Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Extremely Massive Dry Galaxy Merger in a Moderate Redshift Cluster

We have identified perhaps the largest major galaxy merger ever seen. While analyzing Spitzer IRAC images of CL 0958+4702, an X-ray-selected cluster at z = 0.39, we discovered an unusual plume of stars extending ≳110 h-1 kpc outward from the bright central galaxy (BCG). Three galaxies 1-1.5 mag fainter than the BCG lie within 17 kpc (projected) of the BCG and are probably participating in the merger. The plume is detected in all four IRAC channels and at optical wavelengths in images from the WIYN telescope; the surface brightness is remarkably high (μr ≈ 24.8 mag arcsec-2 at 50 kpc). The optical and infrared colors are consistent with those of other BCGs, suggesting that the plume is composed of old stars and negligible recent star formation (hence a "dry merger"). The luminosity in the plume is at least equivalent to a 4L* galaxy. A diffuse halo extending 110 h-1 kpc from the BCG in one IRAC image suggests the total amount of diffuse light is Lr ~ 1.3 × 1011 h-2 L☉. A Chandra observation shows an X-ray image and spectrum typical of moderate-mass clusters. We use MMT/Hectospec to measure 905 redshifts in a 1 deg2 region around the cluster. The velocities of two of the BCG companions indicate a merger timescale for the companion galaxies of ~110 Myr and ~0.5-1 Gyr for the plume. We conclude that the BCG and intracluster light of CL 0958 is formed by major mergers at moderate redshifts. After the major merger is complete, CL 0958 will likely become a fossil cluster.
On the approximability of trade-offs and optimal access of Web sources

We study problems in multiobjective optimization, in which solutions to a combinatorial optimization problem are evaluated with respect to several cost criteria, and we are interested in the trade-off between these objectives (the so-called Pareto curve). We point out that, under very general conditions, there is a polynomially succinct curve that /spl epsiv/-approximates the Pareto curve, for any /spl epsiv/>0. We give a necessary and sufficient condition under which this approximate Pareto curve can be constructed in time polynomial in the size of the instance and 1//spl epsiv/. In the case of multiple linear objectives, we distinguish between two cases: when the underlying feasible region is convex, then we show that approximating the multi-objective problem is equivalent to approximating the single-objective problem. If however the feasible region is discrete, then we point out that the question reduces to an old and recurrent one: how does the complexity of a combinatorial optimization problem change when its feasible region is intersected with a hyperplane with small coefficients; we report some interesting new findings in this domain. Finally, we apply these concepts and techniques to formulate and solve approximately a cost-time-quality trade-off for optimizing access to the World-Wide Web, in a model first studied by Etzioni et al. (1996) (which was actually the original motivation for this work).
An Assessment of the Screening Method to Evaluate Vaccine Effectiveness: The Case of 7-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in the United States

The screening method, which employs readily available data, is an inexpensive and quick means of estimating vaccine effectiveness (VE). We compared estimates of effectiveness of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) using the screening and case-control methods. Cases were children aged 19–35 months with pneumococcus isolated from normally sterile sites residing in Active Bacterial Core surveillance areas in the United States. Case-control VE was estimated for 2001–2004 by comparing the odds of vaccination among cases and community controls. Screening-method VE for 2001–2009 was estimated by comparing the proportion of cases vaccinated to National Immunization Survey-derived coverage among the general population. To evaluate the plausibility of screening-method VE findings, we estimated attack rates among vaccinated and unvaccinated persons. We identified 1,154 children with IPD. Annual population PCV7 coverage with ≥1 dose increased from 38% to 97%. Case-control VE for ≥1 dose was estimated as 75% against all-serotype IPD (annual range: 35–83%) and 91% for PCV7-type IPD (annual range: 65–100%). By the screening method, the overall VE was 86% for ≥1 dose (annual range: −240–70%) against all-serotype IPD and 94% (annual range: 62–97%) against PCV7-type IPD. As cases of PCV7-type IPD declined during 2001–2005, estimated attack rates for all-serotype IPD among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals became less consistent than what would be expected with the estimated effectiveness of PCV7. The screening method yields estimates of VE that are highly dependent on the time period during which it is used and the choice of outcome. The method should be used cautiously to evaluate VE of PCVs.
Neural Network Applications in High-Resolution Atmospheric Remote Sensing

n Estimation techniques based on neural networks are becoming more common in high-resolution atmospheric remote sensing largely because of the simplicity, flexibility, and ability of the neural network techniques to accurately represent complex multidimensional statistical relationships. Spaceborne atmospheric sounders with increasingly finer spatial and spectral resolution are generating formidable amounts of radiance data. This abundance of data presents two major challenges in the development of algorithms that retrieve geophysical information from the radiance measurements. The first challenge concerns the robustness of the retrieval operator and involves maximal use of the geophysical content of the radiance data with minimal interference from instrument and atmospheric noise. The second challenge is the implementation of the robust algorithm within a given computational budget. The neural network estimation techniques described in this article allow both of these challenges to be overcome. Sample results are presented for retrievals of (1) atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles and (2) precipitation rates.
ASSESSMENT OF A COMPUTER BASED CURRICULUM IN EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to present a computerbased curriculum on evidence-based medicine and its performances in medical students training. Materials: A number of thirteen tutorials and six supplemental materials were assembly into a portable application using the Microsoft HTML Help program. Methods: Preand post-study survey and tests were developed to measure the students’ knowledge and attitude on evidence-based medicine. Forty medical students were enrolling voluntary at the study and completed the preand post-study survey as well as preand post-tests at the beginning and completion of a three month period of training. Data were presented as absolute and relative frequency, with confidence intervals, and were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. Results: Most of the medical students included into the study were hear about evidence-based medicine concepts for the first time by participation of the study. Preand post-test evaluation results show that the computerassisted evidence-based medicine training can improve knowledge significantly. Conclusion: The developed evidence-based medicine curriculum it proved to be useful in medical students training giving them access to information in their native language and improving their knowledge, opening the way towards the use of evidence in medical decisions.
System applications for wireless indoor communications

Buildings present a hostile environment for radio communications, with in-building radio propagation difficult to predict and continuously changing. W ireless indoor communications can be used in a bride range of applications to provide for user mobility, easy setup, and reconfiguration of terminals, telephones, and so forth. Such applications can be divided $#to two classes: (1) Narrowband applications, such as paging or wireless PBX systems for voice and low rate data and (2) Wideband applications, such as a wireless local area network capable of handling data rates u p to several Megabits per second. Buildings, however, present a hostile environment for radio communications, with in-building radio propagation difficult to predict and continuously changing. Problems include multipath and shadow fading, which reduce the coverage region, and dispersion due to delay spread, which limits the maximum data rate. Furthermore, in buildings with multiple users, interference among users can be a serious problem, and the available spectrum might be much less than that required to handle all potential users. In this article we describe various antenna diversity techniques, including selection, maximal ratio and optimum combining, and show how diversity, in combination with other techniques, can be used to overcome these problems. One such technique is resource sharing, which recognizes that, at any moment, only ;I small fraction of all users are experiencing transmission difficulties, and assigns extra system resources (for example, bandwidth or time slots) as needed to protect those users. " We first briefly describe the indoor radio environment and show why diversity can be effective. We then describe techniques for narrowband applications , such as wireless PBX's, that can be used to increase the coverage region, eliminate interference problems, and permit frequency reuse within the same coverage region, thereby dramatically increasing system capacity. Finally, we describe techniques for wide-band applications, such as wireless local area networks , that can be used to increase both the maximum data rate and the coverage region. With indoor radio communication, there is rarely a line of sight between the transmitter and receiver, and multiple signal propagation paths exist. The signals from these paths combine both constructively and destructively at the receiver to produce multipath fading. For narrowband transmission, where the propagation delays associated with the various paths are extremely small compared to the inverse of the signal bandwidth, the channel can be considered as a Rayleigh fading channel with frequency flat fading [ 141. This Rayleigh fading …
Hoaxy: A Platform for Tracking Online Misinformation

Massive amounts of misinformation have been observed to spread in uncontrolled fashion across social media. Examples include rumors, hoaxes, fake news, and conspiracy theories. At the same time, several journalistic organizations devote significant efforts to high-quality fact checking of online claims. The resulting information cascades contain instances of both accurate and inaccurate information, unfold over multiple time scales, and often reach audiences of considerable size. All these factors pose challenges for the study of the social dynamics of online news sharing. Here we introduce Hoaxy, a platform for the collection, detection, and analysis of online misinformation and its related fact-checking efforts. We discuss the design of the platform and present a preliminary analysis of a sample of public tweets containing both fake news and fact checking. We find that, in the aggregate, the sharing of fact-checking content typically lags that of misinformation by 10-20 hours. Moreover, fake news are dominated by very active users, while fact checking is a more grass-roots activity. With the increasing risks connected to massive online misinformation, social news observatories have the potential to help researchers, journalists, and the general public understand the dynamics of real and fake news sharing.
γ-Protocadherins Are Targeted to Subsets of Synapses and Intracellular Organelles in Neurons

The clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs) comprise >50 putative synaptic recognition molecules that are related to classical cadherins and highly expressed in the nervous system. Pcdhs are organized into three gene clusters (α, β, and γ). Within the α and γ clusters, three exons encode the cytoplasmic domain for each Pcdh, making these domains identical within a cluster. Using an antibody to the Pcdh-γ constant cytoplasmic domain, we find that all interneurons in cultured hippocampal neurons express high levels of Pcdh-γs in a nonsynaptic distribution. In contrast, only 48% of pyramidal-like cells expressed appreciable levels of these molecules. In these cells, Pcdh-γs were associated with a subset of excitatory synapses in which they may mediate presynaptic to postsynaptic recognition in concert with classical cadherins. Immunogold localization in hippocampal tissue showed Pcdh-γs at some synapses, in nonsynaptic plasma membranes, and in axonal and dendritic tubulovesicular structures, indicating that they may be exchanged among synapses and intracellular compartments. Our results show that although Pcdh-γs can be synaptic molecules, synapses form lacking Pcdh-γs. Thus, Pcdh-γs and their relatives may be late additions to the classical cadherin-based synaptic adhesive scaffold; their presence in intracellular compartments suggests a role in modifying synaptic physiology or stability.
Characterizing moisture exchange between the Hawaiian convective boundary layer and free troposphere using stable isotopes in water

The subtropical convective boundary layer (CBL) plays a critical role in climate by regulating the vertical exchange of moisture, energy, trace gases, and pollutants between the ocean surface and free troposphere. Yet bulk features of this exchange are poorly constrained in climate models. To improve our understanding of moisture transport between the boundary layer and free troposphere, paired measurements of water vapor mixing ratio and the stable isotope ratio 18O/16O are used to evaluate moist convective mixing and entrainment processes near the Big Island of Hawaii. Profile data from the island's east side are consistent with moist adiabatic processes below the trade wind temperature inversion. In contrast, profiles on the west side follow moist adiabatic lapse rates within discrete stable layers, suggesting moist convection sets the humidity structure of even the unsaturated regions around the island. Above the trade wind inversion, the transition from well‐mixed boundary layer to free troposphere is characterized by a simple mixing line analysis, so long as the thermodynamic properties of the air mass at CBL top are known. Deviations from the mixing line identify thermodynamic boundaries in the atmospheric profile, which can persist from one day to the next. These findings indicate residual layers form during strong mixing events and regulate vertical moisture transport for multiple days at a time. Basic assumptions that synoptic‐scale transport controls isotope ratios at CBL top are therefore not sufficient for describing moisture exchange between the boundary layer and free troposphere in the subtropics.
Method to extract the primary cosmic ray spectrum from very high energy γ-ray data and its application to SNR RX J1713.7-3946

Supernova remnants are likely to be the accelerators of the galactic cosmic rays. Assuming the correctness of this hypothesis, we develop a method to extract the parent cosmic ray spectrum from the very high energy gamma-ray flux emitted by supernova remnants (and other gamma transparent sources). Namely, we calculate semianalytically the (inverse) operator which relates an arbitrary gamma-ray flux to the parent cosmic ray spectrum, without relying on any theoretical assumption about the shape of the cosmic ray and/or photon spectrum. We illustrate the use of this technique by applying it to the young SNR RX J1713.7-3946 which has been observed by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) experiment during the last three years. Specific implementations of the method permit using as an input either the parametrized very high energy gamma-ray flux or directly the raw data. The possibility to detect features in the cosmic rays spectrum and the error in the determination of the parent cosmic ray spectrum are also discussed.
A variational mean ﬁeld algorithm for eﬃcient inference in large systems of stochastic diﬀerential equations

This work introduces a new Gaussian variational mean ﬁeld approximation for inference in dynamical systems which can be modeled by ordinary stochastic diﬀerential equations. This new approach allows one to express the variational free energy as a functional of the marginal moments of the approximating Gaussian process. A restriction of the moment equations to piecewise polynomial functions, over time, dramatically reduces the complexity of approximate inference for stochastic diﬀerential equation models and makes it comparable to that of discrete time hidden Markov models. The algorithm is demonstrated on state and parameter estimation for non-linear problems with up to one thousand dimensional state vectors and compares the results empirically with various well known inference methodologies.
Self-government in multi-agent systems : experiments and thought-experiments

This paper reports on research in self-modifying protocol games. A selfmodifying protocol is a set of instructions, rules, or conventions, that can be changed by the systems that communicate with the help of that protocol. The concept is expected to be of great importance for the next generation of intelligent distributed computer systems, such as DPSs, and MASs. This paper tries to show by example that a self-modifying protocol leads to self-governmental behaviour in intelligent distributed computer systems. It further hints at the possible avenues future research might take, and indicates how theoretical results can be obtained.
Knock Down of Heat Shock Protein 27 (HspB1) Induces Degradation of Several Putative Client Proteins

Hsp27 belongs to the heat shock protein family and displays chaperone properties in stress conditions by holding unfolded polypeptides, hence avoiding their inclination to aggregate. Hsp27 is often referenced as an anti-cancer therapeutic target, but apart from its well-described ability to interfere with different stresses and apoptotic processes, its role in non-stressed conditions is still not well defined. In the present study we report that three polypeptides (histone deacetylase HDAC6, transcription factor STAT2 and procaspase-3) were degraded in human cancerous cells displaying genetically decreased levels of Hsp27. In addition, these proteins interacted with Hsp27 complexes of different native size. Altogether, these findings suggest that HDAC6, STAT2 and procaspase-3 are client proteins of Hsp27. Hence, in non stressed cancerous cells, the structural organization of Hsp27 appears to be a key parameter in the regulation by this chaperone of the level of specific polypeptides through client-chaperone type of interactions.
A Survey of Wearable Biometric Recognition Systems

The growing popularity of wearable devices is leading to new ways to interact with the environment, with other smart devices, and with other people. Wearables equipped with an array of sensors are able to capture the owner’s physiological and behavioural traits, thus are well suited for biometric authentication to control other devices or access digital services. However, wearable biometrics have substantial differences from traditional biometrics for computer systems, such as fingerprints, eye features, or voice. In this article, we discuss these differences and analyse how researchers are approaching the wearable biometrics field. We review and provide a categorization of wearable sensors useful for capturing biometric signals. We analyse the computational cost of the different signal processing techniques, an important practical factor in constrained devices such as wearables. Finally, we review and classify the most recent proposals in the field of wearable biometrics in terms of the structure of the biometric system proposed, their experimental setup, and their results. We also present a critique of experimental issues such as evaluation and feasibility aspects, and offer some final thoughts on research directions that need attention in future work.
Strategy management process in higher education : a case study on a Malaysian public university

This study has explored the strategy management process of a public University in Malaysia. An inductive approach was adopted in the study to illuminate strategy issues from participants’ experience. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with three groups of participants comprising the Executive Management Team, the Operation and Management Team, and the Academics. The inductive approach allows the flexibility for findings to emerge without a predetermined conceptual framework in the research inquiry. This enabled the researcher to elicit views on the strategy management process as experienced by the participants. The findings have brought to the surface the influence of government in the University’s strategy management process. Evidence suggests that the strategy has been used as a means of legitimacy of the University with the government. This has been apparent in the conformity to the institutional rules. In the context of a Malaysian university, the institutional rules are produced by the government. In line with this, institutional theory is found pertinent for the development of the conceptual framework in the study. The conformity to institutional rules has contributed to the challenges in the University’s strategy management process. At the same time, the study has also shown the existence of tight and loose coupling in the University. In the study, the combination of tight and loose coupling was mainly for the purpose of resolving conflicts as the University manages its legitimacy with the government. The study provides empirical evidence of a Malaysian University’s strategy management process and its influence from a context that has not yet been widely researched. In doing so, it has elicited the relevance of institutional theory.
Low Leakage Multi Threshold Level Shifter Design using Sleepy Keeper

paper, a low leakage multi V th level shifter is designed for robust voltage shifting from sub threshold to above threshold domain using MTCMOS technique and sleepy keeper. Multi Threshold CMOS is an effective circuit level technique that improves the performance and design by utilizing both low and high threshold voltage transistors. Power dissipation has become an overriding concern for VLSI circuit designers. In this a "sleepy keeper" approach is preferred which reduces the leakage current while saving exact logic state. New low-power level shifter using sleepy keeper is compared with the previous work for different values of the lower supply voltage. The circuits are individually analyzed for power consumption at 45nm CMOS technology, new level shifter offer significant power savings up to 37% as compared to the previous work. On the other hand, when the circuits are individually analyzed for minimum propagation delay, speed is enhanced by up to 48% with our approach to the circuit. All these simulation results are based on 45nm CMOS technology and simulated in cadence tool.