Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Head and neck cancer—Part 2: Treatment and prognostic factors

#### Summary points In this second of a two part series, we discuss recent advances in the management of cancers of the head and neck. We also discuss the important prognostic factors, including the importance of human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity in the newly discovered HPV related cancers of the head and neck. As before, we have used evidence from national guidelines, randomised trials, and level II-III studies. We have also limited our discussions to squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, which constitutes more than 85% of head and neck cancers. #### Sources and selection criteria We used the terms “head and neck”, “larynx”, “oral”, and “oropharynx”—with each limited by “cancer”, “diagnosis”, and “treatment” separately—to search the Medline, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, and AMED databases. We also used them to cross check national guidelines, reference lists, textbooks, and personal reference lists. We assessed over 1000 identified abstracts for relevance. ### Site and TNM stage The most important prognostic factors are site and TNM (tumour, node, metastasis) stage. The table⇓ details the survival rates of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer at different sites. Patients with tumours that are larger and have spread to nodes and other tissues have poorer survival. Guidelines for head and neck carcinomas from the Royal College of Pathologists state that other accepted features related to clinical outcome are grade, pattern of invasion, …
Screening Wood Decayed by White Rot Fungi for Preferential Lignin Degradation

A screening procedure in which scanning electron microscopy was used indicated that 26 white rot fungi selectively removed lignin from various coniferous and hardwood tree species. Delignified wood from field collections had distinct micromorphological characteristics that were easily differentiated from other types of decay. The middle lamella was degraded, and the cells were separated from one another. Secondary cell wall layers that remained had a fibrillar appearance. Chemical analyses of delignified wood indicated that the cells were composed primarily of cellulose. Only small percentages of lignin and hemicellulose were evident. Delignified wood was not uniformly distributed throughout the decayed wood samples. White-pocket and white-mottled areas of the various decayed wood examined contained delignified cells, but adjacent wood had a nonselective removal of lignin where all cell wall components had been degraded simultaneously. This investigation demonstrates that selective delignification among white rot fungi is more prevalent than previously realized and identifies a large number of fungi for use in studies of preferential lignin degradation.
Keynote: Open UBI Oulu

Contemporary urban landscape is being pervaded by various forms of ubiquitous computing (‘ubicomp’) technologies. They provide new opportunities and challenges for the interaction with their inhabitants -essentially turning urban spaces into smart environments. However, cities as smart environments remain largely unexplored research wise, with smart cities’ impact on people’s daily lives much less prevalent than that of mobile and personal devices [1]. A smart city can be regarded as a highly complex, orchestrated, co-operative and coordinated “ensemble of digital artifacts”. Their research is moving away from single user or small user group systems towards complex sociotechnical systems as large-scale deployments of pervasive computing infrastructure for larger populations [2]. Despite 20 years of well-resourced ubicomp research, few visible and lasting contributions to the urban digital fabric have emerged. This lack of progress has triggered criticism on how research is conducted. Due to the high cost and efforts involved in setting up and maintaining real world installations for real people, ubicomp research has been mostly lab-based. Emerging real world ubicomp system studies dubbed as “in the wild” are still predominantly short-term and small-scale. Thus, they fail to establish the technical and cultural readiness and the critical mass of real users that are required before a system can be evaluated (un)successful [3]. Current “in the wild” ubicomp studies face also a number of methodological and theoretical challenges. First, the role of ubicomp systems as integral elements of urban landscape is not well understood [4]. Second, the current understanding of "wild practices" is seriously lacking [5]. Third, we do not have working approaches for reliably evaluating ubicomp systems in real-world settings. To address these gaps and to study the big effects of ubicomp technologies, we need a much wider and longitudinal access to large-scale real-world ubicomp installations, in order to significantly advance our understanding of the design, practices, and evaluation of ubiquitous interactions in city-scale smart environments. For this purpose the multidisciplinary UBI (UrBan Interactions) research program (http://www.ubioulu.fi/en/) coordinated by the University of Oulu has invested, together with the City of Oulu, several millions of euros into pervasive computing infrastructure deployed around downtown Oulu [6]. The infrastructure includes for example a municipal WiFi network providing open and free Internet access to the general public [7], a network of large interactive public displays at pivotal indoor and outdoor locations around Oulu [8], and an emerging collaborative 3D virtual model of downtown Oulu. The resulting Open UBI Oulu civic laboratory facilitates both
Tunable polymeric sorbent materials for fractionation of model naphthenates.

The sorption properties are reported for several examples of single-component carboxylic acids representing naphthenic acids (NAs) with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) based polyurethane sorbents. Seven single-component examples of NAs were chosen with variable z values, carbon number, and chemical structure as follows: 2-hexyldecanoic acid (z = 0 and C = 16; S1), n-caprylic acid (z = 0 and C = 8; S2), trans-4-pentylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid (z = -2 and C = 12; S3), 4-methylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid (z = -2 and C = 8; S4), dicyclohexylacetic acid (z = -4; C = 14; S5), 4-pentylbicyclo[2.2. 2]octane-1-carboxylic acid (z = -4; C = 14; S6), and lithocholic acid (z = -6; C = 24; S7). The copolymer sorbents were synthesized at three relative β-CD:diisocyanate mole ratios (i.e., 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3) using 4,4'-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (CDI) and 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI). The sorption properties of the copolymer sorbents were characterized using equilibrium sorption isotherms in aqueous solution at pH 9.00 with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The equilibrium fraction of the unbound carboxylate anions was monitored in the aqueous phase. The sorption properties of the copolymer sorbents (i.e., Qm) were obtained from the Sips isotherm model. The Qm values generally decrease as the number of accessible β-CD inclusion sites in the copolymer framework decreases. The chemical structure of the adsorbates played an important role in their relative uptake, as evidenced by the adsorbate lipophilic surface area (LSA) and the involvement of hydrophobic effects. The copolymers exhibit molecular selective sorption of the single-component carboxylates in mixtures which suggests their application as sorbents for fractionation of mixtures of NAs. By comparison, granular activated carbon (GAC) and chitosan sorbents did not exhibit any significant molecular selective sorption relative to the copolymer materials; however, evidence of variable sorption capacity was observed among the sorbents investigated.
Botox Therapy for Ischemic Digits

Background: Treating patients with Raynaud's phenomenon who have chronic pain and ulcerations is extremely challenging. Unrelenting pain can lead to dysfunction and disuse, rendering the patient debilitated and/or chronically depressed. Pharmacologic vasodilators and surgical sympathectomies offer variable benefits. Outcomes of symptomatic patients treated with botulinum toxin type A (Botox) injections for Raynaud's phenomenon are presented. Methods: A retrospective study focused on patient outcomes was performed on 19 patients diagnosed with Raynaud's phenomenon. Patients suffered from chronic ischemic hand pain. All patients had vascular studies to rule out occlusive disease. Fifty to 100 units of Botox were injected into the palm around each involved neurovascular bundle. Preinjection and postinjection laser Doppler scanning was performed on most patients to measure blood flow. Results: Sixteen of 19 patients (84 percent) reported pain reduction at rest. Thirteen patients reported immediate relief; three reported more gradual pain reduction over 1 to 2 months. Three patients had no or minimal pain relief. Tissue perfusion results demonstrated a marked change in blood flow (–48.15 percent to 425 percent) to the digits. All patients with chronic finger ulcers healed within 60 days. Most patients [n = 12 (63 percent)] remained pain-free (13 to 59 months) with a single-injection schedule. Four patients (21 percent) required repeated injections because of recurrent pain. Conclusions: Vascular function is abnormal in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon. Although its mechanism is unknown, Botox yielded a distinct improvement in perfusion and reduction in pain in patients failing conservative management. Continued research may lead to more specific and reliable treatment for Raynaud's patients.
Acknowledged Versus Unacknowledged Sexual Assault Among College Women

Research suggests that many sexually victimized women do not acknowledge their unwanted sexual experiences as assaults. The majority of the research on this topic has focused on rape acknowledgment; however, this pattern holds true for other forms of sexual assault as well. The present study examined differences among university women with acknowledged, unacknowledged, and no histories of sexual assault. Relevant groups were compared in terms of current psychological distress, the situational factors of the assault, and the labeling of the assault. Similar to studies examining only rape, acknowledged victims of sexual assault reported clearer refusal, the experience of a more forceful assault, and more intense resistance against the perpetrator. Unacknowledged victims were more likely to endorse a prior romantic relationship with their assailant and a more recent assault. The great majority of women who endorsed an unwanted sexual experience also reported they were intoxicated at the time.
Reversible loss of activity of the first component of complement (C'1) as a function of ionic strength.

Guinea pig C′1a at an ionic strength greater than 0.15 loses up to 90% of its original activity. The rate and extent of inactivation of depend on ionic strength, concentration of C′1a and temperature. The rate and extent of reactivation of C′1a (inactivated by elevated ionic strength) also depend on ionic strength and on the concentration of C′1a but are independent of temperature. The data suggest that the loss of activity of C′1a at high ionic strength is the result of dissociation of C′1a into hemolytically inactive fragments of approximately equal size. C′1a is eluted from EAC′1a by high ionic strength in a hemolytically inactive form. The eluted, inactive C′1a can be reactivated by lowering the ionic strength; the eluted reactivated C′1a cannot be distinguished from untreated C′1a.
Accurate Radiation Hydrodynamics and MHD Modeling of 3‐D Stellar Atmospheres

Stellar atmospheres provide a unique and valuable testing ground for radiation hydrodynamics and MHD. Spectral line synthesis based on reasonably affordable 3‐D models can potentially reach very high accuracy, with widths, strengths, and shapes of photospheric spectral lines matching observations to within fractions of a percent, with “no free parameters”; i.e., using only the effective temperature, surface acceleration of gravity, and element abundances as input parameters, and without the need for artificial fitting parameters such as micro‐ and macro‐turbulence. When combined with accurate atomic parameters the results can be used to determine the abundance of individual chemical elements more accurately than was possible in the past, when spectral line synthesis was based on one‐dimensional modeling and artificial fitting parameters. A necessary condition for reaching the desired accuracy is that the radiative energy transfer in the photosphere is treated with sufficient accuracy. Since at different l.
Fast track and the pediatric emergency department: resource utilization and patients outcomes.

OBJECTIVE To examine differences in the evaluation, management, and outcomes for patients seen in an on-site "fast track" (FT) vs the main ED. METHODS Over a three-month period, patients presenting to an urban pediatric ED were prospectively assessed. Patients included were: triaged as "nonurgent"; aged 2 months to 10 years; not chronically ill; and had fever, or complaint of vomiting, diarrhea, or decreased oral intake. Evening and weekend care was provided in the FT; at all other times these low-acuity patients were seen in the ED. Seven days after the visit, families were interviewed by telephone. RESULTS Four hundred seventy-nine and 557 patients were seen in the FT and ED, respectively. The patients in the two settings did not differ in age, clinical condition, race, or commercial insurance status. Patient mean test charges were $27 and $52 for the FT and ED, respectively (p < 0.01). Twenty-four percent of the FT patients vs 41% of the ED patients had tests performed (p < 0.01). Average length of stay was 28 minutes shorter in the FT (95% CI = 19 to 36, p < 0.01). Follow-up was completed for 480 of 755 families with telephones (64%). The FT and ED patients did not differ at follow-up: 90% vs 88% had improved conditions (p = 0.53), 18% vs 15% had received unscheduled follow-up care (p = 0.44), and 94% of the families in both groups were satisfied with the visit (p = 0.98). CONCLUSIONS Compared with those in the main ED, the study patients seen in the FT had fewer tests ordered and had briefer lengths of stay. These findings were not explained by differences in patient ages, vital signs, or demographic characteristics. No difference in final outcomes or satisfaction was detected among the families contacted for follow-up.
On the Wheeler cap measurement of the efficiency of microstrip antennas

The Wheeler cap method for measuring the efficiency of microstrip antennas is revisited. First, we show that the parallel RLC model is a more appropriate model to use than a series one for the microstrip antennas under consideration. Our results are verified by numerical simulation using ENSEMBLE. Second, the role of the interior cavity modes is investigated and a reduced-height Wheeler cap is proposed. Finally, the Wheeler cap method is applied to measure the efficiency of miniaturized microstrip antennas designed using genetic algorithms.
Perdebatan Kajian Sains Sosial: Peralihan Penyelidik dari Paradigma Positivist Kepada Non-Positivist

Abstrak: Di Malaysia, kajian kualitatif masih belum menjadi satu perkaedahan utama di kalangan penyelidik-penyelidik sains sosial. Yusoff (2001:vii) dalam buku suntingan yang bertajuk Penyelidikan Kualitatif: Pengalaman Kerja Lapangan telah memperdebatkan bahawa ‘penyelidikan kualitatif tidak boleh dianggap sebagai pendekatan tambahan atau sampingan yang tidak memerlukan mainstream researcher memberi pertimbangan serius’. Perdebatan dalam kertas kerja ini ialah sama ada kajian dalam sains sosial hanya berfokus kepada paradigma beraliran positivist atau non-positivist. Kini isu ini telah menjadi perbincangan terbuka di kalangan pengkaji-pengkaji sains sosial di Malaysia (Salleh, 2003; R. Yusof, 2003; Yusoff, 2001) atau luar negara (N.K. Denzin & Lincoln, 1998; Guba & Lincoln, 1994; Kelly, 1999; Meriam, 1998; Patton, 2002) terutamanya isu yang melibatkan kaedah kajian sains sosial yang beraliran kualitatif. Oleh itu, skop penulisan dalam kertas kerja ini dibahagikan kepada tiga bahagian. Bahagian pertama akan membincangkan perdebatan dalam kajian empirik dan metodologikal terutamanya dalam kajian sains sosial. Dalam bahagian ini, penyelidik akan menumpukan perdebatan dalam kajian sains sosial, bukannya sains tulen. Pengalaman penyelidik sebelum dan semasa membuat kajian doktor falsafah (Doctor of Philosophy-PhD) akan diberi perhatian dalam bahagian kedua. Tumpuan dalam bahagian ini ialah bagaimana peralihan penyelidik yang pada mulanya dipengaruhi dengan paradigma positivist dan akhirnya menghargai paradigma nonpositivist semasa beliau berada di University of Wollongong, Australia. Bahagian akhir dalam kertas kerja ini akan membincangkan pengajaran yang diterima semasa dan sebelum di Australia dan masa depan kajian sains sosial yang beraliran non-positivist di Malaysia.
Blood Pressure Increases in OSA due to Maintained Neurovascular Sympathetic Transduction: Impact of CPAP.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To test the hypothesis that greater resting sympathetic activity in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome would not induce a lesser sympathetic neurovascular transduction. DESIGN Case-controlled cohort study. PARTICIPANTS 33 patients with newly diagnosed OSA without comorbidities and 14 healthy controls. INTERVENTIONS 6 months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for OSA patients and follow-up for 9 healthy controls. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS We assessed resting sympathetic outflow and sympathetic neurovascular transduction. Sympathetic activity was directly measured (microneurography) at rest and in response to sustained isometric handgrip exercise. Neurovascular transduction was derived from the relationship of sympathetic activity and blood pressure to leg blood flow during exercise. Despite an elevated sympathetic activity of ∼50% in OSA compared to controls, neurovascular transduction was not different (i.e., absence of tachyphylaxis). After six months of CPAP, there were significant declines in diastolic pressure, averaging ∼4 mm Hg, and in sympathetic activity, averaging ∼20% with no change in transduction. CONCLUSIONS Greater sympathetic activity in obstructive sleep apnea does not appear to be associated with lesser neurovascular transduction. Hence, elevated sympathetic outflow without lesser transduction may underlie the prevalent development of hypertension in this population that is well controlled by continuous positive airway pressure treatment.
BASIC INFORMATION PROCESSING AND HIGHER COGNITION: DOES THE MAMMALIAN CEREBRAL CORTEX DEAL WITH THEM AT DIFFERENT HIERARCHICAL LEVELS?

1. The primary visual cortex has been generally considered as a feature processing area where the neurons code for basic stimulus attributes, such as orientation, colour and direction of movement. Higher cognitive functions, such as attention and memory, were believed to be mediated by extrastriate regions at higher levels in a hierarchy of visual areas. However, the experiments reported here suggest that the function of the primary visual cortex is more than basic information processing in at least two respects.
Frequency and Cost of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Germany – Study in 12 001 Paediatric Patients

Abstract Aims: Recently, medical expenditures were found to be 2-fold increased in paediatric patients with diabetic ketoacidotic events (DKA) in the U.S., in particular due to hospitalization. Aim of our study was to analyse DKAs and associated costs in Germany, where structured diabetes care including education is available for all patients. Methods: For all 12 001 diabetic patients 0–19 years of age (52.6% male, mean age (SD) 12.6 (3.9) years) documented in a German-wide database, all DKAs were assessed, as well as costs for diabetes-related treatment. Associations between costs and DKA were estimated using log-linear models. Results: 457 (3.8%) patients had at least 1 DKA during 2007. Total annual costs for patients without, with 1, or ≥ 2 DKAs were € 3 330 (95%-CI 3 292–3 368), € 6 935 (CI 6 627–7 244), and € 10 728 (CI 9 813–11 644), respectively, with largest differences for hospitalization costs (€ 693, € 4 145, € 8 092). Age-sex-diabetes duration-adjusted cost ratios for patients with 1, or ≥ 2 DKAs compared to patients without DKA were 2.2 (CI 2.1–2.3) and 3.6 (CI 3.1–4.1), respectively. Conclusions: In Germany, paediatric diabetic patients with DKA had up to 3.6-fold higher diabetes-related costs compared to those without DKA. This cost excess was higher compared to a U.S. study, however, the proportion of patients with DKA was much lower (3.8% versus 14.9%). The lower frequency of DKA in Germany may be due to a higher access to and utilization of diabetes education. Interventions should reduce DKA and resulting hospital admission in pediatric patients in order to reduce costs and improve quality of life.
Analysis and Design of Loosely Inductive Coupled Wireless Power Transfer System Based on Class-${\rm E}^{2}$ DC-DC Converter for Efficiency Enhancement

This paper presents a design procedure of high-frequency loosely inductive coupled wireless power transfer (LIC-WPT) system based on class- E2 dc-dc converter, taking into account the power loss reduction of inverter, coupling part, and rectifier simultaneously. Analytical expressions including the dc-to-dc efficiency of the WPT system are derived and the efficiency deterioration mechanism is explained by the circuit model. Through the analytical expressions, the design procedure for satisfying both the class-E switching conditions and power loss reductions at the coupling part is proposed from the circuit-theory viewpoint. The class- E2 WPT system designed by the proposed design procedure achieves high dc-to-dc efficiency at low coupling coefficient, in particular, compared with those designed by the previous design strategies. The validity and effectiveness of the proposed design procedure were confirmed by PSpice simulations and circuit experiments.
Allosteric modulation of sigma‐1 receptors by SKF83959 inhibits microglia‐mediated inflammation

Recent studies have shown that sigma‐1 receptor orthodox agonists can inhibit neuroinflammation. SKF83959 (3‐methyl‐6‐chloro‐7,8‐hydroxy‐1‐[3‐methylphenyl]‐2,3,4,5‐tetrahydro‐1H‐3‐benzazepine), an atypical dopamine receptor‐1 agonist, has been recently identified as a potent allosteric modulator of sigma‐1 receptor. Here, we investigated the anti‐inflammatory effects of SKF83959 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated BV2 microglia. Our results indicated that SKF83959 significantly suppressed the expression/release of the pro‐inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and inhibited the generation of reactive oxygen species. All of these responses were blocked by selective sigma‐1 receptor antagonists (BD1047 or BD1063) and by ketoconazole (an inhibitor of enzyme cytochrome c17 to inhibit the synthesis of endogenous dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA). Additionally, we found that SKF83959 promoted the binding activity of DHEA with sigma‐1 receptors, and enhanced the inhibitory effects of DHEA on LPS‐induced microglia activation in a synergic manner. Furthermore, in a microglia‐conditioned media system, SKF83959 inhibited the cytotoxicity of conditioned medium generated by LPS‐activated microglia toward HT‐22 neuroblastoma cells. Taken together, our study provides the first evidence that allosteric modulation of sigma‐1 receptors by SKF83959 inhibits microglia‐mediated inflammation.