Area Of Much Research Research Articles

Prognostic Significance of Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 Expression in Tobacco Associated Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An Immunohistochemical Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Advancements in immuno-oncology have dramatically transformed cancer treatment. Immunotherapy, targeting immune check point proteins, notably Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and its receptor Programmed Cell Death-1 (PD-1) which modulate the activity of immune response in Head and Neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), is an area of much research. The immunohistochemical expression of PD-L1 in cancer cells has been proposed as a predictive biomarker for selecting candidates for immunotherapy. Thus, the present study was undertaken to study the expression of PD-L1 in the primary tumour cells and evaluate its correlation with various clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in tobacco associated oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). Expression of PD-L1 was investigated in 75 surgically resected cases of OSCC by immunohistochemistry and its association with different clinicopathological features and prognosis was analysed. PD-L1 protein was detected in 68% (51 cases) of cases. Tumour stage (p = 0.04), lymph node (LN) metastasis (p < 0.01) and moderate to marked tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) (p < 0.05), significantly correlated with the PD-L1 expression in the primary tumour. PD-L1 expression did not show a significant association with overall survival (OS) rate, however, patients with positive PD-L1 expression showed a poorer survival rate. Patients exhibiting nodal positivity had the worst prognosis (p < 0.005). These data demonstrated a significant association of ≥ 5% PD-L1 expression in the primary tumour and the presence of LN metastasis, moderate to marked TILs and advancing tumour stage, thus, making it a plausible immunotherapeutic target molecule in OSCC patients.

But I did science so I wouldn’t have to write essays

A dislike of writing, sometimes bordering on a phobia, seems to be a common experience for many science students and indeed practising scientists. This represents a serious challenge, as regular publication is a key requirement for most areas of research. In seeking to understand the origins of this aversion, a few interesting findings have arisen. First, there are some crucial differences between technical and creative writing, but these are rarely highlighted as part of either high school or university science courses. Second, there are surprisingly few degree courses in which the scientific method is introduced and discussed explicitly. In this talk, strategies for addressing these deficiencies and taking the pain out of report and paper writing will be discussed.

The Biological Significance of von Willebrand Factor O-Linked Glycosylation.

Glycosylation is a key posttranslational modification, known to occur on more than half of all secreted proteins in man. As such, the role of N- and O-linked glycan structures in modulating various aspects of protein biology is an area of much research. Given their prevalence, it is perhaps unsurprising that variations in glycan structures have been demonstrated to play critical roles in modulating protein function and have been implicated in the pathophysiology of human diseases. von Willebrand factor (VWF), a plasma glycoprotein that is essential for normal hemostasis, is heavily glycosylated, containing 13 N-linked and 10 O-linked glycans. Together, these carbohydrate chains account for 20% of VWF monomeric mass, and have been shown to modulate VWF structure, function, and half-life. In this review, we focus on the specific role played by O-linked glycans in modulating VWF biology. Specifically, VWF O-linked glycans have been shown to modulate tertiary protein structure, susceptibility to ADAMTS13 proteolysis, platelet tethering, and VWF circulatory half-life.

A deep learning approach for staging embryonic tissue isolates with small data.

Machine learning approaches are becoming increasingly widespread and are now present in most areas of research. Their recent surge can be explained in part due to our ability to generate and store enormous amounts of data with which to train these models. The requirement for large training sets is also responsible for limiting further potential applications of machine learning, particularly in fields where data tend to be scarce such as developmental biology. However, recent research seems to indicate that machine learning and Big Data can sometimes be decoupled to train models with modest amounts of data. In this work we set out to train a CNN-based classifier to stage zebrafish tail buds at four different stages of development using small information-rich data sets. Our results show that two and three dimensional convolutional neural networks can be trained to stage developing zebrafish tail buds based on both morphological and gene expression confocal microscopy images, achieving in each case up to 100% test accuracy scores. Importantly, we show that high accuracy can be achieved with data set sizes of under 100 images, much smaller than the typical training set size for a convolutional neural net. Furthermore, our classifier shows that it is possible to stage isolated embryonic structures without the need to refer to classic developmental landmarks in the whole embryo, which will be particularly useful to stage 3D culture in vitro systems such as organoids. We hope that this work will provide a proof of principle that will help dispel the myth that large data set sizes are always required to train CNNs, and encourage researchers in fields where data are scarce to also apply ML approaches.

MP05-06 MIX METHODS APPROACH TO EXPLORE PATIENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A URINARY BIOMARKER TEST IN REPLACEMENT OF CYSTOSCOPY FOR BLADDER CANCER SURVEILLANCE

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES:Urine biomarker is an area of much research as an alternative to surveillance cystoscopy. We determine the minimal accepted sensitivity (MAS) of a urine biomarker that p...

Institutions and economic performance: evidence from Western Balkans 1996-2016

Exploring the relationship between the role of institutions and economic performance has been an area of much research in political economy. There is a rich literature on Solow growth model linking institutions with better economic performance, extended growth model, endogenous growth model and extended endogenous growth model. However, this assumption may not hold in developing countries. The role of regulatory institutions and the institutional setting are supposed to lead to higher levels of growth through improving productivity and foreign direct investment. This article makes an attempt to test the role of institutions in economic performance in Western Balkans. The methodological approach used is in article is based on econometric analysis of the correlation between institutions and economic performance. The analysis is based on the data on the quality of institutions index of the World Bank and economic growth figures between 2006-2016. Our econometric analysis suggests that there is strong causal link between the quality of governance and economic performance in Western Balkans.

Non-parametric sequence-based learning approach for outlier detection in IoT

Although study on outlier detection techniques has long been an area of much research, few of those works relate to an Internet of Things (IoT) environment. In the last few years, with the advent of IoT and its numerous smart objects, data generated from sensors have increased exponentially. Since on the basis of these data many critical decisions are taken, it is therefore necessary to absolutely ensure its accuracy, correctness and integrity before any processing starts. Most algorithms in the past assumes outliers to be always an Error, that is caused by a malfunctioning sensor. However, this is not always true because an outlier could also be an important event that should not be neglected. This stresses the need to devise algorithms that is suited for an IoT environment which considers both Error, that is a result of faulty sensors or an Event, which is an indication of an abnormal phenomenon. This paper proposes a sequence based learning approach for outlier detection that works for both Error and Event. Simulations are performed on few benchmark datasets, a medical dataset and a real world dataset obtained through an experimental test bed. The results reveal exceptionally high accuracies with up to 99.65% for Error detection and 98.53% for Event detection.

Numerical and experimental investigation of oblique shock wave reflection off a water wedge

Shock wave interaction with solid wedges has been an area of much research in past decades, but so far very few results have been obtained for shock wave reflection off liquid wedges. In this study, numerical simulations are performed using the inviscid Euler equations and the stiffened gas equation of state to study the transition angles, reflection patterns and triple point trajectory angles of shock reflection off solid and water wedges. Experiments using an inclined shock tube are also performed and schlieren photography results are compared to simulations. Results show that the transition angles for the water wedge cases are within 5.3 % and 9.2 %, for simulations and experiments respectively, compared to results obtained with the theoretical detachment criterion for solid surfaces. Triple point trajectory angles are measured and compared with analytic solutions, agreement within $1.3^{\circ }$ is shown for the water wedge cases. The transmitted wave in the water observed in the simulation is quantitatively studied, and two different scenarios are found. For low incident shock Mach numbers, $M_{s}=1.2$ and 2, no shock wave is formed in the water but a precursor wave is induced ahead of the incident shock wave and passes the information from the water back into the air. For high incident shock Mach numbers, $M_{s}=3$ and 4, precursor waves no longer appear but instead a shock wave is formed in the water and attached to the Mach stem at every instant. The temperature field in the water is measured in the simulation. For strong incident shock waves, e.g. $M_{s}=4$, the temperature increment in the water is up to 7.3 K.

Molecular Mechanisms of Antisense Oligonucleotides.

In 1987, when I became interested in the notion of antisense technology, I returned to my roots in RNA biochemistry and began work to understand how oligonucleotides behave in biological systems. Since 1989, my research has focused primarily on this topic, although I have been involved in most areas of research in antisense technology. I believe that the art of excellent science is to frame large important questions that are perhaps not immediately answerable with existing knowledge and methods, and then conceive a long-term (multiyear) research strategy that begins by answering the most pressing answerable questions on the path to the long-term goals. Then, a step-by-step research pathway that will address the strategic questions posed must be implemented, adjusting the plan as new things are learned. This is the approach we have taken at Ionis. Obviously, to create antisense technology, we have had to address a wide array of strategic questions, for example, the medicinal chemistry of oligonucleotides, manufacturing and analytical methods, pharmacokinetics and toxicology, as well as questions about the molecular pharmacology of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). Each of these endeavors has consumed nearly three decades of scientific effort, is still very much a work-in-progress, and has resulted in hundreds of publications. As a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 granted by the Oligonucleotide Therapeutic Society, in this note, my goal is to summarize the contributions of my group to the efforts to understand the molecular mechanisms of ASOs.

The crisis of confidence in research findings in psychology: Is lack of replication the real problem? Or is it something else?

There have been frequent expressions of concern over the supposed failure of researchers to conduct replication studies. But the large number of meta-analyses in our literatures shows that replication studies are in fact being conducted in most areas of research. Many who argue for replication as the “gold standard” consider a non-significant replication attempt to be strong evidence against the initial study, an interpretation that ignores statistical power, typically low in behavioral research. Many researchers also hold that there is no need to replicate a non-significant finding, believing it will always replicate perfectly, an erroneous belief. These beliefs lead to a widely accepted sequential model of the research process that is deficient because it assumes that a single study can answer a research question, a belief that meta-analysis has shown to be false. Meta-analysis can provide the solution to these problems if the problems of publication bias and questionable research practices are successfully addressed. The real problem is not a lack of replication; it is the distortion of our research literatures caused by publication bias and questionable research practices.

A History of Shoulder Surgery

Shoulder surgery has emerged from being a marginalised sub-speciality to being an area of much research and advancement within the last seventy years. This has been despite the complexity of the joint, and success majorly rests on parallel development of biomedical technology. This article looks at the past and present of shoulder surgery and discusses future directions in the speciality.

Nano GO Consortium—A Team Science Approach to Assess Engineered Nanomaterials: Reliable Assays and Methods

Nano GO Consortium—A Team Science Approach to Assess Engineered Nanomaterials: Reliable Assays and Methods

Tensions in leadership development: head teachers' experience in North Cyprus

Leadership development has been an area of much research, particularly in the last two decades. This has been mirrored by increased policy activity to build leadership capacity in schools through preparation programmes and continuing professional development. This article examines continuing professional development provision for head teachers in the context of North Cyprus. Findings demonstrate a widespread dissatisfaction among head teachers of the existing provision relating to policy orientations guiding continuing professional development. The article suggests internationally aware but locally relevant strategies to develop continuing professional development provision for head teachers.

Work, learning and professional practice: the role of leadership apprenticeships

How leaders learn to become leaders has been an area of much research. When asked what were the key experiences in learning leadership, leaders often speak of the importance of ‘on-the-job’ experiences, yet these experiences are rarely fully detailed in the research literature. The importance of ‘apprenticeships’ and being attached to institutions for periods of time for learning and development purposes is well known and occurs in a number of occupations from beginning teachers to trades people. This paper investigates ‘on-the-job’ development experiences with particular reference to what are termed ‘leadership apprenticeships’ or internships. Drawing on a recently completed evaluation of an innovative fast track leadership development programme called ‘Future Leaders’, the role and value for learning and professional practice of a year's residency in a host school, working with and for an effective headteacher, is investigated.

MCM-test: a fuzzy-set-theory-based approach to differential analysis of gene pathways

BackgroundGene pathway can be defined as a group of genes that interact with each other to perform some biological processes. Along with the efforts to identify the individual genes that play vital roles in a particular disease, there is a growing interest in identifying the roles of gene pathways in such diseases.ResultsThis paper proposes an innovative fuzzy-set-theory-based approach, Multi-dimensional Cluster Misclassification test (MCM-test), to measure the significance of gene pathways in a particular disease. Experiments have been conducted on both synthetic data and real world data. Results on published diabetes gene expression dataset and a list of predefined pathways from KEGG identified OXPHOS pathway involved in oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria and other mitochondrial related pathways to be deregulated in diabetes patients. Our results support the previously supported notion that mitochondrial dysfunction is an important event in insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes.ConclusionOur experiments results suggest that MCM-test can be successfully used in pathway level differential analysis of gene expression datasets. This approach also provides a new solution to the general problem of measuring the difference between two groups of data, which is one of the most essential problems in most areas of research.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) dewclaw: specialization overlooked

The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus is an atypical felid, well known for having blunt, only slightly curved, and only partly retractile claws, clearly an adaptation for high-speed locomotion in the pursuit of swift mammals. However, saying that prey ‘is usually knocked down by the force of the cheetah's charge’ (Nowak, 1999) is incorrect, because this predator actually relies on the claw of the first digit of the forepaw, the so-called dewclaw, to hook the fleeing prey off balance. Although (1) this was understood by Indian huntsmen through their use of tame cheetahs and published (Burton, 1950) in a natural history journal circulating well outside India, (2) wounds attributable to the dewclaws of cheetahs were later observed (Schaller, 1972) on prey animals in Africa, the area of most research on this felid, and (3) the information from India was finally reported (though with the wrong year in the citation) in an authoritative book on African mammals (Kingdon, 1977), no systematic study of the dewclaw itself, or of explicitly related questions, has been made. Perhaps the general connotation of the term ‘dewclaw’, as intended for a non-functional claw on a rudimentary digit as in the case of dogs, has masked the importance of what is not only a strongly curved and sharply pointed, but also a very large claw in the cheetah. In fact, this specialization of the cheetah has escaped the attention of behaviourists (Eaton, 1970), anatomists (Gonyea & Ashworth, 1975), and palaeontologists (Adams, 1979).

Glossary for Partial Evaluation and Related Topics

Most areas of research or work use their own set of words and phrases and gives specific technical meaning to terms that in everyday speech may mean something less specific or something else entirely. The area of partial evaluation and program transformation is no different, which may make it hard for the uninitiated to grasp some parts of technical papers or discussions. This list of words and terms is intended as a help to people new in the subject area, but may also be of help to experienced researchers, as different research groups tend to develop different terminology.

Surgical research in Australasia.

An analysis has been made of the 642 papers presented to the Surgical Research Society of Australasia between 1962 and 1978. Most areas of research have maintained a relatively stable level of productivity over the period examined. However, while tumour immunology, education, and microsurgery have attracted increasing interest, that of transplantation immunology and cardiovascular research appeared to be decreasing in recent years. The most commonly investigated body systems were gastrointesinal (27%), cardiovascular (21%), and genitourinary (17%). The most commonly studied scientific disciplines were metabolism/biochemistry (22%), physiological measurement (17%), immunology (10%), oncology (9%), and transplantation (8%). Less than 3% of papers related to controlled clinical trials.