Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-similar collapse of isothermal spheres and star formation.

We consider the problem of the gravitational collapse of isothermal spheres by applying the similarity method to the gas-dynamic flow. We argue that a previous solution obtained by Larson and Penston to describe the stages prior to core formation is physically artificial; however, we find that the flow following core formation does exhibit self-similar properties.The latter similarity solution shows that the inflow in the dense central regions proceeds virtually at free-fall before the material is arrested by a strong radiating shock upon impact with the surface of the core. Two types of similarity solutions are obtained: one is the prototype for starting states which correspond to unstable hydrostatic equilibrium; the other, for states where the mass of the cloud slightly exceeds the maximum limit allowable for hydrostatic equilibrium. In both cases, an r/sup -2/ law holds for the density distribution in the static or nearly static outer envelope, and an r/sup -3///sup 2/ law holds for the freely falling inner envelope. Rapid infall is initiated at the head of the expansion wave associated with the dropping of the central regions from beneath the envelope. A numerical example is presented which is shown to be in good agreement with the envelopemore » dynamics obtained in previous studies of star formation using hydrodynamic codes. « less
Safety and efficacy of tumour-treating fields (TTFields) therapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma in Japanese patients using the Novo-TTF System: a prospective post-approval study

Abstract Background Tumour-treating fields therapy is a locoregional, anti-cancer treatment. Efficacy and safety of tumour-treating fields therapy in adults with newly diagnosed glioblastoma were demonstrated in the pivotal phase 3 EF-14 study (NCT00916409). Here, we report post-approval data of tumour-treating fields therapy in Japanese patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Methods Unsolicited post-marketing surveillance data from Japanese patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma treated with tumour-treating fields therapy (December 2016–June 2020) were retrospectively analysed. The primary endpoints were skin, neurological and psychiatric adverse events. The secondary endpoints were 1- and 2-year overall survival rates, and the 6-month progression-free survival. adverse events were analysed using MedDRA v24.0. The overall survival and progression-free survival were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis (log-rank testing). The Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were also performed. Results Forty patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma were enrolled (62.5% male; median age 59 years; median baseline Karnofsky Performance Scale score 90). The most common tumour-treating-fields-therapy-related adverse event was beneath-array local skin reaction (60% of patients). The adverse events were mostly mild to moderate in severity. Neurological disorders were observed in 2.5% patients (one patient reported dysesthesia). No psychiatric disorders were reported. The 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 77.9% (95% CI 60.6–88.3) and 53.6% (35.5–68.7%), respectively. The 6-month progression-free survival was 77.5% (61.2–87.6%). These survival rates compare favourably with those in the EF-14 trial (1- and 2-year overall survival rates: 73% [69–77%] and 43% [39–48%], respectively; 6-month progression-free survival rate: 56% (51–61%). Conclusion This post-approval, real-world evidence study revealed no new safety signals and suggests the safety and efficacy of tumour-treating fields therapy in Japanese patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.
Asymptotic expansions in perforated media with a periodic structure

(1) Aue=f in domains Q£ which consist of a perforated medium, with a "large" number of holes or of obstacles of "size" e and which are arranged in a periodic manner, also with period a. In (1) u£ is subject to some boundary conditions, and we want to study the behaviour of u£ as e -» 0. This problem has already been considered by L. Tartar [14], D. Cioranescu [5], and D. Ciroranescu and J. Saint Jean Paullin [6] by energy methods; one obtains in this manner the behaviour of u£ as e -> 0, and the periodic structure is not used in an essential manner. For situations where the "volume" occupied by the holes is "smaller" than in the present case, cf. V. A. Marcenko and E. Yu. Hruslov [12] and Rauch and Taylor [13]. In this paper we show that—by using this time the periodic structure in an (apparently) essential manner—one can obtain much more, that is, under suitable hyopthesis on / , one can obtain an expansion of any order in e. We will construct functions w0, uÌ9 u2, . such that u£ (u0 + eui + ••• £ um) is of order e in a Sobolev space on Q£. Actually, in the situations considered here w0 = 0, ux — 0. The method used here is a variant of the method of multi-scales as used in the book A. Bensoussan, J. L. Lions and G. Papanicolaou [4] (and as anticipated by J. Keller) for problems of homogenization arising in composite materials (We refer to the book just quoted for bibliographical references, in particular to the work of de Giorgi, Spagnolo and their associates, Bakhbalov, Babuska, Murat and Tartar.) The new part here is.that in some case, boundary layer terms can be avoided. (The construction of boundary layer terms, when they are needed, is a largely open question in Composite Materials as well as in Perforated Media.) The structure of the expansion in perforated media has been briefly given in the lecture [9] of the Author in Poland and in lectures in the Collège de France, Fall 1977. Received by the editors on April 13, 1978. Copyright © 1980 Rocky Mountain Mathematics Consortium
Inactivation of growth differentiation factor 9 blocks folliculogenesis in pigs

Abstract Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) is a secreted protein belonging to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily and has been well characterized for its role during folliculogenesis in the ovary. Although previous studies in mice and sheep have shown that mutations in GDF9 disrupt follicular progression, the exact role of GDF9 in pigs has yet to be elucidated. The objective of this study was to understand the role of GDF9 in ovarian function by rapidly generating GDF9 knockout (GDF9–/–) pigs by using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Three single-guide RNAs designed to disrupt porcine GDF9 were injected with Cas9 mRNA into zygotes, and blastocyst-stage embryos were transferred into surrogates. One pregnancy was sacrificed on day 100 of gestation to investigate the role of GDF9 during oogenesis. Four female fetuses were recovered with one predicted to be GDF9–/– and the others with in-frame mutations. All four had fully formed oocytes within primordial follicles, confirming that knockout of GDF9 does not disrupt oogenesis. Four GDF9 mutant gilts were generated and were grown past puberty. One gilt was predicted to completely lack functional GDF9 (GDF9–/–), and the gilt never demonstrated standing estrus and had a severely underdeveloped reproductive tract with large ovarian cysts. Further examination revealed that the follicles from the GDF9–/– gilt did not progress past preantral stages, and the uterine vasculature was less extensive than the control pigs. By using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we demonstrated that GDF9 is a critical growth factor for proper ovarian development and function in pigs. Summary Sentence Inactivation of growth differentiation factor 9 revealed its critical role for proper ovarian development and function in pigs.
Self-organized branching of magnetotail current systems near the percolation threshold

This paper advocates an application of the fractal topology formalism to an analysis of the magnetotail current systems. Our main attention is concentrated on the magnetotail regions with the considerably stretched background magnetic field; such conditions can be the case in the distant tail, as well as in the near-Earth tail at the late substorm growth phase. Structural properties of the current system at the self-organized (quasi)stationary states are analyzed in relationship with the universal fractal geometry of the percolating fractal sets near the critical threshold. We found that the violation of the criticality character leads to the topological phase transition in the system; this transition has features of a structural catastrophe and is associated with the magnetospheric substorm onset. A comparison with various observational studies is given, and the possible directions of the future research are outlined.
Spatio-Temporal Trends in the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Germany-Analysis of the Claims Data of 63 Million Persons With Statutory Health Insurance From 2014 to 2019.

BACKGROUND There are no data on recent trends in the incidence rate of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Germany. The aim of this study was to determine the sex-, age-, and region-specific trends in the T2D incidence rate between 2014 and 2019. METHODS Based on nationwide data from statutorily insured persons in Germany, negative binomial regression models were used to analyze age- and sex-specific trends in the T2D incidence rate. Ageand sex-adjusted trends were calculated for 401 administrative districts using a Bayesian spatiotemporal regression model. RESULTS During the period concerned, approximately 450 000 new cases of T2D were observed each year among some 63 million persons. Taking all age groups together, the incidence rate decreased in both women and men, from 6.9 (95% confidence interval [6.7; 7.0]) and 8.4 [8.2; 8.6] respectively per 1000 persons in 2014 to 6.1 [5.9; 6.3] and 7.7 [7.5; 8.0] per 1000 persons in 2019. This corresponds to an annual reduction of 2.4% [1.5; 3.2] for women and 1.7% [0.8; 2.5] for men. The incidence rate increased in the age group 20-39 years. The age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate decreased in almost all districts, although regional differences persisted. CONCLUSION The T2D incidence rate should be closely monitored to see whether the decreasing trend continues. One must not forget that the prevalence can rise despite decreasing incidence. For this reason, the findings do not necessarily mean a decrease in the disease burden of T2D and the associated demand on healthcare resources.
Incidence and predictors of loss to follow-up among women on option B+ PMTCT program in northwest Ethiopia. A retrospective follow-up study

Background Loss to follow-up from lifelong antiretroviral therapy continued to be a major challenge affecting virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although there was a study conducted in Ethiopia, loss to follow-up was not clearly defined and some important variables were not addressed. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the incidence of loss to follow-up and its predictors among women on option B+ lifelong antiretroviral therapy program in Pawi district health facilities, northwest Ethiopia. Methods An institutional-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted among 365 women who were enrolled for option B+ prevention of mother-to-child transmission service between June 2013 and March 2021 in Pawi district health facilities. A standard pretested checklist was used to extract data from all eligible women’s records. The Kaplan–Meier survival curve for estimating survival probability and Cox proportional hazards model to identify independent predictors of loss to follow-up were employed after checking for proportional hazards assumptions using STATA-14 statistical software. Result The overall incidence of loss to follow-up was 12.04 (95% CI: 9.50, 15.20) per 1000 person-months of observation time. Residing outside the catchment area (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR): 3.08, 95% CI: 1.59, 5.98), lactating at enrollment (AHR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.24, 4.77), living in a sero-discordant relationship (AHR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.13, 5.53), lack of sero-status disclosure (AHR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.15, 5.85), new enrollment to lifelong antiretroviral therapy (AHR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.05, 4.11), and fair (AHR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.2, 6.04) or poor (AHR: 5.78, 95% CI: 2.76, 12.12) antiretroviral drug adherence level were independent predictors of loss to follow-up. Conclusion We found a higher incidence of loss to follow-up relative to previous studies in Ethiopia. Thus, strengthening adherence support interventions, and effective counseling on sero-status disclosure and male partner involvement are important to retain women in care.
Magnetic heat capacity in lanthanum manganite single crystals

The heat capacity of single crystal La0.7D0. 3MnO3, where D=Ca, Sr, has been measured through the Curie point in fields up to 70 kOe. The magnetic contribution of the Ca sample exhibits a sharp heat capacity peak at TC≃218 K in zero field. The peak broadens and decreases in height with increasing field but, unlike an ordinary ferromagnet, the peak shifts substantially in temperature. As a consequence, the heat capacity data cannot be collapsed into a single scaling function. These features indicate that the transition is not an ordinary second-order ferromagnetic transition. Preliminary heat capacity data from the Sr-doped single crystal, with TC≃360 K, do not exhibit the same shift in peak position with applied field. We attribute the difference in behavior between Ca- and Sr-doped samples to a change in the nature of the phase transition as TC lowers.
The Targeted Maximum Likelihood estimation to estimate the causal effects of the previous tuberculosis treatment in Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Sudan

Introduction This study used Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation (TMLE) as a double robust method to estimate the causal effect of previous tuberculosis treatment history on the occurrence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). TMLE is a method to estimate the marginal statistical parameters in case-control study design. The aim of this study was to estimate the causal effect of the previous tuberculosis treatment on the occurrence of MDR-TB using TMLE in Sudan. Method A case-control study design combined with TMLE was used to estimate parameters. Cases were MDR-TB patients and controls were and patients who cured from tuberculosis. The history of previous TB treatment was considered the main exposure, and MDR-TB as an outcome. A designed questionnaire was used to collect a set of covariates including age, time to reach a health facility, number of times stopping treatment, gender, education level, and contact with MDR-TB cases. TMLE method was used to estimate the causal association of parameters. Statistical analysis was carried out with ltmle package in R-software. Result presented in graph and tables. Results A total number of 430 cases and 860 controls were included in this study. The estimated risk difference of the previous tuberculosis treatment was (0.189, 95% CI; 0.161, 0.218) with SE 0.014, and p-value (<0.001). In addition, the estimated risk ratio was (16.1, 95% CI; 12.932, 20.001) with SE = 0.014 and p-value (<0.001). Conclusion Our findings indicated that previous tuberculosis treatment history was determine as a risk factor for MDR-TB in Sudan. Also, TMLE method can be used to estimate the risk difference and the risk ratio in a case-control study design.
Synthesis of pH-responsive polyzwitterions for activated cellular uptake and tumor accumulation of gold nanoparticles at tumorous acidity

The response sensitivity of surface material plays an important role in adjustable nano-bio interaction in vivo. In this present, a zwitterionic polymer (polyzwitterion) containing quaternary ammonium cation and sulfonamide anion poly(4-((4-(3-(methacryloyloxy)propoxy)phenyl) sulfonamido)-N, N, N-trimethyl-4-oxobutan-1-aminium chloride) (PMPTSA) was synthesized by Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization (RAFT) polymerization to explore the pH responsive behavior in tumors. The PMPTSA-coated gold nanoparticles (PMPTSA-@-Au NPs) showed zwitterionic nature such as antifouling ability, low cellular uptake and prolonged circulation time similar with common hydrophilic polymers, including polyethylene glycol (PEG), poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) and poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) functional gold nanoparticles in physiological environment (pH 7.4). A high sensitivity and reversible positive charge conversion of P(MPTSA)-@-Au NPs at tumor slight acidic microenvironment (∼pH 6.8) leaded to an enhanced cellular internalization than that at pH 7.4 and increased tumor accumulation compared with PEG, polycarboxybetaines and polymer sulphobetaine (PSB) functional gold nanoparticles. The highly pH responsive PMPTSA will provide the promising application in cancer nanomedicine.
Anatomical and Biomechanical Stability of Single/Double Screw‐Cancellous Bone Fixations of Regan–Morry Type III Ulnar Coronoid Fractures in Adults: CT Measurement and Finite Element Analysis

At present, it is still uncertain whether single screw has the same stability as double screws in the treatment of ulnar coronal process basal fracture (Regan–Morry type III). So, we aimed to compare the pull‐out force and anti‐rotation torque of anterior single/double screw‐cancellous bone fixation (aSSBF, aDSBF) in this fracture, and further study the influencing factors on anatomical and biomechanical stability of smart screw internal fixations.
All‐in‐one whole exome sequencing strategy with simultaneous copy number variant, single nucleotide variant and absence‐of‐heterozygosity analysis in fetuses with structural ultrasound anomalies: A 1‐year experience

We performed a 1‐year evaluation of a novel strategy of simultaneously analyzing single nucleotide variants (SNVs), copy number variants (CNVs) and copy‐number‐neutral Absence‐of‐Heterozygosity from Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) data for prenatal diagnosis of fetuses with ultrasound (US) anomalies and a non‐causative QF‐PCR result.
Ageism and the Pandemic: Risk and Protective Factors of Well-Being in Older People

The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly affected the older population both in terms of the high number of victims and the psychological impact. Moreover, the pandemic has made older people more vulnerable to isolation and loneliness, and victims of ageism. The aim of the present study was to investigate the risk and protective factors for the well-being of older people during the pandemic. The role of positive affect, confidence in the future, current physical health, social isolation, loneliness, and ageism were analysed. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 1301 participants (mean age: 77.3 years, DS: 5.46), almost equally distributed by gender (56.1% female). Descriptive and correlational analyses were performed, together with SEM. The results showed that perceived age discrimination positively predicts loneliness and negatively and indirectly predicts well-being. Furthermore, positive affect, confidence in the future, and current physical health are protective factors, while loneliness, social isolation, and ageism are risk factors. Future emergency policies must take into account the impact of such actions on the well-being of this segment of the population.
The frontal planar QRS/T angle in patients with non-ischemic type late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance.

OBJECTIVE Evaluation of myocardial fibrosis may offer an insight into underlying pathological mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias. We intended to investigate the possible association between the presence and extent of myocardial fibrosis and ventricular repolarization heterogeneity based on frontal planar QRS/T angle. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively investigated patients in whom gadolinium-based contrast agent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed due to the suspicion of any myocardial disease. Patients with non-ischemic type late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were enrolled into this study. The association between presence and extent of myocardial LGE and frontal planar QRS/T angle defined as the absolute difference between QRS wave axis and T-wave axis on a resting 12-lead surface ECG was evaluated. RESULTS The frontal planar QRS/T angle was significantly higher in patients with myocardial fibrosis indicated by LGE compared to those without LGE (61.67 ± 40.70 vs. 37.27 ± 32.35, p < 0.001). LGE extent score assessed by visual 17-segment model was the only independent variable, which had a significant effect on frontal planar QRS/T angle [Unstandardized Coefficients B = 4.052, 95% CI [(2.025) - (6.079), p < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, this study showed that inhomogeneous areas of myocardium due to varying degrees of myocardial fibrosis might affect the electrical activity of the left ventricle, even with normal left ventricular dimensions and function.
Can cat caregivers reliably assess acute pain in cats using the Feline Grimace Scale? A large bilingual global survey

Objectives This study aimed to investigate if cat caregivers could reliably assess acute pain using the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS), and if participant demographics could affect scores. Methods An online survey in English and Spanish was advertised by International Cat Care and other platforms (March–May 2021) using convenience sampling. Eligible participants were caregivers >18 years old and non-veterinary health professionals. Participants and a group of eight veterinarians scored 10 images of cats with different levels of pain. Data were analysed using linear models and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC; α <0.05). Interpretation of the ICC was <0.2 = poor; 0.21–0.4 = reasonable; 0.41–0.60 = moderate; 0.61–0.80 = good; and 0.81–1.0 = very good. Results A total of 3039 responses were received with 1262 completed answers from 66 countries (86%, 11.1% and 2.9% identified as female, male or other, respectively). Scores for each action unit (AU; ear position, orbital tightening, muzzle tension, whiskers change and head position) and their sum (FGS score) were not significantly different between caregivers and veterinarians, except for muzzle (caregivers 0.9 ± 0.0; veterinarians 0.7 ± 0.1; P = 0.035). The ICC single (caregivers) was 0.65, 0.69, 0.58, 0.37, 0.38 and 0.65, respectively, for AU ears, eyes, muzzle, whiskers, head and sum of scores. Demographic variables did not affect FGS scores. Conclusions and relevance Total FGS scores had good reliability when used by cat caregivers, regardless of demographic variables, showing the potential applicability of the instrument to improve feline pain management and welfare worldwide.
Estimating the land-surface temperature of pixels covered by clouds in MODIS products

Abstract This study implements the “neighboring-pixel” (NP) theoretical method, which uses spatially and temporally NPs to reconstruct cloud-contaminated pixels in daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land-surface temperature (LST) products. The 2012 MODIS LSTs of the Heihe River Basin (HRB) region in China are used as an example, and the ground-measured LSTs obtained at 17 sites from the Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (HiWATER) project are used to validate the reconstruction results. The results show a bias of 0.25 K and RMSE of 4.122 K during the day and a bias of − 0.1263 K and RMSE of 2.901 K at night. The error analysis reveals an uncertainty in the estimation of the cloud-contaminated pixels that can be attributed to errors in the estimation of parameters and net solar radiation retrieval and inaccuracies inherent in the NP scheme. The analysis results reveal that the time-gap effect is the main cause of uncertainty in the nighttime reconstruction, whereas the large extreme cases for the daytime reconstruction are generally caused by strong convection systems that usually occur with heavy precipitation in the cloud-contaminated pixels. Despite the uncertainty, the proposed approach is promising for the improvement of MODIS LST application in practice.