Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discovery of an H i-rich Gas Reservoir in the Outskirts of SZ-effect-selected Clusters

We report on the detection of three strong H i absorbers originating in the outskirts (i.e., impact parameter, (1.6–4.7)r500) of three massive ( M⊙) clusters of galaxies at redshift , in the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (HST/COS) spectra of three background UV-bright quasars. These clusters were discovered by the 2500 deg2 South Pole Telescope Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) effect survey. All three COS spectra show a partial Lyman limit absorber with N(H i) > 1016.5 cm−2 near the photometric redshifts ( ) of the clusters. The compound probability of the random occurrence of all three absorbers is <0.02%, indicating that the absorbers are most likely related to the targeted clusters. We find that the outskirts of these SZ-selected clusters are remarkably rich in cool gas compared to existing observations of other clusters in the literature. The effective Doppler parameters of the Lyman series lines, obtained using a single-cloud curve-of-growth (COG) analysis, suggest a nonthermal/turbulent velocity of a few×10 km s−1 in the absorbing gas. We emphasize the need for uniform galaxy surveys around these fields and for more UV observations of quasar–cluster pairs in general in order to improve the statistics and gain further insights into the unexplored territory of the largest collapsed cosmic structures.
The normalized curve shortening flow and homothetic solutions

The curve shortening problem, by now widely known, is to understand the evolution of regular closed curves γ: R/Z -> M moving according to the curvature normal vector: dy/dt = kN = -"the ZΛgradient of arc length". One motivation for this problem has been the view expressed in this connection by C. Croke, H. Gluck, W. Ziller, and others: it would be desirable to improve on some complicated and ad hoc constructions that have been used in the theory of closed geodesies to iteratively shorten curves. As a test case it has been a goal to prove the conjecture that kN generates a flow on the space of simple closed curves in the plane, preserving embeddedness and making such curves circular asymptotically as length approaches zero. However, the evolution equation for the curvature of γ, turns out to be quite subtle, and the conjecture is not yet settled. Indeed, in the nonsimple case one generally expects singular behavior, and part of the intrinsic interest of the problem lies in the fact that the global condition of embeddedness is apparently recognized by the "near-sighted" equation. What is known thus far is that the conjecture is true for convex curves, that simple curves do in fact remain simple (provided curvature stays bounded), and that short time solutions to the equations exist in full generality; these results are due to M. Gage and R. Hamilton (see [1], [2], [3]).
Ferroelectric properties of pure and thiourea doped KDP crystals by solution growth method

Abstract Pure and thiourea (5 mol%) doped potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (KDP) single crystals were grown by solution growth method using slow evaporation technique and its ferroelectric properties were analyzed. The KDP and their doped crystals display ferroelectric behavior at ambient temperature, followed by a phase transition from ferroelectric to ferroelectric second-order phase transition and better ferroelectric activity as temperature increases and show no polarization loss after 1200 frequency cycles, as proven by fatigue studies. Remarkable ferroelectric property has been observed in single crystals of KDP and its dopant at room temperature, despite having a Curie point at low temperatures.
The association between hospital cooperation and the quality of healthcare

ABSTRACT Motivated by reasons such as patients’ needs, lack of resources, technologies or skills, and quality, hospital managers may engage in cooperative behaviours. We study the determinants of patients’ transfers, a specific form of cooperation, and quantify its association with the quality delivered by the origin and destination hospital. Using Italian administrative data, we handle the network structure embedded in the data by adopting an over-dispersed Poisson mixed model. The results show a positive relationship between hospital cooperation and quality. The introduction of transferal protocols that exploit information on hospital quality may further improve the overall quality of the healthcare sector.
Confined dynamical systems with Carroll and Galilei symmetries

We introduce a general method to construct classes of dynamical systems invariant under generalizations of the Carroll and of the Galilei groups. The method consists in starting from a space-time in $D+1$ dimensions and partitioning it in two parts, the first Minkowskian and the second Euclidean. Tha action consist of two terms that are separately invariant the Minkwoskian and Euclidean partitioning. One of those contains a system of lagrangian multiplies that confine the system to a subspace. The other term defines the dynamics of the system. The total lagrangian is invariant under the Carroll or the Galilei groups with zero central charge.
Timing the formation and assembly of early-type galaxies via spatially resolved stellar populations analysis

To investigate star formation and assembly processes of massive galaxies, we present here a spatially-resolved stellar populations analysis of a sample of 45 elliptical galaxies (Es) selected from the CALIFA survey. We find rather flat age and [Mg/Fe] radial gradients, weakly dependent on the effective velocity dispersion of the galaxy within half-light radius. However, our analysis shows that metallicity gradients become steeper with increasing galaxy velocity dispersion. In addition, we have homogeneously compared the stellar populations gradients of our sample of Es to a sample of nearby relic galaxies, i.e., local remnants of the high-z population of red nuggets. This comparison indicates that, first, the cores of present-day massive galaxies were likely formed in gas-rich, rapid star formation events at high redshift (z>2). This led to radial metallicity variations steeper than observed in the local Universe, and positive [Mg/Fe] gradients. Second, our analysis also suggests that a later sequence of minor dry mergers, populating the outskirts of early-type galaxies (ETGs), flattened the pristine [Mg/Fe] and metallicity gradients. Finally, we find a tight age-[Mg/Fe] relation, supporting that the duration of the star formation is the main driver of the [Mg/Fe] enhancement in massive ETGs. However, the star formation time-scale alone is not able to fully explain our [Mg/Fe] measurements. Interestingly, our results match the expected effect that a variable stellar initial mass function would have on the [Mg/Fe] ratio.
A search for solar‐like oscillations and granulation in α Cen A

We report the most sensitive search yet made for solar-like oscillations. We observed the star α Cen A in Balmer-line equivalent widths over six nights with both the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope and the ESO 3.6-m telescope. We set an upper limit on oscillations of 1.4 times solar and found tentative evidence for p-mode oscillations. We also found a power excess at low frequencies which has the same slope and strength as the power seen from granulation in the Sun. We therefore suggest that we have made the first detection of temporal fluctuations caused by granulation in a solar-like star.
Stroke probability prediction and data visualization based on multiple machine learning models

The issue of stroke happening in world range acting a significant problem for human health. Until 2019, there were about 411 death cases per day in America which is 3 years earlier than the appearance of e-cigarettes in 2022. However, the judgement between different doctors could be variable and a slightly human error in complex situations could lead to a bad estimation result. To deal with this, the prediction of stroke probability of patients could provide an objective reference for doctors. This study made a data treatment of factors choosing and translation then calculating 4 accuracy of models and finally an application. To be more specific, an online stroke dataset was employed for factor analysis firstly and three machine learning algorithms were utilized to select most important stroke-related factors. 6 most influential factors were further passed into four machine learning models for training. The work gave the result of the highest accuracy performance of Random Forest between the four models which could be assistance of the prediction in stroke.
Fluorescent colour patterns in the basal pectinid Pleuronectites from the Middle Triassic of Central Europe: origin, fate and taxonomic implications of fluorescence

UV light‐induced fluorescence is widely used as a key to reveal residual shell colour patterns of Neogene and Palaeogene molluscs. However, only few examples of fluorescent colour patterns are known from Mesozoic marine shells and little is known about the nature of fluorescence in fossils. Here, UV light‐induced fluorescence reveals previously unseen abundance and diversity in the colour patterns of the basal pectinid Pleuronectites laevigatus from the Middle Triassic Muschelkalk of Central Europe. In addition to known variations of radial bands, a multitude of zigzag and zigzag‐related patterns was found. The diversity of colour patterns is comparable to modern pectinids and is interpreted as colour pattern polymorphism. Raman spectra of the colour patterns indicated the preservation of residual organic pigments with aromatic moieties. The fluorescence properties of P. laevigatus and other basal pectinids from the Muschelkalk of Germany and France are described in detail, suggesting that colour pattern fluorescence is due to colourless diagenetic products of the pigments, not to the fossil pigments themselves. A remarkable feature of the colour patterns of P. laevigatus is the presence of different fluorescence colours. Because a gradual shift of the fluorescence colour from yellow to red with decreasing intensity to finally non‐fluorescent is observed, which correlates with the provenance of the specimens, the fluorescence properties are interpreted to reflect differences in diagenetic history. The results show that the fluorescence colour of fossil molluscs, especially of Mesozoic molluscs, may be affected by diagenesis and should only be used with caution for taxonomic purposes.
Fitted Numerical Methods for Singular Perturbation Problems

A dry process high sensitivity imaging film includes a solid, high optical density and substantially opaque film of dispersion imaging material deposited on a substrate. The film of dispersion imaging material comprises a plurality of separate layers of different and substantially mutually insoluble metal components having relatively high melting points and relatively low melting point eutectics, and interfaces between said layers having relatively low melting points. Energy is applied to the film of dispersion imaging material, in an amount above a certain critical value sufficient to increase the absorbed energy in the film material above a certain critical temperature value related to the relatively low melting points of the interfaces, to substantially melt the low melting point interfaces and incorporate the different and substantially mutually insoluble components of the separate layers into the substantially molten interfaces and, hence, to change the film to a substantially fluid state in which the surface tension of the film material acts to cause the substantially opaque film, where subject to said energy, to disperse and change to a discontinuous film comprising openings and deformed material which are frozen in place following the application of energy and through which openings light can pass for decreasing the optical density thereat. Also, means may be associated with the film of dispersion imaging material for retarding the dispersion and change to the discontinuous film, caused by the surface tension, and for controlling the amount of such dispersion and change in accordance with the intensity of the applied energy above said certain critical value to provide continuous tone imaging of the dry process imaging film.
MAVISp: A Modular Structure-Based Framework for Genomic Variant Interpretation

The role of genomic variants in disease, including cancer, continues to expand thanks to the advent of advanced sequencing techniques integrated into clinical practice. The rapid growth in the identification of genomic variants has led to the classification of many variants as Variants of Uncertain Significance (VUS) or with conflicting evidence, posing challenges in their interpretation and application. Here we introduce MAVISp (Multi-layered Assessment of VarIants by Structure for proteins), a modular structural framework for variant interpretation. We also provide a web server (https://services.healthtech.dtu.dk/services/MAVISp-1.0/), to enhance data accessibility, consultation, and re-usability. Currently, MAVISp offers analyses for more than 200 different proteins, encompassing approximately 85000 variants. A dedicated team of biocurators and reviewers continuously analyze and update protein targets using standardized workflows, incorporating high-throughput free energy calculations or biomolecular simulations. Here, we illustrate the potential of the MAVISp approach through a selection of case studies. Our framework aids in the interpretation of genomic variants, particularly those categorized as VUS, and holds great potential for advancing the understanding and application of genomics in disease research.
The First DIRECT Distance Determination to a Detached Eclipsing Binary in M33

We present the first direct distance determination to a detached eclipsing binary in M33, which was found by the DIRECT Project. Located in the OB 66 association at coordinates (α, δ) = (01h33m46.ˢ17, + 30°44′39.″9) for J2000.0, it was one of the most suitable detached eclipsing binaries found by DIRECT for distance determination, given its apparent magnitude and orbital period. We obtained follow-up BV time-series photometry, JHKs photometry, and optical spectroscopy from which we determined the parameters of the system. It contains two O7 main-sequence stars, with masses of 33.4 ± 3.5 and 30.0 ± 3.3 M☉ and radii of 12.3 ± 0.4 and 8.8 ± 0.3 R☉, respectively. We derive temperatures of 37,000 ± 1500 and 35,600 ± 1500 K. Using BVRJHKs photometry for the flux calibration, we obtain a distance modulus of 24.92 ± 0.12 mag (964 ± 54 kpc), which is ~0.3 mag longer than the Key Project distance to M33. We discuss the implications of our result and the importance of establishing M33 as an independent rung on the cosmological distance ladder.
Survivin Regulates Intracellular Stiffness and Extracellular Matrix Production in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Vascular dysfunction is a common cause of cardiovascular diseases characterized by the narrowing and stiffening of arteries, such as atherosclerosis, restenosis, and hypertension. Arterial narrowing results from the aberrant proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and their increased synthesis and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. These, in turn, are modulated by arterial stiffness, but the mechanism for this is not fully understood. We found that survivin (an inhibitor of apoptosis) is an important regulator of stiffness-mediated ECM synthesis and intracellular stiffness in VSMCs. Whole-transcriptome analysis and cell culture experiments showed that survivin expression is upregulated in injured femoral arteries in mice and in human VSMCs cultured on stiff fibronectin-coated hydrogels. Suppressed expression of survivin in human VSMCs and mouse embryonic fibroblasts decreased the stiffness-mediated expression of ECM components implicated in arterial stiffness, namely, collagen-I, fibronectin, and lysyl oxidase. By contrast, expression of these proteins was upregulated by the overexpression of survivin in human VSMCs cultured on soft hydrogels. Atomic force microscopy analysis showed that suppressed or enhanced expression of survivin decreases or increases intracellular stiffness, respectively. These findings suggest a novel mechanism by which survivin modulates arterial stiffness.
Towards ultrafast communications: nonlinear coupling dynamics & light-semiconductor interaction

This thesis deals with some specific problems concerning the processing of ultrashort optical pulses and their interaction with semiconductors. It includes the investigation of the ultrashort optical pulse propagation and coupling dynamics in the nonlinear coupled waveguide, and the coherent and incoherent processes of the light-semiconductor interactions, therewith the arising nonlinearities. The subpicosecond optical pulse propagation in the coupled nonlinear waveguide is investigated in chapter 2. The new feature found is that the waveguide’s optical switching characteristics do not depend on the pulse profile, like a soliton, but on the product of the dispersion length and the coupling coefficient. By investigating the pulse propagation in the cascaded nonlinear coupled waveguide, a method for the subpicosecond rectangular optical pulse generation is proposed. In a nonlinear coupled waveguide with one self-focusing and one self-defocusing channel, the limiting feature is demonstrated for both continuous wave and ultrashort pulses. After the general theory of the semiconductor electrical and optical properties is described and discussed in chapter 3, we focus on the polarization dependence of optical transitions. It is shown that the polarization dependence of the semiconductor optical amplifier is much better reproduced if a weak valence band non-degeneracy is introduced in a heterostructure SOA than when it is simply attributed to the confinement factor difference. In chapter 4, the correlation between the electron spin polarization and circular polarization of the emitted light is studied. We notice that, in uniaxially strained bulk semiconductors, it is possible to achieve high spin polarization of the electrons in certain parts of the energy spectrum by circularly polarized light. In chapter 5, the induced transient birefringence in semiconductors due to an ultrashort pulse is studied. In chapter 6, the polarization dependence of the coherent light-semiconductor interaction on an ultrashort time scale is studied within a model that emphasizes the coherence of the photo-excited electron-hole pair correlation. Based on this model, the polarization dependence of quantum beats in four wave mixing signal of semiconductors is studied.
Fluctuations of the luminosity distance

We derive an expression for the luminosity distance in a perturbed Friedmann universe. We define the correlation function and the power spectrum of the luminosity distance fluctuations and express them in terms of the initial spectrum of the Bardeen potential. We present semianalytical results for the case of a pure CDM (cold dark matter) universe. We argue that the luminosity distance power spectrum represents a new observational tool which can be used to determine cosmological parameters. In addition, our results shed some light into the debate whether second order small scale fluctuations can mimic an accelerating universe.
Genomic Variation, Population Structure, and Gene Flow across Asian Pikas

Asian pikas have one of the most complex systematics and evolutionary history. The Himalayas is an important habitat for Asian pikas as it hosts 23 – 25% of pika’s global diversity and has provided the ancestral training ground for local adaptation to high altitudes. They are one of the most abundant species in the Himalayas and Qinghai Tibetan Plateau (QTP), however genetic studies to explore their population structure and evolution are limited. Here, we utilize a population genomics approach using ~28,000 genome-wide SNP markers obtained from restriction-site associated DNA sequencing in six species of Asian Pikas (Ochotona spp.) that are distributed across the Himalayas and neighboring high-altitude mountains. We examined intra- and inter-species genetic diversity, population structure, phylogenetic history and explored processes that shaped the current genetic diversity of Pikas across the Himalayas. We identified low nucleotide diversity and high inbreeding coefficient across all species which possibly indicated decreasing population size in these species. We also identified extensive evidence of gene flow (both historic and contemporary) across these species. Our findings indicate that inter-species gene flow is a key evolutionary process that has been countering the negative effect of low genetic diversity among Asian pikas.
Causes and consequences of linkage disequilibrium among transposable elements within eukaryotic genomes

Sex and recombination can affect the dynamics of transposable elements (TEs) in various ways: while sex is expected to help TEs to spread within populations, the deleterious effect of ectopic recombination among transposons represents a possible source of purifying selection limiting their number. Furthermore, recombination may also increase the efficiency of selection against TEs by reducing selective interference among loci. In order to better understand the effects of recombination and reproductive systems on TE dynamics, this article provides analytical expressions for the linkage disequilibrium (LD) among TEs in a classical model in which TE number is stabilized by synergistic purifying selection. The results show that positive LD is predicted in infinite populations despite negative epistasis, due to the effect of the transposition process. Positive LD may substantial inflate the variance in the number of elements per genome in the case of partially selfing or partially clonal populations. Finite population size tends to generate negative LD (Hill-Robertson effect), the relative importance of this effect increasing with the degree of linkage among loci. The model is then extended in order to explore how TEs may affect selection for recombination. While positive LD generated by transposition generally disfavors recombination, the Hill-Robertson effect may represent a non-negligible source of indirect selection for recombination when TEs are abundant. However, the direct fitness cost imposed by ectopic recombination among elements generally drives the population towards low-recombination regimes, at which TEs cannot be maintained at a stable equilibrium.
Exploring the X-ray universe via timing: mass of the active galactic nucleus black hole XMMUJ134736.6+173403

Abstract A strong quasi-periodic modulation has recently been revealed in the X-ray flux of the X-ray source XMMUJ134736.6+173403. The two observed twin-peak quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) exhibit a 3:1 frequency ratio and strongly support the evidence for the presence of an active galactic nucleus black hole (AGN BH). It has been suggested that detections of twin-peak QPOs with commensurable frequency ratios and scaling of their periods with BH mass could provide the basis for a method intended to determine the mass of BH sources, such as AGNs. Assuming the orbital origin of QPOs, we calculate the upper and lower limit on the AGN BH mass M, reaching M ≍ 107–109 M⊙. Compared to mass estimates of other sources, XMMUJ134736.6+173403 appears to be the most massive source with commensurable QPO frequencies, and its mass represents the current observational upper limit on the AGN BH mass obtained from the QPO observations.