Inter-class Comparisons Research Articles

Examining the Determinants of Poland’s Middle Class Life Satisfaction

Recent works suggest that the increasing income inequalities decreased the middle class size and threatened life satisfaction (LS). However, no such studies link LS with middle-income class problems. The present study aims to fill this gap and characterize LS across the middle-income class in Poland. The main novelties are the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) to measure LS of the middle-income class in Poland and the methodological approach based on classification-regression trees (CART) to identify the determinants of LS. The analysis is conducted on the new database obtained from the survey of members of the middle-income class in Poland divided into three subgroups: the lower-middle-income class, the mid-income middle class, and the higher-middle-income class. For comparison, the low-income and high-income classes were also considered. Based on the SWLS results, relatively low diversity in middle-income class LS was identified. However, the inter-class comparison revealed that LS increased with belonging to a higher income class. The CART results support the primary importance of economic conditions such as, for instance, wealth and the level of savings in determining the middle-income class LS and show that their effect depends on their characteristics like professional status.

An Experimental Evaluation of Anomaly Detection in Time Series

Anomaly detection in time series data has been studied for decades in both statistics and computer science. Various algorithms have been proposed for different scenarios, such as fraud detection, environmental monitoring, manufacturing, and healthcare. However, there is a lack of comparative evaluation of these state-of-the-art approaches, especially in the same test environment and with the same benchmark, making it difficult for users to select an appropriate method for real-world applications. In this paper, we present a taxonomy of anomaly detection methods based on the main features, i.e., data dimension, processing technique, and anomaly type and six inner classes. We perform systematic intra- and inter-class comparisons of seventeen state-of-the-art algorithms on real and synthetic datasets with a point metric commonly used in classification problems and a range metric specifically designed for subsequence anomalies in time series data. We analyze the properties of these algorithms and test them in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and robustness to anomaly rates, data sizes, number of dimensions, anomaly patterns, and threshold settings. We also test their performance in different use cases. Finally, we provide a practical guide for detecting anomalies in time series and discussions.

Predictors of Failed Spinal Arachnoid Puncture Procedures: An Artificial Neural Network Analysis.

Background Knowing the predicting factors for difficult neuraxial blocks might help better plan the procedure. This study aimed to determine the predictors of failed spinal arachnoid puncture procedures using artificial neural network (ANN) analysis. Methodology With approvals, prospectively collected data from 300 spinal arachnoid punctures in the operation theater of an academic institute having postgraduate anesthesia training were retrospectively evaluated. Fifteen variables from anthropo-demographic, spinal surface anatomy, procedure, and performers' experiences were fed as input for the ANN. A failed spinal arachnoid puncture procedure was defined as the requirement of more than three punctures, with three punctures but more than six passes, or if the performer handed over the procedure to another, considering it difficult after the second puncture. STATCRAFT v.2 software (Predictive Analytics Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, India) was used for ANN model generation. Considering the overfitting tendency of the ANN, Pr(>|z|) < 0.01 in the ANN was considered significant. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AuROC) curve of the ANN model and its sensitivity and specificity were also assessed. Significant factors with multiple gradings were also evaluated for their statistical significance across the grades or classes using INSTAT software (Graphpad Prism, La Jolla, CA, USA); a two-tailed P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results Interspinous process-based spine grade, performers' experience, and positioning difficulty were significant determinants of failed spinal arachnoid puncture procedures in the ANN model. The ANN model had an AuROC of 0.907, specificity of 0.976, and sensitivity of 0.385. The interclass comparison showed that increasing spinal grades and decreasing experiences were associated with increased pass and puncture. Conclusions The ANN model found the determinants of the failed spinal arachnoid puncture procedure well with good AuROC and specificity but poor sensitivity.

Universal relation for life-span energy consumption in living organisms: Insights for the origin of aging

Metabolic energy consumption has long been thought to play a major role in the aging process (Pearl, The rate of living. University of London Press, London, 1928). Across species, a gram of tissue expends approximately the same amount of energy during the lifespan on average (Speakman, J Exp Biol 208:1717–1730, 2005). Energy restriction has also been shown to increase the maximum lifespan (McCay et al. J Nutr 10:63–79, 1935) and to retard age-associated changes (Weindruch and Walford, The retardation of aging and disease by dietary restriction. CC Thomas, Springfield, 1988). However, there are significant exceptions to universal energy consumption during the lifespan, mainly found by interclass comparison (Ramsey et al. Free Rad Biol Med 29:946–968, 2000; Atanasov, Trakia J Sci 10(3):1–14, 2012). Here, we present a universal relation that relates lifespan energy consumption to several physiological variables, such as body mass, temperature and the ratio of heart rate to respiratory rate, which have been shown to be valid for sim 300 species representing different classes of living organisms, from unicellular organisms to the largest mammals. This relation has an average scattered pattern restricted to factors of 2, with 95% (2-sigma) of the organisms having departures of less than a factor of pi from the relation, despite the difference of sim 20 orders of magnitude in body mass, reducing any possible interclass variation in the relation to only a geometrical factor. This result can be interpreted as supporting evidence for the existence of an approximately constant total number {mathrm{N}}_{{mathrm{r}}} sim 10^8 of respiration cycles per lifetime for all organisms studied, effectively predetermining the extension of life through the basic energetics of respiration (quantified by {mathrm{t}}_{{mathrm{life}}} = mathrm{N}_mathrm{r}/mathrm{f}_{{mathrm{resp}}}); this is an incentive to conduct future studies on the relation of such a constant number {mathrm{N}}_{mathrm{r}} of cycles per lifetime due to the production rates of free radicals and oxidants or alternative mechanisms, which may yield definite constraints on the origin of aging.

Paranormal Experience Profiles and Their Association With Variations in Executive Functions: A Latent Profile Analysis.

This study investigated relationships between inter-class variations in paranormal experience and executive functions. A sample of 516 adults completed self-report measures assessing personal encounter-based paranormal occurrences (i.e., Experience, Practitioner Visiting, and Ability), executive functions (i.e., General Executive Function, Working and Everyday Memory, and Decision Making) together with Emotion Regulation and Belief in the Paranormal. Paranormal belief served as a measure of convergent validity for experience-based phenomena. Latent profile analysis (LPA) combined experience-based indices into four classes based on sample subpopulation scores. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) then examined interclass differences. Results revealed that breadth of paranormal experience was associated with higher levels of executive functioning difficulties for General Executive Function, Working Memory, Decision Making, and Belief in the Paranormal. On the Everyday Memory Questionnaire, scores differed on Attention Tracking (focus loss) and Factor 3 (visual reconstruction), but not Retrieval (distinct memory failure). In the case of the Emotion Regulation Scale, class scores varied on Expressive Suppression (control), however, no difference was evident on Cognitive Reappraisal (reframing). Overall, inter-class comparisons identified subtle differences in executive functions related to experience. Since the present study was exploratory, sampled only a limited subset of executive functions, and used subjective, self-report measures, further research is necessary to confirm these outcomes. This should employ objective tests and include a broader range of executive functions.

Prognostic performance of the 2017 World Workshop classification on staging and grading of periodontitis compared with the British Society of Periodontology's implementation.

The British Society of Periodontology (BSP) implemented a simplified version of the 2017 World Workshop Classification (WWC) on staging and grading of periodontitis, for use in UK clinical practice. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term (>10 years) prognostic capability of BSP's implementation (BSP-i) compared with the 2017 WWC, using periodontal-related tooth loss (TLP) as a disease outcome. Data on medical history, smoking status, and clinical periodontal parameters were retrieved from 270 patients who received non-surgical and surgical periodontal therapy from 1966 to 2007. Each patient received a baseline diagnosis according to the 2017 WWC and the BSP-i guidelines for implementation. Univariate multilevel Cox regression frailty models were performed to analyze the association between variables with TLP. A post-hoc comparison with Bonferroni correction was performed to analyze interclass comparisons. The prognostic performance of both systems was analyzed using Harrell C index. The prognostic performance of both systems was very similar (0.922 for the 2017 WWC and 0.925 for the BSP-i). The singular prognostic performance of BSP stage was slightly higher than that of 2017 WWC stage (0.9212versus 0.9188), while the 2017 WWC grade showed a slightly better performance than BSP grade (0.9175versus 0.9155). BSP-i's extent performed better than the 2017 WWC extent (0.9203versus 0.9098); however, in the 2017 WWC extent, the class "localized" was associated with a better prognosis than "generalized." The overall prognostic performance of the two systems was excellent, with both systems having a Harrell C index score of >0.92.

Paranormal Belief, Thinking Style and Delusion Formation: A Latent Profile Analysis of Within-Individual Variations in Experience-Based Paranormal Facets.

This study examined the degree to which within-individual variations in paranormal experience were related to belief in the paranormal, preferential thinking style, and delusion formation. A sample of 956 non-clinical adults completed measures assessing experience-based paranormal indices (i.e., paranormal experience, paranormal practitioner visiting, and paranormal ability), paranormal belief, belief in science, proneness to reality testing deficits, and emotion-based reasoning. Latent profile analysis (LPA) combined the experience-based indices to produce six underlying groups. Inter-class comparison via multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that both breadth and intensity of experiential factors were associated with higher belief in in the paranormal, increased proneness to reality testing deficits, and greater emotion-based reasoning. Belief in science, however, was less susceptible to experiential variations. Further analysis of reality testing subscales revealed that experiential profiles influenced levels of intrapsychic activity in subtle and intricate ways, especially those indexing Auditory and Visual Hallucinations and Delusional Thinking. Collectively, identification of profiles and inter-class comparisons provided a sophisticated understanding of the relative contribution of experiential factors to differences in paranormal belief, belief in science, proneness to reality testing deficits, and emotion-based reasoning.

In vitro Susceptibilities of Methicillin-Susceptible and Resistant Staphylococci to Traditional Antibiotics Compared to a Novel Fluoroquinolone

BackgroundTo assess the in-vitro efficacy of delafloxacin, a new fourth generation fluoroquinolone, against Staphylococcus vitreous isolates from patients with clinically diagnosed endophthalmitis. This is the first investigation of delafloxacin in ocular tissues.MethodsIntravitreal isolates of culture-proven S. aureus and S. epidermidis were identified between 2014 and 2018. Minimum inhibitor concentrations (MIC) were determined using ETEST strips. The antibiotic susceptibilities were tested against a panel of drugs including glycopeptides such as vancomycin, as well as traditional and newer fluoroquinolones (levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and delafloxacin).ResultsOf 45 total isolates identified between 2014 and 2018, 13% (6) were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), 9% (4) were methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), 53% (24) were methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis (MRSE), and 24% (11) were methicillin-sensitive S. epidermidis (MSSE). Among the fluoroquinolones, resistance rates were 61% for levofloxacin, 50% for moxifloxacin, and 12% for delafloxacin. Inter-class comparisons between delafloxacin and the two other fluoroquinolones demonstrated higher Gram-positive susceptibility to delafloxacin (p < 0.01). MIC90 values were lowest for delafloxacin (1.0 μg/mL) compared to levofloxacin (8.0 μg/mL) and moxifloxacin (8.0 μg/mL). Vancomycin was 100% effective against all isolates with MIC90 value of 0.75 μg/mL.ConclusionCompared to levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, the newer fluoroquinolone delafloxacin demonstrated the lowest MICs values and lowest rates of resistance for Gram-positive in-vitro S. epidermidis and S. aureus vitreous isolates.

A comprehensive in silico analysis of sortase superfamily.

Sortases are cysteine transpeptidases that assemble surface proteins and pili in their cell envelope. Encoded by all Gram-positive bacteria, few Gram-negative bacteria and archaea, sortases are currently divided into six classes (A-F). Due to the steep increase in bacterial genome data in recent years, the number of sortase homologues have also escalated rapidly. In this study, we used protein sequence similarity networks to explore the taxonomic diversity of sortases and also to evaluate the current classification of these enzymes. The resultant data suggest that sortase classes A, B, and D predominate in Firmicutes and classes E and F are enriched in Actinobacteria, whereas class C is distributed in both Firmicutes and Actinobacteria except Streptomyces family. Sortases were also observed in various Gram-negatives and euryarchaeota, which should be recognized as novel classes of sortases. Motif analysis around the catalytic cysteine was also performed and suggested that the residue at 2nd position from cysteine may help distinguish various sortase classes. Moreover, the sequence analysis indicated that the catalytic arginine is highly conserved in almost all classes except sortase F in which arginine is replaced by asparagine in Actinobacteria. Additionally, class A sortases showed higher structural variation as compared to other sortases, whereas inter-class comparisons suggested structures of class C and D2 exhibited best similarities. A better understanding of the residues highlighted in this study should be helpful in elucidating their roles in substrate binding and the sortase function, and successively could help in the development of strong sortase inhibitors.

Oral versus inhaled antibiotics for bronchiectasis.

Bronchiectasis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterised by a recurrent cycle of respiratory bacterial infections associated with cough, sputum production and impaired quality of life. Antibiotics are the main therapeutic option for managing bronchiectasis exacerbations. Evidence suggests that inhaled antibiotics may be associated with more effective eradication of infective organisms and a lower risk of developing antibiotic resistance when compared with orally administered antibiotics. However, it is currently unclear whether antibiotics are more effective when administered orally or by inhalation. To determine the comparative efficacy and safety of oral versus inhaled antibiotics in the treatment of adults and children with bronchiectasis. We identified studies through searches of the Cochrane Airways Group's Specialised Register (CAGR), which is maintained by the Information Specialist for the group. The Register contains trial reports identified through systematic searches of bibliographic databases including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, AMED, and PsycINFO, and handsearching of respiratory journals and meeting abstracts. We also searched ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO trials portal. We searched all databases in March 2018 and imposed no restrictions on language of publication. We planned to include studies which compared oral antibiotics with inhaled antibiotics. We would have considered short-term use (less than four weeks) for treating acute exacerbations separately from longer-term use as a prophylactic (4 weeks or more). We would have considered both intraclass and interclass comparisons. We planned to exclude studies if the participants received continuous or high-dose antibiotics immediately before the start of the trial, or if they have received a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF), sarcoidosis, active allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis or active non-tuberculous Mycobacterial infection. Two review authors independently applied study inclusion criteria to the searches and we planned for two authors to independently extract data, assess risk of bias and assess overall quality of the evidence using GRADE criteria. We also planned to obtain missing data from the authors where possible and to report results with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We identified 313 unique records through database searches and a further 21 records from trial registers. We excluded 307 on the basis of title and abstract alone and a further 27 after examining full-text reports. No studies were identified for inclusion in the review. There is currently no evidence indicating whether orally administered antibiotics are more beneficial compared to inhaled antibiotics. The recent ERS bronchiectasis guidelines provide a practical approach to the use of long-term antibiotics. New research is needed comparing inhaled versus oral antibiotic therapies for bronchiectasis patients with a history of frequent exacerbations, to establish which approach is the most effective in terms of exacerbation prevention, quality of life, treatment burden, and antibiotic resistance.

A Comparative Evaluation of Sealing Ability of New MTA Based Sealers with Conventional Resin Based Sealer: An In-vitro Study.

Root canal obturation is the most important step in the root canal treatment that aims to obtain a complete hermetic seal and to prevent the re-growth of microorganisms in the root canal system. To accomplish this, many endodontic obturation materials and sealers are being used. To evaluate and compare the apical microleakage of a resin based sealer; Adseal with Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) based sealers; Pro root MTA and MTA Fillapex. Total 75 extracted human single rooted teeth were taken and decoronated at cemento-enamel junction. The access cavities and biomechanical preparation were performed using endodontic rotary system. The teeth were randomly divided into five groups with n=15; Group I - Gutta-percha and Adseal sealer; Group II - Gutta-percha and MTA Fillapex; Group III- Gutta-percha and Pro root MTA; Group IV- Gutta-percha without sealer (positive control group); Group V- Root canal remained empty (negative control). All the specimens were stored at 37(0)C with 100% humidity for one week. All root surfaces except the apical 2mm were covered with two layers of nail varnish and then immersed in an aqueous solution of 2% methylene blue dye for 72 hours. Roots were longitudinally split using a diamond disk. Linear apical dye penetration was measured under Stereomicroscope at 40X magnification. The data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using paried t-test, ANOVA for interclass comparison, with SPSS statistical software (version 20.0). The intraobserver reliability was found to be insignificant in each of the triplicate study of all the three study samples. MTA Fillapex group showed maxmium apical microleakage followed by Pro root MTA and Adseal sealer. The results concluded that Adseal sealer showed minimal dye penetration followed by Pro root MTA and MTA Fillapex. Thus, concluding that Adseal sealer is better in apical sealing than Pro root MTA and MTA Fillapex.

Metabolism at the Max: How Vertebrate Organisms Respond to Physical Activity.

Activity metabolism is supported by phosphorylated reserves (adenosine triphosphate, creatine phosphate), glycolytic, and aerobic metabolism. Because there is no apparent variation between vertebrate groups in phosphorylated reserves or glycolytic potential of skeletal muscle, variation in maximal metabolic rate between major vertebrate groups represents selection operating on aerobic mechanisms. Maximal rates of oxygen consumption in vertebrates are supported by increased conductive and diffusive fluxes of oxygen from the environment to the mitochondria. Maximal CO2 efflux from the mitochondria to the environment must be matched to oxygen flux, or imbalances in pH will occur. Among vertebrates, there are a variety of modes of locomotion and vastly different rates of metabolism supported by a variety of cardiorespiratory architectures. However, interclass comparisons strongly implicate systemic oxygen transport as the rate-limiting step to maximal oxygen consumption for all vertebrate groups. The key evolutionary step that accounts for the approximately 10-fold increase in maximal oxygen flux in endotherms versus ectotherms appears to be maximal heart rate. Other variables such as ventilation, pulmonary/gill, and tissue diffusing capacity, have excess capacity and thus are not limiting to maximal oxygen consumption. During maximal activity, the ratio of ventilation to respiratory system blood flow is remarkably similar among vertebrates, and CO2 extraction efficiency increases while oxygen extraction efficiency decreases, suggesting that the respiratory system provides the largest resistance to maximal CO2 flux. Despite the large variation in modes of activity and rates of metabolism, maximal rates of oxygen and CO2 flux appear to be limited by the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, respectively.

Re: Prevention of postpartum hemorrhage and hysterectomy in patients with morbidly adherent placenta: a cohort study comparing outcomes before and after introduction of the Triple-P procedure. V.Teixidor Viñas, A. M.Belli, S.Arulkumaran and E.Chandraharan. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2015; 46: 350-355.

Linked Comment: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2015; 46: 350–355 In this study, Teixidor Viñas et al. propose a new conservative surgical approach (Triple-P procedure) aimed at reducing maternal morbidity in cases of morbidly adherent placenta (MAP). This technique allows reconstruction of the uterus after resection of the area invaded by placenta, thus avoiding hysterectomy and preserving fertility. They reported a significant reduction in postpartum hemorrhage, need for hysterectomy and number of days' hospital stay in women treated with Triple P compared with controls. Furthermore, they showed the feasibility of this approach even in cases with more severe forms of MAP, such as placenta percreta. Although the incidence of MAP has risen progressively in the last two decades, there is still uncertainty about the diagnosis and management of these anomalies. MAP is associated with the occurrence of several major maternal and fetal complications; its prenatal diagnosis has been shown to reduce the burden of associated morbidity, by allowing us to choose the best time and place for delivery. Different surgical strategies have been described; however, different clinical scenarios may present at surgery and there is no consensus about the optimal surgical approach1-3. Hysterectomy is presumed to be the gold standard for treatment in cases of MAP; however, even in expert hands this may be associated with significant maternal morbidity. Conservative management, with the placenta left in situ, may represent a reasonable option, especially when the diagnosis is made at the time of Cesarean section and no skilled team or hospital resources are available. However, this can be associated with severe long-term complications, such as hemorrhage, infections and risk of late hysterectomy, even months after the Cesarean section. The Triple-P procedure requires advanced skills, assisted training and a meticulous multidisciplinary approach, involving obstetricians, fetal medicine specialists, interventional radiologists and anesthesiologists, in order to plan surgery appropriately and safely. Therefore, it should be performed only in centers with high levels of expertise in the diagnosis and management of MAP. The study has several limitations, such as the small number of cases included, its retrospective design and the low statistical power, preventing an objective interclass comparison according to different maternal and pregnancy characteristics. Furthermore, the impact of interventional radiologist techniques, such as the occlusion of internal iliac arteries with balloon catheters, was not evaluated4. Although it is clear that the appropriate management of MAP depends upon multiple factors, such as accurate prenatal diagnosis, the availability of experienced interventional radiologist and anesthesiologist support, specific surgical skills and hospital resources, the optimal approach to these anomalies is far from established. Future prospective studies comparing the Triple-P procedure with hysterectomy in different clinical scenarios are needed in order to ascertain its short- and long-term effects on women's health and to improve prenatal counseling in cases of MAP.

Classification and comparison of NoSQL big data models

In the data science age, the decision-making processes are largely data dependent. Though, the concept of big data is in the midst of evolution with great research and business opportunities, the challenges are enormous and growing equally too. This motivates various scientific disciplines to conglomerate their efforts for deep exploration of all dimensions of big data to procure evolutionary outcomes. The existing data models are largely unable to illuminate the full potential of big data. The existing computation capacity falls short for the increasingly expanded storage capacity. The fast-paced volume expansion of the unorganised data entails a complete paradigm shift in new age data computation and witnesses the evolution of new capable data engineering techniques. In this paper, we provide the first level classification for some modern, leading NoSQL representatives. Also, the classification is further strengthened by the intra-class and inter-class comparisons and discussions of the undertaken models.

Comparison Study of Central Blood Pressure and Wave Reflection Obtained From Tonometry-Based Devices

Although tonometry-based devices have been applied in several population studies and clinical trials, the agreement between them remains unclear. Carotid systolic blood pressure (SBP) and augmentation index (AI) were randomly measured from 3 devices, SphygmoCor, PulsePen, and A-Pulse, in 66 consecutive patients from our ambulatory cardiovascular department. The study contains 2 phases: in Study 1, SphygmoCor and PulsePen were performed on each participant by 2 experienced physicians (n = 66); in Study 2, A-Pulse was added after the measurements of SphygmoCor and PulsePen and performed by another technician on the last 34 patients. Carotid SBP and AI measured by the 3 devices were strongly correlated (R ≥ 0.78; P < 0.001), but with significant discrepancies. Specifically, in 66 participants of Study 1, PulsePen estimated higher carotid SBP and AI by 5mm Hg and 5.7%, respectively, than SphygmoCor. In 34 patients of Study 2, A-Pulse estimated higher central SBP by 3.7 mm Hg than SphygmoCor, and lower central SBP by 5.7 mm Hg than PulsePen. However, no significant difference in interclass comparison was detected between the 3 devices (P ≥ 0.26). Furthermore, slopes of correlation plots of parameters between SphygmoCor and PulsePen were not significantly different from 1 (P ≥ 0.09), but were different in the case of A-Pulse (P ≤ 0.004). Tonometry-based devices were not consistent in measurements of central BP and wave reflections in clinical practice, with considerable and significant differences among them. However, in contrast to A-Pulse, SphygmoCor and PulsePen can probably assess similar cardiovascular risk for individuals, with a systematical discrepancy.

Diffusion weighted imaging study of chronic liver disease and liver function reserve

Objective To evaluate clinical application value of DWI and reservation of liver function in patients with chronic liver disease. Methods Thirty cases of healthy control group, and 60 case group with chronic liver disease,including both 30 chronic hepatitis B and 30 cirrhosis. liver function in case group was analysed by venous blood samples. Case groups were divided into three groups according to MELD score: ＜30 group in 27 cases, 30 to 36 group in 17 cases, ＞36 group in 16 cases. All cases underwent liver magnetic resonance DWI. Among the case group, 15 cases were followed-up twice of pre- and aftertreatment. DWI images were read, ADC values of liver parenchyma were measured and standardized with the cephalospinal fluid (CSF) at the same slice. Used SPSS 13.0 for windows to treat the data, group comparison of ADC values were treated by one-factor analysis of variance, interclass comparison each other by SNK method, comparison between pretherapy and post-treatment by paired-samples t test. Results Healthy liver parenchyma of the control group is homogeneous signal on DWI. ADC pseudo-color pictures showed green on the homogeneous areas. Slightly restricted area of chronic hepatitis B showed irregular scattered patchy in DWI images, 25 cases in right and left lobes, 5 cases only in right lobe of the liver. ADC pseudo-color pictures reaveled blue region in proliferation-constrained areas. Restricted areas of the liver parenchymal become more evident, also showed an irregular liver edge in 30 cases of cirrhosis. The standarized ADC average values were: the healthy group (0. 47 ±0. 02) × 10-3 mm2/s, chronic hepatitis B group (0. 37 ±0. 03) × 10-3 mm2/s, cirrhosis group (0. 36 ±0. 04) × 10-3 mm2/s( F =97.05,P ＜0. 05).The difference between healthy group and patients group was statistically significant (P ＜ 0. 05 ). No statistically significant difference between groups of chronic hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis ( P ＞ 0. 05 ).Average ADC values of MELD score among groups of ＜ 30, 30 to 36, ＞ 36 were ( 0. 38 ± 0. 02 ) ×10-3 mm2/s,(0.35 ±0.02) × 10-3 mm2/s, (0.32 ± 0.03) × 10-3 mm2/s respectively. There is a significant difference among the three groups (P ＜0. 05). After treatment, DWI of 15 patients with chronic liver disease showed reduction in restricted areas, and the average ADC value from pre-treatment (0. 33 ±0. 03) × 10-3 mm2/s increased to(0. 38 ±0. 03) × 10-3 mm2/s, MELD score from pre-treatment 36. 01 ±6. 00 reduced to 27. 83 ± 4. 86. Conclusion DWI of chronic liver disease showed patchy diffuse restricted areas; more severe of the liver cell damage was, more worse the liver function was and lower ADC values was. ADC values increased after effective treatment, liver function recoved and diffuse restricted areas of liver parenchyma reduced. Key words: Hepatitis,chronic; Liver cirrhosis; Magnetic resonance imaging

Effects of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome upon cardiac structure and function

To investigate the effects of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) upon cardiac structure and function of patients. According to apnea hypopnea index, 75 OSAHS patients were divided into three groups: mild (n = 25), moderate (n = 25) and serious (n = 25); according to the course of disease, < 5 years (n = 22), 5-10 years (n = 26) and > 10 years (n = 27). The control group included 25 healthy adults. All subjects received polysomnogram and echocardiography. The following parameters were recorded: aortic dimension, pulmonary artery inner diameter, chambers heart size, interventricular septal thickness, anterior wall thickness and movement extent of end-diastole right ventricle, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), shortening fraction (FS) and E/A ratio, etc. Pulmonary artery inner diameter of mild, moderate, serious and control groups were (21.4 +/- 2.5), (24.7 +/- 2.0), (26.7 +/- 2.1), (21.2 +/- 2.7) mm, right ventricle internal diameter (19.0 +/- 1.8), (22.0 +/- 2.1), (23.9 +/- 2.1), (18.9 +/- 1.8) mm, and anterior wall thickness of right ventricle (4.7 +/- 1.2), (6.5 +/- 1.3), (7.5 +/- 1.4), (4.1 +/- 1.0) mm. The moderate and serious groups were all higher than control and mild groups obviously (P < 0.01). The serious group was higher than the moderate group (P < 0.01). LVEF of four groups: (63.1 +/- 8.1)%, (60.0 +/- 10.2)%, (54.5 +/- 9.1)%, (63.6 +/- 7.7)%, FS: (38.1 +/- 4.3)%, (37.0 +/- 6.4)%, (33.6 +/- 5.4)%, (39.5 +/- 4.9)%, and E/A: (1.13 +/- 0.13), (0.96 +/- 0.16), (0.85 +/- 0.12), (1.28 +/- 0.15). LVEF and FS of the serious group were lower than those of the control, mild and moderate groups (P < 0.05). E/A ratio of the mild, moderate and serious groups were lower than the control group (P < 0.01). The interclass comparison of mild, moderate and serious groups had significant differences (P < 0.01). Right ventricle internal diameter, pulmonary artery inner diameter, anterior wall thickness of right ventricle of > 10 years group were higher than 5-10 years group obviously (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The 5-10 years group was higher than the < 5 years and control groups obviously (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). LVEF, FS, and E/A ratio of > 10 years group were lower than 5-10 years, < 5 years and control groups obviously (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). OSAHS causes structural and functional cardiac changes worsening with disease aggravation and course extension.

A new method for class prediction based on signed-rank algorithms applied to Affymetrix® microarray experiments

BackgroundThe huge amount of data generated by DNA chips is a powerful basis to classify various pathologies. However, constant evolution of microarray technology makes it difficult to mix data from different chip types for class prediction of limited sample populations. Affymetrix® technology provides both a quantitative fluorescence signal and a decision (detection call: absent or present) based on signed-rank algorithms applied to several hybridization repeats of each gene, with a per-chip normalization. We developed a new prediction method for class belonging based on the detection call only from recent Affymetrix chip type. Biological data were obtained by hybridization on U133A, U133B and U133Plus 2.0 microarrays of purified normal B cells and cells from three independent groups of multiple myeloma (MM) patients.ResultsAfter a call-based data reduction step to filter out non class-discriminative probe sets, the gene list obtained was reduced to a predictor with correction for multiple testing by iterative deletion of probe sets that sequentially improve inter-class comparisons and their significance. The error rate of the method was determined using leave-one-out and 5-fold cross-validation. It was successfully applied to (i) determine a sex predictor with the normal donor group classifying gender with no error in all patient groups except for male MM samples with a Y chromosome deletion, (ii) predict the immunoglobulin light and heavy chains expressed by the malignant myeloma clones of the validation group and (iii) predict sex, light and heavy chain nature for every new patient. Finally, this method was shown powerful when compared to the popular classification method Prediction Analysis of Microarray (PAM).ConclusionThis normalization-free method is routinely used for quality control and correction of collection errors in patient reports to clinicians. It can be easily extended to multiple class prediction suitable with clinical groups, and looks particularly promising through international cooperative projects like the "Microarray Quality Control project of US FDA" MAQC as a predictive classifier for diagnostic, prognostic and response to treatment. Finally, it can be used as a powerful tool to mine published data generated on Affymetrix systems and more generally classify samples with binary feature values.

Screening and detection of portal vein tumor thrombi-associated serum low molecular weight protein biomarkers in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Serum low molecular weight protein biomarkers might be important in relation to portal vein tumor thrombi (PVTT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to screen and to detect these biomarkers. We selected sera of 3 groups from 12 healthy volunteers, 12 HCC patients without PVTT and 12 HCC patients with PVTT, respectively. By using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) in which the first dimension was 16% SDS-PAGE, serum protein images of 3 groups were analyzed by Image Master Software. The differential protein spots were further identified by MALDI-TOF MS/MS. Compared with 12.5% SDS-PAGE gel, there were more protein bands between 3 and 20 kDa in 16% SDS-PAGE gel and low molecular weight (MW) protein spots (< 20 kDa) were clearly shown. Fifteen differential protein spots representing five proteins were found in the three groups by inter-class comparison and were then identified. Compared with the healthy group, apolipoprotein A-I, lipoprotein CIII, transthyretin and DNA topoisomerase II were down regulated in HCC groups while haptoglobin-2 was over expressed. All the five proteins were less in PVTT group than in non-PVTT group. The expression of low MW serum protein changes obviously in the beginning and progressive stage of HCC, and differentially expressed low MW proteins might be the potential biomarkers in early prognostication and surveillance of treatment for HCC and PVTT.

Organisation and structural evolution of the rice glutathione S-transferase gene family.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) comprise a large family of key defence enzymes against xenobiotic toxicity. Here we describe the comprehensive characterisation of this important multigene family in the model monocot species rice [ Oryza sativa(L.)]. Furthermore, we investigate the molecular evolution of the family based on the analysis of (1) the patterns of within-genome duplication, and (2) the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary divergence among rice, Arabidopsis, maize and soybean GSTs. By in-silico screening of the EST and genome divisions of the Genbank/EMBL/DDBJ database we have isolated 59 putative genes and two pseudogenes, making this the largest plant GST family characterised to date. Of these, 38 (62%) are represented by genomic and EST sequences and 23 (38%) are known only from their genomic sequences. A preliminary survey of EST collections shows a large degree of variability in gene expression between different tissues and environmental conditions, with a small number of genes (13) accounting for 80% of all ESTs. Rice GSTs are organised in four main phylogenetic classes, with 91% of all rice genes belonging to the two plant-specific classes Tau (40 genes) and Phi (16 genes). Pairwise identity scores range between 17 and 98% for proteins of the same class, and 7 and 21% for interclass comparisons. Rapid evolution by gene duplication is suggested by the discovery of two large clusters of 7 and 23 closely related genes on chromosomes 1 and 10, respectively. A comparison of the complete GST families in two monocot and two dicot species suggests a monophyletic origin for all Theta and Zeta GSTs, and no more than three common ancestors for all Phi and Tau genes.