Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative prognostic value of HPV16 E6 mRNA compared with in situ hybridization for human oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma.

PURPOSE A significant proportion of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) are associated with the human papilloma virus (HPV), particularly HPV16. The optimal method for HPV determination on archival materials however, remains unclear. We compared a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay for HPV16 mRNA to a DNA in situ hybridization (ISH) method, and evaluated their significance for overall (OS) and disease-free (DFS) survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS Matched, archival biopsies from 111 patients with OSCC were evaluated for HPV16 using a qRT-PCR for E6 mRNA and ISH for DNA. Immunohistochemistry for p16, p53, and epidermal growth factor receptor were also performed. RESULTS HPV16 E6 mRNA was positive in 73 (66%) of 111 samples; ISH was positive in 62 of 106 samples (58%), with 86% concordance. P16 was overexpressed in 72 samples (65%), which was strongly associated with HPV16 status by either method. E6 mRNA presence or p16 overexpression were significantly associated with superior OS; E6 mRNA, HPV16 ISH, or p16 were all significantly associated with DFS. On multivariate analysis adjusted for age, stage, and treatment, positive E6 mRNA was the only independent predictor for superior OS; for DFS, p16 expression or HPV16 status determined by either method was significant. CONCLUSION The prevalence of HPV16 in OSCC ranges from 58% to 66%, in a recently treated Canadian cohort. Classification of HPV-positivity by HPV16 E6 mRNA, HPV16 ISH or p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) is associated with improved DFS. However, the latter two assays are technically easier to perform; hence, HPV16 ISH or p16 IHC should become standard evaluations for all patients with OSCC.
Medetomidine, ketamine, and sevoflurane for anesthesia of injured loggerhead sea turtles: 13 cases (1996-2000).

OBJECTIVE To determine safety and efficacy of an anesthetic protocol incorporating medetomidine, ketamine, and sevoflurane for anesthesia of injured loggerhead sea turtles. DESIGN Retrospective study. ANIMALS 13 loggerhead sea turtles. PROCEDURE Anesthesia was induced with medetomidine (50 microg/kg [22.7 microg/lb], IV) and ketamine (5 mg/kg (2.3 mg/lb], IV) and maintained with sevoflurane (0.5 to 2.5%) in oxygen. Sevoflurane was delivered with a pressure-limited intermittent-flow ventilator. Heart rate and rhythm, end-tidal partial pressure of CO2, and cloacal temperature were monitored continuously; venous blood gas analyses were performed intermittently. Administration of sevoflurane was discontinued 30 to 60 minutes prior to the end of the surgical procedure. Atipamezole (0.25 mg/kg [0.11 mg/lb], IV) was administered at the end of surgery. RESULTS Median induction time was 11 minutes (range, 2 to 40 minutes; n = 11). Median delivered sevoflurane concentrations 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after intubation were 2.5 (n = 12), 1.5 (12), 1.25 (12), and 0.5% (8), respectively. Heart rate decreased during surgery to a median value of 15 beats/min (n = 11). End-tidal partial pressure of CO2 ranged from 2 to 16 mm Hg (n = 8); median blood gas values were within reference limits. Median time from atipamezole administration to extubation was 14 minutes (range, 2 to 84 minutes; n = 7). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggest that a combination of medetomidine and ketamine for induction and sevoflurane for maintenance provides safe, effective, controllable anesthesia in injured loggerhead sea turtles.
Red blood cell Na+ transport as a predictor of blood pressure response to Na+ load in young blacks and whites.

The present study was designed to investigate the role of abnormalities in red blood cell sodium-potassium-chloride (Na-K-Cl) cotransport and Na+ pump as predictors of the pressor response to chronic oral Na+ loading in young whites and blacks. Subjects were healthy adults from 18 to 23 years of age and included normotensive whites (n = 24) and normotensive blacks (n = 35). Red blood cell transport studies were performed before Na+ loading. The Na+ load consisted of 10 g NaCl daily added to the usual diet. A sodium-sensitive response was defined as an increase of 5 mm Hg or more in mean arterial pressure after the Na+ load; a sodium-insensitive response was a less than 5 mm Hg increase in mean arterial pressure. A sodium-sensitive response occurred in 16% of whites and 57% of blacks. Black subjects have a significantly lower (p less than 0.005) maximal rate of furosemide-sensitive Na+ efflux and a higher Km for cellular Na+ (p less than 0.05) to activate Na-K-Cl cotransport than white subjects. Normotensive blacks with sodium-sensitive blood pressure response had a higher Km (14.4 +/- 6 mmol/l cell, n = 17, mean +/- SD) to activate the cotransport than sodium-insensitive blacks (9.9 +/- 3.7 mmol/l cell, n = 13, p less than 0.001). Normotensive whites had a significantly lower red blood cell Na+ content (p less than 0.05) and a higher maximal rate of cotransport (p less than 0.005) than young normotensive blacks. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
What if Mutual Fund Fees were Regulated ? Evidence from U . S . Equity Funds

This paper investigates mutual fund fee setting behavior around regulated fee caps or ceilings in U.S. equity funds from 1992 to 2008, following the imposition of 1% cap on 12b-1 fee and a maximum sales charge cap on 7 July 1993 by the National Association of Security Dealers (NASD). Contemporary empirical research on the efficacy of mutual fund fee regulation is limited even though caps are touted as means of investor protection. The results suggest that funds are more likely to charge 12b-1 fee but not overall sales charges near the regulated ceiling over time. Fee ceilings appeared to have a perverse impact as their presence is significantly correlated with higher management and non12b-1 fees. These findings demonstrate that fee ceilings do not only weaken competition but also increase discretionary fees charged to investors. Finally, equity funds that charge 12b-1 fee at the ceiling experience lower performance and suffer outflow of funds as compared to those equity funds that charge below the ceiling. * Corresponding author. Tel. : +61 2 9385 7936; Fax: +61 2 9385 6347 Email address: Natalie.oh@unsw.edu. au (N.Y. Oh), j.parwada@unsw.edu. au (J.T. Parwada), Tel: +61 2 9385 9883; Fax: +61 2 9385 6347
Secure Broadcasting With Imperfect Channel State Information at the Transmitter

We investigate the problem of secure broadcasting over fast fading channels with imperfect main channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter. In particular, we analyze the effect of the noisy estimation of the main CSI on the throughput of a broadcast channel where the transmission is intended for multiple legitimate receivers in the presence of an eavesdropper. Besides, we consider the realistic case where the transmitter is only aware of the statistics of the eavesdropper's CSI and not of its channel's realizations. First, we discuss the common message transmission case where the source broadcasts the same information to all the receivers, and we provide an upper and a lower bound on the ergodic secrecy capacity. For this case, we show that the secrecy rate is limited by the legitimate receiver having, on average, the worst main channel link and we prove that a nonzero secrecy rate can still be achieved even when the CSI at the transmitter is noisy. Then, we look at the independent messages case where the transmitter broadcasts multiple messages to the receivers, and each intended user is interested in an independent message. For this case, we present an expression for the achievable secrecy sum-rate and an upper bound on the secrecy sum-capacity and we show that, in the limit of large number of legitimate receivers K, our achievable secrecy sum-rate follows the scaling law log ((1-α)log(K)), where α is the estimation error variance of the main CSI. The special cases of high SNR, perfect and no-main CSI are also analyzed. Analytical derivations and numerical results are presented to illustrate the obtained expressions for the case of independent and identically distributed Rayleigh fading channels.
The Properties of Red Blood Cells from Patients Heterozygous for HbS and HbC (HbSC Genotype)

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the commonest severe inherited disorders, but specific treatments are lacking and the pathophysiology remains unclear. Affected individuals account for well over 250,000 births yearly, mostly in the Tropics, the USA, and the Caribbean, also in Northern Europe as well. Incidence in the UK amounts to around 12–15,000 individuals and is increasing, with approximately 300 SCD babies born each year as well as with arrival of new immigrants. About two thirds of SCD patients are homozygous HbSS individuals. Patients heterozygous for HbS and HbC (HbSC) constitute about a third of SCD cases, making this the second most common form of SCD, with approximately 80,000 births per year worldwide. Disease in these patients shows differences from that in homozygous HbSS individuals. Their red blood cells (RBCs), containing approximately equal amounts of HbS and HbC, are also likely to show differences in properties which may contribute to disease outcome. Nevertheless, little is known about the behaviour of RBCs from HbSC heterozygotes. This paper reviews what is known about SCD in HbSC individuals and will compare the properties of their RBCs with those from homozygous HbSS patients. Important areas of similarity and potential differences will be emphasised.
A Common Genetic Basis in Sweet Corn Inbred Cr1 for Cross Sensitivity to Multiple Cytochrome P450-Metabolized Herbicides

Abstract Nicosulfuron, mesotrione, dicamba plus diflufenzopyr, and carfentrazone are postemergence herbicides from different chemical families with different modes of action. An association between the sensitivity of sweet corn to these herbicides was observed when 143 F3 : 4 families (F4 plants) derived from of a cross between Cr1 (sensitive inbred) and Cr2 (tolerant inbred) were evaluated in greenhouse trials. The ratio of tolerant : segregating : sensitive families was not significantly different from a 3 : 2 : 3 ratio, which would be expected if a single gene conditioned herbicide response. Families cosegregated for responses to these herbicides. In field studies with 60 F3 : 5 families in 2005 and 120 F3 : 5 families in 2007, responses to these herbicides and foramsulfuron and primisulfuron were associated. Responses to bentazon in field trials were similar to the aforementioned herbicides for tolerant families, but differences were noted for families that were sensitive or segregated for responses to nicosulfuron, foramsulfuron, primisulfuron, mesotrione, dicamba plus diflufenzopyr, and carfentrazone. The gene(s) affecting herbicide sensitivity in Cr1 maps to the same region of chromosome 5S as a previously sequenced cytochrome P450 gene, where alleles previously designated nsf1 and ben1 were associated with sensitivity to nicosulfuron and bentazon and appear to be the result of a 392–base-pair insertion mutation. This work supports the hypothesis that a single recessive gene or closely linked genes in the sweet corn inbred Cr1 condition sensitivity to multiple cytochrome P450 enzyme-metabolized herbicides.
Wind Tunnel Studies of a Pedestrian-Level Wind Environment in a Street Canyon between a High-Rise Building with a Podium and Low-Level Attached Houses

The pedestrian-level wind environment quality in street canyons formed by high-rise buildings and other low-level buildings could be affected by multiple factors, such as the height and geometry of the surrounding buildings, street width, wind direction, and wind speed. This study conducted wind tunnel experiments to determine the characteristics of the pedestrian-level wind environment in street canyons under different conditions, including different street widths, podium heights, and approaching wind directions. The experimental results revealed that the effects of the street canyon width on the pedestrian-level wind in a street canyon can be categorized into three different flow regimes. A higher podium creates stronger wind speeds of the flow within the street canyon, and different approaching wind directions change the high-wind-speed zone within the street canyon accordingly.
Cardiovascular Disease Reduction in the Outpatient Kidney Transplant Clinic

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important cause of death in kidney transplant recipients. Future CVD mortality was estimated by a risk calculator in all patients (n = 439) with a functioning transplant (>6 months), followed at our center. In addition to CURRENT mortality rates, an OPTIMAL rate (adding anti‐hypertensive and lipid‐lowering therapy in uncontrolled patients) and an HISTORIC rate (higher systolic blood pressures and the absence of statin use in our population 5 years ago) were also calculated. Overall, the predicted CURRENT CVD mortality rates are 0.82 (95% CI 0.81–0.83) of HISTORIC rates. Predicted OPTIMAL CVD mortality rates are 0.90 (95% CI 0.87–0.92) of CURRENT rates. To achieve OPTIMAL rates, a 27% increase in blood pressure and lipid‐lowering drug use is required. There were few contraindications to these medications, implying that physician prescribing was the major barrier to minimizing risk. Despite OPTIMAL rates, the transplant population's relative risk is 2.3 (median, 95% CI 2.1–2.5) times higher than that in the general population. Therefore, targeted therapy to reduce CVD risk can have substantial benefit, but CVD mortality may continue to exceed that in the general population.
Evaluating Classified MODIS Satellite Imagery as a Stratification Tool

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service collects forest attribute data on permanent plots arranged on a hexagonal network across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Due to budget constraints, sample sizes sufficient to satisfy national FIA precision standards are seldom achieved for most inventory variables unless the estimation process is enhanced with ancillary data. When used to create strata for stratified estimation, satellite imagery can be effective ancillary data. The National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD), a land cover classification based on satellite imagery, has been used to produce substantial increases in the precision of statewide forest inventory estimates. Because inventories are conducted on an annual basis, it is desirable to create strata using a product that is updated more frequently than the 10-year update cycle of the NLCD. In particular, data from the MODIS sensor are available every 1-2 days, although at a much coarser spatial resolution than the Landsat data used in the creation of the NLCD (250-1000m vs. 30m). In this study, the effectiveness of strata created by classifying MODIS satellite imagery is compared to that of strata created from the NLCD. Results indicate that precision decreases by 0.9 percent per million acres when using a 1-km dataset versus a 30-m dataset.
Face recognition using recursive Fisher linear discriminant with Gabor wavelet coding

The constraint on the total number of features available from the Fisher linear discriminant (FLD) has seriously limited its application to a large class of problems. In order to overcome this disadvantage of FLD, a recursive procedure for calculating the discriminant features is suggested in this paper. Extensive experiments of comparing the new algorithm with the traditional PCA and FLD approaches have been carried out on a face recognition problem, in which the resulting improvement of the performance by the new feature extraction scheme is significant.
Needlet Bispectrum Asymmetries in the WMAP 5-year Data

We apply the needlet formalism to the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 5-year data, looking for evidence of non-Gaussianity in the bispectrum of the needlet amplitudes. We confirm earlier findings of an asymmetry in the non-Gaussianity between the Northern and Southern Galactic hemispheres. We attempt to isolate which scales and geometrical configurations are most anomalous and find that the bispectrum is most significant on large scales and in the more co-linear configurations and also in the ‘squeezed’ configurations. However, these anomalies do not appear to affect the estimate of the non-linear parameter fNL, and we see no significant difference between its values measured in the two hemispheres.
Synchronization in Ecological Networks: a Byproduct of Darwinian Evolution?

The paper considers the evolution of a particular class of networks of identical chaotic oscillators, namely that of ecological networks. In these networks, nodes represent patches where a certain number of plant and animal populations interact on ecological timescale, arcs represent migration flows due to dispersal, and Darwinian evolution is responsible for variations, on a longer evolutionary timescale, of the demographic parameters characterizing the populations. Up to now, this problem has been mainly studied with reference to single-population patches described by one-dimensional discrete-time models and by considering only the dispersal rates of migrating populations as an evolving trait. Here, we propose a method of investigation which allows to study multipopulation patches described by continuous-time models with evolving traits influencing various demographic parameters (including or not dispersal). The method is casted within the frame of the so-called master stability function approach for the analysis of synchronization of coupled systems, and the results obtained in a first and very simple application support the conjecture that evolution drives ecological networks toward weak forms of synchronization.
Oxidative stress in myotonic dystrophy type 1

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy affecting adults. The genetic basis of DM1 consists of a mutational expansion of a repetitive trinucleotide sequence (CTG). The number of triplets expansion divides patients in four categories related to the molecular changes (E1, E2, E3, E4). The pathogenic mechanisms of multi-systemic involvement of DM1 are still unclear. DM1 has been suspected to be due to premature aging, that is known to be sustained by increased free radicals levels and/or decreased antioxidants activities in neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, the gain-of-function at RNA level hypothesis has gained great attention, but oxidative stress might act in the disease progression. We have investigated 36 DM1 patients belonging to 22 unrelated families, 10 patients with other myotonic disorders (OMD) and 22 age-matched healthy controls from the clinical, biochemical and molecular point of view. Biochemical analysis detected blood levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malonilaldehyde (MDA), vitamin E (Vit E), hydroxyl radicals (OH) and total antioxidant system (TAS). Results revealed that DM1 patients showed significantly higher levels of SOD (+40%; MAL (+57%; RAD 2 (+106%; and TAS (+20%; than normal controls. Our data support the hypothesis of a pathogenic role of oxidative stress in DM1 and therefore confirm the detrimental role played by free radicals in this pathology and suggest the opportunity to undertake clinical trials with antioxidants in this disorder.
Pharmacological treatment of chronic pain – the need for CHANGE

Abstract Background: Although chronic pain affects around 20% of adults in Europe and the USA, there is substantial evidence that it is inadequately treated. In June 2009, an international group of pain specialists met in Brussels to identify the reasons for this and to achieve consensus on strategies for improving pain management. Scope: Literature on chronic pain management was reviewed, and information presented to and discussed by a panel of experts. Findings: It was agreed that guidelines are not universally accepted by those involved in pain management, and pain treatment seems to be driven mainly by tradition and personal experience. Other factors include poor communication between patients and physicians, the side effects of analgesic drugs, and limited individualisation of therapy. Difficulty in maintaining the balance between adequate pain relief and acceptable tolerability, particularly with strong opioids, can lead to the establishment of a ‘vicious circle’ that alternates between lack of efficacy and unpleasant side effects, prompting discontinuation of treatment. The medical community’s understanding of the physiological differences between nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain, which is often more severe and difficult to treat, could be improved. Increasing physicians’ knowledge of the pharmacological options available to manage these different pain mechanisms offers the promise of better treatment decisions and more widespread adoption of a multi-mechanistic approach; this could involve loosely combining two substances from different drug classes, or administering an analgesic with two different mechanisms of action. In some circumstances, a single compound capable of addressing both nociceptive and neuropathic pain is desirable. Conclusions: To improve patient outcomes, a thorough understanding of pain mechanisms, sensitisation and multi-mechanistic management is required. Universal, user-friendly educational tools are therefore required to familiarise physicians with these topics, and also to improve communication between physicians and their pain patients, so that realistic expectations of treatment can be established.
International Asset Pricing Under Habit Formation and Idiosyncratic Consumption Risk

This paper presents a consumption-based asset pricing model to explain the equity premium and riskfree puzzles as well as the predictability of returns in the international equity markets. We find that because the model entails idiosyncratic consumption risk which is higher than the aggregate consumption risk, the model helps lower the investor risk aversion needed to explain the mean equity premiums. In addition, because the model also allows for habit formation that disentangles intertemporal substitution from investor risk aversion, the model can resolve the riskfree rate puzzle. Further, as the timevarying individual investor risk aversion and the re-distribution of wealth among heterogeneous investors are contributing factors to the time-varying equity premiums, the model explains larger portions of the long-horizon predictability for many countries' equity markets and the world market portfolio than the world representative-agent model. In contrast, the power utility model with or without idiosyncratic consumption risk fails to explain the level of the real riskfree rate or the predictability of returns.
Minimization of quantization noise amplification in biorthogonal subband coders

Quantization noise amplification (QNA) restricts the coding gain (CG) in biorthogonal subband coders. Here, a coloring filter is introduced to color the quantization noise. The optimal coloring filter eliminating/minimizing QNA, with or without order restriction, is found for a given finite-impulse response filter bank (FB). An efficient implementation of the coloring filter is proposed. With the coloring filter, the optimal biorthogonal ideal FB becomes the full whitening coder achieving maximum possible CG. Results verify the CG improvement due to coloring for existing FBs.