Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lacticaseibacillus casei Strain Shirota Modulates Macrophage-Intestinal Epithelial Cell Co-Culture Barrier Integrity, Bacterial Sensing and Inflammatory Cytokines

Probiotic bacteria modulate macrophage immune inflammatory responses, with functional cytokine responses determined by macrophage subset polarisation, stimulation and probiotic strain. Mucosal macrophages exhibit subset functional heterogeneity but are organised in a 3-dimensional tissue, over-laid by barrier epithelial cells. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) on macrophage-epithelial cell cytokine responses, pattern recognition receptor (PRR) expression and LPS responses and the impacts on barrier integrity. THP-1-derived M1 and M2 subset macrophages were co-cultured in a transwell system with differentiated Caco-2 epithelial cells in the presence or absence of enteropathogenic LPS. Both Caco-2 cells in monoculture and macrophage co-culture were assayed for cytokines, PRR expression and barrier integrity (TEER and ZO-1) by RT-PCR, ELISA, IHC and electrical resistance. Caco-2 monocultures expressed distinct cytokine profiles (IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, endogenous IL-10), PRRs and barrier integrity, determined by inflammatory context (TNFα or IL-1β). In co-culture, LcS rescued ZO-1 and TEER in M2/Caco-2, but not M1/Caco-2. LcS suppressed TLR2, TLR4, MD2 expression in both co-cultures and differentially regulated NOD2, TLR9, Tollip and cytokine secretion. In conclusion, LcS selectively modulates epithelial barrier integrity, pathogen sensing and inflammatory cytokine profile; determined by macrophage subset and activation status.
Insights on star-formation histories and physical properties of 1.2 <= z <~ 4 Herschel-detected galaxies

Aims. We aim to test the impact of using variable star-forming histories (SFHs) and the IR luminosity as a constrain on the physical parameters of high redshift dusty star-forming galaxies. We explore in particular the properties (SFHs, ages, timescales) of galaxies depending on their belonging to the "main sequence" of star-forming galaxies (MS). Methods. We performed spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting of the UV-to-NIR and FIR emissions of a moderately large sample of GOODS-Herschel galaxies, for which rich multi-wavelength, optical to IR observations are available. We tested different SFHs and the impact of imposing energy conservation in the SED fitting process, to help with issues like the age-extinction degeneracy and produce SEDs consistent with observations. Results. Our simple models produce well constrained SEDs for the broad majority of the sample (84%), with the notable exception of the very high L-IR end, for which we have indications that the energy conservation hypothesis cannot hold true for a single component population approach. We observe trends in the preferences in SFHs among our sources depending on stellar mass M and z. Trends also emerge in the characteristic timescales of the SED models depending on the location on the SFR - M diagram. We show that whilst using the same available observational data, we can produce galaxies less star-forming than classically inferred, if we allow rapidly declining SFHs, while properly reproducing their observables. These sources, representing 7% of the sample, can be post-starbursts undergoing quenching, and their SFRs are potentially overestimated if inferred from their LIR. Based on the trends observed in the rising SFH fits we explore a simple evolution model for stellar mass build-up over the considered time period. Conclusions. Our approach successfully breaks the age-extinction degeneracy, and enables to evaluate properly the SFRs of the sources in the SED fitting process. Fitting without the IR constrain leads to a strong preference for declining SFHs, while its inclusion increases the preference of rising SFHs, more so at high z, in tentative agreement with the cosmic star-formation history (CSFH), although this result suffers from poor statistics. Keeping in mind that the sample is biased toward high luminosities and intense star formation, the evolution shaped by our model appears as both bursty (in its early stages) and steady-lasting (later on). The SFH of the sample considered as a whole follows the CSFH with a surprisingly small scatter, and is compatible with other studies supporting that the more massive galaxies have built most of their mass earlier than lower mass galaxies.
Are there fitness-related physiological changes following a series of Rebirthing sessions?

Objective: The current study is only the second known empirical study of Rebirthing, a holistic self-improvement therapy. The study looked at fitness-related physiological outcomes following a series of rebirthing sessions. Methods and materials: Ten healthy young women (mean age, weight, and height: 372.7 years, 54.16.4 kg, and 161.24.9 cm, respectively) underwent two identical resting pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and two two-stage all-out graded cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) before (pre) and after (post) a series of 10 weekly Rebirthing treatments. The rebirthing sessions were held at the Israeli Rebirthing Center in Tel Aviv. All rebirthing treatments were performed by a single qualified Rebirthing therapist and lasted approximately 40-50 minutes each. Results: There were no significant changes (p˃0.05) in resting lung functions (PFTpost) or peak values at maximal effort (CPETpost) after the rebirthing program (except for a decrease in HRpeak). Nonetheless, the results show a significant reduction (p˂0.05) in several cardiopulmonary attributes measured during the submaximal phase of the second CPET (HRsub, VO2sub, RERsub, VEsub, BRsub; Bfsub and an increase in Vd/Vtsub). Conclusions: As the first study to investigate the effect of a series of rebirthing treatments on responses of selected fitness-related physiological measures at rest and during exercise, it is not surprising that no unambiguous answers to the research questions were found. Further studies are needed to provide reliable support and explanations for the study findings.
Evaluating Thera-101 as a Low-Volume Resuscitation Fluid in a Model of Polytrauma

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hemorrhage remain challenging to treat in austere conditions. Developing a therapeutic to mitigate the associated pathophysiology is critical to meet this treatment gap, especially as these injuries and associated high mortality are possibly preventable. Here, Thera-101 (T-101) was evaluated as low-volume resuscitative fluid in a rat model of TBI and hemorrhage. The therapeutic, T-101, is uniquely situated as a TBI and hemorrhage intervention. It contains a cocktail of proteins and microvesicles from the secretome of adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells that can act on repair and regenerative mechanisms associated with poly-trauma. T-101 efficacy was determined at 4, 24, 48, and 72 h post-injury by evaluating blood chemistry, inflammatory chemo/cytokines, histology, and diffusion tensor imaging. Blood chemistry indicated that T-101 reduced the markers of liver damage to Sham levels while the levels remained elevated with the control (saline) resuscitative fluid. Histology supports the potential protective effects of T-101 on the kidneys. Diffusion tensor imaging showed that the injury caused the most damage to the corpus callosum and the fimbria. Immunohistochemistry suggests that T-101 may mitigate astrocyte activation at 72 h. Together, these data suggest that T-101 may serve as a potential field deployable low-volume resuscitation therapeutic.
An Initial Survey of White Dwarfs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

An initial assessment is made of white dwarf and hot subdwarf stars observed in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. In a small area of sky (190 square degrees), observed much like the full survey will be, 269 white dwarfs (WDs) and 56 hot subdwarfs are identified spectroscopically where only 44 white dwarfs and five hot subdwarfs were known previously. Most are ordinary DA (hydrogen atmosphere) and DB (helium) types. In addition, in the full survey to date, a number of WDs have been found with uncommon spectral types. Among these are blue DQ stars displaying lines of atomic carbon; red DQ stars showing molecular bands of C2 with a wide variety of strengths; DZ stars where Ca and occasionally Mg, Na, and/or Fe lines are detected; and magnetic WDs with a wide range of magnetic field strengths in DA, DB, DQ, and (probably) DZ spectral types. Photometry alone allows identification of stars hotter than 12,000 K, and the density of these stars for 15 < g < 20 is found to be ∼2.2 deg-2 at Galactic latitudes of 29°–62°. Spectra are obtained for roughly half of these hot stars. The spectra show that for 15 < g < 17, 40% of hot stars are WDs, and the fraction of WDs rises to ∼90% at g = 20. The remainder are hot sdB and sdO stars.
Statistics of speckle patterns

We develop a general method for calculating statistical properties of the speckle pattern of coherent waves propagating in disordered media. In some aspects this method is similar to the Boltzmann-Langevin approach for the calculation of classical ﬂuctuations. We apply the method to the case where the incident wave experiences many small angle scattering events during propagation, but the total angle change remains small. In many aspects our results for this case are diﬀerent from results previously known in the literature. The correlation function of the wave intensity at two points separated by a distance r , has a long range character. It decays as a power of r and changes sign. We also consider sensitivities of the speckles to changes of external parameters, such as the wave frequency and the incidence angle.
Study on the Flammability, Crystal Behaviors and Mechanical Performance of Polyamide 11 Composites by Intercalated Layered Double Hydroxides

Sulfamic acid-intercalated MgAl-LDH (SA-LDH) was prepared by an anion exchange method, and its structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). SA-LDH was introduced into polyamide 11 (PA11) by melt blending and to enhance the flame retardancy and mechanical properties. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and XRD data showed that the lamellar structure of SA-LDH was partly disrupted. The cone calorimeter (CCT) results demonstrated that SA-LDH could effectively decrease the value of heat release rate, which may be ascribed to the better distribution of SA-LDH compared to LHD in the PA11 matrix. The effects of SA-LDH on the crystal behaviors of PA11 were investigated by XRD and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), indicating that SA-LDH could induce the formation of new crystal forms and served as a heterogeneous nucleating agent. The mechanical progress caused by the incorporation of SA-LDH was correlated with compatibility improvement between SA-LDH and PA11.
A Multicenter Cohort Study Evaluating the Teratogenic Effects of Isotretinoin on Neonates

(1) Background: Isotretinoin (ISO) is a systemic retinoid known for its teratogenic effects on embryos and fetuses. The aim of this study was to compare the pregnancy outcomes of women who were exposed to isotretinoin with those of women without such exposure from a teratogenic point of view. (2) Methods: A total of 1459 female patients from three clinical hospitals in Poland and Romania, segregated into two groups depending on their ISO exposure, were evaluated between January and December 2019. Medical records were screened to identify the pregnancy outcomes and congenital malformation rates. (3) Results: The congenital malformation rate for the exposed group was 1.2% (four cases), and no specific signs of Accutane embryopathy were identified. Women from the unexposed group were more likely to deliver preterm and through cesarean deliveries and had a higher rate of newborn congenital malformations as compared to women from the exposed group. (4) Conclusions: Even though we could not find a significant association between ISO exposure and teratogenic effects in newborns, effective contraceptive measures are key to preventing unfavorable pregnancy outcomes.
Measurement of the Broad-Line Region Size in Two Bright Quasars

We present 4 years of spectrophotometric monitoring data for two radio-quiet quasars, PG 0804+762 and PG 0953+414, with typical sampling intervals of several months. Both sources show continuum and emission-line variations. The variations of the Hβ line follow those of the continuum with a time lag, as derived from a cross-correlation analysis, of 93 ± 30 days for PG 0804+762 and 111 ± 55 days for PG 0953+414. This is the first reliable measurement of such a lag in active galactic nuclei with luminosity L > 1045 ergs s-1. The broad-line region (BLR) size that is implied is almost an order of magnitude larger than that measured in several Seyfert 1 galaxies and is consistent with the hypothesis that the BLR size grows as L0.5.
Respiratory Tract Cancer Incidences across Industry Groups: A Nationwide Cohort Study with More Than 70 Million Person-Years of Follow-Up

Simple Summary Our study estimated the risk of laryngeal and lung cancers according to the industrial classification. Certain industries have been found to be vulnerable to respiratory cancer. In particular, workers employed in the land transportation industries have a high risk of laryngeal cancer. Moreover, workers employed in fishing, mining, transportation, construction, animal production, and healthcare industries have a high risk of lung cancer. As an increased risk of respiratory tract cancers has been identified in certain industries in this study, appropriate policy intervention is needed to prevent occupational cancers. Abstract The number of cases and incidence rates of laryngeal and lung cancers have been increasing globally. Therefore, identifying the occupational causes of such cancers is an important concern for policymakers to prevent cancers and deaths. We used national health insurance service claims data in Korea. We included 10,786,000 workers aged between 25 and 64 years. In total, 74,366,928 total person-years of follow-up were included in this study with a mean follow-up of 6.89 years for each person. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) referenced with the total workers were estimated. For laryngeal cancer, increased SIRs were observed in the land transportation industry among male workers (SIR [95% CI]: 1.65 [1.02–2.53]). For lung cancer, elevated SIRs were observed in the industries including animal production (1.72 [1.03–2.68]), fishing (1.70 [1.05–2.60]), mining (1.69 [1.22–2.27]), travel (1.41 [1.00–1.93]), and transportation (1.22 [1.15–1.30]) among male workers. For female works, healthcare (2.08 [1.04–3.72]) and wholesale (1.88 [1.18–2.85]) industries were associated with a high risk of lung cancer. As an increased risk of respiratory tract cancers has been identified in employees associated with certain industries, appropriate policy intervention is needed to prevent occupational cancers.
Semi-analytic forecasts for JWST – II. Physical properties and scaling relations for galaxies at z = 4–10

The long anticipated James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be able to directly detect large samples of galaxies at very high redshift. Using the well-established, computationally efficient Santa Cruz semi-analytic model, with recently implemented multiphase gas partitioning, and H2-based star formation recipes, we make predictions for a wide variety of galaxy properties for galaxy populations at z = 4–10. In this work, we provide forecasts for the physical properties of high-redshift galaxies and links to their photometric properties. With physical parameters calibrated only to z ∼ 0 observations, our model predictions are in good agreement with current observational constraints on stellar mass and star formation rate distribution functions up to z ∼ 8. We also provide predictions representing wide, deep, and lensed JWST survey configurations. We study the redshift evolution of key galaxy properties and the scaling relations among them. Taking advantage of our models’ high computational efficiency, we study the impact of systematically varying the model parameters. All distribution functions and scaling relations presented in this work are available at https://www.simonsfoundation. org/semi-analytic-forecasts-for-jwst/.
Conformal Prediction Credibility Intervals

In the predictive modeling context, the credibility estimator is a point predictor; it is easy to calculate and avoids the model misspecification risk asymptotically, but it provides no quantification of inferential uncertainty. A Bayesian prediction interval quantifies uncertainty of prediction, but it often requires expensive computation and is subject to model misspecification risk even asymptotically. Is there a way to get the best of both worlds? Based on a powerful machine learning strategy called conformal prediction, this article proposes a method that converts the credibility estimator into a conformal prediction credibility interval. This conformal prediction credibility interval contains the credibility estimator, has computational simplicity, and guarantees finite-sample validity at a pre-assigned coverage level.
SETIBURST: A Robotic, Commensal, Realtime Multi-science Backend for the Arecibo Telescope

Radio astronomy has traditionally depended on observatories allocating time to observers for exclusive use of their telescopes. The disadvantage of this scheme is that the data thus collected is rarely used for other astronomy applications, and in many cases, is unsuitable. For example, properly calibrated pulsar search data can, with some reduction, be used for spectral line surveys. A backend that supports plugging in multiple applications to a telescope to perform commensal data analysis will vastly increase the science throughput of the facility. In this paper, we present “SETIBURST,” a robotic, commensal, realtime multi-science backend for the 305 m Arecibo Telescope. The system uses the 1.4 GHz, seven-beam Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFA) receiver whenever it is operated. SETIBURST currently supports two applications: SERENDIP VI, a SETI spectrometer that is conducting a search for signs of technological life, and ALFABURST, a fast transient search system that is conducting a survey of fast radio bursts (FRBs). Based on the FRB event rate and the expected usage of ALFA, we expect 0–5 FRB detections over the coming year. SETIBURST also provides the option of plugging in more applications. We outline the motivation for our instrumentation scheme and the scientific motivation of the two surveys, along with their descriptions and related discussions.
DETECTION OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PATHOGENIC BACTERIA AFFECT EXTERNAL ORGANS OF CYPRINUS CARPIO IN WASIT PROVINCE

The present study was aimed to find the most common causative agents relates to skin ulceration in most common fish farming (ponds and cages) affects Cyprinus carpio in Wasit province harvested from three different regions. The laboratory isolation and detection of bacteria in this study was carried out in medical laboratory techniques in Middle Technical University and Central Public Health Laboratory in Baghdad from September to December 2020. For this study 240 infected common carp Cyprinus carpio L. were used, 120 samples from cages and 120 samples from ponds. Samples were taken from three regions, which represented the north, central, and south of the governorate. Samples from skin ulcers were taken from affected areas in the body of the fish, skin, gills and fins, then transporting to the laboratory to perform bacterial culture. The present study illustrates that the common causative agent of ulceration in fish skin, gills and fins was bacteria with most detected bacteria were Aeromonas hydrophila (56.7%) in cages and (37.5%) in ponds, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (40.83%) in cages and (35.08%) in ponds, and Citrobacter freundii (41.66%) in cages and (25.8%) in ponds through the months including in this study. In conclusion, the most important pathogenic bacteria related to skin ulceration in both cages and ponds in all three locations in Wasit province were Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Citrobacter freundii. The infection rate was higher in cages compared to ponds because of increase pollution by sewage and organic compound and due to stress condition resulting from higher stoking density.
Testing Bekenstein's relativistic Modified Newtonian Dynamics with lensing data

We propose to use multiple-imaged gravitational lenses to set limits on gravity theories without dark matter, specifically tensor-vector-scalar (TeVeS) theory, a theory which is consistent with fundamental relativistic principles and the phenomenology of Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) theory. After setting the framework for lensing and cosmology, we analytically derive the deflection angle for the point lens and the Hernquist galaxy profile, and study their patterns in convergence, shear and amplification. Applying our analytical lensing models, we fit galaxy-quasar lenses in the CfA-Arizona Space Telescope Lens Survey (CASTLES) sample. We do this with three methods, fitting the observed Einstein ring sizes, the image positions, or the flux ratios. In all the cases, we consistently find that stars in galaxies in MOND/TeVeS provide adequate lensing. Bekenstein's toy μ function provides more efficient lensing than the standard MOND μ function. But for a handful of lenses, a good fit would require a lens mass orders of magnitude larger/smaller than the stellar mass derived from luminosity unless the modification function μ and modification scale a 0 for the universal gravity were allowed to be very different from what spiral galaxy rotation curves normally imply. We discuss the limitation of present data and summarize constraints on the MOND μ function. We also show that the simplest TeVeS 'minimal-matter' cosmology, a baryonic universe with a cosmological constant, can fit the distance-redshift relation from the supernova data, but underpredicts the sound horizon size at the last scattering. We conclude that lensing is a promising approach to differentiate laws of gravity.
Plasma sheet polytropic index as inferred from the FPE measurements. [fast plasma experiment]

Recent calculations of the plasma sheet polytropic index based on different data sets resulted in quantitatively different conclusions. Baumjohann and Paschmann [1989] (referred to as BP) used AMPTE/IRM data, obtaining an index around 5/3. Huang et al. [1989] (referred to as HCF) used ISEE LEPEDEA data, obtaining an index less than 1. Using the ISEE FPE ion data, we demonstrate in this work that 1. the above noted difference is due primarily to the different variables the authors used to estimate the index; 2. the estimated index varies with the degree of the data scattering; 3. the polytropic index of the central plasma sheet is found to be larger than 1 but less than 1.67; 4. the variation of the specific entropy among flux tubes is considerable and indicates the different origins of the plasma in different flux tubes.