Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of 18 F-FDG, 68 Ga-PSMA-11 and 18 F-PSMA-1007 in PET for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the second most incident neoplasm in men, except for non-melanoma skin cancer, and has the second highest mortality rate in Brazil. Early diagnosis increases the chances of cure and enables a less aggressive treatment for the patient. Nuclear Medicine presents effective alternatives for prostate cancer diagnosis, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) or PET and Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imaging. The aim of this study is to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the radiopharmaceuticals 18 F-FDG, 68 Ga-PSMA-11 and 18 F-PSMA-1007 used for PET or PET/CT in the diagnosis of this type of cancer. Compared to 18 F-FDG, 68 Ga-PSMA-11 has some advantages such as its availability by means of generators, the independent production of a cyclotron facility and its theranostic potential. The disadvantages compared to 18 F-FDG are the scalability of 18 F-FDG production compared to limited generator production. Despite its favorable characteristics, the radiopharmaceutical 18 F-FDG has limitations in the diagnosis of some types of tumors, such as prostate cancer. The recently studied radiopharmaceutical 18 F-PSMA-1007 has shown potential in the identification of small lesions in cases of prostate cancer and local recurrence. All the favorable and unfavorable aspects of these three radiopharmaceuticals are presented in this work.
A Simple Model for the Afternoon and Early-Evening Decay of Turbulence over Different Land Surfaces

Recent years have seen an increasing interest in the late-afternoon transition between the convective and stable regimes of the atmospheric boundary layer. There are several differences between the two regimes. On one hand, the convective boundary layer is characterized by an unstable stratification, turbulent mixing of mass, momentum and heat and buoyancy-driven eddies. On the other hand, the stable boundary layer is associated with a strong stable stratification that tends to suppress vertical motions generated by mechanical turbulence. One of the key processes of this complex transition period is the forcing time scale associated with the surface heat flux. Unfortunately, very few modeling studies have used realistic decaying time scales for the sensible heat flux. Therefore, in the first part of this study, we present a new function that better represents the afternoon and early-evening transitions and validate it with eddy covariance measurements over different land surfaces. The objectives are to capture the buoyancy forcing time scales observed in nature and the influence of surface properties. In the second part of the study, we show preliminary results of large-eddy simulation of atmospheric flow over heterogeneous cooling stripes. We focus our attention on the temperature advection between the different stripes as a result of their different cooling rates. Overall, this study is one of the first to model the convective decay of turbulence using realistic time scales over heterogeneous terrain.
Mechanisms giving increased weld depth due to a flux

It is known that for ‘tungsten inert gas’ welding of stainless steel, the weld depth can be increased by a factor of two or more if a thin layer of flux powder is initially coated on the steel. Numerical predictions from a unified electrode-arc-weldpool model are made elucidating the possible role of three different mechanisms previously proposed to explain this effect, and we also examine a new fourth possible mechanism, namely the effect that the flux is an electrical insulator. (1) Calculations support the suggestion that if the dissolved flux in the weld pool changes the temperature dependence of the surface tension to increase rather than decrease with temperature, the direction of convective circulation within the weld pool can change from radially outwards to radially inwards, leading to an increased weld depth of the order of 2 mm. (2) The effect of electron attachment to flux vapour in the arc, if the vapour contains an attaching gas such as oxygen, is found to have a negligible effect in producing arc constriction and thus a higher current density to increase weld depth. (3) Our treatment assumes that the surface of the weld pool is undepressed by the arc, so that we have not examined the suggestion that increased weld depth is caused by the flux lowering surface tension and thus increasing depression of the weld pool surface. But experimental observations indicate that such depression is negligible for currents of less than 200 A. (4) If the flux produces an insulating layer on the metal surface, calculations indicate that there can be a marked increase in weld depth of the order of 5 mm or more due to the flux blocking the current in the outer regions of the arc thus producing a higher current density at the arc centre. Furthermore these calculations indicate that the flux causes an arc spot to form at the anode, in agreement with similar experimental observations of an anode spot in the presence of a flux.
Using integrated nested Laplace approximations for the evaluation of veterinary surveillance data from Switzerland: a case‐study

Summary. Spatiotemporal disease mapping models have been used extensively to describe the pattern of surveillance data. They are usually formulated in a hierarchical Bayesian framework and posterior marginals are not available in closed form. Hence, the standard method for parameter estimation is Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms. A new method for approximate Bayesian inference in latent Gaussian models using integrated nested Laplace approximations has recently been proposed as an alternative. This approach promises very precise results in short computational time. The aim of the paper is to show how integrated nested Laplace approximations can be used as an inferential tool for a variety of spatiotemporal models for the analysis of reported cases of bovine viral diarrhoea in cattle from Switzerland. Conclusions concerning the problem of under‐reporting in the data are drawn via a multilevel modelling strategy. Furthermore, a comparison with Markov chain Monte Carlo methods with regard to the accuracy of the parameter estimates and the usability of both approaches in practice is conducted. Approaches to model choice using integrated nested Laplace approximations are also presented.
Ultralow thermal conductivity of nanoparticle packed bed

We show that thermal conductivity of packed bed of alumina nanoparticles can be as low as 0.035W∕mK which is only 35% higher than the thermal conductivity of air and is smaller than the recently reported lowest thermal conductivity of solids using disordered layered WeS2. These findings show a promising approach for making low-cost and ultralow thermal conductivity thermal insulation materials with high density and good sustainability at high pressures.
An end effect associated with cylindrical Langmuir probes moving at satellite velocities

An anomaly in the volt-ampere characteristic of the cylindrical Langmuir probe carried aboard the Explorer 17 satellite has been observed. It consists of a substantial enhancement of the positive ion current that is related to the spatial aspect of the probe. This phenomenon can be explained as an end effect that becomes important as the angle (θ) between the axis of the probe and the velocity vector of the satellite becomes small. An analytical expression for this end current as a function of θ is derived. This expression fits the flight data within the experimental error. The effect may be utilized to experimentally obtain information on the ion temperature and its mass distribution as well as the dimension of the sheath about the probe. It is also suggested that this effect might be utilized to accurately detect the velocity vector of the satellite.
Nearly Gaussian random variables and application to meteorology

We consider a nearly Gaussian random variable $X$ (see \cite{Lefebvre}) that, after a power transformation, the variable $X^c$ where $c=\{(2k+1)/(2j+1)\}$, $k,j=\{0,1,\dots\}$, is approximately Gaussian. This transformation is useful to model errors in temperature forecasts.
Fabrication of deeply undercut GaN-based microdisk structures on silicon platforms

The authors demonstrate the use of a dry releasing technique to achieve deeply undercut GaN-based microdisk structures supported by silicon platforms. Varying dimensions of microdisk structures on silicon posts with large air gaps are fabricated by a XeF2-based dry etching of the underlying silicon material. The residual stress variation in these microdisks is studied by high spectral resolution micro-Raman mapping. Such a fabrication technique may effectively improve the light extraction efficiency from GaN-based microdisk light emitting diodes on silicon substrates.
Finite element and difference approximation of some linear stochastic partial differential equations

Difference and finite element methods are described, analyzed, and tested for numerical solution of linear parabolic and elliptic SPDEs driven by white noise. Weak and integral formulations of the stochastic partial differential equations are approximated, respectively, by finite element and difference methods. The white noise processes are approximated by piecewise constant random processes to facilitate convergence proofs for the finite element method. Error analyses of the two numerical methods yield estimates of convergence rates. Computational experiments indicate that the two numerical methods have similar accuracy but the finite element method is computationally more efficient than the difference method
Optimal risk rate in a functional inverse problem

In this note, we will consider the problem of recovering an unknown input function when the output function is observed in its entirety, blurred with functional error. An estimator is constructed whose risk converges at an optimal rate. In this functional model, convergence rates of order 1/n (n is the sample size) are possible, provided that the error distribution is sufficiently concentrated so as to compensate for the ill‐posedness of the inverse of the model operator.
Sparse representation based on multiscale bilateral filter for infrared image using compressed sensing

Compressed sensing is an arisen and significant theory, which has been widely used in infrared image reconstruction and many methods based on compressed sensing have been proposed. However, the existing methods can hardly accurately reconstruct infrared images. Considering that the sparsity of an infrared image plays a crucial role in compressed sensing to accurately reconstruct image, this paper presents a new sparse representation (MBFSF) that integrates the multiscale bilateral filter with shearing filter to overcome the above disadvantage. Firstly, one approximation subband image and a series of detail subband images at different scales and directions are obtained by the MBFSF. Then, in view of the feature that the most information is preserved in the approximation subband image, the proposed method only measures the detail subband images and preserves the approximation subband image. Subsequently, a very sparse random measurement matrix is used for the measurement at the detail subband images to reduce the computation cost and storage of large random measurement matrices in compressed sensing. Finally, an accelerated iterative hard thresholding algorithm is employed to reconstruct the infrared image. Experimental results show that the proposed method has superior performance in terms of reconstruction accuracy and compares favorably with existing compressed sensing methods, which is an effective method in high-resolution infrared imaging based on compressed sensing.
Directional information of the simultaneously active x-ray sources and fast CT reconstruction

This paper focuses on minimizing the time requirement for CT capture through an innovative simultaneous X-ray capture method. The concept was presented in previous publications with synthetically sampled data from a synthetic phantom. This paper puts emphasis on real data reconstruction where a physical 3D phantom consisting of simple geometric shapes was used for the experiment. For a successful reconstruction of the physical phantom, precise calibration of the setup is ensured in this work. Targeting better reconstruction from minimal number of iterations, the sparsity prior CT reconstruction algorithm proposed by Saha et al. [11]was adapted to work in conjunction with the simultaneous X-ray capture modality. Along with critical evaluations of the experimental findings, this paper focuses on optimal parameter settings to achieve a given reconstruction resolution.
Geotail observations of the Hall current system: Evidence of magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail

In a two-fluid picture of magnetic reconnection, inflow electrons flow with the magnetic field line to the diffusion region, whereas inflow ions cannot reach the diffusion region and rest around a distance of the ion inertial length. The relative motion of electrons and ions results in electric currents, that is, the Hall currents. The Hall current system produces a quadrupole structure in the cross-tail component of the magnetic field near the magnetic reconnection region. Furthermore, this relative motion forms the electric field, whose direction is toward the equatorial plane (midplane). We have investigated the plasma and magnetic field structure near the magnetic reconnection region in the magnetotail with the Geotail spacecraft. We commonly observed inflowing low-energy (less than 5 keV) electrons in the outermost layer of the plasma sheet in magnetic reconnection events, where accelerated ions and electrons flow away from the magnetic reconnection region. These electrons can carry currents to form part of the Hall current system. The observed east-west variations in the magnetic field are consistent with the quadrupole structure produced by the Hall current system. We also noted that inflowing ions have consistently a dawnward motion, almost perpendicular to the magnetic field. These ions indicate the presence of the electric field toward the equatorial plane. The present observations demonstrate the ion-electron decoupling processes for magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail.
Characterization of the anisotropy of rough surfaces: Crossing statistics

In this paper, we propose the use of crossing statistics and its generalizations as a new framework to characterize the anisotropy of a 2D rough surface. The proposed method is expandable to higher dimensions. By measuring the number of up-crossing, ν+ [crossing points with a positive slope at a given threshold of height (α)], and the generalized roughness function, Ntot, it is possible to characterize the nature of an anisotropy, rotational invariance, and Gaussianity of any given surface. In the case of anisotropic correlated self- or multi-affine surfaces, even with different correlation lengths in different directions and/or directional scaling exponents, we examine the relationship between ν+ and Ntot, and corresponding scaling parameters analytically. The method identifies the direction of anisotropy through the systematic use of P-value statistics. After applying the common methods in determining the corresponding scaling exponents in the identified anisotropic directions, we are able to determine .
Parallel Algorithms For Maximum Matching And Other Problems On Interval Graphs

In this paper, we consider parallel algorithms on interval graphs. An interval graph is a graph having a one-to-one correspondence with a sequence of intervals on the real line, such that each vertex maps to an interval in the sequence and an edge exists between two vertices if and only if the corresponding intervals overlap. Throughout the paper we use the CREW PRAM model. Our main result is an $O(\log^{2} n)$ time, $O(n^{6}/\log n)$ processor algorithm for maximum matching on interval graphs. We give PT-optimal algorithms for maximum weighted clique, maximum independent set, minimum clique cover, and minimum dominating set for representations of interval graphs; and Hamiltonian circuit for representations of proper interval graphs. We also give an improved algorithm for minimum bandwidth on representations of proper interval graphs. In addition, we present $O (\log n)$ time, $O (n^{2}/\log n)$ processor algorithms for depth-first search on representations of interval graphs and maximum matching on representations of proper interval graphs.
The general sampling distribution of the multiple correlation coefficient

Of the problems of the exact distribution of statistics in common use that of the multiple correlation coefficient is the last to have resisted solution. It will be seen that the solution introduces an extensive group of distributions, occurring naturally in the most diverse types of statistical investigation, and which in their mere mathematical structure supply an extension in a new direction of the entire system of distributions previously obtained, which in their generality underlie the analysis of variance. The individual distributions of this system were in each case obtained by the exact investigation of a particular problem. It was realised only gradually that many of these distri­butions, disguised by the different notations appropriate to different problems, were in reality equivalent, and could be made available in practice by a single system of tables. The remaining cases, with the notable exception of the correlation coefficient, then fall into place as particular limiting forms of a single general distribution. As the practical utility of these earlier solutions depends greatly on a recognition of their place in a single system, a very brief account of their mutual relationship may be given. The only statistic derived from samples of a continuous variate, of which the distribution was known before the present century, appears to be the arithmetic mean of a sample drawn from the normal distribution. In addition, however, two distributions which may be regarded as distributions of statistics had also been found, namely, Bernoulli’s binominal distribution, and Poisson’s series. Both of these distributions possess the property that the aggregate of the values of a sample is itself distributed in a distribution of the same type. In all three classical cases, therefore, the distribution of the statistic derived from a finite sample was known only by a mathematical simplification of this special type. In all other cases, approximations of unknown accuracy based on the use of the standard error and the assumption of normal distributions had perforce to be used.
Do Gang Members in Prisons Impact Others to Recidivate? An Empirical Analysis

Gangs are present in the criminal world across the globe, and they are frequently associated with a range of activities such as the exercise of power, violence, territorial control, and resistance. This paper investigates the relationship between in-prison exposure to specific peers – gang members and reincarceration. Existing qualitative evidence shows that gang members are distinct from other offenders in the peer group in terms of criminal experience, network, and skills. Using a quasiexperimental variation and administrative data of the adult population incarcerated at a state department of corrections, I examine the impact of exposure to gang-affiliated offenders in prisons on non-affiliated offenders’ reincarceration probability upon release. I find that exposure to gangaffiliated peers increases the probability of getting re-incarcerated. A 1 standard deviation increase in the exposure of an inmate to gang members leads to 5.34 percentage points increase in reincarceration probability within 3 years of release. I propose that exposure to gang members increase the probability of reincarceration because gang members are in general more violent, they are criminally more skillful, and they expand their outreach in-prison. JEL codes: K42, K39, J88, I30 PhD Candidate, Email: usmanh@uci.edu A huge thanks to my committee chair, Prof. Emily Owens, for her constant feedback and support. I would like to thank Prof. Nancy Rodriguez for her support. I would also like to thank Prof. Randi Hjalmarrson and Prof. Logan Lee for their helpful comments and feedback. Thanks to Prof. David Neumark, Usman Ghaus, and participants of the Labor Economics Reading group and Labor Economics seminar for their comments and feedback. All errors are my own.
Flickering Red Giants in the Ursa Minor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy: Detection of Low-Amplitude Variability in Faint Red Giant Branch Stars on 10 Minute Timescales

We have analyzed two epochs of Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 observations of the Ursa Minor dwarf spheroidal galaxy using the HSTphot photometric reduction package. We report the detection of nine faint (MV ≳ 0.0 mag) red giant variable stars that exhibit low-amplitude brightness fluctuations on 10 minute timescales with amplitudes ranging from 36 to 130 mmag. We have found variability in 14% of the red giants we have observed. If low-amplitude variability of red giants on 10 minute timescales can be verified and should their numbers prove to be at the 10% level or greater of all red giants in some ancient Population II stellar systems, then the observed color spread of the red giant branch of such systems would be broadened by flickering red giants in color-magnitude diagrams based on short (snapshot) observations of a single pair of 10 minute timescale observations in two different filters.
Comments on “Development and Evaluation of a Convection Scheme for Use in Climate Models”

In a recent paper Emanuel and Živković-Rothman (1999) proposed a new convection scheme. Evaluating the performance of their scheme, Emanuel and Živković-Rothman used the Betts–Miller–Janjić scheme (Betts 1986; Betts and Miller 1986; Janjić 1994) as one of the reference schemes. The authors noted that the Betts–Miller–Janjić scheme performed well in the tests using the Global Atmospheric Research Programme (GARP) Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE) data and stated that the original version of this scheme was tuned to the GATE data quoting the work of Betts and Miller (1986). The Betts–Miller–Janjić scheme differs from the Betts–Miller scheme in several important aspects. First, in the deep convection algorithm the parameters that define the moisture profile and the relaxation time are not fixed. They are variable and depend on the ‘‘cloud efficiency,’’ a parameter that characterizes the convection regime (Janjić 1994). The cloud efficiency is proportional to a nondimensional combination of the entropy change over the time step, precipitation over the time step, and the mean temperature of the cloud. Second, in the shallow convection algorithm, the moisture profile is defined from the requirement that the entropy change be small and nonnegative (Janjić 1994).
Plasma Potential Well and Velocity Shear Layer at the Edge of Reversed Field Pinch Plasmas

The first evidence of an electrostatic potential well at the edge of plasmas confined in a reversed field pinch configuration is reported, based on measurements made on the RFX experiment. The radial width of the well decreases with plasma current, whereas the potential drop is a few times the electron temperature at the edge, almost independent of plasma current. The resulting radial electric field points inward at the edge and this behavior has been related to finite Larmor radius losses as in tokamaks. Because of the spatial structure of the plasma potential, a naturally occurring double velocity shear layer has been identified at the edge with a shear value comparable to that of tokamaks and stellarators. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}