Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probing Kaluza-Klein dark matter with neutrino telescopes

In models in which all of the Standard Model fields live in extra universal dimensions, the lightest Kaluza-Klein (KK) particle can be stable. Calculations of the one-loop radiative corrections to the masses of the KK modes suggest that the identity of the lightest KK particle (LKP) is mostly the first KK excitation of the hypercharge gauge boson. This LKP is a viable dark matter candidate with an ideal present-day relic abundance if its mass is moderately large, between 600 to 1200 GeV. Such weakly interacting dark matter particles are expected to become gravitationally trapped in large bodies, such as the Sun, and annihilate into neutrinos or other particles that decay into neutrinos. We calculate the annihilation rate, neutrino flux and the resulting event rate in present and future neutrino telescopes. The relatively large mass implies that the neutrino energy spectrum is expected to be well above the energy threshold of AMANDA and IceCube. We find that the event rate in IceCube is between a few to tens of events per year.
Comparison of Tactile Temporal Numerosity Judgments Between Unimanual and Bimanual Presentations

In recent years a growing interest has emerged in numerosity perception in touch. Most of the studies on tactile numerosity perception have investigated its spatial aspect by testing the ability to count the number of items presented simultaneously. On the other hand, only a small number of studies have examined its temporal aspect, and the underlying mechanisms of tactile temporal numerosity judgments (TTNJs) remain elusive. In this study, we presented a rapid sequence of vibrations, each of which was presented to one of two bodily locations, and then compared the performance of the TTNJ between two stimulus-location conditions. In one condition, each of the vibration trains was presented to one of two fingers of the left hand (unimanual condition). In the other condition, each of the vibration trains was presented to the index finger of either the right or left hand (bimanual condition). With these conditions, we aimed to examine how the differences in stimulus locations and in types of tasks affect TTNJ performance. Our results showed that when the participants were asked to count the total number of vibrations presented at two locations, the performance (proportion of correct answers) was not so much different between the two conditions. In contrast, when the participants had to report the two numbers of vibrations presented at each location or to focus on the number of vibrations at a single location, the TTNJ performance in the bimanual condition was drastically better than in the unimanual condition. These results suggest that the underlying mechanism for tactile temporal numerosity perception can segregate the interhemispheric information (bimanual condition) more precisely than the within-hemispheric information (unimanual condition), when spatiotemporal tasks are performed.
Response kinetics and pharmacological properties of heteromeric receptors formed by coassembly of GABA rho- and gamma2-subunits

Two of the γ–aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, GABAA and GABAC, are ligand–gated chloride channels expressed by neurons in the retina and throughout the central nervous system. The different subunit composition of these two classes of GABA receptor result in very different physiological and pharmacological properties. Although little is known at the molecular level as to the subunit composition of any native GABA receptor, it is thought that GABAC receptors are homomeric assemblies of ρ–subunits. However, we found that the kinetic and pharmacological properties of homomeric receptors formed by each of the ρ–subunits cloned from perch retina did not resemble those of the GABAC receptors on perch bipolar cells. Because both GABAA and GABAC receptors are present on retinal bipolar cells, we attempted to determine whether subunits of these two receptor classes are capable of interacting with each other. We report here that, when coexpressed in Xenopus oocytes, heteromeric (ρ1Bγ2) receptors formed by coassembly of the ρ1B–subunit with the γ2–subunit of the GABAA receptor displayed response properties very similar to those obtained with current recordings from bipolar cells. In addition to being unresponsive to bicuculline and diazepam, the time–constant of deactivation, and the sensitivities to GABA, picrotoxin and zinc closely approximated the values obtained from the native GABAC receptors on bipolar cells. These results provide the first direct evidence of interaction between GABA ρ and GABAA–receptor subunits. It seems highly likely that coassembly of GABAA and ρ–subunits contributes to the molecular organization of GABAC receptors in the retina and perhaps throughout the nervous system.
Transition towards a 'non-smoker' identity following smoking cessation: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

OBJECTIVE A recent theory of motivation (PRIME theory) has proposed that the formation of a 'non-smoker' identity is necessary for long-term abstinence. This study aimed to explore how a smoker's sense of identity changes following smoking cessation. DESIGN This was a qualitative, semi-structured interview study with a purposive sample of individuals who had quit smoking. An interpretative phenomenological approach was taken to elicit in-depth accounts of the participants' understanding of smoking, stopping, and maintaining abstinence. METHODS Ten participants who quit smoking with the support of a National Health Service (NHS) stop-smoking service in England and were still abstinent a year later were interviewed. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted. Prospective contextual detail of motivational and other variables pre-quit were also obtained from the clinic assessment form that participants completed at the first group session. RESULTS A process of identity change was observed towards that of a 'non-smoker', assisted initially by a transient identity of 'team stop-smoker' accompanied by a sense of achievement. All participants retained a residual attraction to smoking suggesting that the process was not complete and reflecting an 'ex-smoker' identity. Participants labelled themselves as non-smokers regardless of how much transition had occurred. CONCLUSIONS It appears useful to distinguish two levels of 'non-smoker' identity: a surface level comprising the simple label and a deep level made up of often conflicting thoughts and feelings about oneself in relation to smoking. A total coherent 'non-smoker' identity does not appear to be necessary for long-term abstinence.
Design of Defect and Fault-Tolerant Nonvolatile Spintronic Flip-Flops

With technology down scaling, static power has become one of the biggest challenges in a system on chip. Normally off computing using nonvolatile (NV) sequential elements is a promising solution to address this challenge. Recently, many NV shadow flip-flop architectures have been introduced in which magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) cells are employed as backup storing elements. Due to the emerging fabrication processes of magnetic layers, MTJs are more susceptible to manufacturing defects than their CMOS counterparts. Moreover, unlike memory arrays that can effectively be repaired with well-established memory repair and coding schemes, flip-flops scattered in the layout are more difficult to repair. Therefore, without effective defect and fault tolerance for NV flip-flops, the manufacturing yield will be affected severely. In this paper, we propose a fault-tolerant NV latch (FTNV-L) design, in which several MTJ cells are arranged in such a way that it is resilient to various MTJ faults. The simulation results show that our proposed FTNV-L can effectively tolerate all single MTJ faults with a considerably lower overhead than traditional approaches.
Glycans Flanking the Hypervariable Connecting Peptide between the A and B Strands of the V1/V2 Domain of HIV-1 gp120 Confer Resistance to Antibodies That Neutralize CRF01_AE Viruses

Understanding the molecular determinants of sensitivity and resistance to neutralizing antibodies is critical for the development of vaccines designed to prevent HIV infection. In this study, we used a genetic approach to characterize naturally occurring polymorphisms in the HIV envelope protein that conferred neutralization sensitivity or resistance. Libraries of closely related envelope genes, derived from virus quasi-species, were constructed from individuals infected with CRF01_AE viruses. The libraries were screened with plasma containing broadly neutralizing antibodies, and neutralization sensitive and resistant variants were selected for sequence analysis. In vitro mutagenesis allowed us to identify single amino acid changes in three individuals that conferred resistance to neutralization by these antibodies. All three mutations created N-linked glycosylation sites (two at N136 and one at N149) proximal to the hypervariable connecting peptide between the C-terminus of the A strand and the N-terminus of the B strand in the four-stranded V1/V2 domain β-sheet structure. Although N136 has previously been implicated in the binding of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, this glycosylation site appears to inhibit the binding of neutralizing antibodies in plasma from HIV-1 infected subjects. Previous studies have reported that the length of the V1/V2 domain in transmitted founder viruses is shorter and possesses fewer glycosylation sites compared to viruses isolated from chronic infections. Our results suggest that vaccine immunogens based on recombinant envelope proteins from clade CRF01_AE viruses might be improved by inclusion of envelope proteins that lack these glycosylation sites. This strategy might improve the efficacy of the vaccines used in the partially successful RV144 HIV vaccine trial, where the two CRF01_AE immunogens (derived from the A244 and TH023 isolates) both possessed glycosylation sites at N136 and N149.
Sea surface temperature‐related response of precipitation in northern South America according to a WRF multi‐decadal simulation

Precipitation, low‐level flow and atmospheric moisture transport fields over the Intra‐Americas region from a Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) multi‐decadal simulation are presented. The period of analysis is 1982–2012, and the focus is on mean monthly states and their variability. WRF results are compared to global precipitation products and to the Interim Reanalysis from the ECWMF (ERA‐Interim). An analysis of the coupling between precipitation over northern South America and regional scale sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and winds within ERA‐Interim and WRF is also presented. Over land, precipitation biases in WRF are mostly positive, especially over Central America and northern South America. This bias is associated with an excess in atmospheric moisture convergence in WRF compared to ERA‐Interim, which in turn is related to stronger low‐level circulation structures and differences in the moisture transport field between WRF and ERA‐Interim at the regional scale. The largest differences in the flow are observed over the eastern Pacific, where the flow is correlated with precipitation over southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America during the boreal summer. During early winter, correlation patterns of WRF precipitation and SST anomalies over the tropical Pacific are substantially weaker over western Texas and northwestern South America compared to the coupling between the global precipitation products and observed SSTs. For northwestern South America, the low correlation seems to be associated to a lack of coupling between regional scale winds and SST anomalies. During the boreal summer, the coupling between Caribbean SSTs and precipitation over parts of Mexico and Central America is stronger in WRF compared to observation‐based products.
Explosive‐strength training improves 5‐km running time by improving running economy and muscle power

To investigate the effects of simultaneous explosive‐strength and endurance training on physical performance characteristics, 10 experimental (E) and eight control (C) endurance athletes trained for 9 weeks. The total training volume was kept the same in both groups, but 32% of training in E and 3% in C was replaced by explosive‐type strength training. A 5‐km time trial (5K), running economy (RE), maximal 20‐m speed (V20 m), and 5‐jump (5J) tests were measured on a track. Maximal anaerobic (MART) and aerobic treadmill running tests were used to determine maximal velocity in the MART (VMART) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). The 5K time, RE, and VMART improved (P<0.05) in E, but no changes were observed in C. V20 m and 5J increased in E (P<0.01) and decreased in C (P<0.05). VO2 max increased in C (P<0.05), but no changes were observed in E. In the pooled data, the changes in the 5K velocity during 9 weeks of training correlated (P<0.05) with the changes in RE [O2 uptake (r=−0.54)] and VMART (r=0.55). In conclusion, the present simultaneous explosive‐strength and endurance training improved the 5K time in well‐trained endurance athletes without changes in their VO2 max. This improvement was due to improved neuromuscular characteristics that were transferred into improved VMART and running economy.
Effects of GFRP Stirrup Spacing on the Behavior of Doubly GFRP-Reinforced Concrete Beams

This study investigates the impact of varying glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) stirrup spacing on the performance of doubly GFRP-reinforced concrete beams. The research focuses on assessing the behavior of GFRP-reinforced concrete beams, including load-carrying capacity, cracking, and deformability. It explores the feasibility and effectiveness of GFRP bars as an alternative to traditional steel reinforcement in concrete structures. Six concrete beams with a cross-section of 300 mm (wide) × 250 mm (deep), simply supported on a 2100 mm span, were tested. The beams underwent four-point bending with two concentrated loads applied symmetrically at one-third of the span length, resulting in a shear span (a)-to-depth (h) ratio of 2.8. The experimental findings reveal that altering the GFRP stirrup spacing along the longitudinal axis of the beams, from 200 mm (equivalent to the effective depth (d)) to 50 mm (equal to (d⁄4)), altered the mode of failure from flexure-shear to flexure-compression. However, when the spacing was equal to or less than (d⁄3), there was no significant improvement in load-carrying capacity, as the contribution of GFRP bars in resisting shear loads was limited. Under service loads, the GFRP-reinforced beams exhibited wider cracks, but reducing the stirrup spacing helped restrain crack widening. Incorporating GFRP bars in the compression zone had a positive effect on reducing crack width in the tension zone. Additionally, using GFRP stirrups with spacing varying between (d) and (d⁄2) in the pure bending region increased the deflection ductility indexes. To enhance the ductility of GFRP-reinforced concrete beams, it is recommended to use GFRP stirrups in the pure bending region with spacing greater than the spacing between GFRP stirrups in the shear spans. The study highlights that the current ACI code overestimates the shear capacity provided by GFRP stirrups, particularly when the spacing is less than or equal to (d⁄3). Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-02-011 Full Text: PDF
Fibroblast growth factor 21 reduces the severity of cerulein-induced pancreatitis in mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) acts as a hormonal regulator during fasting and is involved in lipid metabolism. Fgf21 gene expression is regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-dependent pathways, which are enhanced during pancreatitis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate FGF21's role in pancreatic injury. METHODS Fgf21 expression was quantified during cerulein-induced pancreatitis (CIP) or following mechanical or thapsigargin-induced stress through Northern blot analysis, in situ hybridization, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. FGF21 protein was quantified by Western blot analysis. Isolated acinar cells or AR42J acinar cells were treated with recombinant FGF21 protein, and extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 activation was examined. The severity of CIP was compared between wild-type mice and mice overexpressing FGF21 (FGF21Tg) or harboring a targeted deletion of Fgf21 (Fgf21(-/-)). RESULTS Acinar cell Fgf21 expression markedly increased during CIP and following injury in vitro. Purified FGF21 activated the extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 pathway in pancreatic acinar cells. The severity of CIP is inversely correlated to FGF21 expression because FGF21Tg mice exhibited decreased serum amylase and decreased pancreatic stellate cell activation, whereas Fgf21(-/-) mice had increased serum amylase and tissue damage. The expression of Fgf21 was also inversely correlated to expression of Early growth response 1, a proinflammatory and profibrotic transcription factor. CONCLUSIONS These studies suggest a novel function for Fgf21 as an immediate response gene protecting pancreatic acini from overt damage.
Pattern of iron distribution in maternal and filial tissues in wheat grains with contrasting levels of iron

Iron insufficiency is a worldwide problem in human diets. In cereals like wheat, the bran layer of the grains is an important source of iron. However, the dietary availability of iron in wheat flour is limited due to the loss of the iron-rich bran during milling and processing and the presence of anti-nutrients like phytic acid that keep iron strongly chelated in the grain. The present study investigated the localization of iron and phosphorus in grain tissues of wheat genotypes with contrasting grain iron content using synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) and micro-proton-induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE). X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) was employed to determine the proportion of divalent and trivalent forms of Fe in the grains. It revealed the abundance of oxygen, phosphorus, and sulphur in the local chemical environment of Fe in grains, as Fe-O-P-R and Fe-O-S-R coordination. Contrasting differences were noticed in tissue-specific relative localization of Fe, P, and S among the different genotypes, suggesting a possible effect of localization pattern on iron bioavailability. The current study reports the shift in iron distribution from maternal to filial tissues of grains during the evolution of wheat from its wild relatives to the present-day cultivated varieties, and thus suggests the value of detailed physical localization studies in varietal improvement programmes for food crops.
Role of Surgery in the Elderly Patients Affected from Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer.

The aim of this study is to compare morbidity, surgical treatment and post-operative complications in elderly patients underwent surgery for advanced stage ovarian cancer, comparing to younger patients. Data of patients underwent surgery at the Department of Obstetrics and Gyne-cology of Cannizzaro Hospital (Catania) for advanced stage (IIIC-IV) ovarian cancer were collected from January 2000 to December 2013. Patients were stratified by age in two groups (I > 65 years and II < 65 years old). Following variables were collected: stage of the tumor, associated diseases, previous chemotherapy, the type of surgical procedures, blood transfusions, intraoperative and postoperative morbidity, mortality, and hospital stay. Median values between the two groups were compared using Mann-Whitney test and frequency data using χ2. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05. A total of 179 patients were identified, they were divided into 2 groups: 64 patients were age 65 years or older (group I) and 115 patients were younger than age 65 (group II). In the whole series, 157 patients (87%) did not experience any complication. Overall, postoperative complications occurred in 10 (15%) patients in the group I and in 12 (10%) in the group II (p = NS). In conclusion, elderly patients may tolerate well surgical procedures within acceptable postoperative morbidity, a length of hospital stay and a need for intensive care quite similar to that of younger patients.
A Tree Sequence Alignment-based Tree-to-Tree Translation Model

This paper presents a translation model that is based on tree sequence alignment, where a tree sequence refers to a single sequence of subtrees that covers a phrase. The model leverages on the strengths of both phrase-based and linguistically syntax-based method. It automatically learns aligned tree sequence pairs with mapping probabilities from word-aligned biparsed parallel texts. Compared with previous models, it not only captures non-syntactic phrases and discontinuous phrases with linguistically structured features, but also supports multi-level structure reordering of tree typology with larger span. This gives our model stronger expressive power than other reported models. Experimental results on the NIST MT-2005 Chinese-English translation task show that our method statistically significantly outperforms the baseline systems.
Model-Free Trajectory Optimization for Reinforcement Learning

Many of the recent Trajectory Optimization algorithms alternate between local approximation of the dynamics and conservative policy update. However, linearly approximating the dynamics in order to derive the new policy can bias the update and prevent convergence to the optimal policy. In this article, we propose a new model-free algorithm that backpropagates a local quadratic time-dependent Q-Function, allowing the derivation of the policy update in closed form. Our policy update ensures exact KL-constraint satisfaction without simplifying assumptions on the system dynamics demonstrating improved performance in comparison to related Trajectory Optimization algorithms linearizing the dynamics.
Specificity of Dengue NS1 Antigen in Differential Diagnosis of Dengue and Zika Virus Infection

To the Editor: Circulation of new arboviruses of the genus Flavivirus poses a major problem for differential diagnosis. Zika virus, a mosquitoborne virus of the family Flaviviridae, is closely related to other arboviruses circulating in the Americas, including dengue, yellow fever, Saint Louis encephalitis, and West Nile viruses (1,2). Serologic cross-reactivity between these arboviruses is common; thus, to ensure optimal patient care and accurate epidemiologic surveillance, an effective differential diagnosis is required in regions with active transmission of dengue virus and circulation of Zika virus (2–4).
Conundrums of the Liquidity Determinants of Commercial Banks in Ethiopia

This study examines the nexus between liquidity and its determinants in Ethiopia's private bank commercial banks. The study employed a causational research design by utilizing data from 2011–to 2021. The study unit of analysis is 15 Commercial banks in Ethiopia. It utilized General Methods of Moment (GMM) dynamic panel regression.The finding showed that bank profit, interest rate margin, concentration ratio, and inflation havesignificantly negatively contributed to bank liquidity. However, capital adequacy has no significant effect on the bank's liquidity. Besides, the growth of the Gross domestic product and exchange rate significantly enhance the bank's liquidity. The study urges the bank management and regulatory body to search for the optimum trade-off point between profit and interest rate spread with the required level of liquidity. Besides, policymakers and regulators should take a measure that neutralizes the detrimental effect of the market structure of the banking industry. Since inflation and money supply (M2) negatively affect liquidity, it is vital to transform macroeconomic variables into a robust institutional mechanism to enhance liquidity. Generally, the study recommends continued supervision and support to shield banks from a liquidity crunch.