Comparing brain-like representations learned by vanilla, residual, and recurrent CNN architectures

Though it has been hypothesized that state-of-the art residual networks approximate the recurrent visual system, it is yet to be seen if the representations learned by these biologically inspired CNNs actually have closer representations to neural data. It is likely that CNNs and DNNs that are most functionally similar to the brain will contain mechanisms that are most like those used by the brain. In this thesis, we investigate how different CNN architectures approximate the representations learned through the ventral-object recognition and processing-stream of the brain. We specifically evaluate how recent approximations of biological neural recurrence-such as residual connections, dense residual connections, and a biologically-inspired implemen- tation of recurrence-affect the representations learned by each CNN. We first investigate the representations learned by layers throughout a few state-of-the-art CNNs-VGG-19 (vanilla CNN), ResNet-152 (CNN with residual connections), and DenseNet-161 (CNN with dense connections). To control for differences in model depth, we then extend this analysis to the CORnet family of biologically-inspired CNN models with matching high-level architectures. The CORnet family has three models: a vanilla CNN (CORnet-Z), a CNN with biologically-valid recurrent dynamics (CORnet-R), and a CNN with both recurrent and residual connections (CORnet-S). We compare the representations of these six models to functionally aligned (with hyperalignment) fMRI brain data acquired during a naturalistic visual task. We take two approaches to comparing these CNN and brain representations. We first use forward encoding, a predictive approach that uses CNN features to predict neural responses across the whole brain. We next use representational similarity analysis (RSA) and centered kernel alignment (CKA) to measure the similarities in representation within CNN layers and specific brain ROIs. We show that, compared to vanilla CNNs, CNNs with residual and recurrent connections exhibit representations that are even more similar to those learned by the human ventral visual stream. We also achieve state-of-the-art forward encoding and RSA performance with the residual and recurrent CNN models

Dutch rheumatologists and oncologists are positive about health-related Internet us by their patients

Background: An increasing number of patients are using the Internet to search for health-related information. Objectives: To explore the experiences and attitudes of rheumatologists and oncologists with regard to health-related Internet use by their patients. In addition, we explored how often physicians referred their patients to health-related Internet sites. Methods: We sent a questionnaire to all Dutch rheumatologists and oncologists. The questionnaire included questions on demographics, experiences with health-related Internet use by patients, referral behavior and attitudes about consequences of health-related Internet use by patients for patients themselves, the physician-patient relationship and health care. The response rate was 46% (N=238). Of these respondents 134 were in practice as a rheumatologist and 104 were in practice as an oncologist. Results: Almost all physicians encountered that patients raised information from the Internet during a consultation. However, physicians were not confronted with health-related Internet use by their patients on a daily basis. Physicians had a moderately positive attitude towards the consequences of health-related Internet use. The physicians indicated that patients are often better informed about their illness (54%) and often better informed about treatment options (51%) as a result of Internet use. According to the physicians, a negative consequence of health-related Internet use was that patients are more often unnecessarily concerned. Physicians felt that health-related Internet use by patients could sometimes (48%) or often (30%) lead to patients being more capable in participating in the decision making process concerning their treatment. Although 43% of physicians indicated that health related Internet use did almost never or usually not lead to better treatment decisions, many physicians (41%) indicated that sometimes health-related Internet use can lead to better treatment decisions. Most of the physicians indicated that health-related Internet use is usually not (46%) or almost never (23%) undermining the physicians' authority. The physicians indicated that unnecessary diagnostics and unnecessary treatments were often not provided as a result of Internet use by patients. Physicians indicated that the duration of a medical consultation sometimes (39%) or often (36%) increases because of health-related Internet use by patients. Oncologists were significantly less positive about the consequences of health-related Internet use for the physician-patient relationship and the health-care than rheumatologists. Most of the physicians have never (32%) or only sometimes (42%) referred a patient to a health-related Internet site. Most physicians (53%) found it hard to stay up to date about reliable Internet sites for patients. Conclusion: Physicians are moderately positive about health-related Internet use of their patients, but they only seldom refer their patients to health-related Internet sites. Possibly, offering an up-to-date list with accredited websites for patients would be of help for and stimulate physicians to refer their patients

Experiences and attitudes of Dutch rheumatologists and oncologists with regard to their patients’ health-related Internet use

The objective of this study is to explore the experiences and attitudes of rheumatologists and oncologists with regard to their patients’ health-related Internet use. In addition, we explored how often physicians referred their patients to health-related Internet sites. We sent a questionnaire to all the rheumatologists and oncologists in the Netherlands. The questionnaire included questions concerning demographics, experiences with patients’ health-related Internet use, referral behavior, and attitudes to the consequences of patients’ health-related Internet use (for patients themselves, the physician-patient relationship and the health care). The response rate was 46% (N = 238). Of these respondents, 134 practiced as a rheumatologist and 104 as an oncologist. Almost all physicians encountered their patients raising information from the Internet during a consultation. They were not, however, confronted with their patients’ health-related Internet use on a daily basis. Physicians had a moderately positive attitude towards the consequences of patients’ health-related Internet use, the physician-patient relationship and the health care. Oncologists were significantly less positive than rheumatologists about the consequences of health-related Internet use. Most of the physicians had never (32%) or only sometimes (42%) referred a patient to a health-related Internet site. Most physicians (53%) found it difficult to stay up-to-date with reliable Internet sites for patients. Physicians are moderately positive about their patients’ health-related Internet use but only seldom refer them to relevant sites. Offering an up-to-date site with accredited websites for patients might help physicians refer their patients

Outcomes that matter most to burn patients:A national multicentre survey study in the Netherlands

Background: The use of patient-reported outcomes to improve burn care increases. Little is known on burn patients’ views on what outcomes are most important, and about preferences regarding online Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). Therefore, this study assessed what outcomes matter most to patients, and gained insights into patient preferences towards the use of online PROMs. Methods: Adult patients (≥18 years old), 3–36 months after injury completed a survey measuring importance of outcomes, separately for three time periods: during admission, short-term (&lt;6 months) and long-term (6–24 months) after burn injury. Both open and closed-ended questions were used. Furthermore, preferences regarding the use of patient-reported outcome measures in burn care were queried. Results: A total of 140 patients were included (response rate: 27%). ‘Not having pain’ and ‘good wound healing’ were identified as very important outcomes. Also, ‘physical functioning at pre-injury level’, ‘being independent’ and ‘taking care of yourself’ were considered very important outcomes. The top-ten of most important outcomes largely overlapped in all three time periods. Most patients (84%) had no problems with online questionnaires, and many (67%) indicated that it should take up to 15 minutes. Patients’ opinions differed widely on the preferred frequency of follow-up. Conclusions: Not having pain and good wound healing were considered very important during the whole recovery of burns; in addition, physical functioning at pre-injury level, being independent, and taking care of yourself were deemed very important in the short and long-term. These outcomes are recommended to be used in burn care and research, although careful selection of outcomes remains crucial as patients prefer online questionnaires up to 15 minutes.</p

Drug-drug interactions with metronidazole and itraconazole in patients using acenocoumarol

PURPOSE: Various population-based cohort studies have shown that antimicrobial agents increase the risk of overanticoagulation in patients using coumarins. In this study, we assessed this association in hospitalized patients. METHODS: We included all patients hospitalized in the Spaarne Gasthuis (Haarlem/Hoofddorp, the Netherlands), who started using an antimicrobial agent during acenocoumarol treatment or vice versa between 1 January 2015 and 1 July 2019. Patients were followed from start of concomitant therapy until 48 h after termination of the concomitant therapy or discharge, whichever came first. We analyzed the association between the antimicrobial agents and the risk of overanticoagulation, defined as an interpolated INR above 6, using Cox regression analysis. We corrected for multiple testing with the Bonferroni correction. Patients who started using acenocoumarol and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were used as reference group. RESULTS: In the study population, sixteen antimicrobial agents were started frequently concomitantly with acenocoumarol treatment. We included 2157 interaction episodes in 1172 patients. Patients who started using the combination of co-trimoxazole (HR 3.76; 95% CI 1.47-9.62; p = 0.006), metronidazole (HR 2.55; 95% CI 1.37-4.76; p = 0.003), or itraconazole (HR 4.11; 95% CI 1.79-9.45; p = 0.001) concomitantly with acenocoumarol treatment had an increased risk of overanticoagulation compared with patients using acenocoumarol and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid concomitantly. The associations for metronidazole (p = 0.045) and itraconazole (p = 0.015) remained statistically significant after correction for multiple testing. CONCLUSION: Co-trimoxazole, metronidazole, and itraconazole increase the risk of overanticoagulation in patients using acenocoumarol. These combinations should be avoided if possible or otherwise acenocoumarol doses should be reduced and INR measured more frequently

Occurrence and population densities of yeast species in a fresh-water lake

Quantitative studies of yeasts present in surface and deep water samples from a fresh water body (Douglas Lake, Michigan) revealed 12 species ( Candida parapsilosis, C. pulcherrima, Cryptococcus albidus, Cr. diffluens, Cr. gastricus, Cr. laurentii, Rhodotorula glutinis, R. pilimanae, R. rubra, Trichosporon cutaneum, Debaryomyces sp., “black yeasts”). In two regions of surface sampling the population densities averaged 39.6 and 5.5 cells per 100 ml respectively, whereas the average deep water count was 40.3 cells per 100 ml. Yeasts of the genus Rhodotorula predominated.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41778/1/10482_2005_Article_BF02046074.pd

Computerised speechreading training for deaf children: A randomised controlled trial

Purpose: We developed and evaluated in a randomised controlled triala computerised speechreading training programme to determine a) whether it is possible to train speechreading in deaf children and b) whether speechreading training results in improvements in phonological and reading skills.Previous studies indicate a relationship between speechreading and reading skill and further suggest this relationshipmay be mediated by improved phonological representations. This is important since many deaf children find learning to read to be very challenging. Method: Sixty-six deaf 5-7 year olds were randomised into speechreading and maths training arms. Each training programme was comprised of10 minutesessionsa day, 4 days a week for 12 weeks. Children were assessed on a battery of language and literacy measures before training, immediately after training, 3 months and 10 months after training. Results: We found no significant benefits for participants who completed the speechreading training, compared to those who completed the maths training, on the speechreading primary outcome measure. However, significantly greater gains were observed in the speechreading training group on one of the secondary measures of speechreading. There was also some evidence of beneficial effects of the speechreading training on phonological representations, however these effects were weaker. No benefits were seen toword reading. Conclusions: Speechreading skill is trainable in deaf children. However, to support early reading, training may need to be longer or embedded in a broader literacy programme. Nevertheless, a training tool that can improve speechreading is likely to be of great interest to professionals working with deaf children

Modeling Semantic Encoding in a Common Neural Representational Space

Encoding models for mapping voxelwise semantic tuning are typically estimated separately for each individual, limiting their generalizability. In the current report, we develop a method for estimating semantic encoding models that generalize across individuals. Functional MRI was used to measure brain responses while participants freely viewed a naturalistic audiovisual movie. Word embeddings capturing agent-, action-, object-, and scene-related semantic content were assigned to each imaging volume based on an annotation of the film. We constructed both conventional within-subject semantic encoding models and between-subject models where the model was trained on a subset of participants and validated on a left-out participant. Between-subject models were trained using cortical surface-based anatomical normalization or surface-based whole-cortex hyperalignment. We used hyperalignment to project group data into an individual’s unique anatomical space via a common representational space, thus leveraging a larger volume of data for out-of-sample prediction while preserving the individual’s fine-grained functional–anatomical idiosyncrasies. Our findings demonstrate that anatomical normalization degrades the spatial specificity of between-subject encoding models relative to within-subject models. Hyperalignment, on the other hand, recovers the spatial specificity of semantic tuning lost during anatomical normalization, and yields model performance exceeding that of within-subject models

Guidelines for mono, double and triple antithrombotic therapy

Guidelines for antithrombotic therapy are complex, especially if a patient has several indications that require antithrombotic therapy. In general, no patient should receive lifelong double or triple antithrombotic therapy. In this overview, we outline the most common indications for mono, double and triple antithrombotic therapy; the preferred antithrombotic therapy and the recommended duration of therapy. Both antiplatelet therapy and therapeutic anticoagulation therapy with vitamin K antagonists or direct oral anticoagulants were included. European guidelines were used or, if no European guidelines were available, the Dutch guidelines were used

Modeling Semantic Encoding in a Common Neural Representational Space

Encoding models for mapping voxelwise semantic tuning are typically estimated separately for each individual, limiting their generalizability. In the current report, we develop a method for estimating semantic encoding models that generalize across individuals. Functional MRI was used to measure brain responses while participants freely viewed a naturalistic audiovisual movie. Word embeddings capturing agent-, action-, object-, and scene-related semantic content were assigned to each imaging volume based on an annotation of the film. We constructed both conventional within-subject semantic encoding models and between-subject models where the model was trained on a subset of participants and validated on a left-out participant. Between-subject models were trained using cortical surface-based anatomical normalization or surface-based whole-cortex hyperalignment. We used hyperalignment to project group data into an individual’s unique anatomical space via a common representational space, thus leveraging a larger volume of data for out-of-sample prediction while preserving the individual’s fine-grained functional–anatomical idiosyncrasies. Our findings demonstrate that anatomical normalization degrades the spatial specificity of between-subject encoding models relative to within-subject models. Hyperalignment, on the other hand, recovers the spatial specificity of semantic tuning lost during anatomical normalization, and yields model performance exceeding that of within-subject models