Towards Robust Artificial Intelligence Systems

Adoption of deep neural networks (DNNs) into safety-critical and high-assurance systems has been hindered by the inability of DNNs to handle adversarial and out-of-distribution input. State-of-the-art DNNs misclassify adversarial input and give high confidence output for out-of-distribution input. We attempt to solve this problem by employing two approaches, first, by detecting adversarial input and, second, by developing a confidence metric that can indicate when a DNN system has reached its limits and is not performing to the desired specifications. The effectiveness of our method at detecting adversarial input is demonstrated against the popular DeepFool adversarial image generation method. On a benchmark of 50,000 randomly chosen ImageNet adversarial images generated for CaffeNet and GoogLeNet DNNs, our method can recover the correct label with 95.76% and 97.43% accuracy, respectively. The proposed attribution-based confidence (ABC) metric utilizes attributions used to explain DNN output to characterize whether an output corresponding to an input to the DNN can be trusted. The attribution based approach removes the need to store training or test data or to train an ensemble of models to obtain confidence scores. Hence, the ABC metric can be used when only the trained DNN is available during inference. We test the effectiveness of the ABC metric against both adversarial and out-of-distribution input. We experimental demonstrate that the ABC metric is high for ImageNet input and low for adversarial input generated by FGSM, PGD, DeepFool, CW, and adversarial patch methods. For a DNN trained on MNIST images, ABC metric is high for in-distribution MNIST input and low for out-of-distribution Fashion-MNIST and notMNIST input

Assessment of Soil Fertility Status in Rupani Rural Municipality, Saptari, Nepal

As soil fertility is one of the most important factors for soil productivity, soil fertility management is important for sustainable soil management. This study was conducted to determine the soil fertility status of Rupani Rural Municipality, Saptari, Nepal. A total of 60 soil samples were collected randomly from 0-30 cm depth. The exact location of the samples was recorded using a handheld GPS device. All collected samples were analyzed at a regional soil testing laboratory in Saptari to determine their pH, soil texture, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter status. In addition, fertility status maps were prepared using ArcGIS 10.8 software. The study area consists mainly of 51.66% clay and 18.33% sandy loam soils. The soil pH ranged from highly acidic to slightly alkaline, with pH values ranging from 4.5 to 8.0. Soil organic matter (0.42-3.21%), nitrogen (0.02-0.16%), available phosphorus (40.1-282.35 kg P2O5/ha) and exchangeable potassium (64.8-729.6 kg K2O/ha) are present in the soil with the status of low to high in the study area. In order to improve crop potential and maintain soil nutrient status through the use of site-specific fertilizers, a reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers and various sustainable soil management practices were adopted. This research provides valuable information to policymakers, farmers, and agricultural stakeholders, facilitating evidence-based decision-making for agricultural development and food security in Rupani Rural Municipality, Saptari, Nepal

Implementation of gate-all-around gate-engineered charge plasma nanowire FET-based common source amplifier

This paper examines the performance of a Gate-Engineered Gate-All-Around Charge Plasma Nanowire Field Effect Transistor (GAA-DMG-GS-CP NW-FET) and the implementation of a common source (CS) amplifier circuit. The proposed GAA-DMG-GS-CP NW-FET incorporates dual-material gate (DMG) and gate stack (GS) as gate engineering techniques and its analog/RF performance parameters are compared to those of the Gate-All-Around Single-Material Gate Charge Plasma Nanowire Field Effect Transistor (GAA-SMG-CP NW-FET) device. Both Gate-All-Around (GAA) devices are designed using the Silvaco TCAD tool. GAA structures have demonstrated good gate control because the gate holds the channel, which is an inherent advantage for both devices discussed herein. The charge plasma dopingless technique is used, in which the source and drain regions are formed using metal contacts and necessary work functions rather than doping. This dopingless technique eliminates the need for doping, reducing fluctuations caused by random dopants and lowering the device’s thermal budget. Gate engineering techniques such as DMG and GS significantly improved the current characteristics which played a crucial role in obtaining maximum gain for circuit designs. The lookup table (LUT) approach is used in the implementation of the CS amplifier circuit with the proposed device. The transient response of the circuit is analyzed with both the device structures where the gain achieved for the CS amplifier circuit using the proposed GAA-DMG-GS-CP NW-FET is 15.06 dB. The superior performance showcased by the proposed GAA-DMG-GS-CP NW-FET device with analog, RF and circuit analysis proves its strong candidature for future nanoscale and low-power applications

Android Application for Efficient Management of Transport System

The construct behind our plan is to implement an android application for the economical management of college bus system. Hence by developing an application like this the overhead along with Bus Management System can get a larger relief. Thus, this application will provide information regarding the whole details of the bus system like Bus Root, Bus Number, Student details, bus Time etc. by storing onto an information. And also this can provide an extra feature of message delivery system for the users (in case if there is delay for the bus) as well as for the management over some circumstances, in addition to that bus locating facility for the passengers. The key advantage is seems to be a gift of modern way of practice which is not common at present

Sex difference and intra-operative tidal volume: Insights from the LAS VEGAS study

BACKGROUND: One key element of lung-protective ventilation is the use of a low tidal volume (VT). A sex difference in use of low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) has been described in critically ill ICU patients.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether a sex difference in use of LTVV also exists in operating room patients, and if present what factors drive this difference.DESIGN, PATIENTS AND SETTING: This is a posthoc analysis of LAS VEGAS, a 1-week worldwide observational study in adults requiring intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals in 29 countries.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Women and men were compared with respect to use of LTVV, defined as VT of 8 ml kg-1 or less predicted bodyweight (PBW). A VT was deemed 'default' if the set VT was a round number. A mediation analysis assessed which factors may explain the sex difference in use of LTVV during intra-operative ventilation.RESULTS: This analysis includes 9864 patients, of whom 5425 (55%) were women. A default VT was often set, both in women and men; mode VT was 500 ml. Median [IQR] VT was higher in women than in men (8.6 [7.7 to 9.6] vs. 7.6 [6.8 to 8.4] ml kg-1 PBW, P < 0.001). Compared with men, women were twice as likely not to receive LTVV [68.8 vs. 36.0%; relative risk ratio 2.1 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.1), P < 0.001]. In the mediation analysis, patients' height and actual body weight (ABW) explained 81 and 18% of the sex difference in use of LTVV, respectively; it was not explained by the use of a default VT.CONCLUSION: In this worldwide cohort of patients receiving intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery, women received a higher VT than men during intra-operative ventilation. The risk for a female not to receive LTVV during surgery was double that of males. Height and ABW were the two mediators of the sex difference in use of LTVV.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01601223

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background Disorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021. Methods We estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined. Findings Globally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer. Interpretation As the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation