Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distortion of high-degree solar p-mode eigenfunctions by latitudinal differential rotation

The eigenfunctions of nonradial oscillation of the sun depart from their customarily assumed spherical harmonic form as a result of solar rotation. This paper treats the effect on oscillation eigenfunctions of slow, axisymmetric differential rotation which is also mirror symmetric across the solar equatorial plane. A given oscillation eigenfunction, perturbed by rotation, can be expressed as a superposition of eigenfunctions of a (hypothetical) nonrotating state of the sun. The assumption of axialsymmetry implies that each of the superposed functions has the same azimuthal order, m, while mirror symmetry dictates that the values of l, the spherical harmonic degree, involved in the superposition be either all odd or all even. The treatment here is further specialized to the case of high-degree p- and f-mode oscillations, on which the effect of the Coriolis acceleration is small. It is shown that, by ignoring the Coriolis effect and making other sensible approximations, an analytic expression can be obtained for the rotationally distorted mode eigenfunctions, which is expected to be a good approximation for typical solar oscillations of degree l greater than 100. The effect of the calculated mode distortion on the measurement of solar rotation is explored. 5 refs.
Compressive and adaptive imaging for target exploitation

Compressive sensing of imagery is a topic of much current research activity. The general field was started by Candès, Romberg, and Tao [1] when considering signals which are Sparse in the Fourier domain. This was generalized to signals sparse in general bases by Candes and Tao [2]. Donoho [3] considered further lines of research in his paper in 2006. The field is growing rapidly with new models for sparsity and algorithms for signal reconstruction being presented in the literature regularly. For signal processing applications, the speed of research and development towards particular applications has been remarkable. The application termed "analog-to-Information" has been researched extensively and an architecture for sampling wide-band signals is given by Laska, et. al. [4]. The possible applications involving image acquisition and exploitation have lagged behind the one dimensional counterpart. The single pixel camera built at Rice University and discussed by Wakin et. al. [5] has allowed algorithm research to go forward on compressive imaging but has not, as of yet, spurned new thoughts on application architectures in the same way as the Analog-to-Information community developed new sensors for wideband signals. We consider several Compressive imaging applications which offer fundamental improvements to current imaging sensors for target tracking and recognition.
Shape control via surface reconstruction kinetics of droplet epitaxy nanostructures

We present the fabrication and discuss the growth dynamics of two classes of GaAs quantum nanostructures fabricated by droplet epitaxy, namely, double rings and coupled ring-disks. Their morphological differences has been investigated and found to be originated by the kinetic of the changes in the surface reconstruction around the initially formed Ga droplets during the arsenization step. The control of surface reconstruction dynamics thus permits a fine tuning of the actual nanostructure shape at the nanoscale, based on pure self-assembling techniques.
The Design of Replicated Studies

Abstract Replication is little discussed in the statistical literature nor practiced widely by statistically minded researchers. It is needed not merely to validate one's findings, but more importantly, to establish the increasing range of radically different conditions under which the findings hold, and the predictable exceptions. This article describes how to design highly differentiated replications. The irrelevance and/or impossibility of identical replications are also discussed. Practical illustrations of the success and failure of replicated studies are given.
Spectral Collocation Model for Solitary Wave Attenuation and Mass Transport over Viscous Mud

In this paper, wave attenuation and mass transport of a water-mud system due to a solitary wave on the free surface is modeled by using the Chebyshev-Chebyshev collocation spectral method for spatial discretization and a fourth-order multistage scheme for time integration. The governing equations are formulated in Lagrangian coordinates and perturbation equations for shallow water waves are derived. An iteration-by-subdomain technique is introduced to tackle the interface in the two-layer system. The numerical model is tested against available analytical solutions and good agreement has been found. Numerical simulations of the water-mud system with different layer thicknesses suggest that the accuracy of the existing boundary layer theory for fluid-mud interaction is limited when the mud layer is thin because the assumption of irrotational core may not be valid. Although the paper is focused on solitary waves and Newtonian fluid-mud, the methodology can be extended to oscillatory, nonlinear water waves over a non-Newtonian mud bottom.
Improved Repeated Confidence Bounds in Trials with a Maximal Goal

Repeated confidence intervals can be computed at every interim analysis of a flexible group sequential design without the need to stop the trial with a pre‐planned stopping rule. Often, however, there is a maximal goal such that the trial is surely stopped if this goal is reached. This induces a maximal stopping rule, and repeated confidence intervals are strictly conservative, when adhering to it. A modification is proposed which uniformly improves the one sided repeated confidence interval in such a situation. It preserves the monitoring character, and leads to uniformly smaller intervals, when reaching the maximal goal at an interim analysis. The modification is worked out for two stage designs and is indicated for multi‐stage trials. The extent of the improvement is quantified for two simple scenarios.
Mesentero-axial gastric volvulus in an old woman: a case report of a diagnostic challenge

Gastric volvulus is a rare condition defined as an abnormal rotation of the stomach around itself. Acute gastric volvulus is a surgical emergency because it is a life-threatening condition, but its non-specific symptoms make diagnosis difficult. There are two types of gastric volvulus: organoaxial and mesentero-axial. The treatment is surgical intervention. Computed tomography allows to identify and classify gastric volvulus and rule out complications so that to guide surgery management. We report a case of a mesentero-axial gastric volvulus in an old woman with abdominal pain, who underwent surgery in laparoscopy. (www.actabiomedica.it)
Efficacy and safety of warm acupuncture combined with Western medicine for sciatica: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: There are more and more clinical studies on the efficacy of warm acupuncture in treating sciatica, but the systematic review of the efficacy of warm acupuncture is still lacking. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of warm acupuncture combined with conventional Western medicine in the treatment of sciatica. Methods: The review was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022379486) and was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The following databases will be used to search the existing literature (from inception to January 2023): Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Wanfang, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, China Knowledge Network, and SPORT-Discus. Included studies are considered eligible if they met the population, intervention, comparator, outcomes, and study design criteria as follows: Population: patients with newly diagnosed sciatica; Intervention: warm acupuncture combined with conventional Western medicine; Comparator: Western medicine alone; Outcomes: total response rate, pain score and pain threshold, adverse events and recurrence rate. Study design: randomized controlled trials or non-randomized cohort studies. Review Manager (RevMan) V.5. 3 will be used to perform statistical analyses and to generate forest plots. Results: The review will add to the existing literature by showing compelling evidence and improved guidance in clinic settings.
Exact inferences of the two-parameter exponential distribution and Pareto distribution with censored data

We develop an exact inference for the location and the scale parameters of the two-exponential distribution and the Pareto distribution based on their maximum-likelihood estimators from the doubly Type-II and the progressive Type-II censored sample. Based on some pivotal quantities, exact confidence intervals and tests of hypotheses are constructed. Exact distributions of the pivotal quantities are expressed as mixtures of linear combinations and of ratios of linear combinations of standard exponential random variables, which facilitates the computation of quantiles of these pivotal quantities. We also provide a bootstrap method for constructing a confidence interval. Some simulation studies are carried out to assess their performances. Using the exact distribution of the scale parameter, we establish an acceptance sampling procedure based on the lifetime of the unit. Some numerical results are tabulated for the illustration. One biometrical example is also given to illustrate the proposed methods.
β3 adrenergic agonism: A novel pathway which improves right ventricular‐pulmonary arterial hemodynamics in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Efficacy of therapies that target the downstream nitric oxide (NO) pathway in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) depends on the bioavailability of NO. Reduced NO level in PAH is secondary to “uncoupling” of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Stimulation of β3 adrenergic receptors (β3 ARs) may lead to the recoupling of NOS and therefore be beneficial in PAH. We aimed to examine the efficacy of β3 AR agonism as a novel pathway in experimental PAH. In hypoxia (5 weeks) and Sugen hypoxia (hypoxia for 5 weeks + SU5416 injection) models of PAH, we examined the effects of the selective β3 AR agonist CL316243. We measured echocardiographic indices and invasive right ventricular (RV)–pulmonary arterial (PA) hemodynamics and compared CL316243 with riociguat and sildenafil. We assessed treatment effects on RV–PA remodeling, oxidative stress, and eNOS glutathionylation, an oxidative modification that uncouples eNOS. Compared with normoxic mice, RV systolic pressure was increased in the control hypoxic mice (p < 0.0001) and Sugen hypoxic mice (p < 0.0001). CL316243 reduced RV systolic pressure, to a similar degree to riociguat and sildenafil, in both hypoxia (p < 0.0001) and Sugen hypoxia models (p < 0.03). CL316243 reversed pulmonary vascular remodeling, decreased RV afterload, improved RV–PA coupling efficiency and reduced RV stiffness, hypertrophy, and fibrosis. Although all treatments decreased oxidative stress, CL316243 significantly reduced eNOS glutathionylation. β3 AR stimulation improved RV hemodynamics and led to beneficial RV–PA remodeling in experimental models of PAH. β3 AR agonists may be effective therapies in PAH.
Status of the ESA L1 mission candidate ATHENA

ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics) was an L class mission candidate within the science programme Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 of the European Space Agency, with a planned launch by 2022. ATHENA was conceived as an ESA-led project, open to the possibility of focused contributions from JAXA and NASA. By allowing astrophysical observations between 100 eV and 10 keV, it would represent the new generation X-ray observatory, following the XMM-Newton, Astro-H and Chandra heritage. The main scientific objectives of ATHENA include the study of large scale structures, the evolution of black holes, strong gravity effects, neutron star structure as well as investigations into dark matter. The ATHENA mission concept would be based on focal length of 12m achieved via a rigid metering tube and a twoaperture, x-ray telescope. Two identical x-ray mirrors would illuminate fixed focal plane instruments: a cryogenic imaging spectrometer (XMS) and a wide field imager (WFI). The S/C is designed to be fully compatible with Ariane 5 ECA. The observatory would operate at SE-L2, with a nominal lifetime of 5 yr. This paper provides a summary of the reformulation activities, completed in December 2011. An overview of the spacecraft design and of the payload is provided, including both telescope and instruments. Following the ESA Science Programme Committee decision on the L1 mission in May 2012, ATHENA was not selected to enter Definition Phase.
Centralization of Initial Care and Improved Survival of Poor Patients With Breast Cancer

PURPOSE Poor women with breast cancer have worse survival than others, and are more likely to undergo surgery in low-volume facilities. We leveraged a natural experiment to study the effectiveness of a policy intervention undertaken by New York (NY) state in 2009 that precluded payment for breast cancer surgery for NY Medicaid beneficiaries treated in facilities performing fewer than 30 breast cancer surgeries annually. METHODS We identified 37,822 women with stage I-III breast cancer during 2004-2008 or 2010-2013 and linked them to NY hospital discharge data. A multivariable difference-in-differences approach compared mortality of Medicaid insured patients with that of commercially or otherwise insured patients unaffected by the policy. RESULTS Women treated during the postpolicy years had slightly lower 5-year overall mortality than those treated prepolicy; the survival gain was significantly larger for Medicaid patients (P = .018). Women enrolled in Medicaid had a greater reduction than others in breast cancer–specific mortality (P = .005), but no greater reduction in other causes of death (P = .50). Adjusted breast cancer mortality among women covered by Medicaid declined from 6.6% to 4.5% postpolicy, while breast cancer mortality among other women fell from 3.9% to 3.8%. A similar effect was not observed among New Jersey Medicaid patients with breast cancer treated during the same years. CONCLUSION A statewide centralization policy discouraging initial care for breast cancer in low-volume facilities was associated with better survival for the Medicaid population targeted. Given these impressive results and those from prior research, other policymakers should consider adopting comparable policies to improve breast cancer outcomes.
Canagliflozin primes antitumor immunity by triggering PD-L1 degradation in endocytic recycling

Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of PD-L1 expression in tumors provides key clues for improving immune checkpoint blockade efficacy or developing novel oncoimmunotherapy. Here, we showed that the FDA-approved sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin dramatically suppressed PD-L1 expression and enhanced T cell–mediated cytotoxicity. Mechanistic study revealed that SGLT2 colocalized with PD-L1 at the plasma membrane and recycling endosomes and thereby prevented PD-L1 from proteasome-mediated degradation. Canagliflozin disturbed the physical interaction between SGLT2 and PD-L1 and subsequently allowed the recognition of PD-L1 by Cullin3SPOP E3 ligase, which triggered the ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation of PD-L1. In mouse models and humanized immune-transformation models, either canagliflozin treatment or SGLT2 silencing significantly reduced PD-L1 expression and limited tumor progression — to a level equal to the PD-1 mAb — which was correlated with an increase in the activity of antitumor cytotoxic T cells. Notably, prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival curves were observed in the group of PD-1 mAb–treated patients with non–small cell lung cancer with high expression of SGLT2. Therefore, our study identifies a regulator of cell surface PD-L1, provides a ready-to-use small-molecule drug for PD-L1 degradation, and highlights a potential therapeutic target to overcome immune evasion by tumor cells.
Successful removal of remnant cystic duct stump stone using single-operator cholangioscopy-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy: two case reports

Cholecystectomy is the best method for treating gallstone diseases. However, 10%–30% of patients who undergo a cholecystectomy continue to complain of upper abdominal pain, dyspepsia, or jaundice—this is referred to as postcholecystectomy syndrome. Cystic duct stump stones are a troublesome cause of postcholecystectomy syndrome. Conventionally, surgery is mainly performed to remove cystic duct stump stones. However, repeated surgery can cause complications, such as postoperative bleeding, biliary injury, and wound infection. As an alternative method of surgery, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is sometimes used to remove cystic duct stump stones, although the success rate is not high due to technical difficulties. Recently, peroral cholangioscopy, which can directly observe the bile duct, has been suggested as an alternative method. We report two cases in which a cystic duct stump stone was successfully removed via a single-operator cholangioscopy, after failure with an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.
Mind the Mood: Momentary Depression and Anxiety Moderate the Correspondence Between Subjective and Objective Cognitive Functioning in Fibromyalgia

Subjective cognitive dysfunction (SCD) affects 55–75% of individuals with fibromyalgia (FM), but those reporting cognitive difficulties often lack corresponding objective deficits. Symptoms of depression and anxiety are prevalent in FM and may account for part of this discrepancy. This study was undertaken to investigate whether momentary (within‐day, across 7 days) changes in mood moderate the relationship between within‐the‐moment SCD and mental processing speed performance.
Clinical characteristics and outcome of 318 families with familial monoclonal gammopathy: A multicenter Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome study

Familial forms of monoclonal gammopathy, defined as multiple myeloma (MM) or Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS), are relatively infrequent and most series reported in the literature describe a limited number of families. MM rarely occurs in a familial context. MGUS is observed much more commonly, which can in some cases evolve toward full‐blown MM. Although recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities have been described in tumor cells of sporadic cases of MM, the pathogenesis of familial MM remains largely unexplained. In order to identify genetic factors predisposing to familial monoclonal gammopathy, the Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome identified 318 families with at least two confirmed cases of monoclonal gammopathy. There were 169 families with parent/child pairs and 164 families with cases in at least two siblings, compatible with an autosomal transmission. These familial cases were compared with sporadic cases who were matched for age at diagnosis, sex and immunoglobulin isotype, with 10 sporadic cases for each familial case. The gender distribution, age and immunoglobulin subtypes of familial cases were unremarkable in comparison to sporadic cases. With a median follow‐up of 7.4 years after diagnosis, the percentage of MGUS cases having evolved to MM was 3%. The median overall survival of the 148 familial MM cases was longer than that of matched sporadic cases, with projected values of 7.6 and 16.1 years in patients older and younger than 65 years, respectively. These data suggest that familial cases of monoclonal gammopathy are similar to sporadic cases in terms of clinical presentation and carry a better prognosis.
Prior Density Selection as a Particular Case of Bayesian Model Selection: A Predictive Approach

A Bayesian model consists of two elements: a sampling model and a prior density. The problem of selecting a prior density is nothing but the problem of selecting a Bayesian model where the sampling model is fixed. A predictive approach is used through a decision problem where the loss function is the squared L 2 distance between the sampling density and the posterior predictive density, because the aim of the method is to choose the prior that provides a posterior predictive density as good as possible. An algorithm is developed for solving the problem; this algorithm is based on Lavine's linearization technique.
Matrix reconstruction with reliable neighbors for predicting potential MiRNA-disease associations

Numerous experimental studies have indicated that alteration and dysregulation in mircroRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with serious diseases. Identifying disease-related miRNAs is therefore an essential and challenging task in bioinformatics research. Computational methods are an efficient and economical alternative to conventional biomedical studies and can reveal underlying miRNA-disease associations for subsequent experimental confirmation with reasonable confidence. Despite the success of existing computational approaches, most of them only rely on the known miRNA-disease associations to predict associations without adding other data to increase the prediction accuracy, and they are affected by issues of data sparsity. In this paper, we present MRRN, a model that combines matrix reconstruction with node reliability to predict probable miRNA-disease associations. In MRRN, the most reliable neighbors of miRNA and disease are used to update the original miRNA-disease association matrix, which significantly reduces data sparsity. Unknown miRNA-disease associations are reconstructed by aggregating the most reliable first-order neighbors to increase prediction accuracy by representing the local and global structure of the heterogeneous network. Five-fold cross-validation of MRRN produced an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9355 and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPR) of 0.2646, values that were greater than those produced by comparable models. Two different types of case studies using three diseases were conducted to demonstrate the accuracy of MRRN, and all top 30 predicted miRNAs were verified.
Comprehensive analysis of non-synonymous missense SNPs of human galactose mutarotase (GALM) gene: an integrated computational approach

Abstract Missense Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) of Galactose Mutarotase (GALM) are associated with the Novel type of Galactosemia (Galactosemia type 4) together with symptoms such as high blood galactose levels and eye cataracts. The objective of the present study was to identify deleterious nsSNPs of GALM recorded on the dbSNP database through comprehensive insilico analysis. Among the 319 missense nsSNPs reported, various insilco tools predicted R78S, R82G, A163E, P210S, Y281C, E307G and F339C as the most deleterious mutations. Structural analysis, PTM analysis and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) were carried out to understand the effect of these mutations on the structural and physicochemical properties of the GALM protein. The residues R82G and E307G were found to be part of the binding site that resulted in decreased surface accessibility. Replacing the charged wild-type residue with a neutral mutant type affected its substrate binding. All 7 mutations were found to increase the rigidity of the protein structure, which is unfavorable during ligand binding. The mutation F339E made the protein structure more rigid than all the other mutations. Y281 is a phosphorylated site, and therefore, less significant structural changes were observed when compared to other mutations; however, it may have significant differences in the usual functioning of the protein. In summary, the structural and functional analysis of missense SNPs of GALM is important to reduce the number of potential mutations to be evaluated in vitro to understand the association with some genetic diseases. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma