Determination of the critical points for systems of directed percolation class using machine learning

Recently, machine learning algorithms have been used remarkably to study the equilibrium phase transitions, however there are only a few works have been done using this technique in the nonequilibrium phase transitions. In this work, we use the supervised learning with the convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm and unsupervised learning with the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm to study the nonequilibrium phase transition in two models. We use CNN and DBSCAN in order to determine the critical points for directed bond percolation (bond DP) model and Domany-Kinzel cellular automaton (DK) model. Both models have been proven to have a nonequilibrium phase transition belongs to the directed percolation (DP) universality class. In the case of supervised learning we train CNN using the images which are generated from Monte Carlo simulations of directed bond percolation. We use that trained CNN in studding the phase transition for the two models. In the case of unsupervised learning, we train DBSCAN using the raw data of Monte Carlo simulations. In this case, we retrain DBSCAN at each time we change the model or lattice size. Our results from both algorithms show that, even for a very small values of lattice size, machine can predict the critical points accurately for both models. Finally, we mention to that, the value of the critical point we find here for bond DP model using CNN or DBSCAN is exactly the same value that has been found using transfer learning with a domain adversarial neural network (DANN) algorithm.Comment: 13 pages. 9 figure

A Histopathological Study of the Therapeutic Role of Kisspeptin-10 Against Cadmium Chloride Toxicity in Rats

Kisspeptin is originally a metastasis suppressor. Currently, post preliminary discovery, the crucial physiology of kisspeptin appeared among several biological function in the living body such as supporting the reproductive system, regulation the metabolism, improvement the cardiac muscle action and smooth muscle of blood vessels. Moreover, Kisspeptin play an important role as a neurotransmitter through the Kisspeptin receptor. This study is designed to examine the anti-toxic role of Kisspeptin in some vital organs including the liver, spleen, and kidney. Kisspeptin is demonstrated as a detoxification agent via the elimination of toxicity of cadmium chloride to some organs of living rats such as the liver, spleen, and kidney. Direct negative effects of Kisspeptin on these organs have only been recognized. This study attempts to explain this role during the examination of histopathological changes in the case of cadmium chloride toxicity and the effect of Kisspeptin in reducing or elevating the toxicity after its administration in both 20 and 40 nanomolar / animal doses. Arguments and recent boundaries in the field, as well as areas of coming research related to kisspeptin’s varied function array, should underline

Radioactive and Environmental Pollution in the Hilla River

يعد التلوث البيئي من أكبر مشاكل هذا العصر, ومن أكثرها خطورة على مستقبل الحياة فوق كوكب الأرض. ان اغلب العلماء اختلفوا في تحديد تعريف دقيق للمفهوم العلمي الخاص بالتلوث البيئي وأياً كان المفهوم العلمي للتلوث الاشعاعي مرتبط بالدرجة الاساسية بالنظام البيئي (Eco System), فالتباين النوعي و الكمي الذي يحصل على تركيب مواد وعناصر هذا النظام يؤدي الى اختلال في توازن هذا النظام مما يؤدي الى حدوث تأثيرات مباشرة او غير مباشرة في النظام البيئي، و أحد أنواع التلوث البيئي هو التلوث الإشعاعي الذي يمثل مشكلة مهمة ومعقدة. يشكل التلوث الإشعاعي ثقلاً متزايداً على المكونات المختلفة لبيئتنا من ضمنها التربة التي تعد طبقة حية تتفاعل الكثير من العوامل الطبيعية والكيميائية والحياتية في تكوينها وتطورها وإكسابها خواصها المختلفة. تكمن أهمية التربة من حيث إنها المستقبل للمواد المشعة وأن دورها بعيد الأمد يكون بوصفها مستودعاً للمواد المشعة وفي الوقت نفسه بوصفها مصدراً لهذه المواد في تلوث الهواء والماء والنبات.Environmental pollution is one of the biggest problems of this age, and one of the most dangerous for the future of life on Earth. Most of the scientists differed in determining a precise definition of the scientific concept of environmental pollution, and whatever the scientific concept of radioactive pollution is related primarily to the ecosystem (Eco System), The qualitative and quantitative variation that occurs in the composition of the materials and elements of this system leads to an imbalance in the balance of this system, which leads to direct or indirect effects on the ecosystem, and one of the types of environmental pollution is radioactive pollution, which represents an important and complex problem. Radioactive pollution places an increasing burden on the various components of our environment, including soil, which is a living layer. Many natural, chemical and biological factors interact in their various formation, development and properties. The importance of soil lies in the fact that it is the future of radioactive materials and its long-term role as a repository of radioactive materials and at the same time a source of these materials in air, water and plant pollution. Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample Abstract sample

Influence of blended powders on properties of ultra-high strength fibre reinforced self compacting concrete subjected to elevated temperatures

Ultra-High Strength Fibre Reinforced Self Compacting Concrete (UHSFRSCC) is in great demand for use in construction projects around the globe. Unless fillers are utilized in this concrete, its production will come at an excessive environmental cost due to the high Carbon footprint of Portland cement. A gap in the published literature was identified, where quaternary mixes, containing Portland cement with three fillers, incorporating fibres, and achieving ultra high strength, were not cited. In this study ternary and quaternary mixes were designed and produced, satisfying the European Guidelines for SCC, with compressive strengths exceeding 115 MPa. Some mixes had compressive strengths between 125 – 150 MPa, which were not previously reported in the literature. The mixes contained Silica Fume (SF), Metakaolin (MK), Limestone powder (LS) as partial Portland cement replacement and quartz powder (QP) as partial sand replacement. Basalt Fibres were added to reinforce the matrix. Compressive & tensile strength of the mixes along with UPV, sorptivity, absorption and SEM Micro-structure features were studied at ambient temperature and after the samples were exposed to either 200 or 300 oC; since the behavior of HSC at elevated temperature is always a cause for concern. The active and inert fillers exhibited a synergic behavior at all temperature conditions. The mix containing: 15% SF, 5% MK, 20% LS and 34% QP achieved the best performance. Compressive and splitting tensile strength improve by 10% and 17% while sorptivity and absorption decline by 40% and 29% respectively at ambient temperature. Residual compressive strength improved by 10% and 19% while, residual splitting tensile strength significantly increases by 21% and 28% after exposure to elevated temperatures 200°C and 300°C respectively. Meanwhile, residual sorptivity decreases by 39% and 38% after exposure to these elevated temperatures. Microstructure properties supported and agreed with the mechanical and permeation characteristics results. The results will contribute to the development of UHSFRSCC in hot weather countries

Evaluating assumptions of scales for subjective assessment of thermal environments – Do laypersons perceive them the way, we researchers believe?

International audienc

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions

Weighty Matters: The Obesity–Thyroid Nodule Connection Unveiling the Impact of Obesity on Thyroid Cancer Risk

Background and Objectives: The effect of obesity on the development/progression of thyroid nodules with uncertain cytology is unknown. Therefore, our objective was to assess the role of body mass index (BMI) in predicting malignancy in patients with atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS) nodules. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 113 patients with available BMI data and final histopathology of benign or differentiated thyroid cancer. Patients were classified into four groups based on BMI: 2. The association between risk of malignancy and BMI was examined for all data and subgroups based on nodule size, sex, and age. Results: Overall, 44.2% were obese, 36.3% were ≥45 years, and 75.4% were women. Final pathological results showed malignant nodules in 52 patients (46%) and benign nodules in 61 patients (54%) (mean age: 41 ± 11.6 vs. 39.9 ± 11.7 years; p = 0.62). Men had more malignant nodules than benign nodules (32.7% vs. 16.4%, p p = 0.4). However, in individuals with BMI 2 (non-obese group), malignant nodules were more frequent in men than in women (71% vs. 41%, p = 0.04). No significant difference was observed in mean nodule size between the benign and malignant groups. Furthermore, BMI was not related to increased risk of malignancy in multiple logistic regression models using all data, even after controlling for confounding variables (odds ratio, 0.99, 95% confidence interval: 0.93–1.06, p = 0.87) or when stratifying by sex. Conclusions: Our study showed no correlation between obesity and thyroid cancer in patients with AUS/FLUS. Moreover, men had more malignant nodules than benign nodules. Further well-designed prospective studies are required to confirm our findings

Assessment of mortality from COVID-19 in a multicultural multi-ethnic patient population.

BackgroundStudies indicate that ethnicity and socioeconomic disparity are significant facilitators for COVID-19 mortality. The United Arab Emirates, distinctly has a population of almost 12% citizens and the rest, immigrants, are mainly unskilled labourers. The disparate socio-economic structure, crowded housing conditions, and multi-ethnic population offer a unique set of challenges in COVID-19 management.MethodsPatient characteristics, comorbidities, and clinical outcomes data from the electronic patient medical records were retrospectively extracted from the hospital information system of the two designated public COVID-19 referral hospitals. Chi-square test, logistic regression, and odds ratio were used to analyse the variables.ResultsFrom, the total of 3072 patients, less than one-fifth were females; the Asian population (71.2%);followed by Middle Eastern Arabs (23.3%) were the most infected by the virus. Diabetes Mellitus (26.8%), hypertension (25.7%) and heart disease (9.6%) were the most prevalent comorbidities observed among COVID-19 patients. Kidney disease as comorbidity significantly diminished the survival rates (Crude OR 9.6, 95% CI (5.6-16.6), p ConclusionOur study indicates that older ages above 51 years and kidney disease increased mortality significantly in COVID-19 patients. Ethnicity was not significantly associated with mortality in the UAE population. Our findings are important in the management of the COVID-19 disease in the region with similar economic, social, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds