Communication-Efficient Stochastic Zeroth-Order Optimization for Federated Learning

Federated learning (FL), as an emerging edge artificial intelligence paradigm, enables many edge devices to collaboratively train a global model without sharing their private data. To enhance the training efficiency of FL, various algorithms have been proposed, ranging from first-order to second-order methods. However, these algorithms cannot be applied in scenarios where the gradient information is not available, e.g., federated black-box attack and federated hyperparameter tuning. To address this issue, in this paper we propose a derivative-free federated zeroth-order optimization (FedZO) algorithm featured by performing multiple local updates based on stochastic gradient estimators in each communication round and enabling partial device participation. Under non-convex settings, we derive the convergence performance of the FedZO algorithm on non-independent and identically distributed data and characterize the impact of the numbers of local iterates and participating edge devices on the convergence. To enable communication-efficient FedZO over wireless networks, we further propose an over-the-air computation (AirComp) assisted FedZO algorithm. With an appropriate transceiver design, we show that the convergence of AirComp-assisted FedZO can still be preserved under certain signal-to-noise ratio conditions. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the FedZO algorithm and validate the theoretical observations.Comment: This work was accepted to Transaction on Signal Processin

Lower Versus Higher Oxygen Targets for Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Supplemental oxygen is commonly administered to patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, the findings from studies on oxygen targeting for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are inconclusive. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of lower oxygen target compared with higher oxygen target on patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, from inception to February 6, 2023, for randomized controlled trials comparing lower and higher oxygen target in adults (aged ≥ 18 years) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We screened studies and extracted data independently. The primary outcome was mortality at 90 days after cardiac arrest. We assessed quality of evidence using the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation approach. This study was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42023409368. RESULTS: The analysis included 7 randomized controlled trials with a total of 1451 participants. Compared with lower oxygen target, the use of a higher oxygen target was not associated with a higher mortality rate (relative risk 0.97, 95% confidence intervals 0.82 to 1.14; I CONCLUSION: Lower oxygen target did not reduce the mortality compared with higher oxygen target in patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Association of Anemia With Mortality in Young Adult Patients With Intracerebral Hemorrhage

This study aimed to examine the association of hemoglobin concentration with a 90-day mortality of young adult patients with ICH in a large retrospective cohort. A retrospective observational study was conducted between December 2013 and June 2019 in two tertiary academic medical centers in China. We defined patients with hemoglobin concentration \u3c 80 g/L as severe anemia and 80-120/130 g/L as mild to moderate anemia. We also defined patients with hemoglobin concentration \u3e 160 g/L as high hemoglobin. Associations of hemoglobin and outcomes were evaluated in multivariable regression analyses. The primary outcome was mortality at 90 days. We identified 4098 patients with ICH who met the inclusion criteria. After adjusting primary confounding variables, the 90-day mortality rate was significantly higher in young patients with severe anemia (OR, 39.65; 95% CI 15.42-101.97), moderate anemia (OR, 2.49; 95% CI 1.24-5.00), mild anemia (OR, 1.89; 95% CI 1.20-2.98), and high hemoglobin (OR, 2.03; 95% CI 1.26-3.26) group than in young patients of the normal group. The younger age was associated with a higher risk of death from anemia in patients with ICH (P for interaction = 0.01). In young adult patients with ICH, hemoglobin concentration was associated with 90-day mortality, and even mild to moderate anemia correlated with higher mortality. We also found that in ICH patients with anemia, younger age was associated with higher risk

Association Between Intraoperative Steroid and Postoperative Mortality in Patients Undergoing Craniotomy for Brain Tumor

BACKGROUND: Despite the widespread use of intraoperative steroids in various neurological surgeries to reduce cerebral edema and other adverse symptoms, there is sparse evidence in the literature for the optimal and safe usage of intraoperative steroid administration in patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumors. We aimed to investigate the effects of intraoperative steroid administration on postoperative 30-day mortality in patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumors. METHODS: Adult patients who underwent craniotomy for brain tumors between January 2011 to January 2020 were included at West China Hospital, Sichuan University in this retrospective cohort study. Stratified analysis based on the type of brain tumor was conducted to explore the potential interaction. RESULTS: This study included 8,663 patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumors. In patients with benign brain tumors, intraoperative administration of steroids was associated with a higher risk of postoperative 30-day mortality (adjusted OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.09-3.57). However, in patients with malignant brain tumors, no significant association was found between intraoperative steroid administration and postoperative 30-day mortality (adjusted OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.55-1.35). Additionally, administration of intraoperative steroids was not associated with acute kidney injury (adjusted OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.71-1.73), pneumonia (adjusted OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.74-1.07), surgical site infection (adjusted OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.50-1.22) within 30 days, and stress hyperglycemia (adjusted OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.81-1.38) within 24 h after craniotomy for brain tumor. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing craniotomy for benign brain tumors, intraoperative steroids were associated with 30-day mortality, but this association was not significant in patients with malignant brain tumors

Multifunctional Core-Shell Upconverting Nanoparticles for Imaging and Photodynamic Therapy of Liver Cancer Cells

通讯作者地址: Chen, XL (通讯作者),Xiamen Univ, State Key Lab Phys Chem Solid Surfaces, Xiamen 361005, Peoples R China 地址: 1. Xiamen Univ, State Key Lab Phys Chem Solid Surfaces, Xiamen 361005, Peoples R China 2. Xiamen Univ, Dept Chem, Coll Chem & Chem Engn, Xiamen 361005, Peoples R China 3. Xiamen Univ, Dept Elect Sci, Fujian Key Lab Plasma & Magnet Resonance, Xiamen 361005, Peoples R China 4. Xiamen Univ, Dept Commun Engn, Fujian Key Lab Plasma & Magnet Resonance, Xiamen 361005, Peoples R China 电子邮件地址: [email protected]; [email protected] upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have attracted considerable attention for their application in biomedicine. Here, silica-coated NaGdF4:Yb,Er/NaGdF4 nanoparticles with a tetrasubstituted carboxy aluminum phthalocyanine (AlC4Pc) photosensitizer covalently incorporated inside the silica shells were prepared and applied in the photodynamic therapy (PDT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cancer cells. These UCNP@SiO2(AlC4Pc) nanoparticles were uniform in size, stable against photosensitizer leaching, and highly efficient in photogenerating cytotoxic singlet oxygen under near-infrared (NIR) light. In vitro studies indicated that these nanoparticles could effectively kill cancer cells upon NIR irradiation. Moreover, the nanoparticles also demonstrated good MR contrast, both in aqueous solution and inside cells. This is the first time that NaGdF4:Yb,Er/NaGdF4 upconversion-nanocrystal-based multifunctional nanomaterials have been synthesized and applied in PDT. Our results show that these multifunctional nanoparticles are very promising for applications in versatile imaging diagnosis and as a therapy tool in biomedical engineering.NSFC 21101131 21021061 20925103 20871100 Fok Ying Tung Education Foundation 121011 NSF of Fujian Province 2009J06005 Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities 2010121015 Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars of State Education Ministry NFFTBS J103041

The Association Between Diabetic Retinopathy and the Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration—The Kailuan Eye Study

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) and analyze whether DR is a risk factor for AMD. This population-based epidemiological study included 14,440 people from the Kailuan Eye Study in 2016, of whom 1,618 were patients with type 2 DM aged over 50 years, and 409 had DM with DR. We analyzed whether there were differences in the prevalence of AMD between DM with DR and DM without DR, and conducted a hierarchical statistical analysis according to different stages of DR. Using variable regression analysis, we explored whether DR constituted a risk factor for AMD. In the DM population, the prevalence of wet AMD in patients with DM with and without DR was 0. 3 and 0.2%, respectively, with no significant difference (P = 0.607). Meanwhile, the prevalence of dry AMD in patients with DM with and without DR was 20.8 and 16.0%, respectively, with a significant difference. In the subgroup analysis of dry AMD, the prevalence of early, middle, and late dry AMD in DM with DR was 14.4, 5.9, and 0.5%, respectively. In DM without DR, the prevalence of early, middle, and late dry AMD was 10.5, 4.8, and 0.7%, respectively (P = 0.031). In the subgroup analysis of DR staging, statistical analysis could not be performed because of the limited number of patients with PDR. In the variable regression analysis of risk factors for dry AMD, after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, DR constituted the risk factor for dry AMD. In conclusion, DM did not constitute a risk factor for AMD, and the prevalence of wet AMD and dry AMD in patients with DM and DR was higher than that in patients with DM without DR (among which dry AMD was statistically significant). Multivariate regression analysis confirmed that DR is an independent risk factor for dry AMD. Reasonable control of DM and slowing down the occurrence and development of DR may effectively reduce the prevalence of AMD in patients with DM

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Effects of Anacetrapib in Patients with Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease remain at high risk for cardiovascular events despite effective statin-based treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) by anacetrapib reduces LDL cholesterol levels and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. However, trials of other CETP inhibitors have shown neutral or adverse effects on cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 30,449 adults with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive atorvastatin therapy and who had a mean LDL cholesterol level of 61 mg per deciliter (1.58 mmol per liter), a mean non-HDL cholesterol level of 92 mg per deciliter (2.38 mmol per liter), and a mean HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg per deciliter (1.03 mmol per liter). The patients were assigned to receive either 100 mg of anacetrapib once daily (15,225 patients) or matching placebo (15,224 patients). The primary outcome was the first major coronary event, a composite of coronary death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization. RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, the primary outcome occurred in significantly fewer patients in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (1640 of 15,225 patients [10.8%] vs. 1803 of 15,224 patients [11.8%]; rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.97; P=0.004). The relative difference in risk was similar across multiple prespecified subgroups. At the trial midpoint, the mean level of HDL cholesterol was higher by 43 mg per deciliter (1.12 mmol per liter) in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (a relative difference of 104%), and the mean level of non-HDL cholesterol was lower by 17 mg per deciliter (0.44 mmol per liter), a relative difference of -18%. There were no significant between-group differences in the risk of death, cancer, or other serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive statin therapy, the use of anacetrapib resulted in a lower incidence of major coronary events than the use of placebo. (Funded by Merck and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN48678192 ; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01252953 ; and EudraCT number, 2010-023467-18 .)

Bocavirus Infection Induces Mitochondrion-Mediated Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest at G2/M Phase▿

Bocavirus is a newly classified genus of the family Parvovirinae. Infection with Bocavirus minute virus of canines (MVC) produces a strong cytopathic effect in permissive Walter Reed/3873D (WRD) canine cells. We have systematically characterized the MVC infection-produced cytopathic effect in WRD cells, namely, the cell death and cell cycle arrest, and carefully examined how MVC infection induces the cytopathic effect. We found that MVC infection induces an apoptotic cell death characterized by Bax translocalization to the mitochondrial outer membrane, disruption of the mitochondrial outer membrane potential, and caspase activation. Moreover, we observed that the activation of caspases occurred only when the MVC genome was replicating, suggesting that replication of the MVC genome induces apoptosis. MVC infection also induced a gradual cell cycle arrest from the S phase in early infection to the G2/M phase at a later stage, which was confirmed by the upregulation of cyclin B1 and phosphorylation of cdc2. Cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase was reproduced by transfection of a nonreplicative NS1 knockout mutant of the MVC infectious clone, as well as by inoculation of UV-irradiated MVC. In contrast with other parvoviruses, only expression of the MVC proteins by transfection did not induce apoptosis or cell cycle arrest. Taken together, our results demonstrate that MVC infection induces a mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis that is dependent on the replication of the viral genome, and the MVC genome per se is able to arrest the cell cycle at the G2/M phase. Our results may shed light on the molecular pathogenesis of Bocavirus infection in general

A novel AllGlo probe-quantitative PCR method for detecting single nucleotide polymorphism in CYP2C19 to evaluate the antiplatelet activity of clopidogrel

Abstract CYP2C19 gene has multiple single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), which is the major determinant for clopidogrel treatment responses. Therefore, CYP2C19 SNP detection is essential for predicting clopidogrel efficacy. Currently, there is still no quick and effective method for routine detection of common CYP2C19 SNPs in clinical laboratories, which is critically needed prior to clopidogrel treatment. AllGlo™ based quantitative PCR was used to develop a novel genotyping method for CYP2C19 SNP detection, termed CyPAllGlo. The performance of CyPAllGlo was compared with that of the commonly used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method, and the data was verified by DNA sequencing. CyPallGlo was used to identify CYP2C19 polymorphisms in 363 patients with coronary heart disease. The univariate analysis was used to access the antiplatelet efficacy of clopidogrel in patients. The associations between CYP2C19 polymorphisms and clopidogrel efficacy were analyzed. Using CyPAllGlo to detect CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*3 alleles was highly specific and fast. The detection limit was approximately 0.07 µg/µl and 0.7 µg/µl for CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*3, respectively. The consistency between FISH and CyPAllGlo were 98.07% for CYP2C19*2 and 99.17% for CYP2C19*3. DNA sequencing showed that the accuracy of CyPAllGlo was 100%. The analysis time for the whole CyPAllGlo procedure was approximately 60 min. Univariate analysis showed that the anticoagulation efficacy of clopidogrel was related to patient age, CYP2C19 genotype, metabolic phenotype, and LDL level. The logistic regression analysis showed that the genotype of CYP2C19 and metabolic phenotype was the two risk factors for clopidogrel antiplatelet ineffectiveness. This novel CyPAllGlo is a rapid and accurate method for detection of CYP2C19 SNP. The specificity and consistency of CyPAllGlo are comparable with that of widely used DNA sequencing. These findings provide valuable rapid method for predicting clopidogrel efficacy, which can be quickly translated to improve personalized precision medicine for coronary heart disease treatment