The dynamics and neural correlates of audio-visual integration capacity as determined by temporal unpredictability, proactive interference, and SOA

Over 5 experiments, we challenge the idea that the capacity of audio-visual integration need be fixed at 1 item. We observe that the conditions under which audio-visual integration is most likely to exceed 1 occur when stimulus change operates at a slow rather than fast rate of presentation and when the task is of intermediate difficulty such as when low levels of proactive interference (3 rather than 8 interfering visual presentations) are combined with the temporal unpredictability of the critical frame (Experiment 2), or, high levels of proactive interference are combined with the temporal predictability of the critical frame (Experiment 4). Neural data suggest that capacity might also be determined by the quality of perceptual information entering working memory. Experiment 5 supported the proposition that audio-visual integration was at play during the previous experiments. The data are consistent with the dynamic nature usually associated with cross-modal binding, and while audio-visual integration capacity likely cannot exceed uni-modal capacity estimates, performance may be better than being able to associate only one visual stimulus with one auditory stimulus

Analysis of factors influencing the ultrasonic fetal weight estimation

Objective: The aim of our study was the evaluation of sonographic fetal weight estimation taking into consideration 9 of the most important factors of influence on the precision of the estimation. Methods: We analyzed 820 singleton pregnancies from 22 to 42 weeks of gestational age. We evaluated 9 different factors that potentially influence the precision of sonographic weight estimation ( time interval between estimation and delivery, experts vs. less experienced investigator, fetal gender, gestational age, fetal weight, maternal BMI, amniotic fluid index, presentation of the fetus, location of the placenta). Finally, we compared the results of the fetal weight estimation of the fetuses with poor scanning conditions to those presenting good scanning conditions. Results: Of the 9 evaluated factors that may influence accuracy of fetal weight estimation, only a short interval between sonographic weight estimation and delivery (0-7 vs. 8-14 days) had a statistically significant impact. Conclusion: Of all known factors of influence, only a time interval of more than 7 days between estimation and delivery had a negative impact on the estimation

Whole-exome sequencing in undiagnosed genetic diseases: interpreting 119 trios

Purpose: Despite the recognized clinical value of exome-based diagnostics, methods for comprehensive genomic interpretation remain immature. Diagnoses are based on known or presumed pathogenic variants in genes already associated with a similar phenotype. Here, we extend this paradigm by evaluating novel bioinformatics approaches to aid identification of new gene–disease associations. Methods: We analyzed 119 trios to identify both diagnostic genotypes in known genes and candidate genotypes in novel genes. We considered qualifying genotypes based on their population frequency and in silico predicted effects we also characterized the patterns of genotypes enriched among this collection of patients. Results: We obtained a genetic diagnosis for 29 (24%) of our patients. We showed that patients carried an excess of damaging de novo mutations in intolerant genes, particularly those shown to be essential in mice (P = 3.4 × 10−8). This enrichment is only partially explained by mutations found in known disease-causing genes. Conclusion: This work indicates that the application of appropriate bioinformatics analyses to clinical sequence data can also help implicate novel disease genes and suggest expanded phenotypes for known disease genes. These analyses further suggest that some cases resolved by whole-exome sequencing will have direct therapeutic implications

Some Properties of R\'{e}nyi Entropy over Countably Infinite Alphabets

In this paper we study certain properties of R\'{e}nyi entropy functionals $H_\alpha(\mathcal{P})$ on the space of probability distributions over $\mathbb{Z}_+$. Primarily, continuity and convergence issues are addressed. Some properties shown parallel those known in the finite alphabet case, while others illustrate a quite different behaviour of R\'enyi entropy in the infinite case. In particular, it is shown that, for any distribution $\mathcal P$ and any $r\in[0,\infty]$, there exists a sequence of distributions $\mathcal{P}_n$ converging to $\mathcal{P}$ with respect to the total variation distance, such that $\lim_{n\to\infty}\lim_{\alpha\to{1+}} H_\alpha(\mathcal{P}_n) = \lim_{\alpha\to{1+}}\lim_{n\to\infty} H_\alpha(\mathcal{P}_n) + r$.Comment: 13 pages (single-column

Measurement and Interpretation of Fermion-Pair Production at LEP energies above the Z Resonance

This paper presents DELPHI measurements and interpretations of cross-sections, forward-backward asymmetries, and angular distributions, for the e+e- -> ffbar process for centre-of-mass energies above the Z resonance, from sqrt(s) ~ 130 - 207 GeV at the LEP collider. The measurements are consistent with the predictions of the Standard Model and are used to study a variety of models including the S-Matrix ansatz for e+e- -> ffbar scattering and several models which include physics beyond the Standard Model: the exchange of Z' bosons, contact interactions between fermions, the exchange of gravitons in large extra dimensions and the exchange of sneutrino in R-parity violating supersymmetry.Comment: 79 pages, 16 figures, Accepted by Eur. Phys. J.

A Determination of the Centre-of-Mass Energy at LEP2 using Radiative 2-fermion Events

Using e+e- -> mu+mu-(gamma) and e+e- -> qqbar(gamma) events radiative to the Z pole, DELPHI has determined the centre-of-mass energy, sqrt{s}, using energy and momentum constraint methods. The results are expressed as deviations from the nominal LEP centre-of-mass energy, measured using other techniques. The results are found to be compatible with the LEP Energy Working Group estimates for a combination of the 1997 to 2000 data sets.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, Accepted by Eur. Phys. J.

A Measurement of the Tau Hadronic Branching Ratios

The exclusive and semi-exclusive branching ratios of the tau lepton hadronic decay modes (h- v_t, h- pi0 v_t, h- pi0 pi0 v_t, h- \geq 2pi0 v_t, h- \geq 3pi0 v_t, 2h- h+ v_t, 2h- h+ pi0 v_t, 2h- h+ \geq 2pi0 v_t, 3h- 2h+ v_t and 3h- 2h+ \geq 1pi0 v_t) were measured with data from the DELPHI detector at LEP.Comment: 53 pages, 18 figures, Accepted by Eur. Phys. J.

Analysis of the P. lividus sea urchin genome highlights contrasting trends of genomic and regulatory evolution in deuterostomes

Sea urchins are emblematic models in developmental biology and display several characteristics that set them apart from other deuterostomes. To uncover the genomic cues that may underlie these specificities, we generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly for the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and an extensive gene expression and epigenetic profiles of its embryonic development. We found that, unlike vertebrates, sea urchins retained ancestral chromosomal linkages but underwent very fast intrachromosomal gene order mixing. We identified a burst of gene duplication in the echinoid lineage and showed that some of these expanded genes have been recruited in novel structures (water vascular system, Aristotle's lantern, and skeletogenic micromere lineage). Finally, we identified gene-regulatory modules conserved between sea urchins and chordates. Our results suggest that gene-regulatory networks controlling development can be conserved despite extensive gene order rearrangement

The LRRK2 Arg1628Pro variant is a risk factor for Parkinson's disease in the Chinese population

The c.G4883C variant in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene (protein effect: Arg1628Pro) has been recently proposed as a second risk factor for sporadic Parkinson's disease in the Han Chinese population (after the Gly2385Arg variant). In this paper, we analyze the Arg1628Pro variant and the associated haplotype in a large sample of 1,337 Han subjects (834 patients and 543 controls) ascertained from a single referral center in Taiwan. In our sample, the Arg1628Pro allele was more frequent among patients (3.8%) than among controls (1.8%; p = 0.004, OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.29-3.52). Sixty heterozygous and two homozygous carriers of the Arg1628Pro variant were identified among the patients, of which only one was also a carrier of the LRRK2 Gly2385Arg variant. We also show that carriers of the Arg1628Pro variant share a common, extended haplotype, suggesting a founder effect. Parkinson's disease onset age was similar in patients who carried the Arg1628Pro variant and in those who did not carry it. Our data support the contention that the Arg1628Pro variant is a second risk factor for Parkinson's disease in the Han Chinese population. Adding the estimated effects of Arg1628Pro (population attributable risk [PAR] ∼4%) and Gly2385Arg variants (PAR ∼6%) yields a total PAR of ∼10%