413 research outputs found
Characterizing steady states of genome-scale metabolic networks in continuous cell cultures
We present a model for continuous cell culture coupling intra-cellular
metabolism to extracellular variables describing the state of the bioreactor,
taking into account the growth capacity of the cell and the impact of toxic
byproduct accumulation. We provide a method to determine the steady states of
this system that is tractable for metabolic networks of arbitrary complexity.
We demonstrate our approach in a toy model first, and then in a genome-scale
metabolic network of the Chinese hamster ovary cell line, obtaining results
that are in qualitative agreement with experimental observations. More
importantly, we derive a number of consequences from the model that are
independent of parameter values. First, that the ratio between cell density and
dilution rate is an ideal control parameter to fix a steady state with desired
metabolic properties invariant across perfusion systems. This conclusion is
robust even in the presence of multi-stability, which is explained in our model
by the negative feedback loop on cell growth due to toxic byproduct
accumulation. Moreover, a complex landscape of steady states in continuous cell
culture emerges from our simulations, including multiple metabolic switches,
which also explain why cell-line and media benchmarks carried out in batch
culture cannot be extrapolated to perfusion. On the other hand, we predict
invariance laws between continuous cell cultures with different parameters. A
practical consequence is that the chemostat is an ideal experimental model for
large-scale high-density perfusion cultures, where the complex landscape of
metabolic transitions is faithfully reproduced. Thus, in order to actually
reflect the expected behavior in perfusion, performance benchmarks of
cell-lines and culture media should be carried out in a chemostat
A Hierachical Evolutionary Algorithm for Multiobjective Optimization in IMRT
Purpose: Current inverse planning methods for IMRT are limited because they
are not designed to explore the trade-offs between the competing objectives
between the tumor and normal tissues. Our goal was to develop an efficient
multiobjective optimization algorithm that was flexible enough to handle any
form of objective function and that resulted in a set of Pareto optimal plans.
Methods: We developed a hierarchical evolutionary multiobjective algorithm
designed to quickly generate a diverse Pareto optimal set of IMRT plans that
meet all clinical constraints and reflect the trade-offs in the plans. The top
level of the hierarchical algorithm is a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm
(MOEA). The genes of the individuals generated in the MOEA are the parameters
that define the penalty function minimized during an accelerated deterministic
IMRT optimization that represents the bottom level of the hierarchy. The MOEA
incorporates clinical criteria to restrict the search space through protocol
objectives and then uses Pareto optimality among the fitness objectives to
select individuals.
Results: Acceleration techniques implemented on both levels of the
hierarchical algorithm resulted in short, practical runtimes for optimizations.
The MOEA improvements were evaluated for example prostate cases with one target
and two OARs. The modified MOEA dominated 11.3% of plans using a standard
genetic algorithm package. By implementing domination advantage and protocol
objectives, small diverse populations of clinically acceptable plans that were
only dominated 0.2% by the Pareto front could be generated in a fraction of an
hour.
Conclusions: Our MOEA produces a diverse Pareto optimal set of plans that
meet all dosimetric protocol criteria in a feasible amount of time. It
optimizes not only beamlet intensities but also objective function parameters
on a patient-specific basis
Mathematical Models of the Impact of IL2 Modulation Therapies on T Cell Dynamics
Several reports in the literature have drawn a complex picture of the effect of treatments aiming to modulate IL2 activity in vivo. They seem to promote either immunity or tolerance, probably depending on the specific context, dose, and timing of their application. Such complexity might derive from the pleiotropic role of IL2 in T cell dynamics. To theoretically address the latter possibility, our group has developed several mathematical models for Helper, Regulatory, and Memory T cell population dynamics, which account for most well-known facts concerning their relationship with IL2. We have simulated the effect of several types of therapies, including the injection of: IL2; antibodies anti-IL2; IL2/anti-IL2 immune-complexes; and mutant variants of IL2. We studied the qualitative and quantitative conditions of dose and timing for these treatments which allow them to potentiate either immunity or tolerance. Our results provide reasonable explanations for the existent pre-clinical and clinical data, predict some novel treatments, and further provide interesting practical guidelines to optimize the future application of these types of treatments
Six questions on the construction of ontologies in biomedicine
(Report assembled for the Workshop of the AMIA Working Group on Formal Biomedical Knowledge Representation in connection with AMIA Symposium, Washington DC, 2005.)
Best practices in ontology building for biomedicine have been frequently discussed in recent years. However there is a range of seemingly disparate views represented by experts in the field. These views not only reflect the different uses to which ontologies are put, but also the experiences and disciplinary background of these experts themselves. We asked six questions related to biomedical ontologies to what we believe is a representative sample of ontologists in the biomedical field and came to a number conclusions which we believe can help provide an insight into the practical problems which ontology builders face today
Content-specific auditing of a large scale anatomy ontology
Biomedical ontologies are envisioned to be usable in a range of research and clinical applications. The requirements for such uses include formal consistency, adequacy of coverage, and possibly other domain specific constraints. In this report we describe a case study that illustrates how application specific requirements may be used to identify modeling problems as well as data entry errors in ontology building and evolution. We have begun a project to use the UW Foundational Model of Anatomy (FMA) in a clinical application in radiation therapy planning. This application focuses mainly (but not exclusively) on the representation of the lymphatic system in the FMA, in order to predict the spread of tumor cells to regional metastatic sites. This application requires that the downstream relations associated with lymphatic system components must only be to other lymphatic chains or vessels, must be at the appropriate level of granularity, and that every path through the lymphatic system must terminate at one of the two well known trunks of the lymphatic system. It is possible through a programmable query interface to the FMA to write small programs that systematically audit the FMA for compliance with these constraints. We report on the design of some of these programs, and the results we obtained by applying them to the lymphatic system. The algorithms and approach are generalizable to other network organ systems in the FMA such as arteries and veins. In addition to illustrating exact constraint checking methods, this work illustrates how the details of an application may reflect back a requirement to revise the design of the ontology itself
Guidelines: The dos, don'ts and don't knows of remediation in medical education.
INTRODUCTION: Two developing forces have achieved prominence in medical education: the advent of competency-based assessments and a growing commitment to expand access to medicine for a broader range of learners with a wider array of preparation. Remediation is intended to support all learners to achieve sufficient competence. Therefore, it is timely to provide practical guidelines for remediation in medical education that clarify best practices, practices to avoid, and areas requiring further research, in order to guide work with both individual struggling learners and development of training program policies. METHODS: Collectively, we generated an initial list of Do's, Don'ts, and Don't Knows for remediation in medical education, which was then iteratively refined through discussions and additional evidence-gathering. The final guidelines were then graded for the strength of the evidence by consensus. RESULTS: We present 26 guidelines: two groupings of Do's (systems-level interventions and recommendations for individual learners), along with short lists of Don'ts and Don't Knows, and our interpretation of the strength of current evidence for each guideline. CONCLUSIONS: Remediation is a high-stakes, highly complex process involving learners, faculty, systems, and societal factors. Our synthesis resulted in a list of guidelines that summarize the current state of educational theory and empirical evidence that can improve remediation processes at individual and institutional levels. Important unanswered questions remain; ongoing research can further improve remediation practices to ensure the appropriate support for learners, institutions, and society
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