Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AGES OF M33 STAR CLUSTERS BASED ON THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE/WFPC2 PHOTOMETRY

We present a result of age estimation for star clusters in M33. We obtain color–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of resolved stars in 242 star clusters from the Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images. We estimate ages of 100 star clusters among these, by fitting the Padova theoretical isochrones to the observational CMDs. Age distribution of the star clusters shows a dominant peak at log(t) ∼ 7.8. Majority of star clusters are younger than log(t) = 9.0, while 10 star clusters are older than log(t) ∼ 9.0. There is only one cluster younger than log(t) = 7 in this study, which is in contrast with the results based on the integrated photometry of star clusters in the previous studies. Radial distribution of the cluster ages shows that young- to intermediate-age clusters are found from the center to the outer region, while old clusters are distributed farther from the M33 center. We briefly discuss the implication of the results with regard to the formation of the M33 cluster system.
Economical and Ecological Biotreatment/Half Bleaching of Cotton-Containing Knit Fabrics on Industrial Scale

ABSTRACT Bio-scouring/half bleaching of cotton-containing knit fabrics was carried out on an industrial scale. A comparison between the traditional hot-alkaline scouring/half bleaching and the enzymatic scouring/half bleaching from product quality, economic as well as environment perspectives were made. The results detailed in this case study indicate that (1) the loss in fabric weight as well as the improvement in degree of whiteness are governed by the treatment method (i.e., hot-alkaline scouring/half bleaching > bio-scouring/half bleaching; (2) bio-scouring/half bleaching technique gives rise to better bleaching fabric softness, higher strength retention along with greater depth of shades; (3) the extent of improvement in fabric wettability follows the descending order: hot-alkaline scouring/half bleaching = bio-scouring/half bleaching > > untreated; and (4) the saving in materials and energy costs, the improvement in fabric properties as well as the reduction in pollutants concentrations (i.e., better wastewater quality are determined by the pretreatment technique and follow the descending order: bio-scouring/half bleaching > alkaline-scouring/half bleaching.
Orexin neurons are indispensable for prostaglandin E2‐induced fever and defence against environmental cooling in mice

• We recently showed that orexin neurons in the hypothalamus are indispensable for stress‐induced thermogenesis. • In this study we examined whether the orexin neurons are also important for other forms of thermogenic processes, including brain prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) injection that mimics inflammatory fever and environmental cold exposure. • As was the case with stress‐induced thermogenesis, orexin neuron‐ablated (ORX‐AB) mice exhibited a blunted PGE2‐induced fever and intolerance to cold (5°C) exposure. • Injection of retrograde tracer into the medullary raphe nucleus, where sympathetic premotor neurons regulating thermogenesis by the brown adipose tissue are located, revealed direct and indirect projection from the orexin neurons, of which the latter seemed to be preserved in the ORX‐AB mice. • These results suggest that orexin neurons are important in general thermogenic processes, and their importance is not restricted to stress‐induced thermogenesis.
Alterations in global DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation are not detected in Alzheimer's disease

Genetic factors do not seem to account fully for Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis. There is evidence for the contribution of environmental factors, whose effect may be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetics involves the regulation of gene expression independently of DNA sequence and these epigenetic changes are influenced by age and environmental factors, with DNA methylation being one of the best characterized epigenetic mechanisms. The human genome is predominantly methylated on CpG motifs, which results in gene silencing; however methylation within the body of the gene may mark active transcription. There is evidence suggesting an involvement of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which prompted our study examining DNA methylation in this disorder.
Mycobacterium abscessus activates the macrophage innate immune response via a physical and functional interaction between TLR2 and dectin‐1

Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is an emerging and rapidly growing non‐tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM). Compared with M. tuberculosis, which is responsible for tuberculosis, much less is known about NTM‐induced innate immune mechanisms. Here we investigated the involvement of pattern‐recognition receptors and associated signalling in Mab‐mediated innate immune responses. Mab activated the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and induced the secretion of tumour necrosis factor‐α, interleukin (IL)‐6 and IL‐12p40 in murine macrophages via Toll‐like receptor (TLR) 2. Notably, the activation of ERK1/2, but not p38, was crucial for Mab‐induced pro‐inflammatory cytokine production. The ITAM‐like motif of dectin‐1 critically contributed to Mab internalization and cytokine secretion by macrophages. In addition, dectin‐1, in cooperation with TLR2, was required for the efficient phagocytosis of Mab, ERK1/2 activation and pro‐inflammatory cytokine secretion. Co‐immunoprecipitation and confocal analysis showed the physical interaction and colocalization of dectin‐1 with TLR2 following Mab stimulation. Moreover, dectin‐1‐induced Syk activation was essential for the production of inflammatory cytokines and the release of reactive oxygen species by Mab‐infected macrophages. Collectively, these data demonstrate that Mab actively internalizes into and robustly activates innate immune responses in macrophages through a physical and functional interaction between TLR2 and dectin‐1.
Crystal Structure of Cardiac-specific Histone Methyltransferase SmyD1 Reveals Unusual Active Site Architecture*

SmyD1 is a cardiac- and muscle-specific histone methyltransferase that methylates histone H3 at lysine 4 and regulates gene transcription in early heart development. The unique domain structure characterized by a “split” SET domain, a conserved MYND zinc finger, and a novel C-terminal domain (CTD) distinguishes SmyD1 from other SET domain containing methyltransferases. Here we report the crystal structure of full-length SmyD1 in complex with the cofactor analog sinefungin at 2.3 Å. The structure reveals that SmyD1 folds into a wrench-shaped structure with two thick “grips” separated by a large, deep concave opening. Importantly, our structural and functional analysis suggests that SmyD1 appears to be regulated by an autoinhibition mechanism, and that unusually spacious target lysine-access channel and the presence of the CTD domain both negatively contribute to the regulation of this cardiovascularly relevant methyltransferase. Furthermore, our structure also provides a structural basis for the interaction between SmyD1 and cardiac transcription factor skNAC, and suggests that the MYND domain may primarily serve as a protein interaction module and cooperate SmyD1 with skNAC to regulate cardiomyocyte growth and maturation. Overall, our data provide novel insights into the mechanism of SmyD1 regulation, which would be helpful in further understanding the role of this protein in heart development and cardiovascular diseases.
EXTENT AND PATTERN OF ALCOHOL USE AND ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS IN NORTH INDIA*

SUMMARY A structured questionnaire was verbally administered individually to a random sample of the general population, 18 years of age and older, of rural and urban Chandigarh and of two villages in Jullundur district, Punjab. Out of a total of 1031 respondents, 23.7 percent were current users, 16.0 percent admitted of alcohol use in the past but were not current users, and 60.3 percent had never had alcoholic beverages. 19.0 percent of Chandigarh urban sample, 31.4 percent of Chandigarh rural sample and 45.9 percent of Jullundur rucal sample were current users. These findings have been discussed in terms of various socio-demographic variables
Sex Differences in the Ankle Brachial Index Measurement and Interpreting Findings of Sex Differences in Peripheral Artery Disease Burden.

In 2012, the American Heart Association published a Call to Action encouraging scientific investigation of the prevalence and significance of lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) in women.1 Noting a paucity of high-quality research on PAD in women, the statement called for more population-based evidence on the sex and age-specific prevalence and incidence of PAD. Article, see p S86 In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes , Wang et al2 address this knowledge gap by studying sex differences in the incidence of PAD in chronic kidney disease. Wang et al2 report a higher incidence of PAD in women than in men participating in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC), an observational longitudinal study of people aged 21 to 74 years with mild to moderate chronic kidney disease. Wang et al2 followed up 3174 CRIC participants (1427 [45%] women; mean age, 56.6 years) who had an ankle brachial index (ABI) ≥0.90 and no clinically evident PAD at baseline. New PAD during follow-up was defined as the occurrence of one of the following: ABI <0.90, lower extremity revascularization, or amputation. At a median follow-up of 5.9 years, the incidence of newly diagnosed PAD was 323 of 1427 (22.6%) in women versus 242 of 1747 (13.8%) in men ( P <0.001). This sex difference in PAD incidence was because of a higher incidence of ABI <0.90 among women than among men (310/1427 [21.7%] versus 220/1747 [12.6%]; P <0.001). In contrast, there was no difference in the incidence of lower extremity revascularization or amputation between men and women (13/1427 [0.9%] versus 22/1747 [1.3%]; P =0.33). Contrary to these findings, previous epidemiologic studies of people without chronic kidney disease showed no sex differences in the incidence of PAD.3–5 For example, in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), …
T Cell Death and Memory

In typical immune responses, contact with antigen causes naı̈ve T cells to proliferate and differentiate into effector cells. After the pathogen is destroyed, most effector T cells are eliminated—thereby preserving the primary T cell repertoire—but some cells survive and form long-lived memory cells. During each stage of this process, the life or death fate of T cells is strictly regulated.
SR-SIM: A fast and high performance IQA index based on spectral residual

Automatic image quality assessment (IQA) attempts to use computational models to measure the image quality in consistency with subjective ratings. In the past decades, dozens of IQA models have been proposed. Though some of them can predict subjective image quality accurately, their computational costs are usually very high. To meet real-time requirements, in this paper, we propose a novel fast and effective IQA index, namely spectral residual based similarity (SR-SIM), based on a specific visual saliency model, spectral residual visual saliency. SR-SIM is designed based on the hypothesis that an image's visual saliency map is closely related to its perceived quality. Extensive experiments conducted on three large-scale IQA datasets indicate that SR-SIM could achieve better prediction performance than the other state-of-the-art IQA indices evaluated. Moreover, SR-SIM can have a quite low computational complexity. The Matlab source code of SR-SIM and the evaluation results are available online at http://sse.tongji. edu.cn/linzhang/IQA/SR-SIM/SR-SIM.htm.
Effect of subelement spacing in RRP Nb3Sn strands

The Restacked Rod Process (RRP) is the Nb{sub 3}Sn strand technology presently producing the largest critical current densities at 4.2 K and 12 T. However, when subject to plastic deformation, RRP subelements (SE) were found to merge into each other, creating larger filaments with a somewhat continuous barrier. In this case, the strand sees a larger effective filament size, d{sub eff}, and its instability can dramatically increase locally leading to cable quench. To reduce and possibly eliminate this effect, Oxford Instruments Superconducting Technology (OST) developed for FNAL a modified RRP strand design with larger Cu spacing between SE's arranged in a 60/61 array. Strand samples of this design with sizes from 0.7 to 1 mm were first evaluated for transport current properties. A comparison study was then performed between the regular 54/61 and the modified 60/61 design using 0.7 mm round and deformed strands. Finite element modeling of the deformed strands was also performed with ANSYS.
Mechanism design for capacity allocation with price competition

Studies on mechanism design mostly focus on a single market where sellers and buyers trade. This paper examines the problem of mechanism design for capacity allocation in two connected markets where a supplier allocates products to a set of retailers and the retailers resale the products to end-users in price competition. We consider the problems of how allocation mechanisms in the upstream market determine the behaviors of markets in the downstream market and how pricing policy in the downstream market influences the properties of allocation mechanisms. We classify an effective range of capacity that influences pricing strategies in the downstream market according to allocated quantities. Within the effective capacity range, we show that the retailers tend to inflate orders under proportional allocation, but submit truthful orders under uniform allocation. We observe that heterogeneous allocations results in greater total retailer profit which is a unique phenomenon in our model. The results would be applied to the design and analysis of Business-to-Business (B2B) marketplaces and supply chain management.
Delayed Ischemic Preconditioning Activates Nuclear-Encoded Electron-Transfer-Chain Gene Expression in Parallel With Enhanced Postanoxic Mitochondrial Respiratory Recovery

Background—Delayed ischemic preconditioning promotes cardioprotection via genomic reprogramming. We hypothesize that molecular regulation of mitochondrial energetics is integral to this cardioprotective program. Methods and Results—Preconditioning was induced by use of 3 episodes of 3-minute coronary artery occlusion separated by 5 minutes of reperfusion. Twenty-four hours later, infarct size was reduced by 58% after preconditioning compared with sham-operated controls (P<0.001). Cardiac mitochondria were isolated from sham and preconditioned rat hearts. Mitochondrial respiration and ATP production were similar between the groups; however, preconditioned mitochondria exhibit modest hyperpolarization of the inner mitochondrial membrane potential (≥22% versus control, P<0.001). After 35-minute anoxia and reoxygenation, preconditioned mitochondria demonstrated a 191±12% improvement in ADP-sensitive respiration (P=0.002) with preservation of electron-transfer-chain (ETC) activity versus controls. This augmented mitochondrial recovery was eradicated when preconditioning was abolished by the antioxidant 2-mercaptopropionyl glycine (2-MPG). These biochemical modulations appear to be regulated at the genomic level in that the expression of genes encoding rate-controlling complexes in the ETC was significantly upregulated in preconditioned myocardium, with a concordant induction of steady-state protein levels of cytochrome oxidase, cytochrome c, and adenine nucleotide translocase-1. 2-MPG abolished preconditioning induction of these transcripts. Moreover, transcripts of nuclear regulatory peptides known to orchestrate mitochondrial biogenesis, nuclear respiratory factor-1 and peroxisome-proliferator–activated receptor gamma coactivator 1&agr;, were significantly induced in preconditioned myocardium. Conclusions—Delayed preconditioned mitochondria display increased tolerance against anoxia-reoxygenation in association with modifications in mitochondrial bioenergetics, with concordant genomic induction of a mitochondrial energetic gene regulatory program. This program appears to be mediated by reactive oxygen species signaling.
A study of solute transport mechanisms using rare earth element tracers and artificial rainstorms on snow

Rare earth element (REE) tracers and three artificial rain‐on‐snow storms at the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, California indicate that (1) tracers applied to the snow surface immediately prior to the storm quickly appear at the bottom of the pack, with the tracer traversing the pack faster when the snowpack is wetter; (2) unlike most previous studies in which low solute concentrations were observed at high flow in diurnal cycles, the concentrations of the REE tracers in the outflow are positively related with input water flux; and (3) at a constant input flux the concentrations of all the REE tracers decreased exponentially with time, and the rate of this decrease was greater at high flow than at low flow. These observations can be qualitatively simulated by partitioning liquid water in the snowpack into mobile and immobile phases. Transport of the mobile water phase is governed by the advection‐dispersion equations, while the immobile water only moves by exchanging with the mobile water. The rate of exchange between mobile and immobile waters follows first‐order kinetics. Unlike previous mobile‐immobile models for snow, the exchange rate coefficient is assumed to increase exponentially with the effective water saturation. The model successfully simulates the positive concentration dependency on input water flux. However, it remains unclear how the exchange rate coefficient varies with the nature of the medium and with hydrological conditions. These observations suggest that tracer concentrations in the outflow are largely dominated by solute transport via fast flow channels. This surprising result implies that a spatially averaged flow rate may not be adequate for modeling solute transport properties in unsaturated media.
A Prospective Study of Tumor Suppressor Gene Methylation as a Prognostic Biomarker in Surgically Resected Stage I to IIIA Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancers

Introduction: While retrospective analyses support an association between early tumor recurrence and tumor suppressor gene promoter methylation in early-stage non–small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), few studies have investigated this question prospectively. Methods: Primary tumor tissue from patients with resected pathologic stage I to IIIA NSCLCs was collected at the time of surgery and analyzed for promoter methylation via methylation-specific reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (MethyLight). The primary objective was to determine an association between promoter methylation of 10 individual tumor suppressor genes (CDKN2A, CDH13, RASSF1, APC, MGMT, GSTP1, DAPK1, WIF1, SOCS3, and ADAMTS8) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), with the secondary objectives of determining association with overall survival (OS), and relation to clinical or pathologic features. Results: A total of 107 patients had sufficient tumor tissue for successful promoter methylation analysis. Majority of patients were former/current smokers (88%) with lung adenocarcinoma (78%) and pathologic stage I disease (62%). Median follow-up was 4 years. When controlled for pathologic stage, promoter methylation of the individual genes CDKN2A, CDH13, RASSF1, APC, MGMT, GSTP1, DAPK1, WIF1, and ADAMTS8 was not associated with RFS. Promoter methylation of the same genes was not associated with OS except for DAPK1 which was associated with improved OS (p = 0.03). The total number of genes with methylated promoters did not correlate with RFS (p = 0.89) or OS (p = 0.55). Conclusion: Contrary to data established by previous retrospective series, tumor suppressor gene promoter methylation (CDKN2A, CDH13, RASSF1, APC, MGMT, GSTP1, DAPK1, WIF1, and ADAMTS8) was not prognostic for early tumor recurrence in this prospective study of resected NSCLCs.
SH2 Domain-Containing Inositol Polyphosphate 5′-Phosphatase Is the Main Mediator of the Inhibitory Action of the Mast Cell Function-Associated Antigen1

The mast cell function-associated Ag (MAFA) is a type II membrane glycoprotein originally found on the plasma membrane of rat mucosal-type mast cells (RBL-2H3 line). A C-type lectin domain and an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) are located in the extracellular and intracellular domains of MAFA, respectively. MAFA clustering has previously been shown to suppress the secretory response of these cells to the FcεRI stimulus. Here we show that the tyrosine of the ITIM undergoes phosphorylation, on MAFA clustering, that is markedly enhanced on pervanadate treatment of the cells. Furthermore, the Src homology 3 domain of the protein tyrosine kinase Lyn binds directly to a peptide containing nonphosphorylated MAFA ITIM and PAAP motif. Results of both in vitro and in vivo experiments suggest that Lyn is probably responsible for this ITIM phosphorylation, which increases the Src homology domain 2 (SH2) affinity of Lyn for the peptide. In vitro measurements established that tyrosine-phosphorylated MAFA ITIM peptides also bind the SH2 domains of inositol 5′-phosphatase (SHIP) as well as protein tyrosine phosphatase-2. However, the former single domain is bound 8-fold stronger than both of the latter. Further support for the role of SHIP in the action of MAFA stems from in vivo experiments in which tyrosine-phosphorylated MAFA was found to bind primarily SHIP. In RBL-2H3 cells overexpressing wild-type SHIP, MAFA clustering causes markedly stronger inhibition of the secretory response than in control cells expressing normal SHIP levels or cells overexpressing either wild-type protein tyrosine phosphatase-2 or its dominant negative form. In contrast, on overexpression of the SH2 domain of SHIP, the inhibitory action of MAFA is essentially abolished. Taken together, these results suggest that SHIP is the primary enzyme responsible for mediating the inhibition by MAFA of RBL-2H3 cell response to the FcεRI stimulus.
Audit of hospital doctor training in sick note certification.

BACKGROUND Sick note certification plays an important role in helping individuals access financial support and to return to work. Currently, hospital doctors receive very little training in sick note certification. AIMS To evaluate the level of training received by hospital doctors and identify training needs. METHODS A questionnaire was designed and distributed to doctors who were training at Plymouth Hospitals National Health Service Trust in July and November 2011. After the first round audit an e-learning module was designed and locally advertised. The questionnaire was redistributed to assess the impact of the e-learning module. RESULTS In the first round, 64% of junior doctors reported no sick note certification training. Only 40% felt confident in writing sick note certificates, and 54% could not identify which certificates are commonly completed in the hospital environment. Hospital doctors who had completed the e-learning module were better at identifying which certificates are appropriate to use in the hospital environment: Statement of fitness of work/Fit note (78%), Med 10 (78%) and DS1500 (67%). The e-learning module also increased the confidence of hospital doctors in writing sick note certificates, assessing fitness for work, recommending work modifications and ability to direct patients to alternative forms of information. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to try and tackle the problem of poor knowledge of sick note certification among hospital doctors. The study demonstrates that an e-learning module is a simple but effective way of meeting the current training deficit.