Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sub-nanosecond time-gated camera based on a novel current-assisted CMOS image sensor

Time-gated image sensors with (sub-)nanosecond gating times have already found applications in multiple different domains such as 3D Time-of-Flight cameras, Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) and Tomography. Commercial timegated cameras are based on Image intensified CCDs (ICCD). The photomultiplier tubes used in these ICCDs have a limited quantum efficiency in visible and a fortiori in Near-Infrared (NIR). Furthermore, they are expensive, bulky, fragile and need high voltages to operate. We propose a time-gated camera based on the Current-Assisted Photonic Sampler (CAPS) which integrates the gating mechanism inside a silicon-based pixel without the need for photomultipliers. Due to particular pixel design, sub-nanosecond gating can be achieved while still attaining high quantum-efficiency even in NIR. A first proof-of-concept camera is demonstrated in this paper based on a 32x32-pixel CAPS array with specific timing circuitry to achieve precise and accurate high-resolution sensor gating. Quantitative results about the performance of the camera, such as gating speed and quantum efficiency will be presented and discussed. The cameras capabilities are demonstrated in two experimental setups. The first one: imaging a laser pulse traveling at the speed of light along the field of view. The second setup: making fluorescence lifetime images of two cuvettes containing fluorescent solutions with distinct lifetimes.
Validation of the isovolumetric relaxation time for the estimation of pulmonary systolic arterial blood pressure in chronic pulmonary hypertension.

AIMS Transthoracic echocardiography is a useful technique for non-invasive detection of pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP). Isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) measured by Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) is a sensitive measurement of changes in pulmonary vasculature. Our aim was to validate IVRT in the echocardiographic assessment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied 196 PH patients (67% women, mean age 51.8 ± 16.6 years, mean PASP: 81 ± 24 mmHg) and 37 consecutive age- and sex-matched controls (58% women, mean age 44.7 ± 16.4 years, mean PASP 27.7 ± 5.5 mmHg). The estimation of PASP was derived from tricuspid regurgitation velocity according to the Bernoulli equation. The measurement of IVRT was calculated using pulsed tissue Doppler. In the PH group and in the healthy volunteers group (P < 0.0001), the average IVRT was 113.4 ± 28.5 ms [95% confidence interval (CI): 109-117] and 41 ± 12.5 ms (95% CI: 37-45), respectively. We found a strong correlation between IVRT and systolic pulmonary pressure in the PH group (r = 0.52, P < 0.0001) and a cut-off of 75 ms showed a sensitivity and specificity of 94% and 97%, respectively, for the prediction of elevated PASP. CONCLUSION The determination of IVRT by DTI is a simple and reproducible method that correlates well with PASP. It is, therefore, a parameter to consider in the echocardiographic assessment of patients with PH, and may be particularly important when the tricuspid Doppler signal is poor.
Polymer - Carbon nanotube composites for thermoelectric applications

The thermoelectric (TE) performance of electrically conductive thermoplastic composites prepared by melt mixing was investigated. A cost effective widely used in industry polymer, namely polypropylene (PP), was chosen as the matrix to fabricate the composites. Singlewalled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), the amount (2 wt%) of which was selected to be above the electrical percolation threshold (< 0.2 wt%), were used to form an electrical conducting network. Besides as-produced SWCNTs plasma modified tubes were employed to study the influence of the functionalization on the morphology, dispersion and TE properties of the PP composites. In addition, melt processing conditions, e.g. temperature, rotation speed, and time during mixing in a small-scale compounder were varied. Furthermore, an ionic liquid (IL, 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) was used as a processing additive during melt mixing, which was confirmed to improve the electrical conductivity of the composites. Simultaneous increase in the Se.
Resveratrol regulates oxidative biomarkers and antioxidant enzymes in the brain of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract Context: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the progression of pathogenesis in diabetes mellitus and leads to a variety of deformations in the central nervous system. Recent studies have provided several insights on therapeutic uses of resveratrol in diabetic complications. Objective: The present study determines if resveratrol ameliorates oxidative stress and molecular changes in the brain frontal cortex of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Materials and methods: Rats were divided into four groups: control, diabetic, resveratrol-treated control, and resveratrol-treated diabetic. After diabetes induction, resveratrol (20 mg/kg) was given intraperitoneally once daily for 4 weeks. In addition to enzymatic activities, gene and protein expression of brain antioxidant enzymes were utilized by qRT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Results: The results indicated a significant elevation in total oxidant species (1.22-fold) and malonedialdehyde (1.38-fold) contents in diabetic rat brain cortex tissues. In addition, significant augmentation in the activities of catalase (1.38-fold) and superoxide dismutase (3-fold) was witnessed with the gene and protein expression levels reflecting a transcriptional regulation. Resveratrol treatment significantly normalized diabetic malonedialdehyde and oxidized glutathione levels and strengthens the action of all antioxidant enzymes. Recovery of the diabetes-associated changes reflects the reduction of oxidative conditions by resveratrol and reveals the decrease in the requirement for the activation of antioxidant defense systems in the brain tissues of diabetic rats. Discussion and conclusion: Potent antioxidant and neuroprotective properties of resveratrol against diabetes-induced oxidative damage were demonstrated and the results support the conduct of new studies searching for the molecular mechanism of diabetes-induced changes in brain tissues.
Symphony of rhythms in the Xenopus laevis retina

The photoreceptor layer in the retina of Xenopus laevis harbors a circadian clock. Many molecular components known to drive the molecular clock in other organisms have been identified in Xenopus, such as XClock, Xper2, and Xcrys, demonstrating phylogenetic conservation. This model system displays a wide array of rhythms, including melatonin release, ERG rhythms, and retinomotor movements, suggesting that the ocular clock is important for proper retinal function. A flow‐through culture system allows measurements of retinal rhythms such as melatonin release in vitro over time from a single eyecup. This system is suited for pharmacological perturbations of the clock, and has led to important observations regarding the circadian control of melatonin release, the roles of light and dopamine as entraining agents, and the circadian mechanisms regulating retinomotor movements. The development of a transgenic technique in Xenopus allows precise and reliable molecular perturbations. Since it is possible to follow rhythms in eyecups obtained from adults or tadpoles, the combination of the flow‐through culture system and the transgenic technique leads to the fast generation of transgenic tadpoles to monitor the effects of molecular perturbations on the clock. Microsc. Res. Tech. 50:360–372, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
OVERVIEW ON THE CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN HUNGARY

Objectives: Our objectives were to assess the current implementation of health technology assessment (HTA) in Hungary and to identify country-specific patterns of challenges and potential improvements. Methods: We applied a structure that can be used to create HTA implementation roadmaps to evaluate various issues regarding HTA implementation. A comprehensive description of the Hungarian HTA system is presented according to relevant literature and experiences of the authors. Results: By investigating eight components of HTA implementation, we identified the most important strengths and weaknesses of the Hungarian system. More specifically, we were mainly focusing on the emergence of HTA capacity, the establishment and current role of Department of HTA, the complex process of decision making, the quality elements developed in the near past, and the activity of Hungarian experts at international collaborations. Conclusions: We concluded that there is a sophisticated methodological and educational basis for HTA in Hungary. A permanent focus on capacity building and changes to the reimbursement procedure can further improve transparency and the scientific basis of decision making in the country.
Antipsychotic use in a first episode psychosis program

Objective. To conduct a naturalistic, longitudinal study of prescribing patterns of atypical neuroleptics in predominantly drug-naïve first episode non-affective psychosis patients. Methods. Patients with a first episode psychosis were prescribed an antipsychotic as part of a clinical protocol and followed-up for 2 years. Comparisons were made between risperidone and olanzapine, the two most commonly prescribed antipsychotics. Socio-demographic variables and clinical characteristics such as diagnosis, duration of untreated illness and psychosis and level of positive and negative symptoms were assessed using well-established methods. We examined the first antipsychotic given, starting dose, time taken to start and to reach the maximum dose, time on first medication, maximum dose, medication change and concomitant medication use. Results. One hundred and ninety-three consecutive patients consented to start on antipsychotic. The results are provided for risperidone (N = 133) and olanzapine (N=38). The time to initiate antipsychotic medications was significantly longer for outpatients than inpatients. There were no differences between the two groups for time taken to reach the maximum dose, drop out rates or concomitant medication use. The percentage of patients taking an antipsychotic agent at any given time was high (range 79–91%), but half of the patients had changed from their first antipsychotic by 6 months. Conclusions: The reality of clinical practice can be much different than rigid protocols or treatment algorithms of pre-marketing studies or clinical trials. In this sample of first episode psychosis patients, although the majority of patients remained on an antipsychotic, changes in medication over the first 2 years were common. Polypharmacy was not a common practice.
Difficulty-dependent trajectory planning during target-reaching movements

This study explored how the difficulty of a task influenced motor control during target-reaching movements. During the experiment, twelve healthy subjects were recruited to perform target-reaching tasks with three different target sizes over three distances as quickly and accurately as possible using their index fingers. There were nine levels of difficulty of the tasks, with a combination of three target sizes and three distances, and the difficulty of the tasks could be measured by Fitts' law in terms of the index of difficulty (ID). The kinematic variables to represent movement performance were peak velocity (Vpeak), percentage time to peak velocity (PTPV), normalized jerk score (NJS) and fApEn (fuzzy approximate entropy). The results showed both distance and target size significantly influenced these parameters with the exception of the effect of the target size on Vpeak. Vpeak and fApEn were only linearly related to the ID when the individual target size across movement distances was considered. And a linear relationship between PTPV or NJS and ID was found. The increase in the difficulty of the task could lead to a shift from feedforward to feedback control by the central nerve system. The findings in this study contribute to an understanding of the underlying motor control during target reaching movements and can be applied as a quantitative method of evaluation in the clinic in the future.
Automatic Detection of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Using Speech Signals

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder associated with anatomical abnormalities of the upper airways that affects 5% of the population. Acoustic parameters may be influenced by the vocal tract structure and soft tissue properties. We hypothesize that speech signal properties of OSA patients will be different than those of control subjects not having OSA. Using speech signal processing techniques, we explored acoustic speech features of 93 subjects who were recorded using a text-dependent speech protocol and a digital audio recorder immediately prior to polysomnography study. Following analysis of the study, subjects were divided into OSA ( n = 67) and non-OSA (n = 26) groups. A Gaussian mixture model-based system was developed to model and classify between the groups; discriminative features such as vocal tract length and linear prediction coefficients were selected using feature selection technique. Specificity and sensitivity of 83% and 79% were achieved for the male OSA and 86% and 84% for the female OSA patients, respectively. We conclude that acoustic features from speech signals during wakefulness can detect OSA patients with good specificity and sensitivity. Such a system can be used as a basis for future development of a tool for OSA screening.
Meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluating left ventricular vs. biventricular pacing in heart failure: effect on all‐cause mortality and hospitalizations

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed that biventricular (BiV) pacing reduces heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and mortality in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III–IV HF, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and wide QRS. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the RCTs comparing LV‐only vs. biventricular (BiV) pacing in candidates for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).
Dual classification of tympanoplasty

In order to understand the limitations imposed by middle ear pathology encountered in tympanoplasty and to compare statistically postoperative results of the various techniques used, a classification of cases is required. Until recently attempts to represent adequately each case in a classification seemed impossible because of the large number of variables to be considered; however, the variables can be included in two broad groups: one group represents the pathology of the conductive mechanism in the middle ear. This relates directly to the type of reconstruction possible and the degree of hearing improvement expected. The second group of variables relates to middle ear infection. Long lasting good hearing depends on a stable postoperative ear, free of infection. This classification is valuable as a guide for evaluating and grading of the pre‐operative ear with respect to the chances for obtaining a postoperative, stable ear free of infection. A dual classification is, therefore, proposed, representing the major variable factors which are basic to all cases and significantly influence the results obtained in tympanoplasty.
Contact inspection of Si nanowire with SEM voltage contrast

A methodology to evaluate the electrical contact between nanowire (NW) and source/drain (SD) in NW FETs was investigated with SEM voltage contrast (VC). The electrical defects were robustly detected by VC. The validity of the inspection result was verified by TEM physical observations. Moreover, estimation of the parasitic resistance and capacitance was achieved from the quantitative analysis of VC images which were acquired with different scan conditions of electron beam (EB). A model considering the dynamics of EB-induce charging was proposed to calculate the VC. The resistance and capacitance can be determined by comparing the model-based VC with experimentally obtained VC. Quantitative estimation of resistance and capacitance would be valuable not only for more accurate inspection, but also for identification of the defect point.
Succinct indexable dictionaries with applications to encoding k-ary trees, prefix sums and multisets

We consider the indexable dictionary problem, which consists of storing a set S ⊆ {0,…,m − 1} for some integer m while supporting the operations of rank(x), which returns the number of elements in S that are less than x if x ∈ S, and −1 otherwise; and select(i), which returns the ith smallest element in S. We give a data structure that supports both operations in O(1) time on the RAM model and requires B(n, m) + o(n) + O(lg lg m) bits to store a set of size n, where B(n, m) = ⌊lg (m/n)⌋ is the minimum number of bits required to store any n-element subset from a universe of size m. Previous dictionaries taking this space only supported (yes/no) membership queries in O(1) time. In the cell probe model we can remove the O(lg lg m) additive term in the space bound, answering a question raised by Fich and Miltersen [1995] and Pagh [2001]. We present extensions and applications of our indexable dictionary data structure, including: —an information-theoretically optimal representation of a k-ary cardinal tree that supports standard operations in constant time; —a representation of a multiset of size n from {0,…,m − 1} in B(n, m + n) + o(n) bits that supports (appropriate generalizations of) rank and select operations in constant time; and + O(lg lg m) —a representation of a sequence of n nonnegative integers summing up to m in B(n, m + n) + o(n) bits that supports prefix sum queries in constant time.
Salvage of Long-Term Central Venous Catheters During an Outbreak of Pseudomonas putida and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Infections Associated With Contaminated Heparin Catheter-Lock Solution

Objective. To describe the management of patients with long-term central venous catheters (CVCs) during an outbreak of infection due to Pseudomonas putida and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia associated with contaminated heparin catheter-lock solution. Design. Descriptive study. Setting. Private, 250-bed tertiary-care hospital. Methods. In March 2003, we identified 2 febrile cancer patients with P. putida bacteremia. Over 2 days, 7 cases of bacteremia were identified; lots of syringes prefilled with heparin catheter-lock solution, supplied by a compounding pharmacy, were recalled and samples were cultured. More cases of bacteremia appeared during the following days, and any patient who had had a catheter lock infused with the suspect solution was asked to provide blood samples for culture, even if the patient was asymptomatic. Isolates that were recovered from culture were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Antimicrobial salvage treatment of long-term CVCs was attempted. Results. A total of 154 patients had had their catheter lock infused with solution from the lots that were suspected of being contaminated. Only 48 of these patients had CVCs. By day 7 of the outbreak, 18 of these patients had become symptomatic. Twenty-six of the remaining 30 asymptomatic patients then also provided blood samples for culture, 10 of whom developed fever shortly after samples were collected. Thirty-two patients were identified who had P. putida bacteremia; 9 also had infection due to S. maltophilia. Samples from 1 of the 3 lots of prefilled syringes in use at the time of the outbreak also grew P. putida on culture. Molecular typing identified 3 different clones of P. putida from patients and heparin catheter-lock solution, and 1 clone of S. maltophilia. A total of 27 patients received antimicrobial therapy regimens, some of which included decontamination of the catheter lock with anti-infective lock solution. Of 27 patients, 19 (70%) retained their long-term CVC during the 6-month follow-up period. Conclusions. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest prospective experiences in the management of bloodstream infection associated with long-term CVCs. The infections were caused by gram-negative bacilli and were managed without catheter removal, with a high response rate. We emphasize the risks of using intravenous formulations of medications supplied by compounding pharmacies that produce large quantities of drugs.
Processing of visual semantic information to concrete words: temporal dynamics and neural mechanisms indicated by event-related brain potentials

Event-related brain potentials were used to study the retrieval of visual semantic information to concrete words, and to investigate possible structural overlap between visual object working memory and concreteness effects in word processing. Subjects performed an object working memory task that involved 5 s retention of simple 4-angled polygons (load 1), complex 10-angled polygons (load 2), and a no-load baseline condition. During the polygon retention interval subjects were presented with a lexical decision task to auditory presented concrete (imageable) and abstract (nonimageable) words, and pseudowords. ERP results are consistent with the use of object working memory for the visualisation of concrete words. Our data indicate a two-step processing model of visual semantics in which visual descriptive information of concrete words is first encoded in semantic memory (indicated by an anterior N400 and posterior occipital positivity), and is subsequently visualised via the network for object working memory (reflected by a left frontal positive slow wave and a bilateral occipital slow wave negativity). Results are discussed in the light of contemporary models of semantic memory.
Oro-dental mucoadhesive proniosomal gel formulation loaded with lornoxicam for management of dental pain

Abstract Oro-dental diseases are generally associated with pain that is controlled using oral tablets containing NSAIDs. Lornoxicam, a relatively new NSAID, is effective in relieving pain accompanying different oro-dental problems. The aim of the current research is to prepare oro-dental analgesic and anti-inflammatory gel using provesicular approach to deliver lornoxicam directly to the site of action in the oral cavity. Local administration of lornoxicam is expected to be superior to systemic delivery in pain relieving and poses less GIT adverse effects. Different surfactants were utilized to prepare the proniosomal gels that rapidly transform into nano-sized niosomes after hydration with the oral saliva. The effect of the surfactant structure on vesicles size distribution and entrapment efficiency percentage (EE%) was investigated. The proniosomal formulations were incorporated into carbopol hydrogels that were characterized regarding rheological and mucoadhesion properties. Moreover, ex-vivo mucosal membrane permeation studies were conducted for selected proniosomal gels to quantify the permeation parameters and assess the amount of drug deposited within the oral mucosa. Results revealed that mucoadhesive proniosomes formulation prepared using Span 60 was optimal as it was nano-sized and also showed the highest EE%. The transmucosal flux of lornoxicam, from these proniosomal formulations, across the oral mucosa was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than lornoxicam containing carbopol gel and the percent drug diffused increased more than twofolds. The results collectively suggest that the mucoadhesive proniosomal gels can be assertively considered as a promising carrier for transmucosal delivery of lornoxicam into the oral cavity.