Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultraloop: Active Lateral Force Feedback Using Resonant Traveling Waves

The sensation of touching virtual texture and shape can be provided to a touchscreen user by varying the friction force. Despite the saliency of the sensation, this modulated frictional force is purely passive and strictly opposes finger movement. Therefore, it is only possible to create forces along the direction of movement and this technology cannot stimulate a static fingertip or provide forces that are orthogonal to the direction of movement. The lack of orthogonal force limits the guidance to a target in an arbitrary direction and there is a need for active lateral forces to give directional cues to the fingertip. Here, we introduce a surface haptic interface that uses ultrasonic traveling waves to create an active lateral force on bare fingertips. The device is built around a ring shape cavity where two degenerate resonant modes around 40 kHz are excited with 90<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{\circ }$</tex-math></inline-formula> phase shift. The interface provides active forces up to 0.3 N to a static bare finger uniformly over a 140×30 mm<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{2}$</tex-math></inline-formula> surface. We report the model and design of the acoustic cavity, force measurements, and an application to create a key-click sensation. This work demonstrates a promising method for uniformly producing large lateral forces on a touch surface.
Reproducibility in 2023 - An End-to-End Template for Analysis and Manuscript Writing

Reproducibility imposes some special requirements at different stages of each project, including reproducible workflows for the analysis including to follow best practices regarding code style and to make the creation of the manuscript reproducible as well. Available tools therefore include version control systems such as Git and document creation tools such as Quarto or R Markdown. However, a re-usable project template mapping the entire process from performing the data analysis to finally writing the manuscript in a reproducible manner is yet lacking. This work aims to fill this gap by presenting an open source template for conducting reproducible research projects utilizing a containerized framework for both developing and conducting the analysis and summarizing the results in a manuscript. This template can be used instantly without any customization.
Multi-Modal Deep Learning Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease—A Systematic Review

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is among the most frequent neurological disorders. Approaches that employ artificial intelligence and notably deep learning, have been extensively embraced with promising outcomes. This study dispenses an exhaustive review between 2016 and January 2023 on deep learning techniques used in the prognosis and evolution of symptoms and characteristics of the disease based on gait, upper limb movement, speech and facial expression-related information as well as the fusion of more than one of the aforementioned modalities. The search resulted in the selection of 87 original research publications, of which we have summarized the relevant information regarding the utilized learning and development process, demographic information, primary outcomes, and sensory equipment related information. Various deep learning algorithms and frameworks have attained state-of-the-art performance in many PD-related tasks by outperforming conventional machine learning approaches, according to the research reviewed. In the meanwhile, we identify significant drawbacks in the existing research, including a lack of data availability and interpretability of models. The fast advancements in deep learning and the rise in accessible data provide the opportunity to address these difficulties in the near future and for the broad application of this technology in clinical settings.
The CA2 hippocampal subfield in humans: A review

CA2 is probably the most enigmatic of the hippocampal fields. It is small in size (in humans about 500 μm across the mediolateral axis), and yet, it is involved in important functions, such as in social memory and anxiety. This study offers a glimpse of several significant aspects of the anatomical organization of CA2. We present an overview of the anatomical structure of CA2, imbued in the general organization of the human hippocampal formation. The location and distinctiveness of CA2 is presented in relation with CA3 and CA1, based in a total of 23 human control cases serially sectioned throughout the whole longitudinal axis of the hippocampus, examined every 500 μm in Nissl‐stained sections. The longitudinal extent of CA2 is close to 30 mm, starting in the hippocampal head, 2.5 mm caudal to the DG and 3.5 mm caudal to the start of CA3, approximately 10 mm from the hippocampus rostral end. The connectional information of human CA2 is very scarce, thereby we relied on nonhuman primate tract tracing studies of the hippocampal formation, given its resemblance to the human brain. Human CA2 is subject of neuropathological studies, and we chose to present Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis in those aspects that impinge directly into CA2.
Associations of interdialytic weight gain in the long intervals with mortality and residual kidney function decline

Interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) is crucial in the association between long interdialytic intervals and mortality in hemodialysis patients. The impact of IDWG on changes in residual kidney function (RKF) has not been evaluated thoroughly. This study examined the associations of IDWG in the long intervals (IDWGL) with mortality and rapid RKF decline.
Raspberry ketone glucoside suppresses melanin synthesis through IL6/JAK1/STAT3 signal pathway.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the anti-melanogenic activity of raspberry ketone glucoside (RKG) and further explore the specific molecular mechanisms by which RKG affects melanogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The B16F10 cells model, the mushroom tyrosinase model and the zebrafish model were used to assess the whitening activity of RKG. We subsequently identified possible pathways related to RKG inhibition of melanogenesis by RNA-seq analysis and qRT-PCR on the zebrafish model, and further explored the effects of key genes on the pathway on the melanogenic effect of RKG by using related pathway inhibitors and Tg [mpeg: EGFP] transgenic zebrafish line. RESULTS RKG could noticeably inhibit melanogenesis in B16F10 cells in vitro and on zebrafish in vivo. The RNA-Seq analysis and the qRT-PCR in zebrafish embryos indicated that the inhibition of melanogenesis by RKG could be achieved by activating JAK1/STAT3 signal pathway and inhibiting the expression levels of the MITFa, TYR, TYRP1a genes directly associated with melanogenesis. The inhibitor tests revealed that the inhibitory effect of the RKG on melanogenesis was restored by the IL6, JAK1/2, and STAT3 inhibitors, specifically STAT3 inhibitor. We further examine the relationship between the JAK1/STAT3 signal pathway and the MITFa. The achieved results indicate that the RKG could activate the zebrafish macrophages via the JAK1, but the inhibition of macrophage activation by loganin did not affect the anti-pigmentation effect of the RKG. CONCLUSIONS RKG showed remarkable whitening activity on both B16F10 cells in vitro and zebrafish model in vivo. Furthermore, RKG could inhibit melanogenesis by activating the IL6/JAK1/STAT3 pathway, inhibiting the transcriptional activity of MITFa, and its downstream expression levels of the TYR and TYRP1a genes.
U-Net-Based Segmentation of Current Imaging Biomarkers in OCT-Scans of Patients with Age Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world. In this work, the non-invasive imaging technique spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is used to acquire retinal images, which are then analyzed using deep learning techniques. The authors trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) using 1300 SD-OCT scans annotated by trained experts for the presence of different biomarkers associated with AMD. The CNN was able to accurately segment these biomarkers and the performance was further enhanced through transfer learning with weights from a separate classifier, trained on a large external public OCT dataset to distinguish between different types of AMD. Our model is able to accurately detect and segment AMD biomarkers in OCT scans, which suggests that it could be useful for prioritizing patients and reducing ophthalmologists' workloads.
Hepatic Steatosis but Not Fibrosis Is Independently Associated with Poor Outcomes in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background/Aims Increased prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been reported. However, the effects of NAFLD on the outcome of IBD remains unclear. We investigated whether the presence of NAFLD could influence the outcomes of patients with IBD. Methods We recruited 3,356 eligible patients with IBD into our study between November 2005 and November 2020. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis were diagnosed using hepatic steatosis index of ≥30 and fibrosis-4 of ≥1.45, respectively. The primary outcome was clinical relapse, defined based on the following IBD-related admission, surgery, or first use of corticosteroids, immunomodulators, or biologic agents for IBD. Results The prevalence of NAFLD in patients with IBD was 16.7%. Patients with hepatic steatosis and advanced fibrosis were older, had a higher body mass index, and were more likely to have diabetes (all p<0.05). Conclusions Hepatic steatosis was independently associated with increased risks of clinical relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, whereas fibrotic burden in the liver was not. Future studies should investigate whether assessment and therapeutic intervention for NAFLD will improve the clinical outcomes of patients with IBD.
Characterization of fab2 T-DNA insertion mutants in terms of fatty acid composition and plant phenotype

ABSTRACT Fatty acid biosynthesis 2 (FAB2) is an essential enzyme responsible for the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in chloroplast membrane lipids found in leaves and triacylglycerols (TAG) in seeds. FAB2 functions at the junction of saturated to unsaturated fatty acid conversion in chloroplasts by converting 18:0-ACP to 18:1-ACP. In the present study, plant growth and seed phenotypes were examined in three Arabidopsis T-DNA mutants (fab2–1, fab2–2, and fab2–3). The three fab2 T-DNA mutants exhibited increased 18:0 fatty acid content in both the leaves and seeds. The degree of growth inhibition of the fab2 mutant was proportional to the increase in 18:0 and decrease in 18:3 fatty acids present in the leaves. The FAB2 mutation affected seed yield but not the seed phenotype. This result indicates that FAB2 affects the fatty acid composition of the leaf chloroplast membrane more than seed TAG. In summary, the characteristics of these three fab2 mutants provide information for studying leaf membrane lipid and seed oil biosynthesis.
The Efficiency of Triple-Helix Relations in Innovation Systems: Measuring the Connection between a Country’s Net Income and Its Knowledge Base

We apply the Method of Reflections developed by Hidalgo and Hausmann for measuring economic complexity to a Triple Helix system of innovations by defining the Patent Complexity Index in analogy and addition to the Economic Complexity Index and extending MR to three dimensions. PCI is operationalized in terms of patent groups instead of product groups. PCI and ECI are computed for three groups of countries. We find no correlation between economic complexity and technological complexity which means that the two measures capture different information. Adding the third dimension of governance to the Method of Reflections, one can incorporate knowledge dimension in Hidalgo and Hausmann defined ECI and use MR for evaluation the efficiency of Triple-Helix system of innovations. The Method of Reflections can thus be used for evaluating the efficiency of a TH system of innovations in terms of its contribution to the net national income
Bacteria in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Circuit Clots of a Patient With Persistent Bacteremia: A Case Report

A neonate with pulmonary hypertension was supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). During ECMO support, the patient developed Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia, treated with targeted antibiotics. Despite the maximum dose of antibiotics, routine blood cultures remained positive throughout the ECMO treatment. A circuit change was performed due to buildup of thrombotic material and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) inside the circuit. Thrombus formation was more extensive in the first than the second circuit. Gram-positive diplococci were present in all initial circuit clots and gram-positive masses surrounded by fibrin were found inside thrombi of the second circuit. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a dense fibrin network with embedded red blood cells and bacteria in the first circuit. In the second circuit, SEM analysis revealed scattered micro thrombi. Polymerase chain reaction for identification of bacteria in the thrombus of the first circuit showed the same bacteria as found in blood cultures and did not achieve a sufficient signal in the second circuit. This case report shows that bacteria can nestle in thrombi of an ECMO circuit and that there is a rationale for a circuit change in a patient with persistent positive blood cultures and DIC.
Factors affecting activities of daily living among patients with Wilson disease

Wilson disease (WD) is a congenital copper metabolism disorder with various manifestations and can be treated with oral medication. This study examined the factors related to decline in activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with WD as research in this area remains limited. We enrolled 308 patients with WD, including patients who participated in a national survey and those who sought cares at the Department of Pediatrics, Toho University Ohashi Medical Center, from 2016 to 2017. We analyzed the association between ADL decline and factors including age at diagnosis, period from diagnosis to survey, hepatic symptoms, neurological signs, and psychiatric presentation at diagnosis. The relative risks (RRs) for ADL decline were estimated for each factor using multivariate modified Poisson regression analysis. Overall, 97 out of 308 (31.5%) patients experienced ADL decline. After adjusting for explanatory variables, regression analysis revealed that factors significantly associated with ADL decline were a period of ≥20 years from diagnosis to survey (adjusted RR = 2.34, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47–3.74), hepatic symptoms with splenomegaly (adjusted RR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.26–5.24), mild neurological signs (adjusted RR = 3.20, 95% CI: 1.96–5.23), and severe neurological signs (adjusted RR = 3.63, 95% CI: 2.28–5.77). Neurological signs, hepatic symptoms with splenomegaly, and a period of 20 years from diagnosis to survey are associated with ADL decline. Thus, careful assessment of patients for these factors is necessary, and these findings may guide future efforts to improve patient prognosis.
Gastric vagal afferent signaling to the basolateral amygdala mediates anxiety-like behaviors in experimental colitis mice

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a relapsing-remitting disorder characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Anxiety symptoms are commonly observed in patients with IBD, but the mechanistic link between IBD and anxiety remains elusive. Here, we sought to characterize gut-to-brain signaling and brain circuitry responsible for the pathological expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male dextran sulfate sodium–induced (DSS-induced) experimental colitis mice. We found that DSS-treated mice displayed increased anxiety-like behaviors, which were prevented by bilateral GI vagal afferent ablation. The locus coeruleus (LC) is a relay center connecting the nucleus tractus solitarius to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in controlling anxiety-like behaviors. Chemogenetic silencing of noradrenergic LC projections to the BLA reduced anxiety-like behaviors in DSS-treated mice. This work expands our understanding of the neural mechanisms by which IBD leads to comorbid anxiety and emphasizes a critical role of gastric vagal afferent signaling in gut-to-brain regulation of emotional states.
Comparison of 2 sampling methods for molecular detection of bacteria or fungi from feline hair and scale specimens

Skin diseases of cats are among the most frequent client motivations for a veterinary consultation. Both carpet and toothbrush sampling are commonly used to obtain hair and scale samples for microbiologic testing. Although molecular tests have become more accessible and more widely used by clinicians, the ideal collection method for clinical specimens is unclear. To assess their performance in retrieving microbial DNA from clinical samples, we compared the bacterial and fungal DNA load in hair and skin scale samples collected using carpet or toothbrush methods. We evaluated sample DNA yield using fluorometry, spectrophotometry, and quantitative PCR. Despite no measurable differences in sample weight, toothbrush samples yielded significantly higher bacterial (p = 0.028) and fungal (p = 0.005) DNA loads compared to carpet samples, regardless of disease status. The toothbrush method was more effective in harvesting microbial DNA from hair and skin scale samples.
Remodeling Serine Synthesis and Metabolism via Nanoparticles (NPs)‐Mediated CFL1 Silencing to Enhance the Sensitivity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma to Sorafenib

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors represented by sorafenib are the first‐line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the low response rate of HCC patient has become a clinical pain‐point. Emerging evidences have revealed that metabolic reprogramming plays an important role in regulating the sensitivity of tumor cells to various chemotherapeutics including sorafenib. However, the underlying mechanisms are very complex and are not fully elucidated. By comparing the transcriptome sequencing data of sorafenib‐sensitive and ‐insensitive HCC patients, it is revealed that cofilin 1 (CFL1) is highly expressed in the tumor tissues of sorafenib‐insensitive HCC patients and closely correlated with their poor prognosis. Mechanically, CFL1 can promote phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase transcription and enhance serine synthesis and metabolism to accelerate the production of antioxidants for scavenging the excessive reactive oxygen species induced by sorafenib, thereby impairing the sorafenib sensitivity of HCC. To translate this finding and consider the severe side effects of sorafenib, a reduction‐responsive nanoplatform for systemic co‐delivery of CFL1 siRNA (siCFL1) and sorafenib is further developed, and its high efficacy in inhibiting HCC tumor growth without apparent toxicity is demonstrated. These results indicate that nanoparticles‐mediated co‐delivery of siCFL1 and sorafenib can be a new strategy for the treatment of advanced HCC.
Elderly CD8+ T cells in the focus for immunotherapeutic approaches

3899 AGING Immunosenescence is an inevitable phenomenon of the aging process and leads to increased susceptibility to severe infections and tumor diseases. At cancer diagnosis, the majority of patients are older than 65 years but this age group is often underrepresented in clinical trials of new immunotherapies. Due to comorbidities and immunosenescence, older patients are often considered ineligible, resulting in inadequate benefit/risk assessment of new treatment strategies [1, 2]. Modern immunotherapeutic approaches, such as adoptive T cell transfer, utilize patient-derived CD8 T cells for targeted sensitization against tumor cells. Commonly reported defects of CD8 T cells in old age question the success of T cell-based immunotherapies in elderly patients. However, due to the lack of singlecell based in vitro studies, the discrimination of functional defects caused by cell-intrinsic alterations or the suboptimal microenvironment and impaired antigen presentation in the aged host remains challenging. Nevertheless, elucidating intrinsically conserved capabilities may be crucial for selecting appropriate immunotherapies.
Associations Between Engagement with the BitHabit Digital Lifestyle Intervention and Changes in Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) can be prevented or delayed through a healthy lifestyle. Digital behavior change interventions (DBCIs) may offer cost-effective and scalable means to support lifestyle changes. This study investigated associations between user engagement with a habit-formation-based DBCI, the BitHabit app, and changes in T2D risk factors over 12 months in 963 participants at risk of T2D. User engagement was characterized by calculating use metrics from the BitHabit log data. User ratings were used as a subjective measure of engagement. The use metrics and user ratings were the strongest associated with improvements in diet quality. Weak positive associations were observed between the use metrics and changes in waist circumference and body mass index. No associations were found with changes in physical activity, fasting plasma glucose, or plasma glucose two hours after an oral glucose tolerance test. To conclude, increased use of the BitHabit app can have beneficial impacts on T2D risk factors, especially on diet quality.
Comparison of Strength and Power Characteristics Before ACL Rupture and at the End of Rehabilitation Before Return to Sport in Professional Soccer Players

Background: Strength and power is often reduced on the involved versus contralateral limb and healthy controls after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, but no study has compared with preinjury values at the time of return to sport (RTS). Hypothesis: Divergent recovery patterns in strength and power characteristics will be present at RTS relative to preinjury baseline data and healthy matched controls. Study Design: Cohort study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: Isokinetic strength tests, bilateral and single-leg countermovement jumps (CMJ; SLCMJ) were measured before ACL rupture in 20 professional soccer players. These then had surgical reconstruction (ACL group) and completed follow-up testing before RTS. Healthy controls (uninjured group) were tested at the same time as the ACL group preinjury. Values recorded at RTS of the ACL group were compared with preinjury. We also compared the uninjured and ACL groups at baseline and RTS. Results: Compared with preinjury, ACL normalized quadriceps peak torque of the involved limb (difference = -7%), SLCMJ height (difference = -12.08%), and Reactive Strength Index modified (RSImod) (difference = -5.04%) were reduced after ACL reconstruction. No significant reductions in CMJ height, RSImod, and relative peak power were indicated at RTS in the ACL group when compared with preinjury values, but deficits were present relative to controls. The uninvolved limb improved quadriceps (difference = 9.34%) and hamstring strength (difference = 7.36%) from preinjury to RTS. No significant differences from baseline were shown in SLCMJ height, power, and reactive strength of the uninvolved limb after ACL reconstruction. Conclusion: Strength and power in professional soccer players at RTS after ACL reconstruction were often reduced compared with preinjury values and matched healthy controls. Clinical Relevance: Deficits were more apparent in the SLCMJ, suggesting that dynamic and multijoint unilateral force production is an important component of rehabilitation. Use of the uninvolved limb and normative data to determine recovery may not always be appropriate.