Challenges Associated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy for Metastatic Thyroid Cancer

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) which target angiogenesis are promising treatments for patients with metastatic medullary and differentiated thyroid cancers. Sorafenib, sunitinib, and pazopanib are commercially available drugs which have been studied in these diseases. Vandetanib is the first drug approved in the United States for treatment of medullary thyroid cancer. These TKIs are used as chronic therapies, and therefore it is imperative to understand the adverse event profile in order to avoid excessive toxicity and maintain patients on therapy as long as it proves beneficial. Here we review common toxicities, management of these, and other challenging situations that arise when using TKIs in patients with thyroid cancer

Automated team selection and compliance checking in business processes

Plenty of activities in many business contexts must be performed collaboratively, e.g., in a hospital or when organising a conference. Tasks such as team composition and allocation are usually performed manually and on the ground of limited criteria such as individual skills, a.o. because adequate automatic support is missing. This paper addresses this shortcoming. We present an approach for team selection and compliance checking in business processes, which includes (i) a language for describing teams; (ii) a way to de- ne team selection conditions and policies related to team composition; and (iii) a mechanism for the automatic resolution of the team selection conditions and for team-related compliance checking based on formal ontologies.Austrian Research Funding Association (FFG) 845638 (SHAPE)Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2009-07366 (SETI)Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2012-32273 (TAPAS)Junta de Andalucía TIC-5906 (THEOS

Estudio de aleaciones cobre-arsénico

Durante mucho tiempo la posición dominante en las investigaciones arqueometalúrgicas consideró como bronces sólo a las aleaciones de cobre y estaño, este último elemento en proporciones significativas. Sin embargo, las evidencias acumuladas fueron indicando que, además de esa combinación, en la antigüedad fue importante la aleación de cobre con arsénico, a la que algunos autores llamaron cobre arsenical y otros bronce arsenical. En Asia Occidental y Europa esta aleación fue regularmente producida entre aproximadamente el 3500 y el 1600 a. C., hasta ser reemplazada por el bronce estañifero (Lechtman, 1991)

Analysis of the objects of learning and teaching perception of the virtual campus of the university of Extremadura

Nos encontramos en una sociedad en la que es cada vez más frecuente el uso de las tecnologías en educación. la educación superior ha evolucionado y ha extendido el paradigma del aprendizaje tradicional al uso de los campus virtuales como una herramienta de trabajo para el profesorado y el alumnado que les ayuda a tener la información disponible en tiempo real, a la vez que facilita la comunicación y el intercambio de actividades entre los miembros de la comunidad. Con nuestro estudio, nos hemos propuesto cómo objetivo analizar los objetos de aprendizaje y la percepción del profesorado sobre el campus virtual de la universidad de Extremadura a través de un diseño mixto de triangulación concurrente. la muestra ha estado compuesta por 252 docentes que nos han ayudado a observar que no existen diferencias significativas en relación al género, la edad y la rama de investigación sobre la percepción de los objetos de aprendizaje del campus virtual de la universidad de Extremadura. Se ha observado, que los principales puntos positivos del campus son que es principalmente utilizado cómo un repositorio de información y que mejora la comunicación entre alumnado y profesorado, mientras que sus principales puntos negativos son su funcionamiento y su interfazNowadays there is an intense use of technologies in education and it is raising. Higher education has evolved and extended the paradigm of traditional learning to the use of virtual campuses as a work tool for teachers and students that help them to have information available in real time, while facilitating communication and the exchange of activities among the members of the community. with our study, we have proposed how to analyze the objects of learning and the perception of the teaching staff about the virtual campus of the university of Extremadura through a mixed design of concurrent triangulation. the sample was composed by 252 teachers who have helped us to observe that there are no significant differences in relation to gender, age and the branch of research on the perception of the learning objects of the virtual campus of the university of Extremadura. It has been observed that the main positive points of the campus are that it is mainly used as a repository of information and it improves communication between students and teachers, while its main negative points are its functioning and its interfac

Priority-Based Human Resource Allocation in Business Processes

In Business Process Management Systems, human resource management typically covers two steps: resource assignment at design time and resource allocation at run time. Although concepts like rolebased assignment often yield several potential performers for an activity, there is a lack of mechanisms for prioritizing them, e.g., according to their skills or current workload. in this paper, we address this research gap. More specifically, we introduce an approach to define resource preferences grounded on a validated, generic user preference model initially developed for semantic web services. Furthermore, we show an implementation of the approach demonstrating its feasibility. Keywords: preference modeling, preference resolution, priority-based allocation, priority ranking, RAL, resource allocation, SOUP

Análisis de calidad de las observaciones GPS en estaciones de operación continua de libre acceso en México

Se realizó la evaluación estadística-comparativa de 65 estaciones de operación continua de libre acceso en México, de enero de 2010 a enero de 2020. El análisis de calidad de las observaciones GPS se llevó a cabo mediante el software TEQC, desarrollado por UNAVCO, considerando cuatro indicadores de calidad en 6 variables: efecto multitrayectoria en la banda L1 y L2, relación señal-ruido en L1 y L2, saltos de ciclo por cada mil observaciones y porcentaje de observaciones registradas/esperadas. El resultado de cada estación se comparó con el estándar de calidad establecido por el IGS para pertenecer a su red, con la finalidad de determinar la calidad de las mismas y el grado de cumplimiento de dicho estándar. Los resultados muestran, en promedio, un grado de cumplimiento de 3.3 de las 6 variables, donde: 6 estaciones cumplen con 5 de las 6 variables; 16 estaciones con 4; 35 con 3; 6 con 2 y 2 con una variable, siendo la estación INEG la de mejor calidad excepto en los saltos de ciclo por cada mil observaciones. Así mismo, se muestra que el efecto multitrayectoria se presenta en mayor cantidad en aquellas estaciones en las que no se realizó cambio de antena, receptor o actualización de firmware, degradando principalmente la recepción de la señal en la banda L2.  A statistical comparative evaluation of 65 continuously operating, free access stations in Mexico was made. The observations were performed from January 2010 to January 2020. The quality check of the GPS observations was carried out by using TEQC software, developed by UNAVCO. Four quality indexes were considered within the quality check, with six variables: multipath effect on L1 and L2 band, percentage of registered/expected observations, signal-to-noise ratio on L1 and L2, and cycle slip per 1000 observations. The results obtained from each station were compared with the quality standard established by IGS in order to belong to its network, this with the goal of determining their quality and the level of meeting the standard. The results show, on average, a meeting 3.3 of the 6 variables, where: 6 stations meet 5 of 6 variables; 16 stations with 4; 35 stations with 3; 6 stations with 2 and 2 station with one variable, being INEG station the best in the quality check except for the cycle slips per 1000 observations. Likewise, it was shown that the multipath effect is greater in those stations that had not antenna/receiver changing or firmware update, mainly degrading the received signal on the L2 band

Análisis Comparativo Del Posicionamiento GNSS Utilizando Receptor De Bajo Costo U-Blox De Doble Frecuencia Para Aplicaciones Topógrafo-Geodésicas

Se evaluó y comparó estadísticamente el posicionamiento obtenido a través del receptor de bajo costo U-blox ZED-F9P de nueva generación con un receptor geodésico, realizando observaciones GNSS sobre un vértice geodésico mediante del método de Posicionamiento Puntual Preciso y relativo estático, con una distancia de 33 km a la estación de referencia. Esto, con la finalidad de probar la factibilidad de utilizar receptores de bajo costo de gama similares en trabajos topográficos-geodésicos. Para ello, se consideran cuatro escenarios; en el primer escenario, se aplicó la técnica relativo estático con el equipo de bajo costo, en el segundo escenario se procesó con un receptor geodésico en modo relativo estático; ambos mediante un software comercial. Para el tercer y cuarto escenario, se procesó modo Posicionamiento Puntual Preciso con el software RTKLIB. Los resultados muestran que para la técnica Posicionamiento Puntal Preciso la precisión lograda de 1 cm por el equipo de bajo costo es apta para realizar trabajos geodésicos. En el método relativo estático, la precisión lograda de 7 mm indica que es posible utilizar el equipo de bajo costo para trabajos topógrafos-geodésicos de alta precisión considerando una línea base ≤33 km, esto, según la normatividad del Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía. The new generation, low-cost U-blox ZED-F9P receiver was evaluated and statistically compared by GNSS observations on a geodesic monument, through both Precise Point Positioning and Static relative positioning techniques with a distance of 33 km from the references station. This was done with the purpose of checking the use feasibility of the low-cost receiver of similar gamma in topographic-geodesic works. To that end, four scenarios were considered: in the first scenario, the static relative positioning with the low-cost equipment was applied; in the second scenario, the static relative positioning with a geodetic receiver was applied. Both scenarios were processed with commercial software. The third and fourth scenarios were processed with Precise Point Positioning techniques through the RTKLIB software. The results show that Precise Point Positioning techniques get a precision of 1 cm through the use of low-cost equipment which is suitable to apply in geodetic works. In the static relative method, the precision obtained is 7 mm, indicating the possibility of using the low-cost equipment in both survey and geodetic high precision works, considering a line base ≤30 Km, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía normative

How are the ancient cystic fibrosis patients?: Cystic fibrosis diagnosed over 60 years-old

Background and aims To specify the prevalence of patients diagnosed with CF at age of ≥60 year-old and to analyze their characteristics. Patients and methods Observational study of CF patients which were diagnosed at age ≥60 year-old. The analyzed variables were: age, sex, nationality, lung function parameters, conditions present at diagnosis, microbiological characteristics and genetic findings. Results eight patients were included. 7 patients were female (87.5%) with a mean age of 70.6 years (median 71.5 years, range 60–78 years). The most important findings were: sweat test > 60 mEq/l; heterozygotes F508del; bronchiectasis in CT; methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (50%) in sputum. The most patients presented a normal or mild obstructive lung function. Conclusions CF must also be considered a disease diagnosed in adulthood, incorporating the sweat test within the usual techniques of differential diagnosis in patients with different diseases associated with CF, because genetic counselling is esencial

Distant Metastases From Childhood Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma:Clinical Course and Mutational Landscape

Context: Distant metastases (DM) from childhood differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) are uncommon and published studies are limited. Objective: This work aimed to describe the outcomes of patients with DM from childhood DTC and to evaluate the molecular landscape of these tumors. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary cancer center including patients with pediatric DTC (diagnosed at age Results: We identified 148 patients; 144 (97%) had papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and 104 (70%) were female. Median age at DTC diagnosis was 13.4 years (interquartile range [IQR], 9.9-15.9 years). Evaluable individuals received a median of 2 (IQR, 1-3) radioactive iodine (RAI) treatments at a median cumulative administered activity of 238.0 mCi (IQR, 147.5-351.0 mCi). The oncogenic driver was determined in 64 of 69 PTC samples: RET fusion (38/64; 59%), NTRK1/3 fusions (18/64; 28%), and the BRAF V600E mutation (8/64; 13%). At last evaluation, 93% had persistent disease. The median overall and disease-specific survival after DTC diagnosis were 50.7 and 52.8 years, respectively. Eight (5%) PTC patients died of disease after a median of 30.7 years (IQR, 20.6-37.6 years). Conclusion: Childhood DTC with DM persists in most patients despite multiple courses of RAI, but disease-specific death is uncommon, typically occurring decades after diagnosis. Fusion genes are highly prevalent in PTC, and all identified molecular alterations have appropriate targeted therapies. Future studies should focus on expanding genotype-phenotype correlations, determining how to integrate molecularly targeted therapy into treatment paradigms, and relying less on repeated courses of RAI to achieve cure in patients with DM from childhood DTC