Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular classification identifies a subset of human papillomavirus--associated oropharyngeal cancers with favorable prognosis.

PURPOSE We sought to determine the prevalence of biologically relevant human papillomavirus (HPV) in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Retinoblastoma (Rb) downregulation by HPV E7 results in p16 upregulation. We hypothesized that p16 overexpression in OSCC defines HPV-induced tumors with favorable prognosis. METHODS Using real-time polymerase chain reaction for HPV16, we determined HPV16 viral load in a cohort of 79 OSCCs annotated with long-term patient follow-up. A tissue microarray including these cases was also analyzed for p53, p16, and Rb utilizing in situ quantitative protein expression analysis. Seventy-seven tumors were classified into a three-class model on the basis of p16 expression and HPV-DNA presence: class I, HPV-, p16 low; class II, HPV+, p16 low; and class III, HPV+, p16 high. RESULTS Sixty-one percent of OSCCs were HPV16+; HPV status alone was of no prognostic value for local recurrence and was barely significant for survival times. Overall survival was improved in class III (79%) compared with the other two classes (20% and 18%; P = .0095). Disease-free survival for the same class was 75% versus 15% and 13% (P = .0025). The 5-year local recurrence was 14% in class III versus 45% and 74% (P = .03). Only patients in class III had significantly lower p53 and Rb expression (P = .017 and .001, respectively). Multivariable survival analysis confirmed the prognostic value of the three-class model. CONCLUSION Using this system for classification, we define the molecular profile of HPV+ OSCC with favorable prognosis, namely HPV+/p16 high (class III). This study defines a novel classification scheme that may have value for patient stratification for clinical trials testing HPV-targeted therapies.
Nuclear vs. plastid data: complex Pleistocene history of a circumpolar key species

To fully understand the contemporary genetic structure of plants, both nuclear and plastid markers are needed. Three chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) lineages, which probably diverged before the major Pleistocene glaciations, have been identified in the circumpolar/circumboreal Vaccinium uliginosum. Here we investigate its nuclear DNA variation using nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, DNA ploidy level measurements and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). We also extend the cpDNA dataset. Two ITS lineages, corresponding to diploids and tetraploids, respectively, were identified. However, both main sequence types apparently occurred in most individual plants but showed ploidy‐biased homogenization and possibly reflect paralogy predating the origin of V. uliginosum. The ploidy levels were largely consistent with the cpDNA lineages, suggesting that the initial cpDNA divergence followed early polyploidizations. Five main AFLP groups were identified, consistent with recent glacial refugia in Beringia, western Siberia, the southern European mountains and areas south/east of the Scandinavian and Laurentide ice sheets. Except from the southern European mountains, there has been extensive expansion from all refugia, resulting in several contact zones. Surprisingly, the presumably older ploidy and cpDNA patterns were partly inconsistent with the main AFLP groups and more consistent with AFLP subgroups. A likely major driver causing the inconsistencies is recent nuclear gene flow via unreduced pollen from diploids to tetraploids. This may prevent cytoplasmic introgression and result in overlayed patterns formed by processes dominating at different time scales. The data also suggest more recent polyploidizations, as well as several chloroplast capture events, further complicating this scenario. This study highlights the importance of combining different marker systems to unravel intraspecific histories.
Raloxifene increases the capacity of serum to promote prostacyclin release in human endothelial cells: implication of COX-1 and COX-2

Objective:Prostacyclin is a potent vasodilator synthesized by two isoforms of cyclooxygenase in endothelium. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of serum from postmenopausal women treated with raloxifene on prostacyclin production by human umbilical vein endothelial cells and on cyclooxygenases-1 and -2. Design:Serum was collected from 21 women receiving 60 mg/day of raloxifene, at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were exposed to serum for 24 hours, and prostacyclin production was evaluated in supernatants. Selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenases-1 and -2 (SC-560 and NS-398) were used to investigate the relative contribution of each enzyme. Protein expression for each enzyme was determined using Western blot assays. Results:Prostacyclin production was increased by 30% (P ≤ 0.001) when serum from women treated for 3 and 6 months was added. SC-560 reversed prostacyclin production but did not change baseline values. NS-398, in turn, reduced prostacyclin production using sera from baseline, 3 and 6 months. Cyclooxygenases-1 and -2 protein expression remained unaltered at each treatment step. Conclusions:Serum from women treated with raloxifene stimulated prostacyclin release from human umbilical vein endothelial cells in culture, an effect that seems mediated by increased cyclooxygenase-1 activity.
Employee stock ownership and CEO entrenchment

Employee stock ownership gives a voice to employees (in terms of shareholding and potential board membership) and therefore may have a major impact on corporate governance. From this perspective, employee stock ownership may be a powerful mean to protect CEOs from market for corporate control and dismissal threat. In this paper, we examine the relationship between employee stock ownership and CEO entrenchment. We use a comprehensive panel dataset of the major French listed companies from 2009 to 2012. Our results show that employee stock ownership exhibits a curvilinear relationship with CEO entrenchment measured by CEO age and tenure. Board employee ownership representation has a mixed impact on CEO entrenchment.
Magnetism from the Atom to the Bulk in Iron, Cobalt, and Nickel Clusters

Molecular beam deflection measurements of small iron, cobalt, and nickel clusters show how magnetism develops as the cluster size is increased from several tens to several hundreds of atoms for temperatures between 80 and 1000 K. Ferromagnetism occurs even for the smallest sizes: for clusters with fewer than about 30 atoms the magnetic moments are atomlike; as the size is increased up to 700 atoms, the magnetic moments approach the bulk limit, with oscillations probably caused by surface-induced spin-density waves. The trends are explained in a magnetic shell model. A crystallographic phase transition from high moment to low moment in iron clusters has also been identified.
Empty virus‐like particle‐based enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies to hepatitis E virus

Hepatitis E, an enterically transmitted non‐A, non‐B hepatitis, is a serious viral infection that occasionally causes large epidemics in developing countries. In developed countries, the disease only appears sporadically due to the transmission routes, and it is considered to be less important. The hepatitis E virus (HEV) cannot grow in cultured cells and no reliable assay system has ever been developed. In addition, the present diagnostic are not perfect, and actual rates of HEV infection may be underestimated. Highly purified empty virus‐like particles (VLPs) of HEV have been produced by the use of a recombinant baculovirus vector in insect cells. Using these VLPs as an antigen, an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antibodies to HEV was developed. A panel of 164 sera that were randomized and coded, and sera collected periodically from three patients with hepatitis E were used for the evaluation. The sensitivity of the assay was shown to be equal to or better than that obtained in previous research that used the same serum panel. The ELISA demonstrated that the serum IgM level of the patients was highest at the onset of the clinical illness and then rapidly decreased. In contrast, a high level of circulating IgG antibody titers lasted for more than 4 years. In Japan, a non‐endemic country, the prevalence of the IgG class antibody to HEV in healthy individuals was found to range from 1.9% to 14.1%, depending on the geographical area. Only one out of 900 (0.1%) serum samples was IgM‐positive. The IgM class antibody to HEV was detected in 10.8% of non‐A, non‐B, and non‐C acute hepatitis patients in northeast China, whereas none of the patients in Korea had the IgM antibody. The ELISA utilizing the VLPs is sensitive and specific in its detection of the IgM and IgG antibodies to HEV. The ELISA is therefore useful for diagnosing HEV infection and for seroepidemiological study of hepatitis E. J. Med. Virol. 62:327–333, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The interaction of cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein with eukaryotic initiation factor 4G suppresses nonsense-mediated mRNA decay

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) eliminates different classes of mRNA substrates including transcripts with long 3′ UTRs. Current models of NMD suggest that the long physical distance between the poly(A) tail and the termination codon reduces the interaction between cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein (PABPC1) and the eukaryotic release factor 3a (eRF3a) during translation termination. In the absence of PABPC1 binding, eRF3a recruits the NMD factor UPF1 to the terminating ribosome, triggering mRNA degradation. Here, we have used the MS2 tethering system to investigate the suppression of NMD by PABPC1. We show that tethering of PABPC1 between the termination codon and a long 3′ UTR specifically inhibits NMD-mediated mRNA degradation. Contrary to the current model, tethered PABPC1 mutants unable to interact with eRF3a still efficiently suppress NMD. We find that the interaction of PABPC1 with eukaryotic initiation factor 4G (eIF4G), which mediates the circularization of mRNAs, is essential for NMD inhibition by tethered PABPC1. Furthermore, recruiting either eRF3a or eIF4G in proximity to an upstream termination codon antagonizes NMD. While tethering of an eRF3a mutant unable to interact with PABPC1 fails to suppress NMD, tethered eIF4G inhibits NMD in a PABPC1-independent manner, indicating a sequential arrangement of NMD antagonizing factors. In conclusion, our results establish a previously unrecognized link between translation termination, mRNA circularization, and NMD suppression, thereby suggesting a revised model for the activation of NMD at termination codons upstream of long 3′ UTR.
Occupational fatalities in emergency medical services: a hidden crisis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE We estimate the occupational fatality rate among emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in the United States. METHODS We undertook descriptive epidemiology of occupational fatalities among EMS providers. Analysis was conducted by using data from 3 independent fatality databases: the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (1992 to 1997), the National EMS Memorial Service (1992 to 1997), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (1994 to 1997). These rates were compared with the occupational fatality rates of police and firefighters and with the rate of all employed persons in the United States. RESULTS The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries database documented 91 EMS provider occupational fatalities. The National EMS Memorial Service database contained 70 fatalities, and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System identified 8 ground-transportation EMS occupational fatalities. There was also wide variation in fatality counts by cause of injury. Using the highest cause-specific count from each of the databases, we estimate that there were at least 67 ground transportation-related fatalities, 19 air ambulance crash fatalities, 13 deaths resulting from cardiovascular incidents, 10 homicides, and 5 other causes, resulting in 114 EMS worker fatalities during these 6 years. We estimated a rate of 12.7 fatalities per 100,000 EMS workers annually, which compares with 14.2 for police, 16.5 for firefighters, and a national average of 5.0 during the same time period. CONCLUSION This study identifies an occupational fatality rate for EMS workers that exceeds that of the general population and is comparable with that of other emergency public service workers.
AN EMPIRICAL ESTIMATION OF THE VALUE OF TRAVEL TIME RELIABILITY FOR COMMUTERS IN BARCELONA

The monetary valuation of travel time savings is a key input both for the assessment of investment projects and for transport policy, as shown by the large number of empirical and theoretical papers that have analysed it. A survey of their results shows that the estimations of travel time savings provide a wide range of values, which can be partly explained by the heterogeneity of travel times. Thus, there is heterogeneity related to travel purposes, type of vehicle used, the stage of the trip or the trip’s characteristics. Despite the efforts devoted to the estimation of values of travel time, there is still need for further research in order to better understand the role of heterogeneity on values of time.
Morphological variation of bullet tuna Auxis rochei ( Risso , 1810 ) from Tunisian Waters

Information about differentiation is essential for evaluating the stock and behaviour of fish species. In Tunisian and Mediterranean waters, differentiations of bullet tuna Auxis rochei based on morphological characters were never studied. Thus, morphological variations among 179 specimens of A. rochei from three different sampling localities (Ghar El Melh, Sidi Daoud and Mahdia) along the coast of Tunisia were examined. Univariate and multivariate analyses, such as Principal Component Analysis and Canonical Variate Analysis of 13 morphometric and four meristic characters were carried out. Morphological results for morphometric and meristic characters showed a single group for A. rochei populations in Tunisian coastal waters. The three sampled populations showed the absence of morphological differentiation as based on the 13 morphometric characters. The only exception was the number of Bronchial spins Right (BrR) and Left (BrL) meristic characters, which showed a significant difference using Scheffé’s post-hoc test between Mahdia, Sidi Daoud and Ghar El Melh localities. Our results confirm the existence of a single stock in morphology of A. rochei among these Tunisian localities.
The Relationship Between Neuropsychological Test Performance, Social Functioning, and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in a Sample of Rural Older Adults

This study examined the relationship between neuropsychological functioning, activities of daily living, and social interaction in a biracial sample of 133 rural community-dwelling participants with fewer than 10 years of education, who were tested twice over 4 years as part of a normative study. Neuropsychological tests predicted self-reported IADL and social functioning at Time 1 after accounting for age, education, health, depression, and gender. Physical health and the Initiation and Perseveration subscale of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale best predicted instrumental activities of daily living. Social functioning was best predicted by gender and delayed memory recall from the Fuld Object Memory Evaluation. Functional independence and social activities declined slightly over time for all participants, but those whose neuropsychological test scores declined significantly at Time 2 reported less independence and fewer social activities at Time 1 than those participants whose cognition remained stable. Ecological and concurrent validity of self-report measures of functional status and neuropsychological testing in predicting cognitive decline are discussed.
BRIEF SURVEY OF THE UNIVERSE EVOLUTION MODELS : INCOMPLETENESS , ENTANGLEMENT , AND SOME UNEXPECTED CONVERGENCE

The main goal of the present study refers to the actualization of our previous similar study from 2008 [1], especially relative to the: a) aspects of: (i) incomplete-ness of the fundaments of the Cosmological theoretical models, (ii) entanglement of the main actual Physics theories, those of the Quantum Physics, and of the Einstein’s gravitation theory, respectively, b) emphasis of some unexpected convergence of the most distant (extreme) basic models of the Universe evolution.
Development of a Prototype Smart City System for Refuse Disposal Management

The future of modern cities largely depends on how well they can tackle problems that confront them by embracing the next era of digital revolution. A vital element of such revolution is the creation of smart cities. Smart city is an evolving paradigm that involves the deployment of information communication technology wares into public or private infrastructure to provide intelligent data gathering and analysis. To align concretely with the smart city revolution in the area of environmental cleanliness, this paper involves the development of a smart city system for refuse disposal management. The architecture of the proposed system is an adaptation of the Jalali reference smart city architecture. It features four essential layers, which are signal sensing and processing, network, intelligent user application and Internet of Things (IoT) web application layers. A proof of concept prototype was implemented based on the designed architecture of the proposed system. The signal sensing and processing layer was implemented to produce a smart refuse bin that contains the Arduino microcontroller board, Wi-Fi/GSM transceiver, proximity sensor, gas sensor, temperature sensor and other relevant electronic components. The network layer provides interconnectivity among the layers via the internet. The intelligent user application layer was realized with non-browser client application, statistical feature extraction method and pattern classifiers. Whereas the IoT web application layer was realised with ThingSpeak, which is an online web application for IoT based projects. The sensors in the smart refuse bin generate multivariate dataset that corresponds to the status of refuse in the bin. Training and testing features were extracted from the dataset using first order statistical feature extraction method. Afterward, multilayer perceptron artificial neural network and support vector machine were trained and compared experimentally. The multilayer perceptron artificial neural network model gave the overall best accuracy of 98.0% and the least mean square error of 0.0036.
Adenosine produced by neurons is metabolized to hypoxanthine by astrocytes

Adenosine (ADO) is an important neuromodulator in brain. During pathophysiological events such as stroke or brain trauma, ADO levels can increase up to 100‐fold. We tested the hypothesis that astrocytes are important for the removal of ADO produced by neurons and for the metabolism of ADO to inosine (INO) and hypoxanthine (HX). We used four different cell culture preparations: cortical neurons, cortical astrocytes, cocultures of neurons and astrocytes, and neurons transiently cocultured with astrocytes on transwell filters. These cultures were treated with N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA), because NMDA receptor activation is a common factor among many causes of neurotoxicity. NMDA significantly increased extracellular ADO, INO, and HX levels from cultured cortical neurons by 3‐, 3.5‐, and 2‐fold, respectively. In cocultures, NMDA significantly increased INO, by 4.5‐fold, and HX, by 3‐fold, but did not increase ADO levels. There was no NMDA‐evoked purine production from astrocytes. Inhibition of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) significantly decreased HX production from both neurons and cocultures to less than 30% of control levels. The transient addition of astrocytes to neurons during NMDA treatment significantly increased HX and decreased ADO levels compared with neurons alone. In addition, increasing the number of astrocytes was directly correlated with an increased capacity of ADO metabolism to INO and HX. In conclusion, NMDA evoked the production of ADO, INO, and HX from neurons. In the presence of astrocytes, there was significantly less ADO and more HX produced. Thus, ADO produced by neurons is subject to metabolism by astrocytes, a process that may limit its neuromodulatory actions. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Regulational Effect of Ghrelin on Growth Hormone Secretion from Perifused Rat Anterior Pituitary Cells

Ghrelin, a novel growth hormone (GH)‐releasing peptide, was recently isolated from the rat stomach as an endogenous ligand to growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS‐R). Ghrelin specifically stimulates the release of GH from the rat anterior pituitary gland, but the regulational effect of ghrelin on GH secretion has not yet been clarified. We used a perifusion system to examine the single effect and combined effects of ghrelin with growth hormone‐releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin on GH secretion from rat anterior pituitary cells. The increase in GH concentration due to ghrelin stimulation showed a transitory peak that was almost the same as that previously reported for GHS, but apparently distinct from that of GHRH. Ghrelin (10−10 M to 10−8 M) stimulated GH secretion from the rat anterior pituitary cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Serial ghrelin stimulation of the dispersed cells at 1‐h intervals decreased the GH response, but the response recovered with stimulation at 3‐h intervals, indicating that ghrelin strongly desensitized cells. Costimulation with ghrelin and GHRH elicited neither a synergistic nor an additive GH response from the rat pituitary cells. Furthermore, pretreatment to anterior pituitary cells with somatostatin strongly abolished ghrelin‐ and/or GHRH‐stimulated GH secretion. In this study, we demonstrated that ghrelin caused weaker GH secretion than that caused by GHRH, and we also showed that costimulation with GHRH had no additive or synergistic effect on GH secretion, suggesting that ghrelin indirectly affects coordinated GH release from pituitary gland, as found in vivo.
IL‐17 and insulin/IGF1 enhance adhesion of prostate cancer cells to vascular endothelial cells through CD44‐VCAM‐1 interaction

Extravasation is a critical step in cancer metastasis, in which adhesion of intravascular cancer cells to the vascular endothelial cells is controlled by cell surface adhesion molecules. The role of interleukin‐17 (IL‐17), insulin, and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF1) in adhesion of prostate cancer cells to the vascular endothelial cells is unknown, which is the subject of the present study.