Uncertainty evaluation at three spatial scales for the NDVI-based VWC estimation method used in the SMAP algorithm

Vegetation water content (VWC) is the key input parameter for a soil moisture retrieval algorithm based on microwave remote sensing, and VWC uncertainty can limit the estimated accuracy of soil moisture. There has been little research on VWC algorithm development and validation in China, and the uncertainty of the VWC estimation method has not been well evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the uncertainty of the VWC estimation method used in the SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) algorithm on three spatial scales (the point-scale, 30 m scale, and 1 km scale) for maize in northeast China. Results from three ground experimental datasets showed that the SMAP VWC estimation method was strongly biased with an average overestimation of 1.16 kg m^?2,1.04 kg m^?2, and 1.13 kg m^?2 for the point-scale, 30 m scale, and 1 km scale respectively, and maximum bias occurred in the mid-stage of maize. Also, a new power relationship between NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and VWC was proposed for the 30 m scale based on Sentinel 2 NDVI and field VWC values from 2017 experiment, with respective R² (coefficient of determination) and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) values of 0.80 and 0.67 kg m^?2. The results confirmed that this power relationship was still suitable for VWC estimation at the 1 km scale, and it has smaller bias than the original SMAP VWC method. Future work will be carried out to evaluate the applicability of this VWC estimation method over a lager region. It is expected that it can improve the accuracy of soil moisture by providing high precision VWC input parameters.     

Exact confidence intervals for the average causal effect on a binary outcome

Based on the physical randomization of completely randomized experiments, in a recent article in Statistics in Medicine, Rigdon and Hudgens propose two approaches to obtaining exact confidence intervals for the average causal effect on a binary outcome. They construct the first confidence interval by combining, with the Bonferroni adjustment, the prediction sets for treatment effects among treatment and control groups, and the second one by inverting a series of randomization tests. With sample size n, their second approach requires performing O(n⁴)randomization tests. We demonstrate that the physical randomization also justifies other ways to constructing exact confidence intervals that are more computationally efficient. By exploiting recent advances in hypergeometric confidence intervals and the stochastic order information of randomization tests, we propose approaches that either do not need to invoke Monte Carlo or require performing at most O(n²)randomization tests. We provide technical details and R code in the Supporting Information . Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

重新审视婴幼儿心肺转流中改良超滤的使用

改良超滤(MUF)技术作为心肺转流中节约用血的重要手段之一,具有浓缩血液、清除炎性介质、减轻组织水肿等优点,但随着微小化体外循环技术的应用,MUF在临床应用中的获益性和必要性开始受到各中心的重新审视。本文对近年来MUF的临床使用进展予以综述。     

A randomized study on the effect of modified behavioral activation treatment for depressive symptoms in rural left-behind elderly

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a modified behavioral activation treatment (MBAT) intervention on reducing depressive symptoms in rural left-behind elderly.

Method: This is a randomized study registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOR-17011289). Eighty rural left-behind elderly people who had a Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score between 11 and 25 were randomly assigned to the intervention (n?=?40) and control group (n?=?40). The intervention group received both MBAT and regular treatment for 8 weeks while the control group received regular treatment. Both groups were assessed with the GDS, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 3 months post-intervention.

Results: There were a total of 73 participants that completed the intervention. The scores of GDS and BAI decreased significantly, but the scores of OHQ increased significantly in the intervention group after 8 sessions of MBAT (P?<?.01). The reduction in depression symptoms after the intervention was maintained at the 3-month follow-up. Significant differences in GDS, BAI, and OHQ scores were observed between the intervention group and the control group (P?<?.01).

Conclusion: MBAT produced a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms than regular care in rural left-behind elderly.

Clinical or methodological significance of this article: A modified behavioral activation (BA) psychotherapy can significantly reduce the recurrence and seriousness of depression symptoms in the left-behind elderly with mild to moderate depression. This study also suggests that further study of the MBAT as an intervention will provide a direction for the management of mental health in rural left-behind elders.     

Toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) to THP-1 macrophages: interactions with saturated or unsaturated free fatty acids

In a biological microenvironment, free fatty acids (FFA) as ubiquitous biological molecules might interact with nanoparticles (NPs) and consequently change the toxicological responses. However, whether the chemical structures of FFA could influence their interactions with NPs remain unknown. This study investigated the interactions between ZnO NPs and saturated or unsaturated FFA (complexed to BSA), namely stearic acid (SA, C18:0), oleic acid (OA, C18:1), and α-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3). It was shown that BSA, SA, OA, and ALA increased the atomic force microscope (AFM) heights as well the polydispersity index (PDI) of ZnO NPs. BSA modestly protected THP-1 macrophages from ZnO NP exposure, whereas OA and ALA led to relatively less cyto-protective effects of BSA. Moreover, only co-exposure to ZnO NPs and SA significantly promoted the release of interleukin-8. BSA, SA, OA, and ALA equally changed intracellular ROS and Zn ions associated with ZnO exposure, but co-exposure to ZnO NPs and OA/ALA particularly activated the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-apoptosis genes. In combination, these results showed that FFA could influence the colloidal aspects and toxicological signaling pathway of ZnO NPs, which is dependent on the number of unsaturated bonds of FFA.     

局部晚期食管鳞癌新辅助放疗剂量与病理完全缓解关系分析

目的 探讨接受新辅助放化疗的局部晚期食管鳞癌患者新辅助放疗剂量与病理完全缓解(pCR)的关系。方法 收集2017-2019年间在四川大学华西医院肿瘤中心经病理确诊为食管鳞癌并接受新辅助放化疗和手术的 116例局部晚期患者临床资料。116例患者中 40~45Gy组 80例,≥45Gy组 36例,分析两组术后pCR率。结果 全组患者的pCR率为38.8%(45/116),40~45Gy组与≥45Gy组的pCR率分别为44%(35/80)和28%(10/36)(P=0.105)。结论 术前新辅助采用较高的放疗剂量不增加局部晚期食管鳞癌的pCR率,有必要进行前瞻性的临床研究确定合适的新辅助放疗剂量。     

电针深刺八髎穴治疗女性压力性尿失禁的临床观察

目的:评价电针深刺八髎穴治疗压力性尿失禁的疗效.方法:将60例压力性尿失禁的女性患者按就诊先后顺序分为两组,每组30例.对照组给予盆底肌训练,治疗组给予电针深刺八髎穴(上髎、次髎、中髎和下髎).结果:治疗组总有效率为93.3%,对照组为33.3%,治疗组的总有效率明显高于对照组(P<0.05).治疗后,两组国际尿失禁咨询委员会尿失禁问卷表简表(ICIQ-SF)评分及漏尿量均低于治疗前(均P<0.05),治疗组ICIQ-SF评分及漏尿量均低于对照组(均P<0.05).结论:长针深刺八髎穴能改善压力性尿失禁女性临床症状,疗效优于盆底肌训练.     

一种面向中医药数据的高效脱敏算法＊

目的 针对中医药大数据平台传统的加密方案效率不高的问题，提出一种高效的基于属性的内积加密的数据脱敏算法。方法 Hash（哈希）算法是应用广泛的高效的数据加密方法，但传统的哈希算法基于单一的控制策略，效率不高。本文提出一种基于属性的内积加密的数据脱敏算法，把批量的敏感数据分割为不同长度数据颗粒度，与特定密文的哈希进行内积处理。结果 在面对中医药大数据平台的海量数据加密的场景，与传统的哈希加密算法相比，本文提供的加密算法具有很好的性能。结论 为了保障个人隐私数据不被泄露，中医药大数据平台中的个人医疗数据需要加密脱敏后，才能进行分析处理或对外发布。本文提出的算法具备灵活的数据颗粒度、策略和高效的性能表现，适用于海量的中医药数据脱敏。