Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The α′ stretched horizon in the heterotic string

The linear α' corrections and the field redefinition ambiguities are studied for half-BPS singular backgrounds representing a wrapped fundamental string. It is showed that there exist schemes in which the inclusion of all the linear α' corrections converts these singular solutions to black holes with a regular horizon for which the modified Hawking-Bekenstein entropy is in agreement with the statistical entropy.
EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTATION TO TEMPERATURE. VI. PHENOTYPIC ACCLIMATION AND ITS EVOLUTION IN ESCHERICHIA COLI

Acclimation refers to reversible, nongenetic changes in phenotype that are induced by specific environmental conditions. Acclimation is generally assumed to improve function in the environment that induces it (the beneficial acclimation hypothesis). In this study, we experimentally tested this assumption by measuring relative fitness of the bacterium Escherichia coli acclimated to different thermal environments. The beneficial acclimation hypothesis predicts that bacteria acclimated to the temperature of competition should have greater fitness than do bacteria acclimated to any other temperature. The benefit predicted by the hypothesis was found in only seven of 12 comparisons; in the other comparisons, either no statistically demonstrable benefit was observed or a detrimental effect of acclimation was demonstrated. For example, in a lineage evolutionarily adapted to 37°C, bacteria acclimated to 37°C have a higher fitness at 32°C than do bacteria acclimated to 32°C, a result exactly contrary to prediction; acclimation to 27°C or 40°C prior to competition at those temperatures confers no benefit over 37°C acclimated forms. Consequently, the beneficial acclimation hypothesis must be rejected as a general prediction of the inevitable result of phenotypic adjustments associated with new environments. However, the hypothesis is supported in many instances when the acclimation and competition temperatures coincide with the historical temperature at which the bacterial populations have evolved. For example, when the evolutionary temperature of the population was 37°C, bacteria acclimated to 37°C had superior fitness at 37°C to those acclimated to 32°C; similarly, bacteria evolutionarily adapted to 32°C had a higher fitness during competition at 32°C than they did when acclimated to 37°C. The more surprising results are that when the bacteria are acclimated to their historical evolutionary temperature, they are frequently competitively superior even at other temperatures. For example, bacteria that have evolved at either 20°C or 32°C and are acclimated to their respective evolutionary temperatures have a greater fitness at 37°C than when they are acclimated to 37°C. Thus, acclimation to evolutionary temperature may, as a correlated consequence, enhance performance not only in the evolutionary environment, but also in a variety of other thermal environments.
A Digital Standard Time Dissemination Architecture for Trustworthy Time Stamping

In this paper, a reliable and accurate two-layer standard time dissemination architecture is proposed to implement direct digital time traceability. First, the system uses a clock calibration procedure based on two-way time transfer over a general dialup telephone modem and achieves a couple of milliseconds of accuracy. Second, a delegation time stamping mechanism is implemented with a forward-secure proxy signature scheme to provide digital time stamps with enhanced validity assurance and with digital time traceability to the national standard. The Request for Comments 3161 time stamp token is then extended to embed the standard time reading and necessary verification certificates. These features allow users to remove the blind trust on a commercial time stamping authority's clock handling procedure.
Facial expressions of emotion are not culturally universal

Since Darwin’s seminal works, the universality of facial expressions of emotion has remained one of the longest standing debates in the biological and social sciences. Briefly stated, the universality hypothesis claims that all humans communicate six basic internal emotional states (happy, surprise, fear, disgust, anger, and sad) using the same facial movements by virtue of their biological and evolutionary origins [Susskind JM, et al. (2008) Nat Neurosci 11:843–850]. Here, we refute this assumed universality. Using a unique computer graphics platform that combines generative grammars [Chomsky N (1965) MIT Press, Cambridge, MA] with visual perception, we accessed the mind’s eye of 30 Western and Eastern culture individuals and reconstructed their mental representations of the six basic facial expressions of emotion. Cross-cultural comparisons of the mental representations challenge universality on two separate counts. First, whereas Westerners represent each of the six basic emotions with a distinct set of facial movements common to the group, Easterners do not. Second, Easterners represent emotional intensity with distinctive dynamic eye activity. By refuting the long-standing universality hypothesis, our data highlight the powerful influence of culture on shaping basic behaviors once considered biologically hardwired. Consequently, our data open a unique nature–nurture debate across broad fields from evolutionary psychology and social neuroscience to social networking via digital avatars.
Adult ADHD and comorbid depression: A consensus-derived diagnostic algorithm for ADHD

Objective: Many patients present to their physician with depression as their primary symptom. However, depression may mask other comorbid disorders. This article presents diagnostic criteria and treatment recommendations (and monitoring) pertaining to the diagnosis of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which may be missed in patients who present with depressive symptoms, or major depressive disorder (MDD). Other co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, substance use, and bipolar disorder are briefly discussed. Methods: A panel of psychiatrist-clinicians with expertise in the area of child and adolescent ADHD and mood disorders, adult mood disorders, and adult ADHD was convened. A literature search for recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of co-occurring conditions (MDD, anxiety symptoms, and substance use) with adult ADHD was performed. Based on this, and the panel’s clinical expertise, the authors developed a diagnostic algorithm and recommendations for the treatment of adult ADHD with co-occurring MDD. Results: Little information exists to assist clinicians in diagnosing ADHD co-occurring with other disorders such as MDD. A three-step process was developed by the panel to aid in the screening and diagnosis of adult ADHD. In addition, comorbid MDD, bipolar disorder, anxiety symptoms, substance use and cardiovascular concerns regarding stimulant use are discussed. Conclusion: This article provides clinicians with a clinically relevant overview of the literature on comorbid ADHD and depression and offers a clinically useful diagnostic algorithm and treatment suggestions.
Organisational downsizing and musculoskeletal problems in employees: a prospective study

OBJECTIVES To study the association between organisational downsizing and subsequent musculoskeletal problems in employees and to determine the association with changes in psychosocial and behavioural risk factors. METHODS Participants were 764 municipal employees working in Raisio, Finland before and after an organisational downsizing carried out between 1991 and 1993. The outcome measures were self reports of severity and sites of musculoskeletal pain at the end of 1993 and medically certified musculoskeletal sickness absence for 1993–5. The contribution of changes in psychosocial work characteristics and health related behaviour between the 1990 and 1993 surveys was assessed by adjustment. RESULTS After adjustment for age, sex, and income, the odds ratio (OR) for severe musculoskeletal pain between major and minor downsizing and the corresponding rate ratios for musculoskeletal sickness absence were 2.59 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.5 to 4.5) and 5.50 (3.6 to 7.6), respectively. Differences between the mean number of sites of pain after major and minor downsizing was 0.99 (0.4 to 1.6). The largest contribution from changes in work characteristics and health related behaviour to the association between downsizing and musculoskeletal problems was from increases in physical demands, particularly in women and low income employees. Additional contributory factors were reduction of skill discretion (relative to musculoskeletal pain) and job insecurity. The results were little different when analyses were confined to initially healthy participants. CONCLUSIONS Downsizing is a risk factor for musculoskeletal problems among those who remain in employment. Much of this risk is attributable to increased physical demands, but adverse changes in other psychosocial factors may also play a part.
Clipped viscous damping with negative stiffness for semi-active cable damping

This paper investigates numerically and experimentally clipped viscous damping with negative stiffness for semi-active cable damping. From simulations it is concluded that unclipped and clipped viscous damping with negative stiffness is equivalent to unclipped and clipped LQR. It is shown that optimized unclipped viscous damping with negative stiffness generates critical cable damping by an anti-node at the actuator position. The resulting curvature at the actuator position is larger than the curvature close to the anchors due to the disturbance forces which may lead to premature cable fatigue at the actuator position. Optimized clipped viscous damping with negative stiffness does not show this drawback, can be implemented using a semi-active damper and produces twice as much cable damping as optimal viscous damping. Close to the optimal tuning, it leads to approximately the same control force as optimal semi-active friction damping with negative stiffness, which explains the superior cable damping. The superior damping results from the negative stiffness that increases the damper motion. Clipped viscous damping with negative stiffness is validated on a strand cable with a magneto-rheological damper. The measured cable damping is twice that achieved by emulated viscous damping, which confirms the numerical results. A tuning rule for clipped viscous damping with negative stiffness of real cables with flexural rigidity is given.
Protective Effects of Quercetin on Rat Pial Microvascular Changes during Transient Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion and Reperfusion

The aim of this study was to assess the in vivo effects of quercetin on pial microvascular responses during transient bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) and reperfusion. Rat pial microcirculation was visualized by fluorescence microscopy through a closed cranial window. Pial arterioles were classified in five orders of branchings. Capillaries were assigned order 0, the smallest arterioles order 1, and the largest ones order 5. In ischemic rats, 30 min BCCAO and 60 min reperfusion caused arteriolar diameter decrease (by 14.5 ± 3.3% of baseline in order 2), microvascular leakage [0.47 ± 0.04, normalized gray levels (NGL)], leukocyte adhesion in venules (9 ± 2/100 μm venular length, v.l./30 s), and reduction of capillary perfusion (by 40 ± 7% of baseline). Moreover, at the end of BCCAO and reperfusion there was a significant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation when compared with baseline. Quercetin highest dose determined dilation in all arteriolar orders (by 40 ± 4% of baseline in order 2) and prevented microvascular permeability (0.15 ± 0.02 NGL), leukocyte adhesion (3 ± 1/100 μm v.l./30 s) as well as ROS formation, while capillary perfusion was protected. Inhibition of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) prior to quercetin reduced arteriolar dilation (order 2 diameter increase by 10.3 ± 2.5% of baseline) and caused permeability increase (0.29 ± 0.03 NGL); inhibition of neuronal NOS or inducible NOS did not affect quercetin-induced effects. Inhibition of guanylyl cyclase prior to quercetin reversed the quercetin’s effects on pial arteriolar diameter and leakage. In conclusion, quercetin was able to protect pial microcirculation from ischemia–reperfusion damage inducing arteriolar dilation likely by nitric oxide release. Moreover, quercetin scavenger activity blunted ROS formation preserving the blood–brain barrier integrity.
Arthroscopic Excision of the Os Trigonum: A New Technique with Preliminary Clinical Results

Open excision of a painful os trigonum can be associated with prolonged recovery. An arthroscopic technique has been developed to decrease scarring, diminish surgical morbidity, and promote a faster recovery. Eleven patients were retrospectively evaluated after removal of the os trigonum after a mean follow-up of 35 months. Small joint arthroscopy equipment was utilized in a supine position with a distraction device. Average patient scores improved on the AOFAS Ankle/Hindfoot Scale from 45 to 86 points. All patients went home the same day, and no complications occurred during the procedure. All patients reached maximum recovery level within the first 3 months after surgery. Arthroscopic excision of a painful os trigonum yields good results with minimal surgical morbidity and shorter recovery time.
Peanut sprout ethanol extract inhibits the adipocyte proliferation, differentiation, and matrix metalloproteinases activities in mouse fibroblast 3T3-L1 preadipocytes

3T3-L1 preadipocyte were differentiated to adipocytes, and then treated with 0, 10, 20, and 40 µg/mL of peanut sprout ethanol extract (PSEE). The main component of PSEE is resveratrol which contained 5.55 mg/mL of resveratrol. The MTT assay, Oil-Red O staining, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity, and the triglyceride concentration were determined in 3T3-L1 cells. MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities as well as mRNA expressions of C/EBP β and C/EBP α were also investigated. As the concentration of PSEE in adipocytes increased, the cell proliferation was decreased in a dose-dependent manner from 4 days of incubation (P < 0.05). The GDPH activity (P < 0.05) and the triglyceride concentration (P < 0.05) were decreased as the PSEE treatment concentration increased. The mRNA expression of C/EBPβ in 3T3-L1 cells was significantly low in groups of PSEE-treated, compared with control group (P < 0.05). The MMP-9 (P < 0.05) and MMP-2 (P < 0.05) activities were decreased in a dose-dependent manner as the PSEE concentration increased from 20 µg/mL. In conclusion, it was found that PSEE has an effect on restricting proliferation and differentiation of adipocytes.
What Does It Take to Synergistically Combine Sub-Potent Natural Products into Drug-Level Potent Combinations?

There have been renewed interests in natural products as drug discovery sources. In particular, natural product combinations have been extensively studied, clinically tested, and widely used in traditional, folk and alternative medicines. But opinions about their therapeutic efficacies vary from placebo to synergistic effects. The important questions are whether synergistic effects can sufficiently elevate therapeutic potencies to drug levels, and by what mechanisms and at what odds such combinations can be assembled. We studied these questions by analyzing literature-reported cell-based potencies of 190 approved anticancer and antimicrobial drugs, 1378 anticancer and antimicrobial natural products, 99 natural product extracts, 124 synergistic natural product combinations, and 122 molecular interaction profiles of the 19 natural product combinations with collective potency enhanced to drug level or by >10-fold. Most of the evaluated natural products and combinations are sub-potent to drugs. Sub-potent natural products can be assembled into combinations of drug level potency at low probabilities by distinguished multi-target modes modulating primary targets, their regulators and effectors, and intracellular bioavailability of the active natural products.
American Journal of Epidemiology Original Contribution School Neighborhood Disadvantage as a Predictor of Long-term Sick Leave among Teachers: Prospective Cohort Study

This ongoing prospective study examined characteristics of school neighborhood and neighborhood of residence as predictors of sick leave among school teachers. School neighborhood income data for 226 lower-level comprehensive schools in 10 towns in Finland were derived from Statistics Finland and were linked to register-based data on 3,063 teachers with no long-term sick leave at study entry. Outcome was medically certified (>9 days) sick leave spells during a mean follow-up of 4.3 years from data collection in 2000–2001. A multilevel, cross-classified Poisson regression model, adjusted for age, type of teaching job, length and type of job contract, school size, baseline health status, and income level of the teacher's residential area, showed a rate ratio of 1.30 (95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.63) for sick leave among female teachers working in schools located in low-income neighborhoods compared with those working in high-income neighborhoods. A low income level of the teacher's residential area was also independently associated with sick leave among female teachers (rate ratio ¼ 1.50, 95% confidence interval: 1.18, 1.91). Exposure to both low-income school neighborhoods and low-income residential neighborhoods was associated with the greatest risk of sick leave (rate ratio ¼ 1.71, 95% confidence interval: 1.27, 2.30). This study indicates that working and living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with increased risk of sick leave among female teachers. Place of residence, when characterized by socioeconomic disadvantage, has been shown to be associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and health risk behaviors (1–14). Neighborhood deprivation is also related to child abuse and behav-ioral problems among children and adolescents (9–14). However, there is a lack of research on the health of people who work and interact with residents from deprived neighborhoods , such as teachers, nursery personnel, health-care personnel, and social workers. As the majority of adults spend a considerable proportion of their waking hours at work, the socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhoods they work in, in addition to the characteristics of the place of residence, may affect their health. In schools, poorer resources, disadvantageous physical environment (e.g., poor repair of the school building), and problems of the children and their families in deprived neighborhoods may affect teachers' health and wellbeing. A cross-sectional study from the 10-Town Study, Finland, suggests that teachers who work in schools located in neighborhoods with low income report a higher prevalence of mental disorders, heavy alcohol use, and poorer psychoso-cial working conditions than teachers who work …
Association between psychological symptoms in adults and growth in early life: longitudinal follow up study

Abstract Objectives: To test the hypothesis that birth weight for gestational age and weight gain in early childhood have a long term association with psychological distress in adults. Design: Longitudinal study of 1958 birth cohort followed to age 42 years. Setting: Population based birth cohort study. Participants: 9731 cohort members with valid perinatal, postnatal, and adult data. Main outcome measures: Malaise inventory scores measured at ages 23, 33, and 42 years. Generalised estimating equations approach used to analyse repeated measures. Results: Psychological distress score was inversely related to birthweight z score and weight gain from birth to the age of 7 years. A unit increase in birthweight z score or childhood weight gain was associated with a mean reduction in psychological distress score of 0.10 (95% confidence interval 0.05 to 0.15) and 0.06 (0.02 to 0.10), respectively. Birth weight and weight gain were also inversely related to the odds of having a high level of psychological distress, with odds ratios being 0.90 (0.85 to 0.95) and 0.93 (0.89 to 0.98), respectively. Conclusions: Psychological health in adults is related to fetal growth and growth in early childhood.
YAMAT-seq: an efficient method for high-throughput sequencing of mature transfer RNAs

Abstract Besides translation, transfer RNAs (tRNAs) play many non-canonical roles in various biological pathways and exhibit highly variable expression profiles. To unravel the emerging complexities of tRNA biology and molecular mechanisms underlying them, an efficient tRNA sequencing method is required. However, the rigid structure of tRNA has been presenting a challenge to the development of such methods. We report the development of Y-shaped Adapter-ligated MAture TRNA sequencing (YAMAT-seq), an efficient and convenient method for high-throughput sequencing of mature tRNAs. YAMAT-seq circumvents the issue of inefficient adapter ligation, a characteristic of conventional RNA sequencing methods for mature tRNAs, by employing the efficient and specific ligation of Y-shaped adapter to mature tRNAs using T4 RNA Ligase 2. Subsequent cDNA amplification and next-generation sequencing successfully yield numerous mature tRNA sequences. YAMAT-seq has high specificity for mature tRNAs and high sensitivity to detect most isoacceptors from minute amount of total RNA. Moreover, YAMAT-seq shows quantitative capability to estimate expression levels of mature tRNAs, and has high reproducibility and broad applicability for various cell lines. YAMAT-seq thus provides high-throughput technique for identifying tRNA profiles and their regulations in various transcriptomes, which could play important regulatory roles in translation and other biological processes.
The Spatial Homogeneity of Nebular and Stellar Oxygen Abundances in the Local Group Dwarf Irregular Galaxy NGC 6822

To test the existence of a possible radial gradient in oxygen abundances within the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822, we have obtained optical spectra of 19 nebulae with the EFOSC2 spectrograph on the 3.6 m telescope at ESO La Silla. The extent of the measured nebulae spans galactocentric radii in the range between 0.05 and 2 kpc (over 4 exponential scale lengths). In five H II regions (Hubble I, Hubble V, Kα, Kβ, KD 28e), the temperature-sensitive [O III] λ4363 emission line was detected, and direct oxygen abundances were derived. Oxygen abundances for the remaining H II regions were derived using bright-line methods. The oxygen abundances for three A-type supergiant stars are slightly higher than nebular values at comparable radii. Linear least-square fits to various subsets of abundance data were obtained. When all of the measured nebulae are included, no clear signature is found for an abundance gradient. A fit to only newly observed H II regions with [O III] λ4363 detections yields an oxygen abundance gradient of -0.14 ± 0.07 dex kpc-1. The gradient becomes slightly more significant (-0.16 ± 0.05 dex kpc-1) when three additional H II regions with [O III] λ4363 measurements from the literature are added. Assuming no abundance gradient, we derive a mean nebular oxygen abundance 12 + log(O/H) = 8.11 ± 0.10 from [O III] λ4363 detections in the five H II regions from our present data; this mean value corresponds to [O/H] = -0.55.