Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of dietary T-2 toxin levels on liveability, organs weight, immunity and histopathology of organs in Japanese quails

To establish the tolerance level of T-2 toxin, day-old Japanese quail chicks (n=225) were divided into five dietary treatments: T1, control; T2, T1+50 ppb T-2 Toxin; T3, T1+100 ppb T-2 Toxin; T4, T1+150 ppb T-2 Toxin; T5, T1+200 ppb T-2 Toxin. Each diet was fed to 3 replicated groups of 15 birds each from 1 to 35 days of age. The results showed that the overall liveability percentage, at fifth week of age in T1 was statistically similar to T2 and T3; and higher than T4 and T5. The relative weight of liver, kidney and spleen in T1 was lower than T4 and T5; and statistically similar to T2 and T3. The relative weight of bursa in T1 was higher than T4 and T5; and statistically similar to T2 and T3. The CMI and HA titre values in T1 was higher than T4 and T5. The CMI and HA titre value in group T1 was statistically similar to T2 and T3. In group T2, mild necrosis of mucosa in the proventriculus and gizzard and in T3, dystrophy and granular degeneration in the liver and kidney and necrosis of mucosa in the gizzard and proventriculus was observed. In T4 and T5, severe histopathological lesions including hepatocyte necrosis with discrete foci, necrosis and inflammation of gallbladder mucosa having mild proliferation of bile ductules, necrosis of intestinal epithelium following transient shortening of villi and mitotic figures in crypt epithelium; necrosis in feather epithelium and mucosa of the proventriculus and gizzard was observed. In addition, dystrophy and granular degeneration in the liver and kidney; interstitial nephritis, kidney sclerosis and glomerulonephritis was also observed. It was concluded that Japanese quails can tolerate up to 100 ppb of T-2 toxin in their diet without any adverse effects on their liveability percentage, organs weight, immunity and histopathology of organs during 0-5 weeks of growth period.
Multi-Objective Autonomous Braking System using Naturalistic Dataset

A deep reinforcement learning based multi-objective autonomous braking system is presented. The design of the system is formulated in a continuous action space and seeks to maximize both pedestrian safety and perception as well as passenger comfort. The vehicle agent is trained against a large naturalistic dataset containing pedestrian road-crossing trials in which respondents walked across a road under various traffic conditions within an interactive virtual reality environment. The policy for brake control is learned through computer simulation using two reinforcement learning methods i.e. Proximal Policy Optimization and Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient and the efficiency of each are compared. Results show that the system is able to reduce the negative influence on passenger comfort by half while maintaining safe braking operation.
X-Ray and Optical Monitoring of State Transitions in MAXI J1820+070

We report results from the X-ray and optical monitoring of the black hole candidate MAXI J1820+070 (=ASSASN-18ey) over the entire period of its outburst from 2018 March to October. In this outburst, the source exhibited two sets of “fast rise and slow decay”-type long-term flux variations. We found that the 1–100 keV luminosities at two peaks were almost the same, although a significant spectral softening was only seen in the second flux rise. This confirms that the state transition from the low/hard state to the high/soft state is not determined by the mass accretion rate alone. The X-ray spectrum was reproduced with the disk blackbody emission and its Comptonization, and the long-term spectral variations seen in this outburst were consistent with a disk truncation model. The Comptonization component, with a photon index of 1.5–1.9 and electron temperature of ≳40 keV, was dominant during the low/hard state periods, and its contribution rapidly decreased (increased) during the spectral softening (hardening). During the high/soft-state period, in which the X-ray spectrum became dominated by the disk blackbody component, the inner disk radius was almost constant, suggesting that the standard disk was present down to the innermost stable circular orbit. The long-term evolution of optical and X-ray luminosities and their correlation suggest that the jets substantially contributed to the optical emission in the low/hard state, while they are quenched and the outer disk emission dominated the optical flux in the intermediate state and the high/soft state.
Optical photometric variable stars towards the Galactic H II region NGC 2282

We report here CCD $I$-band time-series photometry of a young (2$-$5 Myr) cluster NGC 2282 to identify and understand the variability of pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars. The $I$-band photometry, down to $\sim$ 20.5 mag, enables us to probe the variability towards the lower mass end ($\sim$ 0.1 M$_\odot$) of the PMS stars. From the light curves of 1627 stars, we identified 62 new photometric variable candidates. Their association with the region was established from H$\alpha$ emission and infrared (IR) excess. Among 62 variables, 30 young variables exhibit H$\alpha$ emission, near-IR (NIR)/mid-IR (MIR) excess or both, and they are candidate members of the cluster. Out of 62 variables, 41 are periodic variables with the rotation rate ranging from 0.2 to 7 days. The period distribution exhibits a median period at $\sim$ 1-day as in many young clusters (e.g., NGC~2264, ONC, etc.), but it follows a uni-modal distribution unlike others having bimodality with the slow rotators peaking at $\sim$ 6$-$8 days. To investigate the rotation-disk and variability-disk connection, we derived NIR excess from $\Delta$(I$-$K) and MIR excess from $Spitzer$ [3.6]$-$[4.5] $\mu$m data. No conclusive evidence of slow rotation with the presence of disks around stars and fast rotation for diskless stars is obtained from our periodic variables. A clear increasing trend of the variability amplitude with the IR excess is found for all variables.
Relativistic effective degrees of freedom and quantum statistics of neutrinos

Analytical expressions of the relativistic effective degrees of freedom $g_\ast$ with non-pure fermionic neutrinos are presented. A semi-analytical study is performed to show that $g_\ast$ with pure fermionic neutrinos may be greater than $g_\ast$ with pure bosonic neutrinos for non-vanishing lepton flavor asymmetries.
Long range triplet Josephson current and 0−π transitions in tunable domain walls

The order parameter of superconducting pairs penetrating an inhomogeneous magnetic material can acquire a long range triplet component (LRTC) with non-zero spin projection. This state has been predicted and generated in proximity systems and Josephson junctions. We show, using a realistic domain wall of an exchange spring bilayer, how the LRTC emerges and can be tuned with the twisting of the magnetization. We also introduce a new kind of Josephson current reversal, the singlet-LRTC 0–π transition, that can be observed in one and the same system either by tuning the domain wall or by varying temperature.
SPIRE Map-Making Test Report

The photometer section of SPIRE is one of the key instruments on board of Herschel. Its legacy depends very much on how well the scanmap observations that it carried out during the Herschel mission can be converted to high quality maps. In order to have a comprehensive assessment on the current status of SPIRE map-making, as well as to provide guidance for future development of the SPIRE scan-map data reduction pipeline, we carried out a test campaign on SPIRE map-making. In this report, we present results of the tests in this campaign.
Convection and convective overshooting in stars more massive than 10 M

In this paper, four sets of evolutionary models are computed with different values of the mixing length parameter $\alpha_{\rm p}$ and the overshooting parameter $\delta_{\rm ov}$. The properties of the convective cores and the convective envelopes are studied in the massive stars. We get three conclusions: First, the larger $\alpha_{\rm p}$ leads to enhancing the convective mixing, removing the chemical gradient, and increasing the convective heat transfer efficiency. Second, core potential $\phi_{\rm c} = M_{\rm c} / R_{\rm c}$ describes sufficiently the evolution of a star, whether it is a red or blue supergiant at central helium ignition. Third, the discontinuity of hydrogen profile above the hydrogen burning shell seriously affect the occurrence of blue loops in the Hertzsprung--Russell diagram.
L'-band AGPM vector vortex coronagraph's first light on LBTI/LMIRCam

We present the first observations obtained with the L'-band AGPM vortex coronagraph recently installed on LBTI/LMIRCam. The AGPM (Annular Groove Phase Mask) is a vector vortex coronagraph made from diamond subwavelength gratings. It is designed to improve the sensitivity and dynamic range of high-resolution imaging at very small inner working angles, down to 0.09 arcseconds in the case of LBTI/LMIRCam in the L' band. During the first hours on sky, we observed the young A5V star HR8799 with the goal to demonstrate the AGPM performance and assess its relevance for the ongoing LBTI planet survey (LEECH). Preliminary analyses of the data reveal the four known planets clearly at high SNR and provide unprecedented sensitivity limits in the inner planetary system (down to the diffraction limit of 0.09 arcseconds).
Push-out Bond Strength of Endoseal MTA and AH Plus Sealers After Using Apple Vinegar as Final Irrigating Solution

Purpose: The present study was performed to evaluate the bond strength of EndoSeal MTA and AH Plus after using EDTA or apple vinegar as final irrigant. Materials and Methods: Sixty extracted human single rooted teeth were decapitated, instrumented using Universal ProTaper rotary system up to size F4 and divided randomly into two main groups (n=30) according to the solution used as final irrigation; Group I : irrigated with 17% EDTA and Group II : 5 % Apple vinegar, then distributed according to sealer used in obturation with gutta-percha into four subgroups (n=15); subgroup IA (EDTA + AH Plus), subgroup I B (EDTA +Endoseal MTA), subgroup IIA (apple vinegar + AH Plus), and subgroup IIB (apple vinegar + Endoseal MTA). After obturation and incubation in 100% humidity at 37°C for one week. All roots were embedded in self cure acrylic resin and sectioned horizontally into slices of 2 mm thickness, the push- out test was applied using universal testing machine, bond strength (MPa) calculated and the data were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results: AH Plus represented the highest bond strength after using EDTA or apple vinegar compared with Endoseal MTA, EDTA showed superior results with both types of sealer compared to apple vinegar, and the middle part of the root canal showed the highest bond strength (P<0.05) Conclusion: EDTA final irrigating solution reported higher values of the bond strength compared to apple vinegar with both AH Plus and Endoseal MTA, and AH Plus reported highest push-out bond strength with both irrigating solutions.
Bycatch in the West Greenland lumpfish fishery, with particular focus on the common eider population

: Incidental bycatch is a well-known challenge in gillnet fisheries throughout the world, and the fishery for North Atlantic lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus roe is no exception. In Greenland, the fishery was Marine Stewardship Council-certified in 2015 but has pending conditions related to bycatch quantification, enforcement and mitigation strategies. To improve this situation and to assess the potential impact of bycatch, we collected independent on-board observer data on non-target fish and seabirds over 2 seasons (2019 and 2021). We recorded 6 fish species, but the only species constituting >1% of the lumpfish landings was the spotted wolffish Ana - rhichas minor . The bycatch of fish likely had little impact on the involved fish stocks. We recorded 4 seabird species, of which common eider Somateria mollissima was most common. When extrapolated to the entire West Greenland lumpfish fishery, the estimated bycatch of common eider was considerably higher in 2019 (19 938; 95% CI: 3486−59 661) than in 2021 (9802: 1260−29 940) due to a longer fishing season in 2019. On average, for 2019 and 2021, the bycatch was modelled to reduce the growth potential for the West Greenland winter population by 51%. In comparison, the current hunting level (16 538 birds yr −1 ) reduced the growth potential by 30%. The larger impact of bycatch was mainly due to a larger proportion of adults and females being targeted. The common eider bycatch impacts mainly the breeding population in Canada and Southwest Greenland and less so in Northwest Greenland. As mitigation, we recommend temporal closures of the fishery unless modified gillnets, which markedly reduce bycatch, become available.
Atom-assisted quadrature squeezing of a mechanical oscillator inside a dispersive cavity

We present a hybrid optomechanical scheme to achieve dynamical squeezing of position quadrature of a mesoscopic mechanical oscillator, that can be externally controlled by classical fields. A membrane-in-the-middle set up is employed, in which an atom in $\Lambda$ configuration is considered to be trapped on either side of the membrane inside the cavity. We show that a considerable amount of squeezing (beyond the 3 dB limit) can be achieved that is not affected by the decay of the cavity and the spontaneous emission of the atom. Squeezing depends upon the initial preparation of atomic states. Further, a strong effective coupling between the atom and the oscillator can be attained by using large control fields that pump the atom and the cavity. Effect of thermal phononic bath on squeezing is studied in terms of the squeezing spectrum. The results are supported by the detailed analytical calculations.
A time domain experiment with Swift: monitoring of seven nearby galaxies

We aimed to detect a supernova (SN) shock breakout (SBO) with observations in time domain. The SBO marks the first escape of radiation from the blast wave that breaks through the photosphere of the star and launches the SN ejecta, and peaks in the ultraviolet and soft X-ray bands. The detection of a SBO allows determining the onset of the explosion with an accuracy from a few hours to a few seconds. Using the XRT and UVOT instruments onboard the Swift satellite we carried out a weekly cadenced, six months lasting monitoring of seven nearby (distance <50 Mpc) galaxies, namely NGC1084, NGC2207/IC2163, NGC2770, NGC4303/M61, NGC3147, NGC3690, NGC6754. We searched for variable/transient sources in the collected data. We found no evidence for a SN SBO event, but we discovered five objects located within the light of the sample galaxies that are variable in the X-ray and/or in the UV. Our sample galaxies are within the Universe volume that will be reached by the forthcoming advanced gravitational waves (GW) detectors (a-LIGO/a-Virgo), thus this work provides an example on how to carry out Swift surveys useful to detect the GW signal from SNe, and to detect counterparts to GW triggers.
Study of gravitational fields and globular cluster systems of early-type galaxies

Context.Gravitational fields at the outskirts of early-type galaxies (ETGs) are difficult to constrain observationally. It thus remains poorly explored how well the ΛCDM and MOND hypotheses agree with ETGs.Aims. The dearth of studies on this topic motivated us to gather a large sample of ETGs and examine homogeneously which dark matter halos they occupy, whether the halos follow the theoretically predicted stellar-to-halo mass relation (SHMR) and the halo mass-concentration relation (HMCR), whether ETGs obey MOND and the radial acceleration relation (RAR) observed for late-type galaxies (LTGs), and finally whether ΛCDM or MOND perform better in ETGs.Methods. We employed Jeans analysis of radial velocities of globular clusters (GCs). We analysed nearly all ETGs having more than about 100 archival GC radial velocity measurements available. The GC systems of our 17 ETGs extend mostly over ten effective radii. A ΛCDM simulation of GC formation helped us to interpret the results.Results. Successful ΛCDM fits are found for all galaxies, but compared to the theoretical HMCR and SHMR, the best-fit halos usually have concentrations that are too low and stellar masses that are too high for their masses. This might be because of tidal stripping of the halos or because ETGs and LTGs occupy different halos. Most galaxies can be fitted by the MOND models successfully as well, but for some of the galaxies, especially those in centers of galaxy clusters, the observed GC velocity dispersions are too high. This might be a manifestation of the additional dark matter that MOND requires in galaxy clusters. Additionally, we find many signs that the GC systems were perturbed by galaxy interactions. Formal statistical criteria prefer the best-fit ΛCDM models over the MOND models, but this might be due to the higher flexibility of the ΛCDM models. The MOND approach can predict the GC velocity dispersion profiles better.
The role of the Wigner distribution function in iterative ptychography

Ptychography employs a set of diffraction patterns that capture redundant information about an illuminated specimen as a localized beam is moved over the specimen. The robustness of this method comes from the redundancy of the dataset that in turn depends on the amount of oversampling and the form of the illumination. Although the role of oversampling in ptychography is fairly well understood, the same cannot be said of the illumination structure. This paper provides a vector space model of ptychography that accounts for the illumination structure in a way that highlights the role of the Wigner distribution function in iterative ptychography.
Undergraduates’ pSTEM identity and motivation in relation to gender- and race-based perceived representation, stereotyped beliefs, and implicit associations

Women and underrepresented minoritized (URM) persons remain marginalized in physical science, technology, engineering, and math (pSTEM). Relative to non-URM men, URM women may experience a double disadvantage based on their gender and race whereby they observe few same-gender and few same-race role models in pSTEM while additionally internalizing stereotypes linking pSTEM with non-URM men. Our hypothesized model was partly supported in a sample of undergraduates (N = 1,068; 68% women, 44% URM). First, perceiving same-gender or same-race pSTEM role models predicted lower explicit stereotypes among women and URM individuals regarding gender and race, respectively. Second, explicit and implicit associations linking pSTEM with men and White/Asian persons predicted (a) lower pSTEM identity among women and URM students and (b) higher identity among men and non-URM students. Finally, both implicit and explicit pSTEM identity positively predicted expectancy–value beliefs.
Comparison of Three Phenotypic Methods of Carbapenemase Enzyme Detection to Identify Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli has increased worldwide. Critical care areas of most hospitals use carbapenem antibiotics for the empirical treatment of gram-negative bacterial (GNB) infections. In the last decade, there have been reports of the detection of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE). This rise in the spread of CRE presents a great challenge in the treatment of GNB infections and poses a serious threat to global health. To detect the burden of CRE and to characterize CRE, we used three phenotypic methods for the detection of carbapenemase enzymes. Using conventional aerobic bacterial culture methods, 150 Enterobacterales strains were isolated from various clinical samples. Identification of CRE was performed using multiple phenotypic detection methods, such as the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method for meropenem (10 mcg) using the CLSI 2021 interpretation for meropenem, modified Hodge test (MHT), Carba NP test, and modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM) test. A total of 150 Enterobacterales strains were isolated over a period of 1 year. Among these, 66/150 (44%), 63/150 (43%), 64/150 (43%), and 65/150 (43%) were identified as CRE using the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method, MHT, mCIM test, and Carba NP test, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of MHT, mCIM, and Carba NP tests within 95% CI were 93.94%/100%, 96.97%/100%, and 98.48%/100%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of MHT, mCIM, and Carba NP tests were 100%/95.45%, 100%/97.67%, and 100%/98.82%, respectively. The accuracies of the MHT, mCIM, and Carba NP tests were 97.33%, 98.67%, and 99.33% respectively indicating a high burden of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacterales. Therefore, given the current statistics of carbapenem resistance, use of carbapenem as empiric treatment in the intensive care units of hospitals may not be beneficial. Identification of carbapenem resistance can help in the initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. This study compares the accuracy and efficiency of Carba NP, mCIM, and MHT in detecting carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales.
Biases, Fairness, and Implications of Using AI in Social Media Data Mining

Online social media (OSM) has become an integral part of an individual’s daily life. The extensive computational power and decision-making ability of artificial intelligence (AI) and the proliferation of user-generated data on OSM have made the opinion one of the key emerging research areas. However, the ease of accessing, manipulating, and mining such user-generated data raises concerns about privacy and security, data and algorithmic biases and fairness. Nevertheless, their personal and societal implications are barely addressed. In this paper, we discuss the limitations, fairness, and biases introduced in data mining and the AI model development. Moreover, we describe the possible implications of using AI systems on users’ privacy and address future research directions to mitigate potential biases.