Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamical mean-field theory studies on real materials

Numerical studies on strongly correlated fermionic systems are very complicated and still provide essential problems. The main reason is the exponential growth of the un- derlying Hilbert state space with the system size and the fermionic sign problem for Monte Carlo studies. Among the most widely employed numerical techniques for study- ing two-dimensional quantum many-body systems are cluster extensions of the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), e.g. dynamical cluster approximation (DCA). They map an infinitely large multi-dimensional lattice problem to a one-dimensional impurity problem. In 2015 it was shown that the density matrix renormalisation group (DMRG) used as an impurity solver for DMFT (DMFT+DMRG) on the imaginary-frequency axis allows to solve multi-site and multi-band problems extremely fast compared to other solvers. Within this thesis, we further develop this DMRG+DMFT approach to apply the method on real material settings. The step from artificial, completely degenerate multi-band mod- els with simple dispersion relations on a Bethe lattice, studied in 2015, to systems with realistic band structures and lifted degeneracies involves more challenges than originally suspected. In this thesis, we will first recapitulate relevant methods for our approach like matrix prod- uct states, the density matrix renormalisation group and several time evolution methods. In this context we will present several improvements ranging from optimised time evo- lutions to entanglement based optimisations of tensor networks. Second, we will present a very detailed description of the dynamical mean field theory. We will focus on both methodological aspects and implementation details. This chapter is intended to allow other researcher to implement their own DMFT code using DMRG as an impurity solver. Third, we will discuss three different models to show the extent of problems DMRG+ DMFT is able to solve. We will focus on multi-site DCA calculations in the case of the two-dimensional Hubbard model and show that DMRG allows to tackle systems with intermediate interaction strengths at low temperatures, which are unsolvable with other solvers. In the second case, the real material Sr2VO4, we will show the first two-site DCA results for a realistic three-band model. In contrast to assumptions, partly reintroducing the momentum dependence of the self-energy does not improve agreement between exper- imental observations and theoretical results. Finally, we will move on to another realistic three-band model, which describes Sr2RuO4, to show how to deal with the influence of spin-orbit coupling on DMFT. We will present the first low-temperature results for this material and will confirm previous results of simplified model calculations.
Neural and synaptic plasticity in the chick brain after passive avoidance learning

The avian hippocampus (Hp) is believed to be homologous to mammalian hippocampus both from a developmental and an anatomical view-point. In one-day old domestic chicks (Gallus domesticus), studies have demonstrated that it may play a key role in the acquisition of one trial passive avoidance learning (PAL) where the aversive experience is exposure to a bitter tasting substance, methyl anthranilate. In the present study, following PAL the numerical density of asymmetric axospinous synapses decreased by 36% in the dorsal Hp of the right hemisphere of MeA trained compared to control birds, 6 hours after training. In contrast, 24h post PAL there is a 33% decrease in numerical density of asymmetric axodendritic synapses in the MeA trained group in relation to the same area of control chicks. Cell proliferation studies using the thymidine analogue, bromodeoxyuridine, (BrdU) demonstrated a 47% reduction in cell proliferation in the dorsal Hp of the MeA trained group 24h later in comparison with controls, which disappears after 9 days. In nucleus taeniae of amygdala and the arcopallium dorsale and intermediale, there are no differences between birds 24h or 9 days post BrdU injection but in olfactory bulb of MeA trained chicks cell labelling increases by 95% and 71.4% respectively, compared to control and water-trained birds, 24 h after PAL. The increase is more dramatic 9 days post PAL, when the MeA-trained group shows a 259% and 314% increase respectively in relation to control and water-trained animals. Following PAL apoptotic studies in the Hp 24h, 5 and 9 days post BrdU injection demonstrated that there were no differences in cell death between the different groups. Radioimmunoassay measurements of cortisol in chick forebrain tissue demonstrated longer term increase in levels of steroid in the chick Hp compared to arcopallium and striatum mediale 20 minutes after training, indicating that PAL is a stressful experience which may explain synaptic density and cell proliferation reduction observed after PAL.
Atypisches Cushing-Syndrom bei einem Hund

Zusammenfassung Bei einem aus anderen Gründen vorgestellten 12 Jahre alten Labrador-Retriever-Rüden bestand als Nebenbefund eine Hyperadrenokortizismus-Symptomatik (Polyurie/Polydipsie, tonniges Abdomen, Muskelatrophie). Abweichende Laborbefunde und sonographische Veränderungen der Nebennieren, aber negative Befunde in Low-Dose-Dexamethason-Suppressionstests bei niedriger Basalkortisolkonzentration, ein negativer ACTH-Stimulationstest und Ausschluss eines iatrogenen Hyperadrenokortizismus ließen den Verdacht auf einen atypischen Hype radrenokortizismus (AHAC) aufkommen. Die Ergebnisse weiterführender Untersuchungen, insbesondere die Stimulation der Progesteronbildung durch ACTH (0-h-Wert: 0,21 ng/ml; 1-h-Wert: 4,9 ng/ml), und das Ansprechen auf die Trilostan-Therapie sprachen ebenfalls für diese Diagnose. Es muss jedoch kritisch hinterfragt werden, ob und inwiefern zusätzlich vorliegende Erkrankungen (Arthrosen, Umfangsvermehrung in einem Hoden) hinsichtlich Symptomatik und Laborbefunden eine Rolle gespielt haben. Dieser Fall verdeutlicht die Schwierigkeiten bei der Diagnostik eines AHAC.
Human encoded miRNAs that regulate the inflenenza virus genome

Motivation:MiRNAs can downregulate gene expression by mRNA cleavage or translational repression. Discovering human encoded miRNAs that regulate the influenza virus genome is important for molecular targets for drug development, and it also plays positive role in influenza control and prevention. Methods: We propose a new method based on scoring to discover human encoded miRNAs that regulate the influenza virus genome. The scoring based on the same complementary sites, the secondary structure of the complementary sites and the binding sites of all sequences respectively. Among them, taking the secondary structure as a vital factor is a new attempt. Results: Has-miR-489, has-miR-325, has-miR-876-3p and has-miR-2117 are targeted HA, PB2, MP and NS of influenza A, respectively.
Full-scale biofilter reduction efficiencies assessed using portable 24-hour sampling units

Portable 24-hr sampling units were used to collect air samples from eight biofilters on four animal feeding operations. The biofilters were located on a dairy, a swine nursery, and two swine finishing farms. Biofilter media characteristics (age, porosity, density, particle size, water absorption capacity, pressure drop) and ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur dioxide (SO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) reduction efficiencies of the biofilters were assessed. The deep bed biofilters at the dairy farm, which were in use for a few months, had the most porous media and lowest unit pressure drops. The average media porosity and density were 75% and 180 kg/m3, respectively. Reduction efficiencies of H2S and NH3 (biofilter 1: 64% NH3, 76% H2S; biofilter 2: 53% NH3, 85% H2S) were close to those reported for pilot-scale biofilters. No N2O production was measured at the dairy farm. The highest H2S, SO2, NH3, and CH4 reduction efficiencies were measured from a flat-bed biofilter at the swine nursery farm. However, the highest N2O generation (29.2%) was also measured from this biofilter. This flat-bed biofilter media was dense and had the lowest porosity. A garden sprinkler was used to add water to this biofilter, which may have filled media pores and caused N2O production under anaerobic conditions. Concentrations of H2S and NH3 were determined using the portable 24-hr sampling units and compared to ones measured with a semicontinuous gas sampling system at one farm. Flat-bed biofilters at the swine finishing farms also produced low amounts of N2O. The N2O production rate of the newer media (2 years old) with higher porosity was lower than that of older media (3 years old) (P = 0.042). Implications Media characteristics and gas reduction efficiencies of eight field-scale biofilters were evaluated. The media characteristics measured in this study indicated that media older than 3 years should be tested for high-pressure drops and nitrous oxide (N2O) production. The results also indicated that regular water addition can improve gas reduction efficiencies of biofilters but adding excessive amounts of water can cause N2O production. Uniform water distribution can be a challenge.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid Reduces Body Fat in Healthy Exercising Humans

This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of daily conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in healthy exercising humans. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 20 healthy humans of normal body weight and body mass index less than 25.0 kg/m2, who did standardized physical exercise in a gym for 90 min three times weekly. Participants took either placebo (hydrogel) or CLA 0.6 mg, three times daily, as two capsules during meals, for 12 weeks. Body fat, measured using near infrared light, was significantly reduced in the CLA group during the study, but not in the placebo group. No effects on body weight were observed. Tolerability was good and similar in the two groups. Compliance, as judged by the number of returned capsules, was more than 80% of the recommended dose for all participants. Thus CLA reduces body fat but not body weight in healthy exercising humans of normal body weight.
Optical see-through wearable display for close range interaction

In the field of Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies, current wearable displays are hard to suggest visual experiences that users can naturally manipulate 3D objects with their fingertips as in the case of 3D holographic user interface in a Sci-Fi movie. In this paper, we introduce a new wearable display that is designed by considering human factors about 3D stereoscopic images to avoid inconveniences even if it is used for close range interactions with long-time and present pilot contents to evaluate feasibility studies.
Fucking failures: The future of fat sex

In the context of the obesity ‘epidemic’ fat people’s sex lives are cast as sterile, sexually dysfunctional or just plain non-existent. This article analyzes medical discourses of obesity and sex in order to argue that fat sex is constructed as a type of failure. Using insights from antisocial queer theory, fat sex is further shown to be queer in its failure to adhere to the specifically heteronormative dictates of what Edelman (2004) calls ‘reproductive futurism’. The analysis finally engages with Halberstam’s (2011) notion of queer failure to demonstrate how deconstructing notions of success and failure might offer fat political projects new ways to imagine the future of fat sex.
A global perspective on insect-based foods: willingness to eat, brand equity impact, reasons for not eating and consumer acceptability of an insect-based product

Insects are becoming more and more popular as a food choice or an ingredient, but the first sensory perception is still triggered by visual cues which influence the overall acceptability of any product. Different studies have suggested to start incorporating insects in familiar food products first and in a powder form to avoid the disgust factor and lower the food neophobia behavior. The first part of this study aims to understand the willingness to eat an insect based products from a global perspective and determine the impact of adding insect powder to specific product of a worldwide brand portfolio. A survey was launched in more than ten countries targeting different regions, backgrounds and cultures. The questionnaire was divided in diverse topics, the reasons for not eating insects segment was the focus of the second part of this research, which explained the main concepts or ideas why consumers would not taste an insect product. Following the outcomes from the unwillingness and reasons to avoid insects, this investigation explored the consumer preferences of a chocolate chip cookie made partially with cricket powder. The results showed that most of the countries were unwilling to try insect products, demonstrating a negative a correlation towards the purchase intention of other products within a brand. The top three barriers that stop consumers to consider eating foods containing insect powder as an ingredient, are led by the appearance factor where no insect fragments should be in the food, then just the concept of consuming insects is disgusting, followed by the statement “Insects are dirty/filthy” were the other two reasons. The sensory properties like taste and texture were not significant limitations to evade insect products. After the consumer acceptability test conducted in USA, Mexico and Spain, the 15% cricket powder chocolate chip cookie was well acceptable and showing higher liking scores than the control cookie in some of the countries. The results showed that adding insects partially in a baked product formula, does not modified the sensory characteristics and the intensity attributes maintained the same pattern as the control sample. The cookie with higher cricket powder percentages was only preferred in Mexico, the USA and Spain participants showed irrelevance (neither like nor dislike) the sample. A global perspective on insect-based foods: willingness to eat, brand equity impact, reasons for not eating and consumer acceptability of an insect-based product by Mauricio Castro Delgado B.S., Saint Mary Catholic University, Peru, 1997 M.S., Texas Woman’s University, 2010
Effects of fatty acids on proliferation and activation of human synovial compartment lymphocytes

The object of this study was to determine the effects of eicosanoid precursor fatty acids on activation and proliferation of T lymphocytes from synovial fluid and synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Proliferation was determined by direct cell counts; phenotypic characterization of surface molecules was by cytofluorometric analysis. Dihomogammalinolenic acid, arachidonic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid suppressed proliferation of interleukin‐2‐dependent lymphocytes by as much as 80%; cell viability was not altered by fatty acids. Administration of particular fatty acids may prove to be a useful therapeutic intervention in rheumatoid arthritis patients because of their ability to suppress activation and proliferation of synovial compartment T lymphocytes. J. Leukoc. Biol. 56: 612–615; 1994.
Patterns of fertility preferences and contraceptive behaviour over time: change and continuities among the urban poor in Nairobi, Kenya

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the association between fertility preferences and contraceptive use among 15–49-year-old women living in Korogocho and Viwandani, informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. We draw on longitudinal data collected under the Maternal and Child Health project conducted between 2006 and 2010 in the two settlements. There is substantial regularity and stability but also unusual instability in reported fertility preferences over time among women living in these settings. Younger women, aged 15–24 years, are likely to change their preferences over time, passing from limiting to wanting additional children. But women aged 35–49 are likely to change their preferences from desiring more children to limiting their childbearing. The desire to limit childbearing is strongly associated with the use of modern and long-acting contraceptive methods. Findings have major implications for the success of family planning programmes in informal settlements where access to and knowledge about contraception may be limited.
Efficiency enhancement of a tunable RF power amplifier by second harmonic manipulation using thin-film BST varactor

This paper presents an idea of efficiency enhancement of a tunable class-AB radio frequency power amplifier (RF PA) utilizing a tunable resonant circuit along with tunable matching at the output using barium-strontium-titanate (BST) varactors. It is demonstrated that application of appropriate bias voltages across tunable output 2nd harmonic termination as well as matching network, comprising of BST varactors, results in continuously tunable performance of RF PA. Power added efficiency (PAE) along with other performance parameters such as gain and output power, are shown to be adapted as the RF PA is tuned for multiband operation from 1.8 to 2.0 GHz. For class-AB operation, an improvement of up to 8% in PAE and up to 0.5 dBm in output power were observed in saturated output power range provided the output harmonics are properly terminated.
Polyoma genome in hamster BHK-21-C13 cells: integration into cellular DNA and induction of the viral replication

When grown at 39.5 degrees C, BHK-21 C-13 cells transformed by A gene mutants of polyoma virus contain viral sequences that are predominantly associated with cellular DNA pelleted in the Hirt lysis procedure. At this temperature, in cells that are inducible for viral DNA replication (Folk, 1973), the majority of the viral genomes are covalently joined with cellular DNA's containing repetitious sequences. Upon a shift to 31 degrees C, free viral genomes appear and are replicated. Coupled with the replication of the free viral genomes at 31 degrees C is an increase in the viral genomes associated with cellular DNA.
Bivariate Gaussian random fields : models, simulation, and inference

Spatial data with several components, such as observations of air temperature and pressure in a certain geographical region or the content of two metals in a geological deposit, require models which can capture the spatial dependence structure of individual components and the relationship between them. In a wealth of applications, multivariate Gaussian random fields are sensible models for multivariate spatial data and their second order structure specifies the marginal correlations and the cross-correlations between the components. In this thesis we focus on covariance models and simulation techniques for bivariate fields. In Chapter 2 we summarize some definitions and facts from univariate and multivariate Geostatistics which are essential for the subsequent chapters. Chapter 3 introduces two novel bivariate parametric covariance models, the powered exponential (or stable) covariance model and the generalized Cauchy covariance model. Both models allow for flexible smoothness, variance, scale, and cross-correlation parameters. The smoothness parameter is in (0, 1]. Additionally, the bivariate generalized Cauchy model allows for distinct long range parameters. The results are based on general sufficient conditions for the positive definiteness of 2×2-matrix valued functions. These conditions are easy to check, since they require only computing the derivatives of a bivariate covariance function and calculating an infimum of a function of one variable. We also show that the univariate spherical model can be generalized to the bivariate case with spherical marginal and cross-covariance functions only in a trivial way. Circulant embedding is a powerful algorithm for fast simulation of stationary Gaussian random fields on a rectangular grid in R^n , which works perfectly for compactly supported covariance functions. Cut-off circulant embedding techniques have been developed for univariate random fields for dimensions up to R^3 and rely on the modification of a covariance function outside the simulation window, such that the modified covariance function is compactly supported. In Chapter 4 we propose extensions of the cut-off approach for bivariate Gaussian random fields. In particular, we provide a method for simulating bivariate fields with a bivariate powered exponential covariance model and the full bivariate Matern covariance model for certain sets of parameters. On the way we extend the cut-off circulant embedding method even for univariate models. In Chapter 5 we illustrate the use of the bivariate powered exponential model for a data example.
Behavior-Based Discrimination: Is It a Winning Play, and If So, When?

With advances in technology, the collection of information from consumers at the time of purchase is common in many categories. This information allows a firm to straightforwardly classify consumers as either “new” or “past” consumers. This opens the door for firms to implement marketing that a discriminates between new and past consumers and b entails making offers to them that are significantly different. Our objective is to examine the competitive effects of marketing that tailors offers to consumers based on their past buying behavior. In a two-period model with two competing firms, we assume that each firm is able to commit about whether or not to implement behavior-based discrimination BBD, i.e., to add benefits to its offer for past consumers in the second period. When the firms are identical in their ability to add value to the second-period offer, BBD generally leads to lower profits for both firms. Past customers are so valuable in the second period that BBD leads to cutthroat competition in the first period. As a result, the payoffs associated with the implementation of BBD form a prisoner's dilemma. Interestingly, when a firm has a significant advantage over its competitor one firm has the capability to add more benefits for its past customers than the other, it can increase its profit versus the base case even when there is significant competition in the second period. Moreover, the firm at a disadvantage sometimes finds that the best response to BBD by a strong competitor is to respond with a uniform price and avoid the practice completely.
HIV-related pneumococcal disease prevention in adults

ABSTRACT Introduction: HIV-infected persons are particularly susceptible to the development of severe pneumococcal disease, even in the setting of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), due to slow, incomplete recovery of anti-pneumococcal host defenses. This risk is increased by avoidable aspects of lifestyle, particularly smoking, which intensify immunosuppression. Clearly, more effective preventive measures are needed to counter this threat. Areas covered: This is a detailed review of the published literature focusing on currently available strategies for prevention of pneumococcal infection in HIV-infected patients, including cotrimoxazole prophylaxis, cART, pneumococcal vaccination, and smoking cessation strategies. This is preceded by a consideration of the epidemiology, clinical presentation, risk factors, and outcome of pneumococcal disease. Expert commentary: Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients, although there is inconsistent data on the preventive efficacy against pneumococcal infections. Some recent studies have documented unchanged incidences of IPD in adult patients in the cART era. With regard to pneumococcal vaccination, routine acceptance of the efficacy of the PCV13/PPV23 sequential administration prime-boost strategy awaits the outcome of clinical trials in those with HIV infection. Smoking cessation, and discontinuation of excessive alcohol consumption and intravenous drug abuse, are priority strategies to prevent severe pneumococcal infection.