Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Altered brain activities in mesocorticolimbic pathway in primary dysmenorrhea patients of long-term menstrual pain

Background Patients with primary dysmenorrhea (PDM) often present with abnormalities other than dysmenorrhea including co-occurrence with other chronic pain conditions and central sensitization. Changes in brain activity in PDM have been demonstrated; however, the results are not consistent. Herein, this study probed into altered intraregional and interregional brain activity in patients with PDM and expounded more findings. Methods A total of 33 patients with PDM and 36 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited and underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and mean amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (mALFF) analysis were applied to compare the difference in intraregional brain activity between the two groups, and the regions with ReHo and mALFF group differences were used as seeds for functional connectivity (FC) analysis to explore the difference of interregional activity. Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted between rs-fMRI data and clinical symptoms in patients with PDM. Results Compared with HCs, patients with PDM showed altered intraregional activity in a series of brain regions, including the hippocampus, the temporal pole superior temporal gyrus, the nucleus accumbens, the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, the cerebellum_8, the middle temporal gyrus, the inferior temporal gyrus, the rolandic operculum, the postcentral gyrus and the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and altered interregional FC mainly between regions of the mesocorticolimbic pathway and regions associated with sensation and movement. The anxiety symptoms are correlated with the intraregional activity of the right temporal pole superior temporal gyrus and FC between MFG and superior frontal gyrus. Conclusion Our study showed a more comprehensive method to explore changes in brain activity in PDM. We found that the mesocorticolimbic pathway might play a key role in the chronic transformation of pain in PDM. We, therefore, speculate that the modulation of the mesocorticolimbic pathway may be a potential novel therapeutic mechanism for PDM.
Severity-dependent functional connectome and the association with glucose metabolism in the sensorimotor cortex of Parkinson's disease

Functional MRI studies have achieved promising outcomes in revealing abnormal functional connectivity in Parkinson's disease (PD). The primary sensorimotor area (PSMA) received a large amount of attention because it closely correlates with motor deficits. While functional connectivity represents signaling between PSMA and other brain regions, the metabolic mechanism behind PSMA connectivity has rarely been well established. By introducing hybrid PET/MRI scanning, the current study enrolled 33 advanced PD patients during medication-off condition and 25 age-and-sex-matched healthy controls (HCs), aiming to not only identify the abnormal functional connectome pattern of the PSMA, but also to simultaneously investigate how PSMA functional connectome correlates with glucose metabolism. We calculated degree centrality (DC) and the ratio of standard uptake value (SUVr) using resting state fMRI and 18F-FDG-PET data. A two-sample t-test revealed significantly decreased PSMA DC (PFWE < 0.014) in PD patients. The PSMA DC also correlated negatively with H-Y stage (P = 0.031). We found a widespread reduction of H-Y stage associated (P-values < 0.041) functional connectivity between PSMA and the visual network, attention network, somatomotor network, limbic network, frontoparietal network as well as the default mode network. The PSMA DC correlated positively with FDG-uptake in the HCs (P = 0.039) but not in the PD patients (P > 0.44). In summary, we identified disease severity-dependent PSMA functional connectome which in addition uncoupled with glucose metabolism in PD patients. The current study highlighted the critical role of simultaneous PET/fMRI in revealing the functional-metabolic mechanism in the PSMA of PD patients.
Designing for social interaction in high-density housing: A multiple case analysis of recently completed design-led developments in London

Over the past two decades, the Greater London Authority (GLA) has pursued the delivery of high-density development in London in order to respond to population growth whilst protecting the green belt. Though high-density places have been associated with sustainable outcomes, it is well documented that residents interact less frequently and build fewer relationships in these environments. This can be particularly detrimental since social contact is fundamental for our general wellbeing and happiness. In response to this problematic, this study explored if and how we can design for social interaction in high-density housing. To do so, it adopted the process of inducting theory from case studies. Firstly, three case studies of recently completed developments were undertaken to determine whether social interaction was a driving factor in the design process, the type and location of social interactions, and clarify the influence of physical design on social contact in comparison to other factors. Three research methods were used to find answers to these questions including interviews with the residents and architects of the schemes, participant observation, and content analysis. These design-led schemes were chosen for investigation as award-winning developments which had received commendation for creating the foundations for a strong community. Next, a cross-case comparison was undertaken to identify hypotheses that addressed the research question and objectives. Providing support for existing literature in the context of high-density housing, it was discovered that limiting the number of apartments to a building allows for collective stewardship, and that communal areas shared by smaller groups are used more intensively. Moreover, combining shared paths and communal areas was observed to support fleeting interactions and helped to nurture a local sense of community. New findings included that externalizing the circulation spaces of multi-story apartment blocks can facilitate conversations between neighbors, and that bike stores can represent an epicenter for contact if internalized and co-located with shared paths. Notably, the impact of physical design factors was not deterministic.
The evolution characteristics of rock fracture instability under cyclic loading on the basis of the enhanced LURR

Prospective discrimination of rock instability and fracture is a key problem in mining, slope stability, earthquake triggering, and other research fields. Through the rock fracture experiment, scientists put forward the load unload response ratio (referred to as LURR) to detect the non-linear deformation process of the strain stress curve, judge the degree of rock damage and instability fracture, which is accepted worldwide and has been widely used in seismic risk assessment. But, the extraction of response parameters (including strain, energy, well water level, etc.) are faced with many difficulties in actual observation, which makes the application of results uncertain. In this paper, the change of relative wave velocity is proposed as the loading unloading response parameter. Through rock mechanics experiments, a prospective discrimination method of rock instability and fracture process is constructed. The change characteristics of the LURR in the process of rock instability and fracture under stress are studied, the experiment result show that: when approaching the main fracture, the LURR calculated by taking the transverse strain energy as the response quantity obviously rises and fall back, the acoustic emission energy release rate and event rate are close to exponential acceleration process; The LURR by taking the change of relative wave velocity as the response parameter, first decreases, then fluctuates near zero, and rapidly decreases to below zero when it reaches the critical failure. The change combination of the above parameters’ response ratio can effectively judge the process of rock deformation, instability and fracture under stress. Moreover, this study of the load unload response ratio which takes the change of relative wave velocity as the response parameter, makes up the deficiency of the traditional load unload response ratio method in judging the rock instability of the medium under stress.
Meta-analysis of genetic diversity and intercolony relatedness among reproductives in commercial honey bee populations

Honey bee colonies are large kin groups, each with a single mother queen and thousands of female workers. Queen bees are highly polyandrous, each mating with an average of approximately 12 drones from other colonies. We used a meta-analysis approach to compare the pedigree relationships of honey bee reproductives (queens and their mates) across five different studies and to quantify the overall genetic diversity of breeding populations. We compared the inferred genotypes of queens and their mates from microsatellite analyses of worker offspring from a feral Africanized honey bee population (which served as a negative control for inbreeding), an experimentally derived population of sister queens (which served as a positive control for inbreeding), and three separate commercially managed populations. We then compared the relatedness of all drones mated to each queen (mate-mate), all queens within each population (queen-queen), each queen with each of her mates (queen-mate), and all drones within each population (drone-drone). We found, as expected, the lowest levels of genetic similarity in the outcrossed population and highest levels of genetic similarity in the inbred population. Levels of genetic similarity among the managed honey bee populations were intermediate but closer to that of the inbred population. Genetic structuring of the entire breeding population resulted in two major subpopulations, likely deriving from breeders on the east and west coast. The effects that these findings have on the overall population genetic diversity of managed honey bees is discussed.
Dynamic changes in forest cover and human activities during the Holocene on the northeast Tibetan plateau

Human activities strongly influenced the present-day environment of the Tibetan Plateau, especially in the northeastern area. The questions over when and to what extent humans began to utilize the plateau environment have been long investigated, but there are still gaps in our understanding, such as the relationship between forest dynamics and anthropogenic activities. Here, we simulate the potential Holocene geographical distribution of the three dominant coniferous species in the Northeast Tibetan Plateau in response to climate/environment and analyze pollen records and multi-proxies for anthropogenic activities to explore human impact on natural forest dynamics. Simulation results show marked expansion of Picea and Pinus coniferous forests in the Early Holocene (11.5–8.3 ka BP), continuing into the Mid Holocene (8.3–4.0 ka BP). However, there was a slight contraction of forest in the Late Holocene (4.0–2.6 ka BP) in the western part of the region, and near disappearance in the eastern Qaidam Basin, although both Pinus and Picea slightly increased in Hehuang Valley. Pollen analysis confirms the patterns, with an increase in arboreal pollen mainly comprising Pinus and Picea from Early to Early Mid Holocene (11.5–5.3 ka BP), followed by a decrease. Proxies of anthropogenic activities, including carbon concentration, archeological sites, and, synanthropic plants, increased significantly after 5.3 ka BP, with archeological evidence for intensive exploitation of forest and turnover of natural vegetation. We argue that forest retreat at 5.3–4.0 ka BP was due to the expansion of cropland and increasing demand for wood. Significant coniferous forest retreat and degradation from 4.0 to 2.6 ka BP, with forest succession in Hehuang Valley, was driven by the booming population, extensive grazing, and forest exploitation; the drying cooling climate may have aggravated the pace of deforestation at higher elevations. This study presents new insights into the deforestation on the Northeast Tibetan Plateau in the Holocene.
Partnering with community-based organizations to improve equitable access to depression care for underserved older adults in the U.S.: Qualitative formative research

Background Embedding evidenced-based programs (EBPs) like PEARLS outside clinical settings can help reduce inequities in access to depression care. Trusted community-based organizations (CBOs) reach older adults who are underserved; however, PEARLS adoption has been limited. Implementation science has tried to close this know-do gap, however a more intentional focus on equity is needed to engage CBOs. We partnered with CBOs to better understand their resources and needs in order to design more equitable dissemination and implementation (D&I) strategies to support PEARLS adoption. Methods We conducted 39 interviews with 24 current and potential adopter organizations and other partners (February–September 2020). CBOs were purposively sampled for region, type, and priority older populations experiencing poverty (communities of color, linguistically diverse, rural). Using a social marketing framework, our guide explored barriers, benefits and process for PEARLS adoption; CBO capacities and needs; PEARLS acceptability and adaptations; and preferred communication channels. During COVID-19, interviews also addressed remote PEARLS delivery and changes in priorities. We conducted thematic analysis of transcripts using the rapid framework method to describe the needs and priorities of older adults who are underserved and the CBOs that engage them, and strategies, collaborations, and adaptations to integrate depression care in these contexts. Results During COVID-19, older adults relied on CBO support for basic needs such as food and housing. Isolation and depression were also urgent issues within communities, yet stigma remained for both late-life depression and depression care. CBOs wanted EBPs with cultural flexibility, stable funding, accessible training, staff investment, and fit with staff and community needs and priorities. Findings guided new dissemination strategies to better communicate how PEARLS is appropriate for organizations that engage older adults who are underserved, and what program components are core and what are adaptable to better align with organizations and communities. New implementation strategies will support organizational capacity-building through training and technical assistance, and matchmaking for funding and clinical support. Discussion Findings support CBOs as appropriate depression care providers for older adults who are underserved, and suggest changes to communications and resources to better fit EBPs with the resources and needs of organizations and older adults. We are currently partnering with organizations in California and Washington to evaluate whether and how these D&I strategies increase equitable access to PEARLS for older adults who are underserved.
Evidence of resident coastal population(s) of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in northern Australian waters

To help evaluate the distribution, residency, population size and structuring (and hence conservation status) of the poorly known false killer whale Pseudorca crassidens in northern Australian waters, we undertook studies of sightings, movement patterns based on satellite telemetry, and genetics. Sighting data indicates that false killer whales are regular, year-round inhabitants of coastal areas of northern Australia. Satellite-tagged animals spent extended periods of time in shallow coastal waters, with no tagged animals leaving the continental shelf. The lack of spatial overlap in the areas visited by individuals tagged in the Arafura/Timor Seas compared to those tagged in the Gulf of Carpentaria suggests that there may be more than one population in northern Australia coastal waters. All 14 genetic samples collected across 1600 km of coastline possessed the same newly identified mitochondrial control region haplotype, designated haplotype 45. Notably, haplotype 45 is distinct from all previously published false killer whale haplotypes globally and is most similar to the two haplotypes that typify the endangered main Hawaiian Islands insular false killer whale population. Based on these results and evidence from recent movement records of those tagged, false killer whales in northern Australia are apparently demographically independent from the offshore population(s). Further assessment of the population conservation status is now required.
Physiological and gene expression changes of Cryptomeria fortunei Hooibrenk families under heat stress

Heat stress is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting plant growth and productivity. Cryptomeria fortunei (Chinese cedar) is an excellent timber and landscaping tree species in southern China thanks to its beautiful appearance, straight texture and ability to purify the air and improve the environment. In this study, we first screened 8 excellent C. fortunei families (#12, #21, #37, #38, #45, #46, #48, #54) in a second generation seed orchard. We then analyzed the electrolyte leakage (EL) and lethal temperature at 50% (LT50) values under heat stress, to identify the families with the best heat resistance (#48) and the lowest heat resistance (#45) and determine the physiological and morphological response of different threshold-resistance of C. fortune to heat stress. The relative conductivity of the C. fortunei families showed an increasing trend with increasing temperature, following an “S” curve, and the half-lethal temperature ranges between 39°C and 43.2°C. The activities of SOD and POD fluctuated in the early stage of stress but decreased after 37°C. We observed the changes in the cell ultrastructure at 43°C, and the mesophyll cell structure of #48 was less damaged than that of #45. Eight heat resistance gene, including CfAPX1, CfAPX2, CfHSP11, CfHSP21, CfHSP70, CfHSFA1a, CfHSFB2a and CfHSFB4, were all up-regulated in #45 and #48, and there were significant differences between #45 and #48 under different heat stress treatments. We found a significant difference in heat tolerance between #45 and #48, such that #48 shows higher heat tolerance capability and could be exploited in breeding programs. We conclude that the strongly heat-resistant family had a more stable physiological state and a wider range of heat stress adaptations.
ON THE LINGUISTIC FEATURES

The main hypothesis put forward in the article is that in literary texts, the autonomic or psycho-narrative structure of the work plays a decisive role in the format of realization of reflection. Thus, while the autonomic format requires a different level of processing of lexical inventory, including mental verbs, psycho-narratives, along with mental verbs, have a high frequency of processing of evaluative words and phrases. Also, auto-dialogues are especially distinguished in the format of realization of reflections in auto-narratives, which shows that in these literary texts the auto-reflective solution of situations that led to cognitive dissonance is more common. This, in turn, necessitates the involvement of a different lexical inventory, as well as the structuring of different text architectonics. As auto-dialogic leads to deep self-reflections, polyphony of personality can be observed here
Riccati equations for generalized singular estimate control systems

We consider the Bolza problem associated with boundary/point control systems governed by strongly continuous semigroups. In continuation of our work in Lasiecka and Tuffaha [I. Lasiecka and A. Tuffaha, Riccati equations for the Bolza problem arising in boundary/point control problems governed by C 0–semigroups satisfying a singular estimate, J. Optim. Theory Appl. 136 (2008), pp. 229–246; I. Lasiecka and A. Tuffaha, A Bolza optimal synthesis problem for singular estimate control systems, Control Cybernet 38(4B) (2009), pp. 1429–1460], we yet extend the theory to a more general class of control problems that are not analytic providing sharp blow-up rates for the regularity. Solvability of the associated Riccati equations and an optimal feedback synthesis are established. The presence of unbounded control actions, such as boundary/point controls, naturally lead to a singularity at the terminal point t = T of the optimal control and of the corresponding feedback operator as before. The class of control systems considered in this article is a generalization to the class usually referred to in the literature as ‘Singular Estimate Control Systems’. The prototype is still that of a PDE system consisting of coupled hyperbolic parabolic dynamics interacting on an interface with point/boundary control. The distinct feature of the class considered in this article is that the degree of unboundedness in the control is stronger than that allowed in the usual singular estimate control system configuration, giving rise to less regular optimal state trajectories.
Baryon spectroscopy with CLAS at Jefferson Lab

A substantial part of the experimental efforts at the experimental Hall-B of Jefferson Laboratory is dedicated to this studies of light baryon spectroscopy. In this report a general overview of the experimental capabilities in the Experimental Hall-B will be presented together with preliminary results of recent double polarization measurements and finally overall status of the program.
Modeling Spatial Variation in Disease Risk

A valuable public health practice is to examine disease incidence and mortality rates across geographic regions. The data available for the construction of disease maps are typically in the form of aggregate counts within sets of disjoint, politically defined areas, and the Poisson variation inherent in these counts can lead to extreme raw rates in small areas. Relative risks tend to be similar in neighboring areas, and a common approach is to use random-effects models that allow estimation of relative risk in an area to “borrow strength” from neighboring areas, thus producing more stable estimation. Often a Markov random field structure is assumed to model the spatial dependence due to unmeasured risk factors. Such models consider the distribution of the relative risk of an area conditional on its neighbors, although the neighborhood schemes are typically defined only very simplistically. For example, two areas may be viewed as neighbors if they share a common boundary, in which case the relative positions, sizes, and shapes of the areas are not taken into account. In this article we describe a new method in which the correlation structure is derived through consideration of an underlying continuous risk surface. Specifically, we model the log relative risk as a Gaussian random field, a modeling approach that has seen extensive use in the geostatistics literature. We approximate the distribution of the area-level relative risks to provide an analytically tractable form. This leads to more realistic correlation structures between neighboring areas, and allows estimation not only of individual area-level relative risks, but also of the continuous underlying relative risk function. We first explore and illustrate our methods with simulated data. We then analyze a set of data on colorectal cancer in the U.K. district of Birmingham. The aims of the analysis were to investigate the extent of spatial variability and to investigate the extent to which this variability was associated with an area-level measure of socioeconomic status.