Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Audio Spectrogram Representations for Processing with Convolutional Neural Networks

One of the decisions that arise when designing a neural network for any application is how the data should be represented in order to be presented to, and possibly generated by, a neural network. For audio, the choice is less obvious than it seems to be for visual images, and a variety of representations have been used for different applications including the raw digitized sample stream, hand-crafted features, machine discovered features, MFCCs and variants that include deltas, and a variety of spectral representations. This paper reviews some of these representations and issues that arise, focusing particularly on spectrograms for generating audio using neural networks for style transfer.
Sensing Devices and Sensor Signal Processing for Remote Monitoring of Vital Signs in CHF Patients

Nowadays, chronic heart failure (CHF) affects an ever-growing segment of population, and it is among the major causes of hospitalization for elderly citizens. The actual out-of-hospital treatment model, based on periodic visits, has a low capability to detect signs of destabilization and leads to a high re-hospitalization rate. To this aim, in this paper, a complete and integrated Information and Communication Technology system is described enabling the CHF patients to daily collect vital signs at home and automatically send them to the Hospital Information System, allowing the physicians to monitor their patients at distance and take timely actions in case of necessity. A minimum set of vital parameters has been identified, consisting of electrocardiogram, SpO2, blood pressure, and weight, measured through a pool of wireless, non-invasive biomedical sensors. A multi-channel front-end IC for cardiac sensor interfacing has been also developed. Sensor data acquisition and signal processing are in charge of an additional device, the home gateway. All signals are processed upon acquisition in order to assert if both punctual values and extracted trends lay in a safety zone established by thresholds. Per-patient personalized thresholds, required measurements and transmission policy are allowed. As proved by first medical tests, the proposed telemedicine platform represents a valid support to early detect the alterations in vital signs that precede the acute syndromes, allowing early home interventions thus reducing the number of subsequent hospitalizations.
Busulfan induced azoospermia: Stereological evaluation of testes in rat

The aim of the present study was stereological evaluation of testes of azoospermic animal model using busulfan in rat. Three groups of male adult rats were used in this study. The first group was injected by single dose of busulfan (10 mg kg-1) and their testes were removed on day 35 post injection. The second group received double doses of busulfan with 21 days interval and their testes were removed on day 35 after the second injection. The testes of the third group were removed without busulfan therapy. In 10 circular transverse sections of tubules stained with hematoxylin-eosin, stereological parameters were measured. The testes were rated for its spermatogenic potential on a modified spermatogenic scale of 0 to 6. Cellular (germinal epithelium) diameter and area of the seminiferous tubules, total diameter and cross sectional area of the tubules of the seminiferous tubules in rats that received double doses of busulfan were less than the rats in single dose of busulfan and control groups (p < 0.05). Spermatogenesis index of seminiferous tubules in rats receiving two doses of busulfan was less than the rats received one dose of busulfan (p < 0.001) and the index of both treatment groups were less than the control group (p < 0.001). In conclusion, two doses of busulfan injection with 21 days interval produced an appropriate experimental model of induced azoospermia with comparable stereological indices of seminiferous tubules in rat.
Histologic study of testis injury after bisphenol A exposure in mice

The health effects of bisphenol A (BPA) have become a great concern in recent years. In this study, the reproductive toxicity of BPA was investigated. Male CD-1 mice were orally administrated with BPA (0, 100, 300 and 600 mg kg−1 body weight) for 56 consecutive days. Results showed that relative testis weight to total body weight was significantly lower in the high-dose group (p < 0.01, p < 0.05). Microscopic examination under light and transmission electron microscopes showed disorders of spermatogenesis after BPA exposure, including rough basal lamina of seminiferous tubules and damage of tight junctions between Sertoli cells. Further study by terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase–mediated nick end labelling assay showed a significant induction of apoptosis in the testis tissue of the BPA groups (p < 0.01). Immunohistochemical study found that the expression of androgen-binding protein (ABP) was significantly decreased in BPA-treated mice (p < 0.01). Our results indicated that impairment of the basal lamina of seminiferous tubules and tight junctions may contribute to BPA-induced cell injury. A decrease in the level of ABP could be the possible mechanism for the reproductive toxicity of BPA. These findings provided direct evidence and novel insight into the reproductive toxicity of BPA and may have implications for understanding the toxicity of other endocrine disruptors.
Efficacies of Clarithromycin Regimens against Mycobacterium xenopi in Mice

ABSTRACT Mice were infected intravenously with 3.5 × 107CFU of Mycobacterium xenopi and treated with various clarithromycin-containing regimens or left untreated for 4 weeks. All nine of the clarithromycin-containing regimens reduced the CFU counts to the levels below the pretreatment values, indicating that these regimens had a bactericidal effect on M. xenopi in mice. The rifampin-isoniazid-ethambutol regimen was significantly less bactericidal than clarithromycin alone or clarithromycin-containing combined regimens.
The Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH)

The MOCEH study is a prospective hospital- and community-based cohort study designed to collect information related to environmental exposures (chemical, biological, nutritional, physical, and psychosocial) during pregnancy and childhood and to examine how exposure to environmental pollutants affects growth, development, and disease. The MOCEH network includes one coordinating center, four local centers responsible for recruiting pregnant women, and four evaluation centers (a nutrition center, bio- repository center, neurocognitive development center, and environment assessment center). At the local centers, trained nurses interview the participants to gather
Pharmacological chaperone for α-crystallin partially restores transparency in cataract models

A visionary approach to transparency Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss, especially in our ever-increasing elderly population. Cataracts arise when crystallin, a major protein component of the eye lens, begins to aggregate, which causes the lens to become cloudy. Makley et al. explored whether small molecules that reverse this aggregation might have therapeutic potential for treating cataracts, which normally require surgery (see the Perspective by Quinlan). They used a screening method that monitors the effect of ligands on temperature-dependent protein unfolding and identified several compounds that bind and stabilize the soluble form of crystallin. In proof-of-concept studies, one of these compounds improved lens transparency in mice. Science, this issue p. 674; see also p. 636 A compound that reverses the molecular cause of cataract formation improves eye lens transparency in mice. [Also see Perspective by Quinlan] Cataracts reduce vision in 50% of individuals over 70 years of age and are a common form of blindness worldwide. Cataracts are caused when damage to the major lens crystallin proteins causes their misfolding and aggregation into insoluble amyloids. Using a thermal stability assay, we identified a class of molecules that bind α-crystallins (cryAA and cryAB) and reversed their aggregation in vitro. The most promising compound improved lens transparency in the R49C cryAA and R120G cryAB mouse models of hereditary cataract. It also partially restored protein solubility in the lenses of aged mice in vivo and in human lenses ex vivo. These findings suggest an approach to treating cataracts by stabilizing α-crystallins.
The microbial contribution to macroecology

There has been a recent explosion of research within the field of microbial ecology that has been fueled, in part, by methodological improvements that make it feasible to characterize microbial communities to an extent that was inconceivable only a few years ago. Furthermore, there is increasing recognition within the field of ecology that microorganisms play a critical role in the health of organisms and ecosystems. Despite these developments, an important gap still persists between the theoretical framework of macroecology and microbial ecology. We highlight two idiosyncrasies of microorganisms that are fundamental to understanding macroecological patterns and their mechanistic drivers. First, high dispersal rates provide novel opportunities to test the relative importance of niche, stochastic, and historical processes in structuring biological communities. Second, high speciation rates potentially lead to the convergence of ecological and evolutionary time scales. After reviewing these unique aspects, we discuss strategies for improving the conceptual integration of microbes into macroecology. As examples, we discuss the use of phylogenetic ecology as an integrative approach to explore patterns across the tree of life. Then we demonstrate how two general theories of biodiversity (i.e., the recently developed theory of stochastic geometry and the neutral theory) can be adapted to microorganisms. We demonstrate how conceptual models that integrate evolutionary and ecological mechanisms can contribute to the unification of microbial ecology and macroecology.
Functional MRI for characterization of renal perfusion impairment and edema formation due to acute kidney injury in different mouse strains

Purpose The purpose was to characterize acute kidney injury (AKI) in C57BL/6 (B6)- and 129/Sv (Sv)-mice by noninvasive measurement of renal perfusion and tissue edema using functional MRI. Methods Different severities of AKI were induced in B6- and Sv-mice by renal ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). Unilateral clamping of the renal pedicle for 35 min (moderate AKI) or 45 min (severe AKI) was done. MRI (7-Tesla) was performed 1, 7 and 28 days after surgery using a flow alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) arterial spin labeling (ASL) sequence. Maps of perfusion and T1-relaxation time were calculated. Relative MRI-parameters of the IRI kidney compared to the contralateral not-clipped kidney were compared between AKI severities and between mouse strains using unpaired t-tests. In addition, fibrosis was assessed by Masson Trichrome and collagen IV staining. Results After moderate AKI relative perfusion impairment was significantly higher in B6- than in Sv-mice at d7 (55±7% vs. 82±8%, p<0.05) and d28 (76±7% vs. 102±3%, p<0.01). T1-values increased in the early phase after AKI in both mouse strains. T1-increase was more severe after prolonged ischemia times of 45 min compared to 35 min in both mouse strains, measured in the renal cortex and outer stripe of outer medulla. Kidney volume loss (compared to the contralateral kidney) occurred already after 7 days but proceeded markedly towards 4 weeks in severe AKI. Early renal perfusion impairment was predictive for later kidney volume loss. The progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the severe AKI model was similar in both mouse strains as revealed by histology. Conclusion Quantification of renal perfusion and tissue edema by functional MRI allows characterization of strain differences upon AKI. Renal perfusion impairment was stronger in B6- compared to Sv-animals following moderate AKI. Prolonged ischemia times were associated with more severe perfusion impairment and edema formation in the early phase and progression to CKD within 4 weeks of observation.
Age‐Related Incidence of Pineal Gland Calcification in Children: A Roentgenological Study of 1,044 Skull Films and a Review of the Literature

Anterior‐posterior and lateral skull roentgenograms of 1,044 children aged 0–18 yr were examined for pineal gland calcification. Eighty children with pineal calcification were identified. Cranial computed tomograms (CCT) existing for half of the 80 cases provided confirmation. In contrast to existing reports on pineal calcification in the first decade of life, we found a significant percentage of “physiological” calcification even between 0 and 6 yr of age (range 2.9–4.2%). Contrary to current opinion we were not able to detect any signs of pineal gland tumors in these cases. We were able to confirm other reports which note a steep rise of the incidence of pineal calcification during the second decade of life.
Transforming acidic coiled-coil 3 and Aurora-A interact in human thyrocytes and their expression is deregulated in thyroid cancer tissues

Aurora-A kinase has recently been shown to be deregulated in thyroid cancer cells and tissues. Among the Aurora-A substrates identified, transforming acidic coiled-coil (TACC3), a member of the TACC family, plays an important role in cell cycle progression and alterations of its expression occur in different cancer tissues. In this study, we demonstrated the expression of the TACC3 gene in normal human thyroid cells (HTU5), and its modulation at both mRNA and protein levels during cell cycle. Its expression was found, with respect to HTU5 cells, unchanged in cells derived from a benign thyroid follicular tumor (HTU42), and significantly reduced in cell lines derived from follicular (FTC-133), papillary (B-CPAP), and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (CAL-62 and 8305C). Moreover, in 16 differentiated thyroid cancer tissues, TACC3 mRNA levels were found, with respect to normal matched tissues, reduced by twofold in 56% of cases and increased by twofold in 44% of cases. In the same tissues, a correlation between the expression of the TACC3 and Aurora-A mRNAs was observed. TACC3 and Aurora-A interact in vivo in thyroid cells and both proteins localized onto the mitotic structure of thyroid cells. Finally, TACC3 localization on spindle microtubule was no more observed following the inhibition of Aurora kinase activity by VX-680. We propose that Aurora-A and TACC3 interaction is important to control the mitotic spindle organization required for proper chromosome segregation.
Construct Validity of the Relationship Profile Test: A Self-Report Measure of Dependency-Detachment

This study evaluated the construct validity of the Relationship Profile Test (RPT; Bornstein & Languirand, 2003), a 30-item self-report measure of dependency-detachment that yields three subscale scores: (a) destructive overdependence, (b) dysfunctional detachment, and (c) healthy dependency. Scores on the RPT subscales generally showed the expected patterns of intercorrelations and gender differences, and comparison of RPT scores with scores on other tests supported the convergent and discriminant validity of each RPT subscale. Results of internal and retest reliability analyses were generally supportive as well, and suggested that the three RPT subscales assess aspects of the traits they purport to measure.
An Improved Prediction System for Football a Match Result

Predictive systems have been employed to predict events and results in virtually all walks of life. Football results prediction in particular has gained popularity in recent years. Statistical approaches have shown complex and low prediction results. Data mining tools with insufficient features, however, have also yielded low predictions. In our research, knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) has been used to develop a football match result predictive model by gathering 9 features that affect the outcome of football matches. We constructed a more comprehensive system with an improved prediction accuracy by using the features that directly affect the result of a football match. Our prediction system for football match results was implemented using both artificial neural network (ANN) and logistic regression (LR) techniques with Rapid Miner as a data mining tool. The technique yielded 85% and 93% prediction accuracy for ANN and LR techniques respectively. With this output, it is observed that the prediction accuracy is higher than those of existing systems.
Vestibular System Changes in Sudden Deafness With and Without Vertigo: A Human Temporal Bone Study

Objective To investigate the vestibular system changes in sudden deafness with vertigo (SDwV) and sudden deafness without vertigo (SDwoV) and the cause of persistent canal paresis (CP) in SDwV patients. Study Design Retrospective study. Materials and Methods Four temporal bones from the affected ear in 4 patients with unilateral sudden deafness (SD), 2 SDwV and 2 SDwoV, were selected. Four contralateral temporal bones with normal-hearing ears were defined as the control. Morphologic findings of the labyrinth, the number of Scarpa’s ganglion cells, and the density of vestibular hair cells were investigated in all temporal bones. Clinical data and the results of vestibular tests of 11 patients with unilateral SD, as a separate group, also were investigated. Results Atrophic change of the organ of Corti, tectorial membrane, and stria vascularis in cochlea, and deposits and atrophic otoconial membrane in vestibular sense organs were seen on affected ears more than control ears. The density of Type I hair cells seemed to decrease on the saccular macula and the posterior semicircular canal crista on affected ears, and there was no remarkable difference between SDwV and SDwoV. In 1 patient with SDwoV who died 10 months after the onset of SD, there were large amount of deposits on the cupula, the atrophied otoconial membrane was peeling off from the saccular macula, and the saccular membrane collapsed to the saccular macula in the affected ear. In the clinical data, all SDwV who were examined within 2 years from the onset had CP, and all SDwV had profound hearing loss. Conclusion There is no remarkable difference between SDwV and SDwoV in the number of Scarpa’s ganglion cells and the density of vestibular hair cells. The damage of the extracellular superstructure is seen in SD with or without vertigo. The damage of extracellular superstructure is potentially one of the causes of persistent CP in patients with SD.
Value of the P‐Wave Signal‐Averaged ECG for Predicting Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is a commonly encountered arrhythmia in clinical practice, and it occurs rquently after cardiac surgery. The P-wave signal-averaged (SA) ECG noninvasively detects atrial conduction delay. Prior studies have described greater P-wave prolongation in patients with a history of AF, but prospective studies have not been performed. Methods and Resuls. Consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery were enrolled. The P-wave SAECG was recorded before surgery from three orthogonal leads using a sinus P-wave template and a cross-correlation function. The averaged P wave was filtered with a least-squares-fit filter and combined into a vector magnitude, and total P-wave duration was measured. Patients were observed after cardiac surgery for the development ofAF. One hundred thirty patients were enrolled, and 33 (25%) developed AF 2.6±2.0 days after surgery. Patients with AF more often had left ventricular hypertrophy on ECG (P<.05) and had a lower ejection fraction (P<.05). The P-wave duration on the SAECG was significantly longer in the AF patients than in those without AF: 152±18 versus 139±17 milliseconds (P<.001). An SAECG P-wave duration >140 milliseconds predicted AF with sensitivity of 77%, specificity of 55%, positive predictive accuracy of 37%, and negative predictive accuracy of 87%. The likelihood of experiencing AF was increased 3.9-fold if the SAECG P-wave duration was prolonged. P-wave SAECG results were independent of other clinical variables by multivariate analysis. ConclusionsThe P-wave duration recorded with the SAECG is a potent, accurate, and independent predictor of AF after cardiac surgery.
Within-Category Decoding of Information in Different Attentional States in Short-Term Memory

A long-standing assumption of cognitive neuroscience has been that working memory (WM) is accomplished by sustained, elevated neural activity. More recently, theories of WM have expanded this view by describing different attentional states in WM with differing activation levels. Several studies have used multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) data to study neural activity corresponding to these WM states. Intriguingly, no evidence was found for active neural representations for information held in WM outside the focus of attention ("unattended memory items," UMIs), suggesting that only attended memory items (AMIs) are accompanied by an active trace. However, these results depended on category-level decoding, which lacks sensitivity to neural representations of individual items. Therefore, we employed a WM task in which subjects remembered the directions of motion of two dot arrays, with a retrocue indicating which was relevant for an imminent memory probe (the AMI). This design allowed MVPA decoding of delay-period fMRI signal at the stimulus-item level, affording a more sensitive test of the neural representation of UMIs. Whereas evidence for the AMI was reliably high, evidence for the UMI dropped to baseline, consistent with the notion that different WM attentional states may have qualitatively different mechanisms of retention.
Effect of a pediatric palliative care program on nurses' referral preferences.

PURPOSE Florida was the first state to develop and implement a publicly funded pediatric palliative care program, which provides supportive care services to children and families from the point of diagnosis onward. Nurses employed by the Florida Department of Health, Children's Medical Services Network (CMSN) play an important role in this program as they are charged with identifying children with life-limiting illnesses in their caseloads for referral to the program. This study aims to estimate the differtences in referral preferences of nurses who work in Partners in Care: Together for Kids (PIC:TFK) program areas versus nurses who work in non-PIC:TFK areas. METHODS Mail and Web-based surveys were conducted with 279 nurses, 141 of whom work in a PIC:TFK site and 138 did not. RESULTS Results of the multivariate analyses suggest that few significant differences exist in the nurse's preferences to refer children to pediatric palliative care; however, there were significant differences in the preferred timing of referral. Nurses who work in an PIC:TFK area were 3.7 to 10.4 times as likely as nurses who do not work in a PIC:TFK area to refer children prior to the end of life. CONCLUSION Our study provides evidence that nurses who have experience with a pediatric palliative care program are more likely to refer children to programs before the end of life. While our study results are encouraging, they also suggest that as the PIC:TFK program expands nurse training will be essential for equitable and appropriate referrals across a diverse set of illnesses.