Celikyates6593

Fractal dimensions and characteristic periodicities were evaluated in normal sentences, computer-generated word salads, and word salads from schizophrenia patients, in both Japanese and English, using the random walk patterns of vowels.　In normal sentences, the walking curves were smooth with gentle undulations, whereas computer-generated word salads were rugged with mechanical repetitions, and word salads from patients with schizophrenia were unreasonably winding with meaningless repetitive patterns or even artistic cohesion. These tendencies were similar in both languages. Fractal dimensions between normal sentences and word salads of schizophrenia were significantly different in Japanese [1.19 ± 0.09 (n = 90) and 1.15 ± 0.08 (n = 45), respectively] and English [1.20 ± 0.08 (n = 91), and 1.16 ± 0.08 (n = 42)] (p 10) presented here are sensitive to discriminate between schizophrenia and healthy mental state, and could be implemented in social robots to assess the mental state of people in care.We propose a developmental model inspired by the cortico-basal system (CX-BG) for vocal learning in babies and for solving the correspondence mismatch problem they face when they hear unfamiliar voices, with different tones and pitches. This model is based on the neural architecture INFERNO standing for Iterative Free-Energy Optimization of Recurrent Neural Networks. Free-energy minimization is used for rapidly exploring, selecting and learning the optimal choices of actions to perform (eg sound production) in order to reproduce and control as accurately as possible the spike trains representing desired perceptions (eg sound categories). We detail in this paper the CX-BG system responsible for linking causally the sound and motor primitives at the order of a few milliseconds. Two experiments performed with a small and a large audio database show the capabilities of exploration, generalization and robustness to noise of our neural architecture in retrieving audio primitives during vocal learning and during acoustic matching with unheared voices (different genders and tones).Short DNA oligonucleotides (~4 mer) have been used to index samples from different sources, such as in multiplex sequencing. Presently, longer oligonucleotides (8-12 mer) are being used as molecular barcodes with which to distinguish among raw DNA molecules in many high-tech sequence analyses, including low-frequent mutation detection, quantitative transcriptome analysis, and single-cell sequencing. Despite some advantages of using molecular barcodes with random sequences, such an approach, however, makes it impossible to know the exact sequences used in an experiment and can lead to inaccurate interpretation due to misclustering of barcodes arising from the occurrence of unexpected mutations in the barcodes. The present study introduces a tool developed for selecting an optimal barcode subset during molecular barcoding. The program considers five barcode factors GC content, homopolymers, simple sequence repeats with repeated units of dinucleotides, Hamming distance, and complementarity between barcodes. To eormance of the program, we expect that many researchers will opt to apply it for selecting optimal barcode sets during their experiments, including next-generation sequencing.

Non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common acute optic neuropathy over the age of 50 years. NAION is commonly associated with systemic vascular risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia) and small cup-to-disc-ratio. We have assessed the prevalence risk factors of NAION and the visual outcome in patients referred to a tertiary ophthalmology center in Kuwait.

A retrospective review of new cases of NAION presenting within 2 weeks of onset were included and baseline clinical and demographics characteristic were determined. The prevalence of risk factors and the visual outcome (change in logMAR visual acuity, mean deviation of visual field) was compared between young NAION patients (below 50 years of age) and older NAION patients (over 50 years of age). The odds ratio of a final favorable visual outcome (visual acuity 20/40 or better) by age category was determined.

Seventy-eight eyes of 78 patients with recent onset NAION were included in the study. The most prevalent risks). Patients below the age of 50 years with NAION are more likely to have a final visual acuity of 20/40 or better than NAION patients above the age of 50 years.In tropical rainforests, access to and availability of natural resources are vital for the dietary diversity and food security of forest-dwelling societies. In the Congo Basin, these are challenged by the increasing exploitation of forests for bushmeat, commercial hardwood, mining, and large-scale agriculture. In this context, a balanced approach is needed between the pressures from forest exploitation, non-timber forest product trade and the livelihood and dietary behavior of rural communities. While there is a general positive association between tree cover and dietary diversity, the complex biocultural interactions between tropical forest food resources and the communities they sustain are still understudied. This research focuses on the knowledge and use of wild food plants by the forest-dwelling Baka people in southeast Cameroon. By using two different sets of methods, namely ex-situ interviews and in-situ surveys, we collected ethnographic and ethnobotanical data in two Baka settlements and explored the diversity of wild edible plants known, the frequency of their consumption, and potential conflicts between local diet and commercial trade in forest resources. Within a single Baka population, we showed that the in-situ walk-in-the-woods method resulted in more detailed information on wild food plant knowledge and use frequency than the ex-situ methods of freelisting and dietary recalls. Our in-situ method yielded 91 wild edible species, much more than the ex-situ freelisting interviews (38 spp.) and dietary recalls (12 spp.). Our results suggest that studies that are based only on ex-situ interviews may underestimate the importance of wild food plants for local communities. read more We discuss the limitations and strengths of these different methods for investigating the diversity of wild food plant knowledge and uses. Our analysis shows that future studies on wild food plants would profit from a mixed approach that combines in-situ and ex-situ methods.