Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cosmological parameter estimation with the Planck satellite data : from the construction of a likelihood to neutrino properties

The cosmic microwave background (CMB), relic of the hot Big-Bang, carries the traces of both the rich structure formation of the late time epochs and the energetic early phases of the universe.The Planck satellite provided, from 2009 to 2013, high-quality measurements of the anisotropies of the CMB. These are used in this thesis to determine the parameters of the standard cosmological model and of the extension concerning the neutrino sector. The construction of an high-l Planck likelihood is detailed. This involves a masking strategy that deals in particular with the contamination from thermal emission of the Galaxy. The residual foregrounds are treated directly at the power spectrum level relying on physically motivated templates based on Planck studies.The statistical methods needed to extract the cosmological parameters in the comparison between models and data are described, both the Bayesian Monte Carlo Markov Chain techniques and the frequentist profile likelihood. Results on cosmological parameters are presented using Planck data alone and in combination with the small scale data from the ground based CMB experiment ACT and SPT, the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation and the Supernovae. Constraints on the absolute scale of neutrino masses and of the number of effective neutrino are also discussed.
Age-Related Differences in Trunk Kinematics and Interplanar Decoupling with the Pelvis during Gait in Healthy Older versus Younger Men

This study investigated age-related differences in trunk kinematics during walking in healthy men. Secondary aims were to investigate the covarying effects of physical activity (PA) and lumbar paravertebral muscle (LPM) morphology on trunk kinematics, and the effect of age on interplanar coupling between the trunk and pelvis. Three-dimensional (3D) trunk and pelvis motion data were obtained for 12 older (67.3 ± 6.0 years) and 12 younger (24.7 ± 3.1 years) healthy men during walking at a self-selected speed along a 10 m walkway. Phase-specific differences were observed in the coronal and transverse planes, with midstance and swing phases highlighted as instances when trunk and pelvic kinematics differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the younger group and older group. Controlling for age, fewer significant positive correlations were revealed between trunk and pelvic ranges and planes of motion. LPM morphology and PA were not significant covariates of age-related differences in trunk kinematics. Age-related differences in trunk kinematics were most apparent in the coronal and transverse planes. The results further indicate ageing causes an uncoupling of interplanar upper body movements during gait. These findings provide important information for rehabilitation programmes in older adults designed to improve trunk motion, as well as enable identification of higher-risk movement patterns related to falling.
Revisiting Implicit Finite Difference Schemes for Three-Dimensional Room Acoustics Simulations on GPU

Implicit finite difference schemes for the 3-D wave equation using a 27-point stencil on the cubic grid are presented, for use in room acoustics modelling and artificial reverberation. The system of equations that arises from the implicit formulation is solved using the Jacobi iterative method. Numerical dispersion is analysed and computational efficiency is compared to second-order accurate 27-point explicit schemes. Timing results from GPU implementations demonstrate that the proposed algorithms scale over their explicit counterparts as expected: by a factor of M + 2, where M is a fixed number of Jacobi iterations (eight can be sufficient in single precision). Thus, the accuracy of the approximation can be improved over explicit counterparts with only a linear increase in computational costs, rather than the quartic (in operations) and cubic (in memory) increases incurred when oversampling the grid. These implicit schemes are advantageous in situations where less than 1% dispersion error is desired.
EFFICACY OF ORAL PREDNISOLONE IN MANAGEMENT OF BRONCHIOLITIS: A PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY

Acute bronchiolitis is a common and deadly condition in infants described as a respiratory infection due to inflammatory obstruction of bronchioles. This study was designed to assess prednisolone's efficacy in treating bronchiolitis in children aged >2 years. A retrospective study was conducted in the Department of peadiatrics in different hospitals from February 2022- February 2023. A total of 80 children aged > 2 years with acute bronchiolitis were included in the study. The patients were divided into groups A and B. Group A (n=40) was administered salbutamol combined with prednisolone, and Group B (n=40) was administered salbutamol alone. The outcomes of both treatments were evaluated. The average age in group A and B was 6.9± 4.5 months and 5.5 ± 3.9 months, respectively. 65 patients (81.2%) belonged to middle-class families, and 20 (25%) came from crowded households. 10 patients (12.5%) had a preterm delivery, and 12 (15%) had low birth weight. A significant difference was observed in Group A after 3 days of treatment (p <0.05), and a reduction in hospital stay was also noted (p<0.001) in contrast with Group B. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the prednisolone is an effective drug in the management of bronchiolitis by reducing hospital stay and disease severity in children > 2 years.
Learning English from Movies: An Exploratory Study

The sources of second language acquisition vary and depend on a learner’s preferences and choices; however, undoubtedly, the most effective methods provide authentic language input. This current study explores the effectiveness of watching movies as a means of English language acquisition. It explores university students’ views on the impact of this method in improving English language skills. The participants in this study were 74 students (25 males and 49 females) from the Department of English Language and Translation at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Data for this research were collected from questionnaires and individual interviews with several selected students. The findings of this study showed that many students watch movies frequently and for various purposes, the most important of which is entertainment. The students also admitted that movies help them acquire a great deal of vocabulary and develop their listening and writing skills. Also, the participants believed that exposure to a target language by native speakers helps enhance language fluency and proficiency. The students learn not only linguistic aspects from films but also other aspects, such as culture, lifestyle, and ways of thinking, in addition to learning other languages such as Spanish. In light of these results, some recommendations are proposed, such as verifying the feasibility of integrating media into a foreign language classroom. While this study covers aspects of the relationship between watching movies and English language acquisition, knowledge gaps remain that need to be filled by further research, such as on incorporating media into the educational process and how movie subtitles can improve learners’ language skills.
Motivating a Scientific Modeling Continuum: The Case of “Natural Models” in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract The COVID-19 global pandemic had a profound effect on scientific practice. During this time, officials crucially relied on the work done by modelers. This raises novel questions for the philosophy of science. Here I investigate the possibility of 'natural models' in predicting the SARS-Cov-2 virus’s trajectory for epidemiological purposes. I argue that to the extent that these can be considered scientific models, they support the possibility of a continuum from scientific models to natural models differing in artifactual commitment. In making my case, I draw from work on both model organisms and natural experiments as well as recent work in epidemiology.
On the friction of fluids between rotating cylinders

The onset of turbulence and friction in the flow between two concentric cylinders is analysed for the case when the outer cylinder is rotating and the inner one is at rest. In this case the angular momentum distribution stabilizes the laminar motion. The classical experiments by Taylor (1936) showed that the critical Reynolds number was larger and the friction smaller than in the plane flow of Couette (1890). In this paper a criterion for stabilization similar to that of Bradshaw (1969) is derived to explain the Taylor dependence of the critical Reynolds number on the ratio of the radii. Breakdown of laminar motion occurs near the inner cylinder since the stability criterion is zero on its surface. The friction law is given a phenomenological description by using the velocity distribution in the turbulent zone, observed by Taylor and corresponding to a constant value of the criterion. Two empirical parameters are sufficient to describe the dependence of the skin friction on the Reynolds number and the radius ratio. A programme of further experiments is proposed. The relevance of the results is discussed in application to some astrophysical problems, e.g. the turbulence generation in accretion disks near compact stars which are X-ray sources.
Parametric subharmonic instability of internal waves: locally confined beams versus monochromatic wavetrains

Abstract Internal gravity wavetrains in continuously stratified fluids are generally unstable as a result of resonant triad interactions which, in the inviscid limit, amplify short-scale perturbations with frequency equal to one half of that of the underlying wave. This so-called parametric subharmonic instability (PSI) has been studied extensively for spatially and temporally monochromatic waves. Here, an asymptotic analysis of PSI for time-harmonic plane waves with locally confined spatial profile is made, in an effort to understand how such wave beams differ, in regard to PSI, from monochromatic plane waves. The discussion centres upon a system of coupled evolution equations that govern the interaction of a small-amplitude wave beam with short-scale subharmonic wavepackets in a nearly inviscid uniformly stratified Boussinesq fluid. For beams with general localized profile, it is found that triad interactions are not strong enough to bring about instability in the limited time that subharmonic perturbations overlap with the beam. On the other hand, for quasi-monochromatic wave beams whose profile comprises a sinusoidal carrier modulated by a locally confined envelope, PSI is possible if the beam is wide enough. In this instance, a stability criterion is proposed which, under given flow conditions, provides the minimum number of carrier wavelengths a beam of small amplitude must comprise for instability to arise.
Cloud Ice Crystal Classification Using a 95-GHz Polarimetric Radar

Abstract Two algorithms are presented for ice crystal classification using 95-GHz polarimetric radar observables and air temperature (T). Both are based on a fuzzy logic scheme. Ice crystals are classified as columnar crystals (CC), planar crystals (PC), mixtures of PC and small- to medium-sized aggregates and/or lightly to moderately rimed PC (PSAR), medium- to large-sized aggregates of PC, or densely rimed PC, or graupel-like snow or small lumpy graupel (PLARG), and graupel larger than about 2 mm (G). The 1D algorithm makes use of Zh, Zdr, LDRhv, and T, while the 2D algorithm incorporates the three radar observables in pairs, (Zdr, Zh), (LDRhv, Zh), and (Zdr, LDRhv), plus the temperature T. The range of values for each observable or pair of observables is derived from extensive modeling studies conducted earlier. The algorithms are tested using side-looking radar measurements from an aircraft, which was also equipped with particle probes producing simultaneous and nearly collocated shadow images of clou.
Motivated and without Fear of Failure: The Strength of Basic Psychological Needs in Youth Spanish Athletes in Team Sports

Connecting desires for achievement, the satisfaction of basic psychological needs and the perception of fear of failure is one of the most relevant questions in the understanding of negative mental responses in youth athletes. How to act with less fear is what every athlete seeks to feel to enhance their performance actions. This paper aims to shed light on a sample of 681 members of sports teams belonging to different Spanish clubs (391 boys and 290 girls), with a mean age of 16.2 years, and a high sports dedication (75.5% > 5 years of experience; 96.3% > two training sessions/week; 90.3% > 3 hours of training/week). The collected data used self-reports based on the tenets of achievement motivation, Self-Determination Theory, and fear of failure. Those aspects linked to task involvement were positively close to Basic Psychological Needs (BPNs), while those related to ego involvement moved away from task involvement and BPNs. Fear was associated positively and significantly only with ego, and negatively with the rest of the constructs. In the standardized direct effect, positive and significant associations were observed among all constructs except between an ego-involving climate and basic psychological needs satisfaction. The association between a task-involving climate and BPNs was significant in fostering relationships among group members, as well as in improving interpersonal cohesion, empathic understanding processes, and reducing fear of failure in youth athletes.
The Role of Using Production Factors and Efficiency Rice Farming of Inpago Unsoed 1 Varieties in Banyumas, Central Java

Consumption of rice follows the trend of population growth. Indonesia always imports rice to sufficient this consumption. Land area for rice plants is decreasing due to various reasons, including rice fields used as housing, the younger generation is not interested in farming, the productivity of rice is decreasing and others. To overcome the reduction in paddy fields and reduced rice productivity, it has been found that the Inpago Unsoed 1 rice variety can be cultivated in both paddy and dry land. Inpago Unsoed 1 is an upland rice variety that is fluffier, fragrant and has high productivity (7.2 tonnes per hectare). The research objectives were 1) knowing the costs and income of Impago Unsoed 1, 2) estimating the effect of production factors on the product, 3) the efficiency of using production factors in Impago Unsoed 1. The research method was survey method, research location was Banyumas Regency, Determination of respondents using simple random sampling. Methods of data analysis to determine the amount of costs and revenues using cost and income analysis. Meanwhile, to determine the role of production factors on the product, using the Cobb Douglas production function. The results showed that the cost of farming Inpago Unsoed 1 was lower than the revenue, which resulted in positive income. The role of additional production factors, such as land area and labor, will increase rice productivity. However, the addition of seed production factors and insecticides does not increase rice productivity. Several factors of fertilizer production also show a role in increasing rice productivity
Evaluation of the Value of Perfusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Differential Diagnosis of Sellar and Parasellar Tumors

The purpose of this study was to assess the value of perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) in the differential diagnosis of sellar and parasellar tumors, as an additional sequence in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol. Analysis was based on a substantial group of subjects and included 124 brain and pituitary MRI examinations with a dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) PWI sequence. The following perfusion parameters were determined for the tumors: relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), relative peak height (rPH) and relative percentage of signal intensity recovery (rPSR). To ensure greater repeatability, each of the aforementioned parameters was calculated as: arithmetic mean of the values of the whole tumor, arithmetic mean of the maximum values on each axial slice within the tumor and maximum values derived from the whole tumor. In our study, we established that meningiomas compared to both non-functional and hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas (pituitary neuroendocrine tumors—PitNET) had significantly higher values of rCBV with cut-off points set at 3.45 and 3.54, respectively (mean rCBV). Additionally, meningiomas presented significantly higher maximum and mean maximum rPH values compared to adenomas. DSC PWI imaging adds significant value to conventional MRI examinations and can be helpful in differentiating equivocal pituitary tumors.
Analytical expressions for transient induction voltage in a receiving coil due to a coaxial transmitting coil over a conducting plate

We present an analytical solution of the transient induction voltage of a receiving coil created by the transient eddy currents induced by a transmitting coil over a conducting plate for the case of a simple cylindrical geometry and infinite plate thickness. Using this analytical solution, we derive three approximations of the transient induction voltage for the case of a plate having finite thickness. Comparison with measurements shows that the approximations are accurate within 1% or better.
Evaluation of Reaction Time during the One-Leg Balance Activity in Young Soccer Players: A Pilot Study

This study’s aim was two-fold: (i) to test the intra-session reliability of the one-leg balance activity test; and (ii) to assess the influence of age on reaction time (RT) and the differences between dominant and non-dominant feet. Fifty young soccer players with an average age of 12.4 ± 1.8 years were divided into two groups: younger soccer players (n = 26; 11.6 ± 0.9 years) and older soccer players (n = 24; 14.2 ± 0.8 years). Each group then completed four trials (two with each leg) of the one-leg balance activity (OLBA) to evaluate RT under a single-leg stance. Mean RT and the number of hits were calculated, and the best trial was also selected. T-tests and Pearson correlations were performed for statistical analysis. Values for RT were lower, and the number of hits was higher while standing on the non-dominant foot (p = 0.01). MANOVA revealed that the “Dominant Leg” factor did not affect the multivariate composite (Pillai Trace = 0.05; F(4, 43) = 0.565; p = 0.689; Partial ETA Squared = 0.050; Observed Power = 0.174). The “Age” factor did not present an effect on the multivariate composite (Pillai Trace = 0.104; F(4, 43) = 1.243; p = 0.307; Partial ETA Squared = 0.104; Observed Power = 0.355). The results of the present investigation demonstrate that RT may be lower while standing on the non-dominant foot.
Risky Decision-Making in Adults with Alcohol Use Disorder—A Systematic and Meta-Analytic Review

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) forms a major health concern and is the most common substance use disorder worldwide. The behavioural and cognitive deficits associated with AUD have often been related to impairments in risky decision-making. The aim of this study was to examine the magnitude and type of risky decision-making deficits of adults with AUD, as well as to explore the potential mechanisms behind these deficits. To this end, existing literature comparing risky decision-making task performance of an AUD group to a control group (CG) was systematically searched and analysed. A meta-analysis was performed to address overall effects. In total, 56 studies were included. In the majority of studies (i.e., 68%), the performance of the AUD group(s) deviated from the CG(s) on one or more of the adopted tasks, which was confirmed by a small to medium pooled effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.45). This review therefore provides evidence of increased risk taking in adults with AUD as compared to CGs. The increased risk taking may be due to deficits in affective and deliberative decision-making. Making use of ecologically valid tasks, future research should investigate whether risky decision-making deficits predate and/or are consequential to the addiction of adults with AUD.
Analysing transcriptomic signatures and identifying potential genes for the protective effect of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines

Inactivated vaccines are one of the most effective strategies for controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the response genes for the protective effect of inactivated vaccines are still unclear. Herein, we analysed the neutralization antibody responses elicited by vaccine serum and carried out transcriptome sequencing of RNAs isolated from the PBMCs of 29 medical staff receiving two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine. The results showed that SARS-CoV-2 neutralization antibody titers varied considerably among individuals, and revealed that many innate immune pathways were activated after vaccination. Furthermore, the blue module revealed that NRAS, YWHAB, SMARCA5, PPP1CC and CDC5L may be correlated with the protective effect of the inactivated vaccine. Additionally, MAPK1, CDC42, PPP2CA, EP300, YWHAZ and NRAS were demonstrated as the hub genes having a significant association with vaccines. These findings provide a basis for understanding the molecular mechanism of the host immune response induced by inactivated vaccines.
The radial speed‐expansion speed relation for Earth‐directed CMEs

Earth‐directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the main drivers of major geomagnetic storms. Therefore, a good estimate of the disturbance arrival time at Earth is required for space weather predictions. The STEREO and SOHO spacecraft were viewing the Sun in near quadrature during January 2010 to September 2012, providing a unique opportunity to study the radial speed (Vrad)‐expansion speed (Vexp) relationship of Earth‐directed CMEs. This relationship is useful in estimating the Vrad of Earth‐directed CMEs, when they are observed from Earth view only. We selected 19 Earth‐directed CMEs observed by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO)/C3 coronagraph on SOHO and the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI)/COR2 coronagraph on STEREO during January 2010 to September 2012. We found that of the three tested geometric CME models the full ice‐cream cone model of the CME describes best the Vrad‐Vexp relationship, as suggested by earlier investigations. We also tested the prediction accuracy of the empirical shock arrival (ESA) model proposed by Gopalswamy et al. (2005a), while estimating the CME propagation speeds from the CME expansion speeds. If we use STEREO observations to estimate the CME width required to calculate the Vrad from the Vexp measurements, the mean absolute error (MAE) of the shock arrival times of the ESA model is 8.4 h. If the LASCO measurements are used to estimate the CME width, the MAE still remains below 17 h. Therefore, by using the simple Vrad‐Vexp relationship to estimate the Vrad of the Earth‐directed CMEs, the ESA model is able to predict the shock arrival times with accuracy comparable to most other more complex models.
Motion and wake structure of spherical particles

This paper presents results from a flow visualization study of the wake structures behind solid spheres rising or falling freely in liquids, under the action of gravity. These show remarkable differences to the wake structures observed behind spheres held fixed. The two parameters controlling the rise or fall velocity (i.e. the Reynolds number) are the density ratio between the sphere and liquid and the Galileo number.