Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real-time simulation of virtual humans' emotional facial expressions, harnessing autonomic physiological and musculoskeletal control

Emotion expressions and communication involve involuntary and voluntary processes that may not always operate consistently. Expressive behaviour involving physiological changes may carry information about hidden aspects of emotional experience important for accurate emotion recognition and social cognition. In this paper, we describe a principled approach to simulating Virtual Human physiological facial features related to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Our approach is based on typical synergies within the two branches of the ANS. It covers both parasympathetic tone and sympathetic tone, and their impact on skin tone, pupil diameter and sweat. We also present the triggering of tears. We discuss the implementation of the approach as part of a 3D toolkit. This work is aimed at supporting the development of affective features for realtime intelligent artificial agents, and the study of the perception of mixed emotion and emotion regulation. We demonstrate how varying ANS parameters impacts facial behaviour, contrasting emotionally consistent vs inconsistent musculoskeletal and ANS-related features.
Building Culturally-Valid Dynamic Facial Expressions for a Conversational Virtual Agent Using Human Perception

Facial expressions are used to facilitate daily interactions including conversations, in every culture. However, little is known about which specific facial expressions convey conversational messages, which limits the social signalling capabilities of conversational virtual agents. We address this critical knowledge gap by modeling the facial expressions of key conversational messages directly from cultural perception, and transferring them to a conversational virtual agent. Using a novel data-driven psychology-based method, we modelled facial expressions of 'thinking,' 'interested,' 'bored' and 'confused' directly from the cultural perception of 40 participants across two distinct cultures (Western European, East Asian). We then transferred these facial expression models to a popular conversational virtual agent and validated them with a new group of cultural participants. Results showed that, in both cultures, the majority of our culturally derived conversational facial expression models successfully transferred to the agent. A further cross-cultural analysis of the conversational facial expressions showed systematic similarities (e.g., eye brow raising in 'interested') and differences (e.g., Westerners use horizontal mouth stretch and East Asians use vertical mouth opening to show confusion) that could facilitate or hinder cross-cultural communication. Our results demonstrate the power of using a culturally sensitive perception-based psychological approach to develop psychologically impactful facial expressions for conversational virtual agents. We anticipate that our facial expression models will enhance virtual agent social signalling capabilities and their global marketability.
Mucosal Therapy of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis With IgA and Interferon-γ

New evidence has been emerging that antibodies can be protective in various experimental models of tuberculosis. Here, we report on protection against multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) infection using a combination of the human monoclonal IgA 2E9 antibody against the alpha-crystallin (Acr, HspX) antigen and mouse interferon-gamma in mice transgenic for the human IgA receptor, CD89. The effect of the combined mucosal IgA and IFN-γ; treatment was strongest (50-fold reduction) when therapy was applied at the time of infection, but a statistically significant reduction of lung bacterial load was observed even when the therapy was initiated once the infection had already been established. The protection involving enhanced phagocytosis and then neutrophil mediated killing of infected cells was IgA isotype mediated, because treatment with an IgG version of 2E9 antibody was not effective in human IgG receptor CD64 transgenic mice. The Acr antigen specificity of IgA antibodies for protection in humans has been indicated by their elevated serum levels in latent tuberculosis unlike the lack of IgA antibodies against the virulence-associated MPT64 antigen. Our results represent the first evidence for potential translation of mucosal immunotherapy for the management of MDR-TB.
Searching for Street Parking: Effects on Driver Vehicle Control, Workload, Physiology, and Glances

Urban areas that allow street parking exhibit a heightened crash risk that is often attributed to factors such as reduced road width, decreased visibility, and interruptions to traffic flow. No previous on-road studies have investigated how the demands of searching for parking affect driving performance, physiology, and visual attention allocation. We are interested in these effects on the driver and their possible influence on the safety of the environment. While simulator studies offer several benefits, the physical, mental and social pressures incurred by searching for parking in an urban streetscape cannot be emulated in a simulator. We conducted an on-road instrumented vehicle study with 28 participants driving in downtown Toronto, Canada to explore the effect of searching for street parking on drivers. During the experiment, participants drove two routes in a counterbalanced order: one route with a parking search task, and the other route as a baseline. Speed and lane position were measured via vehicle instrumentation, heart rate and galvanic skin response were measured through physiological sensors, and gaze position was collected through a head-mounted eye-tracker. Participants completed the NASA Task Load Index after each route. It was found that while searching for parking, participants drove slower and closer to the curb, and perceived higher workload. While there were no statistically significant effects in physiological measures, there was a rise in heart rate approaching statistical significance. A detailed analysis of eye-tracking data revealed a clear change in glance behavior while searching for parking, with an increase in long off-road glances (>2 s) and decrease in shorter off-road glances (<1.6 s). Some exhibited behaviors (e.g., slowing down) may be seen to compensate for the potentially negative effects of increased demands associated with parking search, while others (e.g., increase in long off-road glances) have the potential to increase crash risk. This study acts as an important first step in revealing changes in driving performance, physiology and glance behavior brought on by searching for parking in a real-world urban environment.
Regulation of Anti-viral Immunity by Dendritic Cells and Natural Killer Cells

4-1BB and its ligand, 4-1BBL, are costimulatory members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)/TNF family. The 4-1BB/4-1BBL pathway has been shown to potently enhance T cell responses in models of viral infection and cancer, thereby identifying this pathway as a target for immunotherapy. In addition to T cells, 4-1BB is expressed on dendritic cells (DCs), which also express 4-1BBL. The precise nature of 4-1BB/4-1BBL expression on DCs is not known and the endogenous function of 4-1BB/4-1BBL on this cell type has remained largely elusive. Here, I show that LPS-activated bone marrow-derived DCs express both 4-1BB and 4-1BBL, and that these molecules constitutively interact on DCs. Survival, upregulation of key costimulatory molecules, cytokine/chemokine production, antigen presentation, and the ability of DCs to generate primary influenza-specific CD8 T cell responses were normal in the absence of 4-1BB and/or 4-1BBL on DCs. Thus, the biological implications of 4-1BB/4-1BBL interactions on DCs remain to be elucidated. It was previously demonstrated in the Watts lab that the 4-1BB pathway on T cells becomes desensitized during persistent infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) clone 13 through loss of the signaling adapter TRAF1. In the course of these studies, it was found that
Challenges and Advances in Antemortem Diagnosis of Human Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases, arise from the structural conversion of the monomeric, cellular prion protein (PrPC) into its multimeric scrapie form (PrPSc). These pathologies comprise a group of intractable, rapidly evolving neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, a definitive diagnosis of TSE relies on the detection of PrPSc and/or the identification of pathognomonic histological features in brain tissue samples, which are usually obtained postmortem or, in rare cases, by brain biopsy (antemortem). Over the past two decades, several paraclinical tests for antemortem diagnosis have been developed to preclude the need for brain samples. Some of these alternative methods have been validated and can provide a probable diagnosis when combined with clinical evaluation. Paraclinical tests include in vitro cell-free conversion techniques, such as the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), as well as immunoassays, electroencephalography (EEG), and brain bioimaging methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), whose importance has increased over the years. PrPSc is the main biomarker in TSEs, and the RT-QuIC assay stands out for its ability to detect PrPSc in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), olfactory mucosa, and dermatome skin samples with high sensitivity and specificity. Other biochemical biomarkers are the proteins 14-3-3, tau, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), astroglial protein S100B, α-synuclein, and neurofilament light chain protein (NFL), but they are not specific for TSEs. This paper reviews the techniques employed for definite diagnosis, as well as the clinical and paraclinical methods for possible and probable diagnosis, both those in use currently and those no longer employed. We also discuss current criteria, challenges, and perspectives for TSE diagnosis. An early and accurate diagnosis may allow earlier implementation of strategies to delay or stop disease progression.
Using Minimal-Redundant and Maximal-Relevant Whole-Brain Functional Connectivity to Classify Bipolar Disorder

Background A number of mental illness is often re-diagnosed to be bipolar disorder (BD). Furthermore, the prefronto-limbic-striatal regions seem to be associated with the main dysconnectivity of BD. Functional connectivity is potentially an appropriate objective neurobiological marker that can assist with BD diagnosis. Methods Health controls (HC; n = 173) and patients with BD who had been diagnosed by experienced physicians (n = 192) were separated into 10-folds, namely, a ninefold training set and a onefold testing set. The classification involved feature selection of the training set using minimum redundancy/maximum relevance. Support vector machine was used for training. The classification was repeated 10 times until each fold had been used as the testing set. Results The mean accuracy of the 10 testing sets was 76.25%, and the area under the curve was 0.840. The selected functional within-network/between-network connectivity was mainly in the subcortical/cerebellar regions and the frontoparietal network. Furthermore, similarity within the BD patients, calculated by the cosine distance between two functional connectivity matrices, was smaller than between groups before feature selection and greater than between groups after the feature selection. Limitations The major limitations were that all the BD patients were receiving medication and that no independent dataset was included. Conclusion Our approach effectively separates a relatively large group of BD patients from HCs. This was done by selecting functional connectivity, which was more similar within BD patients, and also seems to be related to the neuropathological factors associated with BD.
Surgical and Systemic Treatment of Hereditary Breast Cancer: A Mini-Review With a Focus on BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations

Hereditary breast cancer accounts for 5%–10% of breast cancer cases. The majority of familial cases have been linked to germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, though other high penetrance susceptibility genes have also been identified through genomic testing advances. Optimal surgical treatment for these patients, who are of a younger age, has several challenges as it usually involves aggressive therapeutic and risk reducing interventions. At the same time, the therapeutic armamentarium for BRCA1/2 mutation carriers apart from platinum salts, has been enriched with the addition of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors with promising outcomes. In this review we provide a succinct and comprehensive overview of the surgical and systemic treatment options for patients with BRCA1/2 mutation related breast cancer and an update on the most recent systemic treatment advances.
Frequency Diagnostics of Insulating System of Power Transformers

Abstract The paper presents experimental diagnostics of the oil-paper insulating system of power transformers using progressive frequency method. The first part of the paper deals with the basic information about diagnostics of power oil transformers. The second part of the paper deals with the use of frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS) for power oil transformers. This method is used in the analysis of insulating condition of power transformer with the system of oil-paper. It was found that the results of these tests are highly influenced by the operating temperature during the experimental measurement. Moisture and conductivity between the insulating transformer paper and oil in an insulating system are highly dependent on the temperature. In the other part, the paper presents experimental results of the diagnostic measurement for a real traction oil transformer at different operating temperatures and states (with oil and without). Finally, the paper presents comparative measurement among several autotransformers with the same power. In experimental measurements, the correlation between the measured values and the operational aspects of the individual oil autotransformers are shown.
Development and preliminary validation of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire for Clinicians

Abstract Background and Aims Higher chronic pain acceptance is associated with lower pain and disability. Clinician beliefs are associated with patients’ beliefs. This study therefore aimed to develop the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire for Clinicians (CPAQ-C) to measure clinicians’ beliefs regarding the importance of levels of acceptance in patients with chronic pain, and to examine the questionnaire’s psychometric properties. Methods Phase one: the CPAQ-C was adapted from the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire. Data on 162 completed questionnaires were analysed using Rasch analysis. Phase Two: the cohort completed the Healthcare Providers Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale, and the association (Pearson’s correlation co-efficient) between these questionnaires examined to assist CPAQ-C validation. Twenty-four participants completed the CPAQ-C one-week later. Test re-test reliability was examined using intraclass correlation co-efficient (2,1) and standard error of measurement. Phase Three: to examine responsiveness 17 clinicians attending a workshop on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy completed the CPAQ-C before and immediately after the workshop, and six-months later. The Skillings Mack test was used to determine whether CPAQ-C scores differed across different timepoints. Results Rasch analysis supported two subscales: activity engagement and pain willingness. Five poorly functioning items were excluded. There was good correlation between the CPAQ-C and Healthcare Providers Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (-.54). The CPAQ-C demonstrated good reliability (ICC (2,1): . 81; standard error of measurement: 4.76). There was significant improvement in CPAQ-C scores following the workshop (p=<.001). Conclusions The CPAQ-C appears a valid, reliable and responsive measure of clinicians’ beliefs regarding the importance of levels of acceptance in patients with chronic pain. Implications Where the CPAQ-C reveals that clinicians have low perceived levels of importance regarding acceptance in patients with chronic pain those clinicians may benefit from specific education, however, this requires further examination.
Recent advance in surface modification for regulating cell adhesion and behaviors

Abstract Cell adhesion is a basic requirement for anchorage-dependent cells to survive on the matrix. It is the first step in a series of cell activities, such as cell diffusion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. In vivo, cells are surrounded by extracellular matrix (ECM), whose physical and biochemical properties and micromorphology may affect and regulate the function and behavior of cells, causing cell reactions. Cell adhesion is also the basis of communication between cells and the external environment and plays an important role in tissue development. Therefore, the significance of studying cell adhesion in vitro has become increasingly prominent. For instance, in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, researchers have used artificial surfaces of different materials to simulate the properties of natural ECM, aiming to regulate the behavior of cell adhesion. Understanding the factors that affect cell behavior and how to control cell behavior, including cell adhesion, orientation, migration, and differentiation on artificial surfaces, is essential for materials and life sciences, such as advanced biomedical engineering and tissue engineering. This article reviews various factors affecting cell adhesion as well as the methods and materials often used in investigating cell adhesion.
The Impacts of Neoliberal Tourism Development in the Arab World with Specific Reference to Morocco and Jordan

Abstract Morocco and Jordan are among those destinations in the Arab world where the complex structures and processes of a neoliberal tourism policy can be examined quasi archetypically: to the extent that the policy largely considers the market as being the ultimate determinant for the exchange of tangible and intangible goods. Based on two case studies – the so-called Master Plan of Marrakesh (Morocco) and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (Jordan) – this paper examines the conflicted effects of neoliberal penetration into tourism policy on these two destinations as well as on key stakeholders. Given the unilateral instrumentalization of individual freedom in terms of productivity, growth, and progress; it is evident that a neoliberal tourism policy does not justly serve those directly involved or the local communities, but instead, furthers the interests of Western industrialized nations.
Physiological Processes Modulated by the Chloride-Sensitive WNK-SPAK/OSR1 Kinase Signaling Pathway and the Cation-Coupled Chloride Cotransporters

The role of Cl– as an intracellular signaling ion has been increasingly recognized in recent years. One of the currently best described roles of Cl– in signaling is the modulation of the With-No-Lysine (K) (WNK) – STE20-Proline Alanine rich Kinase (SPAK)/Oxidative Stress Responsive Kinase 1 (OSR1) – Cation-Coupled Cl– Cotransporters (CCCs) cascade. Binding of a Cl– anion to the active site of WNK kinases directly modulates their activity, promoting their inhibition. WNK activation due to Cl– release from the binding site leads to phosphorylation and activation of SPAK/OSR1, which in turn phosphorylate the CCCs. Phosphorylation by WNKs-SPAK/OSR1 of the Na+-driven CCCs (mediating ions influx) promote their activation, whereas that of the K+-driven CCCs (mediating ions efflux) promote their inhibition. This results in net Cl– influx and feedback inhibition of WNK kinases. A wide variety of alterations to this pathway have been recognized as the cause of several human diseases, with manifestations in different systems. The understanding of WNK kinases as Cl– sensitive proteins has allowed us to better understand the mechanistic details of regulatory processes involved in diverse physiological phenomena that are reviewed here. These include cell volume regulation, potassium sensing and intracellular signaling in the renal distal convoluted tubule, and regulation of the neuronal response to the neurotransmitter GABA.
The Effect of Steam Blanching and Drying Method on Nutrients, Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activity of Moringa ( Moringa oleifera L.) Leaves

The antioxidant activity of plant materials is affected by post-harvest treatments. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of steam blanching and two (solar and electric) drying methods on physicochemical composition, antioxidant activity (AOA) and rehydration properties of Moringa oleifera leaves. Fresh and blanched leaves of M. oleifera were dried by indirect solar-drying (≈35 ± 3°C, 12 h) and hot air electric drying (50°C, 5 h), and milled into flour (particle size ≤ 500 µm). Fresh, blanched and dried leaves were analyzed for their nutrient and phytochemical contents, antioxidant activity (Total Reducing Power (TRP) and 2,2-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity) as well as rehydration properties (water absorption capacity (WAC) and water solubility index (WSI). Macronutrients content of M. oleifera leaves were unaffected by blanching and drying. Irrespective of drying method, drying had a significant negative effect (p < 0.05) on phytochemical contents, TRP and DPPH scavenging activity of M. oleifera leaves. Blanching prior to drying, however, dimmed the negative effect of the latter. Blanched leaves exhibited higher carotenoids content, TRP and WAC compared to unblanched leaves; whereas blanching caused a decrease in DPPH scavenging activity, vitamin C and WSI. This study highlights that fresh and blanched Moringa oleifera leaves are more suiTableas a source of dietary antioxidants than dry leaves.
Downregulation of lncRNA FGF12-AS2 suppresses the tumorigenesis of NSCLC via sponging miR-188-3p

Abstract Background Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) seriously threatens the health of human beings. Aberrant expression of lncRNAs has been confirmed to be related with the progression of multiple malignant tumors, including NSCLC. LncRNA FGF12-AS2 has been considered to be upregulated in NSCLC. However, the mechanism by which FGF12-AS2 promotes the tumorigenesis of NSCLC remains elusive. Methods Gene and protein expressions in NSCLC cells were measured by q-PCR and western blot, respectively. CCK-8 and immunofluorescence staining were performed to detect the cell proliferation. Cell apoptosis was tested by flow cytometry. Transwell assay was used to detect the cell migration and invasion. Finally, the dual luciferase report assay was used to verify the relation among FGF12-AS2, miR-188-3p, and NCAPG2. Results Downregulation of FGF12-AS2 significantly inhibited the proliferation of NSCLC cells via inducing apoptosis. In addition, FGF12-AS2 silencing notably suppressed the migration and invasion of A549 cells. Meanwhile, FGF12-AS2 modulated the progression of NSCLC via regulation of miR-188-3p/NCAPG2 axis. Finally, knockdown of FGF12-AS2 inhibited the tumorigenesis of NSCLC via suppressing the EMT process of NSCLC. Conclusion Downregulation of lncRNA FGF12-AS2 suppressed the tumorigenesis of NSCLC via sponging miR-188-3p. Thus, FGF12-AS2 may serve as a potential target for the treatment of NSCLC.