cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7514648
title: Realistic deformable 3D numeric phantom for transcutaneous ultrasound

description: Abstract Introduction Numerical phantoms are important tools to design, calibrate and evaluate several methods in various image-processing applications, such as echocardiography and mammography. We present a framework for creating ultrasound numerical deformable phantoms based on Finite Element Method (FEM), Linear Isomorphism and Field II. The proposed method considers that the scatterers map is a property of the tissue; therefore, the scatterers should move according to the tissue strain. Methods First, a volume representing the target tissue is loaded. Second, parameter values, such as Young’s Modulus, scatterers density, attenuation and scattering amplitudes are inserted for each different regions of the phantom. Then, other parameters related to the ultrasound equipment, such as ultrasound frequency and number of transducer elements, are also defined in order to perform the ultrasound acquisition using Field II. Third, the size and position of the transducer and the pressures that are applied against the tissue are defined. Subsequently, FEM is executed and deformation is computed. Next, 3D linear isomorphism is performed to displace the scatterers according to the deformation. Finally, Field II is carried out to generate the non-deformed and deformed ultrasound data. Results The framework is evaluated by comparing strain values obtained the numerical simulation and from the physical phantom from CIRS. The mean difference between both phantoms is lesser than 10%. Conclusion The acoustic and deformation outcomes are similar to those obtained using a physical phantom. This framework led to a tool, which is available online and free of charges for educational and research purposes.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7514648.v1
title: Realistic deformable 3D numeric phantom for transcutaneous ultrasound

description: Abstract Introduction Numerical phantoms are important tools to design, calibrate and evaluate several methods in various image-processing applications, such as echocardiography and mammography. We present a framework for creating ultrasound numerical deformable phantoms based on Finite Element Method (FEM), Linear Isomorphism and Field II. The proposed method considers that the scatterers map is a property of the tissue; therefore, the scatterers should move according to the tissue strain. Methods First, a volume representing the target tissue is loaded. Second, parameter values, such as Young’s Modulus, scatterers density, attenuation and scattering amplitudes are inserted for each different regions of the phantom. Then, other parameters related to the ultrasound equipment, such as ultrasound frequency and number of transducer elements, are also defined in order to perform the ultrasound acquisition using Field II. Third, the size and position of the transducer and the pressures that are applied against the tissue are defined. Subsequently, FEM is executed and deformation is computed. Next, 3D linear isomorphism is performed to displace the scatterers according to the deformation. Finally, Field II is carried out to generate the non-deformed and deformed ultrasound data. Results The framework is evaluated by comparing strain values obtained the numerical simulation and from the physical phantom from CIRS. The mean difference between both phantoms is lesser than 10%. Conclusion The acoustic and deformation outcomes are similar to those obtained using a physical phantom. This framework led to a tool, which is available online and free of charges for educational and research purposes.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7517282
title: Potentially toxic metals in rivers upstream of Pantanal Norte

description: Cuiabá (CBA) and São Lourenço (SL) rivers are considered strategic once they integrate regions, which are economically, socially and environmentally relevant for Brazil and the world. However, several activities developed in their watersheds may represent sources of metals and be a threat to the environmental quality. Thus, in this study we evaluated the spatial and temporal variability of potentially toxic metals in water and sediment and the relationship of their concentration with water quality parameters. Surface water samples were collected monthly in 15 points and bottom sediment in nine points distributed throughout both rivers from August 2012 to July 2013. Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn were determined in water by inducted coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and in sediment by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Fe, Mn, Pb and Cr had high concentrations in water and sediment but only Pb and Cr represent environmental risk. Fe and Mn were in higher concentrations in at the upper points of SL River and Cu and Pb in the urban area of both rivers. Temporally, the metal concentrations were associated with precipitation variation. The observed correlations amongst metal concentrations indicate common sources. Thus, the metals occurrence and concentrations in water and sediment of both rivers showed a natural contribution, as a reflex of soil type associated to the region's precipitation regimen as well as the anthropic contribution due to agricultural and cattle breeding activities, and disposal of untreated urban effluents.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7517282.v1
title: Potentially toxic metals in rivers upstream of Pantanal Norte

description: Cuiabá (CBA) and São Lourenço (SL) rivers are considered strategic once they integrate regions, which are economically, socially and environmentally relevant for Brazil and the world. However, several activities developed in their watersheds may represent sources of metals and be a threat to the environmental quality. Thus, in this study we evaluated the spatial and temporal variability of potentially toxic metals in water and sediment and the relationship of their concentration with water quality parameters. Surface water samples were collected monthly in 15 points and bottom sediment in nine points distributed throughout both rivers from August 2012 to July 2013. Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn were determined in water by inducted coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and in sediment by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Fe, Mn, Pb and Cr had high concentrations in water and sediment but only Pb and Cr represent environmental risk. Fe and Mn were in higher concentrations in at the upper points of SL River and Cu and Pb in the urban area of both rivers. Temporally, the metal concentrations were associated with precipitation variation. The observed correlations amongst metal concentrations indicate common sources. Thus, the metals occurrence and concentrations in water and sediment of both rivers showed a natural contribution, as a reflex of soil type associated to the region's precipitation regimen as well as the anthropic contribution due to agricultural and cattle breeding activities, and disposal of untreated urban effluents.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7510256.v1
title: Transient Gerstmann syndrome as manifestation of stroke: Case report and brief literature review

description: ABSTRACT Gerstmann Syndrome (GS) is a rare neurological condition described as a group of cognitive changes corresponding to a tetrad of symptoms comprising agraphia, acalculia, right-left disorientation and finger agnosia. It is known that some specific brain lesions may lead to such findings, particularly when there is impairment of the angular gyrus and adjacent structures. In addition, the possibility of disconnection syndrome should be considered in some cases. The purpose of this article is to report a case of a young, cardiac patient, non-adherent to treatment, who presented with a stroke in which transient clinical symptoms were compatible with the tetrad of GS. The case report is followed by a discussion and brief review of the relevant literature.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7511078
title: Voxel-based morphometry in Alzheimers disease and mild cognitive impairment: Systematic review of studies addressing the frontal lobe

description: ABSTRACT Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is a useful approach for investigating neurostructural brain changes in dementia. We systematically reviewed VBM studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), specifically focusing on grey matter (GM) atrophy in the frontal lobe. Methods: Two searches were performed on the Pubmed database. A set of exclusion criteria was applied to ensure the selection of only VBM studies that directly investigated GM volume abnormalities in AD and/or MCI patients compared to cognitively normal controls. Results: From a total of 46 selected articles, 35 VBM studies reported GM volume reductions in the frontal lobe. The frontal subregions, where most of the volume reductions were reported, included the inferior, superior and middle frontal gyri, as well as the anterior cingulate gyrus. We also found studies in which reduced frontal GM was detected in MCI patients who converted to AD. In a minority of studies, correlations between frontal GM volumes and behavioural changes or cognitive deficits in AD patients were investigated, with variable findings. Conclusion: Results of VBM studies indicate that the frontal lobe should be regarded as an important brain area when investigating GM volume deficits in association with AD. Frontal GM loss might not be a feature specific to late AD only. Future VBM studies involving large AD samples are warranted to further investigate correlations between frontal volume deficits and both cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7512962
title: The role of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in mediating the relationship between central adiposity and immunometabolic profile in postmenopausal women

description: ABSTRACT Objectives To analyze the role of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in mediating the relationship between central adiposity and immune and metabolic profile in postmenopausal women. Materials and methods Cross-sectional study comprising 49 postmenopausal women (aged 59.26 ± 8.32 years) without regular physical exercise practice. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fasting blood samples were collected for assessment of nonesterified fatty acids, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), adiponectin, insulin and estimation of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Physical activity level was assessed with an accelerometer (Actigraph GTX3x) and reported as a percentage of time spent in sedentary behavior and MVPA. All analyses were performed using the software SPSS 17.0, with a significance level set at 5%. Results Sedentary women had a positive relationship between trunk fat and IL-6 (rho = 0.471; p = 0.020), and trunk fat and HOMA-IR (rho = 0.418; p = 0.042). Adiponectin and fat mass (%) were only positively correlated in physically active women (rho = 0.441; p = 0.027). Physically active women with normal trunk fat values presented a 14.7% lower chance of having increased HOMA-IR levels (β [95%CI] = 0.147 [0.027; 0.811]). Conclusions The practice of sufficient levels of MVPA was a protective factor against immunometabolic disorders in postmenopausal women.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7510256
title: Transient Gerstmann syndrome as manifestation of stroke: Case report and brief literature review

description: ABSTRACT Gerstmann Syndrome (GS) is a rare neurological condition described as a group of cognitive changes corresponding to a tetrad of symptoms comprising agraphia, acalculia, right-left disorientation and finger agnosia. It is known that some specific brain lesions may lead to such findings, particularly when there is impairment of the angular gyrus and adjacent structures. In addition, the possibility of disconnection syndrome should be considered in some cases. The purpose of this article is to report a case of a young, cardiac patient, non-adherent to treatment, who presented with a stroke in which transient clinical symptoms were compatible with the tetrad of GS. The case report is followed by a discussion and brief review of the relevant literature.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7509482
title: Interaction Between Didactics and Historic-Cultural Theory

description: Didactics most relevant role is to provide knowledge that instrumentalizes teachers to implement the activities of teaching school subjects. Current contributions towards the interaction between Didactics and the Historic-Cultural Theory offered to teachers for the production of these types of knowledge are highlighted in this paper. Some didactic principles and teachers´ activities are described. Since they have been the object of investigation in didactic experiments, they proved favorable towards the promotion of students´ conceptual learning within the perspective of the formation of theoretical thought.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7509533
title: Redundancy among environmental quality metrics of streams in an agricultural landscape

description: Biological indicators are widely used for the evaluation of the environmental quality of waterbodies. Since monitoring involves high sampling costs, and the creation of multimetric indices assumes uncorrelated metrics, this study evaluated whether there was correlation among metrics that characterize land use and cover, riparian zone composition and forest structure, as well as correlations among indicators of macroinvertebrate and fish communities. The study was conducted on 12 low-order tributaries of the Jacaré-Pepira and Jacaré-Guaçu Rivers, forming a gradient of environmental stress in the central region of São Paulo State. There were no correlations among land use metrics, and only pasture cover was correlated with some metrics of riparian forest structure. Therefore, both information on land use and riparian composition and forest structure can be important in the environmental assessment of streams. All metrics related to macroinvertebrate communities were correlated to each other, as well as most metrics related to fish communities, although most studies proposing multimetric indices have not found correlation among these metrics. Those studies evaluated streams in extreme situations (preserved vs. impacted), and impacted streams were influenced by different degradation drivers, which may result in distinct responses by the biological communities. The results of the present study suggest that the development of indices must be specific to the studied region, and that frequently the evaluations are carried out in relation to specific drivers of impact, which may vary for different systems.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7511078.v1
title: Voxel-based morphometry in Alzheimers disease and mild cognitive impairment: Systematic review of studies addressing the frontal lobe

description: ABSTRACT Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is a useful approach for investigating neurostructural brain changes in dementia. We systematically reviewed VBM studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), specifically focusing on grey matter (GM) atrophy in the frontal lobe. Methods: Two searches were performed on the Pubmed database. A set of exclusion criteria was applied to ensure the selection of only VBM studies that directly investigated GM volume abnormalities in AD and/or MCI patients compared to cognitively normal controls. Results: From a total of 46 selected articles, 35 VBM studies reported GM volume reductions in the frontal lobe. The frontal subregions, where most of the volume reductions were reported, included the inferior, superior and middle frontal gyri, as well as the anterior cingulate gyrus. We also found studies in which reduced frontal GM was detected in MCI patients who converted to AD. In a minority of studies, correlations between frontal GM volumes and behavioural changes or cognitive deficits in AD patients were investigated, with variable findings. Conclusion: Results of VBM studies indicate that the frontal lobe should be regarded as an important brain area when investigating GM volume deficits in association with AD. Frontal GM loss might not be a feature specific to late AD only. Future VBM studies involving large AD samples are warranted to further investigate correlations between frontal volume deficits and both cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7514810
title: Performance of a sample of patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and healthy elderly on a lexical decision test (LDT) as a measure of pre-morbid intelligence

description: Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the performance of healthy elderly patients with aging-related pathologies (MCI) and patients with AD on a lexical decision test. Methods: The study included 38 healthy elderly subjects, 61 MCI and 26 AD patients from the Neurology Department of the Hospital das Clinicas, Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Group. The neuropsychological instruments included the episodic memory test (RAVLT), subtests from the WAIS-III (Matrix Reasoning and Vocabulary) to determine estimated IQ, the Boston naming test (BNT) and Lexical Decision Test (LDT). Results: All groups differed on the MMSE, as expected according to their pathologies, memory tests, naming and estimated IQ. For the vocabulary and the LDT - measures of crystalized intelligence no differences were found. Conclusion: The LDT demonstrated that lexical decision can be used as a measure of pre-morbid IQ among the individuals assessed in a Brazilian sample.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7509482.v1
title: Interaction Between Didactics and Historic-Cultural Theory

description: Didactics most relevant role is to provide knowledge that instrumentalizes teachers to implement the activities of teaching school subjects. Current contributions towards the interaction between Didactics and the Historic-Cultural Theory offered to teachers for the production of these types of knowledge are highlighted in this paper. Some didactic principles and teachers´ activities are described. Since they have been the object of investigation in didactic experiments, they proved favorable towards the promotion of students´ conceptual learning within the perspective of the formation of theoretical thought.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7509533.v1
title: Redundancy among environmental quality metrics of streams in an agricultural landscape

description: Biological indicators are widely used for the evaluation of the environmental quality of waterbodies. Since monitoring involves high sampling costs, and the creation of multimetric indices assumes uncorrelated metrics, this study evaluated whether there was correlation among metrics that characterize land use and cover, riparian zone composition and forest structure, as well as correlations among indicators of macroinvertebrate and fish communities. The study was conducted on 12 low-order tributaries of the Jacaré-Pepira and Jacaré-Guaçu Rivers, forming a gradient of environmental stress in the central region of São Paulo State. There were no correlations among land use metrics, and only pasture cover was correlated with some metrics of riparian forest structure. Therefore, both information on land use and riparian composition and forest structure can be important in the environmental assessment of streams. All metrics related to macroinvertebrate communities were correlated to each other, as well as most metrics related to fish communities, although most studies proposing multimetric indices have not found correlation among these metrics. Those studies evaluated streams in extreme situations (preserved vs. impacted), and impacted streams were influenced by different degradation drivers, which may result in distinct responses by the biological communities. The results of the present study suggest that the development of indices must be specific to the studied region, and that frequently the evaluations are carried out in relation to specific drivers of impact, which may vary for different systems.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7514810.v1
title: Performance of a sample of patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and healthy elderly on a lexical decision test (LDT) as a measure of pre-morbid intelligence

description: Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the performance of healthy elderly patients with aging-related pathologies (MCI) and patients with AD on a lexical decision test. Methods: The study included 38 healthy elderly subjects, 61 MCI and 26 AD patients from the Neurology Department of the Hospital das Clinicas, Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Group. The neuropsychological instruments included the episodic memory test (RAVLT), subtests from the WAIS-III (Matrix Reasoning and Vocabulary) to determine estimated IQ, the Boston naming test (BNT) and Lexical Decision Test (LDT). Results: All groups differed on the MMSE, as expected according to their pathologies, memory tests, naming and estimated IQ. For the vocabulary and the LDT - measures of crystalized intelligence no differences were found. Conclusion: The LDT demonstrated that lexical decision can be used as a measure of pre-morbid IQ among the individuals assessed in a Brazilian sample.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7507169.v1
title: A comprehensive analysis of the current and future role of biofuels for transport in the European Union (EU)

description: The production of biofuels is strongly supported all over the world as a renewable energy source for reducing dependence on the unstable oil market. Bioethanol, the main biofuel produced in the world, is widely used to power vehicles in both the USA and Brazil, but concerns exist in both places regarding its sustainability. In Brazil, it is produced from a by-product of the sugar cane industry, while in the USA it is manufactured from food crops. The production of biogas and biodiesel is growing rapidly, but neither has outpaced the production of bioethanol. The European Union (EU) is greatly interested in this issue, and in 2011 adopted an extensive strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions related to transport by 60% by the year 2050. In order to achieve this result, the current European transportation system must be transformed. This ambitious goal will require the implementation of complex measures including the reduction of fossil fuels in favor of renewable fuels. This program has various options regarding the development of biofuels (e. g., biogas, bioethanol and biodiesel) and their related technologies, which are still on trial (mainly regarding the bioethanol production), and must also analyze their sustainability from a social and economic standpoint. The paper discusses the use of biofuels for transport in the European setting, and shows that their sustainability may result in relevant negative social effects due mainly to the use of land for energy crops (e.g., change of food price and world food shortage).
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7514861
title: Catatonia, beyond a psychiatric syndrome

description: ABSTRACT Although catatonia is a well-known psychiatric syndrome, there are many possible systemic and neurological etiologies. The aim of this case report was to present a case of a patient with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and infarction in which catatonia was the clinical manifestation of a possible nonconvulsive status epilepticus. To our knowledge, only one such case has been reported in the literature, which had a simplified diagnostic investigation. It is important to correctly recognize the organic cause underlying catatonia in order to treat the patient as soon as possible thereby improving outcome. Therefore, physicians need to update their knowledge on catatonia, recognizing that it can be part of a psychiatric or neurologic condition.