Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chandra Multiwavelength Project. I. First X-Ray Source Catalog

The Chandra Multiwavelength Project (ChaMP) is a wide-area (~14 deg2) survey of serendipitous Chandra X-ray sources, aiming to establish fair statistical samples covering a wide range of characteristics (such as absorbed active galactic nuclei, high-z clusters of galaxies) at flux levels (fX ~ 10-15 to 10-14 ergs s-1 cm-2) intermediate between the Chandra deep surveys and previous missions. We present the first ChaMP catalog, which consists of 991 near on-axis, bright X-ray sources obtained from the initial sample of 62 observations. The data have been uniformly reduced and analyzed with techniques specifically developed for the ChaMP and then validated by visual examination. To assess source reliability and positional uncertainty, we perform a series of simulations and also use Chandra data to complement the simulation study. The false source detection rate is found to be as good as or better than expected for a given limiting threshold. On the other hand, the chance of missing a real source is rather complex, depending on the source counts, off-axis distance (or PSF), and background rate. The positional error (95% confidence level) is usually less than 1'' for a bright source, regardless of its off-axis distance, while it can be as large as 4'' for a weak source (~20 counts) at a large off-axis distance (Doff-axis > 8′). We have also developed new methods to find spatially extended or temporary variable sources, and those sources are listed in the catalog.
Radio properties and extinction of the H II regions in M51

De nouvelles donnees radio a 6 et 20 cm, des donnees photometriques en Hα et spectrophotometriques de la galaxie spirale M 51 sont utilisees pour etudier les proprietes physiques des regions H II. Les dimension, densite, masse, extinction et luminosite sont determinees pour chacune d'entre elles
Measurements of 1∕f noise in Josephson junctions at zero voltage: Implications for decoherence in superconducting quantum bits

Critical current fluctuations with a 1∕f spectral density (f is frequency) are potentially a limiting source of intrinsic decoherence in superconducting quantum bits (qubits) based on Josephson tunnel junctions. Prior measurements of this noise were made at nonzero voltages whereas qubits are operated in the zero voltage state. We report measurements of 1∕f noise in a dc superconducting quantum interference device first, coupled to a resonant tank circuit and operated in a dispersive mode at zero voltage, and, second, operated conventionally with a current bias in the voltage regime. Both measurements yield essentially the same magnitude of critical current 1∕f noise.
A method for detecting ionospheric disturbances and estimating their propagation speed and direction using a large GPS network

A technique is developed for detecting short period (3–10 min) ionospheric disturbances and estimating their propagation speed and direction using data from a large GPS network (a hundred or more receivers). This method increases the signal‐to‐noise ratio of small signals and could be applied, autonomously, to process a large set of data for the study of the potential signal sources and statistical distributions of these disturbances. The integral electron content (IEC) for every satellite‐station pair in the network is extracted from dual frequency phase data. These IEC time series are then band‐pass‐filtered and cross‐correlated with each other. The resulting correlation power is an indication of the presence of a common disturbance recorded at the two stations, and the delay to the maximum correlation is a measurement of the propagation time between the ionospheric pierce points of the respective stations. A threshold on correlation power is used to select a subset of these delay measurements. The velocity of the detected perturbation is then estimated by fitting a two‐dimensional plane wave model to this subset of measurements. A technique is developed to remove the effects of time‐varying satellite motion and to reconstruct the waveform that would have been observed at a fixed point within the ionosphere. Consistency of the resulting velocity estimates is checked using a stacking‐alignment method and a time‐distance mapping that accounts for the motion of the GPS satellites. The sensitivity of the velocity estimate to both the assumed height of a thin‐layer ionosphere and the detection threshold value is studied. A simulation is used to demonstrate the IEC waveform distortion due to satellite motion, and an example is shown in which this distortion is able to shift the dominant frequencies of an actual disturbance outside of the passband of the filter, thereby preventing detection. Four weeks of data, in different seasons, collected using the Southern California Integrated GPS Network (SCIGN), were processed. Over the total of 28 days, 127 significant disturbances were detected, most with horizontal propagation speeds between 50–1000 m/s and westward directions of propagation. A few cases with exceptionally high speed (>2000 m/s) were observed. It is hypothesized that these are manifestations of disturbances that occur simultaneously throughout the ionosphere, rather than traveling waves. The rate of occurrence of disturbances in the 3–10 min band was found to be larger than expected. Observational biases of this method are discussed.
Chest CT for Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Background: We report the results of our retrospective analysis of the ability of standard chest CT scans to correctly diagnose cancer in the breast. Methods: Four hundred and fifty-three consecutive women with chest CT scans (contrast and non-contrast) preceding mammograms within one year comprise the study population. All chest CT images were reviewed by an experienced fellowship-trained chest radiologist and mammograms by an experienced fellowship-trained mammographer without the benefit of prior or ancillary studies; only four mammographic views were included for analysis. The size, location, and shape of breast masses were documented; on CT, the average Hounsfield units were measured. On both imaging modalities, the presence of lymphadenopathy, architectural distortion, skin thickening, and microcalcifications were recorded. Ultimately, the interpreting radiologist was asked to decide if a biopsy was indicated, and these recommendations were correlated with the patient’s outcome. Findings: Nineteen of four hundred and fifty-three patients had breast cancer at the time of the mammography. Breast masses were the most common finding on chest CT, leading to the recommendation for biopsy. Hounsfield units were the most important feature for discerning benign from malignant masses. CT sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CT for breast cancer detection was 84.21%, 99.3%, and 98.68% compared to 78.95%, 93.78%, and 93.16% for four-view mammography. Chest CT scans with or without contrast had similar outcomes for specificity and accuracy, but sensitivity was slightly less without contrast. Chest CT alone, without the benefit of prior exams and patient recall, correctly diagnosed cancer with a p-value of <0.0001 compared to mammography with the same limitations. Conclusion: Chest CT accurately diagnosed breast cancer with few false positives and negatives and did so without the need for patient recall for additional imaging.
Origin of the ease of association of color names: Comparison between humans and AI

Rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) based on deep neural networks has resulted in artificial systems such as generative pre-trained transformer 3 (GPT-3), which can generate human-like language. Such a system may provide a novel platform for studying how human perception is related to knowledge and the ability of language generation. We compared the frequency distribution of basic color terms in the answers of human subjects and GPT-3 when both were asked similar questions regarding color names associated with the letters of the alphabet. We found that GPT-3 generated basic color terms at a frequency very similar to that of human non-synaesthetes. A similar frequency was observed when color names associated with numerals were tested indicating that simple co-occurrence of alphabet and color word in the trained dataset cannot explain the results. We suggest that the proposed experimental framework using the latest AI models has the potential to explore the mechanisms of human perception.
Proving the CEP with compact stars

We present a model for hybrid compact stars composed of a quark core and a hadronic mantle with an abrupt first order phase transition at the interface and in accordance with the latest astrophysical measurements of two 2 M_sun pulsars. We demonstrate the possibility of a disconnected mass-radius sequence (third family) of high-mass pulsars as a distinct feature due to a large jump $\Delta \epsilon$ in the energy density of the first order phase transition setting in at $\epsilon_{\rm crit}\approx 500$ MeV/fm$^3$ and fulfilling $\Delta \epsilon/\epsilon_{\rm crit} > 0.6$. We conclude that the measurement of so called \textit{twin} compact stars at high mass (~ 2 M_sun) would support the existence of a first order phase transition in symmetric matter at zero temperature entailing the existence of a critical end point (CEP) in the QCD phase diagram.
Principle and Application of Steam Explosion Technology in Modification of Food Fiber

Steam explosion is a widely used hydrothermal pretreatment method, also known as autohydrolysis, which has become a popular pretreatment method due to its lower energy consumption and lower chemical usage. In this review, we summarized the technical principle of steam explosion, and its definition, modification and application in dietary fiber, which have been explored by researchers in recent years. The principle and application of steam explosion technology in the modification of food dietary fiber were analyzed. The change in dietary fiber structure; physical, chemical, and functional characteristics; the advantages and disadvantages of the method; and future development trends were discussed, with the aim to strengthen the economic value and utilization of plants with high dietary fiber content and their byproducts.
Measurement of the Oxidation State of Fe in the ISM Using X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

The relative fractions of Fe in metal, sulfide, or oxide—the Fe oxidation state—in the interstellar medium (ISM) can provide constraints on the processes that operated on material in the protosolar disk. We used synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectra of three mineral standards and two kinds of primitive extraterrestrial materials to constrain the oxidation state and mineralogy of the host phase of ISM Fe as measured by X-ray observations of Fe-L ISM absorption from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Oxidation of cometary material appears to have taken place in the nebula, before incorporation into cometary nuclei, although the mechanism is unknown. We also test the hypothesis of Ishii et al. that ISM solids consist largely of Glass with Embedded Metals and Sulfides (GEMS), enigmatic components of primitive interplanetary dust particles. The hypothesis is not consistent with observations. Using Fe L-edge absorption spectra of comet 81P/Wild 2 samples returned by the Stardust mission, we also find that Chandra observations are inconsistent with the hypothesis the cometary fine-grained material consists of unaltered interstellar dust.
Echinocystic Acid Bidesmoside Saponins from Microglossa afzelii O. Hoffm and Their Cytotoxic Activity against the CAL-27 Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cell Line

This paper describes eight new triterpenoid saponins, including afzeliioside A (1), four acetylated afzeliiosides as pairs of inseparable regioisomers, called afzeliiosides B/C (2/3) and D/E (4/5), afzeliiosides F-H (6–8), and a known impatiprin C (9), which were isolated from the n-BuOH fraction of the liana of Microglossa afzelii. Their structures were established mainly by extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR, HRFAB-MS, tandem ESI-MS/MS, and chemical methods, as well as a comparison of their spectral data with those of related compounds. All the isolates were screened for their cytotoxic activity against the CAL-27 oral squamous carcinoma cell line. Only compounds 4/5 (EC50 = 36.0 μg/mL (32.7 μM)) exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity. This work presents the first chemical and biological investigation of Microglossa afzelii and reports, for the first time, on the isolation of saponins in the genus Microglossa.
Supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories on the lattice

This dissertation reviews the formulation of twisted supersymmetric Yang–Mills (SYM) theories in the continuum and also on the lattice. We focus on the maximally supersymmetric twisted SYM theories in four and two dimensions. The one-loop renormalization of the lattice four-dimensional SYM theory is investigated. We also study the thermal phase structure of the maximally supersymmetric SYM in two dimensions and possible black hole transitions in its dual gravitational theory, using numerical simulations of the lattice theory. SUPERSYMMETRIC YANG–MILLS THEORIES ON THE LATTICE By Anosh Joseph B.Sc., Mahatma Gandhi University, 2001 M.Sc., Indian Institute of Technology–Madras, 2004
Intraoperative Tumor Detection Using Pafolacianine

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, with increasing numbers of new cases each year. For the vast majority of cancer patients, surgery is the most effective procedure for the complete removal of the malignant tissue. However, relapse due to the incomplete resection of the tumor occurs very often, as the surgeon must rely primarily on visual and tactile feedback. Intraoperative near-infrared imaging with pafolacianine is a newly developed technology designed for cancer detection during surgery, which has been proven to show excellent results in terms of safety and efficacy. Therefore, pafolacianine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 29 November 2021, as an additional approach that can be used to identify malignant lesions and to ensure the total resection of the tumors in ovarian cancer patients. Currently, various studies have demonstrated the positive effects of pafolacianine’s use in a wide variety of other malignancies, with promising results expected in further research. This review focuses on the applications of the FDA-approved pafolacianine for the accurate intraoperative detection of malignant tissues. The cancer-targeting fluorescent ligands can shift the paradigm of surgical oncology by enabling the visualization of cancer lesions that are difficult to detect by inspection or palpation. The enhanced detection and removal of hard-to-detect cancer tissues during surgery will lead to remarkable outcomes for cancer patients and society, specifically by decreasing the cancer relapse rate, increasing the life expectancy and quality of life, and decreasing future rates of hospitalization, interventions, and costs.
Relativistic Jets in Collapsars

We examine the propagation of two-dimensional relativistic jets through the stellar progenitor in the collapsar model for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Each jet is parameterized by a radius where it is introduced and by its initial Lorentz factor, opening angle, power, and internal energy. In agreement with previous studies, we find that relativistic jets are collimated by their passage through the stellar mantle. Starting with an initial half-angle of up to 20°, they emerge with half-angles that, though variable with time, are around 5°. Interaction of these jets with the star and their own cocoons also causes mixing that sporadically decelerates the flow. We speculate that this mixing instability is chiefly responsible for the variable Lorentz factor needed in the internal shock model and for the complex light curves seen in many GRBs. In all cases studied, the jet is shocked deep inside the star following a brief period of adiabatic expansion. This shock converts most of the jet's kinetic energy into internal energy, so even initially "cold" jets become hot after going a short distance. The jet that finally emerges from the star thus has a moderate Lorentz factor, modulated by mixing, and a very large internal energy. In a second series of calculations, we follow the escape of that sort of jet. Conversion of the remaining internal energy gives terminal Lorentz factors along the axis of approximately 150 for the initial conditions chosen. Because of the large ratio of internal to kinetic energy in both the jet (≥80%) and its cocoon, the opening angle of the final jet is significantly greater than at breakout. A small amount of material emerges at large angles, but with a Lorentz factor still sufficiently large to make a weak GRB. This leads us to propose a "unified model" in which a variety of high-energy transients, ranging from X-ray flashes to "classic" GRBs, may be seen depending on the angle at which a standard collapsar is observed. We also speculate that the breakout of a relativistic jet and its collision with the stellar wind will produce a brief transient with properties similar to the class of "short-hard" GRBs. Implications of our calculations for GRB light curves, the luminosity-variability relation, and the GRB-supernova association are also discussed.
Cross correlations among estimators of shape

The regional variability of shape parameters (such as κ for the GEV distribution) may be described by generalized least squares (GLS) regression models that allow shape parameters to be estimated from basin characteristics recognizing the sampling uncertainty in available shape estimators. Implementation of such GLS models requires estimates of the cross‐site correlation of the shape parameter estimators for every pair of sites. Monte Carlo experiments provided the information needed to identify simple power approximations of the relationships between the cross correlation of estimators of skewness γ from [log] Pearson type 3 (P3) data and of the shape parameter κ of both generalized Pareto (GP) and generalized extreme value (GEV) distributions, as functions of the intersite correlation of concurrent flows.
Risk Factors for Hiccups after Deep Brain Stimulation of Subthalamic Nucleus for Parkinson’s Disease

Background: After deep brain stimulation (DBS), hiccups as a complication may lead to extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, or affected prognosis. Currently, the causes and risk factors of postoperative hiccups are unclear. In this study, we investigated the risk factors for hiccups after DBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for Parkinson’s disease (PD) under general anesthesia. Methods: We retrospectively included patients who underwent STN DBS in the study, and collected data of demographic characteristics, clinical evaluations, and medications. According to the occurrence of hiccups within seven days after operation, the patients were divided into a hiccups group and non-hiccups group. The potentially involved risk factors for postoperative hiccups were statistically analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 191 patients were included in the study, of which 34 (17.80%) had postoperative transient persistent hiccups. Binary univariate logistic regression analysis showed that male, higher body mass index (BMI), smoker, Hoehn and Yahr stage (off), preoperative use of amantadine, hypnotic, Hamilton anxiety scale and Hamilton depression scale scores, and postoperative limited noninfectious peri-electrode edema in deep white matter were suspected risk factors for postoperative hiccups (p < 0.1). In binary multivariate logistic regression analysis, male (compared to female, OR 14.00; 95% CI, 1.74–112.43), postoperative limited noninfectious peri-electrode edema in deep white matter (OR, 7.63; 95% CI, 1.37–42.37), preoperative use of amantadine (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.08–12.28), and higher BMI (OR, 3.50; 95% CI, 1.46–8.36) were independent risk factors for postoperative hiccups. Conclusions: This study is the first report about the risk factors of hiccups after STN DBS under general anesthesia for PD patients. The study suggests that male, higher BMI, preoperative use of amantadine, and postoperative limited noninfectious peri-electrode edema in deep white matter are independent risk factors for postoperative hiccups of STN-DBS for PD patients. Most hiccups after STN-DBS for PD patients were transient and self-limiting.
A machine learning artificial neural network calibration of the strong-line oxygen abundance

The HII region oxygen abundance is a key observable for studying chemical properties of galaxies. Deriving oxygen abundances using optical spectra often relies on empirical strong-line calibrations calibrated to the direct method. Existing calibrations usually adopt linear or polynomial functions to describe the non-linear relationships between strong line ratios and Te oxygen abundances. Here, I explore the possibility of using an artificial neural network model to construct a non-linear strong-line calibration. Using about 950 literature HII region spectra with auroral line detections, I build multi-layer perceptron models under the machine learning framework of training and testing. I show that complex models, like the neural network, are preferred at the current sample size and can better predict oxygen abundance than simple linear models. I demonstrate that the new calibration can reproduce metallicity gradients in nearby galaxies and the mass-metallicity relationship. Finally, I discuss the prospects of developing new neural network calibrations using forthcoming large samples of HII region and also the challenges faced.
Neutron lifetime and dark decay of the neutron and hydrogen

The neutron, besides its $\beta$-decay $n\to p e\bar\nu_e$, might have a new decay channel $n\to n' X$ into mirror neutron $n'$, its nearly mass degenerate twin from parallel dark sector, and a massless boson $X$ which can be ordinary and mirror photons or some more exotic particle. Such an invisible decay could alleviate the tension between the neutron lifetimes measured in the beam and trap experiments. I discuss some phenomenological and astrophysical consequences of this scenario, which depends on the mass range of mirror neutron $n'$. Namely, the case $m_{n'} m_p + m_e$, then the decay $n'\to pe\bar \nu_e$ is allowed and $n'$ can represent an unstable dark matter component with rather large lifetime exceeding the age of the Universe. Nevertheless, this decay would produce substantial diffuse gamma background. The dark decay explanation of the lifetime puzzle, however, has a tension with the last experimental results measuring $\beta$-asymmetry in the neutron decay.