Break Point Research Articles

Trend Analysis and Change Point Detection of Climatic Parameters in Ambedkar Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh, India

Climate change is one of the most serious challenges confronting humanity today, and its effects can be seen all over the world. The assessment of changes in the long-term weather trend is critical for developing water resource management strategies under climate change scenarios. Long-term trends for annual, monsoon, non-monsoon rainfall, rainy days, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature of Akbarpur, Allapur, Bhiti, Jalalpur, and Tanda stations in Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar district were examined in this study. The Mann-Kendall test revealed a non-significant decreasing trend for annual and monsoon rainfall at Akbarpur, Bhiti, and Jalalpur stations with an average rate of 1.64 mm/year whereas, it shows a non-significant increasing trend for annual and monsoon rainfall at the Allapur and Tanda stations with an average rate of 3.168 mm/year. Non-monsoon rainfall showed an in-significant decreasing trend at Allapur and Jalalpur stations with an average rate of 0.415 mm/year, whereas a non-significant increasing trend was shown at Akbarpur, Bhiti, and Tanda stations with an average rate of 0.197 mm/year. Annual rainy days shows non-significant decreasing trend for all stations of Akbarpur district with an average rate of 0.117 day/year (one day decrease with in nine year). It indicates seasonal shift and increased possibility of high intensity rainfall. The impact of extreme events of rainfall on the trend was evaluated on the whole and partial series before and after the break point and it was observed that there was no significant climate change in Ambedkar Nagar district and non-significant changing year of precipitation data series was found in 1995. A significant increasing trend in maximum temperature was observed for all stations in the months of August and December, with an average rate of 0.02 0C per year, while Allapur station also shows a significant increasing trend in maximum temperature in September, with a rate of 0.012 0C per year. However, a significant decreasing trend was observed in minimum temperature in the month of May at Akbarpur, Allapur, Jalalpur, Tanda station with an average rate of 0.027 0C per year. Rainfall and temperature are a principal climatic parameter which regulates the environmental condition of a particular region by directly influencing the agricultural productivity and water resources.

Sustainable gelatin-kappa carrageenan active packaging with Mekwiya date seeds to enhance goat meat quality and shelf life

This research aimed to elaborate a gelatin-Kappa carrageenan-based packaging with 0.22 %, 0.44 %, and 0.88 % w/v of Mekwiya date palm seeds extract (DSEMK). This extract improved the mechanical, physical, and thermal properties of the films. Moisture content, water solubility, and water vapor permeability were reduced from 17.54 ± 0.02 to 12.18 ± 0.02, from 77.61 ± 0.02 to 25.35 ± 0.29 %, and from 5.28 ± 0.29 to 1.69 ± 0.03 g s−1 m−1 Pa−1 × 10−10, respectively. During thermal degradation, DSEMK4 film had a residual weight of 27.99 %, compared to 20.67 % for the control. Despite a decline in the film's tensile strength from 24.19 to 8.94 MPa with the incorporation of DSEMK, elongation at the breaking point increased from 37.66 ± 0.16 to 46.17 ± 0.25 %. The film containing DSEMK4 displayed the highest phenolic contents and illustrated the best antioxidant effects in DPPH and FRAP assays, with IC50s of 756 and 1445 μg/mL, respectively and inhibited pathogen growth on the meat surface. Over storage at 4 °C, monitoring of pH, lipid and protein oxidation parameters, microbial spoilage, optical properties, and sensory attributes disclosed that the DSEMK-films successfully enhanced the meat quality and safety. These findings were supported by principal component analysis and heat maps.

Kinship Object: A Creation Engendered from the Bewilderment of a Pillaged World

ABSTRACT Humankind is reaching a breaking point whereby the prevailing forces of relating are wholly characterized by greed, hate and domination. This worldview seems fixed and objectifies and reduces other humans who are perceived as different, as well as animals, birds, insects, trees and plants as lesser and expendable. But what if the universal attitude were one of kinship with all dynamic beings? A stance which values all forms of living matter as one of us; where nothing has greater value than another form of living matter, making each an equal part of the whole. A stance where relationships are characterized by reverence, reciprocity and the real sense that there is abundance – that there is enough to go around. Out of a sense of grief and horror over the failure of humans to love all of earth’s constituents, we have developed a novel construct presented here: a Kinship Object. This kinship object, an original psychoanalytic idea, is introduced to frame the capacity for balance with regard to relating with maturity and care to all sentient beings. The processes of possessing love and hate, concern, selfhood and otherness, and the thinking and kinship apparatuses are embedded in the kinship object.

Reconstructing the Spill Propagation of the Aznalcóllar Mine Disaster

AbstractThe mine pond failure of Los Frailes (Aznalcóllar, Spain) was one of the most catastrophic mining-related disasters worldwide. Despite having been analysed from different disciplines, there have been only two attempts to simulate the propagation of the spill. In both cases, the spill was reconstructed using poor or incorrect topographical data, assuming a spilled hydrograph at the breaking point, and considering the fluid as water. In this research, new pre-failure topographical data were obtained combining field data with remote sensing techniques. These data were used to estimate the spilled hydrograph at the breaking point utilising a two-dimensional hydrodynamic numerical tool. Finally, due to the nature of the spilled fluid, two different attempts of reconstructing the spill propagation process of the Aznalcóllar mine disaster were performed. First, the fluid was considered as water with a suspended sediment load (26–660 g/L), i.e. assuming Newtonian fluid flow. Then the fluid was assumed to be mud-like (non-Newtonian fluid flow). These new simulations revealed that using a Newtonian fluid model, such as water with or without sediment, produced the best results in matching observed and simulated data. The non-Newtonian approach (muds) performed poorly. This suggests the spill behaved more like a concentrated sediment-laden flow than a mud-like one, possibly due to changes in fluid behaviour caused by the mine tailings in the pond after the failure.

Automated Workflow Uses Pressure, Rate Measurements for Well Monitoring

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 218470, “A New Automated Workflow for Well Monitoring Using Permanent Pressure and Rate Measurements,” by Anton Shchipanov, SPE, NORCE; Boyu Cui, SPE, University of Stavanger; and Vitaly Starikov, SPE, Heriot-Watt University, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ The complete paper describes an integrated workflow for automated well monitoring using pressure and rate measurements obtained with permanent gauges and flowmeters. The workflow is based on time-lapse pressure transient analysis (PTA) and integrates the following components: virtual flowmetering (VFM), transient identification, feature extraction and pattern recognition in transient pressure responses, and assessment of well performance based on PTA metrics. The methodology behind the workflow combines different physics-informed and data-driven methods described in the paper. A New Workflow for Automated Well Monitoring The concept of the automated workflow described in the complete paper has been suggested in the literature. The workflow consists of four main steps (Fig. 1), and integrates the following components: - VFM - Pressure transient identification - PTA feature extraction and time-lapse pattern recognition - PTA metrics to obtain the well-performance profile VFM. The well flow rate is often measured more sparsely than its bottomhole or wellhead pressure for many reasons. However, the permanent downhole or wellhead gauges, when installed in a well, provide high-frequency real-time pressure and temperature measurements. This disparity in the pressure- and rate-measurement sampling rates is a problem for PTA, which requires accurate and synchronized input for flow rates in line with the pressure time series. VFM helps reconstruct missing flow-rate measurements using available pressure measurements. The automated well-monitoring workflow described in this paper would benefit from integration of a relatively simple but robust and scalable VFM model having modest input-data requirements. The steady-state vertical-lift-performance-based VFM model was chosen for use by the authors after testing. The model uses only the bottomhole and wellhead pressure difference, which fits well with the automated workflow requirements. Put simply, the VFM-developed algorithm identifies the suitable pressure and flow-rate samples to train the VFM model; estimates, filters, and verifies the evolution of the model coefficients; and predicts the missing flow-rate values using the pressure measurements where available. This prediction applies only to the time when the well is flowing; as for shut-in periods, the algorithm assigns zero rate values. Transient Identification. Proper transient identification is crucial for PTA because accurate identification of the starting break point of a transient and sequential synchronization with corresponding rate governs the reliability of PTA interpretation results. This is important not only for the transient in question but also for the well history preceding the transient. In the latter case, proper transient identification may help in reliable rate time allocation throughout the well history for common cases of uncertain rates. The workflow of the extended method consists of two main stages. First, the breakpoints indicating start and end of shut-in transients are detected using the topographic prominence max rotation (TPMR) method. This automatically provides detection of flowing transients between the shut-ins identified. Second, the breakpoints of multirate periods (assuming stepwise rate changes) are detected within the long flowing transients using the local minimum in rotation (LMIR) method. As a result, the well pressure history is divided into sequential flowing and shut-in transients, also differentiating flowing transients governed by stepwise rate changes. Neither TPMR nor LMIR methods require denoising, so raw data from permanent gauges may be used without any preprocessing.

Enlightenment of robotic gastrectomy from 527 patients with gastric cancer in the minimally invasive era: 5 years of optimizing surgical performance in a high-volume center - a retrospective cohort study.

Learning curves have been used in the field of robotic gastrectomy (RG). However, it should be noted that the previous study did not comprehensively investigate all changes related to the learning curve. This study aims to establish a learning curve for radical RG and evaluate its effect on the short-term outcomes of patients with gastric cancer. The clinicopathological data of 527 patients who underwent RG between August 2016 and June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Learning curves related to the operation time and postoperative hospital stay were determined separately using cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis. Then, the impact of the learning curve on surgical efficacy was analyzed. Combining the CUSUM curve break points and technical optimization time points, the entire cohort was divided into three phases (patients 1-100, 101-250, and 251-527). The postoperative complication rate and postoperative recovery time tended to decrease significantly with phase advancement ( P <0.05). More extraperigastric examined lymph nodes (LN) were retrieved in phase III than in phase I (I vs. III, 15.12±6.90 vs. 17.40±7.05, P =0.005). The rate of LN noncompliance decreased with phase advancement. Textbook outcome (TO) analysis showed that the learning phase was an independent factor in TO attainment ( P <0.05). With learning phase advancement, the short-term outcomes were significantly improved. It is possible that our optimization of surgical procedures could have contributed to this improvement. The findings of this study facilitate the safe dissemination of RG in the minimally invasive era.

Optometrische Vision Therapy

Purpose. Vision therapy in a 26-year-old female student with subjective vision impairment because of reduced flexibility of accommodation, esophoria, and lack of divergence. Material and Methods. Regular vision therapy based on a detailed training concept with training under optometric supervision and home exercises was performed over a period of twelve weeks. The baseline examination included history as well as analysis of the visual system with optometric function tests, refraction, and integrative analysis. The training progress was controlled biweekly. Results. The parameters that differed from the physiological norm data at baseline increased as follows: maximum amount of accommodation OD/OS from 6.7/7.7 D to 8.0/8.7 D; flexibility of accommodation monocular OD/OS from 6/6 to 13/12 turns per minute, binocular from 7 to 13 turns per minute; positive/negative relative accommodation from −0.75/+1.25 D to −1.75/+1.75 D; vergence ranges base in distance/near (break points) from 3/6 cm/m to 6/10 cm/m. Conclusion. All described parameters were improved after vision therapy. The accommodation flexibility and positive and negative accommodation were increased to the physiological norm range. The subjective complaints, such as headaches and rapid fatigue when reading, were eliminated by the training. Keywords: VISION THERAPY, CONSTANT ESOPHORIA, REDUCED ACCOMMODATION FLEXIBILITY, LACK OF DIVERGENCE

Evaluation of Rheological Properties of Asphalt Binder Modified with Biochar from Oat Hulls.

In this study, the effect of biochar from oat hulls (BO) on the rheological properties of a PG 64-22 asphalt binder was evaluated using a full factorial design, which included the following factors: pyrolysis temperature (PT) (300 °C and 500 °C), BO particle size (<20 µm and <75 µm), and the amount of BO (2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%). First, the morphological and physicochemical properties of BO were analyzed by comparing it with graphite powder (CFG) and commercial activated carbon (CAC). The physicochemical properties of the modified asphalt binder were then evaluated using confocal laser microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Its storage stability was also evaluated. Subsequently, the rutting parameter G*/sin(δ) and the Fraass breaking point were analyzed to select asphalt binders that extended their viscoelastic range. The asphalt binders selected were those with 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5% BO, produced at a PT of 300 °C with a particle size <20 µm (BO300S). Next, the rheological properties of the selected samples were evaluated by testing for rotational viscosity, rutting parameter G*/sin(δ), multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR), fatigue parameter G*·sin(δ), and creep stiffness by bending beam rheometry (BBR). The rheological aging index according to rutting parameter G*/sin(δ) (RAI) was also evaluated. These tests were conducted in different states of the asphalt binder: original, short-term aged, and long-term aged. According to the results, the application of BO300S significantly increased the resistance of the asphalt binder to rutting and rotational viscosity, proportional to the amount added to the asphalt binder. Moreover, low modifier percentages improved fatigue resistance, outperforming CFG and CAC. In addition, it performs well at low service temperatures, registering better resistance than the control asphalt binders.

A Unique Derivative Chromosome 4 with a Predominant 4p16.3 Microduplication Phenotype and a Literature Review

Introduction: Constitutional structural abnormalities affecting chromosome 4 result in variable distinct phenotypic traits including duplication 4p syndrome, deletion 4p or Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS), deletion 4q and duplication 4q syndromes. Complex rearrangements involving both chromosome 4 arms are very rarely reported with different break points occurring within regions of 4p13-p16 and 4q32-35. They most commonly occur in familial cases due to parental pericentric inversion resulting in a recombinant chromosome 4 “rec(4).” The clinical picture is dependent on the size and type of copy number imbalance and the genes involved. Methods: We report on a female patient with delayed developmental milestones and lower limb anomalies, who carried a de novo unique type of complex rearrangement affecting both chromosome 4 arms, diagnosed by karyotype and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis and chromosomal microarray (CMA). Results: The chromosome 4 rearrangement involved three copy number alterations, consisting of a terminal 1.17 Mb 4p16.3 deletion with a contiguous proximal 1.8 Mb 4p16.3 duplication, including the Wolf-Hirschhorn critical (WHSC) region, and an inverted 27 Mb terminal 4q32-35.2 duplication attached to terminal 4p. The patient’s predominant phenotype was consistent with 4p16.3 microduplication syndrome. The rearrangement occurred as a de novo abnormality, and thus it was designated as a derivative chromosome 4. To the best of our knowledge, this complex type of chromosome 4 rearrangement has not been reported so far. Conclusion: The present report adds to the scarce 4p16.3 microduplication syndrome reports and emphasizes the role of WHSC region in the syndromic phenotype. It also reveals the importance of CMA in detecting subtle copy number variations (CNVs) that could be dominantly reflected on the phenotype, which is very important in patients’ management and family counselling.

Dependency of crossover point on absorption changes in bilayer diffusion reflection measurements.

A better understanding of diffusion reflection (DR) behavior may allow it to be used for more noninvasive applications, including the development of in vivo non-damaging techniques, especially for medical topical diagnosis and treatments. For a bilayer opaque substance where the attenuation of the upper layer is larger than the attenuation of the lower layer, the DR crossover point ( ) is location where the photons coming from the bottom layer start affecting the DR. We aim to study the dependency of the on absorption changes in different layers for constant scattering and top layer thickness. Monolayer and bilayer optical tissue-like phantoms were prepared and measured using a DR system. The results were compared with Monte Carlo simulations. There is an agreement between the experiments and the simulations. correlates with the square root of the absorption coefficient ratio of the lower layer to the top layer. The experimental findings support and validate the theoretical prediction describing the dependency of the on the square root of the ratio of the layers' absorption coefficients. In addition, a secondary breaking point is suggested to be observed experimentally at the entrance to the noise area.

An optimal B-spline approach for vectorizing raster image outlines.

Capturing outlines is crucial in vectorization of the digital images. An effective and automatic algorithm is presented for outline vectorizing of planar objects within the digital images using trigonometric B-spline. A soft computing optimization technique Genetic Algorithm (GA) is employed to determine the suitable measures of parameter in the description of proposed B-spline. The anticipated scheme is executed on a few raster (bitmap), digital images to validate the robustness of the algorithm. The procedure of vectorizing outlines encompasses a series of stages like boundary detection, corner recognition, break point identification and curve fitting using the proposed B-spline.

Paramedics’ experiences and observations: work-related emotions and well-being resources during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic—a qualitative study

BackgroundAs first responders, paramedics are an extremely important part of the care chain. COVID-19 significantly impacted their working circumstances. We examined, according to the experiences and observations of paramedics, (1) what kinds of emotions the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel experienced in their new working circumstances, and (2) what work-related factors became resources for the well-being of EMS personnel during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis qualitative study utilized reflective essay material written by experienced, advanced-level Finnish paramedics (n = 30). The essays used in this study were written during the fall of 2020 and reflected the period when Finland had declared a state of emergency (on 17.3.2020) and the Emergency Powers Act was implemented. The data was analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis.ResultsThe emotions experienced by the EMS personnel in their new working circumstances formed three themes: (1) New concerns arose that were constantly present; (2) Surviving without proper guidance; and (3) Rapidly approaching breaking point. Three themes were formed from work-related factors that were identified as resources for the well-being of the EMS personnel. These were: (1) A high level of organizational efficiency was achieved; (2) Adaptable EMS operations; and (3) Encouraging atmosphere.ConclusionsCrisis management practices should be more attentive to personnel needs, ensuring that managerial and psychological support is readily available in crisis situations. Preparedness that ensures effective organizational adaptation also supports personnel well-being during sudden changes in working circumstances.

Microencapsulation of Betalains Extracted from Garambullo (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) to Produce Active Chitosan-Polyvinyl Alcohol Films with Delayed Release of Bioactive Compounds.

Garambullo is a plant with little industrial application. However, garambullo contains betalains, photosensitive phytochemical compounds, which through microencapsulation can be used in chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) films for application in tomato coatings. These biopackages were characterized by physical tests, water vapor permeability, puncture tests, extension, color, differential scanning calorimetry (DCS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activity analyses. The influence of the biopackages on the tomato coatings was measured using parameters such as minimum weight loss close to 2% at day 9, pH of 4.6, Brix of 5.5, titratable acidity of 1 g acid/100 mL sample, and shelf life of up to 18 days. The biopackages containing betalain microcapsules had a water vapor permeability of 2 × 10-14 g/h·m·Pa and an elongation of 5 ± 0.5%, indicating that the package did not stretch. The deformation at the breaking point for the package without and with microcapsules was 0.569 and 1.620, respectively. With respect to color, adding white microcapsules and betalains can cause the material to darken, resulting in a yellowish color. Furthermore, the phenolic content was greater for the biopackages with betalains, while there was no significant difference in the antioxidant activity since the active compounds were not released. According to the in vitro results, the inhibition of B. cinerea was achieved on the eighth day when the active compounds were released from the microcapsules. The tomato with betalains lost 2% of its weight, and B. cinerea was inhibited, extending its shelf life to 18 days. The proposed biopackages have good properties as biopolymers and inhibit the presence of B. cinerea.

Constructing molecular sieve-based MOFs nanofiber composites for separating Co(II) from wastewater

In addressing the crucial need for separating cobalt ions from leachate solutions of spent ternary lithium batteries (TLBs), this study focuses on the development of an innovative molecular sieve (MS)-based MOFs material, MS-MIL-53(Al), synthesized by combining MS with 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid. Since the powdered MS-MIL-53(Al) material presents a granular powdery form, which is difficult to recover during the adsorption process, electrospun nanofibers denoted as MS-MIL-53(Al)/PAN, were fabricated and functionalized with hydroxylamine hydrochloride to create MS-MIL-53(Al)/AOPAN. Static adsorption experiments conducted with MS-MIL-53(AL)/AOPAN as the adsorbent in cobalt-containing wastewater revealed a maximum adsorption content of 65.3 mg/g for Co(II). Moreover, the material exhibited a tensile strength at the breaking point of 0.077 kPa, indicating its excellent mechanical properties. The adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model, showcasing a spontaneous, endothermic monolayer chemical adsorption behavior. XPS analysis highlighted the influence of hydroxy and amidoxime functional groups on Co(II) adsorption. Notably, MS-MIL-53(Al)/AOPAN displayed exceptional stability, retaining over 90 % of its adsorption capacity after five cycles, demonstrating its potential for efficient Co(II) separation in wastewater treatment. This study is the first to synthesize MOFs material using MS as the base material, showing potential cost reduction and enhanced adsorption capabilities, with implications for advancing the innovative use of MOFs.

Mechanical ventilation guided by driving pressure optimizes local pulmonary biomechanics in an ovine model.

Mechanical ventilation exposes the lung to injurious stresses and strains that can negatively affect clinical outcomes in acute respiratory distress syndrome or cause pulmonary complications after general anesthesia. Excess global lung strain, estimated as increased respiratory system driving pressure, is associated with mortality related to mechanical ventilation. The role of small-dimension biomechanical factors underlying this association and their spatial heterogeneity within the lung are currently unknown. Using four-dimensional computed tomography with a voxel resolution of 2.4 cubic millimeters and a multiresolution convolutional neural network for whole-lung image segmentation, we dynamically measured voxel-wise lung inflation and tidal parenchymal strains. Healthy or injured ovine lungs were evaluated as the mechanical ventilation positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) was titrated from 20 to 2 centimeters of water. The PEEP of minimal driving pressure (PEEPDP) optimized local lung biomechanics. We observed a greater rate of change in nonaerated lung mass with respect to PEEP below PEEPDP compared with PEEP values above this threshold. PEEPDP similarly characterized a breaking point in the relationships between PEEP and SD of local tidal parenchymal strain, the 95th percentile of local strains, and the magnitude of tidal overdistension. These findings advance the understanding of lung collapse, tidal overdistension, and strain heterogeneity as local triggers of ventilator-induced lung injury in large-animal lungs similar to those of humans and could inform the clinical management of mechanical ventilation to improve local lung biomechanics.

Gestating sows with a restricted feed allowance require a longer adaptation period before collecting feces compared with lactating sows in total tract digestibility assessments using index method.

The objective of the present experiment was to determine the minimum adaptation period for total tract digestibility experiments in gestating and lactating sows using the indigestible index method. Five gestating and 5 lactating sows at parities 3 to 5 were used. An indigestible index of 0.5% chromic oxide was supplemented to a diet based on corn and soybean meal. The daily feed allowance for gestating sows was 2kg and 2 equal meals were provided to the sows. Lactating sows were fed 6kg of feed per day in 3 equal meals. After feeding a diet without supplemental chromic oxide for 5 d, index-supplemented diets were provided to the gestating and lactating sows. Feces were collected at 24-h intervals for 9 and 7 d from gestating and lactating sows, respectively. Fecal Cr concentrations increased linearly (P < 0.001) and quadratically (P < 0.001) with collection time in both gestating and lactating sows. Minimum adaptation periods were estimated by one-slope broken-line model. The break point of Cr concentrations in feces was day 7.2 (SE = 0.3) in the gestating sows and day 4.2 (SE = 0.2) in the lactating sows, respectively. Apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and energy on day 4 was less (P < 0.001) than that on days 8 to 9 in gestating sows fed the experimental diet with a 2-kg feed allowance. In lactating sows fed the experimental diets with a 6-kg feed allowance, the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and energy on day 3 was less (P < 0.05) than that on days 5 to 7. In conclusion, at least 8 d of adaptation period are required for gestating sows to determine total tract digestibility using Cr as the indigestible index method whereas 5 d of adaptation period are required for lactating sows. An insufficient adaptation period results in lower digestibility values.

Genetic analysis of a child with mos 46,X,psu idic(X)(q21.3)[40]/45,X[3]

To explore the correlation between structural chromosomal abnormality and clinical characteristics of a child featuring gonadal dysplasia. A 13-year-old child who was admitted to Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital on February 7, 2023 for primary amenorrhoea and occasional abdominal pain was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child was collected, and peripheral blood samples of the child and her parents were collected. G-banding chromosomal karyotyping and copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) were carried out. "Pseudodual centromere isochromosome X" and "psu idic(X)" were used as keywords to search the CNKI, Wanfang and PubMed databases, and the search period was set as from January 1, 2002 to June 1, 2023. Relevant literature on the structural abnormality of X chromosome was searched and analyzed retrospectively. The child has a height of 153 cm and weighed 45 kg. She has no obvious facial dysmorphism. Laboratory tests showed that she had higher FSH and luteinizing hormone, and lower E2. Ultrasonography showed that she had small ovaries and rudimentary uterus. She was found to have a karyotype of 46,X,psu idic(X)(q21.3)[40]/mos 45,X[3], whilst both of her parents had a normal karyotype. CNV-seq showed that she had a 63.27 Mb deletion in Xq21.32q28 and a 91.59 Mb duplication in Xp22.33q21.32 (mosaicism rate = 74%). A total of 11 relevant literature were retrieved. Clinical phenotypes of patients with similar structural chromosomal abnormalities were diverse, which was closely related to the mosaicism rate of the 45,X karyotype and the location of the breaking point. 46,X,psu idic(X)(q21.3)/45,X probably underlay the dysplasia of uterus and ovary and sex hormone abnormalities in this child, while her height was spared. Deletion of Xq21.32q28 is a key factor leading to Turner syndrome-like phenotype such as rudimentary uterus and ovarian dysplasia.

Determination of the Number of Breaks in Heterogeneous Panel Data Models

Abstract This paper considers a heterogeneous panel data model with an unknown number of breaks. We propose a so-called two-stage procedure to determine the number of breaks and detect the location of break points. The consistency of the estimated number of breaks and the estimated break points are established under fairly general conditions. Monte Carlo simulations and two empirical applications are provided to demonstrate the finite sample performance of the proposed method.

Breaking the Silence: The Role of Health Professionals in the Gaza Crisis

Having the opportunity to write something in this moment, I would use it to raise my voice on behalf of the health professional community for the people of Gaza. As mentioned by Sualeha Shekhani and Dr. Aamir Jafarey, doctors represent the moral voice of their era. However, in light of the events of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent armed assault by Israeli forces on Gaza, which has led to a significant humanitarian crisis, the response from the global bioethics community seems muted (Shekhani &amp; Jafarey, 2024). This silence can be partly explained by editorial restraints that may prevent a more robust response from the health community towards the Gaza crisis. Health professionals are uniquely positioned to influence policy decisions and advocate for equitable healthcare. They possess specialized knowledge of medical ethics and healthcare structures, enabling them to champion the causes of the vulnerable and reduce disparities across society. Physicians, trained in evidence-based medicine, can ensure that policy decisions are grounded in scientific research rather than political expediency (Fernandes, 2024). The medical community's silence regarding the Gaza crisis is troubling. Healthcare workers in Gaza are targeted, and doctors work without essential medicines and resources, risking their lives for the population they serve. The current health sector in Gaza is at a breaking point, exacerbating the public health crisis and psychological trauma experienced by the residents (Fernandes, 2024).

A new view on estimating China's capital flight through the travel channel

AbstractThis paper proposes a novel approach to quantitatively estimating the magnitude of China's capital flight through the travel channel from 2014 to 2019. We set 2014 as the break point to account for a change in the methodology of compiling outbound travel expenditure and adopt a counterfactual method to calculate the magnitude of China's capital flight through the travel channel. Our results show that, from 2014 to 2019, China's capital flight through the travel channel reached a total of US$602 billion, with a quarterly average of about US$25 billion, accounting for about 40% of the total Chinese outbound travel expenditure. We further construct a gravity model using data from the United Nations' World Tourism Organisation to empirically show that China's capital flight tends to flow to economies with a high degree of financial development and often appears when the RMB depreciates against the US dollar.