The evolution of data pricing: From economics to computational intelligence.

Data pricing, which aids in articulating the worth and advantages of data and encourages its opening, sharing, and circulation, is an indispensable component of data trading. Studies pertinent to the topic of data pricing are continuously developing. To undertake a thorough analysis of the literature in data pricing, we use bibliometric and statistical methods for the first time. The 373 data pricing publications from 1990 to 2023 are the study's research object. We mainly analyze the external characteristics, keyword co-occurrence and co-citation networks of data pricing. We find that data pricing has been progressing fairly quickly during the last decade. Two basic approaches have been used by researchers to study how to price various data objects: one is based on economics theory, and the other on computer science algorithms. We provide an in-depth study of the overall evolution of data pricing and give the future directions of data pricing.

Assessment of late gadolinium enhancement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy improves risk stratification based on current guidelines.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Identifying patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) who are candidates for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation in primary prevention for sudden cardiac death (SCD) is crucial. The aim of this study was to externally validate the 2022 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) model and other guideline-based ICD class of recommendation (ICD-COR) models and explore the utility of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in further risk stratification. METHODS: Seven hundred and seventy-four consecutive patients who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging were retrospectively enrolled. RESULTS: Forty-six (5.9%) patients reached the SCD-related endpoint during 7.4 ± 2.5 years of follow-up. Patients suffering from SCD had higher ESC Risk-SCD score (4.3 ± 2.4% vs. 2.8 ± 2.1%, P < .001) and LGE extent (13.7 ± 9.4% vs. 4.9 ± 6.6%, P < .001). Compared with the 2014 ESC model, the 2022 ESC model showed increased area under the curve (.76 vs. .63), sensitivity (76.1% vs. 43.5%), positive predictive value (16.8% vs. 13.6%), and negative predictive value (98.1% vs. 95.9%). The C-statistics for SCD prediction of 2011 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA), 2014 ESC, 2020 AHA/ACC, and 2022 ESC models were .68, .64, .76 and .78, respectively. Furthermore, in patients without extensive LGE, LGE ≥5% was responsible for seven-fold SCD risk after multivariable adjustment. Whether in ICD-COR II or ICD-COR III, patients with LGE ≥5% and <15% showed significantly worse prognosis than those with LGE <5% (all P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The 2022 ESC model performed better than the 2014 ESC model with especially improved sensitivity. LGE enabled further risk stratification based on current guidelines.

The Impacts of Flattening Fiscal Reform on Health Expenditure in China.

Introduction: A number of provinces have implemented a fiscal reform of flattening government since the first decade of this century in China. This study aims to quantitatively analyze the influences of this government fiscal reform on county-level health expenditure. We also bring forward policy suggestions for improving county-level fiscal system and healthcare delivery. Methods: We collected a novel longitudinal county-level data from 2003 to 2010, including counties' socioeconomic data, fiscal revenue, and health expenditure. Jilin Province, Hebei Province, and Anhui Province were selected as representative samples for this policy evaluation. The study employed a time-varying difference-in-difference model specification to investigate the impacts of flattening fiscal reform on health expenditure. Results: The analyses find that the fiscal system reforms of the three provinces have a significantly positive impact on the health expenditure of county-level governments. However, we find no policy effects on the proportion of health expenditure to fiscal expenditure of county-level governments. The estimation results are robust after controlling several background variables. Conclusion: The results yield important policy insights that public finance and its reform significantly impacts health expenditures in China. The government may still need to strengthen the transfer payment system to guarantee the social welfare provision in healthcare.

Safety Assessment of Bacillus thuringiensis Insecticidal Proteins Cry1C and Cry2A with a Zebrafish Embryotoxicity Test.

As a result of the large-scale planting of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops, fish would be exposed to freely soluble Bt insecticidal protein(s) that are released from Bt crop tissues into adjacent bodies of water or by way of direct feeding on deposited plant material. To assess the safety of two Bt proteins Cry1C and Cry2A to fish, we used zebrafish as a representative species and exposed their embryos to 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/L of the two Cry proteins until 132 h post-fertilization and then several developmental, biochemical, and molecular parameters were evaluated. Chlorpyrifos (CPF), a known toxicant to aquatic organisms, was used as a positive control. Although CPF exposure resulted in significant developmental, biochemical, and molecular changes in the zebrafish embryos, there were almost no significant differences after Cry1C or Cry2A exposure. Thus, we conclude that zebrafish embryos are not sensitive to Cry1C and Cry2A insecticidal proteins at test concentrations.

Preoperative evaluation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with synchronous liver metastasis: Diagnosis and assessment of unresectability.

AIM: To identify predictors for synchronous liver metastasis from resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and assess unresectability of synchronous liver metastasis. METHODS: Retrospective records of PDAC patients with synchronous liver metastasis who underwent simultaneous resections of primary PDAC and synchronous liver metastasis, or palliative surgical bypass, were collected from 2007 to 2015. A series of pre-operative clinical parameters, including tumor markers and inflammation-based indices, were analyzed by logistic regression to figure out predictive factors and assess unresectability of synchronous liver metastasis. Cox regression was used to identify prognostic factors in liver-metastasized PDAC patients after surgery, with intention to validate their conformance to the indications of simultaneous resections and palliative surgical bypass. Survival of patients from different groups were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Intra- and post-operative courses were compared, including complications. PDAC patients with no distant metastases who underwent curative resection served as the control group. RESULTS: CA125 > 38 U/mL (OR = 12.397, 95%CI: 5.468-28.105, P < 0.001) and diabetes mellitus (OR = 3.343, 95%CI: 1.539-7.262, P = 0.002) independently predicted synchronous liver metastasis from resectable PDAC. CA125 > 62 U/mL (OR = 5.181, 95%CI: 1.612-16.665, P = 0.006) and age > 62 years (OR = 3.921, 95%CI: 1.217-12.632, P = 0.022) correlated with unresectability of synchronous liver metastasis, both of which also indicated a worse long-term outcome of liver-metastasized PDAC patients after surgery. After the simultaneous resections, patients with post-operatively elevated serum CA125 levels had shorter survival than those with post-operatively reduced serum CA125 levels (7.7 mo vs 16.3 mo, P = 0.013). The survival of liver-metastasized PDAC patients who underwent the simultaneous resections was similar to that of non-metastasized PDAC patients who underwent curative pancreatectomy alone (7.0 mo vs 16.9 mo, P < 0.001), with no higher rates of either pancreatic fistula (P = 0.072) or other complications (P = 0.230) and no greater impacts on length of hospital stay (P = 0.602) or post-operative diabetic control (P = 0.479). CONCLUSION: The criterion set up by CA125 levels could facilitate careful diagnosis of synchronous liver metastases from PDAC, and prudent selection of appropriate patients for the simultaneous resections.

A 90 day safety assessment of genetically modified rice expressing Cry1Ab/1Ac protein using an aquatic animal model.

In fields of transgenic Bt rice, frogs are exposed to Bt proteins through consumption of both target and nontarget insects. In the present study, we assessed the risk posed by transgenic rice expressing a Cry1Ab/1Ac fusion protein (Huahui 1, HH1) on the development of Xenopus laevis. For 90 days, froglets were fed a diet with 30% HH1 rice, 30% parental rice (Minghui 63, MH63), or no rice as a control. Body weight and length were measured every 15 days. After sacrificing the froglets, we performed a range of biological, clinical, and pathological assessments. No significant differences were found in body weight (on day 90: 27.7 ± 2.17, 27.4 ± 2.40, and 27.9 ± 1.67 g for HH1, MH63, and control, respectively), body length (on day 90: 60.2 ± 1.55, 59.3 ± 2.33, and 59.7 ± 1.64 mm for HH1, MH63, and control, respectively), animal behavior, organ weight, liver and kidney function, or the microstructure of some tissues between the froglets fed on the HH1-containing diet and those fed on the MH63-containing or control diets. This indicates that frog development was not adversely affected by dietary intake of Cry1Ab/1Ac protein.

The Ebola threat: China's response to the West African epidemic and national development of prevention and control policies and infrastructure.

There is growing concern in West Africa about the spread of the Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus. With the increasing global public health risk, a coordinated international response is necessary. The Chinese government is prepared to work in collaboration with West African countries to assist in the containment and control of the epidemic through the contribution of medical expertise and mobile laboratory testing teams. Nationally, China is implementing prevention programs in major cities and provinces, the distribution of Ebola test kits, and the deployment of a new national Ebola research laboratory.

Cytotoxic function of CD8+ T lymphocytes isolated from patients with acute severe cerebral infarction: an assessment of stroke-induced immunosuppression.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence on complex interaction between the nervous and immune systems in patients with cerebral infarction. This study was conducted to evaluate cytotoxic function of CD8+ T lymphocytes isolated from patients with acute severe cerebral infarction. In order to determine role of immune system in stroke, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were taken and cytotoxic function of CD8+ T lymphocytes were induced by virus peptides and cells were analyzed on a four-color flow cytometer. Expression of CD107a, intracellular expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and cell proliferation assay were analyzed by using carboxyl fluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE). RESULTS: A total of 30 patients with cerebral infarction and 30 healthy volunteers with an average age 57 (range, 49 to 71) years, were evaluated. The PBMCs were separated from blood samples of both, patients with cerebral infarction 6 hours after onset of stroke and healthy volunteers. After stimulation with virus peptides, CD107a expression and intracellular production of IFN-γ and TNF-α was decreased in patients with cerebral infarction as compared to healthy volunteers (p < 0.01). Degranulation analysis reported decreased expression of CD107a + in patient group as compared to healthy group, p <0.01. A mild decrease in intracellular expression of IFN-γ and TNF-α was also shown in patients without stimulation of virus peptides (p < 0.05). However, proliferation of CD8+ T lymphocytes in patients with acute severe cerebral infarction was not decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The study results indicated that cytotoxic function of CD8+ T lymphocytes were suppressed in patients with acute severe cerebral infarction. This could possibly be associated with complicated infectious diseases and neuroprotective mechanism.

[Assessment on pathophysiological indexes of acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe and evaluate the pathophysiological indexes of acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rats. METHODS: Thirty-three Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group and experiment group. Respiratory rate , mortality, arterial blood gases, compliance and wet weight of right lung/body weight ratio, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined 2, 4 and 6 hours after injection of LPS or normal saline in both groups. RESULTS: In the experiment group,the following changes were found. Arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO(2)) was reduced to 69.18 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa), marked blood stasis, and edema in lung tissues could be grossly seen and pathological examination showed that there was a large number of inflammation cell infiltration and edema in interstitial spaces with disappearance of normal construction of alveolar. There was also dilatation of capillaries with congestion and adherent leukocytes. Furthermore, compliance was decreased to 47% of the normal value, and wet weight of right lung/body weight ratio increased to 137% of the normal value. Blood TNF-alpha level increased markedly in serum and BALF. CONCLUSION: Specific pathological changes and decreased PaO(2) over 30% of the baseline value are the main signs of successful reproduction of ALI model in rats. Compliance and weight of right lung/body weight value can also reflect the status of ALI as helpful indexes.