Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intense CD44 expression is a negative prognostic factor in tonsillar and base of tongue cancer.

BACKGROUND Patients with tonsillar and base of tongue cancer, which are human papillomavirus (HPV) positive, have a better clinical outcome than those with HPV-negative tumors. The identification of additional predictive markers for response to therapy could still be of great use. MATERIALS AND METHODS Tumor markers CD44, p16, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), E-cadherin, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX 2), Ki-67, and p27 were analyzed by immunochemistry, and HPV status was tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in tumors from 73 patients and correlated to survival. RESULTS High intensity CD44 staining (p=0.006) and high EGFR expression (p=0.026) were indicators of poor prognosis, while high p16 expression (p=0.021) and younger age (p=0.002) were positive prognostic markers for disease-specific survival. Furthermore, staining of CD44 (p=0.026) and age (p=0.002) were shown to be strong prognostic markers in multivariate analysis, which should be evaluated further for possible use in clinical practice.
CEO Turnover-Performance Sensitivities in Private Firms

We compare CEO turnover in public and large private firms. Public firms have higher turnover rates and exhibit greater turnover-performance sensitivities than private firms. Controlling for pre-turnover performance, performance improvements are greater for private firms than for public firms. We investigate whether these differences are due to differences in quality of accounting information, the CEO candidate pool, CEO power, board structure, ownership structure, investor horizon, or some unobservable differences between public and private firms. One factor contributing to public firms’ higher turnover rates and greater turnover-performance sensitivities appears to be investor myopia.
C-terminal domain of hepatitis C virus core protein is essential for secretion.

AIM We have previously demonstrated that hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is efficiently released into the culture medium in insect cells. The objective of this study is to characterize the HCV core secretion in insect cells. METHODS We constructed recombinant baculoviruses expressing various-length of mutant core proteins, expressed these proteins in insect cells, and examined core protein secretion in insect cells. RESULTS Only wild type core was efficiently released into the culture medium, although the protein expression level of wild type core was lower than those of other mutant core proteins. We found that the shorter form of the core construct expressed the higher level of protein. However, if more than 18 amino acids of the core were truncated at the C-terminus, core proteins were no longer secreted into the culture medium. Membrane flotation data show that the secreted core proteins are associated with the cellular membrane protein, indicating that HCV core is secreted as a membrane complex. CONCLUSION The C-terminal 18 amino acids of HCV core were crucial for core secretion into the culture media. Since HCV replication occurs on lipid raft membrane structure, these results suggest that HCV may utilize a unique core release mechanism to escape immune surveillance, thereby potentially representing the feature of HCV morphogenesis.
Factors influencing online music purchase intention in Taiwan: An empirical study based on the value-intention framework

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an explanation of factors influencing online music purchase intention of Taiwanese early adopter of online music, which can help the online music practitioners of Taiwan to develop better market strategies.Design/methodology/approach – An empirical survey was used to test the hypotheses. Data were collected from a total of 302 online Taiwanese early adopters of online music. A structural equation modeling (SEM) is proposed to assess the relationships of the research model.Finding – The findings in this paper show that the perceived value of online music is a significant factor in predicting the purchaser intention of buying online music in Taiwan. Also, the beneficial factor of the perceived usefulness and playfulness are identified in addition to the sacrificing factor of the perceived price for assessing the value. Moreover, purchasers and potential purchasers differ in the determinants underlying the perceptions of value, which customers hold towards on.
Microarray Analysis Reveals an Antioxidant Responsive Element-driven Gene Set Involved in Conferring Protection from an Oxidative Stress-induced Apoptosis in IMR-32 Cells*

The present study was designed to investigate howtert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) prevents hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in IMR-32 cells. tBHQ pretreatment (10 μm) attenuated hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death and reduced the number of TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated, dUTP-incorporated nick end labeling)-positive cells. We hypothesize that tBHQ-mediated activation of the antioxidant responsive element is critical for generating this protective response. Addition of LY294002, a selective inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), 30 min prior to tBHQ treatment completely reversed the protective effect of tBHQ. Oligonucleotide microarrays were used to analyze the gene expression profile associated with tBHQ treatment in the absence and presence of LY294002. Ranking analysis using Affymetrix's difference call indicated that the expression of 137 genes changed with tBHQ treatment. Further analysis using the coefficient of variation for -fold change or average difference change reduced the list to 63 increased and 0 decreased genes. Reverse transcription-PCR for selected genes also confirmed the gene expression pattern. Many of these genes function to combat oxidative stress and increase the detoxification potential of the cells. Inhibition of PI3K significantly blocked the enhanced expression of 49 of the 63 genes induced by tBHQ. These data are the first to show a set of programmed cell life genes involved in conferring protection from an oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.
Seeing in the dark – II. Cosmic shear in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Statistical weak lensing by large-scale structure – cosmic shear – is a promising cosmological tool, which has motivated the design of several large upcoming surveys. Here, we present a measurement of cosmic shear using co-added Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) imaging in 168 square degrees of the equatorial region, with r < 23.5 and i < 22.5, a source number density of 2.2 per arcmin^2 and mean redshift of z_(med) = 0.52. These co-adds were generated using a new method described in the companion Paper I that was intended to minimize systematic errors in the lensing measurement due to coherent point spread function anisotropies that are otherwise prevalent in the SDSS imaging data. We present measurements of cosmic shear out to angular separations of 2°, along with systematics tests that (combined with those from Paper I on the catalogue generation) demonstrate that our results are dominated by statistical rather than systematic errors. Assuming a cosmological model corresponding to Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 7(WMAP7) and allowing only the amplitude of matter fluctuations σ_8 to vary, we find a best-fitting value of σ_8=0.636^(+0.109)_(−0.154) (1σ); without systematic errors this would be σ_8=0.636^(+0.099)_(−0.137) (1σ). Assuming a flat Λ cold dark matter model, the combined constraints with WMAP7 are σ_8=0.784^(+0.028)_(−0.026)(1σ)^(+0.055)_(−0.054)(2σ) and Ω_mh^2=0.1303^(+0.0047)_(−0.0048)(1σ)^(+0.009)_(−0.009)(2σ); the 2σ error ranges are, respectively, 14 and 17 per cent smaller than WMAP7 alone.
The effect of varying stimulus and response modes and asymmetric transfer on the dual-task performance of discrete tasks.

A verbal short-term memory task and a spatial short-term memory task were performed alone and concurrently. Stimuli for the verbal task were presented either visually or auditorily; responses were made either manually or vocally. The effect of the four different stimulus and response mode combinations on single- and dual-task performance was examined. The effect of asymmetric transfer on dual-task performance was also investigated. Twelve male subjects performed the verbal task using visual stimuli presented on a CRT. A second group of 12 males performed the verbal task using auditory stimuli presented by a voice-generation system. Subjects responded to the verbal task using either a keypad or a voice-recognition system. The presentation order for the response modes was counterbalanced within each group of subjects. Stimuli for the spatial task were always presented visually and subjects always responded manually. Initial analyses of the dual-task data indicated that using the voice-generation system bene.
Poverty and Inequality Analysis within a CGE Framework: A Comparative Analysis of the Representative Agent and Microsimulation Approaches

Two approaches have emerged in the use of CGE models in poverty and income distribution analysis: the traditional representative agent and the microsimulation approach using a large number of households to capture more heterogeneity. This article uses three simple CGE models with representative agent and microsimulation approaches to verify whether the two methods produce compatible results. The use of microsimulation does not appear to lead to different results or contribute significant value-added in impact analysis at the macroeconomic and sectoral levels. However, when poverty and inequality are the focus, the results produced by the two approaches are inverted, revealing that the choice of approach is crucial when the objective of the analysis relates to poverty and inequality.
A biosensor for the activity of the “sheddase” TACE (ADAM17) reveals novel and cell type–specific mechanisms of TACE activation

A FRET-based sensor reports the spatiotemporal dynamics of the protease TACE in live cells. Detecting TACE activity The ability to visually monitor enzymatic activity in live cells and in real time provides insight on a protein’s spatiotemporal function. Through cleavage, the protease TACE (tumor necrosis factor–α–converting enzyme) releases growth factors, cytokines, and other proteins from the cell surface during processes such as inflammation. Chapnick et al. developed a fluorescence-based sensor called “TSen” that contained the TACE cleavage site, and reported where and when TACE was active. They used TSen to explore the regulation of TACE in several epithelial cell lines. In addition to identifying known activators of TACE, TSen revealed that disruption of the cell’s cytoskeleton also activated TACE. TSen is a valuable tool for investigating the spatial and temporal dynamics of TACE-mediated protein shedding in cells and tissues. Diverse environmental conditions stimulate protein “shedding” from the cell surface through proteolytic cleavage. The protease TACE [tumor necrosis factor–α (TNFα)–converting enzyme, encoded by ADAM17] mediates protein shedding, thereby regulating the maturation and release of various extracellular substrates, such as growth factors and cytokines, that induce diverse cellular responses. We developed a FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer)–based biosensor called TSen that quantitatively reports the kinetics of TACE activity in live cells. In combination with chemical biology approaches, we used TSen to probe the dependence of TACE activation on the induction of the kinases p38 and ERK (extracellular signal–regulated kinase) in various epithelial cell lines. Using TSen, we found that disruption of the actin cytoskeleton in keratinocytes induced rapid and robust TSen cleavage and the accumulation of TACE at the plasma membrane. Cytoskeletal disruption also increased the cleavage of endogenous TACE substrates, including transforming growth factor–α. Thus, TSen is a useful tool for unraveling the mechanisms underlying the spatiotemporal activation of TACE in live cells.
Pregnancy as a critical window for blood pressure regulation in mother and child: programming and reprogramming

Pregnancy is a critical time for long‐term blood pressure regulation in both mother and child. Pregnancies complicated by placental insufficiency, resulting in pre‐eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction, are associated with a threefold increased risk of the mother to develop hypertension later in life. In addition, these complications create an adverse intrauterine environment, which programmes the foetus and the second generation to develop hypertension in adult life. Female offspring born to a pregnancy complicated by placental insufficiency are at risk for pregnancy complications during their own pregnancies as well, resulting in a vicious circle with programmed risk for hypertension passing from generation to generation. Here, we review the epidemiology and mechanisms leading to the altered programming of blood pressure trajectories after pregnancies complicated by placental insufficiency. Although the underlying mechanisms leading to hypertension remain the subject of investigation, several abnormalities in angiotensin sensitivity, sodium handling, sympathetic activity, endothelial function and metabolic pathways are found in the mother after exposure to placental insufficiency. In the child, epigenetic modifications and disrupted organ development play a crucial role in programming of hypertension. We emphasize that pregnancy can be viewed as a window of opportunity to improve long‐term cardiovascular health of both mother and child, and outline potential gains expected of improved preconceptional, perinatal and post‐natal care to reduce the development of hypertension and the burden of cardiovascular disease later in life. Perinatal therapies aimed at reprogramming hypertension are a promising strategy to break the vicious circle of intergenerational programming of hypertension.
CYP8A1 Gene Polymorphisms and Left Main Coronary Artery Disease

Background: Left main (LM) disease is rare but the most hazardous phenotype of coronary artery disease (CAD). Thus, early detection of participants at high risk of developing left main coronary heart disease (LM-CAD) is crucial. The aim of this study was to identify gene polymorphisms which could distinguish participants who are at high risk of developing LM-CAD. Such a candidate can be the prostaglandin I2 or prostacyclin (PGI2) gene. Methods: The DNA of 254 participants (151 participants with angiographically documented LM-CAD and 103 healthy controls) was analyzed for the frequency of C1117A polymorphism in the gene coding CYP8A1. Results: The genotype distribution was different between the LM-CAD and the control group. Particularly, the CC genotype of CYP8A1 was commoner in the LM-CAD than in the healthy group (P < .001). Allele frequencies were also differently distributed between the 2 groups. C allele frequency was higher in LM-CAD group (P = .016). Conclusions: The CC genotype of C1117A polymorphism is associated with higher risk of LM-CAD, which prospectively may have potential importance in screening high-risk populations. However, further investigations in larger populations are required to confirm these findings.
Zinc deficiency among the elderly attending a care centre in Sharpeville, South Africa.

BACKGROUND The elderly are particularly prone to zinc deficiency because of nutritional and physiological vulnerabilities associated with ageing. A low socio-economic status may further increase the risk of zinc deficiency. This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed the zinc status of an elderly sample in the Vaal region, South Africa. METHODS The participants were 170 randomly selected elderly people attending a day care centre in Sharpeville. Twenty-four-hour recalls were administered for dietary intake. Weight and height were measured and venous blood samples (n = 67) were drawn to determine biochemical indices. RESULTS The mean age of the respondents was 71.7 years. The mean +/- SD daily dietary intake for zinc was 11.0 +/- 6.12 mg. Approximately half of the subjects (51.5%) did not reach two-thirds of the recommended dietary allowance for zinc. The mean serum zinc concentration was 61.8 +/- 8.5 microg dL(-1) (9.4 +/- 1.3 micromol L(-1)), with 76.3% of the subjects having zinc values less than the recommended values of 70 microg dL(-1) (10.7 micromol L(-1)). Maize meal was the staple in the diet of approximately half the study population. Although South African maize meal is now fortified with zinc oxide, maize also contains high concentrations of phytate, a known inhibitor of mineral bioavailability. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study suggested that zinc deficiency existed in these elderly people. Further research is, however, needed to elucidate possible underlying factors so that appropriate intervention can be implemented.
Blood transfusion is associated with donor leukocyte microchimerism in trauma patients.

INTRODUCTION Blood transfusion can result in survival of donor leukocyte subpopulations in the recipient. Persistence of donor leukocytes in the transfusion recipient is termed microchimerism. Microchimerism likely reflects engraftment of the recipient with donor hematopoietic stem cells and is very uncommon with transfusion for elective surgery, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and HIV. We have found, however, that microchimerism may be more common in trauma patients. OBJECTIVE To determine how frequently transfusion after trauma is associated with microchimerism. METHODS We prospectively enrolled 45 trauma patients who were transfused > or =2 units of PRBCs. We sampled blood before hospital discharge and determined microchimerism by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of specimens using quantitative allele-specific HLA DR assays to detect non-recipient alleles. Data are expressed as median with interquartile range. RESULTS Patients had a median age of 38 (interquartile range 25, 58) years, ISS of 19 (13, 29), and mortality of 7%. Seventy-eight percent were men, and 84% had blunt trauma. Patients received a median of 6 (4, 16) (range 2, 87) units of PRBCs. Of the 45 patients, 24 (53%) had evidence of microchimerism. Compared with patients without evidence of microchimerism, these patients had no difference in mean age, gender, ISS, units of PRBCs transfused, time from transfusion to blood sampling, or proportion that underwent splenectomy. Twenty-one of the 24 patients with microchimerism had only 1 or 2 non-recipient DR alleles identified by PCR. CONCLUSIONS Transfusion after trauma is associated with over half of recipients having evidence of microchimerism. Age, sex, ISS, and splenectomy of the recipient and the number of transfused units did not correlate with microchimerism. Because the median time from transfusion to sampling for PCR analysis was not longer in the group without microchimerism, it is unlikely microchimerism is due merely to failure of the recipient to clear transfused donor leukocytes.
ATP as an Osteoclast Regulator?

Osteoclasts are polarized, usually multinucleate cells that resorb bone by actively extruding large quantities of protons to help dissolve mineral, and by secreting proteolytic agents to break down the collagen matrix. Release occurs at a specialized, convoluted region of osteoclast membrane into a tightly sealed space, akin to a secondary lysosome, adjacent to the bone surface. Resorption is co-ordinated with bone formation to remodel the skeletal frame during growth and bring about a balanced turnover of bone in early and middle adult life. In later life, most notably in women after the menopause, osteoclast activity increases, leading to bone loss (osteoporosis) and fractures. Osteoporosis, much the commonest bone disorder, is a huge and increasing problem in the ageing populations of the developed world.
Reproducibility of the semiflexed (metatarsophalangeal) radiographic knee position and automated measurements of medial tibiofemoral joint space width in a multicenter clinical trial of knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the baseline and longitudinal consistency in reproducibility of the semiflexed metatarsophalangeal (MTP) position in repeat examinations of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) recruited for a multicenter clinical trial that terminated within one year (mean duration 0.81 yr), based on precise measurements both of minimum medial tibiofemoral compartment joint space width (JSW) and of tibial inter-rim distance. METHODS Two technologists from 8 and one technologist from 14 clinical radiology units had received previous training in performing nonfluoroscopic semiflexed MTP knee examinations and in quality control criteria for film acceptance. Patients (N = 402; F = 269) were recruited from 58 rheumatology sites and referred to 22 centers, or "x-ray hubs," across North America. At baseline and at study exit, both knees were x-rayed twice on the same day. All films had quality control, and accepted films were digitized at the Central Radiographic Facility and transmitted to the Central Analysis Facility for computerized measurement of minimum medial compartment JSW and tibial inter-rim distance. JSW loss was calculated in the placebo group for the study period. RESULTS The median SD of the difference in JSW between same-day test/retest film pairs was 0.9 mm for 767 baseline film pairs (knees with JSW > 0 mm), and 0.08 mm for 631 exit film pairs. JSW reproducibility was unaffected by subject's sex, age, and degree of JSW loss. Among all x-ray hubs, JSW reproducibility was excellent in 14 (SD < 0.1 mm), good in 6 (0.1 < SD < 0.2 mm), and moderate in 2 hubs (0.2 < SD < 0.3 mm). No statistical difference was found in technologists' ability either in positioning OA knees or in their test/retest reproducibility in repositioning joints at baseline and at study exit. JSW did not alter significantly during the study period. CONCLUSION The protocol for the semiflexed MTP knee position provides a highly reproducible method for anatomically repositioning the knee and for measuring JSW, necessary for OA clinical trials. It is a simple method that can be employed readily at clinical radiology units, as shown by the similarity in JSW precision between x-ray hubs. The results from this large dataset show that throughout the study precise measurements of JSW were obtained from same-day repeat radiographs, findings that together with previous single-center studies confirm the reliability of this method for clinical trial use.
Dermoscopy of early stage mycosis fungoides

Background Early stage mycosis fungoides (MF) is difficult to be clinically differentiated from chronic dermatitis (CD) in a high proportion of patients. Dermoscopy is a rapid, cheep, non‐invasive and widely used method for the evaluation of skin tumours and, recently, of inflammatory skin diseases, as well.
Hammerhead ribozymes: importance of stem-loop II for activity.

The activity of several hammerhead ribozyme constructs with constant lengths of stems I and III of 5 nt each but with variously shortened stems II is reported. Stems with 2 bp rather than the conventional 4 bp show essentially unaltered catalytic activity, independent of the composition of the tetraloop. Further reduction in size to 1 bp or 0 bp decreases activity drastically. Inversion of the G10.1. C11.1 bp next to the invariant core leads to a loss in activity, even when the stem consists of 4 bp. Thus, the minimal structural requirement for stem-loop II is a 2-bp stem with a conserved G.C bp. The reduction in catalytic activity is predominantly a result of a decrease of catalytic constant kcat, whereas Km is only slightly affected. Thus, the structural requirement for optimal activity in these constructs where the chemical-cleavage step is rate limiting is determined by the stabilization of the transition state.