Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Holistic profiling of the venom from the Brazilian wandering spider Phoneutria nigriventer by combining high-throughput ion channel screens with venomics

Introduction: Spider venoms are a unique source of bioactive peptides, many of which display remarkable biological stability and neuroactivity. Phoneutria nigriventer, often referred to as the Brazilian wandering spider, banana spider or “armed” spider, is endemic to South America and amongst the most dangerous venomous spiders in the world. There are 4,000 envenomation accidents with P. nigriventer each year in Brazil, which can lead to symptoms including priapism, hypertension, blurred vision, sweating, and vomiting. In addition to its clinical relevance, P. nigriventer venom contains peptides that provide therapeutic effects in a range of disease models. Methods: In this study, we explored the neuroactivity and molecular diversity of P. nigriventer venom using fractionation-guided high-throughput cellular assays coupled to proteomics and multi-pharmacology activity to broaden the knowledge about this venom and its therapeutic potential and provide a proof-of-concept for an investigative pipeline to study spider-venom derived neuroactive peptides. We coupled proteomics with ion channel assays using a neuroblastoma cell line to identify venom compounds that modulate the activity of voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels, as well as the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Results: Our data revealed that P. nigriventer venom is highly complex compared to other neurotoxin-rich venoms and contains potent modulators of voltage-gated ion channels which were classified into four families of neuroactive peptides based on their activity and structures. In addition to the reported P. nigriventer neuroactive peptides, we identified at least 27 novel cysteine-rich venom peptides for which their activity and molecular target remains to be determined. Discussion: Our findings provide a platform for studying the bioactivity of known and novel neuroactive components in the venom of P. nigriventer and other spiders and suggest that our discovery pipeline can be used to identify ion channel-targeting venom peptides with potential as pharmacological tools and to drug leads.
Sound generation by rotating stall in centrifugal turbomachines

Abstract Experiments were conducted in order to investigate the relatively low frequency aerodynamic sound generating mechanisms in centrifugal turbomachines. A facility consisting of a centrifugal water pump impeller with various discharge configurations and an inlet duct was designed and built for the experiments. Air was used as the fluid medium. The inlet duct provided a controlled, quiet inflow to the impeller. Measurements of the acoustic noise radiated in the pump surroundings were made in parallel with fluid dynamic measurements in order to establish correlations. The most significant conclusion reached is that a form of rotating stall dominated the low frequency noise production in various configurations with no outlet diffuser or casing. Measurements of the inlet-radiated noise were made over a wide range of pump operating conditions; a method of scaling the data, based on similarity laws, was used as a means of separating source characteristics from the acoustic loading. Source spectra with no diffuser showed strong peaks centered at about 0·7, 1·4, 2·1 … times blade passing frequency. Aerodynamic pressure spectra measured at a single point on a rotating impeller blade were found to contain a cluster of harmonically related narrow-band tones, based on a fundamental around 0·7 times the shaft rotation frequency. Every seventh tone (harmonics 7, 14, 21 …) was strongly coherent with the acoustic signal. Measurements of unsteady discharge velocity were made with two stationary hot-wire probes at varying azimuthal separations close to the impeller exit. Spatial and temporal analysis revealed an almost-frozen multi-lobed pattern rotating at around 30% shaft speed. The following hypothesis is put forward on the evidence of the measurements: the prominent peaks in the acoustic signature of the diffuserless impeller represent rotating stall noise, generated by aerodynamic interaction between the rotating stall pattern and the impeller blades.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPLICIT NUMERICAL MODEL FOR CALCULATION OF SUB-AND SUPER-CRITICAL FLOWS

A two dimensional numerical model of shallow water equations was developed to calculate sub and super-critical open channel flows. Utilizing an implicit scheme the steady state equations were discretized based on control volume method. Collocated grid arrangement was applied with a SIMPLEC like algorithm for depth-velocity coupling. Power law scheme was used for discretization of convection and diffusion terms. Under relaxation factors were introduced in the model to prevent divergence. Momentum interpolation was used in calculating velocities on cell faces to avoid checker board water surface fluctuation in the collocated grid. The model was verified in different cases including complex water surface profiles and hydraulic jump. The results are compared with experimental and analytical data and the necessary values of under relaxation factors for a converged solution are discussed. No artificial viscosity was required, which is the advantage of the present model.
Advancements and Challenges in Ancient DNA Research: Bridging the Global North–South Divide

Ancient DNA (aDNA) research first began in 1984 and ever since has greatly expanded our understanding of evolution and migration. Today, aDNA analysis is used to solve various puzzles about the origin of mankind, migration patterns, and the spread of infectious diseases. The incredible findings ranging from identifying the new branches within the human family to studying the genomes of extinct flora and fauna have caught the world by surprise in recent times. However, a closer look at these published results points out a clear Global North and Global South divide. Therefore, through this research, we aim to emphasize encouraging better collaborative opportunities and technology transfer to support researchers in the Global South. Further, the present research also focuses on expanding the scope of the ongoing conversation in the field of aDNA by reporting relevant literature published around the world and discussing the advancements and challenges in the field.
Spectral domain analysis of open cavities

Application of the incident/reflected wave boundary condition to the wave equation for a weakly irregular waveguide leads to a spectral domain analysis of the open cavity (Fig. 1) with a typical maximum-field spectrum shown in Fig. 2. Low Q value due to the diffraction loss and the consequent overlapping of neighboring modes are the two reasons for the broadening of resonant lines. The latter also lowers the spectral domain Q values relative to those based on the commonly employed time domain approach.
Aerospace System Value Models: A Survey and Observations

Nomenclature ai = attribute i of a prospect A, B, etc. = prospects γ = ratio of risk tolerance to total assets, when this ratio is constant pj = the probability of prospect j p = the lottery probability at which the preference between A and the lottery switches r = discount rate (per year) ρ = risk tolerance ($) R = the set of real numbers S = total assets ($) t = time (years into the future, that is, future year minus present year) σ = standard deviation of the probability distribution of a random number θ = risk premium ($) u = utility v = value w = worth ($)
The stereotype content model and mental disorders: Distinct perceptions of warmth and competence

This work investigates the perception of eight different mental disorders within the Stereotype Content Model (SCM). The presented study (N = 297) includes a sample representative for the German population in terms of age and gender. Results reveal distinct warmth and competence evaluations for people with different mental disorders, e.g., people with alcohol dependence were seen as less warm and less competent than people with depression or phobia. Future directions and practical implications are discussed.
Editorial: Autoimmune pre-disease

COPYRIGHT © 2023 Hundt, Hoffmann, Amber and Ludwig. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. TYPE Editorial PUBLISHED 14 February 2023 DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2023. 1159396
On $C^1$-persistently expansive homoclinic classes

Let $f: M \to M$ be a diffeomorphism defined in a $d$-dimensional compact boundary-less manifold $M$. We prove that $C^1$-persistently expansive homoclinic classes $H(p)$, $p$ an $f$-hyperbolic periodic point, have a dominated splitting $E\oplus F$, $\dim(E)=\mbox{index}(p)$. Moreover, we prove that if the $H(p)$-germ of $f$ is expansive (in particular if $H(p)$ is an attractor, repeller or maximal invariant) then it is hyperbolic.
Tandem Observations of Nighttime Mid‐Latitude Topside Ionospheric Perturbations

Nighttime medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) have been generally observed by ground‐based instruments. However, they provide 2‐dimensional images over only a limited field of view and are not distributed globally. The ground‐based observations reported that MSTID wavefronts exhibit backward‐C shapes virtually straddling the dip equator. In situ plasma density measurements onboard individual satellites could overcome the limited coverage of ground‐based MSTID observations. But, most of those spacecrafts could obtain only 1‐dimensional profiles of plasma density, which leaves uncertain whether the observed perturbations generally have the characteristic directivity of MSTIDs. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by statistically investigating nighttime perturbations in the mid‐latitude topside ionosphere observed by tandem satellites, Swarm A and C. We cross‐correlate the plasma density profiles observed by Swarm A and C. The correlation coefficient tends to increase as the two spacecraft move closer, allowing us to derive the disturbances' directivity whenever the Swarm A and C observations are correlated significantly. The directivity statistics agree well with the backward‐C shape. Furthermore, the wavefront directions have clear dependence on magnetic latitudes while they are not as well aligned with local time, which is also consistent with previous reports on nighttime MSTIDs using ground‐based observations and computer simulations. Additionally, we demonstrate that the nighttime MSTIDs can increase the topside Rate Of Total electron content Index above Swarm. All the above‐mentioned results support that the nighttime mid‐latitude perturbations observed by Swarm can be identified as MSTIDs on the whole, which is the most important finding of this paper.
Nonlinear Analytical Modeling and Characteristic Analysis of a Class of Compound Multibeam Parallelogram Mechanisms

This paper deals with nonlinear analytical models of a class of compound multi-beam parallelogram mechanisms (CMPMs) along with the static characteristic analysis. The CMPM is composed of multiple compound basic parallelogram mechanisms (CBPMs) in an embedded parallel arrangement. Firstly, nonlinear analytical models for the CBPM are derived using the free-body diagram method through appropriate approximation strategies. The nonlinear analytical models of the CMPM are then derived based on the modeling results of the CBPM. Nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) comparisons, experimental testing, and detailed stiffness analysis for the CBPM are finally carried out. It is shown that the analytical primary motion model agrees with both the FEA model and the testing result very well but the analytical parasitic motion model deviates from the FEA model over the large primary motion/force. It is also shown from the analytical characteristic analysis that the primary translational stiffness increases with the primary motion but the parasitic motion stiffness decreases with the primary motion, and the stiffness ratio of the parasitic motion stiffness to the primary translation stiffness also decreases with the primary motion. It is found that the larger the beam slenderness ratio is, the larger the stiffness or stiffness ratio is, and the more apparent the change of the stiffness or stiffness ratio is. The varied stiffness ratio indicates the mobility change of the CBPM.
Attacking Mouse Dynamics Authentication Using Novel Wasserstein Conditional DCGAN

Behavioral biometrics is an emerging trend due to their cost-effectiveness and non-intrusive implementations that support remote access for user identification. This is the case especially in recent times of social distancing and working from home arrangements, where online attendance is the preferred option in contrast to physical presence. In this work, we explore the limitations of mouse dynamics authentication by impersonating legitimate user mouse action sequences. Specifically, towards that aim, we develop a novel generative WC-DCGAN model to generate highly accurate fake user action sequences. We apply our WC-DCGAN to this problem and show that it causes the target classifier can be tricked into identifying a fraudster as a legitimate user. WC-DCGAN has several benefits, including: achieving dominated convergence, hence implying the existence of solutions and optimal discriminator regardless of data and generator distributions; and acting as an unsupervised model for a fixed class label and generator. Experiments are conducted to verify these points. Subsequently, we analyzed the cause of misclassifications, and propose a novel mouse dynamics strategy that offers much tighter authentication with significant reductions in misclassification events.
Genetic Programming by Nitric Oxide-Sensing Gene Switch System in Tumor-Targeting Bacteria

Recent progress in synthetic biology has enabled bacteria to respond to specific disease signals to perform diagnostic and/or therapeutic tasks. Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) colonization of tumors results in increases in nitric oxide (NO) levels, suggesting that NO may act as a candidate inducer of tumor-specific gene expression. The present study describes a NO-sensing gene switch system for triggering tumor-specific gene expression in an attenuated strain of S. Typhimurium. The genetic circuit was designed to sense NO via NorR, thus initiating the expression of FimE DNA recombinase. This was found to lead sequentially to the unidirectional inversion of a promoter region (fimS), which induced the expression of target genes. Target gene expression in bacteria transformed with the NO-sensing switch system was triggered in the presence of a chemical source of NO, diethylenetriamine/nitric oxide (DETA/NO) in vitro. In vivo results revealed that the gene expression is tumor-targeted, and specific to NO generated by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) after S. Typhimurium colonization. These results showed that NO was a promising inducer to finely tune the expression of target genes carried by tumor-targeting bacteria.
Strength Performance and Stabilization Mechanism of Fine Sandy Soils Stabilized with Cement and Metakaolin

Enhancing strength performance while reducing cement consumption for soil stabilization is the key to improving the economic benefits of engineering construction projects like retaining structures of underground engineering, subgrade bases, and foundation reinforcement. This study employed metakaolin as the additive to realize these two aims. A series of compression and microstructural observation tests on cement- and metakaolin-stabilized fine sandy soils (CMSFSS) were conducted with different cement–metakaolin ratios, water–binder ratios, dosages of the binder (the mixture of cement and metakaolin), and curing ages. The influences of these factors on the mechanical performance of the CMSFSS were studied. The empirical relationships between compressive strength and these influence factors were discussed. Then, the strengthening mechanism of the CMSFSS at different curing ages was investigated. The results showed that the optimal cement–metakaolin ratio for fine sandy soil stabilization was 5:1, which did not change with the total consumption of cement and metakaolin. The compressive strength of the CMSFSS decreased linearly with the water–binder ratio but increased linearly with the curing age. Four empirical prediction formulas about these strength-influencing factors were summarized. The evolution of microstructural characteristics discovered by scanning electron microscope and mercury intrusion tests showed that the hydrated gels in CMSFSS were being formed during the early curing age and resulted in decreasing pore sizes with an initial rapid rate and then a slower rate over the curing age. The gradual disappearance of calcium hydroxide (by-products of cement hydration) over the curing age proved the promoting effect of metakaolin on the strength improvement of cement-stabilized fine sandy soils. This study can provide a reference for applying cement and metakaolin in soil stabilization practices.
General nonlinear mixed variational-link inequalities

In this paper. we introduce and study a new class of variational inequalities which is called the general strongly nonlinear mixed variational-like inequalities. This class is the most general and unifying one , The auxiliary principle technique is used to prove the unique existence of a solution of the variational-like inequality and to suggest a novel and innovative iterative algorithm. We also study the convergence analysis of the iterative algorithm. Several special cases. which can be obtained from our main results, are also discussed
The influence of additional doping on the spectroscopic and scintillation parameters of PbWO4 crystals

The structural peculiarities and the influence of additional doping of PbWO 4 crystals with Nb, Bi, Yb, and Mg ions have been investigated. It is shown that even a small amount of specific impurities leads to an important redistribution of the structural point defects, the radiating centres, and their properties in the crystals. The data have been used for further optimization of PbWO 4 scintillator development for electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) of compact muon solenoid (CMS) at CERN.
Liver Injury in Patients with COVID-19: A Retrospective Study

Objectives: The objective of this study is to explore the incidence, characteristics, risk factors, and prognosis of liver injury in patients with COVID-19. Methods: We collected clinical data of 384 cases of COVID-19 and retrospectively analyzed the incidence, characteristics, and risk factors of liver injury of the patients. In addition, we followed the patient two months after discharge. Results: A total of 23.7% of the patients with COVID-19 had liver injury, with higher serum AST (P < 0.001), ALT (P < 0.001), ALP (P = 0.004), GGT (P < 0.001), total bilirubin (P = 0.002), indirect bilirubin (P = 0.025) and direct bilirubin (P < 0.001) than the control group. The median serum AST and ALT of COVID-19 patients with liver injury were mildly elevated. Risk factors of liver injury in COVID-19 patients were age (P = 0.001), history of liver diseases (P = 0.002), alcoholic abuse (P = 0.036), body mass index (P = 0.037), severity of COVID-19 (P < 0.001), C-reactive protein (P < 0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P < 0.001), Qing-Fei-Pai-Du-Tang treatment (P = 0.032), mechanical ventilation (P < 0.001), and ICU admission (P < 0.001). Most of the patients (92.3%) with liver injury were treated with hepatoprotective drugs. 95.6% of the patients returned to normal liver function tests at 2 months after discharge. Conclusions: Liver injury was commen in COVID-19 patients with risk factors, most of them have mild elevations in transaminases, and conservative treatment has a good short-term prognosis.
A hybrid FVM–LBM method for single and multi‐fluid compressible flow problems

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has established itself as an alternative approach to solve the fluid flow equations. In this work we combine LBM with the conventional finite volume method (FVM), and propose a non‐iterative hybrid method for the simulation of compressible flows. LBM is used to calculate the inter‐cell face fluxes and FVM is used to calculate the node parameters. The hybrid method is benchmarked for several one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional test cases. The results obtained by the hybrid method show a steeper and more accurate shock profile as compared with the results obtained by the widely used Godunov scheme or by a representative flux vector splitting scheme. Additional features of the proposed scheme are that it can be implemented on a non‐uniform grid, study of multi‐fluid problems is possible, and it is easily extendable to multi‐dimensions. These features have been demonstrated in this work. The proposed method is therefore robust and can possibly be applied to a variety of compressible flow situations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correspondence between the frequency domain characteristics of simultaneous surface and intra-atrial recordings of atrial fibrillation

Previous studies have shown a decrease in the median frequency of intra-atrial recordings of atrial fibrillation during the infusion of procainamide. This study determines if the changes in median frequency can be measured simultaneously in ECG leads. Remainder electrocardiograms were generated for lead II and VI before and after the administration of procainamide. The median frequency of the power spectrum of the remainder electrocardiograms as well as an intra-atrial lead were calculated. The average median frequency of the pre-procainamide segments ranged from 4.1-6.9 Hz for lead II; 4.1-6.9 Hz for lead VI; and 4.1-7.4 Hz for the intra-atrial lead. The average median frequency of the post-procainamide segments ranged from 4.2-5.8 Hz for lead II; 4.3-5.8 fit for lead VI; and 3.1-6.1 Hz for the intra-atrial lead. Considering each patient individually, correlation between the median frequency of the surface and intra-atrial leads ranged from 0.06 to 0.88. <<ETX>>
TNFR2 expression predicts the responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) by targeting PD-1/PD-L1 or CTLA-4 have markedly improved the outcome of cancer patients. However, most solid tumor patients can’t benefit from such therapy. Identification of novel biomarkers to predict the responses of ICIs is crucial to enhance their therapeutic efficacy. TNFR2 is highly expressed by the maximally immunosuppressive subset of CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), especially those present in tumor microenvironment (TME). Since Tregs represent a major cellular mechanism in tumor immune evasion, TNFR2 may be a useful biomarker to predict the responses to ICIs therapy. This notion is supported by our analysis of the computational tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) framework from published single-cell RNA-seq data of pan-cancer databases. The results show that, as expected, TNFR2 is highly expressed by tumor-infiltrating Tregs. Interestingly, TNFR2 is also expressed by the exhausted CD8 T cells in breast cancer (BRCA), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), and melanoma (MELA). Importantly, high expression of TNFR2 is associated with poor responses to the treatment with ICIs in BRCA, HCC, LUSC, and MELA. In conclusion, the expression of TNFR2 in TME may be a reliable biomarker for the precision of ICIs treatment of cancer patients, and this idea merits further research.