Exploring a unified sequence-to-sequence transformer for medical product safety monitoring in social media

Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics: EMNLP 2021, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, November 7–11, 2021202303 bcwwVersion of RecordSelf-fundedPublishedC

High-fidelity discrete modeling of the HPA axis: a study of regulatory plasticity in biology

BACKGROUND: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a central regulator of stress response and its dysfunction has been associated with a broad range of complex illnesses including Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Though classical mathematical approaches have been used to model HPA function in isolation, its broad regulatory interactions with immune and central nervous function are such that the biological fidelity of simulations is undermined by the limited availability of reliable parameter estimates. METHOD: Here we introduce and apply a generalized discrete formalism to recover multiple stable regulatory programs of the HPA axis using little more than connectivity between physiological components. This simple discrete model captures cyclic attractors such as the circadian rhythm by applying generic constraints to a minimal parameter set; this is distinct from Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) models, which require broad and precise parameter sets. Parameter tuning is accomplished by decomposition of the overall regulatory network into isolated sub-networks that support cyclic attractors. Network behavior is simulated using a novel asynchronous updating scheme that enforces priority with memory within and between physiological compartments. RESULTS: Consistent with much more complex conventional models of the HPA axis, this parsimonious framework supports two cyclic attractors, governed by higher and lower levels of cortisol respectively. Importantly, results suggest that stress may remodel the stability landscape of this system, favoring migration from one stable circadian cycle to the other. Access to each regime is dependent on HPA axis tone, captured here by the tunable parameters of the multi-valued logic. Likewise, an idealized glucocorticoid receptor blocker alters the regulatory topology such that maintenance of persistently low cortisol levels is rendered unstable, favoring a return to normal circadian oscillation in both cortisol and glucocorticoid receptor expression. CONCLUSION: These results emphasize the significance of regulatory connectivity alone and how regulatory plasticity may be explored using simple discrete logic and minimal data compared to conventional methods

Hydrogen Sulfide and Ionic Liquids: Absorption, Separation, and Oxidation

Economical and environmental concerns are the main motivations for development of energy-efficient processes and new eco-friendly materials for the capture of greenhouse gases. Currently, H2S capture is dominated by physical and/or chemical absorption technologies, which are, however, energy intensive and often problematic from an environmental point of view due to emission of volatile solvent components. Ionic liquids have been proposed as a promising alternative to conventional solvents because of their low volatility and other interesting properties. The aim of the present review paper is to provide a detailed overview of the achievements and difficulties that have been encountered in finding suitable ionic liquids for H2S capture. The effect of ionic liquid anions, cations, and functional groups on the H2S absorption, separation, and oxidation are highlighted. Recent developments on yet scarcely available molecular simulations and on the development of robust predictive methods are also discussed