Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Angiogenesis in Head and Neck Cancer: A Review of the Literature

Angiogenesis is a necessary process for tumor growth, progression and diffusion. In the last years many efforts have been made to understand the mechanisms necessary to the formation of new vessels in tumor tissue and how to integrate these findings in the treatment of different type of cancer. Thanks to these studies there are today many anti-angiogenic drugs with established activity in cancer and approved in clinical practice. Head and neck cancer is a common tumor worldwide that often has advanced stage at diagnosis and poor prognosis. Angiogenesis has a well recognized role in head and neck cancer progression and resistance to drugs and radiotherapy and many clinical trials has been conducted with antiangiogenic agents in this disease, even if they often showed limited efficacy. In this review we summarize the main trials published about angiogenesis in head and neck cancer with particular attention to factors involved in this process and the available data on the efficacy of treatment with anti-angiogenic agents in this disease.
Neuroimaging evidence for the representation of salience in the neural correlates of attention and awareness in the human brain

Sensory stimuli must be at the focus of attention to reach conscious awareness. Attention may serve as a mechanism for identifying salient (i.e., potentially behaviourally relevant) features of the sensory environment. Neuroimaging studies have identified a frontal-parietal-cingulate network of regions involved in attentional control and conscious sensation. The present work was designed to test the hypothesis that these regions represent the salience of sensory stimuli. Brain regions sensitive to stimulus salience across multiple sensory modalities were identified in four studies using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. A right-lateralized network of frontal, parietal, cingulate, and insular cortical areas responded to salient changes in visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli. These
Energetics of Hurricane Bonnie (1998)

A real-data simulation of Hurricane Bonnie (1998) is analyzed diagnostically from an energetics point of view. Budgets and structure of the mean and perturbation kinetic energy (KE), as well as latent energy (LE), are shown using equations derived for the MM5 system. Early in this case study, Bonnie intensifies under the influence of vertical shear, which causes the reflectivity and KE structure to take on a wavenumber-1 asymmetry. The structure of the storm changes quickly and dramatically as the influence of vertical shear lessens, and the vortex undergoes an eyewall replacement and azisymmetrization prior to landfall. Vertical shear is the underlying source of the significant asymmetries in Bonnie. The energetic processes which lead to the development of the asymmetries and the subsequent axisymmetrization (coincident with the decay of asymmetries) are explored, and it is found that the asymmetries initiate in the lower troposphere at the eyeeyewall interface and propagate outward with time. As the asymmetries propagate outward as rainbands, they facilitate the decay of the main eyewall and set the stage for axisymmetrization, which occurs in the absence of significant eddy processes.
Corticosterone Facilitates Fluoxetine-Induced Neuronal Plasticity in the Hippocampus

The hippocampal dentate gyrus has been implicated in a neuronal basis of antidepressant action. We have recently shown a distinct form of neuronal plasticity induced by the serotonergic antidepressant fluoxetine, that is, a reversal of maturation of the dentate granule cells in adult mice. This “dematuration” is induced in a large population of dentate neurons and maintained for at least one month after withdrawal of fluoxetine, suggesting long-lasting strong influence of dematuration on brain functioning. However, reliable induction of dematuration required doses of fluoxetine higher than suggested optimal doses for mice (10 to 18 mg/kg/day), which casts doubt on the clinical relevance of this effect. Since our previous studies were performed in naive mice, in the present study, we reexamined effects of fluoxetine using mice treated with chronic corticosterone that model neuroendocrine pathophysiology associated with depression. In corticosterone-treated mice, fluoxetine at 10 mg/kg/day downregulated expression of mature granule cell markers and attenuated strong frequency facilitation at the synapse formed by the granule cell axon mossy fiber, suggesting the induction of granule cell dematuration. In addition, fluoxetine caused marked enhancement of dopaminergic modulation at the mossy fiber synapse. In vehicle-treated mice, however, fluoxetine at this dose had no significant effects. The plasma level of fluoxetine was comparable to that in patients taking chronic fluoxetine, and corticosterone did not affect it. These results indicate that corticosterone facilitates fluoxetine-induced plastic changes in the dentate granule cells. Our finding may provide insight into neuronal mechanisms underlying enhanced responsiveness to antidepressant medication in certain pathological conditions.
An 865-μW H.264/AVC Video Decoder for Mobile Applications

A low power H.264/AVC video decoder LSI for mobile applications is presented. Video decoding of quarter-common intermediate format (QCIF) sequence at 30 frames per second is achieved at 1.2MHz clock frequency and requires about 865-muW at 1.8-V supply voltage. Moreover, CIF, SD and HD sequence format are also supported. The decoder architecture is based on 4times4 sub-block level pipelining that achieves better buffer allocation and decoding throughput. In addition, several modules are designed with new features to improve overall system throughput (up to 260,000 macro-block/sec). The proposed solution integrates 456-k logic gates with 161Kb of embedded SRAM in 0.18-mum single-poly six-metal CMOS process with area of 11.3mm2
Regulation of soybean seed germination through ethylene production in response to reactive oxygen species.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Despite their toxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles in plant cell signalling pathways, such as mediating responses to stress or infection and in programmed cell death, at lower levels. Although studies have indicated that hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) promotes seed germination of several plants such as Arabidopsis, barley, wheat, rice and sunflower, the role of H(2)O(2) in soybean seed germination is not well known. The aim of this study therefore was to investigate the relationships between ROS, plant hormones and soybean seed germination. METHODS An examination was made of soybean seed germination, the expression of genes related to ethylene biosynthesis, endogenous ethylene contents, and the number and area of cells in the root tip, using N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant, to counteract the effect of ROS. KEY RESULTS H(2)O(2) promoted germination, which N-acetylcysteine suppressed, suggesting that ROS are involved in the regulation of soybean germination. H(2)O(2) was produced in the embryonic axis after imbibition. N-Acetylcysteine suppressed the expression of genes related to ethylene biosynthesis and the production of endogenous ethylene. Interestingly, ethephon, which is converted to ethylene, and H(2)O(2) reversed the suppression of seed germination by N-acetylcysteine. Furthermore, morphological analysis revealed that N-acetylcysteine suppressed cell elongation at the root tip, and this suppression was also reversed by ethephon or H(2)O(2) treatments, as was the case in germination. CONCLUSIONS In soybean seeds, ROS produced in the embryonic axis after imbibition induce the production of endogenous ethylene, which promotes cell elongation in the root tip. This appears to be how ROS regulate soybean seed germination.
Workplace Incivility in a Swedish Context

The present study investigated workplace incivility in a Swedish context. The first aim was to assess how common the phenomenon is and the second was to study which groups (gender, age, ethnicity, and power position) are most targeted by workplace incivility and are more prone to act in an uncivil way. Additionally, the relationships between experienced and witnessed incivility and wellbeing as well as instigated incivility were investigated. An online survey was administered by SIFO (the national public opinion poll agency). The collected data consist of a stratified sample whose composition is identical to the working population in Sweden (N = 3001). The results show that almost three quarters of the respondents had been the target of coworker incivility and 52% of supervisor incivility at least one to two times in the past year. Of the respondents, 75% had witnessed coworkers and 58% witnessed a supervisor treating others in an uncivil way. Furthermore, 66% had instigated uncivil acts toward others. The results also show that female and younger employees are slightly more targeted by incivility from coworkers and younger employees and supervisors are slightly more prone to instigate incivility. Moreover, it was found that that experienced incivility was the strongest predictor of low well-being and that witnessed incivility was the strongest predictor of instigated incivility.
Racial Identity Development of African American Students in Relation to Black Studies Courses

The purpose of this study was to provide understanding of the reason why African American students choose to enroll or do not enroll in Black Studies courses and to explore the relationship between racial identity development and Black Studies programs. Using a phenomenological approach, African American undergraduate students who have: (a) participated in a student organization that focuses on the advancement of Blacks, an organization that was founded with the purpose of creating an organization for Black Americans, or an organization that focuses on racial equality; or (b) be a Black Studies minor were interviewed. Students who were Black Studies minors were more likely to feel a connection with the African Diaspora while those who had not taken a Black Studies course were more likely to claim themselves as Black verses African American. Black Studies minors reported a better sense of self and reported a more positive development of their racial identity compared to many of the students who did not take a Black Studies course. 63 Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol.9, no.8, October 2016
The Antituberculosis Drug Ethambutol Selectively Blocks Apical Growth in CMN Group Bacteria

ABSTRACT Members of the genus Mycobacterium are the most prevalent cause of infectious diseases. Mycobacteria have a complex cell envelope containing a peptidoglycan layer and an additional arabinogalactan polymer to which a mycolic acid bilayer is linked; this complex, multilayered cell wall composition (mAGP) is conserved among all CMN group bacteria. The arabinogalactan and mycolic acid synthesis pathways constitute effective drug targets for tuberculosis treatment. Ethambutol (EMB), a classical antituberculosis drug, inhibits the synthesis of the arabinose polymer. Although EMB acts bacteriostatically, its underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we used Corynebacterium glutamicum and Mycobacterium phlei as model organisms to study the effects of EMB at the single-cell level. Our results demonstrate that EMB specifically blocks apical cell wall synthesis, but not cell division, explaining the bacteriostatic effect of EMB. Furthermore, the data suggest that members of the family Corynebacterineae have two dedicated machineries for cell elongation (elongasome) and cytokinesis (divisome). IMPORTANCE Antibiotic treatment of bacterial pathogens has contributed enormously to the increase in human health. Despite the apparent importance of antibiotic treatment of bacterial infections, surprisingly little is known about the molecular functions of antibiotic actions in the bacterial cell. Here, we analyzed the molecular effects of ethambutol, a first-line antibiotic against infections caused by members of the genus Mycobacterium. We find that this drug selectively blocks apical cell growth but still allows for effective cytokinesis. As a consequence, cells survive ethambutol treatment and adopt a pneumococcal cell growth mode with cell wall synthesis only at the site of cell division. However, combined treatment of ethambutol and beta-lactam antibiotics acts synergistically and effectively stops cell proliferation. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic treatment of bacterial pathogens has contributed enormously to the increase in human health. Despite the apparent importance of antibiotic treatment of bacterial infections, surprisingly little is known about the molecular functions of antibiotic actions in the bacterial cell. Here, we analyzed the molecular effects of ethambutol, a first-line antibiotic against infections caused by members of the genus Mycobacterium. We find that this drug selectively blocks apical cell growth but still allows for effective cytokinesis. As a consequence, cells survive ethambutol treatment and adopt a pneumococcal cell growth mode with cell wall synthesis only at the site of cell division. However, combined treatment of ethambutol and beta-lactam antibiotics acts synergistically and effectively stops cell proliferation.
Eye-Tracking as a Tool to Evaluate Functional Ability in Everyday Tasks in Glaucoma

To date, few studies have investigated the eye movement patterns of individuals with glaucoma while they undertake everyday tasks in real-world settings. While some of these studies have reported possible compensatory gaze patterns in those with glaucoma who demonstrated good task performance despite their visual field loss, little is known about the complex interaction between field loss and visual scanning strategies and the impact on task performance and, consequently, on quality of life. We review existing approaches that have quantified the effect of glaucomatous visual field defects on the ability to undertake everyday activities through the use of eye movement analysis. Furthermore, we discuss current developments in eye-tracking technology and the potential for combining eye-tracking with virtual reality and advanced analytical approaches. Recent technological developments suggest that systems based on eye-tracking have the potential to assist individuals with glaucomatous loss to maintain or even improve their performance on everyday tasks and hence enhance their long-term quality of life. We discuss novel approaches for studying the visual search behavior of individuals with glaucoma that have the potential to assist individuals with glaucoma, through the use of personalized programs that take into consideration the individual characteristics of their remaining visual field and visual search behavior.
Dynamics of confident voting

We introduce the confident voter model, in which each voter can be in one of two opinions and can additionally have two levels of commitment to an opinion—confident and unsure. Upon interacting with an agent of a different opinion, a confident voter becomes less committed, or unsure, but does not change opinion. However, an unsure agent changes opinion by interacting with an agent of a different opinion. In the mean-field limit, a population of size N is quickly driven to a mixed state and remains close to this state before consensus is eventually achieved in a time of the order of lnN. In two dimensions, the distribution of consensus times is characterized by two distinct times—one that scales linearly with N and another that appears to scale as N3/2. The longer time arises from configurations that fall into long-lived states that consist of two (or more) single-opinion stripes before consensus is reached. These stripe states arise from an effective surface tension between domains of different opinions.
P53 and Murine Double Mimute 2 (MDM2) Expression Changes and Significance in Different Types of Endometrial Lesions

Background Endometrial lesions are common in obstetrics and gynecology, including endometrial polyps, uterine adenomyosis, and malignant endometrial adenocarcinoma. Endometrial lesions seriously affect women’s health, fertility, quality of life, and life safety. As a pro-apoptosis gene, p53 is considered to be closely related with human tumors. Murine double mimute 2 (MDM2) is an oncogene that can promote tumor occurrence and development. P53 and MDM2 expression and significance in different types of endometrial lesions have not been fully elucidated. Material/Methods Normal endometrium, endometrial polyps, uterine adenomyosis, and endometrial adenocarcinoma tissue samples were collected. Real-time PCR was used to detect p53 and MDM2 mRNA expression. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis were applied to test p53 and MDM2 protein expression. Their correlation with clinical staging of endometrial adenocarcinoma was analyzed. Results P53 and MDM2 mRNA and protein expression were significantly elevated in the endometrial polyps group and the endometrial adenocarcinoma group compared with the normal control group (P<0.05). Their levels increased more obviously in endometrial adenocarcinoma compared with endometrial polyps (P<0.05). P53 and MDM2 mRNA and protein expression were slightly enhanced in uterine adenomyosis compared with normal controls, but this difference lacked statistical significance (P>0.05). P53 and MDM2 mRNA and protein level showed a positive correlation. Significantly higher expression of p53 or MDM2 was observed in patients with stage III compared to those in patients with stage II. Higher expression was also observed in patients with stage II than in patients with stage I. Conclusions P53 and MDM2 mRNA and protein were elevated in endometrial polyps and endometrial adenocarcinoma and their expressions were correlated with clinical staging of endometrial adenocarcinoma. They can promote cancer occurrence and development, and can be treated to assist diagnosis and provide a reference for treatment.
Nutritional Neurosciences Dietary Fish Oil Affects Monoaminergic Neurotransmission and Behavior in Rats 1 , 2

We studied the effects of a fish oil enriched diet on fatty acid composition of cerebral membranes and on several neurochemical and behavioral variables of monoaminergic function in rats. The frontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus and cerebellum were studied in rats fed fish oil (FPO, 50% salmon oil 1 50% palm oil), which provided an (n-6)/(n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio of 0.14 versus 6.19 in controls fed a diet containing a mixture of African peanut oil and rapeseed oil. In the FPO group compared to the control group, the major modifications in fatty acid composition of cerebral membranes included the following: higher levels in 22:6(n-3), lower levels in 20:4(n-6) and a significantly greater proportion of phosphatidylserine. Dopamine levels were 40% greater in the frontal cortex of rats fed FPO than from those fed the control diet. In this cerebral region there was also a reduction in monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) activity and greater binding to dopamine D2 receptors. By contrast, a lower binding to dopamine D2 receptors (27%) was observed in the striatum. Ambulatory activity was also reduced in FPO-fed rats, possibly related to observed changes in striatal dopaminergic receptors. This suggested that the level of (n-6) PUFA, which was considerably lower in the FPO diet than in the control diet, could act on locomotion through an effect on striatal dopaminergic function, whereas the high level of (n-3) PUFA could act on cortical dopaminergic function. J. Nutr. 128: 2512–2519, 1998.
Individual psychopathology relative to reports of unwanted sexual experiences as predictor of a bulimic eating pattern.

OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to determine whether family and individual psychopathology mediate the relationship between unwanted sexual experiences and bulimic eating behavior. METHOD Sixty-one women diagnosed with bulimia nervosa and 92 women students and university staff who had never met critia for an eating disorder completed standardized questionnaires on eating behavior, sexual abuse, individual psychopathology, and family psychopathology. RESULTS Linear regression showed bulimic eating behavior to be significantly related to sexual abuse (beta = .40; p < .0001; R2 = 8.9%). However, multiple regression analyses with family and individual psychopathology as independent variables in addition to sexual abuse showed only individual psychopathology to predict significantly abnormal eating behavior (beta = .53, p < .0001; overall R2 = 49.6%). Specifically, depressive symptoms, suicidality, and impulsive behavior, but not substance abuse, were the components of individual psychopathology most directly associated with bulimia. DISCUSSION The findings suggest that the primary focus in treatment should not be the traumatic events themselves, but their long-term consequences for the individual.
Statistical Learning of Prosodic Patterns and Reversal of Perceptual Cues for Sentence Prominence

Recent work has proposed that prominence perception in speech could be driven by predictability of prosodic patterns, connecting prominence perception to the concept of statistical learning. In the present study, we tested the predictability hypothesis by conducting a listening test where subjects were first exposed to a 5-minute stream of sentences with a certain proportion of sentence-final words having either a falling or rising pitch trajectory. After the exposure stage, subjects were asked to grade prominence in a set of novel sentences with similar pitch patterns. The results show that the subjects were significantly more likely to perceive words with lowprobability pitch trajectories as prominent independently of the direction of the pitch change. This suggests that even short exposure to prosodic patterns with a certain statistical structure can induce changes in prominence perception, supporting the connection between prominence perception and attentional orientation towards low-probability events in an otherwise predictable context.
Design of a solar dish concentrator according to the needed energy for a given application

This study develops a model for the design of a solar dish concentrator in order to be operated with a given data of environmental conditions, such as Tunisian conditions and the technical documentation of Stirling engine chosen to be used. A numerical validation of the mathematical and thermal model of the receiver is made based on experimental measurements reported for the CNRS-PROMES EURODISH system. The optimal configuration and dimensions of solar dish concentrator suitable with Tunisian metrological conditions were fixed. Due to its high solar potential, Solo 161 can be mounted on a solar dish concentrator with smaller dimensions to get the same electrical power output.
Shedding Light On Cones

Daytime vision in vertebrates initiates with the absorption of light by cone photoreceptors ([Rodieck, 1998][1]), which generate signals for color discrimination ([Sharpe et al., 1999][2]). In humans, these cells are concentrated in a specialized part of the central retina called the fovea. This
Partitioned Register Files For VLIWs: A Preliminary Analysis Of Tradeoffs

An ideal VLIW architecture requires a large multiport registerfile that is currently not realizable an practice. We analyze a Limited Connectivity VLIW architecture as a realizable alternative that limits the number of ports. We present a fine-grain code partitioning method for this model. The partitioning scheme was applied to a number of standard benchmarks by varying the number ports on a RF, the number of partitions and the communication bandwidth between partitions. We present these results, along with a preliminary analysis of architectural tradeoffs in the actual implementation of these Limited Connectivity VLIWs.