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NeuroImage Aug 2023Microstates represent electroencephalographic (EEG) activity as a sequence of switching, transient, metastable states. Growing evidence suggests the useful information...
Microstates represent electroencephalographic (EEG) activity as a sequence of switching, transient, metastable states. Growing evidence suggests the useful information on brain states is to be found in the higher-order temporal structure of these sequences. Instead of focusing on transition probabilities, here we propose "Microsynt", a method designed to highlight higher-order interactions that form a preliminary step towards understanding the syntax of microstate sequences of any length and complexity. Microsynt extracts an optimal vocabulary of "words" based on the length and complexity of the full sequence of microstates. Words are then sorted into classes of entropy and their representativeness within each class is statistically compared with surrogate and theoretical vocabularies. We applied the method on EEG data previously collected from healthy subjects undergoing propofol anesthesia, and compared their "fully awake" (BASE) and "fully unconscious" (DEEP) conditions. Results show that microstate sequences, even at rest, are not random but tend to behave in a more predictable way, favoring simpler sub-sequences, or "words". Contrary to high-entropy words, lowest-entropy binary microstate loops are prominent and favored on average 10 times more than what is theoretically expected. Progressing from BASE to DEEP, the representation of low-entropy words increases while that of high-entropy words decreases. During the awake state, sequences of microstates tend to be attracted towards "A - B - C" microstate hubs, and most prominently A - B binary loops. Conversely, with full unconsciousness, sequences of microstates are attracted towards "C - D - E" hubs, and most prominently C - E binary loops, confirming the putative relation of microstates A and B to externally-oriented cognitive processes and microstate C and E to internally-generated mental activity. Microsynt can form a syntactic signature of microstate sequences that can be used to reliably differentiate two or more conditions.
Topics: Humans; Electroencephalography; Brain; Brain Mapping; Wakefulness; Propofol
PubMed: 37286153
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120196 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023Memorization strategy as a subset of language learning strategy (LLS) has long been investigated to explain foreign language learners' learning behaviors and uncover the... (Review)
Review
Memorization strategy as a subset of language learning strategy (LLS) has long been investigated to explain foreign language learners' learning behaviors and uncover the role that it plays in foreign language learning (FLL). In the past half century, the focus of memorization research in FLL has been shifted from Memorization, Vocabulary Memorization to Text Memorization, which are termed with consideration of the length of language material to memorize. Since memorization strategy use is greatly influenced by varieties of psychological and socio-culture variables, the memorization strategy system becomes more complicated in the process of FLL. The present narrative review attempts to provide an overview of memorization strategy research in the field of FLL by discussing the concepts, categorizations, uses, instructions and influential factors of the three types of memorization strategies. By reviewing the existing studies, this paper proposes that in future research, diversified methods be deployed with the expansion of research perspectives and the enrichment of research topics to reveal the relationship between memorization strategy and FLL more extensively.
PubMed: 37767209
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1261220 -
Environmental Health Perspectives Aug 2023The developing fetal brain is sensitive to many environmental exposures. However, the independent and joint effects of prenatal exposure to metals and micronutrients on...
BACKGROUND
The developing fetal brain is sensitive to many environmental exposures. However, the independent and joint effects of prenatal exposure to metals and micronutrients on child cognition are not well understood.
OBJECTIVES
Our aim was to evaluate associations of first-trimester ( wk) maternal erythrocyte concentrations of mixtures of nonessential and essential metals and micronutrients with early ( y) and mid-childhood ( y) cognitive test scores in Project Viva, a prebirth cohort in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
METHODS
We measured concentrations of five essential metals (Cu, Mg, Mn, Se, Zn) and two micronutrients (vitamin B12 and folate), together termed the "nutrient mixture," as well as six nonessential metals (As, Ba, Cd, Cs, Hg, Pb), together termed the "neurotoxic mixture," in first-trimester ( wk) maternal erythrocytes (metals) or plasma (micronutrients). We assessed visual-motor function and receptive vocabulary in early childhood ( y), and visual-motor function, visual memory, and fluid and crystallized intelligence in mid-childhood ( y). We employed adjusted quantile g-computation and linear regression to estimate mixture and individual component associations, respectively.
RESULTS
Analyses included 900 mother-child pairs (74% college graduates; 52% male children). In mixture analyses, a quartile increase in the nutrient mixture was associated with a mean difference in early childhood receptive vocabulary score of 1.58 points [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06, 3.10], driven by Zn and Se. A quartile increase in the neurotoxic mixture was associated with a mean difference in mid-childhood visual-motor score of points (95% CI: , ), driven by Ba and Cs. Linear regressions supported quantile g-computation findings for mixture component contributions.
DISCUSSION
Maternal circulating concentrations of several essential (Zn and Se) and nonessential (Ba and Cs) metals were associated with some domains of child cognition. In this folate-replete cohort, first-trimester circulating concentrations of known neurotoxic metals, such as Pb, were not associated with child cognition. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12016.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Male; Child, Preschool; Child; Micronutrients; Lead; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Cognition; Folic Acid
PubMed: 37585348
DOI: 10.1289/EHP12016 -
Scientific Reports Sep 2023Situated models suggest that social concepts are grounded in interpersonal experience. However, few studies have tested this notion experimentally, and none has targeted...
Situated models suggest that social concepts are grounded in interpersonal experience. However, few studies have tested this notion experimentally, and none has targeted individuals with reduced social interaction. Here, we assessed comprehension of text-level social and non-social concepts in persons with and without autistic-like traits. Participants read a social and a non-social text and answered questionnaires targeting social and non-social concepts, respectively. We compared behavioral outcomes, gauged their contribution to subject-level classification, and examined their association with validated measures of autism. Persons with autistic-like traits showed selective deficits in grasping text-level social concepts, even adjusting for intelligence, memory, and vocabulary. Also, social concept comprehension was the only variable that significantly classified between groups. Finally, social concept outcomes correlated negatively with measures of autism, including social interaction. Our results suggest that reduced interpersonal experience selectively compromises text-level social concept processing, offering empirical constraints for situated models of social semantics.
Topics: Humans; Autistic Disorder; Phenotype; Intelligence; Semantics; Social Interaction
PubMed: 37735251
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42889-2 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2023Medical language is in a constant state of evolution. Its grammar and vocabulary are not fixed by rigid rules. The interdisciplinary field of sepsis has become a meeting...
Medical language is in a constant state of evolution. Its grammar and vocabulary are not fixed by rigid rules. The interdisciplinary field of sepsis has become a meeting point for new insights arising from advances in systems biology, epidemiology, mechanistic understandings of disease process and antimicrobial interventions. This convergence has gained from our recent experience of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 and possibilities inferred from emerging information technology. Biomedical descriptors have diverged along disciplinary lines creating an unfortunate disconnect between clinical and laboratory-based terminology. The resulting confusion between clinically determined sepsis and laboratory verified bloodstream infection raises practical questions that affect daily operational processes in the ward, clinic and laboratory. There is an urgent need to understand how the clinical sepsis pathway and corresponding clinical laboratory workflow can be better aligned as a single coherent entity. There is also an implicit need to understand how this process should produce actionable information in a timely and orderly manner, and identify residual obselete terminology that has crept into common usage. A widely accepted sepsis epistemology, ontology and heuristic will help us improve our clinical management of sepsis.
PubMed: 37942414
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1250499 -
JMIR Medical Education Dec 2023Large language models, such as ChatGPT, are capable of generating grammatically perfect and human-like text content, and a large number of ChatGPT-generated texts have...
BACKGROUND
Large language models, such as ChatGPT, are capable of generating grammatically perfect and human-like text content, and a large number of ChatGPT-generated texts have appeared on the internet. However, medical texts, such as clinical notes and diagnoses, require rigorous validation, and erroneous medical content generated by ChatGPT could potentially lead to disinformation that poses significant harm to health care and the general public.
OBJECTIVE
This study is among the first on responsible artificial intelligence-generated content in medicine. We focus on analyzing the differences between medical texts written by human experts and those generated by ChatGPT and designing machine learning workflows to effectively detect and differentiate medical texts generated by ChatGPT.
METHODS
We first constructed a suite of data sets containing medical texts written by human experts and generated by ChatGPT. We analyzed the linguistic features of these 2 types of content and uncovered differences in vocabulary, parts-of-speech, dependency, sentiment, perplexity, and other aspects. Finally, we designed and implemented machine learning methods to detect medical text generated by ChatGPT. The data and code used in this paper are published on GitHub.
RESULTS
Medical texts written by humans were more concrete, more diverse, and typically contained more useful information, while medical texts generated by ChatGPT paid more attention to fluency and logic and usually expressed general terminologies rather than effective information specific to the context of the problem. A bidirectional encoder representations from transformers-based model effectively detected medical texts generated by ChatGPT, and the F score exceeded 95%.
CONCLUSIONS
Although text generated by ChatGPT is grammatically perfect and human-like, the linguistic characteristics of generated medical texts were different from those written by human experts. Medical text generated by ChatGPT could be effectively detected by the proposed machine learning algorithms. This study provides a pathway toward trustworthy and accountable use of large language models in medicine.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Algorithms; Disinformation; Electric Power Supplies; Health Facilities
PubMed: 38153785
DOI: 10.2196/48904 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Oct 2023: This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing the effects of corticotomy and flapless piezocision on accelerated tooth movement. : A comprehensive search using... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
: This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing the effects of corticotomy and flapless piezocision on accelerated tooth movement. : A comprehensive search using a combination of controlled vocabulary (MeSH) and free-text terms was undertaken by two reviewers to identify published systematic reviews. Three major electronic databases (Medline via PubMed, Cochrane Database, and Embase) were searched up to 2 June 2023. : The results of the meta-analysis showed that the pooled standardized mean difference values of accumulative movement distances for flapless piezocision were 1.43 (95% CI, 0.38 to 2.48; < 0.01), 1.09 (95% CI, -0.08 to 2.26; = 0.07), and 0.73 (95% CI, -0.58 to 4.02; = 0.14). The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that the pooled SMD values of accumulative movement distances for the corticotomy were 2.76 (95% CI, 0.18 to 5.34; = 0.04), 1.43 (95% CI, -1.10 to 3.96; = 0.27), and 4.78 (95% CI, -4.54 to 14.10; = 0.32). Although the test for overall effectiveness was significant for piezocision and corticotomy, there were no significant differences between piezocision and corticotomy. : The study determined that both conventional corticotomy and flapless piezosurgery are effective as adjuncts to orthodontic treatment. Moreover, no significant difference was observed in the short-term effectiveness of canine retraction acceleration between conventional corticotomy and flapless piezocision. While piezocision may be a favorable option for orthodontic treatment, corticotomy can be considered in cases requiring additional procedures such as bone grafting.
Topics: Humans; Tooth Movement Techniques; Dental Care; Piezosurgery; Bone Transplantation; Databases, Factual
PubMed: 37893522
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59101804 -
Meta-radiology Nov 2023Missing data are a common problem for large cohort or longitudinal research and have been handled through data imputation. Based on simplified models such as linear or...
Missing data are a common problem for large cohort or longitudinal research and have been handled through data imputation. Based on simplified models such as linear or nonlinear interpolations, current imputation methods may not be accurate for real-life data such as biological and behavioral data. The purpose of this work was to explore the capability of ChatGPT, a powerful Large Language Model (LLM) developed by OpenAI, for biological and psychological data imputation. We tested the feasibility using data from the Human Connectome Project. Performance was evaluated by comparing the imputed data against known ground truth (GT) and measured with metrics like Pearson correlation coefficient (r), relative accuracy (MP), and mean absolute error (MAE). Comparative analyses with traditional imputation techniques are also conducted to demonstrate the superior efficacy of the ChatGPT as a data imputer. In summary, through customized data-to-text prompting engineering, ChatGPT can successfully capture intricate patterns and dependencies within biological data, resulting in precise imputations. Fine-tuning ChatGPT with domain-specific biological vocabulary with human in-loop as an interpreter enhances the accuracy and relevance of the imputations.
PubMed: 38784385
DOI: 10.1016/j.metrad.2023.100034 -
Journal of Speech, Language, and... Aug 2023Using a novel parent report measure, this study investigated whether asking parents to rate their certainty when reporting on child vocabulary skills provided additional...
PURPOSE
Using a novel parent report measure, this study investigated whether asking parents to rate their certainty when reporting on child vocabulary skills provided additional insight into parent report and emerging language abilities in young autistic children. Specifically, we investigated whether parent certainty varied based on whether the child was reported to understand, understand and say, or neither understand nor say the word and whether standardized measures of expressive and receptive language abilities and/or autistic traits predicted parent certainty. Lastly, we investigated whether certainty was associated with inconsistency in parent report of child word knowledge.
METHOD
Twenty-one parents and their autistic children ages 2-5 years participated. One parent per child completed the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MCDI) Words and Gestures form and a custom vocabulary checklist including 24 object nouns from the MCDI. Within the custom form, parents indicated whether their child understood, understood and said, or neither understood nor said 24 target nouns and reported how certain they were about their responses using a 5-point scale. Expressive language, receptive language, and autistic traits were measured via direct assessment using standardized measures.
RESULTS
Parent certainty varied widely and was higher for words the parents reported the children understood and said compared to that for words children either understood or neither understood nor said. Certainty ratings were higher when a child had higher standardized receptive and expressive language scores. Lastly, parent certainty was associated with reporting consistency, clarifying previous findings of inconsistencies in parent report of child vocabulary.
CONCLUSION
Findings from this study indicate that measuring parent certainty provides critical information when assessing early vocabulary skills in autistic children.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23671497.
Topics: Humans; Autistic Disorder; Checklist; Language; Language Development; Vocabulary; Child, Preschool
PubMed: 37467394
DOI: 10.1044/2023_JSLHR-22-00623 -
Infancy : the Official Journal of the... 2023Infants' and parents' pointing gestures predict infants' concurrent and prospective language development. Most studies have measured vocabulary size using parental...
Infants' and parents' pointing gestures predict infants' concurrent and prospective language development. Most studies have measured vocabulary size using parental reports. However, parents tend to underestimate or overestimate infants' vocabulary necessitating the use of direct measures alongside parent reports. The present study examined whether mothers' index-finger pointing, and infants' whole-hand and index-finger pointing at 14 months associate with infants' receptive and expressive vocabulary based on parental reports and directly measured lexical processing efficiency (LPE) concurrently at 14 months and prospectively at 18 months. We used the decorated room paradigm to measure pointing frequency, the Turkish communicative development inventory I to measure infants' receptive vocabulary, Turkish communicative development inventory II to measure their expressive vocabulary, and the Looking-While-Listening (LWL) task to measure LPE. At 14 months, 34 mother-infant dyads, and at 18 months, 30 dyads were included in the analyses. We found that only infants' index-finger pointing frequency at 14 months predicted their LPE (both reaction time and accuracy) prospectively at 18 months but not concurrently at 14 months. Neither maternal pointing nor infants' pointing predicted their receptive and expressive vocabulary based on indirect measurement. The results extend the evidence on the relation between index-finger pointing and language development to a more direct measure of vocabulary.
PubMed: 37655834
DOI: 10.1111/infa.12558