Broadening AI Ethics Narratives: An Indic Art View

Incorporating interdisciplinary perspectives is seen as an essential step towards enhancing artificial intelligence (AI) ethics. In this regard, the field of arts is perceived to play a key role in elucidating diverse historical and cultural narratives, serving as a bridge across research communities. Most of the works that examine the interplay between the field of arts and AI ethics concern digital artworks, largely exploring the potential of computational tools in being able to surface biases in AI systems. In this paper, we investigate a complementary direction--that of uncovering the unique socio-cultural perspectives embedded in human-made art, which in turn, can be valuable in expanding the horizon of AI ethics. Through qualitative interviews of sixteen artists, art scholars, and researchers of diverse Indian art forms like music, sculpture, painting, floor drawings, dance, etc., we explore how {\it non-Western} ethical abstractions, methods of learning, and participatory practices observed in Indian arts, one of the most ancient yet perpetual and influential art traditions, can inform the FAccT community. Insights from our study suggest (1) the need for incorporating holistic perspectives (that are informed both by data-driven observations and prior beliefs encapsulating the structural models of the world) in designing ethical AI algorithms, (2) the need for integrating multimodal data formats for design, development, and evaluation of ethical AI systems, (3) the need for viewing AI ethics as a dynamic, cumulative, shared process rather than as a self contained framework to facilitate adaptability without annihilation of values, (4) the need for consistent life-long learning to enhance AI accountability, and (5) the need for identifying ethical commonalities across cultures and infusing the same into AI system design, so as to enhance applicability across geographies

Correlation of quantitative and qualitative parameters of high-resolution computed tomography with pulmonary function test for diagnosing and assessing the severity of obstructive pulmonary disease

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in the prediction of presence and severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), based on the pulmonary function test (PFT), to correlate the various quantitative and qualitative indices of COPD in HRCT with PFT values, and to derive at the threshold values for various quantitative HRCT indices of COPD. Material and methods: A one-year retrospective and prospective evaluation of the HRCTs of 90 cases and 38 controls was performed. Quantitative and qualitative parameters of COPD were assessed in HRCT and were correlated with PFT. Results: Among the qualitative parameters, significant correlation with spirometry was found with the qualitative scoring for emphysema and presence and inhomogeneous attenuation. Among the quantitative indices, anterior junction line length, thoracic cage ratio at both aortic arch and inferior pulmonary vein level, thoracic cross-sectional area/[height]² at the aortic arch were found to have good correlation with spirometry. There was significant strong correlation of anterior junction line length and tracheal index with residual volume/total lung capacity (RV/TLC). The threshold values of chest X-ray and HRCT quantitative parameters were calculated and were found to be lower than those of the western population. Conclusion: HRCT has a definite role in the diagnosis of COPD and can be used to predict the severity of emphysema

Novel mutations of the carbohydrate sulfotransferase-6 (CHST6) gene causing macular corneal dystrophy in India

Purpose: Macular corneal dystrophy (MCD) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by progressive central haze, confluent punctate opacities and abnormal deposits in the cornea. It is caused by mutations in the carbohydrate sulfotransferase-6 (CHST6) gene, encoding corneal N-acetyl glucosamine-6-O-sulfotransferase (C-GlcNAc-6-ST). We screened the CHST6 gene for mutations in Indian families with MCD, in order to determine the range of pathogenic mutations. Methods: Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes of patients with MCD and normal controls. The coding regions of the CHST6 gene were amplified using three pairs of primers and amplified products were directly sequenced. Results: We identified 22 (5 nonsense, 5 frameshift, 2 insertion, and 10 missense) mutations in 36 patients from 31 families with MCD, supporting the conclusion that loss of function of this gene is responsible for this corneal disease. Seventeen of these mutations are novel. Conclusions: These data highlight the allelic heterogeneity of macular corneal dystrophy in Indian patients

Collecting family planning intentions and providing reproductive health information using a tablet-based video game in India [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Background: In response to a Grand Challenges in Global Health call for action to collect data about family planning intentions and increase the uptake of family planning methods in India, our team designed, developed, and piloted the My Future Family video game in Karnataka Province. The game educates adolescents about human sexuality and reproduction while asking players when they would like to achieve five important family planning milestones.  Participants were also asked to report who influences them the most when making family planning decisions. Methods: Focus groups were conducted and the resulting data used to design the game which was iteratively tested and then piloted in 11 schools in rural and urban areas of southern India. Data was collected throughout gameplay and cross-checked with paper questionnaires.  Results: In August 2018, we successfully piloted the game with 382 adolescents and validated its efficacy both as an educational tool and as an innovative means of accurate data collection.  Conclusion: It has historically been problematic to gather accurate data about adolescents in India on this culturally sensitive topic for a variety of reasons. These include difficulties obtaining consent, developing appropriate survey methods, and framing questions in language that young people can understand. Our game met these challenges by working within a single school system with approval from senior administration, delivering information via a game environment, which freed players from societal constraints, and communicating information via images and audio in addition to text in both English and Kannada (the local language)

Towards scale‐up of graphene production via nonoxidizing liquid exfoliation methods

Graphene, the two‐dimensional form of carbon, has received a great deal of attention across academia and industry due to its extraordinary electrical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and optical properties. In view of the potential impact of graphene on numerous and diverse applications in electronics, novel materials, energy, transport, and healthcare, large‐scale graphene production is a challenge that must be addressed. In the past decade, top–down production has demonstrated high potential for scale‐up. This review features the recent progress made in top–down production methods that have been proposed for the manufacturing of graphene‐based products. Fabrication methods such as liquid‐phase mechanical, chemical and electrochemical exfoliation of graphite are outlined, with a particular focus on nonoxidizing routes for graphene production. Analysis of exfoliation mechanisms, solvent considerations, key advantages and issues, and important production characteristics including production rate and yield, where applicable, are outlined. Future challenges and opportunities in graphene production are also highlighted

Semantic characterization of real world events

Reducing the latency of information delivery in an event driven world has always been a challenge. It is often necessary to completely capture the attributes of events and relationships between them, so that the process of retrieval of event related information is efficient. In this paper, we discuss a formal system for representing and analyzing real world events to address these issues. The event representation discussed in this paper accounts for the important event attributes, namely, time, space, and label. We introduce the notion of sequence templates that not only provides event related semantics but also help in semantically analyzing user queries. Finally, we discuss the design for our Query-Event Analysis System, which is an integrated system to (a) identify a best sequence template given a user query; (b) select events based on the best sequence template; and (c) determine content related to the selected events for delivering to users

Representation and Processing of Information Related to Real World Events

Event based analysis plays an important role in reducing the latency of information delivery in an event driven world. Also, the perception of an ‘event ’ by a user is at a higher level (a meta event), and would involve the analysis of several less complex or lower order events (basic events) in order to convey meaningful information. This is especially true of real world events and it is often necessary to completely capture the attributes of events and the relationships between them, so that the process of retrieval of event related information is efficient. In this paper, we discuss a formal system for representing and analyzing real world events to address these issues. The event representation discussed in this paper accounts for three important event attributes, namely, time, space, and label. We introduce the notion of sequence templates that appears natural for capturing event related semantics. It can also help in semantically analyzing user queries. To harness this potential, we present a formal structure to represent the queries related to real world events as well as an approach to semantically analyze a user query, and collate event related information to be dispatched to the user. Finally, we discuss the design and implementation of the Query-Event Analysis System (QEAS), which is an integrated system to (a) identify a best-matching sequence template(s) given a user query; (b) derive the meta-events based on the selected sequence templates; and (c) and use the meta-event information to answer the user query

Amniotic membrane transplant with superficial keratectomy in superficial corneal degenerations: Efficacy in a rural population of north India

<b>Aim:</b> To evaluate the applicability and efficacy of superficial keratectomy with transplantation of preserved amniotic membrane in superficial corneal degenerations in a rural population of Northern India in terms of visual improvement and surface regularization. <b> Settings:</b> Peripheral referral center in rural north India. <b> Materials and Methods:</b> This was a prospective non-comparative interventional case series where 24 eyes of 20 farmers from peripheral rural areas (M:F = 19:1) with visually significant superficial degenerative disorders (15 eyes with climatic droplet keratopathy one of which was associated with Salzmann nodular degeneration and nine eyes with band-shaped keratopathy) were subjected to amniotic membrane transplantation (single or multiple layer) combined with superficial keratectomy. Subjective and objective outcomes after surgery were evaluated and analyzed and statistical significance of the outcomes in various disorders was evaluated. <b> Results:</b> Eighty-eight per cent (21 eyes) had symptomatic relief from distressing preoperative symptoms while postoperative visual improvement by two or more lines was achieved in 23 eyes (96&#x0025;) over a mean follow-up period of 26.8 &#x00B1; 10.2 months. The surface irregularity present preoperatively was relieved in 23 cases while postoperative decline of vision with visually significant scarring was seen in one case (4&#x0025;), which was labeled as failure. <b> Conclusions: </b> Amniotic membrane transplant with superficial keratectomy helped achieve subjective comfort, visual rehabilitation and clinical regularization of the corneal surface in superficial corneal degenerations during the mean followup of 26.8 &#x00B1; 10.2 months in rural setups