Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Management of metastatic colorectal cancer in patients ≥70 years - a single center experience

Background Age-standardized mortality rates for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are highest among elderly patients. In current clinical guidelines, treatment recommendations for this patient population are based on a limited number of clinical trials. Patients and methods In this monocentric, retrospective analysis we characterized patients aged ≥70 years undergoing systemic therapy for mCRC and overall survival (OS) was investigated. Results We included 117 unselected, consecutive mCRC patients aged ≥70 years undergoing systemic therapy for mCRC between February 2009 and July 2022. Median OS was 25.6 months (95% CI: 21.8-29.4). The median age was 78 years (range: 70-90) and 21%, 48%, 26% and 5% had an ECOG performance score of 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The median number of systemic therapy lines was 2 (range: 1-5). The choice of first-line chemotherapy backbone (doublet/triplet versus mono) did not impact OS (HR: 0.83, p=0.50) or the probability of receiving subsequent therapy (p=0.697). Metastasectomy and/or local ablative treatment in the liver, lung, peritoneum and/or other organs were applied in 26 patients (22%) with curative intent. First-line anti-EGFR-based therapy showed a trend towards longer OS compared to anti-VEGF-based therapy or chemotherapy alone in left-sided mCRC (anti-EGFR: 39.3 months versus anti-VEGF: 27.3 months versus chemotherapy alone: 13.8 months, p=0.105). In multivariable analysis, metastasectomy and/or local ablative treatment with curative intent (yes versus no, HR: 0.22, p<0.001), the ECOG performance score (2 versus 0, HR: 3.07, p=0.007; 3 versus 0, HR: 3.66, p=0.053) and the presence of liver metastases (yes versus no, HR: 1.79, p=0.049) were independently associated with OS. Conclusions Our findings corroborate front-line monochemotherapy in combination with targeted therapy as the treatment of choice for elderly mCRC patients with palliative treatment intent. Metastasectomy and/or local ablative treatment with curative intent are feasible and may improve OS in selected elderly mCRC patients.
A source of hard X-ray radiation based on hybrid X pinches

X pinches are well known to produce very small, dense plasma pinches (“hot spots”) that emit sub-nanosecond bursts of 1–8 keV radiation. Hard X-ray radiation in the range from 8 to 300 keV or more is also emitted, and only a small portion of which is associated with the X-pinch hot spot. In hybrid X-pinches (HXP), the 10 ns hard X-ray pulse is terminated by fast closure of the gap between the two conical electrodes of the HXP by rapidly expanding electrode plasmas. The temporal, spectral, and spatial properties of this higher energy radiation have been studied. This radiation was used for point-projection imaging with magnification between 1.5 and 6, and spatial resolution of 20–100 μm was demonstrated.
English Learners’ Performance on a Measure of Dyslexia Risk

Many schools now screen students for dyslexia in early grades. However, there are valid concerns that these screeners may be biased or ineffective at screening students who are not yet proficient in English (i.e., English Learners; ELs). The present study examined the performance of 54 first graders on a dyslexia screener. Results showed that students who were ELs performed similarly to their peers who were proficient in English on many literacy subskills. Additionally, we found that EL students were not significantly more likely to be “flagged” as at risk for dyslexia. These findings have practical implications for using universal screeners to identify students, including students who are designated ELs, as being at risk for learning disabilities, including dyslexia.
The impact of higher‐order ionospheric effects on estimated tropospheric parameters in Precise Point Positioning

The impact of higher‐order ionospheric effects on the estimated station coordinates and clocks in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Precise Point Positioning (PPP) is well documented in literature. Simulation studies reveal that higher‐order ionospheric effects have a significant impact on the estimated tropospheric parameters as well. In particular, the tropospheric north‐gradient component is most affected for low‐latitude and midlatitude stations around noon. In a practical example we select a few hundred stations randomly distributed over the globe, in March 2012 (medium solar activity), and apply/do not apply ionospheric corrections in PPP. We compare the two sets of tropospheric parameters (ionospheric corrections applied/not applied) and find an overall good agreement with the prediction from the simulation study. The comparison of the tropospheric parameters with the tropospheric parameters derived from the ERA‐Interim global atmospheric reanalysis shows that ionospheric corrections must be consistently applied in PPP and the orbit and clock generation. The inconsistent application results in an artificial station displacement which is accompanied by an artificial “tilting” of the troposphere. This finding is relevant in particular for those who consider advanced GNSS tropospheric products for meteorological studies.
Stochastic effects in EUV lithography: random, local CD variability, and printing failures

Stochastic effects in lithography are usually quantified through local CD variability metrics, such as line-width roughness or local CD uniformity (LCDU), and these quantities have been measured and studied intensively, both in EUV and optical lithography. Next to the CD-variability, stochastic effects can also give rise to local, random printing failures, such as missing contacts or microbridges in spaces. When these occur, there often is no (reliable) CD to be measured locally, and then such failures cannot be quantified with the usual CD-measuring techniques. We have developed algorithms to detect such stochastic printing failures in regular line/space (L/S) or contact- or dot-arrays from SEM images, leading to a stochastic failure metric that we call NOK (not OK), which we consider a complementary metric to the CD-variability metrics. This paper will show how both types of metrics can be used to experimentally quantify dependencies of stochastic effects to, e.g., CD, pitch, resist, exposure dose, etc. As it is also important to be able to predict upfront (in the OPC verification stage of a production-mask tape-out) whether certain structures in the layout are likely to have a high sensitivity to stochastic effects, we look into the feasibility of constructing simple predictors, for both stochastic CD-variability and printing failure, that can be calibrated for the process and exposure conditions used and integrated into the standard OPC verification flow. Finally, we briefly discuss the options to reduce stochastic variability and failure, considering the entire patterning ecosystem.
Suites uniformément denses, moyennes trigonométriques, fonctions pseudo-aléatoires

© Bulletin de la S. M. F. , 1959, tous droits réservés. L’accès aux archives de la revue « Bulletin de la S. M. F. » (http://smf. emath.fr/Publications/Bulletin/Presentation.html) implique l’accord avec les conditions générales d’utilisation (http://www.numdam.org/legal.php). Toute utilisation commerciale ou impression systématique est constitutive d’une infraction pénale. Toute copie ou impression de ce fichier doit contenir la présente mention de copyright.
Extensional forearc structures at the transition from Alaska to Aleutian Subduction Zone: slip partitioning, terranes and large earthquakes

The Unimak and Shumagin segments of the Alaska Aleutian Subduction Zone show extensional deformation of the forearc since the Miocene. Using legacy seismic profiles and modern multi-channel seismic data, we update the structural map of the area, focusing on the intersection between trench-parallel, landward-dipping normal faults rooting in the plate interface and trench-oblique to trench-perpendicular normal faults, all showing signs of recent activity. We investigate for the first timetheoriginofthetrench-parallelextensionandexplainthehorsetailgeometryoftheCentralSanak Basin as the termination of a slip-partitioning right-lateral strike slip fault. Re-analysis of subduction zone thrust earthquakes slip vectors indicates a possible onset of slip partitioning in the vicinity of the Central Sanak Basin. In the hypothesis of a continuum of deformation, finite deformation from normal fault o ff sets show a slow sliver motion of less than 1 mm/yr, which is below the resolution of GNSS measurements. Both trench oblique and trench parallel faults have been cited as reactivated terrane sutures, the presence of which may act as upper-plate weaknesses needed to allow slip parti-tioninginacontextoflowconvergenceobliquity.Weaklandward-dippingnormalfaultsrootinginthe plate interface have also been linked to the tsunamigenic rupture of the shallow plate interface. We infer that the trench parallel Unimak Ridge, associated with the 1946 Mw 8.6 tsunami earthquake, is the last expression of terrane sutures reactivation before their westward vanishing in the more recent Aleutian arc.
Effectiveness of Daily Mindfulness Meditation App Usage to Reduce Anxiety and Improve Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction This study examined the effect of 10-minute daily meditation app usage for 30 days on adult anxiety and mental well-being during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Participants were randomized into intervention (10 minutes of daily usage of the Insight Timer app) or control groups. Participants completed surveys to assess anxiety and well-being pre- and post-study. Data were analyzed using t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), or nonparametric equivalents. Results Pre-study results were comparable between groups. The pre- vs. post-study General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores for anxiety decreased in the intervention group (n=18, median 5.5 vs. 3.0 (pre vs. post), p=0.0233, d=0.50), but not in the control group (n=28). The intervention group had a lower median GAD-7 score than the control group post-study (3.0 vs. 8.0, p=0.0223, d=0.35). Pre- vs. post-study mean 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) scores were improved in both the control (11.6 vs. 12.9 (pre vs. post), p=0.0408, d=0.36) and intervention groups (12.0 vs. 16.3 (pre vs. post), p=0.0001, d=0.77), although it was higher in the intervention group (16.3 vs. 12.9, p=0.0056, d=0.88). Conclusion Ten minutes of daily meditation app usage for 30 days may reduce anxiety and improve well-being in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Artificial Noise Aided Secure Transmission for Active RIS-Aided NOMA Networks

A secrecy rate maximization problem for active reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) aided non-orthogonal multiple access networks has been studied in this paper. Assuming that the perfect channel state information is available, we aim to maximize the secrecy rate while satisfying the quality of service of the legitimate users and power budget at the base station and active RIS. Additionally, artificial noise (AN) weakens the performance gain that the wireless channel’s characteristics would otherwise bring to the eavesdropper. We propose an iterative algorithm to address the non-convex nature of the objective function. Based on the penalty functions and successive convex approximation, we obtain a local-optimal solution. Simulation results show that: 1) active RIS with AN can bring higher performance gains as compared to the one with passive RIS; 2) the amplitude parameter in the reflection coefficient of active RIS is another parameter to enhance the secrecy rate.
Experimental exposure assessment for in vitro cell-based bioassays in 96- and 384-well plates

In vitro cell-based bioassays have great potential for applications in the human health risk assessment of chemicals. The quantification of freely dissolved concentrations (C free) in in vitro assays is essential to generate reliable data for in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolation. Existing methods for the quantification of C free are limited to low-throughput microtiter plates. The present study is a proof of principle for the applicability of a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method for the determination of C free in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) bioassay run in 384-well plates with 80 µL medium per well. The effect concentrations obtained from 384-well plates were compared with those obtained from 96-well plates in a previous study. Nominal effect concentrations obtained using 96- and 384-well plates agreed with each other within a factor of three, and freely dissolved effect concentrations agreed within a factor of 6.5. The good degree of agreement in the results from both plate formats proves the general applicability of the SPME method for the determination of C free for bioassays in 384-well plates, making the present study a first step toward exposure assessment in high-throughput bioassays.
Dissipation Characteristics of Tornadic Vortex Signatures Associated with Long-Duration Tornadoes

Weather Surveillance Radar–1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) data from 36 tornadic supercell cases from 2012 to 2016 are investigated to identify common tornadic vortex signature (TVS) behaviors prior to tornado dissipation. Based on the results of past case studies, four characteristics of TVSs associated with tornado dissipation were identified: weak or decreasing TVS intensity, rearward storm-relative motion of the TVS, large or increasing TVS vertical tilt, and large or increasing TVS horizontal displacement from the main storm updraft. Only cases in which a TVS was within 60 km of a WSR-88D site in at least four consecutive volumes at the end of the tornado life cycle were examined. The space and time restrictions on case selection ensured that the aforementioned quantities could be determined within ~500 m of the surface at several time periods despite the relatively coarse spatiotemporal resolution of WSR-88D systems. It is found that prior to dissipation, TVSs become increasingly less intense, tend to move rearward in a storm-relative framework, and become increasingly more separated from the approximate location of the main storm updraft. There is no clear signal in the relationship between tornado tilt, as measured in inclination angle, and TVS dissipation. The frequency of combinations of TVS dissipation behaviors, the impact of increased low-level WSR-88D scanning on dissipation detection, and prospects for future nowcasting of tornado life cycles also are discussed.
Thinking Obstacles with Scaffolding in Solving The Limit of Sequence Problems in Mathematics’ Students of Hasyim Asy’ari University

Real analyze is one of the lectures which are very important in excercise the structured and rational deductive thinking. However, most students of mathematics is still having a hard time to understand it, especially on the matter sequence of real numbers. The difficulties indicate the exsistence of obstacles on students in problem solving on a sequence of real numbers. The aim of this research is describe obstacles thinking of studets of mathematics education department in problem solving on a sequence of real numbers. The approach was condected in this research is decriptive qualitative. The subject in this study were 6 students with high, middle and low ability. This reserach focused on the analysis of obstacles thinking that facing on students of mathematics in solve limit sequence problems. The problem solving in this reseacrh based on problem solving of Polya, are understanding the problems, planning the solve, conducting the solve, and reviewing the procedure and result. The students’ obstacles consisting of difficulties to think that due to the lack in ability of students’ analogies, the lack in ability of students’ connection in mathematics, and the lack of initial knowledge owned by the students. To address thinking obstacles which facing by the students in solving sequence of real numbers such that is give the scaffolding by lecturer. The scaffolding there are: (a) Level 1 (environmental provisions), (b). Level 2 (explaining, reviewing and restructuring), and (c). Level 3(developing conceptual thinking).
The Golden Mean: How Zhongyong Affects Environmental Behaviors and the Pathways

Zhongyong (golden mean) is a typical Oriental Confucius thought that addresses interpersonal harmony and interdependence. A moderated mediating model was used in this study to examine the relationship between Zhongyong and environmental behavior. The results of our model showed that Zhongyong was positively associated with environmental behavior. In comparison to people with lower levels of Zhongyong, respondents with higher levels of Zhongyong had a significantly higher scores for collective efficacy, personal norms, and environmental behavior. Furthermore, Zhongyong indirectly influenced environmental behavior through collective efficacy and personal norms. More importantly, we introduced two extrinsic moderator variables: environmental concerns and interpersonal communication. The reasons Zhongyong works and how to take advantage of this Oriental cultural heritage to promote an individual’s pro-environmental willingness are further discussed.
More Unequal We Stand? Inequality Dynamics in the United States 1967–2021

Heathcote et al. (2010) conducted an empirical analysis of several dimensions of inequality in the United States over the years 1967-2006, using publicly-available survey data. This paper expands the analysis, and extends it to 2021. We find that since the early 2000s, the college wage premium has stopped growing, and the race wage gap has stalled. However, the gender wage gap has kept shrinking. Both individualand household-level income inequality have continued to rise at the top, while the cyclical component of inequality dominates dynamics below the median. Inequality in consumption expenditures has remained remarkably stable over time. Income pooling within the family and redistribution by the government have enormous impacts on the dynamics of household-level inequality, with the role of the family diminishing and that of the government growing over time. In particular, largely due to generous government transfers, the COVID recession has been the first downturn in fifty years in which inequality in disposable income and consumption actually declined. JEL Codes: D12, D31, E21, H53, J31.
A perfect stratification of Mg for g ≤ 5

We find for g ≤ 5 a stratification of depth g − 2 of the moduli space of curves Mg with the property that its strata are affine and the classes of their closures provide a Q-basis for the Chow ring of Mg. The first property confirms a conjecture of one of us. The way we establish the second property yields new (and simpler) proofs of theorems of Faber and Izadi which, taken together, amount to the statement that in this range the Chow ring is generated by the λ-class.
Stroke in mitral valve prolapse: risk factors and left atrial function in cryptogenic versus non-cryptogenic ischemic subtypes

Background and purpose Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) has been associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Older age, thicker mitral leaflets, and significant mitral regurgitation (MR) leading to atrial fibrillation have been traditionally considered risk factors for ischemic stroke in MVP. However, specific risk factors for MVP-stroke subtypes are not well defined. The aim of this study is to evaluate clinical and echocardiographic parameters, including left atrial (LA) function, in MVP with cryptogenic (C) vs. non-cryptogenic (NC) stroke. Methods In this case-control matched study, MVPs were identified in consecutive echocardiograms obtained after a stroke from January 2013 to December2016 at the University of California, San Francisco. MVP was defined as leaflet displacement ≥2 mm in the parasternal long-axis view at end-systole. Age/gender matched MVPs without stroke and healthy controls without MVP were also identified. We analyzed LA end-systolic/diastolic volume index, emptying fraction (LAEF), function index (LAFI), and global longitudinal strain in all MVPs and controls. We also measured left ventricular (LV) volume indexes, mass index, ejection fraction (EF), degree of MR and leaflet thickness. Results We identified a total of 30 MVPs (age 70 ± 12, 50% females) with stroke (11 with C- and 19 with NC-stroke), 20 age/gender matched MVPs without a stroke and 16 controls. MVPs without stroke had lower BMI, less hypertension but more MR (≥moderate in 45% vs. 17%), more abnormal LA function (lower LAEF, LAFI) and larger LV volumes/mass (all p < 0.05) when compared to MVPs with stroke. Leaflet thickness was overall mild (<3 mm) and similar in the 2 groups. Within the MVP stroke group, NC-stroke had higher BMI, more hypertension and more atrial fibrillation compared to C-stroke. In the variables tested, patients with C-stroke did not differ from controls. Conclusions MVP-related MR may be protective against stroke despite abnormal LA function. Risk of NC-stroke in MVP is related to common stroke risk factors rather than mitral valve leaflet thickness. The etiology of C-stroke in MVP warrants further studies.
Nonconvex spectral optimization algorithms for reduced‐order 
 H∞ LPV‐LFT controllers

A novel sequential semi‐definite programming method is developed for optimization subject to rank constraints on matrix‐valued nonlinear functions of matrix decision variables, which arise in reduced‐order linear parameter varying‐linear fractional transformational control synthesis. The global convergence of the method is easily proven without any step size control. An intensive simulation shows the clear advantage of the proposed method over the state‐of‐the‐art nonlinear matrix inequality solvers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Population Viability Analysis Peer Review Reports

I have gone over the report and find it to be a very thorough and compelling assessment of potential murrelet responses to alternative forest management alternatives on DNR lands. I believe the analysis is about as complete as it can be given limitations in available data and understandings of murrelet ecology and population dynamics. Things that could have been done to improve the analysis include (1) incorporation of immigration and emigration to better represent population variation; (2) adding a spatial component to habitat attributes to better account for movement distances and likelihood of occupying suitable habitat as a function of distance; (3) using vital rates obtained from studies in British Columbia to compare with results from rates obtained in Southern California; and (4) using current (2015) population estimates and trends. While these considerations might be feasible to implement, I can understand that time and funding might have prevented adding the additional complexity required for items 1 and 2
Volunteer-aholism: A comprehensive model of personality, burnout, and mental distress in a sample of healthcare first responders of the Italian Red Cross Auxiliary Corps

Introduction: Whether burnout can be extended to explain occupational distress in unwaged personnel is an ongoing debate. Possible divergences could be observed for burnout among non-traditional working figures. Methods: A total of 823 first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic were surveyed among Red Cross volunteers enrolled in the Italian Auxiliary Corps to the Armed Forces. An online questionnaire was proposed as composed of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment, Patient Health