Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Captivated by thought: “Sticky” thinking leaves traces of perceptual decoupling in task-evoked pupil size

Throughout the day, we may sometimes catch ourselves in patterns of thought that we experience as rigid and difficult to disengage from. Such “sticky” thinking can be highly disruptive to ongoing tasks, and when it turns into rumination constitutes a vulnerability for mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. The main goal of the present study was to explore the stickiness dimension of thought, by investigating how stickiness is reflected in task performance and pupil size. To measure spontaneous thought processes, we asked participants to perform a sustained attention to response task (SART), in which we embedded the participant’s concerns to potentially increase the probability of observing sticky thinking. The results indicated that sticky thinking was most frequently experienced when participants were disengaged from the task. Such episodes of sticky thought could be discriminated from neutral and non-sticky thought by an increase in errors on infrequent no-go trials. Furthermore, we found that sticky thought was associated with smaller pupil responses during correct responding. These results demonstrate that participants can report on the stickiness of their thought, and that stickiness can be investigated using pupillometry. In addition, the results suggest that sticky thought may limit attention and exertion of cognitive control to the task.
Dynamics in the Sakaguchi-Kuramoto model with bimodal frequency distribution

In this work, we study the Sakaguchi-Kuramoto model with natural frequency following a bimodal distribution. By using Ott-Antonsen ansatz, we reduce the globally coupled phase oscillators to low dimensional coupled ordinary differential equations. For symmetrical bimodal frequency distribution, we analyze the stabilities of the incoherent state and different partial synchronous states. Different types of bifurcations are identified and the effect of the phase lag on the dynamics is investigated. For asymmetrical bimodal frequency distribution, we observe the revival of the incoherent state, and then the conditions for the revival are specified.
PET imaging and pharmacological therapy targeting carbonic anhydrase-IX high-expressing tumors using US2 platform based on bivalent ureidosulfonamide

Carbonic anhydrase-IX (CA-IX) is attracting much attention as a target molecule for cancer treatment since high expression of CA-IX can lead to a poor prognosis of patients. We previously reported low-molecular-weight 111In/90Y complexes with a bivalent ureidosulfonamide scaffold ([111In/90Y]In/Y-US2) as cancer radiotheranostic agents for single photon emission computed tomography and radionuclide-based therapy targeting CA-IX. Here, we applied the US2 platform to positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and pharmacological therapy targeting CA-IX high-expressing tumors by introducing 68Ga and natIn, respectively. In an in vitro cell binding assay, [67Ga]Ga-US2, an alternative complex of [68Ga]Ga-US2 with a longer half-life, markedly bound to CA-IX high-expressing (HT-29) cells compared with low-expressing (MDA-MB-231) cells. In a biodistribution study with HT-29 and MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing mice, [67Ga]Ga-US2 showed accumulation in the HT-29 tumor (3.81% injected dose/g at 60 min postinjection) and clearance from the blood pool with time. PET with [68Ga]Ga-US2 clearly visualized the HT-29 tumor in model mice at 60 min postinjection. In addition, the administration of [natIn]In-US2 to HT-29 tumor-bearing mice led to tumor growth delay and prolonged mouse survival, while no critical toxicity was observed. These results indicate that [68Ga]Ga-US2 and [natIn]In-US2 may be useful imaging and therapeutic agents targeting CA-IX, respectively, and that US2 may serve as an effective cancer theranostic platform utilizing CA-IX.
Hierarchical Optimization of 3D Point Cloud Registration

Rigid registration of 3D point clouds is the key technology in robotics and computer vision. Most commonly, the iterative closest point (ICP) and its variants are employed for this task. These methods assume that the closest point is the corresponding point and lead to sensitivity to the outlier and initial pose, while they have poor computational efficiency due to the closest point computation. Most implementations of the ICP algorithm attempt to deal with this issue by modifying correspondence or adding coarse registration. However, this leads to sacrificing the accuracy rate or adding the algorithm complexity. This paper proposes a hierarchical optimization approach that includes improved voxel filter and Multi-Scale Voxelized Generalized-ICP (MVGICP) for 3D point cloud registration. By combining traditional voxel sampling with point density, the outlier filtering and downsample are successfully realized. Through multi-scale iteration and avoiding closest point computation, MVGICP solves the local minimum problem and optimizes the operation efficiency. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is superior to the current algorithms in terms of outlier filtering and registration performance.
Real-time, non-invasive thrombus detection in an extracorporeal circuit using micro-optical thrombus sensors

Introduction: Real-time, non-invasive monitoring of thrombus formation in extracorporeal circuits has yet to be achieved. To address the challenges of conventional optical thrombus detection methods requiring large devices that limit detection capacity, we developed a micro-optical thrombus sensor. Methods: The proposed micro-optical thrombus sensor can detect the intensity of light scattered by blood at wavelengths of 660 and 855 nm. Two thrombus sensors were installed on in vitro circuit: one at the rotary blood pump and one at a flow channel. To evaluate the variation in the ratio of incident light intensity at each wavelength of the two sensors, Rfluct (for 660 nm) and Ifluct (for 855 nm) were defined. Using fresh porcine blood as a working fluid, we performed in vitro tests of haematocrit (Hct) and oxygen saturation (SaO2) variation and thrombus detection. Thrombus tests were terminated after Rfluct or Ifluct showed a larger change than the maximum range of those in the Hct and SaO2 variation test. Results: In all three thrombus detection tests, Ifluct showed a larger change than the maximum range of those in the Hct and SaO2 variation test. After the tests, thrombus formation was confirmed in the pump, and there was no thrombus in the flow channel. The results indicate that Ifluct is an effective parameter for identifying the presence of a thrombus. Conclusion: Thrombus detection in an extracorporeal circuit using the developed micro-optical sensors was successfully demonstrated in an in vitro test.
The effects of a spaceflight analog with elevated CO2 on sensorimotor adaptation.

Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts must adapt to altered vestibular and somatosensory inputs due to microgravity. Sensorimotor adaptation on Earth is often studied with a task that introduces visuomotor conflict. Retention of the adaptation process, known as savings, can be measured when subjects are exposed to the same adaptive task multiple times. It is unclear how adaptation demands found on the ISS might interfere with the ability to adapt to other sensory conflict at the same time. In the present study, we investigated the impact of 30 days Head-Down tilt Bed Rest combined with elevated carbon dioxide (HDBR+CO2) as a spaceflight analog on sensorimotor adaptation. Eleven subjects used a joystick to move a cursor to targets presented on a computer screen under veridical cursor feedback and 45º-rotated feedback. During this NASA campaign, five individuals presented with optic disk edema, a sign of Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS). Thus, we also performed post-hoc exploratory analyses between subgroups who did and did not show signs of SANS. HDBR+CO2 had some impact on sensorimotor adaptation, with a lack of savings across the whole group. SANS individuals showed larger, more persistent after effects, suggesting a shift from relying on cognitive to more implicit processing of adaptive behaviors. Overall, these findings suggest that HDBR+CO2 alters the way in which individuals engage in sensorimotor processing. These findings have important implications for missions and mission training, which require individuals to adapt to altered sensory inputs over long periods in space.
Transcultural adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability questionnaire (IdFAI-Sp)

Abstract Objective The study aim was to cross-culturally adapt the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability (IdFAI) into a Spanish-language version (IdFAI-Sp), which would then be validated and its psychometric properties evaluated for use in possible cases of ankle instability. Methods The cross-cultural adaptation was performed following the guidelines of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. Pearson correlations were calculated to assess the convergent validity between IdFAI and the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool. Cronbach’s alpha and test re-test reliability values were calculated and floor/ceiling effects analysed. Construct validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results The study population was composed of 110 participants, with a mean age of 40.49 years (10.43) and of whom 62 (56.36%) were female. Good test-retest results were obtained, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.85 (ICC2,1: 95% CI: 0.82 − 0.88). The structure matrix was examined by CFA, which revealed a three-factor solution that accounted for 79.89% of the variance. The IdFAI-Sp obtained an excellent fit (RMSEA 0.068, GFI 0.94, CFI 0.98 and NFI 0.97). Conclusions This study validates the IdFAI-Sp questionnaire, corroborating its value to researchers and medical professionals as a self-reported outcomes measure for use with a Spanish-speaking population. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION The Spanish-language version of the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability questionnaire (IdFAI-Sp) is a valid and reliable tool. The IdFAI-Sp enables researchers and healthcare professionals to identify and classify chronic ankle instability among Spanish-speaking patients. Accordingly, it can be considered a useful clinical instrument. Aapplication of the questionnaire before and after treatment can reveal the patient’s degree of recovery over time.
Análise da evapotranspiração por wavelet de Morlet em área de Vochysia divergens Pohl no Pantanal

A variacao tempo-espacial da evapotranspiracao foi analisada por meio de wavelet de Morlet em uma floresta de Vochysia divergens Pohl (Vochysiaceae) localmente conhecida como Cambarazal no Pantantal, no estado do Mato Grosso, Brasil Esta area esta inserida na planicie fisiografia do Pantanal e e sazonalmente inundada. Foram coletadas variaveis micrometeologicas, como: saldo de radiacao, radiacao solar incidente, temperatura do ar e umidade relativa do ar. Com referencia a evapotranspiracao a analise diaria da serie temporal por wavelet de Morlet foi satisfatoria, possibilitando melhor compreensao na dinâmica da evapotranspiracao em area alagavel e sua relacao com a temperatura do ar, umidade relativa do ar e radiacao solar global. Conclui-se que ocorreram, durante a estacao umida, os maiores valores de evapotranspiracao e maior intensidade de energia na alta escala de frequencia devido provavelmente a maior disponibilidade de agua em funcao da precipitacao e inundacao, e a radiacao global.
Epac: new emerging cAMP-binding protein

The well-known second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) regulates the morphology and physiology of neurons and thus higher cognitive brain functions. The discovery of exchange protein activated by cAMP (Epac) as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rap GTPases has shed light on protein kinase A (PKA)-independent functions of cAMP signaling in neural tissues. Studies of cAMP-Epac-mediated signaling in neurons under normal and disease conditions also revealed its diverse contributions to neurodevelopment, synaptic remodeling, and neurotransmitter release, as well as learning, memory, and emotion. In this mini-review, the various roles of Epac isoforms, including Epac1 and Epac2, highly expressed in neural tissues are summarized, and controversies or issues are highlighted that need to be resolved to uncover the critical functions of Epac in neural tissues and the potential for a new therapeutic target of mental disorders.
Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Primitive Neural Stem Cells from LRRK2 G2019S-Associated Parkinson’s Disease Patient-Derived iPSCs

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, causing movement defects. The incidence of PD is constantly increasing and this disease is still incurable. Thus, understanding PD pathophysiology would be pivotal for the development of PD therapy, and various PD models have thus been already developed. Through recent advances in reprogramming techniques, a primitive neural stem cell (pNSC) derived from PD patient induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could be potentially used as a reproducible and reliable experimental system to analyze the effect of the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 G2019S mutation (LK2GS) in neural cells. Here, we investigated the advantages of such a model system through quantitative proteomic analysis of pNSCs from normal control iPSCs and familial PD patient iPSCs harboring LK2GS. We confirmed that the expression of molecules known to be involved in PD pathogenesis, such as oxidative stress-, cell adhesion-, and cytoskeleton-related proteins, were altered in the LK2GS pNSC. In addition, we showed that down-regulation of Ku80, which was found in the proteomic analysis with LK2GS pNSCs, resulted in apoptosis induced by DNA damage response. Taken together, we suggest that pNSCs from PD iPSCs could provide a reliable and useful model system to study PD. Moreover, the highly expandable pNSC is suitable for multi-omics approaches to understand PD pathologies and discover therapeutic targets for PD.
Evaluating an Intervention to Increase Cereal Fiber Intake in Children: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial

ABSTRACT Background Observational studies have shown that higher cereal fiber intake is associated with reduced type 2 diabetes risk. However, it remains uncertain whether this association is causal. Objective This study evaluated the feasibility of an intervention to increase cereal fiber intake in children using breakfast cereals. Methods The study was a 2-arm parallel group randomized controlled trial in 9–10-y-old children, who received free supplies of high-fiber breakfast cereals (>3.5 g/portion) or low-fiber breakfast cereals (<1.0 g/portion) to eat daily for 1 mo with behavioral support to promote adherence. Children provided baseline and 1-mo fasting blood samples, physical measurements, and 24-h dietary recalls. The primary outcome was the group difference in change in plasma total alkylresorcinol (AR) concentration; secondary outcomes were group differences in nutrient intakes and adiposity indices. Analyses (complete case and multiple imputation) were conducted by regressing the final AR concentration on baseline AR in models adjusted for sex, ethnicity, age, and school (random effect). Results Two-hundred seventy-two children were randomly assigned (137 receiving a low-fiber and 135 a high-fiber diet) and 193 (71%) provided fasting blood samples at baseline and follow-up. Among randomized participants, median (IQR) of baseline AR was 43.1 (24.6–85.5) nmol/L and of cereal fiber intake was 4.5 (2.7–6.4) g; 87% of participants reported consuming the cereal on most or all days. Compared with changes in the low-fiber group, the high-fiber group had greater increases in AR (40.7 nmol/L; 95% CI: 21.7, 59.8 nmol/L, P < 0.0001) and in reported cereal fiber intake (2.9g/d; 95% CI: 2.0, 3.7 g; P < 0.0001). There were no appreciable differences in other secondary outcomes. Conclusions We have developed a simple and acceptable nutritional intervention that increases markers of daily cereal fiber intake in children. This intervention could be used to test whether increases in cereal fiber intake in children might reduce insulin resistance. This trial was registered at www.isrctn. com as ISRCTN33260236.
Healthcare financing and social protection policies for migrant workers in Malaysia

Background For Malaysia, a nation highly dependent on migrant labour, the large non-citizen workforce presents a unique health system challenge. Although documented migrant workers are covered by mandatory healthcare insurance (SPIKPA), financial constraints remain a major barrier for non-citizen healthcare access. Malaysia recently extended protection for migrant workers under the national social security scheme (SOCSO), previously exclusive to citizens. This study aims to evaluate healthcare financing and social security policies for migrant workers to identify policy gaps and opportunities for intervention. Methods A total of 37 in-depth interviews were conducted of 44 stakeholders from July 2018 to July 2019. A mixed-methods analysis combining major themes from qualitative interviews with policy document reviews was conducted. Descriptive analysis of publicly available secondary data, namely revenues collected at government healthcare facilities, was conducted to contextualise the policy review and qualitative findings. Results We found that migrant workers and employers were unaware of SPIKPA enrolment and entitlements. Higher fees for non-citizens result in delayed care-seeking. While the Malaysian government nearly doubled non-citizen healthcare fees revenues from RM 104 to 182 million (USD 26 to 45 million) between 2014 to 2018, outstanding revenues tripled from RM 16 to 50 million (USD 4 to 12 million) in the same period. SPIKPA coverage is likely inadequate in providing financial risk protection to migrant workers, especially with increased non-citizens fees at public hospitals. Undocumented workers and other migrant populations excluded from SPIKPA contribution to unpaid fees revenues are unknown. Problems described with the previous Foreign Workers Compensation Scheme (FWCS), could be partially addressed by SOCSO, in theory. Nevertheless, questions remain on the feasibility of implementing elements of SOCSO, such as recurring payments to workers and next-of-kin overseas. Conclusion Malaysia is moving towards migrant inclusion with the provision of SOCSO for documented migrant workers, but more needs to be done. Here we suggest the expansion of the SPIKPA insurance scheme to include all migrant populations, while broadening its scope towards more comprehensive coverage, including essential primary care.
Hearing and Vision Screening Program for newborns in Italy.

BACKGROUND The aims of this paper were to present data on the implementation and coverage of simultaneous Universal Neonatal Hearing and Vision Screening programmes and to evaluate the organization and management of these healthcare procedures in Italy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data were collected through a nationwide survey conducted in 2018. All maternity wards active in Italy in 2017 were included. RESULT Hearing screening. Overall 427,365 newborns out of 448,386 (95.3%) received the hearing screening test (first level) in 391 out of the 409 maternity hospitals (95.5%), with a national mean referral rate of 3.63% (SD ± 4.58). A statistically significant increase (p<0.034) of newborns sent to audiological examination was found in maternity hospitals with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with "TEOAE only" protocol (9.32% SD ± 7.57), compared to those with "TEOAE/AABR" (3.0% SD ± 3.29). Vision screening. Overall 335,262 newborns out of 448,386 (74.7%) received vision screening (Red Reflex test) for vision impairment in 302 out of 409 maternity hospitals (73.8%), before nursery discharge. The mean referral rate, recorded in only 22 maternity hospitals out of 302 (7.2%), was 0.48% with a rate of lost to follow up of 0.75. CONCLUSION Our results show that implementation of simultaneous hearing and vision screening increased the coverage of both screening tests and is a new multi-disciplinary approach to sensorineural disability. The use of both ABR and TEOAE tests in the hearing screening decreases the number of newborns sent for audiological evaluation, with a notable reduction of costs. The consideration that ocular problems are two to three times more common in deaf and hearing impaired children than their in hearing peers, confirms the importance of establishing guidelines for simultaneous hearing and vision screening, that favors the formation of a multi-disciplinary team (pediatrician, audiologist, ophthalmologist).
A novel proton counting detector and method for the validation of tissue and implant material maps for Monte Carlo dose calculation

The presence of artificial implants complicates the delivery of proton therapy due to inaccurate characterization of both the implant and the surrounding tissues. In this work, we describe a method to characterize implant and human tissue mimicking materials in terms of relative stopping power (RSP) using a novel proton counting detector. Each proton is tracked by directly measuring the deposited energy along the proton track using a fast, pixelated spectral detector AdvaPIX-TPX3 (TPX3). We considered three scenarios to characterize the RSPs. First, in-air measurements were made in the presence of metal rods (Al, Ti and CoCr) and bone. Then, measurements of energy perturbations in the presence of metal implants and bone in an anthropomorphic phantom were performed. Finally, sampling of cumulative stopping power (CSP) of the phantom were made at different locations of the anthropomorphic phantom. CSP and RSP information were extracted from energy spectra at each beam path. To quantify the RSP of metal rods we used the shift in the most probable energy (MPE) of CSP from the reference CSP without a rod. Overall, the RSPs were determined as 1.48, 2.06, 3.08, and 5.53 from in-air measurements; 1.44, 1.97, 2.98, and 5.44 from in-phantom measurements, for bone, Al, Ti and CoCr, respectively. Additionally, we sampled CSP for multiple paths of the anthropomorphic phantom ranging from 18.63 to 25.23 cm deriving RSP of soft tissues and bones in agreement within 1.6% of TOPAS simulations. Using minimum error of these multiple CSP, optimal mass densities were derived for soft tissue and bone and they are within 1% of vendor-provided nominal densities. The preliminary data obtained indicates the proposed novel method can be used for the validation of material and density maps, required by proton Monte Carlo Dose calculation, provided by competing multi-energy computed tomography and metal artifact reduction techniques.
An Efficient Algorithm to Determine the Connectivity of Complex Directed Networks

The connectivity is an essential property of the connections between the nodes in networks. The efficient determination algorithm for the connectivity of complex directed networks is an important research direction in graph theory. Aiming at the determination problem of the strong connectivity of directed networks, we propose an improved algorithm over the Warshall algorithm, which extends the research object to complex directed networks and has only the half time complexity of that of the latter. In addition, this article also takes the lead in research on the determination algorithm for the unilateral connectivity of complex directed networks, and on this basis, we propose an algorithm to efficiently determine the unilateral connectivity. Finally, the above two algorithms are integrated into a unified and efficient algorithm with the time complexity of $\mathcal {O}({n}^{3}+4.5{n}^{2})$ . This algorithm can determine not only the strong connectivity but also the unilateral connectivity of complex directed networks.