Characterizing Episodes of Lucidity in Dementia: Observational and Applied Computational Linguistics Approaches

Though episodes of lucidity (EL) in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD), reportedly more common near end of life, have significant implications for care, they are poorly understood due to underdeveloped methodological approaches for capturing and measuring these events. This prospective observational study addresses these gaps through audiovisual observation among persons with ADRD surrounding end of life to inform data-driven definitions for EL and distinguish EL from routine fluctuations in ADRD. Audiovisual observation is well-suited to addressing gaps in operationalization of EL, providing an objective data source to assess verbal and nonverbal communication, the primary means through which EL are evidenced. Our study is designed to establish optimal procedures for capturing audiovisual data of targeted populations and timeframes to maximize opportunities for detecting EL. Operationalization of EL will be informed by computational linguistic and behavioral-event coding of linguistic and non-linguistic communication features of EL and associated temporal qualities.

The experience of dividing the potential fields of Donbass into background, residual and local components and some results of interpretation

Статья посвящена определению оптимальных процедур обработки и разделения потенциальных полей на фоновую, остаточную и локальную составляющие, а также обсуждению некоторых результатов. Актуальность работы определяется необходимостью разработки геофизической основы для минерагенического анализа системы Донецкого складчатого сооружения. Цель исследования. Выбор оптимальных процедур обработки геофизических данных и разделение потенциальных полей на фоновую, остаточную и локальную составляющие, оценка возможности использования полученных результатов для минерагенического анализа Донецкого складчатого сооружения. Методы исследования. Исходными материалами для исследования послужили результаты аэросъемочных работ в цифровом формате, проведенных в 2011 году компанией «Аэрогеофизика» с использованием современных высокоточных приборов. А для приграничной полосы с Украиной – материалы аналоговых аэрогеофизических съемок, проведенных до 2000 г. Подразделение исходных полей на составляющие компоненты проведено с использованием методов математического преобразования исходных данных с использованием отечественного программного комплекса ГИС Интегро. Оценка информативности преобразования комплекса исходных данных решалась с привлечением технологии статистического зондирования геополей COSCAD 3D, а также технологии решения обратной задачи гравиразведки и магниторазведки. Результаты исследования. Разработана технология, обеспечивающая составление сводных карт потенциальных полей с использованием материалов разновысотных аэросъемок на основе отечественной геоинформационной системы ГИС Интегро. Установлены оптимальные процедуры и осуществлено подразделение исходных магнитного и гравитационного полей на региональную, остаточную и локальную компоненты. При выделении локальнй составляющей аномалий магнитного поля впервые для исследуемого района выделены и прослежены протяженные зоны слабоинтенсивных положительных магнитных аномалий. Установлено, что эти аномалии связаны с разломами, приуроченными к осевым плоскостям линейных антиклиналей и отражают увеличение намагниченности горных пород в связи с гидротермально-метасоматическими преобразованиями. Распространение выявленных ранее золоторудных проявлений в существенной мере контролируется вновь обнаруженными зонами слабоинтенсивных магнитных аномалий. Это позволяет придать высокую значимость выделяемых линейных аномальных зон как критериев для решения задач минерагенического районирования The article is devoted to determining the optimal procedures for processing and dividing potential fields into background, residual, and local components, as well as discussing some of the results. The relevance of the work is determined by the need to develop a geophysical basis for the mineralogical analysis of the Donetsk folded structure system. Aim. To select the optimal procedures for processing geophysical data and to divide potential fields into background, residual and local components, to evaluate the possibility of using the results obtained for mineragenic analysis of the Donetsk folded structure. Methods.The initial materials for the study were the results of aerial surveys in digital format conducted in 2011 by the company "Aerogeofizika" using modern high-precision instruments. And for the border strip with Ukraine – the materials of analog aerogeophysical surveys conducted before 2000. The division of the source fields into components was carried out using the methods of mathematical transformation of the source data using the domestic GIS Integro software package. The evaluation of the informativeness of the transformation of the source data complex was solved using the COSCAD 3D statistical sounding of geofields, as well as the technology for solving the inverse problem of gravity and magnetic exploration. Results. A technology has been developed that provides the compilation of summary maps of potential fields using materials from different-altitude aerial surveys based on the domestic GIS Integro geoinformation system. Optimal procedures were established and the initial magnetic and gravitational fields were divided into regional, residual, and local components. When identifying the local component of magnetic field anomalies, extended zones of low-intensity positive magnetic anomalies were identified and traced for the first time in the study area. It is established that these anomalies are associated with faults confined to the axial planes of linear anticlines and reflect an increase in the magnetization of rocks due to hydrothermal-metasomatic transformations. The spread of previously identified gold-ore manifestations is significantly controlled by newly discovered zones of low-intensity magnetic anomalies. This makes it possible to attach high importance to the identified linear anomalous zones as criteria for solving problems of mineragenic zoning

Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survival Rate: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a challenge for medical staff, especially in the COVID-19 period. The COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is highly infectious, thus requiring additional measures during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Since CPR is a highly aerosol-generating procedure, it carries a substantial risk of viral transmission. We hypothesized that patients with diagnosed or suspected COVID-19 might have worse outcomes following OHCA outcomes compared to non-COVID-19 patients. To raise awareness of this potential problem, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that reported OHCA in the pandemic period, comparing COVID-19 suspected or diagnosed patients vs. COVID-19 not suspected or diagnosed group. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge (SHD). Secondary outcomes were the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to hospital admission or survival with favorable neurological outcomes. Data including 4210 patients included in five studies were analyzed. SHD in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients were 0.5% and 2.6%, respectively (odds ratio, OR = 0.25; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.12, 0.53; p < 0.001). Bystander CPR rate was comparable in the COVID-19 vs. not COVID-19 group (OR = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.63, 1.22; p = 0.43). Shockable rhythms were observed in 5.7% in COVID-19 patients compared with 37.4% in the non-COVID-19 group (OR = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.96; p = 0.04; I2 = 95%). ROSC in the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients were 13.3% vs. 26.5%, respectively (OR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.81; p < 0.001). SHD with favorable neurological outcome was observed in 0% in COVID-19 vs. 3.1% in non-COVID-19 patients (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 0.07, 26.19; p = 0.84). Our meta-analysis suggests that suspected or diagnosed COVID-19 reduces the SHD rate after OHCA, which seems to be due to the lower rate of shockable rhythms in COVID-19 patients, but not due to reluctance to bystander CPR. Future trials are needed to confirm these preliminary results and determine the optimal procedures to increase survival after OHCA in COVID-19 patients.

Epigenetic Integrity of Orthodox Seeds Stored under Conventional and Cryogenic Conditions

The level of 5-methylcytosine (m5C) in DNA has been observed to change in plants in response to biotic and abiotic stress factors. Little information has been reported on alterations in DNA methylation in orthodox tree seeds in response to storage conditions. In the current study, epigenetic integrity was analyzed in seeds of Pyrus communis L. in response to conventional and cryogenic storage. The results indicate that conventional storage under optimal conditions resulted in a significant increase in m5C. In contrast, a decrease in m5C level after cryostorage at high water content (WC) was observed, not only in seeds but also in 3-month-old seedlings which were smaller than seedlings obtained from seeds cryostored at optimal WC. This shows that non-optimal cryostorage conditions increase epigenetic instability in seeds and seedlings. Optimal procedures for germplasm conservation are very important for germplasm banking since they have serious implications for the quality of stored collections. Maintaining epigenetic integrity during WC adjustment and optimal storage is a characteristic feature of orthodox seeds. The current results underline the importance of proper protocols and techniques for conventional storage and particularly cryopreservation as a method for conservation of true-to-type germplasm for long periods.

Is It Better to Be Objectively Wrong or Subjectively Right?

ABSTRACT For many years, archaeologists have relied on Munsell Soil Color Charts (MSCC) as tools for standardizing the recording of soil and sediment colors in the field and artifacts such as pottery in the lab. Users have identified multiple potential sources of discrepancy in results, such as differences in inter-operator perception, light source, or moisture content of samples. In recent years, researchers have developed inexpensive digital methods for color identification, but these typically cannot be done in real time. Now, a field-ready digital color-matching instrument is marketed to archaeologists as a replacement for MSCC, but the accuracy and overall suitability of this device for archaeological research has not been demonstrated. Through three separate field and laboratory trials, we found systematic mismatches in the results obtained via device, including variable accuracy against standardized MSCC chips, which should represent ideal samples. At the same time, the instrument was consistent in its readings. This leads us to question whether using the “subjective” human eye or the “objective” digital eye is preferable for data recording of color. We discuss how project goals and limitations should be considered when deciding which color-recording method to employ in field and laboratory settings, and we identify optimal procedures.

Mitigating Data Imbalance Issues in Medical Image Analysis

Medical images mostly suffer from data imbalance problems, which make the disease classification task very difficult. The imbalanced distribution of the data in medical datasets happens when a proportion of a specific type of disease in a dataset appears in a small section of the entire dataset. So analyzing medical datasets with imbalanced data is a significant challenge for the machine learning and deep learning community. A standard classification learning algorithm might be biased towards the majority class and ignore the importance of the minority class (class of interest), which generally leads to the wrong diagnosis of the patients. So, the data imbalance problem in the medical image dataset is of utmost importance for the early prediction of disease, specifically cancer. This chapter attempts to explore different problems concerning data imbalance in medical diagnosis. The authors have discussed different rebalancing strategies that offer guidelines for choosing appropriate optimal procedures to train the samples by a classifier for an efficient medical diagnosis.

Green Airport Investments to Mitigate Externalities

Transport systems are important pollution sources, mainly in terms of greenhouse gases, noise and land consumption. To mitigate the problem and safeguard airport development at the same time, the involved stakeholders are fixing goals, priorities and duties in order to promote the sustainable development of the air transport industry at global level and the wellness of local communities as well. It is desirable to estimate airport noise and carbon impacts in order to suitably manage them and identify strategies in line with the concept of green economy. In this chapter, a general framework to identify optimal procedures and methods to evaluate the effectiveness of policies addressed to reduce airport impacts on the airport surroundings is proposed. The case study of the airport of Bologna is presented as an example of Transport Company that effectively operates to minimize its noise and carbon impacts. According to the proposed general framework, impacts and estimated costs to achieve the status of green company have been computed.

Improve sample preparation process for miRNA isolation from the culture cells by using silica fiber membrane

In clinical applications of miRNAs, the purity and quality of the testing samples are very critical, especially the obtained tissue sample volume is limited. If the extracted miRNAs are contaminated or different in quality before analysis, it will increase the variance of the analysis result and make the medical information judgment incorrect and cannot be portable. Herein, we improved the commercially extraction kit by realizing the fundamental mechanism and hoped to serve finding optimal procedures for increasing the recovery of miRNAs extracted from cultured cells. In the adsorption process, the factors, like increasing the ethanol concentration or adding Ca2+, could influence the RNA adsorption were investigated. For the elution process, the effect caused by raising the elution temperature and raising the pH value of elution buffer was studied. Finally, the conditions for miRNA extraction are optimal modified by using a 65% (v/v) solution of ethanol in the adsorption process, and using TE buffer with the pH value of 8.0 and raising the temperature to 55 °C in the elution. According to the quantified results, the improved extraction kit can promote the recovery of endogenous miR-21 by about 6 times by using the optimal extraction conditions comparing with the miRNeasy Mini Kit.

Permafrost dynamics and the risk of anthrax transmission: a modelling study

A recent outbreak of anthrax disease, severely affecting reindeer herds in Siberia, has been reportedly associated to the presence of infected carcasses or spores released from the active layer over permafrost, which is thawing and thickening at increasing rates, thus underlying the re-emerging nature of this pathogen in the Arctic region because of warming temperatures. Anthrax is a global zoonotic and epizootic disease, with a high case-fatality ratio in infected animals. Its transmission is mediated by environmental contamination through highly resistant spores which can persist in the soil for several decades. Here we develop and analyze a new epidemiological model for anthrax transmission that is specifically tailored to the Arctic environmental conditions. The model describes transmission dynamics including also herding practices (e.g. seasonal grazing) and the role of the active layer over permafrost acting as a long-term storage of spores that could be viable for disease transmission during thawing periods. Model dynamics are investigated through linear stability analysis, Floquet theory for periodically forced systems, and a series of simulations with realistic forcings. Results show how the temporal variability of grazing and active layer thawing may influence the dynamics of anthrax disease and, specifically, favor sustained pathogen transmission. Particularly warm years, favoring deep active layers, are shown to be associated with an increase risk of anthrax outbreaks, and may also foster infections in the following years. Our results enable preliminary insights into measures (e.g. changes in herding practice) that may be adopted to decrease the risk of infection and lay the basis to possibly establish optimal procedures for preventing transmission; furthermore, they elicit the need of further investigations and observation campaigns focused on anthrax dynamics in the Arctic environment.

High Replicability of Newly-Discovered Social-behavioral Findings is Achievable

Failures to replicate evidence of new discoveries have forced scientists to ask whether this unreliability is due to suboptimal implementation of optimal methods or whether presumptively optimal methods are not, in fact, optimal. This paper reports an investigation by four coordinated laboratories of the prospective replicability of 16 novel experimental findings using current optimal practices: high statistical power, preregistration, and complete methodological transparency. In contrast to past systematic replication efforts that reported replication rates averaging 50%, replication attempts here produced the expected effects with significance testing (p&lt;.05) in 86% of attempts, slightly exceeding maximum expected replicability based on observed effect size and sample size. When one lab attempted to replicate an effect discovered by another lab, the effect size in the replications was 97% that of the original study. This high replication rate justifies confidence in rigor enhancing methods and suggests that past failures to replicate may be attributable to departures from optimal procedures.