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The quantitative phase value in the region of interest is recovered from 66% up to 97%, compared to ground-truth values, providing solid evidence for improved phase uniformity, as well as retrieved missing spatial frequencies in 1-axis reconstructed images. In addition, results from our model are compared with paired and unpaired CycleGANs. Higher PSNR and SSIM values show the advantage of using the U-net model for isotropic qDPC microscopy. The proposed DL-based method may help in performing high-resolution quantitative studies for cell biology.With the development of deep learning, medical image classification has been significantly improved. However, deep learning requires massive data with labels. While labeling the samples by human experts is expensive and time-consuming, collecting labels from crowd-sourcing suffers from the noises which may degenerate the accuracy of classifiers. Therefore, approaches that can effectively handle label noises are highly desired. Unfortunately, recent progress on handling label noise in deep learning has gone largely unnoticed by the medical image. To fill the gap, this paper proposes a noise-tolerant medical image classification framework named Co-Correcting, which significantly improves classification accuracy and obtains more accurate labels through dual-network mutual learning, label probability estimation, and curriculum label correcting. On two representative medical image datasets and the MNIST dataset, we test six latest Learning-with-Noisy-Labels methods and conduct comparative studies. The experiments show that Co-Correcting achieves the best accuracy and generalization under different noise ratios in various tasks. Our project can be found at https//github.com/JiarunLiu/Co-Correcting.Background signals are a primary source of artifacts in magnetic particle imaging and limit the sensitivity of the method since background signals are often not precisely known and vary over time. The state-of-the art method for handling background signals uses one or several background calibration measurements with an empty scanner bore and subtracts a linear combination of these background measurements from the actual particle measurement. This approach yields satisfying results in case that the background measurements are taken in close proximity to the particle measurement and when the background signal drifts linearly. In this work, we propose a joint estimation of particle distribution and background signal based on a dictionary that is capable of representing typical background signals. Reconstruction is performed frame-by-frame with minimal assumptions on the temporal evolution of background signals. Thus, even non-linear temporal evolution of the latter can be captured. Using a singular-value decomposition, the dictionary is derived from a large number of background calibration scans that do not need to be recorded in close proximity to the particle measurement. The dictionary is sufficiently expressive and represented by its principle components. The proposed joint estimation of particle distribution and background signal is expressed as a linear Tikhonov-regularized least squares problem, which can be efficiently solved. In phantom experiments it is shown that the method strongly suppresses background artifacts and even allows to estimate and remove the direct feed-through of the excitation field.Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) standardisation demands a stable, highly reproducible physical phantom to enable routine quality control and robust performance evaluation. To address this need, we have optimised a low-cost copolymer-in-oil tissue-mimicking material formulation. The base material consists of mineral oil, copolymer and stabiliser with defined Chemical Abstract Service numbers. Speed of sound c(f) and acoustic attenuation coefficient α(f) were characterised over 2-10 MHz; optical absorption μa(ʎ) and reduced scattering μs'(ʎ) coefficients over 450.900 nm. Acoustic properties were optimised by modifying base component ratios and optical properties were adjusted using additives. The temporal, thermomechanical-and photo-stability were studied, along with intra-laboratory fabrication and field-testing. c(f) could be tuned up to (1516±0.6)m.s-1 and α(f) to (17.4±0.3)dB.cm-1 at 5MHz. The base material exhibited negligible μa(ʎ) and μs'(ʎ), which could be independently tuned by addition of Nigrosin or TiO2 respectively. These properties were stable over almost a year and were minimally affected by recasting. The material showed high intra-laboratory reproducibility (coefficient of variation less then 4% for c(f), α(f), optical transmittance and reflectance), and good photo-and mechanical-stability in the relevant working range. The optimised copolymer-in-oil material represents an excellent candidate for widespread application in PAI phantoms, with properties suitable for broader use in biophotonics and ultrasound imaging standardisation efforts.Realistic characters from movies and games can cause strangeness and involuntary feelings in viewers, an effect known as the Uncanny Valley (UV). This paper revisits the central UV hypothesis, proposed by Masahiro Mori in 1970, to evaluate its impact on people's perception of characters created using Computer Graphics (CG). More precisely, our goal is to answer the following questions i) Are people feeling more comfortable with more recent CG characters than older ones ii) Do the charisma or familiarity with virtual humans correlate with the perceived comfort To answer these questions, we first replicated an experiment from 2012 and compared the perception concerning CG characters then and now, and then we include images of more recent CG characters in our analysis. Our results indicate that the perceived comfort increased over time when comparing the characters of 2012 and 2020. However, it did not change significantly for the characters of 2012. In addition, we found a correlation between perceived charisma and familiarity, at all levels of realism, and between charisma and comfort. Interestingly, more charisma was perceived in videos than in images. In addition, unrealistic characters were also perceived as more charismatic.Free-roaming camels, especially those crossing national borders, pose a high risk for spreading Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). To prevent outbreaks, active surveillance is necessary. We found that a high percentage of dromedaries in Tunisia are MERS-CoV seropositive (80.4%) or actively infected (19.8%), indicating extensive MERS-CoV circulation in Northern Africa.Pulmonary tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium caprae was diagnosed in a 65-year-old goat breeder from northern Greece. This case represents a documented occupational transmission of M. caprae and highlights the importance of enhanced laboratory screening and increased surveillance for zoonotic tuberculosis control.Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus is a nonvirulent organism found in human and ruminant microbiota. However, P. thiaminolyticus can act as an opportunistic pathogen in humans. We describe a case of abdominal wall hematoma secondarily infected by P. thiaminolyticus. Our findings emphasize the risk for unusual Paenibacillus infections in otherwise healthy persons.We found severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in 6 (8.4%) of 71 ferrets in central Spain and isolated and sequenced virus from 1 oral and 1 rectal swab specimen. Natural infection occurs in kept ferrets when virus circulation among humans is high. However, small ferret collections probably cannot maintain virus circulation.We report a therapy cat in a nursing home in Germany infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 during a cluster outbreak in the home residents. Although we confirmed prolonged presence of virus RNA in the asymptomatic cat, genome sequencing showed no further role of the cat in human infections on site.Buffalopox outbreaks caused by vaccinia virus were observed in villages of Tamil Nadu, India, among lactating buffaloes and cows. Milkers also had lesions on their fingers. Because vaccinia virus is known to have extended its host range in Brazil, we recommend continuous surveillance to understand cross-species transmission and to curtail disease effects.An HIV-positive man from Zimbabwe living in South Africa sought treatment for multiple clinical signs, including fever, weight loss, anemia, and splenomegaly. We identified in his blood an African rodent piroplasm, Anthemosoma garnhami, related to Babesia species. This finding extends the known geographic and host range of A. garnhami.Within 5 weeks in 2021, B.1.1.7 became the dominant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 lineage at an outpatient testing site in Berlin, Germany. Compared with outpatients with wild-type virus infection, patients with B.1.1.7 had similar cycle threshold values, more frequent sore throat and travel history, and less frequent anosmia/ageusia.We analyzed size of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) aerosol particles shed by experimentally infected cynomolgus monkeys. Most exhaled particles were small, and virus was mainly released early during infection. By postinfection day 6, no virus was detected in breath, but air in the isolator contained large quantities of aerosolized virus.Ophidiomycosis represents a conservation threat to wild snake populations. The disease was reported in North America early in the 21st century, but the history of ophidiomycosis has not been investigated. We examined museum specimens and confirmed cases of ophidiomycosis >50 years before the disease's reported emergence.The burden of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) has greatly increased. We evaluated the risks for CDI transmission to community members after hospitalized patients are discharged. We conducted a systematic literature review in MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL plus EBSCO, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and gray literature during January 2000‒February 2019 and identified 4,798 citations were identified. MEK inhibitor side effects We eliminated 4,554 citations through title and abstract screening; 217 additional citations did not meet full criteria. We reviewed texts for the 27 remaining articles qualitatively for internal/external validity. A few identified studies describing risks to community members lacked accurate risk measurement or preventative strategies. Primary data are needed to assess efficacy of and inform current expertise-driven CDI prevention practices. Raising awareness among providers and researchers, conducting clinical and health services research, linking up integrated monitoring and evaluation processes at hospitals and outpatient settings, and developing and integrating CDI surveillance systems are warranted.We report 5 cases of vascular Q fever complicated by polymicrobial superinfection in patients who had no risk factors for acute Q fever. Q fever was diagnosed by serologic and molecular assays for Coxiella burnetii. We confirmed additional infections using conventional graft cultures.After the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for children, invasive pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 4 declined in all ages in Alberta, Canada, but it has reemerged and spread in adults in Calgary, primarily among persons who are experiencing homelessness or who use illicit drugs. We conducted clinical and molecular analyses to examine the cases and isolates. Whole-genome sequencing analysis indicated relatively high genetic variability of serotype 4 isolates. Phylogenetic analysis identified 1 emergent sequence type (ST) 244 lineage primarily associated within Alberta and nationally distributed clades ST205 and ST695. Isolates from 6 subclades of the ST244 lineage clustered regionally, temporally, and by homeless status. In multivariable logistic regression, factors associated with serotype 4 invasive pneumococcal disease were being male, being less then 65 years of age, experiencing homelessness, having a diagnosis of pneumonia or empyema, or using illicit drugs.