Similar Correlation Research Articles

Judgment Prediction Based on Tensor Decomposition With Optimized Neural Networks.

In the field of smart justice, handling legal cases through artificial intelligence technology is a research hotspot. Traditional judgment prediction methods are mainly based on feature models and classification algorithms. The former is difficult to describe cases from multiple angles and capture the correlation information between different case modules, while requires a wealth of legal expertise and manual labeling. The latter is unable to accurately extract the most useful information from case documents and produce fine-grained predictions. This article proposes a judgment prediction method based on tensor decomposition with optimized neural networks, which consists of OTenr, GTend, and RnEla. OTenr represents cases as normalized tensors. GTend decomposes normalized tensors into core tensors using the guidance tensor. RnEla intervenes in a case modeling process in GTend by optimizing the guidance tensor, so that core tensors represent tensor structural and elemental information, which is most conducive to improving the accuracy of judgment prediction. RnEla consists of the similarity correlation Bi-LSTM and optimized Elastic-Net regression. RnEla takes the similarity between cases as an important factor for judgment prediction. Experimental results on real legal case dataset show that the accuracy of our method is higher than that of the previous judgment prediction methods.

Comparable cigarette consumption data collected using timeline follow-back and digital diary among treatment-seeking smokers.

The timeline follow-back interview is a common method of collecting daily cigarette consumption (cigarettes per day [CPD]) in smoking research. However, it may be subject to recall bias due to its reliance on retrospective reports. The increasing ownership of smartphones allows researchers to administer app-based digital diaries (DD) to collect CPD, which is expected to have less recall bias. Several studies have compared these two methods and found a noticeable discrepancy between them. However, these studies have mainly focused on the time window when smokers were smoking ad libitum. In this study, we wanted to determine the comparability of these two methods when treatment-seeking smokers are attempting to quit smoking. In a cessation trial, treatment-seeking smokers (n = 251) reported their CPD using the timeline follow-back and DD methods over a 12-week treatment period. To evaluate the comparability, we used the Bland-Altman comparison approach for agreement, correlational analysis between CPD and biochemical measures, digit bias, and logistic regression for predicting abstinence. We found that the two methods exhibited good agreement, and the agreement did not vary as a function of consumption levels. Consistent with this agreement, CPD data from both methods showed similar correlations with biochemical measures of smoking and predicted 6-month abstinence in a comparable fashion. Despite the agreement, the DD method appeared to be more precise by having a lower digit bias than the timeline follow-back method. Capturing smoking behavior using either TLFB or DD approaches yields similar data while smokers are attempting to quit smoking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Energy efficiency enhancement in millimetre-wave MIMO-NOMA using three layer user grouping and adaptive power allocation algorithm

Massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) is realized as the principal technology in the emerging fifth generation communication network system. Hybrid structure uplink communication is considered for the MIMO Non-orthogonal multiple access (MIMO-NOMA) system’s beam forming and power efficiency improvement through the novel three-layer user grouping. In the three-layer user grouping, the K-means algorithm is adopted in the initial layer for grouping users among different clusters and rectifying clustering errors in the third layer. The second layer used the agglomerative nesting (AGNES) algorithm for merging smaller clusters based on the channel correlation and angles of arrival similarity. The beam selection is carried out to minimize the intrusion of defined beam elements and to overcome beam overlapping problems. The non-convex optimization of the power allocating problem is modified as a convex problem by introducing a Quadratic transform (QT) to minimize each user’s data rate requirement. The algorithm of coati optimization is proposed to iteratively optimize the power allocation problem. The simulation results show that our proposed methodology goes beyond the existing schemes in terms of energy efficiency beyond the maximum power and achievable sum rate can be achieved.

Doubly stochastic subdomain mining with sample reweighting for unsupervised domain adaptive person re-identification

Clustering-based unsupervised domain adaptive person re-identification methods have achieved remarkable progress. However, existing works are easy to fall into local minimum traps due to the optimization of two variables, feature representation and pseudo labels. Besides, the model can also be hurt by the inevitable false assignment of pseudo labels. In order to solve these problems, we propose the Doubly Stochastic Subdomain Mining (DSSM) to prevent the nonconvex optimization from falling into local minima in this paper. And we also design a novel reweighting algorithm based on the similarity correlation coefficient between samples which is referred to as Maximal Heterogeneous Similarity (MHS), it can reduce the adverse effect caused by noisy labels. Extensive experiments on two popular person re-identification datasets demonstrate that our method outperforms other state-of-the-art works. The source code is available at https://github.com/Tchunansheng/DSSM.

Geochemistry of Geothermal Fluids in the Three Rivers Lateral Collision Zone in Northwest Yunnan, China: Relevance for Tectonic Structure and Seismic Activity

The Three Rivers Lateral Collision Zone (TRLCZ), situated at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, is a crucial frontier where materials from the plateau flow southeastward. This study extensively investigated the hydrochemical characteristics and origin of helium and carbon isotopes in 73 thermal springs within the TRLCZ. The analysis revealed dominant processes, including carbonate and silicate interactions, resulting in elevated concentrations of HCO3− and Na+. The impact of Ca/Mg-rich minerals, particularly dolomite, influenced the cation composition. Additionally, gypsum dissolution, notably in the Lancangjiang Fault and Weixi–Qiaohou Fault, was highlighted through Ca/SO4 ratios. The positive correlation between SO42− and Cl− indicated dilution by shallow cold water, explaining the lower SO42− content in the Jingshajiang–Zhongdian Fault and Nujiang Fault compared to the Weixi–Qiaohou Fault and Lancangjiang Fault. The circulation depth of thermal spring water varied, with the northern Weixi–Qiaohou Fault exhibiting the shallowest circulation depth (~3 km), while the Jingshajiang–Zhongdian Fault and southern segments of the Nujiang Fault displayed deeper depths—ranging from 4 to 7 km. A positive correlation between the circulation depth and fault activity was also observed. The Rc/Ra ratios of free gas samples, predominantly indicating crustal origin, varied from 0.01 Ra to 0.53 Ra. Elevated Rc/Ra ratios in the research area suggested potential minor additions of mantle helium through faults and fractures. Crustal limestone was identified as the primary source of CO2-rich samples, with δ13CCO2 values ranging from −1.6‰ to −7.2‰, while trace amounts of mantle CO2 were found. The spatial distribution of the H2 concentration, CO2 concentration, He concentration, and mantle He proportions in gases indicated that higher values of He concentration and mantle He% always occur near sampling points with deeper circulation depths. However, no similar correlation was observed for H2 and CO2. Most earthquakes of magnitude 5 or greater occurred near the regions with high values of mantle source He release, highlighting the critical role of mantle fluids in the occurrence of earthquakes in the region. In this study, a fluid circulation model was developed to describe the process of fluid (water and gas) circulation migration and earthquake generation in the TRLCZ.

(204) Reliability of a Recalled IIEF-5 Score Collected 3 Months Post-Operatively in Assessing Pre-Operative Erectile Function in Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy

Abstract Introduction Erectile function (EF) is a major concern for the patients after radical prostatectomy (RP). The precise evaluation of EF before RP is one of the crucial prognostic factors for its recovery after surgery. Due mainly to time constraints, most urologists routinely just ask vaguely a question about EF before surgery. Also, most patients need firstly to have a clear view of their oncologic status and no incontinence before visiting a sexual medicine specialist, usually after three months. So, three months after surgery, are they reliable to report their pre-operative EF? In the literature, there are evaluations one month or six months after surgery with mixed results concerning the reliability, but there is no evaluation of the recalled EF three months after RP. Objective To examine if the recalled pre-operative EF three months after surgery is in agreement with the real-time pre-operative EF collected just before surgery. Methods We recruited consecutive patients who underwent RP and consequently visited our Sexual Rehabilitation after RP Clinic. All patients completed the IIEF-5 questionnaire (the real-time IIEF-5 score), the day before the operation. Three months after RP, they were also asked to recall their preoperative baseline erectile function, completing a second IIEF-5 score (the recalled IIEF-5 score). In both questionnaires, the target period was the last 6 months before surgery. We excluded from the study patients with major psychiatric disorders and drug or alcohol abuse. The collection of the real-time and the recalled IIEF-5 score was conducted from two different investigators. Concerning the severity of erectile dysfunction, patients were divided into five categories according to their IIEF-5 scores: severe (1–7), moderate (8–11), mild to moderate (12–16), mild (17–21), and no ED (22–25). An interrator agreement analysis in distribution was performed using the kappa statistic to determine the degree of agreement between the IIEF-5 scores. Results We collected data from 55 men. The mean (± standard deviation) age and PSA was 67.5 (± 5.8) years and 9.96 (± 7.24) ng/ml. The real-time pre-operative IIEF-5 mean score and the recalled pre-operative IIEF-5 mean score and standard deviation (three months after the operation) was 17.8 (± 6.3). Concerning the different categories of erectile dysfunction, most patients (60%) were classified to no or mild erectile dysfunction for the real-time IIEF-5 score and similar percentage of patients (61.8%) were classified for no or mild erectile dysfunction for the recalled IIEF-5 score. The correlation of real-time and recalled IIEF-5 score was high, as the Pearson correlation co-efficient was 0.885 (p<0.001). Similar correlations were noted in the different questions of IIEF-5, too. The scatterplot created for the real-time IIEF-5 score and the recalled IIEF-5 score depicts nicely the correlation (Figure 1). In addition, the agreement between the categories of erectile dysfunction severity between the two different IIEF-5 questionnaires was substantial (kappa=0.613, p<0.001), as shown vividly in Table 1. Conclusions Patients reliably report their pre-operative EF even three months after radical prostatectomy. This finding may make clinicians use the IIEF-5 questionnaire to evaluate the EF before surgery and therefore, guide treatment appropriately. Disclosure No.

Deciphering Contribution of Recycled Altered Oceanic Crust to Arc Magmas Using Ba‐Sr‐Nd Isotopes

AbstractAltered oceanic crust (AOC) plays a critical role in geochemical recycling in subduction zones. However, identifying contributions of subducted AOC to arc magmas remains a conundrum due to the lack of effective tracers. Here, we investigate the Ba‐Sr‐Nd isotopic compositions of lavas from the Mariana arc and back‐arc. Based on a statistical analysis of the Sr‐Nd isotopes for global arc volcanoes, we confirm that AOC‐derived fluid (or hydrous melt), rather than sediment‐derived melt or fluid, is responsible for the Sr‐Nd isotope decoupling (i.e., 87Sr/86Sr is “excessively” enriched relative to 143Nd/144Nd when compared to the “normal” mantle derivates) observed in island arc lavas. We show that the arc lavas with increasingly decoupled Sr‐Nd isotopes generally have heavier Ba isotope ratios, which is also a characteristic feature of AOC‐derived fluids. Thus, these results establish an intimate link between subducted AOC, heavy Ba isotope compositions, and Sr‐Nd isotope decoupling signature in island arcs, which provides a powerful tool to trace the AOC recycling in subduction zones. Furthermore, a similar correlation is observed between Sr‐Nd isotope decoupling and heavy B isotope ratios for global arc lavas, implying that the recycling of AOC component is generally linked to serpentinite dehydration in subduction zones.

EFFECT OF CEREAL SEED CONTRIBUTION TO THE WEAROF SELECTED MATERIALS USED TO PRODUCE SCREWCONVEYOR BLADES

This paper presents the analysis of the process of structural material wear by cereal seeds. Two steel gradeswere subjected to testing: C45 and low-alloy steel with a micro-addition of boron. The experiment wasconducted under laboratory conditions by the “rotating bowl” method. Wheat and maize seeds were usedas an abrasive. During the testing, analyses of specimen weight and volume loss as a function of the frictiondistance were carried out. An analysis of the test material surface was conducted as well.The study results show that the C45 steel worn in maize grains exhibited a weight loss greater by 20% thanthat for the wear in wheat grains. For the abrasion-resistant steel, the difference was 22%. In both abrasivemediums, the C45 steel wore to a greater extent than the abrasion-resistant steel. For the maize grain abrasive,the weight loss value was approx. 1.5 times higher than that for the C45 steel. Similar correlations were notedfor the wheat abrasive. The abrasion-resistant steel had a wear rate approx. 1.6 times lower than the C45 steel.The dominant wear types observed on the surfaces of the test steels include ridging and micro-cutting.

The Prognostic Importance of Ki-67 in Gastrointestinal Carcinomas: A Meta-analysis and Multi-omics Approach.

This study aimed to determine if Ki-67, a commonly used marker to measure tumor proliferation, is a reliable prognostic factor in various types of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers based on current high-quality multivariable evidence. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science databases to investigate the association between Ki-67 positivity and overall survival (OS) and disease/recurrence-free survival (DFS/RFS) in GI cancers. Heterogeneity was assessed using Chi-square-based Q and I2 analyses and publication bias using funnel plots and Egger's analysis. In addition, Ki-67 levels in different GI cancers were examined by different platforms. The prognostic capability of Ki-67, gene ontology (GO), and pathway enrichment analysis were obtained from GEPIA2 and STRING. Totally, 61 studies, involving 13,034 patients, were deemed eligible for our evaluation. The combined hazard ratios (HRs) demonstrated the prediction ability of overexpressed Ki-67 for a worse OS (HR: 1.67, P < 0.001; HR: 1.37, P = 0.021) and DFS/RFS (HR: 2.06, P < 0.001) in hepatocellular and pancreatic malignancies, respectively, as confirmed by multi-omics databases. However, similar correlation was not found in esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers. Furthermore, most of the associations were identified to be robust based on different subcategories and publication bias assessment. Finally, enriched Ki-67-related genes were found to be involved in various important signaling pathways, such as cell cycle, P53 signaling network, and DNA damage responses. This study supports that Ki-67 can serve as an independent prognostic biomarker for pancreatic and hepatocellular malignancies in clinical settings.

Validity of food and nutrient intakes assessed by a food frequency questionnaire among Chinese adults

BackgroundStudies regarding the validity of the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and the food composition table (FCT) are limited in Asian countries. We aimed to evaluate the validity of a 64-item FFQ and different methods of constructing the FFQ FCTs for assessing dietary intakes of foods and nutrients among adults in eastern China.MethodsA total of 2325 participants (aged 56.2 ± 14.9 years, 51.6% female) from nine cities in Zhejiang province who completed a 64-item FFQ and 3-day 24-hour dietary recalls (24HRs) in 2015 were included. Eight FFQ FCTs were generated covering food items and specific weights estimated using professional knowledge, representative 24HRs data, or the Chinese FCT (CFCT). Energy-adjusted intakes of foods and nutrients were estimated by residual and energy density methods. Spearman correlation coefficients (SCCs) of intakes of 14 food groups and 17 nutrients between FFQ and 24HRs were calculated to evaluate the overall validity of FFQ.ResultsThe average intakes of most food groups and nutrients assessed with FFQ were higher than those assessed using the 24HRs. For the food groups, the averaged energy-adjusted (residual method) SCC between FFQ and 24HRs was 0.27, ranging from 0.14 (starch-rich beans) to 0.49 (aquatic products). For nutrient assessment, the weighted FCT (WFCT) performs the best, and the averaged energy-adjusted (residual method) SCC was 0.26, ranging from 0.16 (iron) to 0.37 (potassium). Similar correlations with 24HRs were observed when using other FFQ FCT in the calculation of nutrient intakes.ConclusionThe 64-item Chinese FFQ and the WFCT were reasonably valid to assess the dietary intakes of certain foods and nutrients among adults in eastern China.

Exploring the Dynamic Relationship between the Gut Microbiome and Body Composition across the Human Lifespan: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to identify different gut microbiome profiles across the human lifespan and to correlate such profiles with the body composition. PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched from inception to March 2022. Sixty studies were included in this systematic review. Overall, the gut microbiome composition in overweight participants exhibited decreased α-diversity, decreased levels of the phylum Bacteroidetes and its taxa, and increased levels of the phylum Firmicutes, its taxa, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, in comparison to normal-weight participants. Other body composition parameters showed similar correlations. Fat mass and waist circumference were found to correlate positively with the Firmicutes taxa and negatively with the Bacteroidetes taxa. In contrast, lean body mass and muscle mass demonstrated a positive correlation with the Bacteroidetes taxa. Notably, these correlations were more pronounced in athletes than in obese and normal-weight individuals. The composition of the gut microbiome is evidently different in overweight individuals or athletes of all age groups, with the former tending towards decreased Bacteroidetes taxa and increased Firmicutes taxa, while a reversed relationship is observed concerning athletes. Further studies are needed to explore the dynamic relationship between energy intake, body composition, and the gut microbiome across the human lifespan.

A Retrospective Comparison of Multiple Approaches to Anatomically Informed Contact Selection in Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease.

Conventional deep brain stimulation (DBS) programming via trial-and-error warrants improvement to ensure swift achievement of optimal outcomes. The definition of a sweet spot for subthalamic DBS in Parkinson's disease (PD-STN-DBS) may offer such advancement. This investigation examines the association of long-term motor outcomes with contact selection during monopolar review and different strategies for anatomically informed contact selection in a retrospective real-life cohort of PD-STN-DBS. We compared contact selection based on a monopolar review (MPR) to multiple anatomically informed contact selection strategies in a cohort of 28 PD patients with STN-DBS. We employed a commercial software package for contact selection based on visual assessment of individual anatomy following two predefined strategies and two algorithmic approaches with automatic targeting of either the sensorimotor STN or our previously published sweet spot. Similarity indices between chronic stimulation and contact selection strategies were correlated to motor outcomes at 12 months follow-up. Lateralized motor outcomes of chronic DBS were correlated to the similarity between chronic stimulation and visual contact selection targeting the dorsal part of the posterior STN (rho = 0.36, p = 0.007). Similar relationships could not be established for MPR or any of the other investigated strategies. Our data demonstrates that a visual contact selection following a predefined strategy can be linked to beneficial long-term motor outcomes in PD-STN-DBS. Since similar correlations could not be observed for the other approaches to anatomically informed contact selection, we conclude that clear definitions and prospective validation of any approach to imaging-based DBS-programming is warranted.

Research on the Method of Absolute Stress Measurement for Steel Structures via Laser Ultrasonic

Accurate measurement of the stress in steel structures is crucial for structural health monitoring. To achieve this goal, a novel technique, the laser ultrasonic technique, was used in absolute stress measurement in this study. The feasibility of this technique has been verified through theoretical analysis and finite element (FE) analysis. A stress measurement experiment in steel specimens was conducted and the relationship between ultrasonic relative wave velocity and stress was explored. The results revealed that there is a similar linear correlation between the ultrasonic relative wave velocity and absolute stress. The stress can be obtained based on ultrasonic relative wave velocity. According to the stress measurement results, it was found that the absolute error between the measured stress and theoretical stress was largest when the stress level was low, and that the measured error of stress gradually decreased with increases in the applied stress. The relative error between the measured stress and the theoretical stress was within 10% when the stress was higher than 100 MPa. This further verifies the reliability of the laser ultrasonic technique under high-stress conditions. Additionally, the impact of temperature and surface roughness on stress measurement was analyzed. The stress error in stress measurement increased similarly linearly with the increase in temperature and increased non-linearly with the increase in roughness. The corresponding compensation methods were proposed to effectively improve the accuracy of measurement.

Comparison of RNA-Seq and microarray in the prediction of protein expression and survival prediction.

Gene expression profiling using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and microarray technologies is widely used in cancer research to identify biomarkers for clinical endpoint prediction. We compared the performance of these two methods in predicting protein expression and clinical endpoints using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets of lung cancer, colorectal cancer, renal cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer. We calculated the correlation coefficients between gene expression measured by RNA-seq or microarray and protein expression measured by reverse phase protein array (RPPA). In addition, after selecting the top 103 survival-related genes, we compared the random forest survival prediction model performance across test platforms and cancer types. Both RNA-seq and microarray data were retrieved from TCGA dataset. Most genes showed similar correlation coefficients between RNA-seq and microarray, but 16 genes exhibited significant differences between the two methods. The BAX gene was recurrently found in colorectal cancer, renal cancer, and ovarian cancer, and the PIK3CA gene belonged to renal cancer and breast cancer. Furthermore, the survival prediction model using microarray was better than the RNA-seq model in colorectal cancer, renal cancer, and lung cancer, but the RNA-seq model was better in ovarian and endometrial cancer. Our results showed good correlation between mRNA levels and protein measured by RPPA. While RNA-seq and microarray performance were similar, some genes showed differences, and further clinical significance should be evaluated. Additionally, our survival prediction model results were controversial.

Atom-bond-connectivity (ABC) indices of graphene sheets, zigzag single walled carbon nanotubes and single walled carbon nanotori

Abstract Atom-bond-connectivity (ABC) indices are obtained in analytical forms for graphene sheets, zigzag single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and single walled carbon nanotori in terms of number of rings (r) that measures the length and the number of hexagons in between two rings (h) that dictates the width of the concerned systems. The procedures followed for ABC index have been used to obtain the expressions of augmented Zagreb and Randić indices for such systems. Logarithm of ABC indices of zigzag SWCNTs are found to correlate linearly well with the bond dissociation energies per C–C bond and the Young’s moduli of said SWCNTs with fixed number of rings (r) but varying number of hexagons (h) in between two successive rings. The plot of logarithm of ABC index versus Young’s modulus of such SWCNTs in varying both r and h simultaneously is not a straight line but fits well with the sigmoidal (Boltzmann) curve. Wiener index, one of the important distance based index, has recently been found to have similar correlations with the concerned properties of such systems. Similar plots would appear for the said properties of the zigzag SWCNTs with other degree-based indices like augmented Zagreb and Randić indices, as have been indicated from their respective expressions obtained.

Cloud Security System for ECG Transmission and Monitoring Based on Chaotic Logistic Maps

Biomedical data or information must be transmitted securely via the internet for smart healthcare. The Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is amongst the most essential clinical signals which must be delivered to hospital facilities. Prime focus of this research is on the encryption of ECG for secure transmission. Chaos theory is used for the development of deterministic nonlinear systems, that can be used to create random numbers for the Chaotic Logistic Map (CLM) based encryption. This study describes a cryptographic algorithm for encrypting ECG signals that uses a mix of the CLM and fingerprint data. The common factor between the patient section and monitoring section is the operation on sample data points of ECG. The choice of proper encryption and decryption theme can save more amount of time and is invulnerable both to noise-based attacks and hacking instances. The proposed framework is implemented on Dropbox based cloud storage and access is possible from any given locations. Simulation tests are used to assess the system performance in terms of Structural Similarity Index Matrix (SSIM), Histogram, Spectral Distortion (SD), Correlation and Log-Likelihood Ratio (LLR). The incorporation of complex layers of CLM encryption increases security.

Image retrieval of colored spun fabrics based on variable weight and semantic features

Multi-level features of images have different contributions to image retrieval. Fixed weight feature fusion cannot give full play to the effectiveness of shallow visual features and semantic features in image retrieval of colored spun fabrics. In view of this fact, this paper proposes an algorithm of colored spun fabrics image retrieval on variable weight and semantic features. The algorithm constructs the similarity correlation coefficient based on the contribution of features at different levels to image retrieval, and obtains the fusion weight coefficient of multi-level features by retrieving the change rate of similarity score of the images and k neighbor images in the sample base. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm on variable weight feature fusion can bring all features into full play. Compared with the retrieval method that only based on the shallow visual features fusion or the fixed weight feature fusion, the Recall rate of the proposed algorithm increases by 13.15% and 0.54% respectively, and the mean Average Precision of the whole class increases by 7.21% and 1.15% respectively. This research can provide technical support for digital management and product development of colored spun fabrics image, and it has important theoretical research value and broad application prospects.

Pan-cancer analysis reveals potential immunological and prognostic roles of METTL7A in human cancers

Methyltransferase-like protein 7A (METTL7A) is an m6A RNA methyltransferase that has been linked to cancer prognosis and drug resistance. However, a comprehensive analysis of METTL7A is lacking. The expression of METTL7A, prognostic performance, correlation with microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and immune infiltration was investigated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Immunohistochemistry staining was applied to detect METTL7A in 6 tumors. METTL7A was significantly decreased in 19 cancers in TCGA including LUAD. Alterations of METTL7A include amplification and mutation, and epigenetic alterations revealed increased promoter methylation may result in down-regulation of METTL7A in LUAD. We also found that METTL7A was linked to both TMB and MSI in LUAD. METTL7A was increasingly correlated with invasive immune cells, while being negatively associated with Macrophages M0, Mast cells activated, activated memory CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, and follicular helper T cells in several tumors. Additionally, METTL7A showed similar correlation with immune therapy-related genes across cancers. Our biological validation found that the protein levels of METTL7A were down-regulated in breast cancer (BRCA), endometrioid cancer (UCEC), colon cancer (COAD), prostate cancer (PRAD), and kidney clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), as detected by immunohistochemistry staining. Overall, our work indicates that METTL7A may serve as promising diagnostic and prognostic indicator of LUAD, and our work sheds light on the potential immunological and prognostic roles of METTL7A in human cancers.

A Hierarchical Security Event Correlation Model for Real-Time Threat Detection and Response

An intrusion detection system (IDS) perform postcompromise detection of security breaches whenever preventive measures such as firewalls do not avert an attack. However, these systems raise a vast number of alerts that must be analyzed and triaged by security analysts. This process is largely manual, tedious, and time-consuming. Alert correlation is a technique that reduces the number of intrusion alerts by aggregating alerts that are similar in some way. However, the correlation is performed outside the IDS through third-party systems and tools, after the IDS has already generated a high volume of alerts. These third-party systems add to the complexity of security operations. In this paper, we build on the highly researched area of alert and event correlation by developing a novel hierarchical event correlation model that promises to reduce the number of alerts issued by an intrusion detection system. This is achieved by correlating the events before the IDS classifies them. The proposed model takes the best features from similarity and graph-based correlation techniques to deliver an ensemble capability not possible by either approach separately. Further, we propose a correlation process for events rather than alerts as is the case in the current art. We further develop our own correlation and clustering algorithm which is tailor-made to the correlation and clustering of network event data. The model is implemented as a proof of concept with experiments run on standard intrusion detection sets. The correlation achieves an 87% data reduction through aggregation, producing nearly 21,000 clusters in about 30 s.

Rethinking Sjögren Beyond Inflammation: Considering the Role of Nerves in Driving Disease Manifestations.

Sjögren syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by destruction of mucosal glands resulting in dry eye and dry mouth. Ocular presentations can be heterogenous in SS with corneal nerves abnormalities that are structural, functional, or both. Some individuals present with corneal hyposensitivity, with a phenotype of decreased tear production and epithelial disruption. Others present with corneal hypersensitivity, with a phenotype of neuropathic pain including light sensitivity and pain out of proportion to signs of tear dysfunction. A similar correlate can be found outside the eye, with dry mouth predominating in some individuals while pain conditions predominate in others. Understanding how nerve status affects SS phenotype is an important first step to improving disease management by targeting nerve abnormalities, as well as inflammation.