Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Overview of image-to-image translation by use of deep neural networks: Denoising, super-resolution, modality conversion, and reconstruction in medical imaging].

Since the advent of deep convolutional neural networks (DNNs), computer vision has seen an extremely rapid progress that has led to huge advances in medical imaging. This article does not aim to cover all aspects of the field but focuses on a particular topic, image-to-image translation. Although the topic may not sound familiar, it turns out that many seemingly irrelevant applications can be understood as instances of image-to-image translation. Such applications include (1) noise reduction, (2) super-resolution, (3) image synthesis, and (4) reconstruction. The same underlying principles and algorithms work for various tasks. Our aim is to introduce some of the key ideas on this topic from a uniform point of view. We introduce core ideas and jargon that are specific to image processing by use of DNNs. Having an intuitive grasp of the core ideas of and a knowledge of technical terms would be of great help to the reader for understanding the existing and future applications. Most of the recent applications which build on image-to-image translation are based on one of two fundamental architectures, called pix2pix and CycleGAN, depending on whether the available training data are paired or unpaired. We provide computer codes which implement these two architectures with various enhancements. Our codes are available online with use of the very permissive MIT license. We provide a hands-on tutorial for training a model for denoising based on our codes. We hope that this article, together with the codes, will provide both an overview and the details of the key algorithms, and that it will serve as a basis for the development of new applications.
Diffraction Line Broadening due to Lattice-Parameter Variations caused by a Spatially Varying Scalar Variable: Its Orientation Dependence caused by Locally Varying Nitrogen Content in ε-FeN0.433.

The diffraction line broadening due to lattice-parameter variations caused by a position-dependent (spatial) scalar variable (e.g. the composition) was analysed theoretically. It was shown that the anisotropy of the resulting microstrain-like line broadening depends on the symmetry of the crystal system of the phase concerned. This model provides a physical basis for a special case of a previously reported phenomenological description of anisotropic microstrain broadening [Stephens (1999). J. Appl. Cryst. 32, 281-289], which is widely used in Rietveld refinement. The model presented was used to analyse the hkl dependence of the X-ray diffraction line broadening of a sample of hexagonal e-iron nitride, FeN y0 with the average N content y 0 = 0.433. The observed anisotropy of the line broadening was shown to be compatible with the known composition dependencies of the lattice parameters a(y) and c(y). From the extent of the line broadening, the standard deviation of y 0 could be determined very well, as 0.008.
Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of iodide ion by the molybdenum (VI) – hydrogen peroxide system

The kinetics of oxidation of potassium iodide by hydrogen peroxide in aqueous perchloric acid has been studied both in the absence and in the presence of sodium molybdate by means of the initial-rates method. The law found for the total initial reaction rate isThe activation energies associated with rate constants k1, k2, and k3 are 52 ± 1, 49 ± 1, and 42 ± 3 kJ mol−1, respectively. A mechanism in agreement with the experimental kinetic data is proposed, according to which rate constants k1, k2, and k3 correspond to the oxidations of iodide ion by H2O2, H3O2+ and H2MoO5, respectively. Keywords: catalysis, hydrogen peroxide, iodide ion, kinetics, molybdate ion.
The Divergences of Organic Matter Released from Ozonated Biofilter Inoculated with Indigenous Bacteria

In this work, the excitation-emission fluorescent matrix (EEFM) was used to compare the divergence of fluorescent organic properties of the effluents produced from the operation of the bio-stabilizing filter. Four bio-stabilizing filters were simultaneously operated in the combination of both filtered CCL and FS source waters with ozonation (O3/NPDOC=1) and two different indigenous bacteria taken from CCL and FS source water. It found that, two peak locations, 220-230/330nm, 320-330/410-420nm, existed in the effluent of the four bio-stabilizing filters, and one another peak of 280-290/340 nm was appeared in bio-stabilizing filter using FS source water as a substrate. The fluorescent organic matter, with an excitation wavelength of 220-230 nm and 280-290 nm may be attributed as protein-like, while that of 320-330/410-420nm had the possibility of humic-like. The humic-like matter was accumulated in the effluent from the bio-stabilizing filter during the operational process. Bio-stabilizing filter operated with consistent source water and indigenous bacteria could release higher humic-like fluorescent intensity than that with inconsistent source water and indigenous bacteria.
Influence of one-step professional mechanical tooth cleaning pastes on surface roughness and morphological features of tooth substrates and restoratives.

PURPOSE This study investigated the influence of professional mechanical tooth cleaning (PMTC) pastes on the surface texture of different subject materials. METHODS Two one-step PMTC pastes, Clinpro Cleaning Paste for PMTC (CP) and PRG Pro-Care Gel (PG), and multiple-step PMTC pastes, Merssage Regular (MR), Merssagge Fine (MF), and Merssage Plus (MP), were used. For comparison, PMTC was performed using distilled water without paste (DW). The subjected materials used were bovine enamel (ENA) and dentin (DEN), a resin composite (FSU), and lithium disilicate (IEC). The prepared specimens were polished using a #2000-grit silicon carbide paper. PMTC was performed using a brush at 1,000 rpm for 15 s. RESULTS The surface roughness (Ra) values of the specimens before and after PMTC were measured by laser scanning microscopy. The Knoop hardness number (KHN) of the subjected material was obtained. The types of PMTC pastes and subject materials had a significant influence on the Ra values and KHN. For the majority of subject materials, the descending order of Ra values after PMTC was MR > MF > CP > PG > MP > DW. The descending order of KHN of the materials was IEC > ENA > FSU > DEN. CONCLUSION Although one-step PMTC pastes appeared to be effective, it is important to consider the subject material during PMTC.
Transcription Factor Pit-1 Affects Transcriptional Timing in the Dual-Promoter Human Prolactin Gene

Abstract Gene transcription occurs in short bursts interspersed with silent periods, and these kinetics can be altered by promoter structure. The effect of alternate promoter architecture on transcription bursting is not known. We studied the human prolactin (hPRL) gene that contains 2 promoters, a pituitary-specific promoter that requires the transcription factor Pit-1 and displays dramatic transcriptional bursting activity and an alternate upstream promoter that is active in nonpituitary tissues. We studied large hPRL genomic fragments with luciferase reporters, and used bacterial artificial chromosome recombineering to manipulate critical promoter regions. Stochastic switch mathematical modelling of single-cell time-lapse luminescence image data revealed that the Pit-1–dependent promoter showed longer, higher-amplitude transcriptional bursts. Knockdown studies confirmed that the presence of Pit-1 stabilized and prolonged periods of active transcription. Pit-1 therefore plays an active role in establishing the timing of transcription cycles, in addition to its cell-specific functions.
Improving anti-tumour efficacy of PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin by dual targeting of tumour cells and tumour endothelial cells using anti-p32 CGKRK peptide

Abstract The aim of this study was to surface-functionalize PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) using anti-p32 CGKRK peptide to evaluate its anti-angiogenic and anti-tumour activities. CGKRK was conjugated to DSPE-mPEG2000-maleimide and post-inserted into PLD at 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 peptides per each liposome and characterised for their size, zeta potential, drug loading, release properties; and cell binding, cell uptake and cytotoxicity on three C26, 4T1 and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) cell lines. The in vitro results indicated the better efficiency of the PLD-100 (PLD with 100 CGKRK) formulation on 4T1 and HUVEC cell lines. The results of anti-tube formation and spheroid assay indicated the efficiencies of the PLD-100 formulation compared with Caelyx® in vitro. The in vivo studies indicated the higher tumour accumulation of PLD-100 formulation in comparison with Caelyx® which also implied the higher survival rates in mice treated with PLD-100 formulation. Histological evaluations demonstrated that PLD-100 had no side-effects on major organs. In conclusion, the results of this study indicated that PLD-CGKRK- could efficiently target endothelial and tumour parenchymal cells which enhance the therapeutic efficacy of PLD and merits further investigation.
The solution of the hypernetted‐chain approximation for fluids of nonspherical particles. A general method with application to dipolar hard spheres

In this paper we describe a general method for the numerical solution of the full hypernetted‐chain (HNC) theory for fluids characterized by angle‐dependent pair potentials. This method is also applicable to the closely related reference hypernetted‐chain (RHNC) approximation. The only formal restriction is that the pair potential and correlation functions must be expandable in a basis set of rotational invariants. We present explicit numerical solutions of the RHNC theory for dense dipolar hard sphere fluids and detailed comparisons are made with previous theories and computer simulation results. It is found that the full RHNC theory generally improves upon the previous reference linearized and quadratic HNC approximations. The values given by the RHNC theory for the static dielectric constants are smaller than those given by these earlier approximations and are in much better agreement with computer simulations.
Partial purification and some properties of wheat (Triticum aestivum) o‐diphenolase

o-Diphenolase extracted from Triticum aestivum (cv. Nettuno) and purified in various steps gave a 250-fold purification over the crude extract. This purified enzyme showed maximum relative activity towards 4-methylcatechol, generally high or moderate activity towards di- and polyphenols, and very low activity towards monophenols. Total activity, determined at each step of purification, showed that treatment with ammonium sulphate and calcium phosphate gel gave rise to an activation of o-diphenolase, thus revealing a latency of enzymatic activity. In the pH profile activity towards 4-methylcatechol two optima at pH 5.3 and 6.9 were observed.
Time in Range from Continuous Glucose Monitoring: A Novel Metric for Glycemic Control

Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) has been the sole surrogate marker for assessing diabetic complications. However, consistently reported limitations of HbA1c are that it lacks detailed information on short-term glycemic control and can be easily interfered with by various clinical conditions such as anemia, pregnancy, or liver disease. Thus, HbA1c alone may not represent the real glycemic status of a patient. The advancement of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has enabled both patients and healthcare providers to monitor glucose trends for a whole single day, which is not possible with HbA1c. This has allowed for the development of core metrics such as time spent in time in range (TIR), hyperglycemia, or hypoglycemia, and glycemic variability. Among the 10 core metrics, TIR is reported to represent overall glycemic control better than HbA1c alone. Moreover, various evidence supports TIR as a predictive marker of diabetes complications as well as HbA1c, as the inverse relationship between HbA1c and TIR reveals. However, there are more complex relationships between HbA1c, TIR, and other CGM metrics. This article provides information about 10 core metrics with particular focus on TIR and the relationships between the CGM metrics for comprehensive understanding of glycemic status using CGM.
Supramolecular Hydrogen Bonding Interactions of Novel 1,3,5-Benzenetricarbonyl Trisubstituted Alkyl for Anion Sensor Applications

Herein we report the first example of benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide bearing hydrophobic aminododecane side chains (1) which spontaneously forms supramolecular network by a hydrogen bonding interaction. The compound 1 was synthesized by Schotten-Baumann reaction of 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl trichloride and 1-aminododecane in the presence of N,N-diisopropylethylamine. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Mass Spectrometry (MS), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies have proved the successful synthesis of 1 in 93% as white powder solid. The supramolecular organization was successfully utilized for sensing of nitrate anions by deformation of the hydrogen bonding to form inactive nitroso groups.
Synthesis of ordered mesoporous silica/ceria-silica composites and their high catalytic performance for solvent-free oxidation of benzyl alcohol at room temperature†

Highly ordered mesoporous Ce-incorporated MCM-41 and MCM-48 silica materials with Ce/Si ratio = 0.1–0.3 have been prepared in a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method using hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a structure-directing agent (SDA), cerium nitrate hexahydrate and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as inorganic co-precursors under basic conditions. Thermal treatment at 823 K has allowed the removal of the organic template, resulting in the formation of long-range ordered 2D hexagonal (p6mm) MCM-41 and cubic (Ia3d) MCM-48, respectively, with ceria-rich particles. Highly ordered mesostructures for Ce-MCM-41 and Ce-MCM-48 materials were characterized with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The elemental compositions were analyzed using elemental mapping from EDS, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectra (ICP-AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and solid-state magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR. These high cerium containing mesoporous ceria–silica materials of ∼30 wt% showed an impressive performance in solvent-free highly selective liquid phase oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde at room temperature. This controlled oxidation of primary alcohol to aldehyde over highly stable, completely heterogeneous, non-air sensitive, and reusable Ce-incorporated silica composite can be an excellent gateway for industrial fine chemical synthesis.
Adsorption of Water on Solid Surfaces Studied by Scanning Force Microscopy

Tip−sample interaction of an oscillating tip near a surface is determined. The experimental results show that the presence of the surface can be detected without mechanically touching the surface. By adjusting the appropriate operating conditions of a scanning force microscope setup, tip−sample contact can be avoided during imaging at atmospheric pressure. This allows study of even the softest samples. In the present work, we demonstrate that molecularly thin water films can be imaged with nanometer resolution on different substrates such as mica, gold, and highly oriented pyrolitic graphite. Correspondingly, scanning force microscopy can be used to investigate wetting properties of liquids with very high spatial resolution.
Older patients’ perspectives and experience of hospitalisation during the COVID‐19 pandemic: a qualitative explorative study

Abstract Background and Objectives The aim of this study was to gain in‐depth knowledge and an increased understanding on how isolation from close relatives and carers, during the COVID‐19 pandemic, impacted older patients during hospitalisation in a Geriatric department. Method We conducted a qualitative study using semi‐structured interviews and a phenomenological‐hermeneutic approach, to get an understanding of the older participants' perspectives and lived experiences. Complete interviews were available for 11 patients—six men and five women, between 69 and 91 years of age. Results The participants' narratives identified several themes. Feeling isolated from and having no contact with close relatives or carers was prominent. The COVID‐19 pandemic created fear and anxiety among hospitalized patients. Relationships with family members and some staff became strained. The transformation from being “a person” to being “a patient” and loss of dignity, autonomy and a “sense of self” were themes identified in the analysis. Although virtual contact can't replace the real world, the use of technology to maintain contact with family and carers, and the need for help from hospital staff in facilitating this contact was deemed important. The environment of care was a prominent theme. The attitude of staff made a difference to how patients felt and some patients expressed a loss of decision‐making capability. The interviews were challenging in some cases because the interviews had to be interrupted or shortened due to ethical considerations around the individual person's needs and condition. Conclusions and implication for practice Our study provided in‐depth knowledge on how older patients experienced hospitalisation during the COVID‐19 pandemic in a Danish hospital. The results emphasise that compassionate care includes a willingness to listen to older patients' narratives and to imagine life as depicted by them. This can lead to better understanding of an individual person's needs and increase the quality of care provided.
Monitoring Hydrothermal Reactions on the Millisecond Time Scale Using a Micro-Tube Flow Reactor and Kinetics of ATP Hydrolysis for the RNA World Hypothesis

A new method for monitoring hydrothermal reactions on the millisecond time scale has been developed using a micro-tube flow reactor. The system was designed based on a high-pressure pump, a sample-loop injector, a narrow-bore size capillary, a cooling bath, back-pressure tubing, and a sampling port. Samples were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Kinetic analyses of the hydrolyses of adenosine 5′–triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine 5′–monophosphate (AMP) on the millisecond time range at 250—315 °C were demonstrated so as to evaluate the performance of the method. In conclusion, monitoring was successful for the hydrolysis of ATP and AMP in 2—50 ms using fused-silica capillary tubing with 0.015 and 0.025 mm inner diameter (ID). The method enables real-time monitoring of hydrothermal reactions in about 100-times shorter time range than other techniques. This paper proposes apparent rate constants and activation energy for the consecutive hydrolysis of ATP to adenine at high temperatures tha.
#FlavorsSaveLives: An analysis of Twitter posts opposing flavored e-cigarette bans.

BACKGROUND Starting in 2019 policies restricting the availability of flavored e-cigarette products were proposed or implemented in the U.S. to curb vaping by youth. People took to Twitter to voice their opposition, referencing the phrase "Flavors Save Lives". This study documented the emerging themes pertaining to "Flavors Saves Lives" over a 12-month period. METHODS The study period was from May 1, 2019 to May 1, 2020. A stratified sampling procedure supplied 2500 tweets for analysis. Posts were classified by one or more of the following themes: 1) Political Referendum; 2) Institutional Distrust; 3) Individual Rights; 4) Misinformation; 5) THC Vaping is the Real Problem; 6) Smoking Cessation; 7) Adult Use; and 8) Not a Bot. The temporal pattern of tweets over the year was examined. RESULTS Political Referendum (76.5%) and Institutional Distrust (31.3%) were the most prominent themes, followed by Not a Bot (11.0%), Individual Rights (10.4%), Adult Use (8.0%), Smoking Cessation (6.6%), Misinformation (5.9%), and THC Vaping is the Real Problem (3.5%). Total tweet frequencies increased in September 2019 and peaked in November 2019 before returning to relatively low numbers. Political Referendum and Institutional Distrust were consistently the most prevalent themes over time. CONCLUSION Twitter posts with the phrase "Flavors Save Lives" commonly discussed voting against political incumbents and mentioned distrust of government representatives. Findings demonstrated the possibility of near real time Twitter monitoring of public opposition to flavor bans. These data may be valuable for designing tobacco control information campaigns in the future.
Comprehensive Integrative Analyses Identify TIGD5 rs75547282 as a Risk Variant for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Although recent genome‐wide association studies have identified risk loci that strongly associates with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), how to pinpoint the causal genes remains a challenge. We aimed to pinpoint the potential causal genes and explore the possible susceptibility and mechanism. A convergent functional genomics (CFG) method was used to prioritize the candidate genes by combining lines of evidence, including Sherlock analysis, spatio‐temporal expression patterns, expression analysis, protein–protein interactions, co‐expression and association with brain structure. A higher score in the CFG approach suggested that more evidence supported this gene as an ASD risk gene. We screened genes with higher CFG scores for candidate functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A genotyping experiment (602 ASD children and 604 healthy sex‐matched children) and the dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay were followed to validate the effects of SNPs. We identified three genes (MAPT, ZNF285, and TIGD5) as candidate causal genes using the CFG approach. The genotyping experiment showed that TIGD5 rs75547282 was associated with an increased risk of ASD under the dominant model (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.09–1.72, P = 0.006) though the statistical power was limited (5.2%). The T allele of rs75547282 activated the expression of TIGD5 compared with the C allele in the dual‐luciferase reporter assay. Our study indicates that such comprehensive integrative analyses may be an effective way to explore promising ASD susceptibility variants and needs to be further investigated in future research. Genotyping experiments should, however, be based on a larger population sample to increase statistical power.