Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cusum procedure for monitoring variability

In this paper, a CUSUM procedure is given for monitoring for a decrease in the variance (process improvement) as well as a two-sided CUSUM which monitors for both increases and decreases in the variance. The observations are assumed to be independent and normally distributed. The procedure is based on the log¬arithm of the likelihood ratio of the probability density functions under the two competing hypotheses. Formulae that approximate the average run length of the CUSUM procedure for detecting an increase (or decrease) in the variance of a normal distribution are given. These formulae, when corrected for the overshoot from the boundary, provide a very accurate approximation
Large, Uni-directional Actuation in Dielectric Elastomers Achieved By Fiber Stiffening

Cylindrical actuators are made with dielectric elastomer sheets stiffened with fibers in the hoop direction. When a voltage is applied through the thickness of the sheets, large actuation strains are achievable in the axial direction, with or without pre-straining and mechanical loading. For example, actuation strains of 35.8% for a cylinder with a prestrain of 40%, and 28.6% for a cylinder without pre-strain have been achieved without any optimization. Furthermore, the actuation strain is independent of the aspect ratio of the cylinder, so that both large strains and large displacements are readily actuated by using long cylinders.Cylindrical actuators are made with dielectric elastomer sheets stiffened with fibers in the hoop direction. When a voltage is applied through the thickness of the sheets, large actuation strains are achievable in the axial direction, with or without pre-straining and mechanical loading. For example, actuation strains of 35.8% for a cylinder with a prestrain of 40%, and 28.6% for a cylinder without pre-strain have been achieved without any optimization. Furthermore, the actuation strain is independent of the aspect ratio of the cylinder, so that both large strains and large displacements are readily actuated by using long cylinders.
Health information in creative translation: establishing a collaborative project of research and exhibition making

ABSTRACT There are numerous ways that researchers can creatively approach social research and translation. This article discusses elements from the first stages of a novel project that centres social research translation in the form of a public exhibition. ‘Creative Approaches to Health Information Ecologies’ is a project by a multidisciplinary research team in collaboration with an Australian health consumer organisation. The project uses creative workshop methods to explore how people learn, think, and feel about their bodies and health states, and brings attention to the significance of communities, places, spaces, objects, and other living things – the ‘ecologies’ of health information. It then builds on these insights to create an interactive exhibition of materials designed for public engagement. This reflexive article unpacks how this creative translation-centred collaboration contributed to the make-up of the project team, the project's research methods, and the process of making exhibition materials. We discuss what the research team learned from the process about creative collaboration, research-creation, and research translation.
The Magnetic Fields in the Ophiuchus and Taurus Molecular Clouds

We discuss the significance of previously published OH Zeeman effect measurements of the magnetic field in the ρ Oph cloud (L1688) and also a new OH Zeeman effect measurement for the dark cloud core TMC-1C, the latter obtained with the Arecibo telescope. Results for both of these clouds, like previously published OH Zeeman results for other dark clouds, show that the line-of-sight field strength |B||| ≤ 10 μG. The ρ Oph cloud is significantly higher in column density than other clouds studied, and recent H I Zeeman effect observations have revealed B|| ≈ +10 μG in the H I self-absorption region in front of the cloud. The low values of B derived from the OH Zeeman effect may indicate that OH poorly samples the dense gas in the ρ Oph cloud, or else that the cloud is in a state of supercritical collapse. The TMC-1C cloud core may have formed via ambipolar diffusion in a manner similar to recent modeling of dark cloud Barnard 1.
On the Kelvin–Helmholtz route to turbulence

Abstract In their transition from a laminar state to turbulence, some unstable flows pass through a set of well-defined stages involving different and distinct processes. This is so, in particular, for Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, although details of its transition still retain many mysterious aspects. Billows develop in the primary stage of this stratified shear flow instability, separated by thin braids in which the shear is relatively high. Fluid is statically unstable within the billows and consequently potentially prone to convective instability. Numerical studies by Mashayek & Peltier (J. Fluid Mech., this issue, vol 708, 2012a,b, pp. 5–44 and 45–70) have discovered several new types of secondary instability in the braids and billow cores that may hasten the eventual transition to turbulence. The instabilities are illustrated by the authors in colour figures, remarkable for their beauty and (recalling William Blake’s ‘The Tyger’) ‘fearful symmetry’. But are they helpful in establishing the subsequent turbulence in the natural environment?
Effect of dialyzer geometry on coagulation activation in the extracorporeal circuit in maintenance hemodialysis patients: Prospective randomized trial

The coagulation cascade is activated during hemodialysis (HD) due to interaction of blood with the dialysis circuit. There is a paucity of data on the effect of the physical structure of the dialyzers on coagulation activation during HD. We conducted this study to compare the effect of Helixone FX80 versus Platinum H4 dialyzers on coagulation activation during HD.
Larval development and poor trophic resource availability: Local adaptations and plasticity in a widespread amphibian species

Theory predicts that, in organisms with complex life cycles, if the earlier‐stage limiting factor induces weak later‐stage phenotypes, the development of the later‐stage trait should evolve to reduce carry‐over effects. Local adaptations could thus favour decoupling of later stages. However, decoupling is not always possible. In this study, we used a widespread amphibian, the European fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), to assess the role of local adaptations to environmental stressful conditions experienced at the larval stage. We exposed 150 larvae from different altitudes to two conditions: rich food and poor food condition. Conditions in early life stages can affect an individual's traits, either as a direct effect or mediated through outcomes in successive life stages. To distinguish between effects of rearing conditions and local adaptation, we searched for a causal model. The causal model detected effects of both food treatment and population origin (altitude) on all life stages. Larvae reared under rich food condition metamorphosed earlier, had higher growth rates and reached smaller size at metamorphosis. Significant differences occurred between larvae of different origin: low‐altitude individuals performed poorly under the poor food treatment. Moreover, larvae from higher altitudes were slower with rich food and faster with poor food compared to those from lower altitudes. Our results underline that environmental conditions and local adaptation can interplay in determining the plasticity of larval stages, still adaptations can maximize the growth efficiency of early stages in oligotrophic environments, leading to divergent pathways across populations and environmental conditions.
The discovery of 2.93 hour periodic intensity dips from X1323-619

A 30 hr duration Exosat observation of the low-mass X-ray binary X1323-619 is reported. The 1-8 keV light curve obtained with the medium-energy (ME) instrument shows irregular intensity dips that recur every 2.93 hr as well as type 1 X-ray bursts. The intensity declines to about 50 percent of its unaffected value during the 50-minute duration dips. The dip and burst-free ME spectrum is similar to that of other X-ray burst sources, being fitted by a power-law model with energy index 0.5. Considerable low-energy absorption is also required. Spectral changes observed during dipping intervals are consistent with absorption by material with a wide range of abundances. From an analysis of the burst properties, the distance of X1323-619 is constrained to be between 10 and 20 kpc. 37 references.
Intermediate rank lattice rules for multidimensional integration

Every lattice rule in s dimensions may be characterised by an integer m, lying between 1 and s inclusive, called the rank or index of the rule and a set of m positive integers called the invariants. Earlier work has shown that, in a certain precise sense, lattice rules of rank s are better than the commonly used rank-1 rules. Here this earlier work is extended by showing that a similar result holds for certain lattice rules of intermediate rank $m < s$.
Alternating proximal algorithms with asymptotically vanishing coupling. Application to domain decomposition for PDE's

Let 𝒳, 𝒴, 𝒵 be real Hilbert spaces, let f : 𝒳 → ℝ ∪ {+∞}, g : 𝒴 → ℝ ∪ {+∞} be closed convex functions and let A : 𝒳 → 𝒵, B : 𝒴 → 𝒵 be linear continuous operators. Given a sequence (γ n ) which increases towards infinity as n → +∞, we study the following alternating proximal algorithm: where α and ν are positive parameters. If the sequence (γ n ) increases moderately slowly towards infinity, the algorithm (𝒜) tends to minimize the function over the set C = argmin f × argmin g (assumed to be nonempty). An illustration of this result is given in the area of domain decomposition for PDE's.
Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Progression Increases Risk of Incident Parkinsonism

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is associated with motor impairments and parkinsonian signs cross‐sectionally, however, there are little longitudinal data on whether SVD increases risk of incident parkinsonism itself. We investigated the relation between baseline SVD severity as well as SVD progression, and incident parkinsonism over a follow‐up of 14 years.
Understanding the uptake of diagnostics for sustainable gastrointestinal nematode control by European dairy cattle farmers: a multi-country cross-sectional study

To mitigate emerging anthelmintic resistance (AR) in cattle, sustainable gastrointestinal nematode control strategies should be adopted. A multi-centre study was set up to understand the factors affecting European dairy cattle farmers’ adoption of diagnostics and to gauge for differences between regions. The data were collected through a multi-lingual survey by participating countries of the European Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST) action COMbatting Anthelmintic Resistance in ruminants (COMBAR). Four countries provided sufficient data to be included in the data analysis: Norway, Italy, Germany and Austria. Three models were estimated and validated through structural equation modelling. Norway, along with Germany and Austria (pooled dataset) showed similar trends that align with previous studies. AR risk perception had no influence on the adoption intention of diagnostics, a positive influence was found for attitude towards diagnostics and subjective norms (i.e., perceived opinion of others), and a negative influence of attitudes towards anthelminthics. Additionally, routine (i.e., perception of the current treatment) had an indirect effect on adoption intention through attitudes. Italy’s data deviated from these findings, presenting a positive effect of the perceived severity of AR, and perceived behavioural control (i.e., perceived ability to perform a specific behaviour) on adoption intention of diagnostics. Finally, Norway’s data set allowed for inclusion of a measurement of current behaviour in the model, identifying a direct positive effect of the perceived actual behaviour of other farmers on their own behaviour.
Identification and Development of a 4-Gene Ferroptosis Signature Predicting Overall Survival for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a well-differentiated disease, which makes the diagnosis and therapeutic strategy a difficult problem. While ferroptosis, as an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death, it plays an important role in causing several types of cancer. This study is aimed at exploring the prognostic value of ferroptosis-related genes in DLBCL. Methods: In our study, mRNA expression and matching clinical data of DLBCL patients were derived from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. First, multivariate cox regression model and nomogram which can predict the DLBCL patients’ prognosis were built and validated. The multigene signature was constructed and optimized by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) cox regression model. Also, ferroptosis-related subtypes were developed by consistent cluster. Last but not least, we explored the association between categories of infiltrating immune cells and model genes’ expression. Results: Our results showed that 27 gene expressions were correlated with overall survival (OS) in the univariate cox regression analysis. A 4-gene signature was constructed through these genes to stratify patients into high-low risk groups using risk score derived from model (model 1:gene expression model). The OS of patients in the high-risk group was shorter than that of patients in the low-risk group in the TNM stage and clinically distinct subtypes (activated B cell [ABC], germinal center B cell [GCB]) (P < .001). Furthermore, it was shown that the risk score was an independent factor in clinical cox regression model for OS (model 2:clinical model) (HR>1, P < .010). Besides, in consistent cluster analysis, ferroptosis prognosis status was different among 3 subtypes. Moreover, the correlation analysis between 4-gene with immune cells showed dendritic cells may be significantly associated with DLBCL. Conclusion: This research constructed an innovative ferroptosis-related gene signature for prognostic estimation of DLBCL patients. Solutions targeting ferroptosis could be an important therapeutic intervention for DLBCL.
Factors that promote resilience for older adults and their informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Objectives The aim of this cross-sectional, descriptive study was to characterize the impact of modifiable activities on older adult mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and to understand the interaction between older adult behaviors and the mental health of their informal caregivers. Methods This study leveraged the National Health and Aging Trends Study and associated Family and Friends survey completed 2020–2021. Participants included 3,257 community dwelling older adults and 2,062 associated unpaid caregivers, weighted sample sizes 26,074,143 and 21,871,408, respectively. Results Older adult engagement in volunteering, religious, or group activities was associated with decreased older adult depression, as was increased walking or vigorous activity. However, online compared to in-person participation correlated with greater loneliness in older adults and anxiety for their caregivers. Finally, increased appreciation by the care recipient correlated with decreased caregiver depression. Conclusion Overall, a close interaction exists between caregiver and older adult behavior and psychiatric symptoms. Online activities are not an equivalent substitute for in-person activities during required social isolation; however, they remain superior to no participation. Further, increased walking and caregiver appreciation may ameliorate some of the harms of isolation. Health care providers should continue to promote engagement, exercise, and appreciation as ways to improve older adult and informal caregiver mental health.
Epigenomic variability is associated with age‐specific naïve CD4 T cell response to activation in infants and adolescents

Childhood is a critical period of immune development. During this time, naïve CD4 (nCD4) T cells undergo programmed cell differentiation, mediated by epigenetic changes, in response to external stimuli leading to a baseline homeostatic state that may determine lifelong disease risk. However, the ontogeny of epigenetic signatures associated with CD4 T cell activation during key developmental periods are yet to be described. We investigated genome‐wide DNA methylation (DNAm) changes associated with nCD4 T activation following 72 h culture in media+anti‐CD3/CD28 beads in healthy infants (aged 12 months, n = 18) and adolescents (aged 10–15 years, n = 15). We integrated these data with transcriptomic and cytokine profiling from the same samples. nCD4 T cells from both age groups show similar extensive epigenetic reprogramming following activation, with the majority of genes involved in the T cell receptor signaling pathway associated with differential methylation. Additionally, we identified differentially methylated probes showing age‐specific responses, that is, responses in only infants or adolescents, including within a cluster of T cell receptor (TCR) genes. These encoded several TCR alpha joining (TRAJ), and TCR alpha variable (TRAV) genes. Cytokine data analysis following stimulation revealed enhanced release of IFN‐γ, IL‐2 and IL‐10, in nCD4 T cells from adolescents compared with infants. Overlapping differential methylation and cytokine responses identified four probes potentially underpinning these age‐specific responses. We show that DNAm in nCD4T cells in response to activation is dynamic in infancy and adolescence, with additional evidence for age‐specific effects potentially driving variation in cytokine responses between these ages.
Foliar Residual Toxicity of Insecticides to Brassica Pests and Their Natural Enemies

Abstract Overuse of pesticides can result in the development of resistance, secondary pest outbreaks, and pest resurgence due to a reduction in natural enemies. The present study compares the residual toxicity of lambda-cyhalothrin, a relatively nonselective insecticide, with abamectin, indoxacarb, and spinosad, compounds which have been reported to be less harmful to arthropod natural enemies. Two key cosmopolitan pests of crucifer crops, (Plutella xylostella) and (Myzus persicae), and two of their respective hymenopteran parasitoids, (Cotesia vestalis) and (Aphidius colemani) were used as representative pests and natural enemies. The pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin was found to be the most persistent toxicant against both pest and both parasitoid species tested, while the lactones abamectin and spinosad were the least persistent toxicants. A leaf wax stripping technique was used to compare the contact toxicity of insecticide residues against adult C. vestalis and A. colemani in the epicuticular wax layer. For each compound, removal of epicuticular wax reduced the 24 h residual toxicity (LC50) of fresh deposits (day 0) by about an order of magnitude against C. vestalis. A second residual toxicity experiment showed that removal of epicuticular wax significantly reduced the residual toxicity of each compound against A. colemani at 0, 7, and 14 d after application, with little or no detectable residual activity for the oxadiazine indoxacarb or abamectin/spinosad respectively after 14 d. The present data supports the view that in addition to the intrinsic toxicity of insecticides to natural enemies, differences in their persistence as foliar residues should also be considered in IPM systems.
Morphological and molecular markers of mouse area CA2 along the proximodistal and dorsoventral hippocampal axes

Hippocampal area CA2 is a molecularly and functionally distinct region of the hippocampus that has classically been defined as the area with large pyramidal neurons lacking input from the dentate gyrus and the thorny excrescences (TEs) characteristic of CA3 neurons. A modern definition of CA2, however, makes use of the expression of several molecular markers that distinguish it from neighboring CA3 and CA1. Using immunohistochemistry, we sought to characterize the staining patterns of commonly used CA2 markers along the dorsal–ventral hippocampal axis and determine how these markers align along the proximodistal axis. We used a region of CA2 that stained for both Regulator of G‐protein Signaling 14 (RGS14) and Purkinje Cell Protein 4 (PCP4; “double‐labeled zone” [DLZ]) as a reference. Here, we report that certain commonly used CA2 molecular markers may be better suited for drawing distinct boundaries between CA2/3 and CA2/1. For example, RGS14+ and STEP+ neurons showed minimal to no extension into area CA1 while areas stained with VGluT2 and Wisteria Floribunda agglutinin were consistently smaller than the DLZ/CA2 borders by ~100 μ on the CA1 or CA3 sides respectively. In addition, these patterns are dependent on position along the dorsal–ventral hippocampal axis such that PCP4 labeling often extended beyond the distal border of the DLZ into CA1. Finally, we found that, consistent with previous findings, mossy fibers innervate a subset of RGS14 positive neurons (~65%–70%) and that mossy fiber bouton number and relative size in CA2 are less than that of boutons in CA3. Unexpectedly, we did find evidence of some complex spines on apical dendrites in CA2, though much fewer in number than in CA3. Our results indicate that certain molecular markers may be better suited than others when defining the proximal and distal borders of area CA2 and that the presence or absence of complex spines alone may not be suitable as a distinguishing feature differentiating CA3 from CA2 neurons.
Massive Loss of Proprioceptive Ia Synapses in Rat Spinal Motoneurons after Nerve Crush Injuries in the Postnatal Period

Visual Abstract Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) induce the retraction from the ventral horn of the synaptic collaterals of Ia afferents injured in the nerve, effectively removing Ia synapses from α-motoneurons. The loss of Ia input impairs functional recovery and could explain, in part, better recovery after PNIs with better Ia synaptic preservation. Synaptic losses correlate with injury severity, speed, and efficiency of muscle reinnervation and requires ventral microglia activation. It is unknown whether this plasticity is age dependent. In neonates, axotomized motoneurons and sensory neurons undergo apoptosis, but after postnatal day 10 most survive. The goal of this study was to analyze vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGluT1)-labeled Ia synapses (which also include II afferents) after nerve crush in 10 day old rats, a PNI causing little Ia/II synapse loss in adult rats. We confirmed fast and efficient reinnervation of leg muscles; however, a massive number of VGluT1/Ia/II synapses were permanently lost. This synapse loss was similar to that after more severe nerve injuries involving full transection in adults. In adults, disappearance of ventrally directed Ia/II collaterals targeting α-motoneurons was associated with a prolonged microglia reaction and a CCR2 mechanism that included infiltration of CCR2 blood immune cells. By contrast, microgliosis after P10 injuries was fast, resolved in about a week, and there was no evidence of peripheral immune cell infiltration. We conclude that VGluT1/Ia/II synapse loss in young animals differs in mechanism, perhaps associated with higher microglia synaptic pruning activity at this age and results in larger losses after milder nerve injuries.