Towards Privacy-Aware Causal Structure Learning in Federated Setting

Causal structure learning has been extensively studied and widely used in machine learning and various applications. To achieve an ideal performance, existing causal structure learning algorithms often need to centralize a large amount of data from multiple data sources. However, in the privacy-preserving setting, it is impossible to centralize data from all sources and put them together as a single dataset. To preserve data privacy, federated learning as a new learning paradigm has attracted much attention in machine learning in recent years. In this paper, we study a privacy-aware causal structure learning problem in the federated setting and propose a novel Federated PC (FedPC) algorithm with two new strategies for preserving data privacy without centralizing data. Specifically, we first propose a novel layer-wise aggregation strategy for a seamless adaptation of the PC algorithm into the federated learning paradigm for federated skeleton learning, then we design an effective strategy for learning consistent separation sets for federated edge orientation. The extensive experiments validate that FedPC is effective for causal structure learning in a federated learning setting.Comment: This paper has been accepted by the journal IEEE Transactions on Big Data, and it contains 21 pages, 9 figures and 15 table

Towards Hybrid-grained Feature Interaction Selection for Deep Sparse Network

Deep sparse networks are widely investigated as a neural network architecture for prediction tasks with high-dimensional sparse features, with which feature interaction selection is a critical component. While previous methods primarily focus on how to search feature interaction in a coarse-grained space, less attention has been given to a finer granularity. In this work, we introduce a hybrid-grained feature interaction selection approach that targets both feature field and feature value for deep sparse networks. To explore such expansive space, we propose a decomposed space which is calculated on the fly. We then develop a selection algorithm called OptFeature, which efficiently selects the feature interaction from both the feature field and the feature value simultaneously. Results from experiments on three large real-world benchmark datasets demonstrate that OptFeature performs well in terms of accuracy and efficiency. Additional studies support the feasibility of our method.Comment: NeurIPS 2023 poste

Application of Angiotensin Receptor–Neprilysin Inhibitor in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: Chinese Expert Consensus

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health problem, and cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in patients with CKD. The incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular events during the early stages of CKD increases significantly with a decline in renal function. More than 50% of dialysis patients die from cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, and sudden cardiac death. Therefore, developing effective methods to control risk factors and improve prognosis is the primary focus during the diagnosis and treatment of CKD. For example, the SPRINT study demonstrated that CKD drugs are effective in reducing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events by controlling blood pressure. Uncontrolled blood pressure not only increases the risk of these events but also accelerates the progression of CKD. A co-crystal complex of sacubitril, which is a neprilysin inhibitor, and valsartan, which is an angiotensin receptor blockade, has the potential to be widely used against CKD. Sacubitril inhibits neprilysin, which further reduces the degradation of natriuretic peptides and enhances the beneficial effects of the natriuretic peptide system. In contrast, valsartan alone can block the angiotensin II-1 (AT1) receptor and therefore inhibit the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. These two components can act synergistically to relax blood vessels, prevent and reverse cardiovascular remodeling, and promote natriuresis. Recent studies have repeatedly confirmed that the first and so far the only angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) sacubitril/valsartan can reduce blood pressure more effectively than renin–angiotensin system inhibitors and improve the prognosis of heart failure in patients with CKD. Here, we propose clinical recommendations based on an expert consensus to guide ARNI-based therapeutics and reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular events in patients with CKD

Influences of the Grain-for-Green project on grain security in southern China

Ensuring grain security has always been a top priority in China. As one of the major grain production areas in China, southern China is currently being criticized for the urban encroachment on prime agricultural land and decrease in grain production due to Grain-for-Green project. Based on the erosion pattern from the RUSLE model, spatial analysis is performed to analyze the possible loss of grain production if cropland under different degrees of soil erosion is exposed to the Grain-for-Green project. The projected total grain production on the basis of the 2000 grain production data in south China will decrease by 7.77% if cultivation is stopped on the cropland with high, very high, severe and very severe erosion, which, although not affects the grain security in southern China, would damage the grain security for the whole China. However, if all cropland on slopes above 25 is converted to forest or grassland, grain production will decrease by 2.1%. If all cropland covered with high, very high, severe and very severe erosion on slopes above 25 is converted to forest or grassland, grain production will decrease by 0.91%. Neither of the two measures will damage grain security in southern China, nor the whole China. So, the government should continue the Grain-for-Green project based on both slope and soil erosion degrees to ensure the grain security and reduce soil erosion at the same time. Published by Elsevier Ltd.Ensuring grain security has always been a top priority in China. As one of the major grain production areas in China, southern China is currently being criticized for the urban encroachment on prime agricultural land and decrease in grain production due to Grain-for-Green project. Based on the erosion pattern from the RUSLE model, spatial analysis is performed to analyze the possible loss of grain production if cropland under different degrees of soil erosion is exposed to the Grain-for-Green project. The projected total grain production on the basis of the 2000 grain production data in south China will decrease by 7.77% if cultivation is stopped on the cropland with high, very high, severe and very severe erosion, which, although not affects the grain security in southern China, would damage the grain security for the whole China. However, if all cropland on slopes above 25 is converted to forest or grassland, grain production will decrease by 2.1%. If all cropland covered with high, very high, severe and very severe erosion on slopes above 25 is converted to forest or grassland, grain production will decrease by 0.91%. Neither of the two measures will damage grain security in southern China, nor the whole China. So, the government should continue the Grain-for-Green project based on both slope and soil erosion degrees to ensure the grain security and reduce soil erosion at the same time. Published by Elsevier Ltd

The influences of cave tourism on CO2 and temperature in Baiyun cave, Hebei, China.

Baiyun Cave in Hebei Province is one of the main show caves in North China. The speleothem landscape is wonderful, but strongly weathered. In order to set up the relationship between visitor flow and CO2 content and temperature, these parameters were measured at observation sites No. 1 and No. 2 in the tourist peak period of May Day Holiday from May 1 to May 7, 2000. and general tourist season August and October, 2000. The results show that visitor flow strongly affects the fluctuations of cave CO2 content and temperature, that the cave topography and dimensions affect the accumulation and diffusion of CO2. Variation of air temperature in the cave has shown to be attributable to the visitors

Study on thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride

The thermodynamics and kinetics methods had been applied to study the effects of the deposition temperature, the reaction gas ratio and the dilution gas on Si _3 N _4 formation in the SiCl _4 -NH _3 -H _2 system. The studies revealed that raising the deposition temperature would accelerate the chemical reaction and increase Si _3 N _4 yield below 1400 K, higher temperature prompted the side reactions. With the increase of NH _3 concentration, the content of Si _3 N _4 in the reaction products also increased. As the diluent gas, H _2 could accelerate the reaction and the deposition of Si _3 N _4 . However, the excess dilution gas would carry away the reaction gas and inhibit the reaction. The comprehensive effect of temperature and gas ratio on Si _3 N _4 deposition were also analyzed by the three-dimensional figures. Finally, the optimal conditions for Si _3 N _4 preparation were suggested

The influence of cave tourism on CO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e and temperature in Baiyun Cave, Hebei, China

Baiyun Cave in Hebei Province is one of the main show caves in North China. The speleothem landscape is wonderful, but strongly weathered. In order to set up the relationship between visitor flow and CO2 content and temperature, these parameters were measured at observation sites No. 1 and No. 2 in the tourist peak period of May Day Holiday from May 1 to May 7, 2000. and general tourist season August and October, 2000. The results show that visitor flow strongly affects the fluctuations of cave CO2 content and temperature, that the cave topography and dimensions affect the accumulation and diffusion of CO2. Variation of air temperature in the cave has shown to be attributable to the visitors

The influence of cave tourism on CO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e and temperature in Baiyun Cave, Hebei, China

Baiyun Cave in Hebei Province is one of the main show caves in North China. The speleothem landscape is wonderful, but strongly weathered. In order to set up the relationship between visitor flow and CO2 content and temperature, these parameters were measured at observation sites No. 1 and No. 2 in the tourist peak period of May Day Holiday from May 1 to May 7, 2000. and general tourist season August and October, 2000. The results show that visitor flow strongly affects the fluctuations of cave CO2 content and temperature, that the cave topography and dimensions affect the accumulation and diffusion of CO2. Variation of air temperature in the cave has shown to be attributable to the visitors