Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Scale‐ and Slice‐aware Net (S2aNet) for 3D segmentation of organs and musculoskeletal structures in pelvic MRI

MRI of organs and musculoskeletal structures in the female pelvis presents a unique display of pelvic anatomy. Automated segmentation of pelvic structures plays an important role in personalized diagnosis and treatment on pelvic structures disease. Pelvic organ systems are very complicated, and it is a challenging task for 3D segmentation of massive pelvic structures on MRI.
Effects of bevacizumab administration on the hypoxia - induced pulmonary hypertension rat model

Background/aim Bevacizumab is a chemotherapeutic drug, which selectively binds to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and mainly inhibits angiogenesis and neovascularization. We aimed to study the possible effects of bevacizumab on right ventricular pressure (RVP), right ventricular hypertrophy, and VEGF, in hypoxia - induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) rat model. Materials and methods 24 adult Wistar Albino rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group - saline; Bevacizumab Group; PH Group; PH + Bevacizumab Group. In hypoxia - induced model, 10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen were applied in a plexiglas box for eight days to PH Group and PH + Bevacizumab Group. On day eight, RVPs were measured directly from the heart, and then animals were sacrificed. Heart and lung tissues were examined, and Fulton index was measured. Results RVP, Fulton index, and tissue VEGF scores were significantly lower in PH + Bevacizumab group than PH group: median (ranges), RVP, mmHg, 37.8 (33.0–39.0) and 32.3 (28.0–35.0), p: 0.01; Fulton index: 0.30 (0.29–0.33) and 0.25 (0.24–0.26), p: 0.003; tissue VEGF scores: 5.1 (4.8–5.3) and 4.0 (3.8 4.1), p: 0.004, respectively. Conclusion Bevacizumab, which is indeed an antineoplastic agent, might have a favorable effect on hypoxia - induced pulmonary hypertension.
Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir for the treatment of hepatitis C in pediatric patients

ABSTRACT Introduction: Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir is a combination of direct-acting antivirals with pangenotypic activity for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. It was approved in 2020 for use in children aged 6–17 years and in June 2021 by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the age group 3–5 years. Areas covered: A literature search of PUBMED and EMBASE was conducted on April 30th and updated on June 10th. Other citations were identified in references of available literature and from ClinicalTrials.gov. The aim of the present research was to outline and discuss the pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, tolerability and safety of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, exploring its actual and potential use in children and adolescents with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Expert opinion: Five combinations of direct-acting antivirals, of whom three with pangenotypic activity, are now approved for children. No major differences in efficacy and safety profile have been described. Limited access to treatment still is a major issue, especially in low and middle-income countries.
Self-reported and actigraphic short sleep duration in older adults.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Persons > 65 years with short sleep duration (≤ 6 hours) are at risk for adverse outcomes, but the accuracy of self-reported sleep duration may be affected by reduced symptom awareness. We evaluated the performance characteristics of self-reported versus objectively-measured sleep duration in this age group. METHODS In 2,980 men from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Sleep Study (MrOS) and 2,855 women from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF), we examined the agreement and accuracy of self-reported versus actigraphy-measured short and normal (> 6 but < 9 hours) sleep duration. We evaluated associations of select factors (demographics, medical, physical, and neuropsychiatric conditions, medication and substance use, and sleep-related measures) with risk of false-negative (normal sleep duration by self-report but short sleep duration by actigraphy) and false-positive (short sleep duration by self-report and normal sleep duration by actigraphy) designations, respectively, using logistic regression. RESULTS Average ages were 76.3 ± 5.5 and 83.5 ± 3.7 years in men and women, respectively. There was poor agreement between self-reported and actigraphic sleep duration (Kappa ≤ 0.24). False-negatives occurred in nearly half and false-positives in over a quarter of older persons. In multivariable models in men and women, false-negatives were independently associated with obesity, daytime sleepiness, and napping, while false-positives were significantly lower with obesity. CONCLUSIONS Under- and over-reporting of short sleep is common among older persons. Reliance on self-report may lead to missed opportunities to prevent adverse outcomes or unnecessary interventions. Self-reported sleep duration should be objectively confirmed when evaluating the effect of sleep duration on health outcomes.
Cellulase-Inspired Solid Acids for Cellulose Hydrolysis: Structural Explanations for High Catalytic Activity

This work presents a detailed structure–activity analysis of a polymeric solid acid catalyst used in cellulose hydrolysis. In contrast to previous work, our studies show that the high catalytic activity is likely not due to hydrogen bonding between C–Cl moieties at the polymer surface and cellulose fibers. Instead, we report that such C–Cl bonds hydrolyze readily under polymer functionalization conditions to produce C–OH groups on the exterior of the solid acid beads. Furthermore, continued C–Cl to C–OH substitution under cellulose or cellobiose hydrolysis conditions releases HCl from the resin, which contributes to cellulose hydrolysis. Overall, the presented studies stress the need for detailed, quantitative analysis of polymer structures and spatial distribution of functional groups in order to correctly interpret the catalytic results obtained with polymer-based solid acids.
Classroom Practice Project “UNIS – Understanding of Informatics Systems”

: The paper gives a résumé of the classroom practice project UNIS with the aim to foster understanding of informatics systems in upper secondary education. To meet the demands of modern informatics education at secondary level we established a partnership between school and university. During a series of negotiations we defined competencies and described an educational model. Observations of the researchers in the classroom disclosed the development of competences during the learning process. The qualitative results are complemented by quantitative results gained through tests.
Calculating Utilities From the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Quality-adjusted-life-year weights (utilities) for metastatic disease were measured for the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire. Analysis revealed that participants did not regard all questionnaire items as equally important. We provide a simple technique for converting the SOSGOQ2.0 to utilities which will facilitate economic analysis and patient counseling. Study Design. General population utility valuation study. Objective. The aim of this study was to develop a technique for calculating utilities from the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire v2.0 (SOSGOQ2.0). Summary of Background Data. The ability to calculate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for metastatic spine disease would enhance treatment decision-making and facilitate economic analysis. QALYs are calculated using utilities. Methods. Using a hybrid concept-retention and factorial analysis shortening approach, we first shortened the SOSGOQ2.0 to eight items (SOSGOQ-8D). This was done to lessen the cognitive burden of the utility valuation exercise. A general population sample of 2730 adults was then asked to evaluate 12 choice sets based on SOSGOQ-8D health states in a Discrete Choice Experiment. A utility scoring rubric was then developed using a mixed multinomial-logit regression model. Results. We were able to reduce the SOSGOQ2.0 to an SOSGOQ-8D with a mean error of 0.003 and mean absolute error of 3.078 compared to the full questionnaire. The regression model demonstrated good predictive performance and was used to develop a utility scoring rubric. Regression results revealed that participants did not regard all SOSGOQ-8D items as equally important. Conclusion. We provide a simple technique for converting the SOSGOQ2.0 to utilities. The ability to evaluate QALYs in metastatic spine disease will facilitate economic analysis and patient counseling. We also quantify the importance of individual SOSGOQ-8D items. Clinicians should heed these findings and offer treatments that maximize function in the most important items. Level of Evidence: 3
Efficient design optimization of a miniaturized thermoelectric generator for electrically active implants based on parametric model order reduction

This research focuses on the design of a miniaturized thermoelectric generator (TEG) for electrically active implants. Its design optimization is performed using the finite element method. A simplified TEG model is obtained by replacing the thermocouple array with a single representative thermopile, which considers the number and fill factor of the thermocouples as parameters. Instead of rebuilding the geometry of a detailed model with multiple thermocouples, the simplified model adapts the material properties of its representative thermopile, facilitating design optimization. We extend the model by integrating the simplified TEG together with a housing inside a human tissue model for thermoelectric analysis. For computation efficiency and applicability of model order reduction (MOR), a thermal model is derived from the thermoelectric one, with the Peltier effect being considered through an effective thermal conductivity. Through parametric MOR, two parametric reduced‐order models are generated from the full‐scale thermoelectric and thermal model, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrate the design optimization of TEG both in full‐scale and reduced‐order model for maximal power output and sufficient voltage output.
Regulation of reactive oxygen species in the pathogenesis of matrix vesicles induced calcification of recipient vascular smooth muscle cells

Introduction: Increased oxidative stress is associated with vascular calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We have previously demonstrated that cellular-derived matrix vesicles (MV), but not media-derived MV, are endocytosed in the presence of phosphorus by recipient normal rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and induce calcification through ERK1/2 and [Ca2+]i signaling. We hypothesized that these changes were mediated by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Methods: MV were co-cultured with recipient VSMC in the presence of high phosphorus and ROS production and cell signaling assessed. Results: The results demonstrated MV endocytosis led to increased ROS production in recipient VSMC with no increase in mitochondrial oxygen consumption or oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), indicating the ROS was not from the mitochondria. The use of inhibitors demonstrated that endocytosis of these MV by VSMC led to a signaling cascade in the cytoplasm beginning with ERK1/2 signaling, then increased [Ca2+]i and stimulation of ROS production, mediated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (NOX)1/4. Media-derived MV did not induce this cascade, indicating endocytosis itself was not a factor. Furthermore, inhibition of either ERK1/2 activation or [Ca2+]i reduced vascular calcification. Conclusion: We conclude that endocytosis of pro-mineralizing MV can induce a series of signaling events in normal VSMC that culminate in generation of ROS via activation of NOX1/4. Understanding these pathways will allow the development of future targeted therapeutics.
The SRSF4–GAS5-Glucocorticoid Receptor Axis Regulates Ventricular Hypertrophy

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Rationale: RBPs (RNA-binding proteins) play critical roles in human biology and disease. Aberrant RBP expression affects various steps in RNA processing, altering the function of the target RNAs. The RBP SRSF4 (serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 4) has been linked to neuropathies and cancer. However, its role in the heart is completely unknown. Objective: To investigate the role of SRSF4 in the heart. Methods and Results: Echocardiography of mice specifically lacking SRSF4 in the heart (SRSF4 KO) revealed left ventricular hypertrophy and increased cardiomyocyte area, which led to progressive diastolic dysfunction with age. SRSF4 KO mice showed altered electrophysiological activity under isoproterenol-induced cardiac stress, with a post-QRS depression and a longer QT interval, indicating an elevated risk of sudden cardiac death. RNA-Seq analysis revealed expression changes in several long noncoding RNAs, including GAS5 (growth arrest-specific 5), which we identified as a direct SRSF4 target in cardiomyocytes by individual-nucleotide-resolution cross-linking and immuno-precipitation. GAS5 is a repressor of the GR (glucocorticoid receptor) and was downregulated in SRSF4 KO hearts. This corresponded with elevated GR transcriptional activity in cardiomyocytes, leading to increases in hypertrophy markers and cell size. Furthermore, hypertrophy in SRSF4 KO cardiomyocytes was reduced by overexpressing GAS5. Conclusions: Loss of SRSF4 expression results in cardiac hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and abnormal repolarization. The molecular mechanism underlying this effect involves GAS5 downregulation and consequent elevation of GR transcriptional activity. Our findings may help to develop new therapeutic tools for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial pathology in patients with Cushing syndrome.
Supplementary material to "GREB-ISM v0.3: A coupled ice sheet model for the Global Resolved Energy Balance model for global simulations on time-scales of 100 kyr"

We introduce a newly developed global ice sheet model coupled to the Globally Resolved Energy Balance (GREB) climate model for the simulation of global ice sheet evolution on time scales of 100 kyr or longer (GREB-ISM v0.3). Ice sheets and ice shelves are simulated on a global grid, fully interacting with the climate simulation of surface temperature, precipitation, albedo, land-sea mask, topography and sea level. Thus, it is a fully coupled atmosphere, ocean, land and ice sheet 10 model. We test the model in ice sheet stand-alone and fully coupled simulations. The ice sheet model dynamics behave similarly to other hybrid SIA (Shallow Ice Approximation) and SSA (Shallow Shelf Approximation) models, but the West Antarctic Ice Sheet accumulates too much ice using present-day boundary conditions. The coupled model simulations produce global equilibrium ice sheet volumes and calving rates similar to observed for present day boundary conditions. We designed a series of idealised experiments driven by oscillating solar radiation forcing on periods of 20 kyr, 50 kyr and 100 kyr in the 15 Northern Hemisphere. These simulations show clear interactions between the climate system and ice sheets, resulting in slow build-up and fast decay of ice-covered areas and global ice volume. The results also show that Northern Hemisphere ice sheets respond more strongly to time scales longer than 100 kyr. The coupling to the atmosphere and sea level leads to climate interactions between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The model can run global simulations of 100 kyr per day on a desktop computer, allowing the simulation of the whole Quaternary period (2.6 Myrs) within one month. 20
Recursive Transformer: A Novel Neural Architecture for Generalizable Mathematical Reasoning

There has been increasing interest in recent years on investigating whether neural models can learn mathematical reasoning. Previous work in this field revealed that models seem to perform shortcuts when generating an answer, causing them to fail to generalize to a larger number of arithmetic operators. In this paper, we introduce a recursive framework to the traditional transformer architecture. We explore two approaches in designing a recursive transformer 1) a strongly supervised variant which teacher forces each recursive step and 2) a weakly supervised approach which does not constrain the model’s intermediate solutions. We also adopt a curriculum-like training procedure by gradually increasing the complexity of the data. The strongly supervised approach not only successfully learned complex addition and subtraction but also demonstrated its ability to generalize by performing well when the number of operators was increased. These early results are a testament to the promise of the recursive transformer approach.
Differential responses in EPA and fucoxanthin production by the marine diatom Stauroneis sp. under varying cultivation conditions

There has been an increasing drive toward better valorising raw biological materials in the context of the sustainability of bio‐based industries and the circular economy. As such, microalgae hold the ability to biosynthesise valuable metabolites, which are sought after within the bioenergy, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or nutrition sectors. Owing to their bioactivities, the xanthophyll pigment fucoxanthin and the omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have fostered increasing interests in terms of sustainably refining them from natural sources, such as microalgae. Together with the suitability of individual species to industrial cultivation, a key challenge resides in optimizing the yields of these compounds within the microalgal biomass they are retrieved from. The marine diatom Stauroneis sp. LACW24 was batch cultivated into its stationary phase of growth prior to being subjected at high cell density (1 × 106 cells mL−1) to seven different regimes of light exposure in replenished medium and under nutritional limitation (silica and nitrate) for 12 days. The highest EPA proportions and yields were obtained under blue LED in f/2 medium (16.5% and 4.8 mg g−1, respectively), double the values obtained under red LED illumination. The fucoxanthin yield was the highest when cells were subjected to blue LEDs (5.9 mg g−1), a fourfold increase compared to the nitrogen‐limited treatment under white LEDs. These results indicate that a two‐stage approach to the batch cultivation of this diatom can be used for enhancing the production of the high‐value metabolites fucoxanthin and EPA post‐stationary phase.
Research on the Utility Max-min Fair Algorithm of Resource Allocation *

: In this paper, the Utility Max-Min (UMM) fairness criteria is analyzed, and a general algorithm of resource allocation based on UMM fairness is provided, named system-scale, which can be applied in various problems of resource allocation in the field of computer and communication. This algorithm supports the upper and lower bounds of resource allocation; it also supports various utility functions that are strictly increasing and continuous. The result of the algorithm is pareto-efficient and UMM fair. Because of the avoidance of iterative procedure, system-scale is less complex than water-filling, a well-known UMM fair algorithm. Moreover, the generalized system-scale can also act as a utility min-max fair algorithm and be applied in environments such as load balancing and fair job allocation.
Community Greening, Fear of Crime, and Mental Health Outcomes.

Unmaintained vacant land in urban areas is associated with a number of negative outcomes for residents of urban areas, including mental and physical health, safety, and quality of life. Community programs which promote land parcel maintenance in urban neighborhoods have been found to reverse some of the effects that unmaintained land has on nearby residents. We explored how land parcel maintenance is associated with mental health outcomes using data collected in Flint, MI in 2017-2018. Trained observers assessed the maintenance of approximately 7200 land parcels and surveyed 691 residents (57% Female, 53% Black, M age = 51). We aggregated resident and parcel rating data to 463 street segments and compared three structural equation models (SEM) to estimate the mediating effects of fear of crime on the association of parcel qualities on mental distress for residents. We found that fear of crime mediated the association between parcel maintenance values and mental distress indicating that poor maintenance predicted more fear of crime which was associated with mental distress. Our findings add to our understanding about the mechanism by which vacant lot improvements may operate to enhance psychological well-being of residents who live on streets with vacant and unkept lots.
Short mindfulness-based intervention for psychological and academic outcomes among university students

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a short mindfulness intervention on anxiety, stress and depression symptoms, as well as on inhibition of dominant responses and academic performance among university students. Fifty volunteers (M(age) = 23.8; SD = 5.3) with high levels of depression, anxiety or stress were randomly allocated to a mindfulness practice group or an active control group (listening to stories). Students who underwent the mindfulness practice had decreased levels of anxiety, stress and depression compared to the control group. The mindfulness program also had a beneficial impact on the students’ academic performance. There was no change in the ability to inhibit dominant responses to neutral stimuli (letters); however, we observed a change in responses to neutral faces. Further research perspectives and the clinical implications of the study are discussed.
Simultaneously stimulating both brain hemispheres by rTMS in patients with unilateral brain lesions decreases interhemispheric asymmetry.

BACKGROUND Interhemispheric asymmetry caused by brain lesions is an adverse factor in the recovery of patients with neurological deficits. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to modulate cortical oscillation and proposed as an approach to rebalance the symmetry, which has not been documented well. OBJECTIVE In this study, we investigated the influence of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on EEG power in patients with unilateral brain lesions by simultaneously stimulating both brain hemispheres and to elucidate asymmetrical changes in rTMS-induced neurophysiological activity. METHODS Fourteen patients with unilateral brain lesions were treated with one active and one sham session of 10 Hz rTMS over the vertex (Cz position). Resting-state EEGs were recorded before and immediately after rTMS. The brain symmetry index (BSI), calculated from a fast Fourier transform, was employed to quantify the power asymmetry in both hemispheres and paired channels over the entire range and five frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma bands). RESULTS Comparison between active and sham sessions demonstrated rTMS-induced EEG after-effects. rTMS in the active session significantly reduced the BSI in patients with unilateral brain lesions over the entire frequency range (t = 2.767, P = 0.016). Among the five frequency bands, rTMS only induced a noticeable decrease in the BSI in the delta band (t = 2.254, P = 0.042). Furthermore, analysis of different brain regions showed that significant changes in the BSI of the alpha band were only demonstrated in the posterior parietal lobe. In addition, EEG topographic mapping showed a decreased power of delta oscillations in the ipsilesional hemisphere, whereas distinct cortical oscillations were observed in the alpha band around the parietal-occipital lobe in the contralesional hemisphere. CONCLUSIONS When both brain hemispheres were simultaneously activated, rTMS decreased interhemispheric asymmetry primarily via reducing the delta band in the lesioned hemisphere.