Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SSRGD: Simple Stochastic Recursive Gradient Descent for Escaping Saddle Points

We analyze stochastic gradient algorithms for optimizing nonconvex problems. In particular, our goal is to find local minima (second-order stationary points) instead of just finding first-order stationary points which may be some bad unstable saddle points. We show that a simple perturbed version of stochastic recursive gradient descent algorithm (called SSRGD) can find an $(\epsilon,\delta)$-second-order stationary point with $\widetilde{O}(\sqrt{n}/\epsilon^2 + \sqrt{n}/\delta^4 + n/\delta^3)$ stochastic gradient complexity for nonconvex finite-sum problems. As a by-product, SSRGD finds an $\epsilon$-first-order stationary point with $O(n+\sqrt{n}/\epsilon^2)$ stochastic gradients. These results are almost optimal since Fang et al. [2018] provided a lower bound $\Omega(\sqrt{n}/\epsilon^2)$ for finding even just an $\epsilon$-first-order stationary point. We emphasize that SSRGD algorithm for finding second-order stationary points is as simple as for finding first-order stationary points just by adding a uniform perturbation sometimes, while all other algorithms for finding second-order stationary points with similar gradient complexity need to combine with a negative-curvature search subroutine (e.g., Neon2 [Allen-Zhu and Li, 2018]). Moreover, the simple SSRGD algorithm gets a simpler analysis. Besides, we also extend our results from nonconvex finite-sum problems to nonconvex online (expectation) problems, and prove the corresponding convergence results.
Possible involvement of nitric oxide in promoting the initial growth of rice seedlings at low temperature by inoculation of Bacillus pumilus strain TUAT1 spores

ABSTRACT Bacillus pumilus strain TUAT1, a type of plant growth – promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), is used as an ingredient in biofertilizer. Although we confirmed that B. pumilus TUAT1 promotes the growth of rice seedlings at 25°C, this effect has not been shown at lower temperatures. In this study, we confirmed that inoculation of rice seedlings with spores of B. pumilus TUAT1 promoted seedling emergence from soil and subsequent growth at 15°C. Except for the effect on root growth, these effects disappeared when seeds were treated with 2–4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, a nitric oxide (NO) scavenger, simultaneously with B. pumilus TUAT1 inoculation. Increased NO accumulation was detected in seed embryos 3 h after inoculation, suggesting that NO plays a role in the effects of B. pumilus TUAT1 inoculation. Transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq suggested the involvement of immune responses and cytochrome respiratory pathways in increasing NO levels in embryos after inoculation with B. pumilus TUAT1. Transcriptome analysis also indicated that transcription of genes involved in cold tolerance was accelerated in embryos following the increase in NO resulting from inoculation with B. pumilus TUAT1. These findings suggest that a novel NO signaling mechanism is involved in PGPR-induced growth promotion in plants. These results also indicate that inoculation with B. pumilus TUAT1 spores may help overcome the initial growth failure of seedlings in direct sowing culture of rice in cold regions.
Nociceptor–Macrophage Interactions in Apical Periodontitis: How Biomolecules Link Inflammation with Pain

Periradicular tissues have a rich supply of peripheral afferent neurons, also known as nociceptive neurons, originating from the trigeminal nerve. While their primary function is to relay pain signals to the brain, these are known to be involved in modulating innate and adaptive immunity by initiating neurogenic inflammation (NI). Studies have investigated neuroanatomy and measured the levels of biomolecules such as cytokines and neuropeptides in human saliva, gingival crevicular fluid, or blood/serum samples in apical periodontitis (AP) to validate the possible role of trigeminal nociceptors in inflammation and tissue regeneration. However, the contributions of nociceptors and the mechanisms involved in the neuro-immune interactions in AP are not fully understood. This narrative review addresses the complex biomolecular interactions of trigeminal nociceptors with macrophages, the effector cells of the innate immune system, in the clinical manifestations of AP.
Thin Film Fabrication and Characterization of LSM-YSZ/YSZ Half-Cell for Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell via Screen-Printing

Green or renewable energy is important to attain a sustainable low carbon economy and the use of hydrogen has been an alternative solution for the unreliable continuous supply of these energy sources. Solid oxide electrochemical cells is a promising technology for hydrogen generation in which the LSM-YSZ is one of the important component materials for this application. In this study, LSM-YSZ will be deposited on the YSZ substrate via screen-printing. Screen-printing is an easy and simple set-up that offers film quality control. Specifically, the study aimed to deposit a porous LSM-YSZ thin film, as well as to determine the effect of the particle size of the starting powders on the quality of the deposited film. Two synthesis methods for the powders were utilized before screen printing, the solid-state reaction (SSR) ball milling, and the glycine nitrate process (GNP). Results showed that a porous and even thin film with uniform distribution of LSM and YSZ was obtained after the screen printing. Moreover, the GNP powders produced a smaller particle size, a more porous morphology, and a thinner film when screen-printed compared to the SSR ball milled.
Multivariate Ordinal Categorical Process Control Based on Log-Linear Modeling

In many applications, the quality of products or services tends to be measured by multiple categorical characteristics, each of which is classified into attribute levels such as good, marginal, and bad. Here there is usually natural order among these attribute levels. However, traditional monitoring techniques ignore such order among them. By assuming that each ordinal categorical quality characteristic is determined by a latent continuous variable, this paper incorporates the ordinal information into an extended log-linear model and proposes a multivariate ordinal categorical control chart based on a generalized likelihood-ratio test. The proposed chart is efficient in detecting location shifts and dependence shifts in the corresponding latent continuous variables of ordinal categorical characteristics based on merely the attribute-level counts of the ordinal characteristics.
Early and stable difficulties of everyday executive functions predict autism symptoms and emotional/behavioral problems in preschool age children with autism: a 2-year longitudinal study

Introduction Longitudinal studies of autistic children show that autism symptoms and emotional/behavioral problems vary and change over time. However, the factors that affect this variability remain far from certain and very little is known about what take place in the preschool period and the role of executive functions (EF). Methods Here, we test the influence of stable difficulties in everyday executive functioning (EEF) during early childhood across 2 years on autistic symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems. Twenty-nine autistic children (24 males and 5 females) were assessed twice within the space of 2 years. At baseline (M = 29 months, SD =5.6 months), participants were assessed for EEF, cognitive development, autistic symptoms, and emotional/behavioral problems. At follow-up, we repeated the same assessment except for cognitive development. Results The group with stable difficulties (across 2 years) in EEF during early childhood showed a worsening in the severity of autistic symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems compared with children without EEF difficulties (p < 0.05), and these effects cannot be attributable to cognitive development. Discussion Our results suggest that early and stable EEF plays the role of a modifier by interacting with the core domains of autism, in particular with the social affect domain (SA CSS), influencing social cognition and exacerbating or lessening symptom expression and emotional behavioral problems. These short-term longitudinal and preliminary findings underscore the importance of EEF as necessary target for early intervention in children with autism.
The Hopf Monoid of Hypergraphs and its Sub-Monoids: Basic Invariant and Reciprocity Theorem

In arXiv:1709.07504 Aguiar and Ardila give a Hopf monoid structure on hypergraphs as well as a general construction of polynomial invariants on Hopf monoids. Using these results, we define in this paper a new polynomial invariant on hypergraphs. We give a combinatorial interpretation of this invariant on negative integers which leads to a reciprocity theorem on hypergraphs. Finally, we use this invariant to recover well-known invariants on other combinatorial objects (graphs, simplicial complexes, building sets, etc) as well as the associated reciprocity theorems.
Treating Gut Feelings: A Systematic Review of Psychological Treatments for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Psychological comorbidities and psychosocial challenges are prevalent among children and adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). However, a comprehensive review of the availability and effectiveness of psychological treatments for pediatric IBD patients is lacking. This systematic review aimed to determine the availability and efficacy of psychological interventions for children and adolescents with IBD. The systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and performed using two electronic databases, PsycINFO and PubMed, from inception until March 2022. Databases were searched for English-language, controlled trials of psychological interventions for children and adolescents with IBD. Outcomes of interest included: depression, anxiety, health-related quality of life, physical/somatic symptoms, and disease activity/severity. Of 478 identified articles, 11 articles reporting on seven original intervention studies met inclusion criteria. All interventions were cognitive-behavioral in nature and drew from principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Clinical and methodological diversity was observed across trials. Majority of trials included small sample sizes and were underpowered, with four recruiting fewer than 50 participants. Some benefits were reported in improving treatment outcomes, although findings were inconsistent. Despite an established evidence-base for psychological interventions in other pediatric chronic illness populations, evidence of efficacy for children and adolescents with IBD was limited. Interventions tested in methodologically robust trials are needed to enhance the provision of psychological treatments for pediatric IBD patients.
Performance Evaluation for Clinical Stroke Rehabilitation via an Automatic Mobile Gait Trainer

This paper investigates the clinical efficacy of an automatic mobile trainer for gait training in stroke patients. Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) is a rehabilitation method for stroke patients that enhances motor learning through repeated practice. Despite the proven effectiveness of therapist-assisted NDT, it is labor-intensive and demands health resources. Therefore, we developed automatic trainers based on NDT principles to perform gait training. This paper modifies the mobile trainer’s intervention patterns to improve the subject’s longitudinal gait symmetry, lateral pelvic displacement symmetry, and pelvic rotation. We first invited ten healthy subjects to test the modified trainer and then recruited 26 stroke patients to undergo the same gait training. Longitudinal symmetry, lateral symmetry, and pelvic rotation were assessed before, during, and after the intervention. Most subjects show improvements in longitudinal symmetry, lateral symmetry, and pelvic rotation after using the trainer. These results confirm the trainer’s effectiveness of the modified intervention schemes in helping clinical gait rehabilitation for stroke patients.
Silicon Accumulation in Leaves Reduces the Herbivory by Invasive Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda and Enhances the Yield of Maize

Fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda is currently being considered as a serious insect pest in maize that causes significant yield losses worldwide. Silicon (Si) and plant growth regulators (PGRs) are known to induce resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses thereby enhancing the yield. This study was conducted to determine the influence of Si and PGRs on the incidence and damage of FAW on maize (Zea mays L.) under field condition. The experiment was conducted in both Kharif and Rabi seasons using a randomized complete block design with three replications and treatments. Various combinations of foliar silicic acid (FSA) and two PGRs such as gibberelic acid (GA3) and jasmonic acid (JA) were tested to study their effects on FAW incidence and maize yield. The application of FSA at 2mL/plant + GA3 at 0.5 mg/plant recorded the lowest number of larvae per plant (0.39 larva/plant) with the lowest damage score of 2.55 (Davis scale). The percent infestation was also low for the same treatment, i.e., 34.14 percent infestation with the highest percent reduction over control (56.43%). The highest yield (58.39 q/ha) and cost–benefit ratio (1:2.34) was recorded for FSA at 2 mL/plant + GA3 at 0.5 mg/plant, which was considered as the best treatment. This study demonstrated that exogenous application of Si along with PGRs has significant negative effect on field incidence of FAW and enhanced the yield of maize.
Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 Antagonizes Candida albicans Growth and Protects Intestinal Cells from C. albicans-Mediated Damage

Candida albicans is a pathobiont of the gastrointestinal tract. It can contribute to the diversity of the gut microbiome without causing harmful effects. When the immune system is compromised, C. albicans can damage intestinal cells and cause invasive disease. We hypothesize that a therapeutic approach against C. albicans infections can rely on the antimicrobial properties of probiotic bacteria. We investigated the impact of the probiotic strain Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) on C. albicans growth and its ability to cause damage to intestinal cells. In co-culture kinetic assays, C. albicans abundance gradually decreased over time compared with C. albicans abundance in the absence of EcN. Quantification of C. albicans survival suggests that EcN exerts a fungicidal activity. Cell-free supernatants (CFS) collected from C. albicans-EcN co-culture mildly altered C. albicans growth, suggesting the involvement of an EcN-released compound. Using a model of co-culture in the presence of human intestinal epithelial cells, we further show that EcN prevents C. albicans from damaging enterocytes both distantly and through direct contact. Consistently, both C. albicans’s filamentous growth and microcolony formation were altered by EcN. Taken together, our study proposes that probiotic-strain EcN can be exploited for future therapeutic approaches against C. albicans infections.
The Impact of the Addition of a Physical Therapy Assistant to the Treatment Team for Management of Neck Pain: A Retrospective Analysis of Outpatient Physical Therapy Clinics

Introduction The impact of physical therapy assistants (PTAs) on patient outcomes, mostly in the acute and subacute setting, is well known in the literature. However, no study to date has examined the impact of using PTAs as part of a treatment team in the outpatient setting for common musculoskeletal conditions. The purpose of this study is to determine if physical therapy team composition, either physical therapists (PTs) only or a team consisting of PTs and PTAs, has a significant impact on patient outcomes in adult patients with musculoskeletal neck pain to help investigate an ideal practice pattern for outpatient physical therapy. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study analyzing the impact of physical therapy treatment team composition (PTs only, or team consisting of PTs and PTAs) on pain, active range-of-motion (AROM), and disability outcomes via the Neck Disability Index (NDI) in the conservative treatment of neck pain. All patients were treated with usual physical therapy care. Inclusion criteria involved patients with a diagnosis of neck pain (M48.2), older than 18 years old, a physical therapy evaluation procedure code (97161, 97162, 97163), and at least two visits per bout of physical therapy. Primary outcome measures were pain, bilateral rotation AROM, disability, and number of visits. Results Included patients (n=195) had an average age of 60.8 years ± 16.1 years with an average number of total physical therapy visits of 7.4 visits ± 4.3 visits (range, 2 visits - 22 visits) with 120 patients (61.5%) treated by a PT only (PT-only group) and 75 patients (38.5%) treated by a team consisting of a PT and a PTA (PTA group). The PT-only group had significantly fewer visits than the PTA group (p<0.001). The PT-only group had a pain improvement of 2.1 points ± 2.3 points whereas the PTA group had a pain improvement of 2.2 points ± 2.4 points with no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.573). The PT-only group (n=46 patients) had an average rotation AROM improvement of 20.0 ± 17.4 degrees whereas the PTA group (n=40 patients) had an average rotation AROM improvement of 16.8 degrees ± 23.0 degrees with no significant difference between the level of rotation AROM improvement between the two groups (p=0.408). Furthermore, there was also no significant difference in the amount of NDI improvement seen in both groups (p=0.594). Conclusion There was no significant difference in patient outcomes for pain, AROM, and disability when PTAs were added to the physical therapy treatment team in the conservative management of neck pain in the outpatient setting. However, patients treated with a treatment team consisting of PTAs had significantly more visits, despite no significant change in outcomes. Randomized controlled trials are needed as the reasons for these findings can be many and require further research.
Analysis of Aggregate Herding Behavior in the Capital Market: Evidence from Indonesia and Singapore

The high uncertainty in the capital market due to some crises that hit the world over the last few decades has the potential to cause herding behavior in the aggregate capital market, both in developed and emerging capital markets. The main objective of this study is to detect the existence of herding behavior, including asymmetric herding and global factor drives (oil prices and fed fund rates) on aggregate herding behavior in the Indonesian and Singapore capital markets during the period Jan 2015 to December 2020. This study employs a cross-sectional dispersion approach to achieve study goals. Research findings denote aggregate herding behavior occurs only in the Singapore capital market, while in Indonesia no herding behavior is detected. Asymmetric herding testing for both capital markets revealed no herding tendency in up and down market conditions. This condition implies that low volatility cannot ensure the absence of aggregate herding behavior. Global factors have proven to significantly drive herding behavior in the Singapore capital market, while in Indonesia it is only the oil price. The findings of this study will provide information that policymakers can use to maintain capital market stability in both countries.
Navigating the Digital Frontier: Unraveling the Impact of Bank Technology Innovations on Idiosyncratic and Systemic Risks

: The recent development of technological innovation in the banking sector has the potential to bring numerous benefits, but it also raises concerns regarding financial stability, an aspect that has been relatively understudied in academic literature. Our research paper aims to explore the impact of banks' recent adoption of FinTech solutions on both individual and systemic risks within the banking sector. Specifically, we examine how banks' technological innovations influence non-performing loans (NPLs), asset correlation in the system, and measures of systemic risk. To accomplish this, we utilize a unique dataset generated through data mining techniques, which captures the scale, types, and sources of technological solutions implemented by the largest banks in 23 countries over an 11-year period. Our findings indicate that FinTech solutions implemented by banks reduce both individual and aggregated systemic risks in the banking sector, although there are certain areas where systemic risk increases.
Are biochemical biomarker responses related to physiological performance of juvenile sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ) and turbot ( Scophthalmus maximus ) caged in a harbour polluted area?

Biomarker responses to toxic exposure have been used for decades to indicate stress in aquatic organisms, or the magnitude of environmental pollution. However, little has been done to compare the simultaneous responses of both biochemical and physiological biomarkers. The purpose of this study was twofold. Firstly to analyse the responses of several biochemical biomarkers measured on juvenile sea bass and turbot caged in a northern France harbour at a reference and contaminated stations. Several biotransformation parameters (Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase – EROD – and Glutathione S-transferase – GST) and an antioxidant enzyme (Catalase – CAT) were analysed. Secondly, to compare their responses to several growth and condition indices, measured on the same fish. In the contaminated station, EROD and GST activities were found to be significantly higher, and a decrease of CAT activity was observed for both species. For individual sea bass, biochemical biomarkers showed numerous significant correlations with growth and condition indices, such as the Fulton’s K condition index, the RNA:DNA ratio and the lipid storage index. On the contrary, there were only a few significant correlations for turbot, suggesting a species-specific response. Our study indicates that the analysis of the simultaneous responses of both biochemical and physiological biomarkers can be useful for monitoring complex exposure and to assess habitat quality.
Detectability of possible space weather effects on Mars upper atmosphere and meteor impacts in Jupiter and Saturn with small telescopes

Amateur astronomers operating small telescopes accumulate a larger amount of observational time of Solar System planets than the ensemble of professional telescopes. Over the last 15 years, advancements in low-cost fast acquisition cameras and image software processing tools have pushed forward the scientific analysis of these observations thanks to a sustained increase in quality and spatial resolution. The high temporal coverage attained by amateur astronomers collaborating with scientists allows detecting rare events in the atmospheres of different planets. In particular, high-atmosphere phenomena in Mars, possibly caused by solar activity, and meteor impacts in Jupiter have been observed serendipitously in the last decade. Here we review the contribution of amateur astronomers to these two fields. Coronal Mass Ejections arriving to Mars under favorable observing conditions can be predicted after observations of the Sun, and their possible effect on Mars upper atmosphere can be monitored with small telescopes. Impacts in Jupiter of two different classes can be discovered by amateur astronomers: intermediate size impacts big enough to leave a debris field on its atmosphere (150-m size objects before the impact), and fireballs caused by objects of 5–20 m producing short-lived flashes in video observations of the planet. In this regard, we present a software tool designed to analyze video observations of Jupiter and Saturn that should help to find new impact flashes on the giant planets.