Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 messages in sponsored social media posts: The positive impact of influencer-brand fit and prior parasocial interaction

This study explores the dissemination potential of a COVID-19 message embedded in a sponsored social media post. The moderating role of prior parasocial interaction and influencer-brand fit were considered. 365 respondents participated in the study. A 3 (control, congruent, incongruent brand) × 2 (control, COVID-19 message) between-subject online experiment was designed and executed. Data were analyzed using a mediated moderation model. Results indicated that the three-way interaction of the COVID-19 message, brand presence and prior parasocial interaction affected the perceived influencer credibility, attitudes towards the social media post, and the behavioral engagement with the post. When the COVID-19 message was included in the post, increased prior parasocial interaction intensified the positive effect of influencer-brand fit on influencer credibility, which in turn resulted in a more positive attitude towards the post, and a higher behavioral engagement. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
Two is better than one: Using a single emotion lexicon can lead to unreliable conclusions

Emotion lexicons became a popular method for quantifying affect in large amounts of textual data (e.g., social media posts). There are multiple independently developed emotion lexicons which tend to correlate positively with one another but not entirely. Such differences between lexicons may not matter if they are just unsystematic noise, but if there are systematic differences this could affect conclusions of a study. The goal of this paper is to examine whether two extensively used, apparently domain-independent lexicons for emotion analysis would give the same answer to a theory-driven research question. Specifically, we use the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) and NRC Word-Emotion Association Lexicon (NRC). As an example, we investigate whether older people have more positive expression through their language use. We examined nearly 5 million tweets created by 3,573 people between 18 to 78 years old and found that both methods show an increase in positive affect until age 50. After that age, however, according to LIWC, positive affect drops sharply, whereas according to NRC, the growth of positive affect increases steadily until age 65 and then levels off. Thus, using one or the other method would lead researchers to drastically different theoretical conclusions regarding affect in older age. We unpack why the two methods give inconsistent conclusions and show this was mostly due to a particular class of words: those related to politics. We conclude that using a single lexicon might lead to unreliable conclusions, so we suggest that researchers should routinely use at least two lexicons. If both lexicons come to the same conclusion then the research evidence is reliable, but if not then researchers should further examine the lexicons to find out what difference might be causing inconclusive result.
Bayesian Principles and Causal Judgment

Richard B. Anderson, Advisor There has been extensive research on the ability to perceive causal and correlational relationships between variables. Recently, Bayesian principles have been brought to bear on this topic. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether people are sensitive to the probabilities of samples with varying mathematical characteristics drawn from correlated versus uncorrelated populations. Also of interest was the formation of judgments of causality, examined using concurrent process tracing techniques, including verbal protocol. Participants were presented with seven samples, three with determinate and four with indeterminate correlations, and were asked to rank them with respect to the likelihood that the sample indicated a positive causal relationship. Participants did show, under some circumstances, sensitivity to the probability that a sample had been drawn from a correlated versus an uncorrelated population, supporting the hypothesis that people take an inferential approach to causal judgment.
Acid sphingomyelinase inhibition improves motor behavioral deficits and neuronal loss in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons in the spinal cord. Main symptoms are manifested as weakness, muscle loss, and muscle atrophy. Some studies have reported that alterations in sphingolipid metabolism may be intimately related to neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS. Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM), a sphingolipid-metabolizing enzyme, is considered an important mediator of neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we show that ASM activity increases in samples from patients with ALS and in a mouse model. Moreover, genetic inhibition of ASM improves motor function impairment and spinal neuronal loss in an ALS mouse model. Therefore, these results suggest the role of ASM as a potentially effective target and ASM inhibition may be a possible therapeutic approach for ALS.
'Magnetic' components of gravitational waves and response functions of interferometers

Recently, arising from an enlighting analysis of Baskaran and Grishchuk in Class. Quant. Grav. 214041-4061 (2004), some papers in the literature have shown the presence and importance of the so-called "magnetic" components of gravitational waves (GWs), which have to be taken into account in the context of the total response functions of interferometers for GWs propagating from arbitrary directions. In italianInt. Journ. Mod. Phys. A 22, 13, 2361-2381 (2007) and Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 16, 9, 1497-1517 (2007) accurate response functions for the Virgo and LIGO interferometers have been analysed. However, some results which have been shown in italianInt. Journ. Mod. Phys. A 22, 13, 2361-2381 (2007) look in contrast with the results which have been shown in Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 16, 9, 1497-1517 (2007). In fact, in italianInt. Journ. Mod. Phys. A 22, 13, 2361-2381 (2007) it was claimed that the "magnetic" component of GWs could, in principle, extend the frequency range of Earth based interferometers, while in Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 16, 9, 1497-1517 (2007) such a possibility has been banned. This contrast has been partially solved in the Proceedings of the XLIInd Rencontres de Moriond, Gravitational Waves and Experimental Gravity, La Thuile, Val d'Aosta Italy (March 12-18 2007). The aim of this review paper is to re-analyse all the framework of the "magnetic" components of GWs with the goal of solving the mentioned contrast in definitive way. Accurate response funtions for the Virgo and LIGO interferometers will be also re-discussed in detail.
Discovery of New Zika Protease and Polymerase Inhibitors through the Open Science Collaboration Project OpenZika

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a neurotropic arbovirus considered a global threat to public health. Although there have been several efforts in drug discovery projects for ZIKV in recent years, there are still no antiviral drugs approved to date. Here, we describe the results of a global collaborative crowdsourced open science project, the OpenZika project, from IBM's World Community Grid (WCG), which integrates different computational and experimental strategies for advancing a drug candidate for ZIKV. Initially, molecular docking protocols were developed to identify potential inhibitors of ZIKV NS5 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NS5 RdRp), NS3 protease (NS2B-NS3pro), and NS3 helicase (NS3hel). Then, a machine learning (ML) model was built to distinguish active vs inactive compounds for the cytoprotective effect against ZIKV infection. We performed three independent target-based virtual screening campaigns (NS5 RdRp, NS2B-NS3pro, and NS3hel), followed by predictions by the ML model and other filters, and prioritized a total of 61 compounds for further testing in enzymatic and phenotypic assays. This yielded five non-nucleoside compounds which showed inhibitory activity against ZIKV NS5 RdRp in enzymatic assays (IC50 range from 0.61 to 17 μM). Two compounds thermally destabilized NS3hel and showed binding affinity in the micromolar range (Kd range from 9 to 35 μM). Moreover, the compounds LabMol-301 inhibited both NS5 RdRp and NS2B-NS3pro (IC50 of 0.8 and 7.4 μM, respectively) and LabMol-212 thermally destabilized the ZIKV NS3hel (Kd of 35 μM). Both also protected cells from death induced by ZIKV infection in in vitro cell-based assays. However, while eight compounds (including LabMol-301 and LabMol-212) showed a cytoprotective effect and prevented ZIKV-induced cell death, agreeing with our ML model for prediction of this cytoprotective effect, no compound showed a direct antiviral effect against ZIKV. Thus, the new scaffolds discovered here are promising hits for future structural optimization and for advancing the discovery of further drug candidates for ZIKV. Furthermore, this work has demonstrated the importance of the integration of computational and experimental approaches, as well as the potential of large-scale collaborative networks to advance drug discovery projects for neglected diseases and emerging viruses, despite the lack of available direct antiviral activity and cytoprotective effect data, that reflects on the assertiveness of the computational predictions. The importance of these efforts rests with the need to be prepared for future viral epidemic and pandemic outbreaks.
Unveiling Vela – time variability of Na i D lines in the direction of the Vela supernova remnant

High-resolution spectral profiles of Na I D lines from the interstellar medium towards 64 stars in the direction of the Vela supernova remnant are presented. This survey conducted mostly between 2011-12 complements an earlier survey of the same stars by Cha & Sembach done in the 1993-96 period. The interval of 15 to 18 years provides a base line to search for changes in the interstellar profiles. Dramatic disappearance of strong absorption components at low radial velocity is seen towards three stars - HD 63578, HD 68217, HD 76161 - over 15-18 years; HD 68217 and HD 76161 are associated with the Vela SNR but HD 63578 is likely associated with the wind bubble of g2 Velorum. The vanishing of these cold neutral clouds in the short time of 15 to 18 years needs some explanation. Other changes are seen in high-velocity Na D components.
Methods for Ellipse Detection from Edge Maps of Real Images

Detecting geometric shapes like ellipses from real images have many potential applications. Some examples include pupil tracking, detecting spherical or ellipsoidal objects like fruits, pebbles, golf balls, etc. from a scene for robotic applications, detecting ellipsoidal objects in underwater images, detecting fetal heads, cells, or nuclei in biological and biomedical images, identifying the eddy currents and zones using oceanic images, forming structural descriptors for objects and faces, traffic sign interpretation1, etc.
Non-Ising-like two-dimensional superconductivity in a bulk single crystal

Both Nb$_3$Pd$_x$Se$_7$ and Ta$_4$Pd$_3$Te$_{16}$ crystallize in a monoclinic point group while exhibiting superconducting transition temperatures as high as $T_c\sim 3.5$ and $\sim 4.7 $ K, respectively. Disorder was claimed to lead to the extremely large upper critical fields ($H_{c2}$) observed in related compounds. Despite the presence of disorder and heavier elements, $H_{c2}$s in Ta$_4$Pd$_3$Te$_{16}$ are found to be considerably smaller than those of Nb$_3$Pd$_x$Se$_7$ while displaying an anomalous, non-saturating linear dependence on temperature $T$ for fields along all three crystallographic axes. In contrast, crystals of the latter compound displaying the highest $T_c$s display $H_{c2}\propto (1-T/T_c)^{1/2}$, which in monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides is claimed to be evidence for an Ising paired superconducting state resulting from strong spin-orbit coupling. This anomalous $T$-dependence indicates that the superconducting state of Nb$_3$Pd$_x$Se$_7$ is quasi-two-dimensional in nature. This is further supported by a nearly divergent anisotropy in upper-critical fields, i.e. $\gamma= H_{c2}^{b}/H_{c2}^{a^{\prime}}$, upon approaching $T_c$. Hence, in Nb$_3$Pd$_x$Se$_7$ the increase of $T_c$ correlates with a marked reduction in electronic dimensionality as observed, for example, in intercalated FeSe. For the Nb compound, Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that an increase in the external field produces an anisotropic orbital response, with especially strong polarization at the Pd sites when the field is perpendicular to their square planar environment. Therefore, DFT suggests the field-induced pinning of the spin to the lattice as a possible mechanism for decoupling the superconducting planes. Overall, our observations represent further evidence for unconventional superconductivity in the Pd chalcogenides.
Changes in Suicide Ideation Among Users of Online Gatekeeping Using Search-Based Advertising

Abstract Recently, the practice of “online gatekeeping” related to suicide prevention—placing online advertisements directed at users who search the web for suicide-related terms and leading them to email-based consultations—has been implemented. However, the effectiveness of this practice has not been examined. Therefore, we quantitatively examined the effectiveness of suicide-related online gatekeeping. This was a non-randomized, single-arm study of online gatekeeping among Japanese Internet users. Outcomes were measured at the beginning of the use of the consultation service (T1) and approximately four weeks later (T2). The primary outcome measured was suicidal ideation. In total, 167 participants completed two assessment surveys; approximately 80% were women, and 59.3% were young people (in their twenties or younger). Data analysis of 167 online gatekeeping service users showed that the mean suicidal ideation at T2 was statistically significantly lower than that at T1, and its effect size was small to medium (d = 0.37, 95% confidence interval: 0.15–0.59). Online gatekeeping is a promising suicide-prevention tool, although further research is warranted to examine its effectiveness using a randomized controlled trial. Highlights We examined the effectiveness of email-based consultations for suicide prevention. About 4 weeks later, users’ suicidal ideation was significantly reduced (d = 0.37). This was a single-arm study and requires a more rigorous study design in the future.
Hepatic vein anatomy related to Laennec's capsule for liver resection

Laennec's capsule is the proper membrane covering the entire surface of the liver parenchyma, including around the Glissonean pedicles and hepatic veins. Laennec's capsule around the hepatic veins has been clinically reported to comprise two layers: the hepatic and cardiac Laennec's capsules. However, where the cardiac Laennec's capsule is derived from and the two capsules' separability are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the anatomy of the two capsules using cadaveric specimens.
Effect of powdered vancomycin on stopping surgical site wound infections in neurosurgery: A meta‐analysis

We performed a meta‐analysis to evaluate the effect of powdered vancomycin on stopping surgical site wound infections in neurosurgery. A systematic literature search up to July 2022 was performed and 24 137 subjects with neurosurgery at the baseline of the studies; 10 496 of them were using the powdered vancomycin, and 13 641 were not using the powdered vancomycin as a control. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the effect of powdered vancomycin on stopping surgical site wound infections in neurosurgery using dichotomous methods with a random or fixed‐effect model. The powdered vancomycin had significantly lower surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.41‐0.70, P < .001), deep surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.35‐0.57, P < .001), superficial surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43‐0.83, P = .002), and surgical site wound infections after cranial surgery (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.22‐0.61, P < .001) compared to control in subjects with neurosurgery. The powdered vancomycin had significantly lower surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery, deep surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery, superficial surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery, and surgical site wound infections after cranial surgery compared to control in subjects with neurosurgery. The analysis of outcomes should be done with caution even though the low number of studies with low sample size, 3 out of the 42 studies, in the meta‐analysis, and a low number of studies in certain comparisons.
Oropharyngeal involvement of monkeypox: Key considerations

We read the letter by Riad et al1 with great interest, in which the authors highlighted the high prevalence of oral involvement in monkeypox (MPX), ranging from 13-23%2,3 , though over 70% has been reported from data in the 1980s. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
INDICATORS OF INTRINSIC ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS LUMINOSITY: A MULTI-WAVELENGTH APPROACH

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) consist of an accretion disk around a supermassive black hole which in turn is surrounded by an obscuring torus of dust and gas. As the resulting geometry of this system affects the observable properties, quantifying isotropic indicators of intrinsic AGN luminosity is important in selecting unbiased samples of AGNs. In this paper, we consider five such proxies: the luminosities of the [O iii]λ5007 line, the [O iv]25.89 μm line, the mid-infrared (MIR) continuum emission by the torus, and the radio and hard X-ray (E > 10 keV) continuum emission. We compare these different proxies using two complete samples of low-redshift Type 2 AGNs selected in a homogeneous way based on different indicators: an optically selected [O iii] sample and an MIR-selected 12 μm sample. To assess the relative merits of these proxies, we have undertaken two analyses. First, we examine the correlations between all five different proxies, and find better agreement for the [O iv], MIR, and [O iii] luminosities than for the hard X-ray and radio luminosities. Next, we compare the ratios of the fluxes of the different proxies to their values in unobscured Type 1 AGNs. The agreement is best for the ratio of the [O iv] and MIR fluxes, while the ratios of the hard X-ray to [O iii], [O iv], and MIR fluxes are systematically low by about an order of magnitude in the Type 2 AGNs, indicating that hard X-ray-selected samples do not represent the full Type 2 AGN population. In a similar spirit, we compare different optical and MIR diagnostics of the relative energetic contributions of AGN and star formation processes in our samples of Type 2 AGNs. We find good agreement between the various diagnostic parameters, such as the equivalent width of the MIR polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon features, the ratio of the MIR [O iv]/[Ne ii] emission lines, the spectral index of the MIR continuum, and the commonly used optical emission-line ratios. Finally, we test whether the presence of cold gas associated with star formation leads to an enhanced conversion efficiency of AGN ionizing radiation into [O iii] or [O iv] emission. We find that no compelling evidence exists for this scenario for the luminosities represented in this sample (Lbol ≈109 − 8 × 1011 L☉).
Evolution of increased complexity and specificity at the dawn of form I Rubiscos

The evolution of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenases (Rubiscos) that discriminate strongly between their substrate carbon dioxide and the undesired side substrate dioxygen was an important event for photosynthetic organisms adapting to an oxygenated environment. We use ancestral sequence reconstruction to recapitulate this event. We show that Rubisco increased its specificity and carboxylation efficiency through the gain of an accessory subunit before atmospheric oxygen was present. Using structural and biochemical approaches, we retrace how this subunit was gained and became essential. Our work illuminates the emergence of an adaptation to rising ambient oxygen levels, provides a template for investigating the function of interactions that have remained elusive because of their essentiality, and sheds light on the determinants of specificity in Rubisco. Description Origins of Rubisco’s small subunit sidekick Maintaining the correct activity, specificity, and stability is a challenge faced by metabolic enzymes that is often solved by forming multimeric complexes. The large, catalytic subunit of form I Rubisco, the carbon-fixing enzyme found in aerobic photosynthetic organisms such as plants and cyanobacteria and in some nonphotosynthetic bacteria, makes such a complex with an essential small subunit. Using ancestral sequence reconstruction, Schulz et al. investigated how recruiting this small subunit contributed to Rubisco evolution and, in particular, its specificity for carbon dioxide (see the Perspective by Sharwood). Enzyme activity assays and macromolecular structures revealed that the small subunit quickly became essential and opened the door to broader functional changes within the large subunit, including increased activity and specificity for carbon dioxide. —MAF Ancestral sequence reconstruction reveals how recruiting a new subunit primes form I Rubiscos for rising atmospheric oxygen.
A machine learning model trained on a high-throughput antibacterial screen increases the hit rate of drug discovery

Screening for novel antibacterial compounds in small molecule libraries has a low success rate. We applied machine learning (ML)-based virtual screening for antibacterial activity and evaluated its predictive power by experimental validation. We first binarized 29,537 compounds according to their growth inhibitory activity (hit rate 0.87%) against the antibiotic-resistant bacterium Burkholderia cenocepacia and described their molecular features with a directed-message passing neural network (D-MPNN). Then, we used the data to train an ML model that achieved a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) score of 0.823 on the test set. Finally, we predicted antibacterial activity in virtual libraries corresponding to 1,614 compounds from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved list and 224,205 natural products. Hit rates of 26% and 12%, respectively, were obtained when we tested the top-ranked predicted compounds for growth inhibitory activity against B. cenocepacia, which represents at least a 14-fold increase from the previous hit rate. In addition, more than 51% of the predicted antibacterial natural compounds inhibited ESKAPE pathogens showing that predictions expand beyond the organism-specific dataset to a broad range of bacteria. Overall, the developed ML approach can be used for compound prioritization before screening, increasing the typical hit rate of drug discovery.
TRF1 uses a noncanonical function of TFIIH to promote telomere replication

In this study, Yang et al. report that Helix2 of the TRFH domain and Helix1 of the Myb domain of TRF1 are required for efficient telomere replication, and they identified the transcription and nucleotide excision repair (NER) factor TFIIH as a critical effector of TRF1. Their results establish that the major mechanism by which TRF1 ensures telomere replication involves a non-canonical function of TFIIH.
Flux tubes and coherence length in the SU(3) vacuum

An estimate of the London penetration and coherence lengths in the vacuum of the SU(3) pure gauge theory is given downstream an analysis of the transverse profile of the chromoelectric flux tubes. Within ordinary superconductivity, a simple variational model for the magnitude of the normalized order parameter of an isolated vortex produces an analytic expression for magnetic field and supercurrent density. In the picture of SU(3) vacuum as dual superconductor, this expression provides us with the function that fits the chromoelectric field data. The smearing procedure is used in order to reduce noise.