Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protected transmission of medical images via LabVIEW using Watermarking technique

: Remote transmission of digital images is rapidly increasing computer networks, in particular telemedicine can transmit a very short time medical data, with the aim of improve the quality of life of the population, especially those people elderly, the disabled and those who need periodic medical. To ensure data transmission, we have developed two algorithms in the LabVIEW development environment. This platform is adopted for its speed of development and it includes a real-time module that provides the ability to easy data exchange between two or more remote systems. The LabVIEW application developed in this paper via the TCP/IP protocol ensures remote transmission of medical images between Client/Server architectures via the Internet. Computer networks are complex and attacks are possible. He poses a real problem for the security during transmission of images. Protection becomes important for many reasons such as confidentiality, authentication and integrity. Currently, the most suitable for the transfer of medical images lies in cryptography. However, once decrypted, the image is no longer protected and can be duplicated, copied, falsified and distributed easily. In this context, digital watermarking has quickly emerged as a new advanced technology to enhance the security of digital images. Indeed, the insertion of a watermark in a medical image can authenticate it and guarantee its integrity. The watermark must be generally hidden does not affect the quality of the medical image. The objective of this paper is to develop a watermarking algorithm to ensure an authentication service suitable for medical images to gray level fostering a fragility rather than robustness. Finally, we examine the watermarking technique used for the description of the results obtained in terms of imperceptibility and authenticity.
Children crossing borders: Immigrant parents and teacher perspectives on preschool

resonates with Minow’s suggestion for universal design in learning in chapter 2. Considering the limited resources for accommodation and the existence of multiple separate legal mandates, disability protection is fragmented, particularly in transitions from one level of schooling to another, as well as from school to employment. Focusing on the gap between K–12 and higher education, chapter 12 explains the multiple layers of discontinuity between federally mandated assistance programs in K–12 and disability services in higher education institutions. While secondary education and higher education share much history, theory, and practice, Wendy Harbour argues that there is a lack of continuity between special education and disability services. The prevailing issues include the responsibility of accessing available services, the financial cost of being legally recognized as eligible for services, and the process of negotiating the identity of a person with a disability. In closing, Ferri cautions us against the danger of falling into the dichotomy between the social and the personal in envisioning disability. Rather, she urges us to consider “the simultaneous and dialogic play of power between social structures and individual agency . ; the politics of language and naming; and the irreducibility of identity into discrete, unitary or static categories” as key elements that reveal experiences around the constructed notion of disability from a deficit perspective (313). Some disability studies scholars are challenging the binary by examining the intersections between disability studies and gender, race, sexuality, nationality, and social class. This book serves as a solid foundation for challenging the deficit model of disability engrained in law and other institutional structures, exploring discrepancies, inequities, and much needed changes. The task of “disentangling impairment (as a biological fact) from disability (a socially produced system of barriers and negative values ascribed to impairment)” has many possible implications in the field of early childhood education (309; original emphasis). For instance, recontextualizing the following questions posed by Kanter provides us with a critical perspective to examine the place of disability in early childhood classrooms and teacher education programs:
Enhanced image transmission with error control

Contrast enhancement of an image can efficiently performed by Histogram Equalization. However, this method tends to introduce unnecessary visual deterioration such as saturation effect. One of the solutions to overcome this weakness is by preserving the mean brightness of the input image inside the output image. This paper proposes a new histogram equalization method called Contrast Stretching Recursively Separated Histogram Equalization (CSRSHE), for brightness preservation and image contrast enhancement. After that a channel coding scheme for progressive transmission of enhanced images is proposed. The transmission time, low distortion reconstructed image and low complexity are most concerned in this paper. The progressive transmission is based on the process that the input image is decomposed into many subblocks each to be coded, compressed, and transmitted individually. In the proposed system, we choose a 3-level Haar wavelet transform to perform the wavelet transform for each subblock. It is simple, faster and easier to implement when compared with other transform method. The channel coding used here is Hamming code which is a simpler and efficient forward error control code. Also we show that compared to other existent methods, our proposed enhanced method (CSRSHE) preserves the image brightness more accurately and produces images with better contrast enhancement.
Monitoring of Transmission of Tuberculosis between Wild Boars and Cattle: Genotypical Analysis of Strains by Molecular Epidemiology Techniques

ABSTRACT An epidemiological survey for the monitoring of bovine tuberculosis transmission was carried out in western Liguria, a region in northern Italy. Fifteen Mycobacterium bovis strains were isolated from 63 wild boar samples (62 from mandibular lymph nodes and 1 from a liver specimen). Sixteen mediastinal lymph nodes of 16 head of cattle were collected, and 15 Mycobacterium bovis strains were subsequently cultured. All M. bovis strains isolated from cattle and wild boars were genotyped by spoligotyping and by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis with the IS6110 and IS1081 probes. All M. bovis strains showed the typical spoligotype characterized by the absence of the 39 to 43 spacers in comparison with the number inM. tuberculosis. A total of nine different clusters were identified by spoligotyping. The largest cluster included 9 strains isolated from wild boars and 11 strains isolated from cattle, thus confirming the possibility of transmission between the two animal species. Fingerprinting by RFLP analysis with the IS6110probe showed an identical single-band pattern for 29 of 30 strains analyzed, and only 1 strain presented a five-band pattern. The use of IS1081 as a second probe was useful for differentiation ofM. bovis from M. bovis BCG but not for differentiation among M. bovis strains, which presented the same undifferentiated genomic profile. In relation to the epidemiological investigation, we hypothesized that the feeding in pastures contaminated by cattle discharges could represent the most probable route of transmission of M. bovis between the two animal species. In conclusion, our results confirmed the higher discriminatory power of spoligotyping in relation to that of RFLP analysis for the differentiation of M. bovis genomic profiles. Our data showed the presence of a common M. bovisgenotype in both cattle and wild boars, confirming the possible interspecies transmission of M. bovis.
Before the Wall Came Tumbling Down

This article examines the well-known community mural, the Wall of Respect, begun on Chicago’s South Side in 1967, from the perspective of its ephemerality. A product of the Organization of Black American Culture’s (OBAC) Visual Arts Workshop, the Wall inspired similar murals across the United States. Completed at a moment when positive images of African Americans were scarce in the mainstream media, the Wall was filled with portraits of Black cultural and political leaders divided into eight sections (e.g., jazz, religion, politics, sports) accompanied by black and white photographic panels and text. The mural was conceived from the outset not as a static work, but as imagery which would change in response to community demands. Thus, the rise of the Black Power and Black Arts movements was registered in a series of alterations to the mural, outlined here, before its destruction in 1971.
Inducible cAMP Early Repressor, an Endogenous Antagonist of cAMP Responsive Element-Binding Protein, Evokes Neuronal Apoptosis In Vitro

Active CREB (cAMP responsive element-binding protein) transcription factor is crucial for neuronal survival. Several members of the CREM/ICER (cAMP responsive element modulator/inducible cAMP early repressor) protein family may act as endogenous CREB antagonists. However, their involvement in a process of programmed cell death remains unexplored. Here we report that ICER may play such a role in neuronal apoptosis because it is upregulated in apoptotic neurons in vitro, and overexpression of ICER, delivered in adenoviral vector, evokes programmed cell death of three different kinds of cultured neurons, namely those derived from hippocampal dentate gyrus, cerebral cortex, and superior cervical ganglion. Reporter gene assay with a promoter containing a CREB-responsive sequence revealed a decrease in both basal and induced CRE-dependent gene expression in neurons overexpressing ICER. Finally, the level of expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, a well known CREB target, was markedly diminished in ICER-treated neurons. We suggest that the naturally occurring CREB functional antagonist ICER may have a specific function in programmed cell death of neurons, probably by silencing the expression of anti-apoptotic genes.
Outcomes of Preemptive Kidney With or Without Subsequent Pancreas Transplant Compared With Preemptive Simultaneous Pancreas/Kidney Transplantation

Background. Prior studies have indicated that type 1 diabetic (T1DM) recipients of a simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplant have greater short-term mortality compared with living donor kidney (LDK) transplantation. Whether this association remains and how outcomes compare to deceased donor kidney (DDK) transplantation in the preemptive setting are unknown. Methods. Using data on recipients transplanted between 2000 and 2010 from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network of Organ Sharing, patient and graft survival (calculated from the time of kidney transplant) of pancreas after preemptive LDK (PALK, n=389), preemptive LDK not receiving a pancreas transplant (LDK/noP, n=289), preemptive DDK (n=112), and preemptive SPK transplantations (n=1402) were compared. Results. At 6 years, patient survival was excellent (PALK=89.4%, LDK/noP=84.9%, DDK=81.2%, and SPK=91.1%) and not different between PALK, LDK/noP, and SPK (P value vs. PALK: LDK/noP=0.08; SPK=0.85) but was lower with preemptive DDK versus preemptive PALK (P=0.03). When both LDK groups were considered together, there was higher mortality in the first 180 days after transplant with preemptive DDK (3.7% vs. 1.1%; P=0.03) and similar mortality with preemptive SPK (2.3%; P=0.07). After multivariate adjustment, there was a trend toward increased risk of death with preemptive DDK compared with preemptive PALK (hazard ratio: 1.91; 95% confidence interval: 0.95–3.84). Conclusions. Patient survival associated with preemptive transplantation among T1DM recipients was excellent at 6 years, with the greatest survival favoring PALK, LDK/noP, and SPK rather than DDK. In contrast with prior studies reporting greater short-term mortality with SPK among the general T1DM population, short-term mortality after preemptive transplant is similar between LDK and SPK.
Effect of Physical Exercise on Blood Mononuclear Cell Subpopulations and in Vitro Proliferative Responses

The present study was designed to examine the effect of physical exercise on subsets and proliferative responses of blood mononuclear cells. Sixteen young, healthy volunteers underwent 60min of bicycle exercise at 75% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). After an interval of at least 1 week, six of the subjects underwent a 60‐min back muscle training period at up to 30% of VO2max. Blood samples were collected before and during the last minutes of exercise, as well as 2 and 24 h later. Blood mononuclear cell (BMNC) subpopulations were determined and the proliferate responses after incubation with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or purified derivative of tuberculin (PPD), were quantified by [3H]thymidine incorporation. During bicycle exercise the relative blood concentration of T cells (CD3+ cells) declined, mainly due to a fall in T helper cells (CD4+ cells). The natural killer (NK) cell subset (CD16+ cells) increased during work, but reverted after; the monocytes (CD14+ cells) increased 2 h after work, whereas the B‐cell subset (CD20+ cells) did not change. BMNC subsets were not significantly changed by back muscle exercise. The PHA‐induced proliferative response decreased during bicycle exercise, whereas the PPD‐induced response did not change. No significant changes occurred during back muscle exercise. Investigation of subgroups after incubation with [3H]thymidine showed that the proliferative response per CD4+ cell did not change in relation to exercise, but the contribution of the CD4+ subgroup to proliferation declined during bicycle exercise due to the decreased proportion of CD4+ cells. The suppression of the PHA response during bicycle exercise can be explained in part by a relative fall in CD4+ cells. The pool sizes of BMNC subfraction may be elicited by increased catecholamine and cortisol levels.
A decade with silicone hydrogels : Part 2 Dr

In the first article of this series of two we discussed several aspects of the clinical performance of silicone hydrogel (SiH) materials and currently available lenses. In addition to looking at the oxygen performance, the evidence for potentially reduced symptoms of discomfort and end of day dryness with SiHs was examined. In this second article, we will look at additional aspects of SiH material and surface properties, as well as discussing the most recently published information on the incidence of inflammatory and infective complications and commenting on potential future developments for SiH contact lens materials.
Complex Dimensions of Self-Similar Fractal Strings and Diophantine Approximation

We study the solutions in s of a “Dirichlet polynomial equation” miri + … + m M r s M = 1. We distinguish two cases. In the lattice case, when r j = r k j are powers of a common base r, the equation corresponds to a polynomial equation, which is readily solved numerically by using a computer. In the nonlattice case, when some ratio log r j / log r 1, j ≥ 2, is irrational, we obtain information by approximating the equation by lattice equations of higher and higher degree. We show that the set of lattice equations is dense in the set of all equations, and deduce that the roots of a nonlattice Dirichlet polynomial equation have a quasiperiodic structure, which we study in detail both theoretically and numerically. This question is connected with the study of the complex dimensions of self-similar strings. Our results suggest, in particular, that a nonlattice string possesses a set of complex dimensions with countably many real parts (fractal dimensions) which are dense in a connected interval. Moreover, we find dimension-free regions of nonlattice self-similar strings. We illustrate our theory with several examples. In the long term, this work is aimed in part at developing a Diophantine approximation theory of (higher-dimensional) selfsimilar fractals, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Autosomal dominant Alport syndrome caused by a COL4A3 splice site mutation.

BACKGROUND Alport syndrome (AS) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous renal disorder, predominantly affecting the type IV collagen alpha 3/alpha 4/alpha 5 network of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). AS can be caused by mutations in any of the three genes encoding these type IV collagen chains. The majority of AS families (85%) are X-linked (XL-AS) involving mutations in the COL4A5 gene. Mutations in the COL4A3 and COL4A4 genes cause autosomal recessive AS (AR-AS), accounting for approximately 14% of the cases. Recently, autosomal dominant AS (AD-AS) was linked to the COL4A3/COL4A4 locus in a large family. METHODS COL4A3 and COL4A4 cDNAs were generated by nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and were analyzed by DNA sequence analysis. Denaturating high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) was used for mutation and segregation analysis at the genomic DNA level. RESULTS In the AD-AS family, a splice site mutation resulting in skipping of exon 21 of the COL4A3 gene was detected. The mutation does not alter the reading frame and is predicted to result in a COL4A3 chain with an internal deletion. CONCLUSION As the NC domain is intact, this chain may be incorporated and distort the collagen triple helix, thereby causing the dominant effect of the mutation. The finding of a specific COL4A3 mutation in AD-AS completes the spectrum of type IV collagen mutations in all genetic forms of AS.
Kämpfe um hegemoniale Männlichkeiten in der Ingenieurkultur um 1900

Im Jahr 884 hielt der Maschinenbauprofessor und Rektor der Technischen Hochschule Berlin, Franz Reuleaux, im Niederösterreichischen Gewerbeverein einen Vortrag mit dem Titel »Cultur und Technik«. Reuleaux zählte Ende des 9. Jahrhunderts zu den zentralen Protagonisten der Verwissenschaftlichung des Maschinenbaus in Deutschland. Sein Vortrag fand rasch Verbreitung. 885 wurde er in der »Zeitschrift des Vereins Deutscher Ingenieure« (Z-VDI) abgedruckt und noch im selben Jahr ins Englische übersetzt (vgl. Reuleaux 885a und 885b). Reuleaux’ Konzeption des Ingenieurs orientiert sich am bildungsbürgerlichen Ideal seiner Zeit und überträgt das Modell des umfassend gebildeten Geistesarbeiters auf den Maschinenbau (vgl. Braun 977; Zachmann 2004). Sein Beitrag »Cultur und Technik« verfolgt gleich mehrere Ziele: das Ingenieurwesen als Wissenschaft zu etablieren und ihre überragende Bedeutung für die moderne westliche Kultur herauszustellen. Diesen kulturellen Status der Technik begründet er in der Überlegenheit Europas über andere Kulturen, die erst durch die Leistungen verwissenschaftlichter Technik ermöglicht worden sei. »Cultur und Technik« ist als frühes Dokument in eine breitere gesellschaftliche Debatte einzuordnen, die Ende des 9. Jahrhunderts begann und im Zeichen der Professionalisierungsbemühungen der Ingenieure stand. Sie kam erst Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts zur vollen Entfaltung und wurde vorwiegend von Kulturwissenschaftlern, aber auch von eini-
HIV, Rectal Chlamydia, and Rectal Gonorrhea in Men Who Have Sex With Men Attending a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic in a Midwestern US City

Background Men who have sex with men (MSM) who report receptive anal intercourse (RAI) are currently recommended to undergo at least annual screening for rectal Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) infection. Methods Using standard culture methods, we assessed the prevalence of rectal GC/CT among MSM who reported RAI in the last year (n = 326) at an urban sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in a midwestern US city. A subset (n = 125) also underwent rectal GC/CT screening via nucleic acid amplification testing. We examined the associations between HIV status and prevalence of rectal GC and rectal CT using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models. Results The prevalence of rectal GC, rectal CT, and either rectal infection was 9%, 9%, and 15% by culture and 24%, 23%, and 38% by nucleic acid amplification testing, respectively. HIV was not associated with rectal GC prevalence in unadjusted or adjusted analyses. HIV-positive status was significantly associated with increased rectal CT prevalence in unadjusted models (odds ratio, 2.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–4.60); this association increased after multivariable adjustment (odds ratio, 3.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.37–7.19). Conclusions Men who have sex with men reporting RAI had a high prevalence of rectal GC and rectal CT. HIV-positive status was significantly associated with prevalent rectal CT but not with prevalent rectal GC.
The Corner Pocket Revisited

To the Editor: I t has been exactly 4 years since our original description of the ‘‘corner pocket’’ technique for ultrasound (US)-guided supraclavicular block (SCB) was published. Since January 2007, we have performed more than 3000 US-guided SCBs and have adopted several modifications that, in our opinion, enhance the success and safety of this technique. Chief among these modifications are hydrolocation and hydrodissection. Whether the needle approach is lateral-to-medial or medial-to-lateral relative to the position of the US transducer, constant visualization of the needle tip can be challenging. Hydrolocation involves injecting very small amounts of solution (local anesthetic, normal saline, or dextrose) to visualize the corresponding appearance of a hypoechoic bolus and surrounding tissue distension or displacement. Failure to visualize a new hypoechoic fluid collection necessarily denotes intravascular injection or incorrect plane of imaging. Not only is the appearance of the hypoechoic bolus a surrogate indicator of the needle tip position, it also enhances the visibility of the needle tip by increasing the acoustic mismatch between the needle tip (and shaft) and the surrounding medium, which is now liquid. Instead of aiming toward the corner pocket at the outset, the needle is advanced first to puncture the lower third of the brachial plexus sheath, which is typically accompanied by a palpable ‘‘fascial click’’ (Fig. 1A). A small amount (1Y2 mL) of local anesthetic solution is then incrementally injected to ‘‘open’’ the perineural space and create a safe pathway for further needle advancement toward the ‘‘corner pocket’’ (Figs. 1B, C). We believe that this hydrodissection technique can direct the nerve trunk/divisions away from the advancing needle tip, which then facilitates additional needle manipulation as necessary to reach the corner pocket where 15 to 25 mL of local anesthetic is deposited (Fig. 1D) for reliable surgical anesthesia. While the ulnar nerve still remains the most commonly spared, it has been our experience that the corner pocket technique achieves successful ulnar nerve blockade in at least 85% of patients within 30 mins of local anesthetic injection. Finally, we have encountered only 1 case of symptomatic pneumothorax, which occurred despite careful attention to technique. Postprocedure sonographic examination of the pleura has been advocated by some experienced practitioners and may be useful in certain circumstances.