Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ECCD calculations in ITER by means of the quasi-optical code

Electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) calculations for the case of the ITER electron cyclotron resonant heating upper port launcher are presented making use of a quasi-optical (QO) code (Balakin et al 2008 Nucl. Fusion 48 065003). The QO code describes accurately the behaviour of the wave beam in the electron cyclotron resonance layer, taking into account spatial inhomogeneity and dispersion. The ECCD efficiency is obtained using the adjoint calculation as presented by (Lin-Liu et al 2003 Phys. Plasmas 10 4064). The results show a broadening of the EC driven current density profiles in the range 15–30% as compared with beam-tracing calculations using TORBEAM. Consistently, peak driven current density values are found to be decreased by 10–20%. These results have significant consequences for the determination of the requirements on ECCD power to control magnetohydrodynamic instabilities such as neoclassical tearing modes and sawteeth.
Voltage-Gated Proton Channel Hv1 Regulates Neuroinflammation and Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s Disease Models

Although the precise mechanisms for neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are unknown, evidence suggests that neuroinflammation is a critical factor in the pathogenic process. Here, we sought to determine whether the voltage-gated proton channel, Hv1 (HVCN1), which is expressed in microglia and regulates NADPH oxidase, is associated with dopaminergic neurodegeneration. We utilized data mining to evaluate the mRNA expression of HVCN1 in the brains of PD patients and controls and uncovered increased expression of the gene encoding Hv1, HVCN1, in the brains of PD patients compared to controls, specifically in male PD patients. In an acute 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP; 4 × 16 mg/kg) mouse model of PD, Hvcn1 gene expression was increased 2-fold in the striatum. MPTP administration to wild-type (WT) mice resulted in a ~65% loss of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons (TH+) in the substantia nigra (SN), while a ~39% loss was observed in Hv1 knockout (KO) mice. Comparable neuroprotective effects of Hv1 deficiency were found in a repeated-dose LPS model. Neuroprotection was associated with decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and pro-oxidant factors in both neurotoxicant animal models. These in vivo results were confirmed in primary microglial cultures, with LPS treatment increasing Hvcn1 mRNA levels and Hv1 KO microglia failing to exhibit the LPS-mediated inflammatory response. Conditioned media from Hv1 KO microglia treated with LPS resulted in an attenuated loss of cultured dopamine neuron cell viability compared to WT microglia. Taken together, these data suggest that Hv1 is upregulated and mediates microglial pro-inflammatory cytokine production in parkinsonian models and therefore represents a novel target for neuroprotection.
Click-Functionalization of Silanized Carbon Nanotubes: From Inorganic Heterostructures to Biosensing Nanohybrids

Here we present an approach to functionalize silanized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) through copper-free click chemistry for the assembly of inorganic and biological nanohybrids. The nanotube functionalization route involves silanization and strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition reactions (SPACC). This was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. Silane–azide-functionalized SWNTs were immobilized from solution onto patterned substrates through dielectrophoresis (DEP). We demonstrate the general applicability of our strategy for the functionalization of SWNTs with metal nanoparticles (gold nanoparticles), fluorescent dyes (Alexa Fluor 647) and biomolecules (aptamers). In this regard, dopamine-binding aptamers were conjugated to the functionalized SWNTs to perform real-time detection of dopamine at different concentrations. Additionally, the chemical route is shown to selectively functionalize individual nanotubes grown on the surface of silicon substrates, contributing towards future nano electronic device applications.
The Roles of Riblet and Superhydrophobic Surfaces in Energy Saving Using a Spatial Correlation Analysis

Riblet and superhydrophobic surfaces are two typical passive control technologies used to save energy. In this study, three microstructured samples—a micro-riblet surface (RS), a superhydrophobic surface (SHS), and a novel composite surface of micro-riblets with superhydrophobicity (RSHS)—were designed to improve the drag reduction rate of water flows. Aspects of the flow fields of microstructured samples, including the average velocity, turbulence intensity, and coherent structures of water flows, were investigated via particle image velocimetry (PIV) technology. A two-point spatial correlation analysis was used to explore the influence of the microstructured surfaces on coherent structures of water flows. Our results showed that the velocity on microstructured surface samples was higher than that on the smooth surface (SS) samples, and the turbulence intensity of water on the microstructured surface samples decreased compared with that on the SS samples. The coherent structures of the water flow on microstructured samples were restricted by length and structural angles. The drag reduction rates of the SHS, RS, and RSHS samples were −8.37 %, −9.67 %, and −17.39 %, respectively. The novel established RSHS demonstrated a superior drag reduction effect and could improve the drag reduction rate of water flows.
HOW TO ESTIMATE AUTOREGRESSIVE ROOTS NEAR UNITY

A new model of near integration is formulated in which the local to unity parameter is identifiable and consistently estimable with time series data. The properties of the model are investigated, new functional laws for near integrated time series are obtained that lead to mixed diffusion processes, and consistent estimators of the localizing parameter are constructed. The model provides a more complete interface between I(0) and I(1) models than the traditional local to unity model and leads to autoregressive coefficient estimates with rates of convergence that vary continuously between the O(√n) rate of stationary autoregression, the O(n) rate of unit root regression, and the power rate of explosive autoregression. Models with deterministic trends are also considered, least squares trend regression is shown to be efficient, and consistent estimates of the localizing parameter are obtained for this case also. Conventional unit root tests are shown to be consistent against local alternatives in the new class.
Damping inertial modes excitation in a closed grid turbulence experiment under rotation

We report an experimental study of the decay of grid-generated turbulence in a confined geometry submitted to a global rotation. Turbulence is generated by rapidly towing a grid in a parallelepipedic water tank. The velocity fields of a large number of independent decays are measured in a vertical plane parallel to the rotation axis using a corotating Particle Image Velocimetry system. We first show that, when a "simple" grid is used, a significant amount of the kinetic energy (typically 50%) is stored in a reproducible flow composed of resonant inertial modes. The possible coupling between these modes and turbulence suggests that turbulence cannot be considered as freely decaying in this configuration. We demonstrate however that these inertial modes may be significantly reduced (down to 15% of the total energy) by adding a set of inner tanks attached to the grid. These results suggest that it is possible to produce an effectively freely decaying rotating turbulence in a confined geometry.
Resolving Sonoluminescence Pulse Width with Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting

The width of the short light pulses emitted from a single air bubble trapped in a resonant sound field in degassed water has been measured for the first time using time-correlated single photon counting. The pulse width at room temperature increases from about 60 ps at low gas concentrations and low driving pressures to more than 250 ps at high gas concentrations and driving pressures at the upper sonoluminescence threshold. The pulse shape is nearly Gaussian and is identical in the red and UV part of the spectrum. [S0031-9007(97)03852-0]
Probing the E1o-E2o and E1a-E2o Interactions in Binary Subcomplexes of the Human 2-Oxoglutarate Dehydrogenase and 2-Oxoadipate Dehydrogenase Complexes by Chemical Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Dynamics Simulation

The human 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (hOGDHc) is a key enzyme in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and is one of the main regulators of mitochondrial metabolism through NADH and reactive oxygen species levels. Evidence was obtained for formation of a hybrid complex between the hOGDHc and its homologue the 2-oxoadipate dehydrogenase complex (hOADHc) in the L-lysine metabolic pathway, suggesting a crosstalk between the two distinct pathways. Findings raised fundamental questions about the assembly of hE1a (2-oxoadipate-dependent E1 component) and hE1o (2-oxoglutarate-dependent E1) to the common hE2o core component. Here we report chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (CL-MS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analyses to understand assembly in binary subcomplexes. The CL-MS studies revealed the most prominent loci for hE1o-hE2o and hE1a-hE2o interactions and suggested different binding modes. The MD simulation studies led to the following conclusions: (i) The N-terminal regions in E1s are shielded by, but do not interact directly with hE2o. (ii) The hE2o linker region exhibits the highest number of H-bonds with the N-terminus and α/β1 helix of hE1o, yet with the interdomain linker and α/β1 helix of hE1a. (iii) The C-termini are involved in dynamic interactions in complexes, suggesting the presence of at least two conformations in solution.
Schmidt-number effects on the flow past a sphere moving vertically in a stratified diffusive fluid: Revisited

The effects of the Schmidt number (Sc) on the flow past a sphere descending in a stratified fluid are investigated using high-resolution numerical simulations over a wide range of Sc(0.7≤Sc≤2000). The results indicate that the buoyant jet appearing above the sphere is strongly influenced by density diffusion as well as buoyancy, and it becomes stronger and thinner with increasing Schmidt number. Scaling laws are derived and validated for the radius of the buoyant jet and thickness of the density boundary layer on the sphere. The former, characterized by significant density diffusion, is proportional to Fr/(ReSc), where Re[=W*(2a*)/ν*] is the Reynolds number and Fr[=W*/(N*a*)] is the Froude number (a* is the radius of the sphere, W* is the descending velocity of the sphere, ν* is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid, and N* is the Brunt–Väisälä frequency). The latter is similar to that of the passive scalar with a high Schmidt number (∝Re−1/2Sc−1/3), but a better estimate Re−1/2Fr1/4Sc−3/8 can be obtained by assuming a balance between buoyancy and viscous forces in the velocity boundary layer.
UNIVERSAL QUANTUM GROUPS

For each invertible m×m matrix Q a compact matrix quantum group Au(Q) is constructed. These quantum groups are shown to be universal in the sense that any compact matrix quantum group is a quantum subgroup of some of them. Their orthogonal version Ao(Q) is also constructed. Finally, we discuss related constructions in the literature.
Effect of Vitamin E Supplementation on Chronic Insomnia Disorder in Postmenopausal Women: A Prospective, Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Chronic insomnia disorder is one of the most common problems in postmenopausal women, exacerbated by underdiagnosis and improper treatment. This double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the potential of vitamin E to treat chronic insomnia as an alternative to sedative drugs and hormonal therapy. The study enrolled 160 postmenopausal women with chronic insomnia disorder, divided randomly into two groups. The vitamin E group received 400 units of mixed tocopherol daily, while the placebo group received an identical oral capsule. The primary outcome of this study was sleep quality assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-evaluated and standardized questionnaire. The secondary outcome was the percentage of participants using sedative drugs. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the study groups. However, the median PSQI score at baseline was slightly higher in the vitamin E group compared with the placebo (13 (6, 20) vs. 11 (6, 20); p-value 0.019). After one month of intervention, the PSQI score was significantly lower (indicating better sleep quality) in the vitamin E group compared with the placebo (6 (1, 18) vs. 9 (1, 19); p-value 0.012). Moreover, the improvement score was significantly higher in the vitamin E group compared with the placebo (5 (−6, 14) vs. 1 (−5,13); p-value < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant reduction in the percentage of patients using sedative drugs in the vitamin E group (15%; p-value 0.009), while this reduction was not statistically significant in the placebo group (7.5%; p-value 0.077). This study demonstrates vitamin E’s potential as an excellent alternative treatment for chronic insomnia disorder that improves sleep quality and reduces sedative drug use.
The relationship between work–family conflict, job satisfaction and mentoring in the hotel industry in Greece: The role of gender and working environment

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between work-family conflict, job satisfaction and mentoring by examining the effect of gender and working environment. The findings from the sample of 250 hotel managers indicate that WFC is negatively related to job satisfaction and career mentoring for two genders, although is positively related to socioemotional mentoring for female managers. Furthermore, WFC is positively related to both time and schedule flexibility and work demands for female managers. This study can be an initial step in establishing the crucial role of mentoring and flexibility on work-family interference for two genders.
Multidimensional Motivational Climate Questionnaire in Physical Education at the Situational Level of Generality (MUMOC-PES)

The main aim of this study was to investigate the construct validity of a new MUltidimensional MOtivational Climate questionnaire in Physical Education (PE) at the Situational level of generality (MUMOC-PES), capturing four dimensions of empowering (autonomy support, task-involvement, relatedness support, structure) and three dimensions of disempowering (controlling, relatedness thwarting, ego-involvement) climate. Nine hundred and fifty-six adolescent students completed the new measure alongside measures of mastery and performance approach/avoidance climate and satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity of the MUMOC-PES. Student satisfaction in PE corresponded positively to empowering and negatively to disempowering climate dimensions. Controlling for age, gender and within-class individual differences in perceived empowering and disempowering dimensions, class average scores on perceived empowering climate had significant effects on student satisfaction, implying predictive validity for the MUMOC-PES. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) suggested that perceived autonomy support and relatedness thwarting had direct positive and negative effects on satisfaction respectively. Moreover, effects of perceived structure and thwarting relationships on satisfaction were mediated through a mastery climate construct capturing the linkage between perception and mastery goal. The results are discussed in relation to existing measures and literature on motivational climate and the future use of MUMOC-PES in research and PE teachers’ training.
Comparison of Biosimilar Filgrastim with Innovator Fligrastim for Peripheral Blood Stem Cells Mobilization, Collection of CD34+ Stem Cells, and Engraftment in Patients Undergoing Autologous and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience

Background In the Middle East, there is lack of data on peripheral blood CD34+stem cells mobilization by using biosimilar filgrastim. We have been using both Neupogen and a biosimilar G-CSF) Zarzio® (as a mobilizing agent since February 2014 for both allogenic and autologous stem cell transplantations. Material/Methods This was a single-center retrospective study. All patients and healthy donors who received either the biosimilar G-CSF (Zarzio®) or original G-CSF (Neupogen®) for mobilization of CD34+ stem cells were included in the study. The primary goal was to determine and compare the rate of successful harvest and amount of CD34+ stem cells collected in either adult cancer patients or healthy donors between Zarzio® and Neupogen® groups. Results A total of 114 patients, including 97 cancer patients and 17 healthy donors, underwent successful CD34+ stem cell mobilization using G-CSF with chemotherapy (35 with Zarzio® +chemotherapy, 39 with Neupogen® +chemotherapy) or G-CSF as monotherapy (14 with Zarzio®, 9 with Neupogen®) in autologous transplantation. In an allogeneic stem cell transplantation, successful harvest was achieved by using G-CSF monotherapy (8 with Zarzio®, 9 with Neupogen®). There was no difference between Zarzio® and Neupogen® in the amount of CD34+ stem cells collected at leukapheresis. There was no difference with regards to secondary outcomes between the 2 groups. Conclusions Our study showed that biosimilar G-CSF (Zarzio®) has comparable efficacy to the original G-CSF (Neupogen®) when used for mobilization in both autologous and allogenic stem cell transplantation and was associated with significant cost saving.
New super-short-scan algorithms for fan-beam and cone-beam reconstruction

This paper deals with image reconstruction from fan-beam and cone-beam projections when only a region of interest (ROI) is to be reconstructed. We propose a new fan-beam FBP algorithm which can achieve exact ROI reconstruction if and only if all lines passing through the ROI intersect the source trajectory. This requirement on the scanning range is significantly weaker compared to that required by the conventional fan-beam FBP algorithm. Furthermore, this algorithm is extended to cone-beam tomography when the source trajectory is a short-arc on the single circle.
Modeling Change in Skewed Variables Using Mixed Beta Regression Models

The general linear model relies on the assumptions of independent and normally distributed residuals with constant variance. If these assumptions are not met, beta regression models represent a viable alternative to model variables that show skewness and heteroscedasticity. In this study, the beta regression model is extended to include random effects. Such a mixed beta regression model can account for the data dependency present in longitudinal data by allowing for participant-specific effects. The mixed beta regression model is illustrated using longitudinal data on complex choice reaction times. Results show that a model with fixed age and missingness effects as well as random intercept and age slope effects fitted the data best. Importantly, it fitted the data much better than a linear mixed model did. Alternatives to the mixed beta regression model and potential applications are described in the discussion.
Smooth GIoU Loss for Oriented Object Detection in Remote Sensing Images

Oriented object detection (OOD) can more accurately locate objects with an arbitrary direction in remote sensing images (RSIs) compared to horizontal object detection. The most commonly used bounding box regression (BBR) loss in OOD is smooth L1 loss, which requires the precondition that spatial parameters are independent of one another. This independence is an ideal that is not achievable in practice. To avoid this problem, various kinds of IoU-based BBR losses have been widely used in OOD; however, their relationships with IoUs are approximately linear. Consequently, the gradient value, i.e., the learning intensity, cannot be dynamically adjusted with the IoU in these cases, which restricts the accuracy of object location. To handle this problem, a novel BBR loss, named smooth generalized intersection over union (GIoU) loss, is proposed. The contributions it makes include two aspects. First of all, smooth GIoU loss can employ more appropriate learning intensities in the different ranges of GIoU values to address the above problem and the design scheme of smooth GIoU loss can be generalized to other IoU-based BBR losses. Secondly, the existing computational scheme of GIoU loss can be modified to fit OOD. The ablation study of smooth GIoU loss validates the effectiveness of its design scheme. Comprehensive comparisons performed on two RSI datasets demonstrate that the proposed smooth GIoU loss is superior to other BBR losses adopted by existing OOD methods and can be generalized for various kinds of OOD methods. Furthermore, the core idea of smooth GIoU loss can be generalized to other IoU-based BBR losses.
Association between dietary inflammatory index and risk of endometriosis: A population-based analysis

Background and aims Chronic inflammation plays a significant role in the etiology of endometriosis, which might be affected by dietary intake. This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and the risk of endometriosis. Methods A cross-sectional analysis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2006) was conducted on 3,410 American participants, among whom 265 reported a diagnosis of endometriosis. DII scores were calculated based on the dietary questionnaire. The association of DII scores with endometriosis was evaluated by adjusted multivariate logistic regression analyzes, which were further investigated in the subgroups. Results In the fully adjusted models, the odds ratio (OR) for endometriosis participants in the highest and middle tertiles of DII scores were 1.57 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14–2.17] and 1.18 (95% CI: 0.84–1.65), compared to the lowest tertile (Ptrend = 0.007). In subgroup analyzes, the significant positive association between DII scores and the endometriosis risk was also observed in non-obese women (ORtertile3vs1: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.12–2.55; Ptrend = 0.012), women without diabetes (ORtertile3vs1: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.16–2.27; Ptrend = 0.005), women with hypertension (ORtertile3vs1: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.31–3.87; Ptrend = 0.003), parous women (ORtertile3vs1: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.11–2.17; Ptrend = 0.011), and women using oral contraceptives (ORtertile3vs1: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.15–2.30; Ptrend = 0.006). Conclusion This nationally representative study found that increased intake of the pro-inflammatory diet, as a higher DII score, was positively associated with endometriosis risk among American adults. Our results suggested anti-inflammatory dietary interventions may be promising in the prevention of endometriosis. Further prospective studies are necessary to confirm these findings.