Diagnostic test accuracy: application and practice using R software

The objective of this paper is to describe general approaches of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) that are available for the quantitative synthesis of data using R software. We conduct a DTA that summarizes statistics for univariate analysis and bivariate analysis. The package commands of R software were “metaprop” and “metabin” for sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio; forest for forest plot; reitsma of “mada” for a summarized receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve; and “metareg” for meta-regression analysis. The estimated total effect sizes, test for heterogeneity and moderator effect, and a summarized ROC curve are reported using R software. In particular, we focus on how to calculate the effect sizes of target studies in DTA. This study focuses on the practical methods of DTA rather than theoretical concepts for researchers whose fields of study were non-statistics related. By performing this study, we hope that many researchers will use R software to determine the DTA more easily, and that there will be greater interest in related research

1-(2-Hy­droxy-2-phenyl­eth­yl)-3-(4-meth­oxy­phen­yl)urea

In the title compound, C16H18N2O3, the dihedral angle between the 4-meth­oxy­phenyl ring and the urea group is 35.6 (2) °. The H atoms of the urea NH groups are positioned syn to each other. In the crystal, inter­molecular N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into a two-dimensional array in the ac plane; the carbonyl-O atom is trifurcated

Anisotropic Dirac electronic structures of AMnBi2 (A = Sr, Ca)

Low-energy electronic structures in AMnBi(2) (A=alkaline earths) are investigated using a first-principles calculation and a tight binding method. An anisotropic Dirac dispersion is induced by the checkerboard arrangement of A atoms above and below the Bi square net in AMnBi(2 center dot) SrMnBi2 and CaMnBi2 have a different kind of Dirac dispersion due to the different stacking of nearby A layers, where each Sr (Ca) of one side appears at the coincident (staggered) xy position of the same element at the other side. Using the tight binding analysis, we reveal the chirality of the anisotropic Dirac electrons as well as the sizable spin-orbit coupling effect in the Bi square net. We suggest that the Bi square net provides a platform for the interplay between anisotropic Dirac electrons and the neighboring environment such as magnetism and structural changes.open6

Poly[(μ6-6-oxidopyridinium-2-carboxyl­ato)caesium]

The asymmetric unit of the polymeric title salt, [Cs(C6H4NO3)]n, comprises a Cs+ cation and a 6-oxidopyridinium-2-carboxyl­ate anion. The Cs+ cation is six-coordinated by O atoms derived from two oxido and four carboxyl­ate O atoms; each O atom in the anion bridges two Cs+ cations. In the crystal, inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonding is present and contributes to the stability of the three-dimensional network generated by the bridging O atoms

Numerical study on CO2 absorption efficiency by using aqueous monoethanolamine solution in CO2 absorber column

Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Mauritius, 11-13 July, 2011.In this study, the one-dimensional rate based model is developed for predicting the performance of the CO2 absorber column using aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) solution. To determine the concentration of each species and temperature distribution along the column height, mass and heat balance equations of vapor and liquid phase are coupled with chemical reactions in MEA-CO2-H2O system. The two-film model is applied to estimate the mass transfer in the vapour and liquid film. To calculate the enhancement factor, three types of reaction rate coefficient of the CO2/aqueous MEA reaction are considered. The mathematical and reaction kinetics models used in this study are validated in the comparison of simulation results with experimental data given in the literature. The simulation results are in good agreement with the data in the literature. In addition, three types of reaction rate coefficient suggested by Hikita et al., Versteeg et al. and Aboudheir et al. are considered. The performance of CO2 absorber column with respect to the reaction rate coefficients is compared with experimental data.mp201

Seroprevalence of Tissue Invading Parasitic Infections Diagnosed by ELISA in Korea

Seroprevalence of the IgG antibodies for Clonorchis sinensis, Paragonimus westermani, Taenia solium metacestode (cysticercus), and Spirometra erinacei plerocercoid (sparganum) was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in sera of patients in Korea from 1993 to 2006. A total of 74,448 specimens referred nationwide from 121 hospitals revealed an IgG positive rate of 7.6% for the 4 parasites. The IgG positive rate (18.7%) for the 4 parasites in 1993 decreased gradually to 6.6% in 2006. Individual positive rate decreased from 5.2% (1993) to 1.6% (2006) for C. sinensis, from 2.8% (1993) to 1.1% (2006) for P. westermani, from 8.3% (1993) to 2.2% (2006) for cysticercus, and from 2.6% (1993) to 1.6% (2006) for sparganum. The positive rate was highest (21.2%) in the group of patients who ranged in age from 50-59 yr old, and in the group that was referred from the Seoul area (55.9%). In conclusion, our results suggest that tissue invading parasitic infections should always be included in differential diagnosis for patients with eosinophilia associated lesions of the central nervous system, liver, and lungs in Korea

Enhancement of service life of polymer electrolyte fuel cells through application of nanodispersed ionomer

Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved.In polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), protons from the anode are transferred to the cathode through the ionomer membrane. By impregnating the ionomer into the electrodes, proton pathways are extended and high proton transfer efficiency can be achieved. Because the impregnated ionomer mechanically binds the catalysts within the electrode, the ionomer is also called a binder. To yield good electrochemical performance, the binder should be homogeneously dispersed in the electrode and maintain stable interfaces with other catalyst components and the membrane. However, conventional binder materials do not have good dispersion properties. In this study, a facile approach based on using a supercritical fluid is introduced to prepare a homogeneous nanoscale dispersion of the binder material in aqueous alcohol. The prepared binder exhibited high dispersion characteristics, crystallinity, and proton conductivity. High performance and durability were confirmed when the binder material was applied to a PEFC cathode electrode11sciescopu

Structural abnormalities in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BCECTS)

AbstractPurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate cortical thickness and gray matter volume abnormalities in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BCECTS). We additionally assessed the effects of comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) on these abnormalities.MethodsSurface and volumetric MR imaging data of children with newly diagnosed BCECTS (n=20, 14 males) and age-matched healthy controls (n=20) were analyzed using FreeSurfer (version 5.3.0, https://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu). An additional comparison was performed between BCECTS children with and without ADHD (each, n=8). A group comparison was carried out using an analysis of covariance with a value of significance set as p<0.01 or p<0.05.ResultsChildren with BCECTS had significantly thicker right superior frontal, superior temporal, middle temporal, and left pars triangularis cortices. Voxel-based morphometric analysis revealed significantly larger cortical gray matter volumes of the right precuneus, left orbitofrontal, pars orbitalis, precentral gyri, and bilateral putamen and the amygdala of children with BCECTS compared to healthy controls. BCECTS patients with ADHD had significantly thicker left caudal anterior and posterior cingulate gyri and a significantly larger left pars opercularis gyral volume compared to BCECTS patients without ADHD.ConclusionChildren with BCECTS have thicker or larger gray matters in the corticostriatal circuitry at the onset of epilepsy. Comorbid ADHD is also associated with structural aberrations. These findings suggest structural disruptions of the brain network are associated with specific developmental electro-clinical syndromes