Exploring Essential Content of Defect Prediction and Effort Estimation through Data Reduction

Mining Software Repositories provides the opportunity to exploit/explore some of the behaviors, distinct patterns and features of software development processes, using which the stakeholders can generate models to perform estimations, predictions and make decisions on these projects.;When using data mining on project data in software engineering, it is important to generate models that are easy for business users to understand. The business users should be able to gain insight on how to improve the project using these models. Software engineering data are often too large to discern. To understand the intricacies of software analytics, one approach is to reduce software engineering data to its essential content, then reasoning about that reduced set.;This thesis explores methods (a) removing spurious and redundant columns then (b) clustering the data set and replacing each cluster by one exemplar per cluster then (c) making conclusions by extrapolating between the exemplars (via k=2 nearest neighbor between cluster centroids).;Numerous defect data sets were reduced to around 25 exemplars containing around 6 attributes. These tables of 25*6 values were then used for (a) effective and simple defect prediction as well as (b) simple presentation of that data. Also, in an investigation of numerous common clustering methods, we find that the details of the clustering method are less important than ensuring that those methods produce enough clusters (which, for defect data sets, seems to be around 25 clusters). For effort estimation data sets, conclusive results for ideal number of clusters could not be determined due to smaller size of the data sets

Efficient ML Models for Practical Secure Inference

ML-as-a-service continues to grow, and so does the need for very strong privacy guarantees. Secure inference has emerged as a potential solution, wherein cryptographic primitives allow inference without revealing users' inputs to a model provider or model's weights to a user. For instance, the model provider could be a diagnostics company that has trained a state-of-the-art DenseNet-121 model for interpreting a chest X-ray and the user could be a patient at a hospital. While secure inference is in principle feasible for this setting, there are no existing techniques that make it practical at scale. The CrypTFlow2 framework provides a potential solution with its ability to automatically and correctly translate clear-text inference to secure inference for arbitrary models. However, the resultant secure inference from CrypTFlow2 is impractically expensive: Almost 3TB of communication is required to interpret a single X-ray on DenseNet-121. In this paper, we address this outstanding challenge of inefficiency of secure inference with three contributions. First, we show that the primary bottlenecks in secure inference are large linear layers which can be optimized with the choice of network backbone and the use of operators developed for efficient clear-text inference. This finding and emphasis deviates from many recent works which focus on optimizing non-linear activation layers when performing secure inference of smaller networks. Second, based on analysis of a bottle-necked convolution layer, we design a X-operator which is a more efficient drop-in replacement. Third, we show that the fast Winograd convolution algorithm further improves efficiency of secure inference. In combination, these three optimizations prove to be highly effective for the problem of X-ray interpretation trained on the CheXpert dataset.Comment: 10 pages include references, 4 figure

Renoprotective effect of tectorigenin glycosides isolated from Iris spuria L. (Zeal) against hyperoxaluria and hyperglycemia in NRK-49Fcells

Oxidative stress has been identified as an underlying factor in the development of insulin resistance, β-cell dysfunction, impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus and it also play major role in kidney stone formation. The present study is aimed to elucidate the in vitro nephroprotective activity of two isoflavonoid glycosides, tectorigenin 7-O-β-D-glucosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucoside (1) and tectorigenin 7-O-β-D-glucosyl-4'-O-β-D-glucoside (2) isolated from the n-BuOH fraction of Iris spuria L. (Zeal) rhizome MeOH extract against oxalate and high glucose-induced oxidative stress in NRK-49F cells. The results revealed that compounds 1 and 2 significantly increased the antioxidant enzyme activities and decreased MDA levels in both oxalate and high glucose stress. Treatment with these phytochemicals effectively down-regulated expression of crystal modulator genes and pro-fibrotic genes in oxalate and high glucose-mediated stress respectively. This study indicates cytoprotective, antioxidant, anti-urolithic and anti-diabetic effects of compounds 1 and 2 against oxalate and high glucose stress

Pathological chemotherapy response score is prognostic in tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data

There is a need to develop and validate biomarkers for treatment response and survival in tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC). The chemotherapy response score (CRS) stratifies patients into complete/near-complete (CRS3), partial (CRS2), and no/minimal (CRS1) response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Our aim was to review current evidence to determine whether the CRS is prognostic in women with tubo-ovarian HGSC treated with NACT.This article is freely available via Open Access. Click on the Publisher URL to access the full-text via the publisher's site

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Clinical Variation in the Treatment Practices for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross‐Sectional Patient Simulation Study Among Primary Care Physicians and Cardiologists

Background Cardiovascular disease risk stratification is necessary and critically important in patients with type 2 diabetes. Despite its known benefits to guide treatment and prevention, we hypothesized that providers do not routinely incorporate this into their diagnostic and treatment decisions. Methods and Results The QuiCER DM (QURE CVD Evaluation of Risk in Diabetes Mellitus) study enrolled 161 primary care physicians and 80 cardiologists. Between March 2022 and June 2022, we measured the care variation in risk determination among these providers caring for simulated patients with type 2 diabetes. We found a wide variation in the overall assessment of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Participants performed half of the necessary care items with quality‐of‐care scores, ranging between 13% and 84%, averaging 49.4±12.6%. Participants did not assess cardiovascular risk in 18.3% of cases and incorrectly stratified risk in 42.8% of cases. Only 38.9% of participants arrived at the correct cardiovascular risk stratification. Those who correctly identified a cardiovascular risk score were significantly more likely to order nonpharmacologic treatments, advising on their patients' nutrition (38.8% versus 29.9%, P=0.013) and the correct glycated hemoglobin target (37.7% versus 15.6%, P<0.001). Pharmacologic treatments, however, did not vary between those who correctly specified risk and those who did not. Conclusions Physician participants struggled to determine the correct cardiovascular disease risk and specify the appropriate pharmacologic interventions in simulated patients with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, there was a wide variation in the quality of care regardless of risk level, indicating opportunities to improve risk stratification

Homoeopathic preparation of Berberis vulgaris as an inhibitor of Calcium oxalate crystallization: An in vitro evidence

Background: Berberis vulgaris is the most widely used drug in Homoeopathy for treating urolithiasis. However, its mechanism of action in alleviating its consequences remains uncertain. Objective: To explicate the potential role of Homoeopathic preparation of B. vulgaris on in vitro Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystallization. Materials and Methods: Spectrophotometric crystallization assay was carried out, and the slopes of the nucleation (till the maximum) and aggregation (after the peak) phases were calculated using linear regression analysis, and the percentage inhibition exerted by the modifiers was calculated. Light microscopic observation of CaOx crystals formed in the presence or absence of modifiers was carried out to support the outcome with spectrophotometric crystallization assays and to ascertain the potential role of B. vulgaris in CaOx crystallization. Results: The crystallization studies performed so far signifies B. vulgaris to be a potent drug against CaOx crystallization both at the level of nucleation and aggregation. Conclusion: Our present findings add up to the experimental evidence to support the efficacy of the homeopathic preparation of the B. vulgaris in modulating the primary events of stone formation

An unusual cause of breathlessness and profuse micronodules

We describe a 21-year-old male with a history of smoking and subacute onset of breathlessness with normal cardiorespiratory examination. The presence of “track marks” and digital infarcts prompted evaluation for infective endocarditis and confrontational history taking revealed anorexia, weight loss over 3 months along with intravenous drug abuse of reconstituted tablets of tapentadol. Echocardiography was normal and blood cultures were sterile; computed tomography showed bilateral, diffuse, small centrilobular nodules with “tree-in-bud” appearance. In this clinicopathologic conference, we discuss the clinical and radiological differential diagnosis of centrilobular nodules, lung biopsy findings, and management options for patients with such a presentation

Not Available

Not AvailableThe aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of fish collagen peptides (FCP) from the skin of great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) to avert the occurrence of gastric ulcer in experimental rats. FCP treatment prevented the formation of ulcerative lesions on gastric tissues with 86% of inhibition. The histopathology analysis of gastric tissue revealed that the FCP intake prevented the occurrence of hemorrhage and erosion in gastric tissue with formation of mild edema and necrosis, as well as normalized the pH and volume of gastric juice. It also downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory marker interferon-ɤ (IFN-ɤ) and upregulated the anti-inflammatory marker interleukin-4 (IL-4) in gastric tissue. FCP is capable to modulate the oxidative stress by enhancing the activity of antioxidant defense enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase and by lowering the levels of membrane lipid peroxidation.Not Availabl