Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modulation of joint and limb mechanical work in walk-to-run transition steps in humans

ABSTRACT Surprisingly little information exists of the mechanics in the steps initializing the walk-to-run transition (WRT) in humans. Here, we assess how mechanical work of the limbs (vertical and horizontal) and the individual joints (ankle, knee and hip) are modulated as humans transition from a preferred constant walking velocity (vwalk) to a variety of running velocities (vrun; ranging from a sprint to a velocity slower than vwalk). WRTs to fast vrun values occur nearly exclusively through positive horizontal limb work, satisfying the goal of forward acceleration. Contrary to our hypothesis, however, positive mechanical work remains above that at vwalk even when decelerating. In these WRTs to slow running, positive mechanical work is remarkably high and is comprised nearly exclusively of vertical limb work. Vertical-to-horizontal work modulation may represent an optimization for achieving minimal and maximal vrun, respectively, while fulfilling an apparent necessity for energy input when initiating WRTs. Net work of the WRT steps was more evenly distributed across the ankle, knee and hip joints than expected. Absolute positive mechanical work exhibited a clearer modulation towards hip-based work at high accelerations (>3 m s−2), corroborating previous suggestions that the most proximal joints are preferentially recruited for locomotor tasks requiring high power and work production. In WRTs to very slow vrun values, high positive work is nevertheless done at the knee, indicating that modulation of joint work is not only dependent on the amount of work required but also the locomotor context. Summary: Horizontal limb work at the hip characterizes fast walk-to-run transitions, whereas vertical knee-derived limb work occurs in slow walk-to-run transitions. Input of mechanical work is necessary in the walk-to-run transition even when decelerating.
Stochastic Variance-Reduced Policy Gradient

In this paper, we propose a novel reinforcement- learning algorithm consisting in a stochastic variance-reduced version of policy gradient for solving Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). Stochastic variance-reduced gradient (SVRG) methods have proven to be very successful in supervised learning. However, their adaptation to policy gradient is not straightforward and needs to account for I) a non-concave objective func- tion; II) approximations in the full gradient com- putation; and III) a non-stationary sampling pro- cess. The result is SVRPG, a stochastic variance- reduced policy gradient algorithm that leverages on importance weights to preserve the unbiased- ness of the gradient estimate. Under standard as- sumptions on the MDP, we provide convergence guarantees for SVRPG with a convergence rate that is linear under increasing batch sizes. Finally, we suggest practical variants of SVRPG, and we empirically evaluate them on continuous MDPs.
Scalable load balancing in networked systems: A survey of recent advances

The basic load balancing scenario involves a single dispatcher where tasks arrive that must immediately be forwarded to one of $N$ single-server queues. We discuss recent advances on scalable load balancing schemes which provide favorable delay performance when $N$ grows large, and yet only require minimal implementation overhead. Join-the-Shortest-Queue (JSQ) yields vanishing delays as $N$ grows large, as in a centralized queueing arrangement, but involves a prohibitive communication burden. In contrast, power-of-$d$ or JSQ($d$) schemes that assign an incoming task to a server with the shortest queue among $d$ servers selected uniformly at random require little communication, but lead to constant delays. In order to examine this fundamental trade-off between delay performance and implementation overhead, we consider JSQ($d(N)$) schemes where the diversity parameter $d(N)$ depends on $N$ and investigate what growth rate of $d(N)$ is required to asymptotically match the optimal JSQ performance on fluid and diffusion scale. Stochastic coupling techniques and stochastic-process limits play an instrumental role in establishing the asymptotic optimality. We demonstrate how this methodology carries over to infinite-server settings, finite buffers, multiple dispatchers, servers arranged on graph topologies, and token-based load balancing including the popular Join-the-Idle-Queue (JIQ) scheme. In this way we provide a broad overview of the many recent advances in the field. This survey extends the short review presented at ICM 2018 (arXiv:1712.08555).
MR Imaging Features of Anaplastic Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma Mimicking High-Grade Astrocytoma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, which has been recently defined as a distinct entity in the 2016 World Health Organization classification, may exhibit aggressive clinical behavior and relatively worse prognosis than pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma. This study aimed to investigate whether there were any differences in MR imaging characteristics between these 2 tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 9 patients with anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma and 10 patients with pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma who underwent MR imaging before an operation. DWI was performed in 17 patients (8 with anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, 9 with pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma); and DSC-PWI, in 9 patients (5 with anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, 4 with pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma). Demographics, conventional imaging characteristics (location, size, cystic degeneration, enhancement, peritumoral edema, and leptomeningeal contact), minimum relative ADC ratio, and maximum relative CBV ratio were evaluated between the anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma and pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma groups. RESULTS: Anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma was more likely to demonstrate high-grade features than pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, including greater maximum tumor diameter (4.7 ± 0.6 cm versus 3.1 ± 1.1 cm, P = .001), more frequent heterogeneous contrast enhancement of solid portions (88.9% versus 20.0%, P = .01), more obvious peritumoral edema (2.3 ± 0.9 cm versus 1.0 ± 0.9 cm, P = .008), lower minimum relative ADC on DWI (1.0 ± 0.2 versus 1.5 ± 0.4, P = .008), and higher maximum relative CBV on DSC-PWI (2.6 ± 0.8 versus 1.6 ± 0.2, P = .036). CONCLUSIONS: Anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas often have more aggressive MR imaging features mimicking high-grade astrocytomas than pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas. DWI and DSC-PWI might be useful in the characterization and differentiation of anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma and pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma.
Brain basis of cognitive resilience: Prefrontal cortex predicts better reading comprehension in relation to decoding

Objective The ultimate goal of reading is to understand written text. To accomplish this, children must first master decoding, the ability to translate printed words into sounds. Although decoding and reading comprehension are highly interdependent, some children struggle to decode but comprehend well, whereas others with good decoding skills fail to comprehend. The neural basis underlying individual differences in this discrepancy between decoding and comprehension abilities is virtually unknown. Methods We investigated the neural basis underlying reading discrepancy, defined as the difference between reading comprehension and decoding skills, in a three-part study: 1) The neuroanatomical basis of reading discrepancy in a cross-sectional sample of school-age children with a wide range of reading abilities (Experiment-1; n = 55); 2) Whether a discrepancy-related neural signature is present in beginning readers and predictive of future discrepancy (Experiment-2; n = 43); and 3) Whether discrepancy-related regions are part of a domain-general or a language specialized network, utilizing the 1000 Functional Connectome data and large-scale reverse inference from Neurosynth.org (Experiment-3). Results Results converged onto the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), as related to having discrepantly higher reading comprehension relative to decoding ability. Increased gray matter volume (GMV) was associated with greater discrepancy (Experiment-1). Region-of-interest (ROI) analyses based on the left DLPFC cluster identified in Experiment-1 revealed that regional GMV within this ROI in beginning readers predicted discrepancy three years later (Experiment-2). This region was associated with the fronto-parietal network that is considered fundamental for working memory and cognitive control (Experiment-3). Interpretation Processes related to the prefrontal cortex might be linked to reading discrepancy. The findings may be important for understanding cognitive resilience, which we operationalize as those individuals with greater higher-order reading skills such as reading comprehension compared to lower-order reading skills such as decoding skills. Our study provides insights into reading development, existing theories of reading, and cognitive processes that are potentially significant to a wide range of reading disorders.
Deep-biosphere methane production stimulated by geofluids in the Nankai accretionary complex

Scientific drilling at a submarine mud volcano shows that geofluid migration stimulates methanogenesis in the deep biosphere. Microbial life inhabiting subseafloor sediments plays an important role in Earth’s carbon cycle. However, the impact of geodynamic processes on the distributions and carbon-cycling activities of subseafloor life remains poorly constrained. We explore a submarine mud volcano of the Nankai accretionary complex by drilling down to 200 m below the summit. Stable isotopic compositions of water and carbon compounds, including clumped methane isotopologues, suggest that ~90% of methane is microbially produced at 16° to 30°C and 300 to 900 m below seafloor, corresponding to the basin bottom, where fluids in the accretionary prism are supplied via megasplay faults. Radiotracer experiments showed that relatively small microbial populations in deep mud volcano sediments (102 to 103 cells cm−3) include highly active hydrogenotrophic methanogens and acetogens. Our findings indicate that subduction-associated fluid migration has stimulated microbial activity in the mud reservoir and that mud volcanoes may contribute more substantially to the methane budget than previously estimated.
Prognosis and Follow-Up of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a devastating progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD) with no known cause, is the most common and deadly of the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. With a median survival of 3–5 years following diagnosis, IPF is characterized by a progressive decline in lung function and quality of life in most patients. Prognostic factors recognized classically that influence mortality include functional, clinical and radiological parameters. However, in recent years, there has also been progress in the knowledge of genetic factors and biomarkers that may be useful in the prognostic evaluation of these patients. On the other hand, the monitoring of the disease throughout its evolution is key to improving the prognosis of the patients, as it allows for taking therapeutic measures based on this evolution, even early remission for lung transplantation. This article reviews the main prognostic factors of the disease, as well as the most useful way to monitor the disease follow-up.
Effects of Tunable Keratin Hydrogel Erosion on Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 Release, Bioactivity, and Bone Induction.

IMPACT STATEMENT Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) delivery from collagen sponges for bone formation is an important clinical example of growth factors in tissue engineering. Side effects from rhBMP-2 burst release and rapid collagen resorption have led to investigation of alternative carriers. Here, keratin carriers with tunable erosion rates were formulated by varying disulfide crosslinking via ratios of oxidatively (keratose) to reductively (kerateine) extracted keratin. In vitro rhBMP-2 bioactivity increased with kerateine content, reaching levels greater than with collagen. Heterotopic bone formation in a mouse model depended on the keratin formulation, highlighting the importance of the growth factor carrier.
LM-BIC Model Selection in Semiparametric Models.

This paper studies model selection in semiparametric econometric models. It develops a consistent series-based model selection procedure based on a Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) type criterion to select between several classes of models. The procedure selects a model by minimizing the semiparametric Lagrange Multiplier (LM) type test statistic from Korolev (2018) but additionally rewards simpler models. The paper also develops consistent upward testing (UT) and downward testing (DT) procedures based on the semiparametric LM type specification test. The proposed semiparametric LM-BIC and UT procedures demonstrate good performance in simulations. To illustrate the use of these semiparametric model selection procedures, I apply them to the parametric and semiparametric gasoline demand specifications from Yatchew and No (2001). The LM-BIC procedure selects the semiparametric specification that is nonparametric in age but parametric in all other variables, which is in line with the conclusions in Yatchew and No (2001). The results of the UT and DT procedures heavily depend on the choice of tuning parameters and assumptions about the model errors.
A Comparative Test and Consequent Improvements on Dielectric Response Methods

This paper starts with a systematic benchmark test of the three commercialised dielectric diagnostic methods RVM (recovery voltage method), PDC (polarisation and depolarisation currents) and FDS (frequency domain spectroscopy), performed on a large transformer model. The water content as analysed by the specific software was compared under three parameters: insulation geometry, insulation temperature and oil conductivity. It was found, that for the RV method the interpretation scheme based on the central time constant is too simplistic. The other two methods PDC and FDS compensate much better for the mentioned parameters but nevertheless analyse a drier cellulose with increasing temperature and a wetter cellulose for increasing oil conductivity. Actually the moisture in cellulose remained constant at 1 % during all the tests. Starting from these weaknesses a more sophisticated software was developed. The new software called “Dirana” bases on a new data pool, measured at new and aged pressboard with various moisture contents, temperatures and oil impregnation. The analysis algorithm works in frequency domain and features weighting of low frequency data and an extended XY-model for analysing oil-paperinsulations. Results obtained from this software show especially a much better compensation for varying oil conductivities and insulation geometries. The new software was successfully utilized for a on-site measurement in comparison to other measurement methods.
Longer Duration of Urinary Catheterization Increases Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection in PICU

Objectives: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections account for 30% of healthcare-associated infections. To date, few studies have addressed pediatric catheter-associated urinary tract infection in PICUs. The aim of our study was to assess the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection in relation to the duration of catheterization in the PICU. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: PICU at a tertiary children’s hospital. Patients: Our study was conducted between April 2012 and June 2015 at Tokyo Metropolitan Children’s Medical Center in Japan. Children in the PICU with an urethral catheter were included. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection cases were defined according to the National Healthcare Safety Network criteria. The patients’ demographic data and isolated organisms were reviewed. Duration of catheterization and the catheter-associated urinary tract infection occurrence rate were analyzed. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Among 1,890 catheterizations, 23 catheter-associated urinary tract infection cases were identified. The overall occurrence rate was 2.35/1,000 catheter-days. Among the patients with catheter-associated urinary tract infection, 13 were boys. The median age was 11 months (interquartile range, 7–35 mo), and the median duration of catheterization was 7 days (interquartile range, 5–12 d). The isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli (26.5%), Enterococcus faecalis (17.6%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.8%). Two species were isolated in each of 11 cases (47.8%). Each additional day of catheterization increased the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02–1.10, and odds ratio adjusted for contact precaution status and surgical procedures was 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01–1.09). Conclusions: Longer duration of catheterization increased the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection by 5% each day at the PICU. Prompt removal of the urethral catheter is strongly recommended whenever feasible.
Nondaily Smokers’ Changes in Cigarette Consumption With Very Low-Nicotine-Content Cigarettes: A Randomized Double-blind Clinical Trial

Importance The US Food and Drug Administration is considering limiting cigarettes to very low nicotine levels. Cigarette consumption of nondaily intermittent smokers (ITS), who compose one-third of US adult smokers, could feasibly increase or could be unaffected if their smoking is not motivated by nicotine seeking. Objective To compare cigarette consumption in ITS receiving very low-nicotine-content cigarettes (VLNCCs) or identical normal-nicotine-content cigarettes (NNCCs). Design, Setting, and Participants This randomized double-blind clinical trial was conducted from June 2015 to July 2017 at a single US site. Volunteer ITS not planning to quit were recruited via media. Overall, 297 individuals enrolled, and 238 were randomized. Analyses were intent-to-treat. Interventions After a 2-week baseline of smoking their own brand of cigarettes provided gratis, ITS were randomized to VLNCCs or NNCCs for 10 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures The number of cigarettes per day (CPD) was assessed by real-time reporting, timeline follow-back reports, and cigarette butt counts. The primary outcome was change in CPD from baseline to weeks 9 to 10 of intervention, adjusting for baseline CPD. Results The mean (SD) age of the 238 randomized participants was 37.9 (13.8) years. Of 238 participants, 108 (45%) were men. At baseline, the mean (SD) CPD was 3.1 (2.9). In intent-to-treat analyses using multiple imputation to address missing data, the VLNCC group had a mean decrease of 1.6 CPD (95% CI, 1.1-2.0; 51% of baseline) vs 0.05 decrease with NNCCs (95% CI, −0.5 to 0.4; 2% of baseline). Treatment group differences were not materially moderated by sex, race/ethnicity, or history of daily smoking. Cheating with conventional cigarettes, inferred from cotinine assays, was more common in the VLNCC group (OR, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.54-5.66), but sensitivity analyses showed significant VLNCC effects among the compliant participants as well. In longitudinal analysis of CPD over time with random intercept and slope, the VLNCC and NNCC groups differed significantly in both linear (−0.15; 95% CI, −0.22 to −0.08; P < .001) and quadratic (0.0026; 95% CI, 0.0010-0.0042; P = .002) trends: CPD dropped by 43.8% in the VLNCC group over 4 weeks, then leveled off thereafter. Abstinence (intent-to-treat, biochemically verified) in weeks 9 to 10 postrandomization did not differ significantly by treatment group (VLNCC, 10.2% vs NNNC, 5.0%; P = .28). Conclusions and Relevance Switching to VLNCCs caused substantial smoking reduction among ITS but did not significantly increase abstinence. Response to a VLNCC intervention suggests that nicotine-seeking motivates ITS’ smoking. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02228824
Clocks and meals keep mice from being cool

ABSTRACT Daily torpor is used by small mammals to reduce daily energy expenditure in response to energetic challenges. Optimizing the timing of daily torpor allows mammals to maximize its energetic benefits and, accordingly, torpor typically occurs in the late night and early morning in most species. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying such temporal regulation have not been elucidated. Direct control by the circadian clock and indirect control through the timing of food intake have both been suggested as possible mechanisms. Here, feeding cycles outside of the circadian range and brain-specific mutations of circadian clock genes (Vgat-Cre+ CK1δfl/fl εfl/+; Vgat-Cre+ Bmal1fl/fl) were used to separate the roles of the circadian clock and food timing in controlling the timing of daily torpor in mice. These experiments revealed that the timing of daily torpor is transiently inhibited by feeding, while the circadian clock is the major determinant of the timing of torpor. Torpor never occurred during the early part of the circadian active phase, but was preferentially initiated late in the subjective night. Food intake disrupted torpor in the first 4–6 h after feeding by preventing or interrupting torpor bouts. Following interruption, re-initiation of torpor was unlikely until after the next circadian active phase. Overall, these results demonstrate that feeding transiently inhibits torpor while the central circadian clock gates the timing of daily torpor in response to energetic challenges by restricting the initiation of torpor to a specific circadian phase. Highlighted Article: Daily torpor in energetically challenged mice is transiently inhibited by feeding while the circadian clock gates the expression of torpor, thereby restricting torpor from occurring during the early subjective night.
Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus: leading bacterial pathogens of healthcare associated infections and bacteremia in older-age populations

ABSTRACT Introduction: Bacteremia and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to rise in industrialized countries, in line with population aging and increased healthcare needs. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are the most common pathogens causing HAIs and bacteremia. Areas covered: This review discusses risk factors in the healthcare setting contributing to the rise in bacteremia and other invasive bacterial HAIs in older populations in general, and attributed to E. coli and S. aureus. Treatment of infections is becoming increasingly difficult due to emerging antimicrobial resistance. Prophylactic vaccines may be the solution to lowering the burden of serious infections in the elderly. Expert commentary: E. coli and S. aureus vaccines routinely administered to older adults and to people undergoing prescheduled procedures with high infection risks could prevent a significant proportion of severe disease, and could potentially also limit the further emergence of antimicrobial resistance.