Dinosaur lactation ?

Lactation is a process associated with mammals, yet a number of birds feed their newly hatched young on secretions analogous to the milk of mammals. These secretions are produced from various sections (crop organ, oesophageal lining and proventriculus) of the upper digestive tract and possess similar levels of fat and protein, as well as added carotenoids, antibodies and, in the case of pigeons and doves, epidermal growth factor. Parental care in avian species has been proposed to originate from dinosaurs. This study examines the possibility that some dinosaurs used secretory feeding to increase the rate of growth of their young, estimated to be similar to that of present day birds and mammals. Dinosaur \u27lactation\u27 could also have facilitated immune responses as well as extending parental protection as a result of feeding newly hatched young in nest environments. While the arguments for dinosaur lactation are somewhat generic, a case study for lactation in herbivorous site-nesting dinosaurs is presented. It is proposes that secretory feeding could have been used to bridge the gap between hatching and establishment of the normal diet in some dinosaurs

Searching for Dust around Hyper Metal-Poor Stars

We examine the mid-infrared fluxes and spectral energy distributions for metal-poor stars with iron abundances [Fe/H] $\lesssim-5$, as well as two CEMP-no stars, to eliminate the possibility that their low metallicities are related to the depletion of elements onto dust grains in the formation of a debris disk. Six out of seven stars examined here show no mid-IR excess. These non-detections rule out many types of circumstellar disks, e.g. a warm debris disk ($T\!\le\!290$ K), or debris disks with inner radii $\le1$ AU, such as those associated with the chemically peculiar post-AGB spectroscopic binaries and RV Tau variables. However, we cannot rule out cooler debris disks, nor those with lower flux ratios to their host stars due to, e.g. a smaller disk mass, a larger inner disk radius, an absence of small grains, or even a multicomponent structure, as often found with the chemically peculiar Lambda Bootis stars. The only exception is HE0107-5240, for which a small mid-IR excess near 10 microns is detected at the 2-$\sigma$ level; if the excess is real and associated with this star, it may indicate the presence of (recent) dust-gas winnowing or a binary system.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Bulge mass is king: The dominant role of the bulge in determining the fraction of passive galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We investigate the origin of galaxy bimodality by quantifying the relative role of intrinsic and environmental drivers to the cessation (or `quenching') of star formation in over half a million local Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) galaxies. Our sample contains a wide variety of galaxies at z=0.02-0.2, with stellar masses of 8 < log(M*/M_sun) < 12, spanning the entire morphological range from pure disks to spheroids, and over four orders of magnitude in local galaxy density and halo mass. We utilise published star formation rates and add to this recent GIM2D photometric and stellar mass bulge + disk decompositions from our group. We find that the passive fraction of galaxies increases steeply with stellar mass, halo mass, and bulge mass, with a less steep dependence on local galaxy density and bulge-to-total stellar mass ratio (B/T). At fixed internal properties, we find that central and satellite galaxies have different passive fraction relationships. For centrals, we conclude that there is less variation in the passive fraction at a fixed bulge mass, than for any other variable, including total stellar mass, halo mass, and B/T. This implies that the quenching mechanism must be most tightly coupled to the bulge. We argue that radio-mode AGN feedback offers the most plausible explanation of the observed trends.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. 32 pages, 27 figures. [This version is virtually identical to v1

PENGARUH PERENCANAAN PAJAK TERHADAP MANAJEMEN LABA PADA PERUSAHAAN NON MANUFAKTUR YANG TERDAFTAR DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA PADA TAHUN 2018-2019

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuktikan secara empiris pengaruh Perencanaan Pajak terhadap Manajemen Laba pada perusahaan Non Manufaktur yang terdaftar&nbsp; di Bursa Efek Indonesia tahun 2018-2019. Untuk itu dirumuskan masalah penelitian yaitu apakah perencanaan pajak berprobabilitas kemungkinan semakin tinggi terhadap manajemen laba pada perusahaan Non Manufaktur yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI). Teknik pengambilan sampel yang di gunakan adalah purposive sampling dengan jumlah sampel sebanyak 25 perusahaan Non Manufaktur yaitu perusahaan dagang. Data di peroleh dari www.idx.co.id &nbsp;&nbsp;tahun 2018-2019. Teknik analisis data yang di gunakan adalah analisis regresi linier sederhana, dan pengujian hipotesis menggunakan uji T dengan tingkat signifikan sebesar 5%. Dari hasil pengujian menggunakan SPSS diketahui bahwa nilai koefesien detterminasi (R Square) 0,194 atau 19,4%. Hasil uji secara persial (uji T) menunjukan bahwa semakin tinggi perencanaan pajak (tax Planning) maka probabilitas kemungkinan manajemen laba (Earning manajement) semakin tinggi, maka perencanaan pajak berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap manajemen laba

Experimental and theoretical studies of the photophysics of 7-amino-3-phenyl-2H-benzo[b] [1,4]oxazin-2-one in homogeneous solvents and b-cyclodextrin aqueous solutions

The photophysical behavior of 7-amino-3-phenyl-2Hbenzo[b][1,4]oxazin-2-one was studied in organic solvents and in aqueous solutions of b-cyclodextrin using steady-state fluorescence and computational chemistry methods. In homogeneous media, fluorescence spectra show a noteworthy solvatochromic effect leading to large Stokes shifts. Linear solvation energy relationship and Lippert-Mataga equation analysis of the Stokes shifts indicate an increase of the dipolar moment in the singlet excited state and the participation of a partial chargetransfer state in the deactivation process. Incorporation of 7-amino-3-phenyl-2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-2-one into the b-cyclodextrin inner cavity was monitored by observing the increase of fluorescence as a function of the cyclodextrin concentration. Analysis of fluorescence data in terms of Job plots and the Benesi-Hildebrand equation are indicate the formation of a 1:1 complex. The binding constantobtained from Benesi-Hildebrand plots was 597 M-1 at 298K. Also, the values of thermodynamics parameters determinedfrom the dependence of the binding constant on thetemperature show that inclusion is an enthalpy-driven process.Docking studies suggest that the complex stability is due to favorable van der Waals interactions within the cavity and a hydrogen bond interaction between the amino substituent and hydroxyl groups located in the narrow rim of the cavity. The same conclusion was achieved employing the Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area methodology to determine the energy contributions to the total free energy for the inclusion process

Genome-wide analyses of individual differences in quantitatively assessed reading- and language-related skills in up to 34,000 people

The use of spoken and written language is a fundamental human capacity. Individual differences in reading- and language-related skills are influenced by genetic variation, with twin-based heritability estimates of 30 to 80% depending on the trait. The genetic architecture is complex, heterogeneous, and multifactorial, but investigations of contributions of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were thus far underpowered. We present a multicohort genome-wide association study (GWAS) of five traits assessed individually using psychometric measures (word reading, nonword reading, spelling, phoneme awareness, and nonword repetition) in samples of 13,633 to 33,959 participants aged 5 to 26 y. We identified genome-wide significant association with word reading (rs11208009, P = 1.098 × 10-8) at a locus that has not been associated with intelligence or educational attainment. All five reading-/language-related traits showed robust SNP heritability, accounting for 13 to 26% of trait variability. Genomic structural equation modeling revealed a shared genetic factor explaining most of the variation in word/nonword reading, spelling, and phoneme awareness, which only partially overlapped with genetic variation contributing to nonword repetition, intelligence, and educational attainment. A multivariate GWAS of word/nonword reading, spelling, and phoneme awareness maximized power for follow-up investigation. Genetic correlation analysis with neuroimaging traits identified an association with the surface area of the banks of the left superior temporal sulcus, a brain region linked to the processing of spoken and written language. Heritability was enriched for genomic elements regulating gene expression in the fetal brain and in chromosomal regions that are depleted of Neanderthal variants. Together, these results provide avenues for deciphering the biological underpinnings of uniquely human traits. Keywords: genome-wide association study; language; meta-analysis; readin

Adenosine, lidocaine and Mg^2+ improves cardiac and pulmonary function, induces reversible hypotension and exerts anti-inflammatory effects in an endotoxemic porcine model

Introduction The combination of Adenosine (A), lidocaine (L) and Mg^2+ (M) (ALM) has demonstrated cardioprotective and resuscitative properties in models of cardiac arrest and hemorrhagic shock. This study evaluates whether ALM also demonstrates organ protective properties in an endotoxemic porcine model. Methods Pigs (37 to 42 kg) were randomized into: 1) Control (n = 8) or 2) ALM (n = 8) followed by lipopolysaccharide infusion (1 μg∙kg^-1∙h^-1) for five hours. ALM treatment consisted of 1) a high dose bolus (A (0.82 mg/kg), L (1.76 mg/kg), M (0.92 mg/kg)), 2) one hour continuous infusion (A (300 μg∙kg^-1 ∙min^-1), L (600 μg∙kg^-1 ∙min^-1), M (336 μg∙kg^-1 ∙min^-1)) and three hours at a lower dose (A (240∙kg^-1∙min^-1), L (480 μg∙kg^-1∙min^-1), M (268 μg∙kg^-1 ∙min^-1)); controls received normal saline. Hemodynamic, cardiac, pulmonary, metabolic and renal functions were evaluated. Results ALM lowered mean arterial pressure (Mean value during infusion period: ALM: 47 (95% confidence interval (CI): 44 to 50) mmHg versus control: 79 (95% CI: 75 to 85) mmHg, P <0.0001). After cessation of ALM, mean arterial pressure immediately increased (end of study: ALM: 88 (95% CI: 81 to 96) mmHg versus control: 86 (95% CI: 79 to 94) mmHg, P = 0.72). Whole body oxygen consumption was significantly reduced during ALM infusion (ALM: 205 (95% CI: 192 to 217) ml oxygen/min versus control: 231 (95% CI: 219 to 243) ml oxygen/min, P = 0.016). ALM treatment reduced pulmonary injury evaluated by PaO(2)/FiO(2) ratio (ALM: 388 (95% CI: 349 to 427) versus control: 260 (95% CI: 221 to 299), P = 0.0005). ALM infusion led to an increase in heart rate while preserving preload recruitable stroke work. Creatinine clearance was significantly lower during ALM infusion but reversed after cessation of infusion. ALM reduced tumor necrosis factor-α peak levels (ALM 7121 (95% CI: 5069 to 10004) pg/ml versus control 11596 (95% CI: 9083 to 14805) pg/ml, P = 0.02). Conclusion ALM infusion induces a reversible hypotensive and hypometabolic state, attenuates tumor necrosis factor-α levels and improves cardiac and pulmonary function, and led to a transient drop in renal function that was reversed after the treatment was stopped