Proven Type Research Articles

Assessing the harmonization of structured electronic health record data to reference terminologies and data completeness through data provenance

AbstractIntroduction(1) Assess the harmonization of structured electronic health record data (laboratory results and medications) to reference terminologies and characterize the severity of issues. (2) Identify issues of data completeness by comparing complementary data domains, stratifying by time, care setting, and provenance.MethodsQueries were distributed to 3 Data Partners (DP). Using harmonization queries, we examined the top 200 laboratory results and medications by volume, identifying outliers and computing summary statistics. The completeness queries looked at 4 conditions of interest and related clinical concepts. Counts were generated for each condition, stratified by year, encounter type, and provenance. We analyzed trends over time within and across DPs.ResultsWe found that the median number of codes associated with a given laboratory/medication name (and vice versa) generally met expectations, though there were DP‐specific issues that resulted in outliers. In addition, there were drastic differences in the percentage of patients with a given concept depending on provenance.ConclusionsThe harmonization queries surfaced several mapping errors, as well as issues with overly specific codes and records with “null” codes. The completeness queries demonstrated having access to multiple types of data provenance provides more robust results compared with any single provenance type. Harmonization errors between source data and reference terminologies may not be widespread but do exist within CDMs, affecting tens of thousands or even millions of records. Provenance information can help identify potential completeness issues with EHR data, but only if it is represented in the CDM and then populated by DPs.

Pancreatic Shear Wave Elastography in Pediatrics with Type I DM

Abstract Background Type I diabetes milletus (DM) is one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases in the pediatric age group. It is characterized by pancreatic inflammation in the early stages due to autoimmune destruction of the insulin producing beta cells with subsequent fibrosis in the late stages. Conventional gray-scale ultrasonography can provide detailed information about the bio- mechanical structure of tissues when used with the new method of elastography. As tissues affected by a variety of pathologic processes display different mechanical features, stiffness differences may be used to differentiate diffuse diseases or focal lesions. Objective To assess the role of pancreatic shear wave elastography (SWE) in children with type I diabetes in comparison to control subjects. Methods A cross-sectional study over the course of 6 months from March 2023 till September 2023. It included 41 cases with laboratory proven type I DM on insulin therapy and 41 age and gender matched non-diabetic controls referred to our department from the outpatient pediatric clinics for and abdominal ultra-sonography. C-peptide and HbA1C of the cases were measured. Conventional B-mode ultrasonography and pancreatic SWE were performed using the General Electric Logiq P9 ultrasound system. Results Conventional B-mode abdominal ultra-sonography together with pancreatic shear wave elastography were done to the entire study group. There was no significant difference by B-mode noted between the study subjects regarding echogenicity and homogeneity. Shear wave elastography (SWE) values of the diabetic cases and non-diabetic controls were compared and revealed a significant difference between both groups being faster in the cases than in the control group with p-value <0.05. Shear wave elastography values of the cases were compared to each other in respect to their disease duration, age, C-peptide levels and HBA1C levels and there was a statistically significant positive correlation between SWE, disease duration and age with p-value <0.001, while there was statistically significant negative correlation between mean of SWE and level of C-peptide with p-value <0.001. There was no significant correlation with HbA1c with p-value 0.116. Conclusion Type I DM affects pancreatic tissue stiffness as evident by the difference in the mean SWE values of the diabetic cases and the non-diabetic controls. Pancreatic SWE changes significantly in correlation to disease duration, age and C-peptide. Hence, SWE might serve as a new promising non-invasive imaging modality for monitoring and following up type 1 diabetes in children.

Raw Materials and Lithic Production During the Early Magdalenian in Cantabrian Spain: Cova Rosa (Ribadesella, Asturias)

The lithic assemblage studied here comes from Cova Rosa, one of the main Upper Palaeolithic sites in Asturias (northern Spain). The remains were found in Layer B5, which was excavated by F. Jordá Cerdá and A. Gómez Fuentes in 1978 and are associated with an osseous assemblage and archaeozoological remains. This occupation has been dated by radiocarbon to about 16,400 BP (ca. 19.8–19.6 ka cal BP), corresponding to Archaic/Lower Magdalenian. The present study combines the determination of the raw materials and the identification of the production systems to achieve an understanding of the management of lithic resources by hunter-gatherer groups in the Late Pleistocene. The sourcing of mostly local materials (mainly Piloña flint), the wide variety of rock types of diverse provenances (up to 10 types), and the presence of well-represented lithological tracers (Flysch, Chalosse) turn Cova Rosa into an important case for studying different lithic raw material procurement models. The predominance of microlaminar production and the variability in the exploitation strategies used to obtain backed tools, as well as the poor standardisation of flake production, follow the dynamics observed in other occupations of similar chronology in a wide geographical area that includes Cantabrian Spain and south-west France.

Detailed investigation and analysis of the dynamic evolutionary process of rainstorm debris flows in mountain settlements: a case study of Xiangbizui Gully

Short-term heavy rainfall often causes large-scale rainstorm debris flows in mountainous areas of Southwest China. Aiming to investigate the accumulation and movement of potential source material for the formation of debris flow hazards under extreme short-term heavy rainfall, this paper takes the Xiangbizui debris flow gully, Southwest China, as a case study. A detailed field engineering and geological investigation was carried out on the valley characteristics, formation conditions, provenance types, distribution range, loose solid material reserves that can be transformed into debris flows, and characteristics showing the variation in the grain size of the accumulated solids along the gully to further explore the characteristics of rainstorm-induced debris flow movement. The dynamic processes of debris flow movement and accumulation are numerically simulated to analyze the maximum velocity, accumulation height, range of influence, and evolutionary process based on the theory of continuous media of the approximate Voellmy solution and a high-precision three-dimensional model. The results indicated that rainstorms and steep terrain are the main factors stimulating debris flows. The amount of loose solid material in the channel is approximately 1550.61 × 104 m3, and the dynamic material reserves are approximately 396.41 × 104 m3. The maximum flow depth and velocity are approximately 3.5 m/s and 13 m/s, respectively, which mainly occur in the upper and middle reaches of the channel and in the accumulation fan at the outlet of the channel. The evolutionary process of the debris flow includes four stages: a 0–1,500 m initial acceleration stage, a 1,500–2,200 m fast forward movement stage, a 2,200–3,400 m acceleration stage in the middle and lower reaches, and a 3,400–4,300 m deceleration and end of accumulation stage. The research findings can provide a scientific basis and strong support for risk assessment and avoidance, as well as prevention and control of debris flows in mountainous areas with severe climate change.

Sequence structure, sedimentary evolution and their controlling factors of the Jurassic Lianggaoshan Formation in the East Sichuan Basin, SW China

Based on the data of outcrops, seismic sections, thin sections, heavy mineral assemblages and detrital zircon U-Pb dating, the sedimentary characteristics, lake level fluctuation and provenance characteristics of the Middle Jurassic Lianggaoshan Formation (J2l) in eastern Sichuan Basin, SW China, were investigated to reveal the control of tectonic movements of the surrounding orogenic belts on the sedimentary systems. The J2l mainly developed a delta—lake sedimentary system, which contained a complete third-order sequence that was subdivided into four lake level up-down cycles (fourth-order sequence). The lake basins of cycles I and II were mainly distributed in eastern Sichuan Basin, while the lake basins of cycles III and IV migrated to central Sichuan Basin, resulting in the significant difference in sedimentary characteristics between the north and the south of eastern Sichuan Basin. The provenance analysis shows that there were three types of provenances for J2l. Specifically, the parent rocks of Type I were mainly acidic igneous rocks and from the proximal northern margin of the Yangtze Plate; the parent rocks of Type II were intermediate-acid igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks and from the central parts of the southern and northern Qinling orogenic belts; the parent rocks of Type III were mainly metamorphic rocks followed by intermediate—acid igneous rocks, and from the North Daba Mountain area. It is recognized from the changes of sedimentary system and provenance characteristics that the sedimentary evolution of J2l in eastern Sichuan Basin was controlled by the tectonic compression of the Qinling orogenic belt. In the early stage, the lake basin was restricted to the east of the study area, and Type I provenance was dominant. With the intensifying north-south compression of the Qinling orogenic belt, the lake basin expanded rapidly and migrated northward, and the supply of Type II provenance increased. In the middle and late stages, the uplift of the North Daba Mountain led to the lake basin migration and the gradual increase in the supply of Type III provenance.

Type 5 wind turbine technology: how synchronised, synchronous generation avoids uncertainties about inverter interoperability under IEEE 2800:2022

Degradation of system strength because of inverter-based resources (IBRs) is a major concern facing the zero-carbon transition. A new standard released this year, IEEE Standard 2800, attempts to codify the relationship between IBRs and the Transmission System Operator (TSO). It is apparent from IEEE 2800:2022 that there remain fundamental problems with quantifying whether source impedance (the measure of “system strength” with which the standard is concerned) will present a problem for allowing an IBR to connect. This is “because of complex interdependencies between IBR and power system characteristics”. So developers are increasingly required to adopt mitigation options such as adding synchronous condensers or curtailing IBRs. A proven Type 5 (synchronous) wind turbine exists and has been running at 0.5 MW scale in a 46 MW wind farm in New Zealand since 2006 and eight turbines in Scotland since 2013. The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is conducting a study of the impacts on grid reliability, stability, and resilience of Type 5 wind turbines. The project has both simulation and testing tasks and will result in proposing a variable generation solution that will help system operators and utilities address all reliability and most resilience challenges in the evolving grid.

Two different types of provenances and the amalgamation of subduction complexes in the Eastern Tianshan of the Southern Altaids

The nature and final closure of the northern Tianshan Ocean have been debated in regard to the eastern Tianshan orogen, southern Altaids. The Kanguer subduction complex of the eastern Tianshan is the key to addressing these issues. In this study, we report new mapping, geochemical and geochronological results on the Kanguer subduction complex in the Haluo area. Our new results show that upper Permian (257 Ma) basaltic blocks emplaced in a sandstone matrix in the northern HL area are fragments of normal-mid-ocean-ridge-basalt (N-MORB)-type oceanic crust. The geochronological results indicate that the sandstone matrices display two different types of provenances. The first type in the northern part of the cross-section (till Sample YY12) has maximum depositional ages ranging from 316 Ma to 238 Ma. Their depositional settings varied from intraoceanic island arcs to continental Andean arcs after ca. 244 Ma, their detrital zircon age patterns vary from a single peak to multiple peaks, and their zircon εHf(t) values vary from uniquely high positive to some negative values. The second type is in the southern part of the cross-section with Samples YY12 to 21Kg05, which have the geochemical signatures of continental island arc sandstone, multiple-peak detrital zircon-age patterns, and positive to negative zircon εHf(t) values. The youngest sandstone sample has a maximum depositional age of 241 Ma. The above provenance results indicate that all mélanges and coherent units north of Sample YY12 belong to an accretionary complex of the Dananhu intraoceanic arc, and those south of Sample YY12 belong to an accretionary complex of the Yamansu-central Tianshan arc. According to the youngest components in both accretionary complexes, which suggest the latest subduction events, we conclude that the final amalgamation timing was after 238 Ma and that the Paleo-Asian Ocean closed during the Middle to Late Triassic.

Provenance, paleogeographic and paleotectonic interpretations of Oligocene-Lower Miocene sandstones of the western-central Mediterranean region: A review

The changing nature of detrital signatures in clastic wedges of the Circum-Mediterranean orogenic systems reflect the provenance relations from different source rocks of evolving geo-puzzle terranes, including ophiolite bearing, uplifted continental crust (both shallow to deep crust terranes), volcanic and sedimentary source rocks. We selected here sandstone suites directly occurring over the Mesomediterranean Micropaleoplate during the final stages of closure of the western-southern Tethyan realm. They are unconformably over the internal domains of the Circum-Mediterranean thrust belts, and include Oligocene-to-lower Miocene siliciclastic formations of the Betic Cordillera (As, Bosque, Río Pliego, El Niño, Ciudad Granada, Fuente-Espejos, Alozaina and Viñuela fms), Rif Chain (Fnideq and Sidi Abdeslam fms), and Calabrian terranes (Paludi, Pignolo and Stilo Capo d'Orlando fms). All these sandstone suites range from quartzolitic to quartzofeldspathic detrital modes reflecting close relations with their Paleozoic metasedimentary and plutonic source rocks and their related Mesozoic sedimentary covers. Marked differences have been recognized from western (Betic-Rif) to eastern (Calabria) portions in terms of detritic suites. Detrital suites of the Betic-Rif portions reflect a transition between a craton, transitional and recycled orogenic provenance type. Contrarily, detrital suites of the Calabria portions reflect their transition from transitional continental to basement uplift orogenic provenance reflecting deposition in wedge-top basins during final subduction of the MFB below the MM and the opening of the Mediterranean basin as a backarc.

Berberine Loaded Magnetic Nanoparticles for Breast Cancer Therapy on MDA-MB-231 Cells Lines

Berberine is an alkaloid naturally-derived from Berberis aristata and a family Berberidaceae exhibits a broad spectrum of pharmacological benefits, including antiviral and anticancer properties. The recent development of nanomedicine is an art of delivering drugs to the target-site by improving their safety and efficacy. In present study, four berberine-loaded magnetic nanoparticles (BBR/MNPs) were prepared using a modified co-precipitation method with calcination. The resulting BBR/MNPs were characterized by FTIR, XRD, HRSEM, zeta potential, VSM, loading efficiency, stability and in vitro release studies. The most proven magnetic nanoparticles formulation type in dissolution was followed by in vitro anticancer studies on MDA-MB-231 cells. XRD, FTIR and TGA results proved that the formed BBR/MNPs were ordered in their structure with iron, silanol groups and berberine moieties. The HRSEM reported the average particle size of MNPs varies from 100 to 250 nm after loading with berberine also had a regular spherical shape. The value of the zeta potential was -9 mV and 15 mV at pH 6 for bare MNPs and BBR/MNPs, respectively. Loading efficiency and stability were good at BBR/MCM-41MNP. The saturated magnetization (Ms) value of Fe-MCM-41 MNP (81.76 emu/g) was obtained by VSM analysis. In vitro dissolution studies of four BBR/MNPs at a three different pH 5.5, 6.5, 7.4 including BBR/MCM-41 MNP were 86%, 84% and 82%, respectively. In vitro anticancer studies with BBR/MCM-41-MNP on treated MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in comparison to standard doxorubicin. The MTT assay confirmed the cytotoxic effect of BBR/MCM-41-MNP in vitro. The resulting data were statistically analyzed using one-way Anova analysis with N = 3 replicates. The IC50 values (mean standard deviation) of BBR, BBR/MCM-41 MNP and standard doxorubicin were obtained as 16.754 ± 0.651, 6.750 ± 0.048, 4.955 ± 0.042 μg/mL with significant p < 0.0001. The best result was BBR/MCM-41 MNP with an average particle size 50 nm, which showed good drug loading efficiency and size stability above 7 days. Drug release was maximal (86%) at pH 5.5. The MTT-assay confirmed that BBR/MCM-41MNP exhibited more cytotoxicity on MDA-MB-231 cells than BBR, MCM-41MNP. The IC50 of BBR/MCM-41 was closed that of standard doxorubicin. The BBR/MCM-41MNP showed the optimum drug release with potent anticancer activity along with magnetic targeting.

The provenance of coarse-grained turbidite sandstones in the Kırkgeçit Formation(western part of the Elazığ Basin-east Turkey)

Modal analysis of sandstones for conglomerate rich marine basins is useful for investigating the provenance types surrounded by plate tectonics. Different kinds of siliciclastic rocks are important indicators for defining the paleogeography and geotectonic conditions of the sedimentary basin by provenance analysis. This paper, which focuses on the petrography and provenance of conglomerate rich turbidite systems, is one of the rarest studies on the sedimentary characteristics in the scientific literature. In this context, the study was carried out in the western part of the Elazığ Basin. The Middle Eocene?Oligocene basin infill called the Kırkgeçit Formation is characterised by the conglomerate rich submarine channel deposits and coarse-grained turbidite sandstones. Petrographically, the coarse-grained sandstones of the Kırkgeçit Formation are composed of litharenite and rarely feldspathic litharenite, lithic arkose and rock fragments. Mostly the components are derived from volcanic and plutonic rocks of the Elazığ Magmatites. Fossils and fossil fragments are transported from the shallow part of the western Elazığ Basin. The components transported from metamorphic rock fragments, which are rarely observed in the sandstone samples, are composed of recrystallized limestones and derived from Keban Metamorphites in the northern part of the basin. The provenance studies and petrographic analyses indicated that the conglomerate rich channels and coarse-grained sediments of turbidite sandstones in the Kırkgeçit Formation were plotted mostly to the recycled orogenic and undissected arc type source rocks. Therefore, this type of source rocks has been reflected as a back-arc basin deposit during Middle- Upper Eocene. The geotectonic evolution of the western Elazığ Basin has also supported this remark.

Provenance systems and types of sand bodies during Upper Triassic Chang 8 time of the Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, China

Provenance systems and types of sand bodies during Upper Triassic Chang 8 time of the Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, China

Darkness, Datafication, and Provenance as an Illuminating Methodology

Darkness, Datafication, and Provenance as an Illuminating Methodology

Child‐related family policies in East and Southeast Asia: An intra‐regional comparison

AbstractOver the past five decades, dramatic demographic and socio‐economic changes have taken place in East and Southeast Asian countries, with important implications for the family and its future. Still, little is known about the typical configurations of state support for families in these countries. We examine governments’ strategies for supporting families and reducing the cost of children. Employing hierarchical cluster analysis, we uncover four distinctive family policy profiles—maternity support, poverty‐relief support, employment‐oriented support and encompassing support—and discuss their implication for defamilialisation. What appears less clear are the drivers behind such configurations, but there are indications that fertility concerns, the cultural fabric of a country and the productivist profile of the social policy regime seem to influence the orientation of family policy models. Overall, the development of family policy in East and Southeast Asia seems to be fragmented and characterised by parallel interventions of different types of provenance.

Recycling and Reuse in the Roman Economy ed. by Chloë N. Duckworth and Andrew Wilson

Reviewed by: Recycling and Reuse in the Roman Economy ed. by Chloë N. Duckworth and Andrew Wilson Allison L. C. Emmerson (bio) Recycling and Reuse in the Roman Economy Edited by Chloë N. Duckworth and Andrew Wilson. Oxford Studies on the Roman Economy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. Pp. xxviii + 478. Recycling and Reuse in the Roman Economy Edited by Chloë N. Duckworth and Andrew Wilson. Oxford Studies on the Roman Economy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. Pp. xxviii + 478. Archaeologists spend careers finding meaning in what has been thrown away, forgotten, or left behind. Yet the field of discard studies is relatively new to Roman archaeology. This volume, the result of a conference conducted as part of the prolific Oxford Roman Economy Project, joins a small but growing collection of scholarship on the subject, focusing on the effects of recycling and reuse on the Roman economy. It will likely become an essential treatment of the topic, serving as both an overview of current scholarship and a spur for future research. The book's key contributions can be grouped into three categories. First are the comprehensive summaries of evidence for recycling and reuse (the former term indicating the reduction of objects into raw materials, the latter encompassing other types of transformation). Ted Peña's opening chapter stands out for examining current understandings of how these processes were carried out over a wide range of materials. It further explores who was responsible and how they might have been organized. The chapter makes essential reading, whether standing on its own or placed alongside the contributions that follow. Shorter pieces on textiles and papyrus by John Peter Wild and Erja Salmenkivi, respectively, likewise provide fascinating looks at the afterlives of materials typically missing from the archaeological record. The volume also puts to rest—one hopes definitely—the idea that recycling [End Page 606] and reuse were responses to crisis and particularly indicative of the late Roman period. Most chapters deal with earlier evidence, showing clearly that such practices were ordinary even when the empire was at its height. The authors who focus on Late Antiquity, furthermore, make convincing arguments for the complexity of waste management even in that period. Beth Munro's chapter on the systematic dismantling of Italian villas is especially valuable for demonstrating the organization and skill required for demolitions very likely carried out under the auspices of landowners. Other strong chapters prioritize the individuals who populated waste management systems. Among these, the contribution by Chloë Duckworth (also one of the volume's editors) is noteworthy. Roman glass originated from a few production sites in the eastern Mediterranean, suggesting that recycling was a common part of manufacturing cycles. Literary and archaeological evidence alike support this idea. Nevertheless, chemical analyses seeking mixed production-site provenances as evidence for recycling find suspiciously low numbers of recycled vessels: for example, 25 percent in Patrick Degryse's study featured in this volume, or 50 percent in Duckworth's own, larger sample. As Duckworth points out, such analyses overlook instances in which ancient craftsmen recycled "like with like," sorting glass recyclate to make higher-quality products that did not combine provenance types. This process might have been widespread but remains invisible to current methodologies, providing a good reminder that even archaeological science cannot ignore the human actors who created the archaeological record. Shortcomings are minor. Some of the subsections, most notably that on chemical analysis, read as slightly disjointed, although the editors do a better job than many in converting a conference into a unified publication. A few chapters are longer than their contents justify. Additionally, the book at times remains grounded in a distinctly modern perspective. The final chapter, which draws together those preceding by introducing potential future questions, is especially concerned with why Romans recycled: to the authors, such "thriftiness" appears at odds with the conspicuous consumption evident in the imperial economy. Their contrast between recycling and consumption, however, is inherently modern, based on the realities of the post-industrial world. While the authors are correct to call for contextualization and cultural specificity, we can be sure that recycling and reuse have been standard human behaviors until the very recent past. Rather than...

Plant growth and rhizome shoots of Agave angustifolia in different substrates, with fertigation and benzylaminopurine

The species Agave angustifolia can be propagated asexually with offshoots from rhizomes, bulbils from inflorescence, and through micropropagation to supply the growing demand for quality plant material for new plantations. In this investigation, Agave angustifolia plants of different initial sizes were evaluated for growth and emission of rhizome shoots, after 14 months under different conditions of substrate, fertigation and application of cytokinins. Bulbils were collected from inflorescences of plants at two sites and classified into two size categories: small (≤ 7 cm) and large (> 7 cm). The bulbils were cultured for 14 months in pots with substrates that were mixtures of sand (A), soil (S), and bovine manure (Bm) (%): 1) A + S (0.3: 0.7); 2) A + S + Bm (0.3: 0.525: 0.175); 3) A + S + Bm (0.3: 0.35: 0.35); 4) A + S + Bm (0.3: 0.175: 0.525). The plants in each substrate were separated into groups for application of different types of irrigation: 1) water; 2) 50% Steiner’s nutritive solution, SNS-50%; 3) SNS-50% + 25 mg L-1 of benzylaminopurine. The results show that the emission of rhizome offshoots was affected by the substrate, type of irrigation and provenance of the plants. The plants in substrates 3 and 4 formed 2.2 rhizome offshoots, which was more than plants in the other substrates. The plants irrigated with water, SNS-50%, and SNS-50% + benzylaminopurine formed 1.1, 1.6 and 1.9 rhizome offshoots, respectively.

Petrography and geochemical characteristics of Chang 7 sandstone in Yanhe profile, Ordos Basin: Implication for paleoenvironment and tectonic background

The Chang 7 oil layer from the upper Triassic Yanchang Formation is an important layer for hydrocarbon exploration. Most studies on the Chang 7 oil layer have focused on the source rocks, while research on the sandstone is still inadequate, especially on the petrography and geochemical characteristics. Using seven sandstone samples of the Chang 7 oil layer in the Yanhe profile, the grain-size analysis, major elements, trace elements, and rare earth elements were tested. The results find that the sandstone of fine-grained sediments of the Chang 7 oil layer is dominated by arkose with a minor number of lithic arkose. The range of grain size (Mz) is from 2.72 to 3.92 Φ, and the C value and M value of the sandstone samples suggest characteristics of turbidity deposition. The Al/Si ratios of all of the samples imply high clay mineral content. The results of trace and rare earth elements demonstrate the reducing condition, freshwater, and cold and dry weather. The provenance of the sandstone samples is mainly from island arc acidic volcanic rock, and the type of provenance is mixed with sedimentary rock, granite, and alkaline basalt. The tectonic background is continental island arc. This study provides a systematic geologic foundation for the formation of sandstone of Chang 7 oil layer in Ordos Basin.

Continental chemical weathering during the Early Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE1b): a case study from the Fuxin fluvio-lacustrine basin, Liaoning Province, NE China

This study focuses on Early Cretaceous mudstones from the Shahai and Fuxin formations in the Fuxin continental basin. We analyse chemical weathering, land surface temperatures and palaeoclimates based on chemical weathering indices, and emphasize the implications of continental chemical weathering on nutrient fluxes into lakes and oceans. According to Cr and Ni abundance, Al2O3-TiO2, La/Sc-Th/Co and V-Ni-Th×10 plots, as well as rare earth element (REE) analysis, mudstone samples from the Shahai and Fuxin formations were derived from the same type of provenance comprising mainly felsic igneous rocks. Chemical weathering trends reflected by the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Weathering Index of Parker (WIP) and the Mafic Index of Alteration for Oxidative weathering environments (MIA(O)) are consistent with each other and allow the geological succession to be divided into four stages. Land surface temperatures of the Shahai and Fuxin formations are estimated based on the linear relationship of CIA to temperature, and also can be divided into four stages consistent with those determined from chemical weathering trends. During Stage A (early part of the late Aptian) chemical weathering and land surface temperatures were relatively low and showed characteristic high fluctuations, while Stage B (latest Aptian) represented a transitional period where weathering rates and temperatures increased, and high amplitude fluctuations continued. Conditions changed markedly in Stage C (early Albian) with very high and stable weathering, and warm, humid climates, while in Stage D (middle and late Albian) conditions returned to low chemical weathering and land surface temperatures. These stages of chemical weathering and land surface temperature fluctuations represent responses to global climate fluctuations during the Early Cretaceous, with the early Albian high weathering intensities and warm, humid climates combining to create high nutrient levels that would have flushed through rivers into lakes and ultimately oceans. This correlates stratigraphically with the development of Early Cretaceous black shales during Ocean Anoxic Event 1b, showing the importance of continental weathering regimes as a causal mechanism for lake and ocean anoxia.

A Computerized Frailty Assessment Tool at Points-of-Care: Development of a Standalone Electronic Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment/Frailty Index (eFI-CGA).

Background: Frailty is characterized by loss of biological reserves and is associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Frailty can be operationalized using a Frailty Index (FI) based on the accumulation of health deficits; items under health evaluation in the well-established Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) have been used to generate an FI-CGA. Traditionally, constructing the FI-CGA has relied on paper-based recording and manual data processing. As this can be time-consuming and error-prone, it limits widespread uptake of this proven type of frailty assessment. Here, we report the development of an electronic tool, the eFI-CGA, for use on personal computers by frontline healthcare providers, to collect CGA data and automate FI-CFA calculation. The ultimate goal is to support early identification and management of frailty at points-of-care, and make uptake in Electronic Medical Records (EMR) feasible and transparent.Methods: An electronic CGA (eCGA) form was implemented to operate on Microsoft's WinForms platform and coded using C# programming language. Users complete the eCGA form, from which items under the CGA evaluation are automatically retrieved and processed to output an eFI-CGA score. A user-friendly interface and secured data saving methods were implemented. The software was debugged and tested using systematically designed simulation data, addressing different logic, syntax, and application errors, and then tested with clinical assessment. The user manual and manual scoring were used as ground truth to compare eFI-CGA input and automated eFI score calculations. Frontline health-provider user feedback was incorporated to improve the end-user experience.Results: The Standalone eFI-CGA software tool was developed and optimized for use on personal computers. The user interface adapted the design of paper-based CGA form to facilitate familiarity for clinical users. Compared to known scores, the software tool generated eFI-CGA scores with 100% accuracy to four decimal places. The eFI-CGA allowed secure data storage and retrieval of multiple types, including user input, completed eCGA form, coded items, and calculated eFI-CGA scores. It also permitted recording of actions requiring clinical follow-up, facilitating care planning. Application bugs were identified and resolved at various stages of the implementation, resulting in efficient system performance.Discussion: Accurate, robust, and reliable computerized frailty assessments are needed to promote effective frailty assessment and management, as a key tool in health care systems facing up to frailty. Our research has enabled the delivery of the standalone eFI-CGA software technology to empower effective frailty assessment and management by various healthcare providers at points-of-care, facilitating integrated care of older adults.

Pathogenic FBN1 Genetic Variation and Aortic Dissection in Patients With Marfan Syndrome

BackgroundAortic risk has not been evaluated in patients with Marfan syndrome and documented pathogenic variants in the FBN1 gene. ObjectivesThis study sought to describe aortic risk in a population with Marfan syndrome with pathogenic variants in the FBN1 gene as a function of aortic root diameter. MethodsPatients carrying an FBN1 pathogenic variant who visited our reference center at least twice were included, provided they had not undergone aortic surgery or had an aortic dissection before their first visit. Aortic events (aortic surgery or aortic dissection) and deaths were evaluated during the 2 years following each patient visit. The risk was calculated as the number of events divided by the number of years of follow-up. ResultsA total of 954 patients were included (54% women; mean age 23 years). During follow-up (9.1 years), 142 patients underwent prophylactic aortic root surgery, 5 experienced type A aortic dissection, and 12 died (noncardiovascular causes in 3, unknown etiology in 3, post-operative in 6). When aortic root diameter was <50 mm, risk for proven type A dissection (0.4 events/1,000 patient-years) and risk for possible aortic dissection (proven aortic dissection plus death of unknown cause, 0.7 events/1,000 patients-years) remained low in this population that was treated according to guidelines. Three type A aortic dissections occurred in this population during the 8,594 years of follow-up, including 1 in a patient with a tubular aortic diameter of 50 mm, but none in patients with a family history of aortic dissection. The risk for type B aortic dissection in the same population was 0.5 events/1,000 patient-years. ConclusionsIn patients with FBN1 pathogenic variants who receive beta-blocker therapy and who limit strenuous exercise, aortic risk remains low when maximal aortic diameter is <50 mm. The risk of type B aortic dissection is close to the remaining risk of type A aortic dissection in this population, which underlines the global aortic risk.

A Big Data Provenance Model for Data Security Supervision Based on PROV-DM Model

Nowadays, big data has become a hot research topic. It gives fresh impetus to the economic and social development. However, the huge value of big data also makes it the focus of attacks. Big data security incidents occur frequently in recent years. The security supervision capacities for big data do not match its important role. Data provenance which describes the origins of data and the process by which it arrived the current state, is an effective approach for data supervision. For the full use of provenance in big data supervision, a provenance model which defines the concepts used to represent the provenance types and relations is required to be built in advance, but current provenance models do not adapt to big data scenarios well. In this paper, we comprehensively consider the characteristics of big data and the requirements of data security supervision, extend the widely used provenance model PROV-DM by subtyping and new relation definition, and propose a big data provenance model (BDPM) for data supervision. BDPM model supports the provenance representation of various data types and diverse data processing modes to represent the entire data transformation process through different components in the big data system, and defines new relations to enrich provenance analysis functions. Based on BDPM model, we introduce the constraints that should be satisfied in the construction of valid provenance graph and present the data security supervision methods via provenance graph analysis. Finally, we evaluated the satisfiability of BDPM model through a case study.