Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioral inhibition and activation as a modifier process in autism spectrum disorder: Examination of self‐reported BIS/BAS and alpha EEG asymmetry

The Modifier Model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suggests that phenotypic variability within ASD is rooted in modifier processes, such as the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral activation system (BAS). Among a sample of 53 adolescents with ASD, this study examined associations between (a) self‐reported BIS/BAS and frontal and parietal alpha electroencephalogram asymmetry and whether these indices related to (b) ASD severity (via the Autism Quotient), and/or (c) co‐occurring anxiety and attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (via Youth Self Report and Child Behavior Checklist). Findings showed that alpha asymmetry was associated with self‐reported BAS scores, such that greater BAS was related to greater right‐frontal hemisphere activation and relatively greater left‐parietal hemisphere activation. Additionally, associations emerged between ASD severity and self‐reported BAS and alpha asymmetry, and between anxiety symptoms and self‐reported BIS and alpha asymmetry. Furthermore, mediation analyses revealed that BAS mediated the association between asymmetry and autism severity. Therefore, alpha asymmetry and BIS/BAS activity may provide insight into how ASD presents in adolescence as well as who might be at greater risk for developing co‐occurring psychopathologies. This study highlights the importance of considering motivational systems to elucidate individual differences among youth with ASD and working toward the longer term goal of better understanding differential responses to treatment. Autism Research 2018, 11: 1653–1666. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
EVM analysis of an Interference Limited SIMO-SC System With Independent and Correlated Channels

In this paper, we derive the error vector magnitude (EVM) in a selection combining (SC) system experiencing co-channel interference, for arbitrary number of antennas and interferers when all the channels experience Rayleigh fading. We use a novel approach that uses the CCDF of SIR to derive EVM as using the conventional approach to derive EVM for a SC system is difficult. Considering two selection rules based on (a) maximum signal power (b) maximum signal to interference ratio, we observe that EVM is worse when maximum signal power based rule is used. Further, EVM is also derived considering (a) all the channels to be independent and (b) channels to be correlated due to insufficient antenna spacing at receiver. For some special cases, EVM is also derived when the desired channels experience Nakagami-m fading.
Mutual Seeding of Directly Modulated R-SOAs for Full-Duplex and Single-Wavelength Short Reaches

We demonstrate experimentally a novel mutual-seeding configuration for reflective semiconductor optical amplifier that allows for seamless bidirectional transmission on the same wavelength. This configuration extends the well-known self-seeding features, i.e., automatic tuning and direct modulation, while it removes the need for the Faraday mirror. For the first time, a mutual-seeding cavity is realized by the whole optical link: two R-SOAs (one at each link end) simultaneously act as direct modulators and seed each other. The key to achieve this relevant system simplification is a simple cancellation algorithm.
Nasal administration of mesenchymal stem cells restores cisplatin-induced cognitive impairment and brain damage in mice

Cognitive impairments are a common side effect of chemotherapy that often persists long after treatment completion. There are no FDA-approved interventions to treat these cognitive deficits also called ‘chemobrain’. We hypothesized that nasal administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) reverses chemobrain. To test this hypothesis, we used a mouse model of cognitive deficits induced by cisplatin that we recently developed. Mice were treated with two cycles of cisplatin followed by nasal administration of MSC. Cisplatin treatment induced deficits in the puzzle box, novel object/place recognition and Y-maze tests, indicating cognitive impairment. Nasal MSC treatment fully reversed these cognitive deficits in males and females. MSC also reversed the cisplatin-induced damage to cortical myelin. Resting state functional MRI and connectome analysis revealed a decrease in characteristic path length after cisplatin, while MSC treatment increased path length in cisplatin-treated mice. MSCs enter the brain but did not survive longer than 12-72 hrs, indicating that they do not replace damaged tissue. RNA-sequencing analysis identified mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation as a top pathway activated by MSC administration to cisplatin-treated mice. Consistently, MSC treatment restored the cisplatin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and structural abnormalities in brain synaptosomes. Nasal administration of MSC did not interfere with the peripheral anti-tumor effect of cisplatin. In conclusion, nasal administration of MSC may represent a powerful, non-invasive, and safe regenerative treatment for resolution of chemobrain.
Prolonged coma resulting from massive levothyroxine overdose and the utility of N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)

Abstract Introduction: Levothyroxine overdose rarely results in systemic toxicity. We report a case of intentional levothyroxine overdose with a delayed onset coma and delirium lasting two weeks. Case Summary: A 72-year-old female ingested 12 mg levothyroxine. Initially, she was drowsy but quickly recovered and was well for the following two days. On day-3 post-overdose her mental state gradually deteriorated. She presented to the hospital with agitation, confusion and dyspnoea. Initial vital signs: P128 bpm, BP132/67 mmHg, temperature 38 °C and SpO2 97%RA. Features suggesting thyroid storm were present: fever >38 °C, tachycardia and persistent coma. Serum T4 and T3 were >150 pmol/L (normal: 8–16) and >30.8 pmol/L (normal: 3.2–6.1), respectively. These remained elevated for 11 days. She was treated with propranolol, propylthiouracil and cholestyramine. She remained intubated for two weeks without sedation. Her conscious state improved on day-13, coinciding with normalisation of serum T4. Normal cognition was regained four days later. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT ProBNP) concentration was increased during coma and peaked 2 days prior to Glasgow Coma Score improving. Discussion: Our case demonstrates features of thyrotoxicosis and thyroid storm with coma after massive levothyroxine overdose. Coma was associated with an increase in NT-proBNP concentration. This may be a potential marker for brain injury and recovery.
Repeated immune activation with low-dose lipopolysaccharide attenuates the severity of Huntington's disease in R6/2 transgenic mice

ABSTRACT Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the huntingtin gene. Previously, therapeutic approaches using anti-inflammatory agents were reportedly not effective for preventing HD progression. Since whether immune responses contribute to the onset of HD is not entirely understood, we herein investigated the role of immune activation in HD using the R6/2 transgenic (Tg) HD model mouse. IL12 production and the expression of costimulatory molecules (e.g. CD86 and CD40) on innate immune cells (DCs and macrophages) were diminished in the disease stage of R6/2 Tg mice. Moreover, the number of adaptive T cells (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) and the frequency of effector memory phenotype CD4+ T cells were decreased in these mice. These results suggest that the severity of HD is closely related to an impaired immune system and might be reversed by activation of the immune system. Since lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent TLR4 agonist, activates immune cells, we evaluated the effect of immune activation on the pathogenesis of HD using LPS. The repeated immune activation with low-dose LPS significantly recovered the impaired immune status back to normal levels and attenuated both severe weight loss and the increased clasping phenotype found in the disease stage of R6/2 Tg mice, consequently resulting in prolonged survival. Taken together, these results strongly indicate that immune activation has beneficial influences on alleviating HD pathology and could provide new therapeutic strategies for HD.
Cartilage Tissue Engineering Using Stem Cells and Bioprinting Technology—Barriers to Clinical Translation

There is no long-term treatment strategy for young and active patients with cartilage defects. Early and effective joint preserving treatments in these patients are crucial in preventing the development of osteoarthritis. Tissue engineering over the past few decades has presented hope in overcoming the issues involved with current treatment strategies. Novel advances in 3D bioprinting technology have promoted more focus on efficient delivery of engineered tissue constructs. There have been promising in-vitro studies and several animal studies looking at 3D bioprinting of engineered cartilage tissue. However, to date there are still no human clinical trials using 3D printed engineered cartilage tissue. This review begins with discussion surrounding the difficulties with articular cartilage repair and the limitations of current clinical management options which have led to research in cartilage tissue engineering. Next, the major barriers in each of the 4 components of cartilage tissue engineering; cells, scaffolds, chemical, and physical stimulation will be reviewed. Strategies that may overcome these barriers will be discussed. Finally, we will discuss the barriers surrounding intraoperative delivery of engineered tissue constructs and possible solutions.
Sequence Alignment with Dirichlet Process Mixtures

We present a probabilistic model for unsupervised alignment of high-dimensional time-warped sequences based on the Dirichlet Process Mixture Model (DPMM). We follow the approach introduced in (Kazlauskaite, 2018) of simultaneously representing each data sequence as a composition of a true underlying function and a time-warping, both of which are modelled using Gaussian processes (GPs) (Rasmussen, 2005), and aligning the underlying functions using an unsupervised alignment method. In (Kazlauskaite, 2018) the alignment is performed using the GP latent variable model (GP-LVM) (Lawrence, 2005) as a model of sequences, while our main contribution is extending this approach to using DPMM, which allows us to align the sequences temporally and cluster them at the same time. We show that the DPMM achieves competitive results in comparison to the GP-LVM on synthetic and real-world data sets, and discuss the different properties of the estimated underlying functions and the time-warps favoured by these models.
Design and Implementation of a Sliding-Mode Controller for Low-Dropout/Linear Regulator

This brief presents an approach to utilize of sliding-mode (SM) controller in digital low-dropout/linear regulators. Various design aspects, including the extraction of the regulator state-space model and sliding coefficients by considering the hitting, existence, and stability conditions are described. Moreover, the freeze control block is introduced as a solution to compensate for the high frequency chattering phenomenon of SM, resulting in reduction of switching losses. In order to verify the statements, a quasi digital low-dropout/linear regulator is implemented in a discrete form on a PCB. The circuit consists of the proposed current-mode current feedback amplifier-based SM controller and switched-mode pMOS array driven by a bidirectional serial shift register, which is controlled by the SM controller. The results reveal that the controller detects the load changes rapidly, and eliminates the output limit-cycle oscillation, providing a robust and stable output voltage.
The Association Between Parity and Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease in Women: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Abstract Background: Previous studies are inconclusive on the relationship between parity and cardiovascular disease (CVD), with few evaluating multiple cardiovascular outcomes. It is also unclear if any relationship between parity and CVD is independent of breastfeeding. We examined the associations between parity and cardiovascular outcomes, including breastfeeding adjustment. Materials and Methods: Data were from 8,583 White and African American women, 45–64 years of age, in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure, and strokes were ascertained from 1987 to 2016 by annual interviews and hospital surveillance. Parity and breastfeeding were self-reported. Cox proportional hazards regression estimated hazard ratios (HR) for the association between parity and cardiovascular outcomes, adjusting for baseline sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle factors, and breastfeeding. Results: Women reported no pregnancies (6.0%), or having 0 (1.6%), 1–2 (36.2%), 3–4 (36.4%), or 5+ (19.7%) live births. During 30 years follow-up, there were 1,352 CHDs, 843 MIs, 750 strokes, and 1,618 heart failure events. Compared with women with 1–2 prior births, those with prior pregnancies and no live births had greater incident CHD (HR = 1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.14–2.42) and heart failure risk (1.46, 1.04–2.05), after adjustment for baseline characteristics. Women with 5+ births had greater risk of CHD (1.29, 1.10–1.52) and hospitalized MI (1.38, 1.13–1.69), after adjustment for baseline characteristics and breastfeeding. Conclusions: In a diverse U.S. cohort, a history of 5+ live births is associated with CHD risk, specifically, MI, independent of breastfeeding. Having a prior pregnancy and no live birth is associated with greater CHD and heart failure risk.
Evaluation Methodology and Reconfiguration Tests on the New European NG-MEDIUM FPGA

Emerging applications and devices in the space industry put forward the implementation of on-board highper-formance processing. The new European FPGA NGMEDIUM is expected to play a key role in this direction owing to its radiation-hardened process, high-density, and reconfigurability. In the current work, we devise a methodology to evaluate the capabilities of NG-MEDIUM and its programming tools. The proposed methodology involves numerous successive inter-dependent steps for assessing thoroughly the Synthesis, Placement, Routing, and Programming processes. We propose intensive benchmarking based on VHDL algorithms inherited from real Vision-Based Navigation activities. In addition, we present the evaluation of NG-MEDIUM in a hypothetical application scenario, which requires distinct bitstreams/algorithms to interchange depending on the position of a space robot, in-the-field. We test on HW three reconfiguration cases, and discuss the adaptability of this new rad-hard device to the demands of future space applications.
Energy-Efficient Mode Switching Mechanism With Flexible Functional Splitting in Energy Harvesting Cloud Radio Access Networks

In energy harvesting cloud radio access networks, the sleep mode switching of small radio remote head (SRRH) and the functional splitting between SRRH and baseband unit are two important challenges for improving energy efficiency and throughput. In this paper, we propose an energy-efficient mode switching mechanism (E2MSM) with flexible functional splitting in which a controller determines the modes of SRRHs and functional splitting level by considering the renewable energy levels and populations of SRRHs. To optimize the performance of E2MSM, a constraint Markov decision process problem is formulated and a joint optimal policy on the sleep scheduling and the functional splitting level is obtained by a linear programming. Evaluation results demonstrate that E2MSM with the optimal policy can achieve comparable throughput to the throughput-oriented scheme while consuming no non-renewable energy.
Information criteria for variable selection under sparsity

The optimization of an information criterion in a variable selection procedure leads to an additional bias, which can be substantial for sparse, high-dimensional data. One can compensate for the bias by applying shrinkage while estimating within the selected models. This paper presents modified information criteria for use in variable selection and estimation without shrinkage. The analysis motivating the modified criteria follows two routes. The first, which we explore for signal-plus-noise observations only, proceeds by comparing estimators with and without shrinkage. The second, discussed for general regression models, describes the optimization or selection bias as a double-sided effect, which we call a mirror effect: among the numerous insignificant variables, those with large, noisy values appear more valuable than an arbitrary variable, while in fact they carry more noise than an arbitrary variable. The mirror effect is investigated for Akaike’s information criterion and for Mallows’ Cp, with special attention paid to the latter criterion as a stopping rule in a least-angle regression routine. The result is a new stopping rule, which focuses not on the quality of a lasso shrinkage selection but on the least-squares estimator without shrinkage within the same selection.
Multimodal Generic Framework for Multimedia Documents Adaptation

Today, people are increasingly capable of creating and sharing documents (which generally are multimedia oriented) via the internet. These multimedia documents can be accessed at anytime and anywhere (city, home, etc.) on a wide variety of devices, such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. The heterogeneity of devices and user preferences has raised a serious issue for multimedia contents adaptation. Our research focuses on multimedia documents adaptation with a strong focus on interaction with users and exploration of multimodality. We propose a multimodal framework for adapting multimedia documents based on a distributed implementation of W3C’s Multimodal Architecture and Interfaces applied to ubiquitous computing. The core of our proposed architecture is the presence of a smart interaction manager that accepts context related information from sensors in the environment as well as from other sources, including information available on the web and multimodal user inputs. The interaction manager integrates and reasons over this information to predict the user’s situation and service use. A key to realizing this framework is the use of an ontology that undergirds the communication and representation, and the use of the cloud to insure the service continuity on heterogeneous mobile devices. Smart city is assumed as the reference scenario.
COPE for Adolescent Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: A Brief Cognitive–Behavioral Skill-Building Intervention to Improve Quality of Life and Promote Positive Mental Health

Lebanon has the highest per-capita concentration of refugees worldwide. There is an urgent need to offer psychosocial interventions to vulnerable groups such as Syrian refugee adolescents. To assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a cognitive–behavioral intervention (Creating Opportunities for Patient Empowerment [COPE]) on depression, anxiety, and quality of life (QOL) in a sample of adolescent refugees (13-17 years) living in Lebanon. A preexperimental study design was used. COPE 7-Session was delivered to 31 adolescent Syrian refugees. Participants were assessed for depression (Personal Health Questionnaire–9), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorders Scale), and QOL (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory). Feasibility and acceptability findings indicated that the COPE program was a positive experience for teens. Significant decreases in depression and anxiety, and increases in QOL were also reported. COPE is an effective cognitive–behavioral intervention that can be delivered in an Arabic/Middle-Eastern setting for teen refugees to improve mental health and QOL.
Contact mechanics between the human finger and a touchscreen under electroadhesion

Significance The technology for generating tactile feedback on a touchscreen via electroadhesion is already available—and straightforward to implement—but the knowledge on human skin contact mechanics is limited. To better understand the contact mechanism between the finger pad and touchscreen under electroadhesion, we investigated the sliding friction as a function of normal force and voltage using (i) a mean field theory based on multiscale contact mechanics, (ii) a full-scale computational contact mechanics study, and (iii) experiments performed on a custom-made tribometer. We show that the real contact area and the electroadhesion force depend strongly on the skin surface roughness and on the nature of the touchscreen coating. Thus, by reducing the effective thickness of the latter, the human tactile sensing can be drastically enhanced. The understanding and control of human skin contact against technological substrates is the key aspect behind the design of several electromechanical devices. Among these, surface haptic displays that modulate the friction between the human finger and touch surface are emerging as user interfaces. One such modulation can be achieved by applying an alternating voltage to the conducting layer of a capacitive touchscreen to control electroadhesion between its surface and the finger pad. However, the nature of the contact interactions between the fingertip and the touchscreen under electroadhesion and the effects of confined material properties, such as layering and inelastic deformation of the stratum corneum, on the friction force are not completely understood yet. Here, we use a mean field theory based on multiscale contact mechanics to investigate the effect of electroadhesion on sliding friction and the dependency of the finger–touchscreen interaction on the applied voltage and other physical parameters. We present experimental results on how the friction between a finger and a touchscreen depends on the electrostatic attraction between them. The proposed model is successfully validated against full-scale (but computationally demanding) contact mechanics simulations and the experimental data. Our study shows that electroadhesion causes an increase in the real contact area at the microscopic level, leading to an increase in the electrovibrating tangential frictional force. We find that it should be possible to further augment the friction force, and thus the human tactile sensing, by using a thinner insulating film on the touchscreen than used in current devices.
Direction of Arrival Estimation by Convex Optimization Methods With Unknown Sensor Gain and Phase

Direction of arrival (DOA) estimation performance severely degrades for the reasons that the perturbation from their assumed nominal complex gain values in practical sensor system. In this paper, to mitigate the effects of the uncertainty perturbation, a two-step method for joint DOAs and sensor errors estimation is proposed. In the first step, convex optimization and $l_{1}$ norm penalties are used to conduct a second-order cone framework to estimate DOAs roughly under the assumption that all sensor gains are identity. Second, we calibrate the perturbed gains with the DOAs estimated by the first step. The iterative process of the DOAs and gains estimation is taken until convergence. Furthermore, a refinement procedure is addressed to alleviate the effects of the grid limitations to spatial locations. In the present method, no auxiliary calibrated sensors or co-operation signal source is required. And the two-step method can handle both uncorrelated signals and coherent signals, it is also a high resolution method and robust in the condition of low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Several aspects are taken into consideration, and numerical experimental results are given to show the advantages of the new method for the DOA estimation.