127 research outputs found
Additional considerations for assessing COVID-19 impact on dengue transmission - Authors' reply.
Distributed Learning over Networks with Graph-Attention-Based Personalization
In conventional distributed learning over a network, multiple agents
collaboratively build a common machine learning model. However, due to the
underlying non-i.i.d. data distribution among agents, the unified learning
model becomes inefficient for each agent to process its locally accessible
data. To address this problem, we propose a graph-attention-based personalized
training algorithm (GATTA) for distributed deep learning. The GATTA enables
each agent to train its local personalized model while exploiting its
correlation with neighboring nodes and utilizing their useful information for
aggregation. In particular, the personalized model in each agent is composed of
a global part and a node-specific part. By treating each agent as one node in a
graph and the node-specific parameters as its features, the benefits of the
graph attention mechanism can be inherited. Namely, instead of aggregation
based on averaging, it learns the specific weights for different neighboring
nodes without requiring prior knowledge about the graph structure or the
neighboring nodes' data distribution. Furthermore, relying on the
weight-learning procedure, we develop a communication-efficient GATTA by
skipping the transmission of information with small aggregation weights.
Additionally, we theoretically analyze the convergence properties of GATTA for
non-convex loss functions. Numerical results validate the excellent
performances of the proposed algorithms in terms of convergence and
communication cost.Comment: Accepted for publication in IEEE TSP; with supplementary details for
the derivation
Multi-sensor Image Data Fusion based on Pixel-Level Weights of Wavelet and the PCA Transform
Abstract -The goal of image fusion is to create new images that are more suitable for the purposes of human visual perception, object detection and target recognition. For Automatic Target Recognition (ATR), we can use multi-sensor data including visible and infrared images to increase the recognition rate. In this paper, we propose a new multiresolution data fusion scheme based on the principal component analysis (PCA) transform and the pixel-level weights wavelet transform including thermal weights and visual weights. In order to get a more ideal fusion result, a linear local mapping which based on the PCA is used to create a new "origin" image of the image fusion. We use multiresolution decompositions to represent the input images at different scales, present a multiresolution/ multimodal segmentation to partition the image domain at these scales. The crucial idea is to use this segmentation to guide the fusion process. Physical thermal weights and perceptive visual weights are used as segmentation multimodals. Daubechies Wavelet is choosen as the Wavelet Basis. Experimental results confirm that the proposed algorithm is the best image sharpening method and can best maintain the spectral information of the original infrared image. Also, the proposed technique performs better than the other ones in the literature, more robust and effective, from both subjective visual effects and objective statistical analysis results
Estimating the contribution of setting-specific contacts to SARS-CoV-2 transmission using digital contact tracing data
While many countries employed digital contact tracing to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the contribution of cospace-time interaction (i.e., individuals who shared the same space and time) to transmission and to super-spreading in the real world has seldom been systematically studied due to the lack of systematic sampling and testing of contacts. To address this issue, we utilized data from 2230 cases and 220,878 contacts with detailed epidemiological information during the Omicron outbreak in Beijing in 2022. We observed that contact number per day of tracing for individuals in dwelling, workplace, cospace-time interactions, and community settings could be described by gamma distribution with distinct parameters. Our findings revealed that 38% of traced transmissions occurred through cospace-time interactions whilst control measures were in place. However, using a mathematical model to incorporate contacts in different locations, we found that without control measures, cospace-time interactions contributed to only 11% (95%CI: 10%–12%) of transmissions and the super-spreading risk for this setting was 4% (95%CI: 3%–5%), both the lowest among all settings studied. These results suggest that public health measures should be optimized to achieve a balance between the benefits of digital contact tracing for cospace-time interactions and the challenges posed by contact tracing within the same setting
Time-Specific Ecologic Niche Models Forecast the Risk of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome in Dongting Lake District, China, 2005–2010
Background: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), a rodent-borne infectious disease, is one of the most serious public health threats in China. Increasing our understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns of HFRS infections could guide local prevention and control strategies.
Methodology/Principal Findings: We employed statistical models to analyze HFRS case data together with environmental data from the Dongting Lake district during 2005–2010. Specifically, time-specific ecologic niche models (ENMs) were used to quantify and identify risk factors associated with HFRS transmission as well as forecast seasonal variation in risk across geographic areas.
Results showed that the Maximum Entropy model provided the best predictive ability (AUC = 0.755). Time-specific Maximum Entropy models showed that the potential risk areas of HFRS significantly varied across seasons. High-risk areas were mainly found in the southeastern and southwestern areas of the Dongting Lake district. Our findings based on models focused on the spring and winter seasons showed particularly good performance. The potential risk areas were smaller in March, May and August compared with those identified for June, July and October to December. Both normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land use types were found to be the dominant risk factors.
Conclusions/Significance: Our findings indicate that time-specific ENMs provide a useful tool to forecast the spatial and temporal risk of HFRS
Recommended from our members
Targeting LIF-mediated paracrine interaction for pancreatic cancer therapy and monitoring.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a dismal prognosis largely owing to inefficient diagnosis and tenacious drug resistance. Activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and consequent development of dense stroma are prominent features accounting for this aggressive biology1,2. The reciprocal interplay between PSCs and pancreatic cancer cells (PCCs) not only enhances tumour progression and metastasis but also sustains their own activation, facilitating a vicious cycle to exacerbate tumorigenesis and drug resistance3-7. Furthermore, PSC activation occurs very early during PDAC tumorigenesis8-10, and activated PSCs comprise a substantial fraction of the tumour mass, providing a rich source of readily detectable factors. Therefore, we hypothesized that the communication between PSCs and PCCs could be an exploitable target to develop effective strategies for PDAC therapy and diagnosis. Here, starting with a systematic proteomic investigation of secreted disease mediators and underlying molecular mechanisms, we reveal that leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a key paracrine factor from activated PSCs acting on cancer cells. Both pharmacologic LIF blockade and genetic Lifr deletion markedly slow tumour progression and augment the efficacy of chemotherapy to prolong survival of PDAC mouse models, mainly by modulating cancer cell differentiation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition status. Moreover, in both mouse models and human PDAC, aberrant production of LIF in the pancreas is restricted to pathological conditions and correlates with PDAC pathogenesis, and changes in the levels of circulating LIF correlate well with tumour response to therapy. Collectively, these findings reveal a function of LIF in PDAC tumorigenesis, and suggest its translational potential as an attractive therapeutic target and circulating marker. Our studies underscore how a better understanding of cell-cell communication within the tumour microenvironment can suggest novel strategies for cancer therapy
Reduction of Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Households by Face Mask Use, Disinfection and Social Distancing: A Cohort Study in Beijing, China
Introduction Transmission of COVID-19 within families and close contacts accounts for the majority of epidemic growth. Community mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing are thought to be effective but there is little evidence to inform or support community members on COVID-19 risk reduction within families. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 335 people in 124 families and with at least one laboratory confirmed COVID-19 case was conducted from 28 February to 27 March 2020, in Beijing, China. The outcome of interest was secondary transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within the family. Characteristics and practices of primary cases, of well family contacts and household hygiene practices were analysed as predictors of secondary transmission. Results: The secondary attack rate in families was 23.0% (77/335). Face mask use by the primary case and family contacts before the primary case developed symptoms was 79% effective in reducing transmission (OR=0.21, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.79). Daily use of chlorine or ethanol based disinfectant in households was 77% effective (OR=0.23, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.84). Wearing a mask after illness onset of the primary case was not significantly protective. The risk of household transmission was 18 times higher with frequent daily close contact with the primary case (OR=18.26, 95% CI 3.93 to 84.79), and four times higher if the primary case had diarrhoea (OR=4.10, 95% CI 1.08 to 15.60). Household crowding was not significant. Conclusion: The study confirms the highest risk of transmission prior to symptom onset, and provides the first evidence of the effectiveness of mask use, disinfection and social distancing in preventing COVID-19. We also found evidence of faecal transmission. This can inform guidelines for community prevention in settings of intense COVID-19 epidemics
Inherent Dynamics of the Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1 Correlates with the Gating Mechanism
A combination of computational and experimental approaches reveals the dynamics of ASIC1 gating, involving a deformation of the channel that triggers “twist-to-open” motions of the channel pore
- …