Pervasive data science applied to the society of services

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Information Systems Engineering and ManagementWith the technological progress that has been happening in the last few years, and now with the actual implementation of the Internet of Things concept, it is possible to observe an enormous amount of data being collected each minute. Well, this brings along a problem: “How can we process such amount of data in order to extract relevant knowledge in useful time?”. That’s not an easy issue to solve, because most of the time one needs to deal not just with tons but also with different kinds of data, which makes the problem even more complex. Today, and in an increasing way, huge quantities of the most varied types of data are produced. These data alone do not add value to the organizations that collect them, but when subjected to data analytics processes, they can be converted into crucial information sources in the core business. Therefore, the focus of this project is to explore this problem and try to give it a modular solution, adaptable to different realities, using recent technologies and one that allows users to access information where and whenever they wish. In the first phase of this dissertation, bibliographic research, along with a review of the same sources, was carried out in order to realize which kind of solutions already exists and also to try to solve the remaining questions. After this first work, a solution was developed, which is composed by four layers, and consists in getting the data to submit it to a treatment process (where eleven treatment functions are included to actually fulfill the multidimensional data model previously designed); and then an OLAP layer, which suits not just structured data but unstructured data as well, was constructed. In the end, it is possible to consult a set of four dashboards (available on a web application) based on more than twenty basic queries and that allows filtering data with a dynamic query. For this case study, and as proof of concept, the company IOTech was used, a company that provides the data needed to accomplish this dissertation, and based on which five Key Performance Indicators were defined. During this project two different methodologies were applied: Design Science Research, in the research field, and SCRUM, in the practical component.Com o avanço tecnológico que se tem vindo a notar nos últimos anos e, atualmente, com a implementação do conceito Internet of Things, é possível observar o enorme crescimento dos volumes de dados recolhidos a cada minuto. Esta realidade levanta uma problemática: “Como podemos processar grandes volumes dados e extrair conhecimento a partir deles em tempo útil?”. Este não é um problema fácil de resolver pois muitas vezes não estamos a lidar apenas com grandes volumes de dados, mas também com diferentes tipos dos mesmos, o que torna a problemática ainda mais complexa. Atualmente, grandes quantidades dos mais variados tipos de dados são geradas. Estes dados por si só não acrescentam qualquer valor às organizações que os recolhem. Porém, quando submetidos a processos de análise, podem ser convertidos em fontes de informação cruciais no centro do negócio. Assim sendo, o foco deste projeto é explorar esta problemática e tentar atribuir-lhe uma solução modular e adaptável a diferentes realidades, com base em tecnologias atuais que permitam ao utilizador aceder à informação onde e quando quiser. Na primeira fase desta dissertação, foi executada uma pesquisa bibliográfica, assim como, uma revisão da literatura recolhida nessas mesmas fontes, a fim de compreender que soluções já foram propostas e quais são as questões que requerem uma resposta. Numa segunda fase, foi desenvolvida uma solução, composta por quatro modulos, que passa por submeter os dados a um processo de tratamento (onde estão incluídas onze funções de tratamento, com o objetivo de preencher o modelo multidimensional previamente desenhado) e, posteriormente, desenvolver uma camada OLAP que seja capaz de lidar não só com dados estruturados, mas também dados não estruturados. No final, é possível consultar um conjunto de quatro dashboards disponibilizados numa plataforma web que tem como base mais de vinte queries iniciais, e filtros com base numa query dinamica. Para este caso de estudo e como prova de conceito foi utilizada a empresa IOTech, empresa que disponibilizará os dados necessários para suportar esta dissertação, e com base nos quais foram definidos cinco Key Performance Indicators. Durante este projeto foram aplicadas diferentes metodologias: Design Science Research, no que diz respeito à pesquisa, e SCRUM, no que diz respeito à componente prática

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

Minimal Symptom Expression' in Patients With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab

The efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab were assessed in REGAIN, a 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), and its open-label extension

Occurrence and risk assessment of an azo dye - The case of Disperse Red 1

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:28:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-08-01Water quality criteria to protect aquatic life are not available for most disperse dyes which are often used as commercial mixtures in textile coloration. In this study, the acute and chronic toxicity of the commercial dye Disperse Red 1 (DR1) to eight aquatic organisms from four trophic levels was evaluated. A safety threshold, i.e. Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PNEC), was derived based on the toxicity information of the commercial product and the purified dye. This approach was possible because the toxicity of DR1 was accounting for most of the toxicity of the commercial mixture. A long-term PNEC of 60 ng L-1 was proposed, based on the most sensitive chronic endpoint for Daphnia similis. A short-term PNEC of 1800 ng L-1 was proposed based on the most sensitive acute endpoint also for Daphnia similis. Both key studies have been evaluated with the new Criteria for Reporting and Evaluating ecotoxicity Data (CRED) methodology, applying more objective criteria to assess the quality of toxicity tests, resulting in two reliable and relevant endpoints with only minor restrictions. HPLC-MS/MS was used to quantify the occurrence of DR1 in river waters of three sites, influenced by textile industry discharges, resulting in a concentration range of 50-500 ng L-1. The risk quotients for DR1 obtained in this work suggest that this dye can pose a potential risk to freshwater biota. To reduce uncertainty of the derived PNEC, a fish partial or full lifecycle study should be performed.Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences University of São Paulo USPSchool of Technology State University of Campinas UNICAMPAmalex Environmental SolutionsChemical Institute State University of São Paulo UNESPSchool of Life Sciences Heriot-Watt UniversityDepartment of Biology and CESAM University of AveiroChemical Institute State University of São Paulo UNES

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora

Consistent improvement with eculizumab across muscle groups in myasthenia gravis

Objective: To assess whether eculizumab, a terminal complement inhibitor, improves patient- and physician-reported outcomes (evaluated using the myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile and the quantitative myasthenia gravis scale, respectively) in patients with refractory anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive generalized myasthenia gravis across four domains, representing ocular, bulbar, respiratory, and limb/gross motor muscle groups. Methods: Patients with refractory anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive generalized myasthenia gravis were randomized 1:1 to receive either placebo or eculizumab during the REGAIN study (NCT01997229). Patients who completed REGAIN were eligible to continue into the open-label extension trial (NCT02301624) for up to 4 years. The four domain scores of each of the myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile and the quantitative myasthenia gravis scale recorded throughout REGAIN and through 130 weeks of the open-label extension were analyzed. Results: Of the 125 patients who participated in REGAIN, 117 enrolled in the open-label extension; 61 had received placebo and 56 had received eculizumab during REGAIN. Patients experienced rapid improvements in total scores and all four domain scores of both the myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile and the quantitative myasthenia gravis scale with eculizumab treatment. These improvements were sustained through 130 weeks of the open-label extension. Interpretation: Eculizumab treatment elicits rapid and sustained improvements in muscle strength across ocular, bulbar, respiratory, and limb/gross motor muscle groups and in associated daily activities in patients with refractory anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive generalized myasthenia gravis

Long-term safety and efficacy of eculizumab in generalized myasthenia gravis

Introduction: Eculizumab is effective and well tolerated in patients with antiacetylcholine receptor antibody-positive refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG; REGAIN; NCT01997229). We report an interim analysis of an open-label extension of REGAIN, evaluating eculizumab's long-term safety and efficacy. Methods: Eculizumab (1,200 mg every 2 weeks for 22.7 months [median]) was administered to 117 patients. Results: The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with REGAIN; no cases of meningococcal infection were reported during the interim analysis period. Myasthenia gravis exacerbation rate was reduced by 75% from the year before REGAIN (P < 0.0001). Improvements with eculizumab in activities of daily living, muscle strength, functional ability, and quality of life in REGAIN were maintained through 3 years; 56% of patients achieved minimal manifestations or pharmacological remission. Patients who had received placebo during REGAIN experienced rapid and sustained improvements during open-label eculizumab (P < 0.0001). Discussion: These findings provide evidence for the long-term safety and sustained efficacy of eculizumab for refractory gMG. Muscle Nerve 2019

Correction to: Eculizumab improves fatigue in refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (Quality of Life Research, (2019), 28, 8, (2247-2254), 10.1007/s11136-019-02148-2)

The article “Eculizumab improves fatigue in refractory generalized myasthenia gravis”, written by “Henning Andersen, Renato Mantegazza, Jing Jing Wang, Fanny O’Brien, Kaushik Patra, James F. Howard Jr. and The REGAIN Study Group” was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 23 March 2019 without open access