Readmission Prediction for Patients with Heterogeneous Medical History: A Trajectory-Based Deep Learning Approach

Hospital readmission refers to the situation where a patient is re-hospitalized with the same primary diagnosis within a specific time interval after discharge. Hospital readmission causes $26 billion preventable expenses to the U.S. health systems annually and often indicates suboptimal patient care. To alleviate those severe financial and health consequences, it is crucial to proactively predict patients’ readmission risk. Such prediction is challenging because the evolution of patients’ medical history is dynamic and complex. The state-of-the-art studies apply statistical models which use static predictors in a period, failing to consider patients’ heterogeneous medical history. Our approach – Trajectory-BAsed DEep Learning (TADEL) – is motivated to tackle the deficiencies of the existing approaches by capturing dynamic medical history. We evaluate TADEL on a five-year national Medicare claims dataset including 3.6 million patients per year over all hospitals in the United States, reaching an F1 score of 87.3% and an AUC of 88.4%. Our approach significantly outperforms all the state-of-the-art methods. Our findings suggest that health status factors and insurance coverage are important predictors for readmission. This study contributes to IS literature and analytical methodology by formulating the trajectory-based readmission prediction problem and developing a novel deep-learning-based readmission risk prediction framework. From a health IT perspective, this research delivers implementable methods to assess patients’ readmission risk and take early interventions to avoid potential negative consequences.

Development and validation of analytical method by spectrophotometry UV-Vis for quantification of flavonoids in leaves of Senna occidentalis Link

Senna occidentalis Link (Fabaceae), known as “fedegoso”, is used in folk medicine due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, muscle relaxant and inhibiting lipid peroxidation imputed to flavonoids contained in its composition. The species is also a constituent of processed products are commercialized in various parts of the world including Brazil, although there are few reports in the literature about the development of an analytical method for quantification of flavonoids in it. The main purpose of this research was the evaluation of an analytical methodology to determinate the content of total flavonoids in leaves of S. occidentalis, for quality control. The parameters evaluated were: drug: solvent ratio, concentration of aluminum chloride and reaction time. The quantification of total flavonoids was obtained after reaction with aluminum chloride by UV/Vis spectrophotometry. The results revealed a maximum absorption peak (λ = 392 nm) was the amount of 0.5 g of a plant raw in 100 mL of solvent and there were no significant influences between the concentrations of aluminum chloride or hydroalcoholic solutions analyzed. The evaluation of reaction time allowed to characterize the kinetics as slow, stabilizing from 60 min, choosing this as reading time. The method was specific, linear, precise, accurate and robust, according to the specifications set in RDC n. 166/2017. Finally, the results of the study showed that the measured methodology is simple and accurate and can be applied for quality assessment of the species S. occidentalis.

Simple Analytical Strategy for Screening Three Synthetic Cathinones (α-PVT, α-PVP, and MDPV) in Oral Fluids

Synthetic cathinones are analogue compounds of the plant based stimulant cathinone. Its use, abuse, and related consumption complications have steadily increased in the last years. For this reason, there is a need for innovative analytical approaches that enable its rapid screening in biological matrices (e.g., oral fluids). The present work proposes a new analytical methodology by combining bar adsorptive microextraction followed by microliquid desorption and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (BAµE-µLD/GC-MS) for screening three synthetic cathinones (α-PVP, α-PVT, and MDPV) in oral fluids. The optimization of the BAµE-µLD/GC-MS methodology was successfully applied for the analysis of the target compounds in oral fluids. The results show average recoveries between 43.1 and 52.3% for the three synthetic cathinones. Good selectivity was also noticed. The developed methodology presents itself as an alternative tool to screen these compounds in oral fluids. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that combines a microextraction sorption-based technique followed by GC-MS analysis for the screening of synthetic cathinones in oral fluids.

Vulnerability Assessment of Squatter Settlement in Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City, Nepal

Squatter settlement is uncontrolled and unplanned settlement consisting of dwelling built on land that is not owned. Squatters are the most vulnerable groups being very poor. This paper assessed the extent of socio-economic characteristics, causes of being squatters, vulnerability and their adaptation strategies of Sundarbazar area in Butwal. The descriptive analytical methodology was employed to generate data from both primary and secondary data sources. Out of 339 households, 113 households were selected through a systematic random sampling procedure. Field observation, focus group discussion and personal interviews were also applied to collect primary data. The squatter settlement in the study area has inadequate accommodation, poor access of safe water, sanitation, unmanaged waste disposal system and polluted environment. Poor economic condition, unemployment, and natural disaster along with availability of free land are the major cause of being squatters in this region. Furthermore, risk of health hazard, unemployment, and income uncertainty are the vulnerability of squatter people in the study area. It is concluded that poverty reduction in both rural and urban area can solve this problem but providing income generation opportunities, basic service facilities are major concern at present. In the developing countries like Nepal, squatter settlement is less known in literature and curriculum of formal education. Thus, it requires to aware new generation through school education system and the higher level for better urban planning and management in the future.

MATHEMATICAL ISSUES IN TWO-DIMENSIONAL ARITHMETIC FOR ANALYZE STUDENTS' METACOGNITION AND CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS

This study aimed to analyze the level of students' metacognition skills and creative thinking in the generalization of a two-dimensional arithmetic sequence. A qualitative descriptive is a scientific approach used in this study. Students' of the Mathematics Education Study Program in Tarbiyah Faculty of Ibrahimy University are subjects in the study. Through this article, the author will describe the results of the research in the combinatorics course. The initial data was collected by assigning open problem-solving assignments to students and conducting documentation studies on students in generating arithmetic generalization patterns based on function formulae. Then, students are assigned to complete the second task, which is to compile a two-dimensional arithmetic sequence based on the multilevel function formula of arranged arithmetic. The analysis model of Miles and Huberman is the analytical methodology used in this study. The collected data indicated that the level of students’ creative thinking skills in combinatorics could be in the category of creative enough (16.67%), creative (50%), and very creative (33.33%). While the other analyzed data showed that the student’s level of metacognitive on level 3 (77.78%) and the remainder on level 4 (22.22%). These analysis results are influenced by several factors such as accuracy in compiling numbers and expanding data, conceptual mastery of arithmetic progression permutation concept, and its application, the tendency of students’ to rely on memorization and imitation of the examples.

Employment and Labor Union Laws in Japan between the 1889 and 1946 Constitutions: A Comparative Study

This research is based on the descriptive and analytical methodology. The importance of studying labor laws and labor unions in Japan between 1889 and 1946 constitutions is because Japan was out of a feudal phase, and had no idea about the factory system and industrialization in their modern sense before the Meiji era. Generally, its labor system used to be mostly familial, and the economic system was based on agriculture. This called for the enactment of legislations and laws appropriate for the coming phase in Meiji era. Thus, this paper examines the role of Meiji government in enacting labor legislations and laws when he came to power in 1896, and his new constitution in 1889 and the civil code of 1896. It further examines the way Meiji government and the following Japanese governments until the end of World War II did not abide by Meiji laws and stipulations of the constitution with their abusive actions in ending the workers’ strikes and disputes, with the inequality between genders in labor and wages, and the use of child labor in factories in an inhuman way. The paper clarifies the role of the American occupation of Japan (1945-1952) after dissolving Meiji constitution and legislations and the government measures that followed them to enact new legislations, laws and constitution for Japan on November 3, 1946, which was active in May 3, 1947. The paper has concluded that the American occupation policy of Japan was able to avoid the dissidence of millions of Japanese workers, whose level of livelihood was deteriorating after their country lost the war, and convert them from a dissident group against the occupation to a peaceful group which did not target the occupation in their future goals.

Development of a Tetrazolium-Derived Paper-Based Diagnostic Device as an Early, Alternative Bacteria Screening Tool

(1) Background: The complexity, amount of time, and the large amount of resource required to perform gold-standard bacteria culture procedures makes it difficult to perform timely pathogenic analyses, especially in areas where such resources are not readily available. A paper-based biochemical analytical tool can potentially tackle problems economically in terms of time and convenience, potentially finding utility in applications where simple and timely detection of bacteria is necessary; (2) Methods: The utility of paper-based MTT-PMS strips was tested using a simple colorimetric analytical methodology; (3) Results: Sufficient evidence was obtained to suggest that the strips can potentially be used as a rapid and convenient early, alternative bacteria screening tool for a variety of applications; (4) Conclusions: The potential of strips for the rapid detection of bacteria compared to standard bacteria culture is a key advantage in certain clinical, agricultural, and environmental applications.

Common Mistakes in Creating Sentences Consisting of a Subject and Predicate and in Translating them to Tamil: A Case Study of Undergraduates of the Department of Arabic Language of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

Nominal sentence is a specific aspect of a language. It consists of a subject and predicate. The predicate reflects the subject. Second language learners of Arabic at the level university face difficulties in creating sentences consisting of a subject and predicate and in translating them into Tamil. At the same time, they have learned Arabic grammar in Sri Lankan Arabic Colleges with the 5 – 7 years and also Tamil is their native language. Thus, this research aims to identify the grammar errors when writing nominal sentences and to translate them to Tamil and to rely on the reasons for them. To this, the research uses descriptive analytical methodology through a quantitative approach. It uses a questionnaire for primary data among the undergraduates of the Department of Arabic Language, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka. At the same time, secondary data were gathered from researches, books, articles, website articles. The research finds that the undergraduate has the enough theoretical knowledge about the nominal sentence and they have no confuse to develop a nominal sentence. At the same time, in the practical part, they are neutral level in writing a nominal sentence, in finding the error from them a, and in translating them into Tamil. Hence, the practical part is difficult for the undergraduates than the theoretical part.

Wing Structural Model for Overall Aircraft Design of Distributed Electric Propulsion General Aviation and Regional Aircraft

In the context of reducing the environmental footprint of tomorrow’s aviation, Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) has become an increasingly interesting concept. With the strong coupling between disciplines that this technology brings forth, multiple benefits are expected for the overall aircraft design. These interests have been observed not only in the aerodynamic properties of the aircraft but also in the structural design. However, current statistical models used in conceptual design have shown limitations regarding the benefits and challenges coming from these new design trends. As for other methods, they are either not adapted for use in a conceptual design phase or do not cover CS-23 category aircraft. This paper details a semi-analytical methodology compliant with the performance-based certification criteria presented by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to predict the structural mass breakdown of a wing. This makes the method applicable to any aircraft regulated by EASA CS-23. Results have been validated with the conventional twin-engine aircraft Beechcraft 76, the innovative NASA X-57 Maxwell concept using DEP, and the commuter aircraft Beechcraft 1900.