Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Lipidomics- and Transcriptomics-Based Analysis of the Intestine of Genetically Obese (ob/ob) and Diabetic (db/db) Mice: Links with Inflammation and Gut Microbiota

Obesity is associated with a cluster of metabolic disorders, chronic low-grade inflammation, altered gut microbiota, increased intestinal permeability, and alterations of the lipid mediators of the expanded endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling system, or endocannabinoidome (eCBome). In the present study, we characterized the profile of the eCBome and related oxylipins in the small and large intestines of genetically obese (ob/ob) and diabetic (db/db) mice to decipher possible correlations between these mediators and intestinal inflammation and gut microbiota composition. Basal lipid and gene expression profiles, measured by LC/MS-MS-based targeted lipidomics and qPCR transcriptomics, respectively, highlighted a differentially altered intestinal eCBome and oxylipin tone, possibly linked to increased mRNA levels of inflammatory markers in db/db mice. In particular, the duodenal levels of several 2-monoacylglycerols and N-acylethanolamines were increased and decreased, respectively, in db/db mice, which displayed more pronounced intestinal inflammation. To a little extent, these differences were explained by changes in the expression of the corresponding metabolic enzymes. Correlation analyses suggested possible interactions between eCBome/oxylipin mediators, cytokines, and bacterial components and bacterial taxa closely related to intestinal inflammation. Collectively, this study reveals that db/db mice present a higher inflammatory state in the intestine as compared to ob/ob mice, and that this difference is associated with profound and potentially adaptive or maladaptive, and partly intestinal segment-specific alterations in eCBome and oxylipin signaling. This study opens the way to future investigations on the biological role of several poorly investigated eCBome mediators and oxylipins in the context of obesity and diabetes-induced gut dysbiosis and inflammation.
Effects of Regulatory T Cell Depletion in BALB/c Mice Infected with Low Doses of Borrelia burgdorferi

We previously demonstrated that a depletion of regulatory T (Treg) cells in Lyme arthritis-resistant C57BL/6 mice leads to pathological changes in the tibiotarsal joints following infection with Borrelia burgdorferi. Here, we assessed the effects of Treg cells on the response to B. burgdorferi infection in BALB/c mice, which exhibit infection-dose-dependent disease and a different sequence of immune events than C57BL/6 mice. The depletion of Treg cells prior to infection with 1 × 102, but not 5 × 103, organisms led to increased swelling of the tibiotarsal joints. However, Treg cell depletion did not significantly affect the development of histopathology at these low doses of infection. BALB/c mice depleted of Treg cells before infection with 1 × 103 spirochetes harbored a higher borrelial load in the hearts and exhibited higher levels of serum interleukin-10 five weeks later. These results indicate that Treg cells regulate certain aspects of the response to B. burgdorferi in a mouse strain that may display a range of disease severities. As the presentation of Lyme disease may vary among humans, it is necessary to consider multiple animal models to obtain a complete picture of the various means by which Treg cells affect the host response to B. burgdorferi.
The Need for More Emphasis on Prediction: A “Nondenominational” Model-Based Approach

Prediction problems are ubiquitous. In a model-based approach to predictive inference, the values of random variables that are presently observable are used to make inferences about the values of random variables that will become observable in the future, and the joint distribution of the random variables or various of its characteristics are assumed to be known up to the value of a vector of unknown parameters. Such an approach has proved to be highly effective in many important applications. This article argues that the performance of a prediction procedure in repeated application is important and should play a significant role in its evaluation. A “nondenominational” model-based approach to predictive inference is described and discussed; what in a Bayesian approach would be regarded as a prior distribution is simply regarded as part of a model that is hierarchical in nature. Some specifics are given for mixed-effects linear models, and an application to the prediction of the outcomes of basketball or football games (and to the ranking and rating of basketball or football teams) is included for purposes of illustration.
Double Graph Attention Actor-Critic Framework for Urban Bus-Pooling System

To unleash the power of buses, we propose a bus-pooling system that keeps the notion of bus stops and terminals but discards the concept of fixed bus lines by enabling buses to choose the next stop or terminal based on orders submitted by passengers. Each bus, unlike a taxi, must consider the additional delays experienced by the passengers already on board when deciding how to adapt its route to serve new orders. This paper treats each bus as an agent and formulates the buses’ re-routing decision-making process as a Semi-Markov game. Then, we propose a novel double graph attention actor-critic (DGAAC) framework by integrating high-level and low-level actor-critics separately with graph attention networks (GATs) to solve the game. Specifically, GATs embedded in high-level and low-level critics take a large-scale graph covering a city-scale area as input and capture graph-structured mutual influences among buses. In contrast, the high-level and low-level actors equipped with GATs only take the n-hop sub-graph with local information as the input and are employed as the distributed decision module of each bus. We conduct extensive experiments on one of the largest real-world datasets in Shenzhen, China, and validate that the proposed DGAAC framework greatly outperforms all baselines.
Expectations on Labour-Related CSR Reporting: Voices from Labour Unions in Indonesia and Thailand

ABSTRACT This paper examines the viewpoints of labour unions’ leaders in Indonesia and Thailand regarding labour-related corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting. Fifteen respondents representing leaders from seven labour unions in Indonesia and Thailand were interviewed using semi-structured questions. The results revealed that Indonesian labour unions expected companies to provide a clearly specific section about labour-related CSR in annual reports whereas Thai labour unions expected companies to keep on providing oral disclosures through, for example, meetings in addition to written reports such as annual reports. Employment, Occupational Health and Safety, and Training and Education were considered the most important labour issues to be reported. Equal Remuneration for Women and Men was another issue which was deemed critical to be disclosed in Indonesia. From the lens of ethical stakeholder theory, it appeared that labour unions in the two countries attempted to voice workers’ concerns and facilitate the fulfilment of workers’ information rights. The labour union leaders’ views seemed to be shaped by their ethical belief in how companies should be accountable to workers. The findings of this study can be used by regulators in Indonesia and Thailand as a reference for developing laws which specifically require companies to communicate relevant labour-related CSR information.
Impaired Function of Solute Carrier Family 19 Leads to Low Folate Levels and Lipid Droplet Accumulation in Hepatocytes

Low serum folate levels are inversely related to metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). The role of the folate transporter gene (SLC19A1) was assessed to clarify its involvement in lipid accumulation during the onset of MAFLD in humans and in liver cells by genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic techniques. Genotypes of 3 SNPs in a case-control cohort were initially correlated to clinical and serum MAFLD markers. Subsequently, the expression of 84 key genes in response to the loss of SLC19A1 was evaluated with the aid of an RT2 profiler-array. After shRNA-silencing of SLC19A1 in THLE2 cells, folate and lipid levels were measured by ELISA and staining techniques, respectively. In addition, up to 482 amino acids and lipid metabolites were semi-quantified in SLC19A1-knockdown (KD) cells through ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. SNPs, rs1051266 and rs3788200, were significantly associated with the development of fatty liver for the single-marker allelic test. The minor alleles of these SNPs were associated with a 0.6/−1.67-fold decreased risk of developing MAFLD. When SLC19A1 was KD in THLE2 cells, intracellular folate content was four times lower than in wild-type cells. The lack of functional SLC19A1 provoked significant changes in the regulation of genes associated with lipid droplet accumulation within the cell and the onset of NAFLD. Metabolomic analyses showed a highly altered profile, where most of the species that accumulated in SLC19A1-KD-cells belong to the chemical groups of triacylglycerols, diacylglycerols, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and long chain, highly unsaturated cholesterol esters. In conclusion, the lack of SLC19A1 gene expression in hepatocytes affects the regulation of key genes for normal liver function, reduces intracellular folate levels, and impairs lipid metabolism, which entails lipid droplet accumulation in hepatocytes.
Quantifying the mixing of trade‐wind cumulus during the NEPHELAE‐EUREC4A field campaign with remotely piloted aircraft

During the Network for studying Entrainment and microPHysics of cLouds using Adaptive Exploration (NEPHELAE)–ElUcidating the RolE of Cloud–Circulation Coupling in ClimAte (EUREC4A) field campaign in January and February 2020 in Barbados, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) were implemented to characterise the structures of trade‐wind cumulus for a total of 40 flights. Two observation methods were tested: one making racetracks to get statistics on the cumulus clouds and a new sampling strategy using sensor‐driven adaptive sampling to track an individual cloud autonomously throughout its lifetime. It appears from the statistics that there are two types of cohabiting cloud population, with small‐diameter clouds (transect lengths less than 500 m) being less buoyant than larger clouds (transect lengths greater than 500 m). Also, this statistical study shows that cumulus clouds do not have an adiabatic core. These results are compared with individual clouds tracked by adaptive sampling, which also show that the core of the cumulus clouds is diluted by the environment. A comparison with high‐resolution large‐eddy simulations shows that these numerical studies tend to underestimate mixing in the whole cloud.
Livšic theorems and stable ergodicity for group extensions of hyperbolic systems with discontinuities

We prove measurable Livšic theorems for Lie group valued cocycles over certain classes of uniformly hyperbolic maps with discontinuities, in particular the $\beta$-transformation, C2 Markov maps and a simple class of toral linked twist maps. As an application, we establish stable ergodicity results for compact group extensions of certain classes of uniformly hyperbolic systems with discontinuities.
Similarity Analysis of Order Trajectory for Hospital Management

Last year we proposed the application of order trajectory curve analysis to hospital mangement, which will be useful to analyze the global behavior of hospital activities. This paper proposes multi-dimensional trajectories mining to analyze the temporal characteristics of hospital services. Order Trajectories mining method consists of the following two process. First the similarities between temporal trajectories of selected variables are calculated. Second, similarity-based analysis technique such as clustering and multidimensional scaling are applied. The method was evaluated on data on the number of orders extracted from hospital information system. The results showed that the method discovered several important characteristics of the divisions in the hospital.
Third order nonlinear susceptibility of InN at near band-gap wavelengths

The authors report room-temperature measurements of the third order nonlinear susceptibility modulus ∣χ(3)∣ of thick (∼600nm) InN layers. Transmission measurements provide a room-temperature value for the optical band gap of the samples slightly above 1500nm. Third order nonlinear optical susceptibility has been measured using degenerate four wave mixing experiments at wavelengths near and above band gap. ∣χ(3)∣ values of (4.2–10)×10−10esu were measured at this wavelength range. The associated relaxation time of the generated population grating at 1500nm was measured. The obtained value of 4.8ps is consistent with a nonradiative recombination mechanism.
DEM simulation of dumbbell shaped particles under vertical vibration

Abstract The objective of the present work is to investigate the behavior of dumbbell-shaped particles in a cylindrical container subjected to vertical vibration. Particles with different aspect ratios in the commercially used LabRAM mixer (Resodyn Acoustic Mixers, Inc., MT, USA) are selected for the present study. Simulations are performed for different amplitudes of the vibrating platform. Particle properties are assumed to be same as that of potassium chloride (KCl). Simulations are performed in two stages. Particles are initially poured into the container and allowed to settle under gravity. Vibration is switched on after the particles are settled. It is observed that the mean coordination number of particles in packed state, increases with the increase in aspect ratio. Only for particles of lower aspect ratio, kinetic energy of the system increases with the increase in vibrational amplitude. Simulation results also show that the anisotropy observed in the mean squared fluctuations of translational velocity reduces with the increase in vibrational amplitude.
Strain relaxation studies of the Fe3O4/MgO (100) heteroepitaxial system grown by magnetron sputtering

Detailed strain relaxation studies of epitaxial magnetite, Fe3O4, films on MgO(100) substrates grown by magnetron sputtering reveal the accommodation of strain up to 600 nm thickness, a thickness far above the critical thickness (tc) predicted by theoretical models. The results are in agreement with the suggestion that the excess strain in Fe3O4/MgO (100) heteroepitaxy is accommodated by the presence of antiphase boundaries. The compressive strain generated by the antiphase boundaries compensates for the tensile strain within the growth islands, allowing the film to remain fully coherent with the substrate. Contrary to earlier findings, magnetization decreases with an increase in the film thickness. This vindicates the view that the structure of the antiphase boundaries depends on the growth conditions.
The effects of closure model of fiber orientation tensor on the instability of fiber suspensions in the Taylor-Couette flow.

An analysis for the linear stability of fiber suspensions in the Taylor–Couette flow is conducted. The orientation state of fibers is determined using the linear, quadratic and composite HL-I closure model and the model of the fiber contribution to the total stress is established based on the slender-body theory. The linear stability equation is derived and solved with the Chebyshev spectral method. The results show that the suppression effect is most predominant for the composite HL-I model, while least predominant for the linear closure model. The longer fibers and suspensions with high volume fraction have a more predominant influence on suppressing the instability. The contribution of the suspending fluid to the change rate of the disturbance energy dominates the energy dissipation. While the contribution of the fiber shear stress increases monotonously with increasing fiber aspect ratio for the three closure models, the contribution based on the composite HL-I closure model is the largest, and that based on the linear closure model is the smallest. The effect of fiber aspect ratio on the change rate of the disturbance energy caused by the fiber shear stress is more predominant than that of the fiber volume fraction. The positive energy caused by the fiber shear stress consumes the gross energy of the fluid system and leads to a suppression of the flow instability.
Mental Stress Management Using fNIRS Directed Connectivity and Audio Stimulation

In this study, we propose a method to enhance cognitive vigilance and mitigate mental stress in the workplace. We designed an experiment to induce stress by putting participants through Stroop Color-Word Task (SCWT) under time constraint and negative feedback. Then, we used 16 Hz binaural beats auditory stimulation (BBs) for 10 minutes to enhance cognitive vigilance and mitigate stress. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), salivary alpha-amylase, and behavioral reactions were used to determine the stress level. The level of stress was assessed using reaction time to stimuli (RT), accuracy of target detection, directed functional connectivity based on partial directed coherence, graph theory measures, and the laterality index (LI). We discovered that 16 Hz BBs mitigated mental stress by substantially increasing the target detection accuracy by 21.83% ( ${p} < 0.001$ ) and decreasing salivary alpha amylase levels by 30.28% ( ${p} < 0.01$ ). The partial directed coherence, graph theory analysis measures, and LI results indicated that mental stress decreased information flow from the left to the right prefrontal cortex under stress, whereas the 16 Hz BBs had a major impact on enhancing vigilance and mitigating mental stress via boosting connectivity network on the dorsolateral and left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.
Prevalence and Correlates of Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Functional Anorectal Pain

Purpose Patients with functional anorectal pain (FAP) often experience psychological distress, impaired quality of life, increased healthcare utilisation, and even suicidal tendencies. However, limited data exists on the psychological correlates of FAP in Chinese patients. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and related psychosocial factors in Chinese patients with FAP. Methods We used a cross-sectional research design and recruited 100 patients with FAP from SuBei Hospital’s multidisciplinary clinic for pelvic floor disorders between January and December 2021. Information on patients’ demographic and disease characteristics was also collected. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression (PHQ-9) and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with depression and anxiety. Results The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among patients with FAP was 55% and 46%, respectively. Being a woman, specific marital status (single, divorced, separated, or widowed), longer FAP duration, and sleep disturbance were significantly associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. Additionally, specific marital status (single, divorced, separated, or widowed), sleep disturbance, and high Visual Analogue Scale scores were associated with anxiety symptoms. Conclusion Depressive and anxiety symptoms are prevalent in patients with FAP. Several socio-demographic and clinical predictors have been identified. There is a need for psychologists to be involved in the treatment of patients with FAP. Thus, multidisciplinary treatment may be the optimal treatment strategy.
A numerical investigation on the effect of the inflow conditions on the self-similar region of a round jet

In this paper we consider the direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a spatially developing free round jet at low Reynolds numbers. Simulation of a spatially evolving flow such as the jet requires boundary conditions, which allow entrainment into the turbulent flow across the lateral boundaries of the computational domain. The boundary conditions which satisfy this requirement are so-called traction free boundary conditions. After showing that these boundary conditions lead to a correct behavior of the velocity near the lateral boundary of the jet, we will consider the DNS of the jet flow at a Reynolds number of 2.4×103 and compare the results with experimental data obtained by Hussein et al. [J. Fluid Mech. 258, 31 (1994)] and by Panchapakesan and Lumley [J. Fluid Mech. 246, 197 (1993)]. The results of our numerical simulations agree very well with the experimental data. Next we use the DNS to investigate the influence of the shape of the velocity profile at the jet orifice on the self-similarity scaling f.
Fractal Burgers Equations

Abstract The paper studies local and global in time solutions to a class of multidimensional generalized Burgers-type equations with a fractional power of the Laplacian in the principal part and with general algebraic nonlinearity. Such equations naturally appear in continuum mechanics. Our results include existence, uniqueness, regularity and asymptotic behavior of solutions to the Cauchy problem as well as a construction of self-similar solutions. The role of critical exponents is also explained.
LXXIX. The cohesive force between solid surfaces and the surface energy of solids

Summary An expression is obtained for the cohesive force between two unequal spheres in geometrical contact. From the constant in this expression the surface energy of the solid may be computed. Results are obtained in agreement with the theory. The surface energies of freshly fused surfaces of quartz and sodium pyroborate are 33·8 and 69 ergs per sq. cm. In the case of borate spheres, however, the cohesion is probably due to a surface film of water.
A Sequence and Network Embedding Method for Bus Arrival Time Prediction Using GPS Trajectory Data Only

Recently, achieving high accuracy in bus arrival time prediction has become a hot research topic. Extensive research has been conducted around this topic, among which fusion of multi-source heterogeneous information is the mainstream. However, using only GPS trajectory data to predict the arrival time of buses is meaningful for small cities since they do not have easy access to external sources of data. Therefore, we propose a novel deep-learning model based on sequence and network(i.e., graph) embedding (SGE-net) which adopts only GPS trajectories as input and achieves accurate bus arrival time prediction without external data. Specifically, the sequence embedding part, composed of the Echo State Network (ESN), the Auto-Encoder (AE), and the k-means cluster method, is constructed to extract the complex and potential sequence patterns from a large number of trajectory sequences, and cluster different patterns of trajectories. Then, the network embedding part with the node2vec algorithm is proposed to capture the spatial correlation among bus stops on different lines under the condition of limited data. Finally, a fusion prediction part based on the specifically designed parallel Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) networks is introduced to combine sequence and network embedding vectors with hidden outputs of the GRUs and then get the prediction. Both real-world offline and online experiments are conducted based on GPS data of bus lines in QiTaiHe city and ShiJiaZhuang city. The results clearly show that the SGE-net outperforms the baseline models, and validate the effectiveness and robustness of the SGE-net.