Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Galaxy star formation in different environments

We use a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation to study signatures of large-scale modulations in the star formation (SF) activity in galaxies. In order to do this, we carefully define local and global estimators of the density around galaxies. The former are computed using a voronoi tessellation technique and the latter are parametrized by the normalized distance to haloes and voids, in terms of the virial and void radii, respectively. As a function of local density, galaxies show a strong modulation in their SF, a result that is in agreement with those from several authors. When taking subsamples of equal local density at different large-scale environments, we find relevant global effects whereby the fraction of red galaxies diminishes for galaxies in equal local density environments farther away from clusters and closer to voids. In general, the semi-analytic simulation is in good agreement with the available observational results, and offers the possibility to disentangle many of the processes responsible for the variation of galaxy properties with the environment; we find that the changes found in samples of galaxies with equal local environment but different distances to haloes or voids come from the variations in the underlying mass function of dark matter (DM) haloes. There is an additional possible effect coming from the host DM halo ages, indicating that halo assembly also plays a small but significant role (1.14σ) in shaping the properties of galaxies, and in particular, hints at a possible spatial correlation in halo/stellar mass ages. An interesting result comes from the analysis of the coherence of flows in different large-scale environments of fixed local densities; the neighbourhoods of massive haloes are characterized by lower coherences than control samples, except for galaxies in filament-like regions, which show highly coherent motions.
What triggers the establishment of a works council?

This article analyses events that trigger the establishment of a works council and the actor or agent who triggers it. The article extends previous research in two dimensions. First, it examines specific events that motivate workers to establish a works council, such as a change of owner, founding a spin-off, a firm acquisition or a radical restructuring. These events express protection against uncertainty as workers’ primary motivation for establishing a works council. Second, the article analyses the actor or agent who triggers the establishment of a works council and shows that management is involved in one-third of all cases and has, in a minority of cases, motivated workers to establish a works council. Managerial involvement in the process of establishment reveals a positive managerial response to worker representation.
Inhibition of HIV‐1 gp120‐induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma SK‐N‐SH cells by an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against p53

Objectives:This study examines the cytotoxicity potential and the mechanism of toxicity of the HIV-1 gp120 on human neuroblastoma cells. Design:Previous data from our group have suggested that the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 promotes the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α and other factors by astrocytes and microglial cells present in primary human brain cell cultures, thereby contributing to the injury of neurons in these cultures. This study investigates the cytotoxicity potential and the mechanism of toxicity of gp120 on human neuroblastoma cells. Methods:SK-N-SH cells were treated with HIV-1 gp120, and was followed by in situ DNA fragmentation staining and small molecular weight DNA extraction studies to ascertain the induction of apoptosis by gp120 in these cells. To evaluate a potential role of the growth suppressor gene p53, gp120-treated SK-N-SH cells were subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analyses for the induction of p53. An antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against p53 was used to investigate the role of p53 in the gp120-induced apoptosis in these cells. Results:Data from T7 DNA polymerase staining and small molecular weight DNA extraction studies demonstrated that gp120-induced DNA breakage in SK-N-SH cells with fragmentation patterns characteristic of apoptosis. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses revealed that the gp120-mediated induction of apoptosis was dependent on a gp120-induced and gp120-sustained upregulation of p53. The induction of p53 by gp120 was specific, since an antibody against gp120 prevented both the induction of p53 and subsequent apoptosis in SK-N-SH cells. The critical role of p53 was further illustrated by the effectiveness of a p53 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide to inhibit the gp120-induced apoptosis. As a control, the apoptosis-inducing potential of gp120 on SK-N-SH cells was not seen in the HIV-1 Gag proteins even when used at up to 5 nM. Conclusions:These results established that HIV-1 gp120 is potentially cytotoxic to human neuronal cells through the induction of p53, which may eventually lead to induction of apoptosis.
Dysregulated Intracellular Signaling and Inflammatory Gene Expression During Initial Disease Onset in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Evans NP, Misyak SA, Robertson JL, Bassaganya-Riera J, Grange RW: Dysregulated intracellular signaling and inflammatory gene expression during initial disease onset in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a debilitating genetic disorder characterized by severe muscle wasting and early death in affected boys. The primary cause of this disease is mutations in the dystrophin gene that result in the absence of the protein dystrophin and the associated dystrophin-glycoprotein complex in the plasma membrane of muscle fibers. In normal muscle, this complex forms a link between the extracellular matrix and the cytoskeleton that is thought to protect muscle fibers from contraction-induced membrane lesions and to regulate cell signaling cascades. Although the primary defect is known, the mechanisms that initiate disease onset have not been characterized. Data collected during early maturation suggest that inflammatory and immune responses are key contributors to disease pathogenesis and may be initiated by aberrant signaling in dystrophic muscle. However, detailed time course studies of the inflammatory and immune processes are incomplete and need to be characterized further to understand the disease progression. The purposes of this review are to examine the possibility that initial disease onset in dystrophin-deficient muscle results from aberrant inflammatory signaling pathways and to highlight the potential clinical relevance of targeting these pathways to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Evaluation of antidiarrheal activity of ethanolic extract of Holarrhena antidysenterica seeds in rats

Aim: The present study was conducted to evaluate the antidiarrheal effect of ethanolic extract of Holarrhena antidysenterica (Family - Apocynaceae) seeds against induced diarrhea in Wistar albino rats. Materials and Methods: The extract was evaluated for castor oil and Escherichia coli induced diarrhea. Extract was given at 100, 200, 400 mg/kg body wt. orally in both protocols. Standard antidiarrheal Loperamide was used at 5 mg/kg body wt. orally in castor oil induced protocol, while standard antibiotic Gentamicin at 8 mg/kg body wt. intraperitoneally was used in E. coli induced diarrhea. In castor oil induced protocol, the percentage inhibition of defecation was calculated for each group, whereas in E. coli induced protocol, change in fecal consistency, and body weight was recorded for each individual rat for 3 days. Results: The severity of castor oil induced diarrhea was reduced significantly (p<0.05) with H. antidysenterica seeds extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg body wt. which showed equivalent effectiveness like that of Loperamide treated groups. Similarly in E. coli induced diarrhea protocol, the mean change in body weight was significantly (p<0.05) higher in positive control, whereas no significant variation was observed in negative control, Gentamicin treated and H. antidysenterica treated group at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body wt. , respectively. Conclusion: The study concluded that ethanolic extract of H. antidysenterica seeds effectively controlled diarrhea and decreased the severity of clinical signs of castor oil and E. coli induced diarrhea in Wistar rats.
The MDM2-A Splice Variant of MDM2 Alters Transformation In vitro and the Tumor Spectrum in Both Arf- and p53-Null Models of Tumorigenesis

MDM2-A is a common splice variant of murine double minute 2 (MDM2) that is frequently detected in many tumor types. Our previous work has characterized MDM2-A as an activator of p53, and therefore, in a wild-type p53 background, this splice variant would be predicted to confer p53-dependent tumor protection. To test this hypothesis, we used Mdm2-a transgenic mice to assess transformation and tumorigenesis in tumor susceptible murine models. A MDM2-A–dependent decrease in transformation was observed in Arf-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) or when wild-type MEFs were exposed to the carcinogen ethylnitrosourea. However, this reduced transformation did not confer tumor protection in vivo; Mdm2-a/Arf-null mice and ethylnitrosourea-treated MDM2-expressing mice developed similar tumor types with equivalent latency compared with their respective controls. Interestingly, when p53 was deleted, MDM2-A expression enhanced transformation of p53-null MEFs and altered tumor spectrum in vivo. In addition, p53-heterozygous mice that expressed MDM2-A developed aggressive mammary tumors that were not observed in p53-heterozygous controls. In conclusion, we found that although MDM2-A expression enhances p53 activity and decreases transformation in vitro, it cannot confer tumor protection. In contrast, MDM2-A seems to exhibit a novel transforming potential in cells where p53 function is compromised. These data show that MDM2 splice variants, such as MDM2-A, may provide protection against transformation of normal tissues having intact p53. However, when such splice variants are expressed in tumors that have defects in the p53 pathway, these isoforms may contribute to tumor progression, which could explain why their expression is often associated with aggressive tumor types. (Mol Cancer Res 2009;7(6):863–9)
The Mechanical Properties of Locking and Grasping Suture Loop Configurations in Four-Strand Core Suture Techniques

We have compared the effect of locking and grasping suture loop configurations in four-strand core suture techniques for tendon repair. Forty canine flexor digitorum profundus tendons were repaired with one of four suture techniques (the grasping cruciate, the double-modified grasping Kessler, the locking cruciate and the double-modified locking Kessler) and tested to failure in a tensile testing machine. The mode of failure in all the locking suture specimens was breakage of the sutures in the locking loops or at suture knots. The sutures did not pull out of the tendon, as was seen in the grasping suture specimens. The greatest tensile strength was found with the double-modified locking Kessler technique which incorporated eight rectangular locking loop configurations.
ACM SIGACT news distributed computing column 24

The Distributed Computing Column covers the theory of systems that are composed of a number of interacting computing elements. These include problems of communication and networking, databases, distributed shared memory, multiprocessor architectures, operating systems, verification, Internet, and the Web. This issue consists of:• "Security and Composition of Cryptographic Protocols: A Tutorial (Part II)" by Ran Canetti.The first part appeared in the previous SIGACT News, the September 2006 issue. Many thanks to Ran for his contributions to this column.
Large-Scale Selective Sweep among Segregation Distorter Chromosomes in African Populations of Drosophila melanogaster

Segregation Distorter (SD) is a selfish, coadapted gene complex on chromosome 2 of Drosophila melanogaster that strongly distorts Mendelian transmission; heterozygous SD/SD + males sire almost exclusively SD-bearing progeny. Fifty years of genetic, molecular, and theory work have made SD one of the best-characterized meiotic drive systems, but surprisingly the details of its evolutionary origins and population dynamics remain unclear. Earlier analyses suggested that the SD system arose recently in the Mediterranean basin and then spread to a low, stable equilibrium frequency (1–5%) in most natural populations worldwide. In this report, we show, first, that SD chromosomes occur in populations in sub-Saharan Africa, the ancestral range of D. melanogaster, at a similarly low frequency (∼2%), providing evidence for the robustness of its equilibrium frequency but raising doubts about the Mediterranean-origins hypothesis. Second, our genetic analyses reveal two kinds of SD chromosomes in Africa: inversion-free SD chromosomes with little or no transmission advantage; and an African-endemic inversion-bearing SD chromosome, SD-Mal, with a perfect transmission advantage. Third, our population genetic analyses show that SD-Mal chromosomes swept across the African continent very recently, causing linkage disequilibrium and an absence of variability over 39% of the length of the second chromosome. Thus, despite a seemingly stable equilibrium frequency, SD chromosomes continue to evolve, to compete with one another, or evade suppressors in the genome.
Asymptotic Singular Value Decay of Time-Frequency Localization Operators

The Weyl correspondence is a convenient way to define a broad class of time-frequency localization operators. Given a region Ω in the time-frequency plane R and given an appropriate μ, the Weyl correspondence can be used to construct an operator L(Ω, μ) which essentially localizes the time-frequency content of a signal on Ω. Different choices of μ provide different interpretations of localization. Empirically, each such localization operator has the following singular value structure: there are several singular values close to 1, followed by a sharp plunge in values, with a final asymptotic decay to zero. The exact quantification of these qualitative observations is known only for a few specific choices of Ω and μ. In this paper we announce a general result which bounds the asymptotic decay rate of the singular values of any L(Ω, μ) in terms of integrals of |χΩ ∗ μ̃|2 and |(χΩ ∗ μ̃)∧|2 outside squares of increasing radius, where μ̃(a, b) = μ(−a,−b). More generally, this result applies to all operators L(σ, μ) allowing window functions σ in place of the characteristic functions χΩ. We discuss the motivation and implications of this result. We also sketch the philosophy of proof, which involves the construction of an approximating operator through the technology of Gabor frames—overcomplete systems which allow basis-like expansions and Plancherel-like formulas, but which are not bases and are not orthogonal systems.
Assimilation of coastal Doppler radar data with the ARPS 3DVAR and cloud analysis for the prediction of Hurricane Ike (2008)

The impact of radar data on the analysis and prediction of the structure, intensity, and track of landfalling Hurricane Ike (2008), at a cloud‐resolving resolution, is examined. Radial velocity (Vr) and reflectivity (Z) data from coastal radars are assimilated over a 6‐h period before Ike landfall, using the ARPS 3DVAR and cloud analysis package through 30‐min assimilation cycles. Eighteen‐hour predictions were made. All 4 experiments that assimilate radar data produce better structure, intensity and precipitation forecasts than that from operational GFS analysis. The improvement to the track forecast lasts for the entire 18 hours while that to intensity prediction lasts about 12 hours. The Vr data help improve the track forecast more while reflectivity data help improve intensity forecast most. Best results are obtained when both Z and Vr data are assimilated.
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience Systems Neuroscience

In locusts, POL-neurons innervate specifi c, mostly small and distinct neuropils in the brain that are specialized for integration and processing of polarized-light information. These neuropils are connected by distinct fi ber bundles and can be regarded as elements of a polarization vision pathway in the locust brain (Homberg, 2004). Neurons of a small ventral layer of the anterior lobe of the lobula (ALo) receive polarization information from the dorsal rim area of the medulla (DRMe) and send these signals to the anterior optic tubercle (AOTu) in the central brain. Only neurons of the lower unit of the AOTu are sensitive to polarized light (Pfeiffer et al., 2005). These neurons integrate signals from the sky polarization and chromatic contrast and compensate their E-vector tuning for diurnal changes in solar elevation (Pfeiffer and Homberg, 2007). Polarization information is transmitted from the AOTu to two distinct regions of the lateral accessory lobe, the median olive (MO) and the lateral triangle (LT) (Homberg et al., 2003). From these areas, neurons transfer polarization information to a fi nal processing stage of the polarization vision pathway, the central complex.
Extra! Extracellular Effector Delivery into Host Cells via the Type 3 Secretion System

ABSTRACT The type three secretion system (T3SS) is critical for the virulence of diverse bacterial pathogens. Pathogens use the T3SS to deliver effector proteins into host cells and manipulate host signaling pathways. The prevailing mechanism is that effectors translocate from inside the T3SS directly into the host cell. Recent studies reveal an alternative mechanism of effector translocation, in which an effector protein located outside the bacterial cell relies on the T3SS for delivery into host cells. Tejeda-Dominguez et al. (F. Tejeda-Dominguez, J. Huerta-Cantillo, L. Chavez-Dueñas, and F. Navarro-Garcia, mBio 8:e00184-17, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00184-17 ) demonstrate that the EspC effector of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli is translocated by binding to the outside of the T3SS and subsequently gains access to the host cell cytoplasm through the T3SS pore embedded within the host cell membrane. This work reveals a novel mechanism of translocation that is likely relevant for a variety of other pathogens that use the T3SS as part of their virulence arsenal.
Modulation of PPAR-γ by Nutraceutics as Complementary Treatment for Obesity-Related Disorders and Inflammatory Diseases

A direct correlation between adequate nutrition and health is a universally accepted truth. The Western lifestyle, with a high intake of simple sugars, saturated fat, and physical inactivity, promotes pathologic conditions. The main adverse consequences range from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome to several cancers. Dietary components influence tissue homeostasis in multiple ways and many different functional foods have been associated with various health benefits when consumed. Natural products are an important and promising source for drug discovery. Many anti-inflammatory natural products activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR); therefore, compounds that activate or modulate PPAR-gamma (PPAR-γ) may help to fight all of these pathological conditions. Consequently, the discovery and optimization of novel PPAR-γ agonists and modulators that would display reduced side effects is of great interest. In this paper, we present some of the main naturally derived products studied that exert an influence on metabolism through the activation or modulation of PPAR-γ, and we also present PPAR-γ-related diseases that can be complementarily treated with nutraceutics from functional foods.
Fast and scalable simulation of volunteer computing systems using SimGrid

Advances in internetworking technology and the decreasing cost-performance ratio of commodity computing components have enabled Volunteer Computing (VC). VC platforms aggregate tens or hundreds of thousands of hosts. These hosts are typically volatile, which raises difficult research questions. Most research in this area relies on simulation. The main issue when developing VC simulators is scalability: How to perform simulations of large-scale VC platforms with reasonable amounts of memory and reasonably fast? To achieve scalability, state-of-the-art VC simulators employ simplistic simulation models and/or target on narrow platform and application scenarios. In this paper we enable VC simulations using the general-purpose SimGrid simulation framework, which provides significantly more realistic and flexible simulation capabilities than the aforementioned simulators. Our key contribution is a set of improvements to SimGrid so that it brings these benefits to VC simulations while achieving good scalability.
Peer Support and Exclusive Breastfeeding Duration in Low and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective To examine the effect of peer support on duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Data Sources Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials were searched from inception to April 2012. Methods Two authors independently searched, reviewed, and assessed the quality of randomized controlled trials utilizing peer support in LMICs. Meta-analysis and metaregression techniques were used to produce pooled relative risks and investigate sources of heterogeneity in the estimates. Results Eleven randomized controlled trials conducted at 13 study sites met the inclusion criteria for systematic review. We noted significant differences in study populations, peer counselor training methods, peer visit schedule, and outcome ascertainment methods. Peer support significantly decreased the risk of discontinuing EBF as compared to control (RR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.61–0.82; I2 = 92%). The effect of peer support was significantly reduced in settings with >10% community prevalence of formula feeding as compared to settings with <10% prevalence (p = 0.048). There was no evidence of effect modification by inclusion of low birth weight infants (p = 0.367) and no difference in the effect of peer support on EBF at 4 versus 6 months postpartum (p = 0.398). Conclusions Peer support increases the duration of EBF in LMICs; however, the effect appears to be reduced in formula feeding cultures. Future studies are needed to determine the optimal timing of peer visits, how to best integrate peer support into packaged intervention strategies, and the effectiveness of supplemental interventions to peer support in formula feeding cultures.
Increased Susceptibility of Down's Syndrome Fibroblasts to Transformation by SV10.∗

Summary Tissue culture cell strains of foreskin nbroblasts obtained from 5 neonates with Down's Syndrome (trisomy 21-22) were shown to be at least twice as susceptible and, the average, 3 times as susceptible to transformation by the SV40 virus as diploid foreskin nbroblasts from normal neonates. An even greater susceptibility to in vitro SV40 transformation was found in a strain of trisomy 18 nbroblasts. It is suggested that one reason for the increased incidence of neoplasia in Down's Syndrome is a heightened intrinsic susceptibility of the trisomic cells to carcinogenic agents. We thank C. Sprague and E. Deutsch for excellent technical assistance.