Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Interactive-Shoe For Surgeons: Hand-Free Interaction With Medical 2D Data

During interventions, surgeons often need to review medical imaging data, e.g., CT scans. Usually, surgeons need to rely on an assistant to browse the images because of sterility requirements. Communication with a substitute operator is tedious and error-prone if the operator does not have an equal level of professional experience and might interrupt the workflow. We present a sensor-integrated shoe allowing surgeons to browse and manipulate 2D medical image data by foot movement. It is portable and wearable. The shoe uses an optical sensor taken from an off-the-shelf computer mouse for tracking the foot movements and an additional micro-switch to turn it on or off. We evaluated the performance of the shoe interface against a control condition with assistant together with ten surgeons in an empirical user study. Our results provide first indications for the effectiveness of a shoe interface in this application area.
Efficient Beam Training and Channel Estimation for Millimeter Wave Communications Under Mobility

In this paper, we propose an efficient beam training technique for millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications. In the presence of the mobile users under high mobility, the conventional beam training should be performed more frequently to allow the users to acquire channel state information (CSI) accurately. Since it demands high resource overhead for beam training, we introduce the dedicated beam training protocol which sends the training beams separately to a specific high mobility user (called a target user) without changing the periodicity of the conventional beam training. The dedicated beam training does not require much resource since only a small number of the training beams are sent to the target user. In order to achieve good system performance with low training overhead, we design the optimal beam selection strategy which finds the best beamforming vectors yielding the lowest channel estimation error based on the target user's probabilistic channel information. Such dedicated beam training is combined with the new greedy channel estimator which effectively estimates the mmWave channel accounting for sparse characteristics and dynamics of the target user's channel. Our numerical evaluation demonstrates that the proposed beam training scheme can maintain good channel estimation performance with significantly less training overhead than the conventional beam training protocols.
Natural History of Spina Bifida Cystica and Cranium Bifidum Cysticum

The 425 cases of spina bifida cystica and cranium bifidum cysticum born in a population of 850,000 between 1956 and 1962 (with an incidence of 4·12 per 1000 births) were followed. Most did not receive the modern treatment for the condition. Follow-up in 1968 showed that 25% were stillborn, 13% died during the first week of perinatal causes, a further 47% died mostly of the complications of the condition, and 15% are still alive. Life table survival figures suggest for the liveborns a 12·8% life expectancy to the 11th birthday. The series included 18 cases of meningocele (4·2% of the total), diagnosed largely by exclusion; all are surviving and are largely free from physical and mental handicap. 26 cases of encephalocele include 8 survivors who are all retarded but not much crippled. Of the 381 myeloceles, 37 survive who though not much affected mentally are severely handicapped physically with limb paralysis and incontinence, the pattern of which was largely determined by the level of the lesion. There is a close relation between degree of hydrocephalus and severity of mental retardation. Boys surviving show better performance than girls. The incontinent, whether treated or untreated, show no more emotional disturbance than the continent. This series provides a `baseline' allowing modern and surgical treatment to be evaluated. 60% of the total (or 85% of those liveborn) should be regarded as potentially salvageable. Nearly all cases should probably have the `open' lesion closed as a surgical emergency, but thereafter no further procedure should be undertaken on those with severe hydrocephalus, established renal damage, persistent intracranial infection, or severe kyphosis, or if other severe malformations are present.
Looking Beyond the Surface: A Challenge Set for Reading Comprehension over Multiple Sentences

We present a reading comprehension challenge in which questions can only be answered by taking into account information from multiple sentences. We solicit and verify questions and answers for this challenge through a 4-step crowdsourcing experiment. Our challenge dataset contains 6,500+ questions for 1000+ paragraphs across 7 different domains (elementary school science, news, travel guides, fiction stories, etc) bringing in linguistic diversity to the texts and to the questions wordings. On a subset of our dataset, we found human solvers to achieve an F1-score of 88.1%. We analyze a range of baselines, including a recent state-of-art reading comprehension system, and demonstrate the difficulty of this challenge, despite a high human performance. The dataset is the first to study multi-sentence inference at scale, with an open-ended set of question types that requires reasoning skills.
Passively-switched vibrational energy harvesters

Vibrational energy harvesters capture mechanical energy from ambient vibrations and convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy to power wireless electronic systems. Challenges exist in the process of capturing mechanical energy from ambient vibrations. For example, resonant harvesters may be used to improve power output near their resonance, but their narrow bandwidth makes them less suitable for applications with varying vibrational frequencies. Higher operating frequencies can increase harvesters’ power output, but many vibrational sources are characterized by lower frequencies, such as human motions. This work presents the design, modeling, optimization, and demonstration of a new class of resonant vibrational energy harvesters that passively switch among dynamics with different characteristic frequencies to adapt to low-frequency excitations and changing vibrational environment. The passively-switched harvester consists of a driving beam that couples into ambient vibrations at low frequencies and a generating beam that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy at high frequencies. The interaction between the driving beam and the generating beam enables multiple characteristic dynamics of the system, namely coupled-motion dynamics and plucked dynamics. When the system passively switches between coupled-motion harvesting and plucked harvesting, its operational range is increased. The system is simulated in the time domain using a lumped element model that predicts power output. Based on the model, a
Development of an Acellular Tumor Extracellular Matrix as a Three-Dimensional Scaffold for Tumor Engineering

Tumor engineering is defined as the construction of three-dimensional (3D) tumors in vitro with tissue engineering approaches. The present 3D scaffolds for tumor engineering have several limitations in terms of structure and function. To get an ideal 3D scaffold for tumor culture, A549 human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells were implanted into immunodeficient mice to establish xenotransplatation models. Tumors were retrieved at 30-day implantation and sliced into sheets. They were subsequently decellularized by four procedures. Two decellularization methods, Tris-Trypsin-Triton multi-step treatment and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) treatment, achieved complete cellular removal and thus were chosen for evaluation of histological and biochemical properties. Native tumor tissues were used as controls. Human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were cultured onto the two 3D scaffolds for further cell growth and growth factor secretion investigations, with the two-dimensional (2D) culture and cells cultured onto the Matrigel scaffolds used as controls. Results showed that Tris-Trypsin-Triton multi-step treated tumor sheets had well-preserved extracellular matrix structures and components. Their porosity was increased but elastic modulus was decreased compared with the native tumor samples. They supported MCF-7 cell repopulation and proliferation, as well as expression of growth factors. When cultured within the Tris-Trypsin-Triton treated scaffold, A549 cells and human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (SW-480) had similar behaviors to MCF-7 cells, but human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells (KYSE-510) had a relatively slow cell repopulation rate. This study provides evidence that Tris-Trypsin-Triton treated acellular tumor extracellular matrices are promising 3D scaffolds with ideal spatial arrangement, biomechanical properties and biocompatibility for improved modeling of 3D tumor microenvironments.
Consumption of dairy foods and diabetes incidence: a dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies.

BACKGROUND A growing number of cohort studies suggest a potential role of dairy consumption in type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevention. The strength of this association and the amount of dairy needed is not clear. OBJECTIVE We performed a meta-analysis to quantify the associations of incident T2D with dairy foods at different levels of intake. DESIGN A systematic literature search of the PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases (from inception to 14 April 2015) was supplemented by hand searches of reference lists and correspondence with authors of prior studies. Included were prospective cohort studies that examined the association between dairy and incident T2D in healthy adults. Data were extracted with the use of a predefined protocol, with double data-entry and study quality assessments. Random-effects meta-analyses with summarized dose-response data were performed for total, low-fat, and high-fat dairy, (types of) milk, (types of) fermented dairy, cream, ice cream, and sherbet. Nonlinear associations were investigated, with data modeled with the use of spline knots and visualized via spaghetti plots. RESULTS The analysis included 22 cohort studies comprised of 579,832 individuals and 43,118 T2D cases. Total dairy was inversely associated with T2D risk (RR: 0.97 per 200-g/d increment; 95% CI: 0.95, 1.00;P= 0.04;I(2)= 66%), with a suggestive but similar linear inverse association noted for low-fat dairy (RR: 0.96 per 200 g/d; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.00;P= 0.072;I(2)= 68%). Nonlinear inverse associations were found for yogurt intake (at 80 g/d, RR: 0.86 compared with 0 g/d; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.90;P< 0.001;I(2)= 73%) and ice cream intake (at ∼10 g/d, RR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.85;P< 0.001;I(2)= 86%), but no added incremental benefits were found at a higher intake. Other dairy types were not associated with T2D risk. CONCLUSION This dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies suggests a possible role for dairy foods, particularly yogurt, in the prevention of T2D. Results should be considered in the context of the observed heterogeneity.
Accurate neuron resilience prediction for a flexible reliability management in neural network accelerators

Deep neural networks have become a ubiquitous tool for mastering complex classification tasks. Current research focuses on the development of power-efficient and fast neural network hardware accelerators for mobile and embedded devices. However, when used in safety-critical applications, for example autonomously operating vehicles, the reliability of such accelerators becomes a further optimization criterion which can stand in contrast to power-efficiency and latency. Furthermore, ensuring hardware reliability becomes increasingly challenging for shrinking structure widths and rising power densities in the nanometer semiconductor technology era. One solution to this challenge is the exploitation of fault tolerant parts in deep neural networks. In this paper we propose a new method for predicting the error resilience of neurons in deep neural networks and show that this method significantly improves upon existing methods in terms of accuracy as well as interpretability. We evaluate prediction accuracy by simulating hardware faults in networks trained on the CIFAR-10 and ILSVRC image classification benchmarks and protecting neurons according to the resilience estimations. In addition, we demonstrate how our resilience prediction can be used for a flexible trade-off between reliability and efficiency in neural network hardware accelerators.
Neural-Davidsonian Semantic Proto-role Labeling

We present a model for semantic proto-role labeling (SPRL) using an adapted bidirectional LSTM encoding strategy that we call NeuralDavidsonian: predicate-argument structure is represented as pairs of hidden states corresponding to predicate and argument head tokens of the input sequence. We demonstrate: (1) state-of-the-art results in SPRL, and (2) that our network naturally shares parameters between attributes, allowing for learning new attribute types with limited added supervision.
Inhibition of GluR Current in Microvilli of Sensory Neurons via Na+-Microdomain Coupling Among GluR, HCN Channel, and Na+/K+ Pump

Glutamatergic dendritic EPSPs evoked in cortical pyramidal neurons are depressed by activation of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels expressed in dendritic spines. This depression has been attributed to shunting effects of HCN current (Ih) on input resistance or Ih deactivation. Primary sensory neurons in the rat mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN) have the somata covered by spine-like microvilli that express HCN channels. In rat MTN neurons, we demonstrated that Ih enhancement apparently diminished the glutamate receptor (GluR) current (IGluR) evoked by puff application of glutamate/AMPA and enhanced a transient outward current following IGluR (OT-IGluR). This suggests that some outward current opposes inward IGluR. The IGluR inhibition displayed a U-shaped voltage-dependence with a minimal inhibition around the resting membrane potential, suggesting that simple shunting effects or deactivation of Ih cannot explain the U-shaped voltage-dependence. Confocal imaging of Na+ revealed that GluR activation caused an accumulation of Na+ in the microvilli, which can cause a negative shift of the reversal potential for Ih (Eh). Taken together, it was suggested that IGluR evoked in MTN neurons is opposed by a transient decrease or increase in standing inward or outward Ih, respectively, both of which can be caused by negative shifts of Eh, as consistent with the U-shaped voltage-dependence of the IGluR inhibition and the OT-IGluR generation. An electron-microscopic immunohistochemical study revealed the colocalization of HCN channels and glutamatergic synapses in microvilli of MTN neurons, which would provide a morphological basis for the functional interaction between HCN and GluR channels. Mathematical modeling eliminated the possibilities of the involvements of Ih deactivation and/or shunting effect and supported the negative shift of Eh which causes the U-shaped voltage-dependent inhibition of IGluR.
Plasma Membrane Aquaporins Are Involved in Winter Embolism Recovery in Walnut Tree1

In perennial plants, freeze-thaw cycles during the winter months can induce the formation of air bubbles in xylem vessels, leading to changes in their hydraulic conductivity. Refilling of embolized xylem vessels requires an osmotic force that is created by the accumulation of soluble sugars in the vessels. Low water potential leads to water movement from the parenchyma cells into the xylem vessels. The water flux gives rise to a positive pressure essential for the recovery of xylem hydraulic conductivity. We investigated the possible role of plasma membrane aquaporins in winter embolism recovery in walnut (Juglans regia). First, we established that xylem parenchyma starch is converted to sucrose in the winter months. Then, from a xylem-derived cDNA library, we isolated two PIP2 aquaporin genes (JrPIP2,1 and JrPIP2,2) that encode nearly identical proteins. The water channel activity of the JrPIP2,1 protein was demonstrated by its expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The expression of the two PIP2 isoforms was investigated throughout the autumn-winter period. In the winter period, high levels of PIP2 mRNA and corresponding protein occurred simultaneously with the rise in sucrose. Furthermore, immunolocalization studies in the winter period show that PIP2 aquaporins were mainly localized in vessel-associated cells, which play a major role in controlling solute flux between parenchyma cells and xylem vessels. Taken together, our data suggest that PIP2 aquaporins could play a role in water transport between xylem parenchyma cells and embolized vessels.
Temperature Affects Expansion Rate of Maize Leaves without Change in Spatial Distribution of Cell Length (Analysis of the Coordination between Cell Division and Cell Expansion)

We have analyzed the way in which temperature affects leaf elongation rate of maize (Zea mays L.) leaves, while spatial distributions (observed at a given time) of cell length and of proportion of cells in DNA replication are unaffected. We have evaluated, in six growth chamber experiments with constant temperatures (from 13 to 34[deg]C) and two field experiments with fluctuating temperatures, (a) the spatial distributions of cell length and of leaf elongation rate, and (b) the distribution of cell division, either by using the continuity equation or by flow cytometry. Leaf elongation rate was closely related to meristem temperature, with a common relationship in the field and in the growth chamber. Cell division and cell elongation occurred in the first 20 and 60 mm after the ligule, respectively, at all temperatures. Similar quantitative responses to temperature were observed for local cell division and local tissue expansion rates (common x intercept and normalized slope), and both responses were spatially uniform over the whole expanding zone (common time courses in thermal time). As a consequence, faster cell elongation matched faster cell division rate and faster elongation was compensated for by faster cell displacement, resulting in temperature-invariant profiles of cell length and of proportion of dividing cells. Cell-to-cell communication, therefore, was not necessary to account for coordination.
Muscle moment arms of the gibbon hind limb: implications for hylobatid locomotion

Muscles facilitate skeletal movement via the production of a torque or moment about a joint. The magnitude of the moment produced depends on both the force of muscular contraction and the size of the moment arm used to rotate the joint. Hence, larger muscle moment arms generate larger joint torques and forces at the point of application. The moment arms of a number of gibbon hind limb muscles were measured on four cadaveric specimens (one Hylobates lar, one H. moloch and two H. syndactylus). The tendon travel technique was used, utilizing an electro‐goniometer and a linear voltage displacement transducer. The data were analysed using a technique based on a differentiated cubic spline and normalized to remove the effect of body size. The data demonstrated a functional differentiation between voluminous muscles with short fascicles having small muscle moment arms and muscles with longer fascicles and comparatively smaller physiological cross‐sectional area having longer muscle moment arms. The functional implications of these particular configurations were simulated using a simple geometric fascicle strain model that predicts that the rectus femoris and gastrocnemius muscles are more likely to act primarily at their distal joints (knee and ankle, respectively) because they have short fascicles. The data also show that the main hip and knee extensors maintain a very small moment arm throughout the range of joint angles seen in the locomotion of gibbons, which (coupled to voluminous, short‐fascicled muscles) might help facilitate rapid joint rotation during powerful movements.
Loss of nuclear flavanols during drought periods in Taxus baccata.

Normally, needles of Taxus baccata during the growth period prominently stain blue for nuclear flavanols with the histochemical DMACA procedure. However, under excess heat and drought conditions, nuclear flavanols of current-year needles decline to zero. Nevertheless, greenish-yellow-coloured flavonols (quercetin derivatives) were still observed in nuclei. All of these yellow nuclei were in a silenced state and without mitosis. This link between drought and loss of nuclear flavanols was found in 3 years, 2003, 2007 and 2010. In 2007, exceptional drought occurred in early spring, interrupted by short rains. This, in turn, led to flushing of new sprouts, a characteristic feature in which nuclei were overloaded with flavanols. By the end of three drought periods, all nuclei developed blue-coloured nuclear flavanols. The flavanols seem to be associated with the histone proteins of chromatin. The oxidative degradation of catechin in Tris buffer (pH 8.0) containing MgCl2 was studied in the presence of the H4-core fragment TYTEHAKRKTVTAMD, modified according to the epigenetic histone code. The results show that catechin degradation can be significantly inhibited by the non-modified peptides and the methylated peptides (methylation at both lysine residues). The acetylated and formylated peptides do not show this behaviour. These observations indicate that flavanol association at chromosomes appears to be regulated by the epigenetic histone code.
Validity assessment of self-reported medication use by comparing to pharmacy insurance claims

Objectives In Japan, an annual health check-up and health promotion guidance programme was established in 2008 in accordance with the Act on Assurance of Medical Care for the Elderly. A self-reported questionnaire on medication use is a required item in this programme and has been used widely, but its validity has not been assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of this questionnaire by comparing self-reported usage to pharmacy insurance claims. Setting This is a population-based validation study. Self-reported medication use for hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia is the evaluated measurement. Data on pharmacy insurance claims are used as a reference standard. Participants Participants were 54 712 beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance of Chiba City. Primary and secondary outcome measures Sensitivity, specificity and κ statistics of the self-reported medication-use questionnaire for predicting actual prescriptions during 1 month (that of the check-up) and 3 months (that of the check-up and the previous 2 months) were calculated. Results Sensitivity and specificity scores of questionnaire data for predicting insurance claims covering 3 months were, respectively, 92.4% (95% CI 91.9 to 92.8) and 86.4% (95% CI 86.0 to 86.7) for hypertension, 82.6% (95% CI 81.1 to 84.0) and 98.5% (95% CI 98.4 to 98.6) for diabetes, and 86.2% (95% CI 85.5 to 86.8) and 91.0% (95% CI 90.8 to 91.3) for dyslipidaemia. Corresponding κ statistics were 70.9% (95% CI 70.1 to 71.7), 77.1% (95% CI 76.2 to 77.9) and 69.8% (95% CI 68.9 to 70.6). The specificity was significantly higher for questionnaire data covering 3 months compared with data covering 1 month for all 3 conditions. Conclusions Self-reported questionnaire data on medication use had sufficiently high validity for further analyses. Item responses showed close agreement with actual prescriptions, particularly those covering 3 months.
The Effect of Low Literacy on the Self-Care Behaviors of Men Receiving Radiation Therapy

Using Orem’s theory as the framework, two purposes guided the study: (a) to test the effectiveness of an audio-visual education program and behavioral contracting to promote self-care behaviors in managing radiation side effects and (b) to determine the extent to which low literacy affects self-care abilities. Seventy men diagnosed with prostate cancer participated in this experimental study. The nursing interventions of education and behavioral contracting significantly increased the self-care behaviors of men in managing radiation side effects. An increase in self-care behaviors was especially shown in men with low-literacy skills.