Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Sunspots Different During This Solar Minimum

For hundreds of years, humans have observed that the Sun has displayed activity where the number of sunspots increases and then decreases at approximately 11-year intervals. Sunspots are dark regions on the solar disk with magnetic field strengths greater than 1500 gauss (see Figure 1), and the 11-year sunspot cycle is actually a 22-year cycle in the solar magnetic field, with sunspots showing the same hemispheric magnetic polarity on alternate 11-year cycles. The last solar maximum occurred in 2001, and the magnetically active sunspots at that time produced powerful flares causing large geomagnetic disturbances and disrupting some space-based technology. But something is unusual about the current sunspot cycle. The current solar minimum has been unusually long, and with more than 670 days without sunspots through June 2009, the number of spotless days has not been equaled since 1933 (see http://users.telenet.be/j.janssens/Spotless/Spotless.html). The solar wind is reported to be in a uniquely low energy state since space measurements began nearly 40 years ago [Fisk and Zhao, 2009].
Evidence for Extensive Duplication and Subfunctionalization of FCRL6 in Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

The control of infections by the vertebrate adaptive immune system requires careful modulation to optimize defense and minimize harm to the host. The Fc receptor-like (FCRL) genes encode immunoregulatory molecules homologous to the receptors for the Fc portion of immunoglobulin (FCR). To date, nine different genes (FCRL1–6, FCRLA, FCRLB and FCRLS) have been identified in mammalian organisms. FCRL6 is located at a separate chromosomal position from the FCRL1-5 locus, has conserved synteny in mammals and is situated between the SLAMF8 and DUSP23 genes. Here, we show that this three gene block underwent repeated duplication in Dasypus novemcinctus (nine-banded armadillo) resulting in six FCRL6 copies, of which five appear functional. Among 21 mammalian genomes analyzed, this expansion was unique to D. novemcinctus. Ig-like domains that derive from the five clustered FCRL6 functional gene copies show high structural conservation and sequence identity. However, the presence of multiple non-synonymous amino acid changes that would diversify individual receptor function has led to the hypothesis that FCRL6 endured subfunctionalization during evolution in D. novemcinctus. Interestingly, D. novemcinctus is noteworthy for its natural resistance to the Mycobacterium leprae pathogen that causes leprosy. Because FCRL6 is chiefly expressed by cytotoxic T and NK cells, which are important in cellular defense responses against M. leprae, we speculate that FCRL6 subfunctionalization could be relevant for the adaptation of D. novemcinctus to leprosy. These findings highlight the species-specific diversification of FCRL family members and the genetic complexity underlying evolving multigene families critical for modulating adaptive immune protection.
Convection in a spherical capacitor

Real-time holographic interferometry and shadowgraph visualization are used to study convection in the fluid between two concentric spheres when two distinct buoyancy forces are applied to the fluid. The heated inner sphere has a constant temperature that is greater than the constant temperature of the outer sphere by ΔT. In addition to the usual gravitational buoyancy from temperature induced density differences, another radial buoyancy is imposed by applying an a.c. voltage difference, ΔV between the inner and outer spheres. The resulting electric field gradient in this spherical capacitor produces a central polarization force. The temperature dependence of the dielectric constant results in the second buoyancy force that is especially large near the inner sphere. The normal buoyancy is always present and, within the parameter range explored in our experiment, always results in a large-scale cell that is axisymmetric about the vertical. We have found that this flow becomes unstable to toroidal or spiral rolls that form near the inner sphere and travel vertically upward when ΔT and ΔV are suffciently high. These rolls start near the centre sphere's equator and travel upward toward its top. The onset of this instability depends on both the temperature difference at onset ΔTc and the voltage difference at onset ΔVc and these two quantities appear to be related, within the parameter range accessible to our experimental system, by a power law ΔVc ∝ ΔT1/3c. Measurements of the heat transfer show that these travelling rolls increase the heat transfer at onset. Far above onset, the heat transfer may actually decrease with increasing ΔT. The travelling roll's frequency increases with increasing ΔT near onset and with increasing ΔV far above onset. These results have been interpreted in terms of a flow structure that includes a thermal boundary-layer-like behaviour. This layer has a radial width that increases from the bottom pole to an unstable ‘latitude’ near the equator where the rolls appear.
A statistical concept to assess the uncertainty in Bayesian model weights and its impact on model ranking

Bayesian model averaging (BMA) ranks the plausibility of alternative conceptual models according to Bayes' theorem. A prior belief about each model's adequacy is updated to a posterior model probability based on the skill to reproduce observed data and on the principle of parsimony. The posterior model probabilities are then used as model weights for model ranking, selection, or averaging. Despite the statistically rigorous BMA procedure, model weights can become uncertain quantities due to measurement noise in the calibration data set or due to uncertainty in model input. Uncertain weights may in turn compromise the reliability of BMA results. We present a new statistical concept to investigate this weighting uncertainty, and thus, to assess the significance of model weights and the confidence in model ranking. Our concept is to resample the uncertain input or output data and then to analyze the induced variability in model weights. In the special case of weighting uncertainty due to measurement noise in the calibration data set, we interpret statistics of Bayesian model evidence to assess the distance of a model's performance from the theoretical upper limit. To illustrate our suggested approach, we investigate the reliability of soil‐plant model selection following up on a study by Wöhling et al. (2015). Results show that the BMA routine should be equipped with our suggested upgrade to (1) reveal the significant but otherwise undetected impact of measurement noise on model ranking results and (2) to decide whether the considered set of models should be extended with better performing alternatives.
Evolutionary design of analogue electronic circuits; current status

Analogue circuit design optimisation has for a long time been treated classically through a number of conventional optimisation techniques such as gradient methods or Hill-Climbing techniques. The component values produced by these conventional methods are typically assumed to be ideal with unrestricted values in a circuit configuration that is pre-defined. Therefore it would be very desirable to perform the search for an optimum design in a solution space that more closely reflects partial applications. Here, components may be restricted to have values that are selected from a menu of pre-defined preferred values, and have associated imperfections such as individual parasitics. It is further desirable that the circuit structure not be pre-defined since in general it would not be known to be optimal, but be included with the optimisation process. In this form, the optimisation problem is very complex with many local minima. These difficulties have suggested the use of evolutionary optimisation methods. The aim of this paper is to review progress to date and to describe some work in hand, on the evolutionary design of analogue electronic circuits. The use of genetic algorithms is more widely reported and dealt within this paper. (8 pages)
Practice of CYP450 genotyping and phenotyping in children in a real-life setting

Pharmacokinetics varies widely between children. Many factors play an important role in this variability, such as ontogeny, pharmacogenetics, gender, comorbidities, and drug-drug interactions. Significant work has already been done in adults to understand the impact of genetic polymorphisms on drug-metabolizing enzyme activity and drug response. Data remain poor in children due to ontogeny that impacts genotyping-phenotyping correlation and the difficulty enrolling children in prospective studies. Our study aimed to describe the use of cytochromes P450 (CYP) phenotyping and/or genotyping tests in children in a real-life setting and assess the correlation between the genotype and the phenotype. We reviewed the results of tests performed between January 2005 and December 2020. Fifty-two children were genotyped and/or phenotyped. Four patients were excluded from the present analysis as they only underwent ABCB1 genotyping, without CYP testing. Of the remainder, 18 underwent simultaneous CYP genotyping and phenotyping, while 17 underwent CYP genotyping only, and 13 underwent CYP phenotyping only. In all cases, investigations were performed after the following situations: insufficient clinical response to treatment, low plasma concentrations, and adverse drug reactions (ADR). The vast majority of cases were related to immunosuppressive or antipsychotic therapy. Genotyping and/or phenotyping explained or contributed to the aforementioned clinical events in 56% of cases. The correlation between the genotype and the phenotype showed variability depending on the assessed cytochrome. In several cases, the phenotype did not correspond to the genotype because of comedications. In conclusion, there is clearly value in guiding drug based on CYP activity in children.
An Artificial Placenta Experimental System in Sheep: Critical Issues for Successful Transition and Survival up to One Week

Objective: To describe the development of an artificial placenta (AP) system in sheep with learning curve and main bottlenecks to allow survival up to one week. Methods: A total of 28 fetal sheep were transferred to an AP system at 110–115 days of gestation. The survival goal in the AP system was increased progressively in three consecutive study groups: 1–3 h (n = 8), 4–24 h (n = 10) and 48–168 h (n = 10). Duration of cannulation procedure, technical complications, pH, lactate, extracorporeal circulation (EC) circuit flows, fetal heart rate, and outcomes across experiments were compared. Results: There was a progressive reduction in cannulation complications (75%, 50% and 0%, p = 0.004), improvement in initial pH (7.20 ± 0.06, 7.31 ± 0.04 and 7.33 ± 0.02, p = 0.161), and increment in the rate of experiments reaching survival goal (25%, 70% and 80%, p = 0.045). In the first two groups, cannulation accidents, air bubbles in the extracorporeal circuit, and thrombotic complications were the most common cause of AP system failure. Conclusions: Achieving a reproducible experimental setting for an AP system is extremely challenging, time- and effort-consuming, and requires a highly multidisciplinary team. As a result of the learning curve, we achieved reproducible transition and survival up to 7 days. Extended survival requires improving instrumentation with custom-designed devices.
Professors’ gender biases in assessing applicants for professorships

Recent evidence suggests that women are more likely to be selected for professorships when they apply. This female advantage may be partly due to the widely promoted gender-equality policy of having a substantial female quota in selection committees. Yet, research has rarely considered whether male and female committee members evaluate applicants for professorships differently. We address this research gap based on a large factorial survey experiment with German university professors from different disciplines. We asked these professors to rate how qualified hypothetical applicants are for full professorships and the likelihood of inviting these applicants for a job interview. We find that female applicants have an modest advantage both in their perceived qualifications and in their likelihood of being invited—with no differences between the male and female professors assessing them. Importantly, however, the female advantage in invitation does not apply to highly qualified female applicants but only to female applicants with low and mediocre perceived qualifications—again, there is no difference between male and female professors. Moreover, our analyses do not indicate a Matilda effect, that is, we do not find a co-authorship penalty for female applicants.
Mogurnda clivicola (Flinders Ranges Mogurnda): growth rate in the wild and further results of a monitoring program

ABSTRACT Mogurnda clivicola (Flinders Ranges Mogurnda) inhabits three spring-fed water hole systems of two otherwise dry creek beds in the northern Flinders Ranges of South Australia. Between 2017 and 2022, the fish were monitored for breeding and growth and indicators of water quality. Heavy rainfall events in February 2020, November 2021 and January 2022 led to at least two creek floods which stimulated large scale spawning on two occasions during the monitoring period. One and a half months after spawning, young fish had grown to between 1.5 and 2.5 cm in length and then between 7.5 and 9.0 cm in length by 27 months of age. Water flow between pools in the creek during the floods, allowed the fish to move into downstream pools of water that have not previously held fish during the study period. A thorough sampling of fish length frequency to comprehensively sample age ranges in the population is easily achieved by combining two capture methods dip-nets and baited fish traps. A small proportion of fish have skin lesions, but their prevalence does not seem to be increasing.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Composites

Recent research efforts have highlighted the potential of hybrid composites in the context of additive manufacturing. The use of hybrid composites can lead to an enhanced adaptability of the mechanical properties to the specific loading case. Furthermore, the hybridization of multiple fiber materials can result in positive hybrid effects such as increased stiffness or strength. In contrast to the literature, where only the interply and intrayarn approach has been experimentally validated, this study presents a new intraply approach, which is experimentally and numerically investigated. Three different types of tensile specimens were tested. The non-hybrid tensile specimens were reinforced with contour-based fiber strands of carbon and glass. In addition, hybrid tensile specimens were manufactured using an intraply approach with alternating carbon and glass fiber strands in a layer plane. In addition to experimental testing, a finite element model was developed to better understand the failure modes of the hybrid and non-hybrid specimens. The failure was estimated using the Hashin and Tsai–Wu failure criteria. The specimens showed similar strengths but greatly different stiffnesses based on the experimental results. The hybrid specimens demonstrated a significant positive hybrid effect in terms of stiffness. Using FEA, the failure load and fracture locations of the specimens were determined with good accuracy. Microstructural investigations of the fracture surfaces showed notable evidence of delamination between the different fiber strands of the hybrid specimens. In addition to delamination, strong debonding was particularly evident in all specimen types.
Gates’ bidding model (revisited)

Abstract Gates’ (1967) bidding model was one of the earliest proposed for construction bidding. Its most celebrated formula allows for calculating the probability of any bidder submitting the lowest bid when competing against several known competitors. This model has been shown to outperform many recent bidding models. However, it also suffers from important limitations that keep it from being applied in wider contexts. In this paper, we overcome two of such limitations. First, we extend Gates’ model to calculate the probability of a bidder ending in any position other than the first (lowest). Second, we propose an approach for extrapolating the probabilities of all bidders underbidding each other, even in those situations of limited access to historical bidding information. Overcoming these limitations significantly enhances Gates’ model in two ways. First, it allows anticipating the probabilities of winning an auction in best value auctions where bidders who submitted a competitive but not necessarily the lowest bid can still win. Second, our extension allows applying Gates’ formula in situations of incomplete information. This is especially interesting when some bidders have not met in previous auctions and there is no information from them individually underbidding each other.
Clinical Evaluation of an Antigen Home Test Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Stacking Pad for SARS-CoV-2 Screening with Nasal and Salivary Swab Samples

This prospective study aimed to evaluate the performance of the InstaView COVID-19 (coronavirus diseases 2019) Antigen Home Test (InstaView AHT) which detects severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigens. In this test kit, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy was used, a stacking pad was inserted, and nasal swab and salivary swab samples were used simultaneously to improve performance. The clinical performance of the InstaView AHT was compared to that of RT-PCR using nasopharyngeal samples. The participants without any prior training were recruited and performed the sample collection, testing, and interpretation of the results by themselves. Of the 91 PCR-positive patients, 85 had positive InstaView AHT results. The sensitivity and specificity of the InstaView AHT were 93.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 86.2–97.5) and 99.4% (95% CI: 98.2–99.9). The sensitivity of the InstaView AHT was above 90% for all samples obtained from patients with Ct ≤ 20, 20 < Ct ≤ 25, and 25 < Ct ≤ 30 (100%, 95.1%, and 92.0%, respectively). The InstaView AHT can be used as an alternative to RT-PCR testing because of its relatively high sensitivity and specificity, especially when SARS-CoV-2 prevalence is high, and the availability of RT-PCR testing is limited.
Carrier capture times in quantum-well, -wire, and -box distributed-feedback lasers characterized by dynamic lasing emission measurements

We report experimental and theoretical studies of carrier capture times in low-dimensional semiconductor distributed feedback lasers with three different typical active region structures: quantum well (QW), wire, and box. The total effective carrier capture times of the lasers are directly determined by means of dynamic lasing emission measurements. By systematical comparison of QW, wire and box lasers, we evidence a strong dependence of the total effective carrier capture time on the packing density of the active region, which indicates the significant contribution of the local quantum capture time to the total effective carrier capture time, as revealed firstly by Kan et al. (1993). The intrinsic local carrier quantum capture time can be deduced from this kind of study. The determined local quantum carrier capture time for the InGaAs-InGaAsP QW laser is about 3 ps at 2 K, which is well consistent with a detailed quantum mechanics calculation. Furthermore, by comparison of box lasers with an approximate equal box size (70 nm) but different box densities, we find that the determined local quantum capture time of the box lasers is only about 2.4 ps at low temperature. We believe that this is a direct experimental indication of the existence of an efficient channel for carrier capture and relaxation in the investigated quantum-box system. The systematic comparison of QW, wire and dot lasers reveals the dominant limitation of the geometry effect on the high speed modulation of quantum wire and dot lasers, except when the quantum wires and dots are packed with a quite high density.
Energy and angular distribution of ions emitted from a plasma after relativistic self-focusing of laser beams *

High-intensity laser beams propagating in a plasma become focused because the index of refraction depends on the relativistic mass of the electron and therefore is a function of the electric field strength through the electron velocity. Around the focus the laser field has such a high density of energy that electrons and ions are emitted owing to the nonlinear force arising from this field. The equations of motion for the electrons and the ions and the Maxwellian equations for the laser and plasma fields are solved under certain approximations. We calculate the maximal energy and the angular distribution of the emitted ions and compare the results with experimental data.
Cyclodextrin-Based Displacement Strategy of Sterigmatocystin from Serum Albumin as a Novel Approach for Acute Poisoning Detoxification

This study demonstrates that sterigmatocystin (STC) interacts non-covalently with various cyclodextrins (CDs), showing the highest binding affinity for sugammadex (a γ-CD derivative) and γ-CD, and an almost order of magnitude lower affinity for β-CD. This difference in affinity was studied using molecular modelling and fluorescence spectroscopy, which demonstrated a better insertion of STC into larger CDs. In parallel, we showed that STC binds to human serum albumin (HSA) (a blood protein known for its role as a transporter of small molecules) with an almost two order of magnitude lower affinity compared to sugammadex and γ-CD. Competitive fluorescence experiments clearly demonstrated an efficient displacement of STC from the STC–HSA complex by cyclodextrins. These results are a proof-of-concept that CDs can be used to complex STC and related mycotoxins. Similarly, as sugammadex extracts neuromuscular relaxants (e.g., rocuronium and vecuronium) from blood and blocks their bioactivity, it could also be used as first aid upon acute intoxication to encapsulate a larger part of the STC mycotoxin from serum albumin.
Experimental investigation of reservoir geometry effect on dam-break flow

Experimental data related to the analysis of reservoir geometry effects on dam-break flows are provided. Four different reservoir plan shapes were considered, namely a long reservoir, a wide, a trapezoidal shaped and one with a 90° bend. Time variations of the water level were measured with ultrasonic sensors and a high-speed camera. Velocity components were recorded using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter. It was observed that 2D effects are enhanced in the wide and trapezoidal reservoirs and that the long and 90° bend reservoirs produce similar results, with a mainly 1D flow. Finally, discharge estimates based on the water level and velocity data were compared with predictions by empirical formula. Due to the simplified geometry considered, existing formulae are only indicative and cannot be directly applied to practice.