On Some Aspects of Modern AI Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hristiyan Dimitrov ◽  
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This paper presents modern AI applications using real life company projects, which try to solve problems related to the self-driving car industry, medicine and the overall quality of life. By utilizing big data, efficient algorithms and proper modelling, these projects make exceptional progress in their respective fields. The paper examines the underlying foundations of the projects and the challenges they face.

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 2097-2108
Author(s):  
Robyn L. Croft ◽  
Courtney T. Byrd

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify levels of self-compassion in adults who do and do not stutter and to determine whether self-compassion predicts the impact of stuttering on quality of life in adults who stutter. Method Participants included 140 adults who do and do not stutter matched for age and gender. All participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale. Adults who stutter also completed the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering. Data were analyzed for self-compassion differences between and within adults who do and do not stutter and to predict self-compassion on quality of life in adults who stutter. Results Adults who do and do not stutter exhibited no significant differences in total self-compassion, regardless of participant gender. A simple linear regression of the total self-compassion score and total Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering score showed a significant, negative linear relationship of self-compassion predicting the impact of stuttering on quality of life. Conclusions Data suggest that higher levels of self-kindness, mindfulness, and social connectedness (i.e., self-compassion) are related to reduced negative reactions to stuttering, an increased participation in daily communication situations, and an improved overall quality of life. Future research should replicate current findings and identify moderators of the self-compassion–quality of life relationship.


MedPharmRes ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-14
Author(s):  
Tri Doan ◽  
Tuan Tran ◽  
Han Nguyen ◽  
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◽  
...  

Purpose: This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the self-report and parent-proxy Health-Related Quality of Life Measure for Children with Epilepsy (CHEQOL-25) into Vietnamese and to evaluate their reliability. Methods: Both English versions of the self-report and parent-proxy CHEQOL-25 were translated and culturally adapted into Vietnamese by using the Principles of Good Practice for the Translation and Cultural Adaptation Process. The Vietnamese versions were scored by 77 epileptic patients, who aged 8–15 years, and their parents/caregivers at neurology outpatient clinic of Children Hospital No. 2 – Ho Chi Minh City. Reliability of the questionnaires was determined by using Cronbach’s coefficient α and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Both Vietnamese versions of the self-report and parent-proxy CHEQOL-25 were shown to be consistent with the English ones, easy to understand for Vietnamese children and parents. Thus, no further modification was required. Cronbach’s α coefficient for each subscale of the Vietnamese version of the self-report and parent-proxy CHEQOL-25 was 0.65 to 0.86 and 0.83 to 0.86, respectively. The ICC for each subscale of the self-report and parent-proxy CHEQOL-25 was in the range of 0.61 to 0.86 and 0.77 to 0.98, respectively. Conclusion: The Vietnamese version of the self-report and parent-proxy CHEQOL-25 were the first questionnaires about quality of life of epileptic children in Vietnam. This Vietnamese version was shown to be reliable to assess the quality of life of children with epilepsy aged 8–15 years.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Cihat Uzunköprü ◽  
Yesim Beckmann ◽  
Sabiha Türe

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of fingolimod in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS); secondary aims were to describe the safety of fingolimod with the evaluation of treatment satisfaction and impact on the quality of life in real life. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We collected clinical, demographical, neuroradiological, and treatment data, including pre- and posttreatment status health-related quality of life from 286 MS patients consecutively treated with fingolimod. Clinical assessment was based on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and quality of life assessment was performed with MS-related quality of life inventory (MSQOLI). The data were recorded at baseline and every 6 months for 2 years. <b><i>Results:</i></b> One hundred and fourteen males and 172 females were enrolled. The annualized relapse rate and EDSS showed a statistically significant reduction during the observation period (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). The patients also demonstrated substantial improvements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). Health-related quality of life scores improved significantly between baseline and 24-month visit (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). No serious adverse events occurred. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> In our cohort, fingolimod treatment was associated with reduced relapse, MRI activity, and improved EDSS and MSQOLI scores. Additionally, fingolimod has been able to maintain its effectiveness over a considerable long period of treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1272.2-1272
Author(s):  
W. Zhou ◽  
J. Guo ◽  
R. Zhao ◽  
C. Dong ◽  
Z. Gu

Background:Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a systemic chronic inflammatory disease, which most likely occurs in young men. It mainly affects sacroiliac joints, axial skeleton, thoracic cage and seriously decreasing quality of life in AS patients[1,2]. In recent years, fatigue of AS patients has been paid more and more attention[3]. Fatigue is a complex feeling, diseased individuals describe fatigue as a sense of tiredness at rest, exhaustion with activity, lack of energy which affects daily work, inertia or lack of endurance, or as loss of vitality. It has been confirmed that fatigue is not only a symptom but may also be quantified by fatigue scores and can be modified by various measures depending on the underlying cause[4]. However, there has been no study about fatigue in AS patients in China.Objectives:This study aimed to evaluate the predictors of fatigue and the effects of fatigue on HR-QoL among patients with AS.Methods:A total of 150 AS patients were involved in the study. A series of questionnaires included: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), the 10 cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and the Fatigue Severity Scale(FSS). Independent samples t-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, Chi-square analysis, Pearson /Spearman correlation and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data.Results:The results demonstrated that 48.7% individuals with AS suffered from fatigue. Compared with AS patients without fatigue, AS patients with fatigue showed higher WHR(P<0.05), increased BASDAI (P<0.01) and poorer BASFI (P<0.05). Meanwhile, AS patients with fatigue tended to have more severe pain(P<0.05), higher degree of anxiety(P=0.001), more serious functional disability(P=0.001) and worse sleep quality(P=0.001). Binary logistic regression indicated that WHR (OR=1.78,P<0.05), BASDAI (OR=1.34,P=0.01), sleep disturbance (OR=2.35,P<0.05) were independent predictors of fatigue in AS patients. Additionally, the occurrence of fatigue significantly reduced the quality of life in AS patients both physically and psychologically.Conclusion:These findings suggested that medical personnel should pay more attention to AS patients with fatigue and take effective measures to relieve fatigue.References:[1]Law L, Beckman Rehnman J, Deminger A, Klingberg E, Jacobsson LTH, Forsblad-d’Elia H (2018) Factors related to health-related quality of life in ankylosing spondylitis, overall and stratified by sex. Arthritis research & therapy 20 (1):284. doi:10.1186/s13075-018-1784-8[2]Hanson A, Brown MA (2017) Genetics and the Causes of Ankylosing Spondylitis. Rheumatic diseases clinics of North America 43 (3):401-414. doi:10.1016/j.rdc.2017.04.006[3]Ulus Y, Akyol Y, Bilgici A, Kuru O (2019) Association of work instability with fatigue and emotional status in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: comparison with healthy controls. Clinical rheumatology 38 (4):1017-1024. doi:10.1007/s10067-018-4366-x[4]Finsterer J, Mahjoub SZ (2014) Fatigue in healthy and diseased individuals. The American journal of hospice & palliative care 31 (5):562-575. doi:10.1177/1049909113494748Acknowledgments:Thanks to all the authors for their efforts and thanks to all members of the Department of Rheumatology of Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University for their helpfulness in the acquisition of data.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1852
Author(s):  
Gry Assam Taarnhøj ◽  
Henriette Lindberg ◽  
Christoffer Johansen ◽  
Helle Pappot

Patients with urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) often have comorbidities, which cause trouble for the completion of oncological treatment, and little is known about their quality of life (QoL). The aim of the present study was to obtain and describe patient-reported outcomes (PRO) and QoL data from UCC patients in the treatment for locally advanced muscle-invasive or metastatic UCC. A total of 79 patients with UCC completed four questionnaires (EORTC QLQ-C30, QLQ-BLM30, HADS, and select PRO-CTCAE™ questions) once weekly during their treatment. From those, 26 patients (33%) underwent neoadjuvant treatment for local disease while 53 patients (67%) were treated for metastatic disease. Of all patients, 54% did not complete the planned treatment due to progression, nephrotoxicity, death, or intolerable symptoms during treatment. The five most prevalent PRO-CTCAE grade ≥ 2 symptoms were frequent urination (37%), fatigue (35%), pain (31%), dry mouth (23%), and swelling of the arms or legs (23%). The baseline mean overall QoL was 61 (±SD 24) for all patients (neoadjuvant (73, ±SD 19) and metastatic (54, ±SD 24)) and remained stable over the course of treatment for both groups. A stable overall QoL was observed for the patients in this study. More than half of the patients did not, however, complete the planned treatment. Further supportive care is warranted for bladder cancer patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 635-646
Author(s):  
Feifei Peng ◽  
Guangchi Xu ◽  
Caihong Zhu ◽  
Lanchun Sun ◽  
Bo Dong ◽  
...  

To explore the influence of human-oriented nursing mode on the self-care ability, unhealthy emotion and quality of life of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 147 patients with BPH admitted to our hospital from February 2018 to August 2019 were selected and all patients were separated into two groups on the basis of the nursing intervention mode. 77 cases in the research group (RG) were given the human-oriented nursing mode and 70 cases in the control group (CG) were given the conventional nursing mode. The bladder irrigation time (BIT), indwelling catheter time (ICT), postoperative hospitalization time (PHT) and the incidence rate of postoperative complications were observed in the two groups after nursing intervention. Before and after nursing intervention, the self-care ability of patients was evaluated in the two groups by Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale (ESCA). In the two groups, the anxiety and depression status were evaluated by the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). The Quality of Life Scale for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patient (BPHQLS) was applied to evaluate the quality of life in both groups before and after nursing intervention. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) was used to assess the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of patients in the two groups before and after nursing intervention. The self-made nursing satisfaction questionnaire was used to evaluate the nursing satisfaction in the two groups. The BIT, ICT and PHT in RG after nursing intervention were obviously lower than those in CG, and the incidence of postoperative complications in RG was also obviously lower than that in CG (p < 0.05). The ESCA score of patients in RG after nursing intervention was significantly higher than that in CG (P < 0.05). The SAS and SDS scores of patients in RG after nursing intervention were significantly lower than those in CG (P < 0.05). The BPHQLS score in RG after nursing intervention was obviously higher than that in CG (P < 0.05). The IPSS score of patients in RG after nursing intervention was obviously lower than that in CG (p < 0.05). The nursing satisfaction score in RG after nursing intervention was obviously higher than that in CG (p < 0.05).Condusion: The application effect of the human-oriented nursing mode on patients with BPH is definite, which can improve self-care ability, unhealthy emotion and effectively ameliorate the quality of life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-39
Author(s):  
Oshin Pawar ◽  
Purva Joneja ◽  
Deepak Singh Choudhary

Introduction: To bring the best outcome from both the sides i.e. the orthodontist and the patient , it is of prime importance to understand certain psychological factors, and to treat every patient with an individualistic approach. The need was to study all such psychological factors and to find a method to deal with the same; to evaluate the psychological factors that influences the self appraisal and individual Quality of life. To compare psychological factor affecting the self appraisal and individual quality of life before treatment and after treatment, to study psychological factors of patients which influences the treatment outcome and to find a method to manage them. Materials and Method: This In-vivo study, includes case study and survey. Two separate sets of questionnaires (before and after undergoing orthodontic treatment) were given to patients. The study also included psychological test scales like OHIP-14 and 12-CSES. The sample size of patient was 150. Result: The study revealed that esthetics (95%) is the main concern for getting treatment especially for female (56%). There is improvement in OHIP and CSES (interval of 12.63, 14.66) score of patients before and after treatment. Patients’ satisfaction (94.7%) increases on having healthy orthodontist-patient relationship. Conclusion: Esthetics is the main concern. Most patients wants improvement in smile. Lack of awareness and lack of financial supports is the main reason for delay in getting treatment. The main discomfort about the treatment reported by participants was pain after activation appointments, ulcers and change in food eating habit. The orthodontic therapy improves confidence, satisfaction, individuals’ appraisal and quality of life. There were no variations in response for patients’ satisfaction by gender, age, education or by treatment duration.


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