High Probability Research Articles

Polydopamine‐Mediated Contact‐Electro‐Catalysis for Efficient Partial Oxidation of Methane

The direct conversion and efficient utilization of methane pose a critical scientific challenge. Indirect activation via reactive oxygen species (ROS) offers a high probability of contact with methane and conversion efficiency under mild conditions. However, reported product yields are suboptimal due to challenges in activating oxygen and facilitating mass transfer in suspension systems. We propose the use of contact‐electro‐catalysis (CEC), employing polydopamine (PDA) as a catalyst that undergoes electron transfer with oxygen under ultrasound, generating ROS that drives the partial oxidation of methane (POM). Corresponding experimental results indicate that CH3OH and most HCHO are produced directly from CH4. Furthermore, through in situ characterizations, we have shown that light pretreatment of the catalysts in an oxygenated atmosphere facilitates the forming of more C=O functional groups with strong electron‐withdrawing properties, thereby significantly enhancing overall product yields, particularly for CH3OH. Within two hours, product yields reach 1.5 mmol·gcat−1 for HCHO and 0.9 mmol·gcat−1 for CH3OH. This work introduces a novel approach for efficient POM, while highlighting the distinctive catalytic properties of PDA.

Polydopamine-Mediated Contact-Electro-Catalysis for Efficient Partial Oxidation of Methane.

The direct conversion and efficient utilization of methane pose a critical scientific challenge. Indirect activation via reactive oxygen species (ROS) offers a high probability of contact with methane and conversion efficiency under mild conditions. However, reported product yields are suboptimal due to challenges in activating oxygen and facilitating mass transfer in suspension systems. We propose the use of contact-electro-catalysis (CEC), employing polydopamine (PDA) as a catalyst that undergoes electron transfer with oxygen under ultrasound, generating ROS that drives the partial oxidation of methane (POM). Corresponding experimental results indicate that CH3OH and most HCHO are produced directly from CH4. Furthermore, through in situ characterizations, we have shown that light pretreatment of the catalysts in an oxygenated atmosphere facilitates the forming of more C=O functional groups with strong electron-withdrawing properties, thereby significantly enhancing overall product yields, particularly for CH3OH. Within two hours, product yields reach 1.5 mmol·gcat-1 for HCHO and 0.9 mmol·gcat-1 for CH3OH. This work introduces a novel approach for efficient POM, while highlighting the distinctive catalytic properties of PDA.

Metastatic clear cell sarcoma of the pancreas: An overview

Clear cell sarcoma (CCS) is a rare soft-tissue sarcoma that accounts for less than 1% of all cases and was originally reported in 1965. The incidence of CCS is estimated to be approximately 0.014/100000 depending on the surveillance, epidemiology and end results databases. CCS is a highly invasive type that mainly metastasizes to the lungs, followed by the bones and brain; however, pancreatic metastasis is relatively rare. It has a high probability of recurrence or metastasis and has a poor prognosis with a high mortality rate. Finally, even after recovery, it is fundamental to keep regular postoperative follow-up for CCS patients.

Pengaruh Kualitas Layanan terhadap Loyalitas dengan Kepuasan Nasabah sebagai Variabel Mediasi

Customer satisfaction has become a central concept in marketing theory and practice, and is one of the essential goals for business activities. Basically, customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction with a product or service will affect subsequent customer behavior. Customers who are satisfied will show a high probability of customers returning to use the same product or service. According to Syah (2021), satisfied customers also tend to provide good references to the product or service to others. Meanwhile, dissatisfied customers can cause negative attitudes towards the brand or manufacturer or service provider, even distributors, reduced likelihood of repeat purchases, brand switching, and various types of complaint behavior.

Leveraging wearable sensors and machine learning for posture-based detection of carpal tunnel syndrome

Abstract Carpal tunnel is associated with long-term use of the wrist and hand for various activities such as typing, welding, or poor working postures. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) may cause severe pain and discomfort in the hand and wrist, and in some circumstances, surgery becomes inevitable. The objective of this study is to prevent typing postures, which can be ascertained as predisposing subjects to CTS development. The data used in this study is an array of wrist wearable sensors to capture flexion, extension, and bending of fingers while using a keyboard or mouse. Machine learning is employed on the data in order to identify risk factors indicative of a high probability of CTS. The analyzed models are linear regression, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Multilayer Perceptron, Convolution Neural Network, and Long Short Term Memory. The conditions for assessing the performance of the data models include RMS error, coefficients of determination, and mean absolute percentage error. In this research, I conducted an exploratory data analysis (EDA) to gain an initial understanding of the dataset. Following the exploratory phase, I applied feature extraction techniques, specifically Principal Component Analysis (PCA). As put forward for the proposed research, the strategies to prevent risky occupations have broad potential at the present time, especially in the case of CTS when preventing repetitive wrist movements.

Scalable Clustering: Large Scale Unsupervised Learning of Gaussian Mixture Models with Outliers

Clustering is a widely used technique with a long and rich history in a variety of areas. However, most existing algorithms do not scale well to large datasets, or are missing theoretical guarantees of convergence. This paper introduces a provably robust clustering algorithm based on loss minimization that performs well on Gaussian mixture models with outliers. It provides theoretical guarantees that the algorithm obtains high accuracy with high probability under certain assumptions. Moreover, it can also be used as an initialization strategy for k-means clustering. Experiments on real-world large-scale datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm when clustering a large number of clusters, and a k-means algorithm initialized by the algorithm outperforms many of the classic clustering methods in both speed and accuracy, while scaling well to large datasets such as ImageNet.

The providing multidisciplinary ILD diagnoses (PROMISE) study – study design of the national registry of Japan facilitating interactive online multidisciplinary discussion diagnosis

BackgroundMultidisciplinary discussion (MDD), in which physicians, radiologists, and pathologists communicate and diagnose together, has been reported to improve diagnostic accuracy compared to diagnoses made solely by physicians. However, even among experts, diagnostic concordance of MDD is not always good, and some patients may not receive a specific diagnosis due to insufficient findings. A provisional diagnosis based on the ontology with a diagnostic confidence level has recently been proposed. Additionally, we developed an artificial intelligence model to differentiate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) from other chronic interstitial lung diseases (ILD)s, which needs validation in a broader population.MethodsThis prospective nationwide ILD registry has recruited patients with newly diagnosed ILD at the referral respiratory hospitals in Japan and provides rapid MDD diagnoses and treatment recommendations through a central online MDD platform with a 3-year follow-up period. A modified diagnostic ontology is used. If no diagnosis reaches more than 50% certainty, the diagnosis is unclassifiable ILD. If multiple diseases are expected, the diagnosis with a high probability takes precedence. If the confidence levels for the top two possible diagnoses are equal, the diagnosis can be unclassifiable. The registry uses tentative diagnostic criteria for nonspecific interstitial pneumonia with organising pneumonia and smoking-related ILD not otherwise specified as possible new entities. Central MDD diagnosticians review the clinical data, test results, radiology images, and pathological specimens on a dedicated website and conduct MDD diagnoses using online meetings with a cloud-based reporting system. This study aims to (1) provide MDD diagnoses with treatment recommendations; (2) determine the overall ILD rates in Japan; (3) clarify the reasons for unclassifiable ILDs; (4) evaluate possible new disease entities; (5) identify progressive phenotypes and create a clinical prediction model; (6) measure the agreement rate between institutional and central diagnoses in ILD referral and non-referral centres; (7) identify key factors for each specific ILD diagnosis; and (8) create a new disease classification system based on treatment strategies, including the use of antifibrotic drugs.DiscussionThis study will provide ILD frequencies, including new entities, using central MDD on dedicated online systems, and develop a machine learning model for ILD diagnosis and prognosis prediction.Trial registrationUMIN-CTR Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN000040678).

Using Survey Data to Estimate Intergenerational Mobility in Income and Education in Portugal

AbstractPrevious studies about intergenerational mobility for the Portuguese economy find that education and income persistence is very high in comparison with other developed economies. We construct relative, absolute, global and local measures of mobility for Portugal, comparing them with existing evidence for this and other countries. These are the intergenerational income elasticity (computed using the two-sample two-stage least squares method), income correlation, rank-rank slope, bottom to top income level probability, the share of individuals earning more than their fathers and also the intergenerational education correlation, the low to high education level probability, and the share of individuals with a higher education level than their fathers. We consider the 1968–1988 cohorts and the 1995 and 2019 waves of the European Community Household Panel and the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, respectively. Overall, based on the point estimates, women seem to present more mobility in income. Upward income mobility is verified at the bottom while persistence exists at the top. Women present a greater absolute educational mobility. More than 80% of individuals have a higher education than their fathers and full upward education mobility exists for children of low-educated fathers. Mobility in education is higher for the offspring of medium–high-income fathers. Individuals with a high education level, in the medium–high income level or with occupations requiring a higher education level show higher mobility.

Population dynamics of a desert riverine turtle, Pseudemys gorzugi, at the northern edge of its range

Estimating the key demographic parameters of animal populations can enhance our understanding of system dynamics and assist in developing and improving conservation decision–support models. The Rio Grande cooter Pseudemys gorzugi is a conservation reliant freshwater turtle native to lower Rio Grande River Basin (USA and Mexico), with limited knowledge regarding its natural history and population dynamics. In this study, we used seven years of capture–mark–recapture data from the northern edge of the species' range to estimate survival probabilities, changes in abundance, and the probability of transitioning between different size classes while explicitly accounting for the sampling process. We found relatively high survival probabilities across different strata, with large juveniles exhibiting the highest survival (0.98) and small juveniles the lowest (0.71). However, transition probabilities between strata were low, indicating slow somatic growth rates. Our pattern‐oriented modelling revealed a low overall mean estimate of egg survival (0.024), warranting further empirical confirmation. Our study provides the first comprehensive demographic analysis of P. gorzugi encompassing an array of size and sex classes. Overall, we consider the population of P. gorzugi in the Black River robust, highlighting the importance of this river system to the species' persistence in the northern extent of its range, where the population is isolated from its broader distribution. The demographic estimates and ecological insights provided by our study offer critical data for parameterizing decision‐support models to ensure that P. gorzugi conservation strategies are grounded in the best available science.

Drug-resistance characteristics, genetic diversity, and transmission dynamics of multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis from 2019 to 2021 in Sichuan, China

BackgroundMultidrug- or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (TB; MDR/RR-TB) is a significant public health threat. However, the mechanisms involved in its transmission in Sichuan, China are unclear. To provide a scientific basis for MDR/RR-TB control and prevention, we investigated the drug-resistance characteristics, genetic diversity, and transmission dynamics and analyzed the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients to identify risk factors for the acquisition of MDR/RR-TB in Sichuan, Western China.MethodsWhole-genome sequencing was performed using a sample comprised of all MDR/RR-TB strains isolated from patients with pulmonary TB (≥ 15 years) at the 22 surveillance sites in Sichuan province between January 2019 and December 2021, to analyze genotypic drug resistance and genetic diversity. Moreover, we performed statistical analyses of the epidemiological characteristics and risk factors associated with the transmission dynamics of MDR/RR-TB.ResultsThe final analysis included 278 MDR/RR TB strains. Lineage 2.2, the major sub-lineage, accounted for 82.01% (228/278) of isolates, followed by lineage 4.5 (9.72%, 27/278), lineage 4.4 (6.83%, 19/278), and lineage 4.2 (1.44%, 4/278). The drug resistance rates, ranging from high to low, were as follows: isoniazid (229 [82.37%]), streptomycin (177 [63.67%]), ethambutol (144 [51.80%]), pyrazinamide (PZA, 119 [42.81%]), fluoroquinolones (FQs, 93 [33.45%]). Further, the clofazimine, bedaquiline, and delamanid resistance rates were 2.88, 2.88, and 1.04%, respectively. The gene composition cluster rate was 32.37% (90/278). In addition, 83.81% (233/278) of MDR/RR-TB cases were determined to be likely caused by transmission. Finally, patients infected with lineage two strains and strains with the KatG S315T amino acid substitution presented a higher risk of MDR/RR-TB transmission.ConclusionTransmission plays a significant role in the MDR/RR-TB burden in Sichuan province, and lineage 2 strains and strains harboring KatG S315T have a high probability of transmission. Further, high levels of FQ and PZA drug resistance suggest an urgent need for drug susceptibility testing prior to designing therapeutic regimens. New anti-TB drugs need to be used standardly and TB strains should be regularly monitored for resistance to these drugs.

Prognostic Significance of Markers of Endothelial Dysfunction in Case of Severe Combined Blunt Abdominal Trauma

INTRODUCTION. In case of polytrauma, an imbalance occurs between substances produced by the endothelium, the rheological properties of the blood are disrupted, the content of procoagulants increases, the permeability of the vascular wall increases, which contributes to thrombus formation and increased tissue hypoxia, and subsequently to the development of multiple organ failure, and, of course, affects the course of traumatic disease, the development of complications and mortality. However, specific markers of endothelial dysfunction and their levels, by which it is possible to reliably predict the course of traumatic disease in severe combined closed abdominal trauma for the appropriate pathogenetic treatment have not yet been determined.AIM OF THE STUDY. To determine the significance of some markers of endothelial dysfunction (C-reactive protein, von Willebrand factor, the number of desquamated endothelial cells in the blood) in combined blunt abdominal trauma to predict the likelihood of complications and adverse outcomes.MATERIAL AND METHODS. The main group consisted of 31 patients with severe combined blunt abdominal trauma, the comparison group consisted of 5 patients operated on for large ventral hernias. All patients underwent blood tests for C-reactive protein, von Willebrand factor, the number of desquamated endothelial cells.RESULTS. The level of all three considered markers of endothelial dysfunction in severe abdominal trauma significantly differs from that in operated non-traumatized patients, which allows differential diagnostics to be made between abdominal wall contusion and damage to internal organs; extremely high values suggest an unfavorable course of traumatic disease and a high probability of a fatal outcome.CONCLUSION. Taking into account that the development of traumatic disease is based on damage to the vascular endothelium, it is necessary to consider as prognostic indicators changes in the level of activity of C-reactive protein, von Willebrand factor, desquamated endothelial cells in patients with severe combined blunt abdominal trauma.

A UUV Cluster Route-Planning Method for Dynamic Target Search

Aiming to address the problem of regional dynamic target search under weak communication conditions, this paper proposes a UUV cluster search method based on cumulative probability optimization. First, by estimating the probability distribution of the initial target location, an initial probability map is established. Then, based on the Bayesian model and Markov decision model, the target probability distribution is periodically updated, and based on the cumulative detection probability optimal principle of the UUV cluster, the UUV cluster is guided to search the region with high detection probability preferentially. Finally, we implement the simulation experiment and compare with the random search method. The results verify that the proposed method has higher search efficiency in the cases of without prior information and with prior information.

Intraday liquidity risk: based on microprudential and macroprudential regulatory perspective

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the effectiveness of current regulations on intraday liquidity risk through a comprehensive analysis using network structure and payment flow characteristics of China’s large-value payment system. Utilizing simulation and econometric methods, it examines the factors influencing the upper limit of liquidity levels required by payment system participants to satisfy real-time gross settlement (RTGS) and its tail distribution. The results of the study show that: (1) in a network topology, the characteristics of a node significantly affect its demand for intraday liquidity and its exposure to intraday liquidity risk; (2) microprudential regulation based only on individuals not only fails to achieve macroprudential regulatory objectives, but also fails to realize individual microprudential regulatory objectives, and at the same time, it reduces the efficiency of liquidity use; (3) reallocating intraday liquidity among participants based on systemic effects not only saves liquidity overall, but also achieves the macroprudential regulatory objective of liquidity at a high probability level. This study provides valuable theoretical and practical insights for regulators and financial managers, emphasizing the importance of effective regulation to prevent the evolution of intraday liquidity risk into systemic risk.

High PEEP with recruitment maneuvers versus Low PEEP During General Anesthesia for Surgery - a Bayesian individual patient data meta-analysis of three randomized clinical trials.

The influence of high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) with recruitment maneuvers on the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications after surgery is still not definitively established. Bayesian analysis can help to gain further insights from the available data and provide a probabilistic framework that is easier to interpret. Our objective was to estimate the posterior probability that the use of high PEEP with recruitment maneuvers is associated with reduced postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with intermediate-to-high risk under neutral, pessimistic, and optimistic expectations regarding the treatment effect. Multilevel Bayesian logistic regression analysis on individual patient data from three randomized clinical trials carried out on surgical patients at Intermediate-to-High Risk for postoperative pulmonary complications. The main outcome was the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications in the early postoperative period. We studied the effect of high PEEP with recruitment maneuvers versus Low PEEP Ventilation. Priors were chosen to reflect neutral, pessimistic, and optimistic expectations of the treatment effect. Using a neutral, pessimistic, or optimistic prior, the posterior mean odds ratio (OR) for High PEEP with recruitment maneuvers compared to Low PEEP was 0.85 (95% Credible Interval [CrI] 0.71 to 1.02), 0.87 (0.72 to 1.04), and 0.86 (0.71 to 1.02), respectively. Regardless of prior beliefs, the posterior probability of experiencing a beneficial effect exceeded 90%. Subgroup analysis indicated a more pronounced effect in patients who underwent laparoscopy (OR: 0.67 [0.50 to 0.87]) and those at high risk for PPCs (OR: 0.80 [0.53 to 1.13]). Sensitivity analysis, considering severe postoperative pulmonary complications only or applying a different heterogeneity prior, yielded consistent results. High PEEP with recruitment maneuvers demonstrated a moderate reduction in the probability of PPC occurrence, with a high posterior probability of benefit observed consistently across various prior beliefs, particularly among patients who underwent laparoscopy.

Adaptive sampling with tensor leverage scores for exact low-rank third-order tensor completion

Tensor completion aims at estimating the missing entries from the incomplete observation. Under the tensor singular value decomposition framework, the exact recovery of a low-tubal-rank third-order tensor could be achieved via convex optimization with high probability if the tensor satisfies the tensor incoherence condition. In this work, we show that, when the random selection of entries is made adaptive to a distribution which is dependent on the coherence structure of the tensor, any low-tubal-rank tensor of the size n×n×n with tubal-rank r can be exactly recovered with high probability from as few as O(rn2log2⁡(n)) randomly chosen entries. In practice, tensor leverage scores are not known a priori, and we design a two-phase adaptive sampling strategy to obtain the leverage scores. Numerical experiments on synthetic and real-world third-order tensor data sets are used to validate our theoretical results and illustrate that the tensor recovery performance of the proposed two-phase adaptive sampling scheme is better than that of the other state-of-the-art methods.

Epidemiological Evidence for Upper Respiratory Infections as a Potential Risk Factor for Meniere's Disease: A Korean National Health Sample Cohort Study.

Meniere's disease (MD) is a chronic inner ear disorder characterized by tinnitus, ear fullness, episodic vertigo, and fluctuating hearing loss, which significantly impacts quality of life and poses management challenges. Recent evidence suggests that upper respiratory infections (URIs) may contribute to MD's onset. This study examines the potential link between URIs and MD using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (2002-2019). We analyzed 19,721 individuals with MD and 78,884 matched controls, adjusting for demographic factors and comorbidities using propensity score matching. Our results showed that individuals with a URI within one year prior to the index date exhibited a 2.01-fold greater likelihood of developing MD (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.91-2.11, p < 0.001), while those with URIs within two years demonstrated a 1.54-fold higher probability (95% CI = 1.50-1.59, p < 0.001). Furthermore, we found that even remote URIs occurring up to two years before the index date significantly increased the risk of developing MD, underscoring the need for long-term patient follow-up. Overall, our study suggests that individuals with a history of URI may have an elevated risk of developing MD over multiple time frames, regardless of demographic or health profiles.

Lifetime effects and cost-effectiveness of statin therapy for older people in the United Kingdom: a modelling study

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) risk increases with age. Statins reduce cardiovascular risk but their effects are less certain at older ages. We assessed the long-term effects and cost-effectiveness of statin therapy...

Climate, altitude, yield, and varieties drive lodging in sugarcane: A random forest approach to predict risk levels on a tropical island

Lodging is a critical factor in reducing sugarcane yields worldwide, mainly due to the selection of highly productive varieties. Understanding the response of yield and lodging to the combined effects of climate, sugarcane traits, and varieties has become a priority under climate change. The aim of this study was to better understand the influence of plant characteristics, climate, and soil conditions on the trade-off between sugarcane yield and lodging on the tropical Reunion Island. Data from a 14-year experimental network run by the eRcane breeding institute were used to build random-forest models to predict sugarcane yield and lodging classes, i.e. <10 %, 10–50 %, >50 % of lodging. Yield and lodging probability were then predicted across the island using climate change projections from 2015 to 2035. Both yield and lodging were highly influenced by the variety and characteristics (height and tillering) and climatic conditions. Areas on the island at high altitudes were subject to high probability of lodging (>50 %), while in areas with high wind speed, the risk of moderate lodging (10–50 %) increased. Overall, conditions or plant characteristics that favor higher yields increased lodging probability. Nevertheless, the correlation between yield and lodging probability varied considerably depending on the variety, highlighting the importance of sugarcane characteristics in resistance to lodging. This study highlights the fact that promoting more productive varieties in recent decades has led to an increase in lodging and identified critical environments on the island prone to increased risk of lodging.

High Probability Bounds for Stochastic Subgradient Schemes with Heavy Tailed Noise]

High Probability Bounds for Stochastic Subgradient Schemes with Heavy Tailed Noise]

Assessing position changes of impacted third molars in treatment of class II malocclusion with premolars extraction.

Third molars (M3) remaining impacted in Class II malocclusion characterised with sagittal mandibular deficiency is a high probability. The null hypothesis of this study is that mesioangular M3s changes position through the eruption way inClass II malocclusion treatmentrequiring moderate anchoragewith four first premolars extraction.The aim of this study is to reconsider the decision to surgically extract impacted third molars in four premolars extraction treatment of Class II malocclusion. The materials consisted of the pre-treatment and post-treatment lateral cephalograms and orthopantomographs of 30 individuals with skeletal and dental Class II malocclusion with a mean chronological age of 13.48 years, who were treated by the same clinician (H.G.) with four first premolar extractions via the straight wire technique at the Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry Department of Orthodontics, Ankara, Turkey. The sagittal position of the upper and lower incisors and molars, M3position and M3space were evaluated with the paired-t test; the relationship between the sagittal position of the upper and lower incisors and molars and the change in M3position were evaluated with correlation analysis. Results: The study found the retroclination and mesial movement of the upper incisors and molars, and an increase in the M3space by the fixed orthodontictreatment. An insignificant steepening of both the upper right M3position and the lower right M3position was found. A statistically significant increase in the lower right and left side M3spaces was found. Positive correlations between lower right M3angulation and the sagittal position of the lower incisors and first molars were found. Improvement in the mesioangulation of the M3s and an increase in the M3space were achieved in this study. Based on the findings, it is useful to review the decision for prophylactic surgical extraction of the M3s before orthodontic treatment in such cases, taking into account the risks of postoperative complications.