julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Between Burgess and Lewis – Part II: Semantics without Rational Monotonicity
2025-03-24

Abstract The last 50 years of research has taught us that conditionals are non-monotonic in the antecedent. That is, they invalidate Antecedent Strengthening. Many accounts have been developed for such conditionals, starting with Stalnaker and Lewis. These accounts converge roughly to Burgess’ conditional logic <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mspace/> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> or the non-monotonic reasoning system <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>P</mml:mi> </mml:math> . The latter two have Cautious Monotonicity as a weak replacement for Antecedent Strengthening. Lewis weakest conditional logic <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mspace/> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> or system <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> </mml:math> are obtained by adding a stronger proxi for Antecedent Strengthening – the law of Rational Monotonicity. I argue that Rational Monotonicity is too much while Cautious Monotonicity is not enough monotonicity. I investigate two other monotonicity postulates, which are jointly weaker than Rational Monotonicity. This gives rise to three logics in between <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mspace/> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mspace/> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and three other logics in between <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>BN</mml:mi> <mml:mspace/> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>VN</mml:mi> <mml:mspace/> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> obtained by strengthening <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mspace/> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mspace/> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> by a consistency axiom. In the first part of the paper, I proved soundness, completeness and decidability results for these logics, using set-selection semantics. In the present second part of the paper, I investigate five other semantics for the new logics: order semantics, a new closeness semantics, alternative ranking semantics inspired by Spohn, Huber and Raidl, and two new versions of similarity semantics inspired from Lewis and Burgess. Establishing truth preserving maps between these semantics, the soundness and completeness results from set-selection semantics can be transferred. Overall, the different new semantics provide new insights into why Rational Monotonicity fails.
“The identical horse of knowledge”
2025-03-24

In this paper, we propose an analysis of how the subjective interpretation of a fictional text is brought about on the basis of combining the formal approach to the pragmatics of fiction with literary analysis. Our corpus is the anonymously published horse autobiography Memoirs of Dick, the Little Poney from 1799/1800. In the autodiegetic narrative, Dick the pony speaks as a hurt animal, critically observes human behaviour with satiric intent, and inscribes himself into an abolitionist discourse. We will show how the co-existence of several possibilities to read and understand the text or, more formally, how Meanings for the Reader (MfR) is foregrounded by the genre of animal autobiography and aims at the (self-)recognition on behalf of the reader.
Knowledge and Practices of Four Onchocerciasis-Endemic Communities in Cameroon
2025-03-25

In onchocerciasis-endemic communities, black fly vectors of Onchocerca volvulus cause annoyance. No vector control was performed in Cameroon to complement ivermectin treatment despite high fly densities in the savannah and forest areas. This study assessed the knowledge and practices of four onchocerciasis-endemic communities in Sudan and the Guinea savannah in Cameroon. We surveyed four communities using a structured questionnaire. We interviewed 452 individuals (Mawong: 136, Befang: 160, Soramboum: 88, and Galim: 68) aged 14–50 years. Most respondents (90%) knew about black flies being a nuisance but had misconceptions about their bite’s effect, location, and season. Only 9.3% knew that black fly bites could lead to blindness, whereas 34.1% correctly regarded evenings as the biting period. In Savannah, Sudan, 30.9% of the interviewees stated that black flies bite both outdoors and indoors, and 37.0% of the enrolees believed that black flies bite any exposed body part. In the Guinea savannah, 61.1% of respondents agreed that black flies typically bite during the dry season. Proper clothing can protect against black fly bites, but the transmission mode and vector biology are poorly understood. Implementing community-based vector surveillance can help fight onchocerciasis and reduce black fly nuisance.
Antigen-specific peripheral immune cell dynamics predicting clinical responses to checkpoint blockade in melanoma
2025-03-25

Many years ago, we hypothesized that melanoma patients possessing T cells reacting to cancer antigens would do better than those who did not. To test this, we cultured PBMC from conventionally-treated metastatic melanoma patients with short (6 month) vs. long (18 month) survival with mixtures of peptides representing the shared cancer antigens NY-ESO-1, Melan-A, MAGE-A3 and survivin. After 12 days, cultures were restimulated with the same antigens and 24 h later intracellular cytokines measured by flow cytometry. The results were consistent with there being a clinical benefit of possessing T cells reactive to NY-ESO-1 and Melan-A but not MAGE-A3 or survivin, and patients possessing T cells reactive to both NY-ESO-1 and Melan-A did better than those with T cells responding to either alone. A dissection of the nature of the responding cells indicated that the majority of T cells responding to NY-ESO-1 was CD4+ whereas the majority responding to Melan-A was CD8+. Responding cells producing predominantly proinflammatory cytokines (IFN, TNF) were associated with clinical benefit, whereas IL 4 production was associated with poorer survival. Following these results, recent studies have focussed on whether similar findings apply to stage IV melanoma patients treated with anti-PD-1 antibodies, or a combination of anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. Patients ́ PBMCs were tested before the start of checkpoint blockade (baseline, BL) and at a mean of 44 days during ICB (follow-up, FU). In the discovery cohort from 3 clinical centers (n=92) and a validation cohort (n=49), it was confirmed that the presence of NY-ESO-1 and Melan-A-reactive T cells at BL before ICB conferred clinical benefit, both in terms of PFS and OS. Intriguingly, it was further shown that a decrease of these reactive cells at day 44 FU was associated with better survival than either their retention in the blood or their de novo appearance. This was interpreted to suggest sequestration of the reactive cells in the tumour, for which some limited evidence has accrued. By combining such analyses with other blood biomarkers (of which primarily BL and FU lactate dehydrogenase and myeloid-derived suppressor cell dynamics, along with extraordinarily high titers of IgG specific for human herpesvirus 5 (CMV) were associated with clinical outcome), we may approach more closely to the aim of providing robust individualized immune monitoring methods informative for individual patient outcomes.
In the Circle of the Jewish Question and the Muslim Question or How Muslims Turned into Placeholders for “The Jew” in German Public Discourse
2025-03-25

This article examines the interplay between Jewish and Muslim identities in German public discourse, focusing on their roles as placeholders in constructing contemporary German identity. It argues that discussions of Judaism, antisemitism, and the Israel–Palestine conflict often serve as projection surfaces for national self-perception, neglecting the complexities of Jewish and Muslim lived realities. Drawing on critiques by Elad Lapidot and Jean-Claude Milner, the article explores how the exclusion of heteronomous identities—grounded in divine law—exposes the structural limitations of modern liberal societies. It highlights the substitution of traditional Jewish identity with a liberal-compatible version in German discourse, while simultaneously framing Muslims as the “new Other”. This text calls for Jewish and Muslim communities to challenge the narratives that marginalize and instrumentalize them, advocating for solidarity to address shared challenges and enrich pluralistic democratic frameworks.
War Fatalities in Russia in 2022–2023 Estimated Via Excess Male Mortality: A Research Note
2025-03-25

Abstract In this research note, we used excess deaths among young males to estimate the number of Russian fatalities in the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2022–2023. We based our calculations on the official mortality statistics, split by age and sex. To separate excess deaths due to war from those due to COVID-19, we relied on the ratio of male to female deaths and extrapolated the 2015–2019 trend to get the baseline value for 2022–2023. We found noticeable excess male mortality in all age groups between 15 and 49, with 58,500 ± 2,500 excess male deaths in 2022–2023 (20,600 ± 1,400 in 2022 and 37,900 ± 1,500 in 2023). These estimates were obtained after excluding all HIV-related deaths that showed complex dynamics unrelated to the war. Depending on the modeling assumptions, the estimated number of deaths over the two years varied from about 46,600 to about 64,100, with 58,500 corresponding to our preferred model. Our estimate should be treated as a lower bound on the true number of deaths because the data do not include either the Russian military personnel missing in action and not officially declared dead or the deaths registered in the Ukrainian territories annexed in 2022.
Virtual reality-based pain control in endometriosis: a questionnaire-based pilot study of applications for relaxation and physical activity
2025-03-25

Abstract Purpose Virtual reality (VR) based technology may offer new avenues in the management of chronic endometriosis-related pain. Our prospective, 14-week, open, three-phase, cross-over pilot study investigated whether the use of VR technology equipped with a relaxation-inducing application (VR-R) or an activity-stimulating application (VR-A) could change endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain levels and impairment of daily life. Methods 23 women aged 32.7 (SD 8.2) with endometriosis-related pelvic pain were each assigned to a permutated sequence of three 4-week phases: (A) the VR-R, (B) VR-A, and (C) intervention-free control phases. Phases were separated by two interspersed 1-week washout phases. Main outcome measures included: momentary, average, and maximum pain intensities on a 0–10 numerical rating scale (NRS); the Pain Disability Index (PDI) score; the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) score; sleep quality (Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS) score); the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) score; and the general health-related quality-of-life score (Short Form (12) Health Survey (SF-12)). Results Compared to baseline, VR-R use showed statistically significant positive effects for several scores (NRS “average pain”; PDI “total score”; PCS “total score” and the “magnification”, “rumination”, and “helplessness” subscores; MOSS-SS “index I and II”; and the DASS “depression” and “stress” subscores), whereas VR-A yielded significant positive changes only for PDI “total score”; PCS “total score” and the “helplessness” and “magnification” subscores; MOSS-SS “index II”; and DASS “depression” and “stress”. As four scale scores also showed significant improvements for control, a comparison of the effects was performed to offset a potential placebo-like effect by comparing difference from baseline against control. This analysis yielded significantly greater positive effects only for VR-R: PCS “total score” and “helplessness”; MOSS-SS “index I” and “index II”; and the three DASS subscores “depression”, “anxiety”, and “stress”. SF-12 showed no significant changes in either analysis. Conclusions VR-R and VR-A showed positive effects on several pain and quality-of-life scores, which were significant for some scores compared to baseline. For VR-R, some of these improvements were indeed significantly greater than under control conditions, while the effects with VR-A were not. Larger studies are needed to corroborate these findings. Trial registration DRKS00030189.
The Political Economy of Skills, Occupational Entitlements, and Social Mobility: Evidence from Industrializing Coventry, 1790–1850
2025-03-25

Abstract This paper examines the interaction between political economy and social mobility during early industrialization in England. We analyze changes in male social mobility patterns in industrializing Coventry (c.1790–1850) following a transformation of key institutions affecting the labor market. Social mobility was framed by the interaction between trade policy, occupational skill formation, and municipal government. Using a longitudinal dataset and regression-discontinuity analysis, we find that liberal reforms to trade policy and municipal government during the late-1820s and early-1830s eroded the value of industry-specific social capital, while increasing the contribution of general human capital to social mobility.
Unraveling undiagnosed rare disease cases by HiFi long-read genome sequencing
2025-03-26

Solve-RD is a pan-European rare disease (RD) research program that aims to identify disease-causing genetic variants in previously undiagnosed RD families. We utilized 10-fold coverage HiFi long-read sequencing (LRS) for detecting causative structural variants (SVs), single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertion-deletions (indels), and short tandem repeat (STR) expansions in previously studied RD families without a clear molecular diagnosis. Our cohort includes 293 individuals from 114 genetically undiagnosed RD families selected by European Reference Network (ERN) experts. Of these, 21 families were affected by so-called “unsolvable” syndromes for which genetic causes remain unknown and for which prior testing was not a prerequisite. The remaining 93 families had at least one individual affected by a rare neurological, neuromuscular, or epilepsy disorder without a genetic diagnosis despite extensive prior testing. Clinical interpretation and orthogonal validation of variants in known disease genes yielded 12 novel genetic diagnoses due to de novo and rare inherited SNVs, indels, SVs, and STR expansions. In an additional five families, we identified a candidate disease-causing variant, including an MCF2 / FGF13 fusion and a PSMA3 deletion. However, no common genetic cause was identified in any of the “unsolvable” syndromes. Taken together, we found (likely) disease-causing genetic variants in 11.8% of previously unsolved families and additional candidate disease-causing SVs in another 5.4% of these families. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the potential added value of HiFi long-read genome sequencing in undiagnosed rare diseases.
H2S Sensing with SnO2‐Based Gas Sensors: Sulfur Poisoning Mechanism Revealed by Operando DRIFTS and DFT Calculations
2025-03-26

Abstract Real‐time detection of toxic and flammable H 2 S remains challenging for cost‐effective semiconducting metal oxide (SMOX) sensors due to the insufficient focus on and inherently poor understanding of the sulfur‐poisoning effect. This research, focusing on SnO 2 as a model for SMOX sensors, identifies the formation of sticky sulfite and sulfate surface species as the root cause of poisoning through the detailed analyses of results obtained from operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The formation of the poisoning species is highly energetically favorable. Meanwhile, the decomposition of sulfite and sulfate appears unfavorable at the typical operating temperature of 300 °C and is only feasible around the literature‐reported 500 °C. The sulfur poisoning effect is also likely to occur with SO 2 and other sulfur‐containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Overcoming this issue is expected to require surface additives and/or alternative SMOX materials capable of providing different reaction pathways. The significance of metal‐sulfur‐oxygen chemistry extends beyond SMOX gas sensors to desulfurization catalysts, denitration catalysts, and solid oxide fuel cells.
Consensus guidelines for assessing eligibility of pathogenic DNA variants for antisense oligonucleotide treatments
2025-03-26

Of the around 7,000 known rare diseases worldwide, disease-modifying treatments are available for fewer than 5%, leaving millions of individuals without specialized therapeutic strategies. In recent years, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) have shown promise as individualized genetic interventions for rare genetic diseases. However, there is currently no consensus on which disease-causing DNA variants are suitable candidates for this type of genetic therapy. The patient identification working group of the N=1 Collaborative (N1C), alongside an international group of volunteer assessors, has developed and piloted consensus guidelines for assessing the eligibility of pathogenic DNA variants for ASO treatments. We herein present the N1C VARIANT (variant assessments toward eligibility for antisense oligonucleotide treatment) guidelines, including the guiding scientific principles and our approach to consensus building. Pathogenic, disease-causing variants can be assessed for the three currently best-established ASO treatment approaches: splice correction, exon skipping, and downregulation of RNA transcripts. A genetic variant is classified as "eligible," "likely eligible," "unlikely eligible," or "not eligible" in relation to the different approaches or as "unable to assess." We also review key considerations related to assessing the upregulation of transcripts from the wild-type allele, an emerging ASO therapeutic strategy. We provide additional tools and training materials to enable clinicians and researchers to use these guidelines for their eligibility assessments. With this initial edition of our N1C VARIANT guidelines, we provide the rare genetic disease community with guidance on how to identify suitable candidates for variant-specific ASO-based therapies and the possibility of integrating such assessments into routine clinical practice.
Many-body quantum dynamics with MCTDH-X
2025-03-26

The lecture notes on “Many-body Quantum Dynamics with MCTDH-X”, adapted from the 2023 Heidelberg MCTDH Summer School, provide an in-depth exploration of the Multiconfigurational Time-Dependent Hartree approach for indistinguishable particles. They serve as a comprehensive guide for understanding and utilizing the MCTDH-X software for both bosonic and fermionic systems. The tutorial begins with an introduction to the MCTDH-X software, highlighting its capability to handle various quantum systems, including those with internal degrees of freedom and long-range interactions. The theoretical foundation is then laid out on how to solve the time-dependent and time-independent Schrödinger equations for many-body systems. The workflow section provides practical instructions on setting up and executing simulations using MCTDH-X. Detailed benchmarks against exact solutions are presented, showcasing the accuracy and reliability of the software in ground-state and dynamic simulations. The notes then delve into the dynamics of quantum systems, covering relaxation processes, time evolution, and the analysis of propagation for both bosonic and fermionic particles. The discussion includes the interpretation of various physical quantities such as energy, density distributions, and orbital occupations. Advanced features of MCTDH-X are also explored in the last section, including the calculation of correlation functions and the creation of visualizations through video tutorials. The notes conclude with a Linux/UNIX command cheat sheet, facilitating ease of use for users operating the software on different systems. Overall, these lecture notes provide a valuable resource for researchers and students in the field of quantum dynamics, offering both theoretical insights and practical guidance on the use of MCTDH-X for studying complex many-body systems.
Hematological phenotypes in GATA2 deficiency syndrome arise from aging, maladaptation to proliferation, and somatic events
2025-03-26

Abstract The GATA2 transcription factor is a pivotal regulator of hematopoiesis. Disruptions in the GATA2 gene drive severe hematologic abnormalities and are associated with an increased risk of myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia; however, the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of GATA2 deficiency still remain unclear. We developed 2 different mouse models that are based on serial and limiting donor-cell transplantation of (14-15 months) GATA2 haploinsufficient cells and mirror the symptoms of GATA2 deficiency. Similar to what has been observed in patients, our models showed that GATA2 haploinsufficiency leads to B lymphopenia, monocytopenia, lethal bone marrow failure (BMF), myelodysplasia, and lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia arises exclusively because of BMF, driven by somatic aberrations and accompanied by increased Myc target expression and genomic instability. These findings were confirmed in human GATA2+/− K562 cell lines showing defects in cytokinesis and are in line with the fact that monosomy 7 and trisomy 8 are frequent events in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.
An ecological momentary assessment study assessing repetitive negative thinking as a predictor for psychopathology
2025-03-26

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT), an important transdiagnostic process, is commonly assessed using trait questionnaires. While these instruments ask respondents to estimate their general tendency towards RNT, ecological momentary assessment (EMA) allows to assess how much individuals actually engage in RNT in their daily lives. In a sample of N = 1,176 adolescents and young adults, we investigated whether average levels of RNT assessed via EMA predicted psychopathological symptoms. Adjusting for trait RNT measures and baseline scores on outcome measures, we found that average levels of RNT assessed via EMA significantly predicted higher depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as lower mental well-being at baseline, one-, three-, and twelve-month follow-up. Exploratory analyses of the association between temporal dynamics of RNT (e.g., RNT inertia) and psychopathological symptoms yielded inconsistent results. The high predictive power of average scores on the EMA-based RNT measure suggests that EMA is a promising tool for assessing RNT.