Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
X-Ray, Proton, and Electron Radiation Effects on Type I Fiber Bragg Gratings

Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are one of the most used optical fiber sensors and they have recently drawn the attention of several research groups for their potential applications in harsh radiation environments. Up to now, their performances have been mainly evaluated under ionizing radiations, such as X-rays or $\gamma $ -rays. We compare here the effects of different irradiation types, including X-rays, protons, and electrons, on type I FBGs written by UV laser exposure in Ge-, P/Ce-, and B/Ge-doped single-mode optical fibers. Different irradiation conditions were used according to the sources; 6-MeV electron irradiations were performed at a dose rate of 120 Gy(SiO2)/s up to an accumulated dose of 500 kGy; whereas for the 63-MeV protons, the estimated equivalent dose rate was of 0.75 Gy(SiO2)/s up to a total dose of 7 kGy. In order to compare their effects with those induced by X-rays, two irradiations with 45-keV photons were performed with different dose rates [0.75 and 60 Gy/s (SiO2)] up to a total dose of 10 and 500 kGy, respectively. We demonstrated that X-rays and protons induce comparable effects at doses of about 10 kGy, whereas the behavior under electron beam appears to be strongly dependent on the fiber composition. For example, the grating in the B/Ge co-doped fiber is the most sensitive to electrons and the most resistant to X-rays; whereas the FBG inscribed in the H2-loaded P/Ce co-doped fiber has exactly the opposite behavior.
Two-Step Annealing to Remove Te Secondary-Phase Defects in CdZnTe While Preserving the High Electrical Resistivity

The presence of Te secondary-phase defects (i.e., Te inclusions and Te precipitates) is a major factor limiting the performance of CdZnTe (CZT) X-ray and gamma-ray radiation detectors. We find that Te secondary-phase defects in CZT crystals can be removed through postgrowth two-step annealing without creating new trapping centers (i.e., prismatic punching defects). Two-step annealing (with the first under a Cd pressure and the second one under a Te pressure) was demonstrated to be effective in removing the Te secondary-phase defects, while preserving the electrical resistivity of the CZT detector. The first step involves annealing of semi-insulating CZT under a Cd overpressure at 700 °C/600 °C (CZT/Cd) for 24 h, which completely eliminated the Te-rich secondary-phase defects (Te inclusions). However, it resulted in a lower resistivity of the samples (down to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\times 10^{4-6}\,\,\Omega \cdot \text {cm}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>). A subsequent annealing step involves processing CZT under a Te ambient condition at 540 °C/380 °C (CZT/Te) for 120 h, which restored the crystal’s resistivity to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$6.4 \times 10^{10}\,\,\Omega \cdot \text {cm}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> without creating new Te secondary-phase defects. However, Te inclusions reappeared in the case of unnecessarily long Te ambient annealing. Pulse-height spectra taken with the two-step annealed CZT detectors showed an improved detector performance due to a reduced concentration and the size of Te secondary-phase defects.
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Modeling Essential for Multi-Modal Health Recommender Systems

Managing health lays the core foundation to enabling quality life experiences. Modern computer science research, and especially the field of recommender systems, has enhanced the quality of experiences in fields such as entertainment, shopping, and advertising; yet lags in the health domain. We are developing an approach to leverage multimedia for human health based on motivation modeling and recommendation of actions. Health is primarily a product of our everyday lifestyle actions, yet we have minimal health guidance on making everyday choices. Recommendations are the key to modern content consumption and decisions. Furthermore, long-term engagement with recommender systems is key for true effectiveness. Distinguishing intrinsic and extrinsic motivations from multi-modal data is key to provide recommendations that primarily fuel the intrinsic intentions, while using extrinsic motivation to further support intrinsic motivation. This understanding builds the foundation of sustainable behavioral adaptation for optimal personalized lifestyle health benefits.
Sperm Protein 17 Expression by Murine Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Cells and Its Impact on Tumor Progression

The cancer testis antigen sperm protein 17 (Sp17) is a promising antigenic target in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) vaccine development. However, its role in ovarian cancer is unclear. We isolated and expanded Sp17+ and Sp17− clones from the murine EOC cell line ID8, and compared their in-vitro cell growth characteristics and in-vivo tumorigenicity. We also examined the potential co-expression of molecules that may influence cancer cell survival and interaction with immune cells. These include stimulatory and immunosuppressive molecules, such as major histocompatibility class I molecules (MHC I), MHC II, cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4), CD73, CD39, tumor necrosis factor receptor II (TNFRII), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Whilst the presence of Sp17 was not correlated with the ID8 cell proliferation/growth capacity in vitro, it was critical to enable progressive tumor formation in vivo. Flow cytometry revealed that Sp17+ ID8 cells displayed higher expression of both STAT3 and PD-L1, whilst MHC II expression was lower. Moreover, Sp17high (PD-L1+MHCII−) cell populations showed significantly enhanced resistance to Paclitaxel-induced cell death in vitro compared to Sp17low (PD-L1−MHCII+) cells, which was associated in turn with increased STAT3 expression. Together, the data support Sp17 as a factor associated with in-vivo tumor progression and chemo-resistance, validating it as a suitable target for vaccine development.
On the Accuracy of Denoising Algorithms in Medical Imaging: A Case Study

Anisotropic diffusion-based filters are a widespread used resource for medical image denoising because they are designed to preserve the image details during noise removal. This paper aims at providing a quantitative evaluation of this important feature without the inaccuracies of the commonly adopted full-reference metrics. For the first time, the true value of detail preservation yielded by an anisotropic diffusion filter is formally derived from the filter theory. Many computer simulations are reported in the paper in order to study how values and locations of errors representing filtering distortion depend upon the parameter settings.
SUBSPACE PRINCIPAL ANGLE PRESERVING PROPERTY OF GAUSSIAN RANDOM PROJECTION

With the increase of the dimension of data, dimensionality reduction, such as random projection, becomes necessary. In many cases, the underlying structure of data is a union of subspaces, and the relative position between subspaces can be well described by principal angles. Motivated by the conjecture whether the principal angles between subspaces can remain almost unchanged after Gaussian random projection, in this work, we prove that the principal angle preserving property holds with probability exponentially close to 1. We use more advanced techniques compared with our previous work, and the improved conclusion is more rigorous in theory and more useful in practice. Principal angles are so essential in the relation between subspaces that many works on algorithms for data mining regarding subspaces are based on principal angles, so this work may contribute to extending them to compressive scenarios, in which the computational complexity can be fundamentally reduced due to the random dimensionality reduction. Experiments on real datasets verify that with a compression ratio as small as 0.05 the principal angles between subspaces after random projection can be sufficiently close to the original principal angles.
Predictive Pre-updating and Working Memory Capacity: Evidence from Event-related Potentials

It was recently proposed that lexical prediction in sentence context encompasses two qualitatively distinct prediction mechanisms: “pre-activation,” namely, activating representations stored in long-term memory, and “pre-updating,” namely, updating the sentence's representation, built online in working memory (WM), to include the predicted content [Lau, E. F. , Holcomb, P. J., & Kuperberg, G. R. Dissociating N400 effects of prediction from association in single-word contexts. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 25, 484–502, 2013]. The current study sought to find evidence for pre-updating and test the influence of individual differences in WM capacity on the tendency to engage in this process. Participants read strongly and weakly constraining sentences. ERPs were measured on the predictable noun as well as on the preceding verb, where the prediction is generated. Increased P600 amplitude was observed at the verb in the strongly constraining sentences, reflecting integration of the predicted upcoming argument, thus providing evidence for pre-updating. This effect was greater for participants with higher WM capacity, indicating that the tendency to engage in pre-updating is highly affected by WM capacity. The opposite effect was observed at the noun, that is, for participants with higher WM span, a greater decrease in P600 amplitude in the strongly constraining sentences was observed, indicating that the integration of a pre-updated word was easier. We discuss these results in light of previous literature and propose a plausible architecture to account for the interplay between pre-activation and pre-updating, mediating the influence of factors such as WM capacity.
On the importance of accounting for nuclear quantum effects in ab initio calibrated force fields in biological simulations

Significance In molecular modeling the motion of nuclei, especially hydrogen, cannot be described using the laws of classical mechanics. The importance of nuclear quantum effects has long been appreciated by the ab initio molecular dynamics and by the water simulation communities. However, the vast majority of simulations of biological systems performed at ambient conditions treat atomic motion classically. Even in the new-generation force fields parameterized from quantum mechanics these effects are thought to be minor compared with other inaccuracies at room temperature and pressure. We show that a force field in excellent agreement with quantum mechanical energies and forces will not produce acceptably inaccurate predictions at ambient conditions unless the nuclear motion and interaction are accounted for in the simulation. In many important processes in chemistry, physics, and biology the nuclear degrees of freedom cannot be described using the laws of classical mechanics. At the same time, the vast majority of molecular simulations that employ wide-coverage force fields treat atomic motion classically. In light of the increasing desire for and accelerated development of quantum mechanics (QM)-parameterized interaction models, we reexamine whether the classical treatment is sufficient for a simple but crucial chemical species: alkanes. We show that when using an interaction model or force field in excellent agreement with the “gold standard” QM data, even very basic simulated properties of liquid alkanes, such as densities and heats of vaporization, deviate significantly from experimental values. Inclusion of nuclear quantum effects via techniques that treat nuclear degrees of freedom using the laws of classical mechanics brings the simulated properties much closer to reality.
Implementation of Home Hospitalization and Early Discharge as an Integrated Care Service: A Ten Years Pragmatic Assessment

Home Hospitalization has proven efficacy, but its effectiveness and potential as an Integrated Care Service in a real world setting deserves to be explored. Objective: To evaluate implementation and 10 years follow-up of Home Hospitalization and Early Discharge as an Integrated Care Service in an urban healthcare district in Barcelona. Methods: Prospective study with pragmatic assessment. Patients: Surgical and medical acute and exacerbated chronic patients requiring admission into a highly specialized hospital, from 2006 to 2015. Intervention: Home-based individualized care plan, administered as a hospital-based outreach service, aiming at substituting hospitalization and implementing a transitional care strategy for optimal discharge. Main measurements: Emergency Department, readmissions and mortality. Patients’ and professionals’ perspectives, technologies and costs were evaluated. Results: 4,165 admissions (71 ± 15 yrs; Charlson Index 4 ± 3). In-hospital stay was 1 (0–3) days and the length of home-based stay was 6 (5–7) days. The 30-day readmission rate was 11% and mortality was 2%. Patients, careers and health professionals expressed high levels of satisfaction (98%). At the start, the service was reimbursed at a flat rate of 918€ per patient discharged, significantly lower than conventional hospitalization (2,879€) but still allowing the hospital to keep a balanced budget. At present, there is no difference in the payment schemes for both types of services. Conclusions: The service freed an average of 6 in-hospital days per patient. The program showed health value generation, as well as potential for synergies with community-based Integrated Care Services.
Efficient k-Nearest Neighbor Classification Over Semantically Secure Hybrid Encrypted Cloud Database

Nowadays, individuals and companies increasingly tend to outsource their databases and further data operations to cloud service provides. However, utilizing the cost-saving advantages of cloud computing brings about the risk of violating database security and user’s privacy. In this paper, we focus on the problem of privacy-preserving k-nearest neighbor (kNN) classification, in which a query user (QU) submits an encrypted query point to a cloud server (CS) and asks for the kNN classification labels based on the encrypted cloud database outsourced by a data owner (DO), without disclosing any privacy of DO or QU to CS. Previous secure kNN query schemes either cannot fully achieve required security properties or introduce heavy computation costs, making them not practical in real-world applications. To better solve this problem, we propose a novel efficient privacy-preserving kNN classification protocol over semantically secure hybrid encrypted cloud database using Paillier and ElGamal cryptosystems. The proposed protocol protects both database security and query privacy and also hides data access patterns from CS. We formally analyze the security of our protocol and evaluate the performance through extensive experiments. The experiment results show that the computation cost of our protocol is about two orders of magnitude lower than that of the state-of-the-art protocol while achieving the same security and privacy properties.
The NACSTOP Trial: A Multicenter, Cluster‐Controlled Trial of Early Cessation of Acetylcysteine in Acetaminophen Overdose

Historically, intravenous acetylcysteine has been delivered at a fixed dose and duration of 300 mg/kg over 20 to 21 hours to nearly every patient deemed to be at any risk for hepatotoxicity following acetaminophen overdose. We investigated a 12‐hour treatment regimen for selected low‐risk patients. This was a multicenter, open‐label, cluster‐controlled trial at six metropolitan emergency departments. We enrolled subjects following single or staggered acetaminophen overdose with normal serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and creatinine on presentation and at 12 hours, and less than 20 mg/L acetaminophen at 12 hours. Patients were allocated to intervention (250 mg/kg over 12‐hour) or control (300 mg/kg over 20‐hour) regimens by site. The primary outcome was incidence of “hepatic injury” 20 hours following initiation of acetylcysteine treatment, defined as ALT doubling and peak ALT greater than 100 IU/L, indicating the need for further antidotal treatment. Secondary outcomes included incidence of hepatotoxicity (ALT > 1,000 IU/L), peak international normalized ratio (INR), and adverse drug reactions. Of the 449 acetaminophen overdoses receiving acetylcysteine, 100 were recruited to the study. Time to acetylcysteine (median 7 hours [interquartile ratio 6,12] versus 7 hours [6,10]) and initial acetaminophen (124 mg/L [58,171] versus 146 mg/L [66,204]) were similar between intervention and control groups. There was no difference in ALT (18 IU/L [13,22] versus 16 IU/L [13,21]) or INR (1.2 versus 1.2) 20 hours after starting acetylcysteine between groups. No patients developed hepatic injury or hepatotoxicity in either group (odds ratio 1.0 [95% confidence interval 0.02, 50]). No patients represented with liver injury, none died, and 96 of 96 were well at 14‐day telephone follow‐up. Conclusion: Discontinuing acetylcysteine based on laboratory testing after 12 hours of treatment is feasible and likely safe in selected patients at very low risk of liver injury from acetaminophen overdose.
Gout and hearing impairment in the elderly: a retrospective cohort study using the US Medicare claims data

Objectives To evaluate whether gout is associated with a higher risk of hearing loss in older adults. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting USA. Participants 5% random sample of US Medicare claims 2006–2012, representative of US adults aged 65 years or older. Primary and secondary outcomes Incident (new) hearing loss identified by the presence of at least two claims at least 4 weeks apart with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, 389.xx, with no respective claim in the baseline 1-year observation period. Results Among the 1.71 million eligible people, 89 409 developed incident hearing impairment. The crude incidence rates of incident hearing impairment in people with versus without gout were 16.9 vs. 8.7 per 1000 person-years. Using Cox regression analyses adjusted for demographics, medical comorbidity and common cardiovascular and gout medications, we found that gout was associated with a significantly higher HR of incident hearing impairment, HR was 1.44 (95% CI 1.40 to 1.49, p<0.0001). Findings were confirmed in sensitivity analyses that substituted continuous Charlson-Romano Index with categorical variable or all comorbidities and additionally cardiovascular risk factors, with minimal attenuation of HR. Conclusions Gout is associated with a higher risk of development of hearing loss in older adults. Future studies need to assess the underlying mechanisms of this association.
Downregulation of Dock1 and Elmo1 suppresses the migration and invasion of triple-negative breast cancer epithelial cells through the RhoA/Rac1 pathway

Dedicator of cytokinesis 1 (Dock1), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, has been proven to facilitate cell survival, motility and proliferation via the activation of Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1). Engulfment and cell motility 1 (Elmo1) serves as a mammalian homolog of Ced-12, which has been evolutionarily conserved from worm to human. The present study aimed to investigate the roles and mechanisms of Dock1 and Elmo1 in the migration and invasion of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) epithelial cells. Cell Counting kit-8, cell migration and cell invasion assays were performed to assess cell viability, migration and invasion, respectively. A plate clone formation assay was performed to determine cell proliferation. Western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays were used to evaluate mRNA and protein expression. The results revealed that the downregulation of Dock1 and Elmo1 inhibited cell viability, suppressed migration and invasion, and reduced Rac1 activity in MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, downregulation of Dock1 and Elmo1 also attenuated the expression of migration-associated proteins and affected the Ras homolog gene family, member A (RhoA)/Rac1 pathway in MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that the downregulation of Dock1 and Elmo1 suppresses the migration and invasion of TNBC epithelial cells through the RhoA/Rac1 pathway.
Syndecan‐4 influences mammalian myoblast proliferation by modulating myostatin signalling and G1/S transition

Myostatin, a TGF‐β superfamily member, is a negative regulator of muscle growth. Here we describe how myostatin activity is regulated by syndecan‐4, a ubiquitous transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan. During muscle regeneration the levels of both syndecan‐4 and promyostatin decline gradually after a sharp increase, concurrently with the release of mature myostatin. Promyostatin and syndecan‐4 co‐immunoprecipitate, and the interaction is heparinase‐sensitive. ShRNA‐mediated silencing of syndecan‐4 reduces C2C12 myoblast proliferation via blocking the progression from G1‐ to S‐phase of the cell cycle, which is accompanied by elevated levels of myostatin and p21(Waf1/Cip1), and decreases in cyclin E and cyclin D1 expression. Our results suggest that syndecan‐4 functions as a reservoir for promyostatin regulating the local bioavailability of mature myostatin.
Robot Based Automated Testing Procedure Dedicated to Mobile Devices

Automated testing procedures are very useful since they can save a lot of time and human effort. However, most of them are very rigid and focused on performing very particular tasks. While this may not be a problem in case of software testing, it may prove to be a real burden when hardware testing is aimed. In many cases, this is based on dedicated industrial robots which are expensive, very difficult to move from one location to another and, in addition, require a lot of reprogramming work when changing the test scenarios. Another known problem of the existing solutions is caused by the movement of tested device. Even a small change in position can generate faulty results and, because of this, an entire test can be missed. The practical study described in this paper is represented by a robot dedicated to automated testing of mobile devices. The main differences from similar solutions derive from: size (our robot is smaller and less heavy so is portable), costs (cheaper to build and maintain), independence of display type (resistive or capacitive) and robustness (is not affected by the movement of tested device).
A Compact Tunable Bandpass Filter Using Switchable Varactor-Tuned Dual-Mode Resonator

A novel switchable dual-mode resonator is presented for a compact tunable bandpass filter (BPF) with a wide frequency tuning range and a constant absolute bandwidth (ABW). The dual-mode resonator switches between a low-band state and a high-band state with p-i-n diodes to overcome the limited tunability of varactor diodes. The bandpass frequency can be easily tuned by controlling two resonant frequencies of each state using the varactor diodes and the ABW remains constant by tapped-line input and output coupling. To verify the presented structure, a 2-pole tunable BPF is fabricated and measured, which shows an in-band insertion loss of 2.3-5.8 dB maintaining a constant 3-dB ABW of 110 MHz with a tuning range from 360 MHz to 970 MHz.