Generative Causal Representation Learning for Out-of-Distribution Motion Forecasting

Conventional supervised learning methods typically assume i.i.d samples and are found to be sensitive to out-of-distribution (OOD) data. We propose Generative Causal Representation Learning (GCRL) which leverages causality to facilitate knowledge transfer under distribution shifts. While we evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed method in human trajectory prediction models, GCRL can be applied to other domains as well. First, we propose a novel causal model that explains the generative factors in motion forecasting datasets using features that are common across all environments and with features that are specific to each environment. Selection variables are used to determine which parts of the model can be directly transferred to a new environment without fine-tuning. Second, we propose an end-to-end variational learning paradigm to learn the causal mechanisms that generate observations from features. GCRL is supported by strong theoretical results that imply identifiability of the causal model under certain assumptions. Experimental results on synthetic and real-world motion forecasting datasets show the robustness and effectiveness of our proposed method for knowledge transfer under zero-shot and low-shot settings by substantially outperforming the prior motion forecasting models on out-of-distribution prediction. Our code is available at https://github.com/sshirahmad/GCRL

Assessment of tuberculosis among male prisoners in Shiraz central prison, south of Iran.

Background: Prisons play an important role in the prevalence of Tuberculosis (TB) in a region. This study aimed to determine the situation of TB in high-risk male prisoners in Shiraz central prison of Fars province in southern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study (June-October 2018) was conducted on male prisoners in Shiraz central prison, southern Iran. According to 4 criteria, the prisoners were determined as high-risk prisoners for TB, and para clinical tests included three sputum samples and chest radiograph were performed for them. Then, the high risk and low risk participants were compared in terms of demographic characteristics and past medical history. Results: Among 2,995 prisoners, only 108 (3.6%) had at least one of the high-risk criteria. But after performing further TB tests for these prisoners, no prisoners with TB disease were found. The high-risk prisoners were statistically older than low-risk prisoners (38.30±9.74 vs. 35.17±9.62, P=0.001). Also, the length of incarceration was statistically different in both groups (P=0.002), and drug abuse was more in high-risk group (P<0.001). Moreover, high risk prisoners used cigarettes/day more (14.87±11.55 vs. 9.71±9.09, P<0.001), but both groups were not different in term of the marital status (P=0.519), educational level (P=0.662), job (P=0.39), and nationality (P=0.342). Conclusion: Our results showed that none of the high-risk prisoners for TB had positive test. The length of incarceration, drug abuse, smoking, as well as age were more in high-risk prisoners in comparing low risk group

بررسی تغییرات علایم حیاتی مصدومان ترومای مولتیپل دچار شکستگی اندام و یا لگن پس از احیا با توجه به دریافت یا عدم دریافت مسکن وریدی

ntroduction: Trauma is among the injuries associated with a high prevalence of pain and little treatment for it. Pain can change vital signs and especially cause tachycardia due to sympathetic activity. This can distort our assessment of the patient’s shock; therefore, the present study evaluates the effect of prescribing analgesics on vital signs and hydration in trauma patients with extremity or pelvic fractures. Methods: 325 trauma patients over the age of 16 with extremity or pelvic fractures and GCS score of 14 or 15 were evaluated regarding changes in vital signs and receiving crystalloid in 2 groups of with and without analgesic administration. Results: 325 patients were divided into 2 groups of with (263 patients) and without (62 patients) analgesic administration. 80.9% of the patients received analgesics. In the group receiving analgesics, on average heart rate decreased from 103 to 95 (p < 0.001). However, it did not affect blood pressure and the respiratory status of the 2 groups receiving analgesics or not showed a significant difference. The group receiving analgesics received more crystalloids. Conclusion: Pain management in trauma leads to improvement in tachycardia and probably our better understanding of presence or absence of shock in the patient. Therefore, it is recommended to move the evaluation and treatment of acute trauma pain from the secondary survey in trauma to the D phase of the primary survey.مقدمه: تروما از آسیب هایی است که با شیوع بالای درد و درمان کم آن همراه است. درد می تواند موجب تغییر علایم حیاتی و به ویژه تاکی کاردی ناشی از فعالیت سمپاتیک گردد. این امر می تواند ارزیابی ما را از شوک بیمار مختل کند، لذا مطالعه ی حاضر تاثیر تجویز مسکن بر علایم حیاتی و هیدراسیون در بیماران ترومایی دچار شکستگی اندام و یا لگن را بررسی می کند. روش کار: 325 بیمار ترومایی بالای 16 سال دچار شکستگی اندام و یا لگن با معیار کمای گلاسکو 14 و 15 در دو گروه با و بدون دریافت مسکن از نظر تغییرات علایم حیاتی و دریافت کریستالویید ارزیابی شدند. نتایج: 325 بیمار در دو گروه با (263 نفر) و بدون (62 نفر) دریافت مسکن تقسیم شدند. 80.9 درصد بیماران مسکن دریافت کردند. ضربان قلب در گروهی که مسکن گرفتند به طور میانگین از 103 به 95 کاهش یافت (P <0.001). البته این کار تاثیری بر فشار خون نداشت و وضعیت تنفسی دو گروه نیز با و یا بدون دریافت مسکن اختلاف معنادار داشت. گروه با دریافت مسکن، میزان بیشتری از کریستالویید دریافت کردند. نتیجه گیری: کنترل درد در تروما موجب بهبود تاکی کاردی و احتمالا برداشت بهتر ما از وجود یا عدم وجود شوک در بیمار می شود. از این رو پیشنهاد می شود که بررسی و درمان درد حاد تروما از ارزیابی ثانویه (Secondary Survey) در تروما به مرحلهD  از ارزیابی اولیه (Primary Survey) منتقل شود

Oligodendrogliogenesis and axon remyelination after traumatic spinal cord injuries in animal studies: a systematic review

© 2019 IBRO Extensive oligodendrocyte death after acute traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI) leads to axon demyelination and subsequently may leave axons vulnerable to degeneration. Despite the present evidence showing spontaneous remyelination after TSCI the cellular origin of new myelin and the time course of the axon ensheathment/remyelination remained controversial issue. In this systematic review the trend of oligodendrocyte death after injury as well as the extent and the cellular origin of oligodendrogliogenesis were comprehensively evaluated. The study design was based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)-guided systematic review. PubMed and EMBASE were searched with no temporal or linguistic restrictions. Also, hand-search was performed in the bibliographies of relevant articles. Non-interventional animal studies discussing different types of myelinating cells including oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) were evaluated. The extent of oligodendrocyte death, oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination were the pathophysiological outcome measures. We found 12,359 studies, 34 of which met the inclusion criteria. The cumulative evidence shows extensive oligodendrocytes cell death during the first week post-injury (pi). OPCs and peripheral invading Schwann cells are the dominant cells contributing in myelin formation. The maximum OPC proliferation was observed at around 2 weeks pi and oligodendrogliogenesis continues at later stages until the number of oligodendrocytes return to normal tissue by one month pi. Taken together, the evidence in animals reveals the potential role for endogenous myelinating cells in the axon ensheathment/remyelination after TSCI and this can be the target of pharmacotherapy to induce oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin formation post-injury

The fate of neurons after traumatic spinal cord injury in rats: a systematic review

Objective(s): To reach an evidence-based knowledge in the context of the temporal-spatial pattern of neuronal death and find appropriate time of intervention in order to preserve spared neurons and promote regeneration after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). Materials and Methods: The study design was based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)-guided systematic review. PubMed and EMBASE were searched (24 October, 2015) with no temporal or linguistic restrictions. Hand-search was performed in the bibliographies of relevant articles. Non-interventional animal studies evaluating time-dependent neuronal death following acute mechanical trauma to the spinal cord were included. We separately evaluated the fate of various populations of neurons including propriospinal neurons, ventral motor neurons, Clarke’s column neurons, and supraspinal neurons. Results: We found 11,557 non-duplicated studies. Screening through the titles and abstracts led to 549 articles, 49 of which met the inclusion criteria. Both necrotic and apoptotic neuronal deaths occur after TSCI, though necrosis is the prominent mechanism. There are differences in the responses of intrinsic neurons of the spinal cord to the TSCI. Also, the extent of neuronal death in the supraspinal neurons depends on the anatomical location of their axons. Conclusion: In order to develop new therapies, selection of the injury model and time of intervention has a crucial role in the efficacy of therapy. In addition, examining the safety and efficacy of an intervention by reliable methods not confounded by the injury-related changes would promote translation of therapies to the clinical application

The Prevalence of Pain and the Role of Analgesic Drugs in Pain Management in Patients with Trauma in Emergency Department

Background: Pain could potentially affect all aspects of patient admission course and outcome in emergency department (ED) when left undertreated. The alleviation of acute pain remains simply affordable but is usually, and sometimes purposefully, left untreated in patients with trauma. This study challenged the conventional emergency department policies in reducing the intensity of acute pain considering the pharmacological treatments.Methods: In this case-control study, the prevalence and intensity of pain in 200 patients were evaluated on admission (T1) and 24 hours later (T2) based on the valid, standardized 10-point numeric rating scale (NRS 0-10) for pain intensity. A group of patients received analgesic drugs and others did not. Changes in pain patterns regarding different aspects of trauma injuries in these two groups were compared.Results: The pain prevalence was high both on admission and 24 hours later. 51.5% of the study population received analgesics and 77.6% of them reported a decrease in the intensity of their pain. Only half of the patients, who did not receive any medication, reported a decrease in their pain intensity after 24 hours. The most beneficial policy to manage the acute pain was a combination therapy of the injury treatment and a supplementary pharmacological intervention.Conclusions: Pharmacological management of pain in patients with trauma is shown to be significantly beneficial for patients as it eases getting along with the pain, and still seems not to affect the diagnostic aspects of the trauma. Pain management protocols or algorithms could potentially minimize the barriers in current pain management of patients with trauma

Volume Changes After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Animal Studies - A Systematic Review

There are limited data on the lesion volume changes following spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, a meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the volume size changes of the injured spinal cord over time among animal studies in traumatic SCI. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive electronic search of English literature of PubMed and EMBASE databases from 1946 to 2015 concerning the time-dependent changes in the volume of the spinal cord following mechanical traumatic SCI. A hand-search was also performed for non-interventional, non-molecular, and non-review studies. Quality appraisal, data extraction, qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed afterward. Of 11,561 articles yielded from electronic search, 49 articles were assessed for eligibility after reviewing of titles, abstracts, and references. Ultimately, 11 articles were eligible for quantitative synthesis. The ratio of lesion volume to spinal cord total volume increased over time. Avascularity appeared in spinal cord 4 hours after injury. During the first week, the spinal subarachnoid space decreased. The hemorrhagic lesion size peaked in 1 week and decreased thereafter. Significant loss of gray and white matter occurred from day 3 with a slower progression of white matter damage. Changes of lesion extent over time is critical in pathophysiologic processes after SCI. Early avascularity, rapid loss of gray matter, slow progression of white matter damage, and late cavitation are the pathophysiologic key points of SCI, which could be helpful in choosing the proper intervention on a timely basis

Risk factors associated with long covid syndrome: A retrospective study

Background: Recently, people have recognized the post-acute phase symptoms of the COVID-19. We investigated the long-term symptoms associated with COVID-19, (Long COVID Syndrome), and the risk factors associated with it. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. All the consecutive adult patients referred to the healthcare facilities anywhere in Fars province from 19 February 2020 until 20 November 2020 were included. All the patients had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. In a phone call to the patients, at least three months after their discharge from the hospital, we obtained their current information. The IBM SPSS Statistics (version 25.0) was used. Pearson Chi square, Fisher’s exact test, t test, and binary logistic regression analysis model were employed. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: In total, 4,681 patients were studied, 2915 of whom (62.3%) reported symptoms. The most common symptoms of long COVID syndrome were fatigue, exercise intolerance, walking intolerance, muscle pain, and shortness of breath. Women were more likely to experience long-term COVID syndrome than men (Odds Ratio: 1,268; 95% Confidence Interval: 1,122-1,432; P=0.0001), which was significant. Presentation with respiratory problems at the onset of illness was also significantly associated with long COVID syndrome (Odds Ratio: 1.425; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.177-1.724; P=0.0001). A shorter length of hospital stay was inversely associated with long COVID syndrome (Odds Ratio: 0.953; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.941-0.965; P=0.0001). Conclusion: Long COVID syndrome is a frequent and disabling condition and has significant associations with sex (female), respiratory symptoms at the onset, and the severity of the illness

Crisis averted: a world united against the menace of multiple drug-resistant superbugs -pioneering anti-AMR vaccines, RNA interference, nanomedicine, CRISPR-based antimicrobials, bacteriophage therapies, and clinical artificial intelligence strategies to safeguard global antimicrobial arsenal

The efficacy of antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents in combating bacterial infections faces a grave peril in the form of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), an exceedingly pressing global health issue. The emergence and dissemination of drug-resistant bacteria can be attributed to the rampant overuse and misuse of antibiotics, leading to dire consequences such as organ failure and sepsis. Beyond the realm of individual health, the pervasive specter of AMR casts its ominous shadow upon the economy and society at large, resulting in protracted hospital stays, elevated medical expenditures, and diminished productivity, with particularly dire consequences for vulnerable populations. It is abundantly clear that addressing this ominous threat necessitates a concerted international endeavor encompassing the optimization of antibiotic deployment, the pursuit of novel antimicrobial compounds and therapeutic strategies, the enhancement of surveillance and monitoring of resistant bacterial strains, and the assurance of universal access to efficacious treatments. In the ongoing struggle against this encroaching menace, phage-based therapies, strategically tailored to combat AMR, offer a formidable line of defense. Furthermore, an alluring pathway forward for the development of vaccines lies in the utilization of virus-like particles (VLPs), which have demonstrated their remarkable capacity to elicit a robust immune response against bacterial infections. VLP-based vaccinations, characterized by their absence of genetic material and non-infectious nature, present a markedly safer and more stable alternative to conventional immunization protocols. Encouragingly, preclinical investigations have yielded promising results in the development of VLP vaccines targeting pivotal bacteria implicated in the AMR crisis, including Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Clostridium difficile. Notwithstanding the undeniable potential of VLP vaccines, formidable challenges persist, including the identification of suitable bacterial markers for vaccination and the formidable prospect of bacterial pathogens evolving mechanisms to thwart the immune response. Nonetheless, the prospect of VLP-based vaccines holds great promise in the relentless fight against AMR, underscoring the need for sustained research and development endeavors. In the quest to marshal more potent defenses against AMR and to pave the way for visionary innovations, cutting-edge techniques that incorporate RNA interference, nanomedicine, and the integration of artificial intelligence are currently under rigorous scrutiny