How Medical Crowdfunding Helps People? A Large-scale Case Study on Waterdrop Fundraising

While online medical crowdfunding achieved tremendous success, quantitative study about whether and how medical crowdfunding helps people remains little explored. In this paper, we empirically study how online medical crowdfunding helps people using more than 27, 000 fundraising cases in Waterdrop Fundraising, one of the most popular online medical crowdfunding platforms in China. We find that the amount of money obtained by fundraisers is broadly distributed, i.e., a majority of lowly donated cases coexist with a handful of very successful cases. We further investigate the factors that potentially correlate with the success of medical fundraising cases. Profile information of fundraising cases, e.g., geographic information of fundraisers, affects the donated amounts, since detailed description may increase the credibility of a fundraising case. One prominent finding lies in the effect of social network on the success of fundraising cases: the spread of fundraising information along social network is a key factor of fundraising success, and the social capital of fundraisers play an important role in fundraising. Finally, we conduct prediction of donations using machine learning models, verifying the effect of potential factors to the success of medical crowdfunding. Altogether, this work presents a data-driven view of medical fundraising on the web and opens a door to understanding medical crowdfunding.Comment: Accepted as a full paper at ICWSM 202

An Investigation on a Low-cost Machine Vision Measuring System for Precision Improvement

In this paper, we describe the investigation on a machine vision size measuring system to improve its precision on the basis of the inexpensive devices from the viewpoint of industrial applications. The uniformity and stability of the system were analyzed. The results showed the maximum gray value standard deviation of the edge as 2.6 pixels, and the maximum error of edge detection results was approximately 9 pixels (0.279 mm). The traditional noise reduction algorithms were applied to reduce random noise and dark current noise, and a novel uniform-background algorithm was proposed to improve the uniformity of image background. In addition, a calibration method based on the average gray value of the specified areas was developed to correct gray value errors of the left and right edges. A large number of experiments were carried out using the combined methods, the results showed that the measuring speed was approximately 1 piece per second, and the maximum error of lengths measured by the proposed method was within 1 μm, whereas the maximum error of uncalibrated results was about 0.25 mm. The measuring precision and speed of the proposed methods can meet the requirement of industrial applications

An Investigation on a Low-cost Machine Vision Measuring System for Precision Improvement

614-618In this paper, we describe the investigation on a machine vision size measuring system to improve its precision on the basis of the inexpensive devices from the viewpoint of industrial applications. The uniformity and stability of the system were analyzed. The results showed the maximum gray value standard deviation of the edge as 2.6 pixels, and the maximum error of edge detection results was approximately 9 pixels (0.279 mm). The traditional noise reduction algorithms were applied to reduce random noise and dark current noise, and a novel uniform-background algorithm was proposed to improve the uniformity of image background. In addition, a calibration method based on the average gray value of the specified areas was developed to correct gray value errors of the left and right edges. A large number of experiments were carried out using the combined methods, the results showed that the measuring speed was approximately 1 piece per second, and the maximum error of lengths measured by the proposed method was within 1 μm, whereas the maximum error of uncalibrated results was about 0.25 mm. The measuring precision and speed of the proposed methods can meet the requirement of industrial applications

Non-coding RNAs in cardiac fibrosis: Emerging biomarkers and therapeutic targets

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a class of RNA molecules that do not encode proteins. ncRNAs are involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, metabolism, and other physiological processes as well as the pathogenesis of diseases. Cardiac fibrosis is increasingly recognized as a common final pathway in advanced heart diseases. Many studies have shown that the occurrence and development of cardiac fibrosis is closely related to the regulation of ncRNAs. This review will highlight recent updates regarding the involvement of ncRNAs in cardiac fibrosis, and their potential as emerging biomarkers and therapeutic targets

A Comparation Between Frame-Based and Robot-Assisted in Stereotactic Biopsy

IntroductionFrame-based stereotactic biopsy is well-established to play an essential role in neurosurgery. In recent years, different robotic devices have been introduced in neurosurgery centers. This study aimed to compare the SINO surgical robot-assisted frameless brain biopsy with standard frame-based stereotactic biopsy in terms of efficacy, accuracy and complications.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on 151 consecutive patients who underwent stereotactic biopsy at Chongqing Sanbo Jiangling Hospital between August 2017 and December 2021. All patients were divided into the frame-based group (n = 47) and the SINO surgical robot-assisted group (n = 104). The data collected included clinical characteristics, diagnostic yield, operation times, accuracy, and postoperative complications.ResultsThere was no significant difference in diagnostic yield between the frame-based group and the SINO surgical robot-assisted group (95.74 vs. 98.08%, p > 0.05). The mean operation time in the SINO surgical robot-assisted group was significantly shorter than in the frame-based group (29.36 ± 13.64 vs. 50.57 ± 41.08 min). The entry point error in the frame-based group was significantly higher than in the robot-assisted group [1.33 ± 0.40 mm (0.47–2.30) vs. 0.92 ± 0.27 mm (0.35–1.65), P < 0.001]. The target point error in the frame-based group was also significantly higher than in the robot-assisted group [1.63 ± 0.41 mm (0.74–2.65) vs. 1.10 ± 0.30 mm (0.69–2.03), P < 0.001]. Finally, there was no significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups.ConclusionRobot-assisted brain biopsy becomes an increasingly mainstream tool in the neurosurgical procedure. The SINO surgical robot-assisted platform is as efficient, accurate and safe as standard frame-based stereotactic biopsy and provides a reasonable alternative to stereotactic biopsy in neurosurgery

Effects of the particle of ground alfalfa hay on the growth performance, methane production and archaeal populations of rabbits

Publication history: Accepted - 20 August 2018; Published online - 17 September 2018.The world's annual output of rabbits is over 1.2 billion, therefore this sector is also one of the sources of greenhouse gases in livestock production. One hundred-twenty New Zealand rabbits were allocated into four treatments, five replicates in each treatment and six rabbits in each replicate to examine the effect of grinding alfalfa hay to different sizes on growth performance, methane production and cecal archaeal populations. The particle sizes of the alfalfa meal in the four treatment diets were 2500, 1000, 100 and 10 μm, while the other ingredients were ground through a 2.5 mm sieve. The average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) increased (P<0.001) as the particle size decreased, but the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was not affected (P = 0.305). The digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (P = 0.006) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (P<0.006) increased while the greatest digestibility of crude protein (CP) was obtained in 1000 um group (P = 0.015). The rabbits produced more methane (CH4, L/kgBM0.75/d) with decreasing alfalfa particle size (P<0.001). The molar proportion of acetic acid and propionic acid decreased (P<0.001) at the cost of butyric acid (P<0.001). The greatest villus height:crypt depth ratio were obtained in 1000 μm group, and the decrease in the alfalfa hay particle size decreased the jejunum and ilem villus height:crypt depth ratio (P<0.05). The gastric muscular and mucosal thickness decreased with decreasing alfalfa particle size (P<0.05). Archaea diversity decreased with decreasing alfalfa particle size, and the relative abundance of genus Methanobrevibacter increased (P<0.001) while the genus Methanosphaera decreased (P<0.001). It is concluded that a finer particle size favors the growth of genus Methanobrevibacter, which produces more methane but promotes the growth performance of rabbits.The financial support was provided by the International Cooperation Project of Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2014DFA32860), http://www.most.gov.cn/eng/. LZ Wang received the funding. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

A spectral data release for 104 Type II Supernovae from the Tsinghua Supernova Group

We present 206 unpublished optical spectra of 104 type II supernovae obtained by the Xinglong 2.16m telescope and Lijiang 2.4m telescope during the period from 2011 to 2018, spanning the phases from about 1 to 200 days after the SN explosion. The spectral line identifications, evolution of line velocities and pseudo equivalent widths, as well as correlations between some important spectral parameters are presented. Our sample displays a large range in expansion velocities. For instance, the Fe~{\sc ii} $5169$ velocities measured from spectra at $t\sim 50$ days after the explosion vary from ${\rm 2000\ km\ s^{-1}}$to${\rm 5500\ km\ s^{-1}}$, with an average value of${\rm 3872 \pm 949\ km\ s^{-1}}$. Power-law functions can be used to fit the velocity evolution, with the power-law exponent quantifying the velocity decline rate. We found an anticorrelation existing between H$\beta$velocity at mid-plateau phase and its velocity decay exponent, SNe II with higher velocities tending to have smaller velocity decay rate. Moreover, we noticed that the velocity decay rate inferred from the Balmer lines (i.e., H$\alpha$and H$\beta$) have moderate correlations with the ratio of absorption to emission for H$\alpha$ (a/e). In our sample, two objects show possibly flash-ionized features at early phases. Besides, we noticed that multiple high-velocity components may exist on the blue side of hydrogen lines of SN 2013ab, possibly suggesting that these features arise from complex line forming region. All our spectra can be found in WISeREP and Zenodo

<i>Shajia</i>, a new genus of polyconitid rudist from the Langshan Formation of the Lhasa Block, Tibet, and its palaeogeographical implications

A new polyconitid rudist Shajia tibetica gen. et sp. nov., of late Aptian to Albian age, is described from the Langshan Formation of Nyima County, northern Lhasa Block, Tibet. Though comparable in size and external morphology with Horiopleura haydeni Douvillé, which is a common endemic species in southwestern Asia, Shajia differs from the latter species in its possession of an inwardly inclined, instead of outwardly facing, posterior myophore in the right valve. In addition, a single specimen from Ladakh, which was previously assigned to Polyconites? sp., on account of a similar myophoral distinction from H. haydeni, is transferred to the new genus. Shajia is considered most likely to have been derived from one of a group of Horiopleura species that lived on the southern margin of the Mediterranean Tethys. The so-called ‘Yasin fauna’ represented by the late Aptian to Albian Horiopleura haydeni/ Auroradiolites gilgitensis rudist association, is considered to be restricted to southwestern Asia, including Afghanistan, Kohistan in northern Pakistan and Ladakh in northern India, though those two species in particular have not so far been recorded from the Lhasa Block of Tibet. Nevertheless, S. tibetica co-occurs with Auroradiolites biconvexus (Yang et al.), which probably evolved directly from A. gilgitensis (Douvillé), and the age of the latter association is in accordance with the generally accepted age of the Yasin fauna as late Aptian to Albian. Hence the S. tibetica and A. biconvexus association can be considered a regional variant of the Yasin fauna, which had evidently already dispersed to the Lhasa Block by the late Aptian. So the Langshan Formation can be considered palaeogeographically linked with other mid-Cretaceous shallow-marine carbonate deposits in adjacent southwestern Asian regions. These findings also provide new evidence that the age of the rudist assemblage of the Lhasa Block is late Aptian to Albian, although a slightly younger age cannot be excluded

Can executive equity incentives promote high-quality development of enterprises? —— Mediating effect based on innovation

High quality is the direction of development, innovation drives high-quality development, and interest incentives drive innovation. Existing studies have shown that executive equity incentives can increase the financial performance of enterprises. Therefore, can executive equity incentives promote the high-quality development of enterprises, thereby improving the quality of industrial development? This paper takes China’s knowledge-intensive enterprises as a sample from 2015 to 2019. On the basis of using the LP semiparametric estimation method to measure the total factor productivity of the enterprise, in accordance with the intermediary effect test procedure, the stepwise regression method is used to study the innovation-driven effect of the executive equity incentives on the quality of enterprise development. The study found that executive equity incentives have an inverted U-shaped impact on the high-quality development of companies, with 20% being the optimal ratio. There is a partial mediating effect in corporate innovation activities on this transmission path. Based on this, suggestions are made to share residual income with senior management and build a high-quality innovative production chain