Automatic multi-anatomical skull structure segmentation of cone-beam computed tomography scans using 3D UNETR

The segmentation of medical and dental images is a fundamental step in automated clinical decision support systems. It supports the entire clinical workflow from diagnosis, therapy planning, intervention, and follow-up. In this paper, we propose a novel tool to accurately process a full-face segmentation in about 5 minutes that would otherwise require an average of 7h of manual work by experienced clinicians. This work focuses on the integration of the state-of-the-art UNEt TRansformers (UNETR) of the Medical Open Network for Artificial Intelligence (MONAI) framework. We trained and tested our models using 618 de-identified Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) volumetric images of the head acquired with several parameters from different centers for a generalized clinical application. Our results on a 5-fold cross-validation showed high accuracy and robustness with a Dice score up to 0.962±0.02. Our code is available on our public GitHub repository

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time, and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space. While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes, vast areas of the tropics remain understudied. In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity, but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases. To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge, it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Perfis hematol6gico e bioqufmico de ratos (Rattus norvegicus) mantidos sob sistema de ventilacao microambiental

Previous studies reported that rats (Rattus norvegicus) kept under microenvironmental ventilation systems (MEV) present better productive and health parameters when compared to anima ls kept under general diluting venti lation (GOV) , The objective of the prese nt resea rch trial was to evaluate hematological and biochemical profiles of rats kept under MVS. In order to achieve this objective, two different trials were desig ned: Trail I (E I) , in which it was evaluated the reprod uctive performance of males and females submitted to two different air speed limits - FV I, from 0.03 to 0.26 m / sec and FV2, from 0.27 to 0.80 m / sec. In Trial 2 (E2) it was evaluated differen t bed change intervals (3, 5, 7 and 9 days), for males kept under constant air speed (0,5 m / sec) , Values for hemogram and biochemical patterns of these animals were compared to those of rats kept under GOY. Results show statistica l differences in some of the studied parameters not only for the comparison betwee n GVO and EI and GVO and E2, but also between both groups submitted to MEV (E I and E2). However, values found for all studied parameters are inside the normal range reported for this species, what indica tes that MEV does not induce important changes in the physiological parameters evaluated.Em estudos anterio res, demonstrou-se que ratos mantidos em sistema de Ventilacao Microambiental (VMA) apresentaram parametre s de produtividade e padrfio sanitdrio melhores do que aqueles mantidos em sistema de Ventilacao Geral Diluidora (VGD). Outra etapa dos experimentos foi determi nar os parametres fisiol6gicos destes animais. 0 presente estudo foi realizado para avaliar os perfis hematol6gico e bioqufmico de ratos mantidos sob 0 sistema de VMA. Para tanto, foram realizados dois cxperimentos diferentes , com ratos mantidos em VMA, quais sejam: Experimento 1 (EI ), no qual foi avaliado 0 desempenho reproduti vo de machos e femeas. sob duas faixas de vclocidade de ar (FY I - de 0,03 a 0.26 m/s, e FY2 - de 0,27 a 0,80 ml s); Experimento 2 (E2). no qual foram avaliados difercntes intervalos de troca de cama (3, 5, 7 e 9 dias), para ratos machos mantidos a uma velocidade de ar constante de 0,5 ml s. Os valores do hemograma e de parametros bioqufmicos destes animai s foram comparados com os valores encontrados em ratos mantidos sob VGD. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram difere ncas estatfsticas em alguns dos parametres observados, tanto entre os sistemas VGD e VMA. como entre os diferentes grupos de VMA. Cont udo, os valores encontrados em todos os pariimetros avaliados encontram-se dentro de faixas de variacao normal para a especie estudada, como e descrito na literatura. Isto indica que 0 emprego do sistema de VMA nao induz alteracoes relevantes nos parametres fisiol6gicos estudados

Perfis hematol6gico e bioqufmico de ratos (Rattus norvegicus) mantidos sob sistema de ventilacao microambiental

Previous studies reported that rats (Rattus norvegicus) kept under microenvironmental ventilation systems (MEV) present better productive and health parameters when compared to anima ls kept under general diluting venti lation (GOV) , The objective of the prese nt resea rch trial was to evaluate hematological and biochemical profiles of rats kept under MVS. In order to achieve this objective, two different trials were desig ned: Trail I (E I) , in which it was evaluated the reprod uctive performance of males and females submitted to two different air speed limits - FV I, from 0.03 to 0.26 m / sec and FV2, from 0.27 to 0.80 m / sec. In Trial 2 (E2) it was evaluated differen t bed change intervals (3, 5, 7 and 9 days), for males kept under constant air speed (0,5 m / sec) , Values for hemogram and biochemical patterns of these animals were compared to those of rats kept under GOY. Results show statistica l differences in some of the studied parameters not only for the comparison betwee n GVO and EI and GVO and E2, but also between both groups submitted to MEV (E I and E2). However, values found for all studied parameters are inside the normal range reported for this species, what indica tes that MEV does not induce important changes in the physiological parameters evaluated.Em estudos anterio res, demonstrou-se que ratos mantidos em sistema de Ventilacao Microambiental (VMA) apresentaram parametre s de produtividade e padrfio sanitdrio melhores do que aqueles mantidos em sistema de Ventilacao Geral Diluidora (VGD). Outra etapa dos experimentos foi determi nar os parametres fisiol6gicos destes animais. 0 presente estudo foi realizado para avaliar os perfis hematol6gico e bioqufmico de ratos mantidos sob 0 sistema de VMA. Para tanto, foram realizados dois cxperimentos diferentes , com ratos mantidos em VMA, quais sejam: Experimento 1 (EI ), no qual foi avaliado 0 desempenho reproduti vo de machos e femeas. sob duas faixas de vclocidade de ar (FY I - de 0,03 a 0.26 m/s, e FY2 - de 0,27 a 0,80 ml s); Experimento 2 (E2). no qual foram avaliados difercntes intervalos de troca de cama (3, 5, 7 e 9 dias), para ratos machos mantidos a uma velocidade de ar constante de 0,5 ml s. Os valores do hemograma e de parametros bioqufmicos destes animai s foram comparados com os valores encontrados em ratos mantidos sob VGD. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram difere ncas estatfsticas em alguns dos parametres observados, tanto entre os sistemas VGD e VMA. como entre os diferentes grupos de VMA. Cont udo, os valores encontrados em todos os pariimetros avaliados encontram-se dentro de faixas de variacao normal para a especie estudada, como e descrito na literatura. Isto indica que 0 emprego do sistema de VMA nao induz alteracoes relevantes nos parametres fisiol6gicos estudados

Use of ordinal multi-criteria methods in the analysis of the Formula 1 World Championship

Sporting activities apply various multi-criteria (and multi-decision maker) methods in their championship regulations. In the majority of cases, the organizers are not aware that they are using them and indeed often apply them incorrectly. Variations of the Borda voting and lexicographic methods are among those most widely used. In the case of the Formula 1 World Championship, a variation of the Borda method is employed. This article shows that some of the problems that occurred during recent seasons are a result of the use of this method with consequent aggravation of the inherent distortions. Furthermore, the use of the Condorcet method is suggested as an alternative. Its limitations are shown, as well as how to overcome them by employing the Copeland method. Lastly, an analysis of the results of the 2002 championship is conducted

Comprimento de estacas e parte do ramo na formação de mudas de aceroleira Size and part of the branch to be used as barbados cherry cuttings

A capacidade rizogênica, a brotação e o vigor de estacas caulinares de aceroleira foram avaliados em condições de casa de vegetação na Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, em Fortaleza-CE, no período de novembro de 2000 a janeiro de 2001, objetivando determinar a parte do ramo e o tamanho mais apropriado para estaquia. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, no esquema fatorial 3x3, correspondendo a três posições no ramo (apical, mediano e basal) e três comprimentos de estacas (10; 15 e 20 cm), com três repetições de 10 estacas por parcela. As estacas, colhidas de plantas com 2,5 anos de idade, foram plantadas em tubetes de 288cm³ contendo uma mistura de casca de arroz carbonizada e vermicomposto, na proporção volumétrica de 2:3, e cultivadas por um período de 60 dias sob condições de nebulização intermitente. Avaliaram-se a percentagem de estacas enraizadas, o peso da matéria seca do sistema radicular e parte aérea, o número de folhas, de gemas sem brotação e as ramificações emitidas por estaca. Os resultados indicaram que estacas caulinares com 10 centímetros de comprimento e colhidas da porção mediana dos ramos são mais apropriadas para a produção de mudas de aceroleira por estaquia, sob condições de casa de vegetação com nebulização intermitente.<br>The rhizogenic capacitity, sprouting and vigor of cuttings from barbados cherry (Malpighia emarginata D.C) were evaluated in greenhouse conditions at the EMBRAPA - National Center for Research of Tropical Agroindustry, Fortaleza-CE, from November 2000 to January 2001, aiming to identify the best branch part and size for cuttings preparation. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, in a 3x3 factorial scheme, corresponding to three positions on the branch (apical, median and basal) and three length (10, 15 and 20 cm), with three replications composed by 10 cuttings each, and cultured on tubets of 288 cm³, filled wich a misture of organic matter (vermicompost) and carbonized rice husks (3:2 volumetric proportion), and cultivated in a greenhouse with intermittent mist. After 60 days were evaluated the percentage of surviving cuttings, rooted cuttings, roots and aerial part dry matter, number of leaves, not developed meristems, and number of new branches per cutting. Results indicated that vegetative propagation by cuttings of Barbados cherry is a feasible method, by using cuttings with 10 cm length, taken from the middle positions of the branch, and cultured under greenhouse conditions and intermittent mist