Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the role of heat source location and multiplicity in topographically controlled Marangoni–Rayleigh–Bénard convection

Abstract Periodically distributed wall-mounted hot blocks with a cubic shape located at the bottom of a layer of liquid with a free top interface tend to create patterns in their surrounding fluid that are reminiscent of the classical modes of Marangoni–Rayleigh–Bénard convection. Through direct numerical solution of the governing equations in their complete three-dimensional unsteady and nonlinear formulation, we investigate this specific subject giving much emphasis to understanding how ensemble properties arise from the interplay of localized effects. Through the used numerical framework, we identify the emerging planforms and connect the statistics of the associated heat transport mechanisms with the spatially averaged behaviour of the underlying thermal currents. In some cases, all these features can be directly mapped into the topography at the bottom of the layer. In other circumstances, these systems contain their own capacity for transformation, i.e. intrinsic evolutionary mechanisms are enabled, by which complex steady or unsteady patterns are produced. It is shown that self-organization driven by purely surface-tension or mixed buoyancy–Marangoni effects can result in ‘quantized states’, i.e. aesthetically appealing solutions that do not depend on the multiplicity of wall-mounted elements.
A Survey of Sampling Method for Social Media Embeddedness Relationship

Social media embeddedness relationships consist of online social networks formed by self-organized individual actors and significantly affect many aspects of our lives. Since the high cost and inefficiency of using population networks generated by social media embeddedness relationships to study practical issues, sampling techniques have become increasingly important than ever. Our work consists of three parts. We first comprehensively analyze current sampling selection methods, evaluation indexes, and evaluation methods in terms of technological evolution. In the second part, we systematically conduct sampling tests using representative large-scale social media datasets. The test results indicate that unequal-probability sampling methods can construct similar sample networks at the macroscale and microscale and outperform the equal-probability methods. However, non-negligible sampling errors at the mesoscale seriously affect the sampling reliability and validity. MANOVA tests show that the direct cause of sampling errors is the low in-degree nodes with medium-high betweenness located between the core and periphery, and current sampling methods cannot accurately sample such complex interconnected structures. In the third part, we summarize the pros and cons of current sampling methods and provide suggestions for future work.
Barentsburg and Longyearbyen in times of socioeconomic transition: Residents’ perceptions of community viability

Abstract Geopolitical interventions since the end of the 1980s—such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, a decline in the activities of state-owned coal companies, and governmental initiatives to increase tourism activities—have affected the community viability of two main settlements on Svalbard: Barentsburg and Longyearbyen. This paper explores how the residents of these settlements (with different cultural backgrounds) perceive the effects of socioeconomic transitions on community viability. The analysis of qualitative interviews with residents of Barentsburg (n = 62) and Longyearbyen (n = 36) reveals the residents’ perceptions of the pace of the transition and the changing community composition. New types of commercial activities, such as tourism, contribute to local value creation and socioeconomic development but come with concerns grounded in community fluctuation, environmental protection, economic prioritisation, and power relationships. Compared to Longyearbyen, Barentsburg has undergone relatively minor demographic and social changes and remains stable in terms of culture, language, and management practices. We conclude that the viability of Longyearbyen and Barentsburg during the transition was affected by community dynamics and fluctuations, social relationships within and between communities, and local institutional practices.
A Bayesian approach to incorporate structural data into the mapping of genotype to antigenic phenotype of influenza A(H3N2) viruses

Surface antigens of pathogens are commonly targeted by vaccine-elicited antibodies but antigenic variability, notably in RNA viruses such as influenza, HIV and SARS-CoV-2, pose challenges for control by vaccination. For example, influenza A(H3N2) entered the human population in 1968 causing a pandemic and has since been monitored, along with other seasonal influenza viruses, for the emergence of antigenic drift variants through intensive global surveillance and laboratory characterisation. Statistical models of the relationship between genetic differences among viruses and their antigenic similarity provide useful information to inform vaccine development though accurate identification of causative mutations is complicated by highly correlated genetic signals that arise due to the evolutionary process. Here, using a sparse hierarchical Bayesian analogue of an experimentally validated model for integrating genetic and antigenic data, we identify the genetic changes in influenza A(H3N2) virus that underpin antigenic drift. We show that incorporating protein structural data into variable selection helps resolve ambiguities arising due to correlated signals, with the proportion of variables representing haemagglutinin positions decisively included, or excluded, increased from 59.8% to 72.4%. The accuracy of variable selection judged by proximity to experimentally determined antigenic sites was improved simultaneously. Structure-guided variable selection thus improves confidence in the identification of genetic explanations of antigenic variation and we also show that prioritising the identification of causative mutations is not detrimental to the predictive capability of the analysis. Indeed, incorporating structural information into variable selection resulted in a model that could more accurately predict antigenic assay titres for phenotypically-uncharactrised virus from genetic sequence. Combined, these analyses have the potential to inform choices of reference viruses, the targeting of laboratory assays, and predictions of the evolutionary success of different genotypes, and can therefore be used to inform vaccine selection processes.
Variants identify sarcomere inter-protein contacts distinguishing inheritable cardiac muscle diseases

Human ventriculum myosin (βmys) powers contraction sometimes while complexed with myosin binding protein C (MYBPC3) on the myosin thick filament. The latter regulates βmys activity through inter-protein contacts. Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) change protein sequence in βmys or MYBPC3. They cause inheritable heart disease. When a SNV modified domain locates to an inter-protein contact it affects complex coordination. Domains involved, one in βmys and the other in MYBPC3, form coordinated domains called co-domains. Co-domains are bilateral implying the potential for a shared impact from SNV modification in either domain suggesting their joint response to a common perturbation assigns location. Human population genetic divergence is the common systemic perturbation. A general contraction model with a neural/Bayes network design reveals SNV probabilities specifying correlations between domain members using 2D correlation genetics (2D-CG). It reveals co-domain locations in three common human heart diseases caused by SNVs, familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and left ventricle non-compaction (LVN). Co-domain maps for DCM and LVN link MYBPC3 with two levels of myosin heads on the myosin thick filament surface implying these myosin dimers form the super-relaxed state (SRX). The FHC co-domain map involves just one myosin dimer implying the myosins do not form SRX. Comparing co-domain maps for FHC, DCM, and LVN phenotypes suggests SRX disruption involves a co-domain between MYBPC3 regulatory domain and the myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) N-terminus. The general contraction model scenarios, constructed from feed-forward neural networks, were explored with the purpose to understand how to interpret them mechanistically with basic natural language characteristics. These characteristics emerge from dependencies among inputs coded in hidden layer width and depth when they are deciphered using 2D-CG. In this application, the thick filament structural states emerge for FHC, DCM, and LVN phenotypes defining thick filament structural state joining the other standard characteristics of phenotype and pathogenicity. Emergent natural language interpretations for general network contraction models are on the horizon.
Altered M2 Cortex - Superior Colliculus visual perception circuit in Huntington’s Disease

The premotor cortical area -M2 cortex in rodents- connection to the striatum is involved in movement and prominently affected in Huntington’s Disease (HD). M2 cortex also projects to the superior colliculus (SC), implicated in oculomotor functions (i.e. saccades) and visual perception. Here, we investigated the contribution of M2 cortex – SC circuit to HD physiopathology in male mice. Using fMRI, we observed that M2 cortex functional connectivity with the SC was the most prominently affected circuit in the symptomatic R6/1 HD mouse model. Structural alterations were also detected by tractography and viral tracing. HD mice showed decreased defensive behavioral responses towards an unexpected visual stimuli, such as a moving robo-beetle, and decreased locomotion upon unexpected flash of light. Additionally, optogenetic M2 cortex – SC stimulation promoted avoidance responses towards the robo-beetle in WT, but not HD mice. Though, DWI measurements in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiological responses to optogenetic and electrical stimuli in the SC suggested preserved brain structure. Finally, GCamp6f fluorescence recordings with fiber photometry indicated that aberrant M2 cortex engagement might be the underlying mechanism of visual perception alterations in HD. Collectively, our findings point to a key role of M2 cortex - SC circuit alterations in HD pathophysiology.
Treatment with an antigen-specific dual microparticle system reverses advanced multiple sclerosis in mice

Antigen-specific therapies hold promise for treating autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis while avoiding the deleterious side effects of systemic immune suppression. In this study, an antigen-specific dual-sized microparticle (dMP) immunotherapy reversed hind limb paralysis when administered in mice with advanced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Treatment reduced central nervous system (CNS) immune cell infiltration, demyelination and inflammatory cytokine levels. Mechanistic insights using single-cell RNA sequencing showed that treatment impacted the MHC II antigen presentation pathway in dendritic cells, macrophages, B cells and microglia, not only in the draining lymph nodes, but strikingly also in the spinal cord. CD74 and cathepsin S were among the common genes downregulated in most antigen presenting cell (APC) clusters, with B cells also having numerous MHC II genes reduced. Efficacy of the treatment diminished when B cells were absent, suggesting their impact in this therapy, in concert with other immune populations. Activation and inflammation were reduced in both APCs and T cells. This promising antigen-specific therapeutic approach advantageously engaged essential components of both innate and adaptive autoimmune responses, and capably reversed paralysis in advanced EAE without the use of broad immunosuppressant. Significance Statement Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating autoimmune disease that can lead to paralysis. We demonstrate an antigen-specific microparticle treatment can reverse hind limb paralysis when administered in advanced EAE. Single-cell RNA-sequencing and flow cytometry analysis provide evidence the treatment acts by diminishing Ag presentation in APCs, including B cells in the CNS and the draining lymph nodes. Thus, the antigen-specific dual-sized microparticle treatment is a promising therapy even in advanced EAE, and potentially MS.
Bursts of Genomic Instability Potentiate Phenotypic and Genomic Diversification in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

How microbial cells leverage their phenotypic potential to survive in a changing environment is a complex biological problem, with important implications for pathogenesis and species evolution. Stochastic phenotype switching, a particularly fascinating adaptive approach observed in numerous species across the tree of life, introduces phenotypic diversity into a population through mechanisms which have remained difficult to define. Here we describe our investigations into the mechanistic basis of colony morphology phenotype switching which occurs in populations of a pathogenic isolate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, YJM311. We observed that clonal populations of YJM311 cells produce variant colonies that display altered morphologies and, using whole genome sequence analysis, discovered that these variant clones harbored an exceptional collection of karyotypes newly altered by de novo structural genomic variations (SVs). Overall, our analyses indicate that copy number alterations, more often than changes in allelic identity, provide the causative basis of this phenotypic variation. Individual variants carried between 1 and 16 de novo copy number variations, most of which were whole chromosomal aneuploidies. Notably, the inherent stability of the diploid YJM311 genome is comparable to that of domesticated laboratory strains, indicating that the collections of SVs harbored by variant clones did not arise by a chronic chromosomal instability (CIN) mechanism. Rather, variant clones acquired these complex karyotypic configurations simultaneously, during stochastic and transient episodes of punctuated systemic genomic instability (PSGI). Surprisingly, we found that the majority of these highly altered variant karyotypes were propagated with perfect fidelity in long-term passaging experiments, demonstrating that high aneuploidy burdens can often be conducive with prolonged genomic instability. Together, our results demonstrate that colony morphology switching in YJM311 is driven by a stochastic process in which genome stability and plasticity are integrally coupled to phenotypic heterogeneity. Consequently, this system simultaneously introduces both phenotypic and genomic variation into a population of cells, which can, in turn perpetuate population diversity for many generations thereafter.
Paternity sharing in insects with female competition for nuptial gifts

When males contribute costly investments to offspring (i.e., paternal care or nuptial gifts), they are expected to have high confidence of paternity. While studies of species with exclusive male parental care have provided support for this hypothesis, paternity may be more uncertain in systems where males feed each mate. While mating co-occurs with each oviposition in many male-care systems, allowing control over insemination, mating is separated from egg-laying in nuptial-gift systems so that males typically compete more with rivals for fertilizations. Given the costly gift investment, and long refractory periods that limit male ability to gain fitness from frequent copulations, there should be strong selection to avoid cuckoldry, especially complete paternity failure. Further, because females are expected to mate frequently to obtain male-supplied nutrition prior to oviposition, males may be unable to avoid sperm competition because virgins will be rare (and lower quality), and females are expected to undermine male traits that limit remating or manipulate sperm stores. Thus, paternity sharing, in which males are not excluded from siring offspring completely, is an expected outcome of sperm competition in these systems. Using wild-caught females in two species (an orthopteran and a dipteran), in which sexually selected females compete for important male nuptial gifts, we examined paternity patterns and compared them to findings in other insects. Using microsatellite analysis of offspring and sperm stores, we found evidence of shared paternity in both study species, where very few males failed to sire offspring. Although paternity was not equal among sires, our estimates of paternity bias were similar to other insects with valuable nuptial gifts and contrasted with patterns in gryllid crickets where males supply little more than sperm and are frequently excluded from siring offspring. Further support for paternity-sharing is the lack of last-male sperm precedence in either of our study species.
Laboratory measurements on noise reducing PERS test slabs

The EU financed PERSUADE project aims at developing poroelastic road surface (PERS) with high noise reducing properties. So far five different versions the PERS material has been produced and relevant parameters has been measured in laboratory tests. The different PERS versions are either made as factory produced slabs or as test-slabs produced in moulds at site during construction of small scale test sections. It is not possible to perform real CPX noise trailer measurements or roadside SPB measurements on the slabs. Therefore stand-in parameters and indicators for noise have been measured instead. The acoustic absorption is tested in an impedance tube, to illustrate the acoustic performance of the material. In order to evaluate the open structure of the PERS material the permeability as well as the built in air void have been measured using image analysis on thin and plane sections cut from the material. The mechanical impedance is measured to describe the dynamic stiffness of the elastic material. Finally the pavement surface texture have been measured and surface texture spectra's have been predicted as this gives important information on the noise properties of a road pavement. The results of these measurements will also be compared to other noise reducing pavement types like porous asphalt as well as to normal dense reference pavements. On the background of all these measurements it is possible to compare the test slabs, and give an evaluation of the noise reducing potential of the tested PERS materials. These results will be used as parts of the selection criteria for which types of PERS material to test in full scale on roads with real traffic.
Lighed gennem særbehandling?: Heldagsskoler og spredning som ekspliciteret særbehandling af etniske minoritetsbørn og udtryk for aktuelle tendenser

I afhandlingen "Lighed gennem saerbehandling? " udforsker Gro Hellesdatter Jacobsen to aktuelle former for saerbehandling af etniske minoritetsborn i folkeskolen med oget lighed som formal nemlig heldagsskoler og spredning pa baggrund af sprogtest. Via en samtidsdiagnostisk tilgang saettes de to politikker i forbindelse med aktuelle samfundsmaessige tendenser, og dermed gives der bud pa, hvorfor det siden 2005 har vaeret legitimt at foretage eksplicit saerbehandling, der betyder at etniske minoritetsborns rettigheder indskraenkes. Med udgangspunkt i dokumenter, interviews og observationer vises det, hvordan saerbehandlingspolitikkerne er yderst komplekst begrundet, samt hvordan de konstitueres som saerbehandling. Dels medforer de nye kategorier, ekspliciteringer og struktureringer og dels gor de en forskel i etniske minoritetsborns og deres familiers liv med hensyn til tid, sted og ansvar. Desuden vises det, hvordan tendenser til sprogfokus, undtagelser og national konkurrencestat kan forklare politikkernes fremkomst og legitimitet og hermed praesenterer afhandlingen alternativer til eksisterende kritikker af saerbehandling som udtryk for nationalistisk og racistisk motiveret diskrimination.
A non‐commutative Landau‐Zener formula

We study semi‐classical measures of families of solutions to a 2 × 2 Dirac system with 0 mass, which presents bands crossing. We focus on constant electro‐magnetic fields. The fact that these fields are orthogonal or not leads to different geometric situations. In the first case, one reduces to some well‐understood model problem. For studying the second case, we introduce some two‐scale semi‐classical measures associated with symplectic submanifold. These measures are operator‐valued measures and the transfer of energy at the crossing is described by a non‐commutative Landau‐Zener formula for these measures. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
MSW CHARACTERISTICS AND LANDFILL PERFORMANCE IN TROPICAL REGIONS

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) materials are among the most complicated materials for geotechnical engineering as their composition includes an organic fraction, which suffers loss of mass over time, and a fibrous part, which acts as reinforcement, governing the MSW shear behavior. Because of these characteristics MSW can be described as a viscous material which shows time dependent behavior. Since the decomposition of MSW leads to gas and leachate generation, the changes in the mechanical behavior of MSW could be linked to gas emission and leachate production from landfills. This paper deals with the characteristics of MSW materials to provide the necessary data for efficient and safe landfill design, construction and operation. Physical characteristics such as composition, water content and organic content at varying ages, field and laboratory measurements of methane generation and leachate production, MSW compressibility behavior and its shear strength are covered. By presenting these data the authors hope to promote a better understanding of the mechanical behavior of MSW and provide useful data for use in landfill management tasks.
Risk Stratification and Distribution of Hepatocellular Carcinomas in CEUS and CT/MRI LI-RADS: A Meta-Analysis

Background CEUS LI-RADS and CT/MRI LI-RADS have been used in clinical practice for several years. However, there is a lack of evidence-based study to compare the proportion of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) in each category and the distribution of HCCs of these two categorization systems. Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the proportion of HCCs between corresponding CEUS LI-RADS and CT/MRI LI-RADS categories and the distribution of HCCs and non-HCC malignancies in each category. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases from January 2014 to December 2021. The proportion of HCCs and non-HCC malignancies and the corresponding sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) of the LR-5 and LR-M categories were determined using a random-effect model. Results A total of 43 studies were included. The proportion of HCCs in CEUS LR-5 was 96%, and that in CECT/MRI LR-5 was 95% (p > 0.05). The proportion of non-HCC malignancy in CEUS LR-M was lower than that of CT/MRI LR-M (35% vs. 58%, p = 0.01). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CEUS LR-5 for HCCs were 73%, 92%, and 78%, respectively, and of CT/MRI LR-5 for HCCs, 69%, 92%, and 76%, respectively. Conclusion With the upshift of the LI-RADS category, the proportion of HCCs increased. CEUS LR-3 has a lower risk of HCCs than CT/MRI LR-3. CEUS LR-5 and CT/MRI LR-5 have a similar diagnostic performance for HCCs. CEUS LR-M has a higher proportion of HCCs and a lower proportion of non-HCC malignancies compared with CT/MRI LR-M.