Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exposure to Patterned Auditory Stimuli during Acute Stress Prevents Despair-Like Behavior in Adult Mice That Were Previously Housed in an Enriched Environment in Combination with Auditory Stimuli

Several interventions have been shown to counteract the effects of stress that may be related to improved neuroplasticity and neuronal activation. In this sense, environmental enrichment (ENR) protects against acute stress and increases neuroplasticity. It has been suggested that the use of patterned auditory stimuli (PAS) may be beneficial in increasing the effectiveness of ENR on disorders related to stress, such as depression and anxiety. Examples of PAS are classical music compositions that have interesting effects at both clinical and preclinical levels. Thus, we analyzed the effects of the exposure to PAS, represented in this study by Mozart's compositions, during ENR housing for 35 days in adult male Balb/C mice to evaluate depression-associated behavior using the forced-swim test (FST) paradigm with an additional short exposure to PAS. We found that the ENR mice that were exposed to PAS during both housing and behavioral task (ENR + PAS/FST + PAS) show decreased immobility and the number of despair episodes within a higher latency to show the first bout of immobility. Additionally, we found increased neuronal activation evaluated by the identification of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein- (Arc-) labeled cells in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in mice exposed to PAS during housing and in the absence or presence of PAS during FST. Moreover, we found increased neuronal activation in the auditory cortex (AuCx) of mice exposed to PAS during FST. Our study suggests that the exposure to PAS during an emotional challenge decreases despair-like behavior in rodents that were previously housed in an enriched environment in combination with auditory stimuli. Thus, our data indicate that the role of the exposure to PAS as an intervention or in combination with positive environment to aid in treating neuropsychiatric disorders is worth pursuing.
Deep Semantic Multimodal Hashing Network for Scalable Multimedia Retrieval

Hashing has been widely applied to multimodal retrieval on large-scale multimedia data due to its efficiency in computation and storage. Particularly, deep hashing has received unprecedented research attention in recent years, owing to its perfect retrieval performance. However, most of existing deep hashing methods learn binary hash codes by preserving the similarity relationship while without exploiting the semantic labels of data points, which result in suboptimal binary codes. In this work, we propose a novel Deep Semantic Multimodal Hashing Network for scalable multimodal retrieval. In DSMHN, two sets of modality-specific hash functions are jointly learned by explicitly preserving both the inter-modality similarities and the intra-modality semantic labels. Specifically, with the assumption that the learned hash codes should be optimal for task-specific classification, two stream networks are jointly trained to learn the hash functions by embedding the semantic labels on the resultant hash codes. Different from previous deep hashing methods, which are tied to some particular forms of loss functions, the proposed deep hashing framework can be flexibly integrated with different types of loss functions. In addition, the bit balance property is investigated to generate binary codes with each bit having 50% probability to be 1 or -1. Moreover, a unified deep multimodal hashing framework is proposed to learn compact and high-quality hash codes by exploiting the feature representation learning, inter-modality similarity preserving learning, semantic label preserving learning and hash functions learning with bit balanced constraint simultaneously. We conduct extensive experiments for both unimodal and cross-modal retrieval tasks on three widely-used multimodal retrieval datasets. The experimental result demonstrates that DSMHN significantly outperforms state-of-the-art methods.
Cognitive UAV Communication via Joint Maneuver and Power Control

This paper investigates a new scenario of spectrum sharing between unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and terrestrial wireless communication, in which a cognitive/secondary UAV transmitter communicates with a ground secondary receiver (SR), in the presence of a number of primary terrestrial communication links that operate over the same frequency band. We exploit the UAV’s mobility in three-dimensional (3D) space to improve its cognitive communication performance while controlling the co-channel interference at the primary receivers (PRs), such that the received interference power at each PR is below a prescribed threshold termed as interference temperature (IT). First, we consider the quasi-stationary UAV scenario, where the UAV is placed at a static location during each communication period of interest. In this case, we jointly optimize the UAV’s 3D placement and power control to maximize the SR’s achievable rate, subject to the UAV’s altitude and transmit power constraints, as well as a set of IT constraints at the PRs to protect their communications. Second, we consider the mobile UAV scenario, in which the UAV is dispatched to fly from an initial location to a final location within a given task period. We propose an efficient algorithm to maximize the SR’s average achievable rate over this period by jointly optimizing the UAV’s 3D trajectory and power control, subject to the additional constraints on UAV’s maximum flying speed and initial/final locations. Finally, numerical results are provided to evaluate the performance of the proposed designs for different scenarios, as compared to various benchmark schemes. It is shown that in the quasi-stationary scenario the UAV should be placed at its minimum altitude while in the mobile scenario the UAV should adjust its altitude along with horizontal trajectory, so as to maximize the SR’s achievable rate in both scenarios.
Comparing the Role of Mechanical Forces in Vascular and Valvular Calcification Progression

Calcification is a prevalent disease in most fully developed countries and is predominantly observed in heart valves and nearby vasculature. Calcification of either tissue leads to deterioration and, ultimately, failure causing poor quality of life and decreased overall life expectancy in patients. In valves, calcification presents as Calcific Aortic Valve Disease (CAVD), in which the aortic valve becomes stenotic when calcific nodules form within the leaflets. The initiation and progression of these calcific nodules is strongly influenced by the varied mechanical forces on the valve. In turn, the addition of calcific nodules creates localized disturbances in the tissue biomechanics, which affects extracellular matrix (ECM) production and cellular activation. In vasculature, atherosclerosis is the most common occurrence of calcification. Atherosclerosis exhibits as calcific plaque formation that forms in juxtaposition to areas of low blood shear stresses. Research in these two manifestations of calcification remain separated, although many similarities persist. Both diseases show that the endothelial layer and its regulation of nitric oxide is crucial to calcification progression. Further, there are similarities between vascular smooth muscle cells and valvular interstitial cells in terms of their roles in ECM overproduction. This review summarizes valvular and vascular tissue in terms of their basic anatomy, their cellular and ECM components and mechanical forces. Calcification is then examined in both tissues in terms of disease prediction, progression, and treatment. Highlighting the similarities and differences between these areas will help target further research toward disease treatment.
Transcendent and Transcendental Time Perspective Inventory

The purpose of this paper is to propose a tool to examine the transcendent and transcendental time perspective (TTTP). The inspiration to develop the scale were Philip G. Zimbardo and John N. Boyd studies, as well as by Lars Tornstam’s gerotranscendence theory and own research. The analysis of life from death to eternity is an interesting, heterogeneous and difficult subject of study. The proposed TTTP inventory can be utilized to investigate the future that extends beyond the frames of a personal time perspective, beyond the individual’s death as well as beyond the recognized, standard ways of understanding oneself, other people and the world. The inventory refers to changes of quantitative and qualitative nature relating to what is going to happen. It is composed of two sub-scales: the transcendental future and the transcendent future. The paper outlines the psychometric values of the qualities of the inventory, its validity and accuracy based on such indicators as the discriminative of items, the Cronbach alpha index for each of the sub-inventories and the exploratory factor analysis. The study findings come from analyses conducted on a group of 211 elderly subjects (the average age of 65; 70% women, 30% men). A confirmatory factor analysis was also conducted on a group of 238 elderly subjects (the average age of 66; 69% women, 28% men, 3% no gender data available). Additionally, the paper presents data on the accuracy of the external scale. The data are interpreted in the light of the time perspective theory as well as the existing studies.
Modeling the Encoding of Saccade Kinematic Metrics in the Purkinje Cell Layer of the Cerebellar Vermis

Recent electrophysiological observations related to saccadic eye movements in rhesus monkeys, suggest a prediction of the sensory consequences of movement in the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellar oculomotor vermis (OMV). A definite encoding of real-time motion of the eye has been observed in simple-spike responses of the combined burst-pause Purkinje cell populations, organized based upon their complex-spike directional tuning. However, the underlying control mechanisms that could lead to such action encoding are still unclear. We propose a saccade control model, with emphasis on the structure of the OMV and its interaction with the extra-cerebellar components. In the simulated bilateral organization of the OMV, each caudal fastigial nucleus is arranged to receive incoming projections from combined burst-pause Purkinje cell populations. The OMV, through the caudal fastigial nuclei, interacts with the brainstem to provide adaptive saccade gain corrections that minimize the visual error in reaching a given target location. The simulation results corroborate the experimental Purkinje cell population activity patterns and their relation with saccade kinematic metrics. The Purkinje layer activity that emerges from the proposed organization, precisely predicted the speed of the eye at different target eccentricities. Simulated granular layer activity suggests no separate dynamics with respect to shaping the bilateral Purkine layer activity. We further examine the validity of the simulated OMV in maintaining the accuracy of saccadic eye movements in the presence of signal dependent variabilities, that can occur in extra-cerebellar pathways.
Neuroinflammation and Cytokines in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): A Critical Review of Research Methods

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is the label given to a syndrome that can include long-term flu-like symptoms, profound fatigue, trouble concentrating, and autonomic problems, all of which worsen after exertion. It is unclear how many individuals with this diagnosis are suffering from the same condition or have the same underlying pathophysiology, and the discovery of biomarkers would be clarifying. The name “myalgic encephalomyelitis” essentially means “muscle pain related to central nervous system inflammation” and many efforts to find diagnostic biomarkers have focused on one or more aspects of neuroinflammation, from periphery to brain. As the field uncovers the relationship between the symptoms of this condition and neuroinflammation, attention must be paid to the biological mechanisms of neuroinflammation and issues with its potential measurement. The current review focuses on three methods used to study putative neuroinflammation in ME/CFS: (1) positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging using translocator protein (TSPO) binding radioligand (2) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) neuroimaging and (3) assays of cytokines circulating in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. PET scanning using TSPO-binding radioligand is a promising option for studies of neuroinflammation. However, methodological difficulties that exist both in this particular technique and across the ME/CFS neuroimaging literature must be addressed for any results to be interpretable. We argue that the vast majority of ME/CFS neuroimaging has failed to use optimal techniques for studying brainstem, despite its probable centrality to any neuroinflammatory causes or autonomic effects. MRS is discussed as a less informative but more widely available, less invasive, and less expensive option for imaging neuroinflammation, and existing studies using MRS neuroimaging are reviewed. Studies seeking to find a peripheral circulating cytokine “profile” for ME/CFS are reviewed, with attention paid to the biological and methodological reasons for lack of replication among these studies. We argue that both the biological mechanisms of cytokines and the innumerable sources of potential variance in their measurement make it unlikely that a consistent and replicable diagnostic cytokine profile will ever be discovered.
The Burkholderia Type VI Secretion System 5: Composition, Regulation and Role in Virulence

The soil saprophyte and Tier I select agent Burkholderia pseudomallei can cause rapidly fatal infections in humans and animals. The capability of switching to an intracellular life cycle during infection appears to be a decisive trait of B. pseudomallei for causing disease. B. pseudomallei harbors multiple type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) orthologs of which are present in the surrogate organism Burkholderia thailandensis. Upon host cell entry and vacuolar escape into the cytoplasm, B. pseudomallei and B. thailandensis manipulate host cells by utilizing the T6SS-5 (also termed T6SS1) to form multinucleated giant cells for intercellular spread. Disruption of the T6SS-5 in B. thailandensis causes a drastic attenuation of virulence in wildtype but not in mice lacking the central innate immune adapter protein MyD88. This result suggests that the T6SS-5 is deployed by the bacteria to overcome innate immune responses. However, important questions in this field remain unsolved including the mechanism underlying T6SS-5 activity and its physiological role during infection. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the components and regulation of the T6SS-5 as well as its role in virulence in mammalian hosts.
I Want to (Bud) Break Free: The Potential Role of DAM and SVP-Like Genes in Regulating Dormancy Cycle in Temperate Fruit Trees

Bud dormancy is an adaptive process that allows trees to survive the hard environmental conditions that they experience during the winter of temperate climates. Dormancy is characterized by the reduction in meristematic activity and the absence of visible growth. A prolonged exposure to cold temperatures is required to allow the bud resuming growth in response to warm temperatures. In fruit tree species, the dormancy cycle is believed to be regulated by a group of genes encoding MADS-box transcription factors. These genes are called DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED MADS-BOX (DAM) and are phylogenetically related to the Arabidopsis thaliana floral regulators SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) and AGAMOUS-LIKE 24. The interest in DAM and other orthologs of SVP (SVP-like) genes has notably increased due to the publication of several reports suggesting their role in the control of bud dormancy in numerous fruit species, including apple, pear, peach, Japanese apricot, and kiwifruit among others. In this review, we briefly describe the physiological bases of the dormancy cycle and how it is genetically regulated, with a particular emphasis on DAM and SVP-like genes. We also provide a detailed report of the most recent advances about the transcriptional regulation of these genes by seasonal cues, epigenetics and plant hormones. From this information, we propose a tentative classification of DAM and SVP-like genes based on their seasonal pattern of expression. Furthermore, we discuss the potential biological role of DAM and SVP-like genes in bud dormancy in antagonizing the function of FLOWERING LOCUS T-like genes. Finally, we draw a global picture of the possible role of DAM and SVP-like genes in the bud dormancy cycle and propose a model that integrates these genes in a molecular network of dormancy cycle regulation in temperate fruit trees.
The Relationship Between PSG and Morning/Evening Emotional Parameters in Patients With Insomnia Disorder and Good Sleepers

Objectives and Introduction: It is as yet unclear how polysomnographically determined sleep parameters determine emotional well-being both generally and particularly in patients with Insomnia Disorder (ID). ID is a frequent and disabling health condition associated with both day- and nighttime hyperarousal, linked to negative sleep-related ruminations as a cognitive component. Information on the immediate influence of objective sleep quality on emotional parameters is important for therapeutic approaches. Methods: The relationship between objective sleep parameters and two emotional questionnaire items obtained both for evening and morning, relaxation and emotional balance, was determined for both sleep lab nights in 161 ID patients and 161 age and gender matched good sleepers (retrospective sample from the Freiburg data base, 98 female, 63 male in each group, age ID: 42.16 ± 11.55, GSC: 41.91 ± 11.30 years). Multivariate mixed effects analysis, corrected for global influences of group, age and first/second night, was employed to determine between- and within-subject influences of sleep and emotional parameters. Results: Main effects: Within-subject, relaxation in the evening was strongly associated with sleep efficiency, REM latency and low arousal index in NREM sleep. No such influence was significant for emotional balance. Also between subjects, evening relaxation was related to increased sleep efficiency. Group interactions: Patients with larger relaxation values in the evening showed a larger reduction of the number of wake periods and the awakening index in NREM sleep than GSC subjects. Discussion: Unexpectedly, no general influence of emotional balance on sleep was found. The subjective feeling of relaxation, however, was associated with sleep efficiency, REM latency and low NREM sleep arousal index. While the first association may be obvious, a direct link to REM latency and NREM arousal index has not previously been shown. We could also directly observe that the number of wake periods in the PSG is more strongly influenced by evening relaxation in ID patients than in good sleepers, asserting the importance of sleep perception and attitude toward sleep in the therapeutic process.
Vector clique decompositions

Let $F_k$ be the set of graphs on $k$ vertices. For a graph $G$, a $k$-decomposition is a set of induced subgraphs of $G$, each isomorphic to an element of $F_k$, such that each pair of vertices of $G$ is in exactly one element of the set. A fundamental result of Wilson is that for all $n=|V(G)|$ sufficiently large, $G$ has a $k$-decomposition if and only if $G$ is $k$-divisible. Let ${\bf v} \in {\mathbb R}^{|F_k|}$ be indexed by $F_k$. For a $k$-decomposition $L$ of $G$, let $\nu_{\bf v}(L) = \sum_{F \in F_k} {\bf v}_F d_{L,F}$ where $d_{L,F}$ is the fraction of elements of $L$ isomorphic to $F$. Let $\nu_{\bf v}(G) = \max_{L} \nu_{\bf v}(L)$ and $\nu_{\bf v}(n)=\min\{\nu_{\bf v}(G):|V(G)|=n\}$. It is not difficult to prove that the sequence $\nu_{\bf v}(n)$ has a limit so let $\nu_{\bf v} = \lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} \nu_{\bf v}(n)$. Replacing $k$-decompositions with their fractional relaxations, one obtains the (polynomial time computable) fractional analogue $\nu_{\bf v}^*(G)$ and corresponding fractional values $\nu^*_{\bf v}(n)$ and $\nu^*_{\bf v}$. Our first main result is that for each ${\bf v} \in {\mathbb R}^{|F_k|}$ $$ \nu_{\bf v} = \nu^*_{\bf v}\;. $$ Further, there is a polynomial time algorithm that produces a decomposition $L$ of a $k$-decomposable graph such that $\nu_{\bf v}(L) \ge \nu_{\bf v} - o_n(1)$. A similar result holds when $F_k$ is the family of all tournaments on $k$ vertices and when $F_k$ is the family of all edge-colorings of $K_k$. We use these results to obtain new and improved bounds on several decomposition results. For example, we prove that every $n$-vertex tournament which is $3$-divisible has a triangle decomposition in which the number of directed triangles is less than $0.0222n^2(1+o(1))$ and that every $5$-decomposable $n$-vertex graph has a $5$-decomposition in which the fraction of cycles of length $5$ is $o_n(1)$.
Quadratic Time-Space Lower Bounds for Computing Natural Functions with a Random Oracle

We define a model of size-S R-way branching programs with oracles that can make up to S distinct oracle queries over all of their possible inputs, and generalize a lower bound proof strategy of Beame [SICOMP 1991] to apply in the case of random oracles. Through a series of succinct reductions, we prove that the following problems require randomized algorithms where the product of running time and space usage must be Omega(n^2/poly(log n)) to obtain correct answers with constant nonzero probability, even for algorithms with constant-time access to a uniform random oracle (i.e., a uniform random hash function): - Given an unordered list L of n elements from [n] (possibly with repeated elements), output [n]-L. - Counting satisfying assignments to a given 2CNF, and printing any satisfying assignment to a given 3CNF. Note it is a major open problem to prove a time-space product lower bound of n^{2-o(1)} for the decision version of SAT, or even for the decision problem Majority-SAT. - Printing the truth table of a given CNF formula F with k inputs and n=O(2^k) clauses, with values printed in lexicographical order (i.e., F(0^k), F(0^{k-1}1), . , F(1^k)). Thus we have a 4^k/poly(k) lower bound in this case. - Evaluating a circuit with n inputs and O(n) outputs. As our lower bounds are based on R-way branching programs, they hold for any reasonable model of computation (e.g. log-word RAMs and multitape Turing machines).
Dispositif de contrôle d'un fauteuil roulant électrique par oculométrie, interface cerveau-machine et système hybride.

Le projet presente a pour but de developper un systeme de commande pour un fauteuil roulant electrique permettant de trouver une alternative au traditionnel joystick et il se base sur l'oculometrie et sur des techniques d'interface cerveau machine. L'objectif est d'obtenir un systeme qui soit reellement ergonomique et utilisable par tous et chacun avec ses specificites. Un systeme d'oculometrie a ete developpe, ainsi qu'un boitier d'interface base sur un microcontroleur permettant le controle des moteurs par des commandes envoyees via le port serie d'un ordinateur. Ce boitier permet l'interface avec differents moyens de controle, d'autres systemes d'oculometrie, comme le systeme ONE developpe par Ke Liang a l'EPHE. Ce memoire presente egalement les travaux en cours sur le controle par une interface cerveau machine base sur les potentiels evoques en regime permanent et les possibilites de systemes hybrides.