Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA-18a targeting of the STK4/MST1 tumour suppressor is necessary for transformation in HPV positive cervical cancer

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a major cause of malignancy worldwide. They are the aetiological agents of almost all cervical cancers as well as a sub-set of other anogenital and head and neck cancers. Hijacking of host cellular pathways is essential for virus pathogenesis; however, a major challenge remains to identify key host targets and to define their contribution to HPV-driven malignancy. The Hippo pathway regulates epithelial homeostasis by down-regulating the function of the transcription factor YAP. Increased YAP expression has been observed in cervical cancer but the mechanisms driving this increase remain unclear. We found significant down-regulation of the master Hippo regulatory kinase STK4 (also termed MST1) in cervical disease samples and cervical cancer cell lines compared with healthy controls. Re-introduction of STK4 inhibited the proliferation of HPV positive cervical cells and this corresponded with decreased YAP nuclear localization and decreased YAP-dependent gene expression. The HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins maintained low STK4 expression in cervical cancer cells by upregulating the oncomiR miR-18a, which directly targeted the STK4 mRNA 3’UTR. Interestingly, miR-18a knockdown increased STK4 expression and activated the Hippo pathway, significantly reducing cervical cancer cell proliferation. Our results identify STK4 as a key cervical cancer tumour suppressor, which is targeted via miR-18a in HPV positive tumours. Our study indicates that activation of the Hippo pathway may offer a therapeutically beneficial option for cervical cancer treatment.
THE SPAWNING FREQUENCY OF SKIPJACK TUNA, KATSUWONUS PELAMIS, FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC

ABSTRACf Histological criteria to age postovulatory follicles were developed from examination of laboratory-spawned skipjack tuna; the criteria were used to estimate the frequency of spawning of skipjack tuna from the South Pacific. Examination of 87 skipjack tuna from field cOllections taken in October-November indicated that spawning occurred nearly every day. The fraction of mature females with postovulatory follicles, <24 hours old, was 0.85 (standard deviation = 0.071) indicating that the mean interval between spawn­ ings was only 1.18 days. Estimates of the frequency of spawning of multi­ ple spawning fishes are essential for understanding their reproductive biology. To estimate annual reproductive effort or fecundity, and how these variables are related to size or age structure of a population requires knowledge of the frequency of spawning and the number of eggs produced per spawning. Batch fecundity, the number of eggs pro­ duced per spawning, has been estimated for skipjack tuna a nwnber of times (see review by Matsumoto et al. 1984) but the spawning rate of the skipjack is unknown. Thus spawning frequency is one of the missing links in an assessment of the reproduction of skipjack populations. It has long been recognized that skipjack tuna spawn more than once in a season because more than one mode of advanced oocytes are found in active ovaries (Brock 1954; Bunag 1956; Joseph 1963; Raju 1964; Simmons 1969; Batts 1972; Cayre 1981; Goldberg and Au 1986). The frequency of occurrence of female black skipjack tuna, Eutkyn­ nus lineatus, throughout the spawning season with ovaries containing hydrated oocytes led Schaefer (1986) to conclude that the average interval be­ tween spawnings of black skipjack in the eastern tropical Pacific was 2.1-5.7 d depending on the region. Over the last 6 years, two methods have been developed for measuring the spawning rate of multi­ ple spawning marine fishes: One method is based on the frequency of ovaries containing hydrated
An observational study of the association between sleep disturbance, fatigue and cognition in the post-acute period after mild traumatic brain injury in prospectively studied premorbidly healthy adults

ABSTRACT The literature examining the relationship between sleep disturbance, fatigue, and cognition in premorbidly healthy civilian adults after mTBI is very limited. The current study aimed to investigate the relationships of sleep disturbance and fatigue with cognition while controlling for psychological distress and age. Using a prospective observational design, we assessed 60 premorbidly healthy individuals approximately 8 weeks after mTBI. Participants were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory as well as measures of speed of information processing, attention, memory, and executive function; depression and anxiety were also assessed. Findings revealed associations between sleep disturbance and cognition (r 2 = .586, p < .001) as well as between fatigue and cognition (r 2 = .390, p < .01), independent of the impact of psychological status and age. Associations were evident in the domains of processing speed, attention, and memory, but were most consistently apparent on measures of executive function. Greater sleep disturbance was most consistently associated with poorer cognitive function. Unexpectedly, higher levels of fatigue were associated with better cognitive function, which may be explained by the coping hypothesis. Given sleep interventions have been shown to improve sleep disturbance, these findings suggest that sleep intervention may also result in improved cognition after mTBI.
Preliminary study on lyrics intelligibility at different pitches in Chinese vocal music

Abstract Background: There is still no clear experimental data on the relationship between the intelligibility of Chinese vocal lyrics and different pitch. Aims/Objective: This study aims at investigating the intelligibility of Chinese sung words at different pitch. Material and methods: A word list is created and sung by eight singers at five different pitches (C5, F4, bB4, bE5, and bA5). The intelligibility of the words is tested by listeners with and without music background. Results: The average intelligibility score in the music-listeners is 84.9% (SD = 9.5%). The score at five pitches (from low to high) is 93%, 91.7%, 89.7%, 83.1%, and 67.1%, respectively. The average score is 77.4% (SD = 10.7%) in the non-music listeners. The average score is 87%, 86%, 79.8%, 76.8%, and 57.5% at five pitches, respectively. The ratio of unidentified sung words is 19.3% (SD, 4.3%) in female singers and 11.9% (SD = 1.5%) in male singers. Conclusions: The intelligibility of Chinese sung words declines gradually with increase in pitch, and the extent of decreases gradually elevating. Generally, the identified ratio of words sung by male singers is higher than that of female singers. The listeners who had no musical background have a lower intelligibility score than those with experience.
NAHEMS Guidelines: Vaccination for Contagious Diseases, Appendix C: Vaccination for High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza

This Appendix is intended to provide relevant information for federal and state officials and other interested parties who will participate in making decisions related to vaccination as an aid in controlling an HPAI outbreak in the U.S. The following topics are presented and discussed: Important characteristics of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI); Characteristics of vaccines; Strategies for vaccine use; Various factors that must be considered when designing an effective vaccination program. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) has a separate document, HPAI Response Plan: The Red Book that identifies the capabilities needed to respond to an HPAI outbreak in the United States as well as identifying all the critical activities involved in responding with the corresponding time-frames. Please refer to that document for those specific details. Disciplines Veterinary Infectious Diseases | Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology | Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health Comments This report is an appendix to FAD PReP Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness & Response Plan (2015): 195 pp. Rights Works produced by the U.S. Government are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted. This report is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/vmpm_reports/1 NAHEMS GUIDELINES: VACCINATION FOR CONTAGIOUS DISEASES APPENDIX C: VACCINATION FOR HIGH PATHOGENICITY AVIAN INFLUENZA AUGUST 2015 United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Veterinary Services National Animal Health Emergency Management System Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness & Response Plan FAD PReP
Viral RNA Genomes Identified from Marine Macroalgae and a Diatom

Protists provide insights into the diversity and function of RNA viruses in marine systems. Among them, marine macroalgae are good targets for RNA virome analyses because they have a sufficient biomass in nature. However, RNA viruses in macroalgae have not yet been examined in detail, and only partial genome sequences have been reported for the majority of RNA viruses. Therefore, to obtain further insights into the distribution and diversity of RNA viruses associated with marine protists, we herein examined RNA viruses in macroalgae and a diatom. We report the putative complete genome sequences of six novel RNA viruses from two marine macroalgae and one diatom holobiont. Four viruses were not classified into established viral genera or families. Furthermore, a virus classified into Totiviridae showed a genome structure that has not yet been reported in this family. These results suggest that a number of distinct RNA viruses are widespread in a broad range of protists.
Growth of little stint Calidris minuta chicks on the Taimyr peninsula, Siberia

Growth of mass and linear body dimensions (bill, tarsus and wing length) was studied in the Little Stint Calidris minuta at several locations on the Taimyr Peninsula, Siberia (73°–76°N) in 1983–94. Little Stints fledged at near-adult body mass, at 15 days of age. Growth followed an S-shaped pattern which was best described mathematically by a logistic curve. Curves of this type showed that growth was similar between study sites and years, although there were differences in mass development during the first days after hatching, perhaps related to weather conditions. When the logistic growth curve was used, K L (the standard measure of maximum growth rate) was 0.285. Conversion of this parameter to another S-shaped curve, the Gompertz curve which has been widely used to describe wader chick growth, yields K G = 0.194. This is higher than predicted from an allometric relationship based on 15 other precocial wader species, and might be related to the Little Stint's high latitude breeding range.
Growth suppression of sandspur grass by cover crops

RESUMO -1 , 8 t ha -1 , 12 t ha -1 and 16 t ha -1 ), plus a control treatment without soil cover. The variables analyzed were the total number of emerged plants, germination speed index, leaf area, root volume and shoot and root dry biomass. U. ruziziensis excelled in the suppression of C. echinatus growth by reducing the number of emerged plants, emergence speed index, shoot and root dry biomass, root volume and leaf area.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Improves Hearing Level via Attenuating TLR4/NF-κB Mediated Inflammation in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Patients.

Objective Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) has demonstrated efficacy in improving hearing levels of patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL); however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. HBOT alleviates the inflammatory response, which is mediated by Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and nuclear factor (NF)-κB. In this study we investigated whether HBOT attenuates inflammation in ISHHL patients via alteration of TLR4 and NF-κB expression. Methods ISHHL patients ( n = 120) and healthy control subjects ( n = 20) were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly divided into medicine group treated with medicine only ( n = 60) and HBO group receiving both HBOT and medicine ( n = 60). Audiometric testing was performed pre- and post-treatment. TLR4, NF-кB, and TNF-α expression in peripheral blood of ISSHL patients and healthy control subjects was assessed by ELISA before and after treatment. Results TLR4, NF-κB, and TNF-α levels were upregulated in ISSHL patients relative to healthy control subjects; the levels were decreased following treatment and were lower in the HBO group than that in the medicine group post-treatment ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Conclusion HBOT alleviates hearing loss in ISSHL patients by suppressing the inflammatory response induced by TLR4 and NF-κB signaling.
Advancing gene therapies, methods, and technologies for Parkinson's Disease and other neurological disorders.

INTRODUCTION Vector-based intracerebral gene therapies are being used to treat specific neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's Disease (PD). This review presents a basis for central nervous system (CNS) gene therapy treatments of neurodegenerative diseases such as PD, as well as the need for novel skill sets and health delivery strategies within the clinical neurosciences (neurology and neurosurgery) to meet future demand for such therapies. STATE OF THE ART Preclinical vector-based gene therapy approaches have been translated into clinical trials for PD and other neurodegenerative conditions. Unfortunately, such trials, and parallel efforts using other therapeutics, have yet to provide a breakthrough. Image-guided convection enhanced delivery (CED) optimises the parenchymal distribution of gene therapies applied within the CNS, and may ultimately provide such a breakthrough. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Currently, image-guided CED and gene therapy are not part of training programmes for most neurosurgeons and neurologists. As a result, few medical centres and hospitals have sufficiently experienced teams to participate in gene transfer clinical trials for PD or other neurological conditions. If CNS gene therapies prove to be efficacious for PD and/or other conditions, the demand for such treatments will overwhelm the available number of experienced clinical neuroscience teams and treatment centres. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Expanded indications and demand for CNS gene therapies will require a worldwide educational effort to supplement the training of clinical neuroscience practitioners. Initially, a limited number of Centres of Excellence will need to establish relevant educational training requirements and best practice for such therapeutic approaches. Advanced technologies, including robotics and artificial intelligence, are especially germane in this regard, and will expand the treatment team's capabilities while assisting in the safe and timely care of those afflicted.
Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Organoids as Models of Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS There are few in vitro models for studying the 3-dimensional interactions among different liver cell types during organogenesis or disease development. We aimed to generate hepatic organoids that comprise different parenchymal liver cell types and have structural features of the liver, using human pluripotent stem cells. METHODS We cultured H1 human embryonic stem cells (WA-01, passage 27-40) and induced pluripotent stem cells (GM23338) with a series of chemically defined and serum-free media to induce formation of posterior foregut cells, which were differentiated in 3-dimensions into hepatic endoderm spheroids and stepwise into hepatoblast spheroids. Hepatoblast spheroids were re-seeded in a high-throughput format and induced to form hepatic organoids; development of functional bile canaliculi was imaged live. Levels of albumin and apolipoprotein B were measured in cell culture supernatants using an ELISA. Levels of gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured in cholangiocytes. Organoids were incubated with troglitazone for varying periods and bile transport and accumulation were visualized by live-imaging microscopy. Organoids were incubated with oleic and palmitic acid and formation of lipid droplets was visualized by staining. We compared gene expression profiles of organoids incubated with free fatty acids or without. We also compared gene expression profiles between liver tissue samples from patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) vs without. We quantified hepatocyte and cholangiocyte populations in organoids using immunostaining and flow cytometry; cholangiocyte proliferation of cholangiocytes was measured. We compared the bile canaliculi network in the organoids incubated with vs without free fatty acids by live imaging. RESULTS Cells in organoids differentiated into hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, based on the expression of albumin and cytokeratin-7. Hepatocytes were functional, based on secretion of albumin and apolipoprotein B and cytochrome P450 activity; cholangiocytes were functional, based on GGT and ALP activity and proliferative responses to secretin. The organoids organized a functional bile canaliculi system, which was disrupted by cholestasis-inducing drugs such as troglitazone. Organoids incubated with free fatty acids had gene expression signatures similar to those of liver tissues from patients with NASH. Incubation of organoids with free fatty acid-enriched media resulted in structural changes associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, such as decay of bile canaliculi network and ductular reactions. CONCLUSIONS We developed a hepatic organoid platform with human cells that can be used to model complex liver diseases, including NASH.
COVID-19 Neurologic Complication with CNS Vasculitis-Like Pattern

SUMMARY: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which spreads rapidly from person to person and manifests in most symptomatic patients as a respiratory illness, similar to prior SARS viruses. Neurologic manifestations of COVID-19 are uncommon; those so far reported include encephalopathy, stroke from large-vessel occlusion, and polyneuropathy. We report a unique neurologic complication of COVID-19 in a patient who had extensive cerebral small-vessel ischemic lesions resembling cerebral vasculitis in a characteristic combined imaging pattern of ischemia, hemorrhage, and punctuate postcontrast enhancement. Also, a characteristic lower extremity skin rash was present in our patient. Our observation lends support to the increasingly suspected mechanism of “endotheliitis” associated with this novel coronavirus.
Fatigue effects on the viscoelastic behavior of men and women in a landing task: a Mass–Spring–Damper modeling approach

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare the fatigue effect on the viscoelastic behavior of the musculoskeletal system between the two sexes in a landing task. Stiffness and shock absorption capacity were studied from ground reaction force data using a mass-spring-damper model. A parametric simulation was also performed to demonstrate the effect of different values of model parameters on the vertical ground reaction force. Following fatigue, the shock absorption capacity reduced in men. According to the parametric simulation, this reduction can result in lower rate of force development which may make men less susceptible to impact injuries than women.
Re-thinking Aftercare-Beyond Short-Term Residential Facilities

Aftercare is an often-neglected aspect of the alternative care system in most parts of the world. Care leavers therefore struggle with uncertainty and the lack of specialised services to cope with independent living. Care leavers often consider themselves excluded and unable to socially integrate. This is especially relevant in the context of children with difficult backgrounds such as children of women in prostitution. This paper provides an insight into the lives of two such care leavers to understand their experiences in the world outside care. It brings out significant recommendations for reforms in aftercare policies for children leaving care.
Glyphosate Timing and Tillage System Effects on Glyphosate-Resistant Canola (Brassica napus)1

Glyphosate-resistant canola has been widely adopted in western Canada. This has prompted producer interest in the timing of glyphosate application, particularly under zero tillage, where glyphosate is often applied preseeding. Field experiments were conducted at Lacombe, Edmonton, and Beaverlodge in Alberta in 1997, 1998, and 1999 to determine the importance of preseeding glyphosate and the most effective growth stage to apply glyphosate to canola to optimize yield and weed management. Treatments consisted of zero-tillage systems, with and without preseeding glyphosate, and a conventional-tillage system involving preseeding tillage operations. Glyphosate was applied at the one- to two-, three- to four-, or five- to six-leaf stages of canola in each tillage system. Canola yield and weed dry weight were largely unaffected by the tillage system. In most instances, the highest canola yields occurred when glyphosate was applied early to the crop. The opposite occurred at Lacombe and Edmonton in 1999, however, where canola yield increased as glyphosate was applied at later crop growth stages. This yield benefit likely resulted from the control of late-emerging weeds that exerted competitive pressure on canola. Early glyphosate timing in glyphosate-resistant canola may eliminate the need for preseeding glyphosate in zero-tillage systems, and optimize yield and weed control. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; canola, Brassica napus L. ‘Quest’. Additional index words: Critical period of weed control, direct seeding, preseeding glyphosate application, reduced tillage, zero tillage.
A Single Recessive Gene for Sucrose Accumulation in Cucumis melo Fruit

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. soluble sugars, hexose, glucose, fructose, fruit quality, QTL ABSTRACT. Fruit sweetness is the major determinant of fruit quality in melons (Cucumis melo L.) and reflects the concentration of the three major soluble sugars, sucrose, glucose, and fructose, present in the fruit flesh. Of these three sugars, sucrose is the prime factor accounting for both the genetic and the environmental variability observed in sugar content of C. melo fruit. Faqqous (subsp. melo var. flexuosus), a cultivar having a low sucrose and total sugar content, was crossed with Noy Yizre'el (subsp. melo var. reticulatus), a cultivar having a high sucrose and total sugar content. F1 plants had a sucrose content averaging slightly higher than that of the low-sucrose parent, indicating that low sucrose content is nearly completely dominant. Segregation in the F2 and backcross progenies indicated that high sucrose accumulation in melon fruit flesh is conferred by a single recessive gene herein designated suc. When the high-sucrose parent was crossed with the moderate-sucrose landrace known as Persia 202 (subsp. melo var. reticulatus), the segregation in the filial and backcross progenies suggested that additional genetic factors affect the amount of sucrose accumulation.
Usefulness of discriminant analysis in themorphofunctional classification of Spanish dog breeds

Abstract. The aim of this study was to determine whether the classification of local Spanish breeds of dogs, based on morphological traits, matches or differs from the classification based on the dogs' breeding goals. A total of 15 biometric measurements and 10 functional indices were obtained in 1 365 dogs (709 females and 656 males). The dogs we measured belonged to 16 different breeds, 14 of which were officially recognized by the Spanish Royal Canine Society. Similar average values of morphometric traits and indices (P