Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modulation of smoking cue reactivity by social context—Implications for exposure therapy in virtual reality

Rationale: Social factors are considered important for the initiation and maintenance of drug abuse. Virtual reality (VR) research on cue reactivity and exposure frequently incorporates social stimuli as part of complex drug-intake scenarios. Attempts are rarely made to dissect the impact of the different components and their interactive effects. The present study critically extends this line of research by investigating the modulatory effects of social context on the reactivity evoked by proximal smoking cues. Methods: Thirty-two smokers and 33 never-smokers were presented in VR with proximal cues and neutral stimuli, embedded in a social context or a neutral context. A virtual hand model was used to translate real hand movements into VR. Each trial started with the presentation of the different stimulus–context combinations. Discrete stimuli were presented on the table in front of the participants, and contextual stimuli were presented at the end of the table. Afterward, participants were instructed to grasp the target stimulus (a cigarette vs. a pencil) in front of them. After successful contact, the stimulus appeared in the virtual hand. Modulation of cue reactivity by social context was assessed by self-report, physiological measures, and overt approach behavior. Results: The results revealed modulatory effects of social context on the responses to proximal smoking cues in smokers. In contrast to never-smokers, smoking cues evoked craving in smokers, which was attenuated in a social context. Furthermore, social context increased the latency to approach and contact the cigarette in the group of smokers but did not affect behavioral approach responses in never-smokers. Other data provided indications for interactive, but also main effects of cues and contexts. Interestingly, cue-evoked craving was increased after contact with the virtual cigarette. Conclusion: The present study critically extends previous research by providing evidence for the modulation of cue reactivity by social context. The results are particularly important given the well-established role of drug-associated environmental contexts in the stimulus control of addictive behaviors. Our results emphasize the need to address social context effects on cue reactivity in basic research and treatment and further suggest that changes in the perceived availability of smoking might enhance or inhibit cue-evoked reactivity.
Some aspects of discrete branching processes

We first define Markovian discrete branching processes in discrete time, known as Bien- ayme-Galton-Watson (BGW) processes. We review some basic results like the extinction- expansion dichotomy, computation of the one-dimensional marginals using generating func- tions, as well as of the extinction probability. We introduce the BGW process with immi- gration and state three limit theorems. We define the notion of quasi-stationarity for Markov chains and provide the basic results in the case of a finite-state space. In the case of BGW processes, we characterize Yaglom quasi-stationary limit (one-dimensional distribution conditional on non extinction) and the Q-process (process conditioned on non-extinction in the distant future). Then we show how to code the genealogy of a BGW tree thanks to a killed random walk. The law of the total progeny of the tree is studied thanks to this correspondence. Alternative proofs are given via Dwass-Kemperman identity and the ballot theorem. Last, we introduce the coalescent point process of branching trees : on a representation of the quasi-stationary genealogy of an infinite population, which is also doubly infinite in time; on splitting trees, which are those trees whose width process is a (generally not Markovian) binary, homogeneous Crump-Mode-Jagers process. For the interested reader, the following books are classical references on branching mod- els and random trees : (4, 5, 8, 11, 15, 16, 21).
Dealing with time-varying parameter problem of robot manipulators performing path tracking tasks

Using the properties of the element by element (or Hadamard) product of matrices, the authors obtain the robot dynamics in parameter-isolated form, from which a new control scheme is developed. The controller proposed yields zero asymptotic tracking errors when applied to robotic systems with time-varying parameters by using a switching type control law. The results obtained are global in the initial state of the robot, and can be applied to rapidly varying systems. >
APPLICATION OF GLOBAL SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS APPROACH TO EXERCISE I-1 OF THE OECD LWR UAM BENCHMARK

Models of varying complexity are developed to approximate or mimic systems and processes in different aspects of the real world (e.g. physical, environmental, social, or economic). Applying models in such domains inevitably involves uncertainty in both the model representation and in the input data. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis techniques can be applied to study uncertainty in model predictions arising from imprecisely-known processes and input data. Sensitivity analysis involves determining the contribution of individual inputs to the uncertainty in model predictions. Global sensitivity analysis deals with uncertainty sources spanning over finite or infinite ranges of uncertainties and with the simultaneous variation of such sources. This in turn enables the identification of high-order interactions among inputs in determining the uncertainty in the output of interest. This paper applies global sensitivity analysis to the modeling of nuclear reactor applications using the Monte Carlo method. In particular, the tests of Exercise 1 (I-1), “Cell Physics”, of the OECD Benchmark for Uncertainty Analysis in Best-Estimate Modeling (UAM) for Design, Operation and Safety Analysis of LWRs (OECD LWR UAM Benchmark), are analyzed.
Role of regulation of PD-1 and PD-L1 expression in sepsis

Long term immunosuppression is problematic during sepsis. The PD-1 and PD-L1 immune checkpoint proteins have potent immunosuppressive functions. Recent studies have revealed several features of PD-1 and PD-L1 and their roles in sepsis. Here, we summarize the overall findings of PD-1 and PD-L1 by first reviewing the biological features of PD-1 and PD-L1 and then discussing the mechanisms that control the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1. We then review the functions of PD-1 and PD-L1 in physiological settings and further discuss PD-1 and PD-L1 in sepsis, including their involvement in several sepsis-related processes and their potential therapeutic relevance in sepsis. In general, PD-1 and PD-L1 have critical roles in sepsis, indicating that their regulation may be a potential therapeutic target for sepsis.
Ability of a Poor Man's Ensemble to Predict the Probability and Distribution of Precipitation

Abstract A poor man's ensemble is a set of independent numerical weather prediction (NWP) model forecasts from several operational centers. Because it samples uncertainties in both the initial conditions and model formulation through the variation of input data, analysis, and forecast methodologies of its component members, it is less prone to systematic biases and errors that cause underdispersive behavior in single-model ensemble prediction systems (EPSs). It is also essentially cost-free. Its main disadvantage is its relatively small size. This paper investigates the ability of a poor man's ensemble to provide forecasts of the probability and distribution of rainfall in the short range, 1–2 days. The poor man's ensemble described here consists of 24- and 48-h daily quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPFs) from seven operational NWP models. The ensemble forecasts were verified for a 28-month period over Australia using gridded daily rain gauge analyses. Forecasts of the probability of precipitation (.
The Fractional Lamé-Navier Operator: Appearances, Properties and Applications

We introduce and analyze an explicit formulation of fractional powers of the Lam\'e-Navier system of partial differential operators. We show that this fractional Lam\'e-Navier operator is a nonlocal integro-differential operator that appears in several widely-used continuum mechanics models. We demonstrate that the fractional Lam\'e-Navier operator can be obtained using compositions of nonlocal gradient operators. Additionally, the effective form of the fractional Lam\'e-Navier operator is the same as the operator obtained as a particular choice of parameters in state-based peridynamics. We further show that the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map associated to the local classical Lam\'e-Navier system posed in a half-space coincides with the square root power of the Lam\'e-Navier operator for a particular choice of elastic coefficients. We establish basic analysis results for the fractional Lam\'e-Navier operator, including the calculus of positive and negative powers, and explore its interaction with the H\"older and Bessel classes of functions. We also derive the fractional Lam\'e-Navier as the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map of a local degenerate elliptic system of equations in the upper half-space. We use an explicit formula for a Poisson kernel for the extension system to establish the well-posedness in weighted Sobolev spaces. As an application, we derive the equivalence of two fractional seminorms using a purely local argument in the extension system, and then use this equivalence to obtain well-posedness for a variational Dirichlet problem associated to the fractional Lam\'e-Navier operator.
Performance of multiclass Markovian queueing networks

We study the distribution of steady-state queue lengths in multiclass queueing networks under a stable policy. We propose a general methodology based on Lyapunov functions, for the performance analysis of infinite state Markov chains and apply it specifically to Markovian multiclass queueing networks. We establish a deeper connection between stability and performance of such networks by showing that if there exist linear and piecewise linear Lyapunov functions that show stability, then these Lyapunov functions can be used to establish geometric type lower and upper bounds on the tail probabilities, and thus bounds on the expectation of the queue lengths. As an example of our results, for a reentrant line queueing network with two processing stations operating under a work-conserving policy we show that E[L]=O (1/(1-/spl rho/*)2), where L is the total number of customers in the system, and /spl rho/* is the maximal actual or virtual traffic intensity in the network. This extends a recent result by Dai and Vande-Vate, which states that a re-entrant line queueing network with two stations is globally stable if /spl rho/*<1. We also present several results on the performance of multiclass queueing networks operating under general Markovian, and in particular, priority policies. The results in this paper are the first that establish explicit geometric type upper and lower bounds on tail probabilities of queue lengths, for networks of such generality. Previous results provide numerical bounds and only on the expectation, not the distribution, of queue lengths.
A Multistage Framework for Autonomous Robotic Mapping with Targeted Metrics

High-quality maps are pertinent to performing tasks requiring precision interaction with the environment. Current challenges with creating a high-precision map come from the need for both high pose accuracy and scan accuracy, and the goal of reliable autonomous performance of the task. In this paper, we propose a multistage framework to create a high-precision map of an environment which satisfies the targeted resolution and local accuracy by an autonomous mobile robot. The proposed framework consists of three steps. Each step is intended to aid in resolving the challenges faced by conventional approaches. In order to ensure the pose estimation is performed with high accuracy, a globally accurate coarse map of the environment is created using a conventional technique such as simultaneous localization and mapping or structure from motion with bundle adjustment. The high scan accuracy is ensured by planning a path for the robot to revisit the environment while maintaining a desired distance to all occupied regions. Since the map is to be created with targeted metrics, an online path replanning and pose refinement technique is proposed to autonomously achieve the metrics without compromising the pose and scan accuracy. The proposed framework was first validated on the ability to address the current challenges associated with accuracy through parametric studies of the proposed steps. The autonomous capability of the proposed framework was been demonstrated successfully in its use for a practical mission.
Tuneable and dual-band circular microstrip antenna with stubs

A circular microstrip antenna loaded along its feed axis with either one stub or two stubs has been analyzed using an improved linear transmission line model. When the length of the stub is small, the frequency is tuned over a 9% range in the L-band and, when it is comparable to /spl lambda//4, it exhibits dual-frequency operation. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical results.
Viscous Instabilities in the Western Boundary Layer

Abstract The stability of the western boundary layer is studied by idealizing it as a parallel flow and solving the Orr–Sommerfeld equation, generalized to include the gradient of planetary vorticity. The critical Reynolds number, at which the idealized flow first becomes unstable, is found to be between 20 and 100 depending on the details of the profile. The modes themselves are trapped within the boundary jet because their phase speeds exceed that of the fastest free Rossby wave with the same meridional wavenumber. However, in the important case of a jet with a broad exponential decay, corresponding to a highly inertial flow, we find that the phase speed of the critical mode exceeds that of a free Rossby wave by a very small amount. Consequently, the trapped mode has a very slowly decaying oscillatory tail and so is much wider than the basic state that supports it. The Reynolds stresses in the tail region induce a mean Eulerian flow opposite in direction to the basic state jet. However, Stokes drift is .
Fibrés de Higgs et systèmes locaux

© Association des collaborateurs de Nicolas Bourbaki, 1990-1991, tous droits réservés. L’accès aux archives du séminaire Bourbaki (http://www.bourbaki. ens.fr/) implique l’accord avec les conditions générales d’utilisation (http://www.numdam.org/legal.php). Toute utilisation commerciale ou impression systématique est constitutive d’une infraction pénale. Toute copie ou impression de ce fichier doit contenir la présente mention de copyright.
An Assessment of the CFS Real-Time Seasonal Forecasts

Abstract This study assesses the real-time seasonal forecasts for 2005–08 with the current National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Climate Forecast System (CFS). The forecasts are compared with retrospective forecasts (or hindcasts) for 1981–2004 to examine the consistency of the forecast system, and with the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) simulations forced with observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) to contrast the realized skill against the potential predictability due to the specification of the observed sea surface temperatures. The analysis focuses on the forecasts of SSTs, 2-m surface air temperature (T2M), and precipitation. The CFS forecasts maintained a good level of prediction skill for SSTs in the tropical Pacific, the western Indian Ocean, and the northern Atlantic. The SST forecast skill is within the range of hindcast skill levels calculated with 4-yr windows, which can vary greatly associated with the interannual El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variabil.
Distributed strain sensing textile using a rosette pattern fiber sensor

Optical fiber strain distribution sensors have become an excellent tool for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). However, the fiber’s fragility and the time-consuming installation process have slowed down the technology’s broad application. In this study, we embedded optical fibers with textiles, allowing a much faster installation process and the ability to design specific sensor patterns for multiaxial sensing. Specifically, the fiber attached to the textile was embedded, forming a rosette configuration. The textile was bonded to an aluminum cantilever and subjected to different loads. The strain distribution from the optic fiber was measured using an Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) instrument. The fiber sensor response was compared with Strain Gauges to determine the reliability of the fiber sensor.
Exact solution for the influence of laser temporal fluctuations on resonance fluorescence

The influence of the laser fluctuations on resonance fluorescence is treated exactly within the framework of multiplicative stochastic processes. For the phase diffusion model of the laser, I find that, in the limit of strong fields, the ratios of the width and height of the central peak to the side peak are, respectively, 2/3x and 3x, where x=(γ +γ c )/(γ +2γ c ). The envelope of the intensity correlations is found to decay at the rate (3γ+γ c )/2.
Effects of molecular diffusion on the subgrid-scale modeling of passive scalars

The spectral eddy-viscosity and eddy-diffusivity closures derived from the eddy-damped quasinormal Markovian (EDQNM) theory, and one of its physical space counterparts, i.e., the structure function model [Metais and Lesieur, J. Fluid Mech. 239, 157 (1992)], are revisited to account for molecular viscosity and diffusivity effects. The subgrid-scale Schmidt number (usually set to Sct≈0.6) is analytically derived from the EDQNM theory and shown to be Reynolds number dependent, a property of utmost importance for flows involving scalar transport at moderate Reynolds numbers or during the transition to turbulence. A priori tests in direct numerical simulation of homogeneous isotropic turbulence [da Silva and Pereira, Phys. Fluids 19, 035106 (2007)] and in spatially evolving turbulent plane jets [da Silva and Metais, J. Fluid Mech. 473, 103 (2002)], as well as a posteriori (large eddy simulation) tests in a round jet are carried out and show that the present viscous structure function model improves the results.
Kiloparsec-scale molecular gas excitation in spiral galaxies

We combine beam-matched (C-13)O, (C-12)O J = 3 - 2 and J = 2 - 1 line data to infer the molecular gas excitation conditions in the central 500 to 1600 pc diameters of a small sample of IR-bright external galaxies: NGC 253, IC 342, M83, Maffei 2, and NGC 6946. We find that the central 170 to 530 pc diameter regions have typical molecular gas densities ranging from approximately less than 10,000/cu cm (in M83) to approximately greater than 100,000/cu cm (in NGC 253) and that, outside of these regions, the densities are likely to be approximately less than 10,000/cu cm. The molecular clouds outside the inner 170-530 pc are at least as warm as the molecular clouds in our Galaxy. Column densities derived from integrated (C-13)O line strengths and H-alpha surface brightnesses suggest that the star formation rate is enhanced in the central 170-530 pc diameters by an order of magnitude over that inferred for the outer star-forming disks in spiral galaxies.
X-Rays from Emission-Line Stars in the Herbig-Haro 1 Region

We have observed the region in Orion containing Herbig-Haro 1 as well as a number of young, active stars. This observation shows a similar X-ray morphology to that in the first X-ray imaging observation about 10 years ago. The ROSAT High Resolution Instrument with its approximately arcsecond spatial resolution allows us in most cases to make definite optical identifications of the 0.1-2.4 keV X-ray sources. New identifications with emission-line stars are made, and prior identifications using lower resolution observations are confirmed or corrected. The X-ray emission previously detected from the vicinity of HH-1 is not associated with HH-1 but with a known T Tauri star. The observed relationships among X-ray, optical line, and infrared excess emission do not simply fall into the suggested classifications for T Tauri or T Tauri-like stars. This could be an indication of another X-ray emission region such as accretion disks that add to the emission from the stellar atmospheres.
Performance analysis of a servo system with high-bandwidth torque disturbance observer

The paper analyzes the performance of a servo system with torque disturbance observer when the observer bandwidth is high enough to affect the servo dynamics. The main outcome of the analysis is the under-damped or even unstable behavior of the system. Another outcome is the limited range allowable for the parameter mismatch to keep the system stable. The analysis, carried out in the discrete time, is substantiated by experimental results.
Progress on role of ion channels of cardiac fibroblasts in fibrosis

Cardiac fibrosis is defined as excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in pathological conditions. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) activated by injury or inflammation differentiate into myofibroblasts (MFs) with secretory and contractile functions. In the fibrotic heart, MFs produce ECM which is composed mainly of collagen and is initially involved in maintaining tissue integrity. However, persistent fibrosis disrupts the coordination of excitatory contractile coupling, leading to systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and ultimately heart failure. Numerous studies have demonstrated that both voltage- and non-voltage-gated ion channels alter intracellular ion levels and cellular activity, contributing to myofibroblast proliferation, contraction, and secretory function. However, an effective treatment strategy for myocardial fibrosis has not been established. Therefore, this review describes the progress made in research related to transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, Piezo1, Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels, voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs), sodium channels, and potassium channels in myocardial fibroblasts with the aim of providing new ideas for treating myocardial fibrosis.
SiNCED1, a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene in Setaria italica, is involved in drought tolerance and seed germination in transgenic Arabidopsis

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is a vital cereal food crop with promising development and utilization potential because of its outstanding ability to resist drought stress. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its drought stress resistance remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the molecular function of a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene, SiNCED1, in the drought stress response of foxtail millet. Expression pattern analysis showed that SiNCED1 expression was significantly induced by abscisic acid (ABA), osmotic stress, and salt stress. Furthermore, ectopic overexpression of SiNCED1 could enhance drought stress resistance by elevating endogenous ABA levels and promoting stomatal closure. Transcript analysis indicated that SiNCED1 modulated ABA-related stress responsive gene expression. In addition, we found that ectopic expression of SiNCED1 delayed seed germination under normal and abiotic stress conditions. Taken together, our results show that SiNCED1 plays a positive role in the drought tolerance and seed dormancy of foxtail millet by modulating ABA biosynthesis. In conclusion, this study revealed that SiNCED1 is an important candidate gene for the improvement of drought stress tolerance in foxtail millet and could be beneficial in the breeding and investigation of drought tolerance in other agronomic crops.