Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards an Improved Pathological Node Classification for Prognostic Stratification of Patients With Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Results From a Nationwide Registry Study

Background To assess the prognostic significance of different nodal parameters [i.e., number of pathologically positive nodes, log odds of positive lymph nodes, lymph node ratio (LNR), and extra-nodal extension (ENE)] in Taiwanese patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC), and to devise an optimized pN classification system for predicting survival in OCSCC. Methods A total of 4287 Taiwanese patients with first primary OCSCC and nodal metastases were enrolled. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis with the spline method was applied to identify the optimal cut-off values for LNR, log odds of positive lymph nodes, and number of pathologically positive nodes. Results On multivariable analysis, we identified a LNR ≥0.078/0.079, the presence of at least three pathologically positive nodes, and ENE as independent prognosticators for 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) rates. We therefore devised a four-point prognostic scoring system according to the presence or absence of each variable. The 5-year DSS and OS rates of patients with scores of 0−3 were 70%/62%/50%/36% (p <0.0001) and 61%/52%/40%25%, respectively (p <0.0001). On analyzing the AJCC 2017 pN classification, patients with pN3a displayed better survival rates than those with pN2 disease. The 5-year DSS and OS rates of patients with pN1/pN2/pN3a/pN3b disease were 72%/60%/67%/43% (p <0.0001) and 63%/51%/67%/33%, respectively (p <0.0001). Conclusions Three nodal parameters (i.e., a LNR ≥0.078/0.079, the presence of at least three pathologically positive nodes, and ENE) assessed in combination provided a better prognostic stratification than the traditional AJCC pN classification.
An acceptance and commitment training program reduces burden transfer, stress, and burnout among veterinary healthcare teams.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether an acceptance and commitment training (ACT) program targeting reactions to difficult client interactions would reduce burden transfer, stress, and burnout among veterinary healthcare teams. SAMPLE Small animal veterinary hospital employees randomly assigned to participate in an ACT program (intervention group; n = 72) or to not undergo the training program (control group; 71). PROCEDURES The study was designed as a randomized, controlled, parallel-arms trial. All participants completed prestudy assessments of burden transfer, stress, and burnout. The ACT program consisted of 3 small-group-format educational sessions tailored to reducing reactivity to difficult veterinary client interactions; sessions were delivered via video teleconference. At the end of the educational sessions (posttest) and 1 month later (1-month follow-up), assessments of burden transfer, stress, and burnout were repeated, and participants in the intervention group provided ratings of program helpfulness and frequency of use for techniques taught in the program. RESULTS Participants receiving the program rated it as helpful and reported frequent use of program techniques. Relative to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly reduced burden transfer, stress, work-related burnout, and client-related burnout after completing the educational sessions. These improvements were maintained at the 1-month follow-up. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings support the usefulness of this program in reducing occupational distress in veterinary medicine. Future work is needed to examine whether it is similarly effective in formats that could be more broadly disseminated (eg, asynchronous, self-paced, independent learning).
VECtor: A Versatile Event-Centric Benchmark for Multi-Sensor SLAM

Event cameras have recently gained in popularity as they hold strong potential to complement regular cameras in situations of high dynamics or challenging illumination. An important problem that may benefit from the addition of an event camera is given by Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM). However, in order to ensure progress on event-inclusive multi-sensor SLAM, novel benchmark sequences are needed. Our contribution is the first complete set of benchmark datasets captured with a multi-sensor setup containing an event-based stereo camera, a regular stereo camera, multiple depth sensors, and an inertial measurement unit. The setup is fully hardware-synchronized and underwent accurate extrinsic calibration. All sequences come with ground truth data captured by highly accurate external reference devices such as a motion capture system. Individual sequences include both small and large-scale environments, and cover the specific challenges targeted by dynamic vision sensors.
The vulnerability of technology-based business during COVID-19: an indicator-based conceptual framework

Purpose COVID-19 has affected most business activities, including technology-based business. The higher the business vulnerability rating, the greater the impacts. After identifying three dimensions of vulnerability (exposure, business sensitivity and response capacity), this study aims to determine the potential components and indicators of the vulnerability of technology-based businesses. Design/methodology/approach Using the indicator approach, a comprehensive vulnerability model was developed for assessing the vulnerability of the technology-based business against COVID-19. Findings In this study, COVID-19, as a biological threat and an exogenous shock, was considered the exposure dimension. Business characteristics, job characteristics, business owner-manager demographics, product and supplier characteristics were identified as the sensitivity dimension, while resources, human capital, technological capitals, social capitals, institutional capitals, infrastructures, management capacity and supply chain capabilities were defined as the adaptive business capability or response capacity. To determine vulnerability and response capacity against exogenous shocks and a pandemic crisis, the framework can act as a useful checklist for managers and owners of technology-based businesses. Originality/value Research on the COVID-19, especially in the technology-based business, is still at the emergent stage. This study is a pioneering effort to review the literature on business vulnerability and provide a framework to reduce business vulnerability using the indicator-based approach.
Polyethylene glycol derivant crosslink and modify chitosan for tympanic membrane repair

Abstract This work focuses on developing a novel bioscaffold for tympanic membrane (TM) repair. A strategy to fabricate porous scaffolds is proposed, which is based on the chitosan membranes that were cross-linked and modified by tert-butyl acetoacetate esterified polyethylene glycol, while their mechanical properties and hydrophilicity were also improved. With two different crosslink methods, direct and freeze cross-linking, the chitosan-polyethylene glycol membranes were fabricated. Based on the morphology, hydrophilicity, and mechanical property, the biomedical scaffold has good enough properties for TM repair and the freeze cross-linking membrane is better. Our work provides a simple and reliable method for the preparation of bioscaffolds. Graphical Abstract
Food Selectivity and Its Implications Associated with Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Food selectivity (FS) in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is common, and its impact on a nutritional level is known. However, the etiology of gastrointestinal disorders (GID) related to alterations in the intestinal microbiota in children with ASD remains unclear. This article provides a narrative review of the literature on FS from the last 15 years, and its relationship with GID in children with ASD. Sensory aversion in ASD leads to food elimination, based on consistencies, preferences, and other sensory issues. The restriction of food groups that modulate the gut microbiota, such as fruits and vegetables, as well as the fibers of some cereals, triggers an intestinal dysbiosis with increased abundance in Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella Escherichia/Shigella, and Clostridium XIVa, which, together with an aberrant immune response and a leaky gut, may trigger GID. It is observed that FS can be the product of previous GID. GID could provide information to generate a hypothesis of the bidirectional relationship between FS and GID. Emphasis is placed on the need for more studies with methodological rigor in selecting children with ASD, the need for homogeneous criteria in the evaluation of GID, and the adequate classification of FS in children with ASD.
Exploring Mechanical Properties of SiO2 Elastic Micro-Nano Ceramic Fibres Aerogels

With the development of hypersonic vehicles and the military, SiO2 elastic nano-fibre ceramic aerogel becomes a preferred and potential material due to its ultralight, thermal superinsulation, and superelasticity properties. Compared with traditional ceramic materials which are brittle and easily degraded, SiO2 elastic nano-fibre aerogel shows up with its outstanding characteristics under extreme conditions. Facing a major demand in the national strategy of thermal insulation materials, this study will keep an eye on these growing and famous novel materials. Summarizing current studies and research at home and abroad. And explaining the evolution from traditional SiO2 aerogels to elastic aerogels to new SiO2 nano-fibre aerogels with flexible elastic bonds. Finally, providing regulation factors that can be improved and employed in future experiments. Giving prospects and focus for future research.
Stress-Related Mental Health Disorders and Inflammation in Pregnancy: The Current Landscape and the Need for Further Investigation

Many studies have focused on psychoimmunological mechanisms of risk for stress-related mental health disorders. However, significantly fewer studies have focused on understanding mechanisms of risk for stress-related disorders during pregnancy, a period characterized by dramatic changes in both the innate and adaptive immune systems. The current review summarizes and synthesizes the extant literature on the immune system during pregnancy, as well as the sparse existing evidence highlighting the associations between inflammation and mood, anxiety, and fear-related disorders in pregnancy. In general, pregnant persons demonstrate lower baseline levels of systemic inflammation, but respond strongly when presented with an immune challenge. Stress and trauma exposure may therefore result in strong inflammatory responses in pregnant persons that increases risk for adverse behavioral health outcomes. Overall, the existing literature suggests that stress, trauma exposure, and stress-related psychopathology are associated with higher levels of systemic inflammation in pregnant persons, but highlight the need for further investigation as the existing data are equivocal and vary based on which specific immune markers are impacted. Better understanding of the psychoimmunology of pregnancy is necessary to reduce burden of prenatal mental illness, increase the likelihood of a successful pregnancy, and reduce the intergenerational impacts of prenatal stress-related mental health disorders.
Association of Cardiac Autonomic Responses with Clinical Outcomes of Myasthenia Gravis: Short-Term Analysis of the Heart-Rate and Blood Pressure Variability

Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess cardiac and autonomic function in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and to explore its relationship with disease outcomes. Methods: Thirty-eight patients with an MG were enrolled (median age 40.5 years; median disease duration 5.5 years). Cardiovascular parameters, baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), spectral indices of short-term heart rate (HRV), and systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) were compared with age- and gender-matched controls (n = 30). Cardiac autonomic function was assessed during the response to standing (tilt) and deep breathing tests (expiration/inspiration ratio-E/I). Results: HR and BP responses to the tilt test were similar in both groups. MG patients, as compared to controls, were characterized by altered SBPV at rest, significantly reduced HR response to the deep breathing test (p < 0.001), increased sympathovagal balance after tilt (delta LF/HF-RRI, p = 0.037), and lower values of BRS (p = 0.007) and hemodynamic parameters, i.e., cardiac index, index contractility, left ventricular work index, at rest and during tilt. There was no association between disease duration and autonomic parameters. Disease severity, as determined by MGFA (Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America) corrected for age and sex, was an independent predictor of diminished vagal tone (E/I ratio) and increased sympathetic response to tilt (delta LF/HF-RRI) as measured with HRV. Lower BRS was associated with greater disease severity and older age. Hemodynamic parameters were predominantly predicted by age and sex. Conclusion: Our results confirm cardiac autonomic dysfunction among MG patients with predominant parasympathetic impairment. Clinicians should consider evaluation of autonomic balance in MG patients with, or at risk for, cardiovascular disease.
Effect of incorporation of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) on the physicochemical and bromatological characteristics and shelf-life of buffalo milk yogurt

In the dairy industry, fermented products are traditionally made with cow's milk, however, recently other ingredients have been used that give different qualities to the final product; among them is buffalo milk, which has distinctive characteristics and is rarely utilized industrially in Colombia, for this reason, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) on the physicochemical and bromatological properties and shelf-life of buffalo milk yogurt. First, an aloe vera sauce was made, which was added to buffalo milk yogurt in three percentages (5, 10, and 15 %), and one was chosen using a preference ordering test. Subsequently, the selected product was evaluated for physicochemical and bromatological parameters and mineral content. The shelf-life was also calculated using an accelerated shelf-life study at temperatures of 5, 15, 25, and 35 °C. According to the sensory panel the best yogurt was the sample with 15 % of aloe vera sauce. For the bromatological analysis, it was found that the final product had 2.57 % protein, 5.87 % fat, 0.49 % ash, and 74.9 % moisture. Shelf-life calculations yielded an average of 28.6 days. It is concluded that aloe vera positively impacted the bromatological parameters and mineral content of buffalo milk yogurt
Making the Nearest Neighbor Meaningful.PDF

The nearest-neighbor problem arises in clustering and other applications. It requires us to define a function to measure differences among items in a data set, and then to compute the closest items to a query point with respect to this measure. Recent work suggests that the conventional Euclidean measure does not adequately model highdimensional data. We present a new, data-driven difference measure for categorical data for which the difference between two data points is based on the frequency of the categories or combinations of categories that they have in common. This measure addresses the main flaw of the Euclidean distance measure—namely, that it treats each dimension independently. We then provide both brute-force algorithms and an efficient, but approximate, probabilistic algorithm to compute the nearest neighbors of a query point with respect to this measure. Finally, we illustrate a practical application of our approach in a recommendation engine built for the Tower Records online video and DVD catalog.
Streaming directional instruments over the Internet

n contemporary music performance the sound of live instruments often coexists with electronic sounds. Numerous studies have shown that radiation patterns of natural sound sources vary with frequency and time. This affects the reverberant sound field of a room and hence the perception of timbre of the sound at the listener's position. Thus, reproducing not only the temporal and spectral but also the spatially varying radiation pattern becomes a challenging task in virtual audio environments. One topic of ongoing research is the measurement, reproduction, and compact description of sound radiation patterns. The wave field expansion in spherical coordinates provides a general description format, which is independent of the sound field rendering technique applied. This article discusses how simultaneous recordings with a spherical microphone array can be applied to streaming concerts. A soloist player is recorded in the semi-anechoic chamber of the University in Graz and the audio and video data is streamed in real-time to IRCAM, where it is reproduced as virtual sound source on stage using an eighty channel WFS array.
KARAKTERISTIK KOMITE AUDIT DAN KUALITAS AUDIT

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh keahlian, pengalaman, dan gender komite audit terhadap kualitas audit. Penelitian ini menggunakan data sekunder yang diambil dari laporan tahunan dan laporan keuangan perusahaan sektor non keuangan yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia periode 2016-2018. Jumlah sampel yang digunakan adalah 391 data perusahaan. Dalam penelitian ini kualitas audit diproksikan dengan audit fee, sedangkan variabel independen yang digunakan adalah proporsi keahlian keuangan komite audit, proporsi keahlian akuntansi, proporsi tingkat pengalaman, dan jumlah wanita anggota komite audit. Hasil penelitian ini menemukan bahwa proporsi keahlian keuangan, keahlian akuntansi, dan tingkat pengalaman komite audit berpengaruh signifikan terhadap biaya audit. Penelitian ini diharapkan dapat memberikan rekomendasi bagi perusahaan untuk mempertimbangkan keahlian atau kualifikasi komite audit dalam membentuk komite audit guna meningkatkan kualitas audit.
Hadamard matrices, Sequences, and Block Designs

One hundred years ago, in 1893, Jacques Hadamard [31] found square matrices of orders 12 and 20, with entries ±1, which had all their rows (and columns) pairwise orthogonal. These matrices, X = (Xij), satisfied the equality of the following inequality, |detX|2 ≤ ∏ ∑ |xij|2, and so had maximal determinant among matrices with entries ±1. Hadamard actually asked the question of finding the maximal determinant of matrices with entries on the unit disc, but his name has become associated with the question concerning real matrices. Disciplines Physical Sciences and Mathematics Publication Details Jennifer Seberry and Mieko Yamada, Hadamard matrices, Sequences, and Block Designs, Contemporary Design Theory – A Collection of Surveys, (D. J. Stinson and J. Dinitz, Eds.)), John Wiley and Sons, (1992), 431-560. This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow. edu.au/infopapers/1070 11 "-. Hadamard Matrices, Sequences, and Block Designs Jennifer Seberry and Mieko Yamada 1 IN1RODUCTION 2 HADAMARD MATRICES 3 THE SmONGEST HADAMARD CONSmUCTION THEOREMS 4 ORTIIOGONAL DESIGNS AND AsYMPTOTIC EXISTENCE 5 SEQUENCES 6 AMICABLE HADAMARD MAmICES AND AOD 7 CoNSmUCTIONS FOR SKEW HADAMARD MAmICES 8 M -SmucTUREs 9 WILLIAMSON AND WILUAMSON-TYPE MAmICES 10 SBIBD AND THE EXCESS OF HADAMARD MATRICES 11 CoMPLEX HADAMARD MATRICES APPENDIX REFERENCES
Anti-Spoilage Activity and Exopolysaccharides Production by Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria

In this study, eight lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, previously isolated from traditional and gluten-free sourdoughs, and selected for their potential in improving the sensory and rheological quality of bakery products, were screened against some common spoilage agents. The anti-mould activity was tested using strains of the species Fusarium graminearum, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium paneum and Aspergillus niger. Regarding the antibacterial activity, it was assessed against four strains of the species Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes. Furthermore, LAB strains were evaluated for their ability to produce exopolysaccharides, which are gaining considerable attention for their functional properties and applicability in different food industrial applications. A strain-specific behaviour against the moulds was observed. In particular, F. graminearum ITEM 5356 was completely inhibited by all the LAB strains. Regarding the antibacterial activity, the strains Leuconostoc citreum UMCC 3011, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum UMCC 2996, and Pediococcus pentosaceus UMCC 3010 showed wide activity against the tested pathogens. Moreover, all the LAB strains were able to produce exopolysaccharides, which were preliminarily characterized. The assessed features of the LAB strains allow us to consider them as promising candidates for single or multiple starter cultures for food fermentation processes.
Nucleus Accumbens Core Dopamine D2 Receptor-Expressing Neurons Control Reversal Learning but Not Set-Shifting in Behavioral Flexibility in Male Mice

The ability to use environmental cues to flexibly guide responses is crucial for adaptive behavior and is thought to be controlled within a series of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops. Previous evidence has indicated that different prefrontal cortical regions control dissociable aspects of behavioral flexibility, with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) necessary for the ability to shift attention to a novel strategy (set-shifting) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) necessary for shifting attention between learned stimulus-outcome associations (reversal learning). The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a major downstream target of both the mPFC and the OFC; however, its role in controlling reversal learning and set-shifting abilities is still unclear. Here we investigated the contribution of the two major NAc neuronal populations, medium spiny neurons expressing either dopamine D1 or D2 receptors (D1-/D2-MSNs), in guiding reversal learning and set-shifting in an attentional set-shifting task (ASST). Persistent inhibition of neurotransmitter release from NAc D2-MSNs, but not D1-MSNs, resulted in an impaired ability for reversal learning, but not set-shifting in male mice. These findings suggest that NAc D2-MSNs play a critical role in suppressing responding toward specific learned cues that are now associated with unfavorable outcomes (i.e., in reversal stages), but not in the suppression of more general learned strategies (i.e., in set-shifting). This study provides further evidence for the anatomical separation of reversal learning and set-shifting abilities within cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops.