Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Light triggers a network switch between circadian morning and evening oscillators controlling behaviour during daily temperature cycles

Proper timing of rhythmic locomotor behavior is the consequence of integrating environmental conditions and internal time dictated by the circadian clock. Rhythmic environmental input like daily light and temperature changes (called Zeitgeber) reset the molecular clock and entrain it to the environmental time zone the organism lives in. Furthermore, depending on the absolute temperature or light intensity, flies exhibit their main locomotor activity at different times of day, i.e., environmental input not only entrains the circadian clock but also determines the phase of a certain behavior. To understand how the brain clock can distinguish between (or integrate) an entraining Zeitgeber and environmental effects on activity phase, we attempted to entrain the clock with a Zeitgeber different from the environmental input used for phasing the behavior. 150 clock neurons in the Drosophila melanogaster brain control different aspects of the daily activity rhythms and are organized in various clusters. During regular 12 h light: 12 h dark cycles at constant mild temperature (LD 25°C, LD being the Zeitgeber), so called morning oscillator (MO) neurons control the increase of locomotor activity just before lights-on, while evening oscillator (EO) neurons regulate the activity increase at the end of the day, a few hours before lights-off. Here, using 12 h: 12 h 25°C:16°C temperature cycles as Zeitgeber, we attempted to look at the impact of light on phasing locomotor behavior. While in constant light and 25°C:16°C temperature cycles (LLTC), flies show an unimodal locomotor activity peak in the evening, during the same temperature cycle, but in the absence of light (DDTC), the phase of the activity peak is shifted to the morning. Here, we show that the EO is necessary for synchronized behavior in LLTC but not for entraining the molecular clock of the other clock neuronal groups, while the MO controls synchronized morning activity in DDTC. Interestingly, our data suggest that the influence of the EO on the synchronization increases depending on the length of the photoperiod (constant light vs 12 h of light). Hence, our results show that effects of different environmental cues on clock entrainment and activity phase can be separated, allowing to decipher their integration by the circadian clock.
The Microstructural Evolution of Water Ice in the Solar System Through Sintering

Ice sintering is a form of metamorphism that drives the microstructural evolution of an aggregate of grains through surface and volume diffusion. This leads to an increase in the grain‐to‐grain contact area (neck) and density of the aggregate over time, resulting in the evolution of its strength, porosity, thermal conductivity, and other properties. This process plays an important role in the evolution of icy planetary surfaces, though its rate and nature are not well constrained. In this study, we explore the model of Swinkels and Ashby (1981, https://doi.org/10.1016/0001‐6160(81)90154‐1) and assess the extent to which it can be used to quantify sintering timescales for water ice. We compare predicted neck growth rates to new and historical observations of ice sintering and find agreement to some studies at the order of magnitude level. First‐order estimates of neck growth timescales on planetary surfaces show that ice may undergo significant modification over geologic timescales, even in the outer solar system. Densification occurs over much longer timescales, suggesting that some surfaces may develop cohesive, but porous, crusts. Sintering rates are extremely sensitive to temperature and grain size, occurring faster in warmer aggregates of smaller grains. This suggests that the microstructural evolution of ices may vary not only throughout the solar system but also spatially across the surface and in the near surface of a given body. Our experimental observations of complex grain growth and mass redistribution in ice aggregates point to components of the model that may benefit from improvement and areas where additional laboratory studies are needed.
The effect of adherence to high‐quality dietary pattern on COVID‐19 outcomes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Dietary quality and patterns may influence SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and outcomes, but scientific data and evidence to support such a role are lacking. Therefore, this meta‐analysis aims to elucidate the effect of prepandemic diet quality on the risk of COVID‐19 infection and hospitalization. PubMed/MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Scopus, and EMBASE were systematically searched for articles published up to September 1, 2022. A systematic review and meta‐analysis were performed to calculate each outcome's risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Five studies including 4 023 663 individuals (3 149 784 high‐quality diet individuals and 873 881 controls) were included in the present meta‐analysis. The effectiveness of high‐quality dietary pattern against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and hospitalization was 28% (95% CI 19%–36%) and 62% (95% CI 25%–80%); respectively. Subgroup analysis based on different levels of diet quality showed no difference between middle and high levels of diet quality in reducing the risk of COVID‐19 infection. Interestingly, subgroup analysis based on the different types of high‐quality diets and the risk of COVID‐19 infection revealed that the effectiveness of plant‐based diet against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection was 50% (95% CI 30%–65%); while the effectiveness of Mediterranean diet against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection was 22% (95% CI 12%–31%). Adherence to a high‐quality dietary pattern is associated with a lower risk of COVID‐19 infection and hospitalization. More studies are required to confirm these findings, and future studies should determine the biological mechanisms underlying the association between diet quality and risk of COVID‐19 infection.
Mitochondrial DNA D‐loop hyper‐variable region 1 variability in Kurdish horse breed

Abstract Background Kurdish horse is one of the most valuable horse genetic resources in the Middle East. Objectives To assess the genetic diversity of Kurdish horses, Mitochondrial DNA D‐loop hyper‐variable region1 (HVR1) was sequenced in 29 non‐related Kurdish horses which were sampled from diverse geographic regions of Iran. Methods Total DNA was extracted from the collected blood samples by modified salting out method. The HVR1 was amplified by PCR and then sequenced using ABI PRISM BigDyeTM Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction Kit. Consequently, the sequences were trimmed to 294 bp using BIOEDIT to become comparable with other reported HVR1 sequences in GeneBank. Sequence alignment was performed using CLUSTALW package. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity were estimated using DNASP5.10 and phylogenetic tree was constructed by neighbour joining method. Results Fourteen different haplotypes and 22 polymorphic sites were detected. Haplotype diversity, nucleotide diversity and Tajima D values were 0.901 ± 0.001, 0.01153 ± 0.0020 and −1.378, respectively. Kurdish horse showed a high haplotype and low nucleotide diversity. The compositional frequency of consensus sequences for base A was the highest (29.93%) compared to other three nucleotides (C = 28.91%, T = 26.53% and G = 14.63%). As expected, all of the detected Kurdish horse haplotypes belonged to haplogroup K (i.e., Kurdish horses). Conclusions According to the phylogenetic analysis, Kurdish horses were genetically more closely related to Tibetan, Chinese, Bulgarian and Iranian native horse breeds, compared to other Asian horse breeds, but some traces of European horse breeds were detected in their maternal lines.
A New Instrument to Assess Dynamic Balance in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Four Square Step Test and Its Validity, Reliability and Feasibility

ABSTRACT Aim The aim of this study was to investigate validity, reliability and feasibility of the Four Square Step Test (FSST) in children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Methods The study included 44 children with DMD aged 5–12 years. The functional level of the children was determined by using the Brooke Lower Extremity Functional Classification (BLEFC). The concurrent validity of the FSST, a dynamic balance assessment, was investigated by analyzing the association between FSST and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) and Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) distance. The intra- and inter-rater reliability of the FSST was determined by using the Intra Class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) while the feasibility of the test was determined by calculating the percentage of children who successfully completed the test in accordance with the test instructions. Results The FSST score of the children (mean age 9.25 ± 2.14 years) was 11.91 ± 3.43 and the BLEFC level ranged from Level 1 (65.9%) to Level 3 (9.1%). FSST had positive, moderate relation with BLEFC (r = 0.447; p = .002); positive, strong relation with TUG (rs = 0.623), and negative, moderate correlations with NSAA (rs = −0.529) and 6MWT distance (rs = −0.592) (p < .001). Intra-rater (ICC: 0.965) and inter-rater (ICC: 0.991) reliability was “excellent,” and the test was feasible with successful performance of 88% children. Discussion The FSST is a valid, reliable and feasible instrument to assess dynamic balance as well as having the ability to reflect falling risk and different functional levels of children with DMD.
The White Dwarf Initial–Final Mass Relation for Progenitor Stars from 0.85 to 7.5 M⊙

We present the initial–final mass relation (IFMR) based on the self-consistent analysis of Sirius B and 79 white dwarfs from 13 star clusters. We have also acquired additional signal on eight white dwarfs previously analyzed in the NGC 2099 cluster field, four of which are consistent with membership. These re-observed white dwarfs have masses ranging from 0.72 to 0.97 M⊙, with initial masses from 3.0 to 3.65 M⊙, where the IFMR has an important change in slope that these new data help to observationally confirm. In total, this directly measured IFMR has small scatter (σ = 0.06 M⊙) and spans from progenitors of 0.85 to 7.5 M⊙. Applying two different stellar evolutionary models to infer two different sets of white dwarf progenitor masses shows that, when the same model is also used to derive the cluster ages, the resulting IFMR has weak sensitivity to the adopted model at all but the highest initial masses (>5.5 M⊙). The nonlinearity of the IFMR is also clearly observed with moderate slopes at lower masses (0.08 Mfinal/Minitial) and higher masses (0.11 Mfinal/Minitial) that are broken up by a steep slope (0.19 Mfinal/Minitial) between progenitors from 2.85 to 3.6 M⊙. This IFMR shows total stellar mass loss ranges from 33% of Minitial at 0.83 M⊙ to 83% of Minitial at 7.5 M⊙. Testing this total mass loss for dependence on progenitor metallicity, however, finds no detectable sensitivity across the moderate range of −0.15 < [Fe/H] < +0.15.
Knockdown of Ecdysone-Induced Protein 93F Causes Abnormal Pupae and Adults in the Eggplant Lady Beetle

Simple Summary In several hemimetabolous, neometabolous and holometabolous insects, ecdysone-induced protein 93F (E93), a critical member among three key players (Kru ppel-homolog 1, Kr-h1; E93; Broad-complex, BrC) in the regulation of metamorphosis, exerts triple roles during post-embryonic development. It acts as a determinant for the penultimate instar juveniles to attain competence, enabling the final instars to metamorphose, a repressor of juvenile characters and a specifier of adult structures during metamorphosis. However, for Drosophila flies whose larval instars are fixed at three, E93 only serves as an adult specifier. In a polyphagous beetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata, whose larval instars are fixed to four, we performed RNA interference to determine the roles of HvE93. Our results suggest that HvE93 has dual functions, repressing larval characters and determining adult structures. Our findings provide a missing link in the evolutionary process in terms of the roles of E93. Abstract Ecdysone-induced protein 93F (E93) plays triple roles during post-embryonic development in insects whose juvenile instars are more than four. However, it only acts as a specifier of adult structures in Drosophila flies whose larval instars are fixed at three. In this study, we determined the functions of E93 in the eggplant lady beetle (Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata), which has four larval instars. We uncovered that E93 was abundantly expressed at the prepupal and pupal stages. A precocious inhibition of the juvenile hormone signal by RNA interference (RNAi) of HvKr-h1 or HvHairy, two vital downstream developmental effectors, at the penultimate instar larval stage increased the expression of E93, Conversely, ingestion of JH by the third-instar larvae stimulated the expression of HvKr-h1 but repressed the transcription of either HvE93X1 or HvE93X2. However, disturbance of the JH signal neither drove premature metamorphosis nor caused supernumerary instars. In contrast, depletion of E93 at the third- and fourth-instar larval and prepupal stages severely impaired pupation and caused a larval-pupal mixed phenotype: pupal spines and larval scoli were simultaneously presented on the cuticle. RNAi of E93 at the pupal stage affected adult eclosion. When the beetles had suffered from a dsE93 injection at the fourth-instar larval and pupal stages, a few resultant adults emerged, with separated elytra, abnormally folded hindwings, a small body size and short appendages. Taken together, our results suggest the larval instars are fixed in H. vigintioctopunctata; E93 serves as a repressor of larval characters and a specifier of adult structures during the larval–pupal–adult transition.
Characterisation of the L-mode scrape off layer in MAST: decay lengths

This work presents a detailed characterisation of the MAST Scrape Off Layer in L-mode. Scans in line averaged density, plasma current and toroidal magnetic field were performed. A comprehensive and integrated study of the SOL was allowed by the use of a wide range of diagnostics. In agreement with previous results, an increase of the line averaged density induced a broadening of the midplane density profile. This increase was not correlated with divertor detachment, as confirmed by the systematic increase of the target ion flux and decrease of the Dγ/Dα ? > emission. Also, no clear correlation is found with the density of the neutral particles at the wall. At comparable density levels, discharges with higher current did not show broadening. Outer target ion saturation current and heat flux decay lengths were measured and compared with midplane data. For the saturation current, the upstream projections of the target values, based on diffusive models, did not match the midplane measurements, neither in amplitude nor in trend, while agreement was found for the heat fluxes, suggesting a different perpendicular transport mechanism for the two channels. Furthermore, the value of the target heat flux decay length was quite insensitive to changes in the thermodynamic conditions, in agreement with recent scaling laws. In all the cases studied, sawtooth oscillations were present but they simply rescaled self-similarly the target profiles. The separatrix conditions changed significantly during a sawtooth cycle, but the target heat flux decay length and divertor spreading factor remained nearly constant, indicating that these quantities are rather insensitive to the upstream thermodynamic state of the SOL.
Towards a new classification of galaxies: principal component analysis of CALIFA circular velocity curves

We present a galaxy classification system for 238 (E1-Sdm) CALIFA (Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area) galaxies based on the shapes and amplitudes of their circular velocity curves (CVCs). We infer the CVCs from the de-projected surface brightness of the galaxies, after scaling by a constant mass-to-light ratio based on stellar dynamics - solving axisymmetric Jeans equations via fitting the second velocity moment $V_{\mathrm{rms}}=\sqrt{V^2+\sigma^2}$ of the stellar kinematics. We use principal component analysis (PCA) applied to the CVC shapes to find characteristic features and use a $k$-means classifier to separate circular curves into classes. This objective classification method identifies four different classes, which we name slow-rising (SR), flat (FL), round-peaked (RP) and sharp-peaked (SP) circular curves. SR are typical for low-mass, late-type (Sb-Sdm), young, faint, metal-poor and disc-dominated galaxies. SP are typical for high-mass, early-type (E1-E7), old, bright, metal-rich and bulge-dominated galaxies. FL and RP appear presented by galaxies with intermediate mass, age, luminosity, metallicity, bulge-to-disk ratio and morphologies (E4-S0a, Sa-Sbc). The discrepancy mass factor, $f_d=1-M_{*}/M_{dyn}$, have the largest value for SR and SP classes ($\sim$ 74 per cent and $\sim$ 71 per cent, respectively) in contrast to the FL and RP classes (with $\sim$ 59 per cent and $\sim$ 61 per cent, respectively). Circular curve classification presents an alternative to typical morphological classification and appears more tightly linked to galaxy evolution.
Influence of public hesitancy and receptivity on reactive behaviours towards releases of male Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes for dengue control

Singapore, a highly urbanized Asian tropical country that experiences periodic dengue outbreaks, is piloting field releases of male Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with the aim of suppressing urban populations of the primary dengue vector Aedes aegypti. This study proposes and assesses a model to explain the roles of hesitancy and receptivity towards Project Wolbachia–Singapore in influencing reactive mosquito prevention behaviors (reactive behaviors) towards the release of Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes for residents living in the release sites. Interestingly, both hesitancy and receptivity predicted greater instances of reactive behaviors. The model also examines the roles of general knowledge about Wolbachia technology, perceived severity of mosquito bites, perceived density of mosquitoes, and social responsibility as predictors of hesitancy, receptivity, and reactive behaviors towards the release of Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes. Hesitancy towards the project mediated the effects of general knowledge, perceived severity of mosquito bites, and perceived density of mosquitoes on reactive behaviors towards the releases, although receptivity towards the project did not. Having less knowledge about Project Wolbachia–Singapore was associated with higher hesitancy towards the project and higher likelihood of performing reactive behaviors towards the releases. Individuals who perceive mosquito bites to be more severe and think that there are more mosquitoes in their living environments were also more likely to be hesitant about the project and practice reactive behaviors. However, both hesitancy and receptivity towards the project mediated the effect of social responsibility on reactive behaviors. Receptivity towards the project was driven by social responsibility, which was also associated with reduced hesitancy towards the project. Our findings suggest that, to address the hesitancy reported by a minority of participants, future outreach efforts should focus on strengthening the public’s sense of social responsibility and on tailored education campaigns targeting groups with low levels of knowledge of the project.
Alkannin exerts antitumor properties in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by inducing apoptosis and shifting the M1/M2 polarization of tumor‐associated macrophages by upregulating PTEN

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is a common cancer in humans and is the second major type of skin cancer that causes death in humans. In this article, we investigated the effects of alkannin on CSCC progression. We revealed that alkannin curbed CSCC cell viability in a dose‐dependent manner and accelerated CSCC cell apoptosis. In addition, alkannin expedited macrophage M1 polarization while curbing M2 polarization. Moreover, alkannin elevated phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) abundance in CSCC cells. The results of bioinformatics analysis revealed that alkannin might modulate CSCC via PTEN. Downregulation of PTEN reversed the effects of alkannin on apoptosis of CSCC cells and M1/M2 polarization of macrophages. Alkannin reduced CSCC tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model. In conclusion, alkannin curbed the advancement of CSCC by expediting apoptosis and facilitating M1 polarization of macrophages by upregulating PTEN. These data may offer a therapeutic approach against CSCC.
Slowly rotating relativistic stars in scalar-tensor gravity

We consider the slowly rotating relativistic stars with a uniform angular velocity in scalar-tensor gravity, and examine the rotational effect around such compact objects. For this purpose, we derive a second order differential equation describing the frame dragging in scalar-tensor gravity and solve it numerically. As a result, we find that the total angular momentum is proportional to the angular velocity even in scalar-tensor gravity. We also show that one can observe the spontaneous scalarization in rotational effects as well as the other stellar properties, if the cosmological value of the scalar field is zero. On the other hand, if the cosmological value of the scalar field is nonzero, the deviation from general relativity can be seen in a wide range of coupling constants. Additionally, we find that, independently of the cosmological value of the scalar field, the deviation from general relativity becomes larger with more massive stellar models. Thus, via precise observations of astronomical phenomena associated with rotating relativistic stars, one may probe not only the gravitational theory in the strong-field regime, but also the existence of a scalar field.
JET PROPERTIES OF GeV-SELECTED RADIO-LOUD NARROW-LINE SEYFERT 1 GALAXIES AND POSSIBLE CONNECTION TO THEIR DISK AND CORONA

The observed spectral energy distributions of five GeV-selected narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies are fitted with a model including the radiation ingredients from the relativistic jet, the accretion disk, and the corona. We compare the properties of these GeV NLS1 galaxies with flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs), and radio-quiet (RQ) Seyfert galaxies, and explore possible hints for jet-disk/corona connection. Our results show that the radiation physics and the jet properties of the GeV NLS1 galaxies resemble that of FSRQs. The luminosity variations of PMN J0948+0022 and 1H 0323+342 at the GeV band is tightly correlated with the beaming factor (δ), similar to that observed in FSRQ 3C 279. The accretion disk luminosities and the jet powers of the GeV NLS1 galaxies cover both the ranges of FSRQs and BL Lacs. With the detection of bright corona emission in 1H 0323+342, we show that the ratio of the corona luminosity (Lcorona) to the accretion disk luminosity (Ld) is marginally within the high end of this ratio distribution for an RQ Seyfert galaxy sample, and the variation of jet luminosity may connect with Lcorona. However, it is still unclear whether a system with a high Lcorona/Ld ratio prefers to power a jet.
Star and Protoplanetary Disk Properties in Orion's Suburbs

Context. Knowledge of the evolution of circumstellar accretion disks is pivotal to our understanding of star and planet formation; and yet despite intensive theoretical and observational studies, the disk dissipation process is not well understood. Infrared observations of large numbers of young stars, as performed by the Spitzer Space Telescope, may advance our knowledge of this inherently complex process. While infrared data reveal the evolutionary status of the disk, they hold little information on the properties of the central star and the accretion characteristics.