Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diffusion of Lithium and Beryllium in Evolving, Nonrotating Main-Sequence A and F Stars

The evolution of the internal distribution of lithium and beryllium in the envelopes of nonrotating Population I A and F stars is computed for the whole main-sequence lifetime of the stars. The calculations include the effects of changing envelope structure due to core evolution and helium gravitational settling, convective mixing, nuclear burning, and diffusion in presence of radiative forces and dragging by the main gas constituents. The new OPAL opacities are used. Since adjustable parameters were calibrated using the Sun, the calculations presented here are entirely from first principles
Electrical Breakdown Currents on Large Spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit

An experimental and theoretical investigation of an expanding plasma generated by an arc produced by biasing a conductor underneath a thin layer of anodized aluminum 160-V negative of a laboratory plasma that can produce large peak arc currents by discharging large surface areas is presented. A simple theory shows that the time scales and observed current magnitudes are consistent with the expansion of a discharge-generated plasma. The implication for large spacecraft in low Earth orbit, such as Space Station Freedom (SSF) which can store large amounts of charge, is that arcs with the same amount of energy similar to those observed in the laboratory may occur. The energy in these arcs degrade the surface of the anodized aluminum thermal control coatings by producing large pits in the surface. These pits tend to increase the temperature of the spacecraft, and the material from the pits can become an additional source of contamination . The rise time and intensity of theses arc could produce significant EMI. To prevent the occurrence of these undesirable effects, SSF will utilize a plasma contactor that will control the structure to ambient plasma potentials.
AutoMatch: Leveraging Traffic Camera to Improve Perception and Localization of Autonomous Vehicles

Traffic camera is one of the most ubiquitous traffic facilities, providing high coverage of complex, accident-prone road sections such as intersections. This work leverages traffic cameras to improve the perception and localization performance of autonomous vehicles at intersections. In particular, vehicles can expand their range of perception by matching the images captured by both the traffic cameras and on-vehicle cameras. Moreover, a traffic camera can match its images to an existing high-definition map (HD map) to derive centimeter-level location of the vehicles in its field of view. To this end, we propose AutoMatch - a novel system for real-time image registration, which is a key enabling technology for traffic camera-assisted perception and localization of autonomous vehicles. Our key idea is to leverage landmark keypoints of distinctive structures such as ground signs at intersections to facilitate image registration between traffic cameras and HD maps or vehicles. By leveraging the strong structural characteristics of ground signs, AutoMatch can extract very few but precise landmark keypoints for registration, which effectively reduces the communication/compute overhead. We implement AutoMatch on a testbed consisting of a self-built autonomous car, drones for surveying and mapping, and real traffic cameras. In addition, we collect two new multi-view traffic image datasets at intersections, which contain images from 220 real operational traffic cameras in 22 cities. Experimental results show that AutoMatch achieves pixel-level image registration accuracy within 88 milliseconds, and delivers an 11.7× improvement in accuracy, 1.4× speedup in compute time, and 17.1× data transmission saving over existing approaches.
Numerical simulation of laterite confined masonry building subjected to quasi-static monotonic lateral loading

ABSTRACT The paper attempts to establish a relationship between strength of laterite units and mortar to predict masonry strength and elastic modulus of laterite masonry based on material properties reported in literature. The properties obtained from derived analytical models were used as input parameters for finite element analysis (FEA) of laterite confined masonry (LCM) buildings under quasi-static loading. Numerical studies were performed on LCM buildings up to four stories to study seismic behaviour. LCM buildings upto three storeys demonstrated stresses within the permissible limits for the wall thickness of 150 mm, while four storey LCM building showed high stress concentration exceeding the permissible limits, for which ground storey wall thickness may be increased to 300 mm. One storey LCM building resisted lateral load equivalent to 1.02 g of its mass, while the corresponding values for two, three and four storey LCM buildings were 0.40 g, 0.23 g and 0.13 g, respectively. LCM buildings up to three storey demonstrated maximum damage index in the range of 0.8 to 0.85, indicating collapse prevention state. Howbeit, four storey LCM building exhibited damage index of 0.91 at maximum displacement, which corresponds to collapse state.
A vocalization-processing network in marmosets

Vocalizations play an important role in the daily life of primates and likely form the basis of human language. Functional imaging studies have demonstrated that listening to language or reading activates a left-lateralized fronto-temporal language network in human participants. Here we acquired whole-brain ultrahigh field (9.4 Tesla) fMRI in awake marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) and demonstrate that these highly vocal small New World primates possess a similar fronto-temporal network, including subcortical regions, that is activated by the presentation of conspecific vocalizations. The findings suggest that the human language network has evolved from an ancestral vocalization network that predates the separation of New and Old World primates.
The relative frequency of broad-lined and narrow-lined active galactic nuclei: implications for unified schemes

I discuss evidence concerning the relative occurrence of narrow-lined and broad-lined active galactic nuclei (AGN), in optical, IR, X-ray, and radio-selected samples. Both narrow-lined AGN and reddened broad-lined AGN occur more frequently at lower source powers. There is marginal evidence that narrow-lined AGN were more common in the past. Narrow-lined objects have weaker [O III] at a given radio power. These data are inconsistent with the simplest unified scheme where a similar thick molecular torus surrounds all AGN, and with the simplest modification, that the torus geometrical thickness is a function of source power.
Distinct Neural Components of Visually Guided Grasping during Planning and Execution

Selecting suitable grasps on three-dimensional objects is a challenging visuomotor computation, which involves combining information about an object (e.g., its shape, size, and mass) with information about the actor’s body (e.g., the optimal grasp aperture and hand posture for comfortable manipulation). Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain networks associated with these distinct aspects during grasp planning and execution. Human participants viewed and then executed preselected grasps on L-shaped objects made of wood and/or brass. By leveraging a computational approach that accurately predicts human grasp locations, we selected grasp points that disentangled the role of multiple grasp-relevant factors: grasp axis, grasp size, and object mass. Representational Similarity Analysis revealed that grasp axis was encoded along dorsal-stream regions during grasp planning. Grasp size was first encoded in ventral-stream areas during grasp planning, then in premotor regions during grasp execution. Object mass was encoded in ventral-stream and (pre)motor regions only during grasp execution. Premotor regions further encoded visual predictions of grasp comfort, whereas the ventral stream encoded grasp comfort during execution, suggesting its involvement in haptic evaluation. These shifts in neural representations thus capture the sensorimotor transformations that allow humans to grasp objects. Significance Statement Grasping requires integrating object properties with constraints on hand and arm postures. Using a computational approach that accurately predicts human grasp locations by combining such constraints, we selected grasps on objects that disentangled the relative contributions of object mass, grasp size, and grasp axis during grasp planning and execution in a neuroimaging study. Our findings reveal a greater role of dorsal-stream visuomotor areas during grasp planning, and surprisingly, increasing ventral stream engagement during execution. We propose that during planning, visuomotor representations initially encode grasp axis and size. Perceptual representations of object material properties become more relevant instead as the hand approaches the object and motor programs are refined with estimates of the grip forces required to successfully lift the object.
A high-performance speech neuroprosthesis

Speech brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to restore rapid communication to people with paralysis by decoding neural activity evoked by attempted speaking movements into text1,2 or sound3,4. Early demonstrations, while promising, have not yet achieved accuracies high enough for communication of unconstrainted sentences from a large vocabulary1–7. Here, we demonstrate the first speech-to-text BCI that records spiking activity from intracortical microelectrode arrays. Enabled by these high-resolution recordings, our study participant, who can no longer speak intelligibly due amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), achieved a 9.1% word error rate on a 50 word vocabulary (2.7 times fewer errors than the prior state of the art speech BCI2) and a 23.8% word error rate on a 125,000 word vocabulary (the first successful demonstration of large-vocabulary decoding). Our BCI decoded speech at 62 words per minute, which is 3.4 times faster than the prior record for any kind of BCI8 and begins to approach the speed of natural conversation (160 words per minute9). Finally, we highlight two aspects of the neural code for speech that are encouraging for speech BCIs: spatially intermixed tuning to speech articulators that makes accurate decoding possible from only a small region of cortex, and a detailed articulatory representation of phonemes that persists years after paralysis. These results show a feasible path forward for using intracortical speech BCIs to restore rapid communication to people with paralysis who can no longer speak.
Oomycete effector AVRblb2 targets cyclic nucleotide-gated channels through calcium sensors to suppress pattern-triggered immunity

Transient, rapid increase of cytosolic Ca2+ upon pathogen infection is essential for plant pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity (PTI). Several cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) have been implicated; however, their regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, the Phytophthora infestans RXLR effector AVRblb2 family targeted NbCNGC18–20 at the plasma membrane, inhibiting Ca2+ influx and PTI. AVRblb2 required calmodulin (CaM) and calmodulin-like (CML) proteins as co-factors to interact with N. benthamiana CNGCs (NbCNGCs), forming the AVRblb2-CaM/CML-NbCNGCs complex. After recognizing PAMPs, NbCNGC18 formed active heteromeric channels with other CNGCs, potentially providing selectivity for diverse signals to fine-tune cytosolic Ca2+ levels and responses. AVRblb2 suppressed the Ca2+ influx and oxidative burst induced by NbCNGC18 heteromeric complexes. Silencing CNGC18, CNGC20, and CNGC25 compromised the effect of AVRblb2 on P. infestans virulence, confirming that AVRblb2 contributed to virulence by targeting CNGCs. Our findings delineated the regulatory mechanism and role of effector-targeted Ca2+ channels in plant innate immunity.
A Ginzburg–Landau problem with weight having minima on the boundary

In this paper, we study the following Ginzburg–Landau functional: where (G, C), and p is a smooth bounded and non-negative map, having minima on the boundary of Ḡ. We give the location of the singularities in the case where the degree around each singularity is equal to 1.
Empirically Identifying and Computationally Modeling the Brain–Behavior Relationship for Human Scene Categorization

Humans effortlessly make quick and accurate perceptual decisions about the nature of their immediate visual environment, such as the category of the scene they face. Previous research has revealed a rich set of cortical representations potentially underlying this feat. However, it remains unknown which of these representations are suitably formatted for decision-making. Here, we approached this question empirically and computationally, using neuroimaging and computational modelling. For the empirical part, we collected electroencephalography (EEG) data and reaction times from human participants during a scene categorization task (natural vs. man-made). We then related neural representations to behaviour using a multivariate extension of signal detection theory. We observed a correlation specifically between ∼100 ms and ∼200 ms after stimulus onset, suggesting that the neural scene representations in this time period are suitably formatted for decision-making. For the computational part, we evaluated a recurrent convolutional neural network (RCNN) as a model of brain and behaviour. Unifying our previous observations in an image-computable model, the RCNN predicted well the neural representations, the behavioural scene categorization data, as well as the relationship between them. Our results identify and computationally characterize the neural and behavioural correlates of scene categorization in humans. Significance statement Categorizing scene information is a ubiquitous and crucial task. Here we provide an empirical and computational account of scene categorization. Previous research has identified when scenes are represented in the visual processing hierarchy, but it remains unclear which of these representations are relevant for behaviour. We identified such representations between ∼100 ms and ∼200 ms after stimulus onset. We then showed that scene categorization in humans can be modelled via a recurrent convolutional neural network in a unified manner, i.e., in terms of neural and behavioural correlates, and their relationship. Together this reveals which representations underlie scene categorization behaviour and proposes a computational mechanism that implements such representations.
Preterm birth accelerates the maturation of spontaneous and resting activity in the visual cortex

Prematurity is among the leading risks for poor neurocognitive outcomes. The brains of preterm infants show alterations in structure and electrical activity, but the underlying circuit mechanisms are unclear. To address this, we performed a cross-species study of the electrophysiological activity in the visual cortices of prematurely born infants and mice. Using electroencephalography (EEG) in a sample of healthy preterm (N=29) and term (N=28) infants, we found that the maturation of the aperiodic EEG component was accelerated in the preterm cohort, with a significantly flatter 1/f slope when compared to the term infants. The flatter slope was a result of decreased spectral power in the theta and alpha bands and was correlated with the degree of prematurity. To determine the circuit and cellular changes that potentially mediate the changes in 1/f slope after preterm birth, we used in vivo electrophysiology in preterm mice and found that, similar to infants, preterm birth results in a flattened 1/f slope. We analyzed neuronal activity in the visual cortex of preterm mice (N=6 preterm and 9 term mice) and found suppressed spontaneous firing of neurons. Using immunohistochemistry, we further found an accelerated maturation of inhibitory circuits. In both preterm mice and infants, the functional maturation of the cortex was accelerated, underscoring birth as a critical checkpoint in cortical maturation. Our study points to a potential mechanism of preterm birth-related changes in resting neural activity, highlighting the utility of a cross-species approach in studying the neural circuit mechanisms of preterm birth-related neurodevelopmental conditions.
Hippocampal subfield volumes contribute to working memory interference control in aging: Evidence from longitudinal associations over 5 years

In memory, familiar but no longer relevant information may disrupt encoding and retrieval of to-be-learned information. While it has been demonstrated that the ability to resolve proactive interference (PI) in working memory (WM) is reduced in aging, the neuroanatomical components of this decline have yet to be determined. Hippocampal (HC) involvement in age- related decline in control of PI is currently not known. In particular, the association between HC subfield volumes and control of PI in WM has not been examined previously. Here we investigate the associations between mean level and 5-year trajectories of gray matter subfield volumes and PI in WM across the adult life span (N = 157). Longitudinal analyses over 5- years across all participants revealed that reduced volume in the subiculum was related to impaired control of PI. Age-stratified analyses showed that this association was most pronounced in older adults. Furthermore, we found that in older adults the effect of age on PI was mediated by GM volume in the HC. The current results show that HC volume is associated with the ability to control PI in WM, and that these associations are modulated by age.
Pyricularia Populations are Mostly Host-Specialized with Limited Reciprocal Cross-Infection Between Wheat and Endemic Grasses in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Wheat blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae Triticum (PoT), is an emergent threat to wheat production. Current understanding of the evolution and population biology of the pathogen and epidemiology of the disease has been based on phylogenomic studies that compared the wheat blast pathogen with isolates collected from grasses that were invasive to Brazilian wheat fields. Genetic similarity between isolates from wheat and grasses lead to the conclusion that significant cross-infection occurs, especially on signalgrass (Urochloa spp.); and this in turn prompted speculation that its widespread use as forage is a key driver of the disease’s epidemiology. We reanalyzed data from those studies and found that all but one of the isolates from non-wheat hosts were members of PoT and the related Lolium-adapted lineage (PoL1), which meant that the Pyricularia populations typically found on endemic grasses had not yet been sampled. To address this shortcoming, we performed a comprehensive sampling of blast lesions in wheat crops and endemic grasses found in and away from wheat fields in Minas Gerais. A total 1,368 diseased samples were collected (976 leaves of wheat and grasses and 392 wheat heads) which yielded a working collection of 564 Pyricularia isolates. We show that, contrary to earlier implications, PoT was rarely found on endemic grasses and, conversely, members of grass-adapted populations were rarely found on wheat. Instead, most populations were host-specialized with constituent isolates usually grouping according to their host-of-origin. With regard to the dominant role proposed for signalgrass in wheat blast epidemiology, we found only one PoT member in 67 isolates collected from signalgrass grown away from wheat fields, and only three members of Urochloa-adapted populations among hundreds of isolates from wheat. Cross-inoculation assays on wheat and a signalgrass used in pastures (U. brizantha) suggested that the limited cross-infection observed in the field may be due to innate compatibility differences. Whether or not the observed level of cross-infection would be sufficient to provide an inoculum reservoir, or serve as a bridge between wheat growing regions, is questionable and, therefore, deserves further investigation.
Ground penetrating radar applications and implementations in civil construction

ABSTRACT The ability to evaluate civil structures without altering or damaging the materials is becoming increasingly important and useful for the maintenance of infrastructure. The technique to analyze and test materials for weaknesses without causing destruction is referred to as non-destructive evaluation or testing. Specifically, a common method of this type of inspection is called ground penetrating radar (GPR), which is desired in many construction applications. With use of electromagnetic energy, GPR has the capability to locate buried objects in materials because of the differences in electrical and magnetic properties that are encountered. Valuable data can be obtained on these subsurface objects, allowing for an understanding on the properties and making proper judgment on the structure possible. This study explores the approaches in which GPR has been implemented for the assessment of the following structures: pavement, reinforced concrete, railway ballast, soil and buried pipes. Through different data acquisition and processing techniques, results show that there is great success when using GPR for collecting information for verifying the state and condition of these materials.
A new cheese population in Penicillium roqueforti and adaptation of the five populations to their ecological niche

Domestication is an excellent case study for understanding adaptation and multiple fungal lineages have been domesticated for fermenting food products. Studying domestication in fungi has thus both fundamental and applied interest. Genomic studies have revealed the existence of four populations within the blue-cheese-making fungus Penicillium roqueforti. The two cheese populations show footprints of domestication, but the adaptation of the two non-cheese populations to their ecological niches (i.e. silage/spoiled food and lumber/spoiled food) has not been investigated yet. Here, we reveal the existence of a new P. roqueforti population, specific to French Termignon cheeses, produced using small-scale traditional practices, with spontaneous blue mould colonisation. This Termignon population is genetically differentiated from the four previously identified populations, providing a novel source of genetic diversity for cheese making. Phenotypically, the non-Roquefort cheese population was the most differentiated, with specific traits beneficial for cheese making, in particular higher tolerance to salt, to acidic pH and to lactic acid. Our results support the view that this clonal population, used for many cheese types in multiple countries, is a domesticated lineage on which humans exerted strong selection. The Termignon population displayed substantial genetic diversity, both mating types, horizontally transferred regions previously detected in the non-Roquefort population, and intermediate phenotypes between cheese and non-cheese populations. The lumber/spoiled food and silage/spoiled food populations were not more tolerant to crop fungicides but showed faster growth in various carbon sources (e.g. dextrose, pectin, sucrose, xylose and/or lactose), which can be beneficial in their ecological niches. Such contrasted phenotypes between P. roqueforti populations, with beneficial traits for cheese-making in the cheese populations and enhanced ability to metabolise sugars in the lumber/spoiled food population, support the inference of domestication in cheese fungi and more generally of adaptation to anthropized environments.