Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular detection of a fragment of bluetongue virus in sheep from different regions of Mexico

: Bluetongue disease (BTD) affects various species of wild and domestic ruminants. In Mexico, the disease, caused by the bluetongue virus (BTV) is still regarded as exotic, despite the fact that antibodies have been detected on several occasions. The objective was to establish molecular techniques using a synthetic gene, including the genes NS1 and NS3 as positive controls for the diagnosis of BTV in samples of sheep from different regions of the country. A total of 320 total whole blood samples were obtained from sheep. The samples obtained were evaluated by end-point RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR, the conditions having
Superluminal warp drives are semiclassically unstable

Warp drives are very interesting configurations of General Relativity: they provide a way to travel at superluminal speeds, albeit at the cost of requiring exotic matter to build them. Even if one succeeded in providing the necessary exotic matter, it would still be necessary to check whether they would survive to the switching on of quantum effects. Semiclassical corrections to warp-drive geometries created out of an initially flat spacetime have been analyzed in a previous work by the present authors in special locations, close to the wall of the bubble and in its center. Here, we present an exact numerical analysis of the renormalized stress-energy tensor (RSET) in the whole bubble. We find that the the RSET will exponentially grow in time close to the front wall of the superluminal bubble, after some transient terms have disappeared, hence strongly supporting our previous conclusion that the warp-drive geometries are unstable against semiclassical back-reaction. This result seems to implement the chronology protection conjecture, forbiddig the set up of a structure potentially dangerous for causality.
Interferometry and refraction measurements in plasmas of elliptical cross-section

The measurement of electron densities using interferometry and refraction measurements in plasmas with cross-sections where the electron density contours are concentric ellipses is examined. Transforms are found for both interferometrically deduced optical path-length differences and refraction angle data obtained from elliptical cross-section plasmas, which in the limit of small amounts of refraction adjust the data to values which appear as if they were obtained from equivalent circular cross-section plasmas. The transformed data can be inverted to give electron densities using standard techniques developed for circular cross-section plasmas (e.g. Abel inversion). To check the accuracy of the transforms for moderate to large amounts of refraction (>or=0.1 rad), refraction of light in elliptical cross-section plasmas is examined using numerical ray tracing.
Open GENIE—A Generic Multi-Platform Program for the Analysis of Neutron Scattering Data

Abstract Open-GENIE is the successor to the widely used and highly successful ‘GENIE-V2’ program which is used as the principal front-end neutron data analysis tool at the UK's ISIS spallation neutron source. In this paper, the background and motivation for the ‘Open GENIE’ project are briefly reviewed as is progress to date. Some of the ideas and concepts making Open GENIE unique are demonstrated. Emphasis is given to how these ideas are expected to develop in the future and how they will impact the field of neutron scattering data analysis.
Consistency of Single Linkage for High-Density Clusters

Abstract High-density clusters are defined on a population with density f in r dimensions to be the maximal connected sets of form {x | f(x) ≥ c}. Single-linkage clustering is evaluated for consistency in detecting such high-density clusters—other standard hierarchical techniques, such as average and complete linkage, are hopelessly inconsistent for these clusters. The asymptotic consistency of single linkage closely depends on the percolation problem of Broadbent and Hammersley—if small spheres are removed at random from a solid, at which density of spheres will water begin to flow through the solid? If there is a single critical density such that no flow takes place below a certain density, and flow occurs through a single connected set above that density, then single linkage is consistent in separating high-density clusters (by disjoint single-linkage clusters that include a positive fraction of sample points in the respective clusters and pass arbitrarily close to all points in the respective clusters.
Comparison of methods for fixed effect meta-regression of standardized differences of means

Given a number of different studies estimating the same effect size, it is often desired to explain heterogeneity of outcomes using concomitant covariates. For very large sample sizes, effect size estimates are approximately normally distributed and a straightforward application of weighted least squares is appropriate. However in practice within study sample variances are often small to moderate, casting doubt on the normality assumption for effect sizes and results based on weighted least squares. One can alternatively variance stabilize the effect size estimates and adopt a generalized linear model. Both methods are compared on two examples when effect sizes are the standardized difference of means. Then simulation studies are conducted to compare the coverage and width of confidence intervals for the meta-regression coefficients. These simulations show that the coverage probability associated with weighted least squares can be well below the nominated level for small to moderate sample sizes. Further empirical investigations reveal a bias in estimation due to using estimated weights which were assumed to be known. For these models, the generalized linear model approach resulted in much improved coverage probabilities. AMS 2000 subject classifications: Primary 62J05; secondary 62J12.
Dynamic Behavior of a Gas Bubble in Viscoelastic Liquids

The dynamic characteristics of a gas bubble situated in a viscoelastic fluid of three‐parameter Oldroyd model is analytically investigated. Consideration is given to the influence of the thermodynamic process of the gas inside the bubble. An equation is derived which governs the timewise variation of the bubble size. Numerical results are obtained for the collapse of a bubble due to a sudden increase in the system pressure. The influence of the physical parameters on the collapse is investigated. It is disclosed that, in the presence of elasticity, the viscous damping effects on the bubble collapse are less in viscoelastic liquids than in pure viscous fluids. The dynamic behavior of a gas bubble in a three‐parameter viscoelastic fluid is simulated by a mechanical system. The mechanism of the bubble behavior may be satisfactorily explained using the model.
EMD-BASED ECG DENOISING USING SOURCE SEPARATION

We consider the problem of electrocardiogram (ECG) denoising using source separation. In this study, a hybrid technique using empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and source separation, is proposed. This technique consists of two steps, the first step consists in applying the EMD to two different mixtures. These mixtures are obtained by corrupting in additive manner, the same ECG signal by a white Gaussian noise with two different values of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The second step consists in computing the entropy of each obtained intrinsic mode function (IMF) and finds the two IMFs having the minimal entropy. These two IMFs are used to estimate the separation matrix of the ECG signal from noise by using the source separation. The proposed technique is evaluated by comparing it to the denoising technique based on source separation in time domain using runica and the technique based on Bionic wavelet transform (BWT) and also using source separation. The obtained results from SNR and the mean square error (MSE) computations, show that the proposed technique outperforms the other two techniques used in this evaluation.
Buckling analysis of micro- and nano-rods/tubes based on nonlocal Timoshenko beam theory

This paper is concerned with the elastic buckling analysis of micro- and nano-rods/tubes based on Eringen's nonlocal elasticity theory and the Timoshenko beam theory. In the former theory, the small scale effect is taken into consideration while the effect of transverse shear deformation is accounted for in the latter theory. The governing equations and the boundary conditions are derived using the principle of virtual work. Explicit expressions for the critical buckling loads are derived for axially loaded rods/tubes with various end conditions. These expressions account for a better representation of the buckling behaviour of micro- and nano-rods/tubes where small scale effect and transverse shear deformation effect are significant. By comparing it with the classical beam theories, the sensitivity of the small scale effect on the buckling loads may be observed.
Classification and modeling of human activities using empirical mode decomposition with S-band and millimeter-wave micro-Doppler radars

The ability to identify human movements can be an important tool in many different applications such as surveillance, military combat situations, search and rescue operations, and patient monitoring in hospitals. This information can provide soldiers, security personnel, and search and rescue workers with critical knowledge that can be used to potentially save lives and/or avoid a dangerous situation. Most research involving human activity recognition is focused on using the Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) as a method of analyzing the micro-Doppler signatures. Because of the time-frequency resolution limitations of the STFT and because Fourier transform-based methods are not well-suited for use with non-stationary and nonlinear signals, we have chosen a different approach. Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) has been shown to be a valuable time-frequency method for processing non-stationary and nonlinear data such as micro-Doppler signatures and EMD readily provides a feature vector that can be utilized for classification. For classification, the method of a Support Vector Machine (SVMs) was chosen. SVMs have been widely used as a method of pattern recognition due to their ability to generalize well and also because of their moderately simple implementation. In this paper, we discuss the ability of these methods to accurately identify human movements based on their micro-Doppler signatures obtained from S-band and millimeter-wave radar systems. Comparisons will also be made based on experimental results from each of these radar systems. Furthermore, we will present simulations of micro-Doppler movements for stationary subjects that will enable us to compare our experimental Doppler data to what we would expect from an "ideal" movement.
Flows of Materials with Yield

Steady, two‐dimensional flows of Bingham fluids are analyzed by means of a modified constitutive relation that applies everywhere in the flow field, in both yielded and practically unyielded regions. The conservation equations and the constitutive relation are solved simultaneously by Galerkin finite element and Newton iteration. This combination eliminates the necessity for tracking yield surfaces in the flow field. The analysis is applied to a one‐dimensional channel flow, a two‐dimensional boundary layer flow, and a two‐dimensional extrusion flow. The finite element predictions compare well with available analytic solutions for limiting cases.
Zero total dispersion in single-mode optical fibers over an extended spectral range

The waveguide and material dispersion are investigated for various silica-based single-mode optical fibers with arbitrary refractive-index profiles. It is shown that in the case of the doubly clad optical fiber with an index difference between the core and the outer cladding Δ1 = 1.0% and that between the inner and the outer cladding Δ2 = −1.0%, where the diameter of the core 2a = 7.2 μm and the thickness of the inner cladding t = 1.1 μm, the total dispersion is reduced to within ±1 ps km−1 nm−1 over a wide spectral range of λ = 1.35–1.67 μm.
Fast and efficient 3D boundary element method for closed domains

An application of a boundary element method to the solution of static field problems in closed domains is presented in this paper. The fully populated system matrix of the boundary element method is compressed with the fast multipole method. Two approaches of modified transformation techniques are compared and discussed in the context of boundary element methods to further reduce the computational costs of the fast multipole method. The efficiency of the fast multipole method with modified transformations is shown in two numerical examples.
MODIFIED GAMMA DISTRIBUTION WITH SINGULARITY AT ZERO

ABSTRACT There are many situations in life testing experiment where an item fails instantaneously and hence the observed lifetime is reported as zero. Similarly in the case of rainfall data, there may be days reported with zero rainfall corresponding to the dry days during the season. We propose a modified Gamma distribution as a suitable model to represent such situations by mixture of a singular distribution at zero and a two parameter Gamma distribution. We first show that this mixture model is a three-parameter exponential family and derive Maximum Likelihood Estimates of the parameters and their joint asymptotic distributions as well as that of the mean. Based on the above results a 95% confidence interval for the mean of the mixture distribution is obtained. The method is illustrated with actual measured data on rainfall from two stations namely, Jalgaon and Coimbatore in India.
Early Failures in Life Testing

Abstract Data from certain life test experiments exhibit such an unusually high concentration of failures near time 0 that the assumption of an over-all exponential density is unwarranted. One hypothesis for this phenomenon is that due to faulty construction or defective parts, certain test items fail prematurely; these items are termed “early failures. ” To handle this type of data, an early failure model is postulated in which one failure rate is assumed to be in effect for an initial time interval [0, T 0) and another, lower failure rate is operative thereafter. Estimators for the two failure rates are given in the case where T 0 is known and in the case where T 0 is not known exactly but can be assumed to be within a specified interval. Methods for obtaining approximate large sample confidence regions are outlined and procedures for handling small samples are described.
COMPUTING EFFECTIVE REFLECTION COEFFICIENTS IN LAYERED MEDIA

Computations are presented which show that the effective reflection and transmission coefficients for a rough interface embedded in a layered medium can differ significantly from the mean reflection and transmission coefficients computed for the same rough interface when it separates two homogeneous half-spaces. These differences are large when the correlation length of the roughness is long compared to the skip distance of rays associated with normal modes in the layered medium. Otherwise, these differences may be generally neglected. However, increasing the rms roughness decreases the ratio of correlation length to skip distance at which the effect of the layering is important. The case of a Pekeris waveguide with a rough fluid–fluid interface and the case of a rough Dirichlet surface bounding an upwardly refracting medium are considered.
Evaluation of pulsed laser ablation in liquids generated gold nanoparticles as novel transfection tools: efficiency and cytotoxicity

Varying transfection efficiencies and cytotoxicity are crucial aspects in cell manipulation. The utilization of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) has lately attracted special interest to enhance transfection efficiency. Conventional AuNP are usually generated by chemical reactions or gas pyrolysis requiring often cell-toxic stabilizers or coatings to conserve their characteristics. Alternatively, stabilizer- and coating-free, highly pure, colloidal AuNP can be generated by pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL). Mammalian cells were transfected efficiently by addition of PLAL-AuNP, but data systematically evaluating the cell-toxic potential are lacking. Herein, the transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity of PLAL AuNP was evaluated by transfection of a mammalian cell line with a recombinant HMGB1/GFP DNA expression vector. Different methods were compared using two sizes of PLAL-AuNP, commercialized AuNP, two magnetic NP-based protocols and a conventional transfection reagent (FuGENE HD; FHD). PLAL-AuNP were generated using a Spitfire Pro femtosecond laser system delivering 120 fs laser pulses at a wavelength of 800 nm focusing the fs-laser beam on a 99.99% pure gold target placed in ddH2O. Transfection efficiencies were analyzed after 24h using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Toxicity was assessed measuring cell proliferation and percentage of necrotic, propidium iodide positive cells (PI %). The addition of PLAL-AuNP significantly enhanced transfection efficiencies (FHD: 31 %; PLAL-AuNP size-1: 46 %; size-2: 50 %) with increased PI% but no reduced cell proliferation. Commercial AuNP-transfection showed significantly lower efficiency (23 %), slightly increased PI % and reduced cell proliferation. Magnetic NP based methods were less effective but showing also lowest cytotoxicity. In conclusion, addition of PLAL-AuNP provides a novel tool for transfection efficiency enhancement with acceptable cytotoxic side-effects.
Distortion of homogeneous turbulence by axisymmetric strain and dilatation

Rapid distortion theory is applied to study distortion of homogeneous turbulence subject to two different axisymmetric strain modes: contraction and expansion. Exact expressions for turbulence structural quantities are obtained in closed form by assuming initially isotropic turbulence and the asymptotic behavior at large total strains is also presented. Comparison with numerical simulations at high strain rate shows remarkably good agreement for all the quantities considered. Differences in effects of the two axisymmetric strain modes on evolution of the turbulence statistics are investigated in detail. It is found that (i) both velocity and vorticity fluctuations are enhanced more efficiently by contraction than by expansion; (ii) contraction produces much higher anisotropy in velocity and vorticity than expansion; (iii) root‐mean‐square pressure is slightly reduced during contraction, whereas it increases rapidly during expansion; and (iv) vortical structures of rodlike shape develop in a contraction fl.
Boussinesq Model for Weakly Nonlinear Fully Dispersive Water Waves

In the present work a new Boussinesq dispersive wave propagation model is proposed. The model is based on a system of equations expressed in terms of the free-surface elevation and the depth-averaged horizontal velocities. The approach is developed for fully dispersive and weakly nonlinear irregular waves propagating over any constant water depth in two horizontal dimensions, but it can also be applied in mildly sloping beaches with considerable accuracy. The model in its two-dimensional formulation involves in total five terms in each momentum equation, including the classical shallow water terms and only one frequency dispersion term. The latter is expressed through convolution integrals, which are estimated using appropriate impulse functions. The formulation is fully explicit in space and thus no inversion is required for the numerical solution. The model is applied to simulate the propagation of regular and irregular waves using a simple explicit scheme of finite differences. Numerical integration of a convolution integral is also required. The results of the simulations are compared with experimental data, as well as with linear and nonlinear wave theory. The comparisons show that the method is capable of simulating weakly nonlinear dispersive wave propagation over finite constant or slowly diminishing water depth in a satisfactory way.
Third and higher harmonic plasma emission due to Raman scattering

The theory for third and higher harmonic plasma emission by the weak turbulence (or random phase) process L + T′→T (where L denotes a Langmuir wave, and T and T′ denote transverse waves) is developed. Kinematic constraints on the characteristics and growth lengths of waves participating in the wave processes are identified. The cases of L waves produced either directly by a streaming instability, or by the decay L→L′+S (S is an ion sound wave) of L waves generated by a streaming instability, are considered. Limits on the brightness temperature of the radiation are determined, and expressions for the growth rate and path-integrated wave temperatures are derived.
Some New Applications of Multivariate Moment-Generating Functions to Screen-Film Systems

Multivariate moment-generating functions provide a useful method for analyzing the influence of stochastic amplifying and scattering mechanisms on the transfer of signal and noise through multistage imaging systems. In this paper we apply this method to several cases of amplifying and scattering mechanisms in which the parameters are themselves stochastic variables. These include input-labeled amplification, input-labeled scattering, position-labeled amplification, and position-labeled scattering. Our results are general in that they are applicable to a variety of imaging chain models and can be used to analyze stationary as well as nonstationary processes. In the special case of stationary processes, relationships between the input and output NPS can be derived. For the case of photon-limited inputs, one can also readily express the DQE. For each case, an example illustrating the physics of radiographic intensifying screens is given. Previously published theoretical results are shown to follow as special cases of these new and more general results.
Centralizing surgery for ovarian cancer in a ‘non-centralizing’ country (Belgium): the UNGO (UCLouvain Network of Gynaecological Oncology) experience

Objective In Belgium there is no centralization of surgery for ovarian cancer, with more than 100 centers treating around 800 cases per year. In 2017 a network with several collaborating hospitals was established to centralize surgery for ovarian cancer (UCLouvain Network of Gynecological Oncology; UNGO) following publication of the European Society of Gynecological Oncology (ESGO) recommendations and quality criteria for surgery of advanced ovarian cancer. We obtained ESGO accreditation in 2019. Methods We retrospectively collected data associated with patients undergoing surgery in our institution from 2007 to 2016, before the creation of the network (cohort 1) and, following the establishment of UNGO (2017–2021), patients undergoing surgery were prospectively registered in a REDCap database (cohort 2). The outcomes of the two cohorts were compared. Results A total of 314 patients underwent surgery in our institution from 2007 and 2021: 7.5 patients/year in cohort 1 (retrospective, 2007–2016) and 40.8 patients/year in cohort 2 (after network creation, 2017–2021). Median disease-free survival was increased from 16.5 months (range 13.2–20.4) in cohort 1 to 27.1 months (range 21.5–33.2) in cohort 2 (p=0.0004). In cohort 2, the rate of patients with residual disease at the end of the surgery was significantly less (18.7% vs 8.8%, p=0.023), although more patients in cohort 1 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (89% vs 54%, p<0.001). However, there was a higher rate of complications in the patients in cohort 2 (18.8% vs 30%, p=0.041). Conclusion Our study shows that, with the help of ESGO and its recommendations, we have been able to create an efficient advanced ovarian cancer centralized network and this may provide an improvement in the quality of care.
Dust and CO emission in normal spirals. I. The data

We present 1300 μ m continuum observations and measurements of the CO (1-0) and (2-1) emission from the inner regions of 98 normal galaxies. The spatial resolution ranges from 11 to 45″. The sources come from a complete FIR selected sample of 138 inactive spirals with an optical diameter .