Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary patterns and school performance: evidence from a sample of adolescents in Sicily, Italy.

BACKGROUND Academic success in adolescence is a strong predictor of future wealth, productivity and health. While unhealthy dietary habits might be detrimental for academic outcomes, a positive association between healthy diet and school performance was found in adolescents worldwide. STUDY DESIGN A total of 213 adolescents (15 to 18 years old; 48% boys), attending three high schools in the urban area of Eastern Sicily, were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. METHODS Dietary data and informations about weekly consumption of main meals were collected administering a Food Frequency Questionnaire. The Mediterranean Diet Score and Principal Component Analysis were used to identify a priori and a posteriori dietary patterns, respectively. School performance was assessed through school marks, using the previous year as reference. RESULTS The Mediterranean Diet Score was weakly but positively correlated with performance in Italian, Science and Physical Education (p-values < 0.05). Similarly, the adherence to the prudent dietary pattern weakly positively correlated with marks in Mathematics. In contrast, we demonstrated a weak but significant negative correlation between adherence to the western dietary pattern and the performance in several subjects. The energy dense dietary pattern was instead negatively correlated with mark in Italian. We also showed that adolescents regularly eating all main meals have a better performance in several subjects, when compared to those who skipped at least one meal. CONCLUSION The promotion of healthy diet in youth should be a priority for Public Health, in order to improve adolescents' quality of life and prevent negative health and social outcomes later in life.
Microstructural Development During Nucleation and Growth

SUMMARY The microstructural development during nucleation and growth processes is studied numerically. Most of the studies are for the simple case of constant nucleation and growth rates, but a brief discussion is made of the effect of time-dependent nucleation and growth. A 3-D code is used which accounts for not only the nucleation and growth of individual new grains, but also the effects of grain impingement, and which allows for the study of both homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation. The microstructures are characterized by the grain-size distribution (GSD) and the cluster-size distribution (CSD). In the case of homogeneous nucleation, the development of GSD and CSD can be scaled using the Avrami time τAv and Avrami length τAv, which are related to the nucleation and growth rates. Both scaling constants have a simple physical meaning: the average grain size after the completion of the phase transformation is given by τAv, and the transformation half-time is approximately equal to τAv. the formation of a continuous chain of new-phase grains (percolation transition) is observed at ∼30 per cent transformation degree, and the geometry of the largest cluster near the percolation threshold has fractal characteristics with a fractal dimension of ∼2.5. the presence of preferred sites of nucleation (heterogeneous nucleation), such as grain boundaries, significantly modifies the microstructures when the spacing of nucleation sites is much larger than the Avrami length, the main effects being a reduced percolation threshold and an elongate grain shape. Some applications to the olivine-spinel transformation in subducting slabs and to the crystallization in a hypothetical magma ocean are discussed.
Spectroscopy of i′-Dropout Galaxies with an NB921-Band Depression in the Subaru Deep Field

We report new spectroscopy of two star-forming galaxies with strong Lyα emission at z = 6.03 and 6.04 in the Subaru Deep Field. These two objects are originally selected as i′-dropouts (i′ - z′ > 1.5) showing an interesting photometric property, the "NB921 depression. " The NB921-band (centered at 9196 Å) magnitude is significantly depressed with respect to the z′-band magnitude. The optical spectra of these two objects exhibit asymmetric emission lines at λobs ~ 8540 and ~8560 Å, suggesting that these objects are Lyα emitters at z ~ 6. The rest-frame equivalent widths of the Lyα emission of the two objects are 94 and 236 Å; the latter is the Lyα emitter with the largest Lyα equivalent width at z ≳ 6 ever spectroscopically confirmed. The spectroscopically measured Lyα fluxes of these two objects are consistent with the interpretation that the NB921 depression is caused by the contribution of the strong Lyα emission to the z′-band flux. Most of the NB921-depressed i′-dropout objects are thought to be strong Lyα emitters at 6.0 ≲ z ≲ 6.5; Galactic L and T dwarfs and NB921-dropout galaxies at z > 6.6 do not dominate the NB921-depressed i′-dropout sample. Thus, the NB921-depression method is very useful for finding high-z Lyα emitters with a large Lyα equivalent width over a large redshift range, 6.0 ≲ z ≲ 6.5. Although the broadband-selected sample at z ~ 3 contains only a small fraction of objects with a Lyα equivalent width larger than 100 Å, the i′-dropout sample of the Subaru Deep Field contains a much larger fraction of such strong Lyα emitters. This may imply a strong evolution of the Lyα equivalent width from z ≳ 6 to z ~ 3.
GRAVITATIONAL LENSES AND UNCONVENTIONAL GRAVITY THEORIES

We study gravitational lensing by clusters of galaxies in the context of the generic class of unconventional gravity theories which describe gravity in terms of a metric and one or more scalar fields (called here scalar-tensor theories). We conclude that, if the scalar fields have positive energy, then whatever their dynamics, the bending of light by a weakly gravitating system, like a galaxy or a cluster of galaxies, cannot exceed the bending predicted by general relativity for the mass of visible and hitherto undetected matter (but excluding the scalar field's energy). Thus using general relativity to interpret gravitational lensing observations can only underestimate the mass present in stars, gas, and dark matter. The same conclusion obtains within general relativity if a nonnegligible part of the mass in clusters is in the form of coherent scalar fields, i.e., Higgs fields. The popular observational claim that clusters of galaxies deflect light much more strongly than would be expected from the observable matter contained by them, if it survives, cannot be interpreted in terms of some scalar-tensor unconventional gravity theory with no dark matter. And if the observations eventually show that the matter distribution inferred via general relativity from the lensing is very much like that determined from the dynamics of test objects, then scalar-tensor unconventional gravity will be irrelevant for understanding the mass discrepancy in clusters. However, even a single system in which the dynamical mass determined from virial methods significantly exceeds the lensing mass as determined by general relativity would be very problematic for the dark matter picture but would be entirely consistent with unconventional scalar-tensor gravity theory.
π+ photoproduction on the proton for photon energies from 0.725 to 2.875 GeV

Differential cross sections for the reaction $$\gamma p \to n \pi^+$$ have been measured with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) and a tagged photon beam with energies from 0.725 to 2.875 GeV. Where available, the results obtained here compare well with previously published results for the reaction. Agreement with the SAID and MAID analyses is found below 1 GeV. The present set of cross sections has been incorporated into the SAID database, and exploratory fits have been made up to 2.7 GeV. Resonance couplings have been extracted and compared to previous determinations. With the addition of these cross sections to the world data set, significant changes have occurred in the high-energy behavior of the SAID cross-section predictions and amplitudes.
THE COSMIC EVOLUTION OF GAMMA-RAY BURST HOST GALAXIES

Due to their extreme luminosities, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can be detected in hostile regions of galaxies, nearby and at very high redshift, making them important cosmological probes. The investigation of galaxies hosting long-duration GRBs (whose progenitor is a massive star) demonstrated their connection to star formation. Still, the link to the total galaxy population is controversial, mainly because of the small-number statistics: ~1, 100 are the GRBs detected so far, ~280 those with measured redshift, and ~70 the hosts studied in detail. These are typically low-redshift (z > 4) is poorly explored, but the deep limits reached point towards very small and star-forming objects, similar to the low-z population. This “back to the future” behavior is a natural consequence of the connection of long GRBs to star formation in young regions of the universe.
The 5-Item modified frailty index is predictive of severe adverse events in patients undergoing surgery for adult spinal deformity.

STUDY DESIGN A retrospective review of 281 consecutive cases of adult spine deformity (ASD) surgery (age 55 ± 19 years, 91% female, follow-up 4.3 ± 1.9 years) from a multicenter database. OBJECTIVE To compare the value and predictive ability of the 5-item modified frailty index (mFI-5) to the conventional 11-item modified frailty index (mFI-11) for severe adverse events (SAEs). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Several recent studies have described associations between frailty and surgical complications. However, the predictive power and usefulness of the mFI-5 have not been proven. METHODS SAEs were defined as: Clavien-Dindo grade >3, reoperation required, deterioration of motor function at discharge, or new motor deficit within 2 years. The patients' frailty was categorized by the mFI-5 and mFI-11 (robust, prefrail, or frail). Spearman's rho was used to assess correlation between the mFI-5 and mFI-11. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses were conducted to analyze the relative risk [RR] of mFI-5 and mFI-11 as a predictor for SAEs in ASD surgery. Age, gender, and baseline sagittal alignment (Schwab-SRS classification subcategories) were used to adjust the baseline variance of the patients. RESULTS Of the 281 patients, 63 (22%) had developed SAE at 2 years. The weighted Kappa ratio between the mFI-5 and mFI-11 was 0.87, indicating excellent concordance across ASD surgery. Frailty was associated with increased total complications, perioperative complications, implant-related complications, and SAEs. Adjusted and unadjusted models showed similar c-statistics for mFI-5 and mFI-11 and a strong predictive ability for SAEs in ASD surgery. As the mFI-5 increased from 0 to ≥2, the rate of SAEs increased from 17% to 63% (p < 0.01), and the relative risk was 2.2 (95%CI: 1.3-3.7). CONCLUSION The mFI-5 and the mFI-11 were equally effective predictors of SEA development in ASD surgery. The evaluation of patient frailty using mFI-5 may help surgeons optimize procedures and counsel patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4.
Changes in haematological and biochemical blood parameters
of laying hens of the ROSS 308 parent flock
during the hatching period

The aim of this study was to assess the productive health of the meat hybrid ROSS 308 parent flock during the laying season at regular two-month intervals by means of selected haematological (haematocrit, haemoglo bin) and biochemical (total protein, glucose, cholesterol, alanine aminotrans -ferase, aspartate aminotransferase, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium) parameters. To assess the metabolic profile in a randomly selected set of laying hens (n = 30),
MODELING MAGNETIC FIELD STRUCTURE OF A SOLAR ACTIVE REGION CORONA USING NONLINEAR FORCE-FREE FIELDS IN SPHERICAL GEOMETRY

We test a nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) optimization code in spherical geometry using an analytical solution from Low and Lou. Several tests are run, ranging from idealized cases where exact vector field data are provided on all boundaries, to cases where noisy vector data are provided on only the lower boundary (approximating the solar problem). Analytical tests also show that the NLFFF code in the spherical geometry performs better than that in the Cartesian one when the field of view of the bottom boundary is large, say, 20° × 20°. Additionally, we apply the NLFFF model to an active region observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) both before and after an M8.7 flare. For each observation time, we initialize the models using potential field source surface (PFSS) extrapolations based on either a synoptic chart or a flux-dispersal model, and compare the resulting NLFFF models. The results show that NLFFF extrapolations using the flux-dispersal model as the boundary condition have slightly lower, therefore better, force-free, and divergence-free metrics, and contain larger free magnetic energy. By comparing the extrapolated magnetic field lines with the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board SDO, we find that the NLFFF performs better than the PFSS not only for the core field of the flare productive region, but also for large EUV loops higher than 50 Mm.
Mapping rill soil erosion in agricultural fields with UAV‐borne remote sensing data

Soil erosion by water is a main form of land degradation worldwide. The problem has been addressed, among others, in the United Nations Sustainability Goals. However, for mitigation of erosion consequences and adequate management of affected areas, reliable information on the magnitude and spatial patterns of erosion is needed. Although such need is often addressed by erosion modelling, precise erosion monitoring is necessary for the calibration and validation of erosion models and to study erosion patterns in landscapes. Conventional methods for quantification of rill erosion are based on labour‐intensive field measurements. In contrast, remote sensing techniques promise fast, non‐invasive, systematic and larger‐scale surveying. Thus, the main objective of this study was to develop and evaluate automated and transferable methodologies for mapping the spatial extent of erosion rills from a single acquisition of remote sensing data. Data collected by an uncrewed aerial vehicle was used to deliver a highly detailed digital elevation model (DEM) of the analysed area. Rills were classified by two methods with different settings. One approach was based on a series of decision rules applied on DEM‐derived geomorphological terrain attributes. The second approach utilized the random forest machine learning algorithm. The methods were tested on three agricultural fields representing different erosion patterns and vegetation covers. Our study showed that the proposed methods can ensure recognition of rills with accuracies between 80 and 90% depending on rill characteristics. In some cases, however, the methods were sensitive to very small rill incisions and to similar geometry of rills to other features. Additionally, their performance was influenced by the vegetation structure and cover. Besides these challenges, the introduced approach was capable of mapping rills fully automatically at the field scale and can, therefore, support a fast and flexible assessment of erosion magnitudes.
Total ozone columns and vertical ozone profiles above Kiev in 2005-2008

The study of total ozone columns above Kiev and variations of ozone concentrations in the troposphere at different altitudes above Kiev was carried out using ground-based Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometric observations that are taken on a routine basis at the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (MAO NASU). This study was performed within the framework of the international ESA-NIVR-KNMI OMI-AO project no.2907 entitled OMI validation by ground-based remote sensing: ozone columns and atmospheric profiles during the time frame 2005-2008. The infrared FTIR spectral observations of direct solar radiation in the wavelength range of 2-12 micron as transmitted through the Earth's atmosphere were performed during the months of April-October of each year. The aim of the project was the validation of total ozone columns and vertical ozone profiles as obtained by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)) onboard of the NASA EOS-Aura scientific satellite platform. The modeling of the ozone spectral band shape near 9.6 microns was performing with the MODTRAN code and a molecular band model based on the HITRAN-2004 molecular database. The a-priori information for the spectral modeling consisted of water vapor and temperature profiles from the NASA EOS-Aqua-AIRS satellite instrument, stratospheric ozone profiles from the NASA EOS-Aura-MLS satellite instrument, TEMIS-KNMI climatological ozone profiles and surface ozone concentration measurements performed at the specific times of infrared spectra observations. The troposphere ozone variability was analyzed for two typical episodes: the spring episode of enhanced total ozone columns and the summer episode of enhanced surface ozone concentrations.
Resonances and fluctuations of strange particles in 200 GeV Au–Au collisions

We perform an analysis of preliminary data on strange particles yields and fluctuations within the statistical hadronization model. We begin by describing the theoretical disagreements between different statistical models currently on the market. We then show how the simultaneous analysis of yields and fluctuations can be used to differentiate between the different models, and determine if one of them can be connected to underlying physics. We perform a study on a RHIC 200 GeV data sample that includes stable particles, resonances and the event-by-event fluctuation of the K/π ratio. We show that the equilibrium statistical model cannot describe the fluctuation, unless an unrealistically small volume is assumed. Such a small volume then makes it impossible to describe the total particle multiplicity. The non-equilibrium model, on the other hand, describes both the K/π fluctuation and yields acceptably due to the extra boost to the π fluctuation provided by the high-pion chemical potential. A (1520) and K* abundance is described within error bars, but the Σ* is under-predicted to ∼ 1.5 standard deviations. We suggest further measurements that have the potential to test the non-equilibrium model, as well as gauge the effect of re-interactions between hadronization and freeze-out.
Research and development for sorghum and millets in Sub-Saharan Africa: What have we learned?

The past two decades of R & D for sorghum and millets in SSA have generated a wealth of new evidence. A synthesis of this evidence identified six strategic lessons. These were that demand is not being driven by ‘new uses’, that plant breeding programmes need to respond to African farmer's contexts and objectives to increase impact, that availability is a bigger constraint on the supply of certified seed than physical or economic access, that higher adoption of improved varieties does not generally result in higher yields, that technology and varietal diversity can compensate for climate change, and that commercialisation can be gender – and socially inclusive. R & D in Africa differs from the Indian model because of the low level of commercialisation and the continued dominance of own consumption. Consequently R & D gives a dominant role to the public sector in plant breeding, to farmer organisations and groups in seed supply, and to prioritising household food security over commercial uses.
Low risk of neurodevelopmental impairment among perinatally acquired HIV‐infected preschool children who received early antiretroviral treatment in Thailand

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended in perinatally HIV‐infected (PHIV) infants immediately upon diagnosis. We aimed to compare neurodevelopmental outcomes between PHIV children who initiated ART within 12 months of life and perinatally HIV‐exposed uninfected (PHEU) children and to assess neurodevelopmental outcomes by timing of ART.
Halo concentration, galaxy red fraction, and gas properties of optically defined merging clusters†

We present multi-wavelength studies of optically defined merging clusters, based on the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program. Luminous red galaxies, tracing cluster mass distributions, enable us to identify cluster subhalos at various merging stages, and thus make a homogeneous sample of cluster mergers that is unbiased with respect to the merger boost of the intracluster medium (ICM). We define, using a peak-finding method, merging clusters with multiple peaks and single clusters with single peaks from the CAMIRA cluster catalog. Stacked weak-lensing analysis indicates that our sample of merging clusters is categorized into major mergers. The average halo concentration for the merging clusters is ∼70% smaller than that of the single-peak clusters, which agrees well with predictions of numerical simulations. The spatial distribution of subhalos is less centrally concentrated than the mass distribution of the main halo. The fractions of red galaxies in the merging clusters are not higher than those of the single-peak clusters. We find a signature of the merger boost of the ICM from the stacked Planck Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect and ROSAT X-ray luminosity, but not in optical richness. The stacked X-ray surface brightness distribution, aligned with the main subhalo pairs of low-redshift and massive clusters, shows that the central gas core is elongated along the merger axis, and overall gas distribution is misaligned by ∼60°. The homogeneous, unbiased sample of cluster mergers and multi-wavelength follow-up studies provide a unique opportunity to make a complete picture of merger physics over the whole process.
ON THE NATURE OF X-RAY SURFACE BRIGHTNESS FLUCTUATIONS IN M87

X-ray images of galaxy clusters and gas-rich elliptical galaxies show a wealth of small-scale features that reflect fluctuations in density and/or temperature of the intracluster medium. In this paper we study these fluctuations in M87/Virgo to establish whether sound waves/shocks, bubbles, or uplifted cold gas dominate the structure. We exploit the strong dependence of the emissivity on density and temperature in different energy bands to distinguish between these processes. Using simulations we demonstrate that our analysis recovers the leading type of fluctuation even in the presence of projection effects and temperature gradients. We confirm the isobaric nature of cool filaments of gas entrained by buoyantly rising bubbles, extending to 7′ to the east and southwest, and the adiabatic nature of the weak shocks at 40″ and 3′ from the center. For features of ∼5–10 kpc, we show that the central 4′ × 4′ region is dominated by cool structures in pressure equilibrium with the ambient hotter gas while up to 30% of the variance in this region can be ascribed to adiabatic fluctuations. The remaining part of the central 14′ × 14′ region, excluding the arms and shocks described above, is dominated by apparently isothermal fluctuations (bubbles) with a possible admixture (at the level of ∼30%) of adiabatic (sound waves) and by isobaric structures. Larger features, of about 30 kpc, show a stronger contribution from isobaric fluctuations. The results broadly agree with a model based on feedback from an active galactic nucleus mediated by bubbles of relativistic plasma.