Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On negative mass cosmology in General Relativity

In this Letter we present strong arguments in favour of thoroughly revising the negative mass cosmology (NMC), which has been proposed as a simple alternative explanation of dark energy and dark matter effects, within the framework of general relativity. We show that there are various physical predictions of this model which require fine-tuning in order to make them compatible with current cosmological surveys. In this way, the original motivation of the NMC model becomes obscured due to the imposition of fine-tuned unknown variables. We conclude that a more rigorous theoretical treatment is needed in order to make the NMC a viable cosmological model.
Decentralized Baseband Processing With Gaussian Message Passing Detection for Uplink Massive MU-MIMO Systems

Decentralized baseband processing (DBP) architecture, which partitions the base station antennas into multiple antenna clusters, has been recently proposed to alleviate the excessively high interconnect bandwidth, chip input/output data rates, and detection complexity for massive multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems. In this paper, we propose a novel decentralized Gaussian message passing (GMP) detection for the DBP architecture. Based on the message passing rule, each antenna cluster iteratively calculated the local means and variances which are fused to generate the global symbol beliefs for demodulation. The state evolution framework of the decentralized GMP algorithm is presented under the assumptions of large-system limit and Gaussian sources. Analytical results corroborated by simulations demonstrate that the nonuniform antenna cluster partition scheme exhibits a higher convergence rate than the uniform counterpart. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed decentralized GMP detection outperforms the recently proposed decentralized algorithms.
Inference for multi-valued heterogeneous treatment effects when the number of treated units is small

We propose a method for conducting asymptotically valid inference for treatment effects in a multi-valued treatment framework where the number of units in the treatment arms can be small and do not grow with the sample size. We accomplish this by casting the model as a semi-/non-parametric conditional quantile model and using known finite sample results about the law of the indicator function that defines the conditional quantile. Our framework allows for structural functions that are non-additively separable, with flexible functional forms and heteroskedasticy in the residuals, and it also encompasses commonly used designs like difference in difference. We study the finite sample behavior of our test in a Monte Carlo study and we also apply our results to assessing the effect of weather events on GDP growth.
On the proportion of $p$-elements in a finite group, and a modular Jordan type theorem

In 1878, Jordan proved that if a finite group G has a faithful representation of dimension n over C, then G has a normal abelian subgroup with index bounded above by a function of n. The same result fails if one replaces C by a field of positive characteristic, due to the presence of large unipotent and/or Lie type subgroups. For this reason, a long-standing problem in group and representation theory has been to find the “correct analogue” of Jordan’s theorem in characteristic p > 0. Progress has been made in a number of different directions, most notably by Brauer and Feit in 1966; by Collins in 2008; and by Larsen and Pink in 2011. With a 1968 theorem of Steinberg in mind (which shows that a significant proportion of elements in a simple group of Lie type are unipotent), we prove in this paper that if a finite group G has a faithful representation over a field of characteristic p, then a significant proportion of the elements of G must have p-power order. We prove similar results for permutation groups, and present a general method for counting p-elements in finite groups. All of our results are best possible.
Quantum-classical correspondence of a system of interacting bosons in a triple-well potential

We study the quantum-classical correspondence of an experimentally accessible system of interacting bosons in a tilted triple-well potential. With the semiclassical analysis, we get a better understanding of the different phases of the quantum system and how they could be used for quantum information science. In the integrable limits, our analysis of the stationary points of the semiclassical Hamiltonian reveals critical points associated with second-order quantum phase transitions. In the nonintegrable domain, the system exhibits crossovers. Depending on the parameters and quantities, the quantum-classical correspondence holds for very few bosons. In some parameter regions, the ground state is robust (highly sensitive) to changes in the interaction strength (tilt amplitude), which may be of use for quantum information protocols (quantum sensing).
Controlling Text Edition by Changing Answers of Specific Questions

In this paper, we introduce the new task of controllable text edition, in which we take as input a long text, a question, and a target answer, and the output is a minimally modified text, so that it fits the target answer. This task is very important in many situations, such as changing some conditions, consequences, or properties in a legal document, or changing some key information of an event in a news text. This is very challenging, as it is hard to obtain a parallel corpus for training, and we need to first find all text positions that should be changed and then decide how to change them. We constructed the new dataset WikiBioCTE for this task based on the existing dataset WikiBio (originally created for table-to-text generation). We use WikiBioCTE for training, and manually labeled a test set for testing. We also propose novel evaluation metrics and a novel method for solving the new task. Experimental results on the test set show that our proposed method is a good fit for this novel NLP task.
From the Landau-de Gennes theory to the Ericksen-Leslie theory in dimension two

In this paper, we study the connection between the Ericksen-Leslie equations and the Beris-Edwards equations in dimension two. It is shown that the weak solutions to the Beris-Edwards equations converge to the one to the Ericksen-Leslie equations as the elastic coefficient tends to zero. Moreover, the limiting weak solutions to the Ericksen-Leslie equations may have singular points.
Dorylus: Affordable, Scalable, and Accurate GNN Training with Distributed CPU Servers and Serverless Threads

A graph neural network (GNN) enables deep learning on structured graph data. There are two major GNN training obstacles: 1) it relies on high-end servers with many GPUs which are expensive to purchase and maintain, and 2) limited memory on GPUs cannot scale to today's billion-edge graphs. This paper presents Dorylus: a distributed system for training GNNs. Uniquely, Dorylus can take advantage of serverless computing to increase scalability at a low cost. The key insight guiding our design is computation separation. Computation separation makes it possible to construct a deep, bounded-asynchronous pipeline where graph and tensor parallel tasks can fully overlap, effectively hiding the network latency incurred by Lambdas. With the help of thousands of Lambda threads, Dorylus scales GNN training to billion-edge graphs. Currently, for large graphs, CPU servers offer the best performance-per-dollar over GPU servers. Just using Lambdas on top of CPU servers offers up to 2.75x more performance-per-dollar than training only with CPU servers. Concretely, Dorylus is 1.22x faster and 4.83x cheaper than GPU servers for massive sparse graphs. Dorylus is up to 3.8x faster and 10.7x cheaper compared to existing sampling-based systems.
Thermal Stability and Thermal Decomposition Kinetics of Ofloxacin

The thermal stability of ofloxacin in nitrogen was studied.TG-DTG-DSC was used to study the thermal decomposition mechanism and the structure of the principal decomposition products.The kinetic parameters such as activation energy(E),order of reaction(n) and frequency factor(A),were determined.The thermal analysis method is simple,and it gives reliable results.
Interactions between thymic endothelial cells and thymocytes are influenced by growth hormone

Abstract Growth hormone (GH), in addition to its classic actions on growth and metabolism in the body, exerts pleiotropic effects on the immune system, particularly on the thymus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of GH on the interactions between mature thymocytes and the thymic endothelium involved in the migratory process. To this end, fresh thymocytes (C57BL/6 mice) and the thymic endothelial cell line (tEnd.1) were used. In the cell adhesion assay, the GH-treated thymocytes adhered more to tEnd.1 cells. Additionally, there was an improvement in the deposition of fibronectin by tEnd.1 cells when co-cultured with GH-pre-treated thymocytes. Furthermore, GH induced thymocyte F-actin polymerization. In the transendothelial migration assay, a large number of GH-treated thymocytes, mainly the CD4−CD8+ subset, migrated towards the endothelium under the stimulus of insulin-like growth factor 1. In conclusion, we demonstrated the positive actions of GH in thymocyte/thymic endothelium interactions, including transendothelial migration.
The role of circadian rhythms in Obstructive Sleep Apnea symptoms and novel targets for treatment

ABSTRACT Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common disorder that is associated with disability, premature mortality and lost quality of life. Excessive daytime sleepiness and depressive symptoms confer a great portion of the disability and lost quality of life associated with the disorder. While showing robust rates of response and symptoms resolutions, current treatments aimed at correcting the respiratory disturbances are not universally successful and a non-negligible proportion of patients who are correctly using available therapies do not experience symptomatic relief, suggesting that mechanisms beyond the respiratory disturbances may be involved in the pathogenesis of symptoms. A growing body of literature concerning animal and human models suggests that the sleep and respiratory disturbances commonly seen in OSA, namely sleep fragmentation, partial sleep deprivation, intermittent hypoxia, can promote shifts in circadian rhythms ultimately leading to misalignment between sleep-wake rhythms and the internal clock, as well as desynchrony amongst peripheral clocks and peripheral and central clock. This manuscript reviews the current evidence in support of a circadian disturbance underlying OSA symptomatology and proposes new applications for existing chronotherapeutic interventions with the potential for improving symptoms and quality of life for those patients that do not find symptomatic relief with currently available treatments.
Stability of Anti-HLA Sensitization Profiles in Highly Sensitized Kidney Transplantation Candidates: Toward a Rational Serological Testing Strategy

Background. Highly sensitized (HS) anti-HLA patients awaiting kidney transplantation benefit from specific allocation programs. Serological monitoring at 3-mo intervals is recommended to prevent unexpected positive crossmatch (XM), but this strategy is not evidence-based. Therefore, we assessed its relevance when using single-antigen flow bead (SAFB) and screening flow bead (SFB) assays. Methods. We included 166 HS patients awaiting a transplant and assessed their SAFB profile during the year preceding their inclusion. Anti-HLA antibodies were evaluated by SAFB assay and compared within patients as serum pairs at 3, 6, and 9 mo. We assessed the performance of SFB for detecting changes in SAFB profiles with 35 serum pairs. Results. On comparing 354, 218, and 107 serum pairs at 3, 6, and 9 mo, respectively, only 0.6%, 0.7%, and 1% of all antigens tested exceeded for the first time the unacceptable antigen threshold (mean fluorescence intensity ≥2000) in the most recent sample. Irrespective of the follow-up period, the calculated panel-reactive antibodies increased by a mean of 1%, and there was no significant increase in the proportion of donors at risk for positivity of flow- or complement-dependent cytotoxicity XM. The SFB did not accurately detect the variations of SAFB profiles. Conclusions. Changes in HS patient profiles are anecdotal and show little association with transplant access or risk for positive XM. Less-frequent monitoring in HS patients should be considered to improve cost-effectiveness without affecting transplant safety.
Using a saddle-assistive device equipped with mechanical orthosis for walking of the person with incomplete spinal cord injury

The majority of the people with incomplete spinal cord injury lose their walking ability, due to the weakness of their muscle motors in providing torque. As a result, developing assistive devices to improve their conditionis of great importance. In this study, a combined application of the saddle-assistive device (S-AD) and mechanical medial linkage or thosis was evaluated to improve the walking ability in patients with spinal cord injury in the gait laboratory. This mobile assistive device is called the saddle-assistive device equipped with medial linkage or thosis (S-ADEM). In this device, a mechanical orthosis was used in a wheeled walker as previously done in the literature. Initially, for evaluation of the proposed assistive device, the experimental results related to the forces and torques exerted on the feet and upper limbs of a person with the incomplete Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) during walking usingthe standard walker were compared with an those obtained from using the S-ADEM on an able-bodied subject. It was found that using this combination of assistive devices decreases the vertical force and torque on the foot at the time of walking by 53% and 48%, respectively compared to a standard walker. Moreover, the hand-reaction force on the upper limb was negligible instanding and walking positions usingthe introduced device. The findings of this study revealed that the walking ability of the patients with incomplete SCI was improved using the proposed device, which is due to the bodyweight support and the motion technology used in it.
Electrode Materials for Chronic Electrical Microstimulation

Electrical microstimulation has enabled partial restoration of vision, hearing, movement, somatosensation, as well as improving organ functions by electrically modulating neural activities. However, chronic microstimulation is faced with numerous challenges. The implantation of an electrode array into the neural tissue triggers an inflammatory response, which can be exacerbated by the delivery of electrical currents. Meanwhile, prolonged stimulation may lead to electrode material degradation. , which can be accelerated by the hostile inflammatory environment. Both material degradation and adverse tissue reactions can compromise stimulation performance over time. For stable chronic electrical stimulation, an ideal microelectrode must present 1) high charge injection limit, to efficiently deliver charge without exceeding safety limits for both tissue and electrodes, 2) small size, to gain high spatial selectivity, 3) excellent biocompatibility that ensures tissue health immediately next to the device, and 4) stable in vivo electrochemical properties over the application period. In this review, the challenges in chronic microstimulation are described in detail. To aid material scientists interested in neural stimulation research, the in vitro and in vivo testing methods are introduced for assessing stimulation functionality and longevity and a detailed overview of recent advances in electrode material research and device fabrication for improving chronic microstimulation performance is provided.
Functional impact of bothersome tinnitus on cognitive test performance

Abstract Objective Individuals with bothersome tinnitus frequently report their concentration is affected. Given that tinnitus is the leading service-connected disability compensated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it is essential to determine whether tinnitus has a functional impact on the operational performance of Service members. Previous studies demonstrated that people with tinnitus perform more poorly on cognitive tests of selective attention and memory than those without tinnitus. This study aimed to compare performance between participants with and without tinnitus on visually based tests of selective attention (flanker task) and short-term memory (spatial letter location) that were self-administered under three auditory conditions (quiet, broadband noise and speech) using a tablet-based test protocol. Design Experimental Study sample Thirty participants with bothersome tinnitus and 30 control participants, matched for age and hearing loss. Results The results revealed a significantly larger flanker effect and shorter memory span in the tinnitus group compared to the control group, consistent with previous studies. Performance accuracy was comparable between the groups. Conclusions The results suggest bothersome tinnitus may affect cognitive efficiency more than cognitive performance. The tablet-based protocol has the potential to be implemented clinically as a functional measure of the impact of bothersome tinnitus on concentration.
Attention Dysregulation in Breast Cancer Patients Following a Complementary Alternative Treatment Routine: A Double-Blind Randomized Trial

Introduction: Breast cancer patients and survivors frequently report fatigue, emotional, and cognitive disturbances, which reduce performance at all levels of occupation and make life quality issues a considerable clinical concern. The aim of this study is to evaluate attention and emotion regulation across radiotherapy period and the possible effects of complementary alternative medicine (CAM). Methods: Fifty-seven patients with unilateral breast cancer underwent surgery and systemic chemotherapy before participating in this double-blind randomized study. Two thirds were given CAM (n = 38) while the rest received placebo (carrier only, n = 19). Patients’ attention and anxiety were physiologically tested at baseline, 2 and 4 weeks during the radiation period as well as 1-month after the end of radiation session. Results: Both groups showed similar levels of anxiety with no significant differences at baseline nor post-radiotherapy. Long-term significant recovery of attention performance was observed in the CAM patients, accompanied by a similar tendency in anxiety level, measured by the eye-blink probability. Conclusions: This study physiologically validates the attention impairment reported among breast cancer survivors; also, it depicted a beneficial late-effect of a routine CAM on attention dysregulation. The suggested non-invasive physiological measures can physiologically monitor patients’ psychological and cognitive well-being as well as evaluate the beneficial effect of CAM in breast cancer patients by assessing their coping ability to support the treatment plan. Thus, the results have potential clinical implications on patients’ and survivors’ quality of life. Trial Registration: NIH, NCT02890316. Registered July 2016, http://www.ClinicalTrials. gov
Drawing up a collaborative contract: Amino acid cross‐feeding between interspecies bacterial pairs

Synthetic microbial communities have the potential to enable new platforms for bioproduction of biofuels and biopharmaceuticals. However, using engineered communities is often assumed to be difficult because of anticipated challenges in establishing and controlling community composition. Cross‐feeding between microbial auxotrophs has the potential to facilitate coculture growth and stability through a mutualistic ecological interaction. We assessed cross‐feeding between 13 Escherichia coli amino acid auxotrophs paired with a leucine auxotroph of Bacillus megaterium. We developed a minimal medium capable of supporting the growth of both bacteria and used the media to study coculture growth of the 13 interspecies pairs of auxotrophs in batch and continuous culture, as well as on semi‐solid media. In batch culture, 8 of 13 pairs of auxotrophs were observed to grow in coculture. We developed a new metric to quantify the impact of cross‐feeding on coculture growth. Six pairs also showed long‐term stability in continuous culture, where coculture growth at different dilution rates highlighted differences in cross‐feeding amongst the pairs. Finally, we found that cross‐feeding‐dependent growth on semi‐solid media is highly stringent and enables identification of the most efficient pairs. These results demonstrate that cross‐feeding is a viable approach for controlling community composition within diverse synthetic communities.
Safe clinical photography: best practice guidelines for risk management and mitigation

Clinical photography is an essential component of patient care in plastic surgery. The use of unsecured smartphone cameras, digital cameras, social media, instant messaging, and commercially available cloud-based storage devices threatens patients’ data safety. This paper Identifies potential risks of clinical photography and heightens awareness of safe clinical photography. Specifically, we evaluated existing risk-mitigation strategies globally, comparing them to industry standards in similar settings, and formulated a framework for developing a risk-mitigation plan for avoiding data breaches by identifying the safest methods of picture taking, transfer to storage, retrieval, and use, both within and outside the organization. Since threats evolve constantly, the framework must evolve too. Based on a literature search of both PubMed and the web (via Google) with key phrases and child terms (for PubMed), the risks and consequences of data breaches in individual processes in clinical photography are identified. Current clinical-photography practices are described. Lastly, we evaluate current risk mitigation strategies for clinical photography by examining guidelines from professional organizations, governmental agencies, and non-healthcare industries. Combining lessons learned from the steps above into a comprehensive framework that could contribute to national/international guidelines on safe clinical photography, we provide recommendations for best practice guidelines. It is imperative that best practice guidelines for the simple, safe, and secure capture, transfer, storage, and retrieval of clinical photographs be co-developed through cooperative efforts between providers, hospital administrators, clinical informaticians, IT governance structures, and national professional organizations. This would significantly safeguard patient data security and provide the privacy that patients deserve and expect.