Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic Fuzzy Algorithms for Reliable Image Segmentation

The problem of classifying an image into different homogeneous regions is viewed as the task of clustering the pixels in the intensity space. In particular, medical image segmentation is complex, and automatically detecting regions or clusters of such widely varying sizes is a challenging task. In this paper, we present automatic fuzzy k-means, and kernelized fuzzy c-means algorithms by considering some spatial constraints on the objective function. The proposed algorithm incorporates spatial information into the membership function and the validity procedure for clustering. It starts by partitioning the given data into an arbitrary number of clusters. These clusters are considered as an initial partition of the data. The similar clusters that satisfy the validity function are merged into one cluster. The proposed validity function is based on the intra-cluster distance measure, which is simply the distance between the center of the cluster and its neighbor cluster center multiplied by the objective function. A first cluster is fetched; the second cluster is selected if it has the shortest distance between their two centers. These clusters are merged together into one cluster if they satisfy the validity function; else the next cluster is fetched, and so on. The process stops only when all clusters are checked. The number of clusters increases automatically according to the decision of validity function. The most important aspect of the proposed algorithms is actually to work automatically to improve automatic image segmentation. The proposed methods are evaluated and compared with the existing methods by applying them on various test images, including synthetic images corrupted with noise of varying levels and simulated volumetric Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) datasets.
Geometric Parameters Estimation and Calibration in Cone-Beam Micro-CT

The quality of Computed Tomography (CT) images crucially depends on the precise knowledge of the scanner geometry. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate and calibrate the misalignments before image acquisition. In this paper, a Two-Piece-Ball (TPB) phantom is used to estimate a set of parameters that describe the geometry of a cone-beam CT system. Only multiple projections of the TPB phantom at one position are required, which can avoid the rotation errors when acquiring multi-angle projections. Also, a corresponding algorithm is derived. The performance of the method is evaluated through simulation and experimental data. The results demonstrated that the proposed method is valid and easy to implement. Furthermore, the experimental results from the Micro-CT system demonstrate the ability to reduce artifacts and improve image quality through geometric parameter calibration.
Implementation of the open-software models of switched reluctance motor on model-in-the-loop platform

This paper presents implementation methods of the SRM (Switched Reluctance Motor) model on the MiL (Model-in-the-Loop) platform. The sub-system is a 2D magnetostatic model of SRM, which was obtained with the use of open-software tools like FEMM and Octave. The models are characteristics of flux, current, torque and rotor position. Characteristics were the results of 2D FEM (Finite Element Method) analysis and of hybrid methods (FEM with analytical methods). The paper shows efficient, automated procedure of the SRM models implementation on the MiL platform. Software tools, which speed up this process were presented. The MiL platform includes a commercial software LabVIEW, software Veristand and real time computing devices like PXI NI 1071, equipped with industrial computer NI 8135 and FPGA NI 7841R.
The Alzheimer’s disease transcriptome mimics the neuroprotective signature of IGF-1 receptor-deficient neurons

Seminal studies using post-mortem brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease evidenced aberrant insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) signalling. Addressing causality, work in animal models recently demonstrated that long-term suppression of IGF1R signalling alleviates Alzheimer's disease progression and promotes neuroprotection. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. Here, we showed that genetically ablating IGF1R in neurons of the ageing brain efficiently protects from neuroinflammation, anxiety and memory impairments induced by intracerebroventricular injection of amyloid-β oligomers. In our mutant mice, the suppression of IGF1R signalling also invariably led to small neuronal soma size, indicative of profound changes in cellular homeodynamics. To gain insight into transcriptional signatures leading to Alzheimer's disease-relevant neuronal defence, we performed genome-wide microarray analysis on laser-dissected hippocampal CA1 after neuronal IGF1R knockout, in the presence or absence of APP/PS1 transgenes. Functional analysis comparing neurons in early-stage Alzheimer's disease with IGF1R knockout neurons revealed strongly convergent transcriptomic signatures, notably involving neurite growth, cytoskeleton organization, cellular stress response and neurotransmission. Moreover, in Alzheimer's disease neurons, a high proportion of genes responding to Alzheimer's disease showed a reversed differential expression when IGF1R was deleted. One of the genes consistently highlighted in genome-wide comparison was the neurofilament medium polypeptide Nefm. We found that NEFM accumulated in hippocampus in the presence of amyloid pathology, and decreased to control levels under IGF1R deletion, suggesting that reorganized cytoskeleton likely plays a role in neuroprotection. These findings demonstrated that significant resistance of the brain to amyloid-β can be achieved lifelong by suppressing neuronal IGF1R and identified IGF-dependent molecular pathways that coordinate an intrinsic program for neuroprotection against proteotoxicity. Our data also indicate that neuronal defences against Alzheimer's disease rely on an endogenous gene expression profile similar to the neuroprotective response activated by genetic disruption of IGF1R signalling. This study highlights neuronal IGF1R signalling as a relevant target for developing Alzheimer's disease prevention strategies.
Motor learning of mice lacking cerebellar Purkinje cells

The cerebellum plays a key role in the acquisition and execution of motor tasks whose physiological foundations were postulated on Purkinje cells' long-term depression (LTD). Numerous research efforts have been focused on understanding the cerebellum as a site of learning and/or memory storage. However, the controversy on which part of the cerebellum participates in motor learning, and how the process takes place, remains unsolved. In fact, it has been suggested that cerebellar cortex, deep cerebellar nuclei, and/or their combination with some brain structures other than the cerebellum are responsible for motor learning. Different experimental approaches have been used to tackle this question (cerebellar lesions, pharmacological agonist and/or antagonist of cerebellar neurotransmitters, virus tract tracings, etc.). One of these approaches is the study of spontaneous mutations affecting the cerebellar cortex and depriving it of its main input–output organizer (i.e., the Purkinje cell). In this review, we discuss the results obtained in our laboratory in motor learning of both Lurcher (Lc/+) and tambaleante (tbl/tbl) mice as models of Purkinje-cell-devoid cerebellum.
Macrophages recruited via CCR2 produce insulin‐like growth factor‐1 to repair acute skeletal muscle injury

CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) is essential to acute skeletal muscle injury repair. We studied the subpopulation of inflammatory cells recruited via CCR2 signaling and their cellular functions with respect to muscle regeneration. Mobilization of monocytes/macrophages (MOs/MPs), but not lymphocytes or neutrophils, was impaired from bone marrow to blood and from blood to injured muscle in Ccr2–/– mice. While the Ly‐6C+ but not the Ly‐6C~ subset of MOs/MPs was significantly reduced in blood, both subsets were drastically reduced in injured muscle of Ccr2–/– mice. Expression of insulin‐like growth fac‐tor‐1 (IGF‐I) was markedly up‐regulated in injured muscle of wild‐type but not Ccr2–/– mice. IGF‐I was strongly expressed by macrophages within injured muscle, more prominently by the Ly‐6C~ subset. A single injection of IGF‐I, but not PBS, into injured muscle to replace IGF‐I remarkably improved muscle regeneration in Ccr2–/– mice. CCR2 was not detected in myo‐genic cells or capillary endothelial cells in injured muscle to suggest its direct involvement in muscle regeneration or angiogenesis. We conclude that CCR2 is essential to acute skeletal muscle injury repair primarily by recruiting Ly‐6C+ MOs/MPs. Within injured muscle, these cells conduct phagocytosis, contribute to accumulation of intramuscular Ly‐6C~ macrophages, and produce a high level of IGF‐I to promote muscle regeneration. —Lu, H. , Huang, D. , Saederupm, N. , Charo, I. F. , Ransohoff, R. M. , Zhou, L. Macrophages recruited via CCR2 produce insulin‐like growth factor‐1 to repair acute skeletal muscle injury. FASEB J. 25, 358–369 (2011). www.fasebj. org
Appraisal of Recognition Methods

many systems are invented which have special ability that sense of recognition plays a vital role in them and reshaped our life dramatically. These kinds of systems can make a proper decision about data clustering. Image processing or recognition of patterns like signs and … are the systems that are the example of them. Till now many methods have been presented which used to design a recognition system that some of them haven't been improved completely. Nevertheless, most of them should follow some steps such as: how to identify and represent the classes, the manner of choosing and extracting and how to cluster and train samples. Although, some issues like orientation or location couldn't be solved by these systems but scholars have trying to find the best solution for them. In this article, primary goal is comparing the methods used in pattern recognition that neural network is one of the most important techniques among them. Keywordspattern recognition, classification, clustering, feature extraction, feature selection, error estimation, neural networks.
A distributed model predictive control approach for robust postural stability of a humanoid robot

A novel formulation of the synthesis of motor coordination for humanoid whole-body motion is proposed in this paper, in order to ensure robust control of postural stability. It relies on the distributed model predictive control framework to coordinate, in an optimal way, several objectives. The effectiveness of this control technique to maintain postural stability of a biped against strong external disturbances is shown. Control of the horizontal dynamics of the center of mass can withstand limited perturbations. Thus postural stability criteria are specified with respect to the robot center of mass vertical and horizontal dynamics, and to the angular dynamics of its torso. Formulating the balance problem in a predictive form and distributing at different time scales significantly increases the robustness of the system to external disturbances, in terms of both tip-over and slippage risks. This original control architecture is validated through the simulation of an iCub robot performing a walking activity under unknown external actions.
In Vitro Anti‐Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Resistance Selection and Characterization

Understanding the resistance profile for an antiviral drug is essential in the drug discovery process. The selection of drug‐resistant mutant viruses is critical in characterizing the resistance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to anti‐HCV agents, and can be examined in HCV replicon systems. Three basic methods are employed in this unit to select HCV resistance replicons: (i) cells containing HCV replicons are cultured at low density in the presence of G418 and a fixed concentration of the investigational drug; (ii) cells containing HCV replicons are passaged in the presence of a fixed concentration of investigational drug, but in the absence of G418; (iii) cells containing HCV replicons are passaged in the presence of a gradually increasing concentration of an investigational drug in the presence of G418 for several weeks. The cells from each passage are then harvested and stored for phenotypic and genotypic characterization. The protocols in this unit describe the techniques necessary to select and characterize drug‐ resistant HCV variants and estimate the frequency of drug resistance in a viral population. Curr. Protoc. Pharmacol. 53:13B.5. 1‐13B.5. 27. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Synthesis of Cu–Ag nanoparticles by biological method

ABSTRACT In this research, we reported an environment friendly technique for the synthesis of Cu–Ag nanoparticles using the culture supernatant of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata. Aqueous solutions of Cu2+ and Ag+ ions were treated with the culture supernatant of R. capsulata for the formation of Cu–Ag alloy nanoparticles. The formation of the metal nanoparticles was characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The UV-Visible spectra of Cu–Ag nanoparticles showed a surface plasmon resonance peak at 462 nm. It was found that Cu-Ag alloy nanoparticles are synthesized in a size range between 4–15 nm. In addition, TEM revealed the spherical shape of Cu-Ag nanoparticles. The process of reduction is extracellular, which makes it an easier method for the synthesis of Cu-Ag alloy nanoparticles.
Detection of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Carriers in a Sample of the Brazilian Population

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy is a common autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in the SMN1 gene. Identification of spinal muscular atrophy carriers has important implications for individuals with a family history of the disorder and for genetic counseling. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of carriers in a sample of the nonconsanguineous Brazilian population by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). Methods: To validate the method, we initially determined the relative quantification of DHPLC in 28 affected patients (DHPLC values: 0.00) and 65 parents (DHPLC values: 0.49–0.69). Following quantification, we studied 150 unrelated nonconsanguineous healthy individuals from the general population. Results: Four of the 150 healthy individuals tested (with no family history of a neuromuscular disorder) presented a DHPLC value in the range of heterozygous carriers (0.6–0.68). Conclusions: Based on these results, we estimated there is a carrier frequency of 2.7% in the nonconsanguineous Brazilian population, which is very similar to other areas of the world where consanguineous marriage is not common. This should be considered in the process of genetic counseling and risk calculations.
The Impedance Spectroscopy Study of the Oxides Layer in Thermal Barrier Coatings

Air-plasma-sprayed (APS) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) were oxidized in air at different temperatures for 1000h and sequentially investigated by impedance spectroscopy (IS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). After oxidation at temperatures higher than 900°C, a thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer was formed at the bond coat/topcoat interface in TBCs. The impedance spectra of oxidized TBCs typically contains two relaxation processes that stem from the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) topcoat of TBCs and the TGO layer. The TGO resistivity that obtained by simulating the impedance spectra increased with the increasing of annealing temperature, demonstrating the growth and the densification of TGO layer.
Subscriber loop topology classification by means of time-domain reflectometry

Qualifying a subscriber loop for xDSL transmission can be done in many ways. Amongst all ways, methods that don't require an expensive truck-roll to the customer are preferred. In this paper we provide a method for an intelligent automated interpretation of reflectometric 1-port measurements at the central office. First, we focus on how reflectograms can be characterised. Next, we build up intelligence in the system to deal with the uncertainty on the characteristics and to infer the topology by means of a belief network. Eventually, we combine in an artificial intelligent way, by means of a rule-based expert system all available knowledge and derive the basic loop properties i.e. the topology and the delays of the individual line sections.
The physics of musical scales: Theory and experiment

The theory of musical scales involves mathematical ratios, harmonic resonators, beats, and human perception and provides an interesting application of the physics of waves and sound. We first review the history and physics of musical scales, with an emphasis on four historically important scales: twelve-tone equal temperament, Pythagorean, quarter-comma meantone, and Ptolemaic just intonation. We then present an easy way for students and teachers to directly experience the qualities of different scales using MIDI synthesis.
Bioinspired elastic piezoelectric composites for high-performance mechanical energy harvesting

We report the sea sponge-inspired design and preparation of piezoelectric composite generators (PCGs) based on a three-dimensional electroceramic skeleton. The remarkable improvements in the piezopotential of the bioinspired structure have been theoretically analyzed using numerical simulations based on a phase-field simulation. The open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density and instantaneous power density of the bioinspired PCG reach up to ∼25 V, ∼550 nA cm−2 and ∼2.6 μW cm−2, respectively, corresponding to about 16 times higher power than that of conventional particle based piezoelectric polymer composites. Moreover, the bioinspired PCG displays 30 times higher strain–voltage efficiency under stretching than the state-of-the-art performance of the flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters reported so far.
Update in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Research

Context: Musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) research is expanding due to increased clinical utility of sonography. Study Design: Clinical review. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Results: Ultrasound is widely applied in musculoskeletal imaging and sports medicine. The real-time capabilities and favorable cost profile of US make it ideal for use in diagnosis of musculoskeletal conditions. The enthusiasm for the use of US in musculoskeletal imaging has led to an increase in US research to broaden its applications. Conclusion: Several recent advances have been made in conventional and novel US imaging techniques, quantitative US imaging, and US-guided interventions. Strength of Recommendations Taxonomy (SORT): C
A Pilot Study of a Modified Radiographic Technique for Detecting Early Proximal Cavities

Diagnosing the necessity of cavity preparation in demineralized proximal areas has been considered as a challenge in restorative treatment planning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical performance of a modified radiographic technique for the detection of proximal cavities. The sample consisted of 44 proximal surfaces in 38 dental students. The patients had radiolucent proximal lesions restricted to the inner half of enamel or the outer third of dentine in bitewing radiographs, and there was doubt regarding the presence or absence of cavities in the approximal areas. The suspected surfaces were then examined by secondary bitewing radiographs which were taken after pressing radiopaque material into the proximal areas. Finally, orthodontic elastic separators were placed in the contact areas to provide enough space for direct visual and tactile examination, thus detecting any proximal cavity (reference standard). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the modified bitewing radiography were calculated against the reference standard. Overall, 7 surfaces presented caries cavities according to the reference standard. All proximal radiolucencies observed in the inner half of enamel and 46% of those extended to the outer third of dentine were not cavitated when evaluated by direct visual and tactile examination. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of bitewing radiography with opaque material for detecting proximal cavities (n = 7) were 86, 100 and 98%, respectively. The tested radiographic technique displayed good validity in this pilot study for detecting proximal cavities in posterior teeth and should be further investigated.
PIK3CA mutations are associated with decreased benefit to neoadjuvant human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-targeted therapies in breast cancer.

PURPOSE We investigated whether mutations in the gene encoding the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) catalytic subunit (PIK3CA) correlates with response to neoadjuvant human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) -targeted therapies in patients with breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Baseline tissue biopsies were available from patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer who were enrolled onto the Neoadjuvant Lapatinib and/or Trastuzumab Treatment Optimization trial (NeoALTTO). Activating mutations in PIK3CA were identified using mass spectrometry-based genotyping. RESULTS PIK3CA mutations were identified in 23% of HER2-positive breast tumors, and these mutations were associated with poorer outcome in all of the treatment arms. Patients treated with a combination of trastuzumab and lapatinib who had wild-type PIK3CA obtained a total pathologic complete response (pCR) rate of 53.1%, which decreased to 28.6% in patients with tumors that carried PIK3CA activating mutations (P = .012). CONCLUSION Activating mutations in PIK3CA predicted poor pCR in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant therapies that target HER2. Consequently, the combination of anti-HER2 agents and PI3K inhibitors is being investigated.