Maximum Likelihood Estimation for the Pooled Repeated Partly Interval-Censored Observations Logistic Regression Model

Often in longitudinal studies, some subjects complete their follow-up visits, but others miss their visits due to various reasons. For those who miss follow-up visits, some of them might learn that the event of interest has already happened when they come back. In this case, not only are their event times interval-censored, but also their time-dependent measurements are incomplete. This problem was motivated by a national longitudinal survey of youth data. Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method based on expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is used for parameter estimation. Then missing information principle is applied to estimate the variance-covariance matrix of the MLEs. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed method works well in terms of bias, standard error, and power for samples of moderate size. The national longitudinal survey of youth 1997 (NLSY97) data is analyzed for illustration.

Utility of Pooled HIV RNA RT-PCR Assay in Diagnosing Acute HIV Infections

The P24 antigen test, HIV RNA PCR test, HIV isolation/culture and fourth-generation HIV uniform Ag/Ab assay are being utilized in diagnosing acute HIV infection in different labs. Many factors limit the use of screening for acute HIV in high-risk populations, in blood donors and during voluntary HIV testing, including, cost, technique, sensitivity and specificity. In this review we explore a new NAAT method which involves HIV RNA RT-PCR on pooled samples. This technique is able to screen for acute infections in a large testing volume and may be used as a screening method in high-risk populations and blood donors.

Increasing Detection and Confirmation of Tuberculosis in Children in Southern Ethiopia: Pooled Samples Tested Using Microscopy and Xpert

Background: Childhood tuberculosis accounts for about 10% of estimated TB cases in the world. Despite advances in diagnostics, childhood TB remains a challenge. We evaluated pooling method and testing with GeneXpert MTB/RIF in southern Ethiopia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in presumptive TB children st, 2nd and pooled samples. Results: Of 340 presumptive TB cases enrolled, 96 and 244 children submitted gastric aspirate and sputum samples respectively. Of 1020 samples collected (282 gastric aspirate and 738 sputum samples), 38 (3.7%) were positive by Xpert (10 (3.5%) from gastric aspirate and 28 (3.8%) from sputum sample). Similarly, 8 (1.2%) of sputum samples were positive by ZN but none from gastric aspirate. Of 244 children who submitted sputum samples, 3 (1.2%) were bacteriologically positive compared to 12 (4.9%) by Xpert. Of 96 children who submitted gastric aspirate samples, none were positive by ZN while 5 (5.2%) were positive by Xpert. Of bacteriologically confirmed TB cases 0.9% was by ZN and 4.7% by Xpert, an increase of 3.8%. Pooled testing increased positivity by 0.3% for ZN and 1.5% by Xpert compared to the 1st sample. Conclusions: Xpert MTB/RIF testing increases yield compared to ZN testing for gastric aspirate samples. The same-day approach and pooling samples improves efficient use of cartridge, reduce the number of visits for seeking diagnosis and save resources.

Impact of Olaparib for Maintenance Monotherapy on Survival in Breast and Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis of Published Trials

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of Olaparib, a PARP inhibitor on progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS) in patients with breast and ovarian cancer. Methods: Research data from clinical trials through PubMed, Science Citation Index, Elsevier Science Direct and Cochrane Library of all published studies exploring the PFS, ORR or OS of Olaparib for maintenance monotherapy on survival in breast and ovarian cancer were analysed. Pooled estimates of the ORR, weighted medians of PFS and OS from all Olaparib were calculated. Assessment of quality and level of evidence was assigned by Cochrane guidelines and guidelines of Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Results: Data of 893 patients (731 olaparib;162 control) from 6 trials, 2 randomised controlled trials and 4 non-randomised trials, were included. The overall median weighted PFS and OS in patients treated with Olaparib were 5.9 and 19.1 months, respectively. The pooled ORR was 25%. Olaparib showed a greater effect on PFS in patients with both wild-type BRCA and BRCA mutant gene. The most common toxicity were nausea and vomiting. Conclusions: Olaparib as maintenance monotherapy for breast and ovarian cancer is associated with promising outcomes including increased response rate and improved PFS. Its potential in clinical application is needed for further investigation in phase III trials.

Pooled Sputum for Xpert MTB/RIF Testing: A Cost-Saving Strategy in Mwanza, Tanzania

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics, such as Xpert MTB/RIF, is still limited by cost. Testing of pooled samples from presumptive TB patients has been thought as a cost-saving strategy to diagnose TB. We assessed the utility and cost-saving of pooled Xpert MTB/RIF testing strategy for the diagnosis of TB in Mwanza, Tanzania. Methods: Sputum samples from Presumptive TB patients were submitted to TB laboratory for routine diagnosis of TB using Xpert MTB/RIF. The TB results from the individual sputum samples were used as the reference standard and were concealed to the investigating laboratory technicians. The remainder of samples were collected serially and were pooled (5 samples per pool) for testing. The agreement of the results between individual sample testing against pooled sample testing and cost-savings was assessed. Results: A total of 250 sputum samples from presumptive TB patients were analyzed and 50 pools were made with each pool containing 5 samples. Of the 50 sputum pools made, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) was detected in 17 (34.0%) pools. Results from the individual sputum samples MTB/RIF testing were retrieved for all 250 samples and there were 28 (11.2%) samples in which MTB was detected whereas 222 (88.8%) samples had no MTB detected. Following re-analysis of positive pools, all 28 (100%) individual positive MTB samples were detected within the 17 positive pools, with 1 to 3 individual MTB positive samples per pool. The individual sputum samples were correctly identified by pooled sputum on Xpert MTB/RIF testing, with the sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100%. Using pooling of sputum samples strategy, we saved 46.0% (115/250) of the cartridges. Conclusion: The pooled sputum testing strategy reduced cartridge costs by 46.0% and has the potential to increase the affordability of Xpert MTB/RIF testing in countries with limited resources, such as Tanzania.

Comparative Study on 4 EIA Kits for Screening Antibody to Hepatitis C Virus in Pooled Sera

Four enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test kits, 1 Canadian product and 3 Chinese products,were used in the comparative study. Each pool consisted of 5 sera, and the 5 single sera were tested as controls. The tests were carried out according to the instructions, keeping the same dilution of each serum in single and pool samples. It was found that with the Canadian kit,the positive and negative results of opled sera had no difference from that of the controls (P>0. 10). In the case of Chinese Yali and Kehua kits, the positive results of pooled sera showed no difference from the controls (P >0. 10), but the optical density (OD) of negative opls were increased (P < 0. 01 ), though quite distant from the cut-off values. In the case of Changzheng kit, the OD of opitive opls were significantly lower than those of the controls (P < 0. 05 ), and weak positive samples missed the detection. However this problem could be overcome by blocking the microwells beforehand. Our experiment demonstrate that not all EIA test kits are suitable for screening opls for antithey to hepatitis C virus, and that it is important to assess the sensitivity of the EIA kit to be used for this purpose.

Game theory attack pricing for mining pools in blockchain-based IoT

The malicious mining pool can sacrifice part of its revenue to employ the computing power of blockchain network.The employed computing power carries out the pool mining attacks on the attacked mining pool.To realize the win-win game between the malicious mining pool and the employee,the paper proposes an Employment Attack Pricing Algorithm(EAPA)of mining pools in blockchain based on game theory.In the EAPA,the paper uses mathematical formulas to express the revenue of malicious mining pools under the employment attack,the revenue increment of malicious mining pools,and the revenue of the employee.It establishes a game model between the malicious mining pool and the employee under the employment attack.Then,the paper proposes an optimal computing power price selection strategy of employment attack based on model derivation.In the strategy,the malicious mining pool analyzes the conditions for the employment attack,and uses the derivative method to find the optimal utilization value of computing power,employees analyze the conditions for accepting employment,and use the derivative method to find the optimal reward value of computing power.Finally,the strategy finds the optimal employment computing power price to realize Nash equilibrium between the malicious mining pool and the employee under the current computing power allocation.The simulation results show that the EAPA could find the employment computing power price that realizes the win-win game between the malicious mining pool and the employee.The EAPA also maximizes the unit computing power revenue of employment and the unit computing power revenue of honest mining in malicious mining pool at the same time.The EAPA outperforms the state-of-the-art methods such as SPSUCP,DPSACP,and FPSUCP.

A Pooling Method Developed for Use in Convolutional Neural Networks

In convolutional neural networks,pooling methods are used to reduce both the size of the data and the number of parameters after the convolution of the models.These methods reduce the computational amount of convolutional neural networks,making the neural network more efficient.Maximum pooling,average pooling,and minimum pooling methods are generally used in convolutional neural networks.However,these pooling methods are not suitable for all datasets used in neural network applications.In this study,a new pooling approach to the literature is proposed to increase the efficiency and success rates of convolutional neural networks.This method,which we call MAM(Maximum Average Minimum)pooling,is more interactive than other traditional maximum pooling,average pooling,and minimum pooling methods and reduces data loss by calculating the more appropriate pixel value.The proposed MAM pooling method increases the performance of the neural network by calculating the optimal value during the training of convolutional neural networks.To determine the success accuracy of the proposed MAM pooling method and compare it with other traditional pooling methods,training was carried out on the LeNet-5 model using CIFAR-10,CIFAR-100,and MNIST datasets.According to the results obtained,the proposed MAM pooling method performed better than the maximum pooling,average pooling,and minimum pooling methods in all pool sizes on three different datasets.

Effects of pooling,specialization,and discretionary task completion on queueing performance

Pooling,unpooling/specialization,and discretionary task completion are typical operational strategies in queueing systems that arise in healthcare,call centers,and online sales.These strategies may have advantages and disadvantages in different operational environments.This paper uses the M/M/1 and M/M/2 queues to study the impact of pooling,specialization,and discretionary task completion on the average queue length.Closed-form solutions for the average M/M/2 queue length are derived.Computational examples illustrate how the average queue length changes with the strength of pooling,specialization,and discretionary task completion.Finally,several conjectures are made in the paper.

Bayesian partial pooling to reduce uncertainty in overcoring rock stress estimation

The state of in situ stress is a crucial parameter in subsurface engineering,especially for critical projects like nuclear waste repository.As one of the two ISRM suggested methods,the overcoring(OC)method is widely used to estimate the full stress tensors in rocks by independent regression analysis of the data from each OC test.However,such customary independent analysis of individual OC tests,known as no pooling,is liable to yield unreliable test-specific stress estimates due to various uncertainty sources involved in the OC method.To address this problem,a practical and no-cost solution is considered by incorporating into OC data analysis additional information implied within adjacent OC tests,which are usually available in OC measurement campaigns.Hence,this paper presents a Bayesian partial pooling(hierarchical)model for combined analysis of adjacent OC tests.We performed five case studies using OC test data made at a nuclear waste repository research site of Sweden.The results demonstrate that partial pooling of adjacent OC tests indeed allows borrowing of information across adjacent tests,and yields improved stress tensor estimates with reduced uncertainties simultaneously for all individual tests than they are independently analysed as no pooling,particularly for those unreliable no pooling stress estimates.A further model comparison shows that the partial pooling model also gives better predictive performance,and thus confirms that the information borrowed across adjacent OC tests is relevant and effective.

Effect of the Geometrical Parameter of OpenMicrochannel on Pool Boiling Enhancement

High heat dissipation is required for miniaturization and increasing the power of electronic systems.Pool boiling is a promising option for achieving efficient heat dissipation at low wall superheat without the need for moving parts.Many studies have focused on improving heat transfer efficiency during boiling by modifying the surface of the heating element.This paper presents an experimental investigation on improving pool boiling heat transfer using an open microchannel.The primary goal of this work is to investigate the impact of the channel geometry characteristics on boiling heat transfer.Initially,rectangular microchannels were prepared on a circular copper test piece with a diameter of 20 mm.Then,the boiling characteristics of these microchannels were compared with those of a smooth surface under saturated conditions using deionized water.In this investigation,a wire-cutting electrical discharge machine(EDM)machine was used to produce parallel microchannels with channel widths of 0.2,0.4,and 0.8 mm.The fin thicknesses were 0.2,0.4,and 0.6 mm,while the channel depth remained constant at 0.4 mm.The results manifested that the surface featuring narrower fins and broader channels achieved superior performance.The heat transfer coefficient(HTC)was enhanced by a maximum of 248%,and the critical heat flux(CHF)was enhanced by a maximum of 101%compared to a plain surface.Eventually,the obtained results were compared with previous research and elucidated a good agreement.

U-Net Based Dual-Pooling Segmentation of Bone Metastases in Thoracic SPECT Bone Scintigrams

In order to enhance the performance of the CNN-based segmentation models for bone metastases, this study proposes a segmentation method that integrates dual-pooling, DAC, and RMP modules. The network consists of distinct feature encoding and decoding stages, with dual-pooling modules employed in encoding stages to maintain the background information needed for bone scintigrams diagnosis. Both the DAC and RMP modules are utilized in the bottleneck layer to address the multi-scale problem of metastatic lesions. Experimental evaluations on 306 clinical SPECT data have demonstrated that the proposed method showcases a substantial improvement in both DSC and Recall scores by 3.28% and 6.55% compared the baseline. Exhaustive case studies illustrate the superiority of the methodology.

Expanding the liver donor pool worldwide with hepatitis C infected livers, is it the time?

Liver transplantation(LT)provides a life-saving option for cirrhotic patients with complications and hepatocellular carcinoma.Despite the increasing number of liver transplants performed each year,the number of LT candidates on the waitlist remains unchanged due to an imbalance between donor organ supply and the demand which increases the waitlist time and mortality.Living donor liver transplant had a great role in increasing the donor pool and shortened waitlist time for LT candidates.Nevertheless,further strategies can be implemented to increase the pool of potential donors in deceased donor LT,such as reducing the rate of organ discards.Utilizing hepatitis C virus(HCV)seropositive liver grafts is one of the expanded donor organ criteria.A yearly increase of hundreds of transplants is anticipated as a result of maximizing the utilization of HCV-positive organs for HCV-negative recipients.Direct-acting antiviral therapy's efficacy has revolutionized the treatment of HCV infection and the use of HCV-seropositive donors in transplantation.The American Society of Transplantation advises against performing transplants from HCV-infected liver donors(D+)into HCV-negative recipient(R-)unless under Institutional Review Board-approved study rules and with full informed consent of the knowledge gaps associated with such transplants.Proper selection of patients to be transplanted with HCV-infected grafts and confirming their access to direct-acting antivirals if needed is im-portant.National and international consensuses are needed to regulate this process to ensure the maximum benefit and the least adverse events.

Frenkel训练法改善小脑性共济失调患者的疗效观察

目的:观察Frenkel训练法对小脑性共济失调患者的康复治疗效果。方法:40例小脑性卒中患者随机分为治疗组(Frenkel训练法康复训练+常规治疗)和对照组(常规治疗),训练前后对患者协调能力采用Fugl-Meyer平衡功能评定、小脑性共济失调临床评定,日常生活能力(ADL)运用Barthel指数评价。结果:Fugl-Meyer平衡功能评分、小脑性共济失调临床评定评分和Barthel指数评分,治疗组治疗前和治疗后分别为3.26±5.12,11.57±6.11,45.26±10.32和10.54±4.26,6.73±4.23,80.31±11.46,对照组治疗前和治疗后则分别为3.78±4.56,11.65±5.62,43.15±10.28和7.47±5.12,9.15±3.26,62.89±11.23,两组相比患者的四肢和躯干协调运动能力都有提高,ADL水平也有提高,但治疗组效果更好(P<0.05)。结论:Frenkel训练法对改善患者的小脑性共济失调有效,并能提高ADL水平。

辛空间的排列问题及具有容错能力的pooling设计的紧界

该文利用辛空间上的子空间构造了一类新的d^z析取矩阵,然后研究了如下排列问题:对于给定的整数m,r,s,v,d,q和辛空间F_q^(2v)中的一个(m,s)型子空间S,这里v+s≥m>r≥2s-1≥1,d≥2,q是一个素数的幂,作者从S中找到d个(m-1,s-1)型子空间H_1,…H_d,使包含在这些(m-1,s-1)型子空间中的(r,s-1)型子空间个数达到最大.然后利用这个排列的有关结论,给出了一类pooling设计的紧界.

经颅磁刺激结合Frenkel体操训练对脑卒中后共济失调障碍患者的临床疗效及平衡功能的影响

目的探讨经颅磁刺激结合Frenkel体操训练对脑卒中后共济失调障碍患者的临床疗效及平衡功能的影响。方法选取2016年8月至2018年8月该院收治的脑卒中后共济失调障碍患者84例,随机分为观察组和对照组,每组各42例。两组均给予常规治疗,对照组在此基础上实施经颅磁刺激,观察组在对照组基础上联合Frenkel体操训练。评定两组临床疗效、共济失调程度、平衡功能、日常生活活动能力及血液流变学指标的变化情况。结果两组治疗后世界神经病联合会国际合作共济失调量表(ICARS)评分均较治疗前降低(P<0.05),且观察组较对照组低(P<0.05);观察组总有效率(97.62%)较对照组(78.57%)高(P<0.05);两组治疗后Berg平衡量表(BBS)、Barthel指数评定量表评分均较治疗前高(P<0.05),且观察组较对照组高(P<0.05);两组治疗后各血液流变学指标测量值均较治疗前低(P<0.05),且观察组较对照组低(P<0.05)。结论脑卒中后共济失调障碍患者经颅磁刺激结合Frenkel体操训练治疗,临床疗效显著,同时能明显改善患者平衡功能及日常生活活动能力,可有效调节血液流变学指标。

Image processing of weld pool and keyhole in Nd:YAG laser welding of stainless steel based on visual sensing

In order to obtain good welding quality, it is necessary to apply quality control because there are many influencing factors in laser welding process. The key to realize welding quality control is to obtain the quality information. Abundant weld quality information is contained in weld pool and keyhole. Aiming at Nd：YAG laser welding of stainless steel, a coaxial visual sensing system was constructed. The images of weld pool and keyhole were obtained. Based on the gray character of weld pool and keyhole in images, an image processing algorithm was designed. The search start point and search criteria of weld pool and keyhole edge were determined respectively.