Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Building a comprehensive cardiovascular magnetic resonance exam on a commercial 0.55 T system: A pictorial essay on potential applications

Background Contemporary advances in low-field magnetic resonance imaging systems can potentially widen access to cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. We present our initial experience in building a comprehensive CMR protocol on a commercial 0.55 T system with a gradient performance of 26 mT/m amplitude and 45 T/m/s slew rate. To achieve sufficient image quality, we adapted standard imaging techniques when possible, and implemented compressed-sensing (CS) based techniques when needed in an effort to compensate for the inherently low signal-to-noise ratio at lower field strength. Methods A prototype CMR exam was built on an 80 cm, ultra-wide bore commercial 0.55 T MR system. Implementation of all components aimed to overcome the inherently lower signal of low-field and the relatively longer echo and repetition times owing to the slower gradients. CS-based breath-held and real-time cine imaging was built utilizing high acceleration rates to meet nominal spatial and temporal resolution recommendations. Similarly, CS 2D phase-contrast cine was implemented for flow. Dark-blood turbo spin echo sequences with deep learning based denoising were implemented for morphology assessment. Magnetization-prepared single-shot myocardial mapping techniques incorporated additional source images. CS-based dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging was implemented for myocardial perfusion and 3D MR angiography. Non-contrast 3D MR angiography was built with electrocardiogram-triggered, navigator-gated magnetization-prepared methods. Late gadolinium enhanced (LGE) tissue characterization methods included breath-held segmented and free-breathing single-shot imaging with motion correction and averaging using an increased number of source images. Proof-of-concept was demonstrated through porcine infarct model, healthy volunteer, and patient scans. Results Reasonable image quality was demonstrated for cardiovascular structure, function, flow, and LGE assessment. Low-field afforded utilization of higher flip angles for cine and MR angiography. CS-based techniques were able to overcome gradient speed limitations and meet spatial and temporal resolution recommendations with imaging times comparable to higher performance scanners. Tissue mapping and perfusion imaging require further development. Conclusion We implemented cardiac applications demonstrating the potential for comprehensive CMR on a novel commercial 0.55 T system. Further development and validation studies are needed before this technology can be applied clinically.
New Test for the Comparison of Survival Curves to Detect Late Differences

Background. Survival analysis attracted the attention of different scientists from various domains such as engineering, health, and social sciences. It has been widely exploited in clinical trials when comparing different treatments looking at their survival probabilities. Kaplan–Meier curves plotted from the Kaplan–Meier estimates of survival probabilities are used to depict the general image for such situations. Methods. The weighted log-rank test has been dealt with by suggesting different weight functions which give specific strength in specific situations. In this work, we proposed a new weight function comprising all numbers at risk, i.e., the overall number at risk and the separate numbers at risk in the groups under study, to detect late differences between survival curves. Results. The new test has been found to be a good alternative after the FH (0, 1) test in detecting late differences, and it outperformed all tests in case of small samples and heavy censoring rates according to the simulation studies. The new test kept the same strength when applied to real data where it showed itself to be among the powerful ones or even outperforms all other tests under consideration. Conclusion. As the new test stays stronger in the case of small samples and heavy censoring rates, it may be a better choice whenever targeting the detection of late differences between the survival curves.
Sexual Function in Women Survivors of Hematologic Malignancy after Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the sexual function of women survivors of hematologic malignancy after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), and to compare it with that of healthy women controls. Fifty-six sexually active women survivors of hematologic malignancy who underwent AHSCT were recruited through convenience sampling, as well as 60 healthy women. Demographic and clinical data questionnaires and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) were completed. Survivors had a median age of 44 years and a median time since transplant of 3 years, while 48.2% had Hodgkin Lymphoma. Survivors reported an average level of sexual dysfunction, with a total score mean ± SD = 22.51 ± 8.95. The best sexual functioning domain was “pain” and the most affected was “orgasm”. There was a statistically significant association between survivors’ sexual function and age (p < 0.0005) in both the unifactorial and the multifactorial analysis. In addition, there was a statistically significant association between survivors’ sexual function and functional status (p < 0.0005), menopausal status (p < 0.0005), the presence of children (p = 0.002), education (p < 0.0005), and diagnosis (p < 0.0005). Healthy women had statistically significantly higher scores in all FSFI subscales (p < 0.0005). Women survivors of hematologic malignancy, treated by AHSCT, had impaired sexual function, implying the need to implement regular sexual health assessment in survivorship care.
A 50-V 50-MHz High-Noise-Immunity Capacitive-Coupled Level Shifter With Digital Noise Blanker for GaN Drivers

In this paper, a high-noise-immunity capacitive-coupled level shifter with digital noise blanker (DNB) is presented for GaN drivers. During and after <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{d}V$ </tex-math></inline-formula>/dt transitions, the DNB blanks the common mode noise induced by <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{d}V$ </tex-math></inline-formula>/dt and converts the differential mode noise due to mismatch effect to common mode noise. This enables high <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{d}V$ </tex-math></inline-formula>/dt immunity of 200V/ns and high mismatch tolerance not less than 15%. Moreover, a dynamic discharge control (DDC) circuit prevents coupling capacitor from charging the floating power rail within a wide negative <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{d}V$ </tex-math></inline-formula>/dt transition range and achieves fast reset for high frequency operation. High speed, low power consumption and down to −5V negative floating power rail tolerance are also achieved. The proposed level shifter is fabricated in a 0.5-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> BCD process and occupies an active chip area of 0.051mm2. Experimental results confirm that the proposed level shifter works at 50V 50MHz, achieving power consumption of 27.3pJ/transition and 1.26ns average delay with a small figure of merit (5.5(pJ<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\cdot $ </tex-math></inline-formula>ns)/(<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}^{3}\cdot \text{V}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>)). The effect of the DDC is confirmed within negative <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{d}V$ </tex-math></inline-formula>/dt transition range of −5V/ns<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim -50\text{V}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>/ns.
Decoupling and partitioning the effect of climate and afforestation on long‐term vegetation greening in China since the 1990s

Vegetation is an essential component of the Earth's surface system, and is a clear indicator to global climate changes. Understanding the long‐term characteristics of vegetation variations and their relationship to climate and human activities is important for regional sustainable development and ecological construction. In this study the ensemble empirical mode decomposition, the breaks for additive seasonal and trend algorithm and trend analysis were applied to obtain the spatiotemporal characteristics of the long‐term interannual normalized difference vegetation index in China. Partial least squares‐structural equation modeling and geographically weighted regression were used to separate the effects of climate and human activities on vegetation greening and achieve the partitioning of these driving forces. The results suggested that vegetation growth in China experienced an abrupt change in 1995, there was obvious vegetation ‘browning’ during 1990–1995, and noticeable vegetation recovery from 1996 to 2018 (slope = 0.129/yr, p = 0.009). Spatially, vegetation ‘greening’ was occurred in central and southern China, reflecting the positive effect of ecological restoration projects on vegetation growth. Climate was a directly main driving force for vegetation greening in China. It played a positive role in South China, but had a negative effect in Northwest China. Improving socio‐economic conditions had a slightly negative impact on vegetation greening, while afforestation played a direct and obvious role in promoting vegetation growth, especially in Northwest China. Furthermore, afforestation and socio‐economic conditions would also indirectly affect vegetation growth by directly influencing the local microclimate, and the indirect effect of them on vegetation growth was far greater than its direct impact in some cases; therefore, research attention should be paid to the indirect effects of these driving forces on vegetation growth. There was obvious spatial heterogeneity in the effects of different forces on vegetation greening in China, and the dominant driving force of vegetation change in each geographical region also differed.
Interfacial Segregation in Disordered Block Copolymers: Effect of Tunable Surface Potentials

The response of disordered P({ital d}-S-{ital b}-MMA) diblock copolymers to variable strength surface fields has been studied by neutron reflectivity. Surface interactions were controlled by end grafting P(S-{ital r}-MMA) random copolymers with various styrene contents onto Si substrates. The degree interfacial segregation of the block copolymer was proportional to the surface potential. A first-order transition in the degree of segregation was observed as the brush composition was varied. Conditions were found which yielded neutral boundary conditions {ital simultaneously} at the vacuum and substrate interfaces. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
An Artificial Intelligence-Enabled ECG Algorithm for Predicting the Risk of Recurrence in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation after Catheter Ablation

Background: Catheter ablation (CA) is an important treatment strategy to reduce the burden and complications of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aims to predict the risk of recurrence in patients with paroxysmal AF (pAF) after CA by an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled electrocardiography (ECG) algorithm. Methods and Results: 1618 ≥ 18 years old patients with pAF who underwent CA in Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital from 1 January 2012 to 31 May 2019 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) by experienced operators. Baseline clinical features were recorded in detail before the operation and standard follow-up (≥12 months) was conducted. The convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained and validated by 12-lead ECGs within 30 days before CA to predict the risk of recurrence. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was created for the testing and validation sets, and the predictive performance of AI-enabled ECG was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC). After training and internal validation, the AUC of the AI algorithm was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78–0.89), with a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision and balanced F Score (F1 score) of 72.3%, 95.0%, 92.0%, 69.1% and 0.707, respectively. Compared with current prognostic models (APPLE, BASE-AF2, CAAP-AF, DR-FLASH and MB-LATER), the performance of the AI algorithm was better (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The AI-enabled ECG algorithm seemed to be an effective method to predict the risk of recurrence in patients with pAF after CA. This is of great clinical significance in decision-making for personalized ablation strategies and postoperative treatment plans in patients with pAF.
The Use of Antibiotics and Antimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Medicine, a Complex Phenomenon: A Narrative Review

As warned by Sir Alexander Fleming in his Nobel Prize address: “the use of antimicrobials can, and will, lead to resistance”. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has recently increased due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, and their use in animals (food-producing and companion) has also resulted in the selection and transmission of resistant bacteria. The epidemiology of resistance is complex, and factors other than the overall quantity of antibiotics consumed may influence it. Nowadays, AMR has a serious impact on society, both economically and in terms of healthcare. This narrative review aimed to provide a scenario of the state of the AMR phenomenon in veterinary medicine related to the use of antibiotics in different animal species; the impact that it can have on animals, as well as humans and the environment, was considered. Providing some particular instances, the authors tried to explain the vastness of the phenomenon of AMR in veterinary medicine due to many and diverse aspects that cannot always be controlled. The veterinarian is the main reference point here and has a high responsibility towards the human–animal–environment triad. Sharing such a burden with human medicine and cooperating together for the same purpose (fighting and containing AMR) represents an effective example of the application of the One Health approach.
Ginsenosides and Biotic Stress Responses of Ginseng

Ginsenosides are saponins that possess a sugar moiety attached to a hydrophobic aglycone triterpenoid. They have been widely studied for their various medicinal benefits, such as their neuroprotective and anti-cancer activities, but their role in the biology of ginseng plants has been much less widely documented. In the wild, ginsengs are slow-growing perennials with roots that can survive for approximately 30 years; thus, they need to defend themselves against many potential biotic stresses over many decades. Biotic stresses would be a major natural selection pressure and may at least partially explain why ginseng roots expend considerable resources in order to accumulate relatively large amounts of ginsenosides. Ginsenosides may provide ginseng with antimicrobial activity against pathogens, antifeedant activity against insects and other herbivores, and allelopathic activity against other plants. In addition, the interaction of ginseng with pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms and their elicitors may trigger increases in different root ginsenosides and associated gene expression, although some pathogens may be able to suppress this behavior. While not covered in this review, ginsenosides also have roles in ginseng development and abiotic stress tolerance. This review shows that there is considerable evidence supporting ginsenosides as important elements of ginseng’s defense against a variety of biotic stresses.
Frequency domain analysis of UWB dipole arrays

In this paper, behavior of dipole arrays for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) signals is investigated using an approach in the frequency domain. Energy formulas and correlation coefficient expressions are derived for an array of thin dipoles at the transmitting side and one dipole at the receiving side. Beam-scanning characteristics of UWB dipole arrays are also investigated in the same manner. Different element lengths are used in the array to improve the detection and beam-scanning capabilities. Derived frequency domain expressions can easily be evaluated numerically, allowing us to obtain reasonably accurate results. This approach which is an alternative to numerical methods in time domain serves as a different viewpoint and will be a significant step to make progress in UWB antenna design.
Research on Security Weakness Using Penetration Testing in a Distributed Firewall

The growing number of cyber-crimes is affecting all industries worldwide, as there is no business or industry that has maximum protection in this domain. This problem can produce minimal damage if an organization has information security audits periodically. The process of an audit includes several steps, such as penetration testing, vulnerability scans, and network assessments. After the audit is conducted, a report that contains the vulnerabilities is generated to help the organization to understand the current situation from this perspective. Risk exposure should be as low as possible because in cases of an attack, the entire business is damaged. In this article, we present the process of an in-depth security audit on a distributed firewall, with different approaches for the best results. The research of our distributed firewall involves the detection and remediation of system vulnerabilities by various means. In our research, we aim to solve the weaknesses that have not been solved to date. The feedback of our study is revealed with the help of a risk report in the scope of providing a top-level view of the security of a distributed firewall. To provide a high security level for the distributed firewall, we will address the security flaws uncovered in firewalls as part of our research.
Basic Sets of Brauer Characters of Finite Groups of Lie Type II

LetG(Fq) be a finite classical group whereq is odd and the centre ofG is connected. We show that there exists a set of irreducible characters ofG(Fq) such that the corresponding matrix of scalar products with the characters of Kawanaka’s generalized Gelfand-Graev representations is square unitriangular. This uses in an essential way Lusztig’s theory of character sheaves. As an application we prove that there exists an ordinary basic set of 2-modular Brauer characters and that the decomposition matrix of the principal 2-block ofG(Fq) has a lower unitriangular shape.
A HEURISTIC APPROACH TO NETWORK HARDENING USING ATTACK GRAPHS

In defending against multi-step attacks, network hardening answers the following important question: Which vulnerabilities must be removed from a network in order to prevent attackers from compromising critical resources while minimizing the implied cost in terms of availability or administrative efforts. Existing approaches to network hardening derive a logic proposition to represent the negation of the attack goal in terms of initially satisfied security conditions. In the disjunctive normal form (DNF) of the logic proposition, each disjunction then provides a viable solution to network hardening. However, such solutions suffer from an exponential time complexity. In this thesis, we study heuristic methods for solving this important problem with reasonable complexity. We evaluate our proposed solutions through extensive experiments. The results show that our solution can achieve reasonably good network hardening results in significantly less time than the optimal solution would require. Also, for scenarios where additional cost constraints may render a perfectly secure network hardening solution impossible, we extend our heuristic methods to partial hardening solutions. Such solutions can provide best possible improvement in terms of security under given cost constraints.
Scanning Laser Microscope Able to Detect the Refraction of the Laser Beam

We have developed a scanning laser microscope system that can measure the spatial inhomogeneity of the refractive index using the laser beam refracted by the sample. Using this microscope, we can observe samples which are nearly transparent, such as live cells, without any use of dyes. Furthermore, we have visualized the Brownian motion of cell structures by detecting random fluctuations in the photoelectric current. This allows us to understand the rigidity of cell structures and the mobility within them.
The Spectropolarimetric Test of the Quasar Emission Mechanism

The spectral energy distribution of ordinary quiescent quasars is dominated by the “big blue bump” continuum component in the optical/UV region. This has been modeled as a viscous dissipative thin disk, though fundamental problems with that model are known. Here we test the dramatic polarization predictions for one such model. Pure scattering atmospheres are ruled out by existing data. However, the models of Laor, Netzer, & Piran have significant absorption opacity. They indicate that the optical light and that shortward of the Lyman edge may have low polarization but that the 1000-2000 Å region may be significantly polarized. The position angle should be perpendicular to the radio axis where available. We do not see the predicted behavior.The polarization data also constrain reprocessing models for the disk.
Enhancing detectability of bifurcations in DC-DC converters by stochastic resonance

Noise-driven systems tend to display special features in their power spectra when approaching bifurcation or instability. These features, called noisy precursors, can be of significant use since they can serve as a warning signal for the impending loss of stability. Another phenomenon that has received significant attention in the mathematical physics and biology literature is that of stochastic resonance. In stochastic resonance, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is nonmonotonic with respect to noise level. This cannot occur in linear systems. Most past studies of stochastic resonance involve bistable systems with a weak external periodic forcing. However, recently the same basic phenomenon has been observed in autonomous systems operating along a limit cycle. In any case, the combination of precursors and stochastic resonance provides a tool for instability monitoring. In this paper, these observations are applied to a discrete-time DC-DC converter model. Precursors of period doubling instability are shown to occur. Also, stochastic resonance and its impact on precursor strength is demonstrated. The calculations show how the noise level should be selected to enhance detectability of the impending bifurcation.
On “radiation-free” states in transient motion of dislocations

The existence of "radiation-free" states in transient motion of dislocations is investigated. By analyzing an edge dislocation jumping from rest to a supersonic speed, we see that the Mach fronts disappear at vd=2c2 because at this dislocation velocity, the pole singularity in the complex plane is replaced by a removable one. However, there exist radiated stress waves propagating with velocity c2, as well as c1. Also, due to radiated longitudinal waves, there is a “force” required to be supplied to sustain such a motion.