Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative diffusion-weighted imaging as an adjunct to conventional breast MRI for improved positive predictive value.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to investigate whether adding diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) could improve the positive predictive value (PPV) of breast MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS The retrospective study included 70 women with 83 suspicious breast lesions on DCE-MRI (BI-RADS 4 or 5) who underwent subsequent biopsy. DWI was acquired during clinical breast MRI using b = 0 and 600 s/mm(2). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were compared for benign and malignant lesions. PPV was calculated for DCE-MRI alone (based on biopsy recommendations) and DCE-MRI plus DWI (adding an ADC threshold) for the same set of lesions. Results were further compared by lesion type (mass, nonmasslike enhancement) and size. RESULTS Of the 83 suspicious lesions, 52 were benign and 31 were malignant (11 ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS], 20 invasive carcinoma). Both DCIS (mean ADC, 1.31 +/- 0.24 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) and invasive carcinoma (mean ADC, 1.29 +/- 0.29 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) exhibited lower mean ADC than benign lesions (1.70 +/- 0.44 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s, p < 0.001). Applying an ADC threshold of 1.81 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s for 100% sensitivity produced a PPV of 47% versus 37% for DCE-MRI alone, which would have avoided biopsy for 33% (17/52) of benign lesions without missing any cancers. DWI increased PPV similarly for masses and nonmasslike enhancement and preferentially improved PPV for smaller (< or = 1 cm) versus larger lesions. CONCLUSION DWI shows potential for improving the PPV of breast MRI for lesions of varied types and sizes. However, considerable overlap in ADC of benign and malignant lesions necessitates validation of these findings in larger studies.
Impact of Fecal Sludge and Municipal Solid Waste Co-Compost on Crop Growth of Raphanus Sativus L. and Capsicum Anuum L. under Stress Conditions

Co-composted dewatered faecal sludge (FS) with organic fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW) has a high potential to be used as an agricultural resource in Sri Lanka. In addition to options for cost recovery in waste management, closing the nutrient and carbon cycles between urban and rural areas, substitution of mineral fertilizers, reduced pollution. and the restoration of degraded arable land are possible with important benefits. Up to now little is known about the usage of FS-MSW as fertilizer and it needs to be studied in order to achieve a better understanding and generate application recommendations. The aim of these experiments has been to evaluate the possibility of substituting mineral fertilization. Two field experiments were conducted on sandy loam to assess the effects of MSW compost and FS-MSW co-compost, its pelletized forms, and mineral-enriched FS-MSW on crop growth. As a short-term crop Raphanus sativus “Beeralu rabu” (radish) was studied for 50 days in a randomized complete block design (RCDB). Results show that, under drought conditions, FS-MSW co-compost increased the yield significantly, while MSW and FS-MSW compost enabled the highest survival rate of the plants. Similarly, the second field trial with a long-term crop, Capsicum anuum “CA-8” (capsicum), was planted as RCBD, using the same treatments, for a cultivation period of 120 days. Results display that during a drought followed by water saturated soil conditions co-compost treatments achieved comparable yields and increased the survival rate significantly compared to the control, fertilized with urea, triple super phosphate, and muriate of potash. Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) revealed that pelletizing decreased the monetary benefits if only fertilizer value is considered. It can be concluded that, under drought and water stress, co-compost ensures comparable yields and enables more resistance, but might not be economical viable as a one-crop fertilizer. These findings need to be validated with further trials under different climate regimes and soils.
Tunable high-finesse InP/air MOEMS filter

We have fabricated Fabry-Pe/spl acute/rot tunable filters based on a multi-air-gap/InP suspended structure. High spectral selectivity is achieved by displacing the resonant cavity into the high index material rather than in air. This configuration reduces the lateral losses of the cavity. The filters feature a bidirectional electrostatic actuation. A spectral linewidth better than 0.15 nm over a tuning range of 40 nm is experimentally demonstrated.
Isolation of Vero cytotoxin‐producing Escherichia coli O157 from wild birds

In a survey of wild birds (mainly gulls), 0·9% of the bacterial isolates from faecal samples at an urban landfill site and 2·9% of bacterial isolates from faecal samples on intertidal sediments in Morecambe Bay were Vero cytotoxin‐producing Escherichia coli O157. Isolation procedures employing commonly used cultural methods were hindered by the selection of a large number of false positives. The only procedure which resulted in the isolation of E. coli O157 from bird faecal samples was : enrichment (18 h) in a selective tryptone soya broth followed by filtration using hydrophobic grid membranes and growth on Chromagar®O157. The majority of isolates selected as potential E. coli O157 by characteristic growth on Chromagar®O157 could be eliminated by subsequent growth on CT‐SMAC or CR‐SMAC. This second identification (characterization) stage reduced the number of potential E. coli O157 requiring further confirmation by typing methods (serotype and Vero cytotoxin) by more than 70%.
Cognitive Informatics based DIND for Corner and Crossing Detection in Intelligent Space

Intelligent space is a space of distributed sensory intelligence and actuators. The basic component of intelligent space is the distributed intelligent network device (DIND), responsible for intelligent sensing and estimation. It is important for intelligent space to be aware of state of its internal environment, such as the class and position of objects it contains. The ability of object recognition is thus necessary in intelligent space. Existing cognitive computational systems like the mammalian cortex perform extremely well when it comes to visual object recognition. Psychological experiments have shown that image features such as edges and especially corners are of great importance in cognitive object recognition. Inspired by cognitive recognition systems, the proposed cognitive informatics model addresses the problem of vertex and corner detection. The model integrates the previously developed visual feature array (VFA), which is a cognitive model of oriented edge detection. The ultimate goal of the presented model is to provide suitable input for a cognitive object recognition system
Using a body sensor network to measure the effect of fatigue on stair climbing performance

In terms of self-rated health, the most important activities of daily living are those involving mobility. Of these activities stair climbing is regarded as the most strenuous. A loss of stair climbing ability with age is normally associated with a loss of muscle strength and power, while other factors that influence muscle function, such as fatigue, are often not taken into account. So far no research has been published on how long-lasting fatigue affects activities of daily living, despite the fact that it has been repeatedly proven, in laboratory settings, to influence muscle force production over long periods of time. Technological advances in body sensor networks (BSNs) now provide a method to measure performance during complex real-life situations. In this study the use of a BSN was explored to investigate the effects of long-lasting fatigue on stair climbing performance in 20 healthy adults. Stair climbing performance was measured before and after a fatiguing protocol using a BSN. Performance was defined by temporal and spatial parameters. Long-lasting fatigue was successfully induced in all participants using an exercise protocol. The BSN showed that post-exercise fatigue did not influence stair climbing times (p > 0.2) and no meaningful changes in joint angles were found. No effect on overall stair climbing performance was found, despite a clear presence of long-lasting fatigue. This study shows that physiological paradigms can be further explored using BSNs. Ecological validity of lab-based measurements can be increased by combining them with BSNs.
In patients with coronary artery disease endothelial function is associated with plasma levels of C-reactive protein and is improved by optimal medical therapy.

BACKGROUND Endothelial function is impaired in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD); in these patients plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and impaired endothelial function are related to future cardiac events. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of medical therapy on endothelial function and CRP in patients with CAD. METHODS Seventy-three patients (52 men, 21 women, mean age 66 +/- 9 years) with CAD and 32 control subjects (25 men, 7 women, mean age 65 +/- 11 years) were enrolled in the study. The endothelial function was evaluated by means of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery following ischemia and CRP by means of a high-sensitivity assay. After baseline evaluation of CRP and FMD all patients received full medical therapy for 3 months and were then again tested for endothelial function and CRP. RESULTS Compared to healthy controls, patients had significantly more impaired endothelial function (FMD 3.6 +/- 3.2 vs 8 +/- 2.4%, p < 0.01) and higher CRP plasma levels (1.6 +/- 0.9 vs 0.9 +/- 0.56 mg/dl, p < 0.05). At baseline a significant negative correlation was found between CRP plasma levels and FMD in patients with CAD (r = -0.56, p < 0.05) while no correlation was found in controls. Medical therapy resulted in a significant improvement in endothelial function (3.64 +/- 3 vs 7.2 +/- 3.5%, p < 0.01), and a decrease of CRP (-0.26 +/- 0.19, p < 0.01); the changes in CRP and FMD were independent of the drug used. A positive correlation was found between the improvement in FMD and the degree of CRP reduction (r = 0.57, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS In patients with CAD plasma levels of CRP are associated with an impaired endothelial function suggesting a correlation between inflammation and the integrity of the endothelium. Full medical therapy reduces CRP with a parallel improvement in endothelial function.
A Carrier-Independent Non-Data-Aided Real-Time SNR Estimator for M-PSK and D-MPSK Suitable for FPGAs and ASICs

We present a channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimator for M-ary phase shift keying (M-PSK) and differential M-PSK. The estimator is non data aided and is shown to have the following advantages: 1) It does not require prior carrier synchronization; 2) the estimator has a compact fixed-point hardware implementation suitable for field-programmable gate arrays and application-specific integrated circuits; 3) it requires only 1 sample/symbol; 4) accurate estimates can be generated in real time; and 5) the estimator is resistant to imperfections in the automatic gain control circuit. We investigate the proposed estimator theoretically and through simulations. In particular, we investigate the required quantization necessary to achieve a good estimator performance. General formulas are developed for SNR estimation in the presence of frequency-flat slow fading, and specific results are presented for Nakagami-m fading. The proposed estimator is then compared with other SNR estimators, and it is shown that the proposed method requires less hardware resources while, at the same time, providing comparable or superior performance.
Joint probability distribution of power delay profiles based on 28 GHz channel measurements

Millimeter-wave has come into the spot-light as the frequency band of the next generation communication systems. Prior to millimeter-wave communication system designs, the study of propagation characteristics is necessary. Especially, the power delay profile is one of the most important characteristics of channel fading that can be utilized for determining symbol duration. For the reason, we analyzed the root mean square (RMS) delay spread from measurements and the joint distribution of power delay profiles based on the modified Suzuki model. We found that the standard deviation of multi-path power distribution is highly correlated to the mean of the power distribution.
Fuzzy affinity induced curve evolution

In this paper, we present a fuzzy affinity induced curve evolution method for image segmentation without the need for solving PDEs, thereby making level set implementations vastly more efficient. We make use of fuzzy affinity that has been employed in fuzzy connectedness methods as a speed function for curve evolution. The fuzzy affinity consists of two components, namely homogeneity-based affinity and object-feature-based affinity, which take account both boundary gradient and object region information. Ball scale - a local morphometric structure - has been used for image noise suppression. We use a similar strategy for curve evolution as the method in,1 but simplify the voxel switching mechanism where only one linked list is used to implicitly represent the evolving curve. We have presented several studies to evaluate the performance of the method based on brain MR and lung CT images. These studies demonstrate high accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
In vitro studies of rheumatoid synovium; preliminary metabolic comparison between synovial membrane and villi.

SOME of the earliest pathological changes which occur in rheumatoid arthritis are proliferative in nature. As the synovial membrane proliferates in response to the disease stimulus more villi are formed and give rise to the florid histological picture. In view of this we felt that the metabolic requirements of villi and membrane would differ quantitatively. We have compared the carbohydrate katabolism of these tissues, since this probably supplies the readily available energy for tissue proliferation. We have also compared the in vitro effects of hydrocortisone (free alcohol) on the two types of tissue. This we felt to be of interest in view of the profound effects of the hormone when administered in vivo.
Assessment of Family Environment and Needs of Families Who Have Children With Cerebral Palsy

Objective: The aim of the study is to identify family needs and to assess the family environment of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Material and Methods: Participants were the primary caregivers of 103 children between the age of 4 and 12 years with a diagnosis of CP. The parents of the children completed the Family Environment Scale (FES) and the modified version of Family Needs Survey (FNS). The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) levels of children were determined. The medical history of the participants accompanying disorders and characteristics of families are questioned. Results: According to the results of FNS, the most cited requirement was need for information (84.3%) and the least cited requirements were needs for babysitting while having a meeting (62.1%) and payment for childminders (74.8%). Neither the FES nor the FNS results was correlated to the GMFCS or MACS levels or accompanying disorders. Conclusion: Regardless of education level, parents reported need for information about their children’s conditions and future services. If families are informed about their children’s health condition and are aware of present or future resources, better outcomes will be seen. Understanding the needs of families who have children with CP and assessment of family characteristics and environment are important for family-centered services.
Perception of reporting medication errors including near-misses among Korean hospital pharmacists

Abstract Medication errors threaten patient safety by requiring admission, readmission, and/or a longer hospital stay, and can even be fatal. Near-misses indicate the potential for medication errors to have occurred. Therefore, reporting near-misses is a first step in preventing medication errors. The aim of this study was to estimate the reporting rate of near-misses among pharmacists in Korean hospitals, and to identify the factors that contributed to reporting medication errors. We surveyed 245 pharmacists from 32 hospital pharmacies for medication errors, including near-misses. We asked them to describe their experiences of near-misses in dispensing, administration, and prescribing, and to indicate the percentage of near-misses that they reported. Additionally, we asked questions related to the perception of medication errors and barriers to reporting medication errors. These questions were grouped into 4 categories: protocol and methods of reporting, incentives and protections for reporters, attitude related to reporting, and fear. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were conducted to analyze the data. Five or more near-misses per month were experienced by 14.8%, 4.3%, and 43.9% of respondents for dispensing, administration, and prescribing errors, respectively. The percentages of respondents who stated that they reported all near-misses involving dispensing errors, administration errors, and prescribing errors were 43.7%, 57.4%, and 37.1%, respectively. Unclear reporting protocols and the absence of harm done to patients were significant factors contributing to the failure to report medication errors (P < .05). Advances can still be made in the frequency of reporting near-misses. Clear and standardized policies and procedures are likely to increase the reporting rates.
Applying online feature selection for fall detection

Recently, sensor based human activity recognition has attracted lots of researches, which overcomes the constraint of the traditional vision-based technology. Fall detection is an important part of monitoring elderly people. In order to fast and precisely detect the action fall from huge data, online feature selection method is proposed to improve online human activity recognition, which overcomes the limit of traditional batch learning methods. The high-dimensional real-world dataset is utilized to evaluate the proposed method. Better results have demonstrated the efficacy of the proposed online feature selection approach. It has also been demonstrated that data from belt is much more easily discriminated than from other three body parts.
Long‐term results of the percutaneous transhepatic venoplasty of portal vein stenoses after pediatric liver transplantation

Carnevale FC, de Tarso Machado A, Moreira AM, dos Santos ACB, da Motta‐Leal‐Filho JM, Suzuki L, Cerri GG, Tannuri U. Long‐term results of the percutaneous transhepatic venoplasty of portal vein stenoses after pediatric liver transplantation. Pediatr Transplantation 2011: 15: 476–481. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Got skillz?: player matching, mastery, and engagement in skill-based games

In this paper we explore mastery, a powerful intrinsic motivator, and its relationship to player engagement in a mobile skill-based game platform (Skillz.com). More specifically, we present a unique Elo-based rating system for quickly matching players with similar skill levels, which results in fair tournaments. Our rating system assigns a player with a relative rating that predicts how well they will do against another player. In an n-player game, the players with higher ratings have a higher likelihood of winning against those with lower ratings. We show that a system that promotes fairness allows players to improve by competing against players close to their skill level, which in turn promotes a sense of mastery. We show that when players feel they are improving, their engagement in the game increases. Finally, we discuss the implications of our approach for increasing fairness in gamification by matching users and tasks based on skill level.
Recombinant factor VIIa improves clot formation but not fibrolytic potential in patients with cirrhosis and during liver transplantation

Cirrhosis is associated with a bleeding tendency, which is particularly pronounced during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). A novel approach to treating the bleeding diathesis of patients with cirrhosis is administration of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa). This study examined whether the efficacy of rFVIIa in cirrhosis might be explained in part by enhanced down‐regulation of fibrinolysis by thrombin‐activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI). Addition of therapeutic or supratherapeutic doses of rFVIIa to plasma of 12 patients with stable cirrhosis did not result in a prolongation of clot lysis time, though clotting times were significantly reduced. Also, clot lysis assays of plasma samples taken during and after OLT, which was performed with or without a single bolus dose of rFVIIa, did not show any effect of rFVIIa on plasma fibrinolytic potential. In conclusion, this study shows no evidence for an antifibrinolytic effect of rFVIIa in cirrhotic patients or in patients undergoing OLT.
A Sensory Integration Therapy Program on Sensory Problems for Children with Autism

The study was planned to investigate the effect of a sensory integration therapy program on sensory problems of children with autism. This study was conducted at the Trakya University Training and Research Center for Mentally and Physically Handicapped Children in Turkey. The children were separated into two groups, each comprising 15 children between 7 and 11 years of age with autism, according to DSM-IV criteria. The children in each group were assessed initially on a checklist, Sensory Evaluation Form for Children with Autism, developed to evaluate sensory characteristics of children with autism, and at the end of the study, participants were assessed again on the checklist. Statistically significant differences between groups indicated that the sensory integration therapy program positively affected treated children.
Estimates of present‐day glacial rebound in the Lambert Glacier Region, Antarctica

Changes in the ice load since the time of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) contribute to the present‐day vertical motion of the Antarctic continent. The observation of these motions will reveal information on the ice load history. Predictions of uplift rates along a transect across the Lambert Glacier region, East Antarctica, from the coast to the southernmost rock outcrops of the Prince Charles Mountains have been computed for three deglaciation scenarios. The relative vertical velocities between sites on the transect are −7 to +7 mm/yr and are large enough to be detected from continuous GPS observations taken at permanent sites over several years. When available, such information will discriminate between the currently available models for deglaciation of East Antarctica.
Sign language learning using the hangman videogame

This paper describes the preliminary study and development of a videogame aimed at learning the alphabet in Portuguese sign language, through gestures. Leap Motion Controller is used, allowing the detection of fingers and hands with high accuracy and resolution. The project is based on the well-known hangman game. The player inputs the gestures that represent the letters of the alphabet in the sign language. The Leap Trainer framework for gesture and pose learning and recognition was used. This framework is helpful to the development of the proposed game since it allows the recording of a gesture and a subsequent comparison with the recorded gesture, giving a match percentage result. There are many sign language learning games, but they are not interactive. The proposed game is primarily for children but also adequate for adults.
Physical Activity and Hormonal Regulation of Appetite: Sex Differences and Weight Control

Physical activity is an important contributor to regulation of energy balance and body composition. In this article, we separate the impact of exercise from the confounding influence of energy imbalance and highlight sex differences in hormonal and appetite responses to physical activity. The evolving story may influence our thinking regarding the use of physical activity to manage body composition.