Special Issue on Web Intelligence and Virtual Communities. Editorial.

International audienceWeb intelligence is a multidisciplinary area dealing with exploiting data and services over the web, to create new data and services using information and communication technologies (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The link to networking and virtual organisations (VOs) is obvious: the web is a set of nodes, providing and consuming data and services; the permanent or temporary ties and exchanges in-between these nodes build the so-called virtual organisations; and the ICT and AI techniques contribute to the process and automate (or partly automate) communication and cooperation processes

Towards Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence for Equitable Global Health

Artificial intelligence (AI) can potentially transform global health, but algorithmic bias can exacerbate social inequities and disparity. Trustworthy AI entails the intentional design to ensure equity and mitigate potential biases. To advance trustworthy AI in global health, we convened a workshop on Fairness in Machine Intelligence for Global Health (FairMI4GH). The event brought together a global mix of experts from various disciplines, community health practitioners, policymakers, and more. Topics covered included managing AI bias in socio-technical systems, AI's potential impacts on global health, and balancing data privacy with transparency. Panel discussions examined the cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of AI in global health. FairMI4GH aimed to stimulate dialogue, facilitate knowledge transfer, and spark innovative solutions. Drawing from NIST's AI Risk Management Framework, it provided suggestions for handling AI risks and biases. The need to mitigate data biases from the research design stage, adopt a human-centered approach, and advocate for AI transparency was recognized. Challenges such as updating legal frameworks, managing cross-border data sharing, and motivating developers to reduce bias were acknowledged. The event emphasized the necessity of diverse viewpoints and multi-dimensional dialogue for creating a fair and ethical AI framework for equitable global health.Comment: 7 page

Excavations at Tell Fadous-Kfarabida:Preliminary report on the 2106 season of excavations

This report presents the main results of the final season of excavations in 2016at Tell Fadous-Kfarabida, located on the north Lebanese coast 2 km south of Batroun.Excavations focused on four areas. In Area II we worked only in Squares 310/295and parts of 305/295, where the excavations in 2015 did not reach a satisfactory end. We continued to excavate in and under the northern rooms of Building 4 (Phase III, Early Bronze Age III) and reached the earlier Phases II (Early Bronze Age II) and Phase I (Chalcolithic) in very limited areas. In Areas III and IV, we continued the work begun in 2014 and 2015. Area III is located on the southern slope of the tell. In 2016, work mainly focused on exposing domesticarchitecture from Phase III (Early Bronze Age III). Area IV is situated at the eastern edge of the site, where we continued the investigation of the Early Bronze Age fortification system with a monumental gate (Phase III, Early Bronze Age III). Area V, situated in the northcentral part of the tell, was newly opened in 2016. Here remains of substantial buildings, attributable to Phase III (Early Bronze Age III) were uncovered. In addition to the general overviews of the main features exposed in the different areas during the 2016 season, this report contains specialist reports on ceramic material and small finds from various phases as well as progress reports of ongoing archaeozoological and isotopic investigations

Do genetic factors protect for early onset lung cancer? A case control study before the age of 50 years

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Early onset lung cancer shows some familial aggregation, pointing to a genetic predisposition. This study was set up to investigate the role of candidate genes in the susceptibility to lung cancer patients younger than 51 years at diagnosis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>246 patients with a primary, histologically or cytologically confirmed neoplasm, recruited from 2000 to 2003 in major lung clinics across Germany, were matched to 223 unrelated healthy controls. 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms of genes with reported associations to lung cancer have been genotyped.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Genetic associations or gene-smoking interactions was found for <it>GPX1(Pro200Leu) </it>and <it>EPHX1(His113Tyr)</it>. Carriers of the Leu-allele of <it>GPX1(Pro200Leu) </it>showed a significant risk reduction of OR = 0.6 (95% CI: 0.4–0.8, p = 0.002) in general and of OR = 0.3 (95% CI:0.1–0.8, p = 0.012) within heavy smokers. We could also find a risk decreasing genetic effect for His-carriers of <it>EPHX1(His113Tyr) </it>for moderate smokers (OR = 0.2, 95% CI:0.1–0.7, p = 0.012). Considered both variants together, a monotone decrease of the OR was found for smokers (OR of 0.20; 95% CI: 0.07–0.60) for each protective allele.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Smoking is the most important risk factor for young lung cancer patients. However, this study provides some support for the T-Allel of <it>GPX1(Pro200Leu) </it>and the C-Allele of <it>EPHX1(His113Tyr) </it>to play a protective role in early onset lung cancer susceptibility.</p

Cause of Death and Predictors of All-Cause Mortality in Anticoagulated Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation : Data From ROCKET AF

M. Kaste on työryhmän ROCKET AF Steering Comm jäsen.Background-Atrial fibrillation is associated with higher mortality. Identification of causes of death and contemporary risk factors for all-cause mortality may guide interventions. Methods and Results-In the Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared with Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation (ROCKET AF) study, patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation were randomized to rivaroxaban or dose-adjusted warfarin. Cox proportional hazards regression with backward elimination identified factors at randomization that were independently associated with all-cause mortality in the 14 171 participants in the intention-to-treat population. The median age was 73 years, and the mean CHADS(2) score was 3.5. Over 1.9 years of median follow-up, 1214 (8.6%) patients died. Kaplan-Meier mortality rates were 4.2% at 1 year and 8.9% at 2 years. The majority of classified deaths (1081) were cardiovascular (72%), whereas only 6% were nonhemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism. No significant difference in all-cause mortality was observed between the rivaroxaban and warfarin arms (P=0.15). Heart failure (hazard ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.33-1.70, P= 75 years (hazard ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.51-1.90, P Conclusions-In a large population of patients anticoagulated for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, approximate to 7 in 10 deaths were cardiovascular, whereasPeer reviewe

MAIT cells and riboflavin in host-microbiota interactions

Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are an evolutionary conserved T cell subset, which recognize riboflavin precursor derivatives presented by MR1. Intestinal bacteria from the Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria phyla can produce MAIT antigens, suggesting a direct interplay between MAIT cells and the microbiota. In humans, MAIT cells have been implicated in pathologies associated with intestinal dysbiosis such as inflammatory bowel diseases, but the role of MAIT cells in these diseases remains unknown. Increased levels of oxygen and oxidative stress are hallmarks of intestinal inflammation, and riboflavin contributes to bacterial respiration and to oxidative stress resistance, suggesting increased needs for riboflavin during intestinal inflammation. Supporting this hypothesis, bacteria possessing the riboflavin biosynthesis pathway are enriched in Crohn’s disease patients.In the first part of this work, we explored the hypothesis that MAIT cells monitor a bacterial metabolic pathway associated with altered gut ecosystem. We showed that hypoxia disruption in the colon, upon antibiotic treatment or dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis, increased MAIT antigen production by the microbiota. We sequenced the 16S rRNA genes from the cecum of antibiotic- and DSS-treated mice, and analyzed expression of the riboflavin pathway genes in the Helicobacter hepaticus model of colitis. Dysanaerobiosis was associated with expansion of Enterobacteriaceae upon vancomycin treatment, and Bacteroidaceae and Enterobacteriaceae in colitic mice. Riboflavin production provided a fitness advantage to Escherichia coli in the inflamed intestine. Both Bacteroidaceae and Enterobacteriaceae can produce high amounts of MAIT antigens in vitro. In the H. hepaticus model of colitis, ribD, which controls MAIT antigen production, was over-expressed by Bacteroidaceae, Clostridiaceae and Enterobacteriaceae during colitis. MAIT antigens crossed the intestinal barrier and induced T cell receptor (TCR) signalling in MAIT cells, which produced the tissue-repair mediator amphiregulin and reduced colitis severity. In the second part of this work, we characterized MAIT cells in the ileal environment, wherein high levels of oxygen have been observed at steady state. A range of bacteria that encode the riboflavin pathway populated the ileum, however ileal MAIT cells were not activated through TCR engagement and expressed distinct phenotypic profiles. We discuss the future studies that will be needed to understand MAIT-microbiota interactions in the ileum.Collectively, in the colon, MAIT cells directly sense and react to changes in bacterial metabolism associated with intestinal inflammation and provide host protection in return. This new host-microbiota interaction may explain MAIT cell activation in other pathologies associated with dysbiosis such as colorectal cancer.Les cellules MAIT sont des lymphocytes T innés reconnaissant des métabolites microbiens dérivés de la voie de synthèse de la riboflavine, présentés par MR1. Des bactéries intestinales de l’embranchement des Bacteroidetes et Proteobacteria peuvent produire le ligand des MAIT, suggérant une interaction entre les MAIT et le microbiote. Chez l'homme, les MAIT ont été impliqués dans des pathologies associées à une dysbiose intestinale tel que les maladies inflammatoires de l'intestin, mais le rôle des MAIT dans ces maladies reste inconnu. La dysanaérobiose et le stress oxidatif caractérisent les maladies inflammatoires de l’intestin. La riboflavine contribue à la respiration aérobie et à la résistance des bactéries au stress oxydatif, suggérant une augmentation des besoins en riboflavine pendant l'inflammation intestinale. En accord avec cette hypothèse, les bactéries prototrophes pour la riboflavine sont enrichies dans la maladie de Crohn.Dans une première partie, nous avons exploré l'hypothèse que les MAIT détectent des alterations du métabolisme bactérien associées aux dysbioses dans le colon. Nous avons montré que la dysanaérobiose, lors d'un traitement antibiotique ou d'une colite induite par le dextran sulfate de sodium (DSS), augmente la production du ligand des MAIT dans l’intestin. Nous avons séquencé les gènes d'ARNr 16S dans l’intestin de souris traitées aux antibiotiques et au DSS, et analysé l'expression des gènes de la voie de la riboflavine en cas de colite induite par l'infection par Helicobacter hepaticus. La dysanaérobiose était associée à l'expansion des Enterobacteriaceae lors du traitement à la vancomycine, et des Bacteroidaceae et Enterobacteriaceae en cas de colite. La production de riboflavine était bénéfique pour l’expansion d’Escherichia coli dans l'intestin enflammé. Les Bacteroidaceae et les Enterobacteriacea peuvent produire de grandes quantités de ligands des MAIT in vitro. Le gène ribD, qui contrôle la production des ligands des MAIT, était surexprimé par les Bacteroidaceae, les Clostridiaceae et les Enterobacteriaceae en cas de colite induite par H. hepaticus. Le ligand des MAIT traversaient la barrière intestinale et augmentaient la stimulation TCR des MAIT qui produisent en conséquence amphiréguline et protégeaint contre la colite. Dans une seconde partie, nous avons caractérisé les MAIT dans l'iléon, dans lequel des niveaux élevés d'oxygène ont été observés à l'état basal. Plusieurs bactéries codant pour la voie de la riboflavine colonisaient l'iléon, mais les MAIT n'étaient pas activés par leur TCR et exprimaient un phénotype distinct dans l’iléon. Nous discutons les études futures qui permettront de comprendre les interactions MAIT-microbiote dans l'iléon.En résumé, les MAIT détectent et répondent directement aux changements du métabolisme bactérien associés à l'inflammation du colon et assurent en retour une protection de l'hôte. Cette nouvelle interaction hôte-microbiote peut expliquer l'activation des MAIT dans d'autres pathologies associées à une dysbiose telles que le cancer colorectal