Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fractional Chern insulators in singular geometries

The fractional quantum anomalous Hall (FQAH) states or fractional Chern insulator (FCI) states have been studied on two-dimensional (2D) flat lattices with different boundary conditions. Here, we propose the geometry-dependent FCI/FQAH states that interacting particles are bounded on 2D singular lattices with arbitrary $n$-fold rotational symmetry. Based on the generalized Pauli principle, we construct trial wave functions for the singular-lattice FCI/FQAH states with the aid of an effective projection approach, and compare them with the exact diagonalization results. High wave-function overlaps show that the singular-lattice FCI/FQAH states are certainly related to the geometric factor $\beta$. More interestingly, we observe some exotic degeneracy sequences of edge excitations in these singular-lattice FCI/FQAH states, and provide an explanation that two branches of edge excitations mix together.
FasL is a catabolic factor in alveolar bone homeostasis

Abstract Aim Fas ligand (FasL) belongs to the tumour necrosis factor superfamily regulating bone turnover, inflammation, and apoptosis. The appendicular and axial skeleton phenotype of mature Fasl gld mice has been reported. The impact of FasL on the alveolar bone providing support for the teeth at mature stages under healthy and induced inflammatory conditions remains unknown. Materials and Methods We performed a phenotypical analysis of mice carrying the homozygous Fasl gld mutation and wild‐type (WT) mice (C57BL/6) under healthy conditions and upon ligature‐induced periodontitis. After 12 days, micro‐computed tomography analysis revealed the distance between the cement enamel junction and the alveolar bone crest. Additional structural parameters, such as the bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and the periodontal ligament space volume, were measured. Histological analyses were performed to visualize the catabolic changes at the defect site. Results Healthy Fasl gld mice were found to have more periodontal bone than their WT littermates. Fasl gld had no significant effect on inflammatory osteolysis compared to WT controls with ligatures. Histology revealed eroded surfaces at the root and in the inter‐proximal bone in both strains. Conclusions Our findings suggest that FasL is a catabolic factor in alveolar bone homeostasis but it does not affect the inflammatory osteolysis.
Alternate Leg Bounding Acutely Improves Change of Direction Performance in Women's Team Sports Players Irrespective of Ground Type

Abstract Dann, E, Quinn, S, Russell, M, Kilduff, LP, Turner, AN, and Hills, SP. Alternate leg bounding acutely improves change-of-direction performance in women's team sports players irrespective of ground type. J Strength Cond Res 37(6): 1199–1203, 2023—This study aimed to assess whether body mass only alternate leg bounding performed post-warm-up on grass or a hard surface acutely improves preplanned change-of-direction performance in women's team sports players relative to a control condition and, if so, profile the time course of such changes. On 3 occasions, 14 amateur women's team sports players performed 20 m preplanned change-of-direction (“Pro-Agility”) tests at 4, 8, and 12 minutes after interventions. Interventions were implemented immediately after a standardized warm-up and consisted of 3 sets of 10 repetitions of alternate leg bounding (5 ground contacts per limb) on a hard indoor surface (HARD) or natural grass (GRASS), or a control condition involving approximately 75 seconds of continuous walking with no bounding (CON). Performance was similar between conditions at 4-minutes postintervention. Performance at 8 minutes was greater in HARD (2.9%, p = 0.015) and GRASS (3.8%, p = 0.029) relative to CON, whereas GRASS also exceeded CON at 12 minute post-bounding (5.2%, p = 0.004). All effects were large. No differences existed between HARD and GRASS at any time. Irrespective of the ground surface, alternate leg bounding performed with body mass only can acutely improve indices of change-of-direction performance in women's team sports players when an appropriate post-stimulus recovery period is provided. Bounding on grass or a hard surface represents a feasible match-day practice that enhances subsequent change-of-direction performance and could therefore be used as part of practically applicable pre-match, half-time, and pitch-side (re)warm-up activities.
Form factors and complete spectrum of XXX antiperiodic higher spin chains by quantum separation of variables

The antiperiodic transfer matrices associated to higher spin representations of the rational 6-vertex Yang-Baxter algebra are analyzed by generalizing the approach introduced recently in the framework of Sklyanin's quantum separation of variables (SOV) for cyclic representations, spin-1/2 highest weight representations, and also for spin-1/2 representations of the 6-vertex reflection algebra. Such SOV approach allow us to derive exactly results which represent complicate tasks for more traditional methods based on Bethe ansatz and Baxter Q-operator. In particular, we both prove the completeness of the SOV characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum and its simplicity. Then, the derived characterization of local operators by Sklyanin's quantum separate variables and the expression of the scalar products of separate states by determinant formulae allow us to compute the form factors of the local spin operators by one determinant formulae similar to those of the scalar products.
Recovery signatures of lightning‐associated VLF perturbations as a measure of the lower ionosphere

A new model of the physical processes associated with subionospheric VLF signal perturbations caused by lightning-induced electron precipitation (LEP) bursts is developed to diagnose the state of the lower ionosphere (e.g., electron number density and rate coefficients for various chemical reactions) on the basis of measurements of VLF recovery signatures. The model accounts for the energy spectrum of the electron bursts precipitated by lightning-generated whistlers, the chemical relaxation of enhanced secondary ionization in the nighttime D region due to LEP bursts, and quantitatively treats the resultant effects on propagation of the VLF signal in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. Application of the model to experimental data obtained for the VLF propagation path from NPM station (Hawaii) to Palmer station (Antarctica) indicates that effective electron detachment rate γ, enhanced secondary ionization profile (e.g., energy content of LEP bursts), as well as the ambient electron density distribution, may be estimated using observed subionospheric VLF recovery signatures. The effective detachment rate was identified as ∼10−18 N s−1, where N is total number density of neutrals. Model indicates in particular that the attachment-detachment processes play the dominant role in recovery of subionospheric VLF signal perturbations on timescales ∼ 100 s, and that the observed perturbations of the NPM-Palmer signal correspond to the LEP bursts consisting of relatively soft (< 250 keV) electrons.
Parity-time symmetry meets photonics: A new twist in non-Hermitian optics

In the past decade, the concept of parity-time symmetry, originally introduced in non-Hermitian extensions of quantum mechanical theories, has come into thinking of photonics, providing a fertile ground for studying, observing, and utilizing some of the peculiar aspects of symmetry in optics. Together with related concepts of non-Hermitian physics of open quantum systems, such as non-Hermitian degeneracies (exceptional points) and spectral singularities, symmetry represents one among the most fruitful ideas introduced in optics in the past few years. Judicious tailoring of optical gain and loss in integrated photonic structures has emerged as a new paradigm in shaping the flow of light in unprecedented ways, with major applications encompassing laser science and technology, optical sensing, and optical material engineering. In this perspective, I review some of the main achievements and emerging areas of -symmetric and non-Hermtian photonics, and provide an outline of challenges and directions for future research in one of the fastest growing research area of photonics.
Detection of He II λ4686 in η Carinae

We report the detection of the emission line He II λ4686 in η Carinae. The equivalent width of this line is ~100 mÅ along most of the 5.5 yr cycle and jumps to ~900 mÅ just before phase 1.0, followed by a brief disappearance. The similarity between the intensity variations of this line and those of the X-ray light curve is remarkable, suggesting that they are physically connected. We show that the expected number of ionizing photons in the ultraviolet and soft X-rays, expected to be emitted in the shock front from the colliding winds, is of the order of magnitude required to produce the He II emission via photoionization. The emission is clearly blueshifted when the line is strong. The radial velocity of the line is generally -100 km s-1, decreases steadily just before the event, and reaches -400 km s-1 at phase 1.001. At this point, the velocity gradient suddenly changes sign, at the same time that the emission intensity drops to nearly zero. Possible scenarios for explaining this emission are briefly discussed. The timing of the peak of He II intensity is likely to be associated with the periastron and may be a reliable fiduciary mark, important for constraining the orbital parameters.
Relationship of muscle power and bone mineral density with the α-actinin-3 R577X polymorphism in Japanese female athletes from different sport types: An observational study

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships between muscle power and bone mineral density (BMD) and the α-actinin-3 (ACTN3) R577X polymorphism in Japanese female collegiate athletes participating in sports with various mechanical-load characteristics. This study included 260 female collegiate athletes involved in 10 competitive sports and 26 controls (mean ages, 19.2 ± 1.2 and 19.7 ± 1.3 years, respectively). The sports were classified into 3 categories (low-impact, multidirectional, and high-impact) based on the exercise load characteristics. Data on sports participation and competition experience were obtained through a questionnaire-type survey. The maximum anaerobic power (MAnP) test was performed to measure muscle power. The total body BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The ACTN3 R577X polymorphism (rs1815739) was analyzed using a TaqMan® assay. The multidirectional sports participants with the RR genotype of the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism had a higher BMD than those with the RX and RX + XX genotypes (P = .018 and P = .003, respectively). The RR genotype was also associated with a higher MAnP than those with the RX + XX genotypes (P = .035). No other variables related to BMD and MAnP were significantly different. Our results suggests that the RR genotype may confer high trainability for BMD and muscle power in Japanese female collegiate athletes participating in multidirectional sport types. However, these associations were not found in the athletes participating in the low- and high-impact sport types.
Astrometry of OH/IR Stars Using 1612 MHz Hydroxyl Masers. I. Annual Parallaxes of WX Psc and OH138.0+7.2

We report on the measurement of the trigonometric parallaxes of 1612 MHz hydroxyl masers around two asymptotic giant branch stars, WX Psc and OH 138.0+7.2, using the NRAO Very Long Baseline Array with in-beam phase referencing calibration. We obtain a 3σ upper limit of ≤5.3 mas on the parallax of WX Psc, corresponding to a lower limit distance estimate of ≳190 pc. The obtained parallax of OH 138.0+7.2 is 0.52 ± 0.09 mas (±18%), corresponding to a distance of , making this the first hydroxyl maser parallax below one milliarcsecond. We also introduce a new method of error analysis for detecting systematic errors in the astrometry. Finally, we compare our trigonometric distances to published phase-lag distances toward these stars and find a good agreement between the two methods.
X-ray observations of the edge-on star-forming galaxy NGC 891 and its supernova SN1986J

We present XMM-Newton observations of NGC891, a nearby edge-on spiral galaxy. We analyse the extent of the diffuse emission emitted from the disk of the galaxy, and find that it has a single temperature profile with best fitting temperature of 0.26 keV, though the fit of a dual-temperature plasma with temperatures of 0.08 and 0.30 keV is also an acceptable fit. There is a considerable amount of diffuse X-ray emission protruding from the disk in the NW direction out to approximately 6 kpc. We analyse the point source population using a Chandra observation, using a maximum likelihood method to find that the slope of the cumulative luminosity function of point sources in the galaxy is 0.77 +0.13 0.1 . Using a sample of other local galaxies, we compare the X-ray and infrared properties of NGC891 with those of ’normal’ and starburst spiral galaxies, and conclude that NGC891 is most likely a starburst galaxy in a quiescent state. We establish that the diffuse X-ray luminosity of spirals scales with the far infrared luminosity as LX / L 0.87±0.07 F IR , except for extreme starbursts, and NGC891 does not fall in the latter category. We study the supernova SN1986J in both XMM-Newton and Chandra observations, and find that the X-ray luminosity has been declining with time more steeply than expected (LX / t 3 ).
The molecular genetics of RASopathies: An update on novel disease genes and new disorders

Enhanced signaling through RAS and the mitogen‐associated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade underlies the RASopathies, a family of clinically related disorders affecting development and growth. In RASopathies, increased RAS‐MAPK signaling can result from the upregulated activity of various RAS GTPases, enhanced function of proteins positively controlling RAS function or favoring the efficient transmission of RAS signaling to downstream transducers, functional upregulation of RAS effectors belonging to the MAPK cascade, or inefficient signaling switch‐off operated by feedback mechanisms acting at different levels. The massive effort in RASopathy gene discovery performed in the last 20 years has identified more than 20 genes implicated in these disorders. It has also facilitated the characterization of several molecular activating mechanisms that had remained unappreciated due to their minor impact in oncogenesis. Here, we provide an overview on the discoveries collected during the last 5 years that have delivered unexpected insights (e.g., Noonan syndrome as a recessive disease) and allowed to profile new RASopathies, novel disease genes and new molecular circuits contributing to the control of RAS‐MAPK signaling.
2D simulations of the line-driven instability in hot-star winds II. Approximations for the 2D radiation force

We present initial attempts to include the multi-dimensional nature of radiation transport in hydrodynamical simu- lations of the small-scale structure that arises from the line-driven instability in hot-star winds. Compared to previous 1D or 2D models that assume a purely radial radiation force, we seek additionally to treat the lateral momentum and transport of diffuse line-radiation, initially here within a 2D context. A key incentive is to study the damping effect of the associated diffuse line-drag on the dynamical properties of the flow, focusing particularly on whether this might prevent lateral break-up of shell structures at scales near the lateral Sobolev angle of ca. 1 o . Based on 3D linear perturbation analyses that show a viscous dif- fusion character for the damping at these scales, we first explore nonlinear simulations that cast the lateral diffuse force in the simple, local form of a parallel viscosity. We find, however, that the resulting strong damping of lateral velocity fluctuations only further isolates azimuthal zones, leading again to azimuthal incoherence down to the grid scale. To account then for the further effect of lateral mixing of radiation associated with the radial driving, we next explore models in which the radial force is azimuthally smoothed over a chosen scale, and thereby show that this does indeed translate to a similar scale for the resulting density and velocity structure. Accounting for both the lateral line-drag and the lateral mixing in a more self-consistent way thus requires a multi-ray computation of the radiation transport. As a first attempt, we explore further a method first proposed by Owocki (1999), which uses a restricted 3-ray approach that combines a radial ray with two oblique rays set to have an impact parameter p < R∗ within the stellar core. From numerical simulations with various grid resolutions (and p), we find that, com- pared to equivalent 1-ray simulations, the high-resolution 3-ray models show systematically a much higher lateral coherence. This first success in obtaining a lateral coherence of wind structures in physically consistent 2D simulations of the radiative instability motivates future development of more general multi-ray methods that can account for transport along directions that do not intersect the stellar core.
Cannabinoids and drug metabolizing enzymes: potential for drug-drug interactions and implications for drug safety and efficacy

ABSTRACT Introduction Cannabis is an increasingly popular recreational and medicinal drug in the USA. While cannabis is still a Schedule 1 drug federally, many states have lifted the ban on its use. With its increased usage, there is an increased possibility for potential drug-drug interactions (DDI) that may occur with concomitant use of cannabis and pharmaceuticals. Area covered This review focuses on the current knowledge of cannabis induced DDI, with a focus on pharmacokinetic DDI arising from enzyme inhibition or induction. Phase I and phase II drug metabolizing enzymes, specifically cytochrome P450s, carboxylesterases, and uridine-5’-diphosphoglucuronosyltransferases, have historically been the focus of research in this field, with much of the current knowledge of the potential for cannabis to induce DDI within these families of enzymes coming from in vitro enzyme inhibition studies. Together with a limited number of in vivo clinical studies and in silico investigations, current research suggests that cannabis exhibits the potential to induce DDI under certain circumstances. Expert opinion Based upon the current literature, there is a strong potential for cannabis-induced DDI among major drug-metabolizing enzymes.
Clinical Features and Efficacy of Benralizumab in Patients with Blood Eosinophil Count Between 300 and 450 Cells/mm3: A Post Hoc Analysis from the ANANKE Study

Purpose Benralizumab effectively reduces severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) exacerbations in patients with a wide range of baseline blood eosinophil count (BEC). Patients included in real-world studies are often characterized by high mean/median BEC, while patients with BEC close to 300 cells/mm3 are poorly represented. This post hoc analysis from the Italian study ANANKE aims to define the clinical features and corroborate the efficacy of benralizumab in real world in the BEC 300–450 cells/mm3 subset of patients. Patients and Methods Post hoc analysis of the Italian, multicenter, observational, retrospective real-life study ANANKE (NCT04272463). Baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics were collected in the 12 months prior to benralizumab treatment and presented for a BEC 300–450 cells/mm3 subgroup of patients. Change over time of BEC, annualized exacerbation rate (AER), asthma control (ACT), lung function and oral corticosteroid (OCS) use at 16, 24 and 48 weeks after benralizumab introduction were collected. Results A total of 164 patients were analyzed, 34 of whom with a BEC of 300–450 cells/mm3. This subgroup was more likely to be female (64.7%), with lower rates of severe exacerbations at baseline when compared to the total population (0.69 vs 1.01). After 48 weeks of benralizumab treatment, the BEC 300–450 subset showed similar reductions in AER (−94.8% vs −92.2%) and OCS use (median dose reduction of 100% in both groups), as well as improvement in ACT score (median scores 22.5 vs 22) and lung function (pre-BD FEV1: +200 mL vs +300 mL) when compared to the total population. No discontinuations for safety reasons were registered. Conclusion At baseline, apart from lower severe exacerbation rate, the BEC 300–450 cells/mm3 subset of patients is comparable to the total population prescribed with benralizumab. In this real-life study, benralizumab is as effective in BEC 300–450 patients as in the total population.
The autocorrelation function for spectral determinants of quantum graphs

This paper considers the spectral determinant of quantum graph families with chaotic classical limit. The secular coefficients of the spectral determinant are found to follow distributions with zero mean and variance approaching a constant in the limit of large network size for graphs without symmetries. This constant is, in general, different from the random matrix result and depends on the classical limit. A closed expression for this system-dependent constant is given here explicitly in terms of the spectrum of an underlying Markov process. Related results for graphs with time-reversal symmetry are given.
Massive star evolution at high metallicity

After a review of the many effects of metallicity on the evolution of rotating and non-rotating stars, we discuss the consequences of a high metallicity on massive star populations and on stellar nucleosynthesis. The most striking effect of high metallicity is to enhance the amount of mass lost by stellar winds. Typically at a metallicity $Z=0.001$ only 9% of the total mass returned by non-rotating massive stars is ejected by winds (91% by supernovae explosion), while at solar metallicity this fraction may amount to more than 40%. High metallicity favors the formation of Wolf-Rayet stars and of type Ib supernovae. It however disfavors the occurrence of type Ic supernovae. We estimate empirical yields of carbon based on the observed population of WC stars in the solar neighborhood, and obtain that WC stars eject between 0.2 and 0.4% of the mass initially locked into stars under the form of new synthesized carbon. Models give values well in agreement with these empirical yields. Chemical evolution models indicate that such carbon yields may have important impacts on the abundance of carbon at high metallicity.
Immune checkpoint gene VSIR predicts patient prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes

Immune checkpoint proteins play critical functions during the immune response to cancer and have been targeted by immune checkpoint blockade therapy. V‐domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VSIR) is one of these immune checkpoint genes and has been investigated extensively in recent years due to its conflicting roles in cancer immunity. Specifically, in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the prognostic value of VSIR is debated.
Analytic structure of radiation boundary kernels for blackhole perturbations

Exact outer boundary conditions for gravitational perturbations of the Schwarzschild metric feature integral convolution between a time-domain boundary kernel and each radiative mode of the perturbation. For both axial (Regge–Wheeler) and polar (Zerilli) perturbations, we study the Laplace transform of such kernels as an analytic function of (dimensionless) Laplace frequency. We present numerical evidence indicating that each such frequency-domain boundary kernel admits a “sum-of-poles” representation. Our work has been inspired by Alpert, Greengard, and Hagstrom’s analysis of nonreflecting boundary conditions for the ordinary scalar wave equation.