Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different outcomes of endurance and resistance exercise in skeletal muscles of Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy

Background Exercise is widely considered to have beneficial impact on skeletal muscle aging. In addition, there are also several studies demonstrating a positive effect of exercise on muscular dystrophies. Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a late-onset autosomal dominant inherited neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in the PAPBN1 gene. These mutations consist in short (1-8) and meiotically stable GCN trinucleotide repeat expansions in its coding region responsible for the formation of PAPBN1 intranuclear aggregates. This study aims to characterize the effects of two types of chronic exercise, resistance and endurance, on the OPMD skeletal muscle phenotype using a relevant murine model of OPMD. Methods In this study, we tested two protocols of exercise. In the first, based on endurance exercise, FvB (wild-type) and A17 (OPMD) mice underwent a 6-week-long motorized treadmill protocol consisting in 3 sessions per week of running 20cm/s for 20 minutes. In the second protocol, based on resistance exercise generated by chronic mechanical overload (OVL), surgical removal of gastrocnemius and soleus muscles was performed, inducing hypertrophy of the plantaris muscle. In both types of exercise, muscles of A17 and FvB mice were compared to those of respective sedentary mice. For all the groups, force measurement, muscle histology and molecular analyses were conducted. Results Following the endurance exercise protocol, we did not observe any major changes in the muscle physiological parameters, but an increase in the number of PABPN1 intranuclear aggregates and enhanced collagen deposition in the exercised A17 OPMD mice. In the resistance overload protocol, we also observed an increased collagen deposition in the A17 OPMD mice which was associated with larger muscle mass and fiber cross sectional area and increased absolute maximal force as well as a reduction in PABPN1 aggregate number. Conclusions Running exercise and mechanical overload led to very different outcome in skeletal muscles of A17 mice. Both types of exercise enhanced collagen deposition but while the running protocol increased aggregates, the OVL reduced them. More importantly OVL reversed muscle atrophy and maximal force in the A17 mice. Our study performed in a relevant model gives an indication of the effect of different types of exercise on OPMD muscle which should be further evaluated in humans for future recommendations as a part of the lifestyle of individuals with OPMD.
Individualized functional localization of the language and multiple demand network in chronic post-stroke aphasia

Recent research found a distinct dissociation between brain regions supporting domain-general cognitive processes and regions supporting core language functions. The question of whether individuals with post-stroke aphasia (IWA) exhibit a comparable dissociation remains debated, particularly as previous studies overlooked individual variability in functional network organization and aphasia heterogeneity. To address this gap, we employed an individualized functional localization approach to test the involvement of the domain-general multiple demand (MD) network during language processing in chronic aphasia. We collected functional MRI data in 15 IWA and 13 age-matched controls. Participants performed a spatial working memory task, triggering MD network activation, as well as a listening and reading task, triggering language network activation. We compared both groups’ individualized activation patterns and investigated the link with aphasia severity. Involvement of the MD network during language processing was examined by investigating language task activity within subject-specific regions that are active during the MD task. The language and MD network exhibited robust spatial dissociation in both groups. Moreover, there was no evidence of MD network activation during language processing in either group. Additionally, the language network showed weaker activation in IWA compared to controls in left-hemispheric brain regions, with higher activation values in the left correlating with improved language performance in IWA. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the MD network does not contribute to passive, receptive language functions in chronic aphasia or healthy older adults. Instead, our results align with previous research proposing that normalized left-hemispheric language activity supports language performance in chronic aphasia.
Rock-physics transforms and scale of investigation

ABSTRACTRock-physics “velocity-porosity” transforms are usually established on sets of laboratory and/or well data with the latter data source being dominant in recent practice. The purpose of establishing such transforms is to (1) conduct forward modeling of the seismic response for various geologically plausible “what if” scenarios in the subsurface and (2) interpret seismic data for petrophysical properties and conditions, such as porosity, clay content, and pore fluid. Because the scale of investigation in the well is considerably smaller than that in reflection seismology, an important question is whether the rock-physics model established in the well can be used at the seismic scale. We use synthetic examples and well data to show that a rock-physics model established at the well approximately holds at the seismic scale, suggest a reason for this scale independence, and explore where it may be violated. The same question can be addressed as an inverse problem: Assume that we have a rock-physics tran.
A tripartite organelle platform links growth factor receptor signaling to mitochondrial metabolism

One open question in the biology of growth factor receptors is how a quantitative input (i.e., ligand concentration) is decoded by the cell to produce specific response(s). Here, we show that an EGFR endocytic mechanism, non-clathrin endocytosis (NCE), which is activated only at high ligand concentrations and targets receptor to degradation, requires a tripartite organelle platform involving the plasma membrane (PM), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. At these contact sites, EGFR-dependent, ER-generated Ca2+ oscillations are sensed by mitochondria, leading to increased metabolism and ATP production. Locally released ATP is required for cortical actin remodeling and EGFR-NCE vesicle fission. The same biochemical circuitry is also needed for an effector function of EGFR, i.e., collective motility. The multiorganelle signaling platform herein described mediates direct communication between EGFR signaling and mitochondrial metabolism, and is predicted to have a broad impact on cell physiology as it is activated by another growth factor receptor, HGFR/MET.
Ultrasound enhanced plasma surface modification at atmospheric pressure

Efficiency of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment can be highly enhanced by simultaneous high power ultrasonic irradiation onto the treating surface. It is because ultrasonic waves with a sound pressure level (SPL) above ∼140 dB can reduce the thickness of a boundary gas layer between the plasma and the material surface, and thus, many reactive species generated in the plasma can reach the surface before they are inactivated and can be efficiently utilised for surface modification. In the present work, glass fibre reinforced polyester plates were treated using a dielectric barrier discharge and a gliding arc at atmospheric pressure to study adhesion improvement. The effect of ultrasonic irradiation with the frequency diapason between 20 and 40 kHz at the SPL of ∼150 dB was investigated. After the plasma treatment without ultrasonic irradiation, the wettability was significantly improved. The ultrasonic irradiation during the plasma treatment consistently enhanced the treatment efficiency. The principal effect of ultrasonic irradiation can be attributed to enhancing surface oxidation during plasma treatment. In addition, ultrasonic irradiation can suppress arcing, and the uniformity of the treatment can be improved.
Indications for Regolith on Itokawa from Thermal-Infrared Observations

We report preliminary results of thermal-infrared observations of the near-Earth asteroid (25143) Itokawa made with the ESO 3.6m telescope in 2001 and the NASA IRTF in 2004. Using these and data from the literature we investigated the size and thermal properties of Itokawa. We were not able to obtain an un-ambiguous result for Itokawa’s size but we could reliably constrain the thermal properties of the surface. We use a detailed thermophysical model accounting explicitly for Itokawa’s shape and spin state, heat conduction, and surface roughness. Our results indicate that Itokawa’s surface is dominated by regolith rather than by bare rock; a surface of bare rock only is ruled out, although boulders covering a moderate percentage of the surface are not excluded.
Friction Stir Welding of Dissimilar Aluminum Alloys

Dissimilar aluminum alloys AA2024-T365 and AA5083-H111 were welded by friction stir process. Welding parameters such as tool rotational speed (900, 1120 and 1400 rpm), weld speeds (16, 40 and 80 mm/min) and tool pin profiles (square, triangular and stepped) were used to weld many joints to study their effect on the mechanical properties of the joint. Also, different locations of the material were studied as other parameter. The mechanical properties were evaluated using tensile and hardness tests. The microstructure characterization of the processed alloys was carried out using optical microscopy. Macro and microstructures of parent and welded specimens indicated that the weld parameters have a significant effect on mechanical and microstructural properties of the welds. However, defect-free as well as higher strength was obtained at higher speed of 80 mm/min.
Soil Temperature and Soil Moisture Patterns in a Himalayan Alpine Treeline Ecotone

ABSTRACT Soil properties in alpine treeline ecotones are insufficiently explored. In particular, an extensive monitoring of soil moisture conditions over a longer period of time is rare, and the effects of soil moisture variability on alpine treelines have not received adequate attention yet. Soil temperature patterns are generally well documented, and soil temperature is considered a key factor in limiting tree growth at both global and local scales. We performed a 2½-year monitoring in a near-natural treeline ecotone in Rolwaling Himal, Nepal. In this paper, we present new findings on spatiotemporal soil temperature and moisture variability in relation to topographical features and vegetation patterns (variations in stand structures and tree physiognomy). Our results show a growing season mean soil temperature of 7.5 ± 0.6 °C at 10 cm depth at the Rolwaling treeline. Multivariate statistical analyses yield a significant relation between soil temperatures and the variability in tree height, crown length, crown width, and leaf area index (LAI). In turn, soil temperature variability is controlled by the tree physiognomy itself. Soil moisture conditions (available water capacity, 0–10 cm) appear to be less substantial for current stand structures and tree physiognomy. In turn, tree physiognomy patterns control soil moisture, which additionally is affected by snow cover. In Rolwaling, shallow and coarse-grained soils cause low water-holding capacities, and thus a remarkable amount of water percolates from topsoils to subsoils. In the alpine tundra with missing forest canopy, year-round lowest available water capacities are additionally caused by high solar radiation, wind, and thus high evaporation. We assume low soil moisture availability causing largely prevented tree regeneration especially in the alpine tundra. We conclude that soil temperature and moisture patterns reflect tree physiognomy patterns. The latter cause disparities in soil temperature and moisture conditions inside and outside of the closed forest by shading effects and differences in leaf fall.
Soil respiration and its controlling factors at Phragmites communis wetland in Panjin

Soil respiration dynamics of Phragmites communis wetland in Panjin,Liaoning province was measured from the year of 2004 to 2005 with a LI-6400-09 system.The daily and seasonal patterns of soil respiration rate were obvious,and it approached to zero under inundation.The inundation leaded by tides decreased two thirds of soil respiration in 2005.The maximum value of soil respiration was found after inundation both in 2004 and in 2005.The controlling factors of soil respiration in spatial scale were underground biomass,but those in temporal scale were soil water content and soil temperature.
Valproate in dementia: time to move on?

Baillonet al’s Cochrane review included 430 participants with agitation in dementia from five randomised controlled trials. Overall, the reviewers found that valproate was no better than placebo for the treatment of agitation in people with dementia; however, the quality of the studies included was very variable. Adverse effects and events were higher in the treatment group compared with the controls, although these finding were largely based on low-quality data with incomplete reporting; thus, valproate's safety profile is of concern. This review demonstrates that there is insufficient evidence to change current treatment guidelines.None.
Digital Commons @ University of Digital Commons @ University of South Florida South Florida

[ 1 ] In this study, we estimate a time series of geocenter anomalies from a combination of data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission and the output from ocean models. A matrix equation is derived relating total geocenter variations to the GRACE coefficients of degrees two and higher and to the oceanic component of the degree one coefficients. We estimate the oceanic component from two state-of-the-art ocean models. Results are compared to independent estimates of geocenter derived from other satellite data, such as satellite laser ranging and GPS. Finally, we compute degree one coefficients that are consistent with the processing applied to the GRACE Level-2 gravity field coefficients. The estimated degree one coefficients can be used to improve estimates of mass variability from GRACE, which alone cannot provide them directly.
FACTORS AFFECTING EFL STUDENTS' DIFFICULTY IN READING COMPREHENSION

This study aims to discover the internal factors affecting EFL students' difficulty in reading comprehension. The research participants in this study were five English Foreign Language (EFL) students who could not achieve the grade standard in a Reading class at the English Language Education Program (ELEP) in a small town in Central Java. The Interviews were used as the instruments to collect the data. In the interview, 5 participants were asked about the internal factors that affected students' difficulties in reading comprehension. The thematic analysis revealed that students' difficulty in reading comprehension is affected by two primary internal factors. The first factor pertains to students' ability, encompassing their grammatical and vocabulary knowledge in English. The second factor encompasses students’ perceptions including feelings of interest, boredom, anxiety, sickness, and personal problems.
Learning Efficiency of Multi-Agent Information Structures

We study settings in which, prior to playing an incomplete information game, players observe many draws of private signals about the state from some information structure. Signals are i.i. d. across draws, but may display arbitrary correlation across players. For each information structure, we deﬁne a simple learning eﬀiciency index, which only considers the statistical distance between the worst-informed player’s marginal signal distributions in diﬀerent states. We show, ﬁrst, that this index characterizes the speed of common learning (Cripps, Ely, Mailath, and Samuelson, 2008): In particular, the speed at which players achieve approximate common knowledge of the state coincides with the slowest player’s speed of individual learning, and does not depend on the correlation across players’ signals. Second, we build on this characterization to provide a ranking over information structures: We show that, with suﬀiciently many signal draws, information structures with a higher learning eﬀiciency index lead to better equilibrium outcomes, robustly for a rich class of games and objective functions. We discuss implications of our results for constrained information design in games and for the question when information structures are complements vs. substitutes.
Truck ﬂeet model for design and assessment of ﬂexible pavements

The mechanistic empirical method of ﬂexible pavement design/assessment uses a large number of numerical truck model runs to predict a history of dynamic load. The pattern of dynamic load distribution along the pavement is a key factor in the design/assessment of ﬂexible pavement. While this can be measured in particular cases, there are no reliable methods of predicting the mean pattern for typical trafﬁc conditions. A simple linear quarter car model which aims to reproduce the mean and variance of dynamic loading of the truck ﬂeet at a given site is developed here. This probabilistic model reﬂects the range and frequency of the different heavy trucks on the road and their dynamic properties. Multiple Sensor Weigh-in-Motion data can be used to calibrate the model. Truck properties such as suspension stiffness, suspension damping, sprung mass, unsprung mass and tyre stiffness are represented as randomly varying parameters in the ﬂeet model. It is used to predict the statistical distribution of dynamic load at each measurement point. The concept is demonstrated by using a pre-deﬁned truck ﬂeet to calculate a pattern of statistical spatial repeatability and is tested by using that pattern to ﬁnd the truck statistical properties that generated it.
Investigating the development of prosociality through the lens of Investigating the development of prosociality through the lens of refusals: Children’s prosocial refusals with siblings and friends refusals: Children’s prosocial refusals with siblings and friends

This 3-year longitudinal study examined children’s engagement and refusals to be prosocial between siblings and friends from early to middle childhood. At each of two time points, 44 children ( M age = 4.56 years at Time 1 [T1]) were video-recorded in one play session with a sibling and one with a friend. Children’s helping or refusals to help and sharing or refusals to share and their strategies to refuse prosociality were coded. Findings revealed that prosocial refusals were as frequent as prosocial actions between siblings and friends. Children were more likely to refuse to be prosocial with their sibling especially for sharing and through verbal refusals. Children used verbal refusals more at T1, whereas they used passive refusal more at T2. Verbal and nonverbal refusals were used more to refuse sharing, whereas passive refusal was used more to refuse helping. This study highlighted the importance of prosocial refusals in the development of prosociality in the context of close relationships.
Evaluation resistance to detach the pod’s pedicels of chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) accessions, part of the Bulgarian chickpea collection

Petrova, S. , Stamatov, S. , Naidenov, N. & Ishpekov, S. (2023). Evaluation resistance to detach the pod’s pedicels of chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) accessions, part of the Bulgarian chickpea collection. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 29 (6), 1037–1042 The threshing loss in chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) is influenced by environmental conditions, the genotypes and their status during the harvesting, the trashing technology and machines, as well as the parameters of their operating mode. The aim of the study is the evaluation of number of chickpea genotypes, part of the National Gene Bank collection, in terms of their resistance to pedicel detachment, combined with other valuable traits. In the course of two years (2020-2021), chickpea accessions were assessed in field experiments by economically important traits according to the International Chickpea Descriptor (UPOV, 2019). By laboratory tests, through an experimental setup, the energy to detach the pedicel of the pod from the chick-pea stalk was determined. The phenotypic and genotypic coefficients were also determined. The highest average energy value to detach the pod pedicel was established in B9E0014 accession, followed by BGR23151, A8E0412 and B9E0149. The B9E0014 accession was characterized by tall plants, high setting of the first pod and big mass of 100 grains, while BGR23151 distinguished by big numbers of branches, pods and grains per plant. Phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were distinguished by high values. It was found that resistance to the pod pedicel detachment was mostly influenced by the interaction between the genotype and the moisture of the grains, followed by genotype with p = 0.04 < α = 0.05. The genotype BGR23151 is recommended for direct implementation in practice.
THE AFFERRANTE-CARBONE THEORY OF ULTRATOUGH TAPE PEELING

In a simple and interesting theory of ultratough peeling of an elastic tape from a viscoelastic substrate, Afferrante and Carbone find that there are conditions for which the load for steady state peeling could be arbitrarily large in steady state peeling, at low angles of peeling - what they call "ultratough" peeling (Afferrante, L., Carbone, G., 2016, The ultratough peeling of elastic tapes from viscoelastic substrates, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 96, pp.223-234). Surprisingly, this seems to lead to toughness enhancement higher than the limit value observed in a very large crack in an infinite viscoelastic body, possibly even considering a limit on the stress transmitted. The Afferrante-Carbone theory seems to be a quite approximate, qualitative theory and many aspects and features of this "ultratough" peeling (e.g. conformity with the Rivlin result at low peel angles) are obtained also through other mechanisms (Begley, M.R., Collino, R.R., Israelachvili, J.N., McMeeking, R.M., 2013, Peeling of a tape with large deformations and frictional sliding, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 61(5), pp. 1265-1279) although not at “critical velocities”. Experimental and/or numerical verification would be most useful.