Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological and clinical description of patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated in a public oncology referral hospital in Chile

Introduction: The incidence of squamous carcinoma of the oropharynx (OPSCC) has presented an increase worldwide, a fact that occurs along with a phenomenon of epidemiological transition, whose pathogenesis is linked to human papilloma virus (HPV) in a significant part of the cases. Published evidence at the Latin American level is scarce. The present study aims to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated in a public oncology reference centre in Chile. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out. Patients with histological confirmation of OPSCC aged 18 years or older, referred to the National Cancer Institute of Chile between 2012 and 2023 were included. The association with HPV was determined by immunohistochemistry for p16. Results: 178 patients were analysed, most of them in locoregionally advanced stages involving the palatine tonsil. Seventy-seven percent were male, with a median age of 60 years. Sixty-seven percent of patients were positive for p16, with a progressive increase to 85% in the last 2 years of the study. The p16(+) patients were younger and had fewer classical risk factors. Primary treatment was radiotherapy in 94% of patients. Conclusion: The epidemiological profile of patients with OPSCC treated in a Chilean public oncology referral centre reflects the epidemiological transition observed in developed
Some properties of r equivalent: a simple effect size indicator.

One version of r equivalent, calculated from Fisher's exact test p values and recommended for small samples, is considered "a more realistic . [and] a more accurate estimate of the population correlation than . the sample correlation, r sample" (R. Rosenthal & D. B. Rubin, 2003, p. 494). Small sample properties of r sample and of two effect size estimators (r equivalent* and r hybrid) that use r equivalent were examined: r sample is preferable to r equivalent* (defined as r equivalent used without restrictions) in terms of bias and mean squared error (MSE); r hybrid (defined as r equivalent only when r sample = 1.0) is generally preferable to r equivalent*, and preferable to r sample in terms of MSEs, except when population correlations are very large. Conditions favoring r sample over r equivalent* and r hybrid in meta-analyses are noted.
An SCC Recursive Meta-Algorithm for Computing Preferred Labellings in Abstract Argumentation

This paper presents a meta-algorithm for the computation of preferred labellings, based on the general recursive schema for argumentation semantics called SCC-Recursiveness. The idea is to recursively decompose a framework so as to compute semantics labellings on restricted sub-frameworks, in order to reduce the computational effort. The meta-algorithm can be instantiated with a specific "base algorithm", applied to the base case of the recursion, which can be obtained by generalizing existing algorithms in order to compute labellings in restricted sub-frameworks. We devise for this purpose a generalization of a SAT-based algorithm, and provide an empirical investigation to show the significant improvement of performances obtained by exploiting the SCC-recursive schema.
Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Assess Adaptation and Size Invariance of Shape Processing by Humans and Monkeys

Functional magnetic resonance imaging in awake monkeys and humans was used to compare object adaptation in shape-sensitive regions of these two species under identical and different size conditions. Object adaptation was similar in humans and monkeys under both conditions. Neither species showed complete size invariance, in agreement with single-cell studies. Both the macaque inferotemporal (IT) complex and human lateral occipital complex (LOC) displayed an anteroposterior gradient in object adaptation and size invariance, with the more anterior regions being more adaptable and size invariant. The results provide additional evidence for the homology between the macaque IT cortex and human LOC but also add to the growing list of differences between human and monkey intraparietal sulcus regions.
Nonlinear approximation based image recovery using adaptive sparse reconstructions and iterated denoising-part I: theory

We study the robust estimation of missing regions in images and video using adaptive, sparse reconstructions. Our primary application is on missing regions of pixels containing textures, edges, and other image features that are not readily handled by prevalent estimation and recovery algorithms. We assume that we are given a linear transform that is expected to provide sparse decompositions over missing regions such that a portion of the transform coefficients over missing regions are zero or close to zero. We adaptively determine these small magnitude coefficients through thresholding, establish sparsity constraints, and estimate missing regions in images using information surrounding these regions. Unlike prevalent algorithms, our approach does not necessitate any complex preconditioning, segmentation, or edge detection steps, and it can be written as a sequence of denoising operations. We show that the region types we can effectively estimate in a mean-squared error sense are those for which the given transform provides a close approximation using sparse nonlinear approximants. We show the nature of the constructed estimators and how these estimators relate to the utilized transform and its sparsity over regions of interest. The developed estimation framework is general, and can readily be applied to other nonstationary signals with a suitable choice of linear transforms. Part I discusses fundamental issues, and Part II is devoted to adaptive algorithms with extensive simulation examples that demonstrate the power of the proposed techniques.
Role stress and job satisfaction for nurse specialists.

AIM This paper is a report of a study to illustrate the unique relationship between role stress and job satisfaction and provide recommendations for advanced nursing practice in Taiwan. BACKGROUND International literature has shown that work role-related stress experienced by staff nurses predicts role strain, which in turn influences job satisfaction and intention to leave the job. In this study, the direct relationship between role stress and job satisfaction of nurse specialists was examined after controlling for personality trait and personal characteristics. METHOD In 2004 a convenience sample of 129 nurse specialists from five acute care teaching hospitals in Taiwan participated. They completed a questionnaire (response rate 81%) focusing on personal characteristics, the Five Factor Model of personality traits, role stress (i.e. ambiguity, conflict, overload, incompetence) and job satisfaction (i.e. professionalism, interaction, demand/reward, control/recognition). Data were analysed using hierarchical regression models. RESULTS After controlling for personality traits and personal characteristics, role stress variables predicted 24.8% of the variance in job satisfaction. Role ambiguity (P < 0.001) and role overload (P < 0.01) were the best predictors, but role conflict was not statistically significant. Role stress explained statistically significant proportions of the variance for each component of job satisfaction: professionalism (10.6%), interaction (16.7%), demand/reward (27.1%) and control/recognition (18.5%). Role ambiguity predicted all four satisfaction components, role overload predicted demand/reward and role incompetence predicted interaction. CONCLUSION Organizational restructuring and administrative support are recommended to address the issues raised. Appropriate training, sufficient communications and supportive legislation are required. Future research should be conducted to evaluate the impact of these interventions.
Synchronization in networks of linear singularly perturbed systems

This work is motivated by the fact that many real systems are characterized by two features. The first one is that they are obtained by interconnecting a bunch of simpler subsystems that have to synchronize in order to reach a global goal. The second one is that each subsystem presents dynamics that evolves on different time-scales. Taking into account the two features leads to the problem of synchronization in networks of singularly perturbed systems. In this work we are providing a preliminary study that considers the problem where each subsystem is linear and the network topology is represented by a connected undirected graph that is fixed in time. We show that we can proceed to a time-scale separation of the overall network dynamics and design the controls that synchronize the slow dynamics and the fast ones. Applying the joint control actions to the network of singularly perturbed systems we obtain an approximation of the synchronization behavior imposed for each scale. The methodology requires a variable transformation to overcome the fact that we are dealing with non-standard singularly perturbed systems. One example illustrates the synchronization behavior of linear singularly perturbed systems.
Consistency of the plug-in estimator of the entropy rate for ergodic processes

A plug-in estimator of entropy is the entropy of the distribution where probabilities of symbols or blocks have been replaced with their relative frequencies in the sample. Consistency and asymptotic unbiasedness of the plug-in estimator can be easily demonstrated in the IID case. In this paper, we ask whether the plug-in estimator can be used for consistent estimation of the entropy rate h of a stationary ergodic process. The answer is positive if, to estimate block entropy of order k, we use a sample longer than 2k(h+ϵ), whereas it is negative if we use a sample shorter than 2k(h-ϵ). In particular, if we do not know the entropy rate h, it is sufficient to use a sample of length (|X| + ϵ)k where |X| is the alphabet size. The result is derived using k-block coding. As a by-product of our technique, we also show that the block entropy of a stationary process is bounded above by a nonlinear function of the average block entropy of its ergodic components. This inequality can be used for an alternative proof of the known fact that the entropy rate a stationary process equals the average entropy rate of its ergodic components.
Comprehensive Immune Profiling of Lung Adenocarcinomas Reveals Four Immunosubtypes with Plasma Cell Subtype a Negative Indicator

Lung cancer is a complex disease with variable outcomes. Immune cells from 114 cases were quantified immunohistochemically, identifying four immunosubtypes of lung adenocarcinoma (CD8, mast cell, macrophage/DC, and plasma cell) that could potentially be useful for therapy selection. Neoplastic cancer cells and cancer stroma (including infiltrating immune cells) determine the biology and prognosis of cancer. Various types of adaptive and innate immune cells are known to infiltrate the cancer stroma. However, the patterns and spatial distribution of immune cell infiltration as well as its association with tumor histology remain poorly understood. To address these issues, we comprehensively analyzed the infiltrating immune cells present in lung adenocarcinoma. The principal types of both adaptive and innate infiltrating immune cells were immunohistochemically evaluated in the predominant histologic components of 111 lung adenocarcinomas. The same analysis was also carried out on 143 samples of histologic subtypes making up more than 20% of tumors. As a result, plasma cells and B cells with interfollicular distribution were almost exclusively observed in invasive histologic subtypes, while an increased number of mast cells were observed in noninvasive histologic subtypes. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct immunosubtypes (CD8, mast cell, macrophage/dendritic cell, and plasma cell subtypes) based on the infiltrating immune cell profiles. These immunosubtypes correlated with histologic subtypes, and univariate and multivariate analyses identified the plasma cell subtype as an independent negative prognostic factor. These plasma cells may be one of the major producers of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL35 in cancer stroma. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(3); 234–47. ©2016 AACR.
Pregnancy-Induced Hypertensive Disorders before and after a National Economic Collapse: A Population Based Cohort Study

Background Data on the potential influence of macroeconomic recessions on maternal diseases during pregnancy are scarce. We aimed to assess potential change in prevalence of pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders (preeclampsia and gestational hypertension) during the first years of the major national economic recession in Iceland, which started abruptly in October 2008. Methods and Findings Women whose pregnancies resulted in live singleton births in Iceland in 2005–2012 constituted the study population (N = 35,211). Data on pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders were obtained from the Icelandic Medical Birth Register and use of antihypertensive drugs during pregnancy, including β-blockers and calcium channel blockers, from the Icelandic Medicines Register. With the pre-collapse period as reference, we used logistic regression analysis to assess change in pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders and use of antihypertensives during the first four years after the economic collapse, adjusting for demographic and pregnancy characteristics, taking aggregate economic indicators into account. Compared with the pre-collapse period, we observed an increased prevalence of gestational hypertension in the first year following the economic collapse (2.4% vs. 3.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.47; 95 percent confidence interval [95%CI] 1.13–1.91) but not in the subsequent years. The association disappeared completely when we adjusted for aggregate unemployment rate (aOR 1.04; 95% CI 0.74–1.47). Similarly, there was an increase in prescription fills of β-blockers in the first year following the collapse (1.9% vs.3.1%; aOR 1.43; 95% CI 1.07–1.90), which disappeared after adjusting for aggregate unemployment rate (aOR 1.05; 95% CI 0.72–1.54). No changes were observed for preeclampsia or use of calcium channel blockers between the pre- and post-collapse periods. Conclusions Our data suggest a transient increased risk of gestational hypertension and use of β-blockers among pregnant women in Iceland in the first and most severe year of the national economic recession.
The Long Life of Birds: The Rat-Pigeon Comparison Revisited

The most studied comparison of aging and maximum lifespan potential (MLSP) among endotherms involves the 7-fold longevity difference between rats (MLSP 5y) and pigeons (MLSP 35y). A widely accepted theory explaining MLSP differences between species is the oxidative stress theory, which purports that reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during mitochondrial respiration damage bio-molecules and eventually lead to the breakdown of regulatory systems and consequent death. Previous rat-pigeon studies compared only aspects of the oxidative stress theory and most concluded that the lower mitochondrial superoxide production of pigeons compared to rats was responsible for their much greater longevity. This conclusion is based mainly on data from one tissue (the heart) using one mitochondrial substrate (succinate). Studies on heart mitochondria using pyruvate as a mitochondrial substrate gave contradictory results. We believe the conclusion that birds produce less mitochondrial superoxide than mammals is unwarranted. We have revisited the rat-pigeon comparison in the most comprehensive manner to date. We have measured superoxide production (by heart, skeletal muscle and liver mitochondria), five different antioxidants in plasma, three tissues and mitochondria, membrane fatty acid composition (in seven tissues and three mitochondria), and biomarkers of oxidative damage. The only substantial and consistent difference that we have observed between rats and pigeons is their membrane fatty acid composition, with rats having membranes that are more susceptible to damage. This suggests that, although there was no difference in superoxide production, there is likely a much greater production of lipid-based ROS in the rat. We conclude that the differences in superoxide production reported previously were due to the arbitrary selection of heart muscle to source mitochondria and the provision of succinate. Had mitochondria been harvested from other tissues or other relevant mitochondrial metabolic substrates been used, then very different conclusions regarding differences in oxidative stress would have been reached.
Loyola eCommons Loyola eCommons

A key strategy for broadening computer science participation in a large urban school district has been the enactment of a high school computer science graduation requirement. The Exploring Computer Science (ECS) curriculum and professional development program serves as a core foundation for supporting the enactment of this policy. ECS seeks to foster broadening participation in computer science through activities designed to engage students in computer science inquiry connected to meaningful problems. Prior research has shown that student motivation is an important mediating factor for the impact of ECS on broadening participation in future CS coursework. The current study was undertaken to investigate which ECS teaching practices inﬂuence students’ motivation to pursue additional high school computer science coursework. Researchers used the Danielson Framework for Teaching and the Tripod 7C as indicators of ECS teaching practices and expectancy-value-cost as a proxy for the likelihood of students taking additional coursework. Researchers collected and analyzed video observations and student surveys from one ECS lesson from 21 teachers. The results indicate that ECS teaching practices related to equity play a signiﬁcant role in supporting inquiry around important computer science content. Those practices related to inquiry and computer science content were in turn correlated with student measures of motivation to enroll in future CS coursework. The results of this research provide evidence of the central role that equitable teaching practices play in broadening participation in computer science by increasing student motivation to enroll in future CS coursework
Short communication: Is intrapartum temporary pacing required for women with complete atrioventricular block? An analysis of seven cases

Women with complete atrioventricular heart block without a permanent pacemaker normally receive temporary pacing for labour and birth. Here, we report seven women who were managed without pacing. All women had a temporary pacing lead inserted prior to induction of labour, but none of the women required pacing during labour or birth. Our experience suggests that women with complete atrioventricular block and without permanent pacing do not routinely require temporary pacing for labour and birth.
The sodium pump alpha1 subunit as a potential target to combat apoptosis-resistant glioblastomas.

PURPOSE To review the involvement of the ion transporter Na+/K+-ATPase (NaK) in the migration and proliferation of glioma cells. Preliminary studies indicate that NaK alpha1 subunits seem to be upregulated in a proportion of glioblastomas but not in normal brain tissues. DESIGN The present review focuses on (1) the natural resistance of migrating malignant glioma cells to apoptosis, (2) autophagic cell death as an alternative to combat malignant gliomas, (3) the fact that reducing the levels of malignant glioma cell motility can restore proapoptotic drug sensitivity,and (4) on the observation that inhibiting the NaK activity reduces both glioma cell proliferation and migration. RESULTS The natural ligands of the NaK are the cardiotonic steroids. A hemisynthetic derivative of 2"-oxovoruscharin (UNBS1450), a novel cardenolide, displays unique structural features, making its binding affinity to NaK alpha subunits (including alpha1) 10 to 100 times higher than that of other cardenolides. UNBS1450 markedly decreases intracellular ATP concentration in glioma cells, disorganizes the actin cytoskeleton, and leads to autophagic cell death in NaK alpha1 over-expressing glioma cells. CONCLUSIONS Glioblastoma patients who do not respond to chemotherapy and whose tumors over-express NaK alpha1 subunits could benefit from a treatment using ligands with marked binding affinity for the NaK alpha1 subunit.
Survival and Hsp70 Gene Expression in Plutella xylostella and Its Larval Parasitoid Diadegma insulare Varied between Slowly Ramping and Abrupt Extreme Temperature Regimes

Background In nature, insects have evolved behavioural and physiological adaptations to cope with short term exposure to extreme temperatures. Extreme heat events may increase as a result of climate change; this in turn will affect insect population dynamics. We examined the effect of abrupt and ecologically relevant gradual exposure to high temperatures on the survival and hsp70 gene expression in diamondback moth (DBM) adults and the parasitoid Diadegma insulare , as well as in parasitized and non-parasitized DBM larvae. Principal Findings Tolerance to high temperatures in DBM adults was higher than in D . insulare adults. There was no difference in the survival of DBM adults between abrupt and ramped increases from 25 to 38°C; however, at 40°C survival was higher when the temperature increased gradually. In contrast, more D . insulare adults survived when the temperature was ramped rather than shifted abruptly to both 38 and 40°C. There was no heat stress effect of up to 40°C on the survival of either parasitized or non-parasitized DBM larvae. In adults of both species, more hsp70 expression was observed when temperatures increased abruptly to 38°C compared to ramping. In contrast, at 40°C significantly more expression was found in insects exposed to the ramping rather than the abrupt regime. Hsp70 expression level was in agreement with adult survival data and appears to be a good indicator of stress levels. In parasitized and non-parasitized larvae, hsp70 expression was significantly higher after abrupt shifts compared to ramping at both temperatures. Conclusions/Significance Hsp70 gene expression was responsive to extreme temperatures in both DBM and D . insulare , which may underlie the ability of these insects to survive in extreme temperatures. Survival and hsp70 expression upon abrupt changes are distinctly different from those after ramping indicating that experimental protocol must be considered before extrapolating laboratory results to natural field situations.