Racing the Clock: Using Response Time as a Proxy for Attentiveness on Self-Administered Surveys

Internet-based surveys have expanded public opinion data collection at the expense of monitoring respondent attentiveness, potentially compromising data quality. Researchers now have to evaluate attentiveness ex-post. We propose a new proxy for attentiveness—response-time attentiveness clustering (RTAC)—that uses dimension reduction and an unsupervised clustering algorithm to leverage variation in response time between respondents and across questions. We advance the literature theoretically arguing that the existing dichotomous classification of respondents as fast or attentive is insufficient and neglects slow and inattentive respondents. We validate our theoretical classification and empirical strategy against commonly used proxies for survey attentiveness. In contrast to other methods for capturing attentiveness, RTAC allows researchers to collect attentiveness data unobtrusively without sacrificing space on the survey instrument.

Kelly Criterion for Optimal Credit Allocation

The purpose of this study is to address the critical issue of optimal credit allocation. Predicting a borrower’s probability of default is a key requirement of any credit allocation system but turning it into labeled classes leads to problems in performance measurement. In this paper the connection between the probability of default and optimal credit allocation is established through a conceptual construct called the Kelly criterion. Conflicting performance measures in dichotomous classification are replaced with coherent criteria for judging the performance of credit allocation decisions. Extensive testing on peer-to-peer lending data shows that the Kelly strategy enables consistent outperformance and efficiency in processing information relative to alternative credit allocation approaches.

Surgical Margins in Canine Cutaneous Soft-Tissue Sarcomas: A Dichotomous Classification System Does Not Accurately Predict the Risk of Local Recurrence

Adjuvant treatments are recommended in dogs with incompletely excised cutaneous soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) to reduce the risk of local recurrence (LR), although guidelines are lacking on how to manage clean but close margins (CbCM). This retrospective study investigates the impact of CbCM on LR of canine STS. Ninety-eight surgically excised canine STS at first presentation were included. Tissue samples were routinely trimmed and analyzed. Cumulative incidence of LR was estimated for each category of margins (tumor-free, infiltrated, CbCM), and included CbCM in the tumor-free and infiltrated category, respectively. The prognostic impact on LR was then adjusted for relevant prognostic factors. Cumulative incidence of LR at three years differed significantly between the three categories (p = 0.016), and was estimated to be 42% with infiltrated margins, 23% with CbCM, 7% with tumor-free margins. Both when CbCM were grouped with infiltrated margins (p = 0.033; HR = 5.05), and when CbCM were grouped with tumor-free margins (p = 0.011; HR = 3.13), a significant difference between groups was found. STS excised with infiltrated margins had the greatest risk of LR. The rate of LR with CbCm was greater than recurrence rate of tumor-free margins. The category CbCM may be considered as a separate prognostic category.

New classification of autoimmune neuropathies based on target antigens and involved domains of myelinated fibres

Autoimmune neuropathies are named by eponyms, by descriptive terminology or because of the presence of specific antibodies and are traditionally classified, on the basis of pathology and electrophysiology, as primary demyelinating or axonal. However, autoimmune disorders targeting specific molecules of the nodal region, although not showing pathological evidence of demyelination, can exhibit all the electrophysiological changes considered characteristic of a demyelinating neuropathy and acute neuropathies with antiganglioside antibodies, classified as axonal and due to nodal dysfunction, can present with reversible conduction failure and prompt recovery that appear contradictory with the common view of an axonal neuropathy. These observations bring into question the concepts of demyelinating and axonal nerve conduction changes and the groundwork of the classical dichotomous classification.We propose a classification of autoimmune neuropathies based on the involved domains of the myelinated fibre and, when known, on the antigen. This classification, in our opinion, helps to better systematise autoimmune neuropathies because points to the site and molecular target of the autoimmune attack, reconciles some contrasting pathological and electrophysiological findings, circumvents the apparent paradox that neuropathies labelled as axonal may be promptly reversible and finally avoids taxonomic confusion and possible misdiagnosis.

Fauna epiedáfica associada a fragmentos florestais de Araucaria angustifolia em diferentes condições edafoclimáticas no estado do Paraná

A fauna edáfica desempenha funções ecológicas fundamentais na interface solo-serapilheira, sendo dependente das condições ambientais que está inserida. Neste sentido, este estudo objetivou avaliar a diversidade de organismos epiedáficos em fragmentos florestais de Araucaria angustifolia na região Sudoeste do Paraná sob diferentes condições edafoclimáticas. A amostragem da fauna foi realizada em três áreas com diferentes condições edafoclimáticas, em função da variação da altitude, nos municípios de Dois Vizinhos, Pato Branco e Mangueirinha, Sudoeste do PR. Instalou-se oito armadilhas de queda em cada fragmento que permaneceram a campo por um período de sete dias. Os organismos amostrados foram identificados com auxílio de lupa binocular e chaves dicotômicas de classificação. Em cada ponto de coleta também amostrou-se o solo na camada de 0-10 cm para avaliação dos atributos químicos do solo. As diferentes condições edafoclimáticas na região Sudoeste do Paraná não afetam significativamente a abundância, riqueza e a diversidade de organismos epiedáficos associados a fragmentos florestais de Araucaria angustifolia. Porém, a temperatura interferiu na dinâmica de decomposição da matéria orgânica do solo. Epiedaphic fauna associated with Araucaria angustifolia forest fragments in different edaphoclimatic conditions in the state of Paraná A B S T R A C TThe edaphic fauna plays fundamental ecological functions in the soil-litter interface, being dependent on the environmental conditions that are inserted. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the diversity of epiedaphic organisms in forest fragments of Araucaria angustifolia in the Southwest region of Paraná under different edaphoclimatic conditions. The fauna sampling was carried out in three areas with different edaphoclimatic conditions, depending on the altitude variation, in the municipalities of Dois Vizinhos, Pato Branco and Mangueirinha, Southwest of PR. Eight drop traps were installed in each fragment that remained in the field for a period of seven days. The sampled organisms were identified with the aid of a binocular loupe and dichotomous classification keys. At each collection point, the soil was also sampled in the 0-10 cm layer to assess the chemical attributes of the soil. The different edaphoclimatic conditions in the Southwest region of Paraná do not significantly affect the abundance, richness and diversity of epiedaphic organisms associated with forest fragments of Araucaria angustifolia. However, the temperature interfered in the decomposition dynamics of the soil organic matter.Keywords: soil biota, Atlantic Forest, invertebrates, bioindicators

Reconceptualising resilience within a translational framework is supported by unique and brain-region specific transcriptional signatures in mice

ABSTRACTChronic social defeat (CSD) in mice has been increasingly employed in experimental resilience research. Particularly, the degree of CSD-induced social avoidance is used to classify animals into resilient (socially non-avoidant) versus susceptible (avoidant). In-spired by human data pointing to threat-safety discrimination and responsiveness to extinction training of aversive memories as characteristics of resilient individuals, we here describe a translationally informed stratification which identified three phenotypic subgroups of mice following CSD: the Discriminating-avoiders, characterised by successful social threat-safety discrimination and successful extinction of social avoidance; the Indis-criminate-avoiders, showing aversive response generalisation, and the Non-avoiders (absence of social avoidance) displaying impaired conditioned learning. Furthermore, and supporting the biological validity of our approach, we uncovered subgroup-specific transcriptional signatures in classical fear conditioning and anxiety-related brain regions. Our reconceptualisation of resilience in mice refines the currently used dichotomous classification and contributes to advancing future translational approaches.

Classifying Conversational Entrainment of Speech Behavior: An Updated Framework and Review

Conversational entrainment, also known as alignment, accommodation, convergence, and coordination is broadly defined as similarity of communicative behavior between interlocutors. Within current literature, specific terminology, definitions, and measurement approaches are wide ranging and highly variable. As new ways of measuring and quantifying entrainment are developed and research in this area continues to expand to fields such as speech-language pathology, consistent terminology and a means of organizing entrainment research is critical, affording cohesion and assimilation of knowledge. While systems for categorizing entrainment do exist, these efforts are not entirely comprehensive in that specific measurement approaches often used within entrainment literature cannot be categorized under existing frameworks. The purpose of this review article is twofold: First, we propose a modified version of the framework presented by Levitan and colleagues (2011; 2014), which allows for the categorization of all measures of acoustic-prosodic entrainment and includes refinements, additions, and explanations aimed at improving its clarity and accessibility. Second, we present an extensive literature review, demonstrating how current literature fits into the given framework. We begin by introducing, describing, and illustrating the updated classification framework, consisting of eight entrainment types categorized by three dichotomous classification factors. To assist with explanations of each entrainment subtype, we draw upon rich literature of acoustic-prosodic behaviors in embodied face-to-face conversations and provide clear examples of each classification type. We conclude with a discussion of how the proposed entrainment framework presented herein can be used to guide unified research efforts in speech-language pathology.

In-depth analysis reveals complex molecular etiology of idiopathic cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP), the most prevalent physical disability in children, has long been ignored with regard to its inherent molecular mechanism. In this work, we performed in-depth clinical and molecular analysis on 120 idiopathic CP families, and identified in half of the patients the underlying risk factors. By a compilation of 117 CP-related genes, we recognized the characteristic features in terms of inheritance and function, and proposed a dichotomous classification system according to the expression patterns. In two patients with both CP and intellectual disability, we revealed that the defective TYW1, a tRNA hypermodification enzyme, caused microcephaly and problems in motion and cognition by hindering neuronal proliferation and migration. We developed an algorithm and proved in mice brain that this malfunctioning hypermodification specifically perturbed the translation of a subset of proteins involved in cell cycling. In a CP patient with normal intelligence, we identified a mitochondrial enzyme GPAM, the hypomorphic form of which led to hypomyelination of corticospinal tract. We confirmed that the aberrant Gpam in mice perturbed the lipid metabolism in astrocyte, resulting in suppressed astrocyte proliferation and a shortage of lipid contents supplied for oligodendrocyte myelination. This work broadened the scope of understanding of CP etiology and paved a way for innovative therapeutic strategies.

A Systematic Framework for Classifying Conversational Entrainment of Speech Behavior

Purpose: Conversational entrainment, also known as alignment, accommodation, convergence, and coordination, is broadly defined as similarity of communicative behavior between interlocutors. Within current literature, specific terminology, definitions, and measurement approaches are wide-ranging and highly variable. As research in this area continues to expand, particularly to fields such as speech-language pathology, consistent terminology and a means of organizing the study of entrainment is critical, affording cohesion and assimilation of knowledge. The purpose of this review article is to build upon the ideas of several researchers to create a comprehensive and systematic framework for classifying entrainment of speech behavior. Through this framework, we provide a clear and well-defined set of terminology to organize the various types of entrained behaviors and measurement approaches.Method: We begin by introducing and describing our classification framework, consisting of eight entrainment types categorized by three dichotomous classification factors: the class of entrainment (i.e., synchrony or proximity), the temporal level of entrainment (i.e., global or local), and the dynamicity of entrainment (i.e., static or dynamic). To assist with our explanations of each entrainment subtype, we draw upon rich literature of acoustic-prosodic behaviors in embodied face-face conversations and provide clear examples of each classification type.Conclusions: We conclude with a discussion of how the entrainment framework presented herein can be used to guide unified research efforts in speech-language pathology. If adopted, the framework will enable us, as a discipline, to collectively build a cohesive and informative body of literature to advance understanding of conversational entrainment in communication disorders.