Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spiking Neuron-Astrocyte Networks for Image Recognition

From biological and artificial network perspectives, researchers have started acknowledging astrocytes as computational units mediating neural processes. Here, we propose a novel biologically-inspired neuron-astrocyte network model for image recognition, one of the first attempts at implementing astrocytes in Spiking Neuron Networks (SNNs) using a standard dataset. The architecture for image recognition has three primary units: the pre-processing unit for converting the image pixels into spiking patterns, the neuron-astrocyte network forming bipartite (neural connections) and tripartite synapses (neural and astrocytic connections), and the classifier unit. In the astrocyte-mediated SNNs, an astrocyte integrates neural signals following the simplified Postnov model. It then modulates the Integrate-and-Fire (IF) neurons via gliotransmission, thereby strengthening the synaptic connections of the neurons within the astrocytic territory. We develop an architecture derived from a baseline SNN model for unsupervised digit classification. The Spiking Neuron-Astrocyte Networks (SNANs) display better network performance with an optimal variance-bias trade-off than SNN alone. We demonstrate that astrocytes promote faster learning, support memory formation and recognition, and provide a simplified network architecture. Our proposed SNAN can serve as a benchmark for future researchers on astrocyte implementation in artificial networks, particularly in neuromorphic systems, for its simplified design.
Map Description based on Angular Radon Spectrum

—In this paper, we present a novel descriptor of point cloud maps based on Angular Radon Spectrum (ARS). ARS effectively characterizes the collinearity of 2D point sets and satisﬁes the properties of translation-invariance and shift-rotation. This descriptor can be used for globally optimal registration of point clouds as well as for mapping tasks including loop closure detection. Experiments have assessed high accuracy and robustness of ARS-based pose estimation.
AAEM PRACTICE TOPIC IN ELECTRODIAGNOSTIC MEDICINE

: At this time, there are no widely accepted criteria for the diagnosis of multifocal motor neuropathy. Furthermore, there is insufﬁcient empirical data to deﬁne clinical and laboratory features that may reliably separate certain lower motor neuron syndromes with overlapping features as distinct. The AAEM therefore developed ﬁve criteria through a formal consensus process that are described in this document to act as a guide for diagnosing multifocal motor neuropathy with a high level of conﬁdence (deﬁnite multifocal motor neuropathy) or with a moderate level of conﬁdence (probable motor neuropathy). In brief, the diagnosis requires clinical weakness without objective sensory loss or upper motor neuron signs in the distribution of two or more named nerves that is due to conduction block in two or more motor nerves outside of common entrapment sites. Furthermore, normal results are required for sensory nerve conduction studies. Muscle Nerve 27: 117–121, 2003
Speed Tracking and Train Anti-slip Control Based on Active Disturbance Rejection for Freight Trains with Large Inertia

—Rail freight is a common mode of transportation for bulk commodities and is widely used around the world, with heavy quality and large inertia. Conventional control methods are influenced by the dynamic parameters of the train model. To solve this problem, this paper designs a mayfly algorithm-predictive active disturbance rejection controller (MA-PADRC) for speed tracking and wheel anti-slip control of electric freight trains. This control method reduces dependence on accurate modeling. MA-PADRC integrates the searching ability of MA, predicting ability of Smith estimator and high efficiency of ADRC, and it can accurately estimate the driving disturbance of the freight train. Meanwhile, to prevent wheel slip, an Elman neural network-Kalman filter (ENN-KF) is designed. Through it, the precise observation of anti-slip parameters and the constraint of anti-slip control are realized. The proposed control is validated by simulation of both real and virtual driving speeds. The results show that the proposed control has a strong tracking performance, and can effectively prevent wheel slip and guarantee the safe driving of the freight train with large inertia.
Estimation of adhesive bond strength in laminated safety glass using guided mechanical waves: Part I. An energy velocity approach

Adhesion levels in laminated safety glass samples, ie windshields, have been assessed using both a non-destructive evaluation method based upon an energy velocity guided wave approach and a commonly used destructive testing method. Laminated safety glass consists of a plastic interlayer surrounded by two glass plates. The interfaces between the plastic interlayer and the two adjacent glass plates are assumed to be imperfect and are modelled using a bed of longitudinal and shear springs. The spring constants are estimated using fracture mechanics in conjunction with surface analysis of the plastic interlayer and of the two adjacent glass plates via atomic force microscopy and profilometer measurements. Energy velocities calculated using this theoretical multilayered model are compared with energy velocity values obtained experimentally using laminated safety glass samples with different adhesion levels. Results show that an energy velocity approach can successfully be used to non-destructively estimate adhesive bond strength in laminated safety glass.
Pesquisa de aglutininas anti-Leptospira spp. em bovinos da Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais

O objetivo desse trabalho foi diagnosticar aglutininas anti-Leptospira spp. no soro de animais nunca vacinados e criados em uma propriedade da Serra da Canastra, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. A triagem e a titulacao foram realizadas por meio da tecnica de soroaglutinacao microscopica (MAT), utilizando uma bateria de 15 sorovares de Leptospira spp. Foram testadas 100 amostras de soro sanguineos de bovinos leiteiros e de corte. Desse total, 54% (54/100) foram positivos para aglutininas anti-Leptospira. Os sorovares mais frequentes entre os bovinos foram Hardjo (43,81%) e Wolffi (38,1%). O maior titulo diagnosticado foi 1.600 para o sorovar Wolffi, encontrado em uma femea bovina adulta assintomatica. Os dados sugerem que sorovares patogenicos de Leptospira circulam entre bovinos criados na Serra da Canastra, que a transmissao esteja ocorrendo entre os bovinos infectados e, aparentemente, com pouca participacao de roedores.
Impact of PCR-based Multiplex Minipool NAT on Donor Blood Screening at a Tertiary Care Hospital Blood Bank in North India

Background : Serononreactive samples of donated blood may harbour infections which can be identified by nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT). We evaluated a minipool NAT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to screen for transfusion-transmittable infections in serononreactive blood donations. Materials and Methods : This retrospective observational study was performed in a tertiary care hospital blood bank in New Delhi, India. We analysed the results of serological testing and NAT performed over 5 years (2015-2019). All donated samples were first serologically tested for Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) and HIV through chemiluminescence. Serononreactive samples were next subjected to NAT using cobas TaqScreen MPX Test, version 2.0 in minipools of 6 samples. Minipools showing NAT-reactivity were resolved by testing single members of the pool to identify the reactive sample. Results : NAT was performed on 155,211 serononreactive samples, and 97 (6.25%) of the samples were NAT reactive, giving a NAT yield rate of 1:1,600. The NAT yields for HBV, HCV, and HIV were 87, 9 and 1 respectively. The NAT yield rates were 1:1,784 for HBV, 1:17,246 for HCV and 1:155,211 for HIV. Conclusions : Through NAT, we could identify 97 infections which were missed by serological testing. Routine implementation of NAT screening in blood banks in India can improve blood safety.
Cytogenetic and agro-morphological study of Wheat addition lines possessing Thinopyrum elongatum and Aegilops triuncialis chromosomes

Novel genetic variation can be induced by introgression of alien chromosomes in wheat for which wheat-alien addition lines carrying 45 chromosomes are instrumental. In the course of developing wheat addition lines with 45 chromosomes, two different parental lines Wheat-Thinopyrum elongatum disomic addition lines (Wheat-Th. DALs; 2n=44)) and Wheat-Th. elongatum- Aegilops triuncialis 3CSAT double monosomic addition lines (Wheat-Th. DMALs; 2n=44) need to cross. The present study mainly focuses on the effects of chromosomal additions in wheat background by comparing the morphological and agronomic traits of the parental lines. Both the parental lines were reconfirmed 2n=44 cytologically by using squash technique. Pollen fertility was highest (75%) in Wheat-3CSAT-6E DMAL and lowest (44.73%) in Wheat-5E DAL, whereas, spike length was longest (8.71 cm) in Wheat-3CSAT-3E DMAL and shortest (5.92 cm) in Wheat-1E DAL. Plant height was highest (97.6 cm) in Wheat-3CSAT-5E DMAL and lowest (55.33 cm) in Wheat-7E DAL. The plant height of DMALs always exceeded that of DALs. Furthermore, seed set was highest (31 seeds per spike) in Wheat-7E DALs and lowest (13 seeds per spike) in addition lines disomic for 4E chromosomes. The effect of different alien chromosomes in wheat is discussed in this paper.
Comparison of serum and salivary folate in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

Background: Folate is needed for sustaining the natural function of DNA methylation and nucleotide synthesis. Problems in the metabolism folate can cause abnormality in cell activity and cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to compare the folate in serum and saliva of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and healthy subjects. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 30 patients with oral SCC referred to the ENT department and 30 healthy individuals were studied. 2 cc saliva and 5 cc venous blood were taken from participants and were evaluated with a human folate ELISIA kit. Independent t test and Pearson correlation test were performed using SPSS 17. Results: Serum folate in patients with oral SCC (8.18±4.37 ng/mL) were significantly lower than control group (10.61±5.79 ng/ mL) (P=0.005). Salivary folate was significantly lower in patients with SCC (1.13±1.32 ng/mL) than in control group (2.84±4.40 ng/mL) (P=0.029). Conclusion: Since the levels of serum and salivary folate in patients with oral SCC were significantly lower than that of healthy individuals, low folate levels may be associated with oral SCC.
Efﬁcient Exploration of Environments Using Stochastic Local Search

: This research provides a preliminary investigation of the use of Stochastic Local Search (SLS) technique to explore complex environments where agents’ knowledge and the time to explore such environments are limited. We model the problem as that of an instance of a search problem and develop an SLS technique that enables efﬁcient exploration of such relatively difﬁcult environments by teams of agents. Preliminary results from our experiments using teams of various sizes that implement the model show the effectiveness of the proposed technique. In most cases of the problem instances, teams of agents were able to complete exploration of more than 70% of the environments. While in the best cases , they were able to complete explorations of more than 80% of the environments within short period of time.
Heat stress perception, knowledge levels and health consequences of urban heat in major cities in Bangladesh

Urban heatwaves are a growing concern, especially in South Asian countries grappling with rapid urbanization and limited resources. While prior studies focused on the biophysical aspects of urban heat islands in this region, there is limited evidence of people’s understanding of urban heat stress and its health consequences. This study aimed to investigate the perceived urban heat risk and associated health impacts in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study involving 898 participants in eight major cities in Bangladesh were included in the study. A substantial proportion of individuals regularly experienced urban heat stress but have limited awareness of heatwave reduction measures. Moreover, perceived physiological impacts were found to be more severe than psychological impacts. Urban heat also moderately affects daily activities, particularly transportation and sleep/rest. Factors like gender, home cooling systems, and extended outdoor exposure intensified heat's physiological and psychological impacts, while students, highly educated individuals, residents of traditional katcha houses, and those in good health experienced milder effects. Furthermore, individuals over 30 years of age and employed individuals exhibited greater knowledge about heat impact reduction but less affected by psychological impacts. These findings can inform targeted interventions and guidelines for heat mitigation and adaptation in South Asian cities.
Predicting Directional Change Reversal Points with Machine Learning Regression Models

—Traditional trading methods often use fixed-interval sampling to capture price changes. In this work, we use an intrinsic time sampling method referred to as directional changes (DC), which reports information whenever there is a significant price change. Tick data from an array of seven FX currency pairs is sampled using the DC framework. We then compare eleven different machine learning (ML) algorithms in a regression task of predicting when the current trend in the market will reverse. These algorithms are: decision tree, random forest, support vector regression, linear regression, stochastic gradient descent regression, kernel ridge regression, elastic net regression, bayesian ridge regression, gradient boosting regression, multilayer perceptron, and long short-term memory neural network. Predicting trend reversal is crucial in trading, as it allows us to anticipate changes in the market and take the relevant actions that are necessary to maximise our returns. After identifying the best ML algorithm for a dataset, we use this prediction as an input of a DC-based trading strategy, and report its performance in terms of return and risk (maximum drawdown). We also benchmark this strategy against four other trading strategies, which include technical analysis and buy and hold. Results over 349 datasets show that the proposed DC-based trading strategy is able to consistently offer high returns at low risk, statistically and significantly outperforming all other benchmarks.
Gallstone ileus: An overview of the literature (cid:2)

Introduction: Gallstone ileus represents 4% of the causes of bowel obstruction in the general population, but increases to 25% in patients above the age of 65 years. Gallstone ileus does not present with unique symptoms, making diagnosis difﬁcult. Its management is surgical, but there is no consensus as to which of the different surgical techniques is the procedure of choice. At present, there is no recent review of this pathology. Aim: To conduct an up-to-date review of this disease. Materials and methods: Articles published within the time frame of 2000 to 2014 were found utilizing the PUBMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library search engines with the terms ‘‘gallstone ileus’’ plus ‘‘review’’ and the following ﬁlters: ‘‘review’’, ‘‘full text’’, and ‘‘humans’’. Results: The results of this review showed that gallstone ileus etiology was
Superresolution Reflectance Fields: Synthesizing images for intermediate light directions

Captured reflectance fields tend to provide a relatively coarse sampling of the incident light directions. As a result, sharp illumination features, such as highlights or shadow boundaries, are poorly reconstructed during relighting; highlights are disconnected, and shadows show banding artefacts. In this paper, we propose a novel interpolation technique for 4D reflectance fields that reconstructs plausible images even for non‐observed light directions. Given a sparsely sampled reflectance field, we can effectively synthesize images as they would have been obtained from denser sampling. The processing pipeline consists of three steps: (1) segmentation of regions where intermediate lighting cannot be obtained by blending, (2) appropriate flow algorithms for highlights and shadows, plus (3) a final reconstruction technique that uses image‐based priors to faithfully correct errors that might be introduced by the segmentation or flow step. The algorithm reliably reproduces scenes that contain specular highlights, interreflections, shadows or caustics.
Racism, Ethnic Discrimination, and Cardiovascular Health: Conceptual and Measurement Issues 26

Bias against members of racial and ethnic minority group members is expressed in the form of prejudice and discriminatory behavior at the cultural, institutional, and interpersonal levels. Members of racial and ethnic minority groups may also internalize this bias and endorse negative beliefs about their group as a whole or may incorporate negative stereotypes about the group into their personal identity. Prejudice and discrimination serve as psychosocial stressors for many members of racial and ethnic minority groups. Racial and ethnic discrimination contributes to increased risk for cardiovascular disease through multiple mechanisms. Although the results vary across levels of discrimination, the evidence suggests
Silurian and Devonian brachiopods from Severnaya Zemlya (Russian Arctic)

Silurian and Lower Devonian sequences of the carbonate sediments of the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago, and adjacent territories, are rich in fossils, among which brachiopods are dominating. The association of brachiopods includes 25 taxa. Strophomenids, atrypids and spiriferids are the most diverse groups, although the most common are the rhynchonellids. Seven new species are described: Brachyprion ruminatus n. sp. , Lenatoechia octjabrensis n. sp. , Anabaria? latens n. sp. , Undispirifer? obsoletiplicatus n. sp. , Grebenella laciniatus n. sp. , Hyattidina remora n. sp. , and Greenfieldia orbiculata n. sp. Most of the brachiopod communities are characteristic of shallow water environments and represent BA-2, BA-3 or BA-4 benthic associations. They indicate the transition from open shallow-water shelf environments to fore-shoal facies. The brachiopod fauna is often monotaxic and is dominated by endemic species. At the generic level this fauna is 74% cosmopolitan, and 26% regional. This fact testifies the existence of palaeobiogeographic similarities between Severnaya Zemlya and the northern Baltica (Novaya Zemlya, Urals, and Baltic region) in the West, and between Severnaya Zemlya and East Siberia (Tajmyr, Siberian Platform) in the East in Silurian time. The assemblage of Devonian brachiopods from Severnaya Zemlya is most similar to the contemporaneous faunas from North-East Russia, Australia and Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
Analysis of sources of risk in socially responsible investment: The Moroccan case

This study examines the relationship between socially responsible investment (SRI) and financial risk in listed Moroccan companies. While SRI is often considered less risky than conventional investments (CI), the study aims to understand why this is the case. The analysis takes into account two aspects of risk: specific risk and systematic risk. Specific risks are assessed in terms of the complexity associated with managing SRI and how certain features can mitigate this risk and improve financial performance. Systematic risk is explored in relation to investment diversification while taking ethical considerations into account. The study aims to determine whether the application of social responsibility (SR) criteria to assets reduces diversification and increases risk. Using panel data modeling, the study confirms a positive impact of SR on corporate risk. Specifically, it finds that the "Top Performing CSR" trophy (indicating a high commitment to CSR) has a positive effect on "systematic risk" and that the "CGEM CSR label" (indicating a commitment to CSR) has a positive effect on "specific risk. ” In conclusion, the study establishes a positive correlation between social responsibility and investment risk. Companies that adhere to ethical standards tend to present higher levels of risk. This is explained by the complexity of managing socially responsible investments to achieve an optimal level of risk and by the limited diversification resulting from the application of ethical criteria.
Complexity of human death: its physiological, transcriptomic, and microbiological implications

Human death is a complex, time-governed phenomenon that leads to the irreversible cessation of all bodily functions. Recent molecular and genetic studies have revealed remarkable experimental evidence of genetically programmed cellular death characterized by several physiological processes; however, the basic physiological function that occurs during the immediate postmortem period remains inadequately described. There is a paucity of knowledge connecting necrotic pathologies occurring in human organ tissues to complete functional loss of the human organism. Cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems show a range of differential resilience and endurance responses that occur during organismal death. Intriguingly, a persistent ambiguity in the study of postmortem physiological systems is the determination of the trajectory of a complex multicellular human body, far from life-sustaining homeostasis, following the gradual or sudden expiry of its regulatory systems. Recent groundbreaking investigations have resulted in a paradigm shift in understanding the cell biology and physiology of death. Two significant findings are that (i) most cells in the human body are microbial, and (ii) microbial cell abundance significantly increases after death. By addressing the physiological as well as the microbiological aspects of death, future investigations are poised to reveal innovative insights into the enigmatic biological activities associated with death and human decomposition. Understanding the elaborate crosstalk of abiotic and biotic factors in the context of death has implications for scientific discoveries important to informing translational knowledge regarding the transition from living to the non-living. There are important and practical needs for a transformative reestablishment of accepted models of biological death (i.e., artificial intelligence, AI) for more precise determinations of when the regulatory mechanisms for homeostasis of a living individual have ceased. In this review, we summarize mechanisms of physiological, genetic, and microbiological processes that define the biological changes and pathways associated with human organismal death and decomposition.