Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antitumor activity and safety of pembrolizumab in patients (pts) with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN): Preliminary results from KEYNOTE-012 expansion cohort.

LBA6008 Background: Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks interaction of PD-1 with its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, thereby promoting activity of tumor-specific effector T cells. KEYNOTE 012 (NCT01848834) had previously demonstrated clinical activity of pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks in patients (pts) with recurrent/metastatic SCCHN enriched for PD-L1-positive tumors with a response rate of 20%. We now report on the larger SCCHN expansion cohort of KEYNOTE 012, irrespective of biomarker status using a 3-weekly fixed dose. METHODS Pts with advanced SCCHN irrespective of PD-L1 expression or HPV status received a fixed dose of 200 mg pembrolizumab, intravenously, every 3 weeks. Pts were evaluated every 8 weeks with radiographic imaging. The primary end point was overall response rate (ORR) per investigator assessment (RECIST 1.1). Secondary objectives included progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Adverse events (AEs) were assessed according to CTCAE v4. PD-L1 was assessed retrospectively by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS 132 pts with recurrent/metastatic SCCHN were enrolled. Mean (SD) age was 58.9 (9.7) years; 83.3% were male; 56.8% had ≥ 2 lines of therapy for recurrent disease. 73/132 pts (55.3%) remain on treatment. Out of 132 treated pts, 99 pts were available for this preliminary efficacy analysis with a post-baseline scan or discontinued therapy prior to the scan due to clinical progression or AE. ORR (confirmed and unconfirmed) per RECIST 1.1 was 18.2% (95% CI, 11.1-27.2) with 18 partial responses and 31.3% with stable disease. Biomarker analysis is ongoing and results will be presented. Drug-related AEs of any grade occurred in 47% of all enrolled pts, and drug-related grade ≥ 3 AEs occurred in 7.6%. The most common drug-related AEs ( ≥ 5%) of any grade were fatigue (12.1%), decreased appetite (6.8%), pyrexia (6.1%), and rash (5.3%). CONCLUSIONS Pembrolizumab given at a fixed dose of 200 mg every 3 weeks was well tolerated and demonstrated a clinically meaningful ORR of 18.2% in pts with recurrent/metastatic SCCHN. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION NCT01848834.
Inequality aversion, social discount, and time discount rates

Purpose - We conduct a hypothetical dictator game with social distance and time delays using conjoint analysis. Design / methodology / approach - Responses from 1,347 Japanese adults are collected through an online survey, and their responses are analyzed using a random parameter logit model. Findings - Social preference for the present income of a stranger equals social preference for the income of an acquaintance 140 days later, of a close friend 224 days later, and of a family member 255 days later. Originality / value- We simultaneously estimate social preference parameters including the inequality aversion rate, the social discount rate, and the time discount rate Headings - Inequality aversion, social discount, and time discount Keywords - dictator game, inequality aversion, social discounting, time discounting Paper type – Research paper
Removal of Free Extracellular DNA from Environmental Samples by Ethidium Monoazide and Propidium Monoazide

ABSTRACT Recently, new DNA extraction techniques (using ethidium monoazide and propidium monoazide) have been developed to discriminate between alive and dead bacterial cells. Nevertheless, for complex environmental samples, no data are available yet. In the present study, these new methods were applied to anaerobic-fermentor sludge and the results were compared to a conventional microbiological approach.
Contribution of SMC (Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes) and SpoIIIE to Chromosome Segregation in Staphylococci

ABSTRACT In contrast to rod-shaped bacteria, little is known about chromosomal maintenance and segregation in the spherical Staphylococcus aureus. The analysis of chromosomal segregation in smc (structural maintenance of chromosomes) and spoIIIE single and double mutants unravels differences in the chromosome dynamics in the spherical staphylococcal cells compared to the model in rods.
SIMULTANEOUS ANALYSIS OF LASSO AND DANTZIG SELECTOR

We show that, under a sparsity scenario, the Lasso estimator and the Dantzig selector exhibit similar behavior. For both methods, we derive, in parallel, oracle inequalities for the prediction risk in the general nonparametric regression model, as well as bounds on the l p estimation loss for 1 ≤ p ≤ 2 in the linear model when the number of variables can be much larger than the sample size.
Does Education Raise Productivity and Wages Equally? The Moderating Roles of Age, Gender and Industry

The labour market situation of low-educated people is particularly critical in most advanced economies, especially among youngsters and women. Policies aiming to increase their employability either try to foster their productivity and/or to decrease their wage cost. Yet, the evidence on the misalignment between education-induced productivity gains and corresponding wage cost differentials is surprisingly thin, inconclusive and subject to various econometric biases. We estimate the impact of education on productivity, wage costs and productivity-wage gaps (i.e. profits) using rich Belgian linked employer-employee panel data. Findings, based on the generalised method of moments (GMM) and Levinsohn and Petrin (2003) estimators, show a significant upward-sloping profile between education and wage costs, on the one hand, and education and productivity, on the other. They also systematically highlight that educational credentials have a stronger impact on productivity than on wage costs. This ‘wage compression effect’, robust across industries, is found to disappear among older cohorts of workers and to be more pronounced among women than men. Overall, findings suggest that particular attention should be devoted to the productivity to wage cost ratio of low-educated workers, especially when they are young and female, but also to policies favouring gender equality in terms of remuneration and career advancement.
Effect of triacontanol on the micropropagation of Costus speciosus (Koen.) SM. Using rhizome thin sections

SummaryThe highest percentage of shoot regeneration of Costus speciosus was achieved using thin rhizome sections and triacontanol (TRIA). Factors affecting the rate of shoot multiplication and rooting with TRIA have been investigated. Initiation of shoot buds was observed when rhizome thin sections were cultured on B5 basal medium supplemented with 5μgl−1 TRIA. Shoots with two to three leaves produced roots when cultured on B5 basad medium supplemented with 2 μgl−1 TRIA. The well-rooted shoots were hardened and transferred to soil where they showed normal growth and a 100% survival rate was achieved. Results of this study showed that TRIA can be used as an effective growth regulator in the micropropagation and conservation of C. speciosus.
Continuous Monitoring of Conventional Parameters to Assess Receiving Water Quality in Support of Combined Sewer Overflow Abatement Plans

As part of its long‐term control plan for combined sewer overflow (CSO) abatement, the city of Buffalo, New York, maintained a network of Hydrolab Datasondes (Hydrolab‐Hach Company, Loveland, Colorado) to assess receiving water‐quality effects by continuously logging dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, conductivity, and turbidity. Although the effect of individual CSOs could be visualized, turbidity levels entering the Buffalo River from the upper watershed often were greater than from CSO discharges. Turbidity data showed that the Buffalo River was a net‐sediment sink. Low dissolved oxygen levels were observed in the summer during dry weather, baseflow, and watershed‐wide storms and CSO events. Some CSOs did not produce dissolved oxygen sags in the receiving waters, but others did. This information, together with the sampling done for organic and inorganic contaminants, can aid the decisionmaking process when prioritizing outfalls for abatement work and provides a baseline against which receiving water‐quality improvements can be measured.
Does cognitive behaviour therapy have an enduring effect that is superior to keeping patients on continuation pharmacotherapy? A meta-analysis

Objectives Although cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy are equally effective in the acute treatment of adult depression, it is not known how they compare across the longer term. In this meta-analysis, we compared the effects of acute phase CBT without any subsequent treatment with the effects of pharmacotherapy that either were continued or discontinued across 6–18 months of follow-up. Design We conducted systematic searches in bibliographical databases to identify relevant studies, and conducted a meta-analysis of studies meeting inclusion criteria. Setting Mental healthcare. Participants Patients with depressive disorders. Interventions CBT and pharmacotherapy for depression. Outcome measures Relapse rates at long-term follow-up. Results 9 studies with 506 patients were included. The quality was relatively high. Short-term outcomes of CBT and pharmacotherapy were comparable, although drop out from treatment was significantly lower in CBT. Acute phase CBT was compared with pharmacotherapy discontinuation during follow-up in eight studies. Patients who received acute phase CBT were significantly less likely to relapse than patients who were withdrawn from pharmacotherapy (OR=2.61, 95% CI 1.58 to 4.31, p<0.001; numbers-needed-to-be-treated, NNT=5). The acute phase CBT was compared with continued pharmacotherapy at follow-up in five studies. There was no significant difference between acute phase CBT and continued pharmacotherapy, although there was a trend (p<0.1) indicating that patients who received acute phase CBT may be less likely to relapse following acute treatment termination than patients who were continued on pharmacotherapy (OR=1.62, 95% CI 0.97 to 2.72; NNT=10). Conclusions We found that CBT has an enduring effect following termination of the acute treatment. We found no significant difference in relapse after the acute phase CBT versus continuation of pharmacotherapy after remission. Given the small number of studies, this finding should be interpreted with caution pending replication.
A Comparison of the Nutritional Status of Adolescents from Selected Schools of South India and UAE: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective: To assess the nutritional status of adolescents of Indian origin living in India and the United Arab Emirates to see how variable the prevalence is of stunting and wasting among adolescents of the same ethnic background living in different socio-economic and demographic environments. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey. Setting: Schools in South India and the United Arab Emirates. Participants: A total of 2459 adolescent boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 16 years old. Results and Discussion: Anthropometric measurements from 2459 adolescents between the ages of 10-16 years old, 1200 from India and 1259 from UAE, were collected. The subjects were divided into six age groups with 1-year intervals. Adolescents falling below the age and gender-specific 5th percentile and 3rd percentile of the WHO recommended standards were defined as having thinness and stunting accordingly. Regardless of gender, the rate of stunting was higher in Indian adolescents from India (25.5-51%) when compared with Indian adolescents in UAE (3.1-21%). Thinness was also more in those in India (42-75.4%). When compared with adolescents living in the UAE (4.5-14.4%). The study was done in two groups having a common ethnicity but living in different socio-economic environments. With the results of this study, we can say that improved economic conditions favor better expression of genetic potential for physical growth.
Pro-Poor Tourism Strategies: Making Tourism Work For The Poor. A review of experience.

Acknowledgements This study would not have been possible without the assistance of a number of key individuals. Jacqueline Saunders, formerly of IIED, provided invaluable research assistance throughout the compilation of this synthesis volume. Andrea Steel and Alex Wyles at ODI provided support throughout the project including editing, layout and administration. Xavier Catarrinich worked at ODI for six months as an intern from Aalborg University, Denmark, and the University of Alberta, Canada. He was responsible for conducting a background literature review and desk-based survey of pro-poor tourism initiatives. Diana Carney provided invaluable editing assistance at the end of the process. Thanks also go to those who provided components of the report. Anna Spenceley at the Institute of Natural Resources, Durban, South Africa, provided research inputs on financial impacts and a synthesis of NACOBTA and UCOTA findings. Tim Conway of the Poverty and Public Policy Group at ODI provided valuable perspectives on pro-poor tourism in the context of broader efforts to achieve pro-poor growth. Claudia Townsend at the Centre for Responsible Tourism undertook the survey of UK Tour Operators. Tom Slaymaker of ODI provided summaries of data from the case studies. Many thanks go to all our in-country partners who contributed case studies, responded to numerous requests for information and/or provided comments on the synthesis report. Thanks are due to: Clive Poultney and We gratefully acknowledge the support of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) in funding this work. DFID supports policies, programmes and projects to promote international development. It provided funds for this study as part of that objective, but the views and opinions expressed are those of the authors alone. Front cover photo: local employees and the Conservancy Chairman at 'Damaraland Camp'-a joint venture lodge between Torra Conservancy and Wilderness Safaris in Namibia. The research reported here has been undertaken jointly by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the Centre for Responsible Tourism at the University of Greenwich (CRT), together with in-country case study collaborators. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Unit (ESCOR) of the UK Department for International Development (DFID). This work is a follow-up to a desk-based review of tourism and poverty conducted for DFID in 1999 by Deloitte and Touche, IIED and the ODI. The review identified a number of strategies for developing or supporting pro-poor tourism, but noted that these strategies had not been …
Epsin deficiency impairs endocytosis by stalling the actin-dependent invagination of endocytic clathrin-coated pits

Epsin is an evolutionarily conserved endocytic clathrin adaptor whose most critical function(s) in clathrin coat dynamics remain(s) elusive. To elucidate such function(s), we generated embryonic fibroblasts from conditional epsin triple KO mice. Triple KO cells displayed a dramatic cell division defect. Additionally, a robust impairment in clathrin-mediated endocytosis was observed, with an accumulation of early and U-shaped pits. This defect correlated with a perturbation of the coupling between the clathrin coat and the actin cytoskeleton, which we confirmed in a cell-free assay of endocytosis. Our results indicate that a key evolutionary conserved function of epsin, in addition to other roles that include, as we show here, a low affinity interaction with SNAREs, is to help generate the force that leads to invagination and then fission of clathrin-coated pits. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.03311. 001
[Prevalence survey on pterygium in two counties of Hainan Province].

OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between pterygium and environmental condition, such as area and weather, and human factors, such as sex and race, through the prevalence survey of pterygium in Hainan Province. METHODS As a sample, all villagers in 14 villages were chosen by random sampling from all the rural villages of Dongfang and Changjiang Counties, the pterygium was examined and their pterygia were recorded and graded according to the shape and the location of the head of pterygium. RESULTS In 7 990 villagers examined, there were 628 cases with pterygium, prevalence being 7.86% and including 439 cases (8.28%) in 5 303 Han people and 189 cases (7.03%) in 2 687 Li people. The difference of the prevalence between Han and Li nationality was significant (chi(2) = 3.897, P = 0.048). There were 266 male cases (6.43%) and 362 female cases (9.40%). The prevalence in male was less than that in female (chi(2) = 19.852, P = 0.001). The distribution of the pterygium in eyes was symmetrical. CONCLUSION The prevalence of pterygium in Hainan is higher than that in other provinces of China. It may be related to the geographic location and weather condition. In Hainan Province, the prevalence of pterygium in Han nationality is higher than that in Li nationality and in female higher than that in male. The increase of the prevalence of pterygium may be related to the increase of age.
Small-scale structure in the interstellar medium: time-varying interstellar absorption towards κ Velorum

Ultra-high spectral resolution observations of time-varying interstellar absorption towards κ Vel are reported, using the Ultra-High Resolution Facility on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. Detections of interstellar Ca i, Ca ii, K i, Na i and CH are obtained, whilst an upper limit on the column density is reported for C_2. The results show continued increases in column densities of K i and Ca i since observations ∼4 yr earlier, as the transverse motion of the star carried it ∼10 au perpendicular to the line of sight. Line profile models are fitted to the spectra and two main narrow components (A and B) are identified for all species except CH. The column density N(K i) is found to have increased by 82^(+10)_(−9) per cent between 1994 and 2006, whilst N(Ca i) is found to have increased by 32 ± 5 per cent over the shorter period of 2002–2006. The line widths are used to constrain the kinetic temperature to T_(k,A) < 671^(+18)_(−17) K and T_(k,B) < 114^(+15)_(−14) K. Electron densities are determined from the Ca i/Ca ii ratio, which in turn place lower limits on the total number density of n_A ≳ 7 × 10^3 cm^(−3) and n_B ≳ 2 × 10^4 cm^(−3). Calcium depletions are estimated from the Ca i/K i ratio. Comparison with the chemical models of Bell et al. confirms the high number density, with n = 5 × 10^4 cm^(−3) for the best-fitting model. The first measurements of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) towards this star are made at two epochs, but only an upper limit of ≲ 40 per cent is placed on their variation over ∼9 yr. The DIBs are unusually weak for the measured E(B − V) and appear to exhibit similar behaviour to that seen in Orion. The ratio of equivalent widths of the λ5780 to λ5797 DIBs is amongst the highest known, which may indicate that the carrier of λ5797 is more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation than to local density.
Intraday Value at Risk (Ivar) Using Tick-by-Tick Data with Application to the Toronto Stock Exchange

This paper investigates the use of tick-by-tick data for intraday market risk measurement. We propose a method to compute an Intraday Value at Risk based on irregularly spaced high-frequency data and an intraday Monte Carlo simulation. A log-ACD-ARMA-EGARCH model is used to specify the joint density of the marked point process of durations and high-frequency returns. We apply our methodology to transaction data for three stocks actively traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Compared to traditional techniques applied to intraday data, our methodology has two main advantages. First, our risk measure has a higher informational content as it takes into account all observations. On the total risk measure, our method allows for distinguishing the effect of random trade durations from the effect of random returns, and for analyzing the interaction between these factors. Thus, we find that the information contained in the time between transactions is relevant to risk analysis, which is consistent with predictions from asymmetric-information models in the market microstructure literature. Second, once the model has been estimated, the IVaR can be computed by any trader for any time horizon based on the same information and with no need of sampling the data and estimating the model again when the horizon changes. Backtesting results show that our approach constitutes reliable means of measuring intraday risk for traders who are very active in the market.
Invasion rate of deer ked depends on spatiotemporal variation in host density

Abstract Invasive parasites are of great global concern. Understanding the factors influencing the spread of invading pest species is a first step in developing effective countermeasures. Growing empirical evidence suggests that spread rates are essentially influenced by spatiotemporal dynamics of host–parasite interactions, yet approaches modelling spread rate have typically assumed static environmental conditions. We analysed invasion history of the deer ked (Lipoptena cervi) in Finland with a diffusion–reaction model, which assumed either the movement rate, the population growth rate, or both rates may depend on spatial and temporal distribution of moose (Alces alces), the main host of deer ked. We fitted the model to the data in a Bayesian framework, and used the Bayesian information criterion to show that accounting for the variation in local moose density improved the model's ability to describe the pattern of the invasion. The highest ranked model predicted higher movement rate and growth rate of deer ked with increasing moose density. Our results suggest that the historic increase in host density has facilitated the spread of the deer ked. Our approach illustrates how information about the ecology of an invasive species can be extracted from the spatial pattern of spread even with rather limited data.
PHIDEO: a silicon compiler for high speed algorithms

PHIDEO is a silicon compiler targeted at the design of high performance real time systems with high sampling frequencies such as HDTV. It supports the complete design trajectory starting from a high level specification all the way down to layout. New techniques are used to perform global optimisations across loop boundaries in hierarchical flow graphs. The compiler is based on a new target architectural model. Apart from the datapaths special attention is paid to memory optimisation. The new techniques are demonstrated using a progressive scan conversion algorithm. <<ETX>>
The Role of Higher-Level Cognitive Function in Gait: Executive Dysfunction Contributes to Fall Risk in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is generally understood as primarily affecting cognition while sparing motor function, at least until the later stages of the disease. Studies reported over the past 10 years, however, have documented a prevalence of falls in AD patients significantly higher than in age-matched normal elders; also persons with AD have been observed to have different walking patterns with characteristics that increase gait instability. Recent work in cognitive neuroscience has begun to demonstrate the necessity of intact cognition, particularly executive function, for competent motor control. We put the pieces of this puzzle together and review the current state of knowledge about gait and cognition in general along with an exploration of the association between dementia, gait impairment and falls in AD. We also briefly examine the current treatment of gait instability in AD, mainly exercise, and propose a new approach targeting cognition.