Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A low-budget stimulation system for evoking SSVEP built on Arduino/Genuino platform

Steady State Visual Evoke Potentials (SSVEPs) are responses of a human brain to outside periodical stimulations. Their particular feature is the fact that the frequency of brain response is the same as the stimulation frequency. This does not mean that SSVEP appears with any stimulation frequency. First of all, the stimulation frequencies evoking SSVEPs are subject-depended, and hence the same stimulation frequency can evoke a prominent SSVEP for one subject, and nothing at all for another one. Second, to evoke the brain response, the stimulus has to be strong enough and has to be delivered with a steady frequency. With brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), using SSVEPs as control signals, often the problem is how to provide a set of stimuli capable of evoking a large number of brain responses. In this paper a proposition of a low cost stimulation system delivering light stimuli is presented. The paper presents both, the structure of the proposed platform and the test results obtained with a real subject. 85 stimulation frequencies from 5 to 31.25Hz were tested during the experiment and for 47 of them the prominent SSVEPs were obtained. Streszczenie. Wywołany potencjał wzrokowy stanu ustalonego (SSVEP) to odpowiedź ludzkiego mózgu na zewnętrzną okresowo pojawiającą się stymulację. Szczególną cechą tego rodzaju potencjałów jest fakt, że częstotliwość odpowiedzi jest taka sama jak częstotliwość bodźca. To nie oznacza jednak, że potencjał SSVEP wystąpi przy każdej częstotliwości bodźca. Po pierwsze, częstotliwości wywołujące SSVEP są zależne od indywidualnych cech badanego podmiotu Po drugie, aby wywołać odpowiedź mózgu, bodźce muszą być odpowiednio silne i muszą być dostarczane ze stałą częstotliwością. Jednym z problemów, który można napotkać w trakcie realizacji interfejsów mózg-komputer wykorzystujących SSVEP jako sygnały sterujące jest właśnie problem dokładnego generowania bodźców w jak największym zakresie częstotliwości. Niniejszy artykuł przedstawia propozycję nisko budżetowego systemu do generowania stymulacji świetlnych, który może zostać zastosowany w interfejsie mózgkomputer. W artykule przedstawiono zarówno sposób budowy systemu, jak i wyniki otrzymane w eksperymencie z rzeczywistym podmiotem. W trakcie eksperymentu wygenerowano 85 sekwencji bodźców o różnej częstotliwości stymulacji (w zakresie od 5 do 31.25 Hz). Dla 47 sekwencji bodźców uzyskano prawidłową odpowiedź mózgu (SSVEP). (Niskobudżetowy system stymulacji świetlnych do wywoływania SSVEP oparty na platformie Arduino/Genuino)
Assessing the Sprint Force-Velocity Profile in International Football Players with Cerebral Palsy: Validity, Reliability and Sport Class’ Profiles

Abstract This study assessed and described the Sprint Force-velocity (SFv) profile, and its validity and reliability in international cerebral palsy (CP) football players. Twenty international male CP football players (age: 26.9±7.4) performed a 30-m sprint, a vertical jump (CMJ), a change of direction (MAT), a dribbling and an intermittent endurance (Yo-YoIR1) test. The SFv profile and physical performance variables were shown according to the players’ sport class with the estimation of the effect sizes between classes. The SFv showed high reliability (ICC=0.77 to 0.99; SEM=0.89 to 8.66%). Validity for the SFv was provided by its positive correlation with the players’ sport class (r=0.53 to 0.75; p=.02 to <.01) and the rest of the physical performance tests (r=0.45 to 0.99; p=.04 to <.01). The RFmax was the main SFv profile variable that explained players’ performance in the rest of the tests (β=0.77 to 1.0; p<.05; R2=0.59 to 0.99). The SFv profile seems to be an efficient test to assess international CP football players’ physical performance. This provides information about the players’ individual sprint mechanical characteristics and their sprint strengths and weaknesses, allowing coaches and conditioning trainers to individualize their training interventions to optimize sprint performance.
Intermittent Visual Occlusions Increase Balance Training Effectiveness

Improving dynamic balance can prevent falls in humans with neurological and mechanical deficits. Dynamic balance requires the neural integration of multisensory information to constantly assess the state of body mechanics. Prior research found that intermittent visual rotations improved balance training during walking on a narrow beam, but limitations from the immersive virtual reality headset hindered balance training effectiveness overall. We theorized that intermittent visual occlusions with electrically controlled liquid crystal glasses would overcome the previous limitations of the immersive virtual reality headset and provide a means to enhance dynamic balance training efficacy. Forty healthy young individuals walked on a treadmill-mounted balance beam for 30 min (20 subjects with intermittent visual occlusions and 20 subjects with unperturbed vision). Balance performance, in number of step-offs of the beam, improved by 78% for the visual occlusions group on the same day of the training, a near fourfold improvement compared to the 21% improvement for the unperturbed vision group (t(38) = –5.2, p < 0.001). The difference between groups was also apparent 2 weeks later testing for retention (60% improvement for the visual occlusions group, 5% for the unperturbed vision group; t(38) = –4.2, p < 0.001). Intermittent visual occlusions are likely a simple method for enhancing balance training in dynamic motor tasks.
Importance of Linear Combination Modeling for Quantification of Glutathione and γ-Aminobutyric Acid Levels Using Hadamard-Edited Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Background J-difference-edited 1H-MR spectra require modeling to quantify signals of low-concentration metabolites. Two main approaches are used for this spectral modeling: simple peak fitting and linear combination modeling (LCM) with a simulated basis set. Recent consensus recommended LCM as the method of choice for the spectral analysis of edited data. Purpose The aim of this study is to compare the performance of simple peak fitting and LCM in a test-retest dataset, hypothesizing that the more sophisticated LCM approach would improve quantification of Hadamard-edited data compared with simple peak fitting. Methods A test–retest dataset was re-analyzed using Gannet (simple peak fitting) and Osprey (LCM). These data were obtained from the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex of twelve healthy volunteers, with TE = 80 ms for HERMES and TE = 120 ms for MEGA-PRESS of glutathione (GSH). Within-subject coefficients of variation (CVs) were calculated to quantify between-scan reproducibility of each metabolite estimate. Results The reproducibility of HERMES GSH estimates was substantially improved using LCM compared to simple peak fitting, from a CV of 19.0–9.9%. For MEGA-PRESS GSH data, reproducibility was similar using LCM and simple peak fitting, with CVs of 7.3 and 8.8%. GABA + CVs from HERMES were 16.7 and 15.2%, respectively for the two models. Conclusion LCM with simulated basis functions substantially improved the reproducibility of GSH quantification for HERMES data.
Cryo-electron tomography of the apicomplexan invasion machinery in its native state reveals rigid-body motion of the conoid and docked secretory machinery

The apical complex is a conserved cytoskeletal structure that organizes the secretory and invasion machinery of all apicomplexan parasites, the causative agents of diseases such as malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis. The structure of the apical complex and its mechanism of motion, which is thought to be required for host cell invasion, is not well understood. Recent advances in cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) have allowed the high-resolution reconstruction of large complexes in their near-native states. Here, we use cryo-focused ion beam milling to generate a thin specimen of the coccidian apical complex, allowing us to visualize and compare its three-dimensional structure in the protruded and retracted states in situ by cryo-ET. Subtomogram averaging of the 8 nm repeats from the conoid fibers (specialized microtubules) revealed their polarity and unusual nine-protofilament arrangement with associated proteins that connect and likely stabilize the fibers. In spite of the open shape of the conoid fibers, neither the structure of the conoid fibers nor the architecture of the spiral-shaped conoid complex as a whole are altered during cycles of protrusion and retraction. Thus the conoid moves as a rigid body, and is not compressible like a spring, as has been previously suggested. Instead, we found that the apical polar rings (APR), previously considered a rigid structure to which the conoid is docked, dilates during conoid protrusion. Furthermore, we identified previously undescribed actin-like filaments connecting the conoid to the APR during protrusion, consistent with a role of actin in driving conoid movements. In addition, our data capture the parasites in the act of secretion during conoid extension, allowing us to identify a network of interactions between the apical complex cytoskeleton and the parasite’s secretory machinery.
An efficient meta-heuristic algorithm for scheduling a two-stage assembly flow shop problem with preventive maintenance activities and reliability approach

This paper investigates integrated two-stage assembly flow shop problem with preventive maintenance (PM) activities under the multi-objective optimisation approaches. Reliability models are employed to carry out the maintenance activities. This paper attempts to find the appropriate sequence of jobs on machines in order to minimise the makespan and determining when to perform the PM activities in order to minimise the system unavailability. As this problem is proven to be NP-hard two multi-objective optimisation methods that are named non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) and non-dominated ranking genetic algorithm (NRGA) are employed to find the Pareto-optimal front. The parameters of proposed algorithms are calibrated by artificial neural network (ANN) and the performances of the algorithms on the problem of various sizes are analysed based on four metrics. The computational results reveal NRGA is statistically better than NSGA-II.
DEEMD-SPP: A Novel Framework for Emotion Recognition Based on EEG Signals

Electroencephalography (EEG) is one of the most widely-used biosignal capturing technology for investigating brain activities, cognitive diseases, and affective disorders. To understand the underlying principles of brain activities and affective disorders using EEG data, one of the fundamental tasks is to accurately identify emotions from EEG signals, which has attracted huge attention in the field of affective computing. To improve the accuracy and effectiveness of emotion recognition based on EEG data, previous studies have successfully developed numerous feature extraction methods and classifiers. Among them, ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) is an efficient signal decomposition technique for extracting EEG features. It can alleviate the mode-mixing problem by adding white noise to the source signal. However, there remain some issues when applying this method to recognition tasks. As the added noise cannot be filtered completely, spurious modes are generated due to the residual noise. Therefore, it is crucial to perform intrinsic mode function (IMF) selection to find the most valuable IMF components that represent brain activities. Furthermore, the number of decomposed IMFs is various to different original signals, thus how to unify feature dimensions needs better solutions. To solve these issues, we propose a novel forecasting framework, named DEEMD-SPP, to identify emotions from EEG signals, based on the combination of denoising ensemble empirical mode decomposition (DEEMD) and Spatial Pyramid Pooling Network (SPP-Net). First, DEEMD is proposed to decompose the EEG signals, which effectively eliminates residual noise in the IMFs and selects the most valuable IMFs. Second, time-domain and frequency-domain features are extracted from the selected IMFs. Finally, SPP-net is employed as the classifier to recognize emotions, which can effectively transform various-sized feature maps into fixed-sized feature vectors through the pyramid pooling layer. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed DEEMD-SPP framework can effectively reduce the effect of spike-in white noise, accurately extract EEG features, and significantly improve the performance of emotion recognition.
Forensic Feature Exploration and Comprehensive Genetic Insights Into Yugu Ethnic Minority and Northern Han Population via a Novel NGS-Based Marker Set

The MPS technology has expanded the potential applications of DNA markers and increased the discrimination power of the targeted loci by taking variations in their flanking regions into consideration. Here, a collection of nuclear and extranuclear DNA markers (totally six kinds of nuclear genetic markers and mtDNA hypervariable region variations) were comprehensively and systematically assessed for polymorphism detections, further employed to dissect the population backgrounds in the Yugu ethnic group from Gansu province (Yugu) and Han population from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (NMH) of China. The elevated efficiencies of the marker set in separating full sibling and challenging half sibling determination cases in parentage tests (iiSNPs), as well as predicting ancestry origins of unknown individuals from at least four continental populations (aiSNPs) and providing informative characteristic-related clues for Chinese populations (piSNPs) are highlighted in the present study. To sum up, different sets of DNA markers revealed sufficient effciencies to serve as promising tools in forensic applications. Genetic insights from the perspectives of autosomal DNA, Y chromosomal DNA, and mtDNA variations yielded that the Yugu ethnic group was genetically close related to the Han populations of the northern region. But we admit that more reference populations (like Mongolian, Tibetan, Hui, and Tu) should be incorporated to gain a refined genetic background landscape of the Yugu group in future studies.
cGAS Restricts PRRSV Replication by Sensing the mtDNA to Increase the cGAMP Activity

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an RNA virus that causes great economic losses globally to the swine industry. Innate immune RNA receptors mainly sense it during infection. As a DNA sensor, cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) plays an important role in sensing cytosolic DNA and activating innate immunity to induce IFN-I and establish an antiviral cellular state. In contrast, the role of innate immune DNA sensors during PRRSV infection has not been elucidated. In this study, we found that cGAS facilitates the production of IFN-β during PRRSV infection. Western blot and virus titer assays suggested that cGAS overexpression suppressed the replication of multiple PRRSV strains, while knockout of cGAS increased viral titer and nucleocapsid protein expression. Besides, our results indicated that the mitochondria were damaged during PRRSV infection and leaked mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the cytoplasm. The mtDNA in the cytoplasm co-localizes with the cGAS, and the cGAMP activity was increased when the cGAS was overexpressed during PRRSV infection. Furthermore, the cGAMP also possesses an anti-PRRSV effect. These results indicate for the first time that cGAS restricts PRRSV replication by sensing the mtDNA in the cytoplasm to increase cGAMP activity, which not only explains the molecular mechanism by which cGAS inhibits PRRSV replication but also provides research ideas for studying the role of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in the process of RNA virus infection.
Demineralized Cortical Bone Matrix Augmented With Peripheral Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Rabbit Medial Meniscal Reconstruction

Tissue engineering is a promising treatment strategy for meniscal regeneration after meniscal injury. However, existing scaffold materials and seed cells still have many disadvantages. The objective of the present study is to explore the feasibility of peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PBMSCs) augmented with demineralized cortical bone matrix (DCBM) pretreated with TGF-β3 as a tissue-engineered meniscus graft and the repair effect. PBMSCs were collected from rabbit peripheral blood and subjected to three-lineage differentiation and flow cytometry identification. DCBM was prepared by decalcification, decellularization, and cross-linking rabbit cortical bone. Various characteristics such as biomechanical properties, histological characteristics, microstructure and DNA content were characterized. The cytotoxicity and the effects of DCBM on the adhesion and migration of PBMSCs were evaluated separately. The meniscus-forming ability of PBMSCs/DCBM complex in vitro induced by TGF-β3 was also evaluated at the molecular and genetic levels, respectively. Eventually, the present study evaluated the repair effect and cartilage protection effect of PBMSCs/DCBM as a meniscal graft in a rabbit model of medial meniscal reconstruction in 3 and 6 months. The results showed PBMSCs positively express CD29 and CD44, negatively express CD34 and CD45, and have three-lineage differentiation ability, thus can be used as tissue engineering meniscus seed cells. After the sample procedure, the cell and DNA contents of DCBM decreased, the tensile modulus did not decrease significantly, and the DCBM had a pore structure and no obvious cytotoxicity. PBMSCs could adhere and grow on the scaffold. Under induction of TGF-β3, PBMSCs/DCBM composites expressed glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and the related gene expression also increased. The results of the in vivo experiments that the PBMSCs/DCBM group had a better repair effect than the DCBM group and the control group at both 12 and 24 weeks, and the protective effect on cartilage was also better. Therefore, the application of DCBM augmented with PBMSCs for meniscus injury treatment is a preferred option for tissue-engineered meniscus.
Analysis of Key Genes Responsible for Low Urea Production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae JH301

There is a potential safety risk with ethyl carbamate (EC) in Hongqu Huangjiu production; 90% of the EC in rice wine is produced by the reaction of the urea with the alcohol of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In our previous experiments, we screened and obtained a S. cerevisiae strain JH301 that offered low urea production. However, the key genes responsible for low urea production of strain JH301 remain unclear. Here, the whole genome sequencing of S. cerevisiae strain JH301 was accomplished via a next-generation high-throughput sequencing and long-read sequencing technology. There are six main pathways related to the urea metabolism of strain JH301 based on KEGG pathway mapping. Three species-specific genes are related to the urea metabolism pathways and were found in comparative genome analysis between strains JH301 and S288c during Hongqu Huangjiu production for the first time. Finally, the ARG80 gene was found to be likely a key gene responsible for low urea production of S. cerevisiae strain JH301, as determined by PCR and qRT-PCR check analyses from DNA and RNA levers. In conclusion, the results are useful for a scientific understanding of the mechanism of low urea production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae during Hongqu Huangjiu fermentation. It also is important to control the urea and EC contents in Hongqu Huangjiu production.
Efficacy of Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation in Catatonia: A Review and Case Series

Catatonia is a severe neuropsychiatric syndrome, usually treated by benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy. However, therapeutic alternatives are limited, which is particularly critical in situations of treatment resistance or when electroconvulsive therapy is not available. Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising non-invasive neuromodulatory technique that has shown efficacy in other psychiatric conditions. We present the largest case series of tDCS use in catatonia, consisting of eight patients in whom tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction was employed. We used a General Linear Mixed Model to isolate the effect of tDCS from other confounding factors such as time (spontaneous evolution) or co-prescriptions. The results indicate that tDCS, in addition to symptomatic pharmacotherapies such as lorazepam, seems to effectively reduce catatonic symptoms. These results corroborate a synthesis of five previous case reports of catatonia treated by tDCS in the literature. However, the specific efficacy of tDCS in catatonia remains to be demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial. The development of therapeutic alternatives in catatonia is of paramount importance.
Exploring Changes in Fishery Emissions and Organic Carbon Impacts Associated With a Recovering Stock

International objectives for sustainable development and biodiversity conservation require restoring fish populations to healthy levels and reducing fishing impacts on marine ecosystems. At the same time, governments, retailers, and consumers are increasingly motivated to reduce the carbon footprint of food. These concerns are reflected in measures of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the CFP Reform Regulation, which highlighted a need to move from traditional single-stock management toward an ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAF). Using publicly available landings and effort data combined with estimates of adult population biomass, we develop methods to explore the potential for lowering emissions intensity and impacts on organic carbon stocks through ending overfishing and rebuilding stocks. We use the recent recovery of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) stocks in the Northeast Atlantic as a case study. With a focus on the hake fisheries of France, Spain, and the United Kingdom, we compare 2008 and 2016 fishing years. We make an initial estimate of the influence of changing stock status on greenhouse gas emissions during the fishery phase from fuel use and investigate the potential disturbance of organic carbon in the ecosystem, specifically via identification of bottom trawling overlap with organic-rich muddy sediments, and directly on storage in hake biomass. Our findings indicate that recovery of the hake stock was associated with reductions in overall emissions intensity from fuel and proportional impact on hake populations, however, total emissions from both fuel and landings increased, as did likely disturbance of sedimentary organic carbon in surface sediments due to benthic trawling. Ultimately, the aims of this analysis are to further explore the climate impacts of fisheries and overfishing, and to inform development of EAF in the EU.