CPEM: Accurate cancer type classification based on somatic alterations using an ensemble of a random forest and a deep neural network

With recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies, fast acquisition of large-scale genomic data has become commonplace. For cancer studies, in particular, there is an increasing need for the classification of cancer type based on somatic alterations detected from sequencing analyses. However, the ever-increasing size and complexity of the data make the classification task extremely challenging. In this study, we evaluate the contributions of various input features, such as mutation profiles, mutation rates, mutation spectra and signatures, and somatic copy number alterations that can be derived from genomic data, and further utilize them for accurate cancer type classification. We introduce a novel ensemble of machine learning classifiers, called CPEM (Cancer Predictor using an Ensemble Model), which is tested on 7,002 samples representing over 31 different cancer types collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We first systematically examined the impact of the input features. Features known to be associated with specific cancers had relatively high importance in our initial prediction model. We further investigated various machine learning classifiers and feature selection methods to derive the ensemble-based cancer type prediction model achieving up to 84% classification accuracy in the nested 10-fold cross-validation. Finally, we narrowed down the target cancers to the six most common types and achieved up to 94% accuracy

Long-Term Results of Endoscopic Dilatation for Tracheal and Subglottic Stenosis

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess the long-term results of endoscopic dilatation of airway stenosis and to evaluate predictive factors for favorable results.MethodsFifty-four patients with tracheal and subglottic stenosis who underwent endoscopic dilatation with at least 12 months follow-up were enrolled in this study. We evaluated predictive factors for final treatment outcome such as stenosis length, location, characteristics, procedure type, and the severity of stenosis.ResultsThe final outcome of endoscopic dilatation showed a cure rate of 40.7%, improvement rate of 46.3%, and failure rate of 13.0%. Patients with mild stenosis or a shorter stenotic segment and those who underwent a touch-up procedure following tracheal resection with end-to-end anastomosis showed better outcomes. The cure rate of endoscopic dilatation for patients with shorter mild stenosis was 72.2%.ConclusionEndoscopic dilatation may be a primary treatment modality for patients with airway stenosis characterized by mild severity and a short stenotic segment

Emission Rates of Volatile Organic Compounds Released from Newly Produced Household Furniture Products Using a Large-Scale Chamber Testing Method

The emission rates of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured to investigate the emission characteristics of five types of common furniture products using a 5 m3 size chamber at 25°C and 50% humidity. The results indicated that toluene and α-pinene are the most dominant components. The emission rates of individual components decreased constantly through time, approaching the equilibrium emission level. The relative ordering of their emission rates, if assessed in terms of total VOC (TVOC), can be arranged as follows: dining table > sofa > desk chair > bedside table > cabinet. If the emission rates of VOCs are examined between different chemical groups, they can also be arranged in the following order: aromatic (AR) > terpenes (TER) > carbonyl (CBN) > others > paraffin (PR) > olefin (HOL) > halogenated paraffin (HPR). In addition, if emission strengths are compared between coated and uncoated furniture, there is no significant difference in terms of emission magnitude. Our results indicate that the emission characteristics of VOC are greatly distinguished between different furniture products in terms of relative dominance between different chemicals

Effects of breathing maneuver and sitting posture on muscle activity in inspiratory accessory muscles in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND: To determine the influence of breathing maneuver and sitting posture on tidal volume (TV), respiratory rate (RR), and muscle activity of the inspiratory accessory muscles in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Twelve men with COPD participated in the study. Inductive respiratory plethysmography and surface electromyography were used to simultaneously measure TV, RR, and muscle activity of the inspiratory accessory muscles [the scalenus (SM), sternocleidomastoid (SCM), and pectoralis major (PM) muscles] during quiet natural breathing (QB) and pursed-lips breathing (PLB) in three sitting postures: neutral position (NP), with armm support (WAS), and with arm and head support (WAHS). RESULTS: Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was employed. In a comparison of breathing patterns, PLB significantly increased TV and decreased RR compared to QB. Muscle activity in the SM and SCM increased significantly in PLB compared to QB. In a comparison of sitting postures, the muscle activity of the SM, SCM, and PM increased in the forward-leaning position. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that in COPD, PLB induced a favorable breathing pattern (increased TV and reduced RR) compared to QB. Additionally, WAS and WAHS positions increased muscle activity of the inspiratory accessory muscles during inspiration versus NP. Differential involvement of accessory respiratory muscles can be readily studied in COPD patients, allowing monitoring of respiratory load during pulmonary rehabilitation

Analysis of Yield of Eleutherosides B and E in Acanthopanax divaricatus

An analysis of the yield of eleutherosides B and E in Acanthopanax divaricatus and A. koreanum was performed using high performance liquid chromatography to evaluate production by different cultivation methods. In A. divaricatus and A. koreanum, the total content of eleutherosides B and E was 2.466–7.360 mg/g varying by plant section, 3.886–11.506 mg/g by pinching site, 3.655–10.083 mg/g by planting time, and 3.652–10.108 mg/g by fertilizer ratio. Thus the total content of eleutherosides B and E in A. divaricatus and A. koreanum differed depending on cultivation methods. These results present useful information for high eleutheroside content applications in A. divaricatus and A. koreanum. This information can affect selection of plant section and cultivation methods for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical material development