Perspectives on ethnic and racial disparities in Alzheimer\u27s disease and related dementias: Update and areas of immediate need

Alzheimer\u27s disease and related dementias (ADRDs) are a global crisis facing the aging population and society as a whole. With the numbers of people with ADRDs predicted to rise dramatically across the world, the scientific community can no longer neglect the need for research focusing on ADRDs among underrepresented ethnoracial diverse groups. The Alzheimer\u27s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer\u27s Research and Treatment (ISTAART; alz.org/ISTAART) comprises a number of professional interest areas (PIAs), each focusing on a major scientific area associated with ADRDs. We leverage the expertise of the existing international cadre of ISTAART scientists and experts to synthesize a cross-PIA white paper that provides both a concise “state-of-the-science” report of ethnoracial factors across PIA foci and updated recommendations to address immediate needs to advance ADRD science across ethnoracial populations. © 2018 The Author

Integrated Modeling of Cognitive Agents in Socio-Technical Systems

Abstract. Modern socio-technical systems are characterized by high structural and behavioral complexities, which impede understanding and modeling of such systems. In particular, reciprocal relations between diverse local system processes that determine global system dynamics are not well understood. In this paper we focus on the problem of establishing relations between cognitive processes that determine social dynamics of an actor in a socio-technical system. To address this problem, a formal, integrated, agent-based modeling approach is proposed. The approach defines relations between such cognitive processes as belief revision, trust dynamics, generation and development of feelings and emotions, and decision making. Furthermore, it is described how the behavior of an agent is related to its cognitive dynamics. Preliminary experimental results for the approach are discussed in the paper.