Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ownscaling land surface temperatures with multi-spectral nd multi-resolution images

Land surface temperature (LST) plays an important role in many fields. However, the limited spatial resolution of current thermal sensors impedes the utilization of LSTs. Based on a theoretical framework of thermal sharpening, this report presents an Enhanced Generalized Theoretical Framework (EGTF) to downscale LSTs using multi-spectral (MS) and multi-resolution images. MS proxy-sharpening and LST downscaling are combined under EGTF. Simulated images upscaled from Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data are produced for indirect validations. Validation of MS proxy-sharpening shows that EGTF is better than the Gram-Schmidt (GS) and the Principle Component (PC) methods, yielding a lower root mean square ownscaling and surface temperature ulti-resolution ulti-spectral error (RMSE) and ERGAS (erreur relative globale adimensionnelle de synthèse) and, thus, maintaining higher spectral similarity. For LST downscaling, validations show that EGTF has a higher accuracy than the Unmixing-Based Image Fusion (UBIF) method and indicate that the proxy-sharpening process improves the accuracy of downscaled LSTs. Further discussions regarding the selection of the moving-window size (MWS) demonstrate that the MWS could be determined by the range in a semi-variance analysis of scaling factor images.
The impact of the oxygen scavenger on the dose-rate dependence and dose sensitivity of MAGIC type polymer gels

Recent developments in radiation therapy aimed at more precise dose delivery along with higher dose gradients (dose painting) and more efficient dose delivery with higher dose rates e.g. flattening filter free (FFF) irradiation. Magnetic-resonance-imaging based polymer gel dosimetry offers 3D information for precise dose delivery techniques. Many of the proposed polymer gels have been reported to exhibit a dose response, measured as relaxation rate ΔR2(D), which is dose rate dependent. A lack of or a reduced dose-rate sensitivity is very important for dosimetric accuracy, especially with regard to the increasing clinical use of FFF irradiation protocols with LINACs at high dose rates. Some commonly used polymer gels are based on Methacrylic-Acid-Gel-Initiated-by-Copper (MAGIC). Here, we report on the dose sensitivity (ΔR2/ΔD) of MAGIC-type gels with different oxygen scavenger concentration for their specific dependence on the applied dose rate in order to improve the dosimetric performance, especially for high dose rates. A preclinical x-ray machine (‘Yxlon’, E = 200 kV) was used for irradiation to cover a range of dose rates from low D˙min = 0.6 Gy min−1 to high D˙max = 18 Gy min−1. The dose response was evaluated using R2-imaging of the gel on a human high-field (7T) MR-scanner. The results indicate that all of the investigated dose rates had an impact on the dose response in polymer gel dosimeters, being strongest in the high dose region and less effective for low dose levels. The absolute dose rate dependence (ΔR2/ΔD)ΔD˙ of the dose response in MAGIC-type gel is significantly reduced using higher concentrations of oxygen scavenger at the expense of reduced dose sensitivity. For quantitative dose evaluations the relative dose rate dependence of a polymer gel, normalized to its sensitivity is important. Based on this normalized sensitivity the dose rate sensitivity was reduced distinctly using an increased oxygen scavenger concentration with reference to standard MAGIC-type gel formulation at high dose rate levels. The proposed gel composition with high oxygen scavenger concentration exhibits a larger linear active dose response and might be used especially in FFF-radiation applications and preclinical dosimetry at high dose rates. We propose in general to use high dose rates for calibration and evaluation as the change in relative dose sensitivity is reduced at higher dose rates in all of the investigated gel types.
Aging With Disability for Midlife and Older Adults

This analysis brings “aging with disability” into middle and older ages. We study U.S. adults ages 51+ and ages 65+ with persistent disability (physical, household management, personal care; physical limitations, instrumental activities of daily living [IADLs], activities of daily living [ADLs]), using Health and Retirement Study data. Two complementary approaches are used to identify persons with persistent disability, one based directly on observed data and the other on latent classes. Both approaches show that persistent disability is more common for persons ages 65+ than ages 51+ and more common for physical limitations than IADLs and ADLs. People with persistent disability have social and health disadvantages compared to people with other longitudinal experiences. The analysis integrates two research avenues, aging with disability and disability trajectories. It gives empirical heft to government efforts to make aging with disability an age-free (all ages) rather than age-targeted (children and youths) perspective.
A switch in G protein coupling for type 1 corticotropin-releasing factor receptors promotes excitability in epileptic brains

A stress-induced neuropeptide enhances, rather than suppresses, neuronal activity in the epileptic brain. Why stress makes epilepsy worse Seizures caused by uncontrolled neuronal activity easily starts in a part of the brain called the piriform cortex. Normally, the activity of the piriform cortex is suppressed by CRF, a neuropeptide that is released in response to stress. Narla et al. found that in rats with experimentally induced epilepsy, CRF enhanced, rather than suppressed, neuronal activity in this part of the brain. In the brains of epileptic rodents, the receptor for CRF signaled through a different Gα protein, and G protein switching contributed to the CRF-induced enhancement in neuronal activity. These results may explain why stress and anxiety tend to increase the frequency of seizures in epileptics. Anxiety and stress increase the frequency of epileptic seizures. These behavioral states induce the secretion of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a 40–amino acid neuropeptide neurotransmitter that coordinates many behavioral responses to stress in the central nervous system. In the piriform cortex, which is one of the most seizurogenic regions of the brain, CRF normally dampens excitability. By contrast, CRF increased the excitability of the piriform cortex in rats subjected to kindling, a model of temporal lobe epilepsy. In nonkindled rats, CRF activates its receptor, a G protein (heterotrimeric guanosine triphosphate–binding protein)–coupled receptor, and signals through a Gαq/11-mediated pathway. After seizure induction, CRF signaling occurred through a pathway involving Gαs. This change in signaling was associated with reduced abundance of regulator of G protein signaling protein type 2 (RGS2), which has been reported to inhibit Gαs-dependent signaling. RGS2 knockout mice responded to CRF in a similar manner as epileptic rats. These observations indicate that seizures produce changes in neuronal signaling that can increase seizure occurrence by converting a beneficial stress response into an epileptic trigger.
A Distinct T Follicular Helper Cell Subset Infiltrates the Brain in Murine Neuropsychiatric Lupus

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are not uncommon, yet the mechanisms underlying disease initiation and progression in the brain are incompletely understood. Although the role of T cells in other lupus target organs such as the kidney is well defined, which T cells contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric SLE is not known. The present study was aimed at characterizing the CD4 T cell populations that are present in the choroid plexus (CP) of MRL/MpJ-faslpr mice, the primary site of brain infiltration in this classic lupus mouse model which exhibits a prominent neurobehavioral phenotype. T cells infiltrating the CP of MRL/MpJ-faslpr mice were characterized and subset identification was done by multiparameter flow cytometry. We found that the infiltrating CD4 T cells are activated and have an effector phenotype. Importantly, CD4 T cells have a T follicular helper cell (TFH) like phenotype, as evidenced by their surface markers and signature cytokine, IL-21. In addition, CD4 TFH cells also secrete significant levels of IFN-γ and express Bcl-6, thereby conforming to a potentially pathogenic T helper population that can drive the disease progression. Interestingly, the regulatory axis comprising CD4 T regulatory cells is diminished. These results suggest that accumulation of CD4 TFH in the brain of MRL/MpJ-faslpr mice may contribute to the neuropsychiatric manifestations of SLE, and point to this T cell subset as a possible novel therapeutic candidate.
Intrinsically generated coloured noise in laboratory insect populations

What are the mechanisms responsible for generating the erratic fluctuations observed in natural populations? This question has been at the centre of a long debate in contemporary ecology. The irregularities in the patterns of population abundance were initially mostly attributed to environmental factors. In the mid–1970s, however, it was proposed that these fluctuations may be generated intrinsically, by the underlying nonlinearities inherent in population processes. More recently, the focus of this argument has turned increasingly towards the statistical properties of population fluctuations, with many studies showing that ecological systems tend to be dominated by low–frequency or long–term dynamics, termed ‘red’ noise. Currently, the source of the ‘redness’ in ecological time–series is hotly debated, with the general consensus being that environmental variables are the major driving force. Here we show that three classic laboratory populations known to display irregular fluctuations also have reddened spectra. Furthermore, the dynamics of these populations show very well–defined generic scaling properties in the form of power laws. These results imply that long–term influences in ecological systems can be the product of intrinsic dynamics.
Uncertainty Principles for Three-Dimensional Inverse Source Problems

Novel uncertainty principles for far fields of time-harmonic acoustic or electromagnetic waves radiated by collections of well-separated localized sources in two-dimensional free space have recently been established in [R. Griesmaier and J. Sylvester, SIAM J. Appl. Math., 77 (2017), pp. 154--180]. These uncertainty principles have been utilized to develop stability estimates and reconstruction algorithms for the recovery of the far field radiated by each of the individual sources, and the simultaneous restoration of missing data segments. In this paper, we present generalizations of these uncertainty principles for a relevant three-dimensional setting. We consider extensions of the reconstruction schemes for far field splitting and data completion, including their stability analysis, and we discuss the sharpness of our results in the three-dimensional case. We briefly comment on the numerical implementation of the reconstruction algorithms and include a numerical example.
Human rights versus societal norms: a mixed methods study among healthcare providers on social stigma related to adolescent abortion and contraceptive use in Kisumu, Kenya

Introduction Adolescent pregnancy represents a serious public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, and stigmatising attitudes are contributing factors. This study investigates stigmatising attitudes related to adolescent pregnancy, abortion and contraceptive use among healthcare providers working with postabortion care (PAC) in a low-resource setting in Kenya. Methods A mixed methods approach in a convergent design was utilised to capture attitudes related to abortion and contraceptive use among 86 (f=62; m=19) PAC providers in Kisumu, Kenya. Two Likert-scale questionnaires were used: the 18-item Stigmatising Attitudes, Beliefs and Actions Scale (SABAS) and the 7-item Contraceptive Use Stigma Scale (CUSS). 74 PAC providers responded to the SABAS, 44 to the CUSS and 12 participated in two focus group discussions. Descriptive statistics, psychometric tests of instruments and qualitative content analysis were conducted and reported in accordance with Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research. Results Cronbach’s α coefficients for the total instrument was 0.88 (SABAS) and 0.84 (CUSS). The majority, 92% (68/74) agreed that a woman who has had an abortion should be treated equally to everyone else, 27% (20/74) considered abortion a sin and 30% (22/74) believed she will make abortion a habit. Contraceptive use among adolescent women was associated with promiscuity (39%; 17/44), hence contraceptives should only be available to married women (36%; 16/44), and 20% (9/44) believed that contraceptive use causes infertility. The providers encouraged women’s autonomy and their rights to sexual and reproductive health; however, unclear regulations reinforce religious and cultural beliefs, which hampers implementation of evidence-based contraceptive counselling. Conclusion Stigmatising attitudes towards young women in need of abortion and contraception is common among PAC providers. Their work is characterised by a conflict between human rights and societal norms, thus highlighting the need for interventions targeting PAC providers to reduce stigma and misconceptions related to abortion and contraception among adolescent women.
Painful ophthalmoplegia as an initial presentation of sarcoidosis

There are numerous causes of painful ophthalmoplegia, including microvascular infarcts, aneurysmal compression and Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. Tolosa-Hunt syndrome was first described after a series of patients presented with painful ophthalmoplegia localising to the cavernous sinus or posterior orbit. The International Headache Society defines Tolosa-Hunt syndrome as unilateral orbital pain with one or more cranial nerve palsies caused by granulomatous inflammation of the orbit, superior orbital fissure or cavernous sinus that cannot be attributed to another diagnosis. Most commonly, Tolosa-Hunt syndrome presents as painful third cranial nerve palsy but can appear as a painful palsy of any nerve travelling within the cavernous sinus. Contemporary diagnosis of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome is made with highfield magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the orbits and parasellar region demonstrating an abnormal, enhancing lesion within the ipsilateral cavernous sinus or posterior orbit. The following is a case clinically and radiologically consistent with Tolosa-Hunt syndrome that, after comprehensive medical evaluation, was presumed to be the initial presentation of sarcoidosis.
Assessment of intracranial metastases from neuroendocrine tumors/carcinoma

Background: The most common sites of origin for neuroendocrine carcinoma are gastrointestinal tract and its accessory glands, and lungs. Materials and Methods: One-hundred fifty cases diagnosed with metastatic brain lesions were retrieved from hospital records within 5 years. For these cases, the primary neoplasm, histopathological classification, metastasis, treatment, and fate all were studied. Results: Intracranial deposits were detected in 10%. The primary lesion was in the lungs in 87% of patients, and 1 patient in the breast and 1 in esophagus. Pathological classification of the primary lesion was Grade 2 (MIB-1: 3–20%) in 1 patient and neuroendocrine carcinoma (MIB-1: ≥21%) in 14 patients. The median period from onset of the primary lesion up to diagnosis of brain metastasis was 12.8 months. About 33% of patients had a single metastasis whereas 67% patients had multiple metastases. Brain metastasis was extirpated in 33% of patients. Stereotactic radiotherapy alone was administered in 20% of patients, and brain metastasis was favorably controlled in most of the patients with coadministration of cranial irradiation as appropriate. The median survival period from diagnosis of brain metastasis was 8.1 months. Conclusion: Most of patients with brain metastasis from neuroendocrine carcinoma showed the primary lesion in the lungs, and they had multiple metastases to the liver, lymph nodes, bones, and so forth at the time of diagnosis of brain metastasis. The guidelines for accurate diagnosis and treatment of neuroendocrine carcinoma should be immediately established based on further analyses of those patients with brain metastasis.
Oxide bifilms in aluminium alloy castings – a review

Abstract Aluminium alloy castings are most widely used in automobile industry because of their light weight, better castability and improved properties. The liquid aluminium surface easily oxidises during melting, transferring and pouring operation which may entrain oxide films into the casting. Research work has shown that the entrainment of this surface film and formation of bifilms in castings appear to be the source of most of the casting defects leading to a significant reduction in the mechanical properties of aluminium alloy castings. In this paper, the phenomenon of formation of oxide bifilms in aluminium alloy castings, effect of these bifilms on casting properties and their assessment techniques are discussed. For enhancing the quality of casting, research should focus towards development of process techniques for healing of bifilms in liquid metal during solidification.
Predator versus Prey: Locust Looming-Detector Neuron and Behavioural Responses to Stimuli Representing Attacking Bird Predators

Many arthropods possess escape-triggering neural mechanisms that help them evade predators. These mechanisms are important neuroethological models, but they are rarely investigated using predator-like stimuli because there is often insufficient information on real predator attacks. Locusts possess uniquely identifiable visual neurons (the descending contralateral movement detectors, DCMDs) that are well-studied looming motion detectors. The DCMDs trigger ‘glides’ in flying locusts, which are hypothesised to be appropriate last-ditch responses to the looms of avian predators. To date it has not been possible to study glides in response to stimuli simulating bird attacks because such attacks have not been characterised. We analyse video of wild black kites attacking flying locusts, and estimate kite attack speeds of 10.8±1.4 m/s. We estimate that the loom of a kite’s thorax towards a locust at these speeds should be characterised by a relatively low ratio of half size to speed (l/|v|) in the range 4–17 ms. Peak DCMD spike rate and gliding response occurrence are known to increase as l/|v| decreases for simple looming shapes. Using simulated looming discs, we investigate these trends and show that both DCMD and behavioural responses are strong to stimuli with kite-like l/|v| ratios. Adding wings to looming discs to produce a more realistic stimulus shape did not disrupt the overall relationships of DCMD and gliding occurrence to stimulus l/|v|. However, adding wings to looming discs did slightly reduce high frequency DCMD spike rates in the final stages of object approach, and slightly delay glide initiation. Looming discs with or without wings triggered glides closer to the time of collision as l/|v| declined, and relatively infrequently before collision at very low l/|v|. However, the performance of this system is in line with expectations for a last-ditch escape response.
A cost effectiveness analysis of maintenance cognitive stimulation therapy (MCST) for people with dementia: examining the influence of cognitive ability and living arrangements

ABSTRACT Objectives: Identify if cost-effectiveness of Maintenance Cognitive Simulation Therapy (MCST) differs by type of living arrangement and cognitive ability of the person with dementia. Next, a value of information analysis is performed to inform decisions about future research. Methods: Incremental cost-effectiveness analysis applying seemingly unrelated regressions using data from a multicentre RCT of MCST versus treatment as usual in a population which had already received 7 weeks of CST for dementia (ISRCTN: 26286067). The findings from the cost-effectiveness analysis are used to inform a value of information analysis. Results: The results are dependent upon how quality adjusted life years (QALYs) are measured. MCST might be cost-effective compared to standard treatment for those who live alone and those with higher levels of cognitive functioning. If a further RCT was to be conducted for this sub-group of the population, value of information analysis suggests a total sample of 48 complete cases for both sub-groups would be required for a two-arm trial. The expected net gain of conducting this future research is £920 million. Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that MCST may be most cost-efficient for people with dementia who live alone and/or who have higher cognition. Future research in this area is needed.
Utilization of Mental Health Care, Treatment Patterns, and Course of Psychosocial Functioning in Northern German Coronary Artery Disease Patients with Depressive and/or Anxiety Disorders

Background Comorbid mental disorders in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are common and associated with adverse somatic outcomes. However, data on utilization rates of mental health care and treatment efficiency are scarce and inconsistent, which we tried to remedy with the present preliminary study on Northern German CAD patients. Method A total of 514 German CAD patients, as diagnosed by cardiac catheterization, were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. Results Global utilization of mental health care since onset of CAD was 21.0%. Depressive disorders, younger age, and lower GAF at onset of CAD were associated with higher utilization rates, while anxiety disorders and gender were not. Lower GAF at onset of CAD, female gender, and psychotherapy was positively associated with higher gains in GAF, while younger age and anxiety disorders were negatively associated. Conclusion The majority of CAD patients with comorbid depression reported to have received mental health treatment and seemed to have benefited from it. However, we found preliminary evidence of insufficiencies in the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders in CAD patients. Further studies, preferably prospective and with representative samples, are needed to corroborate or falsify these findings and explore possible further mediators of health-care utilization by CAD patients such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
Multi-Agent asynchronous nonconvex large-scale optimization

We propose a novel algorithmic framework for the asynchronous and distributed optimization of multi-agent systems. We consider the constrained minimization of a nonconvex and nonsmooth partially separable sum-utility function, i.e., the cost function of each agent depends on the optimization variables of that agent and of its neighbors. This partitioned setting arises in several applications of practical interest. The proposed algorithmic framework is distributed and asynchronous: i) agents update their variables at arbitrary times, without any coordination with the others; and ii) agents may use outdated information from their neighbors. Convergence to stationary solutions is proved, and theoretical complexity results are provided, showing nearly ideal linear speedup with respect to the number of agents, when the delays are not too large.