Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dose-response relationship between iTBS and prefrontal activation during executive functioning: A fNIRS study

Introduction Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation paradigm that has demonstrated promising therapeutic benefits for a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. It has recently garnered widespread favor among researchers and clinicians, owing to its comparable potentiation effects as conventional high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), but administered in a much shorter time frame. However, there is still a lack of agreement over the optimal stimulation intensity, particularly when targeting the prefrontal regions. The objective of this study was to systematically investigate the influence of different stimulation intensities of iTBS, applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), on brain activity and executive function in healthy adults. Methods Twenty young healthy adults were enrolled in this randomized cross-over experiment. All participants received a single session iTBS over the left DLPFC at intensities of 50, 70, or 100% of their individual resting motor threshold (RMT), each on separate visits. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure changes of hemoglobin concentrations in prefrontal areas during the verbal fluency task (VFT) before and after stimulation. Results After stimulation, iTBS to the left DLPFC with 70% RMT maintained the concentration change of oxyhemoglobin (HbO) in the target area during the VFT. In contrast, 50% [t(17) = 2.203, P = 0.042, d = 0.523] and 100% iTBS [t(17) = 2.947, P = 0.009, d = 0.547] significantly decreased change of HbO concentration, indicating an inverse U-shape relationship between stimulation intensity and prefrontal hemodynamic response in healthy young adults. Notably, improved VFT performance was only observed after 70% RMT stimulation [t(17) = 2.511, P = 0.022, d = 0.592]. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed between task performance and the difference in HbO concentration change in the targeted area after 70% RMT stimulation (r = 0.496, P = 0.036) but not after 50 or 100% RMT stimulation. Conclusion The linear relationship between stimulation intensity and behavioral outcomes reported in previous conventional rTMS studies may not be translated to iTBS. Instead, iTBS at 70% RMT may be more efficacious than 100% RMT.
The delay of turbulent boundary layer separation by oscillatory active control

The flow outside a solid wedge that abruptly diverges at an angle of 18° was investigated experimentally. A turbulent boundary layer, which separated at the discontinuity and turned into a mixing layer downstream of it, reattached as a result of harmonic excitation at the apex of the wedge. Preliminary results indicate that this might be an effective way to delay separation of turbulent and laminar boundary layers.
Use of species distribution models to study habitat suitability for sustainable management and conservation in the Indian subcontinent: A decade's retrospective

Loss of native habitat has been identified as one of the crucial drivers of the growing biodiversity crisis, acting toward the deleterious effects on individual fitness, functional diversity, changes in species richness and community structure. The objective of the study was to review the species distribution modeling works done in the Indian subcontinent throughout the last decade (2012–2021) to highlight the urgent issues of biodiversity conservation and sustainable management. Species distribution model (SDM), ecological niche model (ENM), and habitat suitability model (HSM) are, in general, used to predict the niche of a species. The Scopus search engine result was used for conducting the literature search of peer-reviewed articles. Topics examined included estimation of species' potential distribution area, spread of introduced species, deadly diseases or pests, habitat loss or future range shift of species due to anthropogenic alterations and climate change. The analysis showed that the majority of the works were focused on predicting native species distribution patterns (n = 119, 82%) rather than the invasion of alien species in the native ecosystem (n = 26, 18%) indicating the further scope of research in these areas. The scientific articles highlighted that the modeling results could be utilized efficiently to design conservation areas if not biased toward charismatic species. A coordinating institute at the inter-ministerial level can help to undertake policy-related planning for sustainable management and execution of decisions.
Breakdown-limited endurance in HZO FeFETs: Mechanism and improvement under bipolar stress

Breakdown is one of main failure mechanisms that limit write endurance of ferroelectric devices using hafnium oxide-based ferroelectric materials. In this study, we investigate the gate current and breakdown characteristics of Hf0.5Zr0. 5O2/Si ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs) by using carrier separation measurements to analyze electron and hole leakage currents during time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) tests. Rapidly increasing substrate hole currents and stress-induced leakage current (SILC)-like electron currents can be observed before the breakdown of the ferroelectric gate insulator of FeFETs. This apparent degradation under voltage stress is recovered and the time-to-breakdown is significantly improved by interrupting the TDDB test with gate voltage pulses with the opposite polarity, suggesting that defect redistribution, rather than defect generation, is responsible for the trigger of hard breakdown.
Negative refraction and covariance: the perils of P • k < 0

By way of examples in vacuum and media, we show that the criterion used widely to determine the occurrence of negative phase velocity propagation is not covariant. A new covariant criterion is presented that reduces to the previous criterion in the rest frame of a medium. The new criterion requires calculation of the plane wave electromagnetic modes of a generalized medium in terms of the four-potential, Aν. Some of the subtleties of removing the gauge freedom inherent in Aν are highlighted.
Early mechanisms of neutrophil activation and transmigration in acute lung injury

Introduction:Neutrophil transmigration is multifactorial and primarily driven by selectins and β2-integrins (CD11b/CD18), whose expression are dependent on the underlying stimulus. Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) results in a predominantly CD18-independent mechanism of neutrophil recruitment, while direct endotoxin-induced lung injury results from a CD18-dependent mechanism. We previously observed that lack of NADPH oxidases DUOX1 and DUOX2 resulted in reduced neutrophil influx in a VILI model of lung injury but had no influence on neutrophil influx after LPS exposure. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that DUOX1/DUOX2 are an important component of CD18-independent mechanisms of neutrophil recruitment in the lung. Methods:We exposed Duoxa −/− (KO) mice and Duoxa +/+ (WT) mice to either an intratracheal exposure of lipopolysaccharide (LPS/endotoxin)-or high tidal volume ventilation and compared expression of neutrophil markers between groups. WT mice (129S6/SvEvTac) were obtained from Taconic Biosciences (One Discovery Drive Suite 304; Rensselaer, NY 1244) and were allowed to acclimatize for one week prior to study enrollment. KO mice were generated as previously described [Grasberger 2012] and bred in-house on a 129S6 background. We provided positive-pressure ventilation at a tidal volume of 10 ml/kg with 2 cmH20 positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). Mice were assigned to groups consisting of KO (n = 5) and WT (n = 5) in each group and divided into non-ventilated, positive-pressure ventilation, or LPS IT exposure groups. Positive-pressure ventilation was instituted for 4-h using a FlexiVent (Flexiware 8.1, Scireq, Montreal, QC, Canada). Lipopolysaccharide (Salmonella enterica serotype tryphimurium L6143, Millipore Sigma) was administered via an intratracheal (IT) route at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg. Mice were humanely euthanized at 4-h post-injection consistent with the UC Davis IAUCAC-approved protocol. Results:As previously observed, neutrophilic influx into the airways was significantly impaired in the Duoxa −/− (KO) mice after VILI, but not after LPS exposure. LPS-induced lung injury resulted in upregulation of CD11b+ neutrophils and shedding of CD62L and CD162 regardless of DUOX expression, whereas VILI resulted in upregulation of CD49+ neutrophils in the Duoxa +/+ (WT) mice but not the Duoxa −/− (KO) mice. Conclusion:Our data suggest DUOX is required for CD18-independent mechanisms of neutrophil recruitment in the lung induced by acute lung injury, but not for canonical CD18depedent mechanisms after LPS exposure.
A machine learning-based approach to predicting the malignant and metastasis of thyroid cancer

Background Thyroid Cancer (TC) is the most common malignant disease of endocrine system, and its incidence rate is increasing year by year. Early diagnosis, management of malignant nodules and scientific treatment are crucial for TC prognosis. The first aim is the construction of a classification model for TC based on risk factors. The second aim is the construction of a prediction model for metastasis based on risk factors. Methods We retrospectively collected approximately 70 preoperative demographic and laboratory test indices from 1735 TC patients. Machine learning pipelines including linear regression model ridge, Logistic Regression (LR) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) were used to select the best model for predicting deterioration and metastasis of TC. A comprehensive comparative analysis with the prediction model using only thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS). Results The XGBoost model achieved the best performance in the final thyroid nodule diagnosis (AUC: 0.84) and metastasis (AUC: 0.72-0.77) predictions. Its AUCs for predicting Grade 4 TC deterioration and metastasis reached 0.84 and 0.97, respectively, while none of the AUCs for Only TI-RADS reached 0.70. Based on multivariate analysis and feature selection, age, obesity, prothrombin time, fibrinogen, and HBeAb were common significant risk factors for tumor progression and metastasis. Monocyte, D-dimer, T3, FT3, and albumin were common protective factors. Tumor size (11.14 ± 7.14 mm) is the most important indicator of metastasis formation. In addition, GGT, glucose, platelet volume distribution width, and neutrophil percentage also contributed to the development of metastases. The abnormal levels of blood lipid and uric acid were closely related to the deterioration of tumor. The dual role of mean erythrocytic hemoglobin concentration in TC needs to be verified in a larger patient cohort. We have established a free online tool (http://www.cancer-thyroid.com/) that is available to all clinicians for the prognosis of patients at high risk of TC. Conclusion It is feasible to use XGBoost algorithm, combined with preoperative laboratory test indexes and demographic characteristics to predict tumor progression and metastasis in patients with TC, and its performance is better than that of Only using TI-RADS. The web tools we developed can help physicians with less clinical experience to choose the appropriate clinical decision or secondary confirmation of diagnosis results.
Isolation and transfection of myenteric neurons from mice for patch-clamp applications

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a complex neuronal network organized in ganglionated plexuses that extend along the entire length of the gastrointestinal tract. Largely independent of the central nervous system, the ENS coordinates motility and peristalsis of the digestive tract, regulates secretion and absorption, and is involved in immunological processes. Electrophysiological methods such as the patch-clamp technique are particularly suitable to study the function of neurons as well as the biophysical parameters of the underlying ion channels under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. However, application of the patch-clamp method to ENS neurons remained difficult because they are embedded in substantial tissue layers that limit access to and targeted manipulation of these cells. Here, we present a robust step-by-step protocol that involves isolation of ENS neurons from adult mice, culturing of the cells, their transfection with plasmid DNA, and subsequent electrophysiological characterization of individual neurons in current-clamp and voltage-clamp recordings. With this protocol, ENS neurons can be prepared, transfected, and electrophysiologically characterized within 72 h. Using isolated ENS neurons, we demonstrate the feasibility of the approach by functional overexpression of recombinant voltage-gated NaV1.9 mutant channels associated with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 7 (HSAN-7), a disorder characterized by congenital analgesia and severe constipation that can require parenteral nutrition. Although our focus is on the electrophysiological evaluation of isolated ENS neurons, the presented methodology is also useful to analyze molecules other than sodium channels or to apply alternative downstream assays including calcium imaging, proteomic and nucleic acid approaches, or immunochemistry.
Whole-genome sequencing of a year-round fruiting jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) reveals high levels of single nucleotide variation

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is the national fruit of Bangladesh and produces fruit in the summer season only. However, jackfruit is not commercially grown in Bangladesh because of an extremely high variation in fruit quality, short seasonal fruiting (June-August) and susceptibility to abiotic stresses. Conversely, a year-round high yielding (ca. 4-fold higher than the seasonal variety) jackfruit variety, BARI Kanthal-3 developed by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) derived from a wild accession found in Ramgarh of Chattogram Hiltracts of Bangladesh, provides fruits from September to June. This study aimed to generate a draft whole-genome sequence (WGS) of BARI Kanthal-3 to obtain molecular insights including genes associated with year-round fruiting trait of this important unique variety. The estimated genome size of BARI Kanthal-3 was 1.04-gigabase-pair (Gbp) with a heterozygosity rate of 1.62%. De novo assembly yielded a scaffolded 817.7 Mb genome while a reference-guided approach, yielded 843 Mb of genome sequence. The estimated GC content was 34.10%. Variant analysis revealed that BARI Kanthal-3 included 5.7 M (35%) and 10.4 M (65%) simple and heterozygous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and about 90% of all these polymorphisms are in inter-genic regions. Through BUSCO assessment, 97.2% of the core genes were represented in the assembly with 1.3% and 1.5% either fragmented or missing, respectively. By comparing identified orthologous gene groups in BARI Kanthal-3 with five closely and one distantly related species of 10,092 common orthogroups were found across the genomes of the six species. The phylogenetic analysis of the shared orthogroups showed that A. heterophyllus was the closest species to BARI Kanthal-3 and orthogroups related to flowering time were found to be more highly prevalent in BARI Kanthal-3 compared to the other Arctocarpus spp. The findings of this study will help better understanding the evolution, domestication, phylogenetic relationships, year-round fruiting of this highly nutritious fruit crop as well as providing a resource for molecular breeding.
The optimal rolling of a sphere, with twisting but without slipping

The problem of a sphere rolling on the plane, with twisting but without slipping, is considered. It is required to roll the sphere from one configuration to another in such a way that the minimum of the action is attained. We obtain a complete parametrization of the extremal trajectories and analyse the natural symmetries of the Hamiltonian system of the Pontryagin maximum principle (rotations and reflections) and their fixed points. Based on the estimates obtained for the fixed points we prove upper estimates for the cut time, that is, the moment of time when an extremal trajectory loses optimality. We consider the problem of re-orienting the sphere in more detail; in particular, we find diffeomorphic domains in the pre-image and image of the exponential map which are used to construct the optimal synthesis. Bibliography: 15 titles.
Prognostic implication of left ventricular hypertrophy regression after antihypertensive therapy in patients with hypertension

Background Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. However, the prognostic implication of LVH regression after antihypertensive therapy has not been clearly investigated. Methods Patients who underwent echocardiography at the time of the diagnosis of hypertension and repeated echocardiography at an interval of 6–18 months were retrospectively identified. LVH was defined as LV mass index (LVMI) >115 g/m2 (men) and >95 g/m2 (women). LVH regression was defined as LVH at initial echocardiography with normal geometry or concentric LV remodeling at follow-up echocardiography. Cardiovascular mortality, hospitalization for heart failure (HHF), coronary revascularization, stroke, and aortic events were analyzed according to changes in LVMI and geometry. Results Of 1,872 patients, 44.7% (n = 837) had LVH at the time of diagnosis; among these, 30.7% showed LVH regression. The reduction in LVMI was associated with the reduction in BP, especially in those with LVH at baseline. During follow up (median, 50.4 months; interquartile range, 24.9–103.2 months), 68 patients died of cardiovascular causes, 127 had HHF, and 162 had vascular events (coronary revascularization, stroke, and aortic events). Persistent or newly developed LVH during antihypertensive therapy was a significant predictor of cardiovascular mortality and events, especially HHF. On multivariable analysis, women, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, larger LVMI and end-diastolic dimension, and less reduction in systolic BP were associated with persistent or newly developed LVH. Conclusion LVH regression in patients with hypertension is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular events and can be used as a prognostic marker.
Frequency set selection for multi-frequency steady-state visual evoked potential-based brain-computer interfaces

Objective Multi-frequency steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) stimulation and decoding methods enable the representation of a large number of visual targets in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). However, unlike traditional single-frequency SSVEP, multi-frequency SSVEP is not yet widely used. One of the key reasons is that the redundancy in the input options requires an additional selection process to define an effective set of frequencies for the interface. This study investigates systematic frequency set selection methods. Methods An optimization strategy based on the analysis of the frequency components in the resulting multi-frequency SSVEP is proposed, investigated and compared to existing methods, which are constructed based on the analysis of the stimulation (input) signals. We hypothesized that minimizing the occurrence of common sums in the multi-frequency SSVEP improves the performance of the interface, and that selection by pairs further increases the accuracy compared to selection by frequencies. An experiment with 12 participants was conducted to validate the hypotheses. Results Our results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in decoding accuracy with the proposed optimization strategy based on multi-frequency SSVEP features compared to conventional techniques. Both hypotheses were validated by the experiments. Conclusion Performing selection by pairs and minimizing the number of common sums in selection by pairs are effective ways to select suitable frequency sets that improve multi-frequency SSVEP-based BCI accuracies. Significance This study provides guidance on frequency set selection in multi-frequency SSVEP. The proposed method in this study shows significant improvement in BCI performance (decoding accuracy) compared to existing methods in the literature.
Arginine as the sole nitrogen source for Ostreococcus tauri growth: Insights on nitric oxide synthase enzyme

Introduction Photosynthetic organisms respond to nitrogen (N) deprivation with the slowdown of photosynthesis and electron transport resulting in the balance the carbon (C)/N ratio. Under this extreme condition, organisms trigger complex mechanisms to keep growing using different N sources and recycling N containing molecules. In particular, phytoplankton are able to uptake L-arginine (L-Arg) as an organic N source. L-Arg can be assimilated mainly by the arginase, arginine deimidase, arginine decarboxylase or L-amino oxidase pathways. Results We analyzed the effect of different N sources on the growth of the green algae Ostreococcus tauri. N starvation caused an inhibition of culture growth and a decrease in chlorophyll content. The addition of L-Arg to an N-deprived medium promotes a sustained growth rate of O. tauri culture and the increase of chlorophyll levels. The transcript level of genes involved in N uptake and metabolism were increased in N-starved condition while the addition of L-Arg as the sole N source reduced their induction. Since the O. tauri genome lacks the classical pathways to metabolize L-Arg, another enzyme/s may be responsible for L-Arg catabolism. Previously, we characterized the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzyme from O. tauri (OtNOS) which oxidizes L-Arg producing nitric oxide (NO) and citrulline. The NOS inhibitor L-NAME blocks the effect promoted by L-Arg on N-deprived O. tauri growth. Besides, NO level increased in O. tauri cells growing in L-Arg containing medium, suggesting the participation of OtNOS enzyme in L-Arg metabolism during N starvation. Discussion Our hypothesis suggests that, after NOS-dependent Arg degradation, non-enzymatic oxidation of NO produces N oxides (mainly NO2 -) that are re-incorporated to the N primary metabolism. As expected, N deprivation increases the lipid content in Ostreococcus. The addition of L-Arg or NO2 - as the sole N sources showed a similar increase in lipid content to N deprivation. In summary, our results demonstrate that L-Arg is able to function as N source in Ostreococcus. The evidences on an alternative pathway of N supply and metabolism in a photosynthetic microorganism are discussed. These results could also allow the development of biotechnological tools for increasing lipid production for industry.
The sporting resilience model: A systematic review of resilience in sport performers

We systematically reviewed resilience research in sport and exercise psychology. Sample included 92 studies comprising empirical qualitative and quantitative studies, mixed-method studies, review studies and conceptual/theoretical studies on psychological resilience in sports context. From the findings, we synthesized an evidence-based sport-specific definition and meta-model of “Sporting Resilience. ” The review incorporates evidence from global culture contexts and evidence synthesized into the new definition and meta-model to achieve its aim. Conceptual detail and testability of the operational definition is provided. Sporting resilience provides a guiding framework for research and applied practice in a testable, objective manner. The new theoretical meta-model of resilience is derived from systematic evidence from sport psychology with theoretical considerations from positive and clinical psychology allowing generalizability. This original theory posits that there is a resilience filter comprised of biopsychosocial protective factors. The strength of this filter determines the impact of adversity and establishes the trajectory of positive adaptation. The findings of the review are used to discuss potential avenues of future research for psychological resilience in sports psychology. Systematic review registration https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AFWRU.