Periodic Trends Research Articles

Towards improvement of hydroprocessing catalysts - understanding the role of advanced mineral materials in hydroprocessing catalysts

Mineral materials play a pivotal in heterogeneous catalysts as active, support, or promoter components, with the oil refinery industry being one of the biggest beneficiaries. While conventional hydroprocessing catalysts have historically met the industry’s needs, the growing need to accommodate unique feedstocks, meet the increasing demand for environmentally acceptable products, obtain better product specifications, enhance selectivity for reactions to increase ratios for certain product cuts, and use more cost-effective and abundant mineral materials, has recently motivated for fresh considerations in the development of hydroprocessing catalysts. Based on periodic trends, noble metals possess the most desirable qualities, but their relative abundance in the Earth’s crust is too low to meet industry needs. They are costly and highly sensitive to sulfur poisoning. Mo and W lie in the sweet spot, but it is anticipated that they cannot meet the increasing demand. Investigations of electronic interactions of more economical and abundant metals, such as Nb, V, and Fe, with other elements and support materials have yielded a better understanding of synergistic effects that help to access noble metal-like qualities. This work contrasts conventional hydroprocessing catalysts and recently improved catalysts, detailing the chemistry considerations behind the selection of mineral materials used in the catalysts. It also explores how further manipulation of these mineral materials and synthesis approaches is driving toward more desirable properties. The work brings to the attention of the readers the challenges and opportunities for the further improvement of hydroprocessing catalysts to ensure environmental sustainability while meeting the industry’s growing needs.

Development and validation of a video-based assessment tool for children's street-crossing safety

BackgroundThe alarming rate of child pedestrian fatalities highlights an urgent imperative for comprehensive test on children's street-crossing safety. Various methods in children's street-crossing studies were reviewed, and the advantages of the video-based experimental real-walk methods were introduced. AimThe present study aimed to develop a reliable assessment tool to evaluate children's crossing safety, assess its validity, and identify developmental characteristics of children's crossing abilities. MethodsWe recorded scenarios of vehicle-pedestrian interactions with varying distances and speeds at multiple suburban zebra crossings without traffic lights, and projected the videos to guide participants through a realistic crossing experience indoors. Sixty children, with 20 in each age group of 6, 8, and 11 years old (with equal numbers of boys and girls), were recruited. The children's crossing safety was measured using the dangerous crossing (DC), safe crossing rate (SCR) and time to contact (TTC), and they were also asked to complete the Chinese version of the Pedestrian Behavior Scale (CPBS). Their eye movements were also recorded with a portable eye tracker. ResultsThe correlation analysis of the simulated street-crossing video test revealed significant associations between behavioral indicators (DC, TTC), CPBS, and eye movement indicators, indicating strong empirical validity. Difficulty analysis confirmed the relatively high SCR among child pedestrians across all three age groups. Discriminant validity analysis demonstrated that age significantly predicted children's crossing safety, with 6-year-olds exhibiting lower safety in both behavioral and attentional dimensions compared to 8-year-olds and 11-year-olds. Finally, predictive validity results indicated varying effects of TTC on CPBS scores across different age groups, with a more significant predictive effect for younger children possessing lower street-crossing abilities. ConclusionThe video test effectively verified the critical period and developmental trend of children's crossing ability and demonstrated high validity. Overall, the developed video test is an effective tool for assessing school-aged children's crossing safety.

Do Changes in Risk Perception Predict Systemic Banking Crises?

This paper examines if incorporating changes in financial market risk perception improves the predictive power of an early-warning system for systemic banking crises. In explaining systemic banking crises, the existing literature identifies inflating stock and real estate bubbles, credit booms, and surges in net capital inflows as the common drivers. Employing panel logit models to predict the postwar systemic banking crises in advanced economies to occur within three–four years, the paper’s key finding is that, even after controlling for the effects of surges in asset and credit markets and net capital inflows that are above the long-run trends for an extended period, market participants’ increasing underestimation of downside risks is a significant predictor of these crises. Incorporating changes in risk perception improves the prediction accuracy of the model significantly. This finding is robust across alternative prediction horizons, systemic crisis definitions, and risk-perception measures. Consistent with the recent theoretical developments in the form of the diagnostic expectations hypothesis for financial markets, the interpretation is that recent recurring good news about financial markets and the broader economic trends for sufficiently long periods lead to growing neglect of tail risks and riskier financial transactions, raising systemic risk and the likelihood of a financial crisis. The finding suggests monitoring financial market risk perception, in addition to the conventional indicators, to predict and avert systemic banking crises.

Self-regulation of audit activity: current state and development prospects

The proposed article discusses the current state and further development of the institution of audit self-regulation. The features of the system of regulation of audit activity are indicated, which, taking into account world experience, is based on a combination of regulation carried out by the Ministry of Finance of Russia, the Bank of Russia, with a self-regulation mechanism by the professional community of auditors. The features of the legal status of the self-regulatory organization of auditors are determined from the standpoint of its special functions, rights and obligations. In accordance with the legislation on audit activity, the governing bodies and specialized bodies of the self-regulatory organization of auditors, including the Committee of audit organizations in the financial market, are characterized. The provisions on the control powers of the Ministry of Finance of Russia for self-regulatory organizations are outlined. Attention is paid to assessing the real state of audit self-regulation, taking into account the negative trends that can be traced today in the field of audit self-regulation. The prospects for the development of self-regulation as “the main institution of the audit profession”, which will significantly reduce the negative trends of the current period of audit selfregulation, are determined.

Analysis of Extreme Precipitation Variation Characteristics and the Influencing Factors in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau Region, China

The increase of extreme precipitation (EP) frequency and the aggravation of disasters have seriously disrupted the normal economic and social development of human beings. The complex topography of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau region (YGPR) and the fact that moisture originates from two different directions, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, make the mechanism of EP more complicated. Exploring the variation characteristics and influencing factors of EP in YGPR is of great significance for regional disaster prevention and mitigation and water resources management. In this study, 11 extreme precipitation indices (EPIs) defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI) were calculated based on daily precipitation data of 1960–2020 from 83 national meteorological stations in the study area. The Mann–Kendall test and Wavelet analysis were used to analyze the variation characteristics of EP and explore the influence mechanisms of geographical factors and atmospheric circulation on EP in the spatial and temporal perspective. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The EP of the study area has an overall increasing trend in the research period, with the increase of persistent dry days, the precipitation concentration, intensity, and extreme heavy precipitation (EHP); (2) It shows the obvious spatial difference in the study area, with the high-value areas of extreme drought (ED) in the northwestern region and the total annual precipitation, EHP, and intensity in the southeastern region. In addition, ED and EHP tends to increase in the western region of the study area as well as in the middle east and southeast; (3) EHP is significantly positively correlated with longitude and highly negatively with latitude. Meanwhile, EHP shows a correlation with altitude (negative at low altitude and positive at high altitude); (4) The degree of drought change is greatly affected by North Atlantic Oscillation/El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. The variation of extreme heavy precipitation is greatly influenced by the summer monsoon of South Asian, East Asian, and South China Sea; (5) All the EPIs show persistence. The study results can contribute to the understanding of EP variation in the study area and provide some scientific references for regional water resource management, meteorological warning, and agricultural production safeguard.

Analysis of the dynamics of the prevalence of tobacco smoking and the incidence of malignant neoplasms in the Russian Federation in 2011–2021

Tobacco is an important risk factor for malignant neoplasms (MN). The article provides an analysis of the incidence of MN for 2011–2021 in the Russian Federation among men and women with different levels of tobacco smoking. Materials and methods. The analysis includes the incidence of cancer of the trachea, bronchi and lung (TBLC), laryngeal cancer (LC) (tobacco is a high risk factor), liver cancer (a low risk). Time series of standardized indicators of morbidity per 100 thousand population for 2011–2021 were analyzed. with the calculation of linear trend models. The influence of the smoking prevalence on the morbidity dynamics was assessed by comparing the morbidity trends in periods characterized by an increase and decrease in smoking among men and women, taking into account the 5-year latent period of the development of MN (2011–2017, 2018–2021). Results. In 1990–2013, the prevalence of smoking steadily decreased among men and significantly increased among women. After the adoption in 2013 of Federal Anti-Tobacco Law, smoking among women, as well as among men, began to steadily decline. In 2011–2017, there was a decrease in the incidence of TBLC, LC among men and an increase among women. In 2018–2021 there was the same downward trend among men and women. The incidence of liver cancer among men and women increased during 2011–2021. Conclusion. The incidence of TBLC, LC is significantly associated with the smoking prevalence. A decrease in the smoking prevalence among the population may lead to a decrease in the incidence of tobacco-related MN.

Research

The October 2023 Research Roundup360 looks at: Gut microbiota in high-risk individuals for rheumatoid arthritis associated with disturbed metabolome and initiates arthritis by triggering mucosal immunity imbalance; International Consensus on Anaemia Management in Surgical Patients (ICCAMS); Sleep disturbance trends in the short-term postoperative period for patients undergoing total joint replacement; Achilles tendon tissue turnover before and immediately after an acute rupture; Quadriceps or hip exercises for patellofemoral pain? A randomized controlled equivalence trial; Total-body MRI for screening in patients with multiple osteochondromas.

An analysis of long-term survival trends for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Qidong, Jiangsu

Objective: To analyze the survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in Qidong from 1972 to 2016, and provide a basis for the prognosis evaluation and prevention for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Methods: A total of 1 060 registered nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were followed up for survival outcomes until December 31, 2021. Observed survival rate (OSR) and relative survival rate (RSR) was calculated by Hakulinen method in SURV3.01 software, and Hakulinen's likelihood ratio test was used for statistical difference comparison. Age-standardized relative survival rate (ARSR) was calculated according to the International Cancer Survival Standard (ICSS). Joinpoint 4.7.0.0 software was used to conduct the annual average percentage change (AAPC) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma survival rate. The period from 1972 to 2016 is divided into 9 periods for grouping processing according to 5 years. Results: The OSR of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at 1, 5, 10 years were 63.02%, 34.70% and 24.72%, the RSR at 1, 5, 10 years were 64.44%, 38.98% and 31.64%, respectively. The uptrends of RSR in the nine periods were statistically significant (χ(2)=112.16, P<0.001). The 1, 5, 10 years RSR for males were 62.66%, 35.89% and 27.94%, while the 1, 5, 10 years RSR for females were 68.30%, 45.67% and 39.68%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in RSR between males and females (χ(2)=14.16, P=0.656). The 5-year RSR for the age groups of 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and over 75 years old were 52.83%, 40.92%, 42.64%, 38.65%, 27.23% and 28.88%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in RSR among different age groups (χ(2)=42.33, P=0.003). Moreover, the ARSR of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at 1, 5, 10 years were 63.64%, 37.33% and 27.10%, for males were 61.82%, 35.60% and 25.20%, for females were 68.36%, 43.12% and 32.93%. Period trend showed that the AAPC of 5-ARSR was 2.71% (t=7.47, P<0.001) from 1972 to 2016 in Qidong. The AAPC of 5-ARSR in males and females were 2.63% (t=4.98, P=0.002) and 2.71% (t=6.08, P=0.001). There was statistically significant increase in 5-year ARSR among both genders. Furthermore, the AAPC of 5-year RSR among 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74 and 75+ years old were 2.16% (t=4.28, P=0.004), 3.38% (t=5.06, P=0.001), 1.99% (t=2.82, P=0.026), 2.82% (t=3.39, P=0.012), 2.20% (t=2.82, P=0.026) and -0.91% (t=-0.42, P=0.689), respectively. Except for the 75+ years old age group, the other age groups were significantly upward trend. Conclusions: The overall survival rate of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Qidong from 1972 to 2016 has shown an upward trend. It is necessary to introduce standardized multi-disciplinary treatment mode to improve treatment effect and survival rate.

IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON CORPORATE UNIVERSITY AND TRENDS

The main purpose of this article is to identify the main actions adopted by Corporate Universities (CUs) during the COVID-19 pandemic period, as well as trends for the post-pandemic period. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted on Scopus and Web of Science databases. A questionnaire was developed and validated by experts in the field of Corporate Education, and the survey link was made available on the Qualtrics platform to those involved or interested in the topic. Interviews were also conducted with executives from CUs of large Brazilian organizations during the pandemic period. The questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis, as well as content analysis of the interviews. As a result, the main actions taken by CUs focused on the qualification of their instructors, leaders, and professionals. There was an increase in investments by CUs, with an emphasis on the adoption of digital technologies, accompanied by actions aimed at engagement, motivation, and emotional well-being. The main trends for the post-COVID-19 period point to the expansion of short-term hybrid courses and changes in business models to adapt to the new challenges generated by the pandemic. One of the main consequences of the pandemic is the considerable recognition, by employees of organizations, users, and leaders of CUs, of the importance of social and humanities approaches adopted by them. Furthermore, it is understood that the relevant role of CUs tends to be reinforced based on the increasing value of the notion of sustainability in their courses and managerial training practices aimed at the sustainable development of organizations and society.

Increasing volatility of reconstructed Morava River warm-season flow, Czech Republic

Study regionThe Morava River basin, Czech Republic, Danube Basin, Central Europe. Study focusHydrological summer extremes represent a prominent natural hazard in Central Europe. River low flows constrain transport and water supply for agriculture, industry and society, and flood events are known to cause material damage and human loss. However, understanding changes in the frequency and magnitude of hydrological extremes is associated with great uncertainty due to the limited number of gauge observations. Here, we compile a tree-ring network to reconstruct the July–September baseflow variability of the Morava River from 1745 to 2018 CE. An ensemble of reconstructions was produced to assess the impact of calibration period length and trend on the long-term mean of reconstruction estimates. The final estimates represent the first baseflow reconstruction based on tree rings from the European continent. Simulated flows and historical documentation provide quantitative and qualitative validation of estimates prior to the 20th century. New hydrological insights for the regionThe reconstructions indicate an increased variability of warm-season flow during the past 100 years, with the most extreme high and low flows occurring after the start of instrumental observations. When analyzing the entire reconstruction, the negative trend in baseflow displayed by gauges across the basin after 1960 is not unprecedented. We conjecture that even lower flows could likely occur in the future considering that pre-instrumental trends were not primarily driven by rising temperature (and the evaporative demand) in contrast to the recent trends.

Longitudinal trajectories of atherogenic index of plasma and risks of cardiovascular diseases: results from the Korean genome and epidemiology study

BackgroundAlthough the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) based on a single measurement is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), little is known about whether changes in AIP over time are related to incident CVD. We aimed to determine whether AIP trajectory, which reflects homogenous AIP trends for a particular period, is associated with CVD risk.MethodsData from 5,843 participants of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) were analyzed. The KoGES had been conducted biennially from the baseline survey (2001–2002) to the eighth follow-up survey (2017–2018). The research design specifies the exposure period from baseline to the third follow-up, designates the latent period at the fourth follow-up, and establishes the event accrual period from the fifth to the eighth follow-up. During the exposure period, we identified two trajectories: a decreasing (n = 3,036) and an increasing group (n = 2,807) using latent variable mixture modeling. Information on CVD was collected initially through the self-reporting, followed by in depth person-to-person interview conducted by a well-trained examiner. During the event accrual period, the cumulative incidence rates of CVD between the two AIP trajectory groups were estimated using Kaplan–Meier analysis with the log-rank test. Multiple Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsThe increasing AIP trajectory group had a significantly higher cumulative incidence rate of CVD than the decreasing AIP trajectory group. Compared to the decreasing AIP trajectory group, the increasing AIP trajectory group had a higher risk of incident CVD (HR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.02–1.69) after adjusting for confounders.ConclusionsThe risk of incident CVD increased when the AIP level showed an increasing trend and remained high over a long period. This suggests that checking and managing the trajectory of the AIP can be a preventive strategy for incident CVD.

Numerical study on maneuvering a container ship in shallow water waves

Numerous practical and mathematical techniques have been piloted to study ships’ behavior in deep water conditions with and without waves, and shallow water conditions without waves, while only limited investigations have been carried out to assess ships’ behavior in shallow waters with wave conditions as the flow around the stern region and appendages and the interaction effects are intricate. Therefore, this study attempts to understand the infrequently explored subset of a vessel’s behavior in regular waves in shallow water conditions (channel depth to ship draft ratio taken as 1.5). A container ship (S175) model scaled at 1:36 was the subject of a numerical study in which it was subjected to static and dynamic maneuver simulations in head sea conditions. The waves were induced using the dispersion relationship of waves in a given depth. The trends of forces and moments acting on the hull while undergoing maneuvering motions were obtained using a smooth particle hydrodynamics-based computational fluid dynamics solver. The resulting periodic trends of forces and moments were analyzed using the Fourier series method to extract the Fourier coefficients and, in turn, calculate the hydrodynamic derivatives. The trajectories in turning circle and zigzag maneuvers were also simulated using a MATLAB code. The results demonstrate an increase in trajectory parameters and improvement in counter maneuverability owing to the complex flow physics around the hull when encountering regular waves in shallow water conditions compared to waves in deep waters and a lack of waves in shallow waters.

Historical Attributions and Future Projections of Gross Primary Productivity in the Yangtze River Basin under Climate Change Based on a Novel Coupled LUE-RE Model

Attributions and predictions of gross primary productivity (GPP) under climate change is of great significance for facilitating a deeper understanding of the global and regional terrestrial carbon cycle and assessing ecosystem health. In this study, we have designed a novel approach to simulate GPP based on the satellite and meteorological data compiling the advantages of the light use efficiency model with regression methods (LUE-RE model), which overcomes the limitation of the satellite-based method in GPP simulation and projection in the future time without satellite data. Based on the proposed method, results show that GPP in the Yangtze River Basin shows a significant increase trend in the historical period. Elevated CO2 dominates the changes of GPP in the Yangtze River Basin. In the future, with the increase in elevated CO2 and climate change, the trend of GPP growth is more obvious. The growth slopes under different scenarios are 2.65 gCm−2year−1a−1, 12.34 gCm−2year−1a−1, 24.91 gCm−2year−1a−1, and 39.62 gCm−2year−1a−1. There are obvious seasonal differences in the future changes of GPP in the Yangtze River Basin, of which the GPP changes mostly in spring. The spatial patterns show that higher GPP is concentrated in the upper stream, while the low values are mainly concentrated in the middle reaches. This study contributes a new method to project GPP and highlights that stakeholders should pay more attention to the significant GPP increases in spring in the future.

Possibilities for a New Social Model?

One of the most important terrains of the European search for new ways in politics between the two world wars was the debate on the reorganization and tasks of the state and, within it, of the economy and society. This topic dominated academic discourse in the 1920s and 1930s. The thinkers who sought answers—economists, philosophers, historians, sociologists, and ecclesiastics—could build on the work of early predecessors, reaching back as far as Thomas Aquinas’s “organic view of society,” later embodied in the economic and political theory of Jesuit solidarism. The common feature of the theories that emerged in the interwar period was that they approached the construction of the state not from the point of view of the individual, but from that of social groups. Vid Mihelics, a prominent exponent of these ideas in Hungary, devoted his journalistic, scientific, and political activities to the Hungarian Catholic revival. His interests focused on social issues and related teachings of the Church. His writings sought solutions through the ideas of Christian humanism, which for him was “the inalienable essence of true Europeanism.” His writings can help us better understand how interconnected Hungarian intellectual life was with European trends in the interwar period. zachar.peter.krisztian@uni-nke.hu

Regional Population and Public Services under the Framework of Sustainable Development: Evidence from a Typical High-Tech Zone in China

As organic parts of regional systems, the development and connection of the population and public services are of great significance to the realization of regional sustainable development. As the typical development sample of regional systems in China, the development and connection of the population and public services in high-tech zones deserve more attention. This paper takes the population and public services of the typical high-tech zone in western China as its research object, and uses the entropy method and the coupling coordination degree model to measure the development level, correlation degree and effect of population and public services in the high-tech zone from 2012 to 2021. The empirical results show that: firstly, the development level of the population system in the high-tech zone shows a positive evolutionary trend in the sample period, and the population system development makes a stable contribution to the sustainable development in the high-tech zone. Secondly, the development level of the public services system in the high-tech zone shows a dynamic evolutionary trend in the sample period. The contribution of the public services system to the sustainable development in the high-tech zone is affected by the population system. Thirdly, the correlation degree between the population and public services systems in the high-tech zone is kept at a relatively high level during the sample period, and the two subsystems have a relatively close element fusion. At the same time, the relationship between the population and public services systems is optimized in the sample period. There is positive information exchange, valuable feedback and dynamic adjustment between the two subsystems. The research implication is to dialectically grasp the development and connection between regional population and public services systems under the framework of sustainable development.

Utilization of Health Services Before and After Diagnosis in a Specialist Rural and Remote Memory Clinic.

Limited research exists on the use of specific health services over an extended time among rural persons with dementia. The study objective was to examine health service use over a 10-year period, five years before until five years after diagnosis in the specialist Rural and Remote Memory Clinic (RRMC). Clinical and administrative health data of RRMC patients were linked. Annual health service utilization of the cohort (N = 436) was analyzed for 416 patients pre-index (57.5% female, mean age 71.2 years) and 419 post-index (56.3% female, mean age 70.8 years). Approximately 40% of memory clinic diagnoses were Alzheimer's disease (AD), 20% non-AD dementia, and 40% mild or subjective cognitive impairment or other condition. Post-index, 188 patients (44.9%) moved to permanent long-term care and were retained in the sample; 121 patients died (28.9%) and were removed yearly. Over the ten-year study period, a significant increase occurred in the average number of FP visits, all-type drug prescriptions, and dementia-specific drug prescriptions (all p <.001). The highest proportion of patients hospitalized was observed one year pre-index, the highest average number of specialist visits was observed one year post-index, and both demonstrated a significant decreasing trend in the five-year post-index period (p = .037). A pattern of increasing FP visits and drug prescriptions over an extended period before and after diagnosis in a specialist rural and remote memory clinic highlights a need to support FPs in post-diagnostic management. Further research of longitudinal patterns in health service utilization is merited.

Long-Term Effectiveness of Quadruple Combination Therapy with Empagliflozin Versus Basal Long-Acting Insulin Therapy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: 3-Year Retrospective Observational Study.

Effective blood glucose control remains a constant problem in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), even if they are being properly treated with one or more currently available drugs. The present study was designed as a 3-year retrospective observational study to determine whether the use of either empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, or insulin would provide any improvement in the control of the blood glucose levels in patientswith T2D who were already being treated with a cocktail of three different oral antidiabetic drugs. Adult patients with T2D were enrolled in this study if they exhibited suboptimal glycemic control (HbA1c 7.5-12.0%) despite being continuously treated for at least 3months with metformin, dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitor, and glimepiride. Empagliflozin (25mg/day, n = 154) or basal long-acting insulin (n = 147) was added as a fourth medication to the existing drug regimen. The major outcomes that were monitored in this study included the measurement of HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and general cardiometabolic and blood markers. After the addition of empagliflozin or basal insulin to the existing oral anti-diabetic agent (OAD) regimen, the baseline levels of HbA1c were reduced after month 36 in both the empagliflozin (8.9 ± 1.0% to 7.4 ± 0.8%, P < 0.01) and insulin (9.0 ± 1.4% to 8.0 ± .1.4%, P < 0.05) groups. The HbA1c reduction was higher in the empagliflozin group to the end of the 36-month study period (7.4 ± 0.8% vs. 8.0 ± 1.4%, empagliflozin vs. insulin, P < 0.05). FPG showed a similar trend in the early period but it was not maintained at the end of study. Body weight decreased (P < 0.01) from baseline (70.4 ± 12.3kg) to month 36 (65.6 ± 11.4kg) in the empagliflozin group but not the insulin group. At 36months, the body weight in the empagliflozin group (65.6 ± 11.4kg) was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than that in the insulin treatment group (70.0 ± 10.9kg). Empagliflozin was shown to perform as well as better than insulin when used as part of a quadruple drug regimen for regulating blood glucose levels in suboptimally controlled patientswith T2D. NCT05103306 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Are There Any Land Use Dynamics in the Upper Bistrița Basin, Eastern Carpathians, Romania, in the Period 1990–2021?

This paper aims to assess land use and land use change (LULC). For this purpose, supervised mapping on satellite imagery, using the European Space Agency (ESA) SNAP programme from LANDSAT databases, publicly accessible through the European Copernicus portal, was used. At the same time, an analysis of the degree of landscape fragmentation in the study area was carried out, which revealed that, because of the particular fragmentation of small polygons, the best results were obtained via analysis/supervised mapping on satellite images. This method, once validated in the field, reflects the most accurate land use pattern in the analysed area, with wide applications in studies of agriculture, biodiversity, geography, etc. Between 2000 and 2010, significant changes were registered. Artificial surfaces decreased by approximately 400 ha, showing a negative trend in the last period of the interval. Coniferous forests reached their maximum threshold in 2000 (with 114,400 ha) in conjunction with the “Grassland” class, which exceeded 16,700 ha. In 2010, a drastic decrease in “Grassland” was recorded, reaching half of the values of 1990 and 2000, now having only 15,684 ha. Land cover changes were significant when comparing the period before 1989 with 2021. This fact was due to socio-economic changes in society, in large part caused by changes in professions and the way of life of the population.

410. IMPACT ON BODY WEIGHT OF REMNANT STOMACH PRESERVING ESOPHAGECTOMY FOR THE PATIENTS WITH PAST MEDICAL HISTORY OF GASTRECTOMY

Abstract Background Esophagectomy has a great impact on patients’ nutritional status. Particularly for the patients with past medical history of gastrectomy, there is a concern that surgical procedure of esophagectomy accommpanying remnant gastrectomy may potentially deteriorate nutritional status more than standard esophagectomy, resulting in excessive body weight loss. In order to reduce such negative impact, we perform remnant stomach preserving esophagectomy. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact on body weight of this procedure. Methods The patients with past medical history of gastrectomy who underwent remnant stomach preserving esophagectomy in our institute from 2015 to 2022 were enrolled in this study. All the measured body weights were collected from the electronic medical record retrospectively and all data point were plotted as BMI over time to see any transitional trend. The day of esophagectomy was defined as day0. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups according to the median initial BMI; lower BMI group and higher BMI group. The BMI transitional trends were detected in each group. Results Totally 37 patients were eligible in this study. Median age was 72 (57–88), the number of female was 1 (36 male), cStage1/2/3/4 of esophageal cancer were 9/9/13/5, median time period from gastrectomy was 21.0 years (0–54.5), and median initial BMI was 20.7 (15.1–27.7). All BMI data points from every patient according to the higher/lower initial BMI groups were shown in the figure. The decreasing trend in BMI until about 3 months after the esophagectomy was seen in the higher BMI group whilst relatively plateau trend in such period was seen in the lower BMI group. Conclusion Efficacy of the remnant stomach preserving esophagectomy in terms of reducing body weight loss could be more apparent in lower BMI patients than higher BMI patients. When you see an esophageal cancer patient with past medical history of gastrectomy, the remnant stomach preserving procedure should be considered particularly when the BMI is low.

Focus on the impact of social factors and lifestyle on the disease burden of low back pain: findings from the global burden of disease study 2019

BackgroundLow back pain (LBP) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Differences in social backgrounds and lifestyles in various regions and countries may contribute to the discrepancies in the disease burden of LBP.MethodsBased on the GBD 2019, we collected and analyzed numbers and age-standardized rates (ASR) of LBP disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Temporal trends in ASR were also analyzed using estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). The Age-period-cohort (APC) model was used to estimate age, period and cohort trends in DALYs of LBP. An autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was used to forecast DALYs of LBP trends from 2020 to 2035.ResultsThe DALYs due to LBP increased from 1990 to 2019. The APC model showed that the risk of DALYs for global LBP increased with age and year and that the risk of DALYs was lower in the later-born cohort than in the earlier-born cohort. The main risk factors which GBD estimates were available for DALYs of LBP include smoking, occupational ergonomic factors and high BMI. It is expected that DALYs of LBP will continue to rise until 2035.ConclusionFrom 1990 to 2019, the global disease burden of LBP remained high. It is necessary to pay attention to the influence of social factors and lifestyle on LBP. Focusing on the impact of social factors as well as lifestyle on the prognosis of LBP and targeting interventions may further reduce the disease burden of LBP.