Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dwarf galaxy populations in present-day galaxy clusters – II. The history of early-type and late-type dwarfs

How did the dwarf galaxy population of present-day galaxy clusters form and grow over time? We address this question by analysing the history of dark matter subhaloes in the MillenniumII cosmological simulation. A semi-analytic model serves as the link to observations. We argue that a reasonable analogue to early morphological types or red-sequence dwarf galaxies are those subhaloes that experienced strong mass loss, or alternatively those that have spent a long time in massive haloes. This approach reproduces well the observed morphologydistance relation of dwarf galaxies in the Virgo and Coma clusters, and thus provides insight into their history. Over their lifetime, present-day late t ypes have experienced an amount of environmental influence similar to what the progenitors of d warf ellipticals had already experienced at redshifts above two. Therefore, dwarf ellipti cals are more likely to be a result of early and continuous environmental influence in group- and c luster-size haloes, rather than a recent transformation product. The observed morphological sequences of late-type and earlytype galaxies have developed in parallel, not consecutively. Consequently, the characteristics of today’s late-type galaxies are not necessarily represen tative for the progenitors of today’s dwarf ellipticals. Studies aiming to reproduce the present -day dwarf population thus need to start at early epochs, model the influence of various environ ments, and also take into account the evolution of the environments themselves.
A simple method for the Kramers-Kronig analysis of reflectance spectra measured with diamond anvil cell

When the optical reflectance spectrum of a sample under high pressure is studied with a diamond anvil cell (DAC), it is measured at a sample/diamond interface. Due to the large refractive index of diamond, the resulting reflectance Rd(ω) may substantially differ from that measured in vacuum. To obtain optical constants from Rd(ω), therefore, the usual Kramers-Kronig (KK) transform cannot be straightforwardly applied, and either a spectral fitting or a modified KK transform has been used. Here we describe an alternative method to perform KK analysis on Rd(ω). This method relies on the usual KK transform with an appropriate cutoff and extrapolation to Rd(ω), and may offer a simpler approach to obtain infrared conductivity from measured Rd(ω).
On the equation of motion for test particles in an ambient gravitational field as the Wong equation for a generalized gauge theory

In this note we demonstrate the equation of motion for test particles in an ambient gravitational field for the teleparallel theory of gravity, considered as a generalized gauge theory, using a computational scheme due to Feynman. It can be thought of as the Wong equation for a generalized gauge theory. The Wong and Lorentz equations become identical when the generators of a generalized non-abelian gauge theory are taken to be the local translation generators.
Phase transition in a noisy Kitaev toric code model

It is well-known that the partition function of a classical spin model can be mapped to a quantum entangled state where some properties on one side can be used to find new properties on the other side. However, the consequences of the existence of a classical (critical) phase transition on the corresponding quantum state has been mostly ignored. This is particularly interesting since the classical partition function exhibits non-analytic behavior at the critical point and such behavior could have important consequences on the quantum side. In this paper, we consider this problem for an important example of Kitaev toric code model which has been shown to correspond to the two-dimensional (2D) Ising model though a duality transformation. Through such duality transformation, it is shown that the temperature on the classical side is mapped to bit-flip noise on the quantum side. It is then shown that a transition from a coherent superposition of a given quantum state to a non-coherent mixture corresponds exactly to paramagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transition in the Ising model. To identify such a transition further, we define an order parameter to characterize the decoherency of such a mixture and show that it behaves similar to the order parameter (magnetization) of 2D Ising model, a behavior that is interpreted as a robust coherency in the toric code model. Furthermore, we consider other properties of the noisy toric code model exactly at the critical point. We show that there is a relative stability to noise for the toric code state at the critical noise which is revealed by a relative reduction in susceptibility to noise. We close the paper with a discussion on connection between the robust coherency as well as the critical stability with topological order of the toric code model.
Irregular Vertex Operators for Irregular Conformal Blocks

We construct the free field representation of irregular vertex operators of arbitrary rank which generates simultaneous eigenstates of positive modes of Virasoro and W symmetry generators. The irregular vertex operators turn out to be the exponentials of combinations of derivatives of Liouville or Toda fields, creating irregular coherent states. We compute examples of correlation functions of these operators and study their operator algebra.
Childhood Diarrhea Prevalence and Uptake of Oral Rehydration Solution and Zinc Treatment in Nigeria

Given the disproportionate burden of childhood diarrhea deaths in Nigeria, this study assessed the prevalence and predictors of the disease and the uptake of ORS and zinc supplementation as treatments in a population-based national survey. Cross-sectional data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey were used. A log-Poisson regression was used to estimate the relative risks (RR) for the individual-level predictors of childhood diarrhea and the uptake of ORS and zinc treatments. A total of 30,713 children under 5 years of age were included in the survey. The period prevalence of reported diarrhea in the last two weeks was 12.9% (95% CI: 12.5%, 13.3%). Among the children with diarrhea, the proportion who received ORS was 39.7% (95% CI: 38.2%, 41.3%), while 29.1% of them received zinc supplements (95% CI: 27.7%, 30.5%), and 21.8% of them received both the ORS and zinc treatments as recommended. Children under 6 months of age with diarrhea had a significantly lower likelihood of being given ORS or zinc when they were compared to the older children. The institutional delivery of them, maternal employment, and improved water sources were also independent predictors of the uptake of ORS and zinc treatments for diarrhea (p-values < 0.05). Interventions to prevent childhood diarrhea and improve the coverage of ORS and zinc treatments may reduce the large burden of childhood diarrhea deaths in Nigeria.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Implications of Ageing on Infection and Maintaining Protection in the Elderly

Several reports have suggested that ageing negatively affects the human body resulting in the alteration of various parameters important for sufficient immune health. Although, the breakdown of innate and adaptive immunity has been hypothesized to increase an individual’s susceptibility to infections including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), little research has been done to bridge this gap and understand the pathophysiology underlying how ageing increases the pathogenesis of M. tb infection. Our objective was to study research from a plethora of resources to better understand the pathogenesis of ageing and its link to the human immune system. To achieve this goal, this article explores how ageing decreases the collective T-cell immune response, reduces glutathione (GSH) production, over activates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC1) pathway, inhibits autophagy and mitophagy, and alters various protective genes/transcription factors. Specifically highlighting how each of these pathways cripple an individual’s immune system and increases their susceptibility from M. tb infection. Furthermore, research summarized in this article gives rise to an additional mechanism of susceptibility to M. tb infection which includes a potential defect in antigen presenting by dendritic cells rather than the T-cells response. Inflammaging has also been shown to play a role in the ageing of the immune system and can also potentially be a driving factor for increased susceptibility to M. tb infection in the elderly. In addition, this article features possible preventative strategies that could decrease infections like M. tb in this population. These strategies would need to be further explored and range from immunomodulators, like Everolimus to antioxidant supplementation through GSH intake. We have also proposed the need to research these therapies in conjunction with the administration of the BCG vaccine, especially in endemic populations, to better understand the risk contracting M. tb infection as well as ways to prevent infection in the first place.
Three-Time-Point PET Analysis of 68Ga-FAPI-46 in a Variety of Cancers

A growing family of 68Ga-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET probes has shown promise in imaging a variety of medical conditions. 68Ga-FAPI-46, in particular, has emerged as unique for both its diagnostic and its theranostic applications; however, the optimal timing of PET remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated uptake at 3 time points after 68Ga-FAPI-46 administration in a spectrum of tumor types. Methods: The cohort consisted of 43 patients with diverse cancer diagnoses undergoing 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT at 3 time points (10 min, 1 h, and 3 h). We determined the tracer uptake based on SUVmean and SUVmax and on tumor-to-background-ratios (TBRs) (SUVmax/SUVmean). Results: There were 171 lesions in the 43 patients. Comparing all lesions at different time points, the mean SUVmax was maximal at 10 min (8.2) and declined slightly at 1 h (8.15) and 3 h (7.6) after tracer administration. Similarly, the mean SUVmax log still had a similar pattern in primary lesions at 10 min, 1 h, and 3 h (n = 30; 0.98, 1.01, and 0.98, respectively), lymph node metastases (n = 37; 0.82, 0.84, and 0.81, respectively), and distant metastases (n = 104; 0.81, 0.79, and 0.74, respectively). TBR also showed nonsignificant differences at the 3 times. Conclusion: 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT imaging revealed remarkably stable tumor and background uptake as determined by SUV metrics and maintained high TBRs within 3 h of injection. Thus, it may be possible to scan with 68Ga-FAPI-46 within 10–20 min of injection, improving workflow and decreasing patient wait times. Confirmation of these findings in a larger cohort is under way.
Cosmological information in the redshift-space bispectrum

We use the Fisher-matrix formalism to investigate whether the galaxy bispectrum in redshift space, B, contains additional cosmological information with respect to the power spectrum, P. We focus on a Euclid-like survey and consider cosmological models dominated by dark energy and cold dark matter with Gaussian primordial perturbations. After discussing the phenomenology of redshift-space distortions for the bispectrum, we derive an expression for the cross-covariance between B and P at leading order in perturbation theory. Our equation generalizes previous results that did not consider binning in the orientation of wavevector triangles with respect to the line of sight. By considering Fourier modes with wavenumber
Conducting the SONG: The Robotic Nature and Efficiency of a Fully Automated Telescope

We present a description of “the Conductor,” an automated software package that handles all observations at the first Stellar Observations Network Group (SONG) node telescope at the Teide Observatory on the island of Tenerife. The idea was to provide a complete description on the automated procedures for target selection and execution of observations and to demonstrate how the SONG robotic telescope is being operated. The Conductor is a software package developed in Python and running on a server in Aarhus that makes use of a large set of database tables through which it communicates with the SONG nodes. Based on a number of selection criteria the Conductor is able to identify the optimum target to be observed at any given moment, taking into account local weather conditions and technical constraints. The Conductor has made it possible for the Hertzsprung SONG telescope to become a highly sophisticated and efficient robotic telescopic facility without human interaction. It can handle everything from principal investigators submitting their proposed targets with specific settings, to the data being available for download after the observations has been carried out. At present, and thanks to the availability of the Conductor, the first node of the SONG project can be considered a world leading robotic telescope with respect to needed human interactions, efficiency, and flexibility in observing strategy.
Transcriptome Analysis of the Ovaries of Taihe Black-Bone Silky Fowls at Different Egg-Laying Stages

The poor egg-laying performance and short peak egg-laying period restrict the economic benefits of enterprises relating to the Taihe black-bone silky fowl. Ovaries are the main organ for egg production in poultry. Unlike that of mammals, the spawning mechanism of poultry has rarely been reported. As a prominent local breed in China, the reproductive performance of Taihe black-bone silky fowls is in urgent need of development and exploitation. To further explore the egg-laying regulation mechanism in the different periods of Taihe black-bone silky fowls, the ovarian tissues from 12 chickens were randomly selected for transcriptome analysis, and 4 chickens in each of the three periods (i.e., the pre-laying period (102 days old, Pre), peak laying period (203 days old, Peak), and late laying period (394 days old, Late)). A total of 12 gene libraries were constructed, and a total of 9897 differential expression genes (DEGs) were identified from three comparisons; the late vs. peak stage had 509 DEGs, the pre vs. late stage had 5467 DEGs, and the pre vs. peak stage had 3921 DEGs (pre-stage: pre-egg-laying period (102 days old), peak-stage: peak egg-laying period (203 days old), and late-stage: late egg-laying period (394 days old)). In each of the two comparisons, 174, 84, and 2752 differentially co-expressed genes were obtained, respectively, and 43 differentially co-expressed genes were obtained in the three comparisons. Through the analysis of the differential genes, we identified some important genes and pathways that would affect reproductive performance and ovarian development. The differential genes were LPAR3, AvBD1, SMOC1, IGFBP1, ADCY8, GDF9, PTK2B, PGR, and CD44, and the important signaling pathways included proteolysis, extracellular matrices, vascular smooth muscle contraction, the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway and the phagosome. Through the analysis of the FPKM (Fragments Per Kilobase of exon model per Million mapped fragments) values of the genes, we screened three peak egg-laying period-specific expressed genes: IHH, INHA, and CYP19A1. The twelve genes and five signaling pathways mentioned above have rarely been reported in poultry ovary studies, and our study provides a scientific basis for the improvement of the reproductive performance in Taihe black-bone silky fowls.
Self-Prioritization Reconsidered: Scrutinizing Three Claims

Such is the power of self-relevance, it has been argued that even arbitrary stimuli (e.g., shapes, lines, colors) with no prior personal connection are privileged during information processing following their association with the self (i.e., self-prioritization). This prioritization effect, moreover, is deemed to be stimulus driven (i.e., automatic), grounded in perception, and supported by specialized processing operations. Here, however, we scrutinize these claims and challenge this viewpoint. Although self-relevance unquestionably influences information processing, we contend that, at least at present, there is limited evidence to suggest that the prioritization of arbitrary self-related stimuli is compulsory, penetrates perception, and is underpinned by activity in a dedicated neural network. Rather, self-prioritization appears to be a task-dependent product of ordinary cognitive processes.
Outcome measures in psoriatic arthritis: Where next?

Abstract Objective To provide an overview of commonly used outcome measure in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Background PsA is a heterogenous inflammatory arthritis, associated with psoriasis that affects between 0.1% and 2% of the population and approximately one in three patients with psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis places a significant burden on patients' overall quality of life and is associated with a range of comorbidities. Although assessment of patients and monitoring of symptoms has greatly improved over the last 2 decades, capturing disease activity in this multisystem disease remains challenging. Previous efforts have traditionally focussed on assessment of individual disease domains, however recent evidence suggests that composite measurements, particularly those incorporating patient reported outcomes may not only help monitor disease activity more accurately, but also help in accurately validating therapy outcomes in PsA patients. Purpose This review discusses currently used outcome measurements in PsA and also highlights the importance of emerging measurements such as biomarkers and their possible role in capturing treatment response.
Beta-Boswellic Acid Reverses 3-Nitropropionic Acid-Induced Molecular, Mitochondrial, and Histopathological Defects in Experimental Rat Model of Huntington’s Disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is distinguished by a triple repeat of CAG in exon 1, an increase in poly Q in the Htt gene, and a loss of GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSN) in the striatum and white matter of the cortex. Mitochondrial ETC-complex dysfunctions are involved in the pathogenesis of HD, including neuronal energy loss, synaptic neurotrophic decline, neuronal inflammation, apoptosis, and grey and white matter destruction. A previous study has demonstrated that beta Boswellic acid (β-BA), a naturally occurring phytochemical, has several neuroprotective properties that can reduce pathogenic factors associated with various neurological disorders. The current investigation aimed to investigate the neuroprotective potential of β-BA at oral doses of 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg alone, as well as in conjunction with the potent antioxidant vitamin E (8 mg/kg, orally) in 3-NP-induced experimental HD rats. Adult Wistar rats were separated into seven groups, and 3-NP, at a dose of 10 mg/kg, was orally administered to each group of adult Wistar rats beginning on day 1 and continuing through day 14. The neurotoxin 3-NP induces neurodegenerative, g, neurochemical, and pathological alterations in experimental animals. Continuous injection of 3-NP, according to our results, aggravated HD symptoms by suppressing ETC-complex-II, succinate dehydrogenase activity, and neurochemical alterations. β-BA, when taken with vitamin E, improved behavioural dysfunctions such as neuromuscular and motor impairments, as well as memory and cognitive abnormalities. Pharmacological treatments with β-BA improved and restored ETC complexes enzymes I, II, and V levels in brain homogenates. β-BA treatment also restored neurotransmitter levels in the brain while lowering inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress biomarkers. β-BA’s neuroprotective potential in reducing neuronal death was supported by histopathological findings in the striatum and cortex. As a result, the findings of this research contributed to a better understanding of the potential role of natural phytochemicals β-BA in preventing neurological illnesses such as HD.
No-Scale Multiverse Blueprints at the LHC

Tianjun Li, 2 James A. Maxin, Dimitri V. Nanopoulos, 3, 4, ∗ and Joel W. Walker 1 State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA Astroparticle Physics Group, Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), Mitchell Campus, Woodlands, TX 77381, USA Academy of Athens, Division of Natural Sciences, 28 Panepistimiou Avenue, Athens 10679, Greece Department of Physics, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA
A High Quality-Factor Optical Modulator with Hybrid Graphene-Dielectric Metasurface Based on the Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum

In this paper, we combine the dielectric metasurface with monolayer graphene to realize a high quality(Q)-factor quasi-BIC-based optical modulator, and the corresponding modulation performances are investigated by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, which can be well fitting by the Fano formula based on the temporal couple-mode theory. The results demonstrate that bound states in the continuum (BIC) will turn into the quasi-BIC with high Q-factor by breaking the symmetry of every unit of the metasurface. Meanwhile, the amplitude and bandwidth of transmission based on the quasi-BIC mode can be efficiently adjusted by changing the Fermi energy (EF) of monolayer graphene, and the maximum difference in transmission up to 0.92 is achieved. Moreover, we also discuss the influence of the asymmetry degree to further investigate the modulation effect of graphene on the quasi-BIC mode.
Statistical Mechanics: J Theory and Experiment Granular Brownian motion

We study the stochastic motion of an intruder in a dilute driven granular gas. All particles are coupled to a thermostat, representing the external energy source, which is the sum of random forces and a viscous drag. The dynamics of the intruder, in the large mass limit, is well described by a linear Langevin equation, combining the eﬀects of the external bath and of the ‘granular bath’. The drag and diﬀusion coeﬃcients are calculated under a few assumptions, whose validity is well veriﬁed in numerical simulations. We also discuss the nonequilibrium properties of the intruder dynamics, as well as the corrections due to ﬁnite packing fraction or ﬁnite intruder mass. behavior with a minimum at low values of the restitution coeﬃcient. Our results lose validity when the mass of the intruder is reduced, when the packing fraction of the gas is increased, when the inelasticity is too low to disregard non-Gaussian corrections, and when the interaction times of the two baths become comparable.