Use of the Choquet Integral for Combination of Classifiers in P300 Based Brain-Computer Interface

One of the key issues in the development of braincomputer interfaces (BCIs) is the improvement of their current information transfer rate. In order to achieve that objective at least two aspects of BCI design should be considered: classification accuracy and protocol specification. In this paper we show how combination of classifiers using fuzzy measures and the Choquet integral can be applied to the context of EEG-based BCI and study whether its use, together with an appropriate application protocol, can lead to an increase in the information transfer rate

Склад повітря та стан здоров'я людини

В обзоре проанализированы сведения од эволюции газового состава атмосферы Земного шара от протопланетного до современного периода развития. Показана положительная роль биогенного накопления кислорода в воздухе и отрицательные последствия кислородного стресса для организма человека. Рассмотрена биологическая роль электрических свойств воздуха, возможные последствия антропогенных влияний на состояние газовой оболочки Земли и лечебно-профилактические возможности инструментальной оротерапии в реабилитации пациентов в санаторно-курортных учреждениях.In review are analysed data about evolution contents of atmosphere of Earth. It is shown positive role of biogene accumulating in air of oxygen and negative consequences of oxygen stress. It is considered the biologic role of electric properties of air, potential consequences of anthropogenic influences on state atmosphere of Earth and healing and prophylactic possibilities of instrumental orotherapy in rehabilitation of patients on spa and resorts

Apolipoprotein E related Co-Morbidities and Alzheimer’s disease

The primary goal of advancement in clinical services is to provide a health care system that enhances an individual’s quality of life. Incidence of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and associated dementia coupled with the advancing age of the population, have led to an increase in the worldwide challenge to the healthcare system. In order to overcome these challenges prior knowledge of common, reliable risk factors and their effectors is essential. The oral health constitutes one such relatively unexplored but indispensable risk factor for aforementioned co-morbidities, in the form of poor oral hygiene and tooth loss during aging. Behavioural traits such as low education, smoking, poor diet, neglect of oral health, lack of exercise, and hypertension are few of the risk factors that are shared commonly amongst these conditions. In addition, common genetic susceptibility traits such as the apolipoprotein ɛ gene, together with an individual’s life style can also influence the development of co-morbidities such as periodontitis, atherosclerosis/stroke, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. This review specifically addresses the susceptibility of apolipoprotein ε gene allele 4 as the plausible commonality for the etiology of co-morbidities that eventually result from periodontal diseases and ultimately progress to dementia

The scientific production of social frailty: A bibliometric analysis

As a result of the increase in the elderly population, frailty has emerged as a major public health problem. It is characterised by a heightened state of vulnerability, particularly among older individuals who are at greater risk of adverse health outcomes. Although the theoretical basis of frailty is well established in the literature, the concept has evolved over time, leading to new perspectives. One of these emerging dimensions is social frailty, which refers to limited or absent participation in social networks and the perception of inadequate contact and support. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of this topic, it is essential to analyse and map the existing literature. Mapping scientific knowledge implies a comprehensive review of relevant scientific articles. Through bibliometric techniques, it is possible to provide a systematic and replicable methodology based on statistical measures of scientific production, including researchers, publications, and scientific activities. This study focuses on science mapping, which allows for the identification and visualisation of themes and trends, both within a specific period (synchronically) and over time (diachronically). This paper therefore aims to present a systematic review of the literature on social fragility, analysing its scientific productivity in the social field (Gerontology, Sociology, Family Studies, Social issues, social studies, Psychology, Social work, Demography). Specifically, we examined 1.311 English documents on the topic of social frailty from 1985 - 2022 on Web of Science (WoS) defined by the queries ""social frailty" OR "social vulnerabilit*" AND "elderl*" OR "frail elderl*"

Usutu virus growth in human cell lines: induction of and sensitivity to type I and III interferons

The mechanisms of Usutu virus (USUV) pathogenesis are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of USUV to interferon (IFN) and the capacity of USUV to stimulate IFN production. Initial experiments were conducted to characterize the susceptibility of human cell lines to USUV infection and to evaluate the single-growth cycle replication curve of USUV. Results indicate that USUV is able to infect a variety of human cell lines, completing the replication cycle in Hep-2 and Vero cells within 48 h. Pre-treatment of cells with types I and III IFNs significantly inhibited the replication of USUV. However, the inhibitory effects of IFNs were considerably less if IFN was added after viral infection had been initiated. Also, USUV weakly induced types I and III IFNs

Retrospective screening of solid organ donors in Italy, 2009, reveals unpredicted circulation of West Nile virus

Since the occurrence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in humans in 2008 in Italy, concerns have been raised about the potential risks associated with solid organ transplantation (SOT). A nationwide retrospective survey showed that 1.2% of SOT donors in 2009 were WNV-seropositive and demonstrated that human WNV infection is distributed throughout several Italian regions. Transmission of WNV or other arboviruses through SOT is a possibility and risk assessment should be carried out before SOT to avoid infection through transplantatation

L'apprendimento della probabilità: un'indagine su un gruppo di studenti

La prima parte della mia tesi contiene una breve rassegna storica dell'evoluzione del Calcolo delle probabilità. Dopo aver inserito un riferimento alle attuali Indicazioni Nazionali, che stabiliscono i contenuti essenziali delle diverse discipline nei diversi corsi di studio della Scuola Secondaria nel nostro Paese, ho esaminato un libro di testo, ampiamente adottato nelle scuole italiane, per vedere come l'argomento viene trattato. Successivamente ho consultato diversi lavori di ricerca in Didattica della Matematica attinenti alla probabilità riportandoli poi nella mia tesi. La parte principale del mio lavoro di tesi riguarda però un'indagine condotta su un gruppo di studenti di scuola secondaria e sugli studenti frequentanti il primo anno del Corso di Laurea in matematica a Bologna. A questi ragazzi è stato sottoposto un test anonimo (che avevo preparato in precedenza), uguale per tutti, contenente sette problemi di probabilità. Alcuni degli studenti liceali non avevano ancora affrontato l'argomento; di ciò ero consapevole, e su di loro lo scopo era mettere alla prova la loro intuizione, vedere come il loro buon senso poteva aiutarli (oppure ingannarli) nel rispondere a ciascun quesito. Alcune delle risposte più interessanti sono state poi riportate e analizzate in questo mio lavoro di tesi

Informal old adult care provision and caregivers’ health status in Italy

The primary objective of this study is to assess the relationship between informal caregiving and adverse health outcomes among caregivers in Italy, utilizing data from the 2016 national representative Survey on families, social subjects, and the life cycle (FSS)

Associations of family and social contact with health among Italian grandparents

Abstract Past research has documented the positive influence of frequent interactions with social networks on several health outcomes in later life, with different patterns by gender. In this study, we explore the association of frequent contact with different members of the social network (namely partner, grandchildren, siblings, friends and neighbours) on self-perceived health status and the limitation of illnesses among older grandparents in Italy, using a large national representative survey. Our results confirm the positive association between good health indicators and frequent contact with members of the "horizontal" network (partner, siblings and friends), while a more ambiguous association has been found with frequent face-to-face contact with children and grandchildren. The results hold for both male and female grandparents. The Mediterranean family-focused culture may possibly explain the distinctly Italian results

What do we know about grandparents? Insights from current quantitative data and identification of future data needs

Against the background of a ‘new wave’ of empirical studies investigating various aspects of grandparenthood across a broad range of regional contexts, this article aims to take stock of what has been achieved so far and which lessons we can learn from this for the future. Our focus is on the measurement of grandparenthood and grandparenting in quantitative social surveys and the implications this has for the substantive questions we can ask and the answers we can get out of such data. For several broader questions—who is a grandparent and when does this transition happen; what does it mean to be a grandparent; and what are the implications of grandparenthood for families?—we review previous questionnaire items from a variety of surveys as well as studies in which they were used. We identify relevant issues related to these questions which cannot be adequately addressed with currently available data, but should be considered in new or ongoing survey projects. The answers provided by recent studies as well as the many still open questions identified here indicate excellent prospects for scholarship on grandparents in the years to come