Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High spatial resolution time of flight PET detectors for brain imaging.

In this work we evaluate PET detector prototypes which combine and surpass the HRRT and BrainPET detector capabilities. Our goal is to assess the feasibility of constructing higher performance brain PET systems. Several different geometries of detectors were investigated. Detector modules comprising a 5 × 5 or 10 × 10 array of 3.2 × 3.2 × 20 mm<sup>3</sup> or 1.6 × 1.6 × 15 mm<sup>3</sup> LSO crystals, respectively, were read out by a 4 × 4 element array of silicon photomultipliers. Such detector configurations do not allow depth-of-interaction determination, but provide excellent spatial and coincidence timing resolution of 192 ps and 214 ps FWHM, respectively. Two other configurations with depth-of-interaction capability were constructed. The simplest realization consists of 5 × 5 air coupled LSO crystals, 3.2 × 3.2 × 10 mm<sup>3</sup> in size, arranged in two stacked layers. The crystals of the top and bottom layers were selected to differ by their light outputs and decay times. The second is a triple layer detector built with a bottom layer of 4×4 elements, 4 × 4 × 10 mm<sup>3</sup> in size, a middle layer of 6 × 6 elements, 2 × 2 × 10 mm<sup>3</sup> in size, and a top layer of 5 × 5 elements, 2 × 2 × 10 mm<sup>3</sup> in size. The triple layer detector had 3M ESR foil in between the pixels to enhance pixel separation. To understand how the pixelation influenced our timing results single continuous LSO blocks 16 × 16 × 20 mm<sup>3</sup> and 16 × 16 × 16 mm<sup>3</sup> in size were also tested.
Expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, and Ki-67 in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and DCIS with microinvasion

Abstract Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) represents a heterogeneous disease in its histologic appearance and biological potential. Some women treated for DCIS subsequently develop invasive breast cancer. DCIS with microinvasion is considered as the interim stage in the progression from DCIS to invasive breast cancer. Analysis of the differences between DCIS and DCIS with microinvasion may aid in understanding the characteristic of DCIS with microinvasion and identifying biological factors determining progression of DCIS to invasive disease. Retrospective analysis of 219 cases between 2012 and 2018 was performed in our institution. The pathological results and axillary lymph nodes status were collected. Analysis of the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), and Ki-67 in pure DCIS (164 cases), and DCIS with microinvasion (55 cases) using immunohistochemistry. DCIS with microinvasion had a higher nuclear grade (P < .001) and was more likely to have sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) positivity (P = .039) than DCIS. Expression of ER, PR were significantly higher in DCIS compared with DCIS with microinvasion (P < .001, P < .001). While the expression of HER-2 in DCIS with microinvasion (56.4%) was significantly higher than in DCIS (36.6%, P = .01). Furthermore, DCIS with microinvasion was significantly more likely to have aggressive subtype (Triple-negative and HER2-enriched tumors, P = .005). Our results indicated that DCIS with microinvasion was different from pure DCIS in clinicopathologic characteristics and molecular alterations. It displayed a more aggressive biological nature than pure DCIS. It may be a distinct entity.
A Hybrid Power Line/Wireless Dual-Hop System With Energy Harvesting Relay

This paper investigates the benefits that energy harvesting (EH) can offer to increase energy efficiency in hybrid power line/wireless data communication systems for smart grid (SG) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. In this regard, the ergodic achievable data rates of a hybrid power line/wireless dual-hop system (H2HS) model that uses EH strategies and the amplify-and-forward protocol at the relay node are considered. Also, four approaches for performing EH in the H2HS system are discussed. Performance comparisons among the H2HS, a dual-hop power line and a dual-hop wireless systems are performed by adopting four simulation settings, covering the combinations of optimal or uniform power allocation together with colored or white additive noise at the output of the power line channel. Numerical results show that the H2HS model with the power splitting EH strategy outperforms the other models. Moreover, if the transmission power of the source node is high, then the case with additive colored noise at the received power line signal can result in higher achievable data rates in comparison to the white noise case. Overall, the H2HS system making use of an EH strategy has the potential to increase the sustainability and energy efficiency in data communications for SG and IoT applications.
Reflection Removal on Single Light Field Capture Using Focus Manipulation

Photos taken through reflective surfaces such as display windows inevitably suffer from visual degradations caused by reflection interferences. The superimposition of two layers, i.e., background and reflection, obscures important target features, and causes challenges for subsequent computer vision applications. In this paper, we introduce a reflection removal method using single light field (LF) captures. Through focus manipulation and subsequent optimization, our algorithm is able to separate reflection from background effectively by exploiting the subtle pixel parallax of LF data. Since it requires only a single capture of the scene, it can handle moving scenes that change quickly, as well as static ones. Extensive experiments have been carried out over both synthetic and real LF data, which show our method outperforms state-of-the-art ones by at least 2.9 dB in terms of background restoration PSNR, with significantly fewer visual artifacts.
On the Probability Density Function of the Signal Strength in Free-Space Optical Communications Systems with Diversity Reception

We investigate the statistical characteristics of the signal power in a diversity reception (DR) free-space optics (FSO) communications systems. In this paper, the inverse-Gaussian (IG) probability density function (pdf) is proposed as a candidate pdf for modeling the statistical behavior of the sum of independent lognormal random variables, which is observed in DR-FSO systems under weak turbulence condition. It is shown here that the IG pdf offers a highly-accurate approximation of the lognormal sum (LNS) while offering a simple form factor, which leads to tractable error rate analysis of communication systems. This pdf requires the estimation of only 2 parameters, whereas the competing pdf models often require the estimation of 5 parameters. The previously proposed pdfs are often studied for the lognormal sum of large number of lognormal random variables $N (> 10)$. Furthermore, for small N, the accuracy of the previously proposed pdfs becomes suspect, whereas the IG pdf is shown to be very accurate for small values of N. The accuracy of the IG pdf is established using Hellinger distance (H- D), Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test, and Bhattacharyya distance (B-D). It is shown that the proposed pdf achieves a distance metric that remains less than $ 2\times 10^{-2}$ for values of $N\leq 5. $
Astrocyte‐neuron lactate shuttle sensitizes nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord

Astrocytes play a key role in the maintenance of synaptic transmission by producing L‐lactate via the astrocyte‐neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS). Astrocyte activation in the spinal cord is involved in the expression of neuropathic pain. We investigated the role of the ANLS in the spinal cord on hyperalgesia in neuropathic pain in mice. Specific activation of dorsal horn astrocytes induced mechanical hyperalgesia, which was attenuated by α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamate (4‐CIN), an inhibitor of monocarboxylate transporters that deliver L‐lactate from astrocytes to neurons. Intrathecal L‐lactate administration lowered the mechanical nociceptive threshold, which was attenuated by pretreatment with 4‐CIN and isosafrole (a lactate dehydrogenase inhibitor), but not gliotoxin. Intrathecal L‐lactate administration significantly upregulated c‐Fos and cofilin phosphorylation, which was reversed by 4‐CIN. The lowered mechanical nociceptive threshold was significantly attenuated by intrathecal fluorocitrate (an astrocyte‐specific Krebs cycle inhibitor), 4‐CIN, and isosafrole treatment. Thus, these results suggested that, in neuropathic pain, mechanical hyperalgesia was maintained by excessive L‐lactate supplied by activated astrocytes via an aberrant ANLS.
TNBC Challenge: Oligonucleotide Aptamers for New Imaging and Therapy Modalities

Compared to other breast cancers, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) usually affects younger patients, is larger in size, of higher grade and is biologically more aggressive. To date, conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the only available treatment for TNBC because it lacks expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and no alternative targetable molecules have been identified so far. The high biological and clinical heterogeneity adds a further challenge to TNBC management and requires the identification of new biomarkers to improve detection by imaging, thus allowing the specific treatment of each individual TNBC subtype. The Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX) technique holds great promise to the search for novel targetable biomarkers, and aptamer-based molecular approaches have the potential to overcome obstacles of current imaging and therapy modalities. In this review, we highlight recent advances in oligonucleotide aptamers used as imaging and/or therapeutic agents in TNBC, discussing the potential options to discover, image and hit new actionable targets in TNBC.
Goal-directed therapy during transthoracic oesophageal resection does not improve outcome: Randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND Goal-directed therapy (GDT) is expected to be of highest benefit in high-risk surgery. Therefore, GDT is recommended during oesophageal resection, which carries a high risk of postoperative complications. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to confirm the hypothesis that GDT during oesophageal resection improves outcome compared with standard care. DESIGN A randomised controlled study. SETTING Two Swedish university hospitals, between October 2011 and October 2015. PATIENTS Sixty-four patients scheduled for elective transthoracic oesophageal resection were randomised. Exclusion criteria included colonic interposition and significant aortic or mitral valve insufficiency. INTERVENTION A three-step GDT protocol included stroke volume optimisation using colloid boluses as assessed by pulse-contour analysis, dobutamine infusion if cardiac index was below 2.5 l min−1 m−2 and norepinephrine infusion if mean arterial blood pressure was below 65 mmHg. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The incidence of complications per patient at 5 and 30 days postoperatively as assessed using a predefined list. RESULTS Fifty-nine patients were available for analysis. Patients in the intervention group received more colloid fluid (2190 ± 875 vs. 1596 ± 759 ml, P < 0.01) and dobutamine more frequently (27/30 vs. 9/29, P < 0.01). The median [interquartile range, IQR] incidence of complications per patient 5 days after surgery was 2 [0 to 3] in the intervention group and 1 [0 to 2] in the control group (P = 0.10), and after 30 days 4 [2 to 6] in the intervention group and 2 [1 to 4] in the control group (P = 0.10). CONCLUSION Goal-directed therapy during oesophageal resection did not result in a reduction of the incidence of postoperative complications. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01416077
Hair-GANs: Recovering 3D Hair Structure from a Single Image

We introduce Hair-GANs, an architecture of generative adversarial networks, to recover the 3D hair structure from a single image. The goal of our networks is to build a parametric transformation from 2D hair maps to 3D hair structure. The 3D hair structure is represented as a 3D volumetric field which encodes both the occupancy and the orientation information of the hair strands. Given a single hair image, we first align it with a bust model and extract a set of 2D maps encoding the hair orientation information in 2D, along with the bust depth map to feed into our Hair-GANs. With our generator network, we compute the 3D volumetric field as the structure guidance for the final hair synthesis. The modeling results not only resemble the hair in the input image but also possesses many vivid details in other views. The efficacy of our method is demonstrated by using a variety of hairstyles and comparing with the prior art.
Electrically tunable solid-state terahertz metamaterial absorbers

This work presents the design of electrically tunable solid-state metamaterial absorbers in the terahertz spectrum. The proposed devices consist of a metal-insulator-metal resonant cavity formed between a subwavelength metal stripe grating and a back metal reflector. The dielectric spacing between the metallic parts is occupied by a deeply subwavelength layer of n-doped GaAs. By reverse biasing the Schottky junction formed at the interface between GaAs and the top metal grating, the thickness of the associated carrier depletion zone is controlled and, hence, the GaAs complex permittivity profile in the resonant cavities. Optimized structures are derived based on the mechanism of critical coupling, achieving amplitude modulation of the reflected terahertz wave with low insertion losses and theoretically infinite extinction ratio.
Smartphone Localization Using Active-Passive Acoustic Sensing

In this paper, we describe a novel position-recognition method that uses passive acoustic signals from two previously installed speakers (passive acoustic sensing) and active acoustic signals from a smartphone's loudspeakers (active acoustic sensing). In passive acoustic sensing, a locus of positions for the smartphone can be calculated from the measured time difference of arrival from the two installed speakers. In active acoustic sensing, a chirp signal is transmitted from the speakers of the smartphone, and the distance to the side wall is measured from the propagation time of arrival at its microphone. We can obtain the smartphone position from our proposed model equations by combining these two results. In our experiments, we installed speakers at intervals of 10 m along a corridor and estimated the smartphone position at several places. From these results, we obtained 90th percentile errors of less than 0.224 m for 2-D positioning. We found that multipaths from the side wall were causing the positioning error in passive acoustic sensing, and the variance of the positioning error using the top microphone which was omnidirectional was smaller than the bottom one. When we introduced a weighting based on the result of the active acoustic sensing and the difference in the performance between microphones, the 90th percentile errors were reduced to less than 0.134 m.
Conceptual Framework of Mentoring in Low- and Middle-Income Countries to Advance Global Health

Abstract. Although mentoring is not a common practice in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a strong need for it. Conceptual frameworks provide the structure to design, study, and problem-solve complex phenomena. Following four workshops in South America, Asia, and Africa, and borrowing on theoretical models from higher education, this article proposes two conceptual frameworks of mentoring in LMICs. In the first model, we propose to focus the mentor–mentee relationship and interactions, and in the second, we look at mentoring activities from a mentees’ perspective. Our models emphasize the importance of an ongoing dynamic between the mentor and mentee that is mutually beneficial. It also emphasizes the need for institutions to create enabling environments that encourage mentorship. We expect that these frameworks will help LMIC institutions to design new mentoring programs, clarify expectations, and analyze problems with existing mentoring programs. Our models, while being framed in the context of global health, have the potential for wider application geographically and across disciplines.
Neuraminidase 1–mediated desialylation of the mucin 1 ectodomain releases a decoy receptor that protects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) expresses an adhesin, flagellin, that engages the mucin 1 (MUC1) ectodomain (ED) expressed on airway epithelia, increasing association of MUC1-ED with neuraminidase 1 (NEU1) and MUC1-ED desialylation. The MUC1-ED desialylation unmasks both cryptic binding sites for Pa and a protease recognition site, permitting its proteolytic release as a hyperadhesive decoy receptor for Pa. We found here that intranasal administration of Pa strain K (PAK) to BALB/c mice increases MUC1-ED shedding into the bronchoalveolar compartment. MUC1-ED levels increased as early as 12 h, peaked at 24–48 h with a 7.8-fold increase, and decreased by 72 h. The a-type flagellin–expressing PAK strain and the b-type flagellin–expressing PAO1 strain stimulated comparable levels of MUC1-ED shedding. A flagellin-deficient PAK mutant provoked dramatically reduced MUC1-ED shedding compared with the WT strain, and purified flagellin recapitulated the WT effect. In lung tissues, Pa increased association of NEU1 and protective protein/cathepsin A with MUC1-ED in reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation assays and stimulated MUC1-ED desialylation. NEU1-selective sialidase inhibition protected against Pa-induced MUC1-ED desialylation and shedding. In Pa-challenged mice, MUC1-ED–enriched bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) inhibited flagellin binding and Pa adhesion to human airway epithelia by up to 44% and flagellin-driven motility by >30%. Finally, Pa co-administration with recombinant human MUC1-ED dramatically diminished lung and BALF bacterial burden, proinflammatory cytokine levels, and pulmonary leukostasis and increased 5-day survival from 0% to 75%. We conclude that Pa flagellin provokes NEU1-mediated airway shedding of MUC1-ED, which functions as a decoy receptor protecting against lethal Pa lung infection.
The Tonoplastic Inositol Transporter INT1 From Arabidopsis thaliana Impacts Cell Elongation in a Sucrose-Dependent Way

The tonoplastic inositol transporter INT1 is the only known transport protein in Arabidopsis that facilitates myo-inositol import from the vacuole into the cytoplasm. Impairment of the release of vacuolar inositol by knockout of INT1 results in a severe inhibition of cell elongation in roots as well as in etiolated hypocotyls. Importantly, a more strongly reduced cell elongation was observed when sucrose was supplied in the growth medium, and this sucrose-dependent effect can be complemented by the addition of exogenous myo-inositol. Comparing int1 mutants (defective in transport) with mutants defective in myo-inositol biosynthesis (mips1 mutants) revealed that the sucrose-induced inhibition in cell elongation does not just depend on inositol depletion. Secondary effects as observed for altered availability of inositol in biosynthesis mutants, as disturbed membrane turnover, alterations in PIN protein localization or alterations in inositol-derived signaling molecules could be ruled out to be responsible for impairing the cell elongation in int1 mutants. Although the molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated, our data implicate a crucial role of INT1-transported myo-inositol in regulating cell elongation in a sucrose-dependent manner and underline recent reports of regulatory roles for sucrose and other carbohydrate intermediates as metabolic semaphores.
Comparison of Controllers for Variable Speed Limit Using Realistic Traffic Scenarios

Urban motorways are designed to serve higher traffic loads but rush hours are causing periodically unstable traffic flows and congestions. Variable Speed Limit Control (VSLC) can alleviate congestion by posting appropriate speed limits on Variable Message Signs. In this paper, three controllers for VSLC are compared using a simulation model based on real traffic data obtained from the PeMS database collected at a selected motorway of the State of California, USA. The results show that the implemented VSLC controllers have the ability to improve the traffic condition in case of higher traffic intensity compared to an uncontrolled case.
Identifying key targets for interventions to improve psychological wellbeing: replicable results from four UK cohorts

Abstract Background An increasing importance is being placed on mental health and wellbeing at individual and population levels. While there are several interventions that have been proposed to improve wellbeing, more evidence is needed to understand which aspects of wellbeing are most influential. This study aimed to identify key items that signal improvement of mental health and wellbeing. Methods Using network analysis, we identified the most central items in the graph network estimated from the well-established Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). Results were compared across four major UK cohorts comprising a total of 47,578 individuals: the Neuroscience in Psychiatry Network, the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey, the Northern Ireland Health Survey, and the National Child Development Study. Results Regardless of gender, the three items most central in the network were related to positive self-perception and mood: ‘I have been feeling good about myself’; ‘I have been feeling confident’; and ‘I have been feeling cheerful’. Results were consistent across all four cohorts. Conclusions Positive self-perception and positive mood are central to psychological wellbeing. Psychotherapeutic and public mental health interventions might best promote psychological wellbeing by prioritising the improvement of self-esteem, self-confidence and cheerfulness. However, empirical testing of interventions using these key targets is needed.