Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Activity of Choline Acetyltransferase From Different Synaptosomal Fractions at the Distinct Stages of Spatial Learning in the Morris Water Maze

Accumulated data have evidenced that brain cholinergic circuits play a crucial role in learning and memory; however, our knowledge about the participation of neocortical and hippocampal cholinergic systems in spatial learning needs to be refined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of the activity of membrane-bound and soluble choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the synaptosomal sub-fractions of the neocortex and hippocampus with performance of the spatial navigation task in the Morris water maze at different temporal stages of memory trace formation. To identify distinct stages of memory formation, rats were trained using a 5-day protocol with four trials per day. The mean escape latency for each trial was collected, and the entire dataset was subjected to principal component analysis. Based on the Morris water maze protocol, there were three relatively distinct stages of memory formation: days 1–2, day 3, and days 4–5. The remotely stored memory trace tested in repeated and reversal learning beginning on day 19 (14 days after the end of initial learning) was associated at the individual level mainly with performance during the second trial on day 21 (the third day or repeated or reversal learning). The ChAT activity data suggest the participation of cortical cholinergic projections mainly in the first stage of spatial learning (automatic sensory processing) and the involvement of hippocampal interneurons in the second stage (error-corrected learning). Cholinergic cortical interneurons participated mainly in the stage of asymptotic performance (days 4–5). It is advisable to evaluate other signalling pathways at the identified stages of memory formation.
How Institutional Evaluation Bridges Uncertainty and Happiness: A Study of Young Chinese People

Uncertainty triggers negative psychological responses, while positive institutional evaluations elevate the sense of control in individuals and satisfy their need for structure and order. Data from the 2015 Chinese Social Survey (CSS) (N = 4,605) demonstrated that objective uncertainty negatively predicted the happiness of young people (aged 18–45 years). However, this negative relationship was attenuated among those who evaluated the institutional system (e.g., social security, local government effectiveness, and trust in government) positively; in other words, positive institutional evaluation may have protected people's happiness from the threat of uncertainty. In addition, participants from different age groups evaluated the institutional system differently. The first generation born after the Chinese economic reform, which includes young people born in the 1980s (aged 26–35 years), had unique experiences compared to the preceding (aged 36–45 years, born in the 1970s) and succeeding (aged 18–25 years, born in the 1990s) generations. Among the three age groups, young people born in the 1980s held the least positive evaluation of the institutional system. The institutional evaluation also showed the weakest moderating effect on this group's happiness.
Virtuous Organizational Practices: A New Construct and a New Inventory

Research on the identification of organizational practices that promote individual and organizational performance is now very extensive. However, several studies have revealed the dark side of these practices on employees’ psychological health. Consequently, researchers have called on the scientific community to focus on the well-being of workers and to identify the organizational practices that promote it. Thus, the aim of the present research was to fill this gap by introducing a new conceptualization of organizational practices supporting the psychological health of employees and proposing a new improved measure to assess them. Drawing on the American Psychological Association’s model of Psychologically healthy workplace, we first conceptualized the innovative multidimensional construct of virtuous organizational practices. We then conducted four studies (N = 1,407) to develop and validate the Virtuous Organizational Practices inventory. Results of exploratory statistical analyses provide strong evidence of the second-order factor structure of the inventory in different French samples and of the convergent, predictive and incremental validity of this tool. Implications for researchers, organizations and practitioners and avenues for future research are discussed.
Cerebral Large Vessel Occlusion Caused by Fat Embolism—A Case Series and Review of the Literature

The diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome typically involves neurological, respiratory and dermatological manifestations of microvascular occlusion 24–72 h after a precipitating event. However, fat embolism causing cerebral large vessel occlusion strokes and their sequelae have rarely been reported in the literature. This case series reports three patients with fat emboli post operatively causing cerebral large vessel occlusions, as well as a review of the literature to identify differences in clinical presentations and outcomes in stroke secondary to fat emboli causing large vessel occlusions compared to those with fat embolism syndrome.
Stakeholder Influence on Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Case Study of a German Apparel Frontrunner

Although interest in green and sustainable supply chains has been growing for over a decade in the academic discourse, the textile industry still embraces numerous examples of non-sustainable behavior (i.e., environmental damage, poor working conditions, or modern slavery). While there is a general agreement that stakeholder pressure can lead to more sustainable SCs, a lot remains for a more differentiated stakeholder perspective in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM). Thus, this study aims for theory elaboration by structuring relationships between SSCM and stakeholder constructs through an exploratory single case study design on the Otto Group, a German apparel frontrunner. It enables an in-depth investigation of the complexity of both stakeholder engagement/relationships and SSCM. As key results, sustainability managers and employees are important facilitators to realize win-win situations. Further, most progress is nowadays made in participating in multi-stakeholder-initiatives (MSI) and with standards to tackle sustainability issues in SCs. Furthermore, this study shows the importance of a shift from the perspective of sustainable products toward sustainable values, and it outlines best practices regarding the integration of stakeholders' expectations in SSCM.
Pose2Sim: An End-to-End Workflow for 3D Markerless Sports Kinematics—Part 1: Robustness

Being able to capture relevant information about elite athletes’ movement “in the wild” is challenging, especially because reference marker-based approaches hinder natural movement and are highly sensitive to environmental conditions. We propose Pose2Sim, a markerless kinematics workflow that uses OpenPose 2D pose detections from multiple views as inputs, identifies the person of interest, robustly triangulates joint coordinates from calibrated cameras, and feeds those to a 3D inverse kinematic full-body OpenSim model in order to compute biomechanically congruent joint angles. We assessed the robustness of this workflow when facing simulated challenging conditions: (Im) degrades image quality (11-pixel Gaussian blur and 0.5 gamma compression); (4c) uses few cameras (4 vs. 8); and (Cal) introduces calibration errors (1 cm vs. perfect calibration). Three physical activities were investigated: walking, running, and cycling. When averaged over all joint angles, stride-to-stride standard deviations lay between 1.7° and 3.2° for all conditions and tasks, and mean absolute errors (compared to the reference condition—Ref) ranged between 0.35° and 1.6°. For walking, errors in the sagittal plane were: 1.5°, 0.90°, 0.19° for (Im), (4c), and (Cal), respectively. In conclusion, Pose2Sim provides a simple and robust markerless kinematics analysis from a network of calibrated cameras.
Using Perspective-n-Point Algorithms for a Local Positioning System Based on LEDs and a QADA Receiver

The research interest on location-based services has increased during the last years ever since 3D centimetre accuracy inside intelligent environments could be confronted with. This work proposes an indoor local positioning system based on LED lighting, transmitted from a set of beacons to a receiver. The receiver is based on a quadrant photodiode angular diversity aperture (QADA) plus an aperture placed over it. This configuration can be modelled as a perspective camera, where the image position of the transmitters can be used to recover the receiver’s 3D pose. This process is known as the perspective-n-point (PnP) problem, which is well known in computer vision and photogrammetry. This work investigates the use of different state-of-the-art PnP algorithms to localize the receiver in a large space of 2 × 2 m2 based on four co-planar transmitters and with a distance from transmitters to receiver up to 3.4 m. Encoding techniques are used to permit the simultaneous emission of all the transmitted signals and their processing in the receiver. In addition, correlation techniques (match filtering) are used to determine the image points projected from each emitter on the QADA. This work uses Monte Carlo simulations to characterize the absolute errors for a grid of test points under noisy measurements, as well as the robustness of the system when varying the 3D location of one transmitter. The IPPE algorithm obtained the best performance in this configuration. The proposal has also been experimentally evaluated in a real setup. The estimation of the receiver’s position at three particular points for roll angles of the receiver of γ={0°, 120°, 210° and 300°} using the IPPE algorithm achieves average absolute errors and standard deviations of 4.33 cm, 3.51 cm and 28.90 cm; and 1.84 cm, 1.17 cm and 19.80 cm in the coordinates x, y and z, respectively. These positioning results are in line with those obtained in previous work using triangulation techniques but with the addition that the complete pose of the receiver (x, y, z, α, β, γ) is obtained in this proposal.
Solutions for improvement of saccharification and fermentation of high gravity rye mashes

*Corresponding author e-mail: katarzyna.pielech-przybylska@p.lodz. pl **This work was partially supported by the Polish National Centre for Research and Development under grant PBS2/B8/9/2013. A b s t r a c t. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of ultrasound pretreatment, pullulanase digestion and hop α-acids preparation activity on the efficiency of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of high gravity mashes prepared from rye starch. As a result of the ultrasonic pretreatment alone, or such treatment combined with pullulanase digestion, a decrease in viscosity of 60-69 and 85%, respectively, was observed. Also, the higher concentrations of reducing sugars were determined in these mashes (p < 0.05). The pretreatment of rye starch with ultrasound for 10 min resulted in a higher (by over 21%) fermentation efficiency as compared to the control mash (p < 0.05). Pullulanase digestion preceded by the use of ultrasound pretreatment and the antimicrobial action of hop α-acid preparation resulted in a further increase in fermentation efficiency (by ca. 30%), in comparison to the control sample (p < 0.05). K e y w o r d s: fermentation of high-gravity mash, hop α-acids, rye starch, pullulanase, ultrasound
Symmetric Connectivity of Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks Based on Multi-Modal Directional Transducer

Topology control is one of the most essential technologies in wireless sensor networks (WSNs); it constructs networks with certain characteristics through the usage of some approaches, such as power control and channel assignment, thereby reducing the inter-nodes interference and the energy consumption of the network. It is closely related to the efficiency of upper layer protocols, especially MAC and routing protocols, which are the same as underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs). Directional antenna technology (directional transducer in UASNs) has great advantages in minimizing interference and conserving energy by restraining the beamforming range. It enables nodes to communicate with only intended neighbors; nevertheless, additional problems emerge, such as how to guarantee the connectivity of the network. This paper focuses on the connectivity problem of UASNs equipped with tri-modal directional transducers, where the orientation of a transducer is stabilized after the network is set up. To efficiently minimize the total network energy consumption under constraint of connectivity, the problem is formulated to a minimum network cost transducer orientation (MNCTO) problem and is provided a reduction from the Hamiltonian path problem in hexagonal grid graphs (HPHGG), which is proved to be NP-complete. Furthermore, a heuristic greedy algorithm is proposed for MNCTO. The simulation evaluation results in a contrast with its omni-mode peer, showing that the proposed algorithm greatly reduces the network energy consumption by up to nearly half on the premise of satisfying connectivity.
Prior biosphere model impact on global terrestrial CO2 fluxes estimated 
from OCO-2 retrievals

Abstract. This study assesses the impact of different state-of-the-science global biospheric CO2 flux models, when applied as prior information, on inverse modeling top-down estimates of terrestrial CO2 fluxes obtained when assimilating Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) observations. This is done with a series of Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) using synthetic CO2 column-average dry air mole fraction (XCO2) retrievals sampled at the OCO-2 satellite spatio-temporal frequency. The OSSEs used the four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) assimilation system with the GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model (CTM) to estimate CO2 net ecosystem exchange (NEE) fluxes using synthetic OCO-2 observations. The impact of biosphere models in inverse model estimates of NEE is quantified by conducting OSSEs using the NASA-CASA, CASA-GFED, SiB-4 and LPJ models as prior estimates and using NEE from the multi-model ensemble mean of the Multiscale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project as the truth. Results show that the assimilation of simulated XCO2 retrievals at OCO-2 observing modes over land results in posterior NEE estimates which generally reproduce true NEE globally and over terrestrial TransCom-3 regions that are well-sampled. However, we find larger spread among posterior NEE estimates, when using different prior NEE fluxes, in regions and seasons that have limited OCO-2 observational coverage and a large range in bottom-up NEE fluxes. Posterior NEE estimates had seasonally-averaged posterior NEE standard deviation (SD) of ~ 10 % to ~ 50 % of the multi-model-mean NEE for different TransCom-3 land regions with significant NEE fluxes (regions/seasons with a NEE flux ≥ 0.5 PgC yr−1). On a global average, the seasonally-averaged residual impact of the prior model NEE assumption on posterior NEE spread is ~ 10–20 % of the posterior NEE mean. Additional OCO-2 OSSE simulations demonstrate that posterior NEE estimates are also sensitive to the assumed prior NEE flux uncertainty statistics, with spread in posterior NEE estimates similar to those when using variable prior model NEE fluxes. In fact, the sensitivity of posterior NEE estimates to prior error statistics was larger compared to prior flux values in some regions/times of the Tropics and Southern Hemisphere where sufficient OCO-2 data was available and large differences between the prior and truth were evident. Overall, even with the availability of dense OCO-2 data, noticeable residual differences (up to ~ 20–30 % globally and 50 % regionally) in posterior NEE flux estimates remain that were caused by the choice of prior model flux values and the specification of prior flux uncertainties.
Micromorphology of Salt glands and content of marker compound Plumbagin in the leaves of Plumbago zeylanica Linn

Background: Salt glands are highly specialized epidermal structures developed in recretohalophytic plants, intended for salt storage (reservoir) and as a means to alleviate the salt stress of the saline habitat by exo-recreto releases excess salts from the mesophyll tissues to the surrounding environment. Plumbago zeylanica Linn belongs to the family Plumbaginaceae is an important medicinal plant and espoused as a source for the drug Chitraka. Aim: The present study concerns the delineation of micromorphological characteristics of the paradermal and cross sections of the leaf epidermis, lamina, salt glands, petiole and mucilage secreting glands of the calyx of the flowers of Plumbago zeylanica Linn. Materials and Methods: Delimiting the morpho-histological profile of the leaves and to develop the chromatogram of the methanol extract of the leaves and quantification of the marker compound plumbagin in the leaves using High Performance ThinLayer Chromatographic (HPTLC) method. Results: Distribution of uniseriate, cruciate type clothing trichomes, characteristic contour of midrib, presence of amphistomatic epidermis with anisocytic stomata, crystals in idioblast of ground tissues of petiole and mesophyll, large palisade ratio, small stomatal index, multicellular salt gland structure with 8 cells, cuticular secretory cells, crescent shaped petiole, densely distributed mucilage secreting glands on the calyx of flowers were features characteristic of the taxon. The HPTLC finger printing profile of the leaves revealed six phyto-constituents. Densitometric scanning of plumbagin had shown the absorption spectra λmax at 270 nm. Spectral matching by overlaying the absorption spectra of standard marker compound with the phyto-constituents present in the methanol extract of sample could fail to obtain any spectral matching at λmax 270 nm, suggestive that dried leaves of P. zeylanica did not contain any appreciable amount of Plumbagin. Calibration data obtained by polynomial regression had revealed that dried leaves of P. zeylanica Linn contained below 105 ng/μl of plumbagin in methanol extract of leaves.
Effect of microwave power on drying kinetics, structure, color, and antioxidant activities of corncob

In this study, the effect of microwave drying (MWD) at four power levels (180, 300, 600, and 900 W) on kinetics, structure, color parameters, and antioxidant activity of corncob (CCB) was evaluated. Hot air‐dried (HAD) and freeze‐dried (FD) CCBs were used as controls. Drying conditions significantly affected the physicochemical characteristics as well as bioactivities of CCB. For MWD products, direct absorption of electromagnetic energy by water molecules greatly accelerated the evaporation process, leading to a faster dehydration with a very high moisture diffusivity value. Additionally, the application of microwave markedly enhanced disintegration of cellular components manifested in lowered values of structural and color attributes for MWD CCBs, which facilitated the liberation of bound polyphenols into fractions of free phenolic compounds and intensified the ultrasound‐assisted extraction of antioxidants. The presence of rutin, protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin was responsible for high bioactivity of MWD CCB. However, thermal‐ and oxidation‐induced degradation of thermolabile polyphenols was responsible for the loss of antioxidant activity at higher (600 and 900 W) and lower (180 W) microwave powers. CCB dried using 300 W microwave power was the best drying process with the highest content of bioavailable antioxidants and antioxidant activity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Using lignocellulosic plant part as a source of functional food or nutritional compounds requires intensive studies on the nutritional quality of products as well as bioavailabilities of such compounds. As most of the antioxidant compounds remain bound to cellulose and hemicellulose in seed, cob, and peel, techniques that promote the disintegration of bound polymeric complexes improve the bioactivity of these products. The present research highlights the potential benefits of microwave drying for the improvement in the bioactivity of corncob (CCB). The presence of several key phenolic compounds suggests a potential application of CCB in medicinal, cosmetic, and food industries.
Obtaining Enzymatic Extract from Pleurotus spp. Associated with an Integrated Process for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Bioproducts

The pretreatment of biomass has been integrated with enzyme production through the recycling of aqueous fractions. A process integrated with Pleurotus cystidiosus was grown, and enzymatic hydrolysis was realized. Samples of every liquid fraction from the fungal growing medium were analyzed to determine the chemical oxygen demand (OCD), glucose (Glu), xylose (Xyl), and total reducing sugars (RS). Separately, to obtain valuable polymers from this integration process, solid hemicellulose and lignin were isolated from the remaining liquid fractions through pH variation. The composition of the samples was determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical stereoscopic microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and was compared with commercial homologs. The maximum conversion of cellulose to glucose by the obtained liquid fraction of the fungal medium was 61.3 ± 0.9% of the theoretical conversion yield of the commercial enzyme. Similarly, the conversion of hemicelluloses to xylose was 69.5 ± 1.5%. Finally, in this work, an integrated platform for cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, enzymatic extract, and sugars production, which also significantly reduces water consumption, was proposed. at a of −1 in performed on each
Accuracy and precision of simulated free energies: water permeation of hydrated DPPC bilayers as a paradigm

ABSTRACT Free energies play a determining role in the transmembrane permeability of lipid bilayers to small molecules. The precision of the calculated free energies, in particular, can seriously affect the reliability of simulations of permeation events. Free energy profiles are evaluated with different known techniques for a water molecule inside a hydrated bilayer in order to assess the accuracy and precision of free energy calculations as well as the associated computational cost within the popular Groningen Machine for Chemical Simulations (GROMACS) software package. The different computational approaches employed include the method of constrained particles, umbrella sampling and thermodynamic integration. When free energy profiles computed from MD trajectories of similar timescales are compared, umbrella sampling is found to afford the best precision among the methods investigated, albeit at the expense of computational effort.