Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Internal Model for Acquisition and Retention of Motor Learning During Arm Reaching

Humans have the ability to learn novel motor tasks while manipulating the environment. Several models of motor learning have been proposed in the literature, but few of them address the problem of retention and interference of motor memory. The modular selection and identification for control (MOSAIC) model, originally proposed by Wolpert and Kawato, is one of the most relevant contributions; it suggests a possible strategy on how the human motor control system learns and adapts to novel environments. MOSAIC employs the concept of forward and inverse models. The same group later proposed the hidden Markov model (HMM) MOSAIC, which affords learning multiple tasks. The significant drawback of this second approach is that the HMM must be trained with a complete data set that includes all contexts. Since the number of contexts or modules is fixed from the onset, this approach does not afford incremental learning of new tasks. In this letter, we present an alternative architecture to overcome this problem, based on a nonparametric regression algorithm, named locally weighted projection regression (LWPR). This network structure develops according to the contexts allowing incremental training. Of notice, interaction force is used to disambiguate among different contexts. We demonstrate the capability of this alternative architecture with a simulated 2 degree-of-freedom representation of the human arm that learns to interact with three distinct objects, reproducing the same test paradigm of the HMM MOSAIC. After learning the dynamics of the three objects, the LWPR network successfully learns to compensate for a novel velocity-dependent force field. Equally important, it retains previously acquired knowledge on the interaction with the three objects. Thus, this architecture allows both incremental learning of new tasks and retention of previously acquired knowledge, a feature of human motor learning and memory.
Deterministic scale-free pipeline parallelism with hyperqueues

Ubiquitous parallel computing aims to make parallel programming accessible to a wide variety of programming areas using deterministic and scale-free programming models built on a task abstraction. However, it remains hard to reconcile these attributes with pipeline parallelism, where the number of pipeline stages is typically hard-coded in the program and defines the degree of parallelism. This paper introduces hyperqueues, a programming abstraction that enables the construction of deterministic and scale-free pipeline parallel programs. Hyperqueues extend the concept of Cilk++ hyperobjects to provide thread-local views on a shared data structure. While hyperobjects are organized around private local views, hyperqueues require shared concurrent views on the underlying data structure. We define the semantics of hyperqueues and describe their implementation in a work-stealing scheduler. We demonstrate scalable performance on pipeline-parallel PARSEC benchmarks and find that hyperqueues provide comparable or up to 30% better performance than POSIX threads and Intel's Threading Building Blocks. The latter are highly tuned to the number of available processing cores, while programs using hyperqueues are scale-free.
From flagellar undulations to collective motion: predicting the dynamics of sperm suspensions

Swimming cells and microorganisms are as diverse in their collective dynamics as they are in their individual shapes and propulsion mechanisms. Even for sperm cells, which have a stereotyped shape consisting of a cell body connected to a flexible flagellum, a wide range of collective dynamics is observed spanning from the formation of tightly packed groups to the display of larger-scale, turbulence-like motion. Using a detailed mathematical model that resolves flagellum dynamics, we perform simulations of sperm suspensions containing up to 1000 cells and explore the connection between individual and collective dynamics. We find that depending on the level of variation in individual dynamics from one swimmer to another, the sperm exhibit either a strong tendency to aggregate, or the suspension exhibits large-scale swirling. Hydrodynamic interactions govern the formation and evolution of both states. In addition, a quantitative analysis of the states reveals that the flows generated at the time scale of flagellum undulations contribute significantly to the overall energy in the surrounding fluid, highlighting the importance of resolving these flows.
Analgesic consumption trajectories in 8975 patients 1 year after fast‐track total hip or knee arthroplasty

Persistent or increased long‐term opioid consumption has previously been described following total hip‐ (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, detailed information on postoperative analgesic consumption trajectories and risk factors associated with continued need of analgesics in fast‐track THA and TKA is sparse.
Human Papillomavirus Infections : Warts or

Seiji Tanaka and Hiroyuki Araki Regulating DNA Replication in Eukarya Khalid Siddiqui, Kin Fan On and John F.X. Diffley Poxvirus DNA Replication Bernard Moss Archaeology of Eukaryotic DNA Replication Kira S. Makarova and Eugene V. Koonin Helicase The Minichromosome Maintenance Replicative Stephen D. Bell and Michael R. Botchan Translesion DNA Polymerases Myron F. Goodman and Roger Woodgate DNA Replication Origins Alan C. Leonard and Marcel Méchali
Campus Suicide Prevention and Intervention: Putting Best Practice Policy into Action.

Findings from biannual American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment surveys have highlighted the prevalence of depression, suicidal ideation, and attempted suicides on Canadian university campuses and the need for comprehensive suicide prevention programs. This article explores how one large western Canadian university has attempted to implement the comprehensive framework for suicide prevention developed by the Jed Foundation. Based on recommendations included in this framework, a multi-faceted suicide prevention strategy was developed, focusing on seven broad intervention areas: 1) enhanced student connectedness and engagement; 2) increased community suicide awareness; 3) gatekeeper training; 4) collaborative identiﬁ cation and treatment of depression; 5) specialized training in assessment and treatment of suicide; 6) increased accessibility to counselling services for at-risk students; and 7) enhanced crisis management policy and procedures. This article reviews relevant empirical support for these seven intervention domains, provides examples of initiatives in each domain, and identiﬁ es implications for best practice post-secondary policy. Les resultats des sondages de la « National College Health Association» soulevent la prevalence de la depression, des pensees suicidaires, et des tentatives de suicide parmi les etudiants des universites canadiennes et le besoin de programmes comprehensifs de prevention du suicide. Dans cet article, les auteurs decrivent l’implantation, par une universite a vocation de recherche de l’ouest canadien, d’un encadrement globale voue a la prevention du suicide developpe par la Fondation Jed. D’apres les recommandations de la Fondation Jed, l’approche multilaterale de la prevention du suicide englobe sept dimensions d’interventions : 1) une hausse d’engagement des etudiants dans les activites universitaires et parmi les communautes etudiantes ; 2) une sensibilisation augmentee par rapport a la prevention du suicide ; 3) la formation du personnel « ﬁ ltre» dans l’institution ; 4) une approche collaborative a l’identiﬁ cation et le traitement de la depression ; 5) une formation specialise en identiﬁ cation et traitement du suicide ; 6) un meilleur acces des etudiants a taux de risques relevees aux services d’assistance psychologique ; et, 7) un enrichissement des politiques et procedures concernant la gestion des risques. Dans cet article, les auteurs resument les donnees appuyant les interventions decrites ci-dessus, offrent des exemples des initiatives dans chacune des dimensions listees et proposent les implications pour le renforcement des competences universitaires dans ces domaines.
Emerging treatment options for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is endemic in Asia and is etiologically associated with Epstein–Barr virus. Radiotherapy is the primary treatment modality. The role of systemic therapy has become more prominent. Based on multiple phase III studies and meta-analyses, concurrent cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy is the current standard of care for locally advanced disease (American Joint Committee on Cancer manual [7th edition] stages II–IVb). The reported failure-free survival rates from phase II trials are encouraging for induction + concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Data from ongoing phase III trials comparing induction + concurrent chemoradiotherapy with concurrent chemoradiotherapy will validate the results of these phase II studies. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy techniques are recommended if the resources are available. Locoregional control exceeding 90% and reduced xerostomia-related toxicities can now be achieved using intensity-modulated radiotherapy, although distant control remains the most pressing research problem. The promising results of targeted therapy and Epstein–Barr virus-specific immunotherapy from early clinical trials should be validated in phase III clinical trials. New technology, more effective and less toxic chemotherapy regimens, and targeted therapy offer new opportunities for treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Molecular technique reveals high variability of 18S rDNA distribution in harvestmen (Opiliones, Phalangiidae) from South Africa

Abstract The knowledge of cytogenetics in the harvestmen family Phalangiidae has been based on taxa from the Northern Hemisphere. We performed cytogenetic analysis on Guruia africana (Karsch, 1878) (2n=24) and four species of the genus Rhampsinitus Simon, 1879 (2n=24, 26, 34) from South Africa. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with an 18S rDNA probe was used to analyze the number and the distribution of this cluster in the family Phalangiidae for the first time. The results support the cytogenetic characteristics typical for the majority of harvestmen taxa, i.e. the predominance of small biarmed chromosomes and the absence of morphologically well-differentiated sex chromosomes as an ancestral state. We identified the number of 18S rDNA sites ranging from two in R. qachasneki Kauri, 1962 to seven in one population of R. leighi Pocock, 1903. Moreover, we found differences in the number and localization of 18S rDNA sites in R. leighi between populations from two localities and between sexes of R. capensis (Loman, 1898). The heterozygous states of the 18S rDNA sites in these species may indicate the presence of XX/XY and ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes, and the possible existence of these systems in harvestmen is discussed. The variability of the 18S rDNA sites indicates intensive chromosomal changes during the differentiation of the karyotypes, which is in contrast to the usual uniformity in chromosomal morphology known from harvestmen so far.
Insight into tetrodotoxin blockade and resistance mechanisms of Nav1.2 sodium channel by theoretical approaches

Nav1.2, a member of voltage‐gated sodium channels (Navs) that are responsible for the generation and propagation of action potentials along the cell membrane, and play a vital role in the process of information transmission within the nervous system and muscle contraction, is preferentially expressed in the central nervous system. As a potent and selective blocker of Navs, tetrodotoxin (TTX) has been extensively studied in biological and chemical sciences, whereas the detailed mechanism by which it blocks nine Nav1 channel subtypes remain elusive. Despite the high structural similarity, the TTX metabolite 4,9‐anhydro‐TTX is 161 times less effective toward the mammalian Nav1.2, which puzzled us to ask a question why such a subtle structural variation results in the largely binding affinity difference. In the current work, an integrated computational strategy, including homology modeling, induced fit docking, explicit‐solvent MD simulations, and free energy calculations, was employed to investigate the binding mechanism and conformational determinants of TTX analogs. Based on the computational results, the H‐bond interactions between C4‐OH and C9‐OH of TTX and the outer ring carboxylates of the selectivity‐filter residues, and the cation–π interaction between the primary amine of guanidinium of TTX and Phe385 determine the difference of their binding affinities. Moreover, the computationally simulations were carried out for the D384N and E945K mutants of hNav1.2‐TTX, and the rank of the predicted binding free energies is in accordance with the experimental data. These observations provide a valuable model to design potent and selective neurotoxins of Nav1.2 and shed light on the blocking mechanism of TTX to sodium channels.
Impedance of tissue-mimicking phantom material under compression

Abstract The bioimpedance of tissues under compression is a field in need of study. While biological tissues can become compressed in a myriad of ways, very few experiments have been conducted to describe the relationship between the passive electrical properties of a material (impedance/admittance) and its underlying mechanical properties (stress and strain) during deformation. Of the investigations that have been conducted, the exodus of fluid from samples under compression has been thought to be the cause of changes in impedance, though until now was not measured directly. Using a soft tissue-mimicking phantom material (tofu) whose passive electrical properties are a function of the conducting fluid held within its porous structure, we have shown that the mechanical behavior of a sample under compression can be measured through bioimpedance techniques.
Infrainguinal Lesion of Peripheral Artery Disease and Levels of ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Peripheral Artery Disease

Background: Recently, reduced serum levels of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), have been focused upon as newly recognized risk factors for peripheral artery disease (PAD). The present study investigated the association between disease location and serum levels of ω-3 PUFAs in patients with PAD. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients at Tokyo Medical University between August 2011 and November 2015. The subjects included 98 patients who were categorized into two groups: those with (n=72) and without infrainguinal lesions (n=26). Results: Univariate analysis revealed that low ankle–brachial pressure index (ABI) values, low EPA levels, low DHA levels, low triglyceride levels, and diabetes mellitus were significant risk factors for infrainguinal lesions. Multivariate analysis indicated that low ABI values [p=0.018; odds ratio, 0.043; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.003–0.579] and low DHA levels (p=0.003; odds ratio, 0.986; 95%CI, 0.977–0.995) were significant independent risk factors for infrainguinal lesions. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that reduced serum level of DHA may underlie the presence of infrainguinal lesions in patients with PAD.
Integrated Social-Behavioral and Ecological Risk Maps to Prioritize Local Public Health Responses to Lyme Disease

Background: The risk of contracting Lyme disease (LD) can vary spatially because of spatial heterogeneity in risk factors such as social-behavior and exposure to ecological risk factors. Integrating these risk factors to inform decision-making should therefore increase the effectiveness of mitigation interventions. Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop an integrated social-behavioral and ecological risk-mapping approach to identify priority areas for LD interventions. Methods: The study was conducted in the Montérégie region of Southern Quebec, Canada, where LD is a newly endemic disease. Spatial variation in LD knowledge, risk perceptions, and behaviors in the population were measured using web survey data collected in 2012. These data were used as a proxy for the social-behavioral component of risk. Tick vector population densities were measured in the environment during field surveillance from 2007 to 2012 to provide an index of the ecological component of risk. Social-behavioral and ecological components of risk were combined with human population density to create integrated risk maps. Map predictions were validated by testing the association between high-risk areas and the current spatial distribution of human LD cases. Results: Social-behavioral and ecological components of LD risk had markedly different distributions within the study region, suggesting that both factors should be considered for locally adapted interventions. The occurrence of human LD cases in a municipality was positively associated with tick density (p<0.01) but was not significantly associated with social-behavioral risk. Conclusion: This study is an applied demonstration of how integrated social-behavioral and ecological risk maps can be created to assist decision-making. Social survey data are a valuable but underutilized source of information for understanding regional variation in LD exposure, and integrating this information into risk maps provides a novel approach for prioritizing and adapting interventions to the local characteristics of target populations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1943
CCBM–TRAILS: Cross-Cultural Business and Virtual Team Communication Training Platform

TRAILS is a cross-cultural business and virtual team communication training and eLearning platform based on a highly experienced blended learning methodology. It consists of analysis, awareness and training tools. It is the result of the current research and development at the M2C Institute of Applied Media Technology and Culture Bremen and the Centre for Intercultural Management of the University of Applied Sciences Bremen. The project is a result of the “Smart Cities – Smart Culture – Smart Humans” strategy of the European “Think BETA – Evolution of Smart Cities” think tank for research and development, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research – International Office (BMBF).
A Systematic Review of Nonpharmacological Interventions for Moderate to Severe Dementia: A Study Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The study is designed as a systematic review on nonpharmacological interventions for patients with moderate to severe dementia. This review will be conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The following databases will be searched: Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, KoreaMED, KMbase, and KISS. The primary outcome will include the effect of the interventions on activities of daily living and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. The literature search will be conducted based on search strategies designed for each database. The reviewers will independently assess the identified studies and extract the data. The risk of bias will be assessed and a meta-analysis will be conducted in accordance with the methodology for meta-analysis described in the Cochrane handbook. This systematic review will provide clinicians and policy makers with reliable evidence for developing and implementing nonpharmacological interventions for moderate to severe patients with dementia.
Short-Term Motor Compensations to Denervation of Feline Soleus and Lateral Gastrocnemius Result in Preservation of Ankle Mechanical Output during Locomotion

Denervation of selected ankle extensors in animals results in locomotor changes. These changes have been suggested to permit preservation of global kinematic characteristics of the hindlimb during stance. The peak ankle joint moment is also preserved immediately after denervation of several ankle extensors in the cat, suggesting that the animal’s response to peripheral nerve injury may also be aimed at preserving ankle mechanical output. We tested this hypothesis by comparing joint moments and power patterns during walking before and after denervation of soleus and lateral gastrocnemius muscles. Hindlimb kinematics, ground reaction forces and electromyographic activity of selected muscles were recorded during level, downslope (–50%) and upslope (50%) walking before and 1–3 weeks after nerve denervation. Denervation resulted in increased activity of the intact medial gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles, greater ankle dorsiflexion, smaller knee flexion, and the preservation of the peak ankle moment during stance. Surprisingly, ankle positive power generated in the propulsion phase of stance was increased (up to 50%) after denervation in all walking conditions (p < 0.05). The obtained results suggest that the short-term motor compensation to denervation of lateral gastrocnemius and soleus muscles may allow for preservation of mechanical output at the ankle. The additional mechanical energy generated at the ankle during propulsion can result, in part, from increased activity of intact synergists, the use of passive tissues around the ankle and by the tendon action of ankle two-joint muscles and crural fascia.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor gene rs1042658 variant and susceptibility to idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss: A case-control study

Background: Granulocyte colony-in stimulating factor (G-CSF) gene can be a potential candidate gene implicated recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), a common complication of pregnancy with the prevalence of 1-5% among women of reproductive age. Objective: To investigate the association between rs1042658 polymorphism in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of G-CSF gene and the risk of unexplained RPL among Iranian women. Materials and Methods: In total, 122 women with unexplained RPL and 140 healthy postmenopausal women as a control group were enrolled in this case-control study. Tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine the rs1042658 genotypes in all subjects. Results: Statistically significant differences were detected between the distribution frequencies of both heterozygote CT, and carriage of T allele (TT+CT) genotypes of the rs1042658 between case and control groups. Allelic association was not observed with RPL. Conclusion: Regarding the results of the present study, G-CSF rs1042658 gene polymorphism could be considered as a probable risk factor for unexplained RPL among Iranian women.