Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
μ-Opioid Receptor Activation Modulates Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) Currents in Sensory Neurons in A Model of Inflammatory Pain

Current therapy for inflammatory pain includes the peripheral application of opioid receptor agonists. Activation of opioid receptors modulates voltage-gated ion channels, but it is unclear whether opioids can also influence ligand-gated ion channels [e.g., the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1)]. TRPV1 channels are involved in the development of thermal hypersensitivity associated with tissue inflammation. In this study, we investigated μ-opioid receptor and TRPV1 expression in primary afferent neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced paw inflammation. In addition, the present study examined whether the activity of TRPV1 in DRG neurons can be inhibited by μ-opioid receptor (μ-receptor) ligands and whether this inhibition is increased after CFA inflammation. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated colocalization of TRPV1 and μ-receptors in DRG neurons. CFA-induced inflammation increased significantly the number of TRPV1- and μ-receptor-positive DRG neurons, as well as TRPV1 binding sites. In whole-cell patch clamp studies, opioids significantly decreased capsaicin-induced TRPV1 currents in a naloxone- and pertussis toxinsensitive manner. The inhibitory effect of morphine on TRPV1 was abolished by forskolin and 8-bromo-cAMP. During inflammation, an increase in TRPV1 is apparently rivaled by an increase of μ-receptors. However, in single dissociated DRG neurons, the inhibitory effects of morphine are not different between animals with and without CFA inflammation. In in vivo experiments, we found that locally applied morphine reduced capsaicin-induced thermal allodynia. In summary, our results indicate that μ-receptor activation can inhibit the activity of TRPV1 via Gi/o proteins and the cAMP pathway. These observations demonstrate an important new mechanism underlying the analgesic efficacy of peripherally acting μ-receptor ligands in inflammatory pain.
Two new eucrite breccias from Northwest Africa

Abstract– This work describes two newly discovered eucrite breccias: three presumably paired meteorites, all named Northwest Africa (NWA) 6105, and NWA 6106. For each meteorite, major‐ and minor‐element compositions of minerals were determined using the electron microprobe. Pyroxene Fe‐Mn co‐variations and bulk‐rock oxygen isotope compositions confirm their classification as eucrites. Variations in mineral compositions and textures are attributed to differences in clast types present (i.e., basaltic or cumulate eucrite). The pyroxene compositions support the hypothesis that samples NWA 6105,1; 6105,2; and 6105,3 are paired polymict eucritic breccias, whereas sample NWA 6106 is a monomict basaltic eucritic breccia. Two‐pyroxene geothermometry yields temperatures too low for igneous crystallization. The variation in temperatures among samples suggests that metamorphism occurred prior to brecciation.
Gravitational moment correction in isokinetic dynamometry using anthropometric data.

The purpose of this study was to compare different methods of gravity correction in isokinetic dynamometry. The gravitational moment of the left leg-foot segment of 25 males was measured on a Biodex dynamometer at 30 degrees of knee flexion statically, and as the segment was passively falling from 0 degree to 90 degrees with a constant velocity of 0.035 rad.s-1. The tests were performed in a supine and a seated position. The gravitational moments were also estimated from anthropometric data and directly, using a reaction board method that was considered as the criterion measurement. Furthermore, the isokinetic maximum moment output of the knee flexors and extensors was measured and corrected for gravity using the above methods at angular velocities of 0.52 rad.s-1 and 2.62 rad.s-1 during eccentric, and at 0.52 rad.s-1, 2.62 rad.s-1, and 4.71 rad.s-1 during concentric activations. One-way repeated-measures analysis of variance tests revealed significant differences (P < 0.05) between the gravitational moments obtained on the isokinetic dynamometer and those estimated from anthropometric data or by the reaction board method. The maximum extensor and flexor moments were significantly different, corrected using the gravity correction methods on the dynamometer relative to the anthropometric model or the reaction board (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the determination of gravitational moments based on anthropometric data is more accurate than current gravity correction methods. This new proposed method should be implemented in isokinetic dynamometry applications.
SOLVING SYSTEMS OF MONOTONE INCLUSIONS VIA PRIMAL-DUAL SPLITTING TECHNIQUES

In this paper we propose an algorithm for solving systems of coupled monotone inclusions in Hilbert spaces. The operators arising in each of the inclusions of the system are processed in each iteration separately, namely, the single-valued are evaluated explicitly (forward steps), while the set-valued ones via their resolvents (backward steps). In addition, most of the steps in the iterative scheme can be executed simultaneously, this making the method applicable to a variety of convex minimization problems. The numerical performances of the proposed splitting algorithm are emphasized through applications in average consensus on colored networks and image classification via support vector machines.
Time Dilation and Quasar Variability

The timescale of quasar variability is widely expected to show the effects of time dilation. In this Letter, we analyze the Fourier power spectra of a large sample of quasar light curves to look for such an effect. We find that the timescale of quasar variation does not increase with redshift, as required by time dilation. Possible explanations of this result all conflict with widely held consensus in the scientific community.
The Phosphotyrosyl Phosphatase Activator, Ncs1p (Rrd1p), Functions with Cla4p To Regulate the G2/M Transition inSaccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT The Saccharomyces cerevisiae p21-activated kinases, Ste20p and Cla4p, have individual functions but appear to share an essential function(s) as well because a strain lacking both kinases is inviable. To learn more about the shared function, we sought new mutations that were lethal in the absence of CLA4. This approach led to the identification of at least 10 complementation groups designated NCS (need CLA4 to survive). As for ste20 cla4-75 mutants, most ncs cla4-75double mutants were defective for septin localization during budding. One group, NCS1/RRD1 (YIL153w), did not confer this defect, however, and we investigated its function further. ncs1Δ cla4Δ cells arrested with elongated buds and short mitotic spindles. The morphological defects and lethality were suppressed by mutations that abrogate the cell cycle morphogenetic checkpoint, CDC28Y19F or swe1Δ. The connection to the cell cycle may be direct, as we detected a Cla4p-Cdc28p complex. NCS1 encodes a protein with significant similarity to a mammalian phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activator (PTPA) regulatory subunit for type 2A protein phosphatases (PP2As). Genetic and biochemical evidence suggested that the phosphatase Sit4p is a target for Ncs1p. First, CLA4 andSIT4 were synthetically lethal. Second, Ncs1p and its yeast paralog, Noh1p (Rrd2p), bound to the catalytic domain of Sit4p in vitro, and Ncs1p could be immunoprecipitated with Sit4p but not with another PP2A (Pph21p) from yeast cell extracts. Strains lacking bothNCS1 and NOH1 were inviable and arrested as unbudded cells, implying that PTPA function is required for proper G1 progression.
Epidemiology and Impact of Childhood Molluscum Contagiosum: A Case Series and Critical Review of the Literature

Abstract: Parents of 30 children with clinically diagnosed molluscum contagiosum were surveyed to assess their perception of the condition, its treatment, its impact on their everyday lives, and on the children themselves. Among parents, 82% reported that molluscum contagiosum concerned them moderately or greatly. Concerns focused on physical issues associated with the infection, such as scarring, itching, chance of spread to peers, pain, and the effects of treatments. Quality of life was not affected. Molluscum contagiosum was most common among school‐age children. Eighteen of 29 respondents swam in public pools, a common activity in children of this age. All epidemiologic studies of molluscum contagiosum in otherwise healthy individuals, published since 1966, have been critically reviewed herein. The review confirms an association between swimming pool use and molluscum contagiosum. Age, living in close proximity, skin‐to‐skin contact, sharing of fomites, and residence in tropical climates were also associated with higher rates of infection while sex, seasonality, and hygiene showed no such association.
Towards tracking and analysing regional alcohol consumption patterns in the UK through the use of social media

Monitoring rates of alcohol consumption across the UK is a timely problem due to ever-increasing drinking levels. This has led to calls from public services (e.g. police and health services) to assess the effect it is having on people and society. Current research methods that are utilised to assess consumption patterns are costly, time consuming, and do not supply sufficiently detailed results. This is because they look at snapshots of individuals' drinking patterns, which rely on generalised usage patterns, and post consumption recall. In this paper we look into the use of social media such as Twitter (a popular micro blogging site) to monitor the rate of alcohol consumption in regions across the UK by introducing the Social Media Alcohol Index (SMAI). By looking at the variation in term usage, and treating the social network as a spatio-temporal self-reporting sense-network, we aim to discover variation in drinking patterns on both local and national levels within the UK. This study used 31.6 million tweets collected over a 6 week period, and used the Health & Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) weekly alcohol consumption pattern as a ground truth. High correlations between the ground truth and the computed SMAI (Social Media Alcohol Index) were found on a national and local level, along with the ability to detect variation in consumption on National holidays and celebrations at both local and national levels.
Contribution of phenazine antibiotic biosynthesis to the ecological competence of fluorescent pseudomonads in soil habitats

Phenazine antibiotics produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens 2-79 and Pseudomonas aureofaciens 30-84, previously shown to be the principal factors enabling these bacteria to suppress take-all of wheat caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, also contribute to the ecological competence of these strains in soil and in the rhizosphere of wheat. Strains 2-79 and 30-84, their Tn5 mutants defective in phenazine production (Phz-), or the mutant strains genetically restored for phenazine production (Phz+) were introduced into Thatuna silt loam (TSL) or TSL amended with G. graminis var. tritici. Soils were planted with three or five successive 20-day plant-harvest cycles of wheat. Population sizes of Phz- derivatives declined more rapidly than did population sizes of the corresponding parental or restored Phz+ strains. Antibiotic biosynthesis was particularly critical to survival of these strains during the fourth and fifth cycles of wheat in the presence of G. graminis var. tritici and during all five cycles of wheat in the absence of take-all. In pasteurized TSL, a Phz- derivative of strain 30-84 colonized the rhizosphere of wheat to the same extent that the parental strain did. The results indicate that production of phenazine antibiotics by strains 2-79 and 30-84 can contribute to the ecological competence of these strains and that the reduced survival of the Phz- strains is due to a diminished ability to compete with the resident microflora.
SELECTING INDIVIDUALS IN TEAM SETTINGS: THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL SKILLS, PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS, AND TEAMWORK KNOWLEDGE

Although work is commonly organized around teams, there is relatively little empirical research on how to select individuals in team-based settings. The goal of this investigation was to examine whether 3 of the most commonly used selection techniques for hiring into traditional settings (a structured interview, a personality test, and a situational judgment test) would be effective for hiring into team settings. In a manufacturing organization with highly interdependent teams, we examined the relationships between social skills, several personality characteristics (Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Emotional Stability), teamwork knowledge, and contextual performance. Results indicate that each of these constructs is bivariately related to contextual performance in a team setting, with social skills, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and teamwork knowledge incrementally predicting contextual performance (with a multiple correlation of .48). Implications of these results for selection in team and traditional settings are discussed.
Live Probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 Promotes Growth Performance and Lowers Fat Deposition by Improving Lipid Metabolism, Intestinal Development, and Gut Microflora in Broilers

Numerous studies have focused on the beneficial effects of probiotics in animals. Even so, additional information should be obtained about the mechanisms by which a useful probiotic strain successfully exerts such beneficial effects. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the dietary supplementation of both live and disrupted Lactobacillus johnsonii (LJ) strain BS15 in broilers at different ages. Specifically, growth performance, lipid metabolism, gut microbiota, intestinal development, and digestive ability of the broilers were assessed. A total of 180 1-day-old Cobb 500 chicks were randomly distributed into three groups. These chicks were fed diets supplemented with 1 × 106 colony-forming units (cfu) LJ per gram of feed (LJ group); 1 × 106 cfu disrupted LJ per gram of feed (D-LJ group); and de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe liquid medium (control group), respectively, throughout a 42-day experimental period. The results demonstrated that LJ supplementation of feed had a positive effect on the average daily gain and starter feed conversion ratio. In addition, LJ supplementation of feed decreased serum triglyceride and low-density lipid cholesterol levels, as well as abdominal fat deposition. LJ also reduced the mRNA levels of lipoprotein lipase in adipose tissue and stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 in the liver. LJ diminished the mRNA quantities of the sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c and fatty acid synthase, as well as increased the level of serum high-density lipid cholesterol. LJ increased the mRNA quantities of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, acyl-CoA oxidase in the liver, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1. LJ also improved the intestinal development and digestive ability mainly by increasing the villus height/crypt depth ratio in the ileum. The probiotic increased the levels of epidermal growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1, as well as the activities of trypsin and lipase in the jejunum and ileum. LJ exerted beneficial effects on the intestinal flora. Specifically, LJ markedly enhanced the population of Bacteroidetes and Lactobacillus spp. Moreover, the probiotic reduced the population of Enterobacteriaceae and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Slight changes caused by disrupted LJ were detected. These findings indicated that live LJ supplementation may promote growth performance and lower fat deposition in broilers.
Coronary computed tomography: choosing the right patient for the right clinical entity.

In the past 3 years, immense progress has been made in the development of a new non-invasive diagnostic technique for the evaluation of coronary artery disease – coronary CT angiography. The current IMAJ issue includes two original studies that evaluate this new and promising imaging modality in patients with suspected CAD [1,2]. The principles of computed tomography were first investigated in the mid-1950s, but it was not until 1972 that the first generation of CT scanners was introduced. Invented by British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield of EMI Laboratories, England, the first CT scanner required several hours to acquire the raw data for a single scan or “slice,” and days to reconstruct a single image from these raw data. Hounsfield was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to medicine and science. The first clinical CT scanners were installed between 1974 and 1976. At that time, approximately 5 minutes were needed to acquire one tomographic image. Initial scanners were only suitable for head examinations because the opening in the gantry was small. Improvements in components of the scanners and techniques allowed scanning of any part of the body, and in 1976 whole-body scanners became available. By the early 1980s CT technology was used widely. The last 20 years have seen the development of several generations of CT scanners. The most important was the introduction of the "spiral" technique in the early 1990s. With this technique (also known as "volumetric scanning"), the X-ray point source and the detector array are placed on opposite sides of the patient on a ring-like structure called the gantry. The patient on the table is moved continuously through the scan field in the z direction while the gantry performs multiple rotations around the patient. The X-ray thus traces a spiral around the body and produces a data volume. This large data volume is then sent to a computer that can reconstruct multiple overlapping axial slices, as much as needed, with no additional "cost" of ionizing radiation exposure to the patient. Overlapping axial images enable the reformation of various types of high quality three-dimensional images on a post-processing station. The
Interpolating monthly precipitation by self-organizing map (SOM) and multilayer perceptron (MLP)

Abstract There are needs to find better and more efficient methods to interpolate precipitation data in space and time. Interpolation of precipitation is explored using a self-organizing map (SOM) in a region with large complexity of precipitation mechanisms (northern Iran). The technique is used both for regionalization and for interpolating monthly precipitation for stations with missing data for 1-, 2-, 5- and 10-year periods using a jack-knife procedure to obtain objective results. The SOM is able both to find regions with similar precipitation mechanisms and to interpolate with accuracy. The results show that precipitation interpolation can be improved considerably by taking into account the regionalization properties in the SOM modelling. The SOM results are compared with those from a well-defined multilayer perceptron (MLP). The findings suggest that, without regionalization, MLP modelling is generally better than SOM. However, when regionalization is included, SOM performs better than MLP.
Testing the “Dicarb Problem”: A Case Study from North Alaska

An assumption exists in North Alaskan archaeological literature that radiometric assays produced by the now-defunct Dicarb Radioisotope Co. (Dicarb) are “too young” or more recent when compared to those produced by other laboratories. This assumption is statistically tested by comparing radiocarbon assays produced by Dicarb to those produced by Beta Analytic, Inc.; Geochron Laboratories; and the NSF-Arizona AMS Facility. The primary data set consists of radiometric and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) assays produced from materials excavated at the Croxton site, Locality J, Tukuto Lake, northern Alaska. Statistical analyses demonstrate that 14C assays produced by Dicarb tend to be “younger” than assays produced by other laboratories on crosscheck samples, with differences ranging between 350 and 1440 yr.
Superelasticity in bcc Nanowires by a Reversible Twinning Mechanism

Superelasticity (SE) in bulk materials is known to originate from the structure-changing martensitic transition which provides a volumetric thermodynamic driving force for shape recovery. On the other hand, structure-invariant deformation processes, such as twinning and dislocation slip, which result in plastic deformation, cannot provide the driving force for shape recovery. We use molecular-dynamics simulations to show that some bcc metal nanowires exhibit SE by a ``reversible'' twinning mechanism, in contrast to the above conventional point of view. We show that this reversible twinning is driven by the surface energy change between the twinned and detwinned state. In view of similar recent findings in fcc nanowires, we suggest that SE is a general phenomenon in cubic nanowires and that the driving force for the shape recovery arises from minimizing the surface energy. Furthermore, we find that SE in bcc nanowires is unique in several respects: first, the $⟨111⟩/{112}$ stacking fault generated by partial dislocation is always preferred over $⟨111⟩/{110}$ and $⟨111⟩/{123}$ full dislocation slip. The occurrence of $⟨111⟩/{112}$ twin or full dislocation slip in bcc nanowires depends on the competition between the emission of subsequent partial dislocations in adjacent {112} planes and the emission of partial dislocations in the same plane. Second, compared to their fcc counterparts, bcc nanowires have a higher energy barrier for the nucleation of twins, but a lower energy barrier for twin migration. This results in certain unique characteristics of SE in bcc nanowires, such as low energy dissipation and low strain hardening. Third, certain refractory bcc nanowires, such as W and Mo, can show SE at very high temperatures, which are higher than almost all of the reported high-temperature shape memory alloys. Our work provides a deeper understanding of superelasticity in nanowires and refractory bcc nanowires are potential candidates for applications in nanoelectromechanical systems operating over a wide temperature range.
Conceptualization of an abstract language to support value co-creation

Companies willing to survive the numeric economy are forced to collaborate with each other in order to maximize their co-creation of value. This co-creation exists for many reasons: to sell and acquire information, goods and services, to optimize the quality of procedures, to improve security and privacy, etc. In this paper, we analyze and model value co-creation through three dimensions: the value's nature, the method of value creation, and the business object impacted by the value. By combining these dimensions, we afterwards suggest different types of co-creation schemas, and we propose an abstract language to communicate them. The latter is finally validated by applying the “The Physics of Notations” guidelines.
On the impact of finite buffers on per-flow delays in FIFO queues

The literature on queueing systems with finite buffers addresses mostly asymptotic performance metrics on an aggregate flow, and/or generally relies on a convenient, but provably inaccurate, approximation of the loss probability by the overflow probability in an infinite size buffer. This paper addresses non-asymptotic per-flow metrics in a multi-flow queueing system with finite buffer and FIFO scheduling. The analysis dispenses with the above approximation, and lends itself to several interesting insights on the impact of finite buffers on per-flow metrics. Counterintuitively, the per-flow delay distribution is not monotonous in the buffer size, and such an effect is especially visible in high burstiness regimes. Another observation is that buffer dimensioning becomes insensitive to the type of SLA constraint, e.g., fixed violation probability on either loss or delay, in high multiplexing regimes. In the particular case of aggregate scheduling, the results on the aggregate input flow significantly improve upon existing results by capturing the manifestation of bufferless multiplexing in regimes with many flows.