Identification of Metro-Bikeshare Transfer Trip Chains by Matching Docked Bikeshare and Metro Smartcards

Metro-bikeshare integration, an important way of improving the efficiency of public transportation, has grown rapidly during the last decades in many countries. However, most previous analysis of metro-bikeshare transfer trips were based on limited sample size and the number of recognized metro-bikeshare trips were not sufficient. The primary objective of this study is to derive a method to recognize metro-bikeshare transfer trips. The two data sources are provided by Nanjing Metro Company and Nanjing Public Bicycle Company over the same period from 9–29 March 2016. The identifying method includes three steps: (1) Matching Card Pairs (2) Filtering Card Pairs and (3) Identifying Card Pairs. The case study indicates that the Support Vector Classification (SVC) performs best with a high prediction accuracy of 95.9% using seamless smartcards. The identifying method is then used to recognize the transfer trips from other types of cards, resulting in 17,022 valid metro-bikeshare transfer trips made by 2948 travelers. Finally, travel patterns extracted from the two groups of identified transfer trips are analyzed comparatively. The method proposed presents new opportunities for analyzing metro-bikeshare transfer trip characteristics.

Techniques to Produce and Evaluate Realistic Multivariate Synthetic Data

Background: Proper data modeling in biomedical research requires sufficient data for exploration and reproducibility purposes. A limited sample size can inhibit objective performance evaluation. Objective: We are developing a synthetic population (SP) generation technique to address the limited sample size condition. We show how to estimate a multivariate empirical probability density function (pdf) by converting the task to multiple one-dimensional (1D) pdf estimations. Methods: Kernel density estimation (KDE) in 1D was used to construct univariate maps that converted the input variables (X) to normally distributed variables (Y). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to transform the variables in Y to the uncoupled representation (T), where the univariate pdfs were assumed normal with specified variances. A standard random number generator was used to create synthetic variables with specified variances in T. Applying the inverse PCA transform to the synthetic variables in T produced the SP in Y. Applying the inverse maps produced the respective SP in X. Multiple tests were developed to compare univariate and multivariate pdfs and covariance matrices between the input (sample) and synthetic samples. Three datasets were investigated (n = 667) each with 10 input variables. Results: For all three datasets, both the univariate (in X, Y, and T) and multivariate (in X, Y, and T) tests showed that the univariate and multivariate pdfs from synthetic samples were statistically similar to their pdfs from the respective samples. Application of several tests for multivariate normality indicated that the SPs in Y were approximately normal. Covariance matrix comparisons (in X and Y) also indicated the same similarity. Conclusions: The work demonstrates how to generate multivariate synthetic data that matches the real input data by converting the input into multiple 1D problems. The work also shows that it is possible to convert a multivariate input pdf to a form that approximates a multivariate normal, although the technique is not dependent upon this finding. Further studies are required to evaluate the generalizability of the approach.

Effects of secondary hyperparathyroidism treatment on hemoglobin levels and erythropoietin doses in hemodialysis patients

Aim: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is an often underestimated cause of anemia in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of pharmacological correction of SHPT on anemia and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) need. Methods: For the purpose of this retrospective pre-post observational study, we selected 55 HD patients, receiving HD at one single center, in the period from January 2005 to December 2020. The follow-up (F-U) lasted 12 months. The selection criteria were parathormone (PTH) levels > 300 pg/ mL, and hemoglobin (Hb) levels < 11 g/dL, despite treatment with ESAs. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used when appropriate. In the light of exploratory nature of the study, the limited sample size and in consideration of the pre-post-design, no further adjustment for potential confounders is performed. Results: The hemoglobin levels throughout the study were correlated to serum PTH (r = -.257, p < 0.01). At the end of the F-U, in the 40 patients whose PTH levels decreased ≥ 30% (responders group) Hb levels increased from 10.3 ± 0.5 g/dL to 12.2 ± 1.1 g/dL (p < 0.001), and ESAs doses decreased from 141 ± 101 IU/kg/b.w./week to 94 ± 76 IU/kg/b.w./week (p < 0.05). On the contrary, in the non-responders group Hb levels did not change 10.3 ± 0.5 gr/dL at baseline and 10.1 ± 1.1 gr/dL at F-U (P = NS), and the mean doses of ESAs increased from 144 ± 75 IU/kg/b.w./week to 218 ± 145 IU/kg/b.w./week (P = NS). Conclusion: Adequate control of SHPT is associated with concomitant improvement of anemia and decrease in ESAs need. Future endeavors are required to confirm these preliminary results.

Epidemiological statistics of congenital thumb duplication in the Chinese population

Background Thumb duplication is a very common congenital malformation. This study describes and compares the phenotypic manifestations of polydactyly between southwest and northeast China. However, previous studies had a limited sample size. Therefore, this study used a large sample. Methods A total of 3549 well-characterized thumb duplication cases were divided into group A (southwest China) and group B (northeast China). Results In group A and group B, the left-to-right ratio was 1:1.5 and 1:1.75, respectively, and the female-to-male ratio was 1:1.5 and 1:1.58, respectively. Conclusions There were no significant differences in gender distribution or the distribution of left and right polydactyly between the two groups, but the distribution of bilateral polydactyly was significantly different.

Forecasting serve performance in professional tennis matches

Many research papers on tennis match prediction use a hierarchical Markov Model. To predict match outcomes, this model requires input parameters for each player’s serving ability. While these parameters are often computed directly from each player’s historical percentages of points won on serve and return, doing so fails to address bias due to limited sample size and differences in strength of schedule. In this paper, we explore a handful of novel approaches to forecasting serve performance that specifically address these limitations. By applying an Efron-Morris estimator, we provide a means to robustly forecast outcomes when players have limited match data over the past year. Next, through tracking expected serve and return performance in past matches, we account for strength of schedule across all points in a player’s match history. Finally, we demonstrate a new way to synthesize historical serve data with the predictive power of Elo ratings. When forecasting serve performance across 7,622 ATP tour-level matches from 2014-2016, all three of these proposed methods outperformed Barnett and Clarke’s standard approach.

The English Catholic Dream of Gerontius: An Aesthetic Synthesis of Newman and Elgar

Due to inherent paradoxy and limited sample size, fin-de-siècle English Catholic aesthetics are difficult to define, especially in the case of music. At the turn of the nineteenth century, English music and Catholic theology underwent a period of intense development and reconstruction, yet the intersection of theology and musical aesthetics in this era is largely under-researched. This paper identifies one such intersection using two monumental figures in theology and music: John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890) and composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934). Newman’s theology provided a basis on which fin-de-siècle artists and poets could express their faith; such figures are associated with decadence. For both Newman and Elgar, decadent Catholicism combined with the traditionally Protestant English environment resulted in a complex relationship with their country and the continent. This paper examines this complex and paradoxical relationship between faith and nationality, and thus defines English Catholic aesthetics as they are expressed by Newman and Elgar.

Occupational exposure to high-level disinfectants and risk of miscarriage among nurses

ObjectivesTo examine the association of occupational exposure to high-level disinfectants (HLDs) with risk of miscarriage among nurses.MethodsOur study included women who enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study 3 (2010–2020) and had at least one pregnancy during follow-up. Occupational exposure to HLDs was self-reported at baseline. Every 6 months, a follow-up questionnaire was sent to participants asking for detailed information on pregnancies. We used a discrete-time Cox model to calculate the HRs and 95% CIs of miscarriage according to exposure to HLDs.ResultsOur study included 2579 nurses with a median of 5.6 years of follow-up (range: 1–9 years), and we documented 768 (19%) cases of miscarriage among 3974 pregnancies. Compared with women with no HLD exposure, the HRs of miscarriage were 1.08 (95% CI: 0.87 to 1.34) for past users and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.68 to 1.04) for HLD users. Compared with women with no HLD exposure, duration, frequency, and type of HLD and use of exposure controls were not associated with risk of miscarriage. When restricting to pregnancies that occurred within 12 months of HLD use, occupational exposure to unspecified types of HLD was significantly associated with higher risk of miscarriage (HR=1.78; 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.93).ConclusionsWe observed no associations between occupational use of HLDs and miscarriage, except when we restricted to pregnancies occurring within 12 months of assessed baseline exposure. Given the observational design and limited sample size, results should be interpreted cautiously.

Suitability of phytoliths as a quantitative process tracer for soil erosion studies

&lt;p&gt;Phytoliths are a plant microfossil commonly used as qualitative archive markers in archaeological and paleoecological studies. Their potential uniqueness to the vegetation cover, robustness to weathering, and lack of chemical alteration along the paths make them a potentially suitable tracer for quantitative erosion studies.&lt;br&gt;In this pilot study, we explore the potential of phytoliths in a sediment fingerprinting study in the Ceguera catchment (28 km2) in NE Spain. The phytolith concentrations and morphologies of four land cover classes (agricultural land, badland, forest, and shrubland) were analyzed, and their contributions to four sediment mixture samples along the river course were modelled. Phytoliths concentrations allowed us to discriminate sources sufficiently, albeit with limited sample size. The performance of the phytoliths as the tracer was tested by reproducing the sources of artificial sediment mixture samples with satisfactory recall ratio. Results identified badlands to be the main contributor, with 84&amp;#8211;96% of the sediment load to the sinks, followed by shrublands (median 5%) and agricultural lands (median 2%). Additionally, an intensively used agricultural area in the SW of the catchment was well indicated. These major findings can be reproduced by other conventional erosion studies from this area, indicating that phytoliths are suited to quantifying erosion patterns in mesoscale catchments.&lt;/p&gt;