Reference standard for the evaluation of automatic segmentation algorithms: Quantification of inter observer variability of manual delineation of prostate contour on MRI.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between inter-reader variability in manual prostate contour segmentation on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations and determine the optimal number of readers required to establish a reliable reference standard.

Materials And Methods: Seven radiologists with various experiences independently performed manual segmentation of the prostate contour (whole-gland [WG] and transition zone [TZ]) on 40 prostate MRI examinations obtained in 40 patients. Inter-reader variability in prostate contour delineations was estimated using standard metrics (Dice similarity coefficient [DSC], Hausdorff distance and volume-based metrics).

The nonlinear impact of technologies import on industrial employment: A panel threshold regression approach.

This study aims to obtain empirical evidence of the existence of a nonlinear effect of imported technology on industrial employment, which has been largely overlooked in the literature. To achieve this objective, this article employed panel data models using non-linear panel threshold regression (PTR) approaches for a sample of developed and developing countries over the period of technological advancement from 2000 to 2019. Several conclusions were drawn from this study.

The symmetric and asymmetric impacts of external debt on economic growth in Tunisia: evidence from linear and nonlinear ARDL models.

This paper aims to empirically examine the symmetric and asymmetric impact of external debt on economic growth in Tunisia between 1965 and 2019. The empirical methodology used is based on the one hand on the linear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model of Pesaran et al. (Econ Soc Monogr 31:371-413.

Molecular characterization of a novel homozygous deletion in β-globin cluster causing (δβ)-Thalassemia among Tunisian family.

Background: Deletions in the β-globin cluster are uncommon and cause thalassemia (thal) with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin. They constitute a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by absent or reduced synthesis of adult hemoglobin (Hb A) and increased synthesis of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F). Although the clinical severity of these disorders are asymptomatic owing to the increased Hb F levels, the molecular basis is very heterogenous due to the large deletions in the β-globin cluster spanning both and genes.