bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Testing a convolutional neural network‐based hippocampal segmentation method in a stroke population
Authors: Zavaliangos‐Petropulu Artemis , Tubi Meral A. , Haddad Elizabeth , Zhu Alyssa , Braskie Meredith N. , Jahanshad Neda , Thompson Paul M. , Liew Sook‐Lei 
Published: October 2020

AbstractAs stroke mortality rates decrease, there has been a surge of effort to study poststroke dementia (PSD) to improve long‐term quality of life for stroke survivors. Hippocampal volume may be an important neuroimaging biomarker in poststroke dementia, as it has been associated with many other forms of dementia. However, studying hippocampal volume using MRI requires hippocampal segmentation. Advances in automated segmentation methods have allowed for studying the hippocampus on a large scale, which is important for robust results in the heterogeneous stroke population. However, most of these automated methods use a single atlas‐based approach and may fail in the presence of severe structural abnormalities common in stroke. Hippodeep, a new convolutional neural network‐based hippocampal segmentation method, does not rely solely on a single atlas‐based approach and thus may be better suited for stroke populations. Here, we compared quality control and the accuracy of segmentations generated by Hippodeep and two well‐accepted hippocampal segmentation methods on stroke MRIs (FreeSurfer 6.0 whole hippocampus and FreeSurfer 6.0 sum of hippocampal subfields). Quality control was performed using a stringent protocol for visual inspection of the segmentations, and accuracy was measured as volumetric correlation with manual segmentations. Hippodeep performed significantly better than both FreeSurfer methods in terms of quality control. All three automated segmentation methods had good correlation with manual segmentations and no one method was significantly more correlated than the others. Overall, this study suggests that both Hippodeep and FreeSurfer may be useful for hippocampal segmentation in stroke rehabilitation research, but Hippodeep may be more robust to stroke lesion anatomy.
Construction and validation of a database of head models for functional imaging of the neonatal brain
Authors: Collins‐Jones Liam H. , Arichi Tomoki , Poppe Tanya , Billing Addison , Xiao Jiaxin , Fabrizi Lorenzo , Brigadoi Sabrina , Hebden Jeremy C. , Elwell Clare E. , Cooper Robert J. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe neonatal brain undergoes dramatic structural and functional changes over the last trimester of gestation. The accuracy of source localisation of brain activity recorded from the scalp therefore relies on accurate age‐specific head models. Although an age‐appropriate population‐level atlas could be used, detail is lost in the construction of such atlases, in particular with regard to the smoothing of the cortical surface, and so such a model is not representative of anatomy at an individual level. In this work, we describe the construction of a database of individual structural priors of the neonatal head using 215 individual‐level datasets at ages 29–44 weeks postmenstrual age from the Developing Human Connectome Project. We have validated a method to segment the extra‐cerebral tissue against manual segmentation. We have also conducted a leave‐one‐out analysis to quantify the expected spatial error incurred with regard to localising functional activation when using a best‐matching individual from the database in place of a subject‐specific model; the median error was calculated to be 8.3 mm (median absolute deviation 3.8 mm). The database can be applied for any functional neuroimaging modality which requires structural data whereby the physical parameters associated with that modality vary with tissue type and is freely available at www.ucl.ac.uk/dot-hub.
Social tariffs and democratic choice—Do population‐based health state values reflect the will of the people?
Authors: Schneider Paul Peter 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIn economic evaluations of health technologies, health outcomes are commonly measured in terms of quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs). QALYs are the product of time and health‐related quality of life. Health‐related quality of life, in turn, is determined by a social tariff, which is supposed to reflect the public's preference over health states. This study argues that, because of the tariff's role in the societal decision‐making process, it should not be understood as merely an operational (statistical) definition of health, but as a major instrument of democratic participation. I outline what implications this might have for both the method used to aggregate individual preferences, and the set of individuals whose preferences should count. Alternative tariff specifications and decision rules are explored, and future research directions are proposed.
Hybrid method combining superpixel, supervised learning, and random walk for glioma segmentation
Authors: Ait Mohamed Linda , Cherfa Assia , Cherfa Yazid , Belkhamsa Noureddine , Alim‐Ferhat Fatiha 
Published: October 2020

AbstractCurrently, the analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain images of pathological patients is performed manually, both for the recognition of brain structures or lesions and for their characterization. Physicians sometimes encounter difficulties in interpreting these images for a reliable diagnosis of the patient's condition. This is due to the difficulty of detecting the nature of the lesions, particularly glioma. Glioma is one of the most common tumors, and one of the most difficult to detect because of its shape, irregularities, and ambiguous limits. The segmentation of these tumors is one of the most crucial steps for their classification and surgical planning. This article presents a new, accurate, and automatic approach for the precise segmentation of early gliomas (benign tumors), combining the random walk (RW) algorithm and the simple linear iterative clustering algorithm. The study was carried out in four steps. The first step consisted of decomposing the image into superpixels to obtain an initial outline of the tumor. The superpixels were generated using the SLIC algorithm. In the second step, for each superpixel, a set of statistical and multifractal characteristics were calculated (gray‐level co‐occurrence matrix, multifractal detrending moving average). In the third step, the superpixels were classified using a supervised random forest (RF) type classier into healthy or tumorous brain tissue. In the final step, the contour of the detected tumor was enhanced using the customized RW algorithm. The proposed method was evaluated using the Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Challenge 2013 database. The results obtained are competitive compared to other existing methods.
Retinal image enhancement using adaptive histogram equalization tuned with nonsimilar grouping curvelet
Authors: Anilet Bala A , Aruna Priya P , Maik Vivek 
Published: October 2020

AbstractFundus images are broadly used by medical ophthalmologists to detect and assess any customary abnormalities. Fundus imaging sensors capture the eye's rigid portion, which characteristically covers the core, tangential retina, optic disc, and macula. Existing state‐of‐the‐art fundus sensors have the drawback of producing low contrast and noisy information, which makes scientific and algorithmic evaluation very complicated. This article proposes an Adaptive Histogram Equalization—Tuned with Nonsimilar Grouping Curvelet (HET‐NOSCU), which works through a joint denoising enhancement approach. The proposed algorithm's main contribution includes (i) use of curvelet features to better preserve edges during denoising. (ii) Adaptive enhancement using the histogram to prevent halo ringing and specular artifacts, which yields superior results than the very recently established state‐of ‐the‐art methods, using similar performing parameters such as peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index (SSIM), and correlation coefficient (CoC). We observe an improvement of 17.66%, 0.93%, and 0.24%, respectively, for the above parameters.
Development of a novel flow cytometry‐based approach for reticulocytes micronucleus test in rat peripheral blood
Authors: Chen Yiyi , Huo Jiao , Liu Yunjie , Zeng Zhu , Zhu Xuejiao , Chen Xuxi , Wu Rui , Zhang Lishi , Chen Jinyao 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe micronucleus test (MNT) is the most widely applied short‐term assay to detect clastogens or spindle disruptors. The use of flow cytometry (FCM) has been reported for micronucleated erythrocytes scoring in peripheral blood. The aim of this study was to develop a novel and practical protocol for MNT in rat peripheral blood by FCM, with the method validation. CD71‐fluorescein isothiocyanate and DRAQ5 were adopted for the fluorescent staining of proteins and DNA, respectively, to detect micronuclei. To validate the method, groups of male Sprague–Dawley rats (five per group) received two oral gavage doses at 0 and 24 h of six chemicals (four positive mutagens: ethyl methanesulphonate [EMS], cyclophosphamide [CP], colchicine [COL], and ethyl nitrosourea [ENU]; two nongenotoxic chemicals: sodium saccharin and eugenol). Blood samples were collected from the tail vein before and on the five continuous days after treatments; all of which were analyzed for micronuclei presence by both the manual (Giemsa staining) and FCM methods. The FCM‐based method consistently demonstrated highly sensitive responses for micronucleus detection at all concentrations and all time points for EMS, CP, COL, and ENU. Sodium saccharin and eugenol could be identified as negative in this protocol. Results obtained with the FCM‐based method correlated well with the micronucleus frequencies (r = 0.659–0.952), and the proportion of immature erythrocytes (r = 0.915–0.981) tested by Giemsa staining. The method reported here, with easy operation, low background, and requirement for a regular FCM, could be an efficient system for micronucleus scoring.
The determinants of residential property prices in Japan: Analyses of different monetary policy regimes
Authors: Ito Takayasu 
Published: October 2020

AbstractResidential property prices in three regions in Japan are influenced by stock price, but not by interest rate, in the first period of sample period, from April 2008 to March 2013 The wealth effect from stock to the real estate market holds. The sensitivity of interest rates to residential property markets is not confirmed. Furthermore, the monetary policy adopted by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) is not as strong in the second period. Residential property prices are influenced both by stock price and interest rate in the second period, from April 2013‐ to August 2019. The wealth effect from stock to the real estate market holds. The aggressive non‐traditional monetary policy enacted by the BOJ flattens the yield curve of long‐term interest rates. Comparing the impact of stock price and interest rate in the three regions under study, Tokyo enjoys the greatest effects.
Giant Eustachian valve and Thebesian valve—A highly deceptive structures as atrial septal defect rims
Authors: Damodaran Srinath , Gourav Krishna Prasad , Negi Sunder , Halder Vikram , Azmeera Sreenivas 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe Eustachian valve (EV) of the inferior vena cava and the Thebesian valve (TV) of the coronary sinus are incompletely regressed structures of embryonic sinus venosus. In the majority of cases, the EV and TV disappear completely after birth or are represented only by a thin crescentic fold. On echocardiography, these vestiges may mimic abnormal structures. We report a case with giant EV and TV which were initially misinterpreted as rims of an atrial septal defect (ASD) leading to the false diagnosis of ostium secundum ASD.
Predoctoral dental implant education techniques—students’ perception and attitude
Authors: Chaturvedi Saurabh , Elmahdi Asim Elsir , Abdelmonem Adel M. , Haralur Satheesh B. , Alqahtani Nasser M. , Suleman Ghazala , Sharif Rania A. , Gurumurthy Vishwanath , Alfarsi Mohammed A 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPurposeDental implant (DI) therapy is in high demand and can only be rendered efficiently to graduating dentists by effective teaching methodologies. This study aimed to assess the perceptions and attitudes of dental graduates towards predoctoral DI education techniques and rehabilitation by DI.MethodsA total of 26 well‐structured questionnaires were distributed to 120 final‐year students. Modified advanced teaching methodologies such as e‐learning, small‐group teaching–problem‐based learning (SGT–PBL), and team‐based learning were implemented for teaching DI. Its effects were assessed using a questionnaire set: the first section (DI Rehabilitation) with 12 questions and the second (DI teaching methods) with 14 questions. Statistical analysis was done using the Chi‐square test, and aP‐value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe response rate was 95.83%. Seventy‐five percent of the students recommended DI for patients, and 78% of them agreed to it themselves. On comparing teaching methods for DI, on and before level 12, small‐group teaching (PBL) was significantly at a higher proportion (P = 0.002), followed by seminars (P < 0.001). Students preferred small‐group teaching PBL (60%), followed by e‐learning (15%) and demonstration (10%). Ninety‐two percent of the students agreed that DI is an important subject in the “bachelor of dental surgery” (BDS) program, but 78% of them felt that time was insufficient to complete the DI syllabus.ConclusionsThe modified teaching methodologies used at level 12 for teaching DI enhanced students’ interest and knowledge. The SGT–PBL teaching method was the most preferred. It is recommended that dental implantology topics should be started early in the undergraduate curriculum, and the topics should be widely divided throughout BDS.
Outcomes of endoscopic ultrasound as a one‐off pancreatic cancer screening tool for 122 high‐ and moderate‐risk patients
Authors: Efthymiou Marios , Chandran Sujievvan , Zorron Cheng Tao Pu Leonardo , Collins Allison , Rajadurai Anton , Nikfarjam Mehrdad , Vaughan Rhys 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackground and AimPancreatic cancer (PC) carries a poor prognosis and is often detected at later stages. Screening programs for moderate‐ and high‐risk people are still under debate. We present the results from a prospective study on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) as a one‐off screening tool for pancreatic cancer screening.MethodsAsymptomatic patients with moderate‐ or high‐risk of PC were invited to participate. Moderate risk consisted of one first‐degree and at least one second‐degree relative with PC and no PC‐associated genetic mutations. High risk consisted of >1 first‐degree relatives with PC or PC‐associated mutations (i.e. BRCA2, Lynch Syndrome, Familial Atypical Multiple Mole Melanoma Syndrome, STK11, or PALB2). All included patients had genetic counseling and a screening EUS done. Primary outcome was the detection of PC on EUS. Secondary outcomes assessed the evolution of psychological symptoms based on the Impact of Events Scale (IES) and Personal Consequences Questionnaire (PCQ) before and after the screening took place.ResultsA total of 122 patients had a screening EUS performed between 2013 and 2019; 60 were male, 55.8 years was the mean age, 78 were at high risk for PC, and 25 had PC‐associated mutations. No pancreatic cancers were identified at the one‐off EUS screening. Overall, patients' IES/PCQ scores did not change after screening and feedback of no malignancy, with the exception of females (less concerned about PC after screening EUS).ConclusionsEUS did not detect any PCs in either a moderate‐ or high‐risk population as a one‐off screening method. The EUS procedure and genetic counseling improved psychological symptoms for the female subset of this population.
Recent advances on the pesticidal activity evaluations of sulfone derivatives: A 2010 to 2020 decade inmini‐review
Authors: Li Pei , Wang Lijuan , Wang Xiang 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSulfone derivatives, an important synthetic strategy in drug discovery, are acquiring more importance in plant protection field in recent years because of their pesticide activities, such as antifungal, antibacterial, acaricidal, insecticidal, herbicidal, and antiviral activity. Introduction of different pharmacophores into sulfone framework can afford a series of sulfone derivatives to build some sulfone derivatives as novel active molecules. The purpose of this review was to collate literature work reported by researchers on sulfone derivatives for their various pesticidal activities from year 2010 to 2020.
Reconstructing serial homology with a special emphasis on the nature of limbs in vertebrates and with references to Cruveilhier, Wyman, Belogolowy, and Balinsky
Authors: Kuznetsov Alexander N. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThis analysis was inspired by the recent paper by Siomava et al. (2020) who attempted to deconstruct the serial homology concept, but retain the special homology. The criticism against this attempt is presented based on reconsideration of the original Owen's trinitarian concept of the general, serial, and special homology, and on a number of evidence on the vertebrate limbs serial homologies and on the vertebrate occiput special homologies which are currently missed by the morphologist community. The research of Belogolowy (1911) proved that the concept of special homology can be deconstructed with the same reasoning as suggested by Siomava et al. (2020) against the serial homology concept. It is argued that the deconstruction attempts come from wrong expectations in respect of homology. It is argued, that, due to developmental singularities, such as the zygote, or spore, or bud (in vegetative reproduction), the true homogeny is possible for genes only. The organs do not arise from organs, and therefore their genetic basis, and hence homology, can be changed in the developmental singularities. Thus, the morphological homology is not static. It can be acquired and it can evolve. Genetically, the evolution of morphological homologies can be thought of as a succession of co‐options. The evidence for a succession of serial homologies in vertebrate limbs is suggested. It is argued that homology and analogy have a sense only in relation to each other. When two correspondences between two organs exist simultaneously, the older (deeper in time) is homology, and the newer (more superficial) is analogy. In this conceptual framework of evolvable homology, neither of the three Owen's types of homology can be abandoned. Three respective types of analogy should be added—the general analogy, the serial analogy, and the special analogy.
Observed and modelled cloud cover up to 6 km height at Station Nord in the high Arctic
Authors: Gryning Sven‐Erik , Batchvarova Ekaterina , Floors Rogier , Münkel Christoph , Skov Henrik , Sørensen Lise Lotte 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWe present results from an analyses of cloud cover based on profiles of the attenuated backscatter coefficient from an 8‐year‐long data series (July 2011–April 2019). The observations are carried out in the high Arctic by a ceilometer with a maximum range setting of 7.7 km from the Villum Research Station at Station Nord, Greenland. Results show that the hourly cloud cover turned out to follow a U‐shaped rather than Gaussian‐like distribution. Annual and seasonal cloud cover variation is illustrated. The cloud cover is larger during the autumn and winter as compared to summer and spring. The cloud cover exhibits a substantial variation from year to year without a clear trend. The cloud cover during spring is low and decreasing between 2012 and 2017. The cloud cover during the autumn of 2016 is lowest compared to the other years. The observed cloud cover is compared to the cloud cover provided in the ERA5 reanalysis dataset. The cloud cover for low clouds and medium clouds are combined to represent a total height of 6 km. Both the observed and modelled cloud cover is larger during winter as compared to summer‐time cloud cover. The measured reduction in the cloud cover for the autumn of 2016 is present in the reanalysis data as well but the measured low cloud cover during spring is not apparent in the reanalysis data. Because the cloud cover distribution is U‐shaped rather than of a Gaussian nature, standard metrics are not applicable. We apply a generalized skill score that is developed for contingency tables or joint histograms. Three skill scores were calculated. It was found that for all three methods, skills for the predictability of the cloud cover by the ERA5 modelling is better for winter than summer and is poor during the spring.
Temperature annual cycle variations and responses to surface solar radiation in China between 1960 and 2016
Authors: Zhao Runze , Wang Kaicun , Wu Guocan , Zhou Chunlue 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe annual temperature cycle affects atmospheric circulation, biomass cycling, and human life. Its variation is influenced by surface solar radiation, which plays a key role in surface energy budgets. In this study, the Fourier transform method is used to analyse the spatial distribution and long‐term variations in temperature phase, amplitude, and baseline terms between 1960 and 2016 in China. Mean surface air temperature has a north–south gradient for phase, amplitude, and baseline. The regional mean phase values of the maximum, minimum, and mean temperatures in South China are larger than in North China, indicating that the timing of the annual cycle in Southern China is several days later than in Northern China. At the national scale, the annual maximum, minimum, and mean surface air temperature cycles are advancing, decreasing in range, and have a rising baseline. Linear regression is used to quantify the effect of surface solar radiation on temperature by removing its contribution on the raw maximum and mean temperatures. The surface solar radiation increases the phase of maximum and mean daily air temperatures, but reduces the amplitude and baseline. The surface solar radiation effect on maximum temperature is especially significant on the Yunnan‐Guizhou Plateau located in the south‐southwest. The phase of maximum temperature adjusted for solar radiation for the Plateau is similar to South China at the same latitude and later than the raw maximum temperature.