Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Toward training surgeons with motion-based feedback: Initial validation of smoothness as a measure of motor learning

Surgery is a challenging domain for motor skill acquisition. A critical contributing factor in this difficulty is that feedback is often delayed from performance and qualitative in nature. Collection of highdensity motion information may offer a solution. Metrics derived from this motion capture, in particular indices of movement smoothness, have been shown to correlate with task outcomes in multiple domains, including endovascular surgery. The open question is whether providing feedback based on these metrics can be used to accelerate learning. In pursuit of that goal, we examined the relationship between a motion metric that is computationally simple to compute—spectral arc length—and performance on a simple but challenging motor task, mirror tracing. We were able to replicate previous results showing that movement smoothness measures are linked to overall performance, and now have performance thresholds to use in subsequent work on using these metrics for training.
Implicit relevance feedback from electroencephalography and eye tracking in image search

Objective. Methods from brain–computer interfacing (BCI) open a direct access to the mental processes of computer users, which offers particular benefits in comparison to standard methods for inferring user-related information. The signals can be recorded unobtrusively in the background, which circumvents the time-consuming and distracting need for the users to give explicit feedback to questions concerning the individual interest. The obtained implicit information makes it possible to create dynamic user interest profiles in real-time, that can be taken into account by novel types of adaptive, personalised software. In the present study, the potential of implicit relevance feedback from electroencephalography (EEG) and eye tracking was explored with a demonstrator application that simulated an image search engine. Approach. The participants of the study queried for ambiguous search terms, having in mind one of the two possible interpretations of the respective term. Subsequently, they viewed different images arranged in a grid that were related to the query. The ambiguity of the underspecified search term was resolved with implicit information present in the recorded signals. For this purpose, feature vectors were extracted from the signals and used by multivariate classifiers that estimated the intended interpretation of the ambiguous query. Main result. The intended interpretation was inferred correctly from a combination of EEG and eye tracking signals in 86% of the cases on average. Information provided by the two measurement modalities turned out to be complementary. Significance. It was demonstrated that BCI methods can extract implicit user-related information in a setting of human-computer interaction. Novelties of the study are the implicit online feedback from EEG and eye tracking, the approximation to a realistic use case in a simulation, and the presentation of a large set of photographies that had to be interpreted with respect to the content.
Mast Cell–Dependent CD8+ T-cell Recruitment Mediates Immune Surveillance of Intestinal Tumors in ApcMin/+ Mice

Mast cells, depending on the microenvironment, can promote or suppress tumor progression. Chemokine-mediated recruitment of mast cells was an essential prerequisite for the initiation of LTB4/BLT1-regulated CD8+ T-cell homing and generation of antitumor immunity against intestinal tumors. The presence of mast cells in some human colorectal cancers is a positive prognostic factor, but the basis for this association is incompletely understood. Here, we found that mice with a heterozygous mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli gene (ApcMin/+) displayed reduced intestinal tumor burdens and increased survival in a chemokine decoy receptor, ACKR2-null background, which led to discovery of a critical role for mast cells in tumor defense. ACKR2–/–ApcMin/+ tumors showed increased infiltration of mast cells, their survival advantage was lost in mast cell–deficient ACKR2–/–SA–/–ApcMin/+ mice as the tumors grew rapidly, and adoptive transfer of mast cells restored control of tumor growth. Mast cells from ACKR2–/– mice showed elevated CCR2 and CCR5 expression and were also efficient in antigen presentation and activation of CD8+ T cells. Mast cell–derived leukotriene B4 (LTB4) was found to be required for CD8+ T lymphocyte recruitment, as mice lacking the LTB4 receptor (ACKR2–/–BLT1–/–ApcMin/+) were highly susceptible to intestinal tumor-induced mortality. Taken together, these data demonstrate that chemokine-mediated recruitment of mast cells is essential for initiating LTB4/BLT1-regulated CD8+ T-cell homing and generation of effective antitumor immunity against intestinal tumors. We speculate that the pathway reported here underlies the positive prognostic significance of mast cells in selected human tumors. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(3); 332–47. ©2018 AACR.
Diurnal mood variation in melancholic patients and healthy controls.

In 30 melancholic patients and 21 healthy controls, diurnal mood variation was investigated on 3 successive days at 7.30 a.m., 11.30 a.m., 3.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. Daily courses with no variation or with a so-called typical variation (morning low, afternoon/evening high) occurred with the same frequency in both samples. Circadian mood variations vary substantially inter- and intraindividually in both depressive patients and healthy controls. However, the controls reported short (ultradian) mood variations more frequently than the patients. Using a semistructured interview, the subjective experience of diurnal mood variations was compared: In melancholic patients, mood variations occur spontaneously in more than half of all cases, whereas healthy controls attribute them almost exclusively to their own activities and/or external circumstances. It is discussed whether "typical' diurnal variations in melancholic patients may have been emphasized in earlier psychopathological literature not because of their frequency but because patients experience the circadian mood rhythm as uninfluenceable.
Use of Western Medicine and Traditional Korean Medicine for Joint Disorders: A Retrospective Comparative Analysis Based on Korean Nationwide Insurance Data

This study aimed to compare the usage of Western medicine and traditional Korean medicine for treating joint disorders in Korea. Data of claims from all medical institutions with billing statements filed to HIRA from 2011 to 2014 for the four most frequent joint disorders were used for the analysis. Data from a total of 1,100,018 patients who received medical services from 2011 to 2014 were analyzed. Descriptive statistics are presented as type of care and hospital type. All statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS for Windows version 21. Of the 1,100,018 patients with joint disorders, 456,642 (41.5%) were males and 643,376 (58.5%) were females. Per diem costs of hospitalization in Western medicine clinics and traditional Korean medicine clinics were approximately 160,000 KRW and 50,000 KRW, respectively. Among costs associated with Western medicine, physiotherapy cost had the largest proportion (28.78%). Among costs associated with traditional Korean medicine, procedural costs and treatment accounted for more than 70%, followed by doctors' fees (21.54%). There were distinct differences in patterns of medical care use and cost of joint disorders at the national level in Korea. This study is expected to contribute to management decisions for musculoskeletal disease involving joint disorders.
Scanning in biomedical imaging: from classical devices to handheld heads and micro-systems

We review some of the most important scanning systems that are competitive in high-end biomedical imaging applications such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), but also Confocal Microscopy (CM) or multiphoton microscopy. Both 1-D (uni-dimensional) and 2-D (bi-dimensional) scanning systems are considered. The paper discusses different scanners, including polygon mirror, galvanometer-based and Risley prisms. Their configurations and characteristics, as well some of our contributions in the domain are presented. The tendency of applying them into special designs such as handheld scanning probes and endoscopes – the latter with MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) and micro-systems is pointed out. A discussion on further advancements of scanning technology in biomedical applications in general and in OCT in particular concludes the study.
Structural brain connectivity and cognitive ability differences: A multivariate distance matrix regression analysis

Neuroimaging research involves analyses of huge amounts of biological data that might or might not be related with cognition. This relationship is usually approached using univariate methods, and, therefore, correction methods are mandatory for reducing false positives. Nevertheless, the probability of false negatives is also increased. Multivariate frameworks have been proposed for helping to alleviate this balance. Here we apply multivariate distance matrix regression for the simultaneous analysis of biological and cognitive data, namely, structural connections among 82 brain regions and several latent factors estimating cognitive performance. We tested whether cognitive differences predict distances among individuals regarding their connectivity pattern. Beginning with 3,321 connections among regions, the 36 edges better predicted by the individuals' cognitive scores were selected. Cognitive scores were related to connectivity distances in both the full (3,321) and reduced (36) connectivity patterns. The selected edges connect regions distributed across the entire brain and the network defined by these edges supports high‐order cognitive processes such as (a) (fluid) executive control, (b) (crystallized) recognition, learning, and language processing, and (c) visuospatial processing. This multivariate study suggests that one widespread, but limited number, of regions in the human brain, supports high‐level cognitive ability differences. Hum Brain Mapp 38:803–816, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of supragingival glycine air polishing on periodontitis during maintenance therapy: a randomized controlled trial

Background Glycine air polishing has been proved to be safe, comfortable and time-saving. Whether it could substitute ultrasonic scaling to remove dental plaque biofilm during periodontal maintenance remains unclear. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the effect of supragingival glycine air polishing (SGAP) on the subgingival periodontal pathogens during maintenance therapy and to check the association of periodontal pathogens and clinical parameters. Methods Twenty-three chronic periodontitis patients during their maintenance therapy were enrolled in the 12-week study. According to randomized split-mouth design, the test side was treated with SGAP (65 μm), while the control side was treated with supragingival ultrasonic scaling and polishing (SUSP) with rubber cup. Clinical examination including plaque index (PLI), probing depth (PD), bleeding index (BI) were performed at baseline and 12 weeks post-treatment. Sampling of the subgingival plaque at each investigational site (mesiobuccal site of the mandibular first molar) was performed at baseline and 2, 4, 8, 12 weeks after maintenance treatment. Four periodontal pathogens including Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola and Fusobacterium nucleatum were detected by 16S rDNA polymerase chain reaction. Results Clinical status generally improved after treatment in both groups. PLI in both groups, PD in SGAP group and bleeding on probing (%) in SUSP group significantly decreased after treatment (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference of clinical parameters between two groups before and after treatment. The detection rates of P. gingivalis, T. denticola in both groups, T. forsythia in SUSP group and F. nucleatum in SGAP group decreased after maintenance treatment in both groups, although no significant difference was found, and it rebound to baseline level at 12 weeks after maintenance treatment. There was no significant difference between SGAP group and SUSP group at any time point. T. denticola-positive sites had significantly greater BI than T. denticola-negative sites (p < 0.05). Discussion Supragingival glycine air polishing had a reliable effect in removing subgingival dental plaque biofilm during maintenance period, and three months may be a proper maintenance interval for pockets not more than 5 mm.
The sensitivity of breeding songbirds to changes in seasonal timing is linked to population change but cannot be directly attributed to the effects of trophic asynchrony on productivity

A consequence of climate change has been an advance in the timing of seasonal events. Differences in the rate of advance between trophic levels may result in predators becoming mismatched with prey availability, reducing fitness and potentially driving population declines. Such “trophic asynchrony” is hypothesized to have contributed to recent population declines of long‐distance migratory birds in particular. Using spatially extensive survey data from 1983 to 2010 to estimate variation in spring phenology from 280 plant and insect species and the egg‐laying phenology of 21 British songbird species, we explored the effects of trophic asynchrony on avian population trends and potential underlying demographic mechanisms. Species which advanced their laying dates least over the last three decades, and were therefore at greatest risk of asynchrony, exhibited the most negative population trends. We expressed asynchrony as the annual variation in bird phenology relative to spring phenology, and related asynchrony to annual avian productivity. In warmer springs, birds were more asynchronous, but productivity was only marginally reduced; long‐distance migrants, short‐distance migrants and resident bird species all exhibited effects of similar magnitude. Long‐term population, but not productivity, declines were greatest among those species whose annual productivity was most greatly reduced by asynchrony. This suggests that population change is not mechanistically driven by the negative effects of asynchrony on productivity. The apparent effects of asynchrony on population trends are therefore either more likely to be strongly expressed via other demographic pathways, or alternatively, are a surrogate for species' sensitivity to other environmental pressures which are the ultimate cause of decline.
Effects of text messaging in addition to emails on physical activity among university and college employees in the UK

Objectives To test the effects of adding text messages to weekly email communications on recipients’ total physical activity (leisure-time; workplace; domestic and garden; and active transportation) in employees of universities and colleges in the UK. Methods A randomised trial with two study groups (email only or email plus text messaging for 12 weeks) was implemented at five workplaces. Data were collected at baseline, immediately after, and four weeks after the intervention. Intervention effects on physical activity were evaluated using latent growth modelling. Results Total physical activity decreased over time in both groups but the decrease was non-significant. The only significant difference between groups was found for workplace physical activity, with the group receiving emails and text messages having a linear decrease of 2.81 Metabolic Equivalent h/week (β = −0.31, p = 0.035) compared to the email only group. Conclusions Sending employees two additional text messages resulted in less physical activity. Further investigation is needed to understand whether text messaging may play a beneficial role in promoting physical activity in workplace settings.
‘Chimeric’ Grafts Assembled from Multiple Allodisparate Donors Enjoy Enhanced Transplant Survival

Certain components of a graft that provoke alloimmunity may not be vital for graft function or critical as targets of rejection. Corneal transplantation is an example of this, because graft epithelium plays a role in allosensitization, whereas corneal graft endothelium—which shares the same alloantigens—is the critical target in allorejection. In this study, we found that exploiting this biology by replacing donor epithelium of an allograft with an allodisparate third‐party epithelium yields a marked enhancement in transplant survival. Such ‘chimeric’ allografts consisted of a C3H/He (H‐2k) corneal epithelium over a C57BL/6 (H‐2b) epithelial‐denuded cornea (or v.v.) and orthotopically placed on BALB/c (H‐2d) hosts. Conventional corneal allografts (C3H/He or C57BL/6) or isografts (BALB/c) were also transplanted on BALB/c hosts. Alloreactive T‐cell frequencies (CD4+ interferon [IFN]‐γ+) primed to the graft endothelium were strongly diminished in chimeric hosts relative to conventionally allografted hosts. This was corroborated by a decreased T‐cell infiltration (p = 0.03) and a marked enhancement of allograft survival (p = 0.001). Our results represent the first successful demonstration of chimeric tissue, epithelial‐denuded allograft plus third‐party allodisparate epithelium, in the promotion of allograft survival. Moreover, chimeric grafting can be readily performed clinically, whereby corneal allograft rejection remains a significant problem particularly in inflamed graft beds.
Adult Scandinavians’ use of powered scooters: user satisfaction, frequency of use, and prediction of daily use

Abstract Purpose: To investigate user satisfaction with characteristics of powered scooters (scooters), frequency of use, and factors predicting daily scooter use. Design: Cross-sectional. Sample: Adult scooter users (n = 59) in Denmark and Norway, mean age 74.5 (standard deviation 12.3) years. Methods: Structured face-to-face interviews. The NOMO 1.0, the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive devices (QUEST 2.0), and a study specific instrument were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics were applied, and regression analyzes were used to investigate predictors for daily scooter use. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) served as a framework for classifying variables and guiding the investigation. Results: Satisfaction with the scooter characteristics was high with most participants being very satisfied or quite satisfied (66.1–91.5%). Most scooters were used daily (36.2%) or several times a week (50.0%). User satisfaction with safety of the scooter [odds ratio (OR) = 11.76, confidence interval (CI) = 1.70–81.28] and reduced balance (OR = 5.63, CI = 0.90–35.39) increased the likelihood of daily use, while reduced function in back and/or legs (OR = .04, CI = 0.00–0.75), tiredness (OR = .06, CI = 0.01–0.51), and increased age (OR = .93, CI = 0.87–1.00) reduced the likelihood of daily use. 52.8% of the variance was explained by these variables. Conclusions: User satisfaction was high, and most scooters were used frequently. User satisfaction with safety, specific functional limitations and age were predictors for daily scooter use. Implications for Rehabilitation Scooters seem to be a beneficial intervention for people with mobility impairment: user satisfaction and frequency of use are high. Users’ subjective feeling of safety should be secured in the service delivery process in order to support safe and frequent scooter use. Training of scooter skills should be considered in the service delivery process.
Vibration of Tube Bundles in Two-Phase Cross-Flow: Part 1—Hydrodynamic Mass and Damping

Etude experimentale des mecanismes de vibration et d'amortissement d'un faisceau de tubes d'un echangeur soumis a un ecoulement croise diphasique: installation experimentale, conditions operatoires. Determination des parametres d'influence: densite du melange eau/air, fraction vide, etc…
p53 Mutations as Tumor Markers in Fine Needle Aspirates of Palpable Breast Masses

OBJECTIVE Mutations in p53 exons 5-8 are found in 40-50% of breast carcinomas. We performed a retrospective analysis of p53 mutations in fluid-based, archival fine needle aspirates (FNAs) of breast masses to determine their potential diagnostic utility as breast tumor cell markers. STUDY DESIGN Residual, fluid-based, archival FNAs of 27 breast masses were retrospectively evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis (SSCP) and sequencing for p53 exons 5-8. Results were compared with the morphologic diagnoses and genotyping of available excisional biopsy tissue. RESULTS Six of the twenty-seven cases were found to have a clonal mutation in p53; all six mutated cases showed carcinoma on subsequent excisional biopsy. Definitive cytologic diagnosis of cancer had been possible in only four of the six cases. Identical mutations were found in the excised carcinomas in the five cases with available tissue. None of the 14 aspirates with benign cytology had detectable mutations in p53. CONCLUSION p53 Mutational analysis by PCR/SSCP/sequencing deserves to be critically studied as a diagnostic criterion in patients with indeterminate or suspicious cytology. Validation studies should be performed to test p53 mutations as molecular diagnostic markers in breast cytology specimens.
Investigating Speech Recognition and listening effort with different device configurations in adult cochlear implant users

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate speech recognition in noise and listening effort among a group of adults with cochlear implants (CIs). Two main research questions were addressed. First, what are the effects of omni versus directional microphone configuration on speech recognition and listening effort for noisy conditions? Second, what is the effect of unilateral versus bimodal or bilateral CI listening on speech recognition and listening effort in noisy conditions? Design: Sixteen adults (mean age 58 years) with CIs participated. Listening effort was measured using a dual-task paradigm and also using a self-reported rating of difficulty scale. In the dual-task measure, participants were asked to repeat monosyllabic words while at the same time press a button in response to a visual stimulus. Participants were tested in two baseline conditions (speech perception alone and visual task alone) and in the following experimental conditions: (1) quiet with an omnidirectional microphone, (2) noise with an omnidirectional microphone, (3) noise with a directional microphone, and (4) noise with a directional microphone and with a second sided CI or hearing aid. When present, the noise was fixed with a +5 dB signal-to-noise ratio. After each listening condition, the participants rated the degree of listening difficulty. Results: Changing the microphone from omni to directional mode significantly enhanced speech recognition in noise performance. There were no significant changes in speech recognition between the unilateral and bimodal/bilateral CI listening conditions. Listening effort, as measured by reaction time, increased significantly between the baseline and omnidirectional quiet listening condition though did not change significantly across the remaining listening conditions. Self-perceived listening effort revealed a greater effort for the noisy conditions, and reduced effort with the move from an omni to a directional microphone. Conclusions: Directional microphones significantly improve speech in noise recognition over omnidirectional microphones and allowed for decreased self-perceived listening effort. The dual task used in this study failed to show any differences in listening effort across the experimental conditions and may not be sensitive enough to detect changes in listening effort.