julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Physical Function of RA patients tapering treatment: A Post-Hoc Analysis of the Randomized Controlled RETRO Trial
2023-04-27

Several studies have shown that tapering or stopping disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in sustained remission is feasible. However, tapering/stopping bears the risk of decline in physical function as some patients may relapse and face increased disease activity. Here we analysed the impact of tapering or stopping DMARD treatment on the physical function of RA patients. The study was a posthoc analysis of physical functional worsening for 282 patients with RA in sustained remission tapering and stopping DMARD treatment in the prospective randomized RETRO study. HAQ and DAS-28 scores were determined in baseline samples of patients continuing DMARD (arm 1), tapering their dose by 50% (arm 2), or stopping after tapering (arm 3). Patients were followed over 1 year, and HAQ and DAS-28 scores were evaluated every 3 months. The effect of treatment reduction strategy on functional worsening was assessed in a recurrent-event Cox regression model with a study-group (control, taper, taper/stop) as the predictor. 282 patients were analysed. In 58 patients, functional worsening was observed. The incidences suggest a higher probability of functional worsening in patients tapering and/or stopping DMARDs, which is likely due to higher relapse rates in these individuals. At the end of the study, however, functional worsening was similar among the groups. &#x0D; Point estimates and survival curves show that functional decline after tapering or stopping DMARDs in RA patients with stable remission is small and related to relapses but to on overall functional decline.
Combining virtual reality and tactile stimulation to investigate embodied finger-based numerical representations
2023-04-27

Finger-based representation of numbers is a high-level cognitive strategy to assist numerical and arithmetic processing in children and adults. It is unclear whether this paradigm builds on simple perceptual features or comprises several attributes through embodiment. Here we describe the development and initial testing of an experimental setup to study embodiment during a finger-based numerical task using Virtual Reality (VR) and a low-cost tactile stimulator that is easy to build. Using VR allows us to create new ways to study finger-based numerical representation using a virtual hand that can be manipulated in ways our hand cannot, such as decoupling tactile and visual stimuli. The goal is to present a new methodology that can allow researchers to study embodiment through this new approach, maybe shedding new light on the cognitive strategy behind the finger-based representation of numbers. In this case, a critical methodological requirement is delivering precisely targeted sensory stimuli to specific effectors while simultaneously recording their behavior and engaging the participant in a simulated experience. We tested the device’s capability by stimulating users in different experimental configurations. Results indicate that our device delivers reliable tactile stimulation to all fingers of a participant’s hand without losing motion tracking quality during an ongoing task. This is reflected by an accuracy of over 95% in participants detecting stimulation of a single finger or multiple fingers in sequential stimulation as indicated by experiments with sixteen participants. We discuss possible application scenarios, explain how to apply our methodology to study the embodiment of finger-based numerical representations and other high-level cognitive functions, and discuss potential further developments of the device based on the data obtained in our testing.
The Limits of Judicial Reforms: How and Why China Failed to Centralize Its Court System
2023-04-28

Abstract This article investigates the implementation effects of China's recent reforms to centralize its court system and offers an explanation of why such centralization efforts largely failed. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with judicial personnel from four localities, the study shows that local courts’ structural dependence upon same-level party-states is perpetuated or, in some cases, is even exacerbated, despite the unprecedented reform plans to centralize the budgetary and personnel management of the judicial system. Further investigation finds that, contrary to what existing assessments suggest, implementation failure is less a result of regional disparities in resources than of the party-state's own reliance on its horizontal line of power concentration and hierarchy, which is a core feature of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) one-party rule and hinders the party-state's own attempts to strengthen both judicial autonomy and centralization. The article thus challenges two extant notions on recent political-legal developments in China – that the CCP regime has substantially centralized its judiciary along the vertical line, and that judicial autonomy can continue to increase and manifest both under the conditions of, and serving the purpose of, deepening one-party authoritarianism.
Quantitative Oculomotor Assessment in Hereditary Ataxia: Systematic Review and Consensus by the Ataxia Global Initiative Working Group on Digital-motor Biomarkers
2023-04-28

Abstract Oculomotor deficits are common in hereditary ataxia, but disproportionally neglected in clinical ataxia scales and as outcome measures for interventional trials. Quantitative assessment of oculomotor function has become increasingly available and thus applicable in multicenter trials and offers the opportunity to capture severity and progression of oculomotor impairment in a sensitive and reliable manner. In this consensus paper of the Ataxia Global Initiative Working Group On Digital Oculomotor Biomarkers, based on a systematic literature review, we propose harmonized methodology and measurement parameters for the quantitative assessment of oculomotor function in natural-history studies and clinical trials in hereditary ataxia. MEDLINE was searched for articles reporting on oculomotor/vestibular properties in ataxia patients and a study-tailored quality-assessment was performed. One-hundred-and-seventeen articles reporting on subjects with genetically confirmed ( n =1134) or suspected hereditary ataxia ( n =198), and degenerative ataxias with sporadic presentation ( n =480) were included and subject to data extraction. Based on robust discrimination from controls, correlation with disease-severity, sensitivity to change, and feasibility in international multicenter settings as prerequisite for clinical trials, we prioritize a core-set of five eye-movement types: (i) pursuit eye movements, (ii) saccadic eye movements, (iii) fixation, (iv) eccentric gaze holding, and (v) rotational vestibulo-ocular reflex. We provide detailed guidelines for their acquisition, and recommendations on the quantitative parameters to extract. Limitations include low study quality, heterogeneity in patient populations, and lack of longitudinal studies. Standardization of quantitative oculomotor assessments will facilitate their implementation, interpretation, and validation in clinical trials, and ultimately advance our understanding of the evolution of oculomotor network dysfunction in hereditary ataxias.
Precursor deconvolution error estimation: the missing puzzle piece in false discovery rate in top-down proteomics
2023-04-28

Top-down proteomics (TDP) directly analyzes intact proteins and thus provides more comprehensive qualitative and quantitative proteoform-level information than conventional bottom-up proteomics that relies on digested peptides and protein inference. While significant advancements have been made in TDP in sample preparation, separation, instrumentation, and data analysis, reliable and reproducible data analysis still remains one of the major bottlenecks in TDP. A key step for robust data analysis is the establishment of an objective estimation of proteoform-level false discovery rate (FDR) in proteoform identification. The most widely used FDR estimation scheme is based on the target-decoy approach (TDA), which has primarily been established for bottom-up proteomics. We present evidence that the TDA-based FDR estimation may not work at the proteoform-level due to an overlooked factor, namely the erroneous deconvolution of precursor masses, which leads to incorrect FDR estimation. We argue that the conventional TDA-based FDR in proteoform identification is in fact protein-level FDR rather than proteoform-level FDR unless precursor deconvolution error rate is taken into account. To address this issue, we propose a formula to correct for proteoform-level FDR bias by combining TDA-based FDR and precursor deconvolution error rate.
Phase-specific stimulation reveals consistent sinusoidal modulation of human corticospinal excitability along the oscillatory beta cycle
2023-04-28

Abstract The responsiveness of neuronal populations to incoming information fluctuates. Retrospective analyses of randomly applied stimuli reveal a neural input-output relationship along the intrinsic oscillatory cycle. Prospectively harnessing this biological mechanism would necessitate frequency- and phase-specificity, intra- and inter-individual consistency, and instantaneous access to the oscillatory cycle. We used a novel real-time approach to electroencephalography-triggered transcranial magnetic stimulation to precisely target 8 equidistant phases of the oscillatory cycle in the human motor cortex of male and female healthy participants. The phase-dependency of corticospinal excitability was investigated in ten different intrinsic frequencies (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, and 40Hz) and indexed by motor-evoked potentials (MEP) in the corresponding forearm muscle. On both the individual and group level, we detected a consistent sinusoidal MEP modulation along the oscillatory cycle at 24Hz (χ 2 2 =9.2, p=.01), but not at any other target frequency (all χ 2 2 &lt;5, all p&gt;.08). Moreover, cross-validations showed also at 24Hz the highest consistency of the optimal phase between prospective (real-time) and retrospective (out-of-sample) testing (r=.605, p&lt;.001), and across experimental sessions on three different days (r≥.45). The optimal corticospinal signal transmission was at the transition from the trough to the rising flank of the oscillatory 24Hz cycle. Integrating real-time measurement and brain stimulation revealed that the sinusoidal input-output relationship of corticospinal signal transmission is frequency- and phase specific, and consistent within and across individuals and sessions. In future, this approach allows to selectively and repetitively target windows of increased responsiveness, and to thereby investigate potential cumulative effects on plasticity induction.
The Politics of the Eurogroup
2023-04-28

The Politics of the Eurogroup provides an intriguing look inside the euro crisis and the secretive forum of finance ministers that came to dominate it. The history of the European Union is a history of crises and the leaps of integration they triggered. As the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and global power competition are clouding the prospects of the European economies, the member states are looking for solutions. Yet they find their options highly constrained by the economic and political realities created in the decade of the euro crisis. This book fuses a critical political economy perspective on structural relations within the Economic and Monetary Union with a power- based approach to its institutions. It explains why a political project of European austerity emerged from the Eurogroup and side-lined alternative policies, with repercussions still felt today. The author introduces a series of interviews with key decision-makers – ministers, central bankers, and EU officials – as well as leaked audio recordings from Eurogroup meetings to give an authentic report of the power struggles between finance ministers. The book retraces how the Eurogroup rose to prominence in the crisis and how a few northern countries – led by the German and Dutch finance ministries – were able to exploit the group's informal processes to shape the Economic and Monetary Union to their advantage. With its interdisciplinary and investigative approach, this book will be of great interest for scholars and students concerned with European integration, international political economy, economics, institutionalism, and governance. It will also be of value for policy makers in the fields of European politics and economic governance.
Machine Learning Prediction of Estimated Risk for Bipolar Disorders Using Hippocampal Subfield and Amygdala Nuclei Volumes
2023-04-28

The pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD) remains mostly unclear. Yet, a valid biomarker is necessary to improve early detection of this serious disorder. Patients with manifest BD display reduced volumes of the hippocampal subfields and amygdala nuclei. In this pre-registered analysis, we used structural MRI (N=271, 7 sites), to compare volumes of hippocampus, amygdala, and their subfields/nuclei between help-seeking subjects divided in risk groups for BD as estimated by BPSS-P, BARS and EPIbipolar. We performed between-group comparisons using linear mixed effects models for all three risk assessment tools. Additionally, we aimed to differentiate the risk groups using linear support vector machine. We found no significant volume differences between the risk groups for all limbic structures during the main analysis. However, the SVM could still classify subjects at risk according to BPSS-P criteria with a balanced accuracy of 66.90% (95% CI 59.2– 74.6) for 10-fold cross-validation and 61.9% (95% CI 52.0– 71.9) for leave-one-site-out. Structural altera-tions of hippocampus and amygdala may not be as pronounced in young people at risk, nonetheless, ma-chine learning can predict estimated risk for BD above chance. This suggests that neural changes may not merely be a consequence of BD and may have prognostic clinical value.
Role of the NO-GC/cGMP signaling pathway in platelet biomechanics
2023-04-28

Abstract Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) is a second messenger produced by the NO-sensitive guanylyl cyclase (NO-GC) enzyme. In platelets, the NO-GC/cGMP pathway inhibits aggregation. One aspect of the inhibitory mechanism involves changes in the cytoskeleton; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying platelet inhibition and its correlation with cytoskeletal cellular stiffness are poorly understood. We measured the cellular stiffness of individual platelets after treatment with the NO-GC stimulator riociguat or the NO-GC activator cinaciguat, using scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM). We quantified changes in platelet shape using deep learning-based platelet morphometry. Cytoskeletal actin polymerization and platelet activation were measured by co-immunostaining F-actin and P-selectin, respectively. To test for clinical applicability of NO-GC stimulators in the context of increased thrombogenicity risk, we investigated the effect of riociguat on platelets from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients taking abacavir sulphate (ABC)-containing regimens, compared with HIV-negative volunteers. Stimulation of human and murine platelets with the NO-GC stimulator riociguat or with the NO-GC activator cinaciguat downregulated P-selectin expression, decreased F-actin polymerization, and decreased cellular stiffness by ≈50%, compared to vehicle control. In addition, platelets became more circular, indicating decreased activation. Riociguat did not cause any change in platelet aggregation or circularity in HIV-positive patients taking ABC-containing regimens. These results corroborate a functional role of the NO-GC enzyme in platelet biomechanics (cellular stiffness) in correlation with the inhibition of platelet activation and morphological changes. The observed changes in stiffness and platelet shape therefore demonstrate the possibility of pharmacologically targeting the NO-GC/cGMP pathway.
Development of arithmetic across the lifespan: A Registered Report
2023-04-28

Arithmetic skills are needed at any age. In everyday life, children to older adults calculate and deal with numbers. The processes underlying arithmetic seem to change with age. From childhood to young adulthood, children get better in domain-specific numerical skills such as place-value processing. From younger to older adulthood, domain-general cognitive skills such as working memory decline. These skills are needed for complex arithmetic such as addition with carrying and subtraction with borrowing. This study investigates how the domain-specific (number magnitude, place-value processing) and domain-general (working memory, processing speed, inhibition) processes of arithmetic change across the lifespan. Thereby, arithmetic effects (carry and borrow effects), numerical effects (distance and compatibility effects), and cognitive skills will be assessed in children, younger and older adolescents, and younger, middle-aged and older adults. The results of this registered report will help us to understand arithmetic development and its underlying processes over the lifespan.
How Personality Matters for Education Research
2023-04-28

The field of personality psychology could contribute to the aims of educational research, but several misconceptions may hold back this synthesis. We address three “misconceptions” about personality psychology that are surprisingly pervasive outside of that field: that there are personality types, that personality fixed, and that the existence of personality implies that situations are unimportant. We then cover four ways that personality psychology can assist educational aims: personality can be used to (1) boost our ability to accurately predict educational outcomes, (2) inform educational interventions, (3) support the academic development of all learners in personalised learning interventions, and (4) be employed as target outcomes for education. In the process, we show how personality relates to important educational outcomes, outline theoretical links with educationally relevant concepts like socio-emotional skills, and include an overview of current personality scales that can be used when getting started. Through this paper, we hope to stimulate and enthuse researchers to advance synthesis between the disciplines.
On the capacity of a quantum perceptron for storing biased patterns
2023-04-28

Although different architectures of quantum perceptrons have been recently put forward, the capabilities of such quantum devices versus their classical counterparts remain debated. Here, we consider random patterns and targets independently distributed with biased probabilities and investigate the storage capacity of a continuous quantum perceptron model that admits a classical limit, thus facilitating the comparison of performances. Such a more general context extends a previous study of the quantum storage capacity where using statistical mechanics techniques in the limit of a large number of inputs, it was proved that no quantum advantages are to be expected concerning the storage properties. This outcome is due to the fuzziness inevitably introduced by the intrinsic stochasticity of quantum devices. We strengthen such an indication by showing that the possibility of indefinitely enhancing the storage capacity for highly correlated patterns, as it occurs in a classical setting, is instead prevented at the quantum level.
Augmentation-Mastopexy: Analysis of 95 Consecutive Patients and Critical Appraisal of the Procedure
2023-04-29

Single-stage mastopexy-augmentation has been demonstrated to be a safe procedure. However, revisions may still be necessary. We evaluate 95 consecutive patients undergoing mastopexy-augmentation and introduce a new surgical technique for the procedure: the modified dual plane technique. In this retrospective study, 95 patients (mean age 34 ± 11 years) underwent mastopexy-augmentation between 2009 and 2019. The procedures were classified as subglandular, dual plane, or modified dual plane technique. The outcome measures included major and minor complications. A total of 19 patients underwent a subglandular procedure, 32 patients a dual plane procedure, and 44 patients a modified dual plane procedure. We observed a high overall complication rate in the subglandular group (n = 12, 63%), dual plane group (n = 15, 47%), and modified dual plane group (n = 10, 23%). Complications leading to implant loss/change occurred in seven patients in the subglandular group (37%), six patients in the dual plane group (19%), and no patient in the modified dual plane group. While we observed a high complication rate in patients undergoing mastopexy-augmentations, the modified dual plane technique was associated with a lower complication rate.
Rethinking Islamic Religious Education in Europe Based on Empirical Research
2023-04-29

The question of God is one of the central themes of religious education. Therefore, research in the field of concepts of knowledge and faith can provide a substantial basis for the work of educators and teachers and, thus, for the foundation of Islamic religious education. The following paper presents the results of a qualitative study on Muslim children’s relationships with God. The results provide impulses for rethinking Islamic religious education in Europe.
Mapping the Landscape of Educational Twitter Use in Germany: Informal Teacher Learning in Online Communities of Practice
2023-04-29

Twitter provides a social media platform for teachers to engage in collaborative discussions with their colleagues. This study provides a comprehensive mapping of the educational Twittersphere in Germany (N = 2,761,579 tweets, N = 143,004 users), which can serve as a blueprint for researchers in other countries. We describe interaction patterns across community types regarding participation patterns and sentiment to identify important communities and longitudinal engagement trends. Combining educational data science and qualitative methods, we also highlight the utility of this large educational data by identifying how the most popular German Twitter community, the “Twitterlehrerzimmer” (German for “Twitter’s teacher lounge”), fulfills characteristics of an online community of practice. Overall, this study suggests that participation in online teacher communities on Twitter may provide teachers with meaningful informal online professional learning opportunities to broaden their professional networks and collaborate with colleagues.
Neural Responses to a Working Memory Task in Acute Depressed and Remitted Phases in Bipolar Patients
2023-04-29

(1) Cognitive impairments such as working memory (WM) deficits are amongst the most common dysfunctions characterizing bipolar disorder (BD) patients, severely contributing to functional impairment. We aimed to investigate WM performance and associated brain activation during the acute phase of BD and to observe changes in the same patients during remission. (2) Frontal brain activation was recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during n-back task conditions (one-back, two-back and three-back) in BD patients in their acute depressive (n = 32) and remitted (n = 15) phases as well as in healthy controls (n = 30). (3) Comparison of BD patients during their acute phase with controls showed a trend (p = 0.08) towards lower dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) activation. In the remitted phase, BD patients showed lower dlPFC and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) activation (p = 0.02) compared to controls. No difference in dlPFC and vlPFC activation between BD patients’ phases was found. (4) Our results showed decreased working memory performance in BD patients during the working memory task in the acute phase of disease. Working memory performance improved in the remitted phase of the disease but was still particularly attenuated for the more demanding conditions.