Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
National Estimates of Exposure to Formaldehyde in Italian Workplaces

Purpose: Formaldehyde is classified as human carcinogen and the association with nasopharyngeal cancer has been observed in many epidemiological studies. The aim of this study is to evaluate data about occupational exposure levels to formaldehyde in the Italian working force. Methods: Airborne concentrations of formaldehyde were extracted from the Italian database on occupational exposure to carcinogens and refer to the period 1996‐2014. Descriptive statistics were calculated for exposure‐related variables. The number of workers potentially exposed was estimated for the activity sectors better characterized in the database. An analysis through linear mixed models was performed to determine factors influencing the exposure level. Results: A total of 1610 formaldehyde exposure measurements were selected from the database, having an overall arithmetic mean of 0.12 mg m‐3 and a geometric mean of 0.04 mg m‐3. The activity sectors with the highest number of measurements were the manufacturing of chemicals and chemicals products (N = 529) in men and the health and social work in women (N = 105). The number of workers potentially exposed in the selected sectors was 49450, and the most predictive independent variables of the exposure level resulted to be the occupational group and the year of measurement. Conclusions: The occupational exposure to formaldehyde occurs in a variety of different sectors, but currently workers at higher risk are those employed in the healthcare sector and in the wood processing industry. Prevention measures have to be targeted to reduce the risk to workers' health, also in a gender perspective. This study confirms the important role of occupational exposure databases as a valuable source of data for the epidemiological assessment of risks in workplaces.
Indoor Air Quality in Photocopy Centers, Nanoparticle Exposures at Photocopy Workstations, and the Need for Exposure Controls

Background: Photocopiers emit large amounts of nanoparticles (NP) and are a significant source of indoor air pollution. These emissions induce airway inflammation, irritation, and systemic oxidative stress in humans, lung injury and inflammation in animals, and cytotoxicity and epigenetic modifications in vitro. However, little is known regarding NP exposures at the workstation in the photocopy work environment, or the extent and use of emission controls. Objective: To survey the photocopy work environment with regards to emissions controls and to evaluate IAQ with emphasis on NP exposure at the operator's workstation. Methods: Work process, physical characteristics of the centers, and use of controls were recorded. Particle total number concentration (TNC), temperature, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and percent relative humidity were measured during a random workday. Results: Geometric mean (GM) TNC at workstations ranged between 1900 and 23000 particles cm‐3, GSD 1.2‐2.8, and maximum of 217000 particles cm‐3. Fresh air ventilation was found to be less than American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air‐Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) guidelines in 7 of 15 centers. Only one center used any type of emissions control. Elevated TNC at workstations was significantly correlated with number of copies (r = 0.72). While indoor/outdoor TNC ratios might be expected to be ≤1.0, the ratio here was >1.0 in 40% of centers visited, supporting the finding that copier emissions are a significant source of indoor air pollution. Number of copies per day was the most significant contributor to TNC. Conclusion: High NP concentrations at workstations were common and specific emission controls almost nonexistent. While 46% of copy centers had insufficient ventilation, high exposures were documented even for cases when ASHRAE ventilation guidelines per person were met or exceeded. We present various options to address IAQ in photocopy environment, including new clean photocopy technologies, engineering controls, and a comprehensive awareness campaign to improve the environmental health and safety, design, and operational conditions of these workplaces.
of Computational Science

It uses a new energy model for message passing applications with iterations running on a grid. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on a real grid, the Grid’5000 platform, while running the NAS parallel benchmarks. The experiments on 16 nodes, distributed on three clusters, show that it reduces on average the energy consumption by 30% while the performance is on average only degraded by 3.2%. Finally, the algorithm is compared to an existing method. The comparison results show that it outperforms the latter in terms of energy consumption reduction and performance.
Aspectos clínico-epidemiológicos da neurocisticercose no Brasil: análise crítica

With the objective to show the characteristics of neurocysticercosis (NCC) in Brazil, was performed a critical analysis of national literature which showed a frequency of 1.5% in autopsies and 3.0% in clinical studies, corresponding to 0.3% of all admissions in general hospitals. In seroepidemiological studies the positivity of specific reactions was 2.3%. Brazilian patient with NCC presents a general clinical-epidemilogical profile (31-50 years old man, rural origin, complex partial epileptic crisis, increased protein levels or normal CSF, CT showing calcifications, constituting the inactive form of NCC), and a profile of severity (21-40 years old woman, urban origin, vascular headache and intracranial hypertension, typical CSF syndrome of NCC or alteration of two or more CSF parameters, CT showing vesicles and/or calcifications, constituting the active form of NCC). Although two localities from the state of Sao Paulo have 72:100000 and 96:100000/habitants as prevalence coefficients, regional and national prevalences are very underestimated. Some aspects related to underestimation of NCC prevalence in Brazil are discussed.
Metaplastic breast carcinoma: tumour histogenesis or dedifferentiation?

Global gene expression profiling studies have classified breast cancer into molecular classes, some of which show similarity to normal mammary cells (ie luminal and basal subtypes) with a subsequent histogenetic implication that reinforced the perception that the phenotype of breast cancer reflects the cell of origin. However, it remains to be determined whether phenotypic changes are the result of malignant transformation of particular cancer stem cells (histogenesis) or specific genetic hits occurring at various stages of carcinogenesis (dedifferentiation). We sought to test the hypothesis that dedifferentiation may be the more likely explanation using in vivo clinical data. Our findings support the hypothesis that at least some metaplastic carcinomas are derived from phenotypic transition from conventional mammary adenocarcinoma either at the in‐situ, primary invasive stage or at a distant metastatic site. This observation argues against the cell of origin theory (histogenesis) for breast carcinogenesis and favours the concept of tumour dedifferentiation at later stages. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Natural Radiation, Photosynthetically Active Radiation and Artificial Ultraviolet Radiation-B on the Chloroplast Organization and Metabolism of Porphyra acanthophora var. brasiliensis (Rhodophyta, Bangiales)

Abstract We undertook a study of Porphyra acanthophora var. brasiliensis to determine its responses under ambient conditions, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and PAR+UVBR (ultraviolet radiation-B) treatment, focusing on changes in ultrastructure, and cytochemistry. Accordingly, control ambient samples were collected in the field, and two different treatments were performed in the laboratory. Plants were exposed to PAR at 60 μmol photons m−2 s−1 and PAR + UVBR at 0.35 W m−2 for 3 h per day during 21 days of in vitro cultivation. Confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis of the vegetative cells showed single stellate chloroplast in ambient and PAR samples, but in PAR+UVBR-exposed plants, the chloroplast showed alterations in the number and form of arms. Under PAR+UVBR treatment, the thylakoids of the chloroplasts were disrupted, and an increase in the number of plastoglobuli was observed, in addition to mitochondria, which appeared with irregular, disrupted morphology compared to ambient and PAR samples. After UVBR exposure, the formation of carpospores was also observed. Plants under ambient conditions, as well as those treated with PAR and PAR+UVBR, all showed different concentrations of enzymatic response, including glutathione peroxidase and reductase activity. In summary, the present study demonstrates that P. acanthophora var. brasiliensis shows the activation of distinct mechanisms against natural radiation, PAR and PAR+UVBR.
Time Directed Avalanches in Invasion Models.

We define forward and backward time-directed avalanches for a broad class of self-organized critical models including invasion percolation, interface depinning, and a simple model of evolution. Although the geometrical properties of the avalanches do not change under time reversal, their stationary state statistical distribution does. The overall distribution of forward avalanches [ital P]([ital s])[similar to][ital s][sup [minus]2] is superuniversal in this class of models. The power-law exponent [pi] for the distribution of distances between subsequent active sites is derived from the properties of backward avalanches.
A multi-species assessment of post-dispersal seed predation in the central Chilean Andes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Post-dispersal seed predation in alpine communities has received little attention despite evidence that seeds removed by granivores can decrease plant recruitment into ecosystems. Moreover, few studies have assessed the effects of removal of seeds of a range of species after dispersal on the seeds remaining in ecosystems. A comparison was made of the magnitude of seed removal by ants and birds of nine different shrubby-, herbaceous- and cushion-plant species in the central Chilean Andes in order to assess the interactions between birds, ants and wind, and the types of seeds. METHODS A total of 324 soil-covered plates, each containing 50 seeds of one species, were placed in the field at an altitude of 2700 m and assigned to one of four treatments: control, exclusion of ants, birds, and both. The design also allowed the effects of wind to be assessed. Seed removal from plates was monitored over 20 d. KEY RESULTS Mean accumulative seed removal by granivores averaged over all nine species combined was 25%. However, large differences between species were evident, with limited seed removal (3-11%) in three herbaceous species (Alstroemeria pallida, Sisyrinchium arenarium, Pozoa coriacea), moderate (18-33%) in five species, including a shrub (Chuquiraga oppositifolia), two herbs (Taraxacum officinale, Rhodophiala rhodolirion), and two cushion-plants (Laretia acaulis, Azorella monantha), and substantial (78%) in the shrub Anarthrophyllum cumingii. The magnitudes of losses caused by birds compared with ants did not differ for the majority of species, although removal by birds was greater than by ants in A. cumingii, and smaller for C. oppositifolia. CONCLUSIONS Post-dispersal seed removal is shown to be an important cause of decreased potential plant species recruitment into alpine ecosystems. The substantial differences in the magnitude of seed losses to ants and birds demonstrate the need for evaluation of seed removal on a wide range of species in any given ecosystem.
Prospective cohort study of a new vacuum delivery device to assist with complicated labour in low‐resource settings

Currently available vacuum devices used to assist women undergoing complicated labour are unsuitable for use in low‐resource settings. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of a new low‐cost vacuum device, named Koohi Goth Vacuum Delivery System (KGVDS), designed for use in low‐resource settings.
Inhibition of NOTCH3 signalling significantly enhances sensitivity to cisplatin in EBV‐associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an EBV‐associated epithelial malignancy which is prevalent in south‐east Asia and southern China. Despite the multiple genetic and epigenetic changes reported, the contribution of dysregulated signalling pathways to this distinct type of head and neck cancer is not well understood. Here we demonstrate the up‐regulation of NOTCH ligands (JAG1 or DLL4) and effector (HEY1) in the majority of EBV‐positive tumour lines and primary tumours. Among the NOTCH receptors, NOTCH3 was over‐expressed in all EBV‐positive tumour lines and 92.5% of primary tumours. Aberrant activation of NOTCH3 signalling was consistently detected in all these samples. These findings imply that NOTCH3 may play an crucial role in the development of NPC. By NOTCH3 specific siRNA, NOTCH3 signalling was suppressed and thereby significant growth inhibition and apoptosis induction occurred in NPC cells. Down‐regulation of a number of targets involved in cell proliferation, eg CCND1, C‐MYC,NFKB1, and survival, eg BCL2, BCL‐XL, SURVIVIN, was confirmed in the NOTCH3 knockdown NPC cells. Importantly, NOTCH3 knockdown highly enhanced the sensitivity of NPC cells to cisplatin treatment. Furthermore, we revealed that the ability of NPC cells to form spheroids in vitro and tumours in nude mice was also significantly decreased after knockdown of NICD3 expression. These findings indicate that activation of NOTCH3 pathway is a critical oncogenic event in NPC tumourigenesis. Targeting NOTCH3 signalling may serve as a potential therapeutic approach for treating patients suffering from EBV‐associated NPC. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phylogeny and biogeography of the genus Ainsliaea (Asteraceae) in the Sino-Japanese region based on nuclear rDNA and plastid DNA sequence data.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The flora of the Sino-Japanese plant region of eastern Asia is distinctively rich compared with other floristic regions in the world. However, knowledge of its floristic evolution is fairly limited. The genus Ainsliaea is endemic to and distributed throughout the Sino-Japanese region. Its interspecific phylogenetic relationships have not been resolved. The aim is to provide insight into floristic evolution in eastern Asia on the basis of a molecular phylogenetic analysis of Ainsliaea species. METHODS Cladistic analyses of the sequences of two nuclear (ITS, ETS) and one plastid (ndhF) regions were carried out individually and using the combined data from the three markers. KEY RESULTS Phylogenetic analyses of three DNA regions confirmed that Ainsliaea is composed of three major clades that correspond to species distributions. Evolution of the three lineages was estimated to have occurred around 1.1 MYA during the early Pleistocene. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that Ainsliaea species evolved allopatrically and that the descendants were isolated in the eastern (between SE China and Japan, through Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands) and western (Yunnan Province and its surrounding areas, including the Himalayas, the temperate region of Southeast Asia, and Sichuan Province) sides of the Sino-Japanese region. The results suggest that two distinct lineages of Ainsliaea have independently evolved in environmentally heterogeneous regions within the Sino-Japanese region. These regions have maintained rich and original floras due to their diverse climates and topographies.
Knockdown of stomatin‐like protein 2 (STOML2) reduces the invasive ability of glioma cells through inhibition of the NF‐κB/MMP‐9 pathway

Stomatin‐like protein 2 (STOML2), a member of the stomatin family, has been reported to be up‐regulated in several types of human cancers. The clinical significance and biological role of STOML2 in gliomas remain largely unknown. Here, we describe the significantly up‐regulated expression of STOML2 in glioma cell lines and glioma tissues at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Silencing endogenous STOML2 in glioma cells and primary glioma cells drastically reduced their migratory speed and invasive ability, associated with induction of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP‐9). We also demonstrated that knockdown of STOML2 significantly inhibited the transcriptional activity of NF‐κB and repressed the expression levels of NF‐κB target genes, including MMP‐9. A luciferase reporter assay revealed that the impact of STOML2 on MMP‐9 expression is NF‐κB‐dependent. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the up‐regulation of STOML2 was significantly correlated with the WHO histological grade of gliomas (p < 0.001). Patients with higher STOML2 expression levels had an overall shorter survival time, whereas patients with lower expression of STOML2 had a longer survival time. A multivariate analysis revealed that STOML2 expression might be an independent prognostic indicator for the survival of glioma patients. Taken together, our results suggest that overexpression of STOML2 is associated with glioma aggressiveness and may represent an independent prognostic factor for the outcome of glioma patients. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cell Adhesion, Multicellular Morphology, and Magnetosome Distribution in the Multicellular Magnetotactic Prokaryote Candidatus Magnetoglobus multicellularis

Abstract Candidatus Magnetoglobus multicellularis is an uncultured magnetotactic multicellular prokaryote composed of 17-40 Gram-negative cells that are capable of synthesizing organelles known as magnetosomes. The magnetosomes of Ca. M. multicellularis are composed of greigite and are organized in chains that are responsible for the microorganism's orientation along magnetic field lines. The characteristics of the microorganism, including its multicellular life cycle, magnetic field orientation, and swimming behavior, and the lack of viability of individual cells detached from the whole assembly, are considered strong evidence for the existence of a unique multicellular life cycle among prokaryotes. It has been proposed that the position of each cell within the aggregate is fundamental for the maintenance of its distinctive morphology and magnetic field orientation. However, the cellular organization of the whole organism has never been studied in detail. Here, we investigated the magnetosome organization within a cell, its distribution within the microorganism, and the intercellular relationships that might be responsible for maintaining the cells in the proper position within the microorganism, which is essential for determining the magnetic properties of Ca. M. multicellularis during its life cycle. The results indicate that cellular interactions are essential for the determination of individual cell shape and the magnetic properties of the organism and are likely directly associated with the morphological changes that occur during the multicellular life cycle of this species.
Seed-coat dormancy in Grevillea linearifolia: little change in permeability to an apoplastic tracer after treatment with smoke and heat.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Seeds of Grevillea linearifolia germinate following fire, and have seed-coat dormancy broken by smoke and heat shock. Smoke breaks seed coat dormancy in Emmenanthe penduliflora by altering the permeability of the seed coat to an internal germination inhibitor, which subsequently escapes. This model was tested for in G. linearifolia by investigating the permeability of the seed coat to diffusion of high-molecular-weight compounds, and whether this changed after exposure to fire cues. METHODS Germination response of the seeds to heat shock, smoke or heat + smoke was tested. Penetration of Lucifer Yellow dye into intact seeds was examined after 24 and 48 h of exposure, and penetration of the dye from the inside of the seed coat outwards was examined after 24 h. Histochemical staining with Nile Red and Acridine Orange was used to locate cuticles, suberin and lignin. KEY RESULTS Twenty-three per cent of untreated seeds germinated; heat shock and smoke increased germination additively up to approx. 80 % for both cues combined. Lucifer Yellow did not penetrate fully through the seed coat of untreated seeds, whether diffusing inwards or outwards. Three barriers to diffusion were identified. Treatment with heat or smoke slightly increased penetration of the dye, but did not completely remove the barriers. Suberin was identified in secondary walls of exotestal and mesotestal cells, and was absent from primary cell walls. Movement of Lucifer Yellow occurred through the middle lamella and primary cell wall of suberized cells; movement of the dye was impeded where suberin was absent. CONCLUSIONS Fire cues did not significantly decrease barriers to diffusion of high-molecular-weight compounds in the seed coat of Grevillea, and must be breaking dormancy by another mechanism.
Siring success and paternal effects in heterodichogamous Acer opalus.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Heterodichogamy (a dimorphic breeding system comprising protandrous and protogynous individuals) is a potential starting point in the evolution of dioecy from hermaphroditism. In the genus Acer, previous work suggests that dioecy evolved from heterodichogamy through an initial spread of unisexual males. Here, the question is asked as to whether the different morphs in Acer opalus, a species in which males co-exist with heterodichogamous hermaphrodites, differ in various components of male in fitness. METHODS Several components of male fertility were analysed. Pollination rates in the male phase were recorded across one flowering period. Pollen viability was compared among morphs through hand pollinations both with pollen from a single sexual morph and also simulating a situation of pollen competition; in the latter experiment, paternity was assessed with microsatellite markers. It was also determined whether effects of genetic relatedness between pollen donors and recipients could influence the siring success. Finally, paternal effects occurring beyond the fertilization process were tested for by measuring the height reached by seedlings with different sires over three consecutive growing seasons. KEY RESULTS The males and protandrous morphs had higher pollination rates than the protogynous morph, and the seedlings they sired grew taller. No differences in male fertility were found between males and protandrous individuals. Departures from random mating due to effects of genetic relatedness among sires and pollen recipients were also ruled out. CONCLUSIONS Males and protandrous individuals are probably better sires than protogynous individuals, as shown by the higher pollination rates and the differential growth of the seedlings sired by these morphs. In contrast, the fertility of males was not higher than the male fertility of the protandrous morph. While the appearance of males in sexually specialized heterodichogamous populations is possible, even in the absence of a fitness advantage, it is not clear that males can be maintained at an evolutionary equilibrium with two classes of heterodichogamous hermaphrodites.