ABSTRACT
PROBLEM: Therapeutic planning strategies have been developed to enhance the effectiveness of cancer drugs. Nevertheless, their performance is highly limited by the inefficient biological representativeness of predictive tumor growth models, which hinders their translation to clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: This study proposes a disruptive approach to oncology based on nature-inspired control using realistic Black Hole physical laws, in which tumor masses are trapped to experience attraction dynamics on their path to complete remission or to become a chronic disease. This control method is designed to operate independently of individual patient idiosyncrasies, including high tumor heterogeneities and highly uncertain tumor dynamics, making it a promising avenue for advancing beyond the limitations of the traditional survival probabilistic paradigm. DESIGN: Here, we provide a multifaceted study of chemotherapy therapeutic planning that includes: (1) the design of a pioneering controller algorithm based on physical laws found in the Black Holes; (2) investigation of the ability of this controller algorithm to ensure stable equilibrium treatments; and (3) simulation tests concerning tumor volume dynamics using drugs with significantly different pharmacokinetics (Cyclophosphamide and Atezolizumab), tumor volumes (200 mm3 and 12 732 mm3) and modeling characterizations (Gompertzian and Logistic tumor growth models). RESULTS: Our results highlight the ability of this new astrophysical-inspired control algorithm to perform effective chemotherapy treatments for multiple tumor-treatment scenarios, including tumor resistance to chemotherapy, clinical scenarios modelled by time-dependent parameters, and highly uncertain tumor dynamics. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide strong evidence that cancer therapy inspired by phenomena found in black holes can emerge as a disruptive paradigm. This opens new high-impacting research directions, exploring synergies between astrophysical-inspired control algorithms and Artificial Intelligence applied to advanced personalized cancer therapeutics.
ABSTRACT
Control algorithms have been proposed based on knowledge related to nature-inspired mechanisms, including those based on the behavior of living beings. This paper presents a review focused on major breakthroughs carried out in the scope of applied control inspired by the gravitational attraction between bodies. A control approach focused on Artificial Potential Fields was identified, as well as four optimization metaheuristics: Gravitational Search Algorithm, Black-Hole algorithm, Multi-Verse Optimizer, and Galactic Swarm Optimization. A thorough analysis of ninety-one relevant papers was carried out to highlight their performance and to identify the gravitational and attraction foundations, as well as the universe laws supporting them. Included are their standard formulations, as well as their improved, modified, hybrid, cascade, fuzzy, chaotic and adaptive versions. Moreover, this review also deeply delves into the impact of universe-inspired algorithms on control problems of dynamic systems, providing an extensive list of control-related applications, and their inherent advantages and limitations. Strong evidence suggests that gravitation-inspired and black-hole dynamic-driven algorithms can outperform other well-known algorithms in control engineering, even though they have not been designed according to realistic astrophysical phenomena and formulated according to astrophysics laws. Even so, they support future research directions towards the development of high-sophisticated control laws inspired by Newtonian/Einsteinian physics, such that effective control-astrophysics bridges can be established and applied in a wide range of applications.
ABSTRACT
Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non‐detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non‐governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peerreviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non‐detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio‐temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other largescale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data.
ABSTRACT
Resumo Além das determinantes fisiológicas, o desempenho em maratonas é influenciado por características antropométricas, de treinamento e de experiência dos atletas. O objetivo do estudo foi investigar a associação desses fatores com o desempenho de maratonistas brasileiros. Um questionário foi aplicado nos dois dias anteriores à Maratona Internacional de Porto Alegre. Dentre os achados, os atletas de menor índice de massa corporal foram mais rápidos e o desempenho em provas de 5 e 21 km apresentou correlações altas com o desempenho (r = 0,76 e r = 0,81, p < 0,01). Isso sugere que corredores mais rápidos na maratona são mais rápidos em provas de distâncias menores. Além disso, índices como experiência anterior e distância dos treinos longos não foram bons preditores do desempenho para maratona.
Abstract Not only physiological variables, but anthropometric, training and experience characteristics influence marathon performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of those factors on Brazilian marathoners performance. A questionnaire was applied in the two days prior to the International Porto Alegre Marathon. Mainly, athletes with lower body mass index were faster on the race, and performance at 5 km and 21 km have high correlations with marathon performance (r=0.76 and r=0.81, p<0.01), suggesting that the fastest runners in the marathon are faster over shorter distances. In addition, indices like previous experience and long session distances were not good performance predictors for marathoners.
Resumen Además de los determinantes fisiológicos, el rendimiento en maratones está influenciado por las características antropométricas, el entrenamiento y la experiencia de los atletas. El objetivo del estudio fue investigar la asociación de estos factores con el rendimiento de los corredores de maratón brasileños. Se aplicó un cuestionario en los dos días antes de la Maratón Internacional de Porto Alegre. Entre los hallazgos, los atletas con menor índice de masa corporal fueron más rápidos, y el rendimiento en las pruebas de 5 y 21 km están altamente correlacionados con el rendimiento (r = 0,76 yr = 0,81, p <0,01), lo que sugiere que los corredores más rápidos en la maratón son más rápidos en pruebas de distancias más cortas. Además, los índices tales como la experiencia previa y la distancia de entrenamientos largos no fueron buenos indicadores de rendimiento para la maratón.