Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chameleons on Cloudlets: Elastic Edge Computing Through Microservice Variants

Common deployment models for Edge Computing are based on (composable) microservices that are offloaded to cloudlets. Runtime adaptations-in response to varying load, QoS fulfillment, mobility, etc.-are typically based on coarse-grained and costly management operations such as resource re-allocation or migration. The services themselves, however, remain non-adaptive, worsening the already limited elasticity of Edge Computing compared to Cloud Computing. Edge computing applications often have stringent requirements on the execution time but are flexible regarding the quality of a computation. The potential benefits of exploiting this trade-off remain untapped. This paper introduces the concept of adaptable microservices that provide alternative variants of specific functionalities. We define so-called service variants that differ w.r. t. the internal functioning of the service, manifested in different algorithms, parameters, and auxiliary data they use. Such variants allow fine-grained trade-offs between the QoS (e.g., a maximum tolerable execution time) and the quality of the computation. We integrate adaptable microservices into an Edge Computing framework, show the practical impact of service variants, and present a strategy for switching variants at runtime.
Dose-dependent effect of nuts on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective: Traditional pairwise meta-analyses indicated that nuts consumption can improve blood pressure. We iamed to determine the dose-dependent effect of nuts on systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in adults. Methods: A systematic search was undertaken in PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science till March 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) evaluating the effects of nuts on SBP and DBP in adults were included. We estimated change in blood pressure for each 20 g/d increment in nut consumption in each trial and then, calculated mean difference (MD) and 95%CI using a random-effects model. We estimated dose-dependent effect using a dose-response meta-analysis of differences in means. The certainty of evidence was rated using the GRADE instrument, with the minimal clinically important difference being considered 2 mmHg. Results: A total of 31 RCTs with 2784 participants were included. Each 20 g/d increase in nut consumption reduced SBP (MD: -0.50 mmHg, 95%CI: -0.79, -0.21; I2 = 12%, n = 31; GRADE = moderate certainty) and DBP (MD: -0.23 mmHg, 95%CI: -0.38, -0.08; I2 = 0%, n = 31; GRADE = moderate certainty). The effect of nuts on SBP was more evident in patients with type 2 diabetes (MD: -1.31, 95%CI: -2.55, -0.05; I2 = 31%, n = 6). The results were robust in the subgroup of trials with low risk of bias. Levels of SBP decreased proportionally with the increase in nuts consumption up to 40 g/d (MD40g/d: -1.60, 95%CI: -2.63, -0.58), and then appeared to plateau with a slight upward curve. A linear dose-dependent reduction was seen for DBP, with the greatest reduction at 80 g/d (MD80g/d: -0.80, 95%CI: -1.55, -0.04). Conclusions: The available evidence provides a good indication that nut consumption can result in a small improvement in blood pressure in adults. Well-designed trials are needed to confirm the findings in long term follow-up.
Disease-Specific Contribution of Pulvinar Dysfunction to Impaired Emotion Recognition in Schizophrenia

One important aspect for managing social interactions is the ability to perceive and respond to facial expressions rapidly and accurately. This ability is highly dependent upon intact processing within both cortical and subcortical components of the early visual pathways. Social cognitive deficits, including face emotion recognition (FER) deficits, are characteristic of several neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia (Sz) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Here, we investigated potential visual sensory contributions to FER deficits in Sz (n = 28, 8/20 female/male; age 21–54 years) and adult ASD (n = 20, 4/16 female/male; age 19–43 years) participants compared to neurotypical (n = 30, 8/22 female/male; age 19–54 years) controls using task-based fMRI during an implicit static/dynamic FER task. Compared to neurotypical controls, both Sz (d = 1.97) and ASD (d = 1.13) participants had significantly lower FER scores which interrelated with diminished activation of the superior temporal sulcus (STS). In Sz, STS deficits were predicted by reduced activation of early visual regions (d = 0.85, p = 0.002) and of the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus (d = 0.44, p = 0.042), along with impaired cortico-pulvinar interaction. By contrast, ASD participants showed patterns of increased early visual cortical (d = 1.03, p = 0.001) and pulvinar (d = 0.71, p = 0.015) activation. Large effect-size structural and histological abnormalities of pulvinar have previously been documented in Sz. Moreover, we have recently demonstrated impaired pulvinar activation to simple visual stimuli in Sz. Here, we provide the first demonstration of a disease-specific contribution of impaired pulvinar activation to social cognitive impairment in Sz.
The stabilizing function of the tail during arboreal quadrupedalism.

Locomotion on the narrow and compliant supports of the arboreal environment is inherently precarious. Previous studies have identified a host of morphological and behavioral specializations in arboreal animals broadly thought to promote stability when on precarious substrates. Less well-studied is the role of the tail in maintaining balance. However, prior anatomical studies have found that arboreal taxa frequently have longer tails for their body size than their terrestrial counterparts, and prior laboratory studies of tail kinematics and the effects of tail reduction in focal taxa have broadly supported the hypothesis that the tail is functionally important for maintaining balance on narrow and mobile substrates. In the current set of studies, we extend this work in two ways. First, we use a laboratory dataset on three-dimensional segmental kinematics and tail inertial properties in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis) to investigate how tail angular momentum is modulated during steady-state locomotion on narrow supports. In the second study, we use a quantitative dataset on quadrupedal locomotion in wild platyrrhine monkeys to investigate how free-ranging arboreal animals adjust tail movements in response to substrate variation, focusing on kinematic measures validated in prior laboratory studies of tail mechanics (including the laboratory data presented). Our laboratory results show that S. boliviensis significantly increase average tail angular momentum magnitudes and amplitudes on narrow supports, and primarily regulate that momentum by adjusting the linear and angular velocity of the tail (rather than via changes in tail posture per se). We build on these findings in our second study by showing that wild platyrrhines responded to the precarity of narrow and mobile substrates by extending the tail and exaggerating tail displacements, providing ecological validity to the laboratory studies of tail mechanics presented here and elsewhere. In conclusion, our data support the hypothesis that the long and mobile tails of arboreal animals serve a biological role of enhancing stability when moving quadrupedally over narrow and mobile substrates. Tail angular momentum could be used to cancel out the angular momentum generated by other parts of the body during steady-state locomotion, thereby reducing whole-body angular momentum and promoting stability, and could be used to mitigate the effects of destabilizing torques about the support should the animals encounter large, unexpected perturbations. Overall, these studies suggest that long and mobile tails should be considered among the fundamental suite of adaptations promoting safe and efficient arboreal locomotion.
PARADIGMS: NOTES FOR AN INVITED

It took me quite a few years to understand the point of continuity in denotational semantics. -I'm happy to report below on some recent results which justify my muddle-headedness and help explain the point too. What follows are some global comments on denotat onal semantics of he kind invited lecturers sometimes indulge themselves in, highlighting 'goodness of fitvcriteria between semantic domains and symbolic evaluators. For readers impatient with sketchy overviews, two appendices mostly by Cos-madakis provide the key parts of a long proof that Scott domains give a computationally adequate and fully abstract semantics for lambda calculus with simple recursive types.
Quantitative analysis of compatible microstructure by electron backscatter diffraction

We propose a scheme for assigning the martensite variant using electron backscatter diffraction in a martensite material that undergoes a solid–solid phase transformation. Based on the solutions of the crystallographic equations of martensite, we provide an algorithm to assign martensite variants to a particular microscopic region, and to check the elastic compatibility of the microstructure corresponding to low hysteresis and high reversibility in shape memory alloys. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Topics in mathematical design of complex materials’.
Topics in the mathematical design of materials

We present a perspective on several current research directions relevant to the mathematical design of new materials. We discuss: (i) design problems for phase-transforming and shape-morphing materials, (ii) epitaxy as an approach of central importance in the design of advanced semiconductor materials, (iii) selected design problems in soft matter, (iv) mathematical problems in magnetic materials, (v) some open problems in liquid crystals and soft materials and (vi) mathematical problems on liquid crystal colloids. The presentation combines topics from soft and hard condensed matter, with specific focus on those design themes where mathematical approaches could possibly lead to exciting progress. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Topics in mathematical design of complex materials’.
The sloshing law of liquid surface for ground rested circular RC tank under unidirectional horizontal seismic action

Abstract The dynamic characteristics and liquid sloshing of a circular tank are analysed using ADINA software through seismic response analyses. The maximum sloshing wave height for the circular tank under unidirectional horizontal seismic action is developed. The calculation method involves three parameters such as tank radius, seismic coefficient and dynamic coefficient. The dynamic coefficient of liquid sloshing is determined corresponding to the long-period seismic design β spectrum with a 5% damping ratio using basic sloshing period. The established method can guide the seismic design of liquid-containing structures. The established method of calculating sloshing wave height is compared with those in the American code.
Hyperbolic tessellations and generators of ${K}_{\textbf {3}}$ for imaginary quadratic fields

Abstract We develop methods for constructing explicit generators, modulo torsion, of the $K_3$-groups of imaginary quadratic number fields. These methods are based on either tessellations of hyperbolic $3$-space or on direct calculations in suitable pre-Bloch groups and lead to the very first proven examples of explicit generators, modulo torsion, of any infinite $K_3$-group of a number field. As part of this approach, we make several improvements to the theory of Bloch groups for $ K_3 $ of any field, predict the precise power of $2$ that should occur in the Lichtenbaum conjecture at $ -1 $ and prove that this prediction is valid for all abelian number fields.
Pandemics and burnout in mental health professionals

“I wish I was an expert at dealing with my own stress. I am not immune to stress. I find that I’m far better at guiding people to manage their stress than I am at taking my own advice, and managing my own,” a clinical psychologist during the corona pandemic said (Tartakovsky, 2015). Anxiety, fear, isolation, and stress due to the corona pandemic increased the need for mental health protection. To meet the mental health needs, mental health professionals (MHPs, including psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, and marriage and family therapists) started to put more hours to work. As a result of excessive workload, greater exposure to intensive emotional and physical suffering, and changes of work conditions (e.g., providing virtual services), MHPs have started to show signs of burnout. As Rudolph et al.’s (2021) focal article focuses on the effects of the pandemic on the future of work and people working in organizations, this commentary seeks to draw attention to its effects on job burnout among MHPs and their patients and to give strategies to prevent and reduce burnout. Even before the pandemic, burnout among MHPs was widespread. Past reports have indicated that 21–67% of mental health workers experience high levels of burnout (Morse et al., 2012) and 74.3% of psychotherapists suffer job stress (Guy et al., 1989). Traumatization and secondary traumatic stress among MHPs result mainly from working with trauma patients (Baum, 2016). They struggle with excessive workload, job instability, difficult clients, coping with administrative requirements, financial concerns, and understaffing, which all contribute to emotional exhaustion (Johnson et al., 2018). Especially during increased stress, such as the current pandemic, the therapeutic or service relationships can be quite stressful due to working long hours until patient’s needs are met and until clients are helped.
The vital role of training in an organization’s response to a pandemic

Below, we address the focal authors’ call for “colleagues to consider how additional topics in our field will be affected by COVID-19” (Rudolph etal , 2021, p X) Since April, Training Industry, Inc has surveyed over 1,500 training professionals to learn their struggles, successes, and challenges during the pandemic [ ]over one third (35%) of our survey respondents reported that they are rolling out new training in response to the pandemic [ ]many survey respondents told us that they have developed new training programs and resources to address the stress, anxiety, and well-being concerns that have arisen from working from home during a global health crisis
Changes in the Semantic Construction of Compassion after the Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT®) in Women Breast Cancer Survivors

Abstract The growing body of research on compassion has demonstrated its benefits for healthcare and wellbeing. However, there is no clear agreement about a definition for compassion, given the novelty of the research on this construct and its religious roots. The aim of this study is to analyze the mental semantic construction of compassion in Spanish-speaking women breast cancer survivors, and the effects of the Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT®) on the modification of this definition, compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU), at baseline, post-intervention, and six-month follow-up. Participants were 56 women breast cancer survivors from a randomized clinical trial. The Osgood’s Semantic Differential categories (evaluative, potency, and activity scales) were adapted to assess the semantic construction of compassion. At baseline, participants had an undefined idea about compassion. The CBCT influenced subjects’ semantic construction of what it means to be compassionate. Findings could lead to future investigations and compassion programs that adapt to a specific culture or population.
TLR2 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells promotes late control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Although a role for TLR2 on T cells has been indicated in prior studies, in vivo stimulation of TLR2 on T cells by Mtb and its impact on Mtb infection has not been tested. Furthermore, it is not known if the enhanced susceptibility to Mtb of Tlr2 gene knockout (ko) mice is due to its role in macrophages, on T cells or both. To address TLR2 on T cells, we generated Tlr2fl/flxCd4cre/cre mice, which lack expression of TLR2 on both CD4 and CD8 T cells, to study the in vivo role of TLR2 on T cells after aerosol infection with virulent Mtb. Deletion of TLR2 in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells reduces their ability to be co-stimulated by TLR2 ligands for cytokine production. These include both pro-(IFN-γ, TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10). Deletion of TLR2 in T cells did not affect early control but did result in decreased late control of Mtb in the lungs of infected mice. This suggests that T cell co-stimulation by mycobacterial TLR2 ligands in vivo is important for control of infection during the chronic phase of Mtb infection in the lung.
Universal allometry from empirical parameters

Allometric settings of population dynamics models are appealing due to their parsimonious nature and broad utility when studying system level effects. Here, we parameterise the size-scaled Rosenzweig-Macarthur ODEs to eliminate prey-mass dependency. We define the functional response term to match experiments, and examine situations where metabolic theory derivations and observation diverge. We produce dynamics consistent with observation. Our parameterisation of the Rosenzweig-Macarthur system is an accurate minimal model across 15+ orders of mass magnitude.
Identifying cancer pathway dysregulations using differential causal effects

Signaling pathways control cellular behavior. Dysregulated pathways, for example due to mutations that cause genes and proteins to be expressed abnormally, can lead to diseases, such as cancer. We introduce a novel computational approach, called Differential Causal Effects (dce), which compares normal to cancerous cells using the statistical framework of causality. The method allows to detect individual edges in a signaling pathway that are dysregulated in cancer cells, while accounting for confounding. Hence, artificial signals from, for example, batch effects have less influence on the result and dce has a higher chance to detect the biological signals. We show that dce outperforms competing methods on synthetic data sets and on CRISPR knockout screens. In an exploratory analysis on breast cancer data from TCGA, we recover known and discover new genes involved in breast cancer progression.
Whole human genome 5’-mC methylation analysis using long read nanopore sequencing

DNA methylation is a type of epigenetic modification that affects gene expression regulation and is associated with several human diseases. Microarray and short read sequencing technologies are often used to study 5’-methylcytosine (5’-mC) modification of CpG dinucleotides in the human genome. Although both technologies produce trustable results, the evaluation of the methylation status of CpG sites suffers from the potential side effects of DNA modification by bisulfite and the ambiguity of mapping short reads in repetitive and highly homologous genomic regions, respectively. Nanopore sequencing is an attractive alternative for the study of 5’-mC since the long reads produced by this technology allow to resolve those genomic regions more easily. Moreover, it allows direct sequencing of native DNA molecules using a fast library preparation procedure. In this work we show that 10X coverage depth nanopore sequencing, using DNA from a human cell line, produces 5’-mC methylation frequencies consistent with those obtained by methylation microarray and digital restriction enzyme analysis of methylation. In particular, the correlation of methylation values ranged from 0.73 to 0.90 using an average genome sequencing coverage depth <2X or a minimum read support of 17X for each CpG site, respectively. We also showed that a minimum of 5 reads per CpG yields strong correlations (>0.89) between sequencing runs and an almost uniform variation in methylation frequencies of CpGs across the entire value range. Furthermore, nanopore sequencing was able to correctly display methylation frequency patterns according to genomic annotations, including a majority of unmethylated and methylated sites in the CpG islands and inter-CpG island regions, respectively. These results demonstrate that low coverage depth nanopore sequencing is a fast, reliable and unbiased approach to the study of 5’-mC in the human genome.
ESCA pipeline: Easy-to-use SARS-CoV-2 genome Assembler

Early sequencing and quick analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genome are contributing to understand the dynamics of COVID19 epidemics and to countermeasures design at global level. Amplicon-based NGS methods are widely used to sequence the SARS-CoV-2 genome and to identify novel variants that are emerging in rapid succession, harboring multiple deletions and amino acid changing mutations. To facilitate the analysis of NGS sequencing data obtained from amplicon-based sequencing methods, here we propose an easy-to-use SARS-CoV-2 genome Assembler: the ESCA pipeline. Results showed that ESCA can perform high quality genome assembly from IonTor-rent and Illumina raw data, and help the user in easily correct low-coverage regions. Moreover, ESCA includes the possibility to compare assembled genomes of multi sample runs through an easy table format. Script and manuals are available on GitHub: https://github.com/cesaregruber/ESCA
Bioluminescent Synthetic Cells Communicate with Natural Cells and Self-Activate Light-Responsive Proteins

Development of regulated cellular processes and signaling methods in synthetic cells is essential for their integration with living materials. Light is an attractive tool to achieve this, but the limited penetration depth into tissue of visible light restricts its usability for in-vivo applications. Here, we describe the synthesis and application of blue-light-generating synthetic cells using bioluminescence, dismissing the need for an external light source. First, the lipid membrane and internal composition of light-producing synthetic cells were optimized to enable high-intensity emission. Next, we show these cells’ capacity for triggering bioprocesses in natural cells by initiating asexual sporulation of dark-grown mycelial cells of the fungus Trichoderma atroviride in a quorum-sensing like mechanism. Finally, we demonstrate regulated transcription and membrane recruitment in synthetic cells using bioluminescent self-activating fusion proteins. These functionalities pave the way for deploying synthetic cells as embeddable microscale light sources that are capable of activating engineered processes inside tissues.
Simulating PIP2-Induced Gating Transitions in Kir6.2 Channels

ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels consist of an inwardly rectifying K+ channel (Kir6.2) pore, to which four ATP-sensitive sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) domains are attached, thereby coupling K+ permeation directly to the metabolic state of the cell. Dysfunction is linked to neonatal diabetes and other diseases. K+ flux through these channels is controlled by conformational changes in the helix bundle region, which acts as a physical barrier for K+ flux. In addition, the G-loop, located in the cytoplasmic domain, and the selectivity filter might contribute to gating, as suggested by different disease-causing mutations. Gating of Kir channels is regulated by different ligands, like Gβγ, H+, Na+, adenosine nucleotides and the signaling lipid phosphatidyl-inositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), which is an essential activator for all eukaryotic Kir family members. Although molecular determinants of PIP2 activation of KATP channels have been investigated in functional studies, structural information of the binding site is still lacking as PIP2 could not be resolved in Kir6.2 cryo-EM structures. In this study, we used Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations to examine the dynamics of residues associated with gating in Kir6.2. By combining this structural information with functional data, we investigated the mechanism underlying Kir6.2 channel regulation by PIP2.