Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The equatorial and polar limb-darkening of Venus in the 8-20 micron region

Abstract The spectral dependence of limb-darkening of Venus in the 8–20 μm region has been measured for both the equatorial and polar directions. It is shown that the magnitude and spectral variation of the polar darkening are, in general, greater than the equatorial darkening. The equatorial darkening, in fact, appears to be nearly spectrally invariant in this wavelength region, at least for the portion of the disk covered by the observations. The magnitude of the equatorial darkening is consistent with a temperature lapse rate of roughly 3 K km−1, assuming a model in which aerosol is distributed exponentially and mixed homogeneously with atmospheric gas.
Risk factors for hospital outcomes in pulmonary embolism: A retrospective cohort study

Background Pulmonary embolism (PE) is not only a life-threatening disease but also a public health issue with significant economic burden. The aim of the study was to identify factors—including the role of primary care—that predict length of hospital stay (LOHS), mortality and re-hospitalization within 6 months of patients admitted for PE. Method A retrospective cohort study was conducted with patients presenting to a Swiss public hospital with PE diagnosed at the hospital between November 2018 and October 2020. Multivariable logistic and zero-truncated negative binomial regression analyses were performed to assess risk factors for mortality, re-hospitalization and LOHS. Primary care variables encompassed whether patients were sent by their general practitioner (GP) to the emergency department and whether a GP follow-up assessment after discharge was recommended. Further analyzed variables were pulmonary embolism severity index (PESI) score, laboratory values, comorbidities, and medical history. Results A total of 248 patients were analyzed (median 73 years and 51.6% females). On average patients were hospitalized for 5 days (IQR 3–8). Altogether, 5.6% of these patients died in hospital, and 1.6% died within 30 days (all-cause mortality), 21.8% were re-hospitalized within 6 months. In addition to high PESI scores, we detected that, patients with an elevated serum troponin, as well as with diabetes had a significantly longer hospital stay. Significant risk factors for mortality were elevated NT-proBNP and PESI scores. Further, high PESI score and LOHS were associated with re-hospitalization within 6 months. PE patients who were sent to the emergency department by their GPs did not show improved outcomes. Follow-up with GPs did not have a significant effect on re-hospitalization. Conclusion Defining the factors that are associated with LOHS in patients with PE has clinical implications and may help clinicians to allocate adequate resources in the management of these patients. Serum troponin and diabetes in addition to PESI score might be of prognostic use for LOHS. In this single-center cohort study, PESI score was not only a valid predictive tool for mortality but also for long-term outcomes such as re-hospitalization within 6 months.
Flocking of multi-agent dynamic systems with virtual leader having the reduced number of informed agents

In this paper, three fundamental properties of a potential field-based flocking algorithm, i.e. merging of neighbouring graphs during the system evolution, collision avoidance and convergence of position of the centre of mass of informed agents to that of virtual leader are discussed. Next, these properties are utilized to determine required number of informed agents based on initial position of uninformed ones and consequently reduce the domain of search in optimization problems defined for finding the optimal number of required informed agents. Finally, a new optimization framework is proposed, which benefits Voronoi diagrams in order to reduce the number of informed agents required for velocity convergence of the whole group. This optimization framework reduces computational complexity in the cost of lower optimality.
Association of serum folate with prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among adults (NHANES 2011–2018)

Background Folate was involved in oxidative stress, hepatic lipid metabolism and chronic hepatic inflammation. However, evidence about the association between serum folate level and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in general population is scarce. This study aimed to explore the relationship between serum folate level and NAFLD among adults. Methods 7,146 adult participants aged 20 years and over who have complete data of serum folate level and liver function biomarkers in NHANES 2011–2018 were included. Serum folate level was measured by isotope-dilution high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). And suspected NAFLD was defined according to the United States fatty liver index (USFLI). Logistic regression and the restricted cubic spline models were performed. Results Serum folate level was inversely associated with the presence of NAFLD. When comparing the second, third and fourth quartiles of serum folate level to the lowest quartile, the adjusted ORs of the presence of NAFLD were 0.62 (0.49–0.78), 0.65 (0.51–0.84), and 0.43 (0.32–0.56) respectively (p for trend<0.001). The non-linear and L-shaped relationship was found between serum folate level and the presence of NAFLD in the restricted cubic spline regression (p for non-linearity <0.01). Consistent with serum total folate, serum 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate level was also inversely associated with the presence of NAFLD. Conclusion Higher serum folate level may be negatively associated with NAFLD.
Effects of two-dimensional cyber incivility on employee well-being from a self-determination perspective

The research attempts to explore the effects of two-dimensional cyber incivility on employee well-being. Based on self-determination theory and regulatory focus theory, we conducted two studies to examine the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and the moderating role of promotion focus between cyber incivility and emotional exhaustion. The results demonstrated that both active and passive cyber incivility predicted increased emotional exhaustion, with intrinsic motivation serving as a key mediator. There was no consistent conclusion of promotion focus’s moderating role. High promotion focus might aggravate the negative effect of passive cyber incivility on intrinsic motivation. The present article provides deeper step towards understanding of cyber incivility, which also helps in the development of intervention strategies to lessen or avoid the negative impact of work-related stressful events on employee well-being.
Innovative vision rehabilitation method for hemianopsia: Comparing pre- and post audio-luminous biofeedback training for ocular motility improving visual functions and quality of life

Background Homonymous hemianopsia (HH) corresponds to vision loss in one hemi-field secondary to retro-chiasmal injury. Patients with HH experience difficulties in scanning and orientation in their environment. Near vision daily activities such as reading can also be impaired. There is an unmet need for standardized vision rehabilitation protocols for HH. We investigated the effectiveness of biofeedback training (BT), used for vision rehabilitation in patients with central vision loss, in individuals with HH. Methods In this prospective pilot pre/post study, 12 participants, with HH consecutive to brain injury, performed 5 weekly BT sessions for 20 min each under supervision using the Macular Integrity Assessment microperimeter. BT consisted of relocation of the retinal locus 1–4° toward the blind hemi-field. Outcomes measured post-BT were paracentral retinal sensitivity, visual acuity (near vision), fixation stability, contrast sensitivity, reading speed, and visual functioning questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using Bayesian paired t-tests. Results Paracentral retinal sensitivity significantly increased by 2.7 ± 0.9 dB in the treated eye in 9/11 of the participants. Significant improvements with medium-to-large effect size were observed for fixation stability (8/12 participants), contrast sensitivity (6/12 participants) and near vision visual acuity (10/12 participants). Reading speed increased by 32.5 ± 32.4 words per minute in 10/11 participants. Quality of vision scores improved significantly with large effect size for visual ability, visual information and mobility. Conclusion BT led to encouraging improvements in visual functions and functional vision in individuals with HH. Further confirmation with larger trials is required.
Minke whales change their swimming behavior with respect to their calling behavior, nearby conspecifics, and the environment in the central North Pacific

Behavioral responses to sonar have been observed in a number of baleen whales, including minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). Previous studies used acoustic minke whale boing detections to localize and track individual whales on the U.S. Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in Kaua ‘i, Hawai‘i before, during, and after Navy training activities. These analyses showed significant changes in central North Pacific minke whale distribution and swimming behavior during Navy sonar events. For the purposes of contextualizing changes in animal movement relative to Navy sonar, we expanded on this research to examine the natural variation in minke whale movement when Navy sonar was not present. This study included 2,245 acoustically derived minke whale tracks spanning the years 2012–2017 over all months that minke whales were detected (October–May). Minke whale movement was examined relative to calling season, day of the year, hour of day, wind speed, calling state (nominal or rapid), and distance to the nearest calling conspecific. Hidden Markov models were used to identify two kinematic states (slower, less directional movement and faster, more directional movement). The findings indicate that minke whales were more likely to travel in a faster and more directional state when they were calling rapidly, when other vocalizing minke whales were nearby, during certain times of the day and calling seasons, and in windier conditions, but these changes in movement were less intense than the changes observed during exposure to Navy sonar, when swim speeds were the fastest. These results start to put behavioral responses to Navy sonar into an environmental context to understand the severity of responses relative to natural changes in behavior.
Development of a bioenergetics and population dynamics coupled model: A case study of chub mackerel

A bioenergetics and population dynamics coupled model that includes a full life cycle and size/growth-dependent mortality function was developed to better understand stock fluctuations. As an example, the model was applied to chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) as it shows large stock fluctuations in the western North Pacific. The mortality dependency parameters for growth/size were adjusted to achieve realistic stock fluctuations in the model from 1998 to 2018. Two types of mortality functions were used in the model: one based on both size and growth, and the other based solely on size. An increasing trend of stock fluctuation of chub mackerel in the 2010s was reproduced in the simulation by contributions of several strong monthly cohorts that formed strong year classes using both types of mortality functions. The reproducibility of the stock fluctuation was not markedly different between the models with the two types of mortality functions, which indicates the importance of size-dependent mortality on the stock fluctuations of chub mackerel. The influence of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a was evaluated separately by using the climatological values for one of the forcings, and the model results revealed that the stock fluctuations of chub mackerel during 1998–2018 were mainly controlled by chlorophyll-a, whereas the increasing stock during 2010–2014 was strongly influenced by chlorophyll-a, and that after 2014 was influenced by SST. When integrated with different fishing pressures, the model showed that high fishing pressure hinders the recovery of chub mackerel stocks, highlighting the importance of effective fishery management.
1D modelling and preliminary analysis of the coupled DYNASTY–eDYNASTY natural circulation loop

In the continuous strive to improve the safety of current-generation and next-generation nuclear power plants, natural circulation can be used to design passive safety systems to remove the decay heat during the shutdown. The Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR) is a peculiar type of Gen-IV nuclear facility, where the fluid fuel is homogeneously mixed with the coolant. This design leads to natural circulation in the presence of an internally distributed heat source during the shutdown. Furthermore, to shield the environment from the highly radioactive fuel, an intermediate loop between the primary and the secondary loops, able to operate in natural circulation, is required. To analyze the natural circulation with a distributed heat source and to study the natural circulation of coupled systems and the influence of the intermediate loop on the behaviour of the primary, Politecnico di Milano designed and built the DYNASTY-eDYNASTY facility. The two facilities are coupled with a double-pipe heat exchanger, which siphons heat from DYNASTY and delivers it to the eDYNASTY loop. This work focuses on modelling the coupled DYNASTY-eDYNASTY natural circulation loops using DYMOLA2023®, an integrated development environment based on the Modelica Object-Oriented a-causal simulation language. The 1D Modelica approach allows for building highly reusable and flexible models easing the design effort on a complex system such as the DYNASTY-eDYNASTY case without the need to rewrite the whole model from scratch. The coupled models were developed starting from the already-validated single DYNASTY model and the double-pipe heat exchanger coupling. The models were tested during the whole development process, studying the influence of the numerical integration algorithm on the simulation behaviour. A preliminary analysis of both the adiabatic and the heat loss models analyzed the effect of the secondary natural circulation loop on the behaviour of the DYNASTY loop. The simulation results showed that the eDYNASTY loop dampens the behaviour of the primary DYNASTY loop. Furthermore, a parametric analysis of the DYNASTY and the eDYNASTY coolers highlighted the influence of the cooling configuration on the facility’s behaviour. Finally, the simulation results identified the most critical aspects of the models in preparation for an experimental comparison.
Continuous time mean‐variance optimal portfolio allocation under jump diffusion: An numerical impulse control approach

We present efficient partial differential equation methods for continuous time mean‐variance portfolio allocation problems when the underlying risky asset follows a jump‐diffusion. The standard formulation of mean‐variance optimal portfolio allocation problems, where the total wealth is the underlying stochastic process, gives rise to a one‐dimensional (1D) nonlinear Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) partial integrodifferential equation (PIDE) with the control present in the integrand of the jump term, and thus is difficult to solve efficiently. To preserve the efficient handling of the jump term, we formulate the asset allocation problem as a 2D impulse control problem, 1D for each asset in the portfolio, namely the bond and the stock. We then develop a numerical scheme based on a semi‐Lagrangian timestepping method, which we show to be monotone, consistent, and stable. Hence, assuming a strong comparison property holds, the numerical solution is guaranteed to converge to the unique viscosity solution of the corresponding HJB PIDE. The correctness of the proposed numerical framework is verified by numerical examples. We also discuss the effects on the efficient frontier of realistic financial modeling, such as different borrowing and lending interest rates, transaction costs, and constraints on the portfolio, such as maximum limits on borrowing and solvency. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 30: 664–698, 2014
Individual alpha frequency appears unrelated to the latency of early visual responses

A large body of work has linked neural oscillations in the alpha-band (8–13 Hz) to visual perceptual outcomes. In particular, studies have found that alpha phase prior to stimulus onset predicts stimulus detection, and sensory responses and that the frequency of alpha can predict temporal properties of perception. These findings have bolstered the idea that alpha-band oscillations reflect rhythmic sampling of visual information, however the mechanisms of this are unclear. Recently two contrasting hypotheses have been proposed. According to the rhythmic perception account, alpha oscillations impose phasic inhibition on perceptual processing and primarily modulate the amplitude or strength of visual responses and thus the likelihood of stimulus detection. On the other hand, the discrete perception account proposes that alpha activity discretizes perceptual inputs thereby reorganizing the timing (not only the strength) of perceptual and neural processes. In this paper, we sought neural evidence for the discrete perception account by assessing the correlation between individual alpha frequencies (IAF) and the latency of early visual evoked event-related potential (ERP) components. If alpha cycles were responsible for shifting neural events in time, then we may expect higher alpha frequencies to be associated with earlier afferent visual ERPs. Participants viewed large checkerboard stimuli presented to either the upper or lower visual field that were designed to elicit a large C1 ERP response (thought to index feedforward primary visual cortex activation). We found no reliable correlation between IAF and the C1 latency, or subsequent ERP component latencies, suggesting that the timing of these visual-evoked potentials was not modulated by alpha frequency. Our results thus fail to find evidence for discrete perception at the level of early visual responses but leave open the possibility of rhythmic perception.
Editorial: Screening and verification of new targets for CAR-T immunotherapy in cancer

COPYRIGHT © 2023 Su, Yuan and Shi. This is an openaccess article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. TYPE Editorial PUBLISHED 11 April 2023 DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2023. 1189773
Sexual knowledge of Queensland forensic mental health patients: A cross-sectional quantitative study

Forensic patients with serious mental illnesses (SMI) encounter significant challenges including active symptomatology, associated social and interpersonal impairments, psychotropic medication side effects and institutionalization, all of which negatively affect sexual functioning and possibly their acquirement of sexual knowledge. Evidence shows an increased prevalence of high-risk sexual behavior by this group however, there is an absence of literature examining the sexual knowledge of forensic patients. This quantitative cross-sectional study enrolled N = 50 patients currently under the treatment requirements of a Forensic Order and utilized the validated General Sexual Knowledge Questionnaire (GSKQ) to quantify the participants’ sexual knowledge over the domains of physiology, sexual intercourse, pregnancy, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexuality. Male forensic patients scored lower than females on all domains of sexual knowledge. All participants had reasonable knowledge of physiology, sexual intercourse and sexuality; of concern were poor scores on pregnancy, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. Thirty-five (70%) of the respondents indicated that they had some limited sex education, mostly at school. Only six (12%) received any sexual education from a health professional despite extensive contact with the forensic mental health services across many years. There is a need to assess the deficit in sexual knowledge of forensic patients in order to develop sexual health education, intervention and rehabilitative programmes that cater to the specific needs of this group to improve their sexual knowledge, encourage safe and positive sexual experiences, and enhance their quality of life.
Overview of programmed electrical stimulation to assess atrial fibrillation susceptibility in mice

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common human arrhythmia and is associated with increased risk of stroke, dementia, heart failure, and death. Among several animal models that have been used to investigate the molecular determinants of AF, mouse models have become the most prevalent due to low cost, ease of genetic manipulation, and similarity to human disease. Programmed electrical stimulation (PES) using intracardiac or transesophageal atrial pacing is used to induce AF as most mouse models do not develop spontaneous AF. However, there is a lack of standardized methodology resulting in numerous PES protocols in the literature that differ with respect to multiple parameters, including pacing protocol and duration, stimulus amplitude, pulse width, and even the definition of AF. Given this complexity, the selection of the appropriate atrial pacing protocol for a specific model has been arbitrary. Herein we review the development of intracardiac and transesophageal PES, including commonly used protocols, selected experimental models, and advantages and disadvantages of both techniques. We also emphasize detection of artifactual AF induction due to unintended parasympathetic stimulation, which should be excluded from results. We recommend that the optimal pacing protocol to elicit an AF phenotype should be individualized to the specific model of genetic or acquired risk factors, with an analysis using several definitions of AF as an endpoint.
The role of extracellular vesicles in periodontitis: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy

Periodontitis is a prevalent disease and one of the leading causes of tooth loss. Biofilms are initiating factor of periodontitis, which can destroy periodontal tissue by producing virulence factors. The overactivated host immune response is the primary cause of periodontitis. The clinical examination of periodontal tissues and the patient’s medical history are the mainstays of periodontitis diagnosis. However, there is a lack of molecular biomarkers that can be used to identify and predict periodontitis activity precisely. Non-surgical and surgical treatments are currently available for periodontitis, although both have drawbacks. In clinical practice, achieving the ideal therapeutic effect remains a challenge. Studies have revealed that bacteria produce extracellular vesicles (EVs) to export virulence proteins to host cells. Meanwhile, periodontal tissue cells and immune cells produce EVs that have pro- or anti-inflammatory effects. Accordingly, EVs play a critical role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Recent studies have also presented that the content and composition of EVs in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) can serve as possible periodontitis diagnostic indicators. In addition, studies have indicated that stem cell EVs may encourage periodontal regeneration. In this article, we mainly review the role of EVs in the pathogenesis of periodontitis and discuss their diagnostic and therapeutic potential.