Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlation of carotid artery atherosclerotic lesion echogenicity and severity at standard US with intraplaque neovascularization detected at contrast-enhanced US.

PURPOSE To correlate echogenicity and severity of atherosclerotic carotid artery lesions at standard ultrasonography (US) with the degree of intraplaque neovascularization at contrast material-enhanced (CE) US. MATERIALS AND METHODS This HIPAA-compliant study was approved by the local ethics committee, and all patients provided informed consent. A total of 175 patients (113 [65%] men, 62 [35%] women; mean age, 67 years ± 10 [standard deviation]) underwent standard and CE US of the carotid artery. Lesion echogenicity (class I to IV), degree of stenosis, and maximal lesion thickness were evaluated for each documented atherosclerotic lesion. The degree of intraplaque neovascularization at CE US was categorized as absent (grade 1), moderate (grade 2), or extensive (grade 3). Correlation of neovascularization with echogenicity, degree of stenosis, and maximal lesion thickness was made by using Spearman ρ and χ(2) test for trend. RESULTS In a total of 293 atherosclerotic lesions, echogenicity was inversely correlated with grade of intraplaque neovascularization (ρ = -0.199, P < .001). More echolucent lesions had a higher degree of neovascularization compared with more echogenic ones (P < .001). The degree of stenosis was significantly correlated with grade of intraplaque neovascularization (ρ = 0.157, P = .003). Lesions with higher degree of stenosis had higher grade of neovascularization (P = .008), and maximal lesion thickness increased with the grade of neovascularization (P < .001) and was significantly correlated with grade of neovascularization (ρ = 0.233, P < .001). CONCLUSION Neovascularization visualized with CE US correlates with lesion severity and with morphologic features of plaque instability, contributing to the concept that more vulnerable plaques are more likely to have a greater degree of neovascularization. Therefore, CE US may be a valuable tool for further risk stratification of echolucent atherosclerotic lesions and carotid artery stenosis of different degrees. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL http://radiology.rsna. org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.10101008/-/DC1.
Assessment of pancreatic CT enhancement using a high concentration of contrast material.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the usefulness of pancreatic enhancement using a high concentration of contrast material in CT. METHODS We performed abdominal CT on 125 patients after dividing them at random into five groups with two different concentrations, two different injection rates and three different injection doses: group A: 100 ml, 300 mgI/mL, 3 mL/sec; group B: 2 mL/kg, 300 mgI/mL, 3 mL/sec; group C: 1.5 mL/kg, 370 mgI/mL, 3 mL/sec; group D: 2 mL/kg, 300 mgI/mL, 5 mL/ sec; and group E: 1.5 mL/kg, 370 mgI/mL, 5 mL/sec. Among these five groups, the two groups given a concentration of 370 mgI/mL received a dose of 1.5 mL/body weight. RESULTS The peak enhancement value of the pancreas was significantly greater in group E than in groups A and B. However, no statistically significant differences were found among the other groups. CONCLUSION The fast injection rate using the high concentration of contrast medium provided greater enhancement of the pancreas than the slow injection rate using the routine concentration of contrast medium, and pancreatic CT enhancement depended more on the dose of iodine per second than on that of total iodine.
2DPCA-based Two-dimensional Maximum Interclass Distance Embedding for SAR ATR

Feature extraction from high-dimensional synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is one of the crucial steps for SAR automatic target recognition (ATR). In this paper, we propose a new approach to SAR images feature extraction named Two-dimensional Principal Component Analysis-based Two-dimensional Maximum Interclass Distance Embedding (2DPCA-based 2DMIDE) which is based on manifold learning theory. The SAR image is projected into the feature space by horizontal 2DPCA and vertical 2DMIDE sequentially through this method. 2DPCA is efficient for image representation and preserves the global spatial structure of the original image, while 2DMIDE seeks to preserve the local spatial structure and the intrinsic geometry of the original image. Therefore, this feature extraction algorithm which fuses 2DPCA and 2DMIDE techniques can not only represent the original image in lower dimensions, but also excavate more powerful recognition information effectively. The experiment based on MSTAR database shows that the proposed method has a better recognition performance.
An RNA-Seq Bioinformatics Pipeline for Data Processing of Arabidopsis Thaliana Datasets

In the literature, it is often seen that computational tools aiming at RNA-Seq data analysis are applied to Arabidopsis thaliana using default parameters, which often results in inaccurate measurement of gene quantification and expression, as they are designed for data processing of mammalian genomes. Therefore, to accurately measure the gene expression and quantification in plant genomes, a computational workflow is proposed in this work; this can effectively process the A. thaliana plant genome files using command-line bioinformatics tools with custom parameter settings. Using the proposed pipeline, we identified 690 genes by overlapping differentially expressed genes obtained from Cuffdiff, DESeq and edgeR methods. Dynamics of expression of known floral regulators identified from Day-1 to Day-10 are consistent with the published experimental results. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis shows a decrease in expression during the transition phase. From clustering, dynamics of expression of potential floral regulators were identified which are involved in flowering and regulation of flower development. Our analysis showed that, the proposed pipeline is capable of processing A. thaliana RNA-Seq datasets, providing consistent results which could potentially assist in identifying novel genes involved in gene regulation. Its use can be extended to other A. thaliana datasets and tissue samples.
Helicobacter pylori Infection and Childhood

Pediatric‐based Helicobacter pylori research continues to contribute significantly to our understanding of both clinical and pathophysiological aspects of this infection. Here, we review the published pediatric H. pylori literature from April 2009–March 2010. Analysis of pediatric H. pylori strains continues to suggest that cagA+ and cagPAI competent strains are less prevalent than in adult isolates. Studies from the Middle East report a high H. pylori prevalence and intrafamilial transmission. Data continue to show a lack of association between H. pylori and recurrent abdominal pain of childhood, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and growth retardation. Recent probiotic trials have not shown a benefit on H. pylori eradication in children, while sequential therapy remains an attractive therapeutic eradication strategy in children, which requires validation in different geographic regions.
[The importance of CPR training for assessing the knowledge and skills of hospital medical and nursing personnel].

BACKGROUND Saving life demands only two hands and some basic knowledge. A qualified person can open airways, resuscitate, massage a heart and call for help. A person with cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training can sustain an ailing person's heart and brain for a short time. However, knowledge of CPR guidelines and skills is not enough; medical and nursing practitioners must practice and train regularly to hone those skills. Western Galilee Hospital has developed simulator programs for surprise CPR training exercises in all hospital departments and units. OBJECTIVE To use surprise drills in order to improve the quality of resuscitation and CPR methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS ACLS (Advanced cardiac life support) instructors use a computerized simulation mannequin (SIM 4000). Two to three surprise drills are conducted in the hospital each week. At the end of each drill, a final report is given to the department head and a staff meeting is held to discuss the drill results. Between the years 2003-2005, 131 drills were carried out in 30 different departments of Western Galilee Hospital. Nine criteria are measured and scored in the drill: reaction time, ABC principles, calling the doctor, CPR knowledge, CPR skills, resuscitation management, staff work, resuscitation chart, and defibrillator management. Drills are compared with previous drills performed in the same department, and with drills conducted in other departments. Data is analyzed using Anova, Kruskal-Wallis, independent t-test and Spearman correlation coefficient test. RESULTS Improvement was found in the results of the drills held from 2003-2005, mainly in the medical departments as compared with the surgical departments and ambulatory clinics. The average score in 2005 was 77.2 (p = 0.001), compared with 74 (p = 0.012) in 2004, and 59 (p < 0.001) in 2003. Improved criteria included: calling the doctor, staff work, CPR knowledge, and defibrillator (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS It is our belief that surprise resuscitation drills are the key to improve functioning during actual emergency resuscitation, both on a departmental and a general hospital level.
More Behavioral vs. More Economic Approach: Explaining the Behavioral Divide between the United States and the European Union

While U.S. courts and regulatory agencies have set sail towards what may be dubbed a "more behavioral approach," their European counterparts still navigate the charted waters of a neoclassical "more economic approach," as first advocated in E.U. competition law. This paper claims that this "behavioral divide" can be explained by a theory of social norms and expectations. Two decisive factors drive the behavioral divide: first, the trust a society places in the self-ordering forces of individual and market behavior (ts); and second, the degree to which each individual is supposed to contribute to a cognitively demanding collective social project (cs), such as the construction of an internal market in the E.U. A high score on either variable in this model leads to the adoption of a more rational concept of human agency. Historical changes in the social norms and expectations expressed by these variables can be credited for the inverse tendencies in the U.S. and the E.U. Arguably, the more individualistic social conception of the U.S. leads to a greater sensitivity to empirical, i.e., behavioral findings.
Minimally Invasive Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass for Fundoplication failure offers Excellent Gastroesophageal Reflux Control

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) may represent a superior alternative to reoperative fundoplication in patients with symptomatic failure. Our goal was to assess early outcomes of patients after RYGB for failed fundoplication. Records of patients who underwent fundoplication takedown and RYGB from March 2007 to June 2013 were reviewed for demographics, comorbidities, operative findings, and perioperative outcomes. Data are reported as medians (range). Forty-five patients who had undergone 64 prior antireflux procedures (range, one to three fundoplications) were identified. Median patient age was 56 years (range, 25 to 72 years) with a body mass index of 33 kg/m2 (range, 22 to 51 kg/m2). Most patients had comorbidities: hypertension (60%), anxiety/ depression (44.4%), dyslipidemia (33.3%), asthma (31%), obstructive sleep apnea (26.7%), arthritis (22.2%), and diabetes (11.1%). Median symptom-free interval was 3 years (range, 0 to 25 years). All patients had an anatomic reason for failure: 83 per cent had a hiatal hernia and 35 per cent had a slipped Nissen fundoplication. The procedures were accomplished laparoscopically in 28, robotically in 13, and open in four cases. Median operative time was 367 minutes (range, 190 to 600 minutes) and estimated blood loss averaged 100 mL (range, 25 to 500 mL). Five patients (11%) required reoperation: one for an anastomotic leak, one for anastomotic obstruction, and three for early obstruction resulting from adhesions. Two patients developed respiratory failure requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. Length of stay averaged four days (range, 1 to 33 days) with two readmissions: one for melena and one for vomiting and dehydration; neither required intervention. There was no mortality. At 11 months of follow-up (range, 2.3 to 54 months), 93.3 per cent of patients were symptom-free. When primary fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease fails, fundoplication takedown and RYGB can be accomplished safely with minimally invasive techniques. The conversion to a RYGB has an acceptable perioperative morbidity and excellent early symptom control, and, therefore, should be considered for reoperative patients gastroesophageal reflux disease.
A Review of Molecular Contrasts Between Arresting and Viable Porcine Attachment Sites

Significant spontaneous fetal loss of unknown cause occurs in North American commercial swine. About 30% of conceptuses, thought to be genetically normal, are lost during the peri‐attachment period. An additional 20% are lost at mid‐pregnancy. Littermate endometrial and trophoblast biopsies were studied by quantitative real‐time PCR for gene expression, and immunohistochemistry for protein expression at gestation day (gd)15–23 and 50. RNA analyses were also conducted on endometrial lymphocytes and arterial endothelial cells removed from biopsies by laser capture microdissection. Genes were selected for study from human literature and cloned as required. As in humans, angiogenic, cytokine, chemokine and chemokine decoy receptor gene expression occurs at the porcine maternal–fetal interface. In each tissue studied, distinct patterns of expression are found between early and mid‐pregnancy, as well as between viable and arresting conceptus attachment sites. These changes involve both endometrial lymphocytes and dendritic cells. Restriction in endometrial angiogenesis, reduction in expression of the chemokine decoy receptor D6, and reduction in dendritic cell numbers contribute to fetal arrest. In peri‐attachment loss, interferon‐γ is more abundantly transcribed than tumor necrosis factor‐α, but this ratio is reversed during midgestation failure. Further characterization of spontaneous fetal loss in pigs will identify targets for modification by hog producers and may provide a model for identification of antecedents to fetal loss in humans.
GZD824 suppresses the growth of human B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells by inhibiting the SRC kinase and PI3K/AKT pathways

Available therapeutic options for advanced B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B ALL) are limited. Many lead to neutropenia, leaving patients at risk of life-threatening infections and result in bad outcomes. New treatment options are needed to improve overall survival. We previously showed that GZD824, a novel BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has anti-tumor activity in Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia cells and tumor models. Here, we show that GZD824 decreases cell viability, induces cell-cycle arrest, and causes apoptosis in pre-B ALL cells. Furthermore, Ph– pre-B ALL cells were more sensitive to GZD824 than Ph+ pre-B ALL cells. GZD824 consistently reduced tumor loads in Ph– pre-B ALL xenografts but failed to suppress Ph+ pre-B ALL xenografts. GZD824 decreased phosphorylation of SRC kinase, STAT3, RB and C-myc. It also downregulated the expression of BCL-XL, CCND1 and CDK4 and upregulated expression of CCKN1A. Expression of IRS1 was decreased in GZD824-treated pre-B ALL cells, blocking the PI3K/AKT pathway. These data demonstrate that GZD824 suppresses pre-B ALL cells through inhibition of the SRC kinase and PI3K/AKT pathways and may be a potential therapeutic agent for the management of pre-B ALL.
A scoring system for the classification of β‐thalassemia/Hb E disease severity

β‐Thalassemia intermediate patients show a remarkable clinical heterogeneity. We examined the phenotypic diversity of 950 β‐thalassemia/Hb E patients in an attempt to construct a system for classifying disease severity. A novel scoring system based on six independent parameters, hemoglobin level, age at disease presentation, age at receiving first blood transfusion, requirement for transfusion, spleen size, and growth and development, was able to separate patients into three distinctive severity categories: mild, moderate, and severe courses. This system, therefore, can increase the accuracy of studies of genotype–phenotype interactions and facilitate decisions for appropriate patient management. Am. J. Hematol. 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Analysis of ESOP implementation determinants at companies in Indonesia

Employee stock option plan (ESOP) represents one of the compensation forms conducted by a company to overcome the agency cost problems. The objective of this study is to analyse the ESOP implementation determinants. They include total assets (TA), debt to equity ratio (DER), market to book value ratio (MBR), growth, current ratio (CR), and time interest earned ratio (TIER) on the implementation of ESOP for companies in Indonesia. The population of the research was all of the companies which implement the ESOP and which are listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). Its samples were 34 companies. The result of this study shows that the company size, leverage, growth, and liquidity has a significantly negative effect on the ESOP implementation. The enterprises which valued from the MBR and TIER have a significant positive effect on the ESOP implementation.
Relative non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) antiproliferative activity is mediated through p21‐induced G1 arrest and E2F inhibition

This study was performed to compare the relative antineoplastic activity of 10 different non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in clinical use, and to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this activity in a squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck model (SCCHN). A standard 5‐day MTT assay was used to calculate IC50 values in UM‐SCC‐1 cells for 10 NSAIDs, including celecoxib, rofecoxib, sulindac sulfide, sulindac sulfone, indomethacin, ketoprofen, flurbiprofen, naproxen, piroxicam, and aspirin. Celecoxib, a COX‐2 specific inhibitor, was by far the most potent NSAID, with an IC50 of 39.9 ± 1.1 µM, followed by sulindac sulfide (116.5 ± 2.34 µM). Celecoxib and sulindac sulfide also induced more activation of caspase‐3 than any other NSAID. Cell cycle analysis showed that celecoxib and sulindac sulfide both induced a 3‐fold increase in G1 phase distribution, and this correlated with strong induction of p21waf1/cip1, inhibition of cyclin D1, and hypophosphorylation of Rb. Celecoxib and sulindac sulfide treatment induced strong downstream inhibition of E2F transactivating activity as determined by a luciferase reporter assay. These data demonstrate the wide range of activity of various NSAID agents, and reveal a mechanism of action through cell cycle inhibition and induction of apoptosis. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Remediation of Childhood Math Anxiety and Associated Neural Circuits through Cognitive Tutoring

Math anxiety is a negative emotional reaction that is characterized by feelings of stress and anxiety in situations involving mathematical problem solving. High math-anxious individuals tend to avoid situations involving mathematics and are less likely to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math-related careers than those with low math anxiety. Math anxiety during childhood, in particular, has adverse long-term consequences for academic and professional success. Identifying cognitive interventions and brain mechanisms by which math anxiety can be ameliorated in children is therefore critical. Here we investigate whether an intensive 8 week one-to-one cognitive tutoring program designed to improve mathematical skills reduces childhood math anxiety, and we identify the neurobiological mechanisms by which math anxiety can be reduced in affected children. Forty-six children in grade 3, a critical early-onset period for math anxiety, participated in the cognitive tutoring program. High math-anxious children showed a significant reduction in math anxiety after tutoring. Remarkably, tutoring remediated aberrant functional responses and connectivity in emotion-related circuits anchored in the basolateral amygdala. Crucially, children with greater tutoring-induced decreases in amygdala reactivity had larger reductions in math anxiety. Our study demonstrates that sustained exposure to mathematical stimuli can reduce math anxiety and highlights the key role of the amygdala in this process. Our findings are consistent with models of exposure-based therapy for anxiety disorders and have the potential to inform the early treatment of a disability that, if left untreated in childhood, can lead to significant lifelong educational and socioeconomic consequences in affected individuals. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Math anxiety during early childhood has adverse long-term consequences for academic and professional success. It is therefore important to identify ways to alleviate math anxiety in young children. Surprisingly, there have been no studies of cognitive interventions and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms by which math anxiety can be ameliorated in young children. Here, we demonstrate that intensive 8 week one-to-one cognitive tutoring not only reduces math anxiety but also remarkably remediates aberrant functional responses and connectivity in emotion-related circuits anchored in the amygdala. Our findings are likely to propel new ways of thinking about early treatment of a disability that has significant implications for improving each individual's academic and professional chances of success in today's technological society that increasingly demands strong quantitative skills.
Clinical, angiographic, and procedural predictors of periprocedural complications during chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES To identify clinical, angiographic, and procedural factors associated with increased risk of periprocedural complications during chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND Successful CTO PCI can provide significant clinical benefit; however, procedural risks have received limited study. We sought to identify factors associated with increased CTO PCI periprocedural risk that could be utilized to guide patient and lesion selection. METHODS The clinical, angiographic, and procedural records of 336 consecutive CTO PCI procedures performed at a single center from May 2005 through 2012 were reviewed, and data on periprocedural complications were recorded. Logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of periprocedural complications during CTO PCI. RESULTS The incidence of major and minor complications was 3.9% and 10.4%, respectively. Minor bleeding and vascular events were the most common complications (4.8%), followed by perforation (2.4%), contrast-induced nephropathy (1.8%), and transient hypotension (0.6%). Major complications were uncommon: death (0.3%); emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (0.6%); stroke (0.3%); tamponade (0.3%); clinical myocardial infarction (0.9%); donor vessel injury (0.6%); and major bleeding or vascular events (0.9%). Patients who experienced any complication had higher preprocedure troponin levels and were more likely to undergo treatment using the retrograde approach. In multivariable analysis, use of the retrograde approach was independently associated with increased risk of periprocedural complications (odds ratio, 2.057; 95% confidence interval, 1.045-4.051; P=.04). CONCLUSIONS Major complications of CTO PCI are infrequent, but are more common with use of the retrograde approach.