Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NEW LIMITS ON AN INTERMEDIATE-MASS BLACK HOLE IN OMEGA CENTAURI. I. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PHOTOMETRY AND PROPER MOTIONS

We analyze data from the Hubble Space Telescope's (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys of the globular cluster (GC) Omega Cen. We construct a photometric catalog of 1.2 × 106 stars over a 10′ × 10′ central field down to below BF435W = 25 (M ∼ 0.35 M☉). The 2.5 to 4 year baseline between observations yields a catalog of some 105 proper motions over a smaller area, with 53,382 “high-quality” measurements in a central R ≲ 2′ field. Artificial-star tests characterize the photometric incompleteness. We determine the cluster center to ∼1″ accuracy from star counts using two different methods, one based on isodensity contours and the other on “pie slices. ” We independently confirm the result by determining also the kinematical center of the HST proper motions, as well as the center of unresolved light seen in Two Micron All Sky Survey data. All results agree to within their 1″–2″ levels of uncertainty. The proper-motion dispersion of the cluster increases gradually inward, but there is no variation in kinematics with position within the central ∼15″: there is no dispersion cusp and no stars with unusually high velocities. We measure for the first time in any GC the variation in internal kinematics along the main sequence. The variation of proper-motion dispersion with mass shows that the cluster is not yet in equipartition. There are no differences in proper-motion kinematics between the different stellar populations of Omega Cen. Our results do not confirm the arguments put forward by Noyola, Gebhardt, and Bergmann to suspect an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) in Omega Cen. They determined line-of-sight velocity dispersions in two 5″ × 5″ fields, and reported higher motions in their central field. We find the proper-motion kinematics to be the same in both fields. Also, we find that they (as well as other previous studies) did not accurately identify the cluster center, so that both of their fields are in fact 12″ from the true center. We also do not confirm the central density cusp they reported (in part due to the different center, and in part due to biases induced by their use of unresolved light). The surface number-density distribution near the center does not differ strongly from a single-mass King model, although a shallow cusp may not be ruled out. In the companion paper, which is Paper II in this series, we present new dynamical models for the high-quality data presented here, with the aim of putting quantitative constraints on the mass of any possible IMBH.
Iris recognition using independent component analysis

This paper develops a new method for iris recognition based on independent component analysis. The iris recognition consisted of three major components: image preprocessing, feature extraction and classification. A three-step multiscale approach was employed in image preprocessing to realize iris localization, normalization and enhancement. In iris feature extraction, an efficient approach called independent component analysis was used which was statistically independent to establish features for iris region of interest. Under the same experimental conditions, comparisons with the existing methods demonstrate that the proposed method has an emerging performance.
Massive star evolution: from the early to the present day Universe

Abstract Mass loss and axial rotation are playing key roles in shaping the evolution of massive stars. They affect the tracks in the HR diagram, the lifetimes, the surface abundances, the hardness of the radiation field, the chemical yields, the presupernova status, the nature of the remnant, the mechanical energy released in the interstellar medium, etc. . In this paper, after recalling a few characteristics of mass loss and rotation, we review the effects of these two processes at different metallicities. Rotation probably has its most important effects at low metallicities, while mass loss and rotation deeply affect the evolution of massive stars at solar and higher than solar metallicities.
SPH Simulation of Free Overfall in Open Channels with Even and Uneven Bottom

The free overfall can be used as a simple and accurate device for flow measurement in open channels. In the past, the solution to this problem was found mainly through simplified theoretical expressions or on the basis of experimental data. In this paper, using the meshless smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method, the free overfall in open channels with even and uneven bottom is investigated. For the even bottom case, subcritical, critical and supercritical flows are simulated. For the uneven bottom case, supercritical flows with different Froude numbers are considered. The free surface profiles are predicted and compared with theoretical and experimental solutions in literature and good agreements are obtained.
A Conserved Clathrin Assembly Motif Essential for Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis

Although clathrin assembly by adaptor proteins (APs) plays a major role in the recycling of synaptic vesicles, the molecular mechanism that allows APs to assemble clathrin is poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that AP180, like AP-2 and AP-3, binds to the N-terminal domain of clathrin. Sequence analysis reveals a motif, containing the sequence DLL, that exists in multiple copies in many clathrin APs. Progressive deletion of these motifs caused a gradual reduction in the ability of AP180 to assemble clathrin in vitro. Peptides from AP180 or AP-2 containing this motif also competitively inhibited clathrin assembly by either protein. Microinjection of these peptides into squid giant presynaptic terminals reversibly blocked synaptic transmission and inhibited synaptic vesicle endocytosis by preventing coated pit formation at the plasma membrane. These results indicate that the DLL motif confers clathrin assembly properties to AP180 and AP-2 and, perhaps, to other APs. We propose that APs promote clathrin assembly by cross-linking clathrin triskelia via multivalent interactions between repeated DLL motifs in the APs and complementary binding sites on the N-terminal domain of clathrin. These results reveal the structural basis for clathrin assembly and provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of clathrin-mediated synaptic vesicle endocytosis.
When do targets' past financial results matter most to acquirers? The role of disruption of targets' existing operations

Title of Document: WHEN DO TARGETS’ PAST FINANCIAL RESULTS MATTER MOST TO ACQUIRERS? THE ROLE OF DISRUPTION OF TARGETS’ EXISTING OPERATIONS MaryJane R. Rabier, Ph.D. Candidate 2014 Directed By: Professor Michael Kimbrough Department of Accounting and Information Assurance Robert H. Smith School of Business This study examines how anticipated disruption in the target’s existing operations affects the importance that acquirers place on the target’s historical accounting information in the acquirer’s merger pricing decisions. A target’s past earnings and past earnings quality are informative about the performance of its stand-alone operations while its book value is informative about its adaptation value, which is the potential value from alternative uses of its resources. The information in past earnings and past earnings quality about a target’s stand-alone operations is likely to be more important to acquirers that intend to keep the target’s operations intact post-merger while the information in book value about its adaptation value is likely to be more important to acquirers that anticipate significant disruption of the target’s operations. I capture the level of disruption in two ways. First, I use the financial versus operating acquirer distinction used commonly in the finance literature. Prior research suggests that the merger goals of financial acquirers that buy operating companies require relatively less disruption of the target’s operations than the merger goals of operating acquirers that buy operating companies. Second, to exploit cross-sectional variation in the degree of disruption among operating acquirers, I create an index comprised of the following four variables: (1) target management turnover, (2) target analyst turnover, (3) anticipated merger restructuring costs, and (4) the distance between acquirer and target
KCC2-dependent subcellular ECl difference of ON-OFF retinal ganglion cells in larval zebrafish

Subcellular difference in the reversal potential of Cl− (ECl) has been found in many types of neurons. As local ECl largely determines the action of nearby GABAergic/glycinergic synapses, subcellular ECl difference can effectively regulate neuronal computation. The ON-OFF retinal ganglion cell (RGC) processes both ON and OFF visual signals via its ON and OFF dendrites, respectively. It is thus interesting to investigate whether the ON and OFF dendrites of single RGCs exhibit different local ECl. Here, using in vivo gramicidin-perforated patch recording in larval zebrafish ON-OFF RGCs, we examine local ECl at the ON and OFF dendrites, and soma through measuring light-evoked ON and OFF inhibitory responses, and GABA-induced response at the soma, respectively. We find there are subcellular ECl differences between the soma and dendrite, as well as between the ON and OFF dendrites of single RGCs. These somato-dendritic and inter-dendritic ECl differences are dependent on the Cl− extruder, K+/Cl− co-transporter (KCC2), because they are largely diminished by down-regulating kcc2 expression with morpholino oligonucleotides (MOs) or by blocking KCC2 function with furosemide. Thus, our findings indicate that there exists KCC2-dependent ECl difference between the ON and OFF dendrites of individual ON-OFF RGCs that may differentially affect visual processing in the ON and OFF pathways.
Nature and Origin of the Hematite-Bearing Plains of Terra Meridiani Based on Analyses of Orbital and Mars Exploration Rover Data Sets

The ~5 km of traverses and observations completed by the Opportunity rover from Endurance crater to the Fruitbasket outcrop show that the Meridiani plains consist of sulfate-rich sedimentary rocks that are largely covered by poorly-sorted basaltic aeolian sands and a lag of granule-sized hematitic concretions. Orbital reflectance spectra obtained by Mars Express OMEGA over this region are dominated by pyroxene, plagioclase feldspar, crystalline hematite (i.e., concretions), and nano-phase iron oxide dust signatures, consistent with Pancam and Mini-TES observations. Mossbauer Spectrometer observations indicate more olivine than observed with the other instruments, consistent with preferential optical obscuration of olivine features in mixtures with pyroxene and dust. Orbital data covering bright plains located several kilometers to the south of the landing site expose a smaller areal abundance of hematite, more dust, and a larger areal extent of outcrop compared to plains proximal to the landing site. Low-albedo, low-thermal-inertia, windswept plains located several hundred kilometers to the south of the landing site are predicted from OMEGA data to have more hematite and fine-grained olivine grains exposed as compared to the landing site. Low calcium pyroxene dominates spectral signatures from the cratered highlands to the south of Opportunity. A regional-scale model is presented for the formation of the plains explored by Opportunity, based on a rising ground water table late in the Noachian Era that trapped and altered local materials and aeolian basaltic sands. Cessation of this aqueous process led to dominance of aeolian processes and formation of the current configuration of the plains.
Occupational Lead Exposure from Indoor Firing Ranges in Korea

Military personnel often use ammunitions that contain lead. The present study aimed to identify the risks for lead exposure and lead poisoning among workers at indoor firing ranges. A special health examination, including blood lead level (BLL) testing, was performed for all 120 workers at the indoor firing ranges of the Republic of Korea’s Air Force, Navy, and Armed Forces Athletic Corps. The overall mean BLL was 11.3 ± 9.4 µg/dL (range: 2.0–64.0 µg/dL). The arithmetic mean of the BLL for professional shooters belong to Armed Forces Athletic Corps was 14.0 ± 8.3 µg/dL, while those of shooting range managers and shooting range supervisors were 13.8 ± 11.1 µg/dL and 6.4 ± 3.1 µg/dL, respectively. One individual had a BLL of 64 µg/dL, and ultimately completed chelation treatment (with CaNa2-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) without any adverse effects. These findings indicate that indoor firing range workers are exposed to elevated levels of lead. Therefore, when constructing an indoor firing range, a specialist should be engaged to design and assess the ventilation system; and safety guidelines regarding ammunition and waste handling must be mandatory. Moreover, workplace environmental monitoring should be implemented for indoor firing ranges, and the workers should undergo regularly scheduled special health examinations.
On the Practical and Security Issues of Batch Content Distribution Via Network Coding

File distribution via network coding has received a lot of attention lately. However, direct application of network coding may have security problems. In particular, attackers can inject "faked" packets into the file distribution process to slow down the information dispersal or even deplete the network resource. Therefore, content verification is an important and practical issue when network coding is employed. When network coding is used, it is infeasible for the source of the content to provide all the hash values or signatures required for verification, and hence the traditional "hash-and-sign" methods are no longer applicable. Recently, a new on-the-fly verification technique is proposed by Krohn et al. for rateless erasure codes. However, their scheme requires a large number of hash values to be distributed in advance, and all of them are needed to verify even for a single packet. We propose a new batch delivery and verification scheme that is similar to the classical scenario where the authentication information of a message is embedded with the message and is sufficient for the verification purpose. We investigate how our technique can be applied when random linear network coding is employed, and show that both the computational and the bandwidth overhead can be greatly reduced by using a variant of the random network coding. We further show by simulation that this variant is sufficiently effective in practice.
New technology and health care costs--the case of robot-assisted surgery.

Technological innovation in health care is an important driver of cost growth. Doctors and patients often embrace new modes of treatment before their merits and weaknesses are fully understood. These technologies can lead to increases in costs, either because they are simply more expensive than previous treatments or because their introduction leads to an expansion in the types and numbers of patients treated. We examined these patterns as they apply to the case of robot-assisted surgery. Robotic surgical devices allow a surgeon at a console to operate remote-controlled robotic arms, which may facilitate the performance of laparoscopic procedures. Laparoscopic surgery, .
Ambiguity and Excuse-Driven Behavior in Charitable Giving

A donation may have ambiguous costs or ambiguous benefits. In a laboratory experiment, we show that individuals use this ambiguity strategically as a moral wiggle room to behave less generously without feeling guilty. Such excuse-driven behavior is more pronounced when the costs of a donation-rather than its benefits-are ambiguous. However, the importance of excuse-driven behavior is comparable under ambiguity and under risk. Individuals exploit any type of uncertainty as an excuse not to give, regardless of the nature of this uncertainty.
Household Heterogeneity and Real Exchange Rates

We assume that individuals can fully insure themselves against cross-country shocks, but not against individual-specifi cs hocks. We consider two particular models of limited risk-sharing: domestically incomplete markets (DI) and private information-Pareto optimal (PIPO) risk-sharing. For each model, we derive a restriction relating the cross-sectional distributions of consumption and real exchange rates. We evaluate these restrictions using household-level consumption data from the US and the UK. We show that the PIPO restriction fits the data well when households have a coefficient of relative risk aversion of around 5. The restrictions implied by the complete risk-sharing model and the DI model fare poorly. ∗ This paper was prepared for the Economic Journal Lecture at the 2006 Royal Economic Society meetings. Kocherlakota thanks Winnie Choi for many stimulating conversations about real exchange rates. Kocherlakota acknowledges the support of NSF 0305833 and 0606695. We thank an associate editor of the journal, George Alessandria and Ivan Werning for helpful comments, Jaromir Nosal and Sonam Sherpa for research assistance, Orazio Attanasio and Andrew Leicester for help with the FES data, and Joan Gieseke and Hakki Yazici for editorial assistance. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis or the Federal Reserve System.
Development and Validation of the Scan of Postgraduate Educational Environment Domains (SPEED): A Brief Instrument to Assess the Educational Environment in Postgraduate Medical Education

Introduction Current instruments to evaluate the postgraduate medical educational environment lack theoretical frameworks and are relatively long, which may reduce response rates. We aimed to develop and validate a brief instrument that, based on a solid theoretical framework for educational environments, solicits resident feedback to screen the postgraduate medical educational environment quality. Methods Stepwise, we developed a screening instrument, using existing instruments to assess educational environment quality and adopting a theoretical framework that defines three educational environment domains: content, atmosphere and organization. First, items from relevant existing instruments were collected and, after deleting duplicates and items not specifically addressing educational environment, grouped into the three domains. In a Delphi procedure, the item list was reduced to a set of items considered most important and comprehensively covering the three domains. These items were triangulated against the results of semi-structured interviews with 26 residents from three teaching hospitals to achieve face validity. This draft version of the Scan of Postgraduate Educational Environment Domains (SPEED) was administered to residents in a general and university hospital and further reduced and validated based on the data collected. Results Two hundred twenty-three residents completed the 43-item draft SPEED. We used half of the dataset for item reduction, and the other half for validating the resulting SPEED (15 items, 5 per domain). Internal consistencies were high. Correlations between domain scores in the draft and brief versions of SPEED were high (>0.85) and highly significant (p<0.001). Domain score variance of the draft instrument was explained for ≥80% by the items representing the domains in the final SPEED. Conclusions The SPEED comprehensively covers the three educational environment domains defined in the theoretical framework. Because of its validity and brevity, the SPEED is promising as useful and easily applicable tool to regularly screen educational environment quality in postgraduate medical education.
Common Genetic Effects on Variation in Impulsivity and Activity in Mice

Impulsivity is a complex psychological construct that impacts on behavioral predispositions in the normal range and has been shown to have a genetic element through the examination of hereditary patterns of abnormal conditions such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. In this study, we took advantage of the isogenic nature of inbred strains of mice to determine the contribution of genes to impulsive behaviors by examining the performance of four separate mouse strains in a novel murine delayed-reinforcement paradigm, during which the animals had to choose between rewards that were relatively small but available immediately and larger but progressively delayed rewards. To control for maternal effects, all the mice were cross-fostered to a common strain immediately after birth. Under these conditions, we found significant differences between the strains on behaviors indexing impulsive choice and on independent measures of locomotor activity, which subsequent heritability analysis showed could be related, in part, to genetic effects. Moreover, the two aspects of behavior were found to co-vary, with the more active animals also displaying more impulsive behavior. This was not attributable to mundane confounds related to individual task requirements but instead indicated the existence of common genetic factors influencing variation in both impulsivity and locomotor activity. The data are discussed in terms of the coexistence of impulsivity and hyperactivity, interactions between environmental and genetic effects, and possible candidate genes.
Firming Up Inequality

We use a massive, matched employer-employee database for the United States to analyze the contribution of firms to the rise in earnings inequality from 1978 to 2013. We find that one-third of the rise in the variance of (log) earnings occurred within firms, whereas two-thirds of the rise occurred due to a rise in the dispersion of average earnings between firms. However, this rising between-firm variance is not accounted for by the firms themselves but by a widening gap between firms in the composition of their workers. This compositional change can be split into two roughly equal parts: high-wage workers became increasingly likely to work in high-wage firms (i.e., sorting increased), and high-wage workers became increasingly likely to work with each other (i.e., segregation rose). In contrast, we do not find a rise in the variance of firm-specific pay once we control for the worker composition in firms. Finally, we find that two-thirds of the rise in the within-firm variance of earnings occurred within mega (10,000+ employee) firms, which saw a particularly large increase in the variance of earnings compared with smaller firms.
Toward Brain-Actuated Humanoid Robots: Asynchronous Direct Control Using an EEG-Based BCI

The brain-computer interface (BCI) technique is a novel control interface to translate human intentions into appropriate motion commands for robotic systems. The aim of this study is to apply an asynchronous direct-control system for humanoid robot navigation using an electroencephalograph (EEG), based active BCI. The experimental procedures consist of offline training, online feedback testing, and real-time control sessions. The amplitude features from EEGs are extracted using power spectral analysis, while informative feature components are selected based on the Fisher ratio. The two classifiers are hierarchically structured to identify human intentions and trained to build an asynchronous BCI system. For the performance test, five healthy subjects controlled a humanoid robot navigation to reach a target goal in an indoor maze by using their EEGs based on real-time images obtained from a camera on the head of the robot. The experimental results showed that the subjects successfully controlled the humanoid robot in the indoor maze and reached the goal by using the proposed asynchronous EEG-based active BCI system.