Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The clustering of the SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey DR14 quasar sample: measuring the evolution of the growth rate using redshift-space distortions between redshift 0.8 and 2.2

We measure the growth rate and its evolution using the anisotropic clustering of the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) Data Release 14 (DR14) quasar sample, which includes |$148\, 659$| quasars covering the wide redshift range of 0.8 < z < 2.2 and a sky area of |$2112.90\, \rm deg^2$|⁠. To optimize measurements we deploy a redshift-dependent weighting scheme, which allows us to avoid binning and perform the data analysis consistently including the redshift evolution across the sample. We perform the analysis in Fourier space, and use the redshift evolving power spectrum multipoles to measure the redshift-space distortion parameter fσ_8 and parameters controlling the anisotropic projection of the cosmological perturbations. We measure fσ_8(z = 1.52) = 0.43 ± 0.05 and dfσ_8/dz(z = 1.52) = −0.16 ± 0.08, consistent with the expectation for a lambda cold dark matter cosmology as constrained by the Planck experiment.
Formation and Evolution of Galaxies: Les Houches Lectures

This is a set of lecture notes based on the lectures on the formation and evolution of galaxies which were given by S. White at Les Houches in August 1993. This postscript file does not contain the 16 figures. A version containing these figures can be obtained by writing to: Fr. C. Rickl, MPI fuer Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschildstr. 1, 85740 Garching, Germany (car@mpa-garching.mpg.de).
Nature of carrier injection in metal/2D-semiconductor interface and its implications for the limits of contact resistance

Monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) exhibit excellent electronic and optical properties. However, the performance of these two-dimensional (2D) devices are often limited by the large resistance offered by the metal contact interface. To date, the carrier injection mechanism from metal to 2D TMDC layers remains unclear, with widely varying reports of Schottky barrier height (SBH) and contact resistance (Rc), particularly in the monolayer limit. In this paper, we use a combination of theory and experiments in Au and Ni contacted monolayer MoS2 device to elucidate the following points: (i) the carriers are injected at the source contact through a cascade of two potential barriers-the barrier heights being determined by the degree of interaction between the metal and the TMDC layer; (ii) the conventional Richardson equation becomes invalid due to the multidimensional nature of the injection barriers, and using Bardeen-Tersoff theory, we derive the appropriate form of the Richardson equation that describes such a composite barrier; (iii) we propose a novel transfer length method (TLM) based SBH extraction methodology, to reliably extract SBH by eliminating any confounding effect of temperature dependent channel resistance variation; (iv) we derive the Landauer limit of the contact resistance achievable in such devices. A comparison of the limits with the experimentally achieved contact resistance reveals plenty of room for technological improvements.
Reduction in medical costs for cardiovascular diseases through innovative health awareness projects in a rural area in Japan

To promote health awareness and improve life expectancy in Hirosaki, a Japanese rural area, the Center of Healthy Aging Program (CHAP) was founded in 2013. The most important characteristic of CHAP is a personalized interview just after the checkup to discuss individual results. We evaluated the clinical and economic effects of CHAP by analyzing the cohort data of voluntary participants from annual health checkups since 2005 in the Iwaki district of Hirosaki. We calculated 10-year incidence risk scores for coronary heart diseases (CHDs) and stroke, and compared the risk-score trend before and after the start of CHAP by adjusting other risk factors using multivariate generalized linear regression analyses. We also predicted the 10-year incidences of CHDs and stroke based on the risk scores, for future scenarios of the two conditions, with and without CHAP, and compared them to their treatment costs between scenarios. The number of participants ranged between 808 and 1,167, from 2008 to 2016. The mean age (55 years) and proportion of women (60%) did not significantly change throughout the period. After adjusting for sex, age, outside temperature on the checkup date, the preparation effect of CHAP in 2012, and risk scores in the previous year, the annual increases in risk scores of CHDs and stroke were significant even after CHAP (+0.413, p <0.001; +0.169, p <0.001, respectively), but slightly less compared to before CHAP (+2.638, p <0.001; +1.155, p <0.001, respectively). Assuming the trend continued until 2021, the 10-year incidences of CHDs and stroke have decreases by 22,486 and 9,603, respectively, and treatment costs decreased by JPY 21,973 and 16,056 million, respectively. CHAP contributes to a significant decrease in the incidences of CHDs and stroke, and reduces economic burden on the local government.
Impact of ergosterol content on acetic and lactic acids toxicity to Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Organic acid stress often represents a major hurdle in industrial bio‐based microbial processes. Organic acids can be released from lignocellulosic feedstocks pretreatment and can also be desirable products obtained by microbial fermentation with applications in different industrial sectors. Yeasts are prominent cell factories. However, the presence of organic acids can compromise yeast metabolism, impairing fermentation performances and limiting the economic feasibility of the processes. Plasma membrane remodeling is deeply involved in yeast tolerance to organic acids, but the detailed mechanisms and potentials of this phenomenon remain largely to be studied and exploited. We investigated the impact of ergosterol on Saccharomyces cerevisiae tolerance against organic acid stress by coupling in vitro and in vivo assays. In the in vitro assay, synthetic lipid vesicles were prepared containing different concentrations of ergosterol. We observed changes in organic acids diffusion through the membrane as a function of ergosterol content. Then, we extended our approach in vivo, engineering S. cerevisiae with the aim of changing the ergosterol content of cells. We focused on ECM22, an important transcription factor, involved in the regulation of ergosterol biosynthesis. The overexpression of ECM22 was sufficient to increase ergosterol levels in S. cerevisiae, resulting in an enhanced tolerance toward lactic acid stress. In this work we propose an in vitro approach, using synthetic lipid vesicles, as a complementary method to be used when studying the impact of the plasma membrane lipid composition on the diffusion of organic acids.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Ketoprofen Degrader, Rhodococcus erythropolis IEGM 746

We report a draft genome sequence of Rhodococcus erythropolis IEGM 746 isolated from oil-polluted soil from an oil-extracting enterprise, Udmurt Republic, Russia. This strain was able to degrade ketoprofen, a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Using the obtained sequence, putative genes encoding enzymes for ketoprofen degradation were revealed. ABSTRACT We report a draft genome sequence of Rhodococcus erythropolis IEGM 746 isolated from oil-polluted soil from an oil-extracting enterprise, Udmurt Republic, Russia. This strain was able to degrade ketoprofen, a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Using the obtained sequence, putative genes encoding enzymes for ketoprofen degradation were revealed.
Anisotropic current-induced spin accumulation in the two-dimensional electron gas with spin-orbit coupling

We investigate the magnetoelectric (or inverse spin-galvanic) effect in the two dimensional electron gases with both Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling using an exact solution of the Boltzmann equation for electron spin and momentum. The spin response to an in-plane electric field turns out to be highly anisotropic while the usual charge conductivity remains isotropic, contrary to earlier statements.
Impact of acute kidney injury on the risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective To compare the risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis with and without the associated acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods We performed a systematic search in the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases for observational studies that were done on patients with cirrhosis. Eligible studies reported AKI in patients with cirrhosis and compared mortality among patients with and without AKI. We used a random-effects model, using STATA version 16.0, for deriving pooled effect sizes that were reported as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Thirty-two studies were included. In patients with cirrhosis, AKI was significantly associated with higher in-hospital mortality (OR 5.92), and mortality at 30 days (OR 4.78), 90 days (OR 4.34), and at 1 year follow-up (OR 4.82) compared to patients without AKI. Conclusions AKI is associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Careful monitoring to identify the development of AKI and early prompt management is necessary.
Colour similarity study among small galaxy groups members

ABSTRACT We applied a membership test based on the colour similarity of group members to detect the discordant galaxies in small groups (quintets) that had been determined by the Friends-of-Friends (FoF) algorithm. Our method depends on the similarity of the colour indices (u-g) and (g-r) of the group members. The chosen sample of quintets was extracted from “Flux- and volume-limited groups for SDSS galaxies” catalogue which is a spectroscopic sample of galaxies originally taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey – Data Release 10 (SDSS-DR10). The sample included 282 quintets with a total number of 1410 galaxies. The similarity measure used in this study is the Euclidean distance. The calculations showed that 73.4% of the group samples (207 out of 282 quintet groups) have galaxies with similar colours (u-g) and (g-r). Each of the remainder groups (75 systems) has an interloper galaxy with different colours than the other members, and hence they became quadrants. We found that group members tend to be more luminous than outliers. We conclude that using the similarities in the colour indices between group members gives better identification of group membership.
Canvas and cosmos: Visual art techniques applied to astronomy data

Bold color images from telescopes act as extraordinary ambassadors for research astronomers because they pique the public’s curiosity. But are they snapshots documenting physical reality? Or are we looking at artistic spacescapes created by digitally manipulating astronomy images? This paper provides a tour of how original black and white data, from all regimes of the electromagnetic spectrum, are converted into the color images gracing popular magazines, numerous websites, and even clothing. The history and method of the technical construction of these images is outlined. However, the paper focuses on introducing the scientific reader to visual literacy (e.g. human perception) and techniques from art (e.g. composition, color theory) since these techniques can produce not only striking but politically powerful public outreach images. When created by research astronomers, the cultures of science and visual art can be balanced and the image can illuminate scientific results sufficiently strongly that the im.
Enhancing iPSC‐CM Maturation Using a Matrigel‐Coated Micropatterned PDMS Substrate

Cardiac myocytes isolated from adult heart tissue have a rod‐like shape with highly organized intracellular structures. Cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells (iPSC‐CMs), on the other hand, exhibit disorganized structure and contractile mechanics, reflecting their pronounced immaturity. These characteristics hamper research using iPSC‐CMs. The protocol described here enhances iPSC‐CM maturity and function by controlling the cellular shape and environment of the cultured cells. Microstructured silicone membranes function as a cell culture substrate that promotes cellular alignment. iPSC‐CMs cultured on micropatterned membranes display an in‐vivo‐like rod‐shaped morphology. This physiological cellular morphology along with the soft biocompatible silicone substrate, which has similar stiffness to the native cardiac matrix, promotes maturation of contractile function, calcium handling, and electrophysiology. Incorporating this technique for enhanced iPSC‐CM maturation will help bridge the gap between animal models and clinical care, and ultimately improve personalized medicine for cardiovascular diseases. © 2022 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
COVID-19 vaccine inequity and Big Pharma: time to rethink our love affair?

Two years into the pandemic, 67.7% of the world has received at least one dose of vaccine; however, the percentage in developing countries is only 21% (Ritchie et al., 2022). This massive vaccine inequity is, quite frankly, an embarrassment. Companies have prioritized sales to governments willing and able to pay the highest price. As a result, 70% of the doses produced by Moderna, Pfizer, and BioNTech are going to wealthy nations, creating massive vaccine inequities (Yamey et al., 2022). Here we discuss two areas where the global community can play an important role in addressing this gap. Intellectual Property (IP) rights for COVID-19 vaccines
Accretion in Young Stellar/Substellar Objects

We present a study of accretion in a sample of 45 young, low-mass objects in a variety of star-forming regions and young associations, about half of which are likely substellar. Based primarily on the presence of broad, asymmetric Hα emission, we have identified 13 objects (~30% of our sample) that are strong candidates for ongoing accretion. At least three of these are substellar. We do not detect significant continuum veiling in most of the accretors with late spectral types (M5-M7). Accretion shock models show that lack of measurable veiling allows us to place an upper limit to the mass accretion rates of ≲10-10 M☉ yr-1. Using magnetospheric accretion models with appropriate (sub)stellar parameters, we can successfully explain the accretor Hα emission-line profiles and derive quantitative estimates of accretion rates in the range 10-12 M☉ yr-1 < Ṁ < 10-9 M☉ yr-1. There is a clear trend of decreasing accretion rate with stellar mass, with mean accretion rates declining by 3-4 orders of magnitude over ~1-0.05 M☉.
Acute liver injury induced by drug interaction between dacomitinib and metoprolol due to the inhibition of CYP2D6 by dacomitinib

Introduction In recent years, oral antineoplastic agents are commonly used in antitumor therapy. The interaction between drugs may affect the efficacy of drugs or lead to adverse reactions. We describe the case of a patient who presented acute liver injury, possibly induced by the concomitant use of metoprolol and dacomitinib. Case report A 62-year-old male patient with non-small cell lung cancer was admitted for anti-cancer treatment. He regularly took metoprolol tartrate 12.5 mg, 2/day for hypertension. He was treated with dacomitinib according to EGFR Exon21 L858R positive. After 3 days of dacomitinib, the patient's alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and glutathione aminotransferase (AST) increased, and the heart rate and systolic blood pressure of the patient decreased significantly. The patient was diagnosed with acute liver injury. Management and outcomes Dacomitinib was discontinued and glutathione, magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate were given to treat acute liver injury. Two days after discontinued dacomitinib, the patient's heart rate increased, but the ALT and AST of the patient elevated again. Metoprolol tartrate was subsequently discontinued and the ALT and AST gradually decreased and the patient discharged from the hospital eight days later with his liver function improved. Discussion To our knowledge, this is the first case in the literature of acute liver injury possibly induced by the interaction between metoprolol and dacomitinib. The interaction most likely arose because dacomitinib is a CYP2D6 strong inhibitor and could therefore impair the metabolism of metoprolol (a CYP2D6 substrate) and increase its serum concentration. Therefore, hepatic function should be carefully monitored in patients treated with dacomitinib and metoprolol and other inhibitors or inducers of CYP2D6.
Lipoprotein(a) levels in children with suspected familial hypercholesterolaemia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Aims Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) predisposes children to the early initiation of atherosclerosis and is preferably diagnosed by DNA analysis. Yet, in many children with a clinical presentation of FH, no mutation is found. Adult data show that high levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] may underlie a clinical presentation of FH, as the cholesterol content of Lp(a) is included in conventional LDL cholesterol measurements. As this is limited to adult data, Lp(a) levels in children with and without (clinical) FH were evaluated. Methods and results Children were eligible if they visited the paediatric lipid clinic (1989–2020) and if Lp(a) measurement and DNA analysis were performed. In total, 2721 children (mean age: 10.3 years) were included and divided into four groups: 1931 children with definite FH (mutation detected), 290 unaffected siblings/normolipidaemic controls (mutation excluded), 108 children with probable FH (clinical presentation, mutation not detected), and 392 children with probable non-FH (no clinical presentation, mutation not excluded). In children with probable FH, 32% were found to have high Lp(a) [geometric mean (95% confidence interval) of 15.9 (12.3–20.6) mg/dL] compared with 10 and 10% [geometric means (95% confidence interval) of 11.5 (10.9–12.1) mg/dL and 9.8 (8.4–11.3) mg/dL] in children with definite FH (P = 0.017) and unaffected siblings (P = 0.002), respectively. Conclusion Lp(a) was significantly higher and more frequently elevated in children with probable FH compared with children with definite FH and unaffected siblings, suggesting that high Lp(a) may underlie the clinical presentation of FH when no FH-causing mutation is found. Performing both DNA analysis and measuring Lp(a) in all children suspected of FH is recommended to assess possible LDL cholesterol overestimation related to increased Lp(a).
Universal fault-tolerant measurement-based quantum computation

Certain physical systems that one might consider for fault-tolerant quantum computing where qubits do not readily interact, for instance photons, are better suited for measurement-based quantum-computational protocols. We develop a framework to map fault-tolerant procedures for quantum computation that have been natively designed for use with stabilizer codes onto a measurement-based protocol, allowing us to take advantage of the wealth of recent developments from the field of circuit-based fault-tolerant quantum computation with promising alternative architectures. We derive our framework by regarding measurement-based quantum computation as a specific case of gauge fixing where the gauge group of the underlying subsystem code is the union of the stabilizer group of a resource state and a single-qubit measurement pattern. To demonstrate our new framework we construct a new model of universal quantum computation based on the braiding and fusion of foliated topological defects that are akin to Majorana modes.
Spin wave theory for antiferromagnetic XXZ spin model on a triangle lattice in the presence of an external magnetic field

Spin wave theory is applied to a quantum antiferromagnetic XXZ model on a triangle lattice in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field. The effect of the field is found to enhance the quantum fluctuation and to reduce the sublattice magnetization at the intermediate field strength in the anisotropic case. The possible implication to the field driven quantum phase transition from a spin solid to a spin liquid is discussed.
Death associated protein-3 (DAP3) and DAP3 binding cell death enhancer-1 (DELE1) in human colorectal cancer, and their impacts on clinical outcome and chemoresistance

Death associated protein-3 (DAP3) was identified as a responsive protein to interferon-gamma-induced cell death which possibly exerts this regulation by interacting with DAP3 binding cell Death enhancer-1 (DELE1), a newly discovered mitochondrial stress protein in response to cell stress signals. Whilst DAP3 has been shown to be aberrantly expressed in several cancer types (i.e. breast cancer), little is known about the relationship between DAP3 and DELE1 in cancers. The present study examined the expression levels of both DAP3 and DELE1 in clinical colorectal cancers (CRCs), as well as their implication on chemoresistance and mechanism behind the action. Firstly, transcript levels of both DAP3 and DELE1 were quantitatively assessed in a clinical cohort of CRC (n=94). Tumour tissues had significantly higher levels of DAP3, but not DELE1 compared with normal tissues. Levels of DAP3 and DELE1 had a significant association with patient's clinical outcomes and local recurrence. DAP3 and DELE1 significantly correlated in normal colorectal tissues but not in tumour tissues. Secondly, the protein levels of DAP3 and DELE1 were evaluated in both normal and tumour colon tissues which showed that both proteins were highly aberrant in CRC tissues. In addition, both DAP3 and DELE1 at transcript and protein levels were identified as prognostic factors for patient's clinical outcomes. Furthermore, in in vitro assays, knocking down DAP3 or DELE1, and in particular both DAP3 and DELE1 together rendered the CRC cells more sensitive to chemotherapy drugs, consistent with clinical findings of the TCGA-COAD datasets. The acquisition of drug sensitivity following the genetic knockdown was independent of the mitochondrial metabolism, as neither DAP3 knockdown nor DELE1 knockdown showed a significant change. In summary, DAP3 and DELE1 are highly aberrant in CRCs, and both molecules are prognostic factors for patient's clinical outcomes and local recurrence, and are indicators for chemoresistance.
Quantum Fields as Deep Learning

We conjecture that quantum fields, such as the Higgs field, are related to a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM) for deep neural networks. An accelerating Rindler observer in a flat spacetime sees quantum fields that have a thermal distribution from quantum entanglement. For the observer a renormalization group (RG) process for the thermal fields on a lattice is similar to a deep Boltzmann network. This correspondence can be generalized for the Kubo-Martin-Schwinger (KMS) states of quantum fields in a curved spacetime like that around a black hole.