Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Measured Building Energy Data to Infer Building Characteristics for Urban Building Energy Modeling

Buildings in the United States used 40% of total energy use in the United States in 2020, providing a signiﬁcant opportunity to reduce energy use and the carbon footprint of the US. Modeling large numbers of buildings in a particular region maximizes this impact, allowing cities, utilities, or other stakeholders to determine the optimal solutions to reduce energy consumption in buildings based on modeling simulations. Building type is a critical input variable from which many signiﬁcant building characteristics such as occupancy, equipment, light-ing, etc., can be inferred if this data is not directly available. Aggregating the building type in a non-intrusive manner for large scale analyses can be difﬁcult as there is no public database with the function of each building. For this reason, another method of assigning building type using measured building energy use was developed. Measured building energy use was compared to Department of Energy (DOE) prototype building energy models for about 46 thousand buildings from the Electric Power Board (EPB) of Chattanooga service area to determine which prototype building was most representative of each individual building. Two methods of comparing the energy usage to the prototype building energy models at two different temporal resolutions were compared, with the building type assignments used to generate building energy models. Simulation results were compared to measured data to determine which method had the highest accuracy. It was determined that Euclidean distance was the optimal comparison metric and reduction of temporal resolution from hourly to monthly did not result in a major reduction in simulation quality.
A peculiar H i cloud near the distant globular cluster Pal 4

We present 21-cm observations of four Galactic globular clusters, as part of the on-going Galactic Arecibo L-band Feed Array (GALFA) H i survey at Arecibo. We discovered a peculiar H i cloud in the vicinity of the distant (109 kpc) cluster Pal 4, and discuss its properties and likelihood of association with the cluster. We conclude that an association of the H i cloud and Pal 4 is possible, but that a chance coincidence between Pal 4 and a nearby compact high-velocity cloud cannot be ruled out altogether. New, more stringent upper limits were derived for the other three clusters: M 3, NGC 5466, and Pal 13. We briefly discuss the fate of globular cluster gas and the interaction of compact clouds with the Galactic halo gas.
THE 22 MONTH SWIFT-BAT ALL-SKY HARD X-RAY SURVEY

We present the catalog of sources detected in the first 22 months of data from the hard X-ray survey (14–195 keV) conducted with the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) coded mask imager on the Swift satellite. The catalog contains 461 sources detected above the 4. 8σ level with BAT. High angular resolution X-ray data for every source from Swift-XRT or archival data have allowed associations to be made with known counterparts in other wavelength bands for over 97% of the detections, including the discovery of ∼30 galaxies previously unknown as active galactic nuclei and several new Galactic sources. A total of 266 of the sources are associated with Seyfert galaxies (median redshift z ∼ 0.03) or blazars, with the majority of the remaining sources associated with X-ray binaries in our Galaxy. This ongoing survey is the first uniform all-sky hard X-ray survey since HEAO-1 in 1977. Since the publication of the nine-month BAT survey we have increased the number of energy channels from four to eight and have substantially increased the number of sources with accurate average spectra. The BAT 22 month catalog is the product of the most sensitive all-sky survey in the hard X-ray band, with a detection sensitivity (4.8σ) of 2.2 × 10−11 erg cm−2 s−1 (1 mCrab) over most of the sky in the 14–195 keV band.
A scheme for the detection of mixing processes in vacuum

Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1(Dated: July 14, 2014)A scheme for the detection of photons generated by vacuum mixing processes is proposed. Thestrategy consists in the utilization of a high numerical aperture parabolic mirror which tightly fo-cuses two co-propagating laser beams with di erent frequencies. This produces a very high intensityregion in the vicinity of the focus, where the photon-photon nonlinear interaction can then inducenew electromagnetic radiation by wave mixing processes. These processes are investigated theoreti-cally. The eld at the focus is obtained from the Stratton-Chu vector di raction theory, which canaccomodate any con guration of an incoming laser beam. The number of photons generated is eval-uated for an incident radially polarized beam. It is demonstrated that using this eld con guration,vacuum mixing processes could be detected with envisaged laser technologies.
Treatment program for ex-jailed sex offenders in Uruguay: from knowledge to policy.

In this article, we discuss the process of implementing a pilot program of the treatment of sex offenders in Uruguay. We implemented an intervention-research based on the case study method delimited in terms of institutional and thematic scenarios; a national public institution whose main objective is the socio-labor and community inclusion of formerly incarcerated people. The data collection took place between February and October 2018, through group interviews with the technical team of the program and semi-structured interviews with the directorate. We present the analyzed theoretical and technical dimensions involved in the implementation of a community-based program for sexual offenders, according to two analytical lines: the specificity of the approach towards sexual offenders and the conceptions of the key institutional actors surrounding sexual violence.
Confronting GRB prompt emission with a model for subphotospheric dissipation

The origin of the prompt emission in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is still an unsolved problem and several different mechanisms have been suggested. Here, we fit Fermi GRB data with a photospheric emission model which includes dissipation of the jet kinetic energy below the photosphere. The resulting spectra are dominated by Comptonization and contain no significant contribution from synchrotron radiation. In order to fit to the data, we span a physically motivated part of the model's parameter space and create DREAM (Dissipation with Radiative Emission as A table Model), a table model for XSPEC. We show that this model can describe different kinds of GRB spectra, including GRB 090618, representing a typical Band function spectrum, and GRB 100724B, illustrating a double peaked spectrum, previously fitted with a Band+blackbody model, suggesting they originate from a similar scenario. We suggest that the main difference between these two types of bursts is the optical depth at the dissipation site.
Multiple Statistical Model Ensemble Predictions of Residual Chlorine in Drinking Water: Applications of Various Deep Learning and Machine Learning Algorithms

Applicability of statistical models in predicting chlorine decay remains minimally explored. This study predicted residual chlorine using six deep learning and nine machine learning techniques. Suitability of multimodel ensembles (MMEs) including arithmetic mean of all the models (Ens1), average of the best three performing models (Ens2), and weighted mean of outputs from all the 15 models was investigated. A total of nine “goodness-of-fit” measures (such as distance correlation (rd) and Taylor skill score) were used to rank the models. The two best deep learning methods were the nonlinear autoregressive model with exogenous input (NARX) (rd = 0.51) and feedforward backpropagation (FFB) (rd = 0.61). The two best machine learning algorithms included random forests (RF) (rd = 0.64) and Gaussian process regression (GPR) (rd = 0.59). Eventually, Ens2 was obtained using RF, FFB, and GPR. Ens2 performed better than Ens1 and Ens3. The amount of variance explained by individual models and MMEs was over the ranges of 13–66% and 51–74%, respectively. Ens2 explained 74% of the total variance in observed residual chlorine. Remarkably, the appropriateness of the MMEs depends on the approach for combining model outputs, and the number of models considered. This study demonstrated the acceptability of statistical MMEs in predicting chlorine residual concentration in drinking water.
Experiencias educativas para la formación del pensamiento crítico: un desafío para la educación pospandemia

El presente artículo tiene como propósito divulgar los resultados preliminares de la primera fase descriptiva del proyecto de investigación titulado “El desarrollo del pensamiento crítico en la formación docente: experiencias educativas innovadoras de los docentes de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación”, en la Universidad de La Salle. Esta investigación busca, en términos generales, analizar la configuración de las experiencias educativas de los docentes para la formación del pensamiento crítico mediante una metodología de carácter exploratorio y descriptivo. Sobre esa base, en un primer momento pretende caracterizar las percepciones de los docentes y estudiantes de la Facultad respecto al pensamiento crítico y su formación. Posteriormente, se propone comprender cómo se configuran las experiencias educativas de los profesores en ese campo, para finalmente establecer implicaciones pedagógicas y didácticas como aporte a los contextos educativos universitarios. Entre los resultados más relevantes sobre las percepciones de los profesores se encuentra la influencia de la perspectiva cognitiva en la conceptualización del pensamiento crítico, derivada de la multiplicidad de propuestas teóricas que clasifican una serie de habilidades complejas y básicas involucradas en la formación de dicho proceso. En esta mirada, los profesores de la Facultad tienden a privilegiar el desarrollo de capacidades complejas como a) el análisis contextual, b) la toma de decisiones/toma de posturas, c) la resolución de problemas y d) la argumentación, las cuales suponen el ejercicio de otro tipo de habilidades como la inducción, deducción, analogía, abducción, inferencia, interpretación y evaluación.
Impact of Hydrophilic Modification of Synthetic Dialysis Membranes on Hemocompatibility and Performance

The dialyzer is the core element in the hemodialysis treatment of patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). During hemodialysis treatment, the dialyzer replaces the function of the kidney by removing small and middle-molecular weight uremic toxins, while retaining essential proteins. Meanwhile, a dialyzer should have the best possible hemocompatibility profile as the perpetuated contact of blood with artificial surfaces triggers complement activation, coagulation and immune cell activation, and even low-level activation repeated chronically over years may lead to undesired effects. During hemodialysis, the adsorption of plasma proteins to the dialyzer membrane leads to a formation of a secondary membrane, which can compromise both the uremic toxin removal and hemocompatibility of the dialyzer. Hydrophilic modifications of novel dialysis membranes have been shown to reduce protein adsorption, leading to better hemocompatibility profile and performance stability during dialysis treatments. This review article focuses on the importance of performance and hemocompatibility of dialysis membranes for the treatment of dialysis patients and summarizes recent studies on the impact of protein adsorption and hydrophilic modifications of membranes on these two core elements of a dialyzer.
Crosstalk between the Intestinal Virome and Other Components of the Microbiota, and Its Effect on Intestinal Mucosal Response and Diseases

In recent years, there has been ample evidence illustrating the effect of microbiota on gut immunity, homeostasis, and disease. Most of these studies have engaged more efforts in understanding the role of the bacteriome in gut mucosal immunity and disease. However, studies on the virome and its influence on gut mucosal immunity and pathology are still at infancy owing to limited metagenomic tools. Nonetheless, the existing studies on the virome have largely been focused on the bacteriophages as these represent the main component of the virome with little information on endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) and eukaryotic viruses. In this review, we describe the gut virome, and its role in gut mucosal response and disease progression. We also explore the crosstalk between the virome and other microorganisms in the gut mucosa and elaborate on how these interactions shape the gut mucosal immunity going from bacteriophages through ERVs to eukaryotic viruses. Finally, we elucidate the potential contribution of this crosstalk in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases and colon cancer.
The effect of peculiar velocities on the epoch of reionization 21-cm signal

We have used seminumerical simulations of reionization to study the behaviour of the power spectrum of the epoch of reionization 21-cm signal in redshift space. We have considered two models of reionization, one which has homogeneous recombination (HR) and the other incorporating inhomogeneous recombination (IR). We have estimated the observable quantities – quadrupole and monopole moments of H i power spectrum at redshift space from our simulated data. We find that the magnitude and nature of the ratio between the quadrupole and monopole moments of the power spectrum (Ps2/Ps0) can be a possible probe for the epoch of reionization. We observe that this ratio becomes negative at large scales for x¯HI≤0.7 irrespective of the reionization model, which is a direct signature of an inside-out reionization at large scales. It is possible to qualitatively interpret the results of the simulations in terms of the fluctuations in the matter distribution and the fluctuations in the neutral fraction which have power spectra and cross-correlation PΔΔ(k), Pxx(k) and PΔx(k), respectively. We find that at large scales the fluctuations in matter density and neutral fraction are exactly anticorrelated through all stages of reionization. This provides a simple picture where we are able to qualitatively interpret the behaviour of the redshift-space power spectra at large scales with varying x¯HI entirely in terms of a just two quantities, namely x¯HI and the ratio Pxx/PΔΔ. The nature of PΔx becomes different for HR and IR scenarios at intermediate and small scales. We further find that it is possible to distinguish between an inside-out and an outside-in reionization scenario from the nature of the ratio Ps2/Ps0 at intermediate length scales.
Enhanced second harmonic generation from coupled asymmetric plasmonic metal nanostructures

We experimentally demonstrate that two coupled metal nanostructures (MNSs), a silver nanowire and bipyramid, can produce ∼30 times enhanced second harmonic generation compared to the particles alone. We develop a simple theoretical model, presenting the path interference effects in the nonlinear response of coupled MNSs. We show that the reason for such an enhancement can be the occurrence of a Fano resonance due to the coupling of the converter MNS to the long-lived mode of the attached MNS.
Geranylgeraniol and Green Tea Polyphenols Mitigate Negative Effects of a High-Fat Diet on Skeletal Muscle and the Gut Microbiome in Male C57BL/6J Mice

Natural bioactive compounds are proposed as alternatives in mitigating obesity-associated skeletal muscle dysfunction. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the combination of geranylgeraniol (GGOH) and green tea polyphenols (GTPs) can alleviate high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced muscle atrophy and alter gut microbiome composition. Male C57BL/6J mice fed an HFD were assigned to four groups (12 mice each) in a 2 (no GGOH vs. 400 mg GGOH/kg diet) × 2 (no GTPs vs. 0.5% weight/volume GTPs in water) factorial design. After 14 weeks of diet intervention, skeletal muscle and cecal samples were collected and examined. Compared to the control groups, the group that consumed a combination of GGOH and GTPs (GG + GTPs) had significantly decreased body and fat mass but increased skeletal muscle mass normalized by body weight and cross-sectional area. In soleus muscle, the GG + GTP diet increased citrate synthase activity but decreased lipid peroxidation. Gut microbiome beta-diversity analysis revealed a significant difference in the microbiome composition between diet groups. At the species level, the GG + GTP diet decreased the relative abundance of Dorea longicatena, Sporobacter termitidis, and Clostridium methylpentosum, and increased that of Akkermansia muciniphila and Subdoligranulum variabile. These results suggest that the addition of GGOH and GTPs to an HFD alleviates skeletal muscle atrophy, which is associated with changes in the gut microbiome composition.
INFRARED AND ULTRAVIOLET STAR FORMATION IN BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXIES IN THE ACCEPT SAMPLE

We present infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) photometry for a sample of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). The BCGs are from a heterogeneous but uniformly characterized sample, the Archive of Chandra Cluster Entropy Profile Tables (ACCEPT), of X-ray galaxy clusters from the Chandra X-ray telescope archive with published gas temperature, density, and entropy profiles. We use archival Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), Spitzer Space Telescope, and Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) observations to assemble spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and colors for BCGs. We find that while the SEDs of some BCGs follow the expectation of red, dust-free old stellar populations, many exhibit signatures of recent star formation in the form of excess UV or mid-IR emission, or both. We establish a mean near-UV (NUV) to 2MASS K color of 6.59 ± 0.34 for quiescent BCGs. We use this mean color to quantify the UV excess associated with star formation in the active BCGs. We use both fits to a template of an evolved stellar population and library of starburst models and mid-IR star formation relations to estimate the obscured star formation rates (SFRs). We show that many of the BCGs in X-ray clusters with low central gas entropy exhibit enhanced UV (38%) and mid-IR emission (43%) from 8 to 160 μm, above that expected from an old stellar population. These excesses are consistent with ongoing star formation activity in the BCG, star formation that appears to be enabled by the presence of high-density, X-ray-emitting intergalactic gas in the core of the cluster of galaxies. This hot, X-ray-emitting gas may provide the enhanced ambient pressure and some of the fuel to trigger star formation. This result is consistent with previous works that showed that BCGs in clusters with low central gas entropies host Hα emission-line nebulae and radio sources, while clusters with high central gas entropy exhibit none of these features. GALEX UV and Spitzer mid-IR measurements combined provide a complete picture of unobscured and obscured star formation occurring in these systems. We present IR and UV photometry and estimated equivalent continuous SFRs for a sample of BCGs.
The Effect Density Has on the Speed of Light, Time, and the Dimensions of the Multiverse

We show that as the dimensions of the Multiverse increase so does its density. This increase in density has the effect of decreasing the speed of light, slowing down time, and increasing the life span of each higher dimension and the life span of human beings occupying that higher dimension. We use the tenth dimension as the highest dimension as a special case but show that it is not possible to exactly determine its value because of varying factors that can end the Multiverse, sending all the Energy back into the original levels of the Quantum of the void that started the creation process.
A Manufacturing Process Simulation of Toughened Cyanate-Ester-Based Composite Structures with Respect to Stress Relaxation

The objectives of this study were to experimentally determine the effects of the stress relaxation of a cyanate-ester-based composite, derive and integrate constitutive equations into commercial FEM software, and apply this approach to understand the formation of residual stress in a typical aerospace structure—namely, a stiffened panel. In preliminary studies, a cyanate-ester-based composite with increased fracture toughness for high-temperature applications was developed. High curing temperatures up to 260 °C will inevitably lead to high process-induced stresses. To assess the magnitude of impact on the development of internal stresses, the relaxation behavior of the neat resin was measured and characterized. The system was toughened, and the effect of stress relaxation increased as the temperature got closer to the glass transition temperature of the toughener, which was approximately 240 °C. With the use of an incremental linear viscoelastic model, the relaxation behavior was integrated into a process model with a holistic approach. A stiffened panel was manufactured and used as the validation use case. The displacement field was validated with an optical 3D measuring system, and good agreement was found between the simulated and experimental results. The maximum difference between the elastic and the viscoelastic solution was found to be 15%. Furthermore, the stress magnitude in the transverse material direction resulted in a more critical value higher than the material strength.
Constraints on dynamo action in plasmas

Upper bounds are derived on the amount of magnetic energy that can be generated by dynamo action in collisional and collisionless plasmas with and without external forcing. A hierarchy of mathematical descriptions is considered for the plasma dynamics: ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), visco-resistive MHD, the double-adiabatic theory of Chew, Goldberger and Low (CGL), kinetic MHD and other kinetic models. It is found that dynamo action is greatly constrained in models where the magnetic moment of any particle species is conserved. In the absence of external forcing, the magnetic energy then remains small at all times if it is small in the initial state. In other words, a small ‘seed’ magnetic field cannot be amplified significantly, regardless of the nature of flow, as long as the collision frequency and gyroradius are small enough to be negligible. A similar conclusion also holds if the system is subject to external forcing as long as this forcing conserves the magnetic moment of at least one plasma species and does not greatly increase the total energy of the plasma (i.e. in practice, is subsonic). Dynamo action therefore always requires collisions or some small-scale kinetic mechanism for breaking the adiabatic invariance of the magnetic moment.
Modelling rapid TeV variability of PKS 2155−304

We present theoretical modelling for the very rapid TeV variability of PKS 2155–304 observed recently by the H.E. S.S. experiment. To explain the light-curve, where at least five flaring events were well observed, we assume five independent components of a jet that are characterized by slightly different physical parameters. An additional, significantly larger component is used to explain the emission of the source at long time scales. This component dominates the emission in the X-ray range, whereas the other components are dominant in the TeV range. The model used for our simulation describes precisely the evolution of the particle energy spectrum inside each component and takes into account light travel time effects. We show that a relatively simple synchrotron self-Compton scenario may explain this very rapid variability. Moreover, we find that absorption of the TeV emission inside the components due to the pair creation process is negligible.