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Cognitive tests requiring spoken responses, such as paragraph recall, are rich in cognitive-related information that is not captured using traditional scoring methods. This study aimed to determine if linguistic features embedded in spoken responses may differentiate between individuals who are and are not cognitively impaired.
Participants and Methods:
Participants in the Long Life Family Study completed a neuropsychological assessment which included the WMS-R Logical Memory I paragraph recall. For a subset of participants (N=709), test responses were digitally recorded and manually transcribed. We used Linguistic Inquiry Word Count, a text analysis program, to quantify word counts, grammatical features (e.g, prepositions, verb tenses), and the use of content words related to specific semantic categories (e.g., work-related, numbers) for immediate (IR) and delayed recall (DR). We used regression models with Generalized Estimating Equations adjusted by age, sex, education, and within-family correlation to select features associated with cognitive status (normal cognition [NC] versus cognitive impairment [CI]; Bonferroni-corrected threshold p<0.001). Next, we developed a “polyfeature score” (PFS) for both immediate and delayed recall, each calculated as a weighted sum of the selected linguistic features. We then built a logistic regression model to evaluate the predictive value of each PFS for identifying cognitively impaired individuals. In secondary analyses, we used regression models as above to identify features associated with mild cognitive impairment subtype (amnestic [aMCI] versus nonamnestic [naMCI]; threshold p< .05).
Results:
The sample included 599 participants with NC and 110 with CI (mean age = 72.3 ± 11.0 years, 54% female). The regression identified 8 linguistic features for IR and 7 for DR that significantly predicted cognitive status. Decreased use of content words related to work (e.g., employed, school, police) and biological processes (e.g., cook, cafeteria, eat) and the use of negations (e.g., no, not, can’t) were predictive of cognitive impairment in both recall conditions. In contrast, the use of other content word categories were predictive of cognitive status in only one recall condition (IR: leisure, cognitive processes, space; DR: drives, number). The use of fewer prepositions in IR, more first-person pronouns in DR, and fewer words in the past tense in DR were each associated with cognitive impairment. Word count was not predictive of cognitive status. Both PFSs were highly associated with cognitive status (PFS_IR ß= 0.74, p< 0.001; PFS_DR ß= 0.86, p= 0.001) with high discriminative value (PFS_IR AUC= 0.93, sensitivity = 0.81, specificity= 0.91; PFS_DR AUC= 0.95, sensitivity= 0.77, specificity= 0.88). In the CI subset, linguistic features differed between those classified as aMCI (n= 24) and naMCI (n= 40). Two function word categories predicted aMCI in IR whereas decreased word count, two function word categories, and two content word categories predicted aMCI in DR (all p< .05)
Conclusions:
Linguistic features from paragraph recall provide high predictive value for classifying cognitive status increasing its potential as a cognitive screener in clinical settings. Additionally, each recall condition identified unique linguistic features associated with cognitive impairment which may aid differentiation of cognitive impairment subtypes and elucidate processes underlying deficits in learning and recall.
In the Western Scheldt estuary, like in many estuaries, safe navigation, flood protection, and ecological targets require a balanced and sustainable sediment management. A thorough understanding of the morphodynamic functioning of the estuary and its response to changes in hydrodynamics (natural sediment transport) and large-scale interventions is imperative. This paper presents a detailed overview of over 65 years of morphological changes and a comprehensive sediment budget of the Western Scheldt estuary that is based on analysis of a unique series of frequent bathymetric surveys and historical data on human–sediment interactions of dredging, dredge disposal and sand mining. Solving the sediment budget reveals an annual sediment import of 2.2 million m3. The highest sediment imports occurred between 1980–1994 and 2005–2020 (2.9 and 3.7 million m3/year). A 1.3 million m3/year net export prevailed between 1994 and 2005. Natural variations in the hydrodynamics (e.g., tidal asymmetry and amplification) and sediment transports cannot explain the derived temporal variations in sediment import rates. Anthropogenic activities play a dominant role. Capital dredging of the main navigation channel has led to channel deepening and significantly increased dredge and disposal volumes. Disposal on tidal flats and in the secondary channel leads to a long-term storage of sand and, consequently, a local increase in bed level and a sand deficit in the remainder of the system that results in increased sediment imports. Large-scale disposal in the western part of the estuary can (temporarily) reverse the sediment exchange between the estuary and its mouth area, as observed between 1994 and 2005. Apparently, large-scale anthropogenic reallocation of sediment by dredging and/or disposal as part of navigation channel improvement, sand mining or nourishment essentially influences the morphological development of the Western Scheldt estuary. This reveals responsibilities as well as opportunities of sediment management for the Western Scheldt and similar estuaries worldwide.
Background: Invasive mold infections (IMIs) in hospitalized patients can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Environmental factors, such as hospital construction and negative air-pressure rooms (NAPRs), have been associated with hospital-acquired IMI. Increased utilization of NAPRs during the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique opportunity to examine the impact of NAPRs on IMI risk. Methods: From 2018 to present, a new pavilion was being constructed adjacent to our hospital. The Theradoc platform was used to identify positive mold cultures among adult patients hospitalized at our institution between March 1, 2017, and October 15, 2022. We performed a retrospective chart review of 262 mold isolates to determine patient demographics, timing of IMI, and their relationship to hospital construction and exposure to NAPR. IMI incidence was compared across 3 observation periods: (A) before hospital construction; (B) during hospital construction alone; and (C) during hospital construction and NAPR enhancement during the COVID-19 surge. Hospital-acquired IMI was defined as an infection that occurred >72 hours after admission. A REDCap database was created for data storage and R software was used for data analysis. Results: Of the 262 mold isolates identified, 61 cases were classified as IMI, of which 29 were hospital-acquired IMI. The mean age of IMI patients was 51.8 years, and 55.2% were male. Among them, 20.7% were exposed to NAPR during admission; 65.5.% were immunocompromised; and 2 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. The all-cause mortality rate among hospital-acquired IMI cases was 79.3% (23 of 29). Also, 82.8% of hospital-acquired IMI cases were respiratory in nature, with 83.3% of these cases due to Aspergillus spp. Yearly rates of hospital-acquired IMI were 3.0 before construction versus 5.6 during construction (periods B and C). Yearly rates of hospital-acquired IMI, respiratory IMI, and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis by period were as follows: Period A had 3 hospital-acquired IMI cases per year, 2 hospital-acquired respiratory IMI cases per year, and 3 hospital-acquired invasive pulmonary aspergillosis cases per year. Period B had 4.5 hospital-acquired IMI cases per year, 3.5 hospital-acquired respiratory IMI cases per year, and 3.0 hospital-acquired invasive pulmonary aspergillosis cases per year. Period C had 6.5 hospital-acquired IMI cases per year, 5.4 hospital-acquired respiratory IMI cases per year, and 5.0 hospital-acquired invasive pulmonary aspergillosis cases per year. Conclusions: Hospital-acquired IMI was associated with a high mortality. Our data demonstrate a >2-fold increase in yearly incidence of hospital-acquired IMI before construction compared with during construction in association with increased implementation of NAPR. We have now reversed the trend in NAPR at our hospital’s designated COVID-19 units.
Competition among the two-plasmon decay (TPD) of backscattered light of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), filamentation of the electron-plasma wave (EPW) and forward side SRS is investigated by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Our previous work [K. Q. Pan et al., Nucl. Fusion 58, 096035 (2018)] showed that in a plasma with the density near 1/10 of the critical density, the backscattered light would excite the TPD, which results in suppression of the backward SRS. However, this work further shows that when the laser intensity is so high ($>{10}^{16}$ W/cm2) that the backward SRS cannot be totally suppressed, filamentation of the EPW and forward side SRS will be excited. Then the TPD of the backscattered light only occurs in the early stage and is suppressed in the latter stage. Electron distribution functions further show that trapped-particle-modulation instability should be responsible for filamentation of the EPW. This research can promote the understanding of hot-electron generation and SRS saturation in inertial confinement fusion experiments.
The boundary layer thickness on a compressor blade suction surface increases rapidly under a adverse pressure gradient and even separates from the blade surface. This paper proposes a novel method for developing the slot inside the blade, with the inlet of the slot located at the leading edge of the blade and the outlet located at the suction surface, using the momentum of the incoming flow to form a high velocity jet to control the boundary layer on the suction surface. For a plane cascade with a diffusion factor of 0.45, the effects of the main slot parametres (such as the shape of the slot and the positions of the slot inlet and outlet) on the flow in the slot, the flow field and the aerodynamic performance of the cascade were investigated with a numerical method. When the aerodynamic performance of cascades with slotted and unslotted blades was compared, it was found that a reasonable slot structure can effectively inhibit the development of the boundary layer on the blade suction surface and greatly improve the aerodynamic performance of the cascade. Based on the influence of the slot parametres of the above cascade, the slot of a plane cascade with a diffusion factor of 0.60 was designed. The numerical calculation results show that the slotted cascade with a diffusion factor of 0.60 outperformed the slotted cascade with a diffusion factor of 0.45. This result showed that the higher the cascade load, the greater the performance improvement from slotting. Furthermore, the unslotted and slotted cascades were tested, and the test results agreed well with the calculations. The aerodynamic performance of the slotted cascade was better than that of the unslotted cascade, which verifies the accuracy of the calculation method and the feasibility of blade slotting for suppressing the development of boundary layers on suction surfaces and reducing flow loss.
Currently there is lack of knowledge on how new types of alternative fuels and their storage conditions change the droplet evaporation characteristics. Liquid fuel is commonly stored in wide varieties of containers, where fuel characteristics may change because of the exposure to the material of the container. This study evaluates the impact of different storage containers on droplet evaporation characteristics of different fuels. It was found that there is a distinct phase transition between high volatility to low volatility phase in each fuel stored in steel drums verses fuel that is stored in plastic drums. The type of fuel contaminated by polymer additive has a high impact on fuel droplet burn rates. Polymer additives also have an impact on nucleate boiling, sub-droplets and soot particles. The burning rate constant, K, of selected pure aromatics, various fuel mixtures and Jet A with different cetane numbers have been evaluated. Research has shown that in the low volatility combustion phase a trend reduction of lowest boiling point pure aromatic burning rate to the highest boiling point pure aromatic burning rate is obvious. Irregular change in droplet diameter between the high volatility phase and low volatility phase during the combustion of aromatics blend was observed. This work has also evaluated the relationship between burning rates and cetane numbers.
To estimate the minimum percent change in failed extubation to make a tool designed to reduce extubation failure (Extubation Advisor [EA]) economically viable.
Methods
We conducted an early return on investment (ROI) analysis using data from intubated intensive care unit (ICU) patients at a large Canadian tertiary care hospital. We obtained input parameters from the hospital database and published literature. We ran generalized linear models to estimate the attributable length of stay, total hospital cost, and time to subsequent extubation attempt following failure. We developed a Markov model to estimate the expected ROI and performed probabilistic sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of findings. Costs were presented in 2020 Canadian dollars (C$).
Results
The model estimated a 1 percent reduction in failed extubation could save the hospital C$289 per intubated patient (95 percent CI: 197, 459). A large center seeing 2,500 intubated ICU patients per year could save C$723,124/year/percent reduction in failed extubation. At the current annual price of C$164,221, the EA tool must reduce extubation failure by at least 0.24 percent (95 percent CI: .14, .41) to make the tool cost-effective at our site.
Conclusions
Clinical decision-support tools like the EA may play an important role in reducing healthcare costs by reducing the rate of extubation failure, a costly event in the ICU.
The impact of alternative aviation jet fuels and their properties on lean blowout (LBO) limits has recently raised several questions in the jet fuel area. There is a need for a detailed investigation of the impact of fuel properties on the LBO limit involving actual engine hardware. This study investigates the impact of a range of alternative aviation jet fuels with notable differences in physical and chemical properties and derived cetane number (DCN) on the LBO limit and their effects on key performance indicators. LBO performance results for ten different alternative fuels using a Rolls-Royce single-can Tay combustor are presented in this study. The study also assesses impact of different equivalence ratios and flow rates on LBO, with the aim of determining the impact of a certain range of operating conditions. The results are further analysed to determine the influence of fuel chemical and physical properties on the LBO limit. Finally, based on results in the above experiments, individual fuel properties are adjusted for subsequent experimental analysis of blended fuels. With this approach, 25 additional fuel blends are evaluated and presented, with an emphasis on varying the DCN. This study provides effective data and results to facilitate future fuel optimisation and reduce the risk of a negative performance of new fuels in gas turbines.
We describe the scientific goals and survey design of the First Large Absorption Survey in H i (FLASH), a wide field survey for 21-cm line absorption in neutral atomic hydrogen (H i) at intermediate cosmological redshifts. FLASH will be carried out with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope and is planned to cover the sky south of
$\delta \approx +40\,\deg$
at frequencies between 711.5 and 999.5 MHz. At redshifts between
$z = 0.4$
and
$1.0$
(look-back times of 4 – 8 Gyr), the H i content of the Universe has been poorly explored due to the difficulty of carrying out radio surveys for faint 21-cm line emission and, at ultra-violet wavelengths, space-borne searches for Damped Lyman-
$\alpha$
absorption in quasar spectra. The ASKAP wide field of view and large spectral bandwidth, in combination with a radio-quiet site, will enable a search for absorption lines in the radio spectra of bright continuum sources over 80% of the sky. This survey is expected to detect at least several hundred intervening 21-cm absorbers and will produce an H i-absorption-selected catalogue of galaxies rich in cool, star-forming gas, some of which may be concealed from optical surveys. Likewise, at least several hundred associated 21-cm absorbers are expected to be detected within the host galaxies of radio sources at
$0.4 < z < 1.0$
, providing valuable kinematical information for models of gas accretion and jet-driven feedback in radio-loud active galactic nuclei. FLASH will also detect OH 18-cm absorbers in diffuse molecular gas, megamaser OH emission, radio recombination lines, and stacked H i emission.
Although researchers generally agree that native speakers (NSs) process formulaic sequences (FSs) holistically to some extent, findings about nonnative speakers (NNSs) are conflicting, potentially because not all FSs are psychologically equal or because in some studies NNSs may not have fully understood the FSs. We address these issues by investigating Chinese NSs and NNSs processing of idioms and matched nonidiom FSs in phrase acceptability judgment tasks with and without think-alouds (TAs). Reaction times show that NSs processed idioms faster than nonidioms regardless of length, but NNSs processed 3-character FSs faster than 4-character FSs regardless of type. TAs show NSs’ understanding of FSs has reached ceiling, but NNSs’ understanding was incomplete, with idioms being understood more poorly than nonidioms. Although we conclude that idioms and nonidioms have different mental statuses in NSs’ lexicons, it is inconclusive how they are represented by NNSs. TAs also show that NNSs employed various strategies to compensate for limited idiom knowledge, causing comparable processing speed for idioms and nonidioms. The findings highlight the importance of distinguishing subtypes of FSs and considering NNSs’ quality of understanding in discussions of the psychological reality of FSs.
The GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) is a radio continuum survey at 76–227 MHz of the entire southern sky (Declination
$<\!{+}30^{\circ}$
) with an angular resolution of
${\approx}2$
arcmin. In this paper, we combine GLEAM data with optical spectroscopy from the 6dF Galaxy Survey to construct a sample of 1 590 local (median
$z \approx 0.064$
) radio sources with
$S_{200\,\mathrm{MHz}} > 55$
mJy across an area of
${\approx}16\,700\,\mathrm{deg}^{2}$
. From the optical spectra, we identify the dominant physical process responsible for the radio emission from each galaxy: 73% are fuelled by an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and 27% by star formation. We present the local radio luminosity function for AGN and star-forming (SF) galaxies at 200 MHz and characterise the typical radio spectra of these two populations between 76 MHz and
${\sim}1$
GHz. For the AGN, the median spectral index between 200 MHz and
${\sim}1$
GHz,
$\alpha_{\mathrm{high}}$
, is
$-0.600 \pm 0.010$
(where
$S \propto \nu^{\alpha}$
) and the median spectral index within the GLEAM band,
$\alpha_{\mathrm{low}}$
, is
$-0.704 \pm 0.011$
. For the SF galaxies, the median value of
$\alpha_{\mathrm{high}}$
is
$-0.650 \pm 0.010$
and the median value of
$\alpha_{\mathrm{low}}$
is
$-0.596 \pm 0.015$
. Among the AGN population, flat-spectrum sources are more common at lower radio luminosity, suggesting the existence of a significant population of weak radio AGN that remain core-dominated even at low frequencies. However, around 4% of local radio AGN have ultra-steep radio spectra at low frequencies (
$\alpha_{\mathrm{low}} < -1.2$
). These ultra-steep-spectrum sources span a wide range in radio luminosity, and further work is needed to clarify their nature.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some K-12 schools resumed in-person classes with varying degrees of mitigation plans in the fall 2020. Physical distancing and face coverings can minimize SARS-CoV-2 spread, the virus that causes COVID-19. However, no research has focused on adherence to mitigation strategies during school days. Thus, we sought to develop a systematic observation protocol to capture COVID-19 mitigation strategy adherence in school environments: The Systematic Observation of COVID-19 Mitigation (SOCOM).
Methods:
We extended previously validated and internationally used tools to develop the SOCOM training and implementation protocols to assess physical-distancing and face-covering behaviors. SOCOM was tested in diverse indoor and outdoor settings (classrooms, lunchrooms, physical education [PE], and recess) among diverse schools (elementary, secondary, and special needs).
Results:
For the unique metrics of physical-distancing and face-covering behaviors, areas with less activity and a maximum of 10–15 students were more favorable for accurately capturing data. Overall proportion of agreement was high for physical distancing (90.9%), face covering (88.6%), activity type (89.2%), and physical activity level (87.9%). Agreement was lowest during active recess, PE, and observation areas with ≥20 students.
Conclusions:
Millions of children throughout the USA are likely to return to school in the months ahead. SOCOM is a relatively inexpensive research tool that can be implemented by schools to determine mitigation strategy adherence and to assess protocols that allow students return to school safely and slow the spread of COVID-19.
The first demonstration of laser action in ruby was made in 1960 by T. H. Maiman of Hughes Research Laboratories, USA. Many laboratories worldwide began the search for lasers using different materials, operating at different wavelengths. In the UK, academia, industry and the central laboratories took up the challenge from the earliest days to develop these systems for a broad range of applications. This historical review looks at the contribution the UK has made to the advancement of the technology, the development of systems and components and their exploitation over the last 60 years.
ABSTRACT IMPACT: This project aims to better understand mechanisms of sensory and motor deficits in individuals with ASD with the goal of informing diagnosis and treatment development. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Over-reliance on both visual and proprioceptive feedback have both been observed during motor behavior in persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), suggesting that separate sensory feedback processes may be selectively altered during different behaviors. The objective of this study is to clarify sensory mechanisms of fine motor control in ASD. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Participants with ASD (N=43) and controls (N=23) matched on age (10-20 yrs) and non-verbal IQ completed tests of precision gripping. Participants were instructed to press on force sensors with their index finger and thumb so that a moving bar corresponding to their force output reached and stayed as stable as possible at the level of a stationary target bar. Visual feedback was manipulated by changing the visual gain of the force bar (low, medium and high). The force bar moved more per change in force output at higher gains. Proprioceptive feedback was manipulated by applying 80 Hz tendon vibration at the wrist to induce an illusion of muscle contraction. This was compared to a condition with the tendon vibrator turned off. Force variability (standard deviation) and regularity (sample entropy) were examined. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Controls showed increased force variability with the tendon vibration on compared to off (t = -3.372, p < 0.001); however, the ASD group showed no difference in force variability between the tendon vibration conditions (t = -0.960, p = 0.338). Individuals with ASD had stronger age-associated reductions in force variability relative to controls across tendon vibrator and gain conditions (Group x Age: t = -4.05, p < .001). The ASD group also had greater age-associated increases in force regularity relative to controls, especially at higher gain levels (Group x Gain Level x Age: t = -3.22, p = 0.001). Unlike the ASD group for whom regularity increased with age in both tendon vibration conditions, controls only showed these age-related gains when the tendon vibrator was off (Group x Vibration Frequency x Age: t = 2.46, p = .014). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Our findings indicate that while controls integrate proprioceptive and visual feedback online to accurately adjust fine motor behavior, persons with ASD rely mostly on visual feedback. Our results suggest delayed development of sensory integration and reduced reliance on multisensory feedback during online fine motor control in persons with ASD.
We propose two linearly implicit energy-preserving schemes for the complex modified Korteweg–de Vries equation, based on the invariant energy quadratization method. First, a new variable is introduced and a new Hamiltonian system is constructed for this equation. Then the Fourier pseudospectral method is used for the space discretization and the Crank–Nicolson leap-frog schemes for the time discretization. The proposed schemes are linearly implicit, which is only needed to solve a linear system at each time step. The fully discrete schemes can be shown to conserve both mass and energy in the discrete setting. Some numerical examples are also presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.
Precise instrumental calibration is of crucial importance to 21-cm cosmology experiments. The Murchison Widefield Array’s (MWA) Phase II compact configuration offers us opportunities for both redundant calibration and sky-based calibration algorithms; using the two in tandem is a potential approach to mitigate calibration errors caused by inaccurate sky models. The MWA Epoch of Reionization (EoR) experiment targets three patches of the sky (dubbed EoR0, EoR1, and EoR2) with deep observations. Previous work in Li et al. (2018) and (2019) studied the effect of tandem calibration on the EoR0 field and found that it yielded no significant improvement in the power spectrum (PS) over sky-based calibration alone. In this work, we apply similar techniques to the EoR1 field and find a distinct result: the improvements in the PS from tandem calibration are significant. To understand this result, we analyse both the calibration solutions themselves and the effects on the PS over three nights of EoR1 observations. We conclude that the presence of the bright radio galaxy Fornax A in EoR1 degrades the performance of sky-based calibration, which in turn enables redundant calibration to have a larger impact. These results suggest that redundant calibration can indeed mitigate some level of model incompleteness error.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Sensorimotor integration deficits are common in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). There is evidence for both an over-reliance on visual and proprioceptive feedback during motor control in ASD, suggesting deficits in the ability to modulate sensory feedback processing in order to use the most reliable input. This study aims to test this hypothesis. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: 40 persons with ASD (ages 10-33 yrs) and 25 age-, sex- and nonverbal IQ-matched controls completed precision gripping tasks under multiple proprioceptive and visual feedback conditions. Participants squeezed a force sensor with their index finger and thumb and tried to match their force output to a target force. Visual feedback of the target force (stationary bar) and their force output (bar that moved up/down with increased/decreased force) were displayed on a computer screen. Visual feedback was presented across low, medium, and high gain levels; the force bar moved a greater distance per change in force at higher gains. Proprioceptive feedback was manipulated using 80Hz tendon vibration at the wrist to create an illusion that the muscle is contracted. Force regularity (approximate entropy; ApEn) was examined. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We have scored data from 18 participants with ASD and 13 control participants to date. Preliminary results from these participants indicate a Group x Tendon Vibration x Visual Gain interaction for ApEn (F = 1.559, p = 0.023). Individuals with ASD show slight increases in ApEn with 80Hz tendon vibration relative to no tendon vibration in all visual conditions. Controls showed increased ApEn during 80Hz compared to no tendon vibration at low visual gain but decreased ApEn with tendon vibration at high visual gain. These preliminary results indicate that controls shift to using a secondary source of sensory feedback (e.g., proprioception) when the primary source (e.g., vision) is degraded. However, persons with ASD do not reweight different sensory feedback processes as feedback inputs are degraded or magnified. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Our preliminary results reveal that sensorimotor issues in ASD result from deficits in the reweighting of sensory feedback. Namely, persons with ASD fail to dynamically recalibrate feedback processes across visual and proprioceptive systems when feedback conditions change. Our results may aid treatment development for sensorimotor issues in ASD.
Diet has direct and indirect effects on health through inflammation and the gut microbiome. We investigated total dietary inflammatory potential via the literature-derived index (Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®)) with gut microbiota diversity, composition and function. In cancer-free patient volunteers initially approached at colonoscopy and healthy volunteers recruited from the medical centre community, we assessed 16S ribosomal DNA in all subjects who provided dietary assessments and stool samples (n 101) and the gut metagenome in a subset of patients with residual fasting blood samples (n 34). Associations of energy-adjusted DII scores with microbial diversity and composition were examined using linear regression, permutational multivariate ANOVA and linear discriminant analysis. Spearman correlation was used to evaluate associations of species and pathways with DII and circulating inflammatory markers. Across DII levels, α- and β-diversity did not significantly differ; however, Ruminococcus torques, Eubacterium nodatum, Acidaminococcus intestini and Clostridium leptum were more abundant in the most pro-inflammatory diet group, while Akkermansia muciniphila was enriched in the most anti-inflammatory diet group. With adjustment for age and BMI, R. torques, E. nodatum and A. intestini remained significantly associated with a more pro-inflammatory diet. In the metagenomic and fasting blood subset, A. intestini was correlated with circulating plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, a pro-inflammatory marker (rho = 0·40), but no associations remained significant upon correction for multiple testing. An index reflecting overall inflammatory potential of the diet was associated with specific microbes, but not overall diversity of the gut microbiome in our study. Findings from this preliminary study warrant further research in larger samples and prospective cohorts.