Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 Exposes Urgent Inequities: A Call to Action for Healthcare Reform

Priyanka Bushana1,4, Brandy Seignemartin2,4,5 Ravneet Kaur Waraich3,4, Whitney W. Wood3,4, 1Washington State University Health Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Spokane, WA 2Washington State University Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Program in Pharmacy, Spokane, WA 3Washington State University Health Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Program in Medicine, Spokane, WA 4Washington State University Health Sciences, Health Sciences Student Advocacy Association, Spokane, WA 5Washington State University Health Sciences, Associated Students of WSU Health Sciences, Spokane, WA http://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG170101 Corresponding author: priyanka.bushana@gmail.com
Are Happier People More Compliant? Global Evidence from Three Large-Scale Surveys During Covid-19 Lockdowns

Around the world, governments have been asking their citizens to substantially change their behaviour for a prolonged period of time, by practising physical distancing and staying at home, to contain the spread of Covid-19. Are happier people more willing to comply with these measures? Using three independent surveys covering about 119,000 adult respondents across 35 countries, including longitudinal data from the UK, we found that past and present happiness predicts compliance during lockdown. The relationship is stronger for those with higher levels of happiness. A negative mood, or loss in happiness, predicts lower compliance. We explored risk-avoidance and pro-social motivations for this relationship, and found that motivations for compliance are not uniformly distributed but dependent on personal characteristics and context: people who are older or have certain medical preconditions seem to be predominantly motivated by risk-avoidance, whereas motivations of people who are less at risk of Covid-19 seem more mixed. Our findings have implications for policy design, targeting, and communication.
The complete chloroplast genome of an economic and ecological plant, paper mulberry (Broussonetia kazinoki × Broussonetia papyifera)

Abstract The paper mulberry, Broussonetia kazinoki × Broussonetia papyifera, is a species within the family Moraceae, also is an economic and ecological plant. Complete chloroplast genome of paper mulberry was reported in this study. The total genome size was 160,903 bp in length, which is separated by a large single copy (LSC) region and a small single copy (SSC) region (89,220 and 20,079 bp in length, respectively). There were a total of 134 predicted functional genes, including 80 protein-coding genes (PCGs), eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and 46 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The overall G + C content of the paper mulberry chloroplast genome was 35.74%, while the corresponding values of the LSC, SSC, and IR regions are 33.33%, 28.50%, and 42.72%, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis between Moraceae trees showed chloroplast genome of paper mulberry was closely related to Morus multicaulis.
Crosspave: a multi-layer elastic analysis programme considering stress-dependent and cross-anisotropic behaviour of unbound aggregate pavement layers

ABSTRACT This manuscript describes the development of a new pavement analysis programme called CrossPave based on the Multi-Layered Elastic Theory (MLET) framework, but capable of accommodating stress-dependent and cross-anisotropic behaviour of unbound pavement layers. Generally, Finite Element (FE) based programmes such as ILLI-PAVE, MICH-PAVE, SENOL, GT-PAVE etc. or general-purpose FE programs with special user-defined material sub-routines have been used to model the stress-dependent nature of unbound materials. However, these FE programme are time consuming and need certain expertise, making them unfavourable for implementation into practice. Few MLET-based programmes such as KENLAYER and Everstress are capable of considering the stress-dependent nature of unbound materials, but fail to accommodate some of the recently developed material models. The newly developed pavement analysis programme, CrossPave, addresses these issues, and incorporates five different non-linear stress-dependent resilient modulus models for unbound materials. Details of the developmental effort are presented in this manuscript, along with results from validation efforts highlighting close agreement between KENLAYER, ILLI-PAVE and GT-PAVE. Critical pavement response parameters for two full-scale pavement sections were calculated using CrossPave, and have been compared against field-measured values. The CrossPave programme has been presented as an enhanced, ready-to-implement programme compared to other MLET-based alternatives.
Poor intracellular proliferation delays rapid priming and influences programming of CD8+ T cells during infection with Salmonella typhimurium

Antigen-presentation to CD8 T cells normally commences immediately after infection, which facilitates their rapid expansion and control of infection. Subsequently, these antigen-primed CD8 T cells undergo rapid contraction. This paradigm is not followed during infection with virulent Salmonella typhimurium (ST), an intracellular bacterium that replicates within phagosomes of infected cells. While susceptible mice die rapidly (~ 7 days), resistant mice (129X1 SvJ) harbor a chronic infection lasting -60-90 days. Using recombinant Ovalbumin (OVA)-expressing ST (ST-OVA), I show that antigenpresentation is considerably delayed in mice infected with ST-OVA. Impairment of antigen-presentation by ST-OVA-infected macrophages and dendritic cells was not due to immuno-modulatory effects of ST virulence factors, because none of the mutants used in this study displayed enhanced priming. Instead, I propose that muted antigen presentation is a consequence of poor intracellular proliferation of ST and reduced antigen load. Proliferation of OVA-specific CD8 T cells that were induced during infection peaked around day 21, and was followed by a prolonged phase of contraction. Furthermore, the magnitude of the response was contingent upon the extent of ST virulence. CD8 T cell response against virulent ST displayed a prolonged and persistent effector-memory phenotype, while that against attenuated mutants displayed reduced numbers of effector-memory cells. Taken together, these results indicate that the muted and delayed activation of CD8 T cells during infection with ST is mainly due to poor intracellular proliferation of ST, and that pathogen virulence influences the differentiation program of CD8 T cells.
Genetic diversity of Anadenanthera colubrina Vell. (Brenan) var cebil, a tree species from the South American subtropical forest as revealed by cpSSR markers

Abstract Anadenanthera colubrina var cebil is a tree species native to the Upper Parana Atlantic Forest where human activities have severely impacted causing deep fragmentation. Microsatellites are not available in this species. Therefore, the first objective of this study was to generate chloroplast simple sequence repeats (cpSSR) by cross-species transfer. Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of subdivided populations is an important matter. In this way, a first approach to the characterization of the haplotypic diversity within and between populations as well as the genetic structure of native Argentinean populations were the main goals of this study. Twenty four individuals from two populations of the Misiones province were studied and four cpSSR loci were tested. Two of them exhibited polymorphic patterns leading to the identification of 11 cpDNA haplotypes with high mean genetic diversity (GD=0.73). The minimum spanning network defined three clear groups which can be assigned to at least three subpopulations. AMOVA indicated that the total variance showed the highest percentage of variation (48%) within subpopulations with a fixation index (FST) statistically significant (FST=0.520; p<0.05). Brown’s two loci component analysis indicated that substructure population is present. Jost’s differentiation global index (Dest) was 0.049 while Dest pairwise comparison reflected a certain level of genetic structure. The high diversity level detected in the adult trees of A. colubrina var cebil from the populations under study could be due to recent human influence. In this way, the reduction in population size caused a reduction in the number of trees leading to surviving trees showing the historical diversity of the populations analyzed.
Trajectory tracking algorithm in a hierarchical strategy for electric vehicle driven by four independent in-wheel motors

ABSTRACT Trajectory tracking is a key technology for precisely controlling autonomous vehicles. The characteristics of an independent drive electric vehicle (IDEV) are used as the basis for designing a trajectory tracking algorithm using a hierarchical strategy. While the upper controller tracks the desired trajectory based on model predictive control (MPC), the middle controller adjusts the speed using the fuzzy theory to optimize the parameters of the proportional integral (PI) controller and generates an additional yaw control moment based on sliding mode control (SMC). Finally, the lower controller distributes the torque to each wheel according to stability and adhesion conditions. A co-simulation platform is established to verify the performance of the proposed algorithm under typical scenarios. Results indicate that the proposed algorithm can provide good dynamic driving ability at high speeds and on low-adhesion roads. The accuracy of trajectory tracking using the proposed algorithm is better than that of the traditional preview–follower driver model and the performance of the proposed torque distribution algorithm is superior to that of the traditional even torque distribution algorithm.
Solubility Enhancement of Betamethasone, Meloxicam and Piroxicam by Use of Choline-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents

Background: The low aqueous solubility of three important drugs (betamethasone (BETA), meloxicam (MEL) and piroxicam (PIR)) have been increased by use of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based choline chloride/urea (ChCl/U), choline chloride/ethylene glycol (ChCl/EG) and choline chloride/glycerol (ChCl/G) as new class of solvents at T = (298.15 to 313.15) K. Methods: DESs were prepared by combination of the ChCl/EG, U and G with the molar ratios: 1:2. The solubility of drugs in the aqueous DESs solutions was measured at different temperatures with shake flask method. Results: The solubility of the investigated drugs increased with increasing the weight fraction of DESs. The solubility data were correlated by e-NRTL and Wilson models. Also, the thermodynamic functions, Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy of dissolution were calculated. Conclusion: At the same composition of co-solvents and temperature, the BETA, PIR and MEL solubility was highest in (ChCl/U + water), (ChCl/U + water) and (ChCl/EG + water) respectively. The calculated solubility based on these models was in good agreement with the experimental values. In addition, the results show that, the main contribution for drugs solubility in the aqueous DES solutions is the enthalpy.
Aim-Net: Bring Implicit Euler to Network Design

Researching networks’ theoretical properties and behavior have drawn considerable attention from the perspective of ordinary differential equation (ODE). For solving ODE, explicit and implicit Euler schemes are the most common methods. Some works utilize explicit Euler theory to analyze and design networks. However, focusing on parameters convergence and system stability, implicit Euler has been proved to be better than explicit one. It motivates us to explore implicit Euler’s potential in neural networks. In this paper, we establish connections between implicit Euler and networks, which also effectively explain some existing networks such as LISTA and DRRN. In addition, by re-deriving implicit Euler, we propose an adaptive implicit network (AIM-NET) which allows model to have a flexible convergence interval to ensure parameters convergence as well as model performance. Particularly, we obtain AIM-LISTA and AIM-DRRN by applying AIM-NET on LISTA and DRRN respectively. Finally, we perform experiments on both synthetic data and real images and the experimental results show that adaptive implicit structure is able to significantly improve performance.
The predictive power of ECB’s interval forecasts over point forecasts

ABSTRACT This study examines interval forecasts released by the European Central Bank (ECB). To investigate whether these projections provide additional information over midpoint forecasts, we use a regression approach considering the interval nature of projections. The spread of a 3-month-ahead inflation forecast of the ECB has additional information for over midpoint forecasts while that of longer-term forecasts had no additional information. This indicates that the spread of a 3-month-ahead inflation forecast is a good indicator of uncertainty. Moreover, our finding suggests that the spread of a 3-month-ahead inflation forecast complements other measures of uncertainty that are often associated with declines in economic activity for longer term.
The Cooling Performance of Mixed Convection in a Ventilated Enclosure With Different Ports Configurations

Mixed convection heat transfer in a vertically oriented air-cooled square enclosure is simulated numerically using the finite volume method. The vertical left wall being heated and all others are considered insulated. The effects of six opposite and staggered inlet/outlet openings' locations over the top and bottom walls are investigated, with different sizes of the opening height (0.05 ≤d/H≤ 0.3). The objective is to figure out the better size and location of inlet and outlet to acquire more efficient cooling system in the enclosure by maximizing the heat removal rate. This is conducted over ranges of the governing parameters, which are the Richardson number (0 ≤Ri≤ 30) and the Reynolds number (50 ≤Re≤ 250). The results show that the level of heat transfer enhancement increases with increasing the opening height, with an optimal size of d/H = 0.25 for obtaining maximum heat removal, for all Richardson and Reynolds numbers. The results also indicate that the higher heat dissipation occurs when the cold air is injected vertically near the hot wall and exits the enclosure from the opposite or staggered outlet, for all Richardson and Reynolds numbers.
A comparison of patterns of genetic structure in two co-occurring Agave species (Asparagaceae) that differ in the patchiness of their geographical distributions and cultivation histories

Spatial genetic structure in plants can be affected by continuity of geographical distribution, cultivation history, pollination and seed dispersal mechanisms. Here, we examined the relative effects of these factors on the genetic structure of Agave palmeri and A. parryi, which share similar pollination syndromes and seed dispersal mechanisms but differ in the continuity of their distributions and cultivation history. Agave parryi has a patchy distribution and was cultivated by Native Americans, whereas A. palmeri has a more continuous distribution and no documented history of cultivation. We sampled populations of each species in their North American ranges, genotyped individuals with microsatellite loci and analysed patterns of genetic structure. No genetic structuring was detected in A. palmeri, but A. parryi formed three distinct genetic clusters, corresponding to geographical locations. One genetic cluster of A. parryi contained populations from lower elevations and had lower levels of genetic diversity, probably indicating anthropogenic origins. We conclude that continuity of distribution, pollinators and cultivation history all may affect patterns of genetic connectivity.
Circadian and circatidal rhythms of protein abundance in the intertidal mussel Mytilus californianus

The intertidal zone is a dynamic environment that fluctuates with the 12.4-h tidal and 24-h light/dark cycle to predictably alter food availability, temperature, air exposure, wave action, oxygen partial pressure, and osmotic conditions. Intertidal sessile bivalves exhibit behavioral or physiological changes to minimize the persistent challenges of fluctuating environmental conditions, such as adjusting gaping behavior and heart rate. At the cellular level, transcriptomic studies on mussels’ baseline circadian and circatidal rhythms have determined that the circadian rhythm is the dominant transcriptional rhythm. However, as proteins reflect the basic molecular phenotype of an organism and their abundance may differ greatly from that of mRNA, these methods could fail to detect important cyclical changes in the proteome that cope with the regular stress of tidal rhythms. For this study, we acclimated intertidal Mytilus californianus to circadian (12:12 h light/dark cycle) and circatidal (6:6 h tidal cycle) conditions in a tidal simulator and sampled gill tissue from mussels every 2 h for 48 h for proteomic analysis. Approximately 86% of the proteins that were detected exhibited rhythmicity over the time course. The circadian cycle primarily determined the cyclic abundance of energy metabolism proteins, pivoting around the transition to the nighttime high tide. The tidal cycle contributed to alterations in cytoskeletal components, ER protein processing and vesicular trafficking, extracellular matrix and immune proteins, and oxidative stress and chaperoning proteins. We also found evidence that post-translational modifications may be important for driving these rhythms, as acetylation and phosphorylation motifs were enriched in the rhythmic proteins and we identified rhythms in elements of methylation,
Global Analysis of Kinase Interactions in Budding Yeast using Synthetic Dosage Lethality

To date, most genome-scale approaches designed to explore kinase pathways have been targeted towards substrate identification for individual kinases but provide little functional information and only a limited view of the interplay of kinases and their targets in key biological processes. I attempted to tackle the complexity of kinase networks using an unbiased integrated global analysis in budding yeast. I used functional genomics screens to study the yeast kinome using combinatorial genetic perturbations. I first assessed the effects of gene overexpression on the fitness of non-essential kinase deletion mutants to generate a comprehensive view of Synthetic Dosage Lethal (SDL) interactions involving yeast kinases. These data were complemented by assessing genome-wide Synthetic Lethal (SL) interactions for kinases that gave SDL interactions. By measuring >600,000 potential interactions between kinase-gene pairs, I produced a meta-network of ~1300 dosage lethal interactions and 7500 negative and positive genetic interactions. I reasoned that by combining two complementary genetic datasets for kinases, I could: 1) characterize the unexpected phenotypic outcomes that result from the interplay of gain-of-function and loss-of-function phenotypes; 2) better comprehend the iii complexity of kinase signaling networks and; 3) predict the function of novel genes that arise from the combined genetic network and a gold standard list of known kinase-substrate pairs in
The Effect of Improving Facial Alignment Accuracy on the Video-based Detection of Neurological Diseases

Background: Automatic facial landmark localization is an essential component in many computer vision applications, including video-based detection of neurological diseases. Machine learning models for facial landmarks localization are typically trained on faces of healthy individuals, and we found that model performance is inferior when applied to faces of people with neurological diseases. Fine-tuning pre-trained models with representative images improves performance on clinical populations significantly. However, questions related to the characteristics of the database used to fine-tune the model and the clinical impact of the improved model remain. Methods: We employed the Toronto NeuroFace dataset – a dataset consisting videos of Healthy Controls (HC), individuals Post-Stroke, and individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis performing speech and non-speech tasks with thousands of manually annotated frames - to fine-tune a well-known deep learning-based facial landmark localization model. The pre-trained and fine-tuned models were used to extract landmark-based facial features from videos, and the facial features were used to discriminate clinical groups from HC. Results: Fine-tuning a facial landmark localization model with a diverse database that includes HC and individuals with neurological disorders resulted in significantly improved performance for all groups. Our results also showed that fine-tuning the model with representative data greatly improved the ability of the subsequent classifier to classify clinical groups vs. HC from videos. Conclusions: Using a diverse database for model fine-tuning might result in better model performance for HC and clinical groups. We demonstrated that fine-tuning a model for landmark localization with representative data results in improved detection of neurological diseases.
Herbivory effects on leaf litter decomposition vary with specific leaf area in temperate mixed deciduous forest

Insect herbivory has great impact on biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems, but experimental tests on the herbivory‐decomposability relationships at the interspecific level are rare. We conducted a 400‐day field decomposition experiment in a temperate mixed deciduous forest and measured mass remaining rate, decomposition constant, total loss of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) of leaf litter with/without obvious damage by chewing insects for different tree species. We found that herbivory effect on initial litter quality (C:N ratio) varied with species, leading to a substantial decrease for Morus alba (−5.78%) and an enhancement for Quercus acutissima (+5.35%). Herbivory damage increased the decomposition constant for M. alba and Liquidambar formosana with higher specific leaf area (SLA), but decreased it for Diospyros kaki and Q. acutissima with lower SLA. These contrasting effects of insect herbivory on litter decomposition could be attributed to the differential responses of litter initial quality (C:N ratio) of each species to herbivory damage. Herbivory‐induced decline of leaf C:N ratio could increase the decomposition constant of species with higher SLA. Our finding that herbivory damage showed interspecific variability in both litter quality and decomposition rate suggests that insect herbivore‐induced feedbacks to nutrient cycling and ecosystem function should be estimated at the species level in multispecies mixed deciduous forest.