Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of magnetic anisotropy on the Kondo effect and spin-polarized transport through magnetic molecules, adatoms, and quantum dots

Transport properties in the Kondo regime of a nanosystem displaying uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (such as a magnetic molecule, magnetic adatom or quantum dot coupled to a localized magnetic moment) are analyzed theoretically. In particular, the influence of spin-polarized transport through a local orbital of the system and exchange coupling of conduction electrons to the system's magnetic core on the Kondo effect is discussed. The numerical renormalization group method is applied to calculate the spectral functions and linear conductance in the case of the parallel and antiparallel configurations of the electrodes' magnetic moments. It is shown that both the magnetic anisotropy as well as the exchange coupling between electrons tunneling through the conducting orbital and magnetic core play an important role in formation of the Kondo resonance, leading generally to its suppression. Specific transport properties of such a system appear also as a nontrivial behavior of tunnel magnetoresistance. It is also shown that the Kondo effect can be restored by an external magnetic field in both the parallel and antiparallel magnetic configurations.
Correlation between resistance fluctuations and temperature dependence of conductivity in graphene

The weak temperature dependence of the resistance R(T) of monolayer graphene1-3 indicates an extraordinarily high intrinsic mobility of the charge carriers. Important complications are the presence of mobile scattering centres that strongly modify charge transport, and the presence of strong mesoscopic conductance fluctuations that, in graphene, persist to relatively high temperatures4,5. In this Letter, we investigate the surprisingly varied changes in resistance that we find in graphene flakes as temperature is lowered below 70 K. We propose that these changes in R(T) arise from the temperature dependence of the scattered electron wave interference that causes the resistance fluctuations. Using the field effect transistor configuration, we verify this explanation in detail from measurements of R(T) by tuning to different gate voltages corresponding to particular features of the resistance fluctuations. We propose simple expressions that model R(T) at both low and high charge carrier densities.
Innate immune function and antioxidant capacity of nestlings of an African raptor covary with the level of urbanisation around breeding territories

Abstract Urban areas provide breeding habitats for many species. However, animals raised in urban environments face challenges such as altered food availability and quality, pollution and pathogen assemblages. These challenges can affect physiological processes such as immune function and antioxidant defences which are important for fitness. Here, we explore how levels of urbanisation influence innate immune function, immune response to a mimicked bacterial infection and antioxidant capacity of nestling Black Sparrowhawks Accipiter melanoleucus in South Africa. We also explore the effect of timing of breeding and rainfall on physiology since both can influence the environmental condition under which nestlings are raised. Finally, because urbanisation can influence immune function indirectly, we use path analyses to explore direct and indirect associations between urbanisation, immune function and oxidative stress. We obtained measures of innate immunity (haptoglobin, lysis, agglutination, bactericidal capacity), indices of antioxidant capacity (total non‐enzymatic antioxidant capacity (tAOX) and total glutathione from nestlings from 2015 to 2019. In addition, in 2018 and 2019, we mimicked a bacterial infection by injecting nestlings with lipopolysaccharide and quantified their immune response. Increased urban cover was associated with an increase in lysis and a decrease in tAOX, but not with any of the other physiological parameters. Furthermore, except for agglutination, no physiological parameters were associated with the timing of breeding. Lysis and bactericidal capacity, however, varied consistently with the annual rainfall pattern. Immune response to a mimicked a bacterial infection decreased with urban cover but not with the timing of breeding nor rainfall. Our path analyses suggested indirect associations between urban cover and some immune indices via tAOX but not via the timing of breeding. Our results show that early‐life development in an urban environment is associated with variation in immune and antioxidant functions. The direct association between urbanisation and antioxidant capacity and their impact on immune function is likely an important factor mediating the impact of urbanisation on urban‐dwelling animals. Future studies should explore how these results are linked to fitness and whether the responses are adaptive for urban‐dwelling species.
Dynamics of Gut Microbiota and Clinical Variables after Ketogenic and Mediterranean Diets in Drug-Naïve Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the most common form of diabetes, is a progressive chronic metabolic disease that has increasingly spread worldwide, enhancing the mortality rate, particularly from cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Lifestyle improvement through diet and physical activity is, together with drug treatment, the cornerstone of T2DM management. The Mediterranean diet (MD), which favors a prevalence of unprocessed vegetable foods and a reduction in red meats and industrial foods, without excluding any food category, is usually recommended. Recently, scientific societies have promoted a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD), a multiphasic protocol that limits carbohydrates and then gradually re-introduces them, with a favorable outcome on body weight and metabolic parameters. Indeed, gut microbiota (GM) modifications have been linked to overweight/obesity and metabolic alterations typical of T2DM. Diet is known to affect GM largely, but only a few studies have investigated the effects of VLCKD on GM, especially in T2DM. In this study, we have compared anthropometric, biochemical, lifestyle parameters, the quality of life, and the GM of eleven patients with recently diagnosed T2DM and overweight or obesity, randomly assigned to two groups of six and five patients who followed the VLCKD (KETO) or hypocaloric MD (MEDI) respectively; parameters were recorded at baseline (T0) and after two (T2) and three months (T3). The results showed that VLCKD had more significant beneficial effects than MD on anthropometric parameters, while biochemical improvements did not statistically differ. As for the GM, despite the lack of significant results regarding the alpha and beta diversity, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio between the two groups, in the KETO group, a significant increase in beneficial microbial taxa such as Verrucomicrobiota phylum with its members Verrucomicrobiae, Verrucomicrobiales, Akkermansiaceae, and Akkermansia, Christensenellaceae family, Eubacterium spp. , and a reduction in microbial taxa previously associated with obesity (Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota) or other diseases (Alistipes) was observed both at T2 and T3. With regards to the MEDI group, variations were limited to a significant increase in Actinobacteroidota phylum at T2 and T3 and Firmicutes phylum at T3. Moreover, a metagenomic alteration linked to some metabolic pathways was found exclusively in the KETO group. In conclusion, both dietary approaches allowed patients to improve their state of health, but VLCKD has shown better results on body composition as well as on GM profile.
Bar formation and evolution in disc galaxies with gas and a triaxial halo: morphology, bar strength and halo properties

We follow the formation and evolution of bars in N-body simulations of disc galaxies with gas and/or a triaxial halo. We find that both the relative gas fraction and the halo shape play a major role in the formation and evolution of the bar. In gas-rich simulations, the disc stays near-axisymmetric much longer than in gas-poor ones, and, when the bar starts growing, it does so at a much slower rate. Due to these two effects combined, large-scale bars form much later in gas-rich than in gas-poor discs. This can explain the observation that bars are in place earlier in massive red disc galaxies than in blue spirals. We also find that the morphological characteristics in the bar region are strongly influenced by the gas fraction. In particular, the bar at the end of the simulation is much weaker in gas-rich cases. In no case did we witness bar destruction. Halo triaxiality has a dual influence on bar strength. In the very early stages of the simulation it induces bar formation to start earlier. On the other hand, during the later, secular evolution phase, triaxial haloes lead to considerably less increase of the bar strength than spherical ones. The shape of the halo evolves considerably with time. The inner halo parts may become more elongated, or more spherical, depending on the bar strength. The main body of initially triaxial haloes evolves towards sphericity, but in initially strongly triaxial cases it stops well short of becoming spherical. Part of the angular momentum absorbed by the halo generates considerable rotation of the halo particles that stay located relatively near the disc for long periods of time. Another part generates halo bulk rotation, which, contrary to that of the bar, increases with time but stays small.
THE DIFFERENCE IN NARROW Fe Kα LINE EMISSION BETWEEN SEYFERT 1 AND SEYFERT 2 GALAXIES

We compile a sample of 89 Seyfert galaxies with both [O iv] 25.89 μm line luminosities observed by Spitzer IRS and X-ray spectra observed by XMM-Newton EPIC. Using [O iv] emission as a proxy for active galactic nucleus (AGN) intrinsic luminosity, we find that although type 2 AGNs have higher line equivalent widths, the narrow Fe Kα lines in Compton-thin and Compton-thick Seyfert 2 galaxies are 2.9+0.8−0.6 and 5.6+1.9−1.4 times weaker in terms of luminosity than Seyfert 1 galaxies, respectively. This indicates that different correction factors need to be applied for various types of AGNs before the narrow Fe Kα line luminosity could serve as an intrinsic AGN luminosity indicator. We also find that Seyfert 1 galaxies in our sample have on average marginally larger line widths and higher line centroid energies, suggesting contamination from highly ionized Fe line or broader line emission from much smaller radius, but this effect is too weak to explain the large difference in narrow Fe Kα line luminosity between type 1 and type 2 AGNs. This is the first observational evidence showing that the narrow Fe Kα line emission in AGNs is anisotropic. The observed difference is consistent with theoretical calculations assuming a smoothly distributed obscuring torus and could provide independent constraints on the clumpiness of the torus.
Modeling Electronic-Cigarette Users’ Risk Information Avoidance

ABSTRACT The current study examined e-cigarette users’ risk information avoidance (i.e., RIA), which is a significant challenge to e-cigarette risk communication. Applying and extending previous RIA studies and the risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model, this study identified the predictors of e-cigarette users’ RIA with a comprehensive model that incorporated new roles for scientific uncertainty and relevant channel beliefs. Responses collected from an online survey were analyzed (N = 593) and support was found for two pathways that explain e-cigarette users’ motivation for RIA. One suggests heightened risk perceptions were associated with strong negative affective responses that include fear, anger, sadness, and guilt. These affective responses, in turn, were positively associated with RIA intentions. The second was a direct, positive association between scientific uncertainty and RIA as well as an indirect path mediated by relevant channel beliefs. More specifically, scientific uncertainty was negatively associated with quality perceptions of e-cigarette information making it more likely e-cigarette users would avoid it. Suggestions for how to prevent or mitigate these processes that result in e-cigarette users’ maladaptive response of RIA are discussed.
Functional Blockage of S100A8/A9 Ameliorates Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury in the Lung

(1) Background: Lung ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury increases the mortality and morbidity of patients undergoing lung transplantation. The objective of this study was to identify the key initiator of lung IR injury and to evaluate pharmacological therapeutic approaches using a functional inhibitor against the identified molecule. (2) Methods: Using a mouse hilar clamp model, the combination of RNA sequencing and histological investigations revealed that neutrophil-derived S100A8/A9 plays a central role in inflammatory reactions during lung IR injury. Mice were assigned to sham and IR groups with or without the injection of anti-S100A8/A9 neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb). (3) Results: Anti-S100A8/A9 mAb treatment significantly attenuated plasma S100A8/A9 levels compared with control IgG. As evaluated by oxygenation capacity and neutrophil infiltration, the antibody treatment dramatically ameliorated the IR injury. The gene expression levels of cytokines and chemokines induced by IR injury were significantly reduced by the neutralizing antibody. Furthermore, the antibody treatment significantly reduced TUNEL-positive cells, indicating the presence of apoptotic cells. (4) Conclusions: We identified S100A8/A9 as a novel therapeutic target against lung IR injury.
Charge density wave phase, Mottness, and ferromagnetism in monolayer 
1T−NbSe2

The recently investigated $1T$-polymorph of monolayer NbSe$_2$ revealed an insulating behaviour suggesting a star-of-David phase with $\sqrt{13}\,\times\sqrt{13}$ periodicity associated with a Mott insulator, reminiscent of $1T$-TaS$_2$. In this work, we examine this novel two-dimensional material from first principles. We find an instability towards the formation of an incommensurate charge-density-wave (CDW) and establish the star-of-David phase as the most stable commensurate CDW. The mottness in the star-of-David phase is confirmed and studied at various levels of theory: the spin-polarized generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and its extension involving the on-site Coulomb repulsion (GGA+$U$), as well as the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT). Finally, we estimate Heisenberg exchange couplings in this material and find a weak nearest-neighbour ferromagnetic coupling, at odds with most Mott insulators. We point out the close resemblance between this star-of-David phase and flat-band ferromagnetism models.
Cutting-edge strategies and critical advancements in characterization and quantification of metabolites concerning translational metabolomics

Abstract Despite remarkable progress in drug discovery strategies, significant challenges are still remaining in translating new insights into clinical applications. Scientists are devising creative approaches to bridge the gap between scientific and translational research. Metabolomics is a unique field among other omics techniques for identifying novel metabolites and biomarkers. Fortunately, characterization and quantification of metabolites are becoming faster due to the progress in the field of orthogonal analytical techniques. This review detailed the advancement in the progress of sample preparation, and data processing techniques including data mining tools, database, and their quality control (QC). Advances in data processing tools make it easier to acquire unbiased data that includes a diverse set of metabolites. In addition, novel breakthroughs including, miniaturization as well as their integration with other devices, metabolite array technology, and crystalline sponge-based method have led to faster, more efficient, cost-effective, and holistic metabolomic analysis. The use of cutting-edge techniques to identify the human metabolite, including biomarkers has proven to be advantageous in terms of early disease identification, tracking the progression of illness, and possibility of personalized treatments. This review addressed the constraints of current metabolomics research, which are impeding the facilitation of translation of research from bench to bedside. Nevertheless, the possible way out from such constraints and future direction of translational metabolomics has been conferred.
3D Pose Estimation and Tracking in Handball Actions Using a Monocular Camera

Player pose estimation is particularly important for sports because it provides more accurate monitoring of athlete movements and performance, recognition of player actions, analysis of techniques, and evaluation of action execution accuracy. All of these tasks are extremely demanding and challenging in sports that involve rapid movements of athletes with inconsistent speed and position changes, at varying distances from the camera with frequent occlusions, especially in team sports when there are more players on the field. A prerequisite for recognizing the player’s actions on the video footage and comparing their poses during the execution of an action is the detection of the player’s pose in each element of an action or technique. First, a 2D pose of the player is determined in each video frame, and converted into a 3D pose, then using the tracking method all the player poses are grouped into a sequence to construct a series of elements of a particular action. Considering that action recognition and comparison depend significantly on the accuracy of the methods used to estimate and track player pose in real-world conditions, the paper provides an overview and analysis of the methods that can be used for player pose estimation and tracking using a monocular camera, along with evaluation metrics on the example of handball scenarios. We have evaluated the applicability and robustness of 12 selected 2-stage deep learning methods for 3D pose estimation on a public and a custom dataset of handball jump shots for which they have not been trained and where never-before-seen poses may occur. Furthermore, this paper proposes methods for retargeting and smoothing the 3D sequence of poses that have experimentally shown a performance improvement for all tested models. Additionally, we evaluated the applicability and robustness of five state-of-the-art tracking methods on a public and a custom dataset of a handball training recorded with a monocular camera. The paper ends with a discussion apostrophizing the shortcomings of the pose estimation and tracking methods, reflected in the problems of locating key skeletal points and generating poses that do not follow possible human structures, which consequently reduces the overall accuracy of action recognition.
Simulated Galactic methanol maser distribution to constrain Milky Way parameters

Using trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions of masers associated with massive young stars, the Bar and Spiral Structure Legacy (BeSSeL) survey has reported the most accurate values of the Galactic parameters so far. The determination of these parameters with high accuracy has a widespread impact on Galactic and extragalactic measurements. This research is aimed at establishing the confidence with which such parameters can be determined. This is relevant for the data published in the context of the BeSSeL survey collaboration, but also for future observations, in particular from the Southern Hemisphere. In addition, some astrophysical properties of the masers can be constrained, notably the luminosity function. We have simulated the population of maser-bearing young stars associated with Galactic spiral structure, generating several samples and comparing them with the observed samples used in the BeSSeL survey. Consequently, we checked the determination of Galactic parameters for observational biases introduced by the sample selection. Galactic parameters obtained by the BeSSeL survey do not seem to be biased by the sample selection used. In fact, the published error estimates appear to be conservative for most of the parameters. We show that future BeSSeL data and future observations with Southern arrays will improve the Galactic parameters estimates and smoothly reduce their mutual correlation. Moreover, by modeling future parallax data with larger distance and, thus, greater relative uncertainties for a larger numbers of sources, we found that parallax-distance biasing is an important issue. Hence, using fractional parallax uncertainty in the weighting of the motion data is imperative. Finally, the luminosity function for 6.7 GHz methanol masers was determined, allowing us to estimate the number of Galactic methanol masers.
The First Scattered-light Image of the Debris Disk around the Sco–Cen Target HD 129590

We present the first scattered-light image of the debris disk around HD 129590, a ∼1.3 M⊙ G1V member of the Scorpius–Centaurus association with an age of ∼10–16 Myr. The debris disk is imaged with the high contrast imaging instrument SPHERE at the Very Large Telescope, and is revealed by both the IRDIS and IFS subsytems, operating in the H and YJ bands respectively. The disk has a high infrared luminosity of ∼ 5 × 10−3, and has been resolved in other studies using ALMA. We detect a nearly edge-on ring, with evidence of an inner clearing. We fit the debris disk using a model characterized by a single bright ring, with radius ∼60–70 au, in broad agreement with previous analyses of the target SED. The disk is vertically thin, and has an inclination angle of ∼75°. Along with other previously imaged edge-on disks in the Sco–Cen association such as HD 110058, HD 115600, and HD 111520, this disk image will allow of the structure and morphology of very young debris disks, shortly after the epoch of planet formation has ceased.
Photometric study of the star with changing Blazhko effect: TV Bootis

This study investigates periodic modulation of the light curve of the RRc star TV Boo and its physical parameters based on photometric data. This phenomenon, known as the Blazhko effect, is quite rare among RRc stars. The frequency analysis based on the data gathered at the Masaryk University Observatory (MUO) and also using SuperWASP data revealed symmetrically structured peaks around the main pulsation frequency and its harmonics, which indicate two modulation components of the Blazhko period. The main modulation periodicity was found to be 9.7374 +- 0.0054 d. This is one of the shortest known Blazhko periods among RRc stars. The second modulation period (21.5 +- 0.2 d) causes changes of the Blazhko effect itself. Some indices show that TV Boo could be affected by long-term changes of the order of years. Basic physical parameters were estimated via an MUO V light-curve solution using Fourier parameters. TV Boo seems to be a low-metallicity star with [Fe/H] = -1.89.
Dirac points merging and wandering in a model Chern insulator

We present a model for a Chern insulator on the square lattice with complex first- and second-neighbor hoppings and a sublattice potential which displays an unexpectedly rich physics. Similarly to the celebrated Haldane model, the proposed Chern insulator has two topologically non-trivial phases with Chern numbers ±1. As a distinctive feature of the present model, phase transitions are associated to Dirac points that can move, merge and split in momentum space, at odds with Haldane's Chern insulator where Dirac points are bound to the corners of the hexagonal Brillouin zone. Additionally, the obtained phase diagram reveals a peculiar phase transition line between two distinct topological phases, in contrast to the Haldane model where such transition is reduced to a point with zero sublattice potential. The model is amenable to be simulated in optical lattices, facilitating the study of phase transitions between two distinct topological phases and the experimental analysis of Dirac points merging and wandering.