Development and evaluation of machine learning algorithms for biomedical applications

Gene network inference and drug response prediction are two important problems in computational biomedicine. The former helps scientists better understand the functional elements and regulatory circuits of cells. The latter helps a physician gain full understanding of the effective treatment on patients. Both problems have been widely studied, though current solutions are far from perfect. More research is needed to improve the accuracy of existing approaches. This dissertation develops machine learning and data mining algorithms, and applies these algorithms to solve the two important biomedical problems. Specifically, to tackle the gene network inference problem, the dissertation proposes (i) new techniques for selecting topological features suitable for link prediction in gene networks; a graph sparsification method for network sampling; (iii) combined supervised and unsupervised methods to infer gene networks; and (iv) sampling and boosting techniques for reverse engineering gene networks. For drug sensitivity prediction problem, the dissertation presents (i) an instance selection technique and hybrid method for drug sensitivity prediction; (ii) a link prediction approach to drug sensitivity prediction; a noise-filtering method for drug sensitivity prediction; and (iv) transfer learning approaches for enhancing the performance of drug sensitivity prediction. Substantial experiments are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the algorithms and their superiority over the existing approaches

Requirements for the movement of trade in Anbar province

The research dealt with the study of the requirements of trade movement in anbar governorate, as it dealt with the study of the border crossings, which number 4, which are the trebil port, the qaim port, the al-waleed port and the Arar border port. It activates the movement of foreign trade, and it was found through the research that the ports of the study area have a major role in the movement of trade, as it was found that the operating ports are the Trebil and Al-Qaim ports. As for the Al-Waleed port, it has been closed since 2015 as a result of the conditions that the governorate has been exposed to. As for the Arar border port, until recently Recently, it was seasonal, it was limited to organizing pilgrimage trips, but it was opened in 2021 for foreign trade, but it is still a weak movement. As for international roads, the governorate owns several international roads, which are Road No. 10, Road No. 11, and Road No. 12 Fazla through 160 Nukhaib. These roads connect the province with neighboring countries on the one hand, and the capital, Baghdad, and other Iraqi provinces on the other.&nbsp

Hybrid Thoracic Aortic Repair and Aortic Valve-In-Valve Replacement for Chronic Type A Dissection

We describe a case of hybrid total thoracic aortic repair and valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement in a high-risk patient with complicated chronic type A dissection and severe prosthetic aortic stenosis. The patient underwent a three-stage-procedure including aortic arch debranching, thoracic endovascular aortic repair of the ascending aorta, aortic arch and descending thoracic aorta, and direct aortic valve-in-valve replacement using transcatheter heart valve. The details of the procedures are described with a discussion of the challenges and the decision-making process

Assessment of basic life support (BLS) knowledge and awareness among teachers in Al-Kharj City, Saudi Arabia

Background. Cardiac arrest (CA) is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs 70% of the time outside of a hospital environment. Aim: The study objects to assess the teachers in Al-Kharj city, Saudi Arabia, and to determine their current BLS knowledge and awareness and to assess their attitudes and willingness to participate in regular BLS training. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a total of 188 teachers in the region. Results. The study reveals a concerning 57.4% of respondents lack basic CPR understanding, underscoring a significant deficit in essential lifesaving skills. Receptively, the study shows a positive inclination among teachers, with 73.9% expressing intent to enroll in BLS courses in the future. Moreover, a compelling 91.5% assert that BLS should be integrated into the standard school curriculum, underlining a collective awareness of the imperative to incorporate these life-saving skills systematically into mainstream education. Conclusions. The findings highlight a critical need for targeted educational interventions to bridge the knowledge gap and enhance BLS awareness regularly among teachers. The identified knowledge gaps, coupled with positive attitudes towards CPR education, present an opportune moment for strategic interventions

Pro106Leu MPL mutation is associated with thrombocytosis and a low risk of thrombosis, splenomegaly and marrow fibrosis

The P106L mutation in the human myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene (MPL) was shown to be associated with hereditary thrombocythemia in Arabs. The clinical and bone marrow (BM) features of P106L mutation are unknown. Genetic databases at two tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia were searched to identify patients with the MPL P106L mutation. Clinical data were collected retrospectively and the BM aspirates and biopsies were independently reviewed by two hematopathologists. In total, 115 patients were included. Median age was 33 years of which 31 patients were pediatric and 65 were female. The mutation was homozygous in 87 patients. Thrombocytosis was documented in 107 patients, with a median platelet count of 667 × 109/L. The homozygous genotype was associated with a higher platelet count. Thirty-three patients had an evaluable BM and clustering of megakaryocytes was observed in 30/33 patients. At the time of last follow-up, 114 patients were alive. The median follow-up was 7.8 years from the time of thrombocytosis. No patients developed disease progression to myelofibrosis. The P106L mutation was associated with marked thrombocytosis at a younger age and with a low risk of thrombosis, splenomegaly, and marrow fibrosis. The BM demonstrated normal or hypocellular marrow with megakaryocyte clusters

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: Placebo Rates in Induction and Maintenance Trials of Ulcerative Colitis

Minimisation of the placebo responses in randomised controlled trials [RCTs] is essential for efficient evaluation of new interventions. Placebo rates have been high in ulcerative colitis [UC] clinical trials, and factors influencing this are poorly understood. We quantify placebo response and remission rates in UC RCTs and identify trial design factors influencing them. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception through April 2014 for placebo-controlled trials in adult patients with UC of a biological agent, corticosteroid, immunosuppressant, or aminosalicylate. Data were independently doubly extracted. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. In all, 51 trials [48 induction and 10 maintenance phases] were identified. Placebo response and remission rates were pooled according to random-effects models, and mixed-effects meta-regression models were used to evaluate effects of study-level characteristics on these rates. Pooled estimates of placebo remission and response rates for induction trials were 10% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7-13%) and 33% [95% CI 29-37%], respectively. Corresponding values for maintenance trials were 19% [95% CI 11-30%] and 22% [95% CI 17-28%]. Trials enrolling patients with more active disease confirmed by endoscopy [endoscopy subscore ≥ 2] were associated with lower placebo rates. Conversely, placebo rates increased with increasing trial duration and number of study visits. Objective assessment of greater disease activity at trial entry by endoscopy lowered placebo rates, whereas increasing trial duration and more interactions with healthcare providers increased placebo rates. These findings have important implications for design and conduct of clinical trial