Common Indices Research Articles

The modified Canadian water index with other sediment models for assessment of sediments from two harbours on the Egyptian Mediterranean coast

In this research, the modified Canadian water quality index (MCWQI) was successfully applied with other common sediment indices for quality assessment of sediments from two Egyptian Mediterranean harbours: Port Said (PS), and Damietta Harbour (DH). The geochemical analysis demonstrated the dominance of the sandy-mud texture for PS sediments, while it was muddy for DH sites. Organic carbon, and total phosphorus in DH (0.46%; 1.08%) were slightly higher than in PS (0.32; 1.07%), while total carbonate was higher in PS (12.12%) compared to DH (10.63%). Eight heavy metals (HMs) showed a similar order of abundance with higher records in DH for HMs (except Pb). Ecotoxicologically, HMs levels were lower than the effects range low (ERL), suggesting no adverse effects; however, Ni and Cr might cause impacts up to 40 - 90% (> effects range median; ERM), particularly in DH. Environmental indices (e.g., MCWQI) revealed that sediments of DH were more contaminated than PS, with a marginal (∼ 59%) and a fair (∼ 70%) quality, respectively. Statistically, good correlations with a noticeable trend of loadings among studied parameters were recognized in PS, compared to DH. The study emphasized the vital roles of the topography, current movement, and levels of activities, that control the distribution of contaminants, pollution status and hence sediment quality.

A performance review of novel adiposity indices for assessing insulin resistance in a pediatric Latino population.

IntroductionBody mass index (BMI) percentile or BMI adjusted for age and sex is the most common anthropometric index to monitor and assess obesity in children. However, the ability of BMI to accurately predict insulin resistance (IR) in youth is debated. Determining the best method to noninvasively measure IR in the pediatric population is especially important due to the growing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which is more likely to develop in people with IR. Therefore, this study analyzed the performance of BMI against newer anthropometric indices in assessing IR in a pediatric Latino identifying sample.MethodsWe studied 127 pediatric Latino participants from the Arizona Insulin Resistance (AIR) registry and performed linear regression analyses between various measures of IR and adiposity indices, including body mass index (BMI), triponderal mass index (TMI), body adiposity index (BAI), pediatric body adiposity index (pBAI), a body shape index (ABSI), abdominal volume index (AVI), waist to height ratio (WtHR) and waist to hip ratio (WHR). Log transformations of each index adjusted for age and sex and IR were used for the linear regressions. Additionally, we generated receiver operating characteristics (ROC) from logistic regressions between HOMA-IR and HOMA2IR against the same indices.ResultsUsing the homeostatic assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), HOMA2IR, the quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICKI), fasting serum insulin, and FPG/FSI to measure IR, we showed that BMI adjusted for age and sex performs similarly to many of the newer indices in our sample. The correlation coefficients for pBAI [R2: 0.27, 95% confidence interval: 0.88–1.81, p < 0.001] and BMI [R2: 0.27, 95% confidence interval: 0.92–1.92, p < 0.001] were the highest for HOMA-IR. Similarly, pBAI [R2: 0.29, 95% confidence interval: 0.88–1.72, p < 0.001] and BMI [R2: 0.29, 95% confidence interval: 0.93–1.83, p < 0.001] were the highest for HOMA2IR. A similar trend was observed with QUICKI, FSI, and FPG/FSI. ABSI had the lowest R2 value for all measures of IR. Area under the curve (AUC) values for the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) for HOMA-IR and HOMA2IR support these conclusions.ConclusionsBMI adjusted for age and sex, despite its usage and simplicity, still stacks up well against newer indices in our Latino sample. Testing these indices across larger samples is necessary to generalize these findings and translate performance to adults.

Novel noninvasive indices of perfusion dynamics wave analysis detect above knee arterial stenosis in the presence of widespread arteriosclerosis

Abstract Introduction Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a leading cause of vascular morbidity and mortality. The Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) is a common index for screening and monitoring PAD. The AHA and ECS guidelines recommend measuring the ABI for assessing atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk. However, the ABI sensitivity is low, especially in the elderly and diabetics with arteriosclerosis. The restenosis rate after revascularization is high and there is an unmet need for continuous monitoring for detection of restenoses in these patients. ABI requires Doppler Ultrasound measurements. Purpose We hypothesized that monitoring the arterial perfusion dynamics instead of the peak systolic pressure, could improve PAD surveillance and management. Methods A novel method for quantifying the arterial perfusion dynamic from impedance plethysmography measurements was developed. A novel segmentation of the arterial perfusion upstroke has revealed that it consists of two characteristic phases, an initial slow phase that is followed by a fast vigorous rise. The phase transition point was defined by the maximum acceleration time point (MAT). The slow phase duration was denoted as the `Perfusion Deficit Index` (PDI). The arterial perfusion signals were derived from calves of PAD patients that were admitted for revascularization. We compared the novel PDI and MAT indices with measured ABI before and after the revascularizations. Results Sixteen patients with isolated above-knee stenoses were recruited and treated in eighteen legs. The perfusion signals before the revascularization were characterized by prolonged PDI, and overt shortening of the PDI was observed after successful revascularization, as depicted in Figure 1. The PDI was significantly negatively correlated with the ABI. In patients with satisfactory postoperative increase in ABI (&amp;gt;0.15) the PDI dropped from 105±33 ms to 26±16 ms (n=13, p&amp;lt;0.001). The “pulse transit time” (PTT) that relates to arteriosclerosis did not change between measurements in all the patients. Thus, the measurement of the PTT and PDI can differentiate between the two elements of atherosclerosis: generalized arteriosclerosis and development of localized arterial narrowing. Interestingly, in the contralateral untreated leg the ABI and PDI had a similar significantly negative correlation, without significant difference before and after the procedures. Assessment of the ABI and PDI abilities to detect focal stenosis revealed that the PDI detected stenosis with 91% sensitivity and 85% specificity, while the ABI only had 74% sensitivity and 85% specificity (Figure 2). Conclusions The PD can be used for assessing revascularization outcome and monitoring atherosclerosis severity. The MAT and PDI are novel sensitive and specific indices for detecting arterial stenoses, even in the presence of arteriosclerosis, unlike the ABI. The applicability of this simple to use method for screening and telemedicine should be further validated. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Voice Quality in Telephone Interviews: A preliminary Acoustic Investigation

To investigate the impact of standardized mobile phone recordings passed through a telecom channel on acoustic markers of voice quality and on its perception by voice experts in normophonic speakers. Continuous speech and a sustained vowel were recorded for fourteen female and ten male normophonic speakers. The recordings were done simultaneously with a head-mounted high-quality microphone and through the telephone network on a receiving smartphone. Twenty-two acoustic voice quality, breathiness and pitch-related measures were extracted from the recordings. Nine vocologists perceptually rated the G, R and B parameters of the GRBAS scale on each voice sample. The reproducibility, the recording type, the stimulus type and the gender effects, as well as the correlation between acoustic and perceptual measures were investigated. The sustained vowel samples are damped after one second. Only the frequencies between 100 and 3700Hz are passed through the telecom channel and the frequency response is characterized by peaks and troughs. The acoustic measures show a good reproducibility over the three repetitions. All measures significantly differ between the recording types, except for the local jitter, the harmonics-to-noise ratio by Dejonckere and Lebacq, the period standard deviation and all six pitch measures. The AVQI score is higher in telephone recordings, while the ABI score is lower. Significant differences between genders are also found for most of the measures; while the AVQI is similar in men and women, the ABI is higher in women in both recording types. For the perceptual assessment, the interrater agreement is rather low, while the reproducibility over the three repetitions is good. Few significant differences between recording types are observed, except for lower breathiness ratings on telephone recordings. G ratings are significantly more severe on the sustained vowel on both recording types, R ratings only on telephone recordings. While roughness is rated higher in men on telephone recordings by most experts, no gender effect is observed for breathiness on either recording types. Finally, neither the AVQI nor the ABI yield strong correlations with any of the perceptual parameters. Our results show that passing a voice signal through a telecom channel induces filter and noise effects that limit the use of common acoustic voice quality measures and indexes. The AVQI and ABI are both significantly impacted by the recording type. The most reliable acoustic measures seem to be pitch perturbation (local jitter and period standard deviation) as well as the harmonics-to-noise ratio from Dejonckere and Lebacq. Our results also underline that raters are not equally sensitive to the various factors, including the recording type, the stimulus type and the gender effects. Neither of the three perceptual parameters G, R and B seem to be reliably measurable on telephone recordings using the two investigated acoustic indexes. Future studies investigating the impact of voice quality in telephone conversations should thus focus on acoustic measures on continuous speech samples that are limited to the frequency response of the telecom channel and that are not too sensitive to environmental and additive noise.

A simple version of resting-state heart rate variability interpretation for patients with affective disorders: A four-pattern perspective.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is often considered as a biomarker reflecting well-being, but the clinical meaning of short-term resting-state HRV is not sufficiently defined. We assume that combining several common HRV indices as "HRV patterns" and using the patterns for screening purposes are meaningful approaches. Resting-state 5-min HRV data of 424 subjects were analyzed. Four of the most commonly used HRV indices were considered: standard deviation of normal-to-normal RR intervals, low-frequency power, high-frequency power and the ratio of low-frequency to high-frequency power. According to these indices, four HRV patterns were defined: normal pattern, low HRV pattern, relatively high sympathetic pattern, and relatively high vagal pattern. The associations between the demographics, lifestyles, personality traits, psychological states, and HRV patterns were explored: the low HRV pattern was positively associated with age, body mass index, and depression; the relatively high sympathetic pattern was positively associated with age and negatively associated with exercise habit; and the relatively high vagal pattern was negatively associated with having a steady job and novelty seeking. The pattern perspective may provide a convenient and evidence-based way to interpret resting-state HRV for patients with affective disorders.

The significance of shade provision in reducing street-level summer heat stress in a hot Mediterranean climate

The rise in air temperature in urban areas has been attracting the attention of urban climate researchers for years now, focusing on the intensity of the so-called Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon. Recently, though, it has been rightly questioned whether the concept of UHI intensity is helpful in assessing mitigation of urban heat stress, especially since the concept does not reflect the spatial and temporal microscale climatic differences between adjacent intra-urban locations and the much lower magnitude of the UHI effect during daytime. Moreover, while UHI research is focused on near-surface air temperature levels, the existing evidence makes it clear that air temperature does not fully describe the intensity of street-level daytime heat stress during the hot season.This study attempted to evaluate the correlation between exposure to shortwave radiation and significant increases in heat stress under summer conditions through extensive monitoring. Using a mobile measurement setup we monitored summer daytime outdoor conditions in 148 unique locations in Tel Aviv-Yafo, a coastal city with a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. Analysis of the resulting dataset showed the decisive effect of solar exposure on significantly increased heat stress according to three common thermal comfort indices. A much weaker correlation was observed between comfort levels and air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed levels. These findings support the conclusion that under summer daytime conditions in similarly hot climates the provision of shade has a far stronger positive effect on reducing heat stress than, for example, feasible reductions in air temperatures or increases in wind speed.

New methods to derive sea turtle nester abundance from nest counts: Ground truthing and the bias of current approaches

Abundance is a key parameter for characterizing animal populations of conservation concern. In sea turtles, annual clutch counts represent the most common population index. When the number of annual nesting females (ANF) is sought, clutch frequency (CF; average number of clutches laid per female) is used as a conversion factor. Here we assess the performance of five current methods for estimating ANF and of two new methods based on the interdependence of nesting activity parameters, investigated through a Monte Carlo approach with generalized additive models. All methods were evaluated on virtual populations and on a unique case of empirical data from a sea turtle population with a known ANF based on genetic identification of clutches (Caretta caretta, Northern Recovery Unit, USA). Results show that current methods produce errors often greater than the simple count of nesting females directly encountered, except for a capture-mark-recapture (CMR) model. One of the new methods takes advantage of both nest count and CMR data and shows the best performance at a wide range of detection probabilities. The second new method is based on nest count data only and can provide at least an approximate estimate of ANF where no CMR data are available. Our findings can dramatically improve sea turtle population abundance estimates worldwide. We recommend abandoning the use of any CF estimate as a direct conversion factor in favor of implementing the CMR model and the new methods to improve current estimates and to provide estimates where limited data have prevented doing so previously.

Assessing the accuracy of Sentinel-2 instantaneous subpixel shorelines using synchronous UAV ground truth surveys

Due to recent technological advancements in the field of cloud-based satellite remote sensing, the barriers to global analysis ready dataset access and processing have lowered drastically increasing the opportunity for large-scale long-term satellite-derived shoreline monitoring solutions. However, validation studies employing synchronous and independent in-situ instantaneous shorelines at scale are limited. Thanks to a unique dataset of 47 synchronous UAV photogrammetric surveys in 15 coastal locations in Victoria, Australia, over 3 years, we validated Sentinel-2 instantaneous subpixel shorelines extracted using the most common water indices, CoastSat and a tidal-balanced convolutional neural network (Unet+++). We assessed the accuracy of the water level estimation using 9 wave run-up models and wave data sourced from a nearshore wave buoy network, a regional hindcast model and a global altimeter wave dataset. This paper also presents the first validation of Deep Learning-derived shorelines using synchronous independent in-situ data. We found the best overall performance and least threshold-sensitive shoreline extraction approach to be the WI index, whilst NDWI had the poorest performances despite being the most utilized across the literature. We found that the thresholdless Unet+++ solution coupled with an ensemble wave run-up model and the altimeter wave data is an adequate trade-off in terms of accuracy, adaptability and wave data access for global scale shoreline studies.Moreover, we highlighted the very high spatial variability of beach-scale shoreline extraction performances and found that generally, the best SDS extractor only performs best along 30–40% of a coastline. Our results suggest that future satellite-derived shoreline approaches should investigate the relationships between scene-dependent variables and shoreline accuracies in order to better understand the causes of beach-scale performance variations and increase the accuracy of satellite-derived shorelines.

Clinical Value of Echo-Tracking in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Vascular endothelial function plays an essential role in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pathogenesis. Vascular elasticity is evaluated by the echo-tracking (ET) technique. In this study, we aimed to assess the clinical value of the ET technique in women with GDM and provide a basis for early evaluation and prevention of gestational diabetes. Sixty-five patients with GDM and 65 gestational week-matched normal glucose tolerance pregnant women were enrolled in this study. The endothelial function parameters of pressure-strain elasticity coefficient (EP), the common carotid stiffness index (β), arterial compliance (AC), single-point pulsed-wave velocity (PWVβ), and augment index (AI) of bilateral common carotid arteries, were compared between the GDM and control groups by using ET technique. The correlations between plasma glucose levels and ET parameters were also analyzed. Our results indicated that EP, β, PWVβ, and AI were significantly higher in the GDM group (p<0.05), whereas AC was significantly lower in patients with GDM than in the control group (p<0.001). In addition, fasting plasma glucose and plasma glucose level after 2 h oral glucose tolerance test was correlated with ET parameters of EP, β, PWVβ, AI, and AC. The application of ET technology to gestational diabetes women could provide a basis for early evaluation and prevention of gestational diabetes. It would detect early and accurate signs of diabetes in pregnant women and provide a timely and reasonable clinical treatment plan to reduce and delay the occurrence of complications.

IsocalcR: An R package to streamline and standardize stable isotope calculations in ecological research.

The use of stable isotopes to characterize ecosystem dynamics and infer leaf gas exchange processes has become increasingly prevalent over the last few decades within the ecological community. While advancements in theory and our understanding of the physiological processes controlling isotopic signatures in plants has been well-documented, no standardized tool currently exists to facilitate the computation of common isotope-derived plant physiological indices. Here, we present isocalcR, an R package intended to facilitate the use of stable isotope data from plant tissues by providing an integrated collection of functions and recommended reference data. The isocalcR R package contains a suite of functions that compute leaf carbon isotope discrimination (∆13 C), leaf intercellular [CO2 ], the ratio of leaf intercellular to atmospheric [CO2 ], the difference between atmospheric and leaf intercellular [CO2 ], and intrinsic water use efficiency from carbon isotope signatures in leaf or wood tissue with minimal inputs from the user. isocalcR also implements and provides recommended input atmospheric [CO2 ] (ppm) and atmospheric δ13 CO2 (‰) data for the period 0-2021 C.E. A major goal of isocalcR is to provide a standardized, open-source tool to streamline the calculation of reproducible physiological indices from stable isotope signatures in plant tissues, incorporating the most up-to-date theory, while simultaneously eliminating potential errors associated with complex calculations. isocalcR can be used for any location globally as long as the user provides information regarding temperature and elevation to the main workhorse functions.

Reliability and validity of the repetitive behavior scale-revised for young Chinese children with autism spectrum disorder in Jiangxi Province.

Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are one of the two main diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To date, a growing body of research on RRB in children with ASD has recently attracted academic attention. The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) was primarily intended for use in evaluating RRBs observed in ASD. This study recruited 381 Chinese children with ASD aged 2–4 years to measure the reliability and validity of the RBS-R. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied to the structuring models of the four proposed structural models, indicating that a 6-factor model demonstrated good internal consistency and the best fit based on common overall fit indices. These findings suggest the utility of the Chinese version of RBS-R.

Developing ecological risk assessment of metals released from sediment based on sediment quality guidelines linking with the properties: A case study for Kaohsiung Harbor

This study aimed to introduce sediment properties (total organic carbon (TOC), acid-volatile sulfides (AVS), particle size distribution) into sediment quality guideline-based risk quotients to assess the potential toxicity of metals (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, and Pb) released from sediments. Sediment was collected at three times points in 20 sampling sites in Kaohsiung Harbor. The Microtox® toxicity test was used to assess the sediment toxicity and the relationship between sediment toxicity and risk quotient estimated based on the metal concentration was constructed. To improve the toxicity prediction and modify the risk quotient according to the sediment properties, stepwise multiple linear regression (MLR) models that have been tested over wide ranges of TOC, AVS, and particle size distribution to determine the key sediment properties. Common multimetal indices, including the pollution load index, modified degree of contamination index, Nemerow pollution index, potential ecological risk index, and total toxic risk index, were compared with sediment toxicity to evaluate the degrees of correlation. By modifying the relationship between metal toxicity and the risk quotient by including TOC and AVS, the prediction showed that sediments in Kaohsiung Harbor were generally of slight acute toxicity to acute toxicity to organisms, with sampling sites near an industrial zone showing a higher probability of high acute toxicity. In particular, the acute risk of adverse effects on aquatic organisms from sediments in the Salt River estuary was significantly higher than that at other sites, which was consistent with the results of assessment based on the multimetal indices. This study suggests that the MLR-based approach may facilitate the adoption of updated site-specific metals standards that more accurately account for the parameters affecting metal bioavailability than metal concentration standard alone.

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin predicts the length of hospital stay independent of severity classification in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) is a common blood routine test index. To explore the relationship between MCH and length of hospital stay in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP), we included 273 patients with AP without coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and anemia in this study. All data were separated into three groups according to the length of hospital stay. Gender (p = 0.017) and severity classification (p < 0.001) were significantly correlated with length of hospital stay among three groups. Notably, MCH level was significant different among three groups (p = 0.009). Thus, all data were separated into two groups according to MCH level, and significant increases in the length of hospital stay were observed between two groups (p = 0.030). A positive correlation between length of hospital stay and MCH was observed (r = 0.172, p = 0.004). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that MCH was independent correlated with the length of hospital stay, no matter whether severity classification of AP was included (beta = 0.248, p < 0.001; beta = 0.212, p < 0.001). Our results demonstrated that the length of hospital stay was correlated with MCH level in patients with AP, and MCH level at admission may predict the length of hospital stay independent of severity classification in AP. These results may provide a potential evaluation basis for the management of patients with AP.

The Impact of Social Security Expenditure on Human Common Development: Evidence from China’s Provincial Panel Data

With the rapid development of the social economy, human development has been greatly improved. However, the gap between rich and poor still exists, which restricts the further development of society. In order to study the relationship between social security expenditure and human common development, we constructed, for this paper, the Human Common Development Index, and made a regression analysis between social security expenditure and human common development. The results showed that, in China, obvious and remarkable progress has been made in human common development. There were differences between regions—high in the east and low in the west—but the gap between regions was narrowing. There was an inverted U-shaped relationship between social security expenditure and human common development. At present, social security expenditure per capita in most provinces has not reached the inflection point. The Chinese government should pay attention to the important role of social security, optimize social security expenditure, and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of social security expenditure. In addition, the Chinese government should also improve the urbanization rate and promote economic development.

On common index divisor and monogenity of certain number fields defined by trinomials X 6 + AX + B

For a number field K defined by a trinomial F (x) = x 6 + ax + b ∈ ℤ[x], Jakhar and Kumar gave some necessary conditions on a and b, which guarantee the non-monogenity of K [25]. In this paper, for every prime integer p, we characterize when p is a common index divisor of K. In particular, if any one of these conditions holds, then K is not monogenic. In such a way our proposed results extend those of Jakhar and Kumar.

China's Reform Spree in 2021: Common Prosperity and Others

In 2021, China launched a series of reform initiatives including common prosperity, a property tax, a regulatory crackdown on technology firms, a roadmap for peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality and other policies aiming to improve people's lives. This study reviews each of them and finds that they are centred around common prosperity and guiding resource allocation. Based on Google Trends search results, this study creatively created a series of common prosperity policy indices, showing that China in 2021 may have experienced the most important policy shift since at least 2004. Based on EGARCH and ARDL models, this study finds that the whole economy, proxied by two popular composite indices, i.e. the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index and the China Securities Index 300, responded positively to the common prosperity policy. Stock market responses also show that China's policies have successfully guided the resource allocation from the soft technology sector to the hard technology one. This study also discusses the broad implications, such as the role of the government and the evolution of private ownership in the Chinese economy.

Performance Test and Improvement of Computer Network Virtualization Software in Cloud Computing Environment

In order to make up for the problems of inconveniences, unavailability, differences, and exclusivity in the performance test of the computer virtual network software in the cloud computing environment, a method of building a distributed system performance test platform based on cloud computing is proposed. The distributed system performance test method based on the decision tree, the common performance index test method, and the resource scheduling method in the cloud environment is mainly adopted, and the cloud computing and the automatic performance test technology are combined so as to build a prototype system of the cloud performance test platform. Experimental data show that the CPU utilization and the memory utilization can be reduced to 32% and 30%, respectively, by using this method. It is about 30 times better than the result before application. The results show that it can improve the efficiency, availability, and convenience of software performance test greatly. Also, it also can improve the software performance to facilitate people’s life and work in the cloud computing environment.

Comparison of the Mean Uterine Artery Pulsatility Index Global Reference with an Asian Indian Population of Pregnant Women in the Samrakshan Program-Differences and Implications.

Doppler ultrasound assessments are used more often to screen and prognosticate for adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Ultrasound examination of the uterine artery (UA) helps to assess uteroplacental circulation from early gestation through the course of pregnancy. The mean UAPI is among the most common UA indices that are currently assessed. The mean UAPI is used to screen and prognosticate for the development of pre-eclampsia (PE), fetal growth restriction (FGR), still birth, placental abruption, and other adverse perinatal outcomes.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Gómez et al[7] have published global reference ranges for the mean UAPI for 11 to 41 gestational weeks of pregnancy; however, population reference ranges for pregnant Asian Indian women are not available.

Clinical utility of the pancreatitis activity scoring system in severe acute pancreatitis.

Objective: To analyze clinical utility of pancreatitis activity scoring system (PASS) in prediction of persistent organ failure, poor prognosis, and in-hospital mortality in patients with moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) or severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: The study included a total of 140 patients with MSAP and SAP admitted to the ICU of Shandong Provincial Hospital from 2015 to 2021. The general information, biochemical indexes and PASS scores of patients at ICU admission time were collected. Independent risk factors of persistent organ failure, poor prognosis and in-hospital mortality were analyzed by binary logistic regression. Through receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), the predictive ability of lactic acid, procalcitonin, urea nitrogen, PASS, and PASS in combination with urea nitrogen for the three outcomes was compared. The best cut-off value was determined. Results: Binary logistic regression showed that PASS might be an independent risk factor for patients with persistent organ failure (odds ratio [OR]: 1.027, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.014–1.039), poor prognosis (OR: 1.008, 95% CI: 1.001–1.014), and in-hospital mortality (OR: 1.009, 95% CI: 1.000–1.019). PASS also had a good predictive ability for persistent organ failure (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.839, 95% CI: 0.769–0.910) and in-hospital mortality (AUC = 0.780, 95% CI: 0.669–0.891), which was significantly superior to lactic acid, procalcitonin, urea nitrogen and Ranson score. PASS (AUC = 0.756, 95% CI: 0.675–0.837) was second only to urea nitrogen (AUC = 0.768, 95% CI: 0.686–0.850) in the prediction of poor prognosis. Furthermore, the predictive power of urea nitrogen in combination with PASS was better than that of each factor for persistent organ failure (AUC = 0.849, 95% CI: 0.779–0.920), poor prognosis (AUC = 0.801, 95% CI: 0.726–0.876), and in-hospital mortality (AUC = 0.796, 95% CI: 0.697–0.894). Conclusion: PASS was closely correlated with the prognosis of patients with MSAP and SAP. This scoring system may be used as a common clinical index to measure the activity of acute pancreatitis and evaluate disease prognosis.

From encoding to retrieval: Change in level of unitization resolves debate about Unitization's effect on associative recognition.

Although it is widely accepted that familiarity could support associative recognition when the to-be-learn items are 'unitized' into a new representation, the effects of unitization on associative recognition and recollection remain much debated. The current study aimed to explain these debates by exploring when and how unitization benefits associative recognition using event-related potentials (ERPs). During the encoding phase, participants learned compound words and unrelated word pairs (i.e., High vs. Low level of unitization). At retrieval, the compound words were rearranged into new compound words (i.e., no-change) and unrelated word pairs (i.e., change). Similarly, the unrelated word pairs were rearranged into new unrelated word pairs (i.e., no-change) and compound words (i.e., change). Results showed that under the no-change condition, unitization did not affect associative recognition, nor its underlying processes. In contrast, under the change condition, unitization improved associative recognition by increasing both familiarity-related FN400 effect and recollection-related LPC effect. In addition, a planned comparison between the compound-change and unrelated-no change conditions-a common index for unitization effect in past studies-revealed that unitization could not only elicit significant FN400 effect, but also improve associative recognition by increasing LPC effect. Collectively, these results not only allowed to explain the current discrepancies in the literature concerning the effect of unitization on associative recognition, but also emphasized the importance of matching the level of unitization between the studied and rearranged word pairs.