Sampling Testing Research Articles

#6307 EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF PODOCYTHOPATHIES AND COLLAGENOPATHIES REDUCE UNNECESSARY MEDICATION FOR PATIENTS AND ECONOMIC BURDEN ON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Abstract Background and Aims Despite the efforts to improve guidelines on genetic testing of podocytopathies and collagenopathies, data on the economic burden of these diseases on healthcare systems is lacking, and economic studies have been identified as an unmet need. The lack of awareness about the genetic etiology can often lead to unnecessary procedures and treatments. We recently showed that many non-genomic examinations could be avoided using a “genetic-fist” approach. The aim of this study was 1)to quantify the healthcare resource utilization, including medications, and financial burden on the Healthcare System for the diagnosis of patients affected by collagenopathies and podocytopathies from real-life data 2)to evaluate the possible savings considering an early genetic testing. Method A collaborative network of regional nephrology centers was recently established by our group. Patients referred to our tertiary hospital for genetic testing from June 2014 to December 2022 were retrospectively enrolled in the study. All patients received a diagnosis of podocytopathy or collagenopathy; the length of follow-up was considered from the onset of symptoms to the genetic testing. Direct medical costs (medication use, in-hospital visits, invasive procedures, blood sampling, imaging studies, hospital admissions, and genetic tests) were collected from clinical records. Costs were calculated based on the Regional Health Reimbursement System, including supplies, staff, results reporting and overheads and expressed in euros. The costs were compared with those of “genomic first” approach (a basic panel of examinations according to guidelines followed directly by genetic testing for the final diagnosis (exome sequencing) to be done in one year follow-up. Results The study enrolled 43 patients (23 female), 22 with a diagnosis of podocytopathy and 21 with collagenopathy. Four patients were followed-up by more than one nephrology department from different hospitals. The median length of follow-up was 3.5 years (range 1–33 years). 20 patients were treated with steroids, with 9 receiving more than one course, while others were treated with cyclosporine, tacrolimus, MMF, rituximab, cyclophosphamide, or abatacept. 11 patients received renal replacement therapy during the follow-up, and 2 underwent a renal transplant (one patient underwent two transplants). Each patient underwent a mean of 13 blood drawings and urinalysis (mean 4 times/year/patient), with 39 patients undergoing at least one imaging study, most commonly a renal ultrasound. 26 patients underwent a renal biopsy (5 needed more than one biopsy). On average, each patient needed 7 in-hospital visits (2 visits/year/patient). Each patient underwent one genetic test, mainly exome sequencing, with 4 patients undergoing Sanger and 11 undergoing a gene panel. The economic costs related to medication during the follow-up were 98,252 euros (mean 698 euros/patient/year). In-hospital visits cost 4,125 euros, while hospital admissions for biopsy cost in total 68,138 euros. Blood exams and urinalysis cost 68,926 and 2,560 euros, respectively (mean 532 and 31 euros/patient/year). Imaging studies cost 9,023 euros (mean 83.5 euros/patient/year), and genetic testing cost 146,000 euros (1,540 euros/patient/year) for exome sequencing, 21,398 euros for gene panels, and 2,216 euros for Sanger sequencing. In total, we recorded expenses of 3,897 euros per patient per year of follow-up before the diagnosis. This was almost the amount of a basic panel of exams coupled with exome sequencing (3,878 euros); however, after the first year, the early genome sequencing approach is cost-saving since other medications and non-genomic examinations can be avoided. Conclusion This study highlights the substantial amount of unnecessary treatments and examinations the patients are exposed to in unsuspected genetic diseases with consequent economic impact on the Healthcare System. Early identification of these diseases can reduce this burden. These data are important for policy makers in resource allocation.

Toward Automated Field Ballast Condition Evaluation: Development of a Ballast Scanning Vehicle

Ballast plays an essential role in the response of a railroad track to repeated loading. Ballast degradation may lead to poor drainage, lateral instability, and excessive settlement. Extreme levels of ballast degradation may cause service interruptions and safety concerns. Therefore, ballast condition evaluation is of great importance in ensuring safe and efficient operations. Current state-of-the-practice evaluation methods are heavily dependent on visual inspection, field sampling, and laboratory testing, which are subjective and labor-intensive. Meanwhile, existing inspection systems for railroads have not been customized for conducting in-depth evaluation of the ballast layer, including determination of the level of fouling and aggregate size and shape characteristics. For this reason, there is an urgent need for the development of a novel, vison-based ballast scanning platform. This paper introduces the ballast scanning vehicle (BSV), an automated platform that acquires high-quality images, videos, and 3-D height maps of ballast from plan and profile views of cut sections and trenches. The BSV is capable of performing data analysis and generating accurate and comprehensive evaluations of ballast conditions through geotechnical analyses. The essential design components, prototyping, and development stages are described. Further, preliminary data collected from testing on two in-service railroad tracks behind a shoulder ballast cleaner are presented to validate the functions of the BSV. The fully developed BSV serves as a data collection device for ballast evaluation and provides continuous and high-quality images for a deep learning-based computer vision algorithm for field ballast condition evaluation and geotechnical analyses.

A SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a plastics manufacturing plant

BackgroundA SARS-CoV-2 outbreak with an attack rate of 14.3% was reported at a plastics manufacturing plant in England.MethodsBetween 23rd March and 13th May 2021, the COVID-OUT team undertook a comprehensive outbreak investigation, including environmental assessment, surface sampling, molecular and serological testing, and detailed questionnaires, to identify potential SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes, and workplace- and worker-related risk factors.ResultsWhile ventilation, indicated using real-time CO2 proxy measures, was generally adequate on-site, the technical office with the highest localized attack rate (21.4%) frequently reached peaks in CO2 of 2100ppm. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found in low levels (Ct ≥35) in surface samples collected across the site. High noise levels (79dB) were recorded in the main production area, and study participants reported having close work contacts (73.1%) and sharing tools (75.5%). Only 20.0% of participants reported using a surgical mask and/or FFP2/FFP3 respirator at least half the time and 71.0% expressed concerns regarding potential pay decreases and/or unemployment due to self-isolation or workplace closure.ConclusionsThe findings reinforce the importance of enhanced infection control measures in manufacturing sectors, including improved ventilation with possible consideration of CO2 monitoring, utilising air cleaning interventions in enclosed environments, and provision of good-quality face masks (i.e., surgical masks or FFP2/FFP3 respirators) especially when social distancing cannot be maintained. Further research on the impacts of job security-related concerns is warranted.

Water Pollution Monitoring Using RC Boat

Water is considered as a basic need for human in their daily life. It is needed in different situations including, at home, in agriculture, in industry and manufactures, in hospital etc. To survive in a good life the quality of water should be monitored on highly level frequently and efficiently. Water pollution can be caused by different factors including large number of people who move from rural environment to urban (as long as the city get more rising number of people the waste management become an issue therefore these can provoke pollution in environment), more industries that provide different kind of waste, erosion etc. Unsafe water could lead to different diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, cancer. Generally, the quality of fresh water is described by chemical, biological and physical content and methods used in monitoring the quality of water usually were Water Sampling, Test Sampling and Investigative Analysis. But these methods are performed by the scientists in laboratories, and are found that they are slow. In this project we proposed an affordable system design for monitoring the quality of waterremotely in river by using technology known as Internet of Things (IOT) and this technology provides the required results in real time. A prototype was designed and developed with the use of hardware component together with the software program for implementing this project. ESP32 microcontroller is used in this project data from the ph sensor, Turbidity sensor and Temperature sensor were directly send to the thingspeaks server for further investigation.

Agricultural Practices for Hillslope Erosion Mitigation: A Case Study in Morocco

In the last decades, the Rif area in Morocco has been frequently affected by soil erosion due to intense rainfall events. In order to help farmers improve their lives and avoid damages caused by this phenomenon, a management project (the MCA Project) aiming to grow fruit trees has been realized. The objective of this study was to evaluate, in three provinces of Morocco, the effect on the hydrological response of selected erosion control management techniques combined with olive tree plantations. The investigated variables were the final infiltration (If), the imbibition of rainwater (Pi), the runoff coefficient (Kr), and the soil detachment (D). In particular, for each investigated soil utilization, three replications of a rain simulation test (80 mm/h) and soil sampling were conducted. Results for surface conditions demonstrate that under vegetation in matorral and fallow, the surface is covered at more than 75% with a high content of organic matter (OM) at 4.5% and 2.6%, respectively. Despite the compaction observed in those land uses, the surface area opened exceeded 90% in the study area. Regarding the soils physical properties, they were rich in silt at more than 40%; the rate of porosity is high where bulk density is low. At the Taounate site, low porosity was at 62% in fallow and at 55% in plowing, with high densities of 1.01 g/cm2 and 1.2 g/cm2, respectively. Tests also demonstrate that vegetation has an important role in moisture conservation in the depths of 0 to 10 cm at all sites with macroagregate stability (MA%) compared to plowing sites. In terms of soil hydrology, vegetation reduces the runoff because, under matorral (it was at 0%), it avoids soil erosion.

SYMPATHETIC OVERDIVE IS RELATED TO HYPERTENSION DEVELOPMENT IN 3-YEAR FOLLOW-UP STUDY OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE

Objective: Assess the relation of blood pressure response to treadmill exercise test in subjects with high normal blood pressure (BP) while sympathetic overactivity assessed by muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) are linked with development of hypertension (HTN) in both genders. Design and method: 100 individuals with high normal BP were followed-up for 3 consecutive years. During enrolment they underwent ambulatory BP monitor (ABPM), electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram, sympathetic drive was assessed by MSNA, a negative for ischemia treadmill exercise stress test (Bruce protocol) and blood sampling. Follow-up was scheduled every 6 months for 3 consecutive years, where BP measurements were assessed in office and with ABPM. All participants offered lifestyle advise to lower their BP. Endpoint was development of HTN. Then they divided into males(M) and females(F) who remained normotensive or developed HTN. Results: 19 males(officeBP:134/85mmHg) and 21 females(officeBP:134/83mmHg) developed HTN. Both genders who developed HTN had higher night systolic BP (M:116vs111mmHg,p = 0.043, F:p = 0.007). Additionally, hypertensive women had higher office pulse pressure (50vs45mmHg,p = 0.03) and 24hour SBP(123vs119mmHg,p = 0.01). MSNA was higher for both hypertensive genders (M:33vs27burst/min,p < 0.0001 & F:36vs28burst/min,p < 0.0001). In both genders hypertensives developed hypertensive response to exercise (M:0.78vs0.04,p < 0.0001 and F:0.85vs0.27,p < 0.0001), exhibit greater increases of SBP at all stages of Bruce protocol (3min M:156vs148mmHg,p = 0.04, F:162vs145mmHg,p < 0.0001, 6min M:181vs165,p = 0.017, F:185vs158,p < 0.0001, peak M:208vs184,p < 0.0001, F:197vs173,p < 0.0001, peak SBP/MET-slope M:6.7vs5.0,p = 0.038, F:7.1vs3.8,p < 0.0001). Their maximum exercise heart rate was lower (M:158vs167bpm,p = <0.014 and F:153vs162bpm,p < 0.0001). Only hypertensive women exhibit echocardiographicly increased left ventricular mass index (81vs72 gr/m2,p = 0.006), left atrium diameter (3.7vs3.4mm p < 0.0001), intraventricular septum (0.94vs0.89cm,p = 0.007), isovolumic relaxation time (106vs80ms,p = 0.042) and decreased transmitral flow E/A (0.8vs1.0,p = 0.005). At their baseline ECG had longer P-wave duration (103vs94ms,p = 0.032) and QRS (88vs80ms,p = 0.018). Finally, the 2021 CKD-EPI GFR demonstrated a deterioration in women's renal function (87vs97, p = 0.009). Conclusions: In both men and women with high normal BP, MSNA identifies a state of increased sympathetic activation and exercise testing provides a prognostic value as a hypertension screening tool identifying a state of increased sympathetic drive which leads to development of hypertension. Moreover, women suffer a deterioration of kidney function as also an increase of heart's volume indicating an earlier target organ damage than men.

Key theoretical and technical issues and countermeasures for effective development of Gulong shale oil, Daqing Oilfield, NE China

Aiming at the four issues of underground storage state, exploitation mechanism, crude oil flow and efficient recovery, the key theoretical and technical issues and countermeasures for effective development of Gulong shale oil are put forward. Through key exploration and research on fluid occurrence, fluid phase change, exploitation mechanism, oil start-up mechanism, flow regime/pattern, exploitation mode and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) of shale reservoirs with different storage spaces, multi-scale occurrence states of shale oil and phase behavior of fluid in nano confined space were provided, the multi-phase, multi-scale flow mode and production mechanism with hydraulic fracture-shale bedding fracture-matrix infiltration as the core was clarified, and a multi-scale flow mathematical model and recoverable reserves evaluation method were preliminarily established. The feasibility of development mode with early energy replenishment and recovery factor of 30% was discussed. Based on these, the researches of key theories and technologies for effective development of Gulong shale oil are proposed to focus on: (1) in-situ sampling and non-destructive testing of core and fluid; (2) high-temperature, high-pressure, nano-scale laboratory simulation experiment; (3) fusion of multi-scale multi-flow regime numerical simulation technology and large-scale application software; (4) waterless (CO2) fracturing technique and the fracturing technique for increasing the vertical fracture height; (5) early energy replenishment to enhance oil recovery; (6) lifecycle technical and economic evaluation. Moreover, a series of exploitation tests should be performed on site as soon as possible to verify the theoretical understanding, optimize the exploitation mode, form supporting technologies, and provide a generalizable development model, thereby supporting and guiding the effective development and production of Gulong shale oil.

Diagnostic accuracy of endometrial sampling tests for detecting endometrial cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectivesTo determine the diagnostic accuracy of different endometrial sampling tests for detecting endometrial carcinoma.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis of studies of diagnostic accuracy.Data sourcesCochrane Library, MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and...

Simulation and experimental study of sediment sampling to improve sampling technique efficiency

Abyssal sediments are repositories of geological history and an important material basis for the study of marine biology, marine geology, paleoclimatology, and life evolution. Due to the interaction between sampler and sediments, the volumes of obtained sediment samples are commonly insufficient. Therefore, a sampling model and a numerical model calculation method are proposed to analyze the tubular sampling process in sediments. The sediments can be represented by non-Newtonian viscoplastic fluids, and sampling can be simulated using a dynamic grid technology in fluid calculation software. A three-dimensional flow field is dynamically simulated using the realizable k-ε turbulence model. The effects of structural parameters and working conditions on sample volume and sample rate were obtained. The results showed that when the drainage flow ratio is not greater than 3, drainage is sufficient. In order to improve sampling efficiency, the sample tube velocity should be maintained at 20 to 40 mm/s. By comparing the simulation to the laboratory sampling test and sea trials, absolute errors between 2.94% and 4.61% were revealed. This further verified that the sampling model can accurately reflect actual sampling scenarios. This findings provide a theoretical basis to optimize the structural design and parameters of samplers to achieve efficient sampling.

Clinical Utility of Tau Positron Emission Tomography in the Diagnostic Workup of Patients With Cognitive Symptoms

It is important to determine the added clinical value for tau positron emission tomography (PET) in the diagnostic workup of patients with cognitive symptoms before widespread implementation in clinical practice. To prospectively study the added clinical value of PET detecting tau pathology in Alzheimer disease (AD). This prospective cohort study (Swedish BioFINDER-2 study) took place from May 2017 through September 2021. A total of 878 patients with cognitive complaints were referred to secondary memory clinics in southern Sweden and then recruited to the study. In total, 1269 consecutive participants were approached, but 391 did not meet inclusion criteria or did not complete the study. Participants underwent a baseline diagnostic workup, including clinical examination, medical history, cognitive testing, blood and cerebrospinal fluid sampling, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, and a tau PET ([18F]RO948) scan. The primary end points were change in diagnosis and change in AD drug therapy or other drug treatment between the pre- and post-PET visits. A secondary end point was the change in diagnostic certainty between the pre- and post-PET visits. A total of 878 participants with a mean age of 71.0 (SD, 8.5) years (491 male [56%]) were included. The tau PET result led to a change in diagnoses in 66 participants (7.5%) and a change in medication in 48 participants (5.5%). The study team found an association with overall increased diagnostic certainty after tau PET in the whole data set (from 6.9 [SD, 2.3] to 7.4 [SD, 2.4]; P < .001). The certainty was higher in participants with a pre-PET diagnosis of AD (from 7.6 [SD, 1.7] to 8.2 [SD, 2.0]; P < .001) and increased even further in participants with a tau PET positive result supporting an AD diagnosis (from 8.0 [SD, 1.4] to 9.0 [SD, 0.9]; P < .001). The association with tau PET results had the largest effect sizes in participants with pathological amyloid-β (Aβ) status, whereas no significant change in diagnoses was seen in participants with normal Aβ status. The study team reported a significant change in diagnoses and patient medication when tau PET was added to an already extensive diagnostic workup that included cerebrospinal fluid AD biomarkers. Including tau PET was associated with a significant increase in certainty of underlying etiology. The effect sizes for certainty of etiology and diagnosis were largest in the Aβ-positive group and the study team suggests that clinical use of tau PET be limited to populations with biomarkers indicating Aβ positivity.

Water quality information for farmer decision making in the Nguturoa catchment, Manawatu

In 2021 a group of farmers and landowners along the Nguturoa Stream in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region began a study into water quality. The farmers felt that they needed precise information to establish their farming priorities for improving the waterway, and for monitoring the effects of making management changes. Monthly sampling and laboratory testing were carried out across the catchment and field tests werealso undertaken at the time of sampling. The results were compared to those in the Manawatū River, the ultimate receiving environment for the catchment. The results highlighted that throughout the year the water in the Nguturoa Stream had lower dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations than the Manawatū River, but it had higher organic nitrogen concentrations in most months. Almost all the phosphorus results were above those measured in the Manawatū River as were the turbidity results. On seven occasions the Nguturoa Stream had E.coli results above the standard in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020. Compared to the laboratory test results, the fieldtests that were used were found to be inconsistent and unreliable for catchment and farm management decision making. The results highlighted for the farmers that overland flow was a more important source of instream contamination than they expected, for nitrogen,phosphorus and E.coli as well as sediment.

Persistence follow-up of immune memory to hepatitis B vaccine among infants with non- and low-response to primary vaccination after revaccination with three doses

This study followed up the immune memory after 3-dose revaccination among infants with non-and low-response following primary hepatitis B (HepB) vaccination. About 120 children without self-booster doses were finally included who had anti-HBs<10 mIU/ml (anti-HBs negative) at the time of follow-up, of whom 86 children completed blood sampling and anti-HBs testing. Before the challenge dose, all 86 children were negative for anti-HBs, and the GMC of anti-HBs was<10 mIU/ml. The seropositive conversion rate of anti-HBs was 100% and the GMC of anti-HBs was 886.11 (95%CI: 678.15-1 157.84) mIU/ml after the challenge dose. Compared with those with GMC<7 mIU/ml before the challenge dose, infants with GMC>7 mIU/ml had a higher anti-HBs level after the challenge dose. The β value (95%CI) was 0.82 (0.18-1.46) (P=0.012). Compared with those with GMC<1 000 mIU/ml at primary vaccination, infants with GMC≥1 000 mIU/ml had a higher anti-HBs level after the challenge dose. The β value (95%CI) was 0.78 (0.18-1.38)(P=0.012). The results showed a stronger immune memory was found at 9 years after revaccination among infants with non-and low-response to HepB.

Geotechnical Zoning for the Construction of an Irrigation District in the Department of Atlántico - Colombia

For the construction of an irrigation district, the geotechnical conditions of the existing soils in the municipality of Ponedera (Atlántico, Colombia) were analyzed, by means of manual sampling and standard permeability test (SPT). This information was processed in a database for analysis. The soil types were obtained, most of which were classified as inorganic clays and silts (CL and ML), to a lesser extent, silty and clayey sands (SM and SC), and maps of soil types zoning and allowable capacity were drawn in GIS. No water table was found in the investigated soil area. Following the guidelines of the Colombian Earthquake Resistant Regulation (NSR-10) and the RAS, the usefulness for future studies has been concluded. Finally, the soil explored can support load capacities at a depth of 3.0 m of 31.8 ton/m2.

Smart hydrogel structure for microbiome sampling in gastrointestinal tract

Various microbiomes exist in the human body, however, there is an increasing research interest in the microbiomes present in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and related diseases of the human body. In general, a healthy human body can maintain a certain balance in the microbiome of the GI tract. A condition, wherein the microbiome becomes imbalanced, is called “dysbiosis”, and it can increase the probability of diseases in the body, especially in the GI tract. Therefore, various methods of sampling and analyzing the microbiomes have been proposed to diagnose dysbiosis. However, it is difficult to apply the existing methods to the various environments of the GI tract. To overcome this limitation, we propose a smart hydrogel structure for microbiome sampling in the GI tract. The proposed hydrogel structure comprises a core containing magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) where microbiome sampling occurs and two protection layers (cellulose stearoyl esters (CSEs) and myristic acid (MA)) that protect the hydrogel structure from the external environment and allow sampling at the desired location. The hydrogel structure can be taken orally owing to its small size; and because it contains MNPs, it is possible to target and sample the microbiome at the desired location and retrieve the hydrogel structure after sampling via external magnetic actuation. The hydrogel structure is heated by an alternating magnetic field (AMF) so that the microbiome sampling can be actively initiated from the outside. The basic performance of the hydrogel structure was analyzed through various characterizations and fundamental tests. Further, the microbiome sampling tests using the hydrogel structure were performed in in-vitro and ex-vivo environments, and its microbiome sampling performances were verified through various analysis methods, such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), confocal, and 16 s rRNA sequencing. Consequently, the proposed hydrogel structure can be applied as a microbiome sampling device for the GI tract, which can be a useful method for diagnosing dysbiosis.

Newly developed green technology innovations in business: paving the way toward sustainability

PurposeThis study’s goal is to research and describe developing green technology and green business models, as well as their commercial advantages. However, it focuses on how old business breakthroughs and models may be transformed into new green technologies and innovations that can affect the global business environment. This research concentrates on the technology component of green technologies and provides information on a variety of relevant emerging green business models and innovations such as energy efficiency, renewable energy consumption, commodities and systems, environmental protection, nontoxic materials, and waste minimization, among others. Additionally, this research connects Emerging Green Technology (EGT) innovations to the business for sustainability. It also emphasizes the advantages of green technology adoption in business specially in developing economies.Design/methodology/approachFor that purpose, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was performed based on the “inclusion/exclusion criteria” and “PRISMA flow diagram method”. The first screening and quality evaluation rejected 67 publications, 8 in eligibility and 10 in credibility. In the subsequent round, 45 papers out of 210 that met the search parameters were included to access the findings.FindingsThis study provides a foundation for future research into sustainable economic potential by examining the development, breakthroughs, obstacles, future trends and new research prospects of EGTs. As such, this research will serve as a helpful resource for economically growing nations looking to foster long-term growth in their businesses through sustainable development strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThe first limitation of the study is the generalization of the findings. The sample size of the study is limited. For that purpose, an SLR and “PRISMA flow diagram” methods were performed by “inclusion/exclusion criteria” for literature review. Except these, there are many new techniques of SLR. Further research with more sampling and sophisticated tests could produce better results for this study.Practical implicationsThis research provides valuable insights for businesses and politicians seeking to protect the environment, promote economic growth and create a sustainable society. The findings will be particularly useful for emerging nations grappling with issues related to technical innovation, safe environmental practices, reliable renewable energy sources, and ecological and economic growth.Originality/valueThis study’s findings will aid in the design and implementation of new green technology and innovations in current businesses, which will assist in limiting climate change and eventually affect their move to sustainable growth paradigms. For emerging nations, this study will be useful in addressing issues about technical innovation, safe environmental conditions, reliable renewable energy sources as well as ecological and economic growth. According to our research results, the authorities of developing nations would gain from utilizing green business models and technology to spur economic development. Our findings should thus add to the current body of knowledge.

Automated Dashboards for the Identification of Pathogenic Circulating Tumor DNA Mutations in Longitudinal Blood Draws of Cancer Patients.

The longitudinal monitoring of patient circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) provides a powerful method for tracking the progression, remission, and recurrence of several types of cancer. Often, clinical and research approaches involve the manual review of individual liquid biopsy reports after sampling and genomic testing. Here, we describe a process developed to integrate techniques utilized in data science within a cancer research framework. Using data collection, an analysis that classifies genetic cancer mutations as pathogenic, and a patient matching methodology that identifies the same donor within all liquid biopsy reports, the manual work for research personnel is drastically reduced. Automated dashboards provide longitudinal views of patient data for research studies to investigate tumor progression and treatment efficacy via the identification of ctDNA variant allele frequencies over time.

Application of UAV Push-Broom Hyperspectral Images in Water Quality Assessments for Inland Water Protection: A Case Study of Zhang Wei Xin River in Dezhou Distinct, China

A water quality parameter retrieval scheme based on the UAV push-broom hyperspectral images was designed and validated for assessing the ecological health of Zhang Wei Xin River in Dezhou distinct, China. First, a UAV carrying a push-broom hyperspectral imager that is lightweight and has a small size was used to acquire high spatial and hyperspectral resolution images. Then, the mosaicked reflectance data of the whole river were produced by a seamless image mosaicking method with high geometrical accuracy and spectral fidelity. Next, the in-field measurements of different parameters and the corresponding spectral reflectance from the mosaicked images at the sampling points were used to build the water quality parameter retrieval models for total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (Chla), and total suspended solids (TSS). To validate the model, the retrieval results of the testing sampling points were compared with the measured parameters. The coefficients of determination R2 of TP, Chla, and TSS were 0.886, 0.918, and 0.968, respectively. The retrieved TP, Chla, and TSS maps showed that the water pollution of Zhang Wei Xin River is serious, the total phosphorus exceeds the standard, and the water body is in a state of eutrophication. The UAV-based hyperspectral remote sensing technique provides a cost-effective method for inland water monitoring at a local scale with high accuracy.

Pengaruh Likuiditas, Profitabilitas, Kebijakan Utang dan Pertumbuhan Penjualan terhadap Penghindaran Pajak

The purpose of this study is to determine the determinants of tax avoidance such as liquidity, profitability, leverage and sales growth. This study utilizes information taken from the financial statements of manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange using a purposive sampling test method that meets the research criteria. The research period was taken for 6 years with a total of 330 data from 55 entities in the manufacturing sector. This study utilizes multiple linear analysis methods with secondary data types. The results of the study show that there is a simultaneous influence between liquidity, profitability, debt policy and sales growth on tax avoidance, there is no relationship between liquidity and tax avoidance, there is a negative relationship between profitability and tax avoidance, there is a positive relationship between debt policy and tax avoidance. positive sales growth on tax avoidance.

Robust sensitivity analysis to uncertainties in environmental and socio-economic scenarios: A perspective from a global socio-ecological system model

Uncertainties exist in modelling and simulating complex socio-ecological systems due to unknown, unmeasurable, and uncontrollable occurrence probabilities of future conditions, which are often expressed through multiple representative future scenarios. The sensitivities of uncertain scenario parameters that comprise these scenarios may be different under different scenarios. To largely reduce unnecessary efforts of refining insensitive parameters, it is helpful to identify scenario parameters that remain sensitive in all plausible future scenarios. Based on a well-established global socio-ecological system model—Functional Enviro-economic Linkages Integrated neXus (FeliX), this study conducted robust sensitivity analyses of the scenario parameters that defined five representative environmental and socio-economic scenarios. The study explored their sensitivities on eco-environmental carrying capacity represented by six planetary boundary (PB) indicators. A three-step method was proposed for these analyses. First, an uncertainty analysis was adopted to explore the impacts of uncertain scenario parameters on PB indicators in each scenario using the Latin hypercube sampling and nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Second, a sensitivity analysis was utilized to quantify the global sensitivity of each parameter using the Extended Fourier Transform Sensitivity Test (eFAST). Third, we conducted a robust sensitivity analysis and identified 12 common sensitive parameters that remained sensitive under all five scenarios by combining the eFAST's results according to four decision criteria representing different decision preferences. This study provides a better understanding of the sensitivity of scenario parameters on PB indicators influenced by future uncertainties across five representative scenarios in a complex socio-ecological system modelled by FeliX. The findings make it easier to improve and apply FeliX or other socio-ecological system models by focusing on key parameters and understanding important linkages of sectors in socio-ecological systems.

A Systematic Review of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Epidemiology and Health Outcomes in Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals

A Systematic Review of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Epidemiology and Health Outcomes in Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals