Exploring Symmetry of Binary Classification Performance Metrics

Selecting the proper performance metric constitutes a key issue for most classification problems in the field of machine learning. Although the specialized literature has addressed several topics regarding these metrics, their symmetries have yet to be systematically studied. This research focuses on ten metrics based on a binary confusion matrix and their symmetric behaviour is formally defined under all types of transformations. Through simulated experiments, which cover the full range of datasets and classification results, the symmetric behaviour of these metrics is explored by exposing them to hundreds of simple or combined symmetric transformations. Cross-symmetries among the metrics and statistical symmetries are also explored. The results obtained show that, in all cases, three and only three types of symmetries arise: labelling inversion (between positive and negative classes); scoring inversion (concerning good and bad classifiers); and the combination of these two inversions. Additionally, certain metrics have been shown to be independent of the imbalance in the dataset and two cross-symmetries have been identified. The results regarding their symmetries reveal a deeper insight into the behaviour of various performance metrics and offer an indicator to properly interpret their values and a guide for their selection for certain specific applications.University of Seville (Spain) by Telefónica Chair “Intelligence in Networks

Role of metformin and other metabolic drugs in the prevention and therapy of endocrine-related cancers

Metabolic syndrome is associated with chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. This review summarizes the current evidence on the antitumor effects of some relevant drugs currently used to manage metabolic-related pathologies (i.e. insulin and its analogs, metformin, statins, etc.) in endocrine-related cancers including breast cancer, prostate cancer, pituitary cancer, ovarian cancer, and neuroendocrine neoplasms. Although current evidence does not provide a clear antitumor role of several of these drugs, metformin seems to be a promising chemopreventive and adjuvant agent in cancer management, modulating tumor cell metabolism and microenvironment, through both AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Moreover, its combination with statins might represent a promising therapeutic strategy to tackle the progression of endocrine-related tumors. However, further studies are needed to endorse the clinical relevance of these drugs as adjuvants for cancer chemotherapy.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España. PID2019- 105564RB-I00/FPU16-05059Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) y Fondo Social Europeo (FSE). PI20/01301Instituto de Salud Carlos III de España. SCIII-AES-2019/002525Junta de Andalucía. PI-0152-2019, PI-0094-2020, PI-0038/2019, RH-0084-2020 y BIO-013

Alojamientos protegidos para enfermos mentales crónicos 1: Perfil epidemiológico, síntomas, calidad de vida y autoestima en dos muestras de sujetos

En este estudio se comparan los síntomas psicopatológicos, la calidad de vida y la autoestima de dos muestras de pacientes mentales crónicos, unos que residen en 2 alojamientos protegidos y otros en espera de hacerlo. También se precisa el perfil epidemiológico de los pacientes. Este tipo de alojamientos se presentan desde hace algunas décadas como la alternativa a los hospitales psiquiátricos tradicionales, que funcionaban en la práctica como recursos residenciales. Su utilidad ha sido considerada desde diferentes puntos de vista, a nivel clínico, asistencial, funcional y económico. A diferencia de otros hallazgos, en nuestro estudio no se aprecia una mejor calidad de vida de los pacientes que viven en dichos alojamientos frente a los que no lo hacen. Tampoco están mejor psicopatológicamente ni tienen mayor autoestima. Se sugieren modificaciones metodológicas en el diseño que permitan controlar ciertas variables que pueden influir en los resultados.In this study the psychopathology symptoms, the quality of life and the selfesteem of two samples of patient mental chronic are compared, some housed in protected lodgings and others while waiting for making it. It is also described the epidemic profile of the patients. This type of lodgings is presented for some decades like the alternative to the traditional psychiatric hospitals that worked in the practice as residential resources. Their utility has been considered from different points of view, at clinical, assistance, functional and economic level. Contrary to other discoveries, in our study a better quality of the patients' life is not appreciated that live in this lodgings in front of those that don't make it. Neither they are better psychopathologically neither they have bigger self-esteem. Methodological modifications are suggested in the design to control certain variables that can influence in the results

Codigestión Anaeróbica de Lodos y Residuos Orgánicos Municipales en Clima Tropical

La digestión anaeróbica permite la conversión de los lodos orgánicos provenientes de plantas de tratamiento de aguas residuales en fuentes de energía mediante la producción de biogás. Una manera de potenciar la producción obtenida mediante digestión anaeróbica es con la adición de otros sustratos al inóculo, mediante la codigestión anaeróbica. El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar el potencial energético de la codigestión de lodos y residuos orgánicos mediante la producción de metano, tomando en cuenta las propiedades fisicoquímicas de los materiales. Los ensayos de potencial de bioquímico de metano se llevaron a cabo mediante batch, mediante método manométrico utilizando el sistema Oxitop a una temperatura de 28°C por un tiempo de retención hidráulico de 10 días. Los ensayos de codigestión de Lodos orgánicos LD-LE resultaron con una producción de metano de 121.71mLCH4/g SV para la relación 1:1 y 154.84 mLCH4/g SV para la relación 2:1. Para la codigestion de LD-ROM se obtuvo una producción máxima de 294.92 mL CH4/g SV para la relación 1:1, mientras que para la relación 2:1 fue de 296.58 mL CH4/g SV. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran existen una disminución en el tiempo de retención hidráulico y el uso de lodo digerido como inóculo es positivo en la codigestión al reducir los tiempos de aclimatación

Hospital heritage and historical health crises as an opportunity for the development of cultural tourism products and itineraries in Cordoba (Spain): from the Old Regime to the present

La crisis sanitaria del Covid-19 ha patentizado la necesidad del sistema hospitalario y sanitario de Europa, en general, y de España, en particular, pero también que puede ser ocasión de crecer y de mejorar, lo que quizás en otras circunstancias desaparece. De esta consideración positiva de la realidad pueden participar y aportar las Humanidades, con su centro de estudio en el patrimonio cultural y su valorización, y, por ende, también generadoras de transferencia, aunque transferencia y gestión siempre sobre la incontestable base del conocimiento y la investigación, pues sin ésta, aquélla es imposible; y transferencia, asimismo, para devolver a la sociedad, a la que servimos, dinamismo y desarrollo social a través del patrimonio cultural, como conocimiento, promoción de empleo, o turismo, rural y urbano, alternativo y creativo, en línea con los trabajos más recientes y punteros al respecto como el de Ortega y Ruiz para la Alpujarra granadina. En ese contexto, este artículo, parte del proyecto de innovación concedido por la UCO para cartografiar y analizar la red benéfico-sanitario asistencial de Córdoba y provincia desde mediados del Setecientos y hasta el presente, para potenciar el turismo cultural desde el patrimonio, pretende trazar sus vectores fundamentales y, por tanto, centrarse en sus objetivos, metodología e historiografía, pues su muy reciente inicio impide aún resultados plenos.The Covid-19 health crisis has shown the need for the hospital and health system in Europe, in general, and in Spain, in particular, but also that it can be an opportunity to grow and improve, which perhaps in other circumstances would disappear. The Humanities can participate in and contribute to this positive consideration of reality, with its focus of study on cultural heritage and its valorisation, and therefore also generators of transfer, although transfer and management always on the unquestionable basis of knowledge and research, because without the latter, the former is impossible; and transfer, likewise, to give back to society, which we serve, dynamism and social development through cultural heritage, as knowledge, promotion of employment, or tourism, rural and urban, alternative and creative, in line with the most recent and cutting-edge work in this respect, such as that of Ortega and Ruiz for the Alpujarra of Granada. In this context, this article, part of the innovation project awarded by the UCO to map and analyse the charitable-health care network of Cordova and its province from the mid-1800s to the present, in order to promote cultural tourism from the heritage, aims to trace its fundamental vectors and, therefore, focus on its objectives, methodology and historiography, as its very recent inception still prevents full results

Comparative Cytotoxic Activity of Hydroxytyrosol and Its Semisynthetic Lipophilic Derivatives in Prostate Cancer Cells

A high adherence to a Mediterranean diet has been related to numerous beneficial effects in human health, including a lower incidence and mortality of prostate cancer (PCa). Olive oil is an important source of phenolic bioactive compounds, mainly hydroxytyrosol (HT), of this diet. Because of the growing interest of this compound and its derivatives as a cancer chemopreventive agent, we aimed to compare the in vitro effect of HT isolated from olive mill wastewaters and five semisynthetic alkyl ether, ester, and nitro-derivatives against prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines. The effect in cell proliferation was determined in RWPE-1, LNCaP, 22Rv1, and PC-3 cells by resazurin assay, the effect in cell migration by wound healing assay, and tumorsphere and colony formation were evaluated. The changes in key signaling pathways involved in carcinogenesis were assessed by using a phosphorylation pathway profiling array and by Western blotting. Antiproliferative effects of HT and two lipophilic derivatives [hydroxytyrosyl acetate (HT-Ac)/ethyl hydroxytyrosyl ether (HT-Et)] were significantly higher in cancerous PC-3 and 22Rv1 cells than in non-malignant RWPE-1 cells. HT/HT-Ac/HT-Et significantly reduced migration capacity in RWPE-1 and PC-3 and prostatosphere size and colony formation in 22Rv1, whereas only HT-Ac and HT-Et reduced these functional parameters in PC-3. The cytotoxic effect in 22Rv1 cells was correlated with modifications in the phosphorylation pattern of key proteins, including ERK1/2 and AKT. Consistently, HT-Ac and HT-Et decreased p-AKT levels in PC-3. In sum, our results suggest that HT and its lipophilic derivatives could be considered as potential therapeutic tools in PCa

Unleashing the Diagnostic, Prognostic and Therapeutic Potential of the Neuronostatin/GPR107 System in Prostate Cancer

Certain components of the somatostatin-system play relevant roles in Prostate Cancer (PCa), whose most aggressive phenotype (Castration-Resistant-PCa (CRPC)) remains lethal nowadays. However, neuronostatin and the G protein-coupled receptor 107 (GPR107), two novel members of the somatostatin-system, have not been explored yet in PCa. Consequently, we investigated the pathophysiological role of NST/GPR107-system in PCa. GPR107 expression was analyzed in well-characterized PCa patient′s cohorts, and functional/mechanistic assays were performed in response to GPR107-silencing and NST-treatment in PCa cells (androgen-dependent (AD: LNCaP) and androgen-independent (AI: 22Rv1/PC-3), which are cell models of hormone-sensitive and CRPC, respectively), and normal prostate cells (RWPE-1 cell-line). GPR107 was overexpressed in PCa and associated with key clinical parameters (e.g., advance stage of PCa, presence of vascular invasion and metastasis). Furthermore, GPR107-silencing inhibited proliferation/migration rates in AI-PCa-cells and altered key genes and oncogenic signaling-pathways involved in PCa aggressiveness (i.e., KI67/CDKN2D/MMP9/PRPF40A, SST5TMD4/AR-v7/In1-ghrelin/EZH2 splicing-variants and AKT-signaling). Interestingly, NST treatment inhibited proliferation/migration only in AI-PCa cells and evoked an identical molecular response than GPR107-silencing. Finally, NST decreased GPR107 expression exclusively in AI-PCa-cells, suggesting that part of the specific antitumor effects of NST could be mediated through a GPR107-downregulation. Altogether, NST/GPR107-system could represent a valuable diagnostic and prognostic tool and a promising novel therapeutic target for PCa and CRPC

Morphofunctional and Molecular Assessment of Nutritional Status in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Systemic Treatment: Role of Inflammasome in Clinical Nutrition

Malnutrition in patients with head and neck cancer is frequent, multifactorial and widely associated with clinical evolution and prognosis. Accurate nutritional assessments allow for early identification of patients at risk of malnutrition in order to start nutritional support and prevent sarcopenia. We aimed to perform a novel morphofunctional nutritional evaluation and explore changes in inflammasome-machinery components in 45 patients with head and neck cancer who are undergoing systemic treatment. To this aim, an epidemiological/clinical/anthropometric/biochemical evaluation was performed. Serum RCP, IL6 and molecular expression of inflammasome-components and inflammatory-associated factors (NOD-like-receptors, inflammasome-activation-components, cytokines and inflammation/apoptosis-related components, cell-cycle and DNA-damage regulators) were evaluated in peripheral-blood mononuclear-cells (PBMCs). Clinical-molecular correlations/associations were analyzed. Coherent and complementary information was obtained in the morphofunctional nutritional assessment of the patients when bioimpedance, anthropometric and ultrasound data were analyzed. These factors were also correlated with different biochemical and molecular parameters, revealing the complementary aspect of the whole evaluation. Serum reactive C protein (RCP) and IL6 were the most reliable parameters for determining patients with decreased standardized phase angle, which is associated with increased mortality in patients with solid malignancies. Several inflammasome-components were dysregulated in patients with malnutrition, decreased phase angle and dependency grade or increased circulating inflammation markers. A molecular fingerprint based on gene-expression of certain inflammasome factors (p27/CCL2/ASC) in PBMCs accurately differentiated patients with and without malnutrition. In conclusion, malnutrition induces a profound alteration in the gene-expression pattern of inflammasome-machinery components in PBMCs. A comprehensive nutritional assessment including novel morphofunctional techniques and molecular markers allows a broad characterization of the nutritional status in cancer patients. Profile of certain inflammasome-components should be further studied as potential targets for nutrition-focused treatment strategies in cancer patients

Identification and characterization of Diaporthe spp. associated with twig cankers and shoot blight of almonds in Spain

[EN] Two hundred and twenty-fiveDiaportheisolates were collected from 2005 to 2019 in almond orchards showing twig cankers and shoot blight symptoms in five different regions across Spain. Multilocus DNA sequence analysis with five loci (ITS,tub,tef-1 alpha,calandhis), allowed the identification of four knownDiaporthespecies, namely:D. amygdali,D. eres,D. foeniculinaandD. phaseolorum. Moreover, a novel phylogenetic species,D. mediterranea, was described.Diaportheamygdaliwas the most prevalent species, due to the largest number of isolates (85.3%) obtained from all sampled regions. The second most frequent species wasD. foeniculina(10.2%), followed byD. mediterranea(3.6%),D.eresandD. phaseolorum, each with only one isolate. Pathogenicity tests were performed using one-year-old almond twigs cv. Vayro and representative isolates of the different species. Except forD. foeniculinaandD. phaseolorum, allDiaporthespecies were able to cause lesions significantly different from those developed on the uninoculated controls.Diaporthe mediterraneacaused the most severe symptoms. These results confirmD. amygdalias a key pathogen of almonds in Spain. Moreover, the new species,D. mediterranea, should also be considered as a potential important causal agent of twig cankers and shoot blight on this crop.Research funded by the Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), grants RTA2017-00009-C04-01, -02, -03 and -04 and with matching funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). G. Elena and C. Agusti-Brisach were supported by the Spanish post-doctoral grants "Juan de la Cierva-Formacion" and "Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion", respectively. J. Luque and X. Miarnau were partially supported by the CERCA program, Generalitat de Catalunya. D. Gramaje was supported by the Ramon y Cajal program, Spanish Government (RYC-2017-23098).León Santana, M.; Berbegal Martinez, M.; Rodríguez-Reina, JM.; Elena, G.; Abad Campos, P.; Ramón-Albalat, A.; Olmo, D.... (2020). Identification and characterization of Diaporthe spp. associated with twig cankers and shoot blight of almonds in Spain. Agronomy. 10(8):1-23. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10081062S123108Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nationshttp://www.fao.org/faostat/es/#datDiogo, E. L. F., Santos, J. M., & Phillips, A. J. L. (2010). Phylogeny, morphology and pathogenicity of Diaporthe and Phomopsis species on almond in Portugal. Fungal Diversity, 44(1), 107-115. doi:10.1007/s13225-010-0057-xTuset, J. J., & Portilla, M. A. T. (1989). Taxonomic status of Fusicoccum amygdali and Phomopsis amygdalina. Canadian Journal of Botany, 67(5), 1275-1280. doi:10.1139/b89-168TUSET, J. J., HINAREJOS, C., & PORTILLA, M. T. (1997). 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Escape Rooms as a Learning Strategy for Special Education Master’s Degree Students

Escape rooms and breakout are learning strategies that can facilitate motivation of learning through challenges. In these strategies, students must work as a team and use their reasoning, knowledge, and skills to solve puzzles and challenges related to the content of the curriculum, allowing them to solve the game in a limited time. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the implementation of an escape room on classroom flow, academic performance, school motivation, and prosocial and antisocial behaviours with higher students in a Special Education master’s degree course. The quantitative results show a significant improvement in classroom flow, academic performance, and classroom climate, and a better score in prosocial and antisocial behaviours. The qualitative findings provide a better understanding of these results, and support the conclusion that the use of escape rooms is fun and motivating for students, and facilitates their learning achievement