Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Particulate texture image analysis with applications

Texture analysis and textural cues have been applied for image classification, segmentation and pattern recognition. Dominant texture descriptors include directionality, coarseness, line-likeness etc. In this dissertation a class of textures known as particulate textures are defined, which are predominantly coarse or blob-like. The set of features that characterise particulate textures are different from those that characterise classical textures. These features are micro-texture, macro-texture, size, shape and compaction. Classical texture analysis techniques do not adequately capture particulate texture features. This gap is identified and new methods for analysing particulate textures are proposed. The levels of complexity in particulate textures are also presented ranging from the simplest images where blob-like particles are easily isolated from their back- ground to the more complex images where the particles and the background are not easily separable or the particles are occluded. Simple particulate images can be analysed for particle shapes and sizes. Complex particulate texture images, on the other hand, often permit only the estimation of particle dimensions. Real life applications of particulate textures are reviewed, including applications to sedimentology, granulometry and road surface texture analysis. A new framework for computation of particulate shape is proposed. A granulometric approach for particle size estimation based on edge detection is developed which can be adapted to the gray level of the images by varying its parameters. This study binds visual texture analysis and road surface macrotexture in a theoretical framework, thus making it possible to apply monocular imaging techniques to road surface texture analysis. Results from the application of the developed algorithm to road surface macro-texture, are compared with results based on Fourier spectra, the auto- correlation function and wavelet decomposition, indicating the superior performance of the proposed technique. The influence of image acquisition conditions such as illumination and camera angle on the results was systematically analysed. Experimental data was collected from over 5km of road in Brisbane and the estimated coarseness along the road was compared with laser profilometer measurements. Coefficient of determination R2 exceeding 0.9 was obtained when correlating the proposed imaging technique with the state of the art Sensor Measured Texture Depth (SMTD) obtained using laser profilometers.
CEOR_A_233376 91..105

Pablo Luis OrtizRomero 1 Octavio Servitje 2 María Teresa Estrach Rosa María Izu-Belloso Ricardo Fernández-deMisa 5 Fernando Gallardo Noemí López-Martínez Alejandro Pérez-Mitru 1Dermatology Department, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Institute I+12, Medical School, University Complutense, CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain; 2Dermatology Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, IDIBELL, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 3Dermatology Department, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 4Dermatology Department, Hospital de Basurto, Bilbao, Spain; 5Department of Dermatology and Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; 6Dermatology Department, Parc de Salut Mar-Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; 7Oblikue Consulting, Barcelona, Spain Aim: To identify the most common therapeutic options for the treatment of early-stage mycosis fungoides in Spain, quantify their associated healthcare resource use and costs. Methods: After reviewing the literature, a panel of 6 Spanish clinical dermatologists validated the treatments and healthcare resource use through a structured questionnaire. Individual responses were collected, analyzed and presented into a face-to-face meeting in order to reach a consensus. Cost categories considered were: drug acquisition and administration, photo/radiotherapy session and maintenance, clinical follow-up visits and laboratory tests. Costs were expressed in euros from 2018. The Spanish National Health System perspective was considered, taking into account direct health costs and time horizons of 1, 3 and 6 months. Results: Costs for the skin-directed treatments (SDT) assessed at 1, 3 and 6 months, were: Topical carmustine [€6,593.36, €19,780.09 and €27,592.78]; Phototherapy with psoralens and ultraviolet A light (PUVA) [€1,098.68, €2,999.99 and €3,187.60]; Narrow-band ultraviolet B phototherapy [€1,657.47, €4,842.10 and €4,842.10]; Total skin electron beam therapy (TSEBT) [€6,796.45, €7,913.34 and €7,913.34]. Cost for topical corticosteroids, being considered an adjuvant option, were €17.16, €51.49 and €102.97. Costs for the assessed systemic treatments alone or in combination with SDT at 1, 3 and 6 months, were: Systemic retinoids [€2,026.03, €5,206.63 and €7,426.42]; Systemic retinoids + PUVA phototherapy [€3,066.50, €8,271.26 and €10,046.58]; Interferon alfa + PUVA phototherapy [€1,541.09, €5,167.57 and €6,404.55]. Conclusion: According to the Spanish clinical practice, phototherapies in monotherapy were the treatments with the lowest associated costs regardless of the time horizon considered. TSEBT turned out as the treatment with the highest associated costs when considering 1 month. However, while considering 3 and 6 months the treatment with the highest associated costs was topical carmustine. The results of this analysis may provide critical information to measure the disease burden, to detect unmet medical needs and to advocate towards better treatments for this rare disease.
Development and Analytical Validation of a BT-474 Anti-Proliferation Assay Targeting HER2

Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) is an ideal target for anti-tumor drug development especially for breast cancer. Based on this target, either for new drug, bio-better, bio-similar screening at discovery level, or for drug substance and drug product release at QC or industry level, a reliable and robust biological potency assay is urgently needed. In this study, a BT-474 cell based anti-proliferation biological potency assay targeting HER2 was developed after an optimization of some key aspects, including cell line, seeded cell density, incubation time, and usable method for viable cell staining. Following optimization, the assay was validated to identify its specificity, precision, accuracy, linearity, range, and robustness. It was proven a highly accurate assay with good fit (R2 > 0.98), low RSD (even <5%) of replicates, and broad range (50%–150%) and could be used for drug candidates screening and quality control. This study also provides a good example for cell-based biological potency assay development aimed at other targets.
The Relationship Between Measures Of Obesity And Echocardiographic Determinants Of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy In Nigerian Adults

Background Obesity is becoming a global epidemic and the prevalence is increasing not only in the developed countries but also in developing countries like Nigeria. The main adverse consequences are cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and several cancers. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a cardiovascular consequence of obesity and it is an independent risk factor for stroke, myocardial infarction and sudden death. It is therefore necessary to know to what extent obesity is responsible for the development of LVH and what measures of obesity are implicated. Method: A total number of two hundred and thirty (230) subjects were recruited for the study. One hundred and fifty (150) were obese while eighty (80) were non obese controls. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waisthip ratio (WHR) were measured and calculated as the case may be. Based on their BMI, the subjects were classified as obese and non obese. Blood pressure measurements on at least two occasions and fasting plasma glucose estimates were done to identify normotensive, normoglycemic subjects who were included in the study. Echocardiography was done on all subjects after physical examination. The Left Ventricular Mass was calculated using Devereux modified ASE cube formula and this was indexed to height 2 and to body surface area.Results BMI and WC were strongly correlated with all echocardiographic parameters with BMI having the strongest correlation with LVM/H (r=0.708, p<0.001) in males and (r=0.799,p<0.001) in females. This was followed by WC (r=0.678, p<0.001) in males and (r=0.646,p<0.001) in females. WHR was weakly correlated with LVM/H(r=0.213, P=0.040) in males and (r=0.218, p=0.011) in females.Conclusion and RecommendationBody mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) had stronger correlations with echocardiographic determinants of left ventricular hypertrophy compared to Waist hip ratio (WHR) in this study. BMI and WC should therefore be the preferred measures of obesity for the assessment of the impact of obesity on left ventricular mass and hypertrophy.
Co-bedding as a comfort measure for twins undergoing painful procedures

Background. Maternal skin contact during a tissue breaking procedure lowers pain reactivity and enhances physiological recovery. It is uncertain if this comfort is derived solely from maternal presence or from stabilization of regulatory processes from direct skin contact. No studies have examined whether the contact or presence of a twin would have a similar comforting effect. Purpose. To compare the comfort effect of co-bedding by contrasting preterm twins who are co-bedding and those who are not on pain response during a tissue breaking procedure (heel lance). Methods. Following consent, 67 eligible twin sets, admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) were stratified in pairs by gestational age (≤ 31 6/7 weeks or ≥ 32 weeks) and site and then randomly assigned to a co-bedding group, n=36, (cared for in the same incubator or crib) or a standard care group, n=31, (cared for in a separate incubator or crib). Pain response was determined by physiologic and videotaped facial reaction in accordance with the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP). Additional outcomes included physiologic time to recovery, alterations in salivary cortisol, heart rate variability, frequency of additional 24% sucrose doses required, and response of the co-twin. Sample size was calculated using a 2-sided alpha error of 0.05 and a power of 80 percent. Sixty four sets of twins or a total of 128 infants were needed to detect a difference of 1 point or greater change (SD 2.0) in the PIPP scores if such a difference is in fact caused by co-bedding. Analysis was based on the intention-to-treat principle and compared the means in the two groups before and after treatment and contrasted the mean difference between groups using 95 percent confidence intervals and a 2 sided P value of 0.05.
Plant Science Today

Rajasthan is the third largest state of India. About 80% of the population live in the villages. The main tribes of Rajasthan are Bhil, Meena, Garasia, Saharia, Damor and Kathoudi. The study area comprises of Tonk district of Rajasthan, India which has seven divisions Deoli, Malpura, Todaraisingh, Uniara, Peeplu, Tonk and Newai. Survey method was followed covering five villages of each division. The data were collected through direct interviews with local people, priests, local physician and gardeners. A detailed questionnaire was designed and written in Hindi for the baseline study following standardised procedures. The tribal communities use plants and plant products in their day to day life, however there is a gap in knowledge in the younger generation. A total of 147 species belonging to 62 vascular plant families are reported. From these 145 species were reported to be used for medicinal applications, 135 species of which were used to treat more than one disease and remaining 8 species were used to treat only one disease. The most widely used plant part is leaves (95 species) and the, most common mode of application is oral (39.65%). The traditional knowledge about the plants can be used to produce to new products for medicinal use, food and fodder.
Plant Science Today

The importance of discovering and obtaining new, natural and sustainable sources of potential drugs have been the focus of scientific communities due to the emergence of increasing cases of microbial resistance, one of the biggest health threats in our society today. This study aimed to determine the antimycotic potential of Bambusa blumeana (kawayang tinik) specifically its leaf, rhizome, root, inner culm and outer culm extracts using the agar well diffusion assay. Results of the study revealed that all kawayang tinik extracts produced statistically equal size zone of inhibition (ZOI) against Aspergillus niger at 1 mg/ ml concentration while the ethanolic root and leaf extracts showed larger ZOI against Penicillium chrysogenum compared to other kawayang tinik extracts. Furthermore, the results of the antifungal assay showed comparable activity of kawayang tinik extracts to Fluconazole, a pharmaceutically approved antifungal drug, at 1 mg/ml concentration. Phytochemical studies further revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, phenols, sterols, triterpenes and flavonoids in its different parts which may support its potential antimycotic properties.
Prevalence of and risk factors for chronic kidney disease and diabetic kidney disease in a central Chinese urban population: a cross-sectional survey

Background This study was conducted to evaluate and update the current prevalence of and risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in a China. Methods A total of 5231 participants were randomly recruited for this study. CKD and DKD were defined according to the combination of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), presence of albuminuria and diabetes. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing lifestyle and relevant medical history, and blood and urinary specimens were taken. Serum creatinine, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein and urinary albumin were assessed. The age- and gender-adjusted prevalences of CKD and DKD were calculated, and risk factors associated with the presence of reduced eGFR, albuminuria, DKD, severity of albuminuria and progression of reduce renal function were analyzed by binary and ordinal logistic regression. Results The overall adjusted prevalence of CKD was 16.8% (15.8 – 17.8%) and that of DKD was 3.5% (3.0 – 4.0%). Decreased renal function was detected in 132 participants [2.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5 – 3.2%], whereas albuminuria was found in 858 participants (14.9%, 95% CI: 13.9 – 15.9%). In all participants with diabetes, the prevalence of reduced eGFR was 6.3% (95% CI = 3.9 – 8.6%) and that of albuminuria was 45.3% (95% CI = 40.4 – 50.1%). The overall prevalence of CKD in participants with diabetes was 48.0% (95% CI = 43.1 – 52.9%). The results of the binary and ordinal logistic regression indicated that factors independently associated with higher risk of reduced eGFR and albuminuria were older age, gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia. Conclusions Our study shows the current prevalences of CKD and DKD in residents of Central China. The high prevalence suggests an urgent need to implement interventions to relieve the high burden of CKD and DKD in China.
Vertical transmission of sponge microbiota is inconsistent and unfaithful 1

13 Classic coevolutionary theory predicts that if beneficial microbial symbionts improve host fitness, they should be 14 faithfully transmitted to offspring. More recently, the hologenome theory of evolution predicts resemblance between 15 parent and offspring microbiomes and high partner fidelity between host species and their vertically transmitted 16 microbes. Here, we test these ideas for the first time in multiple coexisting host species with highly diverse microbiota, 17 leveraging known parent-offspring pairs sampled from eight species of wild marine sponges (Porifera). We found that 18 the processes governing vertical transmission were both neutral and selective. A neutral model explained 66% of the 19 variance in larval microbiota, which was higher than the variance this model explained for adult sponge microbiota 20 (R2 = 27%). However, microbes that are enriched above neutral expectations in adults were disproportionately 21 transferred to offspring. Patterns of vertical transmission were, however, incomplete: larval sponges shared, on 22 average, 44.8% of microbes with their parents, which was not higher than the fraction they shared with nearby non23 parental adults. Vertical transmission was also inconsistent across siblings, as larval sponges from the same parent 24 only shared 17% of microbes. Finally, we found no evidence that vertically transmitted microbes are faithful to a 25 single sponge host species. Surprisingly, larvae were just as likely to share vertically transmitted microbes with larvae 26 from other sponge species as they were with their own species. Our study demonstrates that common predictions of 27 vertical transmission that stem from species-poor systems are not necessarily true when scaling up to diverse and 28 complex microbiomes. 29
Ecological Environment Change in North Slope of Qilianshan Mountains

,indicating that the precipitation tended to increase.The climate had changed from arid to humid in this region since 1976.From 1956 to 2006,the glacier area of six inland river basin（Shiyanghe river,Heihe river, Beidahe river,Shulehe river,Danghe river and Halternhe river） and Datonghe river basin in northern slope of Qilianshan mountains decreased by 17.7%. Thickness of the glacier reduced about 5-20 m,and the snow line rose about 100-140 m.The Glacier ice reserves in inland river basin of Hexi decreased by 11.4%. From 1972 to 2007,27 glaciers in the eastern section of the Qilianshan Mountains disappeared.From 1956 to 2009,the runoff change in the northern slope of the Qilianshan Mountains was different in different regions.The runoff was reduced significantly in Shiyanghe river basin, increased slightly in Heihe river basin,and increased obviously in Shulehe river basin.From 1958 to 1988, the area of deforestation and farming was more than 10.0 million ha,and the forest area was reduced 0.6 million ha.Since the Qilianshan Mountain Nature Reserve was established in 1989, the forest was restoring gradually because of continual protection and cultivating,and the forest area was increased 9.4 million ha from 1989 to 2008. Due to human interference,especially over-grazing impact,the quality of the wood-land,shrub-land and grass-land in northern slope of the Qilianshan Mountains were in a degraded condition,which re
Analyse expérimentale et par élément finis du comportement statique et vibratoire des matériaux composites sandwichs sains et endommagés

Ce travail de these a pour objet d’analyser le comportement en statique, en fatigue et en vibration lineaire et non lineaire des materiaux sandwichs en presence d’une decohesion de longueur variable. Une etude detaillee est d’abord menee pour caracteriser le comportement mecanique en statique et en fatigue de ces materiaux. Les essais ont ete conduits en flexion 3-points sur des poutres de ces materiaux pour plusieurs distances entre appuis et pour plusieurs longueurs de fissure. En vibration, une etude experimentale de la reponse en frequence a une impulsion, menee a l’aide d’un vibrometre laser a permis de mesurer les frequences propres et les amortissements de ces materiaux autour de chaque pic de resonance en fonction de la longueur de fissure. Les resultats deduits de l’analyse experimentale sont compares a ceux obtenus a partir d’une analyse par elements finis. Enfin, une methode de vibration non lineaire a ete appliquee pour caracteriser le comportement des materiaux sandwichs endommages par fissuration. Les parametres non lineaires relatifs au decalage frequentiel et a l’amortissement sont mesures en faisant varier l’amplitude d’excitation. Cette etude a permis de montrer que les parametres non lineaires sont plus sensibles a l’endommagement que les parametres lineaires.
sUVmax and metabolic tumor volume: surrogate image biomarkers of Kras mutation status in colorectal cancer

Purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the association between KRAS mutation status and PET/CT metabolic parameters in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Materials and methods: One hundred and sixty-four CRC patients were enrolled in this study and received PET/CT examination before operation, then KRAS mutation status was analyzed through pathologically confirmed CRC samples. The association between tumor clinical characteristics and PET/CT metabolic parameters, including maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), SUVmean, and metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and KRAS mutation status was analyzed using chi-squared tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, and logistic regression analysis. Results: The KRAS mutation type patients exhibited high MTV and high SUVmax using a threshold of 17.8 cm 3 and 8.7 respectively and the predictive accuracy was 0.772 and 0.603 respectively. High MTV ( P = 0.001; 95% CI: 1.119–1.296) and high SUVmax ( P = 0.048; 95% CI: 0.564–0.985) were independent predictors for KRAS mutation status. Conclusion: MTV and SUVmax were associated with KRAS mutation type in CRC patients. PET/CT metabolic parameters can be used for supplementing KRAS mutation status prediction in CRC patients.
RUNX3 regulates cell cycle-dependent chromatin dynamics by functioning as a pioneer factor of the restriction point

The cellular decision regarding whether to undergo proliferation or death is made at the restriction (R)-point, which is disrupted in nearly all tumors. The identity of the molecular mechanisms that govern the R-point decision is one of the fundamental issues in cell biology. We found that early after mitogenic stimulation, RUNX3 bound to its target loci, where it opened chromatin structure by sequential recruitment of Trithorax group proteins and cell-cycle regulators to drive cells to the R-point. Soon after, RUNX3 closed these loci by recruiting Polycomb repressor complexes, causing the cell to pass through the R-point toward S phase. If the RAS signal was constitutively activated, RUNX3 inhibited cell cycle progression by maintaining R-point-associated genes in an open structure. Our results identify RUNX3 as a pioneer factor for the R-point and reveal the molecular mechanisms by which appropriate chromatin modifiers are selectively recruited to target loci for appropriate R-point decisions.
Early Diagnosis And Management Of Malignant Distal Biliary Obstruction: A Review On Current Recommendations And Guidelines

Abstract Malignant biliary obstruction is a challenging condition, requiring a multimodal approach for both diagnosis and treatment. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma are the leading causes of malignant distal biliary obstruction. Early diagnosis is difficult to establish as biliary obstruction can be the first presentation of the underlying disease, which can already be at an advanced stage. Consequently, the majority of patients (70%) with malignant distal biliary obstruction are unresectable at the time of diagnosis. The association of clinical findings, laboratory tests, imaging, and endoscopic modalities may help in identifying the underlying cause. Novel endoscopic techniques such as cholangioscopy, intraductal ultrasonography, or confocal laser endomicroscopy have been developed with promising results, but are not used in routine clinical practice. As the number of patients with malignant distal biliary obstruction who will undergo curative surgery is limited, endoscopy has a crucial role in palliation, to relieve biliary obstruction. According to the last European guidelines published in the management of biliary obstruction, self-expandable metal stents have a central place in biliary drainage compared to plastic stents. Endoscopic ultrasound has evolved impressively in the last decades. When standard techniques of biliary cannulation by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography fail, endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage is a good option compared to percutaneous drainage.