Common Scenarios Research Articles

Steroids Induced Hyperglycemia: Its Effects and Management

Steroids are medications that have been widely utilized for a number of ailments, both acute and chronic. The action of endogenous steroids, nuclear hormones that penetrate cell membranes to bind to certain glucocorticoid receptors in the cytoplasm of target cells to form glucocorticoid-receptor (GR) complexes, is mimicked by synthetic glucocorticoids. The translocated activated GR complex regulates DNA transcription in the cell nucleus. The main factor for drug-induced hyperglycemia is steroids. They not only worsen hyperglycemia in those who already have diabetes mellitus (DM), but they can also lead to DM in people who've not previously experienced it. Their incidence can reach up to 46% of patients, and their glucose levels can rise by up to 68% over baseline. Steroid effects are often narrow and reversible. Drug-induced diabetes is supposed to go away as steroid doses are decreased because their impact on endocrine metabolism returns to normal; however, this is often not the case. The synthesis of lipolysis, proteolysis, and hepatic glucose is increased by glucocorticoids (GCs) because they act as a substrate for oxidative stress metabolism. A wide range of medical conditions has been treated with GCs. Although steroid-induced hyperglycemia has been proven to be medically effective, it is still a widespread and potentially dangerous issue that must be taken into consideration when administering any GC dose. The most common scenario requires the use of insulin, particularly when the serum glucose level is greater than 200 mg/dL.
 Keywords: Steroids, Glucocorticoids, Hyperglycemia, Resistance, Insulin

Scheduling Sparse LEO Satellite Transmissions for Remote Water Level Monitoring

This paper explores the use of low earth orbit (LEO) satellite links in long-term monitoring of water levels across remote areas. Emerging sparse LEO satellite constellations maintain sporadic connection to the ground station, and transmissions need to be scheduled for satellite overfly periods. For remote sensing, the energy consumption optimization is critical, and we develop a learning approach for scheduling the transmission times from the sensors. Our online learning-based approach combines Monte Carlo and modified k-armed bandit approaches, to produce an inexpensive scheme that is applicable to scheduling any LEO satellite transmissions. We demonstrate its ability to adapt in three common scenarios, to save the transmission energy 20-fold, and provide the means to explore the parameters. The presented study is applicable to wide range of IoT applications in areas with no existing wireless coverages.

Role of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis of benign vs. malignant tumor thrombus.

Hypercoagulable state is a complication of various infections, and inflammatory processes and is a common scenario in cancer patients also. Timely diagnosis and treatment are essential to reduce further complications in such patients. The present study aimed to assess the role of FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis of benign vs. malignant tumor thrombus and to determine cut-off SUVmax to differentiate them. We retrospectively reviewed all FDG PET/CT scans of patients done in our department from January 2017 to March 2022. All scans were reviewed by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians. A total of 135 patients who had venous or arterial thrombus in FDG PET/CT scans were included. All the FDG PET/CT scans of 135 patients were analyzed for primary tumor site and/or site of thrombus. Additional clinical data were collected for patients with benign conditions in the form of ESR and CRP if available and doubtful cases were followed up by HPE reports and/or CEMRI. The SUV max of the primary tumor(in cancer patients), thrombus, and background (aorta) were calculated. A total of 135 patients (108 cancer patients and 27 with benign thrombus) were included with an age range of 3 to 86 years (median 50 years). There were 91 males and 44 females. Of 108 cancer patients, the most common cancers were hepatocellular cancer - 38 (35.18%), renal cell cancer - 28(25.92%), and carcinoma of the thyroid - 6 (5.55%). Of 108 cancer patients, 36 (33.33%) had tumor thrombosis in inferior vena cava, 31 (28.70%) in the portal vein, and 41 (37.96%) in other vessels (renal vein, jugular vein, etc.). Of 27 patients with benign conditions,13 had venous thrombi, 11 had arterial thrombus and three had atrial thrombus and the most common thrombus sites were thoraco-abdominal aorta in seven (25.92%) and right atrium in three (11.11%) patients. In the subgroup of 108 oncological patients, the mean SUV max of the primary tumors was 17.67 (range 2.1-91.0; median 10.82), thrombi were 17.61 (range 2.14-90.11; median 14.56) and background was 5.29 (range 0.29-25.00; median 3.12). Of 27 patients with benign conditions, the mean SUV max of the thrombi was 11.09 (range 1.98-31; median 8.10) and the background was 9.80 (range 1.46-24.50; median 10.20) The ESR was raised in 13 of 26 patients (mean 35.84, range 10.98-62.00, median 35.00) and CRP was raised 22 of 26 patients (mean11.46, range 3.45-24.50, median 20.40). Upon plotting the receiver operating curve, a cutoff SUV max of 12.7 with a sensitivity of 62.96% and specificity of 77.77% was produced to demarcate tumor thrombus from benign thrombus. FDG PET/CT plays a significant role in the detection of thrombo-embolic disease and can differentiate benign thrombus from tumor thrombus.

Inversion of ERT-3D data using PSO and weighting functions

In the last decade, a new data acquisition technique has emerged in 3D electrical resistivity tomography studies, where the target to study is beneath a structure such as a building and it is not possible to use the traditional technique. This is a very common scenario when investigating urban areas or archaeological sites. The technique, called Perimeter Data Acquisition (PDA) in this paper, allows the acquisition of irregularly distributed data beneath structures. Although electrical anomalies can be detected, the solution does not correctly determine their vertical location because of the irregular distribution of the data and the lack of data towards the central portion of the survey region limited by the electrodes.The methodology presented here aims to improve the calculation of the vertical location of the anomalous bodies in the subsoil using weighting functions in conjunction with a stochastic inversion method called Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Three weighting functions defined from the theoretical depth of the arrays and the resistivity standard deviation were tested by using synthetic models and comparing the solutions between them and with non-weighted solutions. Finally, the algorithm and weighting functions were applied on a case study to compute the vertical location of a cavern beneath a Mayan pyramid.The results indicate that when using the PDA technique, it is necessary to employ a weighting function to obtain an acceptable and reasonable solution. It is found that the weighting function defined from the resistivity standard deviation allowed to determine with the least error the vertical characteristics of the anomalous bodies.

Black voices on gynecologic cancer: Understanding experiences.

e18680 Background: Structural racism and bias affects care of Black gynecologic cancer patients. Factors associated with disparities in Black cancer death rates have been associated with structural racism which has systematically limited the standard of living (wealth, housing, education, healthy food and healthcare) for Black people. Recent studies point to implicit bias, and lack of cultural sensitivity playing a significant role in the health outcomes of Black cancer patients. For instance, despite NCCN guidelines, oncologists underprescribe chemotherapy for older Black women with ovarian cancer and underdose chemotherapy for Black women with cervical cancer. Moreover, Black women dying from advanced uterine cancer are given pain medication at lower rates & there are disparities in palliative care utilization amongst Black patients with metastatic gynecologic cancer. The voices of Black patient advocates are frequently missing from research studies. By centering the voices of Black patient advocates, we can identify new means of addressing & positively impacting disparities within the clinical care spectrum (from diagnosis to survivorship). Our study group, Black Voices on Gynecologic Cancer: Understanding Experiences, aimed to identify common and unique scenarios of racism and bias in the experiences of Black patients with gynecologic cancer seeking medical attention. Methods: Focus groups were advertised using social media and partner patient advocacy organizations. We conducted five focus groups of 24 Black gynecologic cancer survivors using a Zoom platform. Key themes were identified through individual and group review of transcripts. Results: The themes that emerged from the focus groups included: (1) lack of communication and/or clarity in patient/provider communication - “… my first appointment with my gyn I did…share that…I'm having these hot flashes, night sweats…so he gave me some medicine, but… they´d never really addressed and had a conversation about like this is what your body will be experiencing…So, I really have been dependent on other women that have gone through this.”, (2) insufficient mental health support throughout and after treatment, (3) experiences with misdiagnosis (4) provider’s inadequate management of patient pain, (5) failure to mention clinical trials and (6) difficulty navigating insurance. Conclusions: Our study identified gaps in the care of Black gynecologic cancer patients. The second phase of BVOGUE will reduce structural barriers that prohibit authentic patient and community engagement around gynecologic cancer care and participation in academic research for Black cancer patients. We will pilot modules for both cancer education and research advocacy. This model will serve as a roadmap for all cancer centers creating action plans for engagement, inclusion, and participation.

Numerical modelling of the discharge behaviour of particles from a gas vessel

Particle-laden gas flows occur in a wide variety of process technologies. It is therefore a common safety scenario to understand how many particles will escape in the event of a leak or emergency pressure relief. Therefore, a vessel filled with gas and homogeneously dispersed solid particles was considered. The aim was to derive a model to describe the discharge of arbitrary spherical particles. For this purpose, multiple numerical simulations were performed with ANSYS CFX©. A cylindrical vessel with a volume of 2 m³, a 25 mm opening and a length to diameter ratio of 2 was considered. The system was considered adiabatic, isentropic, compressible, and subcritical with an ideal gas. The velocity field was described with a one-way Euler-Lagrange method. The particle density, particle size, the gas in the vessel, as well as the initial temperature and pressure in the vessel were varied. Based on a dimensional analysis a model was developed to estimate the discharged mass of particles. This model achieves a small mean absolute deviation from the simulation data of −0.03%. The prediction model is thus able to correctly represent all variables varied without having to carry out single complex numerical simulations. The model is the first model to derive the discharge behaviour of particles from pressure vessels.

Immune-related adverse events secondary to immunotherapy in oncology: A guide for general practice.

Immunotherapy has reshaped the prognoses for many cancers and is increasingly used in both metastatic andadjuvant settings. There is a high prevalence of immunotherapy side effects, or immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which can affect any organ. Some irAEs can cause permanent or prolonged morbidity and, in rare cases, may be fatal. irAEs can present with mild, non-specific symptoms, resulting in delays to identification and management. We aim to provide a general overview of immunotherapy and irAEs, highlighting common clinical scenarios and general principles of management. Cancer immunotherapy toxicity is an important clinical problem that is increasingly relevant to general practice, where patients with adverse events may first present. Early diagnosis and timely intervention are important in limiting the severity and morbidity of these toxicities. The management of irAEs should follow treatment guidelines, in consultation with patients' treating oncology teams.

Radio timing constraints on the mass of the binary pulsar PSR J1528−3146

Context. PSR J1528−3146 is a 60.8 ms pulsar orbiting a heavy white dwarf (WD) companion, with an orbital period of 3.18 d. The pulsar was discovered in the early 2000 s in a survey at 1.4 GHz of intermediate Galactic latitudes conducted with the Parkes radio telescope. The initial timing analysis of PSR J1528−3146, using data recorded from 2001 and 2004, did not reveal any relativistic perturbations to the orbit of the pulsar or to the propagation of its pulses. However, with an orbital eccentricity of ∼0.0002 and a large companion mass on the order of 1 M⊙, this system has been deemed likely to exhibit measurable perturbations. Aims. This work is aimed at characterizing the pulsar’s astrometric, spin, and orbital parameters by analyzing timing measurements conducted at the Parkes, MeerKAT, and Nançay radio telescopes over nearly two decades. The measurement of post-Keplerian perturbations to the pulsar’s orbit can be used to constrain the masses of the two component stars of the binary and, in turn, to offer insights into the history of the system. Methods. We analyzed timing data from the Parkes, MeerKAT, and Nançay radio telescopes collected over about 16 yr, obtaining a precise rotation ephemeris for PSR J1528−3146. A Bayesian analysis of the timing data was carried out to constrain the masses of the two components and the orientation of the orbit. We further analyzed the polarization properties of the pulsar to constrain the orientation of the magnetic axis and of the line of sight with respect to the spin axis. Results. We measured a significant rate of advance of periastron, for the first time, and we set constraints on the Shapiro delay in the system and on the rate of change of the projected semi-major axis of the pulsar’s orbit. The Bayesian analysis yielded measurements for the pulsar and companion masses of Mp = 1.61−0.13+0.14 M⊙ and Mc = 1.33−0.07+0.08 M⊙ (68% C.L.), respectively, confirming that the companion is indeed massive. This companion mass as well as other characteristics of PSR J1528−3146 indicate that this pulsar is very similar to PSR J2222−0137, a 32.8 ms pulsar orbiting a WD whose heavy mass (∼1.32 M⊙) has been considered unique among pulsar-WD systems until now. Our measurements suggest common evolutionary scenarios for PSRs J1528−3146 and J2222−0137.

Clinical pathways innovation: A lesson on the value of clinician based feedback and collaboration with Flatiron Health.

1578 Background: Clinical pathways have emerged as a strategy to provide value-based care by reducing treatment variation across oncology practice. Despite evidence for cost reduction and improved patient outcomes, adoption of clinical pathways has met resistance in the oncology community given concerns regarding the impact on workflow, and cost. Flatiron Assist, an EMR based pathways tool, is a promising solution to minimizing workflow friction by proving a novel, streamlined user interface. Methods: The Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania and Flatiron Health conducted a pilot study from August 2021-December 2022 to test the use of Flatiron Assist within its thoracic oncology practices. The goal of the pilot was to increase utilization as well as usability of the pathways tool over time through clinician and developer iterative collaboration. Penn’s clinical pathways were incorporated into the tool and integrated into the EMR. An education program trained clinicians on the tool’s functionality. Based on clinician feedback, the Penn team identified two areas of improvement for the tool: speed and organization of the tool keys and prompts. Changes made over time included: 1) increasing the speed of the tool 2) restructuring the organization of keys and prompts, and 3) creation of a “hot button” for three common clinical scenarios in order to increase efficiency. Speed of the application (session length in seconds), utilization of the hot button (number of sessions/overall sessions) and overall physician adoption (treatment ordering with Flatiron Assist/total thoracic orders) were calculated during the pilot. Results: Provider utilization of the pathways tool increased over time with a baseline adoption rate of 29% in August 2021 and a peak of 74% in April 2022. Median session length decreased over time from 106.4 seconds (August 2021) to 39.9 seconds (December 2022). Peak performance for session length was 38.2 seconds (November 2022). Usage of the hot button introduced in August 2022 has increased over time from 27.6% of sessions to 41.8 % in November 2022. Thoracic providers ordered, on average, 1.7 new treatment plans per week, resulting in less than 1.5 extra minutes of work per week with optimal use of the pathways tool. Conclusions: Collaboration between Penn and Flatiron Health effectively reduced specific areas of friction associated with the use of Flatiron Assist. Changes made to the speed, button organization and functionality of the tool contributed to increased clinician utilization over time. Future development of EMR based pathway tools should incorporate clinician engagement and feedback.

Secure and Efficient Authenticated Key Management Scheme for UAV-Assisted Infrastructure-Less IoVs

Nowadays, with the purpose of fulfilling the increasing demands for emerging extensive and ubiquitous accessibility to modern intelligent transportation systems (ITS), the conventional vehicle-to-everything (V2X) paradigms are progressively evolving into the Internet of vehicles (IoVs). As of now, substantial enhancements in IoV technologies have been witnessed, particularly in the era of vehicular data secure exchange and user privacy protection. On the other hand, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are envisioned to provide scalable and adaptive stereoscopic service coverage for IoV implementations. However, the existing approaches intended for the common scenarios mainly rely on the well-established local IoV infrastructures, whereas the specific infrastructure-less IoVs with dysfunctional edge facilities have not been properly investigated. Additionally, the related UAV-assisted IoV schemes still fail to independently perform the secure vehicular data transmission but rather as the auxiliary strategies due to the dependence on the assistance of local edge deployment. Therefore, the practical requirements of reliability and scalability in real-world IoV circumstances cannot be satisfied. In this paper, an efficient UAV certificateless group authentication mechanism is developed in order to facilitate the secure data transmission of infrastructure-less IoV. The proposed design deploys the tethered UAV (TUAV) as the specific mobilized base station so that the active edge IoV infrastructure is not needed. The security analysis regarding the key security features are presented first, followed by the performance evaluation. According to the comparison results with the existing designs, improvements in terms of computational cost and communication overhead for different phases can be demonstrated.

A novel framework for spatiotemporal groundwater pumping process estimation based on data-driven approaches

Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of pumping activities is crucial for effective water resource management. However, obtaining accurate pumping records is often challenging, particularly in areas without efficient groundwater withdrawal permit systems. In this study, we propose a novel approach for identifying pumping activities and estimating their associated pumping rates across space and time. Our data-driven approach integrates empirical orthogonal function (EOF) and Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) analyses on first-differenced head data to extract high-frequency head variations that are closely related to pumping activities. The identified pumping-associated head variations are used to estimate the on-and-off times of local pumping stations and their associated pumping-rate time series. We test our approach using a hypothetical aquifer with designed pumping and real precipitation time series. Our results show that the EOF analysis is able to distinguish pumping locations where distinct temporal head variabilities are present. HHT analysis is then able to effectively remove noise from the EOF-identified pumping-associated head variations. Compared to the designed pumping data, our results demonstrate that our proposed method is able to produce accurate pumping estimates in terms of both spatial and temporal distribution and total amounts. While our approach does have limitations, such as delayed and boundary effects, our results suggest that it can be an effective tool for pumping estimation in areas with relatively abundant head observations across space and time, which is a common scenario in Taiwan.

The Rendering of Foul Language in Spanish-English Subtitling: The Case of El Vecino

Audiovisual translation into English is recently gaining importance as the material produced in other languages is now increasingly crossing borders thanks to the internet. This article explores foul language, deemed one of the most problematic aspects of subtitling. The aim is to elucidate how this is normally subtitled into English. Drawing on a corpus of swearwords from Netflix Spanish comedy series El Vecino (Vigalondo, 2019‒2021), this paper examines the frequency of use of different translation techniques and the reasons behind the omission of certain instances of foul language. Results show that, while omitting swearwords is the second most common scenario, the most frequent one is transferring the offensive load of the original expression, with roughly 70 % of instances making it into the target product. As for factors influencing this decision, it was observed that overall swearwords are omitted not because they are offensive, but primarily because of their low narrative value, the subtitling’s vulnerability, and the interaction between swearwords and non-verbal elements. Time and space constraints of subtitling appear to have little impact. These results suggest that the potential influence of censorship and cultural differences on foul language omissions in English subtitles is presented as a possible research avenue.

Responsible Imputation of Missing Speech Perception Testing Data & Analysis of 4,739 Observations and Predictors of Performance.

To address outcome heterogeneity in cochlear implant (CI) research, we built imputation models using multiple imputation by chained equations (MICEs) and K-nearest neighbors (KNNs) to convert between four common open-set testing scenarios: Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant word (CNCw), Arizona Biomedical (AzBio) in quiet, AzBio +5, and AzBio +10. We then analyzed raw and imputed data sets to evaluate factors affecting CI outcome variability. Retrospective cohort study of a national CI database (HERMES) and a nonoverlapping single-institution CI database. Multi-institutional (32 CI centers). Adult CI recipients (n = 4,046 patients). Mean absolute error (MAE) between imputed and observed speech perception scores. Imputation models of preoperative speech perception measures demonstrate a MAE of less than 10% for feature triplets of CNCw/AzBio in quiet/AzBio +10 (MICE: MAE, 9.52%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.40-9.64; KNN: MAE, 8.93%; 95% CI, 8.83-9.03) and AzBio in quiet/AzBio +5/AzBio +10 (MICE: MAE, 8.85%; 95% CI, 8.68-9.02; KNN: MAE, 8.95%; 95% CI, 8.74-9.16) with one feature missing. Postoperative imputation can be safely performed with up to four of six features missing in a set of CNCw and AzBio in quiet at 3, 6, and 12 months postcochlear implantation using MICE (MAE, 9.69%; 95% CI, 9.63-9.76). For multivariable analysis of CI performance prediction, imputation increased sample size by 72%, from 2,756 to 4,739, with marginal change in adjusted R2 (0.13 raw, 0.14 imputed). Missing data across certain sets of common speech perception tests may be safely imputed, enabling multivariate analysis of one of the largest CI outcomes data sets to date.

The Role of Total Intravenous Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery

(Int J Obstet Anesth. 2022;51:103548) Neuraxial anesthesia is the most utilized anesthetic technique for obstetric purposes, but general anesthesia (GA) is sometimes used in cesarean deliveries (CD) and rare other scenarios. In obstetric GA cases, the most common scenario is an IV induction followed by maintenance through inhaled volatile halogenated anesthetic gas. Outside of obstetrics, total intravenous aesthesia (TIVA) is gaining popularity because it causes fewer environmental concerns and exhibits superior recovery when compared to inhaled anesthesia. However, there are also potential drawbacks and not much has been published regarding the use of TIVA for CD. This paper is a review of the evidence available regarding both the benefits and the barriers of TIVA for CDs.

Thermal Treatment of Trichloroethene by Electrical Resistance Heating: Visualization of Gas Production in Coarse Layers

The effective implementation of in situ thermal treatment (ISTT) technologies requires understanding of gas production and migration in heterogenous media. However, investigations of the effects of high permeability contrast on gas formation, accumulation, and migration, as well as its potential effect on the redistribution of dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL), are relatively rare. In this study, electrical resistance heating (ERH) experiments were conducted in a thin sand-packed cell to simulate common yet not well-studied scenarios encountered during ISTT applications, such as coarse lenses surrounded by finer material. Two packing configurations were employed: 2 mm glass beads surrounded by 20/30 silica sand and 20/30 silica sand overlaying 40/50 silica sand. Each experiment contained an emplaced pool of trichloroethene (TCE) within the coarse material. If permeable material or pathways were present between the coarse lens and the upper cell boundary, the gas migrated along these pathways, and local DNAPL redistribution was limited to near the top of the pool before it vaporized. In contrast, if the coarse material was surrounded by finer material and contained a sufficient volume of DNAPL, the gas accumulated inside the coarse lens leading to DNAPL displacement from the lens. For five selected DNAPLs, this volume was estimated to be 0.1% to 0.5% of the total pore volume of the coarse material. The conceptual model developed in this study improves our understanding of this common geological scenario, demonstrating the importance of considering both lower- and higher-permeability material and their effects on multiphase flow during co-boiling, as well as the design of gas extraction systems during ISTT applications.

Performance of unoccupied aerial application systems for aquatic weed management: Two novel case studies

AbstractUnoccupied aerial application systems (UAAS) are gaining popularity for weed management to increase applicator safety and to deliver herbicide treatments where treatment sites limit ground-based spray equipment. Several studies have documented UAAS application strategies and procedures for weed control in terrestrial settings, yet literature describing remote spray technology for use in aquatics remains limited. Currently, applicators seek guidance for UAAS deployment for aquatic weed management to overcome site access restrictions, deal with environmental limitations, and improve ground-based applicator safety in hazardous treatment scenarios. In the present case studies, we evaluate a consumer-available UAAS to deliver the herbicide, florpyrauxifen-benzyl, as both foliar and directed in-water spray applications. The first case study showed that the invasive floating-leaved plant, yellow floating heart, was controlled 80% to 99% by 6 wk after treatment (WAT) following UAAS foliar herbicide treatments. The second case study demonstrated that UAAS directed in-water herbicide application reduced variable-leaf watermilfoil visible plant material by 94% at 5 WAT. Likewise, directed in-water applications from UAAS eliminated the need to deploy watercraft, which improved overall operational efficiency. Data from both case studies indicate that UAAS can provide an effective and efficient treatment strategy for floating-leaved and submersed plant control among common herbicide treatment scenarios. Future integration of UAAS in aquatic weed control programs is encouraged, especially among smaller treatment sites (≤4 ha) or where access limits traditional spray operations.

Comparative evaluation of mitigation methods for traffic-induced reflective cracking in airport composite pavement

Composite pavement provides an effective and quick solution to restore structural and functional capacity of airfield pavement. However, discontinuities of concrete slabs cause initiation and propagation of reflective cracking in asphalt overlay. This study aims to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of mitigation methods for traffic-induced reflective cracking in airport composite pavements. Finite element (FE) models were developed and validated to predict pavement responses under heavy weight deflectometer (HWD) and aircraft tire loading. The load transfer efficiency (LTE) of existing rigid pavement were evaluated under common deterioration scenarios like base erosion and concrete damage. The crack potential was indicated by pseudo J-integral considering stress intensity factors (SIFs) of different fracture modes. The results show that thicker asphalt overlay, stress absorbing interlayer, and increase of LTE can help mitigate reflective cracking. Increasing 51-mm overlay (from 76 mm to 127 mm) and applying 25-mm interlayer show the similar reduction in reflective cracking fracture potential by about 35% at early crack stage. However, applying interlayer has more benefit on cost effectiveness and pavement elevation control. On the other hand, dowel bar retrofit and base treatment can improve LTE and thus reduce the crack potential at early crack stage of 76-mm overlay by 40% on doweled pavement and 60% on un-doweled pavement, respectively.

WebQUAST: online evaluation of genome assemblies.

Selecting proper genome assembly is key for downstream analysis in genomics studies. However, the availability of many genome assembly tools and the huge variety of their running parameters challenge this task. The existing online evaluation tools are limited to specific taxa or provide just a one-sided view on the assembly quality. We present WebQUAST, a web server for multifaceted quality assessment and comparison of genome assemblies based on the state-of-the-art QUAST tool. The server is freely available at https://www.ccb.uni-saarland.de/quast/. WebQUAST can handle an unlimited number of genome assemblies and evaluate them against a user-provided or pre-loaded reference genome or in a completely reference-free fashion. We demonstrate key WebQUAST features in three common evaluation scenarios: assembly of an unknown species, a model organism, and a close variant of it.

The Revolution of Animal Genomics in Forensic Sciences.

Nowadays, the coexistence between humans and domestic animals (especially dogs and cats) has become a common scenario of daily life. Consequently, during a forensic investigation in civil or criminal cases, the biological material from a domestic animal could be considered "evidence" by law enforcement agencies. Animal genomics offers an important contribution in attacks and episodes of property destruction or in a crime scene where the non-human biological material is linked to the victim or perpetrator. However, only a few animal genetics laboratories in the world are able to carry out a valid forensic analysis, adhering to standards and guidelines that ensure the admissibility of data before a court of law. Today, forensic sciences focus on animal genetics considering all domestic species through the analysis of STRs (short tandem repeats) and autosomal and mitochondrial DNA SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). However, the application of these molecular markers to wildlife seems to have gradually gained a strong relevance, aiming to tackle illegal traffic, avoid the loss of biodiversity, and protect endangered species. The development of third-generation sequencing technologies has glimmered new possibilities by bringing "the laboratory into the field", with a reduction of both the enormous cost management of samples and the degradation of the biological material.

535 Influence of Covid-19 Pandemic Conditions on the Features of Pediatric Minor Burn Injuries

Abstract Introduction Majority of pediatric burns are minor injuries. Social life changes due to Covid-19 pandemic may have influenced their characteristics. We compared the features of pediatric burn cases which were treated as outpatients at our center before and during Covid-19 pandemic. Methods The records of 658 patients were reviewed. The study group was evaluated in two groups; Group I: patients-treated between March 2018 and February 2020 (pre-pandemic) (n=350), Group II: patients-treated between March 2020 and February 2022(Pandemic) (n=308). Data collected for each case were age; sex; insurance status, place of residence; burn-causes, extent of burns; body-site affected; time and environment where the injury occurred, time-interval between occurrence of injury and admissions to the burn-center; (mean± SE, p<.05). Results Mean age (years) was 4,32±0,24 for Group I, it was 4,32±0,18 for Group II; male:female ratio was 0,87:1 in Group I, it was 1,1: 1 in Group II; mean total surface area burned was 1,94±0,14 % (min:0,5, max:16) in Group I, and it was 1,98±0,26% (min:0,1 max: 16,1) in Group II (p>.05). Most of the patients were from urban areas and were covered by social security system in both groups (p>.05). Injuries occurred between 06:00 and 18:00 in 63,7% of Group I and in 62,6% of Group II (p>.05). The most common scenario was the domestic environment for both groups with a rise in rates of outdoor-burns Group II (p<.05) and this rise was observed during the ‘new normal’ period, but not during the ‘lock-down’(p< .05). The most common burn-cause was the scalds for both groups (p >.05). Hands, trunk, head and neck regions were less frequently involved in group II (p<.05). Rates of direct admission were similar for both, but children in Group II were more frequently brought to our burn center on the day of injury (p<.05). Conclusions The decrease in injuries to hands, trunk, head and neck, and the increase in admissions on the day of injury were remarkable during pandemic period. These results may be clues for enhanced care-giver precautions against injuries during ‘stay home’ days. Increased frequency of outdoor burns during ‘new normal’ may indicate the negative effects of this new unfamiliar social life on care-giver watchfulness. However, increased admissions on the day of the injury may be influenced both by the changing social conditions of care-givers and the uninterrupted service of our burn center while others were serving for covid-19 patients rather than burn victims. Applicability of Research to Practice This study helped to make recommendations for evidence-based interventions to decrease factors associated with pediatric minor burn injuries before, during and after pandemic