Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple-Group Analysis for Structural Equation Modeling With Dependent Samples

Multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) plays a key role in studying measurement invariance and in group comparison. However, existing methods for multigroup SEM assume that different samples are independent. This article develops a method for multigroup SEM with correlated samples. Parallel to that for independent samples, the focus here is on the cross-group stability of the within-group structure and parameters. In particular, the method does not require the specification of any between-group relationship. Rescaled and adjusted statistics as well as sandwich-type covariance matrices make the developed method work for possibly nonnormal variables with finite 4th-order moments. The method is applied to a longitudinal data set on the development of entrepreneurial teams across 4 phases. Detailed analysis is provided regarding the stability of the effect of psychological compatibility on team performance, as it is mediated by fairness perception and team cohesion.
Identification of a novel AIFM1 variant from a Chinese family with auditory neuropathy

Background: Auditory neuropathy (AN) is a specific type of hearing loss characterized by impaired language comprehension. Apoptosis inducing factor mitochondrion associated 1 (AIFM1) is the most common gene associated with late-onset AN. In this study, we aimed to screen the pathogenic variant of AIFM1 in a Chinese family with AN and to explore the molecular mechanism underlying the function of such variant in the development of AN. Methods: One patient with AN and eight unaffected individuals from a Chinese family were enrolled in this study. A comprehensive clinical evaluation was performed on all participants. A targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of a total of 406 known deafness genes was performed to screen the potential pathogenic variants in the proband. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the variants identified in all participants. The pathogenicity of variant was predicted by bioinformatics analysis. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses were performed to evaluate the subcellular distribution and expression of the wild type (WT) and mutant AIFM1 proteins. Cell apoptosis was evaluated based on the TUNEL analyses. Results: Based on the clinical evaluations, the proband in this family was diagnosed with AN. The results of NGS and Sanger sequencing showed that a novel missense mutation of AIFM1, i.e., c.1367A > G (p. D456G), was identified in this family. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that this variant was pathogenic. Functional analysis showed that in comparison with the WT, the mutation c.1367A > G of AIFM1 showed no effect on its subcellular localization and the ability to induce apoptosis, but changed its protein expression level. Conclusion: A novel variant of AIFM1 was identified for the first time, which was probably the genetic cause of AN in a Chinese family with AN.
Prenatal exposure to alcohol: mechanisms of cerebral vascular damage and lifelong consequences

Alcohol is a well-known teratogen, and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) leads to a greater incidence of many cardiovascular-related pathologies. Alcohol negatively impacts vasculogenesis and angiogenesis in the developing fetal brain, resulting in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Ample preclinical evidence indicates that the normal reactivity of cerebral resistance arterioles, which regulate blood flow distribution in response to metabolic demand (neurovascular coupling), is impaired by PAE. This impairment of dilation of cerebral arteries may carry implications for the susceptibility of the brain to cerebral ischemic damage well into adulthood. The focus of this review is to consolidate findings from studies examining the influence of PAE on vascular development, give insights into relevant pathological mechanisms at the vascular level, evaluate the risks of ethanol-driven alterations of cerebrovascular reactivity, and revisit different preventive interventions that may have promise in reversing vascular changes in preclinical FASD models.
17 b -Estradiol inhibits 11 b -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 activity in rodent adipocytes

17 b -Estradiol (E 2 ) serves as an anti-obesity steroid; however, the mechanism underlying this effect has not been fully clariﬁed. The effect of E 2 on adipocytes opposes that of glucocorticoids, which potentiate adipogenesis and anabolic lipid metabolism. The key to the intracellular activation of glucocorticoid in adipocytes is 11 b -hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11 b -HSD1), which catalyses the production of active glucocorticoids (cortisol in humans and corticosterone in rodents) from inactive 11-keto steroids (cortisone in humans and 11-dehydro-corticosterone in rodents). Using differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we showed that E 2 inhibited 11 b -HSD1 activity. Estrogen receptor (ER) antagonists, ICI-182 780 and tamoxifen, failed to reverse this inhibition. A signiﬁcant inhibitory effect of E 2 on 11 b -HSD1 activity was observed within 5–10 min. Furthermore, acetylation or a -epimerization of 17-hydroxy group of E 2 attenuated the inhibitory effect on 11 b -HSD1. These results indicate that the inhibition of 11 b -HSD1 by E 2 depends on neither an ER-dependent route, transcriptional pathway nor non-speciﬁc fashion. Hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, which provides the cofactor NADPH for full activation of 11 b -HSD1, was unaffected by E 2 . A kinetic study revealed that E 2 acted as a non-competitive inhibitor of 11 b -HSD1. The inhibitory effect of E 2 on 11 b -HSD1 was reproduced in adipocytes isolated from rat mesenteric fat depots. This is the ﬁrst demonstration that E 2 inhibits 11 b -HSD1, thereby providing a novel insight into the anti-obesity mechanism of estrogen. and antibiotics in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS, GIBCO). Differentiation was completed by incubation with 1 m g/ml insulin for an additional 3 days in DMEM with 10% FBS and antibiotics. From day 6 onward, cells were fed DMEM containing 10% FBS and antibiotics. More than 95% of cells were transformed into adipocytes, as evaluated by the detection of lipid droplets by phase contrast microscopy and oil-red O staining (data not shown). This population was referred to as ‘3T3-L1 adipocytes’.
Solar neutrinos as a probe of dark matter-neutrino interactions

Sterile neutrinos at the eV scale have long been studied in the context of anomalies in short baseline neutrino experiments. Their cosmology can be made compatible with our understanding of the early Universe provided the sterile neutrino sector enjoys a nontrivial dynamics with exotic interactions, possibly providing a link to the Dark Matter (DM) puzzle. Interactions between DM and neutrinos have also been proposed to address the long-standing "missing satellites" problem in the field of large scale structure formation. Motivated by these considerations, in this paper we discuss realistic scenarios with light steriles coupled to DM . We point out that within this framework active neutrinos acquire an effective coupling to DM that manifests itself as a new matter potential in the propagation within a medium of asymmetric DM . Assuming that at least a small fraction of asymmetric DM has been captured by the Sun, we show that a sizable region of the parameter space of these scenarios can be probed by solar neutrino experiments, especially in the regime of small couplings and light mediators where all other probes become inefficient. In the latter regime these scenarios behave as familiar 3+1 models in all channels except for solar data, where a Solar Dark MSW effect takes place. Solar Dark MSW is characterized by modifications of the most energetic 8B and CNO neutrinos, whereas the other fluxes remain largely unaffected.
The population of TeV pulsar wind nebulae in the H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Survey

The nine-year H.E. S.S. Galactic Plane Survey (HGPS) yielded the most uniform observation scan of the inner Milky Way in the TeV gamma-ray band to date. The sky maps and source catalogue of the HGPS allow for a systematic study of the population of TeV pulsar wind nebulae found throughout the last decade. To investigate the nature and evolution of pulsar wind nebulae, for the first time we also present several upper limits for regions around pulsars without a detected TeV wind nebula. Our data exhibit a correlation of TeV surface brightness with pulsar spin-down power E˙. This seems to be caused both by an increase of extension with decreasing E˙, and hence with time, compatible with a power law RPWN(E˙)∼E˙−0.65±0.20, and by a mild decrease of TeV gamma-ray luminosity with decreasing E˙, compatible with L1−10TeV∼E˙0.59±0.21. We also find that the offsets of pulsars with respect to the wind nebula centres with ages around 10 kyr are frequently larger than can be plausibly explained by pulsar proper motion and could be due to an asymmetric environment. In the present data, it seems that a large pulsar offset is correlated with a high apparent TeV efficiency L1−10TeV/E˙. In addition to 14 HGPS sources considered as firmly identified pulsar wind nebulae and 5 additional pulsar wind nebulae taken from literature, we find 10 HGPS sources that form likely TeV pulsar wind nebula candidates. Using a model that subsumes the present common understanding of the very high-energy radiative evolution of pulsar wind nebulae, we find that the trends and variations of the TeV observables and limits can be reproduced to a good level, drawing a consistent picture of present-day TeV data and theory.
The Multi-instrument (EVE-RHESSI) DEM for Solar Flares, and Implications for Nonthermal Emission

Solar flare X-ray spectra are typically dominated by thermal bremsstrahlung emission in the soft X-ray (≲10 keV) energy range; for hard X-ray energies (≳30 keV), emission is typically nonthermal from beams of electrons. The low-energy extent of nonthermal emission has only been loosely quantified. It has been difficult to obtain a lower limit for a possible nonthermal cutoff energy due to the significantly dominant thermal emission. Here we use solar flare data from the extreme ultraviolet Variability Experiment on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory and X-ray data from the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Spectroscopic Imager to calculate the Differential Emission Measure (DEM). This improvement over the isothermal approximation and any single-instrument DEM helps to resolve ambiguities in the range where thermal and nonthermal emission overlap, and to provide constraints on the low-energy cutoff. In the model, thermal emission is from a DEM that is parameterized as multiple Gaussians in Log(T). Nonthermal emission results from a photon spectrum obtained using a thick-target emission model. Spectra for both instruments are fit simultaneously in a self-consistent manner. Our results have been obtained using a sample of 52 large (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite X- and M-class) solar flares observed between 2011 and 2013. It turns out that it is often possible to determine low-energy cutoffs early (in the first two minutes) during large flares. Cutoff energies at these times are typically low, less than 10 keV, when assuming coronal abundances. With photospheric abundances, cutoff energies are typically ∼10 keV higher, in the ∼17–25 keV range.
Molecular-dynamics simulations of the thermal glass transition in polymer melts: α-relaxation behavior

We present molecular-dynamics simulations of the thermal glass transition in a dense model polymer liquid. We performed a comparative study of both constant volume and constant pressure cooling of the polymer melt. Great emphasis was laid on a careful equilibration of the dense polymer melt at all studied temperatures. Our model introduces competing length scales in the interaction to prevent any crystallization tendency. In this first manuscript we analyze the structural properties as a function of temperature and the long time or \ensuremath{\alpha}-relaxation behavior as observed in the dynamic structure factor and the self-diffusion of the polymer chains. The \ensuremath{\alpha} relaxation can be consistently analyzed in terms of the mode coupling theory of the glass transition. The mode coupling critical temperature ${T}_{c},$ and the exponent \ensuremath{\gamma} defining the power law divergence of the \ensuremath{\alpha}-relaxation time scale, both depend on the thermodynamic ensemble employed in the simulation.
Decomposition of Resonant Scatterers by Surfaces of Section

Abstract Scattering on the energy shell is viewed here as the relation between the bound states of the Hamiltonian, restricted to sections on leads that are asymptotically independent, far away from the interaction region. The decomposition is achieved by sectioning this region and adding new leads, thus generating two new scatterers, so a resonant scatterer, whose S matrix has sharp energy peaks, can be resolved into a pair of scatterers with smooth energy dependence. The resonant behaviour is concentrated in a spectral determinant obtained from a dissipative section map. The semiclassical limit of this theory coincides with the orbit resummation previously proposed by Georgeot and Pranges (Phys. Rev. Lett.74, 4110 (1995)). A numerical example for a semiseparable scatterer is investigated, revealing the accurate portrayal of the Wigner time delay by the spectral determinant.
Cover illustration: vortex structure of Euler collapse

This year’s cover illustration, reproduced here as ﬁgure 1, is of vortex structure in an inviscid Euler calculation of anti-parallel vortex ﬁlaments at time t D 17, showing evidence for a singularity in a ﬁnite time T D 18 . 7 [1]. One half of one of the anti-parallel vortices is shown cut through the symmetry plane of maximum vorticity. The image vortex is below the lower dividing plane. The remnants of the original vortex tube are indicated by the upper part of the isosurface, but all parts of this ﬂow are strongly deformed by the singular dynamics.Newanalysis suggests three regions. First, an inner region of bright curved contour lines within the lower left corner of the isosurface plot. This contains the maximum vorticity and collapses in size as ρ i (cid:24) (T − t) . Next, an intermediate region collapsing with two length scales that is bounded by the isosurface and participates fully in the singular dynamics. Finally, an outer helical region shown by vortex lines that originate from within the isosurface. The outer region does not seem to participate in the singular dynamics, but probably plays a crucial role in the reconnection that occurs immediately after this time when viscosity is added. The two length scales of the intermediate region are the width and extent of the deformed isosurface structure. From analysis of either the thickness of the tail on the right or the thickness of the bright contours extending up the left edge of the isosurface the width goes as ρ c (cid:24) (T − t) . The maximum distance of the edges of the isosurface in any direction from the bright contours in the lower left gives an extent that goes as r (cid:24) p T − t . From fully three-dimensional perspective the vorticity within the isosurface can be imagined as an elogated cone with a blunt tip and the vorticity concentrated along its outer surface.
Real-time profile of microcantilevers for sensing applications

An optical readout technique has been developed for real-time monitoring of the profile of microcantilever arrays for sensing applications. The technique is based on the automated two-dimensional scanning of a laser beam by using voice-coil actuators. Cantilever profiles are obtained with subnanometer resolution and a processing speed of about ten cantilevers per second. The technique is applied for real-time monitoring of the adsorption of the alkylthiol mercaptohexanol in an aqueous environment by using an array of five microcantilevers. Molecular adsorption produces a cantilever strain that significantly differs from the Stoney’s model. Main strain changes are strongly located near the cantilever clamping.
A New Approach to Convective Core Overshooting: Probabilistic Constraints from Color–Magnitude Diagrams of LMC Clusters

We present a framework to simultaneously constrain the values and uncertainties of the strength of convective core overshooting, metallicity, extinction, distance, and age in stellar populations. We then apply the framework to archival Hubble Space Telescope observations of six stellar clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud that have reported ages between . Assuming a canonical value of the strength of core convective overshooting, we recover the well-known age–metallicity correlation, and additional correlations between metallicity and extinction and metallicity and distance. If we allow the strength of core overshooting to vary, we find that for intermediate-aged stellar clusters, the measured values of distance and extinction are negligibly effected by uncertainties of core overshooting strength. However, cluster age and metallicity may have disconcertingly large systematic shifts when is allowed to vary by more than . Using the six stellar clusters, we combine their posterior distribution functions to obtain the most probable core overshooting value, , which is in line with canonical values.
The unsteady expansion and contraction of a long two-dimensional vapour bubble between superheated or subcooled parallel plates

In an attempt to model the growth and collapse of a vapour bubble in nucleate boiling this paper investigates the unsteady expansion and contraction of a long two-dimensional vapour bubble confined between superheated or subcooled parallel plates whose motion is driven by mass-transfer effects due to evaporation from the liquid to the vapour and condensation from the vapour to the liquid. It is shown that in the asymptotic limit of strong surface tension (small capillary number) the solution consists of two capillary-statics regions (in which the bubble interface is semicircular at leading order) and two thin films attached to the plates, connected by appropriate transition regions. This generalization of the steady and isothermal problem addressed by Bretherton (1961) has a number of interesting physical and mathematical features. Unlike in Bretherton's problem, the bubble does not translate but can change in size. Furthermore, the thin films are neither spatially nor temporally uniform and may dry out locally, possibly breaking up into disconnected patches of liquid. Furthermore, there is a complicated nonlinear coupling with a delay character between the profiles of the thin films and the overall expansion or contraction of the bubble which means that the velocity with which the bubble expands or contracts is typically not monotonic. This coupling is investigated for three different combinations of thermal boundary conditions and two simple initial thin-film profiles. It is found that when both plates are superheated equally the bubble always expands, and depending on the details of the initial thin-film profiles, this expansion may either continue indefinitely or stop in a finite time. When both plates are subcooled equally the bubble always contracts, and the length of the thin-film region always approaches zero asymptotically. When one plate is superheated and the other subcooled with equal magnitude the bubble may either expand or contract initially, but eventually the bubble always contracts just as in the pure-condensation case.
PVLAS experiment: some astrophysical consequences

The birefringent effects of photon-pseudo-scalar boson (Goldstone) particle mixing in intergalactic magnetic field are calculated for cosmological objects. We use the recent results of PVLAS collaboration that reported recently the observation of a rotation of the polarization plane of light propagating through a transverse static magnetic field. Such result was interpreted as. arising due to conversion of photon into pseudo-scalar with coupling strength g aγ ∼ 4 x 10 -6 GeV -1 . This result contradicts to data of stellar evolution that excluded standard axion model and seems to claim existence of supersymmetry (SUSY) pseudo-scalars. We estimate the intergalactic magnetic field magnitude as ∼10 -16 G based on Hatsemekers et al. observations of extreme-scale alignments of quasar polarization vectors. We analysed some additional results of astronomical observations that could be explained by axion interpretation of the PVLAS data: a sharp steepening of the quasi-stellar object (QSO) continuum shortward of ≃ 1100 A, observed circular polarization of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and QSOs, discrepancy between observed intrinsic polarization of stars in the Local Bubble and stellar spectral classification. The observed polarization of stars in the Local Bubble cannot be explained by interstellar origin.
The cosmic snap parameter in f(R) gravity

We derive the expression for the snap parameter in f(R) gravity. We use the Palatini variational principle to obtain the field equations and regard the Einstein conformal frame as physical. We predict the present-day value of the snap parameter for the particular case f(R) = R − const/R, which is the simplest f(R) model explaining the current acceleration of the universe.
Single-hole dynamics in the half-filled two-dimensional Kondo-Hubbard model

We consider the Kondo lattice model in two dimensions at half filling. In addition to the Fermionic hopping integral t and the superexchange coupling J the role of a Coulomb repulsion U in the conduction band is investigated. We find the model to display a magnetic order-disorder transition in the U-J plane with a critical value of J c which is decreasing as a function of U. The single-particle spectral function A(k,ω) is computed across this transition. For all values of J>0, and apart from shadow features present in the ordered state, A(k,ω) remains insensitive to the magnetic phase transition with the first low-energy hole states residing at momenta k=(′π,′π). As J →0 the model maps onto the Hubbard Hamiltonian. Only in this limit does the low-energy spectral weight at k=(′π,′π) vanish such that the lowest energy hole states reside at wave vectors on the magnetic Brillouin-zone boundary. Thus we conclude that (i) the local screening of impurity spins determines the low-energy behavior of the spectral function and (ii) one cannot deform continuously the spectral function of the half-filled Hubbard model at J = 0 to that of the Kondo insulator at J>J c . Our results are based on both TO Quantum Monte-Carlo simulations and a bond-operator mean-field theory.