Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lipoprotein(a): Cardiovascular Disease, Aortic Stenosis and New Therapeutic Option

Atherosclerosis is a chronic and progressive inflammatory process beginning early in life with late clinical manifestation. This slow pathological trend underlines the importance to early identify high-risk patients and to treat intensively risk factors to prevent the onset and/or the progression of atherosclerotic lesions. In addition to the common Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, new markers able to increase the risk of CV disease have been identified. Among them, high levels of Lipoprotein(a)—Lp(a)—lead to very high risk of future CV diseases; this relationship has been well demonstrated in epidemiological, mendelian randomization and genome-wide association studies as well as in meta-analyses. Recently, new aspects have been identified, such as its association with aortic stenosis. Although till recent years it has been considered an unmodifiable risk factor, specific drugs have been developed with a strong efficacy in reducing the circulating levels of Lp(a) and their capacity to reduce subsequent CV events is under testing in ongoing trials. In this paper we will review all these aspects: from the synthesis, clearance and measurement of Lp(a), through the findings that examine its association with CV diseases and aortic stenosis to the new therapeutic options that will be available in the next years.
Supersaturation of Vertically Propagating Internal Gravity Waves

Abstract The usual assumption that vertically propagating internal gravity waves will cease growing with height once their amplitudes are such as to permit convective instability anywhere within the wave is reexamined. Two factors lead to amplitude limitation: (i) wave clipping associated with convective mixing, and (ii) energetic constraints associated with the rate at which the wave can supply energy to the convection. It is found that these two factors limit supersaturation to about 50% for waves with short horizontal wavelengths and high relative phase speeds. Usually the degree of supersaturation will be much less. These factors also lead to a gradual, rather than sudden, cessation of wave growth with height.
A study on the exergetic and environmental effects of commercial cooling systems

This study examines the effects of exergy efficiencies for three different cooling systems used commonly in commercial applications like hypermarkets. Additionally, environmental effects depending on the Total Equivalent Warming Impact (TEWI) in each system are calculated. In the analysis, considered under constant load, R22, R502, R134a, R404a and R507 refrigerants, and R407 and R410 alternative refrigerants are studied. The results show that R410 and R134a gases have the highest exergy efficiency and R407C gas has the least CO2 emissions. The study finally explains the reasons for the priority of exergy and TEWI parameters in the systems.
Low-state disks and low-beta disks

Stellar black hole candidates (BHCs) exhibit bimodal spectral states. We calculate nonthermal disk spectra, demonstrating that a large photon index (alpha (sub x) approximately 2-3) observed in the soft (high) state is due to a copious soft photon supply, whereas soft photon starvation leads to a smaller index (alpha (sub x) approximately 1.5-2) in the hard (low) state. Thus, the absence of the soft component flux in the low state cannot be due to obscuration. A possible disk configuration during the low state is discussed. We proposed that a low-state disk may be a low-beta disk in which magnetic pressure may exceed gas pressure becuase of the suppression of field escape by a strong shear. As a result, disk material will take the form of blobs constricted by mainly toroidal magnetic fields. Fields are dissipated mainly by occasional reconnection events with a huge energy release. This will account for large-amplitude, aperiodic X-ray variations (flickering) and high-energy radiation with small alpha(sub x) from hard state BHCs and possibly from active galactic nuclei. Further, we propose a hysteretic relation between the mass-flow rate and plasma-beta, a ratio of gas pressure to magnetic pressure, for the spectral evolution of transient BHCs. The disk is in the low-beta state in quiescence and early rise. The low-beta disk is optically thin and affected by advection. A hard-to-soft transition occurs before the peak luminosity, since there is no advection-dominated branch at higher luminosities. An optically thick, high-beta disk appears at small radii. In the decay phase of the light curve, the standard-type disk becomes effectively optically thin, when a soft-hard transition is triggered. High-beta plasmas in the main body shrink to form minute blobs, and low-beta coronal plasma fills interblob space.
Universal Stability Criterion for Type-I Sampling Phase-Locked Loops

This brief reports a universal stability criterion for the type-I sampling phase-locked loop (S-PLL). The linear-time- variant model predicts with precision a maximum phase margin that decreases linearly with the increasing loop bandwidth (BW), leading to a maximum achievable loop BW that is half of the reference frequency. We verified the derived theory through extensive simulations and will present a guide that is useful in the design and optimization of different S-PLL schemes.
Multiple image reconstruction for high-resolution optical imaging using structured illumination

The resolving power in optical imaging is limited not only by optical diffraction but also by the sampling size, which in turn is determined by the optical magnification and pixel size of the imaging devices such as CCD or CMOS. In order to exceed these limits, we propose a method for improving the optical resolving power by using structured illumination shift and multiple image reconstruction. Theoretical and experimental verifications reveal that the use of structured light illumination together with successive approximation (which provides the extrapolation effect) causes the resolving power of the proposed method to exceed the optical diffraction limit. Furthermore, we focused on subpixel sampling using the structured illumination shift method. Subpixel image processing can improve the resolving power without narrowing the visual field of the imaging optics. In addition, the proposed method can provide subpixel resolving power without necessitating the mechanical displacement of the CCD camera. We investigated the relationship between the CCD pixel size and the resolving power provided by the proposed method. We found that the subpixel spatial shift of the structured illumination not only improves the optical resolving power but also enables sub-pixel sampling for optical imaging.
Why Stars Become Red Giants

The evolution of stars to red giants is revisited in order to promote a better understanding of the behavior of stars on the H-R diagram by separating the essential nonlinear characteristics of stellar structure from detailed effects of input physics such as chemical compositions, opacity, convection criterion, etc. It is shown that the red giant and dwarf structures are clearly discriminated in terms of the variation through the stellar interior of the ratio, W, between the mass interior to the relevant shell and the mass contained in the pressure scale height at the shell (≡ GM/4πr4P). For the simplest structures of dwarfs such as main-sequence stars, W increases monotonically from zero at the center to the greatest value at the surface. In later stages of evolution such as the red giants, W evolves to have a local extremum near the hydrogen-burning shell. Such a change in the distribution of W is a consequence of the increase in the ratio, Θ, of thermal and/or Fermi energy (P/ρ) between the core center and the envelope. In fact there exists a lower bound to Θ that is required by a red giant structure. During stellar evolution, the increase in Θ is brought about by the gravitational contraction of the core and by the fact that shell burning prevents the envelope from following the core contraction. Structures with an extremum of W correspond to an envelope of the condensed type, the properties of which are strongly regulated by the polytropic index N and the ratio, V [= (GMr/r)/(P/ρ)], between the local gravitational potential to the thermal energy in the lower envelope. A large polytropic index N ≳ 3 makes the envelope expanded, particularly when V ≃ N + 1 is realized in the lower envelope. On the basis of such an understanding, we are able to analyze the effects of input physics on the excursion of the star to a red giant. A key role is played by the gradients of the opacity and of the mean molecular weight. The stellar radius can be larger if the opacity is increasing outward to make N larger than 3. A moderate gradient in the mean molecular weight also allows the value of N to come into the range of 3-5, which is appropriate for V ≃ N + 1 to be realized in the bottom of the envelope, while a steep gradient yields too large a value of N. The so-called peculiar evolution of the SN 1987A progenitor, Sk -69°202, can be understood in such a context. In particular, a constraint is derived for the mechanism of the extra mixing that is responsible for the final red-to-blue excursion of the star.
A confusion-limited 1.49-GHz VLA survey centered on alpha = 13 H 00 M 37 s, delta = + 30 deg 34 arcmin

A deep VLA map at alpha = 13 h 00 m 37 s and delta = +30 deg 34 arcmin was made using the VLA at 1.49 GHz. Positions, flux densities, and angular sizes were measured from Gaussian fits to sources with map peak flux densities of 70 micro-Jy or more. A Palomar Schmidt IIIa-J plate was used to make position-coincidence optical identifications of these sources. The sky density of discrete sources stronger than 84 micro-Jy was determined by direct counting, while the density of sources with flux densities between 10 and 84 micro-Jy was estimated from the map P(D) distribution. The counts from this survey and a previous one are consistent within their statistical uncertainties. They were combined and converted to the nearby 1.4 GHz frequency. The 60 micron far-infrared counts of extragalactic sources can be predicted from an evolutionary model that fits the 1.4 GHz counts of radio sources in spiral galaxies. 20 references.
Travelling-waves of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky, equation: period-multiplying bifurcations

The authors present a detailed bifurcation analysis for the travelling-wave solutions of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation, with an emphasis on periodic solutions. The solutions are described by a 1-parameter, reversible third-order ODE. In two previous papers they described new aspects in the observed bifurcations: the 'noose' bifurcation, and a novel kind of 'Shil'nikov' behaviour. This paper brings everything together, and considers the one remaining new aspect, the connected set of period-multiplying k-bifurcations. They offer a possible explanation for this set by considering a 2-parameter, reversible fourth-order ODE that contains the travelling-wave ODE in a particular limit. It is conjectured that the connected set arises from 1:n resonances of the eigenvalues of a fixed point.
Impact of high‐risk Human Papillomavirus genotyping in cervical disease in the Northern region of Portugal: Real‐world data from regional cervical cancer screening program

Cervical cancer prevention is based on primary prevention with vaccines against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and secondary prevention by screening with High‐Risk‐HPV (Hr‐HPV) detection. Since 2017, cervical cancer screening in women aged 25−60 years has been performed in Portugal using Hr‐HPV detection, followed by cytology in Hr‐HPV‐positive cases. Herein we report the prevalence of Hr‐HPV genotypes and cytological abnormalities among 462 401 women (mean age: 43.73 ± 10.79; median age: 45; range: 24−66 years) that participated in the Regional Cervical Cancer Screening Program of the Northern Region of Portugal, performed between August 2016 and December 2021. Overall, we describe a prevalence rate of 12.50% for Hr‐HPV varying from 20.76% at age 25% to 8.32% at age 64. The five most common Hr‐HPV genotypes identified were HPV‐68 (16.09%), HPV‐31 (15.30%), HPV‐51 (12.96%), HPV‐16 (11.06%), and HPV‐39 (11.01%). The prevalence of Hr‐HPV included in the nonavalent vaccine (HPV‐9valent) was 55.00% ranging from 47.78% to 59.18% across different age groups. Considering positive Hr‐HPV cases, 65.68% had a Negative for Intraepithelial Lesion or Malignancy (NILM) cytology, 20.83% atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC‐US), 8.85% Low‐Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (LSIL), 1.65% High‐Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (HSIL), 2.85% ASC‐H, 0.09% Atypical Glandular Cells, 0.02% Adenocarcinomas, and 0.02% Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). Our analysis revealed that HPV‐9val genotypes were responsible for 52.13% NILM, 59.21% ASC‐US, 55.06% LSIL, 90.14% HSIL, 83.50% ASC‐H, and 100.00% SCC. Furthermore, multiple Hr‐HPV infections (risk ratio [RR] = 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34−1.58), HPV‐16/18 (RR = 5.16; 95% CI 4.75−5.93), or HPV‐9val genotypes (RR = 5.23; 95% CI 4.68−5.85) were associated with a significant risk of developing > HSIL (p < 0.001). To date, this is the largest study on Hr‐HPV genotyping in cervical cancer screening that includes data from a complete cycle of the screening program. Our findings suggest a high prevalence of HPV‐9valent genotypes and a significant association with an increased risk of developing > HSIL. This constitutes important data for health authorities, which may help define the future of vaccination and cervical cancer screening strategies.
Electron energy levels for a finite rectangular quantum wire in a transverse magnetic field

Energy levels and oscillator strengths of an electron have been calculated for a finite rectangular quantum wire in a transverse magnetic field. The results show that the decoupled approximation, a numerical method for solving the Schrodinger equation, is not suitable for a quantum wire with a smaller cross section when the quantum wire has a given width in one direction. With a larger cross section, however, this method is suitable for computing energy levels and oscillator strengths of an electron in the low-lying states of a quantum wire. The results also show that the magnetic field has little influence on the suitability of this method.
Sphingolipids and acylcarnitines are altered in placentas from women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common medical complication of pregnancy and a severe threat to pregnant people and offspring health. The molecular origins of GDM, and in particular the placental responses, are not fully known. The present study aimed to perform a comprehensive characterisation of the lipid species in placentas from pregnancies complicated with GDM using high-resolution MS lipidomics, with a particular focus on sphingolipids and acylcarnitines in a semi-targeted approach. The results indicated that despite no major disruption in lipid metabolism, placentas from GDM pregnancies showed significant alterations in sphingolipids, mostly lower abundance of total ceramides. Additionally, very long-chain ceramides and sphingomyelins with twenty-four carbons were lower, and glucosylceramides with sixteen carbons were higher in placentas from GDM pregnancies. Semi-targeted lipidomics revealed the strong impact of GDM on the placental acylcarnitine profile, particularly lower contents of medium and long-chain fatty-acyl carnitine species. The lower contents of sphingolipids may affect the secretory function of the placenta, and lower contents of long-chain fatty acylcarnitines is suggestive of mitochondrial dysfunction. These alterations in placental lipid metabolism may have consequences for fetal growth and development.
The North Atlantic Oscillation and British Isles climate variability, 1865–1996

A linear reluctance motor for the drive of rail transportation means which includes a primary part whose coils are fed with a.c. power while its secondary part is constructed rail-like, is arranged parallel to the track and is fixedly installed on the ground; the secondary part is thereby in the form of a toothed rack of ferromagnetic material whereby the primary part produces a magnetic field traveling cyclically in a direction opposite the drive direction and cooperating with the toothed rack.
Entitled and self-conscious? The ego-centric underpinnings of electoral preferences during the 2020 U.S. election

We investigate whether entitlement (feeling more deserving than others) and several dimensions of self-conscious affect (broadly reflecting responses to shame and guilt) are associated with voting intentions during the 2020 Presidential election in the USA. We utilized a sample of 443 adults recruited through Prolific. The sample was demographically representative with respect to age, gender, and race. Participants were recruited from 12 October 2020 to 15 October 2020, approximately 3 weeks before the national election held on 3 November 2020. Results reveal that higher entitlement beliefs are associated with support for Republicans, and so are shame proneness vis-à-vis behavioral avoidance (desire to hide) and blame externalization. Inversely, guilt proneness and shame proneness vis-à-vis negative self-evaluation is associated with support for Democrats. Results also suggest that shame proneness and blame externalization most closely correspond with voting preference; specifically, negative self-evaluation drives support for Democrats, whereas blame externalization and behavioral avoidance drives support for Republicans. While these effects are often only in the small-to-medium range in terms of magnitude, their implications for a more nuanced understanding of electoral politics—and its pitfalls—are noteworthy.
Understanding Plasma Dynamics of Argentina Nano Focus Machine Using the Lee Code

Argentina Nano Focus Machine is a small plasma focus machine used as an intense neutron source. To understand the working of its plasma dynamics, the Lee model code is used. The results obtained from the Lee code agree reasonably well with the experimental data in terms of the peak current, radial start time and the pinch duration. Additionally, this code also produces information such as the optimum neutron yield (6.2x104), maximum ion beam energy (1.2 J) and the dependence of these yields and various speeds on operating pressure. The resultant data is reliable and all the input that is required is just one experimental current waveform together with the actual machine and operating parameters.
Endophytic Fungus Negatively Affects Salt Tolerance of Tall Fescue

Vertically transmitted endophytic fungi can mitigate the negative effects of salinity encountered by their host grass and alter the competitive interactions between plant individuals. To experimentally study the interactive effects of the fungal endophyte Epichloë coenophiala on salt tolerance and intraspecific competition of its host plant, tall fescue Festuca arundinacea, we subjected 15 maternal lines of each Epichloë associated (E+) and Epichloë free (E−) tall fescue to salt treatment and competition in the greenhouse and common garden. Then, to explore variation in endophyte incidence in natural populations of tall fescue, we surveyed 23 natural populations occurring on or near the Baltic Sea coast in Aland islands in southwestern Finland for endophyte incidence, distance to shore, and competitive environment. Under salinity in the greenhouse, E− plants grew larger than E+ plants, but there was no size difference in the control treatment. E− plants grew taller and were more likely to flower than E+ plants when grown in benign conditions in the common garden but not with salinity or competition. The frequency of Epichloë incidence was high (90%) in natural populations, and it decreased towards the shore and risk of salt exposure. These results demonstrate a negative effect of Epichloë endophyte on the salt tolerance of its host. The high incidence of Epichloë in natural populations of tall fescue in the northern part of the species distribution range is likely due to factors other than salinity.
Macro pore and pillar array formation in silicon by electrochemical etching

Electrochemical etching may be used to form high aspect-ratio pores and pillars in silicon. Starting from lithographically patterned surfaces, regular arrays of macro pores or pillars can be fabricated. The pitch and pillar/pore size must then scale with the depletion width, in turn set by the material resistivity. We review various results where the achievable pore diameter ranges from 100 μm for high resistivity material to the submicron range for highly doped wafers. At slightly higher current density and using different patterns, pillars or walls may be formed. The fabricated structures may be further processed and we demonstrate oxidation, uniform wall doping and finally, filling of the structures to result in functional materials. Applications include both optical, microelectronic, material and bio-applications.
The role of institutions in food system transformations: lessons learned from transdisciplinary engagements in Ethiopia, the Philippines, and Indonesia

ABSTRACT In many parts of the Global South, food systems are confronted with complex sustainability challenges including high levels of poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, disempowerment, and degraded environments. Transformation is broadly discussed in research, policy, and planning as the systemic change required to address complex sustainability issues. Transformation of food systems has become a global priority for research and action. However, transformation processes are not neutral, but are associated with losses and gains that are unevenly distributed. Institutions play an important role in relation to how transformation of food systems occur and with what outcomes. Empirical understandings of how institutions can influence transformation processes in a way that avoids risks or the so-called dark side of transformation are needed. This article aims to contribute towards understanding the roles that institutions play in transformation processes in the context of Global South food systems through synthesising insights from transdisciplinary case studies. The three case studies include multi-purpose cooperative institutions in farming areas in southwest Ethiopia, fisherfolk organisations in aquatic food-producing areas in northern Philippines, and Gotong Royong for irrigation canal management for pond aquaculture in Indonesia. The article examines whether and how institutions advance inclusion and participation in food systems, and whether institutions enable or constrain food system actors in mitigating or avoiding transformation risks. The paper reflects on the role of community-level institutions and hybrid governance arrangements, and the interplay of structure and agency in transformation processes.