Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sequential pathway inference for multimodal neuroimaging analysis

Motivated by a multimodal neuroimaging study for Alzheimer's disease, in this article, we study the inference problem, that is, hypothesis testing, of sequential mediation analysis. The existing sequential mediation solutions mostly focus on sparse estimation, while hypothesis testing is an utterly different and more challenging problem. Meanwhile, the few mediation testing solutions often ignore the potential dependency among the mediators or cannot be applied to the sequential problem directly. We propose a statistical inference procedure to test mediation pathways when there are sequentially ordered multiple data modalities and each modality involves multiple mediators. We allow the mediators to be conditionally dependent and the number of mediators within each modality to diverge with the sample size. We produce the explicit significance quantification and establish theoretical guarantees in terms of asymptotic size, power, and false discovery control. We demonstrate the efficacy of the method through both simulations and an application to a multimodal neuroimaging pathway analysis of Alzheimer's disease.
Identity and Perceptions of Procedural Justice in the Courts in Turkey: Ethnic and Political Factors

Procedural justice, which is about the fairness of procedures that the legal authorities use in their interactions with the public, is an important determinant of people’s general evaluations of these authorities. Based on a nationally representative survey with 1,804 people, this article investigates how socio-political identities such as ethnicity and one’s status as a political winner or loser affect people’s perceptions of procedural justice in the courts in Turkey. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that Kurds and political losers are more likely than Turks and political winners, respectively, to think that the courts in Turkey are not procedurally just. Furthermore, we found that voting for the incumbent party or being an Alevi does not have an effect on Kurds’ perceptions of procedural justice in the courts. We, therefore, argue that ethnicity and being a political winner are two important identity factors that determine people’s perceptions of procedural justice in the courts in Turkey. We concluded that because Kurds and political losers are less likely to identify with the state, they have more negative perceptions of procedural justice in the courts in Turkey.
Computational Study of Hot Gas Injection (HGI) into an Ironmaking Blast Furnace (BF)

Blast furnace (BF) ironmaking is the most important process that produces hot metal (HM) from iron-bearing materials continuously, rapidly, and efficiently. To date, the process is considered to have reached its limit in view of the achieved high process efficiency. In addition, the required high-quality materials are expensive and gradually getting depleted. Hot gas injection (HGI) into the shaft of the BF is an emerging technology recognized potential to solve the aforementioned problems. However, so far, limited information and studies are available, most of which are preliminary studies with regard to the feasibility and aerodynamics of the technology. This hindered the understanding and thus the effective use of this technology. This work presents a numerical study of the multiphase flow, heat, and mass transfer in a BF by a CFD-based process model. The effects of injection composition in terms of CO and CO2 contents in HGI are studied first. The calculated results reveal that HGI of 100% CO delivers the best BF performance. Then, the effects of key variables in relation to HGI of 100% CO, including position, rate, and temperature, are systematically studied. The in-furnace states and overall performance parameters have been analysed in detail. The results show that, through appropriate control of the injection variables, it is possible to achieve improved BF performance including low fuel rate and high productivity, which are considerably affected by the HGI parameters. The BF process model is also demonstrated to be a cost-effective tool in optimizing the key variables of HGI in BF for obtaining optimum process efficiency.
Deep Reinforcement Learning with Importance Sampling for QoE Enhancement in Edge-Driven Video Delivery Services

Adaptive bitrate (ABR) algorithms are used to adapt the video bitrate based on the network conditions to improve the overall video quality of experience (QoE). Further, with the rise of multi-access edge computing (MEC), a higher QoE can be guaranteed for video services by performing computations over the edge servers rather than the cloud servers. Recently, reinforcement learning (RL) and asynchronous advantage actor-critic (A3C) methods have been used to improve adaptive bit rate algorithms and they have been shown to enhance the overall QoE as compared to fixed-rule ABR algorithms. However, a common issue in the A3C methods is the lag between behavior policy and target policy. As a result, the behavior and the target policies are no longer synchronized with one another which results in suboptimal updates. In this work, we present the deep reinforcement learning with an importance sampling based approach focused on edge-driven video delivery services to achieve an overall better user experience. We refer to our proposed approach as ALISA: Actor-Learner Architecture with Importance Sampling for efficient learning in ABR algorithms. ALISA incorporates importance sampling weights to give higher weightage to relevant experience to address the lag issues incurred in the existing A3C methods. We present the design and implementation of ALISA, and compare its performance to state-of-the-art video rate adaptation algorithms including vanilla A3C and other fixed-rule schedulers. Our results show that ALISA provides up to 25%-48% higher average QoE than vanilla A3C, whereas the gains are even higher when compared to fixed-rule schedulers.
Virulence Phenotyping of Leaf Rust (Puccinia triticina) Isolates from Southern Pakistan

Collections of Puccinia triticina were made from farmers’ fields of five different agro-ecological locations (Sakrand, Tandojam, Larkana, Sanghar and Badin) of Sindh province, Pakistan from 2015 and 2016, to identify the virulence variation. Single uredinial isolates were investigated for virulence phenotyping on 24 near isogenic (Thatcher wheat) lines which differ for single Lr resistance genes. Spores from two locations (Sakrand and Tandojam) were not viable and could not be revived and only urediniospores of three locations (Larkana, Sanghar and Badin) were revived. None of the pathotypes had virulence to Thatcher wheat lines with leaf rust resistance genes Lr23 and Lr42. However, Lr24, LrB, Lr10, Lr14b and Lr20 genes exhibited susceptibility response i.e. (HITs 3 4) with all tested pathotypes. Based on virulence, ten virulence phenotypes (MSCTNS, RTSTNS, RKTRGS, PNDQDS, JDBQGJ, MDPSDS, RTPTPS, MNPSDS, MJLTGS and MSPTDS) were identified among the ten isolates, designated with six-letter code. Two phenotypes RTSTNS RTPTPS exhibited broad spectrum, both were virulent to nineteen resistance genes of leaf rust while pathotype JDBQGJ had narrow spectrum as compared to all other tested, with virulence to just eight resistance genes of leaf rust. Among the locations virulence variability of leaf rust was also recorded. Most of identified races were virulent to more than one of leaf rust resistance genes. Resistance genes (Lr42 and Lr23) identified as effective can be exploited to achieve leaf rust resistance in wheat. Further, the study provides virulence profile of the area may help to manage the leaf rust pathogen.
Development of a Mouthwash Using Freeze-Drying Technique: An Optimization Study

In recent years, the development of solid cosmetics, as part of sustainable cosmetics strategy, is generating increasing interest. In addition, novel approaches such as Quality by Design concept allowed the development of high-quality products together with a decrease in waste generation. The present study aimed the development of freeze-dried mouthwashes containing Cetraria islandica extract using the Quality by Design approach. Based on the results of preliminary experiments, a factorial design with three factors that varied on two levels was developed. As factors, the filler type (sorbitol or mannitol) was chosen as the qualitative factor and the two quantitative factors were: the filler ratio set from 3 to 5% and polymer (methylcellulose) ratio from 0 to 0.5%. After the preparation and the complete characterization of the formulations generated through the experimental design, the effect of the formulation variables on the lyophilized mouthwashes and the interactions between formulation factors were investigated. Finally, an optimal formulation with appropriate mechanical properties that ensure easy manipulation and no material loss when extracted from the package and fast reconstitution was generated.
Effect of Breathing on UWB Propagation Characteristics for Ingestible and Implantable Devices

Wireless in-body devices are those in which a medical sensor is introduced –implanted or ingested– inside the human body and communicates with a remote node. Some in-body applications demand high data rates are necessary, so Ultra-Wideband (UWB) spectrum has been proposed as a good candidate because of its large bandwidth available. Besides, breathing can lead to internal movement of the torso and consequently, of devices installed in this area. Thus, the radio channel performance can be affected by such movement leading to a malfunction of the radio interface of the medical device. This work aims at analyzing the effect of breathing on the propagation channel by means of in vivo measurements in living animal models. Continuous wave (CW) measurements have been carried out for five different frequencies in the lower part of the UWB band, and the effects of breathing on the relative received power (module and phase), are analyzed and discussed.
Mapping the endothelial cell S-Sulfhydrome highlights the crucial role of integrin sulfhydration in vascular function

In vascular endothelial cells, cysteine metabolism by the cystathionine-γ lyase (CSE), generates hydrogen sulfide-related sulfane sulfur compounds (H2Sn), that exert their biological actions via cysteine S-sulfhydration of target proteins. This study set out to map the “S-sulfhydrome” i.e. the spectrum of proteins targeted by H2Sn in human endothelial cells. LC-MS/MS was used to identify S-sulfhydrated cysteines in endothelial cell proteins and β3 integrin intra-protein disulfide bond rearrangement. Functional studies included endothelial cell adhesion, shear stress-induced cell alignment, blood pressure measurements and flow-induced vasodilatation in endothelial cell-specific CSE knock out mice and a small collective of patients with endothelial dysfunction. Three paired sample sets were compared: (1) native human endothelial cells isolated from plaque-free mesenteric arteries (CSE activity high) and plaque-containing carotid arteries (CSE activity low), (2) cultured human endothelial cells kept under static conditions or exposed to fluid shear stress to decrease CSE expression, and (3) cultured endothelial cells exposed to shear stress to decrease CSE expression and treated with solvent or the slow-releasing H2Sn donor, SG1002. The endothelial cell “S-sulfhydrome” consisted of 3446 individual cysteine residues in 1591 proteins. The most altered family of proteins were the integrins and focusing on β3 integrin in detail we found that S-sulfhydration affected intra-protein disulfide bond formation and was required for the maintenance of an extended-open conformation of the β leg. β3 integrin S-sulfhydration was required for endothelial cell mechanotransduction in vitro as well as flow-induced dilatation in murine mesenteric arteries. In cultured cells, the loss of S-sulfhydration impaired interactions between β3 integrin and Gα13, resulting in the constitutive activation of RhoA and impaired flow-induced endothelial cell realignment. In humans with atherosclerosis, endothelial function correlated with low H2Sn generation, impaired flow-induced dilatation and a failure to detect β3 integrin S-sulfhydration, all of which were rescued following the administration of an H2S supplement. Vascular disease is associated with marked changes in the S-sulfhydration of endothelial cell proteins involved in mediating responses to flow. Short term H2Sn supplementation improved vascular reactivity in humans highlighting the potential of interfering with this pathway to treat vascular disease. Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
A Low-Cost Hardware Design of Learning-Based One-Dimensional Interpolation for Real-Time Video Applications at the Edge

Gradual advances have occurred in the design of micro-artificial intelligence for resource-limited hardware. A high-resolution (HR) image reconstruction module is indispensable for video analytics chips or devices at the edge. This paper proposes a low-cost and learning-based interpolation method for HR image reconstruction. The proposed method generates reconstructed pixels by processing reference pixels with optimal weights, which are pre-trained by solving the minimum mean square error problem for real images. To reduce the number of computation units and the usage of learned weights, a cross-directional interpolation architecture, which includes a vertical kernel and a horizontal kernel, is adopted. Moreover, a one-dimensional feature discriminator is proposed to improve the quality of up-scaled images efficiently. The main benefit of the proposed method is that it requires a small number of computation units but can still produce high-quality images. The hardware architecture of the proposed method was implemented on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) by using Xilinx UltraScale+ ZCU102 and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) by using TSMC’s 0.13- $\mu \text{m}$ technology. On the ASIC, the proposed hardware required only approximately 60K gate counts and 50 KBytes of memory. The experimental results indicate that the average peak signal-to-noise ratio of the up-scaled images reached 35.92 dB for the Set-5 dataset. The throughput of the proposed hardware was at least 1000 Mpixels/s on the FPGA and 1200 Mpixels/s on the ASIC, which indicates that the proposed hardware can handle a target resolution higher than 4K in real time.
Full-vector finite-element beam propagation method for three-dimensional nonlinear optical waveguides

A full-vector finite-element beam propagation method (VFE-BPM) in terms of all the components of slowly varying electric fields is described for the analysis of three-dimensional (3-D) nonlinear optical waveguides. Electric fields obtained with this approach can be directly utilized for evaluating nonlinear refractive index distributions. To eliminate nonphysical, spurious solutions, hybrid edge/nodal elements are introduced. Furthermore, to avoid spurious reflections from the computational window edges, anisotropic perfectly matched layer boundary conditions are implemented, and to reduce computational effort for the nonlinear optical waveguide analysis, an iterative algorithm is also introduced. The effectiveness of the present approach is verified by way of numerical examples: nonlinear directional couplers, spatial soliton emission phenomena, and soliton couplers.
Patient-Reported Outcome Measure for Real-time Symptom Assessment in Women With Endometriosis: Focus Group Study

Background Symptoms related to endometriosis have a significant impact on the quality of life, and symptoms often recur. The experience sampling method (ESM), a digital questioning method characterized by randomly repeated momentary assessments, has several advantages over traditionally used measurements, including the ability to assess the temporal relationship between variables such as physical, mental, and social factors. Objective The aim of this study is to develop an ESM tool for patients with endometriosis to accurately measure symptoms and their course over time, allowing for personalized treatment and adequate monitoring of treatment efficacy in individual patients. Methods On the basis of international guidelines, items from validated questionnaires were selected through a literature review and during focus groups and multidisciplinary expert meetings. Data analysis was conducted using ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH). The feasibility and usability of the newly developed momentary assessment tool were tested for 28 consecutive days in 5 patients with endometriosis-related pain symptoms. Results Momentary assessment items contained questions concerning endometriosis symptoms, general somatic symptoms, psychological symptoms, contextual information, and the use of food and medication. A morning questionnaire on sleep and sexuality was included. In a pilot study, the patients considered the tool easy to use but time consuming. The average compliance rate of momentary assessments was 37.8% (106/280), with the highest completion rate during the first week (39/70, 56%). Therefore, it is advisable to use the ESM for a maximum of 7 days. Conclusions A new digital tool for endometriosis symptom assessment was developed using the ESM, which may help overcome the limitations of current retrospective questionnaires. After validation and testing, future studies will be planned to evaluate the use of this tool in a clinical setting in order to propose a personalized treatment plan for women with endometriosis.
Efficient Synthesis of Mesoporous Nano ZSM-5 Zeolite Crystals without a Mesoscale Template

Hierarchical zeolites attract people’s attention due to their enhanced mass transfer properties in catalytic reactions. The research over obtaining these zeolites in green and efficient methods is of great significance for the current post-treatments and templating strategies tend to be costly for hierarchical zeolite synthesis. In this research, nanosized mesoporous ZSM-5 (SN-ZSM-5) zeolites have been synthesized without the addition of mesoscale templates under highly concentrated conditions. The physicochemical characteristics were systematically investigated by XRD, SEM, N2 sorption, TEM, and NMR. The SEM images showed ZSM-5 crystals with sizes between 50–110 nm were obtained. N2 sorption and high-resolution TEM images gave direct evidence for the hierarchical structure of SN-ZSM-5. The forming mechanism for the hierarchical structure was proposed that the etching effect of the highly alkaline environment for the starting gels played a critical role in the formation of hierarchical structure. Catalytic tests in methanol-to-olefins (MTO) showed the SN-ZSM-5 performed a longer catalyst lifetime and higher propylene selectivity than the conventional ZSM-5 zeolites (C-ZSM-5) obtained from a traditional hydrothermal method. The features of hierarchical structure in the SN-ZSM-5 crystals and the sustainability for synthesis method could show a promising choice for wide applications of these SN-ZSM-5 zeolites in the future.
Morphometric Analysis of Suprascapular Notch in Human Adult Scapulae with Clinical Relevance.

The suprascapular notch (SSN) is situated in the lateral part of the superior border of the scapula, just adjacent to the base of the coracoid process. This notch is converted into a foramen by the superior transverse scapular ligament (STSL) and serves as a passage for the suprascapular nerve. Suprascapular nerve entrapment was first described by Kopell and Thompson in 1959. Incidence of suprascapular neuropathy is 7 –10%. Most of the reported incidence is in overhead athlets like volleyball players accounting 12–33% of athletic population. Present study was conducted on 110 dry scapulae. Different shapes of suprascapular notch were Photographed using digital camera. Measurements were taken in millimeters using sliding vernier caliper. About 47 (42.73%) of the scapula had ‘U’shaped SSN, followed by ‘J’shape in 29 (26.36%)of the total scapulae studied. Seventy two (70.58%) scapulae had type II notch according to Natsis et al classification of SSN.The mean vertical length of SSN of right scapule is 7.741mm with standard deviation of 2.996mm and 7.869mm with standard deviation of 2.997mm on the left side in type II Natsis classification. The maximum distance between suprascapular notch and supraglenoid tubercle is 31.581mm with standard deviation of 2.859mm which is seen in type III SSN of Natsis classification. The maximum distance between posterior rim of glenoid cavity and base of scapular spine is 19mm which is seen in type IV SSN of Natsis classification. The shape of SSN and ossified STSL has been shown to be associated with increased risk of SN entrapment, resulting in weakness and wasting of supraspinatous and infraspinatous muscles. Anatomical knowledge of such variations should be kept in mind by a radiologist, Orthopaedicians and neurosurgeons as these variations may alter the technique of surgery.
Time to PhD completion is no different between men and women despite score gap on physics GRE

Using analysis of variance on a sample consisting of 1,499 US students across 21 US PhD programs, we show that there is no signiﬁcant difference in the time it takes US male and female physics PhD students to complete their degree programs. This result comes in spite of a statistically signiﬁcant 18 percentile point gap in median GRE-P scores between genders. Additional analyses reveal that there is no statistical difference between US students reported as White, Black/Hispanic/Multiracial/Native American, and Asian. Expanding our sample to also include 1,143 Non-US students, we ﬁnd a small but signiﬁcant effect of citizenship status on time to PhD completion where the average time for Non-US students to complete a physics PhD is about two months less than their US student counterparts. These results show that in spite of known gaps in standardized admissions exams between genders, these differences are not reﬂected in subsequent graduate school performance. Our ﬁndings reinforce the need for graduate admissions committees to go beyond quantitative metrics and conduct a holistic assessment of an applicant’s potential to perform research effectively and to earn a PhD.
Flexible and low power binary-tree current mode min/max nonlinear filters realized in CMOS technology

In this paper we present current mode, programmable, binary tree MIN/MAX filters designed for nonlinear data processing. Proposed circuits can be used in image filtration, to realize operations such as erosion or dilatation that are useful in noise reduction or correction of objects in the images. Two kinds of filters are proposed. The first one has been designed for 1-dimensional (1-D) signal processing. Samples of the input signal are being stored in the circular analog delay line. Each sample remains on its fixed position in the delay line as long as is overwritten by the new sample after number of clock phases that is equal to the filter order N. As a result, only one analog delay element is updated with every new signal sample. This minimizes both the power dissipation and errors that in other types of filter structures are associated with data rewriting. The 2-D filters proposed in this paper are the natural extension of 1-D filters. These filters have been realized as universal 2-D structures, which can be easily reprogrammed to perform various nonlinear operations. The experimental 2-D image processor with 64 inputs (8x8 cluster) has been designed in CMOS 0. 18μm technology and successfully tested in HSPICE simulations. Designed circuit enables parallel calculation of 64 pixels with the rate that is equal to 500 thousands image frames per second, dissipating power about 20 μW. Resultant data rate is therefore equal to 32 MSamples/s and energy consumed per one calculated pixel is about 1 pJ.