Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimating effective dose for CT using dose-length product compared with using organ doses: consequences of adopting International Commission on Radiological Protection publication 103 or dual-energy scanning.

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to compare dose-length product (DLP)-based estimates of effective dose with organ dose-based calculations using tissue-weighting factors from publication 103 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) or dual-energy CT protocols. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using scanner- and energy-dependent organ dose coefficients, we calculated effective doses for CT examinations of the head, chest, coronary arteries, liver, and abdomen and pelvis using routine clinical single- or dual-energy protocols and tissue-weighting factors published in 1991 in ICRP publication 60 and in 2007 in ICRP publication 103. Effective doses were also generated from the respective DLPs using published conversion coefficients that depend only on body region. For each examination type, the same volume CT dose index was used for single- and dual-energy scans. RESULTS Effective doses calculated for CT examinations using organ dose estimates and ICRP 103 tissue-weighting factors differed relative to ICRP 60 values by -39% (-0.5 mSv, head), 14% (1 mSv, chest), 36% (4 mSv, coronary artery), 4% (0.6 mSv, liver), and -7% (-1 mSv, abdomen and pelvis). DLP-based estimates of effective dose, which were derived using ICRP 60-based conversion coefficients, were less than organ dose-based estimates for ICRP 60 by 4% (head), 23% (chest), 37% (coronary artery), 12% (liver), and 19% (abdomen and pelvis) and for ICRP 103 by -34% (head), 37% (chest), 74% (coronary artery), 16% (liver), and 12% (abdomen and pelvis). All results were energy independent. CONCLUSION These differences in estimates of effective dose suggest the need to reassess DLP to E conversion coefficients when adopting ICRP 103, particularly for scans over the breast. For the evaluated scanner, DLP to E conversion coefficients were energy independent, but ICRP 60-based conversion coefficients underestimated effective dose relative to organ dose-based calculations.
The Phylogeny and Signature Sequences Characteristics of Fibrobacteres, Chlorobi, and Bacteroidetes

Fibrobacteres, Chlorobi, and Bacteroidetes (FCB group) comprise three main bacterial phyla recognized on the basis of 16S rRNA trees. Presently, there are no distinctive biochemical or molecular characteristics known that can distinguish these bacteria from other bacterial phyla. The relationship of these bacteria to other phyla is also not known. This review describes many signatures, consisting of defined and conserved inserts in widely distributed proteins, that provide distinctive molecular markers for these groups of bacteria. These signatures serve to clarify the evolutionary relationship between members of the FCB group, and to other bacterial phyla. A 4 aa insert in DNA Gyrase B (GyrB) and a 45 aa insert in the SecA proteins are uniquely shared by various Bacteroidetes species. The insert in GyrB is present in all Bacteroidetes species (>100) covering different orders and families, indicating that it is a distinctive characteristic of the group. Three signatures consisting of an 18 aa insert in ATPase α-subunit, an 8–9 aa insert in the FtsK protein and a 1 aa insert in the UvrB protein are commonly shared only by the Bacteroidetes and Chlorobi homologs providing evidence that these two groups are specifically related to each other. Two additional inserts in the RNA polymerase β′-subunit (5–7 aa) and Serine hydroxymethyl-transferase (14–16 aa), which are commonly present in various Bacteroidetes, Chlorobi, and Fibrobacteres homologs, but not any other bacteria, provide evidence that these groups shared a common ancestor exclusive of all other bacteria. The FCB groups of bacteria are indicated to have diverged from this common ancestor in the following order: Fibrobacteres → Chlorobi → Bacteriodetes. The inferences from signature sequences are strongly supported by phylogenetic analyses. These observations suggest that the FCB groups of bacteria should be placed in a single phylum rather than three distinct phyla. Signature sequences in a number of other proteins provide evidence that the FCB group of bacteria diverged at a similar time as the Chlamydiae group, and that the Spirochetes and Aquificales groups are its closest relatives.
Early predictors of outcome in comatose survivors of ventricular fibrillation and non-ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest treated with hypothermia: A prospective study*

Objectives:Current indications for therapeutic hypothermia (TH) are restricted to comatose patients with cardiac arrest (CA) due to ventricular fibrillation (VF) and without circulatory shock. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the benefit of this treatment in more heterogeneous groups of patients, including those with non-VF rhythms and/or shock and to identify early predictors of outcome in this setting. Design:Prospective study, from December 2004 to October 2006. Setting:32-bed medico-surgical intensive care unit, university hospital. Patients:Comatose patients with out-of-hospital CA. Interventions:TH to 33 ± 1°C (external cooling, 24 hrs) was administered to patients resuscitated from CA due to VF and non-VF (including asystole or pulseless electrical activity), independently from the presence of shock. Measurements and Main Results:We hypothesized that simple clinical criteria available on hospital admission (initial arrest rhythm, duration of CA, and presence of shock) might help to identify patients who eventually survive and might most benefit from TH. For this purpose, outcome was related to these predefined variables. Seventy-four patients (VF 38, non-VF 36) were included; 46% had circulatory shock. Median duration of CA (time from collapse to return of spontaneous circulation [ROSC]) was 25 mins. Overall survival was 39.2%. However, only 3.1% of patients with time to ROSC >25 mins survived, as compared to 65.7% with time to ROSC ≤25 mins. Using a logistic regression analysis, time from collapse to ROSC, but not initial arrest rhythm or presence of shock, independently predicted survival at hospital discharge. Conclusions:Time from collapse to ROSC is strongly associated with outcome following VF and non-VF cardiac arrest treated with therapeutic hypothermia and could therefore be helpful to identify patients who benefit most from active induced cooling.
Pyomyositis in the setting of complicated diverticulitis: case report

Pyomyositis is typically thought of as a disease of the tropics. However, it is becoming more prevalent in temperate regions, and may be underdiagnosed. Here, pyomyositis is encountered as a complication of perforated diverticulitis, which has not been previously reported. A 61-year-old Caucasian man initially presented in respiratory distress and was diagnosed with respiratory failure due to COPD exacerbation. The patient was taking high-dose prednisone, 60 mg daily for the past 2 years. Initially, he was afebrile, normotensive, tachycardic to 178 beats/minute and tachypneic to 28 breaths/minute, requiring noninvasive ventilation to maintain oxygenation. Blood tests revealed leukocytosis of 16.7×103/μL, and blood cultures grew Escherichia coli. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were started but leukocytosis and bacteremia persisted on repeated tests. On the seventh hospital day, a CT scan of the abdomen was performed for complaints of abdominal pain, and the patient was diagnosed with Hinchey stage 3 diverticulitis. A Hartmann’s procedure was performed with intraoperative findings of purulent peritonitis. Intraoperative cultures grew E. coli and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. The patient continued to have leukocytosis of 15.1×103/μL despite surgical therapy. He began to complain of left lower extremity pain, and a CT scan on hospital day 24 revealed gluteal intramuscular abscesses, which were percutaneously drained. Persistent symptoms prompted another CT scan on hospital day 28, which revealed additional intramuscular abscesses in the vastus lateralis muscle, which was also drained, with subsequent resolution of pain and normalization of inflammatory markers. This is the first case demonstrating pyomyositis as a complication of diverticulitis. While the mechanism of pyomyositis may not be unique, it is important to recognize the potential complications of frequently encountered diseases. In this critically ill and immunosuppressed patient, there was delayed diagnosis of both diverticulitis and pyomyositis, but the patient quickly improved once the diseases were recognized and treated.
Genomic organization of zebrafish cone-rod homeobox gene and exclusion as a candidate gene for retinal degeneration in niezerka and mikre oko.

PURPOSE To determine the genomic organization of the zebrafish crx gene and to evaluate if mutations in crx are responsible for the retinal degeneration phenotype in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) mutants niezerka (nie(m743)) and mikre oko (mok(m632)). METHODS Overlapping fragments were PCR amplified from genomic DNA isolated from homozygous mutant embryos and wild-type siblings (sibs). Amplicons were sequenced and sequence data assembled into contigs. Genomic organization was determined by alignment of contigs with published cDNA sequences and zebrafish genomic sequence from Sanger and Ensembl databases. Linkage analysis used DNA from mapping panels of single homozygous mutant animals with mixed genetic backgrounds. RESULTS The analysis indicated that the zebrafish crx gene consisted of three exons and 2 introns, and spans 3.8 kb of genomic DNA. The splice junctions were all located within the coding region. Highly repetitive sequences present in non-coding regions of crx and extended tetra-nucleotide repeats in intronic regions were associated with sequence variation between different strains. Homozygous mok(m632) or nie(m743) mutants and their respective wild-type sibs, showed identical patterns of heterozygosity and sequence variations within each line. No mutation in crx were identified in homozygous mok(m632) or nie(m743). Consistent with the absence of identified mutations, linkage analysis excluded linkage of the mutant phenotypes to crx. CONCLUSIONS Despite the presence of sequence variations in their respective genetic backgrounds, within each line the sequence of crx was identical. Consistent with the absence of mutations, further analysis excluded linkage of the mutant phenotypes to crx. Analysis is in progress to map these loci and identify the genes responsible for the retinal degeneration phenotype in these mutant lines.
Optimizing speed of mobile data collector in Wireless Sensor Network

Introducing mobility in some of the components of WSN is one of the promising techniques for improving performance of the network in terms of connectivity, lifetime, data collection and data latency. Deliberate and controlled mobility, when best adjusted in terms of trajectory and speed, enhance the performance of the network to a desired level. This paper focus on the implementation details and performance analysis of controlling and fine tuning the speed of mobile data collector in WSNs. We consider a sensor network where nodes are deployed and organized into clusters on the basis of distance from each other. Nodes sense their environment and transmit data to their corresponding cluster heads, which in turn send it to a mobile data collector when it is in communication range. The goal is to optimize the speed of mobile data collector, and enable it to adaptively adjust it motion; move slower in areas where more time is needed to collect the required data and speeds up where there are no such constraints. This is achieved through cooperation between mobile nodes and static sensor nodes, through information sharing. Our simulation results show significant increase in data collection rate and reduction in the overall time and number of laps mobile data collector spend in data gathering.
Scenario-Based Simulation of Tianjin City Using a Cellular Automata–Markov Model

Rapid urbanization is occurring throughout China, especially in megacities. Using a land use model to obtain future land use/cover conditions is an essential method to prevent chaotic urban sprawl and imbalanced development. This study utilized historical Landsat images to create land use/cover maps to predict the land use/cover changes of Tianjin city in 2025 and 2035. The cellular automata–Markov (CA–Markov) model was applied in the simulation under three scenarios: the environmental protection scenario (EPS), crop protection scenario (CPS), and spontaneous scenario (SS). The model achieved a kappa value of 86.6% with a figure of merit (FoM) of 12.18% when compared to the empirical land use/cover map in 2015. The results showed that the occupation of built-up areas increased from 29.13% in 2015 to 38.68% (EPS), 36.18% (CPS), and 47.94% (SS) in 2035. In this context, current urbanization would bring unprecedented stress on agricultural resources and forest ecosystems, which could be attenuated by implementing protection policies along with decelerating urban expansion. The findings provide valuable information for urban planners to achieve sustainable development goals.
Experimental ulceration leads to sequential expression of spasmolytic polypeptide, intestinal trefoil factor, epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor alpha mRNAs in rat stomach

A model of gastric ulceration in the rat has been used to determine the expression of four messenger RNAs (mRNAs) encoding peptides considered to play active parts in the healing response. The trefoil peptides, rat spasmolytic polypeptide (rSP) and rat intestinal trefoil factor (rITF), along with epidermal growth factor (EFG) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) were the molecules studied. Ulceration was caused under anaesthesia by brief application of a liquid nitrogen‐filled cryoprobe to the gastric serosal surface and RNA expression was monitored over the next 10 days. Each mRNA was quantified by ribonuclease protection assay, and mRNAs encoding rSP and rITF were localized within tissue sections by hybridization in situ with 35S antisense riboprobes. Ulceration induced the very rapid expression of first rSP and then rITF mRNA, whereas the mRNAs encoding EGF and TGFα increased at later times, with maxima recorded at 3 and 6 days, respectively. Hybridization in situ detected extensive rSP mRNA expression in the regenerative epithelia. The pronounced, but temporally different patterns of mRNA induction after ulceration suggest that the trefoil peptides may fulfil different and more ummediate roles than the more ‘traditional’ healing proteins EGF and TGAα.
Asymptotic boundary conditions for dissipative waves: general theory

An outstanding issue in the computational analysis of time dependent problems is the imposition of appropriate radiation boundary conditions at artificial boundaries. Accurate conditions are developed which are based on the asymptotic analysis of wave propagation over long ranges. Employing the method of steepest descents, dominant wave groups are identified and simple approximations to the dispersion relation are considered in order to derive local boundary operators. The existence of a small number of dominant wave groups may be expected for systems with dissipation. Estimates of the error as a function of domain size are derived under general hypotheses, leading to convergence results. Some practical aspects of the numerical construction of the asymptotic boundary operators are also discussed.
Young child socioemotional/behavioral problems and cumulative psychosocial risk.

Limited information is available about the rates and risk correlates of socioemotional/behavioral problems in young children in pediatric primary care settings serving low-income families. Our objective was to determine rates of clinically significant socioemotional/behavior problems in 12- to 48-month-olds from low-income families and identify associations between problems and individual and cumulative demographic and psychosocial risks. In this study, 378 Spanish- and English-speaking mothers attending a pediatric primary care practice serving low-income families were surveyed before well-child visits to assess socioemotional/behavioral problems (Brief Infant-Toddler Social-Emotional Assessment; M.J. Briggs-Gowan & A.S. Carter, ) and psychosocial and demographic risks (e.g., unemployment, low social support) (Parent Risk Questionnaire; D.I. Lowell, A.S. Carter, L. Godoy, B. Paulicin, & M.J. Briggs-Gowan, ). We found that 19.8% of children had clinically significant problems, and 53.2% experienced one or more psychosocial risks. Clinically significant socioemotional/behavioral problems were modestly to strongly associated with individual psychosocial risks, with the strongest associations with parental medical problems, parent depression/anxiety, and extreme parental distress, Adjusted Relative Risk (ARR) = 4.8-6.6, p < . 0001. Cumulative demographic and psychosocial risk were uniquely associated with clinically significant problems, particularly among children experiencing three to four psychosocial risks, ARR = 3.0-11.6, p < . 05. Psychosocial risks affect the majority of low-income families with young children, with a steep increase in likelihood of clinically significant socioemotional/behavioral problems as risks accumulate, underscoring the need to address both socioemotional/behavioral issues and psychosocial risk in young children.
How accurate is dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI in the assessment of renal glomerular filtration rate? A critical appraisal

To evaluate the current literature to see if the published results of MRI‐glomerular filtration rate (GFR) stand up to the claim that MRI‐GFR may be used in clinical practice. Claims in the current literature that Gadolinium (Gd) DTPA dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI clearance provides a reliable estimate of glomerular filtration are an overoptimistic interpretation of the results obtained. Before calculating absolute GFR from Gd‐enhanced MRI, numerous variables must be considered.
Diagnostic Tests Based on Human Basophils: More Potentials and Perspectives than Pitfalls

For the diagnosis of allergy, cellular basophil activation tests (BAT), e.g. histamine or sulfidoleukotriene release tests, have long been introduced, but the expression of basophil activation markers such as CD63 and CD203c detected by flow cytometry has attracted more recent attention. A recent opinion paper in this Journal has stressed not only the potential but also the possible pitfalls of flow-cytometric BAT. We have applied clinical validation of various BAT in various ways for several years, and our experience shows that these new technologies have more potentials and perspectives than pitfalls. A comprehensive review of clinically validated studies on allergy to aeroallergens, insect venoms, latex, food allergens and drugs, e.g. myorelaxants, β-lactams, pyrazolones and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as chronic urticaria shows clearly that even with different protocols, reproducible and meaningful results can be obtained. Although the available technologies may still be optimized and better standardized, there are no serious reasons to deprive allergic patients of clinically indicated BAT, which can be performed reliably by any laboratory with allergy and flow-cytometric capacity and expertise.
Sliding-mode control of a boost converter feeding a buck converter operating as a constant power load

Multi-stage switching converters are necessary in DC distributed power system applications featuring many individually regulated converters. The individual converters in a distributed power system are usually designed for general usage and their controllers are synthesized to provide a suitable transient response in stand-alone operation. Often, a tight regulation is required for the output voltage of both the source and the load converters. Tightly regulated power electronic load converters sink constant power from the intermediate bus and show a strong nonlinear voltage-current characteristic that can be approximated by a static constant power load (CPL) when connected to the output of the source converter. At the slow time-scale, CPLs exhibit negative impedance behavior making interconnected converters prone to a high risk of instability and therefore the mitigation of this problem is an important issue in the multiple-stage switched mode power supply design. In this paper, a discussion on the validity of the CPL approximation is presented and then a sliding-mode approach is used to stabilize a source boost converter feeding a regulated buck converter. The resulting sliding-regime for linear switching surfaces in both the source and the load converters is analyzed and the conditions for the existence of sliding-mode are derived. A study of the system is performed in terms of the converter start-up with the limitation of the inrush current and the output voltage regulation in presence of external perturbations. PSIM simulations are in perfect agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Low frequency of defective alleles of cytochrome P450 enzymes 2C19 and 2D6 in the Turkish population

The genetically polymorphic cytochrome P450 enzymes 2C19 (CYP2C19) and 2D6 (CYP2D6) contribute to the metabolism of about 30% of all drugs. For analysis of the ethnic‐related differences in drug disposition and as a preparation for routine genotyping, we examined CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 mutations in a large Turkish population.
Predict insider threats using human behaviors

In a Systems Engineering perspective, insider threats are not new but emerging. For modern systems that require a seamless integration between human and machine, human interactions with systems become a large part of operations. This creates a system security challenge while protecting systems from insider threats. As technology evolves, system vulnerabilities and network penetrations from external entities have been the center of attention. However, when considering system security, insider threats are as damaging as external threats. Unforutnately, insider threats have been overlooked for decades and there is no clear guidance or standards to protect systems from insider attacks. In this paper, we focus on identifying potential insider threats based on human behaviors, such as system logins. By analyzing user behavioral patterns, we attempt to identify suspicious behaviors based on common characterestics that appear to be unusual and estimate the prediction interval to determine if such behaviors should be considered as a threat. Having a baseline of normal user behaviors and comparing against unusual behaviors allow us to predict and identify potential insider threats.