Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Body surface area determined by whole‐body CT scanning: need for new formulae?

Calculation of the estimated body surface area (BSA) by body height and weight has been a challenge in the past centuries due to lack of a well‐documented gold standard. More recently, available techniques such as 3D laser surface scanning and CT scanning may be expected to quantify the BSA in an easier and more accurate way. This study provides the first comparison between BSA obtained from post‐mortem whole‐body CT scans and BSA calculated by nine predictive formulae. The sample consisted of 54 male cadavers ranging from 20 to 87 years old. 3D reconstructions were generated from CT scans using Mimics software, and BSA values were automatically extracted from the program. They were compared with nine predictive equations from the literature. Remarkably, close correlations (r > 0·90) were found between BSA values from CT scans and those from the predictive formulae. A mean BSA of the 54 cadavers of 1·84–1·87 m2 was calculated by all formulae except one, SD values varying between 0·171 and 0·223 m2. T‐tests revealed significant differences between mean BSA values calculated with CT and three of the formulae. Regression analyses showed intercepts >(0;0) and slopes <1·0 using all predictive equations, with the CT scan determination as gold standard. It is concluded that DuBois and DuBois’ equation can be safely used in normal‐weight male subjects with high accuracy, but it seems likely that BSA is underestimated in underweight subjects and overestimated in overweight individuals. Creation of new formulae specific for overweight subjects and children may be needed.
Dynamic Programming for Detecting, Tracking, and Matching Deformable Contours

The problem of segmenting an image into separate regions and tracking them over time is one of the most significant problems in vision. Terzopoulos et al. (1987) proposed an approach to detect the contour regions of complex shapes, assuming a user selected initial contour not very far from the desired solution. We propose to further explore the information provided by the user's selected points and apply an optimal method to detect contours which allows a segmentation of the image. The method is based on dynamic programming (DP), and applies to a wide variety of shapes. It is exact and not iterative. We also consider a multiscale approach capable of speeding up the algorithm by a factor of 20, although at the expense of losing the guaranteed optimality characteristic. The problem of tracking and matching these contours is addressed. For tracking, the final contour obtained at one frame is sampled and used as initial points for the next frame. Then, the same DP process is applied. For matching, a novel strategy is proposed where the solution is a smooth displacement field in which unmatched regions are allowed while cross vectors are not. The algorithm is again based on DP and the optimal solution is guaranteed. We have demonstrated the algorithms on natural objects in a large spectrum of applications, including interactive segmentation and automatic tracking of the regions of interest in medical images. >
Serotonin is necessary for place memory in Drosophila

Biogenic amines, such as serotonin and dopamine, can be important in reinforcing associative learning. This function is evident as changes in memory performance with manipulation of either of these signals. In the insects, evidence begins to argue for a common role of dopamine in negatively reinforced memory. In contrast, the role of the serotonergic system in reinforcing insect associative learning is either unclear or controversial. We investigated the role of both of these signals in operant place learning in Drosophila. By genetically altering serotonin and dopamine levels, manipulating the neurons that make serotonin and dopamine, and pharmacological treatments we provide clear evidence that serotonin, but not dopamine, is necessary for place memory. Thus, serotonin can be critical for memory formation in an insect, and dopamine is not a universal negatively reinforcing signal.
Prevalence and dynamics of cytomegalovirus infection among patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an important pathogen in immunocompromised individuals. The aim of this study was to analyze prevalence and dynamics of CMV infection among patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. From 2010 to 2012, a total of 162 patients and 160 control subjects were tested for the presence of CMV IgM and IgG antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IgM/IgG reactive samples were further evaluated for IgG avidity to confirm or rule out recent primary CMV infection. The overall IgG seropositivity was higher in hemodialysis patients compared to controls (90.7% vs. 81.9%; crude odds ratio [OR] =2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.05–3.89; OR adjusted for age and gender = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.05–4.55). CMV IgG antibody titers were similar in both groups. There was no difference in CMV prevalence between males (87.9%) and females (96.3%). According to age, a progressive increase in seropositivity was observed in both hemodialysis patients and the control group. Three hemodialysis patients (1.9%) developed recurrent CMV infection (positive IgM with high avidity IgG antibodies). In one patient (2.9%), seroconversion was documented during the second year of the follow-up period indicating primary infection. In contrast, in the control group, recent primary CMV infection (positive IgM with low/borderline IgG avidity) was demonstrated in three subjects (1.9%), whereas one (0.6%) developed recurrent infection. On multivariate logistic regression, hemodialysis and older age were significant predictors for CMV seropositivity.
Mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions from acidic soils by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, a plant growth‐promoting bacterium

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a long‐lived greenhouse gas that can result in the alteration of atmospheric chemistry and cause accompanying changes in global climate. To date, many techniques have been used to mitigate the emissions of N2O from agricultural fields, which represent one of the most important sources of N2O. In this study, we designed a greenhouse pot experiment and a microcosmic serum bottle incubation experiment using acidic soil from a vegetable farm to study the effects of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA) on plant growth and N2O emission rates. The addition of BA to the soil promoted plant growth enhanced the soil pH and increased the total nitrogen (TN) contents in the plants. At the same time, it decreased the concentrations of ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3−) and TN in the soil. Overall, the addition of BA resulted in a 50% net reduction of N2O emissions compared with the control. Based on quantitative PCR and the network analysis of DNA sequencing, it was demonstrated that BA partially inhibited the nitrification process through the significant reduction of ammonia oxidizing bacteria. Meanwhile, it enhanced the denitrification process, mainly by increasing the abundance of N2O‐reducing bacteria in the treatment with BA. The results of our microcosm experiment provided evidence that strongly supported the above findings under more strictly controlled laboratory conditions. Taken together, the results of our study evidently demonstrated that BA has dual effects on the promotion of plant growth and the dramatic reduction of greenhouse emissions, thus suggesting the possibility of screening beneficial microbial organisms from the environment that can promote plant growth and mitigate greenhouse trace gases.
Uncertainty Analysis of a GHG Emission Model Output Using the Block Bootstrap and Monte Carlo Simulation

Uncertainty analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is becoming increasingly necessary in order to obtain a more accurate estimation of their quantities. The Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) and non-parametric block bootstrap (BB) methods were tested to estimate the uncertainty of GHG emissions from the consumption of feedstuffs and energy by dairy cows. In addition, the contribution to variance (CTV) approach was used to identify significant input variables for the uncertainty analysis. The results demonstrated that the application of the non-parametric BB method to the uncertainty analysis, provides a narrower confidence interval (CI) width, with a smaller percentage uncertainty (U) value of the GHG emission model compared to the MCS method. The CTV approach can reduce the number of input variables needed to collect the expanded number of data points. Future studies can expand on these results by treating the emission factors (EFs) as random variables.
Spectrum Sharing for Drone Networks

In this paper, we study spectrum sharing of drone small cells (DSCs) network modeled by the 3-D Poisson point process. This paper also investigates an underlay spectrum sharing between the 3-D DSCs network and traditional cellular networks modeled by 2-D Poisson point processes. We take advantage of the tractability of the Poisson point process to derive the explicit expressions for the DSCs coverage probability and achievable throughput. To maximize the DSCs network throughput while satisfying the cellular network efficiency constraint, we find the optimal density of DSCs aerial base stations. Furthermore, we explore the scaling behavior of the optimal DSCs density with respect to the DSCs outage probability constraint under different heights of DSCs. Our analytical and numerical results show that the maximum throughput of the DSCs user increases almost linearly with the increase of the DSCs outage constraint. In order to protect the cellular user, the throughput of the DSCs user stops increasing when it meets the cellular network efficiency loss constraint. To further protect the cellular network in the spectrum underlay, we investigate the effect of primary exclusive regions (PERs) in a 3-D space. Unlike the circular PER in traditional cellular spectrum sharing in the 2-D space, the shape of the 3-D PER is found as a half sphere or a half sphere segment, depending on the radius of PER and the DSCs height limit. We show that the radius of PER should be restricted for small DSCs constraints and limited DSCs height.
Subtypes of Ovarian Cancer and Ovarian Cancer Screening

Ovarian cancer is the foremost cause of gynecological cancer death in the developed world, as it is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. In this paper we discuss current issues, the efficacy and problems associated with ovarian cancer screening, and compare the characteristics of ovarian cancer subtypes. There are two types of ovarian cancer: Type I carcinomas, which are slow-growing, indolent neoplasms thought to arise from a precursor lesion, which are relatively common in Asia; and Type II carcinomas, which are clinically aggressive neoplasms that can develop de novo from serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (STIC) and/or ovarian surface epithelium and are common in Europe and the USA. One of the most famous studies on the subject reported that annual screening using CA125/transvaginal sonography (TVS) did not reduce the ovarian cancer mortality rate in the USA. In contrast, a recent study in the UK showed an overall average mortality reduction of 20% in the screening group. Another two studies further reported that the screening was associated with decreased stage at detection. Theoretically, annual screening using CA125/TVS could easily detect precursor lesions and could be more effective in Asia than in Europe and the USA. The detection of Type II ovarian carcinoma at an early stage remains an unresolved issue. The resolving power of CA125 or TVS screening alone is unlikely to be successful at resolving STICs. Biomarkers for the early detection of Type II carcinomas such as STICs need to be developed.
Relationship between alcohol consumption and active Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a cause of chronic gastritis and maybe responsible for functional dyspepsia in a subset of patients. Many risk factors, such as alcohol consumption and smoking, may contribute to the colonization and infection of H. pylori in humans. However, studies on the relationship between H. pylori infection and drinking or smoking have produced conflicting results. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine whether consumption of alcohol or smoking is associated with active H. pylori infection in functional dyspepsia patients. METHODS H. pylori infection was confirmed by CLOtest and histology on at least two biopsies. Active chronic gastritis was diagnosed using the updated Sydney system. In addition to gender and age, information on drinking and smoking habits was collected using a standard questionnaire. Functional dyspepsia was diagnosed according to the Rome II diagnostic criteria. RESULTS H. pylori infection was positive in 27.3% of the 139 functional dyspepsia patients. Both age and gender were not significantly associated with H. pylori infection. A multiple logistic model found that alcohol consumption (OR = 9.05, 95% CI: 1.05-77.98) and pathology (active gastritis) (OR = 595.39, 95% CI: 81.43-4353.33) were associated with H. pylori infection. Active gastritis was associated with alcohol consumption (OR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.03-8.02), smoking (OR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.22-6.05) and age (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.06). CONCLUSIONS In patients with functional dyspepsia, there is no significant association between active H. pylori infection and smoking. However, alcohol consumption appears to be associated with H. pylori infection.
Treatment efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous bipolar radiofrequency ablation for benign thyroid nodules.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous bipolar radiofrequency ablation (BRFA) of benign thyroid nodules by comparison with a matched untreated control group. METHODS The therapeutic efficacy and safety in 35 patients who were subjected to a single session of ultrasound-guided percutaneous BRFA (Group A) for benign thyroid nodules were compared with those in 35 untreated patients (Group B) with benign nodules. The benign nature of all the nodules was confirmed by ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), and all the patients had normal thyroid functions. BRFA was performed with a bipolar electrode (CelonProSurge 150-T20) with an output power of 20 W. Nodule volume, thyroid function and clinical symptoms of all the patients were compared before treatment and during follow-up. RESULTS In Group A, the BRFA procedures were completed with a mean time of 10.02 ± 3.30 min (range, 5.47-16.03 min) and with a mean total energy deposition of 10.747 ± 3704 J (range, 5510-17.770 J). The procedures were tolerated well in all the patients without causing any major complications. At the 6-month follow-up, all of the nodule volume decreased significantly (from 8.81 ± 8.66 to 1.59 ± 1.55 ml, p < 0.001) in Group A, whereas the nodule volume increased from 6.90 ± 3.77 to 7.87 ± 3.95 ml in Group B (p < 0.001). All (100%) the 35 nodules in Group A had volume reduction ratios (VRRs) of >50%, among which 3 (8.57%) had VRRs >90%. In Group A, the clinical symptoms of the patients who had symptoms before BRFA disappeared, whereas in Group B, the patients had no resolution of clinical symptoms at the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION Ultrasound-guided percutaneous BRFA seems to be an effective and safe method for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules. It may gain a wide use in clinical practice. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE Based on the comparable efficacy and clinical symptoms between the BRFA and untreated groups, the technique of BRFA can be used as an effective and safe method for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules.
Impaired macrophage phagocytosis in non‐eosinophilic asthma

Many patients with non‐eosinophilic asthma have increased numbers of neutrophils in the airways. The explanation for this chronic inflammation remains unclear, but may result from an impaired ability of alveolar macrophages to phagocytose apoptotic cells (a process termed ‘efferocytosis’), as we have shown in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Tumor spectrum in children with Noonan syndrome and SOS1 or RAF1 mutations

Noonan syndrome (NS) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in PTPN11, KRAS, SOS1, and RAF1. We performed SOS1, RAF1, BRAF, MEK1, and MEK2 mutation analysis in a cohort of 102 PTPN11‐ and KRAS‐negative NS patients and found pathogenic SOS1 mutations in 10, RAF1 mutations in 4, and BRAF mutations in 2 patients. Three novel SOS1 mutations were found. One was classified as a rare benign variant and the other remains unclassified. We confirm a high prevalence of pulmonic stenosis and ectodermal abnormalities in SOS1‐positive patients. Three patients with SOS1 mutations presented with tumors (embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, Sertoli cell testis tumor, and granular cell tumors of the skin). One patient with a RAF1 mutation had a lesion suggestive for a giant cell tumor. This is the first report describing different tumor types in NS patients with germ line SOS1 mutations. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular Determinants of Scouting Behavior in Honey Bees

Bee Adventurous Individuals differ in their behavior, sometimes in consistent ways. For example, some people may seek out new experiences, while others prefer to stick with what they know. This is true in bees as well, where some workers take on the dangerous, novelty-seeking task of scouting more often than others. Liang et al. (p. 1225) found that bees that display such scouting behavior not only tend to scout in multiple contexts (both foraging and searching for nests) but also show differences in gene expression in their brains. Experimental manipulation of gene expression predictably changed scouting behavior. The molecular underpinnings of bee scouting behavior appear to be similar to those associated with novelty-seeking in vertebrate species, including humans. The molecular underpinnings of novelty-seeking in honey bees are similar to those of vertebrates. Little is known about the molecular basis of differences in behavior among individuals. Here we report consistent novelty-seeking behavior, across different contexts, among honey bees in their tendency to scout for food sources and nest sites, and we reveal some of the molecular underpinnings of this behavior relative to foragers that do not scout. Food scouts showed extensive differences in brain gene expression relative to other foragers, including differences related to catecholamine, glutamate, and γ-aminobutyric acid signaling. Octopamine and glutamate treatments increased the likelihood of scouting, whereas dopamine antagonist treatment decreased it. These findings demonstrate intriguing similarities in human and insect novelty seeking and suggest that this trait, which presumably evolved independently in these two lineages, may be subserved by conserved molecular components.
Phenotypic heterogeneity of genomic disorders and rare copy-number variants.

BACKGROUND Some copy-number variants are associated with genomic disorders with extreme phenotypic heterogeneity. The cause of this variation is unknown, which presents challenges in genetic diagnosis, counseling, and management. METHODS We analyzed the genomes of 2312 children known to carry a copy-number variant associated with intellectual disability and congenital abnormalities, using array comparative genomic hybridization. RESULTS Among the affected children, 10.1% carried a second large copy-number variant in addition to the primary genetic lesion. We identified seven genomic disorders, each defined by a specific copy-number variant, in which the affected children were more likely to carry multiple copy-number variants than were controls. We found that syndromic disorders could be distinguished from those with extreme phenotypic heterogeneity on the basis of the total number of copy-number variants and whether the variants are inherited or de novo. Children who carried two large copy-number variants of unknown clinical significance were eight times as likely to have developmental delay as were controls (odds ratio, 8.16; 95% confidence interval, 5.33 to 13.07; P=2.11×10(-38)). Among affected children, inherited copy-number variants tended to co-occur with a second-site large copy-number variant (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.66; P<0.001). Boys were more likely than girls to have disorders of phenotypic heterogeneity (P<0.001), and mothers were more likely than fathers to transmit second-site copy-number variants to their offspring (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS Multiple, large copy-number variants, including those of unknown pathogenic significance, compound to result in a severe clinical presentation, and secondary copy-number variants are preferentially transmitted from maternal carriers. (Funded by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative and the National Institutes of Health.).
Characterization of Water Treatment Membrane Using Various Hydrophilic Coating Materials

Recently, the economic, social and environmental significance of the water industry is increasing significantly due to rapid global urbanization, population growth, and imbalance in demand and supply of water resulted by climate change. The type of these water industries are all different and they can be distinguished by the kinds of membranes used. Mainly, polymer materials that have excellent physical and chemical stability are used, but recently various methods of assigning hydrophilicity have been introduced due to their hydrophobic properties. In this study, hydrophilic polymers of four types were introduced into a commercially available hollow support to assign hydrophilicity. Furthermore, the morphology of the coated hollow support through FE-SEM was confirmed as well. Also the contact angle was measured to examine the degree of hydrophilicity of the coated hollow support with each polymer. Finally,. effect of different time on water permeability as well as the relationship between water permeability and hydrophilic polymers were investigated. As a result, the coating with 1 wt% of pluronic has good hydrophilicity degree, and shows the excellent water permeability without blocking the pore of the hollow fiber. Therefore, it can be concluded that the hydrophilic coating using pluronic polymer is most suitable as the water treatment.
A Haptic Robot Reveals the Adaptation Capability of Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis

A prerequisite for rehabilitation is that patients preserve their ability to adapt to novel dynamic environments, an ability that has been associated with the cerebellar system. In this study, we use a robot manipulandum to assess the ability of multiple sclerosis (MS) subjects in the early phase of the disease to adapt to a speed-dependent force field. Their performance is compared with an equal number of age-matched controls. We found that MS subjects display subtle in-coordination problems but do not significantly di fer from controls in their ability to adapt to the force field. These findings are discussed in terms of the possible benefits that MS subjects might receive from robot-assisted therapy that is specifically aimed at impaired visuomotor coordination.