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Aims. In the framework of the multi-wavelength and very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) monitoring program TANAMI (Tracking Active Nuclei with Austral Milliarcsecond Interferometry), we study the evolution of the parsec-scale radio emission in radio galaxies in the southern hemisphere and their relationship to the γ-ray properties of the sources. Our study investigates systematically, for the first time, the relationship between the two energy regimes in radio galaxies. In this first paper, we focus on Fermi-LAT-detected sources. Methods. The TANAMI program monitors a large sample of radio-loud AGN at 8.4 GHz and 22.3 GHz with the Australian long baseline array (LBA) and associated telescopes in Antarctica, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa. We performed a kinematic analysis for five γ-ray detected radio galaxies using multi-epoch 8.4 GHz VLBI images, deriving limits on intrinsic jet parameters such as speed and viewing angle. We analyzed 103 months of Fermi-LAT data in order to study possible connections between the γ-ray properties and the pc-scale jets of Fermi-LAT-detected radio galaxies, both in terms of variability and average properties. We discuss the individual source results and draw preliminary conclusions on sample properties including published VLBI results from the MOJAVE (Monitoring Of Jets in Active galactic nuclei with VLBA Experiments) survey, with a total of fifteen sources. Results. We find that the first γ-ray detection of Pictor A might be associated with the passage of a new VLBI component through the radio core, which appears to be a defining feature of high-energy emitting Fanaroff-Riley type II radio galaxies. We detect subluminal parsec-scale jet motions in the peculiar AGN PKS 0521−36, and we confirm the presence of fast γ-ray variability in the source down to timescales of six hours, which is not accompanied by variations in the VLBI jet. We robustly confirm the presence of significant superluminal motion, up to βapp ∼ 3, in the jet of the TeV radio galaxy PKS 0625−35. Our VLBI results constrain the jet viewing angle to be θ <  53°, allowing for the possibility of a closely aligned jet. Finally, by analyzing the first pc-scale multi-epoch images of the prototypical compact symmetric object (CSO) PKS 1718−649, we place an upper limit on the separation speed between the two mini-lobes. This in turn allows us to derive a lower limit on the age of the source. Conclusions. We can draw some preliminary conclusions on the relationship between pc-scale jets and γ-ray emission in radio galaxies, based on Fermi-LAT-detected sources with available multi-epoch VLBI measurements. We find that the VLBI core flux density correlates with the γ-ray flux, as seen in blazars. On the other hand, the γ-ray luminosity does not show any dependence on the core brightness temperature and core dominance, which are two common indicators of jet Doppler boosting. This seems to indicate that γ-ray emission in radio galaxies is not driven by orientation-dependent effects, as in blazars, in accordance with the unified model of jetted AGN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relative measurements of the intensities of the light scattered by three anisotropic molecules diluted in weakly depolarizing solvents are reported. Our aim was to test the expression recently derived by Brot for the model of the molecule in an ellipsoidal cavity embedded in a continuum. Our results are in good agreement with this expression, the fit of the ellipticity of the cavity yielding reasonable values, contrary to the results of an earlier treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Metachronous peritoneal metastases (MPM) following a curative surgery procedure for pT4 colon cancer is a challenging condition. Current epidemiological studies on this topic are scarce. Methods: A retrospective multicentre trial was designed. All consecutive patients who underwent operations to treat pT4 cancers between 2015 and 2017 were reviewed. Demographic, clinical, operative, pathological and oncological follow-up variables were included. MPM were described as any oncological disease at the peritoneum, clearly different from a local recurrence. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were constructed. A risk stratification model was created on a cumulative factor basis. According to the calculated hazard ratio (HR), a scoring system was designed (HR < 3, 1 point; HR > 3, 2 points) and a scale from 0 to 6 was calculated for peritoneal disease-free rate (PDF-R). A risk stratification model was also created on the basis of these calculations. Results: Fifty different hospitals were involved, which included a total of 1356 patients. Incidence of MPM was 13.6% at 50 months median follow-up. The strongest independent risk factors for MPM were positive pN stage [HR 3.72 (95% CI 2.56–5.41; p < 0.01) for stage III disease], tumour perforation [HR 1.91 (95% CI 1.26–2.87; p < 0.01)], mucinous or signet ring cell histology [HR 1.68 (95% CI 1.1–2.58; p = 0.02)], poorly differentiated tumours [HR 1.54 (95% CI 1.1–2.2; p = 0.02)] and emergency surgery [HR 1.42 (95% CI 1.01–2.01; p = 0.049)]. In the absence of additional risk factors, pT4 tumours showed 98% and 96% PDF-R in 1-year and 5-year periods based on Kaplan–Meier curves. Conclusions: Cumulative MPM incidence was 13.6% at 5-year follow-up. The sole presence of a pT4 tumour resulted in high rates of PDF-R at 1-year and 5-year follow-up (98% and 96% respectively). Five additional risk factors different from pT4 status itself were identified as possible MPM indicators during follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Observational cohort studies and a secondary prevention trial have shown inverse associations between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk. METHODS In a multicenter trial in Spain, we assigned 7447 participants (55 to 80 years of age, 57% women) who were at high cardiovascular risk, but with no cardiovascular disease at enrollment, to one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts, or a control diet (advice to reduce dietary fat). Participants received quarterly educational sessions and, depending on group assignment, free provision of extra-virgin olive oil, mixed nuts, or small nonfood gifts. The primary end point was a major cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes). After a median follow-up of 4.8 years, the trial was stopped on the basis of a prespecified interim analysis. In 2013, we reported the results for the primary end point in the Journal. We subsequently identified protocol deviations, including enrollment of household members without randomization, assignment to a study group without randomization of some participants at 1 of 11 study sites, and apparent inconsistent use of randomization tables at another site. We have withdrawn our previously published report and now report revised effect estimates based on analyses that do not rely exclusively on the assumption that all the participants were randomly assigned. RESULTS A primary end-point event occurred in 288 participants; there were 96 events in the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil (3.8%), 83 in the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with nuts (3.4%), and 109 in the control group (4.4%). In the intention-to-treat analysis including all the participants and adjusting for baseline characteristics and propensity scores, the hazard ratio was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53 to 0.91) for a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54 to 0.95) for a Mediterranean diet with nuts, as compared with the control diet. Results were similar after the omission of 1588 participants whose study-group assignments were known or suspected to have departed from the protocol. CONCLUSIONS In this study involving persons at high cardiovascular risk, the incidence of major cardiovascular events was lower among those assigned to a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts than among those assigned to a reduced-fat diet. (Funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Health, and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN35739639.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the present study was to establish the efficacy of percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) in treating flatal, urge and passive faecal incontinence (FI). Methods: A prospective study with 55 patients with FI was carried out. Clinical anamnesis, physical examination, a reverse visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Wexner score and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons quality of life score were recorded at baseline and 6 months, along with an incontinence diary. Subjects underwent one weekly session for 12 consecutive weeks and then continued with six additional fortnightly sessions. An intention-to-treat analysis was performed. Results: Fifty-five patients (44 females; mean age 58.62 ± 10.74 years) with FI were treated with PTNS. The origins of the incontinence were obstetric (52.7 %) and perineal surgery (34.5 %). Eight patients did not continue with the second stage of treatment. The median Wexner baseline value was 9.98. After 6 months, it had decreased to 4.55 ( p < 0.001). The visual analogue scale (VAS) increased from 4.94 to 6.80 ( p < 0.001). There was a significant improvement in lifestyle, coping/behaviour, depression/self-perception and embarrassment scores. With respect to different types of FI, there was an improvement in the Wexner score both in patients with true passive FI and in those with urge or mixed FI. Conclusions: PTNS is an effective treatment for FI. Patients with passive or urge FI can benefit from this therapy, with improvement of the Wexner score and quality of life variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the drivers of green technology adoption. We distinguish between end-of-pipe and cleaner production technologies aimed at either pollution mitigation or energy efficiency, respectively. We provide empirical evidence of the relations between existing policy instruments, organizational capabilities of firms and the adoption of different types of green technologies. We use a unique firm level panel dataset of 2562 Spanish manufacturing firms from 2008 to 2014 to carry out the empirical analysis. Our results show, first, that policy instruments drive adoption of green innovation more than organizational capabilities. Second, environmental taxation seems to be ineffective at stimulating the adoption of eco-innovation. Third, both investment subsidies and tax credits do imply higher levels of investments in green technologies. Tax incentives seem to mostly foster cleaner production technologies, while subsidies are used to finance all types of eco-innovations. Fourth, human resources as green employees are positively related with environmental investments. Finally, dynamic capabilities as the introduction of environmental management systems are correlated particularly with cleaner production investments oriented to reduce energy consumption. • Policy instruments drive eco-innovation more than organizational capabilities. • Environmental taxation is not successful at encouraging green investments. • Green employees induce environmental investments. • Management eco-systems are correlated with cleaner production investments (energy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of acoustic emission (AE) to monitor the condition of roller bearings in rotating machinery is growing in popularity. This investigation is centered on the application of spectral kurtosis (SK) as a denoising tool able to enhance the bearing fault features from an AE signal. This methodology was applied to AE signals acquired from an experimental investigation where different size defects were seeded on a roller bearing. The results suggest that the signal to noise ratio can be significantly improved using SK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The temporal and spatial spectral evolution of the jets of active galactic nuclei (AGN) can be studied with multi-frequency, multi-epoch very-long-baseline-interferometry (VLBI) observations. The combination of both morphological (kinematical) and spectral parameters can be used to derive source-intrinsic physical properties, such as the magnetic field and the nonthermal particle density. Such a study is of special interest during the high states of activity in AGNs, since VLBI observations can provide estimates of the location of the flaring site. Furthermore, we can trace the temporal variations in the source-intrinsic parameters during the flare, which may reflect the interaction between the underlying plasma and a traveling shock wave. The source CTA102 exhibited such a radio flare around 2006. Aims. In the first two papers of this series (Papers I and II), we analyzed the single-dish light curves and the VLBI kinematics of the blazar CTA102 and suggested a shock-shock interaction between a traveling and a standing shock wave as a possible scenario to explain the observed evolution of the component associated to the 2006 flare. In this paper we investigate the core shift and spectral evolution to test our hypothesis of a shock-shock interaction. Methods. We used eight multi-frequency Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations to analyze the temporal and spatial evolution of the spectral parameters during the flare. We observed CTA102 between May 2005 and April 2007 using the VLBA at six different frequencies spanning from 2 GHz up to 86GHz. After the calibrated VLBA images were corrected for opacity, we performed a detailed spectral analysis.We developed methods for aligning the images and extracting the uncertainties in the spectral parameters. From the derived values we estimated the magnetic field and the density of the relativistic particles and combined those values with the kinematical changes provided from the long-term VLBA monitoring (Paper II) and single-dish measurements (Paper I). Results. The detailed analysis of the opacity shift reveals that the position of the jet core is proportional to ʋ-1 with some temporal variations. The value suggests possible equipartition between magnetic field energy and particle kinetic energy densities at the most compact regions. From the variation in the physical parameters we deduced that the 2006 flare in CTA102 is connected to the ejection of a new traveling feature (tej = 2005.9) and to the interaction between this shock wave and a stationary structure (interpreted as a recollimation shock) around 0.1 mas from the core (de-projected 18 pc at a viewing angle of φ = 2.6°). The source kinematics, together with the spectral and structural variations, can be described by helical motions in an overpressured jet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, evidence has started piling up that some high-energy cosmic neutrinos can be associated with blazars in flaring states. On 2022 February 26, a new blazar-neutrino coincidence was reported: the track-like neutrino event IC220225A detected by IceCube is spatially coincident with the flat-spectrum radio quasar PKS 0215+015. Like previous associations, this source was found to be in a high optical and γ -ray state. Moreover, the source showed a bright radio outburst, which substantially increases the probability of a true physical association. We have performed six observations with the VLBA shortly after the neutrino event with a monthly cadence and are monitoring the source with the Effelsberg 100m-Telescope, and with the Australia Compact Telescope Array. Here, we present first results on the contemporary parsec-scale jet structure of PKS 0215+015 in total intensity and polarization to constrain possible physical processes leading to neutrino emission in blazars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations can resolve the radio structure of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and provide estimates of the structural and kinematic characteristics on parsec-scales in their jets. The changes in the kinematics of the observed jet features can be used to study the physical conditions in the innermost regions of these sources. We performed multifrequency multiepoch Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of the blazar CTA102 during its 2006 radio flare, the strongest ever reported for this source. These observations provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the evolution of the physical properties of blazars, especially during these flaring events Aims. We want to study the kinematic changes in the source during the strong radio outburst in April 2006 and test the assumption of a shock-shock interaction. This assumption is based on the analysis and modeling of the single-dish observations of CTA102 (Paper I). Methods. In this paper we study the kinematics of CTA102 at several frequencies using VLBI observations. From the modeled jet features we derived estimates for the evolution of the physical parameters, such as the particle density and the magnetic field. Furthermore, we combined our observations during the 2006 flare with long-term VLBA monitoring of the source at 15GHz and 43 GHz. Results. We cross-identified seven features throughout our entire multifrequency observations and find evidence of two possible recollimation shocks around 0.1mas (deprojected 18 pc at a viewing angle ϑ = 2.6°) and 6.0mas (deprojected 1 kpc) from the core. The 43 GHz observations reveal a feature ejected at epoch tej = 2005.9 ± 0.2, which could be connected to the 2006 April radio flare. Furthermore, this feature might be associated with the traveling component involved in the possible shock-shock interaction, which gives rise to the observed double peak structure in the single-dish light curves reported in Paper I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radon concentration in air is a major concern in lung cancer studies. A traditional technique used to measure radon abundance is the charcoal canister method. We propose a novel technique using a diffusion cloud chamber. This technique is simpler and can easily be used for physics demonstrations for high school and university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local features such as phase, energy and orientation have been widely used in the literature for multiple computer vision applications such as edge detection, texture analysis, motion estimation, depth computation, etc. They can be computed using wavelet image decomposing based on Quadrature filters tuned at different scales and orientations. Although this represents a very powerful image analysis technique, its feasibility for real-time domain applications is still beyond current computer capabilities due to the high demand of computational resources. In this article, we present an architecture developed for real-time processing of these features using reconfigurable hardware. Although, to the best of our knowledge, previous implementations of Gabor or steerable filters on chip already exist, none of them provides energy, phase, and orientation information at the same time. We show how to implement quadrature filters based on Gaussian derivatives. We develop a hardware friendly technique to interpolate between a multi-oriented filter bank to compute features at their main orientation which has not been used before. We finally describe the system resource requirements, performance and some system illustrative results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimation of motion from image sequences has been widely studied by the scientific community but it is rarely used in real-time applications mainly due to the high computational requirements. A large number of interesting applications (such as robotics, vigilance, sequence compression, etc.) require embedded processing systems which are not yet available. The presented approach implements a novel superpipelined and fully parallelized architecture for optical flow processing with more than 70 pipelined stages that achieve a data throughput of one pixel per clock cycle. The whole system has been implemented into reconfigurable technology to facilitate its adaptation to different application specifications. It achieves high performance computation (148 frames per second at VGA resolution). In this contribution we justify the optical flow model chosen for the implementation, we analyse the presented architecture, and measure the system resource requirements. In particular, we present a massive parallelism design methodology that makes these high performance systems possible. Finally, we evaluate the system comparing its performance with other previous approaches. To the best of our knowledge, the obtained performance is more than one magnitude higher than any previous real-time approach described in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient simulation of spiking neural networks (SNN) remains an open challenge. Current SNN computing engines are still far away from simulating systems of millions of neurons efficiently. This contribution describes a computing scheme that takes full advantage of the massive parallel processing resources available at FPGA devices. The computing engine adopts an event-driven simulation scheme and an efficient next-event-to-go searching method to achieve high performance. We have designed a pipelined datapath, in order to compute several events in parallel avoiding idle computing resources. The system is able to compute approximately 2.5 million spikes per second. The whole computing machine is composed only of an FPGA device and five external memory SRAM chips. Therefore, the presented approach is of high interest for simulation experiments that require embedded simulation engines (for instance, in robotic experiments with autonomous agents). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pipelined optical-flow processing system that works as a virtual motion sensor has been described. It is based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device enabling the easy change of configuring parameters to adapt the sensor to different speeds, light conditions and other environmental factors. It is referred to as a ‘virtual sensor’ because it consists of a conventional camera as front-end supported by an FPGA processing device, which embeds the frame grabber, optical-flow algorithm implementation, output module and some configuration and storage circuitry. This is the first fully stand-alone working optical-flow processing system to include both accuracy and speed of measurement of the platform performance. The customisability of the system for different hardware resources and platforms has also been discussed, showing the resources and performance for a stand-alone board and a PCI co-processing board. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is one of the most common heart arrhythmias. It is very difficult to detect unless an explicit Atrial Fibrillation episode occurs during the exploration. The present paper describes a number of low level parameters extracted from ECG traces where no Atrial Fibrillation process is present. The ability of this parameter set to characterize PAF patients is studied and discussed. Based on these parameters a modular automatic classification algorithm for PAF diagnosis is developed and evaluated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present results from a combined radio, optical, and X-ray study of the jet-associated emission features in NGC 1052. We analyze the radio-optical morphology and find a good positional correlation between the radio jet and the optical emission cone. Two optical emission knots are directly associated with radio counterparts exhibiting a radio to X-ray broadband spectrum not compatible with synchrotron emission. We discuss the possibility that the thermal soft spectrum of the extended X-ray emission originates from jet driven shocks produced in the interaction between the jet-plasma and its surrounding medium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Stimulus correlation and adaptive movement detection, among other tasks can be performed with VLSI general-purpose neurons that have controllable steady and transient responses. This paper presents experimental results of simple neural primitives based on the CMOS neuron approach described in [11]. Stimulus correlation experiments illustrate the well defined behavior of the CMOS approach. This basic primitive is used to implement motion detectors with adaptive capabilities that enable it to work efficiently in a wide velocity range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. 3C 84 is a nearby radio source with a complex total intensity structure, showing linear polarisation and spectral patterns. A detailed investigation of the central engine region necessitates the use of very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) above the hitherto available maximum frequency of 86 GHz. Aims. Using ultrahigh resolution VLBI observations at the currently highest available frequency of 228 GHz, we aim to perform a direct detection of compact structures and understand the physical conditions in the compact region of 3C 84. Methods. We used Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) 228 GHz observations and, given the limited (u, v)-coverage, applied geometric model fitting to the data. Furthermore, we employed quasi-simultaneously observed, ancillary multi-frequency VLBI data for the source in order to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the core structure. Results. We report the detection of a highly ordered, strong magnetic field around the central, supermassive black hole of 3C 84. The brightness temperature analysis suggests that the system is in equipartition. We also determined a turnover frequency of νm = (113 ± 4) GHz, a corresponding synchrotron self-absorbed magnetic field of BSSA = (2.9 ± 1.6) G, and an equipartition magnetic field of Beq = (5.2 ± 0.6) G. Three components are resolved with the highest fractional polarisation detected for this object (mnet = (17.0 ± 3.9)%). The positions of the components are compatible with those seen in low-frequency VLBI observations since 2017–2018. We report a steeply negative slope of the spectrum at 228 GHz. We used these findings to test existing models of jet formation, propagation, and Faraday rotation in 3C 84. Conclusions. The findings of our investigation into different flow geometries and black hole spins support an advection-dominated accretion flow in a magnetically arrested state around a rapidly rotating supermassive black hole as a model of the jet-launching system in the core of 3C 84. However, systematic uncertainties due to the limited (u, v)-coverage, however, cannot be ignored. Our upcoming work using new EHT data, which offer full imaging capabilities, will shed more light on the compact region of 3C 84. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to intermediate band (IB) theory, it is possible to increase the efficiency of a solar cell by boosting its ability to absorb low-energy photons. In this study, we used a hyperdoped semiconductor approach for this theory to create a proof of concept of different silicon-based IB solar cells. Preliminary results show an increase in the external quantum efficiency (EQE) in the silicon sub-bandgap region. This result points to sub-bandgap absorption in silicon having not only a direct application in solar cells but also in other areas such as infrared photodetectors. To establish the transport mechanisms in the hyperdoped semiconductors within a solar cell, we measured the J â€" V characteristic at different temperatures. We carried out the measurements in both dark and illuminated conditions. To explain the behavior of the measurements, we proposed a new model with three elements for the IB solar cell. This model is similar to the classic two-diodes solar cell model but it is necessary to include a new limiting current element in series with one of the diodes. The proposed model is also compatible with an impurity band formation within silicon bandgap. At high temperatures, the distance between the IB and the n-type amorphous silicon conduction band is close enough and both bands are contacted. As the temperature decreases, the distance between the bands increases and therefore this process becomes more limiting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Supermassive black holes in the centres of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) can produce collimated relativistic outflows (jets). Magnetic fields are thought to play a key role in the formation and collimation of these jets, but the details are much debated. Aims. We study the innermost jet morphology and magnetic field strength in the AGN 3C 345 with an unprecedented resolution using images obtained within the framework of the key science programme on AGN polarisation of the Space VLBI mission RadioAstron. Methods. We observed the flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 345 at 1.6 GHz on 2016 March 30 with RadioAstron and 18 ground-based radio telescopes in full polarisation mode. Results. Our images, in both total intensity and linear polarisation, reveal a complex jet structure at 300 μas angular resolution, corresponding to a projected linear scale of about 2 pc or a few thousand gravitational radii. We identify the synchrotron self-absorbed core at the jet base and find the brightest feature in the jet 1.5 mas downstream of the core. Several polarised components appear in the Space VLBI images that cannot be seen from ground array-only images. Except for the core, the electric vector position angles follow the local jet direction, suggesting a magnetic field perpendicular to the jet. This indicates the presence of plane perpendicular shocks in these regions. Additionally, we infer a minimum brightness temperature at the largest (u, v)-distances of 1.1 × 1012 K in the source frame, which is above the inverse Compton limit and an order of magnitude larger than the equipartition value. This indicates locally efficient injection or re-acceleration of particles in the jet to counter the inverse Compton cooling or the geometry of the jet creates significant changes in the Doppler factor, which has to be > 11 to explain the high brightness temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Flares in radio-loud active galactic nuclei are thought to be associated with the injection of fresh plasma into the compact jet base. Such flares are usually strongest and appear earlier at shorter radio wavelengths. Hence, very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) at millimeter(mm)-wavelengths is the best-suited technique for studying the earliest structural changes of compact jets associated with emission flares. Aims. We study the morphological changes of the parsec-scale jet in the nearby (z = 0.049) γ-ray bright radio galaxy 3C 111 following a flare that developed into a major radio outburst in 2007. Methods. We analyse three successive observations of 3C 111 at 86 GHz with the Global mm-VLBI Array (GMVA) between 2007 and 2008 which yield a very high angular resolution of ∼45 μas. In addition, we make use of single-dish radio flux density measurements from the F-GAMMA and POLAMI programmes, archival single-dish and VLBI data. Results. We resolve the flare into multiple plasma components with a distinct morphology resembling a bend in an otherwise remarkably straight jet. The flare-associated features move with apparent velocities of ∼4.0c to ∼4.5c and can be traced also at lower frequencies in later epochs. Near the base of the jet, we find two bright features with high brightness temperatures up to ∼1011 K, which we associate with the core and a stationary feature in the jet. Conclusions. The flare led to multiple new jet components indicative of a dynamic modulation during the ejection. We interpret the bend-like feature as a direct result of the outburst which makes it possible to trace the transverse structure of the jet. In this scenario, the components follow different paths in the jet stream consistent with expectations for a spine-sheath structure, which is not seen during intermediate levels of activity. The possibility of coordinated multiwavelength observations during a future bright radio flare in 3C 111 makes this source an excellent target for probing the radio-γ-ray connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to analyse current surgical treatment preferences for anal fistula (AF) and its subtypes and nationwide results in terms of success and complications. Methods: A retrospective multicentre observational cohort study was conducted. The study period was 1 year (2019), with a follow-up period of at least 1 year. A descriptive analysis of patient characteristics and trends regarding technical options was performed. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to analyse factors associated with healing and faecal incontinence (FI). Results: Fifty-one hospitals were involved, providing data on 1628 patients with AF. At a median follow-up of 18.3 (9.9–28.3) months, 1231 (75.9%) patients achieved healing, while 390 (24.1%) did not; failure was catalogued as persistence in 279 (17.2.0%) patients and as recurrence in 111 (6.8%). On multivariate analysis, factors associated with healing were fistulotomy (OR 5.5; 95% CI 3.8–7.9; p < 0.001), simple fistula (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.5–2.8; p < 0.001), single tract (HR 1.9; 95% CI 1.3–2.8; p < 0.001) and number of preparatory surgeries (none vs. 3; HR 1.8; 95% CI 1.2–2.8; p = 0.006). Regarding de novo FI, in the multivariate analysis previous anal surgery (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0–2.4, p = 0.037), age (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00–1.04, p = 0.002) and being female (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.5, p = 0.008) were statistically related. Conclusions: Anal fistulotomy is the most used procedure for AF, especially for simple AF, with a favourable overall balance between healing and continence impairment. Sphincter-sparing or minimally invasive sphincter-sparing techniques resulted in lower rates of healing. In spite of their intended sphincter-sparing design, a certain degree of FI was observed for several of these techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. PSO J334.2028+1.4075 (PSO J334) is a luminous quasar located at redshift z = 2.06. The source gained attention when periodic flux density variations were discovered in its optical light curve. These variations were initially interpreted as the variability due to the orbital motion of a supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB) residing in a single circumbinary accretion disk. The orbital separation was determined to be 0.006 pc with an in-spiral time of 7 yr in the rest frame of PSO J334. These findings suggested the quasar could be in the gravitational wave emitting phase of its merger and so extended multiwavelength observations were commenced. However, subsequent observations provided evidence against the binary hypothesis as no optical periodicity was found on extended time baselines. On the other hand, detailed radio analysis with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) revealed a lobe-dominated quasar at kiloparsec scales, and possibly a precessing jet, which could retain PSO J334 as a binary SMBH candidate. Aims. We aim to study both the large- and small-scale radio structures in PSO J334 to provide additional evidence for or against the binary scenario. Methods. We observed the source at 1.7 GHz with the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (EVN), and at 1.5 and 6.2 GHz with the VLA, at frequencies that complement the previous radio interferometric study. Results. Our images reveal a single component at parsec scales slightly resolved in the southeast-northwest direction and a lobe-dominated quasar at kiloparsec scales with a complex structure. The source morphology and polarization in our VLA maps suggest that the jet is interacting with dense clumps of the ambient medium. While we also observe a misalignment between the inner jet and the outer lobes, we suggest that this is due to the restarted nature of the radio jet activity and the possible presence of a warped accretion disk rather than due to the perturbing effects of a companion SMBH. Conclusions. Our analysis suggests that PSO J334 is most likely a jetted active galactic nucleus with a single SMBH, and there is no clear evidence of a binary SMBH system in its central engine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, our knowledge of jets produced by active galactic nuclei (AGN) has greatly progressed thanks to the development of very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI). Nevertheless, the crucial mechanisms involved in the formation of the plasma flow, as well as those driving its exceptional radiative output up to TeV energies, remain to be clarified. Most likely, these physical processes take place at short separations from the supermassive black hole, on scales which are inaccessible to VLBI observations at centimeter wavelengths. Due to their high synchrotron opacity, the dense and highly magnetized regions in the vicinity of the central engine can only be penetrated when observing at shorter wavelengths, in the millimeter and sub-millimeter regimes. While this was recognized already in the early days of VLBI, it was not until the very recent years that sensitive VLBI imaging at high frequencies has become possible. Ongoing technical development and wide band observing now provide adequate imaging fidelity to carry out more detailed analyses. In this article, we overview some open questions concerning the physics of AGN jets, and we discuss the impact of mm-VLBI studies. Among the rich set of results produced so far in this frequency regime, we particularly focus on studies performed at 43 GHz (7 mm) and at 86 GHz (3 mm). Some of the first findings at 230 GHz (1 mm) obtained with the Event Horizon Telescope are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Serum nitric oxide (NO) reduction and increased endothelin-1 (ET-1) play a pivotal role in endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. Considering that traditional Mediterranean diet (TMD) reduces blood pressure (BP), the aim of this study was to analyze whether TMD induced changes on endothelial physiology elements such as NO, ET-1 and ET-1 receptors which are involved in BP control. Methods: Non-smoking women with moderate hypertension were submitted for 1 year to interventions promoting adherence to the TMD, one supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and the other with nuts versus a control low-fat diet (30 participants/group). BP, NO, ET-1 and related gene expression as well as oxidative stress biomarkers were measured. Results: Serum NO and systolic BP (SBP) or diastolic BP (DBP) were negatively associated at baseline, as well as between NO and ET-1. Our findings also showed a DBP reduction with both interventions. A negative correlation was observed between changes in NO metabolites concentration and SBP or DBP after the intervention with TMD + EVOO ( p = 0.033 and p = 0.044, respectively). SBP reduction was related to an impairment of serum ET-1 concentrations after the intervention with TMD + nuts ( p = 0.008). We also observed changes in eNOS, caveolin 2 and ET-1 receptors gene expression which are related to NO metabolites levels and BP. Conclusions: The changes in NO and ET-1 as well as ET-1 receptors gene expression explain, at least partially, the effect of EVOO or nuts on lowering BP among hypertensive women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Rosmarinic acid is a fundamental compound of Rosmarinus officinalis. In this work, the intrinsic prooxidant (generation of H2O2 and free radicals by the action of peroxidase) and antioxidant (consumption of H2O2 and free radicals) properties of rosmarinic acid are characterized. In addition, its melanogenic prooxidant activity is characterized as it acts as a substrate of polyphenol oxidase to generate o-quinones, and its antimelanogenic and, so, antioxidant activity as it carries out the suicide inactivation of polyphenol oxidase. The balance between its pro- and antioxidant activities demonstrates that rosmarinic acid can be considered as a net antioxidant. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Antioxidants prevent oxidative damage by modulating the oxidative status of cells. The present results indicated that rosmarinic acid is an antioxidant and can act as scavenger of free radicals in biological systems, and could therefore provide health benefits to consumers. Moreover, rosmarinic acid can act as a suicide substrate of polyphenol oxidase and can inhibit the enzymatic browning of vegetables and fruits and melanogenesis in mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The radio galaxy IC 310 in the Perseus cluster has recently been detected in the gamma-ray regime at GeV and TeV energies. The TeV emission shows time variability and an extraordinarily hard spectrum, even harder than the spectrum of the similar nearby gamma-ray emitting radio galaxy M87. Aims. High-resolution studies of the radio morphology help to constrain the geometry of the jet on sub-pc scales and to find out where the high-energy emission might come from. Methods. We analyzed May 2011 VLBA data of IC310 at a wavelength of 3.6 cm, revealing the parsec-scale radio structure of this source. We compared our findings with more information available from contemporary single-dish flux density measurements with the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope. Results. We have detected a one-sided core-jet structure with blazar-like, beamed radio emission oriented along the same position angle as the kiloparsec scale radio structure observed in the past by connected interferometers. Doppler-boosting favoritism is consistent with an angle of θ ≲ 38° between the jet axis and the line-of-sight, i.e., very likely within the boundary dividing low-luminosity radio galaxies and BL Lac objects in unified schemes. Conclusions. The stability of the jet orientation from parsec to kiloparsec scales in IC 310 argues against its classification as a headtail radio galaxy; i.e., there is no indication of an interaction with the intracluster medium that would determine the direction of the tail. IC310 seems to represent a low-luminosity FRI radio galaxy at a borderline angle to reveal its BL Lac-type central engine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We describe a novel method for propagating disparity values using directional masks and a voting scheme. The driving force of the propagation direction is image gradient, making the process anisotropic, whilst ambiguities between propagated values are resolved using a voting scheme. This kind of anisotropic densification process achieves significant density enhancement at a very low error cost: in some cases erroneous disparities are voted out, resulting not only in a denser but also a more accurate final disparity map. Due to the simplicity of the method it is suitable for embedded implementation and can also be included as part of a system-on-chip (SOC). Therefore, it can be of great interest to the sector of the machine vision community that deals with embedded and/or real-time applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective:To assess the association between the intake of dietary fibre and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk.Methods:Baseline cross-sectional assessment of 457 men and women (average age 67 years) from two different Spanish centres of the PREDIMED trial. A previously validated food frequency questionnaire (137 food items) was administered by trained dieticians in a face-to-face interview. Mean common carotid IMT was measured using B-mode ultrasound imaging of the right and left carotid arteries by four certified sonographers who used a common protocol. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were performed and samples of fasting blood were obtained. Participants were categorized into four groups (roughly quartiles: 21; >21 to 25; >25 to 31 and >31 g/day) of energy-adjusted intake of dietary fibre. Multiple linear regression models were used to adjust for age, sex, centre, smoking, body mass index, diabetes, blood pressure, lipid levels and statin use.Results:In the crude analyses, energy-adjusted fibre intake showed a significant inverse correlation with IMT (r=−0.27, P<0.001). In multivariate analyses, a modest, though statistically significant (P=0.03) inverse association between energy-adjusted fibre intake and IMT was also found. The multivariate-adjusted difference in average IMT was −0.051 mm (95% confidence interval: −0.094 to−0.009, P=0.02) for participants whose intake was >35 g/day, (n=47) when compared with those whose intake was <25 g/day (n=224).Conclusions:Our results suggest that high fibre intake is inversely associated with carotid atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the ATLAS computing model the tiered hierarchy ranged from the Tier-0 (CERN) down to desktops or workstations (Tier-3). The focus on defining the roles of each tiered component has evolved with the initial emphasis on the Tier-0 and Tier-1 definition and roles. The various LHC (Large Hadron Collider) projects, including ATLAS, then evolved the tiered hierarchy to include Tier-2’s (Regional centers) as part of their projects. Tier-3 centres, on the other hand, have been defined as whatever an institution could construct to support their Physics goals using institutional and otherwise leveraged resources and therefore have not been considered to be part of the official ATLAS computing resources. However, Tier-3 centres are going to exist and will have implications on how the computing model should support ATLAS physicists. Tier-3 users will want to access LHC data and simulations and will want to enable their resources to support their analysis and simulation work. This document will define how IFIC (Instituto de Física Corpuscular de Valencia), after discussing with the ATLAS Tier-3 task force, should interact with the ATLAS computing model, detail the conditions under which Tier-3 centres can expect some level of support and set reasonable expectations for the scope and support of ATLAS Tier-3 sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents different hardware implementations of a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) for speech recognition. When defining the designs, we have used two different abstraction levels: a register transfer level and a higher algorithmic-like level. The implementations have been developed and tested into reconfigurable hardware (FPGA) for embedded systems. We also present a comparative study of the costs for the two considered approaches with regards to the silicon area, speed and required computational resources. The research is completed with the study of different implementation versions with diverse degrees of parallelism. The final aim is the comparison of the methodologies applied in the two abstraction levels for designing hardware MLP’s or similar computational structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper deals with the study of the cooperation between parallel processing and evolutionary computation to obtain efficient procedures for solving multiobjective optimisation problems. We propose a new algorithm called PSFGA (parallel single front genetic algorithm), an elitist evolutionary algorithm for multiobjective problems with a clearing procedure that uses a grid in the objective space for diversity maintaining purposes. Thus, PSFGA is a parallel genetic algorithm with a structured population in the form of a set of islands. The performance analysis of PSFGA has been carried out in a cluster system and experimental results show that our parallel algorithm provides adequate results in both, the quality of the solutions found and the time to obtain them. It has been shown that its sequential version also outperforms other previously proposed sequential procedures for multiobjective optimisation in the cases studied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An analysis of the influence of weight and input perturbations in a multilayer perceptron (MLP) is made in this article. Quantitative measurements of fault tolerance, noise immunity, and generalization ability are provided. From the expressions obtained, it is possible to justify some previously reported conjectures and experimentally obtained results (e.g., the influence of weight magnitudes, the relation between training with noise and the generalization ability, the relation between fault tolerance and the generalization ability). The measurements introduced here are explicitly related to the mean squared error degradation in the presence of perturbations, thus constituting a selection criterion between different alternatives of weight configurations. Moreover, they allow us to predict the degradation of the learning performance of an MLP when its weights or inputs are deviated from their nominal values and thus, the behavior of a physical implementation can be evaluated before the weights are mapped on it according to its accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been reported that walnuts reduce serum cholesterol levels in normal young men.Objective: To assess the acceptability of walnuts and their effects on serum lipid levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidizability in free-living hypercholesterolemic persons.Design: Randomized, crossover feeding trial.Setting: Lipid clinic at a university hospital.Patients: 55 men and women (mean age, 56 years) with polygenic hypercholesterolemia.Intervention: A cholesterol-lowering Mediterranean diet and a diet of similar energy and fat content in which walnuts replaced approximately 35% of the energy obtained from monounsaturated fat. Patients followed each diet for 6 weeks.Measurements: Low-density lipoprotein fatty acids (to assess compliance), serum lipid levels, lipoprotein(a) levels, and LDL resistance to in vitro oxidative stress.Results: 49 persons completed the trial. The walnut diet was well tolerated. Planned and observed diets were closely matched. Compared with the Mediterranean diet, the walnut diet produced mean changes of -4.1% in total cholesterol level, -5.9% in LDL cholesterol level, and -6.2% in lipoprotein(a) level. The mean differences in the changes in serum lipid levels were -0.28 mmol/L (95% CI, -0.43 to -0.12 mmol/L) (-10.8 mg/dL [-16.8 to -4.8 mg/dL]) (P<0.001) for total cholesterol level, -0.29 mmol/L (CI, -0.41 to -0.15 mmol/L) (-11.2 mg/dL [-16.3 to -6.1 mg/dL]) (P<0.001) for LDL cholesterol level, and -0.021 g/L (CI, -0.042 to -0.001 g/L) (P = 0.042) for lipoprotein(a) level. Lipid changes were similar in men and women except for lipoprotein(a) levels, which decreased only in men. Low-density lipoprotein particles were enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids from walnuts, but their resistance to oxidation was preserved.Conclusion: Substituting walnuts for part of the mono-unsaturated fat in a cholesterol-lowering Mediterranean diet further reduced total and LDL cholesterol levels in men and women with hypercholesterolemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity and Mortality in the PREDIMED Study" by P. Henríquez-Sánchez et al. which appeared in the December 8, 2021 issue is presented.

This paper shows a quantitative relation between the regularization techniques, the generalization ability, and the sensitivity of the Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) to input noise. Although many studies about these topics have been presented, in most cases only one of the problems is addressed, and only experimentally obtained evidence is provided to illustrate some kind of correlation between generalization, noise immunity and the use of regularization techniques to obtain a set of weights after training that provides the corresponding MLP with generalization ability and noise immunity. Here, a new measurement of noise immunity for a MLP is presented. This measurement, which is termed Mean Squared Sensitivity (MSS), explicitly evaluates the Mean Squared Error (MSE) degradation of a MLP when it is perturbed by input noise, and can be computed from the statistical sensitivities (previously proposed) of the output neurons. The MSS provides an accurate evaluation of the MLP performance loss when its inputs are perturbed by noise and can also be considered a measurement of the smoothness of the error surface with respect to the inputs. Thus, as the MSS can be used to evaluate the noise immunity or the generalization ability, it gives a criterion to select among different weight configurations that present a similar MSE after training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The best approach to bile duct stones in high-risk patients is controversial. We showed in a randomized trial that open surgery had a morbi-mortality similar to that of endoscopic sphincterotomy alone (ES) and less late biliary complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate a minimally invasive approach to duct stones in high-risk patients compared with open surgery or ES alone.Methods: Sixty high-risk patients (mean age 80 years) suspected of duct stones were treated by ES + laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). High-risk factors were: age > 70 years, Goldman cardiac index > 13, chronic pulmonary disease, liver cirrhosis, neurologic deficit, and severe obesity.Results: ERCP success was 87%. Duct stones were found in 75%. LC succeeded in 92%. Post-LC stay was 4 days. Overall morbidity was 19% and mortality was 3%. Recurrent symptoms (mean follow-up: 9 months) was 3.6%. When compared with open surgery or ES alone, ES + LC had a similar morbi-mortality, but shorter postop stay (p < 0.001). Late symptoms appeared in 20% after ES alone vs 4% after open surgery or ES plus LC (p < 0.04).Conclusions: Combined ES + LC is an effective alternative to open surgery or ES alone for treatment of duct stones in high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is through indicators, to verify the gains obtained with the implementation of process modeling in the logistics chain that transports limestone for use as an input in the steel industry. Thus, we sought to identify the existing waste in the processes, through an empirical investigation of the case study that observed a great loss of efficiency in the production flow that uses limestone for the production of iron ore pellets. The modeling implementation was performed using the BPMN (Business Process Modeling and Notation) notation, quantifying the gains and reporting the problems encountered. The results of the present study showed an 80% reduction in mill stops due to lack of inputs. Resulting in the improvement of the logistic operation of limestone supply as an input in the iron ore pelletizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. High-resolution very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of NGC 1052 show a two sided jet with several regions of enhanced emission and a clear emission gap between the two jets. This gap shrinks with increasing frequency and vanishes around ν ∼ 43 GHz. The observed structures are due to both the macroscopic fluid dynamics interacting with the surrounding ambient medium including an obscuring torus and the radiation microphysics. In order to model the observations of NGC 1052 via state-of-the art numerical simulations both the fluid-dynamical and emission processes have to be taken into account. Aims. In this paper we investigate the possible physical conditions in relativistic jets of NGC 1052 by directly modelling the observed emission and spectra via state-of-the-art special-relativistic hydrodynamic (SRHD) simulations and radiative transfer calculations. Methods. We performed SRHD simulations of over-pressured and pressure-matched jets using the special-relativistic hydrodynamics code Ratpenat. To investigate the physical conditions in the relativistic jet we coupled our radiative transfer code to evolutionary algorithms and performed simultaneous modelling of the observed jet structure and the broadband radio spectrum. During the calculation of the radiation we consider non-thermal emission from the jet and thermal absorption in the obscuring torus. In order to compare our model to VLBI observations we take into account the sparse sampling of the u-v plane, the array properties and the imaging algorithm. Results. We present for the first time an end-to-end pipeline for fitting numerical simulations to VLBI observations of relativistic jets taking into account the macro-physics including fluid dynamics and ambient medium configurations together with thermal and non-thermal emission and the properties of the observing array. The detailed analysis of our simulations shows that the structure and properties of the observed relativistic jets in NGC 1052 can be reconstructed by a slightly over-pressured jet (dk ∼ 1.5) embedded in a decreasing pressure ambient medium [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]