Reduction in camera-specific variability in [123I]FP-CIT SPECT outcome measures by image reconstruction optimized for multisite settings: impact on age-dependence of the specific binding ratio in the ENC-DAT database of healthy controls

Purpose Quantitative estimates of dopamine transporter availability, determined with [123I]FP-CIT SPECT, depend on the SPECT equipment, including both hardware and (reconstruction) software, which limits their use in multicentre research and clinical routine. This study tested a dedicated reconstruction algorithm for its ability to reduce camera-specific intersubject variability in [123I]FP-CIT SPECT. The secondary aim was to evaluate binding in whole brain (excluding striatum) as a reference for quantitative analysis. Methods Of 73 healthy subjects from the European Normal Control Database of [123I]FP-CIT recruited at six centres, 70 aged between 20 and 82 years were included. SPECT images were reconstructed using the QSPECT software package which provides fully automated detection of the outer contour of the head, camera-specific correction for scatter and septal penetration by transmission-dependent convolution subtraction, iterative OSEMreconstruction including attenuation correction, and camera-specific Bto kBq/ml^ calibration. LINK and HERMES reconstruction were used for head-to-head comparison. The specific striatal [123I]FP-CIT binding ratio (SBR) was computed using the Southampton method with binding in the whole brain, occipital cortex or cerebellum as the reference. The correlation between SBR and age was used as the primary quality measure. Results The fraction of SBR variability explained by age was highest (1) with QSPECT, independently of the reference region, and (2) with whole brain as the reference, independently of the reconstruction algorithm. Conclusion QSPECT reconstruction appears to be useful for reduction of camera-specific intersubject variability of [123I]FP-CIT SPECT in multisite and single-site multicamera settings. Whole brain excluding striatal binding as the reference provides more stable quantitative estimates than occipital or cerebellar binding

PENGENDALIAN LAMPU BERBASIS MIKROKONTROLER ARDUINO MENGGUNAKAN SMARTPHONE ANDROID

ABSTRAKPersediaan listrik yang terbatas menuntut untuk berhemat dalampenggunaannya. Salah satu hal yang bisa dilakukan untuk menghemat listrik yaitudengan penggunaan lampu rumah seperlunya saja. Sistem operasi open source padaponsel android dapat dimanfaatkan untuk membuat aplikasi pengendali lampu rumahdengan menggunakan Arduino UNO (Mikrokontroler ATmega328) dan relay sebagaipengganti saklar. Aplikasi android digunakan sebagai input perintah kepadarangkaian arduino UNO (Mikrokontroler ATmega328) melalui media penghubungmodul Bluetooth. Arduino UNO akan merespon input dengan output berupa logikalow (0V) dan logika high (5V) melalui pin- pin yang telah ditentukan, pin-pin inidihubungkan ke Relay modul. Relay modul digunakan sebagai pengganti saklar yangdihubungkan ke lampu rumah. Ketika mendapat input logika low (0V) relay akanaktif dan akan mengalirkan listrik ke lampu sehingga lampu menyala, dan ketikamendapat input logika high (5V) relay akan tidak aktif sehingga aliran listrik kelampu terputus dan lampu akan mati.Kata kunci: Aplikasi Android, Arduino UNO (mikrokontroler ATmega328), Relay,Lampu rumah.ABSTRACKLimited power supply requires to conserve its use. One of the things that can bedone to save electricity is to use the house lights as needed. Open source operating system onandroid phones can be used to make the house light controller applications using theArduino UNO (Microcontroller ATmega328) and relay instead of a switch. Androidapplication is used as input commands to the circuit arduino UNO (microcontrollerATmega328) through media liaison Bluetooth module. Arduino UNO will respond to inputwith the output of a logic low (0V) and logic high (5V) via pins that have been determined,the pins are connected to the Relay module. Relay module is used instead of a switch that isconnected to the lamp house. When it gets input logic low (0V) the relay will be active andwill supply power to the light so that the light is on, and when it gets a high logic input (5V)relay will not be activated so that the flow of electricity to the lights and the lights will cut offthe dead.Keywords : Android Applications, Arduino UNO (microcontroller ATmega328), Relay,Lamp house.Banda Ace

Involuntary Monitoring of Sound Signals in Noise Is Reflected in the Human Auditory Evoked N1m Response

Constant sound sequencing as operationalized by repeated stimulation with tones of the same frequency has multiple effects. On the one hand, it activates mechanisms of habituation and refractoriness, which are reflected in the decrease of response amplitude of evoked responses. On the other hand, the constant sequencing acts as spectral cueing, resulting in tones being detected faster and more accurately. With the present study, by means of magnetoencephalography, we investigated the impact of repeated tone stimulation on the N1m auditory evoked fields, while listeners were distracted from the test sounds. We stimulated subjects with trains of either four tones of the same frequency, or with trains of randomly assigned frequencies. The trains were presented either in a silent or in a noisy background. In silence, the patterns of source strength decline originating from repeated stimulation suggested both, refractoriness as well as habituation as underlying mechanisms. In noise, in contrast, there was no indication of source strength decline. Furthermore, we found facilitating effects of constant sequencing regarding the detection of the single tones as indexed by a shortening of N1m latency. We interpret our findings as a correlate of a bottom-up mechanism that is constantly monitoring the incoming auditory information, even when voluntary attention is directed to a different modality

Generation of Phenylpropanoid Pathway-Derived Volatiles in Transgenic Plants: Rose Alcohol Acetyltransferase Produces Phenylethyl Acetate and Benzyl Acetate in Petunia Flowers

Esters are important contributors to the aroma of numerous flowers and fruits. Acetate esters such as geranyl acetate, phenylethyl acetate and benzyl acetate are generated as a result of the action of alcohol acetyltransferases (AATs). Numerous homologous AATs from various plants have been characterized using in-vitro assays. To study the function of rose alcohol acetyltransferase (RhAAT) in planta , we generated transgenic petunia plants expressing the rose gene under the control of a CaMV-35S promoter. Although the preferred substrate of RhAAT in vitro is geraniol, in transgenic petunia flowers, it used phenylethyl alcohol and benzyl alcohol to produce the corresponding acetate esters, not generated by control flowers. The level of benzyl alcohol emitted by the flowers of different transgenic lines was ca. three times higher than that of phenylethyl alcohol, which corresponded to the ratio between the respective products, i.e. ca. three times more benzyl acetate than phenylethyl acetate. Feeding of transgenic petunia tissues with geraniol or octanol led to the production of their respective acetates, suggesting the dependence of volatile production on substrate availability.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43457/1/11103_2005_Article_4924.pd

Serum Amyloid A as a Useful Indicator of Disease Activity in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

PURPOSE: To investigate whether serum amyloid A (SAA) levels are increased in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and whether its levels correlate well with AS disease activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with AS and 38 age- and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Their SAA levels were quantitatively measured by immunonephelometry. An established, self-administered instrument for evaluating disease activity (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, BASDAI) was used to measure and acute phase reactants, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), in patients with AS. RESULTS: Patients with AS had a significantly higher mean SAA level than controls (9.52 +/- 7.49mg/L versus 2.73 +/- 1.57mg/L, p < 0.05), and the mean BASDAI score of patients with elevated SAA levels was significantly higher than that of patients with normal SAA levels (5.6 +/- 1.3 versus 4.4 +/- 1.5, p < 0.05). SAA levels showed significant correlations with BASDAI scores (r=0.431, p=0.007), ESR (r=0.521, p=0.001) and CRP levels (r=0.648, p < 0.001). Additionally, the correlation between ESR and CRP levels also appeared significant (r=0.703, p < 0.001). In those with normal ESR or CRP levels, SAA levels and BASDAI scores were elevated (p < 0.05) and showed a trend of positive correlation with one another. CONCLUSION: Our data showed that SAA levels were increased in patients with AS and correlated well with disease activity. These findings suggest that SAA can be used as a valuable indicator of disease activity in AS.ope

Nurses' perceptions of aids and obstacles to the provision of optimal end of life care in ICU

Contains fulltext : 172380.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access