Atypical relationships between neurofunctional features of print-sound integration and reading abilities in Chinese children with dyslexia

Conquering grapheme-phoneme correspondence is necessary for developing fluent reading in alphabetic orthographies. In neuroimaging research, this ability is associated with brain activation differences between the audiovisual congruent against incongruent conditions, especially in the left superior temporal cortex. Studies have also shown such a neural audiovisual integration effect is reduced in individuals with dyslexia. However, existing evidence is almost restricted to alphabetic languages. Whether and how multisensory processing of print and sound is impaired in Chinese dyslexia remains underexplored. Of note, semantic information is deeply involved in Chinese character processing. In this study, we applied a functional magnetic resonance imaging audiovisual integration paradigm to investigate the possible dysfunctions in processing character-sound pairs and pinyin-sound pairs in Chinese dyslexic children compared with typically developing readers. Unexpectedly, no region displayed significant group difference in the audiovisual integration effect in either the character or pinyin experiment. However, the results revealed atypical correlations between neurofunctional features accompanying audiovisual integration with reading abilities in Chinese children with dyslexia. Specifically, while the audiovisual integration effect in the left inferior cortex in processing character-sound pairs correlated with silent reading comprehension proficiency in both dyslexia and control group, it was associated with morphological awareness in the control group but with rapid naming in dyslexics. As for pinyin-sound associations processing, while the stronger activation in the congruent than incongruent conditions in the left occipito-temporal cortex and bilateral superior temporal cortices was associated with better oral word reading in the control group, an opposite pattern was found in children with dyslexia. On the one hand, this pattern suggests Chinese dyslexic children have yet to develop an efficient grapho-semantic processing system as typically developing children do. On the other hand, it indicates dysfunctional recruitment of the regions that process pinyin-sound pairs in dyslexia, which may impede character learning.

Trade Intensity, Fiscal Integration and Income Inequality in ECOWAS

This paper analyzes the income inequality effect of economic integration in ECOWAS by decomposing economic integration into two dimensions: trade and fiscal integration approximated respectively by trade intensity and fiscal convergence. For robustness purposes, we use different metrics for each dimension. We also consider the introduction in the region of growth and convergence pact in the analysis of fiscal integration effect on income inequality. The analysis covers the period 1990–2018. For the empirical evidence, the generalized method of moment is used. The results obtained are robust and reveal that improving regional economic integration has a reducing effect on income inequality. Taken individually, trade integration and fiscal integration contribute to reducing income inequality. However, taken together, the reducing effect of economic integration on income inequality is more pronounced. Besides, the results indicate that fiscal integration has more contributed to the reduction of income inequality since the introduction of the first fiscal convergence pact in the region in 2000 than before. For reducing income inequality, our analysis recommends to ECOWAS countries to take steps to remove barriers to regional trade on the one hand, and on the other hand, to converge together on the fiscal front.

Design of Automatic Integration Algorithm for Popular Science Microanimation Works in the Context of New Media

When traditional methods integrate popular science microanimation works, the integration effect of the animation works is not good. In this paper, we propose an automatic integration algorithm of popular science microanimation works in the context of new media. The system first analyzes the characteristics of the new media context and gives the meaning of microanimation in the context of new media. It simplifies the edge folding of popular science microanimation integration and calculates the Facial Animation Parameter (FAP) value to realize the automatic integration of popular science microanimation works. We conducted a number of experiments using various size datasets to test the proposed system. We achieved an average integration accuracy of 96.3% with datasets of 500 to 3000 animation works, having the highest accuracy of 99% with a dataset of 500 animation works. On the other hand, the integration time of the animation works was recorded just 1.25 seconds with a dataset of 3000 animation works which is much lower than the existing work.

Inhibition of Return Decreases Early Audiovisual Integration: An Event-Related Potential Study

Previous behavioral studies have found that inhibition of return decreases the audiovisual integration, while the underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. The current work utilized the high temporal resolution of event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate how audiovisual integration would be modulated by inhibition of return. We employed the cue-target paradigm and manipulated the target type and cue validity. Participants were required to perform the task of detection of visual (V), auditory (A), or audiovisual (AV) targets shown in the identical (valid cue) or opposed (invalid cue) side to be the preceding exogenous cue. The neural activities between AV targets and the sum of the A and V targets were compared, and their differences were calculated to present the audiovisual integration effect in different cue validity conditions (valid, invalid). The ERPs results showed that a significant super-additive audiovisual integration effect was observed on the P70 (60∼90 ms, frontal-central) only under the invalid cue condition. The significant audiovisual integration effects were observed on the N1 or P2 components (N1, 120∼180 ms, frontal-central-parietal; P2, 200∼260 ms, frontal-central-parietal) in both valid cue as well as invalid cue condition. And there were no significant differences on the later components between invalid cue and valid cue. The result offers the first neural demonstration that inhibition of return modulates the early audiovisual integration process.

A review of the research on externality of urban network

Urban network research has become the frontier academic field of international urban research and has gradually become a hot spot. At present, the related literature on “urban network” mostly focuses on conceptual discussion, dimension analysis, and network structure analysis. Research on the influence of network on regional economic development is relatively weak. Externality, as an essential attribute of urban network, is of great significance to the evolution of urban network and the development of cities and regions. This article starts from a comparison of agglomeration externalities with urban network externalities, focusing on the review and evaluation of the formation mechanism, utility, and measurement methods of urban network externalities.The synergy effect, integration effect, and borrowing size are considered important reasons for the formation of urban network externalities. The research on the effectiveness of urban network externalities focuses on two aspects. The first is the role of factor mobility in promoting knowledge diffusion and innovation, and the second is the impact of urban network on competitiveness and economic growth. Based on the existing literatures, the research on the measurement of urban network externalities mainly involves identification and estimation, including three common methods as correlation analysis, regression analysis, and spatial econometric analysis. The existing empirical researches on externalities are still mostly based on static analysis and lack dynamic consideration. The issues that need further attention in the future include theoretical understanding of urban network externalities, externality measurement methods, and empirical research.

Post-integration Effect of e-NAM in Nawapara APMC, Chhattisgarh

The present study was carried out in Nawapara APMC in Chhattisgarh to examine the changes brought about by the e-NAM intervention in the arrivals and prices of paddy. To identify the factors that influence farmers’ participation in the e-NAM platform, several 75 farmers were selected and interviewed. F test and t-test were adopted to analyze the equality of variances and means of the market arrivals and prices of paddy before and after e-NAM adoption. The study results show that both the monthly arrivals and modal prices of paddy were higher post-e-NAM integration than before it was integrated. The percentage changes before and after e-NAM in the arrivals and prices were 29.28 percent and 24.21 percent, respectively. There is no significant ratio in variances, whereas there is a significant difference in the means of both the arrivals and prices, as shown by F and t t-test results. The factors that motivated the farmers to do trading on the e-NAM platform were found to be influenced mainly by remunerative price followed by better price than the open auction, more transparency, and absence of middlemen. This indicated that the implementation of the e-NAM platform has a positive impact on arrivals and prices. The impact may be more visible once it is implemented in the true sense of conceptualized.

Correlations between Physical Activity Participation and the Environment in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Using Ecological Frameworks

Physical activity (PA) and sports are efficient ways to promote the young generation’s physical and mental health and development. This study expected to demonstrate the complexity of correlates associated with children’s and adolescents’ non-organized PA participation. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA), a systematic review and meta-analysis were applied. Seven electronic databases were systematically searched to identify eligible articles based on a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The internal validity of the systematic reviews thus identified was evaluated using a validated quality instrument. Calculations were produced in SPSS 27.0 and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.3. Thirty-nine eligible studies (N = 324,953) with moderate to high quality were included. No potential publication bias was detected using statistical analyses. The meta-analysis revealed that the overall ecological factors correlated positively with children and adolescents’ PA; the meta-analytic average of the correlations was (′r = 0.32, p < 0.001). Results from subgroup analysis indicated that theory-based influence factors achieved moderate effect with boys (′r = 0.37, p < 0.001) and girls (′r = 0.32, p < 0.001) in PA participation. Interestingly, higher correlations were found between ecological factors and twins’ PA participation (′r = 0.61, p = 0.001). Further, individual (′r = 0.32, p < 0.001), macro-, and chronosystems factors (′r = 0.50, p < 0.001) appeared slightly more influential than microsystems factors (′r = 0.28, p < 0.001) on children and adolescents’ PA participation. Although findings from the included studies covered were to some extent heterogeneous, it is possible to identify consistent correlates of PA in children and adolescents. The results supported that PA is a complex and multi-dimensional behavior, which is determined by numerous biological, psychological, sociocultural, and environmental factors. Future studies that focus on the integration effect of macrosystem and chronosystem environmental factors, and apply longitudinal designs and objective measurements are encouraged to further unfold the complexity of the ecological system and its implications in promoting children and adolescents’ PA participation.