Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mirror therapy and treadmill training for a patient with chronic stroke: A case report

ABSTRACT Introduction: A large proportion of patients with chronic stroke have permanent lower limb functional disability leading to reduced levels of independent mobility. Individually, both mirror therapy and treadmill training have been shown to improve aspects of lower limb functioning in patients with stroke. This case report examined whether a new combination of both interventions would lead to improvements in lower limb functional disability for a patient with chronic stroke. Case Description: The participant was a 50-year-old female who had a left middle cerebral artery infarction (47 months’ post stroke). Due to hemiparesis, she had lower limb motor impairment and gait deficits. Intervention: The participant engaged in a combination of mirror therapy and treadmill training for 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week, for 4 weeks. Outcomes: Modified Ashworth Scale, Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremity and the 10 m Walk Test demonstrated clinically meaningful change. The 6 Minute Walk Test did not demonstrate meaningful change. Discussion: The positive outcomes from this new combination therapy for this participant are encouraging given the relatively small dose of training and indicate the potential benefit of mirror therapy as an adjunct to treadmill training for enhancing lower limb muscle tone, motor function and walking velocity in patients with chronic stroke.
Wireless Networks for Mobile Edge Computing: Spatial Modeling and Latency Analysis

Next-generation wireless networks will provide users ubiquitous low-latency computing services using devices at the network edge, called mobile edge computing (MEC). The key operation of MEC is to offload computation intensive tasks from users. Since each edge device comprises an access point (AP) and a computer server (CS), an MEC network can be decomposed as a radio access network cascaded with a CS network. Based on the architecture, we investigate network-constrained latency performance, namely communication latency and computation latency, under the constraints of radio-access connectivity and CS stability. To this end, a spatial random network is modeled featuring random node distribution, parallel computing, non-orthogonal multiple access, and random computation-task generation. Given the model and the said network constraints, we derive the scaling laws of communication latency and computation latency with respect to network-load parameters (density of mobiles and their task-generation rates) and network-resource parameters (bandwidth, density of APs/CSs, and CS computation rate). Essentially, the analysis involves the interplay of the theories of stochastic geometry, queueing, and parallel computing. Combining the derived scaling laws quantifies the tradeoffs between the latencies, network connectivity, and network stability. The results provide useful guidelines for MEC-network provisioning and planning by avoiding either of the cascaded radio access network or CS network being a performance bottleneck.
Development of uracil-DNA-glycosylase-supplemented loop-mediated isothermal amplification coupled with nanogold probe (UDG-LAMP-AuNP) for specific detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is an important opportunistic pathogen that causes serious infections in humans, including keratitis in contact lens wearers. Therefore, establishing a rapid, specific and sensitive method for the identification of P. aeruginosa is imperative. In the present study, the uracil-DNA-glycosylase-supplemented loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with nanogold labeled hybridization probe (UDG-LAMP-AuNP) was developed for the detection of P. aeruginosa. UDG-LAMP was performed to prevent carry over contamination and the LAMP reactions can be readily observed using the nanogold probe. A set of 4 primers and a hybridization probe were designed based on the ecfX gene. The UDG-LAMP reactions were performed at 65°C for 60 min using the ratio of 40% deoxyuridine triphosphate to 60% deoxythymidine triphosphate. The detection of UDG-LAMP products using the nanogold labeled hybridization probe, which appeared as a red-purple color, was examined at 65°C for 5 min with 40 mM MgSO4. The UDG-LAMP-AuNP demonstrated specificity to all tested isolates of P. aeruginosa without cross reaction to other bacteria. The sensitivity for the detection of pure culture was 1.6×103 colony-forming units (CFU) ml−1 or equivalent to 3 CFU per reaction while that of polymerase chain reaction was 30 CFU per reaction. The detection limit of spiked contact lenses was 1.1×103 CFU ml−1 or equivalent to 2 CFU per reaction. In conclusion, the UDG-LAMP-AuNP assay was rapid, simple, specific and was effective for the identification of P. aeruginosa in contaminated samples.
Attentive Statistics Pooling for Deep Speaker Embedding

This paper proposes attentive statistics pooling for deep speaker embedding in text-independent speaker verification. In conventional speaker embedding, frame-level features are averaged over all the frames of a single utterance to form an utterance-level feature. Our method utilizes an attention mechanism to give different weights to different frames and generates not only weighted means but also weighted standard deviations. In this way, it can capture long-term variations in speaker characteristics more effectively. An evaluation on the NIST SRE 2012 and the VoxCeleb data sets shows that it reduces equal error rates (EERs) from the conventional method by 7.5% and 8.1%, respectively.
Diffusion curve textures for resolution independent texture mapping

We introduce a vector representation called diffusion curve textures for mapping diffusion curve images (DCI) onto arbitrary surfaces. In contrast to the original implicit representation of DCIs [Orzan et al. 2008], where determining a single texture value requires iterative computation of the entire DCI via the Poisson equation, diffusion curve textures provide an explicit representation from which the texture value at any point can be solved directly, while preserving the compactness and resolution independence of diffusion curves. This is achieved through a formulation of the DCI diffusion process in terms of Green's functions. This formulation furthermore allows the texture value of any rectangular region (e.g. pixel area) to be solved in closed form, which facilitates anti-aliasing. We develop a GPU algorithm that renders anti-aliased diffusion curve textures in real time, and demonstrate the effectiveness of this method through high quality renderings with detailed control curves and color variations.
Application of a reduced order Kalman filter to initialize a coupled atmosphere-ocean model: Impact on the prediction of E1 Nifio

A reducedorder Kalman Filter, basedon a simplification of the Singular Evolutive ExtendedKalman (SEEK) filter equations(Pham et al. 1998),is used to assimilateobserved fields of the surfacewind stress, seasurfacetemperature and sea level into the nonlinear coupledocean-atmospheremodelof Zebiak and Cane(1987). The SEEK filter projects the Kalman Filter equations(Kalman and Bucy 1960)onto a subspacedefinedby the eigenvalue decompositionof the error forecastmatrix, allowing its application to high dimensionalsystems. The Zebiak and Canemodel couplesa linear reducedgravity oceanmodel (Caneand Patton 1984)with a singlevertical mode atmosphericmodel of Zebiak (1986). The compatibility betweenthe simplified physicsof the model and eachobservedvariable is studied separatelyand together. The results showthe ability of the model to representthe simultaneousvalueof the wind stress,SSTand sealevel, whenthe fields are limited to the latitude band 10°S10°N. In this first application of the Kalman Filter to a coupled ocean-atmosphere prediction model, the sea level fields are assimilated in terms of the Kelvin and Rossby modes of the thermocline depth anomaly. An estimation of the error of these modes is derived from the projection of an estimation of the sea level error over such modes. This method gives a value of 12 for the error of the Kelvin amplitude, and 6 m of error for the Rossby component of the thermocline depth. The ability of the method to reconstruct the state of the equatorial Pacific and predict its time evolution is demonstrated. The method is shown to be quite robust for predictions
Fitness Trade-Offs Lead to Suppressor Tolerance in Yeast

Genetic variation among individuals within a population provides the raw material for phenotypic diversity upon which natural selection operates. Some given variants can act on multiple standing genomic variations simultaneously and release previously inaccessible phenotypes, leading to increased adaptive potential upon challenging environments. Previously, we identified such a variant related to a tRNA nonsense suppressor in yeast. When introduced into other genetic backgrounds, the suppressor led to an increased population phenotypic variance on various culture conditions, conferring background and environment specific selective advantages. Nonetheless, most isolates are intolerant to the suppressor on rich media due to a severe fitness cost. Here, we found that the tolerance to suppressor is related to a surprising level of fitness outburst, showing a trade-off effect to accommodate the cost of carrying the suppressor. To dissect the genetic basis of such trade-offs, we crossed strains with contrasting tolerance levels on rich media, and analyzed the fitness distribution patterns in the offspring. Combining quantitative tetrad analysis and bulk segregant analysis, we identified two genes, namely MKT1 and RGA1, involved in suppressor tolerance. We showed that alleles from the tolerant parent for both genes conferred a significant gain of fitness, which increased the suppressor tolerance. Our results present a detailed dissection of suppressor tolerance in yeast and provide insights into the molecular basis of trade-offs between fitness and evolutionary potential.
Double Strain-Promoted Macrocyclization for the Rapid Selection of Cell-Active Stapled Peptides.

Peptide stapling is a method for designing macrocyclic alpha-helical inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. However, obtaining a cell-active inhibitor can require significant optimization. We report a novel stapling technique based on a double strain-promoted azide-alkyne reaction, and exploit its biocompatibility to accelerate the discovery of cell-active stapled peptides. As a proof of concept, MDM2-binding peptides were stapled in parallel, directly in cell culture medium in 96-well plates, and simultaneously evaluated in a p53 reporter assay. This in situ stapling/screening process gave an optimal candidate that showed improved proteolytic stability and nanomolar binding to MDM2 in subsequent biophysical assays. α-Helicity was confirmed by a crystal structure of the MDM2-peptide complex. This work introduces in situ stapling as a versatile biocompatible technique with many other potential high-throughput biological applications.
An attention account of neural priming

ABSTRACT Repetition priming of familiar stimuli (e.g., objects) produces a decrease in visual cortical activity for repeated versus novel items, which has been attributed to more fluent processing for repeated items. By contrast, priming of unfamiliar stimuli (e.g., abstract shapes) produces an increase in visual cortical activity. The mechanism for priming-related increases in activity for repeated unfamiliar stimuli is unknown. We hypothesised that such increases in activity may reflect attentional allocation to these items. We tested this hypothesis using a priming-spatial attention paradigm. During Phase 1 of Experiment 1, participants viewed unfamiliar abstract shapes and familiar objects. During Phase 2, participants identified target letters (S or H). Each target letter was preceded by a non-informative shape or object cue that was repeated (from Phase 1) or novel in the same (valid) or opposite (invalid) hemifield. In Experiment 2, we manipulated shape familiarity by presenting shapes once or six times during Phase 1. For both experiments, at valid locations, target identification accuracy was higher following repeated versus novel unfamiliar item cues and lower following repeated versus novel familiar item cues. These findings support our hypothesis that priming-related increases in visual cortical activity for repeated unfamiliar items may, in part, reflect attentional allocation.
Relationship Between Human mutL Homolog 1 (hMLH1) Hypermethylation and Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Background Hypermethylation of CpG islands in gene promoter regions is an important mechanism of gene inactivation in cancers. Promoter hypermethylation of human mutL homolog 1 (hMLH1) has been implicated in a subset of colorectal cancers that show microsatellite instability (MSI), while the connection of the epigenetic inactivation of hMLH1 in colorectal cancers remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the promoter hypermethylation of hMLH1 and colorectal cancers by performing a meta-analysis. Material/Methods Eligible studies were identified through searching PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. R Software including meta packages was used to calculate the pooled and odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs). Funnel plots were also performed to evaluate publication bias. Results This meta-analysis obtained 45 articles, including 4096 colorectal cancer patients, and identified a significant association between hMLH1 hypermethylation and colorectal cancer risk using the fixed-effects model (OR=8.3820; 95% CI, 6.9202~10.1527; z=21.7431; P<0.0001) and random effects model pooled (OR=10.0963; 95% CI, 6.1919~16.4626; z=9.2688; P<0.0001). The significant relationship was found in subgroup analyses. Conclusions The results of this meta-analysis show a significant association between hMLH1 hypermethylation and colorectal cancer risk.
Numerical methods for multivariate highly oscillatory integrals

ABSTRACT In this paper, new algorithms are proposed for numerical evaluation of multivariate highly oscillatory integrals having critical point(s) over piecewise smooth rectangular and non-rectangular domains. Multi-resolution analysis is used to take care of the critical point(s). Theoretical error bounds of the component methods of the new algorithms are found. Accuracy of the proposed algorithms is validated numerically on benchmark tests. Numerical results are compared with the methods available in the literature to ascertain stable and accurate performance of the new algorithms.
An Application of Jeeves for Honeypot Sanitization Ashton

Being able to quickly create realistic honeypots is very useful for obtaining accurate information about attacker behavior. However, creating realistic honeypots requires sanitization of the original system from which the honeypot is derived. To achieve this the use of the Jeeves, a language based on faceted values, is extended to rapidly replace secret values with believable and non-interfering sanitized values. By making several changes to the source code of Jelf, a web server implemented in Jeeves, we are able to quickly and easily create sanitized honeypots. Our experiments show that the sanitized and unsanitized versions of Jelf only differ in response times by less than 1%.
Distinct transcriptomic changes in E14.5 mouse skeletal muscle lacking RYR1 or Cav1.1 converge at E18.5

In skeletal muscle the coordinated actions of two mechanically coupled Ca2+ channels—the 1,4-dihydropyridine receptor (Cav1.1) and the type 1 ryanodine receptor (RYR1)–underlie the molecular mechanism of rapid cytosolic [Ca2+] increase leading to contraction. While both [Ca2+]i and contractile activity have been implicated in the regulation of myogenesis, less is known about potential specific roles of Cav1.1 and RYR1 in skeletal muscle development. In this study, we analyzed the histology and the transcriptomic changes occurring at E14.5 –the end of primary myogenesis and around the onset of intrauterine limb movement, and at E18.5 –the end of secondary myogenesis, in WT, RYR1-/-, and Cav1.1-/- murine limb skeletal muscle. At E14.5 the muscle histology of both mutants exhibited initial alterations, which became much more severe at E18.5. Immunohistological analysis also revealed higher levels of activated caspase-3 in the Cav1.1-/- muscles at E14.5, indicating an increase in apoptosis. With WT littermates as controls, microarray analyses identified 61 and 97 differentially regulated genes (DEGs) at E14.5, and 493 and 1047 DEGs at E18.5, in RYR1-/- and Cav1.1-/- samples, respectively. Gene enrichment analysis detected no overlap in the affected biological processes and pathways in the two mutants at E14.5, whereas at E18.5 there was a significant overlap of DEGs in both mutants, affecting predominantly processes linked to muscle contraction. Moreover, the E18.5 vs. E14.5 comparison revealed multiple genotype-specific DEGs involved in contraction, cell cycle and miRNA-mediated signaling in WT, neuronal and bone development in RYR1-/-, and lipid metabolism in Cav1.1-/- samples. Taken together, our study reveals discrete changes in the global transcriptome occurring in limb skeletal muscle from E14.5 to E18.5 in WT, RYR1-/- and Cav1.1-/- mice. Our results suggest distinct functional roles for RYR1 and Cav1.1 in skeletal primary and secondary myogenesis.
Cloning and functional expression of a ClC Cl- channel from the renal cell line A6.

Cl- channels are important for ion transport and cell volume regulation in A6 renal cells. In the present study, we used reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) to identify proteins homologous to ClC Cl- channel proteins in A6 cells. Using degenerate primers designed on consensus sequences for members of the ClC family, we amplified an RT-PCR product that had significant homology to the ClC sequences. RACE-PCR was then used to isolate several full-length clones that had total lengths from 2,764 to 3,016 base pairs. Although the coding regions were identical, sequence differences occurred in the 5' noncoding regions. The amino acid sequences of the clones had high homologies to rat and human ClC-5 (85 and 84%, respectively, if the 5th methionine of the open reading frame represents the start codon). Three parts of the protein (53, 80, and 63 amino acids in length) were 97-100% homologous to the mammalian sequences. Ribonuclease protection assay analysis revealed mRNA for this protein in oocytes, kidney, intestine, liver, brain, and blood, with lower amounts in stomach, muscle, and skin. Expression of the clones in Xenopus laevis oocytes resulted in an outwardly rectifying Cl-current that was inhibited by 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid and possessed an anion selectivity of I- > Cl- >> gluconate.
Psychotic experiences and general medical conditions: a cross-national analysis based on 28 002 respondents from 16 countries in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys

Abstract Background Previous work has identified associations between psychotic experiences (PEs) and general medical conditions (GMCs), but their temporal direction remains unclear as does the extent to which they are independent of comorbid mental disorders. Methods In total, 28 002 adults in 16 countries from the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys were assessed for PEs, GMCs and 21 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) mental disorders. Discrete-time survival analyses were used to estimate the associations between PEs and GMCs with various adjustments. Results After adjustment for comorbid mental disorders, temporally prior PEs were significantly associated with subsequent onset of 8/12 GMCs (arthritis, back or neck pain, frequent or severe headache, other chronic pain, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and peptic ulcer) with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 1.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–1.5] to 1.9 (95% CI 1.4–2.4). In contrast, only three GMCs (frequent or severe headache, other chronic pain and asthma) were significantly associated with subsequent onset of PEs after adjustment for comorbid GMCs and mental disorders, with ORs ranging from 1.5 (95% CI 1.2–1.9) to 1.7 (95% CI 1.2–2.4). Conclusions PEs were associated with the subsequent onset of a wide range of GMCs, independent of comorbid mental disorders. There were also associations between some medical conditions (particularly those involving chronic pain) and subsequent PEs. Although these findings will need to be confirmed in prospective studies, clinicians should be aware that psychotic symptoms may be risk markers for a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Whether PEs are causal risk factors will require further research.
Complete Genome Sequence of Altererythrobacter sp. Strain B11, an Aromatic Monomer-Degrading Bacterium, Isolated from Deep-Sea Sediment under the Seabed off Kashima, Japan

ABSTRACT Altererythrobacter sp. strain B11 is an aromatic monomer-degrading bacterium newly isolated from sediment under the seabed off Kashima, Japan, at a depth of 2,100 m. Here, we report the complete nucleotide sequence of the genome of strain B11.
Thrombin-, bradykinin-, and arachidonic acid-induced Ca2+ signaling in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Stimulation of single Ehrlich ascites tumor cells with agonists (bradykinin, thrombin) and with arachidonic acid (AA) induces increases in the free intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the presence and absence of extracellular Ca2+, measured using the Ca2+-sensitive probe fura 2. Sequential stimulation with two agonists elicits sequential increases in [Ca2+]i, unlike addition of the same agonist twice. Bradykinin and thrombin have additive effects on [Ca2+]iin Ca2+-free medium. The phosphoinositidase C inhibitor U-73122 inhibits the agonist-induced increases in [Ca2+]i, whereas ryanodine has no effect. Pretreatment of cells in Ca2+-free medium with thapsigargin abolishes the bradykinin-induced increase in [Ca2+]ibut not the response to thrombin. The AA-induced response is not inhibited by U-73122 and cannot be mimicked by the inactive structural analog trifluoromethylarachidonyl ketone. Pretreatment of the cells with 50 μM AA (but not with 10 μM AA) abolishes the agonist-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. Thus bradykinin, thrombin, and AA induce increases in [Ca2+]iin Ehrlich cells due to Ca2+ entry and release from intracellular stores. Thrombin causes release of Ca2+ from an intracellular store that is insensitive to bradykinin and is not depleted by thapsigargin but is depleted by AA.
Combining 2D to 2D and 3D to 2D Point Correspondences for Stereo Visual Odometry

Self-localization and motion estimation are requisite skills for autonomous robots. They enable the robot to navigate autonomously without relying on external positioning systems. The autonomous navigation can be achieved by making use of a stereo camera on board the robot. In this work a stereo visual odometry algorithm is developed which uses FAST features in combination with the Rotated-BRIEF descriptor and an approach for feature tracking. For motion estimation we utilize 3D to 2D point correspondences as well as 2D to 2D point correspondences. First we estimate an initial relative pose by decomposing the essential matrix. After that we refine the initial motion estimate by solving an optimization problem that minimizes the reprojection error as well as a cost function based on the epipolar constraint. The second cost function enables us to take also advantage of useful information from 2D to 2D point correspondences. Finally, we evaluate the implemented algorithm on the well known KITTI and EuRoC datasets.