Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cannabidiol Modulates M-Type K+ and Hyperpolarization-Activated Cation Currents

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring compound found in the Cannabis plant that is known for its potential therapeutic effects. However, its impact on membrane ionic currents remains a topic of debate. This study aimed to investigate how CBD modifies various types of ionic currents in pituitary GH3 cells. Results showed that exposure to CBD led to a concentration-dependent decrease in M-type K+ currents (IK(M)), with an IC50 of 3.6 μM, and caused the quasi-steady-state activation curve of the current to shift to a more depolarized potential with no changes in the curve’s steepness. The CBD-mediated block of IK(M) was not reversed by naloxone, suggesting that it was not mediated by opioid receptors. The IK(M) elicited by pulse-train stimulation was also decreased upon exposure to CBD. The magnitude of erg-mediated K+ currents was slightly reduced by adding CBD (10 μM), while the density of voltage-gated Na+ currents elicited by a short depolarizing pulse was not affected by it. Additionally, CBD decreased the magnitude of hyperpolarization-activated cation currents (Ih) with an IC50 of 3.3 μM, and the decrease was reversed by oxaliplatin. The quasi-steady-state activation curve of Ih was shifted in the leftward direction with no changes in the slope factor of the curve. CBD also diminished the strength of voltage-dependent hysteresis on Ih elicited by upright isosceles-triangular ramp voltage. Collectively, these findings suggest that CBD’s modification of ionic currents presented herein is independent of cannabinoid or opioid receptors and may exert a significant impact on the functional activities of excitable cells occurring in vitro or in vivo.
Combined Effect of Poly(lactic acid)-Grafted Maleic Anhydride Compatibilizer and Halloysite Nanotubes on Morphology and Properties of Polylactide/Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) Blends

Given the global challenge of plastic pollution, the development of new bioplastics to replace conventional polymers has become a priority. It is therefore essential to achieve a balance in the performances of biopolymers in order to improve their commercial availability. In this topic, this study aims to investigate the morphology and properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/ poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) (at a ratio of 75/25 (w/w)) blends reinforced with halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and compatibilized with poly(lactic acid)-grafted maleic anhydride (PLA-g-MA). HNTs and PLA-g-MA were added to the polymer blend at 5 and 10 wt. %, respectively, and everything was processed via melt compounding. A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis shows that HNTs are preferentially localized in PHBHHx nodules rather than in the PLA matrix due to its higher wettability. When HNTs are combined with PLA-g-MA, a finer and a more homogeneous morphology is observed, resulting in a reduction in the size of PHBHHx nodules. The presence of HNTs in the polymer blend improves the impact strength from 12.7 to 20.9 kJ/mm2. Further, with the addition of PLA-g-MA to PLA/PHBHHX/HNT nanocomposites, the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength all improve significantly, rising from roughly 42 MPa, 14.5%, and 20.9 kJ/mm2 to nearly 46 MPa, 18.2%, and 31.2 kJ/mm2, respectively. This is consistent with the data obtained via dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The thermal stability of the compatibilized blend reinforced with HNTs is also improved compared to the non-compatibilized one. Overall, this study highlights the effectiveness of combining HNTs and PLA-g-AM for the properties enhancement of PLA/PHBHHx blends.
Coseismic growth of sedimentary basins along the Yammouneh strike-slip fault (Lebanon)

SUMMARY The left-lateral Yammouneh fault (YF) is the main active branch of the Dead Sea Transform Fault (DSTF) within the Lebanese restraining bend. Despite the overall transpressional setting, a series of sedimentary basins have developed along the trace of the YF. Consequently, palaeoseismic studies within these basins provide an opportunity to study the processes of coseismic growth of the basins, as well as elucidate earthquake behaviour of the fault, in general. Geodetic measurements of contemporary fault slip within the Lebanese restraining bend indicate that the YF accommodates most of the expected left-lateral strike-slip motion, despite the apparent lack of present-day seismicity. We studied the YF, using combined investigations of remote imagery, geomorphology and palaeoseismology. The active fault trace along a 51 km strip was delineated as relatively young surface ruptures and fault scarps that affect Holocene deposits with intermittent offset geomorphic markers. Seven closed basins that occur along-strike of the YF, were found to be related to faulting, with at least three of them displaying evident pull-apart settings. We concentrated our work on the rhombohedral Yammouneh basin, an actively evolving example of pull-apart basins, which is presently obliquely cut by the active fault, with an apparently young age of 1.4 ± 0.3 Myr. 3-D correlation and analysis of palaeoseismic investigations exposed a composite shear zone with a total subsidence that exceeds 1.6 m over the past 4000–4400 yr. Stratigraphic and geochronological constraints suggest the occurrences of at least five large faulting events during that period. By correlating the stratigraphy and ages of this trench with a previously published study located nearby, a combined palaeoseismic history for the past five events is constructed. This suggests a mean recurrence period of 1020–1175 yr for large earthquakes along this section of the YF. Our results suggest a subsidence rate due to faulting of about 0.36–0.40 mm yr −1 within the Yammouneh pull-apart basin. The geometrical relationship between the active fault trace and the older fault traces suggests that the basin may have evolved in a two stage process in which the original releasing fault bend developed a cross-cutting fault, accommodating most of the subsequent strike-slip displacement. The role of the YF in controlling basin evolution is further supported by the correspondence of the active fault with the boundary of the present depocentre. Our results highlight the interrelation between active strike-slip faulting and the coseismic incremental evolution of fault-related sedimentary basins, which may provide a conceptual model with broader implications on analogous tectonic systems worldwide.
Multi-Faceted Bioactivity Assessment of an Exopolysaccharide from Limosilactobacillus fermentum NCDC400: Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Immunomodulatory Proficiencies

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are acknowledged for their diverse functional and technological properties. This study presents the characterization of EPS400, an acidic exopolysaccharide sourced from the native probiotic Limosilactobacillus fermentum NCDC400. Notably, this strain has demonstrated previous capabilities in enhancing dairy food texture and displaying in vivo hypocholesterolemic activity. Our investigation aimed to unveil EPS400′s potential biological roles, encompassing antioxidant, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory activities. The results underscore EPS400′s prowess in scavenging radicals, including the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, 2,2′-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonic acid) radical, superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, and chelating activity targeting the ferrous ion. Furthermore, EPS400 displayed substantial antibacterial effectiveness against prevalent food spoilage bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCDC105 and Micrococcus luteus. Remarkably, EPS400 exhibited the ability to modulate cytokine production, downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and nitric oxide, while concurrently promoting the release of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 within lipopolysaccharide-activated murine primary macrophages. Additionally, EPS400 significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced the phagocytic potential of macrophages. Collectively, our findings spotlight EPS400 as a promising contender endowed with significant antioxidant, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory attributes. These characteristics propose EPS400 as a potential pharmaceutical or bioactive component, with potential applications in the realm of functional food development.
Unified Single-Layer Inverse-Free Neurodynamic Network for Solving Absolute Value Equations

This technical note presents a unified single-layer inverse-free neurodynamic network (SINN) to tackle absolute value equations (AVEs). A new global error bound for AVE is established and it is tighter than existing error bounds. Moreover, under different parameter conditions, the global asymptotic, finite-time and fixed-time convergence of the proposed SINN are proved with the help of this new error bound, respectively. Unlike some existing neurodynamic networks, SINN’s distinct feature is simple structure, fixed-time convergence, and smaller upper bound of convergence time. Finally, simulation results are provided to verify the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed approaches.
Dietary total antioxidant capacity and head and neck cancer: a large case-control study in Iran

Background Data on the association between head and neck cancer (HNC) and dietary factors are inconclusive. No study has so far investigated the association between dietary total antioxidant capacity (dTAC) and HNC concerning interactions with other risk factors. Method Pathologically confirmed new diagnosed HNC patients were included in this study. The control group was healthy hospital visitors who were frequently matched with patients on age (5 years interval), gender, and province of residence. Trained interviewers administered a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to assess the participants’ food intake 1 year before the cancer diagnosis. Data on TAC scores of foods was collected by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and Total Radical-trapping Antioxidant Parameters (TRAP) from published data. We applied logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, energy intake, socioeconomic status, province, opium use, alcohol use, physical activity, and dental health. We also studied the interaction of dTAC with tobacco smoking status, and opium use on the risk of HNC. Results We recruited 876 HNC patients and 3,409 healthy controls. We observed a significant decrease in the odds of HNC with increasing dTAC scores. The OR of HNC for the third vs. the first tertile was 0.49 (95%CI 0.39–0.61) for FRAP and 0.49 (95%CI 0.39–0.62) for TRAP. Both dTAC scores were inversely associated with lip and oral (T3 ver. T1 OR = 0.51; 95%CI 0.36–0.71 for FRAP and OR = 0.59; 95% CI 0.44–0.82 for TRAP) and larynx (T3 ver. T1 OR = 0.43; 95%CI 0.31–0.61 for FRAP and OR = 0.38; 95% CI 0.26–0.55 for TRAP) cancers. There was no interaction between tobacco smoking, opium use; and TRAP or FRAP on the risk of HNC. Conclusion An antioxidant-rich diet in terms of FRAP or TRAP could decrease the risk of HNC and its subtypes.
Estimation of rating‐curve parameters for sedimentation using a physical model

Parameters in the lumped sedimentation formula rating curve Qs = KQP are discussed to estimate sedimentation in a basin without calibration in that basin. We were unable to determine the physical meaning of the parameters that are widely used by many researchers. A physically based sediment equation, the Itakura–Kishi equation, prepares a numerical experiment system to discuss rating‐curve parameter characteristics. Experimental results suggest a method to estimate K and P parameters from geomorphologic data, particle diameter, riverbed slope, and roughness by changing experimental conditions. The results yield P from the particle diameter and riverbed gradient, and K from the exponential function of the gradient, particle diameter and roughness. Both the proposed rating curve and the Itakura–Kishi methods are applied to the Mekong River basin combining with the BTOP‐MC (block‐wise TOP model with Muskingum–Cunge routing) model, a distributed hydrologic model, to discuss estimations and their characteristics in practical fields. The proposed methods for K and P provide good agreement with mainstream data from the Mekong River under conditions of gradual water‐level variation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Insular dysfunction of interoception in major depressive disorder: from the perspective of neuroimaging

Interoception plays a crucial role in maintaining bodily homeostasis and promoting survival, and is considered the basis of human emotion, cognition, and self-formation. A malfunction of interoception is increasingly suggested to be a fundamental component of different mental health conditions, and depressive disorders have been especially closely associated. Interoceptive signaling and processing depends on a system called the “interoceptive pathway,” with the insula, located in the deep part of the lateral fissure, being the most important brain structure in this pathway. Neuroimaging studies have revealed alterations in the structure and function of the insula in a large number of individuals with depression, yet the precise relationship between these alterations and interoceptive dysfunction remains unclear. The goal of this review is to examine the evidence that exists for dysfunction of interoception in people with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and to determine the associated specific alterations in the structure and function of the insula revealed by neuroimaging. Overall, three aspects of the potential relationship between interoceptive dysfunction and alterations in insular function in people with depression have been assessed, namely clinical symptoms, quantitative measures of interoceptive function and ability, and interoceptive modulation. To conclude, several specific limitations of the published studies and important lines of enquiry for future research are offered.
Primary centers and secondary concentrations of tectonic activity through time in the western hemisphere of Mars

Five main stages of radial and concentric structures formed around Tharsis from the Noachian through the Amazonian as determined by geologic mapping of 24,452 structures within the stratigraphic framework of Mars and by testing their radial and concentric orientations. Tectonic activity peaked in the Noachian (stage 1) around the largest center, Claritas, an elongate center extending more than 20° in latitude and defined by about half of the total grabens which are concentrated in the Syria Planum, Thaumasia, and Tempe Terra regions. During the Late Noachian and Early Hesperian (stage 2), extensional structures formed along the length of present-day Valles Marineris and in Thaumasia (with a secondary concentration near Warrego Vallis) radial to a region just to the south of the central margin of Valles Marineris. Early Hesperian (stage 3) radial grabens in Pavonis, Syria, Ulysses, and Tempe Terra and somewhat concentric wrinkle ridges in Lunae and Solis Plana and in Thaumasia, Sirenum, Memnonia, and Amazonis are centered northwest of Syria with secondary centers at Thaumasia, Tempe Terra, Ulysses Fossae, and western Valles Marineris. Late Hesperian/Early Amazonian (stage 4) structures around Alba Patera, the northeast trending alignment of Tharsis Montes, and Olympus Mons appears centered on Alba Patera. Stage 5 structures (Middle-Late Amazonian) represent the last pulse of Tharsis-related activity and are found around the large shield volcanoes and are centered near Pavonis Mons. Tectonic activity around Tharsis began in the Noachian and generally decreased through geologic time to the Amazonian. Statistically significant radial distributions of structures formed during each stage, centered at different locations within the higher elevations of Tharsis. Secondary centers of radial structures during many of the stages appear related to previously identified local magmatic centers that formed at different times and locations throughout Tharsis.
Understanding of dynamic earthquake slip behavior using damage as a tensor variable: Microcrack distribution, orientation, and mode and secondary faulting

[1] The importance of the damage effect on dynamic earthquake slip behavior is clarified using the damage tensor variable. Dynamic mode II faults that are embedded in damage-inducing media are assumed to relate to damage effects. This study confirms that the rupture velocity for spontaneous fault tip growth in the damage medium is reduced, being slightly smaller than rupture velocities observed for classical elastic material. Inelastic energy loss resulting in damage is relatively small but nonnegligible to the accumulated fracture energy. Two framework parameters employed in this study determine microcrack orientations and modes of microcracks and provide information on deviations in microcrack distribution between isotropic and nonisotropic ones. Spatial microcrack distribution patterns in isotropic and homogeneous systems are strongly dependent on a parameter related to the damage creation criterion. When considering secondary faulting, two apparently different behaviors, pulverization and branch development, are understood in a single framework, which gives a new insight into fault zone formation. The present results show that damage effect must be treated as a tensor variable rather than a scalar one as employed in many previous studies.
Utility of Covered Self-Expanding Metal Stents for Biliary Drainage during Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

Objectives: We aimed to compare the utility of covered self-expanding metal stents (CSEMSs) with that of plastic stents (PSs) for biliary drainage during neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. Methods: Forty patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer underwent biliary stenting during neoadjuvant chemotherapy at Hiroshima University Hospital. PSs and CSEMSs were placed in 19 and 21 patients, respectively. Two gemcitabine-based regimens for chemotherapy were used. Treatment outcomes and postoperative complications were compared between both groups. Results: The incidence of recurrent biliary obstruction was significantly lower in the CSEMS group (0% vs. 47.4%, p < 0.001), and the median time to recurrent biliary obstruction in the PS group was 47 days. There was no difference in the incidence of other complications such as non-occlusive cholangitis, pancreatitis, and cholecystitis between the two groups. Delays in the chemotherapy schedule due to stent-related complications were significantly frequent in the PS group (52.6% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups. Conclusions: CSEMSs may be the best choice for safely performing neoadjuvant chemotherapy for several months in patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer with bile duct stricture.
Deep Adaptive Interest Network for CTR Prediction

Click-Through Rate (CTR) prediction is important in many industrial applications, such as E-commerce, news, and information. Understanding sophisticated feature interactions behind users’ behaviors is essential for CTR prediction. Although existing methods have made significant improvements, there exist some problems: (1) only concentrate on modeling implicit information from the user side, while ignoring the interest hidden in the historical interactive behaviors; (2) insufficient feature extraction, only focusing on high-order feature interactions or low-order feature interactions. To overcome these limitations, we propose a Deep Adaptive Interest Network (DAIN) for CTR Prediction in the local and global views, respectively. Specifically, to extract user’s interest, we first develop a local attention mechanism applied to the user behaviors and candidate ads, which can adaptively calculate users’ interest representation given a candidate ad in the local views. To capture feature interactions, we propose a feature interaction extractor containing Multi-layer Perceptrons (MLP) and Factorization Machines (FM) components to capture high-order and low-order feature interactions. To adaptively learn the influences of high-order and low-order feature interactions on the target item, we finally employ a linear-based global attention mechanism in the feature interaction extractor. The effectiveness of DAIN is verified by comprehensive experiments on three datasets.
Tris-Copper Nanozyme as a Novel Laccase Mimic for the Detection and Degradation of Phenolic Compounds

Phenolic compounds are one of the main organic pollutants in the environment that can seriously affect ecosystems, even at very low concentrations. Due to the resistance of phenolic compounds to microorganisms, conventional biological treatment methods face challenges in effectively addressing this pollution problem. In this study, a novel laccase mimic (Tris-Cu nanozyme) is prepared using a simple and rapid synthesis strategy based on the coordination of copper ions and amino groups in Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris). It is found that the Tris-Cu nanozyme exhibits good catalytic activity against a variety of phenolic compounds, the Km, Vmax and Kcat are determined to be 0.18 mM, 15.62 μM·min−1 and 1.57 × 107 min−1 using 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DP) as the substrate, respectively. Then, based on the laccase-like activity of the Tris-Cu nanozyme, a novel colorimetric method for 2,4-DP (the limit of detection (LOD) = 2.4 μM, S/N = 3) detection in the range of 10–400 μM was established, and its accuracy was verified by analyzing tap and lake water samples. In addition, the Tris-Cu nanozyme shows excellent removal abilities for six phenolic compounds in experiments. The removal percentages for 2,4-DP, 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), phenol, resorcinol, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (2,6-DOP), and bisphenol A (BPA) are 100%, 100%, 100%, 100%, 87%, and 81% at 1 h, respectively. In the simulated effluent, the Tris-Cu nanozyme maintains its efficient catalytic activity towards 2,4-DP, with a degradation percentage of 76.36% at 7 min and a reaction rate constant (k0) of 0.2304 min−1. Therefore, this metal–organic complex shows promise for applications in the monitoring and degrading of environmental pollutants.
Exploring Copper Oxide and Copper Sulfide for Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensors: Current Progress and Future Directions

Millions of people worldwide are affected by diabetes, a chronic disease that continuously grows due to abnormal glucose concentration levels present in the blood. Monitoring blood glucose concentrations is therefore an essential diabetes indicator to aid in the management of the disease. Enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors presently account for the bulk of glucose sensors on the market. However, their disadvantages are that they are expensive and dependent on environmental conditions, hence affecting their performance and sensitivity. To meet the increasing demand, non-enzymatic glucose sensors based on chemically modified electrodes for the direct electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose are a good alternative to the costly enzymatic-based sensors currently on the market, and the research thereof continues to grow. Nanotechnology-based biosensors have been explored for their electronic and mechanical properties, resulting in enhanced biological signaling through the direct oxidation of glucose. Copper oxide and copper sulfide exhibit attractive attributes for sensor applications, due to their non-toxic nature, abundance, and unique properties. Thus, in this review, copper oxide and copper sulfide-based materials are evaluated based on their chemical structure, morphology, and fast electron mobility as suitable electrode materials for non-enzymatic glucose sensors. The review highlights the present challenges of non-enzymatic glucose sensors that have limited their deployment into the market.