P16 and HPV Genotype Significance in HPV-Associated Cervical Cancer—A Large Cohort of Two Tertiary Referral Centers

The expression of p16 is a good surrogate of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in HPV-associated cancers. The significance of p16 expression, HPV genotype and genera in the outcome of patients with HPV-associated cervical cancer (CC) is unclear. Our aim is to ascertain the prognostic significance of these factors. Data from 348 patients (median age: 47.5 years old) with CC, diagnosed in two referral centers, were retrospectively collected. Advanced disease (FIGO2018 IB2-IV) was present in 68% of patients. A single HPV genotype was identified in 82.8% of patients. The most common HPVs were HPV16 (69%) and HPV18 (14%). HPV genera reflected this distribution. HPV16 tumors presented at an earlier stage. P16 was negative in 18 cases (5.2%), 83.3% of which were squamous cell carcinomas. These cases occurred in older patients who tended to have advanced disease. In the univariate analysis, HPV16 (HR: 0.58; p = 0.0198), α-9 genera (HR: 0.37; p = 0.0106) and p16 overexpression (HR: 0.54; p = 0.032) were associated with better survival. HPV16 (HR: 0.63; p = 0.0174) and α-9 genera (HR: 0.57; p = 0.0286) were associated with less relapse. In the multivariate analysis, only the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage retained an independent prognostic value. HPV16, α-9 genera and p16 overexpression were associated with better survival, although not as independent prognostic factors. Patients with p16-negative HPV-associated CC were older, presented with advanced disease and had worse prognosis.     

Exploring educational immersive videogames: an empirical study with a 3D multimodal interaction prototype

ABSTRACT

Gestural interaction devices emerged and originated various studies on multimodal human–computer interaction to improve user experience (UX). However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the use of these devices to enhance learning. We present an exploratory study which analysed the UX with a multimodal immersive videogame prototype, based on a Portuguese historical/cultural episode. Evaluation tests took place in high school environments and public videogaming events. Two users would be present simultaneously in the same virtual reality (VR) environment: one as the helmsman aboard Vasco da Gama’s fifteenth-century Portuguese ship and the other as the mythical Adamastor stone giant at the Cape of Good Hope. The helmsman player wore a VR headset to explore the environment, whereas the giant player used body motion to control the giant, and observed results on a screen, with no headset. This allowed a preliminary characterisation of UX, identifying challenges and potential use of these devices in multi-user virtual learning contexts. We also discuss the combined use of such devices, towards future development of similar systems, and its implications on learning improvement through multimodal human–computer interaction.     

Analysis on the feasibility of biomass power plants adding to the electric power system – Economic,regulatory and market aspects – State of Pará, Brazil

This paper presents an analysis of the feasibility of implementing biomass power plants, through thermoelectric power generation, and adding such plants to the electric system of the local electric utility by means of independent power production. Economic, regulatory, and market issues are also addressed.The biomass being considered is produced by the lumber sector, since that is one of the industrial sectors generating the largest amount of residues in a concentrated manner in the region under study, and also considering the fact that the disposal of such residues is currently difficult for the lumber companies.The locations with the largest production of residues, as well as the size of potential plants, are identified, the generation costs of the plants calculated, and the feasibility for implementing the plants is evaluated considering the market and the regulation of the Brazilian electric power sector.     

A hybrid VNS approach for the short-term production planning and scheduling: A case study in the pulp and paper industry

Mathematical formulations for production planning are increasing complexity, in order to improve their realism. In short-term planning, the desirable level of detail is particularly high. Exact solvers fail to generate good quality solutions for those complex models on medium- and large-sized instances within feasible time. Motivated by a real-world case study in the pulp and paper industry, this paper provides an efficient solution method to tackle the short-term production planning and scheduling in an integrated mill. Decisions on the paper machine setup pattern and on the production rate of the pulp digester (which is constrained to a maximum variation) complicate the problem. The approach is built on top of a mixed integer programming (MIP) formulation derived from the multi-stage general lotsizing and scheduling problem. It combines a Variable Neighbourhood Search procedure which manages the setup-related variables, a specific heuristic to determine the digester's production speeds and an exact method to optimize the production and flow movement decisions. Different strategies are explored to speed-up the solution procedure and alternative variants of the algorithm are tested on instances based on real data from the case study. The algorithm is benchmarked against exact procedures.     

Dealing with Information, Complex Dynamics and Organizations: Notes on Architecture, Systems Research and Computational Sciences

Similarities can certainly be found between systems research and computational sciences, and architecture and design. The first pair deals with information, complex dynamics and organizations; the second pair is often understood as synthetic and systemic. Postwar history recalls a sequence of exchanges between these fields; the aim of this paper is to highlight the relevance of some exchanges and their contemporary legacy. In this connection, the first part briefly outlines the meaning and history of the former disciplines, highlighting the strict circular models and how first-order cybernetics evolved towards a second order. The second part points to some exchanges between systems research, computational sciences and art forms, as well as to its architectural legacy. To a large extent, the current architectural interest in new sciences of emergence and complexity is rooted in the early systems research approach. Both areas are possible root sources of a future, effective built environment.     

An experience sampling study of emotional reactions to music: Listener, music, and situation.

The Experience Sampling Method was used to explore emotions to music as they naturally occurred in everyday life, with a focus on the prevalence of different musical emotions and how such emotions are related to various factors in the listener, the music, and the situation. Thirty-two college students, 20 to 31 years old, carried a palmtop that emitted a sound signal seven times per day at random intervals for 2 weeks. When signaled, participants were required to complete a questionnaire on the palmtop. Results showed that music occurred in 37% of the episodes, and in 64% of the music episodes, the participants reported that the music affected how they felt. Comparisons showed that happiness-elation and nostalgia-longing were more frequent in episodes with musical emotions, whereas anger-irritation, boredom-indifference, and anxiety-fear were more frequent in episodes with nonmusical emotions. The prevalence of specific musical emotions correlated with personality measures and also varied depending on the situation (e.g., current activity, other people present), thus highlighting the need to use representative samples of situations to obtain valid estimates of prevalence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Potential of NMR spectroscopy for the study of human amniotic fluid

1D and 2D 800 MHz high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of human amniotic fluid (HAF) enabled the identification of approximately 50 metabolites. In addition, liquid chromatography-NMR and diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) allowed signal overlap to be reduced and the characterization of higher molecular weight (Mw) components, respectively. Indeed, the DOSY spectrum of a Mw >10 kDa HAF fraction enabled three protein families, differing in average Mw, to be detected and may therefore be of potential value in the study of disorder-related variations in HAF protein profiles. The effects of freeze-drying, storage at -20 or -70 degrees C, and freeze-thawing cycles on HAF compositional stability were investigated, as well as stability at room temperature (to account for overnight data acquisition runs). These data are the basis for establishing statistically validated correlations between HAF NMR data and any physiological disorders of the fetus/mother. Freeze-drying caused signal loss for urea, ethanol, and compounds resonating at 2.22 and 1.17 ppm. Storage at -70 degrees C or lower is recommended since only minor compositional changes were observed, affecting mainly acetate and pyruvate. Freeze-thaw cycles did not cause significant compositional changes, and room-temperature stability studies indicated a 4-5 h maximum period of handling/acquisition time to ensure HAF stability.     

An alternative to the search for single polymorphisms: Toward molecular personality scales for the five-factor model.

There is growing evidence that personality traits are affected by many genes, all of which have very small effects. As an alternative to the largely unsuccessful search for individual polymorphisms associated with personality traits, the authors identified large sets of potentially related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and summed them to form molecular personality scales (MPSs) with from 4 to 2,497 SNPs. Scales were derived from two thirds of a large (N = 3,972) sample of individuals from Sardinia who completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (P. T. Costa, Jr., & R. R. McCrae, 1992) and were assessed in a genomewide association scan. When MPSs were correlated with the phenotype in the remaining one third of the sample, very small but significant associations were found for 4 of the 5e personality factors when the longest scales were examined. These data suggest that MPSs for Neuroticism, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness (but not Extraversion) contain genetic information that can be refined in future studies, and the procedures described here should be applicable to other quantitative traits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Microbiological characterization of randomly selected Portuguese raw milk cheeses with reference to food safety

Seventy raw milk cheeses made in different regions of Portugal, both hard and soft varieties, made with cow's, ewe's, or goat's milk or combinations of these, were sampled within their quoted shelf lives for microbiological safety. On the basis of the presence or numbers of Escherichia coli, E. coli O157, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes, cheeses were categorized as satisfactory, acceptable, unsatisfactory, or unacceptable and potentially hazardous. Twenty-two of the 70 cheeses were classified as satisfactory or acceptable. Thirty-seven of the cheeses were considered unsatisfactory because of the presence of E. coli, S. aureus, or both, while 11 of the cheeses were graded as unacceptable and potentially hazardous because of the presence of excessive numbers of S. aureus, E. coli, or L. monocytogenes and the presence of Salmonella in three of these. All cheeses graded as unacceptable and potentially hazardous were soft or semisoft cheeses made with ewe's and goat's milk, with the exception of two hard cheeses made with cow's milk. E. coli O157 was not detected in any of the cheeses. According to the present results, it seems that the presence or counts of pathogenic or indicator organisms in raw milk cheeses cannot be related to the processing conditions, milk type, or region of production.     

Experimental studies on the mechanisms of tiaprofenic acid photosensitization

Red blood cell lysis and histidine degradation, photosensitized by tiaprofenic acid (TIA), were investigated. Photohaemolysis was markedly enhanced in oxygenated solutions, but was also intense in the presence of nitrogen. Photohaemolysis was inhibited by butylated hydroxyanisole and reduced glutathione, but was unaffected by sodium azide, superoxide dismutase and mannitol. The TIA-induced photo-oxidation of histidine was greatly enhanced in the presence of oxygen and almost completely inhibited in solutions bubbled with nitrogen. Sodium azide, butylated hydroxyanisole and reduced glutathione inhibited the photodegradation of histidine. Phototoxicity to histidine was unaffected by mannitol and superoxide dismutase. The overall results suggest that molecular mechanisms involving free radicals and singlet oxygen are responsible for TIA-photosensitized reactions. These two in vitro models (photohaemolysis and histidine degradation) represent different mechanisms of phototoxicity, but complement one another in the investigation of potential phototoxic substances.