Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of Empirical Mode Decomposition and Teager energy operator to EEG signals for mental task classification

This paper presents a novel method for mental task classification from EEG signals using Empirical Mode Decomposition and Teager energy operator techniques on EEG data. The efficacy of these techniques for non-stationary and non-linear data has already been demonstrated, which therefore lend themselves well to EEG signals, which are also non-stationary and non-linear in nature. The method described in this paper decomposed the EEG signals (6 EEG signals per task per subject, for a total of 5 tasks over multiple trials) into their constituent oscillatory modes, called intrinsic mode functions, and separated out the trend from the signal. Teager energy operator was used to calculate the average energy of both the detrended signal and the trend. The average energy was used to construct separate feature vectors with a small number of parameters for the detrended signal and the trend. Based on these parameters, one-versus-one classification of mental tasks was performed using Linear Discriminant Analysis. Using both feature vectors, an average correct classification rate of more than 85% was achieved, demonstrating the effectiveness of the method used. Furthermore, this method used all the intrinsic mode functions, as opposed to similar studies, demonstrating that the trend of the EEG signal also contains important discriminatory information.
A comment on the bandwidth expansion of Data Dependent Superimposed Training

This paper clarifies the issue of bandwidth expansion of Data Dependent Superimposed Training (DDST) schemes. It has previously been claimed that DDST schemes have the benefits of both Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) training and Superimposed Training (ST) based schemes without any of their respective drawbacks. That is, that channel estimation can be done without interference from the super imposed data as in a TDM scheme, while at the same time transmit data in all timeslots and hence not have the bandwidth increase associated with TDM, where a number of time-slots are dedicated strictly to training. While the estimation accuracy claim is valid we show that the bandwidth expansion claim is not. It is instead shown that the bandwidth expansion of a DDST system is identical to that of a TDM based system.
Highly PEGylated DNA Nanoparticles Provide Uniform and Widespread Gene Transfer in the Brain

Gene delivery to the central nervous system (CNS) has potential as a means for treating numerous debilitating neurological diseases. Nonviral gene vector platforms are tailorable and can overcome key limitations intrinsic to virus‐mediated delivery; however, lack of clinical efficacy with nonviral systems to date may be attributed to limited gene vector dispersion and transfection in vivo. It is shown that the brain extracellular matrix (ECM) strongly limits penetration of polymer‐based gene vector nanoparticles (NP) through the brain parenchyma, even when they are very small (<60 nm) and coated with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) corona of typical density. Following convection enhanced delivery (CED), conventional gene vectors are confined to the injection site, presumably by adhesive interactions with the brain ECM and do not provide gene expression beyond the point of administration. In contrast, it is found that incorporating highly PEGylated polymers allows the production of compacted (≈43 nm) and colloidally stable DNA NP that avoid adhesive trapping within the brain parenchyma. When administered by CED into the rat striatum, highly PEGylated DNA NP distribute throughout and provide broad transgene expression without vector‐induced toxicity. The use of these brain‐penetrating gene vectors, in conjunction with CED, offers an avenue to improve gene therapy for CNS diseases.
Conflict: Run! Reduced Stroop interference with avoidance responses

Conflict has been hypothesized to be aversive, triggering avoidance behaviour (Botvinick, 2007). To test this hypothesis, a standard Stroop task was modified such that avoiding was part of the response set. More precisely, participants were asked to move a manikin towards or away from Stroop stimuli, depending on the colour of the words. Results showed that the type of response (approach versus avoidance) modulated the Stroop congruency effect. Specifically, the reaction time analysis revealed that the stimulus congruency effect disappeared with avoidance responses, contrary to approach responses where a stimulus congruency effect was present. Moreover, the error data showed a reduction of the general congruency effect when avoiding. These results suggest that in the face of conflict, avoidance is the predominant response.
Personalized news recommendation using classified keywords to capture user preference

Recommender systems are becoming an essential part of smart services. When building a news recommender system, we should consider special features different from other recommender systems. Hot news topics are changing every moment, thus it is important to recommend right news at the right time. This paper aims to propose a new model, based on deep neural network, to analyse user preference for news recommender system. The model extracts interest keywords to characterize the user preference from the set of news articles read by that particular user in the past. The model utilizes characterizing features for news recommendation, and applies those to the keyword classification for user preference. For the keyword classification, we use deep neural network for online preference analysis, because adaptive learning is necessary to track changes of hot topics sensitively. The usefulness of our model is validated through experiments. In addition, the accuracy and diversity of the recommendation results is also analysed.
Iterative ADMM for Inverse FE–BI Problem: A Potential Solution to Radio Tomography of Asteroids

An iterative alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is proposed for inverse finite-element-boundary-integral (FE-BI) problem with total variation (TV) regularization. The inverse FE-BI fits to a wide class of penetrable sensing applications, where this study specifically targets the problem of radio tomography of asteroid interior structure using orbiting spacecraft. The TV regularizer enforces sparsity on the gradient of reconstructed permittivity, which agrees well with the “piecewise constant” reality of “rocks embedded in soil” scenario and, meanwhile, addresses the inherent ill-posedness. For large-scale asteroid problems, the distributed ADMM algorithm is adapted to solve the linear TV inversion at each iteration. The 2-D inversion is validated with the Fresnel Institute measurement data. Simulated cases of asteroid internal imaging are also presented. The proposed iterative ADMM can be also applied to similar penetrable imaging applications.
Clinical evaluation of oscillating positive expiratory pressure for enhancing expectoration in diseases other than cystic fibrosis.

The benefit of chest physiotherapy in patients with cystic fibrosis has been well documented. However, the benefit of similar rehabilitation in patients with large amounts of sputum who have diagnoses other than cystic fibrosis has not been clearly demonstrated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute effectiveness of a device advised for home chest physiotherapy in comparison to postural drainage combined with chest percussion in removing secretions in patients with high sputum production due to diseases other than cystic fibrosis. Fourteen in-patients, known to spontaneously produce more than 25 mL sputum.day-1, underwent two sessions each of two treatment modalities in random order. Treatment A consisted of postural drainage and manual chest percussion. Treatment B included breathing through a commercial device claimed to combine oscillating positive expiratory pressure with oscillations of the airflow. Expiratory flows and oxygen saturation were monitored and recorded throughout the study. The amount of sputum produced in the 30 min preceding, during, and in the 60 min after completing each treatment session was recorded, together with the sensation of "chest unpleasantness due to secretions" as assessed by means of a modified visual analogue scale. The mean time that the patients tolerated treatment was not different for A and B (18.7 +/- 5 and 19.3 +/- 5 min, respectively). Sputum significantly increased during both treatment periods and in the same amount for the two modalities (2.9 +/- 2.9 to 10.9 +/- 7.1 and 2.8 +/- 3.1 to 10.1 +/- 10.8 mL for A and B, respectively). Visual analogue scale score significantly decreased at the end of each treatment. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Genome Sequence of the Relapsing Fever Borreliosis Species Borrelia hispanica

ABSTRACT Borrelia hispanica is the etiological pathogen of tick-borne relapsing fever, transmitted to humans by infected Ornithodoros erraticus ticks. Here we present the 1,783,846-bp draft genome sequence, with an average G+C content of 28%. It has 2,140 open reading frames, 3 ribosomal RNAs, and 32 transfer RNAs.
Development, characterization and cancer targeting potential of surface engineered carbon nanotubes

Abstract The aim of the present study was to assess the in vitro and in vivo potential of doxorubicin-loaded, folic acid appended engineered multi-walled carbon nanotubes (DOX/FA-PEG-MWCNTs) for efficient tumor targeting. The loading efficiency was determined to be 92.0 ± 0.92 (DOX/FA-PEG-MWCNTs) in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4) ascribed to π–π stacking interaction. The developed nanoconjugates were evaluated for in vitro DOX release, erythrocytes toxicity, ex vivo cytotoxicity and cell uptake studies on MCF-7 (breast cancer cell line). The DOX/FA-PEG-MWCNTs nanoconjugate affords higher efficacy in tumor growth suppression due to its stealth nature and most preferentially taken up by the cultured MCF-7 through caveolae-mediated endocytosis as compared to free DOX. The in vivo studies were performed to determine the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and antitumor efficacy on tumor bearing female Sprague Dawley rats and improved pharmacokinetics confirm the function of FA-PEG conjugated CNTs. The median survival time for tumor bearing rats treated with DOX/FA-PEG-MWCNTs (30 d) was extended very significantly as compared to free DOX (p < 0.001). The results concluded that developed water-soluble nano-conjugates might emerge as “safe and effective” nano-medicine in cancer treatment by minimizing the side effects with and Generally Regarded as Safe prominence.
Inducible and reversible gene silencing by stable integration of an shRNA-encoding lentivirus in transgenic rats

Currently, tools to generate loss-of-function mutations in rats are limited. Therefore, we have developed a lentiviral single-vector system for the temporal control of ubiquitous shRNA expression. Here, we report transgenic rats carrying an insulin receptor-specific shRNA transcribed from a regulatable promoter and identified by concomitant EGFP expression. In the absence of the inducer doxycycline (Dox), we observed no siRNA expression. However, Dox treatment at very low concentrations led to a rapid induction of the siRNA and ablation of INSR protein expression. As anticipated, blood glucose levels increased, whereas insulin signaling and glucose regulation were impaired. Importantly, this phenotype was reversible (i.e., discontinuation of Dox treatment led to INSR re-expression and remission of diabetes symptoms). The lentiviral system offers a simple tool for reversible gene ablation in the rat and can be used for other species that cannot be manipulated by conventional recombination techniques.
Functional changes of the cortical motor system in hereditary spastic paraparesis

Background – Hereditary spastic paraparesis (HSP) is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by progressive bilateral lower limb spasticity. Functional imaging studies in patients with corticospinal tract involvement have shown reorganization of motor circuitry. Our study investigates functional changes in sensorimotor brain areas in patients with HSP.
Primary Isolates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Are Usually Dominated by the Major Variants Found in Blood

ABSTRACT The isolation of primary strains of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an invaluable tool for assessing properties of viruses replicating in HIV-infected subjects. A common method for obtaining a primary isolate is coculture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from HIV-infected subjects with PBMCs from uninfected donors. However, such in vitro expansion may disturb the composition (identities and relative proportions of constituting viral species) of the original viral population. We developed a GeneScan assay to monitor HIV populations by detecting variants that differ in the length of the V1/V2 coding region of the envelope gene. This assay was used to compare proviral DNAs from the PBMCs of eight subjects to the corresponding primary isolates. Major variants found in uncultured PBMCs usually persisted during culturing, while the minor variants frequently disappeared, resulting in a reduction in viral diversity. The outgrowth of the initial (2 to 4 days) viral population appeared to be determined by random events. However, subsequent changes in the population were deterministic, and as a result, the compositions of primary isolates from parallel cultures were often very similar. For two of three subjects studied, the source of HIV-negative PBMCs had little effect on the composition of primary isolates, while for the third subject donor-dependent effects were observed. Overall, our results show that most primary isolates accurately represent the major viruses found in a subject's blood and that rapid population-based genotyping methods are useful for detecting isolates with perturbed viral populations.
Clinical relevance of plasma homocysteine levels in Taiwanese patients with coronary artery disease

Homocysteine (Hcy) has recently been considered as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the third most common cause of mortality in Taiwan. The objective of our present study is to delineate the relationship between the plasma Hcy level and CAD in Taiwanese using an improved enzymatic method. Blood samples were collected from 86 CAD patients, which include 38 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and 48 patients with stable CAD, and 89 controls. Plasma Hcy levels were measured by HPLC and enzymatic methods. Plasma Hcy levels were 8.27 ± 1.74, 8.50 ± 1.88 and 11.76 ± 4.58 μM in normal controls, patients with stable CAD and those with ACS, respectively. Plasma Hcy levels were elevated in the cohort of ACS patients, as compared with those of normal controls or patients with stable CAD. Within the CAD group, patients with the highest quartile Hcy level (10.18‐23.73 μM) had a significantly higher odd ratio for ACS, as compared with those with the lowest quartile Hcy level after multivariate adjustment. Plasma Hcy concentration can be used as an independent risk factor of ACS, particularly for those with a history of CAD. Moreover, our improved enzymatic assay can be automated for large‐scale screening of high‐risk cohorts.
Growth of Escherichia coli on medium containing glycine increases transformation efficiency.

a flophemesyl derivative. In the latter spectrum, an allylic cleavage between the first two double bonds is reflected by the ion at m/z 392, and allylic and vinylic leavages between the second and third double bonds re reflected by ions at m/z 432 and 420. These data ield useful information about double-bond location n USFAs (8), and structurally informative fragment ons in these spectra are produced by cleavage of onds remote from the charge site on the flophemesyl ster moiety. In conclusion, the present method is described in hich the compounds of saturated and monoor polynsaturated FAs are derivatized to their respective ophemesyl esters. The flophemesyl derivatives are eadily prepared, have excellent chromatographic roperties, and in complex mixtures, can distinguish etween the saturation and the degree of unsaturation. lso, concerning the identification of SFAs in several atrices, it is an especially advantageous method for etection and characterization. Because the M-15 ion s the most intense, the use of these derivatives faciliates the measurement of the molecular weight of trace mounts of unknown acids with much greater confience than is possible when using other derivatives.
Involvement of Lipopolysaccharide Binding Protein, CD14, and Toll-Like Receptors in the Initiation of Innate Immune Responses by Treponema Glycolipids1

Culture supernatants from Treponema maltophilum associated with periodontitis in humans and Treponema brennaborense found in a bovine cattle disease accompanied with cachexia caused a dose-dependent TNF-α synthesis in human monocytes increasing with culture time. This activity could be reduced significantly by blocking the CD14-part of the LPS receptor using the My 4 mAb and by polymyxin B. In the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7, Treponema culture supernatants induced TNF-α secretion in a LPS binding protein (LBP)-dependent fashion. To enrich for active compounds, supernatants were extracted with butanol, while whole cells were extracted using a phenol/water method resulting in recovery of material exhibiting a similar activity profile. An LPS-LBP binding competition assay revealed an interaction of the treponeme phenol/water extracts with LBP, while precipitation studies implied an affinity to polymyxin B and endotoxin neutralizing protein. Macrophages obtained from C3H/HeJ mice carrying a Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 mutation were stimulated with treponeme extracts for NO release to assess the role of TLRs in cell activation. Furthermore, NF-κB translocation in TLR-2-negative Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was studied. We found that phenol/water-extracts of the two strains use TLRs differently with T. brennaborense-stimulating cells in a TLR-4-dependent fashion, while T. maltophilum-mediated activation apparently involved TLR-2. These results indicate the presence of a novel class of glycolipids in Treponema initiating inflammatory responses involving LBP, CD14, and TLRs.
Prognostic Relevance of Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma

Objective: Uveal melanoma primarily metastasizes hematogenously with metastases often confined to the liver. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in patients with metastatic disease as a marker for systemic disease and to determine their prognostic relevance. Methods: Blood samples from 68 patients were collected at the time of initial treatment of metastases. mRNA expression of tyrosinase and MelanA/MART1 as a surrogate marker for the presence of CTC was analyzed by real-time RT-PCR and compared with patient characteristics. Results: CTC were detected in 63% of all patients and in 67% of the 48 patients with only liver metastases. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed PCR results and serum lactate dehydrogenase as independent prognostic factors for progression-free (hazard ratios 2.2/3.5) and overall survival (hazard ratios 4.0/6.5). Combination of PCR and lactate dehydrogenase divided the patient cohort into 3 groups with distinct prognosis. Conclusion: CTC as evidence for systemic disease can be found in the majority of patients with metastatic uveal melanoma, including patients with visible disease confined to the liver. Detection of CTC-specific mRNA transcripts for tyrosinase and MelanA/MART1 by PCR is a poor prognostic factor for progression-free and overall survival. Characterization of CTC could improve the understanding of their biology.
The Political Economy of Abandoned Mine Land Fund Disbursements

What factors determine federal spending on environmental goods? Is severity of the hazard the only metric of consideration, or do other factors play a vital role in explaining spending? This paper seeks to answer this question and to identify disbursement patterns within the context of the Abandoned Mine Land Fund (AMLF) program, a fund created as an aspect of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. We explore whether political factors, as well as environmental and health factors, have an explanatory role in disbursement of AMLF monies. The political factors examined include environmental interest group influence and legislator preferences and/or pressures to fund sites in their home states or districts. The results found here suggest that there exists a mix of public and private interests present in AMLF disbursement decisions during the overall span of the program, and that political influences have gained strength in the decision-making calculus in response to changes in the funding structure of the AMLF.
Effects of Diltiazem on Force, [Ca2+]i, and Energy Metabolism in Porcine Coronary Artery

Summary The effects of diltiazem, a coronary-specific calcium antagonist, on isometric force generation and [Ca2+], were measured in isolated porcine coronary artery and related to measured changes in both oxidative and aerobic glycolytic metabolism. Diltiazem, at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 100 $mUM, inhibited K+ depolarization-induced increases in tension, intracellular calcium, oxygen consumption, and aerobic lactate release. Inhibition of tension, free calcium content, and oxygen consumption was dependent on diltiazem concentration, whereas inhibition of aerobic lactate release was not strongly dependent on diltiazem concentration. Aerobic lactate release, demonstrated to be coupled to Na+-pump activity in porcine coronary artery, was inhibited by diltiazem, but ouabain-sensitive accumulation of potassium by potassium-depleted tissues was not. Diltiazem therefore appears to uncouple the relationship between Na+-pump activity and aerobic glycolysis characteristic of coronary artery metabolism. Depolarization-induced increases in oxygen consumption measured in untethered preparations to reduce active tension were also inhibited by diltiazem at concentrations > Diltiazem therefore inhibits depolarization-induced increases in intracellular calcium and tension and has major effects on both the contractile and noncontractile components of energy metabolism in coronary arteries.