Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The genetic landscape of Mediterranean North African populations through complete mtDNA sequences

Abstract Background: The genetic composition of human North African populations is an amalgam of different ancestral components coming from the Middle East, Europe, south-Saharan Africa and autochthonous to North Africa. This complex genetic pattern is the result of migrations and admixtures in the region since Palaeolithic times. Aims: The objective of the present study is to refine knowledge of the population history of North African populations through the analysis of complete mitochondrial sequences. Subjects and methods: This study has sequenced complete mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) in several North African and neighbouring individuals. Results: The mtDNA haplogroup classification and phylogeny shows a high genetic diversity in the region as a result of continuous admixture. The phylogenetic analysis allowed us to identify a new haplogroup characterised by positions 10 101 C and 146 C (H1v2), a sub-branch of H1v, which is restricted to North Africa and whose origins are estimated as ∼4000 years ago. Conclusions: The analysis of the complete mtDNA genome has allowed for the identification of a North African sub-lineage that might be ignored by the analysis of partial mtDNA control region sequences, highlighting the phylogeographic relevance of mtDNA complete sequence analysis.
Genome Sequence of a Baculovirus Pathogenic forCulex nigripalpus

ABSTRACT In this report we describe the complete genome sequence of a nucleopolyhedrovirus that infects larval stages of the mosquitoCulex nigripalpus (CuniNPV). The CuniNPV genome is a circular double-stranded DNA molecule of 108,252 bp and is predicted to contain 109 genes. Although 36 of these genes show homology to genes from other baculoviruses, their orientation and order exhibit little conservation relative to the genomes of lepidopteran baculoviruses. CuniNPV genes homologous to those from other baculoviruses include genes involved in early and late gene expression (lef-4, lef-5, lef-8,lef-9, vlf-1, and p47), DNA replication (lef-1, lef-2,helicase-1, and dna-pol), and structural functions (vp39, vp91, odv-ec27,odv-e56, p6.9, gp41,p74, and vp1054). Auxiliary genes include homologues of genes encoding the p35 antiapoptosis protein and a novel insulin binding-related protein. In contrast to these conserved genes, CuniNPV lacks apparent homologues of baculovirus genes essential (ie-1 and lef-3) or stimulatory (ie-2, lef-7, pe38) for DNA replication. Also, baculovirus genes essential or stimulatory for early-late (ie-1, ie-2), early (ie-0 and pe-38), and late (lef-6,lef-11, and pp31) gene transcription are not identifiable. In addition, CuniNPV lacks homologues of genes involved in the formation of virogenic stroma (pp31), nucleocapsid (orf1629, p87, and p24), envelope of occluded virions (odv-e25, odv-e66,odv-e18), and polyhedra (polyhedrin/granulin,p10, pp34, and fp25k). A homologue of gp64, a budded virus envelope fusion protein, was also absent, although a gene related to the other category of baculovirus budded virus envelope proteins, Ld130, was present. The absence of homologues of occlusion-derived virion (ODV) envelope proteins and occlusion body (OB) protein (polyhedrin) suggests that both CuniNPV ODV and OB may be structurally and compositionally different from those found in terrestrial lepidopteran hosts. The striking difference in genome organization, the low level of conservation of homologous genes, and the lack of many genes conserved in other baculoviruses suggest a large evolutionary distance between CuniNPV and lepidopteran baculoviruses.
Bricoleurs and boundary riders: managing basic research and innovation knowledge networks

A major focus of national and institutional research policies during the 1990s has been on improving linkages between publicly funded research activities and industry for the purpose of advancing economic and other national objectives. The transfer of scientific knowledge, however, within and between public research institutions, universities and other innovative organizations is taking place within rapidly changing organizational environments. The emergence of new organizational structures that transcend institutional boundaries, scientific disciplines and the boundaries between basic and applied research are all contributing to as well as responding to changes in the ways science intersects with industrial innovation. Recent international evidence suggests that innovative organizations during the next decade will depend more on their ability to maintain quite complex organizational research linkages than on their internal organizational research capabilities. Case studies of the organizational approach adopted by companies and commercial-research agency consortia in China and Australia lead to a discussion of a typology of academic-industry alliances. The typology provides insights into different collaborative R&D management strategies associated with different forms of science-industry alliance.
Spatial Divisions of Labor: Social Structures and the Geography of Production

Part 1 Issues. Part 2 Social relations and spatial organization: the debate characterizing capital social structures and capitalist relations of production the social and the spatial - an impossible dichotomy an example. Part 3 Uneven development and spatial structures: the approach spatial structures of capitalist production spatial structures of production and geographical inequality the uniqueness of space. Part 4 Some changing spatial structures in the United Kingdom - setting the scene: electronics and instruments industries clothing and footwear services. Part 5 The effects on local areas - class and gender relations: the general and the unique the coalfield areas a different kind of "Periphery" - the case of Cornwall. Part 6 Class, politics and the geography of employment: spatial structures and spatial divisions of labour uneven development and national politics changes in the geography of class relation.
ORAI1 and STIM1 deficiency in human and mice: roles of store‐operated Ca2+ entry in the immune system and beyond

Summary: Store‐operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is a mechanism used by many cells types including lymphocytes and other immune cells to increase intracellular Ca2+ concentrations to initiate signal transduction. Activation of immunoreceptors such as the T‐cell receptor, B‐cell receptor, or Fc receptors results in the release of Ca2+ ions from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ stores and subsequent activation of plasma membrane Ca2+ channels such as the well‐characterized Ca2+ release‐activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channel. Two genes have been identified that are essential for SOCE: ORAI1 as the pore‐forming subunit of the CRAC channel in the plasma membrane and stromal interaction molecule‐1 (STIM1) sensing the ER Ca2+ concentration and activating ORAI1‐CRAC channels. Intense efforts in the past several years have focused on understanding the molecular mechanism of SOCE and the role it plays for cell functions in vitro and in vivo. A number of transgenic mouse models have been generated to investigate the role of ORAI1 and STIM1 in immunity. In addition, mutations in ORAI1 and STIM1 identified in immunodeficient patients provide valuable insight into the role of both genes and SOCE. This review focuses on the role of ORAI1 and STIM1 in vivo, discussing the phenotypes of ORAI1‐ and STIM1‐deficient human patients and mice.
A conversation with Hubert Saint‐Onge

A conversation with Hubert Saint‐Onge, senior vice‐president for Strategic Capabilities at Clarica Life Insurance Company focusing on knowledge strategy and its implementation at Clarica, a large, knowledge‐driven financial services organization, where intangible assets are the most valuable assets. Saint‐Onge discusses how he reformulated the traditional human resources function into the new configuration called strategic capabilities which links strategy and performance. This new mandate takes into account both the greater importance of intangible assets and the principles related to leveraging organizational learning and knowledge. Saint‐Onge discusses how the strategic capabilities approach reframes the roles of people, technology, values, leadership and measurement in creating an evolving “sense and respond” organization. He emphasizes continuing the shifting of Clarica’s member workforce from a dependency to a self‐initiating orientation as a key requirement for ongoing success in this knowledge‐driven transformation.
Photodynamic therapy of cancer: An update

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically approved, minimally invasive therapeutic procedure that can exert a selective cytotoxic activity toward malignant cells. The procedure involves administration of a photosensitizing agent followed by irradiation at a wavelength corresponding to an absorbance band of the sensitizer. In the presence of oxygen, a series of events lead to direct tumor cell death, damage to the microvasculature, and induction of a local inflammatory reaction. Clinical studies revealed that PDT can be curative, particularly in early stage tumors. It can prolong survival in patients with inoperable cancers and significantly improve quality of life. Minimal normal tissue toxicity, negligible systemic effects, greatly reduced long‐term morbidity, lack of intrinsic or acquired resistance mechanisms, and excellent cosmetic as well as organ function‐sparing effects of this treatment make it a valuable therapeutic option for combination treatments. With a number of recent technological improvements, PDT has the potential to become integrated into the mainstream of cancer treatment. CA Cancer J Clin 2011. © 2011 American Cancer Society, Inc.
Successful treatment of extensive cerebral venous sinus thrombosis using a combined approach with Penumbra aspiration system and Solitaire FR retrieval device

We present a young woman with rapidly progressive neurologic decline in the setting of malignant cerebral edema due to extensive superior sagittal sinus thrombosis and cortical venous thrombosis despite intravenous heparin administration. Complete revascularization of the occluded sinus was achieved using suction thrombectomy with the 5 max Penumbra catheter in combination with the Solitaire FR clot retrieval device. The successful endovascular treatment halted the progression of her cerebral edema, and the patient eventually had an excellent recovery after prolonged intensive medical therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case describing such a combined mechanical approach for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. The clot retrieval properties of the Solitaire device combined with direct aspiration via the newest generation Penumbra catheters may allow more rapid, safe and efficient revascularization than all previously reported endovascular treatments for this potentially devastating condition.
Association of innate immune activation with latent Epstein-Barr virus in active MS lesions

Objective: To determine whether the activation of innate immune responses, which can be elicited by pathogenic and endogenous triggers, is associated with the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in the multiple sclerosis (MS) brain. Methods: White matter postmortem MS (n = 10) and control tissue (n = 11) was analyzed for the expression of the proinflammatory cytokine interferon α (IFNα) by immunohistochemistry and for EBV by using the highly sensitive method of EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization. Results: We detected overexpression of IFNα in active areas of white matter MS lesions but not in inactive MS lesions, normal-appearing white matter, or normal brains. The presence of IFNα in macrophages and microglia (expressing human leukocyte antigen class II) is suggestive of local production as part of an acute inflammatory process. Interestingly, EBERs were also specifically detected in areas where IFNα was overexpressed in these preselected active MS lesions. EBER+ cells were also found in CNS lymphoma and stroke cases, but were absent in other control brains. We next addressed a potential mechanism, e.g., the role of EBERs in eliciting IFNα production, and transfected EBERs into human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. We used HEK cells that stably expressed Toll-like receptor-3, which recognizes double-stranded RNAs, associated with many viral infections. EBERs elicited IFNα production in vitro. Conclusion: These findings suggest that latent EBV infection may contribute to the inflammatory milieu in active MS lesions by activating innate immune responses, e.g., IFNα production. Unraveling the underlying mechanisms may help in uncovering causal pathways and developing better treatment strategies for MS and other neuroinflammatory diseases.
Value chain dynamics, local embeddedness, and upgrading in the clothing sectors of Lesotho and Swaziland

This paper assesses the implications for upgrading of integration into two distinct clothing value chains in Lesotho and Swaziland – the value chain characterised by Taiwanese investment and feeding into the US market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the value chain characterised by South African investment and feeding into the South African market. These value chains differ with regard to ownership patterns, end markets, governance structures, retailers' demands, and investors' motivations. These different characteristics have crucial impacts on upgrading possibilities, including functional, process and 'local' upgrading. Thus, from the perspective of upgrading and sustainability, ownership patterns, local embeddedness and market diversification matter. The emergence of South Africa as an alternative end market and the different value chain dynamics operating in the South African retailer-governed value chain opens up new opportunities from those of the AGOA/Taiwanese-dominated value chain.
The Neoplastic Transformation Potential of Mammography X Rays and Atomic Bomb Spectrum Radiation

Abstract Heyes, G. H. and Mill, A. J. The Neoplastic Transformation Potential of Mammography X Rays and Atomic Bomb Spectrum Radiation. Radiat. Res. 162, 120–127 (2004). Considerable controversy currently exists regarding the biological effectiveness of 29 kVp X rays which are used for mammography screening. This issue must be resolved to enable proper evaluation of radiation risks from breast screening. Here a definitive assessment of the biological effectiveness of 29 kVp X rays compared to the quality of radiation to which the atomic bomb survivors were exposed is presented for the first time. The standard radiation sources used were (a) an atomic bomb simulation spectrum and (b) 2.2 MeV electrons from a strontium-90/yttrium-90 (90Sr/90Y) radioactive source. The biological end point used was neoplastic transformation in vitro in CGL1 (HeLa × human fibroblast hybrid) cells. No significant difference was observed for the biological effectiveness of the two high-energy sources for neoplastic transformation. A limiting relative biological effectiveness (RBEM) of 4.42 ± 2.02 was observed for neoplastic transformation by 29 kVp X rays compared to these two sources. This compares with values of 4.67 ± 3.93 calculated from previously published data and 3.58 ± 1.77 when the reference radiation was 200 and 220 kVp X rays. This suggests that the risks associated with mammography screening may be approximately five times higher than previously assumed and that the risk–benefit relationship of mammography exposures may need to be re-examined.
Correlation of estrogen receptor and pathologic characteristics of invasive breast cancer

Estrogen receptor (ER) status was correlated with a large number of pathological and clinical characteristics of 178 invasive breast cancers. Positive ER was found to be significantly associated with high nuclear and low histologic grades, absence of tumor necrosis, presence of marked tumor elastosis, and older patients. These pathologic parameters enumerated are either directly or indirectly related to tumor differentiation suggesting that ER represents another index of this latter. Multivariate analyses disclosed that both age and tumor differentiation are associated with the ER status. Well‐differentiated tumors were more frequently ER+ in older women. Inclusion of an estimate of tumor necrosis as well as patient age appears to allow for further discrimination of ER status in poorly differentiated lesions. Considerations relative to ER and tumor differentiation provide a possible explanation for the dichotomy of response to adjuvant chemotherapy observed in pre and postmenopausal women.
Agricultural Production and the Optimal Level of Landscape Preservation

It is often asserted that agricultural land yields significant amenity benefits that could be used as a rationale for some of the substantial support to agriculture occurring in many industrialized countries. This paper introduces a method for incorporating information on the willingness to pay for landscape preservation gained from contingent valuation studies in the objective function of a price-endogenous, mathematical programming model for the agricultural sector. Optimal levels of support, production, land use, and employment can then be calculated. The method is illustrated using data from Sweden and four U.S. communities, and a programming model for the Norwegian agricultural sector.
Strategic HR Integration and Proactive Communication during M&A: A Study of Indian Bank Mergers

Research in the past has documented the use of strategic human resources (HR) integration and proactive communication as best practices in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to deliver the expected synergy out of a combination (merger or acquisition). The failure of majority of M&A deals has been attributed to improper handling of HR issues and lack of a thorough understanding of the merger/acquisition context by the acquiring management. This study was initiated to understand how proactive communication and strategic integration of HR issues improves the chances of deal success. Based on data collected through field interviews with managers of two bank mergers in India, it was concluded that strategic employee communication, appropriate changes in the performance management system and a compensation structure with cutting edge strategic HR practices paved the way for successful integration and merger success in one of the cases studied.
Motivation and retention of health workers in Ghana's district hospitals: addressing the critical issues.

PURPOSE This study seeks to undertake a systematic review to consolidate existing empirical evidence on the impact of financial and non-financial incentives on motivation and retention of health workers in Ghana's district hospitals. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The study employed a purely quantitative design with a sample of 285 health workers from ten district hospitals in four regions of Ghana. A stepwise regression model was used in the analysis. FINDINGS The study found that financial incentives significantly influence motivation and intention to remain in the district hospital. Further, of the four factor model of the non-financial incentives, only three (leadership skill and supervision, opportunities for continuing professional development and availability of infrastructure and resources) were predictors of motivation and retention. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS A major limitation of the study is that the sample of health workers was biased towards nurses (n = 160; 56.1 percent). This is explained by their large presence in remote districts in Ghana. A qualitative approach could enrich the findings by bringing out the many complex views of health workers regarding issues of motivation and retention, since quantitative studies are better applied to establish causal relationships. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The findings suggest that appropriate legislations backing salary supplements, commitment-based bonus payments with a set of internal regulations and leadership with sound managerial qualities are required to pursue workforce retention in district hospitals.
Role of leukemia inhibitory factor in the nervous system and its pathology

Abstract Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a multifunction cytokine that has various effects on different tissues and cell types in rodents and humans; however, its insufficiency has a relatively mild impact. This could explain why only some aspects of LIF activity are in the limelight, whereas other aspects are not well known. In this review, the LIF structure, signaling pathway, and primary roles in the development and function of an organism are reviewed, and the effects of LIF on stem cell growth and differentiation, which are important for its use in cell culturing, are described. The focus is on the roles of LIF in central nervous system development and on the modulation of its physiological functions as well as the involvement of LIF in the pathogenesis of brain diseases and injuries. Finally, LIF and its signaling pathway are discussed as potential targets of therapeutic interventions to influence both negative phenomena and regenerative processes following brain injury.
Spatially Consistent Street-by-Street Path Loss Model for 28-GHz Channels in Micro Cell Urban Environments

This paper considers a fundamental issue of path loss (PL) modeling in urban micro cell (UMi) environments, namely the spatial consistency of the model as the mobile station moves along a trajectory through street canyons. This paper is motivated by the observed non-stationarity of the PL. We show that the traditional model of power law PL plus log-normally distributed variations can provide misleading results that can have serious implications for system simulations. Rather, the PL parameters have to be modeled as random variables that change from street to street and also as a function of the street orientation. Variations of the PL, taken over the ensemble of the whole cell (or multiple cells), thus consist of the compound effect of these PL parameter variations together with the traditional shadowing variations along the trajectory of movement. Ray-tracing results demonstrate that ignoring this effect can lead to a severe overestimation of the local standard deviation in a given area. Then, a spatially consistent stochastic street-by-street PL model is established, and a parameterization for 28-GHz UMi cells is given. The model correctly describes the PL as a function of the street orientation as well as the large variance observed for all the PL model parameters.
Changing Issue Ownership through Policy Communication

Issue ownership has been an important concept in the analysis of party competition for several decades. Traditionally, issue ownership has been regarded as a stable phenomenon where parties are advantaged by different political issues. However, several recent studies have reported change in voters’ perceptions of parties’ issue ownership. To investigate the changeability of issue ownership and how it can be altered, this article investigates the impact of parties’ communication attempts through a web-based survey in Sweden. Two major political issues are in focus: employment and healthcare. The results show that parties can indeed improve their ownership by communicating on an issue. Indications were also found that the effects decrease as other parties simultaneously communicate on the same issue, and when those who receive the messages are ideologically distant from the party. However, in several cases results are weak. Many important conditionalities therefore remain to be explored in future studies.