Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Children: Etiology, Audiological Characteristics, and Treatment

The aim of this study was to evaluate audiological characteristics and parents’ opinions on hearing device use in children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USNHL) who attended a tertiary-level audiologic center. The medical charts of 70 children aged 6 to 12 years with USNHL were reviewed. In 51.4% of cases, the children were diagnosed with USNHL after the age of 2 years. The main causes of USNHL were congenital cytomegalovirus infection (21.4%) and unilateral cochlear nerve hypoplasia (12.9%). The percentage of patients wearing a hearing device was 45.7% (32/70); of these, 28 (87.5%) wore a conventional hearing aid, 2 (6.3%) a CROS device, and 2 (6.3%) a cochlear implant. Regarding the choice to use a hearing device, no significant differences were found between the subcategories of hearing loss degree (p = 0.55) and audiometric configuration (p = 0.54). Most parents of children with mild-to-severe USNHL observed improved attention (90.9%), and reduced fatigue and restlessness (86.4%) using the hearing aid. These children performed significantly better on all audiological tests (speech perception in quiet and in noise conditions, and sound localization) while wearing the hearing aid (p < 0.001). More efforts should be made to raise awareness among professionals and parents about the negative consequences of uncorrected USNHL.
Maximum Phosphorylation of the Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor at Serine-2809 by Protein Kinase A Produces Unique Modifications to Channel Gating and Conductance Not Observed at Lower Levels of Phosphorylation

It is suggested that protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation of cardiac ryanodine receptors (RyR2) is linked to the development of heart failure and the generation of fatal cardiac arrhythmias. It is also suggested that RyR2 is phosphorylated to 75% of maximum levels in heart failure resulting in leaky, unregulated channels gating in subconductance states. We now demonstrate that this is unlikely, as RyR2 isolated from nonfailing cardiac muscle is phosphorylated to 75% of maximum at serine-2809, and in this situation, RyR2 displays low open probability (Po) (0.059±0.010 [SEM]; n=30) and normal regulation of gating by Ca2+ and other ligands. However, when serine-2809 is PKA phosphorylated to maximum levels on RyR2, unique changes in channel behavior are observed. The channel displays enhanced single-channel conductance, very long open states causing large increases in Po, and no evidence of subconductance states. Dephosphorylation of channels by protein phosphatase 1 (from 75% to near 0% at serine-2809) also enhances RyR2 channel activity through abbreviation of closed lifetimes. We propose that channels phosphorylated to 75% of maximum at serine-2809 occupy a natural low point in the RyR2 activity landscape. This optimizes channel control, which can be accomplished either by enhanced or decreased phosphorylation, making the channel particularly sensitive to the kinase:phosphatase balance. Pathological situations such as heart failure might upset this balance and thereby permit prolonged stoichiometric phosphorylation of serine-2809, which would be required for dysregulation of SR Ca2+ release.
On the Use of Visual Cues during Visual-word Recognition

The vast majority of neural and computational models of visual-word recognition assume that lexical access is achieved via the activation of abstract letter identities. Thus, a word's overall shape should play no role in this process. In the present lexical decision experiment, we compared word-like pseudowords like viotín (same shape as its base word: violín) vs. viocín (different shape) in mature (college-aged skilled readers), immature (normally reading children), and immature/impaired (young readers with developmental dyslexia) word-recognition systems. Results revealed similar response times (and error rates) to consistent-shape and inconsistent-shape pseudowords for both adult skilled readers and normally reading children – this is consistent with current models of visual-word recognition. In contrast, young readers with developmental dyslexia made significantly more errors to viotín-like pseudowords than to viocín-like pseudowords. Thus, unlike normally reading children, young readers with developmental dyslexia are sensitive to a word's visual cues, presumably because of poor letter representations. The process of learning to read in alphabetic languages is commonly regarded as evolving from an initial stage in which peripheral visual features alone (e.g.,) produce semantic activation to a more efficient letter-based reading stage in which visual-word recognition is mediated by abstract letter representations (e. Current neural, biologically plausible, proposals of how letters and words are processed involve the activation of the word's abstract letter representations, regardless of their visual characteristics (i.e., would activate the letter detectors corresponding to the abstract letter unit ''a''; 2008). Likewise, the most influential computational models of visual-word recognition and reading assume that the process of visual-word identification is based on the activation of the abstract letter representations rather than on peripheral visual cues such as a word's outline shape (e.g., spatial coding model, Davis, 2010). A conclusive demonstration that the cognitive system rapidly converts the visual characteristics of the words to abstract representations comes from masked priming experiments – note that this technique taps into the early stages of word processing for early empirical evidence using other procedures). In an influential study, Bowers, Vigliocco, and Haan (1998) found that the magnitude of the masked identity priming effect in lexical decision and semantic categorization for adult skilled readers, relative to an unrelated priming condition, was equivalent for pairs that were nominally and physically the same (e.g., kiss-KISS) and for pairs that were nominally the same but physically different (edge-EDGE) (see also Dehaene et al., 2003, for a parallel finding using fMRI). Likewise, in a …
The Complexity of Satisfiability for Fragments of CTL and CTL*

The satisfiability problems for and are known to be EXPTIME-complete, resp. 2EXPTIME-complete (Fischer and Ladner (1979), Vardi and Stockmeyer (1985)). For fragments that use less temporal or propositional operators, the complexity may decrease. This paper undertakes a systematic study of satisfiability for -and -formulae over restricted sets of propositional and temporal operators. We show that restricting the temporal operators yields satisfiability problems complete for 2EXPTIME, EXPTIME, PSPACE, and NP. Restricting the propositional operators either does not change the complexity (as determined by the temporal operators), or yields very low complexity like NC1, TC0, or NLOGTIME.
International Journal of Computer Mathematics Block Preconditioning for Saddle Point Systems with Indefinite (1, 1) Block Block Preconditioning for Saddle Point Systems with Indefinite (1, 1) Block

This article maybe used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. We investigate the solution of linear systems of saddle point type with an indefinite (1, 1) block by preconditioned iterative methods. Our main focus is on block matrices arising from eigenvalue problems in incompressible fluid dynamics. A block triangular preconditioner based on an augmented Lagrangian formulation is shown to result in fast convergence of the GMRES iteration for a wide range of problem and algorithm parameters. Some theoretical estimates for the eigenvalues of the preconditioned matrices are given. Inexact variants of the preconditioner are also considered.
Widening and High Inclination of the Middle Cerebral Artery Bifurcation Are Associated With Presence of Aneurysms

Background and Purpose— The middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcation is a preferred site for aneurysm formation. Wider bifurcation angles have been correlated with increased risk of aneurysm formation. We hypothesized a link between the presence of MCA aneurysms and the angle morphology of the bifurcation. Methods— Three-dimensional rotational angiography volumes of 146 MCA bifurcations (62 aneurysmal) were evaluated for angle morphology: parent–daughter angles (larger daughter Ф1, smaller daughter Ф2), bifurcation angle (Ф1+Ф2), and inclination angle (&ggr;) between the parent vessel axis and the plane determined by daughter vessel axes. Statistics were evaluated using Wilcoxon rank-sum analysis and area under the receiver operator characteristic curve. Results— Aneurysmal bifurcations had wider inclination angle &ggr; (median 57.8° versus 15.4°; P<0.0001). Seventy-five percent of aneurysmal MCAs had &ggr; >10°, compared with 25% nonaneurysmal. Ф1 and Ф2, but especially Ф1+Ф2, were significantly larger in aneurysmal bifurcations (median 171.3° versus 98.1°; P<0.0001). Sixty-seven percent of aneurysmal bifurcations had Ф1+Ф2 >161°, compared with 0% nonaneurysmal MCAs. An optimal threshold of 140° was established for Ф1+Ф2 (area under the curve, 0.98). Sixty-eight percent of aneurysms originated off the daughter branches. Seventy-six percent of them originated off the branch with the largest branching angle, specifically if this was the smaller daughter branch. Wider Ф1+Ф2 correlated with aneurysm neck width, but not dome size. Conclusions— MCA bifurcations harboring aneurysms have significantly larger branching angles and more often originate off the branch with the largest angle. Wider inclination angle is strongly correlated with aneurysm presence, a novel finding. The results point to altered wall shear stress regulation as a possible factor in aneurysm development and progression.
Dynein Is a Transient Kinetochore Component Whose Binding Is Regulated by Microtubule Attachment, Not Tension

Cytoplasmic dynein is the only known kinetochore protein capable of driving chromosome movement toward spindle poles. In grasshopper spermatocytes, dynein immunofluorescence staining is bright at prometaphase kinetochores and dimmer at metaphase kinetochores. We have determined that these differences in staining intensity reflect differences in amounts of dynein associated with the kinetochore. Metaphase kinetochores regain bright dynein staining if they are detached from spindle microtubules by micromanipulation and kept detached for 10 min. We show that this increase in dynein staining is not caused by the retraction or unmasking of dynein upon detachment. Thus, dynein genuinely is a transient component of spermatocyte kinetochores. We further show that microtubule attachment, not tension, regulates dynein localization at kinetochores. Dynein binding is extremely sensitive to the presence of microtubules: fewer than half the normal number of kinetochore microtubules leads to the loss of most kinetochoric dynein. As a result, the bulk of the dynein leaves the kinetochore very early in mitosis, soon after the kinetochores begin to attach to microtubules. The possible functions of this dynein fraction are therefore limited to the initial attachment and movement of chromosomes and/or to a role in the mitotic checkpoint.
Word Representations in Factored Neural Machine Translation

Translation into a morphologically rich language requires a large output vocabulary to model various morphological phenomena, which is a challenge for neural machine translation architectures. To address this issue, the present paper investigates the impact of having two output factors with a system able to generate separately two distinct representations of the target words. Within this framework, we investigate several word representations that correspond to different distributions of morpho-syntactic information across both factors. We report experiments for translation from English into two morphologically rich languages, Czech and Latvian, and show the importance of explicitly modeling target morphology.
Extremal Infinite Overlap-Free Binary Words

Let t be the innite xed point, starting with 1, of the morphism :0 ! 01, 1! 10. An innite word overf0; 1g is said to be overlap-free if it contains no factor of the form axaxa, where a2f 0 ; 1gand x2f 0 ; 1g. We prove that the lexicographically least innite overlap-free binary word beginning with any specied prex, if it exists, has a sux which is a sux of t. In particular, the lexicographically least innite overlap-free binary word is 001001t.
Validation of a French version of the Sleep Condition Indicator: a clinical screening tool for insomnia disorder according to DSM‐5 criteria

Insomnia disorder is frequent in the population, yet there is no French screening instrument available that is based on the updated DSM‐5 criteria. We evaluated the validity and reliability of the French version of an insomnia screening instrument based on DSM‐5 criteria, the Sleep Condition Indicator, in a population‐based sample of adults. A total of 366 community‐dwelling participants completed a face‐to‐face clinical interview to determine insomnia disorder against DSM‐5 criteria and several questionnaires including the French Sleep Condition Indicator version. Three‐hundred and twenty‐nine participants completed the Sleep Condition Indicator again after 1 month. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the reliability, construct validity, divergent validity and temporal stability of the French translation of the Sleep Condition Indicator. In addition, an explanatory factor analysis was performed to assess the underlying structure. The internal consistency (α = 0.87) and temporal stability (r = 0.86, P < 0.001) of the French Sleep Condition Indicator were high. When using the previously defined cut‐off value of ≤ 16, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.93 with a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 75%. Additionally, good construct and divergent validity were demonstrated. The factor analyses showed a two‐factor structure with a focus on sleep and daytime effects. The French version of the Sleep Condition Indicator demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties while being a useful instrument in detecting cases of insomnia disorder, consistent with features of DSM‐5, in the general population.
Effect of dexmedetomidine on bleeding during tympanoplasty or septorhinoplasty

Background and objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dexmedetomidine, an &agr;2‐adrenoceptor agonist, on intraoperative bleeding, anaesthetic drug requirement and postoperative pain. Methods: Forty patients scheduled for elective tympanoplasty and septorhinoplasty operations under general anaesthesia were included in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either a dexmedetomidine 1 &mgr;g kg−1 bolus 10 min before induction of anaesthesia plus 0.5 &mgr;g kg−1 h−1 infusions during maintenance or placebo. Mean arterial pressure was maintained between 60 and 80 mmHg. Perioperative mean arterial pressure, heart rate, time to extubation and time to awakening were recorded. Bleeding during surgery was assessed by the surgeon, blinded to the study drugs, both intraoperatively and postoperatively as a final personal opinion about the whole surgical process. Results: The heart rate and mean arterial pressure were significantly lower during induction, operation and extubation in the dexmedetomidine group (P < 0.05). Blood losses were lower in the dexmedetomidine group (P < 0.05). Propofol dose required for induction, and fentanyl and isoflurane consumption were significantly reduced in the dexmedetomidine group (P < 0.05). The total amounts of nitroglycerin and meperidine used were higher in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine decreased bleeding, postoperative analgesic requirements and intraoperative anaesthetic requirements and was associated with more stable haemodynamic responses to anaesthesia. We conclude that dexmedetomidine is a useful adjuvant to decrease bleeding when a bloodless surgical field is requested.
An analysis technique for transitive closure algorithms: a statistical approach

A novel experimental procedure, based on a standard statistical estimation procedure, is presented to estimate the performance of transitive closure algorithms. This experimental procedure has been exemplified in three contexts: (1) comparison of a suite of algorithms: (2) analysis of one particular algorithm; and (3) analysis of the transitive closure problem itself. It is shown that the number of duplicate edges generated (by most algorithms) can be more than ten times the size of the transitive closure, even for small graphs. The majority of these duplicates are due to the existence of strongly connected components in the graph. This experimental approach can be generalized to estimate various performance metrics for a large class of database queries. It is both simple and general and provides the necessary ingredients for a guess-and-verify paradigm of testing hypotheses. <<ETX>>
Distribution of Semantic Features Across Speech & Gesture by Humans and Machines

Introduction Participants in face-to-face dialogue have available to them information from a variety of modalities that can help them to understand what is being communicated by a speaker. While much of the information is conveyed by the speaker's choice of words, his/her intonational patterns, facial expressions and gestures also reflect the semantic and pragmatic content of the intended message. In many cases, different modalities serve to reinforce one another, as when intonation contours serve to mark the most important word in an utterance, or when a speaker aligns the most effortful part of gestures with intonational prominences (Kendon, 1972). In other cases, semantic and pragmatic attributes of the message are distributed across the modalities such that the full communicative intentions of the speaker are interpreted by combining linguistic and para-linguistic information. For example, a deictic gesture accompanying the spoken words "that folder" may substitute for an expression that encodes all of the necessary information in the speech channel, such as "the folder on top of the stack to the left of my computer. " Deictic gestures may provide the canonical example of the distribution of semantic information across the speech and gestural modalities but iconic gestures also demonstrate this propensity. Most discussed in the literature is the fact that gesture can represent the point of view of the speaker when this is not necessarily conveyed by speech (Cassell & McNeill, 1991). An iconic gesture can represent the speaker's point of view as observer of the action, such as when the hand represents a rabbit hopping along across the field of vision of the speaker while the speaker says "I saw him hop along". An iconic gesture can also represent the speaker's point of view as participant in the action, such as when the hand represents a hand with a crooked finger beckoning someone to come closer, while the speaker says "The woman beckoned to her friend". However, information may also be distributed across modalities at the level of lexical items. For example, one might imagine the expression "she walked to the park" being replaced by the expression "she went to the park" with an accompanying walking gesture (i.e. two fingers pointed towards the ground moving back and forth in opposite directions). In cases where a word exists that appears to describe the situation (such as "walk" in the above example), why does a speaker choose to use a less informative word …
The Association of Anticoagulation Intensity with Outcomes in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk is increased in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A key question was whether increased intensity of anticoagulation would help prevent VTE and improve patient outcomes, including transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality. At the start of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, our institution, Boston Medical Center, instituted a VTE risk stratification protocol based on patients' initial D-dimer levels, medical history, and presence of thrombosis to determine whether they should receive standard-dose prophylaxis, high-dose prophylaxis, or therapeutic anticoagulation. We performed a retrospective observational cohort study examining the association of degree of anticoagulation with outcomes in 915 hospitalized COVID-19 patients hospitalized initially on the general inpatient wards between March 1,, 2020, and June 1, 2020. Patients directly hospitalized in the ICU were excluded. Most, 813 patients (89%), in our cohort were on standard-dose prophylaxis; 32 patients (3.5%) received high-dose prophylaxis; 70 patients (7.7%), were treated with therapeutic anticoagulation. VTE occurred in 45 patients (4.9%), and the overall in-hospital mortality rate was 5.4% (49 deaths). On multivariable analysis of clinical outcomes in relation to type of anticoagulation, in the high-dose prophylaxis group, there was a trend towards increased in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 2.4 (0.8–7.5, 95% CI)) and increased ICU transfer (odds ratio 2.2 (0.9-5.7, 95% CI)). Our results suggest that patients receiving high-dose prophylaxis had more severe disease that was not mitigated by intermediate-dose anticoagulation.
Ecogeomorphic Feedbacks that Grow Deltas

Coastal river deltas are complex and dynamic ecosystems where vegetation plays an essential role in influencing, as well as being influenced by, physical processes, creating ecogeomorphic feedbacks between vegetation canopy characteristics and topography. However, this feedback is poorly understood. This knowledge gap is due to difficulties in detecting and quantifying the interactions that define the feedback. Emerging technology and data analysis techniques like transfer entropy have made it possible to overcome former difficulties associated with sampling constraints and delineate bidirectional feedback within many vegetation classes at the delta scale. Here the transfer entropy analysis was consistent with widespread understanding of marsh zonation, yet produced additional insight into which vegetation classes specifically had a dominant impact on topographic change. Ecogeomorphic feedback was resolvable only within native vegetation classes (Nelumbo and Polygonum) that occur over low to moderate elevations within the Wax Lake Delta Louisiana. In contrast, nonnative vegetation classes (Colocasia and Eichhornia) were not as effective at accreting sediment as native classes. The transfer entropy analysis suggests that different vegetation communities play functionally different roles in landscape evolution that should be differentiated in ecogeomorphic models. Within such models, it would be most imperative to resolve detailed flow characteristics at lower to low‐middle island elevations. Furthermore, within elevation zones, it is likely important to differentiate between the roles of multiple vegetation communities rather than treating the entire elevation zone as a single ecogeomorphic entity.