Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Spectroscopic and Astrometric Parallaxes of Three Dwarf Novae: The Nature of the Secondary Stars of U Geminorum, SS Aurigae, and SS Cygni

We compare the parallaxes of three dwarf novae obtained using the Fine Guidance Sensors on the Hubble Space Telescope with their ground-based infrared spectroscopic parallaxes to examine the nature of their secondary stars. We have used new optical spectroscopy of MK spectral-type standards to rework the spectroscopic parallaxes of the reference frames used by Harrison et al. for each dwarf nova. The recalibrated parallaxes for U Gem, SS Aur, and SS Cyg have then been corrected for the Lutz-Kelker bias. We present the proper motions of the three objects, finding space motions consistent with an old disk population. New moderate-resolution infrared spectroscopy of the three dwarf novae, covering the spectral range 2.18 to 2.30 μm, have been used to determine the spectral types of the secondary stars. We find an M1 spectral type for the secondary star of SS Aur, an M4 for U Gem, and a K4 for SS Cyg, in agreement with previous determinations. Using these spectral types and the astrometric parallaxes, we have deconvolved the spectral energy distributions for all three dwarf novae. Within the errors, the JHK photometry of SS Aur is consistent with a normal M1 V supplying its entire infrared luminosity. However, the infrared luminosities of both U Gem and SS Cyg are too high to be supplied by normal main-sequence stars of their observed spectral types. We investigate models for the nonstellar components of all three dwarf novae by subtracting various cool star and white dwarf spectra from the observed data. For U Gem and SS Aur we find that power-law residual spectra can be extracted for the nonstellar components of these two systems. When this analysis is performed for SS Cyg, however, we find that two additional luminous components remain.
Vitamin C and thiamine for the treatment of refractory septic shock in surgical critically ill patients: a retrospective before-and-after study

Introduction This study aimed to evaluate whether early vitamin C and thiamine administration was associated with a lower 28-day and in-hospital mortality in surgical critically ill patients with refractory septic shock. Patients and methods We performed a retrospective before-and-after study on patients with refractory septic shock. According to local protocol, hydrocortisone is initiated in case of refractory septic shock. In January 2017, the protocol was changed and vitamin C and thiamine were included. Patients who were admitted in 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 were included in the control and treatment groups, respectively. The primary end point was 28-day and in-hospital mortality. Secondary end points were ICU mortality, ICU and hospital length of stay, duration of vasopressors and mechanical ventilation, use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), and the modification in serum procalcitonin and SOFA score during the first 72 h. Results A total of 120 patients were included (58 in the treatment group and 62 in the control group). Log-rank test in Kaplan-Meier curves showed lower 28-day and in-hospital mortality over time in the treatment group (p=0.021 and p=0.035, respectively) but it not reached statistical significance in ICU mortality over time (p=0.100). The need of RRT was less frequent in treatment group (17.2% vs. 37.1%, p=0.024). There were no differences in other secondary outcomes. Conclusions Intravenous vitamin C and thiamine administration in surgical patients with refractory septic shock may be associated with a lower 28-day and in-hospital mortality. Further prospective studies are needed in refractory septic shock.
Atomic structure of postgrowth annealed epitaxial Fe/(001)GaAs interfaces

The interfacial atomic structure of epitaxial Fe films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on c(4×4) reconstructed (001) GaAs was investigated using high-angle annular dark-field imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy. No extended interfacial reaction phase is observed and the image contrast is discussed in terms of the interface atomic configuration. The images show an As-terminated semiconductor. The interface consists of a single partially occupied plane inserted between the Fe film and the GaAs, which most likely is occupied by Fe. This interface structure provides strong evidence for preferential Fe–As bonding across the interface.
Aberrant expression and localization of the RAP1 shelterin protein contribute to age-related phenotypes

Short telomeres induce a DNA damage response (DDR) that evokes apoptosis and senescence in human cells. An extant question is the contribution of telomere dysfunction-induced DDR to the phenotypes observed in aging and telomere biology disorders. One candidate is RAP1, a telomere-associated protein that also controls transcription at extratelomeric regions. To distinguish these roles, we generated a knockin mouse carrying a mutated Rap1, which was incapable of binding telomeres and did not result in eroded telomeres or a DDR. Primary Rap1 knockin embryonic fibroblasts showed decreased RAP1 expression and re-localization away from telomeres, with an increased cytosolic distribution akin to that observed in human fibroblasts undergoing telomere erosion. Rap1 knockin mice were viable, but exhibited transcriptomic alterations, proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine signaling, reduced lifespan, and decreased healthspan with increased body weight/fasting blood glucose levels, spontaneous tumor incidence, and behavioral deficits. Taken together, our data present mechanisms distinct from telomere-induced DDR that underlie age-related phenotypes.
On Presupposition Projection

In this paper, I will review two main theories on presupposition projection and point out their problems, and suggest the directions of a better analysis. Satisfaction theory is based on the single idea that presuppositions must be satisfied in the local context for the interpretation of a sentence. Problems occur because the theory makes only a minimal requirement on the input context for interpretation. They include the problems of weak presuppositions, unmotivated local accommodation,. and projection of satisfied presuppositions. Binding theory assumes that presuppositions are anaphoric elements which can be accommodated. I will show that the syntactic notion of binding is not motivated, and claim that presupposition projection is a matter of information. Finally, I suggest the directions for a better analysis.
Role of path information in visual perception of joint stiffness

Humans have an astonishing ability to extract hidden information from the movement of others. In previous work, subjects observed the motion of a simulated stick-figure, two-link planar arm and estimated its stiffness. Fundamentally, stiffness is the relation between force and displacement. Given that subjects were unable to physically interact with the simulated arm, they were forced to make their estimates solely based on observed kinematic information. Remarkably, subjects were able to correctly correlate their stiffness estimates with changes in the simulated stiffness, despite the lack of force information. We hypothesized that subjects were only able to do this because the controller used to produce the simulated arm’s movement, composed of oscillatory motions driving mechanical impedances, resembled the controller humans use to produce their own movement. However, it is still unknown what motion features subjects used to estimate stiffness. Human motion exhibits systematic velocity-curvature patterns, and it has previously been shown that these patterns play an important role in perceiving and interpreting motion. Thus, we hypothesized that manipulating the velocity profile should affect subjects’ ability to estimate stiffness. To test this, we changed the velocity profile of the simulated two-link planar arm while keeping the simulated joint paths the same. Even with manipulated velocity signals, subjects were still able to estimate changes in simulated joint stiffness. However, when subjects were shown the same simulated path with different velocity profiles, they perceived motions that followed a veridical velocity profile to be less stiff than that of a non-veridical profile. These results suggest that path information (displacement) predominates over temporal information (velocity) when humans use visual observation to estimate stiffness.
NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation Through Heart-Brain Interaction Initiates Cardiac Inflammation and Hypertrophy During Pressure Overload

Background: Mechanical stress on the heart, such as high blood pressure, initiates inflammation and causes hypertrophic heart disease. However, the regulatory mechanism of inflammation and its role in the stressed heart remain unclear. IL-1β (interleukin-1β) is a proinflammatory cytokine that causes cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Here, we show that neural signals activate the NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing 3) inflammasome for IL-1β production to induce adaptive hypertrophy in the stressed heart. Methods: C57BL/6 mice, knockout mouse strains for NLRP3 and P2RX7 (P2X purinoceptor 7), and adrenergic neuron-specific knockout mice for SLC17A9, a secretory vesicle protein responsible for the storage and release of ATP, were used for analysis. Pressure overload was induced by transverse aortic constriction. Various animal models were used, including pharmacological treatment with apyrase, lipopolysaccharide, 2′(3′)-O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)-ATP, MCC950, anti–IL-1β antibodies, clonidine, pseudoephedrine, isoproterenol, and bisoprolol, left stellate ganglionectomy, and ablation of cardiac afferent nerves with capsaicin. Cardiac function and morphology, gene expression, myocardial IL-1β and caspase-1 activity, and extracellular ATP level were assessed. In vitro experiments were performed using primary cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts from rat neonates and human microvascular endothelial cell line. Cell surface area and proliferation were assessed. Results: Genetic disruption of NLRP3 resulted in significant loss of IL-1β production, cardiac hypertrophy, and contractile function during pressure overload. A bone marrow transplantation experiment revealed an essential role of NLRP3 in cardiac nonimmune cells in myocardial IL-1β production and cardiac phenotype. Pharmacological depletion of extracellular ATP or genetic disruption of the P2X7 receptor suppressed myocardial NLRP3 inflammasome activity during pressure overload, indicating an important role of ATP/P2X7 axis in cardiac inflammation and hypertrophy. Extracellular ATP induced hypertrophic changes of cardiac cells in an NLRP3- and IL-1β–dependent manner in vitro. Manipulation of the sympathetic nervous system suggested sympathetic efferent nerves as the main source of extracellular ATP. Depletion of ATP release from sympathetic efferent nerves, ablation of cardiac afferent nerves, or a lipophilic β-blocker reduced cardiac extracellular ATP level, and inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation, IL-1β production, and adaptive cardiac hypertrophy during pressure overload. Conclusions: Cardiac inflammation and hypertrophy are regulated by heart-brain interaction. Controlling neural signals might be important for the treatment of hypertensive heart disease.
Reliability Evaluation for a Multi-State System Under Stress-Strength Setup

The two most commonly used reliability models in engineering applications are binary k-out-of-n:G and consecutive k-out-of-n:G systems. Multi-state k-out-of-n:G and multi-state consecutive k-out-of-n:G systems have been proposed as an extension of these systems and they have been found to be more flexible tool for modeling engineering systems. In this article, multi-state systems, in particular, multi-state k-out-of-n:G and multi-state consecutive k-out-of-n:G, are considered in a stress-strength setup. The states of the system are classified considering the number of components whose strengths above (below) the multiple stresses available in an environment. The exact state probabilities are provided and the results are illustrated for various stress-strength distributions. Maximum likelihood estimators of state probabilities are also presented.
Stability of gaps for periodic potentials under variation of a magnetic field

Let H0(B) denote the Hamiltonian of a free electron in a magnetic field B. Let V be a periodic potential. The authors show that if an interval (a,b) is not in the spectrum of H0(B0)+V for some B0, then it is not in the spectrum for all B sufficiently close to B0.
TGFβ pathway is required for viable gestation of Fanconi anemia embryos

Overexpression of the TGFβ pathway impairs the proliferation of the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) pool in Fanconi anemia (FA). TGFβ promotes the expression of NHEJ genes, known to function in a low-fidelity DNA repair pathway, and pharmacological inhibition of TGFβ signaling rescues FA HSPCs. Here, we demonstrate that genetic disruption of Smad3, a transducer of the canonical TGFβ pathway, modifies the phenotype of FA mouse models deficient for Fancd2. We observed that the TGFβ and NHEJ pathway genes are overexpressed during the embryogenesis of Fancd2-/- mice and that the Fancd2-/-Smad3-/- double knockout (DKO) mice undergo high levels of embryonic lethality due to loss of the TGFβ-NHEJ axis. Fancd2-deficient embryos acquire extensive genomic instability during gestation which is not reversed by Smad3 inactivation. Strikingly, the few DKO survivors have activated the non-canonical TGFβ-ERK pathway, ensuring expression of NHEJ genes during embryogenesis and improved survival. Activation of the TGFβ-NHEJ axis was critical for the survival of the few Fancd2-/-Smad3-/- DKO newborn mice but had detrimental consequences for these surviving mice, such as enhanced genomic instability and ineffective hematopoiesis.
Carbon monoxide in the inner galaxy

Emission from the J=1. -->. 0 rotational transition of /sup 12/C/sup 16/O has been surveyed at b=0/sup 0/ in the region 10/sup 0/> or =l> or =352/sup 0/ with high angular (.delta.l=0/sup 0/.2, using a 65'' beamwidth) and velocity . delta.v=2.6 km s/sup -1/) resolution. Because CO observations provide a means of tracing the large-scale distribution and kinematics of H/sub 2/ and because most of the gaseous mass in the interstellar medium is either H I or H/sub 2/, the comparison of CO and H I surveys can in principle provide a complete determination of the gas distribution. Although CO emission is more clumped in (l, v) -space than is the 21 cm radiation, a detailed comparison of the observations in the inner Galaxy reveals that there is no large-scale CO feature which is not also seen in H I. The longitude dependence of the CO centroid velocity suggests that the CO in the inner Galaxy rotates at velocities consistent with the observed 21 cm rotation curve. The integrated intensity and kinematics of the observed CO imply that the inner 2 kpc of the Galaxy contains, outside of 300 pc, only a few molecular clouds with N (CO) > or approx. =2 xmore » 10/sup 16/ cm/sup -2/, the sensitivity limit of the survey. The bulk of the CO within 3--4 kpc of the center is found in the nuclear region (R<300 pc, M (H/sub 2/) 9 or approx. =7 x 10/sup 8/ M/sub sun)/The parameters GAMMA, q, and Omega-bar governing the Breit-Wigner resonance are determined by fitting the observed line shapes of each of the two bands in the cesium and potassium intercalate spectra. « less
Slow development of vocal sequences through ontogeny in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus).

The development of the unique, hierarchical and endless combinatorial capacity in human language requires neural maturation and learning through childhood. Compared with most non-human primates, where combinatorial capacity seems limited, chimpanzees present a complex vocal system comprising hundreds of vocal sequences. We investigated how such a complex vocal system develops and the processes involved. We recorded 10,929 vocal utterances of 98 wild chimpanzees aged 0 to 55 years, from Taï National Park, Ivory Coast. We developed customized Generalized non-Linear Models to estimate the ontogenetic trajectory of four structural components of vocal complexity: utterance length, diversity, probability of panting (requiring phonation across inhalation and exhalation), and probability of producing two adjacent panted units. We found chimpanzees need 10 years to reach adult-levels of vocal complexity. In three variables, the steepest increase coincided with the age of first non-kin social interactions (2-5 years), and plateaued in sub-adults (8-10 years), as individuals integrate into adult social life. Producing two adjacent panted units may require more neuromuscular coordination of the articulators, as its emergence and steepest increase appear later in development. These results suggest prolonged maturational processes beyond those hitherto thought likely in species that do not learn their vocal repertoire. Our results suggest that multifaceted ontogenetic processes drive increases in vocal structural complexity in chimpanzees, particularly increases in social complexity and neuro-muscular maturation. As humans live in a complex social world, empirical support for the "social complexity hypothesis" may have relevance for theories of language evolution. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Using Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Planet satellite data to map field-level tillage practices in smallholder systems

Remote sensing can be used to map tillage practices at large spatial and temporal scales. However, detecting such management practices in smallholder systems is challenging given that the size of fields is smaller than historical readily-available satellite imagery. In this study we used newer, higher-resolution satellite data from Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Planet to map tillage practices in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains in India. We specifically tested the classification performance of single sensor and multiple sensor random forest models, and the impact of spatial, temporal, or spectral resolution on classification accuracy. We found that when considering a single sensor, the model that used Planet imagery (3 m) had the highest classification accuracy (86.55%) while the model that used Sentinel-1 data (10 m) had the lowest classification accuracy (62.28%). When considering sensor combinations, the model that used data from all three sensors achieved the highest classification accuracy (87.71%), though this model was not statistically different from the Planet only model when considering 95% confidence intervals from bootstrap analyses. We also found that high levels of accuracy could be achieved by only using imagery from the sowing period. Considering the impact of spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution on classification accuracy, we found that improved spatial resolution from Planet contributed the most to improved classification accuracy. Overall, it is possible to use readily-available, high spatial resolution satellite data to map tillage practices of smallholder farms, even in heterogeneous systems with small field sizes.
Neovascular Glaucoma: An Update

Abstract Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is a severe type of secondary glaucoma with devastating complications and generally poor visual prognosis. NVG is defined by the development of pathological neovessels over the iris and the iridocorneal angle that can block the outflow of aqueous humor, causing elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP). The pathogenesis of NVG is, in most cases, associated with ischemia of the posterior segment, which is most frequently associated with proliferative diabetic retinopathy or central retinal vein occlusion. The advanced stages of NVG are by iris and angle neovascularization, angle, and extremely high IOP, accompanied by ocular pain and poor vision. The therapeutic approach of NVG is based on the reduction of retinal ischemia by panretinal photocoagulation. Intravitreal anti-VEGF administration can contribute to the regression of neovascularization, and topical and systemic medications may be necessary for IOP control. However, if medical treatment with these agents is not enough, surgical procedures may be required to lower IOP and prevent glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Early and prompt diagnosis, with identification of the underlying etiology, can improve IOP control and final visual outcome. The aim of this study is to review current knowledge of the pathogenesis and management of NVG.
Rotenone causes mitochondrial dysfunction and prevents maturation in porcine oocytes

Rotenone is a commonly used insecticidal chemical in agriculture and it is an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex Ⅰ. Previous studies have found that rotenone induces the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by inhibiting electron transport in the mitochondria of somatic and germ cells. However, there is little precise information on the effects of rotenone exposure in porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation, and the mechanisms underlying these effects have not been determined. The Cumulus-oocyte complexes were supplemented with different concentrations of rotenone to elucidate the effects of rotenone exposure on the meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation for about 48 hours. First, we found that the maturation rate and expansion of cumulus cells were significantly reduced in the 3 and 5 μM rotenone-treated groups. Subsequently, the concentration of rotenone was determined to be 3 μM. Also, immunofluorescence, western blotting, and image quantification analyses were performed to test the rotenone exposure on the meiotic maturation, total and mitochondrial ROS, mitochondrial function and biogenesis, mitophagy and apoptosis in porcine oocytes. Further experiments showed that rotenone treatment induced mitochondrial dysfunction and failure of mitochondrial biogenesis by repressing the level of SIRT1 during in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes. In addition, rotenone treatment reduced the ratio of active mitochondria to total mitochondria, increased ROS production, and decreased ATP production. The levels of LC3 and active-caspase 3 were significantly increased by rotenone treatment, indicating that mitochondrial dysfunction induced by rotenone increased mitophagy but eventually led to apoptosis. Collectively, these results suggest that rotenone interferes with porcine oocyte maturation by inhibiting mitochondrial function.