High Correlation Index Research Articles

Gallbladder Volvulus: A Rare Case of Pre-operative Diagnostic Quandary

<i>Introduction: </i>Gallbladder volvulus (GBV) is a rare but critical condition characterized by torsion of the gallbladder on its mesentery. Prompt surgical intervention is crucial in preventing complications and improving patient outcomes. Despite advancements in imaging techniques, diagnosing GBV remains challenging due to its nonspecific clinical presentation and low preoperative detection rates.<i> Case Details: </i>This paper presents the case of a 79-year-old female presenting with symptoms suggestive of acute appendicitis and urinary tract infection. Imaging, including Computed Tomography (CT), ultrasound, (US) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), were indicative of acute acalculous cholecystitis. Intraoperatively, a necrotic gangrenous gallbladder was encountered, resulting from GBV. <i>Discussion: </i>GBV poses diagnostic difficulties due to its variable presentation and low preoperative detection rates. Misdiagnoses poses significant risk of mismanagement, especially in the elderly and high risk populations, where non-operative management is attempted (antibiotics, percutaneous cholecystostomy, etc.) leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, high index of suspicion and correlation with imaging findings are crucial for accurate diagnosis. While various imaging modalities can assist in diagnosis, interpretation may be challenging, as demonstrated in this case. Surgical intervention, preferably through laparoscopy, is the cornerstone of treatment and offers favorable outcomes when performed promptly.<i> Conclusion: </i>In conclusion, GBV is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition that necessitates early recognition and surgical intervention. Despite challenges in diagnosis, a comprehensive clinical and radiological approach is crucial for timely management and optimal patient outcomes. Further research and awareness are warranted to enhance early diagnosis of this uncommon entity.

Monitoring of Chlorophyll Content of Potato in Northern Shaanxi Based on Different Spectral Parameters.

Leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) is an important physiological index to evaluate the photosynthetic capacity and growth health of crops. In this investigation, the focus was placed on the chlorophyll content per unit of leaf area (LCCA) and the chlorophyll content per unit of fresh weight (LCCW) during the tuber formation phase of potatoes in Northern Shaanxi. Ground-based hyperspectral data were acquired for this purpose to formulate the vegetation index. The correlation coefficient method was used to obtain the "trilateral" parameters with the best correlation between potato LCCA and LCCW, empirical vegetation index, any two-band vegetation index constructed after 0-2 fractional differential transformation (step size 0.5), and the parameters with the highest correlation among the three spectral parameters, which were divided into four combinations as model inputs. The prediction models of potato LCCA and LCCW were constructed using the support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and back propagation neural network (BPNN) algorithms. The results showed that, compared with the "trilateral" parameter and the empirical vegetation index, the spectral index constructed by the hyperspectral reflectance after differential transformation had a stronger correlation with potato LCCA and LCCW. Compared with no treatment, the correlation between spectral index and potato LCC and the prediction accuracy of the model showed a trend of decreasing after initial growth with the increase in differential order. The highest correlation index after 0-2 order differential treatment is DI, and the maximum correlation coefficients are 0.787, 0.798, 0.792, 0.788 and 0.756, respectively. The maximum value of the spectral index correlation coefficient after each order differential treatment corresponds to the red edge or near-infrared band. A comprehensive comparison shows that in the LCCA and LCCW estimation models, the RF model has the highest accuracy when combination 3 is used as the input variable. Therefore, it is more recommended to use the LCCA to estimate the chlorophyll content of crop leaves in the agricultural practices of the potato industry. The results of this study can enhance the scientific understanding and accurate simulation of potato canopy spectral information, provide a theoretical basis for the remote sensing inversion of crop growth, and promote the development of modern precision agriculture.

Winter Wheat Yield Estimation with Color Index Fusion Texture Feature

The rapid and accurate estimation of crop yield is of great importance for large-scale agricultural production and national food security. Using winter wheat as the research object, the effects of color indexes, texture feature and fusion index on yield estimation were investigated based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) high-definition digital images, which can provide a reliable technical means for the high-precision yield estimation of winter wheat. In total, 22 visible color indexes were extracted using UAV high-resolution digital images, and a total of 24 texture features in red, green, and blue bands extracted by ENVI 5.3 were correlated with yield, while color indexes and texture features with high correlation and fusion indexes were selected to establish yield estimation models for flagging, flowering and filling stages using partial least squares regression (PLSR) and random forest (RF). The yield estimation model constructed with color indexes at the flagging and flowering stages, along with texture characteristics and fusion indexes at the filling stage, had the best accuracy, with R2 values of 0.70, 0.71 and 0.76 and RMSE values of 808.95 kg/hm2, 794.77 kg/hm2 and 728.85 kg/hm2, respectively. The accuracy of winter wheat yield estimation using PLSR at the flagging, flowering, and filling stages was better than that of RF winter wheat estimation, and the accuracy of winter wheat yield estimation using the fusion feature index was better than that of color and texture feature indexes; the distribution maps of yield results are in good agreement with those of the actual test fields. Thus, this study can provide a scientific reference for estimating winter wheat yield based on UAV digital images and provide a reference for agricultural farm management.

Bazı Ekmeklik ve Makarnalık Buğday Çeşitlerinde Sarı Pas Hastalığının Fenolojik Dönemlere göre Hastalık-Verim İlişkisinin Çok Bantlı (Hiperspektral) Veriler Kullanılarak Araştırılması

The aim of this study was to evaluate the severity of yellow rust in different phenological periods by 
 subjecting bread (Bayraktar 2000, Demir 2000, Eser and Kenanbey) and durum (Çeşit-1252, Eminbey, Kızıltan 91 and Mirzabey 2000) wheat varieties to different spore doses (0%, 25%, 50% and 100%) under controlled epidemic conditions. The research was conducted in Yenimahalle, Ankara, Turkey during the 2018-2019 growing season. In the study, the morphological changes in yellow rust severity were determined at different phenological developmental stages of the test materials with the reflectance values obtained by using handheld spectroradiometer in different spore dose applications during the period from tillering to stalk emergence. These reflectance values were converted into vegetation index values expressed by mathematical formulae and used in determining yield estimates. Considering the results obtained, it was determined that the spectral indices calculated especially in the early flowering period (25 May 2019, Feekes 10.5.1) were effective in yield estimation for all bread varieties except Kenanbey variety (15 June 2019, Feekes 10.5.4). It was determined that the spectral band region of 25 May 2019 (Feekes 10.5.1), which includes all indices determined to predict yield in all bread and durum varieties and which is the beginning of flowering, was effective. In grain yield estimation, it was determined that there was a decrease in the correlation values of the spectral indices starting from the early flowering period (Feekes 10.5.1) towards the grain setting period (Feekes 10.5.3) and milk maturity period 
 (Feekes 10.5.4). When the correlations between these index values and yield values were examined, it was 
 determined that prominent phenological periods and high correlation indices could be calculated for these periods. Nowadays, with the use of optical sensor technology instead of traditional disease surveillance methods, the way has paved the way for the development of new approaches for early, fast and accurate yield estimation as a result of the verification of images taken by unmanned aerial vehicles on which multispectral and hyperspectral cameras are located with ground data using artificial intelligence and deep learning techniques.

Validation of Visual Prostate Symptom Score (VPSS) in Brazilian Sample Population.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Visual Prostate Symptom Score (VPSS), its correlation with the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and the time required and need for help when completing the instrument. We also aimed to identify variables associated with difficulty completing these instruments. Longitudinal, prospective correlational study. The target population was Brazilian men from different cities within the state of São Paulo with lower urinary tract symptoms followed in urological consultation at a university hospital during October 2017. The sample comprised 59 patients with a mean age of 66.53 years. Reliability of the VPSS was evaluated using a test-retest approach and its convergent validity with the IPSS. Cronbach α coefficient was also calculated. Both questionnaires were self-administered and, in case of difficulty of comprehension, assistance was provided. Mean completion time of the IPSS was 6.56 minutes and for VPSS was 5.02 minutes. The variables skin color and educational level were associated with the difficulty in completing the IPSS and for comprehending meaning of the VPSS pictograms. Internal consistency evaluated using Cronbach α coefficient was 0.74 for IPSS and 0.15 for VPSS, respectively. Test-retest reliability testing revealed that both instruments had a high intraclass correlation index (>0.75). There was a significant correlation between the health-related quality of life (QoL) scores of the 2 instruments (0.71, P = .0001) and between the total score of each instrument with its corresponding QoL score. Although time for response of the VPSS was shorter and it demonstrated good test-retest reliability, it more frequently required help to answer. The VPSS showed low internal consistency and low correlation with the IPSS (except for the QoL item).

A Comparative-Correlative Study of Test Rubrics Used as Benchmarks in Assessing IELTS and TOEFL Speaking Skills

The study focused on the comparative correlative study Test Rubrics Used as Benchmarks in Assessing International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Speaking Skills. To carry out this project, the researcher searched for IELTS and TOEFL candidates and recruited and finally selected 37 male and female candidates who took both standard tests for various reasons. The statistical results obtained (mainly Pearson's correlation coefficient of correlation moments) showed significant joint variability between IELTS Speaking scores derived from IELTS test bars and frequency band description factors, TOEFL Speaking scores derived from TOEFL test bars, and assessment scores. criteria. The results show that there is a high correlation index (0.862**) between the two tests scoring systems for speaking. The results also reflect a high correlation index (.903**) between the two tests scoring systems, assessing general English proficiency and speaking ability using both tests rubrics.

Extraskeletal Para-Articular Osteochondroma of Hoffa’s Fat Pad

Extraskeletal para-articular osteochondromas are rare benign intracapsular tumours. They occur due to osteocartilaginous metaplasia in the para-articular soft tissue in the elderly. We report the same in the knee in a young patient, arising from Hoffa’s fat pad. A 26-year-old male presented with a gradually enlarging anterior left knee swelling of 3-year duration and inability to flex the knee fully. Clinical and radiological evaluation detected an ossified mass in Hoffa’s fat pad with features of osteochondroma. He underwent an excision of the mass and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of extraskeletal para-articular osteochondroma. He was asymptomatic with functional improvement at 5-month follow-up. Extraskeletal para-articular osteochondromas are slow-growing, benign extrasynovial tumours arising in soft tissues with rare occurrence. They can present even in young and can only be diagnosed with a high index of suspicion, radiological features and clinicopathological correlation. They have to be distinguished from synovial chondromatosis and chondrosarcoma. It can be treated by surgical excision without any recurrence. If left untreated may lead to patellar tendinopathy and functional limitations.

Generalized Dystonia as Presenting Feature of Wilson Disease: A Case Report

Wilson disease is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease, caused by the mutation of the ATP7B gene leading to decreased secretion of serum ceruloplasmin in blood and decrease biliary excretion of copper leading to toxic level accumulation in the liver, brain, kidney, and cornea, resulting in development of characteristic liver disease and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Our case presented with mainly clumsiness and gait abnormality without any psychiatric component and any history of liver disease. A 13-year old male, born out of non-consanguineous marriage, presented with clumsy walking and slurring of speech. The child also complained of poor handwriting and slipping of slipper from foot, without any history of abnormal behavior and poor scholastic performance. On examination gait was abnormal with sidewise swaying, increased muscle tone with rigidity and bilateral flexor plantar reflex. Slit lamp examination of eyes revealed bilateral Kayser-Fleischer rings. Serum ceruloplasmin was low (0.03 g/L) and 24-hour urinary copper was high (119.64 μg/day). MRI brain showed B/L putamen hyperintensity and panda sign suggestive of Wilson disease. After the diagnosis of Wilson disease was made, patient was treated with penicillamine and zinc. Child was also followed-up and re-examination showed slight improvement. Though not rare, Wilson disease is an uncommon entity with varied presentations and disabling consequences. Hence high index of suspicion and clinical correlation is required to diagnose it. Early initiation of treatment and good compliance ensure a better outcome.

Ikos Test: New Tool for the Assessment of Semantic Knowledge in Early Alzheimer Disease.

Semantic memory (SM) constitutes a cognitive system that is seriously affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD). There are several tests for assessing SM, but a tool is needed to assess AD in the early stages of the illness. The study aimed to create, validate, and normalize a new test to assess SM, called the Ikos test, for AD and early AD in clinical practice. 62 healthy adults as a control group (CG), 62 AD, and 60 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) subdivided into a group that progresses to AD, and another group that does not progress to AD were selected. The internal consistency (IC), the construct validity (CV), and reliability between raters and the test-retest were analyzed. We used the Bayesian approach to establish the accuracy of the diagnosis of the Ikos test in AD and early AD. IC showed a Kuder-Richardson index of r = 0.945. The CV between the Ikos test and Pyramids and Palm Trees; Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) index was 0.897. The Kappa index was between 0.865 and 0.912, and the ICC index was 0.873 for the test-retest reliability. The Area Under the Curve was 0.981, sensitivity (SE) was 0.95, and specificity (SP) was 0.96 in AD/CG. In contrast, in the MCI-AD/CG group, SE = 0.77 and SP = 0.80. The Ikos test accomplishes the criteria of validity and reliability with high correlation indexes. Therefore, it can be considered a valid, reliable, and easily applicable tool for SM assessment in diagnosing AD and the early stages of clinical disease.

Improving simulation of the fog life cycle with high-resolution land data assimilation: A case study from WiFEX

The present study highlights the role of high-resolution land data assimilation in improving the prediction of the radiation fog and near-surface meteorological variables. The performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with the High-Resolution Land Data Assimilation System (HRLDAS) is evaluated for a dense fog event that occurred on 24–25 January 2018 using detailed observations from the Winter Fog EXperiment (WiFEX) over the Delhi (India) region. The Noah-MP Land-Surface Model (LSM) based HRLDAS framework was executed in uncoupled mode to develop fine-grid soil states for soil moisture (SM) and soil temperature (ST) covering the Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP) region at 2 km horizontal grid resolution. The quality of soil states (SM/ST) from the HRLDAS and reanalysis (CNTL) dataset was verified with observed SM/ST at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, New Delhi, during 2017–18 winter months (December–January). It was found that the soil state in the CNTL dataset is moist, despite the actual soil condition being dryer at the observation site. HRLDAS simulated SM reasonably agrees with observations at IGI by reducing wet mean bias by about 56%. Subsequently, four sensitive experiments were carried out using Noah-MP (NM) and Pleim-Xiu (PX) land-surface parameterisations in the WRF model initialised with CNTL and HRLDAS soil states. We found that the bias in micro-meteorological variables (T2, RH2, WS10) and Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) during the fog event was significantly improved with Pleim-Xiu (PX) land-surface parameterisations and HRLDAS soil states (HRLDAS_PX). Statistical performance of the micro-meteorological variables (T2, RH2 and WS10) exhibited low variance (0.13°C, 0.10% and 0.75 m s−1), high correlation (0.93, 0.92 and 0.82) and high index of agreement (0.92, 0.87 and 0.78). As a result, the error in fog onset timing was notably reduced to 02 h, and the vertical representation of fog was skillfully demonstrated in the HRLDAS_PX simulation. The sensitivity experiments revealed that there is a need to revisit soil states to improve the skill of the fog forecast.

Tracing concealed gold deposits using mercury isotopes in surface soils: A study from the Shuiyindong gold deposit, Guizhou province, China

Surface soil sampling has been proved to be an effective and low-cost mineral exploration method in covered terrains. The critical question is to determine whether the surface anomalies originated from the mineralization at depth. Mercury isotope signatures have recently been employed as a tool for understanding the sources of Hg anomalies. Meanwhile, Hg is a traditional pathfinder for Au exploration. Can Hg isotopes be applied to trace the sources of Au anomalies in topsoils in covered areas? This is the first study that employed Hg isotopes as an exploration proxy for Au mineralization at depth. Surface soil samples over the concealed Shuiyindong Au deposit, China, were collected and their total Au (TAu), total Hg (THg) contents, and Hg isotope compositions were analyzed. Gold and Hg surface positive anomalies display high correlation indexes along the sampled traverse above the Shuiyindong Au deposit. Moreover, the Hg anomaly is significantly stronger than that of Au. Soils from deep ores-related areas show clearly positive δ202Hg values (−0.78‰ to −0.23‰, averaging −0.46 ± 0.19‰, n = 10, 1SD) compared with those from the background areas (−1.67‰ to −0.66‰, averaging −1.07 ± 0.28‰, n = 10, 1SD). δ202Hg and 1/THg in deep ores-related soils have been altered by the ascending geogas from the mineralized rocks of the Longtan Fm. Soil positive Au anomalies detected in the study area are sourced at depth in the Shuiyindong Au deposit. However, it is not feasible to apply Δ199Hg to trace the anomalous Au sources in topsoils, because Hg(II) photoreduction can imprint the Δ199Hg signature, leading to negative Δ199Hg values in the soils. Semi-volatile Hg and ultra-fine Au particles are mobile and could continuously migrate from the depth to the surface through macro-structures and micro-fractures with the ascending geogas, then most of them are absorbed by the surface soils. Overall, this study successfully traced the Au deposit at >650 m depth using δ202Hg, which is significant for mineral exploration of deep-seated Au deposits, especially in unknown covered areas.

Medición de la pérdida ósea glenoidea y defecto de Hill-Sachs por resonancia magnética: estudio de correlación y concordancia con la medición por tomografía computarizada

IntroductionThe aim is to define whether the measurement of glenoid and Hill–Sachs defects by magnetic resonance imaging is equivalent to the measurement by simple tomography in patients with anterior shoulder instability. Materials and methodsDescriptive, observational, cross-sectional study of a cohort of imaging studies of patients with a history of anterior shoulder dislocation, comprising magnetic resonance and simple tomography of the shoulder, performed in a fourth level hospital. ResultsThe cohort consisted of 20 cases; a high and statistically significant correlation was found for the measurement of the glenoid diameter and defect, with a p<0.05 between the MRI and simple tomography. In addition, the Hill–Sachs interval measurement was found to be statistically significant, but the correlation index was not high, 60%. For intraobserver agreement, a Kappa index was calculated for MRI of 0.8 compared to CT with p-value <0.05 significant for engaging and non-engaging defects. ConclusionSimple MRI is a reliable imaging method with high correlation index for the measurement of diameter and glenoid defects with good agreement to establish whether Hill–Sachs defects are engaging or not. Level of EvidenceLevel III

Theoretical Relationship Between Two Measures of Spike Synchrony: Correlation Index and Vector Strength.

Information processing in the nervous system critically relies on temporally precise spiking activity. In the auditory system, various degrees of phase-locking can be observed from the auditory nerve to cortical neurons. The classical metric for quantifying phase-locking is the vector strength (VS), which captures the periodicity in neuronal spiking. More recently, another metric, called the correlation index (CI), was proposed to quantify the temporally reproducible response characteristics of a neuron. The CI is defined as the peak value of a normalized shuffled autocorrelogram (SAC). Both VS and CI have been used to investigate how temporal information is processed and propagated along the auditory pathways. While previous analyses of physiological data in cats suggested covariation of these two metrics, general characterization of their connection has never been performed. In the present study, we derive a rigorous relationship between VS and CI. To model phase-locking, we assume Poissonian spike trains with a temporally changing intensity function following a von Mises distribution. We demonstrate that VS and CI are mutually related via the so-called concentration parameter that determines the degree of phase-locking. We confirm that these theoretical results are largely consistent with physiological data recorded in the auditory brainstem of various animals. In addition, we generate artificial phase-locked spike sequences, for which recording and analysis parameters can be systematically manipulated. Our analysis results suggest that mismatches between empirical data and the theoretical prediction can often be explained with deviations from the von Mises distribution, including skewed or multimodal period histograms. Furthermore, temporal relations of spike trains across trials can contribute to higher CI values than predicted mathematically based on the VS. We find that, for most applications, a SAC bin width of 50 ms seems to be a favorable choice, leading to an estimated error below 2.5% for physiologically plausible conditions. Overall, our results provide general relations between the two measures of phase-locking and will aid future analyses of different physiological datasets that are characterized with these metrics.

Testing the accuracy of high-resolution satellite-based and numerical model output precipitation products over Ethiopia

The indirect rainfall estimates by satellites and numerical models are the alternative options for the regions lacking enough and accurate ground observations. However, these indirect estimates often lack homogeneity and need to be evaluated before application. This study used gauge observations to test the accuracy of recently produced high-resolution satellite-based and numerical model output rainfall products over Ethiopia. Tropical Applications of Meteorology Using Satellite data and Ground-Based Observations (TAMSAT v3.1), Climate Hazard group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS v2.0), and the ERA5 reanalysis products were evaluated at monthly, seasonal, and annual temporal scales for the years 1992–2009. The satellite products showed nearly similar characteristics with much better accuracy than the model reanalysis output, which underestimated the rainfall amounts. Both satellite and reanalysis products captured the shapes of the rainfall at a monthly scale but less accurately at a seasonal scale. In general, the satellite-based products outperformed the reanalysis data set with a high correlation coefficient and index of agreement values, as well as low Root Mean Square Error and BIAS values. On the other hand, the reanalysis (ERA5) product showed a considerable underestimation in all sites. Therefore, satellite-based products are more reliable for researches in the region. However, the algorithms in both satellites need further calibration for a better estimation of seasonal rainfall amounts.

An Italian Case Study for Assessing Nutrient Intake through Nutrition-Related Mobile Apps.

National food consumption surveys are crucial for monitoring the nutritional status of individuals, defining nutrition policies, estimating dietary exposure, and assessing the environmental impact of the diet. The methods for conducting them are time and resource-consuming, so they are usually carried out after extended periods of time, which does not allow for timely monitoring of any changes in the population’s dietary patterns. This study aims to compare the results of nutrition-related mobile apps that are most popular in Italy, with data obtained with the dietary software Foodsoft 1.0, which was recently used in the Italian national dietary survey IV SCAI. The apps considered in this study were selected according to criteria, such as popularity (downloads > 10,000); Italian language; input characteristics (daily dietary recording ability); output features (calculation of energy and macronutrients associated with consumption), etc. 415 apps in Google Play and 226 in the iTunes Store were examined, then the following five apps were selected: YAZIO, Lifesum, Oreegano, Macro and Fitatu. Twenty 24-hour recalls were extracted from the IV SCAI database and inputted into the apps. Energy and macronutrient intake data were compared with Foodsoft 1.0 output. Good agreement was found between the selected apps and Foodsoft 1.0 (high correlation index), and no significant differences were found in the mean values of energy and macronutrients, except for fat intakes. In conclusion, the selected apps could be a suitable tool for assessing dietary intake.

On the improvements in nearshore wave height predictions using nested SWAN-SWASH modelling in the eastern coastal waters of India

Nearshore wave prediction is an area of research which still demands continuous developments and the accuracy of wave models in the nearshore regions, is known to be limited. In this work we focus on an improved coastal prediction across east coast of India and this is one step forward to achieve accurate nearshore predictions using nested wave models. The study used two modelling setups, SWAN and SWAN-SWASH with boundary conditions from deep water model WAVEWATCH III. The comparison of wave hindcasts over the east coast of India with buoy measurements at four nearshore locations, represents a higher accuracy in simulating significant wave height (Hs) with a high correlation and high index of agreement, using nested SWAN-SWASH in comparison to SWAN only. Further the accuracy of the models was also evaluated during an extreme event such as Hudhud Cyclone, which showed a better match using SWASH than SWAN at the Visakhapatnam coastal location. The sensitivity of the SWASH model with different grid resolutions was also tested to arrive at the best grid resolutions for achieving accurate nearshore predictions. Hence, a nested SWAN-SWASH setup should be adopted to locally advance the wave prediction in the nearshore regions, reducing the underestimation of wave estimates with SWAN only setup.

Upconversion nanoparticles-based lateral flow immunoassay for point-of-care diagnosis of periodontitis

Abstract Multiplex and rapid detection of biomarkers in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) is critical to achieve accurate and timely diagnosis of periodontitis severity and progression. Aiming at providing a point-of-care testing (POCT) platform for clinical diagnosis of periodontitis at chair side, we developed a disk-like lateral flow immunoassay strip (LFIS) using green core-shell upconversion nanoparticles (G-UCNPs) as luminescence probe to simultaneously detect three periodontitis biomarkers in GCF, i.e., matrix metalloproteinases-8 (MMP-8), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). The developed G-UCNPs-LFIS platform achieved highly sensitive detection of the three biomarkers in standard solutions with detection limits of 5.455, 0.054 and 4.439 ng/mL, respectively, and exhibited high detection specificity in spiked GCF. A high and stable recovery rate of the three biomarkers rate was also obtained in spiked artificial saliva. Furthermore, the simultaneous detection of the three biomarkers was successfully performed in clinical GCF samples for the first time. And the results showed a relative high correlation index (0.995 for MMP-8 detection, 0.976 for IL-1β detection, 0.977 for TNF-α detection) compared with those obtained using the clinical detection methods, verifying the diagnosis accuracy of the developed G-UCNPs-LFIS. Additionally, the total time to accomplish the detection only took 30 min once, enabling users to timely monitor their periodontitis conditions. We thus envision the great promise of the developed G-UCNPs-LFIS platform for accurate and timely diagnosis of periodontitis in clinic.

Métodos de ajuste de Weibull de dos parámetros en series de viento y estimación del Potencial Eolo-eléctrico.

El presente estudio tiene el objetivo de comparar cuatro métodos de interpolación de la función de densidad de probabilidad con distribución de Weibull. Este proceso es fundamental para el análisis del recurso eólico a través de la estimación del potencial Eolo-eléctrico. La información del trabajo corresponde a series temporales de viento de 7 estaciones meteorológicas situadas en las Provincias de Galápagos, Carchi, Tungurahua, Bolívar y Loja. Las series fueron procesadas a través de los métodos de linealización, empírico, momentos y estimador por máxima verosimilitud (MLE). La comparación se basó en los gráficos de interpolación con las frecuencias relativas de las series de viento; y el análisis de los residuos obtenidos de la regresión. Además, se realizó el contraste de: la media de viento, el error cuadrático medio (ECM) y la correlación, entre los métodos en estudio. Este análisis es la base para el calculó del potencial Eolo-eléctrico propuesto por Jijón et al. [1], basado en las medias de viento de cada método. En este trabajo, se pudo observar que el método de MLE fue el que menor ECM y correlación más alta presentó en la mayoría de las bases analizadas; y el método de linealización fue el que tuvo la media de viento más baja. En consecuencia, el potencial Eolo-eléctrico demostró la alta sensibilidad basado en las diferencias en las medias de velocidad de viento, estimadas por cada método. Por las limitaciones identificadas en cada método analizado, se recomienda que este tipo de análisis sea replicable para el estudio de emplazamientos eólicos.

Study of peripapillary vascular flow using optical coherence tomography angiography in optic nerve head drusen.

To evaluate peripapillary vascular flow using optical coherence tomography angiography (angio-OCT) in patients with optic nerve head drusen (ONHD). Angio-OCT allows non-invasive visualization and quantification peripapillary vascular flow. Cross-sectional study. Seventy-six eyes of 40 patients. Between January 2018 and May 2019, consecutive patients with ONHD and healthy controls underwent a complete ocular assessment, including visual acuity testing, biomicroscopy, tonometry, funduscopy, automated perimetry, retinography and autofluorescence, spectral-domain OCT and peripapillary angio-OCT. Peripapillary vascular flow, vascular density, retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL) thicknesses. We included 23 patients with ONHD (42 eyes, 32 with visible drusen; mean age 50.96 years, 12 men) and 17 control patients (34 eyes; mean age 47.12 years, 7 men), without significant differences in age or sex. Vascular flow and density were significantly lower in patients with ONHD (0.409% and 40.18%, respectively) than in normal eyes (0.438% and 43.30%, respectively) (P = .006 and P < .001). RNFL and GCL thicknesses were significantly lower in patients with ONHD (81.81 and 77.43 μm, respectively) than in controls (91.38 and 81.97 μm, respectively) (P = .001 and P = .032). We obtained high correlation indexes between RNFL and GCL and vascular flow and density (RNFL = 0.702 and 0.744, respectively, and GCL = 0.808 and 0.857, respectively). Angio-OCT demonstrated significant reductions in peripapillary vascular flow and vascular density in patients with ONHD, with strong correlations with RNFL and GCL thicknesses.

Evaluating bioretention hydrology and nutrient removal for restoring wetland function at artificial rainfall

In recent years, the rate of impervious area increase has been rapidly growing with respect to urbanization making it necessary to construct an effective water circulation system. The impervious area in Korea was only 3% in the 1970s, and increased to approximately 8% in 2013. According to the literature, when the urban impervious surface increases to 75–100%, urban outflow increases from 10% to 55% compared to the natural state, and the infiltration decrease from 50% to 15%. In order to prevent the effects of increased impervious surface area, bioretention, a natural low impact development (LID) facility, has recently been developed and installed in many parts of the city. Artificial rainfall monitoring was conducted ten times for three years to evaluate bioretention performance. Monitoring results showed that the average flow reduction efficiency of the bioretention was greater than 85%, and nutrient removal efficiency was significantly high at 82.5% for TN and 95.6% for TP. As a result, the correlation between runoff reduction and nutrient removal was analyzed. Initially, the correlation coefficients of TN and TP were low, 0.0439 and 0.0216, respectively. However, after removing an outlier result from the 7th monitoring event, the correlation coefficients of TN and TP were 0.969 and 0.897, respectively. This is very high correlation index, so to restore wetland where are need to manage nutrients, bioretention can be a good alternative than other LID facilities.