Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimized Complex Network Method (OCNM) for Improving Accuracy of Measuring Human Attention in Single-Electrode Neurofeedback System

A neurofeedback system adjusting an individual's attention is an effective treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In current studies, an accurate measure of the level of human attention is one of the key issues that arouse much interest. This paper proposes a novel optimized complex network method (OCNM) for measuring an individual's attention level using single-electrode electroencephalography (EEG) signals. A time-delay embedding algorithm was used to reconstruct EEG data epochs into nodes of the OCNM network. Euclidean distances were calculated between each two nodes to decide edges of the network. Three key parameters influencing OCNM, i.e., delaying time, embedding dimension, and connection threshold, were optimized for each individual. The average degree and clustering coefficient of the constructed network were extracted as a feature vector and were classified into two patterns of concentration and relaxation using an LDA classifier. In the offline experiments of six subjects, the classification performance was tested and compared with an attention meter method (AMM) and an α + β + δ + θ + R method. The experimental results showed that the proposed OCNM achieved the highest accuracy rate (80.67% versus 70.58% and 68.88%). This suggests that the proposed method can potentially be used for EEG-based neurofeedback systems with a single electrode.
Comparison of fasting and non-fasting serum lipid profile in healthy population

Background: Serum lipids are routinely used for the assessment of cardiovascular risk. The test is usually performed under fasting condition. However, recently non-fasting lipid profile is also measured in certain cases. The present study was intended to estimate the concentration of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and VLDL cholesterol (VLDL-C) in fasting as well as non-fasting blood samples of a group of normal male and female subjects.Methods: The study recruited 50 normal healthy male and female subjects within the age group of 12-48 years. The concentration of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and VLDL-C in serum of these subjects were quantitatively determined using the commercially available kits based on CHOD/POD method.Results: The mean concentration of non-fasting TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and VLDL-C was found to be 141.20 mg/dl, 132.20 mg/dl, 50.39 mg/dl, 64.30 mg/dl, 26.44 mg/dl respectively. On the other hand, the mean concentration of fasting TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and VLDL-C was found to be 112.37 mg/dl, 100.90 mg/dl, 38.59 mg/dl, 53.59 mg/dl and 20.18 mg/dl respectively. The concentration of fasting lipid profile parameters was significantly low from the respective parameters of non-fasting lipid profile.Conclusions: The present study reveals that there was an increase in the levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, and VLDL-C in non-fasting state compared to the fasting state. Measuring the lipid profile parameters under non-fasting state cannot be usually considered for assessment of cardiovascular risk and for other clinical purposes.
Clinical data, limitations and perspectives of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Despite considerable therapeutic advances over the last decade, multiple myeloma remains an incurable disease. Novel treatment strategies are urgently needed. T cells can be genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) targeting defined surface antigens on tumor cells. To date, over 90 clinical trials investigating the use of CAR T cells in multiple myeloma have been registered. RECENT FINDINGS Although two CD19-directed CAR T-cell products have been approved, CD19 surface expression on plasma cells is limited or absent and CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma is less advanced. B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CAR T cells have shown promising efficacy and safety profiles in various phase I/II clinical trials. However, almost all treated patients continue to relapse. The current focus is therefore on strategies to overcome resistance mechanisms. These include the targeting of other surface antigens, refinements in T-cell signaling and dual-targeting approaches. SUMMARY CAR T-cell therapy has finally moved into routine clinical use, the first experiments having taken place over 30 years ago. A BCMA-directed product for the treatment of multiple myeloma is expected to be approved shortly. However, further refinements of both CAR T-cell constructs and treatment protocols will be required to boost persistence, overcome resistance and reduce toxicities.
Gradual Increase in Environmental Light Intensity Induces Oxidative Stress and Inflammation and Accelerates Retinal Neurodegeneration

Purpose Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a blinding neurodegenerative disease of the retina that can be affected by many factors. The present study aimed to analyze the effect of different environmental light intensities in rd10 mice retina. Methods C57BL/6J and rd10 mice were bred and housed under three different environmental light intensities: scotopic (5 lux), mesopic (50 lux), and photopic (300 lux). Visual function was studied using electroretinography and optomotor testing. The structural and morphological integrity of the retinas was evaluated by optical coherence tomography imaging and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, inflammatory processes and oxidative stress markers were analyzed by flow cytometry and western blotting. Results When the environmental light intensity was higher, retinal function decreased in rd10 mice and was accompanied by light-dependent photoreceptor loss, followed by morphological alterations, and synaptic connectivity loss. Moreover, light-dependent retinal degeneration was accompanied by an increased number of inflammatory cells, which became more activated and phagocytic, and by an exacerbated reactive gliosis. Furthermore, light-dependent increment in oxidative stress markers in rd10 mice retina pointed to a possible mechanism for light-induced photoreceptor degeneration. Conclusions An increase in rd10 mice housing light intensity accelerates retinal degeneration, activating cell death, oxidative stress pathways, and inflammatory cells. Lighting intensity is a key factor in the progression of retinal degeneration, and standardized lighting conditions are advisable for proper analysis and interpretation of experimental results from RP animal models, and specifically from rd10 mice. Also, it can be hypothesized that light protection could be an option to slow down retinal degeneration in some cases of RP.
Le codage de l’action : peut-on dissocier l’attention de l’intention ?

L’attention et la preparation motrice sont deux processus intimement lies dans la vie de tous les jours. On peut cependant les dissocier au laboratoire pour en etudier les fondements neuronaux. Ce faisant, il a ete mis en evidence que des neurones qui dechargent en relation avec l’attention ou avec la preparation motrice existent dans de nombreuses structures cerebrales chez le singe, notamment dans les cortex prefrontal et premoteur. Examinees de pres, ces deux regions se differencient, d’une part, par les proportions de neurones lies a l’un ou l’autre processus et, d’autre part, par l’information contenue dans ce qu’on appelle l’activite « preparatoire ». Celle-ci reflete des processus de selection sensorielle dans le cortex prefrontal (attention/memoire spatiale) et de selection de l’action dans le cortex premoteur. Deux regions du cortex premoteur peuvent etre distinguees en fonction de leur implication relative dans les processus d’attention: la region anterieure, dont la fonction s’apparente a celle du cortex prefrontal, et la region posterieure, a fonction plutot motrice. Une etude en imagerie par resonance magnetique fonctionnelle (IRMf) indique que la specialisation fonctionnelle au sein du cortex premoteur dorsal est commune au singe macaque et a l’homme.
Evaluation of impaired growth plate development of long bones in skeletally immature mice by antirheumatic agents

Restriction of physical growth and development is a known problem in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). However, the effect of medical treatment for JIA on skeletal growth in affected children has not been properly investigated. We, therefore, hypothesize that naproxen and methotrexate (MTX) affect endochondral ossification and will lead to reduced skeletal development. Treatment of ATDC5 cells, an in vitro model for endochondral ossification, with naproxen or MTX resulted in increased chondrogenic but decreased hypertrophic differentiation. In vivo, healthy growing C57BL/6 mice were treated with naproxen, MTX, or placebo for 10 weeks. At 15 weeks postnatal, both the length of the tibia and the length of the femur were significantly reduced in the naproxen‐ and MTX‐treated mice compared to their controls. Growth plate analysis revealed a significantly thicker proliferative zone, while the hypertrophic zone was significantly thinner in both experimental groups compared to their controls, comparable to the in vitro results. Micro‐computed tomography analysis of the subchondral bone region directly below the growth disc showed significantly altered bone microarchitecture in naproxen and MTX groups. In addition, the involvement of the PTHrP‐Ihh loop in naproxen‐ and MTX‐treated cells was shown. Overall, these results demonstrate that naproxen and MTX have a profound effect on endochondral ossification during growth plate development, abnormal subchondral bone morphology, and reduced bone length. A better understanding of how medication influences the development of the growth plate will improve understanding of endochondral ossification and reveal possibilities to improve the treatment of pediatric patients.
Relations entre l'inflammation des voies aériennes supérieures et inférieures

This project aimed to study the impact of upper airways inflammation on lower airways inflammation, using a repeated nasal allergen challenge model. In the first part, the published literature was reviewed looking for instruments with a reported validation process that evaluated symptoms during nasal allergen challenges. No validated instrument was found, demonstrating the difficulty to compare studies on this topic. In the second part, a comparison of the physiological and inflammatory responses following repeated nasal allergen challenges in rhinitic subjects with or without asthma was done. Non-asthmatic subjects had a higher level of rhinorrhea and nasal obstruction was more important in asthmatic subjects. An increase in upper airways inflammation was observed after 4 days of nasal allergen challenges in the 2 groups, without inducing a significant increase in lower airway inflammation. A lack of standardization of studies on nasal allergen challenges was observed. Then, a nasal allergen challenge model was developed to compare physiological and inflammatory responses of rhinitic subjects with or without asthma. Between groups, a different physiological response was observed, although there were no differences in the inflammatory response. Improvements in the method of nasal bronchoprovocation and their standardization should allow to better compare studies and increase our understanding of the impact of allergic rhinitis on asthma.
Phylogenomic approaches reveal how climate shapes patterns of genetic diversity in an African rain forest tree species

The world's second largest expanse of tropical rainforest is in Central Africa, and it harbours enormous species diversity. Population genetic studies have consistently revealed significant structure across Central African rainforest plants. In particular, previous studies have repeatedly demonstrated a north–south genetic discontinuity around the equatorial line, in a continuous expanse of rainforest where a climatic inversion is documented. Here, we took a phylogeographic approach by sequencing 351 nuclear markers in 112 individuals across the distribution of the African rainforest tree species Annickia affinis (Annonaceae). We showed for the first time that the north–south divide is the result of a single, major colonization event across the climatic inversion from an ancestral population located in Gabon. We suggested that differences in ecological niche of populations located on either side of this inversion may have contributed to this phylogenetic discontinuity. We found evidence for inland dispersal, predominantly in northern areas, and variable demographic histories among genetic clusters, indicating that populations responded differently to past climate change. We show how newly developed genomic tools can provide invaluable insights into our understanding of tropical rainforest evolutionary dynamics.
A Review of Energy-aware Cloud Computing Surveys

The increasing demands on the usage of data centers especially in provisioning cloud applications (i.e. data-intensive applications) have drastically increased the energy consumption and becoming a critical issue. Failing to handle the increasing in energy consumption leads to the negative impact on the environment, and also negatively affecting the cloud providers’ profits due to increasing costs. Various surveys have been carried out to address and classify energy-aware approaches and solutions. As an active research area with increasing number of proposals, more surveys are needed to support researchers in the research area. Thus, in this paper, we intend to provide the current state of existing related surveys that serve as a guideline for the researchers as well as the potential reviewers to embark into a new concern and dimension to compliment existing related surveys. Our review highlights four main topics and concludes to some recommendations for the future survey.
Clinical Profile and Demographic Distribution of Corneal Dystrophies in India: A Study of 4198 Patients

Purpose: To describe the clinical profile and demographic distribution of corneal dystrophy in patients presenting to a multitier ophthalmology hospital network in India. Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based study included 2,151,584 new patients presenting between March 2012 and December 2019 (∼8 year period). Patients with a clinical diagnosis of corneal dystrophy in at least 1 eye were included as cases. The data were collected by using an electronic medical record system. Results: Overall, 4198 new patients (0.20%) were diagnosed with corneal dystrophy. The prevalence rates were 0.19% in children (age < 16 years) and 0.20% in adults. Most patients were women (51.86%). The mean age of the patients was 43.61 ± 21.39 years. Most patients (18.79%) were between 61 and 70 years of age. The most common anatomical location of the dystrophy was endothelium (51.71%), followed by stroma (43.55%) and Bowman membrane/epithelium (4.73%). The most common corneal dystrophy was Fuch endothelial corneal dystrophy (41.89%). Most eyes had mild or no visual impairment (43.43%). Of the 8193 eyes, 998 eyes (12.18%) underwent a corneal surgery. Among those who underwent surgical intervention, endothelial keratoplasty was the most commonly performed surgical procedure (52%), followed by penetrating keratoplasty (22%). Conclusions: Corneal dystrophy is a rare disease, affecting patients seeking eye care in India. Endothelial dystrophies were the most common, followed by stromal dystrophies. Among the stromal dystrophies, macular dystrophy was the most common. At initial presentation, visual impairment was mild to moderate in most patients, and surgical intervention was needed in 12.18% of the eyes during the study period.
Genetic distance based on simple sequence Repeats and Heterosis in Tropical Maize Populations

Heterotic groups and patterns are of fundamental importance in hybrid breeding of maize (Zea mays L.). The major goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between heterosis and genetic distance determined with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The objectives of our research were to (i) compare the genetic diversity within and between seven tropical maize populations, (ii) test alternative hypotheses on the relationship between panmictic midparent heterosis (PMPH) and genetic distances determined with SSR markers, and (iii) evaluate the use of SSR markers for grouping of germplasm and establishing heterotic patterns in hybrid breeding of tropical maize. Published data of a diallel of seven tropical maize populations evaluated for agronomic traits in seven environments were reanalyzed to calculate PMPH in population hybrids. In addition, 48 individuals from each population were sampled and assayed with 85 SSR markers covering the entire maize genome. A total of 532 alleles in the 7 × 48 genotypes assayed were detected. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 89.8% of the variation was found within populations and only 10.2% between populations. The correlation between PMPH and the squared modified Roger's distance (MRD) based on SSR markers was significantly positive (P < 0.05) only for grain yield (r = 0.63). With SSR analyses, it was possible to assign Population 29 (Pop29) to the established Heterotic Group A and propose new heterotic groups (Pop25, Pop43). We conclude that SSR markers provide a powerful tool for grouping of germplasm and are a valuable complementation to field trials for identifying groups with satisfactory heterotic response.
Finding the optimal sparse, overcomplete model for natural images by model selection

The principles that underlie the structure of receptive ﬁelds in the primary visual cortex are not well understood. One theory is that they emerge from information processing constraints, and that two basic principles in particular play a key role. The ﬁrst principle is that of sparsity . Both neural ﬁring rates and visual statistics are sparsely distributed, and sparse models for images have been successful in reproducing some of the characteristics of simple cell receptive ﬁelds (RFs) in V1 [1,2]. The second principle is overcompleteness . The number of neurons in V1 is 100–300 times larger than the number of neurons in the LGN. It has often been assumed that sparse, overcomplete codes might lend some computational advantage in the processing of visual information [3,4]. The goal of this work is to investigate this claim. Many different sparse-overcomplete models for visual processing have been proposed. These have largely been evaluated on the basis of their correspondance with neural properties (RF frequency, orientation, and aspect ratio after learning), on their effectiveness in denoising natural images, or on the efﬁciency with which they can be used to encode natural images. However, only rarely have the questions about the degree of sparsity, the form of the sparsity, as well as the overcompleteness level, been addressed. Here we formalise such questions of optimality in the context of Bayesian model selection, treating both the degree of sparsity and the extent of overcompleteness as parameters within a probabilistic model, that must be learnt from natural image data. In the Bayesian framework, models are compared based on their marginal likelihoods, a measure which reﬂects their ability to ﬁt the data, but also incoporates a Bayesian equivalent of Occam’s razor by automatically penalizing models with more parameters than are supported by the data. We compare different sparse coding models and show that the optimal model seems to be indeed very sparse but, perhaps surprisingly, only modestly overcomplete.
Accelerating ophthalmic artificial intelligence research: the role of an open access data repository.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Artificial intelligence has already provided multiple clinically relevant applications in ophthalmology. Yet, the explosion of nonstandardized reporting of high-performing algorithms are rendered useless without robust and streamlined implementation guidelines. The development of protocols and checklists will accelerate the translation of research publications to impact on patient care. RECENT FINDINGS Beyond technological scepticism, we lack uniformity in analysing algorithmic performance generalizability, and benchmarking impacts across clinical settings. No regulatory guardrails have been set to minimize bias or optimize interpretability; no consensus clinical acceptability thresholds or systematized postdeployment monitoring has been set. Moreover, stakeholders with misaligned incentives deepen the landscape complexity especially when it comes to the requisite data integration and harmonization to advance the field. Therefore, despite increasing algorithmic accuracy and commoditization, the infamous 'implementation gap' persists. Open clinical data repositories have been shown to rapidly accelerate research, minimize redundancies and disseminate the expertise and knowledge required to overcome existing barriers. Drawing upon the longstanding success of existing governance frameworks and robust data use and sharing agreements, the ophthalmic community has tremendous opportunity in ushering artificial intelligence into medicine. By collaboratively building a powerful resource of open, anonymized multimodal ophthalmic data, the next generation of clinicians can advance data-driven eye care in unprecedented ways. SUMMARY This piece demonstrates that with readily accessible data, immense progress can be achieved clinically and methodologically to realize artificial intelligence's impact on clinical care. Exponentially progressive network effects can be seen by consolidating, curating and distributing data amongst both clinicians and data scientists.
Changes in Quality of Life in Older Hemodialysis Patients: A Cohort Study on Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns

Background: Despite improvements in dialysis treatment, mortality rates remain high, especially among older hemodialysis patients. Quality of life (QOL) among hemodialysis patients is strongly associated with higher risk of death. This study aimed to describe the health-related QOL and its change in older maintenance hemodialysis patients and to demonstrate characteristics associated with health-related QOL. Methods: Data on 892 maintenance hemodialysis patients aged 60 years or older who were surveyed using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form at baseline and 2 years after study enrollment in phases 4 (2009–2011) and 5 (2012–2014) of the Japanese Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study were analyzed. We categorized participants into 3 age groups (60–69, 70–79, and ≥80 years) and described baseline physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores, as well as their distribution of changes after 2 years across each category. Results: Hemodialysis patients aged 70–79 years and ≥80 years had lower PCS scores than those aged 60–69 years (median: 70–79 years = 43.1; interquartile range [IQR], 35.2–49.4; ≥80 years = 38.8; IQR, 31.6–43.8; 60–69 years = 45.4; IQR, 37.5–51.4; p < 0.001). In contrast, MCS scores did not significantly differ by age category (70–79 years = 45.6; IQR, 38.4–53.7; ≥80 years = 45.4; IQR, 36.9–55.1; 60–69 years = 46.8; IQR, 39.5–55.7; p = 0.1). As dialysis vintage lengthened, the PCS score significantly became lower, whereas no association was found with change in the MCS score. The MCS score declined over time in older patients, especially among those aged 80 years and older after 2 years’ follow-up. Conclusions: Physical QOL became worse as dialysis vintage lengthened. In contrast, mental QOL declined over time within a relatively short period among older maintenance hemodialysis patients.