Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-range Coulomb interactions and nonhydrodynamic behavior in thermal quenches in spin ice

We study the origin of the plateau in the density of noncontractible pairs of monopoles observed in numerical simulations of thermal quenches in spin ice systems [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 107201 (2010)]. We find that the long-range tail of the Coulomb interactions between monopoles plays a central role in the emergence of this metastable state by suppressing the monopole-assisted decay of noncontractible pairs with respect to monopole-antimonopole annihilation. In conjunction with low final quench temperatures, where the system enters a non-hydrodynamic regime in which the monopoles effectively move at terminal velocity in the direction of the local force acting on them, the interactions lead to a metastable plateau that persists in the thermodynamic limit. We demonstrate this using Monte Carlo simulations and mean field population dynamics theory, and we provide an analytical understanding of the underpinning mechanisms at play. When the interactions between monopoles are truncated to finite range, the metastable plateau is still present, but reduces to a finite size effect. We derive the finite size scaling behaviour of the density of noncontractible pairs in the metastable plateau for both short- and long-range interactions, and discuss the implications of our results in experimentally relevant settings.
Detection of polystyrene nanoplastics in biological tissues with a fluorescent molecular rotor probe

The release of nanoplastics (NPs) from the weathering and degradation of plastics is an important environmental concern. Given their small sizes and their invasiveness in cells, methods for the detection of NPs in biological tissues are urgently needed. A simple fluorescence-based methodology for the detection of polystyrene NPs in biological tissues is proposed. The commercially available molecular rotor probe 9- (dicyanovinyl)-julolidine (DCVJ) has the properties to detect changes in hydrophobicity and microviscosity and was used to detect NPs. Increasing concentrations of 50 and 100 nm NPs in water and in tissue extracts were mixed with the DCVJ probe and the emission spectra determined between 480-800 nm at 450 nm excitation. The data revealed that NPs induces a second emission peak at 620 nm that differed from the normal spectra of the biological extract at 500 nm. A significant linear relationship was obtained for NPs of both sizes (r=0.98; P<0.001) with a theoretical limit of detection of 65 ng/mL. A simple and rapid microplate spectrofluorometric method for the semi-quantitative detection of polystyrene NPs in biological tissues is thus presented.
Phylogeography and Population Genetics of Vicugna vicugna: Evolution in the Arid Andean High Plateau

The vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) is the most representative wild ungulate of the high Andes of South America with two recognized morphological subspecies, V. v. mensalis in the north and V. v. vicugna in the south of its distribution. Current vicuña population size (460,000–520,000 animals) is the result of population recovery programs established in response to 500 years of overexploitation. Despite the vicuña’s ecosystemic, economic and social importance, studies about their genetic variation and history are limited and geographically restricted. Here, we present a comprehensive assessment of the genetic diversity of vicuña based on samples collected throughout its distribution range corresponding to eleven localities in Peru and five in Chile representing V. v. mensalis, plus four localities each in Argentina and Chile representing V. v. vicugna. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers show contrasting results regarding differentiation between the two vicuña types with mitochondrial haplotypes supporting subspecies differentiation, albeit with only a few mutational steps separating the two subspecies. In contrast, microsatellite markers show that vicuña genetic variation is best explained as an isolation by distance pattern where populations on opposite ends of the distribution present different allelic compositions, but the intermediate populations present a variety of alleles shared by both extreme forms. Demographic characterization of the species evidenced a simultaneous and strong reduction in the effective population size in all localities supporting the existence of a unique, large ancestral population (effective size ∼50,000 individuals) as recently as the mid-Holocene. Furthermore, the genetic variation observed across all localities is better explained by a model of gene flow interconnecting them rather than only by genetic drift. Consequently, we propose space “continuous” Management Units for vicuña as populations exhibit differentiation by distance and spatial autocorrelation linked to sex biased dispersal instead of population fragmentation or geographical barriers across the distribution.
Forgo or Go for One? The Unavailable Effect in Non-comparable Choice Sets

This research aimed to explore how consumers’ purchase behavior varies when they are faced with unavailable options in a non-comparable choice set. We investigated the unavailable effect based on goal-related mindsets theory and found that consumers with an activated which-to-buy mindset show higher purchase intention for the remaining options relative to those who have a whether-to-buy mindset. Four between-subject experiments were undertaken. Study 1 (including two experiments, both two groups) depicted the relationship between the mindset and consumer purchase choice. Study 2 examined the construal level as the underlying mechanism. Two further studies enabled two methods, such as shopping cart state and payment type, to activate different mindsets and found the boundary conditions of each method. Study 3 found that empty cart (vs. non-empty cart) activate whether-to-buy mindset restraining purchase intention, while the habitual (vs. non-habitual) initial purchase moderated the shopping cart effect. Study 4 found that paying by gift cards (vs. gifted cash) primed which-to-buy mindset increasing purchase intention, while the payment effect declined when the product was high in feasibility (vs. desirability). The insights gained from this research can guide both online and offline retailers in how to strategically manage consumer mindsets under unavailable circumstances. Optimal presenting timing and method of unavailable information may activate a different mindset and help boost sales of the remaining options at the same time.
An Empirical Analysis of GraphQL API Schemas in Open Code Repositories and Package Registries

GraphQL is a query language for APIs that has been increasingly adopted by Web developers since its specification was open sourced in 2015. The GraphQL framework lets API clients tailor data requests by using queries that return JSON objects described using GraphQL Schema. We present initial results of an exploratory empirical study with the goal of characterizing GraphQL Schemas in open code repositories and package registries. Our first approach identifies over 20 thousand GraphQL-related projects in publicly accessible repositories hosted by GitHub. Our second, and complementary, approach uses package registries to find over 37 thousand dependent packages and repositories. In addition, over 2 thousand schema files were loaded into the GraphQL-JS reference implementation to conduct a detailed analysis of the schema information. Our study provides insights into the usage of different schema constructs, the number of distinct types and the most popular types in schemas, as well as the presence of cycles in schemas. 1 Motivation and Approach The schema of a GraphQL API describes the data and the types of queries supported by the API. An empirical study of the GraphQL schemas used by open source projects, therefore, provides useful information about the characteristics of data interfaces. Currently, there is no comprehensive collection of such schemas or a tool that helps gather schemas from GraphQL APIs. The goal of the work presented in this paper is i) to establish a method to extract schemas into a single collection for analyses and ii) to conduct an empirical analysis of the schemas. 1.1 Data Collection Method APIs-guru has the most comprehensive list of public GraphQL APIs with links to endpoints and their documentation. By using APIs-guru, combined with manual effort through keyword searching, we collected 67 schemas of distinct APIs. Authentication requirements for most publicly available APIs hindered the efficiency and possible automation of schema extraction. Hence, we decided to take a different approach by extracting schemas from open source repositories from GitHub and used three sources to identify GraphQL repositories.
Efficient Large‐scale Three‐dimensional Mobile Mapping for Underground Mines

Mapping large‐scale underground environments, such as mines and tunnels, is typically a time‐consuming and challenging endeavor. Existing methods based on terrestrial laser scanning are inefficient, and commercial mobile mapping systems are not suitable for underground use. Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) solutions have the potential to efficiently survey underground environments while continuously moving, without relying on external positioning systems. However, no three‐dimensional (3D) SLAM systems have thus far been demonstrated to be capable of mapping underground mines at kilometer scales. We have developed a solution that can accurately estimate, based on laser range and inertial measurements, the six‐degrees‐of‐freedom trajectory of a sensor platform that continuously moves through an environment, as well as a 3D point cloud map of that environment. The key software components of the solution are continuous‐time non‐rigid registration, scalable place recognition, and robust pose graph optimization. A system consisting of a spinning 2D laser scanner and an industrial‐grade inertial measurement unit mounted on a light vehicle was deployed at Northparkes Mine in Australia and used to map over 17 km of mine tunnel in 113 min while traveling at typical mine traffic speeds. Our processing software automatically produces a trajectory and point cloud of the mine in under half of the data acquisition time. The accuracy of the solution exceeds the raw sensor characteristics and matches closely to a surveyed map of the same environment.
Alcohol consumption among veterinary surgeons in the UK.

BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption can have both medical and occupational implications and may affect fitness to practise among veterinary surgeons (vets). AIMS To investigate alcohol consumption and the prevalence and associations of 'at-risk' drinking among vets in the UK. METHODS Alcohol consumption was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C) embedded in a questionnaire which included measures of mental health and psychosocial working conditions, administered to a representative sample of 1796 vets. Scores of >or=4 for women and >or=5 for men were used as an indicator of 'at-risk' drinking. RESULTS The response rate was 56%. Five per cent of respondents were non-drinkers, 32% low-risk drinkers and 63% at-risk drinkers. The estimated odds of at-risk drinking was not significantly different for men and women. A 1-year increase in age was associated with a 2% reduction in the odds of at-risk drinking (OR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97-0.99, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference across hours worked or on call in a typical week. Lower psychological demands at work were associated with reduced odds of at-risk drinking (OR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63-0.90, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS It is estimated that vets drink more frequently than the general population, but consume less on a typical drinking day and have a prevalence of daily and weekly binge drinking that is similar to the general population. The level of alcohol consumption does not appear to be a negative influence on mental health within the profession as a whole.
Subtopic annotation and automatic segmentation for news texts in Brazilian Portuguese

Subtopic segmentation aims to break documents into subtopical text passages, which develop a main topic in a text. Being capable of automatically detecting subtopics is very useful for several Natural Language Processing applications. For instance, in automatic summarisation, having the subtopics at hand enables the production of summaries with good subtopic coverage. Given the usefulness of subtopic segmentation, it is common to assemble a reference-annotated corpus that supports the study of the envisioned phenomena and the development and evaluation of systems. In this paper, we describe the subtopic annotation process in a corpus of news texts written in Brazilian Portuguese, following a systematic annotation process and answering the main research questions when performing corpus annotation. Based on this corpus, we propose novel methods for subtopic segmentation following patterns of discourse organisation, specifically using Rhetorical Structure Theory. We show that discourse structures mirror the .
Comparison of the Chondrogenic Differentiation Potential of Equine Synovial Membrane-Derived and Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Focal cartilage injury occurs commonly and often precipitates OA. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may be useful for repairing cartilage lesions, thereby preventing joint degeneration. Although MSCs isolated from bone marrow have been shown to have chondrogenic potential, synovial membrane-derived MSCs (SM-MSCs) may have superior chondrogenic abilities due to a common progenitor cell between synovium and cartilage. The objective of this study was to directly compare the immunophenotype, proliferative capabilities, and chondrogenic potential of equine SM-MSCs and bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs). In order to do this, MSCs were isolated from synovial membrane and bone marrow collected from 6 adult horses. Flow cytometric analysis was used to assess cell surface marker expression including CD29, CD44, CD90, CD105, CD45, CD-79α, MHCI, and MHCII. Proliferation rates and doubling time were quantified in P1 and P2 cells. Trilineage differentiation assays were performed. MSC pellets were cultured in chondrogenic induction media for 28 days. Pellets were stained with toluidine blue to assess proteoglycan deposition. Expression of the chondrogenic-related genes ACAN, COL2b, and SOX9 was quantified using qRT-PCR. The immunophenotypes of BM-MSCs and SM-MSCs were similar with both cell types being positive for expression of stem cell markers (CD29, CD44, CD90, CD105, and MHCI) and negative for exclusion markers (CD45 and CD79α). Although SM-MSCs did not express the exclusion marker, MHCII, expression of MHCII was moderate in BM-MSCs. Overall, chondrogenic differentiation was not significantly between the cell types with histologic parameters, proteoglycan content and gene expression being similar. BM-MSCs showed enhanced osteogenic differentiation compared to SM-MSCs. Synovial membrane is a feasible source of MSCs in the horse, however, superior chondrogenesis in vitro should not be expected under currently described culture conditions.
Testing for Endocrine Hypertension

Endocrine hypertension belongs to the group of secondary forms of hypertension and mostly is caused by disorders of the adrenal gland. There are also nonadrenal endocrine conditions that can lead to hypertension secondary to hormonal imbalance and this chapter reviews how to best identify patients with and test for such disorders. For complete coverage of all related areas of Endocrinology, please see our FREE on line web-book, www.endotext. org.
Standardized Minimal Residual Disease Detection by Next-Generation Sequencing in Multiple Myeloma

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been applied to monitor minimal residual disease (MRD) in multiple myeloma (MM). Standardized DNA input and sequencing depth is essential for achieving a uniform sensitivity in NGS-based MRD study. Herein, the sensitivity of 10−5 was verified by a standardized experimental design based on triplicate measurements of 1 μg DNA input and 1 million sequencing reads using the LymphoTrack-MiSeq platform. MRD level was defined as the mean MRD burden of the triplicates. Two spike-in controls at concentrations of 0.001% tumor plasma cells (PC) for verifying the sensitivity of 10−5 and 0.01% (or 0.005%) for MRD normalization were systematically analyzed. The spike-in control of 0.001% MRD was consistently detected in all samples, confirming a sensitivity of 10−5. Moreover, this standardized NGS approach yielded MRD measurements concordant with serological response and comparable to allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) real-time quantitative (RQ)-PCR. Moreover, NGS showed an improved sensitivity and provided quantification of MRD for cases assigned “positive but not quantifiable” (PNQ) by ASO RQ-PCR, even without the use of patient-specific probes/primers. Issues regarding the specificity of myeloma-specific sequences as MRD target, optimal input for spike-in normalization, and interpretation of MRD from triplicates are discussed. Herein, the standardized LymphoTrack-MiSeq-based method is verified to carry a sensitivity of 10−5, hence an effective tool for MRD monitoring in MM. As only a small number of samples are tested here, further study with a larger number of patients is warranted.
Androgen Receptor Expression and Association With Distant Disease-Free Survival in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Analysis of 263 Patients Treated With Standard Therapy for Stage I-III Disease

Background: We evaluated immunohistochemical AR expression and correlation with prognosis in a large series of homogeneously treated patients with primary TNBC. Material and Methods: Patients diagnosed with stage I-III TNBC between 2000 and 2015 at Istituto Oncologico Veneto who received treatment with surgery and neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant chemotherapy were included. Whole tissue slides were stained for AR. AR-positive expression was defined as >1% of positively stained tumor cells. Distant-disease-free survival (DDFS) was calculated from diagnosis to distant relapse or death. Late-DDFS was calculated from the landmark of 3 years after diagnosis until distant relapse or death. Results: We included 263 primary TNBC patients. Mean AR expression was 14% (range 0–100%), and 29.7% (n = 78) of patients were AR+. AR+ vs. AR- cases presented more frequently older age (p < 0.001), non-ductal histology (p < 0.001), G1-G2 (p = 0.003), lower Ki67 (p < 0.001) and lower TILs (p = 0.008). At a median follow up of 81 months, 23.6% of patients experienced a DDFS event: 33.3% of AR+ and 19.5% of AR- patients (p = 0.015). 5 years DDFS rates were 67.2% and 80.6% for AR+ and AR- patients (HR = 1.82 95%CI 1.10–3.02, p = 0.020). AR maintained an independent prognostic role beyond stage, but when TILs were added to the model only stage and TILs were independent prognostic factors. AR was the only factor significantly associated with late-DDFS: 16.4% of AR+ and 3.4% of AR- patients experienced a DDFS after the landmark of 3 years after diagnosis (p = 0.001). Late-DDFS rates at 5 years from the 3-year landmark were 75.8% for AR+ and 95.2% for AR- patients (log-rank p < 0.001; HR = 5.67, 95%CI 1.90–16.94, p = 0.002). Conclusions: AR expression is associated with worse outcome for patients with TNBC. In particular, AR+ TNBC patients are at increased risk of late DDFS events. These results reinforce the rationale of AR targeting in AR+ TNBC.
Quality IMPROVISATION OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE USING DATA MINING TECHNIQUES

Mining of gold from sand and rocks is referred to as gold mining rather than sand or rock mining. Thus data mining is nothing but the ‘knowledge mining’ from the data. Data mining techniques extract knowledge from large amount of data about a system. This knowledge can be used for taking various strategic decisions as well as finding the solutions towards the betterment of the system. The education system of a nation influences progressive nation building. It plays a vital role in the personal growth of a student and the social development among all. In this paper we have discussed various data mining techniques which can be used to improve the academic performance of the students. The main objective of higher education institutions is to provide quality education to their students. With the help of some data mining techniques like Association Rules, Classification, and KDD (Knowledge Discovery in Database), the institutes can evaluate the student performance and overcome the problems of low grades. The data required for this evaluation is hidden in huge educational databases. Data mining techniques not only abstract this data but also make predictions about student’s performance and suggest remedies depending upon the performance. Key Terms Association Rules, Classification, Data Preprocessing, Educational Database
Compromised Dynamic Cerebral Autoregulation in Patients With Depression

Background: Patients with depression tend to have various comorbid neurological symptoms, but the mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of dynamic cerebral autoregulation in depressed patients. Methods: Patients (aged ≥ 18 years) who were diagnosed with depression [17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) > 17] or suspected of depression (HAMD > 7) were enrolled in this study. Medically healthy volunteers were recruited as controls. The subjects also received the 7-item HAMD. We simultaneously recorded noninvasive continuous arterial blood pressure and bilateral middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity from each subject. Cerebral autoregulation was assessed by analyzing the phase difference using transfer function analysis. Results: This study enrolled 54 patients with suspected depression, 45 patients with depression, and 48 healthy volunteers. The mean phase difference values were significantly lower in the patients with depression (F = 9.071, P < 0.001). In the multiple regression analysis, depression was negatively correlated with the phase difference values. Conclusions: Dynamic cerebral autoregulation was compromised in patients with depression and negatively correlated with the depression score. Improving dynamic cerebral autoregulation may be a potential therapeutic method for treating the neurological symptoms of depression.