Flashing color on the performance of SSVEP-based brain-computer Interfaces

A critical problem in using steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for clinical and commercial use is the visual fatigue the user may suffer when staring at flashing stimuli. Aiming at the design of user-friendly BCIs with satisfactory performance, this work is to preliminarily investigate how different colors influence the SSVEP (i.e. frequency or phase) and system performance. The results show that white stimuli can lead to the highest performance, followed by gray, red, green and blue stimuli.published_or_final_versio

Construction of exact solutions to eigenvalue problems by the asymptotic iteration method

We apply the asymptotic iteration method (AIM) [J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 36, 11807 (2003)] to solve new classes of second-order homogeneous linear differential equation. In particular, solutions are found for a general class of eigenvalue problems which includes Schroedinger problems with Coulomb, harmonic oscillator, or Poeschl-Teller potentials, as well as the special eigenproblems studied recently by Bender et al [J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 34 9835 (2001)] and generalized in the present paper to higher dimensions.Comment: 10 page

Low-Intensity Vibration Protects the Weight-Bearing Skeleton and Suppresses Fracture Incidence in Boys With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

The ability of low-intensity vibration (LIV) to combat skeletal decline in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. Twenty DMD boys were enrolled, all ambulant and treated with glucocorticoids (mean age 7.6, height-adjusted Z-scores [HAZ] of hip bone mineral density [BMD] −2.3). Ten DMD boys were assigned to stand for 10 min/d on an active LIV platform (0.4 g at 30 Hz), while 10 stood on a placebo device. Baseline and 14-month bone mineral content (BMC) and BMD of spine, hip, and total body were measured with DXA, and trabecular bone density (TBD) of tibia with quantitative computed tomography (QCT). All children tolerated the LIV intervention well, with daily compliance averaging 78%. At 14 months, TBD in the proximal and distal tibia remained unchanged in placebo subjects (−1.0% and −0.2%), while rising 3.5% and 4.6% in LIV subjects. HAZ for hip BMD and BMC in the placebo group declined 22% and 13%, respectively, contrasting with no change from baseline (0.9% and 1.4%) in the LIV group. Fat mass in the leg increased 32% in the placebo group, contrasting with 21% in LIV subjects. Across the 14-month study, there were four incident fractures in three placebo patients (30%), with no new fractures identified in LIV subjects. Despite these encouraging results, a major limitation of the study is—despite randomized enrollment—that there was a significant difference in age between the two cohorts, with the LIV group being 2.8y older, and thus at greater severity of disease. In sum, these data suggest that noninvasive LIV can help protect the skeleton of DMD children against the disease progression, the consequences of diminished load bearing, and the complications of chronic steroid use. © 2022 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Risk perception and media in shaping protective behaviors: insights from the early phase of COVID-19 Italian outbreak

In the absence of target treatments or vaccination, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic can be impeded by effectively implementing containment measures and behaviors. This relies on individuals’ adoption of protective behaviors, their perceived risk, and the use and trust of information sources. During a health emergency, receiving timely and accurate information enables individuals to take appropriate actions to protect themselves, shaping their risk perception. Italy was the first western country plagued by COVID-19 and one of the most affected in the early phase. During this period, we surveyed 2,223 Italians before the national lockdown. A quarter of the sample perceived COVID-19 less threatening than flu and would not vaccinate, if a vaccine was available. Besides, most people perceived containment measures, based on social distancing or wearing masks, not useful. This perceived utility was related to COVID-19 threat perception and efficacy beliefs. All these measures were associated with the use of media and their truthfulness: participants declared to mainly use the Internet, while health organizations’ websites were the most trusted. Although social networks were frequently used, they were rated lower for trustfulness. Our data differ from those obtained in other community samples, suggesting the relevance to explore changes across different countries and during the different phases of the pandemic. Understanding these phenomena, and how people access the media, may contribute to improve the efficacy of containment measures, tailoring specific policies and health communications

Regularization of statistical inverse problems and the Bakushinskii veto

In the deterministic context Bakushinskii's theorem excludes the existence of purely data driven convergent regularization for ill-posed problems. We will prove in the present work that in the statistical setting we can either construct a counter example or develop an equivalent formulation depending on the considered class of probability distributions. Hence, Bakushinskii's theorem does not generalize to the statistical context, although this has often been assumed in the past. To arrive at this conclusion, we will deduce from the classic theory new concepts for a general study of statistical inverse problems and perform a systematic clarification of the key ideas of statistical regularization.Comment: 20 page

C-KIT IS EXPRESSED IN SOFT TISSUE SARCOMA OF NEUROECTODERMIC ORIGIN AND ITS LIGAND PREVENTS APOPTOSIS OF NEOPLASTIC CELLS

During development, mice with mutations of stem cell factor (SCF) or its receptor c-kit exhibit defects in melanogenesis, as well as hematopoiesis and gonadogenesis. Consequently, accumulating evidence suggests that the c-kit/SCF system plays a crucial role in all of these processes and in tumors which derive from them. Especially in neuroblastoma (infant tumors of neuroectoderm crest derivation such as melano-cytes) it would appear that an autocrine loop exists between c-kit and SCF, and that the functional block of the c-kit receptors with monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) results in a significant decrease in cellular proliferation. We studied the expression and role of c-kit and SCF in cell lines of soft tissue sarcoma of neuroectodermic origin, such as Ewing’s sar-coma (ES) and peripheral neuro-ectodermal tumors (PNET). Using flow cytometry with MoAb CD117 PE, c-kit expressio

Complete mitochondrial sequences from Mesolithic Sardinia

Little is known about the genetic prehistory of Sardinia because of the scarcity of pre-Neolithic human remains. From a genetic perspective, modern Sardinians are known as genetic outliers in Europe, showing unusually high levels of internal diversity and a close relationship to early European Neolithic farmers. However, how far this peculiar genetic structure extends and how it originated was to date impossible to test. Here we present the first and oldest complete mitochondrial sequences from Sardinia, dated back to 10,000 yBP. These two individuals, while confirming a Mesolithic occupation of the island, belong to rare mtDNA lineages, which have never been found before in Mesolithic samples and that are currently present at low frequencies not only in Sardinia, but in the whole Europe. Preliminary Approximate Bayesian Computations, restricted by biased reference samples for Mesolithic Sardinia (the two typed samples) and Neolithic Europe (limited to central and north European sequences), suggest that the first inhabitants of the island have had a small or negligible contribution to the present-day Sardinian population, which mainly derives its genetic diversity from continental migration into the island by Neolithic times

Detection and quantification of the histone code in the fungal genus Aspergillus

In eukaryotes, the combination of different histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) - the histone code - impacts the chromatin organization as compact and transcriptionally silent heterochromatin or accessible and transcriptionally active euchromatin. Although specific histone PTMs have been studied in fungi, an overview of histone PTMs and their relative abundance is still lacking. Here, we used mass spectrometry to detect and quantify histone PTMs in three fungal species belonging to three distinct taxonomic sections of the genus Aspergillus (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus nidulans (two strains), and Aspergillus fumigatus). We overall detected 23 different histone PTMs, including a majority of lysine methylations and acetylations, and 23 co-occurrence patterns of multiple histone PTMs. Among those, we report for the first time the detection of H3K79me1, H3K79me2, and H4K31ac in Aspergilli. Although all three species harbour the same PTMs, we found significant differences in the relative abundance of H3K9me1/2/3, H3K14ac, H3K36me1 and H3K79me1, as well as the co-occurrence of acetylation on both K18 and K23 of histone H3 in a strain-specific manner. Our results provide novel insights about the underexplored complexity of the histone code in filamentous fungi, and its functional implications on genome architecture and gene regulation

Operational experience with the GEM detector assembly lines for the CMS forward muon upgrade

The CMS Collaboration has been developing large-area triple-gas electron multiplier (GEM) detectors to be installed in the muon Endcap regions of the CMS experiment in 2019 to maintain forward muon trigger and tracking performance at the High-Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC); 10 preproduction detectors were built at CERN to commission the first assembly line and the quality controls (QCs). These were installed in the CMS detector in early 2017 and participated in the 2017 LHC run. The collaboration has prepared several additional assembly and QC lines for distributed mass production of 160 GEM detectors at various sites worldwide. In 2017, these additional production sites have optimized construction techniques and QC procedures and validated them against common specifications by constructing additional preproduction detectors. Using the specific experience from one production site as an example, we discuss how the QCs make use of independent hardware and trained personnel to ensure fast and reliable production. Preliminary results on the construction status of CMS GEM detectors are presented with details of the assembly sites involvement