Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Survey on Force Sensing Techniques in Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is commonly used in some robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) systems. However, many RAS lack the strength and tactile sensation of surgical tools. Therefore, researchers have developed various force sensing techniques in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RMIS). This paper provides a systematic classification and review of force sensing approaches in the field of RMIS, with a particular focus on direct and indirect force sensing. In this survey, the relevant literature on various sensing principles, haptic sensor design standards, and sensing technologies between 2000 and 2022 is reviewed. This survey can also serve as a roadmap for future developments by identifying the shortcomings of the field and discussing the emerging trends in force sensing methods.
Two Distinct Modes of Tropical Indian Ocean Precipitation in Boreal Winter and Their Impacts on Equatorial Western Pacific

AbstractThe observational analysis reveals two distinct precipitation modes, the zonal dipole (DP) mode and the monopole (MP) mode, in the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) during the El Nino mature winter, even though sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) have a similar basinwide warming pattern [referred to as the Indian Ocean basin mode (IOBM)]. The formation of the two precipitation modes depends on the distinct evolutions of the SSTA in the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean. Both of the precipitation modes are preceded by an Indian Ocean dipole (IOD). The IOD associated with the DP mode developed in late summer and was triggered by Pacific El Nino through a “Sumatra–Philippine pattern. ” The IOD associated with the MP mode developed in early summer when the Pacific SSTAs were still normal. The different IOD onset time leads to salient differences in subsequent evolution including the transfer of a dipole SST pattern to a basinwide pattern. As a result, in the boreal winter, the zonal SSTA gradient assoc.
TactualPlot: Spatializing Data as Sound Using Sensory Substitution for Touchscreen Accessibility

Tactile graphics are one of the best ways for a blind person to perceive a chart using touch, but their fabrication is often costly, time-consuming, and does not lend itself to dynamic exploration. Refreshable haptic displays tend to be expensive and thus unavailable to most blind individuals. We propose TactualPlot, an approach to sensory substitution where touch interaction yields auditory (sonified) feedback. The technique relies on embodied cognition for spatial awareness—i.e., individuals can perceive 2D touch locations of their fingers with reference to other 2D locations such as the relative locations of other fingers or chart characteristics that are visualized on touchscreens. Combining touch and sound in this way yields a scalable data exploration method for scatterplots where the data density under the user's fingertips is sampled. The sample regions can optionally be scaled based on how quickly the user moves their hand. Our development of TactualPlot was informed by formative design sessions with a blind collaborator, whose practice while using tactile scatterplots caused us to expand the technique for multiple fingers. We present results from an evaluation comparing our TactualPlot interaction technique to tactile graphics printed on swell touch paper.
A multilocus perspective on the evolutionary dynamics of multistrain pathogens

Many human pathogens, including malaria, dengue, influenza, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and cytomegalovirus, coexist as multiple genetically distinct strains. Understanding how these multistrain pathogens evolve is of critical importance for forecasting epidemics and predicting the consequences of vaccination. One factor believed to play an important role is naturally acquired immunity. Consequently, a large body of research has sought to predict how acquired immunity molds the genomics of pathogen populations (i.e., what shapes pathogen strain structure). However, the diversity and specificity of existing models has resulted in conflicting evolutionary predictions. This has led to an ongoing debate about which predictions are most broadly applicable. Here, we adopt a multilocus population genetics perspective that unifies the predictions of existing models. We identify three key factors that determine the role of naturally acquired immunity in the evolution of pathogen strain structure: (i) the strength and specificity of immune protections, (ii) the dynamic immunological landscape, and (iii) the number of loci coding for the antigens of the pathogen. Isolating and discussing these three factors clarifies the relationship among previous models of multistrain dynamics, and establishes a solid theoretical foundation for the study of the evolutionary epidemiology of multistrain pathogens.
Leveraging Julia’s automated differentiation and symbolic computation to increase spectral DCM flexibility and speed

Using neuroimaging and electrophysiological data to infer neural parameter estimations from theoretical circuits requires solving the inverse problem. Here, we provide a new Julia language package designed to i) compose complex dynamical models in a simple and modular way with ModelingToolkit.jl, ii) implement parameter fitting based on spectral dynamic causal modeling (sDCM) using the Laplace approximation, analogous to MATLAB implementation in SPM12, and iii) leverage Julia’s unique strengths to increase accuracy and speed by employing Automatic Differentiation during the fitting procedure. To illustrate the utility of our flexible modular approach, we provide a method to improve correction for fMRI scanner field strengths (1.5T, 3T, 7T) when fitting models to real data.
The majority of Germany’s small agricultural streams are in poor ecological status

Agricultural pesticides, nutrients, and habitat degradation are major causes of insect declines in lowland streams. To effectively conserve and restore stream habitats, standardized stream monitoring data and societal support for freshwater protection are needed. Here, we sampled 137 small stream sites across Germany, 83% of which were located in agricultural catchments, with more than 900 citizen scientists in 96 monitoring groups. Sampling was carried out according to Water Framework Directive standards as part of the citizen science freshwater monitoring program FLOW in spring and summer 2021, 2022 and 2023. The biological indicator SPEARpesticides was used to assess pesticide exposure and effects based on benthic invertebrate community composition. Overall, 58% of the monitored agricultural stream sites did not achieve a good ecological status in terms of macroinvertebrate community composition and indicated high pesticide exposure (SPEARpesticides status class: 29% ‘moderate’, 19% ‘poor’, 11% ‘bad’). The indicated pesticide pressure in streams was related to the proportion of agricultural land in the catchment area (R2=0.23, p<0.001). With regards to hydromorphology, monitoring results revealed that 65% of the agricultural stream sites failed to reach a good status. The data base produced by citizen science groups was characterized by a high degree of accuracy. This was quantified by a comparative survey of SPEARpesticides index (R2=0.79, p<0.001) and hydromorphology index values (R2=0.72, p<0.001) by citizen scientists and professionals. Such citizen-driven monitoring of the status of watercourses could play a crucial role in monitoring and implementing the objective of the European Water Framework Directive, thus contributing to restoring and protecting freshwater ecosystems. Graphical abstract Highlights - Assessment of ecological status of small agricultural streams in Germany - Pesticides affected invertebrates (bioindicator SPEAR) in 58% of agricultural streams - Failure to reach good hydromorphological status in 65% of agricultural streams - Citizen science monitoring achieves high data accuracy - Citizen science can support European Water Framework Directive monitoring
The mindful brain at rest: neural oscillations and aperiodic activity in experienced meditators

Objectives Previous research has demonstrated that mindfulness meditation is associated with a variety of benefits, including improved mental health. Researchers have suggested these benefits may be underpinned by differences in neural oscillations. However, previous studies measuring neural oscillations have not controlled for non-oscillatory neural activity, the power spectrum of which follows a 1/f distribution and contributes to power measurements within oscillation frequencies of interest. In this study, we applied recently developed methods to determine if past findings related to neural oscillations in meditation are present even after controlling for non-oscillatory 1/f activity. Methods 48 experienced meditators and 44 non-meditators provided resting electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. Whole scalp EEG comparisons (topographical ANOVAs) were used to test for differences between meditators and non-meditators in the distribution or global power of activity for theta, alpha, beta, and gamma oscillations, and for the 1/f components slope and intercept. Results Results indicated that meditators showed differences in theta, alpha, and gamma oscillatory power compared to non-meditators (all p < 0.05). Post-hoc testing suggested that the oscillatory differences were primarily driven by differences in the distribution of neural activity between meditators and non-meditators, rather than differences in the overall power across all scalp electrodes. Conclusion Our results suggest that experience with meditation is associated with higher oscillatory power and altered distributions of theta, alpha and gamma oscillations, even after controlling for non-oscillatory 1/f activity. Band-specific differences in oscillatory activity may be a mechanism through which meditation leads to neurophysiological benefits.
Hyperactive PI3Kinase delta enables long distance regeneration of the rat corticospinal tract

Maturation of central nervous system neurons leads to loss of their intrinsic regeneration potential. In particular after injury of the adult spinal cord there is minimal regeneration of corticospinal axons, which control gait and fine movement. Previous work has shown that knockdown of PTEN to increase PIP3 levels can promote regeneration in young animals, but the effect is much less in adults probably due to low PIP3 production. Here, we have transduced sensorimotor cortex neurons with a hyperactive form of PI3K, PI3Kδ, which increases PIP3 in mature neurons. This enables cortical neurons to regenerate corticospinal axons and improve behavioural outcomes. We used a C4 dorsal column lesion model in adult rats and injected the right motor cortex at 4 sites concurrently with a mixture AAV1-PIK3CD and AAV1-eGFP or titre matched AAV1-eGFP only. We allowed rats to survive for 6, 9, 12 or 16 weeks. Immunostaining showed 70 - 80% co-expression in cortical neurons which remained stable at both 12 and 16 weeks. We counted GFP labelled axons in 20 μm spinal cord sections. In PI3KCD-treated animals many axons were seen to have regenerated around the margins of lesions, collecting into a knot of axons with the typical appearance of regeneration at the caudal end. Tracing down the cord, and excluding axons and neurites that could have come from unlesioned ventral CST, we found axons extending up to 1 cm below lesions, numbers decreasing with distance from the lesion. After 16 weeks there were circa 200 axons at the caudal end of lesions with a regeneration index of 0.2, with half this number at 12 weeks. Behavioural testing for 16 weeks revealed functional improvements in skilled paw reaching, grip strength and ladder rung walking in rats treated with PIK3CD compared to GFP only controls. In addition to behavioural testing, functional recovery of PIK3CD treated rats was confirmed with electrophysiological recordings during which we stimulated the right pyramid. Cord dorsum potentials (CDPs) above and below lesion and EMG forepaw distal flexor muscles showed greatly increased connectivity compared with GFP only controls, lesion only controls and uninjured shams. We conclude that forcing upregulation of PI3Kδ in cortical neurons leads to robust regeneration after spinal cord injury that results in functional restoration.
Chapter 10 Modelling the Snowball Earth

Abstract We review most of the modelling studies performed to date to understand the initiation and melting of a Snowball Earth, as well as to describe the glacial environment during the glaciation itself. All the described scenarios explaining the onset of glaciation rely on a sufficient decrease in the concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs), typically resulting from the equatorial palaeogeography of the late Proterozoic. It is still heavily debated whether or not the oceanic ice cover was thick during the glaciation itself. However, a consensus has arisen that the most climatically stable scenarios imply the existence of a globally frozen ocean, with a thick ice cover caused by the flowing of high-latitude sea-ice glaciers towards the equator. Depending on the characteristics of the ice, a thin ice layer may have persisted along the equator, but this numerical solution is rather fragile. During the snowball event itself, model results suggest the existence of wet-based continental glaciers. Some parts of the continents may have remained ice-free. From the modelling perspective, the most significant problem in the snowball hypothesis, particularly in its ‘hard snowball’ version (the most stable numerically), is the melting phase. With improved modelling, the CO2 threshold required to melt the snowball is much higher than initially thought, significantly above 0.29 bar. Indeed, because of the very cold conditions prevailing at the surface of the Earth during the glacial event, the atmosphere becomes vertically isothermal, strongly limiting the efficiency of the greenhouse effect. This melting problem is further highlighted by geochemical modelling studies that show that weathering of the oceanic crust might be an active sink of CO2 during the glacial event, limiting the rise in atmospheric CO2. The solution might be found by considering the input of dark dust from catastrophic volcanic eruptions that would efficiently decrease the albedo of the ice. Finally, modelling studies also explore the aftermath of the glaciation. The world might have been drier than initially anticipated, resulting in the persistence of the supergreenhouse effect for at least one million years after the melting phase.
A Jurassic age for an outcrop of ‘Durness Limestone’ on Skye

Synopsis Isocrinid crinoid columnals have been identified from a small outcrop south of Creag Strollamus, Skye. This outcrop has previously been recorded as Durness Limestone but the crinoid evidence proves its age to be post-Palaeozoic. Lithologically the rocks resemble the Jurassic (Lower Lias) Lower Broadford Beds, from which Isocrinus sp. has been recorded in the bucklandi Zone, although columnals are also known from the semicostatum Zone (Upper Broadford Beds).
Sea surface height changes in the North Atlantic Ocean related to the North Atlantic Oscillation

Interannual sea surface height (SSH) variability as measured by the Topex/Poseidon satellite altimeters is investigated for the North Atlantic Ocean between 1992 and 1998. The SSH variability exhibits a basin‐wide coherent dipole structure between the subtropical and the subpolar North Atlantic. The SSH dipole pattern changed sign between 1995 and 1996, coinciding with a change of sign of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The large‐scale SSH pattern is reproduced with an ocean general circulation model, and can be traced back to changes in the atmospheric forcing related to the NAO. The model reveals that the interannual SSH anomalies are mainly caused by changes in the oceanic heat transport which are connected with the response of the large‐scale ocean circulation to changes in the wind stress curl. Variations in the local heat flux reinforce these SSH anomalies but are of minor importance.
Guide to Identification and Ecology of New Zealand Subfossil Chironomids Found in Lake Sediment

Corresponding authors: Ann C. Dieffenbacher-Krall, 112 Sawyer Research Center, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04449, USA Marcus J. Vandergoes, GNS Science, P.O. Box 30-368, Lower Hutt, New Zealand . Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04449, USA GNS Science, Lower Hutt, New Zealand 4 Center for Chronology, Environment and Climate,Queens University, Belfast, Ireland Golder Associates (NZ) Ld. , P.O. Box 33-849, Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand
OFDR Distributed Strain Measurements for SHM of Hydrostatic Stressed Structures: An Application to High Pressure Hydrogen Storage Type IV Composite Vessels - H2E Project

This paper deals with SHM of Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPV) for high pressure hydrogen storage, based on embedded optical fibres and Rayleigh OFDR. Fibre Bragg Gratings in situ strain measurements on flat samples are first presented to assess the mechanical state of such anisotropic structures, and define a preliminary SHM criterion. Comparative fatigue tests were also performed on NOL rings to evaluate optical fibres mechanical impact, but their analysis in terms of energy revealed the difficulty to provide reliable results if the first cycles energy is not accurately controlled. Therefore, with no detrimental effect of the optical fibre embedment within the composite architecture, several instrumented pressure vessels were manufactured and tested. Accordingly, a mechanical criterion based on OFDR differential strain profiles analysis was defined to bring out internal defects, demonstrating the ability to early detect and locate internal flaws without requirements to inflate vessels at high pressures. Additionally, their sensitivity vs. pressure, analysed during a first burst test, provided additional valuable data about structure integrity. Finally, we define four complementary criteria based on in situ strain measurements to control pressure vessels for damage assessment, or any hydrostatic stressed structure since the underlying principles rely on strains proportionality vs. uniformly applied stresses.
Two-Stage Low-Light Image Enhancement Method Based on Generating Saturation-Corrected Reference Images

A two-step low-light image enhancement method is proposed to solve the problems of inadequate illumination enhancement and color information distortion of existing low-light images during illumination enhancement, and to achieve a well-lit, clear and color-informative finishing result. Saturation correction is used to correct the saturation component of the HSV color space. To obtain better photographs, we integrate the channel v with the modified channel V and the channel S. with the correctedly image serving as a reference image. According to the qualitative and quantitative test results, image can show better.
Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 3 is rare in the Peruvian Population

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 or Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD/SCA3) is the most prevalent autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia worldwide, but its frequency varies by geographic region. We describe MJD/SCA3 patients diagnosed in a tertiary healthcare institution in Peru. In a cohort of 341 individuals with clinical ataxia diagnosis, seven MJD/SCA3 probands were identi�ed and their pedigrees extended, detecting a total of 18(5%) MJD/SCA3 cases. Out of 682 alleles from this cohort, the 23-CAG repeat was the most common ATXN3allele (32.1%), followed by the 14-CAG repeat allele (26%). Normal alleles ranged from 12 to 38 repeats while pathogenic alleles ranged from 61-75 repeats. We identi�ed 101 large normal (LN) alleles (14.8%). Five out of seven families declared an affected family member traced back to foreign countries (England, Japan, China, and Trinidad and Tobago). MJD/SCA3 patients showed ataxia, accompanied by pyramidal signs, dysarthria and dysphagia as well as abnormal oculomotor movements. In conclusion, ATXN3 allelic distribution in non-MJD/SCA3 patients with ataxia is similar to the distribution in normal individuals around the world, whereas LN allele frequency reinforces no correlation with the frequency of MJD/SCA3. Evidence of an abnormal MJD/SCA3 phenotype was not found. Further haplotypes are required to con�rm the foreign origin of MJD/SCA3 in the Peruvian population.
A corpus for differential diagnosis: an eye diseases use case

We have created a corpus for the extraction of information related to diagnosis from scientific literature focused on eye diseases. It was shown that the annotation of entities has a relatively large agreement among annotators, which translates into strong performance of the trained methods, mostly BioBERT. Furthermore it was observed that relation annotation in this domain has challenges, which might require additional exploration. When using the trained models on MEDLINE, we could identify confirmed knowledge about the diagnosis of eye diseases and relevant new information, which supports the developments in this work. The corpus that we have developed is publicly available, thus the scientific community is able to reproduce our work and reuse the corpus in their work.
Geomagnetic intensity and 14C abundance in the atmosphere and ocean during the past 50 kyr

We have used a new sedimentary record of geomagnetic field intensity, combined with published volcanic data, to examine the extent to which geomagnetic changes have affected 14C production in the past. The production record was then converted into an atmospheric Δ14C signal using a 4-box model of past oceanic circulation. The results indicate that changes in geomagnetic field intensity account for at least 80% of the Δ14C shift documented by published U-Th data, which are of the order of 500 per mil with respect to a constant production hypothesis. Model simulations show that changes in past oceanic circulation account for only ±100 per mil of Δ14C variation, which is within the uncertainty of the geomagnetic correction. In terms of dating, these results show that the radiocarbon ages have to be shifted by 2 to 3.5 kyr towards older ages during the 20–40 ka interval.
Satellite-based estimates of vegetation density over Australia during 1988-2008

Vegetation density plays an important role in the water and energy balance. Satellite based passive microwave instruments have shown an ability to monitor the total above-ground vegetation biomass at global scales. A recently developed approach to retrieving vegetation optical depth (VOD, an index of vegetation density) from microwave emissions can be used for all bands in the microwave domain, allowing data collected by different satellites (e.g. Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I from middle 1987), Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI from 1998) and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E from middle 2002)) to yield a long-time series. However, differences in measurement specifications prevent merging the data directly. Here we develop a merged product by adjusting SSM/I and TMI products against the reference sensor (AMSR-E) using the cumulative distribution frequency matching approach. Results of Mann-Kendall trend analysis on the merged VOD product during 1988-2008 show that northwest Australia experienced considerable increases in vegetation density, whereas southeast Australia experienced considerable declines. Gridded rainfall and temperature products were used to assess climate induced changes during the study period over Australia. By performing multiple linear regression analysis over varying periods of precipitation, temperature and annual maximum monthly VOD, we identify the proportion of VOD change that is explained by precipitation and temperature, and distinguish the contribution of natural climate from human activities on the long-term change. Expanding analysis to the global scale along these lines should increase our understanding of the natural and anthropogenic impacts on terrestrial hydrology and vegetation dynamics.