Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statistical label fusion with hierarchical performance models

Label fusion is a critical step in many image segmentation frameworks (e.g., multi-atlas segmentation) as it provides a mechanism for generalizing a collection of labeled examples into a single estimate of the underlying segmentation. In the multi-label case, typical label fusion algorithms treat all labels equally – fully neglecting the known, yet complex, anatomical relationships exhibited in the data. To address this problem, we propose a generalized statistical fusion framework using hierarchical models of rater performance. Building on the seminal work in statistical fusion, we reformulate the traditional rater performance model from a multi-tiered hierarchical perspective. This new approach provides a natural framework for leveraging known anatomical relationships and accurately modeling the types of errors that raters (or atlases) make within a hierarchically consistent formulation. Herein, we describe several contributions. First, we derive a theoretical advancement to the statistical fusion framework that enables the simultaneous estimation of multiple (hierarchical) performance models within the statistical fusion context. Second, we demonstrate that the proposed hierarchical formulation is highly amenable to the state-of-the-art advancements that have been made to the statistical fusion framework. Lastly, in an empirical whole-brain segmentation task we demonstrate substantial qualitative and significant quantitative improvement in overall segmentation accuracy.
Influencing public school policy in the United States: the role of large-scale assessments

Abstract The authors review the influence of state, national and international large-scale assessments (LSAs) on education policy and research. They distinguish between two main uses of LSAs: as a means for conducting research that informs educational reform and LSAs as a tool for implementing standards and enforcing accountability. The authors discuss the influence of the international TIMSS study on US mathematics standards and the development of the Common Core as an example of LSA’s potential for research-based reform. They also examine how the controversy over using assessments to evaluate teacher performance suggests some of the problems with using LSAs as a lever for policy. They conclude by suggesting that the ‘assessment to inform policy’ model may be more promising (and yield greater long-term fruits) than an ‘assessment as policy’ model.
3D MRI in multiple sclerosis: a study of three sequences at 3 T.

The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of using 3D acquisition at 3 T for imaging patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Feasibility was assessed by three criteria based on acquisition time, specific absorption rate (SAR) and image quality. 47 patients with clinically definite MS underwent imaging in a Siemens 3T Trio MR scanner. Patient safety data were obtained following the scan sessions. The study had local ethics approval. The following three-dimensional (3D) sequences, all acquired coronally, were used: T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) (repetition time (TR) 6000 ms, echo time (TE) 353 ms, inversion time (TI) 2200 ms), 0.5x0. 5x1 mm voxels, acquisition time 10 min 38 s; T2 turbo spin echo (TSE) (TR 3000 ms, TE 354 ms), 1x1x1 mm voxels, acquisition time 8 min 29 s; T1 inversion recovery (IR) (TR 2040 ms, TE 5.56 ms, TI 1100 ms), matrix 512x448 (0.5x0.5 mm pixels), 0.5x0. 5x1 mm voxels, acquisition time 7 min 38 s. Total acquisition time was 26 min 45 s. Example images are presented. 3D scanning at 3 T provides highly detailed, high quality images with acquisition times tolerated by MS patients, even by those with severe disability. The volumetric data are suitable for a wide variety of post-processing techniques; the authors suggest that 3D studies at 3 T should be considered as the possible brain imaging protocol for either cross-sectional or longitudinal studies in MS and that the 3D T2 FLAIR sequence should be considered for the purposes of radiological diagnosis.
Comparison of a bioimpedance monitor with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry for noninvasive estimation of percentage body fat in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To assess performance of a portable bioimpedance monitor for measurement of body composition in dogs. ANIMALS 24 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES Percentage body fat was measured via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and with a portable bioimpedance monitor, and body condition score (BCS) was measured by use of a 9-integer scale. RESULTS Although the precision of the bioimpedance monitor was good, this varied among dogs. Body position (standing vs sternal) had no effect on bioimpedance results. There was a significant association between results determined via DEXA and bioimpedance, but this association was weaker than between DEXA and BCS. When agreement was assessed via Bland-Altman plot, the bioimpedance monitor under- and overestimated values at high and low body fat percentages, respectively. In 9 dogs, body fat measurements were taken before and after weight loss to determine the proportional loss of tissue mass during weight management. There was a significant difference in the estimated percentage of weight lost as fat between the DEXA and bioimpedance methods. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Although percentage body fat measured by use of a portable bioimpedance monitor correlated well with values determined via DEXA, the imprecision and inaccuracy in dogs with high percentage body fat could make the monitor inappropriate for clinical practice.
Sizing and grid impact of PV battery systems - a comparative analysis for Australia and Germany

As the business case for home-scale PV battery systems emerges in Australia and Germany, the impact of different pricing schemes and grid integration approaches on the sizing and operation of such systems and on distribution grids has to be evaluated. This paper proposes an integrated approach which first derives optimally configured PV and battery systems using a mixed integer linear program and subsequently assesses their impact on grid planning aspects such as peak feed-in and peak load for an Australian and a German case study. The results show that small scale PV battery systems will be an economically viable option in the near future in Australia. A reduction in peak load is achievable in the presented example as well. In Germany, stand-alone PV systems will provide the economically more favorable option under current battery prices. For lower battery prices a high increase in installation rates can be expected. Depending on the control strategy, battery systems are able to significantly reduce PV peaks in Germany. For distribution grid operators estimations on the average peak reduction per installed PV battery are presented.
Highly Linear Broadband Photonic-Assisted Q-Band ADC

A highly linear broadband photonic-assisted analog-to-digital converter (ADC) based on high-frequency optical sampling utilizing a dual output Mach-Zehnder modulator operating with signal frequencies up to 50 GHz is presented. The pulses employed in the optical sampling were generated by a cavity-less pulse source operated at 10 GHz in preference to conventional mode-locked lasers. The optical sampling front-end greatly extends the operational frequency range of the Nyquist limited electronic digitization back-end. The performance of the sampling system is characterized with 7.1 effective number of bits (ENOBs) at 40 with 5 GHz fully accessible bandwidth, and greater than 99 dB·Hz2/3 spurious free dynamic range for the 30-40 GHz frequency range. Furthermore, more than 8 ENOB was achieved by reducing the effective bandwidth to 1 GHz with a digital filter, demonstrating the additional advantage of using a higher sampling rate compared to previous demonstrations. A new figure of merit of photonic-assisted sub-sampled ADCs is also presented accompanied with a comparison to previous implementations.
Precision improvement of ranked text retrieval using keyword weighting on paragraph vector

The needs to find and retrieve relevant material in order to satisfy information needs from a collection of documents increase rapidly. Some institutions need to find and retrieve documents from stored previous documents to solve problems. An approach method can be applied to retrieve relevant documents from a set of document is Paragraph Vector. This method calculates documents similarity based on two unique vectors of a document and uses the similarity to rank the relevant retrieved documents. For increase document ranking, term weighting can be combined within Paragraph Vector to make meaningful words such as keywords became a higher priority in process of retrieval. The proposed method combines weighting of keywords with Paragraph Vector to improve similarity between documents based on the frequency of keyword occurrence.
The relationship between 18F-FDG metabolic volumetric parameters and clinicopathological factors of breast cancer

ObjectivesThis study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose metabolic parameters [maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG)] and clinicopathological factors of breast cancer. MethodsThe study comprised 93 patients. A volumetric region of interest was drawn over the abnormal focal uptake of breast cancer. Spearman’s rank correlation, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and receiver operating characteristic analysis were used to investigate the relationship between clinicopathological factors and metabolic parameters and determine which metabolic parameters were most highly associated with clinicopathological factors. ResultsAll parameters had a statistically significant relationship with pathological T stage (p-T stage), pathological N status (p-N status), pathological stage (p-stage), and triple-negative type (TN) (all P values were <0.05). There were statistically significant differences between SUVmax and TLG in relation to lymphatic invasion, estrogen receptor, and nuclear grade (P<0.05). High MTV showed a tendency toward association with estrogen receptor negativity, but the relation did not reach the level of statistical significance (P=0.056). No statistically significant relationship was observed between MTV and lymphatic invasion or nuclear grade. In the receiver operating characteristic analysis of p-T stage and p-stage, the AUC for TLG was significantly larger than that for SUVmax (P=0.0003 and 0.048, respectively). There were marginally significant differences between TLG and MTV in relation to p-stage (P=0.058). ConclusionTLG may reflect tumor metabolism for clinicopathological factors of breast cancer better than SUVmax or MTV.
When Minimal Detectable Change Exceeds a Diagnostic Test–Based Threshold Change Value for an Outcome Measure: Resolving the Conflict

Assessing patient progress is an integral part of physical therapist practice. In an attempt to assist clinical decision making regarding a patient's change status, researchers have offered study-based threshold change values. Often researchers have provided reliability and diagnostic test–based estimates of threshold change values obtained from the same patient sample. A potential dilemma occurs when the reliability (ie, the minimal detectable change [MDC])–based threshold change value exceeds the diagnostic test–based threshold value. How can a change be detected if the threshold change value falls within the limits of error? In this situation, researchers have recommended using the larger MDC threshold change value. In this perspective article, we describe the interpretation of the threshold values provided by each of these estimation methods and consider which one offers information that is more meaningful to the challenge faced by physical therapists when making decisions concerning the change status of patients. The context for our discussion is a clinical vignette that depicts the dilemma outlined above. We conclude this perspective with suggestions for researchers concerning essential information to include when reporting threshold estimates obtained from reliability–based and diagnostic test–based studies of outcome measures.
The NEAT Predictive Model for Survival in Patients with Advanced Cancer

Purpose We previously developed a model to more accurately predict life expectancy for stage IV cancer patients referred to radiation oncology. The goals of this study are to validate this model and to compare competing published models. Materials and Methods From May 2012 to March 2015, 280 consecutive patientswith stage IV cancerwere prospectively evaluated by a single radiation oncologist. Patients were separated into training, validation and combined sets. TheNEAT model evaluated number of active tumors (“N”), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (“E”), albumin (“A”) and primary tumor site (“T”). The Odette Cancer Center model validated performance status, bone only metastases and primary tumor site. The Harvard TEACHH model investigated primary tumor type, performance status, age, prior chemotherapy courses, liver metastases, and hospitalization within 3 months. Cox multivariable analyses and logisticalregressionwere utilized to compare model performance. Results Number of active tumors, performance status, albumin, primary tumor site, prior hospitalizationwithin the last 3 months, and liver metastases predicted overall survival on uinvariate and multivariable analysis (p < 0.05 for all). The NEAT model separated patients into four prognostic groups with median survivals of 24.9, 14.8, 4.0, and 1.2 months, respectively (p < 0.001). The NEAT model had a C-index of 0.76 with a Nagelkerke’s R2 of 0.54 suggesting good discrimination, calibration and total performance compared to competing prognostic models. Conclusion The NEAT model warrants further investigation as a clinically useful approach to predict survival in patients with stage IV cancer.
Heterogeneity of Postsynaptic Receptor Occupancy Fluctuations among Glycinergic Inhibitory Synapses in the Zebrafish Hindbrain

The amplitude of glycinergic miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) varies considerably in neurons recorded in the isolated hindbrain of 50‐h‐old zebrafish larvae. At this age, glycinergic synapses are functionally mature. In order to measure the occupancy level of postsynaptic glycine receptors (GlyRs) and to determine the pre‐ and/or postsynaptic origin of its variability, we analysed mIPSCs within bursts evoked by α‐latrotoxin (0.1–1 nm). Two types of burst were observed according to their mIPSC frequencies: ‘slow’ bursts with clearly spaced mIPSCs and ‘fast’ bursts characterised by superimposed events. Non‐stationary noise analysis of mIPSCs in some ‘slow’ bursts recorded in the presence or in the absence of Ca2+ denoted that mIPSC amplitude variance did not depend on the quantity of neurotransmitters released (presynaptic origin), but rather on intrinsic stochastic behaviour of the same group of GlyRs (postsynaptic origin). In these bursts, the open probability measured at the peak of the mIPSCs was close to 0.5 while the maximum open probability is close to 0.9 for the synaptic isoform of GlyRs (heteromeric α1/β GlyRs). In ‘fast’ bursts with superimposed events, a correlation was found between the amplitude of mIPSCs and the basal current level measured at their onset, which could suggest that the same group of GlyRs is activated during such bursts. Altogether, our results indicate that glycine synapses can display different release modes in the presence of α‐latrotoxin. They also indicate that, in our model, postsynaptic GlyRs cannot be saturated by the release of a single vesicle.
Maintaining the Fast Updated FP-tree from Modified Records Based on Pre-large Itemsets

In this paper, maintenance based we modify the FUFP-tree on the concept of pre-large itemsets for efficiently handling record modification. The proposed approach can achieve a good execution time for tree maintenance especially when each time a small number of records are modified. Experimental results show that the proposed pre-FUFP modification algorithm has a good performance for handling updated records and generate nearly the same tree structure as the original FP tree algorithm.
Trimeric G Proteins Control Regulated Exocytosis in Bovine Chromaffin Cells: Sequential Involvement of Go Associated With Secretory Granules and Gi3 Bound to the Plasma Membrane

Regulated secretion requires both calcium and MgATP. Studies in diverse secretory systems indicate that ATP is required to prime the exocytotic apparatus whereas Ca2+ triggers the final ATP‐independent fusion event. In this paper, we examine the possible role of trimeric G proteins in these two steps of exocytosis in chromaffin cells. We show that in the presence of low concentrations of Mg2+, mastoparan selectively stimulates G proteins associated with purified chromaffin granule membranes. Under similar conditions in permeabilized chromaffin cells, mastoparan inhibits ATP‐dependent secretion but is unable to trigger ATP‐independent release. This inhibitory effect of mastoparan on secretion was specifically reversed by anti‐Gαo antibodies and a synthetic peptide corresponding to the carboxyl terminus of Gαo. In contrast, mastoparan required millimolar Mg2+ for the activation of plasma membrane‐bound G proteins and stimulation of ATP‐independent secretion in permeabilized chromaffin cells. The latter effect was completely inhibited by anti‐Gαi3 antibodies and a synthetic peptide corresponding to the carboxyl terminus of Gαi3. By confocal immunofluorescence and immunoreplica analysis, we provide evidence that in chromaffin cells Go is preferentially associated with secretory granules, while Gi3 is essentially present on the plasma membrane. Our findings suggest that these two trimeric G proteins act in series in the exocytotic pathway in chromaffin cells: a secretory granule‐associated Go protein controls the ATP‐dependent priming reaction, whereas a plasma membrane‐bound Gi3 protein is involved in the late calcium‐dependent fusion step, which does not require ATP.
Effects of a 4‐week freshwater fish (Trout) diet on platelet aggregation, platelet fatty acids, serum lipids, and coagulation factors

Eight healthy subjects consumed a diet in which all animal products were replaced by 750 g/day of freshwater trout. Platelet eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) as a percentage of total platelet fatty acids rose from a prediet level of 0.2±0.4% to 3.4±1.6% after 4 weeks on the diet. Platelet arachidonic acid remained unchanged. Platelets became more hyperaggregable to collagen (p<0.025) but became hypoaggregable to arachidonic acid (p< 0.05). The Ivy bleeding time became prolonged rising from a mean of 148 seconds before the diet to 168 seconds at 2 weeks and 202 seconds at 4 weeks. Serum lipids, coagulation profiles, and blood pressure remained unchanged. The changes induced by this diet were much less marked than changes induced by marine fish diets and diets supplemented by marine fish oil extracts, despite the fact that an equivalent amount of EPA was consumed and incorporated into platelets. These findings suggest that other substances, in addition to n‐3 unsaturated fatty acids, may be responsible for the antithrombotic properties of marine fish.
Sickle Cell Trait as a Limiting Factor for High-Level Performance in a Semi-Marathon

Of 1506 black males participating in the first Abidjan semi-marathon, 123 subjects with sickle cell trait (SCT) were detected, i.e., 8.7%. Twenty-nine of these subjects with hemoglobin S (HbS) were ranked among the first 332 participants to finish the race, a percentage of 8.2. These percentages did not significantly differ from the prevalence of SCT observed in the general Ivory Coast population (12.0%). Only one subject with SCT was found among the 22 internationally-ranked athletes. The concentration of HbS found in this athlete (37.7%), his mean globular volume (87 fl), and his hemoglobin concentration (13.8 g/100 ml) suggest the coexistence of alpha-thalassemia with SCT. These results indicate that the percentage of SCT individuals participating in a semi-marathon is equal to the prevalence of SCT found in the local population. Furthermore, the general ranking of SCT individuals is comparable to that of non-SCT individuals. Nevertheless, at the level of internationally-ranked performance, no subject with SCT only, was ranked; the one ranked subject with SCT presented an associated alpha thalassemia. We thus hypothesize that SCT may be a limiting factor for high level performance in a semi-marathon and alpha-thalassemia, an enhancing factor for subjects with SCT to succeed in long distance races.
Imploding$Z$-Pinch Plasmas Formed From a Carbon Fiber

Z-pinch experiments, which are formed from a 15-mum diameter carbon fiber in a vacuum, were conducted using a simple capacitor bank. After the breakdown, a low-density coronal plasma was formed while the fiber diameter remained almost unchanged. This low-density corona (ion density of about 1016 cm-3) was carrying almost all the current of the order of 10 kA. When the current had built up, i.e., after about 150 ns, the implosion of the corona onto the central fiber occurred. The implosion velocity approached the value of 2middot105 m/s. When the imploded corona had reached the fiber, the dip in dI/dt, a voltage peak up to 10 kV and an extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) pulse of a 10-30-ns width were observed. XUV radiation was emitted from several bright spots, which corresponded to the interaction of m=0 instability necks with the dense core. The electron temperature and density were approximately 80 eV and 1019 cm-3, respectively. Although the presence of a fiber did not significantly suppress MHD instabilities, they were not disruptive. After the fiber ablation, i.e., after 500 ns, the material evaporated from the electrodes started to play a dominant role. When MHD instabilities had developed in the imploding plasma column, XUV, soft X-ray, and hard X-ray pulses were emitted from several bright spots, particularly near the anode. At that time, the voltage peak of up to 30 kV was detected. The measurement of voltage and current enabled the determination of a plasma resistance and the energetics of the Z-pinch
Industrial yeasts display tandem gene iteration at the CUP1 region

The gene copy number at the CUP1 locus and the resistance level to external copper was directly correlated in five wild-type commercial Saccharomyces strains. An increased copy number of the CUP1 gene leads to increased accumulation of chelatin mRNA, which codes for a low-molecular-weight, copper-binding protein. The enhanced production of this rapidly inducible protein mediates resistance of the cell to copper. Industrial yeasts exhibit homologies to the amplified copper resistance repeat unit found in laboratory strains. However, the extent of tandem iteration is strain dependent, and the repetitious unit is either 1.7 or 1.5 kilobases in length compared with the 2.0-kilobase unit in laboratory strains. Strain 522 (Montrachet) contains two chromosome VIII segments distinguishable by their numbers of repeat units (2 and 11) and the size of the units (1.5 and 1.7 kilobases). Distillers yeast 513 carries a 1.5-kilobase repeat unit on each homologous chromosome, although they contain nine and five iterations, respectively.