Similar Tests Research Articles

COVID-19 and Hearing: Pure Tone, Speech, and High-Frequency Audiometry.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its effects on hearing performance have been an interesting topic for researchers recently. The objective of this study was to assess the audiological profile of people affected by COVID-19 and also to compare them with a control group who has never had COVID-19. An experimental study. The study group consisted of 54 participants, aged 18 to 60, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 by polymerase chain reaction and recovered at least 2 months prior to audiological assessment. The control group consisted of 60 subjects in the same age range who did not have a history of COVID-19 or hearing loss. Post-COVID audiological data were compared. The pre-COVID-19 audiological data of 43 subjects in the study group were also compared with their post-COVID-19 data. All participants were evaluated with pure tone audiometry, acoustic immittancemetry, speech audiometry, and high-frequency audiometry. Pure tone hearing thresholds, speech recognition and discrimination scores, and high-frequency hearing thresholds were all statistically different between the study and control groups (p < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences between the study group's pure tone hearing thresholds before and after COVID-19 (p < 0.05). COVID-19 can adversely affect hearing performance. Further studies including auditory brainstem response, otoacoustic emissions, and similar cross-check tests are needed to reveal further effects of COVID-19 on hearing.

NeuralRecon: Real-Time Coherent 3D Scene Reconstruction From Monocular Video.

We present a novel framework named NeuralRecon for real-time 3D scene reconstruction from a monocular video. Unlike previous methods that estimate single-view depth maps separately on each key-frame and fuse them later, we propose to directly reconstruct local surfaces represented as sparse TSDF volumes for each video fragment sequentially by a neural network. A learning-based TSDF fusion module based on gated recurrent units is used to guide the network to fuse features from previous fragments. This design allows the network to capture local smoothness prior and global shape prior of 3D surfaces when sequentially reconstructing the surfaces, resulting in accurate, coherent, and real-time surface reconstruction. The fused features can also be used to predict semantic labels, allowing our method to reconstruct and segment the 3D scene simultaneously. Furthermore, we purpose an efficient self-supervised fine-tuning scheme that refines scene geometry based on input images through differentiable volume rendering. This fine-tuning scheme improves reconstruction quality on the fine-tuned scenes, as well as the generalization to similar test scenes. The experiments on ScanNet, 7-Scenes and Replica datasets show that our system outperforms state-of-the-art methods in terms of both accuracy and speed.

The Question of Thermoelectric Devices (TEDs) In/Efficiency—A Practical Investigation Considering Thermoelectric Heaters (TEHs)

ABSTRACTThermoelectricity is a promising technology; however, though clean and versatile, its efficiency has been questionable and consequently limiting its extensive utilization. Many published research on thermoelectricity have been on power generation and cooling applications, with few publications on heating, especially practically. Thus, this article practically focuses on thermoelectric devices (TEDs) when used as thermoelectric heaters (TEHs). Sixteen identical TEDs (TEC‐12706) were operated as TEHs under similar test modalities and powered in succession with 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4 V, to practically examine TEHs energy dynamics and in/efficiency. It was found that all the TEHs used in the research performed relatively inconsistent with each other with the worst‐performed TEH (TEH0) having a mean hot‐side temperature of 30.276°C with a mean power consumption of 13.826 W; whereas the best‐performed TEH (TEH3) had a mean hot‐side temperature of 40.4°C with a mean power consumption of 20.822 W. Furthermore, all the TEHs hot‐side temperature increased proportionately with the input voltage; though at the specified voltages, the TEHs hot‐side temperature increased while its input power decreased over time. The concepts of TEH hot‐side mean temperature and TEH mean input power were also introduced.

AbstractTrace: The Use of Execution Traces to Cluster, Classify, Prioritize, and Optimize a Bloated Test Suite

Due to the incremental and iterative nature of the software testing process, a test suite may become bloated with redundant, overlapping, and similar test cases. This paper aims to optimize a bloated test suite by employing an execution trace that encodes runtime events into a sequence of characters forming a string. A dataset of strings, each of which represents the code coverage and execution behavior of a test case, is analyzed to identify similarities between test cases. This facilitates the de-bloating process by providing a formal mechanism to identify, remove, and reduce extra test cases without compromising software quality. This form of analysis allows for the clustering and classification of test cases based on their code coverage and similarity score. This paper explores three levels of execution traces and evaluates different techniques to measure their similarities. Test cases with the same code coverage should generate the exact string representation of runtime events. Various string similarity metrics are assessed to find the similarity score, which is used to classify, detect, and rank test cases accordingly. Additionally, this paper demonstrates the validity of the approach with two case studies. The first shows how to classify the execution behavior of various test cases, which can provide insight into each test case’s internal behavior. The second shows how to identify similar test cases based on their code coverage.

Advancing Arabic Word Embeddings: A Multi-Corpora Approach with Optimized Hyperparameters and Custom Evaluation

The expanding Arabic user base presents a unique opportunity for researchers to tap into vast online Arabic resources. However, the lack of reliable Arabic word embedding models and the limited availability of Arabic corpora poses significant challenges. This paper addresses these gaps by developing and evaluating Arabic word embedding models trained on diverse Arabic corpora, investigating how varying hyperparameter values impact model performance across different NLP tasks. To train our models, we collected data from three distinct sources: Wikipedia, newspapers, and 32 Arabic books, each selected to capture specific linguistic and contextual features of Arabic. By using advanced techniques such as Word2Vec and FastText, we experimented with different hyperparameter configurations, such as vector size, window size, and training algorithms (CBOW and skip-gram), to analyze their impact on model quality. Our models were evaluated using a range of NLP tasks, including sentiment analysis, similarity tests, and an adapted analogy test designed specifically for Arabic. The findings revealed that both the corpus size and hyperparameter settings had notable effects on performance. For instance, in the analogy test, a larger vocabulary size significantly improved outcomes, with the FastText skip-gram models excelling in accurately solving analogy questions. For sentiment analysis, vocabulary size was critical, while in similarity scoring, the FastText models achieved the highest scores, particularly with smaller window and vector sizes. Overall, our models demonstrated strong performance, achieving 99% and 90% accuracies in sentiment analysis and the analogy test, respectively, along with a similarity score of 8 out of 10. These results underscore the value of our models as a robust tool for Arabic NLP research, addressing a pressing need for high-quality Arabic word embeddings.

Aptamer-Based Detection of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Using Single-Stranded DNA Probe.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is known for its highly contagious properties among cloven-hoofed animals resulting in significant morbidity rates. Incursions of this disease have caused significant losses in affected countries in Southeast Asia and Africa, even within EU countries which resulted in significant financial losses.This study is aimed at addressing existing limitations by creating a diagnostic method using aptamer-based assay. Three DNA aptamers were engineered to target the VP2 region of the FMD viral capsid protein. Since VP2 demonstrates a highly conserved amino acid sequence across serotypes, the specifically designed aptamers can detect different serotypes of the virus. Aptamers were evaluated against VP2 capsid protein, which was synthesized based on sequences from serotypes A, O, and Asia 1 of the FMD virus. After the recombinant VP2 capsid protein was developed, expressed, and refined, it was applied using enzyme-linked aptamer sorbent assay (ELASA) to determine aptamers' binding capability. A similar test was further conducted with purified FMD virus from serotype A and serotype O. The ELASA results displayed a notable sensitivity in identifying the FMDV. Under optimized conditions, the aptamers have LOD as low as 0.11ng/mL with LOQ as low as 0.34ng/mL. The binding strength analyzed using the equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) showed strong binding affinity at 3.092 ± 0.05nM. Based on these findings, the method shows significant potential with high sensitivity and specificity for FMD virus detection assay.

Experimental study on the durability of cement-stabilized soil for post-grouted piles in calcareous sand under marine environment

To address the durability of post-grouted piles in calcareous sand within marine environments, a series of tests including micro-cone penetration, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction was conducted to study the strength changes of cement-stabilized calcareous sand under different curing times and cement ratios. The relationship between UCS and penetration resistance was established and compared with similar tests on cement-stabilized siliceous sand, revealing the micro-erosion mechanisms specific to cement-stabilized calcareous sand. The results show that based on the distribution of penetration resistance, the cement-stabilized soil in a seawater environment can be divided into eroded and non-eroded layers, with erosion depth increasing as curing time extends and cement ratio decreases. After 90 days of curing, the eroded layer exhibited increased porosity, a 34.4% reduction in peak heights of hydration products, and a 16.4% decrease in Ca2+ content compared to the non-eroded layer. These findings highlight that strength changes under seawater erosion result from a balance between enhanced strength due to hydration and weakened strength due to erosion. The study provides insights into evaluating the durability and long-term stability of post-grouted piles in calcareous sand.

Nonlinear large strain mechanics and failure of 45° woven CFRP laminates characterized by Full-Field measurements

The nonlinear mechanical response of 45° woven composites is studied using full-field strain measurements. First, carbon fabric samples without an epoxy matrix are prepared and tested to evaluate the deformation response of the fiber tows in the absence of internal resistance imposed by the epoxy matrix. Next, the effect of the epoxy matrix is examined by fabricating and testing 45° single-ply carbon fiber reinforced composite laminas. Homogeneous strain fields with minimal resistance against external loads are observed in fabric samples without epoxy. The in-plane rotation of fiber tows in the carbon fabric samples varies linearly with the applied global strain. On the other hand, the development of scissoring action in single-ply composite laminas is shown to cause severe shearing of the epoxy entrapped between the orthogonal fiber tows, leading to the outward protrusion of epoxy from the surface of the lamina. The scissoring effect is correlated with different stages of deformation in a highly nonlinear stress–strain response. Finally, similar tests performed on three-ply laminates reveal that the abovementioned matrix protrusion leads to accelerated delamination in 45° laminates at global strains lower than those in single-ply laminas. The underlying mechanisms for scissoring-induced matrix protrusion are discussed using a simple analytical model.

An Investigation of the Batch Adsorption Capacity for the Removal of Phosphate from Wastewater Using Both Unmodified and Functional Nanoparticle-Modified Biochars

One of the most widely employed methods for adsorption is the utilization of biochar produced during pyrolysis. Biochar has attracted considerable attention due to its oxygen-containing functional groups and relatively high specific surface area. In alignment with the principles of cleaner production, the sludge generated from sewage treatment plants is typically classified as waste. However, it can be effectively repurposed as an adsorbent following pyrolysis and subsequent nanoparticle modification. This environmentally friendly approach presents an ecological alternative to conventional water treatment methods. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of batch adsorption for the removal of phosphate from wastewater using both unmodified and modified sewage sludge biochars (SSBs) that were produced at various temperatures (300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C) and modified with zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI-SSB300, nZVI-SSB400, nZVI-SSB500, and nZVI-SSB600). The findings indicate that biochar modified with functional nanoparticles is a highly effective adsorbent for the removal of phosphate from wastewater. As demonstrated by the research results, the adsorption capacity of modified biochar is approximately 3 to 3.5 times greater than that of the unmodified variants. The phosphate removal efficiency with modified biochars was optimal with nZVI-SSB600. In experiments with a phosphate concentration (25 mg/L), the modified sorbent biochar exhibited an equilibrium adsorption capacity of 23.74 mg/g, translating to a phosphate removal efficiency of 60%. Under similar test conditions, at an initial phosphate concentration of 50 mg/L, the adsorption capacity improved to 25.67 mg/g (75% efficiency); at 75 mg/L, it reached 27.97 mg/g (80%); at 100 mg/L, it was 28.44 mg/g (85%); and at 125 mg/L, it achieved 29.48 mg/g (89%). The models confirmed the observed adsorption behavior, yielding a maximum phosphate adsorption capacity (qe) of 19.00 mg/g for the 600 °C pyrolysis of modified biochar at the primary phosphate concentration (25 mg/L). Furthermore, this study indicates that the influence of solution pH on phosphate adsorption remains stable and maximal (nZVI-SSB600, ranging from 16.87 to 20.46 mg/g) within the pH range of 3 to 8. On average, the modified biochar (nZVI-SSB) demonstrated 20 to 30% superior adsorption performance compared to the unmodified biochar (SSB). Additionally, significant differences were noted between various ambient temperatures, ranging from 5 °C to 25 °C. As the ambient temperature increased, the sorption capacity of the adsorbent exhibited a considerable improvement. With a primary concentration of phosphate (100 mg/g) at 5 °C, the adsorption capacity of nZVI-SSB600 was measured at 7.99 mg/g; this increased to 14.33 mg/g at 10 °C, 21.79 mg/g at 20 °C, and 28.44 mg/g at 25 °C. This research highlights the potential application of biochar in wastewater treatment for phosphate removal, simultaneously enabling the effective utilization of generated sewage sludge waste through pyrolysis and coating with zero-iron nanoparticles, resulting in a sustainable solution.

Transferable lessons for care provided to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities based on an analysis of facilitators and barriers to SARS-CoV-2 testing.

The purpose of this article is to report on the lessons learned from parents and caregivers of school-age children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Missouri and Maryland regarding the facilitators and barriers to SARS-COV-2 testing. Parents participated in interview sessions that employed fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM), a reliable knowledge-based method that facilitates democratic discourse to understand how stakeholders make decisions. A total of 94 parents from Missouri (58) and Maryland (36) participated in the FCM sessions. Eight primary barriers and eight primary facilitating factors were identified that influence a successful SARS-COV-2 test. Analyzing the connections between these factors provided valuable information about not only which ideas were most central to the goal of a successful test, but also which factors could be modified to improve the likelihood of success. Results indicate that the physical environment and child preparedness play a central role in successful SARS-COV-2 testing for children with IDD; however, these factors within the context of other invasive procedures should be studied further. It is likely that the findings from this study are transferable to other diagnostic procedures such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureas (MRSA), which require similar testing techniques using a nasopharyngeal swab.

Neonatal Miliaria Pustulosa-A Case Series.

Miliaria pustulosa is a noninfectious, transient skin eruption of pustules overlying erythematous plaques secondary to obstruction of eccrine glands. There are very few case reports in the literature detailing miliaria pustulosa in neonates. When presenting in neonates, its similarity to life-threatening infections may cause diagnostic confusion. By differentiating this condition from similar presentations, unnecessary treatments and tests in this population may be avoided. Retrospective review of the medical records of nine neonates presenting with a pustular eruption diagnosed as miliaria pustulosa. Patients were seen at a children's hospital in Chicago, IL, USA; cases were selected by investigator recall. In this case series, miliaria pustulosa presents in nine neonates as clusters of eruptive pustules with resolution or significant improvement noted after an average of 2.6 days (range 1-5 days). The average age was 4.6 days (range 1-10 days old) and the average gestational age was 34.7 weeks (range 26.3-40.1 weeks). All patients had pustular outbreaks in areas occluded by swaddling, clothes, or adhesive. Seven patients had geometric lesions that were underlying sites of intravenous (IV) site adhesive or electrocardiogram (EKG) leads. The consistent morphological features of this pustular eruption at sites of skin occlusion and the transient course in the setting of an otherwise well-appearing infant are strongly suggestive of the diagnosis of miliaria pustulosa. It is important for clinicians to be familiar with this benign presentation and to differentiate it from other neonatal pustular eruptions to minimize invasive tests and treatments in this vulnerable population.

Mathematical model of velocity and distribution law in gas lift reverse circulation well washing flow field for drilling shaft sinking

To reveal the velocity distribution law of a gas lift reverse circulation well washing flow field in drilling shaft sinking, a velocity mathematical model of well washing flow field is established. The theoretical analytical solutions and velocity distribution laws in the drill pipe and bottom hole were provided and validated through numerical simulations and similar model tests. Furthermore, this study explores the impacts of mud circulation, wind pressure, rock debris, and mud properties on the flow field distribution, presenting the sensitivity order of the factors. This study indicated the following findings. (1) The velocity theoretical model of well washing flow field was validated through numerical simulation and similar model tests, and the relative error ranged from 4.2 to 18.5%, demonstrating the high consistency. (2) The rock debris and mud experienced slight and consistent deceleration within the drill pipe. Upon reaching the gas input end, the axial upward return of the multiphase flow resulted in a “jumping” sharp increase. (3) The mud circulation, wind pressure, and void fraction positively correlated with the multiphase fluid velocity in the drill pipe, but negatively correlated with the mud density and slag content. The axial upward velocity of the rock debris decreased with increasing particle size and density. (4) The sensitivity of each factor to the discharge speed of rock debris was summarized as follows: air content > mud circulation > wind pressure > mud density > rock debris density > rock debris particle size > slag content. These findings could offer a theoretical basis for selecting well washing parameters and enhancing drilling and washing efficiency.

Study of the Stress Distribution and a Calculation Model for the Local Bearing Capacity of Concrete Under Headed Bars

In order to obtain the calculation model for the local bearing capacity of concrete Fl under two headed bars, six pull-out concrete specimens were prepared. The effect of the net distance between two headed bars c on Fl was mainly investigated. The test results show that the local bearing capacity of concrete would first decrease and then increase with the increase in c, and the boundary point of the two stages was c = 40 mm. It is determined that the stress transformation from the local compression state to the axial compression state in the stress distribution model is characterized by the variation rate of the vertical stress under individual headed bars, which would infinitely approach a constant value. The constant value under individual headed bars is used as the limit value. The height of the vertical stress under two headed bars is modified, and then the height of the tensile region of the specimen with different c values is determined. Combined with the experimental phenomena and the results, two stages of calculation models are established, respectively: the integral calculation model and the individual calculation model. The integral calculation model focuses on the interaction of the compression region under two headed bars. The individual calculation model mainly focuses on the interaction of the tensile region under two headed bars. The calculation equations considering the influence of the height of the tensile region are established. Two groups of similar test data regarding the local bearing capacity were collected and verified as the integral calculation model and the individual calculation model. The average value of the ratio between the test value and the calculated value is 1.057 and 1.061, the standard deviation is 0.153 and 0.091, and the coefficient of variation is 0.055 and 0.086. It is proved that the calculation model proposed in this paper has a certain accuracy. It can provide a reference for calculating the local bearing capacity of concrete under multiple headed bars.

Polyphasic Characterization of the Biocontrol Potential of a Novel Strain of Trichoderma atroviride Isolated from Central Mexico.

This work describes the characterization of Trichoderma atroviride strain CMU-08, isolated from Michoacán, Mexico. CMU-08 demonstrated robust growth and conidiation across a temperature range from 16 to 32 °C and a pH range from 4 to 9 on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and malt extract agar (MEA) media. The strain is an efficient antagonist of six species of phytopathogenic fungi and oomycetes in PDA, MEA, and Vogel minimal medium (VMM). Antagonist mechanisms of CMU-08 included direct mycoparasitism observed in dual-culture assays, as well as antibiosis attributed to growth inhibition via both volatile and non-volatile metabolites, with the effectiveness varying depending on the test phytopathogen and culture medium. Extracellular filtrates (ECFs) recovered from liquid cultures of CMU-08 under basal and induced conditions using Botrytis cinerea cell walls significantly inhibited their growth at a concentration of 750 µg/mL. Moreover, in detached tomato leaf assays, these ECFs reduced foliar damage caused by B. cinerea by 24-34%. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by CMU-08 also exhibited substantial efficacy, reducing foliar damage by up to 50% in similar tests. Despite showing no basal extracellular chitinase enzymatic activity, CMU-08 demonstrated significant induction of this activity in cultures supplemented with B. cinerea and Fusarium sp. cell walls. Four genes encoding extracellular chitinases (chit33, chit36, ech42, and locus 217415) showed different dynamics of transcriptional regulation during the dual-culture confrontation of strain CMU-08 with B. cinerea and Fusarium sp., varying according to the phytopathogen and the interaction stage. The CMU-08 strain shows physiological versatility and employs a variety of antagonist mechanisms toward different species of phytopathogenic microorganisms, making it a good candidate for developing a biocontrol product for field application.

Ultrafiltered dog allergen skin test compared with acetone precipitated and conventional dog: A retrospective study.

Background: Various formulations of dog allergen extracts, including conventional dog (also known as dog epithelium) and acetone precipitated (AP) dog, have been used for skin-prick testing (SPT), with AP dog showing improved antigen content but experiencing stability issues due to precipitant formation. Ultrafiltered (UF) dog extract has been developed to address these concerns by offering comparable allergen content to AP dog. This study retrospectively compared UF dog with conventional dog and AP dog in SPT. Objective: To compare the efficacy of UF dog extract with conventional dog and AP dog extracts in detecting dog sensitization through SPT. Methods: Retrospective analysis of SPT results from a single U.S. allergy clinic was conducted. Tests performed between October 2022 and March 2024 were included. Primary and secondary outcomes were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and statistical tests. Results: UF dog, AP dog, and conventional dog showed positivity rates of 24.2%, 23.5%, and 16.3%, respectively. UF dog demonstrated significantly higher average wheal and erythema sizes compared with conventional dog and AP dog, but UF dog was not statistically different from AP dog in terms of test positivity. Conclusion: UF dog extract showed comparable number of positive tests to AP dog and a greater number of positive tests to conventional dog. Results of the study suggest UF dog as a viable alternative to AP dog, which offered improved stability and similar test responses. Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to confirm these findings.

Study on the Ratio and Model Test of Similar Materials of Heavily Weathered Granite.

To study the bearing characteristics of rock-socketed single piles on the southeast coast of Fujian Province, we conducted similar material ratio tests and single pile model tests. Initially, based on the mechanical parameters of strongly weathered granite, 10 groups of similar material samples were prepared using iron concentrate powder, barite powder, and quartz sand as aggregates, with rosin and alcohol as the cementing agents and gypsum as the modulating agent. Through triaxial testing and range and variance analysis, it was determined that the binder concentration has the most significant impact on the material properties. Consequently, Specimen 1 was selected as the simulation material. In the model test, the strongly weathered granite stratum was simulated using the ratio of Specimen 1. A horizontal load was applied using a pulley weight system, and the displacement at the top of the pile was measured with a laser displacement meter, resulting in a horizontal load-displacement curve. The results indicated that the pile foundation remained in an elastic state until a displacement of 2.5 mm. Measurements of the horizontal displacement and bending moment of the pile revealed that the model pile behaves as a flexible pile; the bending moment initially increases along the pile length and then decreases, approaching zero at the pile's bottom. The vertical load test analyzed the relationship between vertical load and settlement of the single pile, as well as its variation patterns. This study provides an experimental basis for the design of single pile foundations in weathered granite formations on the southeast coast of Fujian Province and aids in optimizing offshore wind power engineering practices.

Deep learning improves detection of aortic stenosis in b-mode ultrasound: results of a pivotal multicenter validation study using artificial intelligence

Abstract Background Aortic stenosis (AS) is a highly prevalent and morbid condition, with moderate or severe AS present in 9% of patients over 75 years. Despite improved diagnostic and therapeutic methods, AS remains underdiagnosed, particularly in Black patients and underserved communities. Echocardiography (echo) is effective for detecting AS but requires expertise to quantify and interpret valve gradients and valve area. We hypothesized that a deep learning (DL) algorithm could be trained to detect AS severity using B-mode (non-Doppler) echo alone, the modality most likely to be available in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) studies. Here, we present the results of a multicenter pivotal trial to test whether artificial intelligence (AI) can help increase the detection of AS from B-mode echoes. Methods A convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained to classify the severity of aortic stenosis from 3 B-mode echo views of the aortic valve (parasternal long- and short-axis and apical 5-chamber). The training dataset had over 500,000 cine loops from 29,527 echoes in 26,981 patients. A fully crossed multireader multicase study was conducted using 220 echoes never seen during algorithm development. 5 level II-trained cardiologists (referred to as POCUS readers as they only reviewed B-mode clips) were presented with these echoes twice at least a month apart, once with and again without AI interpretation of AS severity. Readers identified 2 dichotomous severity levels (either "suggestive of moderate to severe AS" or not), with ground truth established by 3 level III-trained cardiology echo experts. While experts had access to full studies (including Doppler) to adjudicate severity, POCUS readers had no Doppler or measurements of any kind available. Sensitivity and specificity were compared for the 5 POCUS readers when aided by the AI algorithm vs unaided, with similar tests of inter-reader agreement. Results There was a statistically significant improvement in sensitivity (+5.5%, 95% CI [1.5%, 9.5%], p=0.007) with stable specificity (-0.3%, 95% CI [-3.6%, 3.0%], p=NS) when the 5 POCUS readers received the assistance of the AI software. Fig 1 shows 2,500 bootstrapping assessments to better show consistency of these findings. In addition, the POCUS inter-reader agreement (overall percent agreement) improved by approximately 7% (p&amp;lt;0.001), becoming comparable to that of expert readers (Fig 2). Conclusions In a comprehensive multireader pivotal trial, an AI algorithm improved the performance of POCUS cardiologist readers to identify significant AS from limited B-mode echoes as might be obtained in screening or outreach settings. Sensitivity for detection of moderate-severe AS increased significantly by 5.5% with stable specificity. Inter-reader agreement improved to resemble that of expert cardiologists given access to full study information, including Doppler. AI may have a role in assisting detection of significant AS from limited B-mode echoes.Fig 1Fig 2

Family background, education, and earnings: the limited value of “test-score transmission”

AbstractThis paper investigates the relationship between the inter-generational transmission of educational achievement (“test-score transmission”) and the inter-generational transmission of higher earnings (“income transmission”). We use administrative data from Israel to track the evolution of education and earnings gaps between “second-generation” (SG) students, whose parents have some tertiary education, and “first-generation” (FG) students, whose parents have none. We find that SG students achieve much better results on the screening tests that regulate access to selective tertiary education than FG students with similar eighth-grade test scores. Consequently, they enjoy greater access to the most selective tertiary degree programs, crowding out FG students with higher eighth-grade achievement. Yet this advantage does not manifest itself in earnings differentials at age 29, similarly conditioned on eighth-grade achievement, which are not statistically significant, and we find no evidence that these patterns are driven by SG students choosing study fields with steeper earnings curves. We find evidence of two mechanisms that mediate the relationship between achievement gains and earnings: FG students compensate for fewer options in tertiary education by accumulating more labor market experience; and SG students are more likely to forgo higher earnings for non-pecuniary benefits in employment, particularly by choosing public-sector employment.

Reduced nitrogen rate sustains malt barley yield and quality in malt barley‐pea rotation

AbstractRotational benefit of pea (Pisum sativum L.) may reduce N fertilization rate and sustain malt barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) yield and quality in the malt barley‐pea rotation. This study examined the effect of cover crop [oat (Avena sativa L.) cover crop vs. none] and N fertilization rate (0, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 kg N ha−1) on malt barley growth, yield, and quality in the malt barley‐pea rotation from 2012 to 2019 in the northern Great Plains. Cover crop biomass yield and N accumulation were greater in 2016 than other years. Compared to fallow, malt barley plant density with cover crop was 9%–13% lower from 2013 to 2015, but 10% greater in 2017. Malt barley straw yield was 38% greater in 2017 and grain yield 15%–39% greater in 2017 and 2018, but grain plumpness was 5%–10% lower in 2014 and 2017 with than without cover crop. Increasing N fertilization rate linearly increased grain yield and N uptake, but reduced grain test weight and plumpness in most years. Straw N concentration and uptake and grain protein concentration varied by year. Because of the similar grain yield, protein concentration, plumpness, and test weight between 60 and 80 kg N ha−1, 60 kg N ha−1 can be recommended to sustain malt barley yield and quality in the malt barley‐pea rotation, regardless of cover crops. This helps to reduce N fertilization rate by 20 kg N ha−1 for malt barley in dryland cropping systems of the US northern Great Plains.

Investigation of parasite genetic variation and systemic immune responses in patients presenting with different clinical presentations of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania aethiopica

BackgroundCutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical skin disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania. In Ethiopia, CL is mainly caused by Leishmania aethiopica and can present in different clinical forms. The aim of this study was to assess whether these different forms are associated with differences in parasite genetic and host systemic immune signatures.MethodsHere we analysed the whole genome sequence data for 48 clinical parasite isolates and the systemic immune signature from a cohort of CL patients, who were recruited in Nefas Mewcha, Northern Ethiopia, from January 2019 to January 2022.ResultsOur results show that parasites from CL cases with different presentations in a single Ethiopian setting are from the same genetic population based on a permutation test of genome-wide similarity. Furthermore, a logistic regression test for genome wide association did not identify any individual genetic variants significantly associated with disease presentation. We also measured plasma chemokine and cytokine levels of 129 CL patients presenting with different forms of CL. None of the chemokine [eotaxin, eotaxin-3, interleukin (IL)-8, interferon (IFN)-γ-induced protein-10 (IP-10), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, MCP-4, macrophage-derived chemokines (MDC), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β and thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)] or cytokine (IFN-γ, IL-1β, interleukin-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, tumor necrosis factor-α) levels measured were significantly different between the different clinical presentations of CL, as measured by Kruskal–Wallis test. We also compared those with healthy nonendemic controls: our results show a chemokine (IP-10, MCP-1, MCP-4, MDC, MIP-1α, MIP-1β and TARC) but not a cytokine immune signature in patients with CL as compared to healthy nonendemic controls, as measured by Mann-Whitney test.ConclusionsThe results of our study did not identify a systemic immune signature or parasite genetic factors associated with different clinical presentation of CL.Graphical abstract