Privacy-preserving machine learning for healthcare: open challenges and future perspectives

Machine Learning (ML) has recently shown tremendous success in modeling various healthcare prediction tasks, ranging from disease diagnosis and prognosis to patient treatment. Due to the sensitive nature of medical data, privacy must be considered along the entire ML pipeline, from model training to inference. In this paper, we conduct a review of recent literature concerning Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning (PPML) for healthcare. We primarily focus on privacy-preserving training and inference-as-a-service, and perform a comprehensive review of existing trends, identify challenges, and discuss opportunities for future research directions. The aim of this review is to guide the development of private and efficient ML models in healthcare, with the prospects of translating research efforts into real-world settings.Comment: ICLR 2023 Workshop on Trustworthy Machine Learning for Healthcare (TML4H

Lonchidion derenzii sp. nov., a new lonchidiid shark (Chondriychtyes, Hybodontiforms) from the Late Triassic of Spain with remarks on lonchidiid enameloid

Lonchidiidae Herman, 1977, represents one of the most diverse and controversial families of Hybodontiformes, the sister group of Neoselachii (i.e., modern sharks, skates, and rays). It was initially erected as a monogeneric family including only Lonchidion Estes, 1964, a genus of small euryhaline hybodonts from the Mesozoic. Recently, Cappetta (2012) recognized up to eight genera within the family: Baharyodon, Diplolonchidion, Vectiselachos, Hylaeobatis, Isanodus, Parvodus,Lissodus, andLonchidion, although the content of the family is still under discussion (see, e.g., Rees, 2008; Khamha et al., 2016). Major discrepancies concern the phylogenetic relationships between Lonchidion and Lissodus and the taxonomic status of the latter. Thus, based on the general similarity of their teeth,Duffin (1985, 2001) considered Lonchidion as a junior synonym of Lissodus. Subsequently, Rees and Underwood (2002) restored Lonchidion as a valid genus, closely related to Lissodus, within the family Lonchidiidae (togetherwith Vectiselachos, Parvodus, andHylaeobatis). This interpretation has been followed by several authors (e.g., Fischer, 2008; Cappetta, 2012; Johns et al., 2014). In contrast, Rees (2008) considered Lonchidion and Lissodus not so closely related to each other, excluding Lissodus from Lonchidiidae. The majority of Lonchidion species has been described on the basis of disarticulated teeth, and complete or partial articulated skeletons have been known only recently from juvenile specimens, assigned to Lonchidion sp., from the inland lacustrine Konservat- Lagerst¿atten outcrop of Las Hoyas (Lower Cretaceous, Spain) (Soler-Gij on et al., 2016). Currently, the stratigraphic distribution of the ranges from the Middle-Upper Triassic (Fischer et al., 2011; Johns et al., 2014) to the Upper Cretaceous (Estes, 1964). In the present study, we describe a new species assigned to Lonchidiidae, Lonchidion derenzii, sp. nov., based on distinctive isolated teeth from the Upper Triassic (Carnian) of Spain, representing the earliest well-documented occurrence of the genus in Europe

Equilibrium swelling properties of polyampholytic hydrogels

The role of counter ions and ion dissociation in establishing the equilibrium swelling of balanced and unbalanced polyampholytic hydrogels has been investigated experimentally and theoretically. The swelling dependence on both the net charge offset and the external bath salt concentration has been examined using an acrylamide based polyampholytic hydrogels. By careful consideration of the swelling kinetics, we illustrate the effects of ion dissociation equilibria and counter ion shielding in polyampholytic hydrogels near their balance point where both polyelectrolyte and polyampholyte effects are present. The theory considers a Flory type swelling model where the Coulombic interactions between fixed ions in the hydrogel resemble those of an ionic solid with a Debye screening factor. Theoretical predictions from this model are in qualitative agreement with our experimental [email protected] ; [email protected]

Vascular labeling of the head and neck vessels : technique, advantages and limitations

Vascular staining techniques have been used to describe the vascular structures of several anatomic areas. However, few reports have described this procedure in the head and neck region. This paper describes a head and neck vascular labeling procedure, and describes some of the technical complications that may occur. Fifteen specimen cadaver heads were prepared. After drying the vascular system, the internal carotid arteries were ligated and a solution with latex and a gelling agent was injected into the internal carotid arteries and external jugular veins. Two different colors were employed to differentiate arteries from veins. A total of 60ml latex was injected into each blood vessel. Subsequently, the specimens were refrigerated at 5°C for a minimum of 24 hours. Finally, a dissection was performed to identify the venous and arterial systems of the maxillofacial region. In most specimens, correct identification of the vascular structures (lingual artery, pterigoyd plexus, and the major palatal arteries, among others) was possible. However, in three heads a major technical problem occurred (the latex remained liquid), making the dissection unfeasible. Other minor complications such as latex obstruction due to the presence of atheromas were found in two further specimens. The vascular labeling technique is a predictable, effective and simple method for analyzing the vascular system of the maxillofacial area in cadaveric studies, including vessels of reduced diameter or with an intraosseous course. This procedure can be especially useful to teach vascular anatomy to dental students and postgraduate residents

Comparison of two different lingual flap advancement techniques and vascular structure identification:a human cadaver study

One of the most frequent complications in guided bone regeneration (GBR) is wound dehiscence, which compromises treatment outcomes. Thus, primary tension-free suture is essential to avoid wound dehiscence. The purpose of this study was to compare the extension of 2 different mandibular flaps in human cadaveric specimens, and to measure the size of the supraperiosteal blood vessels. Five freshly unfrozen human cadaveric specimens were used. Arteries and veins were marked and bilateral classical lingual flaps (extending from the second premolar to the retromolar area) were prepared. In one side, the mylohyoid muscle was detached to increase the coronal extension of the flap. An implant drill was used to measure the extension of the flap after exerting 30 g of traction, before and after detaching the mylohyoid muscle. The size of the largest vascular structures of the flap was measured using a periodontal probe. The classical flap extension was 5.99 mm (95% confidence interval (CI): 5.08 to 6.90), while the coronally advanced flap extension with mylohyoid muscle detachment was 14.96 mm (95%CI: 10.81 ? 19.11). A statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups (p= 0.0002), with a mean extension difference was 8.97 mm (95%CI: 5.02 to 12.91). The mean largest artery had 0.20 mm of diameter (95%CI: 0.15 ? 0.26). The detachment of the mylohyoid muscle from the lingual flap allows to significantly increase its extension by 2.5 times. The superficial arteries found in the lingual flap have a small diameter (around 0.2mm)

A Serravallian (Middle Miocene) shark fauna from Southeastern Spain and its palaeoenvironment significance

The study of a new Serravallian (Middle Miocene) locality from the Southeastern Spain has yielded a shark assemblage characterized by microremains of at least seven taxa (Deania calcea, ¿Isistius triangulus, ¿Squaliolus cf. S. schaubi, ¿Paraetmopterus sp., Pristiophorus sp., Scyliorhinus sp. and a cf. Squaliformes indet) of three different orders (Squaliformes, Pristiophoriformes and Carcharhiniformes). In addition, associated macroremains have also been found, including teeth of ¿Cosmopolitodus hastalis, Isurus sp., Hemipristis serra, Odontaspis sp., Carcharhinus spp. and ¿Otodus (Megaselachus) megalodon. The assemblage contains taxa with disparate environmental preferences including not only neritic and epipelagic sharks but also an important number of meso and bathypelagic representatives. The migration of deep water taxa to shallower waters through submarine canyons/coastal upwelling is proposed as the most plausible cause for explaining the origin of such assemblage. Interestingly, the composition of the deep-water taxa here reported contrast with the chondrichthyans assemblages from the Pliocene and extant Mediterranean communities. This entails a complex biogeographic history, where the Messinian salinity crisis strongly affected the posterior evolution of the Mediterranean ecosystems but some other factors, such us the existence of anoxic events during the Quaternary, could have also played an important role

Callus Induction from Diverse Explants and Genotypes Enables Robust Transformation of Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

Genetic transformation of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is critical for fundamental and translational research in this important grass species. It often relies on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of callus tissue. However, callus induction is restricted to a few genotypes that respond well to tissue culture. Here, we report callus induction from different perennial ryegrass genotypes and explants, such as shoot tips, seeds, and anthers, which were transformed with several plasmids for functional genomics. β-glucuronidase (GUS) histochemical staining showed the LmdsRNAbp promoter sequence was active in stigmas, spikelets, anthers, and leaves. We also transformed calli with plasmids allowing gene silencing and gene knock-out using RNA interference and CRISPR/Cas9, respectively, for which genotypic and phenotypic investigations are ongoing. Using 19 different constructs, 262 transgenic events were regenerated. Moreover, the protocol regenerated a doubled haploid transgenic event from anther-derived calli. This work provides a proof-of-concept method for expanding the range of genotypes amenable to transformation, thus, serving research and breeding initiatives to improve this important grass crop for forage and recreation