Markowitz-based cardinality constrained portfolio selection using Asexual Reproduction Optimization (ARO)

The Markowitz-based portfolio selection turns to an NP-hard problem when considering cardinality constraints. In this case, existing exact solutions like quadratic programming may not be efficient to solve the problem. Many researchers, therefore, used heuristic and metaheuristic approaches in order to deal with the problem. This work presents Asexual Reproduction Optimization (ARO), a model free metaheuristic algorithm inspired by the asexual reproduction, in order to solve the portfolio optimization problem including cardinality constraint to ensure the investment in a given number of different assets and bounding constraint to limit the proportions of fund invested in each asset. This is the first time that this relatively new metaheuristic is in the field of portfolio optimization, and we show that ARO results in better quality solutions in comparison with some of the well-known metaheuristics stated in the literature. To validate our proposed algorithm, we measured the deviation of obtained results from the standard efficient frontier. We report our computational results on a set of publicly available benchmark test problems relating to five main market indices containing 31, 85, 89, 98, and 225 assets. These results are used in order to test the efficiency of our proposed method in comparison to other existing metaheuristic solutions. The experimental results indicate that ARO outperforms Genetic Algorithm(GA), Tabu Search (TS), Simulated Annealing (SA), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) in most of test problems. In terms of the obtained error, by using ARO, the average error of the aforementioned test problems is reduced by approximately 20 percent of the minimum average error calculated for the above-mentioned algorithms

Oral health status among Iranian veterans exposed to sulfur mustard: a case-control study

Background: Sulfur mustard (SM) is a chemical warfare agent that has been repeatedly used since World War I. SM has chronic and deleterious effects on different body organs such as lungs, skin and eyes. Objectives: To determine dental and oral health status of chemical victims of SM who were exposed to SM during the Iraqi-Iran war. Material and Methods: In this case-control study, 100 male subjects exposed to SM were chosen as cases, and 100 non-exposed volunteers were chosen as controls. These groups were selected randomly according to their referral number, and were matched regarding age. Collection of information was performed using Oral Health Assessment Form designed by the World Health Organization. Quantitative and qualitative data were compared between the groups using independent samples t-test and Chi-square test, respectively. Results: There was a significant difference between the case and control groups with respect to the frequencies of oral candidiasis, pharyngeal erythema and/or hyperplasia, hairy tongue and reflux disease, being higher in the former group. There was also a positive association between the frequency of candidiasis and the percentage of disability; pharyngeal erythema and/or hyperplasia and use of salmeterol spray; and between hairy tongue and antibiotic use in the case group. Conclusions: Exposure to SM and the use of drugs for controlling long-term complications does not increase the risk of tooth decay, tooth loss, and intra and/or extra oral lesions in patients, but may be associated with increased incidence of oral candidiasis, pharyngeal erythema and/or hyperplasia, hairy tongue and reflux disease

Credit Card Fraud Detection Using Asexual Reproduction Optimization

As the number of credit card users has increased, detecting fraud in this domain has become a vital issue. Previous literature has applied various supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods to find an effective fraud detection system. However, some of these methods require an enormous amount of time to achieve reasonable accuracy. In this paper, an Asexual Reproduction Optimization (ARO) approach was employed, which is a supervised method to detect credit card fraud. ARO refers to a kind of production in which one parent produces some offspring. By applying this method and sampling just from the majority class, the effectiveness of the classification is increased. A comparison to Artificial Immune Systems (AIS), which is one of the best methods implemented on current datasets, has shown that the proposed method is able to remarkably reduce the required training time and at the same time increase the recall that is important in fraud detection problems. The obtained results show that ARO achieves the best cost in a short time, and consequently, it can be considered a real-time fraud detection system

A Hidden‎ Markov Model‎ ‎Based‎ ‎Extended Case-Based Reasoning Algorithm for Relief Materials Demand Forecasting

‎In emergency situations‎, ‎accurate demand forecasting for relief materials such as food‎, ‎water‎, ‎and medicine is crucial for effective disaster response‎. ‎This research is presented a novel algorithm to demand forecasting for relief materials using extended Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) with the best-worst method (BWM) and Hidden Markov Models (HMMs)‎. ‎The proposed algorithm involves training an HMM on historical data to obtain a set of state sequences representing the temporal fluctuations in demand for different relief materials‎. ‎When a new disaster occurs‎, ‎the algorithm first determines the current state sequence using the available data and searches the case library for past disasters with similar state sequences‎. ‎The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through experiments on real-world disaster data of Iran‎. ‎Based on the results‎, ‎the forecasting error index for four relief materials is less than 10\%; therefore‎, ‎the proposed CBR-BWM-HMM is a strong and robust algorithm‎

Modeling IoT enablers for humanitarian supply chains coordination

Disaster relief operations rely on reliable real-time information sharing during disasters to coordinate scarce resources and save lives. The Internet of Things (IoT) has recently been regarded as an important technology for enhancing information sharing in disaster response operations to achieve effective coordination, accurate situational awareness, and comprehensive visibility of operational resources. Despite its relevance, its adaptation and implementation have been fraught with complexity. This research aims to understand the IoT enablers of humanitarian supply chain coordination. Seven dimensional enablers have been formulated by reviewing the literature and validating with practitioners’ opinions. A structural model is then developed using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique that addresses the interdependencies of IoT enablers in humanitarian supply chain coordination. Finding provides insights into the interplay between management support, IT infrastructures, and third-party logistics service providers as key enablers towards adaptation and implementation of IoT in humanitarian supply chains. Results provide important implications and insight to decision-makers in international humanitarian organizations toward adaptation and implementation of IoT systems in humanitarian supply chains

Comparing morphologic features and complications of main clear corneal incision between junior and senior residents observed using anterior segment optical coherence tomography

Background: Wound construction is a critical step in phacoemulsification. Using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), we compared the morphological features and complications of main incisions made by junior or senior residents during phacoemulsification. Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study included eyes with senile cataracts that underwent uneventful phacoemulsification with a clear corneal incision made by seven senior and eight junior ophthalmology residents. All eyes underwent postoperative image acquisition using AS-OCT on day one and at three months, examining for morphological features and potential complications of the main incision. Results: We included 50 eyes of 50 patients with a male-to-female ratio of 22 (44%) to 28 (56%); 26 (52%) were operated on by junior residents and 24 (48%) by seniors. The mean geometric features of the main incisions and the frequency of early and late wound complications were comparable between the two groups (all P > 0.05). A significant correlation was found between the incision length and angle with the superior (r = + 0.80; P < 0.001 and r = - 0.63; P < 0.001, respectively) and inferior (r = + 0.84; P < 0.001 and r = - 0.68; P < 0.001, respectively) areas of the incision, as well as between the length and angle of incision (r = - 0.74; P < 0.001). The number of planes in the wound architecture was not significantly different according to senior or junior resident status (P > 0.05). Although the number of eyes with stromal hydration was significantly greater for junior residents than for seniors (P < 0.001), the corneal thickness at the entrance to the cornea or the anterior chamber, presence of endothelial wound gaping, and Descemet’s membrane detachment were comparable between eyes with and without stromal hydration (all P > 0.05). At three months, 29 (58%) patients returned for examination, in whom seven (24%) had late wound complications. Conclusions: This study found no significant differences in the performances of junior and senior residents in terms of wound construction or its associated complications. However, considering the overall rate of some observed wound-related complications, we recommended revision of the resident educational curriculum concerning the structure and complications of the main incision

The Sensitivity and Specificity of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification and PCR Methods in Detection of Foodborne Microorganisms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Background: The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method is frequently used for identifying many microorganisms. The present review aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of LAMP method for detection of food-borne bacteria and to compare these features with those of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), as an alternative molecular diagnostic procedure, and with cultivation method, as the gold standard method. Methods: The literature was searched in electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE) for recruiting publications within Jan 2000 to Jul 2021. We used the combinations of keywords including foodborne disease, LAMP, PCR, Loop-mediated isothermal amplification, and polymerase chain reaction. Meta-analysis was used to adjust the correlation and heterogeneity between the studies. The efficiency of the methods was presented by negative likelihood ratio, positive likelihood ratio, sensitivity, specificity, and odds ratio using forest plots. A Pvalue less than 0.05 was considered as statistical significance cut off. The confidence intervals were presented at the 95% interval. Results: Overall, 23 relevant studies were analyzed. The sensitivities of LAMP and PCR methods were estimated to be 96.6% (95% CI: 95.0-97.7) and 95.6% (95%CI: 91.5-97.8), respectively. The specificities of LAMP and PCR were also estimated to be 97.6% (95%CI: 92.6-99.3) and 98.7% (95%CI: 96.5-99.5), respectively. Conclusion: The specificities of LAMP and PCR assays were determined by comparing their results with cultivation method as the gold standard. Overall, the specificity of both PCR and LAMP methods was low for detection of fastidious bacteria. Nevertheless, LAMP and PCR methods have acceptable specificities and sensitivities, and their application in clinical practice necessitates more studies. Keywords: Food-borne pathogen; Specificity; Sensitivity; Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP); Polymerase chain reactio

Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic

The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe