Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Convolutional Spiking Neural Networks for Detecting Anticipatory Brain Potentials Using Electroencephalogram

—Spiking neural networks (SNNs) are receiving increased attention as a means to develop ’biologically plausible’ machine learning models. These networks mimic synaptic connections in the human brain and produce spike trains, which can be approximated by binary values, precluding high computational cost with ﬂoating-point arithmetic circuits. Recently, the addition of convolutional layers to combine the feature extraction power of convolutional networks with the computational efﬁciency of SNNs has been introduced. In this paper, the feasibility of using a convolutional spiking neural network (CSNN) as a classiﬁer to detect anticipatory slow cortical potentials related to braking intention in human participants using an electroencephalogram (EEG) was studied. The EEG data was collected during an experiment wherein participants operated a remote controlled vehicle on a testbed designed to simulate an urban environment. Participants were alerted to an incoming braking event via an audio countdown to elicit anticipatory potentials that were then measured using an EEG. The CSNN’s performance was compared to a standard convolutional neural network (CNN) and three graph neural networks (GNNs) via 10-fold cross-validation. The results showed that the CSNN outperformed the other neural networks, and had an average predictive accuracy of 99.06% with an average true positive rate (TPR) of 98.50% and an average true negative rate (TNR) of 99.20%. Two-sample t-tests showed that the higher performance of the CSNN was not signiﬁcantly different compared to the CNN, but signiﬁcant compared to the GNNs. Classiﬁcation performance degradation as a result of converting the ﬂoating-point EEG data into spike trains via delta modulation was also studied for the CSNN. The best threshold value was found to be 0.5, achieving an average accuracy of 97.56% with an average TPR of 91.64% and an average TNR of 99.03%. Two-sample t-tests further showed that statistically similar performance could be obtained even when the threshold was varied from 0.375 to 0.625.
Overleaf Example

This investigation introduces a novel deep reinforcement learning-based suite to control floating platforms in both simulated and real-world environments. Floating platforms serve as versatile test-beds to emulate microgravity environments on Earth. Our approach addresses the system and environmental uncertainties in controlling such platforms by training policies capable of precise maneuvers amid dynamic and unpredictable conditions. Leveraging state-of-theart deep reinforcement learning techniques, our suite achieves robustness, adaptability, and good transferability from simulation to reality. Our Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) framework provides advantages such as fast training times, large-scale testing capabilities, rich visualization options, and ROS bindings for integration with real-world robotic systems. Beyond policy development, our suite provides a comprehensive platform for researchers, offering open-access at https://github. com/elharirymatteo/RANS/tree/ICRA24.
Prediction of Anti-parallel and Parallel Beta-sheets using Conditional Random Fields

In this paper, we present a new algorithm for parallel and anti-parallel beta-sheet prediction using conditional random fields. In recent years, various approaches have been proposed to capture the long-range interactions of beta-sheets. However, most of them are not very successful: either the learning models are not general enough to capture the non-local information, or the features they used do not contain the information, for example, the window based profiles. Our new method has the advantages over previous methods in two aspects: (1) It takes into account both the local information and long-range interaction information (2) The condition random fields are powerful models that are able to capture long-range interaction features. The experimental results show that our algorithm performs significantly better than the state-of-art secondary structure prediction methods.
From use to presence: on the expressions and aesthetics of everyday computational things

The coming ubiquity of computational things urges us to consider what it means for something to be present in someone's life, in contrast to being just used for something. "Use" and "presence" represent two perspectives on what a thing is. While "use" refers to a general description of a thing in terms of what it is used for, "presence" refers to existential definitions of a thing based on how we invite and accept it as a part of our lifeworld. Searching for a basis on which these existential definitions are formed, we argue that the expressions of things are central for accepting them as present in our lives. We introduce the notion of an expressional, referring to a thing designed to be the bearer of certain expressions, just as an appliance is designed to be the bearer of a certain functionality. Aesthetics, as a logic of expressions, can provide a proper foundation for design for presence. We discuss the expressiveness of computational things as depending both on time structures and space structures. An aesthetical leitmotif for the design of computational things---a leitmotif that may be used to guide a normative design philosophy, or a design style---is described. Finally, we describe a practical example of what designing a mobile phone as an "expressional" might be like.
Evaluation of perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with preterm premature rupture of membranes.

OBJECTIVE To determine the association between amniotic fluid index (AFI) and perinatal outcomes in preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). METHOD A retrospective cohort study was conducted between 2008 and 2012. 86 pregnant women were included, with a diagnosis of PPROM and gestational age from 24 to 35 weeks. Women who presented hypertensive disorders, diabetes, fetuses with birth defects and infection at admission were excluded. To determine the association between AFI and perinatal outcomes, chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used if necessary, as well as risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95CI). Correlation between AFI and perinatal outcomes was determined by using simple linear regression, and AFI progression during pregnancy was analyzed by Z-test. RESULTS When comparing newborns presenting ultrasound with AFI<5cm and AFI>5cm, there was a higher frequency of perinatal mortality when the AFI was lower than 5 cm. However, when the oligohydramnios was diagnosed as severe (AFI<3cm), there was a higher frequency of Apgar scores less than seven at 1 minute, neonatal sepsis and early neonatal mortality compared to those presenting AFI>3cm. There was a positive correlation between AFI and gestational age at delivery, birth weight and Apgar scores at minutes 1 and 5. There was also a decrease in amniotic fluid volume with increased gestational age. CONCLUSION The presence of severe oligohydramnios after PPROM contributed to a higher frequency of perinatal complications and death.
Effect of proprioceptor stimulation on postural stability in patients with peripheral or central vestibular lesion.

Body sway in upright stance at rest and after inducing proprioceptor stimulation, elicited by vibration applied to the calf or neck muscles, was studied in 11 patients with peripheral lesion and in 17 patients with central vestibular lesion. The responses were compared with those of 20 normal subjects. Vibratory stimulus was applied at five different frequencies, ranging from 32 to 150 Hz, and at a constant amplitude of 2.1 mm. Postural stability was measured with a force platform in terms of average deviation of body position (ADBP) analyzed in relation to the individual maximum support distance in the anterio-posterior direction. In patients with peripheral vestibular lesion ADBP was moderately increased, compared to normal subjects, when the calf muscles were exposed to vibration under eyes closed conditions (i.e. no visual information available); stimulation of neck muscles both under eyes open and eyes closed conditions and stimulation of calf muscles with open eyes produced an ADBP of the same magnitude as in controls. In patients with central vestibular lesion, proprioceptor stimulation of calf and neck muscles caused increased ADBP whether with eyes open or closed. The ADBP induced by stimulation of neck muscles was significantly greater in patients with a central lesion than in those with a peripheral vestibular lesion. The results indicate that patients with peripheral lesion differ from those with central vestibular lesion in their reaction to proprioceptor stimulus; and that in patients with central vestibular lesion proprioceptor stimulation of the neck muscles produces disproportionately powerful cervico-collic reflexes.
Phylogeography and population structure of Lagocephalus spadiceus (Richardson, 1845) (Tetraodontiformes, Tetraodontidae) in the South China Sea

The Late Pleistocene climate ﬂuctuations have had a major impact on phylogeographic structure and historical dynamics of marine ﬁshes in the marginal seas of the western Paciﬁc Ocean. The puﬀer ﬁsh Lagocephalus spadiceus, has high nutritional and economic value in the South China Sea. To allow the examination of the demographic history and population structure of the L. spadiceus, the mitochondrial DNA COI and Cyt b gene datasets of 300 individuals from eight populations in the South China Sea was sequenced. High haplotype diversity (0.874 ± 0.013) and low nucleotide diversity (0.00075 ± 0.00058) were observed. The phylogenetic tree and haplotypes network revealed no signiﬁcant genetic diﬀerentiation along the coast of the northern South China Sea. Neutrality tests, mismatch distribution analysis, and Bayesian skyline plots suggested that L. spadiceus experienced population expansion during the Late Pleistocene. Ocean currents and climate change play important roles in shaping the geographical distribution and genetic population structure of L. spadiceus.
Organoleptic and nutritional assessment of product developed from foxtail millet and jackfruit seed and its effect on blood glucose response among late adulthood population

of the most acceptable product was done. The Glycaemic Index and glycaemic load of the product were done by intervening with the product on 10 subjects without diabetes and assessing blood glucose levels at 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes by using the OGTT method. The data revealed that the product formulated with 50% foxtail millet and 10% jackfruit seed flour was highly acceptable. The proximate analysis result showed that 100 g of thepla contain energy (270.36 kcal), protein (5.21 g), fat (2.24 g), carbohydrate (57.34 g), moisture (31.72 g), ash (3.49 g), fibre (8.3 g) and resistance starch (11.46 mg). The glycemic load of the product was 43.77 which falls in the category of low glycemic index food. The study concluded that this product can be used for diabetic patients, due to its low Glycemic index and load.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES

THE FOLLOWING TABLES present detailed estimates of the foreign direct investment position in the United States on a historical-cost, or book-value, basis and estimates of the related capital and income flows. These estimates can be used, for example, to see how the geographic and the industrial composition of foreign companies' investment in the United States has changed over time. These estimates supplement the estimates that were presented in an article in the July 1999 SURVEY OF CURRENT BUSINESS that summarized developments in the direct investment positions at historical cost in 1998. The estimates for 1998 are preliminary; those for 1996 and 1997 are revised. The estimates in tables 3-18 differ in two respects from those for comparable items in the international investment position of the United States and in the U.S. international transactions accounts. First, these
Body Mass Index From Age 15 Years Onwards and Muscle Mass, Strength, and Quality in Early Old Age: Findings From the MRC National Survey of Health and Development

Background. As more people live more of their lives obese, it is unclear what impact this will have on muscle mass, strength, and quality. We aimed to examine the associations of body mass index (BMI) from age 15 years onwards with low muscle mass, strength, and quality in early old age. Methods. A total of 1,511 men and women from a British birth cohort study with BMI measured at 15, 20, 26, 36, 43, 53, and 60–64 years and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans at 60–64 years were included. Four binary outcomes identified those in the bottom sex-specific 20% of (a) appendicular lean mass (ALM) index (kilogram per square meter), (b) ALM residuals (derived from sex-specific models in which ALM (kilogram) = β0 + β1 height [meter] + β2 fat mass [kilogram]), (c) grip strength (kilogram), (d) muscle quality (grip strength [kilogram]/arm lean mass [kilogram]). Associations of BMI with each outcome were tested. Results. Higher BMI from age 15 years was associated with lower odds of low ALM but higher odds of low muscle quality (per 1 SD increase in BMI at 36 years, odds ratio of low ALM residuals = 0.50 [95% CI: 0.43, 0.59], and muscle quality = 1.50 [1.29, 1.75]). Greater gains in BMI were associated with lower odds of low ALM index but higher odds of low muscle quality. BMI was not associated with grip strength. Conclusions. Given increases in the global prevalence of obesity, cross-cohort comparisons of sarcopenia need to consider our findings that greater gains in BMI are associated with higher muscle mass but not with grip strength and therefore with lower muscle quality.
Interplay of space charge, intrabeam scattering and synchrotron radiation in the Compact Linear Collider damping rings

Future ultra-low emittance rings for electron/positron colliders requiring extremely high beam brightness can be limited by collective effects. In this paper, the interplay of effects such as synchrotron radiation, intra-beam scattering (IBS) and space charge in the vicinity of excited betatron resonances is assessed. In this respect, two algorithms were developed to simulate IBS and synchrotron radiation effects and integrated in the PyORBIT tracking code, to be combined with its widely used space charge module. The impact of these effects on the achievable beam parameters of the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) Damping Rings was studied, showing that synchrotron radiation damping mitigates the adverse effects of IBS and space charge induced resonance crossing. The studies include also a full dynamic simulation of the CLIC damping ring cycle starting from the injection beam parameters. It is demonstrated that a careful working point choice is necessary, in order to accommodate the transition from a non-linear lattice induced detuning to a space-charge dominated one and thereby avoid excessive losses and emittance growth generated in the vicinity of strong resonances.
Pharmacogenetics and personalized treatment of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a worldwide epidemic with considerable health and economic consequences. T2DM patients are often treated with more than one drug, including oral antidiabetic drugs (OAD) and drugs used to treat diabetic complications, such as dyslipidemia and hypertension. If genetic testing could be employed to predict treatment outcome, appropriate measures could be taken to treat T2DM more efficiently. Here we provide a review of pharmacogenetic studies focused on OAD and a role of common drug-metabolizing enzymes (DME) and drug-transporters (DT) variants in therapy outcomes. For example, genetic variations of several membrane transporters, including SLC22A1/2 and SLC47A1/2 genes, are implicated in the highly variable glycemic response to metformin, a first-line drug used to treat newly diagnosed T2DM. Furthermore, cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are implicated in variation of sulphonylurea and meglitinide metabolism. Additional variants related to drug target and diabetes risk genes have been also linked to interindividual differences in the efficacy and toxicity of OAD. Thus, in addition to promoting safe and cost-effective individualized diabetes treatment, pharmacogenomics has a great potential to complement current efforts to optimize treatment of diabetes and lead towards its effective and personalized care.
Molecular characterisation of hepatitis B virus in the resident Chinese population in Panama City

Despite the effectiveness of current hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines, it is estimated that 350 million individuals suffer from chronic HBV infection and more than 50% of these affected individuals live on the Asian continent. Panama is a country with a great diversity of foreign groups; the Chinese community is a large example of this phenomenon. There is an urgent need to perform studies that evaluate the prevalence and the genetic diversity of HBV in this community. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HBV and its genotypes and mutant variants in the Chinese population residing in Panama. In total, 320 subjects were enrolled in the study. Forty-two subjects (13.1%) were positive for HBsAg and HBV-DNA from 18 subjects revealed the presence of genotypes B2 and C1. Secondary mutations associated with drug resistance at positions rtV207L and rtN239T of the reverse transcriptase gene were identified. Additionally, the mutation pair A1762T/G1764A was found in three samples and the mutation G1896A was detected in an HBeAg-negative subject. In conclusion, to our knowledge, this is the first study to report high HBV prevalence rates in resident ethnic Chinese in Central America and the presence of genotypes B2 and C1 in this region.
Topographic Receptive Fields and Patterned Lateral Interaction in a Self-Organizing Model of the Primary Visual Cortex

This article presents a self-organizing neural network model for the simultaneous and cooperative development of topographic receptive fields and lateral interactions in cortical maps. Both afferent and lateral connections adapt by the same Hebbian mechanism in a purely local and unsupervised learning process. Afferent input weights of each neuron self organize into hill-shaped profiles, receptive fields organize topographically across the network, and unique lateral interaction profiles develop for each neuron. The model demonstrates how patterned lateral connections develop based on correlated activity and explains why lateral connection patterns closely follow receptive field properties such as ocular dominance.
Effectiveness of Omalizumab in Severe Allergic Asthma: A Retrospective UK Real-World Study

Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the “real world” effects of the monoclonal antibody omalizumab (OMB) when used to treat severe persistent allergic asthma in UK clinical practice. Methods. A 10-center retrospective observational study was carried out to compare oral corticosteroid (OCS) use and exacerbation frequency in 12 months pre- versus post-OMB initiation in 136 patients aged ≥12 years with severe persistent allergic asthma. All patients received ≥1 dose of OMB. Patients who had received OMB in a clinical trial were excluded. Data were obtained from hospital and if necessary general practitioners’ (GPs’) records on OCS use, lung function, hospital resource use, and routinely used quality of life (QoL) measures at baseline (pre-OMB), 16 weeks, and up to 12 months post-OMB initiation. Results. Mean total quantity of OCS prescribed per year decreased by 34% between the 12 months pre- and post-OMB initiation. During the 12 months post-OMB initiation, 87 patients (64%) stopped/reduced OCS use by 20% or more and 66 (49%) stopped OCS completely. Mean percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) increased from 66.0% at baseline to 75.2% at week 16 of OMB therapy. The number of asthma exacerbations decreased by 53% during the 12 months post-initiation. Accident and emergency visits reduced by 70% and hospitalizations by 61% in the 12 months post-OMB initiation. Conclusion. This retrospective analysis showed a reduction in exacerbations and improved QoL as per previous studies with OMB. However, the total reduction in annual steroid burden and improved lung function in this severely ill group of patients taking regular or frequent OCS is greater than that seen in previous trials.
Right-lateralized Brain Oscillations in Human Spatial Navigation

During spatial navigation, lesion and functional imaging studies suggest that the right hemisphere has a unique functional role. However, studies of direct human brain recordings have not reported interhemisphere differences in navigation-related oscillatory activity. We investigated this apparent discrepancy using intracranial electroencephalographic recordings from 24 neurosurgical patients playing a virtual taxi driver game. When patients were virtually moving in the game, brain oscillations at various frequencies increased in amplitude compared with periods of virtual stillness. Using log-linear analysis, we analyzed the region and frequency specificities of this pattern and found that neocortical movement-related gamma oscillations (34–54 Hz) were significantly lateralized to the right hemisphere, especially in posterior neocortex. We also observed a similar right lateralization of gamma oscillations related to searching for objects at unknown virtual locations. Thus, our results indicate that gamma oscillations in the right neocortex play a special role in human spatial navigation.
High bacterial load in negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) foams used in the treatment of chronic wounds

No earlier study has investigated the microbiology of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) foam using a standardized manner. The purpose of this study is to investigate the bacterial load and microbiological dynamics in NPWT foam removed from chronic wounds (>3 months). To determine the bacterial load, a standardized size of the removed NPWT foam was sonicated. The resulting sonication fluid was cultured, and the colony‐forming units (CFU) of each species were enumerated. Sixty‐eight foams from 17 patients (mean age 63 years, 71% males) were investigated. In 65 (97%) foams, ≥ 1 and in 37 (54%) ≥2 bacterial types were found. The bacterial load remained high during NPWT treatment, ranging from 104 to 106 CFU/ml. In three patients (27%), additional type of bacteria was found in subsequent foam cultures. The mean bacterial count ± standard deviation was higher in polyvinyl alcohol foam (6.1 ± 0.5 CFU/ml) than in polyurethane (5.5 ± 0.8 CFU/ml) (p = 0.02). The mean of log of sum of CFU/ml in foam from 125 mmHg (5.5 ± 0.8) was lower than in foam from 100 mmHg pressure (5.9 ± 0.5) (p = 0.01). Concluding, bacterial load remains high in NPWT foam, and routine changing does not reduce the load.