Abstract ESP performance and health optimization play a crucial role in maximizing oil well production and overall profitability. The selection of appropriate control set points, such as pump frequency and tubing pressure, and the intervals at which adjustments are made, significantly impact production outcomes. This paper introduces an AI-based approach for ESP optimization that operates in near real-time, allowing for dynamic set point adjustments based on varying well conditions. A dataset comprising telemetry, production, and statistical features from 193 ESP-operated wells was utilized to train the optimization model. The dataset covers a total duration of 67,358 days, averaging approximately 349 days per well. The telemetry feature set encompasses 23 distinct values, while additional information, such as well age, peak production rates, theoretical production rates, and other pertinent factors, was incorporated to provide valuable insights into various well characteristics. By leveraging this extensive dataset and employing AI techniques, the proposed approach enables effective ESP optimization, improving production outcomes and overall well profitability.

Spinicaudatan clam shrimps are an evolutionarily ancient lineage restricted to temporary freshwater pools. Use of classical morpho-taxonomic approaches alone have led to some issues in the taxonomy of this group, which are now being resolved through integrative taxonomy. Here, we describe two new leptestherid spiny clam shrimps Leptestheria chalukyae sp. nov. and Leptestheria gomantaki sp. nov. from peninsular India based on their unique morphological characters and distinct phylogenetic position. We also re-describe Leptestheria nobilis and present an overview of the morphological characters of all the Indian leptestherids. Most of the conventional taxonomic characters appear to overlap among all the Indian species, although the combination of occipital condyle shape and the cercopod marginal spines arrangement in combination, appear to be useful in separating leptestherid species.

BackgroundMesenchymal precursor cells (MPCs) are allogeneic, immunoselected cells with anti-inflammatory properties that could improve outcomes in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). ObjectivesThis study assessed the efficacy and safety of MPCs in patients with high-risk HFrEF. MethodsThis randomized, double-blind, multicenter study evaluated a single transendocardial administration procedure of MPCs or sham-control in 565 intention-to-treat patients with HFrEF on guideline-directed therapies. The primary endpoint was time-to-recurrent events caused by decompensated HFrEF or successfully resuscitated symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias. Hierarchical secondary endpoints included components of the primary endpoint, time-to-first terminal cardiac events, and all-cause death. Separate and composite major adverse cardiovascular events analyses were performed for myocardial infarction or stroke or cardiovascular death. Baseline and 12-month echocardiography was performed. Baseline plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were evaluated for disease severity. ResultsThe primary endpoint was similar between treatment groups (HR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.81-1.69; P = 0.41) as were terminal cardiac events and secondary endpoints. Compared with control subjects, MPCs increased left ventricular ejection fraction from baseline to 12 months, especially in patients with inflammation. MPCs decreased the risk of myocardial infarction or stroke by 58% (HR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.23-0.76) and the risk of 3-point major adverse cardiovascular events by 28% (HR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.51-1.03) in the analysis population (n = 537), and by 75% (HR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.09-0.66) and 38% (HR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.39-1.00), respectively, in patients with inflammation (baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ≥2 mg/L). ConclusionsThe primary and secondary endpoints of the trial were negative. Positive signals in prespecified, and post hoc exploratory analyses suggest MPCs may improve outcomes, especially in patients with inflammation.

Abstract This study investigates how assisted living/residential care (AL/RC) and memory care (MC) contexts are associated with the prevalence of antipsychotic medication use (APU). Primary data were collected from a statewide representative sample of AL/RC settings through the Oregon Community-Based Care study from 2017-2019 and combined with publicly available administrative data. Framed by Donabedian’s model of care quality, we examine associations among 90-day prevalence of APU, organizational, care process, and AL/RC resident population characteristics using random intercepts regression models. Every licensed AL/RC setting in Oregon receives an annual mailed survey to provide aggregate resident demographics, health acuity, health service use, payment type and organizational policies. Organizational measures (e.g., profit status, license type, geographic designation) were collected from state websites. The average 90-day prevalence of APU among all Oregon AL/RC settings is 30.7%, though rates differ by MC endorsement (23.9% in AL/RC and 42.7% in MC). Compared to care processes and resident population characteristics, organizational characteristics were associated with larger magnitudes of difference in rates of APU. Nonprofit settings were associated with lower rates of APU in both AL/RC (β= -4.4 percentage points, [95% CI: -8.4, -0.4]) and MC (β= -12.4, [95% CI: -21.2, -3.6]. Compared to low-Medicaid settings, settings with very high proportions of Medicaid residents were associated with higher prevalence of APU, +8.9 in AL/RC (95% CI: 1.7, 16.1) and +11.0 in MC (95% CI: 2.3, 19.8). Policymakers might consider how organizational resource capacity influences APU in AL/RC settings, especially if APU prevalence is treated as a quality indicator.

Design for manufacturing (DFM) for precision glass molding (PGM) requires a detailed understanding of the molding process and the process used to manufacture the molds. PGM lenses and molds require a transition segment between the optical surface and the flat or flange of the lens/mold. These blend radii provide tool relief, reduce high stress concentrations, reduce load requirements, extend mold life, and improve overall moldability. The methods for designing these radii are reviewed and guidance for proper DFM for PGM is provided.

Abstract Background: Polypropylene (PP) is used in various products such as disposable containers, spoons, and automobile parts. The disposable masks used for COVID-19 prevention mainly comprise PP, and the disposal of such masks is concerning because of the potential environmental pollution. Recent reports have suggested that weathered PP microparticles can be inhaled, however, the inhalation toxicology of PP microparticles is poorly understood. Results: Inflammatory cell numbers, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and the levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in PP-instilled mice increased in a dose-dependent manner compared to the control. Histopathological analysis of the lung tissue of PP-stimulated mice revealed lung injuries, including the infiltration of inflammatory cells into the perivascular/parenchymal space, alveolar epithelial hyperplasia, and foamy macrophage aggregates. The in vitro study indicated that PP stimulation causes mitochondrial dysfunction including mitochondrial depolarization and decreased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. PP stimulation led to cytotoxicity, ROS production, increase of inflammatory cytokines, and cell deaths in A549 cells. The results showed that PP stimulation increased the p-p38 and p-NF-κB protein levels both in vivo and in vitro, while p-ERK and p-JNK remained unchanged. Interestingly, the cytotoxicity that was induced by PP exposure was regulated by p38 and ROS inhibition in A549 cells. Conclusions: These results suggest that PP stimulation may contribute to inflammation pathogenesis via the p38 phosphorylation-mediated NF-κB pathway as a result of mitochondrial damage.

IntroductionThe coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created significant burden on healthcare systems throughout the world. Syndromic surveillance, which collects real-time data based on a range of symptoms rather than laboratory diagnoses, can help provide timely information in emergency response. We examined the effectiveness of a web-based COVID-19 symptom checking tool (C19Check) in the state of Georgia (GA) in predicting COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.MethodsWe analyzed C19Check use data, COVID-19 cases, and hospitalizations from April 22–November 28, 2020. Cases and hospitalizations in GA were extracted from the Georgia Department of Public Health data repository. We used the Granger causality test to assess whether including C19Check data can improve predictions compared to using previous COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations data alone. Vector autoregression (VAR) models were fitted to forecast cases and hospitalizations from November 29 – December 12, 2020. We calculated mean absolute percentage error to estimate the errors in forecast of cases and hospitalizations.ResultsThere were 25,861 C19Check uses in GA from April 22–November 28, 2020. Time-lags tested in Granger causality test for cases (6–8 days) and hospitalizations (10–12 days) were significant (P= <0.05); the mean absolute percentage error of fitted VAR models were 39.63% and 15.86%, respectively.ConclusionThe C19Check tool was able to help predict COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations in GA. In settings where laboratory tests are limited, a real-time, symptom-based assessment tool can provide timely and inexpensive data for syndromic surveillance to guide pandemic response. Findings from this study demonstrate that online symptom-checking tools can be a source of data for syndromic surveillance, and the data may help improve predictions of cases and hospitalizations.

Results of several small randomized clinical trials have suggested that supplements of marine ω-3 fatty acids may be beneficial in treating signs and symptoms of dry eye disease (DED). However, randomized clinical trial data to examine whether ω-3 fatty acid supplements can prevent DED are lacking. To evaluate whether long-term daily supplementation with marine ω-3 fatty acids prevents the development of DED. This was a prespecified ancillary study of the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), a nationwide randomized double-blind placebo-controlled 2 × 2 factorial trial of vitamin D and marine ω-3 fatty acids in the primary prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Participants in this ancillary study were 23 523 US adults (men 50 years and older and women 55 years and older) who at study entry were free of a previous diagnosis of DED and were not experiencing severe dry eye symptoms. Participants were enrolled from November 2011 to March 2014, and treatment and follow-up ended on December 31, 2017. Data were analyzed from January 2020 to August 2021. Marine ω-3 fatty acids, 1 g per day. The primary end point was incident clinically diagnosed DED confirmed by review of the medical records. The secondary end point was a composite of all confirmed incident clinically diagnosed DED cases plus all incident reports of severe DED symptoms. The mean (SD) age of the 23 523 participants included in the analysis was 67.0 (7.0) years, and 11 349 participants (48.3%) were women. The cohort included 4610 participants (20.0%) who self-identified as Black, 16 481 (71.6%) who self-identified as non-Hispanic White, and 1927 (8.4%) of other racial or ethnic groups or who declined to respond, consolidated owing to small numbers, including American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. During a median (range) 5.3 (3.8-6.1) years of treatment and follow-up, 472 of 23 523 participants (2.0%) experienced a medical record-confirmed diagnosis of DED. There was no difference in diagnosed DED by randomized ω-3 fatty acid assignment (232 of 11 757 participants [2.0%] with end points in the treated group vs 240 of 11 766 [2.0%] with end points in the placebo group; hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.81-1.16). Similarly, there was no difference between groups for the secondary end point of diagnosed DED plus incident severe DED symptoms (1044 participants [8.9%] with end points in the treated group vs 1074 [9.1%] with end points in the placebo group; hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.89-1.06). In this randomized clinical trial, long-term supplementation with 1 g per day of marine ω-3 fatty acids for a median (range) of 5.3 (3.8-6.1) years did not reduce the incidence of diagnosed DED or a combined end point of diagnosed DED or incident severe DED symptoms. These results do not support recommending marine ω-3 fatty acid supplementation to reduce the incidence of DED. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01880463.

Abstract BackgroundHuman resources information systems (HRIS) are a key tool for collecting and analyzing health workforce data at the country level and the specific focus of milestones 4.1 and 4.2 of the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health (HRH). Yet documentation on the capabilities of HRIS in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. Vital Wave, with IntraHealth International and Cooper/Smith, conducted a targeted scan of the HRIS landscape in 20 countries and “deep-dive” assessments in Burkina Faso, Mozambique, and Uganda. Here we present the case of Uganda’s workforce information ecosystem. Case PresentationSince 2006, Uganda has seen investment in HRIS from different donors, overseen by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and accompanied by the rollout of IntraHealth’s open-source iHRIS software. Despite this history of investment, mapping of the country’s multiple information systems revealed uneven adoption and engagement nationally and sub-nationally, with high levels of data fragmentation due to lack of interoperability and data-sharing practices. We also mapped the administrative processes and data flows for three priority use cases: recruitment and deployment, salary payments, and performance management. What emerges is a complex, decentralized information ecosystem driven by years of donor investment, but one that still sees uneven ownership and data use across the health system. Challenges include:· Limited interoperability between systems, specifically payroll, iHRIS, and the district health information system (DHIS2)· Complex HRH planning and management policy context, with variable implementation of numerous policies and no single reference to guide investments and implementation· Limited visibility into the private and community health workforce. ConclusionsUganda’s progress in developing its HRH information ecosystem underscores the importance of continuously aligning system capabilities, incentives, and motivations to an ever-evolving country context. However, as evidenced in Uganda and our broader assessment findings, robustness of the information ecosystem itself is insufficient to making substantive strides toward the Global Strategy’s milestones 4.1 and 4.2—governance oversight and ownership are critical to success. With a better understanding of what good looks like in terms of HRIS functionality in LMICs and ensuring interventions are addressing the causal issues, there can be many pathways to making systems work.