Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of structural connectivity in Parkinson's disease with depressive symptoms versus non-depressed: a diffusion MRI connectometry study

ABSTRACT Objective: Research on psychobiological markers of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains a hot topic. Non-motor symptoms such as depression and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) each attribute to a particular neurodegenerative cluster in PD, and might enlighten the way for early prediction/detection of PD. The neuropathology of mood disturbances remains unclear. In fact, a few studies have investigated depression using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (diffusion MRI). Method: Diffusion MRI of PD patients without comorbid RBD was used to assess whether microstructural abnormalities are detectable in the brain of 40 PD patients with depression compared to 19 patients without depression. Diffusion MRI connectometry was used to carry out group analysis between age- and gender-matched PD patients with and without depressive symptoms. Diffusion MRI connectometry is based on spin distribution function, which quantifies the density of diffusing water and is a sensitive and specific analytical method to psychological differences between groups. Results: A significant difference (FDR = 0.016129) was observed in the left and right uncinate fasciculi, left and right inferior longitudinal fasciculi, left and right fornices, left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, right corticospinal tract, genu of corpus callosum, and middle cerebellar peduncle. Conclusion: These results suggest the prominent circuits involved in emotion recognition, particularly negative emotions, might be impaired in comorbid depressive symptoms in PD.
A Minorization-Maximization Method for Optimizing Sum Rate in the Downlink of Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Systems

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems have the potential to deliver higher system throughput, compared with contemporary orthogonal multiple access techniques. For a linearly precoded multiple-input single-output (MISO) system, we study the downlink sum rate maximization problem, when the NOMA principle is applied. Being a non-convex and intractable optimization problem, we resort to approximate it with a minorization-maximization algorithm (MMA), which is a widely used tool in statistics. In each step of the MMA, we solve a second-order cone program, such that the feasibility set in each step contains that of the previous one, and is always guaranteed to be a subset of the feasibility set of the original problem. It should be noted that the algorithm takes a few iterations to converge. Furthermore, we study the conditions under which the achievable rates maximization can be further simplified to a low complexity design problem, and we compute the probability of occurrence of this event. Numerical examples are conducted to show a comparison of the proposed approach against conventional multiple access systems.
Effect of dietary synbiotic supplement on behavioral patterns and growth performance of broiler chickens reared under heat stress

ABSTRACT This study examined the effects of a dietary synbiotic supplement on the behavioral patterns and growth performance of broiler chickens exposed to heat stress (HS). Three hundred sixty 1‐day‐old male Ross 708 broiler chicks were distributed among 24 floor pens (15 chicks per pen); each pen was randomly assigned to one of 3 dietary treatments containing a synbiotic at 0 (control), 0.5 (0.5X) and 1.0 (1.0X) g/kg. From d 15 to 42, birds were exposed to HS at 32°C daily from 08:00 to 17:00. Five broiler chickens were randomly marked in each pen for behavioral observation. Instantaneous scan sampling was used to record the birds' behavioral patterns. Performance parameters were measured on d 7, 14, 28 and 42. The synbiotic fed birds exhibited more standing, sitting, walking, feeding, preening and less wing spreading and panting behaviors (P < 0.05) compared to birds fed the control diet. The synbiotic group also had higher BW, BW gain and feed intake on d 7, 14 and 42 (P < 0.05), and higher BW, feed intake and feed conversion ratio at d 28 (P < 0.01). There were no treatment effects on drinking behavior, BW gain on d 28 and feed conversion ratio on d 42 (P > 0.05). There were few dose‐related differences of the synbiotic on production performance; namely, the 1.0X concentration resulted in the highest BW and feed intake on d 14 and 42 (P < 0.05), while BW gain was higher compared to the control group only on d 42 (P < 0.05). The results suggest that the synbiotic supplement may prove to be an important management tool for the broiler industry to diminish the negative effects of HS, potentially safeguarding the welfare and production of broiler chickens, particularly in areas that experience hot climates.
The Role of microRNAs in Alzheimer’s Disease and Their Therapeutic Potentials

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, endogenous, non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by base pairing with mRNA targets. Altered miRNA expression profiles have been observed in several diseases, including neurodegeneration. Multiple studies have reported altered expressions of miRNAs in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as compared to those of healthy elderly adults. Some of the miRNAs found to be dysregulated in AD have been reported to correlate with neuropathological changes, including plaque and tangle accumulation, as well as altered expressions of species that are known to be involved in AD pathology. To examine the potentially pathogenic functions of several dysregulated miRNAs in AD, we review the current literature with a focus on the activities of ten miRNAs in biological pathways involved in AD pathogenesis. Comprehensive understandings of the expression profiles and activities of these miRNAs will illuminate their roles as potential therapeutic targets in AD brain and may lead to the discovery of breakthrough treatment strategies for AD.
The Double-Edged Sword: The Role of Empathy in Military Veterans’ Partners Distress

Objective: The existing literature has shown that war veterans’ posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are associated with high levels of distress in their female partners. According to the literature, spouses’ empathy for their spouses can be a risk factor for their own mental health. However, this subject has not been examined among veteran couples. The current study therefore investigated both the direct and moderating contribution of females’ cognitive and affective empathy to their own PTSS and depression symptoms, above and beyond the preexisting traumatic events of the women’s own lives and the veterans’ PTSS. Method: Participants were 300 Israeli men who had served in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War and their female partners, all of whom completed survey questionnaires. Results: Results revealed that although cognitive empathy can play a positive role for the female in the aftermath of a traumatic event, affective empathy can potentially make a negative contribution to her distress. Women’s education, in number of years, and their own previous traumatic life events, as well as veterans’ levels of PTSS, were all found to make a direct contribution to females’ PTSS and depression symptoms. Conclusion: Findings support the theory that although higher empathy can play a positive role in military couples in which the male partner displays symptoms of PTSS symptoms, it can also contribute negatively to her distress.
Game based traffic exchange for green data center networks

In this paper, game theory models are proposed for the exchange of workload/traffic among data centers within a network according to the availability of green energy resources at these centers. Both homogeneous and heterogeneous data centers are considered so they can have similar or different traffic handling capabilities, respectively. This leads to a non-cooperative game model for homogeneous data centers while heterogeneous data centers form a cooperative game model to exchange their workload/traffic. Numerical results are presented which demonstrate a reduction in energy costs using both models with a significant improvement in average utility for the data centers.
Development of high-yield influenza B virus vaccine viruses

Significance The yield of vaccine viruses is important from an economic point of view. Even more important, the ability to produce high numbers of vaccine doses under tight timelines may save many lives during a virus outbreak. Applying an approach that we recently used to develop high-yield influenza A virus vaccine candidates, we now developed high-yield vaccine candidates for both influenza B virus lineages circulating in humans. These vaccine virus candidates confer higher yield in commonly used propagation systems for influenza vaccine virus production: that is, embryonated chicken eggs, Madin–Darby canine kidney cells, and African green monkey (Vero) cells. Our vaccine candidates could be used to improve the influenza B virus vaccine production process. The burden of human infections with influenza A and B viruses is substantial, and the impact of influenza B virus infections can exceed that of influenza A virus infections in some seasons. Over the past few decades, viruses of two influenza B virus lineages (Victoria and Yamagata) have circulated in humans, and both lineages are now represented in influenza vaccines, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Influenza B virus vaccines for humans have been available for more than half a century, yet no systematic efforts have been undertaken to develop high-yield candidates. Therefore, we screened virus libraries possessing random mutations in the six “internal” influenza B viral RNA segments [i.e., those not encoding the major viral antigens, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase NA)] for mutants that confer efficient replication. Candidate viruses that supported high yield in cell culture were tested with the HA and NA genes of eight different viruses of the Victoria and Yamagata lineages. We identified combinations of mutations that increased the titers of candidate vaccine viruses in mammalian cells used for human influenza vaccine virus propagation and in embryonated chicken eggs, the most common propagation system for influenza viruses. These influenza B virus vaccine backbones can be used for improved vaccine virus production.
The Encapsulation of Hemagglutinin in Protein Bodies Achieves a Stronger Immune Response in Mice than the Soluble Antigen

Zein is a water-insoluble polymer from maize seeds that has been widely used to produce carrier particles for the delivery of therapeutic molecules. We encapsulated a recombinant model vaccine antigen in newly formed zein bodies in planta by generating a fusion construct comprising the ectodomain of hemagglutinin subtype 5 and the N-terminal part of γ-zein. The chimeric protein was transiently produced in tobacco leaves, and H5-containing protein bodies (PBs) were used to immunize mice. An immune response was achieved in all mice treated with H5-zein, even at low doses. The fusion to zein markedly enhanced the IgG response compared the soluble H5 control, and the effect was similar to a commercial adjuvant. The co-administration of adjuvants with the H5-zein bodies did not enhance the immune response any further, suggesting that the zein portion itself mediates an adjuvant effect. While the zein portion used to induce protein body formation was only weakly immunogenic, our results indicate that zein-induced PBs are promising production and delivery vehicles for subunit vaccines.
Exploring the functional impact of adaptive seating on the lives of individual children and their families: a collective case study

Abstract Purpose: This study examined parent-reported change in the functional performance of four school-aged children with wheeled mobility needs who had used a new adaptive seating system for 6 weeks. Methods: The collective case study involved four mothers whose children, ages 6–9 years, received a new adaptive seating system for a manual wheelchair or stroller. Mothers completed the Family Impact of Assistive Technology Scale for Adaptive Seating (FIATS-AS) at the time their child received a new seating system, and then after 6 weeks of daily use. Other questionnaires, health records, and semi-structured interviews provided additional data about the seating interventions and their functional effects on individual children and their families. Results: The FIATS-AS detected overall functional gain in one family, and both gains and losses in 2–7 dimensions for all families. Functional status and change scores showed consistency with measures of seating intervention satisfaction, global functional change, and home participation. Interview themes also suggested consistency with change scores, but provided a deeper understanding of important factors that influenced adaptive seating outcomes. Conclusion: This study supports the need to explore further the complexity, temporality and meaningfulness of adaptive seating outcomes in individual children and their families. Implications for Rehabilitation Assistive technology practitioners need to adopt practical measurement strategies that consider the complexity, temporality, and meaningfulness of outcomes to make evidence-informed decisions about how to improve adaptive seating services and interventions. Health measurement scales that measure adaptive seating outcomes for service applications must have adequate levels of reliability and validity, as well as demonstrate responsive to important change over time for individual children and their families. Needs-specific measurement scales provide a promising avenue for understanding functional outcomes for individual children and youth who use adaptive seating systems.
Preparation of Flower-like ZnO Nanoparticles in a Cellulose Hydrogel Microreactor

Flower-like zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized with sodium hydroxide and zinc acetate in a cellulose hydrogel microreactor (prepared by the inversion method). The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, EDX, x-ray diffractometry, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption. The results indicated that ZnO grows in a flower-like shape in the pores of the cellulose hydrogel. The pure hexagonal wurtzite structures have uniform diameters in the range of 10 nm to 30 nm, surface areas of 39.18 m2/g, and pore volumes of 0.2109 cm3/g. This study also investigated the photocatalytic properties. The nanoparticles have a band gap of 3.23 eV and a 95.2% efficiency for the ultraviolet degradation of rhodamine B over 3 h at room temperature.
Innovative haematological parameters for early diagnosis of sepsis in adult patients admitted in intensive care unit

Aims This study was aimed to investigate the role of erythrocyte, platelet and reticulocyte (RET) parameters, measured by new haematological analyser Sysmex XN and C reactive protein (CRP), for early diagnosis of sepsis during intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Methods The study population consisted of 62 ICU patients, 21 of whom developed sepsis during ICU stay and 41 who did not. The performance for early diagnosing of sepsis was calculated as area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristics curves analysis. Results Compared with CRP (AUC 0.81), immature platelet fraction (IPF) (AUC 0.82) showed comparable efficiency for identifying the onset of sepsis. The association with the risk of developing sepsis during ICU stay was also assessed. One day before the onset of sepsis, a decreased of RET% was significantly associated with the risk of developing sepsis (OR=0.35, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.87), whereas an increased of IPF absolute value (IPF#) was significantly associated with the risk of developing sepsis (OR=1.13, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.24) 2 days before the onset of sepsis. The value of CRP was not predictive of sepsis at either time points. Conclusions IPF# and RET% may provide valuable clinical information for predicting the risk of developing sepsis, thus allowing early management of patients before the onset of clinically evident systemic infections.
Learning-Based Image Enhancement for Visual Odometry in Challenging HDR Environments

One of the main open challenges in visual odometry (VO) is the robustness to difficult illumination conditions or high dynamic range (HDR) environments. The main difficulties in these situations come from both the limitations of the sensors and the inability to perform a successful tracking of interest points because of the bold assumptions in VO, such as brightness constancy. We address this problem from a deep learning perspective, for which we first fine-tune a deep neural network with the purpose of obtaining enhanced representations of the sequences for VO. Then, we demonstrate how the insertion of long short term memory allows us to obtain temporally consistent sequences, as the estimation depends on previous states. However, the use of very deep networks enlarges the computational burden of the VO framework; therefore, we also propose a convolutional neural network of reduced size capable of performing faster. Finally, we validate the enhanced representations by evaluating the sequences produced by the two architectures in several state-of-art VO algorithms, such as ORB-SLAM and DSO.
PWL Approximation of Non-linear Functions for the Implementation of Neuro-Fuzzy Systems

A piecewise linear (PWL) function approximation scheme is described by a lattice algebra of modified operators that allows for the interpolation of PWL function vertexes. A new recursive method called Centred Recursive Interpolation (CRI) based on such modified operators is analysed for successive function smoothing and more accurate approximation. This approximation method, simple but accurate as few parameters are needed for function definition, turns out to be a natural quadratic approximation. Due to the properties that neuro-fuzzy systems with gaussian-like non-linear functions show, CRI is applied to the approximation of a sample gaussian function with width control. Computational simplicity and parameter programmability have been central objectives. As PWL functions are generated by means of lattice operators in a recursive manner, this approximation method is particularly suitable for hardware implementation of function generation circuits. Key-Words: neuro-fuzzy system, PWL function, lattice operator, recursive linear interpolation, membership function, gaussian function, function generation circuit.
Recurrent 15q11.2 BP1‐BP2 microdeletions and microduplications in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders

Rare and common CNVs can contribute to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. One of the recurrent genomic aberrations associated with these phenotypes and proposed as a susceptibility locus is the 15q11.2 BP1‐BP2 CNV encompassing TUBGCP5, CYFIP1, NIPA2, and NIPA1. Characterizing by array‐CGH a cohort of 243 families with various neurodevelopmental disorders, we identified five patients carrying the 15q11.2 duplication and one carrying the deletion. All CNVs were confirmed by qPCR and were inherited, except for one duplication where parents were not available. The phenotypic spectrum of CNV carriers was broad but mainly neurodevelopmental, in line with all four genes being implicated in axonal growth and neural connectivity. Phenotypically normal and mildly affected carriers complicate the interpretation of this aberration. This variability may be due to reduced penetrance or altered gene dosage on a particular genetic background. We evaluated the expression levels of the four genes in peripheral blood RNA and found the expected reduction in the deleted case, while duplicated carriers displayed high interindividual variability. These data suggest that differential expression of these genes could partially account for differences in clinical phenotypes, especially among duplication carriers. Furthermore, urinary Mg2+ levels appear negatively correlated with NIPA2 gene copy number, suggesting they could potentially represent a useful biomarker, whose reliability will need replication in larger samples. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A loopless and branchless $O(1)$ algorithm to generate the next Dyck word

Let integer be any C/C++ unsigned integer type up to 64-bits long. Given a Dyck word the following code returns the next Dyck word of the same size, provided it exists. integer next_dyck_word(integer w) { integer const a = w & -w; integer const b = w + a; integer c = w ^ b; c = (c / a >> 2) + 1; c = ((c * c - 1) & 0xaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa) | b; return c; }
Social Mating System and Sex-Biased Dispersal in Mammals and Birds: A Phylogenetic Analysis

The hypothesis that patterns of sex-biased dispersal are related to social mating system in mammals and birds has gained widespread acceptance over the past 30 years. However, two major complications have obscured the relationship between these two behaviors: 1) dispersal frequency and dispersal distance, which measure different aspects of the dispersal process, have often been confounded, and 2) the relationship between mating system and sex-biased dispersal in these vertebrate groups has not been examined using modern phylogenetic comparative methods. Here, we present a phylogenetic analysis of the relationship between mating system and sex-biased dispersal in mammals and birds. Results indicate that the evolution of female-biased dispersal in mammals may be more likely on monogamous branches of the phylogeny, and that females may disperse farther than males in socially monogamous mammalian species. However, we found no support for a relationship between social mating system and sex-biased dispersal in birds when the effects of phylogeny are taken into consideration. We caution that although there are larger-scale behavioral differences in mating system and sex-biased dispersal between mammals and birds, mating system and sex-biased dispersal are far from perfectly associated within these taxa.
Physical characterisation of biomass-based pyrolysis liquids: Application of standard fuel oil analyses

The main purpose of the study was to test the applicability of standard fuel oil methods developed for petroleum-based fuels to pyrolysis liquids. In addition, research on sampling, homogeneity, stability, miscibility and corrosivity was carried out. The standard methods have been tested for several different pyrolysis liquids. Recommendations on sampling, sample size and small modifications of standard methods are presented. In general, most of the methods can be used as such but the accuracy of the analysis can be improved by minor modifications. Fuel oil analyses not suitable for pyrolysis liquids have been identified. Homogeneity of the liquids is the most critical factor in accurate analysis. The presence of air bubbles may disturb in several analyses. Sample preheating and prefiltration should be avoided when possible. The former may cause changes in the composition and structure of the pyrolysis liquid. The latter may remove part of organic material with particles. The size of the sample should be determined on the basis of the homogeneity and the water content of the liquid. The basic analyses of the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) include water, pH, solids, ash, Conradson carbon residue, heating value, CHN, density, viscosity, pour point, flash point, and stability. Additional analyses are carried out when needed.