julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The pursuit of happiness: A reinforcement learning perspective on habituation and comparisons
2022-08-04

In evaluating our choices, we often suffer from two tragic relativities. First, when our lives change for the better, we rapidly habituate to the higher standard of living. Second, we cannot escape comparing ourselves to various relative standards. Habituation and comparisons can be very disruptive to decision-making and happiness, and till date, it remains a puzzle why they have come to be a part of cognition in the first place. Here, we present computational evidence that suggests that these features might play an important role in promoting adaptive behavior. Using the framework of reinforcement learning, we explore the benefit of employing a reward function that, in addition to the reward provided by the underlying task, also depends on prior expectations and relative comparisons. We find that while agents equipped with this reward function are less happy, they learn faster and significantly outperform standard reward-based agents in a wide range of environments. Specifically, we find that relative comparisons speed up learning by providing an exploration incentive to the agents, and prior expectations serve as a useful aid to comparisons, especially in sparsely-rewarded and non-stationary environments. Our simulations also reveal potential drawbacks of this reward function and show that agents perform sub-optimally when comparisons are left unchecked and when there are too many similar options. Together, our results help explain why we are prone to becoming trapped in a cycle of never-ending wants and desires, and may shed light on psychopathologies such as depression, materialism, and overconsumption.
Experimental signature of initial quantum coherence on entropy production
2022-08-04

We report the experimental quantification of the contribution to non-equilibrium entropy production that stems from the quantum coherence content in the initial state of a qubit exposed to both coherent driving and dissipation. Our experimental demonstration builds on the exquisite experimental control of the spin state of a nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond and is underpinned, theoretically, by the formulation of a generalized fluctuation theorem designed to track the effects of quantum coherence. Our results provide significant evidence of the possibility to pinpoint the genuinely quantum mechanical contributions to the thermodynamics of non-equilibrium quantum processes.
Autonomic changes as reaction to experimental social stress in an inpatient psychosomatic cohort
2022-08-04

Objectives Patients with psychosomatic disorders suffer from social isolation that might further lead to destabilization and exacerbation of bodily symptoms via autonomic pathways. We aimed to investigate the influence of controlled social stress (model of social ostracism) on the autonomic nerve system (ANS) in an inpatient cohort with psychosomatic disorders. Methods We examined heart rate variability (HRV), skin conductance (SC) and skin temperature (ST) as well as ECG-derived respiration rate (EDR) and subjective reports on stress during exposure to experimental social stress (cyberball game). Data were collected from 123 participants (f:m = 88:35, 42.01 ± 13.54 years) on admission and upon discharge from the university psychosomatic clinic. All data were recorded during baseline, inclusion and exclusion phases of the cyberball game as well as during the recovery phase. Results We found significant changes between admission and discharge with a decline in parasympathetic-related HRV parameters (SDRR −3.20 ± 1.30 ms, p = 0.026; RMSSD: −3.77 ± 1.28 ms, p = 0.007) as well as a decrease in SC (−0.04 ± 0.17 μS, p = 0.019) and EDR (−0.01 ± 0.01 Hz, p = 0.007), suggesting a drop in sympathetic tonus, with no changes in ST ( p = 0.089) and subjective stress levels ( p = 0.322). HRV parameters decreased during the cyberball game (SDRR p = 0.026; RMSSD p = 0.002; lnHF p &amp;lt; 0.001). In contrast, both SC ( p &amp;lt; 0.001) and EDR ( p &amp;lt; 0.001) increased during the game with SC being slightly lower during the exclusion phase. This can point toward a stimulation of sympathetic nervous system during game participation, which was concordant with the rise in subjective stress values ( p &amp;lt; 0.001). ST showed a continuous, unspecific rise over time ( p &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusion Our data demonstrate the decrease of ANS parameters during experimental social stress when data upon discharge were compared to those upon admission. These results are partially contradictory to previous studies that showed a rise in HRV in a psychiatric cohort over the course of (outpatient) treatment. Further research is required to help attributing these differences to effects of treatment or acute states relating to admission to or discharge from a psychosomatic department.
Uptake of Voluntary Occupational Health Care—Assessments of German Occupational Health Physicians and Employees
2022-08-04

Workers’ health surveillance is considered essential for employees’ health and protection against hazardous working conditions. It is one part of occupational health care and thus one of four pillars of holistic workplace health management. In Germany, employers are obliged to provide mandatory and voluntary occupational health care (OHC) to employees, dependent on the defined occupational hazards. However, employees are not obliged to make use of voluntary OHC. No empirical information is available about the uptake of voluntary OHC by employees and the influencing factors in Germany. Thus, we carried out an explorative multi-perspective study with qualitative and quantitative elements to get insights from the view of occupational health physicians (OHPs) and employees. We conducted a survey among OHPs based on prior statements from two focus group discussions. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to detect enablers and barriers regarding employee uptake of the offered voluntary OHC. We used extended qualitative methods among employees instead of an analogous survey. In total, 460 OHPs participated in the survey (response rate 29.1%), and 25 employees took part in interviews. Most of the employees had not heard the term voluntary OHC before, and only a few remembered respective occupational health care after explanatory request. In total, 78% of the OHPs assessed that employees always/mostly take up voluntary OHC. The most important attributed reason for non-uptake was that employees see no need for occupational health care when they feel healthy. The most important enabler for the perceived high uptake of voluntary OHC in the regression analysis was a positive attitude of the OHP toward voluntary OHC. While OHPs perceived that voluntary OHC was accepted by a majority of employees, this was not confirmed by the interviews with selected employees. This could indicate that the OHP respondents overestimated the amount of uptake. Since it became clear that employees are often unfamiliar with the terminology itself, we see a need for more and better information regarding the objectives and content of occupational health care to improve this important pillar of workplace health management.
Beobachtungen zu [nja] in deutscher Spontansprache
2022-08-04

Abstract This paper presents observations on the phonetic realisations of the German particles ja – ‘yes’ and naja – approximately ‘well’. As part of a large-scale study on the particle ja , we identified numerous instances in the dataset that had been orthographically transcribed as ja , but were phonetically realised as [nja]. Using phonetic and functional parameters, we explore the question whether these instances can be attributed to either the lexeme ja or naja . While phonetic measurements yield ambivalent results, analyses of pragmatic parameters such as function and turn position seem to indicate that [nja] was predominantly intended to be ja , although some functional differences between ja and [nja] could also be identified.
Report on scipost_202205_00027v1
2022-08-04

We derive the quasiparticle picture for the fermionic logarithmic negativity in a tight-binding chain subject to gain and loss dissipation.We focus on the dynamics after the quantum quench from the fermionic Néel state.We consider the negativity between both adjacent and disjoint intervals embedded in an infinite chain.Our result holds in the standard hydrodynamic limit of large subsystems and long times, with their ratio fixed.Additionally, we consider the weakly-dissipative limit, in which the dissipation rates are inversely proportional to the size of the intervals.We show that the negativity is proportional to the number of entangled pairs of quasiparticles that are shared between the two intervals, as is the case for the mutual information.Crucially, in contrast with the unitary case, the negativity content of quasiparticles is not given by the Rényi entropy with Rényi index 1/2, and it is in general not easily related to thermodynamic quantities.
Near‐infrared II photobiomodulation augments nitric oxide bioavailability via phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase
2022-08-05

Abstract There is solid evidence of the beneficial effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) with low‐power near‐infrared (NIR) light in the NIR‐I window in increasing bioavailable nitric oxide (NO). However, it is not established whether this effect can be extended to NIR‐II light, limiting broader applications of this therapeutic modality. Since we have demonstrated PBM with NIR laser in the NIR‐II window, we determined the causal relationship between NIR‐II irradiation and its specific biological effects on NO bioavailability. We analyzed the impact of NIR‐II irradiation on NO release in cultured human endothelial cells using a NO‐sensitive fluorescence probe and single‐cell live imaging. Two distinct wavelengths of NIR‐II laser (1064 and 1270 nm) and NIR‐I (808 nm) at an irradiance of 10 mW/cm 2 induced NO release from endothelial cells. These lasers also enhanced Akt phosphorylation at Ser 473, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation at Ser 1177, and endothelial cell migration. Moreover, the NO release and phosphorylation of eNOS were abolished by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration, suggesting that Akt activation caused by NIR‐II laser exposure involves mitochondrial retrograde signaling. Other inhibitors that inhibit known Akt activation pathways, including a specific inhibitor of PI3K, Src family PKC, did not affect this response. These two wavelengths of NIR‐II laser induced no appreciable NO generation in cultured neuronal cells expressing neuronal NOS (nNOS). In short, NIR‐II laser enhances bioavailable NO in endothelial cells. Since a hallmark of endothelial dysfunction is suppressed eNOS with concomitant NO deficiency, NIR‐II laser technology could be broadly used to restore endothelial NO and treat or prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Automated Journalism: The Effects of AI Authorship and Evaluative Information on the Perception of a Science Journalism Article
2022-08-05

Texts produced by artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming increasingly prevalent in digital journalism. Research suggests that these texts do not differ from human-written texts in their perceived credibility or trustworthiness where simple and short text types are concerned. However, it is unclear how AI-written texts beyond simple fact reporting are perceived. Therefore, this research aimed to expand upon the existing literature on automated journalism by investigating the influence of AI authorship (vs. human authorship) and evaluative information presentation (vs. neutral information presentation). The results of three preregistered experimental studies revealed no differences in perceived credibility and trustworthiness between AI-written and human-written texts. However, presenting information in an evaluative way decreased the perception of credibility and trustworthiness. Moreover, the AI was perceived as less anthropomorphic than the human author. The belief in the machine heuristic was stronger for an AI than for a human author, particularly when participants had actually read an article allegedly written by an AI. A pooled analysis across the data of all three studies underpinned the main effect of information presentation. Concluding, we discuss the findings against the background of AI perception theory and suggest implications for future research.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on medical teaching in obstetrics and gynecology—A nationwide expert survey among teaching coordinators at German university hospitals
2022-08-05

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed severe challenges on medical education at German university hospitals. In this first German nationwide expert survey, we addressed the responsible university teaching coordinators in obstetrics and gynecology departments and investigated their experiences during the pandemic as well as their opinions on future developments, especially with regard to the broader implementation of e-learning in the standard curriculum. Methods The questionnaire included 42 items and was disseminated among teaching coordinators at all 41 departments of obstetrics and gynecology at German university hospitals via an email that included a weblink to the online survey provider. Responses were collected between 19 April and 7 June 2021. Results In total, 30 responses were collected from 41 departments across Germany and their respective teaching coordinators in obstetrics and gynecology. The general opinion of the medical teaching provided during the pandemic was positive, whereas the teaching quality in practical skills was considered inferior and not equivalent to the standard face-to-face curriculum. Lectures and seminars had to be substituted by remote-learning alternatives, while clinical clerkships were reduced in length and provided less patient contact. Students in their final year experienced only a few differences in the clinical and teaching routine. Teaching coordinators in obstetrics and gynecology stated that they intend to incorporate more e-learning into the curriculum in the future. Conclusion The medical educators’ views presented here may help to complement the already-thoroughly investigated experiences of students under the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical educators in obstetrics and gynecology at German university hospitals have successfully established online and hybrid teaching alternatives to their standard face-to-face courses. Building on recent experiences, digitalization could help to improve future medical education.
Plaster Casts vs. Intraoral Scans: Do Different Methods of Determining the Final Occlusion Affect the Simulated Outcome in Orthognathic Surgery?
2022-08-05

A virtual occlusal adjustment in orthognathic surgery has many advantages; however, the haptic information offered by plaster casts is missing when using intraoral scans. Feeling the interferences may be helpful in defining the best possible occlusion. Whether the use of a virtual occlusal adjustment instead of the conventional approach has a significant effect on the postsurgical position of the jaws is a question that remains unanswered. This study compares a virtual method to the conventional method of defining the final occlusion. Twenty-five orthognathic patients were included. Bimaxillary and single-jaw orthognathic surgery (mandible only) was simulated. The two methods were compared regarding discrepancies in the simulated postsurgical position of the mandible, measured three-dimensionally using MeshLab (MeshLab 2020.12 3D). An analysis using SPSS revealed no significant differences between the tested methods (p-values: 0.580 to 0.713). The mean absolute discrepancies ranged from 0.14 mm to 0.72 mm, laying within the scope of the clinically acceptable inaccuracies of an osteosynthesis in orthognathic surgery. The lack of haptic information in virtual planning had no relevant influence on the definition of the final occlusion and the simulated postsurgical outcome. However, in individual cases, plaster models might still be helpful in finding the adequate occlusion, especially in the sagittal dimension and in cases of patients with an anterior open bite, but this remains to be tested.
Longitudinal Evaluation of Changes in Retinal Architecture Using Optical Coherence Tomography in Achromatopsia
2022-08-05

This study demonstrates clear longitudinal changes in foveal structure mainly in children, but also in adults with ACHM, over a long follow-up period. The longitudinal foveal changes suggest that treatment at an earlier age should be favored.
Faster detection of “darks” than “brights” by monkey superior colliculus neurons
2022-08-05

Abstract Visual processing is segregated into ON and OFF channels as early as in the retina, and the superficial (output) layers of the primary visual cortex are dominated by neurons preferring dark stimuli. However, it is not clear how the timing of neural processing differs between “darks” and “brights” in general, especially in light of psychophysical evidence; it is also equally not clear how subcortical visual pathways that are critical for active orienting represent stimuli of positive (luminance increments) and negative (luminance decrements) contrast polarity. Here, we recorded from all visually-responsive neuron types in the superior colliculus (SC) of two male rhesus macaque monkeys. We presented a disc (0.51 deg radius) within the response fields (RF’s) of neurons, and we varied, across trials, stimulus Weber contrast relative to a gray background. We also varied contrast polarity. There was a large diversity of preferences for darks and brights across the population. However, regardless of individual neural sensitivity, most neurons responded significantly earlier to dark than bright stimuli. This resulted in a dissociation between neural preference and visual response onset latency: a neuron could exhibit a weaker response to a dark stimulus than to a bright stimulus of the same contrast, but it would still have an earlier response to the dark stimulus. Our results highlight an additional candidate visual neural pathway for explaining behavioral differences between the processing of darks and brights, and they demonstrate the importance of temporal aspects in the visual neural code for orienting eye movements. Significance statement Objects in our environment, such as birds flying across a bright sky, often project shadows (or images darker than the surround) on our retina. We studied how primate superior colliculus (SC) neurons visually process such dark stimuli. We found that the overall population of SC neurons represented both dark and bright stimuli equally well, as evidenced by a relatively equal distribution of neurons that were either more or less sensitive to darks. However, independent of sensitivity, the great majority of neurons detected dark stimuli earlier than bright stimuli, evidenced by a smaller response latency for the dark stimuli. Thus, SC neural response latency can be dissociated from response sensitivity, and it favors the faster detection of dark image contrasts.
Haemaphysalis hoodi (Acari: Ixodidae) on a human from Yaoundé, Cameroon, and its molecular characterization
2022-08-05

Abstract The genus Haemaphysalis Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) is the second-largest genus, with more than 170 described species that primarily parasitize mammals and birds (Guglielmone et al. 2014, Guglielmone et al. 2020). Haemaphysalis species are three-host ticks, mainly distributed in southern and southeastern Asia and tropical Africa (Guglielmone et al. 2014). The present study identified a tick, Haemaphysalis hoodi Warburton &amp; Nuttall, 1909, collected from a human in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This tick species feed on birds in sub-Saharan Africa. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second record of H. hoodi from humans. In addition, 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase I sequences were generated for this species for the first time. Screening pan- Rickettsia -PCR infection gave a negative result.
Ongoing Sign Processing Facilitates Written Word Recognition in Deaf Native Signing Children
2022-08-05

Signed and written languages are intimately related in proficient signing readers. Here, we tested whether deaf native signing beginning readers are able to make rapid use of ongoing sign language to facilitate recognition of written words. Deaf native signing children (mean 10 years, 7 months) received prime target pairs with sign word onsets as primes and written words as targets. In a control group of hearing children (matched in their reading abilities to the deaf children, mean 8 years, 8 months), spoken word onsets were instead used as primes. Targets (written German words) either were completions of the German signs or of the spoken word onsets. Task of the participants was to decide whether the target word was a possible German word. Sign onsets facilitated processing of written targets in deaf children similarly to spoken word onsets facilitating processing of written targets in hearing children. In both groups, priming elicited similar effects in the simultaneously recorded event related potentials (ERPs), starting as early as 200 ms after the onset of the written target. These results suggest that beginning readers can use ongoing lexical processing in their native language – be it signed or spoken – to facilitate written word recognition. We conclude that intimate interactions between sign and written language might in turn facilitate reading acquisition in deaf beginning readers.
Accurate property prediction by second order perturbation theory: The REMP and OO-REMP hybrids
2022-08-05

The prediction of molecular properties such as equilibrium structures or vibrational wavenumbers is a routine task in computational chemistry. If very high accuracy is required, however, the use of computationally demanding ab initio wavefunction methods is mandatory. We present property calculations utilizing Retaining the Excitation Degree – Møller–Plesset (REMP) and Orbital Optimized REMP (OO-REMP) hybrid perturbation theories, showing that with the latter approach, very accurate results are obtained at second order in perturbation theory. Specifically, equilibrium structures and harmonic vibrational wavenumbers and dipole moments of closed and open shell molecules were calculated and compared to the best available experimental results or very accurate calculations. OO-REMP is capable of predicting bond lengths of small closed and open shell molecules with an accuracy of 0.2 and 0.5 pm, respectively, often within the range of experimental uncertainty. Equilibrium harmonic vibrational wavenumbers are predicted with an accuracy better than 20 cm−1. Dipole moments of small closed and open shell molecules are reproduced with a relative error of less than 3%. Across all investigated properties, it turns out that a 20%:80% Møller–Plesset:Retaining the Excitation Degree mixing ratio consistently provides the best results. This is in line with our previous findings, featuring closed and open shell reaction energies.