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2. A Survey of Federated Evaluation in Federated Learning

Author

Soltani, Behnaz, Zhou, Yipeng, Haghighi, Venus, and Lui, John C. S.

Subjects
Computer Science - Machine Learning, Computer Science - Distributed, Parallel, and Cluster Computing
Abstract

In traditional machine learning, it is trivial to conduct model evaluation since all data samples are managed centrally by a server. However, model evaluation becomes a challenging problem in federated learning (FL), which is called federated evaluation in this work. This is because clients do not expose their original data to preserve data privacy. Federated evaluation plays a vital role in client selection, incentive mechanism design, malicious attack detection, etc. In this paper, we provide the first comprehensive survey of existing federated evaluation methods. Moreover, we explore various applications of federated evaluation for enhancing FL performance and finally present future research directions by envisioning some challenges., Comment: Accepted by IJCAI 2023

Published
2023

3. GCN-based Multi-task Representation Learning for Anomaly Detection in Attributed Networks

Author

Haghighi, Venus, Soltani, Behnaz, Mahmood, Adnan, Sheng, Quan Z., and Yang, Jian

Subjects
Computer Science - Machine Learning, Computer Science - Neural and Evolutionary Computing
Abstract

Anomaly detection in attributed networks has received a considerable attention in recent years due to its applications in a wide range of domains such as finance, network security, and medicine. Traditional approaches cannot be adopted on attributed networks' settings to solve the problem of anomaly detection. The main limitation of such approaches is that they inherently ignore the relational information between data features. With a rapid explosion in deep learning- and graph neural networks-based techniques, spotting rare objects on attributed networks has significantly stepped forward owing to the potentials of deep techniques in extracting complex relationships. In this paper, we propose a new architecture on anomaly detection. The main goal of designing such an architecture is to utilize multi-task learning which would enhance the detection performance. Multi-task learning-based anomaly detection is still in its infancy and only a few studies in the existing literature have catered to the same. We incorporate both community detection and multi-view representation learning techniques for extracting distinct and complementary information from attributed networks and subsequently fuse the captured information for achieving a better detection result. The mutual collaboration between two main components employed in this architecture, i.e., community-specific learning and multi-view representation learning, exhibits a promising solution to reach more effective results.

Published
2022

4. A Survey on Participant Selection for Federated Learning in Mobile Networks

Author

Soltani, Behnaz, Haghighi, Venus, Mahmood, Adnan, Sheng, Quan Z., and Yao, Lina

Subjects
Computer Science - Distributed, Parallel, and Cluster Computing, Computer Science - Machine Learning
Abstract

Federated Learning (FL) is an efficient distributed machine learning paradigm that employs private datasets in a privacy-preserving manner. The main challenges of FL is that end devices usually possess various computation and communication capabilities and their training data are not independent and identically distributed (non-IID). Due to limited communication bandwidth and unstable availability of such devices in a mobile network, only a fraction of end devices (also referred to as the participants or clients in a FL process) can be selected in each round. Hence, it is of paramount importance to utilize an efficient participant selection scheme to maximize the performance of FL including final model accuracy and training time. In this paper, we provide a review of participant selection techniques for FL. First, we introduce FL and highlight the main challenges during participant selection. Then, we review the existing studies and categorize them based on their solutions. Finally, we provide some future directions on participant selection for FL based on our analysis of the state-of-the-art in this topic area.

Published
2022

5. Critical resistance to carbapenem and aminoglycosides in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: spread of blaNDM/16S methylase armA harboring isolates with intrinsic resistance mechanisms in Kerman, Iran.

Author

Soltani, Behnaz, Ahmadrajabi, Roya, and Kalantar-Neyestanaki, Davood

Subjects
*CARBAPENEM-resistant bacteria, *PSEUDOMONAS aeruginosa, *GENETIC transcription, *GRAM-negative bacteria, *CARBAPENEMASE
Abstract

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) is one of the main Gram-negative bacterium causes of infections in hospital settings, and the spread of them is a significant challenge to public health. Methods: A total of 30 non-duplicate isolates of CRPA were collected. Antibacterial susceptibility of isolates to antibiotic agents, AmpC β-lactamase production, and biofilm formation were determined. Minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBIC) of isolates to cefepime (FEP), imipenem (IPM), ceftazidime (CAZ), and meropenem (MEM) were evaluated with/without cloxacillin (CLX). The carbapenemase and 16 S rRNA methylase genes were identified by PCR, and the transcription levels of oprD, ampC, and mexA genes were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). ERIC-PCR was used to detect genetic relationships among isolates. Results: All isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR) and strong biofilm producers. The resistance genes including blaNDM, blaIMP, blaVIM, blaSIM, blaGES, and armA were detected in 21 (70%), 6 (20%), 3 (10%), 2 (6.6%), 1 (3.3%), and 17 (56.6%) of the isolates, respectively. CLX at 500 and 1000 µg/mL significantly reduced the level of MIC to MEM, IPM, CAZ, and FEP, also at 2000 µg/mL significantly reduced the level of MBIC to MEM, IPM, CAZ, and FEP. In all isolates, the transcription levels of oprD were significantly downregulated as well as significantly increased for ampC and mexA. ERIC-PCR typing results divided 30 isolates into four clusters A to D. Conclusion: In this study, we reported the spread of different clones of CRPA harboring co-existence of various carbapenemase genes with armA 16 S rRNA methylase for the first time in Kerman, Iran. Also, our isolates had several mechanisms of resistance to carbapenems as well as ability biofilm formation along with resistance to aminoglycosides, the further spread of which could cause serious challenges in our hospital settings. Therefore, serious monitoring is necessary to reduce their prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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9. Prevalence of antibiotic resistance and integrons, sul and Smqnr genes in clinical isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia from a tertiary care hospital in Southwest Iran

Author

Ebrahim-Saraie, Hadi Sedigh, Heidari, Hamid, Soltani, Behnaz, Mardaneh, Jalal, and Motamedifar, Mohammad

Subjects
Smqnr gene Stenotrophomonas – maltophilia, Antibiotic resistance, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, lcsh:R, lcsh:Medicine, Original Article, Antibiotic resistance Integrons, biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition, bacterial infections and mycoses, Sul gene, Integrons, Smqnr gene
Abstract

Objective(s): Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has emerged as an important opportunistic nosocomial pathogen due to its intrinsic and acquired resistance to a wide range of antimicrobial agents. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of antibiotic resistance and resistance mechanisms among clinical isolates of S. maltophilia from Iranian patients. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 44 S. maltophilia isolates that were recovered from different clinical specimens in 2015 and 2016. Conventional microbiologic methods were used for primary identification of isolates and confirmed by specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by the E-test. PCR was applied to determine antibiotic resistance genes. Results: All of S. maltophilia isolates were susceptible to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) and colistin. Moreover, the susceptibility rates of isolates toward ceftazidime and ciprofloxacin were 93.2%, and 84.1%, respectively. Class 1 integrons was detected in 24 (54.5%) isolates by the presence of int1 gene. Moreover, the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes sul1, sul2, and Smqnr were found in 16 (36.4%), 15 (34.1%), and 29 (65.9%) isolates, respectively. Conclusion: In summary, the prevalence of sul and Smqnr genes in integrons-contained isolates point out the significant risk of sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones resistance among clinical isolates of S. maltophilia in our region.

Published
2019

10. BiNoCHS

Author

Mirhosseini, Amirhossein, primary, Sadrosadati, Mohammad, additional, Soltani, Behnaz, additional, Sarbazi-Azad, Hamid, additional, and Wenisch, Thomas F., additional

Published
2017
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13. The Evaluation of Individual Authors by Journal-Specific Metrics Would Not Yield Realistic Results.

Author

Sotudeh, Hajar and Soltani, Behnaz

Subjects
*FACTOR analysis, *CORPORA, *PERIODICALS, *AUTHORS, *CITATION analysis
Abstract

To test the reasonability of applying journal-specific indicators with the purpose of evaluating individual researchers, the present study attempted to examine the structural similarities between journal-evaluation indicators (i.e. JIF, SNIP and SJR) and authorevaluation ones (i.e. publication counts, citation per paper, and H and G indices) through factor analysis. The Iranian papers having published in SCI in 2008 were chosen as the corpus of this study to be analyzed. The results showed that the author- and journalevaluation indicators belong to two totally different factor groups, and share no structures. On this basis, one may conclude that what the journal- evaluation indices evaluate is completely different from what the author-level ones do. It would be, therefore, illogical to use these two groups of indices interchangeably and for purposes they have not been designed for. Otherwise, consistent results cannot be expected to come out of such endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2016

14. Critical resistance to carbapenem and aminoglycosides in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: spread of bla NDM /16S methylase armA harboring isolates with intrinsic resistance mechanisms in Kerman, Iran.

Author

Soltani B, Ahmadrajabi R, and Kalantar-Neyestanaki D

Subjects
Humans, Bacterial Proteins genetics, Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial genetics, Iran epidemiology, Methyltransferases genetics, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Aminoglycosides pharmacology, Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology, beta-Lactamases genetics, Biofilms drug effects, Biofilms growth & development, Carbapenems pharmacology, Pseudomonas aeruginosa drug effects, Pseudomonas aeruginosa genetics, Pseudomonas aeruginosa enzymology, Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation & purification, Pseudomonas Infections microbiology, Pseudomonas Infections epidemiology
Abstract

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) is one of the main Gram-negative bacterium causes of infections in hospital settings, and the spread of them is a significant challenge to public health., Methods: A total of 30 non-duplicate isolates of CRPA were collected. Antibacterial susceptibility of isolates to antibiotic agents, AmpC β-lactamase production, and biofilm formation were determined. Minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBIC) of isolates to cefepime (FEP), imipenem (IPM), ceftazidime (CAZ), and meropenem (MEM) were evaluated with/without cloxacillin (CLX). The carbapenemase and 16 S rRNA methylase genes were identified by PCR, and the transcription levels of oprD, ampC, and mexA genes were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). ERIC-PCR was used to detect genetic relationships among isolates., Results: All isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR) and strong biofilm producers. The resistance genes including bla NDM , bla IMP , bla VIM , bla SIM , bla GES, and armA were detected in 21 (70%), 6 (20%), 3 (10%), 2 (6.6%), 1 (3.3%), and 17 (56.6%) of the isolates, respectively. CLX at 500 and 1000 µg/mL significantly reduced the level of MIC to MEM, IPM, CAZ, and FEP, also at 2000 µg/mL significantly reduced the level of MBIC to MEM, IPM, CAZ, and FEP. In all isolates, the transcription levels of oprD were significantly downregulated as well as significantly increased for ampC and mexA. ERIC-PCR typing results divided 30 isolates into four clusters A to D., Conclusion: In this study, we reported the spread of different clones of CRPA harboring co-existence of various carbapenemase genes with armA 16 S rRNA methylase for the first time in Kerman, Iran. Also, our isolates had several mechanisms of resistance to carbapenems as well as ability biofilm formation along with resistance to aminoglycosides, the further spread of which could cause serious challenges in our hospital settings. Therefore, serious monitoring is necessary to reduce their prevalence., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Published
2024
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15. Molecular characteristics of multiple and extensive drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates obtained from hospitalized patients in Southwestern Iran.

Author

Soltani B, Heidari H, Ebrahim-Saraie HS, Hadi N, Mardaneh J, and Motamedifar M

Subjects
Acinetobacter baumannii genetics, Cross-Sectional Studies, DNA, Bacterial analysis, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Iran, Male, Acinetobacter baumannii drug effects, Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
Abstract

The emergence of multiple drug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii strains has become a global problem. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of antibiotic resistance and to investigate the presence of antibiotic resistance determinants among A. baumannii isolates obtained from hospitalized patients in Iran. This cross-sectional study was performed on 92 A. baumannii isolates in the years 2015-2016. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out by the disk diffusion method. The presence of antibiotic resistance determinants was detected by the PCR method. All the A. baumannii isolates were resistant to tested carbapenems, fluoroquinolones and sulfonamide agents, and susceptible to polymixins. Of the isolates 92.4% were extensive drug-resistant (XDR) and 7.6% were MDR. PCR screening for the presence of integron genes revealed that class 1 integron presented in 46.7% of isolates and class 2 in 18.5% isolates. Of the investigated antibiotic resistance genes, bla vim, bla imp, bla spm, sul1 and sul2 were positive in 75%, 12%, 12%, 47.8%, and 67.4% of isolates, respectively. The high prevalence of metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) and sul genes in our results may indicate the importance of these genes in the dissemination of carbapenem- and sulfonamide-resistant A. baumannii isolates. Rational and restricted prescription of carbapenems may be an effective way to minimize the emergence and spread of MBL-harboring strains.

Published
2018

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