Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The M 31 double nucleus probed with OASIS and HST. A natural m=1 mode?

We present observations with the adaptive optics assisted integral eld spectrograph OASIS of the M 31 double nucleus in the spectral domain around the Calcium triplet at a spatial resolution better than 0: 00 5 FWHM. These data are used to derive the two-dimensional stellar kinematics within the central 2 00 . A rchivalWFPC2/HST images in the F300W, F555W and F814W bands are revisited to perform a photometric decomposition of the nuclear region. We also present STIS/HST kinematics obtained from the archive. The luminosity distribution of the central region is well separated into the respective contributions of the bulge, the nucleus including P1 and P2, and the so-called UV peak. We then show, using the OASIS kinematical maps, that the axis joining P1 and P2, the two local surface brightness maxima, does not coincide with the kinematic major-axis, which is also the major-axis of the nuclear isophotes (excluding P1). We also conrm that the velocity dispersion peak is oset by0: 2f rom the UV peak, assumed to mark the location of the supermassive black hole. The newly reduced STIS/HST velocity and dispersion proles are then compared to OASIS and other published kinematics. We nd signicant osets with previously published data. Simple parametric models are then built to successfully reconcile all the available kinematics. We nally interpret the observations using newN-body simulations. The nearly Keplerian nuclear disk of M 31 is subject to a natural m = 1 mode, with a very slow pattern speed (3 km s 1 /pc for MBH =7 10 7 M), that can be maintained during more than a thousand dynamical times. The resulting morphology and kinematics of the mode can reproduce the M 31 nuclear-disk photometry and mean stellar velocity, including the observed asymmetries. It requires a central mass concentration and a cold disk system representing between 20 and 40% of its mass. Such a slow mode could be excited when interstellar clouds from the more external gaseous disk infall towards the centre. Nuclear disks formed from accreted gas are possible candidates for the precursors of these types of structures, and may be common in central regions of galaxies.
The Conjugates of Related Primitive Words

This paper concerns the prefix-primitive (shortly, p-primitive) conjugates of related primitive words. The non-p-primitive conjugates of square-free words are studied. We show that every d-primitive square-free word over an alphabet with three elements has at most one non-p-primitive conjugate. We also find that all the conjugates of a primitive word are nor p-primitive.
Synchronization of a complex dynamical network with nonidentical nodes via dynamic feedback control

This paper considers synchronization problem of a complex dynamical network with nonidentical nodes. For this problem, a dynamic feedback controller is designed to achieve the synchronization of the network. Based on Lyapunov stability theory and linear matrix inequality framework, the existence condition for feasible controllers is derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities. The condition can be solved easily by the application of convex optimization algorithms. Finally, the proposed method is applied to a numerical example in order to show the effectiveness of our result.
What did domestication do to dogs? A new account of dogs' sensitivity to human actions

Over the last two decades increasing evidence for an acute sensitivity to human gestures and attentional states in domestic dogs has led to a burgeoning of research into the social cognition of this highly familiar yet previously under‐studied animal. Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) have been shown to be more successful than their closest relative (and wild progenitor) the wolf, and than man's closest relative, the chimpanzee, on tests of sensitivity to human social cues, such as following points to a container holding hidden food. The “Domestication Hypothesis” asserts that during domestication dogs evolved an inherent sensitivity to human gestures that their non‐domesticated counterparts do not share. According to this view, sensitivity to human cues is present in dogs at an early age and shows little evidence of acquisition during ontogeny. A closer look at the findings of research on canine domestication, socialization, and conditioning, brings the assumptions of this hypothesis into question. We propose the Two Stage Hypothesis, according to which the sensitivity of an individual animal to human actions depends on acceptance of humans as social companions, and conditioning to follow human limbs. This offers a more parsimonious explanation for the domestic dog's sensitivity to human gestures, without requiring the use of additional mechanisms. We outline how tests of this new hypothesis open directions for future study that offer promise of a deeper understanding of mankind's oldest companion.
Lapses in perceptual judgments reflect exploration

During perceptual decision making, subjects often display a constant rate of errors independent of evidence strength, referred to as “lapses”. Their proper treatment is crucial for accurate estimation of perceptual parameters, however they are often treated as a nuisance arising from motor errors or inattention. Here, we propose that lapses can instead reflect a dynamic form of exploration. We demonstrate that perceptual uncertainty modulates the probability of lapses both across and within modalities on a multisensory discrimination task in rats. These effects cannot be accounted for by inattention or motor error, however they are concisely explained by uncertainty-guided exploration. We confirm the predictions of the exploration model by showing that changing the magnitude or probability of reward associated with one of the decisions selectively affects the lapses associated with that decision in uncertain conditions, while leaving “sure-bet” decisions unchanged, as predicted by the model. Finally, we demonstrate that muscimol inactivations of secondary motor cortex and posterior striatum affect lapses asymmetrically across modalities. The inactivations can be captured by a devaluation of actions corresponding to the inactivated side, and do not affect “sure-bet” decisions. Together, our results suggest that far from being a nuisance, lapses are informative about subjects’ action values and deficits thereof during perceptual decisions.
Opportunistic Beamforming and Scheduling for OFDMA Systems

Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) is an attractive technique for exploiting multiuser diversity in the downlink of a cellular system. This paper addresses three problems in multiuser diversity for OFDMA systems. First, we propose a way to significantly reduce the amount of channel state information (CSI) feedback without sacrificing performance too much, by selective and adaptive feedback. Second, we propose a way to increase the cell throughput and fairness by applying an opportunistic beamforming scheme to orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing. This beamforming scheme increases the frequency fading rate, which increases the multiuser diversity effect. Thirdly, we deal with the issue of fairness and quality-of-service (QoS) in opportunistic systems by proposing a modified proportional fair (PF) scheduler for OFDMA. Key features in the scheduler are that it incorporates QoS classes into the PF scheduler and that it has a tunable fairness level. Extensive simulation results are presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed schemes. The opportunistic beamforming scheme performed well in comparison with several other schemes. The modified PF scheduler was able to give users different QoS, based on their requirements, while still exploiting multiuser diversity
Fleet Assignment with Time Windows, Spacing Constraints and Time Dependent Profits

Given the sets of flights and aircraft of an airline carrier, the fleet assignment problem consists in assigning the most profitable aircraft type to each flight. An extension to this problem is to allow for some flexibility on flight departure times. These time adjustments increase the number of possible connections and therefore improve the solution quality in terms of profits or in the reduction of the number of aircraft used to cover all flights. However some adjustments should be done with care. For instance, if the departure times of two flights serving the same origin-destination pair of cities become too close, passenger demands may be overestimated. Since passenger demands depend on departure times, flight profits may as well be inaccurate in case of a large flexibility. Therefore it is important to control not only the size of the time windows on flight departures but also the spacing out between flights serving the same O-D pair and the demand estimations.
Coexistence Issues in Future WiFi Networks

Current advancements within the WiFi domain, such as network densification, traffic offloading, and IoT support, pave the way for increased user and operator satisfaction with future (5G and beyond) network deployments. However, without seamless coexistence of novel and legacy WiFi devices as well as between heterogeneous WiFi networks, the goal of ubiquitous and effortless wireless access may be delayed. In this article, we identify several future WiFi use cases based on current trends in the research community as well as developments within IEEE 802.11 and analyze the functionalities required in these use cases, taking into consideration two important aspects: coexistence between new and legacy WiFi devices, and inter-network interference. Through our research we show that, despite several identified shortcomings and open issues, WiFi will definitely be a crucial component of future network deployments.
A light and electron microscopic study of the innervation of pulmonary arteries in the cat

Nerve terminal‐smooth muscle relationships were studied in pulmonary arteries of the cat using 5‐hydroxydopamine to help differentiate adrenergic and nonadrenergic terminals. There was a periarterial plexus of nerves in the walls of pulmonary arteries that extended into the lung to innervate even small arteries having a single layer of smooth muscle cells. Adrenergic nerves surrounded all arteries and extended into the tunica media of the large arteries. There were also apparent cholinergic nerves around the pulmonary arteries, although this was confirmed by electron microscopy for medium‐ and small‐sized arteries only. The relationships of nerve terminals to smooth muscle cells in pulmonary arteries suggest that release of norepinephrine by adrenergic terminals can produce both decreased compliance and increased resistance in the pulmonary vascular bed, and that acetylcholine released by cholinergic terminals may act directly on vascular smooth muscle or on adrenergic terminals to modulate release of norepinephrine. These results suggest that both sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves may have a regulatory role in the pulmonary circulation.
University of Birmingham A hierarchy of effective teaching and learning to acquire competence in evidenced-based medicine

Background: A variety of methods exists for teaching and learning evidence-based medicine (EBM). However, there is much debate about the effectiveness of various EBM teaching and learning activities, resulting in a lack of consensus as to what methods constitute the best educational practice. There is a need for a clear hierarchy of educational activities to effectively impart and acquire competence in EBM skills. This paper develops such a hierarchy based on current empirical and theoretical evidence. Discussion: EBM requires that health care decisions be based on the best available valid and relevant evidence. To achieve this, teachers delivering EBM curricula need to inculcate amongst learners the skills to gain, assess, apply, integrate and communicate new knowledge in clinical decision-making. Empirical and theoretical evidence suggests that there is a hierarchy of teaching and learning activities in terms of their educational effectiveness: Level 1, interactive and clinically integrated activities; Level 2(a), interactive but classroom based activities; Level 2(b), didactic but clinically integrated activities; and Level 3, didactic, classroom or standalone teaching. Summary: All health care professionals need to understand and implement the principles of EBM to improve care of their patients. Interactive and clinically integrated teaching and learning activities provide the basis for the best educational practice in this field.
Altered Lung Morphogenesis, Epithelial Cell Differentiation and Mechanics in Mice Deficient in the Wnt/β-Catenin Antagonist Chibby

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays crucial roles in various aspects of lung morphogenesis and regeneration/repair. Here, we examined the lung phenotype and function in mice lacking the Wnt/β-catenin antagonist Chibby (Cby). In support of its inhibitory role in canonical Wnt signaling, expression of β-catenin target genes is elevated in the Cby−/− lung. Notably, Cby protein is prominently associated with the centrosome/basal body microtubule structures in embryonic lung epithelial progenitor cells, and later enriches as discrete foci at the base of motile cilia in airway ciliated cells. At birth, Cby−/− lungs are grossly normal but spontaneously develop alveolar airspace enlargement with reduced proliferation and abnormal differentiation of lung epithelial cells, resulting in altered pulmonary function. Consistent with the Cby expression pattern, airway ciliated cells exhibit a marked paucity of motile cilia with apparent failure of basal body docking. Moreover, we demonstrate that Cby is a direct downstream target for the master ciliogenesis transcription factor Foxj1. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Cby facilitates proper postnatal lung development and function.
Scalp Eeg and Tms Based Electrophysiological Study of Brain Function of Motor Control in Aging

Voluntary movements of human body are controlled by the brain through corticomuscular pathways. Although neuromuscular control mechanisms of voluntary movements have been studied extensively, many remain to be learned, especially neuromuscular adaptations related to clinical conditions such as neurological disorders and aging. This research aims at a better understanding of functional connection between the brain and muscle during voluntary motor activities in aging and the extent to which this connection can be changed by training the neuromuscular system. Three research projects were conducted to achieve this aim. The analyses in the first two projects are based on comparisons of non-invasive electroencephalographic (EEG) and electromyographic (EMG) signals recorded in young and elderly individuals performing voluntary muscle contractions whereas the third project is based on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The first project examines the relationship between EEG frequency power and muscle force to identify an EEG or brain signal parameter directly related to voluntary motor action. The second project investigates further the strength of functional brain-muscle connectivity by quantifying EEG-EMG coherence and effects of aging on the connectivity. The third project identifies the representation of the biceps brachii muscle in primary motor cortex with TMS; examine its excitability of corticospinal tracts, intra-cortical excitability reflecting activity of both inhibitory and facilitatory inter-neurons and inter-hemispheric inhibition.This research reveals that aging brain has impaired coupling between the central and peripheral neuromuscular systems and also significantly different intra-cortical excitability; both may have an influence for weakened muscle output in the elderly. This research will contribute to a better understanding of neural mechanisms underlying voluntary movement deficit in aging and its recovery following training the neuromuscular system.
Predictive value of scoring systems for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in emergency department patients: Is there an accurate one?

Background: Acute appendicitis is one of the challenging surgical conditions presented in the emergency departments. Clinical scoring systems were developed to reduce the negative appendectomy rate and also to avoid unnecessary diagnostic evaluation. Objectives: The primary aim was to compare the clinical adequacy of the Alvarado, Acute Inflammatory Response, and the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis scores in patients with right lower quadrant pain for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Methods: This was a prospective and observational study. All patients over the age of 18 years who presented with a complaint of right lower quadrant pain were enrolled. The Alvarado, Acute Inflammatory Response, and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis scoring systems were compared. The patients were either admitted or followed-up as out-patient. Face-to-face or telephone follow-up visits were arranged for the patients who did not have surgery and who were not admitted. Results: 232 patients were included and 14 patients were excluded from the study. Of the 218 patients, 114 patients underwent surgery. Of the 114 patients, 107 patients were pathologically diagnosed with acute appendicitis. It was determined that Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis score was the most valuable score with 0.88 accuracy, followed by Acute Inflammatory Response (area under the curve = 0.79) and Alvarado (area under the curve = 0.71) scores. Conclusion: The accuracy of Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis scoring system was higher for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis than the other scores. The cut-off of the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis score from a 7.5-point threshold provides a practical, non-invasive, rapid diagnostic method that increases acute appendicitis discriminative power in patients presenting with right lower quadrant pain.
Research on the Microstructure of Realized Volatility in Chinese Stock Market

Realized Volatility (RV) is a very good nonparametric volatility measurement for Chinese stock market. However, this volatility estimator is often influenced by microstructure noise and it will be biased. When the biased RV is used as the estimator for the true volatility, mistakes will appear in the volatility analyzing and forecasting. In order to solve the problem, this paper uses three kinds of methods: Z ratio-statistic, bias correction –autocorrelation adjusting, EMA (exponential moving average)-filtered volatility to correct RV by finding the optimal interval of Chinese Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index. Three-minute intervals are the optimal interval of composite index and now RV is unbiased because that price is not contaminated by noise. Our findings show that these methods mentioned could make realized volatility more effective and accurate. KeywordsRealized Volatility; Microstructure noise; Optimal interval; Autocorrelation
Matching DSIFT Descriptors Extracted from CSLM Images

The matching of local descriptors represents at this moment a key tool in computer vision, with a wide variety of methods designed for tasks such as image classification, object recognition and tracking, image stitching, or data mining relying on it. Local feature description techniques are usually developed so as to provide invariance to photometric variations specific to the acquisition of natural images, but are nonetheless used in association with biomedical imaging as well. It has been previously shown that the matching of gradient based descriptors is affected by image modifications specific to Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM). In this paper we extend our previous work in this direction and show how specific acquisition or post-processing methods alleviate or accentuate this problem.
PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A PLASMA MEMBRANE FRACTION FROM ISOLATED FAT CELLS

A rapid method of preparing plasma membranes from isolated fat cells is described. After homogenization of the cells, various fractions were isolated by differential centrifugation and linear gradients. Ficoll gradients were preferred because total preparation time was under 3 hr. The density of the plasma membranes was 1.14 in sucrose. The plasma membrane fraction was virtually uncontaminated by nuclei but contained 10% of the mitochondrial succinic dehydrogenase activity and 25–30% of the RNA and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide cytochrome c reductase activity of the microsomal fraction. Part of the RNA and NADH-cytochrome c reductase activity was believed to be native to the plasma membrane or to the attached endoplasmic reticulum membranes demonstrated by electron microscopy. The adenyl cyclase activity of the plasma membrane fraction was five times that of Rodbell's "ghost" preparation and retained sensitivity to epinephrine. The plasma membrane ATPase activity was five times that of the homogenate and microsomal fractions. Electron microscopic evidence suggested contamination of the plasma membrane fraction by other subcellular components to be less than the biochemical data indicated.
The International Knee Documentation Committee Score Indicates Midterm Patient Satisfaction with Outcomes after Meniscal Allograft Transplantation

Background This study aimed to identify the factors associated with patient satisfaction with the outcome of meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT). Materials and Methods Patients treated with MAT from March 2006 to May 2009 were asked to complete a five-point Likert scale regarding satisfaction with the outcome of MAT, in addition to the following subjective outcome evaluation forms: the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective forms, Knee Society Score knee and function forms, and Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale. We collected radiologic data using X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging and assessed isokinetic muscle strength test using the Biodex System 3. We investigated whether these parameters were significantly associated with patient satisfaction. Statistical analysis was computed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression. Results Among the 130 patients who underwent MAT, 49 participated in the interview and were included in this study. The mean followup period was 50.4 months. Mean patient age was 40 (±9) years; 33 were male and 16 were female (33%). The lateral meniscus was transplanted in 13 (27%) patients, while the medial meniscus was involved in 36 (73%) patients. On univariate analysis, sex and isokinetic extension strength deficit at 60° and 180° as well as the IKDC, Knee Society, and Lysholm scores showed significant association with patient satisfaction regarding the outcome. On multivariable logistic regression, only the IKDC score showed a significant association, with P = 0.04. Conclusions The study results support the importance of patient-reported subjective outcomes in terms of patient satisfaction following a surgical procedure. Regarding MAT, the IKDC outcome score reflects patient satisfaction. Level of evidence Level III.
Human Coronavirus NL-63 Infections in Children: a 1-Year Study

ABSTRACT Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63), a newly discovered coronavirus, has been associated with acute respiratory tract infections (ARI). Important questions pertaining to the contribution of HCoV-NL63 to ARI and its impact on public health remain. We reviewed HCoV-NL63 in specimens collected from 13 November 2002 to 31 December 2003 from the Stollery Children's Hospital on patients of <17 years of age to assess the role of this virus in ARI in children. Twenty-six of 1,240 specimens (2.1%) from seven outpatients and 19 inpatients aged 7 days to 9.5 years tested positive for HCoV-NL63 by reverse transcription-PCR. The majority of outpatients (86%) had upper respiratory tract infections, while the majority of inpatients (58%) had bronchiolitis. Peak HCoV-NL63 activity occurred in March. These results provide further evidence of the importance of HCoV-NL63 in ARI in children.