Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deep Learning in Medical Imaging: Overview and Future Promise of an Exciting New Technique

D EEP learning is a growing trend in general data analysis and has been termed one of the 10 breakthrough technologies of 2013 [1]. Deep learning is an improvement of artificial neural networks, consisting of more layers that permit higher levels of abstraction and improved predictions from data [2]. To date, it is emerging as the leading machine-learning tool in the general imaging and computer vision domains. In particular, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have proven to be powerful tools for a broad range of computer vision tasks. Deep CNNs automatically learn mid-level and high-level abstractions obtained from raw data (e.g., images). Recent results indicate that the generic descriptors extracted from CNNs are extremely effective in object recognition and localization in natural images. Medical image analysis groups across the world are quickly entering the field and applying CNNs and other deep learning methodologies to a wide variety of applications. Promising results are emerging. In medical imaging, the accurate diagnosis and/or assessment of a disease depends on both image acquisition and image interpretation. Image acquisition has improved substantially over recent years, with devices acquiring data at faster rates and increased resolution. The image interpretation process, however, has only recently begun to benefit from computer technology. Most interpretations of medical images are performed by physicians; however, image interpretation by humans is limited due to its subjectivity, large variations across interpreters, and fatigue. Many diagnostic tasks require an initial search process to detect abnormalities, and to quantify measurements and changes over time. Computerized tools, specifically image analysis and machine learning, are the key enablers to improve diagnosis, by facilitating identification of the findings that require treatment and to support the expert’s workflow. Among these tools, deep learning is rapidly proving to be the state-of-the-art foundation, leading to improved accuracy. It has also opened up new frontiers in data analysis with rates of progress not before experienced.
Clinical review: Anogenital distance or digit length ratio as measures of fetal androgen exposure: relationship to male reproductive development and its disorders.

CONTEXT Male reproductive disorders evident at birth or in young adulthood are remarkably common. They are hypothesized to comprise a testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS), with a fetal origin involving mild androgen deficiency. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION Testing this hypothesis requires "seeing back in time. " Two ways have been proposed: measurement of anogenital distance (AGD), or measurement of the 2:4 digit length ratio. This review assesses the evidence that they reflect fetal androgen exposure and might be used to provide insight into the origin of TDS disorders. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS Supporting evidence for AGD derives from rat experimental studies that identified a fetal masculinization programming window, within which androgen action determines adult reproductive organ size, TDS disorders, and AGD. In humans, AGD is positively correlated to testis size, sperm count/fertility, penis length, and T levels, consistent with rat experimental data. The 2:4 digit ratio also shows associations with these parameters, but inconsistently between studies; evidence that the 2:4 digit ratio accurately reflects fetal androgen exposure is also equivocal. CONCLUSIONS AGD appears to provide a reliable guide to fetal androgen exposure, although available data are limited. The next steps are to: standardize AGD measurement; obtain age-specific population data; and use AGD to evaluate the importance of fetal androgens in determining reproductive disorders and variation in testis/penis size and sperm count in the normal population. These studies should identify what, if any, clinical applications of AGD measurement are feasible--for example, its ability to predict adult-onset reproductive function and disorders.
Photoelastic study of the support structures of distal-extension removable partial dentures.

PURPOSE The double system of support, in which the distal-extension removable partial denture adapts, causes inadequate stress around abutment teeth, increasing the possibility of unequal bone resorption. Several ways to reduce or more adequately distribute the stress between abutment teeth and residual ridges have been reported; however, there are no definitive answers to the problem. The purpose of this study was to analyze, by means of photoelasticity, the most favorable stress distribution using three retainers: T bar, rest, proximal plate, I bar (RPI), and circumferential with mesialized rest. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three photoelastic models were made simulating a Kennedy Class II inferior arch. Fifteen dentures with long saddles, five of each design, were adjusted to the photoelastic patterns and submitted first to uniformly distributed load, and then to a load localized on the last artificial tooth. The saddles were then shortened and the tests repeated. The quantitative and qualitative analyses of stress intensity were done manually and by photography, respectively. For intragroup analyses the Wilcoxon test for paired samples was used, while for intergroup analyses Friedman and Wilcoxon tests were used to better identify the differences (p < 0.05). RESULTS The RPI retainer, followed by the T bar, demonstrated the best distribution of load between teeth and residual ridge. The circumferential retainer caused greater concentration of stress between dental apexes. Stress distribution was influenced by the type of retainer, the length of the saddle, and the manner of load application. CONCLUSIONS The long saddles and the uniformly distributed loads demonstrated better distribution of stress on support structures.
Mesenchymal stem cells transplantation for neuroprotection in preterm infants with severe intraventricular hemorrhage

Severe intraventricular hemorrhaging (IVH) in premature infants and subsequent posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) causes significant mortality and life-long neurological complications, including seizures, cerebral palsy, and developmental retardation. However, there are currently no effective therapies for neonatal IVH. The pathogenesis of PHH has been mainly explained by inflammation within the subarachnoid spaces due to the hemolysis of extravasated blood after IVH. Obliterative arachnoiditis, induced by inflammatory responses, impairs cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) resorption and subsequently leads to the development of PHH with ensuing brain damage. Increasing evidence has demonstrated potent immunomodulating abilities of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in various brain injury models. Recent reports of MSC transplantation in an IVH model of newborn rats demonstrated that intraventricular transplantation of MSCs downregulated the inflammatory cytokines in CSF and attenuated progressive PHH. In addition, MSC transplantation mitigated the brain damages that ensue after IVH and PHH, including reactive gliosis, cell death, delayed myelination, and impaired behavioral functions. These findings suggest that MSCs are promising therapeutic agents for neuroprotection in preterm infants with severe IVH.
Trajectory of Transsacral Iliac Screw for Lumbopelvic Fixation: A 3-Dimensional Computed Tomography Study

Study Design A 3-dimensional multi detector computed tomography study. Objective To analyze the optimal trajectory of the transsacral iliac screw (TSIS) to overcome the disadvantages of the conventional iliac screw. Summary of Background Data Iliac screw fixation increased lumbosacral fusion rate. However, its disadvantages have been reported including extensive muscle dissection, loss of the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), need of additional connecting device, screw breakage, and pain from prominence. Methods Three-dimensionally reconstructed multi detector computed tomography images on the pelvis of 60 patients (M:F=30:30, age 20 to 50) were analyzed. The virtual trajectory started from the point where the center of S2 ala met the lateral sacral crest and targeted the superior rim of acetabulum, across the sacroiliac joint. On the basis of the virtual trajectory, the oblique sagittal, oblique axial, oblique coronal plane, and 3-dimensional surface rendering images were obtained. The optimal insertion angle in the 3 planes, the maximal length and diameter of screw were measured. Relationships between the trajectory and structures under risk were analyzed. Results The safe insertion angle was 38±3.5 degrees in the axial plane and 86±6.5 degrees in the sagittal plane based on the posterior surface of the sacrum. The mean length and maximal diameter of optimal trajectory was 91 and 18 mm, respectively. When the screw was inserted within 25 degrees in the axial plane, and exceeding 95 degrees in the sagittal plane, the external iliac vessels and the superior gluteal arteries were at risk. Conclusions The TSIS could be safely inserted without increasing the general risk of conventional iliac screw. On the basis of the result of this study, we consider the TSIS technique a useful option for lumbopelvic fixation to overcome disadvantages of iliac screw.
Transcatheter mitral valve repair with mitraclip for significant mitral regurgitation long after heart transplantion

The role of transcatheter mitral valve repair with MitraClip implantation is becoming increasingly important for high‐risk surgical patients with significant mitral regurgitation. Eligibility criteria for MitraClip are however rather strict, and the risk–benefit balance of this device in off‐label settings remains unclear. Patients with prior heart transplantation may represent particularly challenging candidates for MitraClip, given their peculiar atrial anatomy. We hereby present the case of a 72‐year‐old gentleman with prior heart transplantation and significant mitral regurgitation who, after heart team consensus, was referred to us for MitraClip implantation. After careful planning, we were able to successfully implant two clips, achieving a significant improvement in the severity of the mitral regurgitation. Similarly favorable findings were confirmed at 3‐month clinical and transthoracic/transesophageal echocardiographic follow‐up. This clinical vignette highlights the key procedural milestones for successfully implanting MitraClip in patients with significant mitral regurgitation and prior heart transplantation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Strategies of Sexual Reproduction in Aphids

for a tip on preparing the sperm storage organ of female aphids and pictures of Euceraphis betulae and Uroleucon cichorii that have been presented during a talk at Rennes (France); Geoffrey A. Parker for discussing his old and classic publications on yellow dung flies with me via e-mail; Sebastian Domhof for precious statistical advice as well as Lars Reimer for helpful chats on statistics; Angelika Metje for tending thistles; Fabien Halkett for a tip at Rennes; Theresa Jones and Ndowa Lale for some editing; Woodruff, and various anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on earlier versions of submitted papers.
The Incredible Shrinking Neural Network: New Perspectives on Learning Representations Through The Lens of Pruning

How much can pruning algorithms teach us about the fundamentals of learning representations in neural networks? A lot, it turns out. Neural network model compression has become a topic of great interest in recent years, and many different techniques have been proposed to address this problem. In general, this is motivated by the idea that smaller models typically lead to better generalization. At the same time, the decision of what to prune and when to prune necessarily forces us to confront our assumptions about how neural networks actually learn to represent patterns in data. In this work we set out to test several long-held hypotheses about neural network learning representations and numerical approaches to pruning. To accomplish this we first reviewed the historical literature and derived a novel algorithm to prune whole neurons (as opposed to the traditional method of pruning weights) from optimally trained networks using a second-order Taylor method. We then set about testing the performance of our algorithm and analyzing the quality of the decisions it made. As a baseline for comparison we used a first-order Taylor method based on the Skeletonization algorithm and an exhaustive brute-force serial pruning algorithm. Our proposed algorithm worked well compared to a first-order method, but not nearly as well as the brute-force method. Our error analysis led us to question the validity of many widely-held assumptions behind pruning algorithms in general and the trade-offs we often make in the interest of reducing computational complexity. We discovered that there is a straightforward way, however expensive, to serially prune 40-70\% of the neurons in a trained network with minimal effect on the learning representation and without any re-training.
Totally Unimodular Congestion Games

We investigate a new class of congestion games, called Totally Unimodular (TU) Congestion Games, where the players' strategies are binary vectors inside polyhedra defined by totally unimodular constraint matrices. Network congestion games belong to this class. In the symmetric case, when all players have the same strategy set, we design an algorithm that finds an optimal aggregated strategy and then decomposes it into the single players' strategies. This approach yields strongly polynomial-time algorithms to (i) find a pure Nash equilibrium, and (ii) compute a socially optimal state, if the delay functions are weakly convex. We also show how this technique can be extended to matroid congestion games. We introduce some combinatorial TU congestion games, where the players' strategies are matchings, vertex covers, edge covers, and stable sets of a given bipartite graph. In the asymmetric case, we show that for these games (i) it is PLS-complete to find a pure Nash equilibrium even in case of linear delay functions, and (ii) it is NP-hard to compute a socially optimal state, even in case of weakly convex delay functions.
First proposed panels on acute leukemia for four‐color immunophenotyping by flow cytometry from the Brazilian group of flow cytometry‐GBCFLUX

Multiparameter flow cytometry is a highly sensitive, fast, and specific diagnostic technology with a wide range of applicability in hematology. Although well‐established eight‐color immunophenotyping panels are already available, most Brazilian clinical laboratories are equipped with four‐color flow cytometer facilities. Based on this fact, the Brazilian Group of Flow Cytometry (Grupo Brasileiro de Citometria de Fluxo, GBCFLUX) for standardization of clinical flow cytometry has proposed an antibody panel designed to allow precise diagnosis and characterization of acute leukemia (AL) within resource‐restricted areas. Morphological analysis of bone marrow smears, together with the screening panel, is mandatory for the primary identification of AL. The disease‐oriented panels proposed here are divided into three levels of recommendations (mandatory, recommendable, and optional) in order to provide an accurate final diagnosis, as well as allow some degree of flexibility based on available local resources and patient‐specific needs. The proposed panels will be subsequently validated in an interlaboratory study to evaluate its effectiveness on the diagnosis and classification of AL. (Assoc editor comm. 2). © 2015 International Clinical Cytometry Society
Preferred methods and messengers for delivering physical activity information to people with spinal cord injury: a focus group study.

OBJECTIVE To explore the perceptions of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) regarding preferred messengers and methods for obtaining physical activity (PA) information. DESIGN Using a phenomenological approach and interviewing techniques, five focus groups discussed PA information delivery methods and messengers. PARTICIPANTS Sixteen community-dwelling adults with SCI (62.5% tetraplegia, 37.5% paraplegia; at least one-year postinjury) whose PA levels ranged from sedentary to regularly active. RESULTS Content analyses revealed that the preferred media for obtaining PA information were passive sources (e.g., Internet, DVDs, newsletters). The preferred messengers were peers and health service providers. There were diverse perspectives about the value and types of PA messages to share with people in the acute, rehabilitation, and postdischarge stages. CONCLUSIONS The methods and messengers identified in this study illustrate the need for interdisciplinary engagement among various program and health care providers to work together to effectively deliver PA information to all individuals with SCI. People will be receptive to different messages, from different channels, at different times.
Effects of three nickel titanium instrument systems on root canal geometry assessed by micro-computed tomography.

AIM To compare and evaluate the shaping ability of several nickel titanium instrument systems with different motions: two reciprocating single-file systems (Reciproc and WaveOne) and one continuous rotation/reciprocation full-sequence system [Twisted File (TF) Adaptive] using micro-computed tomography. METHODOLOGY A total of forty-eight mesial canals of mandibular molars with two separate root canals and severe angles of curvature were selected. Canals were divided randomly to one of three experimental groups: group 1, reciprocating instrumentation with Reciproc R25, group 2, reciprocating with the Primary WaveOne file and group 3 'Adaptive Rotary Motion' with Twisted Files. Each group consisted of 16 root canals. Canals were scanned before and after root canal preparation, with a resolution of 20 μm using a micro-computed tomography system. The following parameters were assessed: changes in dentine volume, percentage of unshaped canal walls, degree of canal transportation and centring ability. Data were analysed using analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc tests test to explore a significant difference in mean dentine removal, mean percentage of noninstrumented canals, mean degree of canal transportation and centring ratio between groups in the apical third and along the entire root canal. The level of significance was set at α = 0.05. RESULTS Preoperatively, there were no differences regarding root canal curvature and volume between experimental groups (P > 0.05). Overall instrumentation led to enlarged canal shapes with no evidence of preparation errors. None of the three groups was able to shape completely the root canal system. Mean dentine removal along the entire canal and in the apical third was significantly higher with Reciproc when compared with TF Adaptive and WaveOne (P = 0.013). Mean degree of canal transportation was significantly lower with TF Adaptive (P < 0.0001) followed by WaveOne and highest with Reciproc in the apical third and along the entire root canal. CONCLUSIONS None of the NiTi systems was able to instrument completely the entire root canal. Reciprocation and Adaptive Motions were found to cut dentine efficiently to full working length, with no procedural errors. The TF Adaptive system maintained the original canal anatomy with less canal transportation and better centring ability.
FOLATE DEFICIENCY IN CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE.

Fifty-five patients with liver disease of varied etiology and severity have been studied. Serum folate concentrations were subnormal and folic acid clearances rapid, when studied, in 19 actively imbibing alcoholic cirrhotics who had a megaloblastic anemia. Eleven patients, from both the nonalcoholic and alcoholic groups, had rapid folic acid clearances, with subnormal serum folate levels in seven, in the absence of morphologic evidence of folate deficiency. Serum B 12 concentrations were uniformly normal or elevated. Dietary deficiency appeared to be the major cause of folate deficiency; all 19 patients who had megaloblastic changes were considered to have an inadequate dietary intake. Increased requirement for folate due to hyperactivity of the bone marrow secondary to gastrointestinal bleeding. hypersplenism, or hemolysis appeared to contribute to the development of abnormal folic acid determinations in many patients in both the alcoholic and nonalcoholic groups. Two of 10 patients studied had malabsorption of folic acid. Such factors as the presence of ascites, an expanded plasma volume, a Patent portacaval shunting procedure, the type of alcoholic beverage imbibed, and the severity of impairment of liver function did not appear to be of significance in the development of folate deficiency.
Determination of decay resistance against Pleurotus ostreatus and Coniophora puteana fungus of heat-treated scotch pine, oak and beech wood species

The objective of this study, to investigate decay resistance against Pleurotus ostreatus and Coniophora puteana fungus of heat-treated (ThermoWood method) Scotch pine, oak and beech wood species. Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris), oak (Quercus petreae) and beech (Fagus orientalis) wood species were heat treated at 190°C for 2 h, 212°C for 1 h and 2 h by the ThermoWood® method. Untreated and heat-treated specimens were exposed to white-rot fungus (Pleurotus ostreatus) and brown-rot fungus (Coniophora puteana) for 12 weeks according to procedures defined in JIS K 1571 standard. After weight losses of all specimens were calculated. According to the results, least weight loss was determined on heat treated at 212°C for 2 h. Heat treatment can be used effectively against fungal attack for Scotch pine, oak and beech wood species.
THE PLANETARY NEBULA POPULATION OF M33 AND ITS METALLICITY GRADIENT: A LOOK INTO THE GALAXY'S DISTANT PAST

The planetary nebula (PN) population of M33 is studied via multifiber spectroscopy with Hectospec at the MMT. In this paper, we present the spectra of 102 PNe, whereas plasma diagnostic and chemical abundances were performed on the 93 PNe where the necessary diagnostic lines were measured. About 20% of the PNe are compatible with being Type I; the rest of the sample is the progeny of an old disk stellar population, with main sequence masses M < 3 M☉ and ages t > 0.3 Gyr. By studying the elemental abundances of the PNe in the M33 disk, we were able to infer that (1) there is a tight correlation between O/H and Ne/H, broadly excluding the evolution of oxygen; (2) the average abundances of the α-elements are consistent with those of H ii regions, indicating a negligible global enrichment in the disk of M33 from the epoch of the formation of the PN progenitors to the present time; and (3) the radial oxygen gradient across the M33 disk has a slope of −0.031 ± 0.013 dex kpc−1, in agreement, within the errors, with the corresponding gradient derived from H ii regions. Our observations do not seem to imply that the metallicity gradient across the M33 disk has flattened considerably with time. We report also the discovery of a PN with Wolf–Rayet features, PN039, belonging the class of late [WC] stars.
Height Estimation from a Single Camera View

This paper presents a novel technique for the estimation of the height of an object using a single camera view. In the proposed method, the only information required is the knowledge about the pose of the camera with respect to the world (i.e., height and pitch angle of the camera with respect to the ground) and a vanishing point. In the developed theory, the focal length may also be known, but in the proposed experiments it has not been employed: an approximation for small pitch angles has been taken into account and the consequent committed error has been then analysed. The presented method gives accurate results for any object placed in unstructured environments, regardless of the relative distance from the camera. The method has been tested in a series of outdoor and indoor environments, and the experimental results are presented in this paper.