Reinforcement Causal Structure Learning on Order Graph

Learning directed acyclic graph (DAG) that describes the causality of observed data is a very challenging but important task. Due to the limited quantity and quality of observed data, and non-identifiability of causal graph, it is almost impossible to infer a single precise DAG. Some methods approximate the posterior distribution of DAGs to explore the DAG space via Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), but the DAG space is over the nature of super-exponential growth, accurately characterizing the whole distribution over DAGs is very intractable. In this paper, we propose {Reinforcement Causal Structure Learning on Order Graph} (RCL-OG) that uses order graph instead of MCMC to model different DAG topological orderings and to reduce the problem size. RCL-OG first defines reinforcement learning with a new reward mechanism to approximate the posterior distribution of orderings in an efficacy way, and uses deep Q-learning to update and transfer rewards between nodes. Next, it obtains the probability transition model of nodes on order graph, and computes the posterior probability of different orderings. In this way, we can sample on this model to obtain the ordering with high probability. Experiments on synthetic and benchmark datasets show that RCL-OG provides accurate posterior probability approximation and achieves better results than competitive causal discovery algorithms.Comment: Accepted by the Thirty-Seventh AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence(AAAI2023

BVT.2733, a Selective 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Inhibitor, Attenuates Obesity and Inflammation in Diet-Induced Obese Mice

BACKGROUND: Inhibition of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) is being pursued as a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Therefore, there is an urgent need to determine the effect of 11β-HSD1 inhibitor, which suppresses glucocorticoid action, on adipose tissue inflammation. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of BVT.2733, a selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitor, on expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue in C57BL/6J mice. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: C57BL/6J mice were fed with a normal chow diet (NC) or high fat diet (HFD). HFD treated mice were then administrated with BVT.2733 (HFD+BVT) or vehicle (HFD) for four weeks. Mice receiving BVT.2733 treatment exhibited decreased body weight and enhanced glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity compared to control mice. BVT.2733 also down-regulated the expression of inflammation-related genes including monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and the number of infiltrated macrophages within the adipose tissue in vivo. Pharmacological inhibition of 11β-HSD1 and RNA interference against 11β-HSD1 reduced the mRNA levels of MCP-1 and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in cultured J774A.1 macrophages and 3T3-L1 preadipocyte in vitro. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that BVT.2733 treatment could not only decrease body weight and improve metabolic homeostasis, but also suppress the inflammation of adipose tissue in diet-induced obese mice. 11β-HSD1 may be a very promising therapeutic target for obesity and associated disease

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Study on the Characteristics of Competition in Sichuan Tea Industry

Nowadays, there is huge potential in the domestic sales and export of tea in China. However, the tea leaf products are less competitive in the international market because of the lack of brand. As a province with large amount of tea leaves, characteristics of tea leaf industry in Sichuan Province were analyzed from three aspects, namely fundamental industrial characteristics, the competition strategy of a company and main competition measures. The tea industry in Sichuan Province was featured by its large amount of companies and low industrial concentration. The competition among tea companies often uses the strategy of different brands and low cost. The major way to compete was to build tea brand and to publicize the tea culture. Organic green tea was the main issue. Electronic business platform was applied. Study on the competition characteristics of tea industry in Sichuan can improve the regional competitiveness of tea industry and can make contribution to the entire tea industry in China

Omphaloceles in combination with a self-made hemispherical cushion: a report of 12 cases

The aim of this study was to discuss the curative effect of applying “capsule-reserved normal saline bag and self-made hemi-spherical cushion oppression” for treating giant omphaloceles. Twelve patients with giant omphaloceles who were admitted to our hospital between January 2008 and June 2016 were selected for treatment as follows: a capsule-reserved normal saline bag was used to promote the gradual return of the abdominal contents into the abdominal cavity in phase I, and a self-made hemi-spherical cushion was used for compression combined with a local dressing change in phase II to treat the giant omphaloceles without surgical treatment. All 12 patients in this group were cured, and after follow-up visits for >10 months, they had no abdominal infections, wound disruption, intestinal obstruction, or other complications, and their growth was normal. Two patients had abdominal hernias, and they recovered after herniorrhaphies. Giant omphaloceles in newborns were treated in stages, and in phase II, non-surgical treatment was applied, which was easily performed with a smaller wound, low cost, an obvious curative effect, and higher safety and effectiveness

Vermicompost Improves Tomato Yield and Quality by Promoting Carbohydrate Transport to Fruit under Salt Stress

To explore the effect of vermicompost on the yield and quality of tomato cultivated in salty soil, we investigated the soil chemical properties, the yield, vitamin C, organic acid, soluble solids, and nitrate of fruit, photosynthesis, and carbohydrates of plants grown under various salt levels applied with the application of either commercial chemical fertilizers, cow manure, or vermicompost. Results showed that the tomato yield was not increased from the chemical fertilizer application, while there was an increase from the cow manure and vermicompost (increased 31.7% and 65.2%, respectively) under salt stress. Compared to no salt stress, the contents of vitamin C, organic acid, soluble solids, and nitrate increased 26.55%, 40.59%, 46.31%, and 35.08%, respectively, under salt stress (2 g NaCl·kg−1 soil). Compared with the Control, the application of chemical fertilizers failed to improve the sugar/acid ratio but increased nitrate content, while cow manure and vermicompost improved the sugar/acid ratio by 42.0% and 73.1%, respectively. Particularly, vermicompost increased vitamin C and reduced nitrate to the greatest extent among the different fertilizer treatments. The decrease in sodium (Na+) in the roots and leaves, increase in carbohydrates in fruit, and photosynthetic efficiency of leaves imply an amendment effect of vermicompost on salt stress. Moreover, vermicompost also facilitated the transit of carbohydrates from leaves to fruits by increasing the accumulation of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium in fruits, leaves, and roots, while decreasing proline and soluble protein accumulation in leaves and roots. In conclusion, vermicompost could alleviate the adverse effect of salt stress and improve tomato yield and fruit quality by improving the photosynthetic capacity and promoting carbohydrate transport to fruit. The findings give a new perspective on the beneficial effect of vermicompost on tomato yield and quality

Ginsenoside Rg3 Inhibits Migration and Invasion of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells and Suppresses Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly invasive and metastatic head and neck cancer. Distant metastasis becomes the predominant mode of treatment failure in NPC patients. Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3), an active pharmaceutical component extracted from traditional Chinese medicine ginseng, shows antitumor effects in various cancers. In this study, we aimed to determine whether Rg3 inhibits the migration and invasion activity of NPC cells and to explore the possible mechanisms. Our results revealed that Rg3 hampers cell migration and invasion in both HNE1 and CNE2 cell lines. A reduced level of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 was induced by Rg3 treatment. In addition, Rg3 significantly altered the expression of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers with increased E-cadherin but decreased Vimentin and N-cadherin expression. Transforming growth factor β- (TGF-β-) induced morphological transition and marker proteins change of EMT were reversed by Rg3. What is more, Rg3 suppressed the expression of EMT-related transcription factors, especially the Zinc Finger E-Box Binding Homeobox 1 (ZEB1). In summary, our data suggested that Rg3 could inhibit migration and invasion of NPC cells. This effect of Rg3 might be mediated through regulating MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions and suppressing EMT. Thus, Rg3 may be a potentially effective agent for the treatment of NPC