Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of exosomes in adult neurogenesis: implications for neurodegenerative diseases

Exosomes are cup-shaped extracellular vesicles with a lipid bilayer that is approximately 30 to 200 nm in thickness. Exosomes are widely distributed in a range of body fluids, including urine, blood, milk, and saliva. Exosomes exert biological function by transporting factors between different cells and by regulating biological pathways in recipient cells. As an important form of intercellular communication, exosomes are increasingly being investigated due to their ability to transfer bioactive molecules such as lipids, proteins, mRNAs, and microRNAs between cells, and because they can regulate physiological and pathological processes in the central nervous system. Adult neurogenesis is a multistage process by which new neurons are generated and migrate to be integrated into existing neuronal circuits. In the adult brain, neurogenesis is mainly localized in two specialized niches: the subventricular zone adjacent to the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. An increasing body of evidence indicates that adult neurogenesis is tightly controlled by environmental conditions with the niches. In recent studies, exosomes released from different sources of cells were shown to play an active role in regulating neurogenesis both in vitro and in vivo, thereby participating in the progression of neurodegenerative disorders in patients and in various disease models. Here, we provide a state-of-the-art synopsis of existing research that aimed to identify the diverse components of exosome cargoes and elucidate the therapeutic potential of exosomal contents in the regulation of neurogenesis in several neurodegenerative diseases. We emphasize that exosomal cargoes could serve as a potential biomarker to monitor functional neurogenesis in adults. In addition, exosomes can also be considered as a novel therapeutic approach to treat various neurodegenerative disorders by improving endogenous neurogenesis to mitigate neuronal loss in the central nervous system.
A novel bagging approach for variable ranking and selection via a mixed importance measure

ABSTRACT At present, ensemble learning has exhibited its great power in stabilizing and enhancing the performance of some traditional variable selection methods such as lasso and genetic algorithm. In this paper, a novel bagging ensemble method called BSSW is developed to implement variable ranking and selection in linear regression models. Its main idea is to execute stepwise search algorithm on multiple bootstrap samples. In each trial, a mixed importance measure is assigned to each variable according to the order that it is selected into final model as well as the improvement of model fitting resulted from its inclusion. Based on the importance measure averaged across some bootstrapping trials, all candidate variables are ranked and then decided to be important or not. To extend the scope of application, BSSW is extended to the situation of generalized linear models. Experiments carried out with some simulated and real data indicate that BSSW achieves better performance in most studied cases when compared with several other existing methods.
Joint Ne/O and Fe/O Analysis to Diagnose Large Solar Energetic Particle Events during Solar Cycle 23

We have examined 29 large solar energetic particle (SEP) events with the peak proton intensity Jpp(>60 MeV) > 1 pfu during solar cycle 23. The emphasis of our examination is put on a joint analysis of Ne/O and Fe/O data in the energy range (3–40 MeV nucleon−1) covered by Wind/Low-Energy Matrix Telescope and ACE/Solar Isotope Spectrometer sensors in order to differentiate between the Fe-poor and Fe-rich events that emerged from the coronal mass ejection driven shock acceleration process. An improved ion ratio calculation is carried out by rebinning ion intensity data into the form of equal bin widths in the logarithmic energy scale. Through the analysis we find that the variability of Ne/O and Fe/O ratios can be used to investigate the accelerating shock properties. In particular, the high-energy Ne/O ratio is well correlated with the source plasma temperature of SEPs.
GENERALIZED EXPONENTIAL MATRIX TECHNIQUE APPLICATION FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE DISPERSION CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHIRO-FERRITESHIELDED MULTILAYERED MICROSTRIP LINE

In this work, a new analytical matrix formulation approach for the characterization of a microwave planar structure printed on a complex medium is detailed. The approach is based on the Generalized Exponential Matrix Technique (GEMT) combined with the Method of Moments (MoM)and Galerkin’s procedure. The mathematical calculation development is a robust approach that exclusively uses matrix formulations starting from Maxwell’s equations until the derivation of a compact form of the Green’s tensor of the studied structure. Reduced complexity and calculation simplicity foundation of the applied approach have actually incited the authors to consider the case study of a complex bianisotropic lossy chiral substrate medium. The complexity of the medium is expressed by full tensors form of all four constitutive parameters: permittivity, permeability and magnetoelectric parameters, each is represented by a nine-element tensor. To investigate the electromagnetic behavior of complex media, results of particular bianisotropy cases are presented and discussed. Original results of the biaxial chiral anisotropy case are carried out, discussed and compared with data available in literature.
Rayleigh quotient minimization for absolutely one-homogeneous functionals

In this paper we examine the problem of minimizing generalized Rayleigh quotients of the form , where both J and H are absolutely one-homogeneous functionals. This can be viewed as minimizing J where the solution is constrained to be on a generalized sphere with , where H is any norm or semi-norm. The solution admits a nonlinear eigenvalue problem, based on the subgradients of J and H. We examine several flows which minimize the ratio. This is done both by time-continuous flow formulations and by discrete iterations. We focus on a certain flow, which is easier to analyze theoretically, following the theory of Brezis on flows with maximal monotone operators. A comprehensive theory is established, including convergence of the flow. We then turn into a more specific case of minimizing graph total variation on the L1 sphere, which approximates the Cheeger-cut problem. Experimental results show the applicability of such algorithms for clustering and classification of images.
Integrating multiple data sources in match-fixing warning systems

Recent years have seen several match-fixing scandals in soccer. In order to avoid match-fixing, existing literature and fraud detection systems primarily focus on analysing betting odds provided by bookmakers. In our work, we suggest to not only analyse odds but also total volume placed on bets, thereby making use of more of the information available. As a case study for our method, we consider the second division in Italian soccer, Serie B, since for this league it has effectively been proven that some matches were fixed, such that to some extent we can ground truth our approach. For the betting volume data, we use a flexible generalized additive model for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS), with log-normal response, to account for the various complex patterns present in the data. For the betting odds, we use a GAMLSS with bivariate Poisson response to model the number of goals scored by both teams, and to subsequently derive the corresponding odds. We then conduct outlier detection in order to flag suspicious matches. Our results indicate that monitoring both betting volumes and betting odds can lead to more reliable detection of suspicious matches.
A Hardy type inequality on fractional order Sobolev spaces on the Heisenberg group

In this paper, we derive a non linear Hardy type inequality on certain fractional order Sobolev spaces on the Heisenberg group. Our inequality is an analogous version of an inequality of the same name on weighted Folland-Stein spaces which had been derived in [3]. We also derive Sobolev type and Morrey type embedding to make that abstract fractional order Sobolev spaces on the Heisenberg group more familiar.
Evolution of the Xerocarpa clade (Opuntia; Opuntieae): Evidence for the Role of the Grand Canyon in the Biogeographic History of the Iconic Beavertail Cactus and Relatives

The formation of the western North American drylands has led to the evolution of an astounding diversity of species well adapted for such communities. Complex historical patterns often underlie the modern distribution of the flora and fauna of these areas. We investigated the biogeography of a group of desert-adapted prickly pears, known as the Xerocarpa clade, from western North America. The Xerocarpa clade originated in the mid-late Pliocene, likely on the Colorado Plateau, and then moved south into the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts, and California montane regions, further diversifying, mostly into the Quaternary. The southward trajectory of the clade was likely greatly influenced by the formation of the Grand Canyon. The synapomorphy of dry fruit presumably impeded the long-distance dispersibility of the beavertail cactus, Opuntia basilaris, while dry, spiny fruit may have enabled O. polyacantha to substantially increase its distribution. Opuntia basilaris evolved a pubescent epidermis, allowing it to invade hotter, drier conditions, while the spine-clothed stems of O. polyacantha may have given it an advantage for increasing its northern range into colder environments. The Xerocarpa clade shows a cold desert origin, and changes in morphological characters have made these sister taxa well adapted for invading broadscale, but oftentimes contrasting habitats.
On Approximate Riemann Solvers within the Concept of the Unified Fractional-Step, Artificial Compressibility and Pressure Projection Method

This study focuses on the investigation of various Godunov-type treatments of the convective fluxes of Navier–Stokes equations by employing a Fractional-Step, Artificial Compressibility and Pressure-Projection (FSAC-PP) formulation. The FSAC-PP approach unifies Chorin’s fully-explicit Artificial Compressibility (AC) and semi-implicit Fractional-Step Pressure-Projection (FS-PP) methods for solving the incompressible flow problems. In this work, we study various Riemann solvers by using the FSAC-PP formulation with respect to convergence behaviour and numerical solution accuracies. Furthermore, two benchmark test problems have been investigated as laminar flows in a channel between two parallel flat plates and in a lid-driven cavity. Simulations have been performed at different moderate Reynolds numbers (Re = 100, Re = 400, and Re = 1000) in which cases reference data available in the literature. Numerical solutions have been considered for Rusanov, HLL and HLLC Riemann solvers compared to the case when the Riemann problem is excluded from the numerical procedure. The MUSCL scheme has been employed with a third-order spatial approximation, and fifthand ninthorder WENO interpolation schemes have also been considered. The computational results have been shown to be very accurate compared to previous studies, and when any Riemann solver is excluded from the numerical procedure.
“God is my only health insurance”: a mixed-methods study on the experiences of persons with disability in accessing sexual and reproductive health services in Ghana

Background Access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is a fundamental human right, but people with disabilities (PwDs) in low-and middle-income countries often face multiple barriers to utilisation. This study aimed to assess the level of SRH services utilisation and the enabling and inhibiting factors among PwDs in Ghana’s Ashanti region. Methods A sequential explanatory mixed-methods study design was employed, involving quantitative (n = 402) and qualitative (n = 37) data collection from PwDs. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results The study found that only 33.8% of the PwDs had ever used SRH services. Utilisation was associated with sex, marital status and travel duration to health facility. The qualitative data revealed that factors at the individual, family/community and health facility levels influenced utilisation of SRH services, acting as both enablers and barriers. Conclusion PwDs had relatively low utilisation of SRH services in Ghana’s Ashanti region. To increase utilisation, it is recommended to address the stigma and discrimination towards PwDs, provide more training for healthcare providers, improve the accessibility of healthcare facilities, and strengthen the national health insurance scheme. Further research could explore PwDs’ SRH outcomes and strategies to improve these outcomes in Ghana.
Does Hope in Mind Influence People’s Problem-Solving Performance?

: Hope is often treated as a priceless human value anchored in goal-related cognitions. The experiment aimed to investigate whether current hopeful thinking is related to problem-solving performance and how induced goal-oriented thinking influences this problem-solving process. Participants ( N = 410) were asked to recall and describe their successful or unsuccessful goal pursuit and complete a scale assessing current hopeful thinking. Subsequently, participants were instructed to (1) think about actions that would be taken to solve the societal problem (i.e., an insufficient number of volunteers in Social Welfare Centers) and (2) describe these actions. In general, people who recalled successful events felt more hopeful than those who recalled unsuccessful events. State Hope was positively correlated with both the quantity (i.e., the total number of solutions) and quality (i.e., usefulness) of participants’ offered solutions. No interaction between State Hope and type of conditions with solution quantity or solution quality was found. State hope, however, interacted with the type of recalled goal pursuit when sex differences were considered. More hopeful women had a better solution quality when they recalled an unsuccessful goal pursuit. For men, a similar pattern was found when they recalled a successful goal pursuit. Lastly, the findings were discussed in light of Snyder’s Theory of Hope.
Protection and Connection: Negating Depression and Suicidality among Bullied, LGBTQ Youth

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning (LGBTQ) youth are particularly at risk of bullying and other forms of violence, and the myriad of risk factors associated with instances of victimization. Interdisciplinary research finds that certain protective factors—biological, psychological, familial, or community-level characteristics that reduce the impact of risk and problematic outcomes—mitigate the effects of victimization. Using data from the 2019 Nashville Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System (YRBSS), this study examines the effects of bullying and electronic bullying on LGBTQ (n = 303) and heterosexual/cisgender (n = 1104) 9th to 12th-grade students’ depression and suicidality, and the role that protective factors play in mitigating these effects. Logistic regression results show that students who feel safe at school, feel valued by their community, and seek help are less likely to report depression and suicidality overall, when they are LGBTQ, and when they are bullied. These findings point to the importance of solidifying personal, school, and community-level support systems for youth, especially LGBTQ youth.
H3K36 Di-Methylation Marks, Mediated by Ash1 in Complex with Caf1-55 and MRG15, Are Required during Drosophila Heart Development

Methyltransferases regulate transcriptome dynamics during development and aging, as well as in disease. Various methyltransferases have been linked to heart disease, through disrupted expression and activity, and genetic variants associated with congenital heart disease. However, in vivo functional data for many of the methyltransferases in the context of the heart are limited. Here, we used the Drosophila model system to investigate different histone 3 lysine 36 (H3K36) methyltransferases for their role in heart development. The data show that Drosophila Ash1 is the functional homolog of human ASH1L in the heart. Both Ash1 and Set2 H3K36 methyltransferases are required for heart structure and function during development. Furthermore, Ash1-mediated H3K36 methylation (H3K36me2) is essential for healthy heart function, which depends on both Ash1-complex components, Caf1-55 and MRG15, together. These findings provide in vivo functional data for Ash1 and its complex, and Set2, in the context of H3K36 methylation in the heart, and support a role for their mammalian homologs, ASH1L with RBBP4 and MORF4L1, and SETD2, during heart development and disease.
Associations between Periodontal Status and Liver Function in the Japanese Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

A relationship between periodontitis and liver function has been suggested. Indeed, patients with severe periodontal disease have been found to be more prone to liver dysfunction. The periodontal inflammatory surface area (PISA) has been shown to be a useful indicator of periodontal and systemic diseases. However, little information is available regarding whether the PISA is associated with liver function markers, such as gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). This study aimed to clarify relationship between liver function markers, AST, ALT, and GGT, and PISA level in a cross-sectional study. The subjects were recruited between 2018 and 2021 at the Medical and Dental Collaboration Center of Kanagawa Dental College Hospital. A periodontal clinical examination was performed, and the PISA was calculated. Peripheral blood samples were collected, and serum levels of liver function markers were measured. The levels of liver function markers were examined in different values of PISA. Participants with high PISA scores were more likely to have increased GGT levels while AST and ALT were not changed with PISA. Increased GGT was found in 10.8% and 29.4% (p = 0.0056), increased AST in 48.2% and 52.9% (p = 0.62), and increased ALT in 35.2% and 47.0% (p = 0.20) among <300 mm2 and ≧300 mm2 PISA groups, respectively. It was found that males with a PISA of 300 mm2 or higher had an elevated level of serum GGT. In conclusion, elevated GGT was found in the high PISA group, particularly in males, while AST and ALT did not differ by PISA.
Connecting Symbolic Integrals to Physical Meaning in Introductory Physics

This dissertation presents a series of studies pertaining to introductory physics students’ abilities to derive physical meaning from symbolic integrals (e.g., R vdt) and their components, namely di↵erentials and di↵erential products (e.g., dt and vdt, respectively). Our studies focus on physical meaning in the form of interpretations (e.g., “the total displacement of an object”) and units (e.g., “meters”). Our first pair of studies independently attempted to identify introductory-level mechanics students’ common conceptual di culties with and unproductive interpretations of physics integrals and their components, as well as to estimate the frequencies of these di culties. Our results confirmed some previously-observed incorrect interpretations, such as the notion that di↵erentials are physically meaningless; however, we also uncovered two new conceptualizations of di↵erentials, the “rate” (di↵erentials are “rates” or “derivatives”) and “instantaneous value” (di↵erentials are values of physical variables “at an instant”) interpretations, which were exhibited by more than half of our participants at least once. Our next study used linear regression analysis to estimate the strengths of the inter-connections between the abilities to derive physical meaning from each of differentials, di↵erential products, and integrals in both firstand second-semester, calculus-based introductory physics. As part of this study, we also developed a highly reliable, multiple choice assessment designed to measure students’ abilities to connect
Examining Children's Use of Different Types of Concrete Representations in a Novel Numeration System

Examining Children’s Use of Different Types of Concrete Representations in a Novel Numeration System By Aryann Blondin Concrete materials, also called manipulatives, are used in the elementary classroom (e.g., Blondin, Tomaszewski, & Osana, 2017; Moyer, 2001) to illustrate a wide variety of abstract mathematical notions, yet little is known about how the differences in the materials affect the mathematical learning (Belenky & Schalk, 2014). This study examined the differences between concrete proportional and non-proportional models in the context of base-four problems. The aim was to examine the effects of the manipulatives’ proportionality on learning and transfer measures, and to see if there were any effects of prior knowledge of numeracy and place value. Following prior knowledge assessment, 52 second-graders were randomly assigned to either the proportional condition (n = 26) or the non-proportional condition (n = 26). Students in the proportional condition used base-four blocks for the instructional intervention and the testing. Students in the non-proportional condition used colored chips. Next, students received an instructional intervention with the manipulatives and completed learning and transfer measures. No condition effects were found. Prior knowledge accounted for a significant portion of the variance on two of the learning measures and one of the transfer measures, but no interaction effects were found. The present study reminds teachers that prior knowledge is important to consider when choosing appropriate tools in the classroom to meet their students’ needs. Additionally, the present study reminds researchers that assessing prior knowledge is an important factor when examining the effects of manipulatives. The results of this study contribute to the literature on external knowledge representations.
Gut microbial regulation of innate and adaptive immunity after traumatic brain injury

Acute care management of traumatic brain injury is focused on the prevention and reduction of secondary insults such as hypotension, hypoxia, intracranial hypertension, and detrimental inflammation. However, the imperative to balance multiple clinical concerns simultaneously often results in therapeutic strategies targeted to address one clinical concern causing unintended effects in other remote organ systems. Recently the bidirectional communication between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain has been shown to influence both the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract homeostasis in health and disease. A critical component of this axis is the microorganisms of the gut known as the gut microbiome. Changes in gut microbial populations in the setting of central nervous system disease, including traumatic brain injury, have been reported in both humans and experimental animal models and can be further disrupted by off-target effects of patient care. In this review article, we will explore the important role gut microbial populations play in regulating brain-resident and peripheral immune cell responses after traumatic brain injury. We will discuss the role of bacterial metabolites in gut microbial regulation of neuroinflammation and their potential as an avenue for therapeutic intervention in the setting of traumatic brain injury.