Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A System for the Detection of Pigment Network in Dermoscopy Images Using Directional Filters

A pigment network is one of the most important dermoscopic structures. This paper describes an automatic system that performs its detection in dermoscopy images. The proposed system involves a set of sequential steps. First, a preprocessing algorithm is applied to the dermoscopy image. Then, a bank of directional filters and a connected component analysis are used in order to detect the “lines” of the pigment network. Finally, features are extracted from the detected network and used to train an AdaBoost algorithm to classify each lesion regarding the presence of the pigment network. The algorithm was tested on a dataset of 200 medically annotated images from the database of Hospital Pedro Hispano (Matosinhos), achieving a sensitivity = 91.1% and a specificity = 82.1%.
Indirect Reduction and Plating of Distal Femoral Nonunions

Objective To observe and report the clinical results of indirect reduction and plating in the treatment of distal femoral nonunions. Design Prospective consecutive study. Setting Regional trauma center. Patients A consecutive series of twenty patients with nonunion of the distal femur, nineteen of whom had undergone operative initial fracture care. Intervention Surgical treatment with indirect reduction techniques using the 95-degree condylar blade-plate, condylar buttress plate, or locking condylar plate with autologous cancellous bone grafting in 45 percent of patients. Emphasis was placed on preoperative planning, intraoperative attention to soft tissue sparing, and selection of the appropriately applied implant to correct deformity, when present, and obtain union. Main Outcome Measurements Healing rate and time, operative blood loss and time, incidence of complications including instrumentation failure, loss of fixation, infection, and postoperative malalignment. Both the Böstman and Hospital for Special Surgery knee scores were used to quantify postoperative clinical results at an average follow-up of twenty-three months (range 12 to 60 months). Results All twenty nonunions healed without further intervention at an average of fourteen weeks (range 12 to 20 weeks) postoperatively. There were no intraoperative complications. Average operative time was 154 minutes (range 90 to 240 minutes), and blood loss was 245 milliliter (range 100 to 400 milliliters). Average Böstman knee score improved from eighteen to twenty-five points, and average Hospital for Special Surgery score improved from fifty-eight to eighty points. Average arc of knee motion improved from 92 to 110 degrees. There was no patient with significant postoperative axial or rotational malalignment (>5 degrees) or limb length discrepancy (more than one centimeter). One patient with a history of osteomyelitis became infected postoperatively and healed without consequence after a debridement procedure. Conclusions Contemporary plating techniques are effective in the treatment of distal femoral nonunions. Union occurred reliably with few complications, resulting in a majority of good or excellent clinical results.
A view-based approach for improving software documentation practices

Documentation is an integral part of a software system. It contains the information that is necessary to effectively and successfully develop, use, and maintain a system. In practice, however, the creation of appropriate documentation is largely neglected. This paper investigates the reasons for this neglect, presents view-based software documentation, our approach to improve the current situation, and reports on empirical evidence in support of the presented approach. Because the quality of documentation depends on its usage, view-based software documentation exploits existing software modeling techniques to provide all users of documentation with the documentation they require for performing their tasks. View-based software documentation has been empirically validated in a series of experiments and case studies that showed that the approach improves the completeness, correctness, and usefulness of produced and maintained documentation. One of the experiments is described here in more detail
Prevalence of Disseminated Cryptococcosis among Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Patients in Benin City, Nigeria

Aim: To determine the prevalence of disseminated cryptococcosis among symptomatic HIVinfected patients, attending the Antiretroviral Treatment Clinic at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, Nigeria, between September 2010 Original Research Article Joseph et al.; BJMMR, 6(7): 715-722, 2015; Article no.BJMMR. 2015.248 716 and August 2011. Methodology: Five hundred consecutive symptomatic HIV-infected patients, on ART were enrolled into this cross-sectional study (266 males, 234 females, age range 18-81 years, mean age, 40.08 years). A blood sample collected from each participant was screened for serum cryptococcal antigen (CRAG) using the cryptococcal Latex agglutination test. The viral load and CD4+ T -cell count were also determined in parallel. A structured questionnaire was used to gather Information on socio demographic characteristics, medical and treatment history of participants. Data collected and the results of laboratory tests were analyzed using the SPSS software, version 22.0. Results: The prevalence of serum cryptococcal antigen was 9.8%. Majority (66.8%) of the participants had a CD4+ T-cell count of less than 100 cells/μl. The association between serum CRAG and CD4+ T-cell was found to be significant (P < .001). Viral load done for only 90 of the participants was high in 51.1%. The association between serum CRAG and viral load was found to be significant (P < .001). Conclusion: The prevalence of serum CRAG was high among symptomatic HIVinfected patients on ART, in Benin city, Nigeria, despite ART implementation. There is need therefore for a routine cryptococcal antigen test for all symptomatic HIV-infected patients on ART, while further microbiological investigations for those with positive result are recommended for appropriate medical intervention.
A comparative study of appendicular lump management

Background: Acute appendicitis is the commonest cause of “acute surgical abdomen”. Lump is formed in 2-6% cases of acute appendicitis. Conventional treatment according to Ochsner-Sherren regime is conservative regime which is popularised as standard treatment for appendicular lump. Failure of conservative regime occurs in 2-4% cases. The aim of our study was to develop a strategy for an effective management of appendicular lump. Methods: Total of 64 patients admitted with diagnosis of or appendicular lump was included in our study over period of 2 years and 6 months. An analysis of patients managed for appendicular lump was done. All the patients of both sexes were included. Patients with Appendicular lump were randomly divided in two groups; group I - conservative management followed by interval appendicectomy after 6 weeks, group II - immediate exploration Results: Total 598 patients admitted to hospital with diagnosis of acute appendicitis, out of which total 50 patients was having Appendicular lump suggestive of incidence of 10.7%. Age group 21-30 years includes more patients. Average duration of Right Iliac Fossa (RIF) pain was 4 days. Average length of hospital stay in Group I patients was 11 days where as in Group II patients was 4 days. Failure of conservative regime was seen in 2 cases from group I. The complications occurred were mostly pertaining to the wound in group II, one patient developed faecal fistula. There were problems of poor patient compliance, failure of treatment, residual collection/abscess, readmission and failure to locate appendix on delayed appendicectomy in group I. Conclusions: In our study, early exploration is safe, confirms the diagnosis, removes need for readmission, curative, time saving, reduces cost of management and shorten hospital stay with early return to work.
Newspaper Coverage of Mental Illness: Is It Changing?

Abstract Because the public gets much of its knowledge of mental illness from the news media, it is important to understand what those media report about mental illnesses. It is also useful to know whether or not news coverage of mental illness is changing. The current study looked at 300 newspaper articles containing the key phrase “mental illness” from 6 different newspapers for 1989 and for 1999. Each article was read and rated with respect to a variety of elements, including what specific disorders were named, what the main themes of each article were, and what was the overall tone of the article. Results indicated that there was more coverage of issues of stigma and mental health insurance parity, fewer themes of dangerousness, and fewer articles with negative tone in 1999 than in 1989. However, dangerousness was still the most common theme of 1999 articles and negative articles were still twice as likely to occur as positive ones. Articles in 1999, as in 1989, tended not to name specific psychiatric disorders, tended not to describe the symptoms of those disorders named, and rarely included the perspectives of mental health consumers.
Minimally Invasive Treatment for Obstructive Tumors of the Left Colon: Endoluminal Self-Expanding Metal Stent and Laparoscopic Colectomy

Background: Obstruction of the left colon may be the first manifestation of colorectal cancer. Resection of the colonic segment involved and the construction of an end colostomy (Hartman’s procedure) is the most frequent treatment. Alternatives to the placement of a stoma are subtotal colectomy or intraoperative lavage of the colon and primary anastomosis, but their application depends on intraoperative findings and the availability of a skilled surgeon. The use of an expandable stent (SEMS) can enhance the feasibility of laparoscopic colectomy, avoiding the need for a colostomy and offering the advantages of a combination of two minimally invasive procedures. Study Design: Between 1997 and 2004, an SEMS was placed in 11 cases of left colonic obstruction due to cancer, the obstruction being successfully resolved in each case. Seven patients were approached by laparoscopy to attempt the definitive colectomy. We evaluated the location and pathological characteristics of the tumor, effectiveness and complications of SEMS insertion, time interval between the insertion of SEMS and laparoscopic surgery, and postoperative data. Results: The tumors were situated in the recto-sigma (1 case), sigma (3 cases) and descending colon (3 cases). Immediate relief of the obstruction was achieved in all cases after SEMS insertion of the stent, and oral diet was started at 24 h. The 7 patients were operated on an average of 8 days (range 6–14) after insertion of the stent. Conversion to open surgery was necessary in one case for reasons not related to the stent. Conclusions: Preliminary results of the combination of SEMS and elective laparoscopic surgery demonstrate that the procedure is feasible and that it presents all the clinical advantages of a minimally invasive approach. The procedure is a valid alternative to traditional major urgent surgery.
Complications of Articular Cartilage Surgery

The treatment of articular cartilage lesions of the knee has evolved tremendously in the past 2 decades. Traditional treatment including osteotomy, debridement, and bone marrow stimulation techniques (microfracture, drilling, and abrasion arthroplasty) have been used with predictable results with a relatively well defined set of complications. Newer techniques including autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), osteochondral autograft and allograft transplantation have gained increased enthusiasm. These present a new set of potential complications to potentially be avoided, identified, or treated. This article reviews the various options available, their indications and complications, and offers treatment recommendations after complications occur.
Cervical cerclage for prevention of preterm delivery in women with a short cervix: A randomized, controlled trial

Although observational studies have often claimed high success rates in women undergoing cervical cerclage for an incompetent cervix, randomized trials have not consistently favored this procedure. This multicenter, randomized, controlled trial sought to determine whether patient selection for cerclage could be improved by transvaginal sonographic measurements of cervical length. More than 47,000 women were offered scanning at 11 to 14 and 22 to 24 weeks gestation. Of 470 women whose cervix measured 15 mm or less in length, 253 entered the trial and were randomly assigned to either cervical cerclage using a Shirodkar suture or expectant management. The major outcome was the frequency of delivery before 33 completed weeks gestation. Cervical cerclage did not significantly lower the rates of early preterm delivery, neonatal mortality, or neonatal morbidity compared with expectant management. The 2 groups had similar proportions of spontaneous delivery or delivery after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. Mean birth weight was 204 g more in the cerclage group, but this arose from a 1-week difference in gestational age at delivery. More than twice as many women in the cerclage group received antibiotics, most often because of prolonged prophylaxis and symptomatic vaginal discharge. More women in the cerclage group received tocolytic agents immediately after the procedure or because of threatened preterm labor. Approximately one third of women required emergency removal of the suture, most often because of preterm labor or premature labor or rupture of membranes. In this trial, placing a cervical suture in women with a short cervix did not lower the risk of early preterm delivery in a substantial proportion of cases. Routinely measuring cervical length at 22 to 24 weeks gestation by transvaginal sonography does identify women who are at high risk of early preterm delivery.
Case Report: Scapulothoracic Orthosis for Winging Scapula

A 30-year-old man presented to our clinic with right winging scapula, shoulder pain, decreased range of motion, and weak muscle strength, following acromioplasty and clavicular osteotomy after traumatic injury. A carbon fiber scapulothoracic orthosis was designed and laminated in our clinic to reduce scapular winging, alleviate pain, and increase active range of motion of the shoulder.
THE PRODUCTION OF PERSISTENT ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION BY CELLOPHANE PERINEPHRITIS

Perinephritis apparently has not been recognized as a possible cause of arterial hypertension. Occasionally hypertension has been recorded for patients whose renal parenchyma from one cause or another has been chronically compressed. Any genetic relationship seems, however, to have been ignored. During the course of experiments designed to prevent the development of renal cortical collateral circulation, cellophane was tried because it was believed that it would cause little damage to the tissues. It was soon apparent that arterial hypertension had developed in the animals in which cellophane had been wrapped around the kidneys. Examination showed them to be enclosed within a fibrocollagenous hull from 3 to 4 mm. thick. The cellophane had been fragmented and taken up, chiefly by the omentum. The kidney bulged from the hull when it was cut, indicating that the parenchyma was held fast under tension. The reaction of tissue to cellophane is extraordinary. Contact for relatively short periods (three to thirty days) is enough to evoke a proliferative reaction which continues for a time, at least, after the cellophane has been dispersed by the omentum.
Inorganic polyphosphate enhances radio-sensitivity in a human non–small cell lung cancer cell line, H1299

Inorganic polyphosphate is a linear polymer containing tens to hundreds of orthophosphate residues linked by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds. Polyphosphate has been recognized as a potent anti-metastasis reagent. However, the molecular mechanism underlying polyphosphate action on cancer cells is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the involvement of polyphosphate in radio-sensitivity using a human non–small cell lung cancer cell line, H1299. We found that polyphosphate treatment decreases cellular adenosine triphosphate levels, suggesting a disruption of energy metabolism. We also found that the induction of DNA double-strand breaks was enhanced in polyphosphate-treated cells after X-ray irradiation and colony formation assay revealed that cell survival decreased compared with that of the control groups. These findings suggest that polyphosphate is a promising radio-sensitizer for cancer cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that polyphosphate treatment disrupts adenosine triphosphate–mediated energy transfer for cellular survival and DNA repair, thereby reducing the cellular capability to resist X-ray irradiation.
Analysis of Outcome and Prognostic Factors in Metastatic Cauda Equina Compression: A 20-Year Single Institution Experience

The object of this study was to statistically analyze the survival patterns in patients with metastatic cauda equina compression and to determine the factors that may be predictive of prognosis. Between 1980 and 1999, 76 patients were diagnosed and treated for metastatic tumors causing cauda equina compression. Pain was the presenting feature in 67% of patients. The most common site for the primary tumor was the lung (21%). All patients received external beam radiation with a dose range of 4 Gy to 38 Gy (mean = 25 Gy). Median length of patient survival was 4.0 ± 0.9 months (range: 1–152 months). The 12-month actuarial survival calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method was 17.52 ± 4.5% (95% confidence interval). Factor analysis of overall survival revealed that an increase in radiation dose (>20 Gy) correlated with longer survival (P < 0.001). Patients with lymphoma had the best prognosis, whereas those with lung and prostate primary cancer faired worst. Primary cancer is the most useful predictor of prognosis in patients with metastatic cauda equina compression. Although radiation remains the treatment of choice, the addition of surgery offers significant improvement in the symptoms and hence increases quality of life for long-term survivors.
NEUROSCIENCE. Alzheimer's amyloid theory gets modest boost.

At the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Washington, D.C., last week, researchers expressed cautious optimism that the field is gaining momentum. The primary reason: tantalizing hints from two high-profile, phase II trials of antibodies that latch onto β amyloid, a protein that forms sticky masses in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. To some, the small number of people studied and the modest results were far from persuasive. But to others at the meeting, the findings provide some of the first encouraging evidence that β amyloid is a target for treatment. One next step is to try to stimulate the body's own immune defenses with an antiamyloid vaccine—an approach that failed in the past but is now getting a second look.
Implicit coordination in two-agent team problems with continuous action sets. Application to the Witsenhausen cost function

The main contribution of this paper is the characterization of the limiting average performance of a system involving two agents who coordinate their actions which belong to a continuous set. One agent has complete and noncausal knowledge of the sequence of i.i. d. realizations of a random state X0, which is called the system state and affects the common team payoff. For the other agent, two scenarios in terms of observation assumptions are considered: in the first scenario, the other agent has a strictly causal knowledge of the system state while in the second scenario it has no direct knowledge of the state at all. However, in both scenarios, the less informed agent can always observe a noisy and strictly causal version of the actions taken by the (most) informed agent. There exists no dedicated communication channel between the two agents, and thus, the informed agent can only communicate via its actions which in turn affect the common payoff, hence the term implicit communication. Thus, there is a tradeoff to be found for the informed agent between communicating information about the incoming realizations of the system state and maximizing the payoff at the current stage. We use this general framework and apply it to a specific cost function, namely the Witsenhausen cost function. Although the problem tackled differs from the famous Witsenhausen's counterexample, the authors believe interesting new connections which help to understand the corresponding open problem might be established over time. A numerical analysis is conducted to assess the Witsenhausen's cost for two sub-optimal classes of strategies.
Monitoring of Intense Neuromuscular Blockade Caused by Atracurium

The short duration of action and rapid recovery rate of the new non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents atracurium and vecuronium have increased the need for reliable methods to assess objectively the degree of neuromuscular blockade. The ability to predict, well in advance, the time for clinical recovery would ensure precise timing of incremental doses and hence smooth neuromuscular blockade.Mechanical response to single twitch, tetanic and train-of-four (TOF) nerve stimulation are often used to assess recovery from neuromuscular blockade (AH and Savarese, 1976). During intense blockade, there is no response to these modes of stimulation and the degree of blockade therefore cannot be established. However, using the long-acting neuromuscular blocking agent pancuronium, it is possible to quantify part of this so called "period of no response" by applying tetanic stimulations (50 Hz for 5 s) followed by single twitch (1 Hz) stimulations. The number of responses to the post-tetanic single twitch stimulation is called the post-tetanic count or PTC A close correlation between PTC and recovery from intense neuromuscular blockade caused by pancuronium (Howardy-Hansen The object clarify whether a correlation exists between PTC recovery from blockade caused by atracurium.
Nutrigenomics, β-Cell Function and Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction: The present investigation was designed to investigate the accuracy and precision of lactate measurement obtained with contemporary biosensors (Chiron Diagnostics, Nova Biomedical) and standard enzymatic pho-tometric procedures (Sigma Diagnostics, Abbott Laboratories, Analyticon). Materials and Methods: Measurements were performed in vitro before and after the stepwise addition of 1molar sodium lactate solution to samples of fresh frozen plasma to systematically achieve lactate concentrations of up to 20 mmol/l. Results: Precision of the methods investigated varied between 1% and 7%, accuracy ranged between 2% and −33% with the variability being lowest in the Sigma photometric procedure (6%) and more than 13% in both biosensor methods. Conclusion: Biosensors for lactate measurement provide adequate accuracy in mean with the limitation of highly variable results. A true lactate value of 6 mmol/l was found to be presented between 4.4 and 7.6 mmol/l or even with higher difference. Biosensors and standard enzymatic photometric procedures are only limited comparable because the differences between paired determinations presented to be several mmol. The advantage of biosensors is the complete lack of preana-lytical sample preparation which appeared to be the major limitation of standard photometry methods.
Does neuroinflammation induce systemic aging?

A recent article published in Nature presents intriguing data suggesting that the activation of neuronal nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) causes systemic aging through reduced secretion of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone, an anti‐aging hormone. Microglial inflammation in MBH also seems to induce neuronal NF‐κB. These results raise the possibility that neuroinflammation orchestrates systemic aging.