Pathway-based analyses of gene expression profiles at low doses of ionizing radiation.

Radiation exposure poses a significant threat to human health. Emerging research indicates that even low-dose radiation once believed to be safe, may have harmful effects. This perception has spurred a growing interest in investigating the potential risks associated with low-dose radiation exposure across various scenarios. To comprehensively explore the health consequences of low-dose radiation, our study employs a robust statistical framework that examines whether specific groups of genes, belonging to known pathways, exhibit coordinated expression patterns that align with the radiation levels. Notably, our findings reveal the existence of intricate yet consistent signatures that reflect the molecular response to radiation exposure, distinguishing between low-dose and high-dose radiation. Moreover, we leverage a pathway-constrained variational autoencoder to capture the nonlinear interactions within gene expression data. By comparing these two analytical approaches, our study aims to gain valuable insights into the impact of low-dose radiation on gene expression patterns, identify pathways that are differentially affected, and harness the potential of machine learning to uncover hidden activity within biological networks. This comparative analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of the molecular consequences of low-dose radiation exposure.

Optimal decision-making in high-throughput virtual screening pipelines.

The need for efficient computational screening of molecular candidates that possess desired properties frequently arises in various scientific and engineering problems, including drug discovery and materials design. However, the enormous search space containing the candidates and the substantial computational cost of high-fidelity property prediction models make screening practically challenging. In this work, we propose a general framework for constructing and optimizing a high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS) pipeline that consists of multi-fidelity models. The central idea is to optimally allocate the computational resources to models with varying costs and accuracy to optimize the return on computational investment. Based on both simulated and real-world data, we demonstrate that the proposed optimal HTVS framework can significantly accelerate virtual screening without any degradation in terms of accuracy. Furthermore, it enables an adaptive operational strategy for HTVS, where one can trade accuracy for efficiency.

Sensitivity Analysis of Genome-Scale Metabolic Flux Prediction.

TRIMER, Transcription Regulation Integrated with MEtabolic Regulation, is a genome-scale modeling pipeline targeting at metabolic engineering applications. Using TRIMER, regulated metabolic reactions can be effectively predicted by integrative modeling of metabolic reactions with a transcription factor-gene regulatory network (TRN), which is modeled through a Bayesian network (BN). In this article, we focus on sensitivity analysis of metabolic flux prediction for uncertainty quantification of BN structures for TRN modeling in TRIMER. We propose a computational strategy to construct the uncertainty class of TRN models based on the inferred regulatory order uncertainty given transcriptomic expression data. With that, we analyze the prediction sensitivity of the TRIMER pipeline for the metabolite yields of interest. The obtained sensitivity analyses can guide optimal experimental design (OED) to help acquire new data that can enhance TRN modeling and achieve specific metabolic engineering objectives, including metabolite yield alterations. We have performed small- and large-scale simulated experiments, demonstrating the effectiveness of our developed sensitivity analysis strategy for BN structure learning to quantify the edge importance in terms of metabolic flux prediction uncertainty reduction and its potential to effectively guide OED.

Analysis of 101 Mechanical Failures in Distal Femur Fractures Treated with 3 Generations of Precontoured Locking Plates.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate mechanical treatment failure in a large patient cohort sustaining a distal femur fracture treated with a distal femoral locking plate (DFLP). DESIGN: This retrospective case-control series evaluated mechanical treatment failures of DFLPs. SETTING: The study was conducted at 8 Level I trauma centers from 2010 to 2017. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: One hundred one patients sustaining OTA/AO 33-A and C distal femur fractures were treated with DFLPs that experienced mechanical failure. INTERVENTION: The intervention included the treatment of a distal femur fracture with a DFLP, affected by mechanical failure (implant failure by loosening or breakage). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome measures included injury and DFLP details; modes and timing of failure were studied. RESULTS: One hundred forty-six nonunions were found overall (13.4%) including 101 mechanical failures (9.3%). Failures occurred in different manners, locations, and times depending on the DFLPs. For example, 33 of 101 stainless steel (SS) plates (33%) failed by bending or breaking in the working length, whereas no Ti plates failed here ( P < 0.05). Eleven of 12 failures with titanium-Less Invasive Stabilization System (92%) occurred by lost shaft fixation, mostly by the loosening of unicortical screws (91%). Sixteen of 44 variable -angled-LCP failures (36%) occurred at the distal plate-screw junction, whereas only 5 of 61 other DFLPs (8%) failed this way ( P < 0.05). Distal failures occurred on average at 23.7 weeks compared with others that occurred at 38.4 weeks ( P < 0.05). Variable -angled-LCP distal screw-plate junction failures occurred earlier (mean 21.4 weeks). CONCLUSION: Nonunion and mechanical failure occurred in 14% and 9% of patients, respectively, in this large series of distal femur fracture treated with a DFLP. The mode, location, presence of a prosthesis, and timing of failure varied depending on the characteristics of DFLP. This information should be used to optimize implant usage and design to prolong the period of stable fixation before potential implant failures occur in patients with a prolonged time to union. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Economic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Robust importance sampling for error estimation in the context of optimal Bayesian transfer learning.

Classification has been a major task for building intelligent systems because it enables decision-making under uncertainty. Classifier design aims at building models from training data for representing feature-label distributions-either explicitly or implicitly. In many scientific or clinical settings, training data are typically limited, which impedes the design and evaluation of accurate classifiers. Atlhough transfer learning can improve the learning in target domains by incorporating data from relevant source domains, it has received little attention for performance assessment, notably in error estimation. Here, we investigate knowledge transferability in the context of classification error estimation within a Bayesian paradigm. We introduce a class of Bayesian minimum mean-square error estimators for optimal Bayesian transfer learning, which enables rigorous evaluation of classification error under uncertainty in small-sample settings. Using Monte Carlo importance sampling, we illustrate the outstanding performance of the proposed estimator for a broad family of classifiers that span diverse learning capabilities.

Synthetic data for design and evaluation of binary classifiers in the context of Bayesian transfer learning.

Transfer learning (TL) techniques can enable effective learning in data scarce domains by allowing one to re-purpose data or scientific knowledge available in relevant source domains for predictive tasks in a target domain of interest. In this Data in Brief article, we present a synthetic dataset for binary classification in the context of Bayesian transfer learning, which can be used for the design and evaluation of TL-based classifiers. For this purpose, we consider numerous combinations of classification settings, based on which we simulate a diverse set of feature-label distributions with varying learning complexity. For each set of model parameters, we provide a pair of target and source datasets that have been jointly sampled from the underlying feature-label distributions in the target and source domains, respectively. For both target and source domains, the data in a given class and domain are normally distributed, where the distributions across domains are related to each other through a joint prior. To ensure the consistency of the classification complexity across the provided datasets, we have controlled the Bayes error such that it is maintained within a range of predefined values that mimic realistic classification scenarios across different relatedness levels. The provided datasets may serve as useful resources for designing and benchmarking transfer learning schemes for binary classification as well as the estimation of classification error.

Protocol for condition-dependent metabolite yield prediction using the TRIMER pipeline.

This protocol explains the pipeline for condition-dependent metabolite yield prediction using Transcription Regulation Integrated with MEtabolic Regulation (TRIMER). TRIMER targets metabolic engineering applications via a hybrid model integrating transcription factor (TF)-gene regulatory network (TRN) with a Bayesian network (BN) inferred from transcriptomic expression data to effectively regulate metabolic reactions. For E. coli and yeast, TRIMER achieves reliable knockout phenotype and flux predictions from the deletion of one or more TFs at the genome scale. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Niu et al. (2021).

TRIMER: Transcription Regulation Integrated with Metabolic Regulation.

There has been extensive research in predictive modeling of genome-scale metabolic reaction networks. Living systems involve complex stochastic processes arising from interactions among different biomolecules. For more accurate and robust prediction of target metabolic behavior under different conditions, not only metabolic reactions but also the genetic regulatory relationships involving transcription factors (TFs) affecting these metabolic reactions should be modeled. We have developed a modeling and simulation pipeline enabling the analysis of Transcription Regulation Integrated with Metabolic Regulation: TRIMER. TRIMER utilizes a Bayesian network (BN) inferred from transcriptomes to model the transcription factor regulatory network. TRIMER then infers the probabilities of the gene states relevant to the metabolism of interest, and predicts the metabolic fluxes and their changes that result from the deletion of one or more transcription factors at the genome scale. We demonstrate TRIMER's applicability to both simulated and experimental data and provide performance comparison with other existing approaches.

Exascale applications: skin in the game.

As noted in Wikipedia, skin in the game refers to having 'incurred risk by being involved in achieving a goal', where 'skin is a synecdoche for the person involved, and game is the metaphor for actions on the field of play under discussion'. For exascale applications under development in the US Department of Energy Exascale Computing Project, nothing could be more apt, with the skin being exascale applications and the game being delivering comprehensive science-based computational applications that effectively exploit exascale high-performance computing technologies to provide breakthrough modelling and simulation and data science solutions. These solutions will yield high-confidence insights and answers to the most critical problems and challenges for the USA in scientific discovery, national security, energy assurance, economic competitiveness and advanced healthcare. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Numerical algorithms for high-performance computational science'.

Systems biology for organotypic cell cultures.

Translating in vitro biological data into actionable information related to human health holds the potential to improve disease treatment and risk assessment of chemical exposures. While genomics has identified regulatory pathways at the cellular level, translation to the organism level requires a multiscale approach accounting for intra-cellular regulation, inter-cellular interaction, and tissue/organ-level effects. Tissue-level effects can now be probed in vitro thanks to recently developed systems of three-dimensional (3D), multicellular, "organotypic" cell cultures, which mimic functional responses of living tissue. However, there remains a knowledge gap regarding interactions across different biological scales, complicating accurate prediction of health outcomes from molecular/genomic data and tissue responses. Systems biology aims at mathematical modeling of complex, non-linear biological systems. We propose to apply a systems biology approach to achieve a computational representation of tissue-level physiological responses by integrating empirical data derived from organotypic culture systems with computational models of intracellular pathways to better predict human responses. Successful implementation of this integrated approach will provide a powerful tool for faster, more accurate and cost-effective screening of potential toxicants and therapeutics. On September 11, 2015, an interdisciplinary group of scientists, engineers, and clinicians gathered for a workshop in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, to discuss this ambitious goal. Participants represented laboratory-based and computational modeling approaches to pharmacology and toxicology, as well as the pharmaceutical industry, government, non-profits, and academia. Discussions focused on identifying critical system perturbations to model, the computational tools required, and the experimental approaches best suited to generating key data.

Correcting Finger Counting to Snellen Acuity.

In this paper, the authors describe an online tool with which to convert and thus quantify count finger measurements of visual acuity into Snellen equivalents. It is hoped that this tool allows for the re-interpretation of retrospectively collected data that provide visual acuity in terms of qualitative count finger measurements.

Endothelial cells release soluble factors that support the long-term survival of filarial worms in vitro.

The inability to maintain filarial nematodes in long-term in vitro culture greatly limits research into the basic biology of these parasites and hinders in vitro screening of novel anti-filarial agents. In this study, we sought to characterize nutrients that promote the long-term survival of filarial worms in vitro. Using microfilariae (MF) obtained from gerbils infected with Litomosoides sigmodontis, a filarial parasite of rodents, we found that Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) resulted in MF survival of only 5 days. However, co-culturing MF with a mouse endothelial cell line (EOMA) enabled survival for 40 days. Culturing EOMA cells in transwell plates extended MF survival to the same degree as direct co-culture, suggesting that the factors microfilariae require are soluble in nature. Heat inactivation of EOMA conditioned media at 56 °C reduced MF survival by approximately 50%, and heat inactivation at 100 °C reduced survival to 3 days, demonstrating that both heat labile and heat stable factors are involved. EOMA cells require FBS to produce these factors, as conditioned media collected from EOMA cells grown in the absence of FBS failed to prolong survival. The removal of lipids also abrogated survival, indicating MF are likely utilizing lipid factors released by EOMA cells. Dialysis experiments demonstrate that at least some of the required factors are between 0.1 and 1 kDa in size. Importantly, L. sigmodontis adult worms also show significantly extended survival when cultured in EOMA conditioned media. Together, these results suggest that EOMA-produced factors include lipid-containing molecules, heat labile molecules (likely a protein), and micronutrients between 0.1 and 1 kDa in size. These studies have established a cell-free approach to maintaining MF and adult stage filarial worms in long-term in vitro culture and have taken important steps towards biochemically characterizing host-derived nutrients required for parasite survival.

Promise and Limitations of Big Data Research in Plastic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The use of "Big Data" in plastic surgery outcomes research has increased dramatically in the last 5 years. This article addresses some of the benefits and limitations of such research. METHODS: This is a narrative review of large database studies in plastic surgery. RESULTS: There are several benefits to database research as compared with traditional forms of research, such as randomized controlled studies and cohort studies. These include the ease in patient recruitment, reduction in selection bias, and increased generalizability. As such, the types of outcomes research that are particularly suited for database studies include determination of geographic variations in practice, volume outcome analysis, evaluation of how sociodemographic factors affect access to health care, and trend analyses over time. The limitations of database research include data which are limited only to what was captured in the database, high power which can cause clinically insignificant differences to achieve statistical significance, and fishing which can lead to increased type I errors. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Project is an important general surgery database that may be useful for plastic surgeons because it is validated and has a large number of patients after over a decade of collecting data. The Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons Program is a newer database specific to plastic surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Databases are a powerful tool for plastic surgery outcomes research. It is critically important to understand their benefits and limitations when designing research projects or interpreting studies whose data have been drawn from them. For plastic surgeons, National Surgical Quality Improvement Project has a greater number of publications, but Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons Program is the most applicable database for plastic surgery research.

Physics-based statistical learning approach to mesoscopic model selection.

In materials science and many other research areas, models are frequently inferred without considering their generalization to unseen data. We apply statistical learning using cross-validation to obtain an optimally predictive coarse-grained description of a two-dimensional kinetic nearest-neighbor Ising model with Glauber dynamics (GD) based on the stochastic Ginzburg-Landau equation (sGLE). The latter is learned from GD "training" data using a log-likelihood analysis, and its predictive ability for various complexities of the model is tested on GD "test" data independent of the data used to train the model on. Using two different error metrics, we perform a detailed analysis of the error between magnetization time trajectories simulated using the learned sGLE coarse-grained description and those obtained using the GD model. We show that both for equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium GD training trajectories, the standard phenomenological description using a quartic free energy does not always yield the most predictive coarse-grained model. Moreover, increasing the amount of training data can shift the optimal model complexity to higher values. Our results are promising in that they pave the way for the use of statistical learning as a general tool for materials modeling and discovery.

Quasicontinuum Fokker-Planck equation.

Building on the work [C. R. Doering, P. S. Hagan, and P. Rosenau, Phys. Rev. A 36, 985 (1987)] we present a regularized Fokker-Planck equation for discrete-state systems with more accurate short-time behavior than its standard, Kramers-Moyal counterpart. This regularization leads to a quasicontinuum Fokker-Planck equation with several key features: it preserves crucial aspects of state-space discreteness ordinarily lost in the standard Kramers-Moyal expansion; it is well posed, and it is more amenable to analytical and numerical tools currently available for continuum systems. In order to expose the basic idea underlying the regularization, it suffices for us to focus on two simple problems--the chemical reaction kinetics of a one-component system and a two-dimensional symmetric random walk on a square lattice. We then describe the path to applying this approach to more complex, discrete-state stochastic systems.

Equation-free implementation of statistical moment closures.

We present a general numerical scheme for the practical implementation of statistical moment closures suitable for modeling complex, large-scale, nonlinear systems. Building on recently developed equation-free methods, this approach numerically integrates the closure dynamics, the equations of which may not even be available in closed form. Although closure dynamics introduce statistical assumptions of unknown validity, they can have significant computational advantages as they typically have fewer degrees of freedom and may be much less stiff than the original detailed model. The numerical closure approach can in principle be applied to a wide class of nonlinear problems, including strongly coupled systems (either deterministic or stochastic) for which there may be no scale separation. We demonstrate the equation-free approach for implementing entropy-based Eyink-Levermore closures on a nonlinear stochastic partial differential equation.

Statistical mechanics of histories: a cluster Monte Carlo algorithm.

We present an efficient computational approach to sample the histories of nonlinear stochastic processes. This framework builds upon recent work on casting a d-dimensional stochastic dynamical system into a (d+1)-dimensional equilibrium system using the path-integral approach. We introduce a cluster algorithm that efficiently samples histories and discuss how to include measurements that are available into the estimate of the histories. This allows our approach to be applicable to the simulation of rare events and to optimal state and parameter estimation. We demonstrate the utility of this approach for Phi4 Langevin dynamics in two spatial dimensions where our algorithm improves sampling efficiency up to an order of magnitude.