Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An ultra-high-resolution study of the interstellar medium in the direction of α Ophiuchi

I present very high resolution graphic and graphic observations of interstellar Ca II absorption lines towards eight early-type stars situated within 15° of α Oph on the sky. I confirm an earlier result that the interstellar structure responsible for the anomalously strong Ca II absorption towards α Oph has a spatial extent of ≲1 pc (and is probably very much smaller). Many discrete interstellar absorption components are apparent in these high-resolution data, but while several have velocities in the range expected for the local interstellar medium (LISM), no convincing detections of either the local interstellar cloud (LIC), or the so-called G cloud, were made. In the former case, I argue that the relatively weak LIC components are masked by components arising in more distant clouds, but which have LISM-like velocities owing to the pervasive influence of outflow from the Sco-Cen association. The non-detection of the G cloud is more problematical, and I tentatively argue that, previous claims notwithstanding, this feature does not extend to galactic latitudes as high as +15° in this direction.
Beyond the bean: Analyzing diversified farming, food security, dietary diversity, and gender in Nicaragua’s smallholders coffee cooperatives

ABSTRACT Diversification is key for agroecological transformations, but little is known about how it relates to farmers’ dietary diversity and food sovereignty. Our team and coffee cooperative staff conducted a participatory action research mixed methods study, including 171 surveys and 50 interviews. Over 70% of the farmers reported self-initiated diversification activities. Statistical analysis showed a significant positive correlation between crop diversity and dietary diversity, while controlling for farm size and income. To assess gender relations females responded to 41% of the surveys, and we separated focus groups by sex. Average male-owned farms were 1.8 ha larger than women-owned farms, yet we found no significant differences in household food security or dietary diversity. Additional disparities included male vs. female perceptions about who does additional diversification work and who decides about strategies. Although the co-op has a strong gender equity and technical assistance program, our analysis of extension training documents identified useful content and a smaller percent of female participants in diversification vs. gender sessions. Suggested strategic actions for co-op planning include supporting: (1) female land ownership, (2) diversification focused farmer-led experimentation, and (3) more training for men on gender, women on diversification, and all participants in feminist agroecology.
Streaming End-to-End Target-Speaker Automatic Speech Recognition and Activity Detection

Automatic speech recognition of a target speaker in the presence of interfering speakers remains a challenging issue. One approach to tackle this problem is target-speaker speech recognition, which conditions the recognition process on an embedding that characterizes the voice of the target speaker. This enables recognizing only the speech of the target speaker while ignoring interferences. In this work, we propose an end-to-end target-speaker speech recognition system based on a neural transducer architecture to allow streaming and on-device recognition. Moreover, a target-speaker speech recognition system should be able to detect when the target speaker is inactive and output nothing in such a case. We introduce training and decoding schemes to allow target-speaker activity detection within our proposed recognition system. We confirm experimentally that our proposed end-to-end system performs competitively to conventional cascade approaches of a target speech extraction module and a recognition module while reducing computation costs and allowing streaming decoding.
Size/geometry optimization of trusses by the force method and genetic algorithm

In this article size/geometry optimization of trusses is performed using the force method and genetic algorithm. A large number of design variables consisting of cross‐sectional areas and nodal coordinates are involved in such an optimization, and due to a large number of constraints, the dimensions of the design space are often numerous and in the case of discrete values for cross sections usually discontinuous. In order to avoid local optima, modified genetic algorithms are developed. Furthermore, the force method is employed to improve the speed of the optimization. In the first phase of the described method, the initial geometry of the truss is fixed and near optimum ranges for the cross‐section areas are obtained using the relationships from the force method. In the second phase, the geometry of the structure is altered with the aim of designing lower‐weight structures. Within the Genetic Algorithm a new dynamic penalty function is defined and a modified process of reproduction is presented. A contraction process is also employed for the design space using shorter substrings for the design variables.
The Effect Of Money Supply And Interest Rate On Stock Price

Research on stock prices is an important aspect in the development of financial management studies, because it has an impact on scientific perspectives and is able to become a practical study for investors in making investment decisions. Interestingly, various studies show different results regarding the effect of macroeconomics on stock prices, both by sector, country classification, and study period. This study aims to examine more generally using the composite stock price index in analyzing macroeconomic effects on stock prices. The research period is used during 2000-2020, using the money supply and interest rates as macroeconomic variables in Indonesia and Malaysia. The results of the study show that both the money supply and interest rates have an influence on stock prices in Indonesia, while research in Malaysia shows that only interest rates have an influence on stock prices. Research in two emerging market countries shows different patterns of influence, this shows that Arbitrage Pricing Theory has different patterns of influence.
Case report: Rapid symptom resolution of a mixed affective state with high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Introduction Bipolar major depressive episodes with mixed features are diagnosed in patients who meet the full criteria for a major depressive episode exhibiting three additional concurrent symptoms of hypomania or mania. Up to half of patients with bipolar disorder experience mixed episodes, which are more likely to be treatment-refractory than pure depression or mania/hypomania alone. Case We present a 68-year-old female with Bipolar Type II Disorder with a four-month medication-refractory major depressive episode with mixed features referred for neuromodulation consultation. Previous failed medication trials over several years included lithium, valproate, lamotrigine, topiramate, and quetiapine. She had no history of treatment with neuromodulation. At the initial consultation, her baseline Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was moderate in severity at 32. Her Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) was 22, with dysphoric hypomanic symptoms consisting of heightened irritability, verbosity and increased rate of speech, and decreased sleep. She declined electroconvulsive therapy but elected to receive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Interventions The patient underwent repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with a Neuronetics NeuroStar system, receiving nine daily sessions over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Standard settings of 120% MT, 10 Hz (4 sec on, 26 sec off), and 3,000 pulses/session were used. Her acute symptoms showed a brisk response, and at the final treatment, her repeat MADRS was 2, and YMRS was 0. The patient reported feeling “great,” which she defined as feeling stable with minimal depression and hypomania for the first time in years. Conclusion Mixed episodes present a treatment challenge given their limited treatment options and diminished responses. Previous research has shown decreased efficacy of lithium and antipsychotics in mixed episodes with dysphoric mood such as the episode our patient experienced. One open-label study of low-frequency right-sided rTMS showed promising results in patients with treatment-refractory depression with mixed features, but the role of rTMS in the management of these episodes is largely unexplored. Given the concern for potential manic mood switches, further investigation into the laterality, frequency, anatomical target, and efficacy of rTMS for bipolar major depressive episodes with mixed features is warranted.
PASSAGE TIMES FOR OVERTAKE-FREE PATHS IN GORDON-NEWELL NETWORKS

Consider a path in a multiclass Gordon-Newell network such that a customer present in a node of this path cannot be overtaken by any other customer behind him in a node of this path or by probabilistic influences created by such customers. The passage time through such a path is a mixture of Erlangian distributions, where the mixing distribution is given by the steady
Magnetic and Structural Studies in Co- and Mn-implanted SrTiO3 Single Crystals

Micro Raman and static magnetization data on manganese or cobalt-implanted (at 3 or 5 at.%) strontium titanate (Mn,Co):SrTiO3 single crystals are presented. Micro Raman results reveal a cubic perovskite structure at 300 K with no evidence of any secondary phase. All samples show ferromagnetism both at 300 K and at 10 K. Moreover, micro Raman spectra at low temperature reveal the presence of polar ordering, which allow to consider the investigated materials as possible host matrices for multiferroic phenomena. Obtained results are discussed in connection to supplementary outcomes derived by content, optical absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements.
Interactions between β-arrestin proteins and the cytoskeletal system, and their relevance to neurodegenerative disorders

β-arrestins, which have multiple cellular functions, were initially described as proteins that desensitize rhodopsin and other G protein-coupled receptors. The cytoskeletal system plays a role in various cellular processes, including intracellular transport, cell division, organization of organelles, and cell cycle. The interactome of β-arrestins includes the major proteins of the three main cytoskeletal systems: tubulins for microtubules, actins for the actin filaments, and vimentin for intermediate filaments. β-arrestins bind to microtubules and regulate their activity by recruiting signaling proteins and interacting with assembly proteins that regulate the actin cytoskeleton and the intermediate filaments. Altered regulation of the cytoskeletal system plays an essential role in the development of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, β-arrestins, which interact with the cytoskeleton, were implicated in the pathogenesis progression of these diseases and are potential targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders in the future.
Low and high carbohydrate isocaloric diets on performance, fat oxidation, glucose and cardiometabolic health in middle age males

High carbohydrate, low fat (HCLF) diets have been the predominant nutrition strategy for athletic performance, but recent evidence following multi-week habituation has challenged the superiority of HCLF over low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diets, along with growing interest in the potential health and disease implications of dietary choice. Highly trained competitive middle-aged athletes underwent two 31-day isocaloric diets (HCLF or LCHF) in a randomized, counterbalanced, and crossover design while controlling calories and training load. Performance, body composition, substrate oxidation, cardiometabolic, and 31-day minute-by-minute glucose (CGM) biomarkers were assessed. We demonstrated: (i) equivalent high-intensity performance (@∼85%VO2max), fasting insulin, hsCRP, and HbA1c without significant body composition changes across groups; (ii) record high peak fat oxidation rates (LCHF:1.58 ± 0.33g/min @ 86.40 ± 6.24%VO2max; 30% subjects > 1.85 g/min); (iii) higher total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol on LCHF; (iv) reduced glucose mean/median and variability on LCHF. We also found that the 31-day mean glucose on HCLF predicted 31-day glucose reductions on LCHF, and the 31-day glucose reduction on LCHF predicted LCHF peak fat oxidation rates. Interestingly, 30% of athletes had 31-day mean, median and fasting glucose > 100 mg/dL on HCLF (range: 111.68-115.19 mg/dL; consistent with pre-diabetes), also had the largest glycemic and fat oxidation response to carbohydrate restriction. These results: (i) challenge whether higher carbohydrate intake is superior for athletic performance, even during shorter-duration, higher-intensity exercise; (ii) demonstrate that lower carbohydrate intake may be a therapeutic strategy to independently improve glycemic control, particularly in those at risk for diabetes; (iii) demonstrate a unique relationship between continuous glycemic parameters and systemic metabolism.
Residual Central Nervous System Immune Activation Is Not Prevented by Antiretroviral Therapy Initiated During Early Chronic HIV Infection

Abstract Background Antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiated during acute infection can potentially impact the central nervous system (CNS) reservoir, but the differential long-term effects of ART initiation during early or late chronic infection are unknown. Methods We included neuroasymptomatic people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with suppressive ART initiated during chronic (>1 year since transmission) HIV with archived cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples after 1 and/or ≥3 years of ART from a cohort study. CSF and serum neopterin was measured using a commercial immunoassay (BRAHMS, Germany). Results In total, 185 people with HIV (median, 79 [interquartile range, 55–128] months on ART) were included. A significant inverse correlation was found between CD4+ T-cell count and CSF neopterin only at baseline (r = −0.28, P = .002), but not after 1 (r = −0.026, P = .8) or ≥3 (r −0.063, P = .5) years of ART. No significant differences were seen in CSF or serum neopterin concentrations between different pretreatment CD4+ T-cell strata after 1 or ≥3 (median, 6.6) years of ART. Conclusions In people with HIV initiating ART during chronic infection, occurrence of residual CNS immune activation was not correlated with pretreatment immune status, even when treatment was initiated at high CD4+ T-cell counts, suggesting that the CNS reservoir, once established, is not differentially affected by the timing of ART initiation during chronic infection.
Nitrogen discharges of large cross section at high overvoltage in a homogeneous field

Experiments on pulsed N2 discharges at high overvoltage in a homogeneous field are described. Former investigations by different authors revealed that at high overvoltage a filamentary discharge develops according to the streamer mechanism. The number of primary electrons released at the cathode was low in these experiments. The discharges described here are initiated by a very high number (approximate 108) of primary electrons distributed uniformly over the cathode surface. Optical investigations with streak camera and image intensifier resolving the development in space and time show that the primary avalanches transform to a bright luminous layer which develops toward the anode first slowly (ν approximate 1·5 ν−, where ν− is the drift velocity of electrons), then very fast (ν>10ν−). Later a second luminous layer arises nearer to the cathode, spreading in both directions. The layers are homogeneous over a large area. In contrast to the single-streamer development the field distortions by space charge can be calculated easily using a one-dimensional approximation. Preliminary calculations show that the cathode-directed development is mostly due to secondary electrons from the cathode, while the fast development toward the anode is caused by a far-reaching process, probably gas-ionizing radiation, generating new electrons in the neutral gas.
The Association Between Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease and Peripheral Arterial Disease in the Chinese Population

Purpose Emerging evidence suggested that metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) was significantly associated with atherosclerotic diseases. Atherosclerosis in the peripheral arteries is the most common cause of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which has not been substantially controlled in the past. We aimed to investigate the association between MAFLD and PAD in the Chinese population. Patients and Methods This observational study covered 102,115 participants who underwent health checkups with detailed examinations for PAD and MAFLD. PAD was measured by ankle-brachial index, and MAFLD was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound. The generalized linear mixed models and random-effects Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the relationship between MAFLD and PAD. Results The baseline characteristics showed that patients with MAFLD had higher prevalence of PAD compared with those without MAFLD (2.7% vs 2.2%). Compared to non-MAFLD, the individuals with MAFLD were associated with a higher risk of the presence of PAD (adjusted odds ratio: 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19–1.42, P < 0.001). In the prospective cohort study, 6833 participants underwent a follow-up of 2.76 (standard deviation: 1.36) years, and MAFLD at baseline was a higher risk of associated with incident PAD (adjusted hazards ratio: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.17–2.38, P = 0.005). Moreover, with the accumulation of metabolic abnormalities, the risk of the PAD was increased in the individuals with MAFLD. Furthermore, MAFLD attributed risk of PAD was more evident in participants without metabolic comorbidities. Conclusion MAFLD was associated with a significantly higher risk for the prevalence and incidence of PAD in the Chinese population. The finding suggested that individuals with MAFLD are not only have a higher risk of coronary heart diseases but also have an increased risk of atherosclerosis in peripheral arteries.
Pregnancy in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases—A Literature Review

In recent years, we have faced an increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially among young people, affecting them during their reproductive years. The paucity of data and reduced knowledge regarding the evolution of the disease during pregnancy and the adverse effects of the therapy on the mother and infant increase voluntary childlessness in this group of patients. Depending on the type of IBD, severity and surgical or medical management, this can negatively affect the pregnancy. C-sections and the risk of low-birth-weight babies are higher in women with IBD, independent of active/inactive disease, while preterm birth, stillbirth and miscarriage are associated with disease activity. In the last period, medicinal therapy has evolved, and new molecules have been developed for better control of the lesions, but the effect on pregnancy and breastfeeding is still controversial. We conducted this review by studying the literature and recent research in order to have a better image of the practical management of IBD during pregnancy.
Brain Network Reorganization During Visual Search Task Revealed by a Network Analysis of Fixation-Related Potential

Visual search is ubiquitous in daily life and has attracted substantial research interest over the past decades. Although accumulating evidence has suggested complex neurocognitive processes underlying visual search, the neural communication across the brain regions remains poorly understood. The present work aimed to fill this gap by investigating functional networks of fixation-related potential (FRP) during the visual search task. Multi-frequency electroencephalogram (EEG) networks were constructed from 70 university students (male/female = 35/35) using FRPs time-locked to target and non-target fixation onsets, which were determined by concurrent eye-tracking data. Then graph theoretical analysis (GTA) and a data-driven classification framework were employed to quantitatively reveal the divergent reorganization between target and non-target FRPs. We found distinct network architectures between target and non-target mainly in the delta and theta bands. More importantly, we achieved a classification accuracy of 92.74% for target and non-target discrimination using both global and nodal network features. In line with the results of GTA, we found that the integration corresponding to target and non-target FRPs significantly differed, while the nodal features contributing most to classification performance primarily resided in the occipital and parietal-temporal areas. Interestingly, we revealed that females exhibited significantly higher local efficiency in delta band when focusing on the search task. In summary, these results provide some of the first quantitative insights into the underlying brain interaction patterns during the visual search process.
The Effect of Job Satisfaction and Employee Loyalty on Employee Performance

This study aims to examine the effect of job satisfaction and employee loyalty on employee performance in Ros-In Hotel at Yogyakarta. Respondents in this study were employees of Ros-In Hotel. The number of respondents in this study were 50 respondents. Sampling was done by purposive sampling technique. This study uses multiple linear regression analysis technique with SPSS as an analytical tool. Based on the results of data testing, it shows that: 1) Job satisfaction partially has a significant effect on employee performance in Ros-In Hotel at Yogyakarta. 2) Employee loyalty partially has a significant effect on employee performance in Ros-In Hotel at Yogyakarta. 3) Job satisfaction and employee loyalty simultaneously have a significant effect on employee performance in Ros-In Hotel at Yogyakarta
A Three-Dimensional Balance Theory for Rapidly Rotating Vortices

Abstract A three-dimensional balance formulation for rapidly rotating vortices, such as hurricanes, is presented. The asymmetric balance (AB) theory represents a new mathematical framework for studying the slow evolution of rapidly rotating fluid systems. The AB theory is valid for large Rossby number; it makes no formal restriction on the magnitude of the divergence or vertical advection, which need not be small. The AB is an ordered expansion in the square of the ratio of orbital to inertial frequencies, the square of a local Rossby number. The approximation filters gravity and inertial waves from the system. Advantage is taken of the weak asymmetries near the vortex care as well as the tendency for low azimuthal wavenumber asymmetries to dominate. Linearization about a symmetric balanced vortex allows the three-dimensional asymmetric dynamics to be deduced properly. The AB formulation has a geopotential tendency equation with a three-dimensional elliptic operator. The AB system has a uniformly valid co.