bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cancer risk in individuals with major birth defects: large Nordic population based case-control study among children, adolescents, and adults
Authors: Daltveit Dagrun Slettebø , Klungsøyr Kari , Engeland Anders , Ekbom Anders , Gissler Mika , Glimelius Ingrid , Grotmol Tom , Madanat-Harjuoja Laura , Ording Anne Gulbech , Sæther Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit , Sørensen Henrik Toft , Troisi Rebecca , Bjørge Tone
Published: December 2020

Objective

To examine associations between birth defects and cancer from birth into adulthood.

Design

Population based nested case-control study.

Setting

Nationwide health registries in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

Participants

62 295 cancer cases (0-46 years) and 724 542 frequency matched controls (matched on country and birth year), born between 1967 and 2014.

Main outcome measures

Relative risk of cancer in relation to major birth defects, estimated as odds ratios with 99% confidence intervals from logistic regression models.

Results

Altogether, 3.5% (2160/62 295) of cases and 2.2% (15 826/724 542) of controls were born with major birth defects. The odds ratio of cancer for people with major birth defects compared with those without was 1.74 (99% confidence interval 1.63 to 1.84). For individuals with non-chromosomal birth defects, the odds ratio of cancer was 1.54 (1.44 to 1.64); for those with chromosomal anomalies, the odds ratio was 5.53 (4.67 to 6.54). Many structural birth defects were associated with later cancer in the same organ system or anatomical location, such as defects of the eye, nervous system, and urinary organs. The odds ratio of cancer increased with number of defects and decreased with age, for both non-chromosomal and chromosomal anomalies. The odds ratio of cancer in people with any non-chromosomal birth defect was lower in adults (≥20 years: 1.21, 1.09 to 1.33) than in adolescents (15-19 years: 1.58, 1.31 to 1.90) and children (0-14 years: 2.03, 1.85 to 2.23). The relative overall cancer risk among adults with chromosomal anomalies was markedly reduced from 11.3 (9.35 to 13.8) in children to 1.50 (1.01 to 2.24). Among adults, skeletal dysplasia (odds ratio 3.54, 1.54 to 8.15), nervous system defects (1.76, 1.16 to 2.65), chromosomal anomalies (1.50, 1.01 to 2.24), genital organs defects (1.43, 1.14 to 1.78), and congenital heart defects (1.28, 1.02 to 1.59) were associated with overall cancer risk.

Conclusions

The increased risk of cancer in individuals with birth defects persisted into adulthood, both for non-chromosomal and chromosomal anomalies. Further studies on the molecular mechanisms involved are warranted.
Global health education in UK medical schools: a review of undergraduate university curricula
Authors: Matthews Natasha Roya , Davies Bethan , Ward Helen
Published: December 2020

Introduction

In recognition of our increasingly globalised world, global health is now a required component of the medical school curriculum in the UK. We review the current provision of global health education (GHE) in UK medical schools to identify gaps in compulsory teaching.

Methods

We conducted a review of the literature to inform a two-part electronic survey of global health compulsory teaching, optional teaching and pre-elective training. Surveys were sent to all 33 UK medical schools for completion by the faculty lead on global health and the nominated final year student representative.

Results

Surveys were returned by 29 (88%) medical school faculty and 15 (45%) medical student representatives; 24 (83%) faculty and 10 (67%) students reported including GHE in the core curriculum; however, there was wide variation in the learning outcomes covered. On average 75% of faculty and 82% of students reported covering recommended global health themes ‘global burden of disease’, ‘socioeconomic and environmental determinants of health’, ‘human rights and ethics’, and ‘cultural diversity and health’, while only 48% of faculty and 33% of students reported teaching on ‘health systems’ and ‘global health governance’. Almost all institutions offered optional global health programmes and most offered some form of pre-elective training, although content and delivery were variable.

Conclusion

Over the last decade, the inclusion of global health in the core curriculum of UK medical schools has increased dramatically. Yet, despite interest among students, significant gaps are apparent in current GHE. Governing bodies in medical education should establish a comprehensive national strategy to help improve access to fundamental GHE for all medical students.
Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in children: an international, multicentre, prospective cohort study
Authors:   GlobalSurg Collaborative
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). However, there is a lack of data available about SSI in children worldwide, especially from low-income and middle-income countries. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of SSI in children and associations between SSI and morbidity across human development settings.

Methods

A multicentre, international, prospective, validated cohort study of children aged under 16 years undergoing clean-contaminated, contaminated or dirty gastrointestinal surgery. Any hospital in the world providing paediatric surgery was eligible to contribute data between January and July 2016. The primary outcome was the incidence of SSI by 30 days. Relationships between explanatory variables and SSI were examined using multilevel logistic regression. Countries were stratified into high development, middle development and low development groups using the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).

Results

Of 1159 children across 181 hospitals in 51 countries, 523 (45·1%) children were from high HDI, 397 (34·2%) from middle HDI and 239 (20·6%) from low HDI countries. The 30-day SSI rate was 6.3% (33/523) in high HDI, 12·8% (51/397) in middle HDI and 24·7% (59/239) in low HDI countries. SSI was associated with higher incidence of 30-day mortality, intervention, organ-space infection and other HAIs, with the highest rates seen in low HDI countries. Median length of stay in patients who had an SSI was longer (7.0 days), compared with 3.0 days in patients who did not have an SSI. Use of laparoscopy was associated with significantly lower SSI rates, even after accounting for HDI.

Conclusion

The odds of SSI in children is nearly four times greater in low HDI compared with high HDI countries. Policies to reduce SSI should be prioritised as part of the wider global agenda.
Intimate partner violence, contextual factors and under-5 mortality: a multilevel analysis of cross-sectional surveys from 20 Sub-Saharan African countries
Authors: Yaya Sanni , Anjorin Seun Stephen , Adedini Sunday A
Published: December 2020

Background

Under-5 mortality remains a public health concern in low-income and middle-income countries. Africa contributes about one-fifth of the burden of global under-5 mortality; intimate partner violence (IPV) and polygyny, which are highly prevalent on the continent, have been linked to under-5 mortality at the individual level. This study examined the relationship between IPV and polygyny as contextual factors and the experience of under-5 mortality among women in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Methods

We used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 20 African countries with available data between 2010 and 2018 as of April 2020. We defined the experience of under-5 mortality as a woman’s loss of at least one child before their fifth birthday. The DHS primary sampling unit was used to define contextual factors. The study involved a multilevel logistic regression analysis of 227 121 women of childbearing age (15–49).

Results

A quarter (24.5%) of women have lost at least one child under 5 years old, more than two-thirds (40.1%) have experienced at least one form of IPV, and about two-thirds of women were in polygynous union. Our multilevel logistic regression showed that parity, polygynous union and experience of IPV were strongly associated with women’s experience of under-5 mortality. The results showed that 39.9% and 19.2% of variances in odds of a woman losing a child before their fifth birthday are attributable to community-level and country-level factors, respectively. Contextual prevalence of IPV, polygynous union and gender equity attenuate the strength of associations observed at the individual level. The interaction between contextual prevalence of polygyny and IPV exacerbates the risk of under-5 mortality. Women in SSA countries with higher Human Development Index were less likely to experience under-5 mortality.

Conclusion

This study established that beyond individual-level effects, contextual prevalence of IPV and polygyny and their interactions shape women’s experience of under-5 mortality in Africa. In designing policies and interventions to address under-5 mortality, contextual factors, especially those linked to culturally laden social norms and practices, must be considered to ensure effectiveness and sustainable impact.
Weekly iron–folic acid supplements containing 2.8 mg folic acid are associated with a lower risk of neural tube defects than the current practice of 0.4 mg: a randomised controlled trial in Malaysia
Authors: Samson Kaitlyn L I , Loh Su Peng , Lee Siew Siew , Sulistyoningrum Dian C , Khor Geok Lin , Shariff Zalilah Binti Mohd , Ismai Irmi Zarina , Yelland Lisa N , Leemaqz Shalem , Makrides Maria , Hutcheon Jennifer A , Roche Marion L , Karakochuk Crystal D , Green Timothy J
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Weekly iron–folic acid (IFA) supplements are recommended for all menstruating women in countries where anaemia prevalence is >20%. Anaemia caused by folate deficiency is low worldwide, and the need to include folic acid is in question. Including folic acid might reduce the risk of a neural tube defect (NTD) should a woman become pregnant. Most weekly supplements contain 0.4 mg folic acid; however, WHO recommends 2.8 mg because it is seven times the daily dose effective in reducing NTDs. There is a reluctance to switch to supplements containing 2.8 mg of folic acid because of a lack of evidence that this dose would prevent NTDs. Our aim was to investigate the effect of two doses of folic acid, compared with placebo, on red blood cell (RBC) folate, a biomarker of NTD risk.

Methods

We conducted a three-arm double-blind efficacy trial in Malaysia. Non-pregnant women (n=331) were randomised to receive 60 mg iron and either 0, 0.4, or 2.8 mg folic acid once weekly for 16 weeks.

Results

At 16 weeks, women receiving 0.4 mg and 2.8 mg folic acid per week had a higher mean RBC folate than those receiving 0 mg (mean difference (95% CI) 84 (54 to 113) and 355 (316 to 394) nmol/L, respectively). Women receiving 2.8 mg folic acid had a 271 (234 to 309) nmol/L greater mean RBC folate than those receiving 0.4 mg. Moreover, women in the 2.8 mg group were seven times (RR 7.3, 95% CI 3.9 to 13.7; p<0.0001) more likely to achieve an RBC folate >748 nmol/L, a concentration associated with a low risk of NTD, compared with the 0.4 mg group.

Conclusion

Weekly IFA supplements containing 2.8 mg folic acid increases RBC folate more than those containing 0.4 mg. Increased availability and access to the 2.8 mg formulation is needed.

Trail registration number

This trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12619000818134).
SVR Prediction Algorithm for Crack Propagation of Aviation Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Chang Jincai , Wang Zhihang , Zhu Qingyu , Wang Zhao
Published: November 2020

Aluminum alloy material is an important component material in the safe flight of aircraft. It is very important and necessary to predict the fatigue crack growth between holes of aviation aluminum alloy materials. At present, the investigation on the prediction of the cracks between two holes and multiholes is a key problem to be solved. Due to the fact that the fatigue crack growth test of aluminum alloy plate with two or three holes was carried out by the MTS fatigue testing machine, the crack length growth data under different test conditions were obtained. In this paper, support vector regression (SVR) was used to fit the crack data, and the parameters of SVR are optimized by the grid search algorithm at the same time. And then the model of SVR to predict the crack length was established. Discussion on the results shows that the prediction model is effective. Furthermore, the crack growth between three holes was predicted accurately through the model of the crack law between two holes under the same load form.
[Retracted] Optimizing the Catheter Care and Maintenance Strategy of Short‐Term Catheterization among Hospitalized Patients in Microbiological Approach
Authors: Peng Xiaoqiong , Qian Wei , Zhuang Jingming , Zhang Jing , Wang Zhengping , Shen Lijuan , Chang Qing , Gu Xuefeng , Shi Junfeng , Hou Jiangang
Published: November 2020

Objective. To optimize the allocation of nursing resources, we investigate an alternative strategy for indwelling catheter cleaning. Methods. The present study involved a total of 117 male patients and 54 female patients, who were catheterized after urinary surgery from Aug 2018 to Feb 2019. The samples of indwelling catheter cleaning solutions were divided by two parts for microbiological culture and microbiome analysis. Results. No pathogenic bacteria were observed in the microbiological culture of the indwelling catheter cleaning samples from 24 h‐uncleaned group and 48 h‐uncleaned group. The microbiome analysis also showed no significant difference in bacterial diversity and quantity of the indwelling catheter cleaning solutions between the two groups. Conclusion. The indwelling catheter cleaning for male after urinary surgery can be prolonged to 48 h. The result of this study provided reliable basis for optimizing the allocation of clinical nursing resources.
Acute and Subchronic Oral Safety Profiles of the Sudarshana Suspension
Authors: Weerakoon Weerakoon Achchige Selvi Saroja , Perera Pathirage Kamal , Samarasinghe Kamani , Gunasekera Dulani , Suresh Thusharie Sugandhika
Published: November 2020

Sudarshana powder (SP) is an Ayurvedic preparation, which contains 53 herbal ingredients along with 50% of Andrographis paniculata and is clinically used with bees honey. This study was aimed to determine the safety profile of the SP, and its novel preparation Sudarshana suspension (SS) on male Wistar rats and tolerance studies were conducted for healthy adult volunteers. Acute and subacute toxicity studies of the SS and hot water extract of SP were assessed in Wistar rats by observing the general behavior, analyzing biochemical and haematological parameters, and pathological observation. Healthy consented adult volunteers (n = 35) of either sex were selected, and tolerance studies of SS were tested by measuring the biochemical and haematological parameters. There were no significant (p > 0.05) changes observed in the treated animals with SS and hot water extract of SP compared with control in body weights, food intake, and water consumption as well as the biochemical and haematological parameters. Histopathological studies revealed no significant (p > 0.05) changes in the liver, heart, and kidney tissues. The experimental results suggest that novel formulation SS was potentially safe for chronic administration in rats, and no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in tested parameters on day 3 and day 8 when compared to the day 0 (baseline) values in healthy volunteers. Healthy volunteers did not report any adverse effects or any other complications during the treatment period and the follow‐up period. Therefore, it can be concluded that the novel preparation Sudarshana suspension does not cause any significant toxic effects on the blood parameters in animal and human models.
Different Dose Regimens of Intravenous Tranexamic Acid in Adolescent Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Xiong Zhencheng , Wu Kexin , Zhang Jiayu , Leng Delong , Yu Ziyi , Zhang Chi , Yi Ping
Published: November 2020

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different dose regimens of intravenous (IV) tranexamic acid (TXA) in adolescent spinal deformity surgery. Methods. Two researchers independently searched multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to find studies that met the inclusion criteria. A meta‐analysis was performed based on the guidelines of the Cochrane Reviewer’s Handbook. Results. Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and eleven non‐RCTs were identified, including 1148 patients. According to different dose regimens of IV TXA, the included studies were divided into the high‐dose group and the low‐dose group. Compared with placebo, both groups had less total blood loss (TBL) (high dose: WMD = −1737.55, 95% CI: (‐2247.16, ‐1227.94), P < 0.001, I2 = 0%; low dose: WMD = −528.67, 95% CI: (‐666.06, ‐391.28), P < 0.001, I2 = 0%), intraoperative blood loss (IBL) (high dose: WMD = −301.48, 95% CI: (‐524.3, ‐78.66), P = 0.008, I2 = 60.3%; low dose: WMD = −751.14, 95% CI: (‐967.21, ‐535.08), P < 0.001, I2 = 0%), and blood transfusion rates (high dose: RR = 0.19, 95% CI: (0.1, 0.37), P < 0.001, I2 = 0%; low dose: RR = 0.4, 95% CI: (0.18, 0.91), P = 0.029, I2 = 57%). High‐dose IV TXA use was associated with more vertebral fusion segments (WMD = 0.53, 95% CI: (0.23, 0.82), P < 0.001, I2 = 31.2%). Low‐dose IV TXA use was associated with shorter operative time (WMD = −18.43, 95% CI: (‐26.68, ‐10.17), P < 0.001, I2 = 0%). Conclusion. High‐dose and low‐dose IV TXA were effective in reducing TBL, IBL, and blood transfusion rates without increasing complications in adolescent patients undergoing spinal deformity surgery. Low‐dose IV TXA was effective in reducing the operative time. Both the high‐dose and low‐dose groups had similar preoperative and postoperative Hb levels compared to the control group.
Moderately Hypofractionated Radiotherapy with Simultaneous Integrated Boost in Prostate Cancer: A Comparative Study with Conventionally Fractionated Radiation
Authors: Cante Domenico , Piva Cristina , Petrucci Edoardo T. F. , Sciacero Piera , Ferrario Silvia , Pasquino Massimo , Casanova Borca Valeria , La Porta Maria R. , Franco Pierfrancesco
Published: November 2020

Background. To report 5-year clinical outcomes and toxicity in organ-confined prostate cancer (PCa) for low- and intermediate-risk patients treated with a moderately hypofractionated schedule of radiotherapy (RT) delivered with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) compared to a conventionally fractionated RT regimen. Methods. Data of 384 patients with PCa treated between August 2006 and June 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The treatment schedule consisted of hypofractionated RT (HYPO FR) with SIB up to 70 Gy to the prostate gland and 63 Gy to seminal vesicles delivered in 28 fractions or in conventionally fractionated RT (CONV FR) up to a total dose of 80 Gy in 40 fractions. Patient allocation to treatment was based on the time period considered. For intermediate-risk patients, androgen deprivation was given for a median duration of 6 months. The 5-year biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed. Furthermore, we evaluated gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicities. Uni- and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to test the impact of clinical variables on both outcome and toxicity. Results. A total of 198 patients was treated with hypofractionated RT and 186 with the conventional schedule. At a median follow-up of 5 years, no significant differences were observed in terms of GI toxicity and outcome between the two groups. Early GU toxicity was significantly increased in HYPO FR, while late GU toxicity was significantly higher in CONV FR. In HYPO FR, a biochemical relapse occurred in 12 patients (6.1%), and 9 patients (4.5%) reported a clinical relapse (4 local, 2 locoregional, and 3 systemic recurrence). In CONV FR, 15 patients (8.1%) experienced a biochemical relapse and 11 patients (5.9%) showed a clinical relapse (5 local, 4 locoregional, and 3 systemic recurrences). Early grades 1-2 GU and GI toxicities were observed in 60 (30.3%) and 37 (18.7%) patients, respectively, in the hypofractionated group and in 33 (17.7%) and 27 (14.5%) patients, respectively, in the conventionally fractionated RT group. Late GU and GI toxicities occurred in 1 (0.51%) and 8 (4.1%) patients, respectively, in HYPO FR. In CONV FR, 5 (2.7%) and 6 (3.2%) patients experienced late GU and GI toxicities, respectively. The 5-year OS, bRFS, and CSS were 98.9%, 94.1%, and 99.5%, respectively, in HYPO FR, and 94.5%, 92.1%, and 99.0%, respectively, in CONV FR. Conclusions. Results obtained in this study showed that moderately hypofractionated RT employing SIB can be an effective approach providing valuable clinical outcomes with an acceptable toxicity profile.
Morphological Analysis for Three-Dimensional Chaotic Delay Neural Networks
Authors: Lu Yusong , Luo Ricai , Zou Yongfu
Published: November 2020

The study focuses on the chaotic behavior of a three-dimensional Hopfield neural network with time delay. We find the aspecific coefficient matrix and the initial value condition of the system and use MATLAB software to draw its graph. The result shows that their shape is very similar to the figure of Roslerʼs chaotic system. Furthermore, we analyzed the divergence, the eigenvalue of the Jacobian matrix for the equilibrium point, and the Lyapunov exponent of the system. These properties prove that the system does have chaotic behavior. This result not only confirms that there is chaos in the neural networks but also that the chaotic characteristics of the system are very similar to those of Roslerʼs chaotic system under certain conditions. This discovery provides useful information that can be applied to other aspects of chaotic Hopfield neural networks, such as chaotic synchronization and control.
Urinary Dysfunction Is Associated with Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Degeneration in Early and Untreated Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Wang Jing , Cao Ruihua , Huang Tao , Liu Cheng , Fan Yidong
Published: November 2020

The aim of the present study was to determine the relation between urinary dysfunction and nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration in early and untreated Parkinson’s disease (PD). The data were obtained from Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative database. Two hundred and seventy-five patients and 149 healthy controls were included in our analysis. Urinary symptoms were evaluated with the Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease for Autonomic Symptoms (SCOPA-AUT). We performed correlation analyses between 123I-FP-CIT SPECT imaging data and severity of urinary symptoms in patients with PD and healthy controls. Early and untreated patients with PD exhibited worse urinary symptoms when compared with healthy controls. The severity of urinary symptoms significantly correlated with dopamine transporter binding levels in the caudate and the putamen. After controlling for age and sex, the severity of storage symptoms significantly correlated with dopamine transporter binding levels in the less affected side of the putamen (r = −0.172,

p
=
0.004

). The correlation was observed in both male (r = −0.152,

p
=
0.043

) and female patients (r = −0.217,

p
=
0.034

). No correlations were found between dopamine transporter binding levels and voiding symptoms in male or female patients, or any urinary symptoms in healthy controls. Worse storage symptoms reflect greater nigrostriatal dopaminergic loss in early and untreated PD.
Optimal Control and Temperature Variations of Malaria Transmission Dynamics
Authors: Agusto Folashade B.
Published: November 2020

Malaria is a Plasmodium parasitic disease transmitted by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Climatic factors, such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, and wind, have significant effects on the incidence of most vector-borne diseases, including malaria. The mosquito behavior, life cycle, and overall fitness are affected by these climatic factors. This paper presents the results obtained from investigating the optimal control strategies for malaria in the presence of temperature variation using a temperature-dependent malaria model. The study further identified the temperature ranges in four different geographical regions of sub-Saharan Africa, suitable for mosquitoes. The optimal control strategies in the temperature suitable ranges suggest, on average, a high usage of both larvicides and adulticides followed by a moderate usage of personal protection such as bednet. The average optimal bednet usage mimics the solution profile of the mosquitoes as the mosquitoes respond to changes in temperature. Following the results from the optimal control, this study also investigates using a temperature-dependent model with insecticide-sensitive and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes the impact of insecticide-resistant mosquitoes on disease burden when temperature varies. The results obtained indicate that optimal bednet usage on average is higher when insecticide-resistant mosquitoes are present. Besides, the average bednet usage increases as temperature increases to the optimal temperature suitable for mosquitoes, and it decreases after that, a pattern similar to earlier results involving insecticide-sensitive mosquitoes. Thus, personal protection, particularly the use of bednets, should be encouraged not only at low temperatures but particularly at high temperatures when individuals avoid the use of bednets. Furthermore, control and reduction of malaria may be possible even when mosquitoes develop resistance to insecticides.
Recognition of Tunnel Lining Cracks Based on Digital Image Processing
Authors: Dai Chunquan , Jiang Kun , Wang Quanlei
Published: November 2020

Most of the tunnel projects are related to the national economy and people’s livelihood, and their operational safety is of paramount importance. Tunnel safety accidents or hidden safety hazards often start from subtleties. Therefore, the identification of tunnel cracks is a key part of tunnel safety control. The development of computer vision technology has made it possible for the automatic detection of tunnel cracks. Aiming at the problem of low recognition accuracy of existing crack recognition algorithms, this paper uses an improved homomorphic filtering algorithm to dehaze and clear the collected images according to the characteristics of tunnel images and uses an adaptive median filter to denoise the grayscaled image. The extended difference of Gaussian function is used for edge extraction, and the morphological opening and closing operations are used to remove noise. The breakpoints of the binary image are connected after removing the noise to make the image more in line with the actual situation. Aiming at the identification of tunnel crack types, the block index is proposed and used to distinguish linear cracks and network cracks. Using the histogram-like method to distinguish linear cracks in different directions can well solve the mixed crack situation in an image. Compared with the traditional method, the recognition rate of the new algorithm is increased to 94.5%, which is much higher than the traditional crack recognition algorithm. The average processing time of an image is 5.2 s which is moderate, and the crack type discrimination accuracy is more than 92%. In general, the new algorithm has good prospects for theoretical promotion and high engineering application value.
A Financial Distress Prediction Model Based on Sparse Algorithm and Support Vector Machine
Authors: Zeng Sen , Li Yaqin , Yang Wanjun , Li Yanru
Published: November 2020

Classification learning is a very important issue in machine learning, which has been widely used in the field of financial distress warning. Some researches show that the prediction model framework based on sparse algorithm has better performance than the traditional model. In this paper, we explore the financial distress prediction based on grouping sparsity. Feature selection of sparse algorithm plays an important role in classification learning, because many redundant and irrelevant features will degrade performance. A good feature selection algorithm would reduce computational complexity and improve classification accuracy. In this study, we propose an algorithm for feature selection classification prediction based on feature attributes and data source grouping. The existing financial distress prediction model usually only uses the data from financial statement and ignores the timeliness of company sample in practice. Therefore, we propose a corporate financial distress prediction model that is better in line with the practice and combines the grouping sparse principal component analysis of financial data, corporate governance characteristics, and market transaction data with support vector machine. Experimental results show that this method can improve the prediction efficiency of financial distress with fewer characteristic variables.
The Prevalence and Causes of Visual Impairment in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Northeast China
Authors: Wen Liang , Wang Yu , Lin Zhong , Wang Feng Hua , Ding Xiao Xia , Li Dong , Feng Kemi , Liang Yuan Bo , Zhang Dong Xiao , Dou Yu , Zhai Gang
Published: November 2020

Purpose. To evaluate the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in a group of community people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Northeast China. Methods. Population-based cross-sectional survey. Patients diagnosed with T2DM residing in 15 communities in Fushun, Northeast China, were enrolled between July 2012 and May 2013. All participants underwent an extensive and standardized eye examination (visual acuity testing, slit-lamp, and fundus examination). Low vision was defined as presenting VA of better-seeing eye <20/60 and ≥20/400, and blindness was defined as VA <20/400, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions. The primary causes of blindness and low vision were assessed by senior ophthalmologists. Results. Visual acuity measurements were available for 1998 (89.8%) of 2224 subjects in the study. The prevalence of bilateral blindness and low vision defined was 0.90% and 10.81%. Uncorrected refractive error was the first leading cause of low vision (75.0%) and blindness (38.9%). After correcting the refractive error, the first leading cause of low vision was cataract (44.4%), followed by diabetic retinopathy (29.6%) and myopic maculopathy (18.5%), while the first leading cause of blindness was proliferative DR (45.4%), followed by cataract (36.4%) and myopic maculopathy (18.2%). Conclusions. This study suggested a high prevalence of low vision and blindness in this study cohort. Uncorrected refractive error and cataract remain the leading cause of visual impairment, but the major challenge is the early diagnosis and intervention of diabetic retinopathy to reduce diabetes-related blindness.
Transverse Vibration Analysis of Composite Plates with Multiple Distributed Composite Patches
Authors: Guo Yan , Jiang Yanan , Huang Bin , Wang Ji
Published: November 2020

Transverse vibration of rectangular composite plates with multiple distributed composite patches is analyzed in this paper. Because of the geometric discrepancy between the plate and patch, analytical solutions are usually hard to achieve. The present model is formulated by using the Rayleigh–Ritz method and adopting various types of modal shape functions of uniform beam as admissible functions for different boundary conditions. The total system energies are calculated by adding the energies of the substrate plate and the energies of the patches. By imposing the displacement-matching condition at the patch domains, the coordinate systems of the substrate plate and patches are coupled. By means of the present method, it is very convenient and efficient to build the system governing equations and solve the eigenvalue problem. For the composite patches, they are also assumed to be symmetrically layered and have the same layer stacking sequence with the substrate laminate. The effects of layer stacking sequence, modulus ratio, aspect ratio, and boundary conditions on the natural frequencies are investigated and discussed. The results are also compared with the existed benchmark solutions and FEM solutions for validation. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach is computationally very efficient and accurate and can be used as a tool to solve transverse vibration problems of composite plate with multiple composite patches.
Landscape Image Layout Optimization Extraction Simulation of 3D Pastoral Complex under Big Data Analysis
Authors: Du Juan , Long Yuelin
Published: November 2020

Big data has brought about opportunities for landscape architecture, changing the design thinking of layout optimization simulation, expanding the platform for public participation in layout optimization simulation design, reflecting social and humanistic care, and promoting the integration of discipline cooperation and data. At the same time, it also brings about challenges. The proposal of data theory, the acquisition and analysis of data, and the protection of privacy are all issues that we need to face and solve. First, build a layout optimization simulation program under the background of big data. Follow the procedures of conventional layout optimization simulation, add big data analysis technology to the preliminary analysis, layout optimization simulation design, and later evaluation management, introduce new data processing methods, and build a theoretical framework of landscape optimization simulation methods that integrate new and traditional data. Second, studying the evolution of the landscape image layout of the three-dimensional pastoral complex is different: the overall landscape image layout of the three-dimensional pastoral complex shows a trend of fragmentation and heterogeneity. Among them, the arable land is gradually fragmented, the wetland and water area are simplified in form, the woodland and grassland patches are gradually distributed, the fragmentation is reduced by 76.19%, and the connectivity index is gradually increased. From a spatial perspective, the edge area outside the Fourth Ring Road becomes the most obvious area of fragmentation tendency. Finally, by introducing big data into the landscape layout optimization simulation, a layout optimization simulation method based on big data is constructed and used in the layout optimization simulation of the landscape image layout of the three-dimensional pastoral complex to guide the participatory layout optimization simulation.
Investigation of Structural and Thermal Evolution in Novel Layered Perovskite NdSrMn2O5+δ via Neutron Powder Diffraction and Thermogravimetric Analysis
Authors: Afroze Shammya , Yilmaz Duygu , Reza Md Sumon , Henry Paul F. , Cheok Quentin , Zaini Juliana H , Azad Abul K. , Issakhov Alibek , Sadeghzadeh Milad
Published: November 2020

Neutron diffraction is one of the best methods for structural analysis of a complex, layered perovskite material with low symmetry by accurately detecting the oxygen positions through octahedral tilting. In this research, the crystal structure of NdSrMn2O5+δ was identified through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) at room temperature (RT), which indicated the formation of a layered structure in orthorhombic symmetry in the Pmmm (no. 47) space group. Rietveld refinement of the neutron diffraction data has confirmed the orthorhombic symmetry with unit cell parameters (a = 3.8367 (1) Å, b = 3.8643 (2) Å, and c = 7.7126 (1) Å), atomic positions, and oxygen occupancy. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed the total weight loss of about 0.10% for 20–950°C temperature, which occurred mainly to create oxygen vacancies at high temperatures. Rietveld analyses concurred with the XRD and neutron data allowing correlation of occupancy factors of the oxygen sites.
An Unsupervised Learning-Based Network Threat Situation Assessment Model for Internet of Things
Authors: Yang Hongyu , Zeng Renyun , Wang Fengyan , Xu Guangquan , Zhang Jiyong
Published: November 2020

With the wide application of network technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) systems are facing the increasingly serious situation of network threats; the network threat situation assessment becomes an important approach to solve these problems. Aiming at the traditional methods based on data category tag that has high modeling cost and low efficiency in the network threat situation assessment, this paper proposes a network threat situation assessment model based on unsupervised learning for IoT. Firstly, we combine the encoder of variational autoencoder (VAE) and the discriminator of generative adversarial networks (GAN) to form the V-G network. Then, we obtain the reconstruction error of each layer network by training the network collection layer of the V-G network with normal network traffic. Besides, we conduct the reconstruction error learning by the 3-layer variational autoencoder of the output layer and calculate the abnormal threshold of the training. Moreover, we carry out the group threat testing with the test dataset containing abnormal network traffic and calculate the threat probability of each test group. Finally, we obtain the threat situation value (TSV) according to the threat probability and the threat impact. The simulation results show that, compared with the other methods, this proposed method can evaluate the overall situation of network security threat more intuitively and has a stronger characterization ability for network threats.
Short-Term Wind Speed Forecasting Based on Ensemble Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine and Bayesian Optimization
Authors: Quan Jicheng , Shang Li
Published: November 2020

Short-term wind speed forecasting is crucial to the utilization of wind energy, and it has been employed widely in turbine regulation, electricity market clearing, and preload sharing. However, the wind speed has inherent fluctuation, and accurate wind speed prediction is challenging. This paper aims to propose a hybrid forecasting approach of short-term wind speed based on a novel signal processing algorithm, a wrapper-based feature selection method, the state-of-art optimization algorithm, ensemble learning, and an efficient artificial neural network. Variational mode decomposition (VMD) is employed to decompose the original wind time-series into sublayer modes. The binary bat algorithm (BBA) is used to complete the feature selection. Bayesian optimization (BO) fine-tuned online sequential extreme learning machine (OSELM) is proposed to forecast the low-frequency sublayers of VMD. Bagging-based ensemble OSELM is proposed to forecast high-frequency sublayers of VMD. Two experiments were conducted on 10 min datasets from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The performances of the proposed model were compared with various representative models. The experimental results indicate that the proposed model has better accuracy than the comparison models. Among the thirteen models, the proposed VMD-BBA-EnsOSELM model can obtain the best prediction accuracy, and the mean absolute percent error (MAPE) is always less than 0.09.
Modern Contraceptive Utilization and Determinant Factors among Street Reproductive-Aged Women in Amhara Regional State Zonal Towns, North West Ethiopia, 2019: Community-Based Study
Authors: Kettema Wondimnew Gashaw , Aynalem Getie Lake , Yismaw Ayenew Engida , Degu Ayenew Worku
Published: November 2020

Objective. Reproductive-aged women living on the street, with no doubt, are with lesser benefits of exercising their reproductive rights. Pregnancies from this marginalized population are likely to be unplanned, unwanted, and unsupported. The aim of this study, therefore, was to assess modern contraception utilization and associated factors among street reproductive-aged women in Amhara regional state zonal towns. Method. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among street reproductive-aged women in Amhara regional state zonal towns. A single population proportion formula was used to calculate the sample size, a similar literature-based tool adaptation was done, and a semistructured, pretested sectioned questionnaire was used. Cluster sampling technique was used to reach the study participants. Data was entered into Epi Info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to control the possible effect of confounders, and finally, the independent variables were identified on the basis of OR, with 95% CI and

p

values less than 0.05. Results. 604 street reproductive-aged women were interviewed in the study which make the response rate 94.2%. The study revealed that current modern contraceptive utilization among the study participants was found to be 38.9%. Having history of pregnancy in street life (

AOR
=
1.70

, 1.1-2.7), having three or more live children (

AOR
=
6.4

, 2.0-20.4), undesiring to have additional children in the future (

AOR
=
2.7

, 1.4-5.1), mentioning three to four (

AOR
=
2.2

, 1.5-3.3) and five or more modern contraceptive types (

AOR
=
5.5

, 1.4-21.0), and discussion with sexual partners for contraceptive use (

AOR
=
6.6

, 4.3-10.1) were variables significantly associated with modern contraceptive utilization. Modern contraceptive utilization among the street reproductive-aged women was low. Authors suggest that awareness creation and male partner involvement in the maternal services may be important to increase contraceptive utilization.
The Trends of Single‐Cell Analysis: A Global Study
Authors: Tian Hua , Liu Haifeng , Zhu Yuanyuan , Xing Dan , Wang Bin
Published: November 2020

Objective. The field of single‐cell analysis has rapidly grown worldwide, and a bibliometric analysis and visualization of data and publications pertaining to such single‐cell research has the potential to offer insights into the development of this field over the past two decades while also highlighting future avenues of research. Methods. Single‐cell analysis‐related studies published from 2000‐2019 were identified through searches of the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases, and corresponding bibliometric data were systematically compiled. Extracted data from each study included author names, country of origin, and affiliations. GraphPad Prism was used to analyze these data, while VOSviewer was used to perform global analyses of bibliographic coupling, coauthorship, cocitation, and co‐occurrence. Results. In total, 4,071 relevant studies were included in this analysis. The number of publications increased substantially with time, suggesting that single‐cell analyses are becoming increasingly more prevalent in recent years. Studies from the USA had the greatest impact in this field, with higher H‐index values and numbers of citations relative to other countries, whereas Israel exhibited the highest average number of citations per publication. Bibliographic coupling, coauthorship, cocitation, and co‐occurrence analyses revealed that Analytical Chemistry was associated with the highest number of publications in this field, and the University of Stanford contributed the most to this field. The most cited study included in this analysis was published by Macosko et al. in 2015 in Cell. Co‐occurrence analyses revealed that the most common single‐cell research topics included “mechanistic studies,” “in vitro studies,” “in vivo studies,” and “fabrication studies.” Conclusions. Single‐cell analyses are a rapidly growing area of scientific interest, and higher volumes of publications in this field are expected in the coming years, particularly for studies conducting fabrication and in vivo single‐cell analyses.
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β Promotes Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction by Inducing the M1 Polarization and Migration of Microglia
Authors: Li Jingjin , Shi Chonglong , Ding Zhengnian , Jin Wenjie
Published: November 2020

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common postoperative central nervous system complication, especially in the elderly. It has been consistently reported that the pathological process of this clinical syndrome is related to neuroinflammation and microglial proliferation. Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) is a widely expressed kinase with distinct functions in different types of cells. The role of GSK-3β in regulating innate immune activation has been well documented, but as far as we know, its role in POCD has not been fully elucidated. Lithium chloride (LiCl) is a widely used inhibitor of GSK-3β, and it is also the main drug for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Prophylactic administration of lithium chloride (2 mM/kg) can inhibit the expression of proinflammatory mediators in the hippocampus, reduce the hippocampal expression of NF-κB, and increase both the downregulation of M1 microglial-related genes (inducible nitric oxide synthase and CD86) and upregulation of M2 microglial-related genes (IL-10 and CD206), to alleviate the cognitive impairment caused by orthopedic surgery. In vitro, LiCl reversed LPS-induced production of proinflammatory mediators and M1 polarization of microglia. To sum up these results, GSK-3β is a key contributor to POCD and a potential target of neuroprotective strategies.
Hepcidin Is a Reliable Marker of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Stojkovic Lalosevic Milica , Toncev Ljubisa , Stankovic Sanja , Dragasevic Sanja , Stojkovic Stefan , Jovicic Ivana , Stulic Milos , Culafic Djordje , Milovanovic Tamara , Stojanovic Marija , Aleksic Marko , Stjepanovic Mihailo , Lalosevic Jovan , Kiurski Stanimir , Oluic Branislav , Pavlovic Markovic Aleksandra , Stojkovic Mirjana
Published: November 2020

Background and Aim. Differentiating iron deficiency anemia (IDA) from anemia of chronic disease (ACD) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents a clinical challenge. Hepcidin is a polypeptide synthetized in the liver, and iron levels or inflammation mostly regulate hepcidin production. Our aim was to determine serum hepcidin levels in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well to investigate whether hepcidin levels correlate with disease activity. Material and Methods. A case-control study was preformed among newly diagnosed IBD patients and same number age- and sex-matched healthy controls. All patients underwent a total ileocolonoscopy. Complete blood count was obtained in addition to inflammatory markers (CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate-ESR). Serum levels of hepcidin were determined with commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DRG Instruments Marburg, Germany). Serum iron, TIBC, and UIBC were assessed with an electrochemiluminesence immunoassay, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) was assessed using an immunoturbidimetric method. Mayo score and CDAI, respectively, were calculated for each patient. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software version 20.0 for Windows. Results. There was a high statistically significant difference between IBD patients and controls in levels of hepcidin (

P
<
0.01

). Namely, serum hepcidin levels were significantly higher in the control group. There was no statistically significant correlation of serum hepcidin with CRP, Mayo score, or CDAI, respectively (

P
>
0.05

). However, we have found a statistically significant negative correlation of sTfR and TIBC with hepcidin (

P
<
0.01

). Conclusion. Results of our study suggest that hepcidin is a reliable marker of IDA in patients with IBD, and it could be used in routine clinical practice when determining adequate therapy in these patients.