Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Containment Control of Linear Multiagent Systems With Aperiodic Sampling and Measurement Size Reduction

The containment control problem for generally linear multiagent systems with aperiodic sampling intervals and measurement size reduction is considered in this paper. Under the assumption that the sampling interval changes from a finite set, an improved protocol is proposed, such that a larger sampling interval can be obtained to achieve containment. By using the properties of Laplacian matrix and the newly developed protocol, the containment control problem is transformed into the stability problem of a discrete-time switched linear system. A sufficient condition is obtained that ensures all the followers converge to the convex hull formed by the state of leaders, and such a sufficient condition is presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities, which are independent of the node of network. To further reduce the communication among agents, a switching-type measurement size reduction scheme is introduced. An optimization problem is proposed for the corresponding controller design. Finally, two simulation studies are conducted to show the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed control algorithms.
CD4+ T Cells Promote Antibody Production but Not Sustained Affinity Maturation during Borrelia burgdorferi Infection

ABSTRACT CD4 T cells are crucial for enhancing B cell-mediated immunity, supporting the induction of high-affinity, class-switched antibody responses, long-lived plasma cells, and memory B cells. Previous studies showed that the immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi appears to lack robust T-dependent B cell responses, as neither long-lived plasma cells nor memory B cells form for months after infection, and nonswitched IgM antibodies are produced continuously during this chronic disease. These data prompted us to evaluate the induction and functionality of B. burgdorferi infection-induced CD4 TFH cells. We report that CD4 T cells were effectively primed and TFH cells induced after B. burgdorferi infection. These CD4 T cells contributed to the control of B. burgdorferi burden and supported the induction of B. burgdorferi-specific IgG responses. However, while affinity maturation of antibodies against a prototypic T-dependent B. burgdorferi protein, Arthritis-related protein (Arp), were initiated, these increases were reversed later, coinciding with the previously observed involution of germinal centers. The cessation of affinity maturation was not due to the appearance of inhibitory or exhausted CD4 T cells or a strong induction of regulatory T cells. In vitro T-B cocultures demonstrated that T cells isolated from B. burgdorferi-infected but not B. burgdorferi-immunized mice supported the rapid differentiation of B cells into antibody-secreting plasma cells rather than continued proliferation, mirroring the induction of rapid short-lived instead of long-lived T-dependent antibody responses in vivo. The data further suggest that B. burgdorferi infection drives the humoral response away from protective, high-affinity, and long-lived antibody responses and toward the rapid induction of strongly induced, short-lived antibodies of limited efficacy.
Combat eavesdropping by full-duplex technology and signal transformation in non-orthogonal multiple access transmission

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is an important multiple access mode in 5G. Nevertheless, eavesdropping may appear between the users in NOMA. In this case, physical layer security schemes can be introduced to combat eavesdropping. Different from the existing schemes, eavesdropping suppression in NOMA should be based on several rules: (i) successive interference cancellation (SIC) should be normally operated; (ii) each user can not attain others' privacy information; (iii) each adopted scheme had better not to depend on the spatial disparity between channels (since the channels may have the strong spatial similarity). Therefore, we propose a novel scheme to adapt to these rules. In our scheme, the original signals of users are separately transformed into the transmitted signals by a well-designed angle conversion method, and the principles of these variations for diverse users are different. Furthermore, an auxiliary mechanism with full-duplex technology is devised to guarantee the users to safely learn the principles, respectively. Through this scheme, each user can deduce other users' transmitted signals for SIC, while the original signals are difficult to be determined from transmitted signals. Hence, our scheme can effectively improve security.
Return of Memory and Sleep Efficiency Following Moderate to Severe Closed Head Injury

Objective. Sleep disturbance is common in the subacute recovery phase following brain injury. A previous study from the authors' group found 68% of patients with closed head injury (CHI) had disrupted sleep on a rehabilitation unit. In the present study, the authors investigated whether improvement in sleep efficiency correlates with duration of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) after CHI. Methods. Fourteen CHI patients were enrolled and followed prospectively. Mechanism of injury included motor vehicle accident, fall, and blunt assault. An actigraph was placed on each subject's wrist within 72 hours of admission to the rehabilitation unit and recorded data for the duration of their stay. A minimum of 7 days of continuous actigraphy data was obtained on all subjects. PTA was measured daily using the Orientation Log (O-LOG). Results. Seventy-eight percent of subjects had mean week-1 sleep efficiency scores of ≤63%. Patients admitted having already cleared PTA had significantly better week-1 sleep efficiency scores than those with ongoing amnesia (P = .032). For those patients admitted with ongoing PTA, each 10-unit increase in sleep efficiency score correlated with 1 unit increase in O-LOG score (P = .056). Conclusions. Disrupted sleep is common in the postacute stage following CHI. Improved sleep efficiency correlates with resolution of PTA. Decreased sleep efficiency may negatively affect memory return after traumatic brain injury. Actigraphy is uniquely suited to study the sleep patterns of these patients.
Sympathetic Skin Responses Evoked by Different Stimuli Modalities in Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Objective. By using a combination of physiological and electrical peripheral nerve stimuli, the authors aimed to characterize the expected dysfunction of the circuits responsible for sympathetic skin response (SSR) in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods. The authors examined SSR induced in the hand and foot in 50 SCI patients and 15 age-matched and gender-matched healthy volunteers. SSR was induced by deep inhalation, unexpected acoustic stimuli, brisk hand muscle contraction, and median and peroneal nerve electrical stimulation (PNS). Results. SSRs to any stimulus modality were absent in hand and foot in patients with complete SCI above the T4 level. They were present in the hand and absent in the foot in complete SCI patients at levels between T4 and T11 for all stimuli modalities except PNS. The elicitability of SSR was lower with peroneal nerve stimulation than the other stimuli in hand and foot. The mean latency difference between SSRs of the hand and foot was significantly longer in patients than in controls, regardless of stimulus modality. The amplitude of SSR was larger in volunteers than in patients. Conclusion . SSR to various stimuli confirms the importance of supraspinal centers and the integrity of sympathetic descending pathways. Simultaneous recording of the SSR in the hands and feet provides information about the degree of sympathetic impairment possibly in the efferent pathway. To monitor spontaneous recovery or the efficacy of a drug or biological therapeutic intervention, changes in the latency delay between the hand and foot may be valuable.
Plasticity of the Attentional Network After Brain Injury and Cognitive Rehabilitation

Background. This study aimed to delineate the cerebral attentional network in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and assess for adaptations in this network in response to a rehabilitation intervention. Methods. Seventeen patients with TBI and 15 healthy subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using a visuospatial attention task. Ten TBI patients who successfully completed attentional training had a follow-up fMRI. Results. In the TBI patients, fMRI analysis showed more activation in the frontal and temporoparietal lobes, as well as less activation in the anterior cingulated gyrus, SMA, and temporooccipital regions compared to the healthy subjects. Following cognitive training, the TBI patients improved performance of attention tasks accompanied by changes in attentional network activation; the activity of the frontal lobe decreased, whereas activation of the anterior cingulate cortices and precuneus increased. Conclusions. These findings demonstrate the plasticity and training induced redistribution of the visuospatial attentional network in TBI patients.
Variações anatômicas e sinusopatias: estudo por tomografia computadorizada

Introduction: Computed tomography has been increasingly used both to identify and to evaluate anatomy variations of nasal cavities that can lead to the development of sinusitis. Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to determine the incidence of mucosal abnormalities in paranasal sinuses found in CT scans of patients with symptons of sinusitis and analyze the correlation between sinusitis and presence of Haller's cell, concha bullosa and nasal septal deviation located in middle meatus. Study Design: Clinical retrospective. Material and Method: Paranasal sinus CT scans were obtained in 150 patients aged 13 years or more, from July 1999 to October 2001. The CT scans were performed in the Department of Radiology of Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina. Patients with history of skull base or sinus surgery and tumor in these regions were excluded. Results: 70% of patients present mucosal abnormalities at least in one paranasal sinus. Maxillary sinusitis were observed in 52,7% of sinus, ethmoidal sinusitis in 28,0%, sphenoidal sinusitis in 13,0% and frontal sinusitis in 8,3%. Concha bullosa was observed in 33,3% of nasal cavities, nasal septal deviation (located in middle meatus) in 23,3% and Haller's cell in 9,3%. Conclusions: The most affected paranasal sinuses were: maxillary, ethmoid, sphenoid and frontal. Correlation between sinusitis and presence of Haller's cell, concha bullosa and nasal septal deviation (located in middle meatus) was not observed.
Polymyxin B Resistance and Biofilm Formation in Vibrio cholerae Are Controlled by the Response Regulator CarR

ABSTRACT Two-component systems play important roles in the physiology of many bacterial pathogens. Vibrio cholerae's CarRS two-component regulatory system negatively regulates expression of vps (Vibrio polysaccharide) genes and biofilm formation. In this study, we report that CarR confers polymyxin B resistance by positively regulating expression of the almEFG genes, whose products are required for glycine and diglycine modification of lipid A. We determined that CarR directly binds to the regulatory region of the almEFG operon. Similarly to a carR mutant, strains lacking almE, almF, and almG exhibited enhanced polymyxin B sensitivity. We also observed that strains lacking almE or the almEFG operon have enhanced biofilm formation. Our results reveal that CarR regulates biofilm formation and antimicrobial peptide resistance in V. cholerae.
Effects of Somatosensory Stimulation on Motor Function After Subacute Stroke

Background. Previous works showed potentially beneficial effects of a single session of peripheral nerve sensory stimulation (PSS) on motor function of a paretic hand in patients with subacute and chronic stroke. Objective. To investigate the influence of the use of different stimulus intensities over multiple sessions (repetitive PSS [RPSS]) paired with motor training. Methods. To address this question, 22 patients were randomized within the second month after a single hemispheric stroke in a parallel design to application of 2-hour RPSS at 1 of 2 stimulus intensities immediately preceding motor training, 3 times a week, for 1 month. Jebsen—Taylor test (JTT, primary endpoint measure), pinch force, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and corticomotor excitability to transcranial magnetic stimulation were measured before and after the end of the treatment month. JTT, FIM scores, and pinch force were reevaluated 2 to 3 months after the end of the treatment. Results. Baseline motor function tests were comparable across the 2 RPSS intensity groups. JTT improved significantly in the lower intensity RPSS group but not in the higher intensity RPSS group at month 1. This difference between the 2 groups reduced by months 2 to 3. Conclusions. These results indicate that multiple sessions of RPSS could facilitate training effects on motor function after subacute stroke depending on the intensity of stimulation. It is proposed that careful dose—response studies are needed to optimize parameters of RPSS stimulation before designing costly, larger, double-blind, multicenter clinical trials.
Review: Procedure- and Device-Related Complications of Intrathecal Baclofen Administration for Management of Adult Muscle Hypertonia: A Review

Background. Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) effectively reduces muscle hypertonia; however, associated complications influence its utility and acceptance. Objective. To systematically review the literature on procedure- and device-related complications associated with ITB infusion therapy for adult muscle hypertonia of spinal or cerebral origin. Methods. The authors searched the PubMed database for full-length articles published in English that reported ITB-associated complications in adults. Of 147 articles retrieved, 32 full-length manuscripts and 10 case reports were reviewed in detail. Results. Overall, 558 complications were reported after 1362 pump implants (0.41 per implant). Methods for characterizing complications varied greatly between studies, as did complication rates, ranging from 0 to 2.24 per implant. Of the 558 complications, 148 (27%) were related to surgical procedures, 39 (7%) to pump problems, and 369 (66%) to catheter malfunctions. The overall complication rate was higher for studies that followed patients for more than 18 months on average (mean 0.56/implant) versus studies with shorter follow-up (0.23/implant, P < .05). Although correlation between the number of implants and the number of complications was significant (r = .58), the goodness of linear fit was poor because of clusters with varied complication rates. Conclusions. Catheter problems are relatively common and more frequent than pump or surgical procedure complications after ITB pump implantation. Higher complication rates should be expected in centers that follow patients for a longer period of time. Standardized data collection and complication-reporting procedures along with appropriate training should be implemented in centers offering ITB treatment for management of muscle hypertonia.
Potentiodynamic Polarization Behaviour of Electroless Ni-P-W Coatings

This paper deals with the synthesis of electroless Ni-P-W coatings on mild steel substrate followed by furnace-annealing process. Corrosion behaviors of the coatings after heat treatments at various annealing temperatures are evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization test using 3.5% sodium chloride solution. The electrochemical parameters, that is, corrosion potential and corrosion current density, are optimized for maximum corrosion resistance using Taguchi-based grey relational analysis, considering four coating parameters, namely, concentration of nickel, concentration of reducing agent, concentration of tungsten, and annealing temperature as main design factors. The optimum combination of these four design factors is obtained from the analysis. The analysis of variance reveals that the concentration of tungsten source and annealing temperature play the most important role on the corrosion performance of the coating. Effects of the operating parameters on microstructures, in terms of porosity formation, crystallization, phase transformation, grain growth, are investigated using SEM, EDX, and XRD techniques.
Distributed Versus Focal Cortical Stimulation to Enhance Motor Function and Motor Map Plasticity in a Rodent Model of Ischemia

Background. Motor rehabilitation after cerebral ischemia can enhance motor performance and induce motor map reorganization. Electrical stimulation of the cortex (CS) during rehabilitative training (CS/RT) augments motor map plasticity and confers gains in motor function beyond those observed with motor rehabilitation alone. However, it is unclear how the distribution of electrical stimulation across the cortex accomplishes these changes. This study examined the behavioral and neurophysiological effects of delivering CS/RT through a distributed versus focal arrangement of electrical contacts. Methods. Adult male rats were given rehabilitative training on a skilled forelimb reaching task following induction of focal ischemic damage within motor cortex. Intracortical microstimulation was used to derive high-resolution maps of forelimb movement representations within motor cortex contralateral to the trained/impaired paw before and after rehabilitation. Results. All animals that received rehabilitation showed greater increases in motor map area and reaching accuracy than animals that received no training. Animals with the distributed configuration performed significantly greater reaching accuracy than animals in both the CS/RT with focused contact arrangement and rehabilitative training alone (RT) conditions on days 3 to 4 and on day 6 through the remainder of the study (P < .05). However, both CS/RT groups exhibited larger motor maps than the RT condition (E1-CS/RT, 4.71 ± 0.66 mm2; E2-CS/RT, 4.64 ± 0.46 mm2; RT, 2.99 ± 0.28 mm2). Conclusion. The results indicate that although both focal and distributed forms of CS/RT promote motor map reorganization only the distributed form of CS/RT enhances motor performance with rehabilitation.
Motor Recovery and Cortical Reorganization After Mirror Therapy in Chronic Stroke Patients

Objective. To evaluate for any clinical effects of home-based mirror therapy and subsequent cortical reorganization in patients with chronic stroke with moderate upper extremity paresis. Methods. A total of 40 chronic stroke patients (mean time post .onset, 3.9 years) were randomly assigned to the mirror group (n = 20) or the control group (n = 20) and then joined a 6-week training program. Both groups trained once a week under supervision of a physiotherapist at the rehabilitation center and practiced at home 1 hour daily, 5 times a week. The primary outcome measure was the Fugl-Meyer motor assessment (FMA). The grip force, spasticity, pain, dexterity, hand-use in daily life, and quality of life at baseline—posttreatment and at 6 months—were all measured by a blinded assessor. Changes in neural activation patterns were assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at baseline and posttreatment in an available subgroup (mirror, 12; control, 9). Results. Posttreatment, the FMA improved more in the mirror than in the control group (3.6 ± 1.5, P < .05), but this improvement did not persist at follow-up. No changes were found on the other outcome measures (all Ps >.05). fMRI results showed a shift in activation balance within the primary motor cortex toward the affected hemisphere in the mirror group only (weighted laterality index difference 0.40 ± 0.39, P < .05). Conclusion. This phase II trial showed some effectiveness for mirror therapy in chronic stroke patients and is the first to associate mirror therapy with cortical reorganization. Future research has to determine the optimum practice intensity and duration for improvements to persist and generalize to other functional domains.
hfq Plays Important Roles in Virulence and Stress Adaptation in Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC 29544

ABSTRACT Cronobacter spp. are opportunistic pathogens that cause neonatal meningitis and sepsis with high mortality in neonates. Despite the peril associated with Cronobacter infection, the mechanisms of pathogenesis are still being unraveled. Hfq, which is known as an RNA chaperone, participates in the interaction with bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) to regulate posttranscriptionally the expression of various genes. Recent studies have demonstrated that Hfq contributes to the pathogenesis of numerous species of bacteria, and its roles are varied between bacterial species. Here, we tried to elucidate the role of Hfq in C. sakazakii virulence. In the absence of hfq, C. sakazakii was highly attenuated in dissemination in vivo, showed defects in invasion (3-fold) into animal cells and survival (103-fold) within host cells, and exhibited low resistance to hydrogen peroxide (102-fold). Remarkably, the loss of hfq led to hypermotility on soft agar, which is contrary to what has been observed in other pathogenic bacteria. The hyperflagellated bacteria were likely to be attributable to the increased transcription of genes associated with flagellar biosynthesis in a strain lacking hfq. Together, these data strongly suggest that hfq plays important roles in the virulence of C. sakazakii by participating in the regulation of multiple genes.
Equivalent Retention of Gains at 1 Year After Training With Constraint-Induced or Bimanual Therapy in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy

Objectives. To determine retention of treatment outcomes at 52 weeks following a matched-pairs randomized comparison trial of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) and bimanual training (BIM). Methods. Sixty-four children (mean age = 10.2 ± 2.7 years, 52% male) were included. The Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function (MUUL), Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA), and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) were the primary outcome measures. Evaluations were at baseline and at 26 and 52 weeks. Results. There were no baseline differences between groups on any measure. No significant differences were found between groups on primary outcomes at 52 weeks. Both groups retained the significant gains made from baseline to 26 weeks at the 1-year follow-up assessment for unimanual capacity on the MUUL, for bimanual performance on the AHA, and on the COPM. Conclusion. Intensive unimanual and bimanual training can both lead to long-term significant improvements in unimanual capacity, bimanual performance, and individualized outcomes. Gains established at 26 weeks were maintained at 12 months postintervention despite most children receiving no direct therapy during that time.