Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance of radiographers in the evaluation of CT colonographic images.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of radiographers with that of radiologists in the interpretation of CT colonographic images. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four observers (a radiologist, a radiologist in training, and two radiographers) evaluated 145 data sets using a primary 3D approach. The radiographers were part of our CT colonography work group and underwent training that consisted of 20 cases. The reference standard was optical colonoscopy with second-look colonoscopy for discrepant lesions > or = 10 mm in diameter. Mean sensitivities per patient and per polyp stratified for size (any size, > or = 6 mm, and > or = 10 mm) was determined for the radiologists and radiographers. Specificity was determined on a per-patient basis. RESULTS At colonoscopy in 86 of 145 patients, a total of 317 polyps were found (60 polyps > or = 6 mm in 26 patients and 31 polyps > or = 10 mm in 18 patients). No statistically significant differences were found in detection rates between radiologists and radiographers. Sensitivities for patients with a lesion of any size (66% for radiologists vs 65% for radiographers), > or = 6 mm (81% vs 87%), and > or = 10 mm (both 78%) were similar for all observers. On a per-polyp basis, detection rates were equivalent regardless of polyp size (47% vs 40%), for lesions > or = 6 mm (71% vs 65%), and for lesions > or = 10 mm (69% vs 66%). Mean specificities were similar among patients without lesions (31% vs 30%), patients without lesions > or = 6 mm (71% vs 67%), and patients without lesions > or = 10 mm (93% vs 93%). CONCLUSION Radiographers with training in CT colonographic evaluation achieved sensitivity and specificity in polyp detection comparable with that of radiologists. Radiographers can be considered reviewers in the evaluation of CT colonographic images.
Sets constructible from sequences of ultrafilters

In [4], Kunen used iterated ultrapowers to show that if U is a normal κ-complete nontrivial ultrafilter on a cardinal κ then L[U], the class of sets constructive from U, has only the ultrafilter U ∩ L[U] and this ultrafilter depends only on κ. In this paper we extend Kunen's methods to arbitrary sequences U of ultrafilters (provided that they fulfill a coherency condition) and obtain generalizations of these results (§3). In particular we answer Problem 1 of Kunen and Paris [5] which asks whether the number of ultrafilters on κ can be intermediate between 1 and 22κ. If there is a normal κ-complete ultrafilter U on κ such that {α < κ: α is measurable} ∈ U then there is an inner model with exactly two normal ultrafilters on κ, and if κ is super-compact then there are inner models having κ+ +, κ+ or any cardinal less than or equal to κ normal ultrafilters (§4). These methods also show that several properties of L which had been shown to hold for L[U] also hold for L[U]: using an idea of Silver we show that in L[U] the generalized continuum hypothesis is true, there is a Souslin tree, and there is a well-ordering of the reals. In addition we generalize a result of Kunen to characterize the countaby complete ultrafilters of L[U].
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO, COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Four studies are reported that investigate the impact of a person’s activated self-construal (interdependent vs independent) on consumers’ impulsive consumption tendencies. A crosscountry comparison of per capita beer consumption data (Study 1a) and a cross-state comparison within the U.S. on problem alcohol consumption (Study 1b) indicated that an independent selfconstrual was associated with greater beer and alcohol consumption. Three additional experiments that manipulated self-construal confirmed this relation and also demonstrated that the effect of self-construal on beer consumption attitudes was mediated by state impulsiveness (Studies 2 and 3), moderated by peer presence (Studies 3 and 4), and can be extended from beer and alcohol consumption to preferences for vice vs. virtue foods (Study 4).
Efficient Post-Quantum Secure Network Coding Signatures in the Standard Model

In contrast to traditional “store-and-forward” routing mechanisms, network coding offers an elegant solution for achieving maximum network throughput. The core idea is that intermediate network nodes linearly combine received data packets so that the destination nodes can decode original files from some authenticated packets. Although network coding has many advantages, especially in wireless sensor network and peer-to-peer network, the encoding mechanism of intermediate nodes also results in some additional security issues. For a powerful adversary who can control arbitrary number of malicious network nodes and can eavesdrop on the entire network, cryptographic signature schemes provide undeniable authentication mechanisms for network nodes. However, with the development of quantum technologies, some existing network coding signature schemes based on some traditional number-theoretic primitives vulnerable to quantum cryptanalysis. In this paper we first present an efficient network coding signature scheme in the standard model using lattice theory, which can be viewed as the most promising tool for designing post-quantum cryptographic protocols. In the security proof, we propose a new method for generating a random lattice and the corresponding trapdoor, which may be used in other cryptographic protocols. Our scheme has many advantages, such as supporting multi-source networks, low computational complexity and low communication overhead.
Quantitative proteomic analysis of cold‐responsive proteins in rice

Rice is susceptible to cold stress and with a future of climatic instability we will be unable to produce enough rice to satisfy increasing demand. A thorough understanding of the molecular responses to thermal stress is imperative for engineering cultivars, which have greater resistance to low temperature stress. In this study we investigated the proteomic response of rice seedlings to 48, 72 and 96 h of cold stress at 12–14°C. The use of both label‐free and iTRAQ approaches in the analysis of global protein expression enabled us to assess the complementarity of the two techniques for use in plant proteomics. The approaches yielded a similar biological response to cold stress despite a disparity in proteins identified. The label‐free approach identified 236 cold‐responsive proteins compared to 85 in iTRAQ results, with only 24 proteins in common. Functional analysis revealed differential expression of proteins involved in transport, photosynthesis, generation of precursor metabolites and energy; and, more specifically, histones and vitamin B biosynthetic proteins were observed to be affected by cold stress.
Are All Caregivers Created Equal? Stress in Caregivers to Adults With and Without Dementia

Objectives: Caregiving for older adults is stressful; however, by treating caregivers as a homogenous group, it is possible that stress-related factors are misrepresented for some. This study of 349 elderly caregivers explored mediators of the caregiving/ stress relationship for caregivers to adults with (n = 106), and without (n = 243) dementia. Methods: The sample was from the Caregiver Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (CG-SOF), ancillary to SOF, a four-site cohort of 9,704 women. Results:Stress was higher (p < .001) in dementia than nondementia caregivers (m= 19.85; 16.45). For caregivers overall, intensity and recipient problems were associated with stress but mediated through role captivity. However, relationships differed when stratified by recipient dementia status. Only recipient problems among nondementia caregivers was mediated through captivity. Discussion: Results confirm previous findings of lower stress among nondementia caregivers and suggest that different factors influence caregivers' appraisal of the situation, including their perception of stress, based on recipients' dementia status.
Multiwavelength Single-Longitudinal-Mode Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser

We demonstrate a multiwavelength single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) ytterbium-doped fiber laser. Two Sagnac loop mirrors are inserted into the cavity to ensure multiwavelength and SLM operation, respectively. Three wavelengths with a wavelength spacing of 1.8 nm are generated under stable operation, and the linewidth of each wavelength is measured to be narrower than 100 kHz. A side-mode suppression ratio of greater than 56 dB is achieved for each wavelength. The maximum power fluctuation was less than 0.8 dB for each wavelength. This scheme has the potential to be employed as a useful source in optical communications, fiber optical sensing, and high resolution spectroscopy in the 1-μm wavelength band.
Genetic and environmental determinants of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in multiple sclerosis

Background: Evidence is accumulating supporting a beneficial effect of vitamin D in multiple sclerosis (MS). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have shown significant associations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in key genes in the vitamin D metabolism. Objective: To examine the association between 25(OH)D and six GWAS SNPs and environmental factors in 1497 MS patients. Methods: Blood samples and lifestyle questionnaires were collected between 2009 and 2012. Genotyping of GC-, CYP2R1- and NADSYN1-SNPs was performed by TaqMan allelic discrimination (Life Technologies). Results: We found significant associations between 25(OH)D and SNPs in GC (rs7041, p = 0.01 and rs2282679, p = 0.03) and CYP2R1 (rs10741657, p =1.8 × 10−4). Season of blood sampling (p = 2.8 × 10−31), sex (p = 1.9 × 10−5), BMI (p = 2.3 × 10−5), vitamin supplements (p = 7.0 × 10−22), and fish intake (p = 0.02) also had significant effects on 25(OH)D. Conclusion: In this cross-sectional study, we found significant effects of environmental factors and SNPs in GC and CYP2R1 on 25(OH)D in MS patients. Since 25(OH)D might have protective effects in MS, and vitamin D supply is a modifiable factor, it may be important to include this in the MS treatment regimen.
Molecular dynamics investigation of stereoselective inhibition mechanism of HIF‐2α/ARNT heterodimer

Hypoxia‐inducible factors (HIFs) are heterodimeric transcription factors related with the onset and progression of solid tumors. Studies demonstrated a class of tetrazole containing chiral inhibitors could stereoselectively disrupt the HIF‐2 dimerization and reduce the target gene expression. However, the dynamical features and structural motifs of the HIF‐2 heterodimer caused by the binding of enantiomers have not been rationalized at the atomistic level. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combined with adaptive steered MD (ASMD) simulations were used to investigate stereoselective interrupting mechanism of HIF‐2. Our results decipher that the binding of ligand A (S, R)‐24 begets the significant conformation changes of β‐sheets and interrupts the HIF‐2α/ARNT heterodimerization, which may be attributed to the disruption of the hydrogen bond and salt bridge interactions formed by the 4 foremost residues (Asp240, Arg247, Glu362, and Arg366) and the destruction of hydrophobic interactions on the binding interface. By contrast, the binding of ligand B (R, S)‐24 does not disrupt protein dimerization and causes the motion of Fα helix in HIF‐2α PAS‐B domain to further change the major tunnel for ligand ingress and engress. The present work provides important molecular‐level insight into the effect of the binding enantiomers on HIF‐2 heterodimerization and bridges the gap between theory and the experimental results, which may conduce to develop highly potent antagonists for intervening the HIF‐2‐driven tumors.
STUDIES OF CALCIUM AND PHOSPHORUS METABOLISM. XVI. THE INFLUENCE OF THE PITUITARY GLAND.

The literature pertaining to the effects of the anterior pituitary gland on calcium and phosphorus metabolism, well summarized by Zwarenstein (1) and Houssay (2), is meager and the results reported are contradictory. This is due in part to the fact that many of the previous workers employed inert anterior pituitary gland preparations. In 1934 Hertz and Kranes (3) and Anselmino, Hoffnann and Herold (4) found that injections of an alkaline extract of the anterior pituitary gland into rabbits and rats caused hypertrophy of their parathyroid glands. Marenzi and Gerschman (5), working with dogs, were unable to demonstrate such an effect regularly. Alterations in the blood calcium have rarely been observed following either hypophysectomy or the administration of anterior pituitary gland extracts. Hogben (6) did report the occurrence of a low blood calcium in the toad (Xenopus Laevi) following removal of the anterior pituitary and the pars intermedia. He further stated that injections of pituitary extracts caused a fall in the blood calcium. These observations have been confirmed by Shapiro and Zwarenstein (7). The evidence suggesting that the pituitary influences the parathyroid glands and calcium and phosphorus metabolism in higher animals is even more conflicting. Gerschman and Marenzi (8), working in Houssay's laboratory, found no change in the blood calcium of hypophysectomized dogs but did observe an elevation following the administration of an alkaline anterior pituitary extract, a finding previously noted in one dog by Thompson and Cushing (9). Subsequently, Marenzi and Gerschman (10) reported that such extracts were without effect on the blood calcium of four thyroparathyroidectomized dogs. Because of the
The Influence of Sex and Laterality on Clubfoot Severity

Background: Idiopathic clubfoot is bilateral in approximately 50% of cases and has been widely reported to affect males more frequently than females. Despite these observations, the correlation between sex and severity of the deformity has not been established. As well, the difference in severity between unilateral and bilateral clubfeet has not been extensively investigated. Therefore, the goals of the present study were to: (1) examine the relationship between sex and severity of deformity and (2) determine the relationship between laterality and severity of deformity. Methods: The families of infants with idiopathic clubfoot deformity treated at our institution were prospectively invited to participate in this institutional review board–approved study. Severity of the deformity was assessed by a single surgeon for each patient using the Dimeglio criteria at the first clinic visit. After evaluating the distributions, the correlations were quantified by nonparametric analyses. Results: Over 8 years, 240 infants met the inclusion criteria. There was no significant difference in the severity of deformity due to sex (P=0.61): the median Dimeglio score for males was 13 (variance 4.8) and for females, the median was 13.0 (variance of 5.1). In contrast, severity was distributed differently among unilateral versus bilateral patients. Although both unilateral and bilateral patients had a median Dimeglio score of 13, the ratio of bilateral patients was higher among those with moderate or very severe deformities compared with those with severe deformities (P<0.01). Conclusions: Although idiopathic clubfoot is commonly considered to affect male patients disproportionately, this is the first study to document no difference in severity due to sex. Further, this study demonstrated that on average, bilateral patients did not have increased severity, but presented with a larger range of severity than those patients with unilateral deformity. Level of Evidence: Level III—prognostic.
Parental Hope for Children With Advanced Cancer

BACKGROUND: Previous work suggests that parents of children with cancer can remain hopeful despite receiving prognostic information, but we know little about what hope means to such parents, or the extent to which parents can feel hopeful even while facing the child’s impending death. METHODS: We audiotaped conversations between clinicians and parents of 32 children with relapsed or refractory cancer, and then interviewed parents about their hopes and expectations for their child. RESULTS: Parent statements about prognosis in interviews mirrored those made by clinicians during discussions about the child’s diagnosis with refractory or relapsed cancer. Clinicians used language referring to hope during these conversations but did not ask parents directly about their hopes. Parents expressed a range of hopes for their children, from hopes related to cure or treatment response, to quality of life, normalcy, and love and relationships for the child. For most parents, expectations about prognosis were not aligned with their hopes for the child; for example, many parents hoped for a cure and also reported that they did not believe cure was possible. Many parents were able to acknowledge this incongruence. CONCLUSIONS: Parents accurately conveyed the reality of their child’s serious condition in the setting of advanced cancer, and yet maintained hope. Hopes were not limited to hope for cure/treatment response. Clinicians should be encouraged to engage in direct conversations about hope with parents as a means to elicit realistic hopes that can help to focus the most meaningful plans for the child and family.
Native and transformed α2‐macroglobulin in plasma from patients with multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease with unknown etiology. Various proteinases have been observed in increased levels in the central nervous system of patients with MS, which may contribute to the release of immunogenic myelin components. α2‐Macroglobulin (α2M) inhibits a broad spectrum of proteinases sterically, undergoing major conformational changes induced by the proteinases themselves. Moreover, α2M acts as a carrier of several cytokines in the systemic circulation. By use of radial immunodiffusion, we determined the total α2M levels in plasma from 28 MS patients and 15 control subjects [14 patients with other neurologic diseases (OND) and one healthy individual]. No significant differences in total α2M concentration were observed between the MS patients and the control subjects. A comparison of the degree of α2M transformation in MS patients with different disease courses and controls was performed, using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for binding to native and transformed α2M, respectively. The fractions of transformed α2M were significantly increased in patients with secondary or primary progressive disease course compared with the controls. No significant differences were obtained using a native‐specific mAb. At least a major proportion of α2M from the MS patients was able to change conformation from its native to its transformed state, as demonstrated by a shift in mAb reactivity, following methylamine treatment of the plasma samples. In conclusion, the results indicate that plasma α2M may be inactivated at a higher degree in patients with chronic progressive MS compared with patients with OND. This may influence the levels of proteinases and cytokines in the systemic circulation and may furthermore have diagnostic implications.
ISOLATED WORDS RECOGNITION USING MFCC, LPC AND NEURAL NETWORK

Automatic speech recognition is an important topic of speech processing. This paper presents the use of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for isolated word recognition. The Pre-processing is done and voiced speech is detected based on energy and zero crossing rates (ZCR). The proposed approach used in speech recognition is Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) and combine features of both MFCC and Linear Predictive Coding (LPC). The back-propagation is used as a classifier. The recognition accuracy is increased when combine features of both LPC and MFCC are used as compared to only MFCC approach using Neural Network as a classifier.
Community-Based Study of the Association of High Myopia in Children with Ocular and Systemic Disease

Purpose. High myopia in childhood is associated with important ocular and systemic conditions. However in the UK, high myopia in early childhood is not specifically identified in current ophthalmology, optometry, or orthoptic protocols for screening, referral, or investigation. An ongoing study in the West Midlands, UK, is investigating high myopia presenting to community health care clinics with the aim of compiling guidelines for assessment and subsequent referral. Methods. Children with high myopia were identified from community optometric and orthoptic sources and invited for an ophthalmology and optometry examination to ascertain possible ocular or systemic disease. Results. High myopia with no associated ocular or systemic condition was present in 15 (56%) of the children. In seven children (25%), associated ocular problems were found including unrecognized retinal dystrophies and amblyopia. Systemic disorders associated with high myopia were found in five children (19%) and included Sticklers syndrome, Weill-Marchesani syndrome, and homocystinuria. In one child, the diagnosis made before this study was found to be incorrect, and in another child, the results were inconclusive. In two cases, the diagnosis of a systemic condition in the child led to the identification of the disease in at least one relative. Conclusions. There is a high prevalence of ocular and systemic abnormality in young children seen in the community. Optometric and ophthalmologic assessment of children less than 10 years with myopia ≥5 D is likely to identify significant ocular or systemic disease, a proportion of which will respond to medical intervention. Detection and prompt referral of these cases by community health care services may be expected to prolong vision and possibly life expectancy.
Retention in Continuous Care and Sustained Viral Suppression

Objectives: To examine the relationship between retention in continuous care and sustained viral suppression. Methods: The authors retrospectively followed 653 persons who were virally suppressed and seeking care at an infectious disease clinic in Kentucky for an average of 6 years to determine the rates of retention in medical care (≥2 visits separated by ≥3 months within a 12-month period) and sustained viral suppression (<400 copies/mL). A generalized linear mixed model was used to determine an association between retention and suppression over time. Results: Approximately 61% of the study population were retained in continuous care and 75% had sustained viral suppression for all patient-years. Persons retained in care were 3 times the odds of sustaining viral suppression over time (P < .001). Conclusion: Retention is essential to achieving and maintaining viral suppression. Strategies should be set in place that emphasize increasing the rates of retention, which in turn may increase the rates of suppression.