Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Force-Symmetric Type Two-Channel Bilateral Control System Based on Higher-Order Disturbance Observer

In a bilateral control system, reducing the information-transmission channel between the master and slave systems has advantages, such as suppressing data traffic, reducing stored data, and simplifying the control-system design. The position/force hybrid-control-type bilateral control system can realize stable and highly transparent bilateral control; however, it requires four transmission channels between the master and slave systems to transmit the position and force information. Several types of conventional two-channel controllers are difficult to operate and contact with hard environments. A two-channel controller with a performance equivalent to that of a four-channel controller exists, but it still requires local position control loops. Therefore, this study proposes a force-symmetric type two-channel bilateral control system based on force control systems with robust acceleration controllers using second-order disturbance observers (DOBs) among higher-order DOBs. Bilateral control systems have two control goals: synchronization of the position of the master-slave system, which is a position-related control goal, and artificial realization of the law of action-reaction between the master-slave system, which is a force-related control goal. Methods using low-order DOBs, such as zero- and first-order DOBs, cannot achieve the position-related control goal. In contrast, the proposed method can achieve both the position and force control goals simultaneously, even though it only has force transmission channels and control loops. This study also showed that the performance of the proposed two-channel bilateral control system is equivalent to that of a four-channel bilateral control system that transmits both position and force information. The effectiveness of the proposed method was confirmed through experiments.
Low-Level Flexible Architecture with Hybrid Reconfiguration for Evolvable Hardware

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) can be considered to be the most popular and successful platform for evolvable hardware. They allow one to establish and later reconfigure candidate solutions. Recent work in the field of evolvable hardware includes the use of virtual and native reconfigurations. Virtual reconfiguration is based on the change of functionality by hardware components implemented on top of FPGA resources. Native reconfiguration changes the FPGA resources directly by means provided by the FPGA manufacturer. Both of these approaches have their disadvantages. The virtual reconfiguration is characterized by lower maximal operational frequency of the resulting solutions, and the native reconfiguration is slower. In this work, a hybrid approach is used merging the advantages while limiting the disadvantages of the virtual and native reconfigurations. The main contribution is the new low-level architecture for evolvable hardware in the new Zynq-7000 all-programmable system-on-chip. The proposed architecture offers high flexibility in comparison with other evolvable hardware systems by considering direct modification of the reconfigurable resources. The impact of the higher reconfiguration time of the native approach is limited by the dense placement of the proposed reconfigurable processing elements. These processing elements also ensure fast evaluation of candidate solutions. The proposed architecture is evaluated by evolutionary design of switching image filters and edge detectors. The experimental results demonstrate advantages over the previous approaches considering the time required for evolution, area overhead, and flexibility.
Part-Whole Relational Few-Shot 3D Point Cloud Semantic Segmentation

This paper focuses on the task of few-shot 3D point cloud semantic segmentation. Despite some progress, this task still encounters many issues due to the insufficient samples given, e.g., incomplete object segmentation and inaccurate semantic discrimination. To tackle these issues, we first leverage part-whole relationships into the task of 3D point cloud semantic segmentation to capture semantic integrity, which is empowered by the dynamic capsule routing with the module of 3D Capsule Networks (CapsNets) in the embedding network. Concretely, the dynamic routing amalgamates geometric information of the 3D point cloud data to construct higher-level feature representations, which capture the relationships between object parts and their wholes. Secondly, we designed a multi-prototype enhancement module to enhance the prototype discriminability. Specifically, the single-prototype enhancement mechanism is expanded to the multi-prototype enhancement version for capturing rich semantics. Besides, the shot-correlation within the category is calculated via the interaction of different samples to enhance the intra-category similarity. Ablation studies prove that the involved part-whole relations and proposed multi-prototype enhancement module help to achieve complete object segmentation and improve semantic discrimination. Moreover, under the integration of these two modules, quantitative and qualitative experiments on two public benchmarks, including S3DIS and ScanNet, indicate the superior performance of the proposed framework on the task of 3D point cloud semantic segmentation, compared to some state-of-the-art methods.
A Novel, Self-Expanding, Nitinol Stent in Medically Refractory Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenoses: The Wingspan Study

Background and Purpose— The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and performance of the Wingspan stent system and Gateway percutaneous transluminal angioplasty balloon catheter in the treatment of high-grade, intracranial atherosclerotic lesions in patients who had failed medical therapy. Methods— In this prospective, multicenter, single-arm study, medically refractory patients with a modified Rankin score ≤3 and recurrent symptoms attributable to angiographically demonstrated intracranial stenosis ≥50% in a vessel 2.5 to 4.5 mm in diameter were enrolled. Intracranial lesions were predilated with an undersized Gateway balloon catheter to 80% of the native vessel diameter, followed by deployment of the self-expanding Wingspan stent to facilitate further remodeling of the atherosclerotic plaque and to maintain vessel patency. Neurologic examinations and angiograms were performed at 6 months after the procedure. Results— Among the 45 patients enrolled, the degree of stenosis was reduced from a baseline of 74.9±9.8% to 31.9±13.6% after stenting and 28±23.2% at the 6-month follow-up. The 30-day composite ipsilateral stroke/death rate was 4.5% (2/44); at the 6-month follow-up, the ipsilateral stroke/death rate was 7.0%, the rate for all strokes was 9.7%, and all-cause mortality was 2.3%. Physician-reported follow-up in 43 patients (average of 13 months) conducted outside the study protocol (not adjudicated by the clinical event committee) reported 1 additional ipsilateral stroke. Conclusions— In medically refractory patients with high-grade intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses, a new treatment paradigm involving predilation with an undersized Gateway percutaneous transluminal angioplasty balloon catheter and placement of a self-expanding Wingspan stent system appears to be safe, may facilitate remodeling, and may contribute to favorable angiographic outcomes.
Combined Anti-PD-1 and Anti-CTLA-4 Treatment in Stage IV Melanoma Patients: A Bicentric Analysis of Real-World Data and a Modern Treatment Scenario Proving Lactate Dehydrogenase’s Usefulness

Background: This retrospective study evaluates patients with stage IV melanoma treated with nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy from two regional oncology centers in Romania from the year 2019 to the end of 2022. Methods: The data were analyzed in SAS for Windows, V9.4. LDH means were stratified by the number of metastatic sites before treatment and compared using an independent sample T-test. The survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the survival distributions were compared with the log-rank test. The effects of the main clinical and pathological variables on OS and PFS were investigated with Cox regression. Results: The LDH mean for patients with three or more metastases before treatment was significantly higher than that for patients with only one metastatic site. The Kaplan–Meier curve of OS in all evaluable patients enrolled in the study resulted in a median OS of 346 days (95% CI: 150) and a median PFS of 211 days (95% CI: 113–430). A total of 45.3% of the patients experienced adverse events during the nivolumab + ipilimumab treatment, with some of them having multiple organ systems involved. Discussion: The OS values were lower than those reported in approved clinical trials, but the results show a marked improvement when compared to the results obtained by chemotherapy regimens previously used in these scenarios. Conclusion: This study provides real-world insights into the survival data and safety profiles of combination therapy with anti-PD-1 antibodies and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies.
Holocene pool formation in oligotrophic fens from boreal Québec in northeastern Canada

At the biogeographical limit between the boreal and the subarctic domain in northeastern Canada, peatlands are mainly oligotrophic fens characterized by a dominance of aquatic microforms such as pools and wet hollows. These peatlands present similar features as the appa mires in Scandinavia. They show evidence for recent water-table rise indicated by tree mortality, physical degradation of strings, and pool expansion. This study aims to evaluate the timing of pool inception and their impact on the long-term dynamics of these microforms within two patterned oligotrophic fens in the Laforge region, northern Québec. Plant macrofossil and testate amoeba analyses from sediment underneath pools were used along with radiocarbon dating to reconstruct peatland pool dynamics over the Holocene. Our data indicate that wet hollows or shallow pools developed at minimal ages between ~4200 and ~2500 cal. a BP. Pool initiation in the peatlands of the Laforge region corresponds to the climate shift toward cooler and wetter conditions from the onset of the late-Holocene cooling. We suggest that the pool developed as secondary features influenced by short growing seasons, low accumulation rates, and wet conditions, which in turn affected the wettest microforms to shift into permanent pools. The differential response of microforms to shift in surface wetness shows the complexity of processes involved in pool initiation.
On the complexity of database queries (extended abstract)

We revisit the issue of the complexity of database queries, in the light of the recent parametric refinement of complexity theory. We show that, if the query size (or the number of variables in the query) is considered as a parameter, then the relational calculus and its fragments (conjunctive queries, positive queries) are classified at appropriate levels of the so-called W hierarchy of Downey and Fellows. These results strongly suggest that the query size is inherently in the exponent of the data complexity of any query evaluation algorithm, with the implication becoming stronger as the expressibility of the query language increases. For recursive languages (fixpoint logic, Datalog) this is provably the case [14]. On the positive side, we show that this exponential dependence can be avoided for the extension of acyclic queries with # (but not <) inequalities.
SUMO-1 Modification of Histone Deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) Modulates Its Biological Activities*

Histone deacetylation plays a central role in the regulation of genes linked to virtually all biological processes. This modification reaction is dependent on a family of related histone deacetylases (HDACs), which function as key components of large multiprotein complexes involved in the development of normal and neoplastic cells. The mechanisms regulating HDACs and their roles in such processes are not understood, and these form the major focus for the current study. Here, in the course of assessing possible post-translational modifications of HDAC1, we demonstrated that HDAC1 is a substrate for SUMO-1 (smallubiquitin-related modifier) modificationin vitro and in vivo. The HDAC1 lysines targeted for modification were identified as C-terminal Lys-444 and Lys-476, which are also present in mammalian HDAC2 and lower vertebrate HDAC1/2 orthologs yet absent from other HDAC family members, pointing to a means of differential regulation among HDAC proteins. Mutation of these target residues (lysine to arginine substitution) profoundly reduced HDAC1-mediated transcriptional repression in reporter assays without affecting HDAC1 ability to associate with mSin3A and eliminated HDAC1-induced cell cycle and apoptotic responses upon overexpression. Together, the results demonstrate that HDAC1 is modified by SUMO-1, and this modification can dramatically affect HDAC1 activity in a number of surrogate biological assays.
Maternal Controlling Feeding Styles During Early Infancy

This study sought to determine the relationship between maternal controlling feeding styles and maternal perception of their infant’s ability to regulate feeding and infant weight. A cross-sectional survey of 208 mothers with infants between 2 weeks and 6 months old was performed in a private pediatric office. The authors assessed the relationship between restrictive and pressuring feeding styles with (a) maternal perception of the infant’s ability to regulate feeding and (b) infant weight (both actual and perceived). Restrictive feeding style was associated with the perception that infants could not recognize their own hunger or satiety and with concern that the infant would become overweight in the future. Pressuring feeding style was associated with the perception that the baby’s appetite is less than other babies and with concern that the infant would become underweight in the future. Maternal perceptions of infant feeding and weight should be incorporated into early obesity prevention strategies.
WebCop: Locating Neighborhoods of Malware on the Web

In this paper, we propose WebCop to identify malicious web pages and neighborhoods of malware on the internet. Using a bottom-up approach, telemetry data from commercial Anti-Malware (AM) clients running on millions of computers first identify malware distribution sites hosting malicious executables on the web. Next, traversing hyperlinks in a web graph constructed from a commercial search engine crawler in the reverse direction quickly discovers malware landing pages linking to the malware distribution sites. In addition, the malicious distribution sites and web graph are used to identify neighborhoods of malware, locate additional executables distributed on the internet which may be unknown malware and identify false positives in AM signatures. We compare the malicious URLs generated by the proposed method with those found by a commercial, drive-by download approach and show that lists are independent; both methods can be used to identify malware on the internet and help protect end users.
A rat model for studying electroacupuncture analgesia on acute visceral hyperalgesia

The aim of this study was to establish an appropriate rat model to study the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia on acute visceral hyperalgesia. Adult rats received colorectal instillation with different concentrations of acetic acid (AA). Treatment with EA was performed for 30 min at bilateral acupoints of ST-36 and ST-37 in the hind limbs. The visceral sensation of all rats was quantified by scores of abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) and discharges of rectus abdominis electromyogram (EMG) in response to colorectal distension (CRD). Two hours after instillation of saline (no AA), 1%, 2%, and 4% AA, there were no, slight, moderate and severe visceral hyperalgesia, respectively. Application of EA significantly relieved the visceral hyperalgesia induced by 2% but not 4% AA. The results suggest that 2% AA acute visceral hyperalgesia in adult rats responds well to EA treatment. This may offer an appropriate model for the investigation of EA effects.
Pathway Analysis of Smoking Quantity in Multiple GWAS Identifies Cholinergic and Sensory Pathways

Cigarette smoking is a common addiction that increases the risk for many diseases, including lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified and validated several susceptibility loci for nicotine consumption and dependence. However, the trait variance explained by these genes is only a small fraction of the estimated genetic risk. Pathway analysis complements single marker methods by including biological knowledge into the evaluation of GWAS, under the assumption that causal variants lie in functionally related genes, enabling the evaluation of a broad range of signals. Our approach to the identification of pathways enriched for multiple genes associated with smoking quantity includes the analysis of two studies and the replication of common findings in a third dataset. This study identified pathways for the cholinergic receptors, which included SNPs known to be genome-wide significant; as well as novel pathways, such as genes involved in the sensory perception of smell, that do not contain any single SNP that achieves that stringent threshold.
Limited Activity of Miltefosine in Murine Models of Cryptococcal Meningoencephalitis and Disseminated Cryptococcosis

ABSTRACT Miltefosine is an alkyl phosphocholine with good oral bioavailability and in vitro activity against Cryptococcus species that has gained interest as an additional agent for cryptococcal infections. Our objective was to further evaluate the in vivo efficacy of miltefosine in experimental in vivo models of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis and disseminated cryptococcosis. Mice were infected intracranially or intravenously with either C. neoformans USC1597 or H99. Miltefosine treatment (1.8 to 45 mg/kg of body weight orally once daily) began at either 1 h or 1 day postinoculation. Fluconazole (10 mg/kg orally twice daily) or amphotericin B deoxycholate (3 mg/kg intraperitoneally once daily) served as positive controls. In our standard models, miltefosine did not result in significant improvements in survival or reductions in fungal burden against either C. neoformans isolate. There was a trend toward improved survival with miltefosine at 7.2 mg/kg against disseminated cryptococcosis with the H99 strain but only at a low infecting inoculum. In contrast, both fluconazole and amphotericin B significantly improved survival in mice with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis and disseminated cryptococcosis due to USC1597. Amphotericin B also improved survival against both cryptococcal infections caused by H99. Combination therapy with miltefosine demonstrated neither synergy nor antagonism in both models. These results demonstrate limited efficacy of miltefosine and suggest caution with the potential use of this agent for the treatment of C. neoformans infections.
Determination of Plasma Unbound Fraction of Voriconazole in Patients Treated With a Prophylactic or a Curative Treatment

Background: Voriconazole (VOR) is a triazole antifungal used in the curative treatment of invasive fungal infections and the prophylactic treatment of opportunistic fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. It is a drug for which therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is highly recommended. Methods: To determine the best TDM marker, the pharmacologically active form of the drug, represented by the plasma unbound concentration (Cu) and fraction (fu), has been studied using a method based on ultrafiltration and ultra performance liquid chromatography. As albumin (Alb) is a likely factor inducing fluctuations in fu, the correlation between Alb levels and fu was carried out. Similarly, correlations between trough plasma concentrations [total concentration (Ct) and Cu] and both efficacy and safety markers were determined. Efficacy evaluation was based on monitoring fungal antigens and cultures, whereas safety was monitored by measuring bilirubin levels. Results: In vitro, using blank human plasma, the mean fu was determined at 32.3% ± 5.5%, whereas in patients' plasmas treated with VOR, the median (5th–95th percentiles) of the unbound VOR fraction was 22.95% (14.95%–38.42%). A high correlation was found (rho = 0.956, P < 0.001) between Ct and Cu, though there was no correlation between serum Alb levels and fu, except for some patients with severe hypoalbuminemia (<25 g/L). Conclusions: Based on the efficacy/safety correlations, a therapeutic window has been defined ranging from 4.5 to 6.5 mg/L and 1.5 and 2.0 mg/L for trough Ct and Cu, respectively. For the first time, the relevance of new pharmacokinetic parameters, such as Cu and fu, has been explored and discussed, and our results support the current TDM protocol for VOR.
Myeloma cell adhesion to bone marrow stromal cells confers drug resistance by microRNA-21 up-regulation

Abstract The bone marrow microenvironment plays a role in myeloma cell proliferation and adhesion-mediated drug resistance. In this study, we investigated microRNA-21 (miR-21) expression changes in myeloma cells that adhered to bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). In addition, we studied the synergistic effect of miR-21 inhibition with dexamethasone (Dex), doxorubicin (Dox), or bortezomib (Bort) on myeloma cell survival. We found that up-regulation of miR-21 expression was partially driven by nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling via myeloma cell adhesion to BMSCs. We also confirmed that RhoB is a miR-21 regulation target gene. Moreover, miR-21 inhibition combined with cytotoxic drug Dex or Dox inhibited myeloma cell survival more effectively than either treatment alone. These results suggest that the regulatory mechanisms of miR-21 expression may be a promising target for fine-tuning anti-myeloma therapy.
Are My Unit Tests in the Right Package?

The software development industry has adopted written and de facto standards for creating effective and maintainable unit tests. Unfortunately, like any other source code artifact, they are often written without conforming to these guidelines, or they may evolve into such a state. In this work, we address a specific type of issues related to unit tests. We seek to automatically uncover violations of two fundamental rules: 1) unit tests should exercise only the unit they were designed for, and 2) they should follow a clear packaging convention. Our approach is to use code coverage to investigate the dynamic behaviour of the tests with respect to the code elements of the program, and use this information to identify highly correlated groups of tests and code elements (using community detection algorithm). This grouping is then compared to the trivial grouping determined by package structure, and any discrepancies found are treated as "bad smells. " We report on our related measurements on a set of large open source systems with notable unit test suites, and provide guidelines through examples for refactoring the problematic tests.
Lazy sensors for the scheduling of measurement samples transmission in linear closed loops over networks

We consider an exponentially stable close-loop interconnection of a continuous linear plant and a continuous linear controller, and we study the problem of interconnecting the plant output to the controller input through a network. We propose a family of “lazy sensors” whose goal is to transmit the measured plant output information as little as possible while preserving closed-loop stability. In particular, we propose three transmission policies, providing conditions on the transmission parameters. These guarantee global asymptotic stability when the plant state is available, and global practical stability when the plant state is not available. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed strategies.