66 research outputs found
The diagnostic usefulness of the combined COMPASS 31 questionnaire and electrochemical skin conductance for diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and diabetic polyneuropathy.
The study investigated the diagnostic performance for diabetic cardiovascular autonomic
neuropathy (CAN) and diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) of the combined use of
composite autonomic symptom score (COMPASS) 31, validated questionnaire for
autonomic symptoms of CAN, and electrochemical skin conductance (ESC), proposed
for detecting DPN and CAN. One-hundred and two participants with diabetes (age
57 ± 14 years, duration 17 ± 13 years) completed the COMPASS 31 before assessing
cardiovascular reflex tests (CARTs), neuropathic symptoms, signs, vibratory perception
threshold (VPT), thermal thresholds (TT), and ESC using Sudoscan. Two patterns
were evaluated: (a) the combined abnormalities in both tests (COMPASS 31+ESC),
and (b) the abnormality in COMPASS 31 and/or ESC (COMPASS 31 and/or ESC). CAN
(≥1 abnormal CART) and confirmed CAN (≥2 abnormal CARTs) were present in
28.1% and 12.5%, DPN (two abnormalities among symptoms, signs, VPT, and TT) in
52%, abnormal COMPASS 31 (total weighted score >16.44) in 48% and abnormal
ESC (hands ESC <50 μS and/or feet ESC <70 μS) in 47.4%. Both the patterns—COMPASS
31+ESC and COMPASS 31 and/or ESC—were associated with CAN and DPN
(P < .01). COMPASS 31 and ESC reached a sensitivity of 75% and 83% for confirmed
CAN, and a specificity of 65% and 67% for DPN. When combining the tests, the sensitivity
for CAN rose by up to 100% for CAN and the specificity up to 89% for DPN.
The combination of the tests can allow a stepwise screening strategy for CAN, by
suggesting CAN absence with combined normality, and prompting to CARTs with combined abnormality
AMUSE: Multilingual Semantic Parsing for Question Answering over Linked Data
Hakimov S, Jebbara S, Cimiano P. AMUSE: Multilingual Semantic Parsing for Question Answering over Linked Data. In: d'Amato C, Fernandez M, Tamma V, eds. The Semantic Web - ISWC 2017. 16th International Semantic Web Conference. Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Vol 10587. Cham: Springer; 2017: 329-346.The task of answering natural language questions over RDF data has
received wIde interest in recent years, in particular in the context of the series
of QALD benchmarks. The task consists of mapping a natural language question
to an executable form, e.g. SPARQL, so that answers from a given KB can
be extracted. So far, most systems proposed are i) monolingual and ii) rely on
a set of hard-coded rules to interpret questions and map them into a SPARQL
query. We present the first multilingual QALD pipeline that induces a model
from training data for mapping a natural language question into logical form as
probabilistic inference. In particular, our approach learns to map universal syntactic
dependency representations to a language-independent logical form based
on DUDES (Dependency-based Underspecified Discourse Representation Structures)
that are then mapped to a SPARQL query as a deterministic second step.
Our model builds on factor graphs that rely on features extracted from the dependency
graph and corresponding semantic representations.We rely on approximate
inference techniques, Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods in particular, as well
as Sample Rank to update parameters using a ranking objective. Our focus lies on
developing methods that overcome the lexical gap and present a novel combination
of machine translation and word embedding approaches for this purpose. As
a proof of concept for our approach, we evaluate our approach on the QALD-6
datasets for English, German & Spanish
Same/Different Concept Learning by Capuchin Monkeys in Matching-to-Sample Tasks
The ability to understand similarities and analogies is a fundamental aspect of human advanced cognition. Although subject of considerable research in comparative cognition, the extent to which nonhuman species are capable of analogical reasoning is still debated. This study examined the conditions under which tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) acquire a same/different concept in a matching-to-sample task on the basis of relational similarity among multi-item stimuli. We evaluated (i) the ability of five capuchin monkeys to learn the same/different concept on the basis of the number of items composing the stimuli and (ii) the ability to match novel stimuli after training with both several small stimulus sets and a large stimulus set. We found the first evidence of same/different relational matching-to-sample abilities in a New World monkey and demonstrated that the ability to match novel stimuli is within the capacity of this species. Therefore, analogical reasoning can emerge in monkeys under specific training conditions
Knowledge Graphs Evolution and Preservation -- A Technical Report from ISWS 2019
One of the grand challenges discussed during the Dagstuhl Seminar "Knowledge
Graphs: New Directions for Knowledge Representation on the Semantic Web" and
described in its report is that of a: "Public FAIR Knowledge Graph of
Everything: We increasingly see the creation of knowledge graphs that capture
information about the entirety of a class of entities. [...] This grand
challenge extends this further by asking if we can create a knowledge graph of
"everything" ranging from common sense concepts to location based entities.
This knowledge graph should be "open to the public" in a FAIR manner
democratizing this mass amount of knowledge." Although linked open data (LOD)
is one knowledge graph, it is the closest realisation (and probably the only
one) to a public FAIR Knowledge Graph (KG) of everything. Surely, LOD provides
a unique testbed for experimenting and evaluating research hypotheses on open
and FAIR KG. One of the most neglected FAIR issues about KGs is their ongoing
evolution and long term preservation. We want to investigate this problem, that
is to understand what preserving and supporting the evolution of KGs means and
how these problems can be addressed. Clearly, the problem can be approached
from different perspectives and may require the development of different
approaches, including new theories, ontologies, metrics, strategies,
procedures, etc. This document reports a collaborative effort performed by 9
teams of students, each guided by a senior researcher as their mentor,
attending the International Semantic Web Research School (ISWS 2019). Each team
provides a different perspective to the problem of knowledge graph evolution
substantiated by a set of research questions as the main subject of their
investigation. In addition, they provide their working definition for KG
preservation and evolution
Unstable Maternal Environment, Separation Anxiety, and Heightened CO2 Sensitivity Induced by Gene-by-Environment Interplay
Background: In man, many different events implying childhood separation from caregivers/unstable parental environment
are associated with heightened risk for panic disorder in adulthood. Twin data show that the occurrence of such events in
childhood contributes to explaining the covariation between separation anxiety disorder, panic, and the related
psychobiological trait of CO2 hypersensitivity. We hypothesized that early interference with infant-mother interaction could
moderate the interspecific trait of response to CO2 through genetic control of sensitivity to the environment.
Methodology: Having spent the first 24 hours after birth with their biological mother, outbred NMRI mice were crossfostered
to adoptive mothers for the following 4 post-natal days. They were successively compared to normally-reared
individuals for: number of ultrasonic vocalizations during isolation, respiratory physiology responses to normal air (20%O2),
CO2-enriched air (6% CO2), hypoxic air (10%O2), and avoidance of CO2-enriched environments.
Results: Cross-fostered pups showed significantly more ultrasonic vocalizations, more pronounced hyperventilatory
responses (larger tidal volume and minute volume increments) to CO2-enriched air and heightened aversion towards CO2-
enriched environments, than normally-reared individuals. Enhanced tidal volume increment response to 6%CO2 was present
at 16–20, and 75–90 postnatal days, implying the trait’s stability. Quantitative genetic analyses of unrelated individuals, sibs
and half-sibs, showed that the genetic variance for tidal volume increment during 6%CO2 breathing was significantly higher
(Bartlett x = 8.3, p = 0.004) among the cross-fostered than the normally-reared individuals, yielding heritability of 0.37 and
0.21 respectively. These results support a stress-diathesis model whereby the genetic influences underlying the response to
6%CO2 increase their contribution in the presence of an environmental adversity. Maternal grooming/licking behaviour, and
corticosterone basal levels were similar among cross-fostered and normally-reared individuals.
Conclusions: A mechanism of gene-by-environment interplay connects this form of early perturbation of infant-mother
interaction, heightened CO2 sensitivity and anxiety. Some no
ARIA digital anamorphosis : Digital transformation of health and care in airway diseases from research to practice
Digital anamorphosis is used to define a distorted image of health and care that may be viewed correctly using digital tools and strategies. MASK digital anamorphosis represents the process used by MASK to develop the digital transformation of health and care in rhinitis. It strengthens the ARIA change management strategy in the prevention and management of airway disease. The MASK strategy is based on validated digital tools. Using the MASK digital tool and the CARAT online enhanced clinical framework, solutions for practical steps of digital enhancement of care are proposed.Peer reviewe
Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo
Minimal Symptom Expression' in Patients With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab
The efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab were assessed in REGAIN, a 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), and its open-label extension
Adherence to treatment in allergic rhinitis using mobile technology. The MASK Study
Background: Mobile technology may help to better understand the adherence to treatment. MASK-rhinitis (Mobile Airways Sentinel NetworK for allergic rhinitis) is a patient-centred ICT system. A mobile phone app (the Allergy Diary) central to MASK is available in 22 countries. Objectives: To assess the adherence to treatment in allergic rhinitis patients using the Allergy Diary App. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out on all users who filled in the Allergy Diary from 1 January 2016 to 1 August 2017. Secondary adherence was assessed by using the modified Medication Possession Ratio (MPR) and the Proportion of days covered (PDC) approach. Results: A total of 12143 users were registered. A total of 6949 users reported at least one VAS data recording. Among them, 1887 users reported >= 7 VAS data. About 1195 subjects were included in the analysis of adherence. One hundred and thirty-six (11.28%) users were adherent (MPR >= 70% and PDC = 70% and PDC = 1.50) and 176 (14.60%) were switchers. On the other hand, 832 (69.05%) users were non-adherent to medications (MPR Conclusion and clinical relevance: Adherence to treatment is low. The relative efficacy of continuous vs on-demand treatment for allergic rhinitis symptoms is still a matter of debate. This study shows an approach for measuring retrospective adherence based on a mobile app. This also represents a novel approach for analysing medication-taking behaviour in a real-world setting.Peer reviewe
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