Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence for Nonlinear Dynamics during Language Processing

INTRODUCTION Switching processes (bifurcations) and their path-dependency (hysteresis) are indicators for nonlinear behavior of dynamical systems. They have been reported for phonological processing by Raçzasek et al. (1999) and theoretically described by beim Graben et al. (2004) for syntactic sentence processing. Experimental evidence could be provided from ERP studies if the modulation of the P600 amplitude with stimulus frequency (Hahne & Friederici 1999) would appear as an averaging artifact using advanced data analysis techniques. This is addressed in the present study. Subjects were presented German sentences in subject-object and object-subject order with three different probability ratios (.75:.25; .5:.5; .25:.75). One half of the subjects read the objectsubject sentences with increasing probability, the other half with decreasing probability. Depending on the presentation paradigm, subjects continuously estimate a posteriori stimulus probabilities such that the a posteriori probability of object-subject sentences can be regarded as a control parameter of the experiment. According to the bifurcation hypothesis, one would expect that the P600 is elicited when the control parameter reaches a critical value. As a consequence, different portions of trials would contribute to the P600 among the stimulus frequency conditions. This would be reflected by differences in intertrial coherency, but not in amplitude differences. In addition, the hysteresis hypothesis predicts that subjects would react differently in the two presentation paradigms. The critical values of the control parameter would be different for increasing and decreasing a posteriori probabilities of the object-subject sentences. In order to dissociate between voltage amplitudes and intertrial coherency of the ERP data, the symbolic resonance analysis (SRA: beim Graben & Kurths 2003, Frisch & beim Graben 2005, beim Graben et al. 2005, Drenhaus et al. 2006) was employed.
Dynamic model simplification of serial manipulators

Simplicity in the dynamics model of a serial robot manipulator greatly enhances the speed of its control and the associated hardware implementation. Since the motion of one link influences the torque or force required at the other joints, the control becomes difficult. This is referred as dynamic coupling. In this paper, it is proposed to simplify the robot's dynamic coupling by suitably choosing the manipulator's kinematic and dynamic parameters. The intention is to make the Generalized Inertia Matrix (GIM) of the serial manipulator associated with its dynamic equations of motion diagonal and/or constant. Such choice automatically ensures the associated convective inertia terms vanish. Such simplifications are carried out by investigating the expression of each element of the GIM. The concepts of the twist propagation matrices and the joint- motion propagation vectors are used to obtain the analytical expressions of the GIM elements that allow one to investigate the elements for simplifications. The methodology is illustrated with a 3-link spatial manipulator arm.
The effects of exercise and passive heating on the sweat glands ion reabsorption rates

The sweat glands maximum ion reabsorption rates were investigated (n = 12, 21.7 ± 3.0 years, 59.4 ± 9.8 kg, 166.9 ± 10.4 cm and 47.1 ± 7.5 mL/kg/min) during two separate endogenous protocols; cycling at 30% (LEX) and 60% VO2max (MEX) and one exogenous trial; passive heating (PH) (43°C water lower leg immersion) in 27°C, 50%RH. Oesophageal temperature (Tes), skin temperature (Tsk), and forearm, chest and lower back sweat rate (SR) and galvanic skin conductance (GSC) were measured. Salivary aldosterone was measured pre‐and postheating (n = 3). Using the ∆SR threshold for an increasing ∆GSC to identify maximum sweat ion reabsorption rate revealed higher reabsorption rates during MEX compared to PH (mean of all regions: 0.63 ± 0.28 vs. 0.44 ± 0.3 mg/cm2/min, P < 0.05). It was not possible to identify the ion reabsorption rate during LEX for some participants. Tes and mean Tsk were different between conditions but mean body temperature (Tb) and local Tsk (forearm, chest and back) were similar (P > 0.05). Aldosterone increased more during MEX (72.8 ± 36.6 pg/mL) compared to PH (39.2 ± 17.5 pg/mL) and LEX (1.8 ± 9.7 pg/mL). The back had a higher threshold than the forearm (P < 0.05) but it was similar to the chest (P > 0.05) (mean of all conditions; 0.64 ± 0.33, 0.42 ± 0.25, 0.54 ± 0.3 mg/cm2/min, respectively). Although the differences between conditions may be influenced by thermal or nonthermal mechanism, our results indicate a possibility that the sweat glands maximum ion reabsorption rates may be different between exercise and passive heating without mediating skin regional differences.
Mental Health Screening and Differences in Access to Care among Prisoners

Objective: Disparities in mental health care exist between regional and demographic groups. While screening is recommended as part of a correctional mental health strategy, little work has been done to explore whether it can narrow regional and demographic disparities in access to care. We compared treatment access rates by sex, race, age, and region in relation to screening results. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using administrative data. All 7965 admissions to the prison system were followed for a median of 14 months. Results: Males and non-Indigenous minority racial groups had lower rates of treatment regardless of screening results; they were less likely both to self-report needs and to receive treatment if these needs were reported. Regional differences revealed higher treatment rates in Atlantic Canada and Ontario, as well as higher rates of inmates self-reporting needs on screening who did not receive treatment in the Atlantic, Québec, and Pacific regions. There were minimal differences between inmates of different age groups. Conclusions: Findings suggest potential resource gaps and/or differences in the performance of screening to detect mental health needs across demographic and regional groups. Screening did not narrow, and may have widened, differences between groups.
Multivesicular bodies mediate long-range retrograde NGF-TrkA signaling

The development of neurons in the peripheral nervous system is dependent on target-derived, long-range retrograde neurotrophic factor signals. The prevailing view is that target-derived nerve growth factor (NGF), the prototypical neurotrophin, and its receptor TrkA are carried retrogradely by early endosomes, which serve as TrkA signaling platforms in cell bodies. Here, we report that the majority of retrograde TrkA signaling endosomes in mouse sympathetic neurons are ultrastructurally and molecularly defined multivesicular bodies (MVBs). In contrast to MVBs that carry non-TrkA cargoes from distal axons to cell bodies, retrogradely transported TrkA+ MVBs that arrive in cell bodies evade lysosomal fusion and instead evolve into TrkA+ single-membrane vesicles that are signaling competent. Moreover, TrkA kinase activity associated with retrogradely transported TrkA+ MVBs determines TrkA+ endosome evolution and fate. Thus, MVBs deliver long-range retrograde NGF signals and serve as signaling and sorting platforms in the cell soma, and MVB cargoes dictate their vesicular fate.
The Power Mean Laplacian for Multilayer Graph Clustering

Multilayer graphs encode different kind of interactions between the same set of entities. When one wants to cluster such a multilayer graph, the natural question arises how one should merge the information different layers. We introduce in this paper a one-parameter family of matrix power means for merging the Laplacians from different layers and analyze it in expectation in the stochastic block model. We show that this family allows to recover ground truth clusters under different settings and verify this in real world data. While computing the matrix power mean can be very expensive for large graphs, we introduce a numerical scheme to efficiently compute its eigenvectors for the case of large sparse graphs.
Light intensity effects on performance, activity, leg disorders, and sudden death syndrome of roaster chickens.

The effects of light intensity on performance, activity, leg disorders and sudden death syndrome (SDS) of male chickens were examined in two experiments. In each experiment 5,600 1-day-old chicks were divided evenly between 8 light-proof floor pens and reared to 9 weeks of age on one of four light intensity treatments: . 5, 10, 20, and 30 1x in Experiment 1 and . 1, 1, 10, and 100 1x in Experiment 2. Light intensities less than 10 1x were phased in gradually by 3 weeks of age. Light intensity had no effect on 3, 6, or 9-week body weight, incidence of leg disorders, total mortality, or mortality due to SDS in either experiment (P greater than .05). Effects of light intensity on feed conversion and carcass quality were inconsistent across the two experiments. In both experiments chicken activity, as measured by the proportion of birds standing up of those present in a 2.25-m2 floor grid in each pen, decreased with age (P less than .01) and was influenced by a light intensity by age interaction (P less than .05). It was concluded that bright lighting (greater than or equal to 10 1x) was not effective in reducing the incidence of leg disorders or in altering the SDS mortality rate.
Understanding the molecular consequences of inherited muscular dystrophies: advancements through proteomic experimentation

ABSTRACT Introduction: Proteomic techniques offer insights into the molecular perturbations occurring in muscular-dystrophies (MD). Revisiting published datasets can highlight conserved downstream molecular alterations, which may be worth re-assessing to determine whether their experimental manipulation is capable of modulating disease severity. Areas covered: Here, we review the MD literature, highlighting conserved molecular insights warranting mechanistic investigation for therapeutic potential. We also describe a workflow currently proving effective for efficient identification of biomarkers & therapeutic targets in other neurodegenerative conditions, upon which future MD proteomic investigations could be modelled. Expert commentary: Studying disease models can be useful for identifying biomarkers and model specific degenerative cascades, but rarely offer translatable mechanistic insights into disease pathology. Conversely, direct analysis of human samples undergoing degeneration presents challenges derived from complex chronic degenerative molecular processes. This requires a carefully planed & reproducible experimental paradigm accounting for patient selection through to grouping by disease severity and ending with proteomic data filtering and processing.
Treatment of Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Disorder in a Large Survey Population

Abstract Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate treatment histories and outcomes in a large community sample of youth with Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS), and, where appropriate, to examine the impact of immune deficiency on treatment outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive internet-based survey was completed by parents or guardians of youth who had received physician diagnoses of PANS, or by young adults (age 18+) who had themselves been diagnosed by a physician (N = 698). Data regarding the treatment histories of these patients, including the variety of medical and psychological treatments employed and the caregiver- or self-reported response to each, are presented. Results: The PANS patients in this study had commonly been treated with antibiotic (N = 675), anti-inflammatory (N = 437), and/or psychotropic therapy (N = 378). Response to antibiotic treatment was best when treatment was relatively aggressive, with broad-spectrum antibiotics and courses of >30 days generally producing the best results (i.e., up to 52% of patients achieving a “very effective” response). For immune-deficient patients (caregiver-reported laboratory studies below normal limits; N = 108), use of broad-spectrum antibiotics appeared to be particularly desirable. Anti-inflammatory therapies, including over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen, were at least “somewhat effective” for most patients. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) had been used to treat PANS in 193 (28%) of the patients and was at least “somewhat effective” for 89%, although for 18% of these, the effect was not sustained. The highest rate of sustained response to IVIG treatment was seen in immune-deficient patients who received doses of at least 0.8 g/kg IVIG on a regular basis. Psychotropic medications, most commonly SSRIs (38% reported a trial), were commonly employed, but were often ineffective (e.g., 44% found SSRIs “somewhat” to “very effective”). Many patients (N = 473) had received some form of psychotherapy with some benefit, with cognitive behavioral therapy found to be at least somewhat effective in a majority of those treated with this modality. Conclusion: Among the PANS patients represented in this study, relatively aggressive treatment courses targeted at eradicating infection and modulating the inflammatory response appeared to provide the best caregiver-reported therapeutic results, and to be generally well tolerated. Given its relative efficacy and tolerability, treatment targeting the inflammatory response may represent an underutilized approach in this population. The results of this study should be considered in light of the limitations inherent in a self-selected and administered online survey.
Collective iterative allocation: Enabling fast and optimal group decision makingThe role of group knowledge, optimism, and decision policies in distributed coordination

A major challenge in the field of Multi-Agent Systems is to enable autonomous agents to allocate tasks efficiently. This paper extends previous work on an approach to the collective iterative allocation problem where a group of agents endeavours to find the best allocations possible through refinements of these allocations over time. For each iteration, each agent proposes an allocation based on its model of the problem domain, then one of the proposed allocations is selected and executed which enables us to assess if subsequent allocations should be refined. We offer an efficient algorithm capturing this process, and then report on theoretical and empirical results that analyse the role of three conditions in the performance of the algorithm: accuracy of agents' estimations of the performance of a task, the degree of optimism, and the type of group decision policy that determines which allocation is selected after each proposal phase.
Colon capsule versus computed tomography colonography for colorectal cancer screening in patients with positive fecal occult blood test who refuse colonoscopy: a randomized trial

Abstract Objective Some patients (10 % – 32 %) with a positive guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) do not undergo the recommended colonoscopy. The aim of this study was to compare video capsule endoscopy (VCE) and computed tomography colonography (CTC) in terms of participation rate and detection outcomes when offered to patients with a positive gFOBT who did not undergo the recommended colonoscopy. Methods An invitation letter offering CTC or VCE was sent to selected patients after randomization. Acceptance of the proposed (or alternative) procedure and procedure results were recorded. Sample size was evaluated according to the hypothesis of a 13 % increase of participation with VCE. Results A total of 756 patients were targeted. Following the invitation letter, 5.0 % (19/378) of patients underwent the proposed VCE and 7.4 % (28/378) underwent CTC, (P = 0.18). Following the letter, 9.8 % (37/378) of patients in the VCE group underwent a diagnostic procedure (19 VCE, 1 CTC, 17 colonoscopy) vs. 10.8 % in the CTC group (41/378: 28 CTC, 13 colonoscopy; P = 0.55). There were more potentially neoplastic lesions diagnosed in the VCE group than in the CTC group (12/20 [60.0 %] vs. 8/28 [28.6 %]; P = 0.04). Thus, 15/20 noninvasive procedures in the VCE group (19 VCE, 1 CTC; 75.0 %) vs. 10/28 in the CTC group (35.7 %; P = 0.01) resulted in a recommendation of further colonoscopy, but only 10/25 patients actually underwent this proposed colonoscopy. Conclusion Patients with a positive gFOBT result who do not undergo the recommended colonoscopy are difficult to recruit to the screening program and simply proposing an additional, less-invasive procedure, such as VCE or CTC, is not an effective strategy.
Relationship between preoperative axial length and myopic shift over 3 years after congenital cataract surgery with primary intraocular lens implantation at the National Institute of Ophthalmology of Peru, 2007–2011

Objective To determine the relationship between the preoperative axial length and the myopic shift over 3 years after congenital cataract surgery with primary intraocular lens implantation and other related factors. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, the axial length was measured and assigned into 2 groups (>21.5 mm and ≤21.5 mm), visual axis obscuration, laterality of cataract, age of surgery and follow-up time were assessed and compared to the myopic shift. Results The mean myopic shift was 3.6 (standard deviation [SD]: 2.3) diopters (D) in all patients; 3.2 (3.3) and 3.9 (3.2) D for each group respectively (p=0.359). In unilateral cataracts the mean myopic shift was 6.3 D and in bilateral cases was 3.0 D (p=0.001). In bilateral cataracts, the shift was 2.6 D (SD: 2.0) and 3.4 D (SD: 1.8), respectively (p=0.098). Conclusion There was no relationship between the initial axial length and the myopic shift in all patients. Unilateral cataracts had a greater myopic shift over 3 years.
Chronic effects of fumonisin B1 in broilers and turkeys fed dietary treatments to market age.

Floor pen studies were conducted with 270 broiler chicks and 144 turkey poults, all 1 wk old, to evaluate the chronic effects of fumonisin B1 (FB1). A completely randomized design was used in both studies with six pen replicates of 15 chicks or eight pen replicates of six poults assigned to each of three dietary treatments from Weeks 1 to 7 (broilers) or to Week 14 (turkeys). Fusarium moniliforme (M-1325) culture material was added to a typical corn-soybean basal diet to supply 0, 25, or 50 mg FB1/kg diet. Feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion of chicks were not affected (P > 0.05) by FB1. Turkeys fed 50 mg FB1/kg had significantly (P < 0.05) lower feed intake than the controls. Compared with controls, chicks and turkeys fed FB1 diets had significantly higher liver sphinganine to sphingosine ratios (P < 0.05). Relative organ weights of chicks were not affected (P > 0.05) by FB1, other than those chicks fed 25 mg FB1/kg, which had lower (P < 0.05) relative proventriculus weights than the chicks fed 0 or 50 mg FB1/kg. Broilers fed 50 mg FB1/kg had decreased serum calcium and increased serum chloride when compared to broilers fed 0 or 25 mg FB1/kg. Hematology was not affected (P > 0.05) by dietary FB1. No lesions were present in any organ examined microscopically. Results indicate that 50 mg FB1/kg diet is detrimental to turkeys but is not toxic to broilers fed to market age.
Avian Influenza A Viruses: Evolution and Zoonotic Infection

Abstract Although efficient human-to-human transmission of avian influenza virus has yet to be seen, in the past two decades avian-to-human transmission of influenza A viruses has been reported. Influenza A/H5N1, in particular, has repeatedly caused human infections associated with high mortality, and since 1998 the virus has evolved into many clades of variants with significant antigenic diversity. In 2013, three (A/H7N9, A/H6N1, and A/H10N8) novel avian influenza viruses (AIVs) breached the animal-human host species barrier in Asia. In humans, roughly 35% of A/H7N9-infected patients succumbed to the zoonotic infection, and two of three A/H10N8 human infections were also lethal; however, neither of these viruses cause influenza-like symptoms in poultry. While most of these cases were associated with direct contact with infected poultry, some involved sustained human-to-human transmission. Thus, these events elicited concern regarding potential AIV pandemics. This article reviews the human incursions associated with AIV variants and the potential role of pigs as an intermediate host that may hasten AIV evolution. In addition, we discuss the known influenza A virus virulence and transmission factors and their evaluation in animal models. With the growing number of human AIV infections, constant vigilance for the emergence of novel viruses is of utmost importance. In addition, careful characterization and pathobiological assessment of these novel variants will help to identify strains of particular concern for future pandemics.
Impact of Financial Incentives on Early and Late Adopters among US Hospitals: observational study

Abstract Objective To examine how hospitals that volunteered to be under financial incentives for more than a decade as part of the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration (early adopters) compared with similar hospitals where these incentives were implemented later under the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program (late adopters). Design Observational study. Setting 1189 hospitals in the USA (214 early adopters and 975 matched late adopters), using Hospital Compare data from 2003 through 2013. Participants 1 371 364 patients aged 65 years and older, using 100% Medicare claims. Main outcome measures Clinical process scores and 30 day mortality. Results Early adopters started from a slightly higher baseline of clinical process scores (92) than late adopters (90). Both groups reached a ceiling (98) a decade later. Starting from a similar baseline, just below 13%, early and late adopters did not have significantly (P=0.25) different mortality trends for conditions targeted by the program (0.05% point difference quarterly) or for conditions not targeted by the program (−0.02% point difference quarterly). Conclusions No evidence that hospitals that have been operating under pay for performance programs for more than a decade had better process scores or lower mortality than other hospitals was found. These findings suggest that even among hospitals that volunteered to participate in pay for performance programs, having additional time is not likely to turn pay for performance programs into a success in the future.
Watershed impacts of climate and land use changes depend on magnitude and land use context

Human population growth and urban development are affecting climate, land use, and the ecosystem services provided to society, including the supply of freshwater. We investigated the effects of land use and climate change on water resources in the Yadkin–Pee Dee River Basin of North Carolina, United States. Current and projected land uses were modeled at high resolution for three watersheds representing a forested to urban land use gradient by melding the National Land Cover Dataset with data from the U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis. Forecasts for 2051–2060 of regional land use and climate for scenarios of low (B2) and moderately high (A1B) rates of change, coupled with multiple global circulation models (MIROC, CSIRO, and Hadley), were used to inform a distributed ecohydrological model. Our results identified increases in water yields across the study watersheds, primarily due to forecasts of increased precipitation. Climate change was a more dominant factor for future water yield relative to land use change across all land uses (forested, urban, and mixed). When land use change was high (27% of forested land use was converted to urban development), it amplified the impacts of climate change on both the magnitude and timing of water yield. Our fine‐scale (30‐m) distributed combined modeling approach of land use and climate change identified changes in watershed hydrology at scales relevant for management, emphasizing the need for modeling efforts that integrate the effects of biophysical (climate) and social economic (land use) changes on the projection of future water resource scenarios.