Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanical resistance of the environment affects root hair growth and nucleus dynamics

Root hair (RH) cells are important for the growth and survival of seedlings. They favor plant-microbe interactions, nutrients, and water uptake. RH cells increase drastically the surface of exchange of the root system with the surrounding environment. To be able to invade the soil, RH cells have to penetrate a dense and porous medium exhibiting a variety of physical properties. The soil’s physical properties, such as mechanical resistance, impact the growth and survival of plants. Consequently, studying the effect of soil resistance on the growth of RH is essential to improve our understanding of plant growth. Here we investigate the effect of the mechanical resistance of the culture medium on RH-physical and phenotypical parameters such as length, time, and speed of growth. We also analyze the impact of the environment on the positioning, and movement of the nucleus inside the growing cells. To do so, Arabidopsis Thaliana seedlings were cultured in a custom-made microfluidic-like system, in solid media with agar concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 1.25%. We show that the time of growth of RH cells is independent of the mechanical resistance of the surrounding environment, while the RH speed decreases when the mechanical resistance increases. As a consequence, the RH cells are shorter in stiffer environments. Moreover, we show that the speed of the nucleus adapts to the mechanical resistance of the environment and follows the same trend as the average speed of the RH tip. Eventually, during RH growth, the nucleus-to-tip distance was found to decrease when the stiffness of the environment was increased, indicating mechanotransduction from the cell surface to the nucleus.
High genetic load without purging in a diverse species-at-risk

High intra-specific genetic diversity is associated with adaptive potential which is key for resilience to global change. However, high variation may also support deleterious alleles through genetic load, unless purged, thereby increasing the risk of inbreeding depression if population sizes decrease rapidly. Purging of deleterious variation has now been demonstrated in some threatened species. However, less is known about the costs of population declines and inbreeding in species with large population sizes and high genetic diversity even though this encompasses many species globally that have or are expected to undergo rapid population declines. Caribou is a species of ecological and cultural significance in North America with a continental-wide distribution supporting extensive phenotypic variation, but with some populations undergoing significant declines resulting in their at-risk status in Canada. We assessed intra-specific genetic variation, adaptive divergence, inbreeding, and genetic load across populations with different demographic histories using an annotated chromosome-scale reference genome and 66 whole genome sequences. We found high genetic diversity and nine phylogenomic lineages across the continent with adaptive diversification of genes, but also high genetic load among lineages. We also found highly divergent levels of inbreeding across individuals including the loss of alleles by drift (genetic erosion) but not purging, likely due to rapid population declines not allowing time for purging of deleterious alleles. As a result, further inbreeding may need to be mitigated through conservation efforts. Our results highlight the ‘double-edged sword’ of genetic diversity that may be representative of other species-at-risk affected by anthropogenic activities.
ISPAD Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2022: Exercise in children and adolescents with diabetes

Department of Pediatrics, Kungsbacka Hospital, Kungsbacka, Sweden Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital, Birmingham, UK Muscle Health Research Centre, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Diabetes Research Envisioned and Accomplished in Manitoba (DREAM) Theme, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Diabetes Action Canada SPOR Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Division Exercise Physiology and Metabolism, Department of Sport Science, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany Interdisciplinary Metabolic Medicine Trials Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Scaling Out Column Stores: Data, Queries, and Transactions

The amount of data available today is huge and keeps increasing steadily. Databases help to cope with huge amounts of data. Yet, traditional databases are not fast enough to answer the complex analytical queries that decision makers in big enterprises ask over large datasets. This is where column stores have their field of application. Tailored to this type of on-line analytical processing (OLAP), column stores enable informed decisions based on queries over huge amounts of data. The idea of physically organizing relational data in columns instead of rows and applying powerful compression techniques helped a long way with OLAP workloads. Yet, the requirements become increasingly demanding based on the following three issues: a) the amount of data is increasing faster than ever before, b) responses to analytical queries based on a slightly out-of-date snapshot are not sufficient anymore but these queries have to be answered based on live, up-to-date data (so called operational business intelligence), and c) most workloads are not pure OLAP workloads but rather a mix of OLAP and OLTP (on-line transactional processing) workloads. These issues have two consequences for the development of column stores: 1) Column stores must be designed to scale-out, i.e., if more machines are available, the system should utilize these additional resources to achieve superior performance. Furthermore, the performance requirements can only be met if all data can be kept in main memory. However, with an increasing amount of data, the main memory of a single machine may not be sufficient for some workloads. In this case, only the aggregated amount of main memory of a number of machines will suffice, hence the need for distribution of the data. 2) The limited support for transaction handling in column stores does no longer suffice for mixed OLAP/OLTP workloads. In column stores, transaction handling is usually implemented as an exception rather than the normal (optimized) case, and only simple, centralized solutions are implemented for distributed transaction processing. As these solutions are insufficient for the increasing demands, the design of column stores needs to focus more on the performance of transactional processing, especially in the distributed scenario. Column stores apply powerful compression techniques. One compression technique in column stores is dictionary compression: instead of storing the actual data, only a reference to an entry in the dictionary is stored in the table. Most dictionary-compression techniques encode the data in an order-preserving way, i.e., if the code of a value x is smaller than the code of another value y, i.e. code(x) < code(y), it implies that x < y and vice versa. In a distributed scenario, data has to be partitioned. In this case, traditional column stores apply compression after partitioning, i.e., the compression is per column
A new taxonomy of American English /r/ using MRI and ultrasound

In this work we present preliminary results from a large scale production study of American English liquids. MRI and ultrasound have been used to image 20 subjects producing /r/ and /l/. Subjects were native speakers, representative of the main American dialects, and balanced between sexes. MRI data were collected volumetrically for recovery of three‐dimensional tongue shape. In addition, a short (1 s) midsagittal protocol was used in conjunction with ultrasound scanning to confirm the validity of the sustained production required for volumetric imaging. Our results show tongue shapes not inconsistent with the six main types found by Delattre and Freeman (1968), but their range and variety suggest that either additional canonical shapes or a different organizational principal (such as palatal shape) is motivated. We have also observed consistent patterns of tongue grooving associated with different midsagittal shapes, from the parasagittal data not accessible from the Delattre and Freeman cineradiography.
Deep Tracking for Robust Real-time Object Scanning

Nowadays, a high-fidelity 3d model representation can be obtained easily by means of handheld optical scanners, which offer a good level of reconstruction quality, portability, and low latency in scan-to-data. However, it is well known that the tracking process can be critical for such devices: sub-optimal lighting conditions, smooth surfaces in the scene, or occluded views and repetitive patterns are all sources of error. In this scenario, recent disruptive technologies such as sparse convolutional neural networks have been tailored to address common problems in 3D vision and analysis. Our work aims to integrate the most promising solutions into an operating framework which can then be used to achieve compelling results in 3D real-time reconstruction. Several scenes from a dataset containing dense views of objects are tested using our proposed pipeline and compared with the current state-of-the-art of online reconstruction.
Acceptance–Rejection Sampling from the Conditional Distribution of Independent Discrete Random Variables, given their Sum

The problem of drawing samples from the conditional distribution of a vector of independent, but not necessarily identically distributed, discrete random variables, given their sum, is considered. The traditional method of acceptance–rejection sampling can be impossible in practice if the statistic to condition upon has an extremely low probability of assuming the conditioning value. It is shown how the sufficiency principle combined with tilting of distributions may be used to find an equivalent problem, where the conditioning event has a much higher probability to occur. As applications, a test for proportional hazards in survival analysis and a test of no trend in a logit model with offset are given.
A Million Veteran Program GWAS of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias in African Americans Identifies Multiple Genome‐Wide Significant Dementia Risk Loci

While genome wide association studies (GWASs) of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in European ancestry cohorts (EUR) have identified >70 potentially independent AD risk loci, progress in non‐European populations has lagged. In this study, data from US Veterans of African ancestry (AFR) from the Million Veteran Program (MVP) biorepository were used to identify genetic factors associated with AD and related dementias (ADRD).
Log Likelihood Ratio Distortion Measures for Scalar Time Varying and Stationary Vector Processes

In this paper, two distortion measures, based on the well known statistical Log Likelihood Ratio (LLR) criterion are presented. The first one is developed for non-stationary scalar processes, represented by a Time Varying Autoregressive (TV AR) model and the second for stationary vector processes, represented by a Multichannel Autoregressive (MC AR) model. The asymptotic distribution of the proposed measures is briefly discussed.
An ASCA Observation of M51 (NGC 5194): Iron K Emission from an Obscured Active Galactic Nucleus

We present an ASCA observation of the nearby spiral galaxy M51 (NGC 5194). We detected hard X-ray emission with a photon index of ~1.4 and a luminosity of LX ~ 1.1 × 1040 ergs s-1 in the 2-10 keV band (assuming a distance of 9.6 Mpc). A strong fluorescent iron K line (equivalent width ~900 eV) was detected at 6.4 keV in the X-ray spectra. Such an intense iron line is characteristic of Seyfert 2 galaxies and strongly suggests the presence of a heavily obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN). However, the X-ray image is extended even at energies above 2 keV. From the strong iron line and the extended hard X-ray image we speculate that the AGN is obscured by matter with a hydrogen column density more than several times 1023 cm-2 and that the observed 2-10 keV X-ray flux is not dominated by emission from the AGN but rather by other components, such as low-mass X-ray binaries, which typically dominate the X-ray emission of normal spiral galaxies. Emission lines from O K, Ne K, Fe L, Mg K and Si K were detected in the soft energy spectra, which indicate the presence of hot gas. The soft component is well represented by a Raymond-Smith thermal plasma model (with kT ~ 0.4 keV), which suggests a lower iron abundance (<0.1 solar) than other elements (~0.1-0.4 solar), or by a two temperature (kT ~ 0.3 keV and kT ~ 0.8 keV) model with ~0.1 solar abundance, which is reminiscent of the X-ray-emitting gas in starburst galaxies.
Role of hot carriers in the interfacial transport in amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterostructure solar cells

The transport of photogenerated minority carriers (photocarriers) across the heterointerface of amorphous silicon (a‐Si) and crystalline silicon (c‐Si) in a‐Si/c‐Si heterostructure solar cell is shown in this work to critically depend on the non‐Maxwellian energy distribution function (EDF) of those carriers impinging on the heterointerface. A theoretical model is presented that integrates the effect of the high electric field inversion region upon EDF of the impinging carriers with the transmission probability of those carriers across the heterointerface. The transport of the photocarriers across the high electric field inversion region is simulated by the full solution of the Boltzmann transport equation by Monte Carlo (MC) technique while the transmission probability of carriers across the heterointerface is calculated through the percolation path technique. The results are discussed under two different condition of band bending; strongly inverted and weakly inverted c‐Si surface. The results comparing different conditions of band bending show that the energy distribution of the carriers impinging on the heterointerface is non‐Maxwellian and the integrated photocarrier collection increases with the strength of the inversion field since the carrier population is weighted toward higher energy where the transmission probability through the barrier is higher. Thus, we demonstrate that hot carriers play an important role in heterostructure cell operation.
Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computations of transitional wake/blade interaction

The interaction between wakes generated by a moving array of cylindrical bars and the transitional boundary layer over a low-pressure turbine blade located downstream of the bars is studied by means of an unsteady Reynold-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) method that incorporates a recentlow-Reynolds-number, nonlinear eddy-viscosity turbulence model. The context of the study is the modelling of unsteady rotor/stator-interaction phenomena. A number of issues pertaining to the ability of the unsteady RANS approach to simulate this interaction within a phase-averaged framework are investigated, including numerical accuracy and resolution, the consequence of vortex shedding from the bars, the characteristics of the wake within the blade passage, and the ability of the model to return the transitional response of the boundary layer to the dynamics of and the turbulence transported by the wakes
Persistence of strain in filament-motor assemblies

The spatial extent to which elastic deformations of cross-linked filaments persist in noisy active environments and the associated decay length plays a fundamental role in many biological settings. Here, we study the mechanical response of an active ordered composite comprised of elastic filaments sheared by active motors. We compare results from Brownian multi-particle collision dynamics-based numerical simulations for actively driven deformations of noisy and moderately soft composites with theoretical predictions from a mean-field theory valid in the noiseless and weakly elastic limit. Surprisingly, several qualitative features predicted by the noise-less mean field model are seen even in strongly noisy simulations. We find, from both theory and simulations, that even when extensibility is negligible locally, it cannot be ignored when considering global deformation fields. This is because the length scale over which extensional deformations persist is controlled by the competition between passive elasticity of the filament and active effective shear stiffening due to attached motors and other crosslinks. Specifically, for fixed motor kinetics and properties, the decay length of extensional deformations is controlled by the ratio of the passive elastic modulus of the composite to an effective active, motor generated shear modulus. For steady strains, the length scale is surprisingly independent of motor activity except when motors are in a state of rigor. For oscillatory strains, the persistence length may be varied strongly by changing the frequency of forcing. When the effect of noise is dominant, the strain fields on the filament becomes uncorrelated. Our study demonstrates how correlated activity in natural ordered active matter possesses a finite range of influence with testable experimental implications.
Modeling atmospheric turbulence effects on a ground-based interferometer

Bester et al. report measurements of atmospheric fluctuations made with the Infrared Spatial Interferometer, which indicated behavior not in accord with the standard Kolmogorov model with only a single constant wind velocity. Our numerical simulations use relatively complex models of the atmosphere to investigate both Kolmogorov and non-Kolmogorov models. We find that the measurements of Bester et al. for light passing through the upper atmosphere are within the limits of behavior for Kolmogorov models, but often only if the outer scale of turbulent fluctuations is between 15 to 100 meters. The possibility that the measured behavior might be non-Kolmogorov is not excluded. We also examine measurements made along short paths in the surface boundary layer, where some measurements of Bester et al. showed variations in the atmospheric fluctuations with seeing conditions which appeared to be non-Kolmogorov. These variations can be perhaps be explained by standard models, but require that seeing improve with increasing wind speed in the surface layer. We discuss some other measurements which lend some support to that idea. However, we cannot exclude non-Kolmogorov behavior. We find that meteorological data is needed concurrent with astronomical observations, to help constrain the models. The size of the outer scale, the wind velocity profile and the turbulence spectrum are important to the ultimate capabilities of interferometers and other systems with adaptive optics.
The influence of nitrogen oxides on the atmospheric ozone content

The probable importance of NO and NO2 in controlling the ozone concentrations and production rates in the stratosphere is pointed out. Observations on and determinations of nitric acid concentrations in the stratosphere by Murcray et al. (1968) and Rhine et al. (1969) support the high NO and NO2 concentrations indicated by Bates/Hays (1967). Some processes which may lead to production of nitric acid are discussed. The importance of O (1S), possibly produced in the ozone photolysis below 2340 A, on the ozone photochemistry is mentioned.
Photoluminescence and photoabsorption blueshift of nanostructured ZnO: Skin-depth quantum trapping and electron-phonon coupling

Although the size- and shape-induced blueshift in the photoluminescence and photoabsorption of nanostructured ZnO has been extensively investigated, the underlying mechanism remains yet unclear. Here we show that theoretical reproduction of the observed trends clarifies that the blueshift originates from the Hamiltonian perturbation due to the broken-bond-induced local strain and quantum trapping and electron-phonon coupling in the surface skin up to two atomic layers in depth while bonds in the core interior retain their bulk nature. The extent of the blue shift depends on the tunable fraction of undercoordinated atoms in the surface skin. Therefore, the quantum confinement effect is indeed more “superficial” than first thought [H. Winn, OE Mag. 8, 10 (2005)].
Generation of Tollmien–Schlichting waves by harmonic excitation

The creation of wavy disturbances (Tollmien–Schlichting waves) by a localized two‐dimensional disturbance source vibrating periodically at a fixed frequency in a Blasius boundary layer is discussed. The initial‐boundary value problem mathematically models the vibrating ribbon experiment of Schubauer and Skramstad. By considering the ribbon vibration to start at t=0, in the model one gets the transient and the eventual periodic part of the solution. The results of the full simulation are compared with the time‐asymptotic solution.
Surface acoustic wave modulation on a partially closed fatigue crack

A quantitative study of the low-frequency parametric modulation of a pulsed surface acoustic wave (SAW) by a partially closed fatigue crack is described. In situ ultrasonic measurements were performed during a fatigue test for different crack lengths and static opening loads. The crack is initiated in the plastic-yielding zone induced by a surface cavity, and clamped due to the constraint of the surrounding elastic medium. Small periodic loading, superimposed on a static crack-opening load, changes the open crack segment length and/or the crack interfacial condition producing nonlinear modulation of the reflected ultrasonic pulses. The modulation spectrum is related quantitatively to the crack length and to the crack opening–closure behavior. It is demonstrated that the application of a small static crack-opening load with the modulation load could considerably enhance crack detectability. The increase of the second modulation harmonic is pronounced when the crack is nearly closed and when it is nearly op.
Fabrication and optical characterization of gold-infiltrated silica opals

We report the fabrication of metal-infiltrated silica opals for optical studies. Highly mono-dispersed silica microspheres are fabricated and assembled by a force packing method to form opals with large domain sizes. The opals are then infiltrated with gold by an electroplating technique. The optical properties of the infiltrated opals in the visible range are studied and model calculations based on a multiple-scattering formalism are used to interpret the experimental results. The calculated position of the directional gap of the silica opal agrees very well with experimental observation. We found that the optical properties of the infiltrated sample can be explained using a model system in which the voids in the silica opal are partially filled with Au and the surface of the slab is covered with a thin layer of Au.