Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhanced GIRK2 channel signaling in Down syndrome: A feasible role in the development of abnormal nascent neural circuits

The most distinctive feature of Down syndrome (DS) is moderate to severe cognitive impairment. Genetic, molecular, and neuronal mechanisms of this complex DS phenotype are currently under intensive investigation. It is becoming increasingly clear that the abnormalities arise from a combination of initial changes caused by triplication of genes on human chromosome 21 (HSA21) and later compensatory adaptations affecting multiple brain systems. Consequently, relatively mild initial cognitive deficits become pronounced with age. This pattern of changes suggests that one approach to improving cognitive function in DS is to target the earliest critical changes, the prevention of which can change the ‘trajectory’ of the brain development and reduce the destructive effects of the secondary alterations. Here, we review the experimental data on the role of KCNJ6 in DS-specific brain abnormalities, focusing on a putative role of this gene in the development of abnormal neural circuits in the hippocampus of genetic mouse models of DS. It is suggested that the prevention of these early abnormalities with pharmacological or genetic means can ameliorate cognitive impairment in DS.
Solar control of ambient ionization of the ionosphere near the crest of the equatorial anomaly in the Indian zone

Long-term (1978-1990) total electron content (TEC) data have been analyzed to show the dependence of ambient ionization on EUV radiation from the Sun. TEC observations were made at Calcutta (22.58 N, 88.38 E ge- ographic, dip: 32 N), situated virtually below the north- ern crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly. Day-to-day changes in TEC at different local times do not show any sig- nificant correlation with F10.7 solar flux. A good correlation is, however, observed between the F10.7 solar flux and the monthly mean TEC when both are considered on a long-term basis, i.e. either in the ascending (1986-1990) or in the de- scending (1979-1985) phase. In the early morning hours the correlation coefficient maximizes around the 08:00-10:00 h IST interval. The flux independent nature of diurnal TEC is evident around the noon time hours of only a few months in the descending phase for F10.7 values greater than 150 unit. Variation of TEC for the whole time period (1979-1990) also exhibits a prominent hysteresis effect. The remarkable feature of the hysteresis effect is its local time dependence, leading to a temporal flip-over. Solar flux-normalized TEC values show a clear seasonal dependence with asymmetri- cal variations in the two equinoxes. The amplitudes of the equinoctial peaks reveal a prominent local time dependence. A further normalization leads to a typical local time varia- tion of TEC. Based on solar flux, seasonal and local time dependent features of TEC, an empirical formula has been developed to represent the TEC variation in the early morn- ing hours. It yields a quantitative estimate of the solar flux dependent nature of the TEC variation. The formula has been validated using the available TEC data and data from the neu- ral network.
Ayu-Characterization of healthy aging from neuroimaging data with deep learning and rsfMRI

Estimating brain age and establishing functional biomarkers that are prescient of cognitive declines resulting from aging and different neurological diseases are still open research problems. Functional measures such as functional connectivity are gaining interest as potentially more subtle markers of neurodegeneration. However, brain functions are also affected by “normal” brain aging. More information is needed on how functional connectivity relates to aging, particularly in the absence of neurodegenerative disorders. Resting-state fMRI enables us to investigate functional brain networks and can potentially help us understand the processes of development as well as aging in terms of how functional connectivity (FC) matures during the early years and declines during the late years. We propose models for estimation of the chronological age of a healthy person from the resting state brain activation (rsfMRI). In this work, we utilized a dataset (N = 638, age-range 20–88) comprising rsfMRI images from the Cambridge Centre for Aging and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) repository of a healthy population. We propose an age prediction pipeline Ayu which consists of data preprocessing, feature selection, and an attention-based model for deep learning architecture for brain age assessment. We extracted features from the static functional connectivity (sFC) to predict the subject's age and classified them into different age groups (young, middle, middle, and old ages). To the best of our knowledge, a classification accuracy of 72.619 % and a mean absolute error of 6.797, and an r2 of 0.754 reported by our Ayu pipeline establish competitive benchmark results as compared to the state-of-the-art-approach. Furthermore, it is vital to identify how different functional regions of the brain are correlated. We also analyzed how functional regions contribute differently across ages by applying attention-based networks and integrated gradients. We obtained well-known resting-state networks using the attention model, which maps to within the default mode network, visual network, ventral attention network, limbic network, frontoparietal network, and somatosensory network connected to aging. Our analysis of fMRI data in healthy elderly Age groups revealed that dynamic FC tends to slow down and becomes less complex and more random with increasing age.
Effects of potential risk factors on the development of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and mortality among the elders in China

Objectives To examine the impact of demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors on the development of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and mortality in Chinese elders. Methods Data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) 2002–2018 was used in the study. Cardiometabolic multimorbidity was defined as the presence of two or more cardiometabolic disorders, such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), heart disease, or stroke. Cox regression model and multi-state Markov model were developed to evaluate the association of the study factors with the progression of cardiometabolic conditions and mortality. The outcomes included three states (first cardiometabolic disease, cardiometabolic multimorbidity, and all-cause mortality) and five possible transitions among the three states. Results Of the 13,933 eligible individuals, 7,917 (56.8%) were female, and 9,540 (68.50%) were over 80 years old. 2,766 (19.9%) participants had their first cardiometabolic disease, 975 (7.0%) participants suffered from cardiometabolic multimorbidity, and 9,365 (67.2%) participants died. The progression to cardiometabolic multimorbidity was positively associated with being female (HR = 1.42; 95%CI, 1.10 − 1.85), living in the city (HR = 1.41; 95%CI, 1.04 − 1.93), overweight (HR = 1.43; 95%CI, 1.08 − 1.90), and obesity (HR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.03 − 2.98). A higher risk for the first cardiometabolic disease was associated with being female (HR = 1.26; 95% CI, 1.15 − 1.39), higher socioeconomic status (SES, HR = 1.17; 95%CI, 1.07 − 1.28), lack of regular physical activity (HR = 1.13; 95%CI, 1.04 − 1.23), smoking (HR = 1.20; 95%CI, 1.08 − 1.33), ≤ 5 h sleep time (HR = 1.15; 95%CI, 1.02 − 1.30), overweight (HR = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.32 − 1.66), and obesity (HR = 1.34; 95%CI, 1.06 − 1.69). It also should be noted that not in marriage, lower SES and unhealthy behavioral patterns were risk factors for mortality. Conclusion This study emphasized the importance of lifestyle and SES in tackling the development of cardiometabolic conditions among Chinese elders and provided a reference for policy-makers to develop a tailored stage-specific intervention strategy.
RECONSIDERING THE EFFECTS OF LOCAL STAR FORMATION ON TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA COSMOLOGY

Recent studies found a correlation with ∼3σ significance between the local star formation measured by GALEX in SN Ia host galaxies and the distances or dispersions derived from these SNe. We search for these effects by using data from recent cosmological analyses to greatly increase the SN Ia sample; we include 179 GALEX-imaged SN Ia hosts with distances from the Joint Light-curve Analysis (JLA) and Pan-STARRS SN Ia cosmology samples and 157 GALEX-imaged SN Ia hosts with distances from the Riess et al. H0 measurement. We find little evidence that SNe Ia in locally star-forming environments are fainter after light curve correction than SNe Ia in locally passive environments. We find a difference of 0.000 ± 0.018 (stat+sys) mag for SNe fit with SALT2 and 0.029 ± 0.027 (stat+sys) mag for SNe fit with MLCS2k2 ( R V = 2.5 ? > ), which suggests that proposed changes to recent measurements of H0 and w are not significant and numerically smaller than the parameter measurement uncertainties. We measure systematic uncertainties of ∼0.01–0.02 mag by performing several plausible variants of our analysis. We find the greatly reduced significance of these distance modulus differences compared to Rigault et al. results from two improvements with fairly equal effects, our larger sample size and the use of the JLA and Riess et al. sample selection criteria. Without these improvements, we recover the results of Rigault et al. We find that both populations have similar dispersions in distance than found by Rigault et al. and Kelly et al., with slightly smaller dispersions for locally passive (log( &Sgr; SFR ? > ) < − 2.9 ? > dex) SNe Ia fit with MLCS, the opposite of the effect seen by Rigault et al. and Kelly et al. We caution that measuring the local environments of SNe Ia in the future may require a higher resolution instrument than GALEX and that SN Ia sample selection has a significant effect on local star formation biases.
Morphological and molecular evolution of hadal amphipod’s eggs provides insights into embryogenesis under high hydrostatic pressure

Hadal zones are unique habitats characterized by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and scarce food supplies. The ability of eggs of species dwelling in hadal zones to develop into normal embryo under high hydrostatic pressure is an important evolutionary and developmental trait. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of eggs of hadal-dwelling species remain unknown due to the difficulty of sampling ovigerous females. Here, morphological and transcriptome analyses of eggs of the “supergiant” amphipod Alicella gigantea collected from the New Britain Trench were conducted. The morphology of A. gigantea eggs, including size, was assessed and the ultrastructure of the eggshell was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Transcriptome sequencing and molecular adaptive evolution analysis of A. gigantea eggs showed that, as compared with shallow-water Gammarus species, genes exhibiting accelerated evolution and the positively selected genes were mostly related to pathways associated with “mitosis” and “chitin-based embryonic cuticle biosynthetic process”, suggesting that “normal mitosis maintenance” and “cuticle development and protection” are the two main adaptation strategies for survival of eggs in hadal environments. In addition, the concentration of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), an important osmotic regulator, was significantly higher in the eggs of hadal amphipods as compared to those of shallow-water species, which might promote the eggs’ adaptation abilities. Morphological identification, evolutionary analysis, and the trimethylamine oxide concentration of A. gigantea eggs will facilitate a comprehensive overview of the piezophilic adaptation of embryos in hadal environments and provide a strategy to analyze embryogenesis under high hydrostatic pressure.
Is the interaction of commercial regulation with foreign direct investment a source of Heaven or EKC hypothesis? An empirical investigation of the BRICS region

It is generally agreed that the quality of institutions, the amount of energy consumed, and foreign direct investment are among the essential factors in sustainable development. On the other hand, these aspects are just as critical as the others when determining what causes environmental deterioration and how the climate changes globally. This research used the dataset of the BRICS countries, which are classified as emerging nations, intending to determine the nature of the relationship between foreign direct investment and institutional quality in terms of an interaction term, in addition to other independent variables and environmental quality. The objective of this study was to determine whether or not a Pollution Heaven or Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) exists in the BRICS countries. To accomplish this objective, the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) technique of econometrics was utilized to estimate a 21-year dataset between 2000 and 2020. The Pollution Heaven theory was shown to be true after empirical research was conducted on the BRICS economies. In these economies, this finding verified the expansion of foreign direct investment and the proliferation of business rules were sources of environmental degradation. In addition, no evidence was discovered to support the presence of the EKC theory in any of the BRICS countries or areas. Based on these empirical outcomes, this research suggested that the introduction of appropriate commercial laws is required to translate the benefits of foreign direct investment into environmentally sustainable development.
Interaction of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in altering the shape of subcortical structures in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Neuroimaging studies have found significant structural alterations of the cerebral cortex in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) following radiotherapy (RT) or concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), while their effects on the shape of subcortical structures remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the subcortical shape alterations between three groups: 56 untreated NPC patients (pre-RT group), 37 RT-treated NPC patients (post-RT group), and 108 CCRT-treated NPC patients (post-CCRT group). Using FSL-FIRST, we found that, compared with the pre-RT group, the post-CCRT group exhibited significant inward atrophy in the bilateral thalamus, bilateral putamen, left pallidum, and left caudate and outward inflation in the left caudate, while the post-RT group only exhibited inward atrophy in the bilateral thalamus. In addition, greater maximum dosage of RT for temporal lobes was associated with more severe inward atrophy of the bilateral thalamus in treated NPC patients. These results indicated that there may be an interaction between RT and CT that can cause subcortical damage.
Response of male adult Aedes mosquitoes to gamma radiation in different nitrogen environments

The developmental stage of the mosquito is one of the main factors that affect its response to ionizing radiation. Irradiation of adults has been reported to have beneficial effects. However, the main challenge is to immobilize and compact a large number of adult male mosquitoes for homogenous irradiation with minimal deleterious effects on their quality. The present study investigates the use of nitrogen in the irradiation of adult Aedes albopictus and Ae. aegypti. Irradiation in nitrogen (N2) and in air after being treated with nitrogen (PreN2) were compared with irradiation in air at gamma radiation doses of 0, 55, 70, 90, 110, and 125 Gy. In both species, approximately 0% egg hatch rate was observed following doses above 55 Gy in air versus 70 Gy in PreN2 and 90 Gy in N2. Males irradiated at a high mosquito density showed similar egg hatch rates as those irradiated at a low density. Nitrogen treatments showed beneficial effects on the longevity of irradiated males for a given dose, revealing the radioprotective effect of anoxia. However, irradiation in N2 or PreN2 slightly reduced the male flight ability. Nitrogen treatment was found to be a reliable method for adult mosquito immobilization. Overall, our results demonstrated that nitrogen may be useful in adult Aedes mass irradiation. The best option seems to be PreN2 since it reduces the immobilization duration and requires a lower dose than that required in the N2 environment to achieve full sterility but with similar effects on male quality. However, further studies are necessary to develop standardized procedures including containers, time and pressure for flushing with nitrogen, immobilization duration considering mosquito species, age, and density.
Work and Espoused National Cultural Values of Generation Z in Austria

Purpose: Employers face the challenge of preparing for a new, upcoming generational cohort that is different in its expectations of the workplace, which goes hand-in-hand with its values. Therefore, Generation Z in Austria must receive detailed attention because it will make up a significant proportion of the workforce in the future. Questions will emerge about how to recruit this cohort or how to retain them. This research fills this gap by analyzing their espoused national cultural values and corresponding work values while considering the implications of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Design/Method/Approach: This quantitative research surveyed 137 Austrians from Generation Z. Findings: The results show a low Power Distance score, concluding that Austrian Generation Z does not prefer unequally distributed power; a low preference for Collectivism, a higher preference for Uncertainty Avoidance, and lower Masculinity. In terms of work values, Austrian Generation Z demonstrated the strongest preference for intrinsic and social rewards and emphasized the importance of offering benefits such as remote work opportunities and flexibility in scheduling work. Theoretical Implications: This study shows that espoused national cultural values impact work values in the context of Austrian Gen Z. Thus, both the espoused national cultural framework and the work values framework can be considered suitable for investigating values differences. Practical Implications: Human Resources practices should be adapted to successfully recruit and retain Austrian Generation Z. Originality/Value: This research is among the early attempts to not only understand how espoused national cultural values and COVID impact the work values of Generation Z in Austria. Research Limitations/Future Research: The smaller sample size and the over representation of females impact the extent to which findings can be generalized to all of Generation Z in Austria. Future research should expand the sample within Austria and internationally. Acknowledgments: This paper is the further development of the first author's thesis. Thank you to all of those who contributed to and supported these efforts. Paper type: Empirical
The impact of COVID‐19 and associated policy responses on global food security

Abstract We analyze the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic and associated policy responses on the global economy and food security in 80 low‐ and middle‐income countries. We use a global economy‐wide model with detailed disaggregation of agricultural and food sectors and develop a business‐as‐usual baseline for 2020 and 2021 called “But‐for‐COVID” (BfC). We then shock the model with aggregate income shocks derived from the IMF World Economic Outlook for 2020 and 2021. We impose total‐factor productivity losses in key sectors as well as consumption decreases induced by social distancing. The resulting shocks in prices and incomes from the CGE model simulations are fed into the USDA‐ERS International Food Security Assessment (IFSA) model to derive the impact of the pandemic on food security in these 80 countries. The main effect of the pandemic was to exacerbate the existing declining trend in food security. Food insecurity increases considerably in countries in Asia through income shocks rather than prices effects. We also review trade policies that were put in place to restrict imports and exports of food, and we evaluate their potential for further disruption of markets focusing on the food‐security implications.
Susceptibility Loci in SLC15A1, UGT1A3, and CWC27 Genes Associated with Bladder Cancer in the Northeast Chinese Population

Bladder cancer (BCa) is an increasingly severe clinical and public health issue. Therefore, we aim to investigate BCa susceptibility loci in the Chinese population. In this study, 487 BCa patients and 563 controls were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University from July 2015 to September 2020. A total of ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in solute carrier family 15 member 1 (SLC15A1), CWC27 spliceosome associated cyclophilin (CWC27), or UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 1 member A3 (UGT1A3) genes were genotyped. The associations between the candidate SNPs and BCa were analyzed using genotype and haplotype analysis. The results demonstrated that Rs4646227 of SLC15A1 has a significant association with BCa. The patients with CG (OR =2.513, p < 0.05) and GG (OR =2.859, p < 0.05) genotypes had an increasing risk of BCa compared with the CC genotype. For the CWC27 gene, genotypic frequency analysis revealed that the GT or TT genotype of rs2042329 and the CT or TT genotype of rs1870437 were more frequent in BCa patients than those in the control group, indicating that these genotypes were associated with a higher risk of BCa (all p < 0.05). Haplotypes of SLC15A1, UGT1A3, and CWC27 genes found that the C-C-C haplotype of SLC15A1 was associated with a lower risk of BCa while the C-G-C haplotype was associated with a higher risk. For the UGT1A3 gene, a moderate protective effect was observed with the most frequent T-T-C haplotype, and for the CWC27 gene, most of the haplotypes showed no association with BCa, except the G-G-C-T haplotype (order of SNPs: rs2042329-rs7735338-rs1870437-rs2278351, OR =0.81, p =0.038). In sum, this study indicated that rs2042329 and rs1870437 in the CWC27 gene and rs4646227 in the SLC15A1 gene are independent indicators for BCa risk in Chinese people. Further large-scale studies are required to validate these findings. Also, this study provided the theoretical basis for developing new therapeutic drug targeting of BCa.
Longitudinal assessment of water-reaching reveals altered cortical 3 activity and fine motor coordination defects in a Huntington Disease 4 model 5 6 Abbreviated title : Water-reaching phenotyping of Huntington Disease 7 8

Abbreviated title: Water-reaching phenotyping of Huntington Disease 7 8 Yundi Wang, Marja D. Sepers, Dongsheng Xiao, Lynn A. Raymond* and Timothy H. Murphy* 9 10 1 University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of 11 Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, British 12 Columbia, Canada, 2 Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, 13 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, British Columbia, Canada 14 15 *Correspondence to either: Timothy H. Murphy or Lynn A. Raymond 16 Address: 5609-2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z3, Canada 17 E-mail: timothy.murphy@ubc.ca or lynn.raymond@ubc.ca 18 19 20 21
Group Theory With Applications in Chemical Physics: Molecular vibrations

1. The elementary properties of groups 2. Symmetry operators and point groups 3. Matrix representations 4. Group representations 5. Bases of representations 6. Molecular orbitals 7. Crystal field theory 8. Double groups 9. Molecular vibrations 10. Transitions between electronic states 11. The rotation group 12. Projective representations 13. Time-reversal symmetry 14. The crystallographic magnetic point groups 15. Macroscopic properties of crystals 16. Space groups 17. Electronic energy states in crystals 18. The vibration of atoms in crystals Appendices.