Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Verification Regarding Secular Trend of Height Growth and The Maximum Peak Velocity during Adolescence

Judging from annual trends in physical growth and development, human physiques are becoming larger and growth is occurring earlier worldwide. However, in conventional analysis methods growth distance curves are analyzed in nearly all cases, and analysis of velocity curves is done by analyzing the difference in the amount of annual growth. This method may show that young people are becoming taller, but there is no guarantee that it objectively demonstrates early maturation. The present study applied the wavelet interpolation method and specified the age of maximum peak velocity (MPV) in growth during puberty from the described physical growth velocity curve. Then, from an investigation of annual changes in age at MPV and the MPV, it was demonstrated that annual trends in physical growth are accompanied by earlier ages at MPV. This study used height growth data for boys and girls from the 2004 School Health Statistical Survey Report. In the analysis of annual trends in particular, there is a need to treat data by the same year of birth. Therefore, height cohort data were established as data sets. The wavelet interpolation method was applied to these height cohort data, and the annual trends in growth in height were obtained. First, a triphasic pattern was taken for MPV age for boys, and quadratic, cubic and cubic least squares approximation polynomials were applied to each phase. quintic least squares approximation polynomials were applied to all years for girls. The tendency was for MPV age among boys to rapidly become earlier from 1925 to 1937, after which the most delayed convex point was seen in 1944. There was then another trend for rapidly earlier MPV age until 1953. Afterward, there was a gradual trend toward earlier MPV age until 1992. Among girls, the most delayed convex point for MPV age was in 1942, after which MPV age became earlier each year until 1971, remained steady until 1977, and then again tended to be earlier until 1992. A triphasic pattern was taken for the annual transition of MPV in both boys and girls, and age at MPV and annual changes in MPV were considered together. Among boys, age at MPV was the latest at the end of World War II (around 1945), whereas MPV was the maximum. MPV in girls reached a maximum earlier than in boys, but the tendency for MPV to reach a maximum in the period when MPV age was most delayed is assumed to have been a growth mechanism that resulted from the increasing MPV during puberty amid the poor living and health conditions during the war, so that people approached the adult height they would naturally reach genetically.
Environmental control of cloud-to-ground lightning polarity in severe storms during IHOP

The overwhelming majority of severe storms throughout the contiguous United States generate primarily (> 75%) negative ground flashes (so-called negative storms). However, a certain subset of severe storms produces an anomalously high (> 25%) percentage of positive ground flashes (so-called positive storms). The frequency of these “anomalous” positive storms varies regionally and seasonally. In some regions (e.g., central and northern plains) and months, these positive storms are common, representing 30% or more of all severe storms (Carey et al. 2003; Carey and Rutledge 2003). Several past studies have noted that severe storms passing through similar mesoscale regions on a given day exhibit similar CG lightning behavior (Branick and Doswell 1992; MacGorman and Burgess 1994; Smith et al. 2000). This repeated observation led to the hypothesis that the local mesoscale environment indirectly influences CG lightning polarity by directly controlling storm structure, dynamics, and microphysics, which in turn control storm electrification (e.g., MacGorman and Burgess 1994). According to one hypothesis, intense updrafts and associated high liquid water contents in positive storms lead to positive charging of graupel and hail via the non-inductive charging mechanism (e.g., Takahashi 1978; Saunders et al 1991), an enhanced lower positive charge, and increased frequency of positive CG lightning (e.g., MacGorman and Burgess 1994; Carey and Rutledge 1998; Gilmore and Wicker 2002). A handful of studies have explored the detailed relationship between the mesoscale environment and the CG lightning behavior of severe storms (Reap and MacGorman 1989; Curran and Rust 1992; Smith et al. 2000; Gilmore and Wicker 2002). Smith et al. (2000) found that positive (negative) storms occurred in a strong (weak) gradient region of the surface equivalent potential temperature (θe), upstream (over or downstream) of a θe maximum or ridge. Gilmore and Wicker (2002) found that boundary crossing supercells transitioned from dominant negative to dominant positive CG lightning when the storms experienced enhanced CAPE and low-level vertical wind shear on the immediate cool side of the boundary. Since it is difficult to obtain representative inflow soundings, only a few studies have analyzed mesoscale environmental characteristics in conjunction with CG lightning properties. Clearly, further study is warranted.
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE MONITORING REVEALS A 6.1 DAY PERIOD FOR AN ULTRALUMINOUS X-RAY SOURCE IN NGC 1313

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) in nearby galaxies have X-ray luminosities of 1039–1041 erg s−1, and are possibly intermediate mass black holes of 102–105M☉. NGC 1313 X-2 is an extreme ULX with a maximum luminosity of 3 × 1040 erg s−1, and a frequent target of X-ray and optical observations. Here we report our Hubble Space Telescope Guest Observer (GO) program to monitor its optical counterpart in a search of its period. The 20 monitoring observations over three weeks exhibited periodic modulations at the 6σ level with a period of P = 6.12 ± 0.16 days and an amplitude of A = 0.102 ± 0.016 mag. The periodicity is understood as from the orbital motion of the gravitationally distorted secondary that is unevenly irradiated by the X-ray radiation from the primary accretion disk. This is the first photometric period ever discovered for a ULX counterpart. The periodicity rules out a radiation mechanism through relativistic beaming effects. Combined with the photometry, the periodicity suggests that the secondary is most likely a giant branch star with a mass of 11.3–21.0 M☉ and a radius of 14.4–18.3R☉.
The solar coronal x-ray spectrum from 15. 4 to 23. 0 angstroms: lines from highly ionized calcium and chromium and their usefulness as plasma diagnostics

Observations by the SOLEX experiment from the USAF P78-1 satellite are used to examine the 15.4 - 23.0 A X-ray spectrum from both flaring and nonflaring solar active region plasmas. High sensitivity, attained by summing data from several successive spectral scans, enabled the detection of more than 60 lines in this wavelength region. Most of the lines expected to be strongest from Cr XV-XVI and Ca XV-XVIII were detected; those undetected were obscured by blending. In addition, a blend of two Cr XVIII lines was observed, and three Cr XVIII lines are tentatively identified. Lines from higher ionization states of Cr are at shorter wavelengths and are hard to detect because of strong Fe emission. The Cr and Ca spectra are similar to those of isoelectronic species of Fe. The coronal abundances of Cr and Ca with respect to 0 are estimated; we find A(Cr)/A(0) = 0.0036 + or - 0.0018 and A(Ca)/A(0) = 0.015 + or - 0.005. We discuss the determination of these and other abundances by the analysis of X-ray spectra.
Two Concepts of Mechanism: Componential Causal System and Abstract Form of Interaction

Although there has been much recent discussion on mechanisms in philosophy of science and social theory, no shared understanding of the crucial concept itself has emerged. In this paper, a distinction between two core concepts of mechanism is made on the basis that the concepts correspond to two different research strategies: the concept of mechanism as a componential causal system is associated with the heuristic of functional decomposition and spatial localization and the concept of mechanism as an abstract form of interaction is associated with the strategy of abstraction and simple models. The causal facts assumed and the theoretical consequences entailed by an explanation with a given mechanism differ according to which concept of mechanism is in use. Research strategies associated with mechanism concepts also involve characteristic biases that should be taken into account when using them, especially in new areas of application.
Some Conditions for Convexifying Static H∞ Control Problems*

Abstract In this paper, we show that a set of static controllers satisfying a certain level of H∞ performance becomes convex when the underlying generalized plant satisfy several structural conditions. More precisely, we characterize such static H∞ controllers by an LMI with the controller parameters being kept directly as decision variables. The conditions on the generalized plant are not too strict as illustrated by the fact that a sort of mixed sensitivity problems indeed satisfies these conditions. In addition, for the generalized plant of interest, we prove that full-order dynamical H∞ controllers can be characterized by an LMI with simple change of variables. In stark contrast to known LMI formulations, the change of variables does not involve coefficient matrices of the generalized plant. This property is promising when dealing with a whole variety of robust control problems. As an illustration, the real μ synthesis problem is discussed.
Three-photon absorption and Kerr nonlinearity in undoped bulk GaP excited by a femtosecond laser at 1040 nm

A modified Z-scan method was used to achieve polarization-resolved measurement of nonlinear properties of undoped bulk GaP excited by a femtosecond laser at 1040 nm. The optical Kerr nonlinearities of ⟨100⟩-, ⟨110⟩- and ⟨111⟩-cut GaP slabs were characterized experimentally at room temperature. The open aperture Z-scan curves demonstrate that three-photon absorption in GaP dominates the nonlinear absorption processes under the experimental conditions. In addition, experimental results show that both three-photon absorption and Kerr nonlinearity of undoped GaP possess the same anisotropy and crystal orientation dependence.
Implicit Iterations of Two Finite Families for Nonexpansive Mappings in Banach Spaces

The purpose of this paper is to study the weak and strong convergence of an implicit iteration process to a common fixed point for two finite families of nonexpansive mappings in Banach spaces. The results presented in this paper extend and improve the corresponding results of Xu and Ori, Numer. Funct. Anal. Optim. 2001; 22:767–773, Zhou and Chang, Numer. Fund. Anal. Optim. 2002; 23:911–921, Chidume and Shahzad, Nonlinear. Anal. 2005; 62: 1149–1156.
A fourth‐order compact finite volume scheme for fully nonlinear and weakly dispersive Boussinesq‐type equations. Part II: boundary conditions and validation

This paper supplements the validation of the fourth‐order compact finite volume Boussinesq‐type model presented by Cienfuegos et al. (Int. J. Numer. Meth. Fluids 2006, in press). We discuss several issues related to the application of the model for realistic wave propagation problems where boundary conditions and uneven bathymetries must be considered. We implement a moving shoreline boundary condition following the lines given by Lynett et al. (Coastal Eng. 2002; 46:89–107), while an absorbing‐generating seaward boundary and an impermeable vertical wall boundary are approximated using a characteristic decomposition of the Serre equations. Using several benchmark tests, both numerical and experimental, we show that the new finite volume model is able to correctly describe nonlinear wave processes from shallow waters and up to wavelengths which correspond to the theoretical deep water limit. The results compare favourably with those reported using former fully nonlinear and weakly dispersive Boussinesq‐type solvers even when time integration is conducted with Courant numbers greater than 1.0. Furthermore, excellent nonlinear performance is observed when numerical computations are compared with several experimental tests on solitary waves shoaling over planar beaches up to breaking. A preliminary test including the wave‐breaking parameterization described by Cienfuegos (Fifth International Symposium on Ocean Wave Measurement Analysis, Madrid, Spain, 2005) shows that the Boussinesq model can be extended to deal with surf zone waves. Finally, practical aspects related to the application of a high‐order implicit filter as given by Gaitonde et al. (Int. J. Numer. Methods Engng 1999; 45:1849–1869) to damp out unphysical wavelengths, and the numerical robustness of the finite volume scheme are also discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the tip-splitting instability of viscous fingers

The instabilities of Saffman–Taylor viscous fingers are revisited experimentally in the standard linear channel as well as in wedges of angle θ0. The local destabilization of a finger occurs by a splitting of its tip and results in the formation of two branches separated by a fjord. It is shown that, in a first approximation, the central line of a fjord follows a curve normal to the successive profiles of stable fingers. These normal curves are computed analytically for the Saffman–Taylor finger in a linear cell and numerically for the wedges. The length of a fjord is critically sensitive to the position of the initial destabilization of the finger. The nearer to the tip it occurs, the longer the fjord will be. Assuming a uniform spatial distribution of the disturbances in the central part of the finger front it is possible to predict the size distribution of the lateral branches. In the linear channel the probability of branches larger than the channel width is negligible. For wedges of increasing angle the probability of large secondary branches increases. Finally, for wedges with θ0 larger than approximately 90° infinite fjords separating two long-lived structures are observed. Our experimental results also suggest a generalization of the definition of virtual cells. With this new definition it is possible to show that the increasing complexity of the patterns corresponds to a hierarchy of virtual cells of various sizes.
AN ESTIMATE NEAR THE BOUNDARY FOR THE SPECTRAL FUNCTION OF THE LAPLACE OPERATOR

The main result of this paper is an estimate as in the title, near a sufficiently smooth part of the boundary of a compact n-dimensional Riemannian manifold Q, for either Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions. This yields a "sharp" estimate for the remainder in the Weyl asymptotic formula, for any boundary conditions. For manifolds whose boundaries have singularities such as edges or corners, the estimate remains valid with Dirichlet conditions.
Exponential stability analysis of Xa long chain of coupled vibrating strings with dissipative linkage

Consider a long chain of coupled vibrating strings, where a stabilizer is installed at each internal node and perhaps also at a boundary point. The exponential stability of the stabilizers’ arrangement for this large dynamic structure will be determined.Through a careful transformation of the coupled wave equations for this structure into an equivalent hyperbolic system and analysis of the eigendeterminant, it will be proven that the energy of the system decays uniformly exponentially if there is a stabilizer installed at a boundary point. If the stabilizers are installed only at internal nodes, it will be proven that the energy may decay either uniformly exponentially or nonuniformly, or may not decay at all, depending on the different wave speeds and the stabilizers– arrangement. All possible outcomes have been classified.
Dense Molecular Clumps in the Orion Bar Photon-dominated Region

We present high angular resolution observations of the Orion Bar photon-dominated region (PDR) in optically thin H13CN and H13CO+ (1-0) lines, obtained using the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer. At least 10 spatially resolved molecular condensations are identified in the H13CN image with virial masses in the range 0.5-1.5 M☉. The median value of their H2 volume density, ~6 × 106 cm-3, is a factor of ~4 higher than the estimate based on previous PDR modeling of the main isotopomers of HCN and HCO+. Since optically thin H13CN emission is likely to trace the densest gas in the clump interiors, as compared to the main isotopomer, the H13CN clumps appear to be close to virial equilibrium. The H13CN fractional abundance is a factor of ~8 lower than that in the Orion ridge, well shielded from the far-ultraviolet (FUV) photons (~1 × 10-10). The H13CN condensations can be described in the framework of models of photoevaporating clumps exposed to an intense flux of FUV photons. The derived clump parameters are consistent with models of clumps of turbulent origin that evolve, so that their column densities are equal to the critical value determined by the incident FUV field. In this case, the column densities of the H13CN clumps seem high enough so that gravitational collapse can be triggered by the FUV-driven shock wave compression. The clumps may thus be collapsing to form low-mass stars. The observed H13CN clump parameters are also consistent with pressure-confined clump models. However, in this case the clumps would not be virialized and susceptible to gravitational collapse.
Coronagraphic imaging of three weak-line T Tauri stars: evidence of planetary formation around PDS 70

Context.High angular resolution imaging of nearby pre-main sequence stars with ages between 1 and 30 Myr can give valuable information on planet formation mechanisms. This range of ages is thought to correspond to the dissipation of the optically thick dust disks surrounding young stars and to the end of the planet formation. Aims.This paper presents new observations of three weak-line T Tauri Stars (WTTS) of intermediate ages ranging from 7 to 16 Myr. It aims at increasing the knowledge and sample of circumstellar disks around "old" WTTS. Methods.We observed three stars with the VLT's NAOS-CONICA adaptive optics system in coronagraphic mode. The four-quadrant phase mask coronagraph was used to improve the dynamic range (by a factor of ~100) while preserving the high angular resolution (inner working angle of 0".15). Results.One object of our sample (PDS 70), a K5 star, exhibits a brown dwarf companion and a disk in scattered light with a surface brightness power law of r^-2.8, extending from a distance of 14 to 140 AU (assuming a stellar distance of 140 pc) and an integrated luminosity of 16.7 mJy in the K_s-band. The mass of the companion can be estimated to be within a range between 27 and 50 Jupiter masses with an effective temperature of 2750 ± 100K. This object also shows a resolved outflow stretching up to ~550 AU. Conclusions.This newly detected circumstellar disk shows strong similarities with the disk around TW Hya, and adds to the observed population of "old" TTS surrounded by circumstellar material. Moreover, three clues of planetary formation are brought to light by this study.
Connecting the Sun and the Solar Wind: Comparison of the Latitudinal Profiles of Coronal and Ulysses Measurements of the Fast Wind

A quantitative comparison of the latitudinal profile of polarized brightness (pB) measurements nearest the Sun at 1.15 R☉ by the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory K-Coronameter and Ulysses interplanetary measurements of the fast solar wind during its first south polar pass, at the declining phase of the solar cycle, is made for the first time to identify the sources of the fast solar wind in the context of coronal density structure. Both profiles are found to have the same shape. At the Sun, the minimum coincides with the radial extension of the coronal hole boundaries. The slight rise and plateau following this minimum toward lower latitudes are identified with the coronal extension of the quiet Sun. The corresponding profile of the in situ measured velocity has a maximum within the angular extent of the polar coronal hole and decreases gradually beyond its boundaries. The latitudinal profile of the proton flux mimics the density profile, implying that the mass-loss rate is lowest within the angular extent of the polar coronal hole. The association of the fast wind with a density profile that reflects the polar coronal hole and the surrounding quiet Sun suggests that the fast wind observed by Ulysses originates from both regions. That these conclusions differ from earlier published analyses of the same Ulysses measurements is a consequence of the quantitative and systematic comparison made between Ulysses and coronal measurements at 1.15 R☉.
Partial additive constant

When a dissimilarity measure on a finite set of elements does not have a Euclidean representation, a classical approach consists in inducing Euclideanarity by adding a specific constant to the whole set of dissimilarities or squared dissimilarities between distinct elements. This paper suggests a computational approach where only some of the dissimilarities are modified in order to have a smaller discrepancy with the initial data table. The results may also be used for detecting some Euclidean subsets of elements
Co-culture models of endothelial cells, macrophages, and vascular smooth muscle cells for the study of the natural history of atherosclerosis

Background This work aims to present a fast, affordable, and reproducible three-cell co-culture system that could represent the different cellular mechanisms of atherosclerosis, extending from atherogenesis to pathological intimal thickening. Methods and results We built four culture models: (i) Culture model #1 (representing normal arterial intima), where human coronary artery endothelial cells were added on top of Matrigel-coated collagen type I matrix, (ii) Culture model #2 (representing atherogenesis), which demonstrated the subendothelial accumulation and oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), (iii) Culture model #3 (representing intimal xanthomas), which demonstrated the monocyte adhesion to the endothelial cell monolayer, transmigration into the subendothelial space, and transformation to lipid-laden macrophages, (iv) Culture model #4 (representing pathological intimal thickening), which incorporated multiple layers of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells within the matrix. Coupling this model with different shear stress conditions revealed the effect of low shear stress on the oxidative modification of LDL and the upregulation of pro-inflammatory molecules and matrix-degrading enzymes. Using electron microscopy, immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, protein and mRNA quantification assays, we showed that the behaviors exhibited by the endothelial cells, macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells in these models were very similar to those exhibited by these cell types in nascent and intermediate atherosclerotic plaques in humans. The preparation time of the cultures was 24 hours. Conclusion We present three-cell co-culture models of human atherosclerosis. These models have the potential to allow cost- and time-effective investigations of the mechanobiology of atherosclerosis and new anti-atherosclerotic drug therapies.
Electrostatic screening and experimental evidence of a topological phase transition in a bulk quantum Hall liquid

The electrostatic screening of a medium disordered quantum Hall liquid was investigated using an electric field penetration (EFP) technique. At sufficiently low temperatures and at magnetic fields corresponding to the integral quantum Hall regime with even filling factors, two topologically different phases of the bulk electron liquid have been identified. By means of elementary analysis of experimental data it has further been shown that the transition between these phases reveals features typical of a Kosterlitz–Thouless type phase transition. Finally, the validity of the presented physical picture has been supported by means of numerical simulations of local filling factor topography.