Increasing evidence suggests that intrafraction tumour motion monitoring needs to include both 3D translations and 3D rotations. Presently, methods to estimate the rotation motion require the 3D ...translation of the target to be known first. However, ideally, translation and rotation should be estimated concurrently. We present the first method to directly estimate six-degree-of-freedom (6DoF) motion from the target's projection on a single rotating x-ray imager in real-time. This novel method is based on the linear correlations between the superior-inferior translations and the motion in the other five degrees-of-freedom. The accuracy of the method was evaluated in silico with 81 liver tumour motion traces from 19 patients with three implanted markers. The ground-truth motion was estimated using the current gold standard method where each marker's 3D position was first estimated using a Gaussian probability method, and the 6DoF motion was then estimated from the 3D positions using an iterative method. The 3D position of each marker was projected onto a gantry-mounted imager with an imaging rate of 11 Hz. After an initial 110° gantry rotation (200 images), a correlation model between the superior-inferior translations and the five other DoFs was built using a least square method. The correlation model was then updated after each subsequent frame to estimate 6DoF motion in real-time. The proposed algorithm had an accuracy (±precision) of -0.03 ± 0.32 mm, -0.01 ± 0.13 mm and 0.03 ± 0.52 mm for translations in the left-right (LR), superior-inferior (SI) and anterior-posterior (AP) directions respectively; and, 0.07 ± 1.18°, 0.07 ± 1.00° and 0.06 ± 1.32° for rotations around the LR, SI and AP axes respectively on the dataset. The first method to directly estimate real-time 6DoF target motion from segmented marker positions on a 2D imager was devised. The algorithm was evaluated using 81 motion traces from 19 liver patients and was found to have sub-mm and sub-degree accuracy.
Olfactory exploration: State of the art Nguyen, D.T; Rumeau, C; Gallet, P ...
European annals of otorhinolaryngology, head and neck diseases,
04/2016, Letnik:
133, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Abstract Olfactory disorders are fairly common in the general population. Exploration, on the other hand, is seldom performed by ENT specialists, even in reference centers. There may be three reasons ...for this: this particular sensory modality may seem unimportant to patients and/or physicians; available treatments may be underestimated, although admittedly much yet remains to be done; and olfactory exploration is not covered by the national health insurance scheme in France. Advances in research in recent decades have shed light on olfactory system functioning. At the same time, several techniques have been developed to allow maximally objective olfactory assessment, as olfactory disorder is sometimes the first sign of neurodegenerative pathology. Moreover, objective olfactory assessment may be needed in a medico-legal context. The present paper updates the techniques currently available for olfactory exploration.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between clinical outcome and the intactness of cagPAI in Helicobacter pylori strains from Vietnam. The presence or absence of 30 cagPAI ...genes was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and dot-blotting. H. pylori-induced interleukin-8 secretion and hummingbird phenotype, and H. pylori adhesion to gastric epithelial cells were examined. The serum concentration of pepsinogen 1, pepsinogen 2, and gastrin was also measured in all patients. cagPAI was present in all 103 Vietnamese H. pylori isolates, of which 91 had intact cagPAI and 12 contained only a part of cagPAI. Infection with the partial cagPAI strains was less likely to be associated with peptic ulcer and chronic gastric mucosal inflammation than infection with strains possessing intact cagPAI. The partial cagPAI strains lacked almost all ability to induce interleukin-8 secretion and the hummingbird phenotype in gastric cells. Their adhesion to epithelial cells was significantly decreased in comparison with intact cagPAI strains. Moreover, for the first time, we found an association between cagPAI status and the serum concentration of pepsinogens 1 and 2 in infected patients. H. pylori strains with internal deletion within cagPAI are less virulent and, thus, less likely to be associated with severe clinical outcomes.
In this study, cellulose extracted from straw was modified using N(4)-morpholinothiosemicarbazide to generate a novel adsorbent as a chelate-complex-based material. The effects of pH, time, ...temperature, and mass ratios of KIO4: cellulose on the yield of the oxidation were analyzed using iodometric titration and photometric methods. The accuracy and precision of the above two methods were evaluated using Student and Fisher statistical distribution. The structure of the material was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis. The kinetic order of Ni(II) adsorption was dependent on the concentration of Ni(II). The surface response design enabled to optimize the condition for Ni(II) adsorption at 58 °C, pH of 4.98, within 106 min. The maximum Ni(II) adsorption capacity was 90 mg g–1. This kind of adsorbent can be reused at least five times without a significant decrease in its adsorption efficiency.
Green-emitting Ba2−xMgSi2O7:xEu2+ phosphor was prepared by co-precipitation. The dependence of the phase and emission spectra of the phosphor on sintered temperature was investigated. The ...photoluminescence (PL) intensities of the phosphors with various Eu2+ contents from 0.04 to 0.07 showed concentration quenching at 0.05. The substitution of Ba2+ by dopant Eu2+ at 0.05 in the Ba2MgSi2O7 host matrix did not change the unit cell volume and of the SiOSi angle. The PL decay times at the peak and cross band of the spectrum present carrier lifetimes with similar values at 550ns for Ba1.95MgSi2O7:0.05Eu2+ phosphor. The carrier lifetimes at different excitation wavelengths indicated that the phosphor prepared by co-precipitation is a superior candidate for fabricating white light.
•Green emitting Ba2−xMgSi2O7:xEu2+ was prepared by co-precipitation method.•Annealing temperature affects strongly the host phase and optical properties.•Eu2+ doping into the host did not affect the cell volume and angle of SiOSi bonding.•Average size of the phosphor particles is in the range of 100–150nm.•Ba1.95MgSi2O7:Eu0.05 phosphor is an attractive candidate for white LED application.
We have deposited transparent p-type semiconductive NiO thin films by reactive HiPIMS which appeared to be a powerful method to produce thin films exhibiting gradients of chemical compositions and ...opto-electronic properties. For a fixed amount of oxygen in the discharge (9%), the influence of the pulse duration was investigated. The position of the valence band with respect to the Fermi level was evaluated by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), for two different pulse durations, 15 and 30μs. We have then investigated the dependence of optical properties of NiO films using spectroscopic ellipsometry (1.5–5.0eV range). Refractive index n, extinction coefficient k, and gap energy of the NiO films were determined with a refractive index gradient decreasing along the film growth direction.
•Transparent nickel oxide deposited by reactive HiPIMS•XPS measurements coupled with ellipsometric characterization•HiPIMS deposition produces thin films exhibiting gradients of chemical compositions and opto-electronic properties.
Gap junctions are intercellular channels connecting adjacent cells, allowing cells to transport small molecules. The loss of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) is one of the important ...hallmarks of cancer. Restoration of GJIC is related to the reduction of tumorigenesis and increase in drug sensitivity. Previous reports have shown that PQ1, a quinoline derivative, increases GJIC in T47D breast cancer cells, and subsequently attenuates xenograft breast tumor growth. Combinational treatment of PQ1 and tamoxifen can lower the effective dose of tamoxifen in cancer cells. In this study, the effects of PQ1 were examined in normal C57BL/6J mice, evaluating the distribution, toxicity, and adverse effects. The distribution of PQ1 was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The expressions of survivin, caspase-8, cleaved caspase-3, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and gap junction protein, connexin 43 (Cx43), were assessed using western blot analysis. Our results showed that PQ1 was absorbed and distributed to vital organs within 1 h and the level of PQ1 decreased after 24 h. Furthermore, PQ1 increased the expression of survivin, but decreased the expression of caspase-8 and caspase-3 activity. Interestingly, the expression of AhR increased in the presence of PQ1, suggesting that PQ1 may be involved in the AhR-mediated response. Previously, PQ1 caused an increase in Cx43 expression in breast cancer cells; however, PQ1 induced a decrease in Cx43 in normal tissues. Hemotoxylin and eosin staining of the tissues showed no histological change between the treated and the untreated organs. Our studies indicate that the administration of PQ1 by an oral gavage can be achieved with low toxicity to normal vital organs.
While treatment of pulmonary infections by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is currently only rarely the cause of iatrogenic complications, treatment of atypical mycobacterial infections often requires ...prolonged treatment duration, which can lead to toxic optic neuropathies. This review summarizes the indications for such prolonged treatment and risk factors for toxic optic neuropathies when using ethambutol, isoniazid and/or linezolid and proposes customized screening recommendations.
We obtained four isolates of the xerophilic genus
Wallemia
from the rooftop of a house made of red brick and cement in an agronomic field planted with common beans and maize in Pachacamac, Lima, ...Peru. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis with rDNA gene sequences showed these
Wallemia
isolates form a distinct and strongly supported clade closely related to
W. hederae
. We examined the macro and micromorphology, growth rate and production of exudates of isolates on media containing different amounts of glucose and NaCl (water activity from 0.9993 to 0.8480). Their chaotropic and kosmotropic tolerance were tested on media with multiple molar concentrations of MgCl
2
and MgSO
4
(water activity from 0.9880 to 0.7877). Isolates are xerophilic and halotolerant, growing on 17% NaCl-supplemented media (water activity = 0.8480). Maximum concentrations of MgCl
2
and MgSO
4
at which growth was observed were 1.7 and 3.5 M, respectively. Isolates were shown to represent a novel species, described as
Wallemia peruviensis
sp. nov. In contrast to
W. hederae
,
W. peruviensis
does not produce exudates on malt extract agar + 17% NaCl media. An updated dichotomous key to
Wallemia
species is provided. This is the first new species of
Wallemia
described from South America and the first association of a
Wallemia
species with an agricultural environment on this continent.
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