Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques in White Matter Disease: Potentials and Limitations

Objectives: Excellent soft tissue contrast, noninvasiveness, assessment of multiple structural and functional parameters, and absence of radiation are the essential properties of magnetic resonance imaging explaining why this modality is the technique of choice for the assessment of cerebral white matter (WM). Methods: The present review discusses various standard and advance magnetic resonance imaging techniques with respect to WM assessment in a clinical context. Techniques assessing predominantly structure are T2, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, echo-gradient T2*, and susceptibility weighted imaging. Techniques assessing a mix between structure and function are diffusion-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging to investigate WM tracts, magnetization transfer to assess bound and free water pool, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy investigating brain metabolites. Finally, functional techniques are perfusion-weighted imaging and perfusion reserve imaging to assess cerebral perfusion and cerebral perfusion reserve, respectively. Conclusions: Magnetic resonance imaging may assess various and complementary WM parameters. Because acquisition time is limited in the clinical setting, MR techniques must be adapted to the primary question asked. The basic imaging of WM might include axial T2, diffusion-weighted imaging, and coronal fluid-attenuated inversion recovery. This provides an excellent overview in a relatively short time and 2 imaging planes. The remaining MR techniques can add complementary information, for example, PWI/perfusion reserve imaging in vascular disease, T2*/susceptibility weighted imaging in degenerative disease (iron deposition) and head trauma (microbleeds), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (metabolic disease and neoplasm), magnetization transfer (demyelinating disease), and diffusion tensor imaging (degenerative diseases, presurgical evaluation).
Relationship Between Cu and Zn Extractable Foliar Contents and BCR Sequential Extraction in Soil Treated with Organic Amendments

The application of organic wastes to soils, such as municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) or treated urban sewage sludge (USS) is a current practice for maintaining soil organic matter, reclaiming degraded soils and supplying plant nutrients. Since USS and MSWC may contain organic contaminants, heavy metals or pathogens, this practice represents a potential problem to the environment. In the case of heavy metals both bioavailability and toxicity seems to be critically dependent on the chemical form of the element. In this work, a pot experiment was carried out with different levels of MSWC and USS, as well as an inorganic solution of Cu and Zn. The aim was to obtain information about their bioavailability, mobility and toxicity and correlation among the different soil extracted fractions (F1 - Exchangeable metal associated with carbonated phases, F2 - Reducible metal or associated with Fe and Mn oxides, F3 - Oxidizable metal bound to organic matter) with the Cu and Zn foliar (CuF and ZnF) and pseudo totals contents (CuPtotal and ZnPtotal), using the BCR sequential and aqua regia extraction procedure. Both of these methods were adequate to predict the Cu and Zn available to the plant, as high values on the CuF-CuΣ123, CuF-CuPtotal, ZnF-ZnΣ123 and ZnF-ZnPtotal correlations were verified. Copper bounded mainly to F3, while Zn bounded to F1, F2 and F3 fractions and the regression analysis revelled that Cu and Zn ryegrass absorption were made mainly on F1 and F3 for Cu and F1 for Zn.
Distributed H∞ control of multi-agent systems over randomly switching topologies

This paper considers the H∞ consensus control synthesized with transient performance problem for networked agents with linear or linearized dynamics subject to external disturbance. We assume the communication graph among these agents is switched subject to Markovian switching law. To solve this problem, we introduce the class of noble state-feedback controllers which solely requires the local information available to each agent. We also present the algorithm to design the distributed state-feedback controllers. The algorithm has the feature of decoupling the effect of the agent and controller dynamics on the consensus stability from that of the communication topology. At the end of this paper, we present a numerical simulation example to verify the theoretical results.
Assessment of liver function in primary biliary cirrhosis using Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MRI.

OBJECTIVES Gd-EOB-DTPA (gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) is a gadolinium-based hepatocyte-specific contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The aim of this study was to determine whether the hepatic uptake and excretion of Gd-EOB-DTPA differ between patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and healthy controls, and whether differences could be quantified. METHODS Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MRI was performed in 20 healthy volunteers and 12 patients with PBC. The uptake of Gd-EOB-DTPA was assessed using traditional semi-quantitative parameters (C(max) , T(max) and T(1/2) ), as well as model-free parameters derived after deconvolutional analysis (hepatic extraction fraction [HEF], input-relative blood flow [irBF] and mean transit time [MTT]). In each individual, all parameters were calculated for each liver segment and the median of the segmental values was used to define a global liver median (GLM). RESULTS Although the PBC patients had relatively mild disease according to their Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD), Child-Pugh and Mayo risk scores, they had significantly lower HEF and shorter MTT values compared with the healthy controls. These differences significantly increased with increasing MELD and Child-Pugh scores. CONCLUSIONS Dynamic hepatocyte-specific contrast-enhanced MRI (DHCE-MRI) has a potential role as an imaging-based liver function test. The high spatial resolution of MRI enables hepatic function to be assessed on segmental and sub-segmental levels.
Role of colony-stimulating factors in atherosclerosis

Purpose of review The varied effects of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) on monocytes and macrophages during inflammation and atherosclerosis and its clinical presentation prompt the question whether the differing effects of CSFs dictate macrophage function and disease progression. Recent findings CSFs can give rise to heterogeneous populations of monocyte-derived macrophages that are characterized by disparate expression of distinct molecules which dictate their ability to process lipid and regulate inflammatory and immune responses. The CSFs have been found within atherosclerotic plaques and in the circulation where their levels may act as predictive biomarkers of disease progression. Accordingly, differing exposure to these factors imparts divergent genomic signatures and functional properties on macrophages and may impact the multifactorial steps involved in atherogenesis, plaque progression and instability. Summary Great interest in macrophage heterogeneity in the genesis and progression of atherosclerosis has led to the search for consistent markers of specific subsets in both animal models and humans. A better understanding of the overlap and competition between CSF regulation of macrophage phenotypes is therefore warranted, to allow their characterization in plaques. Subsequent targeted genetic and pharmacological intervention will facilitate the generation of therapeutic approaches to halt the progression and rupture of advanced atherosclerotic plaques.
An Improved Reflectometric Method for Soil Moisture Measurement Exploiting an Innovative Triple-Short Calibration

Time-domain reflectometry (TDR) techniques have become increasingly attractive for soil moisture evaluation thanks to their adaptability, low cost, and measurement accuracy. Many different TDR-based approaches are currently available for deriving moisture content: empirical calibration curve, empirical dielectric models, frequency-dependent dielectric mixing models, etc. Generally, TDR soil moisture measurements resort to multiple-rod probes, which provide good adhesion to the soil and ease of insertion. However, the typical configuration of such probes does not allow performing a short-open-load (SOL) calibration procedure, which is definitely necessary for retrieving accurate dielectric characterization from TDR waveforms. To overcome the impracticability of the traditional SOL calibration, in this paper, an innovative triple-short calibration (TSC) procedure for commercially available three-rod probes is proposed. First, the robustness of the TSC procedure is validated on well-referenced liquids, demonstrating that its application to TDR measurements leads to a substantial enhancement of the final accuracy in the evaluation of the frequency-dependent reflection coefficient. Successively, the TSC procedure is applied to TDR measurements performed on moistened sand samples. In particular, it is demonstrated that the proposed TSC method, applied to traditional TDR measurements in combination with a dielectric mixing model, leads to an accurate and effective moisture evaluation procedure. This goal is reached through an efficient optimization algorithm that minimizes the difference between experimental and theoretical reflection coefficients. Results show that the proposed strategy is a suitable candidate for low-cost, highly accurate, and easy-to-perform moisture content estimation of soils.
The Infancy–Childhood Growth Spurt

ABSTRACT. Early normal human linear growth is unstable and oscillates owing to an increase in growth rate between 6 and 12 months of age. This defines the onset of the infancy‐childhood growth spurt (IC spurt). The onset is identical with the onset of the childhood component of the infancy‐childhood—puberty growth model. The IC spurt is completed when the infancy component of this model has virtually ceased, at around 3 years of age. Additional observations suggest that its onset represents the age at which growth hormone (GH) begins to regulate growth significantly. The negative impact of late onset of the IC spurt on attained height is illustrated and discussed. A delayed spurt is observed in 30—50% of children with growth‐related disorders and of infants living in a poor area of a developing country. The IC spurt is absent in children with GH deficiency who receive no hormonal therapy.
Inhibitory actions of laxatives on motility and water and electrolyte transport in the gastrointestinal tract.

Castor oil and magnesium sulfate were studied for their effects on gastrointestinal contractile activity in vivo. Ricinoleic acid, the active ingredient in castor oil, magnesium sulfate and mannitol were studied and compared for their effects on net water and electrolyte absorption in vitro. Extraluminal strain gauge transducers were implanted in dogs and used to monitor the circular smooth muscle activity of the antrum, duodenum, ileum and colon after water, castor oil or a 30 percent solution of magnesium sulfate. Substances were tested during the interdigestive (fasted) and digestive (fed) states. Decreases in total activity were found for both cathartics in the antrum and ileum. Further analysis revealed that decreases in the ileum occurred primarily by a decrease in contractile rate, whereas antral decreases could be attributed primarily to a decrease in force per contraction. Proximal colonic activity tended to decrease after laxatives and feeding. The effects of ricinoleic acid, isotonic and hypertonic solutions of magnesium sulfate and mannitol on net water and electrolyte absorption were tested on everted segments of hamster jejunum. Sodium ricinoleate (2.0 mM) reduced net water transport by 48 percent (P smaller than .01). Magnesium sulfate, like mannitol, only reduced net water absorption when present as a component of a hypertonic mucosal solution. The results suggest that both inhibition of water absorption and reduced circular smooth muscle activity may be important factors in castor oil- and magnesium sulfate-induced catharsis.
Fifty years of Weibel–Palade bodies: the discovery and early history of an enigmatic organelle of endothelial cells 1

Summary. In 1962, a rod‐shaped cytoplasmic organelle of endothelial cells, later called the Weibel–Palade body, was serendipitously discovered by electron microscopy. It contains a set of parallel tubules and is wrapped in a membrane. Subsequent studies in the following decades established the unique localization of this organelle in endothelial cells of all vertebrates studied, meaning that it could serve as a marker of endothelial cells in tissue cultures. However, these studies did not reveal its functional significance, except for an indication that it could be related to an undefined thromboplastic substance. Twenty years after its discovery as a structural entity, it was shown by others that it houses von Willebrand factor and is thus clearly related to the coagulation system. In this review, I provide a personal historical account of the discovery and the subsequent limited work that I carried out on the organelle, putting it in the perspective of the current state of knowledge after half a century of research by many scientists.
The Effect of Surface Treatment of Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses on the Attachment of Acanthamoeba castellanii Trophozoites

Objective: To determine if plasma surface treatment of Focus Night & Day silicone hydrogel contact lenses affects the attachment of Acanthamoeba. Methods: Unworn lotrafilcon A contact lenses with (Focus Night & Day) and without surface treatment and Acuvue, conventional hydrogel lenses, were quartered before 90-min incubation with Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites. After incubation and rinsing, the trophozoites attached to one surface of each quarter were counted by direct light microscopy. Sixteen replicates were observed for each lens type. Logarithmic transformation of data allowed the use of parametric analysis of variance. Results: No significant difference in attachment was established between the untreated lotrafilcon A and the conventional hydrogel lenses (P<0.001); however, surface treatment of the native Focus Night & Day material produced a significant increase in attachment (P<0.001). Conclusions: Commercially available Focus Night & Day lenses are subjected to a plasma surface treatment to reduce lens hydrophobicity; however, this procedure results in an enhanced acanthamoebal attachment. It is possible that the silicone hydrogel lens could be at a greater risk of promoting Acanthamoeba infection if exposed to the organism because of the enhanced attachment characteristic of this material. Eye care professionals should be aware of the enhanced affinity that Acanthamoeba show for this lens and accordingly emphasise to patients the significance of appropriate lens hygiene. This is particularly important where lenses are worn in a regime that could increase the chance of exposure to the organism, i.e., 6 nights/7 days extended wear or daily wear, where lenses will be stored in a lens case, or where lenses are worn when in contact with potentially contaminated water sources, i.e., swimming or showering.
Contesting the dominance of emotional labour in professional nursing.

PURPOSE The main intension of this paper is to challenge the dominance of emotional labour in professional nursing. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The article begins by evaluating the central conceptual and definitional aspects of emotional labour, emotion work and emotional work. The purpose of this discussion is to argue against the false public and private dichotomy that has plagued emotional labour and emotion work. Second, it is proposed that the central and helpful defining aspects of emotional labour and emotion work are Marx's concepts of exchange-value and use-value. These defining attributes are used in conjunction with other re-conceptualisations, which unite these terms in order to create more encompassing constructs that are useful for focusing on the waged and unwaged aspects of professional nurses' emotional work response behaviours. Finally, the use of emotional labour in professional nursing is contested on the grounds that the construct has limited theoretical and empirical utility for researching the complex nature of professional nurses' emotional work response behaviours. FINDINGS It is recommended that a more robust encompassing concept needs to be developed, which accurately reflects the nature and complexity of professional nurses' waged and unwaged emotional work response behaviours, as they are important overlooked facets of behaviour that can be theoretically related to professional nurses' contextual performance. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The paper provides a better understanding of professional nurses' emotional work response behaviours, which benefit nursing research and practice by drawing on other areas of theory and research.
Enhancing doctor-patient communication using email: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND The doctor-patient relationship has been eroded by many factors. Would e-mail enhance communication and address some of the barriers inherent to our medical practices? METHODS Of our study population, 4 physicians offered e-mail communication to participating patients and 4 did not. Both patients and physicians completed questionnaires regarding satisfaction, perceived quality, convenience, and promptness of the communication. RESULTS Patient satisfaction significantly increased in the e-mail group compared with the control group in the areas of convenience (P < .0001) and the amount of time spent contacting their physician (P < .0001). Physician satisfaction in the e-mail group increased regarding convenience, amount of time spent on messages, and volume of messages. The response time was longer with e-mail. When asked if patients should be able to e-mail their physicians, most patients in the e-mail group and all but 2 of the physicians in the non-e-mail group responded "yes. " CONCLUSION E-mail communication was found to be a more convenient form of communication. Satisfaction by both patients and physicians improved in the e-mail group. The volume of messages and the time spent answering messages for the e-mail group physicians was not increased. E-mail has the potential to improve the doctor-patient relationship as a result of better communication.
Spermiogenesis in the bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus): A study of cytoplasmic events including cell volume changes and cytoplasmic elimination

The process involved in the reduction of both nuclear and cytoplasmic volume was investigated in the bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), a teleost fish. Young spermatids contained centrally positioned nuclei which, with time, moved toward the cell surface to become eccentrically positioned. Chromatin condensation was initiated from a region near the implantation fossa, whereas at the opposite pole of the nucleus an area sparse in heterochromatin (clear area) was noted. The nuclear membrane lying adjacent to the clear area dissolved and subsequently reformed, yielding a nucleus with a reduced volume. During this process, packets of cytoplasm surrounded by a double membrane were formed along the future midpiece. The packets of cytoplasm migrated toward the cell surface, protruded from the surface, and were extruded into the spermatocyst lumen. These structures, termed residual bodies, were subsequently endocytosed, accumulated into large phagocytic vocuoles, and eventually degraded by the nearby Sertoli cell. When the spermatocyst ruptured, spermatozoa containing sparse cytoplasm were released into the excurrent duct system. During spermiogenesis, both the nuclear and cytoplasmic volumes decreased substantially (80%, 92% respectively) leading to an overall 87% reduction in total cell volume.
The Cytoskeleton Regulatory Protein hMena (ENAH) Is Overexpressed in Human Benign Breast Lesions with High Risk of Transformation and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2–Positive/Hormonal Receptor–Negative Tumors

Purpose: hMena (ENAH), a cytoskeleton regulatory protein involved in the regulation of cell motility and adhesion, is overexpressed in breast cancer. The aim of this study was to define at what stage of breast carcinogenesis hMena is overexpressed and to correlate hMena overexpression with established prognostic factors in breast cancer, focusing on human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2). Experimental Design: hMena expression was assessed immunohistochemically in a prospective cohort of cases (n = 360) encompassing a highly representative spectrum of benign breast diseases associated with different risk of transformation, in situ, invasive, and metastatic tumors. Correlations with conventional pathologic and prognostic variables, such as proliferation index, hormonal receptor status, and HER-2 overexpression, were also evaluated. In vitro experiments were done to study the effect of neuregulin-1 and Herceptin treatments on hMena expression. Results: hMena protein is undetectable in normal breast and is weakly expressed in a small percentage of low-risk benign diseases (9%), but displays a progressive and significant increase of positivity in benign lesions at higher risk of transformation (slightly increased risk 43%; moderate increased risk 67%), in in situ (72%), invasive (93%), and metastatic breast cancer (91%). A significant direct correlation with tumor size (P = 0.04), proliferation index (P < 0.0001), and HER-2 overexpression (P < 0.0001) and an inverse relationship with estrogen (P = 0.036) and progesterone receptors (P = 0.001) are found in invasive carcinomas. In vitro experiments show that neuregulin-1 up-regulates, whereas Herceptin down-regulates, hMena expression. Conclusions: Our data provide new insights into the relevance of actin-binding proteins in human breast carcinogenesis and indicate hMena overexpression as a surrogate indicator in breast disease management.
A Novel, Potent, and Selective Inhibitor of Cardiac Late Sodium Current Suppresses Experimental Arrhythmias

Inhibition of cardiac late sodium current (late INa) is a strategy to suppress arrhythmias and sodium-dependent calcium overload associated with myocardial ischemia and heart failure. Current inhibitors of late INa are unselective and can be proarrhythmic. This study introduces GS967 (6-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]-3-(trifluoromethyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine), a potent and selective inhibitor of late INa, and demonstrates its effectiveness to suppress ventricular arrhythmias. The effects of GS967 on rabbit ventricular myocyte ion channel currents and action potentials were determined. Anti-arrhythmic actions of GS967 were characterized in ex vivo and in vivo rabbit models of reduced repolarization reserve and ischemia. GS967 inhibited Anemonia sulcata toxin II (ATX-II)–induced late INa in ventricular myocytes and isolated hearts with IC50 values of 0.13 and 0.21 µM, respectively. Reduction of peak INa by GS967 was minimal at a holding potential of −120 mV but increased at −80 mV. GS967 did not prolong action potential duration or the QRS interval. GS967 prevented and reversed proarrhythmic effects (afterdepolarizations and torsades de pointes) of the late INa enhancer ATX-II and the IKr inhibitor E-4031 in isolated ventricular myocytes and hearts. GS967 significantly attenuated the proarrhythmic effects of methoxamine+clofilium and suppressed ischemia-induced arrhythmias. GS967 was more potent and effective to reduce late INa and arrhythmias than either flecainide or ranolazine. Results of all studies and assays of binding and activity of GS967 at numerous receptors, transporters, and enzymes indicated that GS967 selectively inhibited late INa. In summary, GS967 selectively suppressed late INa and prevented and/or reduced the incidence of experimentally induced arrhythmias in rabbit myocytes and hearts.