Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FPGA Implementation of Resistive-Fuse Networks for Coarse Image-Region Segmentation

Abstract Image region segmentation is an important preprocessing for natural-scene image recognition. Most of the previously-proposed segmentation algorithms use the particular features in the target regions as keys for segmentation, such as eyes and a mouth in the human face. In this paper, a coazse region segmentation algorithm using aresistive-fuse network is proposed. The proposed algorithm uses average brightness of local area instead of using the particular features. In order to realize digital LSI implementation of the proposed algorithm, pixel-serial architecture with parallel neighboring-connection operation is proposed. On the basis of this azchitecture, the resistive-fuse network algorithm has been implemented in an FPGA. A PC system including the FPGA for coazse region segmentation has been constructed, in which real images of 64x64 pixels are successfully processed at real time.
QRS duration, bundle-branch block morphology, and outcomes among older patients with heart failure receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy.

IMPORTANCE The benefits of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in clinical trials were greater among patients with left bundle-branch block (LBBB) or longer QRS duration. OBJECTIVE To measure associations between QRS duration and morphology and outcomes among patients receiving a CRT defibrillator (CRT-D) in clinical practice. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry's ICD Registry between 2006 and 2009 who underwent CRT-D implantation. Patients were stratified according to whether they were admitted for CRT-D implantation or for another reason, then categorized as having either LBBB or no LBBB and QRS duration of either 150 ms or greater or 120 to 149 ms. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES All-cause mortality; all-cause, cardiovascular, and heart failure readmission; and complications. Patients underwent follow-up for up to 3 years, with follow-up through December 2011. RESULTS Among 24 169 patients admitted for CRT-D implantation, 1-year and 3-year mortality rates were 9.2% and 25.9%, respectively. All-cause readmission rates were 10.2% at 30 days and 43.3% at 1 year. Both the unadjusted rate and adjusted risk of 3-year mortality were lowest among patients with LBBB and QRS duration of 150 ms or greater (20.9%), compared with LBBB and QRS duration of 120 to 149 ms (26.5%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.30 [99% CI, 1.18-1.42]), no LBBB and QRS duration of 150 ms or greater (30.7%; HR, 1.34 [99% CI, 1.20-1.49]), and no LBBB and QRS duration of 120 to 149 ms (32.3%; HR, 1.52 [99% CI, 1.38-1.67]). The unadjusted rate and adjusted risk of 1-year all-cause readmission were also lowest among patients with LBBB and QRS duration of 150 ms or greater (38.6%), compared with LBBB and QRS duration of 120 to 149 ms (44.8%; adjusted HR, 1.18 [99% CI, 1.10-1.26]), no LBBB and QRS duration of 150 ms or greater (45.7%; HR, 1.16 [99% CI, 1.08-1.26]), and no LBBB and QRS duration of 120 to 149 ms (49.6%; HR, 1.31 [99% CI, 1.23-1.40]). There were no observed associations with complications. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries undergoing CRT-D implantation in clinical practice, LBBB and QRS duration of 150 ms or greater, compared with LBBB and QRS duration less than 150 ms or no LBBB regardless of QRS duration, was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and of all-cause, cardiovascular, and heart failure readmissions.
Noise as an Indicator of Residential Areas’ Quality in the Municipality of Velenje, Slovenia

Noise has been recognized as the air pollutant since it affects the environmental quality. Its effect depends on its level; it may be slightly uncomfortable or so annoying that hinder our business or in extreme cases dangerous to health. The project was focussed on measurements required to produce professional bases, in order to assess degree of exposure of individual sites (and their population) to different sources of noise to prepare an exact spatial presentation and a set of the most urgent and effective remedial action. The results of the study will also be used for: a) establishing anti-noise measures and b) the findings of the study and the data acquired will supplement cartographic base and conditions for land use (Municipal Spatial Plan) and determine the level of protection against noise, thus allowing more simple and authentic issuing of permits to applicants for further spatial use in the researched areas. The Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) Method enabled a presentation of the measured noise values. The results of this study will serve as a starting point for identification of critical areas with excessive noise level and to determine corrective action.
Original research: 'how should I touch you?': a qualitative study of attitudes on intimate touch in nursing care.

OBJECTIVE Although touch is essential to nursing practice, few studies have investigated patients' preferences for how nurses should perform tasks involving touch, especially intimate touch involving private and sometimes anxiety-provoking areas of patients' bodies. Some studies suggest that patients have more concerns about intimate touch from male than female nurses. This study sought to elicit the attitudes of laypersons on intimate touch provided by nurses in general and male nurses in particular. METHODS A maximum-variation sample of 24 adults was selected and semistructured interviews were conducted in four focus groups. Interviews were recorded and transcribed; thematic analysis was performed. RESULTS Four themes emerged from the interviews: "Communicate with me," "Give me choices," "Ask me about gender," and "Touch me professionally, not too fast and not too slow. " Participants said they want to contribute to decisions about whether intimate touch is necessary, and when it is they want information from and rapport with their nurses. Participants varied in their responses to questions on the nurse's gender. They said they want a firm but not rough touch and for nurses to ensure their privacy. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that nurses and other clinicians who provide intimate care should be more aware of patients' attitudes on touch. Further research on the patient's perspective is warranted.
Virtual Instrumentation in Biomedical Equipment

Nowadays, the assessment of body composition by estimating the percentage of body fat has a great impact in many fields such as nutrition, health, sports, chronic diseases and others. The main purpose for this work is the development of a virtual instrument that permits more effective assessment of body fat, automatic data processing, recording results and storage in a database, with high potential to conduct new studies, http://lipotool.com.
N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide and the risk of stroke and transient ischaemic attack: the Rotterdam Study

Amino‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) is a predictor of heart disease. It has also been related to stroke, but its association with transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) is unclear. Moreover, it is unknown how clinical heart disease influences this relation. Within the prospective population‐based Rotterdam Study, the association of NT‐proBNP with stroke and TIA was examined and the role of heart disease on this association was investigated.
Micro gas chromatograph for harsh refinery gas environment: Microvalves based on PEEK membranes

In the context of refinery gas testing, we studied the potential of a micro-gas chromatograph (μGC). For this purpose, we fabricated a new type of gas microvalve, based on a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) membrane, which is suitable for the harsh environment of natural gas. Experimental results are presented along with simulations to describe and discuss the static and dynamic behaviors of such a device.
A Simplified Chromatographic Approach to Purify Commercially Available Bovine Submaxillary Mucins (BSM)

In this study, a simple purification protocol is developed to reduce the bovine serum albumin (BSA) content in commercially available bovine submaxillary mucin (BSM). This involved purification of the BSM by one-column anion-exchange chromatography protocol resulting in BSM with greatly reduced BSA content and homogeneously distributed size, and in a high yield of ∼43% from BSM as received from the manufacturer. The purity and composition of commercially acquired BSM were assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and mass spectrometry, which verified that BSA is the most abundant nonmucinous protein component. The purification effect was evident from a significantly altered circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of BSM after anion-exchange chromatography.
Start‐up designs for response‐adaptive randomization procedures with sequential estimation

Response‐adaptive randomization procedures are appropriate for clinical trials in which two or more treatments are to be compared, patients arrive sequentially and the response of each patient is recorded before the next patient arrives. However, for those procedures that involve sequential estimation of model parameters, start‐up designs are commonly required in order to provide initial estimates of the parameters. In this paper, a suite of such start‐up designs for two treatments and binary patient responses are considered and compared in terms of the numbers of patients required in order to give meaningful parameters estimates, the number of patients allocated to the better treatment, and the bias in the parameter estimates. It is shown that permuted block designs with blocks of size 4 are to be preferred over a wide range of parameter values. For the case of two treatments, normal responses and selected start‐up procedures, a design incorporating complete randomization followed appropriately by repeats of one of the treatments yields the minimum expected number of patients and is to be preferred. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prevalence and Haemato – biochemical Studies on Naturally Occurring Gout in Chhattisgarh

Received: Revised: Accepted: 2013–12–09 2013–12–16 2013–12–17 The present investigation was undertaken to study the prevalence of visceral gout and haemato– biochemical alterations in the gout affected broilers. The overall prevalence of visceral gout from different farms was found to be 21.47%. Out of total cases of visceral gout recorded (332 birds), 74.09% were found during winter season i.e. from November to February as compared to summer (21.38 %) i.e. from March to June, followed by monsoon season (4.51%) i.e. from July to October. Of the susceptible age (first three weeks), the highest autopsy incidences (62.34%) was recorded during the second week of age, followed by 24.09% in third week and 12.65% in first week of age, while incidence of 0.9% was observed in birds of more than three weeks of age. Haematological results showed increase in total erythrocyte count (TEC), total leukocyte count (TLC) and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration. There was significant (P≤0.05) increase in the level of uric acid in gout positive birds. Significant (P≤0.05) increase in serum amino transferase, alkaline phosphatases and albumin were also found in natural case of gout positive birds. All copyrights reserved to Nexus® academic publishers
Health monitoring and remaining useful life estimation of lithium-ion aeronautical batteries

Batteries are essential components of any aircraft electrical system. They are used to start the aircraft propulsion engines and to provide power during electrical emergencies. As is the case with most aircraft components, batteries exhibit aging and health degradation during operation. Therefore, the correctly estimation of the battery state-of-health (SoH) and of the remaining useful life (RUL) is important to aircraft operators. Failure to do so can result in underutilization of the equipment (if it is removed before the end of its life cycle) or unpredicted failure events during operation (when the battery SoH is overestimated). The consequences can range from increased operation costs to reduced flight safety. This article first presents the life cycle of lithium-ion aeronautical batteries. Then a method is proposed to generate discharge, capacity and health monitoring models during the battery life cycle. It is shown how these models are used to estimate the battery SoH and RUL. The method is validated using data from the NASA Ames Prognostics Data Repository. The models are implemented using MATLAB/Simulink and used to simulate a typical battery in different operational conditions.
Identifying important characteristics in the KDD99 intrusion detection dataset by feature selection using a hybrid approach

Intrusion detection datasets play a key role in fine tuning Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs). Using such datasets one can distinguish between regular and anomalous behavior of a given node in the network. To build this dataset is not straightforward, though, as only the most significant features of the collected data for detecting the node's behavior should be considered. We propose in this paper a technique for selecting relevant features out of KDD99 using a hybrid approach toward an optimal subset of features. Unlike existing work that only detect attack or no attack conditions, our approach efficiently identifies which sort of attack each register in the dataset refers to. The evaluation results show that the optimized subset of features can improve performance of typical IDSs.
Ectopic generation of impulses and cross‐talk in spinal nerve roots of “dystrophic” mice

In “dystrophic” mice, many spinal root axons are bare and closely apposed to one another in midroot. The direction of nerve impulse traffic in lumbosacral spinal nerve roots was determined by biphasic recording of spontaneous activity. In normal mice, impulse traffic in dorsal and ventral roots is directed toward and away from the spinal cord, respectively. However, in spinal root fibers of dystrophic mice, impulses also originate in midroot and are propagated toward both the spinal cord and the periphery. Impulses originate in midroot as single isolated events, in bursts at frequencies of up to 100 Hz, or as continuous activity persisting for several minutes in single fibers. Ectopically arising activity in some single fibers is consistently associated with transmission of an impulse in another fiber past the site of origin of the ectopically arising impulse. Thus impulses arise in the spinal root axons of dystrophic mice both spontaneously and as a result of cross‐talk between single fibers.
Noninvasive Assessment of the Functional Neovasculature in 9L-Glioma Growing in Rat Brain by Dynamic 1H Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Gadolinium Uptake

Pathophysiologic parameters of the functional neovasculature and the blood-brain barrier of 9L-glioma in rat brain were measured noninvasively by dynamic 1H magnetic resonance imaging studies of gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA uptake. Changes of apparent [Gd-DTPA] uptake in time (CT[t]) were analyzed in a slice through the center of 10 9L-gliomas using fast T1 measurements. The distribution of the contrast agent was spatially correlated with the distribution of perfused microvessels as determined by immunohistochemical analysis. This method permits a distinction between perfused and nonperfused microvessels with a disrupted blood-brain barrier. In transverse slices of the whole tumor, a spatial correlation was observed between CT maps and the two-dimensional distribution of perfused microvessels. In the next step, Gd-DTPA uptake rates were spatially related to the perfused microvessel density (Np) or vascular surface area (Sp). In tumor voxels with perfused microvessels, a linear correlation was found between Gd-DTPA uptake rate constants (k values) and Np or Sp. No correlation was observed between k values and the total microvessel density. These are the first data that show a relation between Gd-DTPA uptake rates and parameters of the functional neovasculature in 9L-glioma growing in rat brain. Now that Gd-DTPA uptake studies can be related to parameters of the functional neovasculature, they may be used more efficiently as a prognostic tool before or during therapy.
Using a genetic algorithm for exploring a semiconductor fabrication model

Initial iterations or generations of this particular Genetic Algorithm (GA) implementation for optimizing a semiconductor fabrication process, not only search for an optimal solution, but also, with the aid of a visual tool, help understanding the complex characteristics of the model. Finally, thanks to this visual analysis, some adjustments are proposed to the algorithm execution in order to drive the search more effectively, as explained using a reference TCAD simulation-based example.
Antenatal Detection of Skeletal Dysplasias

Objective. To assess the accuracy of the prenatal diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias. Methods. All antenatally detected anomalies are coded in our ultrasound database, which is linked with a genetics database that includes outcomes. A final diagnosis is sought on the basis of radiographic studies, molecular testing, or both. Our ultrasound and genetics databases were queried for “skeletal dysplasias. ” All cases were reviewed specifically for the degree of bone shortening and other distinguishing characteristics on antenatal sonography. Results. Thirty‐seven cases of skeletal dysplasia were antenatally diagnosed over an 8‐year period. Complete follow‐up was available in 31 cases. The mean gestational age at diagnosis was 22.7 weeks (range, 14–32.3 weeks). Twenty‐one cases were diagnosed before 24 weeks. A final diagnosis was obtained in 80% of cases. The antenatal diagnosis was correct in 20 (65%) of 31 cases. There were 2 false‐positive diagnoses. Specific final diagnoses included thanatophoric dysplasia (8), osteogenesis imperfecta (6), Roberts syndrome (2), achondroplasia (3), Ellis–van Creveld syndrome (1), metaphyseal dysplasia (1), spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (1), distal arthrogryposis (1), caudal regression (1), and glycogen storage disorder (1). The condition was correctly thought to be lethal in 16 of the fetuses on the basis of early severe long bone shortening (13), femur length–abdominal circumference ratio of less than 0.16 (12), hypoplastic thorax (10), marked bowing or fractures (4), short ribs (4), caudal regression (1), and cloverleaf skull (1). The ability to predict lethality was 100%. There were no false‐positive findings with respect to lethality. Conclusions. Accurate antenatal diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias is problematic; in this series, only 20 of 31 cases were correctly diagnosed. However, the antenatal prediction of lethality was highly accurate. The most common predictors of lethal skeletal dysplasias included early and severe shortening of the long bones, femur length–abdominal circumference ratio of less than 0.16, hypoplastic thorax, and certain distinguishing characteristics.
Kinetics of p-nitrophenol degradation by Pseudomonas pseudomallei wild and mutant strains

Pseudomonas pseudomallei EBN-10 strain, previously isolated from a local pharmaceutical industry's wastewater, was spontaneously adapted to higher p-nitrophenol (PNP) levels, which then was subjected to gamma ray-induced mutagenesis; the efficient isolates hence obtained were designated as EBN-11 and EBN-12, respectively. EBN-12 mutant strain could completely mineralize PNP (100 mg/L) on the minimal media in 24 h while, the parent strain utilized only 6% of it. Addition of glucose as co-substrate further increased the PNP degradation rate; however, phenol inclusion inhibited the degradation process. Ammonium sulphate was experienced as the best of the nitrogen sources used by EBN-12 mutant strain, while degrading PNP.
Nucleus accumbens functional connectivity at age 20 is associated with trajectory of adolescent cannabis use and predicts psychosocial functioning in young adulthood

AIMS (1) To identify trajectories of cannabis use across adolescence, (2) to measure the influence of cannabis use characteristics on functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and (3) to assess whether patterns of functional connectivity related to cannabis use are associated with psychosocial functioning 2 years later. DESIGN The Pitt Mother and Child Project (PMCP) is a prospective, longitudinal study of male youth at high risk for psychopathology based on family income and gender. SETTING Participants were recruited between age 6 and 17 months from the Women, Infants and Children Nutritional Supplement program (WIC) in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. PARTICIPANTS A total of 158 PMCP young men contributed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and substance use data at age 20 years. MEASUREMENTS Latent class growth analysis was used to determine trajectories of cannabis use frequency from age 14 to 19 years. Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis was used to measure functional connectivity between the NAcc and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Adolescent cannabis use trajectory, recent frequency of use and age of initiation were considered as developmental factors. We also tested whether functional connectivity was associated with depressive symptoms, anhedonia and educational attainment at age 22. FINDINGS We identified three distinct trajectories of adolescent cannabis use, characterized by stable high, escalating or stable low use. The cannabis use trajectory group had a significant effect on NAcc functional connectivity to the medial PFC (F = 11.32, Z = 4.04, Pfamily-wise error-corrected (FWE-corr) = 0.000). The escalating trajectory group displayed a pattern of negative NAcc-mPFC connectivity that was linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms (r = -0.17, P < .05), anhedonia (r = -0.19, P < .05) and lower educational attainment (t = -2.77, P < .01) at age 22. CONCLUSIONS Pattern of cannabis use frequency across adolescence in US youth could have consequences for mood symptoms and educational attainment in early adulthood via altered function in neural reward circuitry.