Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vicarious Social Defeat Increases Conditioned Rewarding Effects of Cocaine and Ethanol Intake in Female Mice

Stress is a critical factor in the development of mood and drug use disorders. The social defeat model is not appropriate for female rodents due to their low level of aggression. Therefore, a robust female model of social stress needs to be developed and validated. The aim of the present study was to unravel the long-lasting effects of vicarious social defeat (VSD) on the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine and ethanol intake in female mice. Although VSD seems to be a good model for inducing behavioral and physiologic endophenotypes induced by stress, there are no studies to date that characterize the effect of VSD on cocaine or alcohol use. The results confirm that VSD females showed an increase in corticosterone levels after a vicarious experience while also displaying an increase in anxiety- and anhedonic-like behaviors. Three weeks after the last VSD, vicariously defeated female mice showed an increased developed preference for a non-effective dose of cocaine in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm and showed an increase in ethanol intake. Our results suggest that female mice vicariously experience a state of distress through the social observation of others suffering from adverse events, confirming the use of VSD as a valid model to study the response to social stress in females. The fact that VSD in females induced a comparable behavioral phenotype to that observed in physically defeated males could indicate a relationship with the higher rate of psychopathologies observed in women. Notwithstanding, more studies are needed to dissect the neurobiological and behavioral peculiarities of the female response to social stress.
Connection between Osteoarthritis and Nitric Oxide: From Pathophysiology to Therapeutic Target

Osteoarthritis (OA), a disabling joint inflammatory disease, is characterized by the progressive destruction of cartilage, subchondral bone remodeling, and chronic synovitis. Due to the prolongation of the human lifespan, OA has become a serious public health problem that deserves wide attention. The development of OA is related to numerous factors. Among the factors, nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in mediating this process. NO is a small gaseous molecule that is widely distributed in the human body, and its synthesis is dependent on NO synthase (NOS). NO plays an important role in various physiological processes such as the regulation of blood volume and nerve conduction. Notably, NO acts as a double-edged sword in inflammatory diseases. Recent studies have shown that NO and its redox derivatives might be closely related to both normal and pathophysiological joint conditions. They can play vital roles as normal bone cell-conditioning agents for osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes. Moreover, they can also induce cartilage catabolism and cell apoptosis. Based on different conditions, the NO/NOS system can act as an anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory agent for OA. This review summarizes the studies related to the effects of NO on all normal and OA joints as well as the possible new treatment strategies targeting the NO/NOS system.
Mesh grading for integral equations of the first kind with logarithmic kernel

When the Galerkin method is used to solve the first kind integral equations with logarithmic kernel on polygons or open arcs, the singularities of the solution degrade the rates of convergence. The aim of this paper is to show, for the particular case of piecewise-constant approximation spaces, that in some cases the $O(h^3 )$ order of convergence can be restored by a suitable grading of the mesh.
Active microwave signatures of snow covers at 5.3 and 35 GHz

During the last 3 years we performed in situ backscattering measurements on various natural snow covers at 5.3 and 35 GHz (C and Ka band, respectively). Most of the measurements were made at a test site above Davos in the Swiss Alps at 2540 m above sea level (asl), but studies were conducted also at other test sites in Switzerland and Austria at heights between 500 and 2200 m asl. The backscattering coefficient γ was measured at hh, vv, hv and vh polarization, together with physical parameters of the snow cover, like snow height, stratification, temperature, density, and permittivity. On the basis of ground information and on a simple distribution of γ, we identified signatures of object classes. The signatures were used in order to evaluate the capability of active microwave sensors at 5.3 and 35 GHz for the classification of snow covers. In addition, semiempirical algorithms for the retrieval of physical parameters of the snow cover, such as water equivalent, liquid water content, and thickness of the refrozen crust, were defined.
Use of quantum‐well superlattices to obtain a high figure of merit from nonconventional thermoelectric materials

Currently, the materials with the highest thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) are one‐band materials. The presence of both electrons and holes lowers ZT, so two‐band materials such as semimetals are not useful thermoelectric materials. However, by preparing these materials in the form of two‐dimensional quantum‐well superlattices, it is possible to separate the two bands and transform the material to an effective one‐carrier system. We have investigated theoretically the effect of such an approach and our results indicate that a significant increase in ZT may be achieved. This result allows the possibility of using a new class of materials as thermoelectric refrigeration elements.
The pathogenic microbial flora and its antibiotic susceptibility pattern in odontogenic infections

Abstract Suppurative head and neck infections of odontogenic origin are the most frequent type of head and neck infections. According to the literature, 7–10% of all antibiotics are currently prescribed for their treatment. Since penicillin was invented, the overall antibiotic sensitivity and resistance pattern of the isolated pathogenic microflora has continuously changed. The response of microorganisms to antibiotics and the development of resistance to their action is a purely evolutive process characterized by genetic mutations, acquisition of genetic material or alteration of gene expression and metabolic adaptations. All this makes challenging and difficult the correct choice of empirical antibiotic treatment for head and neck space infections even today. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the literature and to evidence the most frequent locations of odontogenic head and neck infections, the dominant pathogenic microbial flora, the genetic mutations and metabolic changes necessary for bacteria in order to aquire antibiotic resistance and as well its susceptibility and resistance to common antibiotics. We also aimed to highlight the possible changes in bacterial resistance to antibiotics over time, and to assess whether or not there is a need for fundamental changes in the empirical antibiotic treatment of these infections and show which these would be.
Comparison of Individual Sensors in the Electronic Nose for Stress Detection in Forest Stands

Forests are increasingly exposed to natural disturbances, including drought, wildfires, pest outbreaks, and windthrow events. Due to prolonged droughts in the last years in Europe, European forest stands significantly lost vitality, and their health condition deteriorated, leading to high mortality rates, especially, but not limited to, Norway spruce. This phenomenon is growing, and new regions are being affected; thus, it is necessary to identify stress in the early stages when actions can be taken to protect the forest and living trees. Current detection methods are based on field walks by forest workers or deploying remote sensing methods for coverage of the larger territory. These methods are based on changes in spectral reflectance that can detect attacks only at an advanced stage after the significant changes in the canopy. An innovative approach appears to be a method based on odor mapping, specifically detecting chemical substances which are present in the forest stands and indicate triggering of constitutive defense of stressed trees. The bark beetle attacking a tree, for example, produces a several times higher amount of defense-related volatile organic compounds. At the same time, the bark beetle has an aggregation pheromone to attract conspecifics to overcome the tree defense by mass attack. These substances can be detected using conventional chemical methods (solid-phase microextraction fibers and cartridges), and it is proven that they are detectable by dogs. The disadvantage of classic chemical analysis methods is the long sampling time in the forest, and at the same time, the results must be analyzed in the laboratory using a gas chromatograph. A potential alternative novel device appears to be an electronic nose, which is designed to detect chemical substances online (for example, dangerous gas leaks or measure concentrations above landfills, volcanic activity, etc.). We tested the possibility of early-stage stress detection in the forest stands using an electronic nose Sniffer4D and compared the individual sensors in it for detecting the presence of attacked and dead trees. Our results indicate the promising applicability of the electronic nose for stress mapping in the forest ecosystem, and more data collection could prove this approach.
Perceived Utilization of Leadership Styles Among Nurses

Background Nurses´ perceptions of leaders´ leadership styles has a significant impact on their well-being. Effective leadership in health care is crucial for improving and enhancing the effectiveness of health care systems. This study aimed to assess the perceived utilization of leadership styles among nurses at Jimma town public health facilities, Ethiopia. Methods This facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 403 nurses. Data were collected through a self-administered structured questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and then exported to SPSS version 25. The strength of association was described using unstandardized adjusted β with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value <0.05. Results Of the 422 participants, 403 completed and returned the questionnaire correctly, thus achieving a response rate of 95.5%. Staff nurses perceived that their head nurses fairly often or commonly used transformational leadership styles, with a mean of 2.77±0.60. The multivariable linear regression analysis model indicated that there was a positive relationship between perceived leadership style and gender, overall organizational commitment, overall job-related stress, overall innovative work behavior, and overall leadership practice. However, there was a negative relationship between perceived leadership style and nurses who had not received previous training on leadership. Conclusion This study highlights that transformational leadership is a commonly utilized leadership style by leader nurses. Effective and balanced use of various leadership styles requires knowledge (training), organizational commitment, and innovative work behavior from both leaders and staff nurses. Therefore, a transformational leadership style is key to achieving organizational goals and increasing staff nurses’ productivity.
Moderating role of financial ratios in corporate social responsibility disclosure and firm value

This study investigates the link between corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure for multi-stakeholders and financial performance of a firm through accounting-based activities for CSR. A dataset of Chinese non-financial firms listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange from 2008 to 2012 is taken from the China Stock Market & Accounting Research database. The study compares different financial ratios of CSR disclosure and non-disclosure firms. Moreover, the financial ratios of CSR disclosure firms also compare with the industry averages. The results suggest that the financial of CSR disclosure firms are better than both CSR non-disclosure firms and industry averages. These financial ratios ensure the claim of a firm that they are socially responsible toward multi-stakeholders. Further, the same financial ratios are used as moderator variables between CSR disclosure for multi-stakeholders (independent variable) and firm financial performance (dependent variable). The relationship between CSR disclosure and firm value is moderated by the financial ratios. The moderation effect of financial ratios is rarely used in the literature of CSR disclosure and firm value.
Amplification system of ALMA Band 1

At Universidad de Chile we have started a program for the development of a prototype receiver for Band 1 (31-45 GHz) of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. This receiver will use a low-noise amplifier which is specified to have 5 times the quantum limit (~10 K). Here we present the first efforts and results towards reaching that goal.
Adaptive Hybrid Classifier for Myoelectric Pattern Recognition Against the Interferences of Outlier Motion, Muscle Fatigue, and Electrode Doffing

Traditional myoelectric prostheses that employ a static pattern recognition model to identify human movement intention from surface electromyography (sEMG) signals hardly adapt to the changes in the sEMG characteristics caused by interferences from daily activities, which hinders the clinical applications of such prostheses. In this paper, we focus on methods to reduce or eliminate the impacts of three types of daily interferences on myoelectric pattern recognition (MPR), i.e., outlier motion, muscle fatigue, and electrode doffing/donning. We constructed an adaptive incremental hybrid classifier (AIHC) by combining one-class support vector data description and multi-class linear discriminant analysis in conjunction with two specific update schemes. We developed an AIHC-based MPR strategy to improve the robustness of MPR against the three interferences. Extensive experiments on hand-motion recognition were conducted to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method. Experimental results show that the AIHC has significant advantages over non-adaptive classifiers under various interferences, with improvements in the classification accuracy ranging from 7.1% to 39% ( ${p} < {0.01}$ ). The additional evaluations on data deviations demonstrate that the AIHC can accommodate large-scale changes in the sEMG characteristics, revealing the potential of the AIHC-based MPR strategy in the development of clinical myoelectric prostheses.
On the stability of an axisymmetric rotating flow in a pipe

The linear stability of an inviscid, axisymmetric and rotating columnar flow in a finite length pipe is studied. A well posed model of the unsteady motion of swirling flows with compatible boundary conditions that may reflect the physical situation is formulated. A linearized set of equations for the development of infinitesimal axially‐symmetric disturbances imposed on a base rotating columnar flow is derived. Then, a general mode of axisymmetric disturbances, that is not limited to the axial‐Fourier mode, is introduced and an eigenvalue problem is obtained. Benjamin’s critical state concept is extended to the case of a rotating flow in a finite length pipe. It is found that a neutral mode of disturbance exists at the critical state. In the case of a solid body rotating flow with a uniform axial velocity component, analytical solution of the eigenvalue problem is found. It is demonstrated that the flow changes its stability characteristics as the swirl changes around the critical level. When the flow is .
Evaluation of qPCR to Detect Shifts in Population Composition of the Rhizobial Symbiont Mesorhizobium japonicum during Serial in Planta Transfers

Simple Summary Rhizobia species that fix atmospheric nitrogen in nodules that form on the root are very beneficial to plant growth and productivity. Highly efficient nitrogen-fixing rhizobia developed under laboratory conditions often do not function at the same level in natural soils with native microbial communities. The aim of this research is to study how the plant (Lotus japonicus) associates with three rhizobia from the same species (Mesorhizobium japonicum) when they are present together at the same time. These three rhizobia have different nitrogen-fixing abilities, making them highly beneficial (HB), moderately beneficial (MB), and non-beneficial (NM) to the plant. Using a quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based approach, we show that the plant selectively favors the HB rhizobia, such that at the end of the third generation, the plant was able to exclude almost all the MB and NB rhizobia from its nodules. To our surprise, when only the MB and NB rhizobia were present together, the plant could not favor the MB rhizobia and eliminate the NB rhizobia from its nodules. Studying more complex scenarios, with tens and hundreds of different rhizobia together, will help us better understand this interaction between rhizobia and plants and develop highly beneficial rhizobia to increase agricultural productivity. Abstract Microbial symbionts range from mutualistic to commensal to antagonistic. While these roles are distinct in their outcome, they are also fluid in a changing environment. Here, we used the Lotus japonicus–Mesorhizobium japonicum symbiosis to investigate short-term and long-term shifts in population abundance using an effective, fast, and low-cost tracking methodology for M. japonicum. We use quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to track previously generated signature-tagged M. japonicum mutants targeting the Tn5 transposon insertion and the flanking gene. We used a highly beneficial wild type and moderately beneficial and non-beneficial mutants of M. japonicum sp. nov. to demonstrate the specificity of these primers to estimate the relative abundance of each genotype within individual nodules and after serial transfers to new hosts. For the moderate and non-beneficial genotypes, qPCR allowed us to differentiate genotypes that are phenotypically indistinguishable and investigate host control with suboptimal symbionts. We consistently found the wild type increasing in the proportion of the population, but our data suggest a potential reproductive trade-off between the moderate and non-beneficial genotypes. The multi-generation framework we used, coupled with qPCR, can easily be scaled up to track dozens of M. japonicum mutants simultaneously. Moreover, these mutants can be used to explore M. japonicum genotype abundance in the presence of a complex soil community.
Natural or artificial: An example of topographic spatial distribution analysis of mescaline in cactus plants by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging

Introduction Differentiating whether plant products are natural or artificial is of great importance in many practical fields, including forensic science, food safety, cosmetics, and fast-moving consumer goods. Information about the topographic distribution of compounds is an important criterion for answering this question. However, of equal importance is the likelihood that topographic spatial distribution information may provide important and valuable information for molecular mechanism study. Methods In this study, we took mescaline, a substance with hallucinogenic properties in cacti of the species Trichocereus pachanoi and Lophophora williamsii, as an example to characterize the spatial distribution of mescaline in plants and flowers by liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry–matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging at the macroscopic, tissue structure, and even cellular levels. Results According to our results, the distribution of mescaline in natural plant was concentrated on the active meristems, epidermal tissues, and protruding parts of Trichocereus pachanoi and Lophophora williamsii, while artificially spiked Lophophora diffusa products showed no such difference in their topographic spatial distribution. Discussion This difference in distribution pattern allowed us to distinguish between flowers that could synthesize mescaline on their own and those that had been artificially spiked with mescaline. The interesting topographic spatial distribution results, such as the overlap of the mescaline distribution map and micrographs of the vascular bundles, were consistent with the synthesis and transport theory of mescaline, indicating the potential for applying matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging in botanical research.
Effect of continuous aerobic exercise on endothelial function: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background: Current research suggests that continuous aerobic exercise can be effective in improving vascular endothelial function, while the effect between different intensities and durations of exercise is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of different durations and intensities of aerobic exercise on vascular endothelial function in different populations. Methods: Searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases. We included studies that satisfied the following criteria: 1) randomized controlled trials (RCTs); 2) including both an intervention and control group; 3) using flow-mediated dilation (FMD) as the outcome measure; and 4) testing FMD on the brachial artery. Results: From 3,368 search records initially identified, 41 studies were eligible for meta-analysis. There was a significant effect of continuous aerobic exercise on improving flow-mediated dilation (FMD) [weighted mean difference (WMD), 2.55, (95% CI, 1.93–3.16), p < 0.001]. Specifically, moderate-intensity [2.92 (2.02–3.825), p < 0.001] and vigorous-intensity exercise [2.58 (1.64–3.53), p < 0.001] significantly increased FMD. In addition, a longer duration [<12 weeks, 2.25 (1.54–2.95), p < 0.001; ≥12 weeks, 2.74 (1.95–3.54), p < 0.001], an older age [age <45, 2.09 (0.78–3.40), p = 0.002; 45 ≤ age <60, 2.25 (1.49–3.01), p < 0.001; age ≥60, 2.62 (1.31–3.94), p < 0.001], a larger basal body mass index (BMI) [20 < BMI < 25, 1.43 (0.98–1.88), p < 0.001; 25 ≤ BMI < 30, 2.49 (1.07–3.90), p < 0.001; BMI ≥ 30, 3.05 (1.69–4.42), p < 0.001], and a worse basal FMD [FMD < 4, 2.71 (0.92–4.49), p = 0.003; 4 ≤ FMD < 7, 2.63 (2.03–3.23), p < 0.001] were associated with larger improvements in FMD. Conclusion: Continuous aerobic exercise, especially moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise, contributed to improving FMD. The effect of continuous aerobic exercise on improving FMD was associated with duration and participant’s characteristics. Specifically, a longer duration, an older age, a larger basal BMI, and a worse basal FMD contributed to more significant improvements in FMD. Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd. york.ac. uk/PROSPERO/display_record. php? RecordID=341442], identifier [CRD42022341442].
Complex behaviour in a piecewise linear dynamic macroeconomic model with endogenous discontinuity

This paper examines the dynamic property of a macroeconomic model developed by Matsuyama [Am. Econ. Rev. 97(2007), pp. 503–516] in detail. It is shown that the model can be transformed into a version of the neuron model analysed by Hata [J. Math. Kyoto Univ. 22(1982), pp. 155–173, Chaos in Neural Network Models (in Japanese), Asakura, Tokyo 1998] and that the system can exhibit either periodic fluctuations or non-periodic (chaotic) fluctuations.