Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vacuum phase transition solves the H 0 tension

Taking the Planck cosmic microwave background data and the more direct Hubble constant measurement data as unaffected by systematic offsets, the values of the Hubble constant $H_0$ interpreted within the $\Lambda$CDM cosmological constant and cold dark matter cosmological model are in $\sim 3.3 \sigma$ tension. We show that the Parker vacuum metamorphosis model, physically motivated by quantum gravitational effects and with the same number of parameters as $\Lambda$CDM, can remove the $H_0$ tension, and can give an improved fit to data (up to $\Delta\chi^2=-7.5$). It also ameliorates tensions with weak lensing data and the high redshift Lyman alpha forest data. We separately consider a scale dependent scaling of the gravitational lensing amplitude, such as provided by modified gravity, neutrino mass, or cold dark energy, motivated by the somewhat different cosmological parameter estimates for low and high CMB multipoles. We find that no such scale dependence is preferred.
Using reclaimed water to cope with water scarcity: an alternative for agricultural irrigation in Spain

In water-stressed agricultural regions, reuse of reclaimed water has emerged as a promising alternative that improves supply reliability, alleviates water scarcity and contributes to circular economy. The European Union has recently launched several initiatives to facilitate the adoption of water reuse for irrigation. However, its adoption is still far below its potential in most areas. This is the case of the Western La Mancha aquifer, in central Spain, where reclaimed water reuse is considered an alternative source to groundwater that may contribute to reduce overexploitation. A stakeholder-based fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) was developed to provide insights into the current situation of reclaimed water reuse in this area, as well as to explore the outcomes of different simulated scenarios (cost recovery, agricultural transformation, social awareness and political will increase). The FCM-based dynamic simulations showed that political will increase would generate the highest increase of reclaimed water reuse in agriculture in the study area, providing the highest increase of water reuse in agriculture. Agricultural extensification and increased social awareness delivered similar positive outcomes, however, only public awareness campaigns would increase water reuse, with agricultural extensification outcomes being more oriented towards the reduction of water abstractions and pollution. The cost recovery scenario was the only one that resulted in non-desired changes, mainly caused by reduced farmers’ income due to higher costs of reclaimed water. Finally, the analysis also evidenced the key role that the newly enacted EU Water Reuse Regulation may play in promoting reclaimed water use, even reversing the negative outcomes of the cost recovery scenario.
Optical excitation spectrum of an atom in a surface-induced potential

We study the optical excitation spectrum of an atom in the vicinity of a dielectric surface. We calculate the rate of the total scattering as well as the rate of the scattering into the evanescent modes. With a proper assessment of the limitations, we demonstrate the portability of the flat-surface results to an experimental situation with a nanofiber. The effect of the surface-induced potential on the excitation spectrum for free-to-bound transitions is shown to be weak. On the contrary, the effect for bound-to-bound transitions is significant leading to a large excitation linewidth, a substantial negative shift of the peak position, and a strong long tail on the negative side and a small short tail on the positive side of the field frequency detuning.
The Effects of Community Preschool Characteristics on Developmental Outcomes for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study examined factors associated with 9-month outcomes of 78 preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder ([ASD]; 66 males, mean age = 44.8 [7.0] months) receiving preschool special education services. Use of recommended intervention practices was observed in each student’s primary educational setting: autism-only (n = 28), mixed-disability (n = 25), and general early education (n = 25). Recommended practice use across setting types and developmental changes were compared using generalized estimating equations. Autism-only settings had the highest implementation of classroom structure, classroom environment, and curriculum and instruction. General early education had greater implementation of practices to support social and peer relationships. Supporting social and peer relationships was the largest predictor of gains, controlling for setting type; the association was greater for children with lower initial receptive language or developmental skills. These findings highlight the importance of supporting and promoting peer engagement in students with ASD across preschool placement types.
Third-order perturbative lattice and complex Langevin analyses of the finite-temperature equation of state of nonrelativistic fermions in one dimension

We analyze the pressure and density equations of state of unpolarized non-relativistic fermions at finite temperature in one spatial dimension. For attractively interacting regimes, we perform a third-order lattice perturbation theory calculation, assess its convergence properties by comparing with hybrid Monte Carlo results (there is no sign problem in this regime), and demonstrate agreement with real Langevin calculations. For repulsive interactions, we present lattice perturbation theory results as well as complex Langevin calculations, with a modified action to prevent uncontrolled excursions in the complex plane. Although perturbation theory is a common tool, our implementation of it is unconventional; we use a Hubbard-Stratonovich transformation to decouple the system and automate the application of Wick's theorem, thus generating the diagrammatic expansion, including symmetry factors, at any desired order. We also present an efficient technique to tackle nested Matsubara frequency sums without relying on contour integration, which is independent of dimension and applies to both relativistic and non-relativistic systems, as well as all energy-independent interactions. We find exceptional agreement between perturbative and non-perturbative results at weak couplings, and furnish predictions based on complex Langevin at strong couplings. We additionally present perturbative calculations of up to the fifth-order virial coefficient for repulsive and attractive couplings. Both the lattice perturbation theory and complex Langevin formalisms can easily be extended to a variety of situations including polarized systems, bosons, and higher dimension.
Prospects for rare B decays at Belle II

Rare and flavour-changing neutral current decays of the B meson are an important probe in the search for physics beyond the Standard Model. There have recently been several anomalies in rare B decays, and lepton-universality measurements, specifically involving the $b\to s\ell^+\ell^-$ quark transition. These results tend towards a non-Standard-Model interpretation. The Belle II experiment is a next-generation b physics experiment located at SuperKEKB, an upgraded B factory $e^+e^-$ collider, in Tsukuba, Japan. The first collisions are expected in early 2018 with full physics data expected in 2019. This document describes prospects for several rare B decays at Belle II including $b\to s\ell^+\ell^-$ processes and others, such as $b\to(s,\,d)\gamma$ and $b\to s\nu\bar\nu$. Areas where the Belle II program is complementary to that of the currently running LHCb experiment are highlighted.
Pheochromocytoma in pregnancy: A case report and updated management review

Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-producing neuroendocrine tumor leading to hypertensive crises in untreated patients. Presentation in pregnancy can mimic gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia. Physicians need to keep a high index of suspicion to have timely diagnosis and management of pheochromocytoma during pregnancy. We report a 27-year-old female who was diagnosed with pheochromocytoma at 18 weeks of gestation and she underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy at 22 weeks of gestation with a good pregnancy outcome and with no recurrence over 8 years of follow-up.
Threshold amplitudes for transition to turbulence in a pipe

Threshold amplitude of disturbance for transition to turbulence in a pipe Poiseuille flow is investigated. Based on the energy gradient theory, we argued that the transition to turbulence depends on magnitudes of the energy gradient of mean flow and the disturbance energy. Furthermore, the threshold disturbance energy required for turbulence transition is expressed as a function of the complementary angle to the energy angle which also characterizes the behaviour of the energy gradient of mean flow. With some mathematical treatments, the variation of the threshold energy of disturbance versus the Reynolds number is obtained. Then, it is found for a fixed disturbance frequency that the normalized amplitude of disturbance is scaled by Re with an exponent of -3/2 for the transition occurrence in a pipe. This value of exponent agrees well with several recent results reported in the literature. Finally, the mechanism of transition to turbulence is suggested for different disturbance levels.
Galaxy Number Counts in the Subaru Deep Field: Multiband Analysis in a Hierarchical Galaxy Formation Model

Number counts of galaxies are reanalyzed using a semianalytic model (SAM) of galaxy formation based on the hierarchical clustering scenario. Faint galaxies in the Subaru Deep Field (SDF; near-infrared J and K′) and the Hubble Deep Field (HDF; ultraviolet/optical U, B, V, and I) are compared with our model galaxies. We have determined the astrophysical parameters in the SAM that reproduce observations of nearby galaxies and used them to predict the number counts and redshifts of faint galaxies for three cosmological models, the standard cold dark matter (CDM) universe, a low-density flat universe with nonzero cosmological constant, and a low-density open universe with zero cosmological constant. The novelty of our SAM analysis is the inclusion of selection effects arising from the cosmological dimming of surface brightness of high-redshift galaxies, and from the absorption of visible light by internal dust and intergalactic H I clouds. As was found in our previous work, in which the ultraviolet/optical HDF galaxies were compared with our model galaxies, we find that our SAM reproduces counts of near-infrared SDF galaxies in a low-density universe either with or without a cosmological constant, and that the standard CDM universe is not preferred, as suggested by other recent studies. Moreover, we find that simple prescriptions for (1) the timescale of star formation being proportional to the dynamical timescale of the formation of galactic disks, (2) the size of galactic disks being rotationally supported with the same specific angular momentum as that of surrounding dark halo, and (3) the dust optical depth being proportional to the metallicity of cold gas, cannot completely explain all of the observed data. Improved prescriptions incorporating mild redshift-dependence for those are suggested from our SAM analysis.
On the Nature of AX J2049.6+2939/AX J2050.0+2914

AX J2049.6+2939 is a compact X-ray source in the vicinity of the southern blow-up region of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant. This source was the brightest X-ray source inside the Cygnus Loop observed during the ASCA survey project. The X-ray spectrum was well fitted by a power-law function with a photon index of -2.1 ± 0.1. Short-term timing analysis was performed, and no coherent pulsation was found. Follow-up observations with ASCA have revealed a large variation in X-ray intensity by a factor of ≃50, whereas the spectral shape did not change within the statistical uncertainties. In the second ASCA observation, we found another X-ray source, AX J2050.0+2941, to the northeast of AX J2049.6+2939. During the three ASCA observations, the X-ray intensity of AX J2050.0+2941 varied by a factor of ≃4. No coherent pulsations could be found for AX J2050.0+2941. We have performed optical photometric and spectroscopic observations in the vicinity of AX J2049.6+2939 at KPNO. As a result, all objects brighter than a B-band magnitude of 22 in the error box can be identified with normal stars. Combined with the X-ray results and the fact that there are no radio counterparts, AX J2049.6+2939 is not likely to be either an ordinary rotation-powered pulsar or an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The nature of AX J2049.6+2939 is still unclear, and further observations over a wide energy band are strongly required. As to AX J2050.0+2941, the long-term X-ray variability and the radio counterpart suggests that it is an AGN.
Kinematics of 10 Early-Type Galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope and Ground-based Spectroscopy

We present stellar kinematics for a sample of 10 early-type galaxies observed using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope and the Modular Spectrograph on the MDM Observatory 2.4 m telescope. These observations are a part of an ongoing program to understand the coevolution of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. Our spectral ranges include either the calcium triplet absorption lines at 8498, 8542, and 8662 Å or the Mg b absorption at 5175 Å. The lines are used to derive line-of-sight velocity distributions (LOSVDs) of the stars using a maximum penalized likelihood method. We use Gauss-Hermite polynomials to parameterize the LOSVDs and find predominantly negative h4 values (boxy distributions) in the central regions of our galaxies. One galaxy, NGC 4697, has significantly positive central h4 (high tail weight). The majority of galaxies have a central velocity dispersion excess in the STIS kinematics over ground-based velocity dispersions. The galaxies with the strongest rotational support, as quantified with vmax/σSTIS, have the smallest dispersion excess at STIS resolution. The best-fitting, general, axisymmetric dynamical models (described in a companion paper) require black holes in all cases, with masses ranging from 106.5 to 109.3 M☉. We replot these updated masses on the MBH-σ relation and show that the fit to only these 10 galaxies has a slope consistent with the fits to larger samples. The greatest outlier is NGC 2778, a dwarf elliptical with relatively poorly constrained black hole mass. The two best candidates for pseudobulges, NGC 3384 and NGC 7457, do not deviate significantly from the established relation between MBH and σ. Neither do the three galaxies that show the most evidence of a recent merger, NGC 3608, NGC 4473, and NGC 4697.
Modeling the Multiband Afterglows of GRB 060614 and GRB 060908: Further Evidence for a Double Power-law Hard Electron Energy Spectrum

Electrons accelerated in relativistic collisionless shocks are usually assumed to follow a power-law energy distribution with an index of p. Observationally, although most gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have afterglows that are consistent with p > 2, there are still a few GRBs suggestive of a hard (p < 2) electron energy spectrum. Our previous work showed that GRB 091127 gave strong evidence for a double power-law hard electron energy (DPLH) spectrum with 1 < p1 < 2, p2 > 2 and an “injection break” assumed as γb ∝ γq in the highly relativistic regime, where γ is the bulk Lorentz factor of the jet. In this paper, we show that GRB 060614 and GRB 060908 provide further evidence for such a DPLH spectrum. We interpret the multiband afterglow of GRB 060614 with the DPLH model in a homogeneous interstellar medium by taking into account a continuous energy injection process, while, for GRB 060908, a wind-like circumburst density profile is used. The two bursts, along with GRB 091127, suggest a similar behavior in the evolution of the injection break, with q ∼ 0.5. Whether this represents a universal law of the injection break remains uncertain and more afterglow observations such as these are needed to test this conjecture.
3‐D finite‐difference, finite‐element, discontinuous‐Galerkin and spectral‐element schemes analysed for their accuracy with respect to P‐wave to S‐wave speed ratio

SUMMARY We analyse 13 3-D numerical time-domain explicit schemes for modelling seismic wave propagation and earthquake motion for their behaviour with a varying P-wave to S-wave speed ratio (VP/VS). The second-order schemes include three finite-difference, three finite-element and one discontinuous-Galerkin schemes. The fourth-order schemes include three finite-difference and two spectral-element schemes. All schemes are second-order in time. We assume a uniform cubic grid/mesh and present all schemes in a unified form. We assume plane S-wave propagation in an unbounded homogeneous isotropic elastic medium. We define relative local errors of the schemes in amplitude and the vector difference in one time step and normalize them for a unit time. We also define the equivalent spatial sampling ratio as a ratio at which the maximum relative error is equal to the reference maximum error. We present results of the extensive numerical analysis. We theoretically (i) show how a numerical scheme sees the P and S waves if the VP/VS ratio increases, (ii) show the structure of the errors in amplitude and the vector difference and (iii) compare the schemes in terms of the truncation errors of the discrete approximations to the second mixed and non-mixed spatial derivatives. We find that four of the tested schemes have errors in amplitude almost independent on the VP/VS ratio. The homogeneity of the approximations to the second mixed and non-mixed spatial derivatives in terms of the coefficients of the leading terms of their truncation errors as well as the absolute values of the coefficients are key factors for the behaviour of the schemes with increasing VP/VS ratio. The dependence of the errors in the vector difference on the VP/VS ratio should be accounted for by a proper (sufficiently dense) spatial sampling.
The Impact of Entrepreneurial Teaching: The Mediating Effect of the Teacher's Ease of Performing University–Business Collaboration

Entrepreneurship is a multifaceted phenomenon that has a vital role in Finnish society. It has become a top priority in national government policies because of its significance as a driver of economic growth, creativity, and innovation. The crucial role of entrepreneurship has also been reflected in educational policies. The research field of entrepreneurship education has increased substantially during the last fifteen years. Several studies reveal the significance of entrepreneurship education, the essential elements of entrepreneurial learning, and the impact of entrepreneurship education on students' entrepreneurial competences. According to a number of studies, teachers play a crucial role in enhancing students' entrepreneurial competences. Collaboration between universities and businesses has been evoked as a good practice in entrepreneurship education. Nevertheless, there is still a great need for research on the relationship between the teachers in charge of entrepreneurship education and the implementations of university–business collaboration. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of entrepreneurial teaching on teaching practices in entrepreneurship education. The authors of this paper contribute to deepening knowledge about this relation. They also increase the knowledge about the supportive role of university–business collaboration to teachers' adoption and diffusion of entrepreneurial teaching through a control variable of the ease of university–business collaboration. The empirical data for this study come from Finland, collected through an Internet survey. The results show that the teacher's perception of the ease of engaging in university–business collaboration has an indirect effect on the teaching practices used. On the other hand, the teacher's ability to implement entrepreneurial teaching has a positive direct relation to the ease of performing university–business collaboration, affecting also the use of versatile teaching methods.
An Alternative Methodology for Combining Different Forecasting Models

Abstract Many economic and financial time series exhibit heteroskedasticity, where the variability changes are often based on recent past shocks, which cause large or small fluctuations to cluster together. Classical ways of modelling the changing variance include the use of Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) models and Neural Networks models. The paper starts with a comparative study of these two models, both in terms of capturing the non-linear or heteroskedastic structure and forecasting performance. Monthly and daily exchange rates for three different countries are implemented. The paper continues with different methods for combining forecasts of the volatility from the competing models, in order to improve forecasting accuracy. Traditional methods for combining the predicted values from different models, using various weighting schemes are considered, such as the simple average or methods that find the best weights in terms of minimizing the squared forecast error. The main purpose of the paper is, however, to propose an alternative methodology for combining forecasts effectively. The new, hereby-proposed non-linear, non-parametric, kernel-based method, is shown to have the basic advantage of not being affected by outliers, structural breaks or shocks to the system and it does not require a specific functional form for the combination.