Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the nature of late X-ray flares in Swift gamma-ray bursts

Context. Previously detected in only a few gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), X-ray flares are now observed in ∼50% of Swift GRBs, though their origins remain unclear. Most flares are seen early on in the afterglow decay, while some bursts exhibit flares at late times of 10 4 to 10 5 s, which may have implications for flare models. Aims. We investigate whether a sample of late time (1 × 10 4 s) flares are different from previous samples of early time flares, or whether they are merely examples on the tail of the early flare distribution. Methods. We examine the X-ray light curves of Swift bursts for late flares and compare the flare and underlying temporal power-law properties with those of early flares, and the values of these properties predicted by the blast wave model. Results. The burst sample shows late flare properties consistent with those of early flares, where the majority of the flares can be explained by either internal or external shock, though in a few cases one origin is favoured over the other. The underlying power-laws are mainly consistent with the normal decay phases of the afterglow. Conclusions. If confirmed by the ever growing sample of late time flares, this would imply that, in some cases, prolonged activity out to a day or a restarting of the central engine is required.
Functional Test Generation using Property Decompositions for Validation of Pipelined Processors

Functional validation is a major bottleneck in pipelined processor design. Simulation using functional test vectors is the most widely used form of processor validation. While existing model checking based approaches have proposed several promising ideas for efficient test generation, many challenges remain in applying them to realistic pipelined processors. The time and resources required for test generation using existing model checking based techniques can be extremely large. This paper presents an efficient test generation technique using decompositional model checking. The contribution of the paper is the development of both property and design decomposition procedures for efficient test generation of pipelined processors. Our experimental results using a multi-issue MIPS processor demonstrate several orders-of-magnitude reduction in memory requirement and test generation time
Insulin Secretion Defect in Children and Adolescents with Obesity: Clinical and Molecular Genetic Characterization

Introduction Childhood obesity is increasing worldwide and presents as a global health issue due to multiple metabolic comorbidities. About 1% of adolescents with obesity develop type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, little is known about the genetic and pathophysiological background at young age. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of impaired glucose regulation (IGR) in a large cohort of children and adolescents with obesity and to characterize insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. We also wanted to investigate adolescents with insulin secretion disorder more closely and analyze possible candidate genes of diabetes in a subcohort. Methods We included children and adolescents with obesity who completed an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT, glucose + insulin) in the outpatient clinic. We calculated Matsuda index, the area under the curve (AUC (Ins/Glu)), and an oral disposition index (ISSI-2) to estimate insulin resistance and beta-cell function. We identified patients with IGR and low insulin secretion (maximum insulin during OGTT < 200 mU/l) and tested a subgroup using next generation sequencing to identify possible mutations in 103 candidate genes. Results The total group consisted of 903 children and adolescents with obesity. 4.5% showed impaired fasting glucose, 9.4% impaired glucose tolerance, and 1.2% T2D. Matsuda index and Total AUC (Ins/Glu) showed a hyperbolic relationship. Out of 39 patients with low insulin secretion, we performed genetic testing on 12 patients. We found five monogenetic defects (ABCC8 (n = 3), GCK (n = 1), and GLI2/PTF1A (n = 1)). Conclusion Using surrogate parameters of beta-cell function and insulin resistance can help identify patients with insulin secretion disorder. A prevalence of 40% mutations of known diabetes genes in the subgroup with low insulin secretion suggests that at least 1.7% of patients with adolescent obesity have monogenic diabetes. A successful molecular genetic diagnosis can help to improve individual therapy.
Weight status and perceived body size in children

Objective: To investigate associations between weight status and body size perception in children in the UK. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: School-based sample in the UK. Participants: 399 children (205 boys, 194 girls) aged 7–9 years. Main outcome measures: Perceived body size was assessed using a visual method (Children's Body Image Scale, matching to images representing body mass indexes (BMI) from 3rd to 97th percentiles) and verbal descriptors from ”too thin„ to ”too fat„. BMI (converted to BMI SD scores using UK data) was assessed and demographic information was recorded. Results: Modest associations between actual and perceived body size were found with visual (r = 0.43, p<0.001) and verbal (r = 0.41, p<0.001) methods, but there was a consistent response bias towards underestimation. Using visual matching, most children (45%) underestimated their body size, with significantly greater underestimation (p<0.001) at higher BMI. A gender-by-weight group interaction (p = 0.001) showed that at lower weights girls were more accurate than boys, but at higher weights girls were less accurate. Using the verbal scale, the majority of children reported their body size as “just right” in all weight groups (52–73%), with no sex differences. Conclusions: Children can estimate their body size using visual or verbal methods with some accuracy, but show greater underestimation at higher weights, especially in girls. These findings suggest that underestimation is more widespread than has been assumed, which has implications for health education among school-aged children.
Modulation Imaging Contrast Agent for Cancer

Molecular imaging, also known as molecular imaging, is a medical technique used to visualize and analyze biological molecules in the human or animal body. According to the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging's website, "Molecular Imaging" is a type of medical imaging that provides a detailed picture of what is happening in the body at the molecular and cellular levels. This definition refers to the significant advancements researchers have made over the past two decades in applying the principles of molecular imaging in various areas, from basic and translational science to advanced patient diagnosis and therapy. Essentially, molecular imaging allows us to visualize biochemical processes and target localization patterns that are invisible at the level of anatomical imaging. The goal of molecular imaging is to obtain information about molecular activity and function in living tissue. The technologies commonly used in imaging modulation are Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
Clustering Relational Data Using Attribute and Link Information

is a descriptive task that seeks to identify natural groupings in data. Relational data offer a wealth of information for identifying groups of similar items. Both attribute information and the structure of relationships can be used for clustering. Graph partitioning and data clustering techniques can be applied independently to relational data but a technique that exploits both sources of information simultaneously may produce more meaningful clusters. This paper will describe our work synthesizing data clustering and graph partitioning techniques into improved clustering algorithms for rela-tional data.
Old-growth forests: what do we know about their ecology and management in the Southwest and Rocky Mountain Regions?

This paper reviews the science and management of old-growth forests and summarizes discussions among 30 participants at a workshop in Portal, Arizona, March 9-13, 1992. Concepts of old-growth forests -- the perceptions, values, definitions, characteristic features, ecological functions, and landscape importance -- vary widely. Because concepts are complex, scientists, resource managers, and the public will continue to bring old growth into clearer focus as knowledge is gained. Regardless of the concepts chosen for viewing old growth, on an ecological basis old-growth forests represent a stage in forest development characterized by certain structural, functional, and compositional features. Managers are concerned with how much old growth exists, where it is, and what condition it is in. Improved inventory procedures are needed, including both remote-sensing technology and conventional on-the-ground procedures. Where will tomorrows old growth be found, and how soon will younger stands attain old-growth conditions? Pathways of forest succession into old growth are poorly known for most forest types. We need better knowledge about how disturbances such as fire, insects, forest diseases, exotic organisms, pollution, and changing climate affect old growth and forest succession. Allocation is another problem for planners. How much old growth is enough? How many stands should be old growth at any given time, what are the sizes and shapes of the stands, and how should they be distributed over various forest habitat types? How should old-growth stands be connected by forest corridors, and how are their functions modified by their setting? These are difficult but researchable questions. Lacking clear answers to these questions, should managers find clues from pre-European settlement forests? Is it reasonable to attempt to restore forests to their natural conditions? Or have changes since settlement precluded returning to earlier conditions? In this paper, we review our knowledge of the influence old-growth stands on biogeochemical cycles and the roles of wildlife, decomposer organisms, cryptozoans of logs and snags, and other kinds of hidden diversity. To what extent are the legacy of old trees and other genetic reserves in old-growth forests carried into the future? We know little about how present old-growth influences the development of future forest generations. We conclude by looking at some tools for old-growth management. How can managers use fire or silviculture to assure future old-growth supplies, while at the same time meeting present and future extractive demands? Can younger stands be treated to hasten their development into old growth, or can existing old growth be altered without seriously compromising old-growth value?
Medicaid lapses and low-income young adults' receipt of outpatient mental health care after an inpatient stay.

OBJECTIVE This study examined low-income young adults' use of outpatient mental health services after an inpatient mental health stay, with a focus on Medicaid enrollment lapses and public mental health safety-net coverage. METHODS The sample included 1,174 young adults ages 18 to 26 who had been discharged from inpatient psychiatric care in a mid-Atlantic state. All were enrolled in Medicaid at the time of discharge, and all were eligible for continued outpatient public mental health services regardless of Medicaid enrollment. Administrative claims data were used to examine outpatient mental health clinic use, psychotropic medication possession, inpatient readmission, and emergency department admission during the 365-day period after the index discharge. The main independent variable was a lapse in Medicaid enrollment. An instrumental-variables regression model was used to minimize estimation bias resulting from unmeasured confounding between lapses and service use. RESULTS Nearly a third (30%) of the young adults had an enrollment lapse. In instrumental-variables analysis, those whose coverage lapsed were less likely than those who had continuous Medicaid coverage to have at least two clinic visits (38% versus 80%); they also had a lower average psychotropic medication possession ratio (25% versus 55%). CONCLUSIONS Age-related Medicaid enrollment lapses were common in this sample of young adults and were associated with receipt of less clinical care postdischarge despite continued eligibility for public services. States should examine opportunities to assist young adults with serious mental health problems who are aging out of Medicaid enrollment categories for children.
Hydrologic characterization of fractured rock using flowing fluid electric conductivity logs

Flowing fluid electric conductivity logging provides a means to determine hydrologic properties of fractures, fracture zones, or other permeable layers intersecting a borehole in saturated rock. The method involves replacing the wellbore fluid by deionized water, then conducting a series of fluid electric conductivity (FEC) logs while the well is being pumped at a constant low flow rate Q (typically a few L/min). At depth locations where formation water enters the borehole (denoted as “feed points”), the FEC logs display peaks, which grow with time and are skewed in the direction of water flow. The time-series of FEC logs are analyzed by modeling fluid flow and solute transport within the wellbore, treating feed points as mass sources or sinks, and optimizing the match to the observed FEC logs by varying the feed point properties. Results provide the location, hydraulic transmissivity, salinity, and ambient pressure head of each permeable zone.
Empathy in Virtual Agents and Robots

This article surveys the area of computational empathy, analysing different ways by which artificial agents can simulate and trigger empathy in their interactions with humans. Empathic agents can be seen as agents that have the capacity to place themselves into the position of a user’s or another agent’s emotional situation and respond appropriately. We also survey artificial agents that, by their design and behaviour, can lead users to respond emotionally as if they were experiencing the agent’s situation. In the course of this survey, we present the research conducted to date on empathic agents in light of the principles and mechanisms of empathy found in humans. We end by discussing some of the main challenges that this exciting area will be facing in the future.
Performance in L1 and L2 observed in Arabic-Hebrew bilingual aphasic following brain tumor: A case constitutes double dissociation

This study aimed to verify the existence of a double first language (L1)/second language (L2) dissociation. In recent work, I described a case study of a Arabic-Hebrew aphasic patient (MH) with disturbances in the two languages, with Hebrew (L2) being more impaired. In this case, an Arabic-Hebrew bilingual patient (MM) with a similar cultural background who suffered brain damage following a left hemisphere tumor (oligodendroglioma) and craniotomy is reported. The same materials were used, which overcame methodological constraints in our previous work. The results revealed a complementary pattern of severe impairment of L1 (Arabic), while MM had mild language disorder in L2 (Hebrew) with intact semantic knowledge in both languages. These two cases demonstrate a double L1/L2 dissociation in unique languages, and support the notion that bilingual persons could have distinct cortical language areas.
Distribution Model Reveals Rapid Decline in Habitat Extent for Endangered Hispid Hare: Implications for Wildlife Management and Conservation Planning in Future Climate Change Scenarios

Simple Summary The hispid hare, Caprolagus hispidus, an endangered small mammal species, occupies a range from the southern lowlands of Nepal, India, and Bhutan. Despite its endangered status, there is limited knowledge about its distribution throughout its range and protected areas. This study aimed to identify factors influencing its distribution and determine suitable protected areas both in present and future climatic scenarios, considering bioclimatic, habitat, anthropogenic, and topographic factors. The findings are crucial for shaping effective long-term conservation strategies. The assessment of remaining habitats within protected areas provides critical insights into suitable habitat and climate refugia for this species. Abstract The hispid hare, Caprolagus hispidus, belonging to the family Leporidae is a small grassland mammal found in the southern foothills of the Himalayas, in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Despite having an endangered status according to the IUCN Red List, it lacks studies on its distribution and is threatened by habitat loss and land cover changes. Thus, the present study attempted to assess the habitat suitability using the species distribution model approach for the first time and projected its future in response to climate change, habitat, and urbanization factors. The results revealed that out of the total geographical extent of 188,316 km2, only 11,374 km2 (6.03%) were identified as suitable habitat for this species. The results also revealed that habitat significantly declined across its range (>60%) under certain climate change scenarios. Moreover, in the present climate scenario protected areas such as Shuklaphanta National Park (0.837) in Nepal exhibited the highest mean extent of habitat whereas, in India, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (0.631) is found to be the most suitable habitat. Notably, two protected areas in Uttarakhand, India, specifically Corbett National Park (0.530) and Sonanandi Wildlife Sanctuary (0.423), have also demonstrated suitable habitats for C. hispidus. Given that protected areas showing a future rise in habitat suitability might also be regarded as potential sites for species translocation, this study underscores the importance of implementing proactive conservation strategies to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change on this species. It is essential to prioritize habitat restoration, focused protection measures, and further species-level ecological exploration to address these challenges effectively. Furthermore, fostering transboundary collaboration and coordinated conservation actions between nations is crucial to safeguarding the long-term survival of the species throughout its distribution range.
Solution structure of At3g04780.1‐des15, an Arabidopsis thaliana ortholog of the C‐terminal domain of human thioredoxin‐like protein

The structure of At3g04780.1‐des15, an Arabidopsis thaliana ortholog of the C‐terminal domain of human thioredoxin‐like protein, was determined by NMR spectroscopy. The structure is dominated by a β‐barrel sandwich. A two‐stranded anti‐parallel β‐sheet, which seals off one end of the β‐barrel, is flanked by two flexible loops rich in acidic amino acids. Although this fold often provides a ligand binding site, the structure did not reveal an appreciable cavity inside the β‐barrel. The three‐dimensional structure of At3g04780.1‐des15 provides an entry point for understanding its functional role and those of its mammalian homologs.
Multi-Agent Model-Based Reinforcement Learning Experiments in the Pursuit Evasion Game

This paper describes multi-agent learning experiments performed on tactical sequences of the pursuit evasion game on very small grids. It underlines the performance difference between a centralized approach and a distributed approach when using Rmax, a model-based reinforcement learning algorithm. The prey’s goal is to go out of the grid and the predators’ goal is to kill the prey. The prey may learn or not. The predators learn in two ways: in the centralized approach they are part of one single learning agent, and in the distributed approach, each predator is a learning agent in itself. Every agents learn to accomplish its goal by using Rmax. Our results compare the centralized approach with the distributed approach. Future works mainly include scaling up to larger boards using model-free algorithms, and exploring partial observability of agents.
Differential Expression of In Vivo and In Vitro Protein Profile of Outer Membrane of Acidovorax avenae Subsp. avenae

Outer membrane (OM) proteins play a significant role in bacterial pathogenesis. In this work, we examined and compared the expression of the OM proteins of the rice pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae strain RS-1, a Gram-negative bacterium, both in an in vitro culture medium and in vivo rice plants. Global proteomic profiling of A. avenae subsp. avenae strain RS-1 comparing in vivo and in vitro conditions revealed the differential expression of proteins affecting the survival and pathogenicity of the rice pathogen in host plants. The shotgun proteomics analysis of OM proteins resulted in the identification of 97 proteins in vitro and 62 proteins in vivo by mass spectrometry. Among these OM proteins, there is a high number of porins, TonB-dependent receptors, lipoproteins of the NodT family, ABC transporters, flagellins, and proteins of unknown function expressed under both conditions. However, the major proteins such as phospholipase and OmpA domain containing proteins were expressed in vitro, while the proteins such as the surface anchored protein F, ATP-dependent Clp protease, OmpA and MotB domain containing proteins were expressed in vivo. This may indicate that these in vivo OM proteins have roles in the pathogenicity of A. avenae subsp. avenae strain RS-1. In addition, the LC-MS/MS identification of OmpA and MotB validated the in silico prediction of the existance of Type VI secretion system core components. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal the in vitro and in vivo protein profiles, in combination with LC-MS/MS mass spectra, in silico OM proteome and in silico genome wide analysis, of pathogenicity or plant host required proteins of a plant pathogenic bacterium.
A Heuristic Diffraction Coefficient for the Corner of a Dielectric Slab

A heuristic diffraction coefficient for the corner of a semi-infinite dielectric slab angular sector is presented. The corner diffraction coefficient is constructed based on the solution of a canonical problem using a physical optics formulation: a plane surface wave hitting the corner of the slab. The corner diffraction coefficient is expressed in terms of edge diffraction coefficients. It has a very simple form that can be easily extended to other types of excitations. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparison with other techniques based on physical optics and experiments. The proposed corner diffraction coefficient can be used within geometrical theory of diffraction solution techniques for planar antennas.
Trait-level and momentary correlates of bulimia nervosa with a history of anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE Some investigators have suggested subtyping bulimia nervosa (BN) by anorexia nervosa (AN) history. We examined trait-level and momentary eating-related and psychosocial factors in BN with and without an AN history. METHOD Interview, questionnaire, and ecological momentary assessment data of eating-related and psychological symptoms were collected from 122 women with BN, including 43 with (BN+) and 79 without an AN history (BN-). RESULTS Body mass index (kg/m(2) ) was lower in BN+ than BN- (p = 0.001). Groups did not differ on trait-level anxiety, shape/weight concerns, psychiatric comorbidity, or dietary restraint; or on momentary anxiety, dietary restriction, binge eating, purging, or exercise frequency, or affective patterns surrounding binge/purge behaviors. Negative affect increased prior to exercise and decreased thereafter in BN+ but not BN-, although groups did not statistically differ. DISCUSSION Results do not support formally subtyping BN by AN history. Exercise in BN+ may modulate negative affect, which could have important treatment implications.