursing graduate students often experience stress leading to physical and mental health problems that negatively affect their academic performance and persistence during graduate programs. The purpose of this study was to test multiple mediation effects of sense of coherence (SOC) and social support in the relationship between stress and health status of nursing graduate students.

Methods

The participants of this study were 231 female nursing graduate students from 14 universities. Data were collected using an online survey conducted between August and October 2019. Bootstrap techniques using the PROCESS macro for SPSS software were applied to assess the multi-mediating effects.

Results

The total effect (B = − 12.29, p < .001) and direct effect (B = − 7.07, p < .001) of perceived stress on health status were significant. Perceived stress had negative direct effects on social support (B = − 0.41, p < .001) and SOC (B = − 5.77, p < .001). SOC had a positive direct effect on health status (B = 0.59, p < .001). However, social support was not a significant predictor of health status (B = 1.24, p = .232). In addition, there was a positive direct effect of social support on SOC (B = 5.23, p < .001). Furthermore, the indirect effect of perceived stress on health status through SOC was significant (B = − 3.42, 95% CI = − 5.2616, − 1.8906). There was also a significant indirect effect of perceived stress on health status through social support and SOC (B = − 1.28, 95% CI = − 2.1663, − 0.5992).

Conclusion

It is necessary to create strategies that enhance nursing graduate students’ SOC and social support to reduce their perceived stress and to improve their health status.
Multidrug resistance and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacteria from three Referral Hospitals of Amhara region, Ethiopia
Authors: Moges Feleke , Gizachew Mucheye , Dagnew Mulat , Amare Azanaw , Sharew Bekele , Eshetie Setegn , Abebe Wondwossen , Million Yihenew , Feleke Tigist , Tiruneh Moges
Published: March 2021

Background

Multidrug resistance (MDR), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) has become a public health threat worldwide. This threat is worse in developing countries where there is high infectious disease burden and spread of antimicrobial resistance co-exist. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to assess MDR, ESBL and carbapenemase producing GNB from patients attending three selected referral hospitals in Amhara region.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2017- April 2018 at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Dessie Referral Hospital and Debre Markos Referral Hospital of Amhara national regional state. A total of 833 study subjects were recruited using a convenient sampling technique. Clinical samples such as blood, urine, stool, wound, abscess, ear discharge, nasal discharge, cervical discharge and body fluid specimens were aseptically collected. Culturing for identification of bacteria and determination of drug susceptibility testing were done following standard microbiological techniques. Selected MDR isolates were phenotypically assessed for ESBL and carbapenemase production.

Results

Of the 833 clinical samples cultured for bacterial growth, 141 (16.9%) were positive for GNB. The most common GNB identified were E. coli 46 (32.6%), Klebsiella spp. 38 (26.5%) and Proteus spp. 13 (9.2%). The overall MDR prevalence was 121 (85.8%). Among the total isolates, 137 (97.2%) were resistant to ampicillin followed by cotrimoxazole 115 (81.6%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid 109 (77.3%), cefixime 99 (70.2%), cefepime 93 (66.0%) and tetracycline 91 (64.5%). The extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing GNB were 69/124 (55.6%). Of which Klebsiella spp. 19 (15.3%) and E. coli 17 (13.7%) were common ESBL producers. Carbapenemase-producing isolates were 8/51(15.7%). Of which Enterobacter, Klebsiella and E. coli were common carbapenemase producers.

Conclusion and recommendation

Multi-drug resistance and ESBL producing isolates in the present study were high. E. coli and Klebsiella spp. were the most common ESBL producing GNB. Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., E. coli and Citrobacter spp. were typical carbapenemase-producing isolates. Continuous monitoring, antibiotic stewardship and molecular detection of the gene responsible for drug resistance are important means to reduce the spread of drug-resistant pathogens.
Use of intravenous sodium bicarbonate in neonatal intensive care units in Italy: a nationwide survey
Authors:   on behalf of the Neonatal Pharmacotherapy Study Group of the Italian Society of Neonatology (SIN), Massenzi Luca , Aufieri Roberto , Donno Silvia , Agostino Rocco , Dotta Andrea
Published: March 2021

Background

Metabolic Acidosis (MA) is a disturbance of the acid-base balance that can occur in preterm and critically ill term neonates due to different etiologies. Intravenous sodium bicarbonate (SB) has been traditionally used to correct such unbalance, despite the lack of evidence about its safety and efficacy. In literature, reported undesirable effects of treatment with SB in neonates include worsening of intracellular acidosis, impairment of myocardial function, cerebral blood flow fluctuations and intracranial hemorrhage. A national survey was conducted by the Neonatal Pharmacotherapy Study Group of the Italian Society of Neonatology with the aim to assess and describe attitudes and practices concerning the use of SB, particularly for the treatment of MA in Italian NICUs.

Methods

A questionnaire regarding treatment of MA and SB prescription habits was sent to the directors of 120 Italian NICUs from June 2017 to March 2018.

Results

The survey response rate was 97.5% (117/120 centers). Findings showed that in 55% of the surveyed NICUs (64/117 units) it is common practice to correct MA with intravenous SB. On the other hand, the remaining 45% of the units try to solve the metabolic disturbances adopting different approaches (improving perfusion, adjusting ventilation parameters or increasing blood volume). Moreover, to prevent the occurrence of MA, 37.6% of the NICUs (44/117) include buffer salts (lactate, acetate or both) in parenteral nutrition prescriptions. SB is also used as a treatment for other conditions, mainly pathologies with bicarbonate loss and tubular acidosis (respectively in 53.8 and 32.5% of the NICUs).

Conclusion

This survey showed how SB is a commonly used treatment for MA in more than half of Italian NICUs, with indications and prescription criteria that significantly vary across centers. Based on current knowledge, it is reasonable to suggest that the management of neonatal MA should be firstly directed to identify the underlying disorders. Thus, the use of SB should be reserved only for selected cases, also considering the severity of SB adverse effects and the lack of evidence about its efficacy. Guidance for the management of MA is required to harmonize practices and reduce the use of potentially inappropriate and unsafe treatments.
The occurrence of Adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent Cushing's syndrome in a woman with the history of papillary thyroid carcinoma: a case report
Authors: Tabatabaizadeh Mashallah , Hasibi Taheri Sara , Eydi Mohammad , Shayestehpour Mohammad
Published: March 2021

Background

Thyroid papillary carcinoma is one of the most common endocrine tumors, and it accounts for 85% of thyroid tumors. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-independent Cushing's syndrome is a rare disease. In this case report, we discuss a very rare case of coexistence of papillary thyroid carcinoma and Cushing's syndrome with an adrenal origin.

Case presentation

The patient was a 33-year-old Iranian/Persian woman with a history of papillary thyroid carcinoma treated with iodine 131 three years ago. She presented with weight gain, amenorrhea, and mood disorders in the last six months. She was diagnosed with an ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome due to benign adrenal adenoma and underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy surgery. The symptoms of the syndrome were disappeared after the surgery.

Conclusions

ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome due to adrenal tumor and papillary thyroid cancer occurs sporadically. The co-occurrence of two endocrine tumors with different origins is rare. It is recommended that the occurrence of other endocrine neoplasms be considered when an endocrine tumor is diagnosed.
Bio-pesticides alternative diazinon to control peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Authors: El-Gendy Ismail R. , El-Banobi Mona I. , Villanueva-Jimenez Juan A.
Published: March 2021

Background

The bio-pesticide abamectin has been used to control a large variety of insects, including Diptera species, attributed to its high toxicity with virtually no residual effects on treated crops. Its low residual effect ensures the survival of natural enemies and other non-target organisms. Imidacloprid is also widely used for insect pest control due to its potency and high insect selectivity in comparison to mammals. On the other hand, diazinon has been applied extensively to control immature fruit fly stages, mature larvae, pre-pupae, and pupae in soil drench application, thus, affecting the whole agroecosystem, including the natural enemies.

Results

The toxic effects of abamectin and imidaclopride proposed as a replacement for diazinone in soil treatment, were studied against a laboratory strain of the peach fruit fly (PFF), Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae) under field-caged conditions. Five days old PFF pupae were treated by each pesticide. PFF pupae exhibited different levels of susceptibility to the tested pesticides. Non-significant differences in the pupal mortality rates were obtained between imidacloprid (77.52%), abamectin (77.22%), or diazinon (73.89%). Diazinon and abamectin achieved the highest percentages of total mortality (100%), followed by imidacloprid (98.89%). Real mortality rates were mostly concentration-dependent, while the deformed flies rate depended on the chemical sub-group of insecticide and concentration. Additionally, the biochemical studies revealed different acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) inhibition levels caused by the pesticides on the treated flies sampled at 24, 48, and 72 hours post fly emergence.

Conclusion

The bio-insecticide abamectin is an option to diazinon for the control of PFF pupae. Also, soil treatment might be an alternative for PFF pupae control.
Modeling of residual chlorine in a drinking water network in times of pandemic of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
Authors: García-Ávila Fernando , Avilés-Añazco Alex , Ordoñez-Jara Juan , Guanuchi-Quezada Christian , Flores del Pino Lisveth , Ramos-Fernández Lía
Published: March 2021

Due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease there is a need for public water supply of the highest quality. Adequate levels of chlorine allow immediate elimination of harmful bacteria and viruses and provide a protective residual throughout the drinking water distribution network (DWDN). Therefore, a residual chlorine decay model was developed to predict chlorine levels in a real drinking water distribution network. The model allowed determining human exposure to drinking water with a deficit of residual chlorine, considering that it is currently necessary for the population to have clean water to combat coronavirus Covid 19. The chlorine bulk decay rates (kb) and the reaction constant of chlorine with the pipe wall (kw) were experimentally determined. Average kb and kw values of 3.7 d− 1 and 0.066 m d− 1 were obtained, respectively. The values of kb and kw were used in EPANET to simulate the chlorine concentrations in a DWDN. The residual chlorine concentrations simulated by the properly calibrated and validated model were notably close to the actual concentrations measured at different points of the DWDN. The results showed that maintaining a chlorine concentration of 0.87 mg L− 1 in the distribution tank, the residual chlorine values in the nodes complied with the Ecuadorian standard (0.3 mg L− 1); meanwhile, about 45% of the nodes did not comply with what is recommended by the WHO as a mechanism to combat the current pandemic (0.5 mg L− 1). This study demonstrated that residual chlorine modeling is a valuable tool for monitoring water quality in the distribution network, allowing to control residual chlorine levels in this pandemic season.
Full-waveform inversion with source and receiver coupling effects correction
Authors: Hu Xinhai , Wei Guoqi , Song Jianyong , Yang Zhifang , Lu Minghui , Gao Liyan
Published: March 2021

Coupling factors of sources and receivers vary dramatically due to the strong heterogeneity of the near surface, and they are as important as the model parameters for the inversion success. We have adopted a full-waveform inversion (FWI) scheme that corrects for variable coupling factors while updating the model parameters. A linear inversion is embedded into the scheme to estimate the source and receiver factors and compute the amplitude weights according to the acquisition geometry. After the weights are introduced in the objective function, the inversion falls into the category of separable nonlinear least-squares problems. Hence, we could use the variable projection technique widely used in source estimation problems to invert the model parameter without knowledge of the source and receiver factors. The efficacy of the inversion scheme is demonstrated with two synthetic examples and one real data test.
Missing trace reconstruction for 2D land seismic data with randomized sparse sampling
Authors: Pawelec Iga , Wakin Michael , Sava Paul
Published: March 2021

Acquisition of high-quality land seismic data requires (expensive) dense source and receiver geometries to avoid aliasing-related problems. Alternatively, acquisition using the concept of compressive sensing (CS) allows for similarly high-quality land seismic data using fewer measurements provided that the designed geometry and sparse recovery strategy are well matched. We have developed a complex wavelet-based sparsity-promoting wavefield reconstruction strategy to overcome challenges in land seismic data interpolation using the CS framework. Despite having lower angular sensitivity than curvelets, complex wavelets improve the reconstruction of sparsely acquired land data while being faster and requiring less storage. Unlike the Fourier transform, the complex wavelet transform localizes aliasing-related artifacts likely to be present in field data and yields reconstructions with fewer artifacts and higher signal-to-noise ratios. We determine that the data recovery success depends on the number and the geometry of the missing traces as revealed by analyzing reconstructions from multiple realizations of trace geometry and data decimation ratios. Using half the number of traces required by the regular sampling rules and thus reducing the acquisition costs, we find that data are appropriately reconstructed provided that there are no large gaps in the strategic places.
Mississippian chat and tripolite zones in Osage County, Oklahoma: Paleokarst interpretation based on 3D seismic and well logs
Authors: Aboaba Olanrewaju , Liner Christopher
Published: March 2021

Mississippian paleokarst chat and tripolitic chert (tripolite) zones associated with the Mississippian Lime have been hydrocarbon exploration targets in Osage County for many decades. Chat is residual chert, either in place or transported, weathered out of chert-bearing Mississippian Limestone that was eroded at the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian unconformity. Thus, the formation of chat is an epigene paleokarst process. Tripolite occurs as a highly porous, silica-rich interval within the Mississippi Lime. It is formed by in-place alteration of limestone by silica-rich surface waters or deep-seated hydrothermal fluids, making tripolite formation a mixed or hypogene paleokarst process. Here, we have studied chat and tripolite by seismic analysis calibrated by well control with full-wave sonic and density log data. We identify that chat and tripolite show clear separation from Mississippian Lime log-based acoustic impedance and [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text], but there is no meaningful separation of chat from tripolite, and they both exhibit total porosities greater than 20% with evidence of fracture porosity. We find that the sonic-based normal incidence wedge model for chat bounded above by the Pennsylvanian Shale and below by the Mississippian Lime indicate that two seismic expressions are plausible: first, a strong negative amplitude when the chat thickness is above the tuning thickness (for this survey it is 56 ft) and, second, a weak positive or negative amplitude associated with the small impedance contrast between chat and overlying Pennsylvanian Shale. Our analysis suggests that the traditional chat “strong response” and a new “dim-out” exploration strategy may be usefully applied in Osage County. We show that the tripolite response is consistently a negative amplitude event that strengthens with increasing tripolite thickness. We provide an interpretive framework for characterizing chat and tripolite zones associated with the Mississippian Lime in the U.S. midcontinent, which may apply to regions around the world.
COVID-19, an Incentive to Tackle Sugar in Hospitals and at Home
Authors: Vazirani Anuraag A
Published: March 2021

Obesity and metabolic disease are thwarting our efforts to recover from COVID-19. Chronic inflammation is a key feature of both COVID-19 and the metabolic syndrome. Sugar consumption in particular has been shown to affect COVID-19 mortality by contributing to the chronic inflammatory state. Restriction of free sugar intake has a measurable effect on disease-predicting physiological parameters in as little as 9 days. The rapid reduction in inflammation following fructose restriction is key in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as COVID-19 exacerbates the same inflammatory pathways as those driven by the metabolic syndrome. Healthcare providers have a duty to implement international recommendations of reduced free sugar intake. By doing so, they could reduce the chronic inflammatory burden contributing to COVID-19 patients’ demise. Further, it would set a precedent for reducing the risk of severe disease in the uninfected, by maximizing their potential metabolic health in the context of an infection predicated on its disruption.
Organic Conductors with Narrow Bandwidth Based on 2-(Pyran-4-ylidene)-1,3-dithiole
Authors: Shirahata Takashi , Ikeda Masahide , Watadzu Hiroshi , Fujiwara Hideki , Maruyama Takashi , Yamabe Tokio , Misaki Yohji
Published: March 2021

A π-electron donor incorporating pyran-4-ylidene moiety, 2-(pyran-4-ylidene)-1,3-dithiole (PDT, 1a), and its derivatives (1b–e) have been synthesized. Cyclic voltammetry revealed that the derivatives of 1 exhibited two pairs of redox waves. Comparison of the first redox potentials (E1) indicated that the donating ability of PDT (E1 = −0.16 V vs. Fc/Fc+, in benzonitrile) is stronger than that of TTF (E1 = −0.09 V), but is weaker than the sulfur analog TPDT (E1 = −0.19 V). X-ray structure analyses of radical cation salts based on the ethylendithio derivative (1d)2X (X = ClO4, ReO4, and GaCl4) revealed that the donors form two-dimensional conducting sheets, in which the donors adopt the so-called β-type packing with a uniform head-to-tail stacking. Calculation of the overlap integrals of the HOMOs suggest that (1d)2X has a small intrastack overlap compared to the TTF-type conductors because of a head-to-tail stacking of the unsymmetrical π-electron framework. A tight-binding band calculation suggested that all the salts have quasi-one-dimensional Fermi surfaces. They exhibited relatively high conductivity of σrt = 0.79–20 S cm−1 on a single crystal and showed weak but metal-like temperature dependence of resistivity.
Insights from mathematical modelling and quantitative analysis on the proposed 2030 goals for trachoma
Authors:   NTD Modelling Consortium discussion group on trachoma
Published: March 2021

Trachoma is a neglected tropical disease and the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. The current World Health Organization goal for trachoma is elimination as a public health problem, defined as reaching a prevalence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular below 5% in children (1-9 years) and a prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis in adults below 0.2%. Current targets to achieve elimination were set to 2020 but are being extended to 2030. Mathematical and statistical models suggest that 2030 is a realistic timeline for elimination as a public health problem in most trachoma endemic areas. Although the goal can be achieved, it is important to develop appropriate monitoring tools for surveillance after having achieved the elimination target to check for the possibility of resurgence. For this purpose, a standardized serological approach or the use of multiple diagnostics in complement would likely be required.
Speech-to-text interpreting in Finland, Sweden and Austria
Authors: Norberg Ulf
Published: March 2021

Speech-to-text (STT) interpreting is a type of intralingual interpreting mostly used by late deafened and hearing impaired persons who have a spoken language as their first language. In Finland, Sweden and Austria the speech-to-text transfer is performed in real-time by interpreters using a (specially adapted or standard) keyboard that is connected to a screen. As a result of different legislative frameworks governing services for the disabled, STT interpreting has developed differently in different countries and so far there has been little international cooperation. STT interpreting has also been largely ignored by Translation and Interpreting Studies. This paper examines the situation in Finland and Sweden, where STT interpreting training programmes have been available since the 1980s, and Austria, where the first training programme started in 2010, and investigates the norms, values and expectations that guide STT interpreters’ practice in the three countries. It also looks at the factors necessary for the development of a distinct ‘STT interpreting culture’.
"I feel we don't really understand each other": Interpreting medication instructions for a Turkish-speaking diabetes patient
Authors: Hofer Gertrud , Eggler Marcel , Sleptsova Marina , Langewitz Wolf
Published: March 2021

This paper is based on a videotaped diabetes consultation involving a German-speaking physician, a Turkish-speaking diabetes patient and a TurkishGerman interpreter who has been working in medical settings for a number of years. In the course of the consultation, the physician focuses several times on the importance of the patient carefully maintaining a balance of food intake and insulin supply in order to control his diabetes. The discourse-based analysis indicates the cognitive task load of the interpreter in this encounter when confronted with medication instructions. The data indicate that the interaction could have been more efficient if the interpreter had acquired the necessary knowledge about diabetes prior to the consultation or if she had recognised the elements structuring the discourse. In fact, the interpreter cannot establish a successful communication pertaining to the blood glucose-insulin mechanism between the doctor and the patient. The patient himself seems to have more in-depth knowledge about diabetes as a result of his personal experience than the interpreter has. In this paper, we therefore argue that interpreters need a sound understanding of the specific medical situation (top-down process) in order to interpret interactions adequately in a complex case such as diabetes. If interpreters lack sufficient medical knowledge in one of their varied assignments, they could use their textual competence and their capacity for formal, logical reasoning to infer connections between propositions (bottom-up process). Thus, interpreters’ cognitive-linguistic competence could to some extent compensate for their lack of domain-specific understanding. Nevertheless, the data shows that interpreters need specialized training not only in analysis of linguistic discourse but also in domain-specific knowledge and terminology.
Getting organized to beat Babel in multilingual service encounters: The European Network for Public Service Interpreting and Translation (ENPSIT)
Authors: Rillof Pascal , Buysse Lieven
Published: March 2021

People are on the move, coming in from beyond the borders of the European Union and circulating within it. Our major cities in particular are rapidly becoming “super-diverse” communities with many different (cultural) minorities. Many immigrant groups are, at least in the initial phase of their residence in a new community, often unable to communicate effectively in the official language. This poses important challenges for public service providers, who ought to be able to ensure equal access to their services to anyone who requires them. Yet, not all public service providers in Europe are prepared or equipped to operate in such a multilingual environment, and in many countries both comprehensive policies and structural funding are still lacking. As a result, public service interpreting and translation are available and made use of very unevenly. Following earlier initiatives to put public service interpreting and translation (PSIT) on the agendas of the European Commission and EU member states, such as the report drawn up by the European Language Council’s Special Interest Group on Translation and Interpreting for Public Services (SIGTIPS) in 2011, more recently the European Network for Public Service Interpreting and Translation (ENPSIT) was founded. Its main aims are to have the right to high-quality language assistance in service contexts officially recognized, and to see the development of (harmonized) public service interpreter and translator training, assessment and accreditation across the EU. This paper sketches (i) the societal framework within which PSIT provision is organized, (ii) how ENPSIT wishes to deploy strategies to influence European and national policy-making as well as foster excellent PSIT training and quality assurance, and (iii) how the fight for optimal communication in public services is not, nor should be, restricted to improving PSIT.
Digitization and Flexibility: Evidence from the South Korean Movie Market
Authors: Yang Joonhyuk , Anderson Eric T. , Gordon Brett R.
Published: March 2021

This paper examines how the introduction of digital cinema technologies in the South Korean movie industry created flexibility for theaters in movie showings.
The Performance of Time-Preference and Risk-Preference Measures in Surveys
Authors: Tasoff Joshua , Zhang Wenjie
Published: March 2021

Time preferences and risk preferences play an important role in a wide range of behavior, including financial decisions, entrepreneurship, and the proper incentivizing of agents. Numerous methods have been developed to measure these preferences hypothetically in surveys, but they have yielded inconsistent results. We analyze a panel data set in which subjects have collectively answered more than 400 surveys including 15 time-preference and 36 risk-preference elicitations. We evaluate the performance of these measures using the criteria of (1) ability to predict economically important behavior and (2) distinctness from other observables. We find substantial heterogeneity in the predictiveness of the measures. The best performing measure for time-preference is a titration method, in which a sequence of adaptive binary-choice questions narrows in on a subject’s indifference point, and for risk-preference it is a self-report measure of risk aversion. Using factor analysis, we find that time preferences are well explained by a single factor, but risk preferences load on multiple factors. However, the first factor loads almost entirely on self-reported risk-preference measures, and this factor explains much of the variation. The evidence can help inform researchers about which elicitation methods to include in their surveys.

This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, decision analysis.
On Polyhedral Approximations of the Positive Semidefinite Cone
Authors: Fawzi Hamza
Published: March 2021

It is well known that state-of-the-art linear programming solvers are more efficient than their semidefinite programming counterparts and can scale to much larger problem sizes. This leads us to consider the question, how well can we approximate semidefinite programs with linear programs? In this paper, we prove lower bounds on the size of linear programs that approximate the positive semidefinite cone. Let D be the set of n × n positive semidefinite matrices of trace equal to one. We prove two results on the hardness of approximating D with polytopes. We show that if 0 < ε < 1and A is an arbitrary matrix of trace equal to one, any polytope P such that (1-ε) (D-A) ⊂ P ⊂ D-A must have linear programming extension complexity at least [Formula: see text], where c > 0 is a constant that depends on ε. Second, we show that any polytope P such that D ⊂ P and such that the Gaussian width of P is at most twice the Gaussian width of D must have extension complexity at least [Formula: see text]. Our bounds are both superpolynomial in n and demonstrate that there is no generic way of approximating semidefinite programs with compact linear programs. The main ingredient of our proofs is hypercontractivity of the noise operator on the hypercube.
Extension of Monotonic Functions and Representation of Preferences
Authors: Evren Özgür , Hüsseinov Farhad
Published: March 2021

Consider a dominance relation (a preorder) ≿ on a topological space X, such as the greater than or equal to relation on a function space or a stochastic dominance relation on a space of probability measures. Given a compact set K ⊆ X, we study when a continuous real function on K that is strictly monotonic with respect to ≿ can be extended to X without violating the continuity and monotonicity conditions. We show that such extensions exist for translation invariant dominance relations on a large class of topological vector spaces. Translation invariance or a vector structure are no longer needed when X is locally compact and second countable. In decision theoretic exercises, our extension theorems help construct monotonic utility functions on the universal space X starting from compact subsets. To illustrate, we prove several representation theorems for revealed or exogenously given preferences that are monotonic with respect to a dominance relation.
Posted Price Mechanisms and Optimal Threshold Strategies for Random Arrivals
Authors: Correa José , Foncea Patricio , Hoeksma Ruben , Oosterwijk Tim , Vredeveld Tjark
Published: March 2021

The classic prophet inequality states that, when faced with a finite sequence of nonnegative independent random variables, a gambler who knows the distribution and is allowed to stop the sequence at any time, can obtain, in expectation, at least half as much reward as a prophet who knows the values of each random variable and can choose the largest one. In this work, we consider the situation in which the sequence comes in random order. We look at both a nonadaptive and an adaptive version of the problem. In the former case, the gambler sets a threshold for every random variable a priori, whereas, in the latter case, the thresholds are set when a random variable arrives. For the nonadaptive case, we obtain an algorithm achieving an expected reward within at least a 0.632 fraction of the expected maximum and prove that this constant is optimal. For the adaptive case with independent and identically distributed random variables, we obtain a tight 0.745-approximation, solving a problem posed by Hill and Kertz in 1982. We also apply these prophet inequalities to posted price mechanisms, and we prove the same tight bounds for both a nonadaptive and an adaptive posted price mechanism when buyers arrive in random order.
Quality Characteristics of Nurungji Added with Barley Sprout Powder
Authors: Park Ju-Seon , Kang Sung-Tae
Published: March 2021

This study was carried out to compare the quality characteristics and antioxidant activity by varying the barley sprout powder addition time, production temperature, and powder addition ratio (0, 2, 4, 6, 8%) on the prepared rice during the manufacturing process of Nurungji. When we manufactured for 2 min at 200°C, the total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were the highest in Nurungji with 4% of barley sprout powder. In this way, we measured the weight, water content, water binding capacity, soluble solids content, reducing sugar, color, hardness, sensory evaluation experiments by varying the powder content. The weight, water binding capacity, soluble solids content, reducing sugar, and hardness increased with an increasing proportion of barley sprout powder, however the water content decreased. The L value and b value decreased and the a value increased with the influence of chlorophyll pigments in barley sprout. Sensory evaluation showed that Nurungji with 4% sprout barley powder was the highest. Therefore, we judged that it is desirable to add 4% of the powder when manufacture the barley sprout powder Nurungji.