Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ON THE DISTANCE OF THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS USING CEPHEID NIR AND OPTICAL–NIR PERIOD–WESENHEIT RELATIONS

We present the largest near-infrared (NIR) data sets, JHKs, ever collected for classical Cepheids in the Magellanic Clouds (MCs). We selected fundamental (FU) and first overtone (FO) pulsators, and found 4150 (2571 FU, 1579 FO) Cepheids for Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and 3042 (1840 FU, 1202 FO) for Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Current sample is 2–3 times larger than any sample used in previous investigations with NIR photometry. We also discuss optical VI photometry from OGLE-III. NIR and optical–NIR Period–Wesenheit (PW) relations are linear over the entire period range (0.0 < log PFU ⩽ 1.65) and their slopes are, within the intrinsic dispersions, common between the MCs. These are consistent with recent results from pulsation models and observations suggesting that the PW relations are minimally affected by the metal content. The new FU and FO PW relations were calibrated using a sample of Galactic Cepheids with distances based on trigonometric parallaxes and Cepheid pulsation models. By using FU Cepheids we found a true distance moduli of 18.45 ± 0.02(random) ± 0.10(systematic) mag (LMC) and 18.93 ± 0.02(random) ± 0.10(systematic) mag (SMC). These estimates are the weighted mean over 10 PW relations and the systematic errors account for uncertainties in the zero point and in the reddening law. We found similar distances using FO Cepheids (18.60 ± 0.03(random) ± 0.10(systematic) mag (LMC) and 19.12 ± 0.03(random) ± 0.10(systematic) mag (SMC)). These new MC distances lead to the relative distance, Δμ = 0.48 ± 0.03 mag (FU, log P = 1) and Δμ = 0.52 ± 0.03 mag (FO, log P = 0.5), which agrees quite well with previous estimates based on robust distance indicators.
Online Workpieces Recognition for the Robotic Spray-Painting Production Line With a Low-Cost RGB-D Camera

Workpiece recognition plays a significant role in automatic painting and provides a basis for the selection path of robot spraying. However, it is not trivial to quickly and accurately recognize the multiple types of complex workpieces densely arranged in the production line. To solve this issue, we propose an online recognition approach for robotic spray-painting applications. First, with a consumer RGB-D camera, the red green blue (RGB) images and depth images only containing a single workpiece are obtained from the densely arranged workpieces by the proposed event-triggered collection method. Second, a coarse-to-fine recognition method is proposed to efficiently and accurately identify the workpieces. Specifically, such a method applies the S-Mask R-CNN network for quick coarse classification and segmentation of the workpieces based on the RGB images. Then, incorporating the strong distinctiveness of the fast point feature histogram (FPFH) feature and the affine invariance in the 4-points congruent sets (4PCS) method, the workpieces are recognized finely based on the point clouds, which are obtained by the depth images and the 2-D segmentation results. To evaluate the system performance, over 1500 workpieces from 34 different categories on the spray-painting production line had been tested. According to our experiments, the proposed approach can accurately recognize different types of workpieces within 1.5 s, and the recognition accuracy can reach 99.32%.
A new gravitational N-body simulation algorithm for investigation of cosmological chaotic advection

Recently alternative approaches in cosmology seeks to explain the nature of dark matter as a direct result of the non-linear spacetime curvature due to different types of deformation potentials. In this context, a key test for this hypothesis is to examine the effects of deformation on the evolution of large scales structures. An important requirement for the fine analysis of this pure gravitational signature (without dark matter elements) is to characterize the position of a galaxy during its trajectory to the gravitational collapse of super clusters at low redshifts. In this context, each element in an gravitational N-body simulation behaves as a tracer of collapse governed by the process known as chaotic advection (or lagrangian turbulence). In order to develop a detailed study of this new approach we develop the COsmic LAgrangian TUrbulence Simulator (COLATUS) to perform gravitational N-body simulations based on Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) for graphics processing units (GPUs). In this paper we report the first robust results obtained from COLATUS.Recently alternative approaches in cosmology seeks to explain the nature of dark matter as a direct result of the non-linear spacetime curvature due to different types of deformation potentials. In this context, a key test for this hypothesis is to examine the effects of deformation on the evolution of large scales structures. An important requirement for the fine analysis of this pure gravitational signature (without dark matter elements) is to characterize the position of a galaxy during its trajectory to the gravitational collapse of super clusters at low redshifts. In this context, each element in an gravitational N-body simulation behaves as a tracer of collapse governed by the process known as chaotic advection (or lagrangian turbulence). In order to develop a detailed study of this new approach we develop the COsmic LAgrangian TUrbulence Simulator (COLATUS) to perform gravitational N-body simulations based on Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) for graphics processing units (GPUs). In this p.
Ground-based Mid-infrared Study of the Compton-thick AGN in M51 at 10–100 pc Scale

We performed near-diffraction-limited ( FWHM) N-band imaging of one of the nearest active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in M51 with the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope to study the nuclear structure and spectral energy distribution (SED) at 8–13 μm. We found that the nucleus is composed of an unresolved core (at pc resolution, orintrinsic size corrected for the instrumental effect of pc) and an extended halo (at a few tens of parsec scale), and each of their SEDs is almost flat. We examined the SED by comparing with the archival Spitzer IRS spectrum processed to mimic our chopping observation of the nucleus and the published radiative transfer model SEDs of the AGN clumpy dusty torus. The halo SED is likely due to circumnuclear star formation showing deficient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission due to the AGN. The core SED is likely dominated by the AGN because of the following two reasons. First, the clumpy torus model SEDs can reproduce the red mid-infrared continuum with apparently moderate silicate 9.7 μm absorption. Second, the core 12 μm luminosity and the absorption-corrected X-ray luminosity at 2–10 keV in the literature follow the mid-infrared–X-ray luminosity correlation known for the nearby AGNs, including the Compton-thick ones.
Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training with Royal Jelly Consumption on Serum Levels of Glucose, Insulin, and Insulin Resistance Index of Overweight and Obese Middle-Aged Men: A Quasi-experimental Study

Background: Royal jelly is a supplement with various vitamins and active ingredients, which can create good physiological adaptations in the body along with training. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with royal jelly on serum glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance index of overweight and obese middle-aged men. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 60 men were randomly assigned to four groups: (1) Control, (2) training, (3) royal jelly, and (4) training + royal jelly. The training and training + royal jelly groups implemented the exercise program. The HIIT protocol included eight weeks of high intensity (85 - 95% of the maximum heart rate) and active rest periods (60 - 70% of the maximal heart rate). The royal jelly group used one 1000 mg capsule daily. Extra-group data analysis was conducted by one-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test, and in-group analysis was carried out by dependent t test using SPSS version 22 software. A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A significant increase was observed in weight from the pretest to posttest in the groups of royal supplement (P = 0.001), training (P = 0.001), and training + royal supplement (P = 0.0001). However, blood glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance index showed a significant decrease between posttests as well as pretest and posttest groups (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with royal jelly supplementation could improve blood glucose and insulin levels in obese or overweight people prone to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Correcting nonlinear drift distortion of scanning probe microscopy from image pairs with orthogonal scan directions

Unwanted motion of the probe with respect to the sample is a ubiquitous problem in scanning probe microscopy, causing both linear and nonlinear artifacts in experimental images. We have designed a procedure to correct these artifacts by using orthogonal scan pairs to align each measurement line-by-line along the slow scan direction. We demonstrate the accuracy of our algorithm on both synthetic and experimental data and provide an implementation of our method.
An Effective Routability-Driven Packing Algorithm for Large-Scale Heterogeneous FPGAs

As the increasing complexity and scale of FPGA architecture grows, heterogeneity and routability have greatly challenged FPGA placement. In this paper, we propose an effective routability-driven packing algorithm for large-scale heterogeneous FPGAs. First, we present a novel BLE packing method to deal with the complex clock constraints, meanwhile forming more HCLB-friendly BLEs. Then, we propose a congestion-aware HCLB packing technique to produce placement-friendly netlists without degrading routability. Finally, we adopt an effective and accurate method to perform routing congestion estimation to guide the packing algorithm. Based on the ISPD 2017 benchmarks, experimental results show that our algorithm achieves the best overall routed wirelength and outperforms three state-of-the-art FPGA placers by 9.8%, 8.2%, and 3.4% on routed wirelength, respectively.
H i, CO, and Dust in the Perseus Cloud

Comparison analyses between the gas emission data ( line and line) and the Planck/IRAS dust emission data (optical depth at and dust temperature ) allow us to estimate the amount and distribution of the hydrogen gas more accurately, and our previous studies revealed the existence of a large amount of optically thick gas in the solar neighborhood. Referring to this, we discuss the neutral hydrogen gas around the Perseus cloud in the present paper. By using the J-band extinction data, we found that increases as a function of the 1.3th power of column number density of the total hydrogen ( ), and this implies dust evolution in high density regions. This calibrated relationship shows that the amount of the gas can be underestimated to be if the optically thin method is used. Based on this relationship, we calculated the optical depth of the line ( ) and found that around the molecular cloud. The effect of is still significant, even if we take into account the dust evolution. We also estimated a spatial distribution of the -to- conversion factor ( ), and we found its average value is . Although these results are inconsistent with some previous studies, these discrepancies can be well explained by the difference of the data and analyses methods.
Chemical Abundance Signature of J0023+0307: A Second-generation Main-sequence Star with [Fe/H] < −6

We present a chemical abundance analysis of the faint halo metal-poor main-sequence star J0023+0307, with [Fe/H] < −6.3, based on a high-resolution (R ∼ 35,000) Magellan/MIKE spectrum. The star was originally found to have [Fe/H] < −6.6 based on a Ca ii K measurement in an R ∼ 2500 spectrum. No iron lines could be detected in our MIKE spectrum. Spectral lines of Li, C, Na, Mg, Al, Si, and Ca were detected. The Li abundance is close to the Spite Plateau, (Li) = 1.7, not unlike that of other metal-poor stars, although in stark contrast to the extremely low value found, e.g., in HE 1327–2326 at a similar [Fe/H] value. The carbon G-band is detected and indicates strong C-enhancement, as is typical for stars with low Fe abundances. Elements from Na through Si show a strong odd–even effect, and J0023+0307 displays the second-lowest known [Ca/H] abundance. Overall, the abundance pattern of J0023+0307 suggests that it is a second-generation star that formed from gas enriched by a massive Population III first star exploding as a fallback supernova. The inferred dilution mass of the ejecta is 105±0.5 M⊙ of hydrogen, strongly suggesting J0023+0307 formed in a recollapsed minihalo. J0023+0307 is likely very old because it has a very eccentric orbit with a pericenter in the Galactic bulge.
Gravitational wave memory from gamma ray bursts’ jets

While the possible roles of gamma ray bursts' (GRBs) progenitors as gravitational waves (GW) sources have been extensively studied, little attention has been given to the GRB jet itself as a GW source. We expect the acceleration of the jet to produce a Gravitational Wave Memory signal. While all relativistic jet models display antibeaming of GW radiation away from the jet axis, thus radiating away from directions of GRBs' $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ radiation, this effect is not overwhelming. The decrease of the signal amplitude toward the cone of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray detectability is weak, and for some models and parameters the GW signal reaches a significant amplitude for much of the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray cone. Thus both signals may be jointly detected. We find different waveforms and Fourier signatures for uniform jets and structured jet models\char22{}thus offering a method of using GW signatures to probe the internal structure and acceleration of GRB jets. The GW signal peaks just outside the jet (core) of a uniform (structured) jet. Within the jet (core) the GW signal displays wiggles, due to a polarization effect; thus for a uniform jet, the peak amplitude accompanies a smoother signal than the peak of a structured jet. For the most probable detection angle and for typical GRB parameters, we expect frequencies $\ensuremath{\lesssim}600\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{Hz}$ and amplitudes $h\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}25}$. Our estimates of the expected signals suggest that the signals are not strong enough for a single cluster of DECIGO nor for aLIGO's sensitivities. However, sensitivities of $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}25}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ in the DECIGO band should suffice to detect typical long GRBs at 2 Gpc and short GRBs at 200 Mpc, implying a monthly event of a long GRB and a detection of a short GRB every decade. In addition, we expect much more frequent detection of GW from GRBs directed away from us, including orphan afterglows. The ultimate DECIGO sensitivy should increase the range and enable detecting these signals in all models even to high cosmological $z$.
On the sensitivity of the diffusion MRI signal to brain activity in response to a motor cortex paradigm

Diffusion functional magnetic resonance imaging (dfMRI) is a promising technique to map functional activations by acquiring diffusion‐weighed spin‐echo images. In previous studies, dfMRI showed higher spatial accuracy at activation mapping compared to classic functional MRI approaches. However, it remains unclear whether dfMRI measures result from changes in the intracellular/extracellular environment, perfusion, and/or T2 values. We designed an acquisition/quantification scheme to disentangle such effects in the motor cortex during a finger‐tapping paradigm. dfMRI was acquired at specific diffusion weightings to selectively suppress perfusion and free‐water diffusion, then time series of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC‐fMRI) and of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) effects were derived. ADC‐fMRI provided ADC estimates sensitive to changes in perfusion and free‐water volume, but not to T2/T2* values. With IVIM modeling, we isolated the perfusion contribution to ADC, while suppressing T2 effects. Compared to conventional gradient‐echo blood oxygenation level‐dependent fMRI, activation maps obtained with dfMRI and ADC‐fMRI had smaller clusters, and the spatial overlap between the three techniques was below 50%. Increases of perfusion fractions were observed during task in both dfMRI and ADC‐fMRI activations. Perfusion effects were more prominent with ADC‐fMRI than with dfMRI but were significant in less than 25% of activation regions. IVIM modeling suggests that the sensitivity to task of dfMRI derives from a decrease of intracellular/extracellular diffusion and an increase of the pseudo‐diffusion signal fraction, leading to different, more confined spatial activation patterns compared to classic functional MRI.
Exclusive diffractive photon bremsstrahlung at the LHC

We calculate differential distributions for the $p p \to p p \gamma$ reaction at the LHC energy $\sqrt{s} = 14$ TeV. We consider diffractive classical bremsstrahlung mechanisms including effects of non point-like nature of protons. In addition, we take into account (vector meson)-pomeron, photon-pion as well as photon-pomeron exchange processes for the first time in the literature. Predictions for the total cross section and several observables related to these processes e.g. differential distributions in pseudorapidities and transverse momenta of photons or protons are shown and discussed. The integrated diffractive bremsstrahlung cross section ($E_{\gamma}>100$ GeV) is only of the order of $\mu$b. We try to identify regions of the phase space where one of the mechanisms dominates. The classical bremsstrahlung dominates at large forward/backward photon pseudorapidities, close to the pseudorapidities of scattered protons. In contrast, the photon-pomeron (pomeron-photon) mechanism dominates at midrapidities but the related cross section is rather small. In comparison the virtual-omega rescattering mechanism contributes at smaller angles of photons (larger photon rapidities). Photons in the forward/backward region can be measured by the Zero Degree Calorimeters (ZDCs) installed in experiments at the LHC while the midrapidity photons are difficult to measure (small cross section, small photon transverse momenta). Protons could be measured by ALFA detector (ATLAS) or TOTEM detector at CMS. The exclusivity could be checked with the help of main central detectors.
Early kinetic decoupling of dark matter: When the standard way of calculating the thermal relic density fails

Calculating the abundance of thermally produced dark matter particles has become a standard procedure, with sophisticated methods guaranteeing a precision that matches the percent-level accuracy in the observational determination of the dark matter density. Here, we point out that one of the main assumptions in the commonly adopted formalism, namely local thermal equilibrium during the freeze-out of annihilating dark matter particles, does not have to be satisfied in general. We present two methods for how to deal with such situations, in which the kinetic decoupling of dark matter happens so early that it interferes with the chemical decoupling process: i) an approximate treatment in terms of a coupled system of differential equations for the leading momentum moments of the dark matter distribution, and ii) a full numerical solution of the Boltzmann equation in phase-space. For illustration, we apply these methods to the case of Scalar Singlet dark matter. We explicitly show that even in this simple model the prediction for the dark matter abundance can be affected by up to one order of magnitude compared to the traditional treatment.
Stable single light bullets and vortices and their active control in cold Rydberg gases

Realizing single light bullets and vortices that are stable in high dimensions is a long-standing goal in the study of nonlinear optical physics. The storage and retrieval of such stable high-dimensional optical pulses may offer a variety of applications. Here, we present a scheme to generate such optical pulses in a cold Rydberg atomic gas. By virtue of electromagnetically induced transparency, strong, long-range atom–atom interaction in Rydberg states is mapped to light fields, resulting in a giant, fast-responding nonlocal Kerr nonlinearity and the formation of light bullets and vortices carrying orbital angular momenta, which have extremely low generation power and very slow propagation velocity, and can stably propagate, with the stability provided by the combination of local and nonlocal Kerr nonlinearities. We demonstrate that the light bullets and vortices obtained can be stored and retrieved in the system with high efficiency and fidelity. Our study provides a new route for manipulating high-dimensional nonlinear optical processes via controlled optical nonlinearities in cold Rydberg gases.
Platelet Rich Plasma and Platelet-Related Products in the Treatment of Radiculopathy—A Systematic Review of the Literature

Back pain with radicular symptoms is associated with detrimental physical and emotional functioning and economic burden. Conservative treatments including physical, pharmacologic and injection therapy may not provide clinically significant or long-standing relief. Regenerative medicine research including Platelet rich plasma (PRP), Platelet lysate (PL) or Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) continues to develop, however evidence appraisal for treatment of radicular pain remains lacking. Thus, we performed a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of epidural steroid injections containing PRP or related products to treat radicular pain. Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Google Scholar databases were queried. Twelve studies were included in qualitative analysis, consisting of three randomized controlled trials and nine observational studies. The primary outcome was pain intensity, and secondary outcomes included functional improvement, anatomical changes on advanced imaging, and adverse events. All studies identified improved pain intensity and functional outcomes after epidural injection of PRP, PRGF and/or PL. Similar or longer lasting pain relief was noted in the PRP cohort compared to the cohort receiving epidural steroid injections with effects lasting up to 12–24 months. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) analysis revealed a very-low certainty of evidence due to risk of bias, indirectness, and imprecision.
Modern comprehensive study of the W UMa system TY Boo

New three color light curves of TY Boo were acquired during five nights from February to May 2006 in the BV R bandpass using a 50-cm F/8.4 Ritchey-Chrétien telescope (Ba50) at the Baja Astronomical Observatory (Hungary), with a 512 × 512 Apogee AP-7 CCD camera. A photometric solution of these light curves was obtained by means of the Wilson-Devinney code. The results showed that the less massive component is hotter than the more massive one, and the temperature difference between the components is ΔT ∼ 249 K. Long term investigation of the system based on all available data shows two stages of increase and a similar trend for decrease, which appears to be periodic behavior. A set of new light elements yields a new period (P = 0.3171506d) and shows a periodic decrease with the rate dP/dE = 5.858 × 10−12 d cycle−1, 6.742 × 10−9 d yr−1 or 0.058 s century−1. The evolutionary status of the system is discussed.