Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fast convex optimization via inertial dynamics combining viscous and Hessian-driven damping with time rescaling

In a Hilbert setting, we develop fast methods for convex unconstrained optimization. We rely on the asymptotic behavior of an inertial system combining geometric damping with temporal scaling. The convex function to minimize enters the dynamic via its gradient. The dynamic includes three coefficients varying with time, one is a viscous damping coefficient, the second is attached to the Hessian-driven damping, the third is a time scaling coefficient. We study the convergence rate of the values under general conditions involving the damping and the time scale coefficients. The obtained results are based on a new Lyapunov analysis and they encompass known results on the subject. We pay particular attention to the case of an asymptotically vanishing viscous damping, which is directly related to the accelerated gradient method of Nesterov. The Hessian-driven damping significantly reduces the oscillatory aspects. As a main result, we obtain an exponential rate of convergence of values without assuming the strong convexity of the objective function. The temporal discretization of these dynamics opens the gate to a large class of inertial optimization algorithms.
Abundant Atmospheric Methane from Volcanism on Terrestrial Planets Is Unlikely and Strengthens the Case for Methane as a Biosignature

The disequilibrium combination of abundant methane and carbon dioxide has been proposed as a promising exoplanet biosignature that is readily detectable with upcoming telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope. However, few studies have explored the possibility of nonbiological CH4 and CO2 and related contextual clues. Here we investigate whether magmatic volcanic outgassing on terrestrial planets can produce atmospheric CH4 and CO2 with a thermodynamic model. Our model suggests that volcanoes are unlikely to produce CH4 fluxes comparable to biological fluxes. Improbable cases where volcanoes produce biological amounts of CH4 also produce ample carbon monoxide. We show, using a photochemical model, that high abiotic CH4 abundances produced by volcanoes would be accompanied by high CO abundances, which could be a detectable false-positive diagnostic. Overall, when considering known mechanisms for generating abiotic CH4 on terrestrial planets, we conclude that observations of atmospheric CH4 with CO2 are difficult to explain without the presence of biology when the CH4 abundance implies a surface flux comparable to modern Earth’s biological CH4 flux. A small or negligible CO abundance strengthens the CH4+CO2 biosignature because life readily consumes atmospheric CO, while reducing volcanic gases likely cause CO to build up in a planet’s atmosphere. Furthermore, the difficulty of volcanically generated CH4-rich atmospheres suitable for an origin of life may favor alternatives such as impact-induced reducing atmospheres.
DETECTION OF EXTENDED SPECTRUM BETA - LACTAMASE PRODUCING E. COLI & KLEBSIELLA SPECIES CAUSING URINARY TRACT INFECTION

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) constitute a growing class of plasmid-mediated s-lactamases which confer resistance to broad spectrum beta-lactam antibiotics. The frequency of ESBL producing strains among clinical isolates has been steadily increasing over the past few years resulting in limitation of the therapeutic options. This study was done to determine the susceptibility pattern of different antibiotics to ESBL producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. isolated from urine samples. Out of 70 urine samples, 62 samples showed bacterial growth. E.coli (61.29%) found to be most common bacteria in urinary tract infection followed by Klebsiella spp. (45.16%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by Kirby Bauer’s disc diffusion method. Isolates were highly resistance to Gentamicin followed by Tetracyclin, Ampicillin and Amikacin. Gentamicin showed resistance against E.coli and Klebsiella spp were 89.47% and 85.71% respectively. While Tetracyclin and Ampicillin showed 80% and 78% resistance to E.coli and Klebsiella spp. The isolates were highly susceptible against imipenem and least susceptible to Ciprofloxacin and Norfloxacin against E.coli and Klebsiella spp. These antibiotics are considered as appropriate antimicrobials for empirical treatment of urinary tract infections. Most of the ESBL producing isolates were multidrug resistant. Continuous monitoring of ESBL production and antimicrobial susceptibility testing are necessary for the treatment of UTI. KEYWORDS: ESBL, Antibacterial susceptibility pattern, Urinary Tract infection.
Immutable Log Storage as a Service on Private and Public Blockchains

Service Level Agreements (SLA) are employed to ensure the performance of Cloud solutions. When a component fails, the importance of logs increases significantly. All departments may turn to logs to determine the cause of the issue and find the party at fault. The party at fault may be motivated to tamper with the logs to hide their role. We argue that the critical nature of Cloud logs calls for immutability and verification mechanism without the presence of a single trusted party. This article proposes such a mechanism by describing a blockchain-based log storage system, called Logchain, which can be integrated with existing private and public blockchain solutions. Logchain uses the immutability feature of blockchain to provide a tamper-resistance platform for log storage. Additionally, we propose a hierarchical structure to address blockchains’ scalability issues. To validate the mechanism, we integrate Logchain into Ethereum and IBM Blockchain. We show that the solution is scalable and perform the analysis of the cost of ownership to help a reader select an implementation that would address their needs. The Logchain's scalability improvement on a blockchain is achieved without any alteration of blockchains’ fundamental architecture. As shown in this work, it can function on private and public blockchains and, therefore, can be a suitable alternative for organizations that need a secure, immutable log storage platform.
Bayesian estimation of trend components within Markovian regime-switching models for wholesale electricity prices: an application to the South Australian wholesale electricity market

We discuss and extend methods for estimating Markovian-Regime-Switching (MRS) and trend models for wholesale electricity prices. We argue the existing methods of trend estimation used in the electricity price modelling literature either require an ambiguous definition of an extreme price, or lead to issues when implementing model selection [23]. The first main contribution of this paper is to design and infer a model which has a model-based definition of extreme prices and permits the use of model selection criteria. Due to the complexity of the MRS models inference is not straightforward. In the existing literature an approximate EM algorithm is used [26]. Another contribution of this paper is to implement exact inference in a Bayesian setting. This also allows the use of posterior predictive checks to assess model fit. We demonstrate the methodologies with South Australian electricity market.
The Massive Ancient Galaxies at z > 3 NEar-infrared (MAGAZ3NE) Survey: Confirmation of Extremely Rapid Star Formation and Quenching Timescales for Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe

We present near-infrared spectroscopic confirmations of a sample of 16 photometrically selected galaxies with stellar masses >11 at redshift z > 3 from the XMM-VIDEO and COSMOS-UltraVISTA fields using Keck/MOSFIRE as part of the Massive Ancient Galaxies At z > 3 NEar-infrared (MAGAZ3NE) survey. Eight of the ultramassive galaxies (UMGs) have specific star formation rates (sSFR) < 0.03 Gyr−1, with negligible emission lines. Another seven UMGs show emission lines consistent with active galactic nuclei and/or star formation, while only one UMG has sSFR > 1 Gyr−1. Model star formation histories of these galaxies describe systems that formed the majority of their stars in vigorous bursts of several hundred megayear duration around during which hundreds to thousands of solar masses were formed per year. These formation ages of <1 Gyr prior to observation are consistent with ages derived from measurements of Dn(4000) and (Hδ). Rapid quenching followed these bursty star-forming periods, generally occurring less than 350 Myr before observation, resulting in post-starburst SEDs and spectra for half the sample. The rapid formation timescales are consistent with the extreme star formation rates observed in dusty starbursts observed with ALMA, suggesting that such dusty galaxies are progenitors of these UMGs. While such formation histories have been suggested in previous studies, the large sample introduced here presents the most compelling evidence yet that vigorous star formation followed by rapid quenching is almost certainly the norm for high-mass galaxies in the early universe. The UMGs presented here were selected to be brighter than Ks = 21.7, raising the intriguing possibility that even (fainter) older quiescent UMGs could exist at this epoch.
An Analysis of Soft X-Ray Structures at Kiloparsec Distances from the Active Nucleus of Centaurus A Galaxy

Here we reanalyze the archival Chandra data for the central parts of the Centaurus A radio galaxy, aiming for a systematic investigation of the X-ray emission associated with the inner radio lobes in the system, and their immediate surroundings. In particular, we focus on four distinct features characterized by the soft excess with respect to the adjacent fields. Those include the two regions located at kiloparsec distances from the nucleus to the west and east, the extended bow-shock structure to the south, and a fragment of a thin arc north of the center. The selected north, west, and south features coincide with the edges of the radio lobes, while the east structure is seemingly displaced from the radio-emitting plasma. Our X-ray spectral analysis reveals (i) a power-law emission component with photon index Γ ∼ 2 in the north, east, and south regions, and (ii) a dense (number density ∼0.3 cm−3) and relatively cold (temperature ∼ 0.2 keV) gas in the east and west regions. The power-law emission is consistent with the synchrotron continuum generated at the edges of the radio structure, and implies that the efficiency of the electron acceleration at the terminal bow shock does not vary dramatically over the inner lobes’ extension. The presence of gaseous condensations, on the other hand, could possibly be understood in terms of a massive outflow from the central regions of the galaxy.
Automated Source Code Generation and Auto-completion Using Deep Learning: Comparing and Discussing Current Language-Model-Related Approaches

In recent years, the use of deep learning in language models has gained much attention. Some research projects claim that they can generate text that can be interpreted as human writing, enabling new possibilities in many application areas. Among the different areas related to language processing, one of the most notable in applying this type of modeling is programming languages. For years, the machine learning community has been researching this software engineering area, pursuing goals like applying different approaches to auto-complete, generate, fix, or evaluate code programmed by humans. Considering the increasing popularity of the deep learning-enabled language models approach, we found a lack of empirical papers that compare different deep learning architectures to create and use language models based on programming code. This paper compares different neural network architectures like Average Stochastic Gradient Descent (ASGD) Weight-Dropped LSTMs (AWD-LSTMs), AWD-Quasi-Recurrent Neural Networks (QRNNs), and Transformer while using transfer learning and different forms of tokenization to see how they behave in building language models using a Python dataset for code generation and filling mask tasks. Considering the results, we discuss each approach’s different strengths and weaknesses and what gaps we found to evaluate the language models or to apply them in a real programming context.
Revisiting the local star-forming galaxies observed in the HETDEX Pilot Survey

I have reanalyzed the data obtained for local ($z $ 2000), and they are higher than the previous estimates by $\sim$2-$\sigma$. Using the HPS data, I also showed that the MCMC sampling can have the statistical accuracy as poor as the one near the iteration start if done without convergence monitoring. The overestimation of $E(B-V)$ indicates the overestimation of the star-formation rates (SFRs) in the previous study, which can be as much as a factor of five. This finding undermines the previous suggestion of a hitherto-unknown galaxy population based on the locations of galaxies in the mass-SFR plane. I found that the independent determination of $E(B-V)$ using either H${\beta}$-H${\gamma}$ or H${\alpha}$-H${\beta}$ line pair is ideal for the analysis of forthcoming HETDEX data, but it requires additional cost.
Baryogenesis from the weak scale to the GUT scale.

We review the current status of baryogenesis with emphasis on electroweak baryogenesis and leptogenesis. The first detailed studies were carried out for SU(5) GUT models where CP-violating decays of leptoquarks generate a baryon asymmetry. These GUT models were excluded by the discovery of B+L violating sphaleron processes at high temperatures. Yet a new possibility emerged, electroweak baryogenesis. Here sphaleron processes generate a baryon asymmetry during a strongly first-order phase transition. This mechanism has been studied in many extensions of the Standard Model. However, constraints from the LHC and from low-energy precision experiments exclude most of the known models, leaving composite Higgs models of electroweak symmetry breaking as an interesting possibility. Sphaleron processes are also the basis of leptogenesis, where CP-violating decays of heavy right-handed neutrinos generate a lepton asymmetry which is partially converted to a baryon asymmetry. This mechanism is closely related to the one of GUT baryogenesis, and simple estimates based on GUT models can explain the order of magnitude of the observed baryon-to-photon ratio. In the one-flavour approximation an upper bound on the light neutrino masses has been derived which is consistent with the cosmological upper bound on the sum of neutrino masses. For quasi-degenerate right-handed neutrinos the leptogenesis temperature can be lowered from the GUT scale down to the weak scale, and CP-violating oscillations of GeV sterile neutinos can also lead to successfull leptogenesis. Significant progress has been made in developing a full field theoretical description of thermal leptogenesis, which demonstrated that interactions with gauge bosons of the thermal plasma play a crucial role. Finally, we discuss recent ideas how the seesaw mechanism and B-L breaking at the GUT scale can be probed by gravitational waves.
A direct link between active matter and sheared granular systems

Significance There is not yet a robust theoretical framework predicting the dynamics of dense active matter, where energy is injected at the scale of constituent particles. Previous work has shown that some features of dense active matter are similar to those in dense disordered materials that are sheared globally from the boundaries. Using analytic and computational tools, we show that there is a direct correspondence between active matter and applied shear strain, which can in turn be used to help predict the behavior of dense active matter. The similarity in mechanical properties of dense active matter and sheared amorphous solids has been noted in recent years without a rigorous examination of the underlying mechanism. We develop a mean-field model that predicts that their critical behavior—as measured by their avalanche statistics—should be equivalent in infinite dimensions up to a rescaling factor that depends on the correlation length of the applied field. We test these predictions in two dimensions using a numerical protocol, termed “athermal quasistatic random displacement,” and find that these mean-field predictions are surprisingly accurate in low dimensions. We identify a general class of perturbations that smoothly interpolates between the uncorrelated localized forces that occur in the high-persistence limit of dense active matter and system-spanning correlated displacements that occur under applied shear. These results suggest a universal framework for predicting flow, deformation, and failure in active and sheared disordered materials.
A narrative review of synergistic drug administration in unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: current landscape and future prospects in the era of immunotherapy

Based on the PACIFIC study, the standard care of unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) shifted from concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) alone to CCRT followed by durvalumab consolidation in 2017. In the era of immunotherapy, two kinds of therapeutic drugs are involved in the management of LA-NSCLC: chemotherapeutics and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents. However, the best choices of systematic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and treatment schedule remain controversial. The immune modulation effects of chemotherapy, as well as the potential immunosuppressive impact of pretreatment medications, should be taken into consideration. Indeed, chemotherapeutics are double-edged swords to immunotherapy, with both stimulatory and suppressive effects on the immune system. Moreover, low-dose chemotherapy is reported to enhance anti-tumor immune responses with reduced toxicities. As for glucocorticoids, there is no consensus about its exact impact on the efficacy of immunotherapy. In addition, the timing of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agent related to CCRT has three modes: induction, concurrent, and consolidation therapy. Although CCRT followed by durvalumab consolidation is the standard of care, the best sequence of immunotherapy and chemo-radiotherapy is still under debate. Furthermore, the efficacy and toxicity of various PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors should be compared, especially in the background of CCRT. In this review, we will summarize the detailed knowledge about chemotherapeutics and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 axis agents, and discuss the potential implications in designing novel, effective treatment strategies for LA-NSCLC.
Analysis of Information Technology Readiness in Furniture Business in Indonesia

Adoption of information technology (IT) can be assessed from the perspective of user readiness. This study examine the level of readiness of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) furniture sector in Java in adopting IT. The design and research model was developed using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Technology Readiness Index (TRI). Sampling uses a non-probability procedure with a purposive sampling technique. Data collection using the questionnaire survey method and analyzed using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. In general, research findings indicate that the furniture sector SMEs in Java are prepared to adopt IT. However, research findings also indicate that the perception of discomfort and insecurity is a major issue that has the potential to hinder IT adoption by the furniture sector SMEs. Implications for stakeholders and empirical research are discussed further.
Arab Teachers’ Attitudes Towards the Issue of Violence at Schools in Israel

The following study examines the teachers' attitudes and feelings concerning the issue of violence in Arab schools in Israel, the teachers' reactions towards that issue and ways of expressing them. The choice to focus on teachers' attitudes and feelings towards violent behavior patterns, which is of paramount importance, must be taken into account when accessing the issue of school violence and ways of dealing with that. The researchers adopted the qualitative approach. The findings of the interviews are divided into five main categories: lack of learning, alienation and low emotional appreciation, lack of strategies and methods of intervention of the educational staff, which receive inappropriate relating at school, as well as personal and family factors, which lead toward violence. The importance of the study stems from the increase in the violence rate in the Arab sector in Israel.
The Effect of Accounting Information Systems to Facilitate Supply Chain Management in Retail Companies: Evidence form Indonesia

Abstract — This study aims to determine the effect of the ability of users of Accounting Information Systems (AIS) to improve the Supply Chain Management (SCM) performance, the involvement of users of AIS, and top management support on the performance of AIS in retail companies. The population in the study were 23 retail companies in the Central Java Region. The sample in this study amounted to 69 respondents. The sampling technique in this study was purposive sampling. Data collection was done through a questionnaire and data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. Based on the results of the analysis that has been done, there is a significant influence between the independent variables on the performance of AIS at retail companies in the Central Java region simultaneously. Whereas partially, the information system user capability and top management support had a significant effect on the performance of AIS, on the contrary the information system involvement variable did not significantly influence the performance of AIS in retail companies in the Central Java region.
Inverse perspective mapping for real-time Lane Detection in City Streets

Lane detection is a crucial step in any autonomous driving system in order to decrease car accidents and increase safety. In this paper, based on inverse perspective mapping and Probabilistic Hough Transform, we propose a lane detection system which works on city street images. First, we calculate the top view of street image by adopting inverse perspective mapping. Second, the lanes are rectified using a specifically designed filter which enhances the lanes and suppresses other elements. Then, by using Probabilistic Hough transform the location of the lanes is detected in the images. For the final refinement, lane candidates are mapped to the road image using perspective mapping and the lane intensity is analyzed to reduce false acceptance. We evaluate the performance of the proposed method on Caltech-lane dataset and the obtained results prove that the proposed algorithm is able to detect straight lanes.
P-wave VSP traveltime inversion in weakly and moderately anisotropic media

We react to an increasing interest in seismic exploration to study media of tilted and/or lower anisotropic symmetry and study if, under what conditions, and to which extent, it is possible to retrieve information about anisotropy from the traveltime data. We concentrate on a vertical seismic profiling (VSP) experiment, which provides a good angular illumination of the anisotropic medium. In order to simplify the problem, we use synthetic P-wave traveltime data generated in homogeneous models of weakly or moderately anisotropic media. The use of the weak-anisotropy parameterization reduces the number of the so-called weak-anisotropy (WA) parameters specifying the most general P-wave anisotropy to 15. We study effects of traveltime approximation, varying noise level and the experiment configuration on the quality of the recovery of the WA parameters. We show that the used parameterization of the model may even allow the reconstruction of the phase-velocity surface.