Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Very Large Telescope FORS1 Imaging Polarimetry of M83 (NGC 5236). I. Search for Light Echoes from Historical Supernovae

We have used FORS1 at the ESO Very Large Telescope to search for light echoes in imaging polarimetry from four historical supernovae in the face-on nearby spiral galaxy M83 (NGC 5236). No echoes were detected around our targets (SN 1923A, SN 1945B, SN 1950B, and SN 1957D). This implies that the interstellar medium in their environs is rather tenuous (a few particles per cm3), possibly as a result of previous supernova explosions that could have cleared the immediate vicinities of our targets. The merits and limitations of searching for light echoes in imaging polarimetry are discussed. From the photometry of the sources detected at the supernova locations, we estimate star cluster masses of 720, 400, and 300 M☉ for the cluster progenitors of SN 1957D, SN 1923A, and SN 1950B, respectively, and an upper limit of a few tens of solar masses for SN 1945B.
Pre-school Teachers' Attitudes towards Mathematical Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Mathematics, and Mathematics Teaching

This study was carried out to examine the relationship between preschool teachers' mathematical pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK), their attitudes towards mathematics (ATM), and their attitudes towards mathematics teaching (ATMT). The research method was designed according to the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The study group consisted of 365 pre-school teachers working in pre-school educational institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. The research data were obtained using the "General Information Form", "Knowledge Scale of Pedagogical Content in Preschool Mathematics" and "Scale of Attitudes for the Teaching of Mathematics". The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS 22 package program. Firstly, as a result of the research, it was found that the ATM and ATMT levels of the teachers participating in the research were above average. In addition, findings showed that the levels of knowledge of mathematical pedagogical content were below average in some content areas (counting) and above average in some content areas (pattern, order, shape, spatial dimensions and comparison, and total score). Second, although the age of the teachers did not affect the levels of ATM and ATMT, on the contrary, it didaffect the levels of MPCK. Third, the seniority variable was found to affect ATM and MPCK levels but did not affect ATM. Finally, low positive correlations were found between the levels of MPCK, ATM, and ATMT. These research findings were discussed in light of the relevant literature and suggestions were made.
Elevated ITGA5 facilitates hyperactivated mTORC1-mediated progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma via upregulation of EFNB2

Background: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the head and neck, and it has shown increasing incidence and mortality. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is frequently dysregulated in LSCC, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Methods: Establishment of a novel LSCC cell line using primary LSCC tumor tissues with dysregulated mTORC1 activity and then stable knockdown of Raptor (an mTORC1 specific component) in this cell line. Transcriptomic sequencing, quantitative real-time PCR, western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence assays were used to identify the crucial downstream effector of mTORC1. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the functions and underlying mechanisms of the mTORC1 target gene in LSCC progression. Clinical LSCC samples were used to evaluate the association of mTORC1 and its downstream targets with clinicopathological features and patient prognosis. Finally, the influence on cisplatin (CDDP) sensitivity upon depletion of the mTORC1 target gene was assessed using a cell culture system, a cell line-derived xenograft (CDX) model, and a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Results: We successfully established a novel LSCC cell line with hyperactivated mTORC1 activity and then identified integrin subunit alpha 5 (ITGA5) as a novel functional downstream effector of mTORC1 in the progression of LSCC. Elevated ITGA5 promotes LSCC progression through augmentation of ephrin-B2 (EFNB2). Clinical data analysis indicated that the activation of the mTORC1-ITGA5-EFNB2 signaling pathway is associated with malignant progression and poor prognosis of LSCC patients. Inhibition of ITGA5 significantly sensitized LSCC cells to CDDP. Conclusions: Our findings highlight a novel molecular mechanism for the tumorigenesis driven by deregulated mTORC1 signaling in LSCC, suggesting that the ITGA5-EFNB2 axis may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of mTORC1-related LSCC.
Optimal product quality and pricing strategy for a two-period closed-loop supply chain under return policy

This article considers a two-period closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) model, where a manufacturer and a retailer are trading one product. The retailer's demand rate for each period is dependent on the selling price, product quality, and refund price. The first period's product quality has an impact on the second period's demand rate. In the first period, returned products are remanufactured and sold through the retailer with the new products in the second period. The manufacturer is the leader of the Stackelberg game who declares wholesale price(s) and quality of the product to the retailer who follows the manufacturer's decision and sets his selling prices for two consecutive periods. The manufacturer implements two pricing policies: (I) sets the same wholesale price for both periods (II) sets different wholesale prices for two different periods. The present research's main aim is to find the optimal strategies for lower pricing and high-quality products. Under these circumstances, four different decision strategies between the manufacturer and the retailer are developed and compared these strategies analytically and numerically. The effects of different decision strategies on the optimal supply chain results are developed with a numerical example. An optimal solution for all four strategies is obtained using Mathematica 9. In addition, graphical analyses are developed to determine under what circumstances a particular decision strategy is dominant over others. Numerical analysis suggests that fast-acting strategies produce dominant results, but adopting strategies with advanced notice can produce higher quality products.
C-Shaped Bidirectional Stiffness Joint Design For Anthropomorphic Hand

In this letter, we propose a C-shaped bidirectional stiffness joint for an anthropomorphic hand. The spring steel piece is used to connect the knuckles with inner concave C-shape as a rotational joint. The finger is bent by the tendon driven with low stiffness and reset by its own elasticity. The reverse bent has high stiffness with the C-shaped structure of the spring steel piece. The model of the designed joint is deduced, and the load-bearing capacity is analyzed. Meanwhile, the finite element simulation of the maximum bending moment of this joint is implemented. Then, an experimental platform was built to test a single finger, and the C-shaped joint was found to be 36 times larger than the maximum bending moment of the rectangular section joint. Finally, a prototype anthropomorphic hand was developed and the effectiveness of the C-shaped joint-based anthropomorphic hand was verified through various gesture, grasping and load bearing experiments.
Symmetries, Matrices, and de Sitter Gravity

Using simple algebraic methods along with an analogy to the BFSS model, we explore the possible (target) spacetime symmetries that may appear in a matrix description of de Sitter gravity. Such symmetry groups could arise in two ways, one from an ``IMF'' like construction and the other from a ``DLCQ'' like construction. In contrast to the flat space case, we show that the two constructions will lead to different groups, i.e. the Newton-Hooke group and the inhomogeneous Euclidean group (or its algebraic cousins). It is argued that matrix quantum mechanics based on the former symmetries look more plausible. Then, after giving a detailed description of the relevant one particle dynamics, a concrete Newton-Hooke matrix model is proposed. The model naturally incorporates issues such as holography, UV-IR relations, and fuzziness, for gravity in $dS_{4}$. We also provide evidence to support a possible phase transition. The lower temperature phase, which corresponds to gravity in the perturbative regime, has a Hilbert space of infinite dimension. In the higher temperature phase where the perturbation theory breaks down, the dimension of the Hilbert space may become finite.
The Influence of Particle Scattering on Acceleration Rates and Injection Efficiencies in Oblique Shocks

The rate at which particles are accelerated by the first-order Fermi mechanism in shocks depends on the angle, \teq{\Tbone}, that the upstream magnetic field makes with the shock normal. The greater the obliquity the greater the rate, and in quasi-perpendicular shocks rates can be hundreds of times higher than those seen in parallel shocks. In many circumstances pertaining to evolving shocks (\eg, supernova blast waves and interplanetary traveling shocks), high acceleration rates imply high maximum particle energies and obliquity effects may have important astrophysical consequences. However, as is demonstrated here, the efficiency for injecting thermal particles into the acceleration mechanism also depends strongly on obliquity and, in general, varies inversely with \teq{\Tbone}. The degree of turbulence and the resulting cross-field diffusion strongly influences both injection efficiency and acceleration rates. The test particle \mc simulation of shock acceleration used here assumes large-angle scattering, computes particle orbits exactly in shocked, laminar, non-relativistic flows, and calculates the injection efficiency as a function of obliquity, Mach number, and degree of turbulence. We find that turbulence must be quite strong for high Mach number, highly oblique shocks to inject significant numbers of thermal particles and that only modest gains in acceleration rates can be expected for strong oblique shocks over parallel ones if the only source of seed particles is the thermal background.
Labour and control shifts: financial services in US metro areas, 2007–17

ABSTRACT We use a triangulation approach combining data on mergers and acquisitions and the labour market with 66 interviews to tease out a decade of changes (2007–17) in corporate control and employment in financial services across 47 major US metropolitan areas. Our results show that while corporate control is rapidly shifting and concentrating within a financial-cum-technological axis of first-tier cities, which we coin the Northeastern Corridor–Bay Area axis, with New York and San Francisco in the lead, significant employment growth took place in second- and third-tier cities, such as Jacksonville, Florida, signalling a changing spatial division of labour in US finance.
A one-DOF compliant gripper mechanism with four identical twofold-symmetric Bricard linkages

Abstract Gripper is one of the most important parts of robot because of contacting with workpieces directly and has attracted lots of research interests. However, the existing grippers are either simple in function or complex in structure. In this paper, we will propose a one-DOF gripper based on a compliant mechanism with four identical twofold-symmetric Bricard linkages. A mobile network with four identical twofold-symmetric Bricard linkages with particular design parameters is constructed at first. Kinematics, such as mobility, singularity, and folding performance, is then analyzed to show the potential of realizing the function of grasping. The result is demonstrated with a physical prototype. To simplify the fabricating process, a compliant mechanism of the network is designed and fabricated with a single polypropylene board, and the grasping function is realized by a cable-driven scheme. Some grasping experiments are carried out on different types of objects which shows that the proposed and fabricated four-figure gripper is simple in structure and has a great grasping function. The work provides a new idea for the design of grippers with low cost, simple structure, and rich functions.
Transfer, Measure and Extend Maintainability Metrics for Web Component based Applications to Achieve Higher Quality

: The last few years have seen an increased interest in web components composite W3C standard. These can be used without or with frameworks like Angular or React. Modern web applications get developed by the principles of component-based software development (CBSD). Therefore, a Web-Application is a composition of multiple web components, which are connected. In order to operate and continuously extend a web application successfully in the long term, the non-functional requirement of maintainability has crucial importance. This paper describes a model to collect, measure and compare maintainability in web components and web applications. These consist of object-oriented language (OOP) and a bound HTML-Fragment. Previous knowledge of maintainability gets extended to the interconnection between OOP and HTML-Fragments. Especially the coupling and cohesion between web components get analyzed. Through the developed model, the maintainability of web components can be speciﬁed in more detail. This allows web developers to analyze the quality of their web applications and reach a higher software-quality level.
Research on the Impact of Virtual Reality Technology Perception on Tourist Engagement in the Context of Smart Tourism

— In recent years, virtual reality technology is booming. How to combine VR technology with tourism projects has become an important issue in scenic spots. Previous studies have shown that tourists' acceptance of new technologies or applications will affect their tourism experience, but there is far from enough research on the combination of VR technology and tourism that is gradually emerging, and there is also a lack of research on what driving factors will affect tourists' compatibility under the background of smart tourism. Based on this, this study takes tourists who have experienced VR projects in scenic spots as the research objects. The results show that: (1) all three dimensions of VR technology perception have a direct and significant impact on flow experience; (2) All three dimensions of VR technology perception have a direct and significant impact on tourist engagement; (3) Flow experience has a direct and significant impact on tourist engagement, and flow experience plays a partial mediating effect in the impact of VR technology perception (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived entertainment) on tourist engagement. Finally, according to the results, management suggestions are put forward from two aspects of VR project improvement and experience improvement, and at the same time, the shortcomings of this research are pointed out, and the direction for future research is pointed out.
Pre-service pre-school teachers' opinions about using block-based coding/scratch

"Abstract: In this study, it was aimed to examine the pre-service pre-school teachers’ opinions about using block-based coding/Scratch in education. 28 pre-service pre-school teachers were participated studying at a public university in a Marmara province region. Within the scope of the study, pre-service teachers were trained on the block-based coding Scratch program for four weeks. A semi-structured interview form consisting of 12 questions was used to determine the opinions of the participants. The data of the study were analyzed using the descriptive analysis method. As a result of the study, 85.71% of pre-school teacher candidates stated that block-based coding education should start at an early age like a language education, this education is important as a necessity of the technology age and all students should benefit from this education in order to provide an effective education, 14.25% of teacher candidates specified that this education is untimely for younger age levels and should not be given to everyone. In addition, the pre-service teachers stated that the block-based coding/Scratch program training helped them gain new ideas in terms of creating materials, improved their creativity and contributed to design abstract material in addition to concrete ones. Additionally, 46.42% of pre-service teachers stated that block-based coding education should start between the ages of 5-7. In this context, it is recommended to provide coding education both in pre-school and undergraduate education. "
Small Deviations from the R 1/4 Law, the Fundamental Plane, and Phase Densities of Elliptical Galaxies

The light profiles of elliptical (E) galaxies are known to display small systematic deviations (0.1-0.2 mag.) from the R/ 4 law. In this paper we show that the senses and amplitudes of these departures can be naturally accounted for by a simple distribution function constructed on the basis of statistical mechanics of violent relaxation. As a consequence, detailed light-profiles can be used to infer about the central potentials of E galaxies (the only free shape parameter of our model). Fu~·thermore, the small deviations have recently been shown to correlate with luminosity, £. This observation entails a slight breaking of the generally assumed structural homology between E galaxies. Using our model we parametrize this broken homology by establishing a correlation between a suitably normalized central potential and luminosity. The non-homology means that a basic assumption in the interpretation of the Fundamental Plane (FP) breaks down, and with it the conclusions derived from it. Instead, by assuming that M/£ is independent of luminosity, we derive a relation akin to the FP directly from our correlation. This implies that the FP may have a simple stellar dynamical origin. We can reproduce the observed Carlberg-Kormendy relation for the central phase-space densities (Ie) of E galaxies of identical structure, Ie ex: £-2.35, but non-homology changes it to a much weaker dependence (Ie ex: £-1.5 for constant M/£) which would imply that the central phase-space densities of ellipticals are comparable to those of spiral galaxies (~ 1O-6M8Pc-3(km s-1 t 3 ). Thus dissipationless merging is consistent with the FP, although HST observations, notably the presence of nuclear embedded disks, indicate that the assumptions behind our model (isotropy and pressure support) break down for the nuclei of faint E galaxies in which dissipative processes seem to be important. Subject headings: celestial mechanics, stellar dynamics galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD galaxies: fundamental parameters galaxies: kinematics and dynamics galaxies: photometry galaxies: structure 1 Present address: Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OHA, UK; jens@maiJ.asLcam. ac.uk
Measurement of differential cross sections for the production of top quark pairs and of additional jets in lepton+jets events from pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV

Differential and double-differential cross sections for the production of top quark pairs in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV are measured as a function of kinematic variables of the top quarks and the top quark-antiquark ($\mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}}$) system. In addition, kinematic variables and multiplicities of jets associated with the $\mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}}$ production are measured. This analysis is based on data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2016 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.8 fb$^{-1}$. The measurements are performed in the lepton+jets decay channels with a single muon or electron and jets in the final state. The differential cross sections are presented at the particle level, within a phase space close to the experimental acceptance, and at the parton level in the full phase space. The results are compared to several standard model predictions that use different methods and approximations. The kinematic variables of the top quarks and the $\mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}}$ system are reasonably described in general, though none predict all the measured distributions. In particular, the transverse momentum distribution of the top quarks is more steeply falling than predicted. The kinematic distributions and multiplicities of jets are adequately modeled by certain combinations of next-to-leading-order calculations and parton shower models.
Non-communicable Disease-Related Sustainable Development Goals for 66 Belt and Road Initiative Countries

Background: Since 2015, the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) has measured progress in achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) annually worldwide. Little is known about the status and attainment of indicators of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 65 countries from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China in 2013. Methods: Data from GBDs were used to estimate 24 NCD-related SDG indicators in BRI countries from 1990 to 2017. Each indicator was scored from 0 to 100 to compare multiple indicators over the study period. The natural log of the annual change in each location and year and weighted annual rates of change were used to generate projections for 2030. National-level estimates were determined by socio-demographic index (SDI) quintiles in BRI countries with more than 1 million inhabitants. Results: In 2017, the median overall score of NCD-related SDG index for the 66 BRI countries was 60 points, ranging from 29 points in Afghanistan to 84 points in Israel. More than 80% of countries achieved the SDG 2030 maternal mortality (MM) rate target in 2017, and the national skilled birth attendance rate was above 99% in more than 59% countries. However, none of the BRI countries achieved the goal for children’s overweight, modern methods of contraception, and universal health coverage. It was predicted that 80.4% of NCD-related SDG targets would be achieved in these countries by 2030. The overall score of NCD-related SDG index were positively associated with SDI quintiles. Conclusion: For many indicators, the achieved progress in many countries is less than the annual rate necessary to meet SDG targets, indicating that substantial efforts need to be made in the coming years. Progress should be accelerated through collaborations between countries, implementation of NCD prevention and control strategies, and monitoring of inequalities in NCD-related SDGs within populations.
Advances in imaging with thermal neutrons

Experiments have been conducted using a modern high-resolution {sup 3}He two-dimensional position-sensitive detection chamber combined with coded apertures to produce images by means of thermal neutrons. These images are comparable to those produced by gamma ray imaging, but with some important differences. The detector is much less sensitive to the fast neutrons than to the thermalized component. Therefore, assuming that the neutron source has a fission spectrum, the brightest regions in an image represent moderating material in close proximity to the source, rather than the source itself. Earlier experiments have shown that useful contrast can be produced with thermal neutrons using thin masks made of metallic Cd sheet, but the resolution in those experiments was detector-limited at a few centimeters per pixel. The newer detector can resolve a line image with a fwhm resolution of about 1 mm. The technique could in principle be used in re-entry vehicle on-site inspections to count multiple nuclear warheads. Thermal neutrons carry no detailed spectral information, so their detection should not be as intrusive as gamma ray imaging. This technique can be used in nuclear materials management and arms control.