Interpretable Machine Learning Model for Clinical Decision Making

Despite machine learning models being increasingly used in medical decision-making and meeting classification predictive accuracy standards, they remain untrusted black-boxes due to decision-makers\u27 lack of insight into their complex logic. Therefore, it is necessary to develop interpretable machine learning models that will engender trust in the knowledge they generate and contribute to clinical decision-makers intention to adopt them in the field. The goal of this dissertation was to systematically investigate the applicability of interpretable model-agnostic methods to explain predictions of black-box machine learning models for medical decision-making. As proof of concept, this study addressed the problem of predicting the risk of emergency readmissions within 30 days of being discharged for heart failure patients. Using a benchmark data set, supervised classification models of differing complexity were trained to perform the prediction task. More specifically, Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forests (RF), Decision Trees (DT), and Gradient Boosting Machines (GBM) models were constructed using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD). The precision, recall, area under the ROC curve for each model were used to measure predictive accuracy. Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME) was used to generate explanations from the underlying trained models. LIME explanations were empirically evaluated using explanation stability and local fit (R2). The results demonstrated that local explanations generated by LIME created better estimates for Decision Trees (DT) classifiers

The Functions And Linguistic Analysis Of Metaphor In The Holy Qur’an

The paper aims to tackle the function of metaphor in the Qur’an within the theoretical framework put forward by Lakoff & Turner (1989). This theory is known as the Cognitive Theory of Metaphor. It shows how the Qur’an is structured around the idea of the variety of meaning of lexical items, and how every correspondence between the two domains of “literal” and “non-literal” can fit into it. However, such an application of cognitive semantic approach can provide valuable insights. These insights enhance the overall aim of this paper which is to prove the linguistic creativity of the Qur'an through applying the cognitive theory of metaphor. This paper outlines the basis from which the Qur'an should be considered not only as a book of religious teachings, but also as a linguistic miracle for Arabs (Elsharif, 2011). The structure of this paper is presented as follows. First, we introduce the theoretical background and arguments of this study. Afterwards, we underline the significance of this study and its contribution to the field. In the following section, we present the definition and function of metaphor. Next, we embark on the linguistic analysis of metaphor in the holy Qur’an, metaphorical language and its use in discourse, and metaphor and Islamic religious discourse. Finally, we end the essay with a concluding paragraph

Oil price uncertainty and sectoral stock returns in China: A time-varying approach

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.This paper investigates the time-varying impact of oil price uncertainty on stock prices in China using weekly data on ten sectoral indices over the period January 1997-February 2014. The estimation of a bivariate VAR-GARCH-in-mean model suggests that oil price volatility affects stock returns positively during periods characterised by demand-side shocks in all cases except the Consumer Services, Financials, and Oil and Gas sectors. The latter two sectors are found to exhibit a negative response to oil price uncertainty during periods with supply-side shocks instead. By contrast, the impact of oil price uncertainty appears to be insignificant during periods with precautionary demand shocks

Pericardial fluid proteomic label-free quantification of differentially expressed proteins in ischemic heart disease patients with systolic dysfunction by nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis

Left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) is common in patients with pre-existing ischemic heart disease (IHD) and myocardial infarction. An untargeted proteomic approach is used to improve the understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with LVSD and to find out potential proteomic signatures in pericardial fluid. The pericardial fluid of IHD (n = 45) patients was grouped into two categories according to the left ventricular ejection fraction, LVEF ≥45 (n = 33) and LVEF \u3c45 (n = 12), and analyzed by using nano-liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS/MS) technique. The nano-LC-MS/MS analysis resulted in the identification of 709 pericardial fluid (PF) proteins in both normal and impaired systolic functional groups (LVEF ≥45 vs. LVEF \u3c45). Sixteen proteins were found to be differentially expressed (p \u3c 0.05, fold change \u3e2) including 12 down-regulated and 4 up-regulated in the impaired systolic functional group (LVEF \u3c45) compared to the normal group (LVEF ≥45). Among the differentially expressed proteins the inflammatory marker albumin, atherosclerosis marker apolipoprotein A-IV and hedgehog-interacting protein marker of angiogenesis were predominantly associated with the impaired LVEF \u3c45 group. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway is up-regulated in LVSD reflecting the underlying molecular and pathophysiological processes

Is Routine Measurement of Post-operative Hemoglobin and Electrolytes Necessary in Every Patient After Transurethral Resection of the Prostate?

Objective: To evaluate the importance of post-operative hemoglobin and electrolyte monitoring after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and establish the parameters to be considered for monitoring.Materials and Methods:Data of patients who underwent TURP between 2007 and 2017 were reviewed. Data regarding prostate size, irrigation fluid volume, resection time, pre- and post-operative electrolytes, hemoglobin levels taken within 48 hours before and after surgery, and blood transfusion information were collected. In order to establish parameters for post-operative laboratory monitoring, we categorized prostate size, resection time, and irrigation fluid into groups i.e. (80 g), (60 min) and (40 L) respectively.Results:A total of 1.000 patients were included. The median age was 66 years with the minimum of 46 years and maximum of 98 years. The median prostate size was 54.26 g. Among all pre- and post-operative laboratory parameters, only hemoglobin and sodium showed a significant change, which were analyzed further. Drop in hemoglobin was significantly associated with increasing prostate size and volume of irrigation fluid. Patients with a prostate size of >80 g had 27.3 times higher chance of significant (>2 g) drop in hemoglobin while 5.1 times higher when irrigation volume exceeded 40 liters. Low levels of sodium were strongly associated with prostate size, irrigation fluid volume, and resection time. However, all these factors become insignificant (p≥0.05) for their effect on low sodium, when these variables were adjusted with each other. Blood transfusion was performed in 27 patients. All these patients belonged to a group of patients with prostate size of more than 80 g with high resection time and irrigation fluid volume. Three patients had TUR syndrome. Post-operative hemoglobin and electrolytes monitoring contributed to a change in the management of only 14% of patients.Conclusion:Routine post-operative hemoglobin and electrolyte measurement is not required in every patient undergoing TURP. Use of risk stratification approach will help us to decide which patient needs post-operative lab testing

Phytohormones as Growth Regulators During Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants

Phytohormones (PHs) play crucial role in regulation of various physiological and biochemical processes that govern plant growth and yield under optimal and stress conditions. The interaction of these PHs is crucial for plant survival under stressful environments as they trigger signaling pathways. Hormonal cross regulation initiate a cascade of reactions which finely tune the physiological processes in plant architecture that help plant to grow under suboptimal growth conditions. Recently, various studies have highlighted the role of PHs such as abscisic acid, salicylic acid, ethylene, and jasmonates in the plant responses toward environmental stresses. The involvement of cytokinins, gibberellins, auxin, and relatively novel PHs such as strigolactones and brassinosteroids in plant growth and development has been documented under normal and stress conditions. The recent identification of the first plant melatonin receptor opened the door to this regulatory molecule being considered a new plant hormone. However, polyamines, which are not considered PHs, have been included in this chapter. Various microbes produce and secrete hormones which helped the plants in nutrient uptake such as N, P, and Fe. Exogenous use of such microbes help plants in correcting nutrient deficiency under abiotic stresses. This chapter focused on the recent developments in the knowledge related to PHs and their involvement in abiotic stresses of anticipation, signaling, cross-talk, and activation of response mechanisms. In view of role of hormones and capability of microbes in producing hormones, we propose the use of hormones and microbes as potential strategy for crop stress management.Fil: EL Sabagh, Ayman. Scientific And Technological Research Council Of Turkey; TurquíaFil: Islam, Mohammad Sohidul. Kafrelsheikh University; EgiptoFil: Hossain, Akbar. Hajee Mohammad Danesh And Technology University; BangladeshFil: Iqbal, Muhammad Aamir. University Of Poonch; PakistánFil: Mubeen, Mohammad. Comsats University Islamabad; PakistánFil: Waleed, Mirza. Comsats University Islamabad; PakistánFil: Reginato, Mariana Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Agrobiotecnológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Agrobiotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Battaglia, Martin. Cornell University; Estados UnidosFil: Ahmed, Sharif. International Rice Research Institute; FilipinasFil: Rehman, Abdul. The Islamia University Of Bahawalpur; PakistánFil: Arif, Muhammad. The University Of Agriculture; PakistánFil: Athar, Habib-Ur-Rehman. Bahauddin Zakariya University; PakistánFil: Ratnasekera, Disna. University Of Ruhuna; Sri LankaFil: Danish, Subhan. Bahauddin Zakariya University; PakistánFil: Raza, Ali. Sichuan Agricultural University; ChinaFil: Rajendran, Karthika. Vellore Institute Of Technology; IndiaFil: Mushtaq, Muntazir. Icar-national Bureau Of Plant Genetic Resources; IndiaFil: Skalicky, Milan. Czech University Of Life Sciences Prague; República ChecaFil: Brestic, Marian. Czech University Of Life Sciences Prague; República ChecaFil: Soufan, Walid. King Saud University; Arabia SauditaFil: Fahad, Shah. University Of Haripur; PakistánFil: Pandey, Saurabh. Guru Nanak Dev University; IndiaFil: Abdelhamid, Magdi T.. National Research Centre Dokki; Egipt

Potential Role of Plant Growth Regulators in Administering Crucial Processes Against Abiotic Stresses

Plant growth regulators are naturally biosynthesized chemicals in plants that influence physiological processes. Their synthetic analogous trigger numerous biochemical and physiological processes involved in the growth and development of plants. Nowadays, due to changing climatic scenario, numerous biotic and abiotic stresses hamper seed germination, seedling growth, and plant development leading to a decline in biological and economic yields. However, plant growth regulators (PGRs) can potentially play a fundamental role in regulating plant responses to various abiotic stresses and hence, contribute to plant adaptation under adverse environments. The major effects of abiotic stresses are growth and yield disturbance, and both these effects are directly overseen by the PGRs. Different types of PGRs such as abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), ethylene (ET), and jasmonates (JAs) are connected to boosting the response of plants to multiple stresses. In contrast, PGRs including cytokinins (CKs), gibberellins (GAs), auxin, and relatively novel PGRs such as strigolactones (SLs), and brassinosteroids (BRs) are involved in plant growth and development under normal and stressful environmental conditions. Besides, polyamines and nitric oxide (NO), although not considered as phytohormones, have been included in the current review due to their involvement in the regulation of several plant processes and stress responses. These PGRs are crucial for regulating stress adaptation through the modulates physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes and activation of the defense system, upregulating of transcript levels, transcription factors, metabolism genes, and stress proteins at cellular levels. The current review presents an acumen of the recent progress made on different PGRs to improve plant tolerance to abiotic stress such as heat, drought, salinity, and flood. Moreover, it highlights the research gaps on underlying mechanisms of PGRs biosynthesis under stressed conditions and their potential roles in imparting tolerance against adverse effects of suboptimal growth conditions.Fil: Sabagh, Ayman EL. Kafrelsheikh University; EgiptoFil: Mbarki, Sonia. National Institute Of Research In Rural Engineering; TúnezFil: Hossain, Akbar. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute; BangladeshFil: Iqbal, Muhammad Aamir. University Of Poonch Rawalakot; PakistánFil: Islam, Mohammad Sohidul. Hajee Mohammad Danesh And Technology University; BangladeshFil: Raza, Ali. Fujian Agriculture And Forestry University; ChinaFil: Llanes, Analia Susana. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Agrobiotecnologicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Agrobiotecnologicas.; ArgentinaFil: Reginato, Mariana Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Agrobiotecnologicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Agrobiotecnologicas.; ArgentinaFil: Rahman, Md Atikur. Grassland And Forage Division National Institute; Corea del SurFil: Mahboob, Wajid. Nuclear Institute Of Agriculture,; PakistánFil: Singhal, Rajesh Kumar. Indian Council Of Agricultural Research; IndiaFil: Kumari, Arpna. Guru Nanak Dev University; IndiaFil: Rajendran, Arvind. Vellore Institute Of Technology; IndiaFil: Wasaya, Allah. Bahauddin Zakariya University; PakistánFil: Javed, Talha. Fujian Agriculture And Forestry University; JapónFil: Shabbir, Rubab. University Of Poonch Rawalakot; PakistánFil: Rahim, Junaid. University Of Çukurova; PakistánFil: Barutçular, Celaleddin. Institute Of Crop Science And Resource Conservation; AlemaniaFil: Habib Ur Rahman, Muhammad. Sichuan Agricultural University; ChinaFil: Raza, Muhammad Ali. Sichuan Agricultural University; ChinaFil: Ratnasekera, Disna. University Of Ruhuna; Sri LankaFil: Konuskan l, Ömer. Mustafa Kemal University; TurquíaFil: Hossain, Mohammad Anwar. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute; BangladeshFil: Meena, Vijay Singh. Indian Council Of Agricultural Research; IndiaFil: Ahmed, Sharif. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute; BangladeshFil: Ahmad, Zahoor. Bangladesh Wheat And Maize Research Institute; BangladeshFil: Mubeen, Muhammad. Sichuan Agricultural University; ChinaFil: Singh, Kulvir. Punjab Agricultural University; IndiaFil: Skalicky, Milan. Czech University Of Life Sciences Prague; República ChecaFil: Brestic, Marian. Slovak University Of Agriculture; EslovaquiaFil: Sytar, Oksana. Slovak University Of Agriculture; EsloveniaFil: Karademir, Emine. Siirt University; TurquíaFil: Karademir, Cetin. Siirt University; TurquíaFil: Erman, Murat. Siirt University; TurquíaFil: Farooq, Muhammad. College Of Agricultural And Marine Sciences Sultan; Omá

Attitude of Syrian students toward GAD patients: An online cross-sectional study

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a prevalent condition and a significant cause of mental disability and poor quality of life. People with GAD have chronic worrying, restlessness, and discrimination from the general public; Little is known about the stigmatizing attitudes toward people with GAD among Syrian students. The questionnaires contained demographic data about age, gender, social status, personal stigma toward GAD scale, perceived stigma toward GAD scale, social distance with those with GAD, the participants' usual source of their knowledge about GAD, helpful interventions, and supporting information. A total of 1,370 replies were collected, but only 1,358 were used for analysis as 12 participants declined to complete the survey. About 44.1% of participants agreed that people with GAD could snap out of the problem, most of them being females (32.4% of the total population). Compared to medical students, more non-medical students (7.1% of the total population) believed that anxiety is a sign of personal weakness. This study demonstrated that Syrian college students showed a high level of stigmatizing and socially distancing attitudes toward people with GAD, particularly female and non-medical students