Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Obesity and Atrial Fibrillation: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology and Novel Therapeutic Opportunities

Obesity is already a major global public health issue, implicated in a vast array of conditions affecting multiple body systems. It is now also firmly established as an independent risk factor in the incidence and progression of AF. The rapidly rising morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs associated with AF despite implementation of the three pillars of AF management — anticoagulation, rate control and rhythm control — suggest other strategies need to be considered. Compelling data has unveiled novel insights into adipose tissue biology and its effect on arrhythmogenesis while secondary prevention strategies targeting obesity as part of a comprehensive risk factor management programme have been demonstrated to be highly effective. Here, the authors review the epidemiological basis of the obesity—AF relationship, consider its underlying pathophysiology and discuss new therapeutic opportunities on the horizon.
A General Framework for Endowment Effects in Combinatorial Markets

The endowment effect, coined by Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler, posits that people tend to inflate the value of items they own. This bias has been traditionally studied mainly using experimental methodology. Recently, Babaioff, Dobzinski and Oren (2018) proposed a specific formulation of the endowment effect in combinatorial markets, and showed that the existence of Walrasian equilibrium with respect to the endowed valuations (referred to as endowment equilibrium) extends from gross substitutes to submodular valuations, but provably fails to extend to more general valuations, like XOS. We propose to harness the endowment effect further. To this end, we introduce a framework that captures a wide range of formulations of the endowment effect. Our framework is based on two principles, namely loss aversion and separability. The loss aversion principle asserts that people tend to prefer avoiding losses to acquiring equivalent gains. The separability principle asserts that the marginal contribution of unendowed items remains intact. We give a characterization of endowment effects satisfying these two principles. With this characterization at hand, we equip our framework with a partial order over endowment effect formulations, which (partially) ranks them from weak to strong, and provide algorithms for computing endowment equilibria with high welfare for sufficiently strong endowment effects, as well as non-existence results for weaker ones. Our main results are the following: 1) For markets with XOS valuations, we provide an algorithm that, for any sufficiently strong endowment effect, given an arbitrary initial allocation S, returns an endowment equilibrium with at least as much welfare as in S. In particular, the socially optimal allocation can be supported in an endowment equilibrium; moreover, every such endowment equilibrium gives at least half of the optimal social welfare. Evidently, the negative result of Babaioff et al. for XOS markets is an artifact of their specific formulation. 2) For markets with arbitrary valuations, we show that bundling leads to a sweeping positive result. In particular, if items can be prepacked into indivisible bundles, we provide an algorithm that, for a wide range of endowment effects, given an arbitrary initial allocation S, computes an endowment equilibrium with at least as much welfare as in S. The algorithm runs in polynomial time with a polynomial number of value (resp., demand) queries for submodular (resp., general) valuations. This result is essentially a black-box reduction from the computation of an approximately-optimal endowment equilibrium with bundling to the algorithmic problem of welfare approximation.
Skilled Action and the Double Life of Intention

In bodily intentional action, an agent exercises control over her bodily behavior. An important part of the explanation of this involves a mental state of commitment to an action plan—that is, the agent’s intention. The agent’s intention (or its acquisition) initiates the action, and the continuance of the intention throughout the unfolding action plays important causal roles in sustaining and guiding the action to completion. But the agent’s intention is not the only mental state operative in bodily intentional action. Recent work has emphasized important roles for lower-level states as well: so-called motor representations (Decety et al. 1994, Pacherie 2008). These lower-level states specify movement details and movement outcomes in ways that respect fine-grained biomechanical and temporal constraints upon intention satisfaction. Butterfill and Sinigaglia (2014) have argued that in so doing motor representations are far from “philosophically irrelevant enabling conditions” (120). Rather, motor representations ‘ground the directedness of actions to outcomes’ (124). But, according to Butterfill and Sinigaglia, it is not clear how they do so. For they argue that intentions and motor representations have different representational formats. Intentions have a propositional format, and as such integrate with states and processes involved in practical reasoning. Motor representations have a “distinctively motor, non-propositional format” (120). This generates a problem. Butterfill and Sinigaglia explain:
Eye Movements , Strabismus , Amblyopia and Neuro-Ophthalmology Retinal Microvasculature in Amblyopic Children and the Quantitative Relationship Between Retinal Perfusion and Thickness

Wuhe Chen, Jiangtao Lou, Frank Thorn, Yingjie Wang, Jieli Mao, Qingya Wang, and Xinping Yu School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
When a robot teaches humans: Automated feedback selection accelerates motor learning

Automated feedback selection focusing on the dominant error accelerated motor learning in robot-assisted rowing training. A multitude of robotic systems have been developed to foster motor learning. Some of these robotic systems featured augmented visual or haptic feedback, which was automatically adjusted to the trainee’s performance. However, selecting the type of feedback to achieve the training goal usually remained up to a human trainer. We automated this feedback selection within a robotic rowing simulator: Four spatial errors and one velocity error were considered, all related to trunk-arm sweep rowing set as the training goal to be learned. In an alternating sequence of assessments without augmented feedback and training sessions with augmented, concurrent feedback, the experimental group received feedback, thus addressing the main shortcoming of the previous assessment. With this approach, each participant of the experimental group received an individual sequence of 10 training sessions with feedback. The training sequences from participants in the experimental group were consecutively applied for participants in the control group. Both groups were able to reduce spatial and velocity errors due to training. The learning rate of the requested velocity profile was significantly higher for the experimental group compared with the control group. Thus, our robotic rowing simulator accelerated motor learning by automated feedback selection. This demonstration of a working, closed-loop selection of types of feedback, i.e., training conditions, could serve as the basis for other robotic trainers incorporating further human expertise and artificial intelligence.
Associations Between Sleep Disturbance and Chronic Pain Intensity and Function

Objectives: Sleep disturbance and chronic pain are related. The present study evaluated both direct and indirect (mediated) pathways through which sleep disturbance might be related to chronic pain intensity and function. Methods: In total, 87 individuals (64% female) with chronic low back pain but not using opioids daily completed questionnaires assessing their sleep disturbance, chronic pain intensity, function, depression, anxiety, positive affect, and catastrophizing. Results: Greater sleep disturbance was associated with greater pain intensity, worse function, greater emotional distress, lower positive affect, and higher levels of catastrophizing. Cross-sectional mediation analyses revealed that the positive associations between sleep disturbance and chronic pain intensity were conveyed statistically not only by significant indirect effects of elevated emotional distress, lower positive affect, and greater catastrophizing associated with sleep disturbance, but also by significant direct effects of sleep disturbance on chronic pain intensity. Similarly, we found that the associations between sleep disturbance and impaired function were conveyed statistically not only by significant indirect effects of elevated chronic pain intensity associated with sleep disturbance, but also by significant direct effects of sleep disturbance on function. Discussion: Sleep disturbance was related significantly with chronic pain intensity and function by both direct and indirect pathways. These results are consistent with an emerging literature highlighting the potential significance of sleep disturbance in chronic pain patients, and provide further support for addressing sleep disturbance in the assessment and management of chronic pain.
Mapping quantitative trait loci for water uptake of rice under aerobic conditions

ABSTRACT Root development in rice (Oryza sativa L.) plays a key role in water uptake (WU) and water use efficiency (WUE) in water-saving technologies such as aerobic cultivation. Traits that contribute to root development are controlled by many complex quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Understanding the genetic mechanisms of root traits related to WUE is strategic in breeding for aerobic cultivation. Here, we mapped QTLs for root traits in double haploid lines derived from a cross between a japonica paddy rice, Koshihikari, and a japonica upland rice, Sensho. Under aerobic conditions, we detected 22 QTLs for various root and shoot traits in 2015, and 8 in 2017. WU and WUE QTLs derived from Sensho with high additive effects were detected on chromosomes 1, 6 and 10. QTLs for traits associated with WU were mapped in the same regions, forming clusters. The QTL clustering suggests inheritance as a unit and combined overall effect on plant growth, root architecture and WU, which consequently influences WUE. Evaluation of selected lines for phenotypic performance based on genotype in the QTL clusters showed that WUE of DH3, with the Sensho genotype in all cluster regions, was not significantly reduced under aerobic conditions. These results found increased WUE with increased WU by enhanced root traits, such as root length (RL), root surface area (RSA) and root volume (RV), can be obtained without incurring biomass trade-offs. Co-localization of identified QTLs for these traits may be exploited in marker-assisted breeding to develop novel high yielding varieties for aerobic cultivation. GRAPHICAL abstract
Ten key reasons for continuing research on pharmacotherapy for post-stroke aphasia

ABSTRACT Background: Aphasia is a devastating disorder occurring in more than 30% of stroke victims. Speech and language therapy (SLT) is the treatment of choice for post-stroke aphasia (PSA) in acute and chronic periods, yet benefits are limited and gains in several language domains are not always translated to both untreated deficits and functional communication. Therefore, pharmacotherapy and non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) are increasingly used to augment and accelerate gains promoted by SLT, but with different integration and use in clinical practice. Mostly owing to practical reasons, NIBS is receiving more attention and research than pharmacological interventions as adjunctive treatments for aphasia, possibly diminishing the already scarce research on drug treatment for PSA. Aims: This review addresses ten still unsolved or unaddressed key topics for progressing in the investigation of pharmacotherapy for PSA. Main contribution: Ten important reasons for continuing investigation in the pharmacotherapy of PSA are outlined. The use of drugs alone and combined with SLT, NIBS or both is emphasised together with recommendations for future research. Conclusions: A small number of “proof of concept” studies have shown that pharmacotherapy provides benefits in persons with PSA. The extant evidence, though limited, suggests that modulating the activity of neurotransmitter systems with pharmacological interventions is a promising strategy for ameliorating language and communication deficits in PSA. Further research on these issues as well as on the potential role of drug treatment in non-verbal cognitive, neuropsychiatric and quality of life impairments accompanying PSA is warranted.
Stochastic Ion Acceleration by the Ion-cyclotron Instability in a Growing Magnetic Field

Using 1D and 2D particle-in-cell simulations of a plasma with a growing magnetic field , we show that ions can be stochastically accelerated by the ion-cyclotron (IC) instability. As grows, an ion pressure anisotropy arises due to the adiabatic invariance of the ion magnetic moment ( and p⊥,i are the ion pressures parallel and perpendicular to ). When initially βi = 0.5 ( , where pi is the ion isotropic pressure), the pressure anisotropy is limited mainly by inelastic pitch-angle scattering provided by the IC instability, which in turn produces a nonthermal tail in the ion energy spectrum. After is amplified by a factor of ∼2.7, this tail can be approximated as a power law of index ∼3.4 plus two nonthermal bumps and accounts for 2%–3% of the ions and ∼18% of their kinetic energy. On the contrary, when initially βi = 2, the ion scattering is dominated by the mirror instability, and the acceleration is suppressed. This implies that efficient ion acceleration requires that initially, βi ≲ 1. Although we focus on cases where is amplified by plasma shear, we check that the acceleration occurs similarly if grows due to plasma compression. Our results are valid in a subrelativistic regime where the ion thermal energy is ∼10% of the ion rest-mass energy. This acceleration process can thus be relevant in the inner region of low-luminosity accretion flows around black holes.
An Empirical Study of the Measurement and Instrument Validation of Perceived Strategy Value of Information Systems

A number of frameworks have been proposed to study the competitive use of information systems. While these frameworks help in the choice of information systems to provide strategic use, the approval and funding of these systems depends solely on the business justification and strategic value of these applications as perceived by top management. The perception of strategic value of information systems (PSVIS) by top management is conceptualized as ii) an operational support type, ii) a managerial productivity enhancement type, and iii) a strategic decision aid type. An instrument was developed and validated to measure PSVIS. The instrument was associated with good reliability, convergent and discriminant validity values. The PSVIS constructs were also shown to be unidimensional using the limited factor analysis approach.
Multi-line Herschel/HIFI observations of water reveal infall motions and chemical segregation around high-mass protostars

Context. The physical conditions during high-mass star formation are poorly understood. Outflow and infall motions have been detected around massive protostellar objects, but their dependence on mass, luminosity, and age is unclear. In addition, physical conditions and molecular abundances are often estimated using simple assumptions such as spherical shape and chemical homogeneity, which may limit the accuracy of the results. Aims. We aim to characterize the dust and gas distribution and kinematics of the envelopes of high-mass protostars. In particular, we search for infall motions, abundance variations, and deviations from spherical symmetry, using Herschel data from the WISH program. Methods. We used HIFI maps of the 987 GHz H2O 202–111 emission to measure the sizes and shapes of 19 high-mass protostellar envelopes. To identify infall, we used HIFI spectra of the optically thin C18O 9–8 and H218O 111–000 lines. The high-J C18O line traces the warm central material and redshifted H218O 111–000 absorption indicates material falling onto the warm core. We probe small-scale chemical differentiation by comparing H2O 752 and 987 GHz spectra with those of H218O. Results. Our measured radii of the central part of the H2O 202–111 emission are 30–40% larger than the predictions from spherical envelope models, and axis ratios are <2, which we consider good agreement. For 11 of the 19 sources, we find a significant redshift of the H218O 111–000 line relative to C18O 9–8. The inferred infall velocities are 0.6–3.2 km s−1, and estimated mass inflow rates range from 7 × 10−5 to 2 × 10−2 M⊙ yr−1. The highest mass inflow rates seem to occur toward the sources with the highest masses, and possibly the youngest ages. The other sources show either expanding motions or H218O lines in emission. The H218O 111–000 line profiles are remarkably similar to the differences between the H2O 202–111 and 211–202 profiles, suggesting that the H218O line and the H2O 202–111 absorption originate just inside the radius where water evaporates from grains, typically 1000–5000 au from the center. In some sources, the H218O line is detectable in the outflow, where no C18O emission is seen. Conclusions. Together, the H218O absorption and C18O emission profiles show that the water abundance around high-mass protostars has at least three levels: low in the cool outer envelope, high within the 100 K radius, and very high in the outflowing gas. Thus, despite the small regions, the combination of lines presented in this work reveals systematic inflows and chemical information about the outflows.
High-dimensional econometrics and regularized GMM

This chapter presents key concepts and theoretical results for analyzing estimation and inference in high-dimensional models. High-dimensional models are characterized by having a number of unknown parameters that is not vanishingly small relative to the sample size. We first present results in a framework where estimators of parameters of interest may be represented directly as approximate means. Within this context, we review fundamental results including high-dimensional central limit theorems, bootstrap approximation of high-dimensional limit distributions, and moderate deviation theory. We also review key concepts underlying inference when many parameters are of interest such as multiple testing with family-wise error rate or false discovery rate control. We then turn to a general high-dimensional minimum distance framework with a special focus on generalized method of moments problems where we present results for estimation and inference about model parameters. The presented results cover a wide array of econometric applications, and we discuss several leading special cases including high-dimensional linear regression and linear instrumental variables models to illustrate the general results.
The Titrated Monetary Incentive Delay Task: Sensitivity, convergent and divergent validity, and neural correlates in an RDoC sample

ABSTRACT Introduction: Neuropsychological tests are designed to assay brain function via performance measurements. Many tests corresponding to visual and motor cortex function have been validated. Tests probing reward circuitry, including the ventral striatum (VS), could benefit assessment of numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders in which reward or VS function is disturbed. The present study sought to examine convergent and divergent validity of our modified, titrated version of the Monetary Incentive Delay Task, such that it may in the future stand as a validated neuropsychological test for reward function. Method: Participants were 132 individuals with a history of mood disturbance (HMD) and 43 healthy comparisons, ages 18–30 years. In addition to a standard neuropsychological battery and symptom measures, participants completed a modified version of the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (T-MIDT) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which involved a multistage titration procedure to incrementally increase or decrease the response window time per each participant’s psychomotor speed and optimize individual performance. Results: Across groups after titration, performance on the T-MIDT diverged from measures of processing speed, attention, and spatial working memory, but not inhibitory control. Performance in the HMD group was differentially correlated with executive function measures before and after titration. The reward circuit (e.g., subcortical, insular, medial prefrontal) was activated during reward anticipation. Conclusion: The present findings provide preliminary evidence that the T-MIDT measures a construct distinct from many executive functions and that individualized titration of the task parameters is critical in parsing reward from executive function. The T-MIDT correlated with residual mood symptoms in individuals with remitted depression or bipolar disorder, implying that behavioral or brain activation group differences are only to be observed in the active state of illness.
Renal Angiomyolipoma: What the Radiologist Needs to Know

Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is the most common benign solid renal neoplasm seen in daily clinical practice, with an estimated prevalence of 0.2% to 0.6%. 1 It is a triphasic mesenchymal neoplasm composed of varying amounts of dysmorphic vasculature, smooth muscle, and mature adipocytes. Pathologically, AML is now considered among the family of perivascular epithelioid cell tumors. Approximately 80% of cases are sporadic, with mean age at presentation being 43 years and most cases identified at fourth to sixth decades of life. There is also a strong female predilection, with female-to-male ratio of 4:1 in sporadic cases.1 Twenty percent of cases are associated with tuberous sclerosis (TS). Of note, AMLs may also be found in patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis. AMLs are often found incidentally in imaging done for other purposes, but if symptomatic, they present most frequently with retroperitoneal hemorrhage, which can be fatal. The shock due to severe hemorrhage from rupture has been described in the literature as Wunderlich syndrome. Patients may present with multiple other symptoms and signs, including palpable mass, flank pain, hematuria, or renal failure. Although AML is almost always benign, a rare potentially malignant variant named epithelioid angiomyolipoma is described, which may mimic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). 2