Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Velocity Distribution of Isolated Radio Pulsars

We infer the velocity distribution of radio pulsars based on large-scale 0.4 GHz pulsar surveys. We do so by modeling the evolution of the locations, velocities, spins, and radio luminosities of pulsars, calculating pulsed flux according to a beaming model and random orientation angles of spin and beam, applying selection effects of pulsar surveys, and comparing model distributions of measurable pulsar properties with survey data using a likelihood function. The surveys analyzed have well-defined characteristics and cover ~95% of the sky. We maximize the likelihood in a six-dimensional space of observables P, , DM, |b|, μ, and F (period, period derivative, dispersion measure, Galactic latitude, proper motion, and flux density, respectively). The models we test are described by 12 parameters that characterize a population's birth rate, luminosity, shutoff of radio emission, birth locations, and birth velocities. We infer that the radio beam luminosity (1) is comparable to the energy flux of relativistic particles in models for spin-driven magnetospheres, signifying that radio emission losses reach nearly 100% for the oldest pulsars, and (2) scales approximately as 1/2, which in magnetosphere models is proportional to the voltage drop available for acceleration of particles. We find that a two-component velocity distribution with characteristic velocities of 90 and 500 km s-1 is greatly preferred to any one-component distribution; this preference is largely immune to variations in other population parameters, such as the luminosity or distance scale or the assumed spin-down law. We explore some consequences of the preferred birth velocity distribution: (1) roughly 50% of pulsars in the solar neighborhood will escape the Galaxy, while ~15% have velocities greater than 1000 km s-1; (2) observational bias against high-velocity pulsars is relatively unimportant for surveys that reach high Galactic |z| distances but is severe for spatially bounded surveys; (3) an important low-velocity population exists that increases the fraction of neutron stars retained by globular clusters and is consistent with the number of old objects that accrete from the interstellar medium; (4) under standard assumptions for supernova remnant expansion and pulsar spin-down, ~10% of pulsars younger than 20 kyr will appear to lie outside of their host remnants. Finally, we comment on the ramifications of our birth velocity distribution for binary survival and the population of inspiraling binary neutron stars relevant to some GRB models and potential sources for LIGO.
Comment on the correct use of continuum solvent models.

The development of dielectric continuum solvent models 1,2 (CSMs) has facilitated the study of chemical reactions in the condensed phase in a computationally efficient manner. These methods have been parametrized to deliver accurate values of the free energies of solvation. which can be added to accurate values of the free energies in the gas-phase, to obtain the corresponding solution-phase free energy: G soln = G gas + ΔG solv + RTln(RT/P) (1) where the final term converts from the gas-phase standard state (defined by T and P) to the solution-phase standard state of 1 M. However, there are a growing number of recent studies that employ alternative approaches to evaluating G soln . This comment aims to highlight some of their shortcomings as well as clarify some potential points of confusion concerning the usage of these models.
Pneumonia Caused by Klebsiella spp. in 46 Horses

Background Klebsiella spp. are implicated as a common cause of bacterial pneumonia in horses, but few reports describe clinical presentation and disease progression. Hypothesis/Objectives To describe the signalment, clinicopathologic data, radiographic and ultrasonographic findings, antimicrobial susceptibility, outcome, and pathologic lesions associated with Klebsiella spp. pneumonia in horses. Animals Forty‐six horses from which Klebsiella spp. was isolated from the lower respiratory tract. Methods Retrospective study. Medical records from 1993 to 2013 at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis were reviewed. Exact logistic regression was performed to determine if any variables were associated with survival to hospital discharge. Results Survival in horses <1 year old was 73%. Overall survival in adults was 63%. For adults in which Klebsiella pneumoniae was the primary isolate, survival was 52%. Mechanical ventilation preceded development of pneumonia in 11 horses. Complications occurred in 25/46 horses, with thrombophlebitis and laminitis occurring most frequently. Multi‐drug resistance was found in 47% of bacterial isolates. Variables that significantly impacted survival included hemorrhagic nasal discharge, laminitis, and thoracic radiographs with a sharp demarcation between marked caudal pulmonary alveolar infiltration and more normal‐appearing caudodorsal lung. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Klebsiella spp. should be considered as a differential diagnosis for horses presenting with hemorrhagic pneumonia and for horses developing pneumonia after mechanical ventilation. Multi‐drug resistance is common. Prognosis for survival generally is fair, but is guarded for adult horses in which K. pneumoniae is isolated as the primary organism.
Kinematics of spontaneous, reflex, and conditioned eyelid movements in the alert cat.

1. Upper eyelid position and velocity, and the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the orbicularis oculi muscle, were recorded bilaterally in alert cats during spontaneous, reflexively evoked, and conditioned eyelid movements. 2. Spontaneous blinks appeared randomly (0.2-0.5 per min) and consisted of a fast, large downward lid movement followed by a slower up phase. Blinks of smaller amplitude and slower velocity were also observed mainly accompanying behavioral movements, such as during peering and grimacing. 3. Eyelid response to air puffs applied to the cornea and tarsal lid skin consisted of a short-latency (9-16 ms), fast (up to 2,000 degrees/s) downward movement that lasted for 25-30 ms, followed by late, small downward sags that were sometimes still evident after stimulus offset. Blinks outlasted the duration of the stimulus by approximately 150 ms. Blinks elicited by flashes of light or tones showed longer latency (47.3 +/- 6.3 and 53.7 +/- 8.0 ms, mean +/- SD; respectively), smaller amplitude, and a quicker habituation than air-puff-evoked lid responses. 4. For the down phase of the blink, the peak velocity, but not its duration, increased linearly with blink amplitude. Because the rise time of the down phase remained constant, changes in blink amplitude seemed to be the result of increased blink velocity. The down phase of a typical 10 degrees blink was 10 times faster than the up phase of the same blink or than upward and downward lid saccades of the same amplitude. The peak velocity and duration of the up phases of reflex blinks and upward and downward lid saccades increased linearly with lid movement amplitude. 5. The initial down phase of air-puff-evoked blinks decreased in latency, increased in amplitude and peak velocity, and maintained the same rise time for increasing puff pressure. None of these parameters was dependent on puff duration. The duration of the blink also increased linearly with air puff duration. 6. The amplitude of air-puff-evoked blinks was inversely related to lid position, decreasing with further lid positions in the closing direction. In contrast, neither peak nor integrated EMG activity of the orbicularis oculi muscle was affected by lid position, being only a function of stimulus parameters and of the animal's level of alertness. 7. Air puffs > 20 ms and > 1 kg/cm2 evoked two successive bursts (R(ap) 1 and R(ap) 2) in the EMG activity of the orbicularis oculi muscle. Shorter and/or weaker stimuli evoked only the R(ap) 1 response. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Research Agenda for Computer Science Education

This paper examines the nature and scope of computer science education (CSE) research. We first distinguish CSE research from other forms of educational research, outlining its aims and identity as a research discipline. In examining the state of the art of CSE research, we attempt to categorise past research studies into general themes, reflecting the diverse contributions to CSE made over the years. Further, we critique each category, highlighting possible benefits and limitations. We argue that there has been a lack of reference to pedagogical theory, underlying most past research studies. This has resulted in a failure to provide teachers with "pedagogical content knowledge", critical to gaining useful insights into cognitive and educational issues surrounding learning. We conclude by providing guidelines for CSE research, stressing the need for a stronger connection to the theoretical frameworks of education-related disciplines such as pedagogy, epistemology, curriculum studies and
Rethinking Tertiary Models: Relationships between Growth Parameters of Bacillus cereus Strains

The maximum specific growth rates of 12 strains, pair-wise belonging to six groups of Bacillus cereus sensu lato, were fitted against temperature by a reparametrized version of the model of Ratkowsky et al. (1983). This way, the interpretation of the new parameter set was similar to that of the cardinal-values-model of Rosso and Robinson (2001), both models including the minimum, optimum and maximum temperatures for growth as well as a fourth parameter scaling along the dependent variable. The modularity of the reparametrized version of the Ratkowsky model was utilized to show a so-far undetected relationship between this scaling parameter and the cardinal temperatures, which linked even distant (e.g., mesophilic and psychotropic) strains of B. cereus. We propose that the name “tertiary modeling” should be used for investigations like ours, as logically derived from the concepts of “primary” and “secondary” modeling. Such tertiary models may reveal biological relationships between kinetic parameters within a group of strains. It can also be used to create an overarching predictive model for mixed cultures, when different strains grow together but independently of each other.
Do Innovations Really Payoff? Total Stock Market Returns to Innovation

Critics often decry an earnings-focused short-term orientation of management that eschews spending on risky, long-term projects such as innovation to boost a firm's stock price. Such critics assume that stock markets react positively to announcements of immediate earnings but negatively to announcements of investments in innovation that have an uncertain long-term pay off. Contrary to this position, we argue that the market's true appreciation of innovation can be estimated by assessing the total market returns to the entire innovation project. We demonstrate this approach via the Fama-French 3-factor model (including Carhart's momentum factor) on 5,481 announcements from 69 firms in five markets and 19 technologies between 1977 and 2006. The total market returns to an innovation project are $643 million, more than 13 times the $49 million from an average innovation event. Returns to negative events are higher in absolute value than those to positive events. Returns to initiation occur 4.7 years ahead of launch. Returns to development activities are the highest and those to commercialization the lowest of all activities. Returns to new product launch are the lowest among all eight events tracked. Returns are higher for smaller firms than larger firms. Returns to the announcing firm are substantially greater than those to competitors across all stages. We discuss the implications of these results.
Tracking the Trackers: Towards Understanding the Mobile Advertising and Tracking Ecosystem

Third-party services form an integral part of the mobile ecosystem: they allow app developers to add features such as performance analytics and social network integration, and to monetize their apps by enabling user tracking and targeted ad delivery. At present users, researchers, and regulators all have at best limited understanding of this third-party ecosystem. In this paper we seek to shrink this gap. Using data from users of our ICSI Haystack app we gain a rich view of the mobile ecosystem: we identify and characterize domains associated with mobile advertising and user tracking, thereby taking an important step towards greater transparency. We furthermore outline our steps towards a public catalog and census of analytics services, their behavior, their personal data collection processes, and their use across mobile apps.
Complete Band Gaps in Nano-Piezoelectric Phononic Crystals

We study the band structure of elastic waves propagating in a nano-piezoelectric phononic crystal consisting of a polymeric matrix reinforced by BaTiO3 inclusions in square, rectangular, triangular, honeycomb and Kagomé lattices. We also investigate the influence of inclusion cross section geometry circular, hollow circular, square and rotated square with a 45o angle of rotation with respect to x and y axes. Plane wave expansion method is used to solve the governing equations of motion of a piezoelectric solid based on classical elasticity theory, ignoring nanoscopic size effects, considering two-dimensional periodicity and wave propagation in the xy plane. Complete band gaps between XY and Z modes are observed for all inclusions and the best performance is for circular inclusion in a triangular lattice. Piezoelectricity influences significantly the band gaps for hollow circular inclusion in lower frequencies. We suggest that nano-piezoelectric phononic crystals are feasible for elastic vibration management in GHz.
Evaluation Research of the Effects of Longitudinal Speed Reduction Markings on Driving Behavior: A Driving Simulator Study

The objective of this paper is to explore the effects of longitudinal speed reduction markings (LSRMs) on vehicle maneuvering and drivers’ operation performance on interchange connectors with different radii. Empirical data were collected in a driving simulator. Indicators—relative speed change, standard deviation of acceleration, and gas/brake pedal power—were proposed to characterize driving behavior. Statistical results revealed that LSRMs could reduce vehicles’ travel speed and limit drivers’ willingness to increase speed in the entire connector. To probe the impacts of LSRMs, the connecter was split into four even sections. Effects of LSRMs on driving behavior were stronger in the second and the final sections of connectors. LSRMs also enhanced drivers’ adaptability in the first three quarters of a connector when the radius was 50 m. Drivers’ gas pedal operation would be impacted by LSRMs in the entire connector when the radius was 50 m. LSRMs could only make drivers press brake pedal more frequently in the second section with 80 m and 100 m radius. In the second quarter section of a connector—from the FQP (the first quartile point) to the MC (the middle point of curve)—LSRMs have better effects on influencing vehicle maneuvering and drivers’ operation performance.
The activation of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 induced by protein kinase C alpha in decidualization

This study investigated the protein kinase C (PKC) and matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2) in the development of deciduomata in pseudo‐pregnant and pregnant rats. The results showed that the expression of MMP‐2 was significantly increased from day 2 to day 5 in pseudo‐pregnancy and from day 7 to day 9 in pregnancy. To further investigate the correlation between MMP‐2 and protein kinase Cα (PKCα), the expression of MMP‐2 in the 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetate (TPA)‐treated organotypic culture of decidual tissue was determined. The results showed that the active form of MMP‐2 was significantly increased in the TPA‐treated cultures. Moreover, this response was inhibited by the PKC inhibitor H7, the PKCα specific inhibitor Gö‐6976 and the translation inhibitor cycloheximide, but not by the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D or the replication inhibitor mitomycin C. In addition, TPA also reversed the MMP‐2 expression after by progesterone pretreatment in the primary decidual cells. These findings indicate that PKCα may play an important role in the regulation of the MMP‐2 expression during decidualization. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 547–554, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
In Vivo Efficacy of Anidulafungin against Mature Candida albicans Biofilms in a Novel Rat Model of Catheter-Associated Candidiasis

ABSTRACT The present study demonstrates the efficacy of anidulafungin on mature Candida albicans biofilms in vivo. One hundred fifty-seven catheter fragments challenged with C. albicans were implanted subcutaneously in rats. After formation of biofilms, rats were treated with daily intraperitoneal injections of anidulafungin for 7 days. Catheters retrieved from treated animals showed reduced cell numbers compared to those retrieved from untreated and fluconazole-treated animals. Systemic administration of anidulafungin is promising for the treatment of mature C. albicans biofilms.
The Secular Evolution of Disk Structural Parameters

We present a comprehensive series of simulations to study the secular evolution of disk galaxies expected in a ΛCDM universe. Our simulations are organized in a hierarchy of increasing complexity, ranging from rigid-halo collisionless simulations to fully live simulations with gas and star formation. Our goal is to examine which structural properties of disk galaxies may result from secular evolution rather than from hierarchical assembly. In the vertical direction, we find that various mechanisms lead to heating, the strongest of which is the buckling instability of a bar, which leads to peanut-shaped bulges; these can be recognized face-on even in the presence of gas. We find that bars are robust structures that survive buckling and require a large (~20% of the total mass of the disk) central mass concentration to be destroyed. This can occur in dissipative simulations, where bars induce strong gas inflows, but requires that radiative cooling overcome heating. We show how angular momentum redistribution leads to increasing central densities and disk scale lengths and to profile breaks at large radii. The breaks in these simulations are in excellent agreement with observations, even when the evolution is collisionless. Disk scale lengths increase even when the total disk angular momentum is conserved; thus, mapping halo angular momenta to scale lengths is nontrivial. A decomposition of the resulting profile into a bulge+disk gives structural parameters in reasonable agreement with observations although kinematics betrays their bar nature. These findings have important implications for galaxy formation models, which have so far ignored or introduced in a very simplified way the effects of nonaxisymmetric instabilities on the morphological evolution of disk galaxies.
The Effect of Stroke Subtypes on Baroreceptor Sensitivity, a Predict for Acute Stroke Outcome

Background Reduced baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) has been reported in patients with acute cardiovascular events. We tested the hypothesis that BRS varies in different subtypes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and that BRS is a predictor of clinical outcomes. Methods We examined autonomic parameters in 34 patients with AIS, including the small deep hemisphere infarction, the large hemisphere infarction, and the brainstem infarction groups on Day 1, Day 7, and Day 30 after AIS. Autonomic parameters were also evaluated in 18 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers as a control group. The clinical outcomes were analyzed using the modified Rankin scale at 30 days after stroke. Results The BRS, Valsalva ratio, and heart rate response to deep breathing (HR-DB) were significantly lower in patients after AIS on admission than in controls (p<0.01). The frequency domain of HRV (LF/HF ratio) was significantly increased in patients after AIS compared to controls (p<0.05). BRS was significantly reduced in patients with large hemisphere infarction or brainstem infarction compared to patients with small deep hemisphere infarction on Day 1 after AIS (p<0.01). Stepwise logistic regression showed that the levels of BRS and NIHSS are prognostic factors of 1-month outcomes in patients with AIS. Conclusion Beside NIHSS score on admission, BRS is a potential prognostic factor of 1-month outcomes in patients with AIS. Patients with large hemisphere infarction or brainstem infarction have more blunting BRS than do those with lacunar infarction, which provides some insight into which patients may be expected to have a poor outcome.
What's in a name? A comparison of men's and women's judgements about food names and their nutrient contents

The current study had two goals: first, to examine the stereotypes people have of particular foods by having them rate foods' names and nutrient descriptions; second, to determine if men and women rated food names and descriptions differently, and to examine the characteristics used to gauge salubrity. Of 33 foods presented, 16 had names rated better than their descriptions (a positive stereotype). In 11 cases, foods' descriptions were rated more positively than their names (a negative stereotype). Therefore, people have expectations about food names that do not match descriptions of foods' nutritional contents. Also, names of particular types of foods (e.g. fruits) were often perceived to be healthier than their corresponding descriptions. Women rated certain low-fat food names as more healthy compared to men. In addition, women tended to have bigger discrepancies between food names and their corresponding descriptions than did men, indicating that women were more likely to have biases about food names that did not match their ratings of the same foods' descriptions. Regression analyses indicated that women used fat content when judging healthfulness of food names, while men used fat content and vitamins and minerals. Men and women used similar characteristics when judging healthfulness of food descriptions.
Bank of Canada Banque du Canada Working Paper 977 / Document de travail 977 Monetary Shocks in the G-6 Countries : Is There a Puzzle ?

This paper attempts to reduce the uncertainty about the dynamics of the monetary transmission mechanism. Central to this attempt is the identification of monetary policy shocks. Recently, VAR approaches that use over-identifying restrictions have shown success in isolating such shocks. This paper examines monetary shocks identified by longrun cointegration restrictions and the assumption of long-run money neutrality in exactly identified VAR models across six industrialized countries. The short-run dynamics corresponding to a monetary shock can be interpreted as a monetary policy shock. The results suggest that the stock of money has an active role in the transmission mechanism.
Oncotargets and Therapy Dovepress Dovepress Dietary Fiber, Whole Grains, Carbohydrate, Glycemic Index, and Glycemic Load in Relation to Risk of Prostate Cancer

Background: The relationships between dietary fiber, whole grains, carbohydrate, glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), and prostate cancer risk are unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate these associations. Methods: Relevant studies were identified by a search of PubMed database and EMBASE database up to April 2015. A random effects model was used to calculate the summary relative risks (RRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Twenty-seven epidemiological studies (18 case–control studies and nine cohort studies) were included in the final analysis. The pooled RRs of prostate cancer were 0. for dietary fiber, whole grains, carbohydrate, GI, and GL, respectively. There was no evidence of significant publication bias based on the Begg's test and Egger's test. Conclusion: The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that, based on available information , dietary fiber, whole grains, carbohydrate, GI, and GL are not associated with the risk of prostate cancer.