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Attention, Perception & Psychophysics May 2024The link between various codes of magnitude and their interactions has been studied extensively for many years. In the current study, we examined how the physical and...
The link between various codes of magnitude and their interactions has been studied extensively for many years. In the current study, we examined how the physical and numerical magnitudes of digits are mapped into a combined mental representation. In two psychophysical experiments, participants reported the physically larger digit among two digits. In the identical condition, participants compared digits of an identical value (e.g., "2" and "2"); in the different condition, participants compared digits of distinct numerical values (i.e., "2" and "5"). As anticipated, participants overestimated the physical size of a numerically larger digit and underestimated the physical size of a numerically smaller digit. Our results extend the shared-representation account of physical and numerical magnitudes.
Topics: Humans; Size Perception; Pattern Recognition, Visual; Male; Female; Young Adult; Judgment; Psychophysics; Adult; Attention; Discrimination, Psychological
PubMed: 38639857
DOI: 10.3758/s13414-024-02875-w -
The Journal of Hand Surgery Oct 2020Macrodactyly is a rare, nonhereditary congenital deformity. Digital enlargement in macrodactyly involves all tissue types and presents alone or as part of a congenital...
PURPOSE
Macrodactyly is a rare, nonhereditary congenital deformity. Digital enlargement in macrodactyly involves all tissue types and presents alone or as part of a congenital deformity syndromes. Macrodactyly treatment largely depends on surgeons' experience and knowledge. Because there is a paucity of large cohort studies of macrodactyly in the literature, our goal was to retrospectively analyze macrodactyly cases in order to define a better system for diagnosis, classification, and prognosis.
METHODS
Medical records of 90 Chinese macrodactyly patients, including demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, anatomical distributions, x-rays, pathological findings, and treatments, were reviewed. Genetic analyses of 12 patients were also reviewed.
RESULTS
Disease incidence was similar across sex and geographical regions. Multiple-digit involvement was 2.6 times more frequent than single-digit involvement. The index finger, middle finger, and thumb were most commonly involved. Two digits were affected more often than 3, with the affected digits adjacent in most cases. The affected digit was in the median nerve innervation distribution in 79% of cases and was accompanied by enlargement and fat infiltration of the median nerve. Seven cases had syndactyly. Ten of the 12 cases subjected to PIK3CA mutation analysis were positive.
CONCLUSIONS
Macrodactyly represents a heterogeneous group of conditions, without significant sex or geographical predilection, which is usually present at birth. A high PIK3CA mutation-positive rate in affected tissues suggests a similar cellular mechanism for overgrowth in patients with various clinical presentations.
TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Prognostic IV.
Topics: Fingers; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Limb Deformities, Congenital; Retrospective Studies; Syndactyly
PubMed: 32299688
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2020.03.002 -
Journal of Neurophysiology Oct 2019It is tempting to describe human reach-to-grasp movements in terms of two, more or less independent visuomotor channels, one relating hand transport to the object's... (Review)
Review
It is tempting to describe human reach-to-grasp movements in terms of two, more or less independent visuomotor channels, one relating hand transport to the object's location and the other relating grip aperture to the object's size. Our review of experimental work questions this framework for reasons that go beyond noting the dependence between the two channels. Both the lack of effect of size illusions on grip aperture and the finding that the variability in grip aperture does not depend on the object's size indicate that size information is not used to control grip aperture. An alternative is to describe grip formation as emerging from controlling the movements of the digits in space. Each digit's trajectory when grasping an object is remarkably similar to its trajectory when moving to tap the same position on its own. The similarity is also evident in the fast responses when the object is displaced. This review develops a new description of the speed-accuracy trade-off for multiple effectors that is applied to grasping. The most direct support for the digit-in-space framework is that prism-induced adaptation of each digit's tapping movements transfers to that digit's movements when grasping, leading to changes in grip aperture for adaptation in opposite directions for the two digits. We conclude that although grip aperture and hand transport are convenient variables to describe grasping, treating grasping as movements of the digits in space is a more suitable basis for understanding the neural control of grasping.
Topics: Fingers; Hand Strength; Humans; Illusions; Motor Skills; Movement; Size Perception
PubMed: 31339802
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00123.2019 -
The South African Journal of Psychiatry... 2021Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental health condition affecting the lives of many South Africans. The origins of the heterogeneity in the presentation of the illness...
BACKGROUND
Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental health condition affecting the lives of many South Africans. The origins of the heterogeneity in the presentation of the illness remain uncertain.
AIM
This cross-sectional study performed a retrospective data analysis to determine the usefulness of digit ratio as an endophenotype in a South African schizophrenia population.
SETTING
A large genetic study in a South African schizophrenia population recruited patients from services in the Western and Eastern Cape.
METHODS
Complete clinical histories were captured for participants, including sets of images of the face and extremities. Software was utilised to measure the lengths of participants' digits from said images and digit ratios (2D:4D) were calculated. Descriptive analyses were performed on the ratios and statistical differences in digit ratio means were calculated between groups characterised by sex, age of onset and the presence vs absence of positive symptoms. Linear modelling was utilised to assess for correlates between 2D:4D and positive and negative symptom severity using scores obtained from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS).
RESULTS
2D:4D in male participants did not significantly differ from female participants as in healthy populations. 2D:4D did not significantly correlate with the severity of positive or negative symptoms and 2D:4D means between groups did not significantly relate to age of onset.
CONCLUSION
2D:4D appears to be a possible endophenotype in schizophrenia in this population. 2D:4D, however, may not be as readily identifiable as certain minor physical anomalies and neurological soft signs significantly associated with schizophrenia in this population.
PubMed: 33824756
DOI: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v27i0.1587 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2022High right minus left (R-L) asymmetry of digit ratios has been reported to be linked to hospitalization for COVID-19. Here we examined the developmental patterns of this...
High right minus left (R-L) asymmetry of digit ratios has been reported to be linked to hospitalization for COVID-19. Here we examined the developmental patterns of this novel form of asymmetry in children and further explored their relationships to platelet counts and hospitalization for COVID-19 in adult patients. We considered ratios calculated from four digits (2D, 3D, 4D, 5D) in: (i) a sample of healthy participants aged 2 years to 18 years ( = 680, 340 males) and (ii) 96 adult patients (42 males) hospitalized for COVID-19 and 100 controls (53 males). The protocol for (ii) included a questionnaire and laboratory test results. In sample (i) of the six unsigned digit ratio asymmetries, those which included 5D had the highest mean asymmetry with the greatest between-individual variation and they were unstable over the age range of 2 years to 18 years. In sample (ii) patients showed higher asymmetries than controls in four ratios (2D:4D, 2D:5D, 3D:5D, 4D:5D) and a sum of asymmetries of the two independent ratios (2D:4D+3D:5D) correlated positively with platelet counts and hospitalization. Conclusion: Means and SDs of digit ratio asymmetry that include the 5th digit are high and age-unstable. Digit ratio asymmetry, particularly 5th digit ratio asymmetry and a composite measure of 2D:4D + 3D:5D asymmetry, may be positively linked to high platelet counts in COVID-19 patients and to an elevated risk of hospitalization.
Topics: Adult; Male; Child; Humans; Child, Preschool; Fingers; Platelet Count; Digit Ratios; COVID-19; Sex Characteristics; Hospitalization
PubMed: 36311570
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.995025 -
Developmental Cell Apr 2022During embryonic development, digits gradually emerge in a periodic pattern. Although genetic evidence indicates that digit formation results from a self-organizing...
During embryonic development, digits gradually emerge in a periodic pattern. Although genetic evidence indicates that digit formation results from a self-organizing process, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we find that convergent-extension tissue flows driven by active stresses underlie digit formation. These active stresses simultaneously shape cartilage condensations and lead to the emergence of a compressive stress region that promotes high activin/p-SMAD/SOX9 expression, thereby defining digit-organizing centers via a mechanical feedback. In Wnt5a mutants, such mechanical feedback is disrupted due to the loss of active stresses, organizing centers do not emerge, and digit formation is precluded. Thus, digit emergence does not result solely from molecular interactions, as was previously thought, but requires a mechanical feedback that ensures continuous coupling between phalanx specification and elongation. Our work, which links mechanical and molecular signals, provides a mechanistic context for the emergence of organizing centers that may underlie various developmental processes.
Topics: Activins; Chondrogenesis; Extremities; Feedback; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Morphogenesis
PubMed: 35413235
DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.03.004 -
Journal of Audiology & Otology Jan 2022Although the digit-in-noise (DIN) test is simple and quick, little is known about its key factors. This study explored the considerable components of the DIN test...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Although the digit-in-noise (DIN) test is simple and quick, little is known about its key factors. This study explored the considerable components of the DIN test through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
After six electronic journal databases were screened, 14 studies were selected. For the meta-analysis, standardized mean difference was used to calculate effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals.
RESULTS
The overall result of the meta-analysis showed an effect size of 2.224. In a subgroup analysis, the patient's hearing status was found to have the highest effect size, meaning that the DIN test was significantly sensitive to screen for hearing loss. In terms of the length of the presenting digits, triple digits had lower speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) than single or pairs of digits. Among the types of background noise, speech-spectrum noise provided lower SRTs than multi-talker babbling. Regarding language variance, the DIN test showed better performance in the patient's native language(s) than in other languages.
CONCLUSIONS
When uniformly developed and well validated, the DIN test can be a universal tool for hearing screening.
PubMed: 34775699
DOI: 10.7874/jao.2021.00416 -
Memory & Cognition Nov 2022A robust left digit effect arises in number line estimation such that adults' estimates for numerals with different hundreds place digits but nearly identical magnitudes...
A robust left digit effect arises in number line estimation such that adults' estimates for numerals with different hundreds place digits but nearly identical magnitudes are systematically different from one another (e.g., 299 is placed too far to the left of 302). In two experiments, we investigate whether brief feedback interventions designed to increase task effort can reduce or eliminate the left digit effect in a self-paced 0-1,000 number line estimation task. Participants were assigned to complete three blocks of 120 trials each where the middle block contained feedback or no feedback. Feedback was in the form of summary accuracy scores (Experiment 1; N = 153) or competitive (summary) accuracy scores (Experiment 2; N = 145). In both experiments, planned analyses revealed large left digit effects in all blocks regardless of feedback condition. Feedback did not lead to a reduction in the left digit effect in either experiment, but improvements in overall accuracy were observed. We conclude that there are no changes in the left digit effect resulting from either summary accuracy feedback or competitive accuracy feedback. Also reported are exploratory analyses of trial characteristics (e.g., whether 299 is presented before or after 302) and the left digit effect.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Mathematics; Cognition
PubMed: 35218004
DOI: 10.3758/s13421-022-01278-2 -
Stem Cells International 2019Over the past several decades there has been a profound increase in the understanding of tissue regeneration, driven largely by the observance of the tremendous... (Review)
Review
Over the past several decades there has been a profound increase in the understanding of tissue regeneration, driven largely by the observance of the tremendous regenerative capacity in lower order life forms, such as hydra and urodeles. However, it is known that humans and other mammals retain the ability to regenerate the distal phalanges of the digits after amputation. Despite the increased knowledge base on model organisms regarding regenerative paradigms, there is a lack of application of regenerative medicine techniques in clinical practice in regard to digit tip injury. Here, we review the current understanding of digit tip regeneration and discuss gaps that remain in translating regenerative medicine into clinical treatment of digit amputation.
PubMed: 30805012
DOI: 10.1155/2019/9619080 -
Computational Intelligence and... 2022Classification of isolated digits is the basic challenge for many speech classification systems. While a lot of work has been carried out on spoken languages, only...
Classification of isolated digits is the basic challenge for many speech classification systems. While a lot of work has been carried out on spoken languages, only limited research work on spoken English digit data has been reported in the literature. The paper proposes an intelligent-based system based on deep feedforward neural network (DFNN) with hyperparameter optimization techniques, an ensemble method; random forest (RF), and a regression method; gradient boosting (GB) for the classification of spoken digit data. The paper investigates different machine learning (ML) algorithms to determine the best method for the classification of spoken English digit data. The DFNN classifier outperformed the RF and GB classifiers on the public benchmark spoken English digit data and achieved 99.65% validation accuracy. The outcome of the proposed model performs better compared to existing models with only traditional classifiers.
Topics: Algorithms; Deep Learning; Language; Machine Learning; Neural Networks, Computer
PubMed: 36211015
DOI: 10.1155/2022/3364141