Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Traumatic Brain Injury and Infectious Encephalopathy in Children From Four Resource-Limited Settings in Africa*

Objectives: To assess the frequency, interventions, and outcomes of children presenting with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy in low-resource settings. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Four hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa. Patients: Children age 1 day to 17 years old evaluated at the hospital with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: We evaluated the frequency and outcomes of children presenting consecutively over 4 weeks to any hospital department with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy. Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category score was assessed pre morbidity and at hospital discharge. Overall, 130 children were studied (58 [45%] had traumatic brain injury) from hospitals in Ethiopia (n = 51), Kenya (n = 50), Rwanda (n = 20), and Ghana (n = 7). Forty-six percent had no prehospital care, and 64% required interhospital transport over 18 km (1–521 km). On comparing traumatic brain injury with infectious encephalopathy, there was no difference in presentation with altered mental state (80% vs 82%), but a greater proportion of traumatic brain injury cases had loss of consciousness (80% vs 53%; p = 0.004). Traumatic brain injury patients were older (median [range], 120 mo [6–204 mo] vs 13 mo [0.3–204 mo]), p value of less than 0.001, and more likely male (73% vs 51%), p value of less than 0.01. In 78% of infectious encephalopathy cases, cause was unknown. More infectious encephalopathy cases had a seizure (69% vs 12%; p < 0.001). In regard to outcome, infectious encephalopathy versus traumatic brain injury: hospital lengths of stay were longer for infectious encephalopathy (8 d [2–30 d] vs 4 d [1–36 d]; p = 0.003), discharge rate to home, or for inpatient rehabilitation, or death differed between infectious encephalopathy (85%, 1%, and 13%) and traumatic brain injury (79%, 12%, and 1%), respectively, p value equals to 0.044. There was no difference in the proportion of children surviving with normal or mild disability (73% traumatic brain injury vs 79% infectious encephalopathy; p = 0.526). Conclusions: The epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury and infectious encephalopathy varied by center and disease. To improve outcomes of these conditions in low-resource setting, focus should be on neurocritical care protocols for pre-hospital, hospital, and rehabilitative care.
On Regularizing Rademacher Observation Losses

It has recently been shown that supervised learning linear classifiers with two of the most popular losses, the logistic and square loss, is equivalent to optimizing an equivalent loss over sufficient statistics about the class: Rademacher observations (rados). It has also been shown that learning over rados brings solutions to two prominent problems for which the state of the art of learning from examples can be comparatively inferior and in fact less convenient: protecting and learning from private examples, learning from distributed datasets without entity resolution. Bis repetita placent: the two proofs of equivalence are different and rely on specific properties of the corresponding losses, so whether these can be unified and generalized inevitably comes to mind. This is our first contribution: we show how they can be fit into the same theory for the equivalence between example and rado losses. As a second contribution, we show that the generalization unveils a surprising new connection to regularized learning, and in particular a sufficient condition under which regularizing the loss over examples is equivalent to regularizing the rados (i.e. the data) in the equivalent rado loss, in such a way that an efficient algorithm for one regularized rado loss may be as efficient when changing the regularizer. This is our third contribution: we give a formal boosting algorithm for the regularized exponential rado-loss which boost with any of the ridge, lasso, \slope, l_\infty, or elastic nets, using the same master routine for all. Because the regularized exponential rado-loss is the equivalent of the regularized logistic loss over examples we obtain the first efficient proxy to the minimisation of the regularized logistic loss over examples using such a wide spectrum of regularizers. Experiments with a readily available code display that regularization significantly improves rado-based learning and compares favourably with example-based learning.
Cerebral Activation During Initial Motor Learning Forecasts Subsequent Sleep‐Facilitated Memory Consolidation in Older Adults

Abstract Older adults exhibit deficits in motor memory consolidation; however, little is known about the cerebral correlates of this impairment. We thus employed fMRI to investigate the neural substrates underlying motor sequence memory consolidation, and the modulatory influence of post‐learning sleep, in healthy older adults. Participants were trained on a motor sequence and retested following an 8‐h interval including wake or diurnal sleep as well as a 22‐h interval including a night of sleep. Results demonstrated that a post‐learning nap improved offline consolidation across same‐ and next‐day retests. This enhanced consolidation was reflected by increased activity in the putamen and the medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus, regions that have previously been implicated in sleep‐dependent neural plasticity in young adults. Moreover, for the first time in older adults, the neural substrates subserving initial motor learning, including the putamen, cerebellum, and parietal cortex, were shown to forecast subsequent consolidation depending on whether a post‐learning nap was afforded. Specifically, sufficient activation in a motor‐related network appears to be necessary to trigger sleep‐facilitated consolidation in older adults. Our findings not only demonstrate that post‐learning sleep can enhance motor memory consolidation in older adults, but also provide the system‐level neural correlates of this beneficial effect.
Data-efficient neuroevolution with kernel-based surrogate models

Surrogate-assistance approaches have long been used in computationally expensive domains to improve the data-efficiency of optimization algorithms. Neuroevolution, however, has so far resisted the application of these techniques because it requires the surrogate model to make fitness predictions based on variable topologies, instead of a vector of parameters. Our main insight is that we can sidestep this problem by using kernel-based surrogate models, which require only the definition of a distance measure between individuals. Our second insight is that the well-established Neuroevolution of Augmenting Topologies (NEAT) algorithm provides a computationally efficient distance measure between dissimilar networks in the form of "compatibility distance", initially designed to maintain topological diversity. Combining these two ideas, we introduce a surrogate-assisted neuroevolution algorithm that combines NEAT and a surrogate model built using a compatibility distance kernel. We demonstrate the data-efficiency of this new algorithm on the low dimensional cart-pole swing-up problem, as well as the higher dimensional half-cheetah running task. In both tasks the surrogate-assisted variant achieves the same or better results with several times fewer function evaluations as the original NEAT.
Detection of Atrial fibrillation from non-episodic ECG data: A review of methods

Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. To effectively treat or prevent A-fib, automatic A-fib detection based on Electrocardiograph (ECG) monitoring is highly desirable. This paper reviews recently developed techniques for A-fib detection based on non-episodic surface ECG monitoring data. A-fib detection methods in the literature can be mainly classified into three categories: (1) time domain methods; (2) frequency domain methods; and (3) non-linear methods. In general the performances of these methods were evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity and overall detection accuracy on the datasets from the Physionet repository. Based on our survey, we conclude that no promising A-fib detection method that performs consistently well across various scenarios has been proposed yet.
Medical Marijuana Use in Older Adults

Symptom management in older adults, including pain and distressing non‐pain symptoms, can be challenging. Medications can cause side effects that worsen quality of life or create other symptoms, and polypharmacy itself can be detrimental in older adults. Cannabinoids may offer a way of managing selected symptoms with fewer side effects. Medical marijuana is an important area of study for older adults because of the side effects of other medications. It is also important for Baby Boomers, who are likely to have more experience with marijuana than older adults of previous generations. Therefore, geriatricians should understand medical marijuana's clinical indications, adverse effects, and legal context. This article reviews the evidence regarding indications for and risks of medical marijuana use in older adults.
Pcatch: automatically detecting performance cascading bugs in cloud systems

Distributed systems have become the backbone of modern clouds. Users often expect high scalability and performance isolation from distributed systems. Unfortunately, a type of poor software design, which we refer to as performance cascading bugs (PCbugs), can often cause the slowdown of non-scalable code in one job to propagate, causing global performance degradation and even threatening system availability. This paper presents a tool, PCatch, that can automatically predict PCbugs by analyzing system execution under small-scale workloads. PCatch contains three key components in predicting PCbugs. It uses program analysis to identify code regions whose execution time can potentially increase dramatically with the workload size; it adapts the traditional happens-before model to reason about software resource contention and performance dependency relationship; it uses dynamic tracking to identify whether the slowdown propagation is contained in one job or not. Our evaluation using representative distributed systems, Cassandra, Hadoop MapReduce, HBase, and HDFS, shows that PCatch can accurately predict PCbugs based on small-scale workload execution.
Anthelmintic Baiting of Foxes against Urban Contamination with Echinococcus multilocularis

In recent years, increases in the urban fox population have been observed in many countries of the Northern Hemisphere. As a result, Echinococcus multilocularis has entered the urban environment. Because of a possible increased risk for alveolar echinococcosis, intervention strategies need to be evaluated. In Zürich, Switzerland, 50 praziquantel-containing baits per km2 were distributed monthly in six 1-km2 bait areas and one 6-km2 bait area from April 2000 through October 2001. The proportion of E. multilocularis coproantigen–positive fox fecal samples collected remained unchanged in six control areas but decreased significantly in the 1-km2 bait areas (from 38.6% to 5.5%) and in the 6-km2 bait area (from 66.7% to 1.8%). E. multilocularis prevalence in the intermediate host Arvicola terrestris also decreased significantly in baited areas. This controlled baiting study shows that a pronounced reduction of E. multilocularis egg contamination is feasible in urban areas where the organism is highly endemic.
AKT2 siRNA delivery with amphiphilic-based polymeric micelles show efficacy against cancer stem cells

Abstract Development of RNA interference-based therapies with appropriate therapeutic window remains a challenge for advanced cancers. Because cancer stem cells (CSC) are responsible of sustaining the metastatic spread of the disease to distal organs and the progressive gain of resistance of advanced cancers, new anticancer therapies should be validated specifically for this subpopulation of cells. A new amphihilic-based gene delivery system that combines Pluronic® F127 micelles with polyplexes spontaneously formed by electrostatic interaction between anionic siRNA and cationic polyethylenimine (PEI) 10K, was designed (PM). Resultant PM gather the requirements for an efficient and safe transport of siRNA in terms of its physicochemical characteristics, internalization capacity, toxicity profile and silencing efficacy. PM were loaded with a siRNA against AKT2, an important oncogene involved in breast cancer tumorigenesis, with a special role in CSC malignancy. Efficacy of siAKT2-PM was validated in CSC isolated from two breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7 and Triple Negative MDA-MB-231 corresponding to an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. In both cases, we observed significant reduction on cell invasion capacity and strong inhibition of mammosphere formation after treatment. These results prompt AKT2 inhibition as a powerful therapeutic target against CSC and pave the way to the appearance of more effective nanomedicine-based gene therapies aimed to prevent CSC-related tumor recurrence.
Parkin deficiency modulates NLRP3 inflammasome activation by attenuating an A20‐dependent negative feedback loop

Neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, key mechanisms in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), are usually explored independently. Loss‐of‐function mutations of PARK2 and PARK6, encoding the E3 ubiquitin protein ligase Parkin and the mitochondrial serine/threonine kinase PINK1, account for a large proportion of cases of autosomal recessive early‐onset PD. PINK1 and Parkin regulate mitochondrial quality control and have been linked to the modulation of innate immunity pathways. We report here an exacerbation of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by specific inducers in microglia and bone marrow‐derived macrophages from Park2−/− and Pink1−/− mice. The caspase 1‐dependent release of IL‐1β and IL‐18 was, therefore, enhanced in Park2−/− and Pink1−/− cells. This defect was confirmed in blood‐derived macrophages from patients with PARK2 mutations and was reversed by MCC950, which specifically inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome complex formation. Enhanced NLRP3 signaling in Parkin‐deficient cells was accompanied by a lack of induction of A20, a well‐known negative regulator of the NF‐κB pathway recently shown to attenuate NLRP3 inflammasome activity. We also found an inverse correlation between A20 abundance and IL‐1β release, in human macrophages challenged with NLRP3 inflammasome inducers. Overall, our observations suggest that the A20/NLRP3‐inflammasome axis participates in the pathogenesis of PARK2‐linked PD, paving the way for the exploration of its potential as a biomarker and treatment target.
On angular-domain channel estimation for one-bit massive MIMO systems with fixed and time-varying thresholds

This paper considers angular-domain channel estimation for massive MIMO systems with one-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) at base stations. We characterize analytical performance, in terms of the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB), on estimating the two-dimensional channel matrix (including angle-of-departure, angle-of-arrival and associated channel path gains) in the angular-domain representation. Our analysis provides a simple tool to compare channel estimation performance among several one-bit quantization schemes. We demonstrate that, with a fixed zero-threshold and when the noise variance is unknown, the Fisher information matrix becomes singular due to an ambiguity between the channel path gain and noise variance. This ambiguity can be removed if one-bit ADCs use a non-zero or a time-varying threshold quantization scheme. Numerical results are provided for performance verification as a function of SNR and the number of pilots.
Mortality in Adults With and Without Diabetes in a National Cohort of the U.S. Population, 1971–1993

OBJECTIVE To examine 22-year mortality (1971–1993), causes of death, life expectancy, and survival in a national sample of diabetic and nondiabetic adults according to age, sex, and race. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A representative national cohort of 14,374 adults aged 25–74 years was identified in 1971–1975 in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I). Diabetes was ascertained by medical history interview. The cohort was followed for mortality through 1992–1993, with verification of vital status for 96.2% (n = 13,830). Causes of death were determined from death certificates. RESULTS Diabetic subjects comprised 5.1% of the cohort and accounted for 10.6% of the deaths. Mortality for diabetic subjects increased from 12.4 per 1,000 person-years for those aged 25–44 years at baseline to 89.7 per 1,000 person-years for those aged 65–74 years. The age-adjusted mortality rate was 57% higher for diabetic men than for diabetic women; the rate was 27% higher for diabetic non-Hispanic blacks than for diabetic non-Hispanic whites. Mortality rates were highest for insulin-treated subjects and for those with ≥15 years' duration of diabetes. Diabetes was listed on the death certificate as the underlying cause of death for only 7.7% of diabetic men and 13.4% of diabetic women. Considering multiple causes of death, heart disease was listed the most frequently and was present on 69.5% of death certificates of people with diabetes. Death rates were higher for diabetic than for nondiabetic subjects in all age, sex, and race groups. The relative risk of death (diabetic versus nondiabetic subjects) declined with age from a value of 3.6 for those aged 25–44 years at baseline to 1.5 for those aged 65–74 years. The relative risk was elevated in diabetic subjects for all major causes of death except malignant neoplasms. Survival of diabetic subjects was lower than that of nondiabetic subjects in all age, sex, and race groups. Median life expectancy was 8 years lower for diabetic adults aged 55–64 years and 4 years lower for those aged 65–74 years. CONCLUSIONS In this representative national sample of adults, mortality rates were higher for diabetic men than for diabetic women and for diabetic blacks than for diabetic whites. The study confirms the substantially higher risk of death, lower survival, and lower life expectancy of diabetic adults compared with nondiabetic adults.
Volumetric velocimetry study in a transitional wall jet flow with passive flow control via flaps

Birds are remarkably good flyers and show very special adaptations in their wings for stall delay. The pop-up of some cover feathers during starting and landing gave the idea for the present study to investigate the influence on a wall jet when inserting an array with flaps made of elastomer foil. In a wall jet with Re = 420 a flat plate and two different flap arrays (with a foil thickness of 100 and 200 µm) are measured by a time resolved 3D scanning PIV with 20 laser sheets. 2-dimensional analyses show the forming rolers between the jet flow and the surrounding fluid with a fundamental frequency of 13-14 Hz and the characteristically vortex pairing. By inserting the flap array the jet wallnormal spreading gets intensified and the vortex interaction process results in cooperative formation of larger vortices. The 3-dimensional analyses verify these results and show high 3-dimensional vortical structures which are growing when passing over a flap array. In case of the inserted flap array the vortex pairing process was delayed and accumulation of spanwise vorticity was forced to happen over the first rows of flaps, thus forming the larger structures. Already the used flap array configurations showed a significant impact influence on the jet evolution and the non-linear instabilities. Further investigations will analyze the influence of more parameters as the flap geometry or the distance to the jet flow and nozzle outlet.
Graphene oxide — Nylon ECG sensors for wearable IoT healthcare

The Internet of Things (IoT) presents opportunities to address a variety of systemic, metabolic healthcare issues. Cardiovascular disease and diabetes are among the greatest contributors to premature death worldwide. Wireless wearable continuous monitoring systems (CMS) such as ECG sensors connected to the Internet of Things can greatly decrease the risk of death related to cardiac issues by providing valuable long-term information to physicians, as well as immediate contact with emergency services in the event of a heart attack or stroke. In this report we discuss the fabrication, characterization and validation of composite fabric ECG sensors made from Nylon coated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO x ) as part of a self-powered wearable IoT sensor. We utilize an electronic probing station to measure electrical properties, take live ECG data to measure signal reliability, and provide detailed surface characterization through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, bonding between the layers of the composite and between composite and the Nylon is analyzed by Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
Female‐specific association of NOS1 genotype with white matter microstructure in ADHD patients and controls

BACKGROUND The nitric oxide synthase gene (NOS1) exon 1f (ex1f) VNTR is a known genetic risk factor for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), particularly in females. NOS1 plays an important role in neurite outgrowth and may thus influence brain development, specifically white matter (WM) microstructure, which is known to be altered in ADHD. The current study aimed to investigate whether NOS1 is associated with WM microstructure in (female) individuals with and without ADHD. METHODS Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) scans were collected from 187 participants with ADHD (33% female) and 103 controls (50% female), aged 8-26 years, and NOS1-ex1f VNTR genotype was determined. Whole-brain analyses were conducted for fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) to examine associations between NOS1 and WM microstructure, including possible interactions with gender and diagnosis. RESULTS Consistent with previous literature, NOS1-ex1f was associated with total ADHD and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms, but not inattention; this effect was independent of gender. NOS1-ex1f was also associated with MD values in several major WM tracts in females, but not males. In females, homozygosity for the short allele was linked to higher MD values than carriership of the long allele. MD values in these regions did not correlate with ADHD symptoms. Results were similar for participants with and without ADHD. CONCLUSIONS NOS1-ex1f VNTR is associated with WM microstructure in females in a large sample of participants with ADHD and healthy controls. Whether this association is part of a neurodevelopmental pathway from NOS1 to ADHD symptoms should be further investigated in future studies.