Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Effects of Both CD14-Mediated Innate Immunity and Device/Tissue Mechanical Mismatch in the Neuroinflammatory Response to Intracortical Microelectrodes

Intracortical microelectrodes record neuronal activity of individual neurons within the brain, which can be used to bridge communication between the biological system and computer hardware for both research and rehabilitation purposes. However, long-term consistent neural recordings are difficult to achieve, in large part due to the neuroinflammatory tissue response to the microelectrodes. Prior studies have identified many factors that may contribute to the neuroinflammatory response to intracortical microelectrodes. Unfortunately, each proposed mechanism for the prolonged neuroinflammatory response has been investigated independently, while it is clear that mechanisms can overlap and be difficult to isolate. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether the dual targeting of the innate immune response by inhibiting innate immunity pathways associated with cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14), and the mechanical mismatch could improve the neuroinflammatory response to intracortical microelectrodes. A thiol-ene probe that softens on contact with the physiological environment was used to reduce mechanical mismatch. The thiol-ene probe was both softer and larger in size than the uncoated silicon control probe. Cd14-/- mice were used to completely inhibit contribution of CD14 to the neuroinflammatory response. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, dual targeting worsened the neuroinflammatory response to intracortical probes. Therefore, probe material and CD14 deficiency were independently assessed for their effect on inflammation and neuronal density by implanting each microelectrode type in both wild-type control and Cd14-/- mice. Histology results show that 2 weeks after implantation, targeting CD14 results in higher neuronal density and decreased glial scar around the probe, whereas the thiol-ene probe results in more microglia/macrophage activation and greater blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption around the probe. Chronic histology demonstrate no differences in the inflammatory response at 16 weeks. Over acute time points, results also suggest immunomodulatory approaches such as targeting CD14 can be utilized to decrease inflammation to intracortical microelectrodes. The results obtained in the current study highlight the importance of not only probe material, but probe size, in regard to neuroinflammation.
Daily Sleep Quality and Daily Stressors in Couples Coping With Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: To examine the influence of daily sleep quality in patients with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) on that of their spouses and to investigate the influence of couples’ sleep quality on patients’ diabetes-specific stressors and couples’ general stressors the following day. Methods: 199 patients with Type 1 diabetes (Mage = 46.82) and their spouses (Mage = 46.41) completed a 14-day diary where they reported on their own sleep quality, and the presence of general stressors. Patients reported the presence of diabetes-specific stressors. Multilevel modeling examined the effects of daily variability in (within-person effects) and average levels of (between-person effects) sleep quality on the number of next-day diabetes-specific stressors (controlling for prior day stressors). Furthermore, the actor-partner interdependence model was used to examine the effect of sleep quality on general stressors. Results: Greater patients’ daily sleep quality was related to their spouses’ greater sleep quality. Increases in the patients’ own daily- and average sleep quality were uniquely associated with fewer next day diabetes-specific stressors. Better own daily- and average sleep quality were associated with fewer general stressors for both partners. Spouses’ increased daily sleep quality was associated with fewer general stressors of patients. Conclusions: The results support that sleep quality is a dyadic phenomenon among couples and suggest that better sleep quality may buffer diabetes specific and general stress in couples coping with T1D.
Coronary Smooth Muscle Cell Calcium Dynamics: Effects of Bifurcation Angle on Atheroprone Conditions

This work investigates the effect of arterial bifurcation angulation on atherosclerosis development through in-silico simulations of coupled cell dynamics. The computational model presented here combines cellular pathways, fluid dynamics, and physiologically-realistic vessel geometries as observed in the human vasculature. The coupled cells model includes endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) with ion dynamics, hetero and homotypic coupling, as well as electro-diffusive coupling. Three arterial bifurcation surface models were used in the coupled cells simulations. All three simulations showed propagating waves of Ca2+ in both the SMC and EC layers, following the introduction of a luminal agonist, in this case ATP. Immediately following the introduction of ATP concentration Ca2+ waves propagate from the area of high ATP toward the areas of low ATP concentration, forming complex patterns where waves interact with eachother, collide and fade. These dynamic phenomena are repeated with a series of waves of slower velocity. The underlying motivation of this research was to examine the macro-scale phenomena, given that the characteristic length scales of atherosclerotic plaques are much larger than a single cell. The micro-scale dynamics were modeled on macro-scale arterial bifurcation surfaces containing over one million cells. The results of the simulations presented here suggest that susceptibility to atherosclerosis development depends on the bifurcation angulation. In conjunction with findings reported in the literature, the simulation results demonstrate that arterial bifurcations containing wider angles have a more prominent influence on the coupled cells pathways associated with the development of atherosclerosis, by means of disturbed flow and lower SMC Ca2+ concentrations. The discussion of the results considers the findings of this research within the context of the potential link between information transport through frequency encoding of Ca2+ wave dynamics and development of atheroprone conditions.
Cascaded CNN-resBiLSTM-CTC: An End-to-End Acoustic Model For Speech Recognition

Automatic speech recognition (ASR) tasks are resolved by end-to-end deep learning models, which benefits us by less preparation of raw data, and easier transformation between languages. We propose a novel end-to-end deep learning model architecture namely cascaded CNN-resBiLSTM-CTC. In the proposed model, we add residual blocks in BiLSTM layers to extract sophisticated phoneme and semantic information together, and apply cascaded structure to pay more attention mining information of hard negative samples. By applying both simple Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) technique and n-gram language model (LM) rescoring method, we manage to achieve word error rate (WER) of 3.41% on LibriSpeech test clean corpora. Furthermore, we propose a new batch-varied method to speed up the training process in length-varied tasks, which result in 25% less training time.
Impact of Chemical Fluctuations on Stacking Fault Energies of CrCoNi and CrMnFeCoNi High Entropy Alloys from First Principles

Medium and high entropy alloys (MEAs and HEAs) based on 3d transition metals, such as face-centered cubic (fcc) CrCoNi and CrMnFeCoNi alloys, reveal remarkable mechanical properties. The stacking fault energy (SFE) is one of the key ingredients that controls the underlying deformation mechanism and hence the mechanical performance of materials. Previous experiments and simulations have therefore been devoted to determining the SFEs of various MEAs and HEAs. The impact of local chemical environment in the vicinity of the stacking faults is, however, still not fully understood. In this work, we investigate the impact of the compositional fluctuations in the vicinity of stacking faults for two prototype fcc MEAs and HEAs, namely CrCoNi and CrMnFeCoNi by employing first-principles calculations. Depending on the chemical composition close to the stacking fault, the intrinsic SFEs vary in the range of more than 150 mJ/m2 for both the alloys, which indicates the presence of a strong driving force to promote particular types of chemical segregations towards the intrinsic stacking faults in MEAs and HEAs. Furthermore, the dependence of the intrinsic SFEs on local chemical fluctuations reveals a highly non-linear behavior, resulting in a non-trivial interplay of local chemical fluctuations and SFEs. This sheds new light on the importance of controlling chemical fluctuations via tuning, e.g., the annealing condition to obtain the desired mechanical properties for MEAs and HEAs.
Reinforcement learning for Android GUI testing

This paper presents a reinforcement learning approach to automated GUI testing of Android apps. We use a test generation algorithm based on Q-learning to systematically select events and explore the GUI of an application under test without requiring a preexisting abstract model. We empirically evaluate the algorithm on eight Android applications and find that the proposed approach generates test suites that achieve between 3.31% to 18.83% better block-level code coverage than random test generation.
The Neuromodulatory Impact of Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation on Gait and Postural Instability in Parkinson's Disease Patients: A Prospective Case Controlled Study

Background: Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) has been an established method in improvement of motor disabilities in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. It has been also claimed to have an impact on balance and gait disorders in PD patients, but the previous results are conflicting. Objective: The aim of this prospective controlled study was to evaluate the impact of STN-DBS on balance disorders in PD patients in comparison with Best-Medical-Therapy (BMT) and Long-term-Post-Operative (POP) group. Methods: DBS-group consisted of 20 PD patients (8F, 12M) who underwent bilateral STN DBS. POP-group consisted of 14 post-DBS patients (6F, 8M) in median 30 months-time after surgery. Control group (BMT-group) consisted of 20 patients (11F, 9M) who did not undergo surgical intervention. UPDRS III scale and balance tests (Up And Go Test, Dual Task- Timed Up And Go Test, Tandem Walk Test) and posturography parameters were measured during 3 visits in 9 ± 2months periods (V1, V2, V3) 4 phases of treatment (BMT-ON/OFF, DBS-ON/OFF). Results: We have observed the slowdown of gait and postural instability progression in first 9 post-operative months followed by co-existent enhancement of balance disorders in next 9-months evaluation (p < 0.05) in balance tests (Up and Go, TWT) and in posturography examination parameters (p < 0.05). The effect was not observed neither in BMT-group nor POP-group (p > 0.05): these groups revealed constant progression of static and dynamic instability (p > 0.05). Conclusions: STN-DBS can have modulatory effect on static and dynamic instability in PD patients: it can temporarily improve balance disorders. mainly during first 9 post-operative months, but with possible following deterioration of the symptoms in next post-operative months.
FPGAhammer: Remote Voltage Fault Attacks on Shared FPGAs, suitable for DFA on AES

With each new technology generation, the available resources on Field Programmable Gate Arrays increase, making them more attractive for partial access from multiple users. They get increasingly adopted as accelerators in various application domains, embedded in shared Systems on Chip or remote cloud services. Thus, some recent works have already explored Denial-of-Service and side-channel attacks, where an FPGA fabric is shared among multiple users. In this work, we show how fault attacks can be launched within an FPGA, through software-provided bitstreams alone. Excessive voltage drops can be generated from legitimate logic mapped into the FPGA to cause timing faults, reaching from spatially and logically isolated partitions of one to another user of the FPGA fabric. To cause this voltage drop, we first show how specific patterns to activate Ring Oscillators can cause timing failures in simple test designs on various FPGA boards. Subsequently, we analyze and adapt an existing fault model for the Advanced Encryption Standard to match the accuracy of our fault attack. In the same multi-user scenario, we show as a proof-of-concept how a successful Differential Fault Analysis attack on an AES module can be launched. We perform experiments on three FPGA boards of the same model and confirm that the attack adapts to all systems and is successful under process variation, but with different susceptibility to faults. The paper is concluded by validating the attack on another platform, and analyzing the vulnerability based on a timing analysis, proving the applicability to different devices.
Using the rapid A-Ci response (RACiR) in the Li-Cor 6400 to measure developmental gradients of photosynthetic capacity in poplar.

The rapid A-Ci response (RACiR) technique alleviates limitations of measuring photosynthetic capacity by reducing the time needed to determine the maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax ) and electron transport rate (Jmax ) in leaves. Photosynthetic capacity and its relationships with leaf development are important for understanding ecological and agricultural productivity; however, our current understanding is incomplete. Here, we show that RACiR can be used in previous generation gas exchange systems (i.e., the LI-6400) and apply this method to rapidly investigate developmental gradients of photosynthetic capacity in poplar. We compared RACiR-determined Vcmax and Jmax as well as respiration and stomatal conductance (gs ) across four stages of leaf expansion in Populus deltoides and the poplar hybrid 717-1B4 (Populus tremula × Populus alba). These physiological data were paired with leaf traits including nitrogen concentration, chlorophyll concentrations, and specific leaf area. Several traits displayed developmental trends that differed between the poplar species, demonstrating the utility of RACiR approaches to rapidly generate accurate measures of photosynthetic capacity. By using both new and old machines, we have shown how more investigators will be able to incorporate measurements of important photosynthetic traits in future studies and further our understanding of relationships between development and leaf-level physiology.
Does cue processing modulate inhibition of return in a detection task?

While the abrupt onset of a peripheral visual cue usually leads to speeded responses to following targets at the cued relative to other positions, responses are slowed if targets lag behind the cue by more than ~200 ms. This response delay is termed inhibition of return (IOR) and has been considered as a mechanism to orient behavior toward novel areas. IOR has been found in both detection and discrimination tasks with later onset in discrimination tasks, probably due to a higher processing demand. Here we examined whether the processing demand of cues can modulate IOR in the detection task. The task to the peripheral cues, either color or gap cues, was passive viewing in one session (single task) and discrimination in another session (dual task). The results showed that the time course of IOR was resistant to the cue processing, while the magnitude of IOR was increased when the processing load became larger in the dual task relative to the single task. These results indicate that IOR in target detection is both reflexive in that its temporal dynamics remain invariant, and flexible in that its magnitude is modulated by task requirement.
Melatonin‐mediated downregulation of ZNF746 suppresses bladder tumorigenesis mainly through inhibiting the AKT‐MMP‐9 signaling pathway

There still lacking effective treatment for bladder cancer. This study investigated whether melatonin (Mel) can suppress the growth and invasion of bladder cancer cells. Male C57B/L6 mice were categorized into control group (ie, subcutaneous injection of HT1197 bladder cancer cell line at the back] and treatment group [subcutaneous HT1197 cells + intraperitoneal Mel (100 mg/kg/d) from day 8 to day 21 after tumor cell injection]. In vitro Mel suppressed cell growth of four bladder cancer cell lines (ie, T24, RT4, HT1197, HT1376), cell migration in HT1197/HT1376, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in T24 and colony formation in RT4 cells as well as arrested the cell cycle at G0 phase and inhibited the mitotic phase of T24 cells (all P < 0.0001). Protein expression of ZNF746 in RT4/T24 cells and protein expression phosphorylated (p)‐AKT/MMP‐2/MMP‐9 in HT1197/HT1376 cells were reduced following Mel treatment (all P < 0.001). Transfection of T24 cells with plasmid‐based shRNA (ie, ZNF746‐silencing) downregulated the protein expression of MMP‐9, cell growth, and invasion and attachment to endothelial cells but upregulated the colony formation (all P < 0.001). Mel suppressed oxidative stress and MMP but upregulated mitochondria mass in ZNF746‐silenced T24 cells, whereas these parameters exhibited a similar patter to Mel treatment in ZNF746‐silenced T24 cells (all P < 0.0001). In vivo study demonstrated that Mel treatment significantly suppressed cellular expressions of MMP‐9/MMP‐2, protein expressions of ZNF746/p‐AKT, and tumor size (all P < 0.001). Mel treatment suppressed the growth, migration, and invasion of bladder carcinoma cells through downregulating ZNF746‐regulated MMP‐9/MMP‐2 signaling.
An Analysis of Lung Cancer Screening Beliefs and Practice Patterns for Community Providers Compared to Academic Providers

Despite guidelines recommending annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer, uptake remains low due to the perceived complexity of initiating and maintaining a clinical program—problems that likely magnify in underserved populations. We conducted a survey of community providers at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Santa Clara County, California, to evaluate provider-related factors that affect adherence. We then compared these findings to academic providers’ (APs) LDCT screening knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes at an academic referral center in the same county. The 4 FQHCs enrolled care for 80 000 patients largely of minority descent and insured by Medi-Cal. Of the 75 FQHC providers (FQHCPs), 36 (48%) completed the survey. Of the 36 providers, 8 (22%) knew screening criteria. Fifteen (42%) FQHCPs discussed LDCT screening with patients. Compared to 36 APs, FQHCPs were more concerned about harms, false positives, discussion time, patient apathy, insurance coverage, and a lack of expertise for screening and follow-up. Yet, more FQHCPs thought screening was effective (27 [75%] of 36) compared to APs (P = .0003). In conclusion, provider knowledge gaps are greater and barriers are different for community clinics caring for underserved populations compared to their academic counterparts, but practical and scalable solutions exist to enhance adoption.
Nanoproteomics comes of age

ABSTRACT Introduction: Nanoproteomics, which is defined as quantitative proteome profiling of small populations of cells (<5000 cells), can reveal critical information related to rare cell populations, hard-to-obtain clinical specimens, and the cellular heterogeneity of pathological tissues. Areas covered: We present a brief review of the recent technological advances in nanoproteomics. These advances include new technologies or approaches covering major areas of proteomics workflow ranging from sample isolation, sample processing, high-resolution separations, to MS instrumentation. Expert commentary: We comment on the current state of nanoproteomics and discuss perspectives on both future technological directions and potential enabling applications.
Regional Multicriteria and Multimodal Route Planning System for Public Transportation: A Case Study

Nowadays, the use of computer-based route planners is popular among private and public transportation passengers. A large range of websites and GPS navigation devices provide such services for their users. Here, we present an algorithm used by a route planning system which operates on a complete public transport network of two regions from two countries, namely Hungary and Serbia. The algorithm can handle the pedestrian traffic between stops not too far from each other. It can take into account individual user preferences like walking distances and modes of transport. The graph representing the transport network was very large, but with the help of some speed-up techniques, we managed to create an effective search algorithm that is able to handle user requirements.
"Full Stomach" Despite the Wait: Point-of-care Gastric Ultrasound at the Time of Procedural Sedation in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVES The objective was to use gastric point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to assess gastric contents and volume, summarize the prevalence of "full stomach," and explore the relationship between fasting time and gastric contents at the time of procedural sedation. METHODS This was a prospective study of patients aged 2 to 17 years fasting prior to procedural sedation. A single sonographer scanned each patient's gastric antrum in two positions: supine with the upper body elevated and right lateral decubitus (RLD). Gastric content (empty, liquid, or solid) was noted, and the gastric volume (mL/kg) was estimated from antral cross-sectional area (CSA). "Full stomach" was defined as any solid content or >1.2 mL/kg of liquid gastric content. RESULTS We enrolled 116 subjects, with a median fasting time of 5.8 hours. Of the 107 with evaluable images, 74 patients, 69% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 60%-77%), were categorized as having a full stomach. Each hour of fasting was associated with lower odds (odds ratio = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.65-0) of a full stomach. However, the knowledge of fasting time alone provides little ability to discriminate between risk groups (C-index = 0.66). CONCLUSIONS Gastric POCUS classified many patients as having a full stomach at the time of expected procedural sedation, despite prolonged fasting times. These findings may inform risk-benefit considerations when planning the timing and medication choice for procedural sedation.
On the early studies recognizing the role of sulphuric acid in atmospheric haze and new particle formation

Abstract Atmospheric aerosols have been a subject to scientific interest at least since the Age of Enlightenment, including theories concerning the origins of atmospheric haze and dust. Early studies associated haze with geological sources – earthquakes and volcanism – which were believed to be related to the chemistry of sulphuric compounds. Thus, sulphuric acid became the strongest candidate to explain atmospheric new particle formation. The idea was carried over when the first quantitative studies of condensation nuclei and atmospheric chemistry took place during the later part of the 19th century. Laboratory and field measurements by von Helmholtz, Aitken, Kiessling, and Barus, among others, a century ago led to the conclusion that widespread new particle formation occurs in the atmosphere and is caused by sulphuric acid together with water and ammonia – a viewpoint, which has been rediscovered and expanded during the past 25 years.