Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A slice classification model-facilitated 3D encoder–decoder network for segmenting organs at risk in head and neck cancer

Abstract For deep learning networks used to segment organs at risk (OARs) in head and neck (H&N) cancers, the class-imbalance problem between small volume OARs and whole computed tomography (CT) images results in delineation with serious false-positives on irrelevant slices and unnecessary time-consuming calculations. To alleviate this problem, a slice classification model-facilitated 3D encoder–decoder network was developed and validated. In the developed two-step segmentation model, a slice classification model was firstly utilized to classify CT slices into six categories in the craniocaudal direction. Then the target categories for different OARs were pushed to the different 3D encoder–decoder segmentation networks, respectively. All the patients were divided into training (n = 120), validation (n = 30) and testing (n = 20) datasets. The average accuracy of the slice classification model was 95.99%. The Dice similarity coefficient and 95% Hausdorff distance, respectively, for each OAR were as follows: right eye (0.88 ± 0.03 and 1.57 ± 0.92 mm), left eye (0.89 ± 0.03 and 1.35 ± 0.43 mm), right optic nerve (0.72 ± 0.09 and 1.79 ± 1.01 mm), left optic nerve (0.73 ± 0.09 and 1.60 ± 0.71 mm), brainstem (0.87 ± 0.04 and 2.28 ± 0.99 mm), right temporal lobe (0.81 ± 0.12 and 3.28 ± 2.27 mm), left temporal lobe (0.82 ± 0.09 and 3.73 ± 2.08 mm), right temporomandibular joint (0.70 ± 0.13 and 1.79 ± 0.79 mm), left temporomandibular joint (0.70 ± 0.16 and 1.98 ± 1.48 mm), mandible (0.89 ± 0.02 and 1.66 ± 0.51 mm), right parotid (0.77 ± 0.07 and 7.30 ± 4.19 mm) and left parotid (0.71 ± 0.12 and 8.41 ± 4.84 mm). The total segmentation time was 40.13 s. The 3D encoder–decoder network facilitated by the slice classification model demonstrated superior performance in accuracy and efficiency in segmenting OARs in H&N CT images. This may significantly reduce the workload for radiation oncologists.
Complication of Soft Tissue Fillers: Prevention and Management Review.

The use of dermal fillers has increased manifold over the past decade, which has been attributed to the ever-increasing need of the population for being young. Fillers have become quite popular both among patients and treating physicians due to their quick and quite predictable results. Filler injection is a safe procedure in the hands of an experienced provider using appropriate technique. Nevertheless, various adverse effects to fillers have been reported that range from mild injection site complications, such as pain and bruising, to severe complications, like tissue necrosis, retinal artery occlusion, and infections. The esthetic provider should be aware of and be able to quickly recognize such complications, and be confident in managing them. In this article we highlight the various adverse effects noted with the use of fillers and discuss prevention and management. J Drugs Dermatol. 2020;19(9):829-832. doi:10.36849/JDD.2020. 5084.
Responses to severe competitive stress in a clonal plant : differences between genotypes

The rhizomatous perennial grass (Amphibromus scabrivalvis) has the ability to be phalanx-like and guerrilla-like in its growth form, producing new ramets both from the base of established ramets (phalanx) and spread out along elongated rhizomes (guerrilla). Changes in clonal growth and allocation patterns of A. scabrivalvis in response to severe competitive stress induced by a background of Lolium perenne, a phalanx species, were studied. Eleven genotypes of A. scabrivalvis were divided into ramets and planted into pots in the glasshouse alone or into a background of dense L. perenne. Plants were harvested after 27 wk. Competitive stress was severe, with relative competition intensity for the genotypes ranging from 0.89 to 0.97. Both ramet production and mean interramet distances were significantly depressed by competition. Under competition, A. scabrivalvis showed a much higher allocation to roots and rhizomes compared to the control. This may serve to increase storage under competitive conditions. Genotypes producing a large number of ramets with high interramet distances in the control were more strongly affected by competition than genotypes producing fewer ramets with low interramet distances. This suggests that a more phalanx-like growth strategy may be selectively favored under severe competitive stress from a phalanx species in A. scabrivalvis. In communities dominated by perennial plants, general growth strategy, as exemplified by clone architecture, may be a critical determinant of population development and maintenance under highly competitive conditions.
The Springback Prediction of Deep - Drawing Quality Steel used in V - Bending Process

In the sheet metal forming processes, the material, and in this case deep drawing quality steel DC06 exhibits springback effect, which is governed by strain recovery of material after the load removal. In this contribution, numerical simulation of a bending process was performed and compared with experimental data. The springback is related to many parameters like forming conditions, tool geometry and material properties such as sheet thickness, yield stress, work hardening, strain rate sensitivity and elasticity modulus. In this work, the influence of used material parameters is evaluated. The springback effect of V-shaped sheet metal part made of DC06 steel, with a thickness of 0.85 mm was investigated. Bending angle was set to 90°. In the numerical simulation, Hill48 and Barlat yield criterions were used in combination with Ludwik's and Swift's hardening models. Achieved data from the numerical simulations were compared and evaluated with experimental test results.
Similarities in Fish Distribution and Water Quality Patterns in Streams of Arkansas: Congruence of Multivariate Analyses

Patterns in the distribution of fishes throughout Arkansas were congruent with patterns in a concomitant long-term suite of water quality variables. For 70 of 101 previously defined stream drainage units, a 10-yr compilation of 14 water-quality variables was used to generate axes by principal components analysis and detrended correspondence analysis that summarize overall patterns in water quality of the drainage units. The primary axes from these multivariate analyses, based on water quality, were compared to a multivariate axis generated on the basis of abundance of native fishes within the drainage units. Regardless of the specific multivariate method employed, primary axes based on water quality were highly concordant with the axis based on distribution of fishes. Comparison of these large water quality and fish abundance data sets shows spatial distribution of stream fishes within this midwestern state to be significantly related to an aggregate of water-quality conditions. The fish species associated with each faunal region are indicated, as are the suites of water-quality variables related to occurrence of fishes.
Big progress for small subunits: new Rubisco mutants in Arabidopsis

This article comments on: Khumsupan P, Kozlowska MA, Orr DJ, Andreou AI, Nakayama N, Patron N, Carmo-Silva E, McCormick AJ. 2020. Generating and characterizing single- and multigene mutants of the Rubisco small subunit family in Arabidopsis. Journal of Experimental Botany 71, 5963–5975.
Influence of common lighting conditions and time-of-day on the effort-related cardiac response

Melanopic stimuli trigger diverse non-image-forming effects. However, evidence of a melanopic contribution to acute effects on alertness and performance is inconclusive, especially under common lighting situations. Effects on cognitive performance are likely mediated by effort-related physiological changes. We assessed the acute effects of lighting in three scenarios, at two times of day, on effort-related changes to cardiac contraction as indexed by the cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP). In a within-subject design, twenty-seven participants performed a cognitive task thrice during a morning and a late-afternoon session. We set the lighting at 500 lux in all three lighting scenarios, measured horizontally at the desk level, but with 54 lux, 128 lux, or 241 lux melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance at the eye level. Impedance cardiography and electrocardiography measurements were used to calculate PEP, for the baseline and task period. A shorter PEP during the task represents a sympathetic heart activation and therefore increased effort. Data were analysed with linear mixed-effect models. PEP changes depended on both the light scene and time of day (p = 0.01 and p = 0.002, respectively). The highest change (sympathetic activation) occurred for the medium one of the three stimuli (128 lux) during the late-afternoon session. However, effect sizes for the singular effects were small, and only for the combined effect of light and time of day middle-sized. Performance scores or self-reported scores on alertness and task demand did not change with the light scene. In conclusion, participants reached the same performance most efficiently at both the highest and lowest melanopic setting, and during the morning session. The resulting U-shaped relation between melanopic stimulus intensity and PEP is likely not dependent solely on intrinsic ipRGC stimuli, and might be moderated by extrinsic cone input. Since lighting situations were modelled according to current integrative lighting strategies and real-life indoor light intensities, the result has implications for artificial lighting in a work environment.
Mortality difference between early-identified sepsis and late-identified sepsis

Objective The aim of the study was to compare the mortality rates of patients with early-identified (EI) sepsis and late-identified (LI) sepsis. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of patients admitted to the emergency department and diagnosed with sepsis. EI sepsis was defined as patients with a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score ≥2, based on 3 parameters of the SOFA score (Glasgow coma scale, mean arterial pressure, and partial pressure of oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio), measured within an hour of emergency department admission. The remaining patients were defined as LI sepsis. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results Of the total 204 patients with sepsis, 113 (55.4%) had EI sepsis. Overall mortality rate was 15.7%, and EI sepsis group had significantly higher mortality than LI sepsis (23.0% vs. 6.6%, P=0.003). The patients with EI sepsis, compared to those with LI sepsis, had higher SOFA score (median: 4 vs. 2, P<0.001); Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (median: 14 vs. 10, P<0.001); were more likely to progress to septic shock within 6 hours after admission (17.7% vs. 1.1%, P<0.001); were more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (2.2% vs. 1.1%, P=0.001). Conclusion Mortality was significantly higher in the EI sepsis group than in the LI sepsis group.
Exponential impedance control based on force/pose tracking for space manipulator orbit insertion and extraction operation

With the development of space technology and the further development of space exploration, it has become a better choice to use space manipulator to replace astronauts to carry out long-time and high-precision operation tasks, such as orbit assembly, orbit maintenance and orbit fuel filling. In the process of carrying out the above orbit service tasks, the space manipulator must involve insertion and extraction operation. Considering the impedance control can establish the dynamic relationship between the pose and the output force during the process of insertion and extraction operation. So, the impedance control problems for space manipulator orbit insertion and extraction operation is discussed. Therefore, combining the 投稿日期:2020-07-31 基金项目:国家自然科学基金 (11372273);福建省工业机器人基础部件技术重大研发平台资助项目 (2014H21010011) 《工程科学学报》录用稿,https://doi.org/10.13374/j.issn2095-9389.2020. 07.31. 002 ©北京科技大学 2020 录 用 稿 件 , 非 最 终 出 版 稿 conservation of momentum of the system, the relationship between the driving force of insertion and extraction at the end of the replacement parts, the friction resistance in the holes, and the second Lagrange equation, the dynamic equations of the space manipulator during the orbit insertion and extraction operation is derived when the position and attitude of the carrier are not controlled. At the same time, according to the design requirements of the related operation and control system, the Jacobian relation of the relative motion between the end of the replacement parts and the basic coordinate system is established by using the geometric relation analysis of the system position. Then, a second-order linear impedance control model is established based on the dynamic relationship between the pose and the driving force of the end of the replacement parts and the impedance control principle. On the basis of the above work, aiming at the uncertainty of kinematics and dynamics in the process for space manipulator orbit insertion and extraction operation, an exponential impedance control based on force/pose tracking is designed, and the stability of the control system is proved through Lyapunov theory. The control strategy has the advantages of simple structure, fast convergence speed and good stability. It is more suitable for the situation of limited computing and storage capacity of the space station computer. The numerical simulation of the system verifies the effectiveness of the above control strategy.
P2X receptor agonist enhances tumor-specific CTL responses through CD70 + DC-mediated Th17 induction.

Extracellular ATP is known to promote Th17 cell differentiation in the intestinal lamina propria by stimulating CD70 +CD11c low dendritic cells (DCs) via P2X receptors (P2XRs). Recent studies have also shown that Th17 cells enhance antitumor immunity by directly promoting proliferation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). These finding led us to test a P2XR agonist, αβ-methylene ATP (αβ-ATP), as a mucosal vaccine adjuvant to promote CTL responses through Th17 induction. We demonstrated that (1) CD70 +CD11c low DCs were present in the nasal lamina propria and expressed P2X1R, P2X2R and P2X4R; (2) CD70 +CD11c low DCs isolated from the nasal lamina propria enhanced Th17 cell differentiation of cocultured splenic CD4 + T cells upon stimulation with αβ-ATP; (3) mice intranasally immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) and αβ-ATP had increased OVA-specific Th17 cells and CTLs in the nasal lamina propria and regional lymph nodes; (4) mice intranasally immunized with OVA and αβ-ATP also had elevated resistance to E.G7-OVA tumor growth compared with those intranasally immunized with OVA alone; (5) suramin, a broad-range inhibitor of P2 receptors, suppressed the increases of OVA-specific Th17 cells and CTLs in mice intranasally immunized with OVA and αβ-ATP; (6) suramin also abrogated the enhanced antitumor immunity of mice intranasally immunized with OVA and αβ-ATP against E.G7-OVA. Collectively, αβ-ATP may be a promising mucosal adjuvant that promotes antigen-specific CTL responses via CD70 +CD11c low DC-mediated Th17 induction.
Potential limitations in COVID-19 machine learning due to data source variability: A case study in the nCov2019 dataset

Abstract Objective The lack of representative coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) data is a bottleneck for reliable and generalizable machine learning. Data sharing is insufficient without data quality, in which source variability plays an important role. We showcase and discuss potential biases from data source variability for COVID-19 machine learning. Materials and Methods We used the publicly available nCov2019 dataset, including patient-level data from several countries. We aimed to the discovery and classification of severity subgroups using symptoms and comorbidities. Results Cases from the 2 countries with the highest prevalence were divided into separate subgroups with distinct severity manifestations. This variability can reduce the representativeness of training data with respect the model target populations and increase model complexity at risk of overfitting. Conclusions Data source variability is a potential contributor to bias in distributed research networks. We call for systematic assessment and reporting of data source variability and data quality in COVID-19 data sharing, as key information for reliable and generalizable machine learning.
Factors associated with non-urgent visits to the emergency department in a tertiary care centre, western Saudi Arabia: cross-sectional study

Objectives To explore magnitude and factors associated with non-urgent visits to the emergency department (ED) in a tertiary care centre, western Saudi Arabia. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting ED of a tertiary care hospital in western Saudi Arabia. Participants 400 patients, both men and women. Interventions An interview-based questionnaire was administered to a consecutive sample of patients who visited the ED during morning shifts, where primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and outpatient clinics were available. Primary outcome measure ED visits classified as non-urgent versus urgent (excluding life-threatening conditions) based on the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS). Levels IV and V were classified as non-urgent. Results Majority of the cases were adult (97.3%) and half of them were women (54.8%). Non-urgent visits represented 78.5% among non-life-threatening cases. One-third of the patients (33.8%) had three visits or more to the ED during the past year. Main reasons for visiting the ED were perception that the condition was urgent (42.0%), easy access (25.5%) and limited resources and services at the PHCs (17.8%). Patients 40–50 years old were more likely to have non-urgent visits (OR=3.21, 95% CI 1.15 to 8.98). However, likelihood of non-urgent visits was significantly lower among patients with cancer (OR=0.37, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.72) and cardiovascular disease (OR=0.43, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.83), and those who live near the hospital (OR=0.49, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.88). Conclusions The current study reported overuse of the ED. Enhancement of the primary care services, in concordance with community awareness, is an important component to reduce burden due to non-urgent use of the ED.
Understanding the Metabolism of Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs): The Next Step toward Pharmaceutical Applications

Hetero-bifunctional PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) represent a new emerging class of small molecules designed to induce polyubiquitylation and proteasomal-dependent degradation of a target protein. Despite the increasing number of publications about the synthesis, biological evaluation, and mechanism of action of PROTACs, the characterization of the pharmacokinetic properties of this class of compounds is still minimal. Here, we report a study on the metabolism of a series of 40 PROTACs in cryopreserved human hepatocytes at multiple time points. Our results indicated that the metabolism of PROTACs could not be predicted from that of their constituent ligands. Their linkers’ chemical nature and length resulted in playing a major role in the PROTACs’ liability. A subset of compounds was also tested for metabolism by human cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and human aldehyde oxidase (hAOX) for more in-depth data interpretation, and both enzymes resulted in active PROTAC metabolism.
Involvement of the Retinal Pigment Epithelium in the Development of Retinal Lattice Degeneration

Lattice degeneration involves thinning of the retina that occurs over time. Here we performed an immunohistological study of tissue sections of human peripheral retinal lattice degeneration to investigate if retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells are involved in the pathogenesis of this condition. In two cases of retinal detachment with a large tear that underwent vitreous surgery, retinal lattice degeneration tissue specimens were collected during surgery. In the obtained specimens, both whole mounts and horizontal section slices were prepared, and immunostaining was then performed with hematoxylin and antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), RPE-specific protein 65 kDa (RPE65), pan-cytokeratin (pan-CK), and CK18. Hematoxylin staining showed no nuclei in the center of the degenerative lesion, thus suggesting the possibility of the occurrence of apoptosis. In the degenerative lesion specimens, GFAP staining was observed in the center, RPE65 staining was observed in the slightly peripheral region, and pan-CK staining was observed in all areas. However, no obvious CK18 staining was observed. In a monkey retina used as the control specimen of a normal healthy retina, no RPE65 or pan-CK staining was observed in the neural retina. Our findings suggest that migration, proliferation, and differentiation of RPE cells might be involved in the repair of retinal lattice degeneration.
A NEW SPECIES OF NEOCOSMOSPORA WITH A PENICILLIFER ANAMORPH

An undescribed Neocosmospora with a Penicillifer anamorph was isolated from living twigs of Chamaecyparis thyoides and stems of Hudsonia ericoides in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and from a decayed basidioma of Fomes fomentarius from northwestern New Jersey. These isolates were found to be the same species as one previously collected on galls of Crataegus crus-galli in Brooklyn, New York. This is the first Neocosmospora teleomorph known to produce a Penicillifer anamorph. This new Neocosmospora is homothallic producing both the anamorph and teleomorph in culture. It is unique because of the combination of large ascospores arranged biseriately and green ascospore color on certain media. The Penicillifer anamorph has conidiophores with a biverticillate branching pattern not seen in other species of Penicillifer.
Lumbar Sympathetic Block for Intractable Lower‐Limb Postherpetic Neuralgia: Report of Two Cases

Lumbar sympathetic block is a commonly used technique for sympathetically mediated pain syndromes. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is also accepted to be associated with sympathetic system activation. While sympathetic blocks were utilized for upper‐extremity or face‐related PHN, there has not been any report regarding lower‐extremity PHN, as it is an uncommon region. Here, we present two cases of systemic drug‐resistant PHN in lower limb, relieved with lumbar sympathetic block. Both patients had at least 50% reduction in numeric rating scale (NRS) scores at the end of 6 months. Lumbar sympathetic block could be considered in the treatment of lower‐limb PHN. More reports and controlled trials are needed for further understanding the role of the intervention in this neuropathic pain syndrome.