Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Genetic Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Aspects of Problem Drinking in an Ascertained Sample.

BACKGROUND Genomewide association studies (GWAS) have begun to identify loci related to alcohol consumption, but little is known about whether this genetic propensity overlaps with specific indices of problem drinking in ascertained samples. METHODS In 6,731 European Americans who had been exposed to alcohol, we examined whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) from a GWAS of weekly alcohol consumption in the UK Biobank predicted variance in 6 alcohol-related phenotypes: alcohol use, maximum drinks within 24 hours (MAXD), total score on the Self-Rating of the Effects of Ethanol Questionnaire (SRE-T), DSM-IV alcohol dependence (DSM4AD), DSM-5 alcohol use disorder symptom counts (DSM5AUDSX), and reduction/cessation of problematic drinking. We also examined the extent to which an single nucleotide polymorphism (rs1229984) in ADH1B, which is strongly associated with both alcohol consumption and dependence, contributed to the polygenic association with these phenotypes and whether PRS interacted with sex, age, or family history of alcoholism to predict alcohol-related outcomes. We performed mixed-effect regression analyses, with family membership and recruitment site included as random effects, as well as survival modeling of age of onset of DSM4AD. RESULTS PRS for alcohol consumption significantly predicted variance in 5 of the 6 outcomes: alcohol use (Δmarginal R2 = 1.39%, Δ area under the curve [AUC] = 0.011), DSM4AD (Δmarginal R2 = 0.56%; ΔAUC = 0.003), DSM5AUDSX (Δmarginal R2 = 0.49%), MAXD (Δmarginal R2 = 0.31%), and SRE-T (Δmarginal R2 = 0.22%). PRS were also associated with onset of DSM4AD (hazard ratio = 1.11, p = 2.08e-5). The inclusion of rs1229984 attenuated the effects of the alcohol consumption PRS, particularly for DSM4AD and DSM5AUDSX, but the PRS continued to exert an independent effect for all 5 alcohol measures (Δmarginal R2 after controlling for ADH1B = 0.14 to 1.22%). Interactions between PRS and sex, age, or family history were nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS Genetic propensity for typical alcohol consumption was associated with alcohol use and was also associated with 4 of the additional 5 outcomes, though the variance explained in this sample was modest. Future GWAS that focus on the multifaceted nature of AUD, which goes beyond consumption, might reveal additional information regarding the polygenic underpinnings of problem drinking.
The stringy nature of the 2d type-0A black hole

We investigate the thermodynamics of the RR charged two-dimensional type-0A black hole background at finite temperature, and compare with known 0A matrix model results. It has been claimed that there is a disagreement for the free energy between the spacetime and the dual matrix model. Here we find that this discrepancy is sensitive to how the cutoff is implemented on the spacetime side. In particular, the disagreement is resolved once we put the cutoff at a fixed distance away from the horizon, as opposed to a fixed position in space. Furthermore, the mass and the entropy of the black hole itself add up to an analytic contribution to the free energy, which is precisely reproduced by the 0A matrix model. We also use results from the 0A matrix model to predict the next to leading order contribution to the entropy of the black hole. Finally, we note that the black hole is characterized by a Hagedorn growth in its density of states below the Hagedorn temperature. This, together with other results, suggests there is a phase transition at this temperature.
Domain-wall superconductivity in hybrid superconductor-ferromagnet structures

On the basis of a phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau approach we investigate the problem of order parameter nucleation in hybrid superconductor-ferromagnet systems with a domain structure in an applied external magnetic field. Both isolated domain boundaries and periodic domain structures in ferromagnetic layers are considered. We study the interplay between superconductivity localized at the domain walls and far from the walls and show that such an interplay determines a peculiar field dependence of the critical temperature ${T}_{c}. $ For a periodic domain structure the behavior of the upper critical field of superconductivity nucleation near ${T}_{c}$ is strongly influenced by the overlapping of the superconducting nuclei localized over different domains.
AN AMR STUDY OF THE COMMON-ENVELOPE PHASE OF BINARY EVOLUTION

The hydrodynamic evolution of the common-envelope (CE) phase of a low-mass binary composed of a 1.05 M☉ red giant and a 0.6 M☉ companion has been followed for five orbits of the system using a high-resolution method in three spatial dimensions. During the rapid inspiral phase, the interaction of the companion with the red giant's extended atmosphere causes about 25% of the CE to be ejected from the system, with mass continuing to be lost at the end of the simulation at a rate ∼2 M☉ yr−1. In the process the resulting loss of angular momentum and energy reduces the orbital separation by a factor of seven. After this inspiral phase the eccentricity of the orbit rapidly decreases with time. The gravitational drag dominates hydrodynamic drag at all times in the evolution, and the commonly used Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton prescription for estimating the accretion rate onto the companion significantly overestimates the true rate. On scales comparable to the orbital separation, the gas flow in the orbital plane in the vicinity of the two cores is subsonic with the gas nearly corotating with the red giant core and circulating about the red giant companion. On larger scales, 90% of the outflow is contained within 30° of the orbital plane, and the spiral shocks in this material leave an imprint on the density and velocity structure. Of the energy released by the inspiral of the cores, only about 25% goes toward ejection of the envelope.
CAOS spectroscopy of Am stars Kepler targets

The Kepler space mission and its K2 extension provide photometric time series data with unprecedented accuracy. These data challenge our current understanding of the metallic-lined A stars (Am stars) for what concerns the onset of pulsations in their atmospheres. It turns out that the predictions of current diffusion models do not agree with observations. To understand this discrepancy, it is of crucial importance to obtain ground-based spectroscopic observations of Am stars in the Kepler and K2 fields in order to determine the best estimates of the stellar parameters. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of high-resolution spectroscopic data for seven stars previously classified as Am stars. We determine the effective temperatures, surface gravities, projected rotational velocities, microturbulent velocities and chemical abundances of these stars using spectral synthesis. These spectra were obtained with CAOS, a new instrument recently installed at the observing station of the Catania Astrophysical Observatory on Mt. Etna. Three stars have already been observed during quarters Q0-Q17, namely: HD180347, HD181206, and HD185658, while HD43509 was already observed during K2 C0 campaign. We confirm that HD43509 and HD180347 are Am stars, while HD 52403, HD50766, HD58246, HD181206 and HD185658 are marginal Am stars. By means of non-LTE analysis, we derived oxygen abundances from OI�7771–5u triplet and we also discussed the results obtained with both non-LTE and LTE approaches.
Feedback, scatter and structure in the core of the PKS 0745−191 galaxy cluster

We present Chandra X-ray Observatory observations of the core of the galaxy cluster PKS 0745-191. Its centre shows X-ray cavities caused by AGN feedback and cold fronts with an associated spiral structure. The cavity energetics imply they are powerful enough to compensate for cooling. Despite the evidence for AGN feedback, the Chandra and XMM-RGS X-ray spectra are consistent with a few hundred solar masses per year cooling out of the X-ray phase, sufficient to power the emission line nebula. The coolest X-ray emitting gas and brightest nebula emission is offset by around 5 kpc from the radio and X-ray nucleus. Although the cluster has a regular appearance, its core shows density, temperature and pressure deviations over the inner 100 kpc, likely associated with the cold fronts. After correcting for ellipticity and projection effects, we estimate density fluctuations of ~4 per cent, while temperature, pressure and entropy have variations of 10-12 per cent. We describe a new code, MBPROJ, able to accurately obtain thermodynamical cluster profiles, under the assumptions of hydrostatic equilibrium and spherical symmetry. The forward-fitting code compares model to observed profiles using Markov Chain Monte Carlo and is applicable to surveys, operating on 1000 or fewer counts. In PKS0745 a very low gravitational acceleration is preferred within 40 kpc radius from the core, indicating a lack of hydrostatic equilibrium, deviations from spherical symmetry or non-thermal sources of pressure.
ESSENCE: Exploiting Structured Stochastic Gradient Pruning for Endurance-Aware ReRAM-Based In-Memory Training Systems

Processing-in-memory (PIM) enables energy-efficient deployment of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) from edge to cloud. Resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) is one of the most commonly used technologies for PIM architectures. One of the primary limitations of ReRAM-based PIM in neural network training arises from the limited write endurance due to the frequent weight updates. To make ReRAM-based architectures viable for CNN training, the write endurance issue needs to be addressed. This work aims to reduce the number of weight reprogrammings without compromising the final model accuracy. We propose the ESSENCE framework with an endurance-aware structured stochastic gradient pruning method, which dynamically adjusts the probability of gradient update based on the current update counts. Experimental results with multiple CNNs and datasets demonstrate that the proposed method can extend ReRAM’s life time for training. For instance, with the ResNet20 network and CIFAR-10 dataset, ESSENCE can save the mean update counts of up to $10.29\times $ compared to the stochastic gradient descent method and effectively reduce the maximum update counts compared with the No Endurance method. Furthermore, an aggressive tuning method based on ESSENCE can boost the mean update count savings by up to $14.41\times $ .
Exploring Bias in Sclera Segmentation Models: A Group Evaluation Approach

Bias and fairness of biometric algorithms have been key topics of research in recent years, mainly due to the societal, legal and ethical implications of potentially unfair decisions made by automated decision-making models. A considerable amount of work has been done on this topic across different biometric modalities, aiming at better understanding the main sources of algorithmic bias or devising mitigation measures. In this work, we contribute to these efforts and present the first study investigating bias and fairness of sclera segmentation models. Although sclera segmentation techniques represent a key component of sclera-based biometric systems with a considerable impact on the overall recognition performance, the presence of different types of biases in sclera segmentation methods is still underexplored. To address this limitation, we describe the results of a group evaluation effort (involving seven research groups), organized to explore the performance of recent sclera segmentation models within a common experimental framework and study performance differences (and bias), originating from various demographic as well as environmental factors. Using five diverse datasets, we analyze seven independently developed sclera segmentation models in different experimental configurations. The results of our experiments suggest that there are significant differences in the overall segmentation performance across the seven models and that among the considered factors, ethnicity appears to be the biggest cause of bias. Additionally, we observe that training with representative and balanced data does not necessarily lead to less biased results. Finally, we find that in general there appears to be a negative correlation between the amount of bias observed (due to eye color, ethnicity and acquisition device) and the overall segmentation performance, suggesting that advances in the field of semantic segmentation may also help with mitigating bias.
Ferromagnetism in the Hubbard model with orbital degeneracy in infinite dimensions

We study the ferromagnetism due to orbital degeneracy in the Hubbard model in infinite dimensions. The model contains the intraorbital repulsion U, the interorbital repulsion ${U}^{\ensuremath{'}},$ the exchange J (Hund coupling) and the pair hopping ${J}^{\ensuremath{'}},$ where all of them originate from the on-site Coulomb interaction. The ground state of the effective one-site problem was obtained by exact diagonalizations of finite clusters. At the $\frac{1}{4}$ filling, we found two insulating phases; one is a ferromagnetic phase with alternating orbital order and the other is antiferromagnetic with uniform orbital order. If electrons are doped into the $\frac{1}{4}$ filling, the ferromagnetic phase still survives and becomes metallic, while the antiferromagnetic phase disappears. This result indicates that a double-exchange mechanism is relevant to stabilize metallic ferromagnetism in infinite dimensions.
Time-varying dark energy constraints from the latest SN Ia, BAO and SGL

Based on the latest SNe Ia data provided by Hicken et al. (2009) with using MLCS17 light curve fitter, together with the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) and strong gravitational lenses (SGL), we investigate the constraints on the dark energy equation-of-state parameter w in the flat universe, especially for the time-varying case w(z) = w(0) + w(z)z/(1+z). The constraints from SNe data alone are found to be: (a) (Omega(M), w) = (0.358, -1.09) as the best-fit results; (b) (w(0), w(z)) = (-0.73(-0.97)(+0.23), 0.84(-10.34)(+1.66)) for the two parameters in the time-varying case after marginalizing the parameter Omega(M); (c) the likelihood of parameter w(z) has a high non-Gaussian distribution; (d) an extra restriction on Omega(M) is necessary to improve the constraint of the SNe Ia data on the parameters (w(0), w(z)). A joint analysis of SNe Ia data and BAO is made to break the degeneracy between w and Omega(M), and leads to the interesting maximum likelihoods w(0) = -0.94 and w(z) = 0. When marginalizing the parameter Omega(M), the fitting results are found to be (w(0), w(z)) = (-0.95(-0.18)(+0.45), 0.41(-0.96)(+0.79)). After adding the splitting angle statistic of SGL data, a consistent constraint is obtained (Omega(M), w) = (0.298, -0.907) and the constraints on time-varying dark energy are further improved to be (w(0), w(z)) = (-0.92(-0.10)(+0.14), 0.35(-0.54)(+0.47)), which indicates that the phantom type models are disfavored.
Deep imaging survey of the environment of Alpha Centauri - I. Adaptive optics imaging of Alpha Cen B with VLT-NACO

Context: Alpha Centauri is our closest stellar neighbor, at a distance of only 1.3 pc, and its two main components have spectral types comparable to the Sun. This is therefore a favorable target for an imaging search for extrasolar planets. Moreover, indications exist that the gravitational mass of Alpha Cen B is higher than its modeled mass, the difference being consistent with a substellar companion of a few tens of Jupiter masses. Aims: We searched for faint comoving companions to Alpha Cen B. As a secondary objective, we built a catalogue of the detected background sources. Methods: We used the NACO adaptive optics system of the VLT in the J, H, and Ks bands to search for companions to Alpha Cen B. This instrument allowed us to achieve a very high sensitivity to point-like sources, with a limiting magnitude of m_Ks ~ 18 at 7" from the star. We complemented this data set with archival coronagraphic images from the HST-ACS instrument to obtain an accurate astrometric calibration. Results: Over the observed area, we did not detect any comoving companion to Alpha Cen B down to an absolute magnitude of 19-20 in the H and Ks bands. However, we present a catalogue of 252 background objects within about 15" of the star. This catalogue fills part of the large void area that surrounds Alpha Cen in sky surveys due to the strong diffused light. We also present a model of the diffused light as a function of angular distance for the NACO instrument, that can be used to predict the background level for bright star observations. Conclusions: According to recent numerical models, the limiting magnitude of our search sets the maximum mass of possible companions to 20-30 times Jupiter, between 7 and 20 AU from Alpha Cen B.
THE QUASI-ROCHE LOBE OVERFLOW STATE IN THE EVOLUTION OF CLOSE BINARY SYSTEMS CONTAINING A RADIO PULSAR

We study the evolution of close binary systems formed by a normal (solar composition), intermediate-mass-donor star together with a neutron star. We consider models including irradiation feedback and evaporation. These nonstandard ingredients deeply modify the mass-transfer stages of these binaries. While models that neglect irradiation feedback undergo continuous, long-standing mass-transfer episodes, models including these effects suffer a number of cycles of mass transfer and detachment. During mass transfer, the systems should reveal themselves as low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), whereas when they are detached they behave as binary radio pulsars. We show that at these stages irradiated models are in a Roche lobe overflow (RLOF) state or in a quasi-RLOF state. Quasi-RLOF stars have radii slightly smaller than their Roche lobes. Remarkably, these conditions are attained for an orbital period as well as donor mass values in the range corresponding to a family of binary radio pulsars known as “redbacks. ” Thus, redback companions should be quasi-RLOF stars. We show that the characteristics of the redback system PSR J1723-2837 are accounted for by these models. In each mass-transfer cycle these systems should switch from LMXB to binary radio pulsar states with a timescale of approximately one million years. However, there is recent and fast growing evidence of systems switching on far shorter, human timescales. This should be related to instabilities in the accretion disk surrounding the neutron star and/or radio ejection, still to be included in the model having the quasi-RLOF state as a general condition.
Socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on rural livelihoods in Mbashe Municipality

The study sought to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on the socioeconomic livelihoods of rural communities by focusing on the Good Hope community under Mbashe Municipality. A qualitative research methodology was employed through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The study sought to examine the impact and survival strategies employed by the Good Hope community with the outbreak of the coronavirus, which has widely affected the world since 2019. The study further aimed to examine the role of the South African government in assisting rural communities since the outbreak of the coronavirus. Contribution The study’s findings highlight the lack of proper intervention strategies employed by the government in assisting rural communities. Communities including Good Hope have been hard hit by the pandemic and continue to suffer under the implemented lockdown regulations imposed by all governments globally.
Valence band splittings and band offsets of AlN, GaN, and InN

First‐principles electronic structure calculations on wurtzite AlN, GaN, and InN reveal crystal‐field splitting parameters ΔCF of −217, 42, and 41 meV, respectively, and spin–orbit splitting parameters Δ0 of 19, 13, and 1 meV, respectively. In the zinc blende structure ΔCF≡0 and Δ0 are 19, 15, and 6 meV, respectively. The unstrained AlN/GaN, GaN/InN, and AlN/InN valence band offsets for the wurtzite (zinc blende) materials are 0.81 (0.84), 0.48 (0.26), and 1.25 (1.04) eV, respectively. The trends in these spectroscopic quantities are discussed and recent experimental findings are analyzed in light of these predictions.
Neutrality of the color-flavor-locked phase in a Dyson-Schwinger approach

The role of neutrality constraints for the phase structure of QCD at nonvanishing chemical potentials is studied within a self-consistent truncation scheme for the Dyson-Schwinger equation of the quark propagator in Landau gauge. We find the (approximate) color-flavor-locked phase to be energetically preferred at all potentially relevant densities and for physical values of the quark masses. We furthermore observe the impossibility to define this phase by residual global symmetries and discuss the role of chemical potentials.
The triggering mechanism and properties of ionized outflows in the nearest obscured quasars

We have identified ionized outflows in the narrow line region of all but one SDSS type 2 quasars (QSO2) at z 1000 cm-3) and covers a region the size of a few kpc. This implies ionized outflow masses M~(0.3-2.4)x1e6 Msun and mass outflow rates M(dot)<few Msun yr-1. The triggering mechanism of the outflows is related to the nuclear activity. The QSO2 can be classified in two groups according to the behavior and properties of the outflowing gas. QSO2 in Group 1 (5/20 objects) show the most extreme turbulence, they have on average higher radio luminosities and higher excess of radio emission. QSO2 in Group 2 (15/20 objects) show less extreme turbulence, they have lower radio luminosities and, on average, lower or no radio excess. We propose that two competing outflow mechanisms are at work: radio jets and accretion disk winds. Radio jet induced outflows are dominant in Group 1, while disk winds dominate in Group 2. We find that the radio jet mode is capable of producing more extreme outflows. To test this interpretation we predict that: 1) high resolution VLBA imaging will reveal the presence of jets in Group 1 QSO2; 2) the morphology of their extended ionized nebulae must be more highly collimated and kinematically perturbed.
On the escape of particles from cosmic ray modified shocks

The solution of the problem of particle acceleration in the non-linear regime, when the dynamical reaction of the accelerated particles cannot be neglected, shows strong shock modification.When stationarity is imposed by hand, the solution may show a prominent energy flux away from the shock towards upstream infinity. This feature is peculiar of cosmic ray modified shocks, while being energetically insignificant in the test particle regime. The escape flux appears also in situations in which it is physically impossible to have particle escape towards upstream infinity, thereby leading to question its interpretation.We show here that the appearance of an escape flux is due to the unphysical assumption of stationarity of the problem, and in a realistic situation it translates to an increase of the value of the maximum-momentum when the shock velocity is constant. On the other hand, when the shock velocity decreases (for instance during the Sedov-Taylor phase of a supernova explosion), escape to upstream infinity is possible for particles with momenta in a narrow range close to the maximum momentum.