Natural History of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms A Long-term Follow-up Study

Peer reviewe

Rough sets based on Galois connections

Rough set theory is an important tool to extract knowledge from relational databases. The original definitions of approximation operators are based on an indiscernibility relation, which is an equivalence one. Lately. different papers have motivated the possibility of considering arbitrary relations. Nevertheless, when those are taken into account, the original definitions given by Pawlak may lose fundamental properties. This paper proposes a possible solution to the arising problems by presenting an alternative definition of approximation operators based on the closure and interior operators obtained from an isotone Galois connection. We prove that the proposed definition satisfies interesting properties and that it also improves object classification tasks

Identifying Non-Sublattice Equivalence Classes Induced by an Attribute Reduction in FCA

The detection of redundant or irrelevant variables (attributes) in datasets becomes essential in different frameworks, such as in Formal Concept Analysis (FCA). However, removing such variables can have some impact on the concept lattice, which is closely related to the algebraic structure of the obtained quotient set and their classes. This paper studies the algebraic structure of the induced equivalence classes and characterizes those classes that are convex sublattices of the original concept lattice. Particular attention is given to the reductions removing FCA's unnecessary attributes. The obtained results will be useful to other complementary reduction techniques, such as the recently introduced procedure based on local congruences

Designing and evaluating virtual persuasive agents in providing social support for web-based learning self-efficacy in nurse education

Students learning in blended learning and classroom environments benefit from social interaction and vicarious learning experience with their peers and tutors. In comparison, students learning via self-directed Web-based learning cannot benefit from these advantages and may feel isolated. This research investigates if the presence of virtual persuasive agents presented as avatars, happy images and encouraging text can provide social support similar to real peers and improve students’ Web-based learning self-efficacy (WBLSE). This research also examines if low and high fidelity virtual persuasive agents can provide social support in a similar way. This study uses Bandura’s (1982) self-efficacy theory as a framework for changing nursing students’ beliefs in using the Web for learning. The basis for including virtual persuasive agents in this research stems from the media equation theory (Reeves & Nass, 1996) which holds that Computers are Social Actors (CASA) and that people respond to Web-based media as if they were social actors. Adopting the User-Centred Design approach, a bespoke Web-based training package was developed for changing pre-registration and post-registration nursing students’ WBLSE. In a quasi-experimental design, the package was delivered in three separate studies to different groups of pre-registration and post-registration nursing students. Several important findings contributed to the WBLSE body of knowledge. Overall, the training package was found to be effective with the nursing students’ WBLSE improving equally in the intervention groups in all studies. Pre-registration students showed the greatest improvement when learning by self-direction supported by virtual persuasive agents, whereas post-registration students improved when learning in a blended setting without their support. Low-fidelity virtual persuasive agents were sufficient in providing social support for pre-registration students in self-directed settings. The implications for Web-based learning in nurse education, research and practice are discussed

Characterizing One-Sided Formal Concept Analysis by Multi-Adjoint Concept Lattices

Managing and extracting information from databases is one of the main goals in several fields, as in Formal Concept Analysis (FCA). One-sided concept lattices and multi-adjoint concept lattices are two frameworks in FCA that have been developed in parallel. This paper shows that one-sided concept lattices are particular cases of multi-adjoint concept lattices. As a first consequence of this characterization, a new attribute reduction mechanism has been introduced in the one-side framework.This research was partially supported by the 2014-2020 ERDF Operational Programme in collaboration with the State Research Agency (AEI) in Project PID2019-108991GB-I00 and with the Department of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University of the Regional Government of Andalusia in Project FEDER-UCA18-108612 and by the European Cooperation in Science & Technology (COST) Action CA17124

Clinical findings in relation to mortality in non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections : patients with Mycobacterium avium complex have better survival than patients with other mycobacteria

We compared the clinical findings and survival in patients with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and other non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). A total of 167 adult non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients with at least one positive culture for NTM were included. Medical records were reviewed. The patients were categorised according to the 2007 American Thoracic Society (ATS) criteria. MAC comprised 59 % of all NTM findings. MAC patients were more often female (70 % vs. 34 %, p <0.001) and had less fatal underlying diseases (23 % vs. 47 %, p = 0.001) as compared to other NTM patients. Symptoms compatible with NTM infection had lasted for less than a year in 34 % of MAC patients but in 54 % of other NTM patients (p = 0.037). Pulmonary MAC patients had a significantly lower risk of death compared to pulmonary other NTM (hazard ratio [HR] 0.50, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.33-0.77, p = 0.002) or subgroup of other slowly growing NTM (HR 0.55, 95 % CI 0.31-0.99, p = 0.048) or as rapidly growing NTM (HR 0.47, 95 % CI 0.25-0.87, p = 0.02). The median survival time was 13.0 years (95 % CI 5.9-20.1) for pulmonary MAC but 4.6 years (95 % CI 3.4-5.9) for pulmonary other NTM. Serious underlying diseases (HR 3.21, 95 % CI 2.05-5.01, p <0.001) and age (HR 1.07, 95 % CI 1.04-1.09, p <0.001) were the significant predictors of mortality and female sex was a predictor of survival (HR 0.38, 95 % CI 0.24-0.59, p <0.001) in the multivariate analysis. Pulmonary MAC patients had better prognosis than pulmonary other NTM patients. The symptom onset suggests a fairly rapid disease course.Peer reviewe

Symptom control among asthmatics with a clinically significant smoking history : a cross-sectional study in Finland

Background Surprisingly little is known about asthma control among asthmatics who smoke. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate asthma symptom control according to the GINA guidelines among asthmatics with a clinically significant smoking history. Methods One hundred ninety asthmatics from primary care in Finland were investigated. The patients were current or previous cigarette smokers with a history of 10 or more pack-years. They completed a questionnaire including questions on asthma symptoms and reliever use so that their level of asthma symptom control (well controlled, partly controlled, or uncontrolled) according to GINA could be determined. Results Sixty-six (34.7%) patients had their asthma well controlled, 81 (42.6%) had their asthma partly controlled, and 43 (22.6%) had uncontrolled asthma. Current smokers had uncontrolled asthma more often than ex-smokers, OR 2.54 (95% CI 1.25-5.14, p = 0.01). Patients with moderate to severe asthma exacerbation during the previous year had uncontrolled asthma more often than patients without an exacerbation, OR 2.17 (95% CI 1.06-4.47, p = 0.04), and patients with FEV1 80% of predicted, OR 2.04 (95% CI 1.02-4.08, p = 0.04). Conclusions Asthmatic patients with a clinically significant smoking history often do not have well controlled asthma. Poor asthma symptom control was associated with current smoking status, history of exacerbations and impaired lung function. Therefore, every attempt should be made to help asthmatics who smoke to quit smoking.Peer reviewe

Rough set decision algorithms for modeling with uncertainty

The use of decision rules allows to extract information and to infer conclusions from relational databases in a reliable way, thanks to some indicators like support and certainty. Moreover, decision algorithms collect a group of decision rules that satisfies desirable properties to describe the relational system. However, when a decision table is considered within a fuzzy environment, it is necessary to extend all notions related to decision algorithms to this framework. This paper presents a generalization of these notions, highlighting the new definitions of indicators of relevance to describe decision rules and decision algorithm

Value reducts and bireducts: A comparative study

In Rough Set Theory, the notion of bireduct allows to simultaneously reduce the sets of objects and attributes contained in a dataset. In addition, value reducts are used to remove some unnecessary values of certain attributes for a specific object. Therefore, the combination of both notions provides a higher reduction of unnecessary data. This paper is focused on the study of bireducts and value reducts of information and decision tables. We present theoretical results capturing different aspects about the relationship between bireducts and reducts, offering new insights at a conceptual level. We also analyze the relationship between bireducts and value reducts. The studied connections among these notions provide important profits for the efficient information analysis, as well as for the detection of unnecessary or redundant information