Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MULTI-SCALE CLEAN: A COMPARISON OF ITS PERFORMANCE AGAINST CLASSICAL CLEAN ON GALAXIES USING THINGS

A practical evaluation of the multi-scale clean algorithm is presented. The data used in the comparisons are taken from The H i Nearby Galaxy Survey. The implementation of multi-scale clean in the CASA software package is used, although comparisons are made against the very similar multi-resolution clean algorithm implemented in AIPS. Both are compared against the classical clean algorithm (as implemented in AIPS). The results of this comparison show that several of the well-known characteristics and issues of using classical clean are significantly lessened (or eliminated completely) when using the multi-scale clean algorithm. Importantly, multi-scale clean significantly reduces the effects of the clean “bowl” that is caused by missing short-spacings, and the “pedestal” of low-level un-cleaned flux (which affects flux scales and resolution). Multi-scale clean can clean down to the noise level without the divergence suffered by classical clean. We discuss practical applications of the added contrast provided by multi-scale clean using two selected astronomical examples: H i holes in the interstellar medium and anomalous gas structures outside the main galactic disk.
The role of similarity in memory and its relation to brain oscillations

THE ROLE OF SIMILARITY IN MEMORY AND ITS RELATION TO BRAIN OSCILLATIONS Marieke Karlijn van Vugt Supervisor: Michael J. Kahana Similarity is known to affect memory. Visual item recognition refers to tasks where participants study a set of visual stimuli, and have to determine whether a probe item matches one of the items in the study set. This task is naturally sensitive to similarity effects and can well be described using “summed similarity models. ” These models posit that a participant will endorse a probe item as a target (member of the study set) when the sum of the similarities between each study item and the probe exceeds a decision threshold. Although the use of summed similarity models is well established, they have not yet been related to neural data. In this dissertation, I will focus on the relation between brain oscillations recorded through human electroencephalography (EEG), visual item recognition, and summed similarity models. I will start by discussing the similarities and differences between various methods to study brain oscillations. Then I will show that summed similarity correlates with low-frequency theta (4–9 Hz) activity recorded using scalp EEG. Conversely, proactive interference, an increase in task difficulty due to recent presentations of the same study items, is related to the amplitude of 28–90 Hz gamma oscillations. Scalp EEG suffers from low spatial resolution. I obtained intracranial EEG from epilepsy patients suffering from pharmacologically intractable epilepsy, who had electrodes implanted for clinical purposes. I will show that intracranially recorded oscillations also show correlations with summed similarity, and differentiate between probe-item similarity and item-item similarity in the medial temporal
Attachment figures activate a safety signal-related neural region and reduce pain experience

Although it has long been hypothesized that attachment figures provide individuals with a sense of safety and security, the neural mechanisms underlying attachment-induced safety have not been explored. Here, we investigated whether an attachment figure acts as a safety signal by exploring whether viewing an attachment figure during a threatening experience (physical pain) led to increased activity in a neural region associated with safety signaling, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), and corresponding reductions in pain. Female participants in long-term romantic relationships were scanned as they received painful stimuli while viewing pictures of their partner and control images (stranger, object). Consistent with the idea that the attachment figure may signal safety, results revealed that viewing partner pictures while receiving painful stimulation led to reductions in self-reported pain ratings, reductions in pain-related neural activity (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula), and increased activity in the VMPFC. Moreover, greater VMPFC activity in response to partner pictures was associated with longer relationship lengths and greater perceived partner support, further highlighting a role for the VMPFC in responding to the safety value of the partner. Last, greater VMPFC activity while viewing partner pictures was associated with reduced pain ratings and reduced pain-related neural activity. An implication of these findings is that, in the same way that stimuli that historically have threatened survival (e.g., snakes, spiders) are considered to be prepared fear stimuli, attachment figures, who have historically benefited survival, may serve as prepared safety stimuli, reducing threat- or distress-related responding in their presence.
Nurse-administered propofol versus midazolam and meperidine for upper endoscopy in cirrhotic patients

OBJECTIVES:Upper GI endoscopy is often performed in patients with chronic liver disease to screen for esophageal and gastric varices. Propofol is currently under evaluation as an alternative to the combination of midazolam and meperidine for sedation during endoscopic procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare nurse-administered propofol to midazolam and meperidine for sedation in patients with chronic liver disease undergoing diagnostic upper GI endoscopy.METHODS:Twenty outpatients who had known chronic liver disease (Child-Pugh class A or B) and were undergoing variceal screening were randomized to receive propofol or midazolam plus meperidine for sedation. Administration of sedation was performed by a registered nurse and supervised by the endoscopist. Outcome measures studied were induction and recovery times, efficacy and safety of sedation, patient satisfaction, and return to baseline function.RESULTS:The mean dose of propofol and meperidine/midazolam administered was 203 mg (SD 43.7, range 150–280) and 71.3 mg (SD 17.7, range 50–100)/5.3 mg (SD 0.9, range 3.0–6.0), respectively. The mean time to achieve adequate sedation was 3.6 min (SD 1.2) for the propofol group in comparison to 7.3 min (SD 2.8) for the meperidine/midazolam group (p < 0.05). Procedure times between the groups were similar: propofol, 3.9 min (SD 1.9); midazolam/meperidine, 2.7 min (SD 0.8) (p = 0.11). The level of sedation achieved by the propofol group was greater (p = 0.0001). Time to full recovery was faster in the propofol group: 34.9 min (SD 10.3) versus 51.6 min (SD 18.4) (p < 0.05). The mean time to reach a maximal level of alertness on the Observer's Assessment of Alertness and Sedation Scale for the propofol group was 15 min (SD 3.6) versus 29 min (SD 10.5) (p = 0.001). Although both groups recorded a high level of satisfaction, patients receiving propofol expressed greater overall mean satisfaction with the quality of their sedation at the time of discharge (p < 0.05), and reported a return to baseline function sooner in the majority of cases. Propofol achieved comparable levels of efficacy and safety to meperidine/midazolam in our study group. Both were well tolerated with minimal complications.CONCLUSIONS:Propofol sedation administered by registered nurses in the setting of adequate patient monitoring is efficacious and well tolerated in patients with liver disease who are undergoing variceal screening by upper endoscopy. Patients were more satisfied with the quality of sedation, and return to baseline function was usually sooner compared to results achieved with midazolam/meperidine. Propofol offers advantages over meperidine/midazolam in cirrhotic patients.
HST observations of the metal rich globular clusters NGC 6496 and NGC 6352

Deep exposures of the metal-rich globular clusters NGC6496 and NGC6352 were obtained with the WFPC2camera on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) through the F606W and F814W filters. The resulting colour-magnitude diagrams (CMD) reach down to absolute magnitude M814 � 10−10.5, approximately 5 magnitudes below the main sequence (MS) turn- off (TO). The MS of the two clusters are sharp and well defined and their fiducial lines overlap almost exactly throughout this range. Their colour is, however, more than 0.1mag redder than the MS fiducial line of the prototype metal-rich globular cluster 47Tuc (NGC104), after proper correction for the relative distances and reddening. This provides solid empirical evidence of a higher metal content, which is not surprising if these objects belong indeed to the bulge as their present location suggests. A good fit to the upper part of the MS of both clusters is obtained with a 10Gyr-old theoretical isochrone from Baraffe et al. (1998) for a metallicity of (M/H) = −0.5, but at lower luminosities all models depart considerably from the observations, probably because of a deficiency in the treatment of the TiO opacity. The luminosity functions (LF) obtained from the observed CMD are rather similar to one another and show a peak at M814 � 9. The present day mass functions (PDMF) of both clusters are derived down toM814 � 10. 5o rm � 0.2 Mand are consistent with power-law indices α = 0.7 for NGC6496 and α = 0.6 for NGC6352. The PDMF of NGC104 is twice as steep in the same mass range (α = 1.4). We investigate the origin of this discrepancy and show that it can be understood if the two clusters contain a considerably higher fraction of primordial binaries amongst their MS population, similar to that expected in the bulge. We briefly discuss the implications of this finding on the process of star and binary formation and on the universality of the IMF.
Antileishmanial Activity of the Terpene Nerolidol

ABSTRACT The activity of nerolidol, a sesquiterpene used as a food-flavoring agent and currently under testing as a skin penetration enhancer for the transdermal delivery of therapeutic drugs, was evaluated against Leishmania species. Nerolidol inhibited the growth of Leishmania amazonensis, L. braziliensis, and L. chagasi promastigotes and L. amazonensis amastigotes with in vitro 50% inhibitory concentrations of 85, 74, 75, and 67 μM, respectively. The treatment of L. amazonensis-infected macrophages with 100 μM nerolidol resulted in 95% reduction in infection rates. Inhibition of isoprenoid biosynthesis, as shown by reduced incorporation of [2-14C]mevalonic acid (MVA) or [1-14C]acetic acid precursors into dolichol, ergosterol, and ubiquinone, was observed in nerolidol-treated promastigotes. This drug effect can be attributed to the blockage of an early step in the mevalonate pathway, since incorporation of the precursor [1(n)-3H]farnesyl pyrophosphate in polyisoprenoids is not inhibited by nerolidol. L. amazonensis-infected BALB/c mice were treated with intraperitoneal doses of 100 mg/kg/day for 12 days or topically with 5 or 10% ointments for 4 weeks. Significant reduction of lesion sizes in nerolidol treated mice was observed for both treatment routes. However, long-term follow up indicated that the disease was not cured in this highly susceptible animal model. Nonetheless, the in vitro activity of nerolidol against these parasites may prove a useful tool for the development of new drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis. In addition, biosynthesis of dolichols with 11 and 12 isoprene units was identified in Leishmania, as described for other trypanosomatids and Apicomplexa.
Gene and Protein Expression Profiles of Anti‐ and Pro‐apoptotic Actions of Dopamine, R‐Apomorphine, Green Tea Polyphenol (−)‐Epigallocatechine‐3‐gallate, and Melatonin

Abstract: Significant evidence has been provided to support the hypothesis that oxidant stress may be responsible for degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta in Parkinson's disease. Dopamine (DA), R‐apomorphine (R‐APO), green tea polyphenol (−)‐epigallocatechine‐3‐gallate (EGCG), and melatonin are neuroprotective and radical scavenger compounds. The aim of this study was to establish the mechanism of the concentration‐dependent neuroprotective and pro‐apoptotic action of these drugs via gene expression and protein determination. cDNA microarrays provide new prospects to study and identify various mechanisms of drug action. We employed this technique for the study reported in this paper. Total RNA was extracted from SH‐SY5Y cells exposed to low neuroprotective and high toxic concentrations of the drugs, followed by synthesis of cDNA, and hybridization to a microarray membrane related to apoptosis, survival, and cell cycle pathways. We demonstrated a concentration and time‐dependent correlation between R‐APO, DA, EGCG, and melatonin in modulation of cell survival/cell death‐related gene pathways. The results were confirmed by quantitative real‐time PCR and protein profiles. Unlike the effects of low concentrations (1‐10 μM), where an antiapoptotic response was manifest, a proapoptotic pattern of gene expression was observed at high toxic concentrations (50‐500 μM) of the antioxidants (e.g., increase in caspases, fas, and gadd45). Our results have provided novel insights into the gene mechanisms involved in both the neuroprotective and proapoptotic activities of neuroprotective drugs. We have shown that DA, R‐APO, EGCG, and melatonin exhibit similar gene expression and protein profiles.
Vertically stacked gate-all-around Si nanowire CMOS transistors with dual work function metal gates

We report on the CMOS integration of vertically stacked gate-all-around (GAA) silicon nanowire MOSFETs, with matched threshold voltages (Vt, sat ∼ 0.35 V) for N- and P-type devices. The Vt setting is enabled by nanowire-compatible dual-work-function metal integration in a high-k last replacement metal gate process. Furthermore, we demonstrate that N- and P-type junction formation can influence nanowire release differently due to both implantation-induced SiGe/Si intermixing and doping effects. These findings underline that junction formation and nanowire release require co-optimization in GAA CMOS technologies.
Experiences of Participation in Senior Games among Older Adults

Abstract This paper examines how Senior Games participants in one state experience their involvement and how this impact relates to perceived health. A random sample of 444 North Carolina Senior Games participants (55 years and older) completed a survey in 2006. A Reasons for Participating (RFP) scale was developed, and selected behaviors and demographic characteristics were analyzed. The RFP factors included physical health, interpersonal relationships, and intrinsic outcomes. Participants were found to be twice as physically active as other older adults in the state. Further, some demographic differences existed regarding reasons and health perceptions among the participants. This study points to the importance of a year-round community based recreation program in enabling older people to become and remain physically and socially active.
Factors Involved in the Adjustment of Low Aptitude Personnel to the Navy and their Use for Predicting Reenlistment

Abstract : A longitudinal analysis of the reactions of a sample of low aptitude personnel to various aspects of Navy life is presented. Questionnaires were administered at various points during the first enlistment of a cohort sample of category IV sailors. The assessment points sampled were: First week of boot camp; end of recruit training (three months after entering the service); nine months after entry into the service; and termination of the initial enlistment. Factors influencing perception of the Navy at the points sampled are isolated and the predictability of reenlistment from the factors of the first three time periods is stated.
Where is SGR 1806–20?

We apply a statistical method to derive very precise locations for soft gamma repeaters using data from the interplanetary network. We demonstrate the validity of the method by deriving a 600 arcsec2 error ellipse for SGR 1900+14 whose center agrees well with the VLA source position. We then apply it to SGR 1806-20, for which we obtain a 230 arcsec2 error ellipse, the smallest burst error box to date. We find that the most likely position of the source has a small but significant displacement from that of the nonthermal core of the radio supernova remnant G10.0-0.3, which was previously thought to be the position of the repeater. We propose a different model to explain the changing supernova remnant morphology and the positions of the luminous blue variable and the bursting source.
A Methodology for Short-Term Load Forecasting

Demand forecasting is important for electrical analysis development by utilities. It requires low error levels in order to reach reliability in electrical analysis. However, the demand for energy has dissimilar profiles variations depending on the type of day, weather conditions and geographical area. For this reason, it is necessary to group those curves showing similar behaviors and characterize them to establish which factors are significant for understanding. This paper proposes a novel methodology to identify those significant factors in the forecasting model for energy demand, and measure their effect on the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) criterion and error performance. The experimental results show advantages of this methodology for zones with several behaviors in hourly power consumption.
DNA Double-Strand Break Repair of Blood Lymphocytes and Normal Tissues Analysed in a Preclinical Mouse Model: Implications for Radiosensitivity Testing

Purpose: Radiotherapy is an effective cancer treatment, but a few patients suffer severe radiation toxicities in neighboring normal tissues. There is increasing evidence that the variable susceptibility to radiation toxicities is caused by the individual genetic predisposition, by subtle mutations, or polymorphisms in genes involved in cellular responses to ionizing radiation. Double-strand breaks (DSB) are the most deleterious form of radiation-induced DNA damage, and DSB repair deficiencies lead to pronounced radiosensitivity. Using a preclinical mouse model, the highly sensitive γH2AX-foci approach was tested to verify even subtle, genetically determined DSB repair deficiencies known to be associated with increased normal tissue radiosensitivity. Experimental Design: By enumerating γH2AX-foci in blood lymphocytes and normal tissues (brain, lung, heart, and intestine), the induction and repair of DSBs after irradiation with therapeutic doses (0.1-2 Gy) was investigated in repair-proficient and repair-deficient mouse strains in vivo and blood samples irradiated ex vivo. Results: γH2AX-foci analysis allowed to verify the different DSB repair deficiencies; even slight impairments caused by single polymorphisms were detected similarly in both blood lymphocytes and solid tissues, indicating that DSB repair measured in lymphocytes is valid for different and complex organs. Moreover, γH2AX-foci analysis of blood samples irradiated ex vivo was found to reflect repair kinetics measured in vivo and, thus, give reliable information about the individual DSB repair capacity. Conclusions: γH2AX analysis of blood and tissue samples allows to detect even minor genetically defined DSB repair deficiencies, affecting normal tissue radiosensitivity. Future studies will have to evaluate the clinical potential to identify patients more susceptible to radiation toxicities before radiotherapy.
Time-Frequency Analysis — G ( λ )-stationary Processes

Methods such as wavelets and M-stationary process have been developed to analyze the time-frequency properties of a process where frequency changes with time. In certain circumstances, when the frequencies of a process change systematically either monotonically increasing or monotonically decreasing across time, another approach is to apply an appropriate Box-Cox transformation to the time axis for the given signal in order to obtain a new stationary data set. This new data set can be analyzed by standard methods. Processes which are transformed to a stationary process after Box-Cox transformation on the time scale are called G(λ)-stationary processes, where λ is the corresponding parameter of the Box-Cox transformation. The method is illustrated with analysis of both simulated and real data. Finally, it is shown that such processes can be transformed to stationarity by sampling properly.
Atmospheric Ozone and Methane in a Changing Climate

Ozone and methane are chemically active climate-forcing agents affected by climate-chemistry interactions in the atmosphere. Key chemical reactions and processes affecting ozone and methane are presented. It is shown that climate-chemistry interactions have a significant impact on the two compounds. Ozone, which is a secondary compound in the atmosphere, produced and broken down mainly in the troposphere and stratosphre through chemical reactions involving atomic oxygen (O), NOx compounds (NO, NO2), CO, hydrogen radicals (OH, HO2), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and chlorine (Cl, ClO) and bromine (Br, BrO). Ozone is broken down through changes in the atmospheric distribution of the afore mentioned compounds. Methane is a primary compound emitted from different sources (wetlands, rice production, livestock, mining, oil and gas production and landfills). Methane is broken down by the hydroxyl radical (OH). OH is significantly affected by methane emissions, defined by the feedback factor,
A testbed for network performance evaluation and its application to connection admission control algorithms

Multimedia networks will support a wide range of applications with different requirements and traffic characteristics. Connection Admission Control (CAC) algorithms are used to decide whether an incoming connection should be accepted or rejected in order to maintain the quality of service (QoS) demanded by the applications. The objective of this work is to present an environment we developed useful for performance analysis, measurements and experimentation, in particular for testing resource usage based on different traffic characteristics. We demonstrate how a study of the effectiveness of different CAC algorithms can be performed from measurements collected using an ATM switch and the tools we developed. For the studies we selected and implemented two CAC algorithms, one for a non-regulated traffic, proposed by [14], and other for a leaky-bucket regulated traffic, proposed by [5]. The environment tools include a traffic generator supporting IP and native-ATM as well as a CAC module that implements the algorithms above and can be used in conjunction with our test environment. These tools are currently part of the Tangram-II modeling environment [3,11] and available to download.