Analyzing the Association between Pattern and Returns Using Goodman–Kruskal Prediction Error Reduction Index (λ)

For selecting and interpreting appropriate behaviour of proportion between buy/neutral/sell patterns and high/moderate/low returns, the prediction error reduction index is a very useful tool. It is operationally interpretable in terms of the proportional reduction in error of estimation. We first obtain the buy/sell pattern using an Optimal Band. The analysis of the association between patterns and returns is based on the Goodman–Kruskal prediction error reduction index ( λ ). Empirical analysis suggests that the prediction of returns from patterns is more impressive or of less error as compared to the prediction of patterns from returns. We demonstrated the prediction index for Index NIFTY 50, BANK-NIFTY, and NIFTY-IT of NSE (National Stock Exchange), for the period 2010–2020.

Groundwater Impacts and Management under a Drying Climate in Southern Australia

The trend to a hotter and drier climate, with more extended droughts, has been observed in recent decades in southern Australia and is projected to continue under climate change. This paper reviews studies on the projected impacts of climate change on groundwater and associated environmental assets in southern Australia, and describes groundwater planning frameworks and management responses. High-risk areas are spatially patchy due to highly saline groundwater or low-transmissivity aquifers. The proportional reduction in rainfall is amplified in the groundwater recharge and some groundwater discharge fluxes. This leads to issues of deteriorating groundwater-dependent ecosystems, streamflow depletion, reduced submarine discharge, groundwater inundation and intrusion in coastal regions and reduced groundwater supply for extraction. Recent water reforms in Australia support the mitigation of these impacts, but groundwater adaptation is still at its infancy. Risk management is being incorporated in regional water and groundwater management plans to support a shift to a more sustainable level of use and more climate-resilient water resources in affected areas. The emerging strategies of groundwater trade and managed aquifer recharge are described, as is the need for a national water-focused climate change planning process.

Prawo konsumenta do obniżenia całkowitego kosztu kredytu konsumenckiego – zarys problemu

The purpose of the article is to present the issues related to qualifying the costs of a consumer credit, such as commission and fees, to costs associated with the loan period, and thus subject to reduction in the event of early loan repayment. Based on the research, a thesis was formulated that for the correct transposition and implementation of EU law, it is required to ensure the possibility of reducing all costs of a consumer loan, therefore the above costs should be considered related to the loan period and should be proportionally reduced. Methodology: For the purposes of the research, the legal-dogmatic and analytical methods were used. The jurisprudence of Polish courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union was analyzed. The adopted time horizon of the study covered the period from 12/05/2010 to 31/12/2020. The judgments published in the resources of Lex and Legalis Legal Information Systems and the Portal of Judgments of Common Courts as at 31/12/2020 were taken into account. Results of the research: It was found that the judicature largely adopted a broad approach to the problem presented, even before the judgment of the CJEU in case C-383/18, which confirms the thesis adopted for the purposes of the article. Consequently, consumers who have concluded a consumer credit agreement are entitled to a proportional reduction to all costs they had to incur in connection with the concluded agreement. In particular, these are incidental, one-off costs such as commission and preparation fee, which are subjected to reduction.

Induced abortion and COVID-19 as contributing factors to declining fertility in Sardinia

Objectives Decreasing fertility implies considerable public health, societal, political, and international consequences. Induced abortion (IA) and the recent COVID-19 pandemic can be contributing factors to it but these have not been adequately studied so far. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relation of IA incidence and the COVID-19 pandemic to declining rates of delivery, as per our Sardinian experience. Methods We analyzed the registered data from the official Italian statistics surveys of deliveries and IA in the last 10 years from 2011 to 2020 in Sardinia. Results A total of 106,557 deliveries occurred and a progressive decrease in the birth rate has been observed. A total of 18,250 IA occurred and a progressive decline has been observed here as well. The ratio between IA and deliveries remained constant over the decade. Between 2011 and 2019 a variation of −4.32% was observed for IA while in the last year, during the COVID-19 pandemic the decrease of the procedures was equal to −12.30%. For the deliveries, a mean variation of the −4.8% was observed between the 2011 and the 2019 while in the last year, during the COVID-19 pandemic the decrease was about −9%. Considering the about 30% reduction of live births between 2011 and 2020, there is an almost proportional reduction in IA. Conclusions Public policy responses to decreasing fertility, especially pronatalist ones, would be provided with evidence base about trends in delivery and IA and women’s decision making.

THE EFFICACY OF COVID-19 VACCINE AND THE CHALLENGE IN IMPLEMENTING MASS VACCINATION IN INDONESIA

Novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused more than 2,38 million deaths and more than 108 million cases confirmed in one year of the pandemic are massive upheavals in social life and economy in the international world. An effective vaccine is needed to prevent further morbidity and mortality. This research aims to identify the challenge in implementing mass vaccination in Indonesia which is related to the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. We retrieve sources from relevant and published articles in Google Scholar, Pubmed, DOAJ and Science Direct of articles up to January 2021. The keywords used for gathering information were listed below. Vaccine efficacy is defined as the proportional reduction of a disease case in a group of vaccinated participants compared with unvaccinated participants. The study of vaccine efficacy is a cohort study that is an important vaccine trial method in the field. It is conducted randomly on a large scale by using a control-placebo. During the trials, the country which used the vaccine needs to maintain and observe the vaccine epidemiology. A trial roadmap is expected to identify the condition of the area epidemiologically. Vaccine efficacy is essential to be observed before implementing the vaccine in society. However, intensive socialization about the advantage of vaccines is mainly needed to prevent irrelevant information in social media about mass vaccination.

Benchmarking Analysis of the Accuracy of Classification Methods Related to Entropy

In the machine learning literature we can find numerous methods to solve classification problems. We propose two new performance measures to analyze such methods. These measures are defined by using the concept of proportional reduction of classification error with respect to three benchmark classifiers, the random and two intuitive classifiers which are based on how a non-expert person could realize classification simply by applying a frequentist approach. We show that these three simple methods are closely related to different aspects of the entropy of the dataset. Therefore, these measures account somewhat for entropy in the dataset when evaluating the performance of classifiers. This allows us to measure the improvement in the classification results compared to simple methods, and at the same time how entropy affects classification capacity. To illustrate how these new performance measures can be used to analyze classifiers taking into account the entropy of the dataset, we carry out an intensive experiment in which we use the well-known J48 algorithm, and a UCI repository dataset on which we have previously selected a subset of the most relevant attributes. Then we carry out an extensive experiment in which we consider four heuristic classifiers, and 11 datasets.

Tranexamic Acid Treatment for Trauma Victims

Worldwide, traumatic injury is responsible for over 5 million deaths per year, the majority due to exsanguination and head injury. The antifibrinolytic drug tranexamic acid is the only drug proven to reduce deaths after traumatic injury. Several large randomized controlled trials have provided high-quality evidence of its effectiveness and safety in trauma patients. Early tranexamic acid reduces deaths on the day of the injury in polytrauma patients and patients with isolated traumatic brain injury by around 20%. Treatment is time critical; for patients to benefit, tranexamic acid must be given as soon as possible after injury. Intramuscular administration is well tolerated and rapidly absorbed, with the potential to reduce time to treatment. Because the proportional reduction in bleeding death with tranexamic acid does not vary by baseline risk, a wide range of trauma patients stands to benefit. There are far more low-risk trauma patients than high-risk patients, with a substantial proportion of bleeding deaths in the low-risk group. As such, treatment should not be limited to patients with severe traumatic hemorrhage. We must give paramedics and physicians the confidence to treat a far wider range of trauma patients while emphasizing the importance of early treatment.

Rosuvastatin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism: a pooled analysis of the HOPE-3 and JUPITER randomized controlled trials

Aims To examine the association between rosuvastatin and VTE risk, and whether effects vary in different subpopulations stratified by key demographic, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and other risk factors associated with VTE. Methods and Results An individual participant data meta-analysis was conducted across two randomized controlled trials in 30,507 participants over a mean follow up of 3.62 years, Individuals had no prior history of vascular disease but were at intermediate CV risk. In both trials, participants were randomized to receive rosuvastatin or matching placebo. The primary outcome was VTE during follow-up, defined as either deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Associations between rosuvastatin and VTE were examined in the overall pooled cohort, and subpopulations stratified by demographic risk factors (i.e. age, sex), CVD risk factors (i.e. obesity, smoking, lipid levels, blood pressure levels, C-reactive protein level), and a history of cancer. Mean age was 65.96 (SD 7.19) years of age, and 17,832 (58.45%) were male. 5,434 (17.82%) were smokers, median BMI was 27.6 (Interquartile range [IQR] 24.7 - 31.1) kg/m2, and median CRP level was 3.4 (IQR 2.1 - 6.0) mg/L. There were 139 VTE events. In the pooled cohort, rosuvastatin was associated with a large proportional reduction in the risk of VTE (hazard ratio 0.53, 95% CI 0.37 – 0.75). No significant interactions were observed between treatment with rosuvastatin and the risk of VTE across subpopulations stratified by demographic, CVD risk factors or a history of cancer (p-values for interactions >0.05 for all subgroups). Conclusions Rosuvastatin is associated with a 47% proportional reduction in the risk of VTE, and its effect is consistent both in the presence or absence of VTE related clinical risk factors Translational Perspective In this individual participant data meta-analysis of two large randomized controlled trials comparing rosuvastatin to placebo, rosuvastatin was associated with a 47% proportional reduction in the risk of VTE. The effect of rosuvastatin was consistent across a broad range of demographic factors, cardiovascular risk factors, and a history of cancer. This study demonstrates that rosuvastatin is broadly affective at reducing the risk of VTE both in the presence or absence of VTE associated clinical risk factors. Results inform future research on the use of statins for this indication.

Efficacy of Fenbendazole and Ivermectin against Trichuris spp. in African Green Monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus) in Barbados West Indies

Trichuris spp. are common helminths in NHP, and benzimidazoles and avermectins have both been used to treat theseintestinal parasites. The current study compared the efficacy of fenbendazole and ivermectin against natural infection ofTrichuris spp. in African green monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus). Anthelmintic-naive animals (n = 65) were randomly assignedto 4 groups: an untreated control group, and 3 groups treated with either fenbendazole, ivermectin, or both compounds. Fecalsamples were collected before treatment and on days 7, 14, 28, and 60 after treatment, and fecal egg counts (FEC) were determined by using fecal flotation. The mean percentages of FEC reduction at day 60 were 100%, 86%, and 100% for treatmentwith fenbendazole, ivermectin, and both compounds, respectively. Analyzing the time series of FEC by using a Bayesian generalized linear model showed no significant difference in the proportional reduction in FEC among the 3 treatment groups, although all FEC from treated groups were significantly lower than the FEC of the control group. In contrast, the probability of shedding was highest in the ivermectin group and the lowest in the animals treated with both compounds. The probability of shedding differed significantly between the fenbendazole and ivermectin groups and between the ivermectin and combined-treatment groups. In conclusion, both fenbendazole and ivermectin are effective anthelmintics in treating Trichuris spp. infection in African green monkeys. All treatment groups showed significant reductions in FEC when compared with baseline counts and control animals; however, fenbendazole may be more effective than ivermectin when used solely or in combination with other anthelmintic treatments.

Tooth replacement patterns in the Early Triassic epicynodont Galesaurus planiceps (Therapsida, Cynodontia)

Sixteen specimens of the Early Triassic cynodont Galesaurus planiceps (including eight that were scanned using micro-computed tomography) representing different ontogenetic stages were assembled to study the dental replacement in the species. The growth series shows that the incisors and postcanines continue to develop and replace, even in the largest (presumably oldest) specimen. In contrast, replacement of the canines ceased with the attainment of skeletal maturity, at a basal skull length of ~90 mm, suggesting that Galesaurus had a finite number of canine replacement cycles. Additionally, the functional canine root morphology of these larger specimens showed a tendency to be open-rooted, a condition not previously reported in Mesozoic theriodonts. An alternating pattern of tooth replacement was documented in the maxillary and mandibular postcanine series. Both postcanine series increased in tooth number as the skull lengthened, with the mandibular postcanine series containing more teeth than the maxillary series. In the maxilla, the first postcanine is consistently the smallest tooth, showing a proportional reduction in size as skull length increased. The longer retention of a tooth in this first locus is a key difference between Galesaurus and Thrinaxodon, in which the mesial-most postcanines are lost after replacement. This difference has contributed to the lengthening of the postcanine series in Galesaurus, as teeth continued to be added to the distal end of the tooth row through ontogeny. Overall, there are considerable differences between Galesaurus and Thrinaxodon relating to the replacement and development of their teeth.