Lower Average Rate Research Articles

Effect of a High Estrogen Level in Early Pregnancy on the Development and Behavior of Marmoset Offspring.

The use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has risen steadily worldwide over the past 3 decades and helps many infertile families. However, ART treatments lead to an abnormal internal environment in the uterus, which may increase the risks of health problems for the offspring. Higher maternal estradiol (E2) is a notable feature in women who use ART treatments, and this has been suggested as a key factor for the risk of diseases in the offspring. In the current study, we have established a marmoset model with a high E2 level in early pregnancy to examine its potential risk to the development and behavior of the offspring. In comparison with the normal group, babies of the high E2 group exhibited lower average survival rates and birth weights. However, those who survived in the high E2 group demonstrated normal vocal production with rich call repertoires, normal speed during locomotion, and normal behaviors in the home cage. In contrast to the normal group, surviving babies of the high E2 group spent more time sleeping during development without signs of sleep disorders. In summary, our study revealed that high estrogen in early pregnancy may cause low survival rates and birth weights of the offspring, though the surviving infants did not show obvious behavioral deficiencies during development. The current study is a valuable and highly important non-human primate study for evaluating the safety of ART treatments. However, it is worth noting that some results did not reach the significant level, which may be due to the small sample size caused by animal shortage stemming from the COVID-19 epidemic.

Emergency pacemaker implantation in nonagenarians with complete heart block: is single chamber pacing sufficient?

Abstract Background In ambulatory patients with complete heart block and preserved sinus node activity (CHBs), dual chamber pacing confers well-established physiological benefits versus single chamber pacing. There is limited evidence as to whether these benefits extend to very frail patients, especially those over 90 years of age. Purpose In nonagenarians presenting with emergent CHBs from 2016–2019, we compared the clinical characteristics of patients selected for single versus dual chamber pacemakers (PPM), and evaluated the symptomatic and prognostic implications of these devices. Methods Baseline characteristics were discerned from electronic records, and physiological data extracted from serial PPM interrogations. Frailty was quantified according to the Rockwood clinical frailty scale (1–9). Cause of death was provided by the patients' General Practitioner. Cox proportional hazards analysis (HR, 95% CI) examined associations with all-cause mortality and death from congestive cardiac failure (CCF). Results 168 consecutive patients were included (44.3% Male, Median age: 91 (2) years) and followed-up for 26.9±14.6 months. 22 patients (13.1%) were implanted with single chamber pacemakers (all programmed VVIR); when compared with patients receiving dual chamber devices, these patients had similar median age (93 (3) versus 91 (2) years, p=0.15) and LV systolic function (LVEF: 49.2% ±9.7 versus 50.7% ±10.1, p=0.71), but were more frail (Rockwood scale: 5.2±1.8 versus 4.3±1.1, p=0.004) and more likely to have severe cognitive impairment (27.3% versus 9.2%, p=0.018). Post implant, patients who received single chamber devices had higher average respiratory rates (21.3±2.4 breaths per minute versus 17.5±2.6 breaths per minute, p=0.002), lower average heart rates (65.5±10.1 bpm versus 71.9±8.6 bpm, p=0.002), and lower daily activity levels (0.57±0.3 hours of activity versus 1.5±1.1 hours of activity, p=0.016) than those with dual chamber devices. Death from CCF was more common in patients receiving single chamber devices (40.9% versus 6.2%, log rank p<0.0001); this association persisted when adjusting for age, frailty and cognitive impairment (adjusted HR: 6.2 (2.2–17.3, p=0.0005). However, in this age group, single chamber pacing was not independently associated with all-cause mortality when compared with dual chamber pacing (adjusted HR: 1.9 (0.95–3.6, p=0.07). Conclusions In nonagenarians with CHBs, dual chamber pacing was associated with improved symptomatic outcomes and a reduced risk of death from CCF, but did not affect all-cause mortality when compared with single chamber pacing. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

The effect of solute segregated stacking faults on the corrosion behavior of Mg-Gd-Cu alloys

In order to develop new Mg alloys for fracturing tools, Mg-Gd-Cu alloys containing profuse solute segregated stacking faults (SFs) were prepared by appropriate heat treatments and the effect of SFs on corrosion behavior of the alloys was investigated. It was found that the presence of SFs greatly changed corrosion behavior of the Mg-Gd-Cu alloys. Specifically, the alloys containing SFs presented higher initial corrosion rate due to the increased volume fraction of the cathodic phase associated with the SFs; while the rapid formation ability as well as uniform and complete distribution of corrosion films resulted in a lower average degradation rate.

Evaluating the accuracy of speech to text applications for cochlear implant candidates during COVID-19

Objectives Universal mask wearing due to COVID-19 has introduced barriers to clear communication. In hearing impaired individuals this can impact informed surgical consent. For cochlear implant candidates, who do not rely on sign language, real-time transcription with a stenographer (CART) is the gold-standard in assistive technologies. If CART is not available, speech to text (STT) applications have been advertised as solutions, but their transcription accuracy with or without an N95 mask is not well-established. Herein, we sought to investigate the transcription accuracy of three STT solutions for iPhone and compare their performance to the CART service at our institution. Methods Three native English speakers and three non-native English speakers read two passages (a cochlear implant consent and the non-medical ‘Rainbow passage’) with and without an N95 mask. Error rates from the comparison of the transcript (from either the STT app or CART) with the original passage were calculated. Results The CART service had the lowest error rate of all testing conditions (4.79–7.14%). Ava 24/7 (15.0 ± 9.49%) and the iPhone dictation (15.6 ± 6.65%) had significantly lower average error rates than the Live Transcribe (37.7 ± 20.3%) (P < 0.0001) application. Neither the presence of an N95 nor the type of passage had a statistically significant impact on the error rate. Conclusion CART should be used to augment communication with patients who are hard of hearing. If CART is not available, a STT application such as Ava 24/7 or the native iPhone dictation application may be considered, even in the context of medical terminology.

Prediction and correlation analysis of ventilation performance in a residential building using artificial neural network models based on data-driven analysis

• ANN models illustrate good performance in predicting ventilation performance. • Mechanical ventilation system mainly dominates indoor air quality • Elements for NV strategy have limitations to influence the ventilation performance largely and independently • ANN methods are useful in analyzing input parameters’ effectiveness This study investigates approaches to evaluate prediction and correlation how significantly mechanical and natural ventilation rate and local weather conditions affect the actual ventilation performance of a residential building using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithms: Feedforward networks and Layer recurrent neural networks. In order to evaluate the ventilation performance in a residential building, an impact factor was determined for these measured datasets. This study selected two residential apartments in Switzerland and measured indoor carbon dioxide concentration and volatile organic compound levels, façade opening ratio, mechanical ventilation rates, and indoor temperature and humidity ratio between July 2019 and June 2020. The results described that ANN models illustrate performance in predicting ventilation performance and indoor air quality using mechanical and natural ventilation systems in a residential apartment. Both algorithms have presented relatively lower average error rates, 3.36– 6.12 % in the analysis results. The results presented that the two ANN models using the Levenberg-Marquardt Back Propagation (LMBP) algorithm have good agreements with actual data measured. The accuracy differences were 0.18-1.89 for the average error rates, 0.13–0.78 for the Coefficient of Variation of the Root Mean Square Error (CVRMSE) and 0.07–0.35 for the Normalized Mean Bias Error (NMBE). Through impact factor analysis, mechanical ventilation system mainly dominates the impact of indoor ventilation performance, and other surrounding environments also had significantly affected the residential building. However, the natural ventilation system has limitations to largely influence the ventilation performance in the building because occupants have difficulties adjusting ventilation rates in extreme weather conditions or early morning and nighttime. And these elements could not affect indoor air quality independently. These ANN methods are helpful in analyzing input parameters how each element factor can influence indoor air quality in a residential building. The proposed ANN methods can utilize to predict the performance as reliable approaches.

Quantifying the effect of Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome on foaling rates in the German riding horse population.

Awareness of breeders of Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS) increased after a widely discussed case in the USA in 2018. The hereditary connective tissue disorder, first described by a US research group in 2011 and for which a commercial genetic test exists since 2013, is caused by a point mutation in the PLOD1 gene, inherited autosomal recessively. Extension of molecular genetic testing and reporting of test results of organized horse breeders to their studbooks implies new opportunities for analyses. In Germany, data are centrally accessible through the integrated equine data base allowing comprehensive and population-wide investigation of the role of WFFS. The objective of this study was statistical testing for associations between WFFS and reproductive performance of German riding horses and quantifying possible differences between WFFS carriers and non-carriers, also in respect of performance traits. For this purpose, covering data from 2008 to 2020 were provided by ten German studbooks, so almost 400,000 coverings and resulting foaling rates were available for multiple analyses of variance with general and mixed linear models using procedures GLM, MIXED and HPMIXED of SAS software (version 9.2). Published breeding values of stallions were used for respective comparisons of riding horse performance. Assuming a WFFS carrier frequency of 9.5-15.0% in Warmblood horses, Hardy Weinberg principle implied an expected difference of 2.4-3.7% in the foaling rates of carrier and non-carrier stallions. Our results provided statistical evidence of detrimental effects of WFFS on the reproductive performance of Warmblood horses with about 2.7% lower average foaling rate in carriers of the mutant allele than in WFFS free sires, if mated to an average mare population. Indications of favorable dressage performance of WFFS carriers were found. Reported WFFS cases indicate only the tip of the iceberg and assessing the impact of WFFS on reproduction requires consideration of premature foal losses.

Surgeons’ Survey of the Aging Face With a Focus on the Aging Nose

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate how facial cosmetic surgeons rank different areas of the aging face by comparing those areas for the greatest impact on surgical rejuvenation. It was hypothesized that the nose would be ranked lower than most other areas of the aging face. Materials and Methods: Fifty surveys were included in this study and were completed by surgeons from the following specialties: oral and maxillofacial surgery, oculoplastic surgery, otolaryngology, general surgery, plastic surgery, dermatology, and obstetrics/gynecology. The 12 ranked areas of the face (from 1 to 12) were skin, hair/hairline, brows, periorbital area, nose, ears, cheeks, midface/nasolabial area, dentition, perioral area, lower face/chin/jowls, and neck. Each of these areas of the face was also rated based on the surgeons’ assessment of the level of importance when evaluating and treating the aging face on a 5-level scale, ranging from level 1 (not important) to level 5 (very important). Results: The average rank for the nose was 9.30. The highest average ranking was the periorbital region with 2.74 and the lowest average ranking was the ears at 11.02. The surgeons’ ratings of the nose were 0% for level 1 (not important), 20% for level 2 (slightly important), 30% for level 3 (somewhat important), 26% for level 4 (important), and 16% for level 5 (very important). The average level rating of the nose was 3.413 (somewhat important). In comparison, the highest average rating was for the periorbital region at 4.837 (very important) and the lowest average rating was the ears at 2.957 (somewhat important). Using a significance level of P &lt; .05, the nose is both ranked and rated as less important than 7 out of 11 other areas of the face: the periorbital area, the lower face, the skin, the neck, the midface, the perioral area, and the cheeks. The difference between the ranking and rating of the nose and that of the brows, dentition, hairline, and the ears was not considered significant. Discussion: This study confirmed the hypothesis that when comparing the areas of the aging face that would have the most effect on surgical facial rejuvenation, the nose was ranked lower than most other areas of the face except the ears. The nose undergoes multiple anatomical changes with age that affect both appearance and nasal function. Therefore, the rhinoplasty for the aging nose should not be overlooked as an important contributor to facial rejuvenation and a potential to improve nasal function. Conclusion: The nose is most often considered of lower importance compared with other areas of the face by facial cosmetic surgeons when evaluated for impact on surgical facial rejuvenation.

Accelerated mobilization of organic carbon from retrogressive thaw slumps on the northern Taymyr Peninsula

Abstract. With climate change, Arctic hillslopes above ice-rich permafrost are vulnerable to enhanced mass wasting and organic carbon mobilization. In this study we use TanDEM-X-derived (TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement; synthetic-aperture radar) digital elevation models to document an approximately 43-fold increase in thaw slumping and concomitant 28-fold increase in carbon mobilization on the northern Taymyr Peninsula from 2010 to 2021. The available observations allowed us to compare two time periods, from 2010/11 to 2016/17 and from 2017/18 to 2020/21, and contrast retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) activity between these periods. We find that all quantities describing RTS activity increased in the observed period. The total volumetric change per year increased from about 0.17×106 to 7.4×106m3yr-1, a 43-fold increase. The observed surge in RTS activity is mainly driven by the initiation of new RTS, indicated by the 17-fold increase in active RTS numbers from 82 to 1404 and the relatively low average volumetric change rate per RTS increase of 2.3. In annual Sentinel-2 imagery, the number of detected RTSs in a subregion increased 10-fold in 2020. This coincides with a severe heatwave that occurred in northern Siberia in 2020. The area-to-volume scaling of the RTSs varied only slightly over time, despite the 2020 heatwave, indicating a robustness of the relationship to such an event. To estimate the slump-mobilized organic carbon, we intersected the elevation changes with a soil organic carbon (SOC) map, with contrasting assumptions about the deep carbon pool and massive-ice content. We estimated that the SOC mobilization rate increases 28-fold. The normalization of the SOC mobilization rate to our study region yields values of 11gCyr-1m-2 with a confidence interval of 5 to 38gCyr-1m-2. A comparison to an independent estimate of the net ecosystem exchange of 4.1±13.0gCyr-1m-2 illustrates the importance of RTS activity to the carbon cycle. These results underscore that mass wasting is an important but commonly neglected component of the Arctic carbon cycle and particularly sensitive to extreme events.

A novel route to constructing high-efficiency lithium sulfur batteries with spent graphite as the sulfur host

The recovery treatment of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is becoming increasingly crucial, and it is of the utmost urgency to recycle spent graphite. Carbon materials are gaining more and more attention for applications in lithium-sulfur batteries acting as the sulfur (S) hosts with excellent theoretical capacity. However, the preparation of related carbon materials is energy-consuming and tedious. Herein, by directly using spent graphite (SG) from the spent LIBs without complex treatment as a substrate, a SG/S cathode has been prepared for lithium-sulfur batteries for the first time. Repeated charge/discharge cycles bring the SG surface not only rich functional polar groups, but also metal elements like Ni, Co and Mn through the dissolution of active cathode materials (in LIBs). These factors increase the conductivity, and efficiently promote the lithium polysulfide (LiPS) conversion kinetics in a way that the SG effectively adsorbs and fixes LiPS to reduce the shuttle effect in lithium sulfur batteries. Additionally, the SG/S cathode with high sulfur content of 78.4% has obtained an initial discharge capacity of 1377 mAh g−1 at the rate of 0.2 C with an excellent cycling stability. Even after 500 cycles, the cathode specific capacity remains as high as 765 mAh g−1 with a low average decay rate (0.006% per cycle) at 0.5 C. This work not only realizes the re-utilization of spent graphite, but also fabricates lithium-sulfur batteries with excellent electrochemical performances.

Emotional and Attentional Regulation: Impact of Trauma and Journal Writing?

Traumatic experiences are very common and have a high lifetime prevalence rate, which a large body of research indicates negatively impact the ability to self-regulate, including emotional and attentional regulation. This study focused on traumatic experiences caused by peer victimization and aimed to examine the effects on self-regulation after exposure to artificial trauma and journaling in graduate students. A convenient sample of 9 graduate students were randomly assigned to the control or intervention group. All participants were asked to engage in a journaling activity after watching the assigned video. Three emotional Stroop tasks were administered to participants: before watching the assigned video, after watching the assigned video, and after journaling. The results suggest that after the exposure to artificial trauma, participants in the intervention group had quicker average response time (ART) across negative and neutral word types with 100% accuracy for negative words and lower average accuracy rate (AAR) for neutral and positive words. The control group had quicker ART and slightly lower AAR for negative words, slower ART, and slightly lower AAR to neutral words, and remained the same on positive words with increased AAR. The results also suggest that, after journaling, all participants had slower ART for negative words, and quicker ART for neutral and positive words; there were increases in AAR across all word types. These findings suggest that both trauma and journaling have short-term effects on attentional processing in the context of emotion and point to the potential promise of journaling in interventions to support self-regulation.

Randomized Crossover Study of Auricular Plaster Therapy to Relieve Dental Anxiety in Children.

ObjectiveTo determine if auricular plaster therapy (APT) can alleviate dental anxiety in children aged 9 or 10 years old.MethodsA crossover research was conducted on children with at least two deep-arrested deciduous molar caries (N = 80?). The first group (N = 40) received APT intended to reduce anxiety prior to the first caries treatment, whereas the second group (N = 40) received placebo/control APT (no anticipated impact on anxiety). The APT approaches were exchanged after a washout period following the initial caries treatment. Additionally, both groups were also informed and given a demonstration regarding the procedures and equipment prior to their use as part of a Tell-Show-Do (TSD) protocol. The dentists, children, and parents were all involved in assessing the level of anxiety using general anxiety scales. Moreover, the average heart rate and salivary cortisol concentration, both of which are indications of anxiety, were compared between the pre- and post-intervention periods. The participants were unaware of the type of APT that was employed (anti-anxiety vs. control). To avoid inadvertently influencing the outcome, all psychologists, investigators, and data recorders were blinded to the randomized subject sequence.ResultsChildren treated with anti-anxiety APT demonstrated significantly higher levels of obedience than children treated with control APT (P < 0.05). In addition, children treated with APT had a lower average heart rate while awaiting treatment, undergoing local anesthesia, and receiving dental caries treatment (P < 0.05). These children had reduced salivary cortisol levels while awaiting treatment (P < 0.05).ConclusionAnti-anxiety APT can help relieve dental anxiety in children.

Estimated Erosion from Clearcut Timber Harvests in the Southeastern United States

Abstract Timber harvests with inadequate forestry best management practices (BMPs) can accelerate soil erosion, which has been associated with reductions in water quality and site productivity. Previous studies affirm positive water quality effects accrued by harvesting with BMPs. However, few studies document erosion rates and masses associated with harvest and access network features (e.g., decks, roads, skid trails, stream crossings) across different southeastern regions. This research evaluated 109 recent harvests across eleven southeastern states and three topographically different regions (Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Mountains). Descriptive statistics of erosion for harvests and access features were developed from USLE-Forest model estimates. Harvests and access network areas were used in conjunction with erosion averages to calculate total erosion masses. Across the southeast, combined network features averaged nearly 12% of total harvest area yet produced approximately 48% of total site erosion due to disproportionately higher erosion rates. Regional differences indicated that the Mountain region had an average overall erosion rate of 6.8 t/ac/yr, whereas the Piedmont and Coastal Plain sites had lower average erosion rates of 2.7 and 2.2 t/ac/yr, respectively. Results suggest that additional BMP implementation strategies may be beneficial for erosion control from roads, skid trails, and stream crossings, particularly in erosive landscapes.

Optimization of Passenger-like Container Train Running Plan Considering Empty Container Dispatch

Railway container transportation plays an important role in the sustainable development of transportation. In order to improve the efficiency of container transportation and maximize the transportation revenue of railway enterprises, taking the passenger-like container train running plan as the research object, we established an optimization model. The model considers the transportation requirements of empty and heavy containers, aiming at the maximum revenue of railway transportation enterprises, the conservation of container flow, train stops, container reloading, and other constraints. It is a mixed-integer linear programming optimization model. First, the shortest path between nodes was solved by the Floyd algorithm as the candidate set of the train to be run, and then the particle swarm algorithm was designed to solve the model. Numerical experiments were carried out by taking a container network with 34 nodes as an example to verify the validity of the model and algorithm. The experimental results showed that when the minimum average loading rate of trains is 70%, 47 lines need to be run, which is 163 less than the candidate lines. The running cost of all trains is 31,901,200 yuan, and total revenue of the transportation enterprise is 10,930,568 yuan. Compared with the existing container transportation mode, the passenger-like container transportation mode has a higher average number of trains and faster velocity. However, it has a lower average loading rate and proportion of direct container flow. The results were compared in three different minimum average loading rate values: 50%, 60%, and 70%. It was found that with the increase of the minimum average loading rate of trains, the number of lines to be opened decreases, the cost of running decreases, and the revenue of transportation enterprises increases.

Structural estimation of counterparty credit risk under recovery risk

Counterparty Credit Risk (CCR) represents one of the major sources of uncertainty in many financial contracts. The role of credit value adjustment (CVA) is, in fact, that of rewarding the parties for the exposure to such risk. A key driver of CVA is the recovery risk, generated by the variability of recovery rates. In this paper, we develop a framework to assess the CCR accounting for the recovery risk that arises from the introduction of stochastic recovery rates. Adopting the structural model for the time to default that exploits a time-changed Lévy process for the risk driver of the equity value, we provide a complete picture to monitor the CCR and gauge the effects of the stochastic recovery rates. The model extracts information on the creditworthiness of the parties in the OTC contract combining Fourier Cosine Expansion and Monte Carlo simulations methods to price CDS spreads, the related underlying, and to retrieve the default barrier. We apply the model proposed to a business case analyzing the CCR of two parties involved in the OTC contract with underlying energy commodities. Low average recovery rates reveal to be associated with high implied volatility and depart from the fixed value of 40%, especially during periods of market distress.

Rapid adaptation of Brachionus dorcas (Rotifera) to tetracycline antibiotic stress.

Although natural populations can rapidly adapt to selection pressures, the fitness consequences of selection are controversial. In this study, a selection experiment was conducted with replicate populations of Brachionus dorcas that were exposed to two sublethal concentrations (26.8 and 78.3mg/L) of oxytetracycline (OTC), followed by two common garden experiments (population growth and life table experiments). During the 102-day (approximately 36 asexual generations) selection experiment, a markedly increased growth rate but a significantly decreased mictic ratio over time in the populations exposed to OTC when compared to the control populations suggested that the former adapted to the selection pressures and that a trade-off exists between asexual and sexual reproduction. The high and stable population growth rates after 90 days of OTC selection illustrate an example of evolutionary rescue. After 102 days of selection, OTC-selected populations showed higher population growth rates than the control populations when exposed to OTC, indicating significantly increased tolerance. OTC-selected populations showed a lower average growth rate, longer average generation time and life expectancy at hatching, and higher average net reproduction rate and proportion of mictic offspring than the control populations in the absence of OTC, which indicate that OTC selection results in two fitness costs and three fitness gains and that the effect of OTC selection on fitness differs with the measured fitness variables. Both the evolutionary potential of populations under the stress of higher concentrations of OTC and the fitness costs and gains of selection in the absence of OTC indicate that past exposures to pollutants cannot be neglected when evaluating the effects of current stressors on natural populations.

PC14. RACIAL DISPARITIES IN SURGICAL OUTCOMES OF ABDOMINAL CONTOURING PROCEDURES: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF 8,643 PATIENTS FROM THE ACS-NSQIP

PURPOSE: The obesity pandemic has led to an influx of patients requiring abdominal contouring procedures due to massive weight loss. Previous studies have demonstrated high wound complication rates, however, there is a paucity of data with regards to racial disparities in postoperative outcomes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between race and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing abdominal contouring procedures. METHODS: The American College of Surgeons National Quality Improvements (NSQIP) database was queried between the years of 2015 and 2019. All patients who underwent either panniculectomy (CPT 15830) or abdominoplasty (CPT 15847) were included. Postoperative outcomes amongst racial groups were compared. Univariate analysis was performed followed by multivariate logistic regression to control for all possible confounders. RESULTS: Review of the Database identified 8,643 patients who underwent either abdominoplasty or panniculectomy between the years 2015 and 2019. Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for confounders revealed Black/African American and Hispanic White patients had decreased odds of superficial surgical site infections (SSSI) when compared to non-Hispanic White patients (OR=0.518, p<0.001; OR=0.615, p=0.045). Black/African American patients were also found to have decreased odds of post-operative pneumonia and unplanned readmission when compared to non-Hispanic White patients (OR=0.109, p=0.03; OR=0.607, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Despite lower average BMI and rates of HTN, well-documented risk factors for poor surgical outcomes, non-Hispanic White patients had increased odds of SSSI, pneumonia, and unplanned readmission. These findings warrant further investigation to identify other potential risk factors to improve the risk stratification and safety profile of these procedures.

Pluton Exhumation in the Precordillera of Northern Chile (17.8°–24.2°S): Implications for the Formation, Enrichment, and Preservation of Porphyry Copper Deposits

Abstract Hypogene mineralization in porphyry Cu deposits is typically associated with crustal thickening and rapid exhumation, whereas supergene enrichment requires slow exhumation to allow sufficient time for leaching and downward transport of Cu before it is lost to surface erosion. Therefore, spatial and temporal patterns of exhumation within a metallogenic belt can highlight favorable locations for hypogene mineralization, supergene enrichment, and preservation. Here, we determine average pluton exhumation rates along an ~730-km segment of the middle Eocene-early Oligocene metallogenic belt in northern Chile (17.8°–24.2°S). By combining zircon U-Pb geochronology with Al-in-hornblende geobarometry, we pinpoint the time and depth at which each pluton was emplaced and use the age of overlying cover units or supergene minerals to date its arrival at the surface (or near-surface) environment. Uranium-lead zircon ages for 49 samples from plutons and porphyries range from Carboniferous to Eocene (~314–35 Ma). Al-in-hornblende emplacement depths for 19 plutons are ~4–7 km, with one Carboniferous pluton emplaced at ~12 km. Two phases of net exhumation are identified: early Permian-Middle Triassic and middle Eocene-late Oligocene, with an intervening period of net burial. The highest exhumation rates (&amp;gt;0.30 km/m.y.) derive from the second phase, coeval with the Incaic orogeny and the main phase of hypogene mineralization. Present-day preservation of plutons and porphyry Cu deposits required low post-Oligocene average exhumation rates of &amp;lt;~0.01 km/m.y.—favorable for the development of many world-class supergene blankets. However, spatial variability in exhumation and burial across the belt led to poor conditions for supergene development locally: enrichment was hampered in some places by rapid exhumation after hypogene mineralization (e.g., ≥~4 km at El Abra), by burial beneath significant cover (e.g., Ministro Hales, Queen Elizabeth), or, in the Inti region of northernmost Chile, by a combination of the two.

Institution Origin and Medical School Rank Impact the Citation Frequency and Publication Rate in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Journals

PurposeTo examine the trends between various categories of institutions with their respective published orthopaedic sports medicine content and to determine the publication output and citation rate from the 25 highest-ranked medical schools compared with lower-ranked institutions.MethodsPublications between 2015 and 2019 from the American Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, and Arthroscopy were categorized into university/university affiliated hospitals, non-university affiliated teaching hospitals, public/semi-government research institutes, nonprofit research institutes, private sector institutions, government institutions, and other institutions. Citation rates were collected from PubMed for the first and corresponding author. Similarly, corresponding authors were stratified by U.S. News and World Report 2021 medical school research rankings.ResultsOf the 12,152 publications identified, 5,044 publications met the inclusion criteria. Nonprofit research institutions garnered the greatest number of citations on average (6.44 based on first author, SD 8.83, n = 214; 6.62 based on corresponding author, SD 9.65, n = 208; P < .001), while university/university-affiliated hospitals produced the majority of published articles (77.0% based on first author, 76.8% based on corresponding author), but had lower average citation rates (4.48 based on first author, SD 6.67, n = 3,886; 4.44 based on corresponding author, SD 6.55, n = 3,873; P < .001). Furthermore, of 1953 medical school publications, the top 25 accounted for 53.1% of publications; however, there was no statistical difference between their citation rates and those of lower rankings (P = 0.47).ConclusionsPublications are cited at different rates, depending on their institution of origin. In addition, high-ranking medical schools produce a disproportionately greater output of publications than lower-ranking schools, but there is no statistically significant difference in citation rates on an individual publication basis.Clinical RelevanceKnowing how an institution’s ranking influences publication and citation rates can help us understand bias in the scientific literature.

A Real-Time PPG Peak Detection Method for Accurate Determination of Heart Rate during Sinus Rhythm and Cardiac Arrhythmia.

Objective: We have developed a peak detection algorithm for accurate determination of heart rate, using photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals from a smartwatch, even in the presence of various cardiac rhythms, including normal sinus rhythm (NSR), premature atrial contraction (PAC), premature ventricle contraction (PVC), and atrial fibrillation (AF). Given the clinical need for accurate heart rate estimation in patients with AF, we developed a novel approach that reduces heart rate estimation errors when compared to peak detection algorithms designed for NSR. Methods: Our peak detection method is composed of a sequential series of algorithms that are combined to discriminate the various arrhythmias described above. Moreover, a novel Poincaré plot scheme is used to discriminate between basal heart rate AF and rapid ventricular response (RVR) AF, and to differentiate PAC/PVC from NSR and AF. Training of the algorithm was performed only with Samsung Simband smartwatch data, whereas independent testing data which had more samples than did the training data were obtained from Samsung’s Gear S3 and Galaxy Watch 3. Results: The new PPG peak detection algorithm provides significantly lower average heart rate and interbeat interval beat-to-beat estimation errors—30% and 66% lower—and mean heart rate and mean interbeat interval estimation errors—60% and 77% lower—when compared to the best of the seven other traditional peak detection algorithms that are known to be accurate for NSR. Our new PPG peak detection algorithm was the overall best performers for other arrhythmias. Conclusion: The proposed method for PPG peak detection automatically detects and discriminates between various arrhythmias among different waveforms of PPG data, delivers significantly lower heart rate estimation errors for participants with AF, and reduces the number of false negative peaks. Significance: By enabling accurate determination of heart rate despite the presence of AF with rapid ventricular response or PAC/PVCs, we enable clinicians to make more accurate recommendations for heart rate control from PPG data.

Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tourism in European Countries: Cluster Analysis Findings

This article aims to give an overview of tourism at the time of the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on European countries, the Systemic Literature Review (SLR) as well as Our World in Data (2021) and EUROSTAT (2021) secondary data were used. In order to group countries with respect to changes taking place in tourism, Ward’s cluster analysis was applied. After verifying the available data, 31 European countries were eventually selected for the analysis. The application of Ward’s method led to four groups of countries being created that are most similar in terms of changes in the tourism sector between 2019 and 2020. The first cluster comprised eight countries with the highest average rate of restrictiveness. On the other hand, this group recorded the lowest rate of changes concerning arrivals by air transport, which was on average 70.32%. The second group comprised 13 countries. In this cluster, the average change in the number of overnight stays and arrivals at tourist resorts was the lowest in comparison with other clusters. The third cluster comprised four countries where the change in arrivals by air transport was the highest, with an average decrease of 81.76%. The fourth group comprised six countries. The average change in the occupancy of hotel rooms and similar overnight accommodation facilities, as well as arrivals at tourist resorts, was the highest in comparison with other clusters. In addition, the countries were characterized by a relatively high decrease in the number of arrivals by air transport, but a relatively low average rate of restrictiveness.