pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
‘Looting marks’ in space-borne SAR imagery: Measuring rates of archaeological looting in Apamea (Syria) with TerraSAR-X Staring Spotlight

AbstractIn archaeological remote sensing, space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has not been used so far to monitor ‘looting’ (i.e. illegal excavations in heritage sites) mainly because of the spatial resolution of SAR images, typically not comparable to the ground dimensions of looting features. This paper explores the potential of the new TerraSAR-X beam mode Staring Spotlight (ST) to investigate looting within a workflow of radar backscattering change detection. A bespoke time series of five single polarisation, ascending mode, ST scenes with an unprecedented azimuth resolution of 0.24m was acquired over the archaeological site of Apamea in western Syria, from October 2014 to June 2015 with a regular sampling of one image every two months. Formerly included in the Tentative List of UNESCO, the site has been heavily looted from at least early 2012 to May 2014, as confirmed by Google Earth Very High Resolution (VHR) optical imagery. Building upon the theory of SAR imaging, we develop a novel conceptual model of ‘looting marks’, identify marks due to occurrence of new looting and discriminate them from alteration (e.g. filling) of pre-existing looting holes. ‘Looting marks’ appear as distinctive patterns of shadow and layover which are visible in the ground-range reprojected ST image and generated by the morphology of the holes. The recognition of looting marks within ratio maps of radar backscatter (σ0) between consecutive ST scenes allows quantification of the magnitude, spatial distribution and rates of looting activities. In agreement with the estimates based on Google Earth imagery, the ST acquired in October 2014 shows that ~45% of the site was looted. In the following eight months new looting happened locally, with holes mainly dug along the margins of the already looted areas. Texture values of ~0.31 clearly distinguish these holes from the unaltered, bare ground nearby. Hot spots of change are identified based on the temporal variability of σ0, and colour composites indicate where repeated looting and alteration of existing holes occurred. Most looting marks are observed north of the two main Roman decumani. Looting intensified almost steadily from December 2014, with over 1500 new marks in February–April 2015. The estimated rates of looting increased from 214 looting marks/month in October–December 2014 to over 780marks/month in April–June 2015, and numerically express the dynamic nature of the phenomenon to which Apamea is still exposed. The method of identifying looting marks in VHR radar images therefore proves a reliable opportunity for archaeologists and image analysts to measure remotely the scale of looting and monitor its temporal evolution
Search for resonances in the mass distribution of jet pairs with one or two jets identified as b-jets in proton–proton collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

AbstractSearches for high-mass resonances in the dijet invariant mass spectrum with one or two jets identified as b-jets are performed using an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions with a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No evidence of anomalous phenomena is observed in the data, which are used to exclude, at 95% credibility level, excited b⁎ quarks with masses from 1.1 TeV to 2.1 TeV and leptophobic Z′ bosons with masses from 1.1 TeV to 1.5 TeV. Contributions of a Gaussian signal shape with effective cross sections ranging from approximately 0.4 to 0.001 pb are also excluded in the mass range 1.5–5.0 TeV
Mass spectra of 0+−, 1−+, and 2+− exotic glueballs

AbstractWith appropriate interpolating currents the mass spectra of 0+−, 1−+, and 2+− oddballs are studied in the framework of QCD sum rules (QCDSR). We find there exits one stable 0+− oddball with mass of 4.57±0.13GeV, and one stable 2+− oddball with mass of 6.06±0.13GeV, whereas, no stable 1−+ oddball shows up. The possible production and decay modes of these glueballs with unconventional quantum numbers are analyzed, which are hopefully measurable in either BELLEII, PANDA, Super-B or LHCb experiments
Tolerance Analysis Approach based on the Classification of Uncertainty (Aleatory/Epistemic)

AbstractUncertainty is ubiquitous in tolerance analysis problem. This paper deals with tolerance analysis formulation, more particularly, with the uncertainty which is necessary to take into account into the foundation of this formulation. It presents:•a brief view of the uncertainty classification: Aleatory uncertainty comes from the inherent uncertain nature and phenomena and epistemic uncertainty comes from the lack of knowledge•a formulation of the tolerance analysis problem based on this classification•its development: Aleatory uncertainty is modeled by probability distributions while epistemic uncertainty is modeled by intervals; Monte Carlo simulation is employed for probabilistic analysis while nonlinear optimization is used for interval analysis
Does the crossover from perturbative to nonperturbative physics in QCD become a phase transition at infinite N?

AbstractWe present numerical evidence that, in the planar limit, four-dimensional Euclidean Yang–Mills theory undergoes a phase transition on a finite symmetrical four-torus when the length of the sides l decreases to a critical value lc. For l>lc continuum reduction holds so that at leading order in N, there are no finite size effects in Wilson and Polyakov loops. This produces the exciting possibility of solving numerically for the meson sector of planar QCD at a cost substantially smaller than that of quenched SU(3)
Reappraising the P–T evolution of the Rogaland–Vest Agder Sector, southwestern Norway

AbstractThe Rogaland–Vest Agder Sector of southwestern Norway comprises high-grade metamorphic rocks intruded by voluminous plutonic bodies that include the ∼1000 km2 Rogaland Igneous Complex (RIC). New petrographic observations and thermodynamic phase equilibria modelling of three metapelitic samples collected at various distances (30 km, 10 km and ∼10 m) from one of the main bodies of RIC anorthosite were undertaken to assess two alternative P–T–t models for the metamorphic evolution of the area. The results are consistent with a revised two-phase evolution. Regional metamorphism followed a clockwise P–T path reaching peak conditions of ∼850–950 °C and ∼7–8 kbar at ∼1035 Ma followed by high-temperature decompression to ∼5 kbar at ∼950 Ma, and resulted in extensive anatexis and melt loss to produce highly residual rocks. Subsequent emplacement of the RIC at ∼930 Ma caused regional-scale contact metamorphism that affected country rocks 10 km or more from their contact with the anorthosite. This thermal overprint is expressed in the sample proximal to the anorthosite by replacement of sillimanite by coarse intergrowths of cordierite plus spinel and growth of a second generation of garnet, and in the intermediate (10 km) sample by replacement of sapphirine by coarse intergrowths of cordierite, spinel and biotite. The formation of late biotite in the intermediate sample may suggest the rocks retained small quantities of melt produced by regional metamorphism and remained at temperatures above the solidus for up to 100 Ma. Our results are more consistent with an accretionary rather than a collisional model for the Sveconorwegian Orogen
Plasma HDL cholesterol and risk of myocardial infarction: a mendelian randomisation study

SummaryBackgroundHigh plasma HDL cholesterol is associated with reduced risk of myocardial infarction, but whether this association is causal is unclear. Exploiting the fact that genotypes are randomly assigned at meiosis, are independent of non-genetic confounding, and are unmodified by disease processes, mendelian randomisation can be used to test the hypothesis that the association of a plasma biomarker with disease is causal.MethodsWe performed two mendelian randomisation analyses. First, we used as an instrument a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the endothelial lipase gene (LIPG Asn396Ser) and tested this SNP in 20 studies (20 913 myocardial infarction cases, 95 407 controls). Second, we used as an instrument a genetic score consisting of 14 common SNPs that exclusively associate with HDL cholesterol and tested this score in up to 12 482 cases of myocardial infarction and 41 331 controls. As a positive control, we also tested a genetic score of 13 common SNPs exclusively associated with LDL cholesterol.FindingsCarriers of the LIPG 396Ser allele (2·6% frequency) had higher HDL cholesterol (0·14 mmol/L higher, p=8×10−13) but similar levels of other lipid and non-lipid risk factors for myocardial infarction compared with non-carriers. This difference in HDL cholesterol is expected to decrease risk of myocardial infarction by 13% (odds ratio [OR] 0·87, 95% CI 0·84–0·91). However, we noted that the 396Ser allele was not associated with risk of myocardial infarction (OR 0·99, 95% CI 0·88–1·11, p=0·85). From observational epidemiology, an increase of 1 SD in HDL cholesterol was associated with reduced risk of myocardial infarction (OR 0·62, 95% CI 0·58–0·66). However, a 1 SD increase in HDL cholesterol due to genetic score was not associated with risk of myocardial infarction (OR 0·93, 95% CI 0·68–1·26, p=0·63). For LDL cholesterol, the estimate from observational epidemiology (a 1 SD increase in LDL cholesterol associated with OR 1·54, 95% CI 1·45–1·63) was concordant with that from genetic score (OR 2·13, 95% CI 1·69–2·69, p=2×10−10).InterpretationSome genetic mechanisms that raise plasma HDL cholesterol do not seem to lower risk of myocardial infarction. These data challenge the concept that raising of plasma HDL cholesterol will uniformly translate into reductions in risk of myocardial infarction.FundingUS National Institutes of Health, The Wellcome Trust, European Union, British Heart Foundation, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Loss of CSL Unlocks a Hypoxic Response and Enhanced Tumor Growth Potential in Breast Cancer Cells

SummaryNotch signaling is an important regulator of stem cell differentiation. All canonical Notch signaling is transmitted through the DNA-binding protein CSL, and hyperactivated Notch signaling is associated with tumor development; thus it may be anticipated that CSL deficiency should reduce tumor growth. In contrast, we report that genetic removal of CSL in breast tumor cells caused accelerated growth of xenografted tumors. Loss of CSL unleashed a hypoxic response during normoxic conditions, manifested by stabilization of the HIF1α protein and acquisition of a polyploid giant-cell, cancer stem cell-like, phenotype. At the transcriptome level, loss of CSL upregulated more than 1,750 genes and less than 3% of those genes were part of the Notch transcriptional signature. Collectively, this suggests that CSL exerts functions beyond serving as the central node in the Notch signaling cascade and reveals a role for CSL in tumorigenesis and regulation of the cellular hypoxic response
Adherence to Guidelines and the Screening Tool of Older Persons’ Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions Criteria for Colchicine Dosing for Gout Treatment in Beneficiaries of the Nova Scotia Seniors’ Pharmacare Program

AbstractPurposeColchicine is commonly used in the management of gout; however, older persons have higher risks of toxicity. Accordingly, the Screening Tool of Older Person’s potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria for colchicine consider >3 months of treatment as potentially inappropriate in older persons. Recent evidence also suggests lower dosing of colchicine is as effective and results in fewer toxicities than high-dose colchicine. The objectives of this study were to determine the dose, duration, and prescribers of colchicine and to evaluate adherence to the STOPP criteria and international guidelines for colchicine in older persons.MethodsA retrospective, observational study was conducted from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2011 to evaluate colchicine use. Nova Scotia Seniors’ Pharmacare Program beneficiaries who met inclusion criteria for an incident case of gout and who filled at least 1 prescription for colchicine during the study period were included. Colchicine dose and duration were reported descriptively. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of the study population in making a claim for colchicine >90 and >180 days.FindingsA total of 518 persons were dispensed 1327 courses of colchicine during the study period. The mean daily dose of colchicine ranged from 1.39 to 1.50 mg. Colchicine doses >1.2 mg were prescribed in approximately one-third of the study population. Colchicine was prescribed for >90 days in 14.2% of treatment courses and for >180 days in 8.1% of treatment courses. Female sex was the only predictor of treatment duration >90 days.ImplicationsThis study is the first to report on colchicine dose and duration using STOPP criteria in a specific cohort of older persons with incident gout. Strategies to improve colchicine prescribing in older persons are needed
Perceived effects of art therapy in the treatment of personality disorders, cluster B/C: A qualitative study

AbstractArt therapy (AT) is frequently used in the treatment of patients diagnosed with cluster B/C personality disorders, but there is little evidence for its efficacy. This study aimed to provide insight into the perceived effects of AT. We interviewed 29 adult patients in individual and focus-group in-depth interviews, including a ‘negative case’, starting with a topic list coming from the literature study. Data were gathered and analysed using the Grounded Theory Approach in order to generate concepts and interrelated categories. The constructed theoretical model of effects of AT consisted of five core categories: improved sensory perception; personal integration; improved emotion/impulse regulation; behaviour change; and insight/comprehension. Compared to verbal therapy (VT), patients experienced AT as an experiential therapeutic entry with a complementary quality next to VT and a more direct way to access emotions, which they attributed to the appeal of art materials and art making to bodily sensations and emotional responses. AT was found to fit well the core problems of patients with personality disorders, to offer a specific pathway to more emotional awareness and constructive emotion regulation. The perceived effects give input for further development and research and the development of an assessment tool to examine the efficacy of AT and within clinical practice
Rhinovirus-induced VP1-specific Antibodies are Group-specific and Associated With Severity of Respiratory Symptoms

AbstractBackgroundRhinoviruses (RVs) are a major cause of common colds and induce exacerbations of asthma and chronic inflammatory lung diseases.MethodsWe expressed and purified recombinant RV coat proteins VP1-4, non-structural proteins as well as N-terminal fragments of VP1 from four RV strains (RV14, 16, 89, C) covering the three known RV groups (RV-A, RV-B and RV-C) and measured specific IgG-subclass-, IgA- and IgM-responses by ELISA in subjects with different severities of asthma or without asthma before and after experimental infection with RV16.FindingsBefore infection subjects showed IgG1>IgA>IgM>IgG3 cross-reactivity with N-terminal fragments from the representative VP1 proteins of the three RV groups. Antibody levels were higher in the asthmatic group as compared to the non-asthmatic subjects. Six weeks after infection with RV16, IgG1 antibodies showed a group-specific increase towards the N-terminal VP1 fragment, but not towards other capsid and non-structural proteins, which was highest in subjects with severe upper and lower respiratory symptoms.InterpretationOur results demonstrate that increases of antibodies towards the VP1 N-terminus are group-specific and associated with severity of respiratory symptoms and suggest that it may be possible to develop serological tests for identifying causative RV groups
On robust solutions to linear least squares problems affected by data uncertainty and implementation errors with application to stochastic signal modeling

AbstractEngineering design problems, especially in signal and image processing, give rise to linear least squares problems arising from discretization of some inverse problem. The associated data are typically subject to error in these applications while the computed solution may only be implemented up to limited accuracy digits, i.e., quantized. In the present paper, we advocate the use of the robust counterpart approach of Ben-Tal and Nemirovski to address these issues simultaneously. Approximate robust counterpart problems are derived, which leads to semidefinite programming problems yielding stable solutions to overdetermined systems of linear equations affected by both data uncertainty and implementation errors, as evidenced by numerical examples from stochastic signal modeling
Event shapes and azimuthal correlations in Z+jets events in pp collisions at s=7 TeV

AbstractMeasurements of event shapes and azimuthal correlations are presented for events where a Z boson is produced in association with jets in proton–proton collisions. The data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC at s=7 TeV correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb−1. The analysis provides a test of predictions from perturbative QCD for a process that represents a substantial background to many physics channels. Results are presented as a function of jet multiplicity, for inclusive Z boson production and for Z bosons with transverse momenta greater than 150 GeV, and compared to predictions from Monte Carlo event generators that include leading-order multiparton matrix-element (with up to four hard partons in the final state) and next-to-leading-order simulations of Z+1-jet events. The experimental results are corrected for detector effects, and can be compared directly with other QCD models
Peri-pubertal exposure to testicular hormones organizes response to novel environments and social behaviour in adult male rats

AbstractPrevious research has shown that exposure to testicular hormones during the peri-pubertal period of life has long-term, organizational effects on adult sexual behaviour and underlying neural mechanisms in laboratory rodents. However, the organizational effects of peri-pubertal testicular hormones on other aspects of behaviour and brain function are less well understood. Here, we investigated the effects of manipulating peri-pubertal testicular hormone exposure on later behavioural responses to novel environments and on hormone receptors in various brain regions that are involved in response to novelty. Male rodents generally spend less time in the exposed areas of novel environments than females, and this sex difference emerges during the peri-pubertal period. Male Lister-hooded rats (Rattus norvegicus) were castrated either before puberty or after puberty, then tested in three novel environments (elevated plus-maze, light–dark box, open field) and in an object/social novelty task in adulthood. Androgen receptor (AR), oestrogen receptor (ER1) and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor (CRF-R2) mRNA expression were quantified in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and medial amygdala. The results showed that pre-pubertally castrated males spent more time in the exposed areas of the elevated-plus maze and light–dark box than post-pubertally castrated males, and also confirmed that peri-pubertal hormone exposure influences later response to an opposite-sex conspecific. Hormone receptor gene expression levels did not differ between pre-pubertally and post-pubertally castrated males in any of the brain regions examined. This study therefore demonstrates that testicular hormone exposure during the peri-pubertal period masculinizes later response to novel environments, although the neural mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated
Deformation of Dijkgraaf–Vafa relation via spontaneously broken N=2 supersymmetry II

AbstractWe consider the matter induced part of the effective superpotential of N=2, U(N) gauge model in which N=2 supersymmetry is spontaneously broken to N=1, by using the properties of the chiral ring and the generalized Konishi anomaly equations derived in our previous paper [H. Itoyama, K. Maruyoshi, Phys. Lett. B 650 (2007) 298, arXiv: 0704.1060 [hep-th]]. It is shown that the effective superpotential is related to the planar free energy of the matrix model by a formula which consists of two parts—the well-known part due to Dijkgraaf–Vafa and the part that acts as a deformation of the couplings. These couplings are those of the original bare prepotential in the action and at the same time matrix model couplings
Higgs inflation from new Kähler potential

AbstractWe introduce a new class of models of Higgs inflation using the superconformal approach to supergravity by modifying the Kähler geometry. Using the above-mentioned mechanism, we construct a phenomenological functional form of a new Kähler potential followed by construction of various types of models which are characterized by a superconformal symmetry breaking parameter χ. Depending on the numerical values of χ we classify the proposed models into three categories. Models with minimal coupling are identified by χ=±23 branch which are made up of shift symmetry preserving flat directions. We also propose various other models by introducing a non-minimal coupling of the inflaton field to gravity described by χ≠23 branch. We employ all these proposed models to study the inflationary paradigm by estimating the major cosmological observables and confront them with recent observational data from WMAP9 along with other complementary data sets, as well as independently with PLANCK. We also mention an allowed range of non-minimal couplings and the Yukawa type of couplings appearing in the proposed models used for cosmological parameter estimation
The Development of Technical English Multimedia Interactive Module to Enhance Student Centered Learning (SCL)

AbstractBased from the definition found in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (Second Impression; 2006), technique can be defined as a special way of doing something whereas technology is referring to new machines, equipment and ways of doing things that are based on modern knowledge about science and computers. Therefore, in teaching and learning processes, technique and technology cannot be apart from each other as both complete the circle of education. In discussing about the usage of technology in delivering the knowledge and information, we can never run from the reality of integrating it into the traditional method, from textbooks and teachers to a more diverse type especially in the learning materials as in recent case, educators are keen on using the latest invention and innovation in their classroom. This is because it will make their tasks easier or they wanted to be in the wave of technologies era or even they believe that such things benefits the students in terms of gaining their understanding in the subject taught. This is the reason why such research is to be conducted in order to make sure that the focus of the teaching and learning processes is now on students whereby the traditional method of using module or book will be replaced by courseware so that it can be more attractive in the sense of students’ acceptance. Besides that, by producing our own courseware, it is hoped that we have answered the call of preserving our nature by using material that is not made from tree and such apart from entering the new phase of integrating technologies in teaching and learning