Data-independent vs. data-dependent dimension reduction for pattern recognition in high dimensional spaces

There has been a rapid emergence of new pattern recognition/classification techniques in a variety of real world applications over the last few decades. In most of the pattern recognition/classification applications, the pattern of interest is modelled by a data vector/array of very high dimension. The main challenges in such applications are related to the efficiency of retrieval, analysis, and verifying/classifying the pattern/object of interest. The “Curse of Dimension” is a reference to these challenges and is commonly addressed by Dimension Reduction (DR) techniques. Several DR techniques has been developed and implemented in a variety of applications. The most common DR schemes are dependent on a dataset of “typical samples” (e.g. the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA)). However, data-independent DR schemes (e.g. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), and Random Projections (RP)) are becoming more desirable due to lack of density ratio of samples to dimension. In this thesis, we critically review both types of techniques, and highlight advantages and disadvantages in terms of efficiency and impact on recognition accuracy. We shall study the theoretical justification for the existence of DR transforms that preserve, within tolerable error, distances between would be feature vectors modelling objects of interest. We observe that data-dependent DRs do not specifically attempts to preserve distances, and the problems of overfitting and biasness are consequences of low density ratio of samples to dimension. Accordingly, the focus of our investigations is more on data-independent DR schemes and in particular on the different ways of generating RPs as an efficient DR tool. RPs suitable for pattern recognition applications are only restricted by a lower bound on the reduced dimension that depends on the tolerable error. Besides, the known RPs that are generated in accordance to some probability distributions, we investigate and test the performance of differently constructed over-complete Hadamard mxn (m<<n) submatrices, using the inductive Sylvester and Walsh-Paley methods. Our experimental work conducted for 2 case studies (Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) and Gait-based Gender Classification (GBGC)) demonstrate that these matrices perform as well, if not better, than data-dependent DR schemes. Moreover, dictionaries obtained by sampling the top rows of Walsh Paley matrices outperform matrices constructed more randomly but this may be influenced by the type of biometric and/or recognition schemes. We shall, also propose the feature-block (FB) based DR as an innovative way to overcome the problem of low density ratio applications and demonstrate its success for the SER case study

Determinants of occupational hazards knowledge and safety practices among textile workers in Karachi, Pakistan: A cross sectional study

Objective: To determine the factors associated with good knowledge and safe practices regarding occupational hazards among textile workers.Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi from September 2015 to February 2016, and comprised male workers from seven textile mills. A 45-item structured questionnaire was developed and pretested in Urdu, the local language. One part of the questionnaire comprised 31 items related to good knowledge, and the other part comprised 14 items related to safe practices. Data was analysed using SPSS 19.Results: Of the 300 subjects, 123(41%) were aged 18-27 years, 183(63%) were educated, 184(61.3%) worked more than eight hours daily, 170(57%) were employed in the weaving section and 164(55%) as machine operators. Besides, 231(77%) had good knowledge, and 62(21%) reported safe practices. Educated workers were more likely (p\u3c0.05), and machine operators were less likely (p\u3c0.05) to have good knowledge, while educated workers, those in the spinning section and those working less than 8-hours daily (p\u3c0.05) were more likely to report safe practices.Conclusions: There was a high knowledge level, but a wide gap in adopting safety practices, which indicates need for focused interventions targeting high-risk workers and regulation of working hours

A novel dynamic replica creation mechanism for Data Grids

The abstract Data Grid is an infrastructure that manages huge amount of data files, and provides intensive computational resources across geographically distributed collaboration.A key concept in Data Grids is replication of data, whereby multiple copies of data are stored at different geographical locations, making access to data faster and more reliable.However, replication is also bounded by two factors: the size of storage available at different sites within the Data Grid and the bandwidth between these sites. In this paper, we proposed a dynamic replication mechanism termed as Replica Number Mechanism (RNM) that determine the optimal number of replicas to be created or deleted with the aim of minimizing the overall resource usage (network bandwidth and storage usage).OptorSim is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed mechanism. The simulation results show that RNM requires less execution time and consumes less network usage and storage usage compared to existing approaches of Simple Optimizer and LFU (Least Frequently Used)

Assessment of antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum and phytochemical screening of some Yemeni medicinal plants

Developing countries, where malaria is one of the most prevalent diseases, still rely on traditional medicine as a source for the treatment of this disease. In the present study, six selected plants (Acalypha fruticosa, Azadirachta indica, Cissus rotundifolia, Echium rauwalfii, Dendrosicyos socotrana and Boswellia elongata) commonly used in Yemen by traditional healers for the treatment of malaria as well as other diseases, were collected from different localities of Yemen, dried and extracted with methanol and water successfully. The antiplasmodial activity of the extracts was evaluated against fresh clinical isolates of Plasmodium falciparum. The selectivity parameters to evaluate the efficacy of these medicinal plants were measured by in vitro micro test (Mark III) according to World Health Organization (WHO) 1996 & WHO 2001 protocols of antimalarial drug tests. Among the investigated 12 extracts, three were found to have significant antiplasmodial activity with IC50 values less than 4 µg/ml, namely the water extracts of A. fruticosa, A. indica and D. socotrana. Six extracts showed moderate activity with IC50 values ranging from 10 to 30 µg/ml and three appeared to be inactive with IC50 values more than 30 µg/ml. In addition, preliminary phytochemical screening of the methanolic and aqueous extracts indicated the presence of saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, polysaccharides and peptides

Physical and thermal properties of microwave-dried wood lumber impregnated with phenol formaldehyde resin

In this study, microwave-dried oil palm trunk core lumber was impregnated with phenol formaldehyde resin using high pressure vacuum chamber. The impregnation of oil palm trunk core lumber was performed under 3 bar pressure and cured in an oven at 150°C for 2 h. The impregnation of oil palm trunk core lumber was carried out at different time intervals (15, 30, 60, 90, 120 min) to obtain different density lumber and compared with microwave-dried oil palm trunk core lumber and rubberwood. The physical and thermal properties of microwave-dried oil palm trunk core lumber, impregnated oil palm trunk core lumber and rubberwood were studied. In general, the impregnated oil palm trunk core lumber obtained better physical properties than microwave dried oil palm trunk core lumber but slightly lower than rubberwood. The thermal stability of oil palm trunk core lumber was analyzed by using thermogravimetric analysis and it shows that rubberwood exhibited better thermal stability than impregnated oil palm trunk core lumber

Diagnostic bias during the COVID-19. A rare case report of salmonella typhi

Introduction: In poor countries, due to the limited resources, mostly they prescribe medications without proper diagnosis. The aim of this report is to show diagnostic bias of COVID-19 case.Case presentation: A 17-year-old male patient was presented to the Hospital with a fever up to 39 °C associated with rigor, sweating, generalized body pain, myalgia, fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, and multiple joint pain with no swelling and redness. The vital signs were steady on physical examination, except temperature which was 39 °C. The chest was clear, and the pulse rate was 90 beats per minute. The heart rate relative bradycardia and lungs were normal. Both a PCR test for COVID-19, and a viral assay ELISA were negative. After further investigations, the culture findings revealed the strong development of Gram-negative coccobacilli (Salmonella serotype Typhi) bacteria under the microscope, which was confirmed by using VITEK 2 to identify it. and treated with ciprofloxacin tab, two times per day for five days and amikacin ampule 500 mg IV every 24 hours for 10 days.Discussion: Fever is a well-known sign of COVID-19 infection which has been observed in 83%–98% of patients with COVID19. As a result, it may be difficult to tell the difference between COVID-19 and other febrile infections, causing delays in diagnosis and treatment and may blind the physician from considering other febrile illnesses.Conclusion: Physicians should construct more comprehensive differential diagnoses for people who experience fever, headache, or myalgia symptoms that are linked to a pandemic. COVID-19

Measuring routine childhood vaccination coverage in 204 countries and territories, 1980-2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020, Release 1

Background Measuring routine childhood vaccination is crucial to inform global vaccine policies and programme implementation, and to track progress towards targets set by the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) and Immunization Agenda 2030. Robust estimates of routine vaccine coverage are needed to identify past successes and persistent vulnerabilities. Drawing from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020, Release 1, we did a systematic analysis of global, regional, and national vaccine coverage trends using a statistical framework, by vaccine and over time. Methods For this analysis we collated 55 326 country-specific, cohort-specific, year-specific, vaccine-specific, and dosespecific observations of routine childhood vaccination coverage between 1980 and 2019. Using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, we produced location-specific and year-specific estimates of 11 routine childhood vaccine coverage indicators for 204 countries and territories from 1980 to 2019, adjusting for biases in countryreported data and reflecting reported stockouts and supply disruptions. We analysed global and regional trends in coverage and numbers of zero-dose children (defined as those who never received a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis [DTP] vaccine dose), progress towards GVAP targets, and the relationship between vaccine coverage and sociodemographic development. Findings By 2019, global coverage of third-dose DTP (DTP3; 81.6% [95% uncertainty interval 80.4-82 .7]) more than doubled from levels estimated in 1980 (39.9% [37.5-42.1]), as did global coverage of the first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1; from 38.5% [35.4-41.3] in 1980 to 83.6% [82.3-84.8] in 2019). Third- dose polio vaccine (Pol3) coverage also increased, from 42.6% (41.4-44.1) in 1980 to 79.8% (78.4-81.1) in 2019, and global coverage of newer vaccines increased rapidly between 2000 and 2019. The global number of zero-dose children fell by nearly 75% between 1980 and 2019, from 56.8 million (52.6-60. 9) to 14.5 million (13.4-15.9). However, over the past decade, global vaccine coverage broadly plateaued; 94 countries and territories recorded decreasing DTP3 coverage since 2010. Only 11 countries and territories were estimated to have reached the national GVAP target of at least 90% coverage for all assessed vaccines in 2019. Interpretation After achieving large gains in childhood vaccine coverage worldwide, in much of the world this progress was stalled or reversed from 2010 to 2019. These findings underscore the importance of revisiting routine immunisation strategies and programmatic approaches, recentring service delivery around equity and underserved populations. Strengthening vaccine data and monitoring systems is crucial to these pursuits, now and through to 2030, to ensure that all children have access to, and can benefit from, lifesaving vaccines. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Basic science232. Certolizumab pegol prevents pro-inflammatory alterations in endothelial cell function

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a major comorbidity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a leading cause of death. Chronic systemic inflammation involving tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) could contribute to endothelial activation and atherogenesis. A number of anti-TNF therapies are in current use for the treatment of RA, including certolizumab pegol (CZP), (Cimzia ®; UCB, Belgium). Anti-TNF therapy has been associated with reduced clinical cardiovascular disease risk and ameliorated vascular function in RA patients. However, the specific effects of TNF inhibitors on endothelial cell function are largely unknown. Our aim was to investigate the mechanisms underpinning CZP effects on TNF-activated human endothelial cells. Methods: Human aortic endothelial cells (HAoECs) were cultured in vitro and exposed to a) TNF alone, b) TNF plus CZP, or c) neither agent. Microarray analysis was used to examine the transcriptional profile of cells treated for 6 hrs and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysed gene expression at 1, 3, 6 and 24 hrs. NF-κB localization and IκB degradation were investigated using immunocytochemistry, high content analysis and western blotting. Flow cytometry was conducted to detect microparticle release from HAoECs. Results: Transcriptional profiling revealed that while TNF alone had strong effects on endothelial gene expression, TNF and CZP in combination produced a global gene expression pattern similar to untreated control. The two most highly up-regulated genes in response to TNF treatment were adhesion molecules E-selectin and VCAM-1 (q 0.2 compared to control; p > 0.05 compared to TNF alone). The NF-κB pathway was confirmed as a downstream target of TNF-induced HAoEC activation, via nuclear translocation of NF-κB and degradation of IκB, effects which were abolished by treatment with CZP. In addition, flow cytometry detected an increased production of endothelial microparticles in TNF-activated HAoECs, which was prevented by treatment with CZP. Conclusions: We have found at a cellular level that a clinically available TNF inhibitor, CZP reduces the expression of adhesion molecule expression, and prevents TNF-induced activation of the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, CZP prevents the production of microparticles by activated endothelial cells. This could be central to the prevention of inflammatory environments underlying these conditions and measurement of microparticles has potential as a novel prognostic marker for future cardiovascular events in this patient group. Disclosure statement: Y.A. received a research grant from UCB. I.B. received a research grant from UCB. S.H. received a research grant from UCB. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interes

The use of plants in the traditional management of diabetes in Nigeria: Pharmacological and toxicological considerations

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The prevalence of diabetes is on a steady increase worldwide and it is now identified as one of the main threats to human health in the 21st century. In Nigeria, the use of herbal medicine alone or alongside prescription drugs for its management is quite common. We hereby carry out a review of medicinal plants traditionally used for diabetes management in Nigeria. Based on the available evidence on the species׳ pharmacology and safety, we highlight ways in which their therapeutic potential can be properly harnessed for possible integration into the country׳s healthcare system. Materials and methods: Ethnobotanical information was obtained from a literature search of electronic databases such as Google Scholar, Pubmed and Scopus up to 2013 for publications on medicinal plants used in diabetes management, in which the place of use and/or sample collection was identified as Nigeria. ‘Diabetes’ and ‘Nigeria’ were used as keywords for the primary searches; and then ‘Plant name – accepted or synonyms’, ‘Constituents’, ‘Drug interaction’ and/or ‘Toxicity’ for the secondary searches. Results: The hypoglycemic effect of over a hundred out of the 115 plants reviewed in this paper is backed by preclinical experimental evidence, either in vivo or in vitro. One-third of the plants have been studied for their mechanism of action, while isolation of the bioactive constituent(s) has been accomplished for twenty three plants. Some plants showed specific organ toxicity, mostly nephrotoxic or hepatotoxic, with direct effects on the levels of some liver function enzymes. Twenty eight plants have been identified as in vitro modulators of P-glycoprotein and/or one or more of the cytochrome P450 enzymes, while eleven plants altered the levels of phase 2 metabolic enzymes, chiefly glutathione, with the potential to alter the pharmacokinetics of co-administered drugs. Conclusion: This review, therefore, provides a useful resource to enable a thorough assessment of the profile of plants used in diabetes management so as to ensure a more rational use. By anticipating potential toxicities or possible herb–drug interactions, significant risks which would otherwise represent a burden on the country׳s healthcare system can be avoided