Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Be stars in and around young clusters in the Magellanic Clouds

We present the results of a search for Be stars in six elds centered on the young clusters NGC 330 and NGC 346 in the SMC, and NGC 1818, NGC 1948, NGC 2004 and NGC 2100 in the LMC. Be stars were iden- tied by dierencing R band and narrow-band H CCD images. Our comparatively large images provide substan- tial Be star populations both within the clusters and in their surrounding elds. Magnitudes, positions and nding charts are given for the 224 Be stars found. The fraction of Be stars to normal B stars within each cluster is found to vary signicantly although the average ratio is similar to the average Be to B star ratio found in the Galaxy. In some clusters, the Be star population is weighted to mag- nitudes near the main sequence turn-o. The Be stars are redder in V I than normal main-sequence stars of similar magnitude and the redness increases with increasing H emission strength.
Improving fatigue performance of CFRP strengthened steel beams by applying vacuum pressure in the wet layup of CFRP woven sheets

Multiple layers of CFRP woven sheets are generally laminated through a wet layup process with epoxies being evenly distributed in each layer of CFRP sheets. Although attempts were made by researchers to evenly distribute epoxy resin in CFRP layers, the bonding quality is not easily controlled. Air bubbles or excessive epoxy resin may exist in hardened CFRP composites. As a result, the bonding strength may be affected. For the two types of CFRP materials that are commonly used in the strengthening of defected steel structures, CFRP woven sheets are required for curved sections, such as truck chassis and circular sections. The difference in the layup process of CFRP plates and CFRP sheets may contribute to the difference in fatigue life of repaired steel members. In this study, a vacuum bag was used to provide a negative pressure to suck out excessive epoxy resins and air bubbles during the wet layup process. The failure modes and fatigue life of steel beams strengthened with and without vacuum bags were compared. An increase in fatigue life was found to be ranging from 50% to nearly 4 times.
Experimental Measurements and Mathematical Modeling of Cytosolic Ca2+ Signatures upon Elicitation by Penta-N-acetylchitopentaose Oligosaccharides in Nicotiana tabacum Cell Cultures

Plants have developed sophisticated recognition systems for different kinds of pathogens. Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) can induce various defense mechanisms, e.g., the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as an early event. Plant defense reactions are initiated by a signal transduction cascade involving the release of calcium ions (Ca2+) from both external and internal stores to the plant cytoplasm. This work focuses on the analysis of cytosolic Ca2+ signatures, experimentally and theoretically. Cytosolic Ca2+ signals were measured in Nicotiana tabacum plant cell cultures after elicitation with penta-N-acetylchitopentaose oligosaccharides (Ch5). In order to allow a mathematical simulation of the elicitor-triggered Ca2+ release, the Li and Rinzel model was adapted to the situation in plants. The main features of the Ca2+ response, like the specific shape of the Ca2+ transient and the dose-response relationship, could be reproduced very well. Repeated elicitation of the same cell culture revealed a refractory behavior with respect to the Ca2+ transients for this condition. Detailed analysis of the obtained data resulted in further modifications of the mathematical model, allowing a predictive simulation of Ch5-induced Ca2+ transients. The promising results may contribute to a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing plant defense.
Joint IQ imbalance and PA nonlinearity pre-distortion for highly integrated millimeter-wave transmitters

Due to the demands for high data rate and high energy efficiency, Millimeter-Wave (mmWave) communication systems have drawn a lot of attention recently. The mmWave transceivers are usually highly integrated but have severe RF impairments. Thus, to design pre-distortion schemes, it is difficult to pre-distort each RF component separately. In this paper, we consider joint IQ (In-phase and Quadrature) imbalance and PA (Power Amplifier) nonlinearity pre-distortion designs for mmWave transmitters. In the designs, we treat the transmitter as a whole and only process the baseband input and PA output. We propose two methods, one is the two-step design, where the IQ imbalance and PA nonlinearity are pre-distorted in two-steps with a unified training structure. The other is the one-step design, where we first derive the model that can jointly characterize IQ imbalance and PA nonlinearity, then one block is used to pre-distort the both. We also show that decreasing the number of coefficients properly can decrease the computational complexity without significant loss in performance.
Mitotic delay in lymphocytes from BRCA 1 heterozygotes unable to reduce the radiation-induced DNA damage

Ionizing radiation (IR) mainly induces base damage (BD) and singleand double-strand breaks (SSB, DSB) in DNA. Between them, DSB are critical lesions involved in the formation of chromosome aberrations. As response to DNA damage, the cell has mechanisms of repair and cell-cycle control to maintain the genome integrity. BRCA1 is a tumor-suppressor gene; mutations of this gene are related to an elevated predisposition to develop breast cancer. The product of BRCA1 interacts with other tumorsuppressor genes, oncogenes, transcriptional activators and repressors, DNA-damage checkpoint components, cell-cycle regulators and ubiquitylation factors. In the present study an evaluation of the radioinduced damage in G2-phase of the cell cycle in lymphocytes from BRCA1 heterozygotes is presented. For this purpose Calyculin-A based premature chromosome condensation (PCC) combined with mitotic arrest has been applied to examine with conventional cytogenetics the damage in G2 and M phase cells, and to evaluate the G2-to-M phase transition. Irradiated peripheral blood lymphocytes from 7 heterozygote females (BRCA1) and 7 control females (BRCA1) have been analyzed. The mean proportion of G2 cells in BRCA1 was 85.4 ± 3.6, significantly higher than the observed in BRCA1 71.9 ± 3.0 (p<0.01), indicating a higher mitotic delay after IR exposure in cells from BRCA1 females. On the other hand, whereas the mean frequency of chromatid breaks (chtb) in G2 cells was not statististically different between both groups (2.56 ± 0.36 and 3.02 ± 0.80, in BRCA1 and BRCA1 respectively), the mean frequency of chtb in M cells was significantly higher in the BRCA1 group than in the BRCA1 one (2.07 ± 0.24 vs 1.69 ± 0.25; p<0.03). Moreover, the mean proportion of M cells with aberrations was significantly higher in BRCA1 than in BRCA1 (79.3 ± 2.3 vs 70.1 ± 5.5; p<0.01) suggesting that in spite of the higher mitotic delay of BRCA1 more damaged cells are able to pass the G2-to-M transition.
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in aqueous humor of primary open angle glaucoma

Purpose: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a macrophage/monocyte derived pluripotent cytokine is associated with tissue ischemia, neuronal damage and remodeling. The physiological level of TNF-α in aqueous humor of normal and glaucomatous eyes is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the TNF-α levels in aqueous in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and compared them to controls. Methods: 50–100 μL of undiluted aqueous humor samples were obtained from eyes of 32 POAG patients who underwent cataract extraction, trabeculectomy or aqueous shunt implantation. Controls were obtained from 32 normal subjects who underwent routine cataract surgery. TNF-α levels were quantified using singleplex bead immunoassay analysis. Results: The average TNF-α level in POAG samples was 2.72 ± 1.5 pg/mL (mean ± SD). The average TNF-α level in normal samples was 1.59 ± 0.46 pg/mL (mean ± SD). Significant increase of TNF-α levels in POAG samples was noted in comparison to normal samples (P < 0.001). Conclusion: TNF-α levels are elevated in aqueous in patients with POAG compared to normal subjects based on highly sensitive Luminex® bead immunoassay and may be a reliable biomarker in the progression of glaucoma.
Experiments in Graphene and Plasmonics

Graphene nanoribbons, graphene based optical sensors, and grating based plasmonics are explored experimentally. Graphene nanoribbons exhibit highly insulating states that may allow for graphene based digital applications. We investigate the sensitivity of these states to local charged impurities in ultra high vacuum. We look into the possibility of isolating two-dimensional films of H-BN and BSCCO, and test for any interesting phenomena. We also assess graphene’s applicability for optical sensing by implementing a new style of spectral detector. Utilizing surface plasmon excitations nearby a graphene field-effect transistor we are able to produce a detector with wavelength sensitivity and selectivity in the visible range. Finally, we study another plasmonic phenomenon, and observe the resonant enhancement of diffraction into a symmetry-prohibited order in silver gratings.
Fat Grafting to the Breast Revisited: Safety and Efficacy

Background: A 1987 American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons position paper predicted that fat grafting would compromise breast cancer detection and should therefore be prohibited. However, there is no evidence that fat grafting to breasts is less safe than any other form of breast surgery. As discussions of fat grafting to the breast are surfacing all over the world, it is time to reexamine the opinions of the 1987 American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons position paper. Methods: This is a retrospective examination of 17 breast procedures performed using fat grafting from 1995 to 2000. Indications included micromastia, postaugmentation deformity, tuberous breast deformity, Poland's syndrome, and postmastectomy reconstruction deformities. The technique used was the Coleman method of fat grafting, which attempts to minimize trauma and place grafted fat in small aliquots at many levels. Results: All women had a significant improvement in their breast size and/or shape postoperatively and all had breasts that were soft and natural in appearance and feel. Postoperative mammograms identified changes one would expect after any breast procedure. Conclusions: Given these results and reports of other plastic surgeons, free fat grafting should be considered as an alternative or adjunct to breast augmentation and reconstruction procedures. It is time to end the discrimination created by the 1987 position paper and judge fat grafting to the breast with the same caution and enthusiasm as any other useful breast procedure.
Chemical Reactions as $\Gamma$-Limit of Diffusion

We study the limit of high activation energy of a special Fokker-Planck equation known as the Kramers-Smoluchowski equation (KS). This equation governs the time evolution of the probability density of a particle performing a Brownian motion under the influence of a chemical potential $H/\varepsilon$. We choose $H$ having two wells corresponding to two chemical states $A$ and $B$. We prove that after a suitable rescaling the solution to the KS converges, in the limit of high activation energy ($\varepsilon\to0$), to the solution of a simpler system modeling the spatial diffusion of $A$ and $B$ combined with the reaction $A\rightleftharpoons B$. With this result we give a rigorous proof of Kramers's formal derivation, and we show how chemical reactions and diffusion processes can be embedded in a common framework. This allows one to derive a chemical reaction as a singular limit of a diffusion process, thus establishing a connection between two worlds often regarded as separate. The proof rests on two main ingredients. One is the formulation of the two disparate equations as evolution equations for measures. The second is a variational formulation of both equations that allows us to use the tools of variational calculus and, specifically, $\Gamma$-convergence.
Accounting for interrupt handling costs in dynamic priority task systems

In order to apply the results of formal studies of real-time task models, a practitioner must account for the effects of phenomena present in the implementation but not present in the formal model. We study the feasibility and schedulability problems for periodic tasks that must compete for the processor with interrupt handlers - tasks that are assumed to always have priority over application tasks. The emphasis in the analysis is on deadline driven scheduling methods. We develop conditions that solve the feasibility and schedulability problems and demonstrate that our solutions are computationally feasible. Lastly, we compare our analysis with others developed for static priority task systems. <<ETX>>
Large-Scale Analysis of Acute Ethanol Exposure in Zebrafish Development: A Critical Time Window and Resilience

Background In humans, ethanol exposure during pregnancy causes a spectrum of developmental defects (fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS). Individuals vary in phenotypic expression. Zebrafish embryos develop FAS-like features after ethanol exposure. In this study, we ask whether stage-specific effects of ethanol can be identified in the zebrafish, and if so, whether they allow the pinpointing of sensitive developmental mechanisms. We have therefore conducted the first large-scale (>1500 embryos) analysis of acute, stage-specific drug effects on zebrafish development, with a large panel of readouts. Methodology/Principal Findings Zebrafish embryos were raised in 96-well plates. Range-finding indicated that 10% ethanol for 1 h was suitable for an acute exposure regime. High-resolution magic-angle spinning proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that this produced a transient pulse of 0.86% concentration of ethanol in the embryo within the chorion. Survivors at 5 days postfertilisation were analysed. Phenotypes ranged from normal (resilient) to severely malformed. Ethanol exposure at early stages caused high mortality (≥88%). At later stages of exposure, mortality declined and malformations developed. Pharyngeal arch hypoplasia and behavioral impairment were most common after prim-6 and prim-16 exposure. By contrast, microphthalmia and growth retardation were stage-independent. Conclusions Our findings show that some ethanol effects are strongly stage-dependent. The phenotypes mimic key aspects of FAS including craniofacial abnormality, microphthalmia, growth retardation and behavioral impairment. We also identify a critical time window (prim-6 and prim-16) for ethanol sensitivity. Finally, our identification of a wide phenotypic spectrum is reminiscent of human FAS, and may provide a useful model for studying disease resilience.
MANTICORE: A framework for partitioning software services for hybrid cloud

Hybrid cloud deployment can be an attractive option for companies wanting to deploy software services on scalable public clouds, while still assuming local control over sensitive data resources. A hybrid deployment, despite providing better control, is difficult to design since code must be partitioned and distributed efficiently between public and private premises. This paper describes our research into automated partitioning of software services for hybrid clouds. We have identified two specific shortfalls of existing partitioning research which are important to a hybrid cloud setting: (i) inflexibility in placement of software function execution between public/private hosts and (ii) no support for making explicit tradeoffs between monetary cost and performance. We propose a new software profiling and partitioning framework (called MANTICORE) which addresses these problems. Experiments on an open-source Web application show that the new approach ensures better performance without increasing costs.
Biophysics, environmental stochasticity, and the evolution of thermal safety margins in intertidal limpets

Summary As the air temperature of the Earth rises, ecological relationships within a community might shift, in part due to differences in the thermal physiology of species. Prediction of these shifts – an urgent task for ecologists – will be complicated if thermal tolerance itself can rapidly evolve. Here, we employ a mechanistic approach to predict the potential for rapid evolution of thermal tolerance in the intertidal limpet Lottia gigantea. Using biophysical principles to predict body temperature as a function of the state of the environment, and an environmental bootstrap procedure to predict how the environment fluctuates through time, we create hypothetical time-series of limpet body temperatures, which are in turn used as a test platform for a mechanistic evolutionary model of thermal tolerance. Our simulations suggest that environmentally driven stochastic variation of L. gigantea body temperature results in rapid evolution of a substantial ‘safety margin’: the average lethal limit is 5–7°C above the average annual maximum temperature. This predicted safety margin approximately matches that found in nature, and once established is sufficient, in our simulations, to allow some limpet populations to survive a drastic, century-long increase in air temperature. By contrast, in the absence of environmental stochasticity, the safety margin is dramatically reduced. We suggest that the risk of exceeding the safety margin, rather than the absolute value of the safety margin, plays an underappreciated role in the evolution of thermal tolerance. Our predictions are based on a simple, hypothetical, allelic model that connects genetics to thermal physiology. To move beyond this simple model – and thereby potentially to predict differential evolution among populations and among species – will require significant advances in our ability to translate the details of thermal histories into physiological and population-genetic consequences.
Revising Beliefs about the Merit of Unconscious Thought: Evidence in Favor of the Null Hypothesis

Claims that a period of distraction—designed to promote unconscious thought—improves decisions relative to a period of conscious deliberation are as multifarious as they are controversial. We reviewed 16 experimental studies from two labs, across a range of tasks (multi-attribute choice, creativity, moral dilemmas), only one of which found any significant advantages for unconscious thought. The results of each study were analyzed using Bayesian t tests. Unlike traditional significance tests, these tests allow an assessment of the evidence for the null hypothesis—in this case, no difference between conscious and unconscious thought. This is done by computing the likelihood ratio (or Bayes factor), which compares the probability of the data given the null against the probability of the data given a distribution of plausible alternate hypotheses. Almost without exception, the probability of the data given the null exceeded that for the alternate distribution. A Bayesian t test for the average effect size acr.
Variable-depth adaptive large meighbourhood search algorithm for Open Periodic Vehicle Routing Problem with time windows

The Open Periodic Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (OPVRPTW) is a practical transportation routing and scheduling problem arising from real-world scenarios. It shares some common features with some classic VRP variants. The problem has a tightly constrained large-scale solution space and requires well balanced diversification and intensification in search. In Variable Depth Neighbourhood Search, large neighbourhood depth prevents the search from trapping into local optima prematurely, while small depth provides thorough exploitation in local areas. Considering the multi-dimensional solution structure and tight constraints in OPVRPTW, a Variable-Depth Adaptive Large Neighbourhood Search (VD-ALNS) algorithm is proposed in this paper. Contributions of four tailored destroy operators and three repair operators at variable depths are investigated. Comparing to existing methods, VD-ALNS makes a good trade-off between exploration and exploitation, and produces promising results on both small and large size benchmark instances.
Classification of New Zealand Synoptic Weather Types and Relation to the Southern Oscillation Index

Obliquely rotated T-mode principal component analysis has been applied to the NCEP/NCAR geopotential height reanalysis data for winter months from 1958 to 1996 over the New Zealand region. A new set of ten representative weather types were identified, with two being the most dominant. The temporal characteristics of the ten synoptic weather types were anlayzed in relation to different phases of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). While weather type-local meteorology relationships were consistent over time, the frequency of some weather types changed significantly with the SOI phases. In general, and relative to “normal” conditions, the frequency changes in El Nino years tended to be more significant than in La Nina episodes.
In depth comparative phenotyping of blood innate myeloid leukocytes from healthy humans and macaques using mass cytometry

Comparative immune‐profiling of innate responses in humans and non‐human primates is important to understand the pathogenesis of infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases as well as for the preclinical development of vaccines and immune therapies. However, direct comparisons of the two species are rare and were never performed using mass cytometry. Here, whole‐blood‐derived leukocytes from healthy humans and cynomolgus macaques were analyzed with mass cytometry. Two similar panels of around 30 monoclonal antibodies targeting human markers associated with innate myeloid cells to stain fixed human and macaque leukocytes were constructed. To compare the circulating innate cells from the two primate species, an analysis pipeline combining a clustering analysis by the Spanning‐tree Progression Analysis of Density‐normalized Events (SPADE) algorithm with a two‐step hierarchical clustering of cells nodes and markers was used. Identical SPADE settings were applied to both datasets, except for the 20 clustering markers which slightly differed. A correlation analysis designed to compare the phenotypes of human and macaque cell nodes and based on 16 markers, including 15 shared clustering markers and CD19 for humans or CD20 for macaques, revealed similarities and differences between staining patterns. This study unique by the number of individuals (26 humans and 5 macaques) and the use of mass cytometry certainly contributes to better assess the advantages and limits of the use of non‐human primates in preclinical research. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Predictors of Disability and Pain Six Months After the End of Treatment for Fibromyalgia

ObjectivesThe goal of this study was to identify factors associated with decreased disability and lower pain scores 6 months after a multimodal treatment program for fibromyalgia (FM). MethodsForty-six patients with FM were assessed after having participated in a 3-month outpatient program integrating physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and cognitive-behavior therapy. A physician examined the patients before treatment and patients who completed a battery of psychosocial questionnaires at baseline, during treatment, at the end of treatment, and 3 and 6 months after the end of treatment. Two separate multivariable linear regression models were built to identify predictors of improvements in disability and pain. ResultsTwo predictors for improvement in disability were found: an increase in self-efficacy for pain during treatment and better general adherence during treatment. Similarly, one predictor for improvement in pain intensity was found: an increase in self-efficacy for pain during treatment. DiscussionSelf-efficacy and adherence are 2 modifiable factors that influence disability and pain intensity in FM. These psychosocial factors need to be addressed in FM treatment programs to assist patients in maintaining posttreatment improvements.