Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
True Random Number Generator Based on Flip-Flop Resolve Time Instability Boosted by Random Chaotic Source

This paper introduces a new concept of a true random number generator (TRNG) based on two stages of randomness. The first stage is based on a novel chaotic circuit, which utilizes time as a continuous random variable in a feedback loop. The second stage is based on metastability; however, in contrast to known digital solutions, a flip-flop is stimulated by chaotic initial conditions. The advantage of chaotic behavior is the circuit’s immunity to active injection side-channel attacks (e.g., a frequency attack). The circuit design parameters can also vary in a wide range, which makes the TRNG insensitive to process, voltage and temperature (PVT) conditions and tolerance. Moreover, the design is extremely simplified, and therefore, feasible to implement in simple and inexpensive reprogrammable devices (no digital clock manager, programmable delay line, or phase locked loop are required). The TRNG ensures a constant (synchronous) 1-Mb/s bit rate output without additional post-processing. The randomness tests prove a high quality of an output bit stream, which is relatively high when compared with other solutions based on similar hardware resources.
Data-Driven Human-Robot Coordination Based Walking State Monitoring With Cane-Type Robot

The walking state monitoring is indispensable during the robot-aided walking of people with lower limb dysfunctions. In this paper, the existence of human–robot coordination state is first statistically verified in the process of using a walking-aid cane-type robot during walking. Based on this coordination, a new walking state monitoring method is proposed by using the principal component analysis (PCA). The abnormal or emergency walking state is promptly detected if the new sample data are found to deviate from an off-line PCA model, which is generated from plentiful normal walking data of different subjects. Furthermore, a state diagnosis algorithm based on the contribution plot is also developed for the walking state recognition and diagnosis. In this way, typical abnormal states like the leg restrictions can be distinguished from the emergency states including falls and the stumbling. Moreover, the human–robot coordination analysis can be performed using less sensors built-in the robot without needing the posture information of full human body. The effectiveness of the proposed method is proven by experiments. Better recognition rate and real-time performance of the method are also verified by comparing with conventional center of pressure based monitoring method.
Systematic reviews versus narrative reviews in clinical anatomy: Methodological approaches in the era of evidence‐based anatomy

Two main types of review articles with distinct characteristics and goals are commonly found in the scientific literature: systematic reviews and narrative (also called expert or traditional) reviews. Narrative reviews are publications that describe and discuss the state of science on a specific topic or theme from a theoretical and contextual point of view with little explicit structure for gathering and presenting evidence. Systematic reviews are overviews of the literature undertaken by identifying, critically appraising and synthesizing the results of primary research studies using an explicit methodological approach. With the recent rise of evidence‐based anatomy, important questions arise with respect to the utility of narrative reviews in clinical anatomy. The goal of this perspective article is to address the key differences between narrative and systematic reviews in the context of clinical anatomy, to provide guidance on which type of review is most appropriate for a specific issue, and to summarize how the two types of reviews can work in unison to enhance the quality of anatomical research and its delivery to clinicians and anatomists alike. Clin. Anat. 31:364–367, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Input mapping algorithm for parallel transistor structures

A new algorithm for mapping every possible input pattern of a parallel transistor structure to an equivalent set of normalized inputs (having the same starting and ending point) is introduced. This algorithm is based on the analysis of the operation of the transistor structure and can be used for the development of analytical timing models for CMOS circuits. Simulation results show a very good accuracy of the algorithm. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Epidemiological Impact of a Genital Herpes Type 2 Vaccine for Young Females

Genital Herpes, which is caused by Herpes Simplex Virus-1 or -2 (HSV-1, -2, predominantly HSV-2) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that causes a chronic latent infection with outbreak episodes linked to transmission. Antiviral therapies are effective in reducing viral shedding during these episodes, but are ineffective as a whole since many outbreaks are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Thus, the development of a vaccine for genital herpes is needed to control this disease. The question of how to implement such a vaccine program is an important one, and may be similar to the vaccination program for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) for young females. We have developed a mathematical model to describe the epidemiology of vaccination targeting young females against HSV-2. The model population is delineated with respect to age group, sexual activity and infection status including oral infection of HSV-1, which may affect vaccine efficacy. A threshold parameter , which determines the level of vaccine uptake needed to eradicate HSV-2, is found. Computer simulation shows that an adolescent-only vaccination program may be effective in eliminating HSV-2 disease, however, the success of extinction greatly depends on the level of vaccine uptake, the vaccine efficacy, the age of sexual maturity and safe sex practices. However, the time course of eradication would take many years. We also investigate the prevalence of infection in the total population and in women between 16–30 years of age before and after vaccination has been introduced, and show that the adolescent-only vaccination program can be effective in reducing disease prevalence in these populations depending on the level of vaccine uptake and vaccine efficacy. This will also result in a decrease of maternal-fetal transmission of HSV-2 infection. Another important, if commonsense, conclusion is that vaccination of some females reduces infection in men, which then reduces infection in women.
Post-Processing for JPEG-Coded Image Deblocking via Sparse Representation and Adaptive Residual Threshold

The problem of blocking artifacts is very common in block-based image and video compression, especially at very low bit rates. In this paper, we propose a post-processing method for JPEG-coded image deblocking via sparse representation and adaptive residual threshold. This method includes three steps. First, we obtain the dictionary by online dictionary learning and the compressed images. The dictionary is then modified by the histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) feature descriptor and K-means cluster. Second, an adaptive residual threshold for orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) is proposed and used for sparse coding by combining blind image blocking assessment. At last, to take advantage of human visual system (HVS), the edge regions of the obtained deblocked image can be further modified by the edge regions of the compressed image. The experimental results show that our proposed method can keep the image more texture and edge information while reducing the image blocking artifacts.
An Eye-Movement Study on Text Font Size Design Rules in the Digital Learning Resources

A total of 100 college students were randomly divided into 10 equal groups, using different text font sizes (12pt, 18pt, 24pt, 28pt, 36pt) under different rendering devices (computer screen, iPad) to learn. The eye tracker is used to record the learner's visual cognitive process in real-time, and the learner's learning effect is tested. The results show that: (1) No matter what kind of rendering device is used, 18pt and 24pt text are most beneficial to learners, not only saving the learners' visual cognitive resources, but also improving their learning effect. (2) There is no significant effect on the visual cognitive process and the learning effect during text learning under different rendering devices (computer screen, iPad).
Goal-recognition-based adaptive brain-computer interface for navigating immersive robotic systems

Objective. This work proposes principled strategies for self-adaptations in EEG-based Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) as a way out of the bandwidth bottleneck resulting from the considerable mismatch between the low-bandwidth interface and the bandwidth-hungry application, and a way to enable fluent and intuitive interaction in embodiment systems. The main focus is laid upon inferring the hidden target goals of users while navigating in a remote environment as a basis for possible adaptations. Approach. To reason about possible user goals, a general user-agnostic Bayesian update rule is devised to be recursively applied upon the arrival of evidences, i.e. user input and user gaze. Experiments were conducted with healthy subjects within robotic embodiment settings to evaluate the proposed method. These experiments varied along three factors: the type of the robot/environment (simulated and physical), the type of the interface (keyboard or BCI), and the way goal recognition (GR) is used to guide a simple shared control (SC) driving scheme. Main results. Our results show that the proposed GR algorithm is able to track and infer the hidden user goals with relatively high precision and recall. Further, the realized SC driving scheme benefits from the output of the GR system and is able to reduce the user effort needed to accomplish the assigned tasks. Despite the fact that the BCI requires higher effort compared to the keyboard conditions, most subjects were able to complete the assigned tasks, and the proposed GR system is additionally shown able to handle the uncertainty in user input during SSVEP-based interaction. The SC application of the belief vector indicates that the benefits of the GR module are more pronounced for BCIs, compared to the keyboard interface. Significance. Being based on intuitive heuristics that model the behavior of the general population during the execution of navigation tasks, the proposed GR method can be used without prior tuning for the individual users. The proposed methods can be easily integrated in devising more advanced SC schemes and/or strategies for automatic BCI self-adaptations.
Pseudo-task Augmentation: From Deep Multitask Learning to Intratask Sharing - and Back

Deep multitask learning boosts performance by sharing learned structure across related tasks. This paper adapts ideas from deep multitask learning to the setting where only a single task is available. The method is formalized as pseudo-task augmentation, in which models are trained with multiple decoders for each task. Pseudo-tasks simulate the effect of training towards closely-related tasks drawn from the same universe. In a suite of experiments, pseudo-task augmentation is shown to improve performance on single-task learning problems. When combined with multitask learning, further improvements are achieved, including state-of-the-art performance on the CelebA dataset, showing that pseudo-task augmentation and multitask learning have complementary value. All in all, pseudo-task augmentation is a broadly applicable and efficient way to boost performance in deep learning systems.
Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Medicaid-covered Utilization of Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Background: Buprenorphine has been proven effective in treating opioid use disorder. However, the high cost of buprenorphine and the limited prescribing capacity may restrict access to this effective medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Objective: To examine whether Medicaid expansion and physician prescribing capacity may have impacted buprenorphine utilization covered by Medicaid. Research Design: We used a quasi experimental difference-in-differences design to compare the pre-post changes in Medicaid-covered buprenorphine prescriptions and buprenorphine spending between the 26 states that implemented Medicaid expansions under the Affordable Care Act in 2014 and those that did not. Subjects: All Medicaid enrollees in the expansion states and the nonexpansion and late-expansion states. Measures: Quarterly Medicaid prescriptions for buprenorphine and spending on buprenorphine from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicaid Drug Utilization files 2011 to 2014. Results: State implementation of Medicaid expansions in 2014 was associated with a 70% increase (P<0.05) in Medicaid-covered buprenorphine prescriptions and a 50% increase (P<0.05) in buprenorphine spending. Physician prescribing capacity was also associated with increased buprenorphine utilization. Conclusions: Medicaid expansion has the potential to reduce the financial barriers to buprenorphine utilization and improve access to medication-assisted treatment of opioid use disorder. Active physician participation in the provision of buprenorphine is needed for ensuring that Medicaid expansion achieves its full potential in improving treatment access.
Rating of perceived exertion with Borg scale in stroke over two common activities of the daily living

Abstract Background The Borg Scale for the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is recommended to measure the intensity of physical exercise during stroke rehabilitation, but its reliability in activities of daily living is not explored. Objective To evaluate the correlation between the RPE using the Borg Scale (6–20) and the intensity of effort as measured by the Total Energy Expenditure per minute (TEE.min−1) in a post-stroke population for two tasks: walking at spontaneous comfortable speed and walking up and down stairs. Methods A cross-sectional study has been conducted. Any post-stroke subjects able to walk without being helped were recruited. Subjects were asked to walk at their spontaneous comfortable walking speed for 6 min and then to walk up and down stairs with a portable gas analyzer to measure the TEE.min−1. The RPE was evaluated by the Borg scale (6–20). The correlation between the RPE and the TEE.min−1 for each subject’s walking task and stairs task was calculated with the Pearson coefficient. Results Twenty subjects were included. TEE.min−1 averaged at 5.6 (±1.2 kcal.min−1) for the walking task and 9.58 (±4.3 kcal.min−1) for the stairs task. The median RPE was 11 (min 6; max 15) for the walking task and 11 (min 6; max 16) for the stairs task. The correlation coefficient between the RPE and TEE.min−1 was r = 0.12 (p = 0.25). Conclusion Our work has not determined a correlation between the RPE and TEE.min−1 for two common activities of daily living in post-stroke subjects.
High-Resolution Linkage Analyses to Identify Genes That Influence Varroa Sensitive Hygiene Behavior in Honey Bees

Varroa mites (V. destructor) are a major threat to honey bees (Apis melilfera) and beekeeping worldwide and likely lead to colony decline if colonies are not treated. Most treatments involve chemical control of the mites; however, Varroa has evolved resistance to many of these miticides, leaving beekeepers with a limited number of alternatives. A non-chemical control method is highly desirable for numerous reasons including lack of chemical residues and decreased likelihood of resistance. Varroa sensitive hygiene behavior is one of two behaviors identified that are most important for controlling the growth of Varroa populations in bee hives. To identify genes influencing this trait, a study was conducted to map quantitative trait loci (QTL). Individual workers of a backcross family were observed and evaluated for their VSH behavior in a mite-infested observation hive. Bees that uncapped or removed pupae were identified. The genotypes for 1,340 informative single nucleotide polymorphisms were used to construct a high-resolution genetic map and interval mapping was used to analyze the association of the genotypes with the performance of Varroa sensitive hygiene. We identified one major QTL on chromosome 9 (LOD score = 3.21) and a suggestive QTL on chromosome 1 (LOD = 1.95). The QTL confidence interval on chromosome 9 contains the gene ‘no receptor potential A’ and a dopamine receptor. ‘No receptor potential A’ is involved in vision and olfaction in Drosophila, and dopamine signaling has been previously shown to be required for aversive olfactory learning in honey bees, which is probably necessary for identifying mites within brood cells. Further studies on these candidate genes may allow for breeding bees with this trait using marker-assisted selection.
PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SOLID DISPERSION OF MODAFINIL USING PEG6000 AS HYDROPHILIC CARRIER FOR IMPROVEMENT OF DISSOLUTION PROFILE

Solid dispersions of modafinil were prepared using polyethyleneglycols, in various proportions by melting, solvent evaporation and kneading method. Based on the solubility, PEG6000 was selected and solid dispersion batch F6 containing drug:PEG6000 in 1:3 ration was formulated as tablet (batch TF6) and evaluated for in-vitro drug dissolution and six month stability; and the results were compared with that of tablet containing physical mixture of drug:PEG6000 in 1:3 ratio (batch TF24) and convention tablet (batch CT) containing pure drug. Tablet batch TF24 had shown significant improvement of dissolution profile of modafinil when compared with that of tablet batch TF6 and CT. Present study conclusively demonstrated that PEG6000 enhanced water solubility of modafinil by amorphisation, which was confirmed XRD and DSC; and also the melting method was found better than solvent evaporation.
Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Regulates Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Myocardial Reperfusion Injury

BACKGROUND The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) mediates cellular responses to pain, heat, or noxious stimuli by calcium influx; however, the cellular localization and function of TRPV1 in the cardiomyocyte is largely unknown. We studied whether myocardial injury is regulated by TRPV1 and whether we could mitigate reperfusion injury by limiting the calcineurin interaction with TRPV1. METHODS AND RESULTS In primary cardiomyocytes, confocal and electron microscopy demonstrates that TRPV1 is localized to the mitochondria. Capsaicin, the specific TRPV1 agonist, dose-dependently reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and was blocked by the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine or the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporine. Using in silico analysis, we discovered an interaction site for TRPV1 with calcineurin. We synthesized a peptide, V1-cal, to inhibit the interaction between TRPV1 and calcineurin. In an in vivo rat myocardial infarction model, V1-cal given just prior to reperfusion substantially mitigated myocardial infarct size compared with vehicle, capsaicin, or cyclosporine (24±3% versus 61±2%, 45±1%, and 49±2%, respectively; n=6 per group; P<0.01 versus all groups). Infarct size reduction by V1-cal was also not seen in TRPV1 knockout rats. CONCLUSIONS TRPV1 is localized at the mitochondria in cardiomyocytes and regulates mitochondrial membrane potential through an interaction with calcineurin. We developed a novel therapeutic, V1-cal, that substantially reduces reperfusion injury by inhibiting the interaction of calcineurin with TRPV1. These data suggest that TRPV1 is an end-effector of cardioprotection and that modulating the TRPV1 protein interaction with calcineurin limits reperfusion injury.
Ranking the resistance of wrought superalloys to strain-age cracking

High-strength, heat-resistant alloys are critical construction materials for modem gas turbines used in power generation and aviation applications. The use of higher-strength alloys has long been limited by the susceptibility of some of these alloys to strain-age cracking during postweld heat treatment. No widely accepted test method exists that provides an easy and economical method of ranking the resistance of alloys to strain-age cracking. Of the test methods that appear in the literature, the controlled heating rate test (CHRT), developed in the 1960s, stands out because it is simple and economical as well as having been correlated to restrained weldment test results. In this investigation, the CHRT was used to rank several commercial alloys by their resistance to strain-age cracking, and alloy performance was correlated to chemical composition.
Novel insights into the role of mitochondrial fusion and fission in cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by ischemia/reperfusion

As the main source of energy in the body, mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles, which are constantly going through fusion and fission. The fine balance of mitochondrial fusion and fission plays an important role in maintaining the stability of cardiomyocyte homeostasis. The processes of mitochondrial fusion and fission are very complex, which is mediated by fusion and fission proteins. Disruptions in these processes through controlling fusion and fission proteins affect mitochondrial functions and cardiomyocyte survival. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) can regulate the expression and post‐translational modifications of fusion and fission proteins thereby inducing the abnormality of mitochondrial fusion and fission and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, intervention with the expression and function of fusion and fission proteins influences on cardiomyocyte apoptosis under I/R conditions. In this review, we focus on the current developments in the effects of mitochondrial fusion and fission on cardiomyocyte functions, the implications for cardiomyocyte apoptosis in response to I/R, and possible mechanisms. And we review their roles as a potential therapeutic target for treating I/R‐induced cardiomyocyte injury.
Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines Predominate in Acute Human Plasmodium knowlesi Infections

Plasmodium knowlesi has entered the human population of Southeast Asia. Naturally acquired knowlesi malaria is newly described with relatively little available data, including data on the host response to infection. Therefore pre-treatment cytokine and chemokine profiles were determined for 94 P. knowlesi, and for comparison, 20, P. vivax and 22 P. falciparum, patients recruited in Malaysian Borneo. Nine, five and one patient with P. knowlesi, P. falciparum and P. vivax respectively had complicated malaria as defined by World Health Organisation. Patients with uncomplicated P. knowlesi had lower levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8 and TNFα than those with complicated disease (both p<0.05, Dunn's post test, DPT). The anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ra and IL-10 were detected in all patients in the study. IL-1ra, the most abundant cytokine measured, correlated with parasitaemia in P. knowlesi (rs = 0.47, p = <0.0001), P. vivax (rs = 0.61, p = 0.0042) and P. falciparum (rs = 0.57,p = 0.0054) malaria. IL-10 correlated with parasitaemia in both P. knowlesi (rs = 0.54, p = <0.0001) and P. vivax (rs = 0.78, p = <0.0001) infections. There were between group differences in soluble markers of macrophage activation (MIP-1β and MCP-1). P. knowlesi patients had significantly lower levels of MIP-1β than P. falciparum (DPT, p = <0.01). Uncomplicated P. knowlesi patients had significantly lower levels of MCP-1 than uncomplicated P. falciparum patients (DPT, p = <0.001). There was no significant difference between complicated and uncomplicated P. knowlesi infections. MCP-1, MIP-1β, IL-8 and TNFα increased in complicated P. knowlesi but decreased in complicated P. falciparum infections. Descriptions of human knowlesi malaria provide a comparative means to discover mediators of pathophysiology in severe P. knowlesi as well as P. falciparum malaria. Crucially, P. knowlesi may be the disease and experimental primate model for severe malaria.