Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kinematics of the South Atlantic rift

Abstract. The South Atlantic rift basin evolved as a branch of a large Jurassic–Cretaceous intraplate rift zone between the African and South American plates during the final break-up of western Gondwana. While the relative motions between South America and Africa for post-break-up times are well resolved, many issues pertaining to the fit reconstruction and particularly the relation between kinematics and lithosphere dynamics during pre-break-up remain unclear in currently published plate models. We have compiled and assimilated data from these intraplated rifts and constructed a revised plate kinematic model for the pre-break-up evolution of the South Atlantic. Based on structural restoration of the conjugate South Atlantic margins and intracontinental rift basins in Africa and South America, we achieve a tight-fit reconstruction which eliminates the need for previously inferred large intracontinental shear zones, in particular in Patagonian South America. By quantitatively accounting for crustal deformation in the Central and West African Rift Zones, we have been able to indirectly construct the kinematic history of the pre-break-up evolution of the conjugate west African–Brazilian margins. Our model suggests a causal link between changes in extension direction and velocity during continental extension and the generation of marginal structures such as the enigmatic pre-salt sag basin and the Sao Paulo High. We model an initial E–W-directed extension between South America and Africa (fixed in present-day position) at very low extensional velocities from 140 Ma until late Hauterivian times (≈126 Ma) when rift activity along in the equatorial Atlantic domain started to increase significantly. During this initial ≈14 Myr-long stretching episode the pre-salt basin width on the conjugate Brazilian and west African margins is generated. An intermediate stage between ≈126 Ma and base Aptian is characterised by strain localisation, rapid lithospheric weakening in the equatorial Atlantic domain, resulting in both progressively increasing extensional velocities as well as a significant rotation of the extension direction to NE–SW. From base Aptian onwards diachronous lithospheric break-up occurred along the central South Atlantic rift, first in the Sergipe–Alagoas/Rio Muni margin segment in the northernmost South Atlantic. Final break-up between South America and Africa occurred in the conjugate Santos–Benguela margin segment at around 113 Ma and in the equatorial Atlantic domain between the Ghanaian Ridge and the Piaui-Ceara margin at 103 Ma. We conclude that such a multi-velocity, multi-directional rift history exerts primary control on the evolution of these conjugate passive-margin systems and can explain the first-order tectonic structures along the South Atlantic and possibly other passive margins.
Dynamical history of the Local Group in $\Lambda$CDM – II. Including external perturbers in 3D

We attempt to fit the observed radial velocities (RVs) of ${\,{\sim}\,}30$ Local Group (LG) galaxies using a 3D dynamical model of it and its immediate environment within the context of the standard cosmological paradigm, $\Lambda$CDM. This extends and confirms the basic results of our previous axisymmetric investigation of the LG (MNRAS, 459, 2237). We find that there remains a tendency for observed RVs to exceed those predicted by our best-fitting model. The typical mismatch is slightly higher than in our 2D model, with a root mean square value of ${\,{\sim}\,}50$ km/s. Our main finding is that including the 3D distribution of massive perturbing dark matter halos is unlikely to help greatly with the high velocity galaxy problem. Nonetheless, the 2D and 3D results differ in several other ways such as which galaxies' RVs are most problematic and the preferred values of parameters common to both models. The anomalously high RVs of several LG dwarfs may be better explained if the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda (M31) were once moving much faster than in our models. This would allow LG dwarfs to gain very high RVs via gravitational slingshot encounters with a massive fast-moving galaxy. Such a scenario is possible in some modified gravity theories, especially those which require the MW and M31 to have previously undergone a close flyby. In a $\Lambda$CDM context, however, this scenario is not feasible as the resulting dynamical friction would cause a rapid merger.
Gravitational collapse and the thermal evolution of low-metallicity gas clouds in the early Universe

We study gravitational collapse of low-metallicity gas clouds and the formation of protostars by three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Grain growth, non-equilibrium chemistry, molecular cooling, and chemical heating are solved in a self-consistent manner for the first time. We employ the realistic initial conditions for the abundances of metal and dust, and the dust size distribution obtained from recent Population III supernova calculations. We also introduce the state-of-the-art particle splitting method based on the Voronoi tessellation and achieve an extremely high mass resolution of ~10^{-5} Msun (10 earth masses) in the central region. We follow the thermal evolution of several early clouds with various metallicities. We show that the condition for cloud fragmentation depends not only on the gas metallicity but also on the collapse timescale. In many cases, the cloud fragmentation is prevented by the chemical heating owing to molecular hydrogen formation even though dust cooling becomes effective. Meanwhile, in several cases, efficient OH and H2O cooling promotes the cloud elongation, and then cloud "filamentation" is driven by dust thermal emission as a precursor of eventual fragmentation. While the filament fragmentation is driven by rapid gas cooling with >10^{-5} Zsun, fragmentation occurs in a different manner by the self-gravity of a circumstellar disk with <10^{-5} Zsun. We use a semi-analytic model to estimate the number fraction of the clouds which undergo the filament fragmentation to be a several percents with 10^{-5}--10^{-4} Zsun. Overall, our simulations show a viable formation path of the recently discovered Galactic low-mass stars with extremely small metallicities.
Effects of the whole-body vibration direction on the cognitive response of standing subjects

Abstract This study aims to investigate the effect of whole-body vibration along different axes on the response time (RT) of standing subjects during a customised psychomotor vigilance task (PVT). Twenty-five subjects were exposed to harmonic vibration with amplitude of 0.7 m/s2 RMS and frequencies between 1.5 Hz and 12.5 Hz. ANOVA was used to assess if the difference of RT with and without vibration had a statistical relevance. Results showed that the RT was statistically affected by the vibration only at frequencies below 2 Hz. The vibration at higher frequencies had a minor effect on the RT. The RTs during the vibration exposure was, on average, 15% higher than the RT post exposure. Practitioner summary: This study investigates the effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) along different axes on the response time (RT). We measured the RTs to a psychomotor vigilance task of 25 standing subject exposed to WBV. The cognitive response was statistically affected by the WBV and, on average RT have increased of 15%.
Cosmological information in weak lensing peaks

Recent studies have shown that the number counts of convergence peaks N(kappa) in weak lensing (WL) maps, expected from large forthcoming surveys, can be a useful probe of cosmology. We follow up on this finding, and use a suite of WL convergence maps, obtained from ray-tracing N-body simulations, to study (i) the physical origin of WL peaks with different heights, and (ii) whether the peaks contain information beyond the convergence power spectrum P_ell. In agreement with earlier work, we find that high peaks (with amplitudes >~ 3.5 sigma, where sigma is the r.m.s. of the convergence kappa) are typically dominated by a single massive halo. In contrast, medium-height peaks (~0.5-1.5 sigma) cannot be attributed to a single collapsed dark matter halo, and are instead created by the projection of multiple (typically, 4-8) halos along the line of sight, and by random galaxy shape noise. Nevertheless, these peaks dominate the sensitivity to the cosmological parameters w, sigma_8, and Omega_m. We find that the peak height distribution and its dependence on cosmology differ significantly from predictions in a Gaussian random field. We directly compute the marginalized errors on w, sigma_8, and Omega_m from the N(kappa) + P_ell combination, including redshift tomography with source galaxies at z_s=1 and z_s=2. We find that the N(kappa) + P_ell combination has approximately twice the cosmological sensitivity compared to P_ell alone. These results demonstrate that N(kappa) contains non-Gaussian information complementary to the power spectrum.
Constraints on supersymmetric dark matter for heavy scalar superpartners

We study the constraints on neutralino dark matter in minimal low energy supersymmetry models and the case of heavy lepton and quark scalar superpartners. For values of the Higgsino and gaugino mass parameters of the order of the weak scale, direct detection experiments are already putting strong bounds on models in which the dominant interactions between the dark matter candidates and nuclei are governed by Higgs boson exchange processes, particularly for positive values of the Higgsino mass parameter mu. For negative values of mu, there can be destructive interference between the amplitudes associated with the exchange of the standard CP-even Higgs boson and the exchange of the non-standard one. This leads to specific regions of parameter space which are consistent with the current experimental constraints and a thermal origin of the observed relic density. In this article we study the current experimental constraints on these scenarios, as well as the future experimental probes, using a combination of direct and indirect dark matter detection and heavy Higgs and electroweakino searches at hadron colliders.
The Development and Consequences of Red Blood Cell Alloimmunization

While red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is the most common medical intervention in hospitalized patients, as with any therapeutic, it is not without risk. Allogeneic RBC exposure can result in recipient alloimmunization, which can limit the availability of compatible RBCs for future transfusions and increase the risk of transfusion complications. Despite these challenges and the discovery of RBC alloantigens more than a century ago, relatively little has historically been known regarding the immune factors that regulate RBC alloantibody formation. Through recent epidemiological approaches, in vitro–based translational studies, and newly developed preclinical models, the processes that govern RBC alloimmunization have emerged as more complex and intriguing than previously appreciated. Although common alloimmunization mechanisms exist, distinct immune pathways can be engaged, depending on the target alloantigen involved. Despite this complexity, key themes are beginning to emerge that may provide promising approaches to not only actively prevent but also possibly alleviate the most severe complications of RBC alloimmunization.
Automated documentation of vital parameters in wards using portable stations - Effect on proper triggering of the rapid response team: a study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of the Welch Allyn Connex® Spot Monitor/Hillrom Connecta™ solution in activating the rapid response team in a timely manner compared to manual activation. Methods The Hillrom study is a single-center, open-label, superiority, cluster-randomized, parallel-group (1:1 allocation ratio) clinical trial that will be conducted in a tertiary hospital. Two sets of three wards with 28 beds will be included (one as the intervention cluster and the other as the control). The wards will be randomly assigned to use the Welch Allyn Connex® Spot Monitor/Hillrom Connecta™ automated solution (intervention cluster) or to maintain the usual routine (control cluster) regarding rapid response team activation. The primary outcome will be the absolute number of episodes of rapid response team triggering in an appropriate time; as secondary outcomes, clinical features (mortality, cardiac arrest, need for intensive care unit admission and duration of hospitalization) will be assessed according to clusters in an exploratory way. A sample size of 216 rapid response team activations was estimated to identify a possible difference between the groups. The protocol has been approved by the institutional Research Ethics Committee. Expected results The Welch Allyn Connex® Spot Monitor/Hillrom Connecta™ automated solution is expected to be more effective in triggering the nurse call system to activate the rapid response team in a timely and adequate manner compared to manual triggering (usual practice). ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04648579
HAT-P-26b: A LOW-DENSITY NEPTUNE-MASS PLANET TRANSITING A K STAR

We report the discovery of HAT-P-26b, a transiting extrasolar planet orbiting the moderately bright V = 11.744 K1 dwarf star GSC 0320−01027, with a period P = 4.234516 ± 0.000015 days, transit epoch Tc = 2455304.65122 ± 0.00035 (BJD; Barycentric Julian dates throughout the paper are calculated from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)), and transit duration 0.1023 ± 0.0010 days. The host star has a mass of 0.82 ± 0.03 M☉, radius of 0.79+0.10−0.04 R☉, effective temperature 5079 ± 88 K, and metallicity [Fe/H] = -0.04 ± 0.08. The planetary companion has a mass of 0.059 ± 0.007 MJ, and radius of 0.565+0.072−0.032 RJ yielding a mean density of 0.40 ± 0.10 g cm-3. HAT-P-26b is the fourth Neptune-mass transiting planet discovered to date. It has a mass that is comparable to those of Neptune and Uranus, and slightly smaller than those of the other transiting Super-Neptunes, but a radius that is ∼65% larger than those of Neptune and Uranus, and also larger than those of the other transiting Super-Neptunes. HAT-P-26b is consistent with theoretical models of an irradiated Neptune-mass planet with a 10 M⊕ heavy element core that comprises ≳50% of its mass with the remainder contained in a significant hydrogen–helium envelope, though the exact composition is uncertain as there are significant differences between various theoretical models at the Neptune-mass regime. The equatorial declination of the star makes it easily accessible to both Northern and Southern ground-based facilities for follow-up observations.
Functional Expression of the Recombinant Spike Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in the Periplasm of Escherichia coli

A new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant known as Omicron has caused a rapid increase in recent global patients with coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19). To overcome the COVID-19 Omicron variant, production of a recombinant spike receptor binding domain (RBD) is vital for developing a subunit vaccine or a neutralizing antibody. Although bacterial expression has many advantages in the production of recombinant proteins, the spike RBD expressed in a bacterial system experiences a folding problem related to disulfide bond formation. In this study, the soluble Omicron RBD was obtained by a disulfide isomerase-assisted periplasmic expression system in Escherichia coli. The Omicron RBD purified from E. coli was very well recognized by anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, sotrovimab (S309), and CR3022, which were previously reported to bind to various SARS-CoV-2 variants. In addition, the kinetic parameters of the purified Omicron RBD upon binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) were similar to those of the Omicron RBD produced in the mammalian expression system. These results suggest that an E. coli expression system would be suitable to produce functional and correctly folded spike RBDs of the next emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants quickly and inexpensively.
A cold component and the complex velocity structure of DLA1331 + 170

We examine the velocity structure in the gas associated with H I in the damped Lyα absorption system at redshift z = 1.7764 towards the QSO 1331 + 170 using Arecibo H i 21-cm data, optical spectra from the Keck High Resolution Echelle Spectrograph (HIRES) and European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES), and a previously published Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) ultraviolet spectrum. From the optical data we find at least two, and possibly three, components showing C I lines. One of these has very narrow lines with Doppler parameter b = 0.55 km s ―1 , corresponding to a kinetic temperature of 220 K if the broadening is thermal and with a 2σ upper limit of 480 K. We re-examine the H 2 analysis undertaken by Cui et al. using the neutral carbon velocity structure, and find a model which is, unlike theirs, consistent with a mixture of collisional and background radiation excitation of the observed H 2 rotational levels. Using Voigt profile fits to absorption lines from a range of singly ionized heavy elements we find eight components covering a velocity range of ∼110 km s ―1 , with a further outlier over 120 km s ―1 away from the nearest in the main group. The H I structure is expected to follow some combination of the singly ionized and neutral gas, but the 21-cm absorption profile is considerably different. We suggest, as have others, that this may be because the different extent and brightness distributions of the radio and optical background sources mean that the sightlines are not the same, and so the spin temperature derived by comparing the Lyα and 21-cm line strengths has little physical meaning. The neutral and singly ionized heavy element line profiles also show significant differences, and so the dominant components in each appear to be physically distinct. Attempts to use the range of atomic masses to separate thermal and turbulent components of their Doppler widths were not generally successful, since there are several blended components and the useful mass range (about a factor of 2) is not very large. The velocity structure in all ionization stages up to +3, apart from the neutral heavy elements, is sufficiently complex that it is difficult to separate out the corresponding velocity components for different ionization levels and determine their column densities.
Decoherence, measurement and interpretation of quantum mechanics

According to our modal-Hamiltonian interpretation (MHI) of quantum mechanics, the Hamiltonian of the closed system defines the set of its definite-valued observables. This definition seems to be incompatible with the pointer basis selected by the environment-induced decoherence (EID) of the open system. In this paper we argue that decoherence can be understood from a closed system perspective which (i) shows that the incompatibility between MHI and EID is only apparent, and (ii) solves certain conceptual challenges that the EID program still has to face.
Adiabatic expansions for Dirac fields, renormalization, and anomalies

We introduce an iterative method to univocally determine the adiabatic expansion of the modes of Dirac fields in spatially homogeneous external backgrounds. We overcome the ambiguities found in previous studies and use this new procedure to improve the adiabatic regularization/renormalization scheme. We provide details on the application of the method for Dirac fields living in a four-dimensional Friedmann-Lema\^{\i}tre-Robertson-Walker spacetime with a Yukawa coupling to an external scalar field. We check the consistency of our proposal by working out the conformal anomaly. We also analyze a two-dimensional Dirac field in Minkowski space coupled to a homogeneous electric field and reproduce the known results on the axial anomaly. The adiabatic expansion of the modes given here can be used to properly characterize the allowed physical states of the Dirac fields in the above external backgrounds.
Energy Cascade Rate in Compressible Fast and Slow Solar Wind Turbulence

Estimation of the energy cascade rate in the inertial range of solar wind turbulence has been done so far mostly within incompressible magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) theory. Here, we go beyond that approximation to include plasma compressibility using a reduced form of a recently derived exact law for compressible, isothermal MHD turbulence. Using in situ data from the THEMIS/ARTEMIS spacecraft in the fast and slow solar wind, we investigate in detail the role of the compressible fluctuations in modifying the energy cascade rate with respect to the prediction of the incompressible MHD model. In particular, we found that the energy cascade rate (1) is amplified particularly in the slow solar wind; (2) exhibits weaker fluctuations in spatial scales, which leads to a broader inertial range than the previous reported ones; (3) has a power-law scaling with the turbulent Mach number; (4) has a lower level of spatial anisotropy. Other features of solar wind turbulence are discussed along with their comparison with previous studies that used incompressible or heuristic (nonexact) compressible MHD models.
THE HARD X-RAY SPECTRUM OF NGC 1365: SCATTERED LIGHT, NOT BLACK HOLE SPIN

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) show excess X-ray emission above 10 keV compared with extrapolation of spectra from lower energies. Risaliti et al. have recently attempted to model the hard X-ray excess in the type 1.8 AGN NGC 1365, concluding that the hard excess most likely arises from Compton-scattered reflection of X-rays from an inner accretion disk close to the black hole. Their analysis disfavored a model in which the hard excess arises from a high column density of circumnuclear gas partially covering a primary X-ray source, despite such components being required in the NGC 1365 data below 10 keV. Using a Monte Carlo radiative transfer approach, we demonstrate that this conclusion is invalidated by (1) use of slab absorption models, which have unrealistic transmission spectra for partial covering gas, (2) neglect of the effect of Compton scattering on transmitted spectra, and (3) inadequate modeling of the spectrum of scattered X-rays. The scattered spectrum is geometry-dependent and, for high global covering factors, may dominate above 10 keV. We further show that, in models of circumnuclear gas, the suppression of the observed hard X-ray flux by reprocessing may be no larger than required by the “light bending” model invoked for inner disk reflection, and the expected emission line strengths lie within the observed range. We conclude that the time-invariant “red wing” in AGN X-ray spectra is probably caused by continuum transmitted through and scattered from circumnuclear gas, not by highly redshifted line emission, and that measurement of black hole spin is not possible.