Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conformal killing spinors in supergravity and related aspects of spin geometry

The aims of this thesis are two-fold: finding a geometric realisation for Nahm’s conformal superalgebras and generalising the concept of a conformal Killing spinor to supergravity, in particular M-theory. We introduce the necessary tools of conformal geometry and construct a conformal Killing superalgebra (that turns out not to be a Lie superalgebra in general) out of the conformal Killing vectors and the conformal Killing spinors of a semi-Riemannian spin manifold and investigate a natural definition of the spinorial Lie derivative that differs from the more commonly used Kosmann-Schwarzbach Lie derivative. We then attempt to generalise the definition of conformal Killing spinors to M-theory and characterise M-theory backgrounds admitting such spinors. We also construct a M-theory analogue of the conformal Killing superalgebra. We show that further examples can be constructed in type IIA and in the massive IIA theory of Howe, Lambert and West via Kaluza-Klein reduction. We also comment on a curious identity involving the Penrose operator in type IIB supergravity. Finally — building on known results about the relationship between the dimension of the space of conformal Killing spinors on a non-simply connected manifold and the choice of spin structure — we explore the importance of the choice of spin structure in determining the amount of supersymmetry preserved by a symmetric Mtheory background constructed by quotienting a supersymmetric Hpp-wave with a discrete subgroup in the centraliser of its isometry group.
Electromagnetically Induced Exciton Dynamics and Bose-Einstein Condensation near a Photonic Band Gap

We demonstrate electromagnetically-induced anomalous quantum dynamics of an exciton in a photonic band gap (PBG) - quantum well(QW) hetero-structure. Within the engineered electromagnetic vacuum of the PBG material, the exciton can propagate through the QW by the emission and re-absorption of virtual photons in addition to the conventional electronic hopping mechanism. When the exciton wavevector and recombination energy coincide nearly with a photonic band edge, the exciton kinetic energy is lowered by 1-10meV through coherent radiative hopping. This capture of the exciton by the photonic band edge is accompanied by strong electromagnetic dressing in which the exciton's renormalized effective mass is 4-5 orders of magnitude smaller than in the absence of the PBG environment. Thisdressed exciton exhibits a long radiative lifetime characteristic of a photon-atom bound state and is robust to phonon-assisted,re-combinative decay. By inheriting properties of the PBG electromagnetic vacuum, the bound electron-hole pair becomes a stable, ultra-mobile quantum excitation. Unlike traditional exciton-polariton modes created by placing a QW in a one-dimensional optical cavity, our PBG-QW excitons exhibitstrong coupling to optical modes and retain a long lifetime. This is crucial for unambiguous observation of quantum coherence effects such as Bose-Einstein condensation.We present a model for the equilibrium quantum statistics of a condensate of repulsively interacting bosons in a two-dimensional trap. Particle correlations in the ground state are treated exactly,whereas interactions with excited particles are treated in a generalized Bogoliubov mean-field theory. This leads to a fundamental physical picture for condensation of interacting bosons through an anharmonic oscillator ground state coupled to excitedBogoliubov quasiparticles in which the quantum number statistics of condensate particles emerges self-consistently. Our anharmonic oscillator model for the exciton ground state manifold goes beyond the conceptual framework of traditional Bogoliubov theory. Below the Bose-Einstein condensation temperature, our model exhibits a crossover from particle bunching to Poissonian statistics and finally antibunching as temperature is lowered or as the trapping area is decreased. When applied to Bose condensation of long-lived dressed excitons in a photonic band gap material, our model suggests that this system may serve as a novel tunable source fornon-classical states of light.
Type IV Pilus-Mediated Inhibition of Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilm Formation by Phenothiazine Compounds

Acinetobacter infections are a growing burden on health care systems worldwide due to increasing antimicrobial resistance through multiple mechanisms. Biofilm formation is an established mechanism of antimicrobial resistance, and its inhibition has the potential to potentiate the use of existing drugs against pathogenic Acinetobacter. ABSTRACT Infections by pathogenic Acinetobacter species represent a significant burden on the health care system, despite their relative rarity, due to the difficulty of treating infections through oral antibiotics. Multidrug resistance is commonly observed in clinical Acinetobacter infections and multiple molecular mechanisms have been identified for this resistance, including multidrug efflux pumps, carbapenemase enzymes, and the formation of bacterial biofilm in persistent infections. Phenothiazine compounds have been identified as a potential inhibitor of type IV pilus production in multiple Gram-negative bacterial species. Here, we report the ability of two phenothiazines to inhibit type IV pilus-dependent surface (twitching) motility and biofilm formation in multiple Acinetobacter species. Biofilm formation was inhibited in both static and continuous flow models at micromolar concentrations without significant cytotoxicity, suggesting that type IV pilus biogenesis was the primary molecular target for these compounds. These results suggest that phenothiazines may be useful lead compounds for the development of biofilm dispersal agents against Gram-negative bacterial infections. IMPORTANCE Acinetobacter infections are a growing burden on health care systems worldwide due to increasing antimicrobial resistance through multiple mechanisms. Biofilm formation is an established mechanism of antimicrobial resistance, and its inhibition has the potential to potentiate the use of existing drugs against pathogenic Acinetobacter. Additionally, as discussed in the manuscript, anti-biofilm activity by phenothiazines has the potential to help to explain their known activity against other bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
A novel compact magnetic current limiter for three phase applications

The fabrication and development of a novel compact three phase magnetic current limiter consisting of permanent magnets (PM) and saturable cores is described in this paper. Simulation results using the tableau approach are presented for varying operating conditions. Experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results. The proposed current limiter has potential in moderately low voltage applications.
iPiDA-SWGCN: Identification of piRNA-disease associations based on Supplementarily Weighted Graph Convolutional Network

Accurately identifying potential piRNA-disease associations is of great importance in uncovering the pathogenesis of diseases. Recently, several machine-learning-based methods have been proposed for piRNA-disease association detection. However, they are suffering from the high sparsity of piRNA-disease association network and the Boolean representation of piRNA-disease associations ignoring the confidence coefficients. In this study, we propose a supplementarily weighted strategy to solve these disadvantages. Combined with Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs), a novel predictor called iPiDA-SWGCN is proposed for piRNA-disease association prediction. There are three main contributions of iPiDA-SWGCN: (i) Potential piRNA-disease associations are preliminarily supplemented in the sparse piRNA-disease network by integrating various basic predictors to enrich network structure information. (ii) The original Boolean piRNA-disease associations are assigned with different relevance confidence to learn node representations from neighbour nodes in varying degrees. (iii) The experimental results show that iPiDA-SWGCN achieves the best performance compared with the other state-of-the-art methods, and can predict new piRNA-disease associations.
Temporal relationship between depression and cognitive decline in the elderly: a two-wave cross-lagged study in a Chinese sample

Abstract Objectives: Less information is available about the temporal relationship between depression in the elderly and cognitive decline. In the current study, we (1) evaluated the temporal association between depression and cognitive decline in older adults over a 4-year period; (2) indicated which cognitive domains have a strong temporal relationship with depression.Methods: Using data from China Family Panel Studies, we examined the relationship between depression and cognition among adults aged 65 and older with a cross-lagged design.Results: The results showed that initial depression affected subsequent cognitive function, especially immediate and delayed recall, but that cognition decline did not predict depression over time.Conclusion: The findings suggest that depression precedes cognitive decline in older adults, which is of great significance for the future research of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly.
Characterization of Mixtures of Weibull and Pareto Distributions Based on Conditional Expectation of Order Statistics

The mixture of Weibull random variables X 1 and X 2 are identified in terms of relations between the conditional expectation of given X 1: 2 (or ( given X 1: 2, ∀ k ≤ r) and hazard rate function of the distribution, where X 1: 2 and X 2: 2 denote the corresponding order statistics, r is a positive integer and α > 0. In addition, by using the natural logarithm transformation, we also characterize and mixture of Pareto distributions based on the conditional expectation of order statistics. Furthermore, when the sample size is n, the above results are also valid, and we also give an application to Multi-Hit models of carcinogenesis (Parallel Systems). Finally, we also characterize mixture of Weibull and Pareto distributions based on the conditional expectation of upper record values.
What constitutes medically professional responsibility and diligent care for children and adolescents with gender dysphoria?

kirsti.malterud@gmail.com Kirsti Malterud, professor emerita (general practice) at the University of Bergen, Department of Global Health and Primary Care. She was a general practitioner for 35 years. She has researched vulnerable groups' experiences with the health service, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The author has completed the ICMJE form and declares no conflicts of interest.
A phase transition model in dual-amorphous water undergoing liquid–liquid transition

An in-depth understanding of liquid–liquid phase transition (LLPT) in condensed water will gain insight into anomalous behaviors of dual-amorphous condensed water. Despite numerous experimental, molecular simulation, and theoretical studies, it is yet to achieve a widely accepted consensus with convinced evidence in the condensed matter physics for two-state liquid–liquid transition of water. In this work, a theoretical model is proposed based on the Avrami equation, commonly used to describe first-order phase transitions, to elucidate complex homogeneous and inhomogeneous condensation from high-density liquid (HDL) water to low-density liquid (LDL) water for both pure and ionic dual-amorphous condensed water. This model unifies the coupling effects of temperature and electrolyte concentration based on the new theoretical framework. The Adam–Gibbs theory is then introduced to characterize the synergistic motion and relaxation behavior of condensed water. Variations in the configurational entropy under electrostatic forces are further explored, and an analytical 2D cloud chart is developed to visualize the synergistic effect of temperature and electrolyte concentration on the configurational entropy of ionic water. The constitutive relationships among viscosity, temperature, and electrolyte concentration are derived to analyze their synergistic effects under different condensation fractions of LDL and HDL. The Stokes–Einstein relation and free volume theory are further used to analyze diffusion coefficients and densities (or apparent density) during both pure and ionic LLPT. Finally, theoretical results obtained from these models are compared with experimental results reported in literature to validate the accuracy and applicability of the proposed models, which offer significant benefits and advancements in effectively predicting physical property changes of dual-amorphous condensed water.
Antibody to Plasmodium falciparum Variant Surface Antigens, var Gene Transcription, and ABO Blood Group in Children With Severe or Uncomplicated Malaria

Abstract Background Antibodies to variant surface antigens (VSAs) such as Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) may vary with malaria severity. The influence of ABO blood group on antibody development is not understood. Methods Immunoglobulin G antibodies to VSAs in Papua New Guinean children with severe (n = 41) or uncomplicated (n = 30) malaria were measured by flow cytometry using homologous P falciparum isolates. Isolates were incubated with ABO-matched homologous and heterologous acute and convalescent plasma. RNA was used to assess var gene transcription. Results Antibodies to homologous, but not heterologous, isolates were boosted in convalescence. The relationship between antibody and severity varied by blood group. Antibodies to VSAs were similar in severe and uncomplicated malaria at presentation, higher in severe than uncomplicated malaria in convalescence, and higher in children with blood group O than other children. Six var gene transcripts best distinguished severe from uncomplicated malaria, including UpsA and 2 CIDRα1 domains. Conclusions ABO blood group may influence antibody acquisition to VSAs and susceptibility to severe malaria. Children in Papua New Guinea showed little evidence of acquisition of cross-reactive antibodies following malaria. Var gene transcripts in Papua New Guinean children with severe malaria were similar to those reported from Africa.
Platelet-rich plasma injections for the treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE this systematic review aimed to investigate and examine whether intra-articular injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) after arthrocentesis are beneficial for the treatment of temporomandibular disorders, when compared to other treatments, such as injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) or saline after arthrocentesis. METHODS an electronic search on PubMed was performed using combinations of the terms "temporomandibular'' and "platelet rich plasma", to identify studies reported in English and published up until 2017. The initial screening identified 222 records, of which only seven fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Of these studies, three compared injection of PRP after arthrocentesis with the injection of HA after arthrocentesis, while two compared injection of PRP after arthrocentesis with Ringer's lactate after arthrocentesis and one compared injection of PRP after arthrocentesis to sodium chloride. RESULTS five of the studies found that PRP injections have led to significant improvements in mandibular range of motion and pain intensity up to 12 months after treatment, while the remaining two studies found similar results for the different treatments. CONCLUSION however, a standardized protocol for PRP preparation and application needs to be established.
Insights and recommendations into service model structure, staff roles and qualifications in a UK cancer specific clinical exercise service: a multi-method qualitative study.

PURPOSE Clinical exercise delivery in the United Kingdom is disparate in terms of service structure, staff roles and qualifications, therefore it is difficult to evaluate and compare across services. Our aim was to explore, in a purposely selected cancer exercise service that was recognised as effective; (i) how staff knowledge, skills and competencies contribute to the provision of the service, (ii) how these components assist in creating effective services, and (iii) to identify existing challenges from staff and service user perspectives. METHODS The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used as an overarching guide to review the Prehab4Cancer service. Exercise specialists and service user perspectives were explored using a multi-method approach (online semi-structured interviews, online focus group and in-person observation) and data triangulation. RESULTS Exercise specialists were educated to a minimum of undergraduate degree level with extensive cancer-specific knowledge and skills, equivalent to that of a Registration Council for Exercise Physiologist (RCCP) Clinical Exercise Physiologist. Workplace experience was essential for exercise specialist development in behaviour change and communications skills. CONCLUSIONS Staff should be educated to a level comparable with the standards for registered RCCP Clinical Exercise Physiologists, which includes workplace experience to develop knowledge, skills and competencies in real-world settings.
Enhanced amygdala–cingulate connectivity associates with better mood in both healthy and depressive individuals after sleep deprivation

Significance Sleep loss is a public health epidemic which impairs mood and well-being of billions of people over the world. However, sleep deprivation also induces a rapid and effective mood improvement in a subset of patients with depressive disorder. The amygdala is a pivotal brain region affected by depression. Here, we show that one night of total sleep deprivation enhanced amygdala connectivity to the anterior cingulate cortex which correlated with better mood in both healthy and depressed individuals. This study highlights the key role of amygdala–cingulate circuit in bad mood regulation in both healthy and clinical populations. Our findings might have implications for the development of fast and unique antidepressant interventions.
Multiple RNA- and DNA-binding proteins exhibit direct transfer of polynucleotides with implications for target-site search

Significance Classically, the lifetime of a protein–ligand complex is presumed to be an intrinsic property, unaffected by competitor molecules in free solution. By contrast, a few oligomeric nucleic acid–binding proteins have been observed to exchange competing ligands in their binding sites, and consequently their lifetimes decrease with competitor concentration. Our findings suggest that this “direct transfer” capability may be a more general property of nucleic acid– binding proteins. Thus, many DNA- and RNA-binding proteins could reduce the dimensionality of their search for their target sites by direct transfer to nucleosome DNA, instead of relying entirely on three-dimensional diffusion. Furthermore, direct transfer from nascent RNA to DNA may explain why so many DNA-binding proteins also bind RNA.
A Novel Image Classification Model Based on Contourlet Transform and Dynamic Fuzzy Graph Cuts

The contourlet transform as a time-frequency and multiresolution analysis tool is often used in the domain of image processing, meanwhile graph cuts as an increasingly important tool for solving a number of energy minimization problems in computer vision and other fields. By analyzing the characters of monitor image, this paper proposes a novel image classification model which is combining contourlet transform and graph cuts theory. Firstly, the image was decomposed by contourlet transform to obtain the different subbands coefficients. Then the entropy from certain subband was calculated, and a fuzzy energy function based on graph cuts theory and dynamic fuzzy theory was constructed to adjust the threshold of critical entropy. At last a model was constructed to classify traffic images. It could alert for the ratio of road occupancy to traffic control.
An improved reporter identifies ruxolitinib as a potent and cardioprotective CaMKII inhibitor

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) hyperactivity causes cardiac arrhythmias, a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite proven benefits of CaMKII inhibition in numerous preclinical models of heart disease, translation of CaMKII antagonists into humans has been stymied by low potency, toxicity, and an enduring concern for adverse effects on cognition due to an established role of CaMKII in learning and memory. To address these challenges, we asked whether any clinically approved drugs, developed for other purposes, were potent CaMKII inhibitors. For this, we engineered an improved fluorescent reporter, CaMKAR (CaMKII activity reporter), which features superior sensitivity, kinetics, and tractability for high-throughput screening. Using this tool, we carried out a drug repurposing screen (4475 compounds in clinical use) in human cells expressing constitutively active CaMKII. This yielded five previously unrecognized CaMKII inhibitors with clinically relevant potency: ruxolitinib, baricitinib, silmitasertib, crenolanib, and abemaciclib. We found that ruxolitinib, an orally bioavailable and U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved medication, inhibited CaMKII in cultured cardiomyocytes and in mice. Ruxolitinib abolished arrhythmogenesis in mouse and patient-derived models of CaMKII-driven arrhythmias. A 10-min pretreatment in vivo was sufficient to prevent catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, a congenital source of pediatric cardiac arrest, and rescue atrial fibrillation, the most common clinical arrhythmia. At cardioprotective doses, ruxolitinib-treated mice did not show any adverse effects in established cognitive assays. Our results support further clinical investigation of ruxolitinib as a potential treatment for cardiac indications. Description A CaMKII reporter identified ruxolitinib as a CaMKII inhibitor capable of preventing and rescuing arrhythmias. Editor’s summary Excessive Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity has been associated with a number of cardiovascular diseases, including arrhythmias, but no CaMKII inhibitors have been approved for clinical use because of low efficacy and concerns regarding potential side effects on cognition. Here, Reyes Gaido and colleagues generated a fluorescent reporter of CaMKII activity to screen FDA-approved compounds. They identified JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib as a potent CaMKII inhibitor and demonstrated that pretreatment with this compound could effectively reduce arrythmias in vitro and in multiple mouse models without negative impacts on learning and memory. These results suggest that ruxolitinib could potentially be further developed as a treatment for certain arrhythmogenic conditions. —Allison Williams