One-year Data Research Articles

A Nonparametric Bayesian Approach for Bridge Reliability Assessment Using Structural Health Monitoring Data

Integrating structural health monitoring (SHM) data into reliability assessment has increasingly been practiced in the condition evaluation of in-service bridges over the past decade. The selection of probability distribution models for load- and resistance-related random variables is a prerequisite for monitoring-based reliability assessment. However, the underlying probabilistic assumptions of the used models could be restrictive and unverifiable especially when dealing with real-world heterogeneous monitoring data, weakening the confidence on the estimated reliability index. This study aims to develop a nonparametric Bayesian model with the Dirichlet process prior for bridge reliability assessment, where the model order constraint can be released such that the complexity of the model adapts to the observed data. Reliability analysis via the nonparametric Bayesian model allows the aleatory uncertainty and the epistemic uncertainty arising from monitoring data to be concurrently accounted for in the formulated reliability index. A numerical example is presented to verify the effectiveness of the nonparametric Bayesian model for dealing with multimodal data. The feasibility of the proposed approach for reliability assessment is then demonstrated with one-year strain monitoring data acquired from a large-scale bridge instrumented with the SHM system.

OC-109 ONE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP ANALYSIS OF WOUND VS SUTURE LENGTH RATIO AS A PREDICTOR OF INCISIONAL HERNIA - A COHORT STUDY (WISER)

Abstract Background The purpose of the study was to determine if the recommended wound to suture length ratios of 1:4 and 1:6 were followed during midline laparotomy closure with loop PDS and 2–0 PDS, respectively, and whether this affected the development of an incisional hernia three years following the procedure. Methods This prospective study included eighty-six patients operated by the midline incision. The closures were performed as per the surgeon's choice. The length of the incision, types and length of suture used were noted. The one-year follow-up data was analyzed. Results In thirty cases, loop PDS was used for the closure, and in 56 patients, 2-0 PDS was used. Adherence to the recommendation was better with the loop PDS (13/30,43.33%) vs 2-0 PDS (8/56,14.28%). Eighteen patients were excluded(10-death-,5-loss to follow-up,3-reoperation).46.1%(12/26) developed incisional hernia in the loop PDS group vs 7.14%(3/42) with 2-0 PDS; total 22.05%(15/68). If the recommendations were followed or not, there were 20% (2/10) hernias in the loop PDS group compared to 62.5% (10/16); and 28.57% (2/7) compared to 2.8% (1/35) in the 2-0 PDS group. The loop PDS group had more malignancies (40% vs 20%, p=0.04). Conclusion The adherence to the recommendation of wound vs suture length was low. The incidence of incisional hernia was significantly low with 2-0 PDS, at one year, however the results should be interpreted with caution considering many patients closed with loop PDS had malignancies, a risk factor for incisional hernia, and low sample size due to death and loss to follow-up.

Multi-criteria assessment and optimization of ice-energy storage systems in combined heat and cold supply networks of a campus building

Ice energy storage systems (ICES) can be a promising technology for the combined provision of heating and cooling for non-residential buildings by utilizing currently unexploited waste heat without depending on solar assistance. However, detailed studies on the effects of different operating strategies of an ICES in the context of an overall supply system are not available yet, nor are there any design routines for dimensioning and integration. For this purpose, a detailed numerical investigation and evaluation of an ICES in the supply system of a research building is performed in this work, using one-year measurement data of the system containing 500 m3 storage. The considered building, of which about 70% of the floor area is disposed of for laboratories and workplaces, is located in Bayreuth, Germany, where a warm and moderate climate with an annual average temperature of 8.9 °C is prevailing. Thereby, both an optimization of plant operation and dimensioning is carried out, while frameworks of Germany, France and EU27 average are used to elaborate their influence on the optimization process. Compared to conventional heating and cooling, the existing system can reduce CO2 emissions by 37% in optimal operation. Through the technically possible operating modes of the realized system, there is a range in annual costs from 213 to 287 k€ and CO2 emissions from 148 to 235 t/a between the optimal and worst control. By adapting the plant concept and a downhill simplex method for identifying optimal storage dimensioning, the economic efficiency of the process can also be significantly increased. Moreover, the configuration of the optimal ICES realization shows a high dependency on the prevailing boundary conditions. For all considered regions, the use of ICES can lead to an ecological improvement as well as a reduction in demand-related costs, whereby the methodology can also be applicable to other building types in the future.

Outcomes of morbidly obese patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty with the anterior-based muscle-sparing approach.

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of hip osteoarthritis, resulting in an increased number of total hip arthroplasties (THAs) performed annually. This study examines the peri- and postoperative outcomes of morbidly obese (MO) patients (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) compared to healthy weight (HW) patients (BMI 18.5 to < 25 kg/m2) who underwent a THA using the anterior-based muscle-sparing (ABMS) approach. This retrospective cohort study observes peri- and postoperative outcomes of MO and HW patients who underwent a primary, unilateral THA with the ABMS approach. Data from surgeries performed by three surgeons at a single institution was collected from January 2013 to August 2020 and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Stata 17.0. This study compares 341 MO to 1,140 HW patients. Anaesthesia, surgery duration, and length of hospital stay was significantly lower in HW patients compared to MO. There was no difference in incidence of pulmonary embolism, periprosthetic fracture, or dislocation between the two groups. The rate of infection in MO patients (1.47%) was significantly higher than HW patients (0.14%). Preoperative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) show a significantly higher pain level in MO patients and a significantly lower score in functional abilities. Overall, six-week and one-year postoperative data show higher levels of pain, lower levels of functional improvement, and lower satisfaction scores in the MO group. The comorbidities of obesity are well studied; however, the implications of THA using the ABMS approach have not been studied. Our peri- and postoperative results demonstrate significant improvements in PROMs in MO patients undergoing THA. However, the incidence of deep infection was significantly higher in this group compared with HW patients.

Hand-hygiene compliance: The importance of WHO's “moment 1” in prevention of healthcare-associated infections

BackgroundHand hygiene is the single most effective strategy for preventing healthcare associated infections (HCAI) but compliance is usually low and effective improvement strategies are needed. We assessed hand hygiene (HH) compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribed five moments of hand hygiene among health-care workers (HCW). MethodsA retrospective analysis of one-year data on hand hygiene was done. WHO single observer direct observation technique was used and HH compliance was noted among HCWS. ResultsA total of 16,552 opportunities were recorded. Overall compliance as per WHO Guidelines was 69.2%. Sanitation worker had an adherence rate of 73.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]:70.6–75.4) followed by the nurses 71.2% (95% CI: 70.4–72.1). Physicians and technicians had a compliance rate of 64.9% (95% CI: 63.1–66.6) and 64% (95% CI: 60.1–67.9) respectively. Physiotherapists had a compliance rate of 62.2 (95% CI: 50.1–73.2) and the compliance of Phlebotomists was observed to be 23.1% (95% CI: 9.0–43.6). HCW stood best for WHO moment 5 and worst for moment 1 with compliance of 79.1% (95% CI:77.4–80.7) and 55.8% (95% CI:54.5–57.1) respectively. DiscussionThe moment 1 of the WHO's five moments is the most important for preventing the transmission of resistant pathogens between patients. Missed opportunities in moment 1 need to be focused on while planning new strategies to promote hand hygiene.

One-year Data from ENDEAVOR, a Phase 1b Trial of Delandistrogene Moxeparvovec (SRP-9001) in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) (S48.003)

One-year Data from ENDEAVOR, a Phase 1b Trial of Delandistrogene Moxeparvovec (SRP-9001) in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) (S48.003)

Forecasting Uncertainty Parameters of Virtual Power Plants Using Decision Tree Algorithm

Renewable energy sources (RESs) are increasingly used to meet the world’s growing electrical needs, especially for the economic benefits and environmental problems associated with fossil fuel use. Small-scale renewable energy sources, controllable loads, energy storage devices, and other nonrenewable sources are effectively integrated to form a virtual power plant (VPP). Uncertainty in forecasting renewable energy generation due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources is one of the biggest challenges in VPPs. Power generation by RESs changes with the day of the week, season, location, climate, and resource availability. Also, load demand and utility price vary with time and need to be forecasted for proper energy management of VPPs. However, the dispatching and planning of VPPs are significantly impacted by the volatile nature of RESs, load demand, and utility price. Predicting these uncertainties with high accuracy is essential to balance the electrical power generation and the load demand. In this article, a decision tree (DT) algorithm is proposed, to predict the uncertainty parameters, such as the day-ahead power from the RES, load demand, and utility prices of VPPs. The efficiency of the proposed model and the predicted results are compared with other complex models, such as the artificial neural network (ANN) and auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) algorithms. Root-mean square error (RMSE), mean square error (MSE), coefficient of determination (R 2), and mean absolute error (MAE) are the statistical metrics used to evaluate the accuracy of the prediction. One-year meteorological data of the Chennai zone in India is considered for predicting the uncertainty parameters. IEEE 16-bus and 33-bus test systems are used to validate the forecasting model. It is evident from the results that the proposed DT algorithm can predict the uncertainty parameters more accurately and use lesser time than the ANN and ARIMA algorithms.

Revisiting reliable change with Iverson (2001)

Objective: Iverson (2001) expanded on reliable change methodology by accounting for the variability in scores at Time 2 in the calculation of change scores. However, due to limitations in available data, an incomplete picture of variables affecting change was presented. The current paper sought to address some of these limitations and clarify the methodology for assessing reliable change. Method: Using one-year test-retest data on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) in older adults who were cognitively intact or had mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD), change scores were calculated, and various models, consistent with or divergent from Iverson, were presented. Results: Across the RBANS, individuals with intact cognition tended to show less variable scores, especially at Time 2, which resulted in larger change scores than those with AD. When applied to an independent sample, different patterns of change were observed, with: (1) models that used intact data showed more cognitive change than those using AD data; (2) the model that corrected for practice effects and used intact data showed the most decline; and (3) the model that corrected for practice effects and used AD data showed the most improvement. The models that showed the strongest association in classifying independent cases as decline/stable/improve were those that used intact data and were discordant on the use of practice effects. Conclusions: Overall, findings highlight the complexity of calculating reliable change, and they lend additional caution to Iverson’s original limitations. However, the use of data from individuals classified as cognitively intact and a correction for practice effects seems warranted.

Psychosocial Correlates of Opioid Use Profiles among Young Adults in a Longitudinal Study across 6 US Metropolitan Areas

Background: Examining opioid use profiles over time and related factors among young adults is crucial to informing prevention efforts. Objectives: This study analyzed baseline data (Fall 2018) and one-year follow-up data from a cohort of 2,975 US young adults (M age=24.55, 42.1% male; 71.7% White; 11.4% Hispanic). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine: 1) psychosocial correlates (i.e. adverse childhood experiences [ACEs], depressive symptoms, parental substance use) of lifetime opioid use (i.e. prescription use vs. nonuse, nonmedical prescription [NMPO] use, and heroin use, respectively); and 2) psychosocial correlates and baseline lifetime use in relation to past 6-month use at one-year follow-up (i.e. prescription use vs. nonuse and NMPO/heroin use, respectively). Results: At baseline, lifetime use prevalence was: 30.2% prescription, 9.7% NMPO, and 3.1% heroin; past 6-month use prevalence was: 7.6% prescription, 2.5% NMPO, and 0.9% heroin. Compared to prescription users, nonusers reported fewer ACEs and having parents more likely to use tobacco, but less likely alcohol; NMPO users did not differ; and heroin users reported more ACEs and having parents more likely to use cannabis but less likely alcohol. At one-year follow-up, past 6-month use prevalence was: 4.3% prescription, 1.3% NMPO, and 1.4% heroin; relative to prescription users, nonusers were less likely to report baseline lifetime opioid use and reported fewer ACEs, and NMPO/heroin users were less likely to report baseline prescription opioid use but more likely heroin use. Conclusions: Psychosocial factors differentially correlate with young adult opioid use profiles, and thus may inform targeted interventions addressing different use patterns and psychosocial risk factors.

MP53-11 URODYNAMIC FINDINGS IN PATIENTS AFTER FETAL MYELOMENINGOCELE UMBILICAL CORD PATCH CLOSURE

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP53-11 URODYNAMIC FINDINGS IN PATIENTS AFTER FETAL MYELOMENINGOCELE UMBILICAL CORD PATCH CLOSURE Cheryl Samuels and Jason Au Cheryl SamuelsCheryl Samuels More articles by this author and Jason AuJason Au More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003301.11AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: We seek to characterize the urodynamic findings of patients after fetal myelomeningocele (MMC) closure with a novel umbilical cord (UC) patch. METHODS: After IRB approval, patient characteristics, ultrasound, urodynamic, serum creatinine, and voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) data were extracted in a retrospective fashion from two patient cohorts from 2020-2022: study cohort was comprised of patients who had undergone fetal myelomeningocele closure with UC patch and a control cohort of standard postnatal myelomeningocele repairs without patch. Patients were excluded if there was incomplete one-year urodynamic data. Fisher’s Exact Test and unpaired T test were calculated (Graph Pad Prism 9). RESULTS: Fourteen patients were included for analysis: 6 UC patch and 8 controls. No differences in demographics were noted (Figure 1). No significant urodynamic or VCUG differences were noted (Figure 2). No significant differences in hydronephrosis, UTIs, serum creatinine or vesicostomy status were noted (Figure 3). CONCLUSIONS: Despite use of a novel UC patch for fetal MMC repair, no significant urodynamic differences are noted at one year. Source of Funding: None © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e716 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Cheryl Samuels More articles by this author Jason Au More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Study on the application of photovoltaic power generation systems in field observatories under the zero carbon goal

Emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 are rapidly increasing, causing the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming and serious impacts on the ecosystem, while photovoltaic power generation can reduce the large amount of pollutants and carbon emissions produced in the traditional power generation process. The article takes the photovoltaic power generation system of the national field observatory as the research object, and uses PVsyst software to design the system of two distributed photovoltaic power generation systems. After calculating and analysing the total power of the experimental equipment, the efficiency of photovoltaic power generation and the system cost of the field observatory, the scheme and scale of the photovoltaic power generation system are determined, and the construction of the photovoltaic power generation test system is completed. Finally, through the comparison and analysis of the one-year PV power generation data with the simulated data, the feasibility of the system design method is verified, which can meet the requirements of the field experimental station and create a zero-carbon field observatory to achieve green energy conservation and sustainable energy use, which is in line with the strategic development plan of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality promoted by the state and provides a design basis and useful reference for the construction of zero-carbon field experimental stations.

Persistent somatic symptoms are key to individual illness perception at one year after COVID-19 in a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study

ObjectiveSubjective illness perception (IP) can differ from physician's clinical assessment results. Herein, we explored patient's IP during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recovery. MethodsParticipants of the prospective observation CovILD study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04416100) with persistent somatic symptoms or cardiopulmonary findings one year after COVID-19 were analyzed (n = 74). Explanatory variables included demographic and comorbidity, COVID-19 course and one-year follow-up data of persistent somatic symptoms, physical performance, lung function testing, chest computed tomography and trans-thoracic echocardiography. Factors affecting IP (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire) one year after COVID-19 were identified by regularized modeling and unsupervised clustering. ResultsIn modeling, 33% of overall IP variance (R2) was attributed to fatigue intensity, reduced physical performance and persistent somatic symptom count. Overall IP was largely independent of lung and heart findings revealed by imaging and function testing. In clustering, persistent somatic symptom count (Kruskal-Wallis test: η2 = 0.31, p < .001), fatigue (η2 = 0.34, p < .001), diminished physical performance (χ2 test, Cramer V effect size statistic: V = 0.51, p < .001), dyspnea (V = 0.37, p = .006), hair loss (V = 0.57, p < .001) and sleep problems (V = 0.36, p = .008) were strongly associated with the concern, emotional representation, complaints, disease timeline and consequences IP dimensions. ConclusionPersistent somatic symptoms rather than abnormalities in cardiopulmonary testing influence IP one year after COVID-19. Modifying IP represents a promising innovative approach to treatment of post-COVID-19 condition. Besides COVID-19 severity, individual IP should guide rehabilitation and psychological therapy decisions.

Discovering periodic frequent travel patterns of individual metro passengers considering different time granularities and station attributes

Periodic frequent pattern discovery is a non-trivial task to discover frequent patterns based on user interests using a periodicity measure. Although conventional algorithms for periodic frequent pattern detection have numerous applications, there is still little research on periodic frequent pattern detection of individual passengers in the metro. The travel behavior of individual passengers has complex spatio-temporal characteristics in the metro network, which may pose new challenges in discovering periodic frequent patterns of individual metro passengers and developing mining algorithms based on real-world smart card data. This study addresses these issues by proposing a novel pattern for metro passenger travel pattern called periodic frequent passenger traffic patterns with time granularities and station attributes (PFPTS). This discovered pattern can automatically capture the features of the temporal dimension (morning and evening peak hours, week) and the spatial dimension (entering and leaving stations). The corresponding complete mining algorithm with the PFPTS-tree structure has been developed. To evaluate the performance of PFPTS-tree, several experiments are conducted on one-year real-world smart card data collected by an automatic fare collection system in a certain large metro network. The results show that PFPTS-Tree is efficient and can discover numerous interesting periodic frequent patterns of metro passengers in the real-world dataset.

Identification of potential risk factors for lower limb injuries in female team-sport athletes: a prospective cohort study

ABSTRACT Objectives The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to assess the associations between lower limb injuries in female team-sport athletes and a number of factors. The potential risk factors explored included (1) lower limb strength, (2) history of life-event stress, (3) family history of ACL injuries, (4) menstrual history, and (5) history of oral contraception use. Methods One hundred and thirty-five female athletes aged between 14 and 31 years (mean: 18.8 ± 3.6 years) from rugby union (n = 47), soccer (n = 72), and netball (n = 16) volunteered to participate in this study. Demographics, history of life-event stress, injury history and baseline data were obtained prior to the competitive season. The following strength measures were collected: isometric hip adductor and abductor strength, eccentric knee flexor strength and single leg jumping kinetics. Athletes were then followed for 12 months, and all lower limb injuries sustained were recorded. Results One hundred and nine athletes provided one-year follow-up injury data, of whom, 44 suffered at least one lower limb injury. All athletes who reported high scores for negative life-event stress sustained lower limb injuries. Non-contact lower limb injury was positively associated with weak hip adductor strength (OR: 0.88; 95%CI: 0.78–0.98; p = 0.017), and between-limb adductor (OR: 5.65; 95%CI: 1.61–19.7.; p = 0.007) and abductor (OR: 1.95; 95%CI: 1.03–3.71; p = 0.039) strength asymmetries. Conclusion History of life event stress, hip adductor strength, and between-limb adductor and abductor strength asymmetries offer potential novel avenues for investigating injury risk factors in female athletes.

Feasibility of a 12-Month Follow-Up in Swiss Older Adults after Post-Acute Care in Nursing Homes—A Pilot Study

(1) Background: Post-acute care (PAC) aims to support functional recovery in older adults after acute hospitalization in order to regain a sufficient level of self-care facilitating their return home. However, the long-term outcomes of PAC are understudied due to challenges in recording a follow-up. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of a 12-month follow-up after PAC in Swiss nursing homes, examining practicability and potential factors influencing participation rate. (2) Methods: Collection of one-year follow-up data among 140 eligible patients after PAC in nursing homes was attempted. Patients were recruited using letters and phone calls between August and December 2017. We compared baseline data of all initial PAC patients with those who declined participation in the follow-up to identify factors potentially influencing participation. (3) Results: Overall mortality at 12 months was 25% (n = 35 of 140). Of the 105 survivors, 53 (50%) refused participation, 26 (25%) were interviewed, and 26 (25%) were lost to follow-up. Comparison of baseline characteristics between participants and objectors indicated significant statistical differences in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores (participants mean of 26.0 [SD 3.92] vs. objectors mean of 23.5 points [SD 4.40], p = 0.015). Further, logistic regression showed statistically significantly greater odds of participation (OR 1.25 [95% CI 1.06-1.48]) for each point increase in MMSE scores. (4) Conclusions: Long-term follow-up studies in older adults after PAC are challenging due to high mortality and dropout rates. Of note, intact cognitive function at baseline was associated with a higher willingness to participate in a follow-up phone interview. The assessment of cognitive function should be considered when estimating the participation rate in older patients.

Energy Consumption Patterns and Characteristics of College Dormitory Buildings Based on Unsupervised Data Mining Method

The college building is a large energy consumer with a high density of energy consumption. However, less attention is paid to college buildings, particularly college dormitory buildings. Based on the one-year historical data collected from 20 college dormitory buildings located in Wuhan, China, this study aims to propose a three-stage strategy to identify and analyze the energy consumption patterns and characteristics of college dormitories in detail, including determining energy consumption patterns, analyzing key characteristics based on four indexes, and examining three influencing factors (occupants’ gender and floor and orientation location of rooms). The results show that the heavy energy users (around 10% of all occupants) consume around 20% of the total energy and have the narrowest comfort temperature range. However, the light energy users, 42% of total occupants, consume only approximately 27% of total energy. Their different tolerance to coldness is the main reason contributing to different energy consumption. The dormitories of males and location of the top floor and corner tend to consume significantly more energy in hot weather. This study would help campus facilities to understand the energy use behavior of occupants and formulate adequate policies so as to improve the energy management of campuses.

Quantified Remaining Reflux After Treatment of Superficial Venous Incompetence is Associated with Impaired Clinical Outcome: One-Year Data Using Duplex Ultrasound and Plethysmography

Quantified Remaining Reflux After Treatment of Superficial Venous Incompetence is Associated with Impaired Clinical Outcome: One-Year Data Using Duplex Ultrasound and Plethysmography

Prescribing Patterns and Outcomes of Edoxaban in Atrial Fibrillation: One-Year Data from the Global ETNA-AF Program.

Non-recommended dosing occurs in ~25-50% of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant prescriptions, with limited data for edoxaban. We analyzed edoxaban dosing patterns in atrial fibrillation patients from the Global ETNA-AF program, relating patterns to baseline characteristics and 1-year clinical outcomes. The following dosing groups were compared: non-recommended 60 mg ("overdosed") vs. recommended 30 mg; non-recommended 30 mg ("underdosed") vs. recommended 60 mg. Most (22,166/26,823; 82.6%) patients received recommended doses. Non-recommended dosing was more frequent near label-specified dose-reduction thresholds. Ischemic stroke (IS; HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.50-1.47; p = 0.6) and major bleeding (MB; HR 1.47, 95% CI 0.97-2.71; p = 0.07) did not differ between recommended 60 mg and "underdosed" groups, whereas all-cause (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.23-2.08; p = 0.0003) and cardiovascular deaths (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.11-2.38; p = 0.01) were higher in the "underdosed" group. Compared with recommended 30 mg, the "overdosed" group had lower IS (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.28-0.98; p = 0.04) and all-cause death (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.55-0.98; p = 0.03) without higher MB (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.46-1.22; p = 0.2). In conclusion: non-recommended dosing was infrequent, but more common near dose-reduction thresholds. "Underdosing" was not associated with better clinical outcomes. The "overdosed" group had lower IS and all-cause death without higher MB.

Simulation Study on the Optimisation of Replenishment of Landscape Water with Reclaimed Water Based on Transparency.

Water-scarce cities have fewer surface water (SW) resources available for ecological use, causing landscape water to deteriorate due to water shortage and fail to perform their intended landscape functions. As a result, many cities use reclaimed water (RW) to replenish them. However, this could cause concern among the people, as RW usually has higher nutrient concentrations, which may stimulate algae growth and deteriorate the aesthetic senses of the receiving water bodies. In order to assess the feasibility of using RW for this purpose, this study used Xingqing Lake in Northwest China as insight into the effect of RW replenishment on the visual landscape quality of urban landscape water. Water transparency (measured by SD) is used as an intuitive indicator to reflect the comprehensive influence of suspended solids and algae growth on the water's aesthetic quality. Scenario analyses were carried out after calibrating and validating one-year data in MIKE 3 software with both SD and algae growth calculations, and the results showed that the low concentration of suspended matter in RW could compensate for the decrease in SD due to algal blooms caused by high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, and the effect on SD is especially pronounced under conditions that are not conducive to algal growth, such as good flow conditions and low temperature. In addition, to meet a SD ≥ 70 mm, the total water inflow required can be significantly reduced with the optimal application of RW. It is also indicated that partial or complete utilization of RW to replace SW for replenishing the landscape water could be feasible from the viewpoint of landscape quality, at least for the landscape water investigated in this study. This can provide a method for the improvement to urban water management practices by using RW for replenishment in water-scarce cities.

The retrospective and observational study of catatonia - Diagnosis, course of illness, and the response to lorazepam - in a tertiary health-care center.

In patients with catatonia, it has been discovered that benzodiazepines (BZD) have a remarkable impact. However, there is not much evidence reflecting the long-term treatment with only BZDs before considering electroconvulsive therapy. One-year retrospective data of patients obtained from the health management information system (HMIS) portal and records of the department of psychiatry with the diagnosis of catatonia. This data was then analyzed for adequate history, presenting complaints, treatment taken, substance use, and was organized into five groups depending on the primary diagnosis as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental. The scores of Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scales of day 1 and subsequent follow-ups were secured. Categorical variables were analyzed with the Chi-squared test. The response overtime for all the groups and its correlation with the number of visits was compared using repeated measures analysis of variance. We found that the lorazepam challenge test versus improvement after 1 week of oral lorazepam had Pearson's correlation of 0.604, this correlation decreased in the following weeks. In the 3 week, the correlation was 0.373, which was statistically significant. This shows that the highest correlation was seen in the 1st week. Hence, our study suggested that lorazepam challenge test is a good predictor of response in the 1st week alone. We observe negative correlation which is significant in the 3rd week (P = 0.048) and not in the 1st and 2nd week. Our study analyzed the patients with catatonia in psychiatric diagnostic categories, history, and the outcome after treating them with lorazepam at every visit over 3 weeks. The correlation in the level of improvement of symptoms at subsequent visits was noteworthy and had a strong association with the lorazepam challenge test. When dose of lorazepam was tapered, on an average dose was reduced in the 2nd week. Suggesting that at least 3 week treatment would be ideal.