Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Absorption in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows

We studied the X-ray and optical absorption properties of 13 gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows observed by BeppoSAX. We found that X-ray absorption in addition to the Galactic one along the line of sight is highly statistically significant in the two cases with the best statistics (probability >99.9%). In three other cases the presence of X-ray absorption is marginally significant (probability ~97%). Measured rest-frame equivalent column densities of hydrogen, NH, range from 0.1 × 1022 to 10.0 × 1022 cm-2 (at 90% confidence level) assuming a solar metal abundance. X-ray absorption may be common, although the quality of present data does not allow us to reach a firm conclusion. We found that the rest-frame column densities derived from XMM and Chandra data as quoted in the literature are in good agreement with the BeppoSAX estimated rest-frame NH range, supporting our result. For the same GRB afterglow sample we evaluated the rest-frame visual extinction AVr. We fitted the optical-NIR afterglow photometry with a power-law model corrected at short wavelengths by four different extinction curves. By comparing X-ray absorptions and optical extinction, we found that if a Galactic-like dust grain size distribution is assumed, a dust-to-gas ratio lower than the one observed in the Galaxy is required by the data. A dust-to-gas ratio ~1/10 that of the Galactic one, as in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) environment, has been tested using the SMC extinction curve, which produces good agreement between the best-fit NH and AVr. We note, however, that the best-fit NH values have been obtained by assuming solar metal abundances, while the metallicity of the SMC ISM is ~ the solar one (Pei 1992). If such low metallicity were assumed, the best-fit NH values would be higher by a factor of ~7, providing a significant increase of the χ2. Alternative scenarios to explain simultaneously the optical and X-ray data involve dust with grain size distributions biased toward large grains. Possible mechanisms that can bring about such a grain size distribution are discussed.
Effects of adult Ascaris suum and their antigens (total and trans-cuticular excretory–secretory antigen, cuticular somatic antigen) on intestinal nutrient transport in vivo

Abstract Abstract Ascaris suum constitutes a major problem in commercial pig farming worldwide. Lower weight gains in infected pigs probably result from impaired nutrient absorption. This study investigated intestinal nutrient transport in 4 groups of 6 pigs each, which were inoculated with 30 living adult A. suum, or antigen fractions consisting of (1) total excretory–secretory (ES) antigens of adult worms, (2) ES antigens secreted exclusively from the parasites' body surface (trans-cuticular ES) and (3) cuticular somatic antigens of A. suum, compared to placebo-treated controls. Three days after inoculation into the gastrointestinal tract, glucose, alanine and glycyl-l-glutamine transport was measured in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum using Ussing chambers. Transcription of relevant genes [sodium glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), GLUT2, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (Hif1α), interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-13, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6), peptide transporter 1 (PepT1)] and expression of transport proteins [SGLT1, phosphorylated SGLT1, GLUT2, Na+/K+-ATPase, amino acid transporter A (ASCT1), PepT1] were studied. Although no significant functional changes were noted after exposure to adult A. suum, a significant downregulation of jejunal GLUT1, STAT6, Hif1α and PepT1 transcription as well as ileal GLUT2 and PepT1 expression indicates a negative impact of infection on transport physiology. Therefore, the exposure period of 3 days may have been insufficient for functional alterations to become apparent. In contrast, A. suum antigens mainly induced an upregulation of transport processes and an increase in transcription of relevant genes in the duodenum and jejunum, possibly as a compensatory reaction after a transient downregulation. In the ileum, a consistent pattern of downregulation was observed in all inoculated groups, in line with the hypothesis of impaired nutrient transport.
Variant APOL1 protein in plasma associates with larger particles in humans and mouse models of kidney injury

Background Genetic variants in apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1), a protein that protects humans from infection with African trypanosomes, explain a substantial proportion of the excess risk of chronic kidney disease affecting individuals with sub-Saharan ancestry. The mechanisms by which risk variants damage kidney cells remain incompletely understood. In preclinical models, APOL1 expressed in podocytes can lead to significant kidney injury. In humans, studies in kidney transplant suggest that the effects of APOL1 variants are predominantly driven by donor genotype. Less attention has been paid to a possible role for circulating APOL1 in kidney injury. Methods Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, the concentrations of APOL1 were measured in plasma and urine from participants in the Seattle Kidney Study. Asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation was used to evaluate the size of APOL1-containing lipoprotein particles in plasma. Transgenic mice that express wild-type or risk variant APOL1 from an albumin promoter were treated to cause kidney injury and evaluated for renal disease and pathology. Results In human participants, urine concentrations of APOL1 were correlated with plasma concentrations and reduced kidney function. Risk variant APOL1 was enriched in larger particles. In mice, circulating risk variant APOL1-G1 promoted kidney damage and reduced podocyte density without renal expression of APOL1. Conclusions These results suggest that plasma APOL1 is dynamic and contributes to the progression of kidney disease in humans, which may have implications for treatment of APOL1-associated kidney disease and for kidney transplantation.
Thermal and electrical quantum Hall effects in ferromagnet/topological insulator/ferromagnet junction

We present the theoretical description for a class of experimental setups that measure quantum Hall coefficients in ferromagnet-topological insulator-ferromagnet (FM-TI-FM) junctions. We predict that varying the magnetization direction in ferromagnets, one can change the induced Hall voltage and transverse temperature gradient from the maximal values, corresponding to the quantized Hall coefficients, down to their complete suppression to zero. We provide detailed analysis of thermal and electrical Hall resistances as functions of the magnetization directions in ferromagnets, the spin-scattering time in TI, and geometrical positions of FM leads and measurement contacts.
A census of quasar-intrinsic absorption in the Hubble Space Telescope archive: systems from high-resolution echelle spectra

We present a census of z(abs) < 2, intrinsic (those showing partial coverage) and associated [z(abs) ~ z(em)] quasar absorption-line systems detected in the Hubble Space Telescope archive of Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph echelle spectra. This work complements the Misawa et al. (2007) survey of 2 < z(em) < 4 quasars that selects systems using similar techniques. We confirm the existence of so-called "strong N V" intrinsic systems (where the equivalent width of H I Ly alpha is small compared to N V 1238) presented in that work, but find no convincing cases of "strong C IV" intrinsic systems at low redshift/luminosity. Moreover, we also report on the existence of "strong O VI" systems. From a comparison of partial coverage results as a function of ion, we conclude that systems selected by the N V ion have the highest probability of being intrinsic. By contrast, the C IV and O VI ions are poor selectors. Of the 30 O VI systems tested, only two of the systems in the spectrum on 3C 351 show convincing evidence for partial coverage. However, there is a 3-sigma excess in the number of absorbers near the quasar redshift (|Delta v| <= 5000 km/s) over absorbers at large redshift differences. In at least two cases, the associated O VI systems are known not to arise close to the accretion disk of the quasar.
Distinct patterns of responses in endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells following vascular injury

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are heterogeneous, and their differential responses to vascular injury are not well understood. To address this question, we performed single-cell analysis of vascular cells to a ligation injury in mouse carotid arteries after 3 days. While endothelial cells had a homogeneous activation of mesenchymal genes, less than 30% of SMCs responded to the injury and generated 2 distinct clusters — i.e., proinflammatory SMCs and stress-responsive SMCs. Proinflammatory SMCs were enriched with high levels of inflammatory markers such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 while stress-responsive SMCs overexpressed heat shock proteins. Trajectory analysis suggested that proinflammatory SMCs were potentially derived from a specific subpopulation of SMCs. Ligand-receptor pair analysis showed that the interaction between macrophages and proinflammatory SMCs was the major cell-cell communication among all cell types in the injured arteries. In vitro coculture demonstrated that VCAM1+ SMCs had a stronger chemotactic effect on macrophage recruitment than VCAM1– SMCs. Consistently, the number of VCAM1+ SMCs significantly increased in injured arteries and atherosclerotic lesions of ApoE–/– mice and human arteries. These findings provide insights at the single-cell level on the distinct patterns of endothelial cells and SMC responses to vascular injury.
Analysis of a superbolide from a Damocloid observed over Spain on July 13, 2012

A superbolide with an estimated absolute magnitude of -20+-1 was seen on July 13, 2012 over the center and south of Spain. This extraordinary event, which was witnessed by numerous casual observers, was recorded in the framework of the continuous fireball monitoring and meteor spectroscopy campaign performed by the SPanish Meteor Network (SPMN). Thus, because of optimal weather conditions, the bolide was imaged from ten meteor observing stations. Here we present the analysis of this magnificent event, which is the brightest fireball ever recorded by our team. The atmospheric trajectory of the bolide and the orbit in the Solar System of the parent meteoroid were obtained. The emission spectrum produced during the ablation of this particle is also discussed. We found that the meteoroid, which was following a Halley Type Comet orbit, was depleted in Na and had a tensile strength one order of magnitude higher than that corresponding to typical cometary materials. By means of orbital analysis tools we have investigated the likely parent body of this particle and the results suggest that the progenitor is a damocloid. The impact area of the hypothetical remnants of the meteoroid is also given and a search for meteorites was performed, but none were found.
Circulating tumor‐associated autoantibodies as novel diagnostic biomarkers in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

To develop a superior diagnostic approach for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAC), the present study prospectively included 338 PAAC patients, 294 normal healthy volunteers (NHV), 122 chronic pancreatitis (CP) patients and 100 patients with non‐PAAC malignancies. In the identification phase, HuProt Human Proteome Microarray, comprising 21 065 proteins, was used to identify serum tumor‐associated autoantibodies (TAAbs) candidates differentiating PAAC (n = 30) from NHV (n = 30). A PAAC‐focused array containing 165 differentially expressed TAAbs identified was subsequently adopted in the validation phase (n = 712) for specificity and sensitivities. The multivariate TAAbs signature for differentiation PAAC from controls (NHV + CP) identified five candidates, namely the IgG‐type TAAbs against CLDN17, KCNN3, SLAMF7, SLC22A11 and OR51F2. Multivariate logistic performance model of y = (22.893 × CA19‐9 + 0.68 × CLDN17 − 4.012) showed a significant better diagnostic accuracy than that of CA19‐9 and CLDN17 in differentiating PAAC from controls (NHV + CP) (AUC = 0.97, 0.92 and 0.82, respectively, P‐value < .0001). We further tested the autoantigen level of CLDN17 by ELISA in 82 sera samples from PAAC (n = 42), CP (n = 24) and NHV (n = 16). Similarly, the model showed superior diagnostic performance than that of CA19‐9 and CLDN17 (AUC = 0.93, 0.83 and 0.81, respectively, P‐value < .0001) in differentiating PAAC from controls. In conclusion, our study is the first to characterize the circulating TAAbs signatures in PAAC. The results showed that CLDN17 combined with CA19‐9 provided potentially clinical value and may serve as noninvasive novel biomarkers for PAAC diagnosis.
Second‐degree burn induced by high‐concentration topical capsaicin with mobility sequelae: A case report

High‐concentration topical capsaicin is used as a second‐line treatment for neuropathic pain. Transient, mild burning sensation and erythema are expected adverse drug reactions. Here, we report the first case of second degree burn after the application of a high‐concentration topical capsaicin patch with secondary mobility sequelae. Nine months after the application, neuropathic pain still remained and the patient described mobility difficulties in daily activities, preventing her from returning to work. This report aims to raise the question of the benefit/risk ratio of high concentration topical capsaicin.
Incidence and risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning disability by adulthood after traumatic brain injury in childhood: a population-based birth cohort study

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to understand the risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or learning disability (LD) after childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a population-based birth cohort. Cases of TBI for children from birth to 10 years were confirmed and stratified by severity of injury. For each TBI case, two age-matched and sex-matched referents without TBI were identified from the same birth cohort. Presence of ADHD and LD before age 19 were confirmed using medical and/or school records. Associations between TBI exposure and subsequent ADHD or LD were assessed in multivariable Cox regression models, adjusting for maternal age, education, and race. The incidence rate of TBI before age 10 was 1,156 per 100,000 person-years. Children who had a TBI before age 10 were more likely to have met the research criteria for ADHD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.68; 95% CI, 1.15–2.45) or LD (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.00–1.68) by age 19. No statistically significant associations were shown between TBI and ADHD or LD when restricted to definite and probable TBI cases (consistent with moderate to severe and mild TBI, respectively) and their referents. Significant associations were shown when the analysis was confined to possible TBI cases (consistent with concussive TBI) and their referents (ADHD: HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.31–3.20; and LD: HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.05–1.91). Increased risk for developing ADHD and LD by adulthood was shown particularly for children with the least-severe injuries, indicating that factors other than trauma-related altered brain function likely contribute to this risk.
Constraining Nonperturbative Strong-Field Effects in Scalar-Tensor Gravity by Combining Pulsar Timing and Laser-Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Detectors

Pulsar timing and gravitational-wave (GW) detectors are superb laboratories to study gravity theories in the strong-field regime. Here we combine those tools to test the mono-scalar-tensor theory of Damour and Esposito-Far{e}se (DEF), which predicts nonperturbative scalarization phenomena for neutron stars (NSs). First, applying Markov-chain Monte Carlo techniques, we use the absence of dipolar radiation in the pulsar-timing observations of five binary systems composed of a NS and a white dwarf, and eleven equations of state (EOSs) for NSs, to derive the most stringent constraints on the two free parameters of the DEF scalar-tensor theory. Since the binary-pulsar bounds depend on the NS mass and the EOS, we find that current pulsar-timing observations leave scalarization windows, i.e., regions of parameter space where scalarization can still be prominent. Then, we investigate if these scalarization windows could be closed and if pulsar-timing constraints could be improved by laser-interferometer GW detectors, when spontaneous (or dynamical) scalarization sets in during the early (or late) stages of a binary NS (BNS) evolution. For the early inspiral of a BNS carrying constant scalar charge, we employ a Fisher matrix analysis to show that Advanced LIGO can improve pulsar-timing constraints for some EOSs, and next-generation detectors, such as the Cosmic Explorer and Einstein Telescope, will be able to improve those bounds for all eleven EOSs. Using the late inspiral of a BNS, we estimate that for some of the EOSs under consideration the onset of dynamical scalarization can happen early enough to improve the constraints on the DEF parameters obtained by combining the five binary pulsars. Thus, in the near future the complementarity of pulsar timing and direct observations of GWs on the ground will be extremely valuable in probing gravity theories in the strong-field regime.
An Improved RaftStereo Trained with A Mixed Dataset for the Robust Vision Challenge 2022

Stereo matching is a fundamental problem in computer vision. Despite recent progress by deep learning, improving the robust-ness is ineluctable when deploying stereo-matching models to real-world applications. Diﬀerent from the common practices, i.e., developing an elaborate model to achieve robustness, we argue that collecting multiple available datasets for training is a cheaper way to increase generalization ability. Speciﬁcally, this report presents an improved RaftStereo [12] trained with a mixed dataset of seven public datasets for the robust vision challenge (denoted as iRaftStereo RVC). When evaluated on the training sets of Middlebury, KITTI-2015, and ETH3D, the model out-performs its counterparts trained with only one dataset, such as the popular Sceneﬂow. After ﬁne-tuning the pre-trained model on the three datasets of the challenge, it ranks at 2nd place on the stereo leader-board 1 , demonstrating the beneﬁts of mixed dataset pre-training.
KPDROP: Improving Absent Keyphrase Generation

Keyphrase generation is the task of generating phrases (keyphrases) that summarize the main topics of a given document. Keyphrases can be either present or absent from the given document. While the extraction of present keyphrases has received much attention in the past, only recently a stronger focus has been placed on the generation of absent keyphrases. However, generating absent keyphrases is challenging; even the best methods show only a modest degree of success. In this paper, we propose a model-agnostic approach called keyphrase dropout (or KPDrop) to improve absent keyphrase generation. In this approach, we randomly drop present keyphrases from the document and turn them into artificial absent keyphrases during training. We test our approach extensively and show that it consistently improves the absent performance of strong baselines in both supervised and resource-constrained semi-supervised settings.
Molecular-scale substrate anisotropy, crowding and division drive collective behaviours in cell monolayers

The ability of cells to reorganize in response to external stimuli is important in areas ranging from morphogenesis to tissue engineering. While nematic order is common in biological tissues, it typically only extends to small regions of cells interacting via steric repulsion. On isotropic substrates, elongated cells can co-align due to steric effects, forming ordered but randomly oriented finite-size domains. However, we have discovered that flat substrates with nematic order can induce global nematic alignment of dense, spindle-like cells, thereby influencing cell organization and collective motion and driving alignment on the scale of the entire tissue. Remarkably, single cells are not sensitive to the substrate’s anisotropy. Rather, the emergence of global nematic order is a collective phenomenon that requires both steric effects and molecular-scale anisotropy of the substrate. To quantify the rich set of behaviours afforded by this system, we analyse velocity, positional and orientational correlations for several thousand cells over days. The establishment of global order is facilitated by enhanced cell division along the substrate’s nematic axis, and associated extensile stresses that restructure the cells’ actomyosin networks. Our work provides a new understanding of the dynamics of cellular remodelling and organization among weakly interacting cells.
Tuning Charge Density Wave in TiSe 2 : TiSeS single crystals growth and characterization.

Layered semimetallic van der Waals materials TiSe 2 has attracted a lot of attention because of interplay of a charge density wave (CDW) state and superconductivity. Its sister compound TiS 2 , being isovalent to TiSe 2 and having the same crystal structure, shows a semiconducting behavior. The natural rises what happens at the transition point in TiSe 2-x S x , which is expected for x close to 1. Here we report the growth and characterization of TiSeS single crystals and the study of the electronic structure using density functional theory (DFT) and angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES). We show that TiSeS single crystals have the same morphology as TiSe 2 . Transport measurements reveal a metallic state, no evidence of CDW was found. DFT calculations suggest that the electronic band structure in TiSeS is similar to that of TiSe 2 , but the electron and hole pockets in TiSeS are much smaller. The ARPES results are in good agreement with the calculations.
The superbubble size distribution in the interstellar medium of galaxies

We use the standard, adiabatic shell evolution to predict the differential size distribution N (R) for populations of OB superbubb1es in a uniform interstellar medium (ISM). Assuming that shell growth stalls upon pressure equilibrium with the ambient ISM, we derive N (R) for simple cases of superbubble creation rate and mechanical luminosity function (MLF). For constant creation and an MLF ¢(L)ocL-P, we find that N(R)ocRl - 2P for R Re, where the characteristic radius Re '" 1300 pc for typical ISM parameters. For R Re it is dominated by growing objects. The relation N (R) ocR 1-2P appears to be quite robust, and also results from momentum-conserving shell evolution. We predict a peak in N (R) corresponding to individual supernova remnants (SNRs), and suggest that the contribution of Type Ia SNRs should be apparent in the observed form ofN(R). We present expressions for the porosity parameters, Q20 and Q30' derived from our analysis. Q20 is dominated by the largest superbubb1es for /3 2, whereas Q30 is normally dominated by the few largest shells. We examine evolutionary effects on the H II region luminosity function (H II LF), in order to estimate /3. We find that for a nebular luminosity fading with time t, . fE oc t - ~, there is a minimum observed slope amin for the H II LFs. Empirical measurements all show a > amin, therefore implying that usually we may take /3 =a. We also find that if nebular luminosity is instantaneously extinguished at some given age, rather than continuously fading, no amin will be observed. Comparison with the largely complete H I hole catalogue for the SMC shows surprising agreement in the predicted and observed slope of N (R). This suggests that no other fundamental process is needed to explain the size distribution of shells in the SMC. Further comparison with largely incomplete H I data for M31, M33 and Holmberg II also shows agreement in the slopes, but perhaps hinting at systematic differences between spiral and 1m galaxies. We estimate porosities that are substantially < 1 for all of the galaxies except Holmberg II, for which we obtain values ~ 1. Most of these galaxies therefore may not be strongly dominated by a hot interstellar component. However, porosity results for the Gal~ remain inconclusive with the available data.