Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study on the influence of cornering characteristics of complex tread tires on rolling resistance based on finite element method

The existence of tire slip angle and camber angle causes that the test results of conventional rolling resistance tester are often very different from the measured results installed on the vehicle. In addition, the test cost of rolling resistance tester with sideslip and roll is high. To solve the above problems, the effects of cornering characteristics on rolling resistance of complex tread tires were analyzed by finite element method (FEM). The numerical simulation model of a tire with complex tread patterns was established, and the reliability of the established numerical simulation model was verified by the experiments. The response relationships between tire lateral force, sideslip angle, camber angle and rolling resistance under multiple pure sideslip conditions and combined conditions were compared and analyzed, as well as the contribution rate of each tire component to rolling resistance under the corresponding conditions. The obtained research results can provide support for vehicle chassis adjustment and energy saving and consumption reduction in tire structure design.
Aliens are us. An innovative course in astrobiology

Abstract We live in a scientific world; paradoxically, the scientific literacy of the population is minimal at best. Science is an ongoing process, a human endeavour; paradoxically, students tend to believe that science is a finished enterprise. Many non-science major students are not motivated in science classes; paradoxically, there is a public fascination with the possibility of life in the Universe, which is nowadays a scientific endeavour. An astrobiology course was developed at the Center for Science and Mathematics Education at The University of Texas at Austin to address these paradoxes and includes the following objectives: (a) to improve scientific literacy; (b) to demonstrate that science is a work in progress; (c) to enhance the inherent interdisciplinary aspect of science; (d) to demonstrate that science is embedded in society and relates with several social sciences; (e) to improve the content knowledge about the nature of science; (f) to illustrate how engaging learning science can be; and (g) to draw from the intrinsic motivation already incorporated in the general population. The course has been offered, taught and revised for the past three years. The informal course student feedback has been very positive and encouraging. The purpose of this paper is to provide a general overview of the course. In addition, the course's background, content, themes and mode of delivery are outlined, discussed and analysed in this paper. This paper subscribes to an educational philosophy that focuses on the multidisciplinary nature of science and includes critical thinking-based teaching strategies using the dynamic discipline of astrobiology.
Long-Term Results with Everolimus in Advanced Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer in a Multicenter National Real-World Observational Study

Simple Summary Everolimus is an oral drug used in patients with advanced hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative breast cancer. In this study based on a national French real-world cohort of more than 22,000 patients, we sought to evaluate the impact of everolimus on overall survival. Using statistical methods fit for real-world data, our findings suggest that the use of everolimus may favorably impact overall survival, and that it is very likely underused in this common clinical setting. Abstract Everolimus is the first oral targeted therapy widely used in advanced HR+/HER2− breast cancer. We sought to evaluate the impact of everolimus-based therapy on overall survival in the ESME-MBC database, a national metastatic breast cancer cohort that collects retrospective data using clinical trial-like methodology including quality assessments. We compared 1693 patients having received everolimus to 5928 patients not exposed to everolimus in the same period. Overall survival was evaluated according to treatment line, and a propensity score with the inverse probability of treatment weighting method was built to adjust for differences between groups. Crude and landmark overall survival analyses were all compatible with a benefit from everolimus-based therapy. Adjusted hazard ratios for overall survival were 0.34 (95% CI: 0.16–0.72, p = 0.0054), 0.34 (95% CI: 0.22–0.52, p < 0.0001), and 0.23 (95% CI: 0.14–0.36, p < 0.0001) for patients treated with everolimus in line 1, 2, and 3 and beyond, respectively. No clinically relevant benefit on progression-free survival was observed. Causes for everolimus discontinuation were progressive disease (56.2%), adverse events (27.7%), and other miscellaneous reasons. Despite the limitations inherent to such retrospective studies, these results suggest that adding everolimus-based therapy to the therapeutic sequences in patients with advanced HR+/HER2− breast cancer may favorably affect overall survival.
A split‐characteristic based finite element model for the shallow water equations

A new algorithm for the solution of the shallow water equations is introduced. The formulation is founded on a suitable operator-splitting procedure for which a characteristic-based rational form of including balancing dissipation terms is achieved. In the semi-explicit form the method circumvents the requirement of a critical time step given in terms of the wave celerity, which is restrictive for the analysis of long-wave propagation in shallow waters. In this work the robustness of the algorithm is illustrated for transient shallow water problems and for some supercritical flows, where the choice of an algorithm with optimal diffusion properties is manifest
Effects of fertilizer and plant density on yield and quality of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.).

In order to understand the effect of organic fertilizer on yield of anise, an experiment was conducted in the form of split-plot in randomized complete block design with three replications in Mashhad, Khorasan Agriculture and Natural Resource Research Center. Four treatments of fertilization: the control, vermicompost - 5 t/ha, cow manure - 25 t/ha, and mineral fertilizer (NPK) - 60 kg/ha (the same rate of each nutrient) were applied as the main factor. The second factor was plant density, applied at three levels: 17, 25, and 50 plants/m2. The results showed a significant effect of fertilizer on the number of umbels per plant, number of umbellets per umbel and canopy cover. Plant density had a significant effect on grain yield, biological yield, the number of lateral branches, essential oil percentage and yield of essential oil. Seed and essential oil yield were the highest in the case of the application of vermicompost and plant densities of 50 and 25 plants/m2 respectively.
Coherent structures in bypass transition induced by a cylinder wake

Flat-plate boundary layer transition induced by the wake vortex of a two-dimensional circular cylinder is experimentally investigated. Combined visualization and velocity measurements show a different transition route from the Klebanoff mode in free-stream turbulence-induced transition. This transition scenario is mainly characterized as: (i) generation of secondary transverse vortical structures near the flat plate surface in response to the von Kármán vortex street of the cylinder; (ii) formation of hairpin vortices due to the secondary instability of secondary vortical structures; (iii) growth of hairpins which is accelerated by wake-vortex induction; (iv) formation of hairpin packets and the associated streaky structures. Detailed investigation shows that during transition the evolution dynamics and self-sustaining mechanisms of hairpins, hairpin packets and streaks are consistent with those in a turbulent boundary layer. The wake vortex mainly plays the role of generating and destabilizing secondary transverse vortices. After that, the internal mechanisms become dominant and lead to the setting up of a self-sustained turbulent boundary layer.
In meeting the increasing demands for total knee arthroplasty, can we achieve high levels of quality care in a small community hospital? A mixed-methods study

Purpose Small community hospitals (SCHs) help meet the demand for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This mixed-methods study compares outcomes and analyses of environmental differences following TKA at a SCH and a tertiary care hospital (TCH). Methods Quantitative: A retrospective review of 352 propensity-matched primary TKA procedures at both a SCH and a TCH, based on age, body mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists class, was completed. Groups were compared by length of stay (LOS), 90-day emergency department visits, 90-day readmissions, reoperations, and mortality. Qualitative: Based on the Theoretical Domains Framework, seven prospective semistructured interviews were performed. Interview transcripts were coded and belief statements were generated and summarized by two reviewers. Discrepancies were resolved by a third reviewer. Results Quantitative: The average LOS for the SCH was significantly shorter than that for the TCH (2.0 ± 0.2 vs. 3.6 ± 2.7 days; p < 0.001), a difference that persisted following a subgroup analysis of ASA I/II patients (2.0 ± 0.2 vs. 3.2 ± 2.2; p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in other outcomes. Qualitative: The main themes that revolved around a higher case load for physiotherapy at the TCH resulted in patients waiting longer to be mobilized after surgery. Patient disposition also affected their discharge rates. Conclusion Given the increasing demand for TKA, the SCH represents a viable option to increase capacity, while reducing LOS. Future directions to reduce LOS include addressing social barriers to discharge and patient prioritization for assessment by allied health services. When TKA is performed by the same set of surgeons, the SCH provides quality care with a shorter LOS and comparable with urban hospitals, and this can be attributed to the differences in resource utilization in the two hospital settings.
On the Convergence of Some Feasible Direction Algorithms for Nonlinear Programming

Abstract : Recently Goldstein has considered the problem of determining conditions on the selection of directions in feasible direction algorithms for unconstrained maximization problems which assure the gradient vanishes in the limit. This paper extends his work (when specialized to Euclidian spaces) in various ways, notably by considering constrained maximization problems and by allowing a wider choice in the selection of the step size. For example we allow the ''optimal'' step size among others. We give conditions on the directions which assure convergence to a stationary point in feasible direction algorithms for maximizing a real valued continuous function on a closed set. We also apply this result to establish convergence to a stationary point of several known methods (e.g., Cauchy's method of steepest ascents, the Newton-Raphson method, and ufrank and Wolfe's method), a simple variant of one of Zoutendijk's methods that eliminates the need for his ''anti-zigzagging'' procedures, and some new second order methods that require quadratic programs to be solved at each stage. (Author)
Succinate dehydrogenase variants in paraganglioma: why are B subunit variants ‘bad’?

Mutations that predispose to familial pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma include inherited variants in the four genes (SDHA, SDHB, SDHC and SDHD) encoding subunits of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), an enzyme of the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle and complex II of the electron transport chain. In heterozygous variant carriers, somatic loss of heterozygosity is thought to result in tumorigenic accumulation of succinate and reactive oxygen species. Inexplicably, variants affecting the SDHB subunit predict worse clinical outcomes. Why? Here we consider two hypotheses. First, relative to SDH A, C and D subunits, the small SDHB subunit might be more intrinsically ‘fragile’ to missense mutations because of its relatively large fraction of amino acids contacting prosthetic groups and other SDH subunits. We show evidence that supports this hypothesis. Second, the natural pool of human SDHB variants might, by chance, be biased toward severe truncating variants and missense variants causing more disruptive amino acid substitutions. We tested this hypothesis by creating a database of known SDH variants and predicting their biochemical severities. Our data suggest that natural SDHB variants are more pathogenic. It is unclear if this bias is sufficient to explain clinical data. Other explanations include the possibility that SDH subcomplexes remaining after SDHB loss have unique tumorigenic gain-of-function characteristics, and/or that SDHB may have additional unknown tumor-suppressor functions.
Unraveling the Peculiar Features of Mitochondrial Metabolism and Dynamics in Prostate Cancer

Simple Summary Mitochondria are organelles involved in different biological processes, including tumorigenesis. Accumulating evidence strongly supports that, despite the presence of an active glycolytic pathway (the Warburg effect), cancer cells undergo a mitochondrial metabolic rewiring towards the OXPHOS pathway, leading to the production of high levels of ATP to sustain their uncontrolled proliferation and aggressive behavior. Alterations of the mitochondrial structural dynamics (biogenesis, fusion, fission, mitophagy) are also involved in cancer growth and progression. The mechanisms underlying this mitochondrial plasticity, now considered as a hallmark of cancer, were shown to occur with specific features in different cancer cell types and contexts. In this review, we provide an incisive description of the peculiar metabolic rewiring and structural dynamics occurring in prostate cancer cells during the different phases of their transformation from healthy cells to early- and late-stage cancer cells. We also address the role of these mitochondrial dynamics as effective targets of therapeutic approaches. Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in Western countries. Mitochondria, the “powerhouse” of cells, undergo distinctive metabolic and structural dynamics in different types of cancer. PCa cells experience peculiar metabolic changes during their progression from normal epithelial cells to early-stage and, progressively, to late-stage cancer cells. Specifically, healthy cells display a truncated tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and inefficient oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) due to the high accumulation of zinc that impairs the activity of m-aconitase, the enzyme of the TCA cycle responsible for the oxidation of citrate. During the early phase of cancer development, intracellular zinc levels decrease leading to the reactivation of m-aconitase, TCA cycle and OXPHOS. PCa cells change their metabolic features again when progressing to the late stage of cancer. In particular, the Warburg effect was consistently shown to be the main metabolic feature of late-stage PCa cells. However, accumulating evidence sustains that both the TCA cycle and the OXPHOS pathway are still present and active in these cells. The androgen receptor axis as well as mutations in mitochondrial genes involved in metabolic rewiring were shown to play a key role in PCa cell metabolic reprogramming. Mitochondrial structural dynamics, such as biogenesis, fusion/fission and mitophagy, were also observed in PCa cells. In this review, we focus on the mitochondrial metabolic and structural dynamics occurring in PCa during tumor development and progression; their role as effective molecular targets for novel therapeutic strategies in PCa patients is also discussed.
On Random Matching Markets: Properties and Equilibria

We consider centralized matching markets in which, starting from an arbitrary match- ing, frms are successively chosen in a random fashion and offer their positions to the workers they prefer the most. We propose an algorithm that generalizes some well-known algorithms and explore some of its properties. In particular, different executions of the algorithm may lead to different output matchings. We then study incentives in the rev- elation game induced by the algorithm. We prove that ordinal equilibria always exist. Furthermore, every matching that results from an equilibrium play of the game is stable for a particular preference profile. Namely, if an ordinal equilibrium exists in which firms reveal their true preferences, only matchings that are stable for the true preferences can be obtained.
Fungi associated with ornamental plants in some Nurseries in Al–Qurayyat, Jouf region, Saudi Arabia

Background and Objectives: Fungi communities are important soil components as decomposers and plant symbionts, and they play an important part in natural ecological and biogeochemical processes. In this study, isolation and identification of terrestrial and zoosporic fungi were detected. Materials and Methods: Sixty–seven fungal species from thirty–four genera were isolated from 45 soil samples obtained randomly from nurseries in Al–Qurayyat, Jouf reagon, Saudi Arabia using the soil dilution technique on glucose–Czapek’s agar medium, cellulose–Czapek’s agar, and Potato dextrose agar medium.Authentic fungus manuals were then used to identify and characterise the mycoflora. Results: A total of 46 fungal species belonging to 22 terrestrial fungal genera were recovered on glucose–Czapek’s agar, 38 species belonging to 20 terrestrial fungal genera were recovered on cellulos–Czapek’s agar and 27 fungal species belonging to 15 terrestrial fungal genera were recovered on PDA medium while 12 species belonging to 7 genera zoosporic fungal genera were discovered. Conclusion: The most common terrestrial fungal genera were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Trichoderma, Acremonium, and Cladosopium while in zoosporic fungus. Allomyces was the most prevalent, followed by Achlya and Pythium.
Inversion-Type Ferroelectric Capacitive Memory and Its 1-Kbit Crossbar Array

By modulating the capacitance to store data, ferroelectric capacitive memories (FCMs) show distinct advantages compared with the conventional resistive memories, including the near-zero static power, negligible read disturbance, and immunity to IR drop problem. However, the promise of FCMs requires the improvement of their electrical characteristics, including retention, capacitance ratio, and operation speed. In this work, by introducing a heavily doped region in the metal–ferroelectric–semiconductor (MFS) structure, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an inversion-type FCM device, which simultaneously achieves: 1) high (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times 125$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${C}_{\text {HCS}}/{C}_{\text {LCS}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ratio; 2) ten-year retention under 85 °C; 3) multistate operation; and 4) improved write speed in nanosecond range. Integrating the devices on Silicon on insulator (SOI) substrates, we also realize the 1-kbit inversion-type FCM crossbar array. By setting up a test platform with a specially designed drive circuit, the read/write operation of the capacitive array is successfully demonstrated, evidencing the stable operation of the capacitive memory device in the array level.
A Note on Diffraction of Water Waves by a Nearly Vertical Barrier

A simplified perturbational analysis is employed, together with the application of Green's theorem, to determine the first-order corrections to the reflection and transmission coefficients in the problem of diffraction of surface water waves by a nearly vertical barrier in two basically important cases: (i) when the barrier is partially immersed and (ii) when the barrier is completely submerged. The present analysis produces the desired results fairly easily and relatively quickly as compared with the known integral equation approach to this class of diffraction problems.
Is CMB just an Observational Effect of a Universe in Accelerated Expansion

Consider a universe in which an observer is surrounded by an infinite, roughly uniform distribution of luminous objects (stars or primeval stars), and assume further that each such object is opaque to those directly behind it. To the observer it would then seem as if he is surrounded by a distant, opaque wall emitting radiation. In addition, the requirement of Lorentz-covariant quantum transport has been shown to force the universe to be perceived to be in a state of apparent, exponentially accelerated expansion, producing redshifts in the spectra of the individual distant objects that together form the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The present article illustrates that under these two conditions, the observer would perceive the apparent distant luminous wall around him to radiate with an accurate blackbody spectrum, as observed. This suggests that the cosmic microwave background radiation might thus possibly be just an observational effect of this type (with traditional blackbody radiation as a limiting case), and hence may not necessarily have any connection to how the universe was created.
Modelling line profiles in infalling cores

Results are presented from a model of molecular line formation in collapsing star-forming cores. The study includes, for the first time, a self-consistent chemical and dynamical model which is then directly coupled to an appropriate radiative transfer model. The assumptions of chemical uniformity or simple monotonic variations within such cores are shown to be unacceptable. The results show that the abundance variations and the line profiles are highly sensitive to the assumed values of the free parameters in the chemical model. Extreme caution is therefore advised in the quantitative analysis of emission-line profiles from infall sources. The implied degeneracy can be overcome by multiple line-of-sight observations of many species and transitions.
Energy Aware Task Allocation for Semi-Asynchronous Mobile Edge Learning

This paper extends the paradigm of “mobile edge learning (MEL)” by designing an energy-aware optimal task allocation scheme for training a machine learning (ML) model in a semi-asynchronous manner across multiple learners connected via the resource-constrained wireless edge network. The tasks are allocated such that the local dataset size selected at each learner ensures completion within a given global delay constraint and a local maximum energy consumption limit. Hence, the designed method is heterogeneity aware (HA) because it offers a trade-off between resource consumption and MEL performance by directly relating the time and energy consumption to the heterogeneous communication/computational capabilities of learners. Because the resulting optimization is an NP-hard quadratically-constrained integer linear program (QCILP), a two-step suggest-and-improve (SAI) solution is proposed. The proposed HA semi-asynchronous (HA-Asyn) approach is compared against the HA synchronous (HA-Sync) scheme and the heterogeneity unaware (HU) synchronous/asynchronous (HU-Sync/Asyn) equal batch allocation schemes. Results from a system of 20 learners tested for various completion time and energy consumption constraints show that the proposed HA-Asyn method works better than the HU-Sync/Asyn approaches and can even provide gains of up-to 25% compared to the HA-Sync scheme.