Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stable serum miRNA profiles as potential tool for non-invasive lung cancer diagnosis

Circulating microRNAs in human serum have increasingly been recognized as stable markers for cancer detection. However, there is still a lack of miRNome wide studies over a long period of time with respect to pathogenic processes. We obtained serum samples from the janus serum bank collected prior and after diagnosis of lung cancer. We analyzed the abundance of 904 miRNAs in serum from eight cancer patients at three time points and from six healthy control individuals. Based on the identified miRNA signatures, hierarchical clustering and a self-organizing map identified three major clusters including one cluster containing most of the of the pre-diagnostic samples, a second cluster with mainly post-diagnostic samples, and a third cluster with mainly control samples. Correlation analyses showed that although the profiles were generally stable over several years, most obvious changes of the miRNA pattern seem to occur at a time close to diagnosis. Our findings support the idea that a developing lung cancer might be detectable years prior to diagnosis through a specific miRNA signature and that this signature changes during tumor development.
A Nomological Network of Knowledge Management System Use: Antecedents and Consequences

A key objective of knowledge management system (KMS) implementations is to facilitate job outcomes, such as job performance and job satisfaction. Prior KMS research indicates many KMS implementations have failed to achieve their intended job outcomes, such as job performance and job satisfaction, and one important reason for failure could be that employees do not know how to use a KMS to enhance job outcomes. Given that research on this topic is scant and the findings inconsistent, this paper sought to develop a better understanding of the topic. Specifically, we examine how employees can use a small number of KMS features to get a majority of their job tasks done. Limited research has used a systematic approach to identify these features, examined drivers of using these features, and impacts of the use of such features on job outcomes. Based on a literature review, we first identified several KMS features. Then, these features were examined using a qualitative study among 35 employees in a large organization in the finance industry to identify the key KMS features that could contribute positively to job outcomes. We then developed a nomological network of KMS feature use. Leveraging social network theory, we present peer support ties in general, and help-seeking ties and help-providing ties in particular, as key drivers of the use of these features and job outcomes. We also present various competing hypotheses for the effects from peer support to KMS feature use, KMS feature use to job outcomes, and peer support to job outcomes. We conducted a quantitative study (n = 1,441) in the same organization (noted above) to validate our model. Results indicated that our model was largely supported.
APOBEC3F Determinants of HIV-1 Vif Sensitivity

ABSTRACT HIV-1 Vif counteracts restrictive APOBEC3 proteins by targeting them for proteasomal degradation. To determine the regions mediating sensitivity to Vif, we compared human APOBEC3F, which is HIV-1 Vif sensitive, with rhesus APOBEC3F, which is HIV-1 Vif resistant. Rhesus-human APOBEC3F chimeras and amino acid substitution mutants were tested for sensitivity to HIV-1 Vif. This approach identified the α3 and α4 helices of human APOBEC3F as important determinants of the interaction with HIV-1 Vif.
The Dual Role of IL-2 in the Generation and Maintenance of CD8+ Memory T Cells1

The mechanisms responsible for the generation and maintenance of T cell memory are unclear. In this study, we tested the role of IL-2 in allospecific CD8+ T cell memory by analyzing the long-term survival, phenotype, and functional characteristics of IL-2-replete (IL-2+/+) and IL-2-deficient (IL-2−/−) CD8+ TCR-transgenic lymphocytes in an adoptive transfer model. We found that IL-2 is not essential for the in vivo generation, maintenance, or recall response of CD8+ memory T cells. However, IL-2 increased the size of the CD8+ memory pool if present at the time of initial T cell activation but reduced the size of the pool if present during memory maintenance by inhibiting the proliferation of CD8+ memory T cells. Thus, IL-2-based vaccine strategies or immunosuppressive regimens that target IL-2 should take into account the divergent roles of IL-2 in CD8+ T cell immunity.
Protein Transfection of Intact Microvessels Specifically Modulates Vasoreactivity and Permeability

Precise regulation of microvascular tone and barrier function is essential for proper coronary perfusion and performance. Agonist-induced alterations in either or both of these functions ultimately lead to microcirculatory dysfunction and cardiac insufficiency. Two important pathways involved in regulating vasomotor response and barrier function are the activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and upregulation of protein kinase C (PKC). To date, studies of these two signaling proteins have relied mainly on pharmacological approaches. Unfortunately, the specificity of various inhibitors can be cause for concern. In order to address this problem, a protein transfection technique we developed for cultured endothelial cells has been modified and applied to isolated, intact coronary microvessels. Our results from green fluorescent protein transfection in arterioles and venules showed that this procedure could be used to introduce proteins into the microvascular wall. By transfecting inhibitor peptides against NOS and PKC into coronary arterioles and venules, we have been able to determine the specific roles of these two enzymes in vasodilation and hyperpermeability responses.
Identiﬁcation and Functional Characterization of the p66/p68 Components of the MeCP1 Complex

Methylation of cytosine at CpG dinucleotides is a common feature of many higher eukaryotic genomes. A major biological consequence of DNA methylation is gene silencing. Increasing evidence indicates that recruitment of histone deacetylase complexes by methyl-CpG-binding proteins is a major mechanism of meth- ylated DNA silencing. We have previously reported that the MeCP1 protein complex represses transcription through preferential binding, remodeling, and deacetylation of methylated nucleosomes. To understand the molecular mechanism of the functioning of the MeCP1 complex, the individual components of the MeCP1 complex need to be characterized. In this paper, we report the identiﬁcation and functional characterization of the p66 and p68 components of the MeCP1 complex. We provide evidence that the two components are different forms of the same zinc ﬁnger-containing protein. Analysis of the p66 homologs from different organisms revealed two highly conserved regions, CR1 and CR2. While CR1 is involved in the association of p66 with other MeCP1 components, CR2 plays an important role in targeting p66 and MBD3 to speciﬁc loci. Thus, our study not only completes the identiﬁcation of the MeCP1 components the potential function of p66 in MeCP1 complex targeting. identiﬁcation and characterization of all the MeCP1 components set the for reconstitution of the MeCP1 complex.
Isolation and Characterization of a New Subtype of Borna Disease Virus

ABSTRACT Borna disease virus (BDV), the causative agent of severe meningoencephalitis in a wide variety of animal species, has been considered to be genetically invariable and to form a single type within the genus Bornavirus of the familyBornaviridae. BDV infections are of particular interest, because for the first time a virus infection appears to be linked to human psychiatric disorders. We now describe a new subtype of BDV isolated from a horse which was euthanatized due to severe, incurable neurological disease. The nucleotide sequence of this new strain, named No/98, differs from the reference strains by more than 15%, and the subtype is difficult to detect by standard reverse transcriptase PCR protocols. The nucleotide exchanges of the novel BDV isolate have surprisingly little effect on the primary structures of most viral proteins, with the notable exception of the X protein (p10), which is only 81% identical to its counterpart in reference strains. Our data indicate that the genome of BDV is far more variable than previously assumed and that naturally occurring subtypes may escape detection by currently used diagnostic assays.
A Functional Perspective Analysis of Macroalgae and Epiphytic Bacterial Community Interaction

Macroalgae are photosynthetic, multicellular, sessile eukaryotic organisms that offer diverse habitats for the colonization of epiphytic bacteria, therefore establishing biological interactions of diverse complexity. This review focusses on the interactions between macroalgae and their Epiphytic Bacterial Community (EBC); the main aims are to ascertain whether (1) the epiphytic bacterial groups differ at the phylum and genus levels of the macroalgae; (2) the methodologies used so far to study these microorganisms are related in any way to eventual variations of the EBCs on macroalgae; and (3) the EBC of macroalgae has a functional means rather a simple taxonomic grouping. Results showed firstly the taxonomic grouping of macroalgae does not explain the composition and structure of the EBCs. Secondly, the methodology used is important for describing EBCs; and thirdly, multiple bacteria can have the same function and thus to describe the functionality of EBCs it is important to recognize host-specific and generalist bacteria. We recommend the incorporation of a complementary approach between the taxonomic composition and the functional composition analyzes of EBCs, as well as the use of methodological tools that allow analysis of interactions between the EBCs and their hosts, based on the “holobiont” concept.
The Ontogeny of the Motivation That Underlies In-Group Bias

Humans demonstrate a clear bias toward members of their own group over members of other groups in a variety of ways. It has been argued that the motivation underlying this in-group bias in adults may be favoritism toward one’s own group (in-group love), derogation of the out-group (out-group hate), or both. Although some studies have demonstrated in-group bias among children and infants, nothing is known about the underlying motivations of this bias. Using a novel game, we found that in-group love is already present in children of preschool age and can motivate in-group-biased behavior across childhood. In contrast, out-group hate develops only after a child’s sixth birthday and is a sufficient motivation for in-group-biased behavior from school age onward. These results help to better identify the motivation that underlies in-group-biased behavior in children.
BDT: Gradient Boosted Decision Tables for High Accuracy and Scoring Efficiency

In this paper we present gradient boosted decision tables (BDTs). A d-dimensional decision table is essentially a mapping from a sequence of d boolean tests to a real value in {R}. We propose novel algorithms to fit decision tables. Our thorough empirical study suggests that decision tables are better weak learners in the gradient boosting framework and can improve the accuracy of the boosted ensemble. In addition, we develop an efficient data structure to represent decision tables and propose a novel fast algorithm to improve the scoring efficiency for boosted ensemble of decision tables. Experiments on public classification and regression datasets demonstrate that our method is able to achieve 1.5x to 6x speedups over the boosted regression trees baseline. We complement our experimental evaluation with a bias-variance analysis that explains how different weak models influence the predictive power of the boosted ensemble. Our experiments suggest gradient boosting with randomly backfitted decision tables distinguishes itself as the most accurate method on a number of classification and regression problems. We have deployed a BDT model to LinkedIn news feed system and achieved significant lift on key metrics.
Characterization of retinal inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 1 in several mammalian species.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to characterize the inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 1 (IMPDH1) protein isoforms in mammalian retinas, in order to determine the species distribution of these variants and identify an optimal animal model for studying IMPDH1-associated retinal diseases. Mutations in IMPDH1 cause the RP10 form of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa, and are a rare cause of Leber congenital amaurosis. METHODS Retinas from several mammalian species were obtained commercially. Human retinas were isolated by the San Diego Eye Bank and flash frozen within four hours post mortem. Proteins were isolated from retinal tissue using the PARIS protocol. Anti-IMPDH1 antibodies were used to visualize the IMDPH1 proteins on Western blots. RESULTS Transcript and protein analyses have shown that IMPDH1 undergoes alternate splicing to produce at least two retinal isoforms in both human and mouse. The relative abundance of these IMPDH1 isoforms is different between mouse and human. This study extends these findings by showing that the two IMPDH1 isoforms are also present in dog, rat, sheep, pig, and cow retina, but that, as with mouse, the relative abundances of these isoforms differ from those found in human retina. CONCLUSIONS The existence of two major retinal isoforms of the IMPDH1 protein is maintained across all mammalian species tested. The relative abundance of IMPDH1 proteins in human retina is unique in comparison to other mammalian species, indicating an apparent lack of an ideal model organism for human retinal IMPDH1 expression. Pig and/or sheep may prove to be potential model organisms based on the observed retinal isoform abundance in these species. These findings will aid future research in understanding the role of retinal-specific IMPDH1 proteins, and will contribute to research elucidating the pathophysiology associated with IMPDH1 missense mutations.
Numinous‐like auras and spirituality in persons with partial seizures

This study investigated hyperreligiosity in persons with partial epilepsy by exploring a relationship between aura symptoms and spirituality. It was reasoned that patients with high frequencies of auras that are suggestive of metaphysical phenomena, termed numinous‐like auras, would report increased spirituality of an unconventional form, both during their seizures and generally. Numinous‐like auras included: dreaminess/feeling of detachment, autoscopy, derealization, depersonalization, time speed alterations, bodily distortions, and pleasure. A high‐frequency aura group, low‐frequency aura group, and nonseizure reference group were compared on the Expressions of Spirituality‐Revised. The High group had significantly greater Experiential/Phenomenological Dimension and Paranormal Beliefs factor scores than the Low group, and significantly greater Experiential/Phenomenological Dimension factor scores than the reference group. There were no differences between the Low group and the reference group. In addition, there were no differences among the three groups on traditional measures of religiosity. The results provide preliminary evidence that epilepsy patients with frequent numinous‐like auras have greater ictal and interictal spirituality of an experiential, personalized, and atypical form, which may be distinct from traditional, culturally based religiosity. This form of spirituality may be better described by the term cosmic spirituality than hyperreligiosity. It is speculated that this spirituality is due to an overactivation and subsequent potentiation of the limbic system, with frequent numinous‐like auras indicating sufficient activation for this process to occur. It is likely that numinous‐like experiences foster cosmic spirituality in a number of circumstances, including seizures, psychosis, near‐death experiences, psychedelic drug use, high‐elevation exposure, and also normal conditions.
Education and Training in Europe

While Europe is certainly one of the richest and most educated areas of the world, some of the challenges faced by the old continent are staggering: low economic growth, structural difficulties in the labour market, and increasing international competition. Politicians and policymakers may advocate different means of overcoming the potential economic decline of Europe, but most agree that Europe needs to strengthen human capital, its ultimate competitive advantage in the world economy. This book looks at the accumulation of human capital from two perspectives, first through formal education and then professional training. It provides a useful summary of the key characteristics of education and training in Europe and also asks key questions about the fundamental problems with the current educational and training systems. More importantly, the book goes on to discuss which policies are necessary to make existing education and training systems more efficient, while also making higher skills available to a wider range of people. Contributors to this volume - Andrea Bassanini, OECD and EPEE-University of Paris XIII Giuseppe Bertola, University of Turin Alison Booth, Australian National University and University of Essex Giorgio Brunello, University of Padua Maria De Paola, Calabria University Juan J. Dolado, Universidad Carlos III Peter Fredriksson, Uppsala University Pietro Garibaldi, Fondazione Rodolfo DeBenedetti and University of Turin Daniel Gros, Centre for European Policy Studies Ana Lamo, European Central Bank Edwin Leuven, University of Amsterdam and CREST John Martin, OECD Julian Messina, European Central Bank Giovanni Peri, University of California, Davis Steve Pischke, London School of Economics Etienne Wasmer, Universite du Quebec a Montreal
The Impact of Postoperative Complications on a Timely Return to Intended Oncologic Therapy (RIOT): the Role of Enhanced Recovery in the Cancer Journey

This is a dynamic and exciting time for perioperative medicine. Continuous evolutions in anesthetic techniques, surgical approaches, and tools to measure recovery have improved patient safety and quality significantly. In addition, multiple new avenues of basic, translational, clinical, and health care delivery research have been opened. Although these areas of investigation are in their early stages, it seems timely to review our progress to date. In this chapter, our group introduces the concept of return to intended oncologic therapies (RIOT) as a novel quality metric that all fields of cancer surgery/anesthesia can use to measure and monitor the degree to which various perioperative interventions impact the functional recovery in cancer patients. Using goal-directed fluid therapy, narcotic minimization, and alternative analgesic strategies as examples, we explore the data that support an association between perioperative care and RIOT. Further,
SUMMARY OF DATA FOR CHEMICAL SELECTION

1 ® "hydergine" for the purpose of this presentation. Hydergine was identified from a review of substances being promoted as nootropics or "smart drugs" for cognition enhancement in well persons of all ages. Hydergine is also a prescription drug for the treatment of senility and cerebrovascular insufficiency. Hydergine is an ergot alkaloid. Ergot alkaloids have a wide field of therapeutic application, and their biological activities are strongly dependent on their structural conformation. Despite their widespread use, little information on the carcinogenic or mutagenic potential of hydergine or closely related ergot alkaloids was found in the available literature. Information on the genotoxicity of hydergine was mixed and not completely consistent with the results reported for the closely related compound, ergotamine. Standard battery of genotoxicity tests including Ames Salmonella and micronucleus assays Priority: The CSWG does not assign priority to genotoxicity testing Rationale/Remarks: An ergot alkaloid prescription drug recently promoted for use as a " smart drug " for healthy individuals seeking cognition enhancement Mixed results regarding genotoxicity; no information on carcinogenicity Ergot alkaloids have a wide range of effects influenced by small changes in structure which affect receptor site binding
Kinetic roughening in molecular-beam epitaxy.

We extend a continuum model recently proposed by Villain [J. Phys. I (France) 1, 19 (1991)] to study equilibrium and nonequilibrium diffusion on a high-symmetry surface under a fluctuating particle beam. Exponents characterizing dynamic scaling in various regimes are derived explicitly in all dimensions, as well as the relevant lengths which separate these regimes. Different surface morphologies are correlated with experimentally accessible parameters such as substrate temperature and deposition rate.
Investigating health disparities and disproportionality in child maltreatment reporting: 2002-2006.

OBJECTIVES We examined health disparities and disproportionality in child protective services (CPS) reporting at a regional academic health center. METHODS We computed disproportionate representation and disparity indices from archived CPS reports for pediatric patients (N = 1,020) from 2002 to 2006. RESULTS Findings indicated that medical personnel reported African American and Hispanic pediatric patients to CPS (1) at higher rates than their representation in the general pediatric patient population and (2) at a rate approximately four times that of White pediatric patients. However, White pediatric patients were reported to CPS at lower rates than their general pediatric patient representation. Additional examination of socioeconomic factors demonstrated that pediatric patients from poor neighborhoods were reported to CPS (1) at higher rates than their numbers in the patient population and (2) five times more often than pediatric patients from prosperous neighborhoods. CONCLUSIONS We found significant racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disproportionality and disparities in medical personnel's CPS reporting practices. These findings augment the limited literature investigating disparities and disproportionality in medical personnel's CPS reporting practices. The inclusion of pediatric and general departments allows for increased generalizability of study results. However, more rigorous empirical examination is needed to identify the causal factors responsible for noted differences. Consequently, healthcare systems' collection and examination of patients' racial/ethnic data are imperative to effectively address the multifaceted, social welfare issues of health disparities and disproportionality.
Trabajo y capital en la evaluación pública de proyectos

El objetivo de esta investigaciones estudiar los problemas relativos a la utilizacion publico de dos recursos centrales de uno economia, el trabajo y el capital, con el fin de obtener una serie de normas que permitan el tratamiento concreto de estos dos factores en la evaluacion de politicas y actuaciones publicas. El trabajo consta de tres partes. En la primera se estudian los problemas relativos a la valoraciond el factor trabajo. En la segunda tratan los correspondientes a la utilizacion publica del capital. Por ultimo, en la tercera parte se revisa un metodo para el calculo del conjunto de precios sombra de una economia a partir de la informacion contenida en su tabla imput-output, y se presentan los resultados de su aplicacion a Espana. Estos confirman la necesidad de utilizar indicadores de valor alternativos a los precios de mercado en la evaluaciones de inversiones publicas.