Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using unsupervised capsule neural network reveal spatial representations in the human brain

Abstract Humans can extract high‐level spatial features from visual signals, but spatial representations in the brain are complex and remain unclear. The unsupervised capsule neural network (U‐CapsNet) is sensitive to the spatial location and relationship of the object, contains a special recurrent mechanism and uses a self‐supervised generation strategy to represent images, which is similar to the computational principle in the human brain. Therefore, we hypothesized that U‐CapsNet can help us understand how the human brain processes spatial information. First, brain activities were studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging during spatial working memory in which participants had to remember the locations of circles for a short time. Then, U‐CapsNet served as a computational model of the brain to perform tasks that are identical to those performed by humans. Finally, the representational models were used to compare the U‐CapsNet with the brain. The results showed that some human‐defined spatial features naturally emerged in the latent space of U‐CapsNet. Moreover, representations in U‐CapsNet captured the response structure of two types of brain regions during different activity patterns, as well as important factors associated with human behavior. Together, our study not only provides a computationally feasible framework for modeling how the human brain encodes spatial features but also provides insights into the representational format and goals of the human brain.
Follow-up analysis of federal process of care data reported from three acute care hospitals in rural Appalachia

Background This investigation evaluated standardized process of care data collected on selected hospitals serving a remote rural section of westernmost North Carolina. Methods Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data were analyzed retrospectively for multiple clinical parameters at Fannin Regional Hospital, Murphy Medical Center, and Union General Hospital. Data were analyzed by paired t-test for individual comparisons among the three study hospitals to compare the three facilities with each other, as well as with state and national average for each parameter. Results Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services “Hospital Compare” data from 2011 showed Fannin Regional Hospital to have significantly higher composite scores on standardized clinical process of care measures relative to the national average, compared with Murphy Medical Center (P = 0.01) and Union General Hospital (P = 0.01). This difference was noted to persist when Fannin Regional Hospital was compared with Union General Hospital using common state reference data (P = 0.02). When compared with national averages, mean process of care scores reported from Murphy Medical Center and Union General Hospital were both lower but not significantly different (−3.44 versus −6.07, respectively, P = 0.54). Conclusion The range of process of care scores submitted by acute care hospitals in western North Carolina is considerable. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services “Hospital Compare” information suggests that process of care measurements at Fannin Regional Hospital are significantly higher than at either Murphy Medical Center or Union General Hospital, relative to state and national benchmarks. Further investigation is needed to determine what impact these differences in process of care may have on hospital volume and/or market share in this region. Additional research is planned to identify process of care trends in this demographic and geographically rural area.
Young Infants' Perception of Illusory Contours in Dynamic Displays

Ninety-six 4-month-old infants were habituated to one of three computer-generated displays depicting two rod parts above and below an occluding box. In the first display, the surfaces and boundaries of the rod and box were specified by dense surface texture. Their depth segregation was specified by accretion and deletion of background texture and motion shear. In the second display, the unity of the rod parts and box, and their depth segregation, were specified only by illusory contours. In the third display, the boundaries of the rod and box were specified by illusory contours, perceptible only via spatiotemporal integration of accretion and deletion of sparse-background-texture elements. Infants appeared to perceive object unity, and segregate the rod and box surfaces, in all three displays, indicating use of illusory contours to perceive bounded surfaces in depth. The results suggest a cognitive contribution to perception of some illusory contours, abilities which seem to be present by at least 4 months of age.
Generalized Vandermonde Determinants over the Chebyshev Basis

It is a well known fact that the generalized Vandermonde determinant can be expressed as the product of the standard Vandermonde determinant and a polynomial with nonnegative integer coefficients. In this paper we generalize this result to Vandermonde determinants over the Chebyshev basis. We apply this result to prove that the number of real roots in [1;1] of a real polynomial is bounded by the number of its nonvanishing coefficients (sparsity) when represented over the Chebyshev basis. This bound on the number of real roots is used to prove finiteness of the Vapnik-Chervonenkis dimension (and thereby uniform learnability) of the class of polynomials of bounded sparsity over the Chebyshev basis. Department of Computer Science, University of Bonn, Römerstraße 164, 5300 Bonn, Germany, and International Computer Science Institute, 1947 Center Street, Berkeley, California 94704-1105 (werther@icsi.berkeley.edu).
Serum PINP, PIIINP, galectin-3, and ST2 as surrogates of myocardial fibrosis and echocardiographic left venticular diastolic filling properties

Objectives and Background: Serum biomarkers have been proposed to reflect fibrosis of several human tissues, but their specific role in the detection of myocardial fibrosis has not been well-established. We studied the association between N-terminal propeptide of type I and III procollagen (PINP, PIIINP, respectively), galectin-3 (gal-3), soluble ST2 (ST2), and myocardial fibrosis measured by late gadolinium enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (LGE CMR) and their relation to left ventricular diastolic filling properties measured by tissue Doppler echocardiography (E/e') in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and Results: We determined the PINP, PIIINP, gal-3, and ST2 serum levels and performed LGE CMR and echocardiography on 63 patients with stable CAD without a history of prior myocardial infarction. Myocardial late gadolinium enhancement T1 relaxation time was defined as a specific marker of myocardial fibrosis. ST2, PINP, and PIIINP did not have a significant correlation with the post-LGE T1 relaxation time tertiles (NS for all), but the lowest post-LGE T1 relaxation time tertile had significantly higher gal-3 values than the other two tertiles (p = 0.002 and 0.002) and higher E/é-values (p = 0.009) compared to the highest T1 relaxation time tertile. ST2 (p = 0.025 and 0.029), gal-3 (p = 0.003 and < 0.001) and PIIINP (p = 0.001 and 0.007) levels were also significantly higher in the highest E/é tertile, compared to the other two tertiles. Conclusions: Elevated serum levels of gal-3 reflect the degree of myocardial fibrosis assessed by LGE CMR. Gal-3, ST2, and PIIINP are also elevated in patients with impaired LV diastolic function, suggesting that these biomarkers are useful surrogates of structural and functional abnormality of the myocardium.
A 47 GHz power efficient MMIC tripler with low conversion loss

This paper presents design & development of a 47 GHz, single-ended, low conversion loss, Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) frequency tripler using 0.15pm GaAs/InGaAs/AlGaAs pseudomorphic High Electron Mobility Transistor (pHEMT). Fabricated chip size is 1.5mm × 2.0mm. The successful first run fabrication of the MMIC has achieved 3.5 dB of conversion loss at 47 GHz for 5 dBm of input power at 15.67 GHz. The circuit consumes only 35 mW of dc power, while output power flatness is within 2 dB over 8.5% frequency bandwidth. Fundamental, second, and fourth harmonic rejection is about 31 dBc, 27 dBc, and 28 dBc, respectively. Output spectrum obtained is highly stable and of high spectral purity. Therefore, the tripler becomes suitable for Millimeter Wave (MMW) transceiver applications.
QL-BT: Enhancing behaviour tree design and implementation with Q-learning

Artificial intelligence has become an increasingly important aspect of computer game technology, as designers attempt to deliver engaging experiences for players by creating characters with behavioural realism to match advances in graphics and physics. Recently, behaviour trees have come to the forefront of games AI technology, providing a more intuitive approach than previous techniques such as hierarchical state machines, which often required complex data structures producing poorly structured code when scaled up. The design and creation of behaviour trees, however, requires experience and effort. This research introduces Q-learning behaviour trees (QL-BT), a method for the application of reinforcement learning to behaviour tree design. The technique facilitates AI designers' use of behaviour trees by assisting them in identifying the most appropriate moment to execute each branch of AI logic, as well as providing an implementation that can be used to debug, analyse and optimize early behaviour tree prototypes. Initial experiments demonstrate that behaviour trees produced by the QL-BT algorithm effectively integrate RL, automate tree design, and are human-readable.
Exercise training in heart failure patients. Does reversing the peripheral abnormalities protect the heart?

E xercise and activity intolerance are the most frequent and debilitating symptoms in patients with mild and moderate congestive heart failure (CHF). Paradoxically, the severity of these symptoms correlates poorly with indexes of cardiac function such as the ejection fraction and hemodynamic measurements.1,2 This discordance has focused attention on pathophysiological changes in the periphery to explain the mechanism of impaired exercise capacity. However, the heart and the periphery are inextricably linked, both in normal physiology and in CHF. The article by Coats and coworkers3 in this issue of Circulation illustrates this linkage and its potentially profound clinical implications.
Acoustic input and efferent activity regulate the expression of molecules involved in cochlear micromechanics

Electromotile activity in auditory outer hair cells (OHCs) is essential for sound amplification. It relies on the highly specialized membrane motor protein prestin, and its interactions with the cytoskeleton. It is believed that the expression of prestin and related molecules involved in OHC electromotility may be dynamically regulated by signals from the acoustic environment. However little is known about the nature of such signals and how they affect the expression of molecules involved in electromotility in OHCs. We show evidence that prestin oligomerization is regulated, both at short and relatively long term, by acoustic input and descending efferent activity originating in the cortex, likely acting in concert. Unilateral removal of the middle ear ossicular chain reduces levels of trimeric prestin, particularly in the cochlea from the side of the lesion, whereas monomeric and dimeric forms are maintained or even increased in particular in the contralateral side, as shown in Western blots. Unilateral removal of the auditory cortex (AC), which likely causes an imbalance in descending efferent activity on the cochlea, also reduces levels of trimeric and tetrameric forms of prestin in the side ipsilateral to the lesion, whereas in the contralateral side prestin remains unaffected, or even increased in the case of trimeric and tetrameric forms. As far as efferent inputs are concerned, unilateral ablation of the AC up-regulates the expression of α10 nicotinic Ach receptor (nAChR) transcripts in the cochlea, as shown by RT-Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). This suggests that homeostatic synaptic scaling mechanisms may be involved in dynamically regulating OHC electromotility by medial olivocochlear efferents. Limited, unbalanced efferent activity after unilateral AC removal, also affects prestin and β-actin mRNA levels. These findings support that the concerted action of acoustic and efferent inputs to the cochlea is needed to regulate the expression of major molecules involved in OHC electromotility, both at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels.
Clearance of HCV Improves Insulin Resistance, Beta-Cell Function, and Hepatic Expression of Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 and 2

OBJECTIVES:Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is linked to greater insulin resistance. Although HCV itself is a candidate for the development of insulin resistance, the effects of antiviral treatment on impaired glucose metabolism remain unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of clearance of HCV on insulin resistance, beta-cell function, and hepatic expression of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)1/2, central molecules for insulin signaling.METHODS:We analyzed 89 biopsy-proven patients with chronic HCV infection. Patients received interferon-α or interferon-α plus ribavirin for 6 months and were classified into three groups at 6 months after the conclusion of antiviral therapy according to their response to antiviral therapy: sustained responders (N = 29), relapsers (N = 12), and nonresponders (N = 48). Insulin resistance and beta-cell function were assessed by the homeostasis model assessment method (HOMA-IR and HOMA-%B, respectively). Hepatic expression of IRS1/2 was evaluated by immunoblotting and immunostaining in 14 sustained responders.RESULTS:In nonresponders and relapsers, there were no significant changes in HOMA-IR and HOMA-%B values after antiviral therapy. On the other hand, in sustained responders, HOMA-IR values significantly decreased to 1.7 ± 0.8 from 3.1 ± 1.1 (P < 0.05) after antiviral therapy. Similarly, HOMA-%B values significantly decreased to 90.6 ± 10.0 from 113.7 ± 15.3 (P < 0.05). Immunoblotting showed a threefold increase in IRS1/2 expression after clearance of HCV. Immunostaining revealed that greater IRS1/2 expression was seen in hepatocytes.CONCLUSIONS:We showed that clearance of HCV improves insulin resistance, beta-cell function, and hepatic IRS1/2 expression.
Estimates of methane emissions from the Southern Ocean from quasi-continuous underway measurements of the partial pressure of methane in surface seawater during the 2012/13 austral summer

Abstract We used a new underway measurement system to investigate the partial pressure of methane (CH4) in surface seawater and overlying air in the Southern Ocean from late November 2012 to mid-February 2013. The underway system consisted of a cavity ring-down spectroscopy analyser and a shower-head type equilibrator. The monthly mean atmospheric CH4 mixing ratios obtained agreed well (within 5 ppb) with those recorded at onshore baseline stations. CH4 saturation ratios (SR, %), defined as CH4 concentration in seawater divided by CH4 concentration equilibrated with atmospheric CH4, varied between 85 and 185%; most of the ratios we calculated indicated supersaturation, except for those from south of the Southern limit of Upper Circumpolar Deep Water. SR was higher at the lower latitudes, including coastal areas north of the Sub-Antarctic Front, but decreased gradually and monotonously between the Sub-Antarctic Front and the Upper Circumpolar Deep Water. At high latitudes south of the Polar Front, SR decreased to below 100% due to the effects of upwelling and vertical mixing. We found a strong linear correlation between SR and apparent oxygen utilisation (AOU) south of the Polar Front. Observed SR decreased with increasing AOU and reached 85% at high AOU (41 µmol kg−1) and low temperature (–1.8 °C). On the basis of the linear relationship between SR and AOU, we evaluated the climatological sea–air flux of CH4 from December to February for the entire Southern Ocean south of 50°S: Sea–air CH4 emission was estimated to be 0.027 Tg yr−1 in December, 0.04 Tg yr−1 in January, and 0.019 Tg yr−1 in February.
Real-Time Motion Generation and Control Systems for High Wheel-Legged Robot Mobility

A wheel-legged mobile robot (WLMR) has both leg and wheel structures. WLMRs have adaptability advantages because they can change locomotion methods depending on the terrain. However, the location of a WLMR's center of gravity (CoG) is very high; thus, almost all existing WLMRs move statically. In this paper, whole body motion generation and various control systems are studied to facilitate higher WLMR mobility. To this end, a zero moment point (ZMP) is introduced as a stability index. In addition, WLMRs are modeled as single point mass linear inverted pendulums. Subsequently, online CoG pattern generation methods are proposed; one is a preview control approach, and a second is an approach that realizes the desired ZMP pattern using a zero-phase low-pass filter. It is then possible to generate the desired CoG patterns more easily and faster than with a preview control approach. The CoG patterns based on the single point model are constructed via the resolved-momentum-control approach. Finally, the effectiveness of the whole body motion pattern generated by the proposed methods is validated by simulations and experiments.
Construct and criterion validity of the DUFS and DEFS⁴ in Lithuanian patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND Fatigue has become an important symptom in clinical diagnosis and clinical trials among subjects with cardiovascular diseases and disease-specific fatigue scales were developed in a Dutch and English version. OBJECTIVE Various questionnaires for measuring fatigue have been developed, but currently no validated questionnaire targeted at subjects with cardiovascular disease and heart failure exists in the Lithuanian language. METHODS Despite the rigor of the exploratory factor analysis and analyses of the psychometric properties of the disease-specific Dutch Fatigue Scale and the Dutch Exertion Fatigue Scale (DUFS-DEFS) we adopted a confirmatory approach considered as the gold standard method for the evaluation of construct validity in psychometric inventories. To test the criterion validity of the DUFS and DEFS structural equation modelling was employed with the widely used and validated Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI). RESULTS The a priori specification of a hypothesized five-factor model of the MFI-20 and a two-factor model of the DUFS and DEFS appeared to have a good fit to the data in Lithuanian patients. The hypothesized model of the criterion validity of the DUFS and DEFS had a good fit and classes of disease severity showed statistically significant and clinically relevant differences on fatigue scores. CONCLUSION The construct validity and criterion validity of the DUFS and DEFS were confirmed in a Lithuanian sample of cardiac patients. The construct validity of the MFI was also supported and this fatigue measure can be used in Lithuanian settings of clinical practice and research.
Technical Aspects of Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration: CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report.

BACKGROUND Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) was introduced in the last decade, enabling real-time guidance of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of mediastinal and hilar structures and parabronchial lung masses. The many publications produced about EBUS-TBNA have led to a better understanding of the performance characteristics of this procedure. The goal of this document was to examine the current literature on the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA as they relate to patient, technology, and proceduralist factors to provide evidence-based and expert guidance to clinicians. METHODS Rigorous methodology has been applied to provide a trustworthy evidence-based guideline and expert panel report. A group of approved panelists developed key clinical questions by using the PICO (population, intervention, comparator, and outcome) format that addressed specific topics on the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA. MEDLINE (via PubMed) and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for relevant literature, which was supplemented by manual searches. References were screened for inclusion, and well-recognized document evaluation tools were used to assess the quality of included studies, to extract meaningful data, and to grade the level of evidence to support each recommendation or suggestion. RESULTS Our systematic review and critical analysis of the literature on 15 PICO questions related to the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA resulted in 12 statements: 7 evidence-based graded recommendations and 5 ungraded consensus-based statements. Three questions did not have sufficient evidence to generate a statement. CONCLUSIONS Evidence on the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA varies in strength but is satisfactory in certain areas to guide clinicians on the best conditions to perform EBUS-guided tissue sampling. Additional research is needed to enhance our knowledge regarding the optimal performance of this effective procedure.
Centhaquine Increases Stroke Volume and Cardiac Output in Patients with Hypovolemic Shock

Background: Centhaquine is a resuscitative agent that acts on alpha-2B adrenergic receptors to enhance venous return in hypovolemic shock. The effect of centhaquine on cardiac output in patients with hypovolemic shock has not been reported. Methods: Trans-thoracic echocardiography was utilized to measure stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), left ventricular outflow tract-velocity time integral (LVOT-VTI), left ventricular outflow tract diameter (LVOTd), heart rate (HR), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (FS) and inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter before (0 min) and after centhaquine (0.01 mg/kg, iv infusion over 60 min) treatment (60 min, 120 min, and 300 min) in 12 randomly selected patients with hypovolemic shock enrolled in a prospective, multicenter, open-label phase IV clinical study (NCT05956418) of centhaquine in patients with hypovolemic shock. Results: A significant increase in SV (mL) was observed after 60, 120, and 300 minutes of centhaquine treatment. CO (mL/min) increased significantly at 120 and 300 min despite a decrease in HR at these times. A significant increase in IVC diameter and LVOT-VTI (mL) at these time points was observed, which indicated increased venous return. The LVEF and FS did not change, while the mean arterial pressure (MAP, mmHg) increased in patients after 120 and 300 minutes of centhaquine treatment. Positive correlations between IVC diameter and SV (R2 = 0.9556) and between IVC diameter and MAP (R2 = 0.8928) were observed, which indicated the effect of centhaquine mediated increase in venous return on SV, CO, and MAP. Conclusions: Centhaquine mediated increase in venous return appears to play a critical role in enhancing SV, CO, and MAP in patients with hypovolemic shock; these changes could be pivotal for reducing shock-mediated circulatory failure, promoting tissue perfusion, and improving patient outcomes. Trial registration: The phase IV trial reported in this study has Clinical Trials Registry, India; ctri.icmr. org.in, CTRI/2021/01/030263; clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05956418.