Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SPH simulations of the chemical evolution of bulges

Abstract We have implemented a chemical evolution model on the parallel AP3M+SPH DEVA code which we use to perform high resolution simulations of spiral galaxy formation. It includes feedback by SNII and SNIa using the Qij matrix formalism. We also include a diffusion mechanism that spreads newly introduced metals. The gas cooling rate depends on its specific composition. We study the stellar populations of the resulting bulges finding a potential scenario where they seem to be composed of two populations: an old, metal poor, α-enriched population, formed in a multiclump scenario at the beginning of the simulation and a younger one, formed by slow accretion of satellites or gas, possibly from the disk due to instabilities.
Uncovering the biological basis of control energy: Structural and metabolic correlates of energy inefficiency in temporal lobe epilepsy

Network control theory is increasingly used to profile the brain’s energy landscape via simulations of neural dynamics. This approach estimates the control energy required to simulate the activation of brain circuits based on structural connectome measured using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, thereby quantifying those circuits’ energetic efficiency. The biological basis of control energy, however, remains unknown, hampering its further application. To fill this gap, investigating temporal lobe epilepsy as a lesion model, we show that patients require higher control energy to activate the limbic network than healthy volunteers, especially ipsilateral to the seizure focus. The energetic imbalance between ipsilateral and contralateral temporolimbic regions is tracked by asymmetric patterns of glucose metabolism measured using positron emission tomography, which, in turn, may be selectively explained by asymmetric gray matter loss as evidenced in the hippocampus. Our investigation provides the first theoretical framework unifying gray matter integrity, metabolism, and energetic generation of neural dynamics.
Estimations of cosmological parameters from the observational variation of the fine structure constant

We present constraints on the quintessence scalar field model from observational data of the variation of the fine structure constant obtained from the Keck telescope and VLT. Within the theoretical frame proposed by Bekenstein, the constraints on the parameters of the quintessence scalar field model are obtained. Considering the prior of Ωm0 as WMAP 7 suggests, we obtain various results from different samples. Based on these results, we also calculate the probability density function of the coupling constant ζ. The best-fit values show a consistent relationship between ζ and the different experimental results. In our work, we test two different potential models, namely, the inverse power law potential and the exponential potential. The results show that both the large value of the parameters in the potential and the strong coupling can cause a variation in the fine structure constant.
Treat-to-target urate-lowering therapy and hospitalizations for gout: results from a nationwide cohort study in England

Abstract Objective To investigate associations between treat-to-target urate-lowering therapy (ULT) and hospitalizations for gout. Methods Using linked Clinical Practice Research Datalink and NHS Digital Hospital Episode Statistics data, we described the incidence and timing of hospitalizations for flares in people with index gout diagnoses in England from 2004–2020. Using Cox proportional hazards and propensity models, we investigated associations between ULT initiation, serum urate target attainment, colchicine prophylaxis, and the risk of hospitalizations for gout. Results Of 292 270 people with incident gout, 7719 (2.64%) had one or more hospitalizations for gout, with an incidence rate of 4.64 hospitalizations per 1000 person-years (95% CI 4.54, 4.73). There was an associated increased risk of hospitalizations within the first 6 months after ULT initiation, when compared with people who did not initiate ULT [adjusted Hazard Ratio (aHR) 4.54; 95% CI 3.70, 5.58; P < 0.001]. Hospitalizations did not differ significantly between people prescribed vs not prescribed colchicine prophylaxis in fully adjusted models. From 12 months after initiation, ULT associated with a reduced risk of hospitalizations (aHR 0.77; 95% CI 0.71, 0.83; P < 0.001). In ULT initiators, attainment of a serum urate <360 micromol/l within 12 months of initiation associated with a reduced risk of hospitalizations (aHR 0.57; 95% CI 0.49, 0.67; P < 0.001) when compared with people initiating ULT but not attaining this target. Conclusion ULT associates with an increased risk of hospitalizations within the first 6 months of initiation but reduces hospitalizations in the long term, particularly when serum urate targets are achieved.
Gelatin coating enhances therapeutic cell adhesion to the infarcted myocardium via ECM binding

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) results in weakening of the heart muscle and an increased risk for chronic heart failure. Therapeutic stem cells have been shown to reduce inflammatory signaling and scar tissue expansion, despite most of these studies being limited by poor retention of cells. Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) coatings have been shown to increase the retention of these therapeutic cells near the infarct. In this work, we evaluate two different potential binding partners for GelMA-coated bone marrow cells (BMCs) and myocardial tissue: the extracellular matrix (ECM) and interstitial non-cardiomyocytes. While cells containing β1 integrins mediate cell-ECM adhesion in vivo, these cells do not promote binding to our collagen-degraded, GelMA coating. Specifically, microscopic imagining shows that even with high integrin expression, GelMA-coated BMCs do not bind to cells within the myocardium. Alternatively, BMC incubation with decellularized heart tissue results in higher adhesion of coated cells versus uncoated cells supporting our GelMA-ECM binding mode. To further evaluate the ECM binding mode, cells were incubated on slides modified with one of three different major heart ECM components: collagen, laminin, or fibronectin. While all three components promoted higher adhesion than unmodified glass, collagen-coated slides resulted in a significantly higher adhesion of GelMA-coated BMCs over laminin and fibronectin. Incubation with unmodified BMCs confirmed that without a GelMA coating minimal adhesion of BMCs occurred. We conclude that GelMA cellular coatings significantly increase the binding of cells to collagen within the ECM. Our results provide progress towards a biocompatible and easily translatable method to enhance the retention of transplanted cells in human studies.
Towards sub-microarcsecond models for relativistic astrometry

Astrometric space missions like Gaia have stimulated a rapid advance in the field of relativistic astrometry. Present investigations in that field aim at accuracies significantly less than a microarcsecond. We review the present status of relativistic astrometry. As far as the problem of light propagation is concerned we face two problems: the form of the BCRS metric and solutions to the light-ray equation. Finally, work in progress in that field is briefly mentioned.
Biochar/nano-zerovalent zinc-based materials for arsenic removal from contaminated water

Abstract In this study, we explored the potential of a newly prepared nano-zero valent zinc (nZVZn), biochar (BC)/nZVZn and BC/hydroxyapatite-alginate (BC/HA-alginate) composites for the removal of inorganic As species from water. Relatively, higher percentage removal of As(III) and As(V) was obtained by nZVZn at pH 3.4 (96% and 94%, respectively) compared to BC/nZVZn (90% and 88%) and BC/HA-alginate (88% and 80%) at pH 7.2. Freundlich model provided the best fit (R 2 = up to 0.98) for As(III) and As(V) sorption data of all the sorbents, notably for nZVZn. The pseudo-second order model well-described kinetics of As(III) and As(V) (R2 = 0.99) sorption on all the sorbents. The desorption experiments demonstrated that the As removal efficiency, up to the third sorption/desorption cycle, was in the order of nZVZn ∼ BC/HA-alginate (88%) > BC/nZVZn (84%). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy depicted that the –OH, –COOH, Zn–O and Zn–OH surface functional groups were responsible for the sorption of As(III) or As(V) on the sorbents investigated here. This study highlights that removal of As species from water by BC/nZVZn composite can be compared with nZVZn, suggesting that integrating BC with nZVZn could efficiently remove As from As-contaminated drinking water. Novelty Statement This is the first study to explore the potential of a newly prepared sugarcane bagasse biochar/nano-zerovalent zinc (BC/nZVZn) based composite for the removal of inorganic arsenic (As) species from water. The results indicated high percentage removal of As(III) and As(V) from water by BC/nZVZn that were comparable to nZVZn alone.
Colloidal tin sulfide nanosheets: formation mechanism, ligand-mediated shape tuning and photo-detection

Colloidal materials of tin(II) sulfide (SnS), as a layered semiconductor with a narrow band gap, are emerging as a potential alternative to the more toxic metal chalcogenides (PbS, PbSe, CdS, and CdSe) for various applications such as electronic and optoelectronic devices. We describe a new and simple pathway to produce colloidal SnS nanosheets with large lateral sizes and controllable thicknesses, as well as single-crystallinity. The synthesis of the nanosheets is achieved by employing tin(II) acetate as the tin precursor instead of harmful precursors such as bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amino] tin(II) and halogen-involved precursors like tin chloride, which limits their large-scale production. We successfully tuned the morphology between squared nanosheets with lateral dimensions from 150 to about 500 nm and thicknesses from 24 to 29 nm, and hexagonal nanosheets with lateral sizes from 230 to 1680 nm and heights ranging from 16 to 50 nm by varying the ligands oleic acid and trioctylphosphine. The formation mechanism of both shapes has been investigated in depth, which is also supported by DFT simulations. The optoelectronic measurements show their relatively high conductivity with a pronounced sensitivity to light, which is promising in terms of photo-switching, photo-sensing, and photovoltaic applications and also due to their reduced toxicity.
LONG-TERM STUDY OF THE DOUBLE PULSAR J0737–3039 WITH XMM-NEWTON: PULSAR TIMING

The relativistic double neutron star binary PSR J0737−3039 shows clear evidence of orbital phase-dependent wind-companion interaction, both in radio and X-rays. In this paper, we present the results of timing analysis of PSR J0737−3039 performed during 2006 and 2011 XMM-Newton Large Programs that collected ∼20,000 X-ray counts from the system. We detected pulsations from PSR J0737−3039A (PSR A) through the most accurate timing measurement obtained by XMM-Newton so far, the spin period error being of 2 × 10−13 s. PSR A’s pulse profile in X-rays is very stable despite significant relativistic spin precession that occurred within the time span of observations. This yields a constraint on the misalignment between the spin axis and the orbital momentum axis deg, consistent with estimates based on radio data. We confirmed pulsed emission from PSR J0737−3039B (PSR B) in X-rays even after its disappearance in radio. The unusual phenomenology of PSR B’s X-ray emission includes orbital pulsed flux and profile variations as well as a loss of pulsar phase coherence on timescales of years. We hypothesize that this is due to the interaction of PSR A’s wind with PSR B’s magnetosphere and the orbital-dependent penetration of the wind plasma onto PSR B closed field lines. Finally, the analysis of the full XMM-Newton data set provided evidence of orbital flux variability (∼7%) for the first time, involving a bow-shock scenario between PSR A’s wind and PSR B’s magnetosphere.
SATELLITES IN MILKY-WAY-LIKE HOSTS: ENVIRONMENT DEPENDENCE AND CLOSE PAIRS

Previous studies showed that an estimate of the likelihood distribution of the Milky Way (MW) halo mass can be derived using the properties of the satellites similar to the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC). However, it would be straightforward to interpret such an estimate only if the properties of the Magellanic Clouds (MCs) are fairly typical and are not biased by the environment. In this study, we explore whether the environment of the MW affects the properties of the SMC and LMC such as their velocities. To test for the effect of the environment, we compare velocity distributions for MC-sized subhalos around MW hosts in a sample selected simply by mass and in the second sample of such halos selected with additional restrictions on the distance to the nearest cluster and the local galaxy density, designed to mimic the environment of the Local Group (LG). We find that satellites in halos in the LG-like environments do have somewhat larger velocities, as compared to the halos of similar mass in the sample without environmental constraints. For example, the fraction of subhalos matching the velocity of the LMC is 23% ± 2% larger in the LG-like environments. We derive the host halo likelihood distribution for the samples in the LG-like environment and in the control sample and find that the environment does not significantly affect the derived likelihood. We use the updated properties of the SMC and LMC to derive the constraint on the MW halo mass of (90% confidence interval). We also explore the incidence of close pairs with relative velocities and separations similar to those of the LMC and SMC and find that such pairs are quite rare among ΛCDM halos. Only 2% of halos in the MW mass range have a relatively close pair (Δr < 40 kpc and Δs < 160 km s−1) of subhalos with circular velocities vcirc > 50 km s−1. Pairs with masses and separations similar to those of the LMC and SMC (ΔrMC = 23.4 ± 10 kpc and ΔsMC = 128 ± 32 km s−1) are found only in one out of ≈30, 000 MW-sized halos. Interestingly, the halo mass likelihood distribution for host halos constrained to have MC-like close pairs of subhalos is quite different from the global likelihood from which the MW halo mass constraint discussed above was derived. Taking into account the close separation of the MCs in the Busha et al. method results in the shift of the MW halo mass estimate to smaller masses, with the peak shifting approximately by a factor of two.
THE EVOLUTION OF DUST MASS IN THE EJECTA OF SN 1987A

We present a new analysis of the infrared (IR) emission from the ejecta of SN 1987A covering days 615, 775, 1144, 8515, and 9090 after the explosion. We show that the observations are consistent with the rapid formation of about 0.4 M ⊙ ? > of dust, consisting of mostly silicates (MgSiO3), near day 615, and evolving to about 0.45 M ⊙ ? > of composite dust grains consisting of ∼0.4 M ⊙ ? > of silicates and ∼0.05 M ⊙ ? > of amorphous carbon after day ∼8500. The proposed scenario challenges previous claims that dust in supernova (SN) ejecta is predominantly carbon, and that it grew from an initial mass of ∼10−3 M ⊙ ? > , to over 0.5 M ⊙ ? > by cold accretion. It alleviates several problems with previous interpretations of the data: (1) it reconciles the abundances of silicon, magnesium, and carbon with the upper limits imposed by nucleosynthesis calculations, (2) it eliminates the requirement that most of the dust observed around day 9000 grew by cold accretion onto the ∼10−3 M ⊙ ? > of dust previously inferred for days 615 and 775 after the explosion, and (3) establishes the dominance of silicate over carbon dust in the SN ejecta. At early epochs, the IR luminosity of the dust is powered by the radioactive decay of 56Co, and at late times by at least (1.3–1.6) × 10−4 M ⊙ ? > of 44Ti.
Prognostic comparison of COVID-19 outpatients and inpatients treated with Remdesivr: A retrospective cohort study

Introduction Since the late COVID-19, many countries have faced various surges and peaks within the number of infected. Iran was one of the countries that faced many surges and peaks within these years and faced many inadequacies and shortages of resources and hospital beds. Hence the healthcare system started using in-hospital medication such as Remdesivir in outpatients to reduce the load of patients admitted to the hospital. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the reported signs, symptoms, and outcomes of COVID-infected hospitalized and out-patients receiving Remdesivir. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, 214 patients (121 outpatient and 93 hospitalized) with moderate levels of Covid infection between October 2021 and February 2022 were studied. Both groups were treated with 200mg of Remdesivir, followed by 100 mg daily intravenous injections for five days; signs and symptoms, such as pain, shortness of breath, cough, fever and etc., of patients at the initiation and the end of treatment were recorded. Moreover, the patients’ blood oxygen saturation was assessed two to three times a day, and the mean of the recorded measures was considered as the daily oxygen saturation. The outpatient group had to visit the hospital daily for treatment and assessment. At the treatment’s end, mortality rates, disease signs, and symptoms alleviations were compared between the groups. Results The outpatient and hospitalized group’s mean age was 40.30 ± 12.25 and 37.70 ± 12.00 years, and 51.2% and 55.9% were males, respectively. There was no statistical difference between baseline and clinical characteristics in the outpatients and hospitalized groups. After adjusting for oxygen saturation at baseline and gender in the multivariable Cox regression analysis, the risk of death did not statistically differ between the hospitalized and outpatient group (hazard ratio: 0.99, 95% confidence interval: 0.39–2.50)) at the end of the study. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, the outcome, signs, and symptoms of inpatient and outpatient Remdesivir treatment groups did not differ significantly. Hence in COVID-19 surges where we have limitations in admitting patients, outpatient Remdesivir treatment for those without any underlying diseases can be a proper management method.
Association of non-chronic low back pain with physical function, endurance, fatigability, and quality of life in middle- and older-aged adults: Findings from Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

Low back pain (LBP) is an important condition associated with high healthcare burden. However, the relationship of this condition with physical function (PF) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains unclear. This is a cross-sectional study that aims to investigate the association between presence and intensity of non-chronic LBP with PF and HRQoL in middle-and older-aged adults. Participants answered questions about presence and intensity of LBP in the previous year, self-reported their PF and HRQoL (SF-12), and underwent objective measures of PF ([ExSPPB] including usual gait speed, narrow walk, chair stands, and standing balance), endurance performance ([EP] long-distance corridor walk) and fatigability. Generalized linear models and logistic regression models were performed. A total of 1500 participants (52.5% women, 70.3% white) aged 69.0 (SD 13.1) years were included. Of those, 642 (42.8%) reported LBP and the mean pain intensity was 4.1 (SD 2.2). After adjustments for potential confounders, presence of LBP was associated with lower self-reported PF (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.37), lower physical component of HRQoL (β -0.03, 95% CI -0.04 to -0.02) and poorer chair stand performance (β -0.05, 95% CI -0.09 to -0.008). Higher intensity of LBP was associated with lower physical component of HRQoL (β -0.01, 95% CI -0.02 to -0.007), poorer ExSPPB performance (β -0.01, 95% CI -0.02 to -0.004), slower usual gait speed (β -0.01, 95% CI -0.02 to -0.004), lower total standing balance time (β -0.01, 95% CI -0.02 to -0.001) and higher fatigability (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.25). The presence of non-chronic LBP was more consistently associated with lower self-reported PF, while higher intensity non-chronic LBP was associated with poorer objectively measured PF and fatigability. Collectively, this evidence suggests that although presence of pain may affect perception of function, greater pain intensity appears more strongly associated with unfavorable functional performance in mid-to-late life.
Precision comparison of the quantum Hall effect in graphene and gallium arsenide

The half-integer quantum Hall effect in epitaxial graphene is compared with high precision to the well-known integer effect in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. We find no difference between the quantized resistance values within the relative standard uncertainty of our measurement of 8.7 × 10−11. The result places new tighter limits on any possible correction terms to the simple relation RK = h/e2, and also demonstrates that epitaxial graphene samples are suitable for application as electrical resistance standards of the highest metrological quality. We discuss the characterization of the graphene sample used in this experiment and present the details of the cryogenic current comparator bridge and associated uncertainty budget.
Reweighting complex Langevin trajectories

Although the complex Langevin method can solve the sign problem in simulations of theories with complex actions, the method will yield the wrong results if known validity conditions are not satisfied. We present a novel method to compute observables for a target ensemble by reweighting complex trajectories generated with the complex Langevin method for an auxiliary ensemble having itself a complex action. While it is imperative that the validity conditions be satisfied for the auxiliary ensemble, there are no such requirements for the target ensemble. This allows us to enlarge the applicability range of the complex Langevin method. We illustrate this at the hand of a one-dimensional partition function and two-dimensional strong-coupling QCD.
Time lags in the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 5408 X-1: implications for the black hole mass

We present the analysis of the X-ray variability and spectral timing properties of the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) NGC 5408 X-1, one of the most variable ULXs known so far. The variability properties are used as a diagnostic of the accretion state of the source and to derive estimates of the black hole (BH) mass. The observed high level of fast X-ray variability (fractional root-mean-square variability - rms - amplitude of $\sim$ 30 percent in the hard energy band), the hardening of the fractional rms spectrum, and the properties of the QPO, all resemble those of a source in a hard-intermediate accretion state. We confirm the previous detection of a soft lag in the X-ray light curves of the source during 2006 and 2008 observations and find that the soft lag is still present in the more recent 2010/2011 observations. Using the entire available XMM-Newton data set (public as of February 2012) we observe that the soft lag (of few seconds amplitude) is detected over a relatively large range of frequencies ($\nu \sim 5-90$ mHz), which always includes the QPO frequencies. The soft lag displays energy-dependence, with the (absolute) amplitude increasing as a function of energy separation. We find close analogies with soft lags associated to type-C QPOs in BH binary systems (although an association to other types of QPOs cannot be completely excluded), as well as with reverberation lags observed in AGN. In both cases an intermediate mass BH (IMBH) solution appears the most plausible.