Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expectation–maximization machine learning model for micromechanical evaluation of thermally-cycled solder joints in a semiconductor

This paper aims to study the microstructural and micromechanical variations of solder joints in a semiconductor under the evolution of thermal-cycling loading. For this purpose, a model was developed on the basis of expectation–maximization machine learning (ML) and nanoindentation mapping. Using this model, it is possible to predict and interpret the microstructural features of solder joints through the micromechanical variations (i.e. elastic modulus) of interconnection. According to the results, the classification of Sn-based matrix, intermetallic compounds (IMCs) and the grain boundaries with specified elastic-modulus ranges was successfully performed through the ML model. However, it was detected some overestimations in regression process when the interfacial regions got thickened in the microstructure. The ML outcomes also revealed that the thermal-cycling evolution was accompanied with stiffening and growth of IMCs; while the spatial portion of Sn-based matrix decreased in the microstructure. It was also figured out that the stiffness gradient becomes intensified in the treated samples, which is consistent with this fact that the thermal cycling increases the mechanical mismatch between the matrix and the IMCs.
Ameliorating parkinsonian motor dysfunction by targeting histamine receptors in entopeduncular nucleus–thalamus circuitry

Significance The pathology of PD is associated with dysfunction of multiple neuromodulatory pathways in the basal ganglia, including abnormal histamine levels within the globus pallidus internus (GPi) in postmortem PD patients. However, it remains unclear whether histaminergic innervation in the basal ganglia contributes to the parkinsonism-associated motor symptoms. Here, we report that activation of the postsynaptic H2R and its coupled HCN2 channel in EPNPV neurons regularizes neuronal firing patterns and ameliorates parkinsonism-associated motor dysfunction, whereas presynaptic H3R activation in EPN-projecting glutamatergic neurons in the STN ameliorates parkinsonism-associated motor dysfunction by reducing the firing rate of EPNPV neurons. Thus, histamine ameliorates parkinsonian motor symptoms by simultaneously reducing the firing rate and regularizing the firing pattern of EPNPV neurons.
What is atrial fibrillation? A RETRO‐spective analysis

by the double ‐ looped mapping catheter can be mapped at a given time. However, even with larger high ‐ density contact mapping catheters (e.g., the basket catheter), it still remains impossible to simultaneously cover the entire surface of the left atrium. In this context, the data of the presented study also may help to overcome this limitation since they revealed that a preceding wavefront predicted the subsequent activation pattern, potentially indicating similar wavefront configura-tions in neighboring areas. Sixth, the calculation models used in this study are evaluated with a limited number of electrodes. Thus, it needs to be determined if larger areas represented by considerably more electrodes (and data) can undergo computational analysis in the same way (and in real ‐ time). Finally, further and much larger studies are needed to determine how best to incorporate information on the AF mechanism and visualization of atrial activation during AF in the clinical setting. Thus, the next steps of research may include the characterization of appropriate targets for interventional treatment. At the
K-Ras4A Plays a More Significant Role than K-Ras4B in Ductal Carcinoma of Breast

Background: K-Ras mutations rarely occur in breast cancer. However, studies have supported that K-Ras upregulation is involved in breast cancer pathogenesis. Two main K-Ras transcript variants, K-Ras4A and K-Ras4B, arise originate from the alternative splicing of exon 4. In this study, we aimed to evaluate variations in the expression of K-Ras4A and K-Ras4B and their role in breast ductal carcinoma. Methods: Total RNA was extracted from breast tumors, and the NATs were obtained via mastectomy. Patients were selected from new cases of breast cancer with no prior history of chemotherapy. Relative mRNA expression was calculated based on a pairwise comparison between the tumors and the NATs following normalization to the internal control gene. Predictive values of the transcript variants were examined by ROC curve analysis. Results: A statistically significant increase was found in K-Ras4A and K-Ras4B expression with the mean fold changes of 7.58 (p = 0.01) and 2.47 (p = 0.001), respectively. The K-Ras4A/K-Ras4B ratio was lower in the tumors than that of the normal tissues. ROC curve analysis revealed the potential of K-Ras4A (AUC: 0.769) and K-Ras4B (AUC: 0.688) in breast cancer prediction. There was also a significant association between K-Ras4B expression and HER2 statues (p = 0.04). Furthermore, a significant link was detected between K-Ras4A expression and pathological prognostic stages (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Our findings reveal that the expression levels of K-Ras4A and K-Ras4B is higher in the tumor compared to the normal breast tissues. Increase in K-Ras4A expression was more significant than that of K-Ras4B.
Non-parametric Belief Propagation Applications

The canonical problem of solving a system of linear equations arises in numerous contexts in information theory, communication theory, and related fields. Gaussian belief propagation (GaBP) has been shown to solve this problem in a manner that does not involve direct matrix inversion. The iterative nature of GaBP allows for a distributed message-passing implementation of the solution algorithm. Non-parametric Belief Propagation (NBP) is an extension of GaBP that allows the prior distributions to be Gaussian mixtures instead of single Gaussian, which enables approximating many complex distributions. The importance of these prior distribution is in solving systems of linear equations with constraints on the values of x, the prior approximation is a very intuitive yet accurate approximation. We first address the problem of Low Density Lattice Codes (LDLC) decoding algorithm, with bipolar constraints on x, and equal probability for x = 1,−1. In general the LDLC problem has integer contraints on x, and the NBP solver supports this as well. We show that an NBP based solver allows for low Symbol Error Rate (SER), especially when working close to channel capacity, compared to present solvers. We also give some general convergence conditions borrowed from the world of GaBP, and while no proof of convergence has been found to date we report preliminary results which show good experimental convergence. The Fault Detection problem further expands our formulation to allow for different probability of x = 1, x = −1, resulting in a closely related problem. We again show the NBP based solver has better results than current state of the art algorithms from several related fields. We also compare a solution via NBP based on 3 different prior distributions, and show that best results are achieved when we incorporate our full knowledge of the constraints on the solution into the prior distribution.
Anti‐fibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid suppresses the endotoxin‐induced expression of Tnfα and Il1α genes in a plasmin‐independent manner

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is widely used as an antifibrinolytic agent in hemorrhagic trauma patients. The beneficial effects of TXA exceed the suppression of blood loss and include the ability to decrease inflammation and edema. We found that TXA suppresses the release of mitochondrial DNA and enhances mitochondrial respiration. These results allude that TXA could operate through plasmin‐independent mechanisms. To address this hypothesis, we compared the effects of TXA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced expression of proinflammatory cytokines in plasminogen (Plg) null and Plg heterozygous mice.
Going against the flow: bumblebees prefer to fly upwind and display more variable kinematics when flying downwind

ABSTRACT Foraging insects fly over long distances through complex aerial environments, and many can maintain constant ground speeds in wind, allowing them to gauge flight distance. Although insects encounter winds from all directions in the wild, most lab-based studies have employed still air or headwinds (i.e. upwind flight); additionally, insects are typically compelled to fly in a single, fixed environment, so we know little about their preferences for different flight conditions. We used automated video collection and analysis methods and a two-choice flight tunnel paradigm to examine thousands of foraging flights performed by hundreds of bumblebees flying upwind and downwind. In contrast to the preference for flying with a tailwind (i.e. downwind) displayed by migrating insects, we found that bees prefer to fly upwind. Bees maintained constant ground speeds when flying upwind or downwind in flow velocities from 0 to 2 m s−1 by adjusting their body angle, pitching down to raise their air speed above flow velocity when flying upwind, and pitching up to slow down to negative air speeds (flying backwards relative to the flow) when flying downwind. Bees flying downwind displayed higher variability in body angle, air speed and ground speed. Taken together, bees' preference for upwind flight and their increased kinematic variability when flying downwind suggest that tailwinds may impose a significant, underexplored flight challenge to bees. Our study demonstrates the types of questions that can be addressed with newer approaches to biomechanics research; by allowing bees to choose the conditions they prefer to traverse and automating filming and analysis to examine massive amounts of data, we were able to identify significant patterns emerging from variable locomotory behaviors, and gain valuable insight into the biomechanics of flight in natural environments.
3D atlas of cerebral neuropils with previously unknown demarcations in the honey bee brain

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) express remarkable social interactions and cognitive capabilities that have been studied extensively. In many cases, behavioral studies were accompanied by neurophysiological and neuroanatomical investigations. While most studies have focused on primary sensory neuropils, such as the optic lobes or antennal lobes, and major integration centers, such as the mushroom bodies or the central complex, many regions of the cerebrum (the central brain without the optic lobes) of the honey bee are only poorly explored so far, both anatomically and physiologically. To promote studies of these brain regions, we used anti‐synapsin immunolabeling and neuronal tract tracings followed by confocal imaging and 3D reconstructions to demarcate all neuropils in the honey bee cerebrum and close this gap at the anatomical level. We demarcated 35 neuropils and 25 fiber tracts in the honey bee cerebrum, most of which have counterparts in the fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and other insect species that have been investigated so far at this level of detail. We discuss the role of cerebral neuropils in multisensory integration in the insect brain, emphasize the importance of this brain atlas for comparative studies, and highlight specific architectural features of the honey bee cerebrum.
Silencing miR-21-5p in sensory neurons reverses neuropathic allodynia via activation of TGF-β–related pathway in macrophages

Neuropathic pain remains poorly managed by current therapies, highlighting the need to improve our knowledge of chronic pain mechanisms. In neuropathic pain models, dorsal root ganglia (DRG) nociceptive neurons transfer miR-21 packaged in extracellular vesicles to macrophages that promote a proinflammatory phenotype and contribute to allodynia. Here we show that miR-21 conditional deletion in DRG neurons was coupled with lack of upregulation of chemokine CCL2 after nerve injury and reduced accumulation of CCR2-expressing macrophages, which showed TGF-β–related pathway activation and acquired an M2-like antinociceptive phenotype. Indeed, neuropathic allodynia was attenuated after conditional knockout of miR-21 and restored by TGF-βR inhibitor (SB431542) administration. Since TGF-βR2 and TGF-β1 are known miR-21 targets, we suggest that miR-21 transfer from injured neurons to macrophages maintains a proinflammatory phenotype via suppression of such an antiinflammatory pathway. These data support miR-21 inhibition as a possible approach to maintain polarization of DRG macrophages at an M2-like state and attenuate neuropathic pain.
High‐resolution diffusion tensor imaging and T2 mapping detect regional changes within the hippocampus in multiple sclerosis

Hippocampus demyelinating lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS) have been frequently observed in ex vivo histopathological studies; however, they are difficult to image and quantify in vivo. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and T2 mapping could potentially detect such regional in vivo changes if acquired with sufficient spatial resolution. The goal here was to evaluate whether there are focal hippocampal abnormalities in 43 MS patients (35 relapsing–remitting, eight secondary progressive) with and without cognitive impairment (CI) versus 43 controls using high‐resolution 1 mm isotropic DTI, as well as complementary methods of T2‐weighted and T2 mapping at 3 T. Abnormal hippocampus regions were identified voxel‐by‐voxel by using mean diffusivity (MD)/T2 thresholds and avoiding voxels attributed to cerebrospinal fluid. When compared with controls, averaged left/right whole hippocampus MD was higher in both MS groups, while lower fractional anisotropy (FA) and volume, and higher T2 relaxometry and T2‐weighted signal values, were only significant in CI MS. The hippocampal MD and T2 images/maps were not uniformly affected and focal regions of elevated MD/T2 were evident in MS patients. Both CI and not CI MS groups showed greater proportional areas of the hippocampus with elevated MD, whereas only the CI group showed a greater proportional area of elevated T2 relaxation times or T2‐weighted signal. Higher T2 relaxometry and T2‐weighted signal values of elevated regions correlated with greater disability and whole hippocampus FA negatively correlated with physical fatigue. High‐resolution hippocampus DTI and T2 mapping with less partial volume effects showed whole hippocampus abnormalities with regional elevations of MD/T2 in MS, which could be interpreted as potentially from demyelination, neuron loss, and/or inflammation, and which overall were more extensive in the hippocampus of patients with larger total brain lesion volumes and CI.
Intersectionality-informed analysis of durable viral suppression disparities in people with HIV

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine drivers of durable viral suppression (DVS) disparities among people with HIV (PWH) using quantitative intersectional approaches. Design: A retrospective cohort analysis from electronic health records informed by intersectionality to better capture the concept of interlocking and interacting systems of oppression. Methods: We analyzed data of PWH seen at a LGBTQ federally qualified health center in Chicago (2012–2019) with at least three viral loads. We identified PWH who achieved DVS using latent trajectory analysis and examined disparities using three intersectional approaches: Adding interactions, latent class analysis (LCA), and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). Findings were compared with main effects only regression. Results: Among 5967 PWH, 90% showed viral trajectories consistent with DVS. Main effects regression showed that substance use [odds ratio (OR) 0.56, 0.46–0.68] and socioeconomic status like being unhoused (OR: 0.39, 0.29–0.53), but not sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) were associated with DVS. Adding interactions, we found that race and ethnicity modified the association between insurance and DVS (P for interaction <0.05). With LCA, we uncovered four social position categories influenced by SOGI with varying rates of DVS. For example, the transgender women-majority class had worse DVS rates versus the class of mostly nonpoor white cisgender gay men (82 vs. 95%). QCA showed that combinations, rather than single factors alone, were important for achieving DVS. Combinations vary with marginalized populations (e.g. black gay/lesbian transgender women) having distinct sufficient combinations compared with historically privileged groups (e.g. white cisgender gay men). Conclusion: Social factors likely interact to produce DVS disparities. Intersectionality-informed analysis uncover nuance that can inform solutions.
Migrant Care Workers’ Perceptions of Their Working Conditions in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities

Introduction: Staff shortages and retention are the major challenges in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). This study aimed to explore migrant care workers’ perceptions of job demands, their coping strategies, and employment intentions to leave or stay in the sector. Methods: Using a descriptive qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with n = 20, RACF migrant care workers from Filipino, Indian, and Nigerian backgrounds in Perth, Western Australia, from April to December 2019. Data were thematically analyzed. Results: Motivating factors included the availability of care work in RACFs, and positive cultural norms associated with caring for older family members. Participants experienced a combination of resettlement and workplace challenges specifically, limited support network, communication challenges, and racial discrimination. Relevance to Practice: Work challenges that are compounded by post-migration stressors should be recognized and addressed in the design and implementation of the aged care workforce reforms to attract and retain migrant care workers.
Oct1 cooperates with the Smad family of transcription factors to promote mesodermal lineage specification

The transition between pluripotent and tissue-specific states is a key aspect of development. Understanding the pathways driving these transitions will facilitate the engineering of properly differentiated cells for experimental and therapeutic uses. Here, we showed that during mesoderm differentiation, the transcription factor Oct1 activated developmental lineage–appropriate genes that were silent in pluripotent cells. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with an inducible knockout of Oct1, we showed that Oct1 deficiency resulted in poor induction of mesoderm-specific genes, leading to impaired mesodermal and terminal muscle differentiation. Oct1-deficient cells exhibited poor temporal coordination of the induction of lineage-specific genes and showed inappropriate developmental lineage branching, resulting in poorly differentiated cell states retaining epithelial characteristics. In ESCs, Oct1 localized with the pluripotency factor Oct4 at mesoderm-associated genes and remained bound to those loci during differentiation after the dissociation of Oct4. Binding events for Oct1 overlapped with those for the histone lysine demethylase Utx, and an interaction between Oct1 and Utx suggested that these two proteins cooperate to activate gene expression. The specificity of the ubiquitous Oct1 for the induction of mesodermal genes could be partially explained by the frequent coexistence of Smad and Oct binding sites at mesoderm-specific genes and the cooperative stimulation of mesodermal gene transcription by Oct1 and Smad3. Together, these results identify Oct1 as a key mediator of mesoderm lineage–specific gene induction. Description Oct1 enforces mesoderm-specific gene expression by cooperating with the Smad family of transcription factors. How Oct1 orchestrates mesoderm specification The transcription factor Oct1 is required for the lineage specification of differentiating embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Using genomic analyses, coimmunoprecipitation, and functional experiments, Perovanovic et al. investigated the mechanisms by which Oct1 specifically promoted the mesodermal differentiation of mouse ESCs. Oct1 localized to silent mesoderm-specific genes in pluripotent cells and remained at these loci during differentiation, when it was required for their proper induction. Oct1 bound to enhancers also occupied by the mesoderm-inducing Smad proteins and cooperated with Smads to promote gene expression. These findings identify a mechanism by which lineage-specific factors, such as Smads in the mesoderm, restrict Oct1-mediated transcriptional derepression to lineage-appropriate genes. —AMV
Ready to detect a reversal of time's arrow: a psychophysical study using short video clips in daily scenes

It is generally believed that time flows in one direction and that a reversal of time's arrow would render the external world non-sensical. We evaluated our ability to tell the direction of time's arrow in a wide range of dynamic scenes in our daily life by presenting 360 video clips in the correct or incorrect direction. Participants, who judged the direction in a speeded manner, erred in 39% of trials when a video was played in reverse, but in only 9% when it was played normally. Due to the bias favouring the ‘forward’ judgement, the reaction was generally faster for the forward response. However, the reaction became paradoxically faster and more synchronous for the detection of reversal in some critical occasions such as forward motion, free fall, diffusion, division and addition of materials by hand. Another experiment with a fraction of the video clips revealed that reversal replay of these videos provided instantaneous evidence strong enough to overtake the forward judgement bias. We suggest that our brain is equipped with a system that predicts how the external organisms behave or move in these critical occasions and that the prediction error of the system contributes to the fast ‘reversal’ detection.
Increased Galactosidase Beta 1 Expression as a Senescent Key Factor in β-Cells Function Modulation at the Early Steps of Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract Background In type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance is observed, and β-cells are incapable of responding to glycemia demands, leading to hyperglycemia. Although the nature of β-cells dysfunction in this disease is not fully understood, a link between the induction of pancreatic β-cell premature senescence and its metabolic implications has been proposed. This study aimed to understand the relationship between diabetes and pancreatic senescence, particularly at the beginning of the disease. Methods C57Bl/6 J mice were fed two different diets, a normal diet and a high-fat diet, for 16 weeks. Pancreatic histomorphology analysis, insulin quantification, inflammation parameters, and senescence biomarkers for the experimental animals were assessed at weeks 12 and 16. Results The results proved that diabetes onset occurred at week 16 in the High Fat Diet group, supported by glycaemia, weight and blood lipid levels. Increased β-cells size and number accompanied by increased insulin expression were observed. Also, an inflammatory status of the diabetic group was noted by increased levels of systemic IL-1β and increased pancreatic fibrosis. Finally, the expression of galactosidase-beta 1 (GLB1) was significantly increased in pancreatic β-cells. Conclusion The study findings indicate that senescence, as revealed by an increase in GLB1 expression, is a key factor in the initial stage of diabetes.