Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A DEEPER LOOK AT FAINT Hα EMISSION IN NEARBY DWARF GALAXIES

We present deep Hα imaging of three nearby dwarf galaxies, carefully selected to optimize observations with the Maryland-Magellan Tunable Filter (MMTF) on the Magellan 6.5 m telescope. An effective bandpass of ∼13 Å is used, and the images reach 3σ flux limits of ∼8 × 10−18 erg s−1 cm−2, which is about an order of magnitude lower than standard narrowband observations obtained by the most recent generation of local Hα galaxy surveys. The observations were originally motivated by the finding that the Hα/FUV flux ratio of galaxies systematically declines as global galactic properties such as the star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass decrease. The three dwarf galaxies selected for study have SFRs that, when calculated from their Hα luminosities using standard conversion recipes, are ∼50% of those based on the FUV. Follow-up studies of many of the potential causes for the trends in the Hα/FUV flux ratio have been performed, but the possibility that previous observations have missed a non-negligible fraction of faint ionized emission in dwarf galaxies has not been investigated. The MMTF observations reveal both diffuse and structured Hα emission (filaments, shells, possible single-star H ii regions) spanning extents up to 2.5 times larger relative to previous observations. However, only up to an additional ∼5% of Hα flux is captured, which does not account for the trends in the Hα/FUV ratio. Beyond investigation of the Hα/FUV ratio, the impact of the newly detected extended flux on our understanding of star formation, the properties of H ii regions, and the propagation of ionizing photons warrant further investigation.
Power and delay analysis of CMOS multipliers using Vedic algorithm

This paper presents an effective Vedic algorithm called as Urdhva-Tiryyagbhyam Sutra implementation and design for multipliers using 45nm technology. Multiplier is one of the most important parts of almost all digital system hardware, so a high speed, reduced delay, reduced area and low power consumption multiplier design will results in effective digital system designs. Thus this paper present an effective design and implementation of a multiplier with high speed, reduced delays, less area and low power consumption using our ancient methodology of Vedic mathematics that is Urdhva-Tiryagbhyam Sutra. This implementation is done in 45nm technology using chip designing tool Cadence Virtuoso at backend. Implemented Multiplier consumes very low power because of its carry skip addition methodology, reduced hardware and reduced delays. A 2 Bit multiplier consumes a very low power 5.5489×10 −11 watt and delay of 1.924×10 −12 sec and 4 Bit multiplier consumes power of 0.0002854 watt and delay of 2.0873×10−7 sec.
Two Independent Triggers for the Indian Ocean Dipole/Zonal Mode in a Coupled GCM

The question of whether and how tropical Indian Ocean dipole or zonal mode (IOZM) interannual variability is independent of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability in the Pacific is addressed in a comparison of twin 200-yr runs of a coupled climate model. The first is a reference simulation, and the second has ENSO-scale variability suppressed with a constraint on the tropical Pacific wind stress. The IOZM can exist in the model without ENSO, and the composite evolution of the main anomalies in the Indian Ocean in the two simulations is virtually identical. Its growth depends on a positive feedback between anomalous equatorial easterly winds, upwelling equatorial and coastal Kelvin waves reducing the thermocline depth and sea surface temperature off the coast of Sumatra, and the atmospheric dynamical response to the subsequently reduced convection. Two IOZM triggers in the boreal spring are found. The first is an anomalous Hadley circulation over the eastern tropical Indian Ocean and Maritime Continent, with an early northward penetration of the Southern Hemisphere southeasterly trades. This situation grows out of cooler sea surface temperatures in the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean left behind by a reinforcement of the late austral summer winds. The second trigger is a consequence of a zonal shift in the center of convection associated with a developing El Nino, a Walker cell anomaly. The first trigger is the only one present in the constrained simulation and is similar to the evolution of anomalies in 1994, when the IOZM occurred in the absence of a Pacific El Nino state. The presence of these two triggers-the first independent of ENSO and the second phase locking the IOZM to El Nino-allows an understanding of both the existence of IOZM events when Pacific conditions are neutral and the significant correlation between the IOZM and El Nino.
The Association between the Availability of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage in School Vending Machines and Its Consumption among Adolescents in California: A Propensity Score Matching Approach

There is controversy over to what degree banning sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) sales at schools could decrease the SSB intake. This paper uses the adolescent sample of 2005 California Health Interview Survey to estimate the association between the availability of SSB from school vending machines and the amount of SSB consumption. Propensity score stratification and kernel-based propensity score matching are used to address the selection bias issue in cross-sectional data. Propensity score stratification shows that adolescents who had access to SSB through their school vending machines consumed 0.170 more drinks of SSB than those who did not (P < .05). Kernel-based propensity score matching shows the SSB consumption difference to be 0.158 on the prior day (P < .05). This paper strengthens the evidence for the association between SSB availability via school vending machines and the actual SSB consumption, while future studies are needed to explore changes in other beverages after SSB becomes less available.
Modeling of glycine polymorphic and switching properties

Main results of the modeling and computational studies of two the most interesting non-centro-symmetric polymorphic glycine structures: β-glycine (space group P21) and γ-glycine (space group P32), are presented in this work. These structures reveal piezoelectric and polar properties. But the value of polarization is not clear as well it's switching behaviour. In this work computational modelling of both glycine polymorphic crystal structures were performed using combined method with Local Density Approximation (LDA) first principle calculations of atomic optimized crystal structures on Linux cluster and with molecular semi-empirical PM3 calculations by HyperChem 8.0 This computational study is corroborated by measured nanoscale data obtained by atomic force and piezo-response force microscopy (AFM / PFM).
Robo Advisers and Mutual Fund Stickiness ∗

We document a puzzling finding that robo advisers, firms which pursue automated, passive investment strategies for their clients, outperform both self-managed and mutual fund portfolios on a risk adjusted basis, but mutual fund holders are significantly less likely to respond to underperformance by setting up a robo account. We provide evidence consistent with a theory where more risk averse investors hold mutual funds, and where trust in one’s fund manager plus costly liquidation subsequently discourage delegating management to robo advisers. However, using a regression discontinuity design, we find that portfolio-specific financial advice about diversification and fees can mitigate this effect.
Distributed authentication for randomly compromised networks

We introduce a simple, practical approach with probabilistic information-theoretic security to solve one of quantum key distribution's major security weaknesses: the requirement of an authenticated classical channel to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Our scheme employs classical secret sharing and partially trusted intermediaries to provide arbitrarily high confidence in the security of the protocol. Although certain failures elude detection, we discuss preemptive strategies to reduce the probability of failure to an arbitrarily small level: the probability of such failures is exponentially suppressed with increases in connectivity (i.e. connections per node).
Evaluating the impacts of refuge width on source-sink dynamics between transgenic and non-transgenic cotton

Abstract Resistance management for Bt-transgenic crops relies in part on the production of sufficient numbers of susceptible insects in non-toxic refuges. Simulation models suggested that source-sink dynamics could interact with the structure of refuges to impact the production of insects in these areas. We tested the hypothesis that altering isolation between refuges and transgenic cotton by manipulating the width of refuges embedded within cotton fields would alter the density of Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea eggs oviposited in refuges. Three categories of refuge widths were tested over two years: they included narrow (16–24m wide), medium (32-48m wide) and wide (80–96m wide) refuges. Isolation between the two habitats increased as refuge width increased. In 1996, eggs of H. virescens from H. zea were not distinguished, but a significant increase in the density of eggs and a significant decrease in relative yield (refuge yield compared to the yield from immediately surrounding Bt-cotton) was found as refuge width increased. In 1997, eggs from H. virescens were analyzed separately from H. zea using an ELISA test. The density of H. virescens eggs increased with increasing refuge width, and there was a significant decline in density of H. virescens eggs with increasing distance from the refuge. In contrast, there was no impact of refuge width on the density of H. zea eggs, nor was the slope of a regression of egg density and distance from the refuge significantly different from zero. We suggest that these differences reflect differences in the biology of the two insects.
Influence Activities, Coalitions, and Uniform Policies: Implications for the Regulation of Financial Institutions

We examine a setting in which agents can form lobbying coalitions to influence a policy maker. Policy uniformity causes agents to free ride on each other’s lobbying and gives them an incentive to form lobbying coalitions. We investigate when coalitions are formed by similar or dissimilar agents and show that endogenous coalition formation causes the effects of policy uniformity and lobbying costs on aggregate lobbying activity and policy strength to be nonmonotonic. Our model suggests that increased competition in the market for coalition-facilitating lobbyists can lead to less lobbying. We discuss implications for the regulation of financial institutions. This paper was accepted by Shiva Rajgopal, accounting.
Towards a Linear Logic Based Calculus for Structural Modifications of Petri Nets

Object based Petri nets are becoming increasingly popular in many fields of computer science. The possibility to model real-world objects as separate Petri nets supports the need for modular design of complex systems. So far object net approaches have been based on the presumption that the object nets’ structure remains unchanged in all processes. This paper sheds some light on possible extensions of high-level Petri nets to incorporate the dynamic evolution of Petri net structures. The exposition is based on the Linear Logic encoding of Petri nets ([Bro89], [MOM89]) and coloured Petri nets ([Far98b]). It provides a basic semantics for modifying net structures which can be employed in a framework of nets within nets, i.e. situations where Petri nets (so-called token nets) themselves are used as tokens in an underlying environment net.
Projected changes in distributions of Australian tropical savanna birds under climate change using three dispersal scenarios

Identifying the species most vulnerable to extinction as a result of climate change is a necessary first step in mitigating biodiversity decline. Species distribution modeling (SDM) is a commonly used tool to assess potential climate change impacts on distributions of species. We use SDMs to predict geographic ranges for 243 birds of Australian tropical savannas, and to project changes in species richness and ranges under a future climate scenario between 1990 and 2080. Realistic predictions require recognition of the variability in species capacity to track climatically suitable environments. Here we assess the effect of dispersal on model results by using three approaches: full dispersal, no dispersal and a partial-dispersal scenario permitting species to track climate change at a rate of 30 km per decade. As expected, the projected distributions and richness patterns are highly sensitive to the dispersal scenario. Projected future range sizes decreased for 66% of species if full dispersal was assumed, but for 89% of species when no dispersal was assumed. However, realistic future predictions should not assume a single dispersal scenario for all species and as such, we assigned each species to the most appropriate dispersal category based on individual mobility and habitat specificity; this permitted the best estimates of where species will be in the future. Under this “realistic” dispersal scenario, projected ranges sizes decreased for 67% of species but showed that migratory and tropical-endemic birds are predicted to benefit from climate change with increasing distributional area. Richness hotspots of tropical savanna birds are expected to move, increasing in southern savannas and southward along the east coast of Australia, but decreasing in the arid zone. Understanding the complexity of effects of climate change on species’ range sizes by incorporating dispersal capacities is a crucial step toward developing adaptation policies for the conservation of vulnerable species.
What principles should govern the use of managed entry agreements?

Background: To ensure rapid access to new potentially beneficial health technologies, obtain best value for money, and ensure affordability, healthcare payers are adopting a range of innovative reimbursement approaches that may be called Managed Entry Agreements (MEAs). Methods: The Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Policy Forum sought to identify why MEAs might be used, issues associated with implementation and develop principles for their use. A 2-day deliberative workshop discussed key papers, members' experiences, and collectively addressed four policy questions that resulted in this study. Results: MEAs are used to give access to new technologies where traditional reimbursement is deemed inappropriate. Three different forms of MEAs have been identified: management of budget impact, management of uncertainty relating to clinical and/or cost-effectiveness, and management of utilization to optimize performance. The rationale for using these approaches and their advantages and disadvantages differ. However, all forms of MEA should take the form of a formal written agreement among stakeholders, clearly identifying the rationale for the agreement, aspects to be assessed, methods of data collection and review, and the criteria for ending the agreement. Conclusions: MEAs should only be used when HTA identifies issues or concerns about key outcomes and/or costs and/or organizational/budget impacts that are material to a reimbursement decision. They provide patient access and can be useful to manage technology diffusion and optimize use. However, they are administratively complex and may be difficult to negotiate and their effectiveness has yet to be evaluated.
Decision Making Under Risk in Deal or No Deal

We analyse the choices of 399 contestants in the Australian version of the television game show Deal or No Deal. We calculate risk aversion bounds for each contestant, revealing considerable heterogeneity. We then estimate a structural stochastic choice model that captures the dynamic decision problem faced by contestants. To address individual heterogeneity, we nest the dynamic problem within the settings of both a random effects and a random coefficients probit model. Our structural model produces plausible estimates of risk aversion, confirms the role of individual heterogeneity and suggests that a model of stochastic choice is indeed appropriate. We find mixed evidence of greater risk aversion by females. We also examine generalizations to expected utility theory, finding that the rank-dependent utility model adds non-negligible explanatory power and indicates optimism in probability weighting. Finally, we test, but are unable to confirm, the existence of an endowment effect for lotteries. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determinants of College Students' Opinions Towards Felon Voting Rights: An Exploratory Study

DETERMINANTS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS’ OPINIONS TOWARDS FELON VOTING RIGHTS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY By Brenda Cherie Dawson Edwards, Ph.D. A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2007. Major Director: Faye S. Taxman, Ph.D. Professor, Criminal Justice The disenfranchisement of felons follows a long American tradition of selectively granting the most coveted democratic tradition voting. As a collateral “civil” consequence to criminal conviction that is legally deemed as non-penal, felon voting prohibitions have been used as an exclusionary tool for certain otherwise eligible voting populations. Current research finds that African-Americans individually and collectively may experience diminished voting power due to felon voting laws (Uggen & Manza, 2002; Manza & Uggen, 2004; King & Mauer, 2004).
The Low End of the Supermassive Black Hole Mass Function: Constraining the Mass of a Nuclear Black Hole in NGC 205 via Stellar Kinematics

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images and spectra of the nucleated dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 205 are combined with three-integral axisymmetric dynamical models to constrain the mass MBH of a putative nuclear black hole. This is only the second attempt, after M33, to use resolved stellar kinematics to search for a nuclear black hole with mass below 106 solar masses. We are unable to identify a best-fit value of MBH in NGC 205; however, the data impose a upper limit of 2.2 × 104 M☉ (1 σ confidence) and an upper limit of 3.8 × 104 M☉ (3 σ confidence). This upper limit is consistent with the extrapolation of the MBH-σ relation to the MBH < 106 M☉ regime. If we assume that NGC 205 and M33 both contain nuclear black holes, the upper limits on MBH in the two galaxies imply a slope of ~5.5 or greater for the MBH-σ relation. We use our three-integral models to evaluate the relaxation time and stellar collision time in NGC 205; Tr is ~108 yr or less in the nucleus, and Tcoll ≈ 1011 yr. The low value of Tr is consistent with core collapse having already occurred, but we are unable to draw conclusions from nuclear morphology about the presence or absence of a massive black hole.
Analysis of Electromagnetic Fields Induced in Operation of a Wireless Fully Passive Backscattering Neurorecording Microsystem in Emulated Human Head Tissue

This paper reports on a fully passive microsystem that wirelessly records and transmits neuropotentials exclusively by means of electromagnetic backscattering techniques, affording substantially simpler circuitry and potentially safer and more reliable approach for implantable wireless neurorecording. A fundamental practical barrier for wireless brain-implantable microsystems includes heat dissipation by on-chip circuitry, which may cause permanent brain damage. Hence, measurement of thermal profiles of surrounding tissue induced by operation of wireless implants is imperative in assessing the safety of these devices. Evaluation of specific absorption rate (SAR) is especially relevant for wireless electromagnetic transmission schemes operating at microwave frequencies and directly relates to the heat generated within biological tissue media. In this study, computational and empirical methods are used to measure SAR within a human-head-equivalent phantom during operation of the embedded fully passive wireless neurorecording microsystem. The maximum average SAR, coinciding with the worst case scenario, measured within 1 g of brain tissue is $<\hbox{0.45}\pm \hbox{0.11 W/kg}$, complying with the U.S. FCC threshold (1.6 W/kg).
Revisiting the LuGre Model Stick-slip motion and rate dependence

Friction is a classical field that goes back to Leonardo da Vin ci, Guilliame Amonton, and Charles Augustin de Coulomb. Amonton found that friction fo rce is proportional to normal load, but surprisingly is independent of the area of the apparent c o a t surface. This observation is known as the Amonton’s paradox. The apparentcontact surface is the geometric object surface projected to the contact surface. The true contact surface is the effective surface in contact between the object and the surface. The apparent contact sur face is often much larger than the effective contact surface.
Psychobiobehavioral Model for Preterm Birth in Pregnant Women in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Preterm birth (PTB) is a final common outcome resulting from many interrelated etiological pathways; of particular interest is antenatal psychosocial distress (i.e., stress, anxiety, and depression). In LMI countries, both exposure to severe life stressors and rate of PTB are on average greater when compared with high-income countries. In LMI countries women are exposed to some of the most extreme psychosocial stress worldwide (e.g., absolute poverty, limited social resources). High prevalence of antenatal stress and depression have been observed in some studies from LMI countries. We propose a psychosocial, biological, and behavioral model for investigating the complex multisystem interactions in stress responses leading to PTB and explain the basis of this approach. We discuss ethical considerations for a psychosocial, biological, and behavioral screening tool to predict PTB from a LMI country perspective.
OsSGL, a Novel DUF1645 Domain-Containing Protein, Confers Enhanced Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Rice and Arabidopsis

Drought is a major environmental factor that limits plant growth and crop productivity. Genetic engineering is an effective approach to improve drought tolerance in various crops, including rice (Oryza sativa). Functional characterization of relevant genes is a prerequisite when identifying candidates for such improvements. We investigated OsSGL (Oryza sativa Stress tolerance and Grain Length), a novel DUF1645 domain-containing protein from rice. OsSGL was up-regulated by multiple stresses and localized to the nucleus. Transgenic plants over-expressing or hetero-expressing OsSGL conferred significantly improved drought tolerance in transgenic rice and Arabidopsis thaliana, respectively. The overexpressing plants accumulated higher levels of proline and soluble sugars but lower malondialdehyde (MDA) contents under osmotic stress. Our RNA-sequencing data demonstrated that several stress-responsive genes were significantly altered in transgenic rice plants. We unexpectedly observed that those overexpressing rice plants also had extensive root systems, perhaps due to the altered transcript levels of auxin- and cytokinin-associated genes. These results suggest that the mechanism by which OsSGL confers enhanced drought tolerance is due to the modulated expression of stress-responsive genes, higher accumulations of osmolytes, and enlarged root systems.
Very sharp transitions in one-dimensional MANETs

We investigate how quickly phase transitions can occur in one-dimensional geometric random graph models of MANETs. In the case of graph connectivity and the absence of isolated nodes, we show that the transition width behaves like n-1 (when the number n of nodes is large), a significant improvement over asymptotic bounds given recently by Goel et al. for arbitrary monotone graph properties. We also outline how the approach used here could be applied in higher dimensions and for other graph properties.