Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct Observation of Compartment-Specific Localization and Dynamics of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels

Brain enriched voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) Nav1.2 and Nav1.6 are critical for electrical signaling in the CNS. Previous studies have extensively characterized cell-type-specific expression and electrophysiological properties of these two VGSCs and how their differences contribute to fine-tuning of neuronal excitability. However, because of a lack of reliable labeling and imaging methods, the subcellular localization and dynamics of these homologous Nav1.2 and Nav1.6 channels remain understudied. To overcome this challenge, we combined genome editing, super-resolution, and live-cell single-molecule imaging to probe subcellular composition, relative abundances, and trafficking dynamics of Nav1.2 and Nav1.6 in cultured mouse and rat neurons and in male and female mouse brain. We discovered a previously uncharacterized trafficking pathway that targets Nav1.2 to the distal axon of unmyelinated neurons. This pathway uses distinct signals residing in the intracellular loop 1 between transmembrane domain I and II to suppress the retention of Nav1.2 in the axon initial segment and facilitate its membrane loading at the distal axon. As mouse pyramidal neurons undergo myelination, Nav1.2 is gradually excluded from the distal axon as Nav1.6 becomes the dominant VGSC in the axon initial segment and nodes of Ranvier. In addition, we revealed exquisite developmental regulation of Nav1.2 and Nav1.6 localizations in the axon initial segment and dendrites, clarifying the molecular identity of sodium channels in these subcellular compartments. Together, these results unveiled compartment-specific localizations and trafficking mechanisms for VGSCs, which could be regulated separately to modulate membrane excitability in the brain. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Direct observation of endogenous voltage-gated sodium channels reveals a previously uncharacterized distal axon targeting mechanism and the molecular identity of sodium channels in distinct subcellular compartments.
Differential Dopamine Receptor-Dependent Sensitivity Improves the Switch Between Hard and Soft Selection in a Model of the Basal Ganglia

Abstract The problem of selecting one action from a set of different possible actions, simply referred to as the problem of action selection, is a ubiquitous challenge in the animal world. For vertebrates, the basal ganglia (BG) are widely thought to implement the core computation to solve this problem, as its anatomy and physiology are well suited to this end. However, the BG still display physiological features whose role in achieving efficient action selection remains unclear. In particular, it is known that the two types of dopaminergic receptors (D1 and D2) present in the BG give rise to mechanistically different responses. The overall effect will be a difference in sensitivity to dopamine, which may have ramifications for action selection. However, which receptor type leads to a stronger response is unclear due to the complexity of the intracellular mechanisms involved. In this study, we use an existing, high-level computational model of the BG, which assumes that dopamine contributes to action selection by enabling a switch between different selection regimes, to predict which of D1 or D2 has the greater sensitivity. Thus, we ask, Assuming dopamine enables a switch between action selection regimes in the BG, what functional sensitivity values would result in improved action selection computation? To do this, we quantitatively assessed the model's capacity to perform action selection as we parametrically manipulated the sensitivity weights of D1 and D2. We show that differential (rather than equal) D1 and D2 sensitivity to dopaminergic input improves the switch between selection regimes during the action selection computation in our model. Specifically, greater D2 sensitivity compared to D1 led to these improvements.
Enhanced Spatial Feature Learning for Weakly Supervised Object Detection

Weakly supervised object detection (WSOD) has become an effective paradigm, which requires only class labels to train object detectors. However, WSOD detectors are prone to learn highly discriminative features corresponding to local objects rather than complete objects, resulting in imprecise object localization. To address the issue, designing backbones specifically for WSOD is a feasible solution. However, the redesigned backbone generally needs to be pretrained on large-scale ImageNet or trained from scratch, both of which require much more time and computational costs than fine-tuning. In this article, we explore to optimize the backbone without losing the availability of the original pretrained model. Since the pooling layer summarizes neighborhood features, it is crucial to spatial feature learning. In addition, it has no learnable parameters, so its modification will not change the pretrained model. Based on the above analysis, we further propose enhanced spatial feature learning (ESFL) for WSOD, which first takes full advantage of multiple kernels in a single pooling layer to handle multiscale objects and then enhances above-average activations within the rectangular neighborhood to alleviate the problem of ignoring unsalient object parts. The experimental results on the PASCAL VOC and the MS COCO benchmarks demonstrate that ESFL can bring significant performance improvement for the WSOD method and achieve state-of-the-art results.
Context-Aware Attentive Multilevel Feature Fusion for Named Entity Recognition

In the era of information explosion, named entity recognition (NER) has attracted widespread attention in the field of natural language processing, as it is fundamental to information extraction. Recently, methods of NER based on representation learning, e.g., character embedding and word embedding, have demonstrated promising recognition results. However, existing models only consider partial features derived from words or characters while failing to integrate semantic and syntactic information, e.g., capitalization, inter-word relations, keywords, and lexical phrases, from multilevel perspectives. Intuitively, multilevel features can be helpful when recognizing named entities from complex sentences. In this study, we propose a novel attentive multilevel feature fusion (AMFF) model for NER, which captures the multilevel features in the current context from various perspectives. It consists of four components to, respectively, capture the local character-level (CL), global character-level (CG), local word-level (WL), and global word-level (WG) features in the current context. In addition, we further define document-level features crafted from other sentences to enhance the representation learning of the current context. To this end, we introduce a novel context-aware attentive multilevel feature fusion (CAMFF) model based on AMFF, to fully leverage document-level features from all the previous inputs. The obtained multilevel features are then fused and fed into a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM)-conditional random field (CRF) network for the final sequence labeling. Extensive experiments on four benchmark datasets demonstrate that our proposed AMFF and CAMFF models outperform a set of state-of-the-art baseline methods and the features learned from multiple levels are complementary.
COVID-19 vaccine willingness prior to and during the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Australia

ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess vaccine willingness, and the reasons why respondents were not likely to receive COVID-19 vaccine prior to and during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. This cross-sectional survey (n = 5,130) was conducted between January and April 2021 in South Australia, Australia. Weighted multiple logistic regression was performed to assess the association between sociodemographic/health factors and outcome measures. The percentage of respondents who stated they were very likely to get vaccinated fluctuated between 50% and 78% during the survey period. The willingness of receiving COVID-19 vaccination was significantly lower among women than men (aOR: 0.70) and higher among adults ≥50 years (aOR: 1.82 for 50–69 years and aOR: 3.01 for ≥70 years vs 16–29-year olds). Other factors significantly associated with higher willingness were ≥Year 12 education (aOR: 2.50 for Year 12/TAFE/certificate/diploma vs <Year 12 education; aOR: 1.44 for bachelor’s degree or higher vs <Year 12 education), highest socioeconomic level vs lowest socioeconomic level (aOR: 1.75), and unpaid work/retirement/other vs unemployment (aOR: 1.77). Other factors such as being Aboriginal, not being married, not having chronic illness, and/or culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds were identified to be significantly related to low confidence in vaccine safety, perceived low risk of disease and/or perceived lack of information. Parents or caregivers were significantly less willing for their child to be vaccinated compared to people in general (OR: 0.62). Targeted campaigns to improve uptake need to include appropriate messaging about vaccine safety and disease burden in addition to strategies to improve access to less willing groups.
Prehospital nursing students' experiences of patient safety culture in emergency medical services—A qualitative study

Abstract Aims and Objectives To describe prehospital nursing students' experiences of patient safety culture in emergency medical services during their internship. Background Patient safety culture in the emergency medical services is a complex phenomenon including more than organisational policies and practices and professionals' technical skills. Design The descriptive qualitative approach used the Sharing Learning from Practice to improve Patient Safety Learning Event Recording Tool, which includes both open‐ended and structured questions. Methods Purposeful sampling was used, and data were collected from graduating prehospital nursing students (n = 17) from three Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences. Open‐ended questions were reviewed using thematic analysis, and frequencies and percentages were derived from structured questions. COREQ guidelines were used to guide this study. Results Four themes were identified during the thematic analysis: environmental and other unexpected factors in emergency medical services, working practices and professionalism in emergency medical services, teamwork in emergency medical services and feelings related to patient safety events in emergency medical services. Patient safety events described by students were seldom reported in the healthcare system or patient files. According to the students, such events were most likely related to communication, checking/verification and/or teamwork. Conclusions This study shows that prehospital nursing students can produce important information about patient safety events and the reasons that contributed to those events. Therefore, emergency medical services organisations and managers should use students' observations to develop a patient safety culture in emergency medical services. Relevance to clinical practice Understanding how prehospital nursing students have experienced patient safety culture during their internships on ambulances can support educational institutions, together with emergency medical services organisations and managers, to improve policies for students to express patient safety concerns as well as patient safety successes.
Impact of percutaneous coronary intervention on chronic total occlusion in the non-infarct-related artery in patients with STEMI: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives We sought to compare the clinical outcomes between culprit-only percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus multivessel PCI (MV-PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) accompanied by chronic total occlusion (CTO) in the non-infarct-related artery(non-IRA). Design Studies that compared culprit-only PCI versus MV-PCI in patients with STEMI accompanied by CTO in the non-IRA were included. Random odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Results Eight studies with 2,259 patients were included. The results suggested that in patients with STEMI accompanied by CTO in the non-IRA, culprit-only PCI was associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality (OR: 2.89; 95% CI: 2.09–4.00; I 2 = 0.0%), cardiac death (OR: 3.12; 95% CI: 2.05–4.75; I 2 = 16.8%), stroke (OR: 2.80; 95% CI: 1.04–7.53; I 2 = 0.0%), major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE; OR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.39–3.06; I 2 = 54.0%), and heart failure (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.22–3.24; I 2 = 0.0%) compared with staged MV-PCI, which were mainly derived from retrospective studies. No differences were observed in myocardial infarction or revascularization. Pooled multivariable adjusted results consistently indicated that staged MV-PCI was superior to culprit-only PCI. Conclusions For patients with STEMI accompanied by CTO in the non-IRA, staged MV-PCI may be better compared with culprit-only PCI due to potential reduced risks of all-cause mortality, cardiac death, stroke, MACE, and heart failure. Meanwhile, further randomized trials are warranted to confirm or refute our findings.
Estrogen and progesterone decrease Let-7f miRNA expression and increase IL-23/IL-23R signaling and IL-17A production in severe asthma

Background— Women have an increased prevalence of severe asthma compared to men. IL-17A is associated with severe asthma and requires IL-23 receptor (IL-23R) signaling, which is negatively regulated by Let-7f miRNA. Objective— Determine the mechanism by which 17 β -estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) increase IL-17A production. Methods— IL-17A production was determined by flow cytometry in Th17 cells from women (n=14) and men (n=15) with severe asthma. Cytokine levels were measured by ELISA and IL-23R and Let-7f expression by qPCR in Th17 differentiated cells from healthy women (n=13) and men (n=14). In sham-operated or ovariectomized female mice, 17 β -E2, P4, 17 β -E2+P4, or vehicle pellets were administered for 3 weeks prior to ex vivo Th17 cell differentiation. Airway neutrophil infiltration and KC expression was also determined in OVA-challenged WT female recipient mice with an adoptive transfer of OVA-specific Th17 cells from female and male mice. Results— In severe asthma patients and healthy controls, IL-17A production was increased in Th17 cells from women compared to men. IL-23R expression was increased and Let-7f expression was decreased in Th17 differentiated cells from women compared to men. In ovariectomized mice, IL-17A and IL-23R expression was increased and Let-7f expression was decreased in the Th17 cells from mice administered 17 β -E2+P4 compared to vehicle. Further, transfer of female OVA-specific Th17 cells increased acute neutrophil infiltration in the lungs of OVA-challenged recipient mice compared to transfer of male OVA-specific Th17 cells. Conclusions— 17 β -E2+P4 increased IL-17A production from Th17 cells, providing a potential mechanism for the increased prevalence of severe asthma in women compared to men.
Development of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry techniques for bone mineral measurement

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease, reflected by the progressive reduction of bone mass and increased bone fragility which affects 1 in 4 women and 1 in 12 men. One in 5 people sustaining a hip fracture die within 6 months and many more become highly dependent. Due to the role of bone mineral contribution to the skeletal integrity, quantitative methods of its evaluation are required to assess fracture risk, follow progression of disease and evaluate the effects of treatment. Although there are several risk factors for the prediction of fractures, reduced bone mineral density (BMD) is the strongest predictor. There are several methodologies available for bone mineral measurement. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has an overall advantage in terms such as precision and radiation exposure. It is a well-established method and has the potential ofmulti-site measurement. Although DXA is widely used to assess bone mineral of the spine and hip, little use of the technique has been made to investigate other sites of the body. Therefore, appropriate methods were developed to measure the hand, os calcis and tibia. Anomalies of total body DXA were investigated and an alternative method of measurement was developed. A Hologic QDR-1000W DXA system was used for the investigations. Hand bone mineral measurement is ofparticular interest in rheumatoid arthritis patients (RA). A hand phantom which provided a convenient means of evaluating various protocols and assessing long term precision was developed and used for the investigations. The conventional protocols differ in factors such as scan speed, linearity, tissue depth dependence and precision. Therefore, four DXA protocols were developed and evaluated for various factors. A new protocol was also evaluated to establish the optimum method of measuring hand bone mineral. The new protocol and the optimum 'developed' method showed no significant difference in terms ofprecision, linearity, soft tissue, posture dependency or separation ofRA and normal subjects. The RA patients had significantly lower hand bone mineral (P <; 0.01) than the normal subjects.
Dynamical Models in Neuroscience From a Closed-Loop Control Perspective

Modifying neural activity is a substantial goal in neuroscience that facilitates the understanding of brain functions and the development of medical therapies. Neurobiological models play an essential role, contributing to the understanding of the underlying brain dynamics. In this context, control systems represent a fundamental tool to provide a correct articulation between model stimulus (system inputs) and outcomes (system outputs). However, throughout the literature there is a lack of discussions on neurobiological models, from the formal control perspective. In general, existing control proposals applied to this family of systems, are developed empirically, without theoretical and rigorous framework. Thus, the existing control solutions, present clear and significant limitations. The focus of this work is to survey dynamical neurobiological models that could serve for closed-loop control schemes or for simulation analysis. Consequently, this paper provides a comprehensive guide to discuss and analyze control-oriented neurobiological models. It also provides a potential framework to adequately tackle control problems that could modify the behavior of single neurons or networks. Thus, this study constitutes a key element in the upcoming discussions and studies regarding control methodologies applied to neurobiological systems, to extend the present research and understanding horizon for this field.
Psychometric properties, stability, and predictive validity of the Korean version of the Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale (PG-13-K): A longitudinal study among bereaved Koreans

Abstract This study aims to investigate the psychometric properties, stability, and predictive validity of the PG-13-K. Two subsamples were used: the first subsample (N = 153), participated at Time 1 only, and the second subsample (N = 184) participated at both Time 1 and Time 2. At each time point, reliability, test-retest reliability, and validity were adequate, and the hypothesized two-factor model indicated good to excellent fit. Moreover, the PG-13-K was able to predict the correlation between prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and negative psychological factors. The PG-13-K is a useful and valid instrument for measuring PGD symptoms in Korean settings.
The Learning Styles of Undergraduate Students in CM Bachelor’s Degree Programs in the U.S.

ABSTRACT This article presents the findings of a study analyzing the learning styles of undergraduate construction management (CM) students in bachelor’s degree programs in the United States. The study utilized the Felder-Silverman model and the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) as a survey instrument. The survey population consisted of 1,069 CM students from 36 university CM programs across the Associated Schools of Construction regions. Demographic information, the raw ILS responses, and the ILS web-based survey report were collected from the students. The results were analyzed and compared to both the CM students themselves and to similar studies done with engineering students. It was found that CM students were visual, active, sensing, and sequential learners. This study provides recommendations for how CM instructors might align their teaching styles with CM-student learning styles, and discusses impacts on the CM industry.
Topographic and widespread auditory modulation of the somatosensory cortex: potential for bimodal sound and body stimulation for pain treatment

Objective. There has been growing interest in understanding multisensory integration in the cortex through activation of multiple sensory and motor pathways to treat brain disorders, such as tinnitus or essential tremors. For tinnitus, previous studies show that combined sound and body stimulation can modulate the auditory pathway and lead to significant improvements in tinnitus symptoms. Considering that tinnitus is a type of chronic auditory pain, bimodal stimulation could potentially alter activity in the somatosensory pathway relevant for treating chronic pain. As an initial step towards that goal, we mapped and characterized neuromodulation effects in the somatosensory cortex (SC) in response to sound and/or electrical stimulation of the body. Approach. We first mapped the topographic organization of activity across the SC of ketamine-anesthetized guinea pigs through electrical stimulation of different body locations using subcutaneous needle electrodes or with broadband acoustic stimulation. We then characterized how neural activity in different parts of the SC could be facilitated or suppressed with bimodal stimulation. Main results. The topography in the SC of guinea pigs in response to electrical stimulation of the body aligns consistently to that shown in previous rodent studies. Interestingly, auditory broadband noise stimulation primarily excited SC areas that typically respond to stimulation of lower body locations. Although there was only a small subset of SC locations that were excited by acoustic stimulation alone, all SC recording sites could be altered (facilitated or suppressed) with bimodal stimulation. Furthermore, specific regions of the SC could be modulated by stimulating an appropriate body region combined with broadband noise. Significance. These findings show that bimodal stimulation can excite or modulate firing across a widespread yet targeted population of SC neurons. This approach may provide a non-invasive method for altering or disrupting abnormal firing patterns within certain parts of the SC for chronic pain treatment.