Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child cohort study (MoBa) genotyping data resource: MoBaPsychGen pipeline v.1

Background The Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) is a population-based pregnancy cohort, which includes approximately 114,500 children, 95,200 mothers, and 75,200 fathers. Genotyping of MoBa has been conducted through multiple research projects, spanning several years; using varying selection criteria, genotyping arrays, and genotyping centres. MoBa contains numerous interrelated families, which necessitated the implementation of a family-based quality control (QC) pipeline that verifies and accounts for diverse types of relatedness. Methods The MoBaPsychGen pipeline, comprising pre-imputation QC, phasing, imputation, and post-imputation QC, was developed based on current best-practice protocols and implemented to account for the complex structure of the MoBa genotype data. The pipeline includes QC on both single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and individual level. Phasing and imputation were performed using the publicly available Haplotype Reference Consortium release 1.1 panel as a reference. Information from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and MoBa questionnaires were used to identify biological sex, year of birth, reported parent-offspring (PO) relationships, and multiple births (only available in the offspring generation). Results In total, 207,569 unique individuals (90% of the unique individuals included in the study) and 6,981,748 SNPs passed the MoBaPsychGen pipeline. The relatedness checks performed throughout the pipeline allowed identification of within-generation and across-generation first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree relatives. The individuals passing post-imputation QC comprised 64,471 families ranging in size from singletons to 84 unique individuals (singletons are included as families as other family members may not have been genotyped, imputed, or passed post-imputation QC). The relationships identified include 287 monozygotic twin pairs, 22,884 full siblings, 117,004 PO pairs, 23,299 second-degree relative pairs, and 10,828 third-degree relative pairs. Discussion MoBa contains a highly complex relatedness structure, with a variety of family structures including singletons, PO duos, full (mother, father, child) PO trios, nuclear families, blended families, and extended families. The availability of robustly quality-controlled genetic data for such a large cohort with a unique extended family structure will allow many novel research questions to be addressed. Furthermore, the MoBaPsychGen pipeline has potential utility in similar cohorts.
Opioid suppression of an excitatory pontomedullary respiratory circuit by convergent mechanisms

Opioids depress breathing by inhibition of inter-connected respiratory nuclei in the pons and medulla. Mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonists directly hyperpolarize a population of neurons in the dorsolateral pons, particularly the Kölliker-Fuse (KF) nucleus, that are key mediators of opioid-induced respiratory depression. However, the projection target and synaptic connections of MOR-expressing KF neurons is unknown. Here, we used retrograde labeling and brain slice electrophysiology to determine that MOR-expressing KF neurons project to respiratory nuclei in the ventrolateral medulla, including the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) and rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG). These medullary projecting, MOR-expressing dorsolateral pontine neurons express FoxP2 and are distinct from calcitonin gene-related peptide-expressing lateral parabrachial neurons. Furthermore, dorsolateral pontine neurons release glutamate onto excitatory preBötC and rVRG neurons via monosynaptic projections, which is inhibited by presynaptic opioid receptors. The excitatory preBötC and rVRG neurons receiving MOR-sensitive glutamatergic synaptic input from the dorsolateral pons are themselves hyperpolarized by opioids. Thus, opioids can synergistically inhibit this excitatory pontomedullary respiratory circuit by three distinct mechanisms—somatodendritic MORs on dorsolateral pontine and ventrolateral medullary neurons and presynaptic MORs on dorsolateral pontine neuron terminals in the ventrolateral medulla—all of which could contribute to opioid-induced respiratory depression.
Insect cell plasma membranes do, while soluble enzymes do not, need stabilization by accumulated cryoprotectant molecules during freezing stress

Ability to survive freezing of extracellular body fluids evolved in several species of vertebrate ectotherms, many plants, and occurs relatively often in freeze-tolerant insects. Most of the multicellular organisms, however, are freeze-sensitive. Here we test coupled hypotheses postulating that: (i) irreversible denaturation of proteins and loss of integrity of biological membranes are two ultimate molecular mechanisms of freezing injury in freeze-sensitive insects; and (ii) seasonally accumulated small cryoprotective molecules (CPs) protect the proteins and membranes against the injury in freeze-tolerant insects. We show that seven different enzymes exhibit no or only partial loss of activity upon lethal freezing stress applied in vivo to whole freeze-sensitive larva of drosophilid fly, Chymomyza costata. In contrast, the enzymes lost activity when extracted and frozen in vitro in a diluted buffer solution. This loss of activity was fully prevented by adding to buffer relatively low concentrations of a wide array of different compounds including C. costata native CPs, other metabolites, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and even biologically inert artificial compounds Histodenz and Ficoll. Next, we show that the plasma membranes of fat body cells lose integrity when frozen in vivo in freeze-sensitive but not in freeze-tolerant larvae. Freezing fat body cells in vitro, however, resulted in loss of membrane integrity in both freeze-sensitive and freeze-tolerant larvae. Different additives showed widely different capacities (from none to high) to protect membrane integrity when added to in vitro freezing medium. A complete rescue of membrane integrity was observed for a mixture of proline, trehalose and BSA. Significance statement Here we suggest that insect soluble enzymes are not primary targets of freezing injury. They are not inactivated in freeze-sensitive insects exposed to lethal freezing stress as they are sufficiently protected from loss of activity by complex composition of native biological solutions. Next we show that cell plasma membranes are likely targets of freezing injury. The membranes lose integrity in freeze-sensitive insects exposed to freezing stress, while their integrity is protected by accumulated small cryoprotective molecules, and also by proteins, in freeze-tolerant insects.
Codistribution as an indicator of whole metacommunity response to environmental change

Metacommunity structure can be summarised by fitting joint species distribution models and partitioning the variance explained into environmental, spatial and codistribution components. Here we identify how these components respond through time with directed environmental change and propose this as an indicator of sustained directional pressure. Through simulations, we identify how declines in the codistribution component can diagnose ecological breakdown, while rises in environmental and spatial components may indicate losses in peripheral areas and dispersal limitations. We test the method in two well-studied systems. Butterflies are known to be strongly responding to climate change, and we show that over 21 years the codistribution component declines for butterfly communities in southern England. By contrast, birds in the same region are under less climate pressure and, despite high occupancy turnover, show minimal change in metacommunity structure. The approach has high potential to summarise and compare the impact of external drivers on whole communities.
The Cynosure of CtBP: Evolution of a Bilaterian Transcriptional Corepressor

Evolution of sequence-specific transcription factors clearly drives lineage-specific innovations, but less is known about how changes in the central transcriptional machinery may contribute to evolutionary transformations. In particular, transcriptional regulators are rich in intrinsically disordered regions that appear to be magnets for evolutionary innovation. The C-terminal Binding Protein (CtBP) is a transcriptional corepressor derived from an ancestral lineage of alpha hydroxyacid dehydrogenases; it is found in mammals and invertebrates, and features a core NAD-binding domain as well as an unstructured C-terminus (CTD) of unknown function. CtBP can act on promoters and enhancers to repress transcription through chromatin-linked mechanisms. Our comparative phylogenetic study shows that CtBP is a bilaterian innovation whose CTD of about 100 residues is present in almost all orthologs. CtBP CTDs contain conserved blocks of residues and retain a predicted disordered property, despite having variations in the primary sequence. Interestingly, the structure of the C-terminus has undergone radical transformation independently in certain lineages including flatworms and nematodes. Also contributing to CTD diversity is the production of myriad alternative RNA splicing products, including the production of “short” tailless forms of CtBP in Drosophila. Additional diversity stems from multiple gene duplications in vertebrates, where up to five CtBP orthologs have been observed. Vertebrate lineages show fewer major modifications in the unstructured CTD, possibly because gene regulatory constraints of the vertebrate body plan place specific constraints on this domain. Our study highlights the rich regulatory potential of this previously unstudied domain of a central transcriptional regulator.
Aging impairs the clustering and reduces the activity of L-type calcium channels in cardiac pacemaker cells

Every heartbeat is initiated by a spontaneous electrical signal generated inside the cardiac pacemaker. The generation of this electrical signal depends on the coordinated opening and closing of different ion channels, where voltage-gated L-type calcium channels play a central role. Despite the reliability of the pacemaker, all mammals experience a linear slowdown of the pacemaker rate with age. In humans, this slowing can become pathological and constitutes the main cause for the requirement of the implantation of artificial pacemakers. However, the mechanisms behind the age-associated slowdown of the pacemaker are not well understood. Here, we show that age directly alters the function of L-type calcium channels in pacemaker cells from mice. These age-associated alterations include: i) a reduction in the density of the channels at the plasma membrane, ii) a reduction in the clustering of the channels, iii) a decrease in channel open probability, and iv) a reduction in the cooperative gating of the calcium channels. Altogether, these age-associated alterations result in a global reduction of the L-type calcium current density and in a slowdown of the pacemaker diastolic depolarization. Remarkably, increasing the open probability of L-type calcium channels pharmacologically was enough to restore pacemaker rate in old cells to the same levels observed in the young. Overall, our findings provide evidence that proper organization and function of L-type calcium channels is impaired by aging and that this dysfunction contributes to the slowdown of pacemaker cells in old animals.
Mechanical loading due to muscle movement regulates establishment of the collagen network in the developing murine skeleton

Mechanical loading is critical for collagen network maintenance and remodelling in adult skeletal tissues, but the role of loading in collagen network formation during development is poorly understood. We test the hypothesis that mechanical loading is necessary for the onset and maturation of spatial localisation and structure of collagens in prenatal cartilage and bone, using in vivo and in vitro mouse models of altered loading. The majority of collagens studied were aberrant in structure or localisation, or both, when skeletal muscle was absent in vivo. Using in vitro bioreactor culture system, we demonstrate that mechanical loading directly modulates the spatial localisation and structure of collagens II and X. Furthermore, we show that mechanical loading in vitro rescues aspects of collagens II and X development from the effects of fetal immobility. In conclusion, our findings show that mechanical loading is a critical determinant of collagen network establishment during prenatal skeletal development. Teaser (One line) Mechanical loading is required for normal establishment and maturation of key collagens during prenatal skeletal development.
Thermal Pain and Detection Threshold Modulation in Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) overlays computer-generated visual, auditory or other sensory information on the real world. Due to recent advancements in AR it can be difficult for the user to differentiate between sensory information coming from real and virtual objects, leading to interesting phenomena. For example, an AR experience in which users can experience their own hands in flames has been shown to elicit heat illusions on the affected hands. In this study, we investigate the potential that AR has for top-down modulation of pain and thermal perception. We assessed thermal pain and detection thresholds on the participant’s right hand when they experienced that hand covered in virtual flames in AR. We compared that experience to a baseline condition with no additional stimuli as well to a control condition that sees the hand covered by unrealistic blue flames to compensate the distraction factor. We found that experiencing a burning hand in AR induced analgesic and hyperalgesic effects as participants began to feel heat related pain on lower temperatures and cold related pain on higher temperatures. That experience also significantly changed the lowest temperature at which participants started perceiving warmth. These results demonstrate that pain and thermal perception can be manipulated by altering the perception of our body in AR.
Cross Interference Minimization and Simultaneous Wireless Power Transfer to Multiple Frequency Loads Using Frequency Bifurcation Approach

Simultaneous power distribution to multiple loads using a single source in the wireless power transfer (WPT) system is a challenging issue due to cross-coupling between the load coils, which reduces the power transfer efficiency. In a resonant WPT system, when two or more coils operated under over coupled condition, the original operating resonant frequency gets bifurcated, and thereby reduction in the power transfer efficiency. Different techniques are investigated in the literature to mitigate the frequency bifurcation phenomena in the resonant WPT system. However, the utilization of frequency bifurcation approach for the simultaneous power transfer to multiple loads is not addressed. This paper proposes a simultaneous power transfer approach using frequency bifurcation for the multiple load system designed with different operating frequency. Mathematical, simulation, and experimental studies performed for dual, triple, and four coil WPT systems with multiple loads. In addition, an automatic power flow control method is implemented to estimate the load current from the source, which helps to select a new set of load coils to be charged. The experimental results confirm the proposed power transfer, helps to attain higher power transfer efficiency of 39.34%, 49.31%, 68.22% and cross interference of −31.2 dBV, −36.2 dBV, −41.2 dBV for dual, triple, and four coil WPT system, respectively.
Detection of Non-Technical Losses Using Smart Meter Data and Supervised Learning

Non-technical electricity losses due to anomalies or frauds are accountable for important revenue losses in power utilities. Recent advances have been made in this area, fostered by the roll-out of smart meters. In this paper, we propose a methodology for non-technical loss detection using supervised learning. The methodology has been developed and tested on real smart meter data of all the industrial and commercial customers of Endesa. This methodology uses all the information the smart meters record (energy consumption, alarms and electrical magnitudes) to obtain an in-depth analysis of the customer’s consumption behavior. It also uses auxiliary databases to provide additional information regarding the geographical location and technological characteristics of each smart meter. The model has been trained, validated and tested on the results of approximately 57 000 on-field inspections. It is currently in use in a non-technical loss detection campaign for big customers. Several state-of-the-art classifiers have been tested. The results show that extreme gradient boosted trees outperform the rest of the classifiers.
Evaluating the operational performance of airside and landside at Chinese airports with novel inputs

ABSTRACT This paper evaluates the operational performance of airside and landside at Chinese airports with two novel inputs. Furthermore, the airport landside operation is decomposed into passenger-terminal operations and cargo-warehouse operations. One novel input is the capability of the runway system which is introduced into airside performance evaluation. The other novel input is cargo warehousing which is introduced into landside performance evaluation. To address multiple optimal solutions when estimating Returns to Scale in Data Envelopment Analysis, we adopted the Zhu and Shen method. This empirical study shows that neither the number of runways nor total runway length is a genuine index of runway system capability in the evaluation of airside performance. Only four airports achieved full efficiency in all eight measures while eight airports did not achieve any full efficiency. In addition, one airport did not perform well in the benchmark analysis.
Leveraging Task Knowledge for Robot Motion Planning Under Uncertainty

Noisy observations coupled with nonlinear dynamics pose one of the biggest challenges in robot motion planning. By decomposing the nonlinear dynamics into a discrete set of local dynamics models, hybrid dynamics provide a natural way to model nonlinear dynamics, especially in systems with sudden "jumps" in the dynamics, due to factors such as contacts. We propose a hierarchical POMDP planner that develops locally optimal motion plans for hybrid dynamics models. The hierarchical planner first develops a high-level motion plan to sequence the local dynamics models to be visited. The high-level plan is then converted into a detailed cost-optimized continuous state plan. This hierarchical planning approach results in a decomposition of the POMDP planning problem into smaller sub-parts that can be solved with significantly lower computational costs. The ability to sequence the visitation of local dynamics models also provides a powerful way to leverage the hybrid dynamics to reduce state uncertainty. We evaluate the proposed planner for two navigation and localization tasks in simulated domains, as well as an assembly task with a real robotic manipulator.
Vehicle fuel consumption modelling: A system dynamics approach

Abstract— The world today is facing an extreme crude oil crisis. Petroleum products in the primary form are largely consumed for transportation and industrial purposes. This paper deals with the development of a system dynamics model to simulate the rise in fuel consumption in a district in India. The main aim of the paper is to study the influence of dynamic factors: Population, Fuel prices, Gross domestic product (GDP) growth, and Segment wise increase in fuel consumption. The model is used to simulate the fuel requirements for the two decades from 2011. The simulation results have aided the formulation of policies to check the rising fuel consumption, based on the projected figures. Although the input parameters are at the regional level, the influence of the before mentioned factors can be generalized to the global level.
that Analysis and Reduction of On-Load DC Winding Induced Voltage in Wound Field Switched Flux

 Abstract —DC winding induced voltage pulsation in wound field switched flux (WFSF) machines causes DC winding current ripple and field excitation fluctuation, challenges the DC power source and deteriorates the control performance. Hence, reducing this pulsation is important in the design of a WFSF machine. In this paper, based on the analytical models, rotor skewing and rotor iron piece pairing are proposed and comparatively investigated by the finite element (FE) method to reduce the on-load DC winding induced voltage in WFSF machines having partitioned stators and concentrated AC windings. FE results show that peak to peak value of the on-load DC winding induced voltage in the analysed 12/10-pole partitioned stator WFSF (PS-WFSF) machines can be reduced by 78.42% or 77.16% by using rotor skewing or rotor pairing, respectively, whilst the torque density can be maintained by >90%. As for the 12/11-, 12/13- and 12/14-pole PS-WFSF machines, by using rotor iron piece inner arc pairing, the on-load DC winding induced voltage can be reduced by 64.11%, 52.12% and 76.49%, respectively, whilst the torque density can also be maintained by more than 90%. Prototypes are built and tested to verify the analytical and FE