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Using Machine Learning to Evaluate the Value of Genetic Liabilities in the Classification of Hypertension within the UK Biobank
Get PDFData Availability Statement: Data are contained within the article and supplementary materials.Supplementary Materials: The following supporting information can be downloaded at https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/jcm13102955/s1, Supplementary Data S1–Supplementary Data S10 List of genetic variants’ summary statistics used to construct the genetic risk scores, Supplementary Table S1–Supplementary Table S4, Supplementary Figure S1–Supplementary Figure S7.Background and Objective: Hypertension increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney disease, contributing to global disease burden and premature mortality. Previous studies have utilized statistical and machine learning techniques to develop hypertension prediction models. Only a few have included genetic liabilities and evaluated their predictive values. This study aimed to develop an effective hypertension classification model and investigate the potential influence of genetic liability for multiple risk factors linked to CVD on hypertension risk using the random forest and the neural network. Materials and Methods: The study involved 244,718 European participants, who were divided into training and testing sets. Genetic liabilities were constructed using genetic variants associated with CVD risk factors obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Various combinations of machine learning models before and after feature selection were tested to develop the best classification model. The models were evaluated using area under the curve (AUC), calibration, and net reclassification improvement in the testing set. Results: The models without genetic liabilities achieved AUCs of 0.70 and 0.72 using the random forest and the neural network methods, respectively. Adding genetic liabilities improved the AUC for the random forest but not for the neural network. The best classification model was achieved when feature selection and classification were performed using random forest (AUC = 0.71, Spiegelhalter z score = 0.10, p-value = 0.92, calibration slope = 0.99). This model included genetic liabilities for total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Conclusions: The study highlighted that incorporating genetic liabilities for lipids in a machine learning model may provide incremental value for hypertension classification beyond baseline characteristics.Gideon Maccarthy was supported by Brunel University London BRIEF AWARD 2020/21
How does board gender diversity drive the ESG performance-cash holdings relationship? Evidence from China
Get PDFJEL Codes : G30, G32, M14, C23, Q56.Data Availability Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.This study investigates the influence of board gender diversity on the relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and corporate cash holdings in Chinese A-share listed companies from 2015 to 2022. Our research shows that ESG performance is positively associated with cash holdings. Drawing on critical mass theory, the study finds a moderating effect of board gender diversity in the relationship between ESG performance and the cash-holding relationship. Specifically, the study finds a negative relation between ESG performance and cash holdings with the presence of a single female board member. However, this relationship shifts to a highly positive association when three or more female directors are on the board, underscoring the significant impact of gender diversity. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals that firms with a younger age profile and a strong commitment to green innovation exhibit a negative relationship between ESG performance and cash holdings. These findings highlight the complex and dynamic nature of the ESG performance-cash holdings relationship, which varies according to specific firm characteristics. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into the multifaceted dynamics of ESG factors, enhancing our understanding of their impact on corporate financial strategies
Large Language Model Enhanced Multi-Agent Systems for 6G Communications
Get PDFThe article archived on this institutional repository is a preprint, available at arXiv:2312.07850v1 [cs.AI], https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.07850v1. It has not been certified by peer review.Visit the project homepage: https://github.com/jiangfeibo/CommLLM.git .The rapid development of the large language model (LLM) presents huge opportunities for 6G communications – for example, network optimization and management – by allowing users to input task requirements to LLMs with natural language. However, directly applying native LLMs in 6G encounters various challenges, such as a lack of communication data and knowledge, and limited logical reasoning, evaluation, and refinement abilities. Integrating LLMs with the capabilities of retrieval, planning, memory, evaluation, and reflection in agents can greatly enhance the potential of LLMs for 6G communications. To this end, we propose CommLLM, a multi-agent system with customized communication knowledge and tools for solving communication-related tasks using natural language. This system consists of three components: multi-agent data retrieval (MDR), which employs the condensate and inference agents to refine and summarize communication knowledge from the knowledge base, expanding the knowledge boundaries of LLMs in 6G communications; multi-agent collaborative planning (MCP), which utilizes multiple planning agents to generate feasible solutions for the communication-re-lated task from different perspectives based on the retrieved knowledge; and multi-agent evaluation and reflection (MER), which utilizes the evaluation agent to assess the solutions, and applies the reflection agent and refinement agent to provide improvement suggestions for current solutions. Finally, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed multi-agent system by designing a semantic communication system as a case study of 6G communications.10.13039/501100001809-National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 41604117,41904127,62132004);
10.13039/501100001381-National Research Foundation, Singapore. This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants 41604117, 41904127, and 62132004, in part by the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 2024JJ5270, in part by the Open Project of Xiangjiang Laboratory under Grant 22XJ03011, in part by the Scientific Research Fund of the Hunan Provincial Education Department under Grant 22B0663, in part by the National Research Foundation, Singapore, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority under the Future Communications Research & Development Programme, the Defence Science Organisation (DSO) National Laboratories under the AI Singapore Programme (AISG Award No: AISG2-RP-2020-019 and FCP-ASTAR-TG-2022-003), and in part by the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) Tier 1 (RG87/22)
“Travel Inter-City like the men do”: Marketing British Rail’s Inter-City in Britain 1964-1979
Get PDFThe change in brand from British Railways to British Rail (BR) marked an important moment in the history of Britain’s railway. Running alongside BR’s modernization was a wider process of “professionalization” within the field of marketing. This paper explores how the wider professionalization of marketing impacted BR’s own marketing practices, showing that after 1965 BR opened its doors to new methods, means, and perhaps most importantly, specialists from outside the railway industry. Such marketing efforts helped to frame the railway in terms of individual travelers’ specific economic needs: by 1968 it had effectively segmented its passengers into demographic audiences, and by 1975, BR had a much better understanding of its markets. These individual economies were often highly gendered and saw only mixed success, but ultimately demonstrated an application of research, advertising, and promotion
The netball injury evidence base: a scoping review of methodologies and recommendations for future approaches.
Get PDFAvailability of data and materials: All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files.A preprint verson of this scoping review is available on Research Square at https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-3494995/v1. It has not been certified by peer review.Supplementary materials is also available online at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13643-024-02629-7#Sec29 .Background:
Netball is a sport with a large participation base and a high risk of injuries. Effective injury prevention strategies are dependent upon a clear understanding of injury issues, aetiology and mechanisms, requiring robust research methodologies to ensure a reliable evidence base. This scoping review aims to identify the characteristics and range of netball injury research methodologies, to inform recommendations for future research.
Methods:
A systematic search of SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, CINAHL and Academic Search Complete, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, from 1985 to May 2023 identified relevant studies. Inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed studies assessing injury incidence, aetiology and mechanisms in netball.
Results:
Following screening, 65 studies were included (68% descriptive epidemiology, 32% analytic epidemiology). Descriptive epidemiology reported data from hospital/clinic and insurance databases (57%) and netball competitions (43%). Only two studies used ongoing, systematic injury surveillance in netball cohorts, and significant heterogeneity existed in study designs, data collection methods, injury definitions and injury incidence rates calculations. Studies assessed a limited number of risk factors (descriptive competition studies: median: n = 4; analytic studies median: n = 6), with 76% using a simplistic reductionist approach to determine causality. Basic descriptions and retrospective recall of injury mechanisms reduced accuracy. Only two studies conducted comprehensive assessments of injury mechanisms using video-based methods.
Conclusion:
To establish an accurate netball injury evidence base, future research should prioritise the development of reliable, continuous surveillance systems. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus statement guidelines are recommended for accurate injury data collection and reporting. A multifactorial approach should be adopted to assess the complex interaction between multiple risk factors, player load and the injury inciting event. Comprehensive descriptions of injury mechanisms using video methods, alongside descriptions from medical staff are recommended. This information is crucial for developing targeted prevention strategies.No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript
Green gold or carbon beast? Assessing the environmental implications of cryptocurrency trading on clean water management and carbon emission SDGs
Get PDFData availability: Data will be made available on request.This study addresses the ongoing debate concerning the environmental implications of cryptocurrencies. Specifically, it investigates the impact of Bitcoin trading volume on water and sanitation (Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6) and climate action (SDG 13). The research employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) panel data analysis to examine these relationships using a sample of 32 countries with available Bitcoin trading volume data from 2013 to 2020. The findings indicate that Bitcoin trading significantly and positively impacts progress towards SDG 6, suggesting potential benefits for water and sanitation initiatives. However, the study reveals a significant negative impact of higher Bitcoin trading volume on increased carbon emissions, underscoring the environmental costs associated with cryptocurrency activities. Similar impacts are observed for gold reserves, as their mining necessitates substantial energy consumption. These results highlight the need to regulate cryptocurrency trading and promote voluntary sustainable practices, particularly given the disparities between developed and emerging markets based on their governance frameworks. Additionally, the study considers the disparities between countries based on technology exports and economic policy uncertainty as influential determinants. The study's results emphasize the importance of proactive measures to ensure the responsible and sustainable use of cryptocurrencies. While cryptocurrencies offer significant economic returns, their early adoption stage necessitates further investigation into environmentally friendly approaches. Potential strategies include directing financial returns from cryptocurrencies towards alternative energy projects and supporting other environmental SDGs, thereby fostering a positive impact on the overall ecosystem. The study's implications extend to policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders, advocating for comprehensive and collaborative efforts to integrate sustainability into the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency market. This integration is crucial to ensure that the economic benefits of cryptocurrencies do not come at the cost of our environment.The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article
Modeling and simulation of hydrocarbon dew point adjustment of natural gas via supersonic separators
No full textThis chapter provides a thorough analysis of the supersonic gas separation technique for the removal of heavy hydrocarbons and water from natural gas streams. It examines the underlying concepts of supersonic gas separation, the benefits and limitations of the technology, as well as the current modeling and simulation tools. In addition, a technoeconomic study of the supersonic gas separation process is offered, which includes a full review of the process economics, cost drivers, and prospective optimization areas. The assessment underlines the promising performance of the supersonic gas separation technology, but also suggests areas for additional research and optimization, notably in the context of enhancing the technoeconomic viability of the process
How does a motor or cognitive dual-task affect our sense of upper limb proprioception?
Get PDFData Availability: The authors have no reservation with publicly sharing the data that supports our results. Accession numbers and/or DOIs will be made available upon acceptance of this manuscript. Researchers seeking to have access to our data may also contact the "Commissie Voor Medische Ethiek" Medical Ethics Committee from Ghent University, Belgian Registration Number of this study: 8670201940272. To contact the ethical committee: [email protected], or the lead investigation at [email protected] Daily upper limb activities require multitasking and our division of attention. How we allocate our attention can be studied using dual-task interference (DTi). Given the vital role proprioception plays in movement planning and motor control, it is important to investigate how conscious upper limb proprioception is impacted by DTi through cognitive and motor interference. Purpose To examine how dual-task interference impacts conscious upper limb proprioception during active joint repositioning tasks (AJRT). Methods Forty-two healthy participants, aged between 18 and 35, took part in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed two AJRT during three conditions: baseline (single task), dual-cognitive task (serial subtractions), and dual-motor task (non-dominant hand movements). The proprioceptive error (PE; difference between their estimation and targeted position) was measured using an AJRT of 75% and 90% of maximum internal rotation using the Biodex System IIITM and the Upper Limb Proprioception Reaching Test (PRO-Reach). To determine if PEs differed during dual-task interference, interference change scores from baseline were used with one sample t-tests and analyses of variance. Results The overall mean PE with the Biodex was 4.1̊ ± 1.9 at baseline. Mean change scores from baseline reflect a mean improvement of 1.5̊ ± 1.0 (p < .001) during dual-cognitive task and of 1.5̊ ± 1.2 (p < .001) during dual-motor task. The overall mean PE with the PRO-Reach was 4.4cm ± 1.1 at baseline. Mean change scores from baseline reflect a mean worsening of 1.0cm ± 1.1 (p < .001) during dual-cognitive task and improvement of 0.8cm ± 0.6 (p < .001) during dual-motor task. Analysis of variance with the Biodex PEs revealed an interference effect (p < .001), with the cognitive condition causing greater PEs compared to the motor condition and a criterion position effect (p = .006), where 75% of maximum IR produced larger PEs during both interference conditions. An interference effect (p = .022) with the PRO-Reach PEs was found highlighting a difference between the cognitive and motor conditions, with decreased PEs during the contralateral motor task. Conclusion Interference tasks did impact proprioception. Cognitive interference produced mixed results, whereas improved proprioception was seen during motor interference. Individual task prioritization strategies are possible, where each person may choose their own attention strategy when faced with dual-task interference.The author(s) received no specific funding for this work
Search for ZZ and ZH production in the bb̅bb̅ final state using proton-proton collisions at √s = 13TeV
Get PDFA preprint version of the article is available at arXiv - https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.20241A search for ZZ and ZH production in the bb̅bb̅ final state is presented, where H is the standard model (SM) Higgs boson. The search uses an event sample of proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 133fb−1 collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13TeV with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The analysis introduces several novel techniques for deriving and validating a multi-dimensional background model based on control samples in data. A multiclass multivariate classifier customized for the bb̅bb̅ final state is developed to derive the background model and extract the signal. The data are found to be consistent, within uncertainties, with the SM predictions. The observed (expected) upper limits at 95% confidence level are found to be 3.8 (3.8) and 5.0 (2.9) times the SM prediction for the ZZ and ZH production cross sections, respectively.SCOAP
Extended Comparison and Performance Analysis for Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks Routing Protocols Based on Different Traffic Load Patterns and Performance Metrics
Get PDFData Availability Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.A mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) is a network of mobile nodes that dynamically form a transitory network lacking any existence of infrastructure and any form of centralized management. Nodes in ad hoc networks are powered by batteries with a limited lifespan and communicate in a restricted bandwidth. The unpredictable environment of a MANET may run into a major concern in the routing mechanism, therefore the need for a routing protocol with robust performance is still one of the key challenges in MANET deployment. In this work, a comparative comparison and extensive simulation analysis have been carried out for three major routing protocols: destination sequenced distance vector (DSDV), dynamic source routing (DSR) and ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV). Protocol evaluation has been extended by considering several simulation arrangements, different classes of traffic load patterns and diverse performance metrics. Based on packet rate change, node quantity and node speed, simulation scenarios were generated. Protocols were investigated against energy consumption, throughput, lost packets, routing load and packet delivery fraction for three types of traffic load patterns regular, irregular and joint traffic. DSR and AODV protocols proved to be more reliable when joint traffic was implemented when node speed and packets variations are considered. DSDV protocol verifies outstanding response over other protocols in terms of energy consumption when either regular or irregular traffic is applied. The simulation results for DSR protocol have verified the superiority over other protocols in 9 simulation scenarios when diverse metrics are considered. DSDV showed optimal performance in 7 cases, especially at low packet rates and in networks with minimum number of nodes. Similarly, AODV protocol showed outstanding performance in 6 scenarios, when higher packet rates and node mobility are considered.This research received no external funding
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