Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LFP clustering in cortex reveals a taxonomy of UP-states and near-millisecond, ordered phase-locking in cortical neurons.

During slow-wave sleep and anesthesia, mammalian cortex exhibits a synchronized state during which neurons shift from a largely non-firing to a firing state, known as an UP-state transition. UP-state transitions may constitute the default activity pattern of the entire cortex (Neske, 2016) and could be critical to understanding cortical function yet the genesis of such transitions and their interaction with single neurons is not well understood. It has recently been shown that neurons firing at rates above 2 Hz fire spikes in a stereotyped order during UP-state transitions (Luczak et al., 2015) yet it is still unknown if UP-states are homogeneous and whether spiking order is present in neurons with rates <2 Hz (the majority). Here, using extracellular recordings from anesthetized cats and mice and from naturally sleeping rats, we show for the first time that UP-state transitions can be classified into several types based on the shape of the local field potential (LFP) during each transition. Individual LFP events could be localized in time to within 1 - 4 ms, more than an order of magnitude less than previous studies. The majority of recorded neurons synchronized their firing to within ±5 - 15 ms relative to each UP-state transition. Simultaneous electrophysiology and widefield imaging in mouse confirmed that LECs are cortex-wide phenomena. Our findings show that UP-states are of different types and point to the potential importance of temporal order and millisecond scale signalling by cortical neurons.
Vocabulary learning through viewing video: the effect of two enhancement techniques

ABSTRACT While most studies on L2 vocabulary learning through input have addressed learners’ vocabulary uptake from written text, this study focuses on audio-visual input. In particular, we investigate the effects of enhancing video by (1) adding different types of L2 subtitling (i.e. no captioning, full captioning, keyword captioning, and glossed keyword captioning which provides access to meaning) and (2) informing vs. not informing students that viewing would be followed immediately by a test of vocabulary from the video (Test Announcement). The study adopted a 2 (+/- Test Announcement) x 4 (Type of Captioning) between-subject design, resulting in 8 experimental groups. 227 Dutch-speaking university students watched three French (= L2) videos in one of eight conditions. Results revealed that students in the glossed keyword captions group (with access to meaning) scored best on the form recognition and meaning recall tests. Analyses of the look-up behaviour of students in the glossed keyword captioning group revealed that looking up a given word was positively related to the learning of that word. Test Announcement did not affect word learning or look-up behaviour. Participants’ vocabulary size was directly related to their learning gains as well as to their look-up behaviour in the glossed keyword condition.
The Jig Experiment: Development and Evaluation of a Cultural Dance Active Video Game for Promoting Youth Fitness

ABSTRACT School physical education teachers promote fitness by offering children a variety of aerobic activities. Our interdisciplinary team developed a cultural dance active video game (AVG) and tested whether the AVG was equivalent to traditional face-to-face instructor lessons or hybrid instruction at dance mastery, increasing heart rates, and student satisfaction. The study participants (N = 404) were elementary children, Grades 1 to 5, at a Midwestern suburban school. We employed a quasi-experimental design to compare outcomes across groups of children exposed to different teaching approaches. Group 1 received AVG instruction. Group 2 received face-to-face lessons by a certified Irish dance teacher. Group 3 received AVG and face-to-face lessons. Group assignment was stratified by age, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. During daily physical education class, students received five days of intervention exposure. AVG students achieved comparable levels of mastery, significantly elevated heart rates, and high levels of satisfaction.
Comparing CST Lesion Metrics as Biomarkers for Recovery of Motor and Proprioceptive Impairments After Stroke

Background. Corticospinal tract (CST) damage is considered a biomarker for stroke recovery. Several methods have been used to define CST damage and examine its relationship to motor performance, but which method is most useful remains unclear. Proprioceptive impairment also affects stroke recovery and may be related to CST damage. Methods. Robotic assessment quantified upper-limb motor and proprioceptive performance at 2 weeks and 6 months poststroke (n = 149). Three previously-established CST lesion metrics were calculated using clinical neuroimaging. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging quantified CST microstructure in a subset of participants (n = 21). Statistical region of interest (sROI) analysis identified lesion locations associated with motor and proprioceptive deficits. Results. CST lesion metrics were moderately correlated with motor scores at 2 weeks and 6 months poststroke. CST fractional anisotropy (FA) was correlated with motor scores at 1 month poststroke, but not at 6 months. The FA ratio of the posterior limb of the internal capsule was not correlated with motor performance. CST lesion metrics were moderately correlated with proprioceptive scores at 2 weeks and 6 months poststroke. sROI analysis confirmed that CST damage was associated with motor and proprioceptive deficits and additionally found that putamen, internal capsule, and corticopontocerebellar tract lesions were associated with poor motor performance. Conclusions. Across all methods used to quantify CST damage, correlations with motor or proprioceptive performance were moderate at best. Future research is needed to identify complementary or alternative biomarkers to address the complexity and heterogeneity of stroke recovery.
Imaging Proteolysis by Living Human Glioma Cells

Degradation of basement membrane is an essential step for tumor invasion. In order to study degradation in real time as well as localize the site of proteolysis, we have established an assay with living human cancer cells in which we image cleavage of quenchedfluorescent basement membrane type IV collagen (DQ-collagen IV). Accumulation of fluorescent products is imaged with a confocal microscope and localized by optically sectioning both the cells and the matrix on which they are growing. For the studies described here, we seeded U87 human glioma cells as either monolayers or spheroids on a 3-dimensional gelatin matrix in which DQ-coilagen IV had been embedded. As early as 24 hours after plating as monolayers, U87 cells were present throughout the 3dimensional matrix. Cells at all levels had accumulated fluorescent degradation products of DQ-collagen IV intraceliularly within vesicles. Similar observations were made for U87 spheroids and the individual cells migrating from the spheroids into the gelatin matrix. Both the migrating cells and those within the spheroid contained fluorescent degradation products of DQ-collagen IV intraceliularly within vesicles. Thus, glioma cells like breast cancer cells are able to degrade type IV collagen intraceliularly, suggesting that this is an important pathway for matrix degradation.
Association between earthquake experience and depression 37 years after the Tangshan earthquake: a cross-sectional study

Objective To investigate the association between the Tangshan earthquake and depression after 37 years. Design and setting A cross-sectional study conducted in Tangshan from 2013 to 2014. Participants The sample included 5024 participants born before 28 July 1976 the date of the Tangshan earthquake, with available data on their earthquake experiences and depression 37 years post-earthquake. Outcomes and variables The outcome was depression measured using the Center for Epidemiological Study and Depression Scale. The independent variable was earthquake experience, which was classified into three groups: no earthquake experience, earthquake experience without bereavement and earthquake experience with bereavement. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between earthquake experience and depression after adjusting for gender, age at the time of the earthquake, smoking status, drinking status, education, income, residence in Tangshan 1 to 2 years post-earthquake, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia. Results Of the 5024 participants, 641 experienced the Tangshan earthquake, and 98 experienced bereavement due to the earthquake. 37 years after the earthquake, survivors who had lost relatives during the earthquake were nearly three times (OR 2.82, 95% CI 1.24 to 6.39) as likely to have depression as those who had not experienced the earthquake, while those who had not lost relatives were 1.69 times as likely (OR 1.69, 95% CI 0.93 to 3.08). Stratified analyses showed that earthquake was significantly associated with depression in women with (OR 3.51, 95% CI 1.21 to 10.16) or without bereavement (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.44 to 6.56) but not in men; this association was also significant in individuals over 18 years old at the time of the earthquake with (OR 13.16, 95% CI 3.08 to 56.3) or without bereavement (OR 3.39, 95% CI 1.31 to 8.87) but not in individuals less than 18 years old. Conclusions 37 years after the Tangshan earthquake, earthquake experience was associated with depression among bereaved survivors, women and individuals over 18 years old at the time of the earthquake.
A Passive Microfluidic Device for Chemotaxis Studies

This work presents a disposable passive microfluidic system, allowing chemotaxis studies, through the generation of a concentration gradient. The device can handle liquid flows without an external supply of pressure or electric gradients, but simply using gravity force. It is able to ensure flow rates of 10 µL/h decreasing linearly with 2.5% in 24 h. The device is made of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), a biocompatible material, and it is fabricated by micro-milling and solvent assisted bonding. It is assembled into a mini incubator, designed properly for cell biology studies in passive microfluidic devices, which provides control of temperature and humidity levels, a contamination-free environment for cells with air and 5% of CO2. Furthermore, the mini incubator can be mounted on standard inverted optical microscopes. By using our microfluidic device integrated into the mini incubator, we are able to evaluate and follow in real-time the migration of any cell line to a chemotactic agent. The device is validated by showing cell migration at a rate of 0.36 µm/min, comparable with the rates present in scientific literature.
Age‐dependent brain volume and neuropsychological changes after chemotherapy in breast cancer patients

This study investigated volumetric brain changes and cognitive performance in premenopausal and postmenopausal patients treated for early‐stage breast cancer. Participants underwent elaborate neurocognitive assessments (neuropsychological testing, cognitive failure questionnaire, and high‐resolution T1‐weighted structural MRI) before and after chemotherapy. Volumetric brain changes were estimated, using longitudinal deformation‐based morphometry, and correlated with cognitive changes. In total, 180 women participated in this study, of whom 72 patients with breast cancer had received adjuvant chemotherapy (C+), 49 patients did not receive chemotherapy (C−), and 59 healthy controls (HC). The population was categorized into two age groups: A young group who were premenopausal and younger than 52 years at baseline (n = 55C+/32C−/41HC), and an older group who were postmenopausal and older than 60 years (n = 17C+/17C−/18HC). Cognitive impairment occurred after chemotherapy in both young and older patients, although older patients showed more decline in processing speed (Trail making test b). White matter volume expansion was observed after chemotherapy, only significantly present in the younger subgroup of patients. In patients not treated with chemotherapy, diffuse gray and white matter volume reduction was observed. Less white matter expansion concurred with more cognitive decline (r > .349, p < .05). In conclusion, we found age‐dependent cognitive decline and white matter volume changes in patients with breast cancer after chemotherapy, which could possibly be linked to neuroinflammatory processes. White matter expansion after chemotherapy, more pronounced in premenopausal patients, correlated with less cognitive decline. This suggests such expansion to be age‐dependent, possibly caused by a protective response in the younger brain to chemotherapy‐induced neurotoxicity.
Kinematic and Dynamical Analysis Techniques for Human Movement Analysis from Portable Sensing Devices

Today’s world is seeing a rapid technological advancement in various fields, having access to faster computers and better sensing devices. With such advancements, the task of recognizing human activities has been acknowledged as an important problem, with a wide range of applications such as surveillance, health monitoring and animation. Traditional approaches to dynamical modeling have included linear and nonlinear methods with their respective drawbacks. An alternative idea I propose is the use of descriptors of the shape of the dynamical attractor as a feature representation for quantification of nature of dynamics. The framework has two main advantages over traditional approaches: a) representation of the dynamical system is derived directly from the observational data, without any inherent assumptions, and b) the proposed features show stability under different time-series lengths where traditional dynamical invariants fail. Approximately 1% of the total world population are stroke survivors, making it the most common neurological disorder. This increasing demand for rehabilitation facilities has been seen as a significant healthcare problem worldwide. The laborious and expensive process of visual monitoring by physical therapists has motivated my research to invent novel strategies to supplement therapy received in hospital in a home-setting. In this direction, I propose a general framework for tuning componentlevel kinematic features using therapists overall impressions of movement quality, in the context of a Home-based Adaptive Mixed Reality Rehabilitation (HAMRR) system. The rapid technological advancements in computing and sensing has resulted in large amounts of data which requires powerful tools to analyze. In the recent past, topological data analysis methods have been investigated in various communities, and the work by Carlsson establishes that persistent homology can be used as a powerful
Ligustilide suppresses RANKL‐induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption via inhibition of RANK expression

Osteoclast (OC) is the only cell involved in bone resorption. Dysfunction of OCs leads to a variety of bone diseases. Ligustilide (LIG) is the main component of the volatile oil isolated and purified from Angelica sinensis. LIG exerts many pharmacological activities, but its effects on osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption are still unclear. Our study showed that LIG inhibited receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) ligand‐induced OC formation and activation in a dose‐dependent manner. Additionally, LIG downregulated the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of OC‐specific genes, such as V‐ATPase d2, tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase, a dendritic cell‐specific transmembrane protein, cathepsin K, and nuclear factor of activated T cells cl. Furthermore, LIG blocked the activation of NF‐κB/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase/p38/immunoreceptor tyrosine‐based activation motif signaling pathways. Crucially, the expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor‐associated factor 6 proteins and the expression of receptor activator of NF‐κB mRNA were inhibited by LIG. However, LIG did not affect the formation and mineralization of osteoblasts. Collectively, this observation suggests that LIG may serve as a promising agent for the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by abnormal bone resorption.
Dynamics, emergent computation, and evolution in cellular automata

A new class of models is developed which provides a tool for analyzing emergent computation in cellular automata (CAs). In particular, CAs that were evolved with a genetic algorithm to perform computational tasks requiring global information processing are analyzed. The models are used to make quantitative predictions of the computational performance, on a given task, of these evolved CAs. The models, and the resulting performance predictions, are based on the (emergent) dynamics of the evolved CAs and thus relate the dynamics of these CAs directly to their emergent computational abilities. Furthermore, the class of models is used to determine quantitatively how and to what extent changes in the emergent dynamics of a CA give rise to changes in its performance. In particular, the differences between the dynamics of CAs that are related to each other in an evolutionary sense are analyzed this way. This, in turn, contributes to a better understanding of the evolution of emergent computation in CAs. Finally, the class of models itself is investigated more thoroughly. For example, a correctness proof of the models is presented and an expression for scaling the models to larger system sizes is derived. The development, application, and investigation of this class of models thus forms a study of, and provides a better understanding of, the relation among dynamics, emergent computation, and evolution in cellular automata.
Point-Counterpoint: Should Serum β-d-Glucan Testing Be Used for the Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia?

Despite the widespread use of prophylactic antibiotics in high-risk individuals, Pneumocystis jirovecii remains an important cause of pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. During the peak of the AIDS epidemic, many hospitals and outpatient clinics were very proficient at collecting induced sputum specimens for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). INTRODUCTION Despite the widespread use of prophylactic antibiotics in high-risk individuals, Pneumocystis jirovecii remains an important cause of pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. During the peak of the AIDS epidemic, many hospitals and outpatient clinics were very proficient at collecting induced sputum specimens for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). With the dramatic reduction in the occurrence PJP in the current era of highly effective antiretroviral therapy, many centers no longer collect induced sputum samples. Thus, the diagnosis of PJP requires bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens or a decision to treat the patient empirically without a definitive diagnosis. Sputum or BAL specimens are tested for P. jirovecii using special stains or molecular assays, which require highly trained staff that may not be available with a rapid turnaround time. Given the invasive nature of collecting BAL specimens and the expertise needed for interpreting PJP test results, there is interest in using serum 1,3-β-d-glucan (BDG) testing for the diagnosis of PJP. In this point-counterpoint, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner and Gabriela Corsi-Vasquez discuss the pro view of using BDG testing for the diagnosis of PJP, while Paul E. Sax and Edward F. Pilkington III present the con view of using BDG testing for the diagnosis of PJP.
A tumor agnostic therapeutic strategy for Hexokinase 1 Null/Hexokinase 2 positive cancers.

Since Warburg's observation that most cancers exhibit elevated glycolysis, decades of research have attempted to reduce tumor glucose utilization as a therapeutic approach. Hexokinase (HK) activity is the first glycolytic enzymatic step; despite many attempts to inhibit HK activity, none has reached clinical application. Identification of HK isoforms, and recognition that most tissues express only HK1 while most tumors express HK1 and HK2, stimulated reducing HK2 activity as a therapeutic option. However, studies using HK2 shRNA and isogenic HK1+HK2- and HK1+HK2+ tumor cell pairs demonstrated that tumors expressing only HK1, while exhibiting reduced glucose consumption, progressed in vivo as well as tumors expressing both HK1 and HK2. However, there exist HK1-HK2+ tumor subpopulations among many cancers. shRNA HK2 suppression in HK1-HK2+ liver cancer cells reduced xenograft tumor progression, in contrast to HK1+HK2+ cells. HK2 Inhibition, and partial inhibition of both oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation using HK2 shRNA and small molecule drugs, prevented human liver HK1-HK2+ cancer xenograft progression. Using human multiple myeloma xenografts and mouse allogeneic models to identify potential clinical translational agents, triple therapies that include antisense HK2 oligonucleotides, metformin and perhexiline prevent progression. These results suggest an agnostic approach for HK1-HK2+ cancers, regardless of tissue origin.
Predictors of fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract People with RA commonly experience fatigue. Fatigue is a key contributor to increased clinical care costs, primary care consultations and employment loss. Despite this, our understanding of the prognostic of factors of poor fatigue outcomes is lacking and fatigue is poorly managed. Examining longitudinal predictors of fatigue can identify both individuals ‘at risk’ of poor prognosis, and candidate mechanisms that are worthy of greater inspection. This review discusses the factors most commonly investigated as being implicated in the prognosis of RA fatigue. The available data appears to implicate generic factors such as pain, mental health, disability and sleep as consistent predictors of fatigue outcome, while the role of disease activity and inflammation seems less clear. However, the existing data are not without methodological limitations and there have been no specific studies primarily designed to investigate the inflammatory biomarkers of fatigue. Future studies are required to more comprehensively and robustly determine the mechanisms of fatigue.
Economic evaluations on the use of aripiprazole for patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder and is associated with substantial economic and social burden. Cost‐effectiveness analysis is important to assess the costs of different therapeutic options. However, there is a lack of information on the reporting quality of economic evaluations, cost drivers, as well as updated data focused on aripiprazole, an antipsychotic drug commonly prescribed in schizophrenia. This study evaluates and summarizes the evidence of economic evaluations of the use of aripiprazole in schizophrenia. In addition, we aimed to identify cost drivers and critically assess the reporting qualities of these studies.