Causal Graph in Language Model Rediscovers Cortical Hierarchy in Human Narrative Processing

Understanding how humans process natural language has long been a vital research direction. The field of natural language processing (NLP) has recently experienced a surge in the development of powerful language models. These models have proven to be invaluable tools for studying another complex system known to process human language: the brain. Previous studies have demonstrated that the features of language models can be mapped to fMRI brain activity. This raises the question: is there a commonality between information processing in language models and the human brain? To estimate information flow patterns in a language model, we examined the causal relationships between different layers. Drawing inspiration from the workspace framework for consciousness, we hypothesized that features integrating more information would more accurately predict higher hierarchical brain activity. To validate this hypothesis, we classified language model features into two categories based on causal network measures: 'low in-degree' and 'high in-degree'. We subsequently compared the brain prediction accuracy maps for these two groups. Our results reveal that the difference in prediction accuracy follows a hierarchical pattern, consistent with the cortical hierarchy map revealed by activity time constants. This finding suggests a parallel between how language models and the human brain process linguistic information.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figure

The impact of digital finance on water use intensity in China and mechanisms

[Objective] Digital finance based on information technology provides a new opportunity for the construction of a water-saving society. Effectively release the dividend of water saving and emission reduction brought by the development of digital finance is an important issue for promoting the development of the Chinese-style modernization. [Methods] Based on panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020, this study empirically tested the relationship between digital finance development and water resource utilization using methods such as fixed effect and mediation effect models. [Results] (1) The development of digital finance has an inhibitory effect on water use intensity, which is mainly achieved by improving the coverage and depth of use of digital finance, and the result is still valid after robustness tests such as substitution of variables, instrumental variable method, and limited information maximum likelihood method. (2) From the perspective of transmission pathways, technological innovation and industrial structure adjustment have played a significant mediating role between digital finance and water use intensity, but the mediating role of industrial structure upgrading is not significant. (3) From the perspective of heterogeneity, digital finance has a positive impact on water use efficiency in the eastern region; Meanwhile, digital finance has a significant inhibitory effect on the water use intensity of the primary and secondary industries, but the impact on the water use intensity of the tertiary industry is not significant; Regions with favorable water endowments are more likely to reap the benefits of digital finance. [Conclusion] Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of digital finance, actively innovate financial services, and give full play to the enabling role of digital finance in resource utilization according to local conditions and production policies

A 3-Year Longitudinal Study of Effects of Parental Feeding Practices on Child Weight Status: The Childhood Obesity Study in China Mega-Cities

This study examined the longitudinal associations between parental feeding practices and child weight status, and their potential modification effects by child sex, age, and maternal and paternal educations among children. Data were collected from 2015 to 2017 of 2139 children aged 6–17 years and their parents in five Chinese mega-cities. Parental feeding practices were assessed using 11-items from Child Feeding Questionnaire. Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body mass index (BMI), and general and central obesity were measured and analyzed using a mixed-effects model. Three parental feeding patterns were identified by factor analysis including “concern”, “pressure to eat”, and “control”. Concern was associated with higher BMI z-score, WHtR (βs ranged from 0.01 to 0.16), and general obesity (ORs ranged from 1.29 to 6.41) among children aged ≤12 years and >12 years, regardless of child sex and parental educations. Pressure to eat was associated with lower BMI z-score (β = −0.08, p < 0.001), WHtR (β = −0.004, p < 0.01), and general (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.42, 0.66) and central obesity (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.58, 0.90) among children aged ≤12 years. Further analyses showed that significant associations were found for children with maternal or paternal education of college and above. Control was associated with increased risk of general and central obesity among children with maternal education of college and above, regardless of age. Our study indicates that higher concern and lower pressure to eat were associated with increased risk of obesity among children. Control was associated with increased risk of obesity among children with maternal education of college and above. Future childhood obesity preventions may optimize parental feeding practices.This work was supported by China Medical Board (grant number: 16-262), National Institutes of Health (grant number: U54 HD070725), United Nations Children’s Fund (grant number: UNICEF 2018-Nutrition-2.1.2.3), the Chinese National Key Research and Development Program (grant number: 2017YFC0907200 and 2017YFC0907201), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (8210120946), Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi (2020JQ-094), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M653669), Young Talent Fund of Association for Science and Technology in Shaanxi, China (20220301)

Novel Quinazolinone MJ-29 Triggers Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Intrinsic Apoptosis in Murine Leukemia WEHI-3 Cells and Inhibits Leukemic Mice

The present study was to explore the biological responses of the newly compound, MJ-29 in murine myelomonocytic leukemia WEHI-3 cells in vitro and in vivo fates. We focused on the in vitro effects of MJ-29 on ER stress and mitochondria-dependent apoptotic death in WEHI-3 cells, and to hypothesize that MJ-29 might fully impair the orthotopic leukemic mice. Our results indicated that a concentration-dependent decrease of cell viability was shown in MJ-29-treated cells. DNA content was examined utilizing flow cytometry, whereas apoptotic populations were determined using annexin V/PI, DAPI staining and TUNEL assay. Increasing vital factors of mitochondrial dysfunction by MJ-29 were further investigated. Thus, MJ-29-provaked apoptosis of WEHI-3 cells is mediated through the intrinsic pathway. Importantly, intracellular Ca2+ release and ER stress-associated signaling also contributed to MJ-29-triggered cell apoptosis. We found that MJ-29 stimulated the protein levels of calpain 1, CHOP and p-eIF2α pathways in WEHI-3 cells. In in vivo experiments, intraperitoneal administration of MJ-29 significantly improved the total survival rate, enhanced body weight and attenuated enlarged spleen and liver tissues in leukemic mice. The infiltration of immature myeloblastic cells into splenic red pulp was reduced in MJ-29-treated leukemic mice. Moreover, MJ-29 increased the differentiations of T and B cells but decreased that of macrophages and monocytes. Additionally, MJ-29-stimulated immune responses might be involved in anti-leukemic activity in vivo. Based on these observations, MJ-29 suppresses WEHI-3 cells in vitro and in vivo, and it is proposed that this potent and selective agent could be a new chemotherapeutic candidate for anti-leukemia in the future

The interaction effects of rising life expectancy and the public pension burden on aggregate savings and economic growth

We evaluate the interaction effects of rising life expectancy and the public pension burden on economic growth by proposing a theoretical model based on an overlapping generations framework. Testable implications from the theoretical model are that the public pension burden impairs the positive effect of increased life expectancy on the aggregate savings rate in the same period and reduces the positive effect of life expectancy on the economic growth rate in the next period. Meanwhile, rising life expectancy intensifies the negative effect of the public pension burden on the aggregate savings rate and economic growth. A panel data set on OECD countries is used to provide empirical support for these predictions. Our results reveal the complicated relationships among rising life expectancy, a high public pension burden, and growth. It would be valuable for the government sector to adjust its spending to deal with fiscal pressure from public pensions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Social Risk Assessment and Management for Major Construction Projects in China Based on Fuzzy Integrated Analysis

With the vigorous development of major engineering projects in China, the social risks associated with major construction projects not only challenge the success of projects but also threaten social harmony and stability. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to assess and manage social risks. This paper aims to identify and evaluate the social risk factors by conducting a survey and assess the overall risk level of major construction projects (MCPs) with fuzzy integrated approach. First, 35 social risk factors and related stakeholders were identified based on literature analysis and case study. Then, 18 critical social risk factors (CSRFs) were selected and classified into six groups (CSRGs) based on a questionnaire survey. Next, using fuzzy integrated method, the probability of occurrence (PO), magnitude of impact (MI), the integrated risk level (IRL) of each CSRF and CSRG, and the overall risk of MCPs were calculated. As a result, “unfair compensation for housing demolition and land requisition” was the most critical social risk factor, and “policy/legal risk” was the most critical social risk group. The overall risk of MCPs was between moderate and high. At last, a social risk synthetic management framework was established, which can provide reference for policymakers and project decision makers to effectively manage the social risks

Toward a Stakeholder Perspective on Social Stability Risk of Large Hydraulic Engineering Projects in China: A Social Network Analysis

In China, large hydraulic engineering projects have made a great contribution to social economic development; at the same time, they also lead to social risks that affect social stability. The pluralism of stakeholders in large hydraulic engineering projects and the complex interrelationship among stakeholders are the important factors affecting social stability risk. Previous studies of social stability risk have mainly focused on risk identification and risk assessment, without considering the relationships among stakeholders and their linkages of risks. For large hydraulic engineering projects, this paper investigated the relevant risk factors and their interrelationships through a literature review and interviews that represented stakeholder perspectives. The key social stability risk factors were identified based on social network analysis. A multi-channel project financial system, a perfect interest compensation mechanism, an efficient prevention mechanism of group events, and a complete project schedule control system were proposed to mitigate the social stability risks. This study combined stakeholder management with risk management by using social network analysis, providing reference for the social stability risk management of large engineering projects in China

Stakeholder Conflict Amplification of Large-Scale Engineering Projects in China: An Evolutionary Game Model on Complex Networks

Large-scale engineering projects make tremendous contributions to China’s social and economic development; meanwhile, due to the diversity of stakeholders, the dispersion of time and space, and the complexity of information dissemination, large-scale engineering projects are easy to cause conflicts among stakeholders that affect social stability. The previous studies on stakeholder conflicts of large-scale engineering projects mainly focused on the game model among stakeholders, without considering the influence of stakeholders’ interaction complex networks formed by social relations on the conflict amplification. For the two main stakeholders of the government and the resident that play a key role in China’s large-scale engineering projects, this paper constructs an evolutionary game model of the main stakeholder conflict amplification and analyzes the evolutionary results of the conflict between the government and the resident in different situations. The small-world network is chosen as the complex network type of the simulation study since it is very similar with the topology of the realistic social network. Based on the NetLogo simulation platform, the stakeholder conflict amplification process of large-scale engineering projects on the small-world network is analyzed, and relevant management measures are proposed to defuse the stakeholder conflict of large-scale engineering projects. By using the evolutionary game model on complex networks, this paper studies the stakeholder conflict on the small-world network, providing reference for stakeholder conflict management of large-scale engineering projects in China