Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple Sclerosis Lesions Segmentation using Spectral Gradient and Graph Cuts

We present a new tool for segmenting multiple sclerosis lesions that can take advantage of the complementary modalities we usually use for this purpose. Based on the integration of multi channel information in a scale-space paradigm, its optimization by graph cuts provides a powerful and accurate tool. After presenting the mathematical and physical background on which is based the spectral gradient, we introduce its computational optimization by the graph cuts approach. The validation on synthetic and real data shows both its accuracy and reliability on different sets of standard MRI of sequences.
Advanced Nonlinear PID-Based Antagonistic Control for Pneumatic Muscle Actuators

In this paper, the positioning control problem of pneumatic muscle actuators (PMAs) is being considered. A two-degree-of-freedom nonlinear proportional-integral-derivative structure is being synthesized, providing ameliorated compensation of the PMAs' nonlinear hysteretic phenomena and advanced robustness through disturbance cancellation. Experimental studies are being utilized to prove the overall efficiency of the proposed control scheme with regard to set-point tracking performance for the position control of a single PMA, torsion angle control of a nonsymmetrical antagonistic PMA setup, and disturbance rejection in both single and antagonistic control scenarios.
Selective use of radioactive iodine in the postoperative management of patients with papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma

Radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) was developed in the 1960s to “complete a thyroidectomy” in the initial management of papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. By the 1990s, it was claimed that RRA diminished recurrence rates in follicular cell‐derived cancer (FCDC) patients and decreased the cause‐specific mortality (CSM) in patients more than 40 years old at initial surgery. The international trend for the past decade has been towards routine RRA in most FCDC patients. Clinical guidelines have been produced by many societies, promoting such an aggressive stance. Since 1997, many papers have reported improved outcome in FCDC, when patients were subjected to RRA after bilateral lobar resection. However, during the same time‐period, it has been recognized that most FCDC patients are truly at “low‐risk” of developing life‐threatening recurrences. Accordingly, it has been suggested that rational therapy selection should lead to restricting aggressive therapy to those “high‐risk” FCDC patients, more predisposed to CSM. To date, no prospective controlled trials exist. Presently available outcome data is based on single institutional or multicenter retrospective studies. This article summarizes the available relevant reported data, and concludes that a selective use of RRA in the postoperative management of FCDC patients is rational, and should actually be encouraged. J. Surg. Oncol. 2006;94:692–700. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
New Prediction Rule for Mortality in Acute Mesenteric Ischemia

Objective: Acute mesenteric ischemia is potentially fatal, but prognostic factors have not yet been established. This study was undertaken to elucidate them. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study, consisting of 110 patients who had been treated in the past 5 years, from 26 national hospitals in Japan. Results: The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 51%. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated two independent prognostic factors, electrocardiogram scale with an odds ratio of 1.7 (95% CI 1.2–2.4) and shock index of 11 (95% CI 1.5–80). A stepwise analysis gave a prediction equation for in-hospital mortality (R) using these variables and age score. We further modified this equation to a simpler scoring system (S) using the same variables. Both R and S showed a good discriminatory ability as determined by areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (0.83, 95% CI: 0.74–0.91 for R; 0.82, 95% CI 0.74–0.91 for S). The observed mortality rates increased as the R or S increased (19% at R <0.25, 41% at 0.25 ≤ R <0.6, 85% at R ≥0.6; 19% at S ≤2, 37% at S of 3 or 4, 91% at S ≥5). Conclusion: The new prediction rules can be used at any hospital and may be promising tools for medical decision-making, informed consent and reviewing quality of care.
18F-FLT PET During Radiotherapy or Chemoradiotherapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Is an Early Predictor of Outcome

This prospective study used sequential PET with the proliferation tracer 3′-deoxy-3′-18F-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) to monitor the early response to treatment of head and neck cancer and evaluated the association between PET parameters and clinical outcome. Methods: Forty-eight patients with head and neck cancer underwent 18F-FLT PET/CT before and during the second and fourth weeks of radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Mean maximum standardized uptake values for the hottest voxel in the tumor and its 8 surrounding voxels in 1 transversal slice (SUVmax(9)) of the PET scans were calculated, as well as PET-segmented gross tumor volumes using visual delineation (GTVVIS) and operator-independent methods based on signal-to-background ratio (GTVSBR) and 50% isocontour of the maximum signal intensity (GTV50%). PET parameters were evaluated for correlations with outcome. Results: 18F-FLT uptake decreased significantly between consecutive scans. An SUVmax(9) decline ≥ 45% and a GTVVIS decrease ≥ median during the first 2 treatment weeks were associated with better 3-y disease-free survival (88% vs. 63%, P = 0.035, and 91% vs. 65%, P = 0.037, respectively). A GTVVIS decrease ≥ median in the fourth treatment week was also associated with better 3-y locoregional control (100% vs. 68%, P = 0.021). These correlations were most prominent in the subset of patients treated with chemoradiotherapy. Because of low 18F-FLT uptake levels during treatment, GTVSBR and GTV50% were unsuccessful in segmenting primary tumor volume. Conclusion: In head and neck cancer, a change in 18F-FLT uptake early during radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is a strong indicator for long-term outcome. 18F-FLT PET may thus aid in personalized patient management by steering treatment modifications during an early phase of therapy.
Role of Cold Shock Proteins in Growth of Listeria monocytogenes under Cold and Osmotic Stress Conditions

ABSTRACT The gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen of both public health and food safety significance. It possesses three small, highly homologous protein members of the cold shock protein (Csp) family. We used gene expression analysis and a set of mutants with single, double, and triple deletions of the csp genes to evaluate the roles of CspA, CspB, and CspD in the cold and osmotic (NaCl) stress adaptation responses of L. monocytogenes. All three Csps are dispensable for growth at optimal temperature (37°C). These proteins are, however, required for efficient cold and osmotic stress tolerance of this bacterium. The hierarchies of their functional importance differ, depending on the environmental stress conditions: CspA>CspD>CspB in response to cold stress versus CspD>CspA/CspB in response to NaCl salt osmotic stress. The fact that Csps are promoting L. monocytogenes adaptation against both cold and NaCl stress has significant implications in view of practical food microbial control measures. The combined or sequential exposure of L. monocytogenes cells to these two stresses in food environments might inadvertently induce cross-protection responses.
Didaktische Konzeption von Serious Games: Zur Verknüpfung von Spiel- und Lernangeboten

Serious Games versuchen Spielen mit Lernen zu verbinden. Der Beitrag problematisiert die Machbarkeit einer solchen Verknupfung in digitalen Welten und diskutiert verschiedene didaktische Konzepte einer Nutzbarmachung digitaler Spiele fur das Lernen und Lehren. Ausgehend von einer Analyse des Erlernens von Spielen werden drei didaktische Konzepte von Serious Games im Hinblick auf ihre didaktischen Potenziale untersucht: (1) der unmittelbare Transfer von Wissen, das im Spiel erworben wird (keine zusatzliche Didaktisierung), (2) Didaktisierung durch Einbettung des Spiels in einer Lernsituation oder (3) Didaktisierung durch Einbettung von Lernaufgaben in ein Spiel. Ergebnisse zur Nutzung von Spielen, bei denen Lernaufgaben in eine Spielwelt eingebettet sind, zeigen, dass Personen die Aufnahme von Wissen in einem expliziten Lernmodus eher zu reduzieren versuchen, um moglichst zugig wieder in den Spielmodus zu wechseln. Diskutiert werden die Konsequenzen dieser Problematik fur die didaktische Konzeption von Serious Games.
Interference aligned space-time transmission with diversity for the 2 × 2 X-Network

It is well known that the interference alignment (IA) based transmission scheme proposed by Jafar and Shamai achieves the 4M over 3 sum-degrees of freedom (DoF) of the twotransmitter, two-receiver multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) X-Network with M antennas at each node, referred to as the (2 × 2, M) X-Network. The Jafar-Shamai scheme assumes the availability of “global” channel-state-information at the transmitter (CSIT). “Local” CSIT based transmission schemes that couple IA with space-time block codes (STBC) in order to achieve the sum-DoF of the (2 × 2, M) X-Network are known specifically for M = 2; 3; 4. Further, these schemes have been proven to guarantee a diversity gain of M when finite-sized input constellations are employed. In this paper, an explicit transmission scheme that achieves the 4M over 3 sum-DoF of the (2 × 2, M) X-Network, for arbitrary M, is presented. The proposed scheme needs only local CSIT unlike the Jafar-Shamai scheme. In addition, it is shown analytically that the proposed scheme guarantees a diversity gain of M + 1 when finite-sized input constellations are employed.
Parameterized complexity analysis in robot motion planning

A series of previous PSPACE- and NP-hardness results suggest that no general algorithm for robot motion planning can be polynomial in all of its input parameters, i.e., at least one parameter x must be exponential relative to a constant, e.g., 2/sup x/, or another parameter of the problem, e.g., y/sup x/. However, they have not answered the more relevant question posed by some FP space-based algorithms-namely, whether there is a general algorithm that is polynomial in all input parameters except k, in which k may yet be exponential relative to a constant or itself. In this paper, using the theory of parameterized computational complexity developed by Downey and Fellows (1992), the authors establish that the answer to this question is probably "no". The authors give an overview of this theory and derive their main result. Finally, they briefly discuss the implications for robotics of both these results and the parameterized complexity framework.
Atrial conduction time, and left atrial mechanical and electromechanical functions in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: interatrial conduction delay

Summary Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders of women during the reproductive period. Cardiovascular risk factors are more frequent in patients with PCOS. We aimed to investigate the P-wave dispersion (Pd), inter- and intra-atrial conduction time and mechanical functions of the left atrium (LA) in patients with PCOS. Methods Forty-eight patients with PCOS and 38 normal healthy women were enrolled in this study. A 12-lead surface electrocardiogram was used to evaluate Pd. Left ventricular (LV) functions were measured using conventional and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) methods. Inter- and intra-atrial conduction times were measured by TDI. LA volumes were measured echocardiographically with the biplane area–length method from the apical four-chamber view. Results Heart rate (82.02 ± 13.15 vs 74.24 ± 11.02 bpm, p = 0.014) and Pd were significantly increased in the PCOS patients [27 ± 5 vs 24 ± 6 ms, p = 0.035]. Transmitral E/A ratio was significantly lower in the PCOS patients than in the controls (1.5 ± 0.3 vs 1.7 ± 0.4 m/s, p = 0.023). Passive emptying volume (12.54 ± 4.39 vs 15.28 ± 3.85 ml/m2, p = 0.004) and passive emptying fraction [54.4 (21–69) vs 59.1% (28–74), p = 0.008] were significantly decreased in PCOS patients. Total emptying volume was significantly decreased (17.9 ± 5.49 vs 20.67 ± 4.29 ml/m2, p = 0.018) in PCOS patients. Interatrial (19 ± 7.4 vs 15 ± 6.4 ms, p = 0.035) and intra-atrial [8.5 (1–19) vs 5 ms (1–20), p = 0.026] electromechanical delays were found to be significantly higher in PCOS patients. Conclusion This study showed that patients with PCOS had increased inter- and intra-atrial conduction delays, and decreased LA passive emptying volumes and fractions.
Limbless undulatory propulsion on land

We analyze the lateral undulatory motion of a natural or artificial snake or other slender organism that “swims” on land by propagating retrograde flexural waves. The governing equations for the planar lateral undulation of a thin filament that interacts frictionally with its environment lead to an incomplete system. Closures accounting for the forces generated by the internal muscles and the interaction of the filament with its environment lead to a nonlinear boundary value problem, which we solve using a combination of analytical and numerical methods. We find that the primary determinant of the shape of the organism is its interaction with the external environment, whereas the speed of the organism is determined primarily by the internal muscular forces, consistent with prior qualitative observations. Our model also allows us to pose and solve a variety of optimization problems such as those associated with maximum speed and mechanical efficiency, thus defining the performance envelope of this mode of locomotion.
ON THE DIFFERENTIAL FORM SPECTRUM OF HYPERBOLIC MANIFOLDS

We give a lower bound for the bottom of the $L^2$ differential form spectrum on hyperbolic manifolds, generalizing thus a well-known result due to Sullivan and Corlette in the function case. Our method is based on the study of the resolvent associated with the Hodge-de~Rham Laplacian and leads to applications for the (co)homology and topology of certain classes of hyperbolic manifolds.
Patient Perception , Preference and Participation The influence of primary health care professionals in encouraging exercise and physical activity uptake among White and South Asian older adults : Experiences of young older adults

Objective: To explore the influence of primary health care professionals in increasing exercise and physical activity among 60–70-year-old White and South Asian community dwellers. Method: Fifteen focus groups and 40 in-depth interviews with community dwelling White and South Asian 60–70-year olds. The sample was selected to include people with very different experiences of participation and non-participation in exercise and physical activity. Data were analysed using framework analysis. Results: Primary health care professionals’ advice and support was found to be a motivator to the initiation of exercise and physical activity. However, this was usually in relation to advice on weight reduction, cardiac conditions and mobility issues, but not generally to improve or increase activity levels. An underlying attitude of genuine interest and empathy was valued and shaped decisions about initiating and/or increasing activity levels. Conclusion: Primary health care professionals should be encouraged to show interest and empathy with older people about the positive benefits of exercise and physical activity to them individually. This advice needs to be tailored to the older adult’s symptoms. Practice implications: Primary health care professionals need to be able to provide specific advice as to the quantity (frequency, duration, intensity and type) of exercise or physical activity to undertake. Practitioners need to listen to their patients’ needs, show empathy and avoid ageism during consultations. 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Neutrophil migration in vitro and in vivo during hypothermia

The effect of hypothermia on pig leukocyte migration in vitro and in vivo was studied. Neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro under agarose was significantly impaired at 29 degrees C (2.7 +/- 0.6 [mean +/- standard error]; 37 degrees C, 7.1 +/- 1.1). Leukocytes isolated from hypothermic pigs and tested at 37 degrees C migrated normally (7.8 +/- 0.6). Neutrophil and monocyte migration in vivo was markedly reduced at 29 degrees C. Reduced inflammatory responses may contribute to increased infections during hypothermia.
Mismatched expressions decrease face recognition and corresponding ERP old/new effects in schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE The objective was to investigate the electrophysiological (ERP) correlates of mismatched expression on face recognition in schizophrenia. METHOD Expression-change effects and associated ERPs were explored in patients with schizophrenia (n = 20) and paired comparison participants (n = 20) on a long-term face-recognition task. RESULTS A facial-expression change decreased discriminability for patients with schizophrenia than for healthy participants. The patients' recognition deficit was accompanied by the absence of the midfrontal FN400 and late parietal ERP old/new effects in the mismatched-expression condition. By contrast, preserved midfrontal FN400 and late parietal ERP old/new effects were found in both groups in the unchanged-expression condition. Thus, the preserved parietal old/new effect previously observed in schizophrenia was no longer found here in the situation in which expression changes took place between the study and recognition phases. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that, when they are not supposed to take the change of expression into account, the recognition deficit observed here in patients with schizophrenia resulted from an impairment in the mechanisms underlying the emergence, assessment, or utilization of familiarity--as indexed by the ERP old/new effects. In these natural conditions, the impact of the expression change on the implementation of retrieval processes offers new insight into schizophrenia-linked deficits in face recognition, with substantial phenomenological differences with respect to the emergence of familiarity.
Indifferentiable deterministic hashing to elliptic and hyperelliptic curves

At Crypto 2010, Brier et al. proposed the first construction of a hash function into ordinary elliptic curves that was indifferentiable from a random oracle, based on Icart’s deterministic encoding from Crypto 2009. Such a hash function can be plugged into any cryptosystem that requires hashing into elliptic curves, while not compromising proofs of security in the random oracle model. However, the proof relied on relatively involved tools from algebraic geometry, and only applied to Icart’s deterministic encoding from Crypto 2009. In this paper, we present a new, simpler technique based on bounds of character sums to prove the indifferentiability of similar hash function constructions based on essentially any deterministic encoding to elliptic curves or curves of higher genus, such as the algorithms by Shallue, van de Woestijne and Ulas, or the Icart-like encodings recently presented by Kammerer, Lercier and Renault. In particular, we get the first constructions of well-behaved hash functions to Jacobians of hyperelliptic curves. Our technique also provides more precise estimates on the statistical behavior of those deterministic encodings and the hash function constructions based on them. Additionally, we can derive pseudorandomness results for partial bit patterns of such encodings.
Diagnosis of Radiographically Occult Lumbar Spondylolysis in Young Athletes by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background: The early stages of spondylolysis are extremely difficult to diagnose on plain radiography. Although several studies have examined changes in active spondylolysis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), no studies to date have determined the onset frequency of active spondylolysis detectable on MRI but occult on plain radiography. Moreover, the clinical features of active spondylolysis described in the literature do not facilitate the differentiation of this condition from other causes of low back pain. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of MRI in diagnosing active spondylolysis early and in determining the prevalence of active spondylolysis in cases where findings were not detected on plain radiography. In addition, specific clinical features to aid in the early detection of active spondylolysis were evaluated. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Patients were 200 consecutive young athletes (144 boys and 56 girls; mean age, 14.1 ± 1.5 y) with low back pain. All patients were examined by plain radiography (188 with negative findings and 12 with unclear findings of spondylolysis) and MRI. Computed tomography (CT) was performed only for patients with high intensity changes of the pedicle observed on MRI. The presence or absence of low back pain was examined during lumbar spine extension and flexion. The Kemp test on the right and left sides and percussion of the vertebral spinous process were also performed. Results: Ninety-seven (48.5%) patients showed evidence of active spondylolysis on MRI, findings that had been missed by plain radiography. These pars defects were organized into the following categories based on CT findings: nonlysis stage, 52; very early stage, 37; late early stage, 22; progressive stage, 10; and terminal stage, 0. No significant physical examination factors were identified that could assist in the early detection of active spondylolysis. Conclusion: The MRI results suggest a high rate of active spondylolysis in young athletes with low back pain who test negative for spondylolysis on plain radiography. Magnetic resonance imaging appears to be useful in the early diagnosis of active spondylolysis, especially as we found no significant physical examination factors that could assist in early detection.
Recognition without awareness: Encoding and retrieval factors.

The article reports 4 experiments that explore the notion of recognition without awareness using words as the material. Previous work by Voss and associates has shown that complex visual patterns were correctly selected as targets in a 2-alternative forced-choice (2-AFC) recognition test although participants reported that they were guessing. The present experiments sought to extend this earlier work by having participants study words in different ways and then attempt to recognize the words later in a series of 4-alternative forced-choice (4-AFC) tests, some of which contained no target word. The data of interest are cases in which a target was present and participants stated that they were guessing, yet chose the correct item. This value was greater than p = . 25 in all conditions of the 4 experiments, demonstrating the phenomenon of recognition without awareness. Whereas Voss and colleagues attributed their findings with kaleidoscope patterns to enhanced processing fluency of perceptual attributes, the main factor associated with different levels of recognition without awareness in the present studies was a variable criterion for the subjective state accompanying selection of the "guess" option, depending on the overall difficulty of the recognition test. We conclude by discussing some implications of the results for the distinction between implicit and explicit memory.