Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of the circRNA–miRNA–mRNA Regulatory Network in Pterygium-Associated Conjunctival Epithelium

To investigate the regulatory mechanism of pterygium formation, we detected differentially expressed messenger RNAs (DE-mRNAs) and differentially expressed circular RNAs (DE-circRNAs) in pterygium-associated conjunctival epithelium (PCE) and normal conjunctival epithelium (NCE). Genome-wide mRNA and circRNA expression profiles of PCE and NCE were determined using high-throughput sequencing. Bioinformatics analyses, including Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis, were conducted. The microRNAs (miRNAs) interacting with the hub DE-mRNAs and DE-circRNAs were predicted and verified using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The data showed that there were 536 DE-mRNAs (280 upregulated and 256 downregulated mRNAs) and 78 DE-circRNAs (20 upregulated and 58 downregulated circRNAs) in PCE. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the DE-mRNAs were mainly involved in the following biological processes: IL-17 signalling pathway, viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor, cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, ECM-receptor interaction, and focal adhesion. The GSEA results revealed that the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) process was significantly enriched in upregulated mRNAs. The pterygium-associated circRNA–miRNA–mRNA network was established based on the top 10 DE-circRNAs, 4 validated miRNAs (upregulated miR-376a-5p and miR-208a-5p,downregulated miR-203a-3p and miR-200b-3p), and 31 DE-mRNAs. We found that miR-200b-3p, as a regulator of FN1, SDC2, and MEX3D, could be regulated by 5 upregulated circRNAs. In addition, we screened out EMT-related DE-mRNAs, including 6 upregulated DE-mRNAs and 6 downregulated DE-mRNAs. The EMT-related circRNA–miRNA–mRNA network was established with the top 10 circRNAs, 8 validated miRNAs (upregulated miR-17-5p, miR-181a-5p, and miR-106a-5p, downregulated miR-124-3p, miR-9-5p, miR-130b-5p, miR-1-3p, and miR-26b-5P), and 12 EMT-related DE-mRNAs. We found that hsa_circ_0002406 might upregulate FN1 and ADAM12 by sponging miR-26b-5p and miR-1-3p, respectively, thus promoting EMT in pterygium. Briefly, the study provides a novel viewpoint on the molecular pathological mechanisms in pterygium formation. CircRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory networks participate in the pathogenesis of pterygium and might become promising targets for pterygium prevention and treatment.
Black hole formation in the context of dissipative dark matter

Black holes with masses of $\rm 10^6-10^9~M_{\odot}$ dwell in the centers of most galaxies, but their formation mechanisms are not well known. A subdominant dissipative component of dark matter with similar properties to the ordinary baryons, known as mirror dark matter, may collapse to form massive black holes during the epoch of first galaxies formation. In this study, we explore the possibility of massive black hole formation via this alternative scenario. We perform three-dimensional cosmological simulations for four distinct halos and compare their thermal, chemical and dynamical evolution in both the ordinary and the mirror sectors. We find that the collapse of halos is significantly delayed in the mirror sector due to the lack of $\rm H_2$ cooling and only halos with masses above $ \rm \geq 10^7~ M_{\odot}$ are formed. Overall, the mass inflow rates are $\rm \geq 10^{-2}~M_{\odot}/yr$ and there is less fragmentation. This suggests that the conditions for the formation of massive objects, including black holes, are more favorable in the mirror sector.
An efficient approach to extract parameters from star cluster CMDs:fitCMD

This work presents an approach (fitCMD) designed to obtain a comprehensive set of astrophysical parameters from colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of star clusters. Based on initial mass function (IMF) properties taken from isochrones, fitCMD searches for the values of total (or cluster) stellar mass, age, global metallicity, foreground reddening, distance modulus, and magnitude-dependent photometric completeness that produce the artificial CMD that best reproduces the observed one; photometric scatter is also taken into account in the artificial CMDs. Inclusion of photometric completeness proves to be an important feature of fitCMD, something that becomes apparent especially when luminosity functions are considered. These parameters are used to build a synthetic CMD that also includes photometric scatter. Residual minimization between the observed and synthetic CMDs leads to the best-fit parameters. When tested against artificial star clusters, fitCMD shows to be efficient both in terms of computational time and ability to recover the input values.
Higher spin fields with reversed spin-statistics relation

A construction of massive free fields with arbitrary spin and reversed spin-statistics relation is presented. The main idea of the construction is to consider fields that transform according to representations of the Lorentz group that are doubled in comparison with the representations according to which normal (physical) fields transform. This allows the definition of opposite commutation properties for these fields, while the spin of the particles they describe remains unchanged. The correspondence established by the construction between fields obeying normal and reversed spin-statistics relation makes it possible to express e.g. the polarization states, (anti)commutators, or Feynman propagators of the latter fields in terms of those of the normal fields to which they correspond. The cases of the scalar and Dirac fields are discussed in additional detail.
Multiple Functions of MiRNAs in Brassica napus L.

The worldwide climate changes every year due to global warming, waterlogging, drought, salinity, pests, and pathogens, impedes crop productivity. Brassica napus is one of the most important oil crops in the world, and rapeseed oil is considered one of the most health-beneficial edible vegetable oils. Recently, miRNAs have been found and confirmed to control the expression of targets under disruptive environmental conditions. The mechanism is through the formation of the silencing complex that mediates post-transcriptional gene silencing, which pairs the target mRNA and target cleavage and/or translation inhibition. However, the functional role of miRNAs and targets in B. napus is still not clarified. This review focuses on the current knowledge of miRNAs concerning development regulation and biotic and abiotic stress responses in B. napus. Moreover, more strategies for miRNA manipulation in plants are discussed, along with future perspectives, and the enormous amount of transcriptome data available provides cues for miRNA functions in B. napus. Finally, the construction of the miRNA regulatory network can lead to the significant development of climate change-tolerant B. napus through miRNA manipulation.
DYNAMICAL ESTIMATE OF POST-MAIN-SEQUENCE STELLAR MASSES IN 47 TUCANAE

We use the effects of mass segregation on the radial distribution of different stellar populations in the core of 47 Tucanae to find estimates for the masses of stars at different post-main-sequence evolutionary stages. We take samples of main-sequence (MS) stars from the core of 47 Tucanae, at different magnitudes (i.e., different masses), and use the effects of this dynamical process to develop a relation between the radial distance (RD) at which the cumulative distribution reaches the 20th and 50th percentile and stellar mass. From these relations we estimate the masses of different post-MS populations. We find that mass remains constant for stars going through the evolutionary stages from the upper MS up to the horizontal branch (HB). By comparing RDs of the HB stars with stars of lower masses, we can exclude a mass loss greater than during the red giant branch (RGB) stage at nearly the level. The slightly higher mass estimates for the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) are consistent with the AGB having evolved from somewhat more massive stars. The AGB also exhibits evidence of contamination by more massive stars, possibly blue straggler stars (BSSs), going through the RGB phase. We do not include the BSSs in this paper due to the complexity of these objects; instead, the complete analysis of this population is left for a companion paper. The process to estimate the masses described in this paper is exclusive to the core of 47 Tuc.
Compact Binary Mergers and the Event Rate of Fast Radio Bursts

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are usually suggested to be associated with mergers of compact binaries consisting of white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), or black holes (BHs). We test these models by fitting the observational distributions in both redshift and isotropic energy of 22 Parkes FRBs, where, as usual, the rates of compact binary mergers (CBMs) are connected with cosmic star formation rates by a power-law distributed time delay. It is found that the observational distributions can well be produced by the CBM model with a characteristic delay time from several tens to several hundreds of megayears and an energy function index 1.2 ≲ γ ≲ 1.7, where a tentative fixed spectral index β = 0.8 is adopted for all FRBs. Correspondingly, the local event rate of FRBs is constrained to for an adopted minimum FRB energy of Emin = 3 × 1039 erg, where fb is the beaming factor of the radiation, is the duration of each pointing observation, and is the sky area of the survey. This event rate, about an order of magnitude higher than the rates of NS–NS/NS–BH mergers, indicates that the most promising origin of FRBs in the CBM scenario could be mergers of WD–WD binaries. Here a massive WD could be produced since no FRB was found to be associated with an SN Ia. Alternatively, if all FRBs can repeat on a timescale much longer than the period of current observations, then they could also originate from a young active NS that forms from relatively rare NS–NS mergers and accretion-induced collapses of WD–WD binaries.
Stringy black-hole gas in 
α′
-corrected dilaton gravity

We discuss the properties of the gas of primordial `stringy' black holes possibly formed in the high-curvature phase preceding the bouncing transition to the phase of standard cosmological evolution. We show that the regime dominated by such a string-hole gas can be consistently described by explicit solutions of the string effective action including first-order $\alpha'$ corrections. We present a phase space analysis of the stability of such solutions comparing the results obtained from different actions and including the possibility of $O(d,d)$-symmetric configurations.
KINEMATICAL AND CHEMICAL VERTICAL STRUCTURE OF THE GALACTIC THICK DISK. I. THICK DISK KINEMATICS,

The variation of the kinematical properties of the Galactic thick disk with Galactic height Z is studied by means of 412 red giants observed in the direction of the south Galactic pole up to 4.5 kpc from the plane. We confirm the non-null mean radial motion toward the Galactic anticenter found by other authors, but we find that it changes sign at |Z| = 3 kpc, and the proposed inward motion of the local standard of rest alone cannot explain these observations. The rotational velocity decreases with |Z| by −30 km s−1 kpc−1, but the data are better represented by a power law with index 1.25, similar to that proposed from the analysis of Sloan Digital Sky Survey data. All the velocity dispersions increase with |Z|, but the vertical gradients are small. The dispersions grow proportionally, with no significant variation of the anisotropy. The ratio σU/σW = 2 suggests that the thick disk could have formed from a low-latitude merging event. The vertex deviation increases with Galactic height, reaching ∼20° at |Z| = 3.5 kpc. The tilt angle also increases, and the orientation of the ellipsoid in the radial-vertical plane is constantly intermediate between the alignment with the cylindrical and the spherical coordinate systems. The tilt angle at |Z| = 2 kpc coincides with the expectations of MOdified Newtonian Dynamics, but an extension of the calculations to higher |Z| is required to perform a conclusive test. Finally, between 2.5 and 3.5 kpc we detect deviations from the linear trend of many kinematical quantities, suggesting that some kinematical substructure could be present.
¿Quién Importa? State Legislators and Their Responsiveness to Undocumented Immigrants

Do undocumented immigrants matter as constituents for state legislators? In this study we examine legislator responsiveness to differing ethnicities and immigration statuses of immigrant constituents through a field experiment conducted in 2014 in 44 U.S. state legislatures. We advance a theory of citizen advantage, that citizens and particularly white citizens will reap greater representation from legislators, but that even undocumented immigrants can constitute a meaningful subconstituency that receives some, albeit less, responsiveness from legislators. Each legislator received a constituent request that was identical in content and varied the constituent’s race/ethnic identity by using a first name and surname cue (Latinx or Eastern European) and immigration status (undocumented/citizen/control). We found that legislators respond less to undocumented constituents regardless of their ethnicity and are more responsive to both the Latinx and Eastern European-origin citizen treatments, with Republicans being more biased in their responsiveness to undocumented residents. Nuances within the data reveal that despite limited electoral incentive, some legislators are responsive to undocumented immigrants regardless of race or ethnicity; however, when immigration status is not cued, white residents receive greater responsiveness than Latinx.
Arginine Reduces Glycation in γ2 Subunit of AMPK and Pathologies in Alzheimer’s Disease Model Mice

The metabolism disorders are a common convergence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The characteristics of AD are senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed by deposits of amyloid−β (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau, respectively. Advanced glycation end−products (AGEs) are a stable modification of proteins by non−enzymatic reactions, which could result in the protein dysfunction. AGEs are associated with some disease developments, such as diabetes mellitus and AD, but the effects of the glycated γ2 subunit of AMPK on its activity and the roles in AD onset are unknown. Methods: We studied the effect of glycated γ2 subunit of AMPK on its activity in N2a cells. In 3 × Tg mice, we administrated L−arginine once every two days for 45 days and evaluated the glycation level of γ2 subunit and function of AMPK and alternation of pathologies. Results: The glycation level of γ2 subunit was significantly elevated in 3 × Tg mice as compared with control mice, meanwhile, the level of pT172−AMPK was obviously lower in 3 × Tg mice than that in control mice. Moreover, we found that arginine protects the γ2 subunit of AMPK from glycation, preserves AMPK function, and improves pathologies and cognitive deficits in 3 × Tg mice. Conclusions: Arginine treatment decreases glycated γ2 subunit of AMPK and increases p−AMPK levels in 3 × Tg mice, suggesting that reduced glycation of the γ2 subunit could ameliorate AMPK function and become a new target for AD therapy in the future.
ELEMENTAL ABUNDANCES IN THE EJECTA OF OLD CLASSICAL NOVAE FROM LATE-EPOCH SPITZER SPECTRA

We present Spitzer Space Telescope mid-infrared IRS spectra, supplemented by ground-based optical observations, of the classical novae V1974 Cyg, V382 Vel, and V1494 Aql more than 11, 8, and 4 years after outburst, respectively. The spectra are dominated by forbidden emission from neon and oxygen, though in some cases, there are weak signatures of magnesium, sulfur, and argon. We investigate the geometry and distribution of the late time ejecta by examination of the emission line profiles. Using nebular analysis in the low-density regime, we estimate lower limits on the abundances in these novae. In V1974 Cyg and V382 Vel, our observations confirm the abundance estimates presented by other authors and support the claims that these eruptions occurred on ONe white dwarfs (WDs). We report the first detection of neon emission in V1494 Aql and show that the system most likely contains a CO WD.
Optimal Taylor–Couette flow: direct numerical simulations

Abstract We numerically simulate turbulent Taylor–Couette flow for independently rotating inner and outer cylinders, focusing on the analogy with turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard flow. Reynolds numbers of $R{e}_{i} = 8\times 1{0}^{3} $ and $R{e}_{o} = \pm 4\times 1{0}^{3} $ of the inner and outer cylinders, respectively, are reached, corresponding to Taylor numbers $Ta$ up to $1{0}^{8} $ . Effective scaling laws for the torque and other system responses are found. Recent experiments with the Twente Turbulent Taylor–Couette ( ${T}^{3} C$ ) setup and with a similar facility in Maryland at very high Reynolds numbers have revealed an optimum transport at a certain non-zero rotation rate ratio $a= - {\omega }_{o} / {\omega }_{i} $ of about ${a}_{\mathit{opt}} = 0. 33$ . For large enough $Ta$ in the numerically accessible range we also find such an optimum transport at non-zero counter-rotation. The position of this maximum is found to shift with the driving, reaching a maximum of ${a}_{\mathit{opt}} = 0. 15$ for $Ta= 2. 5\times 1{0}^{7} $ . An explanation for this shift is elucidated, consistent with the experimental result that ${a}_{\mathit{opt}} $ becomes approximately independent of the driving strength for large enough Reynolds numbers. We furthermore numerically calculate the angular velocity profiles and visualize the different flow structures for the various regimes. By writing the equations in a frame co-rotating with the outer cylinder a link is found between the local angular velocity profiles and the global transport quantities.
Test of some fundamental principles in physics via quantum interference with neutrons and photons

The limitations and possibilities that the concept of quantum interference offers as a tool for testing fundamental physics are explored here. The use of neutron interference as an instrument to compare measurement readouts with some of the principles behind metric theories of gravity will be analyzed, as will some discrepancies between theory and experiment. The main restrictions that this model embodies for the study of some of the features of the structure of space–time will be explicitly pointed out. For instance, the conditions imposed by the necessary use of the semiclassical approximation. Additionally, the role that photon interference could play as an element in this context is also considered. In this realm we explore the differences between first-order and second-order coherence experiments, and underline the fact that the Hanbury–Brown–Twiss effect could open up some interesting experimental possibilities in the analysis of the structure of space–time. The void, in connection with the description of wave phenomena, implicit in the principles of metric theories is analyzed. The conceptual difficulties that this void entails are commented upon.
Faster quantum-walk algorithm for the two-dimensional spatial search

We consider the problem of finding a desired item out of $N$ items arranged on the sites of a two-dimensional lattice of size $\sqrt{N} \times \sqrt{N}$. The previous quantum walk based algorithms take $O(\sqrt{N}\log N)$ steps to solve this problem, and it is an open question whether the performance can be improved. We present a new algorithm which solves the problem in $O(\sqrt{N\log N})$ steps, thus giving an $O(\sqrt{\log N})$ improvement over the known algorithms. The improvement is achieved by controlling the quantum walk on the lattice using an ancilla qubit.
When asymmetric cosmic bubbles betray a difficult marriage: the study of binary central stars of Planetary Nebulae

Planetary Nebulae represent a powerful window into the evolution of low-intermediate mass stars that have undergone extensive mass-loss. The nebula manifests itself in an extremely wide variety of shapes, but exactly how the mass lost is shaped into such a diverse range of morphologies is still highly uncertain despite over thirty years of vigorous debate. Binaries have long been thought to offer a solution to this vexing problem. Now, thanks to recent surveys and improved observing strategies, it appears clearly that a binary channel, in particular common-envelope (CE) evolution, is responsible for a large fraction of planetary nebulae. Moreover, as planetary nebulae are just "fresh out of the oven" compared to other post-CE systems, they provide invaluable contributions to the study of common-envelope evolution and to the formation of jets in binary systems. Our studies have also started to identify strong links between binarity and morphology, including a high proportion of bipolar nebulae and rings of low ionisation filaments resembling SN 1987A. Equally important are the newly found binary CSPN with intermediate periods, which appear linked to chemically peculiar stars whose composition was modified by binary evolution. Their study may also reveal much information on mass and angular momentum transfer processes in binary stars. Here we show examples of four PNe for which we have discovered their binary nature, including the discovery of a rare case of a barium-rich cool central star.
BPS states of Fourfolds as candidates for Kaluza-Klein modes

Within the framework of the cosmological theory of the Big Bang, F-theory that unifies all four types of fundamental interactions is represented. Among the most exciting predictions of physics beyond the Standard Model is the assumption of the space of extra dimensions that solves the hierarchy problem. With the presence of this extra dimensions are connected the searches for Kaluza-Klein partners of gravitons, gauge bosons and microscopic black holes at the LHC. In the framework of F-theory, Calabi-Yau fourfold is considered as a space of extra dimensions. We study the duality between the F-theory compactified on the K3-surface and $E_8\times E_8$ heterotic string compactified on the torus, $T^2$. The set of BPS states corresponding to the Calabi-Yau fourfolds, which has either an elliptic curve or a K3-fibration as a layer, is studied in the aspect of correspondence to the KK modes of the M-theory on $R^8\times T^2 \times S^1 / Z_2$. The singularities of the moduli space of the Calabi-Yau fourfold make it possible to observe massive KK modes, the masses of which are obtained from the M-theory of supergravity. The result is of interest for a theoretical understanding of the KK modes, the experimental searches for which are carried out at the LHC.
PERFORM: A Python package for developing reduced-order models for reacting fluid flows

Combusting fluid flows are common in a variety of engineering systems, driving the gas turbines that generate our electricity, providing the thrust for rocket engines, and powering our cars and airplanes. However, the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate these phenomena is practically impossible for time-critical, many-query applications such as parametric design, failure prediction, and uncertainty quantification. Data-driven reduced-order models (ROMs) have shown potential for vastly reducing the computational cost of evaluating CFD models. In general, ROMs learn a low-dimensional representation of the high-dimensional system state (which may be as many as tens or hundreds of millions of degrees of freedom) and evolve this low-dimensional state in time at a much lower computational cost. Research on applying ROMs to practical reacting flows is currently in its early stages, and initial results have shown that standard ROM techniques may be ineffective for this class of problems (Huang et al., 2018; Huang & Duraisamy, 2019). The dearth of research on this topic may be attributed to the complexity of reacting flow modeling combined with a lack of approachable open-source libraries for combustion CFD.