Machine learning‐based classification of Alzheimer's disease and its at‐risk states using personality traits, anxiety, and depression

Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is often preceded by stages of cognitive impairment, namely subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). While cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers are established predictors of AD, other non-invasive candidate predictors include personality traits, anxiety, and depression, among others. These predictors offer non-invasive assessment and exhibit changes during AD development and preclinical stages. Methods In a cross-sectional design, we comparatively evaluated the predictive value of personality traits (Big Five), geriatric anxiety and depression scores, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging activity of the default mode network, apoliprotein E (ApoE) genotype, and CSF biomarkers (tTau, pTau181, Aβ42/40 ratio) in a multi-class support vector machine classification. Participants included 189 healthy controls (HC), 338 individuals with SCD, 132 with amnestic MCI, and 74 with mild AD from the multicenter DZNE-Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE). Results Mean predictive accuracy across all participant groups was highest when utilizing a combination of personality, depression, and anxiety scores. HC were best predicted by a feature set comprised of depression and anxiety scores and participants with AD were best predicted by a feature set containing CSF biomarkers. Classification of participants with SCD or aMCI was near chance level for all assessed feature sets. Conclusion Our results demonstrate predictive value of personality trait and state scores for AD. Importantly, CSF biomarkers, personality, depression, anxiety, and ApoE genotype show complementary value for classification of AD and its at-risk stages

On the Periods of Biperiodic Fibonacci and Biperiodic Lucas Numbers

This paper is concerned with periods of Biperiodic Fibonacci and Biperiodic Lucas sequences taken as modulo prime and prime power. By using Fermat’s little theorem, quadratic reciprocity, many results are obtained

Relationship between ghrelin and obestatin levels and ghrelin/obestatin ratio in patients with asthma [Serum ghrelin, obestatin düzeyleri ve ghrelin/obestatin oranının astım ile ilişkisi]

Methods: 51 patients with stable persistent asthma and 36 healthy controls were included to the study. Pulmonary function tests were conducted in all case. Skin prick test and an asthma control test were conducted in patients with asthma. All patients and controls were compared in terms of ghrelin and obestatin levels, as well as the ghrelin/obestatin ratio. Plasma concentrations of ghrelin and obestatin were detected by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) scores were calculated as an index of insulin resistance. Results: No differences in ghrelin or obestatin levels or the ghrelin/obestatin ratio were detected between patients with asthma and the control group. Ghrelin levels were significantly lower in obese patients. The HOMA-IR score was significantly higher in patients with asthma than in controls. Conclusion: Ghrelin and obestatin levels, and the ghrelin/obestatin ratio, were similar in controls and patients with stable asthma. Although the groups were similar in terms of body mass index and waist circumference, the HOMA-IR score was significantly higher in patients with asthma. © 2020 by Tuberculosis and Thorax

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after head and spinal trauma: Intermittent pneumatic compression devices versus low molecular weight heparin

Although there are alternative methods and drugs for preventing venous thromboembolism (WE), it is not clear which modality is most suitable and efficacious for patients with severe (stable or unstable) head/spinal injures. The aim of this study was to compare intermittent pneumatic compression devices (IPC) with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for preventing VTE. We prospectively randomized 120 head/spinal traumatized patients for comparison of IPC with LMWH as a prophylaxis modality against VIE. Venous duplex color-flow Doppler sonography of the lower extremities was performed each week of hospitalization and 1 week after discharge. When there was a suspicion of pulmonary embolism (PE), patients were evaluated with spiral computed tomography. Patients Were analyzed for demographic features, injury severity scores, associated injuries, type of head/spinal trauma, complications, transfusion, and incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and PE. Two patients (3.33%) from the IPC group and 4 patients (6.66%) from the LMWH group died, with their deaths due to PE. Nine other patients also succumbed, unrelated to PE. DVT developed in 4 patients (6.66%) in the IPC group and in 3 patients (5%) in the LMWH group. There was no statistically significant difference regarding a reduction in DW, PE, or mortality between groups (p=0.04, p>0.05, p>0.05, respectively). IPC can be used safely for prophylaxis of VTE in head/spinal trauma patients