Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Galaxy Sizes Since z = 2 from the Perspective of Stellar Mass Distribution within Galaxies

How stellar mass assembles within galaxies is still an open question. We present measurements of the stellar mass distribution on kiloparsec-scales for ∼5500 galaxies with stellar masses above up to redshift 2.0. We create stellar mass maps from Hubble Space Telescope observations by means of the pixel-by-pixel spectral energy distribution fitting method. These maps are used to derive radii encompassing 20%, 50%, and 80% (r20, r50, and r80) of the total stellar mass from the best-fit Sérsic models. The reliability and limitations of the structural parameter measurements are checked extensively using a large sample (∼3000) of simulated galaxies. The size–mass relations and redshift evolution of r20, r50, and r80 are explored for star-forming and quiescent galaxies. At fixed mass, the star-forming galaxies do not show significant changes in their r20, r50, and r80 sizes, indicating self-similar growth. Only above the pivot stellar mass of does r80 evolve as r80 ∝ (1 + z)−0.85±0.20, indicating that mass builds up in the outskirts of these systems (inside-out growth). The Sérsic values also increase for the massive star-forming galaxies toward late cosmic time. Massive quiescent galaxies show stronger size evolution at all radii, in particular, the r20 sizes. For these massive galaxies, Sérsic values remain almost constant since at least z ∼ 1.3, indicating that the strong size evolution is related to the changes in the outer parts of these galaxies. We make all the structural parameters publicly available.
Coherent and Purcell-Enhanced Emission from Erbium Dopants in a Cryogenic High-
Q
 Resonator

The stability and outstanding coherence of dopants and other atom-like defects in tailored host crystals make them a leading platform for the implementation of distributed quantum information processing and sensing in quantum networks. Albeit the required efficient light-matter coupling can be achieved via the integration into nanoscale resonators, in this approach the proximity of interfaces is detrimental to the coherence of even the least-sensitive emitters. Here, we establish an alternative: By integrating a 19 micrometer thin erbium-doped crystal into a cryogenic Fabry-Perot resonator with a quality factor of nine million, we can demonstrate 59(6)-fold enhancement of the emission rate, corresponding to a two-level Purcell factor of 530(50), while preserving lifetime-limited optical coherence up to 0.54(1) ms. With its emission at the minimal-loss wavelength of optical fibers and its outcoupling efficiency of 46(8) %, our system enables coherent and efficient nodes for long-distance quantum networks.
In Vitro Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation-Induced Stroke Models with Human Neuroblastoma Cell- and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons

Stroke is a devastating neurological disorder and one of the leading causes of mortality and disability. To understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of stroke and to develop novel therapeutic approaches, two different in vitro human cell-based stroke models were established using oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions. In addition, the effect of adipose stem cells (ASCs) on OGD-induced injury was studied. In the present study, SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) were differentiated into neurons, cultured under OGD conditions (1% O2) for 24 h, and subjected to a reperfusion period for 24 or 72 h. After OGD, ASCs were cocultured with neurons on inserts for 24 or 72 h to study the neuroprotective potential of ASCs. The effect of OGD and ASC coculture on the viability, apoptosis, and proliferation of and axonal damage to neuronal cells was studied. The results showed that OGD conditions induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis of SH-SY5Y- and hiPSC-derived neurons, although more severe damage was detected in SH-SY5Y-derived neurons than in hiPSC-derived neurons. Coculture with ASCs was protective for neurons, as the number of dead ASC-cocultured neurons was lower than that of control cells, and coculture increased the proliferation of both cell types. To conclude, we developed in vitro human cell-based stroke models in SH-SY5Y- and hiPSC-derived neurons. This was the first time hiPSCs were used to model stroke in vitro. Since OGD had different effects on the studied cell types, this study highlights the importance of using several cell types in in vitro studies to confirm the outcomes of the study. Here, ASCs exerted a neuroprotective effect by increasing the proliferation and decreasing the death of SH-SY5Y- and hiPSC-derived neurons after OGD.
Prevalence and Distribution of the Middle Mesial Canal in Mandibular First Molar Teeth of the Kerman Population: A CBCT Study

Purpose Missed additional canals are one of the most important reasons for RCT failures in molar teeth. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of middle mesial canals in mandibular first molars of the Kerman population. Materials and Methods A retrospective study was performed on de-identified cone beam image sets from 3 private radiology centers in Kerman. A total of 100 mandibular first molars from 62 patients (mean age 32 years) were included. Information regarding the patient's age and gender, the location of teeth, and the presence or absence of a MMC and also a second distal canal in MMC cases was recorded in an Excel table. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (IBM-USA). Results The overall prevalence of MMCs in the mandibular first molars was 8.1% (10.0% in females and 6.3% in males). More cases of MMCs were seen on the right side (12.2%) than the left side (3.4%). One case of bilateral MMCs combined with bilateral second distal canals in the mandibular first molars was seen in a 26-year-old female. A further case of bilateral MMCs was found in a 32-year-old male but with single-canal distal roots on both sides. Conclusion The overall prevalence of MMCs in the Kerman population (8.1%) is at the lower end of the reported range of the international literature (0.26% to 53.8%). In the cohort examined in this study, mid mesial canals were more prevalent in females and on the right side. There was no definite relationship between MMCs and second distal canals in the mandibular first molar teeth in the same subject. MMCs may be unilateral or bilateral. Careful exploration of the pulpal floor between canal orifices is essential to prevent missing the MMC, as this would cause undesirable clinical outcomes.
Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of 16S rRNA Sequences Identified Two Lineages of Helicobacter pylori Strains Detected from Different Regions in Sudan Suggestive of Differential Evolution

Background Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is ubiquitous among humans and one of the best-studied examples of an intimate association between bacteria and humans. Phylogeny and Phylogeography of H. pylori strains are known to mirror human migration patterns and reflect significant demographic events in human prehistory. In this study, we analyzed the molecular evolution of H. pylori strains detected from different tribes and regions of Sudan using 16S rRNA gene and the phylogenetic approach. Materials and methods. A total of 75 gastric biopsies were taken from patients who had been referred for endoscopy from different regions of Sudan. The DNA extraction was performed by using the guanidine chloride method. Two sets of primers (universal and specific for H. pylori) were used to amplify the 16S ribosomal gene. Sanger sequencing was applied, and the resulted sequences were matched with the sequences of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) nucleotide database. The evolutionary aspects were analyzed using MEGA7 software. Results Molecular detection of H. pylori has shown that 28 (37.33%) of the patients were positive for H. pylori and no significant differences were found in sociodemographic characteristics, endoscopy series, and H. pylori infection. Nucleotide variations were observed at five nucleotide positions (positions 219, 305, 578, 741, and 763–764), and one insertion mutation (750_InsC_751) was present in sixty-seven percent (7/12) of our strains. These six mutations were detected in regions of the 16S rRNA not closely associated with either tetracycline or tRNA binding sites; 66.67% of them were located in the central domain of 16S rRNA. The phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences identified two lineages of H. pylori strains detected from different regions in Sudan. The presence of Sudanese H. pylori strains resembling Hungarian H. pylori strains could reflect the migration of Hungarian people to Sudan or vice versa. Conclusion This finding emphasizes the significance of studying the phylogeny of H. pylori strains as a discriminatory tool to mirror human migration patterns. In addition, the 16S rRNA gene amplification method was found useful for bacterial identification and phylogeny.
Follow-Up of Advanced Parkinson's Disease Patients after Clinical or Surgical Emergencies: A Practical Approach

Background Patients with advanced stage Parkinson's disease (PD) typically present with a myriad of motor and nonmotor symptoms in addition to comorbidities and, as a consequence, polypharmacy. Objective To analyze a series of cases of advanced PD in which a clinical or surgical emergency played a trigger role in the irreversible progression of landmarks of the course of the disease. Methods Data were collected during a 13-month observational period of a cohort of 230 PD patients, in 751 medical appointments. We included a total of 13 (5.65% of the total number) patients with advanced PD defined by Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) stage ≥3 who presented with various clinical and surgical complications which, with the contribution of drug interventions, led to significant worsening of patients' overall clinical condition. Results Hip fractures and infections were the most common complications identified. As part of this scenario, most patients presented with delirium, often requiring treatment with dopamine receptor blocking agents and/or had dopaminergic treatment withdrawn. Upon reassessment after 3 months, all patients remained bed or wheel chair bound (H&Y 5) and presented significant worsening of their UPDRS part III score of at least 10 points (mean 51.5 ± 3.3; paired t-test two-tailed p < 0.0001 compared to baseline). The mean dose of levodopa at baseline was 907.7 ± 149.8 mg (600–1200) and significantly higher (paired t-test two-tailed p < 0.0001) on follow-up, 1061.5 ± 175.8 mg (700–1300). Conclusion Clinical and surgical emergencies are major determinants for a progression of PD to more advanced stages.
The Role of Self-Efficacy in the Recovery Process of Stroke Survivors

Introduction Belief in one’s personal capabilities are conducive to achieving success and provides additional energy for action. The stronger the conviction of one’s self-efficacy, the higher the self-goals and the stronger the commitment to achieving them, despite any adversities. Our knowledge regarding the role of self-efficacy in post-stroke rehabilitation is still scarce. Aim of the Study The study aimed to analyze characteristics related to high self-efficacy levels before and after rehabilitation and to determine the role of self-efficacy in this process. Materials and Methods The study involved 99 stroke survivors. Participants’ mental and functional state were assessed using Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Barthel Index (BI), Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI). Patients were evaluated twice: on admission (T1) and 3 weeks into rehabilitation (T2). Results Patients without self-efficacy improvement after 3 weeks of rehabilitation, on discharge from the ward demonstrated poorer well-being (p = 0.002, Hedges’ g = 0.63, 95% CI [0.24–1.08]), lower illness acceptance levels (p < 0.001, Hedges’ g = −0.78, 95% CI [−1.25 – −0.41]), poorer functional status in basic activities of daily living (p = 0.003, Hedges’ g = −0.62, 95% CI [−1 – −0.25]), locomotive abilities (p = 0.004, Hedges’ g = −0.58, 95% CI [−1.12 – −0.15]) and instrumental activities of daily living (p = 0.001, Hedges’ g = −0.71, 95% CI [−1.15 – −0.34]). Conclusion Self-efficacy level is significantly related to rehabilitation outcomes. A routine self-efficacy assessment during the rehabilitation process seems very important. Patients whose initial self-efficacy is low or remains unchanged despite rehabilitation require special attention. Close cooperation between all members of the therapeutic team is essential to strengthen, at each stage, the sense of self-efficacy in stroke survivors.
Overview of Legal and Policy Framework Approaches for Plastic Bag Waste Management in African Countries

Plastic bag waste is a major challenge in several African countries. As a way of reducing the detrimental effects posed by plastic bags, governments have adopted various approaches for plastic bag waste management that include levies, bans and or the combination of the two. Despite the adoption of anti-plastic bag policies in several African countries, there has been limited investigation regarding their effectiveness. Thus, the present paper reviews the effectiveness of legal and policy framework approaches for plastic bag waste management in African countries. This systematic review covers legal and policy framework approaches for plastic bag waste management in African countries since 2004 with a view to find their effectiveness. Data sources included peer-reviewed journal articles, websites, books, reports, and dissertations. The databases from which literature was retrieved included Elsevier, Taylor, Springer, institutional repository, and Google Scholar. The current paper argues that poorly enforced plastic bag legislation, resistance from stakeholders, and limited effective substitutes are major factors hindering effective plastic bag waste management in Africa. A six-step model developed by Patton and Sawicki assisted in evaluating plastic bag policies in varied African nations. The study concluded that the key to effective legislation is hinged on consistent enforcement and educating the public to attain environmental buy-in. African countries should adopt and implement the Patton and Sawicki six-step rationalist model to achieve effective plastic bag legislation. African governments should enlighten consumers about other alternatives that are more specific to African countries, especially bags made of raffia and leaves. The findings are limited in that there may be other relevant articles (beyond published articles) about policy and legal approaches for plastic bag waste management, which are not available in the public domain. Therefore, data reviewed may not be exhaustible.
Multi-Stimuli-Responsive DOX Released from Magnetosome for Tumor Synergistic Theranostics

Background To improve responses to tumor microenvironments for achieving a better therapeutic outcome in combination cancer therapy, poly(ε-caprolactone)-SS-poly(methacrylic acid) diblock copolymer (PCL-SS-PMAA) with a disulfide linkage between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic junctions was synthesized. Materials and Methods Repeating units of PCL and PMAA in PCL-SS-PMAA were controlled and formulated into polymersomes (PSPps). Truncated octahedral Fe3O4 nanoparticles (IONPs) were synthesized and encapsulated to produce IONPs-PSPps NPs and doxorubicin (DOX) was further loaded to produce IONPs-PSPps@DOX NPs for theranostic applications. Results IONPs-PSPps NPs remained a superparamagnetic property with a saturation magnetization value of 85 emu⋅gFe3O4−1 and a relaxivity value of 180 mM−1⋅s−1. Upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field (AMF), IONPs-PSPps NPs increased temperature from 25°C to 54°C within 15 min. Among test groups, the cell apoptosis was greatest in the group exposed to IONPs-PSPps@DOX NPs with AMF and magnet assistance. In vivo T2-weighted magnetic resonance images of A549 tumor-bearing mice also showed highest contrast and greatest tumor suppression in the tumor with AMF and magnet assistance. Conclusion IONPs-PSPps@DOX NPs are a potential theranostic agent having multifaceted applications involving magnetic targeting, MRI diagnosis, hyperthermia and chemotherapy.
Does Performing the Chinese Eye Exercises Help Protect Children’s Vision? – New Evidence from Primary Schools in Rural Northwestern China

Background The high prevalence of myopia among school-age children in China has raised serious concerns about protecting Chinese students’ vision. While the regular performance of the Chinese eye exercises has been adopted as a preventive approach in China since the mid-1960s, these exercises’ effectiveness at protecting students’ vision has remained largely unknown. This study attempts to provide new evidence of the impact of regularly performing the exercises on Chinese students’ visual outcomes, based on a large-scale dataset. Methods A school-based survey was conducted among 9842 randomly selected students (fourth graders) from 252 primary schools in rural Northwestern China in 2012. To address potential estimation bias, we adopted both an instrumental variable (IV) approach and a bivariate-probit model to estimate the impacts on students’ visual acuity and the incidences of visual impairment and myopia. Results Both IV and bivariate-probit estimates reveal a detrimental impact of regularly performing the Chinese eye exercises on students’ vision. Compared with students who did not regularly perform the exercises, those who did were 6.2 percentage points more likely to have impaired vision and 7.6 percentage points more likely to be myopic. The estimates are robust to different estimation strategies, various specifications, and the majority of subsamples. Conclusion Under the assumption that the correct performance of the Chinese eye exercises would not undermine students’ vision, our findings suggest that the commonly-observed incorrect performance of these exercises among Chinese students imposes non-trivial threats to their vision health.
Tissue-Resident Type 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells Arrest Alveolarization in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a severe complication of the respiratory system associated with preterm birth. Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) play a major role in tissue homeostasis, inflammation, and wound healing. However, the role in BPD remains unclear. The present study showed that ILC2s, interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-13, and anti-inflammatory (M2) macrophages increased significantly in BPD mice as compared to the control mice. Administration with recombinant mouse IL-33 amplified the above phenomena and aggravated the alveolar structural disorder and functional injury in mice subjected to BPD, and the opposite was true with anti-ST2 antibody. In addition, the depletion of ILC2s in BPD mice with anti-CD90.2 antibody substantially abolished the destructive effect on BPD. In the treatment of BPD with dexamethasone, the number of ILC2s and M2 macrophages and levels of IL-4 and IL-13 decreased with remission as compared to the control group. This study identified a major destructive role of the ILC2s in BPD that could be attenuated as a therapeutic strategy.
Human papillomavirus and Its Association with Other Sexually Transmitted Coinfection among Sexually Active Women from the Northeast of Brazil

Objective To verify the association between HPV infection and the presence of coinfections (Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) in women in the state of Maranhão. Methods HPV-DNA detection was performed by the nested PCR, using the primers PGMY09/11 and GP + 5/GP + 6. For the identification of sexually transmitted agents, conventional PCR was performed using the following primers: KL1/KL2 (Chlamydia trachomatis), TVA5/TVA6 (Trichomonas vaginalis), and HO1/HO3 (Neisseria gonorrhoeae). DNA-HPV positive samples were subjected to automated sequencing for genotyping. Results Among the 353 women evaluated, 204 (57.8%) had HPV-DNA, of which 140 (68.6%) exhibited HPV/STIs, while 64 (31.4%) had the only HPV. T. vaginalis infection showed a positive association with HPV (p=0.003). Women without cervical lesions were predominant (327/92.6%); however, the largest number of lesions was reported in women who had HPV/coinfections (18/8.8%). Multiple regression analysis showed that both HPV only and the concomitant presence of HPV/STI were able to indicate the occurrence of epithelial lesions (R = 0.164; R2 = 0.027). Conclusion The findings suggest that the presence of T. vaginalis can contribute to HPV infection, and HPV/IST association may influence the development of cervical intraepithelial lesions that are precursors of cervical cancer.
Ensemble Learning with Multiclassifiers on Pediatric Hand Radiograph Segmentation for Bone Age Assessment

In the study of pediatric automatic bone age assessment (BAA) in clinical practice, the extraction of the object area in hand radiographs is an important part, which directly affects the prediction accuracy of the BAA. But no perfect segmentation solution has been found yet. This work is to develop an automatic hand radiograph segmentation method with high precision and efficiency. We considered the hand segmentation task as a classification problem. The optimal segmentation threshold for each image was regarded as the prediction target. We utilized the normalized histogram, mean value, and variance of each image as input features to train the classification model, based on ensemble learning with multiple classifiers. 600 left-hand radiographs with the bone age ranging from 1 to 18 years old were included in the dataset. Compared with traditional segmentation methods and the state-of-the-art U-Net network, the proposed method performed better with a higher precision and less computational load, achieving an average PSNR of 52.43 dB, SSIM of 0.97, DSC of 0.97, and JSI of 0.91, which is more suitable in clinical application. Furthermore, the experimental results also verified that hand radiograph segmentation could bring an average improvement for BAA performance of at least 13%.
Fine mapping of the QTL cqSPDA2 for chlorophyll content in Brassica napus L.

Background Chlorophyll is the most important factor enabling plants to absorb, transfer and transform light energy and plays an important role in yield formation. Brassica napus is one of the most important oil crops. Breeding Brassica napus for high light efficiency by improving photosynthetic efficiency has considerable social and economic value. In Brassica napus , there have been studies of the initial location of chlorophyll in seed embryos and pericarps, but there are few reports on the fine mapping of chlorophyll QTLs. We constructed near-isogenic lines (NIL), fine-mapped a chlorophyll locus, and evaluated the effect of this dominant locus on agronomic traits. Results The cqSPDA2 locus was mapped to an interval of 21.87–22.91 Mb on the chromosome A02 of Brassica napus using doubled haploid (DH) lines. To fine-map cqSPDA2 , we built NIL and designed Indel primers covering the mapping interval. The 469 individuals in the BC 3 F 2 population were analyzed using these indel primers. Among these indel primers, 15 could narrow the mapping interval to 188 kb between Indel3 and Indel15. Next, 16 indel primers and 19 SSR primers were designed within the new narrower mapping interval, and 5 of the primer-amplified fragments were found to be polymorphic and tightly linked to the cqSPDA2 locus in the BC 4 F 2 population. The mapping interval was narrowed to 152 kb on A02 between SSR2 and Indel15. By gene expression analysis, we found three annotated genes in the mapping interval, including BnaA02g30260D , BnaA02g30290D and BnaA02g30310D , which may be responsible for chlorophyll synthesis. Conclusions The locus cqSPDA2 , a dominant QTL for chlorophyll content in Brassica napus , was fine-mapped to a 21.89–22.04 Mb interval on A02 . Three annotated genes ( BnaA02g30260D , BnaA02g30290D and BnaA02g30310D ) that may be responsible for chlorophyll synthesis were found.