jimnoneill/paper-to-field-training huggingface dataset:
CUNSB-RFIE: Context-aware Unpaired Neural Schrödinger Bridge in Retinal Fundus Image Enhancement

Retinal fundus photography is significant in diagnosing and monitoring retinal diseases. However, systemic imperfections and operator/patient-related factors can hinder the acquisition of high-quality retinal images. Previous efforts in retinal image enhancement primarily relied on GANs, which are limited by the trade-off between training stability and output diversity. In contrast, the Schrödinger Bridge (SB), offers a more stable solution by utilizing Optimal Transport (OT) theory to model a stochastic differential equation (SDE) between two arbitrary distributions. This allows SB to effectively transform low-quality retinal images into their high-quality counterparts. In this work, we leverage the SB framework to propose an image-to-image translation pipeline for retinal image enhancement. Additionally, previous methods often fail to capture fine structural details, such as blood vessels. To address this, we enhance our pipeline by introducing Dynamic Snake Convolution, whose tortuous receptive field can better preserve tubular structures. We name the resulting retinal fundus image enhancement framework the Context-aware Unpaired Neural Schrödinger Bridge (CUNSB-RFIE). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first endeavor to use the SB approach for retinal image enhancement. Experimental results on a large-scale dataset demonstrate the advantage of the proposed method compared to several state-of-the-art supervised and unsupervised methods in terms of image quality and performance on downstream tasks.The code is available at https://github.com/Retinal-Research/CUNSB-RFIE .

Topic: Retinal Imaging and Analysis
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Antioxidant Properties of Grapevine Leaves Obtained by Optimized Microwave Assisted Extraction

Bu çalışmada, asma yaprağından antioksidan bileşiklerin ekstraksiyonu için mikrodalga destekli ekstraksiyonun parametreleri (katı/sıvı oranı, süre ve güç) yüzey yanıt yönteminin box-behnken dizaynı (BBD) kullanılarak belirlenmiştir. BBD bağımsız değişkenlerin toplam fenolik madde içeriği(TPC), DPPH radikal süpürücü aktivite ve trolox eşdeğeri antioksidan kapasite(TEAC) üzerine etkisini belirlemek amaçlı kullanılmıştır. Asma yaprağının mikrodalga destekli ekstraksiyonu için optimum koşullar; 30g 100mL-1 katı/sıvı oranı, 300w güç ve 300 s süre olarak belirlenmiştir. Modelin tümü anlamlı bulunmuş ve bağımsız değişkenlerin önemi (R2) TPC, DPPH süpürücü aktivite ve TEAC, sırasıyla 0.9282, 0.9340 ve 0.9380 olarak ve dizaynın tahminlediği deneysel veriler ise 58.20 mg GAE/ mL ekstrakt, 95.91% ve 65.12% olarak bulunmuştur. Sonuçlar solvent ekstraksiyonu ile karşılaştırıldığında mikrodalga destekli üretilen asma yaprağı antioksidanlarının daha düşük sürede daha yüksek değerlere sahip olduğu görülmüştür.

Topic: Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities
Subfield: Biochemistry
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
A Five-Year Trend of Medical Books among House Officers of Abbottabad-In the Perspective Of Self-Regulated Learning Mode

OBJECTIVES In the current study, the primary motive is to access the choices of medical books and trends among house officers retrospectively, from 1st year to the final year of MBBS. METHODOLOGY After approval of the study from the ethical committee, the cross-sectional study was undertaken in the public-private medical teaching hospitals of Abbottabad-Pakistan. The study was conducted from January 2023 to January 2024. The nonprobability purposive sampling technique was applied for data collection on a predesigned written questionnaire. The data was analyzed using SPSS software version 21. RESULTSAround 344 house officers (n=344) participated in the present study. Most of the participants were male {65% (225/344)}. About 300/344 use electronic media with significant female gender predominance (p=0.03). In terms of 5-year academic performance, 60% of females (71/119) had average scores in MBBS with a significance of 0.003. The rate of below-average results was 32% (96/300) in participants who preferred electronic media, while the rate was only 18% (8/44) in participants who used print media with a significance of 0.05. The fundamentals of gynecology by Arshad Chohan was significantly preferred by females as compared to Irfan Masood by males with a p-value of 0.04. CONCLUSION The majority of house officers used the textbooks of international authors in the first 3 years of graduation as a standard primary book but here after many preferred the books of local authors. The use of electronic media to achieve the goal is common but the effect on academics was not productive.

Topic: Ophthalmology and Visual Health Research
Subfield: Ophthalmology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
BATTLING A SUPERBUG: A CASE OF ACUTE NECROTIZING PNEUMONIA CAUSED BY ENTEROBACTER CLOACAE

We describe a 35-year-old woman who experienced fever and chills for three days, along with coughing up blood, a dry cough, and pain in her right lower chest and back. Imaging revealed a mass with central empty spaces, which was later identied as acute necrotizing pneumonia (ANP) using a CT scan. Testing using bronchoalveolar lavage revealed the presence of Enterobacter cloacae, a microorganism that can cause pneumonia. The patient was rst treated with Ceftazidime for two days, but as her condition did not improve, the treatment was changed to Colistin after amplication results indicated a resistant strain of E. cloacae. The patient improved with this medication and the mass decreased in size. This case emphasizes the importance of prompt action and appropriate treatment in the recovery of a patient. To the best of our knowledge, there have been only three reported cases of ANP caused by Enterobacter cloacae, and this is the rst reported case of a female patient

Topic: Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against pertussis toxin in the Chinese population: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable infectious disease; however, data on pertussis antibody levels in a nationwide population are still limited in China. We aimed to pool the seropositivity rates of IgG antibodies against pertussis toxin (PT-IgG) across the country. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database for studies published between January 1, 2010, and June 30, 2023. Studies reporting the seroprevalence of PT-IgG among a healthy Chinese population were included. Pooled estimates were obtained using random-effects meta-analyzes. The meta-analysis included 39 studies (47,778 participants) reporting anti-PT IgG seropositivity rates. The pooled rate for all ages was 7.06% (95% CI, 5.50%-9.07%). Subgroup analyzes showed rates ranging from 6.36% to 12.50% across different age groups. This meta-analysis indicated a low anti-PT IgG seropositivity rate in the Chinese population, particularly among school-aged children and young adults. This finding underscores the urgent need to refine immunization strategies.

Topic: Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
Subfield: Microbiology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Learning Music Blind: Understanding the Application of Technology to Support BLV Music Learning

Learning to play a musical instrument and engaging in musical activities have enabled blind and/or low vision people to develop self-identity, find community and pursue music as a career. However, blind and/or low vision music learners face complex obstacles to learn music. They are highly reliant on their learning environment and music teachers for accommodations and flexibility. Prior research has identified the challenges faced by blind and/or low vision musicians and recognized the importance of touch for music reading and physical guidance. However, limited research has addressed these challenges through the development of assistive technology. The development of music computer technologies with haptics and the affordances of wearable technologies provides encouraging opportunities to develop haptic wearable devices to support blind and/or low vision music learning. I identify three unexplored research questions: (1) what design considerations must be addressed in future assistive technologies for BLV music learning, (2) how can wearable technologies with vibrotactile feedback support BLV student-teacher interactions, and (3) what are the long-term benefits and limitations of the use of assistive technologies for BLV music learning? I outline my research to date and highlight my findings.

Topic: Tactile and Sensory Interactions
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Association between patients' perception of the comorbidity burden and symptoms in outpatients with common solid tumors

BACKGROUND Cancer patients' symptom burden is commonly attributed to their cancer and treatment. Increasingly, cancer patients have many other chronic comorbid conditions. However, the degree to which these comorbid conditions may contribute to the patient‐reported symptom burden is unclear. METHODS This study explored the relations between the presence of comorbid conditions, the symptom experience and burden, and the perceived bother from cancer or comorbid conditions in 3106 cancer patients. The associations between the number of comorbidities (identified from current medications), the patient‐reported symptom burden (the number of symptoms scored as ≥7 on the 13‐item MD Anderson Symptom Inventory physical scale), the patient‐reported bother from comorbid conditions and from cancer (from “not at all” to “extremely”), and the clinician‐reported difficulty in caring for patients' symptoms were examined. RESULTS According to medication lists, 19% of the patients had at least 5 of 12 comorbid conditions. Approximately 39% rated at least 1 symptom as ≥ 7, and this proportion increased with an increasing number of comorbid conditions (48% with ≥ 5 comorbid conditions vs 36% with 1 comorbid condition). One‐third of the patients reported moderate or worse bother, and this was significantly associated with an increased number of comorbid conditions (odds ratio [OR], 2.4) and an increased symptom burden (OR, 1.22). Clinician ratings of difficulty in managing patients' symptoms were significantly associated with bother from cancer (OR, 2.0), comorbid conditions (OR, 1.6), and symptom burden (OR, 1.1). CONCLUSIONS Comorbidity is common in cancer patients and is associated with a greater symptom burden and clinician reports of difficulty in managing patients' symptoms. Greater attention to comorbid conditions is needed to optimize the symptom management of cancer patients with multimorbidity. Cancer 2017;123:3835–3842. © 2017 American Cancer Society

Topic: Cancer survivorship and care
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Daily Life Activity in Patients with Wrist Pathology

The questionnaire for the evaluation of daily life activity in patients with wrist pathology is presented. This questionnaire has been elaborated taking into account social and cultural peculiarities of Russians life and includes 33 questions reflecting the possibilities of carrying out of personal every day activities (hygiene, dressing, putting on shoes, cooking, eating etc.). The functional activity of patients with various wrist pathology ( bone fractures, traumatic wrist and fingers avulsion, multicomponent wrist injuries, tendon injuries, Dupuytren's contracture) was assessed by that questionnaire. Analysis of data obtained showed the conformity of questionnaire to modern requirements of psychometry - high validity, sensitivity and reliability. This questionnaire should be used for the evaluation of rehabilitation efficacy of patients with wrist pathology.

Topic: Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Complete UV emission of ZnO nanoparticles in a PMMA matrix

Preparation and photoluminescence (PL) properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles embedded in a lipophilic polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) matrix are reported in detail with an unbalanced sol–gel route. A high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) indicates that ZnO particles are highly crystallized, with a size of 5–6 nm and hexagonal wurtzite structure. During the sol–gel reaction, partial ester groups of R-COOCH3 in PMMA are hydrolyzed to form carboxylic ion groups, which chemisorb on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles to eliminate the defects; thus ZnO nanoparticles in the PMMA matrix exhibit complete ultraviolet (UV) emissions, while emissions in the visible region are fully quenched.

Topic: ZnO doping and properties
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Identification of novel candidate gene loci and increased sex chromosome aneuploidy among infants with conotruncal heart defects

Abstract Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are common malformations, affecting four to eight per 1,000 total births. Conotruncal defects are an important pathogenetic subset of CHDs, comprising nearly 20% of the total. Although both environmental and genetic factors are known to contribute to the occurrence of conotruncal defects, the causes remain unknown for most. To identify novel candidate genes/loci, we used array comparative genomic hybridization to detect chromosomal microdeletions/duplications. From a population base of 974,579 total births born during 1999–2004, we screened 389 California infants born with tetralogy of Fallot or d‐transposition of the great arteries. We found that 1.7% (5/288) of males with a conotruncal defect had sex chromosome aneuploidy, a sevenfold increased frequency (relative risk = 7.0; 95% confidence interval 2.9–16.9). We identified eight chromosomal microdeletions/duplications for conotruncal defects. From these duplications and deletions, we found five high priority candidate genes ( GATA4 , CRKL , BMPR1A , SNAI2 , and ZFHX4 ). This is the initial report that sex chromosome aneuploidy is associated with conotruncal defects among boys. These chromosomal microduplications/deletions provide evidence that GATA4 , SNAI2 , and CRKL are highly dosage sensitive genes involved in outflow tract development. Genome wide screening for copy number variation can be productive for identifying novel genes/loci contributing to non‐syndromic common malformations. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Topic: Congenital Heart Disease Studies
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Identification of metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma in FNA specimens using thyroid peroxidase immunohistochemistry

Introduction We evaluated immunohistochemical staining for thyroid peroxidase ( TPO ), a glycoprotein found in the apical plasma membrane of thyroid follicular cells, as a marker for metastatic PTC in FNA samples and compared results with thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroid transcription factor 1 ( TTF 1) staining. Methods Cell block sections prepared from 100 FNA specimens were stained with a rabbit monoclonal antibody to TPO ( EP 159). The FNA s included 64 metastatic malignancies from non‐thyroid primary sites, including 18 lung, and 36 cases of thyroid tumours (29 PTC , six cases of medullary thyroid carcinoma and one thyroid anaplastic carcinoma). Thyroid tumours were stained with TTF 1 and Tg in addition to TPO . All cases of metastatic lung carcinoma also had TTF ‐1 staining results. Results TPO staining was negative in all non‐thyroid malignancies. Ninety percent (26/29) of PTC were positive. All positive cases showed strong cytoplasmic staining, although 54% (14/26) showed positivity in less than half of the cells. By comparison, Tg staining of TPC cases was present in 62% and TTF ‐1 in 100%. In addition to showing higher sensitivity, interpretation of staining results with TPO was generally easier with than Tg. All metastatic lung adenocarcinomas were positive for TTF ‐1 and TPO negative. The six medullary cancers showed positivity in 17%, 0% and 83% with TPO , Tg and TTF ‐1, respectively. Conclusions TPO ( mA b EP 159) may be a useful addition to immunohistochemical panels for FNA specimens where metastatic PTC is a consideration, particularly in cases where metastatic lung carcinoma features in the differential diagnosis.

Topic: Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Is repeating <scp>FOLFIRINOX</scp> in the original dosage and treatment schedule tolerable in Japanese patients with pancreatic cancer?

Dear Editor, The incidence of and mortality from pancreatic cancer are increasing in Japan. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most serious malignancies.1 Although phase III studies in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer report that overall survival is prolonged by gemcitabine alone2 or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel,3 investigations of new treatment options are essential. Intensive three-drug combination chemotherapy with fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and irinotecan (FOLFIRINOX) can dramatically prolong overall survival in pancreatic cancer.4 FOLFIRINOX was reported in this journal to have favorable efficacy and acceptable toxicity profiles in chemotherapy-naive Japanese patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. However, a critical review of the article indicated that repeating FOLFIRINOX in the original dosage and treatment schedule is intolerable even in selected Japanese patients because the dose intensity of bolus fluorouracil was only 15.4%, and dose reduction and cycle delay were required by 88.9% of the patients.5 The authors should have stressed the need for dose reduction and prolongation of treatment interval. We suppose that the study by Okusaka et al. underestimated toxicity in Japanese patients for several reasons. First, the authors and sponsor of the study did not adequately evaluate the safety of FOLFIRINOX because they did not conduct any phase I dose-escalation studies to determine the optimal dosage of the three drugs. We have reported the results of a phase I study of FOLFOXIRI in patients with colorectal cancer, which used a similar three-drug combination regimen,6 and the recommended dosage was much lower than that in the study by Falcone et al.7 Second, the threshold criteria defining tolerability in the 10 patients were unrealistically higher than the conventional criteria used to define dose-limiting toxicity in phase I trials.6 Third, both the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devises Agency strongly recommend that new drug applications in Japan should include the identical dosage and regimen used in global or bridging studies.8 Topotecan was approved for the treatment of ovarian cancer in Japan on the basis of a “public knowledge-based application”without conducting large clinical trials; in clinical practice, however, the approved dose is too toxic for Japanese patients with ovarian cancer.9 In conclusion, the dosage and treatment schedule of FOLFIRINOX combination chemotherapy should be more carefully evaluated in Japanese patients with pancreatic cancer treated in a clinical practice setting to avoid severe life-threatening toxic effects. The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Topic: Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
The ultrasound diagnosis of emphysematous cholecystitis

Emphysematous cholecystitis is an uncommon illness which may be mimicked by acute cholecystitis but which carries a more serious prognosis. The pre-operative diagnosis is usually difficult to make but may be suggested by a plain abdominal radiograph. The ultrasound appearances are characteristic and are illustrated by two representative cases. Comparison is made with other causes of gall-bladder wall abnormality.

Topic: Biliary and Gastrointestinal Fistulas
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Optimization of methods of chondrocyte cell culture from human disc hernia subjects and testing the presence of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR 4)

Objective: To optimize the technique of culturing human intervertebral disc cells, and to confirm the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in these cells. Material and method: Samples of nucleus pulposus obtained during disc hernia surgery were cultured. Cells from nine patients (all with moderate-severe disc degeneration scores, based on the Pfirmann scale) were followed up to determine their growing capacity. The obtained cultured cells were tested for the chondrocyte phenotype by immunostaining and rt-PCR and the presence of TLR4 was tested by the same methods. Results: The cells were isolated and seeded at different concentrations. The ideal concentration was obtained for optimal culture conditions. The cells were confirmed to have the chondrocyte phenotype and TLR4 was confirmed to be present in the cultured cells. Conclusion: This study confirms the presence of both mRNA and TLR4 protein in intervertebral disc chondrocytes. This paves the way for elucidating of the roles of this receptor in the inflammatory processes of disc hernia.

Topic: Spine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology
Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
EVALUATION OF EIGHT SELECTED ETHIOPIAN INDIGENOUS FORAGE SPECIES FOR THEIR NUTRITIVE VALUES

Indigenous forage species contribute to the largest proportion of the livestock feed in Ethiopia. However, their potential as livestock feed has often been overlooked. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the nutritive value of eight selected Ethiopian indigenous forage species for their nutritive value. The experiment was undertaken using a complete randomized design at Wondogent medicinal field gene bank. Results showed that Pennisetum pedicellatum (91.72%) and Medicago polymorpha (91.68%) had significantly (P&lt;0.001) higher dry matter (DM) contents than other forage species with the exception of Medicago sativa. Ash content (15.46%) of Pennisetum pedicellatum was the highest (P&lt;0.001) of all the species except Medicago sativa, while the highest organic matter (OM) content (90.80%) was record from Medicago polymorpha. Vicia species had (P&lt;0.05) higher crude protein (CP) concentration (19.03%) than that of Medicago sativa (13.57%), Medicago lupulina (12.36%), Medicago polymorpha (11.57%) and Pennisetum pedicellatum (7.47%). The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was higher (P&lt;0.05) in Pennisetum pedicellatum (76.23%), whereas Sesbania sesban had the lowest (P&lt;0.05) NDF value except Sebania grandiflora. Acid detergent fiber (ADF) was significantly higher in Medicago lupulina (53.80%) while Sesbania sesban had lower contents of both ADF (39.42%) and ADF (34.04%). However, there was no significant variation in terms of acid detergent lignin (ADL), metabolizable energy (ME) and In vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) among these forge species. Generally, with the exception of Pennisetum pedicellatum, the moderate CP, and lower fiber content of these forage species suggest that they have high nutritional value that deserves special attention.

Topic: Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
Subfield: Agronomy and Crop Science
Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Domain: Life Sciences