Negative Correlation Coefficient Research Articles

In Vivo Intra-Articular Antibiotic Concentrations at 24 Hours After TKA Fall Below the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration for Most Bacteria: A Randomized Study of Commercially Available Bone Cement.

The use of antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) to help reduce the risk of infection after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is controversial. There is a paucity of in vivo data on the elution characteristics of ALBC. We aimed to determine whether the antibiotic concentrations of 2 commercially available ALBCs met the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) for common infecting organisms. Forty-five patients undergoing TKA were randomized to receive 1 of the following: bone cement without antibiotic (the negative control; n = 5), a commercially available formulation containing 1 g of tobramycin (n = 20), or a commercially available formulation containing 0.5 g of gentamicin (n = 20). Intra-articular drains were placed, and fluid was collected at 4 and 24 hours postoperatively. An automated immunoassay measuring antibiotic concentration was performed, and the results were compared against published MIC and MBEC thresholds. The ALBC treatment groups were predominantly of White (65%) or Black (32.5%) race and were 57.5% female and 42.4% male. The mean age (and standard deviation) was 72.6 ± 7.2 years in the gentamicin group and 67.6 ± 7.4 years in the tobramycin group. The mean antibiotic concentration in the tobramycin group was 55.1 ± 37.7 μg/mL at 4 hours and 19.5 ± 13.0 μg/mL at 24 hours, and the mean concentration in the gentamicin group was 38.4 ± 25.4 μg/mL at 4 hours and 17.7 ± 15.4 μg/mL at 24 hours. Time and antibiotic concentration had a negative linear correlation coefficient (r = -0.501). Most of the reference MIC levels were reached at 4 hours. However, at 24 hours, a considerable percentage of patients had concentrations below the MIC for many common pathogens, including Staphylococcus epidermidis (gentamicin: 65% to 100% of patients; tobramycin: 50% to 85%), methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (gentamicin: 5% to 90%; tobramycin: 5% to 50%), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (gentamicin: 5% to 65%; tobramycin: 50%), Streptococcus species (gentamicin: 10% to 100%), and Cutibacterium acnes (gentamicin: 10% to 65%; tobramycin: 100%). The aforementioned ranges reflect variation in the MIC among different strains of each organism. Gentamicin concentrations reached MBEC threshold values at 4 hours only for the least virulent strains of S. aureus and Escherichia coli. Tobramycin concentrations did not reach the MBEC threshold for any of the bacteria at either time point. The elution of antibiotics from commercially available ALBC decreased rapidly following TKA, and only at 4 hours postoperatively did the mean antibiotic concentrations exceed the MIC for most of the pathogens. Use of commercially available ALBC may not provide substantial antimicrobial coverage following TKA. Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Study of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient dynamics in concentrated marine fish farming water environment in Long Son - Vung Tau

The nutritional content of N and P in concentrated marine fish farming water in the Cha Va - Long Son - Vung Tau estuary area increased sharply during 2013–2016; notably, the N-NH4+ content increased in 2017–2019. The N-NO2- and N-NO3- content in the dry season (0.051 mg/L and 0.190 mg/L) was higher than in the rainy season (0.044 mg/L and 0.133 mg/L). In contrast, the N-NH4+ and P-PO43- contents in the rainy season (0.321 mg/L and 0.1 mg/L) are higher than in the dry season (0.154 mg/L and 0.093 mg/L). The N and P nutrient dynamics in water fluctuate according to the semi-diurnal tide regime; the nutrient content decreases during high water - daytime, increases during low water in the evening, and is high during high water at night and in the morning, early the next day. In dry and rainy seasons, the N-NH4+ content is always the highest (0.024–0.761 mg/L) among the nitrogen-based nutritional parameters. N and P nutrients in water are correlated: N-NH4+ parameter pairs with Total P, N-NO2- with Total P, Total N with Total P, N-NO2- and N-NO3-, P-PO43- with Total P, and the parameter pair N-NO2- with P-PO43- have low positive correlation coefficients (r), from 0.1–0.21. Conversely, the parameter pairs N-NO3- and Total N, N-NO3- and N-NH4+, and N-NO2- and N-NH4+ have low negative correlation coefficients (r), from -0.12 to -0.26. From 2010–2021, the number of cages increased beyond planning, causing environmental pollution in the water in the farming area. The nutritional RQ value of the water is high at level 4 every year (very high risk of environmental pollution).

Studies on Benthic Fauna with relation to physio chemical parameters in Betana Wetland, Morang, Nepal

This study examined the benthic fauna and its relation to the physic chemical parameters in Betana wetland, Morang, Nepal from December 2020 to May 2021. Over the course of six months, the study found two genera of Annelida (Hirudinea and Lumbricina), eight genera of Arthropoda (Macrobranchium, Chironomus, Cyclops, Cypridopsis, Blasturus, Diptera, Coeleptera, and Naupli), and four species of Mollusca (Bellamya bengalensis, Parreysia flavidens, Lamellidens marginalis, and Indoplanorbis exutus). Arthropods were more prevalent in the spring due to the increase in temperature. The average maximum water temperature was 23.66°C in the spring and the minimum was 20.25°C in the winter. The maximum soil temperature was 24.9°C in the spring and the minimum was 21.08°C in the winter. The pH was highest in the spring (7.67) and lowest in the winter (7.21). The highest dissolved oxygen (DO) was found in the winter (7.6 mg/l) and the lowest was in the spring (7 mg/l). The maximum free CO₂ was found in the spring (26.83 mg/l) and the minimum was in the winter (21.25 mg/l). Total alkalinity was highest in the spring (113 mg/l) and lowest in the winter (105 mg/l). Total hardness was highest in the spring (83.51 mg/l) and lowest in the winter (69.25 mg/l). Water temperature and soil temperature had a high correlation coefficient (0.93) with benthic fauna, while DO and pH showed a high negative correlation coefficient (-0.93 and -0.92), respectively.

Pathloss Assessment of a Terrestrial Digital UHF Channel over Kano City, Nigeria

Path loss assessment is an important factor in wireless communications to ensure quality of service. This study involves the measurement of Received Signal Strength (RSS) of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTTV) Star Times Station in Kano at 1 km intervals along three routes. Data were gathered during dry and wet season months in the year 2022. The path loss along the routes were computed based on the Okumura-Hata model. It was observed that path losses were higher during wet than dry season months. The result also indicates a higher negative correlation coefficient (R) of -0.745 between Line of Sight (LOS) and RSS for wet and -0.690 for dry season months respectively for route, A. Similarly, R, of -0.739 between LOS and RSS was also observed during wet and -0.589 for dry season months for route, B. In addition, R, of -0.420 was observed between LOS and RSS during wet and -0.328 for dry season months along route C. The average path loss for wet season is 133.90 dB and for dry season is 127.90 dB. Furthermore, this study introduced a Modified Hata Path Loss Model (MHPL) that takes into account the impact of specific tropospheric parameters such as LOS and elevation. Findings further indicated that the path loss predicted by the conventional Hata model exhibited a steady exponential increase with LOS. Similarly, MHPL followed a comparable trajectory, with some exceptions manifesting as peaks and valleys. The overall findings will be useful for power budgeting that will enhance quality of service of DTTV signal over Kano city.

Pathloss Assessment of a Terrestrial Digital UHF Channel over Kano City, Nigeria

Path loss assessment is an important factor in wireless communications to ensure quality of service. This study involves the measurement of Received Signal Strength (RSS) of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTTV) Star Times Station in Kano at 1 km intervals along three routes. Data were gathered during dry and wet season months in the year 2022. The path loss along the routes were computed based on the Okumura-Hata model. It was observed that path losses were higher during wet than dry season months. The result also indicates a higher negative correlation coefficient (R) of -0.745 between Line of Sight (LOS) and RSS for wet and -0.690 for dry season months respectively for route, A. Similarly, R, of -0.739 between LOS and RSS was also observed during wet and -0.589 for dry season months for route, B. In addition, R, of -0.420 was observed between LOS and RSS during wet and -0.328 for dry season months along route C. The average path loss for wet season is 133.90 dB and for dry season is 127.90 dB. Furthermore, this study introduced a Modified Hata Path Loss Model (MHPL) that takes into account the impact of specific tropospheric parameters such as LOS and elevation. Findings further indicated that the path loss predicted by the conventional Hata model exhibited a steady exponential increase with LOS. Similarly, MHPL followed a comparable trajectory, with some exceptions manifesting as peaks and valleys. The overall findings will be useful for power budgeting that will enhance quality of service of DTTV signal over Kano city.

Global brain connectivity: Test-retest stability and association with biological and neurocognitive variables

BackgroundGlobal brain connectivity (GBC) enables measuring brain regions’ functional connectivity strength at rest by computing the average correlation between each brain voxel’s time-series and that of all other voxels. New methodWe used resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data of young adult participants from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) dataset to explore the test-retest stability of GBC, the brain regions with higher or lower GBC, as well as the associations of this measure with age, sex, and fluid intelligence. GBC was computed by considering separately the positive and negative correlation coefficients (positive GBC and negative GBC). ResultsTest-retest stability was higher for positive compared to negative GBC. Areas with higher GBC were located in the default mode network, insula, and visual areas, while regions with lower GBC were in subcortical regions, temporal cortex, and cerebellum. Higher age was related to global reduction of positive GBC. Males displayed higher positive GBC in the whole brain. Fluid intelligence was associated to increased positive GBC in fronto-parietal, occipital and temporal regions. Comparison with Existing MethodCompared to previous works, this study adopted a larger sample size and tested GBC stability using data from different rs-fMRI sessions. Moreover, these associations were examined by testing positive and negative GBC separately. ConclusionsLower stability for negative compared to positive GBC suggests that negative correlations may reflect less stable couplings between brain regions. Our findings indicate a greater importance of positive compared to negative GBC for the associations of functional connectivity strength with biological and neurocognitive variables.

Streamlining Ocean Dynamics Modeling with Fourier Neural Operators: A Multiobjective Hyperparameter and Architecture Optimization Approach

Training an effective deep learning model to learn ocean processes involves careful choices of various hyperparameters. We leverage DeepHyper’s advanced search algorithms for multiobjective optimization, streamlining the development of neural networks tailored for ocean modeling. The focus is on optimizing Fourier neural operators (FNOs), a data-driven model capable of simulating complex ocean behaviors. Selecting the correct model and tuning the hyperparameters are challenging tasks, requiring much effort to ensure model accuracy. DeepHyper allows efficient exploration of hyperparameters associated with data preprocessing, FNO architecture-related hyperparameters, and various model training strategies. We aim to obtain an optimal set of hyperparameters leading to the most performant model. Moreover, on top of the commonly used mean squared error for model training, we propose adopting the negative anomaly correlation coefficient as the additional loss term to improve model performance and investigate the potential trade-off between the two terms. The numerical experiments show that the optimal set of hyperparameters enhanced model performance in single timestepping forecasting and greatly exceeded the baseline configuration in the autoregressive rollout for long-horizon forecasting up to 30 days. Utilizing DeepHyper, we demonstrate an approach to enhance the use of FNO in ocean dynamics forecasting, offering a scalable solution with improved precision.

Demographic yearbooks as a source of weather-related fatalities: the Czech Republic, 1919–2022

Abstract. Demographic yearbooks of the Czech Republic, prepared by the Czech Statistical Office for the 1919–2022 period, contain official figures on the number of fatalities attributed to excessive natural cold, excessive natural heat, lightning, natural hazards, air pressure changes, and falls on ice or snow, as well as details about the sex and age of the deceased, covering a 104-year period or parts of it. These yearbooks, influenced by evolving international classifications of diseases, tend to underestimate the fatality numbers for excessive natural heat, natural hazards, and air pressure changes in particular. Out of a total of 9259 weather-related fatalities (with a mean annual rate of 89.0 fatalities), 74.9 % were caused by excessive natural cold and 19.3 % by lightning. No trend was identified in natural hazards, whilst statistically significant decreasing trends were found for lightning fatalities and increasing trends for excessive natural cold, excessive natural heat, and falls on ice or snow. Males and seniors aged ≥65 years were the most common sex and age categories affected. The number of fatalities attributed to excessive natural cold has partly increased as a result of the gradually ageing population and the rise in the number of homeless people since the 1990s. A statistically significant relationship between cold-related fatalities and mean January–February and winter (December–February) temperatures was established, evidenced by high negative correlation coefficients. Lightning deaths have notably decreased since the 1970s, primarily due to a significant reduction in the number of people employed in agriculture, an increase in urban population, better weather forecasting, lifestyle changes, and improved medical care. Although there is a significant positive correlation between these fatalities and the number of days with thunderstorms, the relationship is relatively weak. The results obtained for the Czech Republic align well with similar studies in Europe and elsewhere. While the demographic yearbooks cover only a part of weather-related fatalities, their circumstances, and characteristics, combining them with other similar databases is crucial to gain the necessary knowledge usable in risk management for the preservation of human lives.

Underlying Neural Mechanisms of Cognitive Improvement in Fronto-striatal Response Inhibition in People Living with HIV Switching Off Efavirenz: A Randomized Controlled BOLD fMRI Trial.

It is unclear whether neurotoxicity due to the antiretroviral drug efavirenz (EFV) results in neurocognitive impairment in people living with HIV (PLWH). Previously, we found that discontinuing EFV was associated with improved processing speed and attention on neuropsychological assessment. In this imaging study, we investigate potential neural mechanisms underlying this cognitive improvement using a BOLD fMRI task assessing cortical and subcortical functioning. Asymptomatic adult PLWH stable on emtricitabine/tenofovirdisoproxil/efavirenz were randomly (1:2) assigned to continue their regimen (n = 12) or to switch to emtricitabine/tenofovirdisoproxil/rilpivirine (n = 28). At baseline and after 12weeks, both groups performed the Stop-Signal Anticipation Task, which tests reactive and proactive inhibition (indicative of subcortical and cortical functioning, respectively), involving executive functioning, working memory, and attention. Behavior and BOLD fMRI activation levels related to processing speed and attention Z-scores were assessed in 17 pre-defined brain regions. Both groups had comparable patient and clinical characteristics. Reactive inhibition behavioral responses improved for both groups on week12, with other responses unchanged. Between-group activation did not differ significantly. For reactive inhibition, positive Pearson coefficients were observed for the change in BOLD fMRI activation levels and change in processing speed and attention Z-scores in all 17 regions in participants switched to emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil/rilpivirine, whereas in the control group, negative correlation coefficients were observed in 10/17 and 13/17 regions, respectively. No differential pattern was observed for proactive inhibition. Potential neural mechanisms underlying cognitive improvement after discontinuing EFV in PLWH were found in subcortical functioning, with our findings suggesting that EFV's effect on attention and processing speed is, at least partially, mediated by reactive inhibition. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier [NCT02308332].

Contagion and linkages across international currencies

This paper examines dynamic linkages among international currencies in the face of several turmoil episodes including the global financial crisis (GFC), eurozone sovereign debt crisis (ESDC) and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. We utilize weekly data from August 2005 till December 2022. Our empirical strategy consists of identification of crisis periods using a Markov-switching VAR, followed by estimation of the dynamic conditional correlations using an ADCC-GARCH model and testing for the impact of the crises using a regression model with robust standard errors. We compare impact of the episodes on the dynamic correlations across the currency pairs. Our findings suggest that correlation between developed economy exchange rates increased significantly during these episodes implying existence of a contagion effect. While significant negative correlation coefficients were observed across all pairs with Japanese Yen during GFC and ESDC, indicating flight to quality. We analyse factors that may be responsible for changes in co-movement of the currencies during the study period and find that financial stress, emergence of the pandemic and geo-political risk have a significant role to play.

Health Security of Unorganised Construction Workers Through Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) Special reference to the Haldwani Development Block

Purpose of the study – This study explores the Ayushman Bharat Scheme (PM-JAY) in the Haldwani Development Block of Uttarakhand, focusing on awareness, utilization, and impact among unorganized construction workers. It also assesses the scheme's accessibility in rural and urban areas within the study area. Design/methodology/approach – The present study is based on descriptive and analytical research design. The cross-sectional study was conducted within the rural and urban parts of the study area. The study is based on primary data and the data was collected through a close-ended interview schedule with the sample size of N = 384, which is determined through William Cochran’s methods for infinite population size. Statistical tool – Descriptive statistics has been used for summarizing the result of the study and in the inferential statistics Spearmen’s rank correlation, Chi-Square, one sample t-test and Likert Scale Analysis have been used. Conclusion - The study reveals that in the case of awareness, the schemes were successful but there is substantial gaps exist in the utilization of Ayushman Bharat Schemes (PM-JAY) among the unorganised construction workers. The researcher found a weak negative correlation coefficient between the level of education and awareness, enrollment and availing the benefits of the Ayushman Bharat schemes. Rural respondents have received more benefits than urban respondents. Enrolment in Ayushman Bharat leads to significant reductions in annual healthcare expenditure. This suggests that PM-JAY helps reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs, making medical services more affordable to unorganised construction workers. On average, respondents reported a moderately positive perception regarding the shift of their healthcare utilization from informal to formal channels due to PM-JAY.

Towards urban wind utilization: The spatial characteristics of wind energy in urban areas

Urban wind energy is gaining increasing recognition for its environmentally friendly nature, particularly in the context of energy shortages. Predicting wind speed in urban environments is challenging due to the varying roughness and drag caused by obstacles on the ground. The complexity of urban morphology significantly disrupts the wind field and hampers the utilization of wind energy. This study aimed to investigate the diverse impacts of highly heterogeneous urban environment on the urban wind energy by innovatively establishing spatially varying power law wind profiles. Firstly, long-term LIDAR observations were conducted to measure the vertical wind profile in the study area. Then, a high-resolution LCZ map was created and integrated into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to reproduce the urban wind field, which was validated using the observational data. Finally, the spatial characteristics of the urban wind field and wind energy were analyzed based on 3 representative points and the urban LCZ categories. The results show that the average power law exponents of each LCZ classification ranges from 0.29 to 0.75, with the average power law exponent of the high-volume building area being larger than 0.6. The highest wind power density in the study area can reach 343.3W/m2 at 200m height. Further, significant negative correlation coefficients were found between wind power density and building height, as well as building density, with values of approximately −0.6 and −0.35, respectively. Overall, the high-volume-ratio built-up areas with higher roughness had a notable impact on the wind speed by increasing the power law exponents. These spatially varying wind profiles are expected to provide technical support for the utilization of urban wind energy.

Analysis of rapid snow and ice cover loss in mountain glaciers of arid and semi-arid regions using remote sensing data

This article investigates the effects of climate change on snow cover and glacier in mountainous glacial areas in northern region of Iran. Due to the lack of glacier measuring stations, accurately assessing changes in snow cover over the past two decades is a challenge for water experts. This research instead utilized remote sensing data from the MODIS sensor on the Terra satellite in Google Earth Engine (GEE) system covering the period from 2000 to 2020. The annual temperature changes near the Earth's surface, using ERA5 data, showed a significant increase of 1.5 °C in average temperature over the past thirty years. The Mann-Kendall test confirms the statistical significance of the temperature rise, with a significance value of 3.5 and a p-value of 0.002. For MODIS data validation, two methods of overall accuracy and the Kappa coefficient were used with 93% and 85% of accuracy. While the annual snowfall and volume have remained relatively stable over the past 20 years, the findings indicate a decreasing trend of snow cover during warmer months (summer) due to rising air temperatures. The findings show a strong negative correlation coefficient of −0.8 between snow cover and annual average temperature. The results indicate a 30% decrease in summer snow cover compared to the spatial extent of two decades ago. The rapid snowmelt poses a significant threat to permanent glaciers in the region as the protective snow cover diminishes, putting these glaciers at risk of completely melting in the future. The loss of these glaciers will have severe consequences for the environment, including impacts on local water supplies, river flows, and the ecosystem.

Characteristics of sudanese camel-hair fibres under subtropical desert condition

The study assessed the quality and variability of camel hair fibres in arid regions of Egypt. Raw camel-hair samples were collected from fifteen Sudanese camels divided into seven males (414.60 ± 38.19 kg, BW) and eight females (401.67 ± 26.76 kg BW), and the study investigated the influences of animal sex on both the physical and chemical traits of camel-hair fibers. The relationships among physical properties and both mineral and amino acid content were studied. Camel’s sex had no significant effect on any of the studied traits including fibre diameter (FD), prickle factor (PF), medullated fibre (MF), staple length (SL) and staple strength (SS). In the meantime, no significant differences were found between males and females in fibers’ minerals contents except potassium, where fibres of females had significantly higher potassium content than those of males. For amino acids contents in camel fibres, camel sex had a significant effect only on glutamic acid, since fibres of males showed higher (P < 0.05) content than females. Fibre diameter had positive (P < 0.01) correlations with prickle factor (r = 0.83) and medullated fibres (r = 0.73). Zinc content in camel fibres was positively correlated with fibre diameter (r = 0.57; P < 0.05) and medullated fibres (r = 0.73; P < 0.01). Moreover, a significant (negative correlation coefficient P < 0.05) was found between fibre diameter and both sulfur and proline contents (r=-0.39 and − 0.56). Ammonia content in fibres was correlated negatively (P < 0.05) with prickle factor and elongation (r=-0.62 and − 0.58, respectively). The variability in the physical properties and chemical composition of Sudanese camel-hair fibers under subtropical desert conditions may shed light on the possibility of improving fiber quality.

Evaluating the influence of Cynodon dactylon on the wave force and wave erosion in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

Wave erosion is the main erosion type in the water-level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA). Despite vegetation can effectively mitigate wave erosion in the WLFZ, its influence on the wave force and wave erosion remains unclear. Therefore, the wave experiments were conducted under 3 Cynodon dactylon coverage rates (0, 30% and 60%) and 9 wave conditions (3 wave heights of 4, 6 and 8 cm combined with 3 wave periods of 1, 2 and 3 s) to analyse the wave force (expressed as the wave pressure on the slope surface and the pore water pressure in the slope) and wave erosion rate, and the factors influencing wave erosion were identified. The results indicated that the wave pressure, pore water pressure and wave erosion rate increased by 19.14%–104.75%, 16.84%–65.04% and 23.33%–91.64%, respectively, as wave height increases. The wave pressure decreased by 1.50%–31.23% followed by an increase by 22.05% to 87.10% with the increase of wave period, whereas the pore water pressure and wave erosion rate decreased by 28.33%–53.59% and 20.46%–63.59%, respectively. However, these quantities decreased by 2.10%–50.84%, 17.06%–40.23% and 17.28%–82.18%, respectively, with the increase of Cynodon dactylon coverage rate. It was also discovered that the pore water pressure and Cynodon dactylon coverage rate attained the highest positive and negative correlation coefficients with the wave erosion rate, respectively. In addition, pore water pressure accumulation is the most critical influence factor on wave erosion, and Cynodon dactylon could effectively reduce the pore water pressure via its roots, thus improving the slope wave erosion resistance. This study could be useful to understand the mechanism of plants on controlling wave erosion and could provide a scientific reference for wave erosion control and the ecological construction in the WLFZ.

The search for new pathogenesis of cardiorenal syndrome: the effect of local Schumann resonance on the occurrence of episodes of kidney disease and myocardial infarction

Background. The pandemic of noncommunicable chronic diseases and the high prevalence of combined damage to the cardiovascular system and kidneys determine the relevance of continuing scientific research to solve these medical problems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the influence of the Earth’s electromagnetic field on the occurrence of episodes of kidney disease and myocardial infarction in order to search for new pathogenetic components of cardiorenal syndrome and deepen fundamental knowledge. According to the Lithuanian magnetometer GCI003, a number of stu­dies in 2014–2018 found that changes in the Earth’s electromagnetic field may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases as well as their incidence. Since the functioning of the cardiovascular system and kidneys are closely connected through the metabolic processes of the cardiorenal metabolic axis, this study tested the hypothesis that changes in the Earth’s electromagnetic field may also affect the pathogenesis of kidney disease as the changes of local magnetic field have been shown to influence the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Materials and methods. This was a search retrospective study on the relationship between the influence of local Schumann resonances and the occurrence of hospitalizations in 1340 patients with kidney disease. It also examined the relationship between local Schumann resonances and heart attacks in patients admitted to the University Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (703 patients). Mean power of local magnetic field fluctuations in Lithuania was measured in pT2 s2 in five different frequency ranges, which overlaps the Schumann resonance and electroencephalogram’s frequency ranges: SDelta (0–3.5 Hz), STheta (3.5–7 Hz), SAlpha (7–15 Hz), SBeta (15–32 Hz), SGamma (32–66 Hz). The data of hospitalizations to the Nephrology Department of University Hospital and the dynamics of Schumann resonances were analyzed from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021. The data of hospitalizations for myocardial infarction to the Cardiology Department of University Hospital and the dynamics of Schumann resonances were studied from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. Results. It was found that changes in the strength of the Earth’s local magnetic field in 2016 and 2021 were comparable and corresponded to the characteristic annual dynamics of the Earth’s local electromagnetic fields. This made it possible to conduct a comparative analysis of annual correlation graphs and establish general trends in the dynamics of indicators and graphical similarities. It confirmed the pre­sence of a general dependence of reactions to the external electromagnetic field of the Earth in female and male patients both with nephrological pathology and myocardial infarction. In nephrological patients of both sexes, all correlation coefficients in all ranges of Schumann resonances were positive. The only negative correlation coefficient P5 (SGamma) [32; 65] Hz (r = –0.069; p = 0.313) was in the female group. This fact as well as the presence of a significant dynamics of the correlation coefficient P5 (SGamma) [32; 65] Hz (r = 0.009; p = 0.475) in the male group indicate that higher magnetic field strength in this frequency range may be associated with a reduced incidence of kidney disease. We obtained data that a higher magnetic field intensity in the gamma range from 32 to 65 Hz as a pathogenetic component can contribute to the destabilization of the cardiovascular system, but at the same time it is associated with a positive effect on the state of nephrological pathology. Based on this, we can tentatively assume the opposite direction of the Earth’s electromagnetic field influence on the pathogenetic mechanisms of renal and cardiovascular diseases. This is clearly demonstrated by comparing the correlation coefficients between the incidence of kidney disease and the occurrence of myocardial infarction in men and women. The Earth’s stronger magnetic field in the gamma range contributes to an increase in the incidence of myocardial infarction, which is confirmed by the large number of patients during this period. Under these same conditions, a decrease in the incidence of kidney disease has been detected. This opposite direction is observed in both sexes. But in women the reaction is stronger, which is confirmed by a larger difference in correlation coefficients. Conclusions. 1. Changes in the Earth’s electromagnetic field are related to the functional state of the cardiovascular system and the condition of the kidneys. 2. It can be assumed that the effect of the Earth’s electromagnetic field on the pathogenetic mechanisms of kidney disease is in the opposite direction of that on the cardiovascular one. 3. Reliable gender differences in correlations between the influence of changes in the local Schumann resonance on the functional state of the cardiovascular system and kidneys were not found. 4. The connection of the Earth’s local geomagnetic field with kidney function may be another new unexplored pathogenetic mechanism in cardiorenal syndrome and noncommunicable chronic diseases.

Air Quality Changes under the Influence of Cut-Off Lows and Omega Blocking Patterns and Associated Health Risks in a Coastal Mediterranean Region: Case of Bizerte, Northern Tunisia

The study of the daily and diurnal variability of NO, NO2, surface O3 and PM10 was carried out in urban Bizerte (Northern Tunisia), from January to March, 2013. The main results showed three distinct periods depending on multi-scale sources and meteorology. The first period, (≈20% of total cases) influenced by moderately stable conditions, was characterized by a slight excess of NO due to traffic emissions. The second period, (≈ 60% of total cases) associated with moderately unstable conditions, was devoid of any significant impact of sources. The third period, (≈ 20% of total cases) distinguished by noteworthy excess of O3 and PM10, was attributed to a marked effect of succeeding Cut-off lows and Omega blocking patterns. Under these conditions, the scatter plots of NO, NO2, and O3 versus NOx for daytime and nighttime showed good polynomial fit curves with high R2 values for NO and NO2 only. Under both moderately unstable and stable conditions, significant negative correlation coefficients between O3 and NOx were found to be 0.53 (p < 0.05) and 0.50 (p < 0.05) for daytime and nighttime, respectively. Under Cut-off lows and Omega, an absence of any significant correlations between O3 and NOx was noticed. Under Cut-off lows, the good linear regression fits between OX (=O3 + NO2) and NOx illustrated high NOx independent contributions, possibly attributed to the biogenic VOCs effect. The investigation of the air quality index (AQI) for NO2, PM10 and O3 (running 8-h mean) highlighted the significant effect of both O3 and PM10 only under Cut-off lows and Omega which were retraced by poor to very poor air quality categories.

Routine evaluation of HBV-specific T cell reactivity in chronic hepatitis B using a broad-spectrum T-cell epitope peptide library and ELISpot assay

BackgroundThe clinical routine test of HBV-specific T cell reactivity is still limited due to the high polymorphisms of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) in patient cohort and the lack of universal detection kit, thus the clinical implication remains disputed.MethodsA broad-spectrum peptide library, which consists of 103 functionally validated CD8+ T-cell epitopes spanning overall HBsAg, HBeAg, HBx and HBpol proteins and fits to the HLA polymorphisms of Chinese and Northeast Asian populations, was grouped into eight peptide pools and was used to establish an ELISpot assay for enumerating the reactive HBV-specific T cells in PBMCs. Totally 294 HBV-infected patients including 203 ones with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 13 ones in acute resolved stage (R), 52 ones with liver cirrhosis (LC) and 26 ones with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were detected, and 33 CHB patients were longitudinally monitored for 3 times with an interval of 3–5 months.ResultsThe numbers of reactive HBV-specific T cells were significantly correlated with ALT level, HBsAg level, and disease stage (R, CHB, LC and HCC), and R patients displayed the strongest HBV-specific T cell reactivity while CHB patients showed the weakest one. For 203 CHB patients, the numbers of reactive HBV-specific T cells presented a significantly declined trend when the serum viral DNA load, HBsAg, HBeAg or ALT level gradually increased, but only a very low negative correlation coefficient was defined (r = − 0.21, − 0.21, − 0.27, − 0.079, respectively). Different Nucleotide Analogs (NUCs) did not bring difference on HBV-specific T cell reactivity in the same duration of treatment. NUCs/pegIFN-α combination led to much more reactive HBV-specific T cells than NUCs monotherapy. The dynamic numbers of reactive HBV-specific T cells were obviously increasing in most CHB patients undergoing routine treatment, and the longitudinal trend possess a high predictive power for the hepatitis progression 6 or 12 months later.ConclusionThe presented method could be developed into an efficient reference method for the clinical evaluation of cellular immunity. The CHB patients presenting low reactivity of HBV-specific T cells have a worse prognosis for hepatitis progression and should be treated using pegIFN-α to improve host T-cell immunity.

33 An evaluation of Oklahoma beef producer decision factors regarding the implementation of calf best management practices

Abstract Oklahoma State Ag Economics and Animal Science Specialists implement the Oklahoma Beef Management and Marketing Survey approximately every 5 yr. Data from the 2017 survey indicated that 82% of producers practiced castration, 87% dewormed, 75% trained calves to feed bunks, 63% weaned calves for a minimum of 45 days, and 49% administered two rounds of respiratory vaccinations (Barnes et al., 2023). Using data from the 2017 survey, the objectives of this study were to evaluate incentives and constraints to producer implementation of calf best management practices and to analyze relationships between individual management practices and marketing calves at weaning ( &amp;lt; 30 d weaned) or following a weaning period (≥ 30 d weaned). Management practices evaluated included castration, deworming, feed bunk training, a minimum 45-d weaning period, and the administration of two rounds of respiratory vaccines. A total of 1,495 surveys were returned. When asked to indicate management incentives (why the practice was implemented), n = 1,375, n = 1,348, n = 1,070, n = 937, and n = 937 responses were recorded regarding castration, deworming, bunk training, 45-d weaning period, and respiratory vaccination, respectively. Survey data indicated 30%, 17%, 18%, 21%, and 21% of respondents felt that buyers paid a premium for the practices of castration, deworming, bunk training, 45-d weaning period, and respiratory vaccination, respectively. Survey responses illustrated that 22% and 19% of producers felt that deworming and bunk training, respectively, improved calf marketability. A total of 12% of respondents indicated that announcing days weaned and vaccination history at the time of sale improved calf value. When asked to indicate constraints to implementing management practices, n = 211, n = 277, n = 258, n = 388, and n = 542 responses were recorded regarding castration, deworming, bunk training, 45-d weaning period, and respiratory vaccination, respectively. According to survey results 15%, 26%, 20%, 17%, and 25% of producers felt that castration, deworming, bunk training, 45-d weaning period, or administering respiratory vaccinations, respectively, provided no benefit to their operations. Data illustrated that 7%, 9%, 10%, 9%, and 9% of respondents were unaware of any added value for the practices of castration, deworming, bunk training, 45-d weaning period, and administering respiratory vaccines. Relationships between the management practices of castration, deworming, and providing respiratory vaccines and the decision to market calves at weaning or post-weaning were evaluated. Data indicated weak significant negative correlation coefficients of -0.25, -0.28, and -0.21 for castration, deworming, and respiratory vaccines, respectively, and marketing at weaning. Conversely, weak significant positive correlations of 0.25, 0.30, and 0.25, respectively, were observed for castration, deworming, and respiratory vaccines with marketing post-weaning. A substantial percentage of producers subscribed to calf best management practices. However, because the observed correlation coefficients were weaker than expected producer education regarding optimal marketing strategies may lead to an improvement in capturing market premiums related to management practices.

Потоки метана на границе вода–атмосфера на акватории российского сектора Восточной Арктики

The average value of methane fluxes from the sea surface in the Chukchi Sea (4±4 mol/(km2‧day)) and parameters of methane supersaturation of the surface water layer (78±39 %) were lower than in the East Siberian Sea (32±24 mol/(km2‧day) and 346±247 %, respectively). In 50 % of cases, the concentrations of dissolved methane in the surface layer of sea waters were two times higher than the equilibrium values with the atmosphere. The heterogeneous distribution of methane in seawater causes a change in the direction and magnitude of methane fluxes at the water–atmosphere boundary under given experimental hydrometeorological conditions. Data analysis showed that the flux was predominantly determined by wind speed (correlation coefficient Q = 0.8), concentration of dissolved methane (Q = 0.6), parameter of methane supersaturation of waters (Q = 0.6), and temperature of the surface water layer (Q = –0.6). A negative correlation coefficient with temperature indicates that as the temperature decreases, the solubility of methane in water increases, the difference in concentrations with the atmosphere decreases, and the intensity of methane flux decreases.