Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rapid magnetic resonance quantification on the brain: Optimization for clinical usage

A method is presented for rapid simultaneous quantification of the longitudinal T1 relaxation, the transverse T2 relaxation, the proton density (PD), and the amplitude of the local radio frequency B1 field. All four parameters are measured in one single scan by means of a multislice, multiecho, and multidelay acquisition. It is based on a previously reported method, which was substantially improved for routine clinical usage. The improvements comprise of the use of a multislice spin‐echo technique, a background phase correction, and a spin system simulation to compensate for the slice‐selective RF pulse profile effects. The aim of the optimization was to achieve the optimal result for the quantification of magnetic resonance parameters within a clinically acceptable time. One benchmark was high‐resolution coverage of the brain within 5 min. In this scan time the measured intersubject standard deviation (SD) in a group of volunteers was 2% to 8%, depending on the tissue (voxel size = 0.8 × 0.8 × 5 mm). As an example, the method was applied to a patient with multiple sclerosis in whom the diseased tissue could clearly be distinguished from healthy reference values. Additionally it was shown that, using the approach of synthetic MRI, both accurate conventional contrast images as well as quantification maps can be generated based on the same scan. Magn Reson Med 60:320–329, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Method and apparatus for preparing the novel liposome

Disclosed is a method for preparing liposomal formulations. In the disclosed method, dissolving the lipid fraction in an organic solvent. To prepare the coated particles in bioactive components lipids, together with the carrier, a solution containing a bioactive ingredient and the lipid fraction is placed in a reaction vessel, introducing therein a supercritical fluid. In order to obtain pro liposome particles were released by compressing the supercritical fluid, then to form a liposome solution, the pro liposome particles, hydrated with an aqueous solution containing water. Preferably, the formulation may contain one or more bioactive components. If necessary, the liposomal formulation, particle size reduction, removal of the organic solvents, and by a method such as freeze drying, may be further processed. Methods of preparation can be easily performed on a laboratory scale. Furthermore, the same method can be employed in the liposomal formulations prepared in or commercial scale in mass production. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [Figure 1]
Vismantic: Meaning-making with Images

This paper presents Vismantic , a semi-automatic sys-tem generating proposals of visual composition ( visual ideas ) in order to express speciﬁc meanings. It implements a process of developing visual solutions from ‘what to say’ to ‘how to say’, which requires both conceptual and visual creativity. In particular, Vismantic extends our previous work on using conceptual knowledge to ﬁnd diverse visual representations of abstract concepts, with the capacity of combining two images in three ways, including juxtaposition , replacement and fusion . In an informal evaluation consisting of ﬁve communication tasks, Vismantic demonstrated the potential of producing a number of expressive and diverse ideas, among which many are surprising. Our analysis of the generated images conﬁrms that visual meaning-making is a subtle interaction between all elements in a picture, for which Vismantic demands more visual semantic knowledge, higher image analysis and synthesis skills, and the ability of interpreting composed images, in order to deliver more ideas that make sense.
Recommendations for the implementation of telemedicine within stroke systems of care: a policy statement from the American Heart Association.

In 2005, the American Stroke Association formed a task force on the development of stroke systems to propose a new framework for stroke care delivery that would emphasize linkages rather than silos in the chain of stroke survival and provide a blueprint for large organizations or state and federal agencies on how to implement a more coordinated approach to stroke care.1 The stroke systems of care model (SSCM) recommends implementation of telemedicine and aeromedical transport to increase access to acute stroke care in neurologically underserved areas, as do the latest American Stroke Association guidelines for the early management of adults with ischemic stroke.2 The present report was commissioned by the American Heart Association to address how telemedicine might help address current barriers to improved stroke care delivery in the United States within the framework of the SSCM. Telemedicine has been defined broadly as “the use of telecommunications technologies to provide medical information and services” (p 483). 3 Technically, this encompasses all aspects of medicine practiced at a distance, including use of telephone, fax, and electronic mail technology, as well as the use of interactive full-motion integrated video and audio, that brings together patients and providers separated by distance.4 In the early part of the twentieth century, electrocardiograms and electroencephalograms were transmitted over ordinary analogue telephone lines, and in 1920, medical advice service for sea craft via Morse code and voice radio was established. Expensive and cumbersome 2-way closed-circuit television systems used in the 1960s to transmit radiographs and evaluate patients have been replaced by low-cost, personal computer–based solutions for videoconferencing and transmission of physiological data from clinics or patient homes or from inaccessible sites such as ships, aircraft, and geographically remote regions.5 Telemedicine has been proposed as an alternative means of managing many different diseases and …
Effects of long-term administration of enalapril on clinical indicators of renal function in dogs with compensated mitral regurgitation.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of long-term administration of enalapril on renal function in dogs with severe, compensated mitral regurgitation. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. ANIMALS 139 dogs with mitral regurgitation but without overt signs of heart failure. PROCEDURE Dogs were randomly assigned to be treated with enalapril (0.5 mg/kg [0.23 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h) or placebo, and serum creatinine and urea nitrogen concentrations were measured at regular intervals for up to 26 months. RESULTS Adequate information on renal function was obtained from 132 dogs; follow-up time ranged from 0.5 to 26 months (median, 12 months). Mean serum creatinine and urea nitrogen concentrations were not significantly different between dogs receiving enalapril and dogs receiving the placebo at any time, nor were concentrations significantly different from baseline concentrations. Proportions of dogs that developed azotemia or that had a +/- 35% increase in serum creatinine or urea nitrogen concentration were also not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSIONS And Clinical Relevance: Results suggest that administration of enalapril for up to 2 years did not have any demonstrable adverse effects on renal function in dogs with severe, compensated mitral regurgitation.
Paraneoplastic exfoliative erythroderma in a cat with thymoma

Γάτα 14 χρονών, κοινής eυρωπαϊκής φυλής, προσκομίστηκe μe ιστορικό σημαντικής απώλeιας σωματικού βάρους και γeνικeυμένης αποφολιδωτικής δeρματίτιδας μe eρυθροδeρμία που eμφανίστηκe τους τeλeυταίους δυο μήνeς. Στην ακτινογραφική και υπeρηχοτομογραφική διeρeύνηση του θώρακα παρατηρήθηκe eυμeγέθης μάζα που eντοπιζόταν στον πρόσθιο μeσοπνeυμόνιο χώρο. Η κυτταρολογική eικόνα του eπιχρίσματος, η οποία πάρθηκe ύστeρα από διαθωρακική παρακέντηση μe λeπτή βeλόνα, ήταν συμβατή μe το θύμωμα, αφού παρατηρήθηκαν πολυάριθμα ώριμα λeμφοκύτταρα ανάμικταμe σαφώς λιγότeρα φλeγμονικά σιτeυτικά κύτταρα. Η ολιγοκυτταρική δeρμοeπιδeρμική δeρματίτιδα, της οποίας το κυτταρικόφλeγμονικό διήθημα ήταν μικτό, ήταν ο κυρίαρχος ιστοπαθολογικός μορφότυπος στις βιοψίeς που πάρθηκαν από το δέρμα,γeγονός που eπιβeβαίωσe τη διάγνωση της παρανeοπλασματικής αποφολιδωτικής δeρματίτιδας από θύμωμα. Μe βάση αυτότο σχeτικά σπάνιο πeριστατικό, eπισημαίνeται η αξία των κeρατινοσμηγματορροϊκών αλλοιώσeων ως κλινικού δeίκτη για υποκeίμeνα νeοπλάσματα στη γάτα.
Two-Level Tabulated Interaction Method for Electromagnetic Scattering From Lossy Irregular Terrain Profiles Incorporating Back Scattering

An efficient method is proposed for computing electromagnetic wave propagation over lossy terrain profiles using a coupled surface integral equation formulation. The proposed method uses a set of basis functions, which can produce a linear system with much fewer unknowns than that created using pulse basis functions. In addition, the matrix entries can be computed very rapidly using precomputed tabulated values. The method improves upon the original tabulated interaction method (TIM) by extending it to lossy profiles, allowing for back-scatter and by introducing increased accuracy for near-field interactions. The complexity and numerical analysis demonstrates that the proposed method has an extremely low computational complexity and storage requirement. Moreover, the accuracy of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparing the pathloss against numerically precise solutions and measured data.
Learning-facilitated synaptic plasticity occurs in the intermediate hippocampus in association with spatial learning

The dorsoventral axis of the hippocampus is differentiated into dorsal, intermediate, and ventral parts. Whereas the dorsal part is believed to specialize in processing spatial information, the ventral may be equipped to process non-spatial information. The precise role of the intermediate hippocampus is unclear, although recent data suggests it is functionally distinct, at least from the dorsal hippocampus. Learning-facilitated synaptic plasticity describes the ability of hippocampal synapses to respond with robust synaptic plasticity (>24 h) when a spatial learning event is coupled with afferent stimulation that would normally not lead to a lasting plasticity response: in the dorsal hippocampus novel space facilitates robust expression of long-term potentiation (LTP), whereas novel spatial content facilitates long-term depression (LTD). We explored whether the intermediate hippocampus engages in this kind of synaptic plasticity in response to novel spatial experience. In freely moving rats, high-frequency stimulation at 200 Hz (3 bursts of 15 stimuli) elicited synaptic potentiation that lasted for at least 4 h. Coupling of this stimulation with the exploration of a novel holeboard resulted in LTP that lasted for over 24 h. Low frequency afferent stimulation (1 Hz, 900 pulses) resulted in short-term depression (STD) that was significantly enhanced and prolonged by exposure to a novel large orientational (landmark) cues, however LTD was not enabled. Exposure to a holeboard that included novel objects in the holeboard holes elicited a transient enhancement of STD of the population spike (PS) but not field EPSP, and also failed to facilitate the expression of LTD. Our data suggest that the intermediate dentate gyrus engages in processing of spatial information, but is functionally distinct to the dorsal dentate gyrus. This may in turn reflect their assumed different roles in synaptic information processing and memory formation.
MicroRNA Regulation of Cholesterol Metabolism

Disruption of cellular cholesterol balance results in pathologic processes including atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Maintenance of cholesterol homeostasis requires constant metabolic adjustment, achieved partly through the fine regulation of the classical transcription factors (e.g., by SREBP and LXR), but also through members of a class of noncoding RNAs termed miRNAs. Some miRNAs have now been identified to be potent post-transcriptional regulators of lipid metabolism genes, including miR-122, miR-33, miR-758, and miR-106b. Different strategies have been developed to modulate miRNA effects for therapeutic purposes. The promise demonstrated by the use of anti-miRs in human preclinical studies, in the case of miR-122, raises the possibility that miR-33, miR-758, and miR-106b may become viable therapeutic targets in future. This review summarizes the evidence for a critical role of some miRNAs in regulating cholesterol metabolism and suggests novel ways to manage dyslipidemias and cardiovascular diseases.
Use of cloud computing services in micro and small enterprises: a fit perspective

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) require the right Organizational Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure (OICTI) to provide them with the essential functionalities to support their business processes. In order to have the right OICTI, MSEs are expected to make huge investments in financial and human resources, to purchase, deploy and maintain Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). Cloud Computing Services (CCS) avail OICTI, for a fraction of the resources required to own private ICT infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to assess the fit between the MSEs’ OICTI needs and the information processing capabilities of CCS and how this fit influences CCS adoption in the Kenyan MSEs. The research was quantitative in nature, in which, a theory-based model grounded on the task technology fit, organization information processing and technology-organization-environment theories, was developed and validated. Study findings suggest strong correlations between MSEs’ tasks and CCS and between MSEs’ information processing needs and CCS information processing capabilities. Other factors identified as influencing CCS procurement are affordability and the relationship between the CCS providers and the MSEs. The study contributes to the academic literature on technology adoption in MSEs by showing that there exists a multidimensional fit between CCS and MSEs’ OICTI requirements.
Parallel LVCSR Algorithm for Cellphone-Oriented Multicore Processors

A parallel large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) algorithm for cellphone-oriented multicore processors is proposed. We introduce an acoustic look-ahead and blockwise computation to our compact LVCSR algorithm, in order to distribute its computational load to multiple CPU cores. We implement the proposed LVCSR algorithm on an evaluation board of a cellphone-oriented three CPU core chip, and show real-time processing of stand-alone LCVSR on cellphones can be achieved with recognition vocabulary of about 50,000 words. We also implement a speech-input text retrieval system using the proposed LVCSR on the same evaluation board, and confirm the ability of the proposed LVCSR algorithm to provide comfortable responses to query sentences spoken to a cellphone, without requiring any outside resources
Attitudes toward Management of Sickle Cell Disease and Its Complications: A National Survey of Academic Family Physicians

Objective. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a disease that requires a significant degree of medical intervention, and family physicians are one potential provider of care for patients who do not have access to specialists. The extent to which family physicians are comfortable with the treatment of and concerned about potential complications of SCD among their patients is unclear. Our purpose was to examine family physician's attitudes toward SCD management. Methods. Data was collected as part of the Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey in the United States and Canada that targeted family physicians who were members of CERA-affiliated organizations. We examined attitudes regarding management of SCD. Results. Overall, 20.4% of respondents felt comfortable with treatment of SCD. There were significant differences in comfort level for treatment of SCD patients depending on whether or not physicians had patients who had SCD, as well as physicians who had more than 10% African American patients. Physicians also felt that clinical decision support (CDS) tools would be useful for treatment (69.4%) and avoiding complications (72.6%) in managing SCD patients. Conclusions. Family physicians are generally uncomfortable with managing SCD patients and recognize the utility of CDS tools in managing patients.
Pulp tissue dissolution in endodontics- A review

Meticulous shaping and cleaning of the root canals is of utmost importance to the success of endodontic therapy. A combination of mechanical instrumentation with appropriate chemicals is conventionally used for thorough cleaning and disinfection of the complex root canal system. Ideally, an irrigant should be antimicrobial, biocompatible, dissolve pulp tissue, mechanically flush debris and help to remove smear layer. The capacity to dissolve pulp tissue, both vital and necrotic, is of paramount importance, as the solution can help clean areas of the root canal that are inaccessible to mechanical instrumentation. This paper reviews various irrigants with respect to their pulp dissolution capacity.
Designing NEKO : a speculative multithreading chip multiprocessor

Chip multiprocessor (CMP) approach has drawn a great attention as a new platform for next-generation microprocessors. A CMP supports multithreading execution and is very suitable for server workloads in which thread-level parallelism is abundant. However, the multithreading resources are underutilized in desktop workloads where typically only a few threads are running at the same time. Furthermore, the performance of a CMP when executing a single-threaded application is in general lower then a wide-issue monolithic superscalar processor. This make CMP approach not very attractive for desktop computers. To improve the performance of single-threaded execution using the otherwise idle multithreading resources, an execution scheme called speculative multithreading is proposed. Using this scheme, a sequential application is partitioned into multiple threads which are then speculatively executed in parallel. In contrast to conventional parallelization schemes, control and data dependencies may exist among the threads. This significantly relaxes the requirements for parallelization and makes speculative multithreading applicable even to complex non-numerical programs. To guarantee the correctness of the execution, several hardware and software supports are added. Although a number of speculative multithreading architectures have been proposed, most of them have tightly coupled execution cores, or a centralized front-end, register file, or cache architectures. These approaches while showing high performance in terms of executed instruction per cycle, sacrifice the latency and throughput advantages, and also the design simplicity advantages of CMP. The other few architectures that assume loosely-coupled CMPs, are unproven or show little success when applied to non-numerical applications represented by SPEC95INT benchmark. This fact raises a question of whether it is feasible to achieve a sufficiently high performance of speculative multithreading execution on a loosely-coupled CMP for such applications. This thesis proposes NEKO, an efficient speculative multithreading architecture based on a loosely-coupled chip multiprocessor. NEKO architecture uses a compiler to statically identify and select threads inside a sequential program. During the execution, a thread predictor predicts the sequence of the threads, and assigns the thread to available processing units. The assigned threads are speculatively executed in parallel, resulting in a higher performance compared to conventional executions. NEKO architecture incorporates a number of performance improvement techniques
Editorial: Structural and Functional Organisation of the Prefrontal Cortex

Prefrontal cortex (PFC) has long been known to be a region of the brain crucially important for cognitive processes. Major progress has been made in understanding the functions of this part of the brain however when it comes to brain organization there are still unanswered questions. In particular, if we compare known prefrontal cortex organization to that seen in sensory cortices, it is not currently clear whether PFC organization is essentially the same or different. This research topic focuses on the structural and functional organization of the prefrontal cortex in rodents and primates and makes a contribution to current research and debate within this field of neuroscience. In the articles by Bedwell et al.; Bedwell et al., neuroanatomical tracers were employed to investigate PFC cortical connections. These studies illuminate a connectional feature common to PFC and other cortical regions: topological/topographical organization of connections. In addition, these studies provided evidence at a fine microscopic resolution for both reciprocal and non-reciprocal PFC connections. The finding of fine-scale non-reciprocity is unexpected, especially when one considers that other cortical regions (such as sensory cortices) are well-known for their detailed reciprocity. The study by Nguyen et al. uses electrophysiological approaches to explore important functional questions about the anatomical connections between PFC and primary visual cortex. Such links may be important for mediating attentional and other top-down signals. The experiments provided evidence for a functional link between infralimbic and prelimbic cortex and V1, but they found that this link was not mediated strongly via basalo-cortical cholinergic projections. Another feature of anatomical organization is the columnar organization present in PFC and in other regions of the mammalian cerebral cortex. Several previous anatomical studies have provided evidence for columnar or modular organization within PFC, in this topic Opris et al. investigated the functional aspects of this organization during exposure to cocaine. The results help to show how cocaine interrupts complex cognitive processing within columns and layers of the monkey prefrontal cortex. Prefrontal cortex is perhaps best well-known for its role in cognitive function. The classic experiments of Funahashi and colleagues in the late 1980s and early 1990s (Funahashi et al., 1989, 1993) helped to define a role for the primate dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in spatial working memory processes. These studies were groundbreaking in terms of their contribution to our understanding of memory processes but also to the organization of neuronal responses within the PFC. In the review paper …
Deep Spline Networks with Control of Lipschitz Regularity

The motivation for this work is to improve the performance of deep neural networks through the optimization of the individual activation functions. Since the latter results in an infinite- dimensional optimization problem, we resolve the ambiguity by searching for the sparsest and most regular solution in the sense of Lipschitz. To that end, we first introduce a bound that relates the properties of the pointwise nonlinearities to the global Lipschitz constant of the network. By using the proposed bound as regularizer, we then derive a representer theorem that shows that the optimum configuration is achievable by a deep spline network. It is a variant of a conventional deep ReLU network where each activation function is a piecewise-linear spline with adaptive knots. The practical interest is that the underlying spline activations can be expressed as linear combinations of ReLU units and optimized using ${\ell _1}$-minimization techniques.