Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive deficits and increases in creatine precursors in a brain‐specific knockout of the creatine transporter gene Slc6a8

Creatine transporter (CrT; SLC6A8) deficiency (CTD) is an X‐linked disorder characterized by severe cognitive deficits, impairments in language and an absence of brain creatine (Cr). In a previous study, we generated floxed Slc6a8 (Slc6a8 flox) mice to create ubiquitous Slc6a8 knockout (Slc6a8−/y) mice. Slc6a8−/y mice lacked whole body Cr and exhibited cognitive deficits. While Slc6a8−/y mice have a similar biochemical phenotype to CTD patients, they also showed a reduction in size and reductions in swim speed that may have contributed to the observed deficits. To address this, we created brain‐specific Slc6a8 knockout (bKO) mice by crossing Slc6a8flox mice with Nestin‐cre mice. bKO mice had reduced cerebral Cr levels while maintaining normal Cr levels in peripheral tissue. Interestingly, brain concentrations of the Cr synthesis precursor guanidinoacetic acid were increased in bKO mice. bKO mice had longer latencies and path lengths in the Morris water maze, without reductions in swim speed. In accordance with data from Slc6a8 −/y mice, bKO mice showed deficits in novel object recognition as well as contextual and cued fear conditioning. bKO mice were also hyperactive, in contrast with data from the Slc6a8 −/y mice. The results show that the loss of cerebral Cr is responsible for the learning and memory deficits seen in ubiquitous Slc6a8−/y mice.
The small GTPase Rab2 functions in the removal of apoptotic cells in Caenorhabditis elegans

We identify here a novel class of loss-of-function alleles of uncoordinated locomotion (unc)-108, which encodes the Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of the mammalian small guanosine triphosphatase Rab2. Like the previously isolated dominant-negative mutants, unc-108 loss-of-function mutant animals are defective in locomotion. In addition, they display unique defects in the removal of apoptotic cells, revealing a previously uncharacterized function for Rab2. unc-108 acts in neurons and engulfing cells to control locomotion and cell corpse removal, respectively, indicating that unc-108 has distinct functions in different cell types. Using time-lapse microscopy, we find that unc-108 promotes the degradation of engulfed cell corpses. It is required for the efficient recruitment and fusion of lysosomes to phagosomes and the acidification of the phagosomal lumen. In engulfing cells, UNC-108 is enriched on the surface of phagosomes. We propose that UNC-108 acts on phagosomal surfaces to promote phagosome maturation and suggest that mammalian Rab2 may have a similar function in the degradation of apoptotic cells.
IL-23R mutation is associated with ulcerative colitis: A systemic review and meta-analysis

Objectives Since a genome-wide association study revealed that Interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R) gene is a candidate gene for Ulcerative Colitis (UC), many studies have investigated the association between the IL-23R polymorphisms and UC. However, the results were controversial. The aim of the study was to determine whether the IL-23R polymorphisms confer susceptibility to UC. Methods A systematic literature search was carried out to identify all potentially relevant studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the strength of association. Results A total of 33 studies in 32 articles, including 10,527 UC cases and 15,142 healthy controls, were finally involved in the meta-analysis. Overall, a significant association was found between all UC cases and the rs11209026A allele (OR = 0.665, 95% CI = 0.604~0.733, P < 0.001). Similarly, meta-analyses of the rs7517847, rs1004819, rs10889677, rs2201841, rs11209032, rs1495965, rs1343151 and rs11465804 polymorphisms also indicated significant association with all UC (all P < 0.05). Stratification by ethnicity revealed that the rs11209026, rs7517847, rs10889677, rs2201841 andrs11465804 polymorphisms were associated with UC in the Caucasian group, but not in Asians, while the rs1004819 and rs11209032 polymorphisms were found to be related to UC for both Caucasian and Asian groups. However, subgroup analysis failed to unveil any association between the rs1495965 and rs1343151 polymorphisms and UC in Caucasians or Asians. Conclusions The meta-analysis suggests significant association between IL-23R polymorphisms and UC, especially in Caucasians.
Calibration of SphygmoCor.

A s the designer of the SphygmoCor system (AtCor Medical Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia), in use for 25 years [1] to estimate central aortic pressure waveforms, I wish to clarify the issue of calibration [2–4]. The device was cleared by the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994. I am not aware of FDA approval for other devices in United States. The FDA mandated that the applanation tonometry device be used on the radial artery and be calibrated by brachial cuff BP – specifically SBP and DBP. The FDA gave cogent reasons for calibration:
Enhancing the Infrastructure of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study for Cancer Epidemiology Research: ARIC Cancer

Background: We describe the expansion of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study into a cancer cohort. In 1987 to 1989, ARIC recruited 15,792 participants 45 to 64 years old to be sex (55% female), race (27% black), and geographically diverse. ARIC has exceptional data collected during 6 clinical visits and calls every 6 months, repeated biospecimens, and linkage to Medicare claims data. Methods: We established a Cancer Coordinating Center to implement infrastructure activities, convened a Working Group for data use, leveraged ARIC staff and procedures, and developed protocols. We initiated a cancer-specific participant contact, added questions to existing contacts, obtained permission to collect medical records and tissue, abstracted records, linked with state cancer registries, and adjudicated cases and characterizing data. Results: Through 2012, we ascertained and characterized 4,743 incident invasive, first, and subsequent primary cancers among 4,107 participants and 1,660 cancer-related deaths. We generated a total cancer incidence and mortality analytic case file, and analytic case files for bladder, breast, colorectal, liver, lung, pancreas, and prostate cancer incidence, mortality, and case fatality. Adjudication of multiple data sources improved case records and identified cancers not identified via registries. From 2013 onward, we ascertain cases from self-report coupled with medical records. Additional cancer registry linkages are planned. Conclusions: Compared with starting a new cohort, expanding a cardiovascular cohort into ARIC Cancer was an efficient strategy. Our efforts yielded enhanced case files with 25 years of follow-up. Impact: Now that the cancer infrastructure is established, ARIC is contributing its unique features to modern cancer epidemiology research. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(3); 295–305. ©2017 AACR.
A path planning algorithm for unmanned vehicles based on target-oriented rapidly-exploring random tree

A path planning algorithm for the unmanned vehicles based on target-oriented rapidly-exploring random tree (RRT) is proposed in this paper with the objective of improving search efficiency for the basic RRT algorithm. According to the idea of target-oriented search, the information of the target node is always utilized for the global search which makes the algorithm directional and fast. In the vicinity of the obstacle, the local path planning is carried out by using the optimized RRT algorithm to meet safety requirements of the vehicle. With the help of a heuristic function for node evaluation, the random tree generated is pruned and optimized with fewer search nodes in a shorter distance. The B-spline curve is used for fitting the nodes to derive a smooth feasible path such that the kinematic constraints of vehicle are taken into consideration. The effectiveness and advantages of the proposed algorithm are verified by simulation and road experiment.
Temporal Management of RFID Data

RFID technology can be used to significantly improve the efficiency of business processes by providing the capability of automatic identification and data capture. This technology poses many new challenges on current data management systems. RFID data are time-dependent, dynamically changing, in large volumes, and carry implicit semantics. RFID data management systems need to effectively support such large scale temporal data created by RFID applications. These systems need to have an explicit temporal data model for RFID data to support tracking and monitoring queries. In addition, they need to have an automatic method to transform the primitive observations from RFID readers into derived data used in RFID-enabled applications. In this paper, we present an integrated RFID data management system -- Siemens RFID Middleware -- based on an expressive temporal data model for RFID data. Our system enables semantic RFID data filtering and automatic data transformation based on declarative rules, provides powerful query support of RFID object tracking and monitoring, and can be adapted to different RFID-enabled applications.
Development of early numerical abilities of Spanish-speaking Mexican preschoolers: A new assessment tool

ABSTRACT This article presents a tool for assessing the early numerical abilities of Spanish-speaking Mexican preschoolers. The Numerical Abilities Test, from the Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil-Preescolar (ENI-P), evaluates four core abilities of number development: magnitude comparison, counting, subitizing, and basic calculation. We evaluated 307 Spanish-speaking Mexican children aged 2 years 6 months to 4 years 11 months. Appropriate internal consistency and test–retest reliability were demonstrated. We also investigated the effect of age, children’s school attendance, maternal education, and sex on children’s numerical scores. The results showed that the four subtests captured development across ages. Critically, maternal education had an impact on children’s performance in three out of the four subtests, but there was no effect associated with children’s school attendance or sex. These results suggest that the Numerical Abilities Test is a reliable instrument for Spanish-speaking preschoolers. We discuss the implications of our outcomes for numerical development.
Robust Real-Time Musculoskeletal Modeling Driven by Electromyograms

Objective: Current clinical biomechanics involves lengthy data acquisition and time-consuming offline analyses with biomechanical models not operating in real-time for man–machine interfacing. We developed a method that enables online analysis of neuromusculoskeletal function in vivo in the intact human. Methods: We used electromyography (EMG)-driven musculoskeletal modeling to simulate all transformations from muscle excitation onset (EMGs) to mechanical moment production around multiple lower-limb degrees of freedom (DOFs). We developed a calibration algorithm that enables adjusting musculoskeletal model parameters specifically to an individual's anthropometry and force-generating capacity. We incorporated the modeling paradigm into a computationally efficient, generic framework that can be interfaced in real-time with any movement data collection system. Results: The framework demonstrated the ability of computing forces in 13 lower-limb muscle-tendon units and resulting moments about three joint DOFs simultaneously in real-time. Remarkably, it was capable of extrapolating beyond calibration conditions, i.e., predicting accurate joint moments during six unseen tasks and one unseen DOF. Conclusion: The proposed framework can dramatically reduce evaluation latency in current clinical biomechanics and open up new avenues for establishing prompt and personalized treatments, as well as for establishing natural interfaces between patients and rehabilitation systems. Significance: The integration of EMG with numerical modeling will enable simulating realistic neuromuscular strategies in conditions including muscular/orthopedic deficit, which could not be robustly simulated via pure modeling formulations. This will enable translation to clinical settings and development of healthcare technologies including real-time bio-feedback of internal mechanical forces and direct patient-machine interfacing.
Nano-optics of perforated metallic films

In the past few decades, accompanied by the fascinating development of microand nano-fabrication techniques, the successful integration of subwavelength optics and multilayer structures has led to a number of remarkable discoveries. In this work, I present both experimental and theoretical investigations of the optics of thin metallic films with micro-/nano-scale perforations in the UV-VIS-IR ranges. Different fabrication techniques are employed, including nanosphere lithography, grain boundary lithography, crack templates, and sintered nanoparticles. The optical properties these films are studied, revealing important relation between optical response and the film geometry. This includes the evolution of plasmonic resonances in a series of periodic arrays of holes in a metallic film, with hole sizes increasing gradually until an array of islands is achieved. This evolution is an analog of the percolation problem, and critical phenomena are observed at the percolation threshold. Multilayer broad-band electromagnetic absorbers are also designed and fabricated based on the study of these perforated films. Parallel with these observations, an analytical coherence model is proposed to bridge the subwavelength and superwavelength limits. Such a model also provides an alternative way to handle thin random structures, avoiding large quantity of numerical computation. These studies can find applications in the design of sensors, ultrathin solar cells and transparent electrodes, as well as in applications where random structures are widely used. NANO-OPTICS OF PERFORATED METALLIC FILMS
Vancomycin-Resistant Pseudomonas Aeroginosa in the Cases of Trauma

Background: One of the main problems in the treatment of cases of P. aeruginosa especially in the orthopedic infections is the occurrence of high antibiotic resistance. The present study was carried out in order to investigate the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant P. aeruginosa in the cases of trauma in Iran. Methods: Two hundred and fifty swab samples were collected from the site of trauma from the patients who referred to the orthopedic wards of the Iranian health centers. Samples were cultured immediately and those that were P. aeruginosa-positive were analyzed by the disk diffusion method. Results: Of 250 swab samples collected, 43 were positive for P. aeruginosa (17.2%). The results of the culture technique were also confirmed by the PCR reaction. Of 43 P. aeruginosa isolates, 32 strains (74.41%) were resistant to vancomycin. Total prevalence of bacteria in Tehran and Mashhad hospitals were 18.46% and 15.83%, respectively. Statistically significant difference was seen for the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant P. aeruginosa between the samples collected from Tehran and Mashhad (P =0.027). More than 55 years old and less than 10 years old patients had the highest prevalence of P. aeruginosa. P. aeruginosa strains of male and more than 55 years old patients harbored the highest levels of resistance against vancomycin. Conclusions: It is logical to primary identification of type of bacteria causing infection in the site of trauma and then using from the disk diffusion method to choose the best antimicrobial agent. Highest levels of health care should be performed for the patients less than 10 years and more than 55 years old patients.
Efficient Handwritten Digit Recognition based on Histogram of Oriented Gradients and SVM

Automatic Handwritten Digits Recognition (HDR) is the process of interpreting handwritten digits by machines. There are several approaches for handwritten digits recognition. In this paper we have proposed an appearance feature-based approach which process data using Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG). HOG is a very efficient feature descriptor for handwritten digits which is stable on illumination variation because it is a gradient-based descriptor. Moreover, linear SVM has been employed as classifier which has better responses than polynomial, RBF and sigmoid kernels. We have analyzed our model on MNIST dataset and 97.25% accuracy rate has been achieved which is comparable with the state of the art. General Terms Image Processing, Computer Vision, Artificial Intelligence
Amelioration of mild and moderate depression through Pranic Healing as adjuvant therapy: randomised double-blind controlled trial

Objectives: Depression is a mental disorder, affecting the quality of life. Our study explores the efficacy of Pranic Healing (PH), as an adjuvant therapy in treating depression Methods: In this randomised double-blind controlled trial, 52 participants with a mean age of 34.4 years, with mild to moderate depression were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM-D) scale during the 5-week study. Both Medication + PH (MedPH) and Medication + Mock PH (MedMockPH) groups comprising 26 members received Pranic and mock healing lasting 20 minutes per session respectively once a week for 4 weeks, along with the antidepressant drug. Results: The average decrease in HAM-D score in MedPH was median 11 (Interquartile Range (IQR) 7–12) and was significantly higher compared with the MedMockPH group median 6.5 (IQR 3–9). At pre-assessment, both groups had 8 cases of mild and 18 cases of moderate depression. At post-assessment, HAM-D showed that the improvement in depression category was seen in 69.2% of participants in the MedMockPH group and 100% in MedPH group. Conclusions: These results give first the evidence that PH can aid as an adjuvant therapy for depressed people.
Treasure hunt game to persuade visitors to walk around a shopping mall

In this paper, we propose a treasure hunting game aimed at changing shopping behavior. Shopping malls consist of various tenants such as shops and restaurants, enabling visitors to find many kinds of goods and services in one place. Realizing this multiplier effect, the shopping mall manages to announce the shops they have and encourage visitors to walk around all over the mall. However, visitors tend to visit particular tenants that they know well and do not pay much attention to other unfamiliar ones. With such buying behavior, malls lose their appeal. We thus aimed to persuade mall visitors to visit unfamiliar shops through playing a game. We designed the treasure hunt game on a smart phone by introducing some gamification techniques. In the game, a participant looks for virtual treasures that are hidden in tenants, and the treasure emits a wireless beacon signal. An individuals smartphone presents the beacon signal status and text hints to provide clues to find the treasures, so the participant walks around the shopping mall to hunt for the treasures. As the result of our user study, we confirmed that the proposed method motivates participants to walk around the shopping mall while hunting for the treasure. Further analysis suggested that our method suits shopping activities of groups such as families.
Improving Recommender Systems Beyond the Algorithm

Recommender systems rely heavily on the predictive accuracy of the learning algorithm. Most work on improving accuracy has focused on the learning algorithm itself. We argue that this algorithmic focus is myopic. In particular, since learning algorithms generally improve with more and better data, we propose shaping the feedback generation process as an alternate and complementary route to improving accuracy. To this effect, we explore how changes to the user interface can impact the quality and quantity of feedback data -- and therefore the learning accuracy. Motivated by information foraging theory, we study how feedback quality and quantity are influenced by interface design choices along two axes: information scent and information access cost. We present a user study of these interface factors for the common task of picking a movie to watch, showing that these factors can effectively shape and improve the implicit feedback data that is generated while maintaining the user experience.
Double-Conjugated Ru(bpy)32+ Complexes for Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence Immunoanalysis

A new method was established to construct a ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor by using Ru@SiO2 (Ru(bpy)3 2+ doped silica) - doped Au (Ru@SiO2-Au) composite nanoparticles to label Ru-Ab2 (monoclonal α-fetoprotein (AFP) antibody labeled with Ru(bpy)32+). The primary antibody, anti-AFP was first immobilized on the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MCNTs) modified with gold nanoparticles (MCNTs-Au) modified glassy carbon electrode due to the covalent conjugation, then the antigen and the Ru@SiO2-Au composite nanoparticles labeled Ru-Ab2 (Ru@SiO2-Au~Ru-Ab2)was conjugated successively to form a double-conjugated Ru(bpy)32+ sandwich-type immunocomplex through the specific interaction. Accordingly, through the ECL response of Ru@SiO2-Au~Ru-Ab2 and tripropylamine (TPA), a strong ECL signal was obtained and an amplification analysis of protein interaction was achieved. The present immunosensor performed high sensitivity and wide liner for detection α-fetoprotein (AFP) in the range of 0.05-80 ng mL−1 and the limit detection was 0.025 ng mL−1(defined as S/N=3). The morphologies of MCNTs, MCNTs-Au, Ru@SiO2 and Ru@SiO2-Au nanoparticles were characterized by using transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). The developed label and method is versatile, offers enhanced performances, and can be easily extended to other protein detection.
Microcapsules and Nanoparticles in Medicine and Pharmacy

Introduction and Overview. PART I: ADVANCES IN PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROCAPSULES, MICROSPHERES, AND NANOPARTICLES. Developments in Phase Separation Methods, Aggregation Control, and Mechanisms of Microencapsulation (Max Donbrow). Formation of Degradable Drug-Loaded Microparticles by In-Liquid Drying Processes (Curt Thies). Fluid-Bed Spray Coating (K. Lehmann). Polyanhydride Microspheres as Drug Delivery Systems (Edith Mathiowitz and Robert Langer). Nanoparticles - Preparation and Applications (J. Kreuter). Recent Advances Using Microencapsulation for Taste Masking of Bitter Drugs (J.A. Bakan, T.C. Powell, R.W. Roark, and P.S. Szotak). PART II: BIOLOGICAL TRANSIT AND INTERACTIONS, RELEASE KINETICS, PHARMACOKINETICS AND BIOAVAILABILITY. Gastrointestinal Transit of Microcapsules (John T. Fell). Interaction of Microcapsules with Blood Components (Tamotsu Kondo). Recent Advances in Microencapsulation of Drugs to Obtain Reduced Gastric Irritation (J.A. Bakan, T.C. Powell, R.W. Roark, and P.S. Szotak). In Vitro Release from Microcapsules and Microspheres (Ivan Jalsenjak). The Relation of Release Profiles from Ensembles to Those of Individual Microcapsules and the Influence of Types of Batch Heterogeneity on Release Kinetics (Max Donbrow). Pharmacokinetic Considerations Related to Bioavailability of Sustained-Release Microencapsulated Drugs for Oral Use - Assessment of Absorption Rates (Shigeru Goto and Takahiro Uchida). PART III: CLINICAL APPLICATIONS, TARGETING, AND LIVING AND ARTIFICIAL ENCAPSULATED CELLS. Clinical Uses of Microcapsules and Microspheres (Kazuhiko Juni and Masahiro Nakano). Chemo-Embolization and Passive Targeting with Degradable Starch Microspheres (Peter Edman and Ingvar Sj holm). Active Targeting of Microcapsules and Microspheres to Specific Regions (Julia J. Wright and Lisbeth Illum). Erythrocytes as Microvesicles (David A. Lewis and H. Oya Alpar). Microencapsulation of Living Cells and Tissues. (Anthony M. Sun , Ivan Vacek, and Isaballa Tai). Recent Advances in Artificial Cells with Emphasis on Biotechnological Approaches Based on Microencapsulation (Thomas Ming Swi Chang).