Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Models in frequency-hopping-based proactive jamming mitigation for space communication networks

In this paper, we consider a cognitive radio based space communication system in a game-theoretical framework, where players dynamically interact through wireless channels to utilize the wideband spectrum for their objectives. The performance indices include data rate, covertness, jamming, and anti-jamming; each of which relate to an effective signal-nose-ratio (SNR). The game players have different intents and asymmetric and hierarchical information about the frequency spectrum which are modeled as three different types of players: primary users, secondary users, and hostile active jammers. We consider the informational asymmetry in two situations: (1) different information sets for friendly users and jammers and (2) even among the friendly sensors; some sensors may only have partial or little information about others due to jammed observations. Such an asymmetric information pattern naturally partitions the sensors into leaders and followers. In our hierarchical anti-jammer approach, a two level approach includes a pursuit-evasion game and a Stackelberg game. At the higher-level, a non-cooperative pursuit-evasion game is constructed to model the interactions between jammer and primary users in the frequency-location domains. At the lower level, primary and secondary users play a dynamic Stackelberg game in the presence of jammers. Theoretical game solutions are provided to demonstrate the proposed proactive jamming mitigation strategy.
Triple-correlation subplane reconstruction of photon-address stellar images.

The performance of a photon-address, subplane implementation of the triple-correlation (TC) algorithm is evaluated for application to near-real-time, stellar speckle imaging at low-light levels. A simple least-squares relaxation algorithm for recovering object phase from the bispectrum is proposed and found to be consistently better than the usual recursive method. Photon-address speckle data from six simulated objects of different degrees of complexity, and from the binary stars β Del and μ Ori, were used in this study. For real-time applications for which computational efficiency is critical, the relaxed two-plane TC algorithm offers excellent performance and rugged-ness with respect to object complexity.
Orexin dual receptor antagonists, zolpidem, zopiclone, eszopiclone, and cognitive research: A comprehensive dose-response meta-analysis

Background About one-third of adults have trouble sleeping, ranging from occasional difficulty to chronic insomnia, along with difficulty maintaining sleep. Many studies reported that the long-term use of hypnotics can cause brain dysfunction and damage cognition. Objective The objective of the study is to evaluate whether low, medium, and high doses of orexin dual receptor antagonists (DORA), zopiclone (ZOP), eszopiclone (ESZ), and zolpidem (ZST) can impair cognition. Methods From the beginning through September 20, 2022, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the therapeutic effects of DORA, eszopiclone, and zopiclone for sleep and cognitive function were included. The primary outcomes were indices related to the cognitive profile, including memory, alertness, execution and control function, and attention and orientation. The secondary outcomes were indices related to sleep and adverse events. The standard mean difference (SMD) was generated for continuous variables. Certain data were captured from figures by GetData 2.26 and analyzed using RStudio 4.2. Results Finally, a total of 8,702 subjects were included in 29 studies. Compared with the placebo, the DSST (Digit Symbol Substitution Test) scores of low, medium, and high doses of DORA were SMD = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.33–1.20; SMD = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.11–2.05; and SMD = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.33–1.36, respectively. The DSST scores of zolpidem at low, medium, and high doses were SMD = −0.39; 95% CI: 0.85–0.07; SMD = −0.88, 95% CI: −2.34–0.58; and SMD = −0.12, 95% CI: −0.85–0.60, respectively. Zopiclone's DSST scale score was SMD = −0.18; 95% CI: −0.54–0.18. In addition, the total sleep time (TST) of low, medium, and high doses of DORA was SMD = 0.28, 95% CI: −0.15–0.70; SMD = 1.36, 95% CI: 0.87–1.86; and SMD = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.89–3.30, respectively. The TST of zolpidem with low, medium, and high doses was SMD = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.18–1.83; SMD = 1.94, 95% CI: 0.46–3.43; and SMD = 1.71, 95% CI: 0.86–2.56, respectively. The TST of low, medium, and high doses of eszopiclone was relatively SMD = 2.03, 95% CI: −0.21–4.27; SMD = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.35–3.42; and SMD = 1.71, 95% CI: 0.60–2.82. Zopiclone's TST was SMD = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.36–3.58. Conclusion We recommend DORA as the best intervention for insomnia because it is highly effective in inducing and maintaining sleep without impairing cognition. Although zolpidem has a more pronounced effect on maintaining sleep, it is best to reduce its use because of its side effects. Eszopiclone and zopiclone improved sleep quality, but their safety in cognition remains to be verified.
Targeting bacterial pathogenesis by inhibiting virulence-associated Type III and Type IV secretion systems

Infections caused by Gram-negative pathogens pose a major health burden. Both respiratory and gastrointestinal infections are commonly associated with these pathogens. With the increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) over the last decades, bacterial infections may soon become the threat they have been before the discovery of antibiotics. Many Gram-negative pathogens encode virulence-associated Type III and Type IV secretion systems, which they use to inject bacterial effector proteins across bacterial and host cell membranes into the host cell cytosol, where they subvert host cell functions in favor of bacterial replication and survival. These secretion systems are essential for the pathogens to cause disease, and secretion system mutants are commonly avirulent in infection models. Hence, these structures present attractive targets for anti-virulence therapies. Here, we review previously and recently identified inhibitors of virulence-associated bacterial secretions systems and discuss their potential as therapeutics.
Spectral evolution of a subclass of gamma-ray bursts observed by batse

Among the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on board the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory we define a subclass of bursts based on similar morphology: a sharp rise followed by a longer decay time. About 7% of all the gamma-ray bursts observed by BATSE fall into this subclass. We study the spectral evolution of these bursts by fitting models to time-segmented burst spectra and find no clear distinction between the spectral evolutionary properties of this subclass and those of other bursts. Further, we study the high time resolution spectral evolution of this subclass of GRBs using their spectral hardness ratios. A majority of the bursts show hardness ratio leading the counting rate and also display a continuous hard to soft evolution. The time lag between the counting rate and the hardness ratio is found to be directly correlated with the rise time of the counting rate profile. We also find, for the first time, evidence for spectral variation in a timescale of 64 ms.
Acute exercise mobilizes CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and NK cells in lymphoma patients

Background: Studies have shown that acute exercise can mobilize several leukocyte subpopulations in healthy individuals. Our aim was to investigate whether a 10-min acute exercise has an effect on immune cell proportions in lymphoma patients. Methods: This study included seven lymphoma patients referred to curative oncologic therapy. Three had Hodgkin and four non-Hodgkin lymphoma, one was female, and their mean age was 51. Patients underwent a 10-min acute exercise on a bicycle ergometer at moderate exercise intensity. Whole blood samples were taken at rest, immediately after exercise, and 30 min after exercise. Leukocyte subpopulation levels were determined using flow cytometry. Results: Proportions of total NK cells and CD56+CD16+ NK cells of total leukocytes increased immediately after exercise and decreased back to baseline at 30 min post-exercise. Proportion of CD8+ T cells of total T cells increased and proportion of CD4+ T cells of total T cells decreased immediately after exercise, and both returned to baseline at 30 min post-exercise. There was no change in the proportions of B cells, granulocytes, or monocytes. Exercising diastolic blood pressure correlated positively with changes in total NK cell and CD56+CD16+ NK cell proportions, and exercising mean arterial pressure correlated positively with change in CD56+CD16+ NK cell proportion. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that a single acute exercise bout of only 10 min can cause leukocytosis in lymphoma patients, particularly on cytotoxic T cells and NK cells, which are the most important immune cells fighting against cancer.
Multiplayer reach-avoid differential games with simple motions: A review

This paper reviews the recent works on multiplayer reach-avoid (M-RA) differential games between two adversarial teams in a game region which is split into a goal region and a play region. The pursuit team aims to protect the goal region from the evasion team by cooperatively capturing the evaders which start from the play region and strive to enter the goal region. We provide a selective overview of algorithms and theoretical results for multiplayer reach-avoid differential games. Specifically, we focus on point mass holonomic players that can move freely in the game region and have simple motions as Rufus Isaacs states. We describe how the challenges due to high-dimensional continuous joint action and state spaces, as well as complex cooperations and competitions among players, can be properly resolved by a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis of small-scale games and optimal task allocation. We finally point out the limitations of the current works and identify fruitful future research directions on theoretical studies of multiplayer reach-avoid differential games.
Microencapsulation protects the biological activity of sea buckthorn seed oil

Introduction Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) seed oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, and is thus susceptible to oxidation and rancidity. Microencapsulation technology allows the effective protection of active substances, thereby prolonging the deterioration time and shelf life. Methods In this study, H. rhamnoides microcapsules were prepared using a spray-drying method, and the microencapsulation parameters were optimized. The morphological characteristics, structural parameters, and stability of the microcapsules were determined using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and oil oxidation stability testing. Results Based on encapsulation efficiency (EE, %) and the particle size (D50) of the microcapsules, the optimal preparation conditions were characterized as a wall material consisting of soy protein isolate and soybean polysaccharide (2:3), a wall concentration of 15%, a core-to-wall ratio of 1:3, and an inlet temperature of 160°C. Under these optimal conditions, the encapsulation efficiency was 95.30 ± 2.67%, with a yield of 57.03 ± 3.71% and a particle size of 7.96 ± 1.04 μm. Discussion Furthermore, the effectiveness of microencapsulation in protecting the biological activity of H. rhamnoides seed oil was confirmed by an antioxidation test. Thus, the results of this study showcase the successful microencapsulation of H. rhamnoides seed oil, thereby significantly improving its stability.
Editorial: Behavioral addictions: Emerging science

COPYRIGHT © 2023 Chatzittofis and Kim. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Editorial: Behavioral addictions: Emerging science
A triple band-notched planar antenna for UWB applications

A compact planar microstrip-fed ultra wideband antenna for triple bands is presented and analyzed. The proposed antenna consists of semi-circular shaped radiating patch with two I-shaped stubs. It provides a wide bandwidth of 3.05–11.7 GHz. A pair of spiral loop resonators merges with radiating patch to create the first notched band in 3.3–3.7 GHz for the WiMAX system. In addition, integrated microstrip resonators are coupled with ground to generate the second- and third-notched bands in 5.2–5.4 GHz for lower WLAN and 5.7–6 GHz for upper WLAN, respectively. Experimental results of the proposed antenna exhibit good radiation pattern, stable gain, and consistent group delay performances. The time domain behavior of the antenna with and without resonator is analyzed.
Radiation Absorption Effects in B2‐EIRENE Divertor Modelling

The 2D tokamak edge plasma simulation package B2‐EIRENE has been upgraded with a model incorporating the effect of Lyman series photon trapping and ionization from photo‐excited states. The numerical approach is based on Monte‐Carlo sampling of photon trajectories and a collisional‐radiative model for the effective ionization rate. A series of calculations with self‐consistent solutions for the neutral gas, photons and plasma background was carried out for ITER edge plasma parameters. It was found that the extra ionization source in the model leads to a higher plasma density near the targets, and is balanced predominantly by enhanced volume recombination. Despite significant changes in the divertor dynamics due to photon trapping the main “engineering scalings” for ITER operational parameters (e.g. peak heat fluxes vs. divertor gas pressure) show no significant modification. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Circulating exosomal microRNA profiles in migraine patients receiving acupuncture treatment: A placebo-controlled clinical trial

Background Acupuncture has a long history of being used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of migraine. However, molecular biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of migraine and its treatment are lacking. This study aimed to explore whether acupuncture could regulate differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs between patients with migraine without aura (MWoA) and healthy controls (HCs) and to identify diagnostic biomarkers that helped differentiate MWoA patients from HCs and identify prognostic biomarkers that helped to predict the effect of acupuncture. Methods Here, we isolated serum exosomes from patients with MWoA and HCs before and after true and sham acupuncture treatment. Then, small RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to screen out key miRNAs specifically responding to acupuncture treatment. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between miRNAs and clinical phenotypes. Finally, we applied a machine learning method to identify diagnostic biomarkers of MWoA patients and identify prognostic biomarkers that helped to predict the effect of acupuncture. Results Small RNA sequencing identified 68 upregulated and 104 downregulated miRNAs in MWoA patients compared to those in HCs. Further, we identified eight upregulated and four downregulated miRNAs in migraine patients after true acupuncture treatment (trAMWoA), but not in the sham acupuncture treatment (shAMWoA) or HC group. Among them, has-miR-378a-5p was positively correlated with time unable to work, study, or do housework due to migraine (p < 0.05), whereas has-miR-605-3p was negatively correlated with the restrictive subscale of the migraine-specific quality of life questionnaire (MSQ) (p < 0.05). We then evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic potential of these 12 miRNAs in patients with MWoA. The combination of serum levels of exosomal has-miR-369-5p, has-miR-145-5p, and has-miR-5,010-3p could serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for MWoA patients following acupuncture treatment. Conclusion This is the first study on the serum exosomal miRNA profiles of migraineurs before and after acupuncture treatment. Our results improve our understanding of the molecular functions of miRNAs in MWoA. More importantly, they expand our view of evaluating the clinical outcomes of migraine patients treated with acupuncture, using exosomal RNA markers. Clinical Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000034417, July 2020.
The role of Th17 cells in inflammatory bowel disease and the research progress

Th17 cells play an important role in the abnormal immune response in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and are involved in the development and progression of inflammation and fibrosis. An increasing amount of data has shown that gut microbes are important parts of intestinal immunity and regulators of Th17 cellular immunity. Th17 cell differentiation is regulated by intestinal bacteria and cytokines, and Th17 cells regulate the intestinal mucosal immune microenvironment by secreting cytokines, such as IL-17, IL-21, and IL-26. Solid evidence showed that, regarding the treatment of IBD by targeting Th17 cells, the therapeutic effect of different biological agents varies greatly. Fecal bacteria transplantation (FMT) in the treatment of IBD has been a popular research topic in recent years and is safe and effective with few side effects. To further understand the role of Th17 cells in the progression of IBD and associated therapeutic prospects, this review will discuss the progress of related research on Th17 cells in IBD by focusing on the interaction and immune regulation between Th17 cells and gut microbiota.
Portal-mesenteric vein resection for pancreatic cancer: Results in par with the defined benchmark outcomes

Background Patients with pancreatic cancer (PC), which may involve major peripancreatic vessels, have been generally excluded from surgery, as resection was deemed futile. The purpose of this study was to analyze the results of portomesenteric vein resection in borderline resectable or locally advanced PC. This study comprises the largest series of such patients in Greece. Materials and Methods Investigator-initiated, retrospective, noncomparative study of patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced adenocarcinoma undergoing pancreatectomy en-block with portal and/or superior mesenteric vein resection in a tertiary referral center in Greece between January 2014 and October 2021. Follow-up was complete up to December 2021. Operative and outcome measures were determined. Results Forty patients were included. Neoadjuvant therapy was administered to only 58% and was associated with smaller tumor size (median: 2.9 cm vs. 4.2 cm, p = 0.004), but not with increased survival. Though venous wall infiltration was present in 55%, it was not associated with tumor size, or Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status. Resection was extensive: a median of 27 LNs were retrieved, R0 resection rate (≥1 mm) was 87%, and median length of resected vein segments was 3 cm, requiring interposition grafts in 40% (polytetrafluoroethylene). Median ICU stay was 0 days and length of hospitalization 9 days. Postoperative mortality was 2.5%. Median follow-up was 46 months and median overall survival (OS) was 24 months. Two-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 49%, 33%, and 22% respectively. All outcomes exceeded benchmark cutoffs. Lower ECOG status was positively correlated with longer survival (ECOG-0: 32 months, ECOG-1: 24 months, ECOG-2: 12 months, p = 0.02). Conclusion This series of portomesenteric resection in borderline resectable or locally advanced PC demonstrated a median survival of 2 years, extending to 32 months in patients with good performance status, which meet or exceed current outcome benchmarks.
A novel bacteriocin isolated from Lactobacillus plantarum W3-2 and its biological characteristics

In this study, screening bacteriocin-producing strains from 2,000 plant-derived strains by agar well diffusion method was conducted. The corresponding produced bacteriocin was purified and identified by Sephadex gel chromatography, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Meanwhile, the biological characteristics of bacteriocin were investigated. The targeted strain W3-2 was obtained and identified as Lactobacillus plantarum by morphological observation and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Correspondingly, a novel bacteriocin (named plantaricin W3-2) produced by L. plantarum W3-2 with a molecular weight of 618.26 Da, and an amino acid sequence of AVEEE was separated, purified by Sephadex gel chromatography and RP-HPLC, and identified by LC-MS/MS. Further characteristics analysis displayed that plantaricin W3-2 had good thermal, pH stability, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial ability. In conclusion, plantaricin W3-2 can be used as a new food preservative.
Using the Cloud to Improve Sensor Availability and Reliability in Remote Monitoring

Although there have been significant advancements in low-power remote sensors in recent years, the challenge of sensor availability and data reliability in remote monitoring applications still persists. The fault and failure of sensors will affect the reliability of the monitored data and subsequently the adverse effect will inevitably propagate itself to the data analytics stage. There are many existing solutions focusing on improving sensor nodes to enhance data reliability and couple it with various energy harvesting techniques to prolong the availability of sensor nodes. This paper presents a complementary solution to these existing solutions by analyzing the correlation between data from different sensor nodes using cloud computing resources. The discovered relationship between the sensor nodes can then be used to improve data reliability and availability of sensor nodes. Performance evaluations using real data sets show that there are indeed relationships between the collected data, and through these discovered relationships the fault detection and fault masking methods outperform conventional approaches such as autoregressive-integrated moving average. In addition, this paper also proposes an approach to extend operation of sensor nodes duration through the discovered relationships, with experiments showing promising results.
Nonoperative treatment of avulsion fracture of the anterior tibia with proximal fibular fracture: A case report

Background Avulsion fracture of the anterior tibia with proximal fibular fracture commonly occurs in Maisonneuve fracture, which generally involves ankle instability and requires surgical correction. Nonoperative treatment of this type of fracture has been rarely reported in the literature. Case presentation A 48-year-old male reported pain in the lateral part of his left lower leg and ankle during a badminton play. Physical examination revealed tenderness and swelling of the lateral aspects of the left ankle, as well as the proximal aspect of the fibula. Preoperative plain x-ray image, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an avulsion fracture of the anterior tibia by the anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament without medial and posterior fracture, rupture of the deltoid ligament, or interosseous membrane. Nonoperative management was performed and successful recovery was observed at a 6-month follow-up. Conclusions Nonoperative management can be a better option for some variations of Maisonneuve fracture with a stable ankle joint. The selection of treatment options should be based on careful examination and radiological evaluation of the ankle.