Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A histogram-based technique for echocardiographic image enhancement

Echocardiography is a very powerful diagnostic tool. However, the acquired images are often noisy and difficult to interpret. One well-known technique for image-enhancement is to apply predefined gray-level intensity transformations, or brightness transfer functions (BTFs). This paper presents an innovative algorithm, called ABTF (adaptive brightness transfer function), designed to optimally determine the gray-levels used for each specific echocardiographic cine-loop. The algorithm applies automatic segmentation to the initial gray-level histogram, based on curve fitting to the sum of three Gaussian functions, each of which is correlated to a different tissue type. A different procedure is applied to each segment. The ABTF algorithm has been tested on 23 cine-loops from 10 different patients, with varying degrees of echogenicity. The results are clearly superior to the original images, with a much better contrast and richer gray-levels within the cardiac muscle.
Effects of prednisone on blood lactate concentrations in healthy dogs.

BACKGROUND Glucocorticoids affect carbohydrate and lactate metabolism. HYPOTHESIS Administration of prednisone to healthy dogs will result in clinically relevant hyperlactatemia. ANIMALS Twelve healthy adult Beagle dogs. METHODS Prospective, controlled experimental study. Twelve healthy adult Beagles were divided into 2 groups (3 of each sex per group). One group served as control. The other group received 2 treatments: low, 1 mg/kg prednisone PO q24h for 2 weeks; high, 4 mg/kg prednisone PO q24h for 2 weeks. A washout period of 6 weeks separated the treatments. Blood samples were drawn for whole blood lactate measurement on day (D) 0, D4, and D14 and measured in duplicate. RESULTS Compared with the control group, low and high groups had significantly higher blood lactate concentrations at D4 and D14. There was no difference at D0. There was no effect of time within the control group. In the low and high groups, blood lactate concentration was increased at D4 and D14 versus D0. Blood lactate concentration was greater in the high group than the low group at D14 only. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Dogs treated with prednisone experience statistically significant increases in blood lactate concentrations, which can result in type B hyperlactatemia. In such cases, improving tissue perfusion, treatment for the commonest form of hyperlactatemia (type A) would be unnecessary.
Adaptive algorithms for reducing PCS network authentication traffic

Two authentication schemes (ASs) have been proposed in the Electronic Industry Association/Telecommunications Industry Association's (EIA/TIA) Telecommunications Systems Bulletins (TSBs) 51 for incorporation in the cellular industry Interim Standard IS 41 Revision C. In the first scheme, which we refer to as the WS scheme, a unique secret key [also known as shared secret data (SSD)] is shared only between the authentication center (AC) and handset. In the second scheme, referred to as the S scheme, the SSD is also shared with the visited system. The performance of the two schemes can be compared by using the expected number of call originations/terminations between two consecutive registrations or call-to-mobility ratio (CMR). Based on the message flow (accesses to databases), it is apparent that the S scheme outperforms the WS schemes if the CMR ratio is large. The CMRs of users will likely span a wide range and, even for the same user, will perhaps vary from time to time. It is therefore desirable to switch between the ASs based on the users' CMR to reduce the signaling network traffic. We propose two adaptive algorithms to determine how and when to switch between the ASs for a given user. Our performance study indicates that as the CMR of a user changes, the adaptive algorithms automatically select the best AS in real time.
Identification of auxotrophic mutants of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus by non‐homologous end joining‐mediated integrative transformation with genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The isolation and application of auxotrophic mutants for gene manipulations, such as genetic transformation, mating selection and tetrad analysis, form the basis of yeast genetics. For the development of these genetic methods in the thermotolerant fermentative yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus, we isolated a series of auxotrophic mutants with defects in amino acid or nucleic acid metabolism. To identify the mutated genes, linear DNA fragments of nutrient biosynthetic pathway genes were amplified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomal DNA and used to directly transform the K. marxianus auxotrophic mutants by random integration into chromosomes through non‐homologous end joining (NHEJ). The appearance of transformant colonies indicated that the specific S. cerevisiae gene complemented the K. marxianus mutant. Using this interspecific complementation approach with linear PCR‐amplified DNA, we identified auxotrophic mutations of ADE2, ADE5,7, ADE6, HIS2, HIS3, HIS4, HIS5, HIS6, HIS7, LYS1, LYS2, LYS4, LYS9, LEU1, LEU2, MET2, MET6, MET17, TRP3, TRP4 and TRP5 without the labour‐intensive requirement of plasmid construction. Mating, sporulation and tetrad analysis techniques for K. marxianus were also established. With the identified auxotrophic mutant strains and S. cerevisiae genes as selective markers, NHEJ‐mediated integrative transformation with PCR‐amplified DNA is an attractive system for facilitating genetic analyses in the yeast K. marxianus. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The generalized bone phenotype in children with neurofibromatosis 1: A sibling matched case–control study

People with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) have low bone mineralization, but the natural history and pathogenesis are poorly understood. We performed a sibling‐matched case–control study of bone mineral status, morphology, and metabolism. Eighteen children with NF1 without focal bony lesions were compared to unaffected siblings and local population controls. Bone mineral content at the lumbar spine and proximal femur (dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA)) was lower in children with NF1; this difference persisted after adjusting for height and weight. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) of the distal tibia showed that trabecular density was more severely compromised than cortical. Peripheral QCT‐derived estimates of bone strength and resistance to bending and stress were poorer among children with NF1 although there was no difference in fracture frequencies. There were no differences in the size or shape of bones after adjusting for height. Differences in markers of bone turnover between cases and controls were in the directions predicted by animal studies, but did not reach statistical significance. Average serum calcium concentration was higher (although within the normal range) in children with NF1; serum 25‐OH vitamin D, and PTH levels did not differ significantly between cases and controls. Children with NF1 were less mature (assessed by pubertal stage) than unaffected siblings or population controls. Children with NF1 have a generalized difference of bone metabolism that predominantly affects trabecular bone. Effects of decreased neurofibromin on bone turnover, calcium homeostasis, and pubertal development may contribute to the differences in bone mineral content observed among people with NF1. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
SPATIAL LOCALIZATION BY THE BLIND.

This research is concerned with the ability of blind people to orientate themselves within, and to localize aspects of, their spatial environment. Since vision, the most accurate kind of spatial information, is not available to the blind, they must base their localization-judgments upon information which is relatively less reliable. Nevertheless, the ability of blind people to perceive objects often appears quite uncanny to the sighted observer and it has variously been supposed that they have either developed their remaining senses to a higher degree of acuity than sighted people or have developed an extra sense of some kind with which they are able to localize stimuli in space.1 After vision, the most important of the spatial senses are tactile-kinesthesis (hereafter referred to as 'tactile') and audition.
Hand-clasping and arm-folding: a review and a genetic model.

SummaryThe literature on hand-clasping is reviewed and it is shown to be suitable for genetic analysis, there being no classification problems, sex differences, assortative mating or maternal inheritance. Further data from two studies of our own are reported.Two-allele genetic models are discussed and shown to be inadequate at explaining the data. A simple three-allele model will, however, fit all the available data adequately, and will also account for the east-west cline in left hand-clasping. The limited data on arm-folding were also consistent with the three-allele model. Hand-clasping, arm-folding and handedness were shown not to be correlated one with another nor to show simple genetic linkage.The genetic model is discussed in relation to the problem of asymmetry as a whole.
A comparison of behaviour on simulated patients and patient management problems

This paper describes a study in which students were faced with a series of problems presented as patient management problems and as simulated patients (individuals trained to accurately portray a clinical problem). The subjects were sixty‐five final‐year medical students in a clinical clerkship in family medicine. Four clinical problems were used—each was developed in the PMP and simulated patient format. Each student completed one PMP and one simulated patient encounter (SPE) during the 2nd week of the 8‐week clerkship, and a second PMP and SPE in the 7th week of the clerkship. Performance on the two formats was compared by determining the number of options, and the number of critical options (weighted +1 or +2 by a criterion panel) elicited in each section of the problem—history, physical examination, investigations and management. Students were found to elicit significantly more options in the PMP in all sections of the problem, an increase of from 20 to 150%. This difference due to format was of similar magnitude to the difference between problems and the proportion of observed variance in response due to the differences between formats and cases was consistently greater than the variance due to systematic differences between students. The findings of this study are consistent with previous studies comparing performance on PMPs to oral examinations and medical records, and raise some concern about the use of PMPs as a measure of competence in certification and licensure decisions.
QUASI-LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION IN STATIONARY AND NONSTATIONARY AUTOREGRESSIVE MODELS WITH RANDOM COEFFICIENTS

We propose a unified quasi-likelihood procedure for the estimation of the unknown parameters of a first-order random coefficient autoregressive, RCA, model that works both for stationary and nonstationary processes. For this procedure, the weak consistency and the asymptotic normality are established under minimal assumptions on the noise sequences. In an empirical study, we highlight the prac- ticality of the quasi-likelihood estimation for applications. As no initial knowledge about the probabilistic properties of the RCA process is required, our theoretical results immediately facilitate the statistical analysis for practitioners. They may, moreover, have an impact on the treatment of the prominent unit-root problems often encountered in econometrics. We develop in this paper a unified estimation theory for random coefficient autoregressive (RCA) processes which works irrespective of stationarity issues. These RCA models are nonlinear, thus extending the class of classical autore- gressive (AR) models paramount in linear time series analysis, leading to an increased flexibility in modeling heteroscedasticity often found in data, while still enabling a parsimonious representation. Early contributions in this respect are due to Conlisk (1974, 1976) who dealt with econometric modeling questions, and Andel (1976) who argued that many engineering applications can be ade- quately described by RCA models. Other successful applications of RCA models to problems in financial, ecological, and longitudinal data analysis can be found in Liu and Tiao (1980), Stenseth et al. (1999), and Rahiala (1999), respectively. Despite this history, RCA models have as of now received less attention than a number of other nonlinear models such as (G)ARCH and threshold models and their variants. In this paper,we argue that it would be worthwhile to give RCA models a closer look and that they are worthy of inclusion in the applied statistician's toolbox. There are several arguments supporting this claim.
Synaptic-Type α1β2γ2L GABAA Receptors Produce Large Persistent Currents in the Presence of Ambient GABA and Anesthetic Drugs

Synaptic GABAA receptors respond to synaptically released GABA and are considered to be unaffected by the low levels of ambient transmitter in the brain. We show that synaptic-type α1β2γ2L GABAA receptors expressed in HEK293 cells respond with large steady-state currents to combinations of a low concentration (0.5 μM) of GABA and clinically used GABAergic modulators propofol, etomidate, or pentobarbital or the steroid alphaxalone. At a maximally effective concentration of modulator, the current levels at the end of 2-minute applications of drug combinations were >10% of the peak response to saturating GABA. In the absence of modulators, 0.5 μM GABA generated a steady-state response of 1% of the peak response to saturating GABA. The concentration-response curves for enhancement of steady-state currents by propofol, etomidate, pentobarbital, or alphaxalone were at similar or lower drug concentrations compared with concentration-response relationships for enhancement of peak responses. We propose that modulation of tonically activated synaptic-type GABAA receptors contributes to the clinical actions of sedative drugs.
Age-related changes in gene expression patterns of immature and aged rat primordial follicles

ABSTRACT Women are born with millions of primordial follicles which gradually decrease with increasing age and this irreversible supply of follicles completely exhausts at menopause. The fertility capacity of women diminishes in parallel with aging. The mechanisms for reproductive aging are not fully understood. We have observed a decline in Brca1 mediated DNA repair in aging rat primordial follicles. To further understand the age-related molecular changes, we performed microarray gene expression analysis using total RNA extracted from immature (18 to 20 day old) and aged (400 to 450 day old) rat primordial follicles. The results of current microarray study revealed that there were 1,011 (>1.5 fold, p<0.05) genes differentially expressed between two groups in which 422 genes were up-regulated and 589 genes were down-regulated in aged rat primordial follicles compared to immature primordial follicles. The gene ontology and pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed a critical biological function such as cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, chromosomal stability, transcriptional activity, DNA replication, and DNA repair were affected by age. This considerable difference in gene expression profiles may have an adverse influence on oocyte quality. Our data provide information on the processes that may contribute to aging and age-related decline in fertility.
Increased understanding of metabolism of secondary plant products frequently generates sketchy and incorrect statements concerning their evolution and function.

Secondary plant products perform important functions within the complex interactions between plants and their environment, e.g. as protective agents against pathogens and herbivores, or as attractants for potential pollinators. We are all aware that the enormous diversity of these natural products resulted from evolutionary processes driven by the selection of advantageous properties. However, when these nexuses are mentioned, very often we incline to formulate 'Plants have acquired the ability to synthesize secondary plant products in order to . ' without realising that such a statement contradicts the Darwinian principles of evolution and corresponds to a Lamarckian view of teleological evolution. One of the major reasons for these automatic and unconscious misapprehensions is because of the ambiguous usage of the term 'biological function', which is very often thought to comprise an intention or a special purpose.
DO GENDER‐SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES IN EYELASH LENGTH IN 5‐ TO 6‐YEAR‐OLD PRESCHOOLCHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT ATOPIC ECZEMA EXIST? RESULTS FROM THE MIRIAM STUDY CONDUCTED IN AUGSBURG, GERMANY

vascular lesions nor nevi in his skin, and no prior history of atopy. The boy was treated with topical adapalene, with progressive improvement of the lesions. Pseudoacne of the nasal crease has been described in preadolescents who present with acneiform lesions on their nose, within a prominent nasal crease. The duration of these lesions usually ranges from 4 months to 2 years, and they are treated with topical anti-inflammatory medications or excision in severe cases (1). Although pseudoacne lesions may be mistaken for acne vulgaris, the former are present in the preadolescent years, persist for months, and are limited to the nasal crease. Histopathologic findings consist of foreign body granulomas with inflammation (1,2) that also allow the differentiation of pseudoacne from acne vulgaris. The suggested etiology is an evolution from milia into an inflamed epidermal inclusion cyst because of a rupture of a milium cyst, allowing keratin to penetrate into the dermis and leading to a foreign body granuloma (1). In regard to the nasal crease, in patients with atopy, it has been suggested that the crease results from traumatic rubbing of the nose upward by the child with symptomatic allergic rhinitis and pruritus. A genetic predisposition has been postulated in the absence of allergy (1–3). To our knowledge, no significant associations have yet been reported associated with pseudoacne of the nasal crease.
How to do IT together: modeling group work for Information Technology

Students of programming need to master group work skills. This paper presents a model for group work in it classrooms based on literature and research done the past couple of years. The model emphasizes the importance of structuring small group work for effectiveness by ensuring that the basic elements of positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction, interpersonal and social skills, and group processing are correctly applied. Assigning particular responsibilities to group members and assessing groups are also addressed. A description of the research methodology and data collection and analysis techniques to be used in the piloting of the model is provided. We describe the training workshops for teachers used, the actual teaching of the model in these teachers' classrooms, as well as future work envisioned. Finally, the importance of the study is justified and conclusions drawn.
Sustained virological response rate to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C in African Americans: results in treatment-naïve patients in a university liver clinic.

OBJECTIVE The sustained virological response (SVR) to non-pegylated interferon-based regimens for chronic hepatitis-C virus (HCV) has been lower among African Americans compared to Caucasians, a finding attributed to the high proportion of genotype-1 infections in African Americans. To determine whether such a difference in SVR is still present with pegylated interferon and ribavirin regimens, we analyzed SVR rates among treated racial groups according to genotype. METHODS Consecutive treatment-naïve patients of multiethnic and racial backgrounds attending a university liver clinic received either Peg alfa-2a or -2b plus ribavirin 1-1.2 g based on body weight for 24-48 weeks, depending on genotype. HCV RNA titers were analyzed at 0, six or 12 months, and six months posttreatment. RESULTS Among the first 193 patients eligible for treatment, 73 received therapy [24 African Americans (genotype 1 in 88%); 49 non-African Americans (genotype 1 in 59%)]. Of the 120 patients not treated (33% African-American and 67% non-African-American), most either had mild hepatitis on biopsy, normal ALT values, an untreated psychiatric condition or had a low expectation of treatment efficacy. SVR results for the 73 patients who completed treatment indicate that African Americans and non-African Americans with genotype 1 have similarly low rates of SVR (19% in African Americans compared with 24% in non-African Americans, p=NS). CONCLUSION Sustained viral response rates in our open-access liver clinic are similar for genotype-1 African Americans compared to non-African Americans receiving pegylated interferon and ribavirin. The predominance of genotype 1 among African-American patients likely accounts for the lower response rates, but genotype 1 in other racial groups is associated with a proportionately lower SVR as well as a risk for delayed relapse after SVR.
Matrix‐directed differentiation of human adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells to dermal‐like fibroblasts that produce extracellular matrix

Commercially available skin substitutes lack essential non‐immune cells for adequate tissue regeneration of non‐healing wounds. A tissue‐engineered, patient‐specific, dermal substitute could be an attractive option for regenerating chronic wounds, for which adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) could become an autologous source. However, ADMSCs are multipotent in nature and may differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes and chondrocytes in vitro, and may develop into undesirable tissues upon transplantation. Therefore, ADMSCs committed to the fibroblast lineage could be a better option for in vitro or in vivo skin tissue engineering. The objective of this study was to standardize in vitro culture conditions for ADMSCs differentiation into dermal‐like fibroblasts which can synthesize extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Biomimetic matrix composite, deposited on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS), and differentiation medium (DM), supplemented with fibroblast‐conditioned medium and growth factors, were used as a fibroblast‐specific niche (FSN) for cell culture. For controls, ADMSCs were cultured on bare TCPS with either DM or basal medium (BM). Culture of ADMSCs on FSN upregulated the expression of differentiation markers such as fibroblast‐specific protein‐1 (FSP‐1) and a panel of ECM molecules specific to the dermis, such as fibrillin‐1, collagen I, collagen IV and elastin. Immunostaining showed the deposition of dermal‐specific ECM, which was significantly higher in FSN compared to control. Fibroblasts derived from ADMSCs can synthesize elastin, which is an added advantage for successful skin tissue engineering as compared to fibroblasts from skin biopsy. To obtain rapid differentiation of ADMSCs to dermal‐like fibroblasts for regenerative medicine, a matrix‐directed differentiation strategy may be employed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.