Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Marker-Free Optical Stereo Motion Tracking for In-Bore MRI and PET-MRI Application.

PURPOSE Prospective motion correction is arguably the 'silver bullet' solution for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies impacted by motion, applicable to almost any pulse sequence and immune from the spin history artifacts introduced by a moving object. In prospective motion correction, the magnetic field gradients and radio frequency waveforms are adjusted in real time in response to measured head motion so as to maintain the head in a stationary reference frame relative to the scanner. Vital for this approach are accurate and rapidly sampled head pose measurements, which may be obtained optically using cameras. However, most optical methods are limited by the need to attach physical markers to the skin, which leads to decoupling of head and marker motion and reduces the effectiveness of correction. In this work we investigate the feasibility and initial performance of a stereo optical motion tracking method which does not require any attached markers. METHODS The method relies on detecting distinctive natural features or amplified features (using skin stamps) directly on the forehead in multiple camera views, and then deriving pose estimates via a 3D-2D registration between the skin features and a database of forehead landmarks. To demonstrate the feasibility and potential accuracy of the marker-free method for discrete (step-wise) head motion, we performed out-of-bore and in-bore experiments using robotically and manually controlled phantoms in addition to in-bore testing on human volunteers. We also developed a convenient out-of-bore test bed to benchmark and optimize the motion tracking performance. RESULTS For out-of-bore phantom tests, the pose estimation accuracy (compared to robotic ground-truth) was 0.14 mm and 0.23 degrees for incremental translation and rotation, respectively. For arbitrary motion, the pose accuracy obtained using the smallest forehead feature patch was equivalent to 0.21 ± 0.11 mm positional accuracy in the striatum. For in-bore phantom experiments, the accuracy of rigid-body motion parameters (compared to wireless MR-sensitive markers) was 0.08-0.41 ± 0.18 mm / 0.05-0.3 ± 0.12 degrees and 0.14-0.16 ± 0.12 mm / 0.08-0.17 ± 0.08 degrees for the small and large feature patches, respectively. In vivo results in human volunteers indicated sub-millimeter and sub-degree pose accuracy for all rotations and translations except the depth direction (max error 1.8 mm) when compared to a registration-based approach. CONCLUSIONS In both bench-top and in vivo experiments we demonstrate the feasibility of using very small feature patches directly on the skin to obtain high accuracy head pose measurements needed for motion-correction in MRI brain studies. The optical technique uses in-bore cameras and is consistent with the limited visibility of the forehead afforded by head coils used in brain imaging. Future work will focus on optimization of the technique and demonstration in prospective motion correction.
What makes a major change of wildlife management policy possible? Institutional analysis of Polish wolf governance

Poland was one of the first countries of Central and Eastern Europe with stable wolf populations to effectively introduce year-round protection of the species. This paper traces the process of policy change using institutional theory as an organizational perspective. Based on the analysis of data from desk research and semi-structured interviews, we propose a model of institutional change and argue that in the 1990s, environmental activists and wildlife biologists successfully used a political window of opportunity connected with socio-economic transformation after 1989 and managed to induce the government to move the species from the domain of hunting to the domain of nature conservation. The new policy, informed by an ecological paradigm, diverged from the historical path dominated by hunters and the vision of the wolf as a pest and a hunting target. The improved protection led to the numerical growth of Poland's wolves and ultimately to their westward expansion.
In Vitro Study on Bone Heating during Drilling of the Implant Site: Material, Design and Wear of the Surgical Drill

Objective: An in vitro study was made to compare mean thermal variation according to the material, design and wear of the surgical drills used during dental implant site preparation. Material and methods: Three study groups (stainless steel drills with straight blades; diamond-like carbon-coated drills with straight blades; and diamond-like carbon-coated drills with twisted blades) were tested to compare material, design and wear of the surgical drill in terms of overall mean values (complete sequence of drills) and specific mean values (each drill separately). The groups comprised four drills: initial, pilot, progressive and final drill. Implant site configuration was performed through an intermittent and gradual drilling technique without irrigation at 800 rpm in standardized synthetic blocks. Maximum axial loading of two kilograms was controlled by an automatic press. Each surgical drill was submitted to 50 drillings and was sterilized every five uses. A thermographic camera analyzed the mean thermal changes. The software-controlled automatic press kept systematic drilling, axial loading and operational speed constant without any human intervention. Student’s t-test, ANOVA and multiple linear regression models were performed. The level of significance was 5% (p = 0.05). Results: The overall mean comparison between the stainless steel and diamond-like carbon-coated materials showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05), though specific mean comparison showed statistically significant differences between the drills of the different groups (p < 0.05). The twisted blades exhibited less overall and specific mean thermal variation than straight blades for the progressive and final drills (p < 0.01). In addition, the initial and pilot drills showed a greater mean thermal change than the progressive and final drills. The mean thermal variation was seen to increase during the 50 drillings. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that the drill material did not significantly influence the overall mean thermal variation except for the pilot drill. The drill design affected overall and specific mean thermal variation since the twisted blades heated less than the straight blades. The initial and pilot drills increased the specific mean thermal variation with respect to the progressive and final drills. In addition, all drills in each group produced a gradual increase in mean temperature during the 50 drillings.
Review: Sex-Specific Aspects in the Bariatric Treatment of Severely Obese Women

This systematic literature review aims to point out sex-specific special features that are important in the bariatric treatment of women suffering from severe obesity. A systematic literature search was carried out according to Cochrane and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. After the literature selection, the following categories were determined: sexuality and sexual function; contraception; fertility; sex hormones and polycystic ovary syndrome; menopause and osteoporosis; pregnancy and breastfeeding; pelvic floor disorders and urinary incontinence; female-specific cancer; and metabolism, outcome, and quality of life. For each category, the current status of research is illuminated and implications for bariatric treatment are determined. A summary that includes key messages is given for each subsection. An overall result of this paper is an understanding that sex-specific risks that follow or result from bariatric surgery should be considered more in aftercare. In order to increase the evidence, further research focusing on sex-specific differences in the outcome of bariatric surgery and promising treatment approaches to female-specific diseases is needed. Nevertheless, bariatric surgery shows good potential in the treatment of sex-specific aspects for severely obese women that goes far beyond mere weight loss and reduction of metabolic risks.
Association between Daily Living Walking Speed and Walking Speed in Laboratory Settings in Healthy Older Adults

Although there is evidence on the predictors of adverse health outcomes in older individuals, walking speed has typically been measured in laboratory settings (LWS); LWS may be distinct from individuals’ actual walking speed in their daily lives (DWS). We examined whether DWS differs from LWS among older adults, and its association with physical frailty. Participants were 90 community-dwelling older adults. A five-meter normal (LWSnor) and maximum (LWSmax) walking speed was measured with a stopwatch. DWS was measured using a global positioning system-related smartphone application for one month during their daily lives. DWSavr, DWSmax, and DWSsd were defined as the average, maximum, and standard deviation of walking speed for one month. Participants’ mean DWSavr and DWSmax were 1.28 m/s and 2.14 m/s, respectively, significantly slower than the mean LWSnor (1.42 m/s) and LWSmax (2.24 m/s); the intraclass correlation coefficient between DWS and LWS were 0.188 to 0.341. DWS was significantly correlated with grip strength, one-legged stance, and LWS. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of DWSsd concerning pre-frailty was largest among DWSs, at 0.615, while that of LWSnor was 0.643. The findings suggest that DWS differs from LWS and is associated with physical function and pre-frailty.
Enhancement of alcohol aversion by the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor drug sazetidine-A

The prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) has steadily increased in the United States over the last 30 years. Alcohol acts on multiple receptor systems including the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are known to mediate alcohol consumption and reward. We previously reported that the preclinical drug sazetidine-A, a nAChR agonist, reduces alcohol consumption without affecting nicotine consumption in C57BL/6J mice. Here, we found that sazetidine-A enhances the expression of alcohol aversion without affecting the expression or acquisition of conditioned alcohol reward in C57BL/6J mice. Microinjection of sazetidine-A into the ventral midbrain targeting the ventral tegmental area (VTA) reduced binge alcohol consumption, implicating the neurocircuitries in this region in mediating the effects of sazetidine-A. Furthermore, sazetidine-A-induced reduction in alcohol consumption was mediated by non-α4 containing nAChRs, as sazetidine-A reduced binge alcohol consumption in both α4 knock-out and wild-type mice. Finally, we found that in mice pre-treated with sazetidine-A, alcohol induced Fos transcript within Th-expressing but not Gad2-expressing neurons in the VTA as measured by increased Fos transcript expression. In summary, we find that sazetidine-A acts on non-α4 nAChRs to enhance the expression of alcohol aversion, which may underlie the reduction in alcohol consumption induced by sazetidine-A. Elucidating the identity of non-α4 nAChRs in alcohol aversion mechanisms will provide a better understanding the complex role of nAChRs in alcohol addiction and potentially reveal novel drug targets to treat AUDs.
Fear of the Relapse: Effect of Composite Type on Adhesion Efficacy of Upper and Lower Orthodontic Fixed Retainers: In Vitro Investigation and Randomized Clinical Trial

The aim of this laboratory and clinical study is to determine the reliability of the flowable nanocomposite Filtek Supreme XTE (FL) for the adhesion of orthodontic retainers, compared to highly filled orthodontic resin Transbond XT (XT). Portions of a round section multistranded wire (Ortosmail Krugg) were bonded to 40 bovine incisors with Scotchbond Universal in total-etch modality. For group one (XT, 20 samples), the orthodontic resin was used, whereas in group two (FL, 20 samples), the flowable one. Specimens were placed into a universal testing machine which applied a shear force on retainers with a crosshead speed of one/minute. Shear bond strength (SBS) and adhesive remnant index (ARI) scores were calculated. In the clinical trial, 100 patients requiring a canine-to-canine palatal and lingual retainer were randomly divided into two groups, according to the resin used for bonding procedure: the orthodontic in group one (XT, 50 participants) and the flowable in group two (FL, 50 participants). Monthly visits were carried out over a 24-month follow up to assess any detachment occurring on teeth of both arches. All data were submitted to statistical analysis. In vitro, FL reported a significant lower mean SBS, whereas no significant differences in ARI were reported between the two groups which both showed a major frequency of scores “1” and “2”. At the end of the 24-month follow up, FL reported significantly higher failure rates in both arches besides a significantly lower survival rate starting from the sixth month after retainers bonding. According to the results assessed in vitro and clinically, XT would be preferable to FL when performing retainers bonding procedure.
Correlation between IRC7 gene expression and 4‐mercapto‐4‐methylpentan‐2‐one production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Volatile thiols are not present in must but are synthesized and released by wine yeasts during alcoholic fermentation. In this study, autochthonous and commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were characterized for the expression of the main genes involved in thiols metabolism and their production in wine. New primer sets were developed on the basis of the S288c genome to evaluate the expression of Cys3, Cys4, MET17 and IRC7 genes. Obtained data revealed the occurrence of some thiols, for example, 4‐mercapto‐4‐methylpentan‐2‐one (4‐MMP) and 3‐mercaptohexan‐1‐ol (3‐MH) in Pecorino white wine. All genes were upregulated, but only for IRC7 was found a correlation with 4‐MMP release: strains with the highest production showed the highest transcription level. IRC7 gene could be proposed as target for the selection of S. cerevisiae strains to increase thiols content in wine.
Chiquimato desidrogenase de Mycobacterium tuberculosis : mecanismos cinético e químico de enzima recombinante

The increasing prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB, and the devastating effect of coinfection with HIV have highlighted the urgent need for the development of new antimycobacterial agents. Analysis of the complete genome sequence of M. tuberculosis H37Rv shows the presence of genes involved in the aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathway, the shikimate pathway, and experimental evidence showed that this pathway is essential for M. tuberculosis and it is absent in humans. The gene products that are essential for the growth of the microorganisms make them attractive drug targets since inhibiting their function may kill the bacilli. Our group has previously reported the cloning of M. tuberculosis aroE gene and the expression of the product in the soluble form, the shikimate dehydrogenase (MtbSD) enzyme, that catalysis the fourth reaction in the shikimate pathway. Currently, in the first manuscript “Functional shikimate dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv: purification and characterization”, we present the purification of soluble and active MtbSD, N-terminal sequencing, mass spectrometry, assessment of the oligomeric state by gel filtration chromatography, thermal stability, determination of apparent steady-state kinetic parameters for both forward and reverse directions, apparent equilibrium constant, and energy of activation for the enzyme-catalyzed chemical reaction. In the second manuscript “Shikimate Dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv: Kinetic and Chemical Mechanisms”, we describe the kinetic mechanism, initial velocity patterns in the forward direction, product inhibition studies, primary deuterium kinetic isotope effects, solvent kinetic isotope effects, multiple isotope effects, proton inventory, pH rate profile and the MtbSD 3D structure obtained in silicon by homology modeling. These results should be useful as a solid base for structural and kinetic studies, which can aid in the rational design of inhibitors to be tested as antimycobacterial agents.
Investigation of potential adverse central nervous system effects after long term oral administration of gadolinium in mice

Objectives To examine potential gadolinium (Gd) accumulation in the brain of healthy mice after long-term oral administration of Gd-containing food pellets and to investigate whether Gd leads to adverse central nervous system (CNS) effects, specifically focussing on locomotor impairment in Gd exposed compared to control animals. Materials and methods The local Animal Experimental Ethics Committee approved all procedures and applications. Fifteen female C57Bl/6 mice were orally exposed to a daily intake of 0.57 mmol Gd chloride/ kg body weight over a period of 90 weeks from the age of 4 weeks on. Gd-free, but otherwise equivalent experimental diets were given to the control group (N = 13). The animals were monitored daily by animal caretakers regarding any visible signs of distress and evaluated clinically every four weeks for the first 60 weeks and afterwards every two weeks for a better temporal resolution of potential long-term effects regarding impairment of motor performance and loss of body weight. The individual Gd content was measured using mass spectrometry in a sub-cohort of N = 6 mice. Results The absolute brain Gd levels of the Gd-exposed mice were significantly increased compared to control mice (0.033± 0.009 vs. 0.006± 0.002 nmol Gd/ g brain tissue). Long-term oral Gd exposure over almost the entire life-span did not lead to adverse CNS effects including locomotor changes (rotarod performance, p = 0.1467) in healthy mice throughout the study period. Gd-exposed mice showed less increased body weight compared to control mice during the study period (p = 0.0423). Histopathological alterations, such as hepatocellular vacuolization due to fatty change in the liver and a loss of nucleated cells in the red pulp of the spleen, were found in peripheral organs of both groups. Conclusions Low levels of intracerebral Gd caused by chronic oral exposure over almost the entire life span of mice did not lead to alterations in locomotor abilities in healthy mice throughout the normal aging process.
Blooms of Toxic Cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena in Norwegian Fjords During Holocene Warm Periods

In paleoecological studies, molecular markers are being used increasingly often to reconstruct community structures, environmental conditions and ecosystem changes. In this work, nodularin, anabaenopeptins and selected DNA sequences were applied as Nodularia spumigena markers to reconstruct the history of the cyanobacterium in the Norwegian fjords. For the purpose of this study, three sediment cores collected in Oslofjorden, Trondheimsfjorden and Balsfjorden were analyzed. The lack of nodularin in most recent sediments is consistent with the fact that only one report on the sporadic occurrence and low amounts of the cyanobacterium in Norwegian Fjords in 1976 has been published. However, analyses of species-specific chemical markers in deep sediments showed that thousands of years ago, N. spumigena constituted an important component of the phytoplankton community. The content of the markers in the cores indicated that the biomass of the cyanobacterium increased during the warmer Holocene periods. The analyses of genetic markers were less conclusive; they showed the occurrence of microcystin/nodularin producing cyanobacteria of Nostocales order, but they did not allow for the identification of the organisms at a species level.
The prevalence of refractive error and visual impairment among New Zealand children in a community with significant socioeconomic disadvantage: is current preschool vision screening effective?

AIM To examine the prevalence of refractive error and visual impairment and evaluate the efficacy of B4 School Check (B4SC) vision screening, in a cohort of predominantly New Zealand Māori and Pacific children from a community with socioeconomic disadvantage. METHOD A cross-sectional investigation of children in the Welcome-to-School study. Participants received a comprehensive eye examination at six to seven years of age. Refractive error and amblyopia were identified and compared with B4SC vision screening results. RESULTS One-hundred and fourteen children were assessed: 21.9% Māori, 57.9% Pacific and 20.2% Other. Over 30% of children had significant refractive error. Eighty-nine percent received a B4SC; 26.3% of children who passed the B4SC had significant refractive error. Seven children (6.1%) had amblyopia risk factors: none passed the B4SC, four were referred, one was identified for rescreening and two were not screened. CONCLUSION Refractive errors were common in this cohort. For those screened, the B4SC was effective at identifying children with amblyopia risk factors but poor at detecting refractive errors potentially affecting academic performance. The efficacy of the programme was limited by the number of children screened, inequity of screening and the mismatch between the aims of the vision screening test and the overall rationale for the B4SC.