Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Observation of curative effect of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor combined with compound polymyxin B ointment and local application of insulin on wound healing of deep second-degree burn in diabetes mellitus: a randomized study.

OBJECTIVE We aimed at investigating the clinical efficacy of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor combined with compound polymyxin B ointment and the local application of insulin on wound healing of deep second-degree burn in diabetes mellitus. PATIENTS AND METHODS 80 diabetes mellitus patients complicated with deep second-degree burn treated from 2016 to December 2017 were selected and divided into observation group (n=40) and control group (n=40) using the random number method. Patients in control group were treated with compound polymyxin B ointment, while those in observation group were treated with basic fibroblast growth factor based on the treatment in control group. The time of wound pain relief, wound scarring, and wound healing was compared. RESULTS The number of positive bacteria in the wound was recorded and the duration of infection was also recorded. Moreover, the changes in the expressions of Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) were analyzed. In observation group, the time of wound pain relief, wound scarring, and wound healing was significantly shorter than that in control group (p<0.05). At 3, 14, and 28 days after the treatment, the levels of AGEs in observation group were lower than those in control group, while the levels of VEGF in the observation group were higher than those in control group (p<0.05). The proportions of wound infection, skin necrosis, systemic blood infection, hypoglycemia, and hyperglycemia and the ineffective rate in observation group were significantly lower than that in control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The application of compound polymyxin B ointment and the local application of insulin combined with recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor in diabetes mellitus patients complicated with a deep second-degree burn can effectively alleviate the pain, reduce the wound infection rate, promote the wound healing, and improve the overall therapeutic effect.
Prefrontal Computation as Active Inference

Abstract The prefrontal cortex is vital for a range of cognitive processes, including working memory, attention, and decision-making. Notably, its absence impairs the performance of tasks requiring the maintenance of information through a delay period. In this paper, we formulate a rodent task—which requires maintenance of delay-period activity—as a Markov decision process and treat optimal task performance as an (active) inference problem. We simulate the behavior of a Bayes optimal mouse presented with 1 of 2 cues that instructs the selection of concurrent visual and auditory targets on a trial-by-trial basis. Formulating inference as message passing, we reproduce features of neuronal coupling within and between prefrontal regions engaged by this task. We focus on the micro-circuitry that underwrites delay-period activity and relate it to functional specialization within the prefrontal cortex in primates. Finally, we simulate the electrophysiological correlates of inference and demonstrate the consequences of lesions to each part of our in silico prefrontal cortex. In brief, this formulation suggests that recurrent excitatory connections—which support persistent neuronal activity—encode beliefs about transition probabilities over time. We argue that attentional modulation can be understood as the contextualization of sensory input by these persistent beliefs.
Skin Lesion Segmentation in Dermoscopic Images with Combination of YOLO and GrabCut Algorithm

Skin lesion segmentation has a critical role in the early and accurate diagnosis of skin cancer by computerized systems. However, automatic segmentation of skin lesions in dermoscopic images is a challenging task owing to difficulties including artifacts (hairs, gel bubbles, ruler markers), indistinct boundaries, low contrast and varying sizes and shapes of the lesion images. This paper proposes a novel and effective pipeline for skin lesion segmentation in dermoscopic images combining a deep convolutional neural network named as You Only Look Once (YOLO) and the GrabCut algorithm. This method performs lesion segmentation using a dermoscopic image in four steps: 1. Removal of hairs on the lesion, 2. Detection of the lesion location, 3. Segmentation of the lesion area from the background, 4. Post-processing with morphological operators. The method was evaluated on two publicly well-known datasets, that is the PH2 and the ISBI 2017 (Skin Lesion Analysis Towards Melanoma Detection Challenge Dataset). The proposed pipeline model has achieved a 90% sensitivity rate on the ISBI 2017 dataset, outperforming other deep learning-based methods. The method also obtained close results according to the results obtained from other methods in the literature in terms of metrics of accuracy, specificity, Dice coefficient, and Jaccard index.
Investigation of a combination of amiodarone and itraconazole for treatment of American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate clinical, serologic, parasitological, and histologic outcomes of dogs with naturally occurring Trypanosoma cruzi infection treated for 12 months with amiodarone and itraconazole. ANIMALS 121 dogs from southern Texas and southern Louisiana. PROCEDURES Treatment group dogs (n = 105) received a combination of amiodarone hydrochloride (approx 7.5 mg/kg [3.4 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h, with or without a loading dosage protocol) and itraconazole (approx 10 mg/kg [4.5 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h, adjusted to maintain a plasma concentration of 1 to 2 μg/mL) for 12 months. Control group dogs (n = 16) received no antitrypanosomal medications. Serologic assays for anti-T cruzi antibodies, PCR assays for T cruzi DNA in blood, and physical evaluations were performed 1, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months after study initiation. Adverse events were recorded. Outcomes of interest were recorded and compared between groups. RESULTS 86 of 105 treatment group dogs and 8 of 16 control group dogs survived and completed the study (5/19 and 6/7 deaths of treatment and control group dogs, respectively, were attributed to T cruzi infection). Mean survival time until death attributed to T cruzi was longer (23.19 vs 15.64 months) for the treatment group. Results of PCR assays were negative for all (n = 92) tested treatment group dogs (except for 1 dog at 1 time point) from 6 to 24 months after study initiation. Clinical improvement in ≥ 1 clinical sign was observed in 53 of 54 and 0 of 10 treatment and control group dogs, respectively; adverse drug events were minor and reversible. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested efficacy of this trypanocidal drug combination for the treatment of T cruzi infection in dogs.
Phytochemical profiling and seasonal variation of essential oils of three Callistemon species cultivated in Egypt

The genus Callistemon comprises evergreen shrubs or small trees, widely cultivated as ornamentals and for essential oil production. Callistemon is well-recognized in folk medicine for its anti-cough, anti-bronchitis, and insecticidal activities. In the current study, we profiled the essential oil composition of the leaves of C. citrinus, C. rigidus and C. viminalis (Myrtaceae) collected during different seasons by GLC-MS coupled to multivariate data analysis. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities of Callistemon essential oils were evaluated. A total of 29 compounds were tentatively identified. Oxygenated monoterpenes dominated in essential oils, where eucalyptol represented the major constituent in the three Callistemon species in all seasons. Multivariate data analysis including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were applied to discriminate between different Callistemon species in each season and to investigate any correlation between the metabolic profile of each species within different seasons. As expected, PCA plot could discriminate the three Callistemon species in the four seasons. The dendrogram from HCA confirmed the results of PCA as it showed the same segregation pattern regarding the discrimination of different Callistemon species. C. viminalis showed more pronounced antioxidant activity than C. citrinus, exhibiting IC50 values of 1.40 mg/mL and 1.77 mg/mL, respectively. Meanwhile, C. rigidus showed very weak antioxidant activity. All oils showed membrane stabilization activity in hypotonic solution induced haemolysis assay, where C. viminalis showed potent membrane stabilizing activity exhibiting IC50 value of 25.6 μg/mL comparable to that of the standard drug, indomethacin (17.02 μg/mL). Nevertheless, Callistemon essential oils were not cytotoxic in HCT-116 and Hela human cancer cell lines.
Comparison between fractal analysis and radiopacity evaluation as a tool for studying repair of an osseous defect in an animal model using biomaterials.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate bone repair of an osseous defect in a rat animal model through fractal analysis and radiopacity analysis in radiographic images. METHODS 120 rats were subjected to extraction of their first molar and divided into four groups (n = 6/group) according to the material used for bone grafting: mineralized bovine bone (MBB), demineralized bovine bone (DBB), blood clot (BC) or Bio-Oss® (BO). The animals were sacrificed after 1, 7, 14, 21 and 49 days and subjected to radiographic evaluation. For fractal analysis (FA), a square ROI of 30 × 30 pixels was used, and radiopacity was measured as the mean gray scale (MGS) value for three points of 5 × 5 pixels in the apical, medial and coronal regions of the defect. Histomorphometric evaluation was realized as the gold standard for bone neo-formation and maturation of the new osseous matrix. RESULTS Histomorphometric evaluation suggested that DBB showed faster mineralized deposition and resulted in more mature bone at the final time point of evaluation. MBB and BO presented similar results. The mineralized groups did not show significant differences in bone maturation. The radiopacity analysis revealed a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the DBB and BC groups at the final time point. FA did not show any significant differences at the final time point. CONCLUSIONS MGS seemed to be more effective for the quantification of bone repair than FA in the demineralized group in this animal model. Results for the mineralized groups did not reveal a significant difference, leading to the conclusion that both methods are effective.
Optical coherence tomography of the retina, nerve fiber layer, and optic nerve head in dogs with glaucoma.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the retina and optic nerve head (ONH) in canine eyes predisposed to glaucoma using optical coherence tomography (OCT). ANIMALS Twenty-five eyes (24 dogs). METHODS Measures of peripapillary retinal, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness and ONH parameters were obtained in vivo by OCT of the unaffected eye in dogs diagnosed with unilateral primary glaucoma (predisposed; n = 12) and compared with measures of healthy control eyes (normal; n = 13). Repeatability and intrarater reliability were explored using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). RESULTS Compared to normal eyes, predisposed eyes had a thinner retina in the temporal (P = 0.005), inferior quadrants (P = 0.003), and decreased inner retinal thickness (superior: P = 0.003, temporal: P = 0.001, inferior: P < 0.001, nasal: P = 0.001). Predisposed eyes had a thinner RNFL compared to normal eyes (P = 0.005), and when analyzed in quadrants, it was thinner in the superior (P < 0.001), temporal (P = 0.034), and nasal quadrants (P = 0.001). Repeatability (ICC 0.763-0.835) and intrarater reliability (ICC 0.824-0.942) were good to excellent for measures of retinal thickness and adequate for RNFL measurements (ICC 0.701-0.798). Reliable measurements of optic disk area were obtained and were similar between groups (P = 0.597). Measurements of parameters relying on automated software detection (GCC, optic cup, optic rim) had inadequate repeatability and reliability. CONCLUSION Statistically significant differences in retinal and RNFL thicknesses were identified in normal and predisposed eyes. Reliable and consistent measurements of variables with manual adjustment of software detected parameters were obtained. Validation of OCT as a diagnostic tool for clinical assessment in canine glaucoma is warranted.
Comparison of Cardiovascular Outcomes by Dialysis Modality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Debates exist regarding the merit of starting one dialysis modality over the other for improved cardiovascular outcomes. Five previously published prospective and retrospective cohort studies have reported inconsistent conclusions on this topic. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the influence initiation of hemodialysis (HD) vs peritoneal dialysis (PD) may have on the relative risk (RR) of subsequent development of adverse cardiovascular events (ACVE) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Of the 518 records identified, 5 cohort studies, assessing a total of 47,062 patients were included in the meta-analysis. With regard to the subsequent development of ACVE following initiation on the different dialysis modalities, the pooled RR was found to be non-significant. Peritoneal dialysis is a suitable and cost-effective alternative to HD for ESRD patients at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Efficient Summarization Techniques for Massive Data

We are living in an age where data are being generated faster than anyone has previously imagined across a broad application domain, including customer studies, social media, sensor networks, and the sciences, among many others. In some cases, data are generated in massive quantities as terabytes or petabytes. There have been numerous emerging challenges when dealing with massive data, including: (1) the explosion in size of data; (2) data have increasingly more complex structures and rich semantics, such as representing temporal data as a piecewise linear representation; (3) uncertain data are becoming a common occurrence for numerous applications, e.g., scientific measurements or observations such as meteorological measurements; (4) and data are becoming increasingly distributed, e.g., distributed data collected and integrated from distributed locations as well as data stored in a distributed file system within a cluster. Due to the massive nature of modern data, it is oftentimes infeasible for computers to efficiently manage and query them exactly. An attractive alternative is to use data summarization techniques to construct data summaries, where even efficiently constructing data summaries is a challenging task given the enormous size of data. The data summaries we focus on in this thesis include the histogram and ranking operator. Both data summaries enable us to summarize a massive dataset to a more succinct representation which can then be used to make queries orders of magnitude more efficient while still allowing approximation guarantees on query answers. Our study has focused on the critical task of designing efficient algorithms to summarize, query, and manage massive data.
MANTA Dedicated Large-Bore Vessel Closure Device.

Minimally invasive therapeutic treatments, such as endovascular aneurysm repair, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and mechanical circulatory support devices, are rapidly becoming standard of care. As a matter of fact, vascular complications at the puncture site remain the most frequently encountered adverse event in endovascular therapy and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Vascular closure devices (VCD) were first introduced in the early 1990s to improve hemostasis, patient discomfort, time to ambulation, and complications rates after femoral access. Their safety and efficacy were recognized in large observational studies and meta-analyses in patients undergoing transfemoral catheterization.1 They were noninferior to the gold standard of manual compression in achieving puncture site hemostasis in diagnostic procedures and showed lower complication rates in interventional procedures. The necessity to develop effective hemostasis after large diameter arteriotomies (up to 24F) became even more compelling after the development and wide adoption of the transfemoral TAVR. Surgical cut-down techniques were associated with longer procedural time, increased patient discomfort and deeper anesthesia, whereas the use of VCD reduced procedural duration, wound healing complications, and length of hospital stay. Over time, the rates of bleeding and vascular complications after TAVR have gradually declined due to growing experience, improved access technique with fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance, and decrease in sheath profile. This reduction has been more consistent in patients without significant peripheral vascular disease (who represent the majority of future low-risk TAVR patients) because in this case, vascular femoral access complications are the main cause of significant bleeding. However, contemporary rigorous trials with independent clinical event adjudication still report major vascular complications after TAVR in >5% of patients, and two-thirds of these major complications are due to failed arteriotomy closure. Notably, PARTNER 3 (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves 3) and Evolut Low Risk (Evolut Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Low Risk Patients) trials confirm these overall rates of vascular and bleeding complications.4,5 Therefore, the implementation of strategies to achieve adequate hemostasis at the TAVR access site would further increase the safety of these procedures. Because no dedicated VCD for large arteriotomies exists, preclosure with either the 10F Prostar XL or two 6F ProGlide active approximators devices (Abbott Vascular, Inc, Santa Clara, CA) are approved by Food and Drug Administration and used in clinical practice for this purpose. A recent metanalysis showed that Prostar XL was associated with greater risk of any bleeding, as well as life-threatening bleeding compared to the ProGlide device.6 This is probably related to Giuseppe Tarantini, MD, PhD EDITORIAL
Prognostic factors, survival outcomes, and surgical practices when dealing with uterine sarcomas: 8 years’ clinical experience

Objective: To determine the clinical and pathologic characteristics, prognostic factors, surgical practice, adjuvant therapies, and survival outcomes of patients with uterine sarcoma diagnosed and treated in our institution. Material and Methods: Patients diagnosed and treated for uterine sarcomas at our institution from 2009 to 2017 were retrospectively evaluated. All histologic slides from the specimens underwent a thorough pathologic review by a gynecologic pathologist. The following variables were assessed: age, family history of cancer, smoking status, age of menarche, parity, age at first delivery, related symptoms, clinical staging, histologic type, treatment received, disease-free period, and the time and site of recurrence, as well as treatment of the latter and overall survival. Results: Ten patients were diagnosed as having leiomyosarcoma, a further 10 patients had malignant mixed mullerian tumors, and five had endometrial stromal sarcoma; the remaining nine patients had other tumors. At the end of our study, 12 (35.3%) patients were alive and in remission, four (11.8%) were alive with disease, 10 (29.4%) were lost to follow-up, and eight (23.5%) had died. The mean survival time was 80.92 months, and the 2-year survival rate was 75.6%. We found that survival was significantly shorter in the presence of lymph node involvement, residual tumor, and recurrence. Conclusion: This study serves to inform physicians about the outcome of various uterine sarcomas that were diagnosed and managed at our center. We found that 35.3% of our patients were alive and in remission, 11.8% were alive with disease, 29.4% were lost to follow-up, and 23.5% of patients died.
Physical parameter estimation of the nonlinear dynamics of a single link robotic manipulator with flexible joint using the HMF method

The application of the Hartley modulating functions (HMF) method is investigated to estimate the physical parameters of a single link robotic manipulator with flexible joint. The approach uses a weighted least-squares algorithm in the frequency domain. Knowing the structure of a continuous-time system, the identification method will only focus on the estimation of the physically-based system parameters using input and noise-corrupted output signal records. The methodology facilitates the conversion of a system differential equation into an algebraic equation in the parameters. Numerical simulations for a single link robotic manipulator with flexible joint are reported, which illustrate the application and performance of the methodology. The HMF method shows promising results for the identification of physically-based continuous-time nonlinear systems in the presence of noticeable measurement noises.
Is the Energy Expenditure Provided by Exergames Valid?

Abstract To assess energy expenditure (EE) estimated by a metabolic system during the exergame Hollywood Workout on Xbox 360Kinect® and to compare this measure with the EE estimated by the exergame (EEEx). thirty-four physically active young males performed the Sports Athlete protocol of the Hollywood Workout. Oxygen uptake (V̇O2) and carbon dioxide production (V̇CO2) were measured before and during the protocol using a metabolic system. The absolute means V̇O2 and V̇CO2 were used to calculate the EE during the exergame session (EEMS). The EEEx (kcal) provided by the exergame was collected, and the two measures were compared. Mean V̇CO2 and V̇O2 during the Sports Athlete protocol were 1.8±0.4 L·min−1 (22.9±3.2 mL·kg−1.min−1) and 2.0±0.4 L·m−1 (25.4±2.6 mL·kg−1·min−1), respectively. The EEMS (300.3±53.4 kcal) was 88.6±34.7% greater than the EEEx (160.3±16.5 kcal; p<0.0001; d=3.7 [large effect size]). The EEMS was almost double EEEx. Thus, it is necessary to use caution when using EE information provided by an exergame interface. Further, future studies need to evaluate EE provided by other exergames. The companies that produce the games must be more attentive and adopt more precise methods in order to provide more accurate information to the users.
Ergonomic Mechanical Design and Assessment of a Waist Assist Exoskeleton for Reducing Lumbar Loads During Lifting Task

The purpose of this study was to develop a wearable waist exoskeleton to provide back support for industrial workers during repetitive lifting tasks and to assess reductions in back muscular activity. The ergonomic mechanical structure is convenient to employ in different applications. The exoskeleton attaches to the wearer’s body with 4 straps, takes only 30 s to put the exoskeleton on without additional help, weighs just 5 kg and is easy to carry. The mechanical clutch can assist the wearer as needed. Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU) was used to detect wearers’ motion intention. Ten subjects participated in the trial. Lower back muscle integrated electromyography (IEMG) of the left and right lumbar erector spinae (LES), thoracic erector spinae (TES), latissimus dorsi (LD) were compared in symmetrical lifting for six different objects (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 kg) under two conditions of with and without the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton significantly reduced the back muscular activity during repetitive lifting tasks. The average integrated electromyography reductions were 34.0%, 33.9% and 24.1% for LES, TES and LD respectively. The exoskeleton can reduce burden and the incidence of strain on lumbar muscles during long-term lifting work.