Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Compressive Sensing Technique in Dose Reduction for Chest Computed Tomography: A Prospective Blinded Clinical Study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess pulmonary lesion detection, diagnostic confidence, and noise reduction in sparse-sampled (SpS) computed tomographic (CT) data of submillisievert (SubmSv) chest CT reconstructed with iterative reconstruction technique (IRT). Materials and Methods This Human Insurance Portability and Accountability–compliant, institutional review board–approved prospective study was performed using SpS-SubmSv IRT chest CT in 10 non–obese patients (body-mass index, 21–35 kg/m2; age range, 26–90 years). Written informed consent was obtained. The patients were scanned at standard-dose CT (mean [SD] volumetric CT dose index, 6 [0.9] mGy; mean [SD] dose-length product, 208 ± 44 mGy·cm; and mean [SD] effective dose, 3 [0.6] mSv) and at SubmSv dose (1.8 [0.2] mGy, 67 [2] mGy·cm, 0.9 [0.03] mSv, respectively) on a Philips 128-slice CT scanner with double z-sampling. Sparse angular sampling data were reconstructed using 25% of the angular projections from the SubmSv sinogram to reduce the number of views and radiation dose by approximately 4-fold. Hence, the patients were scanned and then, simulation-based sparse sampling was performed with a resultant dose hypothetical SpS scan estimated mathematically (0.2 mSv). From each patient data, 3 digital imaging and communications in medicine series were generated: SpS-SubmSv with IRT, fully sampled SubmSv filtered back projection (FBP), and fully sampled standard-dose FBP (SD-FBP). Two radiologists independently assessed these image series for detection of lung lesions, visibility of small structures, and diagnostic acceptability. Objective noise was measured in the thoracic aorta, and noise spectral density was obtained for SpS-SubmSv IRT, SubmSv-FBP, and SD-FBP. Results The SpS-SubmSv IRT resulted in 75% (0.2/0.9 mSv) and 92% (0.2/2.9 mSv) dose reduction, when compared with the fully sampled SubmSv-FBP and SD-FBP, respectively. Images of SpS-SubmSv displayed all 46 lesions (most <1 cm, 30 lung nodules, 7 ground glass opacities, 9 emphysema) seen on the SubmSv-FBP and SD-FBP data sets. Lesion margins with sparse-sampled data were deemed acceptable compared with both SubmSv-FBP and SD-FBP. Overall diagnostic confidence was maintained with SpS-SubmSv IRT despite the presence of minor pixilation artifacts in 3 of 10 cases. The SpS-SubmSv IRT showed 63% and 38% noise reduction when compared with SubmSv-FBP (P < 0.0001) and SD-FBP (P < 0.01), respectively, with no significant change in Hounsfield unit values (P > 0.05). Noise-spectral density showed that SpS-SubmSv IRT gives a linear decrease over frequency in the semilog plot and an exponential decrease of noise power over frequency compared with SubmSv-FBP and SD-FBP. Conclusions More than 90% dose reduction could be achieved with one-fourth sparse-sampled and SubmSv chest CT examination when reconstructed with IRT. Chest CT dose at one fourth of a millisievert with SpS is possible with optimal lesion detection and diagnostic confidence for the evaluation of pulmonary findings.
Nonconventional Markers of Sepsis

Sepsis still remains a challenging healthcare problem with high mortality rate. To improve outcome, early diagnosis and monitoring of sepsis is of utmost importance. In this process objective laboratory parameters are the most helpful. Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein are the most commonly used and recommended markers of sepsis however, more than 200 sepsis biomarkers have already been published. This mini review focuses on nonconventional novel possibilities for the recognition of sepsis severity. Presepsin, actin and actin scavenger proteins (gelsolin and Gc-globulin) and orosomucoid are discussed. Besides serum parameters, the urinary levels of these markers are also elaborated, since urinary biomarkers of sepsis provide new diagnostic implications and are helpful for monitoring both the kidney function and the septic process. Increasing serum actin levels and decreasing levels of actin binding proteins seem to be associated with sepsis severity and outcome. Actin can be detected in the urine samples of septic patients as well, and strongly elevated levels of it were found in sepsis-related acute kidney injury. Both serum and urinary orosomucoid might be able to indicate sepsis, however urinary orosomucoid is a more sensitive inflammatory marker. Novel laboratory tests can provide rapid help for clinical decision making because the key point in successful treatment lies in the early diagnosis of sepsis.
An autoradiographic study of the time of final division of neurons in rat hypothalamic nuclei

An autoradiographic study of the development of 26 nuclei in the rat hypothalamus was made by injecting pregnant rats on different days of pregnancy with tritiated thymidine. The offspring were killed postnatally and the day of gestation on which peak percentages of heavily labeled neurons occurred was considered to be the birthdate of that nucleus. Postnatal animals for the first nine days were injected and were also included in the study. Laterally placed nuclei were found to arise on the fourteenth day of gestation while medial nuclei, in general, arose on day 16. Final cell divisions occurred over a period of time but the majority took place on the days indicated. Apparently a lateromedial gradient exists in the hypothalamus, and possibly a dorsoventral gradient.
Does Schooling Raise Earnings by Making People Smarter ?

Schooling raises individuals' scores on cognitive tests. It also raises individual earnings. What is the connection between these two facts? Many have interpreted the substantial economic returns to schooling as evidence for the importance of cognitive skills as a determinant of individual earnings. But skill enhancement is not the only way schooling a ects earnings. We shall argue that schooling raises wages and output per hour of labor in part by transforming individuals in ways that are pro table for employers, but are not the sort of `skills' that appear as arguments in a production function. We do not question that schools also produce such skills and that these skills are important in production, but if we are correct, skill enhancement explains only part of the contribution of schooling to individual earnings. Instead, we argue, schooling also raises earnings by its e ects on individuals' norms and preferences, making the prospective worker more attractive
Nucleation threshold and deactivation mechanisms of nanoscopic cavitation nuclei

The acoustic nucleation threshold for bubbles trapped in cavities has theoretically been predicted within the crevice theory by Atchley and Prosperetti [“The crevice model of bubble nucleation,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 86, 1065 (1989)]. Here, we determine this threshold experimentally, by applying a single pressure pulse to bubbles trapped in cylindrical nanoscopic pits (“artificial crevices”) with radii down to 50 nm. By decreasing the minimum pressure stepwise, we observe the threshold for which the bubbles start to nucleate. The experimental results are quantitatively in good agreement with the theoretical predictions of Atchley and Prosperetti. In addition, we provide the mechanism which explains the deactivation of cavitation nuclei: gas diffusion together with an aspherical bubble collapse. Finally, we present superhydrophobic nuclei which cannot be deactivated, unless with a high-speed liquid jet directed into the pit.
Experimentally observed conformation‐dependent geometry and hidden strain in proteins

A database has been compiled documenting the peptide conformations and geometries from 70 diverse proteins refined at 1.75 Å or better. Analysis of the well‐ordered residues within the database shows ϕ, Ψ‐distributions that have more fine structure than is generally observed. Also, clear evidence is presented that the peptide covalent geometry depends on conformation, with the interpeptide N‐Cα‐C bond angle varying by nearly ±5 degrees from its standard value. The observed deviations from standard peptide geometry are greatest near the edges of well‐populated regions, consistent with strain occurring in these conformations. Minimization of such hidden strain could be an important factor in thermostability of proteins. These empirical data describing how equilibrium peptide geometry varies as a function of conformation confirm and extend quantum mechanics calculations, and have predictive value that will aid both theoretical and experimental analyses of protein structure.
Demographics and co‐occurring conditions in a clinic‐based cohort with Down syndrome in the United Arab Emirates

The majority of studies describing demographics and co‐occurring conditions in cohorts with Down syndrome come from regions outside of the Middle East, mainly from Europe and North America. This paper describes demographics and co‐occurring conditions in a hospital‐based cohort of individuals with Down syndrome living in the Middle Eastern country of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The first dedicated Down syndrome clinic in the UAE was established in 2012 at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain. This paper describes a clinic‐based cohort of 221 participants over 4 years from the Gulf Down Syndrome Registry, a new Down syndrome database and contact registry created at Tawam Hospital. Key demographic findings include mean maternal age of 37 years, among the highest described in the literature. Sixty‐two percent of mothers are >35 years. Over 90% of mothers received post‐natal diagnosis of Down syndrome. High sex ratio, parental consanguinity, and large family size also characterize the group. The spectrum of many co‐occurring conditions mirrors that of previously described populations, with some notable differences. Cardiovascular malformations are well represented, however, atrioventricular canal is not the most common. Genitourinary conditions are common, as evidenced by 12% of males with hypospadias and 15% with undescended testes. Glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, alpha thalassemia trait, hypovitaminosis D, and dental caries are common in our cohort. This study describes a large hospital‐based group with Down syndrome presenting to a new dedicated Down syndrome clinic in the UAE, highlighting unique demographic and co‐occurring conditions found in that population.
Simulation of Aircraft Pilot Flight Controls Using Nonlinear System Identification

This paper is concerned with modelling of the front end of an aircraft pilot flight control system's behav iour using a nonlinear system identification technique known as parallel cascade identification. Using this technique, we are able to model a critical part of a pi lot flight control system with sufficient accuracy to meet the objective test requirements of the U.S. Fed eral Aviation Administration for certifying full flight simulators. Traditional approaches to modelling such aircraft systems involve extensive analytical studies of the design of the system, lengthy and detailed empiri cal testing and recording of data from the physical system, and then considerable analysis to fit paramet ric models to the data. The approach presented in this paper virtually eliminates the need for analysis of the system in question, significantly reduces the number of signals that need be recorded from the real aircraft flight control system, and provides an extremely fast method of identifying the mathematical model based on these data. Overall, the time and costs associated with building an effective model are greatly reduced.
Anoxia in myocardial infarction and indications for oxygen therapy.

Oxygen therapy has been widely employed in the management of patients with coronary thrombosis and myocardial infarction because it has been reputed to relieve pain. 1 Thrombosis of a coronary artery leads to necrosis of the myocardium in the area supplied by this vessel. Adjacent to the necrotic muscle is viable but ischemic muscle, which gives rise to pain and represents a threat to the patient in that it, too, may undergo necrosis or give rise to ventricular fibrillation. One of the logical aims of therapy of myocardial infarction is to provide a more adequate supply of oxygen to the ischemic muscle until collateral circulation can develop. The inhalation of oxygen may accomplish this aim by increasing the oxygen content of the arterial blood so that each unit of blood carries more oxygen to the anoxic tissue. Oxygen therapy is also used to relieve dyspnea in myocardial infarction and to
Platelet function testing in cardiovascular diseases.

Case presentation 1: Mr F. is a 60-year-old man with unstable angina who takes aspirin, 81 mg/day. A platelet function test demonstrates that his platelets are “resistant” to aspirin. Should his treatment be changed? Case presentation 2: Mr K. is a 60-year-old man with unstable angina who takes aspirin, 81 mg/day, and clopidogrel, 75 mg/day. A platelet function test demonstrates that his platelets are “resistant” to clopidogrel. Should his treatment be changed? Platelets are small cells of great importance in thrombosis, hemorrhage, and inflammation.1 Formation of the hemostatic plug at sites of vascular injury is described in Figure 1. Platelets localize, amplify, and sustain the coagulant response at the injury site and release procoagulant platelet-derived microparticles. Platelets contain a variety of inflammatory modulators (eg, CD40 ligand [CD40L]) that are released on platelet activation. Figure 1. Steps in platelet plug formation. A, Before vascular injury, platelets are maintained in a resting state by endothelial inhibitory factors: prostacyclin (PGI2), nitric oxide (NO), and CD39. B, The platelet plug is initiated by the exposure of collagen and the local generation of thrombin. This causes platelets to adhere via collagen and von Willebrand factor (vWF) and spread. C, The platelet plug is extended as additional platelets are activated via the release of thromboxane A2 (TxA2), ADP, and other platelet agonists. Platelet-to-platelet aggregation is mediated primarily by activation of the platelet surface GP IIb/IIIa (integrin αIIbβ3; not shown). D, A fibrin meshwork helps to perpetuate and stabilize the platelet aggregate. Reprinted from reference 2 with permission from Elsevier. Platelets have an increasingly well-defined critical role in coronary artery thrombosis3 …
Measurement based investigations for future communication system performance evaluation

This paper gives an overview of recently published results related to modeling the radio channel and performance evaluation including the radio channel. For small handheld devices the human hand often has large influence on the performance and therefore must be included in design and validation. An investigation methodology was therefore developed for the study of mobile-phone grip styles over a sample population of 100 subjects. Anther subject has been the radio channels between two persons with multiple transmit and receive antennas, i.e., body-to-body MIMO channels. This channel was characterized via numerous measurements in an indoor environment. The users' blocking of the signals were found to be a major influence on the channels. The Doppler spectrum for randomly moving scatterers and fixed transceivers was studied for indoor environments. Theoretical expressions were derived and found to be in good agreement with spectra obtained from measurements. Finally, initial results are presented of work using the concept of diffuse scattering to predict the power distribution in indoor environments. Promising results were found with relatively low complexity.
Pivotal role for neuronal Toll-like receptors in ischemic brain injury and functional deficits

The innate immune system senses the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms and tissue injury through Toll-like receptors (TLR), a mechanism thought to be limited to immune cells. We now report that neurons express several TLRs, and that the levels of TLR2 and -4 are increased in neurons in response to IFN-γ stimulation and energy deprivation. Neurons from both TLR2 knockout and -4 mutant mice were protected against energy deprivation-induced cell death, which was associated with decreased activation of a proapoptotic signaling cascade involving jun N-terminal kinase and the transcription factor AP-1. TLR2 and -4 expression was increased in cerebral cortical neurons in response to ischemia/reperfusion injury, and the amount of brain damage and neurological deficits caused by a stroke were significantly less in mice deficient in TLR2 or -4 compared with WT control mice. Our findings establish a proapoptotic signaling pathway for TLR2 and -4 in neurons that may render them vulnerable to ischemic death.
Evaluation of Monte Carlo tools for high-energy atmospheric physics II: relativistic runaway electron avalanches

Abstract. The emerging field of high-energy atmospheric physics studies how high-energy particles are produced in thunderstorms, in the form of terrestrial γ-ray flashes and γ-ray glows (also referred to as thunderstorm ground enhancements). Understanding these phenomena requires appropriate models of the interaction of electrons, positrons and photons with air molecules and electric fields. We investigated the results of three codes used in the community – Geant4, GRanada Relativistic Runaway simulator (GRRR) and Runaway Electron Avalanche Model (REAM) – to simulate relativistic runaway electron avalanches (RREAs). This work continues the study of Rutjes et al. (2016), now also including the effects of uniform electric fields, up to the classical breakdown field, which is about 3.0 MV m−1 at standard temperature and pressure. We first present our theoretical description of the RREA process, which is based on and incremented over previous published works. This analysis confirmed that the avalanche is mainly driven by electric fields and the ionisation and scattering processes determining the minimum energy of electrons that can run away, which was found to be above ≈10 keV for any fields up to the classical breakdown field. To investigate this point further, we then evaluated the probability to produce a RREA as a function of the initial electron energy and of the magnitude of the electric field. We found that the stepping methodology in the particle simulation has to be set up very carefully in Geant4. For example, a too-large step size can lead to an avalanche probability reduced by a factor of 10 or to a 40 % overestimation of the average electron energy. When properly set up, both Geant4 models show an overall good agreement (within ≈10 %) with REAM and GRRR. Furthermore, the probability that particles below 10 keV accelerate and participate in the high-energy radiation is found to be negligible for electric fields below the classical breakdown value. The added value of accurately tracking low-energy particles (<10 keV) is minor and mainly visible for fields above 2 MV m−1. In a second simulation set-up, we compared the physical characteristics of the avalanches produced by the four models: avalanche (time and length) scales, convergence time to a self-similar state and energy spectra of photons and electrons. The two Geant4 models and REAM showed good agreement on all parameters we tested. GRRR was also found to be consistent with the other codes, except for the electron energy spectra. That is probably because GRRR does not include straggling for the radiative and ionisation energy losses; hence, implementing these two processes is of primary importance to produce accurate RREA spectra. Including precise modelling of the interactions of particles below 10 keV (e.g. by taking into account molecular binding energy of secondary electrons for impact ionisation) also produced only small differences in the recorded spectra.
Solution-Mediated Annealing of Polymer Optical Fiber Bragg Gratings at Room Temperature

In this letter, we investigate the response of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) microstructured polymer optical fiber Bragg gratings (POFBGs) after immersion in methanol/water solutions at room temperature. As the glass transition temperature of solution-equilibrated PMMA differs from the one of solvent-free PMMA, different concentrations of methanol and water lead to various degrees of frozen-in stress relaxation in the fiber. After solvent evaporation, we observe a permanent blue-shift in the grating resonance wavelength. The main contribution in the resonance wavelength shift arises from a permanent change in the size of the fiber. The results are compared with conventional annealing. The proposed methodology is cost-effective as it does not require a climate chamber. Furthermore, it enables an easy-to-control tuning of the resonance wavelength of POFBGs.
Acidogenic fermentation of lactose

Cheese whey is the main component of waste streams from cheese manufacturing plants. Whey is a high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) effluent that must be reduced before the streams are sent to the sewer. It is proposed in this article that the production of methane by anaerobic fermentation would be the best use of this stream, especially for small plants. Single‐stage fermentation of lactose, the main component of whey, results in a very low pH and a stalled process. Two‐phase fermentation will eliminate this problem. The acidogenic stage of fermentation has been studied at pH of between 4 and 6.5. The nature of the main products of the reaction have been found to be pH dependent. Below a pH of 4.5 a gas (CO2 and H2) is produced along with ethanol, acetate, and butyrate. Above a pH of 4.5 no gas was produced, and the liquid products included less ethanol and butyrate and more acetate. A separate study on the conditions for gas formation showed that if the pH dropped for a short time below 4.5 gases were formed at all subsequent pH. This would indicate a change in population distribution due to the period at a low pH. By assuming that the desired products from the acidogenic stage were butyrate, acetate, and no gases, the optimum pH range was found to be between 6.0 and 6.5.
Antiresonant hollow core fiber with seven nested capillaries

We report an antiresonant hollow core fiber formed of 7 non-touching capillaries with inner tubes. The fiber has a core diameter of ∼33μm and a core wall of ∼780nm of thickness. We demonstrate robust single mode operation at 1064nm and broad transmission bandwidth.
Late Isometric Assessment of Hip Abductor Muscle and Its Relationship with Functional Tests in Elderly Women Undergoing Replacement of Unilateral Hip Joint

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the recovery of muscle strength and measure autonomy 3 yrs after hip replacement surgery in a sample of patients. DesignSeventy-eight female patients (70.7 ± 6.3 yrs old) operated on for hip replacement were evaluated. They underwent evaluation tests for hip abductor muscle strength on the healthy and operated limb using strength curves obtained with isometric assessments. Autonomy was evaluated with a rating scale Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), Harris and MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and functional assessment (Timed "Up and Go" test). ResultsThree years after surgery, a muscle strength deficit was still noticeable on the operated limb compared with the healthy limb ranging from 9% at 5 degrees of adduction to 12% at 0 degree of abduction. The strength curves obtained on the operated side maintained the same descending trend as the healthy side. The authors found no significant correlations between the patient-reported functional measures and the hip abductor strength deficit. The Timed Up and Go test was moderately correlated with the muscle strength deficit. The association between the deficit and the Timed Up and Go test was statistically significant. ConclusionsThe evaluation of muscle strength and functional tests are more useful than the rating scales in patients 3 yrs after surgery. The strength curves are useful to have different levels of information and describe joint function.