Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HTR1A, TPH2, and 5-HTTLPR Polymorphisms and Their Impact on the Severity of Depressive Symptoms and on the Concentration of Tryptophan Catabolites during Hepatitis C Treatment with Pegylated Interferon-α2a and Oral Ribavirin (PEG-IFN-α2a/RBV)

Background: Seeing that there are no data about associations between serotonin gene polymorphism and tryptophan catabolite concentration during PEG-IFN-α2a treatment, the aim of the current study is to examine (a) the associations between polymorphisms within the HTR1A, TPH2, and 5-HTT genes and the severity of depression symptoms and (b) the relationships among rs6295, rs4570625, and 5-HTTLPR rs25531polymorphisms and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) activity, as well as kynurenine (KYN), tryptophan (TRP), kynurenic acid (KA), and anthranilic acid (AA) concentrations. Materials and methods: The study followed a prospective, longitudinal, single-center cohort design. The severity of the depressive symptoms of 101 adult patients with chronic HCV infections was measured during PEG-IFN-α2a/RBV treatment. We used the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) to assess the severity of depressive symptoms. The subjects were evaluated six times—at baseline and at weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24. At all the time points, MADRS score, as well as KYN, TRP, KA, and AA concentrations, and IDO activity were measured. At baseline, rs6295, rs4570625, and 5-HTTLPR rs25531polymorphisms were assessed. Results: Subjects with C/C genotypes of 5-HT1A and lower-expressing alleles (S/S, LG/LG, and S/LG) of 5-HTTLPR scored the highest total MADRS scores and recorded the highest increase in MADRS scores during treatment. We found associations between TRP concentrations and the TPH-2 and 5-HTTLPR rs25531 genotypes. Conclusions: Our findings provide new data that we believe can help better understand infection-induced depression as a distinct type of depression.
The Other Social Science: Three centuries of common heterodoxy

This paper starts with the observation that at least for the last century there has been an orthodoxy in the social sciences characterized by sui generis structures of various kinds but also (paradoxically) by the unique role of individuals in their ability to intervene in the flow of events. This paper argues that there is a commonality to a number of challenges to orthodoxy that dates back to the beginnings of the social sciences themselves with Vico. Although many connections have been made between elements of these critiques (Latour’s connection to Whitehead, Deleuze’s connection to Tarde), this paper proposes to make such connections more explicit by focusing on a central commitment to or tendency towards a monism characterized by a univocal ontology. The implication is that these various alternatives perhaps have more in common than normally thought and can continue to learn from each other. Most importantly, they present a coherent and viable alternative to social science orthodoxy.
Viscous flow past a flat plate with uniform injection

The boundary-layer equations for an incompressible fluid in motion past a flat plate are examined, numerically and analytically, in the special case when the pressure gradient vanishes and there is a uniform injection of fluid from the plate. In the numerical study the principal properties of the boundary layer are computed as far as separation (x ═ xδ ≑ 0.7456) with a high degree of accuracy. In the analytic study the structure of the singularity at separation is determined. It is of a new kind in boundary layer theory and its elucidation requires the division of the boundary layer into three zones—an outer zone in which the non-dimensional velocity u is much larger than x* (the non-dimensional distance from separation), a central zone in which u ~ x* and an inner zone in which u ≪ x*. A match is effected between solutions in the central and inner zones from which it is inferred that the skin friction τ0 ~ (x* / In (1/x*) 2 as x* → 0. A completely satisfactory agreement between the numerical and analytic studies was not possible. The reason is that the analytic study is only valid when ln ( 1 /x*) ≫ 1 which means that for the analytic and numerical studies to have a common region of validity, the numerical integration must be extended to much smaller values of x* than is possible at present. It was also not possible to effect a match between the central and outer zones in the analytic solution due to the difficulty of finding the properties of the stress τ in the central zone as u/x* →∞.
Scattering of an obliquely incident acoustic wave by an infinite cylinder

Expressions are derived for the scattered farfield pressure which results from the illumination of an infinite aluminum cylinder by a plane acoustic wave, whose propagation direction makes an arbitrary angle, α, with the normal to the cylinder axis. Computations are made at angles between α=0 ° and the Rayleigh critical angle, α=31.3 °. Changes in the scattered field are related to shifts in the paths of geometric and elastic surface waves from circumferential at α=0 °, to helical, to axial Rayleigh surface waves generated at the Rayleigh critical angle.
The behavior of a beam fixed on small sets of one of its extremities

In this paper we study the asymptotic behavior of the solution of an anisotropic, heterogeneous, linearized elasticity system in a thin cylinder (a beam). The beam is fixed (homogeneous Dirichlet boundary condition) on the whole of one of its extremities but only on several small fixing sets on the other extremity; on the remainder of the boundary the Neumann boundary condition holds. As far as the boundary conditions are concerned, the result depends on the size and on the arrangement of the small fixing sets. In particular, we show that it is equivalent to fix the beam at one of its extremities on 3 unaligned small fixing sets or on 1 or 2 fixing set(s) of bigger size.
Influence diagnostics and outlier tests for semiparametric mixed models

Summary. Semiparametric mixed models are useful in biometric and econometric applications, especially for longitudinal data. Maximum penalized likelihood estimators (MPLEs) have been shown to work well by Zhang and co‐workers for both linear coefficients and nonparametric functions. This paper considers the role of influence diagnostics in the MPLE by extending the case deletion and subject deletion analysis of linear models to accommodate the inclusion of a nonparametric component. We focus on influence measures for the fixed effects and provide formulae that are analogous to those for simpler models and readily computable with the MPLE algorithm. We also establish an equivalence between the case or subject deletion model and a mean shift outlier model from which we derive tests for outliers. The influence diagnostics proposed are illustrated through a longitudinal hormone study on progesterone and a simulated example.
Orthodontic Approaches in the Management of Mandibular Fractures: A Scoping Review

Non-surgical approaches have been proposed in the management of mandibular fractures, especially in children, but there is a lack of clear guidelines on the clinical indications of conservative approaches. The aim of this scoping review is to provide the available evidence of the role of the orthodontist in the management of mandibular fractures. The PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed to select eligible articles from the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases according to precise inclusion criteria. The research questions were formulated as follows: “what is the scientific evidence concerning the rule of orthodontists in the management of mandibular fractures” and “the preferential use of the direct bonding technique with orthodontic brackets rather than rigid arch bars”? Seventeen articles were included. Five articles presented the use of removable acrylic splints or functional appliances, six articles concerned the employment of cemented acrylic or rigid splints, and six articles described the management of mandibular fractures in adults and children using orthodontic brackets or mini-screws. Most of these techniques have been employed in children and growing subjects, while fewer data were available regarding conservative treatments in adults. Preliminary evidence suggests that condylar and some minor parasymphyseal fractures in children may be managed with conservative approaches. In adults, minor condylar and stable body mandibular fractures with minimal displacement have been reduced similarly. However, there are no sufficient elements that could suggest the preferential use of orthodontic brackets over rigid arch bars in adults. Further randomized and non-randomized clinical trials with long follow-ups will be needed to better define the clinical indications of the orthodontic approaches in the management of mandibular fractures based on severity, location, and age.
Galactic orbits of Planetary Nebulae unveil thin and thick disk populations and cast light on interaction with the interstellar medium

We report reliable proper motion values for the central stars of four Planetary Nebulae (PNe). The proper motions have been compiled from existing optical catalogues i.e. Tycho-2, UCAC2, USNO-B and GSC-II, which are the product of large scale surveys. Results from the different sources have been compared and excellent agreement has been found in all cases reported here. Using known PNe distances and radial velocities, we then computed their Galactic velocity components which, by using a simplified model of the Galactic gravitational field, have allowed us to derive, for the first time, their Galactic orbits. These have provided the first kinematic evidence of the existence of thin and thick Galactic disk PNe populations. This approach, extended to a larger sample of PNe, will result in a statistically more solid basis. For our four individual objects though, the determination of the spatial velocity vector has already provided useful insights into their interaction with the ambient interstellar medium (ISM), confirming that the motion of the central star and the nebular shell through the ISM is the root cause for the interaction process. Our results therefore show how a more quantitative understanding of the interaction process can be achieved in the future. This would provide new insight into the return of metal enriched matter to the ISM, which in turn is in no small part responsible for the chemical evolution of galaxies.
Tobacco Use and Cessation among a Nationally Representative Sample of Men in India, 2019–2021

Tobacco users are exposed to a higher risk of noncommunicable diseases, leading to premature mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The future prediction indicates that tobacco-related mortality and morbidity rates will substantially increase in coming years. The study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of tobacco consumption and cessation attempts for different tobacco products among adult men in India. The study utilized information from India's latest National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) data which was conducted during 2019-21, including 988,713 adult men aged 15 years and above and 93,144 men aged 15-49. Results suggest that 38 percent of men consume tobacco, including 29% in urban and 43% in rural areas. Among the men aged 35-49 years, the odds were significantly higher for consuming any form of tobacco (AOR: 7.36, CI: 6.72-8.05), smoking cigarettes (AOR: 2.56, CI: 2.23-2.94), and smoking bidi (AOR: 7.12, CI: 4.75-8.82) as compared to those aged 15-19. The application of multilevel model indicates that tobacco usages are not evenly distributed. In addition, there is maximum clustering of tobacco usages found around household level factors. Further, 30% of men aged 35-49 years attempted to stop consuming tobacco. Though 27% of men tried to quit tobacco in the last 12 months and 69% of men are exposed to secondhand smoke, 51% of men who received advice for quitting tobacco and visited the hospital in the last 12 months belong to the lowest wealth quintile. These findings prioritize promoting awareness about adverse effects of tobacco use, especially in rural areas, and capacitate them to adopt cessation efforts so that those who want to quit may be successful in their efforts. In addition, the health system's response to the tobacco epidemic in the country should be strengthened by training of service providers to promote cessation efforts through appropriate counselling of all the patients visiting them in the context of tobacco use in any form as key drivers of the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.
Impact of oestrus synchronization devices on ewes vaginal microbiota and artificial insemination outcome

Introduction The low pregnancy rate by artificial insemination in sheep represents a fundamental challenge for breeding programs. In this species, oestrus synchronization is carried out by manipulating hormonal regimens through the insertion of progestogen intravaginal devices. This reproductive strategy may alter the vaginal microbiota affecting the artificial insemination outcome. Methods In this study, we analyzed the vaginal microbiome of 94 vaginal swabs collected from 47 ewes with alternative treatments applied to the progesterone-releasing intravaginal devices (probiotic, maltodextrin, antibiotic and control), in two sample periods (before placing and after removing the devices). To our knowledge, this is the first study using nanopore-based metagenome sequencing for vaginal microbiome characterization in livestock. Results Our results revealed a significant lower abundance of the genera Oenococcus (Firmicutes) and Neisseria (Proteobacteria) in pregnant compared to non-pregnant ewes. We also detected a significant lower abundance of Campylobacter in the group of samples treated with the probiotic. Discussion Although the use of probiotics represents a promising practice to improve insemination results, the election of the suitable species and concentration requires further investigation. In addition, the use of progestogen in the synchronization devices seemed to increase the alpha-diversity and decrease the abundance of harmful microorganisms belonging to Gammaproteobacteria and Fusobacteriia classes, suggesting a beneficial effect of their use.
Making an executable paper with the Python in Heliophysics Community to foster open science and improve reproducibility

We share the story of how we made this paper, the first executable paper in Heliophysics, through cross-disciplinary collaboration to highlight the benefits of our process. Executable papers are interactive documents that put a publication’s text inline with the code used in the research in a containerized environment with the data and dependencies needed to run the code. This approach enables readers to reproduce every step taken to arrive at the publication’s conclusions and to easily build upon and extend the work—all important components of open science. Open science is, broadly speaking, transparent and accessible knowledge that is shared and developed through collaborative networks. In this work, we present an adaptable workflow to compare magnetosphere models to spacecraft observations. It is one example of many other workflows that can be developed through collaborations between software developers and scientists in a move towards open science. Most of the authors are members of the Python in Heliophysics Community (PyHC), an international, multi-organizational community that serves as a knowledge base for performing Heliophysics research in the Python programming language. PyHC promotes the executable paper format as a supplemental tool to improve the reproducibility of publications and support open science. A key takeaway is that our collaboration made such a complex task an easy feat in the end. Additionally, the executable version of our paper makes it trivial for others to reproduce our work, and it gives them a better launching point to extend it. These facts underscore the success of our approach. In highlighting this new open science approach, we hope to be an example to our field and encourage this way of doing science.
GaAs-based modulation-doped quantum-well infrared photodetectors for single- and two-color detection in 3-5 /spl mu/m

Double-barrier quantum-well infrared photodetectors are promising for operation in the midinfrared region. In this paper, we present a series of novel molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown devices based on modulation-doped (MD) AlGaAs-AlAs-GaAs structures that exhibit a remarkable responsivity at zero bias (0.05 A/W) at 4.6 /spl mu/m. Since the photovoltaic properties are strongly dependent on the symmetry of the potential profile, we have systematically varied the position of the dopant in the barriers for a series of single-color detectors. Low-temperature photocurrent spectra and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics (in the dark and under illumination) show that the location of the dopant is a relevant design parameter, due to its role in the photovoltaic behavior (i.e., the presence or absence of zero bias signal). The performance of the MD devices is compared with that of a detector with doping in the center of the well and otherwise the same structure. In particular, the responsivity and detectivity seem to be higher for the MD detectors than for well-doped samples, especially when the dopant is located in the barrier closest to the substrate. Therefore, we have chosen that MD dopant profile when designing and growing, to our knowledge, the first 3-5 /spl mu/m two-color detector, with simultaneous detection at 3.8 and 4.4 /spl mu/m.
A Formulation of Three-Dimensional Residual Mean Flow Applicable Both to Inertia–Gravity Waves and to Rossby Waves

AbstractThe three-dimensional (3D) residual mean flow is expressed as the sum of the Eulerian-mean flow and the Stokes drift. The present study derives formulas that are approximately equal to the 3D Stokes drift for the primitive equation (PRSD) and for the quasigeostrophic equation (QGSD) using small-amplitude theory for a slowly varying time-mean flow. The PRSD has a broad utility that is applicable to both Rossby waves and inertia–gravity waves. The 3D wave activity flux whose divergence corresponds to the wave forcing is also derived using PRSD. The PRSD agrees with QGSD under the small-Rossby-number assumption, and it agrees with the 3D Stokes drift derived by S. Miyahara and by T. Kinoshita et al. for inertia–gravity waves under the constant-Coriolis-parameter assumption. Moreover, a phase-independent 3D Stokes drift is derived under the QG approximation.The 3D residual mean flow in the upper troposphere in April is investigated by applying the new formulas to the European Centre for Medium-Range W.
Design of a Novel Nonlinear Observer to Estimate Sideslip Angle and Tire Forces for Distributed Electric Vehicle

For four-wheel independently driven (4WD) distributed electric vehicle (DEV), vehicle dynamics control systems such as direct yaw moment control (DYC) can be easily achieved. Accurate estimation of vehicle state variables and uncertain parameters can improve the robustness of vehicle dynamics control system. Various sensors are generally equipped to the acquisition of the vehicle dynamics. For both technical and economic reasons, some fundamental vehicle parameters, such as the sideslip angle and tire-road forces, can hardly be obtained through sensors directly. Therefore, this paper presented a state observer to estimate these variables based on Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF). To improve the accuracy of UKF, measurement noise covariance is also self-adaptive regulated. In addition, a nonlinear dynamics tire model is utilized to improve the accuracy of tire lateral force estimation. The simulation and experiment results show that the proposed observer can provide the precision values of the vehicle state.
The microinstabilities of a high-β plasma flow with a non-uniform velocity profile

The microinstabilities of a high-pressure plasma moving along a magnetic field with a non-uniform velocity profile are investigated. A similar problem was studied earlier by Dobrowolny on the basis of hydromagnetic equations with an oblique viscosity tensor. The present paper, unlike Dobrowolny's work, gives a kinetic analysis. Perturbations with transverse wavelength both larger and smaller than the ion Larmor radius are considered. The analysis indicates that there is a large family of microinstabilities of the ‘drift’ type whose mechanism differs from the classical Kelvin–Helmholtz instability.
Distribution of serogroup specific antibodies against leptospirosis in livestock in Odisha

The study was conducted to identify epidemiological sero-distribution of Leptospira serovars representing serogroups of antibodies in Odisha, Eastern part of India. Samples were collected from livestock during 2011-2014. A total of 537 non-purposive random serum samples from 12 districts in Odisha were tested at 1:100 dilutions in microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using live antigens of 18 reference Leptospira serovars. The overall prevalence of 36.69% (197/537) with 36.13% in cattle, 54.28% in buffaloes, 28.33% in goats and 44.44% in sheep was observed. Out of 197 reacted sera, 100 samples showed reactivity with more than one serovars representing 50.76% prevalence of multiple serovars. On analysis, the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in cattle (·2 = 63.41, P<0.01), buffaloes (·2 = 14.68, P <0.01), sheep (·2 = 54.66, P <0.01) and goats (·2 = 36.27, P <0.01) across different regions are significantly dependent. The predominant Leptospira serogroup specific antibodies against major serovars representing Hardjo (30.4%), Tarassovi (20.8%), Australis (19.19%), Bankinang (18.18%), Pomona (16.66%), Kaup (15.65%), Hebdomadis (11.11%), Pyrogenes (10.1%), Bataviae (9.59%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (9.09%), Shermani (7.57%), Djasiman/Javanica (6.56%), Hurstbridge (5.55%), Grippotyphosa (4.54%), Panama (4.04%), Canicola (3.03%) and Copenhageni (2.02%) against frequency distribution were noticed. The overall prevalence of antibodies detected against the serovars Hardjo, Tarassovi, Australis, Bankinang, Pomona, Kaup, Hebdomadis and Hurstbridge representing specific serogroups suggested that these serovars may be of use in the reference panels of Leptospira antigen in the MAT for this region in both human and animal state or district disease diagnostic laboratories.
Identification and definition of lexically ambiguous words in statistics by tutors and students

Lexical ambiguity arises when a word from everyday English is used differently in a particular discipline, such as statistics. This paper reports on a project that begins by identifying tutors’ perceptions of words that are potentially lexically ambiguous to students, in two different ways. Students’ definitions of nine lexically ambiguous words are also collected at the beginning and end of a semester of introductory statistics study, in a complex design taking account of multiple tutors and multiple words in multiple contexts. Tutor perceptions and actual student difficulties at the beginning of a semester are compared. The lexical ambiguity associated with the word ‘significance’ is shown to be evident in students even after completing an introductory statistics course.