Complete Data Set Research Articles

The Use of Diuretics in Infants with Established or Evolving Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Its Impact on the Duration of Home Oxygen Therapy.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), defined according to the level of respiratory support and supplemental oxygen administered at 36 weeks postmenstrual age, has multi-factorial causes. Diuretics have been used to prevent or treat established BPD and are the most frequently prescribed medication for the management of severe BPD. There is significant variation in the use of diuretics, and there is limited evidence showing improvement in medium to long term outcomes. We explored whether the use of diuretics in infants with BPD reduced the duration of HoT in a service that uses a unified protocol-driven pathway to monitor and wean HoT. A retrospective cohort study of 281 infants with BPD discharged home with oxygen therapy between 2001 and 2018. Of the 281 infants, 154 had complete data sets and were included in the study population. Forty-nine infants (31.8%) were exposed to at least one diuretic, and 105 infants (68.2%) were not exposed to any. There was no difference in the duration of HoT in infants exposed to diuretics compared to those who were unexposed. Infants exposed to diuretics had a significantly longer length of stay (LoS) in the hospital compared to unexposed infants (P < .001). We conclude that in a setting of a service in which diuretics are actively discontinued post-discharge and in which weaning of HoT is driven by a unified protocol, the use of diuretics pre-discharge does not reduce the duration of HoT.

Multiple Data Imputation Methods Advance Risk Analysis and Treatability of Co-occurring Inorganic Chemicals in Groundwater.

Accurately assessing and managing risks associated with inorganic pollutants in groundwater is imperative. Historic water quality databases are often sparse due to rationale or financial budgets for sample collection and analysis, posing challenges in evaluating exposure or water treatment effectiveness. We utilized and compared two advanced multiple data imputation techniques, AMELIA and MICE algorithms, to fill gaps in sparse groundwater quality data sets. AMELIA outperformed MICE in handling missing values, as MICE tended to overestimate certain values, resulting in more outliers. Field data sets revealed that 75% to 80% of samples exhibited no co-occurring regulated pollutants surpassing MCL values, whereas imputed values showed only 15% to 55% of the samples posed no health risks. Imputed data unveiled a significant increase, ranging from 2 to 5 times, in the number of sampling locations predicted to potentially exceed health-based limits and identified samples where 2 to 6 co-occurring chemicals may occur and surpass health-based levels. Linking imputed data to sampling locations can pinpoint potential hotspots of elevated chemical levels and guide optimal resource allocation for additional field sampling and chemical analysis. With this approach, further analysis of complete data sets allows state agencies authorized to conduct groundwater monitoring, often with limited financial resources, to prioritize sampling locations and chemicals to be tested. Given existing data and time constraints, it is crucial to identify the most strategic use of the available resources to address data gaps effectively. This work establishes a framework to enhance the beneficial impact of funding groundwater data collection by reducing uncertainty in prioritizing future sampling locations and chemical analyses.

Micronutrient Status During Military Training and Associations With Musculoskeletal Health, Injury, and Readiness Outcomes.

Micronutrient status, specifically vitamin D and iron, represent modifiable factors for optimizing military readiness. The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine associations between micronutrient deficiency (i.e.,iron status and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D]) and operationally relevant outcomes (i.e.,skeletal health, musculoskeletal injury) at baseline and post-10weeks of arduous military training. A total of 227 (177 men, 50 women) Marine Officer Candidates School (OCS) candidates who completed OCS training with complete data sets were included in this analysis. Vitamin D and iron status indicators were collected at two timepoints, pre (baseline) and post OCS. Musculoskeletal outcomes at the mid- and proximal tibial diaphysis were assessed via peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Micronutrient status declined following OCS training in men and women and was associated with musculoskeletal outcomes including greater bone strength (strength strain index) at the mid-diaphysis site in those with optimal status (M = 38.26mm3, SE = 15.59) versus those without (M = -8.03mm3, SE = 17.27). In women (p = .037), endosteal circumference was greater in the deficient group (M = 53.26mm, SE = 1.19) compared with the optimal group (M = 49.47mm, SE = 1.31) at the proximal diaphysis. In men, greater baseline hepcidin concentrations were associated with an increased likelihood of suffering musculoskeletal injury during training. Vitamin D and iron status declined over the course of training, suggesting impaired micronutrient status. Differences in musculoskeletal outcomes by micronutrient group suggests optimal vitamin D and ferritin concentrations may exert beneficial effects on bone fatigability and fracture reduction during military training.

A systematic study of sheep faeces to be used as an alternative inoculum source in the Hohenheim gas test

ABSTRACT In vitro studies of gas production (GP) using rumen fluid obtained from rumen-cannulated animals are common in feed evaluation for ruminants. The objective was to compare sheep faeces with rumen fluid from dairy cows as inocula in the Hohenheim gas test (HGT) using a large number of different-quality feeds. It then was evaluated whether GP obtained by using rumen inoculum (RI-GP) can be estimated from GP using faecal inoculum (FI-GP). Ninety feeds for ruminants including roughages (n = 27), total mixed rations (n = 6), commercial compound feeds for dairy cows (n = 18), cereal grains (n = 10), energy-rich by-products (n = 5), legume grains (n = 6), oilseed meals (n = 6), and other protein-rich feeds (n = 12) were incubated with either rumen inoculum (RI) or faecal inoculum (FI), and GP was recorded at 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. Nonlinear equations were fitted to the GP data to determine GP kinetic parameters. Correlations between RI-GP and FI-GP were calculated for different time points. Linear regressions were calculated to estimate RI-GP from FI-GP using the entire data set or subsets of roughages and concentrates. GP kinetic parameters were lower for all feed categories when incubated with FI instead of RI. On average of all feed samples, the potential GP was 9 mL/200 mg dry matter (DM) lower and the rate of GP was 3.1%/h lower with FI than RI. The estimation of kinetic data for FI included a lag phase of 1.51 h on average, whereas no lag phase was estimated for RI. Estimated parameters indicated an overall lower fermentation activity of FI than RI. However, there was a very similar progression of GP curves of RI-GP and FI-GP. RI-GP after 24 h was significantly correlated with FI-GP in the time period of 24 to 60 h (r = 0.973 – 0.982, including all feed samples). Linear regression analysis showed that RI-GP after 24 h can be estimated from FI-GP after 24 h (Slope = 1.02, R2 = 0.97) and 48 h (Slope = 1.1, R2 = 0.97) including the complete data set. Splitting the data set into roughages and concentrate feeds did not lead to distinctly higher estimation accuracy. In conclusion, sheep faeces can be used as an alternative inoculum for studying a wide range of different-quality feedstuffs. The standard gas test may be modified without the need for rumen-cannulated animals.

Influence of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease on 3-year clinical outcomes in patients with AMI treated by contemporary PCI and optimal medical therapy; insights from J-MINUET study

Abstract Background The influence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) on long-term outcomes following AMI in the era of modern primary PCI with optimal-medical-therapy (OMT) is still in debate. Methods A total of 3,281 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were enrolled in the J-MINUET registry with primary PCI of 93.1% in STEMI Consecutive patients hospitalized within 48 h of onset of AMI at 28 Japanese medical institutions were enrolled in the J-MINUET study (UMIN000010037). AKI was defined as an increase in serum-creatinine ≥0.3mg/dL or ≥50% within-48h during-hospitalization. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration-rate [eGFR]&amp;lt;60mL/min/1.73m2. Major adverse cardiac event (MACE) was defined as a composite of all-cause death, cardiac-failure, MI and stroke. Patients were divided into 4 groups based on the presence or absence of CKD and the occurrence or non-occurrence of AKI. The parameters were assessed by the Cox proportional hazards model. Differences were considered statistically significant at P&amp;lt;0.05. Results Of the 3,281 patients with AMI, 3220 patients had complete data set. The average age was 69±13 years old and 75.3% of the patients were male. Of the 3220 patients, 1375 patients had CKD (42.7%) and AKI occurred in 365 patients (11.3%) during the initial hospital stay. AKI more frequently occurred in 305 CKD patients (22.2%) than 60 non-CKD patients (3.3%) (p&amp;lt;0.0001). A total of 898 MACE occurred (27.4%) during follow-up period (median of 768days). Kaplan-Meier curves illustrated event-free survival for MACE over 3 years stratified by the 4 groups (Figure). Conclusions While both CKD without AKI and non-CKD with AKI showed similar effect on the incidence of MACE, the worst clinical outcome was observed in patients having AKI on pre-existed CKD.

Up-titration of Guideline Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT) and the occurrence of side effects in Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF)

Abstract Background The ESC Guidelines recommend early, full-dose use of heart failure (HF) medications to enhance survival, but real-world application often faces delays and inconsistencies. Clinicians often fear side effects during up-titration to the recommended target dose (TD), i.e. hypotension, bradycardia, renal impairment, and hyperkalemia (HK). The dependency of side effects during dose escalation from the severity of HF remains unclear. Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the occurrence of side effects during up-titration of HF medication and HF severity reflected by N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Methods 425 patients with HFrEF and a complete data set of patient characteristics, medications and laboratory values at baseline (BL), 2 months (2M), and 6 months (6M) were included from our outpatient HF unit's prospective registry. Significant side effects were defined as: systolic blood pressure (SBP) &amp;lt;90mmHg, heart rate (HR) &amp;lt;50 beats per minute (bpm), potassium (K) &amp;gt;5.0mmol/l or K &amp;gt;5,5mmol/l and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) &amp;lt;30ml/min/1.73m2. Patients were categorized into three risk groups based on their NT-proBNP levels, i.e. low-risk with NT-proBNP &amp;lt;1000pg/ml, medium-risk with NT-proBNP 1000-2000pg/ml or high-risk with NT-proBNP &amp;gt;2000pg/ml. The occurrence of side effects was recorded and the development compared among the HF risk groups. Results Figure 1 shows up-titration of HF medication. Mean daily dosages of betablockers (BB), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) and renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors (RASi) increased significantly during follow-up (BL vs 2M and BL vs 6M, p&amp;lt;0.001 for all). The majority of patients received ≥50% of the recommended TDs at 6M (89% for BB, 83% for MRA, 88% for RASi and 91% for total mean TDs ≥50%), and the achieved daily dosages at 6M were largely comparable across the HF risk groups at 6M, except for RASi (p=0.030). Figure 2 depicts the side effects. Side effects developed almost exclusively at short-term within 2M except for lower SBP (Figure 2A). Newly developed side effects occurring after up-titration (2B) were even more rare and predominantly occurred within the highest NT-proBNP group. The occurrence of hypotension and bradycardia was infrequent and comparable within the HF risk groups. Renal dysfunction (at 6M p=0,041) and HK occurred predominantly in higher risk patients (HK at 2M p=0,001 and at 6M p&amp;lt;0,001). Conclusions Up-titration of HF medications is highly feasible, particularly in low- and medium-risk patients. Despite rare side effects such as hyperkalemia and renal impairment, up-titration remains unimpeded, especially in patients with NT-proBNP levels below 2000pg/ml. These findings emphasize the safety of up-titration in HF.

How Much Does Prosthetic Joint Infection and Its Successful Treatment Affect Patient-reported Quality of Life?

Uncomplicated joint replacement improves pain and other patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) such as joint function scores and quality-of-life measures. However, the overall impact of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and its successful treatment on PROMs is poorly defined. In this study, we describe quality-of-life scores using the 12-item Short Form survey, version 2 (SF-12v2), collected as part of a large, prospective, observational study of PJI. (1) Do patients with newly diagnosed PJI have lower quality-of-life scores than the general age-matched population? (2) Are lower quality-of-life scores for patients with PJI sustained for ≥ 12 months? (3) What factors are associated with a good functional outcome at 12 months, defined by achieving a physical component summary (PCS) score of > 50 on the SF-12v2 (that is, above the age-adjusted population mean) or an increase of > 8.9 or more from baseline? The PIANO (Prosthetic joint Infection in Australia and New Zealand, Observational study) cohort was a prospective, longitudinal, multicenter cohort study of 783 patients with newly diagnosed PJI recruited across 27 centers between July 2014 and December 2017. All participants were followed for 2 years. SF-12v2 scores were collected at diagnosis (baseline) and 3, 12, and 24 months after diagnosis. Treatment success was defined as being alive with no clinical or microbiological evidence of infection and no ongoing use of antibiotics for the index joint. After exclusion of 6.6% (52) who had died, 4.2% (33) with PJI of joints other than hips and knees, and those with incomplete data sets (200 [25.5%]), 498 patients had complete SF-12v2 data sets available. At baseline, the median (IQR) PCS score was 37 (30 to 46), which increased to 41 (34 to 49; p < 0.001) at 12 months. Both measures were lower than those for the general age-matched population norm. There was no further improvement in PCS scores between 12 and 24 months. By contrast, the median (IQR) mental component summary score of the SF-12v2 was similar to age-adjusted population norms (48 [37 to 57]) at baseline. Only 40% of patients with PJI achieved a good functional outcome at 12 months. After adjustment for other factors, treatment success of PJI increased the odds of a good functional outcome by 67% (95% CI 11% to 154%; p = 0.02). PJIs have a large effect on the PCS score of the SF-12v2 quality-of-life measure at baseline, which is sustained for at least 2 years. Successful treatment of PJI increases the likelihood of a good functional outcome. These data can be used to set expectations for patients presenting with PJI and can be used to inform future clinical studies in which quality-of-life measures are incorporated into clinical endpoints. Level II, therapeutic study.

Digital image correlation and infrared thermography data for seven unique geometries of 304L stainless steel

Material Testing 2.0 (MT2.0) is a paradigm that advocates for the use of rich, full-field data, such as from digital image correlation and infrared thermography, for material identification. By employing heterogeneous, multi-axial data in conjunction with sophisticated inverse calibration techniques such as finite element model updating and the virtual fields method, MT2.0 aims to reduce the number of specimens needed for material identification and to increase confidence in the calibration results. To support continued development, improvement, and validation of such inverse methods—specifically for rate-dependent, temperature-dependent, and anisotropic metal plasticity models—we provide here a thorough experimental data set for 304L stainless steel sheet metal. The data set includes full-field displacement, strain, and temperature data for seven unique specimen geometries tested at different strain rates and in different material orientations. Commensurate extensometer strain data from tensile dog bones is provided as well for comparison. We believe this complete data set will be a valuable contribution to the experimental and computational mechanics communities, supporting continued advances in material identification methods.

Genomics of historical museum collections clarifies species diversity in Cuban hutias (Capromys)

Abstract Specimen-based taxonomic research is essential for understanding diversity and setting management frameworks for threatened mammal faunas, and ancient DNA techniques are increasingly used to extract information from taxonomically relevant historical specimens. The largest survivors of the depleted Caribbean mammal fauna are hutias in the genus Capromys, which is usually interpreted as containing a single species, C. pilorides. Previous studies have demonstrated genetic differentiation of Capromys populations across Cuba, but infrageneric species diversity and nomenclature remain unclear. We conducted ancient DNA analysis of historical Capromys samples using cytochrome b and complete mitogenome data sets, and including the 19th-century holotypes of 2 species now considered synonyms, C. fournieri and C. geayi. Our analyses identify distinct western and central/eastern Capromys clades that diverged 1.75 Mya based upon mitogenome data. These clades are separated by the Havana–Matanzas Channel, which represented a barrier to dispersal throughout the Neogene–Quaternary. Divergence date comparisons with other hutia species provide support for interpreting divergence between Capromys populations as species-level differentiation. Although we were unable to yield amplifiable DNA from the C. fournieri holotype, our analyses confidently assign the C. geayi holotype to the western Capromys clade. We therefore recognize 2 extant Capromys species: C. geayi (western Cuba) and C. pilorides (central/eastern Cuba and Cayman Islands).

Evaluating an early social communication intervention for young children with Down syndrome (ASCEND): results from a feasibility randomised control trial

BackgroundThis paper reports the results from a feasibility trial of an early parent-delivered social communication intervention for young children with Down syndrome (‘ASCEND’). The intervention focuses on developing children’s early social communication skills, in particular responding to shared attention. The aim was to inform the feasibility of running a full-scale trial through National Health Service (NHS) Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) services, to assess whether the intervention is effective in improving language skills before children with Down syndrome start school.MethodsThis was a two-arm feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT), with 1:1 randomisation stratified by trial site, comparing the intervention plus standard NHS SaLT provision with standard NHS SaLT alone. We recruited 20 children with Down syndrome aged between 11 and 36 months through 3 NHS SaLT services, 19 of whom were randomised (10 — intervention group, 9 —control group). Pre- and post-intervention and 6-month follow-up assessments included language, social communication skills, adaptive behaviour, quality of life (parents and children), parental anxiety and depression. The intervention was parent delivered with parents having access to SaLT services and the research team during the intervention. Data were collected on recruitment and retention, standard care, treatment fidelity, acceptability of the intervention by the parents and speech and language therapists, feasibility of collecting health economic measures and suitability of the primary outcome measure.ResultsThe sample was sufficient for a feasibility study. The intervention (manual, support, materials) was positively received by the participating parents. Speech and language therapists also evaluated the acceptability of the intervention positively. Treatment fidelity which was measured by completion of weekly parent diaries and two adherence phone call was acceptable as 100% of the parent diaries were returned, over 90% of the parental diaries were completed correctly and 100% of adherence phone calls were completed. Retention was acceptable at 84% overall. The preliminary health economic data suggest that this intervention will be low cost. The sample size calculation suggests that 290 participants would need to be recruited, with 228 having a complete data set, for a full RCT.ConclusionBased on recruitment, retention and treatment fidelity, as well as the acceptability of the intervention to parents and speech and language therapists, a full-scale trial would be feasible in order to assess the effectiveness of the intervention.Trial registrationISRCTN13902755, registered on 25th August 2020, http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN13902755

Childhood growth of singletons conceived following intracytoplasmic sperm injection - irrelevance of gonadotropin stimulation.

In conventional, gonadotropin stimulated, in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (c-IVF/ICSI) growth and development of multiple follicles is induced by gonadotropins, combined with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or antagonist. In recent studies, singletons conceived after c-IVF/ICSI cycles had lower birth weight not only than spontaneously conceived children but also children born after unstimulated natural IVF/ICSI cycles (NC-IVF/ICSI). Lower birth weight is associated with a catch-up growth within the first years of life. Following the Barker hypothesis accelerated growth has been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases later in life. The aim of the study is to assess, if children conceived with NC-IVF/ICSI have a higher birthweight and therefore do not show a catch-up growth within the first two years. Therefore, we assume that children born after NC-IVF/ICSI have a better long-term cardiometabolic risk profile. Whether the weight- and height gain is comparable to spontaneously conceived children is unknown, since to our knowledge we are the first study to investigate the longitudinal growth of children born after unstimulated natural cycle ICSI (NC-ICSI). We conducted a single-center, prospective cohort study (2010-2017) including children (n = 139) born after NC-ICSI or c-ICSI treatment. Growth parameters up to 24 months were collected. Standard deviation scores based on growth references were calculated. The study included 98 children in the NC-ICSI and 41 children in the c-ICSI group. The median birth weight in NC-ICSI children was 3.4 kg [0.1 standard deviation score (SDS)] compared to 3.3 kg (-0.3 SDS) in c-ICSI children (p = 0.61). Median length at birth was 50 cm in both groups (NC-ICSI (-0.5 SDS), c-ICSI children (-0.8 SDS), p = 0.48). At age 24 months, median weight in NC-ICSI children was 12.2 kg (0.3 SDS) versus 12.2 kg (0.2 SDS) in c-ICSI children (p = 0.82) and median length 87.5 cm (0.1 SDS) versus 88.0 cm (0.4 SDS) (p = 0.43). We found no difference in growth between children conceived after stimulated and unstimulated ICSI. Growth parameters of both treatment groups did not differ from Swiss national growth references (N = 8500). One of the main limitations of our study was the small sample size (N = 139) of complete data sets over time and the high drop-out rate of 49% (68/139). Nevertheless, with the increasing number of children born after IVF/ICSI every year it is of immense importance to search for possibilities to reduce their long-term cardiometabolic risk and we want our data to contribute to this discussion.

Fluorescent Water-Soluble Polycationic Chitosan Polymers as Markers for Biological 3D Imaging.

Over the last decades, various tissue-clearing techniques have broken the ground for the optical imaging of whole organs and whole-organisms, providing complete representative data sets of three-dimensional biological structures. Along with advancements in this field, the development of fluorescent markers for staining vessels and capillaries has offered insights into the complexity of vascular networks and their impact on disease progression. Here we describe the use of a modified water-soluble chitosan linked to cyanine dyes in combination with ethyl cinnamate-based optical tissue clearing for the 3D visualization of tissue vasculature in depth. The water-soluble fluorescent Chitosans have proven to be an optimal candidate for labeling both vessels and capillaries ex vivo thanks to their increased water solubility, high photostability, and optical properties in the near-infrared window. In addition, the nontoxicity of these markers broadens their applicability to in vitro and in vivo biological applications. Despite the availability of other fluorescent molecules for vascular staining, the present study, for the first time, demonstrates the potential of fluorescent chitosans to depict vessels at the capillary level and opens avenues for advancing the diagnostic field by reducing the complexity and costs of the currently available procedures.

Bodily growth and the intervertebral disc: a longitudinal MRI study in healthy adolescents

BACKGROUND CONTEXTLow back pain (LBP) among children and adolescents is a growing global concern. Disc degeneration (DD) is considered a significant factor in the clinical symptom of LBP. Both LBP and DD become more prevalent as adolescents transition into emerging adulthood. However, the relationship between growth during the pubertal growth spurt and the morphology of lumbar discs has yet to be elucidated. PURPOSEThis study aimed to assess the relationship between bodily growth during the pubertal growth spurt and the morphology of lumbar discs at age 18. STUDY DESIGNThis study was a prospective longitudinal cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLEA randomly selected cohort of healthy children was examined at ages 8, 11, and 18. Participants with complete data sets (semi-structured interview, anthropometric measurements and lumbar spine MRI) at age 11 and 18 were included in this analysis (n=59). OUTCOME MEASURESThe morphological characteristics of lumbar discs were evaluated on MRI. Anthropometric measures including height, sitting height and weight were obtained to calculate the Body Surface Area (BSA) and the Body Mass Index (BMI). METHODSThe morphology of the lumbar discs was evaluated on T2-weighted mid-sagittal MRI using the Pfirrmann classification. A disc with a Pfirrmann grade of 3 or higher was considered degenerated at age 18. The relationship between relative growth between ages 11 and 18 (adjusted to sex and baseline values) and DD at age 18 was assessed. To analyze the relationship between the relative increase in BSA and DD, the participants were categorized into three equal-sized categories (tertiles). For all other anthropometric measures, the analysis was based on the relative increase in each measure between ages 11 and 18. RESULTSIn the highest tertile of relative increase in BSA (≥43%), 76% of participants had at least 1 disc with a Pfirrmann grade 3 or higher at age 18 while only 10% and 21% of participants in the lowest and medium tertiles had DD, respectively. The sex- and baseline-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for DD at age 18 for every additional 10% increase in BSA was 1.08 (1.02–1.15). The sex- and baseline-adjusted OR (95% CI) for DD at age 18 was 10.5 (1.60–68.7) and 7.92 (1.19–52.72) with every additional 10% increase in height and sitting height, respectively. For every additional 10% increase in weight, the adjusted OR for DD at age 18 was 1.51 (1.12–2.04) and for BMI 1.05 (1.01–1.09). CONCLUSIONSMore relative growth between ages 11 and 18 is significantly associated with the occurrence of DD in emerging adulthood. Among the measures investigated, height and sitting height are nonmodifiable. Maintaining an ideal body weight during the pubertal growth spurt may be beneficial for the health of the lumbar discs.

Integrated seismic, petrophysical, and geochemical studies for evaluating the petroleum system of the Upper Bahariya-Abu Roash G sequence in the Karama Field, Abu Gharadig Basin, North Western Desert, Egypt

The main aim of this study is to delineate the hydrocarbon potential and evaluate the petroleum system elements of the Cenomanian Abu Roash G (AR/G) and the Upper Bahariya Members in the Karama Field. It lies at the southeast borders of the Abu Gharadig Basin, a well-known basin in the W.D. to the NE of Africa. We accomplish this study by analyzing a total of thirty 2D seismic profiles, a complete data set of well logs for five wells, and their geochemical data. The workflow starts with illustrating the dominant subsurface structural features, defining the main potential reservoirs and their parameters, and checking the maturity of the probable source rocks. The seismic interpretation indicated that the research area had been influenced by a NE-SW anticlinal structure accompanied by a set of WNW-ESE and NW-SE normal faults that are controlled by the positive compression inversion process that dominated during the Late Cretaceous. Analyzing and processing the well log data sets suggest that the reservoirs of the Abu Roash G (AR/G) and the Upper Bahariya Members are characterized by poor to good reservoir settings with net-pay thickness reaching up to 13–50 feet in the different wells (av. Effective porosity (∅eff) = 17.7 % and 15.6% for the AR/G and the Upper Bahariya Members, av. Shale volume (Vsh) = 17.4 % and 13.6 %, av. Water saturation (Sw) = 38.9 % and 39.8 %, while av. Hydrocarbon saturation values (So) = 60.2 % and 61.1%, respectively). The geochemical and maturity analyses assisted in determining the potential mature source rocks of the Jurassic Khatatba Shale (TOC = 0.70–5.67%; S1+S2 = 0.43–5.97 mg/g, Ro = 0.54–1.06 %) with some contribution from the Cretaceous sources (Alam El-Bueib and Bahariya Formations). Studying elements of the petroleum regime of the Karama Field indicates that the trapped hydrocarbons are structurally controlled by three-way dip closures, horst blocks, sealing faults, and vertical sealing by impervious shale and limestone beds. This case study could be applied to similar analogs in other oil fields in the Egyptian Western Desert to delineate their hydrocarbon potential and structural setting.

The German Lipoprotein Apheresis Registry-Summary of the eleventh annual report

BackgroundIn 2012, the German Lipoprotein Apheresis Registry (GLAR) was launched. Real-world data on lipoprotein apheresis (LA) treatment are now available for a time period of 11 years. All patients received the maximally tolerated lipid-lowering therapy, which included statins, ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, and either proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) antibodies or antisense therapy. Methods and ResultsDuring the time period from 2012 to 2022, 92 German apheresis centers collected retrospective and prospective observational data of a total of 2,301 patients undergoing regular lipoprotein apheresis (LA) treatment of hypercholesterolemia or/and Lp(a)-hyperlipoproteinemia suffering from progressive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), with complete data sets of 1.125 patients, who were the subject of this analysis. More than 61,500 LA sessions are documented in the database. In 2022, all patients treated with LA demonstrated a significant immediate median reduction rate of LDL-C (68.8 %) and Lp(a) (72.9 %). Patient data were analyzed for the incidence rate of major coronary events (MACE) 1 and 2 years before the beginning of LA treatment (y-2 and y-1) and prospectively up to eleven years on LA treatment (y+1 to y+11). During the first two years of LA treatment (y+1 and y+2), a MACE reduction of 73 % was observed and continued to be low during y+3 to y+11, when all LA patients were analyzed. LA patients with only increased Lp(a) levels (Lp(a) ≥ 60 mg/dl (≥120 nmol/l) and an LDL-C < 100 mg/dl (<2.6 mmol/l)) had a higher MACE reduction (85 %; n = 443) in the first two years of LA treatment compared to LA patients with only increased LDL-C-levels (LDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dl (≥2.6 mmol/l); Lp(a) < 60 mg/dl (<120 nmol/l)) (53 %; n = 171). Adverse events of LA remained low (about 5 %) over the eleven years and mainly represented puncture problems (1.0 %). No side effects resulted in termination of LA therapy. ConclusionsThe current analysis of GLAR data indicates that regular LA leads to very low incidence rates of cardiovascular events in patients with high LDL-C and/or high Lp(a) levels, progressive ASCVD, and maximally tolerated lipid-lowering medication, including proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibition. Additionally, LA was safe with a low rate of adverse effects over an 11-year period. The number of enrolled patients and the duration of observation establish GLAR as the largest LA registry worldwide.

Investigating the missing-wedge problem in small-angle X-ray scattering tensor tomography across real and reciprocal space.

Small-angle-scattering tensor tomography is a technique for studying anisotropic nanostructures of millimetre-sized samples in a volume-resolved manner. It requires the acquisition of data through repeated tomographic rotations about an axis which is subjected to a series of tilts. The tilt that can be achieved with a typical setup is geometrically constrained, which leads to limits in the set of directions from which the different parts of the reciprocal space map can be probed. Here, we characterize the impact of this limitation on reconstructions in terms of the missing wedge problem of tomography, by treating the problem of tensor tomography as the reconstruction of a three-dimensional field of functions on the unit sphere, represented by a grid of Gaussian radial basis functions. We then devise an acquisition scheme to obtain complete data by remounting the sample, which we apply to a sample of human trabecular bone. Performing tensor tomographic reconstructions of limited data sets as well as the complete data set, we further investigate and validate the missing wedge problem by investigating reconstruction errors due to data incompleteness across both real and reciprocal space. Finally, we carry out an analysis of orientations and derived scalar quantities, to quantify the impact of this missing wedge problem on a typical tensor tomographic analysis. We conclude that the effects of data incompleteness are consistent with the predicted impact of the missing wedge problem, and that the impact on tensor tomographic analysis is appreciable but limited, especially if precautions are taken. In particular, there is only limited impact on the means and relative anisotropies of the reconstructed reciprocal space maps.

Boundary points guided 3D object detection for point clouds

3D object detection in LiDAR point clouds is crucial for computer vision tasks such as autonomous driving. The two-stage approach with point cloud completion achieves remarkable performance by generating semantic surface points for foreground objects or learning bird’s eye view shape heat map labels. However, these methods require additional completion datasets, leading to substantial computation and memory demands. In this context, we propose a Boundary Points Guided 3D (BPG3D) object detection method that complements point cloud boundary information without the need for additional data. Specifically, we generate Region of Interest (RoI) boundary points to aggregate the neighbor voxel information at the RoI boundary during the refinement stage to complement the missing boundary information. Meanwhile, we design a Dual Feature Selection (DFS) module to adaptively fuse RoI grid point features and RoI boundary point features for bounding box refinement with negligible computational cost. Additionally, inspired by tensor decomposition theory, we use low-rank tensors to reconstruct high-rank tensors in the point cloud feature encoder to enhance contextual semantic information. The proposed method achieves 65.81% mAP on KITTI Test Set, obtaining a good trade-off between accuracy and efficiency.

The association of dispositional anxiety with the NoGo N2 under relaxation instruction vs. speed/accuracy instruction

Prior research suggests that cognitive control, indicated by NoGo N2 amplitudes in Go/NoGo tasks, is associated with dispositional anxiety. This negative association tends to be reduced in anxiety-enhancing experimental conditions. However, anxiety-reducing conditions have not yet been investigated systematically. Thus, the present study compares the effect of a relaxation instruction with the conventional speed/accuracy instruction in a Go/NoGo task on the correlation of the NoGo N2 with two subconstructs of dispositional anxiety, namely anxious apprehension and anxious arousal. As the test of differences between correlations needs considerable statistical power, the present study was included into the multi-lab CoScience Project. The hypotheses, manipulation checks, and the main path of pre-processing and statistical analysis were preregistered. Complete data sets of 777 participants were available for data analysis. Preregistered general linear models revealed that the different instructions of the task (speed/accuracy vs. relaxation) had no effect on the association between dispositional anxiety and the NoGo N2 amplitude in general. This result was supported by Cooperative-Forking-Path analysis. In contrast, a preregistered latent growth model with categorical variables revealed that anxious arousal was a negative predictor of the NoGo N2 intercept and a positive predictor of the NoGo N2 slope. Non-preregistered growth models, allowing for correlations of anxious apprehension with anxious arousal, revealed that higher anxious apprehension scores were associated with more negative NoGo N2 amplitudes with increased relaxation. Results are discussed in the context of the compensatory error monitoring hypothesis and the revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory.

Diagnostic guidelines for familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis revisited

AbstractCurrent hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis 2004 (HLH-2004)–based diagnostic criteria for familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) are based on expert opinion. Here, we performed a case-control study to test and possibly improve these criteria. We also developed 2 complementary expert opinion–based diagnostic strategies for FHL in patients with signs/symptoms suggestive of HLH, based on genetic and cellular cytotoxicity assays. The cases (N = 366) were children aged <16 years with verified familial and/or genetic FHL (n = 341) or Griscelli syndrome type 2 (n = 25); 276 from the HLH-94/HLH-2004 databases and 90 from the Italian HLH Registry. All fulfilled the HLH-94/HLH-2004 patient inclusion criteria. Controls were 374 children with systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and 329 + 361 children in 2 cohorts with febrile infections that could be confused with HLH and sepsis, respectively. To provide complete data sets, multiple imputations were performed. The optimal model, based on 17 variables studied, revealed almost similar diagnostic thresholds as the existing criteria, with accuracy 99.1% (sensitivity 97.1%; specificity 99.5%); the original HLH-2004 criteria had accuracy 97.4% (sensitivity 99.0%; specificity 97.1%). Because cellular cytotoxicity assays here constitute a separate diagnostic strategy, HLH-2004 criteria without natural killer (NK)–cell function was also studied, which showed accuracy 99.0% (sensitivity, 96.2%; specificity, 99.5%). Thus, we conclude that the HLH-2004 criteria (without NK-cell function) have significant validity in their current form when tested against severe infections or sJIA. It is important to exclude underlying malignancies and atypical infections. In addition, complementary cellular and genetic diagnostic guidelines can facilitate necessary confirmation of clinical diagnosis.

Lack of Risk Management at Insolvency Consulting Companies: An Empirical Study in Germany 2024

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the resurgence of the Middle East conflict, government measures to support the economy have intervened massively in economic activity and thus influenced the real insolvency situation. This situation creates disruptive conditions in insolvency counselling and requires comprehensive risk management for the strategic safeguarding of internal processes in insolvency counselling companies. Despite a number of academic articles that address a lack of risk awareness in insolvency counselling, there have been no valid statistical surveys on this topic to date. The topic has also been largely ignored in practice. This article presents a study that examines risk management in insolvency advisory companies in the context of government intervention in the global economy from 2020 to 2023. The aim of the research is to assess the necessity and existence of risk management in these companies. A survey of 350 insolvency advisors was conducted between March and April 2024, from which 113 complete data sets could be analysed. The central hypothesis of the research study is that a significant majority of insolvency advisory companies have insufficient risk awareness and do not implement comprehensive risk management strategies. The survey results confirm that risk management is rarely practised and that a well-founded risk awareness is lacking in most consulting companies. It is noteworthy that two-thirds of those surveyed consider the benefits of risk management to be low, although more than half of those surveyed recognise increased risks due to government crisis measures. Ultimately, this study concludes with a recommendation that a standardised EU insolvency regulation could offer the greatest benefits for the insolvency sector, as it would simplify risk management for consultants in all member states.