Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Computational Model of the Ionic Currents, Ca2+ Dynamics and Action Potentials Underlying Contraction of Isolated Uterine Smooth Muscle

Uterine contractions during labor are discretely regulated by rhythmic action potentials (AP) of varying duration and form that serve to determine calcium-dependent force production. We have employed a computational biology approach to develop a fuller understanding of the complexity of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling of uterine smooth muscle cells (USMC). Our overall aim is to establish a mathematical platform of sufficient biophysical detail to quantitatively describe known uterine E-C coupling parameters and thereby inform future empirical investigations of physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms governing normal and dysfunctional labors. From published and unpublished data we construct mathematical models for fourteen ionic currents of USMCs: currents (L- and T-type), current, an hyperpolarization-activated current, three voltage-gated currents, two -activated current, -activated current, non-specific cation current, - exchanger, - pump and background current. The magnitudes and kinetics of each current system in a spindle shaped single cell with a specified surface area∶volume ratio is described by differential equations, in terms of maximal conductances, electrochemical gradient, voltage-dependent activation/inactivation gating variables and temporal changes in intracellular computed from known fluxes. These quantifications are validated by the reconstruction of the individual experimental ionic currents obtained under voltage-clamp. Phasic contraction is modeled in relation to the time constant of changing . This integrated model is validated by its reconstruction of the different USMC AP configurations (spikes, plateau and bursts of spikes), the change from bursting to plateau type AP produced by estradiol and of simultaneous experimental recordings of spontaneous AP, and phasic force. In summary, our advanced mathematical model provides a powerful tool to investigate the physiological ionic mechanisms underlying the genesis of uterine electrical E-C coupling of labor and parturition. This will furnish the evolution of descriptive and predictive quantitative models of myometrial electrogenesis at the whole cell and tissue levels.
Rolling-contact fatigue : Performance comparison of surface-densified, powder-forged, and wrought steels

Previous experimental work has demonstrated that the rolling-contact fatigue (RCF) durability of high-density powder metallurgy (PM) steels is influenced by the depth of surface densification, sintering temperature, and heat-treat practice. In particular, FLN2-4405 steels, both selectively densified and fully dense, exhibit reduced RCF life at high Hertz stress levels, relative to wrought steel. To better understand the influence of elemental nickel additions on RCF performance, FLN2-4405 was sintered at 1,120°C (2,050°F) and 1,260°C (2,300°F) and subsequently powder forged to full density. A comparison of the forged and surface-densified FLN2-4405 shows a similar RCF life at both low and high Hertz stress levels. This suggests that surface densification may be acceptable in achieving performance equivalent to that of wrought steel. Elemental nickel additions increase the scatter in RCF life, a result of residual porosity and subsequent crack initiation and propagation in nickel-rich regions. A low-carbon PM steel is beneficial in gearing applications due to enhanced surface densification and improved case/core properties resulting from carburizing. The RCF life of AISI 8620 is superior to that of baseline AISI 5120 at a Hertz stress of 2,000 MPa, but is inferior at a Hertz stress level of 2,500 MPa, a consequence of differences in the carburizing cycle. In terms of mechanical properties, rotating-bend fatigue (RBF) life and impact toughness of AISI exhibit marked anisotropy compared with the PM steeL.
Demonstration of MST and Permanganate Efficiency on Removal of Actinides and Strontium from Savannah River Site High Level Waste

We conducted a series of four demonstrations to determine the ability of either monosodium titanate (MST) or permanganate (MnO4-) to remove strontium and actinides from salt solutions, under a variety of conditions. Each of the demonstrations used material derived from actual tank waste. The demonstrations used volumes as large as 68 L compared to typical prior experiments at 100 mL. Also, the study used, in two experiments, hydraulically scaled mixing conditions to match those of the equipment installed in Building 512-S for the Actinide Removal Process. (Plans call for radioactive commissioning of that facility as early as December 2003.)
A Fully Integrated Galvanically Isolated DC-DC Converter With Data Communication

This paper presents a fully integrated galvanically isolated dc–dc converter with data communication. The converter, which is fabricated in a 0.35-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> BCD technology, is made up of only two silicon dice and adopts two 6-kV on-chip transformers. It takes advantage of a customized architecture, which uses the isolated power control link to transfer bidirectional half-duplex data, thus reducing the overall silicon area and package size. The proposed dc–dc converter delivers up to 93-mW output power with 19% maximum power efficiency and an output voltage ranging from 2.4 V to 3.3 V, while achieving a data rate up to 50 Mb/s.
SNP Data Quality Control in a National Beef and Dairy Cattle System and Highly Accurate SNP Based Parentage Verification and Identification

A major use of genetic data is parentage verification and identification as inaccurate pedigrees negatively affect genetic gain. Since 2012 the international standard for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based verification in Bos taurus cattle has been the ISAG 100 and 200 SNP panels. While these SNP sets have provided an increased level of parentage accuracy over microsatellite markers (MS), they can validate the wrong parent for an animal at ≤1% misconcordance rate levels, indicating that more SNP are needed if a more accurate pedigree is required. With rapidly increasing numbers of cattle being genotyped in Ireland that represent 61 Bos taurus breeds from a wide range of farm types: beef/dairy, AI/pedigree/commercial, purebred/crossbred, and large to small herd size the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) analysed different SNP densities to determine that at a minimum ≥500 SNP are needed to consistently predict only one set of parents at a ≤1% misconcordance rate. For parentage validation and prediction ICBF uses 800 SNP selected based on SNP clustering quality, ISAG200 inclusion, call rate (CR), and minor allele frequency (MAF) in the Irish cattle population. Large datasets require sample and SNP quality control (QC). Most publications only deal with SNP QC via CR, MAF, parent-progeny conflicts, and Hardy-Weinberg deviation, but not sample QC. We report here a genomic sample QC pipeline to deal with the unique challenges of >1,000,000 genotypes from a national herd such as SNP genotype errors from mis-tagging of animals, lab errors, farm errors, and multiple other issues that can arise.
Climate Change Impacts on the Future Distribution of Date Palms: A Modeling Exercise Using CLIMEX

Climate is changing and, as a consequence, some areas that are climatically suitable for date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivation at the present time will become unsuitable in the future. In contrast, some areas that are unsuitable under the current climate will become suitable in the future. Consequently, countries that are dependent on date fruit export will experience economic decline, while other countries’ economies could improve. Knowledge of the likely potential distribution of this economically important crop under current and future climate scenarios will be useful in planning better strategies to manage such issues. This study used CLIMEX to estimate potential date palm distribution under current and future climate models by using one emission scenario (A2) with two different global climate models (GCMs), CSIRO-Mk3.0 (CS) and MIROC-H (MR). The results indicate that in North Africa, many areas with a suitable climate for this species are projected to become climatically unsuitable by 2100. In North and South America, locations such as south-eastern Bolivia and northern Venezuela will become climatically more suitable. By 2070, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and western Iran are projected to have a reduction in climate suitability. The results indicate that cold and dry stresses will play an important role in date palm distribution in the future. These results can inform strategic planning by government and agricultural organizations by identifying new areas in which to cultivate this economically important crop in the future and those areas that will need greater attention due to becoming marginal regions for continued date palm cultivation.
K-shell decomposition reveals hierarchical cortical organization of the human brain

In recent years numerous attempts to understand the human brain were undertaken from a network point of view. A network framework takes into account the relationships between the different parts of the system and enables to examine how global and complex functions might emerge from network topology. Previous work revealed that the human brain features ‘small world’ characteristics and that cortical hubs tend to interconnect among themselves. However, in order to fully understand the topological structure of hubs, and how their profile reflect the brain’s global functional organization, one needs to go beyond the properties of a specific hub and examine the various structural layers that make up the network. To address this topic further, we applied an analysis known in statistical physics and network theory as k-shell decomposition analysis. The analysis was applied on a human cortical network, derived from MRI\DSI data of six participants. Such analysis enables us to portray a detailed account of cortical connectivity focusing on different neighborhoods of inter-connected layers across the cortex. Our findings reveal that the human cortex is highly connected and efficient, and unlike the internet network contains no isolated nodes. The cortical network is comprised of a nucleus alongside shells of increasing connectivity that formed one connected giant component, revealing the human brain’s global functional organization. All these components were further categorized into three hierarchies in accordance with their connectivity profile, with each hierarchy reflecting different functional roles. Such a model may explain an efficient flow of information from the lowest hierarchy to the highest one, with each step enabling increased data integration. At the top, the highest hierarchy (the nucleus) serves as a global interconnected collective and demonstrates high correlation with consciousness related regions, suggesting that the nucleus might serve as a platform for consciousness to emerge.
Orbital Stability of Domain Walls in Coupled Gross-Pitaevskii Systems

Domain walls are minimizers of energy for coupled one-dimensional Gross--Pitaevskii systems with nontrivial boundary conditions at infinity. It has been shown that these solutions are orbitally stable in the space of complex $\dot{H}^1$ functions with the same limits at infinity. In the present work we adopt a new weighted $H^1$ space to control perturbations of the domain walls and thus to obtain an improved orbital stability result. A major difficulty arises from the degeneracy of linearized operators at the domain walls and the lack of coercivity.
Morphological Differentiation May Mediate Mate-Choice between Incipient Species of Anopheles gambiae s.s.

The M and S molecular forms of Anopheles gambiae s.s. have been considered incipient species for more than ten years, yet the mechanism underlying assortative mating of these incipient species has remained elusive. The discovery of the importance of harmonic convergence of wing beat frequency in mosquito mating and its relation to wing size have laid the foundation for exploring phenotypic divergence in wing size of wild populations of the two forms. In this study, wings from field collected mosquitoes were measured for wing length and wing width from two parts of the sympatric distribution, which differ with respect to the strength of assortative mating. In Mali, where assortative mating is strong, as evidenced by low rates of hybridization, mean wing lengths and wing widths were significantly larger than those from Guinea-Bissau. In addition, mean wing widths in Mali were significantly different between molecular forms. In Guinea-Bissau, assortative mating appears comparatively reduced and wing lengths and widths did not differ significantly between molecular forms. The data presented in this study support the hypothesis that wing beat frequency may mediate assortative mating in the incipient species of A. gambiae and represent the first documentation of a morphological difference between the M and S molecular forms.
Cyanobacterial Diversity and a New Acaryochloris-Like Symbiont from Bahamian Sea-Squirts

Symbiotic interactions between ascidians (sea-squirts) and microbes are poorly understood. Here we characterized the cyanobacteria in the tissues of 8 distinct didemnid taxa from shallow-water marine habitats in the Bahamas Islands by sequencing a fragment of the cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene and the entire 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and by examining symbiont morphology with transmission electron (TEM) and confocal microscopy (CM). As described previously for other species, Trididemnum spp. mostly contained symbionts associated with the Prochloron-Synechocystis group. However, sequence analysis of the symbionts in Lissoclinum revealed two unique clades. The first contained a novel cyanobacterial clade, while the second clade was closely associated with Acaryochloris marina. CM revealed the presence of chlorophyll d (chl d) and phycobiliproteins (PBPs) within these symbiont cells, as is characteristic of Acaryochloris species. The presence of symbionts was also observed by TEM inside the tunic of both the adult and larvae of L. fragile, indicating vertical transmission to progeny. Based on molecular phylogenetic and microscopic analyses, Candidatus Acaryochloris bahamiensis nov. sp. is proposed for this symbiotic cyanobacterium. Our results support the hypothesis that photosymbiont communities in ascidians are structured by host phylogeny, but in some cases, also by sampling location.
Sleep and Productivity Benefits of Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial Conducted in the Workplace Environment

Objective: Evaluating digital cognitive behavioral therapy (dCBT) for insomnia in a workplace environment. Methods: Within a randomized controlled trial in a Fortune 500 company, we randomized 270 self-identified poor sleepers [180 M/90 F: mean age 33.6 years (23 to 56 years)] to dCBT (n = 135) or waiting list (WL, n = 135). dCBT comprised six online sessions delivered by an animated therapist. Major assessments were at baseline and posttreatment. Results: Sleep Condition Indicator (SCI) scores were significantly higher for the dCBT group [interaction term: F (1,485) = 15.63, P < 0.0001], representing Cohen's d of 1.10 following dCBT (d = 0.34 for WL). On the Work Productivity and Impairment questionnaire, “presenteeism” demonstrated significant improvements following dCBT [F(1,485) = 10.99, P = 0.001: d = 0.64 for dCBT, d = 0.09 for WL]. Effects for “abseenteeism” failed to reach statistical significance (P = 0.101). Conclusions: dCBT is effective in improving sleep and work-based productivity in adults with insomnia.
Motivational Profiles for Physical Activity Practice in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, this study explored the motivational profiles toward Physical Activity (PA) among adults with type 2 diabetes and the relationships between motivational profile, perceived competence and PA. Participants were 350 men and women (Mean age 62.77 years) who were interviewed on their motivations toward PA, perceived level of competence to practice, and PA practice. Cluster analyses reveal the existence of three distinct profiles: “High Combined” (ie, high scores on motivations ranging from intrinsic to external regulation, moderate level on amotivation), “Self-Determined” (ie, high scores on intrinsic, integrated, and identified regulations; low scores on other regulations), and “Moderate” (ie, moderate scores on all regulations). Participants with “High Combined” and “Self-Determined” profiles reported higher perceived competence and longer leisure-time PA practice in comparison to those with a “Moderate” profile. This study highlights the necessity of adopting a person-centered approach to better understand motivation toward PA among type 2 diabetics.
Reactive oxygen species extend insect life span using components of the insulin-signaling pathway

Significance Oxidative damage is frequently associated with aging and aging-related disease, but, paradoxically, several recent studies have shown that artificial boosts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can also extend life span in young individuals. Here, we show that physiological levels of ROS promote diapause, thereby extending life span in pupae of the moth Helicoverpa armigera. Insect diapause, like the dauer stage of nematodes, is a period of developmental rest that results in a profound extension of life span. ROS appears to contribute to this life span extension by acting through components of the insulin-signaling pathway. Our results thus suggest a new molecular mechanism regulating life span and help to explain the dual nature of ROS action in animals. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are well-known accelerants of aging, but, paradoxically, we show that physiological levels of ROS extend life span in pupae of the moth Helicoverpa armigera, resulting in the dormant state of diapause. This developmental switch appears to operate through a variant of the conventional insulin-signaling pathway, as evidenced by the facts that Akt, p-Akt, and PRMT1 are elevated by ROS, but not insulin, and that high levels of p-Akt fail to phosphorylate FoxO through PRMT1-mediated methylation. These results suggest a distinct signaling pathway culminating in the elevation of FoxO, which in turn promotes the extension of life span characteristic of diapause.
Discovery of a Novel hsp65 Genotype within Mycobacterium massiliense Associated with the Rough Colony Morphology

So far, genetic diversity among strains within Mycobacterium massiliense has rarely been studied. To investigate the genetic diversity among M. massiliense, we conducted phylogenetic analysis based on hsp65 (603-bp) and rpoB (711-bp) sequences from 65 M. massiliense Korean isolates. We found that hsp65 sequence analysis could clearly differentiate them into two distinct genotypes, Type I and Type II, which were isolated from 35 (53.8%) and 30 patients (46.2%), respectively. The rpoB sequence analysis revealed a total of four genotypes (R-I to R-IV) within M. massiliense strains, three of which (R-I, R-II and R-III) correlated with hsp65 Type I, and other (R-IV), which correlated with Type II. Interestingly, genotyping by the hsp65 method agreed well with colony morphology. Despite some exceptions, Type I and II correlated with smooth and rough colonies, respectively. Also, both types were completely different from one another in terms of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry profiles of whole lipid. In addition, we developed PCR-restriction analysis (PRA) based on the Hinf I digestion of 644-bp hsp65 PCR amplicons, which enables the two genotypes within M. massiliense to be easily and reliably separated. In conclusion, two distinct hsp65 genotypes exist within M. massiliense strains, which differ from one another in terms of both morphology and lipid profile. Furthermore, our data indicates that Type II is a novel M. massiliense genotype being herein presented for the first time. The disparity in clinical traits between these two hsp65 genotypes needs to be exploited in the future study.
Probabilistic Rule Realization and Selection

Abstraction and realization are bilateral processes that are key in deriving intelligence and creativity. In many domains, the two processes are approached through rules: high-level principles that reveal invariances within similar yet diverse examples. Under a probabilistic setting for discrete input spaces, we focus on the rule realization problem which generates input sample distributions that follow the given rules. More ambitiously, we go beyond a mechanical realization that takes whatever is given, but instead ask for proactively selecting reasonable rules to realize. This goal is demanding in practice, since the initial rule set may not always be consistent and thus intelligent compromises are needed. We formulate both rule realization and selection as two strongly connected components within a single and symmetric bi-convex problem, and derive an efficient algorithm that works at large scale. Taking music compositional rules as the main example throughout the paper, we demonstrate our model's efficiency in not only music realization (composition) but also music interpretation and understanding (analysis).
Diabetes-Specific Regulation of Adipocyte Metabolism by the Adipose Tissue Extracellular Matrix

Context: The role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in regulating adipocyte metabolism in the context of metabolic disease is poorly defined. Objective: The objective of this study was to define the metabolic phenotype of adipocytes associated with human diabetes (DM) and the role of the ECM in regulating adipocyte metabolism. Design: Adipose tissues from obese patients were studied in standard 2-dimensional (2D) cell culture and an in vitro model of decellularized adipose tissue ECM repopulated with human adipocytes, and results were correlated with DM status. Setting: This study was conducted at the Academic University Medical Center and Veteran’s Administration Hospital. Patients: Seventy patients with morbid obesity undergoing bariatric surgery were included in the study. Interventions: Visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues were collected at the time of bariatric surgery. Outcome measures: This study used metabolic assays for glucose uptake, lipolysis, and lipogenesis in adipocytes in 2D cell culture and 3-dimensional ECM culture. Results: Adipocytes from subjects with DM manifest decreased glucose uptake and decreased lipolysis in 2D culture. ECM supports differentiation of mature adipocytes and recapitulates DM-specific differences in adipocyte metabolism observed in 2D culture. ECM from subjects without DM partially rescues glucose uptake and lipolytic defects in adipocytes from subjects with DM, whereas ECM from subjects with DM impairs glucose uptake in adipocytes from subjects without DM. Conclusions: DM is associated with adipocyte metabolic dysfunction. The ECM regulates adipocyte metabolism. Nondiabetic ECM rescues metabolic dysfunction in DM adipocytes, whereas DM ECM imparts features of metabolic dysfunction to nondiabetic adipocytes. These findings suggest the ECM as a target for manipulating adipose tissue metabolism.