Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SN 1999ga: a low-luminosity linear type II supernova?

Context. Type II-linear supernovae are thought to arise from progenitors that have lost most of their H envelope by the time of the explosion, and they are poorly understood because they are only occasionally discovered. It is possible that they are intrinsically rare, but selection effects due to their rapid luminosity evolution may also play an important role in limiting the number of detections. In this context, the discovery of a subluminous type II-linear event is even more interesting. Aims. We investigate the physical properties and characterise the explosion site of the type II SN 1999ga, which exploded in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 2442. Methods. Spectroscopic and photometric observations of SN 1999ga allow us to constrain the energetics of the explosion and to estimate the mass of the ejected material, shedding light on the nature of the progenitor star in the final stages of its life. The study of the environment in the vicinity of the explosion site provides information on a possible relation between these unusual supernovae and the properties of the galaxies hosting them. Results. Despite the lack of early-time observations, we provide reasonable evidence that SN 1999ga was probably a type II-linear supernova that ejected a few solar masses of material, with a very small amount of radioactive elements of the order of 0.01 M� .
High lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 is a risk factor for recurrent coronary events in postinfarction patients.

BACKGROUND Recent studies demonstrate that lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease presumably deriving from generation of proinflammatory and proatherogenic species through its hydrolytic activity on lipoprotein-associated phospholipids. The goal of this study was to assess the relationship of Lp-PLA2 with a set of thrombogenic, lipid, inflammatory, and metabolic blood markers and to determine whether plasma Lp-PLA2 is a risk factor for recurrent coronary events in postinfarction patients. METHODS Factor analysis on the set of blood markers and Lp-PLA2 was performed for 766 patients of the Thrombogenic Factors and Recurrent Coronary Events (THROMBO) postinfarction study. Recurrent coronary event risk was assessed as a function of blood marker concentrations and Lp-PLA2 by Cox proportional hazards multivariable regression adjusted for significant clinical covariates. RESULTS Factor analysis revealed that Lp-PLA2 was associated with one factor dominated by cholesterol and apolipoprotein B and another factor dominated by HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, with little association with an inflammatory factor dominated by C-reactive protein. Multivariable analysis demonstrated as significant and independent predictors of risk of secondary coronary events only apolipoprotein B in a model without Lp-PLA2 (hazard ratio, 1.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-2.40) and only Lp-PLA2 in a model with Lp-PLA2 included [1.90 (1.31-2.75)]. CONCLUSIONS Lp-PLA2 is a significant and independent predictor of risk for recurrent coronary events in postinfarction patients, and Lp-PLA2 is related to both hypercholesterolemia and high triglyceride-low HDL dyslipidemia in this study population.
Haptic Discrimination and Matching of Viscosity

In three experiments, viscosity perception of liquids using the sense of touch was studied. The first two were discrimination experiments in which Weber fractions were determined for a number of viscosities spanning the range of what is encountered in daily life, and for two ways of perceiving viscosity (stirring with a spatula or with the index finger). For high viscosities, Weber fractions were around 0.3, whereas they increased for lower viscosities. For low viscosities, discrimination performance was much worse with the finger than with the spatula. In the third experiment, subjects matched liquids perceived with these two methods, which resulted in biases of around 80. Control experiments and force measurements were performed to find an explanation for these results. It was concluded that the relationship between perceived and physical viscosity is steeper for stirring liquids with a spatula than stirring with the finger.
In vitro assembly of the Tomato bushy stunt virus replicase requires the host Heat shock protein 70

To gain insights into the functions of a viral RNA replicase, we have assembled in vitro and entirely from nonplant sources, a fully functional replicase complex of Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV). The formation of the TBSV replicase required two purified recombinant TBSV replication proteins, which were obtained from E. coli, the viral RNA replicon, rATP, rGTP, and a yeast cell-free extract. The in vitro assembly of the replicase took place in the membraneous fraction of the yeast extract, in which the viral replicase-RNA complex became RNase- and proteinase-resistant. The assembly of the replicase complex required the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70 = yeast Ssa1/2p) present in the soluble fraction of the yeast cell-free extract. The assembled TBSV replicase performed a complete replication cycle, synthesizing RNA complementary to the provided RNA replicon and using the complementary RNA as template to synthesize new TBSV replicon RNA.
Model Construction for the Intention to Use Telecare in Patients with Chronic Diseases

Objective. This study chose patients with chronic diseases as study subjects to investigate their intention to use telecare. Methods. A large medical institute in Taiwan was used as the sample unit. Patients older than 20 years, who had chronic diseases, were sampled by convenience sampling and surveyed with a structural questionnaire, and a total of 500 valid questionnaires were collected. Model construction was based on the Health Belief Model. The reliability and validity of the measurement model were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the causal model was explained by structural equation modeling (SEM). Results. The priority should be on promoting the perceived benefits of telecare, with a secondary focus on the external cues to action, such as promoting the influences of important people on the patients. Conclusion. The findings demonstrated that patients with chronic diseases use telecare differently from the general public. To promote the use and acceptance of telecare in patients with chronic diseases, technology developers should prioritize the promotion of the usefulness of telecare. In addition, policy makers can strengthen the marketing from media and medical personnel, in order to increase the acceptance of telecare by patients with chronic diseases.
A Review of Grizzly Bear Harvest Management in British Columbia

This review builds on the information presented in Hamilton and Austin (2002). The purposes are: 1) to identify and present information on the outstanding scientific and management issues involved in assuring that hunting does not represent a conservation threat to grizzly bear populations and, 2) to outline potential future directions that are under consideration for grizzly bear harvest management in the province. It is based on the experience and professional opinions of provincial wildlife biologists within the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection.
THE CHANDRA MULTI-WAVELENGTH PROJECT: OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY AND THE BROADBAND SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF X-RAY-SELECTED AGNs

From optical spectroscopy of X-ray sources observed as part of the Chandra Multi-wavelength Project (ChaMP), we present redshifts and classifications for a total of 1569 Chandra sources from our targeted spectroscopic follow-up using the FLWO/1.5 m, SAAO/1.9 m, WIYN 3.5 m, CTIO/4 m, KPNO/4 m, Magellan/6.5 m, MMT/6.5 m, and Gemini/8 m telescopes, and from archival Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopy. We classify the optical counterparts as 50% broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs), 16% emission line galaxies, 14% absorption line galaxies, and 20% stars. We detect QSOs out to z ∼ 5.5 and galaxies out to z ∼ 3. We have compiled extensive photometry, including X-ray (ChaMP), ultraviolet (GALEX), optical (SDSS and ChaMP-NOAO/MOSAIC follow-up), near-infrared (UKIDSS, Two Micron All Sky Survey, and ChaMP-CTIO/ISPI follow-up), mid-infrared (WISE), and radio (FIRST and NVSS) bands. Together with our spectroscopic information, this enables us to derive detailed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for our extragalactic sources. We fit a variety of template SEDs to determine bolometric luminosities, and to constrain AGNs and starburst components where both are present. While ∼58% of X-ray Seyferts (1042 erg s−1 < L2 − 10 keV <1044 erg s−1) require a starburst event (>5% starburst contribution to bolometric luminosity) to fit observed photometry only 26% of the X-ray QSO (L2 − 10 keV >1044 erg s−1) population appear to have some kind of star formation contribution. This is significantly lower than for the Seyferts, especially if we take into account torus contamination at z > 1 where the majority of our X-ray QSOs lie. In addition, we observe a rapid drop of the percentage of starburst contribution as X-ray luminosity increases. This is consistent with the quenching of star formation by powerful QSOs, as predicted by the merger model, or with a time lag between the peak of star formation and QSO activity. We have tested the hypothesis that there should be a strong connection between X-ray obscuration and star formation but we do not find any association between X-ray column density and star formation rate both in the general population or the star-forming X-ray Seyferts. Our large compilation also allows us to report here the identification of 81 X-ray Bright Optically inactive Galaxies, 78 z > 3 X-ray sources, and eight Type-2 QSO candidates. Also, we have identified the highest redshift (z = 5.4135) X-ray-selected QSO with optical spectroscopy.
The Multipartite Mitochondrial Genome of Liposcelis bostrychophila: Insights into the Evolution of Mitochondrial Genomes in Bilateral Animals

Booklice (order Psocoptera) in the genus Liposcelis are major pests to stored grains worldwide and are closely related to parasitic lice (order Phthiraptera). We sequenced the mitochondrial (mt) genome of Liposcelis bostrychophila and found that the typical single mt chromosome of bilateral animals has fragmented into and been replaced by two medium-sized chromosomes in this booklouse; each of these chromosomes has about half of the genes of the typical mt chromosome of bilateral animals. These mt chromosomes are 8,530 bp (mt chromosome I) and 7,933 bp (mt chromosome II) in size. Intriguingly, mt chromosome I is twice as abundant as chromosome II. It appears that the selection pressure for compact mt genomes in bilateral animals favors small mt chromosomes when small mt chromosomes co-exist with the typical large mt chromosomes. Thus, small mt chromosomes may have selective advantages over large mt chromosomes in bilateral animals. Phylogenetic analyses of mt genome sequences of Psocodea (i.e. Psocoptera plus Phthiraptera) indicate that: 1) the order Psocoptera (booklice and barklice) is paraphyletic; and 2) the order Phthiraptera (the parasitic lice) is monophyletic. Within parasitic lice, however, the suborder Ischnocera is paraphyletic; this differs from the traditional view that each suborder of parasitic lice is monophyletic.
Reconstruction of Real-World Objects via Simultaneous Registration and Robust Combination of Multiple Range Images

Range finder devices are quite useful to measure the geometry of real-world objects. However, the reconstruction of large and complicated objects often requires the acquisition of multiple range images showing different views of the object. With our reconstruction method, the relative orientations of all range images are determined via simultaneous registration of all range images. The registration process is based on a least-squares approach where a distance metric between the overlapping range images is minimized. Registration errors are not accumulated, and it is even possible to reconstruct large objects from an arbitrary number of small range images. A resolution hierarchy accelerates the registration substantially. In order to exploit redundancies, the overlapping surfaces are optimally adapted to each other. The processed range images are converted to a signed distance function, which is based on the idea that no part of the object can lie between the scanner and the measured surface in any view. According to the signed distance function an intermediate volumetric model is sculptured out and polygonalized with isosurface techniques. The accuracy of the generated mesh is improved by moving its vertices onto the surface implicitly defined by the registered range images.
Benign breast disease, mammographic breast density, and the risk of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Benign breast disease and high breast density are prevalent, strong risk factors for breast cancer. Women with both risk factors may be at very high risk. METHODS We included 42818 women participating in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium who had no prior diagnosis of breast cancer and had undergone at least one benign breast biopsy and mammogram; 1359 women developed incident breast cancer in 6.1 years of follow-up (78.1% invasive, 21.9% ductal carcinoma in situ). We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox regression analysis. The referent group was women with nonproliferative changes and average density. All P values are two-sided. RESULTS Benign breast disease and breast density were independently associated with breast cancer. The combination of atypical hyperplasia and very high density was uncommon (0.6% of biopsies) but was associated with the highest risk for breast cancer (HR = 5.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.52 to 8.09, P < .001). Proliferative disease without atypia (25.6% of biopsies) was associated with elevated risk that varied little across levels of density: average (HR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.69, P = .003), high (HR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.68 to 2.44, P < .001), or very high (HR = 2.05; 95% CI = 1.54 to 2.72, P < .001). Low breast density (4.5% of biopsies) was associated with low risk (HRs <1) for all benign pathology diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS Women with high breast density and proliferative benign breast disease are at very high risk for future breast cancer. Women with low breast density are at low risk, regardless of their benign pathologic diagnosis.
Infants’ Learning of Phonological Status

There is a substantial literature describing how infants become more sensitive to differences between native phonemes (sounds that are both present and meaningful in the input) and less sensitive to differences between non-native phonemes (sounds that are neither present nor meaningful in the input) over the course of development. Here, we review an emergent strand of literature that gives a more nuanced notion of the problem of sound category learning. This research documents infants’ discovery of phonological status, signaled by a decrease in sensitivity to sounds that map onto the same phonemic category vs. different phonemic categories. The former phones are present in the input, but their difference does not cue meaning distinctions because they are tied to one and the same phoneme. For example, the diphthong I in I’m should map to the same underlying category as the diphthong in I’d, despite the fact that the first vowel is nasal and the second oral. Because such pairs of sounds are processed differently than those than map onto different phonemes by adult speakers, the learner has to come to treat them differently as well. Interestingly, there is some evidence that infants’ sensitivity to dimensions that are allophonic in the ambient language declines as early as 11 months. We lay out behavioral research, corpora analyses, and computational work which sheds light on how infants achieve this feat at such a young age. Collectively, this work suggests that the computation of complementary distribution and the calculation of phonetic similarity operate in concert to guide infants toward a functional interpretation of sounds that are present in the input, yet not lexically contrastive. In addition to reviewing this literature, we discuss broader implications for other fundamental theoretical and empirical questions.
Bank and Sovereign Risk Interdependence in the Euro Area

We develop a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model to study bank risk and sovereign risk interdependence in the Euro Area. We find that an increase in capital investment risk shock, results in a considerably deeper recession when sovereign risk is also present. This result has three policy implications. First, Euro Area policies dealing with failing banks aggravated the recession. Second, although there has been a supranational effort with the creation of the EFSF/ESM to provide loans to sovereigns, as long as there is no direct mechanism for financial sector rescues, Euro Area policies continue to exacerbate the recession. Third, in favor of austerity measures used in the EA, we find that government spending multipliers are smaller in the presence of sovereign risk.
Regularizing Common Spatial Patterns to Improve BCI Designs: Unified Theory and New Algorithms

One of the most popular feature extraction algorithms for brain-computer interfaces (BCI) is common spatial patterns (CSPs). Despite its known efficiency and widespread use, CSP is also known to be very sensitive to noise and prone to overfitting. To address this issue, it has been recently proposed to regularize CSP. In this paper, we present a simple and unifying theoretical framework to design such a regularized CSP (RCSP). We then present a review of existing RCSP algorithms and describe how to cast them in this framework. We also propose four new RCSP algorithms. Finally, we compare the performances of 11 different RCSP (including the four new ones and the original CSP), on electroencephalography data from 17 subjects, from BCI competition datasets. Results showed that the best RCSP methods can outperform CSP by nearly 10% in median classification accuracy and lead to more neurophysiologically relevant spatial filters. They also enable us to perform efficient subject-to-subject transfer. Overall, the best RCSP algorithms were CSP with Tikhonov regularization and weighted Tikhonov regularization, both proposed in this paper.
Citations, Citation Indicators, and Research Quality: An Overview of Basic Concepts and Theories

Citations are increasingly used as performance indicators in research policy and within the research system. Usually, citations are assumed to reflect the impact of the research or its quality. What is the justification for these assumptions and how do citations relate to research quality? These and similar issues have been addressed through several decades of scientometric research. This article provides an overview of some of the main issues at stake, including theories of citation and the interpretation and validity of citations as performance measures. Research quality is a multidimensional concept, where plausibility/soundness, originality, scientific value, and societal value commonly are perceived as key characteristics. The article investigates how citations may relate to these various research quality dimensions. It is argued that citations reflect aspects related to scientific impact and relevance, although with important limitations. On the contrary, there is no evidence that citations reflect other key dimensions of research quality. Hence, an increased use of citation indicators in research evaluation and funding may imply less attention to these other research quality dimensions, such as solidity/plausibility, originality, and societal value.
Sciatica of nondisc origin and piriformis syndrome: diagnosis by magnetic resonance neurography and interventional magnetic resonance imaging with outcome study of resulting treatment.

OBJECT Because lumbar magnetic resonance (MR) imaging fails to identify a treatable cause of chronic sciatica in nearly 1 million patients annually, the authors conducted MR neurography and interventional MR imaging in 239 consecutive patients with sciatica in whom standard diagnosis and treatment failed to effect improvement. METHODS After performing MR neurography and interventional MR imaging, the final rediagnoses included the following: piriformis syndrome (67.8%), distal foraminal nerve root entrapment (6%), ischial tunnel syndrome (4.7%), discogenic pain with referred leg pain (3.4%), pudendal nerve entrapment with referred pain (3%), distal sciatic entrapment (2.1%), sciatic tumor (1.7%), lumbosacral plexus entrapment (1.3%), unappreciated lateral disc herniation (1.3%), nerve root injury due to spinal surgery (1.3%), inadequate spinal nerve root decompression (0.8%), lumbar stenosis (0.8%), sacroiliac joint inflammation (0.8%), lumbosacral plexus tumor (0.4%), sacral fracture (0.4%), and no diagnosis (4.2%). Open MR-guided Marcaine injection into the piriformis muscle produced the following results: no response (15.7%), relief of greater than 8 months (14.9%), relief lasting 2 to 4 months with continuing relief after second injection (7.5%), relief for 2 to 4 months with subsequent recurrence (36.6%), and relief for 1 to 14 days with full recurrence (25.4%). Piriformis surgery (62 operations; 3-cm incision, transgluteal approach, 55% outpatient; 40% with local or epidural anesthesia) resulted in excellent outcome in 58.5%, good outcome in 22.6%, limited benefit in 13.2%, no benefit in 3.8%, and worsened symptoms in 1.9%. CONCLUSIONS This Class A quality evaluation of MR neurography's diagnostic efficacy revealed that piriformis muscle asymmetry and sciatic nerve hyperintensity at the sciatic notch exhibited a 93% specificity and 64% sensitivity in distinguishing patients with piriformis syndrome from those without who had similar symptoms (p < 0.01). Evaluation of the nerve beyond the proximal foramen provided eight additional diagnostic categories affecting 96% of these patients. More than 80% of the population good or excellent functional outcome was achieved.
Coping with speed

This article presents an experimental study that compares six expert and eleven novice interpreters in order to assess the effect of moderate and high delivery rates on the simultaneous interpreting of specialised discourse. The dependent variables were ear voice span (EVS) and target speech accuracy. The participants interpreted one medical speech from English into Spanish divided into three parts: the first and third parts were delivered at a moderate delivery rate and the second at a high delivery rate. Twelve segments were selected from the original speech and evaluated by five independent raters (two interpreters and three medical doctors) in terms of accuracy. The findings indicate that a high delivery rate has no significant impact on EVS, and no statistically significant differences were found between the EVS of the two groups of interpreters. The results also show that a high delivery rate has an impact on target speech accuracy in that both novices and experts perform better at a moderate delivery rate.
Mercurial Commitments from General RSA Moduli and Their Applications to Zero-Knowledge Databases/Sets

The contribution of this paper is two-fold. In the first fold, a novel construction of mercurial commitments from the general RSA moduli is presented which is provably secure in the trusted-parameter model assuming that the RSA problem is hard. In the second fold, an immediate application of mercurial commitments from general RSA moduli to zero-knowledge sets is proposed which is provably secure in the trusted-parameter model under the joint assumptions that the RSA problem is hard and collision-free hash functions exist. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first implementation of zero-knowledge sets from the general RSA moduli.