Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CT colonography without cathartic preparation: feasibility study.

PURPOSE To evaluate methods for contrast material labeling of stool in the unprepared colon for computed tomographic (CT) colonography and to determine their sensitivity for polyp detection. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-six patients with suspected or known polyps were assigned to five groups. Two to seven doses of 225 mL of dilute contrast material were orally administered during 24 or 48 hours. Transverse CT images were assessed for effectiveness of stool labeling. Colonoscopy was performed in all patients and was the standard. Two radiologists blinded to prior imaging and colonoscopic results assessed polyp detection. RESULTS For each group, average stool labeling scores and ranges were as follows: 24 hour two dose, 16% and 8%-21%; 24 hour five dose, 53% and 27%-66%; 48 hour four dose, 38% and 22%-48%; 48 hour six dose, 68% and 54%-77%; and 48 hour seven dose, 88% and 75%-98%. Sensitivity for the two radiologists for the identification of patients with polyps 1 cm or larger for each group was as follows: 24 hour two dose, 50% and 67%; 24 hour five dose, 100% and 100%; 48 hour four dose, 58% and 75%; 48 hour six dose, 56% and 67%; and 48 hour seven dose, 100% and 80%. CONCLUSION Ingestion of contrast material adequately labels stool for lesion identification; a 48-hour lead time and multiple doses of contrast material are required. Sensitivity for polyp detection in patients with adequate stool labeling approaches the sensitivity for polyp detection in prepared colons.
Cationicity Enhancement on the Hydrophilic Face of Ctriporin Significantly Reduces Its Hemolytic Activity and Improves the Antimicrobial Activity against Antibiotic-Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens

The ESKAPE pathogen-associated antimicrobial resistance is a global public health issue, and novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. The short cationic antimicrobial peptide (AMP) family represents an important subfamily of scorpion-derived AMPs, but high hemolysis and poor antimicrobial activity hinder their therapeutic application. Here, we recomposed the hydrophilic face of Ctriporin through lysine substitution. We observed non-linear correlations between the physiochemical properties of the peptides and their activities, and significant deviations regarding the changes of antimicrobial activities against different bacterial species, as well as hemolytic activity. Most importantly, we obtained two Ctriporin analogs, CM5 and CM6, these two have significantly reduced hemolytic activity and more potent antimicrobial activities against all tested antibiotic-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Fluorescence experiments indicated they may perform the bactericidal function through a membrane-lytic action model. Our work sheds light on the potential of CM5 and CM6 in developing novel antimicrobials and gives clues for optimizing peptides from the short cationic AMP family.
Effects of Endurance Training on Blood Pressure, Blood Pressure–Regulating Mechanisms, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Previous meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials on the effects of chronic dynamic aerobic endurance training on blood pressure reported on resting blood pressure only. Our aim was to perform a comprehensive meta-analysis including resting and ambulatory blood pressure, blood pressure–regulating mechanisms, and concomitant cardiovascular risk factors. Inclusion criteria of studies were: random allocation to intervention and control; endurance training as the sole intervention; inclusion of healthy sedentary normotensive or hypertensive adults; intervention duration of ≥4 weeks; availability of systolic or diastolic blood pressure; and publication in a peer-reviewed journal up to December 2003. The meta-analysis involved 72 trials, 105 study groups, and 3936 participants. After weighting for the number of trained participants and using a random-effects model, training induced significant net reductions of resting and daytime ambulatory blood pressure of, respectively, 3.0/2.4 mm Hg (P<0.001) and 3.3/3.5 mm Hg (P<0.01). The reduction of resting blood pressure was more pronounced in the 30 hypertensive study groups (−6.9/−4.9) than in the others (−1.9/−1.6; P<0.001 for all). Systemic vascular resistance decreased by 7.1% (P<0.05), plasma norepinephrine by 29% (P<0.001), and plasma renin activity by 20% (P<0.05). Body weight decreased by 1.2 kg (P<0.001), waist circumference by 2.8 cm (P<0.001), percent body fat by 1.4% (P<0.001), and the homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance by 0.31 U (P<0.01); HDL cholesterol increased by 0.032 mmol/L−1 (P<0.05). In conclusion, aerobic endurance training decreases blood pressure through a reduction of vascular resistance, in which the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin system appear to be involved, and favorably affects concomitant cardiovascular risk factors.
Finite-Element Calculation of the SSFR of Synchronous Machines

In this paper different finite-element (FE) techniques are effectively combined to obtain the standstill frequency response of synchronous machines. As a result, actual risky and high cost tests can be largely avoided. Lagrange multipliers are employed to joint two FE meshes of different densities at the air gap region. Explicit consideration of the external circuitry connected to the machine is performed through a simultaneous and effective solving of the field and circuit equations
Anxiety, stress, and quality of life among Iraqi refugees in Jordan: A cross sectional survey

This study was conducted to identify the predictors, levels, and prevalence of anxiety and stress and to assess the relationship between these factors and quality of life in recently displaced Iraqis. A cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample of 171 Iraqi refugees was recruited. The results indicated that more than half of the sample suffered from high anxiety levels, while 42.8% reported high stress. The regression model explained 46.3% of the variance in levels of quality of life. Unemployment, fewer than three family members, and high anxiety significantly predicted low-level quality of life. These three predictors need to be taken into consideration when developing health-related interventions to improve the quality of life of Iraqi refugees.
Cost analysis of artificial and natural oak regeneration in selected forest districts

Abstract The aim of the paper is to present the results of a cost analysis for artificial and natural oak regeneration in selected forest districts in Poland. This research was conducted in six forest districts with a high share of natural oak regeneration, located in south-western and central Poland. Altogether 65 plots with artificial and 35 plots with natural regeneration were analysed based on the extent of silvicultural (weeding, blank-filling and pre-commercial thinning) and protective measures (chemical and mechanical wildlife damage control, fencing) performed on the regenerated areas for the six years following forest regeneration. An intensity ratio (i.e., a proportion of the area of measures to the area of forest regeneration) as well as the mean unit costs of the measures and mean costs of the measures per hectare of forest regeneration were calculated. The results show that the total costs of silvicultural and protective measures in natural oak regeneration were considerably lower as compared to artificial regeneration. The cumulative average costs during 6 years (without costs of fencing) amounted to 1216 PLN/ ha and 6543 PLN/ha for natural and artificial regeneration respectively. Lower costs of natural oak regeneration resulted from the complete lack of expenditures on seedlings and planting, a considerably lower weeding intensity, scarce blank-filling, and the absence of mechanical wildlife damage control measures. Nonetheless, natural regeneration generated higher costs for pre-commercial thinning due to its higher intensity, earlier initiation, and higher unit costs compared to artificial regeneration, as well as chemical wildlife damage control measures, for which the unit costs were higher by over 50%. However, the higher costs of pre-commercial thinning and chemical control measures did not significantly affect the measurable financial benefits of natural regeneration. In conclusion, the matter of financial viability of natural oak regeneration should be explored in more detail over longer time spans.
‘Soft and fluffy’: Medical students’ attitudes towards psychology in medical education

Psychology is viewed by medical students in a negative light. In order to understand this phenomenon, we interviewed 19 medical students about their experiences of psychology in medical education. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Four main themes were generated: attitudes, teaching culture, curriculum factors and future career path; negative attitudes were transmitted by teachers to students and psychology was associated with students opting for a career in general practice. In summary, appreciation of psychology in medical education will only happen if all educators involved in medical education value and respect each other’s speciality and expertise.
Brk, a Breast Tumor-derived Non-receptor Protein-tyrosine Kinase, Sensitizes Mammary Epithelial Cells to Epidermal Growth Factor*

brk (breast tumor kinase) shows homology to the src family of non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinases and is expressed in breast carcinomas. In order to investigate the role of brk in breast tumor development, we have examined the growth and transformation properties of human mammary epithelial cells engineered to overexpress Brk. Interestingly, like c-Src, overexpression of Brk leads to sensitization to EGF, and also results in a partially transformed phenotype. Further investigation of the latter activity was attempted by mutational analysis, targeting key residues known to affect tyrosine kinase activity in Src-like kinases. Mutation of amino acid residue Lys-219 to Met, by analogy to Src, abolished both kinase activity and transformation capacity. Mutation of amino acid residue Tyr-447 to Phe, however, resulted in a decrease in transforming potential without affecting kinase activity. These results suggest that while Src and Brk share some functional properties, they act differently during transformation. These differences are discussed in the context of the mechanisms underlying breast cancer development.
VEGF-induced intracellular Ca2+ oscillations are down-regulated and do not stimulate angiogenesis in breast cancer-derived endothelial colony forming cells

Endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) represent a population of truly endothelial precursors that promote the angiogenic switch in solid tumors, such as breast cancer (BC). The intracellular Ca2+ toolkit, which drives the pro-angiogenic response to VEGF, is remodelled in tumor-associated ECFCs such that they are seemingly insensitive to this growth factor. This feature could underlie the relative failure of anti-VEGF therapies in cancer patients. Herein, we investigated whether and how VEGF uses Ca2+ signalling to control angiogenesis in BC-derived ECFCs (BC-ECFCs). Although VEGFR-2 was normally expressed, VEGF failed to induce proliferation and in vitro tubulogenesis in BC-ECFCs. Likewise, VEGF did not trigger robust Ca2+ oscillations in these cells. Similar to normal cells, VEGF-induced intracellular Ca2+ oscillations were triggered by inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and maintained by store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). However, InsP3-dependent Ca2+ release was significantly lower in BC-ECFCs due to the down-regulation of ER Ca2+ levels, while there was no remarkable difference in the amplitude, pharmacological profile and molecular composition of SOCE. Thus, the attenuation of the pro-angiogenic Ca2+ response to VEGF was seemingly due to the reduction in ER Ca2+ concentration, which prevents VEGF from triggering robust intracellular Ca2+ oscillations. However, the pharmacological inhibition of SOCE prevented BC-ECFC proliferation and in vitro tubulogenesis. These findings demonstrate for the first time that BC-ECFCs are insensitive to VEGF, which might explain at cellular and molecular levels the failure of anti-VEGF therapies in BC patients, and hint at SOCE as a novel molecular target for this disease.
Changes in Diastolic Time with Various Pharmacologic Agents: Implication for Myocardial Perfusion

Diastolic time (DT) is calculated as the cycle length (RR) minus electromechanical systole (QS2). The ratio of DT (RR-QS2) to RR interval times 100, or the percent diastole (%D), varies nonlinearly with heart rate (HR), increasing rapidly with decreasing HR. The effect of commonly used cardioactive agents on %D was studied in five groups of normal subjects.In group I (n = 12), propranolol (160 mg daily) increased %D from 55.9 ± 1.7 to 64.7 i 1.3 (p < 0.001) by slowing HR. In group 2 (n = 12), dobutamine (2.5 Ag/kg/min) increased %D from 56.4 i 1.4 to 61.8 1.3 (p < 0.005) by shortening the QS2. In group 3 (n = 10), Cedilanid-D (1.6 mg i.v.) increased %D from 55.5 ± I to 63.2 ± 0.7 (p < 0.001), both by slowing the HR and shortening the QS2. In group 4 (n = 12), isoproterenol (2 Ag/min) increased HR and shortened the QS2 significantly. The net result was a significant reduction of%D from 56.1 ± 1.4 to 53.5 ± 1.1, (p < 0.05). In group 5 (n = 15), a 100-mg bolus of i.v. lidocaine did not have a significant effect on %D. This study indicates that cardiovascular drugs may have significant effects on the relative duration of diastole either by affecting HR or the duration of systole. This may have clinical implications for patients with coronary artery disease and patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, since in both cases coronary flow is mostly diastolic.
Clinical correlates of histopathology in pediatric nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver disease in American children. Noninvasive means to discriminate between NAFLD and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) might diminish the requirement for liver biopsy or predict those at increased risk for progression. METHODS Data obtained prospectively from children (age, 6-17 y) enrolled in the NASH Clinical Research Network were analyzed to identify clinical-pathologic correlates of pediatric NAFLD. All participants underwent liver biopsy within 6 months of clinical data that were reviewed by a central pathology committee. RESULTS A total of 176 children (mean age, 12.4 y; 77% male) were eligible for inclusion. By using ordinal logistic regression analysis, increasing aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level (odds ratio [OR], 1.017 per U/L; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.004-1.031) and gamma-glutamyltransferase level (OR, 1.016 per U/L; 95% CI, 1.000-1.033) were associated independently with increasing severity of NASH. Increasing AST level (OR, 1.015 per U/L; 95% CI, 1.006-1.024), increasing white blood cell count (OR, 1.22 per 1000/mm(3); 95% CI, 1.07-1.38), and decreasing hematocrit (OR, 0.87 per %; 95% CI, 0.79-0.96) were associated independently with increasing severity of fibrosis. Area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for a model with AST and alanine aminotransferase was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.66-0.84) and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.63-0.85) for distinguishing steatosis from more advanced forms of NASH and bridging fibrosis from lesser degrees of fibrosis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Certain components of routine laboratory tests are predictive of NAFLD pattern and fibrosis severity, but do not have adequate discriminate power to replace liver biopsy in evaluating pediatric NAFLD.
Infectious and Commensal Bacteria in Rheumatoid Arthritis—Role in the Outset and Progression of the Disease

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, autoimmune disease with a complex outset. Besides the genetic susceptibility in its pathogenesis, various environmental factors also participate. Of these, in recent years, there have been increasing reports of the involvement of bacteria in the disease’s outset and development, especially gut microbiota and oral pathogens. Most recent reports about bacteria participation in RA pathogenesis focus on Prevotella copri and Porphyromonas gingivalis. There are also reports about the involvement of respiratory and urinary tract pathogens. The exact mechanisms leading to RA development used by bacteria are not well known; however, some mechanisms by which bacteria can interact with the immune system are known and can potentially lead to RA development. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the potential bacteria participating in RA development and the mechanism involved in that process.
The impact of total immunoglobulin E levels on outcomes of maximal medical therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis

Introduction The goal of this project was to evaluate the impact of immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels on outcomes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) who received maximal medical therapy (MMT). Study Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Thirty-eight patients who underwent MMT for CRS were assigned to three different cohorts based on their IgE levels: low IgE (<25 IU), moderate (>25 to <149 IU), and high (≥150 IU). The primary outcome evaluated was MMT failure with a surgical recommendation within each IgE cohort. Secondary outcomes included changes in pre- and post-MMT scores for the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index, Chronic Sinusitis Survey, and computed tomography-based Lund-Mackay evaluation. The cohorts were substratified based on the presence of nasal polyps and nasal allergies. Results No significant difference was found when MMT failure was compared between the cohorts in terms of quality of life. When substratified based on the presence of nasal polyps and nasal allergies, there was no significant difference between the cohorts. In the high-IgE cohort, all patients regardless of presence of nasal polyps and nasal allergic disease, frequently failed MMT and were recommended for surgery. Conclusions Overall, IgE levels did not seem to have a significant effect on the quality of life or outcomes of MMT in the patients with CRS. However, the presence of nasal allergies regardless of IgE levels seemed to result in more frequent recommendations for surgery after MMT. In the patients with higher-IgE levels (≥150 IU), MMT seemed to fail at high rates with or without the presence of polyps or allergic disease.
An Extensive Investigation into the Use of Machine Learning Tools and Deep Neural Networks for the Recognition of Skin Cancer: Challenges, Future Directions, and a Comprehensive Review

Skin cancer poses a serious risk to one’s health and can only be effectively treated with early detection. Early identification is critical since skin cancer has a higher fatality rate, and it expands gradually to different areas of the body. The rapid growth of automated diagnosis frameworks has led to the combination of diverse machine learning, deep learning, and computer vision algorithms for detecting clinical samples and atypical skin lesion specimens. Automated methods for recognizing skin cancer that use deep learning techniques are discussed in this article: convolutional neural networks, and, in general, artificial neural networks. The recognition of symmetries is a key point in dealing with the skin cancer image datasets; hence, in developing the appropriate architecture of neural networks, as it can improve the performance and release capacities of the network. The current study emphasizes the need for an automated method to identify skin lesions to reduce the amount of time and effort required for the diagnostic process, as well as the novel aspect of using algorithms based on deep learning for skin lesion detection. The analysis concludes with underlying research directions for the future, which will assist in better addressing the difficulties encountered in human skin cancer recognition. By highlighting the drawbacks and advantages of prior techniques, the authors hope to establish a standard for future analysis in the domain of human skin lesion diagnostics.
DRUM MUSIC TRANSCRIPTION USING PRIOR SUBSPACE ANALYSIS AND PATTERN RECOGNITION

Polyphonic music transcription has been an active field of research for several decades, with significant progress in past few years. In the specific case of automatic drum music transcription, several approaches have been proposed, some of which based on feature analysis, source separation and template matching. In this paper we propose an approach that incorporates some simple rules of music theory with the goal of improving the performance of conventional low-level drum transcription methods. In particular, we use Prior Subspace Analysis for early drum transcription, and we statistically process its output in order to recognize drum patterns and perform error correction. Experiments on polyphonic popular recordings showed that the proposed method improved the transcription accuracy of the original transcription results from 75% to over 90%.
A Reliable MAC for Energy-Efficient WSNs in the Era of IoT

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are gaining in importance with an increasing need for interconnectivity in the advent of Internet of Things. In some application scenarios, such as building and home automation, WSNs need to comply with deadlines and guarantee a reliable communication, for which a suitable MAC (Medium Access Control) is of paramount importance. However, existing approaches from the literature are either unable to provide such guarantees (e.g., CSMA) or they incur too much energy consumption (e.g., TDMA). To overcome this problem, we propose a MAC technique that guarantees reliability requirements while fulfilling a maximum delay constraint or deadline. We perform a large set of experiments based on detailed simulations with OMNeT++ showing that our technique is energy-efficient and significantly outperforms standard MAC approaches such as CSMA and TDMA.
RMTP: a reliable multicast transport protocol

This paper describes the design and implementation of a multi-cast transport protocol called RMTP. RMTP provides sequenced, lossless delivery of bulk data from one sender to a group of receivers. RMTP achieves reliability by using a packet-based selective repeat retransmission scheme, in which each acknowledgment (ACK) packet carries a sequence number and a bitmap. ACK handling is based on a multi-level hierarchical approach, in which the receivers are grouped into a hierarchy of local regions, with a designated receiver (DR) in each local region. Receivers in each local region periodically send ACKs to their corresponding DR, DRs send ACKs to the higher-level DRs, until the DRs in the highest level send ACKs to the sender, thereby avoiding the ACK-implosion problem. DRs cache received data and respond to retransmission requests of the receivers in their corresponding local regions, thereby decreasing end-to-end latency and improving resource usage. This paper also provides the measurements of RMTP's performance with receivers located at various sites in the Internet.
Bone Regeneration Using Bone Morphogenetic Proteins and Various Biomaterial Carriers

Trauma and disease frequently result in fractures or critical sized bone defects and their management at times necessitates bone grafting. The process of bone healing or regeneration involves intricate network of molecules including bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). BMPs belong to a larger superfamily of proteins and are very promising and intensively studied for in the enhancement of bone healing. More than 20 types of BMPs have been identified but only a subset of BMPs can induce de novo bone formation. Many research groups have shown that BMPs can induce differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and stem cells into osteogenic cells which are capable of producing bone. This review introduces BMPs and discusses current advances in preclinical and clinical application of utilizing various biomaterial carriers for local delivery of BMPs to enhance bone regeneration.