Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) isotopic niches: Stable isotopes reveal diverse foraging strategies and habitat use in Arctic Alaska

Understanding the ecological niche of some fishes is complicated by their frequent use of a broad range of food resources and habitats across space and time. Little is known about Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) ecological niches in Arctic landscapes even though they are an important subsistence species for Alaska’s Indigenous communities. We investigated the foraging ecology and habitat use of Broad Whitefish via stable isotope analyses of muscle and liver tissue and otoliths from mature fish migrating in the Colville River within Arctic Alaska. The range of δ13C (-31.8– -21.9‰) and δ15N (6.6–13.1‰) across tissue types and among individuals overlapped with isotope values previously observed in Arctic lakes and rivers, estuaries, and nearshore marine habitat. The large range of δ18O (4.5–10.9‰) and δD (-237.6– -158.9‰) suggests fish utilized a broad spectrum of habitats across elevational and latitudinal gradients. Cluster analysis of muscle δ13Cˈ, δ15N, δ18O, and δD indicated that Broad Whitefish occupied four different foraging niches that relied on marine and land-based (i.e., freshwater and terrestrial) food sources to varying degrees. Most individuals had isotopic signatures representative of coastal freshwater habitat (Group 3; 25%) or coastal lagoon and delta habitat (Group 1; 57%), while individuals that mainly utilized inland freshwater (Group 4; 4%) and nearshore marine habitats (Group 2; 14%) represented smaller proportions. Otolith microchemistry confirmed that individuals with more enriched muscle tissue δ13Cˈ, δD, and δ18O tended to use marine habitats, while individuals that mainly used freshwater habitats had values that were less enriched. The isotopic niches identified here represent important foraging habitats utilized by Broad Whitefish. To preserve access to these diverse habitats it will be important to limit barriers along nearshore areas and reduce impacts like roads and climate change on natural flow regimes. Maintaining these diverse connected habitats will facilitate long-term population stability, buffering populations from future environmental and anthropogenic perturbations.
Parents' Needs and Their Perceived Obstacles With Team Members in Perinatal Palliative Care

Advances in prenatal diagnosis have made medical, psychological, and ethical issues regarding the diagnosis of fetal anomalies a crucial topic of research. This study identified the needs of parents of unborn babies with fetal anomalies and their views regarding the services of interdisciplinary team members in charge of assisting them. The sample consisted of 30 parents and 40 team members from a women's health education and research hospital. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and were qualitatively analyzed using the phenomenological method of interpretation. The results showed that parents' physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum were not fully met after their unborn babies were diagnosed with fetal anomalies. The results also showed that team members needed a structured program, legal regulations, and training to provide holistic care.
An Artificial Gut/Absorption Simulator: Description, Modeling, and Validation Using Caffeine

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a simultaneous dissolution and absorption testing tool, the “artificial gut simulator” (AGS), for oral drug formulations. The AGS was constructed using hollow fibers and housed in a 3-mL UV spectrophotometric cuvette that provided a large surface area-to-volume ratio to simulate absorption at a physiological rate. A quasi-steady-state model describing absorption was developed and validated using a high aqueous solubility, BCS-I model compound, caffeine. This model was used to optimize the AGS operating parameters to simulate physiological gastric emptying and caffeine absorption, which was further input into a one-compartment pharmacokinetic (PK) model. The in vivo caffeine plasma concentration-time profiles matched those predicted by the PK model with in vitro input from the AGS. This work provides a framework for establishing an in vitro/in vivo correlation with high-permeability, BCS-II supersaturating drug formulations, which will be explored in the future studies.
Frozen in time: Rangewide genomic diversity, structure, and demographic history of relict American chestnut populations

American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once the most economically and ecologically important hardwood species in the eastern United States. In the first half of the 20th century, an exotic fungal pathogen—Cryphonectria parasitica—decimated the species, killing billions of chestnut trees. Two approaches to developing blight‐resistant American chestnut populations show promise, but both will require introduction of adaptive genomic diversity from wild germplasm to produce diverse, locally adapted restoration populations. Here we characterize population structure, demographic history, and genomic diversity in a range‐wide sample of 384 wild American chestnuts to inform conservation and breeding with blight‐resistant varieties. Population structure analyses suggest that the chestnut range can be roughly divided into northeast, central, and southwest populations. Within‐population genomic diversity estimates revealed a clinal pattern with the highest diversity in the southwest, which likely reflects bottleneck events associated with Quaternary glaciation. Finally, we identified genomic regions under positive selection within each population, which suggests that defence against fungal pathogens is a common target of selection across all populations. Taken together, these results show that American chestnut underwent a postglacial expansion from the southern portion of its range leading to three extant genetic populations. These populations will serve as management units for breeding adaptive genetic variation into the blight‐resistant tree populations for targeted reintroduction efforts.
Rehabilitation Interventions for Improving Balance in Parkinson’s Disease

Introduction Postural instability is one of the latest clinical manifestations of Parkinson disease. Because of the limited therapeutic effect of pharmacological therapies, a favorable consideration has now become toward rehabilitation interventions. Thus, this study aimed to synthesize literature evidence to summarize the effects of rehabilitation interventions for improving balance in Parkinson disease. Materials and Methods We conducted a narrative review of randomized-controlled clinical trials comparing the effects of interventions, control interventions, and no interventions on balance-related outcomes. A comprehensive search using the MEDLINE database was conducted from January 2000 to September 2021. This review included the following causes of balance-related impairments: inability to control body weight in the base of support, impaired attention and focus on balance, postural deformities, proprioceptive deficiency, sensory-motor integration, and coordination disorders, including visual and auditory-motor coordination. Results Twenty randomized-controlled clinical trials were included in the review. Various balance-related outcomes were included. The included studies focused on the effectiveness of different rehabilitation interventions, including physical therapy, virtual reality and telerehabilitation, treadmill training, hydrotherapy, action observation training, balance and cues training interventions, and cognitive rehabilitation. Conclusions The results suggest that most of the included rehabilitation interventions have promising therapeutic effects in improving balance in Parkinson disease.
Silent brain infarcts, peripheral vascular disease and the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension

Background and aims: We aimed to study the relationship between cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) lesions, as markers of subclinical target organ damage (TOD) in the brain, and incident cardiovascular events (CVE). Methods: Data from the ISSYS (Investigating Silent Strokes in hYpertensives Study), which is a longitudinal and observational study conducted in patients with hypertension aged 50–70 years, and stroke-free at the inclusion. At the baseline visit, participants underwent a clinical interview, a brain MRI, urine and blood sampling collection and vascular testing studies. Therefore, we obtained markers of TOD from the brain [white matter hyperintensities, silent brain infarcts (SBI), cerebral microbleeds and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS)], from kidney (microalbuminuria, glomerular filtration) and regarding large vessels [ankle-to-brachial index (ABI), carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity]. Survival analyses were used to assess the relationship between these predictors and the incidence of cardiovascular events (CVE). Results: We followed-up 964 individuals within a median time of 5 years (4.7–5), representing 4377.1 persons-year. We found 73 patients presenting incident CVE, which corresponds to a rate of 8.2%. We found ABI less than 0.9 [hazard ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17–4.13, P value = 0.014] and SBI (hazard ratio, 2.9; 95% CI 1.47–5.58, P value = 0.002) independently associated with higher risk of incident CVE. The inclusion of both variables in a clinical model resulted in an increased discrimination of individuals with new CVE of 4.72%, according to the integrated discrimination index. Conclusion: Assessment of SBI and ABI less than 0.9 may refine the cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with hypertension.
Band-gap voltage reference circuit

The invention discloses a band-gap voltage reference circuit. A first resistor is connected between the output node of a first mirror current branch and the ground; a second resistor and a first NPN transistor are connected between the output node of the first mirror current branch and the ground; the collector of the first NPN transistor is connected with the base, and the emitter is grounded; the collector and the base of a second NPN transistor are connected with the output node of the second mirror current branch, and the emitter is grounded; a third resistor is connected between the output node of a third mirror current branch and the ground; the output nodes of the first and second mirror current branches are connected with the in-phase and anti-phase input ends of an operational amplifier respectively; the output end of the operational amplifier is used for controlling the sizes of the three mirror current branches; the output node of the third mirror current branch is taken as the output end of reference voltage. By adopting the band-gap voltage reference circuit, the working voltage and output reference voltage can be reduced, and the requirement of smaller and smaller working voltage in an integrated circuit is met.
New Identification Tools for the Nymphs of Three Amblyomma spp. Koch (Ixodida: Ixodidae) in South Texas

Abstract Taxonomic uncertainties and morphologic and molecular similarities may lead to incorrect or incomplete species identifications of immature ticks. This problem can be compounded when the diagnostic morphological features used are unreliable, unstable, or difficult to view. Our study attempts to sort out the similar morphologies of three Amblyomma spp. nymphs with partially overlapping geographic distributions in South Texas. Amblyomma americanum (L.), Amblyomma mixtum Koch, and Amblyomma tenellum Koch are three closely related species with similar nymphs and larvae. Previous attempts to morphologically distinguish among nymphs of these species have relied on difficult-to-observe and unreliable characters. Over the course of decades of routine diagnostic work with these ticks, we have observed and discovered consistent and useful morphologic features sufficient to practically distinguish among these nymphs. We confirmed our morphological studies with molecular genetic evidence (i.e., 12S mitochondrial genes), and we propose that practical, rapid morphological species-level identification of nymphs of the three named species is now possible with confidence.
Properties of the van der Pol numbers and polynomials.

/y.3 00 TMW (l 1) _ _ __ y· F __ ( J 6x(e + 1) — 12(e* — 1) ~~ Λ±Ό n n\ ' The first few values of FM are F0 = l, Fa = — 1/2, F2= 1/5, F3 = — 1/20. These numbers, which we call the van der Pol numbers, are used in the process of "unsmoothing" a "smoothed" function of three variables. As pointed out in [7], they are also of interest because of their relationship to the zeros of the Bessel function. If Jv(z) denotes the Bessel function of the first kind and
3D AUTOCUT: a 3D segmentation algorithm based on cellular automata

An improved 3D cellular automaton segmentation algorithm is proposed. The purpose is to create a tri-directional automaton in order to segment 3D volumes. The improvement is that a force is created in the RGB space in order to improve the result of the 3D algorithm. Experiments on several synthetic volumes have shown that the proposed method achieves better segmentation results and efficiency than the other methods.
Unbalanced harmonic power sharing and voltage compensation of microgrids using radial basis function neural network-based harmonic power-flow calculations for distributed and decentralised control structures

A new hierarchical control scheme is proposed to improve power sharing of multi-distributed energy resources (DERs) microgrids including non-linear and unbalanced loads. The electronically coupled DERs are responsible to perform the harmonic and unbalance compensation to reduce the voltage harmonics at the point of common coupling (PCC) and improve power quality. The proposed scheme uses a complementary control loop for small/large-signal stability enhancement, and moreover exploits new concept for fundamental and harmonic virtual impedance scheme for positive and negative sequences based on IEEE standards. Compared to conventional virtual impedance methods that add only line current feed-forward terms to the voltage reference, here, the line current and voltage at the PCC regulate the virtual impedance at fundamental and harmonic frequencies, respectively. So, mismatches in the feeder and line impedances are compensated. Also, a harmonic power calculation is presented based on the non-linear mapping capability of radial basis function neural networks to obtain voltage harmonics and active and reactive powers for balanced/unbalanced operation modes. To show the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme, offline time-domain simulation studies have been performed on a sample microgrid using MATLAB/Simulink software and OPAL-RT real-time digital simulator for verification.
Tetramisole is a new IK1 channel agonist and exerts IK1‐dependent cardioprotective effects in rats

Cardiac ischemia, hypoxia, arrhythmias, and heart failure share the common electrophysiological changes featured by the elevation of intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+ overload) and inhibition of the inward rectifier potassium (IK1) channel. IK1 channel agonists have been considered a new type of anti‐arrhythmia and cardioprotective agents. We predicted using a drug repurposing strategy that tetramisole (Tet), a known anthelminthic agent, was a new IK1 channel agonist. The present study aimed to experimentally identify the above prediction and further demonstrate that Tet has cardioprotective effects. Results of the whole‐cell patch clamp technique showed that Tet at 1–100 μmol/L enhanced IK1 current, hyperpolarized resting potential (RP), and shortened action potential duration (APD) in isolated rat cardiomyocytes, while without effects on other ion channels or transporters. In adult Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats in vivo, Tet showed anti‐arrhythmia and anticardiac remodeling effects, respectively, in the coronary ligation‐induced myocardial infarction model and isoproterenol (Iso, i.p., 3 mg/kg/day, 10 days) infusion‐induced cardiac remodeling model. Tet also showed anticardiomyocyte remodeling effect in Iso (1 μmol/L) infused adult rat ventricular myocytes or cultured H9c2 (2‐1) cardiomyocytes. Tet at 0.54 mg/kg in vivo or 30 μmol/L in vitro showed promising protections on acute ischemic arrhythmias, myocardial hypertrophy, and fibrosis. Molecular docking was performed and identified the selective binding of Tet with Kir2.1. The cardioprotection of Tet was associated with the facilitation of IK1 channel forward trafficking, deactivation of PKA signaling, and inhibition of intracellular calcium overload. Enhancing IK1 may play dual roles in anti‐arrhythmia and antiventricular remodeling mediated by restoration of Ca2+ homeostasis.
Intrinsic threshold plasticity: cholinergic activation and role in the neuronal recognition of incomplete input patterns

Activity‐dependent changes in membrane excitability are observed in neurons across brain areas and represent a cell‐autonomous form of plasticity (intrinsic plasticity; IP) that in itself does not involve alterations in synaptic strength (synaptic plasticity; SP). Non‐homeostatic IP may play an essential role in learning, e.g. by changing the action potential threshold near the soma. A computational problem, however, arises from the implication that such amplification does not discriminate between synaptic inputs and therefore may reduce the resolution of input representation. Here, we investigate consequences of IP for the performance of an artificial neural network in (a) the discrimination of unknown input patterns and (b) the recognition of known/learned patterns. While negative changes in threshold potentials in the output layer indeed reduce its ability to discriminate patterns, they benefit the recognition of known but incompletely presented patterns. An analysis of thresholds and IP‐induced threshold changes in published sets of physiological data obtained from whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings from L2/3 pyramidal neurons in (a) the primary visual cortex (V1) of awake macaques and (b) the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) of mice in vitro, respectively, reveals a difference between resting and threshold potentials of ∼15 mV for V1 and ∼25 mV for S1, and a total plasticity range of ∼10 mV (S1). The most efficient activity pattern to lower threshold is paired cholinergic and electric activation. Our findings show that threshold reduction promotes a shift in neural coding strategies from accurate faithful representation to interpretative assignment of input patterns to learned object categories.
Development and Validation of Quantitative Analysis Method for Phenanthrenes in Peels of the Dioscorea Genus

Phenanthrenes are bioactive phenolic compounds found in genus Dioscorea, in which they are distributed more in peel than in flesh. Recent studies on phenanthrenes from Dioscorea sp. peels have revealed the potential for valuable biomaterials. Herein, an analytical method using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for quantitation of bioactive phenanthrenes was developed and validated. The calibration curves were obtained using the phenanthrenes (1-3) previously isolated from Dioscorea batatas concentrations in the range of 0.625-20.00 μg/ml with a satisfactory coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.999. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) values of the isolated phenanthrenes ranged from 0.78-0.89 and 2.38-2.71 μg/ml, respectively. The intraday and interday precision ranged from 0.25-7.58%. The recoveries of the isolated phenanthrenes were from 95 to 100% at concentrations of 1.25, 2.5, and 5.0 μg/ml. Additionally, phenanthrenes (1-3) were found in all investigated peel extracts. Hence, the developed method was encouraging for the quantitative analysis of phenanthrenes in genus Dioscorea.
Minority stress theory applied to conception, pregnancy, and pregnancy loss: A qualitative study examining LGBTQ+ people’s experiences

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans), queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) people desire to conceive children. Yet, LGBTQ+ peoples’ experiences are scant in reproductive health literature, particularly around pregnancy loss—a stigmatized and distressing pregnancy outcome. Informed by minority stress theory, this qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of multi-level stigma and resilience among LGBTQ+ people in the context of conception, pregnancy, and loss. Seventeen semi-structured individual interviews (25–70 minutes) were conducted (2019) with a purposive sample of LGBTQ+ people in the United States (U.S.) who had experienced pregnancy loss (n = 14) or in an intimate partnership in which a pregnancy was lost (n = 3) in the last two years. Transcribed interviews were analyzed thematically. Participants described the profound sadness of pregnancy loss due to unique challenges of LGBTQ+ conception. Multiple types of stigma manifested at intrapersonal (e.g., anticipated sexual stigma upon disclosure), interpersonal (e.g., unsolicited advice about conception decisions), and structural levels (e.g., differential requirements to access conception compared to heterosexual/cisgender couples). Resilience was also seen individually (e.g., purposeful disclosure of conception, pregnancy, and loss), relationally (e.g., connecting with other LGBTQ+ community members), and collectively (e.g., creating/engaging in LGBTQ+-specific conception, pregnancy, and loss online spaces). LGBTQ+ people experience minority stressors of multi-level stigmatization throughout the pregnancy process, which limits their access to social support after experiencing pregnancy loss. However, individual, relational, and collective resilience strategies abound in response. Thus, minority stress theory can also be applied to recognize strengths-based and affirming approaches to reproductive healthcare for LGBTQ+ people.
Isolation and Identification of 3,4-Seco-Solanidine-3,4-dioic Acid as a Urinary Biomarker of CYP2D6 Activity

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is responsible for the metabolism and elimination of approximately 25% of clinically used drugs, including antidepressants and antipsychotics, and its activity varies considerably on a population basis, primarily because of genetic variation. CYP2D6 phenotype can be assessed in vivo following administration of an exogenous probe compound, such as dextromethorphan or debrisoquine, but use of a biomarker that does not require administration of an exogenous compound (i.e., drug) has considerable appeal for assessing CYP2D6 activity in vulnerable populations, such as children. The goal of this study was to isolate, purify, and identify an “endogenous” urinary biomarker (M1; m/z 444.3102) of CYP2D6 activity reported previously. Several chromatographic separation techniques (reverse phase HPLC, cation exchange, and analytical reverse phase UPLC) were used to isolate and purify 96 μg of M1 from 40 l of urine. Subsequently, 1D and 2D NMR, and functional group modification reactions were used to elucidate its structure. Analysis of mass spectrometry and NMR data revealed M1 to have similar spectroscopic features to the nitrogen-containing steroidal alkaloid, solanidine. 2D NMR characterization by HMBC, COSY, TOCSY, and HSQC-TOCSY proved to be invaluable in the structural elucidation of M1; derivatization of M1 revealed the presence of two carboxylic acid moieties. M1 was determined to be a steroidal alkaloid with a solanidine backbone that had undergone C-C bond scission to yield 3,4-seco-solanidine-3,4-dioic acid (SSDA). SSDA may have value as a dietary biomarker of CYP2D6 activity in populations where potato consumption is common. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Endogenous or dietary biomarkers of processes involved in drug disposition and response may allow improved individualization of drug treatment, especially in vulnerable populations, such as children. Given that several CYP2D6 substrates are commonly used in pediatrics and the ubiquitous nature of potato consumption in Western diets, SSDA has considerable appeal as a noninvasive biomarker of CYP2D6 activity to guide treatment with CYP2D6 substrates in children and adults.