Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermal tuning of optical cavities for parametric instability control

Thermal tuning of optical Fabry-Perot cavities has been proposed to reduce the parametric gain of high-frequency parametric instabilities in gravitational wave detectors. We investigate the performance achievable for such tuning obtained by thermal actuation of the mirrors (also called test masses) of the arm cavities. We show that for test mass dimensions used in advanced detectors, when circularly symmetric heating is applied to the rear side of the mirror, the steady-state tuning performance is almost independent of the heating pattern and depends only on the heating power. We derived the optimal time-dependent heating required to achieve the fastest possible actuation in sapphire and fused-silica substrates. Our simulations show that sapphire mechanical deformation response to heating is 15 times faster than that of fused silica, although sapphire requires three times more heating power to obtain the same radius of curvature change.
On the conversion of carbon monoxide intensities to molecular hydrogen abundances

We present results of theoretical models (static spherical clouds with a microturbulent velocity field) to study the conversion of carbon monoxide (CO) line parameters into molecular hydrogen (H/sub 2/) column densities, N2. The three potential H/sub 2/ tracers that we investigate are the integrated /sup 12/CO and /sup 13/CO intensities, I/sub 12/and I/sub 13/, and the /sup 13/CO LTE column density, N(/sub 13/. We find that I/sub 12/ may be a reasonable tracer of N2 under conditions appropriate to the envelopes of giant molecular clouds and for studies involving cloud ensembles of different cloud sizes and velocity dispersions. However, it saturates under higher density conditions. It is important that empirical conversion factors be set using the types of objects to which they will be applied. For this reason, our analysis suggests that the conversion factor N2/I/sub 12/ for giant molecular clouds in the molecular ring of our galaxy may be a factor of 2 lower than the average used by many observers. This lower value is supported by some recent empirical determinations. The quantity I/sub 13/ is a good tracer of N2 over a wide range of densities but it is more sensitive to the actual /sup 13/CO abundance. Themore » quantity N(/sub 13/ is similar to I/sub 13/ as a good tracer of N2 except at low densities and temperatures. The ratio I/sub 12//I/sub 13/ may be used to delineate temperature and column density effects. Finally, we find a strong temperature dependence in the various conversion factors, with N2/I/sub 12/ scaling with gas temperature (T/sub k/ approximately as (T/sub k/)/sup -1.3/. « less
Estimates of the conformal scalar curvature equation via the method of moving planes

In this paper we derive a local estimate of a positive singular solution u near its singular set Z of the conformal equation where K(x) is a positive continuous function, Z is a compact subset of , and g satisfies that is nonincreasing for t > 0. Assuming that the order of flatness at critical points of K on Z is no less than , we prove that, through the application of the method of moving planes, the inequality holds for any solution of (0.1) with Cap(Z) = 0. By the same method, we also derive a Harnack-type inequality for smooth positive solutions. Let u satisfy Assume that the order of flatness at critical points of K is no less than n - 2; then the inequality holds for R ≤ 1. We also show by examples that the assumption about the flatness at critical points is optimal for validity of the inequality (0.4). © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Optical flip–flop based on two‐mode intensity bistability in a cross‐coupled bistable laser diode

We present an experimental demonstration of an optical flip–flop based on two‐mode intensity bistability in a GaAs/AlGaAs cross‐coupled bistable laser diode (XCBLD), in which lasing can be toggled between two orthogonal outputs. Electrically triggered set–reset optical memory operation has been achieved in a folded‐cavity device under pulsed bias at 77 K. The XCBLD is monolithically integrable and has extensive applications in optical time‐division switching.
Ranking Procedures and Subjective Probability Distributions

For the most part, modern management has become gradually conditioned to techniques involving the use of subjective probability distributions. In spite of this conditioning, there remain a few who are still somewhat skeptical with regard to the use of such distributions. However, in many instances principal objections are leveled, not toward subjectivity per se, but, rather, toward “nebulous subjectivity. ” Many managers still associate an air of mysticism with the development of subjective probability distributions. This is not surprising in view of the facts that 1 relatively little material in pertinent literature is devoted to discussions of methods for deriving subjective distributions, and 2 a large percentage of those discussions which do appear can best be characterized as hand-waving approaches. The purpose of the present article is two-fold. First, the article proposes a specific, logical, and consistent procedure for deriving subjective probability distributions. The procedure, which involves the use of statistical ranking techniques, is exemplified for the purpose of clarity. Second, and possibly even more important than the first objective, the procedure is set forth in the hope that it will stimulate further activity toward development of improved methods for deriving subjective distributions.
Development of a Linearly Polarized Circular Substrate-Integrated Waveguide Cavity-Backed 2 × 2-Slot Antenna Array

Abstract This article presents two new cavity-backed slot antennas utilizing substrate-integrated waveguide technology and offering high gain. Radiation performances of the proposed antennas are experimentally and numerically evaluated. Using two slots backed by a circular cavity, one can improve antenna gain by 2 dB over the gain of a single-slot antenna. Then a 2 × 2-slot antenna array backed by two cavities is presented, which offers a gain of 9.2 dBi, which is 4.2 dB and 2.2 dB higher than the gain of single- and two-slot antennas, respectively. All the proposed antenna structures are made on a single-layer substrate, and a low-cost printed circuit board process is used for fabrication.
The Case for Third Bodies as the Cause of Period Changes in Selected Algol Systems

Many eclipsing binary star systems show long-term variations in their orbital periods, evident in their O - C (observed minus calculated period) diagrams. With data from the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE-I) compiled in the SkyDOT database, New Mexico State University 1 m data, and recent American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) data, we revisit Borkovits and Hegedüs's best-case candidates for third-body effects in eclipsing binaries: AB And, TV Cas, XX Cep, and AK Her. We also examine the possibility of a third body orbiting Y Cam. Our new data support their suggestion that a third body is present in all systems except AK Her, as is revealed by the sinusoidal variations of the O - C residuals. Our new data suggest that a third body alone cannot explain the variations seen in the O - C residuals of AK Her. We also provide a table of 143 eclipsing binary systems that have historical AAVSO O - C data with new values computed from the SkyDOT database.
First-Trimester Triglyceride-Glucose Index and Risk of Pregnancy-Related Complications: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study in Southeast China

Purpose To evaluate the relationships of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index with pregnancy-related complications (PRCs) and to clarify the predictability of the TyG index for PRCs. Patients and Methods Totally of 11,387 women with a singleton pregnancy were prospectively followed until after delivery. Maternal fasting lipids and glucose concentration were measured in the first trimester (11 weeks gestation on average). The TyG index was calculated as ln [triglyceride (mg/dL) × fasting plasma glucose (mg/dL)/2]. We used generalized linear models to calculate the relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was employed to assess the ability of the TyG index to predict the risks of PRCs. Results Smooth spline reveals that the probability of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is intensified with the increasing TyG index. Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for risk factors demonstrates a 1-unit and a 1-SD increment in the TyG index raises the risk of GDM by 3.63 and 1.57 times, respectively. Identically, the risk of GDM maximizes in the TyG quintile 5 (OR: 3.14; 95% CI: 2.55~3.85) relative to the lowest TyG index group. However, no association between TyG index and the risk of other PRCs was observed after full adjustment. The area under receiver operating characteristic curves is 0.647 (95% CI: 0.632–0.66) for GDM, and the optimal predictive cut-off is 8.55, with a specificity of 0.679 and sensitivity of 0.535. Conclusion The first-trimester TyG index is significantly associated with the risk of incident GDM, while the relationships between the TyG index and other PRCs need further exploration.
A stochastic modeling of recurrent measles epidemic

A simple stochastic mathematical model is developed and investigated for the dynamics of measles epidemic. The model, which is a multi-dimensional diffusion process, includes susceptible individuals, latent (exposed), infected and removed individuals. Stochastic effects are assumed to arise in the process of infection of susceptible individuals. Using the best currently available parameter values, the intrinsic variability in response to a given initial infection is examined by solving the stochastic system numerically. The results of the simulation seem to agree with the historical pattern of measles in Nigeria. Keywords: Stochastic model, measles, epidemiology, Wiener process, Euler scheme.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: COVID Concerns and Partnered U.S. Mothers’ Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Shutdowns of in-person school and childcare in spring 2020 in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were associated with substantial reductions in mothers’ labor force participation (LFP). By fall 2020, in-person school and daycare were more widely available, but mothers’ LFP remained as low as it was in spring. Coincidently, by fall 2020, daily COVID deaths had also began to peak. Using unique panel survey data from partnered U.S. mothers (n = 263), the authors use structural equation modeling to analyze how mothers’ concerns over COVID shaped their LFP in fall 2020. Findings show that mothers’ COVID concerns were associated with reduced LFP via children’s time at home, perceived stress, and remote work. Concerned mothers were more likely to keep children home, but this resulted in less paid work likely vis-à-vis work-family conflicts. The findings illuminate one reason mothers’ LFP failed to rebound in fall 2020 despite increased access to in-person school and daycare.
Markers of Renal Complications in Beta Thalassemia Patients with Iron Overload Receiving Chelation Agent Therapy: A Systematic Review

Objective The emerging renal complications in beta-thalassemia patients have raised the global exchange of views. Despite better survival due to blood transfusion and iron chelation therapy, the previously unrecognized renal complication remain a burden of disease affecting this population —the primary concern on how iron overload and chelation therapy correlated with renal impairment is still controversial. Early detection and diagnosis is crucial in preventing further kidney damage. Therefore, a systematic review was performed to identify markers of kidney complications in beta thalassemia patients with iron overload receiving chelation therapy. Methods Searches of PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science were conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to identify studies of literature reporting renal outcome in β-TM patients with iron overload and receiving chelation therapy. The eligible 17 studies were obtained. Results uNGAL/NGAL, uNAG/NAG, uKIM-1 are markers that can be used as predictor of renal tubular damage in early renal complications, while Cystatin C and uβ2MG showed further damage at the glomerular level. Discussion and Conclusion The renal complication in beta-thalassemia patients with iron overload receiving chelating agent therapy may progress to kidney disease. Early detection using accurate biological markers is a substantial issue that deserves further evaluation to determine prevention and management.
Shiga Toxin-B Targeted Gold Nanorods for Local Photothermal Treatment in Oral Cancer Clinical Samples

Introduction A great challenge in nanomedicine, and more specifically in theranostics, is to improve the specificity, selectivity, and targeting of nanomaterials towards target tissues or cells. The topical use of nanomedicines as adjuvants to systemic chemotherapy can significantly improve the survival of patients affected by localized carcinomas, reducing the side effects of traditional drugs and preventing local recurrences. Methods Here, we have used the Shiga toxin, to design a safe, high-affinity protein-ligand (ShTxB) to bind the globotriaosylceramide receptor (GB3) that is overexpressed on the surfaces of preneoplastic and malignant cancer cells in the head and neck tumors. Results We find that ShTxB functionalized gold nanorods are efficiently retrotranslocated to the GB3-positive cell cytoplasms. After 3 minutes of laser radiation with a wavelength resonant with the AuNR longitudinal localized surface plasmon, the death of the targeted cancer cells is activated. Both preclinical murine models and patient biopsy cells show the non-cytotoxic nature of these functionalized nanoparticles before light activation and their treatment selectivity. Discussion These results show how the use of nanomedicines directed by natural ligands can represent an effective treatment for aggressive localized cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.
A Daily Soil Temperature Dataset and Soil Temperature Climatology of the Contiguous United States

Abstract Although affected by atmospheric circulations, variations in soil temperature result primarily from the radiation and sensible and latent heat exchanges at the surface and heat transfer in the soils of different thermal properties. Thus, soil temperature and its variation at various depths are unique parameters that are useful in understanding both the surface energy processes and regional environmental and climatic conditions. Yet, despite the importance, long-term quality data of soil temperatures are not available for the United States. The goal of this study is to fill this data gap and to develop a soil temperature dataset from the historical data of U.S. cooperative stations. Cooperative station soil temperatures at various depths from 1967 to 2002 are collected and examined by a set of quality checks, and erroneous data of extended periods are estimated using methods constructed in this study. After the quality control, the data are used to describe the climatic soil temperature as well as.
Distributed observer-based coordination for multiple Lagrangian systems using only position measurements

This study addresses the distributed coordination problem for multiple Lagrangian systems under a directed graph. Two cases are considered, namely, the distributed tracking control problem with a dynamic leader and the leaderless synchronisation problem. To overcome the difficulty that only positions are measured, a kind of new distributed observer is designed to estimate the velocity for each follower. The velocity observer is updated using only position information from the agent itself and from its neighbours. Based on the outputs of the observer, the distributed control protocols are proposed, respectively, such that the tracking errors locally exponentially converge to zero in the tracking scenario and the agents synchronise in the leaderless synchronisation scenario. Furthermore, the stability of the overall scheme is discussed under the directed interaction graphs that contain a directed spanning tree. Finally, cooperative simulations are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed observer and control algorithms.
Investigation of the mica x-ray absorption near-edge structure spectral features at the Al K-edge

Near-edge features of Al x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra in aluminosilicate compounds with mixed coordination number are usually assigned to a fourfold coordinated site contribution followed by a sixfold coordinated site contribution that is displaced towards higher energy because of the increasing ligand nucleus potentials, neglecting possible contributions due to bond distance variations and local geometrical distortion. Here we present and discuss the Al K-edge XANES spectra of synthetic micas with either fourfold coordinated Al (phlogopite), or with sixfold coordinated Al (polylithionite), as well as with mixed coordination (preiswerkite). Multiple scattering simulations of XANES spectra demonstrate that octahedral contributions may overlap the tetrahedral ones so that the lower energy structures in mixed coordination compounds may be associated with the octahedral sites. This unexpected behaviour can be described as due to the effect of a significant reduction of the ligand field strength (i.e. large local distortion and Al–O bond distances).
Cropland intensification mediates the radiative balance of greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon sequestration in maize systems of sub‐Saharan Africa

Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) must undertake proper cropland intensification for higher crop yields while minimizing climate impacts. Unfortunately, no studies have simultaneously quantified greenhouse gas (GHG; CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions and soil organic carbon (SOC) change in SSA croplands, leaving it a blind spot in the accounting of global warming potential (GWP). Here, based on 2‐year field monitoring of soil emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O, as well as SOC changes in two contrasting soil types (sandy vs. clayey), we provided the first, full accounting of GWP for maize systems in response to cropland intensifications (increasing nitrogen rates and in combination with crop residue return) in SSA. To corroborate our field observations on SOC change (i.e., 2‐year, a short duration), we implemented a process‐oriented model parameterized with field data to simulate SOC dynamic over time. We further tested the generality of our findings by including a literature synthesis of SOC change across maize‐based systems in SSA. We found that nitrogen application reduced SOC loss, likely through increased biomass yield and consequently belowground carbon allocation. Residue return switched the direction of SOC change from loss to gain; such a benefit (SOC sequestration) was not compromised by CH4 emissions (negligible) nor outweighed by the amplified N2O emissions, and contributed to negative net GWP. Overall, we show encouraging results that, combining residue and fertilizer‐nitrogen input allowed for sequestering 82–284 kg of CO2‐eq per Mg of maize grain produced across two soils. All analyses pointed to an advantage of sandy over clayey soils in achieving higher SOC sequestration targets, and thus call for a re‐evaluation on the potential of sandy soils in SOC sequestration across SSA croplands. Our findings carry important implications for developing viable intensification practices for SSA croplands in mitigating climate change while securing food production.
Protein–Ligand Binding Free-Energy Calculations with ARROW—A Purely First-Principles Parameterized Polarizable Force Field

Protein–ligand binding free-energy calculations using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have emerged as a powerful tool for in silico drug design. Here, we present results obtained with the ARROW force field (FF)—a multipolar polarizable and physics-based model with all parameters fitted entirely to high-level ab initio quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. ARROW has already proven its ability to determine solvation free energy of arbitrary neutral compounds with unprecedented accuracy. The ARROW FF parameterization is now extended to include coverage of all amino acids including charged groups, allowing molecular simulations of a series of protein–ligand systems and prediction of their relative binding free energies. We ensure adequate sampling by applying a novel technique that is based on coupling the Hamiltonian Replica exchange (HREX) with a conformation reservoir generated via potential softening and nonequilibrium MD. ARROW provides predictions with near chemical accuracy (mean absolute error of ∼0.5 kcal/mol) for two of the three protein systems studied here (MCL1 and Thrombin). The third protein system (CDK2) reveals the difficulty in accurately describing dimer interaction energies involving polar and charged species. Overall, for all of the three protein systems studied here, ARROW FF predicts relative binding free energies of ligands with a similar accuracy level as leading nonpolarizable force fields.
Vitamin K supplementation and bone mineral density in dialysis: results of the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled RenaKvit trial

ABSTRACT Background Vitamin K deficiency is highly prevalent in patients on dialysis and may contribute to their low bone mineral density (BMD) and increased risk of fracture. This study investigated the effect of menaquinone-7 (MK-7) supplementation on BMD in patients on chronic dialysis. Methods In a multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention trial, 123 patients on chronic dialysis were randomised to a daily oral supplement of either MK-7 360 µg or placebo for 2 years. BMD of the distal radius (1/3, mid, ultradistal and total), femoral neck, lumbar spine (L1–L4) and whole body was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum levels of vitamin K1 and MK-7 and plasma levels of total osteocalcin, dephosphorylated-uncarboxylated matrix Gla protein and protein induced by vitamin K absence II were measured to assess vitamin K status. Results After 2 years, an accelerated BMD loss of the 1/3 distal radius was found with MK-7 supplementation {mean difference of changes relative to placebo −0.023 g/cm2 [95% confidence interval (CI) −0.039 to −0.008]}, whereas the decrease in lumbar spine BMD seen in the placebo group was prevented [mean difference of changes between groups 0.050 g/cm2 (95% CI 0.015–0.085)]. No significant effects were observed at the remaining skeletal sites. Vitamin K status strongly improved in MK-7-supplemented participants. Conclusion Compared with placebo, an accelerated BMD loss of the 1/3 distal radius was found after 2 years of MK-7 supplementation, whereas a decline in lumbar spine BMD was prevented. As such, MK-7 supplementation might modify BMD site-specifically in patients on dialysis. In aggregate, our findings do not support MK-7 supplementation to preserve bone in patients on dialysis.