Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermal and non-thermal emission in the Cygnus X region

Context. Radio continuum observations detect non-thermal synchrotron and thermal bremsstrahlung radiation. Separation of the two different emission components is crucial for studying the properties of the Galactic interstellar medium. The Cygnus X region is one of the most complex areas in the radio sky, which contains a number of massive stars and H ii regions on the diffuse thermal and non-thermal background. More supernova remnants (SNRs) are expected to be discovered. Aims. We aim to develop a method that can properly separate the non-thermal and thermal radio continuum emission and apply it to the Cygnus X region. The result can be used to study the properties of different emission components and search for new SNRs in the complex. Methods. Multi-frequency radio continuum data from large-scale surveys were used to develop a new component-separation method. Spectral analysis was done pixel-by-pixel for the non-thermal synchrotron emission with a realistic spectral index distribution and a fixed spectral index of β = −2.1 for the thermal bremsstrahlung emission. Results. With the new method, we separate the non-thermal and thermal components of the Cygnus X region at an angular resolution of 9. 5. The thermal emission component is found to comprise 75% of the total continuum radiation at λ6 cm. Thermal diffuse emission, rather than the discrete H ii regions, is found to be the major contributor to the entire thermal budget. A smooth non-thermal emission background of 100 mK Tb is found. We successfully make the large-extent known SNRs and the H ii regions embedded in the complex standing out, but no new large SNRs brighter than 1 GHz = 3.7 × 10 −21 Wm −2 Hz −1 sr −1 are found.
TRPM7 channels regulate breathing during sleep in obesity by acting peripherally in the carotid bodies

Sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) affects over 50% of obese individuals. Exaggerated hypoxic chemoreflex is a cardinal trait of SDB in obesity. We have shown that leptin acts in the carotid bodies (CB) to augment chemoreflex and that leptin activates the transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) channel. However, the effect of leptin‐TRPM7 signalling in CB on breathing and SDB has not been characterized in diet‐induced obesity (DIO). We hypothesized that leptin acts via TRPM7 in the CB to increase chemoreflex leading to SDB in obesity. DIO mice were implanted with EEG/EMG electrodes and transfected with Leprb short hairpin RNA (shRNA) or Trpm7 shRNA vs. control shRNA in the CB area bilaterally. Mice underwent a full‐polysomnography and metabolic studies at baseline and after transfection. Ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia were assessed during wakefulness. Leprb and Trpm7 were upregulated and their promoters were demethylated in the CB of DIO mice. Leprb knockdown in the CB did not significantly affect ventilation. Trpm7 knockdown in the CB stimulated breathing during sleep in normoxia. These effects were not driven by changes in CB chemosensitivity or metabolism. Under sustained hypoxia, Trpm7 shRNA in the CB augmented ventilation during sleep, but decreased oxyhaemoglobin saturation. We conclude that the suppression of TRPM7 in the CB improved sleep‐related hypoventilation and that the respiratory effects of CB TRPM7 channels in obesity are independent of leptin. TRPM7 signalling in the CB could be a therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity‐related SDB.
Prognostic Factors for Bone Survival and Functional Outcomes in Patients With Breast Cancer Spine Metastases

According to the Global Cancer Statistics 2020 report, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Patients with mammary cancer live longer due to the continuous optimization of chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and hormone therapy, which will inevitably lead to an increase in the prevalence of metastatic bone tumors. Bone metastasis affects approximately 8% of patients with mammary cancer, with the spine being the most common site. Metastatic neoplasms can invade the centrum and its attachments, leading to local pain, spinal instability, vertebral pathological fractures, spinal cord compression, impaired neurological function, and paralysis, ultimately reducing the quality of life. Multidisciplinary and personalized management using analgesic drugs, endocrine therapy, corticosteroid therapy, chemotherapy, bisphosphonates, immunotherapy, targeted drugs, radiotherapy, and surgery has been advocated for the treatment of spinal metastases. Multiple paradigms and systems have been proposed to determine suitable treatments. In the early stages, the occurrence of metastasis indicates a terminal stage of the tumor process in patients with malignant tumors, implying that their lifespan is limited. As a result, the choice of treatment is heavily influenced by longevity. However, with the development of treatment methods, the lifespan of patients with tumors has considerably increased in recent years. This leads to the choice of patient’s treatment, which depends not only on the patient’s survival, but also on the radiotherapy or postoperative functional outcomes. Nevertheless, they fall short of determining the variables that affect survival and functional outcomes in histology-specific subgroups of breast cancer. To accurately predict the bone survival and functional outcomes of patients with breast cancer spine metastases a review of prognostic factors was performed.
Outer regions of the merging system Arp 270

Arp 270 (NGC 3395 and NGC 3396) is the system of two actively star-forming late-type galaxies in contact, which already have experienced at least one close encounter in the past. We performed long-slit observations of peripheric regions of this merging system with the 6-m telescope of SAO RAS. Line-of-sight velocity distribution along the slits was obtained for gas and stellar population. We found that the stellar component of NGC 3395 differs by its velocity from the emission gas component in the extended region in the periphery, which evidences a spatial separation of stars and gas in the tidally disturbed galaxy. Gas abundances obtained by different methods demonstrate that both galaxies are mildly underabundant (12+log(O/H) � 8.4) without significant variations of metallicity along the slits. By comparing stellar and gaseous masses of galaxies we came to conclusion that the chemical evolution of gas is badly described by the closed box model. It allows us to admit that the significant part of interstellar gas was swept out of galaxies during the preceding encounter(s). A special attention was paid to the extended kpc-size island of star formation between the galaxies. We have not found neither noticeable kinematic decoupling of this region from the adjacent areas, nor any peculiarities of its emission spectra, which evidences that it was formed recently from the gas of NGC 3395 in the transition region between the colliding galaxies.
Simulation of substorm‐time acceleration of oxygen ions on azimuthally directed magnetic field lines in the near‐Earth plasma sheet

Acceleration of energetic ions is one of the drastic and common phenomena in the near‐Earth plasma sheet during the expansion phase of substorms. When a magnetic field line is stretched, the curvature radius of the magnetic field line becomes small, and many of energetic ions are accelerated nonadiabatically under the presence of electric fields. In a global magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulation, when the magnetic field line is further stretched, a flux rope structure appears in the near‐Earth plasma sheet (at ~8.5 RE for this particular simulation) for about 10 min before a substorm onset under the presence of the Y component of the interplanetary magnetic field. The magnetic field lines are azimuthally (in the east‐west direction) elongated near the equatorial plane, and the structure is different from that directly associated with magnetic reconnection. Based on a test particle simulation, we show that the oxygen ions departing in the flux rope structure a few minutes before the onset go around in the near‐Earth plasma sheet twice, experience strong dawn‐dusk electric field, and the ions gain kinetic energy as high as ~200 keV in ~10 min. The large acceleration results from nonadiabation motion together with geometry of magnetic field lines having a kink. The acceleration process (passing through or near the kink and energization by dawn‐dusk electric field) is not common. However, most of the particles that are accelerated more than 150 keV passed through or near the kink. The azimuthally elongated magnetic field line seems to have a large influence of substorm‐time acceleration of the oxygen ions that preexist before the onset.
The Markers Auxiliary in Differential Diagnosis of Early Melanomas and Benign Nevi Sharing Some Similar Features Potentially Leading to Misdiagnosis – A Review of Immunohistochemical Studies

Abstract Although most melanocytic skin lesions are correctly diagnosed, numerous studies have shown interobserver disagreement. This review analyzes 20 molecules as immunohistochemical markers for distinguishing dysplastic and/or Spitz nevi from early melanomas (in situ, Clark level I or II and/or Breslow thickness at most 1 mm). The detected presence and/or level of tested molecules was significantly different in early melanomas than in dysplastic and Spitz nevi for six and seven potential markers, respectively. The most promising results were obtained for 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, cyclooxygenase-2 and PReferentially expressed Antigen in MElanoma whose levels were different in dysplastic and Spitz nevi compared to early melanomas.
Knockout of signal peptide peptidase in the eye reduces HSV-1 replication and eye disease in ocularly infected mice

We previously reported that knocking out signal peptide peptidase (SPP), a glycoprotein K (gK) binding partner, in mouse peripheral sensory neurons reduced latency-reactivation in infected mice without affecting primary virus replication or eye disease. Since virus replication in the eye plays an essential role in eye disease, we generated a conditional knockout mouse lacking SPP expression in the eye by crossing Pax6 (paired box 6)-Cre mice that have intact Pax6 expression with SPPflox/flox mice. Significantly less SPP protein expression was detected in the eyes of Pax6-SPP-/- mice than in WT control mice. HSV-1 replication in the eyes of Pax6-SPP-/- mice was significantly lower than in WT control mice. Levels of gB, gK, and ICP0 transcripts in corneas, but not trigeminal ganglia (TG), of Pax6-SPP-/- infected mice were also significantly lower than in WT mice. Corneal scarring and angiogenesis were significantly lower in Pax6-SPP-/- mice than in WT control mice, while corneal sensitivity was significantly higher in Pax6-SPP-/- mice compared with WT control mice. During acute viral infection, absence of SPP in the eye did not affect CD4 expression but did affect CD8α and IFNγ expression in the eye. However, in the absence of SPP, latency-reactivation was similar in Pax6-SPP-/- and WT control groups. Overall, our results showed that deleting SPP expression in the eyes reduced primary virus replication in the eyes, reduced CD8α and IFNγ mRNA expression, reduced eye disease and reduced angiogenesis but did not alter corneal sensitivity or latency reactivation to HSV-1 infection. Thus, blocking gK binding to SPP in the eye may have therapeutic potential by reducing both virus replication in the eye and eye disease associated with virus replication.
Quality of life, anxiety, depression, and distress in patients with advanced and metastatic lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE Lung cancer (LC) patients have shown a predisposition for developing emotional and physical symptoms, with detrimental effects on the quality of life (QoL). This study evaluates the bidirectional relationship between main psychological disorders and clinical/sociodemographic factors with the QoL. METHODS In this observational cross-sectional study, patients with a confirmed LC diagnosis from February 2015 to March 2018 were eligible for this study. Each participant completed screening instruments of anxiety, depression, distress, and QoL assessment. Other relevant clinical data were extracted from electronic health records. Then comparisons, correlations, and logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS Two hundred and four cases were eligible; of them, the median age was 61 (24-84) years, most had clinical stage IV (95%), and most were under first-line therapy (53%). Concerning psychological status, 46% had symptoms of emotional distress, 35% anxiety, and 31% depression. Patients with psychological disorders experienced a worse global QoL than those without psychological impairment (p < 0.001). Increased financial issues and physical symptoms, combined with lower functioning, were also significantly associated with anxiety, depression, and distress. In the multivariate analysis, female sex and emotional distress were positively associated with an increased risk of depression; likewise, female sex, low social functioning, insomnia, and emotional distress were associated with anxiety. CONCLUSIONS Emotional symptoms and QoL had a significant bidirectional effect on this study; this underscores the necessity to identify and treat anxiety, depression, and distress to improve psychological well-being and the QoL in LC patients.
Effects of organic chemicals from diesel exhaust particles on adipocytes differentiated from human mesenchymal stem cells

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from incomplete fossil fuel combustion (coal, oil, gas and diesel) has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality due to metabolic diseases. PM2.5 exaggerate adipose inflammation and insulin resistance in mice with diet‐induced obesity. Here, we elucidate the hypothesis that such systemic effects may be triggered by adhered particle components affecting adipose tissue directly. Studying adipocytes differentiated from primary human mesenchymal stem cells, we found that lipophilic organic chemicals (OC) from diesel exhaust particles induced inflammation‐associated genes and increased secretion of the chemokine CXLC8/interleukin‐8 as well as matrix metalloprotease 1. The oxidative stress response gene haem oxygenase‐1 and tumour necrosis factor alpha were seemingly not affected, while aryl hydrocarbon receptor‐regulated genes, cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) and CYP1B1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor‐2, were clearly up‐regulated. Finally, expression of β‐adrenergic receptor, known to regulate adipocyte homoeostasis, was down‐regulated by exposure to these lipophilic OC. Our results indicate that low concentrations of OC from combustion particles have the potential to modify expression of genes in adipocytes that may be linked to metabolic disease. Further studies on mechanisms linking PM exposure and metabolic diseases are warranted.
Molluscicidal and antioxidant activities of silver nanoparticles on the multi-species of snail intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis

Background Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is the second important parasitic disease after malaria. The present study aimed to evaluate the molluscicidal effects of silver nanoparticles on Biomphalaria alexandrina, B. glabrata, Oncomelania hupensis, snail intermediate hosts of intestinal schistosomes (i.e. Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum), along with the changes their antioxidant enzymes. Methods Silver (Ag) nano powder (Ag-NPs) was selected to test the molluscicidal effects on three species of freshwater snails. Exposure to Ag-NPs induced snail mortality and the LC50 and LC90 values of Ag-NPs for each snail species were calculated by probit analysis. Control snails were maintained under the same experimental conditions in dechlorinated water. Snail hemolymph was collected to measure the levels of antioxidant enzymes, such as total antioxidants capacity (TCA), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and nitric oxide (NO). In addition, the non-target organism, Daphnia magna, was exposed to a series of Ag-NPs concentration, similar to the group of experimental snails, in order to evaluate the LC50 and LC90 and compare these values to those obtained for the targeted snails. Results The results indicated that Ag-NPs had a molluscicidal effect on tested snails with the variation in lethal concentration. The LC50 values of Ag-NPs for B. alexandrina snails exposed for 24, 48, 72 hrs and 7 days were 7.91, 5.69, 3.83 and 1.91 parts per million (ppm), respectively. The LC50 values for B. glabrata snails exposed for 24, 48, 72 hrs and 7 days were 16.55, 10.44, 6.91 and 4.13 ppm, respectively, while the LC50 values for O. hupensis snails exposed for 24, 48, 72 hrs and 7 days were 46.5, 29.85, 24.49 and 9.62 ppm, respectively. Moreover, there is no mortality detected on D. magna when exposed to more than double and half concentration (50 ppm) of Ag-NPs during a continuous period of 3 hrs, whereas the LC90 value for B. alexandrina snails was 18 ppm. The molluscicidal effect of the synthesized Ag-NPs seems to be linked to a potential reduction of the antioxidant activity in the snail’s hemolymph. Conclusions Synthesized Ag-NPs have a clear molluscicidal effect against various snail intermediate hosts of intestinal schistosome parasites and could potentially serve as next generation molluscicides.
Image quality improvement in low‐dose chest CT with deep learning image reconstruction

Abstract Objectives To investigate the clinical utility of deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) for improving image quality in low‐dose chest CT in comparison with 40% adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction‐Veo (ASiR‐V40%) algorithm. Methods This retrospective study included 86 patients who underwent low‐dose CT for lung cancer screening. Images were reconstructed with ASiR‐V40% and DLIR at low (DLIR‐L), medium (DLIR‐M), and high (DLIR‐H) levels. CT value and standard deviation of lung tissue, erector spinae muscles, aorta, and fat were measured and compared across the four reconstructions. Subjective image quality was evaluated by two blind readers from three aspects: image noise, artifact, and visualization of small structures. Results The effective dose was 1.03 ± 0.36 mSv. There was no significant difference in CT values of erector spinae muscles and aorta, whereas the maximum difference for lung tissue and fat was less than 5 HU among the four reconstructions. Compared with ASiR‐V40%, the DLIR‐L, DLIR‐M, and DLIR‐H reconstructions reduced the noise in aorta by 11.44%, 33.03%, and 56.1%, respectively, and had significantly higher subjective quality scores in image artifacts (all p < 0.001). ASiR‐V40%, DLIR‐L, and DLIR‐M had equivalent score in visualizing small structures (all p > 0.05), whereas DLIR‐H had slightly lower score. Conclusions Compared with ASiR‐V40%, DLIR significantly reduces image noise in low‐dose chest CT. DLIR strength is important and should be adjusted for different diagnostic needs in clinical application.
Posttraumatic growth levels of healthcare workers in two periods with different intensities of COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic threatens health‐care workers' (HCW) mental health and well‐being. Although traumatic life events may result in psychiatric disorders, occasionally they give rise to positive changes, such as post‐traumatic growth. Accordingly, the present study evaluated the traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression levels of HCWs and their post‐traumatic growth levels during the pandemic. In addition, the study aimed to assess the changes in psychological outcomes during the pandemic. For this aim, the data were collected in two different periods. The first data‐collection period was between May and July 2020, and the second period started in November 2020 and ended in January 2021. The sociodemographic data form, Impact of Events Scale‐Revised (IES‐R), Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7 (GAD‐7), Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9), and Post‐traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were used to collect data. Sixty‐six HCWs participated in the study. No significant differences appeared between the baseline scores and 6‐month follow‐up in the depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress levels of HCWs. Furthermore, the PTGI scores decreased significantly over time. Although the change in the psychological distress scores was not statistically significant, the depression and post‐traumatic stress scores increased over time. Previous research specified an inverse‐parabolic relationship between traumatic stress and PTGI. Our results support previous research; as the exposure to the stressors continues, individual traumatic stress levels increase, psychiatric disorders become frequent, and affirmative changes (like post‐traumatic growth) decline.
Prediction of disorders with significant coronary lesions using machine learning in patients admitted with chest symptom

Background The early prediction of significant coronary artery lesion, including coronary vasospasm, have yet to be studied. It is essential to discern the disorders with significant coronary lesions (SCDs) requiring coronary angiography from mimicking disease. We aimed to determine which of all clinical variables were more important using conventional logistic regression (cLR) and machine learning (ML). Materials Of 3382 patients with chest pain/discomfort or dyspnea in whom CAG was performed, 1893 were included. All clinical data were divided as follows (i): Demographics, history, and physical examination; (ii): (i) plus electrocardiography; and (iii): (ii) plus echocardiography, and analyzed by cLR and ML. Results In multivariable analysis via cLR, the AUC and accuracy of the model using the final 20 variables were 0.795 and 72.62%, respectively. In multivariable analysis via ML, the best AUCs in the internal validation were 0.8 with (i), 0.81 with (ii), 0.83 with (iii), and in external validation, the best AUCs were 0.71 with (i), 0.74 with (ii), and 0.79 with (iii). The best AUCs and accuracy of the fittest model including 21 importance variables by ML were 0.81 and 72.48% in internal validation; and 0.75 and 70.5% in external validation, respectively. The importance variables in ML and cLR were similar, but slightly different and the additional discriminators via ML were found. Conclusion The assessment using the fittest importance variables can assist physicians in differentiating mimicking diseases in which coronary angiography may not be required in patients suspected of having acute coronary syndrome in emergency department.
AN X-RAY SPECTRAL MODEL FOR CLUMPY TORI IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

We construct an X-ray spectral model for the clumpy torus in an active galactic nucleus (AGN) using Geant4, which includes the physical processes of the photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, Rayleigh scattering, gamma conversion, fluorescence line, and Auger process. Since the electrons in the torus are expected to be bounded instead of free, the deviation of the scattering cross section from the Klein-Nishina cross section has also been included, which changes the X-ray spectra by up to 25% below 10 keV. We have investigated the effect of the clumpiness parameters on the reflection spectra and the strength of the fluorescent line Fe K alpha. The volume filling factor of the clouds in the clumpy torus only slightly influences the reflection spectra, however, the total column density and the number of clouds along the line of sight significantly change the shapes and amplitudes of the reflection spectra. The effect of column density is similar to the case of a smooth torus, while a small number of clouds along the line of sight will smooth out the anisotropy of the reflection spectra and the fluorescent line Fe K alpha. The smoothing effect is mild in the low column density case (N-H = 10(23) cm(-2)), whereas it is much more evident in the high column density case (N-H = 10(25) cm(-2)). Our model provides a quantitative tool for the spectral analysis of the clumpy torus. We suggest that the joint fits of the broad band spectral energy distributions of AGNs (from X-ray to infrared) should better constrain the structure of the torus.