Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The AGB-star Phenomenon: Setting the Stage

The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) evolution of stars is interesting from many points of view. It is the final evolutionary phase for the large majority of all stars in the Universe that have left the main sequence. During this stage they contribute to the chemical evolution of galaxies, contribute to the integrated starlight of many galaxies, may provide the only interstellar matter there is in some galaxies, and can, due to their high luminosities and ages, be used as important probes of galactic structure and dynamics. It is also the final evolutionary stage of our own star, the Sun, and hence touches on aspects beyond the immediate astronomical interest. Furthermore, these stars provide us with fascinating systems, where intricate interplays between physical and chemical processes take place, that we simply would like to understand. In this introductory outline our present knowledge of the AGB-star phenomenon is reviewed.
Contralateral subdural effusion after decompressive craniectomy in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: clinical features and outcome.

BACKGROUND Contralateral subdural effusion (SDE) is usually considered as an uncommon complication after decompressive craniectomy (DC) for head trauma. This complication may need more aggressive treatment because of its tendency to cause midline shift and neurologic deterioration. In this article, we present our experience with this group of patients and discuss the diagnosis and management of this entity. METHODS This study included 13 patients with severe traumatic brain injury who developed contralateral SDE after DC. Clinical and radiographic information was obtained through a retrospective review of the medical records and the radiographs. RESULTS The average time from the procedure of DC to the diagnosis of contralateral SDE was 13 days. Deterioration of clinical condition or appearance of new symptoms/signs related to the contralateral SDE was noted in four patients. In the remaining nine patients without apparent clinical deterioration, the contralateral SDE was discovered on routine computed tomography scan. Six patients were treated conservatively and the contralateral SDE resolved gradually. In six patients who underwent burr hole craniectomy to evacuate the SDE, the operation had successfully drained the SDE in four patients. Two patients received subsequent subduroperitoneal shunt to manage the reaccumulation of SDE. In one patient, subduroperitoneal shunt and cranioplasty were performed simultaneously to treat the SDE. Subsequently, six patients (46.2%) developed hydrocephalus and underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt operation. CONCLUSIONS Contralateral SDE may not be a rare complication after DC. Its diagnosis may be delayed or missed when it is asymptomatic or the clinical condition of the patient masks its clinical manifestations. It may be reasonable to repeat a computed tomography scan to detect contralateral SDE 2 weeks to 3 weeks after DC, irrespective of the clinical condition. In addition, posttraumatic hydrocephalus is a common late consequence in these patients. Close surveillance in these patients is indicated to prompt appropriate management.
Treatment with simvastatin in patients with Alzheimer's disease lowers both alpha- and beta-cleaved amyloid precursor protein.

We investigated the clinical and biological effects of cholesterol-lowering treatment with a statin in 19 patients with Alzheimer's disease. They received simvastatin 20 mg/day for 12 weeks in an open trial. Primary efficacy parameters were the changes after 12 weeks in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of beta-amyloid(42) (Abeta(42)), alpha-secretase-cleaved amyloid precursor protein (alpha-sAPP), beta-secretase-cleaved APP (beta-sAPP), tau, phospho-tau and the plasma levels of Abeta(42). A secondary efficacy parameter was the change in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognition (ADAS-cog) score. After 12 weeks, CSF alpha-sAPP and CSF beta-sAPP were significantly reduced (p < 0.001), but the CSF levels of tau, phospho-tau, Abeta(42) and the plasma levels of Abeta(42) were unchanged. The ADAS-cog score was slightly increased (p < 0.05). The results suggest that simvastatin acts directly on the processing of APP by inhibiting both the alpha- and the beta-secretase pathways.
Depletion of Human Monocyte 85-kDa Phospholipase A2 Does Not Alter Leukotriene Formation*

Human monocytes possess several acylhydrolase activities and are capable of producing both prostanoids (PG) and leukotriene (LT) products upon acute stimulation with calcium ionophore, A23187 or phagocytosis of zymosan particles. The cytosolic 85-kDa phospholipase (PLA) A2 co-exists with the 14-kDa PLA2 in the human monocyte, but their respective roles in LT production are not well understood. Reduction in 85-kDa PLA2 cellular protein levels by initiation site-directed antisense (SK 7111) or exposure to the 85-kDa PLA2 inhibitor, arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF3), prevented A23187 or zymosan-stimulated monocyte prostanoid formation. In contrast, neither treatment altered stimulated LTC4 production. This confirmed the important role of the 85-kDa PLA2 in prostanoid formation but suggests that it has less of a role in LT biosynthesis. Alternatively, treatment of monocytes with the selective, active site-directed 14-kDa PLA2 inhibitor, SB 203347, prior to stimulation had no effect on prostanoid formation at concentrations that totally inhibited LT formation. Addition of 20 μM exogenous arachidonic acid to monocytes exposed to SK 7111 or SB 203347 did not alter A23187-induced PGE2 or LTC4 generation, respectively, indicating that these agents had no effect on downstream arachidonic acid-metabolizing enzymes in this setting. Taken together, these results provide evidence that the 85-kDa PLA2 may play a more significant role in the formation of PG than LT. Further, utilization of SB 203347 provides intriguing data to form the hypothesis that a non-85-kDa PLA2 sn-2 acyl hydrolase, possibly the 14-kDa PLA2, may provide substrate for LT formation.
Body size and sex allocation in simultaneously hermaphroditic animals

Sex allocation theory predicts that hermaphrodites optimally divide resources between male and female function, and this strategy may vary with a wide range of individual and population traits. We present a model of reproductive strategies for simultaneously hermaphroditic animals that incorporates multiple sex allocation tactics depending on the traits of an individual, its current mate, and the population at large. We examined the effect of resource variation on sex allocation in a sperm-storing population with two body-size classes. We found that an individual's sex allocation depends on its own size relative to its mate; when stored sperm is displaced exponentially, small animals (with fewer resources) invest a greater proportion of resources in male function than do large animals, and animals of either size invest more in male function when mating with a large mate than with a small mate. Optimal sex allocation depends on the size distribution in the population, the disparity of resources between size classes, the cost of filling a sperm storage organ, and the shape of the sperm displacement function. A function with S-shaped returns to sperm transfer results in a contrary finding: large animals invest more resources in male function than small animals when the cost of filling a sperm storage organ is high. Under many conditions, pronounced sex allocation differences between individuals result in similar proportions of sperm displaced and paternity gained. Thus, variation in individual traits within a population leads to multiple sex-allocation strategies that can produce equal outcomes in the game of sperm competition. Copyright 2002.
IL-17 Mediated Inflammation Promotes Tumor Growth and Progression in the Skin

The mechanism for inflammation associated tumor development is a central issue for tumor biology and immunology and remains to be fully elucidated. Although IL-17 is implicated in association with inflammation mediated carcinogenesis, mechanisms are largely elusive. In the current studies, we showed that IL-17 receptor-A gene deficient (IL-17R-/-) mice were resistant to chemical carcinogen-induced cutaneous carcinogenesis, a well-established inflammation associated tumor model in the skin. The deficiency in IL-17R increased the infiltration of CD8+ T cells whereas it inhibited the infiltration of CD11b+ myeloid cells and development of myeloid derived suppressor cells. Inflammation induced skin hyperplasia and production of pro-tumor inflammatory molecules were inhibited in IL-17R-/- mice. We found that pre-existing inflammation in the skin increased the susceptibility to tumor growth, which was associated with increased development of tumor specific IL-17 producing T cells. This inflammation induced susceptibility to tumor growth was abrogated in IL-17R-/- mice. Finally, neutralizing IL-17 in mice that had already developed chemical carcinogen induced skin tumors could inhibit inflammation mediated tumor progression at late stages. These results demonstrate that IL-17 mediated inflammation is an important mechanism for inflammation mediated promotion of tumor development. The study has major implications for targeting IL-17 in prevention and treatment of tumors.
Construção da Escala de Motivos para Evasão do Ensino Superior

espanolEl objetivo de este trabajo es presentar la construccion de los itenes y validacion de la estructura interna de la Escala de Razones para Desercion de la Educacion Superior. El redacion de los itenes se baso en articulos brasilenos, recuperados de bases de datos digitales, asi como las experiencias de los estudiantes de educacion superior activos y inactivos. Los itenes fueron evaluados por jueces, quienes sugirieron cambios editoriales y adiciones, y la primera version tenia 81 itenes que fueron completados por 327 estudiantes de instituciones publicas y privadas. Siete componentes principales con alfas entre 0,79 y 0,93 se extrajeron basan en 66 itens restantes. Luego, los itenes fueron analizados de acuerdo con el modelo de Rasch, y un mostro indices de ajuste fuera del patron, y tambien fue excluido, dejando 65 itenes. Los resultados se discuten a la luz de estudios sobre el tema, y destaco sus contribuciones, limitaciones y es necesaria la investigacion futura. EnglishThe aim of this study is to report the construction and validation of the items and the internal structure of the Reasons for Higher Education Dropout Scale. The wording of the items was based on Brazilian papers, retrieved from digital databases, as well as the experiences of active and inactive higher education students. The items were evaluated by judges, who suggested writing changes and additions, and the first version had 81 items which were completed by 327 students from public and private institutions. Based on parallel analysis, seven principal components were extracted with alphas between . 79 and . 93. Then, the items were analyzed according to the Rasch model, and one item fit indices showed nonstandard, and was also excluded, leaving 65 items. The results are discussed in the light of studies on the subject, and highlighted its contributions, limitations and future research is needed. portuguesO objetivo deste estudo e relatar a construcao dos itens e validacao da estrutura interna da Escala de Motivos para Evasao do Ensino Superior. A formulacao dos itens baseou-se em artigos brasileiros, recuperados de bases de dados digitais, bem como na vivencia de estudantes de Ensino Superior ativos e evadidos. Os itens foram avaliados por juizes, que sugeriram mudancas de redacao e inclusoes, sendo que a primeira versao contou com 81 itens, que foram respondidos por 327 estudantes, de instituicoes publicas e particulares. Sete componentes principais com alfas entre 0,79 e 0,93 foram extraidos com base em 66 itens restantes. Em seguida, os itens foram analisados segundo o modelo de Rasch, sendo que um item mostrou indices de ajuste fora do padrao e foi excluido, restando 65 itens. Os resultados sao discutidos a luz de estudos sobre o assunto, sendo ressaltadas suas contribuicoes, limitacoes e pesquisas futuras necessarias
The Impact of Macroeconomic Conditions in Childhood on Adult Labor Market Outcomes

This study examines the influence of business cycles in childhood on economic performance later in life. I relate unemployment rates between the year before one's birth and the year of one's 15th birthday to schooling, employment, and income as an adult. The analysis exploits variation in macroeconomic conditions across states over time. I address a number of identification challenges related to cohort effects, linear trends, current events, and economic persistence. The caregiving behaviors and background characteristics of parents are also studied. The average unemployment rate in childhood normally has a negative effect on human capital in adulthood.
Comparative eye tracking of experts and novices in web single sign-on

Security indicators in web browsers alert users to the presence of a secure connection between their computer and a web server; many studies have shown that such indicators are largely ignored by users in general. In other areas of computer security, research has shown that technical expertise can decrease user susceptibility to attacks. In this work, we examine whether computer or security expertise affects use of web browser security indicators. Our study takes place in the context of web-based single sign-on, in which a user can use credentials from a single identity provider to login to many relying websites; single sign-on is a more complex, and hence more difficult, security task for users. In our study, we used eye trackers and surveyed participants to examine the cues individuals use and those they report using, respectively. Our results show that users with security expertise are more likely to self-report looking at security indicators, and eye-tracking data shows they have longer gaze duration at security indicators than those without security expertise. However, computer expertise alone is not correlated with recorded use of security indicators. In survey questions, neither experts nor novices demonstrate a good understanding of the security consequences of web-based single sign-on.
In vitro effects of radiation on human retinoblastoma cells

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is the most common intraocular tumor of childhood and has been demonstrated clinically to be very sensitive to external beam radiation (EBR). The purpose of this study was to determine the survival of Rb cell lines at different endpoints following irradiation. We also studied Rb‐reconstituted cell lines postirradiation to gain insight into the role of Rb following DNA damage. Suspension cultures were exposed to single doses of 1, 2, 5, and 10 Gy. Following irradiation, cell viability and cell death was assessed for up to 72 hr using Trypan blue exclusion and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining, respectively. Morphological features were examined with light and electron microscopy (LM and EM). Clonogenic survival was assessed 2 weeks postirradiation. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry. A time‐ and dose‐dependent decrease in cell viability was induced in Y79 and WERI‐Rb1 cells following irradiation, although not below ∽45% for the times and doses used. A similar but much‐reduced effect on viability was observed in Rb‐reconstituted cells. AO/EB staining, LM, and EM revealed features characteristic of apoptosis following irradiation and a time‐ and dose‐dependent increase in apoptosis was observed. For Y79 and WERI‐Rb1 cells, 30–40% apoptosis was observed 72 hr after 10 Gy irradiation; however, apoptosis was much reduced in Rb‐reconstituted cells (∽8% Y79L×Rb28; ∽18% WERIL×Rb8). Rb cell lines were extremely sensitive to radiation, although less so in Rb‐reconstituted lines, with clonogenic survivals after 2 Gy (SF2) of 0.14 for Y79, 0.06 for WERI‐Rb1, 0.36 for Y79L×Rb28, and 0.19 for WERIL×Rb8. Postirradiation, a sub‐G1 population was observed, consistent with radiation‐induced apoptosis, and Rb‐reconstituted cells displayed a prolonged G2 phase. The clonogenic survival parameters of Rb cell lines are consistent with clinical observations, where extreme sensitivity to irradiation has been reported. Additionally, Rb protein protected cells from DNA damage and may also play a role in radiation‐induced G2 delay. This in vitro approach provides a useful model for further radiobiological studies of Rb. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
EXACT SUPERPOTENTIALS FOR THEORIES WITH FLAVORS VIA A MATRIX INTEGRAL

We extend and test the method of Dijkgraaf and Vafa for computing the superpotential of N = 1 theories to include flavors in the fundamental representation of the gauge group. This amounts to computing the contribution to the superpotential from surfaces with one boundary in the matrix integral. We compute exactly the effective superpotential for the case of the gauge group U(Nc), Nf massive flavor chiral multiplets in the fundamental and one massive chiral multiplet in the adjoint, together with a Yukawa coupling. We compare up to sixth order with the result obtained by standard field theory techniques in the already nontrivial case of Nc = 2 and Nf = 1. The agreement is perfect.
Patterns of Mental Abilities: Ethnic, Socioeconomic, and Sex Differences1

Past research has shown that males and females exhibit characteristic patterns of mental abilities; however, comparatively few studies have considered the patterns of mental abilities that distinguish different ethnic and socioeconomic groups (Anastasi, 1958). One such study, conducted by Lesser, Fifer, and Clark (1965) found characteristic patterns of mental abilities for first grade children from different ethnic backgrounds (Chinese, Jewish, Negro, and Puerto Rican). The ethnic patterns differed in shape and average level. Socioeconomic status (SES) was not related to the shape of the patterns, but those of higher SES tended to have higher mean scores on the mental ability tests. A replication study (Stodolsky and Lesser, 1967) confirmed these results on a sample of Negro and Chinese first graders; however, no common ethnic pattern emerged for samples of lower- and middle-class Irish-Catholics.
Novel ENU-Induced Point Mutation in Scavenger Receptor Class B, Member 1, Results in Liver Specific Loss of SCARB1 Protein

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the largest cause of premature death in human populations throughout the world. Circulating plasma lipid levels, specifically high levels of LDL or low levels of HDL, are predictive of susceptibility to CVD. The scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SCARB1) is the primary receptor for the selective uptake of HDL cholesterol by liver and steroidogenic tissues. Hepatic SCARB1 influences plasma HDL-cholesterol levels and is vital for reverse cholesterol transport. Here we describe the mapping of a novel N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) induced point mutation in the Scarb1 gene identified in a C57BL/6J background. The mutation is located in a highly conserved amino acid in the extracellular loop and leads to the conversion of an isoleucine to an asparagine (I179N). Homozygous mutant mice express normal Scarb1 mRNA levels and are fertile. SCARB1 protein levels are markedly reduced in liver (∼90%), but not in steroidogenic tissues. This leads to ∼70% increased plasma HDL levels due to reduced HDL cholesteryl ester selective uptake. Pdzk1 knockout mice have liver-specific reduction of SCARB1 protein as does this mutant; however, in vitro analysis of the mutation indicates that the regulation of SCARB1 protein in this mutant is independent of PDZK1. This new Scarb1 model may help further our understanding of post-translational and tissue-specific regulation of SCARB1 that may aid the important clinical goal of raising functional HDL.
Cardiotoxicity of the adjuvant trastuzumab in a Saudi population: clinical experience of a single institution

Abstract Purpose Adjuvant trastuzumab is currently an internationally standard for the treatment of localised breast cancer that over express HER2 with the most adverse effect being cardiotoxicity. We conducted this study to evaluate the cardiac safety of trastuzumab in clinical practice. Methods This study is a retrospective observational single institutional study conducted in the Oncology Center of King Abdulla Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, Saudi Arabia, from June 2011 to January 2014. We evaluated the incidence of cardio toxicity and associated risk factors during adjuvant trastuzumab treatment. Results Of 57 patients, 20 patients (35%) exhibited cardiotoxicity. About 14% of patients had drop of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) below 50%, whilst 10% and 15% drop of LVEF below their baseline levels were found in 30% and 5% of patients, respectively. About 98.3% of our patients have completed treatment, of whom 21% had a provisional interruption because of a fall in LVEF. A definitive trastuzumab discontinuation has been made in 1.75% of cases because of a nonregressive reduction in LVEF. Analysis of risk factors related to trastuzumab cardio toxicity found that patients older than 40 years were more likely to develop cardio toxicity compared to those younger than 40 years. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.042). Conclusion In our study, the cardiac safety seems comparable with the literature data. Trastuzumab-related cardiotoxicity is manifested by an asymptomatic decrease in the LVEF and less commonly by clinical heart failure. Most instances are transient, asymptomatic and reversible.
Risk bounds for the majority vote: from a PAC-Bayesian analysis to a learning algorithm

We propose an extensive analysis of the behavior of majority votes in binary classification. In particular, we introduce a risk bound for majority votes, called the C-bound, that takes into account the average quality of the voters and their average disagreement. We also propose an extensive PAC-Bayesian analysis that shows how the C-bound can be estimated from various observations contained in the training data. The analysis intends to be self-contained and can be used as introductory material to PAC-Bayesian statistical learning theory. It starts from a general PAC-Bayesian perspective and ends with uncommon PAC-Bayesian bounds. Some of these bounds contain no Kullback-Leibler divergence and others allow kernel functions to be used as voters (via the sample compression setting). Finally, out of the analysis, we propose the MinCq learning algorithm that basically minimizes the C-bound. MinCq reduces to a simple quadratic program. Aside from being theoretically grounded, MinCq achieves state-of-the-art performance, as shown in our extensive empirical comparison with both AdaBoost and the Support Vector Machine.
The Mechanism of Mycobacterium smegmatis PafA Self-Pupylation

PafA, the prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup) ligase, catalyzes the Pup modification of bacterial proteins and targets the substrates for proteasomal degradation. It has been reported that that M. smegmatis PafA can be poly-pupylated. In this study, the mechanism of PafA self-pupylation is explored. We found that K320 is the major target residue for the pupylation of PafA. During the self-pupylation of PafA, the attachment of the first Pup to PafA is catalyzed by the other PafA molecule through an intermolecular reaction, while the formation of the polymeric Pup chain is carried out in an intramolecular manner through the internal ligase activity of the already pupylated PafA. Among the three lysine residues, K7, K31 and K61, in M. smegmatis Pup, K7 and K31 are involved in the formation of the poly-Pup chain in PafA poly-pupylation. Poly-pupylation of PafA can be reversibly regulated by depupylase Dop. The polymeric Pup chain formed through K7/K31 linkage is much more sensitive to Dop than the mono-Pup directly attached to PafA. Moreover, self-pupylation of PafA is involved in the regulation of its stability in vivo in a proteasome-dependent manner, suggesting that PafA self-pupylation functions as a mechanism in the auto-regulation of the Pup-proteasome system.