Complete Sample Research Articles

Cluster Ages to Reconstruct the Milky Way Assembly (CARMA)

We present CARMA, the Cluster Ages to Reconstruct the Milky Way Assembly project, the aim of which is to determine precise and accurate age measurements for the entire system of known Galactic globular clusters (GCs) and to use them to trace the most significant merger events experienced by the Milky Way. The strength of CARMA relies on the use of homogeneous photometry, theoretical isochrones, and statistical methods, which will enable us to define a systematic uncertainty-free chronological scale for the complete sample of Milky Way GCs. In this paper, we describe the CARMA framework in detail, and present a first application on a sample of six metal-rich GCs, with the aim being to unequivocally elucidate the debated origin of NGC 6388 and NGC 6441. Our results demonstrate that this pair of clusters is coeval with another four systems that have a clear in situ origin. Moreover, their location in the age–metallicity plane matches that occupied by in situ field stars. The accurate age comparison enabled by the CARMA methodology rules out the possibility that NGC 6388 and NGC 6441 were accreted as part of a past merger event.

Past climate cooling and orogenesis of the Hengduan Mountains have influenced the evolution of Impatiens sect. Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) in the Northern Hemisphere

BackgroundImpatiens sect. Impatiens is distributed across the Northern Hemisphere and has diversified considerably, particularly within the Hengduan Mountains (HDM) in southwest China. Yet, the infra-sectional phylogenetic relationships are not well resolved, largely due to limited taxon sampling and an insufficient number of molecular markers. The evolutionary history of its diversification is also poorly understood. In this study, plastome data and the most complete sampling to date were used to reconstruct a robust phylogenetic framework for this section. The phylogeny was then used to investigate its biogeographical history and diversification patterns, specifically with the aim of understanding the role played by the HDM and past climatic changes in its diversification.ResultsA stable phylogeny was reconstructed that strongly supported both the monophyly of the section and its division into seven major clades (Clades I-VII). Molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction suggest that sect. Impatiens originated in the HDM and Southeast China around 11.76 Ma, after which different lineages dispersed to Northwest China, temperate Eurasia, and North America, mainly during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. An intercontinental dispersal event from East Asia to western North America may have occurred via the Bering Land Bridge or Aleutian Islands. The diversification rate was high during its early history, especially with the HDM, but gradually decreased over time both within and outside the HDM. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the distribution pattern of species richness was strongly associated with elevation range, elevation, and mean annual temperature. Finally, ancestral niche analysis indicated that sect. Impatiens originated in a relatively cool, middle-elevation area.ConclusionsWe inferred the evolutionary history of sect. Impatiens based on a solid phylogenetic framework. The HDM was the primary source or pump of its diversity in the Northern Hemisphere. Orogeny and climate change may have also shaped its diversification rates, as a steady decrease in the diversification rate coincided with the uplift of the HDM and climate cooling. These findings provide insights into the distribution pattern of sect. Impatiens and other plants in the Northern Hemisphere.

Reassessing soil nematode diversity under fertilization in a paddy–upland rotation system

Soil nematode diversity is a widely-used indicator for assessing the impact of agricultural practices, such as fertilization, on soil ecosystems. Organic fertilization is generally considered beneficial for nematode diversity. However, comparisons of diversity indices are sensitive to sample completeness, and unequal completeness can result in unfair comparisons among assemblages. In this study, we applied the statistical framework of Hill diversity, which accounts for equally complete samples, to estimate nematode diversity under different fertilization conditions in a paddy rice-upland wheat rotation system over three years. Our findings revealed that crop phase had a more pronounced influence on nematode community composition compared to fertilization or sampling year, although all three factors significantly affected nematode community composition. The sampling was incomplete, and coverage varied among samples for diversity comparison; for instance, sample coverage values were generally higher in the rice phase than in the wheat phase. After standardizing samples by completeness, we observed substantial variation in nematode diversity among years, regardless of whether more emphasis was placed on rare taxa (richness), abundant taxa (Shannon diversity), or dominant taxa (Simpson diversity). Moreover, the influence of crop phase on nematode diversity became particularly evident when examining diversity metrics that highlight rare and abundant taxa (e.g., richness and Shannon diversity). However, the effects of fertilization on nematode diversity were overshadowed by pronounced yearly variations. This study emphasizes the pivotal role of crop phase in shaping nematode community composition and diversity, while raising questions about the impacts of fertilization on nematode diversity when yearly variation is not considered. Additionally, we validated the suitability of Hill diversity for equally complete samples as an approach for a fair comparison of nematode diversity in soil ecosystems.

Prevalence of MGUS in Rural Indian Population: Results of Simple (IMAGe-002A) Study

Introduction: The incidence of monoclonal gammopathies is rising across the globe. Although the prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) has been evaluated in two hospital-based studies in India, no data exists on its prevalence in community-based settings amongst the rural Indian population. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of MGUS in a rural Indian population in a community-based setting. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in an agrarian village in India covering a perimeter of 24.76Km and 4588.3 hectares with an 89.2% population coverage for adults more than 45y spending 12096 man-hours as part of SIMPLe ( Screening Intervention for Myeloma and Prevention of Lifestyl e diseases) study under the aegis of Indian Myeloma Academic Group e (IMAGe) registered vide CTRI/2023/03/051220. For the complete study population, demographic details, medical history, and blood samples were collected after a thorough medical examination. Hemogram, biochemistry (Liver and renal function tests), and serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) were universally performed in all individuals. Serum immunofixation electrophoresis (SIFE) was performed for those with abnormal SPEP graphs (those with M spike and those with abnormal bulges in beta-2 or gamma region suspicious of MGUS). Patients with monoclonal protein on SPEP or SIFE were further assessed for any features of smoldering/ multiple myeloma. The data was analyzed using JMP ver. 16.0.0. Results: The prevalence of MGUS in the study population was 1.75%. The mean age of individuals with MGUS was 63.4±5.2y with male preponderance (60%). The mean Hb was 12.39±1.8g/dL with none of the patients having any renal dysfunction. None of the patients fit into the criteria for smoldering or multiple myeloma using IMWG criteria. Among those with MGUS, the distribution of Heavy and light chains was IgG - 83.33%, IgA - 16.67% with none having IgM/ IgD paraprotein, Kappa - 50%, and Lambda - 50%. Two individuals only had light chain MGUS. Conclusion: Our study provides a comprehensive description of the prevalence of MGUS in a rural community setting in India. The background prevalence is much less compared to the Western (both USA ~3% and European~5%) population.

A Dark Siren Measurement of the Hubble Constant with the LIGO/Virgo Gravitational Wave Event GW190412 and DESI Galaxies

We present a measurement of the Hubble Constant H 0 using the gravitational wave event GW190412, an asymmetric binary black hole merger detected by LIGO/Virgo, as a dark standard siren. This event does not have an electromagnetic counterpart, so we use the statistical standard siren method and marginalize over potential host galaxies from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey. GW190412 is well-localized to 12 deg2 (90% credible interval), so it is promising for a dark siren analysis. The dark siren value for km s−1 Mpc−1, with a posterior shape that is consistent with redshift overdensities. When combined with the bright standard siren measurement from GW170817 we recover km s−1 Mpc−1, consistent with both early and late-time Universe measurements of H 0. This work represents the first standard siren analysis performed with DESI data, and includes the most complete spectroscopic sample used in a dark siren analysis to date.

Constraint Analysis of Paddy Seed and Grain Production in Karimnagar District of Telangana Using Garrett’s Ranking Technique

The present study was conducted in Karimnagar purposively selected district of Telangana to identify the constraints perceived by farmers in grain and seed production of hybrid and open pollinated varities of paddy . From this district three mandals i.e Vinavanka mandal, Manakondur mandal and Shankarpatnam mandal, were selected randomly among seed growing mandals for collecting primary data. From each mandal, one village was selected as a sample i.e Elbaka village (Vinavanka mandal), Utoor village (Manakondur mandal) and Kannapur village (Shankarpatnam mandal). Sampling was done covering all farm size groups. In every chosen village, a total of 60 farmers were selected for sampling. This selection was designed to encompass 20 farmers engaged in the production of Hybrid seeds, another 20 involved in the production of OPV seeds, and an additional 20 farmers focused on grain production. Consequently, the complete sample consisted of 180 farmers distributed among the three villages. Garrett’ ranking technique was adopted to analyze the constraints as perceived by the respondents in Grain and seed production of paddy. The results revealed that major constraints perceived by rice growers were unfavourable weather conditions which ranked first with Garrett mean score around 85, followed by higher labour wage.

Using a Bayesian approach to reconstruct graph statistics after edge sampling

Often, due to prohibitively large size or to limits to data collecting APIs, it is not possible to work with a complete network dataset and sampling is required. A type of sampling which is consistent with Twitter API restrictions is uniform edge sampling. In this paper, we propose a methodology for the recovery of two fundamental network properties from an edge-sampled network: the degree distribution and the triangle count (we estimate the totals for the network and the counts associated with each edge). We use a Bayesian approach and show a range of methods for constructing a prior which does not require assumptions about the original network. Our approach is tested on two synthetic and three real datasets with diverse sizes, degree distributions, degree-degree correlations and triangle count distributions.

Limited agricultural spectral dataset expansion based on generative adversarial networks

With the rise of deep learning, the combination of spectroscopy analysis techniques and deep learning methods has been extensively utilized in the field of agriculture, such as the detection of crop diseases, soil analysis, and crop quality assessment. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to obtain enough spectral samples that can be used for deep learning because of environmental constraints, equipment limitations, and labour costs. To address this issue, we propose a spectral sample augmentation technique based on the K-condition boundary equilibrium generative adversarial networks (KC-BEGAN). First, a stable boundary equilibrium generative adversarial network (BEGAN) model is constructed, and the KC-BEGAN model is built by incorporating chemical property labels, multiscale gradient information, and the k-nearest neighbour algorithm. The goal is to enrich complete spectral samples with chemical properties. Second, we compare the differences between generated samples and real samples using methods such as t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding, Mahalanobis distance, F test, and maximum mean discrepancy. Following data augmentation by the KC-BEGAN model, the R2 on the test set for traditional regression models (PLSR, SVR, RR, PCR) and deep regression models (Inception-ResNet, Inception, 1D-CNN) improved by 4.9%, 0.4%, 2.5%, 4.4%, 3.6%, 4.4%, and 6.8% respectively. Furthermore, this study replaces the GAN module in the KC-BEGAN model with Diffusion-GAN and conducts experiments following the same procedure to evaluate the feasibility of other GAN models in augmenting labelled near-infrared spectral samples. The research results indicate that the spectral samples generated by the KC-BEGAN model are reliable and can meet the expansion requirements of small-scale spectral sample sets. Simultaneously, replacing the GAN module in the KC-BEGAN model with other GAN models is also feasible, suggesting that the continuous label marking method proposed in this study is indeed effective.

Quantitative Metabolism and Urinary Elimination Kinetics of Seven Neonicotinoids and Neonicotinoid-Like Compounds in Humans.

Reverse dosimetry, i.e., calculating the dose of hazardous substances that has been taken up by humans based on measured analyte concentrations in spot urine samples, is critical for risk assessment and requires metabolic and kinetic data. We quantitatively studied the metabolism of seven major neonicotinoid and neonicotinoid-like compounds (NNIs) after single oral doses in male volunteers and determined key kinetic parameters and urinary elimination for NNIs together with their metabolites. Complete and consecutive urine samples were collected over 48 h. All samples were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry, following liquid or gas chromatographic separation. Single- and group-specific NNI metabolites were quantified, i.e., hydroxylated and N-dealkylated NNIs and NNI-associated carboxylic acids and their glycine derivatives. Large, substance-dependent variations of key toxicokinetic parameters were observed. Mean times of concentration maxima (tmax) in urine varied between 2.0 (imidacloprid) and 25.8 h (N-desmethyl-clothianidin), whereas mean urinary elimination half-times (t1/2) were between 2.5 (acetamiprid) and 49.5 h (sulfoxaflor). Mean 48 h excretion fractions (Fue's) were between 0.03% (2-chloro-1,3-thiazole-5-carboxylic acid glycine) and 84% (clothianidin). In contrast, the interindividual differences of Fue's between the volunteers for each of the NNIs and their metabolites remained low (below a factor of 2 between the maximum and minimum derived Fue with the exception of 6-chloronicotinic acid in the acetamiprid dose study). The obtained quantitative data enabled choosing appropriate biomarkers for exposure assessment and, at the same time, for risk assessment by reverse dosimetry at current environmental exposures, i.e., comparing the calculated doses that have been taken up to currently available acceptable daily intakes of NNIs.

Study on the mechanical properties of sandstone-shale composite continental shale gas based on the discrete element method

China has abundant continental shale oil resources, and multiple shale oil exploration and development demonstration zones have been established, making it a key field for oil and gas exploration and development. However, drilling and fracturing treatment often encounter vertically interlaced and superimposed sandstone and shale reservoirs, which significantly affect the stability of the reservoir and the propagation of fractures. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the rock mechanics characteristics of sandstone-shale composite. Using the orthogonal experimental method for microscale parameter calibration, this study established the relationship between the macroscopic and microscopic parameters of sandstone-shale in the parallel bond model. The results of the orthogonal experimental scheme were analyzed using multi-factor variance analysis and linear regression analysis to determine the influence and ranking of each microscale parameter on the macroscopic parameters. Based on the results of uniaxial and triaxial compression experiments, the particle flow simulation of sandstone-shale composite rock samples was studied using the discrete element method. The study investigated the influence of the thickness ratio, combination form, and confining pressure of sandstone-shale on the mechanical properties of composite rock samples. The results showed that: (1) Under uniaxial loading conditions, for the combination form of sandstone on top and shale on the bottom (M-S type), the peak stress of the composite rock sample increased first and then decreased and then increased again with the increase of the thickness of sandstone; for the combination form of shale on top and sandstone on the bottom (S-M type), the peak stress of the composite sample decreased first and then increased and then decreased again with the increase of the thickness of shale. (2) After applying confining pressure, the compressive strength of the M-S type composite sample decreased with the increase of the thickness ratio of sandstone, while the compressive strength of the S-M type composite sample increased with the increase of the thickness ratio of shale as well as the compressive strength of the composite sample was lower than that of any complete rock sample. (3) Under uniaxial loading, the fracture mode of the composite sample was related to the combination form and the thickness ratio of different lithologies. For the M-S type sample, when the thickness ratio of sandstone was <30%, the sample was mainly fractured by tension, and when the thickness ratio of sandstone was >30%, it was mainly fractured by shear mode. For the S-M type sample, when the thickness ratio of shale was <70%, the sample had the most internal shear cracks, and when the thickness ratio of shale was >70%, it had the most tension cracks.

Photodegradation of typical pharmaceuticals changes toxicity to algae in estuarine water: A metabolomic insight

The ubiquitous existence of various pharmaceuticals in the marine environment has received global attention for their risk assessment. However, rather little is known thus far regarding the natural attenuation (e.g., photolysis)-induced product/mixture toxicity of these pharmaceuticals on marine organisms. In this study, the photodegradation behavior, product formation, and risks of two representative pharmaceuticals (i.e., ciprofloxacin, CIP; diclofenac, DCF) were explored in the simulated estuary water. It was noted that both pharmaceuticals can be completely photolyzed within 1 h, and five products of CIP and three products of DCF were identified by a high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer. Accordingly, their photodecomposition pathways were tentatively proposed. The in silico prediction suggested that the formed transformation products maintained the persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and multi-endpoint toxic effects such as genotoxicity, developmental toxicity, and acute/chronic toxicity on different aquatic species. Particularly, the non-targeted metabolomics first elucidated that DCF and its photolytic mixtures can significantly affect the antioxidant status of marine algae (Heterosigma akashiwo), triggering oxidative stress and damage to cellular components. It is very alarming that the complete photolyzed DCF sample induced more serious oxidative stress than DCF itself, which called for more concern about the photolysis-driven ecological risks. Overall, this investigation first uncovered the overlooked but serious toxicity of the transformation products of prevalent pharmaceuticals during natural attenuation on marine species.

Детерминанты эффективности смешанного преподавания-обучения в новых условиях: исследование роли техностресса у преподавателей

&lt;p&gt;This research desires to analyze the determinants of blended teaching-learning performance in the new typical environment by exploring the role of teachers' technostress as mediation. This study uses a quantitative approach. Quantitative research methods aim to test the hypotheses that have been set. This approach uses numerical results from measurements made using a questionnaire about the study's variables. Using the complete sampling technique, which involves selecting the whole population as the research sample, it consisted of senior high school teachers in South Sumatra. The researchers used 712 research data in this investigation. The research used the structural approach of the Equation Model (SEM) and the intelligent application of PLS for analysis. According to the outcomes of this investigation, understanding technical and pedagogical content has a considerable positive impact on blended learning and teaching performance and teachers' technostress. Teachers' self-efficacy has a considerable positive impact on combined learning-teaching performance and blended teaching-learning performance and is significantly mediated by teachers' technological stress. Teacher experience significantly impacts teachers' technostress and is mediated considerably by teachers' technostress. Administration and school support show a considerable positive impact on blended teaching and learning performance and teachers' technostress, which is significantly mediated by teachers' technostress. Teachers' technological stress has a large positive effect on combined teaching-learning performance.&lt;/p&gt;

PENGARUH PIJAT BAYI TERHADAP PENINGKATAN BERAT BADAN BAYI DENGAN RIWAYAT BBLR

According to World Health Organization guidelines, low birth weight (LBW) refers to a birth weight of less than 2500 grams. It is one of the leading causes of infant mortality in Indonesia and globally. Baby massage is one method that may be used to help a baby gain weight if they have a history of LBW. The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of infant massage at the DIANA District KUALA clinic on the rise in baby weight in those with a history of BBLR who are between the ages of three and four months. Pre-experimental in nature, this kind of study uses a single grub prestest-posttest design. The sample approach employed in this study is complete sampling, and the group includes infants with a history of LBW as young as 3–4 months old and up to 8 newborns. This study instrument uses questionnaires, with the dependent variable being the infant's weight reduction with a history of low birth weight (LBW) at ages three to four months and the independent variable being baby massage. Editing, coding, tabulating, and Wilcoxon statistical tests are all used in data management. The findings of this study demonstrated that the improvement of a baby's body with a history of LBW age 3–4 months after receiving a massage all good, that is, 8 people (100%) and the increase in baby weight with a history of LBW age 3–4 months who has not received a baby massage as a large is not good. Ha was approved based on the results of the Wilcoxon statistical tests, which revealed a significant value of p value = 0.001 &lt; α (0.05). The study's findings indicates that infant massage may have an impact on a baby's rise in weight if the baby has a history of low birth weight (LBW) in KLINIK Bidan Neri Kec. Sunggal Kab. Deli Serdang Tahun 2023.

EEG synchronized left prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for treatment resistant depression is feasible and produces an entrainment dependent clinical response: A randomized controlled double blind clinical trial

BackgroundSynchronizing a TMS pulse with a person's underlying EEG rhythm can modify the brain's response. It is unclear if synchronizing rTMS trains might boost the antidepressant effect of TMS. In this first-in-human trial, we demonstrated that a single TMS pulse over the prefrontal cortex produces larger effects in the anterior cingulate depending on when it is fired relative to the individual's EEG alpha phase. Objective/hypothesesWe had three hypotheses. 1) It is feasible to synchronize repetitive TMS (rTMS) delivery to a person's preferred prefrontal alpha phase in each train of every session during a 30-visit TMS depression treatment course. 2) EEG-synchronized rTMS would produce progressive entrainment greater than unsynchronized (UNSYNC) rTMS. And 3) SYNC TMS would have better antidepressant effects than UNSYNC (remission, final Hamilton Depression Rating <10). MethodsWe enrolled (n = 34) and treated (n = 28) adults with treatment resistant depression (TRD) and randomized them to receive six weeks (30 treatments) of left prefrontal rTMS at their individual alpha frequency (IAF) (range 6–13 Hz). Prior to starting the clinical trial, all patients had an interleaved fMRI-EEG-TMS (fET) scan to determine which phase of their alpha rhythm would produce the largest BOLD response in their dorsal anterior cingulate. Our clinical EEG-rTMS system then delivered the first TMS pulse in each train time-locked to this patient-specific ‘preferred phase’ of each patient's left prefrontal alpha oscillation. We randomized patients (1:1) to SYNC or UNSYNC, and all were treated at their IAF. Only the SYNC patients had the first pulse of each train for all sessions synchronized to their individualized preferred alpha phase (75 trains/session ×30 sessions, 2250 synchronizations per patient over six weeks). The UNSYNC group used a random firing with respect to the alpha wave. All other TMS parameters were balanced between the two groups.The system interfaced with a MagStim Horizon air-cooled Fig. 8 TMS coil. All patients were treated at their IAF, coil in the F3 position, 120 % MT, frequency 6–13 Hz, 40 pulses per train, average 15-s inter-train interval, 3000 pulses per session. All patients, raters, and treaters were blinded. ResultsIn the intent to treat (ITT) sample, both groups had significant clinical improvement from baseline with no significant between-group differences, with the USYNC group having mathematically more remitters but fewer responders. (ITT -15 SYNC; 13 UNSYNC, response 5 (33 %), 1 (7 %), remission 2 (13 %), 6 (46 %). The same was true with the completer sample - 12 SYNC; 12 UNSYNC, response 4, 4 (both 30 %), remission 2 (17 %), 3 (25 %)). The clinical EEG phase synchronization system performed well with no failures. The average treatment session was approximately 90 min, with 30 min for placing the EEG cap and the actual TMS treatment for 45 min (which included gathering 10 min of resting EEG). Four subjects (1 SYNC) withdrew before six weeks of treatment. All 24 completer patients were treated for six weeks despite the trial occurring during the COVID pandemic. SYNC patients exhibited increased post-stimulation EEG entrainment over the six weeks. A detailed secondary analysis of entrainment data in the SYNC group showed that responders and non-responders in this group could be cleanly separated based on the total number of sessions with entrainment and the session-to-session precision of the entrained phase. For the SYNC group only, depression improvement was greater when more sessions were entrained at similar phases. ConclusionsSynchronizing prefrontal TMS with a patient's prefrontal alpha frequency in a blinded clinical trial is possible and produces progressive EEG entrainment in synchronized patients only. There was no difference in overall clinical response in this small clinical trial. A secondary analysis showed that the consistency of the entrained phase across sessions was significantly associated with response outcome only in the SYNC group. These effects may not simply be due to how the stimulation is delivered but also whether the patient's brain can reliably entrain to a precise phase. EEG-synchronized clinical delivery of TMS is feasible and requires further study to determine the best method for determining the phase for synchronization.

Influence of Stock Market Dynamics, Renewable Energy Utilization, and Urban Development on Environmental Decline: Novel Insights from G20 Nations

This study's main goal is to objectively investigate how stock market expansion, Urbanization FDI, and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows affect CO2 emissions. This study also explores how the use of renewable energy affects CO2 emissions and economic output in a panel of G20 nations. The whole sample as well as sub-samples of rich and developing economies of the G20 member countries were used in the empirical analysis. The study tells that due to rise in urbanization the carbon dioxide emission reduced. Similarly, THE GDP growth and CO2 emission are positively related and our results shows that FDI and CO2 emission are also directly related. Meanwhile for the trade openness the results are mixed, in start it rises CO2 emission but after sometimes it reduces. Moreover, due to shift of renewable energy consumption from fossil fuel helps to emit less CO2 and MSCI shows directly relation with CO2 emission for these countries. The findings support a notable long-run equilibrium link between the variables in all of the panels. Also, according to the long-run elasticities, FDI considerably lowers CO2 emissions in both the complete sample and emerging economies, while stock market growth declines in developed economies. Similar to how using renewable energy significantly lowers CO2 emissions and boosts economic output globally panels. Our conclusions have significant policy ramifications. In order to meet the rising demand for energy by displacing the usage of conventional energy sources like coal, gas, and oil, policymakers must first implement effective policies to promote renewable energy sources. As a result, both the CO2 emissions and the promotion of sustainable economic growth in the G20 nations will be aided. Also, according to the long-run elasticities, FDI considerably lowers CO2 emissions in both the complete sample and emerging economies, while stock market growth declines in developed economies.

Abstract 224: Morphological characteristics of carotid webs associated with stroke risk and clot burden

Introduction Carotid webs (CaWs) have been established as an ischemic stroke etiology although lesion characteristics that may lead to increased stroke risk are still uncertain (1). We aim to evaluate the associations between CaW morphological features evaluated via computed tomography angiography (CTA) with clinical and radiological variables. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected mechanical thrombectomy database. Individuals that presented with a suspected symptomatic CaW since July 2014 were selected after appropriate workup. The database included symptomatic CaW, asymptomatic CaW contralateral to the symptomatic side in case of bilateral lesions, and incidentally identified CaW (asymptomatic patients). We recorded the following CaW variables (Figure 1): length, base, thickness, caudal/middle/cranial angles in relationship to the vessel axis, area as well as perimeter of the pocket. We used mixed‐effects models to compare measurements between symptomatic and asymptomatic webs in the complete sample and paired Wilcoxon tests to compare webs of individuals with contralateral, symptom‐discordant CaW. Measurements were evaluated against clot burden via Poisson regression.a Results 118 webs (85 symptomatic and 33 asymptomatic) from 98 stroke patients were included. Median [IQR] for age was 52[42‐58] years old, 69.0% were female, 68.4% presented with a single symptomatic web, 18.4% had both a symptomatic and an asymptomatic web, 11.2% had only an asymptomatic web, whereas 2.0% had bilaterally asymptomatic webs. Symptomatic CaW were significantly larger in length (2.5mm[2.1‐3.5] vs. 2.2mm[1.7‐2.7];p=0.004) and pocket area (1.5mm²[0.9‐2.6] vs. 0.9 mm²[0.2‐1.3];p=0.007) compared to the asymptomatic lesions. The cranial angle was more acute for symptomatic CaW (66.9°[57.1°‐78.4°] vs. 76.2°[66.9°‐88.7°];p=0.046). No other significant associations were noted. Among the 18 patients who were analyzed for contralateral/symptom‐discordant webs, symptomatic CaW also showed more extensive lengths (2.9mm[2.3‐4.0] vs. 2.2mm[1.6‐3.1];p=0.009) but less acute rostral angles (33.1°[25.3°‐43.5°] vs. 27.9°[16.8°‐35.9°]) than their asymptomatic counterparts. Among symptomatic webs, clot burden was not significantly associated with base, length, thickness, perimeter or pocket area. Nevertheless, each 15° increase in the angle within the pocket was associated with a 1.1‐fold increase in clot burden (exp(β) = 1.1(95%CI1.0‐1.2), p = 0.044) for each 15° increase), with more obtuse angles indicating a higher intracranial vessel occlusion thrombus load. Conclusion Symptomatic carotid webs displayed larger lengths and pocket areas as compared to asymptomatic lesions. The angles that determine pocket area and degree of stenosis differed between symptomatic and asymptomatic webs.

Galaxy mergers in Subaru HSC-SSP: A deep representation learning approach for identification, and the role of environment on merger incidence

Context.Galaxy mergers and interactions are an important process within the context of galaxy evolution, however, there is still no definitive method which identifies pure and complete merger samples is still not definitive. A method for creating such a merger sample is required so that studies can be conducted to deepen our understanding of the merger process and its impact on galaxy evolution.Aims.In this work, we take a deep-learning-based approach for galaxy merger identification in Subaru HSC-SSP, using deep representation learning and fine-tuning, with the aim of creating a pure and complete merger sample within the HSC-SSP survey. We can use this merger sample to conduct studies on how mergers affect galaxy evolution.Methods.We used Zoobot, a deep learning representation learning model pretrained on citizen science votes on Galaxy Zoo DeCALS images. We fine-tuned Zoobot for the purpose of merger classification of images of SDSS and GAMA galaxies in HSC-SSP public data release 3. Fine-tuning was done using ∼1200 synthetic HSC-SSP images of galaxies from the TNG simulation. We then found merger probabilities on observed HSC images using the fine-tuned model. Using our merger probabilities, we examined the relationship between merger activity and environment.Results.We find that our fine-tuned model returns an accuracy on the synthetic validation data of ∼76%. This number is comparable to those of previous studies in which convolutional neural networks were trained with simulation images, but with our work requiring a far smaller number of training samples. For our synthetic data, our model is able to achieve completeness and precision values of ∼80%. In addition, our model is able to correctly classify both mergers and non-mergers of diverse morphologies and structures, including those at various stages and mass ratios, while distinguishing between projections and merger pairs. For the relation between galaxy mergers and environment, we find two distinct trends. Using stellar mass overdensity estimates for TNG simulations and observations using SDSS and GAMA, we find that galaxies with higher merger scores favor lower density environments on scales of 0.5 to 8h−1Mpc. However, below these scales in the simulations, we find that galaxies with higher merger scores favor higher density environments.Conclusions.We fine-tuned a citizen-science trained deep representation learning model for purpose of merger galaxy classification in HSC-SSP, and make our merger probability catalog available to the public. Using our morphology-based catalog, we find that mergers are more prevalent in lower density environments on scales of 0.5–8h−1Mpc.

Revisiting Galaxy Evolution in Morphology in the Cosmic Evolution Survey Field (COSMOS-ReGEM). I. Merging Galaxies

We revisit the evolution of galaxy morphology in the Cosmic Evolution Survey field over the redshift range 0.2 ≤ z ≤ 1, using a large and complete sample of 33,605 galaxies with a stellar mass of log(M */M ⊙) > 9.5 with significantly improved redshifts and comprehensive nonparametric morphological parameters. Our sample has 13,881 (∼41.3%) galaxies with reliable spectroscopic redshifts and more accurate photometric redshifts with a σ NMAD ∼ 0.005. This paper is the first in a series that investigates merging galaxies and their properties. We identify 3594 major merging galaxies through visual inspection and find 1737 massive galaxy pairs with log(M */M ⊙) >10.1. Among the family of nonparametric morphological parameters including C, A, S, Gini, M 20, A O, and D O, we find that the outer asymmetry parameter A O and the second-order momentum parameter M 20 are the best tracers of merging features compared to other combinations. Hence, we propose a criterion for selecting candidates of violently star-forming mergers: M 20 > − 3A O + 3 at 0.2 < z < 0.6 and M 20 > − 6A O + 3.7 at 0.6 < z < 1.0. Furthermore, we show that both the visual merger sample and the pair sample exhibit a similar evolution in the merger rate at z < 1, with for the visual merger sample and for the pair sample. The visual merger sample has a specific star formation rate that is about 0.16 dex higher than that of nonmerger galaxies, whereas no significant star formation excess is observed in the pair sample. This suggests that the effects of mergers on star formation differ at different merger stages.

TITANS metal-poor reference stars

Context. Representative samples of F-, G-, K-type stars located outside of the solar neighbourhood have started to become available in spectroscopic surveys. The fraction of metal-poor ([Fe/H] ≲ −0.8 dex) giants becomes increasingly relevant towards greater distances. In metal-poor stars, effective temperatures (Teff) based on local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) spectroscopy and on former colour–Teff relations – which are still widely used – have been reported to be inaccurate. It is necessary to recalibrate chemical abundances based on these Teff scales in the multiple available surveys in order to bring them to the same standard scale for their simultaneous use. To this end, a complete sample of standards is required, which until now has been restricted to a few stars with quasi-direct Teff measurements. Aims. We aim to provide a legacy sample of metal-poor standards with proven accurate atmospheric parameters. We add 47 giants to the TITANS metal-poor reference stars. Methods. We derived Teff using 3D non-LTE Hα modelling, the accuracy of which was tested against interferometry and with the Infra Red Flux Method (IRFM). We derived surface gravity (log ɡ) by fitting Mg I b triplet lines, and tested their accuracy against asteroseismology. Metallicity was derived using Fe II lines, and we find our results to be identical to the [Fe/H] derived from non-LTE spectral synthesis. Results. The Teff that we find using 3D non-LTE Hα is equivalent to interferometric and IRFM temperatures within a ±46 K uncertainty. We achieve precision of ~50 K for 34 stars with spectra with the highest signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). For log ɡ, we achieve a total uncertainty of ±0.15 dex. For [Fe/H], we obtain a total uncertainty of ±0.09 dex. We find that the ionisation equilibrium of Fe lines under LTE is not valid in metal-poor giants. LTE leads to a small but significant metallicity underestimation of ~0.1 dex when derived from weak Fe I lines, and only provided accurate Teff and log ɡ. This bias totally disappears under non-LTE.

Multiple evolutionary transitions of reproductive strategies in a phylum of aquatic colonial invertebrates.

Parental care is considered crucial for the enhanced survival of offspring and evolutionary success of many metazoan groups. Most bryozoans incubate their young in brood chambers or intracoelomically. Based on the drastic morphological differences in incubation chambers across members of the order Cheilostomatida (class Gymnolaemata), multiple origins of incubation were predicted in this group. This hypothesis was tested by constructing a molecular phylogeny based on mitogenome data and nuclear rRNA genes 18S and 28S with the most complete sampling of taxa with various incubation devices to date. Ancestral character estimation suggested that distinct types of brood chambers evolved at least 10 times in Cheilostomatida. In Eucratea loricata and Aetea spp. brooding evolved unambiguously from a zygote-spawning ancestral state, as it probably did in Tendra zostericola, Neocheilostomata, and 'Carbasea' indivisa. In two further instances, brooders with different incubation chamber types, skeletal and non-skeletal, formed clades (Scruparia spp., Leiosalpinx australis) and (Catenicula corbulifera (Steginoporella spp. (Labioporella spp., Thalamoporella californica))), each also probably evolved from a zygote-spawning ancestral state. The modular nature of bryozoans probably contributed to the evolution of such a diverse array of embryonic incubation chambers, which included complex constructions made of polymorphic heterozooids, and maternal zooidal invaginations and outgrowths.