High Pearson Correlation Research Articles

Evaluation of Two Low-Cost Optical Particle Counters for the Measurement of Ambient Aerosol Scattering Coefficient and Ångström Exponent.

The aerosol scattering coefficient and Ångström exponent (AE) are important parameters in the understanding of aerosol optical properties and aerosol direct effect. These parameters are usually measured by a nephelometer network which is under-represented geographically; however, a rapid growth of air-pollution monitoring, using low-cost particle sensors, may extend observation networks. This paper presents the results of co-located measurements of aerosol optical properties, such as the aerosol scattering coefficient and the scattering AE, using low-cost sensors and using a scientific-grade polar Aurora 4000 nephelometer. A high Pearson correlation coefficient (0.94–0.96) between the low-cost particulate matter (PM) mass concentration and the aerosol scattering coefficient was found. For the PM10 mass concentration, the aerosol scattering coefficient relation is linear for the Dfrobot SEN0177 sensor and non-linear for the Alphasense OPC-N2 device. After regression analyses, both low-cost instruments provided the aerosol scattering coefficient with a similar mean square error difference (RMSE) of about 20 Mm−1, which corresponds to about 27% of the mean aerosol scattering coefficient. The relative uncertainty is independent of the pollution level. In addition, the ratio of aerosol number concentration between different bins showed a significant statistical (95% of confidence level) correlation with the scattering AE. For the SEN0177, the ratio of the particle number in bin 1 (radius of 0.15–0.25 µm) to bin 4 (radius of 1.25–2.5 µm) was a linear function of the scattering AE, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.74. In the case of OPC-N2, the best correlation (r = 0.66) was found for the ratio between bin 1 (radius of 0.19–0.27 µm) and bin 2 (radius of 0.27–0.39 µm). Comparisons of an estimated scattering AE from a low-cost sensor with Aurora 4000 are given with the RMSE of 0.23–0.24, which corresponds to 16–19%. In addition, a three-year (2016–2019) observation by SEN0177 indicates that this sensor can be used to determine an annual cycle as well as a short-term variability.

Development and Preliminary Validation of a New Patient-Reported Outcome Measure for Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS-PRO)

Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures developed and validated on patients with the currently defined phenotypes of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are needed to support clinical trials in CRS. This study developed and examined the initial reliability and validity of the CRS-PRO, a new PRO measure of CRS. Instrument development was performed through structured interviews and focus groups with clinical experts and 45 patients with CRS meeting current definitions of disease, 21 patients with CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP), and 24 patients with CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) to identify items important to patients. Then another 50 patients (32 with CRSsNP and 18 with CRSwNP) with stable CRS symptoms were enrolled to evaluate the reliability of the instrument. Each patient completed the CRS-PRO, Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22), and 4 Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System short forms at the baseline visit and then at least 7 days later. After the development process, 21 items were identified from the conceptual domains of physical symptoms, sensory impairment, psychosocial effects, and life impact. Using the responses of the 50 patients with CRS, 21 draft items were further refined to 12 items by eliminating conceptually similar or highly correlated items or those with low mean symptom severity. The 12-item questionnaire was shown to have excellent internal consistency (Cronbach α, 0.86) and test-retest reliability with a high intraclass correlation coefficient (0.89) and Pearson's correlation (r= 0.82, P < .0001). The 12-item CRS-PRO correlated highly with the longer SNOT-22 (r= 0.83, P < .0001) demonstrating its concurrent validity. We also demonstrated validity and reliability in a separate analysis for patients with CRSsNP and CRSwNP. The CRS-PRO is a concise, valid, and reliable measure that was developed with extensive input from patients with CRS with current disease definitions.

Supramolecular β-Sheet Forming Peptide Conjugated with Near-Infrared Chromophore for Selective Targeting, Imaging, and Dysfunction of Mitochondria.

Herein, conjugation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide fragment, Lys-Leu-Val-Phe-Phe (KLVFF, fragment of Aβ16-20), with an unsymmetrical near-infrared (NIR) cyanine-5 (Cy-5) chromophore is achieved using microwave-assisted solid phase synthesis on 2-chlorotrityl chloride resin. Selective mitochondria tracking and staining in human carcinoma cells are accomplished by the KLVFF/Cy-5 conjugate containing triphenylphosphonium functionality, and this is compared to a control molecule KLVFF/Cy-5c. Mitochondrial target specificity of KLVFF/Cy-5 is established by the colocalization assay using mitochondria selective probe MitoTracker Red, which is monitored by confocal laser scanning microscope and shows a high Pearson's correlation coefficient. The KLVFF/Cy-5 conjugate has high photostability, NIR absorption/emission, high molar extinction coefficient, narrow absorption/emission band, high fluorescence lifetime, and high fluorescence quantum yield. Moreover, mitochondria targeting KLVFF/Cy-5 conjugate reaches the critical aggregation concentration inside the mitochondria of cancer cells due to the strong negative inner mitochondrial membrane potential [(ΔΨm)cancer -220 mV] and self-assembles to form amyloid fibrils at the target site, which is responsible for the mitochondrial dysfunction and cytotoxicity. Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection assay is used to determine the signal pathway of mitochondria targeted cellular dysfunction.

Distributed representation and one-hot representation fusion with gated network for clinical semantic textual similarity

BackgroundSemantic textual similarity (STS) is a fundamental natural language processing (NLP) task which can be widely used in many NLP applications such as Question Answer (QA), Information Retrieval (IR), etc. It is a typical regression problem, and almost all STS systems either use distributed representation or one-hot representation to model sentence pairs.MethodsIn this paper, we proposed a novel framework based on a gated network to fuse distributed representation and one-hot representation of sentence pairs. Some current state-of-the-art distributed representation methods, including Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Bi-directional Long Short Term Memory networks (Bi-LSTM) and Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), were used in our framework, and a system based on this framework was developed for a shared task regarding clinical STS organized by BioCreative/OHNLP in 2018.ResultsCompared with the systems only using distributed representation or one-hot representation, our method achieved much higher Pearson correlation. Among all distributed representations, BERT performed best. The highest Person correlation of our system was 0.8541, higher than the best official one of the BioCreative/OHNLP clinical STS shared task in 2018 (0.8328) by 0.0213.ConclusionsDistributed representation and one-hot representation are complementary to each other and can be fused by gated network.

Quality perception of specific chromatic impairments

This work was motivated by previous studies on the perceptual influence of chromatic impairments, where was observed that specific chromatic impairments might have a different influence, related to the represented content. Hence, in this study, chromatic impairments were applied to specific color clusters and the resulting perceptual influence was analyzed. The applied chromatic impairments influence on the images naturalness was assessed using a Single Stimulus Continuous Quality Evaluation (SSCQE) and the Mean Opinion Score (MOS) was calculated. Furthermore, during the image assessment, the eye movements were registered using an eye tracking device and the Relative Fixation Time (RFT) was computed. It was concluded that the induced chromatic impairments, lead to lower MOS values than the original images, revealing a perception of quality loss. Furthermore, when nature colors are changed, subjects revealed a larger perception of the impairment, resulting in smaller MOS and producing evident changes in the RFT’s. The comparative analysis between the MOS and the RFT’s reveals high Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) results (p = 0.79 ± 0.14).

Improving the binding affinity estimations of protein-ligand complexes using machine-learning facilitated force field method.

Scoring functions are routinely deployed in structure-based drug design to quantify the potential for protein-ligand (PL) complex formation. Here, we present a new scoring function Bappl+ that is designed to predict the binding affinities of non-metallo and metallo PL complexes. Bappl+ outperforms other state-of-the-art scoring functions, achieving a high Pearson correlation coefficient of up to ~ 0.76 with low standard deviations. The biggest contributors to the increased performance are the use of a machine-learning model and the enlarged training dataset. We have also evaluated the performance of Bappl+ on target-specific proteins, which highlighted the limitations of our function and provides a way for further improvements. We believe that Bappl+ methodology could prove valuable in ranking candidate molecules against a target metallo or non-metallo protein by reliably predicting their binding affinities, thus helping in the drug discovery process.

Comparing Social media and Google to detect and predict severe epidemics

Internet technologies have demonstrated their value for the early detection and prediction of epidemics. In diverse cases, electronic surveillance systems can be created by obtaining and analyzing on-line data, complementing other existing monitoring resources. This paper reports the feasibility of building such a system with search engine and social network data. Concretely, this study aims at gathering evidence on which kind of data source leads to better results. Data have been acquired from the Internet by means of a system which gathered real-time data for 23 weeks. Data on influenza in Greece have been collected from Google and Twitter and they have been compared to influenza data from the official authority of Europe. The data were analyzed by using two models: the ARIMA model computed estimations based on weekly sums and a customized approximate model which uses daily sums. Results indicate that influenza was successfully monitored during the test period. Google data show a high Pearson correlation and a relatively low Mean Absolute Percentage Error (R = 0.933, MAPE = 21.358). Twitter results are slightly better (R = 0.943, MAPE = 18.742). The alternative model is slightly worse than the ARIMA(X) (R = 0.863, MAPE = 22.614), but with a higher mean deviation (abs. mean dev: 5.99% vs 4.74%).

Design and Expeditious Synthesis of Quinoline-Pyrene-Based Ratiometric Fluorescent Probes for Targeting Lysosomal pH.

Intracellular pH plays a significant role in many pathological and physiological processes. A series of quinoline-pyrene probes were synthesized in one-step fashion through an oxonium-ion-triggered alkyne carboamination sequence involving C-C, C-O and C-N bond formation for intracellular pH sensing. The quinoline-pyrenes showed significant red shifts at low pH. Fluorescence lifetime decay measurements of the probes showed decreases in lifetime at pH 4. The probes showed excellent selectivity in the presence of various potential interfering agents such as amino acids and cations/anions. Furthermore, the probes were found to show completely reversible emission behaviour in the window between pH 4 and 7. A morpholine-substituted quinoline-pyrene probe efficiently stained lysosomes with high Pearson correlation coefficients (0.86) with Lysotracker Deep Red DND-99 as a reference. A co-localization study of the probe with Lysotracker DND-99 showed selective intracellular targeting and a shift in fluorescence emission due to acidic lysosomal pH.

A novel experimental based statistical study for water management in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Water management is a key issue in low-temperature PEMFCs. For proper water management, processes leading to dehydration or flooding of cells should be clearly understood, hence prevented. Here, the effects of Anode Stoichiometry (AST), Cathode Stoichiometry (CST) and inlet gas temperature (T*) on the cell performance and water management in PEMFC are experimentally studied. Two methods, namely (i) direct- and (ii) indirect-method are employed to monitor water accumulation in cathode flow channels of a multi-path-parallel-serpentine PEMFC. Flow visualization served as direct method (item (i)), in which recorded videos of transparent channels were analyzed via an image-processing algorithm to monitor water coverage ratio (WCR). Simultaneously an inlet-to-exit pressure drop coefficient (Φ) was defined for indirect-method (item (ii)). AST, CST and T* were taken as input to provide three experimental based correlations for generated electrical power, WCR and Φ as a response. According to the results, an increase in AST reduces water-content in cathode channels; decreases performance also raises the sensitivity of generated power to variations in other operating-parameters. However, an increase in CST and T* reduces water contents in cathode channels also increases the cell power and lowers sensitivity of the power to the variation of other operating-parameters. It is observed that strong connectivity exists between WCR and Φ. This is verified by obtaining a high Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.887 between WCR and Φ. It is demonstrated that dehydration and flooding could be prevented when 3 ≤ WCR ≤ 4, from which appropriate operating-parameters AST, CST and T* could be retrieved.

Thumb Disability Examination (TDX) as a New Reliable Tool for Basal Joint Arthritis

Background The general assessment of basal joint arthritis (BJA) is limited using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. This has been shown to be insensitive to pain and disability levels, leading to the development and validation of the thumb disability examination (TDX) as a specific tool for BJA in 2014. Objective The goal of this study was to evaluate the reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of the TDX score for BJA. Methods A multicenter BJA database was established in 2007 to collect prospective data. We evaluated the correlation between the TDX score, visual analog pain scale with activity (A-VAS), Eaton-Littler score, and grip strength using a Pearson test. Additionally, we evaluated the pre- and postintervention scores to assess their predictive values. Results A total of 109 thumbs of 74 patients with TDX scores were evaluated. Females were more commonly affected (75.2%), and the mean age was 65.39 years (standard deviation: 10.04). The majority of participants were white (90.8%). A high correlation between TDX and A-VAS score (Pearson's correlation = 0.520; p < 0.001) and between grip strength (Pearson's correlation = -0.336; p < 0.005) and Eaton-Littler score (Pearson's correlation = 0.353' p < 0.01) was identified. Additionally, when comparing pre- and post-intervention for all treatment groups and for operative intervention, significant differences in TDX scores were observed (both p ≤ 0.01). No significant differences could be identified for DASH score or A-VAS when assessing these same groups. Conclusion The TDX score correlates to high Pearson's correlation values and p -values, especially in grip strength, Eaton-Littler score, A-VAS score, and pre-/postintervention for all treatment groups combined and when specifically assessing the surgical intervention group. As a result, it can be concluded that the TDX score is a specific tool for the assessment of BJA. Level of Evidence This is a Level II, prospective comparative study.

Quantitative Analysis of Ellipsoid Zone in Acute Posterior Multifocal Placoid Pigment Epitheliopathy.

Purpose:Quantitative end points for uveitis are needed. Here we quantify the rate of ellipsoid zone (EZ) recovery on optical coherence tomography (OCT) and correlate it with visual acuity (VA) improvement in patients with acute posterior multifocal placoid pigmented epitheliopathy (APMPPE). We use automated and manually graded EZ area analysis to assess EZ recovery in APMPPE.Methods:We performed a retrospective review of 9 APMPPE cases (18 eyes) that had characteristic clinical examination and fluorescein angiography findings, outer retinal disruption on spectral-domain OCT, and treatment with systemic steroids after an unambiguous laboratory workup. The EZ was delineated using custom software to perform automated analysis and manual grading by 2 independent physicians. Quantitation of EZ changes was performed in ImageJ (National Institutes of Health). EZ maps were compared with equivalent findings from EZ en face OCT segmentation.Results:The 9 cases in our study were followed for an average of 198 days. Symptomatic improvement occurred in all eyes. VA recovery occurred in 83% of eyes and depended on presenting foveal involvement. Positive slopes of EZ area over time demonstrated recovery. EZ recovery profiles determined by manual and automated software demonstrated high Pearson correlation coefficients (0.78-0.94). Slab en face EZ analysis demonstrated moderate agreement.Conclusions:EZ recovery correlates with symptomatic and VA recovery. Automated EZ analysis shows strong agreement with manually graded EZ analysis in APMPPE. EZ recovery in patients with APMPPE provides a biomarker for recovery and may be applied to other diseases affecting the outer retina.

Effect of fucoidan‐based edible coating on antioxidant degradation kinetics in strawberry fruit during cold storage

To further investigate fresh-keeping effect of fucoidan from Laminaria japonica (FL) on postharvest strawberry, this study assessed the degradation kinetics of antioxidant capacity and antioxidants in cold-stored strawberry coated with FL by layer-by-layer method. Fruit coated with FL were subjected to determine antioxidant capacity and endogenous antioxidants contents during the scheduled cold-storage period. Results showed that FL obviously suppressed degradation rates of both antioxidant capacity and contents of phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid, which were demonstrated by reduced rate constant and increased half-time periods of antioxidant activity and antioxidants in FL-coated strawberry during cold storage. High Pearson correlation coefficients and significant differences among antioxidant-associated indicators indicated that there was a close relationship between antioxidant activity degradation and antioxidants degradation in strawberry fruit during cold-storage period. FL treatment inhibited degradation of total polyphenol and ascorbic acid which ultimately controlled degradation of antioxidant capacity in cold-storage strawberry. Practical applications Laminaria japonica rich in brown seaweed may be developed to be a natural and nontoxic preservative for postharvest strawberry or other fruit and vegetables.

Optimal Attenuation Threshold for Quantifying CT Pulmonary Vascular Volume Ratio.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of attenuation threshold on CT pulmonary vascular volume ratios in children and young adults with congenital heart disease, and to suggest an optimal attenuation threshold.Materials and MethodsCT percentages of right pulmonary vascular volume were compared and correlated with percentages calculated from nuclear medicine right lung perfusion in 52 patients with congenital heart disease. The selected patients had undergone electrocardiography-synchronized cardiothoracic CT and lung perfusion scintigraphy within a 1-year interval, but not interim surgical or transcatheter intervention. The percentages of CT right pulmonary vascular volumes were calculated with fixed (80–600 Hounsfield units [HU]) and adaptive thresholds (average pulmonary artery enhancement [PAavg] divided by 2.50, 2.00, 1.75, 1.63, 1.50, and 1.25). The optimal threshold exhibited the smallest mean difference, the lowest p-value in statistically significant paired comparisons, and the highest Pearson correlation coefficient.ResultsThe PAavg value was 529.5 ± 164.8 HU (range, 250.1–956.6 HU). Results showed that fixed thresholds in the range of 320–400 HU, and adaptive thresholds of PAavg/1.75–1.50 were optimal for quantifying CT pulmonary vascular volume ratios. The optimal thresholds demonstrated a small mean difference of ≤ 5%, no significant difference (> 0.2 for fixed thresholds, and > 0.5 for adaptive thresholds), and a high correlation coefficient (0.93 for fixed thresholds, and 0.91 for adaptive thresholds).ConclusionThe optimal fixed and adaptive thresholds for quantifying CT pulmonary vascular volume ratios appeared equally useful. However, when considering a wide range of PAavg, application of optimal adaptive thresholds may be more suitable than fixed thresholds in actual clinical practice.

Visual Quality of Compressed Mesh and Point Cloud Sequences

With the development of immersive video, the delivery and storage of 3D content have become important research areas. While compression methods for meshes and point clouds, the two main representations for 3D content, are actively studied, there are few studies of their perceptual compression quality and none that consider observation distance. In this paper, we study the perceptual quality of compressed 3D sequences, for both point cloud compression and mesh-based compression. We explore the impact of bit rate and observation distance on perceptual quality. Evaluation of perceptual quality is carried out both by collecting viewer opinion scores of the compressed sequences separately, and with a side-by-side comparison. A functional model for mesh and point cloud compression quality is estimated to predict Mean Opinion Score (MOS) which yields high Pearson correlation and rank correlation scores with measured MOS.

Apple rootstocks with different phosphorus efficiency exhibit alterations in rhizosphere bacterial structure.

The purpose of this study was to select phosphorus-efficient apple rootstocks under phosphorus deficiency and to reveal the effects of different apple rootstocks on the rhizosphere bacterial community. We used 83 hybrid lines of Malus robusta Rehd.×Malling 9 (M.9) to investigate their physiological traits and the phosphorus deficiency phenotypes of leaves in response to phosphorus deficiency (0·1mmoll-1 PO4 3- ). All the plants were cultivated in pots in the greenhouse and watered using drip irrigation. In accordance with the results of investigation, we selected the phosphorus-efficient hybrid lines (PE) and the phosphorus-inefficient hybrid lines (PI) to research their root morphology and root hairs (RH). In addition, we used Illumina MiSeq sequencing to determine the bacterial community of the rhizosphere from different rootstocks. The results showed that the PE plants had better growth characteristics and stronger root plasticity than that of the PI plants, and phosphorus deficiency can stimulate the RH growth of PE plants. There was no significant difference in the rhizosphere bacterial diversity, but we found that the bacterial community structure was significantly different at the genus levels; in addition, 89 genera were found to have significant differences between PE and PI plants, especially Bacillus. The PE rhizosphere had more abundant Bacillus compared to the PI. High positive Pearson correlations with the phosphorus concentration in the plantlets of apple rootstocks were detected for the bacterial genera Bacillus (r: 0·776). The phosphorus-efficient apple rootstocks adapted to phosphorus deficiency by shaping the root morphology. Notably, different apple rootstocks showed alteration of the microbes in rhizosphere. This study can provide the materials for exploring the mechanism of apple rootstock phosphorus absorption. In accordance with the different bacterial community compositions, we can develop the inoculants to promote nutrient uptake.

Technical note: Estimating body weight of dairy calves with a partial-weight scale attached to an automated milk feeder

Monitoring early growth in neonatal dairy calves provides insight into the effectiveness of a producer's nutrition program and helps monitor for sickness. The objective of this study was to validate whether a partial-weight scale attached to an automated milk feeder (Combi; DeLaval, Tumba, Sweden) could precisely and accurately estimate calf weights compared with twice-weekly weights of a calibrated electronic scale (gold standard; Brecknell PS1000; Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Fairmont, MN). Holstein heifers (n = 20) were enrolled in this study from birth until 84 d of age. All heifers were eligible to receive 10 L of milk replacer/d for 56 d and were subsequently weaned using a step-down strategy across 14 d. The automated milk feeder had a radio frequency identification panel placed directly above the scale such that calves had to stand with both front hooves on the scale platform to access milk from the nipple. An algorithm was created to summarize and clean the scale measurements of any non-biologically relevant data points. The relationship between the daily weight average from the partial scale and the electronic scale was analyzed using Pearson correlations, linear regressions, and Bland-Altman plots. Data from the partial weight scale were considered precise if the correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination were very high (>0.90) and the mean bias from the Bland-Altman plots included zero with the 95% interval of agreement. The partial-weight scale was considered accurate if the slope from the linear regression did not differ significantly from 1. We found a very high Pearson correlation coefficient (0.99) and coefficient of determination (0.99). Bland-Altman plots were deemed acceptable and nonbiased; the Bland-Altman difference (feeder weight - scale weight) was 0.45 ± 2.33 kg (mean ± standard deviation). The slope of the linear regression was not different from 1 (slope = 1.01; 95% confidence interval = 1.00-1.03), suggesting that the partial-weight scale was accurate. In summary, the partial-weight scale was validated, with a high precision and accurate estimate of weight in calves compared with the gold standard electronic scale. The partial-weight scale may be a useful tool for producers to estimate calf weight if a data cleaning algorithm is used.

PSII-10 In vitro simulation of biofilm development and detachment in dairy cow troughs within the first 7 days after cleaning

Abstract Water is one of the most important factors concerning animal health and welfare. Therefore, an impairment of livestock water quality through biofilm development and detachment in dairy cow troughs represents a serious threat. To gain a better understanding of biofilm development and detachment, this study evaluates influencing factors in vitro. Cattle trough materials were inoculated with two naturally occurring bacterial cultures from different dairy farms. In a latin square design, detachment of a biofilm within a recommended cleaning interval of 7 days was investigated via total viable count (TVC) of the surrounding medium, depending on origin of culture, trough material (polyethylene or stainless steel), water temperature (5°C or 25°C) or nutrient availability (10% or 50% of nutrient broth, Merck KGaSA). At day 7, developed biofilm was investigated for TVC, Enterobacteriaceae spp. and with an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-rapid test. All treatments were replicated at least 3 times. From the 4th day on, TVC in the surrounding medium increased by 1.5 log10 cfu/ml on polyethylene at 5°C, suggesting a maturation and detachment of a grown biofilm. Material and temperature affected biofilm detachment (P &amp;lt; 0.05). In temperature treatments with 25°C, TVC reached maximum within 24h, suggesting that biofilm detached earlier. The composition of the grown biofilm was affected by material, temperature, nutrient level, but not by starting culture. Higher Enterobacteriaceae spp. and TVC were observed on polyethylene than on stainless steel and at higher temperatures compared to lower (P &amp;lt; 0.001, respectively). Nutrient level significantly increased Enterobacteriaceae spp. growth. Rapid ATP-test results showed high Pearson correlations with biofilms TVC (r &amp;gt;0.74; P &amp;lt; 0.001) and might be a practical method to check trough hygiene on farms. Based on our in vitro data, cleaning intervals should be less than 4 days even at low temperatures. Nevertheless, more research is needed to verify data in practice.

Developing a New Spectral Index for Detecting Cadmium-Induced Stress in Rice on a Regional Scale.

In natural farmland ecosystems, cadmium (Cd) pollution in rice has attracted increasing attention because of its high toxicity, relative mobility, and high water solubility. This study aims to develop a spectral index for detecting Cd stress in rice on a regional scale. Three experimental sites are selected in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province. The hyperspectral data, chlorophyll (Chl) content, leaf area index, average leaf angle, Cd concentration in soil, and Sentinel-2A images from 2017 and 2018 are collected. A new spectral index sensitive to Cd stress in rice is established based on the global sensitivity analysis of the radiative transfer model PROSPECT + SAIL (commonly called PROSAIL) model with the auxiliary of the field-measured data. The heavy metal Cd stress-sensitive spectral index (HCSI) is devised as an indicator of the degree of Cd stress in rice. Results indicate that (1) the HCSI developed based on Chl is a good indicator of rice damage caused by Cd stress, that is, low values of HCSI occur in rice subject to relatively high pollution; (2) compared with common spectral indices, such as red-edge position and red-edge Chl index, HCSI is more sensitive to Chl content with higher Pearson correlation coefficients with respect to Chl content, ranging from 0.85 to 0.95; (3) HCSI is successfully applied in Sentinel-2A images from the two different years of monitoring rice Cd stress on a regional scale. Cd stress levels in rice stabilized, and the largest area percentage of each pollution levels of Cd decreased in the following order: No pollution (i.e., 40%), low pollution (i.e., 35%), and high pollution (i.e., 25%). This study indicates that a combination of simulation data from the PROSAIL model and measured data appears to be a promising method for establishing a sensitivity spectral index to heavy metal stress, which can accurately detect regional Cd stress in crops.

Measurements of cervical range of motion using an optical motion capture system: Repeatability and validity.

The current study aimed to assess the repeatability and validity of cervical range of motion (CROM) measurements using an optical motion capture system (OMCS), compared with a CROM device. A total of 20 healthy volunteers were selected and enrolled in the current study after informed consent was received. The motion of the cervical spine in all directions was measured using the OMCS and CROM devices. Reproducibility of data was assessed using the intra-group correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimum detectable change (MDC). Validity was assessed using the coefficient of determination (R2) in combination with Pearson's correlation coefficient. Bland-Altman plot were presented for the two measurement methods. The range of motion (ROM) was measured by using the OMCS and the CROM device during the same session. Both procedures evidenced high ICCs [OMCS: ICC (1,2) =0.802–0.981; CROM device: ICC (1,2) =0.768–0.948], low SEM values (OMCS: 0.98°-1.38°; CROM device: 1.04°-2.45°) and low MDC values (OMCS: 2.72°-3.81°; CROM device: 2.89°-6.78°). A high R2 (0.568–0.882) and Pearson's correlation coefficient (0.753–0.939) were determined. The Bland-Altman plots demonstrated that most of the data were within the 95% consistency limit. In summary, the OMCS has good repeatability and validity when measuring CROM and is an effective way to evaluate cervical vertebral range of motion.

D-GPM: A Deep Learning Method for Gene Promoter Methylation Inference.

Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing generates a comprehensive profiling of the gene methylation levels, but is limited by a high cost. Recent studies have partitioned the genes into landmark genes and target genes and suggested that the landmark gene expression levels capture adequate information to reconstruct the target gene expression levels. This inspired us to propose that the methylation level of the promoters in landmark genes might be adequate to reconstruct the promoter methylation level of target genes, which would eventually reduce the cost of promoter methylation profiling. Here, we propose a deep learning model called Deep-Gene Promoter Methylation (D-GPM) to predict the whole-genome promoter methylation level based on the promoter methylation profile of the landmark genes from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). D-GPM-15%-7000 × 5, the optimal architecture of D-GPM, acquires the least overall mean absolute error (MAE) and the highest overall Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC), with values of 0.0329 and 0.8186, respectively, when testing data. Additionally, the D-GPM outperforms the regression tree (RT), linear regression (LR), and the support vector machine (SVM) in 95.66%, 92.65%, and 85.49% of the target genes by virtue of its relatively lower MAE and in 98.25%, 91.00%, and 81.56% of the target genes based on its relatively higher PCC, respectively. More importantly, the D-GPM predominates in predicting 79.86% and 78.34% of the target genes according to the model distribution of the least MAE and the highest PCC, respectively.