Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Blood endothelial ALK1‐BMP4 signaling axis regulates adult hair follicle stem cell activation

Blood vessels can play dual roles in tissue growth by transporting gases and nutrients and by regulating tissue stem cell activity via signaling. Correlative evidence implicates skin endothelial cells (ECs) as signaling niches of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs), but functional demonstration from gene depletion of signaling molecules in ECs is missing to date. Here, we show that depletion of the vasculature‐factor Alk1 increases BMP4 secretion from ECs, which delays HFSC activation. Furthermore, while previous evidence suggests a lymphatic vessel role in adult HFSC activation possibly through tissue drainage, a blood vessel role has not yet been addressed. Genetic perturbation of the ALK1‐BMP4 axis in all ECs or the lymphatic ECs specifically unveils inhibition of HFSC activation by blood vessels. Our work suggests a broader relevance of blood vessels, adding adult HFSCs to the EC functional repertoire as signaling niches for the adult stem cells.
PV interneurons evoke astrocytic Ca2+ responses in awake mice, which contributes to neurovascular coupling

Neurovascular coupling (NVC) modulates cerebral blood flow to match increased metabolic demand during neuronal excitation. Activation of inhibitory interneurons also increase blood flow, but the basis for NVC caused by interneurons is unclear. While astrocyte Ca2+ levels rise with excitatory neural transmission, much less is known with regards to astrocytic sensitivity to inhibitory neurotransmission. We performed two‐photon microscopy in awake mice to examine the correlation between astrocytic Ca2+ and NVC, evoked by activation of either all (VGATIN) or only parvalbumin‐positive GABAergic interneurons (PVIN). Optogenetic stimulation of VGATIN and PVIN in the somatosensory cortex triggered astrocytic Ca2+ increases that were abolished by anesthesia. In awake mice, PVIN evoked astrocytic Ca2+ responses with a short latency that preceded NVC, whereas VGATIN evoked Ca2+ increases that were delayed relative to the NVC response. The early onset of PVIN evoked astrocytic Ca2+ increases depended on noradrenaline release from locus coeruleus as did the subsequent NVC response. Though the relationship between interneuron activity and astrocytic Ca2+ responses is complex, we suggest that the rapid astrocyte Ca2+ responses to increased PVIN activity shaped the NVC. Our results underline that interneuron and astrocyte‐dependent mechanisms should be studied in awake mice.
Wetting ridges on slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces

Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) show remarkable liquid repellency, making them useful for many coating applications. The outstanding repellency of SLIPS comes from a lubricant layer stabilized within and at the surface of a porous template. The stability of this lubricant layer is key for SLIPS to exhibit their unique functionality. The lubricant layer, however, is depleted over time, causing degradation of liquid repellency. The formation of wetting ridges surrounding liquid droplets on the surface of SLIPS is one of the primary sources of lubricant depletion. Here, we present the fundamental understanding and characteristics of wetting ridges and highlight the latest developments that enable the detailed investigation and suppression of wetting ridge formation on SLIPS. In addition, we offer our perspectives on new and exciting directions for SLIPS.
Structural insights into plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein (PLVAP): Implications for vascular endothelial diaphragms and fenestrae

Significance The microscopic openings across the walls of many capillaries contain a protein mesh that is formed by the extracellular domain (ECD) of plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein (PLVAP). The three-dimensional structure of one segment of the PLVAP ECD together with biochemical and spectroscopic experiments on this and other segments show that the majority of the PLVAP ECD consists of a dimeric alpha-helical coiled coil, consistent with electron micrographs showing thin fibrous strands arranged across the capillary openings like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Protein structure determination benefited from the availability of a microfocused long-wavelength X-ray beam, a helical data collection strategy, and an ultrasensitive detector, which together allowed rapid rotation and translation of the crystal during collection of anomalous scattering data from sulfur atoms.
Estimation of bargaining effect in the decision of monetary compensation of executive in investment bank: Evidence from China

Though numerous empirical and theoretical studies have been conducted on the determinants and effects of executive compensation, empirical evidence regarding the bargaining effect on the monetary compensation decisions of executives, especially in a large emerging economy such as China, remains scarce. In this study, a two-tier stochastic frontier and endogenous correction model was developed to quantitatively estimate the bargaining effect on the monetary compensation decisions of investment bank executives. Our study is the first to provide comprehensive empirical evidence that bargaining between investment banks and executives in China significantly affects the compensation decisions of executives. In the bargaining process, investment banks are more proficient than executives, and the comprehensive bargaining effect tends to lower the negotiated compensation of executives. The bargaining effect exhibited obvious heterogeneity in the characteristics of executives and investment banks. When these characteristics tend to augment the bargaining power of executives, the negotiated compensation exhibits a limited decrease; when these characteristics augment the bargaining power of investment banks, the negotiated compensation decreases substantially. Our results provide deep insight into factors that determine executive compensation and help compensation designers of investment banks better understand and design executive pay packages.
Neocortical and medial temporal seizures have distinct impacts on brain responsiveness

Focal epileptic seizures are characterized by abnormal neuronal discharges that can spread to other cortical areas and interfere with brain activity, thereby altering the patient's experience and behavior. The origin of these pathological neuronal discharges encompasses various mechanisms that converge toward similar clinical manifestations. Recent studies have suggested that medial temporal lobe (MTL) and neocortical (NC) seizures are often underpinned by two characteristic onset patterns, which, respectively, affect and spare synaptic transmission in cortical slices. However, these synaptic alterations and their effects have never been confirmed or studied in intact human brains. To fill this gap, we here evaluate whether responsiveness of MTL and NC are differentially affected by focal seizures, using a unique data set of cortico‐cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs) collected during seizures triggered by single‐pulse electrical stimulation (SPES). We find that responsiveness is abruptly reduced by the onset of MTL seizures, despite increased spontaneous activity, whereas it is preserved in the case of NC seizures. The present results provide an extreme example of dissociation between responsiveness and activity and show that brain networks are diversely affected by the onset of MTL and NC seizures, thus extending at the whole brain level the evidence of synaptic alteration found in vitro.
NAMPT-dependent NAD+ biosynthesis controls circadian metabolism in a tissue-specific manner

Significance We evaluate the role of NAD+ circadian control by comparing diurnal gene expression across brown adipose tissue (BAT), white adipose tissue (WAT), and skeletal muscle of mice with tissue-specific deletion of the NAD+ biosynthetic enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT). Despite a substantial reduction in NAD+ levels across all three tissues, the outcomes on the clock are markedly different. We observe profound attenuation of core clock oscillation in response to Nampt deletion in BAT, moderate attenuation in WAT, and no changes in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, Nampt deletion reduced the number of rhythmic transcripts and metabolites in BAT. Our study underscores the importance of investigating in vitro clock mechanisms across different organs to determine their ubiquitous versus cell-specific contributions to circadian biology in vivo.
A deformable-template approach to lane detection

Vision-based algorithms for locating lane boundaries without a prior model of the road being viewed need to be able to operate robustly under a wide variety of conditions, including cases where there are large amounts of clutter in the image. This clutter can be due to shadows, puddles, oil stains, tire skid marks, etc. This poses a challenge for edge-based lane detection schemes, as it is often impossible to select a gradient magnitude threshold which doesn't either remove edges of interest corresponding to road markings and edges or include edges corresponding to irrelevant clutter. The approach taken in this work is to use a deformable template model of lane structure to locate lane boundaries without thresholding the intensity gradient information. The Metropolis algorithm is used to maximize a function which evaluates how well the image gradient data supports a given set of template deformation parameters. The result, the LOIS lane detection algorithm (likelihood of image shape), is able to detect lane markings in situations with strong mottled shadows and broken or interrupted lane markings which would pose problems for algorithms which use local, thresholded edge information.
Temperate bacteriophages infecting the mucin-degrading bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus from the human gut

ABSTRACT Ruminococcus gnavus is a prevalent gut microbe reported to occur in higher abundance among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study reports the isolation and characterization of six bacteriophages (phages) isolated from human fecal material and environmental samples that infect this species. Isolated phages have a siphovirus morphology, with genomes ranging between 36.5 and 37.8 kbp. Genome analysis indicates that the phages have a temperate lifestyle, which was confirmed by their ability to form lysogens on their host bacterial species. In contrast to the finding that phages lyse their host in liquid medium, results from a mouse trial indicate these phages can co-exist with the host bacterium in the gut without causing a significant reduction of R. gnavus. The bacterial counts in the feces of phage-treated mice did not significantly differ in the presence of phage. Furthermore, analysis of publicly available gut virome sequence data indicates a high abundance of these phages among individuals suffering from IBD. This work provides the first insight into how phages interact with R. gnavus in the human gut microbiome.
Parallel host shifts in a bacterial plant pathogen suggest independent genetic solutions

Abstract While there are documented host shifts in many bacterial plant pathogens, the genetic foundation of host shifts is largely unknown. Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterial pathogen found in over 600 host plant species. Two parallel host shifts occurred—in Brazil and Italy—in which X. fastidiosa adapted to infect olive trees, whereas related strains infected coffee. Using 10 novel whole‐genome sequences from an olive‐infecting population in Brazil, we investigated whether these olive‐infecting strains diverged from closely related coffee‐infecting strains. Several single‐nucleotide polymorphisms, many derived from recombination events, and gene gain and loss events separated olive‐infecting strains from coffee‐infecting strains in this clade. The olive‐specific variation suggests that this event was a host jump with genetic isolation between coffee‐ and olive‐infecting X. fastidiosa populations. Next, we investigated the hypothesis of genetic convergence in the host shift from coffee to olive in both populations (Brazil and Italy). Each clade had multiple mutations and gene gain and loss events unique to olive, yet no overlap between clades. Using a genome‐wide association study technique, we did not find any plausible candidates for convergence. Overall, this work suggests that the two populations adapted to infect olive trees through independent genetic solutions.
Improving Physical Fitness and Health of Office Workers in Iran

This paper reports on a study on improving the health and fitness of office workers in Iran using a comprehensive model. The research design was a randomized controlled trial involving 294 employees. The intervention was a 6-month program to promote physical activity. The primary outcome measure was their scores on the physical activity (PA) index recorded at 3 and 6 months. A statistically significantly increase in PA was found in the intervention group over the control group. In addition, the mean values of related health and physiological indices of the intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant increase compared to the control group. The conclusions of this study support research findings in multiple countries, that the physical activity and health of office workers can be improved in a short period.
Edge enhancement methods based on derivative operations

Two methods are described for edge enhancement using optical derivative operations. The proposed methods are based on the polarization properties of the twisted-nematic liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). LCDs traduce the image information in changes of the state of polarization of the light, which allows us to generate simultaneously a "positive" and a "negative" (i.e., a contrast-reversed) replica of the digital image displayed on the LCD. In both methods negative and positive replicas are at the same time imagined across a plane. In first case when the negative replica has a lateral differential displacement relative to the original one, an image with enhanced first derivatives along a specific direction is obtained. In the case when the negative replica is low-pass filtered, one obtains the Laplacian of the original image. Unlike the usual Fourier (coherent) image processing, the technique proposed here works with incoherent illumination. Validation experiments are presented.
Modified Rosenblatt's perceptron algorithm and Novikoff's theorem

A modified Rosenblatt's perceptron algorithm (1959) and Novikoff's theorem (1962) for binary classification problem is presented in this paper. For a linearly separable training set, the modified Rosenblatt's perceptron algorithm could get better convergence result. An example is provided to illustrate our main result.
LEVEL : The L-1.5 program for BC-GAUHESEQ (Box-Cox Generalized AUtoregressive HEteroskedastic Single EQuation) regression and multimoment analysis

L-1.5 is a programdesignedto deal with the speci fication of the functional form in the generalizedsingleequationregressionmodel when the functional form of the heteroskedasticityof the residuals,which may also be autocorrelated, is fully analysed.Fixed or estimatedparametersin the Box-Cox transformationscan be associated with the dependentand groups of independentvariables,which may be simultaneouslymodified by a chosen autocorrelationstructurein which the autoregressiveparametersareestimated,andby a selectedfunctional form of the heteroskedasticityin which the differentparameterscanbe eitherfixed or estimated.Theasymptoticcovariance matrix of all the parameterestimatesof the systemis computed.A numberof usefuloutputs,including elasticities of the first threemomentsof the dependentvariable(expectedvalue,standarderror and skewness),marginal rates of substitution(andtheir elasticities)amongthe moments,andamongthe independent variables,aswell asforecasts madeby simulationandmaximumlikelihood techniquesand their elaboratestatistics,canalsobe obtained.
Global mangrove root production, its controls and roles in the blue carbon budget of mangroves

Mangroves are among the most carbon‐dense ecosystems worldwide. Most of the carbon in mangroves is found belowground, and root production might be an important control of carbon accumulation, but has been rarely quantified and understood at the global scale. Here, we determined the global mangrove root production rate and its controls using a systematic review and a recently formalised, spatially explicit mangrove typology framework based on geomorphological settings. We found that global mangrove root production averaged ~770 ± 202 g of dry biomass m−2 year−1 globally, which is much higher than previously reported and close to the root production of the most productive tropical forests. Geomorphological settings exerted marked control over root production together with air temperature and precipitation (r2 ≈ 30%, p < .001). Our review shows that individual global changes (e.g. warming, eutrophication, drought) have antagonist effects on root production, but they have rarely been studied in combination. Based on this newly established root production rate, root‐derived carbon might account for most of the total carbon buried in mangroves, and 19 Tg C lost in mangroves each year (e.g. as CO2). Inclusion of root production measurements in understudied geomorphological settings (i.e. deltas), regions (Indonesia, South America and Africa) and soil depth (>40 cm), as well as the creation of a mangrove root trait database will push forward our understanding of the global mangrove carbon cycle for now and the future. Overall, this review presents a comprehensive analysis of root production in mangroves, and highlights the central role of root production in the global mangrove carbon budget.
Utopia for Norwegian helicopter emergency medical services: Estimating the number of bases needed to radically bring down response times, and lives needed to be saved for cost effectiveness

Objectives Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) throughout Europe are generally on scene within 10–15 minutes. In Norway, however, with its 13 HEMS bases, only 75% of the population can currently be reached within half an hour. We estimate the number of HEMS bases needed to reach the full Norwegian population within 10–15 minutes, and discuss implications regarding cost effectiveness. Methods Using geographic location and population characteristics from Norway’s 428 municipalities as input to the Maximal Covering Location Problem–a mathematical location optimization model–we estimate the number of HEMS bases required along with accompanying personnel and healthcare costs. We estimate the minimum number of lives that would have to be saved to achieve a net social benefit of zero. Results To reach 99% or 100% of the Norwegian population by HEMS within 15 minutes 78 or 104 bases are needed, respectively. The incremental need for personnel going from 20 to 15 minutes for 99/100% of the population is 602/728, with an accompanying incremental cost of 228/276 million EURO per year. A yearly total of 280/339 additional lives would have to be saved to obtain a net social benefit of zero. Then, the HEMS-system as a whole would be cost effective although the least efficient bases still would not be. Conclusions Reducing Norwegian HEMS response times to 10–15 minutes requires a drastic increase in the number of HEMS bases needed. Choice of ethical philosophy (utilitarianism or egalitarianism) determines when the expansion might be considered cost effective.
Absolute oral bioavailability and possible metabolic pathway of panduratin A from Boesenbergia rotunda extract in beagle dogs

Abstract Context Attempts are ongoing to develop medications to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Our previous study revealed the in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of fingerroot [Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf. (Zingiberaceae)] and its phytochemical, panduratin A. Objective To investigate the pharmacokinetic profiles of panduratin A as a pure compound and in a fingerroot extract formulation in beagle dogs. Materials and methods A total of 12 healthy dogs were randomly divided into three groups, a single dose of 1 mg/kg panduratin A by intravenous and multiple doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg panduratin A fingerroot extract formulation by oral administration for seven consecutive days. The plasma concentration of panduratin A was determined by LCMS. Results The peak concentrations of a single dose of 5 and 10 mg/kg panduratin A fingerroot extract formulation were 12,416 ± 2,326 and 26,319 ± 8,221 µg/L, respectively. Increasing the oral dose of fingerroot extract formulation, equivalent to panduratin A 5–10 mg/kg, showed dose proportionality, with an approximately 2-fold increase in Cmax and AUC. The absolute oral bioavailability of panduratin A in the fingerroot extract formulation was approximately 7–9%. The majority of panduratin A was biotransformed into several products via oxidation and glucuronidation, and predominantly excreted via the faecal route. Conclusion The oral formulation of fingerroot extract was safe in beagle dogs, and increasing dose showed dose proportionality in terms of the systemic exposure of panduratin A. This information will support the phytopharmaceutical product development of fingerroot extract against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Magnet and wire technology at the K.U.Leuven Pulsed Field laboratory

The K.U. Leuven Pulsed Field Facility is well equipped to accommodate a large variety of experiments in solid-state physics under extreme conditions of high magnetic fields (>50 T) and low temperatures (down to 50 mK). This is supported by an extensive research program focused on the development of advanced concepts and materials for increasing the attainable magnetic fields as well as the reliability and service life of pulsed field coils. Pulsed field magnets with optimized reinforcement as well as multi-composite (MC) wire are under development. The combination of Zylon/spl reg/ for internal reinforcement and strong axial compression has resulted in the development of 75 T class pulsed magnets using soft copper as the conductor material. The MC wire is a new concept; it consists of a glass fiber sleeve braided around a core containing thin conductor wires and reinforcement fibers. The core composition and geometry can be varied to obtain the required properties of strength and electrical conductivity. For a proof of principle, an MC wire was developed with an ultimate tensile strength of 1 GPa and a conductivity of 38% IACS at 300 K.