Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Targeting Immune Senescence in Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is one of the main underlying causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). It is associated with chronic inflammation and intimal thickening as well as the involvement of multiple cell types including immune cells. The engagement of innate or adaptive immune response has either athero-protective or atherogenic properties in exacerbating or alleviating atherosclerosis. In atherosclerosis, the mechanism of action of immune cells, particularly monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, and B- and T-lymphocytes have been discussed. Immuno-senescence is associated with aging, viral infections, genetic predispositions, and hyperlipidemia, which contribute to atherosclerosis. Immune senescent cells secrete SASP that delays or accelerates atherosclerosis plaque growth and associated pathologies such as aneurysms and coronary artery disease. Senescent cells undergo cell cycle arrest, morphological changes, and phenotypic changes in terms of their abundances and secretome profile including cytokines, chemokines, matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) expressions. The senescence markers are used in therapeutics and currently, senolytics represent one of the emerging treatments where specific targets and clearance of senescent cells are being considered as therapy targets for the prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis.
Versorgungsrealität von Frauen nach hypertensiver Schwangerschaftserkrankung – eine monozentrische fragebogenbasierte Analyse

Zusammenfassung Einleitung Frauen nach einer hypertensiven Schwangerschaftserkrankung wird aufgrund ihres signifikant erhöhten kardiovaskulären Risikos zu Screeninguntersuchungen und primärer Prävention geraten. Diese Studie soll einen Beitrag zur Ermittlung der aktuellen Nachsorgepraxis leisten und aufzeigen, wie viele Frauen an den empfohlenen Nachsorgeuntersuchungen mit Beratung zur Reduktion von Risikofaktoren teilnehmen. Material und Methoden Monozentrische Patientinnenbefragung von 113 Frauen, welche im Zeitraum von 2014 bis 2019 von einer hypertensiven Schwangerschaftserkrankung betroffen waren. Es erfolgte eine deskriptive statistische Auswertung. Ergebnisse Eine Nachsorgeuntersuchung erfolgte bei 54% der Frauen. Es wurden 47% der Patientinnen im persönlichen Gespräch über ihre Erkrankung informiert und auf mögliche langfristige gesundheitliche Konsequenzen hingewiesen. Von 67 übergewichtigen Frauen (BMI≥25 kg/m 2 ) erhielten 23% eine Empfehlung zur Steigerung der körperlichen Aktivität und 13% wurde zur Gewichtsreduktion geraten. Es stellten sich signifikant mehr Frauen mit höherer Krankheitslast (BMI, p=0,027; arterieller Hypertonus, p=0,016) und gravierender Ausprägung der Erkrankung (Eklampsie, Aufenthalt auf einer Intensivstation, jeweils p=0,049) zu weiteren Untersuchungen vor. Schlussfolgerung Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass die Maßnahmen zur Prävention und Früherkennung von kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen in unserem Patientinnenkollektiv nicht ausgeschöpft wurden. Unabhängig des Ausprägungsgrades der Erkrankung sollten alle Frauen eine Empfehlung zur Teilnahme an Nachsorgeuntersuchung erhalten.
Capillary Water in 2‐D Drying—Cracking Sub‐Grain Scale Soil Models: Dynamics and Instabilities of Haines Jumps

Changes in capillary water morphology in a cluster of three wet long cylindrical grains as reported in Mielniczuk and Hueckel (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022wr031938) affect capillary forces evolving during drying. The paper focuses on a stable motion of menisci (air/liquid interfaces) and their unstable (Haines) jumps. The meniscus instabilities were shown in the past to be a trigger of soil drying‐cracking. The forces considered are Laplace pressure and surface tension resultants deduced from the menisci imaged every 10 s. The Laplace pressure for cylindrical clusters depends on a single curvature of the meniscus. Several known criteria the capillary body instability are examined using the experimental data. An extended Gibbs criterion points to a source of the instability. The instability is lost when the meniscus approaches the throat between the grains and when the balance is lost between the changes of forces of the Laplace pressure and of the surface tension acting at the meniscus. The presence of the surface tension forces in the instability considerations in addition to the Laplace pressure distinguishes Gibbs criterion from other criteria. Gibbs meniscus energy estimate also provides an inertia force arising to maintain the linear momentum balance for the meniscus, and a duration of the jump.
Type 5 Cardiorenal Syndrome: An Underdiagnosed and Underrecognized Disease Process of the American Mother

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) continues to be an area of concern due to the changing understanding of identification, pathophysiology and optimal management. Originally thought that diuretics were always the answer, recent literature has shed lights on the five major CRS subphenotypes, and while conceptual in their classifications, different strategies may be utilized to manage each type. The effect of CRS in pregnant women is largely under discussed and underappreciated as its own entity. Trials involving possible management, specifically utilizing serelaxin, a recombinant form of relaxin, have shown promising results but more data are needed to begin implementing it on a large scale.
Polarization squeezing in a four-level system

We present a theoretical study of an ensemble of X-like four-level atoms placed in an optical cavity driven by a linearly polarized field. We show that the self-rotation (SR) process leads to polarization switching (PS). Below the PS threshold, both the mean field mode and the orthogonal vacuum mode are squeezed. We provide a simple analysis of the phenomena responsible for the squeezing and trace the origin of vacuum squeezing not to SR, but to a crossed Kerr effect induced by the mean field. Last, we show that this vacuum squeezing can be interpreted as polarization squeezing.
Crop Proteomics under Abiotic Stress: From Data to Insights

Food security is a major challenge in the present world due to erratic weather and climatic changes. Environmental stress negatively affects plant growth and development which leads to reduced crop yields. Technological advancements have caused remarkable improvements in crop-breeding programs. Proteins have an indispensable role in developing stress resilience and tolerance in crops. Genomic and biotechnological advancements have made the process of crop improvement more accurate and targeted. Proteomic studies provide the information required for such targeted approaches. The crosstalk among cellular components is being analyzed by subcellular proteomics. Additionally, the functional diversity of proteins is being unraveled by post-translational modifications during abiotic stress. The exploration of precise cellular responses and the networking among different cellular organelles help in the prediction of signaling pathways and protein–protein interactions. High-throughput mass-spectrometry-based protein studies are now possible due to incremental advancements in mass-spectrometry techniques, sample protocols, and bioinformatic tools as well as the increasing availability of plant genome sequence information for multiple species. In this review, the key role of proteomic analysis in identifying the abiotic-stress-responsive mechanisms in various crops was summarized. The development and availability of advanced computational tools were discussed in detail. The highly variable protein responses among different crops have provided a wide avenue for molecular-marker-assisted genetic buildup studies to develop smart, high-yielding, and stress-tolerant varieties to cope with food-security challenges.
Clinical use of color Doppler ultrasonography to predict and evaluate the collateral development of two common revascularizations in patients with moyamoya disease

Objective To explore the value of color Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) to predict preoperatively and evaluate postoperatively the collateral development of two common revascularizations in patients with moyamoya disease (MMD). Methods We prospectively enrolled 49 patients with MMD who underwent unilateral superficial temporal artery (STA) -middle cerebral artery (MCA) anastomosis or encephalo-duro-arterio-synangiosis (EDAS). The parameters of the extracranial arteries, including STA, internal carotid artery (ICA), external carotid artery (ECA), and vertebral artery (VA), were performed before and at 3–6 months after surgery. DSA results were used to assess surgical collateral development. Results To predict good collateral development before STA-MCA anastomosis, the preoperative D > 1.75 mm in the STA had the highest area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUC). To predict good collateral development before EDAS, the preoperative EDV > 12.00 cm/s in the STA had the highest AUC. To evaluate the good collateral development after STA-MCA anastomosis, the postoperative EDV > 16.50 cm/s in the STA had the highest AUC. To evaluate the good collateral development after EDAS, an increase of D of 0.15 mm in the STA had the highest AUC. Logistic regression analysis showed that the preoperative RI and EDV in the STA were highly correlated with collateral development. Besides, the preoperative RI was an independent risk factor for collateral development. Conclusion CDU could predict preoperatively and evaluate postoperatively the collateral development of STA-MCA anastomosis and EDAS surgery postoperatively by detecting ultrasound parameters of the STA.
Yikes! The Effect of Incidental Disgust and Information on Public Attitudes During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Existing research has focused extensively on the role of emotions such as anger, fear, and enthusiasm in explaining public opinion, but less is known about the importance of disgust, an innate disease‐related emotion. To study the independent and joint effects of disgust and information, I draw on the case of the COVID‐19 pandemic. I demonstrate that experimentally induced incidental disgust and exposure to information about how to flatten the curve of the COVID‐19 cases have distinctive effects on political, racial, and health attitudes. Independently, exposure to information affects preferences only for restrictive policies to fight the spread of the virus. In contrast, the stand‐alone effect of incidental disgust, as well as its joint effect with exposure to information, are responsible for attitude change toward both pandemic‐relevant and irrelevant policies, Asian minorities, and prevention measures. Importantly, the study finds that citizens respond symmetrically to disgusting stimuli and information across degrees of political awareness, ideology, partisan affiliation, and trait authoritarianism. The results draw attention to the far‐reaching implications of disgust on public opinion under threatening conditions.
Studies of Fractal Aspects of Cement

Small angle neutron scattering can be used to reveal the fractal nature of matter. The problems of fractal aspects of the structure of cement are related to those of fractal aspects of silica aerogels. Natural cement, when mixed with water, transforms after a series of chemical reactions (in a large part) into an amorphous phase called C-S-H. It is believed that the cationic sublattice composed of CaO6 octahedrons constitutes the C-S-H structural basis, to which the SiO4 tetrahedral chains are attached. It is a layer structure in which the cation sublattice determines the way of SiO4 condensation. It is natural to expect that in this way one may obtain a really amorphous substance, since some tetrahedrons may be lacking, which leads to defects. We present here the results of a small angle neutron scattering and X-ray diffraction study of several samples with the pure C-S-H phase for which during the process of chemical synthesis various ratios of molar contents of CaO and SiO 2 were used (various C/S ratios). We obtained a gradual change of fractal characteristics with the change of C/S ratio.
Mental Strategies in a P300-BCI: Visuomotor Transformation Is an Option

Currently, P300-BCIs are mostly used for spelling tasks, where the number of commands is equal to the number of stimuli that evoke event-related potentials (ERPs). Increasing this number slows down the BCI operation because each stimulus has to be presented several times for better classification. Furthermore, P300 spellers typically do not utilize potentially useful imagery-based approaches, such as the motor imagery successfully practiced in motor rehabilitation. Here, we tested a P300-BCI with a motor-imagery component. In this BCI, the number of commands was increased by adding mental strategies instead of increasing the number of targets. Our BCI had only two stimuli and four commands. The subjects either counted target appearances mentally or imagined hand movements toward the targets. In this design, the motor-imagery paradigm enacted a visuomotor transformation known to engage cortical and subcortical networks participating in motor control. The operation of these networks suffers in neurological conditions such as stroke, so we view this BCI as a potential tool for the rehabilitation of patients. As an initial step toward the development of this clinical method, sixteen healthy participants were tested. Consistent with our expectation that mental strategies would result in distinct EEG activities, ERPs were different depending on whether subjects counted stimuli or imagined movements. These differences were especially clear in the late ERP components localized in the frontal and centro-parietal regions. We conclude that (1) the P300 paradigm is suitable for enacting visuomotor transformations and (2) P300-based BCIs with multiple mental strategies could be used in applications where the number of possible outputs needs to be increased while keeping the number of targets constant. As such, our approach adds to both the development of versatile BCIs and clinical approaches to rehabilitation.
Jet- and Wind-driven Ionized Outflows in the Superbubble and Star-forming Disk of NGC 3079

Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 images are presented that span the inner ~19 kpc diameter of the edge-on galaxy NGC 3079; they are combined with optical, emission-line imaging spectrophotometry and VLA images of radio polarization vectors and rotation measures. Ionized gas filaments within 9 kpc diameter project up to 3 kpc above the disk, with the brightest forming the ≈1 kpc diameter superbubble. They are often resolved into strands ≈0. ″3 (25 pc) wide, which emerge from the nuclear CO ring as five distinct streams with large velocities and velocity dispersions (FWHM ≈ 450 km s-1). The brightest stream emits ≈10% of the superbubble Hα flux and extends for 250 pc along the axis of the VLBI radio jet to one corner of the base of the superbubble. The other four streams are not connected to the jet, instead curving up to the vertical ≈0.6 kpc above the galaxy disk, then dispersing as a spray of droplets each with ≈103 M☉ of ionized gas (the volume filling factor f > 3 × 10-3). Shredded clumps of disk gas form a similar structure in hydrodynamical models of a galaxy-scale wind. The pattern of magnetic fields and the gaseous kinematics also suggest that a wind of mechanical luminosity Lw ≈ 1043 ergs s-1 has stagnated in the galaxy disk at a radius of ~800 pc, has flared to larger radii with increasing height as the balancing interstellar medium pressure reduces above the disk, and has entrained dense clouds into a "mushroom vortex" above the disk. Hα emissivity of the filaments limits densities to ne > 4.3f-1/2 cm-3, hence kinetic energy and momentum to (0.4-5) × 1055 ergs and (1.6-6) × 1047 dyne s, respectively; the ranges result from uncertain space velocities. A prominent star-forming complex elsewhere in the galaxy shows a striking spray of linear filaments that extend for hundreds of parsecs to end in unresolved "bullets. "
Activity and Structure of Nano-Sized Cobalt-Containing Systems for the Conversion of Lignin and Fuel Oil to Synthesis Gas and Hydrocarbons in a Microwave-Assisted Plasma Catalytic Process

In this study, we present the results of lignin and fuel oil conversion to hydrogen, synthesis gas, and liquid hydrocarbons in the presence of nano-sized cobalt-containing systems in a microwave-assisted plasma catalytic process. The deposition of a small amount of cobalt on lignin increases its microwave absorption capacity and provides plasma generation in the reaction zone. The role of Co-containing particles in the above catalytic reactions is probably to activate the carbon bonds of lignin, which substantially increases the microwave absorption capacity of the system as a whole. The subsequent use of the cobalt-containing residue of lignin conversion as a catalytic system and MWI-absorbing material results in active fuel oil pyrolysis in a plasma catalytic process to afford gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons. In the plasma catalytic pyrolysis, fuel oil conversion is probably accompanied by the conversion of the organic matter of the residue and agglomeration of cobalt oxide particles.
Neighborhood and Family Characteristics Associated with Adiposity and Physical Activity Engagement among Preschoolers in a Small Rural Community

The purpose of this study was to evaluate family and home/neighborhood characteristics associated with physical activity (PA) and adiposity among young children living in a small rural community. Methods: Participants were 30 parents and their youngest child aged 2–5 years. Children wore accelerometers for 7 days. Parents completed questionnaires about family lifestyle behaviors, parenting practices, and home/neighborhood characteristics. Results: None of the family lifestyle behaviors were associated with child BMI percentile. Backyard size was inversely associated with moderate to vigorous physical activity on weekday afternoons (rho = −0.488, p = 0.006), as was perception of neighborhood dangers (rho = −0.388, p = 0.034). Perceived neighborhood safety (rho = 0.453, p = 0.012), the presence of sidewalks (rho = 0.499, p = 0.012), and public playground use (rho = 0.406, p = 0.026) were each associated with higher weekday afternoon MVPA. Conclusions: Findings suggest neighborhood safety, sidewalks, and use of public playgrounds are positively associated with MVPA among preschoolers, while backyard size and access to play equipment at home are not. These findings have implications for rural communities where space is plentiful but access to community space and sidewalks may be limited.
Temperature anisotropy in a driven granular gas

When smooth granular material is fluidized by vertically shaking a container, we find that the temperature in the direction of energy input always exceeds the temperature in the other directions. An analytical model is presented which shows how the anisotropy can be traced back to the inelasticity of the interparticle collisions and the collisions with the wall. For a dilute granular gas, the model compares very well with molecular-dynamics simulations. It is concluded that any non-isotropic driving of a granular gas in a steady state necessarily causes anisotropy of the granular temperature.
Discovery of Ghost Cavities in Abell 2597's X-ray Atmosphere

A Chandra image of the central 100 kpc of the Abell 2597 cluster of galaxies shows bright, irregular, X-ray emission within the central dominant cluster galaxy (CDG), and two low surface brightness cavities located 30 kpc from the CDG's nucleus. Unlike the cavities commonly seen in other clusters, Abell 2597's ``ghost'' cavities are not coincident with the bright central radio source. Instead, they appear to be associated with faint, extended radio emission seen in a deep VLA radio map. We interpret the ghost cavities as buoyantly-rising relics of a radio outburst that occurred between 50--100 Myr ago. The demography of cavities in the few clusters studied thus far shows that galactic radio sources experience recurrent outbursts on a $\sim 100$ Myr timescale. Over the lifetime of a cluster, ghost cavities emerging from CDGs deposit $\gae 10^{59-61}$ erg of energy into the intracluster medium. If a significant fraction of this energy is deposited as magnetic field, it would account for the high field strengths in the cooling flow regions of clusters. The similarity between the central cooling time of the keV gas and the radio cycling timescale suggests that feedback between cooling gas and the radio source may be retarding or quenching the cooling flow.
Optically detected ferromagnetic resonance in diverse ferromagnets via nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond

We report quantitative measurements of optically detected ferromagnetic resonance (ODFMR) of ferromagnetic thin films that use nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamonds to transduce FMR into a fluorescence intensity variation. To uncover the mechanism responsible for these signals, we study ODFMR as we 1) vary the separation of the NV centers from the ferromagnet (FM), 2) record the NV center longitudinal relaxation time $T_1$ during FMR, and 3) vary the material properties of the FM. Based on the results, we propose the following mechanism for ODFMR. Decay and scattering of the driven, uniform FMR mode results in spinwaves that produce fluctuating dipolar fields in a spectrum of frequencies. When the spinwave spectrum overlaps the NV center ground-state spin resonance frequencies, the dipolar fields from these resonant spinwaves relax the NV center spins, resulting in an ODFMR signal. These results lay the foundation for an approach to NV center spin relaxometry to study FM dynamics without the constraint of directly matching the NV center spin-transition frequency to the magnetic system of interest, thus enabling an alternate modality for scanned-probe magnetic microscopy that can sense ferromagnetic resonance with nanoscale resolution.
Generalised model-independent characterisation of strong gravitational lenses II: Transformation matrix between multiple images

(shortened) We determine the transformation matrix T that maps multiple images with resolved features onto one another and that is based on a Taylor-expanded lensing potential close to a point on the critical curve within our model-independent lens characterisation approach. From T, the same information about the critical curve at fold and cusp points is derived as determined by the quadrupole moment of the individual images as observables. In addition, we read off the relative parities between the images, so that the parity of all images is determined, when one is known. We compare all retrievable ratios of potential derivatives to the actual ones and to those obtained by using the quadrupole moment as observable for two and three image configurations generated by a galaxy-cluster scale singular isothermal ellipse. We conclude that using the quadrupole moments as observables, the properties of the critical curve at the cusp points are retrieved to higher accuracy, at the fold points to lower accuracy, and the ratios of second order potential derivatives to comparable accuracy. We show that the approach using ratios of convergences and reduced shear is equivalent to ours close to the critical curve but yields more accurate results and is more robust because it does not require a special coordinate system like the approach using potential derivatives. T is determined by mapping manually assigned reference points in the images onto each other. If the assignment of reference points is subject to measurement uncertainties under noise, we find that the confidence intervals of the lens parameters can be as large as the values, when the uncertainties are larger than one pixel. Observed multiple images with resolved features are more extended than unresolved ones, so that higher order moments should be taken into account to improve the reconstruction.