Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Focal scar and diffuse myocardial fibrosis are independent imaging markers in repaired tetralogy of Fallot

Abstract Aims To identify the correlates of focal scar and diffuse fibrosis in patients with history of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) repair. Methods and results Consecutive patients with prior TOF repair underwent electrocardiogram, 24-h Holter, transthoracic echocardiography, exercise testing, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) including cine imaging to assess ventricular volumes and ejection fraction, T1 mapping to assess left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) diffuse fibrosis, and free-breathing late gadolinium-enhanced imaging to quantify scar area at high spatial resolution. Structural imaging data were related to clinical characteristics and functional imaging markers. Cine and T1 mapping results were compared with 40 age- and sex-matched controls. One hundred and three patients were enrolled (age 28 ± 15 years, 36% women), including 36 with prior pulmonary valve replacement (PVR). Compared with controls, TOF showed lower LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and RV ejection fraction (RVEF), and higher RV volume, RV wall thickness, and native T1 and extracellular volume values on both ventricles. In TOF, scar area related to LVEF and RVEF, while LV and RV native T1 related to RV dilatation. On multivariable analysis, scar area and LV native T1 were independent correlates of ventricular arrhythmia, while RVEF was not. Patients with history of PVR showed larger scars on RV outflow tract but shorter LV and RV native T1. Conclusion Focal scar and biventricular diffuse fibrosis can be characterized on CMR after TOF repair. Scar size relates to systolic dysfunction, and diffuse fibrosis to RV dilatation. Both independently relate to ventricular arrhythmias. The finding of shorter T1 after PVR suggests that diffuse fibrosis may reverse with therapy.
RESOLVING THE COSMIC FAR-INFRARED BACKGROUND AT 450 AND 850 μm WITH SCUBA-2

We use the SCUBA-2 submillimeter camera mounted on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope to obtain extremely deep number counts at 450 and 850 μm. We combine data on two cluster lensing fields, A1689 and A370, and three blank fields, CDF-N, CDF-S, and COSMOS, to measure the counts over a wide flux range at each wavelength. We use statistical fits to broken power law representations to determine the number counts. This allows us to probe to the deepest possible level in the data. At both wavelengths our results agree well with the literature in the flux range over which they have been measured, with the exception of the 850 μm counts in CDF-S, where we do not observe the counts deficit found by previous single-dish observations. At 450 μm, we detect significant counts down to ∼1 mJy, an unprecedented depth at this wavelength. By integrating the number counts above this flux limit, we measure Jy deg−2 of the 450 μm extragalactic background light (EBL). The majority of this contribution is from sources with S450 μm between 1–10 mJy, and these sources are likely to be the ones that are analogous to the local luminous infrared galaxies. At 850 μm, we measure Jy deg−2 of the EBL. Because of the large systematic uncertainties on the COBE measurements, the percentage of the EBL we resolve could range from 48%–153% (44%–178%) at 450 (850) μm. Based on high-resolution Submillimeter Array observations of around half of the 4 σ 850 μm sample in CDF-N, we find that 12.5% of the sources are blends of multiple fainter sources. This is a low multiple fraction, and we find no significant difference between our original SCUBA-2 850 μm counts and the multiplicity-corrected counts.
THE DIMINISHING IMPORTANCE OF MAJOR GALAXY MERGERS AT HIGHER REDSHIFTS

Using mass-selected galaxy samples from deep multiwavelength data we investigate the incidence of close galaxy pairs between z = 0.4 and 2. Many such close pairs will eventually merge, and the pair fraction is therefore related to the merger rate. Over this redshift range the mean pair fraction is essentially constant (evolving as fpair ∼ (1 + z)−0.4 ± 0.6) with about 6% ± 1% of massive galaxies having a 1: 4 or greater companion within 30 h−1 kpc. Assuming the timescale over which pairs merge is not a strong function of redshift, this implies a similarly constant merger rate (per unit time) out to z = 2. Since about three times as much cosmic time passes at z < 1 as between z = 1 and 2, this implies that correspondingly more mergers occur in the low-redshift universe. When minor companions (1:10 mass ratio or greater) are included, the pair fraction increases to ∼20% and still does not evolve strongly with redshift. We also use a rest-frame color criterion to select pairs containing only quiescent galaxies (major “dry merger” progenitors), and find them to be similarly rare and constant with 4%–7% of massive quiescent galaxies exhibiting a nearby companion. Thus, even though other studies find major mergers to be relatively uncommon since z = 1, our results suggest that few additional mergers occur in the 1 < z < 2 range and other mechanisms may be required to explain the mass and size growth of galaxies over this epoch.
Light (anti-)nuclei production and flow in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Using the coalescence model based on the phase-space distributions of protons, neutrons, Lambdas and their antiparticles from a multiphase transport (AMPT) model, we study the production of deuteron, triton, helium 3, hypertriton, hyperhelium 3 and their antinuclei in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=2.76$ TeV. The resulting transverse momentum spectra, elliptic flows and coalescence parameters for these nuclei are presented and compared with available experimental data. We also show the constituent number scaled elliptic flows of these nuclei and discuss their implications.
THE FORMATION AND EARLY EVOLUTION OF A CORONAL MASS EJECTION AND ITS ASSOCIATED SHOCK WAVE ON 2014 JANUARY 8

In this paper, we study the formation and early evolution of a limb coronal mass ejection (CME) and its associated shock wave that occurred on 2014 January 8. The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images provided by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory disclose that the CME first appears as a bubble-like structure. Subsequently, its expansion forms the CME and causes a quasi-circular EUV wave. Interestingly, both the CME and the wave front are clearly visible at all of the AIA EUV passbands. Through a detailed kinematical analysis, it is found that the expansion of the CME undergoes two phases: a first phase with a strong but transient lateral over-expansion followed by a second phase with a self-similar expansion. The temporal evolution of the expansion velocity coincides very well with the variation of the 25–50 keV hard X-ray flux of the associated flare, which indicates that magnetic reconnection most likely plays an important role in driving the expansion. Moreover, we find that, when the velocity of the CME reaches ∼600 km s−1, the EUV wave starts to evolve into a shock wave, which is evidenced by the appearance of a type II radio burst. The shock’s formation height is estimated to be ∼0.2 Rsun, which is much lower than the height derived previously. Finally, we also study the thermal properties of the CME and the EUV wave. We find that the plasma in the CME leading front and the wave front has a temperature of ∼2 MK, while that in the CME core region and the flare region has a much higher temperature of ≥8 MK.
Cutoff Regularization Method in Gauge Theories

A Lorentz and gauge symmetry preserving regularization method is discussed in four dimension based on momentum cutoff. We use the conditions of gauge invariance or equivalently the freedom of shift of the loop momentum to define the evaluation of the terms carrying even number of Lorentz indices, e.g. proportional to $k_{\mu}k_{\nu}$. The remaining scalar integrals are calculated with a four dimensional momentum cutoff. The finite terms (independent of the cutoff) are free of ambiguities coming from subtractions in non-trivial cases. Finite parts of the result are equal with the results of dimensional regularization. The proposed method can be applied to various physical processes where the use of dimensional regularization is subtle or a physical cutoff is present. As a famous example it is shown that the triangle anomaly can be calculated unambiguously with this new improved cutoff.
Principal components of CMB non-Gaussianity

The skew-spectrum statistic introduced by Munshi & Heavens (2010) has recently been used in studies of non-Gaussianity from diverse cosmological data sets including the detection of primary and secondary non-Gaussianity of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation. Extending previous work, focussed on independent estimation, here we deal with the question of joint estimation of multiple skew-spectra from the same or correlated data sets. We consider the optimum skew-spectra for various models of primordial non-Gaussianity as well as secondary bispectra that originate from the cross-correlation of secondaries and lensing of CMB: coupling of lensing with the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect, coupling of lensing with thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ), as well as from unresolved point-sources (PS). For joint estimation of various types of non-Gaussianity, we use the PCA to construct the linear combinations of amplitudes of various models of non-Gaussianity, e.g. $f^{\rm loc}_{\rm NL},f^{\rm eq}_{\rm NL},f^{\rm ortho}_{\rm NL}$ that can be estimated from CMB maps. Bias induced in the estimation of primordial non-Gaussianity due to secondary non-Gaussianity is evaluated. The PCA approach allows one to infer approximate (but generally accurate) constraints using CMB data sets on any reasonably smooth model by use of a lookup table and performing a simple computation. This principle is validated by computing constraints on the DBI bispectrum using a PCA analysis of the standard templates.
Does corporate social responsibility protect shareholder value from the shock of COVID‐19? Evidence from China

Abstract Our study examines whether and how increased engagement in social responsibility activities by a firm affects movements in its stock prices during the COVID‐19 public health crisis, which is regarded as an exogenous shock to economic ties between focal firms and their customers, employees, and suppliers. We find that corporate social responsibility has an inverted U‐shaped relationship with shareholder value. The nonlinear relationship is more dominant at firms with higher cash‐flow constraints and weaker cost‐adjustment capabilities. Our research also generates meaningful implications for business practices.
Structural complexity of quantum networks

Quantum network is a set of nodes connected with channels, through which the nodes communicate photons and classical information. Classical structural complexity of a quantum network may be defined through its physical structure, i.e. mutual position of nodes and channels connecting them. We show here that the classical structural complexity of a quantum network does not restrict the structural complexity of entanglement graphs, which may be created in the quantum network with local operations and classical communication. We show, in particular, that 1D quantum network can simulate both simple entanglement graphs such as lattices and random graphs and complex small-world graphs.
The shell game: a panoramic view of Fornax

We present a panoramic study of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy, using data obtained as part of the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) ATLAS Survey. The data presented here – a subset of the full survey – uniformly cover a region of 25 deg2 centred on the galaxy, in g, r and i bands. This large area coverage reveals two key differences to previous studies of Fornax. First, data extending beyond the nominal tidal radius of the dwarf highlight the presence of a second distinct red giant branch population. This bluer red giant branch appears to be co-eval with the horizontal branch population. Secondly, a shell structure located approximately 1 ∘ . ∘ 4 from the centre of Fornax is shown to be a mis-identified background overdensity of galaxies. This last result casts further doubt on the hypothesis that Fornax underwent a gas-rich merger in its relatively recent past.
Obstructive sleep apnea, nighttime arousals, and leukocyte telomere length: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

STUDY OBJECTIVES Sleep disturbances and sleep apnea are associated with increased vulnerability to age-related disease, altering molecular pathways affecting biological aging. Telomere length captures one component of biological aging. We evaluated whether objectively assessed sleep and sleep apnea relate to leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). METHODS Men and women aged 44-84 years (n=672) from the MESA Stress and MESA Sleep studies underwent polysomnography and 7-day actigraphy (at Exam 5) and assessment of LTL (at baseline (Exam 1) and about 10 years later (Exam 5). RESULTS General linear models adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, BMI, physical activity, and smoking, found that severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA; apnea hypopnea index >30) was cross-sectionally associated with shorter LTL (P=0.007). Modest associations of shorter LTL with less rapid eye movement sleep, more stage 1 sleep, wake after sleep onset >30 minutes, and long sleep duration were found, but these effects were diminished after adjusting for lifestyle and OSA. Exploratory analyses found that higher arousal index at Exam 5 was associated with greater LTL decline over the prior 10 years (P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS OSA was associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length. Individuals with high arousal frequency had greater leukocyte telomere attrition over the prior decade. These findings suggest that sleep apnea and sleep fragmentation are associated with accelerated biological aging.
Explicit unconditionally stable methods for the heat equation via potential theory

We study the stability properties of explicit marching schemes for second-kind Volterra integral equations that arise when solving boundary value problems for the heat equation by means of potential theory. It is well known that explicit finite difference or finite element schemes for the heat equation are stable only if the time step $\Delta t$ is of the order $O(\Delta x^2)$, where $\Delta x$ is the finest spatial grid spacing. In contrast, for the Dirichlet and Neumann problems on the unit ball in all dimensions $d\ge 1$, we show that the simplest Volterra marching scheme, i.e., the forward Euler scheme, is unconditionally stable. Our proof is based on an explicit spectral radius bound of the marching matrix, leading to an estimate that an $L^2$-norm of the solution to the integral equation is bounded by $c_dT^{d/2}$ times the norm of the right hand side. For the Robin problem on the half space in any dimension, with constant Robin (heat transfer) coefficient $\kappa$, we exhibit a constant $C$ such that the forward Euler scheme is stable if $\Delta t < C/\kappa^2$, independent of any spatial discretization. This relies on new lower bounds on the spectrum of real symmetric Toeplitz matrices defined by convex sequences. Finally, we show that the forward Euler scheme is unconditionally stable for the Dirichlet problem on any smooth convex domain in any dimension, in $L^\infty$-norm.
Successful and unsuccessful attempts to swallow in a reduced Aplysia preparation regulate feeding responses and produce memory at different neural sites

Sensory feedback shapes ongoing behavior and may produce learning and memory. Motor responses to edible or inedible food in a reduced Aplysia preparation were examined to test how sensory feedback affects behavior and memory. Feeding patterns were initiated by applying a cholinomimetic onto the cerebral ganglion. Feedback from buccal muscles increased the response variability and response rate. Repeated application of the cholinomimetic caused decreased responses, expressed in part by lengthening protractions. Swallowing strips of “edible” food, which in intact animals induces learning that enhances ingestion, increased the response rate, and shortened the protraction length, reflecting more swallowing. Testing memory by repeating the procedure prevented the decrease in response rate observed with the cholinomimetic alone, and shortened protractions. Training with “inedible” food that in intact animals produces learning expressed by decreased responses caused lengthened protractions. Testing memory by repeating the procedure did not cause decreased responses or lengthened protractions. After training and testing with edible or inedible food, all preparations were exposed to the cholinomimetic alone. Preparations previously trained with edible food displayed memory expressed as decreased protraction length. Preparations previously trained with inedible food showed decreases in many response parameters. Memory for inedible food may arise in part via a postsynaptic decrease in response to acetylcholine released by afferents sensing food. The lack of change in response number, and in the time that responses are maintained during the two training sessions preceding application of the cholinomimetic alone suggests that memory expression may differ from behavioral changes during training.
Maximum reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by complete replacement of natural gas with pure hydrogen as a sole low reactive fuel in a RCCI engine

In order to maximum reduction in hydrocarbon fuels consumption as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, the aim of this study is to evaluate a RCCI engine performance fueled with diesel fuel and pure hydrogen as sole low reactive fuel. For this purpose, a single-cylinder heavy-duty diesel engine with bathtub piston bowl profile and compression ratio of 14.88:1 is assessed that operates at its mid-load range from 9.4 to 13.5 bar gross IMEPs. In order to overcome the NOx challenge resulted from using pure hydrogen, the use of suitable amount of EGR and nitrogen addition as air-hydrogen diluents along with the advanced SOI timing were employed. The simulation results show that in a hydrogen-fueled RCCI engine, while reducing the diesel fuel energy share as the only supplier of air-hydrogen mixture ignition energy to about 13%, the HES percentage can be enhanced up to 87%. Although, the SOC will occur with a long delay and the CA50 will take place about 15°CA after the TDC compared to the experimental data, however, the maximum loss of the engine load is less than 6% with the GIE of more than 48% without any exposure to diesel knock. Moreover, not only the EURO VI level of the CO and UHC emissions and the EPA level of Formaldehyde emission can be met, but also, the EURO VI level of NOx emission as the most important challenge of a hydrogen-fueled engine is achievable.
Resurgence of Pertussis Infections in Shandong, China: Space-Time Cluster and Trend Analysis

Abstract. Although vaccination is effective in preventing infection, pertussis remains endemic worldwide, including China. To lead better targeted prevention strategies, we examined dynamics of spatial and temporal patterns of pertussis transmission in Shandong, China, from 2009 to 2017. We used space-time cluster analysis, logistic regression analysis, and regression tree model to detect the changes in spatial patterns of pertussis infections in Shandong Province, China, between periods (2009–2011, 2012–2014, and 2015–2017). The yearly pertussis incidence rates dramatically increased by 16.8 times from 2009 to 2017. Shifting patterns of peaks of pertussis infections were observed over both time (from June–July to August–September) and space (from Linyi to Jinan), with increasing RR from 4.1 (95% CI: 2.3–7.4) (2009–2011) to 6.1 (95% CI: 5.6–6.7) (2015–2017) and obvious coincidence of peak time. West Shandong had larger odds of increased infections over the study period (odds ratio: 1.52 [95% CI: 1.05–2.17]), and pertussis had larger odds of spreading to east (odds ratio: 2.32 [95% CI: 1.63–3.31]) and north (odds ratio: 1.69 [95% CI: 1.06–2.99]) over time. Regression tree model indicated that the mean difference in yearly average pertussis incidence between 2009–2011 and 2015–2017 increased by more than 4-fold when the longitudes of counties are < 118.0°E. The geographic expansion of pertussis infection may increase the risk of epidemic peaks, coinciding with increased infections in the future. The findings might offer evidence for targeting preventive measures to the areas most in need to minimize the impact of the disease.
Scaling of cardiac morphology is interrupted by birth in the developing sheep Ovis aries

Scaling of the heart across development can reveal the degree to which variation in cardiac morphology depends on body mass. In this study, we assessed the scaling of heart mass, left and right ventricular masses, and ventricular mass ratio, as a function of eviscerated body mass across fetal and postnatal development in Horro sheep Ovis aries (~50‐fold body mass range; N = 21). Whole hearts were extracted from carcasses, cleaned, dissected into chambers and weighed. We found a biphasic relationship when heart mass was scaled against body mass, with a conspicuous ‘breakpoint’ around the time of birth, manifest not by a change in the scaling exponent (slope), but rather a jump in the elevation. Fetal heart mass (g) increased with eviscerated body mass (Mb, kg) according to the power equation 4.90 Mb0.88 ± 0.26 (± 95% CI), whereas postnatal heart mass increased according to 10.0 Mb0.88 ± 0.10. While the fetal and postnatal scaling exponents are identical (0.88) and reveal a clear dependence of heart mass on body mass, only the postnatal exponent is significantly less than 1.0, indicating the postnatal heart becomes a smaller component of body mass as the body grows, which is a pattern found frequently with postnatal cardiac development among mammals. The rapid doubling in heart mass around the time of birth is independent of any increase in body mass and is consistent with the normalization of wall stress in response to abrupt changes in volume loading and pressure loading at parturition. We discuss variation in scaling patterns of heart mass across development among mammals, and suggest that the variation results from a complex interplay between hard‐wired genetics and epigenetic influences.
THE EFFECT OF RADIAL MIGRATION ON GALACTIC DISKS

We study the radial migration of stars driven by recurring multi-arm spiral features in an exponential disk embedded in a dark matter halo. The spiral perturbations redistribute angular momentum within the disk and lead to substantial radial displacements of individual stars, in a manner that largely preserves the circularity of their orbits and that results, after 5 Gyr (∼40 full rotations at the disk scale length), in little radial heating and no appreciable changes to the vertical or radial structure of the disk. Our results clarify a number of issues related to the spatial distribution and kinematics of migrators. In particular, we find that migrators are a heavily biased subset of stars with preferentially low vertical velocity dispersions. This “provenance bias” for migrators is not surprising in hindsight, for stars with small vertical excursions spend more time near the disk plane, and thus respond more readily to non-axisymmetric perturbations. We also find that the vertical velocity dispersion of outward migrators always decreases, whereas the opposite holds for inward migrators. To first order, newly arrived migrators simply replace stars that have migrated off to other radii, thus inheriting the vertical bias of the latter. Extreme migrators might therefore be recognized, if present, by the unexpectedly small amplitude of their vertical excursions. Our results show that migration, understood as changes in angular momentum that preserve circularity, can strongly affect the thin disk, but cast doubts on models that envision the Galactic thick disk as a relic of radial migration.