Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of femtosecond synthesized coronary profile laser beams filamentation in air

Multiple filamentation in air of high-power ultrashort laser radiation with transverse intensity profile resembling a "corona" composed by incoherent combining of several annularly distributed independent top-hat sub-beams is theoretically studied. Through the numerical solution of time-averaged nonlinear Schrodinger equation, we study the spatio-angular dynamics of synthesized near-infrared "corona-beam" (CB) along the optical path by varying the number and power of the beamlets (corona-spikes). For the first time to our knowledge, the evident advances in the multiple filamentation region manipulating of synthesized CB are demonstrated. Particularly, by adjusting the number and aperture of the constituting sub-beams it makes possible to significantly delay the CB filamentation onset distance and increase the filamentation length in air. In addition, at the post-filamentation stage of femtosecond pulse propagation under certain conditions the synthesized corona-beams exhibit significantly lower angular divergence of its most intense part (post-filamentation light channel) compared to the beams with regular uni-modal intensity profiles (Gaussian, plateau-like) that provides enhancing of laser power delivered to the receiver over the atmospheric links.
Virtually Extended Coworking Spaces? - The Reinforcement of Social Proximity, Motivation and Knowledge Sharing Through ICT

Coworking is characterized by different people sharing a workspace to benefit from the inspiring working atmosphere. Even before Covid-19, many positive effects and dynamics were not fully exploited by their users. One reason is a lack of trust among the users that leads to social isolation, although a coworking space should increase knowledge and idea exchange. As most people in coworking spaces use information and communication technologies (ICT) for their collaboration with their clients or employers, we examined if and how ICT can be used to support the positive effects and dynamics of coworking spaces. For this, we conducted eight interviews with freelancers and entrepreneurs who have already worked in coworking spaces in order to identify requirements for a complementary virtual coworking platform. We found that social proximity, motivation and knowledge sharing could be increased by such a platform. Based on the process virtualization theory, we derived six design principles.
Dynamic reinsurance in discrete time minimizing the insurer's cost of capital

In the classical static optimal reinsurance problem, the cost of capital for the insurer's risk exposure determined by a monetary risk measure is minimized over the class of reinsurance treaties represented by increasing Lipschitz retained loss functions. In this paper, we consider a dynamic extension of this reinsurance problem in discrete time which can be viewed as a risk-sensitive Markov Decision Process. The model allows for both insurance claims and premium income to be stochastic and operates with general risk measures and premium principles. We derive the Bellman equation and show the existence of a Markovian optimal reinsurance policy. Under an infinite planning horizon, the model is shown to be contractive and the optimal reinsurance policy to be stationary. The results are illustrated with examples where the optimal policy can be determined explicitly.
The chromospheric component of coronal bright points

Context. We investigate the chromospheric counterpart of small-scale coronal loops constituting a coronal bright point (CBP) and its response to a photospheric magnetic-flux increase accompanied by co-temporal CBP heating. Aims. The aim of this study is to simultaneously investigate the chromospheric and coronal layers associated with a CBP, and in so doing, provide further understanding on the heating of plasmas confined in small-scale loops. Methods. We used co-observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and Helioseismic Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, together with data from the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph taken in the Hα and Ca II 8542.1 Å lines. We also employed both linear force-free and potential field extrapolation models to investigate the magnetic topology of the CBP loops and the overlying corona, respectively. We used a new multi-layer spectral inversion technique to derive the temporal variations of the temperature of the Hα loops (HLs). Results. We find that the counterpart of the CBP, as seen at chromospheric temperatures, is composed of a bundle of dark elongated features named in this work Hα loops, which constitute an integral part of the CBP loop magnetic structure. An increase in the photospheric magnetic flux due to flux emergence is accompanied by a rise of the coronal emission of the CBP loops, that is a heating episode. We also observe enhanced chromospheric activity associated with the occurrence of new HLs and mottles. While the coronal emission and magnetic flux increases appear to be co-temporal, the response of the Hα counterpart of the CBP occurs with a small delay of less than 3 min. A sharp temperature increase is found in one of the HLs and in one of the CBP footpoints estimated at 46% and 55% with respect to the pre-event values, also starting with a delay of less than 3 min following the coronal heating episode. The low-lying CBP loop structure remains non-potential for the entire observing period. The magnetic topological analysis of the overlying corona reveals the presence of a coronal null point at the beginning and towards the end of the heating episode. Conclusions. The delay in the response of the chromospheric counterpart of the CBP suggests that the heating may have occurred at coronal heights.
Interpretable Image Clustering via Diffeomorphism-Aware K-Means

We design an interpretable clustering algorithm aware of the nonlinear structure of image manifolds. Our approach leverages the interpretability of $K$-means applied in the image space while addressing its clustering performance issues. Specifically, we develop a measure of similarity between images and centroids that encompasses a general class of deformations: diffeomorphisms, rendering the clustering invariant to them. Our work leverages the Thin-Plate Spline interpolation technique to efficiently learn diffeomorphisms best characterizing the image manifolds. Extensive numerical simulations show that our approach competes with state-of-the-art methods on various datasets.
Nitrogen concentrations in field-grown spring barley: an examination of the usefulness of expressing concentrations on the basis of tissue water

SUMMARY A study was made of growth and N concentrations of field-grown crops of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Georgie or Triumph). Nitrogen concentrations were calculated on the basis of both dry matter and tissue water because previous research had indicated that K concentrations expressed on the basis of tissue water were better for assessing the K status of crops. The aim was to see whether this was also the case for N. When supplies of P and K were adequate, the addition of N fertilizer stimulated growth in all crops except when sufficient N was already supplied as farmyard manure. Percentage N in dry matter declined as plants grew and was higher in plants given N than in plants grown without N, although the difference diminished with time. Nitrogen concentrations calculated on the basis of tissue water were very similar for both N-sufficient and N-deficient crops despite large differences in growth rates. Nitrogen concentrations in tissue water also declined but only until anthesis, thereafter they increased. This pre-anthesis decline was due to the increase in the amount of stem tissue which had lower N concentrations in tissue water than leaves. Similarly the post-anthesis increase in N concentrations was due to the development of the ears which had high concentrations of N in tissue water. The effects of deficiencies of P or K or water on N concentrations in tissue water of the cultivars Georgie or Julia were studied also in field experiments at Rothamsted. Lack of P and K inhibited growth of crops given 144 kg N/ha. Crops grown without N grew more slowly than those given N but their growth was not further inhibited by lack of P or K. Deficiencies of either P or K increased N concentrations calculated on the basis of tissue water in crops given 144 kg N/ha but not in crops grown without N. The increase in concentration was not due to changes in the proportions of leaves and stems but to real increases in N concentrations in leaves, stems and ears. Drought decreased growth and also resulted in higher N concentrations in tissue water. In the absence of other limiting factors, N concentrations expressed on the basis of tissue water were very similar for both N-sufficient and N-deficient crops. They increased only when growth was limited by factors other than N. The implications of this for the control of N concentrations by crops is discussed. It is concluded that N concentrations expressed on the basis of tissue water are unlikely to be useful for determining the N requirements of barley. Percentage N in dry matter might be more useful for this purpose.
Activation of Interferon-Stimulated Transcriptomes and ACE2 Isoforms in Human Airway Epithelium Is Curbed by Janus Kinase Inhibitors

SARS-CoV-2 infection of human airway epithelium activates genetic programs that lead to progressive hyperinflammation in COVID-19 patients. Here we report on genetic programs activated by interferons and the suppression by Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and deciphering its regulation is paramount for understanding the cell tropism of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We identified candidate regulatory elements in the ACE2 locus in human primary airway cells and lung tissue. Activating histone and promoter marks and Pol II loading characterize the intronic dACE2 and define novel candidate enhancers distal to the genuine ACE2 promoter and within additional introns. dACE2, and to a lesser extent ACE2, RNA levels increased in primary cells treated with interferons and this induction was mitigated by JAK inhibitors that are used therapeutically in COVID-19 patients. Our analyses provide insight into ACE2 regulatory elements and highlight JAK inhibitors as suitable tools to suppress interferon-activated genetic programs in bronchial cells.
Mesenchymal and Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver-3 Status in Circulating Tumor Cells May Serve as a Crucial Prognostic Marker for Assessing Relapse or Metastasis in Postoperative Patients With Colorectal Cancer

INTRODUCTION: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3) have been considered to be significant prognostic indicators in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). This study discusses the prognostic significance of mesenchymal CTCs with PRL-3 (M+ PRL-3+ CTCs) in postoperative patients with CRC. METHODS: We detected CTC subtypes (including epithelial CTCs, biphenotypic epithelial/mesenchymal CTCs, and mesenchymal CTCs) and PRL-3 in CTCs from the peripheral blood samples of 156 patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were performed to identify the prognostic value of mesenchymal CTCs with PRL-3+. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of PRL-3 in tumor tissues from some of the patients to explore the connection between CTCs and tissues. RESULTS: All CTCs were positive in all samples, both mesenchymal CTCs and PRL-3–positive cells. The count of mesenchymal and PRL-3+ CTCs was significantly associated with recurrence, and the optimal cutoff value was 2 (area under the curve = 0.690, P < 0.001). In addition, these patients had a significantly shorter median disease-free survival than those who did not fulfill the criteria (8.5 vs 24 months, P < 0.001) according to multivariable and multinomial logistic regression. Immunohistochemistry was applied to explore the associations between PRL-3 expression and significant prognostic risk factors, including recurrence (R = 0.566; P < 0.001), and M+ PRL-3+ status in CTCs (R = 0.452; P = 0.001). DISCUSSION: The status of M+ PRL-3+ in CTCs may serve as a crucial prognostic marker for assessing clinical outcomes in CRC.
Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Different Extracts from Different Parts of Zilla spinosa (L.) Prantl

Zilla spinosa is commonly used in traditional medicine to treat gastrointestinal disorders and diabetes. In this study, aqueous ethanol (AE) and aqueous methanol (AM) extracts from aerial parts and roots of Z. spinosa were investigated. The total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents and antioxidant capacities in terms of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were determined, and the correlations among the results were assessed using Pearson's correlation. The antimicrobial activity was assessed through agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays. Phytochemical screening showed that Z. spinosa extracts had alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, triterpenoids, phenols, and flavonoids in different abundances. The aerial part-AE extract contained low TPC (30.17 ± 4.24 mg GAE/g) and TFC (7.40 ± 1.02 mg QE/g) and displayed significant antioxidant capacity in the DPPH (IC50 = 52.17 ± 7.30 μg/mL), H2O2 (91.22 ± 2.60 μg/mL), and FRAP (EC50 = 98.70 ± 2.21 μg/mL) assays. By contrast, the root-AM extract contained high amounts of TPC (87.72 ± 7.75 mg GAE/g) and TFC (25.60 ± 1.57 mg QE/g). It showed significantly high antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 12.33 ± 1.88 μg/mL in the DPPH and 39.37 ± 2.59 μg/mL in the H2O2 assays, as well as reducing power capacity with an EC50 value of 20.82 ± 1.14 μg/mL in the FRAP assay. Both TPC and TFC were exhibited negative correlations (p < 0.01) with the IC50 and EC50 values obtained in the applied antioxidant assays. The aerial part-AM extract showed the highest inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus (26.5 ± 0.20 mm), followed by Shigella flexneri (19.4 ± 0.40 mm) and Proteus mirabilis (17.7 ± 0.49 mm). S. aureus was the most affected microorganism with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 128 μg/mL against the aerial part-AM extract. Interestingly, all evaluated extracts showed potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans. However, aerial part-AM was the most effective, with an inhibition zone of 12.6 ± 0.17 mm. The results concluded that Z. spinosa possesses different phytochemicals displaying significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, thus lending credence to its use in traditional medicine.
Structural Equation Modeling to Evaluate the Effect of Body Shape Concern and Body Appreciation on Eating Behavior Pattern among University Students

1. Institute of Graduate Studies (IGS), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2. Academic Development Centre (ADEC), Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic & International) Office, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 3. Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 4. Center of Research for Computational Sciences and Informatics in Biology, Bio Industry, Environment, Agriculture and Healthcare (CRYSTAL), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 5. Mathematics Division, Centre for Foundation Studies in Science (ASASI), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Inter-population differences in salinity tolerance of adult wild Sacramento splittail: osmoregulatory and metabolic responses to salinity

Genetically distinct populations of the Sacramento splittail, a minnow endemic to the San Francisco Estuary, exhibit different tolerances and osmoregulatory and metabolic responses to salinity as adults. Inter-population variation corresponds with that of juveniles and known salinity habitat differences, suggesting some degree of local adaptation.
Effects of plastic mulching on the accumulation and distribution of macro and micro plastics in soils of two farming systems in Northwest China

Background Inappropriate disposal of the plastic mulching debris could create macroplastics (MaPs) and microplastics (MiPs) pollution in agricultural soil. Methods To study the effects of farming systems on accumulation and distribution of agricultural plastic debris, research was carried out on two farming systems in Northwest China. Farming in Wutong Village (S1) is characterized by small plots and low-intensity machine tillage while farming in Shihezi (S2) is characterized by large plots and high-intensity machine tillage. In September 2017, we selected six fields in S1, three fields with 6–8 years of continuous plastic mulching (CM) as well as three fields with over 30 years of intermittent mulching (IM). In S2, we selected five cotton fields with 6, 7, 8, 15 and 18 years of continuous mulching. In both regions, MaPs and MiPs from soil surface to 30 cm depth (0–30 cm) were sampled. Results The results showed that in S1, MaPs mass in fields with 6–8 years CM (i.e., 97.4kg·ha−1) were significantly higher than in fields with 30 years IM (i.e., 53.7 kg·ha−1). MaPs in size category of 10–50 cm2 accounted for 46.9% in fields of CM and 44.5% in fields of IM of total collected MaPs number. In S2, MaPs mass ranged from 43.5 kg·ha−1 to 148 kg·ha−1. MaPs in size category of 2–10 cm2 account for 41.1% of total collected MaPs number while 0.25–2 cm2 accounted for 40.6%. MiPs in S1 were mainly detected in fields with over 30 years of intermittent mulching (up to 2,200 particles·kg−1 soil), whereas in S2 were detected in all fields (up to 900 particles·kg−1 soil). The results indicated farming systems could substantially affect the accumulation and distribution of agricultural plastic debris. Continuous plastic mulching could accumulate higher amount of MaPs than intermittent plastic mulching. High-intensity machine tillage could lead to higher fragmentation of MaPs and more severe MiPs pollution. These results suggest that agricultural plastic regulations are needed.
Paediatric diabetes care during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Lessons learned in scaling up telemedicine services

Paediatric diabetes care relies upon a multidisciplinary approach for the education of and collaborative medical decision-making with patients and families. It involves healthcare providers, diabetes care and education specialists (formerly known as certified diabetes educators), registered dieticians, medical assistants, nurses, social workers and behavioural health specialists. Behind the scenes, administrative assistants and schedulers also contribute to making this care possible. Across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended routine outpatient care, placing new demands on healthcare systems to meet the needs of their patients. Many facilities, including our own, rapidly expanded telemedicine services to facilitate patient care.1 Though telemedicine has been utilized for both paediatric and adult diabetes care before,2-11 current endeavours by many institutions are now on an unprecedented scale. In some cases, health systems may have limited existing infrastructure due to previous state law limiting telemedicine services, such as in Pennsylvania. Prior to COVID-19, our large, academic centre had minimal telemedicine services for subspecialty care, including diabetes. We present lessons from our experience embarking in telemedicine for routine diabetes appointments and outpatient education. These lessons reflect the feedback received by all members of the division. Physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), fellows, certified diabetes care and education specialists, nurses and administrative staff provided their viewpoints at their routine meetings to their co-ordinators/managers who in turn brought back this input to the division leadership. Using this approach, our centre was able to rapidly and successfully scale up our telemedicine services in order to continue providing care to our patients (Figure 1). Our diabetes centre follows ~2200 patients, (~55% females, ~88% White, 35% with public, 10% with private and 55% with public and private insurance). Prior to COVID-19, our typical weekly schedule included approximately 200 diabetes appointments, with an average of 80% completed visits (all in-person). In our first week of telemedicine, we completed 76 of 157 (48%) scheduled visits virtually; by the third week, this increased to 126 of 166 (83%) visits. Since that time, we continued to have more than 80% of ~200 scheduled diabetes visits virtually, reaching almost 90% by the fifth week (Table 1). In some cases, offering virtual visits during this time may have improved our typical no show/cancellation rate by increasing communication with the family in advance of the visit and removing possible barriers to families from inclement weather, transportation or work/education obligations. We summarize key points in Table 2.
Analyses of abdominal adiposity and metabolic syndrome as risk factors for respiratory distress in COVID-19

Background Several characteristics of the metabolic syndrome, such as obesity and hypertension, have emerged as risk factors for a poor clinical outcome in COVID-19. However, most reports lack data on the metabolic syndrome itself. This study investigated prospectively the relationship between respiratory deterioration and the presence of metabolic syndrome or abdominal adiposity in patients with COVID-19. Methods A prospective observational cohort study analysing patients with respiratory symptoms who presented at a local emergency department in the Netherlands. The influence of abdominal adiposity—assessed by an increased waist–hip ratio—and metabolic syndrome on respiratory deterioration and the length of hospital stay were analysed with multivariable logistic regressions and Kaplan-Meier analyses. Results In total, 166 patients were analysed, of whom 86 (52%) tested positive for COVID-19. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome did not differ between patients with COVID-19 with and without the need for intubation or level of supportive care (37.5% vs 48.4%, p=0.338). In contrast, abdominal adiposity is an independent risk factor for respiratory distress in COVID-19, adjusted for metabolic syndrome, age, gender and BMI (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.20, p=0.014). Conclusion This study shows that abdominal adiposity, and not the presence of metabolic syndrome, is associated with clinical deterioration in COVID-19. This prospective study provides further insight into the risk stratification of patients with COVID-19 based on a simple measurement as the waist and hip circumference. Trial registration number NL8580.
The estimation of losses of potassium and magnesium from chalky soils in southern England: laboratory studies

Abstract. Ten chalk topsoils (0‐25 cm) were repacked into columns in the laboratory. After leaching similar to one year's throughflow in the field, loss of K was equivalent to between 9 and 74kg K/ha. This represented between 3 and 30% of the initial exchangeable K with which loss was poorly correlated. Loss was dependant on the soil solution concentration and was inversely proportional to potassium buffer power.