Donyi Polo Apatani

The Apatani are a non-nomadic, nature worshipping tribe who consider the Sun and the Moon their God, the Sun considered female and called Mother Sun. They have a sibling relationship with nature and perceive prosperity as a harmonious condition between man and nature

THE CONSIDERATION OF DIET QUALITY IN HEAD AND NECK CANCER INCIDENCE AND SURVIVAL

The treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) often results in significant morbidity and healthcare costs. Tobacco use and alcohol consumption along with the human papillomavirus (HPV) are the major risk factors for HNSCC, though HPV is more strongly associated with HNSCC of the oropharynx than with HNSCC of other anatomical sites. Food groups and individual nutrients have been studied with respect to HNSCC, but few have studied the relation between the a priori hypothesis-driven indexes of overall diet quality and HNSCC. We used data from the Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (CHANCE), a large population-based case control study of HNSCC to explore associations between overall diet quality and HNSCC incidence and survival. The self-reported dietary data captured from a validated food frequency questionnaire were used to construct three a priori diet indexes of diet quality: Healthy Eating Index 2005 (HEI-2005), Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), and a derivative of the MDS, MDS-HNC which we developed and introduced based on the diet-HNSCC literature. Using these measures of diet quality, we aimed to 1) characterize the association between diet quality and HNSCC incidence and 2) characterize the association between diet quality and HNSCC survival. We further sought to explore heterogeneity of the association by anatomic site, HPV tumor positivity, race, body mass index (BMI), alcohol use, and cigarette smoking. In our analysis, we found that diet quality was inversely associated with HNSCC incidence and positively associated with survival. We also observed effect measure modification by BMI and by alcohol for the association between diet quality and HNSCC incidence, as well as the association between diet quality and HNSCC survival. Our findings suggest that diet quality prior to diagnosis is associated with lower HNSCC incidence and prolonged survival.Doctor of Philosoph

snoRNA, a Novel Precursor of microRNA in Giardia lamblia

An Argonaute homolog and a functional Dicer have been identified in the ancient eukaryote Giardia lamblia, which apparently lacks the ability to perform RNA interference (RNAi). The Giardia Argonaute plays an essential role in growth and is capable of binding specifically to the m7G-cap, suggesting a potential involvement in microRNA (miRNA)-mediated translational repression. To test such a possibility, small RNAs were isolated from Giardia trophozoites, cloned, and sequenced. A 26-nucleotide (nt) small RNA (miR2) was identified as a product of Dicer-processed snoRNA GlsR17 and localized to the cytoplasm by fluorescence in situ hybridization, whereas GlsR17 was found primarily in the nucleolus of only one of the two nuclei in Giardia. Three other small RNAs were also identified as products of snoRNAs, suggesting that the latter could be novel precursors of miRNAs in Giardia. Putative miR2 target sites were identified at the 3′-untranslated regions (UTR) of 22 variant surface protein mRNAs using the miRanda program. In vivo expression of Renilla luciferase mRNA containing six identical miR2 target sites in the 3′-UTR was reduced by 40% when co-transfected with synthetic miR2, while the level of luciferase mRNA remained unaffected. Thus, miR2 likely affects translation but not mRNA stability. This repression, however, was not observed when Argonaute was knocked down in Giardia using a ribozyme-antisense RNA. Instead, an enhancement of luciferase expression was observed, suggesting a loss of endogenous miR2-mediated repression when this protein is depleted. Additionally, the level of miR2 was significantly reduced when Dicer was knocked down. In all, the evidence indicates the presence of a snoRNA-derived miRNA-mediated translational repression in Giardia

Prostate-specific antigen, sexual behavior, and sexually transmitted infections in US men 40–59 years old, 2001–2004: a cross – sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are hypothesized to play a role in the development of prostate cancer, perhaps due to inflammation-induced oncogenesis. We assessed in a nationally representative population of middle-aged men whether sexual behavior indicators for an increased risk of genital infection were associated with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration, a marker of prostatic disease and inflammation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The percentage of men between the ages of 40 and 59 with a PSA ≥ 4.0 ng/ml was 2.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8% – 3.8%). The percentage of men between the ages of 40 and 59 self-reporting a past diagnosis of genital warts or genital herpes, or a recent diagnosis of gonorrhea or chlamydia is estimated to be 7.3% (95% CI, 6.2% – 8.6%). Men self-reporting that they had had sex without using a condom in the past month had a lower PSA concentration and higher %fPSA than those who did not. There were no associations between any of the other sexual activity or laboratory measures and PSA or %fPSA.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this nationally representative sample of middle-aged American men, we did not find consistent evidence for an association between sexual behavior or a history of STIs and PSA levels. Therefore, sexual factors are unlikely to lead to falsely elevated PSA tests in this population. We cannot rule out the role of these factors in causing false positive PSA tests in subgroups of the population that have a higher prevalence of high-risk sexual behavior, and more protracted or recent exposures to these agents.</p

Instrumented Architectural Simulation System

Simulation of systems at an architectural level can offer an effective way to study critical design choices if (1) the performance of the simulator is adequate to examine designs executing significant code bodies, not just toy problems or small application fragements, (2) the details of the simulation include the critical details of the design, (3) the view of the design presented by the simulator instrumentation leads to useful insights on the problems with the design, and (4) there is enough flexibility in the simulation system so that the asking of unplanned questions is not suppressed by the weight of the mechanics involved in making changes either in the design or its measurement. A simulation system with these goals is described together with the approach to its implementation. Its application to the study of a particular class of multiprocessor hardware system architectures is illustrated