Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stellar mass function of cluster galaxies at z ~ 1.5: Evidence for reduced quenching efficiency at high redshift

We present the stellar mass functions (SMFs) of passive and star-forming galaxies with a limiting mass of 10 10.1 M ⊙ in four spectroscopically confirmed Spitzer Adaptation of the Red-sequence Cluster Survey (SpARCS) galaxy clusters at 1.37 z K s-band-selected photometric catalogs for each cluster with an average of 11 photometric bands ranging from u to 8 μ m. We compare our cluster galaxies to a field sample derived from a similar K s-band-selected catalog in the UltraVISTA/COSMOS field. The SMFs resemble those of the field, but with signs of environmental quenching. We find that 30 ± 20% of galaxies that would normally be forming stars in the field are quenched in the clusters. The environmental quenching efficiency shows little dependence on projected cluster-centric distance out to ~4 Mpc, providing tentative evidence of pre-processing and/or galactic conformity in this redshift range. We also compile the available data on environmental quenching efficiencies from the literature, and find that the quenching efficiency in clusters and in groups appears to decline with increasing redshift in a manner consistent with previous results and expectations based on halo mass growth.
Associations between Antibodies to a Panel of Plasmodium falciparum Specific Antigens and Response to Sub-Optimal Antimalarial Therapy in Kampala, Uganda

Background Antibodies are important in the control of blood stage Plasmodium falciparum infection. It is unclear which antibody responses are responsible for, or even associated with protection, partly due to confounding by heterogeneous exposure. Assessment of response to partially effective antimalarial therapy, which requires the host to assist in clearing parasites, offers an opportunity to measure protection independent of exposure. Methods A cohort of children aged 1–10 years in Kampala, Uganda were treated with amodiaquine+sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for uncomplicated malaria. Serum samples from the time of malaria diagnosis and 14 days later were analyzed for total IgG to 8 P. falciparum antigens using a quantitative indirect ELISA. Associations between antibody levels and risk of treatment failure were estimated using Cox proportional hazard regression. Results Higher levels of antibodies to apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA-1), but to none of the other 7 antigens were significantly associated with protection against treatment failure (HR 0.57 per 10-fold increase in antibody level, CI 0.41–0.79, p = 0.001). Protection increased consistently across the entire range of antibody levels. Conclusions Measurement of antibody levels to AMA-1 at the time of malaria may offer a quantitative biomarker of blood stage immunity to P. falciparum, a tool which is currently lacking.
Hunger and aversion: drives that influence food intake of hospitalized geriatric patients.

BACKGROUND Diminished appetite occurs frequently with aging and is considered an important clinical symptom of malnutrition, a condition associated with negative clinical outcome, decreased quality of life, and increased health care costs in hospitalized geriatric patients. Yet, in this population, research is scant on hunger and aversion, the two underlying drives that shape appetite, or on their influence on food intake. This study aimed (a) to examine their interrelationship and respective contribution to food intake; (b) to determine how each relate to other health-related contemporaneous subjective states preceding the meal (good physical health, positive mood, pain); and (c) to explore clinical variables as moderators of the drives-intake relationships to identify population segments for which these relationships are the strongest. METHODS 32 patients (21 women, 11 men; age range, 65-92 years) were observed during repeated meals in a geriatric rehabilitation unit (for a total of 1477 meals). Perceived hunger, aversion, and contemporaneous subjective states were reported before each meal. Protein and energy consumption was calculated from plate leftovers. Clinical measures were obtained from participants' medical charts. RESULTS The hunger-aversion relationship had a low inverse correlation (p =.001), with each uniquely contributing to protein intake (positive and negative effects, respectively; all p <.05). Hunger was positively associated with the perception of physical health and with mood (all p =.001). Aversion was associated with pain (p =.001). Furthermore, aversion-intake relationships were influenced by moderators, whereas hunger-intake relationships remained constant. CONCLUSIONS From a clinical perspective, these results suggest that nutritional interventions aimed at bolstering hunger and curbing aversion may be necessary to ensure optimal food intake. Subgroups of patients who would particularly benefit from these interventions are suggested.
NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF SEYFERT GALAXIES. NUCLEAR ACTIVITY AND STELLAR POPULATION

Near-infrared (near-IR) spectroscopic data for the five Seyfert galaxies with jet–gas interaction Mrk 348, Mrk 573, Mrk 1066, NGC 7212, and NGC 7465, taken with the Long-slit Intermediate Resolution Infrared Spectrograph near-IR camera/spectrometer at the William Herschel Telescope are reported. The long-slit spectra reveal the characteristic strong emission lines of this type of objects. Many forbidden transitions and hydrogen recombination lines are employed here to study the excitation and ionization mechanisms that are dominating the narrow-line region emission of these objects, that is affected by the radio–jet interaction. Several absorption features are also detected in the H and K bands of these galaxies, allowing us to identify the spectral types that are producing them. We find that the continuum can be reproduced by a combination of late-type stellar templates plus a blackbody component associated with hot dust, mainly contributing to the K-band emission. The detection of the permitted O i and Fe ii lines and broad components of the hydrogen recombination lines in the spectra of Mrk 573 and NGC 7465 allows the reclassification of these two galaxies that are not canonical Type-2 Seyferts: Mrk 573 is confirmed to be an obscured narrow-line Seyfert 1, and NGC 7465 is revealed for the first time as a Type-1 LINER through its near-IR spectrum.
Online Distributed Estimation via Adaptive Sensor Networks

The paper presents an online distributed estimation scheme over adaptive sensor networks. The objective of the algorithm is consistent with distributed least squares without prior assumptions on the uncertainties in the operating environment of the sensors or the quality of sensor observations. Specifically, it is assumed that the observation process is time-varying due to the sensor’s susceptibility to unknown errors. Furthermore, there is no probabilistic assumption made on the additive measurement noise. Inspired by recent advances in distributed convex optimization, we propose an online distributed algorithm based on a dual subgradient averaging for the solution of the corresponding estimation problem. Moreover, we examine the situation where the algorithm adapts the weights of the communication links in the network due to uncertainty on the reliability of neighboring sensors. An upper bound on the regret of the algorithm as a function of the underlying network topology is then discussed, followed by simulation results for a few representative classes of sensor networks.
Formation and Structure of Halos in a Warm Dark Matter Cosmology

Using high-resolution cosmological N-body simulations, we study how the density profiles of dark matter halos are affected by the filtering of the density power spectrum below a given scale length and by the introduction of a thermal velocity dispersion. In the warm dark matter (WDM) scenario, both the free-streaming scale, Rf, and the velocity dispersion, v, are determined by the mass, mW, of the WDM particle. We found that v is too small to affect the density profiles of WDM halos. Down to the resolution attained in our simulations (~0.01 virial radii), there is not any significant difference in the density profiles and concentrations of halos obtained in simulations with and without the inclusion of v. Resolved soft cores appear only when we artificially increase the thermal velocity dispersion to a value that is much higher than v. We show that the size of soft cores in a monolithic collapse is related to the tangential velocity dispersion. The density profiles of the studied halos with masses down to ~0.01 the filtering mass Mf can be described by the Navarro-Frenk-White shape; soft cores are not formed. Nevertheless, the concentrations of these halos are lower than those of the CDM counterparts and are approximately independent of mass. The cosmogony of halos with masses ≲Mf is not hierarchical: they form through monolithic collapse and by fragmentation of larger structures. The formation epoch of these halos is slightly later than that of halos with masses ≈Mf. The lower concentrations of WDM halos with respect to their CDM counterparts can be accounted for by their late formation epoch. Overall, our results point to a series of advantages of a WDM model over the CDM one. In addition to solving the substructure problem, a WDM model with Rf ~ 0.16 Mpc (mW ≈ 0.75 keV; flat cosmology with ΩΛ = h = 0.7) also predicts concentrations, a Tully-Fisher relation, and formation epochs for small halos, which seems to be in better agreement with observations than CDM predictions.
The Revealed Preferences of High Technology Acquirers: An Analysis of the Characteristics of Their Targets

In this paper we investigate the motives of high-tech acquirers by analysing their revealed preferences in terms of the high-tech companies they acquire. Using a large sample of acquisitions involving publicly traded firms from various countries we ask whether high technology acquisitions are best understood in terms of acquirers seeking to source externally special innovation-related assets by acquiring firms with “superior” innovative performance; or acquirers seeking to acquire firms with “inferior” innovative performance in order to turn them around. We find evidence that acquisition is a very noisy phenomenon and that economic and innovation related variables explain only a modest part of the probability of becoming a target. We do however find that, compared to non-acquired firms, high-tech targets tend to be somewhat larger, to have poorer profitability, lower Tobin’s q and liquidity. In relation to their innovative profile, targets, in general, seem to have a relatively larger stock of accumulated knowledge (stock of citation-weighted patents), relatively higher R&D inputs (R&D-intensity), but they are more likely to generate no R&D output (citation-weighted patent- intensity) before they are acquired. We conclude that high technology acquisitions reflect a process which is primarily driven by acquirers wishing to exploit the potential for turning around firms which, despite a good past record, appear to be innovatively and economically inefficient before they are acquired.
The Prospective Retrospective Memory Questionnaire: psychometric properties and normative data of a Dutch translation

Ten years ago the Prospective Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ) was specifically developed to assess perceived problems concerning both episodic memory and memory for future intentions. Since then, various PRMQ translations have been carried out. These previous studies of this self­report measure showed not only good psychometric properties, but also a cross­culturally robust underlying factor structure. The PRMQ has also been used in many clinical studies. The aforementioned findings were the reason to present and test the Dutch translation of the PRMQ and compare its psychometric properties with that of previous studies. The analyses involved both non­clinical (N = 425) and clinical (N = 217) participants. The results confirmed the previously reported underlying structure of the PRMQ, the good internal consistency, and the validity of this measure. Therefore, we decided to also present normative data of this new translation. Possible future uses and sensitivity issues are discussed.
Impact of user participation on Web-based information system: The Hong Kong experience

The rapid growth of highly sophisticated computers and Web-based information systems (WIS) as integral components of business operations have led to an increased interest in the role of user participation during WIS implementation and its influence on end-user satisfaction and, ultimately, organisational success. The primary purpose of this research is, therefore, to investigate the significance of user-characteristics during WIS implementation. The research is conducted by collecting data via survey among organizations in Hong Kong. The important findings of this study demonstrate that user participation is positively related to user satisfaction and organisational effectiveness. In addition, user satisfaction can be largely applied to mediate the relationship between user participation (through user training, career stage, and empowerment) and organisational effectiveness. A deeper understanding of these concepts will provide organisations in Hong Kong with a richer view of the role of user participation during Web based information system implementation, which in turn has the potential to contribute towards improved business performance.
Merkel Cell Polyomavirus DNA in Respiratory Specimens from Children and Adults

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) DNA was detected in 7 (1.3%) of 526 respiratory tract samples from patients in Australia with upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms. Partial T antigen and major capsid protein sequences of MCPyV identified in respiratory secretions showed high homology (99%–100%) to those found in Merkel cell carcinoma.
Transcription-Based Prediction of Response to IFNβ Using Supervised Computational Methods

Changes in cellular functions in response to drug therapy are mediated by specific transcriptional profiles resulting from the induction or repression in the activity of a number of genes, thereby modifying the preexisting gene activity pattern of the drug-targeted cell(s). Recombinant human interferon beta (rIFNβ) is routinely used to control exacerbations in multiple sclerosis patients with only partial success, mainly because of adverse effects and a relatively large proportion of nonresponders. We applied advanced data-mining and predictive modeling tools to a longitudinal 70-gene expression dataset generated by kinetic reverse-transcription PCR from 52 multiple sclerosis patients treated with rIFNβ to discover higher-order predictive patterns associated with treatment outcome and to define the molecular footprint that rIFNβ engraves on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We identified nine sets of gene triplets whose expression, when tested before the initiation of therapy, can predict the response to interferon beta with up to 86% accuracy. In addition, time-series analysis revealed potential key players involved in a good or poor response to interferon beta. Statistical testing of a random outcome class and tolerance to noise was carried out to establish the robustness of the predictive models. Large-scale kinetic reverse-transcription PCR, coupled with advanced data-mining efforts, can effectively reveal preexisting and drug-induced gene expression signatures associated with therapeutic effects.
Multiple contour extraction from graylevel images using an artificial neural network

For active contour modeling (ACM), we propose a novel self-organizing map (SOM)-based approach, called the batch-SOM (BSOM), that attempts to integrate the advantages of SOM- and snake-based ACMs in order to extract the desired contours from images. We employ feature points, in the form of an edge-map (as obtained from a standard edge-detection operation), to guide the contour (as in the case of SOM-based ACMs) along with the gradient and intensity variations in a local region to ensure that the contour does not "leak" into the object boundary in case of faulty feature points (weak or broken edges). In contrast with the snake-based ACMs, however , we do not use an explicit energy functional (based on gradient or intensity) for controlling the contour movement. We extend the BSOM to handle extraction of contours of multiple objects, by splitting a single contour into as many subcontours as the objects in the image. The BSOM and its extended version are tested on synthetic binary and gray-level images with both single and multiple objects. We also demonstrate the efficacy of the BSOM on images of objects having both convex and nonconvex boundaries. The results demonstrate the superiority of the BSOM over others. Finally, we analyze the limitations of the BSOM.
Efficiency and precision trade-offs in graph summary algorithms

In many applications, it is convenient to substitute a large data graph with a smaller homomorphic graph. This paper investigates approaches for summarising massive data graphs. In general, massive data graphs are processed using a shared-nothing infrastructure such as MapReduce. However, accurate graph summarisation algorithms are suboptimal for this kind of environment as they require multiple iterations over the data graph. We investigate approximate graph summarisation algorithms that are efficient to compute in a shared-nothing infrastructure. We define a quality assessment model of a summary with regards to a gold standard summary. We evaluate over several datasets the trade-offs between efficiency and precision of the algorithms. With regards to an application, experiments highlight the need to trade-off the precision and volume of a graph summary with the complexity of a summarisation technique.
Human cytomegalovirus‐derived protein UL18 alters the phenotype and function of monocyte‐derived dendritic cells

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes the MHC class I‐like molecule UL18, which binds with high affinity to the leukocyte Ig‐like receptor‐1 (LIR‐1), an inhibitory receptor commonly expressed on myeloid cells and subsets of NK and T cells. The exact role of UL18 is not known, in particular in relation to its proposed role in HCMV immune escape. Given the ubiquitous expression of LIR‐1 on dendritic cells (DCs), we hypothesized that UL18 may affect DC function. To study the effects of UL18 on DC, we made use of UL18 fusion proteins. We demonstrate that UL18 fusion proteins inhibit the chemotaxis of DCs. Furthermore, UL18 interfered with CD40 ligand‐induced maturation of DCs, resulting in reduced allogeneic T cell proliferation. Finally, we demonstrate that UL18 proteins up‐regulate the expression of the maturation marker CD83 on immature monocyte‐derived DCs and induce cytokine production. The capacity of UL18 to affect the function and the phenotype of DCs suggests a novel role for this HCMV‐derived protein.
Middlemen versus Market Makers : A

We present a model in which the microstructureof tradein a commodity or assetis endogenously determined. Producersandconsumer s of a commodity (or buyers andsellersof anasset)who wish to tradecanchoosebetweentwo competing typesof intermediaries: “middlemen” (dealer/brokers)and “market makers” (specialists). Market makerspostpublicly obser vablebid andaskprices,whereas thepricesquoted by differentmiddlemen areprivateinformationthatcanonly beobtainedthrough a costlysearchprocess.We consider aninitial equilibrium wherethereareno market makersbut there is freeentryof middlemen with heterogeneous transactions costs. We character ize conditions under which entryof a singlemarket maker canbeprofitable even though it is common knowledgethatall surviving middlemenwill undercutthemarket maker’s publicly postedbid andaskpricesin thepostentryequilibrium. Themarket maker’s entryinducesthesurviving middlemento reduce their bid-ask spreads,andasa result,all producersandconsumerswho chooseto participatein the market enjoy a strict increasein their expected gains from trade. We show that strict Paretoimprovements occur evenin caseswherethemarket maker’s entrydrivesall middlemenout of business,monopolizing the intermediationof tradein themarket.
An observational study of the 7 September 2005 Barcelona tornado outbreak

Abstract. This paper presents an observational study of the tornado outbreak that took place on the 7 September 2005 in the Llobregat delta river, affecting a densely populated and urbanised area and the Barcelona International airport (NE Spain). The site survey confirmed at least five short-lived tornadoes. Four of them were weak (F0, F1) and the other one was significant (F2 on the Fujita scale). They started mostly as waterspouts and moved later inland causing extensive damage estimated in 9 million Euros, three injured people but fortunately no fatalities. Large scale forcing was provided by upper level diffluence and low level warm air advection. Satellite and weather radar images revealed the development of the cells that spawned the waterspouts along a mesoscale convergence line in a highly sheared and relatively low buoyant environment. Further analysis indicated characteristics that could be attributed indistinctively to non-supercell or to mini-supercell thunderstorms.
MAGNET: MicroArray Gene expression and Network Evaluation Toolkit

MicroArray Gene expression and Network Evaluation Toolkit (MAGNET) is a web-based application that provides tools to generate and score both protein–protein interaction networks and coexpression networks. MAGNET integrates user-provided experimental measurements with high-throughput proteomic datasets, generating weighted gene–gene and protein–protein interaction networks. MAGNET allows users to weight edges of protein–protein interaction networks using a logistic regression model integrating tissue-specific gene expression data, sub-cellular localization data, co-clustering of interacting proteins and the number of observations of the interaction. This provides a way to quantitatively measure the plausibility of interactions in protein–protein interaction networks given protein/gene expression measurements. Secondly, MAGNET generates filtered coexpression networks, where genes are represented as nodes, and their correlations are represented with edges. Overall, MAGNET provides researchers with a new framework with which to analyze and generate gene–gene and protein–protein interaction networks, based on both the user’s own data and publicly available –omics datasets. The freely available service and documentation can be accessed at http://gurkan.case. edu/software or http://magnet.case. edu.