julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Magnetoencephalographic signatures of hierarchical rule learning in newborns
2020-10-10

Estimating the extent to which newborn humans process input from their environment, especially regarding the depth of processing, is a challenging question. To approach this problem, we measured brain responses in 20 newborns with magnetoencephalography (MEG) in a "local-global" auditory oddball paradigm in which two-levels of hierarchical regularities are presented. Results suggest that infants in the first weeks of life are able to learn hierarchical rules, yet a certain level of vigilance seems to be necessary. Newborns detected violations of the first-order regularity and displayed a mismatch response between 200-400 ms. Violations of the second-order regularity only evoked a late response in newborns in an active state, which was expressed by a high heart rate variability. These findings are in line with those obtained in human adults and older infants suggesting a continuity in the functional architecture from term-birth on, despite the immaturity of the human brain at this age.
Recycled pulsars with multipolar magnetospheres from accretion-induced magnetic burial
2020-10-10

ABSTRACT Many millisecond pulsars are thought to be old neutron stars spun up (‘recycled’) during an earlier accretion phase. They typically have relatively weak (≲109 G) dipole field strengths, consistent with accretion-induced magnetic burial. Recent data from the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer indicate that hotspots atop the recycled pulsar PSR J0030–0451 are not antipodal, so that the magnetic field cannot be that of a centred dipole. In this paper it is shown that multipolarity is naturally expected in the burial scenario because of equatorial field line compression. Grad–Shafranov equilibria are constructed to show how magnetic multipole moments can be calculated in terms of various properties, such as the amount of accreted mass and the crustal equation of state.
Macroalgae Sargassum cristaefolium Extract Inhibits Proinflammatory Cytokine Expression in BALB/C Mice
2020-10-10

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) which could induce skin damage and skin disease is a growing concern due to the increase in global warming. Brown macroalgae Sargassum cristaefolium has been recognized to exhibit UV protective activities. However, the mechanism of its photoprotective activity remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential mechanism of S. cristaefolium ’s photoprotective activity against UV radiation. Phytochemical analyses revealed valuable bioactive compounds in SCE, such as fucoxanthin which is widely known as an anti-inflammatory carotenoid. Treatment with SCE before UV-A radiation show reduced levels of wrinkles and desquamation. Interestingly, SCE treatment induces the skin healing process after UV radiation. SCE effectively inhibited proinflammatory TNF- α and IL-6 expression while increasing IL-10 production in the BALB/ c mice skin. Current results suggest that SCE potentially protects the skin by attenuation of inflammatory cytokines. In addition, SCE demonstrates promising antibacterial activity (MIC = 1.302 μ g/mL) against Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, SCE could be a source of an effective anti-inflammatory agent protecting against UV irradiation-induced skin damages.
The Complexity of Zero Anaphora in Chinese Discourse: An Event-related Perspective
2020-10-10

One zero anaphor (henceforth, ZA) in Chinese discourse is not necessarily identified with an antecedent which must be found somewhere as a syntactic constituent in a clause. Most studies claim that the referent of zero anaphor is either co-referential with the next ZA or completely different from the next ZA; however the view is not necessarily reliable. This study considers several types of complex cases where referents of ZA can be extracted from several syntactic positions or that never emerge in the context. The complexity of ZA referents thus far surpasses the explanations offered by the current theories, such as the topic chain, accessibility, or discourse structure. This study proposes two principles: co-referential topic and event integration to interpret what causes the complexity of ZA referents in Chinese discourse. Further, this study figures out a mathematical method (hypergraph) to simulate how Chinese native speakers process complex ZAs. This study therefore is significant to make a deeper understanding of the complexity of zero anaphora in Chinese and expand the vision of anaphora.
Camera-based Driver Drowsiness State Classification Using Logistic Regression Models
2020-10-11

Drowsiness at the wheel is a major problem for traffic road safety. A drowsy driver suffers from decreased vigilance, increased reaction time and degraded decision-making ability, all of which have a huge impact on the driving performance. A driver monitoring system that warns the driver of his or her critical drowsiness state is a worthwhile contribution to traffic road safety. A drowsy driver typically exhibits some observable behaviors, such as eye blinking and head movements, that can be tracked using a camera. In this study, we analyze the potential of eye closure and head rotation signals, provided by a driver camera, to classify the driver's drowsiness state using logistic regression models. This analysis is based on a large dataset collected from 71 subjects in driving simulator experiments. A reliable and independent reference for drowsiness, however, is required in order to perform this analysis. For this purpose, we devise a methodology that merges several drowsiness monitoring approaches to construct a reliable reference for drowsiness. Furthermore, we describe our approach to extract eye blink and head rotation features. Ultimately, we design logistic regression classifiers and combine them using the one-vs-one binarization technique. Our approach achieves a global balanced validation accuracy of 72.7% on a three-class classification problem (awake, questionable and drowsy) by adopting a strict and rigorous evaluation scheme (i.e., leave-one-drive-out cross-validation).
Precise variant interpretation, phenotype ascertainment, and genotype–phenotype correlation of children in the EARLY PRO‐TECT Alport trial
2020-10-11

Abstract Early initiation of therapy in patients with Alport syndrome (AS) slows down renal failure by many years. Genotype–phenotype correlations propose that the location and character of the individual's variant correlate with the renal outcome and any extra renal manifestations. In‐depth clinical and genetic data of 60/62 children who participated in the EARLY PRO‐TECT Alport trial were analyzed. Genetic variants were interpreted according to current guidelines and criteria. Genetically solved patients with X‐linked inheritance were then classified according to the severity of their COL4A5 variant into less‐severe, intermediate, and severe groups and disease progress was compared. Almost 90% of patients were found to carry (likely) pathogenic variants and classified as genetically solved cases. Patients in the less‐severe group demonstrated a borderline significant difference in disease progress compared to those in the severe group ( p = 0.05). While having only limited power according to its sample size, an obvious strength is the precise clinical and genetic data of this well ascertained cohort. As in published data differences in clinical progress were shown between patients with COL4A5 less‐severe and severe variants. Therefore, clinical and segregational data are important for variant (re)classification. Genetic testing should be mandatory allowing early diagnosis and therapy of AS.
Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan
2020-10-12

Abstract For many traits, males show greater variability than females, with possible implications for understanding sex differences in health and disease. Here, the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta‐Analysis) Consortium presents the largest‐ever mega‐analysis of sex differences in variability of brain structure, based on international data spanning nine decades of life. Subcortical volumes, cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in MRI data of 16,683 healthy individuals 1‐90 years old (47% females). We observed significant patterns of greater male than female between‐subject variance for all subcortical volumetric measures, all cortical surface area measures, and 60% of cortical thickness measures. This pattern was stable across the lifespan for 50% of the subcortical structures, 70% of the regional area measures, and nearly all regions for thickness. Our findings that these sex differences are present in childhood implicate early life genetic or gene‐environment interaction mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences within the sexes, that may underpin sex‐specific vulnerability to disorders.
Assessing the Influence of Soil Quality on Rainfed Wheat Yield
2020-10-12

Soil quality assessment based on crop yields and identification of key indicators of it can be used for better management of agricultural production. In the current research, the weighted additive soil quality index (SQIw), factor analysis (FA), and multiple linear regression (MLR) are used to assess the soil quality of rainfed winter wheat fields with two soil orders on 53.20 km2 of agricultural land in western Iran. A total of 18 soil quality indicators were determined for 100 soil samples (0–20 cm depth) from two soil orders (Inceptisols and Entisols). The soil properties measured were: pH, soil texture, organic carbon (OC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), electrical conductivity (EC), soil microbial respiration (SMR), carbonate calcium equivalent (CCE), soil porosity (SP), bulk density (BD), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), mean weight diameter (MWD), available potassium (AK), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), available Fe (AFe), available Zn (AZn), available Mn (AMn), and available Cu (ACu). Wheat grain yield for all of the 100 sampling sites was also gathered. The SQIw was calculated using two weighting methods (FA and MLR) and maps were created using a digital soil mapping framework. The soil indicators determined for the minimum data set (MDS) were AK, clay, CEC, AP, SMR, and sand. The correlation between the MLR weighting technique (SQIw-M) and the rainfed wheat yield (r = 0.62) was slightly larger than that the correlation of yield with the FA weighted technique (SQIw-F) (r = 0.58). Results showed that the means of both SQIw-M and SQIw-F and rainfed wheat yield for Inceptisols were higher than for Entisols, although these differences were not statistically significant. Both SQIw-M and SQIw-F showed that areas with Entisols had lower proportions of good soil quality grades (Grades I and II), and higher proportions of poor soil quality grades (Grades IV and V) compared to Inceptisols. Based on these results, soil type must be considered for soil quality assessment in future studies to maintain and enhance soil quality and sustainable production. The overall soil quality of the study region was of poor and moderate grades. To improve soil quality, it is therefore recommended that effective practices such as the implementation of scientifically integrated nutrient management involving the combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizers in rainfed wheat fields should be promoted.
Identification of High-Risk Atypical Meningiomas According to Semantic and Radiomic Features
2020-10-12

Up to 60% of atypical meningiomas (World Health Organization (WHO) grade II) reoccur within 5 years after resection. However, no clear radiological criteria exist to identify tumors with higher risk of relapse. In this study, we aimed to assess the association of certain radiomic and semantic features of atypical meningiomas in MRI with tumor recurrence. We identified patients operated on primary atypical meningiomas in our department from 2007 to 2017. An analysis of 13 quantitatively defined radiomic and 11 qualitatively defined semantic criteria was performed based on preoperative MRI scans. Imaging characteristics were assessed along with clinical and survival data. The analysis included 76 patients (59% women, mean age 59 years). Complete tumor resection was achieved in 65 (86%) cases, and tumor relapse occurred in 17 (22%) cases. Mean follow-up time was 41.6 (range 3–168) months. Cystic component was significantly associated with tumor recurrence (odds ratio (OR) 21.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.8–124.5) and shorter progression-free survival (33.2 vs. 80.7 months, p &lt; 0.001), whereas radiomic characteristics had no predictive value in univariate analysis. However, multivariate analysis demonstrated significant predictive value of high cluster prominence (hazard ratio (HR) 5.89 (1.03–33.73) and cystic component (HR 20.21 (2.46–166.02)) for tumor recurrence. The combination of radiomic and semantic features might be an effective tool for identifying patients with high-risk atypical meningiomas. The presence of a cystic component in these tumors is associated with a high risk of tumor recurrence.
Tri‐Allelic Haplotypes Determine and Differentiate Functionally Normal Allele CYP2D6*2 and Impaired Allele CYP2D6*41
2020-10-12

CYP2D6 metabolizes 20–25% of all clinically used drugs and its complex genetic polymorphism is a major determinant of drug safety and efficacy. We investigated the basis for the functional difference between the two common alleles *2 (g.2851C&gt;T + g.4181G&gt;C, normal function) and *41 (additional intronic g.2989G&gt;A, reduced function). A recently reported far‐distant enhancer polymorphism rs5758550A/G linked to *2 has been suggested to play a decisive role. Genotyping of two white cohorts confirmed strong linkage of rs5758550G to *2 , whereas no influence was found on metabolic ratio of sparteine or hepatic expression. Genomic plasmid constructs carrying individual variants or combinations thereof were expressed in COS1 and Huh7 cells. Both g.2851C&gt;T(R296C) and g.2989G&gt;A reduced enzyme activity and protein levels similarly by ~ 50–65% compared to reference ( *1 ), whereas the double variant had only ~ 20% activity. Although the unexpected loss of function caused by g.2851C&gt;T was compensated by g.4181G&gt;C (mimicking the EM‐phenotype of *2 ), the additional loss of function due to intronic g.2989G&gt;A in the triple variant was not compensated (mimicking the IM‐phenotype of *41 ). We also confirmed increased erroneous splicing in carriers of g.2989G&gt;A but not of g.2851C&gt;T as a likely explanation for the impaired function of *41 . In conclusion, our data demonstrate g.2989G&gt;A as causal variant of impaired allele CYP2D6*41 whereas triple‐haplotypes have to be considered to explain the functional difference between *2 and *41 . These data are important for genotyping strategies and clinical implementation of CYP2D6 pharmacogenetics.
Hyphenation as a compounding technique in English
2020-10-12

Hyphenated compounds have largely been neglected in the studies of compounding, which have seldom analysed compounds in context. In this study, we argue that the hyphen use in compounds is strongly motivated. Hyphenation is used when words form a unit, which reduces the possibility of parsing them into separate units or other forms. The current study adopts a new perspective on contextual factors, namely, which part of speech (PoS) the compound as a whole belongs to and how people correctly parse a compound into a unit. This process can be observed and analysed by considering examples. This study therefore holds that hyphenation might have gradually become a compounding technique that differs from general compounding principles. To better understand hyphenated compounds and the motivation for using hyphenation, we conduct a quantitative investigation into their distribution frequency to explore how English hyphenated compounds have been used in over the last 200 years. Diachronic change in the frequency of the distribution for compounds has seldom been considered. This question is explored by using frequency data obtained from the three databases that contain hyphenated compounds. Diachronic analysis shows that the frequencies of tokens and types in hyphenated compounds have been increasing, and changes in both frequencies follow the S-curve model. Historical evidence shows that hyphenation in compounds, as an orthographic form, does not seem to disappear easily. Familiarity and economy, as suggested in the cognitive studies of compounding, cannot adequately explain this phenomenon. The three databases that we used provide cross-verification that suggests that hyphenation has evolved into a compounding technique. Language users probably unconsciously take advantage of the discriminative learning model to remind themselves that these combinations should be parsed differently. Thus the hyphenation compounding technique facilitates communication efficiency. Overall, this study significantly enhances our understanding of the nature of compounding, the motivations for using hyphenation, and its cognitive processing.
Localized Prediction of Glutamate from Whole-Brain Functional Connectivity of the Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex
2020-10-12

Local measures of neurotransmitters provide crucial insights into neurobiological changes underlying altered functional connectivity in psychiatric disorders. However, noninvasive neuroimaging techniques such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) may cover anatomically and functionally distinct areas, such as p32 and p24 of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC). Here, we aimed to overcome this low spatial specificity of MRS by predicting local glutamate and GABA based on functional characteristics and neuroanatomy in a sample of 88 human participants (35 females), using complementary machine learning approaches. Functional connectivity profiles of pgACC area p32 predicted pgACC glutamate better than chance ( R 2 = 0.324) and explained more variance compared with area p24 using both elastic net and partial least-squares regression. In contrast, GABA could not be robustly predicted. To summarize, machine learning helps exploit the high resolution of fMRI to improve the interpretation of local neurometabolism. Our augmented multimodal imaging analysis can deliver novel insights into neurobiology by using complementary information. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measures local glutamate and GABA noninvasively. However, conventional MRS requires large voxels compared with fMRI, because of its inherently low signal-to-noise ratio. Consequently, a single MRS voxel may cover areas with distinct cytoarchitecture. In the largest multimodal 7 tesla machine learning study to date, we overcome this limitation by capitalizing on the spatial resolution of fMRI to predict local neurotransmitters in the PFC. Critically, we found that prefrontal glutamate could be robustly and exclusively predicted from the functional connectivity fingerprint of one of two anatomically and functionally defined areas that form the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex. Our approach provides greater spatial specificity on neurotransmitter levels, potentially improving the understanding of altered functional connectivity in mental disorders.
Magic, Bayes and wows: a Bayesian account of magic tricks
2020-10-12

Magic tricks have enjoyed an increasing interest by scientists. However, most research in magic focused on isolated aspects of it and a conceptual understanding of magic, encompassing its distinct components and varieties, is missing. Here, we present an account of magic within the theory of Bayesian predictive coding. We present the “wow” effect of magic as an increase in surprise evoked by the prediction error between expected and observed sensory data. We take into account prior knowledge of the observer, attention, and (mis-)direction of perception and beliefs by the magician to bias the observer’s predictions and present two examples for the modelling of the evoked surprise. The role of misdirection is described as everything that aims to maximize the surprise a trick evokes by the generation of novel beliefs, the exploitation of background knowledge and attentional control of the incoming information. Understanding magic within Bayesian predictive coding allows unifying all aspects of magic tricks within one framework, making it tractable, comparable and unifiable with other models in psychology and neuroscience.
SPLICE-q: a Python tool for genome-wide quantification of splicing efficiency
2020-10-12

Abstract Background Introns are generally removed from primary transcripts to form mature RNA molecules in a post-transcriptional process called splicing. An efficient splicing of primary transcripts is an essential step in gene expression and its misregulation is related to numerous human diseases. Thus, to better understand the dynamics of this process and the perturbations that might be caused by aberrant transcript processing it is important to quantify splicing efficiency. Results Here, we introduce SPLICE-q, a fast and user-friendly Python tool for genome-wide SPLIC ing E fficiency q uantification. It supports studies focusing on the implications of splicing efficiency in transcript processing dynamics. SPLICE-q uses aligned reads from strand-specific RNA-seq to quantify splicing efficiency for each intron individually and allows the user to select different levels of restrictiveness concerning the introns’ overlap with other genomic elements such as exons of other genes. We applied SPLICE-q to globally assess the dynamics of intron excision in yeast and human nascent RNA-seq. We also show its application using total RNA-seq from a patient-matched prostate cancer sample. Conclusions Our analyses illustrate that SPLICE-q is suitable to detect a progressive increase of splicing efficiency throughout a time course of nascent RNA-seq and it might be useful when it comes to understanding cancer progression beyond mere gene expression levels. SPLICE-q is available at: https://github.com/vrmelo/SPLICE-q
Cover Feature: Electron‐Deficient Imidazolium Substituted Cp Ligands and their Ru Complexes (Chem. Eur. J. 69/2020)
2020-10-12

Electron-poor cyclopentadienide ligands based on neutral, cationic and dicationic imidazolium Cp ylides were prepared. The donating properties of these colorful compounds were analyzed by their oxidation potentials as well as that of their respective ruthenocene complexes. Each substitution by an imidazolium moiety increases the oxidation potential of about 500 mV. In addition, fixing the imidazolium moieties in the Cp plane by annellation also induces a withdrawing effect. More information can be found in the Full Paper by D. Kunz et al. on page 16291.
DamianSpengler_2020_EJP_Negligible Effects of Birth Order on Selection into Scientific and Artistic Careers, Creativity, and Status Attainment
2020-10-12

We tested birth order effects on selection into different careers (scientific, artistic, creative) and status attainment (educational attainment, occupational prestige, and income) using a large sample (n = 3,763), a longitudinal design, and relevant controls. Additionally, we tested mediation of birth order effects on career outcomes via personality traits, intelligence, and educational attainment. We found negligible birth order effects ranging from .02 to .12 on a correlational metric, where firstborns (vs. laterborns) selected into more creative careers and attained higher prestige and education. Conditional on the theoretically based mediation models tested, results showed that intelligence and educational attainment (but not personality traits) accounted for a statistically significant portion of the variance in the links between birth order and career outcomes. No direct effects of birth order on career outcomes remained when accounting for indirect effects through educational attainment. These findings bring modest support to the confluence model, no support to the niche-finding model, and suggest that one possible route via which birth order might impact career outcomes (if at all) could be via educational attainment.