Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ALMA DEEP FIELD IN SSA22: A CONCENTRATION OF DUSTY STARBURSTS IN A z = 3.09 PROTOCLUSTER CORE

We report the results of 1. ′5 × 3′ mapping at 1.1 mm with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array toward the central region of the z = 3.09 SSA22 protocluster. By combining our source catalog with archival spectroscopic redshifts, we find that eight submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) with flux densities, S1.1 mm = 0.7–6.4 mJy (LIR ∼ 1012.1–1013.1 L⊙) are at z = 3.08–3.10. Not only are these SMGs members of the protocluster, but they in fact reside within the node at the junction of the 50 Mpc scale filamentary three-dimensional structure traced by Lyα emitters in this field. The eight SMGs account for a star formation rate density (SFRD) ∼10 M⊙ yr−1 Mpc−3 in the node, which is two orders of magnitudes higher than the global SFRD at this redshift. We find that four of the eight SMGs host an X-ray-luminous active galactic nucleus. Our results suggest that the vigorous star formation activity and the growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) occurred simultaneously in the densest regions at z ∼ 3, which may correspond to the most active historical phase of the massive galaxy population found in the core of the clusters in the present universe. Two SMGs are associated with Lyα blobs, implying that the two populations coexist in high-density environments for a few cases.
ILK Expression in Colorectal Cancer Is Associated with EMT, Cancer Stem Cell Markers and Chemoresistance.

BACKGROUND/AIM Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cells (CSC) are critically implicated in cancer metastasis and chemoresistance. Herein, we investigated integrin-linked kinase (ILK)'s role in human colon cancer (CRC) progression and chemoresistance in relation to EMT and CSC markers. PATIENTS AND METHODS Expression of ILK, EMT and CSC markers were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 149 CRC samples. We also generated colon cancer cells resistant to 5-FU and oxaliplatin and studied the effect of ILK inhibition on drug response by MTT assay and on EMT and CSC markers' expression. RESULTS ILK expression in human CRC correlates with EMT and CSC markers and is associated with metastasis and chemoresistance. ILK inhibition increases sensitivity of resistant cells to 5-FU and oxaliplatin and reduces the levels of EMT and CSC markers in 5-FU resistant cells. CONCLUSION ILK overexpression in human CRC associates with EMT and CSC traits, contributing to tumor progression and chemoresistance.
The Evolution of Trauma in Los Angeles County Over More Than a Decade

Objective: Explore trends in trauma incidence and mortality rates in Los Angeles County. Design: Data for patients treated at Los Angeles County trauma centers from 2000 to 2011 were analyzed for this study. Age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates were calculated by gender, race, injury type, injury severity, and mechanism of injury. Trends were assessed using linear regression to determine the annual percentage change (APC). Results: There were 223 773 patients included. The trauma incidence rate increased by 14.6% driven by an increase in blunt injury of 5.4% annually (P < .05). Penetrating injury decreased at −6.9% APC (P < .01). Mortality rate decreased at −11.5% APC (P < .01), with reduction in both blunt (−6.8% APC [P < .01]) and penetrating injuries (−16.7% APC [P < .01]). The trends in mortality persisted with stratification by age, gender, race, and injury severity score. Conclusion: In this mature trauma system, the trauma incidence increased slightly from 2000 to 2011, while the mortality steadily declined. Public health officials in other areas could perform a similar self-evaluation to describe and monitor injury events and trends in their jurisdictions, a reassessment of priority and trauma system resource allocation, which will directly benefit the regional population.
Enabling Content Dissemination Using Efficient and Scalable Multicast

Multicast is an approach that uses network and server resources efficiently to distribute information to groups. As networks evolve to become information-centric, users will increasingly demand publish-subscribe based access to fine-grained information, and multicast will need to evolve to (i) manage an increasing number of groups, with a distinct group for each piece of distributable content; (ii) support persistent group membership, as group activity can vary over time, with intense activity at some times, and infrequent (but still critical) activity at others. These requirements raise scalability challenges that are not met by today's multicast techniques. In this paper, we propose the MAD (multicast with adaptive dual-state) architecture to provide efficient multicast service at massive scale. MAD can scalably support a vast number of multicast groups, with varying activity over time, based on two key novel ideas: (i) decouple group membership from forwarding information, and (ii) apply an adaptive dual-state approach to optimize for the different objectives of active and inactive groups. We focus on the scalability characteristics of MAD and demonstrate through analysis, simulation and implementation that the architecture achieves high performance and efficiency.
Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase Deficiency Potentiates the Antiproliferative Activity of Methotrexate through Enhanced Depletion of Intracellular ATP

Lower plasma nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) levels are associated with improved response to methotrexate (MTX) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Cell-based studies confirmed that reduced cellular NAMPT activity potentiates the pharmacologic activity of MTX; however, the mechanism of this interaction has yet to be defined. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the mechanism of enhanced pharmacologic activity of MTX in NAMPT-deficient A549 cells. Small interfering RNA–based silencing of NAMPT expression resulted in a greater than 3-fold increase in sensitivity to MTX (P < 0.005) that was completely reversed by supplementation with folinic acid. Despite a 68% reduction in cellular NAD levels in NAMPT-deficient cells, no change in expression or activity of dihydrofolate reductase was observed and uptake of MTX was not significantly altered. MTX did not potentiate the depletion of cellular NAD levels, but NAMPT-deficient cells had significant elevations in levels of intermediates of de novo purine biosynthesis and were 4-fold more sensitive to depletion of ATP by MTX (P < 0.005). Supplementation with hypoxanthine and thymidine completely reversed the antiproliferative activity of MTX in NAMPT-deficient cells and corresponded to repletion of the cellular ATP pool without any effect on NAD levels. Together, these findings demonstrate that increased MTX activity with decreased NAMPT expression is dependent on the antifolate activity of MTX and is driven by enhanced sensitivity to the ATP-depleting effects of MTX. For the first time, these findings provide mechanistic details to explain the increase in pharmacological activity of MTX under conditions of reduced NAMPT activity.
Distortion of Justice: How the Inability to Pay Bail Affects Case Outcomes

Instrumenting for detention status with the bail-setting propensities of rotating magistrates I find that pretrial detention leads to a 13% increase in the likelihood of being convicted, an effect explained by an increase in guilty pleas among defendants who otherwise would have been acquitted or had their charges dropped. On average, those detained will be liable for $128 more in court fees and will receive incarceration sentences that are almost five months longer. Effects can be seen in both misdemeanor and felony cases, across age and race, and appear particularly large for first or second time arrestees. Case types where evidence tends to be weaker also show pronounced effects: a 30% increase in pleading guilty and an additional 18 months in the incarceration sentence. While previous research has shown correlations between pretrial detention and unfavorable case outcomes, this paper is the first to use a quasi-experimental research design to show that the relationship is causal.
Probing electrical tuning of hair cells with a Zap current method in the intact amphibian papilla of bullfrogs

Most, if not all, modern vertebrate species have evolved exquisite inner ears to discriminate acoustic signals of different frequencies, through a process called frequency tuning. For non‐mammalian species, at least part of frequency tuning has been attributed to intrinsic electrical properties of hair cells, i.e. electrical tuning. Since it was first discovered, the traditional method to assess electrical tuning has been to inject step current into hair cells and examine dampened membrane voltage oscillation. However, this method is not applicable for hair cells that do not oscillate. In this study, we developed a Zap current method that can be unbiasedly applied to all hair cells regardless of their oscillating behavior. Similar to a chirp sound in acoustic stimulation, a Zap current is a sinusoidal current with the frequency increased linearly with time. We first validated this new method with the traditional step current method on hair cells with dampened membrane voltage oscillation, and then applied it to all hair cells in the intact amphibian papilla of bullfrogs. We found that while hair cells with dampened membrane voltage oscillation are sharply tuned, non‐oscillating hair cells are broadly tuned. In addition, we found a third type of hair cells, which oscillate continuously and are extremely sharply tuned, with multiple peaks that are reminiscent of harmonics in the mammalian cochlea. In conclusion, the new Zap current method provides an unbiased way to assess electrical tuning, and it reveals an underappreciated heterogeneity of electrical tuning in the bullfrog amphibian papilla.
Glycol chitosan/oxidized hyaluronic acid hydrogels functionalized with cartilage extracellular matrix particles and incorporating BMSCs for cartilage repair

Abstract In this article, we fabricated a bioactive hydrogel composed of glycol chitosan (G-CS) and oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA) via Schiff base reaction. Cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) particles with different concentrations were used to functionalize G-CS/OHA (S1) hydrogel. The results demonstrated that S3 (G-CS/OHA/ECM 2% w/v) hydrogel exhibited the most suitable compression strength and provided the optimal environment for proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). To assess the chondroinductivity of ECM in vitro, we compared the chondrogenesis of BMSCs in S1 (G-CS/OHA) and S3 (G-CS/OHA/ECM 2% w/v) hydrogels. The results confirmed that the higher levels of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and collagen type II (COL II) were accumulated in S3 hydrogel. In vivo, cartilage defects of rats generated most mature tissue within BMSCs-laden S3 hydrogel (S3/BMSCs group). The tissues were more integrative and contained higher levels of COL II and GAGs compared to the other groups. All these results suggested that the G-CS/OHA hydrogel functionalized with ECM particles is a good candidate biomaterial to be applied in cartilage tissue engineering.
The brittle fracture of solids by liquid impact, by solid impact, and by shock

The type of stress pulse produced when a liquid mass strikes a solid at high velocity is first examined. Compressible behaviour, giving rise to a sharp peak of pressure, is found to occur in the initial stages of the impact. The duration of this peak depends on the dimensions and impact velocity of the liquid mass, and also on the compressible wave velocity for the liquid. A comparison is made with pulses produced by solid/solid impact and by the detonation of small quantities of explosive. Both the high-speed liquid impact and the explosive loading give intense pulses of duration only a few microseconds. A solid/solid impact has, by comparison, a much longer impact time of the order of hundreds of microseconds. The fracture of glasses and hard polymers using these three types of loading is described. The development of fracture is followed by high-speed photography. Differences in the modes of fracture are attributed to variations in the shape and duration of the applied stress pulses. Short circumferential fractures produced around the loaded area in liquid impact and explosive loading are shown to be initiated by the Rayleigh surface wave at points where flaws existed. More complex fracture patterns on the front surfaces of plates are due to the reinforcement of the surface wave with components of stress waves reflected from the back surface. A combination of impact loading and etching makes it possible to investigate the distribution and depths of flaws, their role in the fracture process, and the effect which etching has upon them. The observation on the deformation produced in solids by liquid impact has practical significance in the problem of supersonic aircraft flying through rain and in the erosion of turbine blades moving at high velocity through wet steam.
Repellent Activity of Apiaceae Plant Essential Oils and their Constituents Against Adult German Cockroaches

Abstract We evaluated the repellent activity of 12 Apiaceae plant essential oils and their components against male and female adult German cockroaches, Blattella germanica L. , to find new natural repellents. Of all the plant essential oils tested, ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi Sprague) and dill (Anethum graveolens L.) essential oils showed the most potent repellent activity against male and female adult German cockroaches. Repellent activities of chemicals already identified in active oils were also investigated. Of the compounds identified, carvacrol, thymol, and R-(-)-carvone showed >80% repellent activity against male and female adult German cockroaches at 2.5 µg/cm2. S-(+)-Carvone, (+)-dihydrocarvone, and terpinen-4-ol showed >70% repellent activity against male and female adult German cockroaches at 10 µg/cm2. Our results indicated that Apiaceae plant essential oils and their constituents have good potential as natural repellents against adult German cockroaches.
Response of laying hens to supplemental niacin.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of supplemental niacin on laying hen performance and liver fat and egg cholesterol content. In Experiment 1, 16 replicate groups of four adjacently caged birds were fed corn and soybean meal diets calculated to contain 22, 44, 66, or 132 mg supplemental niacin/kg (23.2, 38.7, 57.0, and 143 mg/kg niacin by analysis). Egg production, egg weight, feed intake, and eggshell quality were assessed each 28 days through a 364-day trial period. After 280 days, cholesterol content on three eggs per replicate was measured. At the end of the study, one bird per replicate was killed for subjective scoring of liver fat content. In Experiment 2, 24 birds from the control treatment (22 mg/kg supplemental niacin) of Experiment 1 were retained and fed for a subsequent 28-day period. Over this time, eight birds were each fed diets containing 22, 522, or 1,022 mg/kg supplemental niacin. Egg cholesterol content was measured in eggs collected on the last 3 days of the study. In Experiment 1, birds fed 66 or 132 mg/kg supplemental niacin/kg produced more eggs (P less than .05) than birds fed 22mg/kg. Niacin supplementation affected shell quality (P less than .05). Dietary niacin level had no effect on egg cholesterol content of liver lipid evaluation. In Experiment 2, supplementary niacin levels up to 1,022 mg/kg, which more closely stimulates therapeutic levels used for humans, again failed to affect egg cholesterol content.
Altered Baseline and Nicotine-Mediated Behavioral and Cholinergic Profiles in ChAT-Cre Mouse Lines

The recent development of transgenic rodent lines expressing cre recombinase in a cell-specific manner, along with advances in engineered viral vectors, has permitted in-depth investigations into circuit function. However, emerging evidence has begun to suggest that genetic modifications may introduce unexpected caveats. In the current studies, we sought to extensively characterize male and female mice from both the ChAT(BAC)-Cre mouse line, created with the bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) method, and ChAT(IRES)-Cre mouse line, generated with the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) method. ChAT(BAC)-Cre transgenic and wild-type mice did not differ in general locomotor behavior, anxiety measures, drug-induced cataplexy, nicotine-mediated hypolocomotion, or operant food training. However, ChAT(BAC)-Cre transgenic mice did exhibit significant deficits in intravenous nicotine self-administration, which paralleled an increase in vesicular acetylcholine transporter and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) hippocampal expression. For the ChAT(IRES)-Cre line, transgenic mice exhibited deficits in baseline locomotor, nicotine-mediated hypolocomotion, and operant food training compared with wild-type and hemizygous littermates. No differences among ChAT(IRES)-Cre wild-type, hemizygous, and transgenic littermates were found in anxiety measures, drug-induced cataplexy, and nicotine self-administration. Given that increased cre expression was present in the ChAT(IRES)-Cre transgenic mice, as well as a decrease in ChAT expression in the hippocampus, altered neuronal function may underlie behavioral phenotypes. In contrast, ChAT(IRES)-Cre hemizygous mice were more similar to wild-type mice in both protein expression and the majority of behavioral assessments. As such, interpretation of data derived from ChAT-Cre rodents must consider potential limitations dependent on the line and/or genotype used in research investigations. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Altered baseline and/or nicotine-mediated behavioral profiles were discovered in transgenic mice from the ChAT(BAC)-Cre and ChAT(IRES)-Cre lines. Given that these cre-expressing mice have become increasingly used by the scientific community, either independently with chemicogenetic and optogenetic viral vectors or crossed with other transgenic lines, the current studies highlight important considerations for the interpretation of data from previous and future experimental investigations. Moreover, the current findings detail the behavioral effects of either increased or decreased baseline cholinergic signaling mechanisms on locomotor, anxiety, learning/memory, and intravenous nicotine self-administration behaviors.
Prevalence and outcomes of HIV‐1 diagnostic challenges during universal birth testing – an urban South African observational cohort

Introduction: HIV‐1 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing at birth aims to facilitate earlier initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV‐infected neonates. Data from two years of universal birth testing implementation in a high‐burden South African urban setting are presented to demonstrate the prevalence and outcomes of diagnostic challenges in this context.
Ageism: we are our own worst enemy

In 1969, Butler (1969) first coined the term “ageism” to confront “prejudice by one age group toward other age groups” (pp. 243). As with other “isms,” such as racism and sexism, ageism leads to bigotry and discrimination, though it is a very distinct beast in that, for the most part, other “isms” refer to those different from ourselves: distinct, mutually exclusive, and impervious groups. Conversely, age is a fluid social construct in which we are all intimately bound as we move through the lifespan, transitioning in and out of different age-groups. Unlike other “isms,” individuals negotiate shifts from the “in-group” of youth to the “out-group” of old age. Yet we are all immersed, largely unconsciously, in this ubiquitous but too often unrecognized “ism” that needs to be named and challenged.
Study of Heavy Quarkonium with Energy Dependent Potential

Heavy quark systems (c and b ) have been studied in the nonrelativistic framework using energy dependent interquark potential of the form harmonic oscillator with a small linear term as energy dependent as perturbation plus a inverse square potential. This potential admits exact analytical solution of the Schrodinger equation. Mass spectra, leptonic decay width, root mean square radii (), the expectation value of the radius (r) and have been estimated for different quantum mechanical states for and systems. It is observed that energy dependent term in the potential leads to saturation of the mass spectra and degree of saturation is governed by the magnitude of perturbation. The calculated values of leptonic decay widths for 1s state are in very good agreement with the experimental data both for c and b systems.
Identification of Mitoxantrone as a TRAIL-sensitizing agent for Glioblastoma Multiforme

ABSTRACT Tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has tremendous promise in treating various forms of cancers. However, many cancer cells exhibit or develop resistance to TRAIL. Interestingly, many studies have identified several secondary agents that can overcome TRAIL resistance. To expand on these studies, we conducted an extensive drug-re-profiling screen to identify FDA-approved compounds that can be used clinically as TRAIL-sensitizing agents in a very malignant type of brain cancer, Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). Using selected isogenic GBM cell pairs with differential levels of TRAIL sensitivity, we revealed 26 TRAIL-sensitizing compounds, 13 of which were effective as single agents. Cardiac glycosides constituted a large group of TRAIL-sensitizing compounds, and they were also effective on GBM cells as single agents. We then explored a second class of TRAIL-sensitizing drugs, which were enhancers of TRAIL response without any effect on their own. One such drug, Mitoxantrone, a DNA-damaging agent, did not cause toxicity to non-malignant cells at the doses that synergized with TRAIL on tumor cells. We investigated the downstream changes in apoptosis pathway components upon Mitoxantrone treatment, and observed that Death Receptors (DR4 and DR5) expression was upregulated, and pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic gene expression patterns were altered in favor of apoptosis. Together, our results suggest that combination of Mitoxantrone and TRAIL can be a promising therapeutic approach for GBM patients.
64CuCl2 PET/CT in Prostate Cancer Relapse

Our objective was to evaluate the biodistribution, kinetics, and radiation dosimetry of 64CuCl2 in humans and to assess the ability of 64CuCl2 PET/CT to detect prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence in patients with biochemical relapse. Methods: We prospectively evaluated 50 PCa patients with biochemical relapse after surgery or external-beam radiation therapy. All patients underwent 64CuCl2 PET/CT, 18F-choline PET/CT, and multiparametric MRI within 15 d of each other. Experienced readers interpreted the images, and the detection rate (DR) of each imaging modality was calculated. Histopathology, when available; clinical or laboratory response; and multidisciplinary follow-up were used to confirm the site of disease. In parallel, biodistribution, kinetics of the lesions, and radiation dosimetry of 64CuCl2 were evaluated. Results: From a dosimetric point of view, an administered dose of 200 MBq for 64CuCl2 translated into a 5.7-mSv effective dose. Unlike 18F-choline, 64CuCl2 was not excreted or accumulated in the urinary tract, thus allowing thorough pelvic exploration. The maximum 64CuCl2 uptake at the sites of PCa relapse was observed 1 h after tracer injection. In our cohort, 64CuCl2 PET/CT proved positive in 41 of 50 patients, with an overall DR of 82%. The DRs of 18F-choline PET/CT and multiparametric MRI were 56% and 74%, respectively. The difference between the DRs of 64CuCl2 PET/CT and 18F-choline PET/CT was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Interestingly, on considering prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value, 64CuCl2 PET/CT had a higher DR than 18F-choline PET/CT in patients with a PSA of less than 1 ng/mL. Conclusion: The biodistribution of 64CuCl2 is more suitable than that of 18F-choline for exploring the pelvis and prostatic bed. The 64CuCl2 effective dose is like those of other established PET tracers. In patients with biochemical relapse and a low PSA level, 64CuCl2 PET/CT shows a significantly higher DR than 18F-choline PET/CT.