Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ARX-based EEG data balancing for error potential BCI

Objective. Deep learning algorithms employed in brain computer interfaces (BCIs) need large electroencephalographic (EEG) datasets to be trained. These datasets are usually unbalanced, particularly when error potential (ErrP) experiment are considered, being ErrP’s epochs much rarer than non-ErrP ones. To face the issue of unbalance of rare epochs, this paper presents a novel, data balancing methods based on ARX–modelling. Approach. AutoRegressive with eXogenous input (ARX)-models are identified on the EEG data of the ‘Monitoring error-related potentials’ dataset of the BNCI Horizon 2020 and then employed to generate new synthetic data of the minority class of ErrP epochs. The balanced dataset is used to train a classifier of non-ErrP vs. ErrP epochs based on EEGNet. Main results. Compared to classical techniques (e.g. class weights, CW) for data balancing, the new method outperforms the others in terms of resulting accuracy (i.e. ARX 91.5% vs CW 88.3% ), F1-score (i.e. ARX 78.3% vs CW 73.7% ) and balanced accuracy (i.e. ARX 87.0% vs CW 81.1% ) and also reduces the number of false positive detection (i.e. ARX 51 vs CW 104). Moreover, the ARX-based method shows a better generalization capability of the whole model to classify and predict new data. Significance. The results obtained suggest that the proposed method can be used in BCI application for tackling the issue of data unbalance and obtain more reliable and robust performances.
ROS-based human leader and robot follower using a Pioneer 3-DX robot.

Robot operating system (ROS) provides algorithms and services to control different kind of robots. ROS is a useful tool in many issues in the field of autonomous robots, especially in applications as mapping, localization and autonomous navigation in an indoor environment. Autonomous navigation in a dynamic environment is not only challenging, but also uncovers many indoor environmental factors which affect the navigation process. The presented work describes how a ROS-Based control system is used with a Pioneer 3-DX robot for a human leader and robot follower system. The approach for this work is develop a modular system to reach a human follower using PIONEER 3-DX and Carmine Prime sense Sensor supported by threads for each processing steps through ROS packages, these stages are divided in: coordinate human acquisition, robot´s pose estimation, angular and linear speed control and obstacles security module.
NKG2A and PD-L1 expression panel predicts clinical benefits from adjuvant chemotherapy and PD-L1 blockade in muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Background Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression as a single biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) was controversial. NKG2A was a PD1/PD-L1 axis-related immunity-dependent factor. NKG2A and PD-L1 expression as a combinatorial biomarker might improve the prediction of PD-L1 in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Methods Three independent cohorts were enrolled in our study. 195 patients with bladder-derived metastatic urothelial carcinoma on PD-L1 inhibitor treatment from the IMvigor210 trial were enrolled. 124 MIBC patients from Zhongshan Hospital and 391 patients with MIBC from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were included in this study.The PD-L1/NKG2A-based risk stratification was validated in three independent cohorts, and its association with response to ICB and adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT), immune contexture and molecular features was evaluated. Histologic staining and genomic algorithm were performed to detect characteristics of NKG2A and PD-L1 expression and infiltration of immune cells. Results We identified NKG2AhiPD-L1hi patients could benefit more from cisplatin-based ACT and PD-L1 inhibitor. Further analyses revealed NKG2A and PD-L1 expression panel was linked to an immune-active tumor microenvironment with highly immune effector cells and effector molecules. In addition, NKG2A and PD-L1 expression panel was intrinsically correlated with genomic alterations related to therapeutic response in MIBC. Conclusions NKG2A and PD-L1 expression panel was associated with an immune inflamed microenvironment and acted as a combinatorial biomarker to predict the therapeutic response to ACT and PD-L1 blockade in MIBC.
Machine Learning to Predict Risk of Relapse Using Cytologic Image Markers in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia Posthematopoietic Cell Transplantation

PURPOSE Allogenic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HCT) is a curative therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Relapse post-HCT is the most common cause of treatment failure and is associated with a poor prognosis. Pathologist-based visual assessment of aspirate images and the manual myeloblast counting have shown to be predictive of relapse post-HCT. However, this approach is time-intensive and subjective. The premise of this study was to explore whether computer-extracted morphology and texture features from myeloblasts' chromatin patterns could help predict relapse and prognosticate relapse-free survival (RFS) after HCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, Wright-Giemsa–stained post-HCT aspirate images were collected from 92 patients with AML/MDS who were randomly assigned into a training set (St = 52) and a validation set (Sv = 40). First, a deep learning–based model was developed to segment myeloblasts. A total of 214 texture and shape descriptors were then extracted from the segmented myeloblasts on aspirate slide images. A risk score on the basis of texture features of myeloblast chromatin patterns was generated by using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator with a Cox regression model. RESULTS The risk score was associated with RFS in St (hazard ratio = 2.38; 95% CI, 1.4 to 3.95; P = .0008) and Sv (hazard ratio = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.45; P = .044). We also demonstrate that this resulting signature was predictive of AML relapse with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.71 within Sv. All the relevant code is available at GitHub. CONCLUSION The texture features extracted from chromatin patterns of myeloblasts can predict post-HCT relapse and prognosticate RFS of patients with AML/MDS. Allogenic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HCT) is a curative therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Relapse post-HCT is the most common cause of treatment failure. In this study, Wright-Giemsa–stained post-HCT aspirate images were collected from 92 patients with AML/MDS. First, a deep learning–based model was developed to segment myeloblasts. A total of 214 texture and shape descriptors were then extracted from the segmented myeloblasts on aspirate slide images. This study found that the texture features extracted from chromatin patterns of myeloblasts can predict post-HCT relapse and prognosticate relapse-free survival of patients with AML/MDS.
Development and implementation of medication-related clinical rules for obstetrics, gynaecology, and paediatric outpatients

Objectives Prescription errors can cause serious adverse drug events. Clinical decision support systems prevent prescription errors; however, real-time clinical rules in obstetrics, gynaecology, and paediatric outpatients remain unexplored. We evaluated the effects of localised, real-time clinical rules on alert rates and acceptance rates compared with manual prescription review. Methods We developed real-time clinical rules that incorporate information systems to obtain characteristic information and laboratory values. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare the alert and recommendation acceptance rates of all prescription error types before and after clinical rule implementation in obstetrics, gynaecology, and paediatrics. Clinical rules, prescription error types, and alerts were determined by a prescribing review committee comprising physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and administrators. The difference in alert and acceptance rates between the groups was analysed using relative risk. Results The number of alerts increased after clinical rules implementation; the number of on-duty pharmacists for review decreased from 10 to 2. Compared with those with manual review, the alert rates for paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology increased with the clinical rules by 3.97- and 11.26-fold, respectively, and the alert rates for drug–drug interactions (DDIs) and combined medication errors in obstetrics and gynaecology increased with the clinical rules by 26.10- and 26.54-fold, respectively. In paediatrics, the alert rate for all prescription error types was higher with the clinical rules review than with the manual review; the alert rates for DDI, dosage, and combination medication errors were significantly different between the clinical rules and the manual review. However, there was no difference in the recommendation acceptance rate between the manual review and the clinical rules. Conclusions Clinical rules can identify prescription errors that manual review cannot detect and ensure real-time review efficiency in high-volume outpatient prescription settings. The high acceptance rate and modification of prescriptions may be relevant to highly customised and localised clinical rules.
Coordination between phospholipid pools and DNA damage sensing

Both phospholipid synthesis and the detection of DNA damage are coupled to cell cycle progression, yet whether these two aspects crosstalk to each other remains unassessed. We postulate here that shortage of phospholipids, which negatively affects proliferation, may reduce the need for checkpoint activation in response to DNA damage.
Technologies for integrated millimeter-wave antennas

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Clinical efficacy of chitosan‐based hydrocolloid dressing in the treatment of chronic refractory wounds

This retrospective study aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of chitosan‐based hydrocolloid dressing in treating chronic refractory wounds. A total of 80 patients with chronic refractory wounds were randomly divided into the control group (n = 40) and the study group (n = 40). The control group was given inert saline gauze, while the study group was given chitosan‐based hydrocolloid dressing. After 3 weeks of treatment, the wound healing efficiency, itching pain score, changes in the wound area, dressing change frequency, and cost were measured. There was a significant difference in the wound healing effect (t = 2.738), and degree of pain (t = 4.76) between the study and control groups, after 3 weeks of treatment. Similarly, a prominent reduction in the itching frequency (t = 8.62), and wound area (t = 6.379) was observed in the study group compared to the control group (P < .05). Moreover, the frequency and total cost of dressing change in the study group were also lower than the control group and the difference was statistically significant (P < .05). To summarise, the application of chitosan‐based hydrocolloid dressing in treating chronic refractory can effectively alleviate pain, accelerate wound healing, relieve itching pain, and reduce the overall cost and frequency of dressing change.
Synaptic Integration in CA1 Pyramidal Neurons Is Intact despite Deficits in GABAergic Transmission in the Scn1a Haploinsufficiency Mouse Model of Dravet Syndrome

Abstract Mutations of SCN1A, which encodes the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.1, can cause epilepsy disorders such as Dravet syndrome (DS) that are comorbid with wide-ranging neurologic dysfunction. Many studies suggest that Nav1.1 haploinsufficiency causes forebrain GABAergic interneuron hypoexcitability, while pyramidal neuron physiology is mostly unaltered, and that this serves as a primary cell physiology phenotype linking mutation to disease. We hypothesized that deficits in inhibition would alter synaptic integration during activation of the hippocampal microcircuit, thus disrupting cellular information processing and leading to seizures and cognitive deficits. We tested this hypothesis using ex vivo whole-cell recordings from CA1 pyramidal neurons in a heterozygous Scn1a knock-out mouse model and wild-type (WT) littermates, measuring responses to single and patterned synaptic stimulation and spontaneous synaptic activity. Overall, our experiments reveal a surprising normalcy of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic temporal integration in the hippocampus of Scn1a haploinsufficient mice. While miniature IPSCs and feedforward inhibition and were decreased, we did not identify a pattern or frequency of input that caused a failure of synaptic inhibition. We further show that reduced GABA release probability and subsequent reduced short-term depression may act to overcome deficits in inhibition normalizing input/output functions in the Scn1a haploinsufficient hippocampus. These experiments show that CA1 pyramidal neuron synaptic processing is surprisingly robust, even during decreased interneuron function, and more complex circuit activity is likely required to reveal altered function in the hippocampal microcircuit.
HSP90 N‐terminal inhibitors target oncoprotein MORC2 for autophagic degradation and suppress MORC2‐driven breast cancer progression

Abstract Aims MORC family CW‐type zinc finger 2 (MORC2), a GHKL‐type ATPase, is aberrantly upregulated in multiple types of human tumors with profound effects on cancer aggressiveness, therapeutic resistance, and clinical outcome, thus making it an attractive drug target for anticancer therapy. However, the antagonists of MORC2 have not yet been documented. Methods and Results We report that MORC2 is a relatively stable protein, and the N‐terminal homodimerization but not ATP binding and hydrolysis is crucial for its stability through immunoblotting analysis and Quantitative real‐time PCR. The N‐terminal but not C‐terminal inhibitors of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) destabilize MORC2 in multiple cancer cell lines, and strikingly, this process is independent on HSP90. Mechanistical investigations revealed that HSP90 N‐terminal inhibitors disrupt MORC2 homodimer formation without affecting its ATPase activities, and promote its lysosomal degradation through the chaperone‐mediated autophagy pathway. Consequently, HSP90 inhibitor 17‐AAG effectively blocks the growth and metastatic potential of MORC2‐expressing breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo, and these noted effects are not due to HSP90 inhibition. Conclusion We uncover a previously unknown role for HSP90 N‐terminal inhibitors in promoting MORC2 degradation in a HSP90‐indepentent manner and support the potential application of these inhibitors for treating MORC2‐overexpressing tumors, even those with low or absent HSP90 expression. These results also provide new clue for further design of novel small‐molecule inhibitors of MORC2 for anticancer therapeutic application.
How is loneliness related to anxiety and depression: A population‐based network analysis in the early lockdown period

High risk of mental health problems is associated with loneliness resulting from social distancing measures and “lockdowns” that have been imposed globally due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. This study explores the interconnectedness of loneliness, anxiety and depression on a symptom level using network analysis. A representative sample of participants (N = 1041), who were of at least 18 years of age, was recruited from the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Loneliness, anxiety and depression were assessed using validated instruments. Network analysis was used to identify the network structure of loneliness, anxiety and depression. Loneliness was found to be largely isolated from anxiety and depression nodes in the network. Anxiety and depression were largely interconnected. “Trouble relaxing,” “feeling bad about oneself” and “not being able to stop or control worrying” were suggested as the most influential nodes of the network. Despite the expectation that loneliness would be implicated more robustly in the anxiety and depression network of symptoms, the results suggest loneliness as a distinct construct that is not interwoven with anxiety and depression.
Nanotechnological Advances for Nose to Brain Delivery of Therapeutics to Improve the Parkinson Therapy

Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) acts as a highly impermeable barrier, presenting an impediment to the crossing of most classical drugs targeted for neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD). About the nature of drugs and other potential molecules, they impose unavoidable dose-restricted limitations eventually leading to the failure of therapy. However, many advancements in formulation technology and modification of delivery approaches have been successful in delivering the drug to the brain in the therapeutic window. The nose to the brain (N2B) drug delivery employing the nanoformulation, is one such emerging delivery approach, overcoming both classical drug formulation and delivery-associated limitations. This latter approach offers increased bioavailability, greater patient acceptance, lesser metabolic degradation of drugs, circumvention of BBB, ample drug loading along with the controlled release of the drugs. In N2B delivery, the intranasal (IN) route carries therapeutics firstly into the nasal cavity followed by the brain through olfactory and trigeminal nerve connections linked with nasal mucosa. The N2B delivery approach is being explored for delivering other biologicals like neuropeptides and mitochondria. Meanwhile, this N2B delivery system is associated with critical challenges consisting of mucociliary clearance, degradation by enzymes, and drug translocations by efflux mechanisms. These challenges finally culminated in the development of suitable surface-modified nano-carriers and Focused- Ultrasound-Assisted IN as FUS-IN technique which has expanded the horizons of N2B drug delivery. Hence, nanotechnology, in collaboration with advances in the IN route of drug administration, has a diversified approach for treating PD. The present review discusses the physiology and limitation of IN delivery along with current advances in nanocarrier and technical development assisting N2B drug delivery.
Dynamic spectrum management: an impact on EW systems

Rapid evolution of wireless systems caused an enormous growth of data streams transmitted through the networks and, as a consequence, an accompanying demand concerning spectrum resources (SR). An avoidance of advisable disturbances is one of the main demands in military communications. To solve the interference problems, dynamic spectrum management (DSM) techniques can be used. Two main techniques are possible: centralized Coordinated Dynamic Spectrum Access (CDSA) and distributed Opportunistic Spectrum Access (OSA). CDSA enables the wireless networks planning automation, and systems dynamic reaction to random changes of Radio Environment (RE). For OSA, cognitive radio (CR) is the most promising technology that enables avoidance of interference with the other spectrum users due to CR’s transmission parameters adaptation to the current radio situation, according to predefined Radio Policies rules. If DSM techniques are used, the inherent changes in EW systems are also needed. On one hand, new techniques of jamming should be elaborated, on the other hand, the rules and protocols of cooperation between communication network and EW systems should be developed.
A New Efficient Algorithm for the 2D WLP-FDTD Method Based on Domain Decomposition Technique

This letter introduces a new efficient algorithm for the two-dimensional weighted Laguerre polynomials finite difference time-domain (WLP-FDTD) method based on domain decomposition scheme. By using the domain decomposition finite difference technique, the whole computational domain is decomposed into several subdomains. The conventional WLP-FDTD and the efficient WLP-FDTD methods are, respectively, used to eliminate the splitting error and speed up the calculation in different subdomains. A joint calculation scheme is presented to reduce the amount of calculation. Through our work, the iteration is not essential to obtain the accurate results. Numerical example indicates that the efficiency and accuracy are improved compared with the efficient WLP-FDTD method.
Helical strakes on High Mast Lighting Towers and their effect on vortex shedding lock-in

Zahour, Ayah. M.S.A.A. , Purdue University, December 2016. Helical Strakes on High Mast Lighting Towers and their Effect on Vortex Shedding Lock-In. Major Professor: Dr. Steven H. Collicott. An experimental study on the effect of helical strakes on vortex induced vibrations and the lock-in phenomenon in High Mast Lighting Towers (HMLTs) is investigated. Two multi-sided tapered scaled models are clamped in place in a subsonic wind tunnel that is equipped with a hot-wire sensor and a traverse mechanism. The shedding frequency data is collected for the models with and without helically patterned strakes with the use of two different ropes. The responses of the tower models, for a Reynolds number of 44, 000, are compared and discussed under different configurations including: two directions of the model with respect to the direction of the flow, and changes in the ratio of strake height to HMLT diameter. Four major aspects of the spectrum of the hot-wire signal from the wake are studied: the vortex shedding frequency, signal strength, characteristic spectral peak area, and characteristic spectral peak width. It is observed that, for most cases, no specific method produces a decisive outcome. However, some of the results for the 12-sided model provide supporting evidence that the vortex induced vibrations may be mitigated with the use of helical strakes.