165 research outputs found

    On-line monitoring of relative dielectric losses in cross-bonded cables using sheath currents

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    A Comprehensive Evaluation Framework for Deep Model Robustness

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    Deep neural networks (DNNs) have achieved remarkable performance across a wide range of applications, while they are vulnerable to adversarial examples, which motivates the evaluation and benchmark of model robustness. However, current evaluations usually use simple metrics to study the performance of defenses, which are far from understanding the limitation and weaknesses of these defense methods. Thus, most proposed defenses are quickly shown to be attacked successfully, which results in the ``arm race'' phenomenon between attack and defense. To mitigate this problem, we establish a model robustness evaluation framework containing 23 comprehensive and rigorous metrics, which consider two key perspectives of adversarial learning (i.e., data and model). Through neuron coverage and data imperceptibility, we use data-oriented metrics to measure the integrity of test examples; by delving into model structure and behavior, we exploit model-oriented metrics to further evaluate robustness in the adversarial setting. To fully demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework, we conduct large-scale experiments on multiple datasets including CIFAR-10, SVHN, and ImageNet using different models and defenses with our open-source platform. Overall, our paper provides a comprehensive evaluation framework, where researchers could conduct comprehensive and fast evaluations using the open-source toolkit, and the analytical results could inspire deeper understanding and further improvement to the model robustness.Comment: Submitted to Pattern Recognitio

    Benefits and limitations of text messages to stimulate higher learning among community providers: participants’ views of an mHealth intervention to support continuing medical education in Vietnam

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    BACKGROUND: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2015 to evaluate a mobile continuing medical education (mCME) intervention that provided daily text messages to community-based physicians’ assistants (CBPAs) in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam. Although the intervention failed to improve medical knowledge over a 6-month period, a companion qualitative study provided insights on the views and experiences of intervention participants. METHODS: We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) among participants randomized to receive text messages containing either simple medical facts or quiz questions. Trained interviewers collected data immediately following the conclusion of the trial in December 2015. Using semi-structured question guides, respondents were queried on their views of the intervention, positive and negative, and perceived impacts of the intervention. During analysis, after learning that the intervention had failed to increase knowledge among participants, we also examined reasons for lack of improvement in medical knowledge. All analyses were performed in NVivo using a thematic approach. RESULTS: A total of 70 CBPAs engaged in one of 8 FGDs or an IDI. One-half were men; average age among all respondents was 40 years. Most (81%) practiced in rural settings and most (51%) focused on general medicine. The mean length of work experience was 3 years. All respondents made positive comments about the intervention; convenience, relevance, and quick feedback (quiz format) were praised. Downsides encompassed lack of depth of information, weak interaction, technology challenges, and challenging/irrelevant messages. Respondents described perceived impacts encompassing increased motivation, knowledge, collegial discussions, Internet use to search for more information, and clinical skills. Overall, they expressed a desire for the intervention to continue and recommended expansion to other medical professionals. Overreliance on the text messages, lack of effective self-study, and technical/language-based barriers may be potential explanations for intervention failure. CONCLUSION: As a form of mCME, daily text messages were well-received by community-level health care providers in Vietnam. This mCME approach appears very promising in low-resource environments or where traditional forms of CME are impractical. Future models might consider enhancements to foster linkages to relevant medical materials, improve interaction with medical experts, and tailor medical content to the daily activities of medical staff

    The Reproducibility of Lists of Differentially Expressed Genes in Microarray Studies

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    Reproducibility is a fundamental requirement in scientific experiments and clinical contexts. Recent publications raise concerns about the reliability of microarray technology because of the apparent lack of agreement between lists of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In this study we demonstrate that (1) such discordance may stem from ranking and selecting DEGs solely by statistical significance (P) derived from widely used simple t-tests; (2) when fold change (FC) is used as the ranking criterion, the lists become much more reproducible, especially when fewer genes are selected; and (3) the instability of short DEG lists based on P cutoffs is an expected mathematical consequence of the high variability of the t-values. We recommend the use of FC ranking plus a non-stringent P cutoff as a baseline practice in order to generate more reproducible DEG lists. The FC criterion enhances reproducibility while the P criterion balances sensitivity and specificity

    Upregulation of MIAT Regulates LOXL2 Expression by Competitively Binding MiR-29c in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

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    Background/Aims: MIAT is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) involved in cell proliferation and the development of tumor. However, the exact effects and molecular mechanisms of MIAT in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) progression are still unknown. Methods: We screened the lncRNAs’ profile of ccRCC in The Cancer Genome Atlas database, and then examined the expression levels of lncRNA MIAT in 45 paired ccRCC tissue specimens and in cell lines by q-RT-PCR. MTS, colony formation, EdU, and Transwell assays were performed to examine the effect of MIAT on proliferation and metastasis of ccRCC. Western blot and luciferase assays were performed to determine whether MIAT can regulate Loxl2 expression by competitively binding miR-29c in ccRCC. Results: MIAT was up-regulated in ccRCC tissues and cell lines. High MIAT expression correlated with worse clinicopathological features and shorter survival rate. Functional assays showed that knockdown of MIAT inhibited renal cancer cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Luciferase and western blot assays further confirmed that miR-29c binds with MIAT. Additionally, the correlation of miR-29c with MIAT and Loxl2 was further verified in patients' samples. Conclusion: Our data indicated that MIAT might be an oncogenic lncRNA that promoted proliferation and metastasis of ccRCC, and could be a potential therapeutic target in human ccRCC
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