Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Segmentation of Multiple Sclerosis Lesions in Brain MRI

of a dissertation at the University of Miami. Dissertation supervised by Professor Mei-Ling Shyu. No. of pages in text. (167) Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of central nervous system. It may result in a variety of symptoms from blurred vision to severe muscle weakness and degradation, depending on the affected regions in brain. To better understand this disease and to quantify its evolution, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used nowadays. Manual delineation of MS lesions in MR images by human expert is timeconsuming, subjective, and prone to inter-expert variability. Therefore, automatic segmentation is needed as an alternative to manual segmentation. However, the progression of the MS lesions shows considerable variability and MS lesions present temporal changes in shape, location, and area between patients and even for the same patient, which renders the automatic segmentation of MS lesions a challenging problem. In this dissertation, a set of segmentation pipelines are proposed for automatic segmentation of multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions from brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. These techniques use a trained support vector machine (SVM) to discriminate between the blocks in regions of MS lesions and the blocks in non-MS lesion regions mainly based on the textural features with aid of the other features. The main contribution of this set of frameworks is the use of textural features to detect MS lesions in a fully automated approach that does not rely on manually delineating the MS lesions. In addition, the technique introduces the concept of the multi-sectional views segmentation to produce verified segmentation. The multi-sectional views pipeline is customized to provide better segmentation performance and to benefit from the properties and the nature of MS lesion in MRI. These customization and enhancement leads to development of the customized MV-T-SVM. The MRI datasets that were used in the evaluation of the proposed pipelines are simulated MRI datasets (3 subjects) generated using the McGill University BrainWeb MRI Simulator, real datasets (51 subjects) publicly available at the workshop of MS Lesion Segmentation Challenge 2008 and real MRI datasets (10 subjects) for MS subjects acquired at the University of Miami. The obtained results indicate that the proposed method would be viable for use in clinical practice for the detection of MS lesions in MRI.
Decline of Ves v 5‐specific blocking capacity in wasp venom‐allergic patients after stopping allergen immunotherapy

While allergen‐specific immunotherapy (AIT) is very efficient in hymenoptera venom (HV)‐allergic patients, long‐term outcome after finishing AIT is not well investigated, especially regarding mechanisms that are suggested to contribute to allergen‐specific tolerance. Here, we analyse the Ves v 5‐inhibitory activity of sera from wasp venom‐allergic patients using the novel cell‐free enzyme‐linked immunosorbent facilitated antigen binding (ELIFAB) assay. Compared to pre‐AIT, sera from patients undergoing AIT displayed an increased ability to inhibit Ves v 5 binding by IgE antibodies. In contrast, this inhibitory activity was reduced in patients having finished AIT 5–12 years ago. Allergen‐blocking capacity correlated with serum concentrations of Ves v 5‐specific IgG4 which rose during AIT but almost reached pretreatment levels in patients who had stopped AIT more than 5 years ago. These data raise questions about how long allergen tolerance is maintained in AIT‐treated HV‐allergic patients and suggest that the ELIFAB assay might be an easy‐to‐use tool assessing long‐term tolerance in patients treated with HV‐AIT.
The Interplay of Language, Violence, Revolution and Liberation in Frantz Fanon’s African Political Philosophy

Frantz Fanon was born in Fort-de-France on the Island of Martinique. He was a son of a descendant of African slaves; his mother was said to be an illegitimate child of African, Indian and European descent, whose white ancestors came from Strasbourg in Alsace. This piece focuses on the concern of Fanon, basically to resolve the problems of Black-White relationship, which was fostered by colonialism and colonial rule. He proposes violence as a potent instrument for resolving this relationship. In relation to colonization, he argues that speaking the language of the colonizer instead of one’s own language is ipso facto to assume the colonizers culture and to reject one’s own culture. This promotes cultural and political domination. How then can a person gain freedom? He argues that one’s freedom is a function of one’s determination to act in other to remove obstacles that stay in one’s way. Fanon believed that violent revolution is the only means of ending colonial repression and cultural trauma in the third world. Violence he believes is a cleansing force. It frees the ‘native’ from his inferiority complex and from his despair and inaction; it makes him fearless and restores his self-respect. While understanding the cultural circumstances surrounding the birth of Fanon’s philosophy, this piece asserts that his position, which is based on violence, cannot give an enduring peace, for violence cannot give what it does not have.
Roles of calcitonin gene-related peptide in maintenance of gastric mucosal integrity and in enhancement of ulcer healing and angiogenesis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The gastrointestinal tract is known to be rich in neural systems, among which afferent neurons are reported to exhibit protective actions. We tested whether an endogenous neuropeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), can prevent gastric mucosal injury elicited by ethanol and enhance healing of acetic acid-induced ulcer using CGRP knockout mice (CGRP(-/-)). METHODS The stomach was perfused with 1.6 mmol/L capsaicin or 1 mol/L NaCl, and gastric mucosal injury elicited by 50% ethanol was estimated. Levels of CGRP in the perfusate were determined by enzyme immunoassay. Gastric ulcers were induced by serosal application of absolute acetic acid. RESULTS Capsaicin inhibited injured area dose-dependently. Fifty percent ethanol containing capsaicin immediately increased intragastric levels of CGRP in wild-type (WT) mice, although 50% ethanol alone did not. The protective action of capsaicin against ethanol was completely abolished in CGRP(-/-). Preperfusion with 1 mol/L NaCl increased CGRP release and reduced mucosal damage during ethanol perfusion. However, 1 mol/L NaCl was not effective in CGRP(-/-). Healing of ulcer elicited by acetic acid in CGRP(-/-) mice was markedly delayed, compared with that in WT. In WT, granulation tissues were formed at the base of ulcers, and substantial neovascularization was induced, whereas those were poor in CGRP(-/-). Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor was more markedly reduced in CGRP(-/-) than in WT. CONCLUSIONS CGRP has a preventive action on gastric mucosal injury and a proangiogenic activity to enhance ulcer healing. These results indicate that the CGRP-dependent pathway is a good target for regulating gastric mucosal protection and maintaining gastric mucosal integrity.
NuA4, an essential transcription adaptor/histone H4 acetyltransferase complex containing Esa1p and the ATM‐related cofactor Tra1p

Post‐translational acetylation of histone H4 N‐terminal tail in chromatin has been associated with several nuclear processes including transcription. We report the purification and characterization of a native multisubunit complex (NuA4) from yeast that acetylates nucleosomal histone H4. NuA4 has an apparent molecular mass of 1.3 MDa. All four conserved lysines of histone H4 can be acetylated by NuA4. We have identified the catalytic subunit of the complex as the product of ESA1, an essential gene required for cell cycle progression in yeast. Antibodies against Esa1p specifically immunoprecipitate NuA4 activity whereas the complex purified from a temperature‐sensitive esa1 mutant loses its acetyltransferase activity at the restrictive temperature. Additionally, we have identified another subunit of the complex as the product of TRA1, an ATM‐related essential gene homologous to human TRRAP, an essential cofactor for c‐Myc‐ and E2F‐mediated oncogenic transformation. Finally, the ability of NuA4 to stimulate GAL4–VP16‐driven transcription from chromatin templates in vitro is also lost in the temperature‐sensitive esa1 mutant. The function of the essential Esa1 protein as the HAT subunit of NuA4 and the presence of Tra1p, a putative transcription activator‐interacting subunit, supports an essential link between nuclear H4 acetylation, transcriptional regulation and cell cycle control.
Comparison of serum creatinine, uric acid, albumin and glucose in male professional endurance athletes compared with healthy controls

Abstract Owing to considerable physical, endocrinological and metabolic adaptations, the analysis of biochemical data in elite and top-class athletes requires caution. With the aim to identify metabolic and biochemical adaptations to particular lifestyle conditions, such as regular and strenuous physical exercise, we measured the concentration of serum albumin, creatinine, uric acid and glucose in 80 male professional cyclists, 37 male members of the Italian national cross-country ski team and 60 male healthy sedentary controls at rest. At variance with earlier investigations, endurance athletes showed significantly decreased concentrations of serum creatinine (controls: 83.1±11.0 μmol/l; skiers: 78.0±8.4 μmol/l; p<0.05; cyclists: 73.8±10.4 μmol/l; p<0.01), uric acid (controls: 362±69 μmol/l; skiers: 331±70 μmol/l; p<0.05; cyclists: 312±61 μmol/l; p<0.01) and glucose (controls: 5.35±0.54 mmol/l; skiers: 4.94±0.41 mmol/l; p<0.01; cyclists: 4.94±0.42 mmol/l; p<0.01). The concentration of serum albumin was also decreased in athletes, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (controls: 4.76±0.26 g/l; skiers: 4.71±0.22 g/l; p=0.384; cyclists: 4.68±0.22 g/l; p=0.393). Results of the present investigation demonstrate that values of laboratorytesting lying outside conventional reference limits calculated on sedentary populations might express physiological adaptations to regular and demanding physical aerobic activity, emphasizing the need for the estimation of reliable reference limits in elite and professional athletes, to avoid equivocal interpretation of results within clinical and anti-doping contests.
Longitudinal variability in airway responsiveness in a population-based sample of children and young adults. Intrinsic and extrinsic contributing factors.

The degree and long-term variability of airway responsiveness to eucapneic hyperventilation with cold air was assessed in 287 children and young adults (less than 23 yr of age) (735 challenge tests) enrolled in a longitudinal study of pulmonary function, 179 of whom underwent two to five cold-air challenge tests between 1982 and 1986. Survey-to-survey variability in airway responsiveness was assessed with computation of adjusted within-subject correlation coefficients for continuous measures of response (percent decrease in FEV1 after challenge) and with adjusted odds ratios for dichotomous outcomes ("positive" if percent decrease FEV1 greater than or equal to 0.13). The relationships between variability in responsiveness and the following variables were examined: age, baseline level of pulmonary function, presence of respiratory symptoms and illnesses, smoking exposures, season, level of ventilation achieved during testing, and temperature of the expired air. Airway hyperresponsiveness was demonstrated consistently over all surveys in only six of 49 (12%) subjects who had ever demonstrated a "positive" airway response. The odds relating positive responses between surveys was 12.1 for airway hyperresponsiveness, 21.5 for "persistent" wheeze, and 6.7 for "any" wheeze. Significant predictors of airway hyperresponsiveness were wheeze symptoms (OR = 2.3), hay fever (OR = 1.6), and a chest illness requiring bed rest (OR = 2.5). Adjustment for survey-to-survey differences in respiratory symptoms, or for differences in testing conditions between surveys, did not alter the observed variability in airway responsiveness. Adjustment for "random error" (assessed with replicate measures of airway responsiveness in a subsample of 21 subjects) improved the observed survey-to-survey variability by 30%. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Organizational Approaches to Integrated Health Care Delivery: A Taxonomic Analysis of Physician-Organization Arrangements

Integrated health care organizations depend fundamentally on bringing organizations and physicians into closer alignment. Little empirical research has been conducted on the organizational mechanisms by which such alignment is attempted. This study employed primary data from 79 hospitals and health care systems to identify current approaches to aligning the strategic and economic interests of organizations and physicians. An empirical classification of both unbundled and structured physician-organization arrangements (POAs) resulted in 5 distinct strategic configurations. These configurations were differentiated by key contextual factors that shape patterns of development and operation of POAs. Particularly salient among these were managed care penetration, organization size, locus of control, and organization strategy. Results of the taxonomic analysis underscore the facts that most delivery organizations employ multifaceted rather than single approaches to physician integration and that these approaches are endemic to particular environmental and organizations conditions.
Dysphagia and Aspiration with Unilateral Vocal Cord Immobility: Incidence, Characterization, and Response to Surgical Treatment

To objectively determine the incidence of dysphagia associated with unilateral vocal cord immobility (UVCI) and to evaluate the potential for response to vocal cord medialization, we made videofluoroscopic swallowing (VFS) recordings of patients with newly diagnosed UVCI and prospectively analyzed them in a blinded fashion using the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) and pharyngeal transport function measures. A subset of patients underwent vocal cord medialization and were evaluated with a postoperative VFS study. Comparison was made between preoperative and postoperative VFS results to study the effects of vocal cord medialization in this setting. Eighty-seven VFS recordings were studied in 64 adult patients with UVCI; 23 patients underwent VFS testing before and after vocal cord medialization. The UVCI was most commonly left-sided (53 cases) and most commonly resulted from thoracic or cardiac surgery (53.1%), followed by malignancy (15.6%). Overall, the median PAS score was 2.0 (25th-75th percentiles, 1.0–5.0), with 20 patients (31.3%) and 15 patients (23.4%) exhibiting penetration or aspiration, respectively. No significant differences in swallowing function were noted between surgical and nonsurgical causes of paralysis (PAS scores of 2.0 and 2.0, respectively; p = .901). The median PAS score improved from 4.0 to 3.0 (p = .395, Wilcoxon paired samples test) in patients studied after undergoing a vocal cord medialization procedure (6 laryngoplasties and 17 vocal cord injections). Laryngoplasty was not more successful than vocal cord injection in resolving aspiration (p = .27). Radiographically significant penetration or aspiration occurs in approximately one third of patients with UVCI, independent of the cause of paralysis. Vocal cord medialization may not be as effective as thought for eliminating aspiration in these patients.
Comparison of bioimpedance versus thermodilution cardiac output during cardiac surgery: evaluation of a second-generation bioimpedance device.

OBJECTIVE To compare a second-generation thoracic electrical bioimpedance (TEB) hemodynamic monitoring system with the clinically used pulmonary artery catheter thermodilution (TD-PAC) system. DESIGN Blinded, simultaneous measurements at specified key time points during surgery. SETTING University teaching hospital cardiac surgical operating rooms. PARTICIPANTS Forty-seven patients undergoing primary elective coronary artery bypass surgery. INTERVENTIONS Timed cardiac output measurements by thermodilution and continuous monitoring of bioimpedance were performed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Cardiac index (TEB and TD-PAC) and other hemodynamic parameters were measured at 4 time points: (1) after anesthesia induction, (2) with the mediastinum open, (3) immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass, and (4) at the end of the case. Pearson's correlation and Bland-Altman analysis were carried out. Cardiac index by TEB and TD-PAC had an overall correlation of r = 0.71 (p < 0.0001). The Bland-Altman statistics showed a mean difference of -0.28 L/min/m2 and precision of 0.67 L/min/m2. The best correlation was at time 1, and the lowest correlation was at time 4. Mediastinal opening and cardiopulmonary bypass had little or no effect on the correlation between technologies. CONCLUSION TEB reporting of cardiac index during coronary artery surgery generally agreed with TD-PAC cardiac index except at the end of the case (time 4).
Structure of a novel InsP3 receptor.

Inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (InsP3) constitutes a major intracellular second messenger that transduces many growth factor and neurotransmitter signals. InsP3 causes the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores by binding to specific receptors that are coupled to Ca2+ channels. One such receptor from cerebellum has previously been extensively characterized. We have now determined the full structure of a second, novel InsP3 receptor which we refer to as type 2 InsP3 receptor as opposed to the cerebellar type 1 InsP3 receptor. The type 2 InsP3 receptor has the same general structural design as the cerebellar type 1 InsP3 receptor with which it shares 69% sequence identity. Expression of the amino‐terminal 1078 amino acids of the type 2 receptor demonstrates high affinity binding of InsP3 to the type 2 receptor with a similar specificity but higher affinity than observed for the type 1 receptor. These results demonstrate the presence of several types of InsP3 receptor in brain and raise the possibility that intracellular Ca2+ signaling may involve multiple pathways with different regulatory properties dependent on different InsP3 receptors.
Socioeconomic Status, Physical Fitness, Self-Concept, Attitude toward Physical Education, and Academic Achievement of Children

The goal was to analyze the physical fitness, self-concept, attitudes toward physical education, and academic achievement of Turkish elementary school children by socioeconomic status. 198 (101 boys, 97 girls) students from Grades 7 and 8 completed the Children's Attitude Inventory towards Physical Education, the Piers–Harris Children's Self-concept Scale, and Eurofit Physical Fitness Test Battery. Significant differences were found between the groups of Low and High socioeconomic status (SES) in terms of physical fitness and academic achievement. While the Low SES group had higher mean scores on physical fitness, mean academic achievements of the High SES group were higher. Mean differences in height, self-concept, and children's attitudes toward physical education by socioeconomic status were not statistically significant. Particular attention should be paid to physical fitness in children of high socioeconomic status and the academic achievement of children with low socioeconomic status.
High Reliability Pediatric Septic Shock Quality Improvement Initiative and Decreasing Mortality

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Septic shock impacts mortality, morbidity, and health care costs. A quality improvement (QI) initiative was launched to improve early recognition and timely treatment of patients with septic shock in a pediatric emergency department (PED). Our primary aim was to describe the longitudinal effectiveness of the program, iterative changes in clinical practice, and associated outcomes. METHODS: We implemented multiple interventions during our QI initiative (February 2007 to December 2014). Analysis of compliance and outcomes focused on a bundle consisting of: (1) timely antibiotics, (2) intravenous fluids (IVF) for rapid reversal of perfusion abnormalities and/or hypotension. Logistic regression was used to obtain adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for death and pediatric ICU (PICU) admission. RESULTS: A total of 1380 patients were treated for septic shock; 93% met screening criteria at triage. Implementation of the various processes improved timely interventions. One example included implementation of a sepsis order set, after which the mean proportion of patients receiving timely antibiotics increased to its highest rate. The odds of death were 5 times as high for children who did not receive bundle-compliant care (OR, 5.0 [95% Confidence Interval 1.9, 14.3]) compared with those who did (OR, 0.20 [95% Confidence Interval 0.07, 0.53]). Among PICU admitted patients, the odds of mortality were greater for children who presented with abnormal mental status and a higher pediatric index of mortality 2 score. CONCLUSIONS: QI methodology improved septic shock program goal adherence and decreased mortality without increasing PICU admissions or PED length of stay over the 8-year period, supporting continued emphasis on early recognition, timely IVF resuscitation, and antibiotic administration.
Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions

Glycerol is a trihydroxy alcohol that has been included for many years in topical dermatological preparations. In addition, endogenous glycerol plays a role in skin hydration, cutaneous elasticity and epidermal barrier repair. The aquaporin‐3 transport channel and lipid metabolism in the pilosebaceous unit have been evidenced as potential pathways for endogenous delivery of glycerol and for its metabolism in the skin. Multiple effects of glycerol on the skin have been reported. The diverse actions of the polyol glycerol on the epidermis include improvement of stratum corneum hydration, skin barrier function and skin mechanical properties, inhibition of the stratum corneum lipid phase transition, protection against irritating stimuli, enhancement of desmosomal degradation, and acceleration of wound‐healing processes. Even an antimicrobial effect has been demonstrated. Topical application of glycerol‐containing products improves skin properties in diseases characterized by xerosis and impaired epidermal barrier function, such as atopic dermatitis. The increase of epidermal hydration by glycerol is critical in skin conditions aggravated by dry and cold environmental conditions, e.g. winter xerosis. This paper provides a review on effects of glycerol on the skin, the mechanisms of its action, and the potential applications of glycerol in dermatology.
A 125GHz LC-VCO in a SiGe:C Technology dedicated to mmW applications

This paper presents a 125GHz LC-VCO dedicated to mmW applications. It has been designed, within the framework of the European project DOTFIVE, with a new B3T bipolar technology developed by STMicroelectronics, in which NPN transistors reach a ft and fmax of 260GHz and 340GHz respectively. Under a nominal power supply of 1.8V, the 125GHz VCO dissipates 54mA (with output buffers) for a measured phase noise of −75dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset from the 125GHz carrier and achieves a tuning range of 2GHz with a size of 0.25 mm2.
Photodynamic therapy: New treatment for recalcitrant Malassezia folliculitis

Malassezia folliculitis commonly has been treated with oral antifungal medications. However, it has many therapeutic weaknesses such as infection relapse, drug resistance, or adverse effects like hepatotoxicity and gastrointestinal discomfort. Hence, there remains an ongoing need for alternative treatments for recalcitrant Malassezia folliculitis. Recently, many dermatologists suggest photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an alternative therapeutic option for its antimicrobial effect.