Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Warm Molecular Gas in Dwarf Starburst Galaxies: CO(3-2) Observations

Eight dwarf starburst galaxies have been observed with the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory telescope in the CO J = 3–2 transition. The galaxies observed are He 2-10, NGC 5253, 1569, and 3077, Haro 2, Haro 3, II Zw 40, and Mrk 86; all but the last two are detected. The central regions of He 2-10 and NGC 5253 were mapped and a CO(2–1) spectrum of NGC 5253 was obtained. The error-weighted mean CO(3–2)/CO(1–0) ratio of the detected galaxies is 0.60 ± 0.06, which is virtually identical to that found for starbursts in the nuclei of nearby spirals and suggests that the molecular gas is optically thick, warm (Tk > 20 K), and moderately dense (n ∼ 103–104 cm-3). The CO(3–2)/CO(1–0) ratio peaks at or close to the starburst in all cases. CO emission does not appear to be optically thin in these dwarfs, despite the low metallicity and intense radiation fields, probably because for CO to exist in detectable amounts it must be self-shielding and hence optically thick. Physical properties of the molecular clouds in these dwarf starbursts appear to be essentially the same as those in nearby spiral nuclei, with the possible exception that CO is more confined to the cloud cores.
Time domain analysis of reflected impulse fields by artificial neural network

The impulse fields reflected from layered medium with losses are analyzed by artificial neural network in time domain directly. The normal incidence of plane wave with Gaussian time form on layered medium is considered. The reflected electromagnetic field is obtained by FDTD method. Initial data for neural network are the values of amplitude of electrical component of reflected field chosen with constant time step. As an example the network is trained to determine the thickness of one of the layers of the medium.
Effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Eating Plan on Cardiovascular Risks Among Type 2 Diabetic Patients

OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating pattern on cardiometabolic risks in type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A randomized crossover clinical trial was undertaken in 31 type 2 diabetic patients. For 8 weeks, participants were randomly assigned to a control diet or the DASH eating pattern. RESULTS After following the DASH eating pattern, body weight (P = 0.007) and waist circumference (P = 0.002) reduced significantly. Fasting blood glucose levels and A1C decreased after adoption of the DASH diet (−29.4 ± 6.3 mg/dl; P = 0.04 and −1.7 ± 0.1%; P = 0.04, respectively). After the DASH diet, the mean change for HDL cholesterol levels was higher (4.3 ± 0.9 mg/dl; P = 0.001) and LDL cholesterol was reduced (−17.2 ± 3.5 mg/dl; P = 0.02). Additionally, DASH had beneficial effects on systolic (−13.6 ± 3.5 vs. −3.1 ± 2.7 mmHg; P = 0.02) and diastolic blood pressure (−9.5 ± 2.6 vs. −0.7 ± 3.3 mmHg; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Among diabetic patients, the DASH diet had beneficial effects on cardiometabolic risks.
STELLAR AND MOLECULAR GAS KINEMATICS OF NGC 1097: INFLOW DRIVEN BY A NUCLEAR SPIRAL

We present spatially resolved distributions and kinematics of the stars and molecular gas in the central 320 pc of NGC 1097. The stellar continuum confirms the previously reported three-arm spiral pattern extending into the central 100 pc. The stellar kinematics and the gas distribution imply this is a shadowing effect due to extinction by gas and dust in the molecular spiral arms. The molecular gas kinematics show a strong residual (i.e., non-circular) velocity, which is manifested as a two-arm kinematic spiral. Linear models indicate that this is the line-of-sight velocity pattern expected for a density wave in gas that generates a three-arm spiral morphology. We estimate the inflow rate along the arms. Using hydrodynamical models of nuclear spirals, we show that when deriving the accretion rate into the central region, outflow in the disk plane between the arms has to be taken into account. For NGC 1097, despite the inflow rate along the arms being ∼ 1.2 M☉ yr−1, the net gas accretion rate to the central few tens of parsecs is much smaller. The numerical models indicate that the inflow rate could be as little as ∼ 0.06 M☉ yr−1. This is sufficient to generate recurring starbursts, similar in scale to that observed, every 20–150 Myr. The nuclear spiral represents a mechanism that can feed gas into the central parsecs of the galaxy, with the gas flow sustainable for timescales of a gigayear.
Dose response and kinetics of foci disappearance following exposure to high- and low-LET ionizing radiation

Purpose: The effect of different radiation qualities on (i) 53BP1 (p53 Binding Protein 1) and p-ATM (phosphorylated ataxia telangiectasia mutated) foci induction, and (ii) on the kinetics of foci disappearance was analysed. Material and methods: Normal human skin fibroblasts were exposed to 240 kV broad-field X-rays or targeted with individually counted helium (3He) particles or protons (1H) from a Charged Particle Microbeam. Anti-p-ATM and anti-53BP1 antibodies were used for foci visualisation via immunocytochemistry. Results: 1 Gy of X-rays yielded ≈ 33 53BP1-positive foci/cell. The ratio between the number of delivered particles and yielded tracks was found to be 1:1 and 3:1 after targeted 3He and 1H irradiation, respectively. It was determined that ≈ 50% of radiation-induced damage was repaired as measured by loss of foci during the first 2, 6, and 10 hours following X-ray, protons, and 3He irradiation, respectively. Conclusions: There was significant radiation quality dependence for 53BP1- and p-ATM-positive foci induction observed. Foci disappearance was radiation dose-independent in the samples irradiated with X-rays. Our results confirm that kinetics of foci disappearance depends on radiation quality, even when individual ions are targeted to cells.
Association Between Ambulatory 24-Hour Blood Pressure Levels and Brain Volume Reduction: A Cross-Sectional Elderly Population-Based Study

Previous literature has shown mixed results regarding the association between blood pressure levels and brain volume reduction. The objectives of this study were to determine whether high blood pressure levels were associated with focal brain volume reduction and whether high blood pressure-related focal brain volume reduction was associated with a decline in executive function performance. On the basis of a cross-sectional design, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements, as well as brain morphology from 3-dimensional magnetic resonance images, were assessed among 183 participants (mean, 65±0.6 years; 62.4% women). Average levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressures, as well as dip, pulse pressure, and mean arterial blood pressure, were used as outcomes. Cortical gray and white matter volumes were determined by automatic calculation using Statistical Parametric Mapping segmentation. Folstein’s Mini-Mental State Examination, digit span, part B of Trail Making, and Stroop tests were used to assess executive function performance. Sex, use of antihypertensive drugs, duration of hypertension, leukoaraiosis, body mass index, education level, and total brain matter volume were used as potential confounders. A significant blood pressure-related decrease in gray matter volume of the left supplementary motor areas (Brodmann area 6) and of the left superior and middle frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 8) was shown. No significant decrease was found with white matter volume. Blood pressure-related decreases in gray matter volume were significantly associated with a decline in executive function performance. The association of high blood pressure with brain volume reduction may in part explain blood pressure-related cognitive decline leading to dementia.
Overt visual attention for a humanoid robot

The goal of our research is to investigate the interplay between oculomotor control, visual processing, and limb control in humans and primates by exploring the computational issues of these processes with a biologically inspired artificial oculomotor system on an anthropomorphic robot. In this paper, we investigate the computational mechanisms for visual attention in such a system. Stimuli in the environment excite a dynamical neural network that implements a saliency map, i.e., a winner-take-all competition between stimuli while simultaneously smoothing out noise and suppressing irrelevant inputs. In real-time, this system computes new targets for the shift of gaze, executed by the head-eye system of the robot. The redundant degrees-of-freedom of the head-eye system are resolved through a learned inverse kinematics with optimization criterion. We also address important issues how to ensure that the coordinate system of the saliency map remains correct after movement of the robot. The presented attention system is built on principled modules and generally applicable for any sensory modality.
The Invisible Suffering: Sexual Coercion, Interpersonal Violence, and Mental Health - A Cross-Sectional Study among University Students in South-Western Uganda

Background Despite a history of conflicts and widespread human rights violation in sub-Saharan Africa, little is known about the prevalence of interpersonal violence among the population in this region. Evidence from high-income countries suggests that exposure to violence has mental health consequences and violence also has associations with experiences of sexual coercion. Aims This study sought to investigate the prevalence of physical and perceived threats of violence among university students in Uganda and to assess the possible relationship between such violence, sexual coercion, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and psychoticism, respectively. Method In 2005, 980 Ugandan university students responded to a self-administered questionnaire (response rate 80%) that assessed socio-demographic factors, social capital, importance of religion, mental health, experience of violence and sexual coercion, and sexual behaviour factors. Logistic regression analysis was applied as the main analytical tool. Results Of those who responded, 28% reported perceived threats/threats of violence and 10% exposure to actual physical violence over the previous 12 months, with no significant gender differences in exposure history. Exposure to violence was significantly associated with the experience of sexual coercion among both males and females. Sexual coercion and threats/threats of violence were both significantly associated with poor mental health in males and females, but only males showed a strong association between exposure to physical violence and poor mental health. Conclusion The current study suggests that in terms of general exposure, both males and females in the study population are equally exposed to sexual coercion and interpersonal violence, and both male and female students show generally similar mental health effects of exposure to such violence. The prevalence of interpersonal violence found in our study population may have long-term negative health implications. Our findings may serve as a baseline for interventions and continuing research aimed at preventing interpersonal violence.
A FUZZY LOGIC APPROACH TO SUPERVISED SEGMENTATION FOR OBJECT- ORIENTED CLASSIFICATION

Object-oriented classification has shown a great potential in the classification of very high resolution satellite images, such as QuickBird and Ikonos. In the object-oriented classification, object segmentation is a crucial process and it significantly influences the classification results. Current techniques heavily rely on the operator’s experience to find appropriate segmentation parameters for achieving an acceptable classification result, which is a labour intensive and time consuming work. The success of the classification often depends on the knowledge and expertise of the operator. This paper presents a fuzzy logic approach to the determination of suitable object segmentation parameters leading to an improved object-oriented classification result. To obtain a set of optimum object segmentation parameters, an initial segmentation needs to be applied to the input image at a finer scale for identifying object’s primitive segments. The primitive segments are then used to train the fuzzy logic system. After the training, a set of optimum segmentation parameters can be found by the fuzzy logic system, resulting in optimum classification results. This fuzzy logic approach also significantly increases the classicisation efficiency by reducing iterative, knowledge-based, interactive adjustments of segmentation parameters. Testing rests demonstrated that this approach is promising to significantly improve current object-oriented classification techniques.
Vessel extraction in X-ray angiograms using deep learning

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease which is the leading cause of death all over the world. X-ray angiography is currently the gold standard imaging technique for CAD diagnosis. These images usually suffer from low quality and presence of noise. Therefore, vessel enhancement and vessel segmentation play important roles in CAD diagnosis. In this paper a deep learning approach using convolutional neural networks (CNN) is proposed for detecting vessel regions in angiography images. Initially, an input angiogram is preprocessed to enhance its contrast. Afterward, the image is evaluated using patches of pixels and the network determines the vessel and background regions. A set of 1,040,000 patches is used in order to train the deep CNN. Experimental results on angiography images of a dataset show that our proposed method has a superior performance in extraction of vessel regions.
Eco-friendly high-performance silicide thermoelectric materials

Silicide-based thermoelectrics are examples of cost-efficient and environmentally friendly new energy materials, which can be used for power-generation applications in the range of 500-800 K. We review the research focusing on the exploration of n-type Mg2IV-based solid solutions (IV = Si, Ge and Sn) and summarize the most prominent discoveries achieved so far in their studies. Owing to their superior performance compared to other silicides, including p-type Mg2IV, higher manganese silicides (HMS) are commonly considered as a suitable p-type material to be used in thermoelectric modules in conjunction with n-type Mg2IV-based solid solutions for mid-temperature power-generation applications. We describe the strategies used to improve the thermal and electronic transport properties of n-type Mg2IV-based solid solutions and mention some key features of HMS. We also point out the importance of mechanical properties and thermal stability of this family of materials and offer perspectives on the future research work to further improve their performance.
Board Characteristics and Firm Performance: Evidence from the Life Insurance Industry in Thailand

This study examines the relation between board characteristics and firm performance among life insurance companies in Thailand. Prior research suggests that boards of directors play a critical role in monitoring non-financial companies in Thailand. However, it is possible that board characteristics are not important in the life insurance industry due to the nature of business and the effect of government regulations, both of which limit managerial discretion. Empirical evidence indicates that board composition has a positive relation to profitability and a negative relation with the risk-taking behavior of life insurance firms. Board size does not have any relation with firm performance. By documenting the impact of board characteristics on firm profitability and risk-taking behavior among life insurers, this study shows that board composition can still be beneficial even for firms with limited managerial discretion. The results add insight on the relation between monitoring mechanisms and firm performance of life insurers in an emerging market.
A multilevel model of HIV/AIDS information/help network development

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the personal information and help networks of people with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) in rural Canada, and to present a research‐based model of how and why these networks developed. This model seeks to consider the roles of PHAs, their family members/friends and formal health systems in network formation.Design/methodology/approach – In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 114 PHAs, their friends/family members (FFs) and formal caregivers in three rural regions of Canada. A network solicitation procedure elicited PHAs' HIV/AIDS information/help networks. Interviews were analyzed qualitatively, and network data were analyzed statistically. Documents describing health systems in each region were also analyzed. Analyses used social capital theory, supplemented by stress/coping and stigma management theories.Findings – PHAs' HIV/AIDS‐related information/help networks emphasized linking and bonding social capital with minimal bridging social capital. This paper presen.
Non-signalling energy use in the developing rat brain

Energy use in the brain constrains its information processing power, but only about half the brain's energy consumption is directly related to information processing. Evidence for which non-signalling processes consume the rest of the brain's energy has been scarce. For the first time, we investigated the energy use of the brain's main non-signalling tasks with a single method. After blocking each non-signalling process, we measured oxygen level changes in juvenile rat brain slices with an oxygen-sensing microelectrode and calculated changes in oxygen consumption throughout the slice using a modified diffusion equation. We found that the turnover of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton, followed by lipid synthesis, are significant energy drains, contributing 25%, 22% and 18%, respectively, to the rate of oxygen consumption. In contrast, protein synthesis is energetically inexpensive. We assess how these estimates of energy expenditure relate to brain energy use in vivo, and how they might differ in the mature brain.
Iterative Feature Selection for Color Texture Classification

In this paper, we describe a new approach for color texture classification by use of Haralick features extracted from color co-occurrence matrices. As the color of each pixel can be represented in different color spaces, we automatically determine in which color spaces, these features are most discriminating for the textures. The originality of this approach is to select the most discriminating color texture features in order to build a feature space with a low dimension. Our method, based on a supervised learning scheme, uses an iterative selection procedure. It has been applied and tested on the BarkTex benchmark database.
Non-equilibrium models for two phase flow in porous media: the occurrence of saturation overshoots

Several experiments have evidenced the occurrence of saturation overshoots for flows in homogeneous porous media. Such phenomena are ruled out by standard mathematical models, which are based on equilibrium assumptions. In this presentation we discuss nonequilibrium models, in particular including dynamic effects in the capillary pressure. This leads to extensions of the classical Buckley-Leverett (BL) equation, a commonly accepted model for two-phase flow in porous media. For this extended equation we investigate the existence of traveling wave solutions. Based on this we explain the occurrence of saturation overshoots, and discuss the profiles obtained for one phase or two phase flow models.
Does exposure to GSM 900 MHz mobile phone radiation affect short-term memory of elementary school students?

Background: Now-a-days, children are exposed to mobile phone radiation at a very early age. We have previously shown that a large proportion of children in the city of Shiraz, Iran use mobile phones. Furthermore, we have indicated that the visual reaction time (VRT) of university students was significantly affected by a 10 min real/sham exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phone. We found that these exposures decreased the reaction time which might lead to a better response to different hazards. We have also revealed that occupational exposures to radar radiations decreased the reaction time in radar workers. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether short-term exposure of elementary school students to radiofrequency (RF) radiation leads to changes in their reaction time and short-term memory. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 elementary school children ages ranging from 8 to 10 years studying at a public elementary school in Shiraz, Iran were enrolled in this study. Standardized computer-based tests of VRT and short-term memory (modified for children) were administered. The students were asked to perform some preliminary tests for orientation with the VRT test. After orientation, to reduce the random variation of measurements, each test was repeated ten times in both real and sham exposure phases. The time interval between the two subsequent sham and real exposure phases was 30 min. Results: The mean ± standard deviation reaction times after a 10 min talk period and after a 10 min sham exposure (switched off mobile) period were 249.0 ± 82.3 ms and 252.9 ± 68.2 ms (P = 0.629), respectively. On the other hand, the mean short-term memory scores after the talk and sham exposure periods were 1062.60 ± 305.39, and 1003.84 ± 339.68 (P = 0.030), respectively. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that short-term exposure of elementary school students to RF radiation leads to the better performance of their short-term memory.
What do we know about the Metropolis algorithm?

The Metropolis algorithm is a widely used procedure for sampling from a specified distribution on a large finite set. We survey what is rigorously known about running times. This includes work from statistical physics, computer science, probability, and statistics. Some new results (Propositions 6.1? 6.5) are given as an illustration of the geometric theory of Markov chains.
A Tool for Automatic Detection of Deadlock in Wormhole Networks on Chip

We present an extension of Duato's necessary and sufficient condition a routing function must satisfy in order to be deadlock-free, to support environment constraints inducing extra-dependencies between messages. We also present an original algorithm to automatically check the deadlock-freeness of a network with a given routing function. A prototype tool has been developed and automatic deadlock checking of large scale networks with various routing functions have been successfully achieved