Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electric Field Characteristics of Rotating Permanent Magnet Stimulation

Neurostimulation devices that use rotating permanent magnets are being explored for their potential therapeutic benefits in patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders. This study aims to characterize the electric field (E-field) for ten configurations of rotating magnets using finite element analysis and phantom measurements. Various configurations were modeled, including single or multiple magnets, and bipolar or multipolar magnets, rotated at 10, 13.3, and 350 revolutions per second (rps). E-field strengths were also measured using a hollow sphere (r=9.2 cm) filled with a 0.9% sodium chloride solution and with a dipole probe. The E-field spatial distribution is determined by the magnets’ dimensions, number of poles, direction of the magnetization, and axis of rotation, while the E-field strength is determined by the magnets’ rotational frequency and magnetic field strength. The induced E-field strength on the surface of the head ranged between 0.0092 and 0.52 V/m. In the range of rotational frequencies applied, the induced E-field strengths were approximately an order or two of magnitude lower than those delivered by conventional transcranial magnetic stimulation. The impact of rotational frequency on E-field strength represents a confound in clinical trials that seek to tailor rotational frequency to individual neural oscillations. This factor could explain some of the variability observed in clinical trial outcomes.
Potential Influence of Climate Change on Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases: A Review and Proposed Research Plan

Background Because of complex interactions of climate variables at the levels of the pathogen, vector, and host, the potential influence of climate change on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases (VBZDs) is poorly understood and difficult to predict. Climate effects on the nonvector-borne zoonotic diseases are especially obscure and have received scant treatment. Objective We described known and potential effects of climate change on VBZDs and proposed specific studies to increase our understanding of these effects. The nonvector-borne zoonotic diseases have received scant treatment and are emphasized in this paper. Data sources and synthesis We used a review of the existing literature and extrapolations from observations of short-term climate variation to suggest potential impacts of climate change on VBZDs. Using public health priorities on climate change, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we developed six specific goals for increasing understanding of the interaction between climate and VBZDs and for improving capacity for predicting climate change effects on incidence and distribution of VBZDs. Conclusions Climate change may affect the incidence of VBZDs through its effect on four principal characteristics of host and vector populations that relate to pathogen transmission to humans: geographic distribution, population density, prevalence of infection by zoonotic pathogens, and the pathogen load in individual hosts and vectors. These mechanisms may interact with each other and with other factors such as anthropogenic disturbance to produce varying effects on pathogen transmission within host and vector populations and to humans. Because climate change effects on most VBZDs act through wildlife hosts and vectors, understanding these effects will require multidisciplinary teams to conduct and interpret ecosystem-based studies of VBZD pathogens in host and vector populations and to identify the hosts, vectors, and pathogens with the greatest potential to affect human populations under climate change scenarios.
Data Complexity of Reasoning in Very Expressive Description Logics

Data complexity of reasoning in description logics (DLs) estimates the performance of reasoning algorithms measured in the size of the ABox only. We show that, even for the very expressive DL SHIQ, satisfiability checking is data complete for NP. For applications with large ABoxes, this can be a more accurate estimate than the usually considered combined complexity, which is EXPTIME-complete. Furthermore, we identify an expressive fragment, Horn-SHIQ, which is data complete for P, thus being very appealing for practical usage.
Openness and Inflation

This paper develops a two-country general equilibrium model to analyze the optimal rate of inflation under discretion. When agents' welfare is the sole policy objective it is possible to show that openness and inflation no longer have a simple inverse relationship. Because the terms of trade are related to monopoly markups, a greater degree of openness may lead the policymaker to exploit the short-run Phillips curve more aggressively, even if it involves a smaller short-run benefit. Inflation can then be higher in a more open economy. Copyright (c) 2010 The Ohio State University.
Hepatocellular carcinoma: the point of view of the hepatitis B virus.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the main risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, as suggested by many epidemiological and molecular studies (1–13) and as dramatically confirmed by data from Taiwan where the universal childhood vaccination program against HBV determined a striking reduction of new infections in infancy and a parallel decrease of liver cancer incidence in childhood (14). Despite the availability of a very efficacious vaccine, however, HBV infection is still a major health problem worldwide, with an estimate of 400 million chronic carriers of the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), many of whom suffer from progressive forms of liver disease and show a high propensity to develop HCC. Furthermore, when other risk factors for HCC development—such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, Aflatoxin B1 exposure, alcohol abuse and metabolic factors as obesity and diabetes—coexist with HBV infection, a considerable increase of the relative risk for cancer development occurs, probably due to a synergic pro-oncogenic effect of the different factors (13,15–19). Consequently, the World Health Organization includes HBV in ‘group 1’ human carcinogens classifying it among the most important oncogenic agents after tobacco smoking. HCC development underlies complex and multifactorial pathogenetic mechanisms. Much evidence indicates that HBV exerts its prooncogenic properties playing a role in many of these mechanisms. Moreover, this virus seems to maintain its pro-oncogenic role also in cases with persistence of viral genomes in the liver of individuals who are negative for circulating HBsAg (namely, ‘occult’ HBV infection) (20). Here, we review the different aspects of HBV involvement in heapatocarcinogenesis.
Phase and magnitude spatiotemporal dynamics of β oscillation in electrocorticography (ECoG) in the monkey motor cortex at the onset of 3D reaching movements

β oscillations in local field potentials, electro-corticography (ECoG), and electroencephalograms (EEG) are ubiquitous in the motor cortex of monkeys and humans. However due to their lack of contributions, compared to other frequency ranges, to decode effector kinematics especially in ECoG signals, spatiotemporal dynamics of ECoG β oscillations has not been examined despite the larger areas that ECoG arrays can cover than standard intracortical multielectrode arrays. Here, we used ECoG grids to cover large areas of motor cortex and some somatosensory cortex in monkeys while they performed an unconstrained reaching and a lever pulling task at two force levels in three dimensional space. We showed that under the pulling task β power increased around movement onset. However, the β phases were locked around the movement onsets and their peak timings were spatially aligned in the motor cortex. These results may indicate that spatiotemporal dynamics of β oscillation conveys task relevant information and that ECoG arrays will be useful to study larger spatiotemporal patterns in the motor cortex, or any cortical areas in general, than intracortical multielectrode arrays.
Variations in RANK gene are associated with adult height in Caucasians

Height is a complex trait significantly influenced by genetic factors, with heritability ranging from 48% to 98%. Previous studies have yielded a number of important genomic regions that may account for the variation of height in human populations. However, more ‘height’ genes still wait for identification. Recent studies have revealed that tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 11a (RANK) is a vital factor for chondroclastic/osteoclastic differentiation and activity that influence the morphology of growth plates and linear bone growth. Despite its importance, little effort has been made to find out whether the RANK polymorphisms are associated with adult height variation in normal populations. Herein, we performed a family based association test (FBAT) in 1873 white subjects from 405 nuclear families. Among eighteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and seven blocks, SNP rs6567274 was detected to be significant even after multiple‐testing correction. In corroboration with single‐locus analysis, a major haplotype in block 5 bearing the variant “T” of rs6567274 was significantly associated with higher stature. Our findings firstly suggested the RANK polymorphisms might contribute to adult height variation. Further researches need to be launched to replicate the present results and further unravel the molecular mechanism underlying the significant associations discovered. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 19:559–565, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genetic Evidence That the Non-Homologous End-Joining Repair Pathway Is Involved in LINE Retrotransposition

Long interspersed elements (LINEs) are transposable elements that proliferate within eukaryotic genomes, having a large impact on eukaryotic genome evolution. LINEs mobilize via a process called retrotransposition. Although the role of the LINE-encoded protein(s) in retrotransposition has been extensively investigated, the participation of host-encoded factors in retrotransposition remains unclear. To address this issue, we examined retrotransposition frequencies of two structurally different LINEs—zebrafish ZfL2-2 and human L1—in knockout chicken DT40 cell lines deficient in genes involved in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair of DNA and in human HeLa cells treated with a drug that inhibits NHEJ. Deficiencies of NHEJ proteins decreased retrotransposition frequencies of both LINEs in these cells, suggesting that NHEJ is involved in LINE retrotransposition. More precise characterization of ZfL2-2 insertions in DT40 cells permitted us to consider the possibility of dual roles for NHEJ in LINE retrotransposition, namely to ensure efficient integration of LINEs and to restrict their full-length formation.
The Use of Prosody in Syntactic Disambiguation

Prosodic structure and syntactic structure are not identical; neither are they unrelated. Knowing when and how the two correspond could yield better quality speech synthesis, could aid in the disambiguation of competing syntactic hypotheses in speech understanding, and could lead to a more comprehensive view of human speech processing. In a set of experiments involving 35 pairs of phonetically similar sentences representing seven types of structural contrasts, the perceptual evidence shows that some, but not all, of the pairs can be disambiguated on the basis of prosodic differences. The phonological evidence relates the disambiguation primarily to boundary phenomena, although prominences sometimes play a role. Finally, phonetic analyses describing the attributes of these phonological markers indicate the importance of both absolute and relative measures.
Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese manual therapy (Tuina) in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Introduction Non-pharmacological interventions play a crucial role in the management of non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). One prime example is Tuina, a traditional Chinese manual therapy that incorporates pressing, kneading and rubbing techniques to alleviate physical discomfort and enhance overall well-being. It serves as a widely used technique in China and other East Asian countries. However, the effectiveness and safety of Tuina for managing NSCLBP have not been substantiated through rigorous clinical research. We sought to carry out a randomised controlled trial with an open-label design, blinded assessors and parallel arms to assess the effectiveness and safety of Tuina as a treatment for NSCLBP. The trial aims to provide high-quality evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of Tuina in improving outcomes for patients with NSCLBP. Methods and analysis A total of 150 patients aged 18–60 years with NSCLBP will be recruited. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups. Both groups will receive standard health education. In addition, the treatment group will receive Tuina therapy, while the control group will participate in core stability exercises. Each group will undergo a total of 18 interventions over 6 weeks, with the interventions administered three times per week. The primary outcome measure is the patient’s pain intensity, assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale, at week 6 following randomisation. Secondary outcomes encompass disability (measured by the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire), quality of life (assessed using the EuroQoL-5 dimensions questionnaire), adverse emotions (evaluated with the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale), biomechanical outcomes, socioeconomic indicators (medication use, healthcare utilisation and absenteeism), patient satisfaction, treatment adherence and other relevant factors. The statistical analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance will be used to compare the clinical data across different time points within both groups. Ethics and dissemination The study protocol has received approval from the Ethics Committee of Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2023-1366-133-01). All study participants will be required to give written informed consent. The findings of the study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication and presented at scientific conferences. Additionally, the participants will receive copies of the results. Trial registration number ChiCTR2300076257.
Identifying Epilepsy Using MRIs of the Hippocampus

Background: Temporal lobe epilepsy is a form of epilepsy rooted in problems in the temporal region of the brain – specifically the amygdala and hippocampus. Among these cases, approximately 65% manifest Mesial Temporal Sclerosis, a loss of neuron cells in the hippocampus. Evidence of this can often be observed by the shrinking of different regions of the hippocampus and changing of intensity of regions as viewed in MRIs. The goal of this project will be to create an algorithm that can identify pathological and non-pathological hippocampi by analyzing coronal MRIs.
IWRM as a System Approach to Water Security: Evidence from the Awash River Basin of Ethiopia

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is one of the system thinking approaches 11 emerged in the 1990s. Since then it has been applied in various countries and contexts. However, the 12 implementation of the IWRM is contested. There are paucity of literature and guidelines as to how the 13 concept can be operationalized. In Ethiopia, there is no evidence that IWRM is successfully instituted. 14 Particularly, IWRM has never been implemented in the Awash River Basin. The study generated data 15 from household and institutional surveys, in-depth interviews, focused group discussions, workshops, 16 and secondary sources. Multiple sources of data were triangulated and thematically summarized. We 17 found that pragmatic water resources management through system approach helps to recognize river 18 basin as a bigger system in which the natural and human systems function. This resolves the problem of 19 fragmentations among among various actors, sectors, interest and priorities. That it facilitates the 20 coordination of various subsystems. The operationalization of IWRM as a system to secure water 21 resources require the establishment and/or strengthening of the interactions of various systems, 22 subsystems, and the elements within the entire basin system. Finally, enabling institutional environments 23 should be considered as a medium of realizing IWRM. 24
of Geophysical Research : Earth Surface GEODAR Data and the Flow Regimes of Snow Avalanches

GEOphysical flow dynamics using pulsed Doppler radAR (GEODAR), a custom radar system, images avalanches over the entire slope with high spatial and temporal resolution at the experimental test site Vallée de la Sionne in Switzerland. Between winter seasons 2009/2010 and 2014/2015, data have been acquired from 77 avalanches. These data sets describe a wide variety of avalanches, which we classify in terms of seven flow regimes and combinations thereof. These flow regimes expand on previous classifications, with four identifiable dense flow regimes (where interaction between granules and with the flow bed dominates dynamics) and two different dilute flow regimes (where interaction between snow particles and the air becomes dominant). There is a further regime identified where snow balls simply roll down the mountain. A cold dense regime and a warm shear regime behave like noncohesive granular flows with velocity shear throughout the flow. A sliding slab regime and a warm plug regime occur when cohesion dominates and causes the flow units to act as solid-like objects sliding on a thin shear zone. An intermittent regime connects the cold dense regime with the suspension regime and is characterized by highly fluctuating density and surging activity. GEODAR enables localization of these flow regimes and transitions between them in time and space. We discuss flow regime transitions in terms of snow properties, topography, speed, and size of the avalanches. This paper also serves as a reference for the data set which is made publicly available and should prove to be an invaluable resource for the development of physically based avalanche models.
Human-robot facial coexpression

Large language models are enabling rapid progress in robotic verbal communication, but nonverbal communication is not keeping pace. Physical humanoid robots struggle to express and communicate using facial movement, relying primarily on voice. The challenge is twofold: First, the actuation of an expressively versatile robotic face is mechanically challenging. A second challenge is knowing what expression to generate so that the robot appears natural, timely, and genuine. Here, we propose that both barriers can be alleviated by training a robot to anticipate future facial expressions and execute them simultaneously with a human. Whereas delayed facial mimicry looks disingenuous, facial coexpression feels more genuine because it requires correct inference of the human’s emotional state for timely execution. We found that a robot can learn to predict a forthcoming smile about 839 milliseconds before the human smiles and, using a learned inverse kinematic facial self-model, coexpress the smile simultaneously with the human. We demonstrated this ability using a robot face comprising 26 degrees of freedom. We believe that the ability to coexpress simultaneous facial expressions could improve human-robot interaction. We trained robots to anticipate and simultaneously execute human facial expressions, enhancing nonverbal interaction. Editor’s summary Humanoid robots are capable of mimicking human expressions by perceiving human emotions and responding after the human has finished their expression. However, a delayed smile can feel artificial and disingenuous compared with a smile occurring simultaneously with a companion’s smile. Hu et al. trained their anthropomorphic facial robot named Emo to display an anticipatory expression to match its human companion. Emo is equipped with 26 motors and flexible silicone skin to provide precise control over its facial expressions. The robot was trained with a video dataset of humans making expressions. By observing subtle changes in a human face, the robot could predict an approaching smile 839 milliseconds before the human smiled and adjust its face to smile simultaneously. —Melisa Yashinski
Changes in Paracrine Interleukin-2 Requirement, CCR7 Expression, Frequency, and Cytokine Secretion of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Specific CD4+ T Cells Are a Consequence of Antigen Load

ABSTRACT Virus-specific CD4+ T-cell responses are thought to be required for the induction and maintenance of many effective CD8+ T-cell and B-cell immune responses in experimental animals and humans. Although the presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific CD4+ T cells has been documented in patients at all stages of HIV infection, many fundamental questions regarding their frequency and function remain. A 10-color, 12-parameter flow cytometric panel was utilized to examine the frequency, memory phenotype (CD27, CCR7, and CD45RA), and cytokine production (interleukin-2 [IL-2], gamma interferon, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) of CD4+ T cells specific for HIV antigens as well as for adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), influenza H1N1 virus, influenza H3N2 virus, cytomegalovirus, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and tetanus toxoid in normal controls, long-term nonprogressors (LTNP), and HIV-infected patients with progressive disease on or off therapy. The HIV-specific CD4+ T-cell responses in LTNP and patients on therapy were similar in frequency, phenotype, and cytokine production to responses directed against adenovirus, EBV, influenza virus, and VZV. HIV-specific CD4+ T cells from patients off antiretroviral therapy demonstrated a shift towards a CCR7− CD45RA− phenotype and a reduced percentage of IL-2-producing cells. The alterations in cytokine production during HIV viremia were found to be intrinsic to the HIV-specific CD4+ T cells and caused a requirement for IL-2 supplied exogenously for proliferation to occur. These observations suggest that many previously described changes in HIV-specific CD4+ T-cell function and phenotype are a consequence of high levels of antigen in viremic patients. In addition, defects in function and phenotype of HIV-specific CD4+ T cells are not readily discernible in the context of antiretroviral therapy but rather are similar to responses to other viruses.
Comment on "Ongoing Adaptive Evolution of ASPM, a Brain Size Determinant in Homo sapiens" and "Microcephalin, a Gene Regulating Brain Size, Continues to Evolve Adaptively in Humans"

Mekel-Bobrov et al. and Evans et al. (Reports, 9 Sept. 2005, p. 1720 and p. 1717, respectively) examined sequence data from modern humans within two gene regions associated with brain development, ASPM and microcephalin, and concluded that selection of these genes must be ongoing. We show that models of human history that include both population growth and spatial structure can generate the observed patterns without selection.