Detection and fine-grained classification of cyberbullying events

In the current era of online interactions, both positive and negative experiences are abundant on the Web. As in real life, negative experiences can have a serious impact on youngsters. Recent studies have reported cybervictimization rates among teenagers that vary between 20% and 40%. In this paper, we focus on cyberbullying as a particular form of cybervictimization and explore its automatic detection and fine-grained classification. Data containing cyberbullying was collected from the social networking site Ask.fm. We developed and applied a new scheme for cyberbullying annotation, which describes the presence and severity of cyberbullying, a post author's role (harasser, victim or bystander) and a number of fine-grained categories related to cyberbullying, such as insults and threats. We present experimental results on the automatic detection of cyberbullying and explore the feasibility of detecting the more fine-grained cyberbullying categories in online posts. For the first task, an F-score of 55.39% is obtained. We observe that the detection of the fine-grained categories (e.g. threats) is more challenging, presumably due to data sparsity, and because they are often expressed in a subtle and implicit way

A scoping review on the use and usefulness of online symptom checkers and triage systems: How to proceed?

BackgroundPatients are increasingly turning to the Internet for health information. Numerous online symptom checkers and digital triage tools are currently available to the general public in an effort to meet this need, simultaneously acting as a demand management strategy to aid the overburdened health care system. The implementation of these services requires an evidence-based approach, warranting a review of the available literature on this rapidly evolving topic.ObjectiveThis scoping review aims to provide an overview of the current state of the art and identify research gaps through an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the presently available literature.MethodsA systematic search strategy was formed and applied to six databases: Cochrane library, NICE, DARE, NIHR, Pubmed, and Web of Science. Data extraction was performed by two researchers according to a pre-established data charting methodology allowing for a thematic analysis of the results.ResultsA total of 10,250 articles were identified, and 28 publications were found eligible for inclusion. Users of these tools are often younger, female, more highly educated and technologically literate, potentially impacting digital divide and health equity. Triage algorithms remain risk-averse, which causes challenges for their accuracy. Recent evolutions in algorithms have varying degrees of success. Results on impact are highly variable, with potential effects on demand, accessibility of care, health literacy and syndromic surveillance. Both patients and healthcare providers are generally positive about the technology and seem amenable to the advice given, but there are still improvements to be made toward a more patient-centered approach. The significant heterogeneity across studies and triage systems remains the primary challenge for the field, limiting transferability of findings.ConclusionCurrent evidence included in this review is characterized by significant variability in study design and outcomes, highlighting the significant challenges for future research.An evolution toward more homogeneous methodologies, studies tailored to the intended setting, regulation and standardization of evaluations, and a patient-centered approach could benefit the field

Pronunciation proficiency and musical aptitude in Spanish as a foreign language: results of an experimental research project

[EN] This paper examines the correlation between musical aptitude and pronunciation proficiency in an experiment with 29 university students of Spanish as a foreign language. The 29 participants took a test in Spanish pronunciation and prosody as well as in musicality. The pronunciation and prosody test consisted of two parts. The first part was a receptive phonemic discrimination test and the second part was a productive test in which they had to repeat words and sentences chosen for their prosodic characteristics. The musical aptitude test also consisted of a receptive part on musicality in general, as well as a productive part, which included the reproduction of tones, tone intervals, rhythms and the singing of a melody. The statistical analysis with Pearson’s correlation-coefficients revealed a positive correlation (although not for all aspects) between the musical and foreign language pronunciation proficiency aptitudes. The results are commented on in the discussion. Relevant teaching implications are included in the conclusion.This paper is part of a research project that is supported by the University of Antwerp and the Association of Higher Education in Antwerp (COF AUHA 2012 VANGEHUCHTEN L./VERHOEVEN V.).Vangehuchten, L.; Verhoeven, V.; Thys, P. (2015). Pronunciation proficiency and musical aptitude in Spanish as a foreign language: results of an experimental research project. Revista de Lingüística y Lenguas Aplicadas. 10:90-100. https://doi.org/10.4995/rlyla.2015.3372SWORD901001

Combining Multiple Prevention Strategies in one Health Questionnaire: A Pilot Study

Abstract General practitioners are confronted with many required preventive interventions. A solution to this problem is comb ining several interventions in one questionnaire. Almost no research exists on this subject. In this pilot feasibility study we examine whether a prevention strategy based on a questionnaire increases the number of preventive items in the patient's records, and we examine the response rate when this questionnaire is given to patients during a routine consultation.An evidence based questionnaire containing 22 questions concerning 11 topics was used in a practice of general practit ioners in a semi-rural co mmunity. 26 items were studied: the answers to the 22 aforementioned questions plus four more items relating to multip le questions. All were rated before and after the intervention using strict criteria.Of the 104 included patients 46 participated.After the intervention the availability of most items increased but it was only significant for eight items. This unique pilot study clearly shows us that a questionnaire which comb ines multip le prevention interventions improves the quality of our records. Handing over this questionnaire to patients during routine visits gives a high response rate

Cytology Versus Molecular Diagnosis of HPV for Cervical Cancer Screening. Comparison of the Diagnostic Properties of Four Tests in a Rural Community of Cuenca Ecuador

Cervical cancer (CC) is considered a threat to women’s lives, which is why the WHO launched the 90-70-90 strategy, seeking to eradicate CC by 2030. Part of the strategy involves screening with highly sensitive molecular biology tests for HPV diagnosis to replace cervical cytology. The objective of this research was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of molecular biology tests, including self-testing for HPV diagnosis with traditional cytology. Methodology: A study of diagnostic tests was conducted in a rural parish of Cuenca, Ecuador. A total of 120 women participated. Each participant self-collected a vaginal and a urine sample and then a health professional performed a standard cervical smear for HPV molecular diagnosis and cytology. The latter test was considered the gold standard. All three samples were processed with the same amplification and genomic hybridization protocol for HPV detection (Hybribio) following the manufacturer’s instructions. Cytology was processed following the standard technique. Results: The sensitivity of vaginal self-sampling for the diagnosis of HR HPV reached 100% (CI 75.7, 100.0), and specificity 94.4% (CI 88.4, 97.43). Urine self-sampling had a sensitivity of 91.6% (CI 64.61, 98.51), and a specificity of 96.435 (CI 91.18, 98.6). Cervical cytology achieved a sensitivity of 41.67% (CI 19.33, 68.5) and a specificity of 85.19% (CI 77.28, 90.67) Conclusions: This study demonstrates that vaginal self-sampling and urine self-sampling methods have similar sensitivity and specificity compared to the sample taken by the health professional for molecular diagnosis of HPV. The sensitivity of cytology (Papanicolaou) was lower in relation to molecular biology tests for primary screening of CC. Keywords: HPV; vaginal self-sampling; urine self-sampling; health professional sampling; cytology, sensitivity and specificity. Resumen El cáncer de cuello uterino (CC) es considerado una amenaza para la vida de las mujeres, por esta razón la OMS lanzó la estrategia 90-70-90, que busca erradicar el CC hasta el 2030. Parte de la estrategia implica el tamizaje con pruebas de biología molecular de alta sensibilidad para el diagnóstico de VPH, que sustituyan a la citología cervical. El objetivo de esta investigación, fue comparar la sensibilidad y especificidad de las pruebas de biología molecular, incluyendo la auto toma para el diagnóstico del VPH con la citología tradicional. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio de pruebas diagnósticas, en una parroquia rural de Cuenca, Ecuador. Un total de 120 mujeres participaron. Cada participante recolectó por sí misma una muestra vaginal y otra de orina y luego un profesional de salud realizó una toma cervical estándar para el diagnóstico molecular de VPH y citología. Esta última prueba fue considerada como el estándar de oro. Las tres muestras fueron procesadas con el mismo protocolo de amplificación e hibridación genómica para de detección del VPH (Hybribio) siguiendo las instrucciones del fabricante. La citología fue procesada siguiendo la técnica estándar. Resultados: La sensibilidad de la auto toma vaginal para el diagnóstico del VPH AR alcanzó el 100 % (IC 75.7, 100.0), y la especificidad 94.4% (IC 88.4, 97,43). El auto muestreo de orina tuvo una sensibilidad de 91,6 % (IC 64.61, 98.51), y una especificidad de 96,435 (IC 91.18, 98.6). La citología cervical alcanzó una sensibilidad 41,67% (IC 19.33, 68.5) y una especificidad de 85,19% (IC 77.28, 90.67) Conclusiones: Este estudio demuestra que los métodos de auto muestreo vaginal y auto muestreo en orina tienen una sensibilidad y especificidad similar a la comparada con la muestra tomada por el profesional de salud para el diagnóstico molecular del VPH. La sensibilidad de la citología (Papanicolaou) es inferior en relación a las pruebas de biología molecular para el tamizaje primario del CC. Palabras Clave: VPH; auto muestreo vaginal; auto muestreo en orina; muestreo por profesional de salud; citología, sensibilidad y especificidad

Automatic detection and prevention of cyberbullying

The recent development of social media poses new challenges to the research community in analyzing online interactions between people. Social networking sites offer great opportunities for connecting with others, but also increase the vulnerability of young people to undesirable phenomena, such as cybervictimization. Recent research reports that on average, 20% to 40% of all teenagers have been victimized online. In this paper, we focus on cyberbullying as a particular form of cybervictimization. Successful prevention depends on the adequate detection of potentially harmful messages. However, given the massive information overload on the Web, there is a need for intelligent systems to identify potential risks automatically. We present the construction and annotation of a corpus of Dutch social media posts annotated with fine-grained cyberbullying-related text categories, such as insults and threats. Also, the specific participants (harasser, victim or bystander) in a cyberbullying conversation are identified to enhance the analysis of human interactions involving cyberbullying. Apart from describing our dataset construction and annotation, we present proof-of-concept experiments on the automatic identification of cyberbullying events and fine-grained cyberbullying categories

Comprehensive Quantitative Spatiotemporal Gait Analysis Identifies Gait Characteristics for Early Dementia Subtyping in Community Dwelling Older Adults

Background: Recent studies associated gait patterns with cognitive impairment stages. The current study examined the relation between dementia type and spatiotemporal gait characteristics under different walking conditions in pre and mild neurocognitive disorder stage.Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (age 50+) with memory complaints consulting a memory clinic underwent, at baseline and during follow-up (every 4 months), a standard dementia assessment and a comprehensive spatiotemporal gait analysis [walking on an electronic walkway at usual pace (UP) with and without a counting-backwards (CW) or animal-reciting dual-task (AW), at fast (FP) and at slow (SP) pace]. At baseline the participants were categorized according to the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale. At the end of the study, the dementia diagnosis was used to stratify the categories in three outcome groups: developed “No-dementia,” “AD+FTD” (grouping Alzheimer's or Fronto-temporal dementia) or “VascD+LBD” dementia (grouping Vascular dementia or Lewy body dementia). The gait characteristics were compared per category in paired groups. Sub-analyzing in the ≥70-years-old participants evaluated the age effect.Results: Five hundred and thirty-six participants, age 50-to-95-years old were followed for 31-to-41 months. In the CDR 0, no differences were seen between eventual dementia and no-dementia individuals. In the CDR 0.5, CW dual task cost (DTC) step width was larger in the imminent “AD+FTD” and AW (normalized) gait speed was slower in the future “VascD+LBD” group compared to the no-dementia participants. Slower UP (normalized) gait speed differed the future “VascD+LBD” from the “AD+FTD” individuals. In the CDR 1: Wider steps in UP, SP and CW differed the “VascD+LBD” from the “AD+FTD” group. In the ≥70-years old CDR 0 category, higher AW cycle time variability in the imminent “AD+FTD” dementia group, wider UP step width and higher AW cycle time variability in the “VascD+LBD” group differed them from the no-dementia group up to 3 years before dementia diagnosis. The distinctive gait characteristics between the no-dementia and the imminent dementia groups in CDR 0.5 and CDR 1 remained the same as in the overall group. However, no gait differences were found between “VascD+LBD” and “AD+FTD” groups in the pre-dementia stages.Conclusion: Distinctive spatiotemporal gait characteristics were associated with specific dementia types up to 3 years before diagnosis. The association is influenced by the cognitive stage and age

IMI 2021 Yearly Digest

PURPOSE. The International Myopia Institute (IMI) Yearly Digest highlights new research considered to be of importance since the publication of the first series of IMI white papers. METHODS. A literature search was conducted for articles on myopia between 2019 and mid-2020 to inform definitions and classifications, experimental models, genetics, interventions, clinical trials, and clinical management. Conference abstracts from key meetings in the same period were also considered. RESULTS. One thousand articles on myopia have been published between 2019 and mid-2020. Key advances include the use of the definition of premyopia in studies currently under way to test interventions in myopia, new definitions in the field of pathologicmyopia, the role of new pharmacologic treatments in experimental models such as intraocular pressure-lowering latanoprost, a large meta-analysis of refractive error identifying 336 new genetic loci, new clinical interventions such as the defocus incorporated multisegment spectacles and combination therapy with low-dose atropine and orthokeratology (OK), normative standards in refractive error, the ethical dilemma of a placebo control group when myopia control treatments are established, reporting the physical metric of myopia reduction versus a percentage reduction, comparison of the risk of pediatric OK wear with risk of vision impairment in myopia, the justification of preventing myopic and axial length increase versus quality of life, and future vision loss. CONCLUSIONS. Large amounts of research in myopia have been published since the IMI 2019 white papers were released. The yearly digest serves to highlight the latest research and advances in myopia.Peer reviewe

Meta-analysis of 542,934 subjects of European ancestry identifies new genes and mechanisms predisposing to refractive error and myopia.

Refractive errors, in particular myopia, are a leading cause of morbidity and disability worldwide. Genetic investigation can improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie abnormal eye development and impaired vision. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that involved 542,934 European participants and identified 336 novel genetic loci associated with refractive error. Collectively, all associated genetic variants explain 18.4% of heritability and improve the accuracy of myopia prediction (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.75). Our results suggest that refractive error is genetically heterogeneous, driven by genes that participate in the development of every anatomical component of the eye. In addition, our analyses suggest that genetic factors controlling circadian rhythm and pigmentation are also involved in the development of myopia and refractive error. These results may enable the prediction of refractive error and the development of personalized myopia prevention strategies in the future