Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stellar Populations in Gas-rich Galaxy Mergers. II. Feedback Effects of Type Ia and Type II Supernovae

We numerically investigate the chemodynamical evolution of major disk-disk galaxy mergers in order to explore the origin of mass-dependent chemical, photometric, and spectroscopic properties observed in elliptical galaxies. We particularly investigate the dependence of the fundamental properties on the merger progenitor-disk mass (Md). The main results obtained in this study are the following five. (1) More massive (luminous) ellipticals formed by galaxy mergers between more massive spirals have larger metallicities (Z) and thus show redder colors. The typical metallicity ranges from ~1.0 solar abundance (Z~0.02) for ellipticals formed by mergers with Md=1010 M☉ to ~2.0 solar (Z~0.04) for those with Md=1012 M☉. (2) The absolute magnitude of negative metallicity gradients developed in galaxy mergers is more likely to be larger for massive ellipticals. The absolute magnitude of the metallicity gradient correlates with that of the age gradient in ellipticals in the sense that an elliptical with steeper negative metallicity gradient is more likely to show a steeper age gradient. (3) The radial color gradient is more likely to be larger for more massive ellipticals, which reflects the fact that the metallicity gradient is larger for more massive ellipticals. For example, the typical U-R color gradient (ΔU-R/ΔlogR) for 0.1≤R/Re≤1.0 is -0.13 for ellipticals with Md=1012 M☉ and -0.07 for those with Md=1010 M☉. (4) Both the Mg2 line index in the central parts of ellipticals (R≤0.1Re) and the radial Mg2 gradient (ΔMg2/ΔlogR) are more likely to be larger for massive ellipticals. ΔMg2/ΔlogR correlates reasonably well with the central Mg2 in ellipticals. For most of the present merger models, ellipticals show positive radial gradients of the Hβ line index. (5) Both M/LB and M/LK, where M, LB, and LK are the total stellar mass of galaxy mergers and the B- and K-band luminosities, respectively, depend on galactic mass in such a way that more massive ellipticals have larger M/LB and smaller M/LK. The essential reason for the mass dependence of the derived chemical, photometric, and spectroscopic properties of ellipticals is that galactic mass can largely determine the total amount of metal-enriched interstellar gas, the star formation histories of galaxy mergers, and the effectiveness of Type Ia and II supernova feedback, all of which greatly affect the chemodynamical evolution of galaxy mergers.
Androgen profiling by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in healthy normal-weight ovulatory and anovulatory late adolescent and young women.

CONTEXT Physiological transient imbalance typical of adolescence needs to be distinguished from hyperandrogenism-related dysfunction. The accurate determination of circulating androgens is the best indicator of hyperandrogenism. However, reliable reference intervals for adolescent and young women are not available. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to define androgen reference intervals in young women and to analyze the impact of the menstrual phase and ovulation efficiency over the androgen profile as assessed by reliable liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique. PARTICIPANTS Female high school students aged 16-19 years were included in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The study was performed on reference subjects properly selected among an unbiased population. Normal-weight, drug and disease free, eumenorrheic females with no signs of hyperandrogenism were included. The steroid hormone profile was determined by a validated in-house LC-MS/MS method. A statistical estimation of overall and menstrual phase-specific reference intervals was performed. A subgroup of anovulatory females was identified based on progesterone circulating levels. The impact of ovulation efficiency over hormonal profile was analyzed. RESULTS A total of 159 females satisfied healthy criteria. Androgen levels did not vary according to menstrual phase, but a significantly higher upper reference limit was found for T in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase. Higher T and androstenedione levels were observed in anovulatory compared to ovulatory females, paralleled by higher LH and FSH and lower 17-hydroxyprogesterone and 17β-estradiol levels. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study providing LC-MS/MS-based, menstrual phase-specific reference intervals for the circulating androgen profile in young females. We identified a subgroup of anovulatory healthy females characterized by androgen imbalance.
Analysis of phthalate esters contamination in drinking water samples

Zephirus environment is polluted by the toluene from profuse range industries. In spite of positive potential application, toluene results in many mishaps especially health hazards; hence amputation of toluene is crucial for human welfare as well as environmental issues. This review deals with destruction of toluene using microbial degradation. The overall aerobic biodegradation of toluene into carbon dioxide, water and biomass by bacteria, fungi and mixed culture has been studied comprehensively. Biodegradation technique has a promising prospective for the reason that it results in effective and economical treatment than traditional techniques. The amputation of toluene contributes to an assortment of various techniques utilized at various levels of investigation which are characterized based on quantification techniques. A comparison of the removal capacity based on continuous and batch mode of operations was studied proficiently. This methodology opens up a window for future exploration in field of biodegradation of toluene. Key words: Toluene, biodegradation, microorganism, health hazards, bioreactor.
Value of the First Post-Transplant Biopsy for Predicting Long-Term Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy (CAV) and Graft Failure in Heart Transplant Patients

Background Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is the principal cause of long-term graft failure following heart transplantation. Early identification of patients at risk of CAV is essential to target invasive follow-up procedures more effectively and to establish appropriate therapies. We evaluated the prognostic value of the first heart biopsy (median: 9 days post-transplant) versus all biopsies obtained within the first three months for the prediction of CAV and graft failure due to CAV. Methods and Findings In a prospective cohort study, we developed multivariate regression models evaluating markers of atherothrombosis (fibrin, antithrombin and tissue plasminogen activator [tPA]) and endothelial activation (intercellular adhesion molecule-1) in serial biopsies obtained during the first three months post-transplantation from 172 patients (median follow-up = 6.3 years; min = 0.37 years, max = 16.3 years). Presence of fibrin was the dominant predictor in first-biopsy models (Odds Ratio [OR] for one- and 10-year graft failure due to CAV = 38.70, p = 0.002, 95% CI = 4.00–374.77; and 3.99, p = 0.005, 95% CI = 1.53–10.40) and loss of tPA was predominant in three-month models (OR for one- and 10-year graft failure due to CAV = 1.81, p = 0.025, 95% CI = 1.08–3.03; and 1.31, p = 0.001, 95% CI = 1.12–1.55). First-biopsy and three-month models had similar predictive and discriminative accuracy and were comparable in their capacities to correctly classify patient outcomes, with the exception of 10-year graft failure due to CAV in which the three-month model was more predictive. Both models had particularly high negative predictive values (e.g., First-biopsy vs. three-month models: 99% vs. 100% at 1-year and 96% vs. 95% at 10-years). Conclusions Patients with absence of fibrin in the first biopsy and persistence of normal tPA in subsequent biopsies rarely develop CAV or graft failure during the next 10 years and potentially could be monitored less invasively. Presence of early risk markers in the transplanted heart may be secondary to ischemia/reperfusion injury, a potentially modifiable factor.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis of Subacute Bacterial Endocarditis for Adult Patients by Dentists in Dade County, Florida

To determine compliance with 1977 American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis (AbP) of subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE), we mailed a questionnaire to 1019 licensed dentists from Dade County, Florida. Of the 614 practicing dentists who responded, 97.7%believe that AbP prevents SBE and 94.2% always obtain a cardiac history from new patients. AbP is given to patients with known rheumatic or other valvular heart disease by 98.9% of responders and to patients with known prosthetic heart valves by 81.5%. The majority of dentists prescribe the antibiotics recommended by the AHA, but the dosage, route, frequency and duration of therapy are usually not according to AHA guidelines. AbP completely consistent with these guidelines is prescribed by 15.4% of dentists for patients with heart disease and by only 6.7% of dentists for patients with prosthetic heart valves. The AHA recommends parenteral AbP for most patients with prosthetic heart valves, but approximately 80% of dentists use only oral agents for these patients. We conclude that most dental patients predisposed to SBE receive AbP, but not in accordance with AHA guidelines. The widest deviation occurs among patients with prosthetic heart valves.
PHARMACOKINETICS OF MOXIDECTIN IN THE SOUTHERN HAIRY-NOSED WOMBAT (LASIORHINUS LATIFRONS)

Sarcoptic mange, caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var. wombati, could be a significant threat to populations of southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons; SHNW) in Australia. Treatment is currently based on the off-label use of various parasiticidal drugs, with limited clinical efficacy trials. Our primary aim was to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of a macrocyclic lactone, moxidectin, to assist in the development of effective treatment protocols. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined in four female SHNW following a single subcutaneous injection of 0.2 mg/kg moxidectin. Blood samples were collected for 38 days following injection (August–September 2008), for analysis using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The mean peak plasma concentration occurred at 13.6 hr, with a mean peak plasma level of 98.6 ng/ml. The mean elimination half-life was 5.03 days, resulting in a mean area under the curve of 377 ng.day/ml. The peak plasma moxidectin concentration was higher than that seen in livestock species but the plasma elimination half-life was shorter. This study suggests that a single injection of 0.2 mg/kg moxidectin may not be sufficient to clear a mange infection in this species.
Cellular consequences in the suppression of antibody response by the antigen-specific T-cell factor

Cellular events mediated by antigen-specific soluble factor extracted from carrier-primed suppressor T cells (TsF) in the suppressive interaction was studied. Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)-specific TsF directly acts on KLH-primed, I-J positive, nylon-wool-adherent T cells that have an acceptor site for TsF. The nylon-wool-adherent T cells, after accepting TsF in the presence of specific antigen, generate new suppressor T cells acting as an actual effector cell type. Antigen- specificity and syngeneity at I-J between TsF and acceptor T cells are both required for the induction of new suppressor T cells. Newly induced suppressor T cells, however, suppress both syngeneic and allogeneic responses in an antigen-nonspecific fashion.
Serological Survey of Toxoplasma gondii in Wild Waterfowl in Chukotka, Kamchatka, Russia and Hokkaido, Japan

Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were assayed by ELISA in 22 experimentally inoculated domestic ducks. In addition, a serological assay was carried out at Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan, in 2004 and 2005, on 221 wild ducks of 5 species: Anas platyrhynchus (n = 111); A. poecilorhyncha (n = 27); A. acuta (n = 58); A. penelope (n = 16); and A. crecca (n = 9). Assays were also conducted using sera from 197 wild geese of 2 species, i.e., Anser albifrons (n = 162) and Ans. fabalis (n = 35). Birds were collected between 2003 and 2005 from 3 different areas: Lake Miyajima-numa, Hokkaido, Japan, regions around Anadyr city of Chukotka autonomous okrug, and Lake Makobetukoe, Kamchatka oblast, Russia. The ELISA cutoff value (OD) was ≥0.395 based on results from uninfected ducks; the final dilution ratio recognized as positive was represented by the end titer. The end titer in the experimentally infected ducks ranged from 1:400 to 1:3,200. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 49 of the 221 wild duck samples from Japan: A. platyrhynchus (22/74); A. poecilorhyncha (2/15); A. penelope (3/16); A. acuta (4/58); and A. crecca (0/9), all in 2004. In 2005, T. gondii was found in A. platyrhynchus (13/37); and A. poecilorhyncha (5/12). Thirty-two of 197 wild goose samples were seropositive, i.e., Ans. albifrons (7/51) in 2004 and (11/72) in 2005 in Miyajima-numa, Japan and 9/39 in Chukotka, Russia as well as in Ans. fabalis (5/35) in Kamchatka, for which the end titer ranged from 1:100 to 1:3,200. In immunoblotting, the A. platyrhynchus samples showed specific IgG antibody binding to several antigens in the T. gondii lane, i.e., at 30 and 43 kDa, but not in the Neospora caninum lane. No specific bands were noted in samples for which antibody activity was not detected. These results suggest that wild waterfowl inhabiting Hokkaido, Chukotka, and Kamchatka may be exposed to T. gondii.
Engineering Security and Performance with Cipherbase

Cipherbase is a full-fledged relational database system that leverages novel customized hardware to store and process encrypted data. This paper outlines the space of physical design options for Cipherbase and shows how application developers can implement their data confidentiality requirements by specifying the encryption method for static data storage and the acceptable information leakage for runtime data processing. The goal is to achieve a physical database design with the best possible performance that fulfills the application’s confidentiality requirements.
Lipoprotein lipase mediates the uptake of glycated LDL in fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages.

The nonenzymatic glycation of LDL is a naturally occurring chemical modification of apolipoprotein (apo)-B lysine residues by glucose. Once glycated, LDL is only poorly recognized by lipoprotein receptors including the LDL receptor (LDL-R), the LDL-R-related protein (LRP), and scavenger receptors. Glycated LDL (gLDL) is a preferred target for oxidative modifications. Additionally, its presence initiates different processes that can be considered "proatherogenic. " Thus, LDL glycation might contribute to the increased atherosclerotic risk of patients with diabetes and familial hypercholesterolemia. Here we investigate whether lipoprotein lipase (LPL) can mediate the cellular uptake of gLDL. The addition of exogenous LPL to the culture medium of human skin fibroblasts, porcine aortic endothelial cells, and mouse peritoneal macrophages enhanced the binding, uptake, and degradation of gLDL markedly, and the relative effect of LPL on lipoprotein uptake increased with the degree of apoB glycation. The efficient uptake of gLDL by LDL-R-deficient fibroblasts and LRP-deficient Chinese hamster ovary cells in the presence of LPL suggested a mechanism that was independent of the LDL-R and LRP. In macrophages, the uptake of gLDL was also correlated with their ability to produce LPL endogenously. Mouse peritoneal macrophages from genetically modified mice, which lacked LPL, exhibited a 75% reduction of gLDL uptake compared with normal macrophages. The LPL-mediated effect required the association of the enzyme with cell surface glycosaminoglycans but was independent of its enzymatic activity. The uptake of gLDL in different cell types by an LPL-mediated process might have important implications for the cellular response after gLDL exposure as well as the removal of gLDL from the circulation.
SERVICE DE PHYSIQUE THEORIQUE

: We review the properties of the existing solutions to the Chiral ban, equations of motion and discuss how the "little ban" picture could come about in this scheme. Our analysis leads to a model which is qualitatively similar to the naive quark model with nio-cloud corrections. We use this latter approach to look for pion cloud sinnatures in experimental data
Microtubule Actin Cross-Linking Factor (Macf)

We cloned and characterized a full-length cDNA of mouse actin cross-linking family 7 (mACF7) by sequential rapid amplification of cDNA ends–PCR. The completed mACF7 cDNA is 17 kb and codes for a 608-kD protein. The closest relative of mACF7 is the Drosophila protein Kakapo, which shares similar architecture with mACF7. mACF7 contains a putative actin-binding domain and a plakin-like domain that are highly homologous to dystonin (BPAG1-n) at its NH2 terminus. However, unlike dystonin, mACF7 does not contain a coiled–coil rod domain; instead, the rod domain of mACF7 is made up of 23 dystrophin-like spectrin repeats. At its COOH terminus, mACF7 contains two putative EF-hand calcium-binding motifs and a segment homologous to the growth arrest–specific protein, Gas2. In this paper, we demonstrate that the NH2-terminal actin-binding domain of mACF7 is functional both in vivo and in vitro. More importantly, we found that the COOH-terminal domain of mACF7 interacts with and stabilizes microtubules. In transfected cells full-length mACF7 can associate not only with actin but also with microtubules. Hence, we suggest a modified name: MACF (microtubule actin cross-linking factor). The properties of MACF are consistent with the observation that mutations in kakapo cause disorganization of microtubules in epidermal muscle attachment cells and some sensory neurons.
Behaviour, realism and immersion in games

Immersion is recognised as an important element of good games. However, it is not always clear what is meant by immersion. Earlier work has identified possible barriers to immersion including a lack of coherence between different aspects of the game. Building on this work, we designed an experiment to examine people's expectations of how a game should behave and what would happen if that behaviour was deliberately made to be incoherent. The idea then is to understand immersion through seeing how immersion can be broken. The main manipulation was to alter the behaviour and realism of the graphics in the course of a simple game situation. Surprisingly, results indicated that participants could be so immersed within a simple environment such that even significant changes in behaviour had little effect on the level of immersion. In some cases, the attempted disruptions went completely unnoticed. These results suggest that immersion within an application can overcome effects which are completely against user expectations.
Quality of post-operative analgesia after epidural dexmedetomidine and ketamine: A comparative pilot study

Hip fractures are intensely painful, so post-operative analgesia is an integral part of patient care for early rehabilitation and mobility. [1] Local anaesthetics with epidural additives ideally should provide stable haemodynamics and prolonged analgesia. There is limited literature comparing dexmedetomidine and ketamine as epidural additives. We conducted a study of continuous epidural infusion of bupivacaine plus dexmedetomidine comparing with bupivacaine plus preservative-free (PF) ketamine in patients undergoing hip fracture surgeries to assess the quality of post-operative analgesia.
Analysis of perturbations of moments associated with orthogonality linear functionals through the Szeg´´ o transformation

In this paper, we consider perturbations to a sequence of moments associated with an orthogonality linear functional that is represented by a positive measure supported in (−1,1). In particular, given a perturbation to such a measure on the real line, we analyze the perturbation obtained on the corresponding measure on the unit circle, when both measures are related through the Szeg´´ o transformation. A similar perturbation is analyzed through the inverse Szeg´´ o transformation. In both cases, we show that the applied perturbation can be expressed in terms of the singular part of the measures, and also in terms of the corresponding sequences of moments.
Molecular Mechanisms of Antipsychotic Drug-Induced Diabetes

Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) are widely prescribed to control various mental disorders. As mental disorders are chronic diseases, these drugs are often used over a life-time. However, APDs can cause serious glucometabolic side-effects including type 2 diabetes and hyperglycaemic emergency, leading to medication non-compliance. At present, there is no effective approach to overcome these side-effects. Understanding the mechanisms for APD-induced diabetes should be helpful in prevention and treatment of these side-effects of APDs and thus improve the clinical outcomes of APDs. In this review, the potential mechanisms for APD-induced diabetes are summarized so that novel approaches can be considered to relieve APD-induced diabetes. APD-induced diabetes could be mediated by multiple mechanisms: (1) APDs can inhibit the insulin signaling pathway in the target cells such as muscle cells, hepatocytes and adipocytes to cause insulin resistance; (2) APD-induced obesity can result in high levels of free fatty acids (FFA) and inflammation, which can also cause insulin resistance. (3) APDs can cause direct damage to β-cells, leading to dysfunction and apoptosis of β-cells. A recent theory considers that both β-cell damage and insulin resistance are necessary factors for the development of diabetes. In high-fat diet-induced diabetes, the compensatory ability of β-cells is gradually damaged, while APDs cause direct β-cell damage, accounting for the severe form of APD-induced diabetes. Based on these mechanisms, effective prevention of APD-induced diabetes may need an integrated approach to combat various effects of APDs on multiple pathways.
Measuring testosterone: the power of a method on steroids

INTRODUCTION . The introduction of more accurate methods for testosterone analysis, such as liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) or next-generation immunoassays, may assist in reaching a consensus on the definition of hyperandrogenism, one of the diagnostic criteria of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The objective of our study was to determine reliable reference intervals and biologic variation for testosterone, free testosterone (fT), and free androgen index (FAI) in women and to test the discriminative value of these parameters in a PCOS-population. METHODS . Serum was obtained daily during a normal menstrual cycle from 25 healthy women (677 data-points). A single serum sample was obtained from 43 PCOS-patients. Testosterone was measured by LC-MS/MS and by Architect® 2 nd Generation Testosterone Immunoassay. Sex hormone-binding globulin was measured to calculate fT and FAI (100 × [T] / [SHBG]). RESULTS . The reference intervals were calculated resulting in T = 0.3 – 1.6 nmol/L and 0.5 – 2.0 nmol/L, fT = 5.2 – 26 pmol/L and 7.2 – 33 pmol/L, and FAI = 0.4 – 2.9 and 0.6 – 4.4, by LC-MS/MS and immunoassay, respectively. The values found in PCOS patients were statistically significantly higher ( p < 0.001). The areas under the curve of receiver operator characteristic plots were 0.84, 0.91, and 0.91 for T, fT, and FAI, respectively, by LC-MS/MS and 0.83, 0.90, and 0.89, respectively, by immunoassay. The intra- and inter-individual variations were 20% and 30% for T, 22% and 32% for fT, and 26% and 44% for FAI, respectively. CONCLUSION Apart from providing reliable reference ranges and biological variation of T, fT, and FAI in women, our data confirm the importance of taking SHBG into account when assessing androgen-status in patients evaluated for PCOS.