Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extreme solar particle event of 774 AD: reference as the worst-case scenario for space weather

Violent eruptive processes on the Sun can lead to an acceleration of solar energetic particles, which accordingly result in notable space weather effects, specifically an increase of the complex radiation field at aviation altitudes. A specific class represents events observed by ground-based detectors such as neutron monitors (NMs), the ground-level enhancements (GLEs). Here, we considered for study a specific event, namely the strongest known, yet not directly observed, that is the extreme solar particle event of 774 AD discovered on the basis of cosmogenic-isotopes measurements. After a convenient scaling of a GLE # 5 and employing the corresponding radiation model we computed the ambient dose at aviation altitudes during the 774 AD event. Since the spectrum of solar protons during 774 AD can not be directly obtained, as a first step we derived the spectra of the solar protons during the GLE # 5, the strongest directly observed by NM measurements. The GLE # 5 is assumed as a conservative approach because of the hardest derived spectra. The global map of the ambient dose was computed under realistic reconstruction of the geomagnetic field during the 774 AD epoch, obtained on the basis of archeo-paleomagnetic measurements. We show that the 774 AD event represents a significant space weather threat and can be used as a reference for the worst-case scenario for radiation dose received during GLEs at aviation altitudes.
Efficacy of rFIXFc versus N9-GP Prophylaxis in Patients with Hemophilia B: Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparison of B-LONG and PARADIGM 2 Trials

Purpose For patients with hemophilia B, extended half-life factor IX (FIX) products are available for prophylaxis and for treating bleeds. Different methods are used to extend the half-lives of recombinant FIX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc) and nonacog beta pegol (N9-GP). This affects their biodistribution and plasma FIX levels, although differences do not always correlate with clinical outcomes. A matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) of prophylaxis with rFIXFc and N9-GP was performed, based on licensed dosing in the European Union. Patients and Methods Combined rFIXFc data from the weekly and individualized interval prophylaxis arms of the B-LONG clinical trial, and N9-GP data from the 40 IU/kg once-weekly prophylaxis arm of PARADIGM 2 were used in a MAIC. Individual patient data for rFIXFc (n=87) were matched to aggregated data for N9-GP (n=29). Estimated annualized bleeding rates (ABRs) for rFIXFc were recalculated using a Poisson regression model with adjustment for over-dispersion, and compared with ABRs reported for N9-GP, using incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results There was no evidence of significant differences in estimated ABRs between prophylaxis with rFIXFc and N9-GP. Analysis of pooled rFIXFc weekly and interval-adjusted dosing compared with N9-GP 40 IU/kg once weekly produced estimated ABRs of 2.59 versus 2.51 (IRR 1.03; 95% CI 0.56–1.89), as well as 1.34 versus 1.22 (IRR 1.10; 95% CI 0.42–2.91) and 1.13 versus 1.29 (IRR 0.88; 95% CI 0.47–1.63) for overall, spontaneous, and traumatic bleeding events, respectively. Conclusion The study did not reveal any significant differences in the efficacy of rFIXFc and N9-GP prophylaxis. Given differences in trough levels (rFIXFc dosing was targeted to achieve a trough 1–3 IU/dL above baseline versus a reported estimated N9-GP mean trough of 27.3 IU/dL), interpreting plasma FIX levels as potential surrogate efficacy markers requires consideration of compound-specific pharmacokinetic profiles.
Electromechanical Control and Stability Analysis of a Soft Swim-Bladder Robot Driven by Dielectric Elastomer

Compared to the conventional rigid robots, the soft robots driven by soft active materials possess unique advantages with their high adaptability in field exploration and seamless interaction with human. As one type of soft robot, soft aquatic robots play important roles in the application of ocean exploration and engineering. However, the soft robots still face grand challenges, such as high mobility, environmental tolerance, and accurate control. Here, we design a soft robot with a fully integrated onboard system including power and wireless communication. Without any motor, dielectric elastomer (DE) membrane with a balloonlike shape in the soft robot can deform with large actuation, changing the total volume and buoyant force of the robot. With the help of pressure sensor, the robot can move to and stabilize at a designated depth by a closed-loop control. The performance of the robot has been investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Numerical results from the analysis agree well with the results from the experiments. The mechanisms of actuation and control may guide the further design of soft robot and smart devices. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4037147]
Time-locked acute alpha-frequency stimulation of subthalamic nuclei during the evaluation of emotional stimuli and its effect on power modulation

Introduction Deep brain stimulation (DBS) studies in Parkinson's Disease (PD) targeting the subthalamic nucleus (STN) have characterized its spectral properties across cognitive processes. In emotional evaluation tasks, specific alpha frequency (8–12 Hz) event-related de-synchronization (ERD) (reduced power) has been demonstrated. The time-locked stimulation of STN relative to stimuli onset has shown subjective positive valence shifts with 10 Hz but not with 130 Hz. However, neurophysiological effects of stimulation on power modulation have not been investigated. We aim to investigate effects of acute stimulation of the right STN on concurrent power modulation in the contralateral STN and frontal scalp EEG. From our previous study, we had a strong a priori hypothesis that negative imagery without stimulation would be associated with alpha ERD; negative imagery with 130 Hz stimulation would be also associated with alpha ERD given the lack of its effect on subjective valence ratings; negative imagery with 10 Hz stimulation was to be associated with enhanced alpha power given the shift in behavioral valence ratings. Methods Twenty-four subjects with STN DBS underwent emotional picture-viewing tasks comprising neutral and negative pictures. In a subset of these subjects, the negative images were associated with time-locked acute stimulation at either 10 or 130 Hz. Power of signals was estimated relative to the baseline and subjected to non-parametric statistical testing. Results As hypothesized, in 130 Hz stimulation condition, we show a decrease in alpha power to negative vs. neutral images irrespective of stimulation. In contrast, this alpha power decrease was no longer evident in the negative 10 Hz stimulation condition consistent with a predicted increase in alpha power. Greater beta power in the 10 Hz stimulation condition along with correlations between beta power across the 10 Hz stimulation and unstimulated conditions suggest physiological and cognitive generalization effects. Conclusion Acute alpha-specific frequency stimulation presumably was associated with a loss of this expected decrease or desynchronization in alpha power to negative images suggesting the capacity to facilitate the synchronization of alpha and enhance power. Acute time-locked stimulation has the potential to provide causal insights into the spectral frequencies and temporal dynamics of emotional processing.
Validation of CFD Simulation of a Thermoacoustic Device

Much of the literature available on thermoacoustics is based on linear acoustic theory. However, the limit cycle amplitude is mainly determined by nonlinear effects and thus cannot be predicted by linear theory [1]. Numerical simulation allows an overview of the important phenomena in the device, as well as to observe the energy flow, the thermal and dynamic fields. The first simulation of thermoacoustic was carried out by Cao et al [2]. Other simulations by Worlikar [3], Worlikar et al [4], then by Besnoin et al. [5] use a low Mach number approach to simulate the flow near a plate, and they include heat exchangers at either end. These simulations have demonstrated the formation of vortices at the ends of plate. Nijeholt et al. [6] simulated a thermoacoustic engine. Their results clearly show the occurrence of nonlinear effects inside the thermoacoustic system. Similar results are observed by Yu et al. [7].
Alexithymia prevalence among patients with chronic dermatological diseases in a tertiary hospital, Saudi Arabia

Introduction Alexithymia is a psychological condition characterized by difficulty in identifying and expressing one’s emotions, and it has been associated with several physical and mental health disorders. Aim To determine the prevalence of alexithymia among patients with a range of chronic dermatological diseases in a Saudi public hospital. Material and methods 477 patients who were over 14 years old and affected by one of the following chronic skin conditions: psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne, alopecia areata, vitiligo, hidradenitis suppurativa, pemphigus vulgaris, chronic urticaria were included in this study. Alexithymia was assessed in these patients by using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) which is a widely used, reliable and valid measure of this construct. Results Prevalence of alexithymia among chronic dermatological disease patients ranges from 14.8% to 71.4%, with an overall occurrence of 43%. The highest prevalence of alexithymia was found in hidradenitis suppurativa (71.4%) and the lowest in acne (14.8%). Overall, the alexithymia cases were predominantly male (51.7%). The distribution of male and female cases with alexithymia varied among patients with different types of chronic skin diseases, with the highest male prevalence in psoriasis (58.7%) and the highest female prevalence in pemphigus vulgaris (66.7%). Conclusions Alexithymia is prevalent among patients with chronic dermatological diseases and dermatologists’ awareness of how to identify and address alexithymia among their patients can play a vital role in improving treatment adherence and outcomes.
Precision Measurement of Daily Proton and Helium Fluxes by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

The precision measurement of the daily proton and helium ﬂuxes will be presented. The period of observation covers 11 year solar cycle from the ascending phase through its maximum going toward its minimum. Time variations of the ﬂuxes on diﬀerent time scales associated to the solar activity are presented. Detailed time variations of ﬂuxes and ratio will be also presented. Remarkably, below 2.4 GV a hysteresis between the helium to proton ﬂux ratio and the helium ﬂux was observed at greater than the 7 𝜎 level
Self-Compassion and Depressive Symptoms as Determinants of Sensitive Parenting: Associations with Sociodemographic Characteristics in a Sample of Mothers and Toddlers

Parenting that is sensitive and responsive to children’s needs has been shown to support children’s optimal growth and development in many cultural contexts. Numerous studies suggest that self-compassion is positively related to sensitive parenting. Despite growing research interest linking self-compassion to responsive parenting, there are considerable gaps in the literature. The current study examined the associations between self-compassion, depressive symptoms, socioeconomic status, and sensitive parenting. Data was obtained from a cohort study of 300 families in central Ohio enrolled when children were a mean (SD) calendar age of 18.2 (0.7) months. Children of all gestational ages at birth are included, and 37% were born preterm (<37 weeks’ gestation). Observational protocols were used to determine maternal sensitivity in a semi-structured play setting. Self-compassion was assessed with the Self-Compassion Scale when children were 24 months old. Self-compassion was not associated with sociodemographic characteristics including maternal education, household income, child sex and gestational age. In unadjusted regression models, depressive symptoms were related to sensitive parenting (B = −0.036, SE = 0.016, p = 0.03), but self-compassion was not a statistically significant predictor (p = 0.35) of sensitivity, and neither self-compassion nor depressive symptoms were statistically significant predictors of sensitive parenting after adjustment for covariates. Considerations for future studies are discussed.
Influence of bubbles on the water-leaving reflectance.

Bubbles in the upper ocean are ubiquitous and are formed primarily as a result of breaking waves, and secondarily as a result of biological activity. This thesis is concerned with the influence of these bubble populations on the optical properties of the upper ocean, primarily scattering, and on the subsequent influence on the radiative transfer of solar energy in the sea.
Standardization of a Sex-Sorting Protocol for Stallion Spermatozoa by Means of Absolute RT-qPCR

Sperm sexing is a technology that can generate great economic benefits in the animal production sector. Techniques such as sex-sorting promise over 90% accuracy in sperm sexing. However, for the correct standardization of the technique, some laboratory methodologies are required. The present manuscript describes in detail a standardized equine sperm sex-sorting protocol using an absolute qPCR-based methodology. Furthermore, the results of absolute qPCR were implemented and validated by generating equine/bovine heterologous embryos by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of presumably sexed equine spermatozoa into bovine oocytes using a piezoelectric system (Piezo-ICSI). Our results indicated that equine sex-sorting spermatozoa had a 97% and 94% certainty for X and Y sperm, respectively, while presumptive female and male equine/bovine hybrid embryos, generated by Piezo-ICSI, had an accuracy of 92% with respect to the desired sex. Therefore, it is concluded that the presented methodology is a reliable, cost-effective, and relatively simple option for standardizing sex-sorting of equine spermatozoa. This is supported by the results of the correct sexing of Piezo-ICSI heterologous embryos generated with the sexed spermatozoa, validating the correct sexing and viability of these gametes.
Improving validity of the trail making test with alphabet support

Objective The Trail Making Test (TMT) is commonly used worldwide to evaluate cognitive decline and car driving ability. However, it has received critique for its dependence on the Latin alphabet and thus, the risk of misclassifying some participants. Alphabet support potentially increases test validity by avoiding misclassification of executive dysfunction in participants with dyslexia and those with insufficient automatization of the Latin alphabet. However, Alphabet support might render the test less sensitive to set-shifting, thus compromising the validity of the test. This study compares two versions of the TMT: with and without alphabet support. Methods We compared the TMT-A, TMT-B, and TMT-B:A ratios in two independent normative samples with (n = 220) and without (n = 64) alphabet support using multiple regression analysis adjusted for age and education. The sample comprised Scandinavians aged 70–84 years. Alphabet support was included by adding the Latin alphabet A–L on top of the page on the TMT-B. We hypothesized that alphabet support would not change the TMT-B:A ratio. Results After adjusting for age and years of education, there were no significant differences between the two samples in the TMT-A, TMT-B, or the ratio score (TMT-B:A). Conclusion Our results suggest that the inclusion of alphabet support does not alter TMT’s ability to measure set-shifting in a sample of older Scandinavian adults.
Crystal Structures of Lacticaseibacillus 4-Deoxy-L-threo-5-hexosulose-uronate Ketol-isomerase KduI in Complex with Substrate Analogs

Some probiotics including lactobacilli, colonize host animal cells by targeting glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), such as heparin, located in the extracellular matrix. Recent studies have shown that several lactic acid bacteria degrade GAGs. Here we show the structure/function relationship of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus 4-deoxy-L-threo-5-hexosulose-uronate ketol-isomerase (KduI) crucial for metabolism of unsaturated glucuronic acid produced through degradation of GAGs. Crystal structures of ligand-free and bound KduIs were determined by X-ray crystallography and the enzyme was found to consist of six identical subunits and adopt a β-helix as a basic scaffold. Ligands structurally similar to the substrate were bound to the cleft of each enzyme subunit. Several residues located in the cleft interacted with ligands through hydrogen bonds and/or C-C contacts. In addition to substrate analogs, a metal ion coordinated to four residues, His198, His200, Glu205, and His248, in the cleft, and the enzyme activity was significantly inhibited by a chelator, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Site-directed mutants in Arg163, Ile165, Thr184, Thr194, His200, Arg203, Tyr207, Met262, and Tyr269 in the cleft exhibited little enzyme activity, indicating that these residues and the metal ion constituted an active site in the cleft. This is the first report on the active site structure of KduI based on the ligand-bound complex.
Replicating Figures in the Plane

In [1], C. D. Langford asked for those plane figures which can be dissected into four “replicas”, congruent to one another and similar to the original figure. (An equivalent formulation is that four identical figures are to be assembled into a scale model, twice as long and twice as high.) In addition to triangles and parallelograms, which always have this property (see Figure 1), he also exhibits three trapezoids (Figure 2) and three hexagons (Figure 3) with this property. Finally, Langford gives an example involving a stellated hexagon (Figure 4). He then asks if the list is complete.
Who supported teachers during the COVID-19 lockdown? Online learning amidst a changing Polish educational system

ABSTRACT The authors wanted to analyse teachers and specialist councillors and compare their levels of stress, mental wellbeing, their occupational tasks, the assessment of the support received and the additional help that they expected whilst working online during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 amidst the transformation of the educational system in Poland. Data were collected using a questionnaire, PSS 10, and the scale based on GHQ12 and GH30. The findings highlighted that the pandemic situation and the need to work remotely most likely increased the stress levels and thus lowered the mental wellbeing of the teachers and specialists surveyed, although the results indicate that stage III teachers may have experienced more difficulties, and specialists working in counselling fewer difficulties. The research showed the inadequacy of the support perceived by the teachers in relation to the difficulties experienced during remote work. Specialists provided support primarily to other specialists, but not to teachers.
Target of Opportunity Observations of Flaring Blazars with H.E.S.S.

Blazars are the most common class of TeV extragalactic emitters. In the framework of the AGN unified model, they are understood as AGNs with a relativistic jet pointing close the line of sight. They are characterized by extreme variability, observed to be as fast as minutes. These flares are usually observed at multiple wavelengths and their study require fast reaction and coordination among multiwavelength observatories. An important part of blazars observations with the H.E. S.S. array of Cherenkov telescopes is thus in the form of Target of Opportunity (ToO) observations. In this contribution the H.E. S.S. blazar ToO program is presented, with a focus on recent results.
Strong flux pinning at 4.2 K in SmBa2Cu3Oy coated conductors with BaHfO3 nanorods controlled by low growth temperature

In order to apply REBa2Cu3Oy (REBCO, RE = rare earth elements or Y) coated conductors in high magnetic field, coil-based applications, the isotropic improvement of their critical current performance with respect to the directions of the magnetic field under these operating conditions is required. Most applications operate at temperatures lower than 50 K and magnetic fields over 2 T. In this study, the improvement of critical current density (Jc) performance for various applied magnetic field directions was achieved by controlling the nanostructure of the BaHfO3 (BHO)-doped SmBa2Cu3Oy (SmBCO) films on metallic substrates. The corresponding minimum Jc value of the films at 40 K under an applied 3 T field was 5.2 MA cm−2, which is over ten times higher than that of a fully optimized Nb–Ti wire at 4.2 K. At 4.2 K, under a 17.5 T field, a flux pinning force density of 1.4 TN m−3 for B//c was realized; this value is among the highest values reported for REBCO films to date. More importantly, the Fp for B//c corresponds to the minimum value for various applied magnetic field directions. We investigated the dominant flux pinning centers of films at 4.2 K using the anisotropic scaling approach based on the effective mass model. The dominant flux pinning centers are random pinning centers at 4.2 K, i.e., a high pinning performance was achieved by the high number density of random pins in the matrix of the BHO-doped SmBCO films.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Prophylaxis Program: A Tertiary-Care Center Experience

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prevention program at our institution across three time frames: 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022. Methods: We carried out a descriptive, single-site observational study spanning four years, from June 2019 to June 2022. Our study included patients in our institution's RSV program who met our enrollment criteria. We collected information about the number of children receiving immunoprophylaxis, immunoprophylaxis doses, and RSV risk factors. Results: The number of patients receiving immunoprophylaxis dropped across the three periods, from 315 patients in the first period (2019-2020) to 176 in the second period (2020-2021), and further decreased to 128 in the third period (2021-2022). Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a 50% reduction in the number of patients receiving immunoprophylaxis. The proportion of RSV-infected patients remained relatively similar in the first and second periods (2.86% and 2.27%, respectively) but increased in the third period (5.47%). In the first period, most patients (60.32%) received seven doses, 11.75% got four to six doses, and 27.95% received three doses or fewer. The second period saw 59.66% of patients receiving four to six doses and 40.34% receiving three doses or fewer. In the third period, a mere 9.38% received four to five doses, while 90.63% got three doses or fewer. Conclusions: While preventative measures associated with COVID-19 may have helped reduce the number of RSV cases, the pandemic seems to have caused a significant decrease in the number of children receiving immunoprophylaxis and the doses of immunoprophylaxis. More extensive, multicenter research is needed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on RSV immunoprophylaxis, its activity, and seasonal patterns fully.