The Human Likeness Dimension of the “Uncanny Valley Hypothesis”: Behavioral and Functional MRI Findings

The uncanny valley hypothesis (Mori, 1970) predicts differential experience of negative and positive affect as a function of human likeness. Affective experience of humanlike robots and computer-generated characters (avatars) dominates “uncanny” research, but findings are inconsistent. Importantly, it is unknown how objects are actually perceived along the hypothesis’ dimension of human likeness (DOH), defined in terms of human physical similarity. To examine whether the DOH can also be defined in terms of effects of categorical perception (CP), stimuli from morph continua with controlled differences in physical human likeness between avatar and human faces as endpoints were presented. Two behavioral studies found a sharp category boundary along the DOH and enhanced visual discrimination (i.e., CP) of fine-grained differences between pairs of faces at the category boundary. Discrimination was better for face pairs presenting category change in the human-to-avatar than avatar-to-human direction along the DOH. To investigate brain representation of physical change and category change along the DOH, an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study used the same stimuli in a pair-repetition priming paradigm. Bilateral mid-fusiform areas and a different right mid-fusiform area were sensitive to physical change within the human and avatar categories, respectively, whereas entirely different regions were sensitive to the human-to-avatar (caudate head, putamen, thalamus, red nucleus) and avatar-to-human (hippocampus, amygdala, mid-insula) direction of category change. These findings show that Mori’s DOH definition does not reflect subjective perception of human likeness and suggest that future “uncanny” studies consider CP and the DOH’s category structure in guiding experience of non-human objects

MINAS—a database of Metal Ions in Nucleic AcidS

Correctly folded into the respective native 3D structure, RNA and DNA are responsible for uncountable key functions in any viable organism. In order to exert their function, metal ion cofactors are closely involved in folding, structure formation and, e.g. in ribozymes, also the catalytic mechanism. The database MINAS, Metal Ions in Nucleic AcidS (http://www.minas.uzh.ch), compiles the detailed information on innersphere, outersphere and larger coordination environment of >70 000 metal ions of 36 elements found in >2000 structures of nucleic acids contained today in the PDB and NDB. MINAS is updated monthly with new structures and offers a multitude of search functions, e.g. the kind of metal ion, metal-ligand distance, innersphere and outersphere ligands defined by element or functional group, residue, experimental method, as well as PDB entry-related information. The results of each search can be saved individually for later use with so-called miniPDB files containing the respective metal ion together with the coordination environment within a 15 Å radius. MINAS thus offers a unique way to explore the coordination geometries and ligands of metal ions together with the respective binding pockets in nucleic acid

Diagnostic accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 saliva antigen testing in a real-life clinical setting.

BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests with saliva facilitate examination in settings that lack trained personnel. However, little is known on the diagnostic accuracy in real-life clinical settings. Therefore, we studied the diagnostic accuracy of a saliva antigen test to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection in a primary/ secondary care testing facility. METHODS Individuals presented at a COVID-19 testing facility affiliated with a Swiss University Hospital were prospectively recruited (n=377). Saliva specimen was obtained, and the PCL Inc. COVID19 Gold antigen test was conducted in parallel with two real-time PCR. RESULTS RT-PCR was positive in 53 individuals, corresponding to a prevalence of 14.1% (missing material in one individual). The PCL saliva antigen test was positive in 22 individuals (5.8%), and negative in 354 (93.9%). The sensitivity of the saliva antigen test was 30.2% (95% confidence interval, CI, 18.3 to 44.3), both overall and in symptomatic individiduals. The specificity was 98.1% (96.0, 99.3). CONCLUSIONS The diagnostic accuracy of a SARS-CoV-2 saliva antigen test in a primary/ secondary care testing facility was remarkably lower compared to the manufacturers' specifications. Keywords Infections/*epidemiology/transmission; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [Supplementary Concept]; COVID-19 diagnostic testing [Supplementary Concept] Background

Determination of the Diagnostic Performance of Laboratory Tests in the Absence of a Perfect Reference Standard: The Case of SARS-CoV-2 Tests

Background: Currently, assessing the diagnostic performance of new laboratory tests assumes a perfect reference standard, which is rarely the case. Wrong classifications of the true disease status will inevitably lead to biased estimates of sensitivity and specificity. Objectives: Using Bayesian’ latent class models (BLCMs), an approach that does not assume a perfect reference standard, we re-analyzed data of a large prospective observational study assessing the diagnostic accuracy of an antigen test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in clinical practice. Methods: A cohort of consecutive patients presenting to a COVID-19 testing facility affiliated with a Swiss University Hospital were recruited (n = 1465). Two real-time PCR tests were conducted in parallel with the Roche/SD Biosensor rapid antigen test on nasopharyngeal swabs. A two-test (PCR and antigen test), three-population BLCM was fitted to the frequencies of paired test results. Results: Based on the BLCM, the sensitivities of the RT-PCR and the Roche/SD Biosensor rapid antigen test were 98.5% [95% CRI 94.8;100] and 82.7% [95% CRI 66.8;100]. The specificities were 97.7% [96.1;99.7] and 99.9% [95% CRI 99.6;100]. Conclusions: Applying the BLCM, the diagnostic accuracy of RT-PCR was high but not perfect. In contrast to previous results, the sensitivity of the antigen test was higher. Our results suggest that BLCMs are valuable tools for investigating the diagnostic performance of laboratory tests in the absence of perfect reference standard

MINAS—a database of Metal Ions in Nucleic AcidS

Correctly folded into the respective native 3D structure, RNA and DNA are responsible for uncountable key functions in any viable organism. In order to exert their function, metal ion cofactors are closely involved in folding, structure formation and, e.g. in ribozymes, also the catalytic mechanism. The database MINAS, Metal Ions in Nucleic AcidS (http://www.minas.uzh.ch), compiles the detailed information on innersphere, outersphere and larger coordination environment of >70 000 metal ions of 36 elements found in >2000 structures of nucleic acids contained today in the PDB and NDB. MINAS is updated monthly with new structures and offers a multitude of search functions, e.g. the kind of metal ion, metal-ligand distance, innersphere and outersphere ligands defined by element or functional group, residue, experimental method, as well as PDB entry-related information. The results of each search can be saved individually for later use with so-called miniPDB files containing the respective metal ion together with the coordination environment within a 15 Å radius. MINAS thus offers a unique way to explore the coordination geometries and ligands of metal ions together with the respective binding pockets in nucleic acids

Investigating the Extent of Primer Dropout in SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequences During the Early Circulation of Delta Variants

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, corresponding to the Pangolin lineage B.1.617.2, was first detected in India in July 2020 and rapidly became dominant worldwide. The ARTIC v3 protocol for SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequencing, which relies on a large number of PCR primers, was among the first available early in the pandemic, but may be prone to coverage dropouts that result in incomplete genome sequences. A new set of primers (v4) was designed to circumvent this issue in June 2021. In this study, we investigated whether the sequencing community adopted the new sets of primers, especially in the context of the spread of the Delta lineage, in July 2021. Because information about protocols from individual laboratories is generally difficult to obtain, the aims of the study were to identify whether large under-sequenced regions were present in deposited Delta variant genome sequences (from April to August 2021), to investigate the extent of the coverage dropout among all the currently available Delta sequences in six countries, and to propose simple PCR primer modifications to sequence the missing region, especially for the first circulating Delta variants observed in 2021 in Switzerland. Candidate primers were tested on few clinical samples, highlighting the need to further pursue primer optimization and validation on a larger and diverse set of samples

Validation of automated artificial intelligence segmentation of optical coherence tomography images

PURPOSE To benchmark the human and machine performance of spectral-domain (SD) and swept-source (SS) optical coherence tomography (OCT) image segmentation, i.e., pixel-wise classification, for the compartments vitreous, retina, choroid, sclera. METHODS A convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained on OCT B-scan images annotated by a senior ground truth expert retina specialist to segment the posterior eye compartments. Independent benchmark data sets (30 SDOCT and 30 SSOCT) were manually segmented by three classes of graders with varying levels of ophthalmic proficiencies. Nine graders contributed to benchmark an additional 60 images in three consecutive runs. Inter-human and intra-human class agreement was measured and compared to the CNN results. RESULTS The CNN training data consisted of a total of 6210 manually segmented images derived from 2070 B-scans (1046 SDOCT and 1024 SSOCT; 630 C-Scans). The CNN segmentation revealed a high agreement with all grader groups. For all compartments and groups, the mean Intersection over Union (IOU) score of CNN compartmentalization versus group graders' compartmentalization was higher than the mean score for intra-grader group comparison. CONCLUSION The proposed deep learning segmentation algorithm (CNN) for automated eye compartment segmentation in OCT B-scans (SDOCT and SSOCT) is on par with manual segmentations by human graders

JAMES : Jugend, Aktivitäten, Medien – Erhebung Schweiz

JAMES steht für Jugend, Aktivitäten, Medien – Erhebung Schweiz. Die Studie bildet das Freizeit- und Medienverhalten Jugendlicher in der Schweiz im Zweijahresrhythmus ab. Für die vorliegende Ausgabe der JAMES-Studie 2022 wurden Angaben von 1049 Jugendlichen zwischen 12 und 19 Jahren aus den drei grossen Sprachregionen erfasst. Nachdem 2020 aufgrund der pandemiebedingten Schulschliessungen auf eine Online-Erhebung ausgewichen wurde, fanden die Befragungen nun wieder im Klassenverband mit einem Paper-Pencil-Fragebogen statt. Dadurch ist insbesondere die Vergleichbarkeit der Ergebnisse zu den Erhebungen in den Jahren 2018 und davor gegeben. Die Befragung fand zwischen Anfang Mai und Mitte Juni 2022 statt. Verbringen Schweizer Jugendliche ihre Freizeit allein, gehören das Nutzen audiovisueller Medien (Serien, Filme, Games), sportliche Aktivitäten sowie Musik hören oder machen zu den beliebtesten Beschäftigungen. In Gesellschaft von Freundinnen und Freunden wird am liebsten Sport getrieben, gemeinsamen etwas unternommen, draussen Zeit verbracht, gekocht, gegessen, getrunken oder es werden Gespräche geführt. Im Mittel pflegen die Jugendlichen fünf beständige Freundschaften. Dabei handelt es sich mehrheitlich um Freundinnen bzw. Freunde desselben Geschlechts. Über zwei Drittel der Jugendlichen treffen mehrmals pro Woche Freundinnen und Freunde, ruhen sich aus, tun nichts oder treiben in ihrer Freizeit Sport. Die Haushalte, in denen Jugendliche wohnen, sind sehr breit mit Medien ausgestattet. Ein Film- und Serien-Streaming-Abonnement gehört inzwischen bei fast neun von zehn Haushalten zur Grundausstattung. Jugendliche selbst verfügen bis auf einzelne Ausnahmen alle über ein Smartphone. Drei Viertel besitzen einen eigenen Computer oder Laptop. Am häufigsten nutzen Heranwachsende Smartphone, Internet und soziale Netzwerke. Auch Musik hören und Videos im Internet schauen gehören zu den häufigsten Medientätigkeiten. Games werden nach wie vor deutlich häufiger von Knaben als von Mädchen regelmässig gespielt. Am häufigsten gespielt werden Gratisgames. Die Lieblingsinhalte, namentlich Lieblingsserien und Lieblingsmusikerinnen und -musiker, sind sehr vielfältig. Insbesondere zwischen den drei Sprachregionen zeigen sich grosse Unterschiede. Um das Internet zu Unterhaltungszwecken zu nutzen, bedienen sich Jugendliche in erster Linie sozialer Netzwerke und Videoportale. Suchmaschinen werden primär mit dem Ziel verwendet, sich zu informieren. Die am häufigsten genutzten Funktionen des Mobiltelefons sind Messengerdienste – hierbei vor allem WhatsApp –, das Handy als Uhr verwenden, Musik hören, soziale Netzwerke nutzen, Videos anschauen oder im Internet surfen. Die beliebtesten Smartphone-Apps sind Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Snapchat und YouTube. Damit übereinstimmend sind Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat und YouTube auch die am häufigsten genutzten sozialen Netzwerke. Insbesondere die Nutzung von TikTok hat in den letzten Jahren zugenommen. Innerhalb sozialer Netzwerke werden am häufigsten Beiträge anderer angeschaut oder gelikt und via Chatfunktion persönliche Nachrichten verschickt. Eigene Beiträge werden seltener gepostet und wenn, dann sind diese mehrheitlich nur für ein ausgewähltes Publikum sichtbar oder zeitlich limitiert. Sexuelle Belästigung via Internet hat in den letzten Jahren zugenommen. Drei von fünf Mädchen und einer von drei Jungen berichten, dass sie online schon einmal unerwünscht mit sexuell konnotierten Nachrichten angesprochen wurden. Rund die Hälfte der Mädchen wurde schon einmal von einer fremden Person aufgefordert, erotische Fotos von sich selbst zu verschicken. Pornografische Inhalte wurden eher von Jungen als von Mädchen konsumiert. Fast zwei von fünf Jugendlichen berichten, dass schon einmal Falsches oder Beleidigendes über sie in Chats verbreitet wurde. JAMES stands for Jugend, Aktivitäten, Medien – Erhebung Schweiz (Youth, Activities, Media: Survey Switzerland). This biennial study portrays adolescents’ leisure activities and media behaviors in Switzerland. The present JAMES Study 2022 is based on data collected from 1,049 adolescents aged between 12 and 19 from the three main language areas (German-speaking, French-speaking and Italian-speaking Switzerland). After in 2020, recourse had been taken to an online survey because of the pandemic-related school closures, the survey was now conducted in class again with a paper-pencil questionnaire. This has yielded, in particular, results that are comparable with those of the 2018 and earlier surveys. The survey was conducted between early May and mid-June 2022. Swiss adolescents' most popular leisure activities to do alone are using audiovisual media (series, movies, games), engaging in sports, and listening to or making music. Among activities with friends, the favorites are sports, joint outings, spending time outdoors, cooking, eating, having drinks or talking. On average, the adolescents cultivate five constant friendships, mostly with youths of their own gender. More than two thirds of the adolescents meet friends several times a week, rest, do nothing or do sports in their free time. Adolescents’ homes are very broadly equipped with media. By now, a movie and series streaming subscription is standard in almost nine out of ten households. Apart from rare exceptions, all adolescents have a smartphone of their own. Three quarters own a computer or laptop. Most frequently, adolescents use smartphones, the internet and social networking sites. Listening to music and watching videos online are also among the most frequent media activities. As before, significantly more boys than girls regularly play games; most frequently these are free games. Favorite content, particularly favorite series and favorite musicians, are very varied. Remarkable differences are notable between the three language regions. For online entertainment, adolescents mostly use social networking sites and video portals. Search engines are primarily used in order to get information. The most frequently used cell phone functions are messenger services—primarily WhatsApp—, using the cell phone as a watch, listening to music, using social networking sites, watching videos or surfing the internet. The most popular smartphone apps are Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Snapchat and YouTube. Accordingly, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube are the most frequently used social networks as well. In particular, TikTok has gained ground over the last few years. Within social networks, the most frequent activities are looking at or liking other users’ contributions and sending personal messages via chat functions. Adolescents rarely post contributions of their own, and if they do, they are mostly made accessible only to selected viewers or for a limited period of time. Sexual harassment via the internet has become more frequent in recent years. Three in five girls and one in three boys report having been harassed online with sexually connoted messages. About every other girl has been asked by a stranger to send erotic photos of herself. Pornographic content was consumed more by boys than by girls. Almost two in five adolescents report having experienced that incorrect or insulting content about them was disseminated in chats

Unraveling the deep learning gearbox in optical coherence tomography image segmentation towards explainable artificial intelligence

Machine learning has greatly facilitated the analysis of medical data, while the internal operations usually remain intransparent. To better comprehend these opaque procedures, a convolutional neural network for optical coherence tomography image segmentation was enhanced with a Traceable Relevance Explainability (T-REX) technique. The proposed application was based on three components: ground truth generation by multiple graders, calculation of Hamming distances among graders and the machine learning algorithm, as well as a smart data visualization ('neural recording'). An overall average variability of 1.75% between the human graders and the algorithm was found, slightly minor to 2.02% among human graders. The ambiguity in ground truth had noteworthy impact on machine learning results, which could be visualized. The convolutional neural network balanced between graders and allowed for modifiable predictions dependent on the compartment. Using the proposed T-REX setup, machine learning processes could be rendered more transparent and understandable, possibly leading to optimized applications

SARS-CoV-2 N501Y Introductions and Transmissions in Switzerland from Beginning of October 2020 to February 2021—Implementation of Swiss-Wide Diagnostic Screening and Whole Genome Sequencing

The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 lineages B.1.1.7 (N501Y.V1) throughout the UK, B.1.351 (N501Y.V2) in South Africa, and P.1 (B.1.1.28.1; N501Y.V3) in Brazil has led to the definition of variants of concern (VoCs) and recommendations for lineage specific surveillance. In Switzerland, during the last weeks of December 2020, we established a nationwide screening protocol across multiple laboratories, focusing first on epidemiological and microbiological definitions. In January 2021, we validated and implemented an N501Y-specific PCR to rapidly screen for VoCs, which are then confirmed using amplicon sequencing or whole genome sequencing (WGS). A total of 13,387 VoCs have been identified since the detection of the first Swiss case in October 2020, with 4194 being B.1.1.7, 172 B.1.351, and 7 P.1. The remaining 9014 cases of VoCs have been described without further lineage specification. Overall, all diagnostic centers reported a rapid increase of the percentage of detected VOCs, with a range of 6 to 46% between 25 to 31 of January 2021 increasing towards 41 to 82% between 22 to 28 of February. A total of 739 N501Y positive genomes were analysed and show a broad range of introduction events to Switzerland. In this paper, we describe the nationwide coordination and implementation process across laboratories, public health institutions, and researchers, the first results of our N501Y-specific variant screening, and the phylogenetic analysis of all available WGS data in Switzerland, that together identified the early introduction events and subsequent community spreading of the VoCs