Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New PARSEC evolutionary tracks of massive stars at low metallicity: testing canonical stellar evolution in nearby star-forming dwarf galaxies

We extend the {\sl\,PARSEC} library of stellar evolutionary tracks by computing new models of massive stars, from 14\Msun to 350\Msun. The input physics is the same used in the {\sl\,PARSEC}~V1.1 version, but for the mass-loss rate which is included by considering the most recent updates in literature. We focus on low metallicity, $Z$=0.001 and $Z$=0.004, for which the metal poor dwarf irregular star forming galaxies, Sextans A, WLM and NCG6822, provide simple but powerful workbenches. The models reproduce fairly well the observed CMDs but the stellar colour distributions indicate that the predicted blue loop is not hot enough in models with canonical extent of overshooting. In the framework of a mild extended mixing during central hydrogen burning, the only way to reconcile the discrepancy is to enhance the overshooting at the base of the convective envelope (EO) during the first dredge-UP. The mixing scales required to reproduce the observed loops, EO=2\HP or EO=4\HP, are definitely larger than those derived from, e.g., the observed location of the RGB bump in low mass stars. This effect, if confirmed, would imply a strong dependence of the mixing scale below the formal Schwarzschild border, on the stellar mass or luminosity. Reproducing the features of the observed CMDs with standard values of envelope overshooting would require a metallicity significantly lower than the values measured in these galaxies. Other quantities, such as the star formation rate and the initial mass function, are only slightly sensitive to this effect. Future investigations will consider other metallicities and different mixing schemes.
Artistic Research in A rtists’ Books

The phenomenon of artistic research attracts considerable attention because of the growing integration between art, design and science. At the same time, it remains a challenging research subject that is interpreted differently by various scientists, designers and artists. This paper presents an attempt to investigate the relationship between artistic research and artistic practice, and the role of artistic research in artists’ books. It aims to present a brief history of artists’ books and show how various artists have captured the complex creative and artistic processes, results or stories behind the works of art. The article also discusses the problem and potential of representation in artists´ books and examines them as an effective mechanism for disseminating findings of artistic research. To present the multifaceted action behind a work of art implies challenges. The author’s own attempt to capture knowledge from artistic rese arch was challenged while working on a book project and will be part of the discussion. Finally, the study will illustrate how artists’ books contribute to the process of capturing reflections of artistic research and make the manifestations accessible to people outside of the formal context of the lecture halls.
A Review of Atmospheric Aerosols in Antarctica: From Characterization to Data Processing

One of the major problems of the present era is air pollution, not only for its impact on climate change but also for the diseases provoked by this scourge. Among the most concerning air pollutants is particulate matter, since it can travel long distances and affect the entire globe. Antarctica is extremely sensitive to climate change and essential for regulating temperature and permitting life on Earth. Therefore, air quality studies in this region are extremely important. The aim of this review is to present the work conducted on the identification and detection of aerosols and particulate matter in the Antarctic region in the last 20 years. These studies revealed a large number of organic and inorganic species. Organochlorine pesticides or polychlorinated biphenyls represent almost 50% of the organic fraction detected in Antarctica. Furthermore, heavy metals such as Hg and Pb were also found in the region related to anthropogenic activities. To summarize, this work detailed different analytical techniques and data processing to help characterize Antarctic aerosols and their potential sources.
Linearization with cosmological perturbation theory

We propose a new method to linearize cosmological mass density fields using higher order Lagrangian perturbation theory (LPT). We demonstrate that a given density field can be expressed as the sum of a linear and a non-linear component which are tightly coupled to each other by the tidal field tensor within the LPT framework. The linear component corresponds to the initial density field in Eulerian coordinates, and its mean relation with the total field can be approximated by a logarithm (giving theoretical support to recent attempts to find such a component). We also propose to use a combination of the linearization method and the continuity equation to find the mapping between Eulerian and Lagrangian coordinates. In addition, we note that this method opens the possibility of using directly higher order LPT on non-linear fields. We test our linearization scheme by applying it to the z ∼ 0.5 density field from an N-body simulation. We find that the linearized version of the full density field can be successfully recovered on ≳5 h−1 Mpc, reducing the skewness and kurtosis of the distribution by about one and two orders of magnitude, respectively. This component can also be successfully traced back in time, converging towards the initial unevolved density field at z ∼ 100. We anticipate a number of applications of our results, from predicting velocity fields to estimates of the initial conditions of the Universe, passing by improved constraints on cosmological parameters derived from galaxy clustering via reconstruction methods.
PROPERTIES OF SATELLITE GALAXIES IN THE SDSS PHOTOMETRIC SURVEY: LUMINOSITIES, COLORS, AND PROJECTED NUMBER DENSITY PROFILES

We analyze photometric data in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS-DR7) to infer statistical properties of faint satellites associated with isolated bright galaxies (Mr < −20.5) in the redshift range 0.03 < z < 0.1. The mean projected radial number density profile shows an excess of companions in the photometric sample around the primaries, with approximately a power-law shape that extends up to ≃ 700 kpc. Given this overdensity signal, a suitable background subtraction method is used to study the statistical properties of the population of bound satellites, down to magnitude Mr = −14.5, in the projected radial distance range 100 < rp/kpc < 3〈Rvir〉. The maximum projected distance corresponds to the range 470–660 kpc for the different samples. We have also considered a color cut consistent with the observed colors of spectroscopic satellites in nearby galaxies so that distant redshifted galaxies do not dominate the statistics. We have tested the implementation of this background subtraction procedure using a mock catalog derived from the Millennium simulation semianalytic galaxy catalog based on a Λ cold dark matter model. We find that the method is effective in reproducing the true projected radial satellite number density profile and luminosity distributions, providing confidence in the results derived from SDSS data. We find that the spatial extent of satellite systems is larger for bright, red primaries. Also, we find a larger spatial distribution of blue satellites. For the different samples analyzed, we derive the average number of satellites and their luminosity distributions down to Mr = −14.5. The mean number of satellites depends very strongly on host luminosity. Bright primaries (Mr < −21.5) host on average ∼6 satellites with Mr < −14.5. This number is reduced for primaries with lower luminosities (−21.5 < Mr < −20.5) which have less than one satellite per host. We provide Schechter function fits to the luminosity distributions of satellite galaxies where the resulting faint-end slopes equal to 1.3 ± 0.2, consistent with the universal value. This shows that satellites of bright primaries lack an excess population of faint objects, in agreement with the results in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies.
Treponema denticola Induces Neuronal Apoptosis by Promoting Amyloid-β Accumulation in Mice

Background: Neuronal apoptosis is a major contributor to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Periodontitis is a significant risk factor for AD. The periodontal pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola have been shown to initiate the hallmark pathologies and behavioral symptoms of AD. Studies have found that T. denticola infection induced Tau hyperphosphorylation and amyloid β accumulation in the hippocampi of mice. Aβ accumulation is closely associated with neuronal apoptosis. However, the roles of T. denticola in neuronal apoptosis remain unclear and its roles in AD pathology need further study. Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether oral infection with T. denticola induced alveolar bone loss and neuronal apoptosis in mice. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were orally administered with T. denticola, Micro-CT was employed to assess the alveolar bone resorption. Western blotting, quantitative PCR, and TUNEL staining were utilized to detect the apoptosis-associated changes in mouse hippocampi. N2a were co-cultured with T. denticola to verify in vivo results. Results: Mice infected with T. denticola exhibited more alveolar bone loss compared with the control mice. T. denticola oral infection induced neuronal apoptosis in hippocampi of mice. Consistent results of the apoptosis-associated protein expression were observed in N2a cells treated with T. denticola and Aβ1–42 in vitro. However, the Aβ inhibitor reversed these results, suggesting that Aβ1–42 mediates T. denticola infection-induced neuronal apoptosis. Conclusions: This study found that oral infected T. denticola caused alveolar bone loss, and induced neuronal apoptosis by promoting Aβ accumulation in mice, providing evidence for the link between periodontitis and AD.
UCP2 silencing restrains leukemia cell proliferation through glutamine metabolic remodeling

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy derived from early T cell progenitors. Since relapsed T-ALL is associated with a poor prognosis improving initial treatment of patients is essential to avoid resistant selection of T-ALL. During initiation, development, metastasis and even in response to chemotherapy, tumor cells face strong metabolic challenges. In this study, we identify mitochondrial UnCoupling Protein 2 (UCP2) as a tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolite transporter controlling glutamine metabolism associated with T-ALL cell proliferation. In T-ALL cell lines, we show that UCP2 expression is controlled by glutamine metabolism and is essential for their proliferation. Our data show that T-ALL cell lines differ in their substrate dependency and their energetic metabolism (glycolysis and oxidative). Thus, while UCP2 silencing decreases cell proliferation in all leukemia cells, it also alters mitochondrial respiration of T-ALL cells relying on glutamine-dependent oxidative metabolism by rewiring their cellular metabolism to glycolysis. In this context, the function of UCP2 in the metabolite export of malate enables appropriate TCA cycle to provide building blocks such as lipids for cell growth and mitochondrial respiration. Therefore, interfering with UCP2 function can be considered as an interesting strategy to decrease metabolic efficiency and proliferation rate of leukemia cells.
On extended quasi-Armendariz rings

This paper deals with the quasi-Armendariz ring in general setting. We generalize the notions of quasi-Armendariz and $\alpha$-skew Armendariz ring to quasi $\alpha$-Armendariz and quasi $\alpha$-skew Armendariz ring and investigate their properties. We also consider the quasi Armendariz properties of Laurent type rings.
Parsec-scale jet properties of the quasar PG 1302$-$102

The quasar PG 1302-102 is believed to harbour a supermassive binary black hole (SMBBH) system. Using the available 15 GHz and 2-8 GHz, multi-epoch Very Long Baseline Array data, we constrain the pc-scale jet properties based on the inferred mean proper motion, including a bulk Lorentz factor >= 5.1 +/- 0.8, jet inclination angle <= 11.degrees 4 +/- 1.degrees 7, projected position angle = 31.degrees 8, intrinsic half opening angle <= 0.degrees 9 +/- 0.degrees 1 and a mean 2-8 GHz spectral index of 0.31. A general relativistic helical jet model is presented and applied to predict quasi-periodic oscillations of similar to 10 d, power-law power spectrum shape and a contribution of up to similar to 53 per cent to the observed variable core flux density. The model is used to make a case for high resolution, moderately sampled, long duration radio interferometric observations to reveal signatures due to helical knots and distinguish them from those due to SMBBH orbital activity including a phase difference similar to pi and an amplitude ratio (helical light-curve amplitude/SMBBH light-curve amplitude) of 0.2-3.3. The prescription can be used to identify helical kinematic signatures from quasars, providing possible candidates for further studies with polarization measurements. It can also be used to infer promising SMBBH candidates for the study of gravitational waves if there are systematic deviations from helical signatures.
Biological properties of Cu-bearing and Ag-bearing titanium-based alloys and their surface modifications: A review of antibacterial aspect

The use of titanium dental implants to replace missing teeth represents an important field of daily dental practice worldwide, which is highly reliable for long-term survival and success rates. However, titanium dental implants still have intrinsic problems that cannot meet the clinical requirements. Improving the performance of implants is an increasingly important area of dental research to reduce infection rates. Improved properties can be achieved by two main methods: 1) the overall change in the materials by changing the elemental composition and 2) surface modifications. This review provides an overview of various titanium-based alloys that have been employed to achieve a higher survival rate of implantation by adding elements or modifying the surface, with a special focus on their antibacterial applications. Recent developments in titanium-based alloys containing various antibacterial agents have been described in detail, including Cu-bearing, Ag-bearing, and Zr-bearing Ti alloys. Moreover, the applications of bioactive coatings and 3D printing materials with antibacterial properties are reviewed. This review aims to highlight the antibacterial challenges associated with titanium-based alloys to promote the further development and clinical application of antibacterial alloys.
The value of compassionate support to address smoking: A qualitative study with people who experience severe mental illness

Introduction People experiencing severe mental illness (SMI) smoke at much higher rates than the general population and require additional support. Engagement with existing evidence-based interventions such as quitlines and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) may be improved by mental health peer worker involvement and tailored support. This paper reports on a qualitative study nested within a peer researcher-facilitated tobacco treatment trial that included brief advice plus, for those in the intervention group, tailored quitline callback counseling and combination NRT. It contextualizes participant life experience and reflection on trial participation and offers insights for future interventions. Methods Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 participants in a randomized controlled trial (intervention group n = 15, control group n = 14) following their 2-month (post-recruitment) follow-up assessments, which marked the end of the “Quitlink” intervention for those in the intervention group. Interviews explored the experience of getting help to address smoking (before and during the trial), perceptions of main trial components including assistance from peer researchers and tailored quitline counseling, the role of NRT, and other support received. A general inductive approach to analysis was applied. Results We identified four main themes: (1) the long and complex journey of quitting smoking in the context of disrupted lives; (2) factors affecting quitting (desire to quit, psychological and social barriers, and facilitators and reasons for quitting); (3) the perceived benefits of a tailored approach for people with mental ill-health including the invitation to quit and practical resources; and (4) the importance of compassionate delivery of support, beginning with the peer researchers and extended by quitline counselors for intervention participants. Subthemes were identified within each of these overarching main themes. Discussion The findings underscore the enormity of the challenges that our targeted population face and the considerations needed for providing tobacco treatment to people who experience SMI. The data suggest that a tailored tobacco treatment intervention has the potential to assist people on a journey to quitting, and that compassionate support encapsulating a recovery-oriented approach is highly valued. Clinical trial registration The Quitlink trial was registered with ANZCTR (www.anzctr.org.au): ACTRN12619000244101 prior to the accrual of the first participant and updated regularly as per registry guidelines.
Electromagnetic flow of casson nanofluid over a vertical riga plate with ramped wall conditions

The present study aims to investigate the Casson nanofluids flow theoretically over a vertical Riga plate. The temperature and concentration with ramped and isothermal wall conditions are considered. Moreover, the fluid is considered electrically conducted. Concrete is considered as a base fluid while clay nanoparticles are added to it. The present flow regime is formulated in terms of a system of partial differential equations. Using dimensionless variables, the system of equations with the imposed boundary conditions is non-dimensionalized. The Laplace transform technique is used to calculate the exact solutions for the temperature, concentration, and velocity distributions. The effect of various embedded parameters on the velocity, temperature, and concentration fields are shown graphically and discussed physically. The variation in the skin friction for various values of clay nanoparticles volume fraction is shown in tabular form. The results indicate that adding 4% clay nanoparticles, enhanced the skin friction up to 7.04% in instance of ramped wall temperature (RWT) and 11.13% in isothermal wall temperature (IWT). This result is worth noting because the increase in skin friction causes rapid compaction of the cementitious materials and improves the tensile strength of the concrete.
A universal model of electrochemical safety limits in vivo for electrophysiological stimulation

Electrophysiological stimulation has been widely adopted for clinical diagnostic and therapeutic treatments for modulation of neuronal activity. Safety is a primary concern in an interventional design leveraging the effects of electrical charge injection into tissue in the proximity of target neurons. While modalities of tissue damage during stimulation have been extensively investigated for specific electrode geometries and stimulation paradigms, a comprehensive model that can predict the electrochemical safety limits in vivo doesn’t yet exist. Here we develop a model that accounts for the electrode geometry, inter-electrode separation, material, and stimulation paradigm in predicting safe current injection limits. We performed a parametric investigation of the stimulation limits in both benchtop and in vivo setups for flexible microelectrode arrays with low impedance, high geometric surface area platinum nanorods and PEDOT:PSS, and higher impedance, planar platinum contacts. We benchmark our findings against standard clinical electrocorticography and depth electrodes. Using four, three and two contact electrochemical impedance measurements and comprehensive circuit models derived from these measurements, we developed a more accurate, clinically relevant and predictive model for the electrochemical interface potential. For each electrode configuration, we experimentally determined the geometric correction factors that dictate geometry-enforced current spreading effects. We also determined the electrolysis window from cyclic-voltammetry measurements which allowed us to calculate stimulation current safety limits from voltage transient measurements. From parametric benchtop electrochemical measurements and analyses for different electrode types, we created a predictive equation for the cathodal excitation measured at the electrode interface as a function of the electrode dimensions, geometric factor, material and stimulation paradigm. We validated the accuracy of our equation in vivo and compared the experimentally determined safety limits to clinically used stimulation protocols. Our new model overcomes the design limitations of Shannon’s equation and applies to macro- and micro-electrodes at different density or separation of contacts, captures the breakdown of charge-density based approaches at long stimulation pulse widths, and invokes appropriate power exponents to current, pulse width, and material/electrode-dependent impedance.
Rare complications of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis: Time to nip them in the bud

Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis (MDA5+ DM) is an infrequent autoimmune disease, which mainly distributes in Asians and females. MDA5+ DM usually presents various skin lesions and positive anti-MDA5 antibody (a myositis-specific autoantibody for itself) with amyopathic or hypomyopathic features. For MDA5+ DM patients, rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease is a common complication with a high-speed deterioration and a poor prognosis. Besides, there are other complications of MDA5+ DM patients, including pneumomediastinum, macrophage activation syndrome and spontaneous intramuscular hemorrhage. These complications were rare but lethal, so it is necessary to explore their diagnosis methods, therapies and potential mechanisms, which are helpful for early diagnoses and timely treatment. To date, several cases and studies have shown distinctive features, diagnoses and treatments of these three rare complications, and there are also some differences among them. In this review, we outlined the characteristics, administration and potential pathogenesis of these rare complications of MDA5+ DM.
The impact of COVID-19 on memory: Recognition for masked and unmasked faces

Considering the current state of the worldwide pandemic, it is still common to encounter people wearing face protection masks. Although a safety measure against COVID-19, face masks might be compromising our capacity for face recognition. We conducted an online study where 140 participants observed masked and unmasked faces in a within-subjects design and then performed a recognition memory task. The best performance was found when there were no masks either at study and test phase, i.e., at the congruent unmasked condition. The worst performance was found for faces encoded with a mask but tested without it (i.e., masked-unmasked incongruent condition), which can be explained by the disruption in holistic face processing and the violation of the encoding specificity principle. Interestingly, considering the unmasked-masked incongruent condition, performance was probably affected by the violation of the encoding specificity principle but protected by holistic processing that occurred during encoding.