Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Evidence-Based Review of Quantitative SPECT Imaging and Potential Clinical Applications

SPECT has traditionally been regarded as nonquantitative. Advances in multimodality γ-cameras (SPECT/CT), algorithms for image reconstruction, and sophisticated compensation techniques to correct for photon attenuation and scattering have, however, now made quantitative SPECT viable in a manner similar to quantitative PET (i.e., kBq⋅cm−3, standardized uptake value). This review examines the evidence for quantitative SPECT and demonstrates clinical studies in which the accuracy of the reconstructed SPECT data has been assessed in vivo. SPECT reconstructions using CT-based compensation corrections readily achieve accuracy for 99mTc to within ±10% of the known concentration of the radiotracer in vivo. Quantification with other radionuclides is also being introduced. SPECT continues to suffer from poorer photon detection efficiency (sensitivity) and spatial resolution than PET; however, it has the benefit in some situations of longer radionuclide half-lives, which may better suit the biologic process under examination, as well as the ability to perform multitracer studies using pulse height spectroscopy to separate different radiolabels.
Risk Profiles of Different Injectable Fillers: Results from the Injectable Filler Safety Study (IFS Study)

BACKGROUND Injectable fillers are widely used in aesthetic medicine. Although most materials are considered to be safe, adverse events occur. Our knowledge on frequency and potential risk factors is limited. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe adverse reactions to injectable fillers based on a partly population-based case series. METHODS Dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and maxillofacial surgeons in Berlin were asked to report patients with adverse reactions. Additional patients were obtained from a private practice. A standardized questionnaire was used to assess all data. All data were analyzed by descriptive measures. RESULTS Fifty-six patients (age, 48±11.2 (SD) years) who had been treated with nine different fillers were assessed. In 48 patients treated with only one filler, 167 areas had been treated. In 129 (77.3%) areas adverse reactions occurred 12.2±15.6 (SD) months after injection. Adverse reactions to biodegradable fillers occurred after 4.9±5.8 (SD) months, and reactions to nonbiodegradable fillers after 18.3±19.0 (SD) months (p=.005). As adverse events, continuing pain, swelling, nodules, pigmentation, abscess formation, and erythema were found. CONCLUSION Adverse reactions can be documented for all injectable fillers. Time until reaction as well as type of reaction, however, vary between different fillers. Further research is necessary to evaluate potential risk factors.
Uncertainty and the Timing of Automobile

Earlier studies have shown that lumpy investment models well characterize individual expenditures on durables, in particular automobiles. In this class of models, a higher level of uncertainty generally implies that the household should tolerate a larger imbalance between the actual stock of the durable and the target stock before adjusting it by buying and/or selling. Then, if the level of uncertainty increases, aggregate expenditures would temporarily fall. This hypothesis is tested by estimating an aggregate lumpy investment model on automobile expenditure data, using stock market volatility to proxy uncertainty. The result is that expenditures fall significantly as stock market volatility increases.
The Efficacy of Antifibrinolytics in the Reduction of Blood Loss During Complex Adult Reconstructive Spine Surgery

Study Design. Controlled study to assess the efficacy of aprotinin and Amicar in reducing blood loss during complex spinal fusions. Objectives. To compare blood loss and the clotting profile with a thromboelastogram in patients with spinal deformities undergoing sequential anterior and posterior spinal fusions treated intraoperatively with either aprotinin or Amicar. Summary of Background Data. Spinal fusion for correction of adult spinal deformities is associated with large blood losses despite the implementation of multiple factors to reduce this blood loss. The antifibrinolytics aprotinin and Amicar have both been shown to reduce blood loss in other surgical procedures with the potential for large blood loss. Hence, we compared their efficacy for reducing blood loss in complex spinal fusions. Methods. Sixty patients for elective sequential anteroposterior thoracolumbosacral fusions were randomly assigned to three groups: control, aprotinin, and Amicar. Patients were assessed for blood loss, transfusion requirements, postoperative complications, and coagulation profile using a thromboelastogram. Results. The study demonstrated a significant reduction in total blood loss (aprotinin 3628 mL, Amicar 4056 mL, control 5181 mL) and transfusion requirements using the half-dose aprotinin regimen compared with Amicar or control. Aprotinin also preserved the thromboelastogram mean clot formation time, clot strength, and clotting index compared with Amicar or control. Conclusions. For complex spinal operations with large blood losses, the half-dose aprotinin regimen will reduce blood loss and the need for blood components and may have a role in reducing postoperative lung injury.
Uptake and Killing of Leptospira interrogans and Borrelia burgdorferi, Spirochetes Pathogenic to Humans, by Reticuloendothelial Cells in Perfused Rat Liver

ABSTRACT In situ-perfused rat livers were infused with a single dose of 1.5 × 107 radiolabeled cells of Leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae, the agent of leptospirosis, or with Borrelia burgdorferi IRS, the agent of Lyme disease. Significant (P < 0.0001) differences in the liver uptake of L. interrogans and of B. burgdorferi were observed, the uptakes being 37.4% ± 2.3% for L. interrogans and 60.5% ± 3.1% for B. burgdorferi. Leptospires, in contrast to borreliae, were recovered from the livers when liver samples were cultured in growth medium. Leptospires but not borreliae were recovered in bile within 30 min of infusion. The association of leptospires and borreliae with reticuloendothelial cells of the liver was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. Leptospires and borreliae were found to be associated with vimentin-positive cells and not with desmin-positive cells. Few leptospires but no borreliae were also seen associated with vimentin- and desmin-negative cells, suggesting the presence of leptospires outside the sinusoidal spaces, in the liver parenchyma.
Improved Performance of Novel Vertical Assist Operating Select Gate Lateral Coupling Cell for Logic Nonvolatile Memory

In this letter, we report a high-performance logic nonvolatile memory for pure logic processes using novel structure and operations. Even though a select gate lateral coupling (SGLC) cell has the advantages of small cell size, fast programming speed, and over-erase-free features, it has a critical problem of on-cell current degradation during a relatively small number of program/erase (P/E) cycles. By installing an assist gate (AG) on an SGLC cell and employing novel operation methods, the cycling performance improved significantly from 100 times to 10 k times. The initial purpose of using AG was for Fowler-Nordheim erasing operation. However, it is not only used for erasing operation but also for programming to enhance the coupling ratio using the novel vertical assist (VA) operating method. Owing to the novel VA-SGLC cell structure and combined vertical and lateral coupling operations, it shows enhanced programming speed, wider VT window, and higher endurance than the conventional SGLC cell using the same process. As a result, a program time of 10 μs and 10 k times P/E cycling performance, preserving a VT window of over 4 V, is achieved without additional processes or increasing the cell size.
Tracking the Location of Visuospatial Attention in a Contingent Capture Paradigm

Currently, there is considerable controversy regarding the degree to which top-down control can affect attentional capture by salient events. According to the contingent capture hypothesis, attentional capture by a salient stimulus is contingent on a match between the properties of the stimulus and top-down attentional control settings. In contrast, bottom-up saliency accounts argue that the initial capture of attention is determined solely by the relative salience of the stimulus, and the effect of top-down attentional control is limited to effects on the duration of attentional engagement on the capturing stimulus. In the present study, we tested these competing accounts by utilizing the N2pc event-related potential component to track the locus of attention during an attentional capture task. The results were completely consistent with the contingent capture hypothesis: An N2pc wave was elicited only by distractors that possessed the target-defining attribute. In a second experiment, we expanded upon this finding by exploring the effect of target-distractor similarity on the duration that attention dwells at the distractor location. In this experiment, only distractors possessing the target-defining attribute (color) captured visuospatial attention to their location and the N2pc increased in duration and in magnitude when the capture distractor also shared a second target attribute (category membership). Finally, in three additional control experiments, we replicated the finding of an N2pc generated by distractors, only if they shared the target-defining attribute. Thus, our results demonstrate that attentional control settings influence both which stimuli attract attention and to what extent they are processed.
Biocatalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Amines from Ketones Applied to Sitagliptin Manufacture

Biocatalytic Boost Enzymes tend to direct reactions toward specific products much more selectively than synthetic catalysts. Unfortunately, this selectivity has evolved for cellular purposes and may not promote the sorts of reactions chemists are seeking to enhance (see the Perspective by Lutz). Siegel et al. (p. 309) now describe the design of enzymes that catalyze the bimolecular Diels-Alder reaction, a carbon-carbon bond formation reaction that is central to organic synthesis but unknown in natural metabolism. The enzymes display high stereoselectivity and substrate specificity, and an x-ray structure of the most active enzyme confirms that the structure matches the design. Savile et al. (p. 305, published online 17 June) applied a directed evolution approach to modify an existing transaminase enzyme so that it recognized a complex ketone in place of its smaller native substrate, and could tolerate the high temperature and organic cosolvent necessary to dissolve this ketone. This biocatalytic reaction improved the production efficiency of a drug that treats diabetes. An engineered enzyme offers substantial efficiency advantages in the production-scale synthesis of a drug. Pharmaceutical synthesis can benefit greatly from the selectivity gains associated with enzymatic catalysis. Here, we report an efficient biocatalytic process to replace a recently implemented rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric enamine hydrogenation for the large-scale manufacture of the antidiabetic compound sitagliptin. Starting from an enzyme that had the catalytic machinery to perform the desired chemistry but lacked any activity toward the prositagliptin ketone, we applied a substrate walking, modeling, and mutation approach to create a transaminase with marginal activity for the synthesis of the chiral amine; this variant was then further engineered via directed evolution for practical application in a manufacturing setting. The resultant biocatalysts showed broad applicability toward the synthesis of chiral amines that previously were accessible only via resolution. This work underscores the maturation of biocatalysis to enable efficient, economical, and environmentally benign processes for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.
Digestive physiology of the plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus): A large herbivorous hystricomorph rodent.

Plains viscachas (Lagostomus maximus) are large South American, fossorial rodents susceptible to diabetic cataracts. Various aspects of their digestive physiology were studied in three different experiments with nine male and seven female adult animals and six different diets (total n of feeding trials = 35). Viscachas achieved mean retention times of 23–31 hr, which is of a magnitude also recorded in horses; these did not differ for solute or small particle (<2 mm) markers. Secondary marker excretion peaks indicated coprophagy, and were rarer on high-protein as compared to grass hay-only diets. Mean resting metabolic rate was, at 229 kJ/kg0.75/day, lower than expected for a mammal of this size. Digestible energy requirement for maintenance was 445 kJ/kg0.75/day. At 1.6–2.7 L/day, viscachas produced more methane than expected for a hindgut fermenter of their size. On diets that included concentrate feeds, viscachas excreted glucose in their urine, corroborating reports on the susceptibility of this species for diabetes when kept on energy-dense food. Viscachas had a similar apparent digestibility of protein, lipids, and macrominerals as other rodents, rabbits, or domestic horses. This suggests that whether or not a species practices coprophagy does not have a major influence on these measures. Viscachas resemble other hindgut fermenters in their high apparent calcium digestibility. With respect to a digestibility-reducing effect of dietary fiber, viscachas differed from rabbits and guinea pigs but were similar to horses, suggesting that small body size needs not necessarily be linked to lower digestive efficiency on high-fiber diets.
Managing Life with a Chronic Condition: The Story of Normalization

One way that families and individuals manage living with a chronic condition is to construct and live a story of "life as normal. " The conceptualization of this process is based on constant comparative analysis of accounts of individuals and family members who are managing chronic conditions. The process begins with construction of the story of life as normal and continues as the story is lived over time. As the story is enacted, persons reauthor their lives. Thus the reciprocal nature of the process becomes evident. Specifically, how individuals and families construct and enact the story is discussed along with the role of health care professionals in the process and associated costs and benefits.
Comparison of C14- and C15-Predomiated AB2 Metal Hydride Alloys for Electrochemical Applications

Herein, we present a comparison of the electrochemical hydrogen-storage characteristics of two state-of-art Laves phase-based metal hydride alloys (Zr21.5Ti12.0V10.0Cr7.5Mn8.1Co8.0Ni32.2Sn0.3Al0.4 vs. Zr25.0Ti6.5V3.9Mn22.2Fe3.8Ni38.0La0.3) prepared by induction melting and hydrogen decrepitation. The relatively high contents of lighter transition metals (V and Cr) in the first composition results in an average electron density below the C14/C15 threshold ( e / a ~ 6.9 ) and produces a C14-predominated structure, while the average electron density of the second composition is above the C14/C15 threshold and results in a C15-predominated structure. From a combination of variations in composition, main phase structure, and degree of homogeneity, the C14-predominated alloy exhibits higher storage capacities (in both the gaseous phase and electrochemical environment), a slower activation, inferior high-rate discharge, and low-temperature performances, and a better cycle stability compared to the C15-predominated alloy. The superiority in high-rate dischargeability in the C15-predominated alloy is mainly due to its larger reactive surface area. Annealing of the C15-predominated alloy eliminates the ZrNi secondary phase completely and changes the composition of the La-containing secondary phase. While the former change sacrifices the synergetic effects, and degrades the hydrogen storage performance, the latter may contribute to the unchanged surface catalytic ability, even with a reduction in total volume of metallic nickel clusters embedded in the activated surface oxide layer. In general, the C14-predominated alloy is more suitable for high-capacity and long cycle life applications, and the C15-predominated alloy can be used in areas requiring easy activation, and better high-rate and low-temperature performances.
Hepatic mitochondrial prooxidant and antioxidant status in ethanol-induced liver injury in rats.

In this study, prooxidant and antioxidant status in liver homogenates and their mitochondrial fractions were investigated in both chronic and chronic plus acute ethanol-treated rats. Increases in serum transaminase activities, as well as increases in total lipid, triglyceride, malondialdehyde (MDA) and diene conjugate (DC) levels and decreases in glutathione (GSH), vitamin E and vitamin C levels, have been observed in liver homogenates following chronic ethanol treatment (20% ethanol, v/v as drinking water for 3 months), but CuZn-superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione transferase (GST) activities remained unchanged in postmitochondrial fractions. When an acute dose of ethanol (5 g/kg, i.p.) was given rats which had received ethanol chronically, serum transaminase activities and hepatic lipid and MDA and DC levels increased further, but GSH levels and antioxidant enzymes decreased more compared to the chronic ethanol-treated rats. There were no significant differences in the levels of MDA, DC and protein carbonyl and the activities of GSH-Px and GST in the hepatic mitochondrial fraction of rats following both chronic and chronic plus acute treatments. Mn-superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activities increased in both groups, but mitochondrial GSH levels decreased only after chronic plus acute treatment. Therefore, we suggest that the increase in MnSOD activity may play an important role in the regulation of mitochondrial susceptibility against ethanol-induced oxidative stress.
Factitious sexual harassment.

Among those claims that trivialize true sexual harassment is a type that the author has come to recognize as factitious (i.e., prompted by the lure of victim status). Women who file factitious sexual harassment cases usually voice their allegations in a very convincing manner and, in the presence of contradictory findings, present a diagnostic challenge. Forensic clinicians must be able to recognize factitious sexual harassment in order to bring objectivity to these complex cases.
Oral health status of mississippi delta 3- to 5-year-olds in child care: an exploratory study of dental health status and risk factors for dental disease and treatment needs.

OBJECTIVES For poor and minority young children, disparities exist in dental health and treatment. In rural impoverished areas, institutions that reach young children and potentially offer access to care are limited. In the current Mississippi Delta study, child care centers were examined as potential venues for oral health intervention and research, and potential risk factors for dental caries and treatment urgency in high-risk preschool children were explored. METHODS Child care centers were selected and attending children recruited. Data on oral health practices were collected from surveys of center directors and parents/caregivers. Children were examined for caries and treatment urgency at centers by dentists. Bivariate and multivariate analyses with a 0. 05 alpha were used to examine data. RESULTS A total of 346 preschool children at 15 participating centers were examined: 46% were female, 68% minority. Minority children and those with public insurance were more than twice as likely to have caries and urgent treatment needs as non-minorities or those with private insurance. The odds of children having caries were half as great if parents reported using floss and nearly twice as great if the parent had experienced a dental abscess. For every soft drink the parent consumed daily, the odds of dental caries for children increased by 44%. CONCLUSIONS Conducting oral health exams and research in child care venues was possible, yet presented challenges. The combined use of two parental variables, reported soft drink consumption and abscess history, appears promising for caries prediction. Implementation of oral health programs and research in child care venues merits further exploration.
Asymptotic ber bounds for iteratively decoded bit-interleaved space-time coded modulation under correlated rayleigh and rician fading channels

Performance of bit interleaved space-time coded modulation (BI-STCM) with iterative decoding is discussed over fast correlated Rayleigh and Rician fading channels. Asymptotic BER is analyzed through a general and tight error-free feedback bound ( EF bound ). The convergence to the EF bound and the accuracy of the prediction is verified by simulations. It is observed that on the sixth iteration, the performance almost reaches the theoretical bound in the range of 7-8 dB for Alamouti space-time code ( 1 receive antenna ).
TELOMERE LENGTH AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE: EVIDENCE OF ACCELERATED AGING

benzodiazepine. Twenty-eight percent of patients were prescribed an NSAID, and 31% of these patients were not concomitantly prescribed an agent for gastric protection (e.g., proton pump inhibitor or misoprostol). Of patients prescribed an NSAID, 61% were also prescribed a daily diuretic, 27% were concurrently prescribed an ACEI or ARB, and 21% were prescribed a daily diuretic and an ACEI or ARB. Data from this cross-sectional survey on prescribing at community-based primary care academic training sites provided valuable information about local practice patterns and demonstrated that use of benzodiazepines and NSAIDs remains prevalent in older adults. There are several potential reasons for this, including limited expertise in geriatric pharmacotherapy; established practice patterns and comfort with those patterns; and conversely, limited practical experience with the recommended alternatives. Because other studies have shown that although practice patterns remain suboptimal with regard to prescribing for older adults, changing provider practice patterns is difficult. It remains to be determined whether interventions based on local practice data can substantially influence change in provider prescribing patterns on a community-wide scale.
Beyond HDL-cholesterol increase: phospholipid enrichment and shift from HDL3 to HDL2 in alcohol consumers Published, JLR Papers in Press, April 12, 2007.

The reduction of cardiovascular mortality associated with moderate alcohol consumption is chiefly thought to be mediated by an increase of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-CH). This study highlights additional qualitative changes of HDL that might augment this antiatherogenic effect. In 279 healthy men, alcohol and nutrient consumption were evaluated. Groups 1 (n = 62), 2 (n = 172), and 3 (n = 45) comprised subjects with alcohol consumption of 0–5.0, 5.1–30.0, and 30.1–75 g/day, respectively. Lipid analysis was performed in nonfractionated and fractionated plasma, including subfractions HDL2a, HDL2b, and HDL3. No difference in LDL-cholesterol was observed. Compared with group 1, groups 2 and 3 exhibited significant increases of HDL-CH (group 1, 44 ± 10 mg/dl; group 2, 51 ± 11 mg/dl; group 3, 55 ± 11 mg/dl; mean ± SD, P < 0.0005), accompanied by enhanced lipidation of HDL (increase of the HDL2-CH/HDL3-CH ratio). Moreover, phospholipid enrichment of HDL occurred in alcohol consumers, whereas the ratios between other HDL components remained constant. Multivariate analysis revealed alcohol to have the foremost statistical influence on changes of the HDL fraction, followed by body mass index and physical activity level. The increased lipidation of HDL found in alcohol consumers might augment the antiatherogenic effect of HDL-CH increase. In addition, the phospholipid enrichment of HDL might reduce the inflammatory response of atherogenesis.