Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autophagy–urea cycle pathway is essential for the statin-mediated nitric oxide bioavailability in endothelial cells

Statins induce nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase via kinase- and calcium-dependent pathways in endothelial cells (ECs). However, their effect on the metabolism of L-arginine, the precursor for NO biosynthesis, and regulatory mechanism have not yet been investigated. In this study, we investigated the role of the autophagy–urea cycle-L-arginine pathway in simvastatin-mediated NO bioavailability in ECs. Griess’s assay was used to determine the NO bioavailability. Protein expression was assessed using Western blot analysis. Further, immunocytochemistry was performed to observe autophagosome formation, while conventional assay kits were used to quantify the levels of different intermediate substrates of the urea cycle. In ECs, treatment with simvastatin induced the activation of autophagy flux, as evidenced by the increased levels of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 II and autophagolysosome formation and decreased levels of p62. Inhibition of autophagy by ATG7 small interfering RNA (siRNA), chloroquine and bafilomycin A1 abolished simvastatin-induced NO bioavailability, EC proliferation, migration, and tube formation. Additionally, simvastatin increased the intermediate substrates levels of the urea cycle, including glutamate, acetyl-CoA, urea, and L-arginine, all of which were abrogated by chloroquine or bafilomycin A1. Genetic knockdown of argininosuccinate lyase using siRNA abrogated simvastatin-induced increase in NO bioavailability and EC-related functions. Moreover, inhibition of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) prevented simvastatin-induced activation of the autophagy–urea cycle pathway and NO production. Our findings suggest that simvastatin activates the autophagy–urea cycle pathway via TRPV1-AMPK signaling, which increases L-arginine bioavailability and ultimately promotes NO production in ECs.
Human-in-the-Loop Task and Motion Planning for Imitation Learning

Imitation learning from human demonstrations can teach robots complex manipulation skills, but is time-consuming and labor intensive. In contrast, Task and Motion Planning (TAMP) systems are automated and excel at solving long-horizon tasks, but they are difficult to apply to contact-rich tasks. In this paper, we present Human-in-the-Loop Task and Motion Planning (HITL-TAMP), a novel system that leverages the benefits of both approaches. The system employs a TAMP-gated control mechanism, which selectively gives and takes control to and from a human teleoperator. This enables the human teleoperator to manage a fleet of robots, maximizing data collection efficiency. The collected human data is then combined with an imitation learning framework to train a TAMP-gated policy, leading to superior performance compared to training on full task demonstrations. We compared HITL-TAMP to a conventional teleoperation system -- users gathered more than 3x the number of demos given the same time budget. Furthermore, proficient agents (75\%+ success) could be trained from just 10 minutes of non-expert teleoperation data. Finally, we collected 2.1K demos with HITL-TAMP across 12 contact-rich, long-horizon tasks and show that the system often produces near-perfect agents. Videos and additional results at https://hitltamp.github. io .
Knowledge and Practice of Healthcare Workers in Diagnostic Radiology Department Towards Ionizing Radiation

Introduction: The use of ionizing radiation in diagnostic radiography might lead to hazards such as genetic work practices on radiation protection could minimize these risks. Thus. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the knowledge and use of radiation safety precautions among healthcare workers (HCWs) of the Diagnostic Radiology Department who are exposed to ionizing radiation in the workplace. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 93 HCWs from Egypt. Data collection was through a quasi-self-administered questionnaire and performance checklist. Safety measures in different units of the Diagnostic Radiology Department were assessed using a workplace observation checklist. Results: More than 90% of the study participants had good knowledge about radiation hazards, and all HCWs reported good knowledge about exposure dose and monitoring. Furthermore, 87% of participants had good knowledge of personal protective equipment (PPE), and 74.2% adequately used PPE during work. All doors and walls of Diagnostic Radiology Department units were composed of lead material, and a radiation safety officer was available. Conclusion: The majority of HCWs were aware of occupational health and safety measures and had good knowledge about radiation hazards. All Diagnostic Radiology Departments need to continue professional development by providing more workshops, training courses, preparation, and posters on the protection and safety toward ionizing radiation regarding the most recent regulations to improve the knowledge and performance of their staff.
clients' experiences of their therapeutic relationship with their counsellor. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research.

Background: Many transgender individuals experience stigmatisation, victimisation and discrimination and, as a result, have become reliant on counselling services. Previous research indicates that transgender clients have experienced a mixture of negative and positive experiences of counselling and their therapeutic relationships. However, there is limited research that specifically explores the components of therapeutic relationships and transgender clients' experiences of them. Aim: This study aimed to investigate how transgender clients experience their therapeutic relationship with their counsellor. Method: This study used semistructured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three adult participants who identified as transgender and had at least three counselling sessions in the past were recruited. Findings: Key findings indicated positive impacts of the counsellors' congruence, the importance of counsellors having basic knowledge and awareness of the challenges that transgender people may face and how the clients' development of self-awareness aided their evaluations and re-evaluations of their experiences of their therapeutic relationships. Limitations: Due to the small sample size, the findings cannot
Profiles of Adolescents who Abuse their Parents: A Gender-based Analysis

Adolescent-to-parent violence (APV) is still the most understudied type of domestic violence, although reports filed by victimized parents and youths serving judicial measures for this reason are increasing. The aim of this study is to assess the differential profile of boys and girls who have and have not reported APV in a community sample, following studies showing differences between both genders in initiating and maintaining offending behavior. To this end, each gender was assessed separately in relation to both variables already investigated by research on APV and variables that are relevant for other forms of violence. The sample was composed by 341 high-school students of both genders, aged between 14 to 20 years. They answered a questionnaire including scales on exposure to violence, parent-child relationships, self-concept, psychopathic traits, narcissism, and sexism. They were also asked about drug use, academic performance, family structure, and mental health diagnosis. Data analyses showed that variables that differentiate between youths who reported APV and those who did not were different for boys and girls. Results are discussed suggesting that incorporating a perspective based on gender, that considers differential experiences and psychosocial factors that lead boys and girls to APV, should contribute to designing more conclusive research and more effective interventions.
Particle Acceleration at 5 au Associated with Turbulence and Small-scale Magnetic Flux Ropes

An observational analysis of an atypical energetic particle event near 5 au measured by the Ulysses spacecraft is presented. A previous study has attributed the unusual enhancement of energetic proton flux to the presence of small-scale dynamic magnetic islands or flux ropes. Here, we find that the generation of these magnetic islands may be related to the interaction of a stream interaction region (SIR) and the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). Particles are accelerated and trapped within the SIR structure characterized by a forward shock–reverse wave pair. Analysis of the energetic particle intensity spectra shows that the 63 keV–4.4 MeV protons form a power-law (PL) spectrum near the shock, with a slope much steeper than predicted by the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) theory. Double PL spectra are found in the region of unusual particle flux enhancement, and the lower energy part of the spectrum gets harder farther away from the shock. In comparison, we discuss a later forward wave–reverse wave pair with an embedded large-scale magnetic cloud (MC). In contrast to small-scale magnetic islands, the MC corresponds to a decrease in energetic proton fluxes. A power spectral density analysis suggests that the turbulence level increases in the compression regions, and the majority of the observed turbulence power resides in the two-dimensional (2D) component because the spacecraft velocity is almost perpendicular to the interplanetary magnetic field. This is consistent with the enhanced generation of magnetic flux ropes, which are instrinsic to quasi-2D MHD turbulence, in the SIR. An automatic Grad–Shafranov reconstruction technique is used to identify flux rope structures within the period of interest, and their detailed parameters are included in the paper. The observational evidence suggests that the interaction of shock/compressional waves with the HCS may be a key element in generating small-scale dynamic magnetic islands, which subsequently accelerate charged particles and complement the classical DSA mechanism.
BV SOLUTIONS CONSTRUCTED USING THE EPSILON-NEIGHBORHOOD

We study a certain class of weak solutions to rate-independent systems, which is constructed by using the local minimality in a small neighborhood of order ε and then taking the limit ε → 0. We show that the resulting solution satisﬁes both the weak local stability and the new energy-dissipation balance, similarly to the BV solutions constructed by vanishing viscosity introduced recently by Mielke et al. [A. Mielke, R. Rossi and G. Savar´e, Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst. 2 (2010) 585–615; ESAIM
Guilty by Association : When One ' s Group Has a Negative History

The impact of the history of one's own group's treatment of another group on feelings of collective guilt and behavioral reactions to this guilt were examined in 2 studies. In a laboratory experiment, it was shown that it is possible to elicit feelings of group-based guilt and that those are distinct from feelings of personal guilt. In a 2nd study, a field experiment, low-identified group members acknowledged the negative aspects of their own nation's history and felt more guilt compared with high identifiers when both negative and positive aspects of their nation's history were made salient. Perceptions of intragroup variability and out-group compensation closely paralleled the interactive pattern on guilt. Links between social identity theory and the experience of specific emotions are discussed.
Assessment of steel‐concrete composite floors dynamic response when subjected to people walking

This work aims to assess the people‐structure dynamic interaction effect on the steel‐concrete composite floor's structural behaviour, based on of experimental tests and numerical modelling. The investigated structure is associated to a steel‐concrete composite floor building with total area of 1300 m2. In this investigation, biodynamic systems like “spring‐mass‐damper” models with one degree of freedom (SDOF) were used to simulate the people's walking on the floor. The numerical model, developed for the floor building dynamic analysis, adopted the usual mesh refinement techniques present in finite element method (FEM) simulations implemented in the ANSYS software. Based on the experimental results calibration, the floor dynamic response was analysed to study the influence of the people's step frequencies, number of people walking and stationary on the floor, structural damping, and different trajectories of people walking. The floor dynamic response was determined based on the displacement and acceleration values, and compared with those calculated utilising traditional dynamic loading mathematical models. After that, the structural system dynamic response maximum values were compared with the recommended limits proposed in design codes for excessive vibration's assessments to study the human comfort.
A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF BACTERIOLOGIC PROFILE OF BILE IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING BILIARY SURGERIES AND ITS IMPLICATION ON PERIOPERATIVE ANTIBIOTIC REGIME AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTER

Background: The biliary tree is a sterile system responsible for bile transport, but bacterial colonization can occur due to biliary obstruction or interventions. Bacteriobilia can lead to postoperative complications and impair hepatic function. Factors such as biliary obstruction, immunocompromised status, and prior instrumentation increase the risk of bacteriobilia. Surgical site infections in biliary surgeries result in prolonged hospital stays and higher morbidity and mortality rates. Prophylactic antibiotics are commonly used, but the variability in bile bacteriology necessitates periodic evaluation and guideline development. This study aims to determine the bacteriologic profile and sensitivity of organisms in patients undergoing biliary surgeries. Methods: The study obtained ethical committee approval and informed consent from patients. Data was collected from patients who underwent biliary surgeries at Rabindranath Tagore Medical College from June 2021 to December 2022. It was a prospective observational study using a standardized proforma to collect clinical history, investigations, operative details, and postoperative complications. Inclusion criteria included patients of any sex with biliary surgeries and intraoperative biliary sample collection, regardless of underlying pathology. Exclusion criteria included patients who refused consent, those managed conservatively, and those on prolonged preoperative antibiotic therapy. Statistical analysis was performed using Epi Info software, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results: The manuscript presents important findings regarding bacteriobilia, biliary pathologies, and antibiotic sensitivity in a study population. The results indicate that bacteriobilia incidence varied among different age groups, with the highest prevalence in the 61-70 age group. The distribution of bacteriobilia among various biliary pathologies was also examined, with cholelithiasis being the most prevalent. Furthermore, the antibiotic sensitivity pattern for E. coli infections was investigated, highlighting the high sensitivity of amikacin. These findings contribute valuable information for understanding bacteriobilia, biliary pathologies, and guiding appropriate antibiotic treatment strategies.
Some Stylized Facts

There are substantial differences between the economies of a Developed Country (DC) and a developing country, more aptly referred to as a Growing Less Developed Country (GDLC). An interesting question in the realm of macroeconomics iswhy the difference occurs between these two types of economies. Which are the features that set a typical DC apart from a typical GLDC? Here, our contention is that several of these differences in their economies are primarily caused by differential inflation rates experienced and expected.
Comparison between numerical models for unbraced multiple bay pallet racks

Unbraced pallet racks are cold‐formed steel structures intended for the storage of products. They are subjected to severe lateral actions, and are particularly instability prone in the down aisle direction. Therefore, their design is compromised and needs of an accurate modelling. In current design practice, models using simplified beam formulations are regularly considered (such as Euler‐Bernoulli or Timoshenko), being them not able to reproduce torsional warping, or cross‐sectional distortion; these phenomena are accounted for indirectly via reduced sectional properties, and in the post‐process. This paper presents a comparison between three single column models, intended for the modelling of racks with a significant number of bays. Three models are presented: –Two 2D beam models using gross and equivalent section properties –A 3D beam model using equivalent section properties. Additionally, the results of these analyses are compared with those of a 3D model using shells and beams, presented in a previous research paper. Two rack configurations with different level heights are considered. The aim of this study is to capture the influence perforations of the uprights, warping, eccentricities and cross‐sectional distortion in the nonlinear response of racks subject to severe lateral actions.
Numerical study on steel plate girders ‐ Intermediate transverse stiffeners axial force

Transverse stiffeners are used in steel plate girders with slender webs to provide lateral support to the web along the span and thus increase the plate girder shear resistance. Furthermore, transverse stiffeners anchor the tension field, resulting in axial compression in the stiffener. Despite this, it is widely assumed that the design axial force provided by the FprEN 1993‐1‐5 [1] for the transverse stiffeners is significantly greater than that observed in experimental testing and numerical simulations.
Progressive censoring with fixed censoring times

ABSTRACT In this paper, we revisit the progressive Type-I censoring scheme as it has originally been introduced by Cohen [Progressively censored samples in life testing. Technometrics. 1963;5(3):327–339]. In fact, original progressive Type-I censoring proceeds as progressive Type-II censoring but with fixed censoring times instead of failure time based censoring times. Apparently, a time truncation has been added to this censoring scheme by interpreting the final censoring time as a termination time. Therefore, not much work has been done on Cohens's original progressive censoring scheme with fixed censoring times. Thus, we discuss distributional results for this scheme and establish exact distributional results in likelihood inference for exponentially distributed lifetimes. In particular, we obtain the exact distribution of the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE). Further, the stochastic monotonicity of the MLE is verified in order to construct exact confidence intervals for both the scale parameter and the reliability.
The Dynamic Landscape: Design, Ecology and Management of Naturalistic Urban Planting

1. Introduction 2. The Historical Development of Naturalistic Planting 3. A Contemporary Overview of Naturalistic Planting 4. The Dynamic Nature of Plant Communities 5. A Naturalistic Design Process 6. Herbaceous Plantings 7. Exploring Woodland Design 8. Wetlands and Water Bodies 9. Communicating Naturalistic Plantings: Plans and Specifications 10. The Creative Management of Naturalistic Plantings 11. The Social and Cultural Context of Naturalistic Plantings
Heat management and tensile strength of 3 mm mixed and matched connections of butt joints of S355J2+N, S460MC and S700MC

High‐strength structural steels are beneficial in terms of the sustainability of constructions due to the possible reduction of weight and overall material needs. Nevertheless, high‐strength steels have a smaller processing parameter range in regarding the specific heat input and resulting cooling rate. Especially the cooling time t8/5 characterizing the time span to cool down from 800 to 500 °C is an important indicator. Single layer butt‐welded gas metal arc welding (GMAW) connections of 3 mm plates between normal strength (S355J2+N, S460MC) and high‐strength steels (S700MC) as well as matched connections (S460MC, S700MC) are carried out. Hereby, the influence of the energy input, melting rate, joint preparation, filler metal (matching and undermatching) and backing methods are observed. Spatially resolved IR‐thermal observation shows variations within the welds of up to 50 % in the cooling time t8/5 depending on those parameters. These fluctuations lead to significant changes of the microstructure within the melting and heat‐affected zone. UCI hardness mappings show the softening and microstructural change within these zones. Those soft zones can be the region of failure for butt welded connections as shown by transverse tensile tests with spatially resolved optical strain measurements. The results obtained can be used to define more precise welding procedures of these types of connections and also are used to develop design rules for mixed connections made of normal strength and high‐strength steel.
Natural recovery of second-growth coast redwood stands in the Santa Cruz mountains

NATURAL RECOVERY OF SECOND-GROWTH COAST REDWOOD STANDS IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS by Jeffrey M. Sinclair The natural recovery of coast redwood forests following a logging event is not fully understood. Recent studies, in the redwood central range, have found that unrestored and unmanaged second-growth forest stands can begin to recover and exhibit characteristics of old-growth stands within 100 years or less. The goal of this study was to determine if redwood stands in their southern range are recovering naturally. A total of 160 sample plots were selected randomly within old-growth and second-growth study sites. The data collected included stand density, tree size structure, canopy cover, species diversity, and species composition. Special habitat features were analyzed and included measurements of snags, large woody debris (LWD), fire hollows, and observations of reiterated trunks in second-growth stands. Mean comparisons and trends among the second-growth stands and old-growth stands were analyzed to determine the stage of development of second-growth stands. The second-growth stands were also examined to see if they exhibited old-growth characteristics. Results demonstrated that several stand characteristics were recovering naturally and that second-growth forests appear to be progressing through the stand development stage of understory reinitiation. These findings suggest that unmanaged second-growth redwood stands have the potential for natural recovery in their southern range.
Improving perceived elevation accuracy in sound reproduced via a loudspeaker ring by means of equalizing filters and side loudspeaker grouping

A spatialization method for loudspeakers arranged in a ring layout (like the one specified in the ITU recommendation ITU-R BS.775) is presented. The proposed method can be described as an improvement to amplitude panning methods in which a frequency-dependent gain is applied to mitigate the effect of loudspeaker locations on the desired signal. By grouping side loudspeakers it is possible to display elevated sources, which is difficult to achieve otherwise in single layer loudspeaker arrays. Objective evaluations showed that the proposed method produces less spectral distortion than 2D-VBAP, but degrades to cross-talk cancellation. Experimental results suggest that, despite the differences regarding cross-talk cancellation, the proposed method yields accurate azimuth and elevation estimations of sound sources in anechoic and echoic conditions except when they are located below the ear level.