Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Event-Related EEG Desynchronization Reveals Enhanced Motor Imagery From the Third Person Perspective by Manipulating Sense of Body Ownership With Virtual Reality for Stroke Patients

Virtual reality (VR)-based rehabilitation training holds great potential for post-stroke motor recovery. Existing VR-based motor imagery (MI) paradigms mostly focus on the first-person perspective, and the benefit of the third-person perspective (3PP) remains to be further exploited. The 3PP is advantageous for movements involving the back or those with a large range because of its field coverage. Some movements are easier to imagine from the 3PP. However, the 3PP training efficiency may be unsatisfactory, which may be attributed to the difficulty encountered when generating a strong sense of ownership (SOO). In this work, we attempt to enhance a visual-guided 3PP MI in stroke patients by eliciting the SOO over a virtual avatar with VR. We propose to achieve this by inducing the so-called out-of-body experience (OBE), which is a full-body illusion (FBI) that people misperceive a 3PP virtual body as his/her own (i.e., generating the SOO to the virtual body). Electroencephalography signals of 13 stroke patients are recorded while MI of the affected upper limb is being performed. The proposed paradigm is evaluated by comparing event-related desynchronization (ERD) with a control paradigm without FBI induction. The results show that the proposed paradigm leads to a significantly larger ERD during MI, indicating a bilateral activation pattern consistent with that in previous studies. In conclusion, 3PP MI can be enhanced in stroke patients by eliciting the SOO through induction of the “OBE” FBI. This study offers more possibilities for virtual rehabilitation in stroke patients and can further facilitate VR application in rehabilitation.
Preliminary observations on adaptation and nutraceutical values of blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea) in Oregon, USA

Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L) is a polymorphic species widely ranging over northern regions of both Eurasia and North America. Berries have long been harvested from wild plants in regions of Russia, China, and Japan where superior edible forms are native. During the past several decades, research in Russia and Japan has resulted in cultivars being selected for commercial production. However, this species is virtually unknown in North America as an edible berry. Over the past four years, germplasm has been introduced into Oregon, USA from northeastern China, Siberia, and Hokkaido, Japan. Evaluations were made for plant growth, time of flowering and fruit maturity, fruit traits, and adaptability to a relatively mild, maritime climate. [. ]
Efficacy of airway stenting and nasogastric tube insertion in airway–esophageal fistula patients with airways compromised by advanced malignancy

Abstract Introduction Whether airway‐compromised airway–esophageal fistula (AEF) patients should undergo combined airway and esophageal stenting is controversial. This study was designed to evaluate the survival prognosis and poststent interventions in AEF patients with airways compromised by advanced malignancy with or without airway stents. Methods A retrospective analysis of the medical records, survival times, and poststent interventions of 17 patients with or without airway stents was performed. Results The causes of AEF were esophageal cancer (11/17, 64.7%), lung cancer (6/17, 29.4%), and thyroid cancer (1/17, 5.9%). All patients received a nasogastric tube (n = 12) or underwent gastrostomy (n = 5) to resume enteral nutrition. Thirteen patients underwent airway stent insertion (13/17, 76.5%), whereas four patients did not. Four patients with a high risk of stent migration received external stent fixation to the trachea. Three of the patients with stents suffered severe granulation tissue formation and needed repeated bronchoscopy interventions. In the stented group, none of the patients developed stent migration, and the overall median survival time was 9 months, compared with 1.25 months in the nonstented group (P = 0.04). Cox proportional hazards regression revealed that stent insertion, nasogastric tube insertion, and transcatheter bronchial artery chemoembolization were protective factors against death, whereas surgery‐related fistula, fistula larger than 2 cm, continued chemotherapy, and age were risk factors for poor survival (P < 0.05). Conclusion In airway‐compromised AEF patients, airway stents and nasogastric tubes are probably the preferred treatments. Airway stenting is tolerable, and routine weekly poststent bronchoscopy is needed in the first month and depending on respiratory symptoms thereafter.
The Effect of Seriousness and Device Use on Data Quality

Nonserious, inattentive, or careless respondents pose a threat to the validity of self-report research. The current study uses data from the Growth from Knowledge Online Panel in which respondents are representative of the Dutch population in education, gender, and age over 15 years (N = 5,077). By doing regression analyses, we investigated whether self-reported seriousness and motivation are predictive of data quality, as measured using multiple indicators (i.e., nonsubstantial values, speeding, internal data consistency, nondifferentiation, response effects). Device group and demographic characteristics (i.e., education, gender, age) were also included in these analyses to see whether they predict data quality. Moreover, it was examined whether self-reported seriousness differed by device group and demographic characteristics. The results show that self-reported seriousness and motivation significantly predict multiple data quality indicators. Data quality seems similar for different device users, although smartphone users showed less speeding. Demographic characteristics explain little of the variance in data quality. Of those, education seems to be the most consistent predictor of data quality, where lower educated respondents show lower data quality. Effect sizes for all analyses were in the small to medium range. The present study shows that self-reported seriousness can be used in online attitude survey research to detect careless respondents. Future research should clarify the nature of this relationship, for example, regarding longer surveys and different wordings of seriousness checks.
Evaluating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Jie Geng and Huang Qi combination on reducing surgical site infections in colorectal cancer surgeries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract Postoperative wound infections (PWIs) pose a significant challenge in colorectal cancer surgeries, leading to prolonged hospital stays and increased morbidity. This systematic review and meta‐analysis evaluated the efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combination of Jie Geng and Huang Qi in reducing PWIs following colorectal cancer surgeries. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, we focused on seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 1256 patients, examining the incidence of PWIs within 30 days post‐surgery, alongside secondary outcomes such as length of hospital stay and antibiotic use. The analysis revealed a significant reduction in PWI incidence in the TCM‐treated group compared to controls, with a Risk Ratio of 0.21 (95% CI: 0.14 to 0.30, p < 0.01), a notable decrease in hospital stay (Mean Difference: 1.2 days, 95% CI: 0.15 to 1.28 days, p < 0.01) and a significant reduction in antibiotic use (Risk Ratio: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.36, p < 0.01). These findings suggest that Jie Geng and Huang Qi in TCM could be an effective adjunct in postoperative care for colorectal cancer surgeries, underscoring the need for further high‐quality RCTs to substantiate these results and explore the underlying mechanisms.
Variations and changes of annual precipitation in Central Asia over the last century

This study examines the temporal variations and spatial distributions of annual precipitation over Central Asia during the periods of 1901–2013, 1951–2013, and 1979–2013 using the latest version of Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) full data reanalysis version 7 (GPCC V7) data set. The linear trend and multiperiods of the precipitation over the entire region and plain and mountainous area separately are analysed by linear least square method and ensemble empirical mode decomposition method. An overall increasing trend [0.66 mm (10 years)−1] is found for the entire region during 1901–2013, which is smaller than that of 1951–2013. The regional annual precipitation exhibits multi‐decadal variations, with a sharp decline during 1901–1944, followed by an increase until 1980s, and a fluctuation thereafter. During 1979–2013, the mountainous area shows a greater increasing trend than the entire region. Furthermore, the regional annual precipitation has exhibited high‐frequency variations with 3‐year and 6‐year quasiperiods and a low‐frequency variation with 28‐year quasiperiods. In terms of the spatial distribution, increasing trend in the annual precipitation is found in Xinjiang and decreasing trends appear over the five countries of Central Asia during 1951–2013. Empirical orthogonal function results show that the mountainous area is the large variability centre of the annual precipitation. The dominant mode of interannual variability in Central Asia annual precipitation is related to El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, which explains about 17% of the interannual variance during 1951–2013. The results of this study describe the long‐term variation in the annual precipitation over Central Asia as well as its relationship with some key climate indices in great detail, which will benefit the understanding and the prediction of the climate variations in this region.
Values and diagnostic accuracy of sensory nerve action potentials in control participants and participants with diabetes with and without clinical diabetic neuropathy, based on neuropathy scale measurements

Abstract Background The assessment of the normative values of sensory nerve action potentials (SNAP) and their diagnostic accuracies using validated neuropathy‐assessment tools to classify participants into groups with and without neuropathy was not previously described in the literature. Methods The Utah Early Neuropathy Scale (UENS), Michigan neuropathy‐screening instrument, and nerve conduction data were collected prospectively. We described and compared the values of the sural, superficial peroneal sensory (SPS), and superficial radial SNAP amplitude in different age groups for three groups. Group 1 (G1)—control participants (UENS <5), group 2 (G2)—participants with diabetes without clinical diabetic neuropathy (UENS <5), and group 3 (G3)—participants with clinical diabetic neuropathy (UENS ≥5). We also described the diagnostic accuracy of single‐nerve amplitude and a combined sensory polyneuropathy index (CSPNI) that consists of four total points (one point for each of the following nerves if their amplitude was <25% lower limit of normal: right sural, left sural, right SPS, and left SPS potentials). Results We assessed 135 participants, including 41, 37, and 57 participants in G1, G2, and G3, respectively, with age median (interquartile ranges) of 51 (45–56), 47 (38–56), and 54 (51–61) years, respectively, whereas 19 (46.3%), 18 (48.7%), and 32 (56.14%) of them were males, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) scores were 68.4%, 92.3%, 86.7%, and 80% for the sural amplitude; 86%, 58.3%, 62%, and 84% for the SPS amplitude; 66.7%, 94.4%, 90.5%, and 78.2% for the CSPNI of 3; and 54.4%, 98.6%, 96.9%, and 73.2% for the CSPNI of 4, respectively. Conclusion Sural nerve had a high specificity for neuropathy; however, the CSPNI had the highest specificity and PPV, whereas the SPS had the highest sensitivity and NPV.
MicroMPN: methods and software for high-throughput screening of microbe suppression in mixed populations

ABSTRACT Screening assays are used to test if one or more microbes suppress a pathogen of interest. In the presence of more than one microbe, the screening method must be able to accurately distinguish viable pathogen cells from non-viable and non-target microbes in a sample. Current screening methods are time-consuming and require special reagents to detect viability in mixed microbial communities. Screening assays performed using soil or other complex matrices present additional challenges for screening. Here, we develop an experimental workflow based on the most probable number (MPN) assay for testing the ability of synthetic microbial communities to suppress a soil-borne pathogen. Our approach, fluorMPN, uses a fluorescently labeled pathogen and microplate format to enable high-throughput comparative screening. In parallel, we developed a command-line tool, MicroMPN, which significantly reduces the complexity of calculating MPN values from microplates. We compared the performance of the fluorMPN assay with spotting on agar and found that both methods produced strongly correlated counts of equal precision. The suppressive effect of synthetic communities on the pathogen was equally recoverable by both methods. The application of this workflow for discriminating which communities lead to pathogen reduction helps narrow down candidates for additional characterization. Together, the resources offered here are meant to facilitate and simplify the application of MPN-based assays for comparative screening projects. IMPORTANCE We created a unified set of software and laboratory protocols for screening microbe libraries to assess the suppression of a pathogen in a mixed microbial community. Existing methods of fluorescent labeling were combined with the most probable number (MPN) assay in a microplate format to enumerate the reduction of a pathogenic soil microbe from complex soil matrices. This work provides a fluorescent expression vector available from Addgene, step-by-step laboratory protocols hosted by protocols.io, and MicroMPN, a command-line software for processing plate reader outputs. MicroMPN simplifies MPN estimation from 96- and 384-well microplates. The microplate screening assay is amenable to robotic automation with standard liquid handling robots, further reducing the hands-on processing time. This tool was designed to evaluate synthetic microbial communities for use as microbial inoculates or probiotics. The fluorMPN method is also useful for screening chemical and antimicrobial libraries for pathogen suppression in complex bacterial communities like soil.
Propriétés physiques et caractéristiques géotechniques des Terres Noires du Sud-est de la France

Une formation marneuse, nommee "Terres Noires". se rencontre frequemment dans presque tout le secteur sud-est de la France.La recherche a vise a approfondir la connaissance des caracteristiques geotechniques des Terres Noires saines ou alterees, de trois regions differentes. le Trieves. la fenetre de Barcelonnette et le bassin de Draix. Les essais d'identification classiques, comme limites d'Atterberg, granulometrie . ,. mais aussi des techniques plus fines (microscope electronique a balayage) ont ete mis en oeuvre. Il en resulte qu'a part une differenciation mineralogique, les Terres Noires des trois secteurs etudies peuvent etre considerees comme un ensemble lithologique homogene dont les differences de comportement sont essentiellement liees a leur teneur en carbonate et a leur texture microscopique. L'etude de l'utilisation des Terres Noires en remblai routier a aussi ete effectuee en recourant a une serie d'essais physiques et mecaniques. On en conclut que les materiaux extraits se pretent a cet emploi, a la condition d'user de precautions particulieres.
Communicating and complying with COVID-19 actions in northernmost Finland

ABSTRACT In Finland, national and local restrictions were implemented to control the COVID-19 pandemic after the increase of cases, and it changed the everyday life of people. The purpose of our study was to explore public health communication and compliance related to the COVID-19 public health instructions, recommendations, and restrictions in two municipalities in Northernmost Finland, Inari and Utsjoki. We interviewed the representatives and operators working in the municipalities to understand and learn about their experiences. Results suggested that residents complied with different COVID-19 actions, and overall, communication was found to be good. Altogether, guidelines were easy to follow but required the individual’s own activity. Guidelines were also published in Sámi language. National border restrictions were a challenging part of communication and information, and guidelines were found to be contradictory at times. National border actions required resources from the municipalities, e.g. testing, which caused more demands on municipalities operating with already low resources. In the future, it is essential to consider the local situation of the pandemic and harmonise actions and put effort on local cooperation. It is important to invest in clear communication, which reaches people of all ages, and in three Sámi languages.
The Central Role of Ocean Dynamics in Connecting the North Atlantic Oscillation to the Extratropical Component of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation

AbstractThe relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) variability is investigated using models and observations. Coupled climate models are used in which the ocean component is either a fully dynamic ocean or a slab ocean with no resolved ocean heat transport. On time scales less than 10 yr, NAO variations drive a tripole pattern of SST anomalies in both observations and models. This SST pattern is a direct response of the ocean mixed layer to turbulent surface heat flux anomalies associated with the NAO. On time scales longer than 10 yr, a similar relationship exists between the NAO and the tripole pattern of SST anomalies in models with a slab ocean. A different relationship exists both for the observations and for models with a dynamic ocean. In these models, a positive (negative) NAO anomaly leads, after a decadal-scale lag, to a monopole pattern of warming (cooling) that resembles the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), although with sma.
Dual role for microbial short-chain fatty acids in modifying SIV disease trajectory following anti-α4β7 antibody administration

Abstract Background Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) infection is associated with significant gut damage, similar to that observed in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This pathology includes loss of epithelial integrity, microbial translocation, dysbiosis, and resultant chronic immune activation. Additionally, the levels of all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) are dramatically attenuated. Data on the therapeutic use of anti-α4β7 antibodies has shown promise in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Recent evidence has suggested that the microbiome and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolites it generates may be critical for anti-α4β7 efficacy and maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Materials and Methods To determine whether the microbiome contributes to gut homeostasis after anti-α4β7 antibody administered to SIV-infected rhesus macaques, faecal SCFA concentrations were determined, 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, plasma viral loads were determined, plasma retinoids were measured longitudinally, and gut retinoid synthesis/response gene expression was quantified. Results Our results suggest that anti-α4β7 antibody facilitates the return of retinoid metabolism to baseline levels after SIV infection. Furthermore, faecal SCFAs were shown to be associated with retinoid synthesis gene expression and rebound viral loads after therapy interruption. Conclusions Taken together, these data demonstrate the therapeutic advantages of anti-α4β7 antibody administration during HIV/SIV infection and that the efficacy of anti-α4β7 antibody may depend on microbiome composition and SCFA generation.
Restoration of postictal cortical activity after electroconvulsive therapy relates to recovery of orientation in person, place, and time

Background Most patients show temporary impairments in clinical orientation after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-induced seizures. It is unclear how postictal reorientation relates to electroencephalography (EEG) restoration. This relationship may provide additional measures to quantify postictal recovery and shed light on neurophysiological aspects of reorientation after ECT. Methods We analyzed prospectively collected clinical and continuous ictal and postictal EEG data from ECT patients. Postictal EEG restoration up to 1 h was estimated by the evolution of the normalized alpha–delta ratio (ADR). Times to reorientation in the cognitive domains of person, place, and time were assessed postictally. In each cognitive domain, a linear mixed model was fitted to investigate the relationships between time to reorientation and postictal EEG restoration. Results In total, 272 pairs of ictal-postictal EEG and reorientation times of 32 patients were included. In all domains, longer time to reorientation was associated with slower postictal EEG recovery. Longer seizure duration and postictal administration of midazolam were related to longer time to reorientation in all domains. At 1-hour post-seizure, most patients were clinically reoriented, while their EEG had only partly restored. Conclusions We show a relationship between postictal EEG restoration and clinical reorientation after ECT-induced seizures. EEG was more sensitive than reorientation time in all domains to detect postictal recovery beyond 1-hour post-seizure. Our findings indicate that clinical reorientation probably depends on gradual cortical synaptic recovery, with longer seizure duration leading to longer postsynaptic suppression after ECT seizures.
Evolving Restricted Boltzmann Machine-Kohonen Network for Online Clustering

A novel online clustering algorithm is presented where an Evolving Restricted Boltzmann Machine (ERBM) is embedded with a Kohonen Network called ERBM-KNet. The proposed ERBM-KNet efficiently handles streaming data in a single-pass mode using the ERBM, employing a bias-variance strategy for neuron growing and pruning, as well as online clustering based on a cluster update strategy for cluster prediction and cluster center update using KNet. Initially, ERBM evolves its architecture while processing unlabeled image data, effectively disentangling the data distribution in the latent space. Subsequently, the KNet utilizes the feature extracted from ERBM to predict the number of clusters and updates the cluster centers. By overcoming the common challenges associated with clustering algorithms, such as prior initialization of the number of clusters and subpar clustering accuracy, the proposed ERBM-KNet offers significant improvements. Extensive experimental evaluations on four benchmarks and one industry dataset demonstrate the superiority of ERBM-KNet compared to state-of-the-art approaches.
Influence of buffer gas on the formation of $N$-resonances in rubidium vapors

The $N$-resonance process is an accessible and effective method for obtaining narrow (down to subnatural linewidth), and contrasted resonances, using two continuous lasers and an Rb vapor cell. In this article, we investigate the impact of buffer gas partial pressure on the contrast and linewidth of $N$-resonances formed in the $D_1$ line of an $^{85}$Rb thermal vapor. $N$-resonances are compared to usual EIT resonances, and we highlight their advantages and disadvantages. Several rounds of measurements were performed with five vapor cells, each containing Rb and Ne buffer gas with different partial pressures (ranging from 0 to 400 Torr). This reveals the existence of an optimum Ne partial pressure that yields the best contrast, for which we provide a qualitative description. We then study the behavior of the $N$-resonance components when a transverse magnetic field is applied to the vapor cell. The frequency shift of each component is well described by theoretical calculations.