Corpus-based analysis of semi-automatically extracted artificial intelligence-related terminology

Artificial Intelligence (AI), as a multidisciplinary field, combines computer science, robotics and cognitive science, with increasingly growing applications in many diverse areas, such as engineering, business, medicine, weather forecasting, industry, translation, natural language, linguistics, etc. In Europe, interest in AI has been rising in the last decade. One of the greatest hurdles for researchers in automated processing of technical documentation is large amounts of specific terminology. The aim of this research is to analyse the semi-automatically extracted artificial intelligence-related terminology and the most common phrases related to artificial intelligence in English and Lithuanian in terms of their structure, multidisciplinarity and connotation. For selection and analysis of terms, two programmes were chosen in this study, namely SynchroTerm and SketchEngine. The paper presents the outcomes of an AI terminological project carried out with SynchroTerm and provides an analysis of a special corpus compiled in the field of artificial intelligence using the SketchEngine platform. The analysis of semi-automatic term extraction use and corpus-based techniques for artificial intelligence-related terminology revealed that AI as a specialized domain contains multidisciplinary terminology, and is complex and dynamic. The empiric data shows that the context is essential for the evaluation of the concept under analysis and reveals the different connotation of the term.

National qualifications system – development vectors

В исследовании обосновывается необходимость устранения параллельных систем квалификаций рынка труда и сферы образования и формирования целостной системы квалификаций на основе диверсифицированной типологии квалификаций в РФ. Цель статьи состоит в формулировке путей устранения существующих противоречий в интересах формирования эффективной национальной системы квалификаций, основанной на множественности квалификаций на каждом квалификационном уровне в зависимости от их содержания, обусловленного предназначением квалификации, результатами обучения и соотношения академического и практико-ориентированного содержания. В статье обосновывается потребность единого подхода к проектированию квалификаций, объединяющего квалификации в сфере образования и труда, за счет примирения интересов всех заинтересованных сторон и диверсификации квалификаций одного уровня. Общие методологические подходы включают в себя общенаучные методы, системный, ситуационный и синергетический подходы, а также метод сравнительного исследования; эмпирический метод и обработка информации; понятийно-терминологический анализ, метод интерпретации. Научная новизна состоит в рассмотрении проблемы как комплексного социально-экономического и образовательного явления, затрагивающего интересы государства, экономики и граждан. Статья предназначена для пересмотра базовых оснований при проектировании квалификаций в интересах удовлетворения образовательных потребностей рынка труда, экономики и граждан и для совершенствования подготовки кадров, представляющих различные социальные и возрастные группы населения, а также при разработке мероприятий по совершенствованию качества системы квалификаций на национальном уровне. Международный опыт, систематизированный в исследовании, может использоваться в программах подготовки руководящих кадров и экспертов в области национальной системы квалификации. In the Introduction the need is identified to eliminate two parallel systems of qualifications of education and of the labour market and to form an integral system and a diversified typology of qualifications for the Russian Federation. Aim is to formulate ways to address the current systemic contradictions with an aim of establishing in the country of an effective national qualifications system based on multiple qualifications at each qualification level depending on their content and aim, learning outcomes, and on the actualized ratio of academic and practice-oriented content. Results substantiate a need to adopt a uniform approach to designing qualifications that would synergize qualifications in education and qualifications on the labour market, by reconciling interests of all stakeholders, target groups and beneficiaries, as well as justification of a need in diversified qualifications on the same level. The overall methodological framework, used for the purpose of the article includes systemic, situational and synergetic approaches, as well as the method of comparative research based on collected empiric data; semantic analysis, interpretation, inductive generalization and problem method. Scientific novelty lies in the systemic treatment of the problem as a social, economic and education project as the national qualifications system takes the undertaken study outside the purely educational domain and into a broader social context that affects interests of the state, economics and citizens. Practical significance is in a prospective use of the results for re-thinking the core principles of designing qualifications in the interests of the labour market and of the economy and citizens and for enhancing quality of upskilling courses for the labour force from different social and age groups. International practices systematized in the research can be used also in the pre-service and in-service training of decision-makers and experts in the field of the NQS.

Modeling inter-trial variability of pointing movements during visuomotor adaptation

Trial-to-trial variability during visuomotor adaptation is usually explained as the result of two different sources, planning noise and execution noise. The estimation of the underlying variance parameters from observations involving varying feedback conditions cannot be achieved by standard techniques (Kalman filter) because they do not account for recursive noise propagation in a closed-loop system. We therefore developed a method to compute the exact likelihood of the output of a time-discrete and linear adaptation system as has been used to model visuomotor adaptation (Smith et al. in PLoS Biol 4(6):e179, 2006), observed under closed-loop and error-clamp conditions. We identified the variance parameters by maximizing this likelihood and compared the model prediction of the time course of variance and autocovariance with empiric data. The observed increase in variability during the early training phase could not be explained by planning noise and execution noise with constant variances. Extending the model by signal-dependent components of either execution noise or planning noise showed that the observed temporal changes of the trial-to-trial variability can be modeled by signal-dependent planning noise rather than signal-dependent execution noise. Comparing the variance time course between different training schedules showed that the signal-dependent increase of planning variance was specific for the fast adapting mechanism, whereas the assumption of constant planning variance was sufficient for the slow adapting mechanisms.

Pandemic as a prerequisite of discrimination of the senior citizens

The objective of the research is to reveal and comprehend the peculiarities of the status (complex of rights of their restrictions) of the citizens in the conditions of pandemic COrona VIrus Disease-19, in particular, of the new category of minorities – people at the age of 65+ years old. The methodological base of the research is the universal, general scientific and specific scientific cognitive methods used by the legal science in the object-subject scope of cognition of the general theory of law. The process of research was focused on the comparativistics, and the historical and legal, comparative and legal, technical and other special methods of scientific cognition were applied. To estimate the situation the empiric data of the three sociological researches when questioning the dwellers of Yaroslavl Region were used. The results of the research of the comfort level of the senior citizens in the specified conditions obtained during the analysis of the legislation, and its practical application and the data of sociological researches became the conclusions that the prohibited activities do not only protect from risks but also create the new ones – intellectual, psychic and physical moments. The authors believe that as the emergency situations cannot be settled by the current pandemic, the state has to correct its regulatory and legal and managerial positions taking into account the own experience and recommendations of the specialists, including those regarding the status of a new group of minorities that is the citizens at the age of 65+ years old. The novelty of the research was stipulated by the formulated recommendations to form the optimal regulatory and legal limits of the positive discrimination of the mentioned category of citizens.

Modernization of the society under the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic: global and local transformations

The paper studies how COVID-19 influenced the processes, related to the modernization of the social development. It presents the results of the domestic and foreign social studies, related to the conceptual consideration of the global and local social changes, caused by pandemics consequences. The study demonstrates how modernization processes are associated with the growing trends of deglobalization, strengthening of social inequality, weakening of the international relations, and also with the transformation of the former social structure and conventional forms of social interaction. The paper notes the contradictory nature of the influence of the post-COVID changes on the modernizing trends. On the one hand, new vectors to modernize a number of spheres of social life (systems of health care, education, government management, trade) were indicated, wide possibilities for digitalization and development of IT appeared, on the other hand – the isolationist and conformist intentions are intensified. An increased focus is put on individual and personal estimation of social modernization. The author, relying on empiric data of her own studies, analyzes the concept of “modern personality” by the American sociologist А. Inkeles, showing its efficiency under the circumstances of the quickly changing realities of the post-COVID society. The qualities of the “modern personality” (openness to changes, social responsibility) allow giving an adequate response to the new challenges and risks. It is assumed that the representatives of the generation of millennials and generation Z, who have a significant modernizing potential and have been formed under the circumstances of the specific “conditions of growing-up”, are one of the most adapted to consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic social groups in Russia and foreign countries.

Data in Forensic Phonetics from theory to practice

What are speech data? The question is not as trivial as it may seem: every day both theoretical and applied linguistic research come up against problems deriving from bad data management. This topic is particularly thorny in interdisciplinary approaches such as the speech forensics analysis, whereby the recorded speech can be exploited as legal clues, with important repercussions on public security and citizens’ rights. The datum does not exist in nature, being it a consequence of the human analysis of a given phenomenon. In fact, data extraction is based on explicit and implicit theories implemented by the researcher within the application of specific frameworks. Researchers and professionals working on empiric data should be more aware of these underlined processes in order to avoid data misuse and, indeed, maximize results. In this paper, we will briefly address the issue of the speech data epistemology with a particular focus on the interdisciplinary required in forensics among linguistics and engineering, by discussing examples from Italian real cases. The analysis of speech for forensic purposes requires a strong interdisciplinary approach, especially for what it concerns collection, classification, treatment of acoustic data, and their following transcription and analysis. Moreover, it must be clarified what different experts (e.g., lawyers vs. linguists) mean as “datum”.

Partnerships and Collaborations: The Right Alliances for Clinical Trials in Africa

Africa attracts < 1% of all trials conducted around the world. The implication is that proof of safety and efficacy in Africans is lacking for a lot of new therapies. The sizeable proportion of approximately 20% of the global population that Africa represents largely does not have empiric data to support use of new therapies in a population with a distinct genetic and racial profile. Beyond the imperative of evidence-based interventions, Africans carry a disproportionately heavy burden of certain diseases, including prostate cancer, sickle cell anemia, and malaria. It therefore provides opportunity for efficient recruitment of participants for trials for such diseases. However, this advantage has not convinced sponsors to carry out clinical trials in Africa. India and China each have roughly the same population size as Africa, but each presents just one regulatory jurisdiction for clinical trials. Africa has 54 countries, and a sponsor would theoretically need to file 54 different applications to cover the entire continent. Collaboration and partnership among all stakeholders in the clinical trial ecosystem will reduce the burden on sponsors and make Africa competitive as a destination for clinical trials. Collaboration among national regulatory agencies will enable Africa to be treated as one regulatory jurisdiction and reduce administrative burden. Sites and researchers can partner to improve quality, attain necessary certifications, and increase overall efficiency. Central to all of these are clinical research organizations that can coordinate and work across borders to make clinical trial projects seamless. Ultimately, patients will benefit as quality of clinical practice improves and access to new therapies is enhanced.

Physical development and blood composition correlation in adolescents

The goal of the study was to assess the correlation between height and body mass deviations measured with the aid of Z-index in teens and cell component of their peripheral blood. Materials and methods. Apical height was measured in 83 adolescent boys in the course of regular prophylactic medical examination. Z-index was calculated according to WHO Growth Reference, 2007. Cell blood composition was studied with the help of automatic hematologic analyzer. The empiric data was processed statistically using Spearmans correlation coefficient. Results. The analysis of hematologic parameters correlation with deviations of height and bodymass by Z-index has yielded relationship as follows: moderate positive correlation of Hb concentration with bodymass index Z-index, hematocrite with bodymass and height Z-index. Besides there is a mild positive correlation of Hb concentration with bodymass Z-index; RBC number with bodymass and height Z-index, MCV with bodymass and height Z-index. There is no correlation of MCH, MCHC, WBC and Plt number with bodymass and height Z-index. Conclusion. The study has demonstrated there is a correlation between RBC number, Hb concentration and height deviations in case of normochromicity. The relationship ascertained may be explained by an assumption that peculiarities of erythropoiezis correlate with body size. Lower RBC number and Hb concentration in children with smaller bodymass index may be due to general plastic deficiency in their organism. The results obtained in the present study may be used to reveal and analyze physical development and the organism morpho-functional peculiarities correlation markers.

Increased awareness enhances physician recognition of the role of smoking in chronic pancreatitis

Background: We have previously reported that physicians under-recognize smoking as a chronic pancreatitis (CP) risk factor. We hypothesized that availability of empiric data will influence physician recognition of this relationship. Methods: We analyzed data from 508 CP patients prospectively enrolled in the North American Pancreatitis Study-2 Continuation and Validation (NAPS2-CV) or NAPS2-Ancillary (AS) studies (2008–2014) from 26 US centers who self-reported ever-smoking. Information on smoking status, physician-defined etiology and identification of smoking as a CP risk factor was obtained from structured patient and physician questionnaires. We compared how often physician identified smoking as a CP risk factor in NAPS2-CV/NAPS2-AS studies with NAPS2-original study (2000–2006). Results: Enrolling physician identified smoking as a risk factor in significantly (all p< 0.001) greater proportion of patients in NAPS2-CV/AS studies when compared with NAPS2-original study among ever (80.7 vs. 45.3%), current (91.3 vs. 53%), past (60.3 vs. 30.2%) smokers, in those who smoked ≤1 pack/day (79.3 vs. 39.5%) or ≥1 packs/day (83 vs. 49.8%). In multivariable analyses, the enrolling physician was 3.32–8.49 times more likely to cite smoking as a CP risk factor in the NAPS2-CV/NAPS2-AS studies based on smoking status and amount after controlling for age, sex, race and alcohol etiology. The effect was independent of enrolling site in a sub-analysis limited to sites participating in both phases of enrollment. Conclusions: Availability of empiric data likely enhanced physician recognition of the association between smoking and CP. Wide-spread dissemination of this information could potentially curtail smoking rates in subjects with and those at risk of CP.

Discrepancies in European Union Funding across member nations and sectors as of 2019

This paper aims to explore the discrepancies in attracting European Union funding across member states and across different sectors of activity. Specifically, it aims to discover if there is a set of rule or model that can be attributed to the structure of European Union funding across nations and sectors to discern if some sectors are much more lucrative from the point of attracting European Union funding than others. In addition, beyond the purely economic and business considerations, the article wants to investigate if some ideologies, regimes, or parties are more successful in general in attracting European Union funding by sharing membership between European international parties or other reasons such as funding majoritarian populist parties to sustain European Union membership. The topic is of recent international economics significance in the context of Brexit and the buildup of Eurosceptic sentiments across the European Union as well as the international polarization between blocks of political power in the global trade war. This topic has been addressed partially before, mostly by journalists but represents a niche novelty in academic studies of International Relations. The methodology used will be both through argumentation of historical and current evidence as well as empiric data collection.