Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fully-Connected vs. Sub-Connected Hybrid Precoding Architectures for mmWave MU-MIMO

Hybrid digital analog (HDA) beamforming has attracted considerable attention in practical implementation of millimeter wave (mmWave) multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems due to its low power consumption with respect to its digital baseband counterpart. The implementation cost, performance, and power efficiency of HDA beamforming depends on the level of connectivity and reconfigurability of the analog beamforming network. In this paper, we investigate the performance of two typical architectures for HDA MU-MIMO, i.e., the fully-connected (FC) architecture where each RF antenna port is connected to all antenna elements of the array; and the one-stream-per-subarray (OSPS) architecture where the RF antenna ports are connected to disjoint subarrays. We jointly consider the initial beam acquisition phase and data communication phase, such that the latter takes place by using the beam direction information obtained in the former phase. For each phase, we propose our own BA and precoding schemes that outperform the counterparts in the literature. We also evaluate the power efficiency of the two HDA architectures taking into account the practical hardware impairments, e.g., the power dissipation at different hardware components as well as the potential power backoff under typical power amplifier (PA) constraints. Numerical results show that the two architectures achieve similar sum spectral efficiency, but the OSPS architecture outperforms the FC case in terms of hardware complexity and power efficiency, only at the cost of a slightly longer time of initial beam acquisition.
An update on enterovirus 71 infection and interferon type I response

Enteroviruses are members of Pichornaviridae family consisting of human enterovirus group A, B, C, and D as well as nonhuman enteroviruses. Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a serious disease which is usually seen in the Asia‐Pacific region in children. Enterovirus 71 and coxsackievirus A16 are two important viruses responsible for HFMD which are members of group A enterovirus. IFN α and β are two cytokines, which have a major activity in the innate immune system against viral infections. Most of the viruses have some weapons against these cytokines. EV71 has two main proteases called 2A and 3C, which are important for polyprotein processing and virus maturation. Several studies have indicated that they have a significant effect on different cellular pathways such as interferon production and signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate the latest findings about the interaction of 2A and 3C protease of EV71 and IFN production/signaling pathway and their inhibitory effects on this pathway.
Potential downside of high initial visual acuity

Significance As newborns, we start with poor visual acuity, attributable to retinal and cortical immaturities. This has been considered to be a limitation of early visual processing. We propose that initially poor retinal acuity may, in fact, have adaptive value. It may help set up processing strategies and receptive fields in the cortex that facilitate spatial analysis over extended areas. Observations from children who started their visual journeys with abnormally high visual acuity, and computational simulations with deep neural networks trained on high-resolution or blurred images, corroborate this proposal. The results have implications for understanding normal visual development; identifying causal roots of, and interventions for, important visual processing impairments; and creating better training procedures for computational vision systems. Children who are treated for congenital cataracts later exhibit impairments in configural face analysis. This has been explained in terms of a critical period for the acquisition of normal face processing. Here, we consider a more parsimonious account according to which deficits in configural analysis result from the abnormally high initial retinal acuity that children treated for cataracts experience, relative to typical newborns. According to this proposal, the initial period of low retinal acuity characteristic of normal visual development induces extended spatial processing in the cortex that is important for configural face judgments. As a computational test of this hypothesis, we examined the effects of training with high-resolution or blurred images, and staged combinations, on the receptive fields and performance of a convolutional neural network. The results show that commencing training with blurred images creates receptive fields that integrate information across larger image areas and leads to improved performance and better generalization across a range of resolutions. These findings offer an explanation for the observed face recognition impairments after late treatment of congenital blindness, suggest an adaptive function for the acuity trajectory in normal development, and provide a scheme for improving the performance of computational face recognition systems.
Using an mHealth App to Transition Care of Type 1 Diabetes from Parents to Teens: Protocol for a Pilot Study

Background Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) afflicts approximately 154,000 people under the age of 20 in the United States. Most people with T1DM are diagnosed at a young age, and parents have to take on the responsibility of T1DM management. Eventually, the child must begin to transition to self-management. Adolescents often struggle to take on responsibility for all the necessary tasks to successfully self-manage their T1DM. In fact, approximately three-quarters of adolescents are not achieving American Diabetes Association–recommended glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) targets. This lack of adherence can lead to negative health outcomes. Objective The goals of this interdisciplinary proposal are as follows: (1) to develop a unique and theory-driven technology using a mobile phone app to promote self-management behaviors for adolescents aged 10-15 years with T1DM and their parents and (2) to explore the feasibility and impact of the self-management mobile app. Methods This study has two phases: app development and pilot testing. In the app development phase, the app will be conceptualized and a prototype will be tested. In Phase 2, the mobile app will undergo pilot testing to determine its feasibility and impact on diabetes self-management. Results The pilot test was launched in September 2017. Data collection for the final pilot test is underway, and results are forthcoming. Conclusions Adolescents with T1DM and their parents can have a difficult time managing the transition of diabetes care. It is hoped that this app can help. The focus groups and prototype testing have indicated promising outcomes of app use. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03436628; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03436628 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/72tHXTE2Z) International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR1-10.2196/10803
Behavioral Biases in Individual and Institutional Decision-Making in Africa: What Implications for Development Policies?

This article aims to analyze the tools that behavioral economics could bring to development economics for a better understanding of “homo africanus” behaviors. These, embedded in social structures, can, in many cases, be interpreted as cognitive, emotional or moral biases, which could justify the proposition of "nudge" development policies in Africa. These policies aim, by correcting behavioral biases, to bring about individual and institutional decisions in line with rational choices. It is still necessary that the theory of rational choices be refounded taking into account the primacy of social structures on economic decisions, specific to African cultures. It is at this price that partial and false public policies based on a caricatural description of African realities will terminate.
The changes in preferences for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after total joint arthroplasty in Turkey: A survey.

OBJECTIVES This study aims to investigate the changes in preferences of orthopedic surgeons for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) and the factors that affect such changes in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS Turkish Orthopedics and Traumatology Association members (n=2,180) were invited to fill in the questionnaire. A total of 366 orthopedic surgeons responded and completed questionnaire. The questionnaire was comprised of 12 questions investigating the demographics of surgeons, their preferences for VTE prophylaxis, the changes in their preferences over the course of the past three years, and the causes of such changes. RESULTS In the past three years, 31.1% of surgeons changed their VTE prophylaxis method and 32.7% used risk classifications. The use of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) decreased from 89.4% to 42.5% and from 85.8% to 44.2% after TKA and THA, respectively. The use of aspirin increased from 10.6% to 43.4% and from 9.7% to 37.2% after TKA and THA, respectively. The use of oral anticoagulants increased from 11.5% to 41.6% and from 10.6% to 39.8% after TKA and THA, respectively. Still, orthopedic surgeons in Turkey preferred LMWH at rates of 75.7% and 74% after TKA and THA, respectively. Congressional presentations were the first (47.7%) among the causes of the changes in preferences for VTE prophylaxis. Preferences of up to 60% of surgeons working at universities were influenced by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons guidelines. CONCLUSION In the past three years, approximately one third of orthopedic surgeons changed their preferences for VTE prophylaxis after total joint arthroplasty in Turkey. Changes in preferences were largely in favor of aspirin and oral anticoagulants in parallel to changes in guidelines for VTE prevention.
Frontal EEG Asymmetry and Middle Line Power Difference in Discrete Emotions

A traditional model of emotion cannot explain the differences in brain activities between two discrete emotions that are similar in the valence-arousal coordinate space. The current study elicited two positive emotions (amusement and tenderness) and two negative emotions (anger and fear) that are similar in both valence and arousal dimensions to examine the differences in brain activities in these emotional states. Frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry and midline power in three bands (theta, alpha and beta) were measured when participants watched affective film excerpts. Significant differences were detected between tenderness and amusement on FP1/FP2 theta asymmetry, F3/F4 theta and alpha asymmetry. Significant differences between anger and fear on FP1/FP2 theta asymmetry and F3/F4 alpha asymmetry were also observed. For midline power, midline theta power could distinguish two negative emotions, while midline alpha and beta power could effectively differentiate two positive emotions. Liking and dominance were also related to EEG features. Stepwise multiple linear regression results revealed that frontal alpha and theta asymmetry could predict the subjective feelings of two positive and two negative emotions in different patterns. The binary classification accuracy, which used EEG frontal asymmetry and midline power as features and support vector machine (SVM) as classifiers, was as high as 64.52% for tenderness and amusement and 78.79% for anger and fear. The classification accuracy was improved after adding these features to other features extracted across the scalp. These findings indicate that frontal EEG asymmetry and midline power might have the potential to recognize discrete emotions that are similar in the valence-arousal coordinate space.
Control of movement vigor and decision making during foraging

Significance How long should one stay and accumulate reward, and then, how fast should one travel to the next reward site? Marginal value theorem describes the decision-making process: the brain compares the immediate rate of harvest with its global history of capture, deciding to leave when the immediate rate falls below the average. Here, we extended the theory, showing that the same principle can be used to control speed of movements: the brain should compare the immediate rate of energy expenditure during movement with the global capture rate, planning to arrive at the destination when the two become equal. Experimental results confirmed many of the predictions, suggesting that a shared principle may underlie decision making and control of movement vigor. During foraging, animals decide how long to stay at a patch and harvest reward, and then, they move with certain vigor to another location. How does the brain decide when to leave, and how does it determine the speed of the ensuing movement? Here, we considered the possibility that both the decision-making and the motor control problems aimed to maximize a single normative utility: the sum of all rewards acquired minus all efforts expended divided by total time. This optimization could be achieved if the brain compared a local measure of utility with its history. To test the theory, we examined behavior of people as they gazed at images: they chose how long to look at the image (harvesting information) and then moved their eyes to another image, controlling saccade speed. We varied reward via image content and effort via image eccentricity, and then, we measured how these changes affected decision making (gaze duration) and motor control (saccade speed). After a history of low rewards, people increased gaze duration and decreased saccade speed. In anticipation of future effort, they lowered saccade speed and increased gaze duration. After a history of high effort, they elevated their saccade speed and increased gaze duration. Therefore, the theory presented a principled way with which the brain may control two aspects of behavior: movement speed and harvest duration. Our experiments confirmed many (but not all) of the predictions, suggesting that harvest duration and movement speed, fundamental aspects of behavior during foraging, may be governed by a shared principle of control.
Cardiovascular diseases, cold exposure and exercise

ABSTRACT Both acute and prolonged cold exposure affect cardiovascular responses, which may be modified by an underlying cardiovascular disease. In addition, exercise in a cold environment increases cardiovascular strain further, but its effects among persons with cardiovascular diseases are not well known. Controlled studies employing whole-body or local cold exposure demonstrate comparable or augmented increase in cardiac workload, but aggravated cutaneous vasoconstriction in persons with mild hypertension. A strong sympathetic stimulation of a cold pressor test, increases cardiac workload in persons with coronary artery disease (CAD), but does not markedly differ from those with less severe disease or healthy. However, cold exposure reduces myocardial oxygen supply in CAD, which may lead to ischemia. Exercise in cold often augments cardiac workload in persons with CAD more than when performed in thermoneutral conditions. At the same time, reduced myocardial perfusion may lead to earlier ischemia, angina and impaired performance. Also having a heart failure deteriorates submaximal and maximal performance in the cold. Antianginal medication is beneficial in the cold in lowering blood pressure, but does not affect the magnitude of cold-related cardiovascular responses in hypertension. Similarly, the use of blood pressure lowering medication improves exercise performance in cold both among persons with CAD and heart failure. Both the acute and seasonal effects of cold and added with exercise may contribute to the higher morbidity and mortality of those with cardiovascular diseases. Yet, more controlled studies for understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms behind the adverse cold-related health effects are warranted.
Meta-analysis of microarray datasets identify several chromosome segregation-related cancer/testis genes potentially contributing to anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

Aim Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most lethal thyroid malignancy. Identification of novel drug targets is urgently needed. Materials & Methods We re-analyzed several GEO datasets by systematic retrieval and data merging. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered out. We also performed pathway enrichment analysis to interpret the data. We predicted key genes based on protein–protein interaction networks, weighted gene co-expression network analysis and genes’ cancer/testis expression pattern. We also further characterized these genes using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project and gene ontology annotation. Results Cell cycle-related pathways were significantly enriched in upregulated genes in ATC. We identified TRIP13, DLGAP5, HJURP, CDKN3, NEK2, KIF15, TTK, KIF2C, AURKA and TPX2 as cell cycle-related key genes with cancer/testis expression pattern. We further uncovered that most of these putative key genes were critical components during chromosome segregation. Conclusion We predicted several key genes harboring potential therapeutic value in ATC. Cell cycle-related processes, especially chromosome segregation, may be the key to tumorigenesis and treatment of ATC.
A kinematic synergy for terrestrial locomotion shared by mammals and birds

Locomotion of tetrapods on land adapted to different environments and needs resulting in a variety of different gait styles. However, comparative analyses reveal common principles of limb movement control. Here, we report that a kinematic synergy involving the planar covariation of limb segment motion holds in 54 different animal species (10 birds and 44 mammals), despite large differences in body size, mass (ranging from 30 g to 4 tonnes), limb configuration, and amplitude of movements. This kinematic synergy lies at the interface between the neural command signals output by locomotor pattern generators, the mechanics of the body center of mass and the external environment, and it may represent one neuromechanical principle conserved in evolution to save mechanical energy.
HyCC: Compilation of Hybrid Protocols for Practical Secure Computation

While secure multi-party computation (MPC) is a vibrant research topic and a multitude of practical MPC applications have been presented recently, their development is still a tedious task that requires expert knowledge. Previous works have made first steps in compiling high-level descriptions from various source descriptions into MPC protocols, but only looked at a limited set of protocols. In this work we present HyCC, a tool-chain for automated compilation of ANSI C programs into hybrid protocols that efficiently and securely combine multiple MPC protocols with optimizing compilation, scheduling, and partitioning. As a result, our compiled protocols are able to achieve performance numbers that are comparable to hand-built solutions. For the MiniONN neural network (Liu et al., CCS 2017), our compiler improves performance of the resulting protocol by more than a factor of $3$. Thus, for the first time, highly efficient hybrid MPC becomes accessible for developers without cryptographic background.
On Oracle-Efficient PAC RL with Rich Observations

We study the computational tractability of PAC reinforcement learning with rich observations. We present new provably sample-efficient algorithms for environments with deterministic hidden state dynamics and stochastic rich observations. These methods operate in an oracle model of computation -- accessing policy and value function classes exclusively through standard optimization primitives -- and therefore represent computationally efficient alternatives to prior algorithms that require enumeration. With stochastic hidden state dynamics, we prove that the only known sample-efficient algorithm, OLIVE, cannot be implemented in the oracle model. We also present several examples that illustrate fundamental challenges of tractable PAC reinforcement learning in such general settings.
Optimising HIV programming for transgender women in Brazil

Abstract In Brazil, little data is available to inform HIV prevention programming for travestis and transgender (‘trans’) women, despite the existence of a social movement that has gained strength in recent years. We conducted formative research in Rio de Janeiro to gather trans women’s perspectives on combination HIV prevention approaches. Framing the analysis within the model of gender affirmation, we found that several social and contextual factors inhibited participants’ access to HIV prevention and treatment. Experienced and anticipated gender-related discrimination and HIV stigma were linked to the avoidance of HIV testing, health services and HIV status disclosure. Participants recommended HIV prevention interventions which combined socio-structural interventions, such as peer-based empowerment and social support, with biomedical interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Participants expressed a preference for programmes and interventions that emphasised a gender-affirmative approach, promoted autonomy and aimed to reduce stigma and discrimination in public health services.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy R403Q mutation in rabbit β-myosin reduces contractile function at the molecular and myofibrillar levels

Significance Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a major cause of sudden death in young athletes. The mouse model for heart disease showed that the severe R403Q mutation in α-cardiac myosin heavy chain leads to increased ATPase activity and in vitro motility. But the β-myosin heavy chain is the preferred isoform in all larger mammals, leading us to generate a transgenic R403Q rabbit model. In contrast to the mouse model, we find a significant reduction in actin motility by R403Q rabbit myosin. Even more importantly, single myofibrils with the mutant myosin in the environment of a native thick filament showed diminished kinetics, force, and power output, leading to the conclusion that loss-of-function is the initial cause of cardiac hypertrophy. In 1990, the Seidmans showed that a single point mutation, R403Q, in the human β-myosin heavy chain (MHC) of heart muscle caused a particularly malignant form of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) [Geisterfer-Lowrance AA, et al. (1990) Cell 62:999–1006. ]. Since then, more than 300 mutations in the β-MHC have been reported, and yet there remains a poor understanding of how a single missense mutation in the MYH7 gene can lead to heart disease. Previous studies with a transgenic mouse model showed that the myosin phenotype depended on whether the mutation was in an α- or β-MHC backbone. This led to the generation of a transgenic rabbit model with the R403Q mutation in a β-MHC backbone. We find that the in vitro motility of heterodimeric R403Q myosin is markedly reduced, whereas the actin-activated ATPase activity of R403Q subfragment-1 is about the same as myosin from a nontransgenic littermate. Single myofibrils isolated from the ventricles of R403Q transgenic rabbits and analyzed by atomic force microscopy showed reduced rates of force development and relaxation, and achieved a significantly lower steady-state level of isometric force compared with nontransgenic myofibrils. Myofibrils isolated from the soleus gave similar results. The force–velocity relationship determined for R403Q ventricular myofibrils showed a decrease in the velocity of shortening under load, resulting in a diminished power output. We conclude that independent of whether experiments are performed with isolated molecules or with ordered molecules in the native thick filament of a myofibril, there is a loss-of-function induced by the R403Q mutation in β-cardiac myosin.