Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Toxicokinetics, Percutaneous Absorption and Tissue Distribution of Benzophenone-3, an UV Filtering Agent, in Rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro skin permeation and deposition, in vivo toxicokinetics, percutaneous absorption and tissue distribution of benzophenone-3 (BP-3) in rats. Four transdermal formulations containing BP-3 were prepared and evaluated for in vitro skin permeation and deposition of BP-3 using Franz diffusion cells. A gel formulation was used in subsequent in vivo percutaneous absorption due to its high in vitro skin permeation and deposition. Compared to intravenous (i.v.) injection, the prolonged terminal t1/2 (3.1 ± 1.6 h for i.v. injection and 18.3 ± 5.8 h for topical application) was observed indicating occurrence of flip-flop kinetics after topical application. The bioavailability of BP-3 after topical application was 6.9 ± 1.8%. The tissue-to-plasma partition coefficient (kp) for testis, considered a toxic target for BP-3, was less than 1. Overall, findings of this study may be useful for risk assessment of BP-3.
Radio polarization maps of shell-type SNRs – II. Sedov models with evolution of turbulent magnetic field

Polarized radio emission has been mapped with great detail in several Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs), but has not yet been exploited to the extent it deserves. We have developed a method to model maps of the Stokes parameters for shell-like SNRs during their Sedov evolution phase. At first, 3-dimensional structure of a SNR has been computed, by modeling the distribution of the magnetohydrodynamic parameters and of the accelerated particles. The generation and dissipation of the turbulent component of magnetic field everywhere in SNR are also considered taking into account its interaction with accelerated particles. Then, in order to model the emission, we have used a generalization of the classical synchrotron theory, valid for the case in which the magnetic field has ordered and disordered components. Finally, 2-dimensional projected maps have been derived, for different orientations of SNR and of interstellar magnetic field with respect to the observer. An important effect to consider is the Faraday rotation of the polarization planes inside the SNR interior. In this paper we present details of the model, and describe general properties of the images.
Active Learning Improves the Teacher’s Experience: A Case Study in a Language Grounding Scenario

Active Learning, that is, assigning the responsibility of learning to the students, is an important tool in education as it makes the students become engaged in and think about the things they do. A similar concept was adopted in the context of Machine Learning as a means to reduce the annotation effort by selecting the examples that are most relevant or provide more information at a given time. Most studies on this subject focus on the learner’s performance. However, in interactive scenarios, the teacher’s experience is also a relevant aspect, as it affects their willingness to interact with artiﬁcial learners. In this paper, we address that aspect by performing a case study in a language grounding scenario, in which humans have to engage in dialog with a learning agent and teach it how to recognize observations of certain objects. Overall, the results of our experiments show that humans prefer to interact with an active learner, as it seems more intelligent, gives them a better perception of its knowledge, and makes the dialog more natural and enjoyable.
Characteristics of basal gastric juice in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis before and after eradication therapy

Purpose: To evaluate the characteristics of basal gastric juice in Helicobacter pylori-positive patients before and after Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study on 150 gastritis patients admitted at the Hospital of Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy. The patients were divided into 2 groups: study group (Helicobacter pylori gastritis patients) and control group (non-Helicobacter pylori gastritis patients). The pH, HCO3- concentration, and activities and concentrations of pepsin, lipase, and amylase were determined before and after treatment in study group. Results: Patients with abnormal gastric juice comprised 76 % of the study population. Mean gastric potential of hydrogen (pH) was 2.31 (range: 1.64 - 7.68), while median concentration of HCO3- was 4.06 mmol/L (range: 0 - 73.04 mmol/L). The concentrations of pepsin, lipase, and amylase were 8.93, 0.93 and 1.38 ppm, respectively. Activities of pepsin, lipase, and amylase were 2.23, 0.28 and 0.04 U/mL, respectively. After the successful eradication of Helicobacter pylori, pH and HCO3- levels decreased, and there were significant differences in activities of pepsin and lipase before and after treatment (p < 0.05). Moreover, the levels of these parameters differed between patients in whom successful eradication was achieved and those in whom eradication failed (p < 0.05). The concentrations and activities of pepsin and lipase were statistically different between pre-treatment and post-treatment stages in both successful and failed Helicobacter pylori eradication categories (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Basal gastric juice differs significantly between Helicobacter pylori-positive and Helicobacter pylori-negative patients. Intragastric ammonia produced by H. pylori may have a role in the increased pH of gastric juice.
Graphene-based heterojunction between two topological insulators

Quantum Hall (QH) and quantum spin Hall (QSH) phases have very different edge states and, when going from one phase to the other, the direction of one edge state must be reversed. We study this phenomena in graphene in presence of a strong perpendicular magnetic field on top of a spin-orbit (SO) induced QSH phase. We show that, below the SO gap, the QSH phase is virtually unaffected by the presence of the magnetic field. Above the SO gap, the QH phase is restored. An electrostatic gate placed on top of the system allows to create a QSH-QH junction which is characterized by the existence of a spin-polarized chiral state, propagating along the topological interface. We find that such a setup naturally provides an extremely sensitive spin-polarized current switch.
Recovering the Damping Rates of Cyclotron Damped Plasma Waves from Simulation Data

Plasma waves with frequencies close to the particular gyrofrequencies of the charged particles in the plasma lose energy due to cyclotron damping. We briefly discuss the gyro-resonance of low frequency plasma waves and ions particularly with regard to particle-in-cell (PiC) simulations. A setup is outlined which uses artificially excited waves in the damped regime of the wave mode's dispersion relation to track the damping of the wave's electromagnetic fields. Extracting the damping rate directly from the field data in real or Fourier space is an intricate and non-trivial task. We therefore present a simple method of obtaining the damping rate {\Gamma} from the simulation data. This method is described in detail, focusing on a step-by-step explanation of the course of actions. In a first application to a test simulation we find that the damping rates obtained from this simulation generally are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. We then compare the results of one-, two- and three-dimensional simulation setups and simulations with different physical parameter sets.
Long-range magnetic order stabilized by acceptors

Tuning magnetic order in magnetic semiconductors is a long-sought goal. Here, we propose that a proper mix of acceptors with magnetic dopants may quench local magnetic order in favor of the long-range one. Using Mn and acceptor codoped LiZnAs as an example, we show, by first-principles calculations, the emergence of a long-range magnetic order. This intriguing observation may be understood based on a crossover between an acceptor-free magnetism and a band-coupling magnetism. Our findings pave the way for a precise control of magnetic order in future spintronic devices.
Prevalence and factors associated with anogenital warts among sexual and gender minorities attending a trusted community health center in Lagos, Nigeria

Anogenital warts caused by human papillomavirus are common in sexual and gender minorities (SGM). The prevalence of, and factors associated with warts were described for SGM with a high burden of HIV in Nigeria. Individuals who reported anal sex with men were enrolled in the TRUST/RV368 cohort. Participants completed an interviewer-led survey, provided biological samples, and had a physical examination. Specific to the Lagos site, clinic staff offered standardized warts treatment services. RDS-weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for factors potentially associated with anogenital warts. Of 672 enrolled SGM, 478 (71%) engaged in warts services and had complete data. The median age (interquartile range) was 22 (20–26) years, 272 (52%) initiated sex before age 18, and 347 (79%) were cisgender men. Multiple male sexual partners in the previous year were reported by 448 (90%) of the participants, and 342 (66%) were living with HIV. Warts were diagnosed in 252 (54%), including anal warts in 234 (43%) and penile warts in 44 (8%); 26 (5%) had both anal and penile warts. Factors independently associated with warts included HIV (AOR:2.97; CI:1.44–6.14), engaging in receptive anal sex (AOR:3.49; CI:1.25–9.75), having multiple male sexual partners (AOR:7.26; CI:2.11–24.87), age at sexual debut (AOR:0.53; CI:0.28–0.98), and non-binary gender identity (AOR:0.20; CI:0.05–0.71). Warts were common among SGM in Nigeria, particularly those living with HIV. Administration of HPV vaccination before sexual debut or as a catch-up vaccination may prevent HPV-associated complications.
Ray tracing and Hubble diagrams in post-Newtonian cosmology

On small scales the observable Universe is highly inhomogeneous, with galaxies and clusters forming a complex web of voids and filaments. The optical properties of such configurations can be quite different from the perfectly smooth Friedmann-Lemaȋtre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) solutions that are frequently used in cosmology, and must be well understood if we are to make precise inferences about fundamental physics from cosmological observations. We investigate this problem by calculating redshifts and luminosity distances within a class of cosmological models that are constructed explicitly in order to allow for large density contrasts on small scales. Our study of optics is then achieved by propagating one hundred thousand null geodesics through such space-times, with matter arranged in either compact opaque objects or diffuse transparent haloes. We find that in the absence of opaque objects, the mean of our ray tracing results faithfully reproduces the expectations from FLRW cosmology. When opaque objects with sizes similar to those of galactic bulges are introduced, however, we find that the mean of distance measures can be shifted up from FLRW predictions by as much as 10%. This bias is due to the viable photon trajectories being restricted by the presence of the opaque objects, which means that they cannot probe the regions of space-time with the highest curvature. It corresponds to a positive bias of order 10% in the estimation of ΩΛ and highlights the important consequences that astronomical selection effects can have on cosmological observables.
STV-SC: Segmentation and Temporal Verification Enhanced Scan Context for Place Recognition in Unstructured Environment

Place recognition is an essential part of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). LiDAR-based place recognition relies almost exclusively on geometric information. However, geometric information may become unreliable when faced with environments dominated by unstructured objects. In this paper, we explore the role of segmentation for extracting key structured information. We propose STV-SC, a novel segmentation and temporal verification enhanced place recognition method for unstructured environments. It contains a range image-based 3D point segmentation algorithm and a three-stage process to detect a loop. The three-stage method consists of a two-stage candidate loop search process and a one-stage segmentation and temporal verification (STV) process. Our STV process utilizes the time-continuous feature of SLAM to determine whether there is an occasional mismatch. We quantitatively demonstrate that the STV process can trigger false detections caused by unstructured objects and effectively extract structured objects to avoid outliers. Comparison with state-of-art algorithms on public datasets shows that STV-SC can run online and achieve improved performance in unstructured environments (Under the same precision, the recall rate is 1.4∼16% higher than Scan context). Therefore, our algorithm can effectively avoid the mismatching caused by the original algorithm in unstructured environment and improve the environmental adaptability of mobile agents.
STAR FORMATION IN 3CR RADIO GALAXIES AND QUASARS AT z < 1

Using the Herschel Space Observatory we have observed a representative sample of 87 powerful 3CR sources at redshift z < 1 . The far-infrared (FIR, 70-500 μm) photometry is combined with mid-infrared (MIR) photometry from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer and cataloged data to analyze the complete spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of each object from optical to radio wavelength. To disentangle the contributions of different components, the SEDs are fitted with a set of templates to derive the luminosities of host galaxy starlight, dust torus emission powered by active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and cool dust heated by stars. The level of emission from relativistic jets is also estimated to isolate the thermal host galaxy contribution. The new data are in line with the orientation-based unification of high-excitation radio-loud AGN, in that the dust torus becomes optically thin longwards of 30 μ m . The low-excitation radio galaxies and the MIR-weak sources represent an MIR- and FIR-faint AGN population that is different from the high-excitation MIR-bright objects; it remains an open question whether they are at a later evolutionary state or an intrinsically different population. The derived luminosities for host starlight and dust heated by star formation are converted to stellar masses and star-formation rates (SFR). The host-normalized SFR of the bulk of the 3CR sources is low when compared to other galaxy populations at the same epoch. Estimates of the dust mass yield a 1–100 times lower dust/stellar mass ratio than for the Milky Way, which indicates that these 3CR hosts have very low levels of interstellar matter and explains the low level of star formation. Less than 10% of the 3CR sources show levels of star formation above those of the main sequence of star-forming galaxies.
Constraining violations of the weak equivalence principle in the dark sector

The effective field theory of dark energy is generalized to incorporate dark matter, which is modelled using a complex scalar field with a global U(1) symmetry. The dark matter model used here has similarities to models of ultralight axion. Generic interaction terms in the dark matter sector violate the weak equivalence principle. The degree to which such violations can occur is constrained using a number of recent analyses and forecasts in cosmology.
Real-time monitoring of structures under extreme loading using smart composite-based embeddable sensors

Cementitious composites reinforced with conductive nanoparticles, also known as smart composite-based sensors, are emerging as novel sensors for real-time monitoring of structures. The present study deals with the development of embeddable smart composite-based sensor (called as eSCS), for monitoring the damage evolution in large-scale beam-column (B-C) sub-assemblages. Firstly, a systematic approach has been developed to fabricate the sensors through incorporation of functionalized (-COOH) multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The optimum dosage of CNTs required for developing sensors with maximum conductivity and piezo-resistivity was ascertained by determining the percolation threshold limit. The best performing eSCS was then successfully embedded at the critical locations of full-scale B-C joint specimens. The embedded sensors are used, for the first time, for damage monitoring of the B-C sub-assemblages subjected to reverse cyclic loadings. From the study, it is found that eSCS with 0.50 wt. % COOH-MWCNT shows excellent piezoresistive behaviour and gauge factors are found to be approximately 730, 457 and 396 for the applied compressive stress ranges of 2–4, 2–6 and 2–8 MPa, respectively. The embedded sensors showed the excellent strain sensing capability under reverse cyclic loading. The present study demonstrates the suitability of embedded eSCS sensors for robust structural health monitoring applications.
Settling accretion on to isolated neutron stars from interstellar medium

We apply the model of subsonic settling accretion on to isolated neutron stars accreting from the interstellar medium (AINS). We show that in this regime the expected mean X-ray luminosity from AINS turns out to be 2-3 orders of magnitude as small as the maximum possible Bondi value, i.e. $10^{27}-10^{28}$~erg s$^{-1}$. The intrinsically unstable character of settling accretion due to long plasma cooling time leads to regular appearance of X-ray flares with a duration of about one hour and a maximum luminosity of about the Bondi value, $\sim10^{31}$~erg~s$^{-1}$. This feature can be used to distinguished AINS from other dim X-ray sources. With the sensitivity of the forthcoming all-sky X-ray surveys the expected number of the potentially detectable AINS can be from a few to ten.
The Star Formation Histories of Disk Galaxies: The Live, the Dead, and the Undead

We reexamine the properties of local galaxy populations using published surveys of star formation, structure, and gas content. After recalibrating star formation measures, we are able to reliably measure specific star formation rates well below that of the so-called “main sequence” of star formation versus mass. We find an unexpectedly large population of quiescent galaxies with star formation rates intermediate between the main sequence and passive populations and with disproportionately high star formation rates. We demonstrate that a tight main sequence is a natural outcome of most histories of star formation and has little astrophysical significance but that the quiescent population requires additional astrophysics to explain its properties. Using a simple model for disk evolution based on the observed dependence of star formation on gas content in local galaxies, and assuming simple histories of cold gas inflow, we show that the evolution of galaxies away from the main sequence can be attributed to the depletion of gas due to star formation after a cutoff of gas inflow. The quiescent population is composed of galaxies in which the density of disk gas has fallen below a threshold for star formation probably set by disk stability. The evolution of galaxies beyond the quiescent state to gas exhaustion and the end of star formation requires another process, probably wind-driven mass loss. The environmental dependence of the three galaxy populations is consistent with recent numerical modeling, which indicates that cold gas inflows into galaxies are truncated at earlier epochs in denser environments.
Note on: "Inevitability of Plate Tectonics on Super-Earths" by Valencia, O Connell and Sasselov, arXiv preprint 0710.0699

Valencia et al. recently claimed that the mass of a Super-Earth (SE) is a sole factor in determining whether a SE is tectonically active or not. However, mass resolving astrometry is unable to discern between a SE and its moons if any. The fact that no exomoons have been discovered yet is rather a matter of instrumentation imperfection at the present, not of physical absence of exomoons. This, with recently discovered relationships between geometric and physical properties in astronomical bodies (Transiting planets; the Earth) makes it impossible to know yet if the Wageners (here constraining) supposition on somehow-tidally caused tectonics holds universally or not also.
Detecting magnetic fields in large-scale structure with radio polarization

Abstract We present our attempts to detect magnetic fields in filamentary large-scale structure (LSS) by observing polarized synchrotron emission emitted by structure formation shocks. Little is known about the strength and order of magnetic fields beyond the largest clusters of galaxies, and synchrotron emission holds enormous promise as a means of probing magnetic fields in these low density regions. We report on observations taken at the Green Bank Telescope which reveal a possible Mpc extension to the Coma cluster relic. We also highlight the major obstacle that diffuse galactic foreground emission poses for any search for large-scale, low surface-brightness extragalactic emission. Finally we explore cross-correlation of diffuse radio emission with optical tracers of LSS as a means to statistically detecting magnetic fields in the presence of this confounding foreground emission.
Wetting Transitions of Condensed Droplets on Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Two-Tier Roughness

Although realizing wetting transitions of droplets spontaneously on solid rough surfaces is quite challenging, it is becoming a key research topic in many practical applications which require highly efficient removal of liquid. We report wetting transitions of condensed droplets occurring spontaneously on pillared surfaces with two-tier roughness owing to excellent superhydrophobicity. The phenomenon results from further decreased Laplace pressure on the top side of the individual droplet when its size becomes comparable to the scale of the micropillars, which leads to a surprising robust spontaneous wetting transition, from valleys to tops of the pillars. A simple scaling law is derived theoretically, which demonstrates that the critical size of the droplet is determined by the space of the micropillars. For this reason, highly efficient removal of water benefits greatly from smaller micropillar space. Furthermore, three wetting transition modes exist, in which the in situ wetting behaviors are in good agreement with our quantitative theoretical analysis.
Root and Rhizosphere Microbiome of Tomato Plants Grown in the Open Field in the South of West Siberia under Mineral Fertilization

Agricultural practices can affect root-associated microbiota, but the effect of fertilization is still poorly examined. The aim of this study was to obtain 16S and ITS metagenomic profiles of tomato rhizosphere and root endosphere under mineral (NPK) fertilization in the open field experiment in the south of West Siberia. We found 6 bacterial and 3 fungal phyla in the roots and 24 bacterial and 16 fungal phyla in the rhizosphere. Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria together contributed 90% of the total number of sequence reads in roots and 50% in the rhizosphere, whereas Ascomycota ultimately prevailed in OTUs’ richness and abundance in both biotopes. Fertilization changed the relative abundance of 32 bacterial and 14 fungal OTUs in the rhizosphere and of 7 bacterial and 3 fungal OTUs in roots. The revealed root bacteriobiome response to conventional mineral NPK fertilization by the dominant taxa at the high taxonomic level (class) illustrates well the role of NPK-changed plant metabolism in shaping endophytic microbiota and hence fertilization potential in enhancing plant growth-promoting microorganisms and mitigating plant pathogens. Using fertilization rate gradient in further research may bring a more detailed understanding of how to modify and even fine-tune root-associated microbiomes in order to enhance crops' health and yields.