Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Secure MIMO-SVD Communications Against Eavesdroppers With Any Number of Antennas

Physical layer security (PLS) provides strong and lightweight secure communications for vehicle networks, which has attracted great attention. However, current schemes cannot defend against the passive eavesdroppers with any number of antennas. To fill this gap, we propose a physical layer secure MIMO-SVD (singular value decomposition) communication scheme (SSVD) to defend against such an eavesdropper with any number of antennas. In the SSVD scheme, the confidential information first goes through a special data frames secure process at the transmitter. After that, by integrating with SSVD precoding, the key information is attached and delivered in the combination of activated/non-activated MIMO parallel sub-channels of the legitimate receiver through the wireless channel. Due to the uniqueness and independence of wireless channel, only the legitimate receiver can observe the key information and use it to “decrypt” (XOR) the confidential information step by step with an arbitrary low BER (bit error rate). However, for any other eavesdropper who suffers an independent channel from legitimate users, the eavesdropper cannot obtain any key information from the received signals, regardless of how many antennas he/she has. Consequently, the eavesdropper cannot “decrypt” any information about the confidential information. The SSVD security and reliability are theoretically analyzed, and the simulation and numerical results fully verified its validity and effectiveness.
A Four-User Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access System Implementation in Software Defined Radios

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), is one of the fundamental radio access techniques recommended for 5G communication networks that increases the spectral efficiency by multiplexing the users in the power domain to compensate for the increasing bandwidth requirements. Although there are plenty of theoretical studies, there is only a couple of experimental studies about NOMA. In this study, a practical downlink NOMA system based on software-defined radio (SDR) platform is implemented with the number of users increased to four. Our NOMA system, which makes use of power domain NOMA mainly focuses on four user superposition coding at the transmitter and successive interference cancelation (SIC) at each receiver. The designed NOMA system has been tested over real-time experiments and constellation differences are compared with SIC output. In addition to these, bit error rate (BER) results have been proposed.
THEORY AND TECHNOLOGY OF SINTERING, THERMAL AND THERMOCHEMICAL TREATMENT NITRIDING OF SINTERED VT1-0 TITANIUM ALLOY

Components produced from sintered titanium alloys are increasingly used in mechanical engineering but need to be protected for operation in corrosive environments because of porosity. Nitriding is one of the effective protection methods. The objective of the study was to analyze the nitriding kinetics of a sintered VT1-0 titanium alloy at atmospheric (105 Pa) and reduced (1 Pa) nitrogen pressure at 800, 850, and 900°C for 5, 10, and 20 h versus a wrought titanium alloy of the same composition. The study employed discrete gravimetry, hardness measurement, optical and electronic metallography, profilometry, and X-ray diffraction. The nitriding kinetics of the VT1-0 titanium alloy sintered from titanium powder alone and from a mixture of titanium and titanium hydride powders was studied in comparison with wrought titanium. Under the nitriding parameters in question, the weight gain of all samples was described by a parabolic law and the weight gain of the sintered samples was higher than that of the wrought ones. The kinetic parameters of nitriding for the sintered and wrought VT1-0 titanium alloys were determined for the first time in the test temperature–time and gas dynamic conditions. Changes in the surface and near-surface layers depending on metal porosity were shown. After nitriding, the surface microhardness of the sintered titanium was lower than that of the wrought titanium samples because of porosity, and the strengthened surface layer was thicker. The nitride film formed on the sintered titanium alloy was thinner and less distorted than that on the wrought titanium alloy. The results can be used to develop nitriding conditions for sintered VT1-0 titanium products.
The effects of corn silage particles size and fat supplement on feed intake, digestibility, ruminal function, chewing activity, and performance in mid-lactating Holstein dairy cows

An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of corn silage particle size and fat supplements on performance, solid passage rate through the digestive tract, and chewing behavior in dairy cows. The forages were coarse or fine corn silage with geometric means of 8.8±2.7 and 5.6±2.8 mm, and alfalfa with geometrics means of 7.0±3.3 mm, and fat supplements were neutral fat (palm) and soy-oil. Diets were: 1) coarse corn silage and four percent neutral fat supplement, 2) coarse corn silage and four percent soy-oil supplement, 3) fine corn silage and four percent neutral fat supplement, and 4) fine corn silage and four percent soy-oil supplement. The forage to concentrate ratio was 43:57 percent in all diets. A 2×2 factorial balanced change-over design experiment with two replicates was used. Physically effective factor (pef) was affected by corn silage particles size and was higher in coarse corn silage diets, but diets Xgm was not affected by silage particles size. Intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) was not affected by corn silage particles size, fat supplement, and their interactions. However, physically effective NDF (peNDF) intake was significantly higher (P<0.0107) in coarse corn silage diets. Digestibility of DM, OM, EE, NDF, and ADF was significantly higher in fine corn silage diets but not affected by fat supplements. Duration of chewing activity was longer in coarse corn silage diets (P<0.05). Rumination activities per kg of DM, OM and NDF were longer in coarse corn silage diets. Ruminal solid retention time was longer in coarse corn silage and soy-oil diets (P<0.05). Fat yield, total milk solids, and 3.5% fatcorrected milk yield (3.5%FCM) were the highest in the fine corn silage and neutral fat diets. Protein and 3.5% fat-corrected milk efficiencies were higher in diets containing neutral fat supplement. Inert fat supplement can increase energy density of the diets, thus resulting in improved cow performance.
Food insecurity and healthcare access, utilization, and quality among middle and later life adults in California

Objectives: This study examined the association between food insecurity status and healthcare access, utilization, and quality among adults aged 55 years and older. Methods: Data collected between 2011 and 2016 for the California Health Interview Survey were used. The sample included 72,212 individuals who were divided into three groups: food secure (FS), low food security (L-FS), and very low food security (VL-FS). Results: Logistic regression analyses controlled for demographics. Food insecurity was associated with decreased access to and quality of care and increased utilization. Specifically, VL-FS was more likely to delay care than FS. Additionally, VL-FS and L-FS had greater odds of visiting an emergency room than FS. Furthermore, VL-FS and L-FS were more likely to have a doctor who did not always explain aspects of care carefully compared to FS. Discussion: These findings suggest a need for increased screening for food insecurity in healthcare settings.
Associations between Childhood Abuse and Chronic Pain in Adults with Substance Use Disorders

Abstract Background: Both childhood abuse and chronic pain are common in people with substance use disorders (SUDs). Studies have found that exposure to childhood abuse is associated with chronic pain in adulthood; however, few studies have examined this association in people with SUDs. Objectives: This study aimed to characterize the association between childhood abuse and chronic pain presence and severity in adults with SUDs. Methods: Data were obtained from 672 treatment-seeking participants with SUDs on an inpatient detoxification unit. Regression models evaluated whether childhood physical or sexual abuse was associated with the likelihood of chronic pain and severity of several pain-related characteristics: pain catastrophizing, pain severity, and pain interference. Results: Childhood physical and sexual abuse were significantly associated with a greater likelihood of chronic pain in adulthood. In the adjusted analyses, childhood physical abuse was associated with worse pain severity, whereas childhood sexual abuse was associated with greater pain catastrophizing and worse pain interference. Conclusions: Childhood physical and sexual abuse were associated with a greater likelihood of chronic pain in adults with SUDs. Among those with chronic pain, exposure to childhood abuse was associated with a more severe symptom profile, characterized by greater pain severity, more catastrophic interpretations of pain, and more pain-related interference with daily life. People with SUDs and a history of childhood abuse may benefit from screening for pain and interventions to reduce pain catastrophizing. These findings highlight the importance of longitudinal research to understand mechanisms linking childhood abuse exposure to later pain and substance misuse.
MetaTX: deciphering the distribution of mRNA-related features in the presence of isoform ambiguity, with applications in epitranscriptome analysis

MOTIVATION The distribution of biological features strongly indicates their functional relevance. Compared to DNA-related features, deciphering the distribution of mRNA-related features is non-trivial due to the existence of isoform ambiguity and compositional diversity of mRNAs. RESULTS We propose here a rigorous statistical framework, MetaTX, for deciphering the distribution of mRNA-related features. Through a standardized mRNA model, MetaTX firstly unifies various mRNA transcripts of diverse compositions, and then corrects the isoform ambiguity by incorporating the overall distribution pattern of the features through an EM algorithm. MetaTX was tested on both simulated and real data. Results suggested that MetaTX substantially outperformed existing direct methods on simulated datasets, and that a more informative distribution pattern was produced for all the three datasets tested, which contain N 6-Methyladenosine sites generated by different technologies. MetaTX should make a useful tool for studying the distribution and functions of mRNA-related biological features, especially for mRNA modifications such as N 6-Methyladenosine. AVAILABILITY The MetaTX R package is freely available at GitHub: https://github.com/yue-wang-biomath/MetaTX.1. 0.
Qualitative review on N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor expression in rat spinal cord during the postnatal development: Implications for central sensitization and pain

The N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is an important mediator of central sensitization and nociception in the rat spinal dorsal horn. The NMDAR subunits and splice variants determine the properties of the receptor. Understanding the expression of NMDAR subunits in spinal cord during the neonatal development is important as it may have consequences for the process of central sensitization and nociception in later life. In this review, a systematic literature search was conducted using three databases: Medline, Embase, and PubMed. A quality assessment was performed on predetermined entities of bias. Thirteen articles were identified to be relevant. The results show that NMDAR subunits and splice variants are dynamically expressed during postnatal development in the spinal dorsal horn. During the first 2 weeks, the expression of less excitable GluN2A subunit and more sensitive GluN2B subunit increases while the expression of high excitable GluN2C subunit decreases. During the 2nd week of postnatal development GluN1 subunits with exon 21 spliced in but exon 22 spliced out are predominantly expressed, increasing phosphorylation, and transport to the membrane. The data suggest that in rats, the nociceptive system is most susceptible to central sensitization processes during the first two postnatal weeks. This may have important consequences for nociception and pain responses in later life. From this, we conclude that targeted therapy directed toward specific NMDAR subunits is a promising candidate for mechanism‐based treatment of pain in neonates.
Development and validation of a questionnaire assessing weighing tendencies: the Approach/Avoidance of Weighing Questionnaire (AAWQ)

ABSTRACT Frequent weighing to assess shape and weight is common in eating disorders, as is going to great lengths to avoid knowledge of weight. However, few tools exist to measure these different weighing tendencies. This study reports on the development of a self-report measure of weighing tendencies using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA; CFA). An EFA using 10 items identified 2 factors and indicated all items should be retained. Two CFAs in two independent samples indicated that a 2-factor, 6-item version fit reasonably well. The factors indicate the tendency to approach weighing and to avoid weighing. Additional evidence of convergent and discriminant validity is presented, covering a number of eating behaviors and relevant behavioral constructs. Findings suggest that individuals characterized by approach weighing tendencies may weight-check to reduce the anxiety and distress of not knowing their weights, and those characterized by avoidance may reduce the anxiety and distress of knowing their weights by avoiding weight-related information. This may have important clinical implications, as the feared stimulus for one group is uncertainty about their weights, whereas for the other, it is awareness of their weights, suggesting different treatment targets. Overall, the AAWQ appears to be a promising tool that may aid in examining weighing tendencies, in turn having the potential to aid in eating disorder cognitive-behavioral clinical case formulation and treatment planning.
Efficacy of romiplostim in treatment of thrombocytopenia in children with Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome

Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a life‐threatening primary immunodeficiency associated with bleeding of variable severity due to thrombocytopenia. Correction of the thrombocytopenia is of paramount importance for most WAS patients. We report a retrospective analysis of the safety and efficacy of romiplostim treatment in reducing thrombocytopenia and bleeding tendency in 67 children (median age 1·3 years) with genetically confirmed WAS, followed in eight months (range, 1–12 months). Complete or partial primary responses regarding platelet counts were observed in 22 (33%) and 18 (27%) subjects, respectively. Yet, even in the non‐responder group, the risk of haemorrhagic events decreased significantly, to 21%, after the first month of treatment. The responses tended to be durable and stable over time, with no significant fluctuations in platelets counts. The results of this retrospective study of a large cohort of WAS patients demonstrates that romiplostim can be used to increase platelet counts and reduce the risks of life‐threatening bleeding in WAS patients awaiting haematopoietic stem cell transplantation or forgoing the procedure for various reasons.
Formal robotic training diminishes the learning curve for robotic pancreatoduodenectomy: Implications for new programs in complex robotic surgery

The learning curve associated with robotic pancreatoduodenectomy (RPD) is a hurdle for new programs to achieve optimal results. Since early analysis, robotic training has recently expanded, and the RPD approach has been refined. The purpose of this study is to examine RPD outcomes for surgeons who implemented a new program after receiving formal RPD training to determine if such training reduces the learning curve.
Early maltreatment experience increases resting-state functional connectivity in the theory of mind (ToM) network

Background Early life stressful events, such as childhood maltreatment, significantly increase risk for the development of psychopathology and are associated with impairments in socio-cognitive skills including theory-of-mind (ToM). However, to date, no study has examined the resting-state activity of the ToM network in adults with maltreatment history. Methods Thirty-five women with a history of childhood maltreatment and 31 unaffected women completed a resting-state scan and a ToM localizer task. The peak coordinates from the localizer were used as the seed regions for the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses (temporoparietal junction, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus and precuneus). Results Child abuse was associated with increased RSFC between various ToM regions including the precuneus and the brainstem suggesting altered hierarchical processing in ToM regions. In addition, RSFC was also changed between the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum. Limitations A small and heterogeneous sample. Conclusions The data indicate a lasting influence of early life stress on neural networks involved in social processing and may underlie the social difficulties reported by maltreated individuals.
A Meta‐Analysis of Therapeutic Pain Neuroscience Education, Using Dosage and Treatment Format as Moderator Variables

This meta‐analysis aimed to assess the overall effect of therapeutic pain neuroscience education (TPNE) on chronic musculoskeletal pain and to further assess whether such an effect differs by TPNE dosage as well as other treatment format components. Dosage included the number of TPNE sessions provided as well as the amount of time per TPNE session. Structural components included TPNE provided alone as treatment or combined with other pain management modalities, as well as the inclusion of group‐based treatment sessions.
ZmNAC49 reduces stomatal density to improve drought tolerance in maize.

Drought stress severely limits the growth, development and productivity of crops. It is crucial to unravel the mechanisms of the plants in response to drought stress. In this study, we cloned a maize NAC transcription factor, ZmNAC49, and identiﬁed its function in response to drought stress. ZmNAC49 was localized in the nucleus and had transcriptional activation activity. ZmNAC49 expression was rapidly and strongly induced by drought stress. ZmNAC49 overexpression enhanced drought stress tolerance in maize. Our results also showed that ZmNAC49 overexpression significant decreased the transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and stomatal density in maize.Further study showed that ZmNAC49 overexpression affected the expressions of stomatal development-related genes (ZmTMM, ZmSDD1, ZmMUTE, ZmFAMA). Moreover, we found that ZmNAC49 could directly bind to the promoter of ZmMUTE and suppressed ZmMUTE expression. Taken together, our results reveal that transcription factor ZmNAC49 represses ZmMUTE expression, reduces stomatal density, and then enhances drought tolerance in maize.
Loss of CBY1 results in a ciliopathy characterized by features of Joubert syndrome

Ciliopathies are clinically and genetically heterogeneous diseases. We studied three patients from two independent families presenting with features of Joubert syndrome: abnormal breathing pattern during infancy, developmental delay/intellectual disability, cerebellar ataxia, molar tooth sign on magnetic resonance imaging scans, and polydactyly. We identified biallelic loss‐of‐function (LOF) variants in CBY1, segregating with the clinical features of Joubert syndrome in the families. CBY1 localizes to the distal end of the mother centriole, contributing to the formation and function of cilia. In accordance with the clinical and mutational findings in the affected individuals, we demonstrated that depletion of Cby1 in zebrafish causes ciliopathy‐related phenotypes. Levels of CBY1 transcript were found reduced in the patients compared with controls, suggesting degradation of the mutated transcript through nonsense‐mediated messenger RNA decay. Accordingly, we could detect CBY1 protein in fibroblasts from controls, but not from patients by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, we observed reduced ability to ciliate, increased ciliary length, and reduced levels of the ciliary proteins AHI1 and ARL13B in patient fibroblasts. Our data show that CBY1 LOF‐variants cause a ciliopathy with features of Joubert syndrome.
Genetic finger printing of cotton cultivars by ISSR molecular markers.

Farahani F. , M. Sheidai, F. Koohdar (2018): Genetic finger printing of cotton cultivars by ISSR molecular markers.Genetika, Vol 50, No.2, 627-634. Gossypium hirsutum is one of the main tetraploid cotton species that is cultivated throughout the world. Due to continuous selection of cotton cultivars for specific agronomic traits, the genetic variability within the cultivars decrease that lead to genetic erosion. To tackle the problem of reduced genetic variability, we should track all available genetic diversity within cotton germplasm and use them for inter-specific and intra-specific hybridization and produce new elite cotton cultivars. Therefore, the present study used ISSR molecular markers to illustrate genetic variability in 13 tetraploid cotton genotypes (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and to categorize these genotypes based on genetic affinity. 65 cotton plants were studied. The results identified private bands in the studied genotypes, while Network and STRUCTURE analyses of molecular data obtained grouped the genotypes with genetic affinity together. Some of the genotypes differed in their genetic content from the others; therefore, studying the genetic and agronomic variability within available cultivars is very important and produced data to broaden the gene pool for planning further hybridization in cotton.
amPEPpy 1.0: A portable and accurate antimicrobial peptide prediction tool.

MOTIVATION Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising alternative antimicrobial agents. Currently, however, portable, user-friendly, and efficient methods for predicting AMP sequences from genome-scale data are not readily available. Here we present amPEPpy, an open-source, multi-threaded command-line application for predicting AMP sequences using a random forest classifier. AVAILABILITY amPEPpy is implemented in Python 3 and is freely available through GitHub (https://github.com/tlawrence3/amPEPpy). CONTACT lawrencetj@ornl.gov or labbejj@ornl.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
How relatives look back at suicide risk after their close one’s death by suicide

Abstract The aim of the current study is to analyze how relatives understand in retrospect the suicide risk of their next of kin who died by suicide. We interviewed 103 adult relatives who lost their significant others to suicide, using qualitative content analysis to explore the data. Participants expressed difficulties understanding suicide risk by identifying personal traits incompatible with suicide, reasons to doubt the risk, life oriented actions, the situation seemed better than it was, or that the loved one denied suicide risk; only a few recognized suicide risk. Prevalent myths about suicide and denial are possible explanations for these findings.