Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radiomics for Response and Outcome Assessment for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Routine follow-up visits and radiographic imaging are required for outcome evaluation and tumor recurrence monitoring. Yet more personalized surveillance is required in order to sufficiently address the nature of heterogeneity in nonsmall cell lung cancer and possible recurrences upon completion of treatment. Radiomics, an emerging noninvasive technology using medical imaging analysis and data mining methodology, has been adopted to the area of cancer diagnostics in recent years. Its potential application in response assessment for cancer treatment has also drawn considerable attention. Radiomics seeks to extract a large amount of valuable information from patients’ medical images (both pretreatment and follow-up images) and quantitatively correlate image features with diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes. Radiomics relies on computers to identify and analyze vast amounts of quantitative image features that were previously overlooked, unmanageable, or failed to be identified (and recorded) by human eyes. The research area has been focusing on the predictive accuracy of pretreatment features for outcome and response and the early discovery of signs of tumor response, recurrence, distant metastasis, radiation-induced lung injury, death, and other outcomes, respectively. This review summarized the application of radiomics in response assessments in radiotherapy and chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer, including image acquisition/reconstruction, region of interest definition/segmentation, feature extraction, and feature selection and classification. The literature search for references of this article includes PubMed peer-reviewed publications over the last 10 years on the topics of radiomics, textural features, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, lung cancer, and response assessment. Summary tables of radiomics in response assessment and treatment outcome prediction in radiation oncology have been developed based on the comprehensive review of the literature.
Cross-angle behavior recognition via supervised dictionary learning

The effect of behavior recognition has been very good in a fixed angle. However they do not work well in a new angle, in order to solve the limitation of single angle, the paper adopts an effective idea to solve the cross-angle behavior recognition. We propose supervised dictionary learning for cross-angle behavior recognition, which learns a common dictionary to represent the common behavior of the same behavior under different perspectives. This makes the same behavior with similar sparse representation in different perspectives. At the same time we learn a set of characteristic dictionaries to represent the same behavior under different perspectives, so that the sparse representation of the same behavior from different perspectives is distinguished. Finally, obtain the common dictionary and the characteristic dictionary of the same behavior combined with different angles, in order that the behavior can be represented and classified. Experiments show that our proposed method can more effectively solve the cross-angle behavior recognition.
Land Cover Classification with GF-3 Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar Data by Random Forest Classifier and Fast Super-Pixel Segmentation

Chinese Gaofen-3 (GF-3), a vital satellite for high-resolution earth observation, was the first C-band polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) launched in China with a resolution of up to one meter. Polarimetric SAR can obtain the complete physical scattering mechanisms of targets, thereby having the potential to differentiate objects. In this paper, several classification methods are briefly summarized and the types of features that should be chosen during classification are discussed. A pre-classification step is introduced to reduce the workload of precise labeling. The Random Forest classifier, which performs well for many other classification tasks, is used for the initial land cover classification. Then, based on a polarimetric constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) edge detector, a fast super-pixel generation method for polarimetric SAR image is proposed, which does not require the adjustment of parameters in advance. Following that, majority vote is conducted on the initial classification result based on the super-pixels, so that the classification result can be optimized to better meet the mapping requirements. The experimental results based on GF-3 polarimetric SAR data verify the effectiveness of proposed procedure and demonstrate that GF-3 data has excellent performance in land cover classification.
Exploring the ambivalent evidence base of mobile health (mHealth): A systematic literature review on the use of mobile phones for the improvement of community health in Africa

Background Africa is labelled the world's fastest-growing ‘mobile region’. Considering such growth and the fragility of the continent's healthcare, mHealth has flourished. This review explores mHealth for community health in Africa in order to assess its still ambivalent evidence base. Methods Using PubMed, Web of Science, OvidSP and Google Scholar, a systematic review was conducted of one decade (2005–2015) of peer-reviewed literature on mHealth in Africa. Data analysis focused on qualifications of success and failure. Impact evaluations of project assessments (n = 65) were complemented with general analyses/overviews of mHealth's effectiveness (n = 35). Results Review of these texts reveals ambivalence in the appraisal of mHealth; essentially, the critical stance in general analyses/overviews is absent from project assessments. Especially weak evidence concerning sustainability and scalability is stressed in overviews. Project assessments are more optimistic. Their analysis suggests a causal connection between simplicity and success. Effective interventions are thus characterized by straightforward design and modest objectives. Greatest impediments of impact are general technology-related issues and intervention inappropriateness due to insufficient understanding of beneficiaries and specific context of use (circumstantial complications). Conclusion Distinguishing between these two categories of complications helps to break the deadlock that marks the mHealth debate and add nuance to claims that mHealth's evidence base is weak. Constructive realism – rather than unfounded optimism or pessimism without nuance – should guide the design of interventions. Besides anticipative of technology-related complications, such realism must lead to either basic interventions or to smart mHealth shaped by deep understanding of the context of implementation.
Sparse Coding based Frequency Adaptive Loop Filtering for Video Coding

In-loop filtering is an important task in video coding, as it refines both the reconstructed signal for display and the pictures used for inter-prediction. In order to remove coding artifacts, machine learning based methods are assumed to be beneficial, as they utilize some prior knowledge on the characteristics of raw images. In this contribution, a dictionary learning / sparse coding based inloop filter and a frequency adaptation model based on the lp-ballenergy in the spectral domain is proposed. Thereby the dictionary is trained on raw data and the algorithms are controlled mainly by the parameter for the sparsity. The frequency adaption model results in further improvement of the sparse coding based loop filter. Experimental results show that the proposed method results in coding gains up to l-4.6 % at peak and -1.74 % on average against HEVC in a Random Access coding configuration.
Intra‐ and Inter‐Element Variability in Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA from Fresh and Environmentally Exposed Skeletal Remains ,

Successful identification of skeletonized remains often relies upon DNA analyses, frequently focusing on the mid‐diaphysis of weight‐bearing long bones. This study explored intra‐bone DNA variability using bovine and porcine femora, along with calcanei and tali. DNA from fresh and short‐term environmentally exposed bone was extracted utilizing demineralization and standard lysis buffer protocols, and DNA quantity and quality were measured. Overall, femoral epiphyses, metaphyses, and the tarsals had more nuclear and mitochondrial DNA than did the femoral diaphyses. DNA loss was much more rapid in buried bones than in surface exposed bones, while DNA quality differed based on environment, but not bone region/element. The demineralization protocol generated more DNA in some bone regions, while the standard lysis was more effective in others, and neither significantly affected DNA quality. Taken together, these findings reinforce the importance of considering inter‐ and intra‐bone heterogeneity when sampling skeletal material for forensic DNA‐based identifications.
Digital health evaluation workshop for interprofessional healthcare students

The use of online resources by patients for their daily health needs has escalated with the proliferation of mobile devices and mobile apps. While healthcare professionals can help their patients access quality online resources and tools, they may not have received the education and training to do this effectively. To meet this educational need, a daylong workshop was developed at a health sciences university that aimed to increase awareness of students in various health disciplines of mobile health-related apps and federally sponsored websites that provide patient-friendly medical information.
Voluntary fortification is ineffective to maintain the vitamin B12 and folate status of older Irish adults: evidence from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)

Abstract Mandatory fortification of staple grains with folic acid and/or vitamin B12 (B12) is under debate in many countries including Ireland, which has a liberal, but voluntary, fortification policy. Older adults can be at risk of both deficiency and high folate status, although little is known on the actual prevalence and the major predictors. Population prevalence estimates from older adults (n 5290 ≥50 years) from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) (Wave 1) are presented here. Measures included plasma total vitamin B12 and folate, whereas predictors included detailed demographic, socio-economic, geographic, seasonal and health/lifestyle data. The prevalence of deficient or low B12 status (<185 pmol/l) was 12 %, whereas the prevalence of deficient/low folate status was 15 %. High folate status (>45 nmol/l) was observed in 8·9 %, whereas high B12 status was observed in 3·1 % (>601 pmol/l). The largest positive predictor of B12 concentration was self-reported B12 injection and/or supplement use (coefficient 51·5 pmol/; 95 % CI 9·4, 93·6; P=0·016) followed by sex and geographic location. The largest negative predictor was metformin use (−33·6; 95 % CI −51·9, −15·4; P<0·0001). The largest positive predictor of folate concentration was folic acid supplement use (6·0; 95 % CI 3·0, 9·0 nmol/l; P<0·001) followed by being female and statin medications. The largest negative predictor was geographic location (−5·7; 95 % CI −6·7, −4·6; P<0·0001) followed by seasonality and smoking. B-vitamin status in older adults is affected by health and lifestyle, medication, sampling period and geographic location. We observed a high prevalence of low B12 and folate status, indicating that the current policy of voluntary fortification is ineffective for older adults.
Multigenome analysis implicates miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) in metabolic diversification in eudicots

Significance Recently discovered biosynthetic gene clusters in plants are a striking example of the nonrandom complex structure of eukaryotic genomes. The mechanisms underpinning the formation of these clustered pathways are not understood. Here we carry out a systematic analysis of transposable elements associated with clustered terpene biosynthetic genes in plant genomes, and find evidence to suggest a role for miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements in cluster formation in eudicots. Our analyses provide insights into potential mechanisms of cluster assembly. They also shed light on the emergence of a “block” mechanism for the foundation of new terpene clusters in the eudicots in which microsyntenic blocks of terpene synthase and cytochrome P450 gene pairs duplicate, providing templates for the evolution of new pathways. Plants produce a plethora of natural products, including many drugs. It has recently emerged that the genes encoding different natural product pathways may be organized as biosynthetic gene clusters in plant genomes, with >30 examples reported so far. Despite superficial similarities with microbes, these clusters have not arisen by horizontal gene transfer, but rather by gene duplication, neofunctionalization, and relocation via unknown mechanisms. Previously we reported that two Arabidopsis thaliana biosynthetic gene clusters are located in regions of the genome that are significantly enriched in transposable elements (TEs). Other plant biosynthetic gene clusters also harbor abundant TEs. TEs can mediate genomic rearrangement by providing homologous sequences that enable illegitimate recombination and gene relocation. Thus, TE-mediated recombination may contribute to plant biosynthetic gene cluster formation. TEs may also facilitate establishment of regulons. However, a systematic analysis of the TEs associated with plant biosynthetic gene clusters has not been carried out. Here we investigate the TEs associated with clustered terpene biosynthetic genes in multiple plant genomes and find evidence to suggest a role for miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements in cluster formation in eudicots. Through investigation of the newly sequenced Amborella trichopoda, Aquilegia coerulea, and Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi genomes, we further show that the “block” mechanism of founding of biosynthetic gene clusters through duplication and diversification of pairs of terpene synthase and cytochrome P450 genes that is prevalent in the eudicots arose around 90–130 million years ago, after the appearance of the basal eudicots and before the emergence of the superrosid clade.
Development and Evaluation of Surfactant Nanocapsules for Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Applications

The primary objective of this study is the synthesis of nanocapsules (NC) that allow the reduction of the adsorption process of surfactant over the porous media in enhanced oil recovery processes. Nanocapsules were synthesized through the nanoprecipitation method by encapsulating commercial surfactants Span 20 and Petro 50, and using type II resins isolated from vacuum residue as a shell. The NC were characterized using dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, solvency tests, softening point measurements and entrapment efficiency. The obtained NC showed spherical geometry with sizes of 71 and 120 nm for encapsulated Span 20 (NCS20), and Petro 50 surfactant (NCP50), respectively. Also, the NCS20 is composed of 90% of surfactant and 10% of type II resins, while the NCP50 material is 94% of surfactant and 6% of the shell. Nanofluids of nanocapsules dispersed in deionized water were prepared for evaluating the nanofluid—sandstone interaction from adsorption phenomena using a batch-mode method, contact angle measurements, and FTIR analysis. The results showed that NC adsorption was null at the different conditions of temperatures evaluated of 25, 50, and 70 °C, and stirring velocities up to 10,000 rpm. IFT measurements showed a reduction from 18 to 1.62 and 0.15 mN/m for the nanofluids with 10 mg/L of NCS20, and NCP50 materials, respectively. Displacements tests were conducted using a 20 °API crude oil in a quarter five-spot pattern micromodel and showed an additional oil recovery of 23% in comparison with that of waterflooding, with fewer pore volumes injected than when using a dissolved surfactant.
Coordinated Design of a Fuzzy Logic Power System Stabilizer and an SVC-based Stabilizer for Single-Machine Infinite-Bus Power System

In this paper, a new coordinated damping controller for power systems is designed based on a Fuzzy Logic Power System Stabilizer (FLPSS) and an Static VAR Compensator (SVC). The test system considered is a Single-Machine Infinite Bus (SMIB) power system for evaluating the performance of the proposed damping controller under various disturbances and load conditions. Nonlinear time domain simulation is done for the proposed controller and compared with a Conventional Power System Stabilizer (CPSS) and a coordinated damping controller of a PSS and SVC (PSS-SVC). Simulation results show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed damping controller in improving the dynamic stability of power systems over a wide range of operating conditions and disturbances.
Analysis of quantization effects on digital-analog mixed adaptive interference cancellation system

Adaptive interference cancellation is an effective solution to enable full-duplex wireless communication in the multi-antenna co-site shipboard environments. The paper presents a digital-analog mixed cancellation system, proposes a Simulink model and focuses on the ADC/DAC quantization effect analysis. We find that increasing the amplification factor of the ADC front-end circuits can reduce significantly the ADC precision requirement to obtain the high interference suppression, i.e. only 12-bit ADC can support 90.88 dB interference suppression. The experiment results show above 64 dB interference suppression in the whole 2 MHz–30 MHz frequency range is achieved, rendering a promising candidate for the co-site wireless communications.
An empirical investigation on the effects of electronic banking on key customer relationship management

Article history: Received May 12, 2013 Received in revised format 12 September 2013 Accepted 7 October 2013 Available online October 22 2013 In recent years, there has been good progress on information and communication technology influencing businesses with a new emerging concept called customer relationship management (CRM) and it has made significant changes in electronic banking. The primary objective of this paper is to survey electronic banking effects on key CRM components in one of Iranian banks in city of Tehran, Iran. The survey designs a questionnaire and distributes it among some experts in one of selected regions and the results are verified based on t-student and Freedman tests. Results show that all electronic banking services influence on CRM. In addition, that there are no significant differences among effects of electronic services on CRM but each CRM component has different effects on electronic services. In fact, according to freedman test, improving customer relationship process is the most important factor followed by providing appropriate service for each customer, providing appropriate service on appropriate time for each customer and providing appropriate service by appropriate channel for each customer. © 2013 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Psychedelics and hypnosis: Commonalities and therapeutic implications

Background: Recent research on psychedelics and hypnosis demonstrates the value of both methods in the treatment of a range of psychopathologies with overlapping applications and neurophenomenological features. The potential of harnessing the power of suggestion to influence the phenomenological response to psychedelics toward more therapeutic action has remained unexplored in recent research and thereby warrants empirical attention. Aims: Here we aim to elucidate the phenomenological and neurophysiological similarities and dissimilarities between psychedelic states and hypnosis in order to revisit how contemporary knowledge may inform their conjunct usage in psychotherapy. Methods: We review recent advances in phenomenological and neurophysiological research on psychedelics and hypnosis, and we summarize early investigations on the coupling of psychedelics and hypnosis in scientific and therapeutic contexts. Results/outcomes: We highlight commonalities and differences between psychedelics and hypnosis that point to the potential efficacy of combining the two in psychotherapy. We propose multiple research paths for coupling these two phenomena at different stages in the preparation, acute phase and follow-up of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in order to prepare, guide and integrate the psychedelic experience with the aim of enhancing therapeutic outcomes. Conclusions/interpretation: Harnessing the power of suggestion to modulate response to psychedelics could enhance their therapeutic efficacy by helping to increase the likelihood of positive responses, including mystical-type experiences.
Mechanical Structural Design of a Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor for Low-Pressure Measurement: A Computational Analysis by Increases in the Sensor Sensitivity

This paper proposes a novel micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) piezoresistive pressure sensor with a four-petal membrane combined with narrow beams and a center boss (PMNBCB) for low-pressure measurements. The stresses induced in the piezoresistors and deflection of the membrane were calculated using the finite element method (FEM). The functions of the relationship between the dimension variables and mechanical performance were determined based on the curve fitting method, which can provide an approach for geometry optimization of the sensor. In addition, the values in the equations were varied to determine the optimal dimensions for the proposed membrane. Then, to further improve the sensitivity of the sensor, a series of rectangular grooves was created at the position of the piezoresistors. The proposed diaphragm was compared to existing diaphragms, and a considerable increase in the sensitivity and a considerable decrease in nonlinearity error could be achieved by using the proposed sensor. The simulation results suggest that the sensor with the PMNBCB structure obtained a high sensitivity of 34.67 mV/kPa and a low nonlinearity error of 0.23% full-scale span (FSS) for the pressure range of 0–5 kPa. The proposed sensor structure is a suitable selection for MEMS piezoresistive pressure sensors.
Hardware design on FPGA for Ethernet/SONET bridge in smart sensor system

This paper presents a packet bridge between Ethernet and Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) with format transformation in smart sensor system. The transformed packet can be fed to the optical fiber, which proceeds with various features such as high speed, long distance, and low interference. With SONET, the packet bridge performs with high speed, long distance, low interference, and good-property in sensor system, whereas the bridge works without those features in electrical transmission. The packet bridge is designed and implemented with Verilog Hardware Description Language (HDL) and verified with FPGA development board with RS485 serial port. Measured results show that the operation frequency, throughput, data transfer rate of RS485, and data transfer rate of Ethernet are 125 MHz, 633,661,952 bps, 115,200 bps, and 1 Gbps, respectively, at the data volume of 8 bits, a RAM of 2 k bytes, and a FIFO of 1 k bytes.