bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research and Application of 3D Laser Scanning in Transparent Longwall
Authors: Sen LI , Yao RONG , Qiong CAO
Published: February 2021

With the rapid development of science and technology, the development of coal mining in China is stepping into intelligent mining stage from the mechanized automatic mining stage. And the research of intelligent mining is also upgrading to the self-adaptive automation mining from visual remote intervention. In 2019, the first practice of self-adaptive digital mining technology, which is based on transparent longwall theory, was performed in #43101 longwall of Yujialiang coal mine and made notable gains. The 3D laser scanning technology, which played an important role in technology architecture of Yujialiang coal mine’s transparent longwall practice, transformed the mined longwall space information into digital format and then provided reliable basic data for cutting template calculation. This paper introduces application of 3D laser scanning in Yujialiang coal mine in detail, including principle of 3D laser scanning, detection of intersecting curve between longwall’s coal wall and roof, neighbor point-clouds splicing, transformation for longwall pointcloud from local space coordinate system to 3D geological model’s global space coordinate system. The experiment result in #43101 longwall of Yujialiang coal mine demonstrated that 3D laser scanning technology, which is able to quickly and precisely capture mined longwall space information, is a important sensing technology involved by self-adaptive automation mining.
Smoking Cessation Therapy is a Cost-Effective Intervention to Avoid Tooth Loss in Subjects With Periodontitis – An Economic Evaluation 
Authors: Souto Maria Luisa Silveira , Carrer Fernanda Campos Almeida , Braga Mariana Minatel , Pannuti Cláudio Mendes
Published: February 2021

Background: Smokers present a higher prevalence and severity of periodontitis and, consequently, higher prevalence of tooth loss. Smoking cessation improves the response to periodontal treatment and reduces tooth loss. So, the aim of this study was evaluated the efficiency in resources allocation when implementing smoking cessation therapy vs. its non-implementation in smokers with periodontitis. Methods: We adopted the Brazilian public system perspective to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness (cost per tooth loss avoided) and cost-utility (cost per oral-related quality-adjusted life-year ([QALY] gained) of implementing smoking cessation therapy. Base-case was defined as a 48 years-old male subject and horizon of 30 years. Effects and costs were combined in a decision analytic modeling framework to permit a quantitative approach aiming to estimate the value of the consequences of smoking cessation therapy adjusted for their probability of occurrence. Markov models were carried over annual cycles. Sensitivity analysis tested methodological assumptions. Results: Implementation of smoking cessation therapy had an average incremental cost of U$60.58 per tooth loss avoided and U$4.55 per oral related-QALY gained. Considering uncertainties, the therapy could be cost-effective in the most part of simulated cases, even being cheaper and more effective in 53% of cases in which the oral-health related outcome is used as effect. Considering a willingness-to-pay of US$100 per health effect, smoking cessation therapy was cost-effective, respectively, in 81% and 100% of cases in cost-utility and cost-effectiveness analyses. Conclusions: Implementation of smoking cessation therapy may be cost-effective, considering the avoidance of tooth loss and oral health-related consequences to patients.
A Mixed Methods Analysis of Environmental and Household Chaos: Implications for Childhood Obesity Prevention Through Toddlerhood
Authors: Krupsky Kathryn L. , Parrott Andria , Andridge Rebecca , Zvara Bharathi J. , Keim Sarah A. , Anderson Sarah E.
Published: February 2021

Background: Chaos has implications for child health that may extend to childhood obesity. Yet, results from studies describing associations between chaos and childhood obesity are mixed. Challenges to studying chaos-obesity relationships may include inconsistencies in how chaos is operationalized and reliance on caregiver perceptions. Furthermore, multiple pathways may link chaos to obesity, though few have been empirically examined.Methods: We conducted a concurrent mixed methods analysis of quantitative and qualitative data describing home and neighborhood chaos among a diverse cohort of 283 caregiver-toddlers dyads from Ohio. We examined the underlying structure of environmental and household chaos using exploratory factor analysis then sought to validate the structure using qualitative field notes. We generated total scores for factors of chaos and described their distributions overall and according to cohort characteristics. Additionally, we conducted a thematic content analysis of brief ethnographies to identify potential pathways linking chaos to childhood obesity with the intention to direct future research efforts.Results: Dyads varied according to household composition, income, education, and race/ethnicity. We found evidence for a multi-factor structure for chaos, which included disorganization and neighborhood noise. Household disorganization scores ranged from 8-18 and were on average 11.37 (SD = 2.58). Neighborhood noise scores ranged from 4-12 and were on average 6.93 (SD = 1.89). Both disorganization and neighborhood noise were associated with indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage, such as food insecurity and lower income-to-poverty ratio, though only disorganization was associated with additional social factors within homes, such as caregiver mental health and overall health. Finally, we identified unique themes from brief ethnographies which future contextualize the social and material environments in which chaos was observed, including child behavior and caregiver-child interactions.Conclusions: Chaos is a complex construct composed of multiple factors and the mechanisms linking chaos to childhood obesity may be equally complex. Future studies of chaos-obesity relationships may require greater specificity when operationalizing chaos and empirical study of pathways, like child behavior and caregiver-child interactions, may inform future obesity prevention strategies.
rLH/rFSH Combination Improved Cumulative Live Birth Rate in Patients With LH Over-Suppression Following GnRH Agonist Pituitary Down-Regulation Compared to rFSH or hMG Alone: A Retrospective Cohort Study With Propensity Score Matching
Authors: Tu Ansu , Geng Lihong , Zhong Ying
Published: February 2021

PurposeThe suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH) in patients undergoing gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) pituitary down-regulation may cause LH deficiency which may impact follicular development. However, little is known about effect of LH adding in patients with LH over-suppression. This study to investigate the effects of different gonadotropins on the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) in the patients with LH over-suppression after GnRH-a pituitary down-regulation. MethodsThis retrospective study used propensity score-matching methodology to compare CLBR, as the primary endpoint, in the patients with LH over-suppression after different GnRH-a pituitary down-regulation regimens, including recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) combined with recombinant LH (rLH), or using rFSH alone, or human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) alone. The secondary endpoints included biochemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and live birth rate in fresh embryo transfer cycles. ResultsA total of 88 patients were enrolled after matching: 22 patients in the rFSH+rLH group, 44 in the rFSH group, and 22 in the hMG group. The CLBR of the rFSH+rLH group was significantly higher than that of the rFSH and hMG groups (19/22, 86.4% vs. 25/44, 56.8%, P = 0.014; vs. 7/22, 31.8%, P < 0.001). Moreover, the rFSH group had a higher CLBR than the hMG group (P = 0.048). There were no significant differences in any of the secondary endpoints (all P > 0.05). Conclusion﻿Exogenous rLH supplementation achieved a higher CLBR than rFSH or hMG alone among patients with LH over-suppression; furthermore, rFSH alone was superior to hMG alone for CLBR.
Molecular Design Using Signal Processing and Machine Learning: Time-Frequency-like Representation and Forward Design
Authors: Tchagang Alain Beaudelaire , Tewfik Ahmed H. , Valdés Julio J.
Published: February 2021

Accumulation of molecular data obtained from quantum mechanics (QM) theories such as density functional theory (DFTQM) make it possible for machine learning (ML) to accelerate the discovery of new molecules, drugs, and materials. Models that combine QM with ML (QM↔ML) have been very effective in delivering the precision of QM at the high speed of ML. In this study, we show that by integrating well-known signal processing (SP) techniques (i.e. short time Fourier transform, continuous wavelet analysis and Wigner-Ville distribution) in the QM↔ML pipeline, we obtain a powerful machinery (QM↔SP↔ML) that can be used for representation, visualization and forward design of molecules. More precisely, in this study, we show that the time-frequency-like representation of molecules encodes their structural, geometric, energetic, electronic and thermodynamic properties. This is demonstrated by using the new representation in the forward design loop as input to a deep convolutional neural networks trained on DFTQM calculations, which outputs the properties of the molecules. Tested on the QM9 dataset (composed of 133,855 molecules and 16 properties), the new QM↔SP↔ML model is able to predict the properties of molecules with a mean absolute error (MAE) below acceptable chemical accuracy (i.e. MAE < 1 Kcal/mol for total energies and MAE < 0.1 ev for orbital energies). Furthermore, the new approach performs similarly or better compared to other ML state-of-the-art techniques described in the literature. In all, in this study, we show that the new QM↔SP↔ML model represents a powerful technique for molecular forward design. All the codes and data generated and used in this study are available as supporting materials. The QM↔SP↔ML is also housed at the following website: https://github.com/TABeau/QM-SP-ML.
A Prognostic Nomogram and Risk Stratification in Pediatric With Hemisphere Lower-Grade Gliomas: a SEER-Based Study 1998-2016
Authors: Che Wenqiang , Xu Fengshuo , Xu Tong , Lyu Jun , Wang Xiangyu
Published: February 2021

BackgroundPediatric lower-grade gliomas (pLGGs) are a rare intracranial tumor that lacks a prognostic prediction model for clinical application. The present study aimed to construct a novel nomogram to predict overall survival for pLGGs.MethodsBased on data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, 746 pediatrics diagnosed with cerebral hemispheres lower-grade gliomas from 1998 to 2016 were enrolled for the research. All patients were randomly divided into training and validation datasets at a ratio of 7:3. The Cox and stepwise regression analysis was used to screen the independent prognosticators for developing the nomogram. The discriminating abilities and calibration of the nomogram were assessed by concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs), area under the ROCs (AUCs), and calibration curves. The accuracy and net benefits of the nomogram were evaluated by comparing it to the traditional prediction method by the net reclassification improvement (NRI), the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and the decision curve analysis (DCA). Finally, we employed risk stratifications for pLGGs. ResultsFive independent predicted indicators were associated with OS rates. The constructed nomogram showed reliable discrimination by the C-indexes of the novel nomogram for OS, which were 0.830 and 0.871, much higher than that in the traditional prediction method (0.749 and 0.728, respectively). The plotted calibration curves showed good consistency between the prediction survival rates and actual observed survival rates in both the training and validation dataset. IDI, NRI, and DCA showed the nomogram had a comparable clinical application to the traditional prediction method. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed a significant difference among the three risk classifications.ConclusionIn conclusion, we developed a novel prognostic nomogram with improved accuracy, better clinical utility, and a more precise prediction of OS rates for hemisphere pLGGs than the traditional prediction method.
Classification of Colorectal Carcinoma Based on Ferroptosis-related Gene Signature
Authors: Yue QingFang , Zhang Yuan , Wang Fei , Cao Fei , Duan Xianglong , Bai Jun
Published: February 2021

Background: Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of programmed cell death, involves in the development of many cancers. However, systematic analysis of ferroptosis related-genes in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) remains to be clarified. We herein analyzed the public databases to identify the molecular features of CRC by the development of a classification based on the gene expression profile of ferroptosis-related genes.Methods: We collected the gene expression data and clinical information from The Cancer Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus to explore the correlation of ferroptosis-related gene expression of CRC. Consensus clustering was performed to determine the clusters of colorectal cancer patients, then we analyzed the prognostic value, transcriptome features, immune microenvironment, drug sensitivity, gene mutations differences of the subclasses. Results: Four subclasses of CRC (C1, C2, C3 and C4) were identified. There were significant differences in the prognosis of patients between the four subtypes. Functional enrichment suggested that these ferroptosis related-genes were associated with biological processes such as metabolic processes and oxidative stress, and the KEGG pathway suggested that it was closely related to ferroptosis and glutathione metabolic pathway. There were significant differences in immune cell infiltrations, immune score, stromal score and tumor purity among four subclasses. The expression of PD-L1 was differentially expressed in four subclasses and PD-L1 was significantly correlated with the expression of several ferroptosis-related genes in the differentially expressed subtypes. There were significant differences in stemness indices and drug sensitivity in four subclasses, and gene mutations analysis showed that ferroptosis-related genes such as TP53 had high mutations in different subtypes, and there were significant differences in mutation frequencies in the subclasses.Conclusion: This study established a new CRC classification based on ferroptosis-related genes expression profiles, and different subgroups may have their unique gene expression patterns, indicating that the heterogeneity within CRC and the classification might provide valuable stratification for the design of future treatment.
Distributions of total mercury and methylmercury in dragonflies from a large abandoned mercury mining region in China
Authors: Wu Gaoen , Tang Shunlin , Han Jialiang , Li Chan , Liu Lin , Xu Xiaohang , Xu Zhidong , Chen Zhuo , Wang Yajie , Qiu Guangle
Published: February 2021

Dragonflies (Order Odonata) are often considered to be biosentinels of environmental contamination. Dragonflies (n = 439) belonging to 15 species of eight genera were collected from an abandoned mercury (Hg) mining region in China to investigate the bioaccumulation of total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg). The THg and MeHg concentrations in dragonflies varied widely within ranges of 0.06–19 mg/kg and 0.02–5.7 mg/kg, respectively. THg and MeHg were positively correlated with bodyweight (THg: r2 = 0.10, P = 0.000; MeHg: r2 = 0.09, P = 0.000). Significant variations were observed among species, with the highest MeHg value (in Orthetrum triangulare) being 5-fold higher than the lowest (in Pantala flavescens). These variations were consistent with those of nitrogen isotope (δ15N) values. A health risk assessment found hazard quotients for specialist dragonfly-consuming birds of up to 7.2, which is 2.4 times greater than the permissible limit of 3, suggesting a potential health risk of exposure.
Molecular and Serological Characterization of Pathogenic Leptospira Spp. Isolated From Symptomatic Dogs in a Highly Endemic Area, Brazil
Authors: Santos Cassia Moreira , Dias Gabrielle Cristini Del Rigo Santos , Saldanha Alexya Victória Pinheiro , Esteves Stephanie Bergmann , Cortez Adriana , Guedes Israel Barbosa , Heinemann Marcos Bryan , Gonçales Amane Paldês , Miotto Bruno Alonso
Published: February 2021

Background: Leptospirosis is an endemic zoonosis in Brazil, with great impact in human and animal health. Although dogs are frequently infected by pathogenic Leptospira, the current epidemiological understanding of canine leptospirosis is mainly based on serological tests that predict the infecting serogroup/serovar. Thus, the present study aimed at identifying the causative agent for severe cases of canine leptospirosis in a highly endemic area through the isolation and characterization of the isolated strains. Results: Urine, serum and blood samples were collected from 31 dogs with suspected acute leptospirosis treated at the Veterinary Hospital Service of Santo Amaro University between 2018 and 2019. Acute infection was confirmed in 17 dogs (54.8%) by the associated use of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Microscopic Agglutination (MAT) and bacteriological culture. Eleven dogs (35.5%) had titers ≥800, with the most frequent serogroups being Autumnalis and Icterohaemorrhagiae (n = 4 each) and Canicola (n = 2). Leptospires were recovered from four dogs, and Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) revealed infection caused by L. interrogans, which were further characterized as serogroups Canicola (n=1) and Icterohaemorrhagiae (n=3). Conclusion: The identification of circulating strains in poverty-stricken locations with humans living in rural-urban interfaces may assist local authorities to implement effective prevention policies. The identity of the isolates and serological pattern of MAT titers found among the suspected dogs suggest that dogs are highly exposed to the serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae, also indicating possible circulation of serogroups not yet isolated in Brazil, notably serogroup Autumnalis.
Double-bundle Anatomic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Hamstring-bone Graft: a Long-term Follow Up
Authors: Gan Jingyue , Li Jie , Martin Vidmi Taolam , Liu Ke , Yu Bo
Published: February 2021

Purpose We modified the hamstring tendon graft into the hamstring-bone composite graft in double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Here, we evaluated the technique's effectiveness by investigating the clinical results in restoring the stability and function of the knee joint. Methods We reviewed 42 patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with the hamstring-bone graft for ACL injuries from January 2013 to April 2015, with an average follow-up of 66.6 months. The objective evaluations (KT-1000, Lachman test and pivot-shift test) and the subjective evaluations (International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores, Lysholm scores, and Tegner scores) were performed preoperatively and postoperatively. Results Forty-one of 42 patients were negative in the Lachman test and forty of 42 patients were negative in the pivot-shift test after the operation at the final follow-up time. The IKDC, Lysholm, and Tegner scores improved significantly from 56.24±9.28 to 85.33±3.37, from 62.00±11.09 to 90.43±3.71，and from 2.3±0.87 to 6.5±0.67 at the final follow-up. Conclusion Double-bundle anatomic ACLR with a hamstring-bone composite graft can restore the anteroposterior and rotational stability for ACL injuries. The modified technique can provide excellent clinical outcomes with a long-term follow-up.
Comprehensive Analysis of a Ferroptosis-related Gene Signature for Overall Survival and Immunotherapy Response in Patients With Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Weng Hong , Deng Tong , Yuan Shuai , Huang Qiao , Zeng Xian-Tao , Wang Xing-Huan
Published: February 2021

Background: Bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) is the most common malignant tumor of the urinary system. Ferroptosis is a new type of programmed cell death that is iron-dependent and different from apoptosis, cell necrosis, and autophagy. Studies have indicated that many genes are involved in regulating ferroptosis or markers of ferroptosis. However, the value of genes related to ferroptosis in BLCA remains unclear.Methods: We comprehensively evaluated the differences in ferroptosis genes in patients with BLCA and control samples based on public databases, including mRNA expression, mutations, and copy number variations. The ferroptosis gene expression profile was used for consistent clustering to obtain ferr.clusterA and ferrclusterB. An analysis of differences between groups was performed to obtain ferroptosis-related gene, and then consistent clustering was performed to obtain ferr.gene.cluster A and ferr.gene.clusterB. Subsequently, the random forest algorithm was used to reduce dimensionality, Cox analysis was used to screen characteristic genes, principal component analysis was performed, and the ferroptosis score was constructed to quantify the ferroptosis expression of a single sample.Results: According to the ferroptosis score, the samples could be divided into two groups with significant differences in prognosis, which proves that the ferroptosis expression pattern in a single tumor can predict the prognostic response of patients.Conclusion: In summary, ferroptosis-related genes are significantly related to the progression of BLCA.
Influence of Febrile Urinary Tract Infection on Ultrasonic Measurements of Nonreflux Upper Urinary Tract Dilation in Infants
Authors: Li Peiqiang , Liu Fuyun , Huang Yan
Published: February 2021

Background To investigate the changes in ultrasonic measurements of nonreflux upper urinary tract dilation in infants with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI).Methods There were 28 cases of nonreflux upper urinary tract dilatation with febrile UTI: 14 cases of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) (14 kidneys) and 14 cases of ureterovesical junction obstruction (UVJO) (16 kidneys). Changes in anteroposterior renal pelvic diameter (APD) and ureteral dilatation during infection and after infection were compared in UPJO and UVJO patients, respectively.Results In the UPJO with febrile UTI group, the APD was 24.1±10.0 mm at the time of UTI and 16.6±7.0 mm 1 week after infection recovery (P<0.001). In the UVJO with febrile UTI group, the APD was 19.3±8.5 mm at the time of UTI and 15.2±7.7 mm 1 week after infection recovery (P<0.001). In the UVJO with febrile UTI group, the ureteric diameter was 11.0±3.2 mm during UTI and 6.8±2.6 mm 1 week after infection recovery (P<0.001).Conclusions In UPJO patients, the APD decreased after febrile UTI treatment compared with that during infection. In UVJO patients, the APD and ureteric diameter decreased after febrile UTI treatment compared with that during infection.
Serum IGFBP-2 in Systemic Sclerosis as a Prognostic Factor of Lung Dysfunction
Authors: Guiot Julien , Njock Makon-Sébastien , André Béatrice , Gester Fanny , Henket Monique , Seny Dominique de , Moermans Catherine , Malaise Michel G , Louis Renaud
Published: February 2021

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disease associated with rapid evolving interstitial lung disease (ILD), driving its mortality. Specific biomarkers associated with the progression of this lung disease are highly needed. We aimed to identify specific biomarkers of SSc-ILD to predict the evolution of the disease.Methods: We compared prospectively serum levels of several biomarkers associated with lung fibrosis in SSc patients (n=102), among which SSc-no ILD (n=63) and SSc-ILD (n=39), compared to healthy subjects (HS) (n=39). We also performed a longitudinal study in a subgroup of 28 patients analyzing biomarkers variations and pulmonary function tests over a period of 2 years.Results: Serum level of IGFBP-2 was significantly increased in SSc patients compared to HS, and negatively correlated with pulmonary function (assessed by carbon monoxide transfer coefficient (KCO)) (r=-0.29, p<0.01). Two-year longitudinal analysis in a subgroup of 28 SSc patients determined that IGFBP-2 variation was positively correlated with KCO at 2-year follow-up (r=0.6, p<0.001). SSc patients with a lower variation of IGFBP-2 (less than 22%) presented significant degradation of pulmonary function at 2-year follow-up (p<0.01). ROC curve analysis enabled us to identify that baseline IGFBP-2 > 105 ng/ml was associated with a poor outcome (KCO <70% predicted) at 2-year follow-up (AUC=0.75, p<0.05).Conclusions: We showed for the first time that serum levels of IGFBP-2 might be a prognostic factor of the development of SSc-ILD. Indeed, initial level of IGFBP-2 above 105 ng/ml was associated with a poor patient’s outcome (KCO <70% predicted) two years later.
Case Series: Refractory Cases of Hyper-serum IgE Achieve Transformative Decrease by TCM Therapy
Authors: Neshiwat Johnathan , Mcknight Tory , Uzun Serife , Ehrlich Paul , Chung Danna , Li Xiumin
Published: February 2021

Background:Chronic conditions from IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions affect over 150 million Americans, but affordable and effective treatment options remain largely unavailable to the pediatric population. Traditional Chinese medicine has been shown to reduce IgE levels in refractory cases of hyper-serum IgE and have transformative effects in pediatric patients with chronic allergic inflammation.Presentation:Here we present ten patients with chronic atopic conditions and refractory hyper-serum IgE who were treated with TCM therapy. The patients had at least two atopic conditions as well as multiple allergic sensitivities to foods and environmental allergens: all of the patients presented with food allergies (FA) and atopic dermatitis (AD), 60% of patients presented with an environmental allergy (EA), 40% of patients presented with asthma (AS), 10% had celiac disease (Celiac), and 10% had eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). All of the affected patients had IgE levels greater than 5,000kIU/L (normal =300kIU/L) prior to treatment. None of the patients had an IgE of greater than 5,000kIUL after treatment. We treated 10 children with IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions using topical and oral TCM and found an average reduction of 3,723kIU/L IgE per patient (p=0.01) or 79%. Conclusion:We present a ten-patient case series on the effective lowering of hyper-serum IgE using Traditional Chinese Medicine in otherwise refractory pediatric cases of chronic atopic inflammation. TCM is an affordable and safe alternative for chronic atopic conditions compounded with hyper-serum IgE. Future research via random controlled trials should be used to test the efficacy of TCM.
Time Evolution of Tectonic Earthquake in Ambon, Indonesia
Authors: Astra I Made Kris Adi , Rietbrock Andreas , Toularoud Nasim Karam Zadeh
Published: February 2021

The advancement of earthquake seismology brings a new insight into earthquake detection. Advanced signal processing by implementing sliding-window mathematical techniques of cross-correlation into data stream are able to recognize low amplitude earthquake signals even under the presence of noise. Clear detection of the onset of low amplitude seismic waves is crucial, however they often hidden by larger amplitudes of coda waves after the generation of mainshock event. By performing template matching algorithm we found a detail temporal variation of seismicity related to Mw 6.6 Ambon earthquake. In comparison, the detection level is up to eight times from conventional method. The method also reveals a seismic migration before the main event coincide with the direction of local tectonic movement derived from previous GPS analysis. Since the method able to detect the earthquake within their family, it gives a reasonably significant improvement to virtual stress-meter analysis. Highly accumulated stress preceding the main event depicted by b-value drop are clearly mapped in a high confidence level.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy: The High Costs of Innovative Therapies for Rare Diseases
Authors: Brennenstuhl Heiko , Green Kim , Störzinger Dominic , Hoppe-Tichy Torsten , Burgard Peter , Klein Ulrike , Kölker Stefan , Neitemeier Sandra , Schoch Goentje-Gesine , Steimle Tim , Baas Jens , Hoffmann Georg F. , Autenrieth Ingo B. , Ziegler Andreas
Published: February 2021

Background: Despite numbers of prescriptions filled remaining constant, expenditures for drugs are rising. Among others, this is caused by high prices for orphan drugs and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). Despite attempts by policymakers to intervene, the increasing use of these therapies poses numerous challenges on the health care system.Results: Using data from the University Hospital Heidelberg, we found that the division of pediatric neurology is experiencing a strong increase in drug costs, caused by two pharmaceuticals for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Nusinersen and Onasemnogene Abeparvovec. To put this finding in a broader context, we conducted a survey of 41 German SMA treatment centers revealing a general lack of human and infrastructure resources for therapy and follow-up care, which demonstrates insufficient reimbursement of treatment. To improve structural conditions, we propose that disease-independent registries for medication surveillance that comply with the rules of the European Union are needed as well as the development of a fair funding model.Conclusion: Innovative forms of therapy require a critical discussion and concise regulation of treatment application and follow-up reimbursement as well as international industry-independent registry work. Based on the previously described model of “evidence-based dynamic pricing” by the Techniker Krankenkasse, we propose a revised model which offers an internationally scalable solution to meet these challenges.
Analysis of trace elements released from glass ionomer restorative materials by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry
Authors: Ozmen Bilal , Aksoy Emre
Published: February 2021

Background

The aim of this study was to determine the amount of trace elements released from a traditional glass ionomer, a bulk-fill glass ionomer, a resin-modified glass ionomer, a glass carbomer fill and a compomer material stored in ultra-distilled water.
Methods

Ten cylindrical (10×2mm) specimens were prepared from each material. Each sample was stored in 50mL ultra-distilled water at 37°C for fourteen days, and rinsed twice daily. The amount of elements in the solutions was determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.
Results

Aluminum, boron, nickel, copper, zinc, barium and lead were detected in all solutions. The traditional glass ionomer and resin-modified glass ionomer released arsenic, the bulk-fill glass ionomer and compomer released selenium, and the resin-modified glass ionomer and compomer released antimony. Only the resin-modified glass ionomer released iron.
Conclusion

All materials tested released some trace elements, but the rates were quite low. Therefore, these glass ionomer materials can be used safely in dentistry.
The relation of vertebral artery occlusion and intravertebral cleft: a prospective magnetic resonance angiography study
Authors: Zhang Tianyu , Xue Feng , Kang Yu , Wang Yanhua , Zhang Peixun , Zhang Dianying , Jiang Baoguo
Published: February 2021

PurposeTo detect the relationship between the vertebral artery occlusion and the intravertebral cleft (IVC).MethodsA prospective evaluation of the vertebral segmental artery condition from the T10 to L4 with the magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was performed in 44 osteoporosis vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) patients. The artery condition was divided into the patency, narrow, occlusion. The lesion segmental occlusion rate (LSOR) and the total occlusion rate (TOR) was calculated. The relation of the vertebral artery occlusion and the IVC formation was assessed with the univariate analysis. ResultsLOSR was 15.34% and TOR was 15.2%. The segmental arteries of the unfractured vertebrae had higher occlusion rate in thoracolumbar levels than non-thoracolumbar levels. Neither lesion levels arteries occlusion nor the total segmental arteries occlusion was associated with the IVC.ConclusionsVertebral compression fracture did not lead to the segmental artery occlusion. The segmental artery occlusion more likely happened in the thoracolumbar levels. The segmental artery occlusion did not lead to the IVC.
Decomposition and Temperature Sensitivity of Fine Root and Leaf Litter of 43 Mediterranean Species
Authors: Bonanomi Giuliano , Idbella Mohamed , Zotti Maurizio , Santorufo Lucia , Motti Riccardo , Maisto Giulia , Marco Anna De
Published: February 2021

Aims:

Data on the decomposition of fine roots are scarce for the Mediterranean basin. This work aims to compare chemical traits, decomposition rate, and temperature sensitivity (Q10) for root and leaf litter of 43 Mediterranean species.
Methods:

We carried out a two-years litterbag decomposition experiment using 43 fine roots litter and leaf litter types incubated in laboratory conditions at three different temperatures, i.e. 4°C, 14°C, and 24°C. Litter was characterized for carbon (C), nitrogen (N), lignin and cellulose concentration, C/N, and lignin/N ratios.
Results:

Fine root litter had lower N content but higher lignin concentration, lignin/N, and C/N ratios compared to leaf litter. The decay rate of fine root litter was slower than leaf litter. For both tissues, the decay rate was negatively associated with lignin concentration, lignin/N, and C/N ratios but positively with N concentration. Q10 was higher for fine root than leaf litter, with a positive correlation with lignin while negative with N concentration.
Conclusions:

Our findings demonstrate a higher Q10 accompanied by a slower decomposition rate of fine root litter compared to leaf litter in Mediterranean ecosystems. These results must be considered in modeling organic C at the ecosystem scale.
A Study on the Trading Price Estimation Algorithm for Healthcare Transaction Data
Authors: Son Jong-Chil , Sung Si-Hyun , Yang Eun-Jung
Published: February 2021

Background: While more attention has been paid of late to utilization plans for big data in the healthcare sector worldwide, few scholars have addressed the value estimation of healthcare data. Accordingly, this study aims to propose an idea of a reasonable price estimation algorithm that can be applied to bidirectional exchange in healthcare data platforms.Methods: This study incorporates three methodologies for the data valuation, namely: cost-based, market-based, and impact-based approaches. The cost-based approach calculates the value of data based on the costs associated with data creation, management, and utilization. On the other hand, the market-based approach evaluates it by comparing the market price of a service similar to the data. Finally, the impact-based approach estimates the data value with an emphasis on improving future revenue generation and productivity as an effect of using the data.Results: The trading prices of healthcare data are determined by the sum of two prices—the fundamental price and the dynamic price. Here, the fundamental price can be further subdivided into the beginning value, complexity value, and network value. The beginning value is determined in proportion to the physical file size of the data, and the fundamental price is estimated by adding the complexity value and network value that can reflect the qualitative value (within 20% of the beginning value) of the data to the beginning value. First, the complexity value can increase if more personal information, more relevant information to the national health insurance system, and more recent and long-term information are included in the dimensions of identification, material, and time information inherent in healthcare data. Second, the network value reflects whether the data can be well linked with data from, not only the healthcare sector, but also from other fields and sectors. The higher the match rate between the attribute value keyword of the data and the healthcare search keyword of journals of excellence and portal services, the higher value is given. Finally, dynamic price reflects real-time preferences for the data and changes in data supply and demand as the actual exchange proceeds through healthcare data trading. To this end, dynamic value is determined within the upper and lower 5% band of the previous month's trading price based on the number of monthly views for the data, the number of downloads of summary data, and the number of actual purchases, and this is reflected in the next month's trading price.Conclusions: If the algorithm for estimating the trading price of healthcare data proposed in this study is applied to actual data trades, it would expand the transactions of healthcare data from both supply and demand sides. Also, in the processes of actual data exchange and the accumulation of actual data trades, continuing studies on the weighting parameters are needed to better reflect reality; such studies would enable the assignment of additional values or penalties.
Emergence of meropenem/vaborbactam resistance in KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae causing bloodstream infections in northern Italy, 2018
Authors: Gaibani Paolo , Lombardo Donatella , Bussini Linda , Bovo Federica , Giannella Maddalena , Bartoletti Michele , Viale Pierluigi , Re Maria Carla Carla , Ambretti Simone
Published: February 2021

We aimed to investigate the incidence of meropenem/vaborbactam-resistance among KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) bloodstream infection in a large Italian hospital. Meropenem/vaborbactam-resistance was found in 8% (n = 5) KPC-Kp, while 5% (n = 3) strains exhibited cross-resistance to ceftazidime/avibactam. Genomic analysis revealed that meropenem/vaborbactam-resistance was associated to non-functional OmpK35 and OmpK36 porins and no specific mutation was associated to cross-resistance. No specific antimicrobial treatment was related to favorable clinical outcome, while cross-resistance was not associated to higher clinical and/or microbiological failures. Our study indicated that resistance to meropenem/vaborbactam was due to porins deficiency and is associated to reduced susceptibility both to ceftazidime/avibactam and carbapenems.
Empiric use of Anticoagulation in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Propensity Score-Matched Study of Risks and Benefits
Authors: Yu Bo , Gutierrez Victor Perez , Carlos Alex , Hoge Gregory , Pillai Anjana , Kelly J. Daniel , Menon Vidya
Published: February 2021

Background: Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 demonstrate a higher risk of developing thromboembolism. Anticoagulation (AC) has been proposed for high-risk patients, even without confirmed thromboembolism. However, benefits and risks of AC are not well assessed due to insufficient clinical data. We performed a retrospective analysis of outcomes from AC in a large population of COVID-19 patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1189 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 between March 15 and May 15, 2020, with primary outcomes of mortality, invasive mechanical ventilation, and major bleeding. Patients who received therapeutic AC for known indications were excluded. Propensity score matching of baseline characteristics and admission parameters was performed to minimize bias between cohorts. Results: The analysis cohort included 973 patients. Forty-four patients who received therapeutic AC for confirmed thromboembolic events and atrial fibrillation were excluded. After propensity score matching, 133 patients received empiric therapeutic AC while 215 received low dose prophylactic AC. Overall, there was no difference in the rate of invasive mechanical ventilation (73.7% versus 65.6%, p = 0.133) or mortality (60.2% versus 60.9%, p = 0.885). However, among patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, empiric therapeutic AC was an independent predictor of lower mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.476, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.345-0.657, p < 0.001) with longer median survival (14 days vs 8 days, p < 0.001), but these associations were not observed in the overall cohort (p = 0.063). Additionally, no significant difference in mortality was found between patients receiving empiric therapeutic AC versus prophylactic AC in various subgroups with different D-dimer level cutoffs. Patients who received therapeutic AC showed a higher incidence of major bleeding (13.8% vs 3.9%, p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with a HAS-BLED score of ≥2 had a higher risk of mortality (HR 1.482, 95% CI 1.110-1.980, p = 0.008), while those with a score of ≥3 had a higher risk of major bleeding (Odds ratio: 1.883, CI: 1.114-3.729, p = 0.016). Conclusion: Empiric use of therapeutic AC conferred survival benefit to patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, but did not show benefit in non-critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19. Careful bleeding risk estimation should be pursued before considering escalation of AC intensity.
Gene-to-trait knowledge graphs show association of plant photoreceptors with physiological and developmental processes that can confer agronomic benefits
Authors: Mawkhiew Hamebantei , Sahoo Lingaraj , Kharshiing Eros
Published: February 2021

Global population growth, climate change, altered precipitation rates and cropping patterns are increasingly challenging plant scientists to improve crop productivity for food and non-food applications. Hence, there is a pressing need for identifying candidate gene that can be targeted for breeding future crops having enhanced agronomic benefits. Network mapping utilises available data and creates knowledge graphs that aid in visualising association(s) between the individual data items. Here, we have generated gene-to-trait knowledge graphs of known plant photoreceptors using the KnetMiner gene discovery platform which generates biological networks from literature/data sets available in public databases. The resulting knowledge graphs indicate a close association of photoreceptors with various physiological and developmental processes such as shoot architecture, yield, disease resistance and water use efficiency among others, that can confer agronomically important benefits. Such information can be of assistance to plant biologists in the selection of potential gene targets for improving agronomically beneficial traits in plants. This report highlights the potential of machine learning and knowledge graphs as aids in more efficient knowledge discovery and novel decision-making processes which can also be employed for crop breeding or crop engineering.
Fraud Detection: A Study of AdaBoost Classifier and K-Means Clustering
Authors: Mishra Anwesha
Published: February 2021

Fraud is a problem which can affect the economy greatly. Billions of dollars are lost because of fraud cases. These problems can occur through credit cards, insurance and bank accounts. Currently there have been many studies for preventing fraud. Machine learning techniques have helped in analysing fraud detection. These include many supervised and unsupervised models. Neural networks can be used for fraud detection. The dataset for the present work was collected from a research collaboration between Worldline and the Machine Learning Group of Université Libre de Bruxelles on the topic of big data mining and fraud detection. It consists of the time and amount of various transactions of European card holders during the month of September in 2013. This paper gives an analysis of the past and the present models used for fraud detection and presents a study of using K-Means Clustering and AdaBoost Classifier by comparing their accuracies.
Epileptic-Seizure onset detection using PARAFAC model with Cross-Wavelet Transformation on Multi-Channel EEG
Authors: Ghosh Arijit , Pahari Purbanka , Basak Piyali , Sarkar Anasua
Published: February 2021

Background: Finding components from multi-channel EEG signal for localizing and detection of onset of seizure is a new approach in biomedical signal analysis. Tensor-based approaches are utilized to fit the components into multi-dimensional array in recent works. Method: We initially decompose EEG signals into Beta band using Discrete Wavelet Transform. We compare patient templates with normal template for cross-wavelet analysis to obtain Wavelet cross spectrum and Wavelet cross coherence coefficients. Next we apply PARAFAC (Parallel Factorization) modeling, a three-way tensor-based representation in channel, frequency and time-points dimensions on features. Finally, we utilize ensemble classifier for detecting seizure-free, onset and seizure classes. Results: The clinical dataset for this work comprises of 5 normal subjects and 6 epileptiform patients. The classification performances of Wavelet cross spectrum features on PARAFAC model for Seizure detection using Ensemble Bagged-Trees classifier obtains highest 82.21% accuracy, while for Wavelet Coherence features it provides 84.76% accuracy. The results have been compared with well-known Fine Gaussian SVM, Weighted KNN and Ensemble Subspace KNN classifiers. Conclusions: The aim is to analyze data over three dimensions i.e., time, frequency and space (channels). This EEG based analysis is effective as an automatic method for detection of seizure before its actual manifestation.
Forecasting Electricity Consumption in a Moroccan Educational Institution
Authors: DAKI HOUDA , Hannani Asmaa El , OUAHMANE Hassane
Published: February 2021

Recently, predictive analytic contributes very well for reliable electric power supply. It provides advanced techniques to process, interpret and analyze big energy data and make it more valuable. In this paper, we have presented a benchmark of the most used forecasting models in predicting electrical energy consumption for educational institutions. This study is based on a real use case, implemented using Big Data eco-system based on SMACK architecture. The proposed system analyzes six years of data sets that highly impact National School of Applied Sciences of El Jadida-Morocco energy consumption including planning data (courses, activities, holiday etc) and meteorological data (temperature, pressure, humidity etc). The aim of this benchmark is to evaluate the prediction performance of each forecasting model in order to choose the accurate one to predict electricity consumption in educational institutions.
Pentanidium-Catalyzed Direct Assembly of Vicinal All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters through C(sp3)-C(sp3) Bond Formation
Authors: Tan Choon-Hong , Ban Xu , Fan Yifan , Kha Tuan-Khoa , Lee Richmond , Kee Choon Wee , Jiang Zhiyong
Published: February 2021

The stereoselective construction of vicinal all-carbon quaternary stereocenters has long been a formidable synthetic challenge. Direct asymmetric coupling of a tertiary carbon nucleophile with a tertiary carbon electrophile is the most straightforward approach but it is sterically and energetically disfavored. Herein, we described a catalytic asymmetric substitution, where racemic tertiary bromides directly couple with racemic secondary or tertiary carbanion, creating a series of congested carbon (sp3)-carbon(sp3) bonds, including isolated all-carbon quaternary stereocenters, vicinal tertiary/all-carbon quaternary stereocenters and vicinal all-carbon quaternary stereocenters. This double stereoconvergent process, using pentanidium as catalyst, affords substituted products in good enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities.