Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-assessed performance improves statistical fusion of image labels.

PURPOSE Expert manual labeling is the gold standard for image segmentation, but this process is difficult, time-consuming, and prone to inter-individual differences. While fully automated methods have successfully targeted many anatomies, automated methods have not yet been developed for numerous essential structures (e.g., the internal structure of the spinal cord as seen on magnetic resonance imaging). Collaborative labeling is a new paradigm that offers a robust alternative that may realize both the throughput of automation and the guidance of experts. Yet, distributing manual labeling expertise across individuals and sites introduces potential human factors concerns (e.g., training, software usability) and statistical considerations (e.g., fusion of information, assessment of confidence, bias) that must be further explored. During the labeling process, it is simple to ask raters to self-assess the confidence of their labels, but this is rarely done and has not been previously quantitatively studied. Herein, the authors explore the utility of self-assessment in relation to automated assessment of rater performance in the context of statistical fusion. METHODS The authors conducted a study of 66 volumes manually labeled by 75 minimally trained human raters recruited from the university undergraduate population. Raters were given 15 min of training during which they were shown examples of correct segmentation, and the online segmentation tool was demonstrated. The volumes were labeled 2D slice-wise, and the slices were unordered. A self-assessed quality metric was produced by raters for each slice by marking a confidence bar superimposed on the slice. Volumes produced by both voting and statistical fusion algorithms were compared against a set of expert segmentations of the same volumes. RESULTS Labels for 8825 distinct slices were obtained. Simple majority voting resulted in statistically poorer performance than voting weighted by self-assessed performance. Statistical fusion resulted in statistically indistinguishable performance from self-assessed weighted voting. The authors developed a new theoretical basis for using self-assessed performance in the framework of statistical fusion and demonstrated that the combined sources of information (both statistical assessment and self-assessment) yielded statistically significant improvement over the methods considered separately. CONCLUSIONS The authors present the first systematic characterization of self-assessed performance in manual labeling. The authors demonstrate that self-assessment and statistical fusion yield similar, but complementary, benefits for label fusion. Finally, the authors present a new theoretical basis for combining self-assessments with statistical label fusion.
Conidial Viability Assay for Rapid Susceptibility Testing of Aspergillus Species

ABSTRACT Antifungal susceptibility testing of filamentous fungi has become more important given the recognition of drug-resistant organisms and the availability of therapies other than amphotericin B (AMB). As current microdilution and E-test methods are limited by a 2 to 3 day incubation time required to obtain results, a more rapid method for susceptibility testing of fungi is needed. We report here a flow cytometric assay that relies on conidial metabolism of the viability dye FUN-1. Conidia are incubated in media containing increasing concentrations of AMB for 3 h, exposed to FUN-1, and then analyzed by flow cytometry. Relative susceptibility to AMB can be measured both by forward and side scatter characteristics of the conidial population and by mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of the dye. MIC, calculated as the concentration of AMB to yield 90% reduction in MFI relative to growth controls, was determined for 27 clinical isolates Aspergillus species and correlated well with the standard (i.e., NCCLS) method. The results of these studies illustrate a method by which AMB susceptibility can be rapidly and reproducibly determined by measuring conidial viability.
Direct Analysis of the Dynamics of the Intestinal Mucosa CD8 T Cell Response to Systemic Virus Infection1

The CD8 T cell response to vesicular stomatitis virus infection was characterized in the spleen and intestinal mucosa using MHC tetramers. Surprisingly, the primary response persisted in the lamina propria long after the splenic response had declined. Furthermore, the response was characterized by a protracted effector phase in which cytolytic activity in the lamina propria, but not in the spleen, was maintained. The appearance of Ag-specific cells in the intestinal mucosa was largely, though not exclusively, a result of β7 integrin-mediated migration. Infection with Listeria monocytogenes or with vaccinia virus also led to sustained mucosal responses. After reinfection of vesicular stomatitis virus-primed mice with a serotypically distinct virus, a sustained recall response was detected in all tissues. In CD40−/− mice, the mucosal, but not the splenic, response was compromised, resulting in diminished mucosal memory. The recall response was CD40 independent and correlated with memory levels, indicating that the mucosal and systemic responses operated independently. These findings illustrated the integrated yet distinct nature of systemic vs mucosal immune responses.
Hfq Is a Regulator of F-Plasmid TraJ and TraM Synthesis in Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT The F plasmid of Escherichia coli allows horizontal DNA transfer between an F+ donor cell and an F− recipient. Expression of the transfer genes is tightly controlled by a number of factors, including the following plasmid-encoded regulatory proteins: TraJ, the primary activator of the 33-kb tra operon, and the autoregulators TraM and TraY. Here, we demonstrate that the host RNA binding protein, Hfq, represses TraJ and TraM synthesis by destabilizing their respective mRNAs. Mating assays and immunoblot analyses for TraM and TraJ showed that transfer efficiency and protein levels increased in host cells containing a disruption in hfq compared to wild-type cells in stationary phase. The stability of transcripts containing a putative Hfq binding site located in the intergenic untranslated region between traM and traJ was increased in hfq mutant donor cells, suggesting that Hfq destabilizes these transcripts. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that Hfq specifically binds this region but not the antisense RNA, FinP, encoded on the opposite strand. Together, these findings indicate that Hfq regulates traM and traJ transcript stability by a mechanism separate from FinOP-mediated repression.
A hierarchical BSP model supporting processor locality

The paper presents a parallel computing model, called H-BSP, which adds a hierarchical concept to the BSP (Bulk Synchronous Parallel) computing model. A H-BSP program consists of a number of BSP groups which are dynamically created at run time and executed in a hierarchical fashion. H-BSP allows the algorithm designer to develop a more efficient algorithm by utilizing processor locality in the program. The paper describes the structure of the H-BSP model, complexity analysis and an example of the H-BSP algorithm. Also presented are the performance characteristics of the H-BSP algorithm based on simulation analysis. Simulation results show that H-BSP model takes advantages of processor locality and performs well in low bandwidth networks or in a constant valence architecture such as a 2 dimensional mesh. It is also proved that H-BSP model can predict algorithm performance better than the BSP model due to its locality preserving nature.
Vehicles on RFID: Error-Cognitive Vehicle Localization in GPS-Less Environments

GPS has been commonly used for vehicle localization. However, since GPS signals are very sensitive to terrain and interference, they may become unavailable in places such as lower layers of multilayer bridges, streets besides high buildings, tunnels, etc. To address this issue, various techniques have been proposed. Nevertheless, none of them are applicable to safety-critical and highly mobile vehicular network applications, which require high localization accuracy anywhere and anytime. Meanwhile, with the advent of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems on roads (RSR), passive RFID tags with road-related information are expected to be deployed on road surfaces for driving safety and efficiency. In this paper, we introduce a novel RFID-based approach for vehicle localization in GPS-less road environments, where passive RFID tags are deployed on the roads and readers are installed on vehicles. To achieve accurate vehicle localization, we propose an error-cognitive localization system, which leverages both reader-to-tag and vehicle-to-vehicle communications to adaptively cognize and correct localization errors. Extensive simulation and experiment have verified the effectiveness of our proposed system. Particularly, our field tests show that, with sparsely deployed tags, which cost just a few dollars per kilometer, a vehicle can localize itself with submeter errors on average.
Statistics of Speckle in Ultrasound B-Scans

the of the magnitude, i.e., intensity, of the field. ) It is shown that Rayleigh statistics govern the fist-order behavior of the magnitude; and the autocorrelation of the resulting image speckle is obtained by the methodof Middleton. The corresponding power spectrum follows immediately by Fourier transformation. Theoretical and experimentally determined autocorrelation functions and power spectra derived from B-scans of a scattering phantom containing many scatterers per resolution cell are presented. These functions lead naturally to the definition of the average speckle spot or cell sue, and this inturn is comparable to the resolution cell. Each independent speckle servesas a degreeof freedom that determines the number of samples of tissue available over a target.As the speckle cell size decreases this number increases in a manner predictable from the physical parameters of the cell size. However, it is found that the speckle cellis broadened, the degrees of freedom diminished, when the object structureis correlated. This yields the possibilityof deducing information about the object structure from the second-order statistics of the speckle texture, in addition to that obtainable from the fiistorder statistics.
Dual energy window scatter corrections for positron emission tomography

A simulation of PET (positron emission tomography) was used to investigate dual energy window scatter correction for PET devices. Two types of off-peak energy windows were examined. Method one only accepts coincidences where the detected energies of both photons are in the off-peak energy window; method two accepts coincidences where the detected energy of one photon is in the off-peak window and the detected energy of the other photon is in either the off-peak or on-peak window. Profiles of the coincidence accepted by these methods were compared to profiles of the scatter coincidences detected in the on-peak window. Neither method produces a good approximation to the shape of the scatter coincidence profile. Method one has little to recommend it over a constant background subtraction. Method two yields profiles that looked even less useful, dipping down where the scatter coincidence profile rises. <<ETX>>
Current-voltage characteristics of ballistic schottky barrier GNRFET and CNTFET: Effect of gate oxide thickness

With the advancement of silicon technology having culminated to a point where the scaling limitations of silicon transistors have manifested themselves as being unavoidable, experimentation with Graphene Nanoribbon and Carbon Nanotube field effect transistors has become of the utmost importance. In this paper the effect of gate oxide thickness on the performances of ballistic Schottky barrier Graphene Nanoribbon field effect transistor (GNRFET) and ballistic Schottky barrier Carbon Nanotube field effect transistor (CNTFET) is studied. A comparative analysis is also done on the two kinds of FETs based on the effect of gate oxide thickness. It has been observed that lowering the gate oxide thickness increases the on-state drain current in both the FETs but the effect is larger in CNTFETs. In this paper a graph is plotted calculating the on-off current ratios of the two transistors, further differentiating their performances with various gate oxide thicknesses.
Association of N-Acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate Sulfatase with the Multienzyme Lysosomal Complex of β-Galactosidase, Cathepsin A, and Neuraminidase

N-Acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase (GALNS) catalyzes the first step of intralysosomal keratan sulfate (KS) catabolism. In Morquio type A syndrome GALNS deficiency causes the accumulation of KS in tissues and results in generalized skeletal dysplasia in affected patients. We show that in normal cells GALNS is in a 1.27-MDa complex with three other lysosomal hydrolases: β-galactosidase, α-neuraminidase, and cathepsin A (protective protein). GALNS copurifies with the complex by different chromatography techniques: affinity chromatography on both cathepsin A-binding and β-galactosidase-binding columns, gel filtration, and chromatofocusing. Anti-human cathepsin A rabbit antiserum coprecipitates GALNS together with cathepsin A, β-galactosidase, and α-neuraminidase in both a purified preparation of the 1.27-MDa complex and crude glycoprotein fraction from human placenta extract. Gel filtration analysis of fibroblast extracts of patients deficient in either β-galactosidase (β-galactosidosis) or cathepsin A (galactosialidosis), which accumulate KS, demonstrates that the 1.27-MDa complex is disrupted and that GALNS is present only in free homodimeric form. The GALNS activity and cross-reacting material are reduced in the fibroblasts of patients affected with galactosialidosis, indicating that the complex with cathepsin A may protect GALNS in the lysosome. We suggest that the 1.27-MDa complex of lysosomal hydrolases is essential for KS catabolism and that the disruption of this complex may be responsible for the KS accumulation in β-galactosidosis and galactosialidosis patients.
New electrode for pacing fetuses with complete heart block

OBJECTIVE: As fetal complete heart block with hydrops carries a poor prognosis, intrauterine pacing appears the most logical treatment. However, premature labor following hysterotomy remains a major obstacle to open procedures. Therefore, we developed a new lead for fetal pacing that avoids the need for intrauterine open surgical procedures. METHODS We successfully implanted a new T-bar-shaped lead into the myocardium of a fetus at 25 weeks gestation presenting with complete heart block (heart rate = 47 beats per minute), hydrops, and structural heart defects. The procedure was performed under ultrasound guidance, and the lead was introduced through the tip of a specially designed, 18G needle. The new lead was then connected to a Biotronik Actros pulse generator, which was implanted subcutaneously in the maternal abdominal wall. RESULTS: The stimulation resistance was 357 W, and the sensed fetal R wave was 6.4 mV. The voltage strength-duration curve remained relatively constant at pulse widths > 0.6 msec. An echocardiogram on the first postoperative day revealed a mild pericardial effusion. The fetal heart rate was sTable , with low stimulation thresholds and no stimulation failures. No uterine contractions were observed during the postoperative period. However, the fetus died 36 hours after the procedure, probably due to cardiac tamponade. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of voltage strength-duration curves for the acute myocardial stimulation threshold of a human fetus that survived 36 hours after intrauterine pacemaker implantation. This case emphasizes that percutaneous fetal pacing with the new lead is feasible and may minimize the chances of premature labor.
Role of IR-Thermal Imaging and Electroimpedance Measurements in Medical Diagnostics

This is a review of the state of the art in two important modalities thermal and electrical properties of living tissues - that are complementary from the point of view of medical diagnostics. Advantages and limitations of IR thermal imaging and electroimpedance measurements, including tomography procedures are discussed. Properties of both modalities are compared from the point of view of skin burn evaluation, early recognition of breast cancer and some applications in cardiosurgery monitoring
Trustworthy e-mail using secure XML Web services

The potential for e-mail as a legitimate technology for e-commerce has been hampered by the abuse of open e-mail protocols by senders of unsolicited commercial e-mail. In this paper, we introduce a new e-mail protocol, known as the extensible mail protocol (ExMP), that uses XML Web Services to provide a simple but trustworthy server-server transmission capability. The use of ExMP on mail servers does not require modification to client-side software, reducing the impact on end-users. This paper discusses how ExMP implements trustworthy e-mail to enable future e-commerce systems.
Technical Advance Novel Short-Fragment PCR Assay for Highly Sensitive Broad-Spectrum Detection of Anogenital Human Papillomaviruses

A novel set of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers, designated SPF1 and SPF2 and located in the L1 region, was developed for universal detection of human papillomavirus (HPV). A short PCR fragment (SPF) of only 65 pb was synthesized. SPF amplimers were detected in a microtiter-based hybridization system, using a mixture of oligonucleotide probes. The SPF system allowed detection of at least 43 different HPV genotypes. The clinical performance of the novel SPF system was assessed in three different patient groups. 1) Analysis of 534 cervical scrapes, obtained from treated patients, showed that the detection rate in 447 (83.7%) scrapes with normal cytology was significantly higher using the SPF system as compared with the universal primer set GP5 1 /6 1 ( P < 0.001). 2) The SPF assay detected HPV DNA in 299 (98.4%) of 304 scrapes with cytological dyskaryosis. 3) The SPF system detected HPV DNA in 100% of 184 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cervical carcinoma specimens. In conclusion, the novel SPF system permitted universal and highly sensitive detection of HPV DNA in diverse clinical materials and may improve the molecular diagnosis and epidemiology of this important virus. (Am J Pathol 1998, 153:1731–1739)
Efficiency analysis of harvester circuits

This paper summarizes findings on improving the efficiency of RF harvesting circuits. Following a Dickson charge pump model for RF-to-DC conversion, two RF harvesters were designed and are reported in this paper. The proposed topologies were designed and simulated on a 65nm RFCMOS process and optimized for operation at 953MHz and -20dBm input power, while providing reliable operation over a frequency range from 700MHz to 2.4GHz and input power levels from 0dBm to -30 dBm. While both topologies follow similar concept as the Dickson model, but differ in the way they were designed and implemented. A maximum efficiency of 78% is obtained at -20 dBm by the first proposed topology whereas an efficiency of 73% is obtained by the second topology at -15 dBm. Comparison with previous work is presented towards the end of this paper. To the best knowledge of the authors, these are the best efficiency levels to reported for an energy harvesting system under similar conditions.
Fabrication and Nonlinear Thermomechanical Analysis of SU8 Thermal Actuator

SU8-based micromechanical structures are widely used as thermal actuators in the development of compliant micromanipulation tools. This paper reports the design, nonlinear thermomechanical analysis, fabrication, and thermal actuation of SU8 actuators. The thermomechanical analysis of the actuator incorporates nonlinear temperature-dependent properties of SU8 polymer to accurately model its thermal response during actuation. The designed SU8 thermal actuators are fabricated using surface micromachining techniques and the electrical interconnects are made to them using flip-chip bonding. The issues due to thermal stress during fabrication are discussed and a novel strategy is proposed to release the thermal stress in the fabricated actuators. Subsequent characterization of the actuator using an optical profilometer reveals excellent thermal response, good repeatability, and low hysteresis. The average deflection is ~8.5 μm for an actuation current of ~5 mA. The experimentally obtained deflection profile and the tip deflection at different currents are both shown to be in good agreement with the predictions of the nonlinear thermomechanical model. This underscores the need to consider nonlinearities when modeling the response of SU8 thermal actuators.
Obesity is associated with poorer range of motion and Tegner scores following hamstring autograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in Asians.

BACKGROUND Current literature reporting on the impact of BMI on outcomes of orthopaedic surgical procedures is varied and inconsistent. The purpose of our study was to evaluate if body mass index (BMI) affects outcomes of primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in an Asian population. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data of 141 consecutive patients who underwent primary ACLR by a single surgeon, the senior author of this study. Flexion range, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, KT-1000 translation, Tegner activity level scale, Lysholm score and satisfaction were assessed preoperatively and at 2 years postoperatively. The patients were then stratified into two groups: normal-BMI and high-BMI in accordance with WHO classification. Outcomes were then compared between the two groups. All statistical analysis were performed on IBM SPSS Statistics 20. RESULTS There were 81 patients in the normal-BMI group (BMI, 18.5 to 24.9) and 60 patients in the high-BMI group (BMI ≥25). Preoperatively, the only differences were in the gender proportions as well as the pre-injury Tegner score. 2-years postoperatively, patients in the normal-BMI group had better flexion (139° vs. 130°; P=0.0001), Tegner scores (5.7 vs. 4.8; P=0.005) and satisfaction rate (99% vs. 90%; P=0.041). There were no differences in graft failure or complication rates. CONCLUSIONS Obese patients had poorer range of motion and Tegner scores as compared to their nonobese counterparts following primary ACLR.