Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Motion artifact reduction on parametric PET images of neuroreceptor binding.

UNLABELLED PET studies of cerebral neuroreceptors are often recorded over periods ranging from 1 to 2 h, and head movements during the studies not only lead to blurred images but also may seriously disturb the kinetic analysis. We report the effect of motion on parametric images of the distribution volume ratio (DVR), as well as possible improvements if the dynamic PET data are corrected for head movements. METHODS The study was performed with the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor ligand (18)F-altanserin. During PET scanning, which was performed in list mode for 1 h, the position of the head was monitored by an infrared motion-tracking system. The list mode data were sorted into time frames of between 10 s and 2 min. Motion was corrected using the multiple-acquisition-frame (MAF) approach, which calculates individual attenuation files for each emission frame and its corresponding head position to avoid misalignment of transmission and emission data. After reconstruction of attenuation-corrected emission frames, each image frame was realigned to match the head position of the first frame of the emission scan. The resulting motion-corrected dynamic images were evaluated using the noninvasive Logan plot to obtain parametric images of DVR. RESULTS DVR images of motion-affected (18)F-altanserin scans showed artifacts whose extent depended on the amount of movement. The artifacts were mainly at the border between gray matter and white matter and at the outer border of gray matter. They were seen as discontinuities and small spots whose values exceeded the expected DVR values or were even negative and that disappeared when motion correction was applied. These effects in human data were also seen on simulated (18)F-altanserin images that contained no statistical noise. CONCLUSION Whereas the native PET images looked just blurred if the patient moved during the PET scan, parametric images of the Logan DVR, which are calculated by pixelwise linear regression, contained severe discontinuities primarily at the cortical edge. MAF-based motion correction was able to avoid these errors.
Near Isometric Biomass Partitioning in Forest Ecosystems of China

Based on the isometric hypothesis, belowground plant biomass (MB) should scale isometrically with aboveground biomass (MA) and the scaling exponent should not vary with environmental factors. We tested this hypothesis using a large forest biomass database collected in China. Allometric scaling functions relating MB and MA were developed for the entire database and for different groups based on tree age, diameter at breast height, height, latitude, longitude or elevation. To investigate whether the scaling exponent is independent of these biotic and abiotic factors, we analyzed the relationship between the scaling exponent and these factors. Overall MB was significantly related to MA with a scaling exponent of 0.964. The scaling exponent of the allometric function did not vary with tree age, density, latitude, or longitude, but varied with diameter at breast height, height, and elevation. The mean of the scaling exponent over all groups was 0.986. Among 57 scaling relationships developed, 26 of the scaling exponents were not significantly different from 1. Our results generally support the isometric hypothesis. MB scaled near isometrically with MA and the scaling exponent did not vary with tree age, density, latitude, or longitude, but increased with tree size and elevation. While fitting a single allometric scaling relationship may be adequate, the estimation of MB from MA could be improved with size-specific scaling relationships.
ZnO Q-dots as a potent therapeutic nanomedicine for in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of mouth KB44, breast MCF7, colon HT29 and HeLa cancer cell lines, mouse ear swelling tests in vivo and its side effects using the animal model

Abstract Nanoformulations derived from fine porous ZnO quantum dot nanoparticles (QD NPs) can offer strong potential medical applications; especially in cancer therapy. ZnO QD NPs was synthesized by sol–gel hydrothermal process, fast cold quenching and further smart surface functionalization methods to obtain ultrasmall size (1–4 nm) NPs. ZnO nanopolymer, a wetting agent, PEG co-solvent and water/oil emulsion stabilizer were considered in our nanofluid formulation. The resulting nanofluid was characterized by SEM, FTIR, photoluminescence, band gap energy, zeta potential and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The cytotoxic effects on the growth of four cancer cell lines were evaluated by MTT assay. The IC50 (µg/ml) values of 30, 41, 40 and 35 for KB44, MCF-7, HT29 and HeLa cells, respectively, after 48 h of nanoformulation treatment suggested the cytotoxic effect of this nanoformulation on these cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner (p < .05). ZnO nanofluid destroyed cancer cell lines more efficiently than the normal HFF-2 (IC50 = 105 µg/ml). The reduction in cell viability in response to ZnO nanofluid treatment induced apoptosis in the cultured cells. Skin sensitization test plus antibacterial activity were also measured. Side effect tests on 70 white mice in vivo resulted in only 3–4 abnormal situations in hepatic tissue section possibly due to the idiosyncratic drug reactions. Graphical Abstract
Risk factor modification and projections of absolute breast cancer risk.

BACKGROUND Although modifiable risk factors have been included in previous models that estimate or project breast cancer risk, there remains a need to estimate the effects of changes in modifiable risk factors on the absolute risk of breast cancer. METHODS Using data from a case-control study of women in Italy (2569 case patients and 2588 control subjects studied from June 1, 1991, to April 1, 1994) and incidence and mortality data from the Florence Registries, we developed a model to predict the absolute risk of breast cancer that included five non-modifiable risk factors (reproductive characteristics, education, occupational activity, family history, and biopsy history) and three modifiable risk factors (alcohol consumption, leisure physical activity, and body mass index). The model was validated using independent data, and the percent risk reduction was calculated in high-risk subgroups identified by use of the Lorenz curve. RESULTS The model was reasonably well calibrated (ratio of expected to observed cancers = 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.96 to 1.26), but the discriminatory accuracy was modest. The absolute risk reduction from exposure modifications was nearly proportional to the risk before modifying the risk factors and increased with age and risk projection time span. Mean 20-year reductions in absolute risk among women aged 65 years were 1.6% (95% CI = 0.9% to 2.3%) in the entire population, 3.2% (95% CI = 1.8% to 4.8%) among women with a positive family history of breast cancer, and 4.1% (95% CI = 2.5% to 6.8%) among women who accounted for the highest 10% of the total population risk, as determined from the Lorenz curve. CONCLUSIONS These data give perspective on the potential reductions in absolute breast cancer risk from preventative strategies based on lifestyle changes. Our methods are also useful for calculating sample sizes required for trials to test lifestyle interventions.
Spherulocytes in the echinoderm Holothuria glaberrima and their involvement in intestinal regeneration

The holothuroid echinoderm Holothuria glaberrima can regenerate its intestine after a process of evisceration. Spherule‐containing cells, the spherulocytes, appear to be associated with intestinal regeneration. We have used histochemistry and immunocytochemistry to characterize these cells and their role in the regeneration process. Spherulocytes are 10–20 μm in diameter with an acrocentric nucleus and spherule‐like structures within their cytoplasm. They are found in the connective tissue of the intestine and mesentery of noneviscerated and regenerating animals. During the second week of regeneration, the number of spherulocytes in the regenerating intestine increases and a dramatic change in their morphology occurs. Together with the morphological change, the immunohistochemical labeling of the cells also changes; the antibodies not only recognize the spherule structures but also label the cellular cytoplasm in a more homogeneous pattern. Moreover, immunohistochemical labeling also appears to be dispersed within the extracellular matrix, suggesting that the cells are liberating their vesicular contents. Spherulocytes are found in other tissues of H. glaberrima, always associated with the connective tissue component. Our data strongly suggest that spherulocytes are involved in intestinal regeneration but their specific role remains undetermined. In summary, our data expand our knowledge of the cellular events associated with regeneration processes in echinoderms and provide for comparisons with similar processes in vertebrates. Developmental Dynamics 235:3259–3267, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Facile bottom-up synthesis of partially oxidized black phosphorus nanosheets as metal-free photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution

Significance Black phosphorus (BP) nanosheet is a “hot” class of 2D material having wide applications in optoelectronics, catalysis, biomedicine, etc. However, facile synthesis of BP nanosheets is not achieved by far. Currently, BP nanosheets are mainly prepared via solution-based exfoliation of bulk crystals, a process that is complicated, time-consuming, and costly. Moreover, the as-prepared BP nanosheets are not stable. Here, we developed a facile bottom-up protocol for preparing BP nanosheets in solution at low temperature. Our synthetic procedure is conceptually simple and can be performed in common chemical laboratories. The estimated synthesis cost is less than 1 US dollar per gram. Our work, therefore, offers the community an unlimited access to such 2D material. Few-layer black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets were first reported as a 2D material for the application of field-effect transistors in 2014 and have stimulated intense activity among physicists, chemists, and material and biomedical scientists, driving research into novel synthetic techniques to produce BP nanosheets. At present, exfoliation is the main route toward few-layer BP nanosheets via employing bulk BP as raw material. However, this is a complicated and time-consuming process, which is difficult for the large-scale synthesis of BP nanosheets. Moreover, BP degrades rapidly when exfoliated to nanoscale dimensions, resulting in the rapid loss of semiconducting properties. Here, we report the direct wet-chemical synthesis of few-layer BP nanosheets in gram-scale quantities in a bottom-up approach based on common laboratory reagents at low temperature, showing excellent stability due to partial oxidation of surface. Solvent and temperature are two critical factors, controlling not only the formation of BP nanosheets but also the thickness. The as-prepared BP nanosheets can extract hydrogen from pure water (pH = 6.8), exhibiting more than 24-fold higher activity than the well-known C3N4 nanosheets. Our results reporting the ability to prepare few-layer BP nanosheets with a facile, scalable, low-cost approach take us a step closer to real-world applications of phosphorene including next-generation metal-free photocatalysts for photosynthesis.
Sleep characteristics, light at night and breast cancer risk in a prospective cohort

Increasing numbers of women in the US are getting too little sleep. Inadequate sleep has been associated with impaired metabolic function and endocrine disruption. Sister Study cohort participants (n = 50,884), completed baseline and follow‐up questionnaires on sleep patterns. Incident breast cancers estrogen receptor (ER) status of the tumor were ascertained from questionnaires and medical records. Cox regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Analyses of sleep characteristics reported at the first follow‐up interview included only participants who were breast cancer‐free at time of follow‐up interview. Over ∼7 years of follow‐up, 2,736 breast cancer cases (invasive and ductal carcinoma in situ) were diagnosed. There was little evidence that usual sleep duration or other sleep characteristics were associated with breast cancer. However, relative to those with no difficulty sleeping, women who reported having difficulty sleeping ≥ 4 nights a week were at an increased risk of overall (HR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.09–1.61) and postmenopausal breast cancer (HR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.24–1.85). Risk of ER+ invasive cancer was elevated for women who reported having a light or television on in the room while sleeping (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.97–1.47) or who typically got less sleep than they needed to feel their best (HR = 1.21, 95% CI: 0.98–1.50). In our study, most sleep characteristics, including sleep duration, were not associated with an increased risk although higher risk was observed for some markers of inadequate or poor quality sleep.
Infimal convolution regularizations with discrete ℓ1-type functionals

As first demonstrated by Chambolle and Lions the staircasing effect of the RudinOsher-Fatemi model can be reduced by using infimal convolutions of functionals containing higher order derivatives. In this paper, we examine a modification of such infimal convolutions in a general discrete setting. For the special case of finite difference matrices, we show the relation of our approach to the continuous total generalized variation approach recently developed by Bredies, Kunisch and Pock. We present splitting methods to compute the minimizers of the l 2 (modified) infimal convolution functionals which are superior to previously applied second order cone programming methods. Moreover, we illustrate the differences between the ordinary and the modified infimal convolution approach by numerical examples.
Outcomes from the implementation of a counselling model supporting rapid antiretroviral treatment initiation in a primary healthcare clinic in Khayelitsha, South Africa

Background Lengthy antiretroviral treatment (ART) preparation contributes to high losses to care between communicating ART eligibility and initiating ART. To address this shortfall, Médecins Sans Frontières implemented a revised approach to ART initiation counselling preparation (integrated for TB co-infected patients), shifting the emphasis from pre-initiation sessions to addressing common barriers to adherence and strengthening post-initiation support in a primary healthcare facility in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Methods An observational cohort study was conducted using routinely collected data for all ART-eligible patients attending their first counselling session between 23 July 2012 and 30 April 2013 to assess losses to care prior to and post ART initiation. Viral load completion and suppression rates of those retained on ART were also calculated. Results Overall, 449 patients enrolled in the study, of whom 3.6% did not return to the facility to initiate ART. Of those who were initiated, 96.7% were retained at their first ART refill visit and 85.9% were retained 6 months post ART initiation. Of those retained, 80.2% had a viral load taken within 6 months of initiating ART, with 95.4% achieving viral load suppression. Conclusions Adapting counselling to enable rapid ART initiation is feasible and has the potential to reduce losses to care prior to ART initiation without increasing short-term losses thereafter or compromising patient adherence.
MemSens: Memristor-Based Radiation Sensor

Resistive random-access memory (RRAM) technology has been gaining importance due to scalability, low power, non-volatility, and the ability to perform in-memory computing. The RRAM sensing applications have also emerged to enable single RRAM technology platforms which include sensing, data storage, and computing. This paper reports on sol-gel drop coated low-power <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-thick Ag/TiO<sub>2</sub>/Cu memristor, named MemSens, developed for radiation sensing. MemSens exhibits a bipolar memristive switching behavior within a small voltage window, ranging up to +0.7 V for the turn-ON, and down to −0.2 V for the turn-OFF. Under these operating conditions, MemSens has 67% less switching voltage, 20% drop in ON switching current, 75% reduced active area and > 3x improved device endurance, compared to the best characteristics reported in the literature for <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-thick memristors. The device is tested under direct exposure to ionizing Cs-137 662keV <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\gamma $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-rays, during which a significant increase in the electrical conductivity of the device is observed. MemSens circuit is proposed to allow a relatively real time and cost-effective radiation detection. This provides a first insight to the advancement of reliable memristors that could potentially be deployed in future low-power radiation sensing technologies for medical, personal protection, and other field applications.
The Effect of 2 Forms of Talocrural Joint Traction on Dorsiflexion Range of Motion and Postural Control in Those With Chronic Ankle Instability.

CONTEXT Talocrural joint mobilizations are commonly used to address deficits associated with chronic ankle instability (CAI). OBJECTIVE Examine the immediate effects of talocrural joint traction in those with CAI. DESIGN Blinded, crossover. SETTING Laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Twenty adults (14 females; age = 23.80 ± 4.02 y; height = 169.55 ± 12.38 cm; weight = 78.34 ± 16.32 kg) with self-reported CAI participated. Inclusion criteria consisted of a history of ≥1 ankle sprain, ≥2 episodes of giving way in the previous 3 mo, answering "yes" to ≥4 questions on the Ankle Instability Instrument, and ≤24 on the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool. INTERVENTION Subjects participated in 3 sessions in which they received a single treatment session of sustained traction (ST), oscillatory traction (OT), or a sham condition in a randomized order. Interventions consisted of four 30-s sets of traction with 1 min of rest between sets. During ST and OT, the talus was distracted distally from the ankle mortise to the end-range of accessory motion. ST consisted of continuous distraction and OT involved 1-s oscillations between the mid and end-range of accessory motion. The sham condition consisted of physical contact without force application. Preintervention and postintervention measurements of weight-bearing dorsiflexion, dynamic balance, and static single-limb balance were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The independent variable was treatment (ST, OT, sham). The dependent variables included pre-to-posttreatment change scores for the WBLT (cm), normalized SEBTAR (%), and time-to-boundary (TTB) variables(s). Separate 1-way ANOVAs examined differences between treatments for each dependent variable. Alpha was set a priori at P < . 05. RESULTS No significant treatment effects were identified for any variables. CONCLUSION A single intervention of ST or OT did not produce significant changes in weight-bearing dorsiflexion range of motion or postural control in individuals with CAI. Future research should investigate the effects of repeated talocrural traction treatments and the effects of this technique when combined with other manual therapies.
ENDOVASCULAR PRELUDE FOR DELICATE MENINGEOMA OPERATION: A CASE REPORT

Introduction: Embolization prior to surgery can make tumor resection less complicated by reducing blood loss during surgery and shortening the time of the operation. Case report: In this paper, we presented a case of a sixty-three-year-old woman who was admitted to the Clinic of Neurosurgery, Clinical Center Ni{, Serbia, at November 2016, after she underwent a CT brain scan that showed a large tumor of the left cerebellopontile angle. Digital subtraction angiography presented a large, highly vascularized tumor lesion that compressed the brain stem. The patient underwent endovascular procedure, and complete embolization of the tumor vessels was established. The radiologist delivered embolization material via the left ascending pharyngeal artery. In the next 24 hours, an operation was performed i.e.radical extirpation surgery (Simpson grade I). Postoperatively, the patient’s GCS was 15, with no new neurological deficit. Postoperative brain CT scan showed neither rest tumor nor blood clot inside the tumor bed. Pathohistological finding revealed atypical meningioma grade II. Conclusion: Despite some clinicians’ dilemma considering the utility of preoperative embolization of meningioma vessels, we believe that a team of educated and dedicated radiologist and neurosurgeon could achieve great results in resection of large and inaccessible cranial tumors.
Precision, reproducibility, and accuracy of bone crest level measurements of CBCT cross sections using different resolutions.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the precision, reproducibility, and accuracy of alveolar crest level measurements on CBCT images obtained with different voxel sizes. MATERIALS AND METHODS CBCT exams were made of 12 dried human mandibles with voxel dimensions of 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mm. Bone crest level was measured directly on the mandibles with a digital caliper and on CBCT images. Images were measured twice by two examiners. Intra- and interexaminer precision and reproducibility were assessed using paired and t-tests, respectively. Accuracy was evaluated using t-tests. RESULTS Precision and reproducibility of bone crest level tomographic measurements was good for all voxel sizes evaluated. The images with 0.2-mm voxel size showed a decreased number of intraexaminer errors. A high accuracy for measurements of bone crest level was observed for all CBCT definitions, except for the mandibular incisors using the 0.4-mm voxel size. CONCLUSIONS Precision and reproducibility of alveolar bone level measurements were good for various voxel sizes. CBCT images demonstrated good accuracy for 0.2-mm and 0.3-mm voxel sizes. The mandibular incisor region needs better resolution than that provided by 0.4-mm voxel size for bone crest level measurements.
Online News Videos: The UX of Subtitle Position

Millions of people rely on subtitles when watching video content. The current change in media viewing behaviour involving computers has resulted in a large proportion of people turning to online sources as opposed to regular television for news information. This work analyses the user experience of viewing subtitled news videos presented as part of a web page. A lab-based user experiment was carried out with frequent subtitle users, focusing on determining whether changes in video dimension and subtitle location could affect the user experience attached to viewing subtitled content. A significant improvement in user experience was seen when changing the subtitle location from the standard position of within a video at the bottom to below the video clip. Additionally, participants responded positively when given the ability to change the position of subtitles in real time, allowing for a more personalised viewing experience. This recommendation for an alternative subtitle positioning that can be controlled by the user is unlike current subtitling practice. It provides evidence that further user-based research examining subtitle usage outside of the traditional television interface is required.
Classification of electrocardiographic p-wave morphology

The atrial activity of the human heart is normally visible in the ECG as a P-wave. In patients with intermittent atrial fibrilation, a different P-wave morphology can sometimes be seen, indicating atrial conduction defects. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to discriminate between such P-waves and normal ones. 20 recordings of each type were used in a classification which, based on impulse response analysis of the P-wave and linear discrimination between various parameters, produced a correct classification in 37 of the 40 recordings (sensitivity 95%, specificity 90%).