LSTM-based Recurrent Neural Network Predicts Influenza-like-illness in Variable Climate Zones

Purpose: Influenza virus is responsible for a recurrent, yearly epidemic in most temperate regions of the world. For the 2021-2022 season the CDC reports 5000 deaths and 100,000 hospitalizations, a significant number despite the confounding presence of SARS-CoV-2. The mechanisms behind seasonal variance in flu burden are not well understood. Based on a previously validated model, this study seeks to expand understanding of the impact of variable climate regions on seasonal flu trends. To that end, three climate regions have been selected. Each region represents a different ecological region and provides different weather patterns showing how the climate variables impact flu transmission in different regions. Methods: An LSTM-Based recurrent neural network was used to predict influenza-like-illness trends for three separate locations: Hawaii, Vermont, and Nevada. Flu data were gathered from the CDC as weekly influenza-like-illness (ILI) percents. Weather data were collected from Visual Crossing and included temperature, UV index, solar radiation, precipitation, and humidity. These weather data sets were chosen based on previous work results and a literature search. Data were prepared and the model trained as described previously. Results: All three regions showed strong seasonality of flu trends with Hawaii having the largest absolute ILI values. Temperature showed a moderate negative correlation with ILI in all three regions (Vermont = -54, Nevada = -0.56, Hawaii = -0.44). Humidity was moderately correlated in Nevada (0.47) and weakly correlated with ILI in Hawaii (0.22). Vermont ILI did not correlate with humidity. Precipitation and wind speed were weakly correlated in all three regions. Solar radiation and UV index showed moderate correlation in Vermont (-0.33, -0.36) and Nevada (-0.5263, -0.55) however only weak correlation in Hawaii (-0.15, -0.18). When trained on the complete data set model performance at +1 week was comparable to the previously validated model. Conclusions: Preliminary results indicate that temperature is a moderate predictor of ILI rates. Additionally, humidity, solar radiation, and UV index present promising prediction variables. Initial modeling attempts revealed acceptable performance in all regions. While seasonality appeared similar in each region, differences in correlation with weather variables may reveal variability in the driving forces behind ILI rates

Exploring Glucose Dysregulation in Migraine: Insights from Continuous Glucose Monitoring

Despite being associated with hypoglycemia for nearly a century, a definitive relationship between migraines and glucose dysregulation remains elusive. Accumulating evidence suggests that migraines are in part due to a metabolic mismatch between cerebral demand and available energy. Research analyzing plasma glucose levels and migraine activity may further elucidate this interface between metabolic dysregulation and migraine pathophysiology and may potentially open avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting holistic metabolism for migraine management

Development of a Protocol for Obtaining Biological Samples for Genetic Testing from Remote Individuals

Pharmacogenomic sequencing allows individuals to learn more about how they will respond to certain medications but requires shipping of a biological sample. One complication of sending biological samples to remote laboratories is stability. Blood generally yields sufficient quantities of high-quality DNA but requires a clinic visit. Saliva and buccal swabs are routinely used for DNA extractions, but the DNA quality is notoriously low due to the presence of bacteria in the mouth. Additionally, elderly individuals have difficulty producing enough saliva for testing, and the tubes contain several milliliters of liquid and shipping requires special considerations. Dried blood spot cards, which serve as an alternative to saliva and buccal swabs, yield high-quality DNA and ship easily, but may produce a lower yield. This project aims to determine which biological sample methods can reasonably be obtained from remote individuals

Sanctions, Benefits, and Rights: Three Faces of Accountability

As countries throughout the world democratize and decentralize, citizen participation in public life should increase. In this paper, I suggest that democratic participation in local government is enhanced when citizens can reply affirmatively to at least three questions about their ability to hold local officials accountable for their actions: Can citizens use the vote effectively to reward and punish the general or specific performance of local public officials and/or the parties they represent? Can citizens generate response to their collective needs from local governments? Can citizens be ensured of fair and equitable treatment from public agencies at local levels? The findings of a study of 30 randomly selected municipalities in Mexico indicate that, over the course of a decade and a half, voters were able to enforce alternation in power and the circulation of elites, but not necessarily to transmit unambiguous messages to public officials or parties about performance concerns. More definitively, citizens were able to build successfully on prior political experiences to extract benefits from local governments. At the same time, the ability to demand good performance of local government as a right of citizenship lagged behind other forms of accountability

Servitude et grandeur militaires

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Notturn op. 9 nru 2 ta’ Beverly Agius – Naf ta’ Carmel Azzopardi – Ħsejjes ħajja ta’ Clifton Azzopardi – Il-ġrajja t’għasfur stramb ta’ Mario Azzopardi – Tektik...u għana ta’ Rena Balzan – Kun af li f’qiegħ għajnejk ta’ Charles Bezzina – Il-qalb imwebbsa ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Bħal ħuta mġewħa ta’ Louis Briffa – Taħt il-Mezquita, Cordòba ta’ Norbert Bugeja – Il-maskarat ta’ Alfred Degabriele – Trid mara ta’ Leanne Ellul – Id-dgħajsa ta’ Victor Fenech – Ilħna ta’ Joe Friggieri – Roulette ta’ Joe Friggieri – Għera ta’ Joe P. Galea – Ħġieġa ta’ Maria Grech Ganado – Ġenna qatt mirbuħa ta’ Karmenu Mallia – Il-fantażma tal-mara mqarba ta’ Albert Marshall – Daħlet Qorrot ta’ Daniel Massa – Granada, parque central ta’ Immanuel Mifsud – Waħda mara ta’ Immanuel Mifsud – Mors ta’ Therese Pace – Għada ta’ Alfred Palma – Emmint xejn ma jintemm ta’ Ġorġ Peresso – Tuffieħa bl-imsiemer tal-qronfol ta’ John Peter Portelli – Lil Karmenu Vassallo ta’ Andrew Sciberras – Irrid il-qamar jiddi ta’ Carmel Scicluna – Din il-biċċa ħuta ta’ Steve Borg – Karta li taret mar-riħ ta’ Lina Brockdorff – Nixtieq, u kemm nixtieq! ta’ J. J. Camilleri – Caterina ta’ Sandro Mangion – L-għajta tal-pappagall ta’ Pierre J. Mejlak – Id-destin ta’ Laurence Mizzi – L-arloġġ tal-bozza ta’ Rita Saliba – Kurżità ta’ Alfred Sant – Il-ġeneral ta’ Vincent Vella – Mirja ta’ Trevor Żahra – L-adulteri ta’ Golan Haji, traduzzjoni ta’ Clare Azzopardi u Albert Gatt – L-istennija ta’ Berislav Blagojević, traduzzjoni ta’ Kit Azzopardi – Il-qattus ta’ Ghassan Kanafani, traduzzjoni ta’ Walid Nabhan – L-iben addottat ta’ Guy de Maupassant, traduzzjoni ta’ Josette Attard – Sunett nru. 18 ta’ William Shakespeare, traduzzjoni ta’ Alfred Palma – Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías ta’ Federico Garcia Lorca, traduzzjoni ta’ Therese Pace – Servitude et grandeur militaires ta’ Alfred de Vigny, traduzzjoni ta’ Paul Zahra.peer-reviewe

Jornada Estatal sobre Llegim en parella

Una de les activitats emblemàtiques de l'ICE de la UAB, gairebé des dels seu orígens a l'any 1968, són les jornades, que tenen com a objectiu afavorir l'actualització de coneixements i l'intercanvi d'experiències entre els professionals de l'educació d'un àmbit concret. En molts casos els continguts de les jornades queden recollits en unes actes, que fins ara es publicaven en paper o, darrerament, en format CD, amb un abast més aviat limitat. Tenint en compte que la difusió de la feina feta té un caràcter prioritari per a l'ICE i que els publicacions on-line n'amplien exponencialment, gairebé infinitament, les possibilitats, hem volgut encetar una "sèrie digital" de la "Col·lecció Jornades", a través de la qual canalitzarem totes les publicacions d'aquesta mena a partir d'ara. En el primer exemplar d'aquesta nova sèrie hi trobareu la sinopsi de la Primera Jornada "Llegim en parella"."Llegim en parella" va néixer com una proposta metodològica basada en l'aprenentatge entre iguals que té com a finalitat promoure la lectura entre els alumnes de les aules de primària i de secundària. Les escoles que s'han adherit a aquesta manera de treballar formen una xarxa, amb nodes a Catalunya, les Illes, l'Aragó i el País Basc, mitjançant la qual es coordinen i intercanvien experiències. Els dies 4 i 5 de maig del 2012, van tenir lloc a la Universitat Autònoma de Bacelona les Jornades estatals sobre Llegim en parella, organitzades per l'ICE i el GRAI, amb el suport del Departament d'Ensenyament de la Generalitat de Catalunya. Les jornades van ser ser un punt de trobada i reflexió sobre la pràctica i el coneixement construït per les xarxes de centres que a Catalunya, Euskadi i Aragó han implementat el programa Llegim en parella i com una oportunitat per presentar-lo a la comunitat educativa en general. Més de 160 professionals hi van prendre part. En la publicació hi trobareu els textos de les intervencions (conferències, tallers i comunicacions), així com els pòsters que s'hi varen presentar i un reportatge fotogràfic de les sessions. El textos es reprodueixen en la llengua en què varen ser presentats, atesa la procedència dels participants

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research