Mitigation of motion-induced artifacts in cone beam computed tomography using deep convolutional neural networks.

Background: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is often employed on radiation therapy treatment devices (linear accelerators) used in image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). For each treatment session, it is necessary to obtain the image of the day in order to accurately position the patient and to enable adaptive treatment capabilities including auto-segmentation and dose calculation. Reconstructed CBCT images often suffer from artifacts, in particular those induced by patient motion.

Exploration of Spanish Olive Oil Quality with a Miniaturized Low-Cost Fluorescence Sensor and Machine Learning Techniques.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the highest quality of olive oil and is characterized by highly beneficial nutritional properties. The large increase in both consumption and fraud, for example through adulteration, creates new challenges and an increasing demand for developing new quality assessment methodologies that are easier and cheaper to perform. As of today, the determination of olive oil quality is performed by producers through chemical analysis and organoleptic evaluation.

Pharmacological inhibition of Vanin-1 is not protective in models of acute and chronic kidney disease.

Oxidative stress is a key concept in basic, translational, and clinical research to understand the pathophysiology of various disorders, including cardiovascular and renal diseases. Although attempts to directly reduce oxidative stress with redox-active substances have until now largely failed to prove clinical benefit, indirect approaches to combat oxidative stress enzymatically have gained further attention as potential therapeutic strategies. The pantetheinase Vanin-1 is expressed on kidney proximal tubular cells, and its reaction product cysteamine is described to negatively affect redox homeostasis by inhibiting the replenishment of cellular antioxidative glutathione stores.

Anti-ACSA-2 defines a novel monoclonal antibody for prospective isolation of living neonatal and adult astrocytes.

Astrocytes are the most abundant cell type of the central nervous system and cover a broad range of functionalities. We report here the generation of a novel monoclonal antibody, anti-astrocyte cell surface antigen-2 (Anti-ACSA-2). Flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry revealed that Anti-ACSA-2 reacted specifically with a not yet identified glycosylated surface molecule of murine astrocytes at all developmental stages.

Toxicological risk of melamine and cyanuric acid in food and feed.

From the toxicological point of view, in the last two years melamine and cyanuric acid have become matters of great interest. These substances, especially melamine, have been abused during food and feed adulteration by increasing the content of nitrogen compounds in these products. Melamine and cyanuric acid as individual substances do not pose any serious risk in terms of toxicology.

Utilisation of iodine from different sources in pigs.

Balance experiments have demonstrated that growing pigs fed a ration consisting of wheat, barley, extracted soya meal, dicalciumphosphate, and iodine-free feeding salt utilised 48.8% of the received iodine. The tested supplementary iodine sources included potassium iodide (KI), ethylenediamine dihydroiodide (EDDI), iodine humate (HUI) prepared from iodine acid (HIO3), and the product P containing 0.

Toxoplasmosis and iodine deficiency in Angora goats.

Toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in two goat herds in the Czech Republic. The 1996 outbreak in the herd of Angora goats was associated with abortions and births of weak kids. No apparent signs of toxoplasmosis were observed in the herd of White Short-Haired (WSH) goats reared under similar conditions.

[Current views on the importance of iodine for animals].

The study summarizes current experience on the cause and impacts of iodine deficiency, compares the measures to ensure iodine needs and shows the consequences in human population and farm animal. The hazard of iodine deficiency is increasing at present due to underevaluation of mineral nutrition importance, restrictive measures in feeding techniques, further due to stronger effect of natural and anthropogenic goitrogens from feedstuffs and drinking water, higher iodine consumption due to higher performance and load caused by large-scale technologies. These facts have impact on health state of cattle which is confirmed by increased occurrence of functional disorders of the thyroid gland in young farm animals, and consequently affect iodine deficiency in human population as the major source of iodine in child s food is milk and milk products.

Urinary iodine level as an intake indicator in dairy cows.

Urinary iodine concentrations were determined in 672 dairy cows of 22 herds. Less than 20 micrograms per L, 20 to 50 micrograms per L, 50 to 100 micrograms per L and more than 100 micrograms per L were found in 27.5, 24.

[Inorganic anions with a potential goitrogenic effect in drinking water supply for humans and animals].

The levels of inorganic anions (NO3-, NO2-, SO(2-)4, F- and HPO(2-)4 with the following average values (mg/l) were determined isotachophoretically in 82 samples of potable water for humans and animals: 39.7 +/- 53.1 for nitrates, min.

Intracellular localization, vesicular accumulation and kinetics of daunorubicin in sensitive and multidrug-resistant gastric carcinoma EPG85-257 cells.

In the human gastric carcinoma cell line EPG85-257P (parent) induction of resistance to daunorubicin (DAU) was achieved by selection with stepwise increased concentrations of the drug. The new variant was named EPG85-257DAU and was shown to overexpress the mdr1 gene product 170 kDa P-glycoprotein (P-Gp) as demonstrated by immunocytochemistry and mdr1-specific RT-PCR. To investigate the intracellular pathway of DAU the subcellular distribution of this autofluorescent drug was studied in the resistant cells and compared to its chemosensitive counterpart EPG85-257P.

[The effect of sodium huminate on cadmium deposition in the organs of chickens].

In the chickens with an experimental load of cadmium chloride (CdCl2 x 2.5 H2O) at a rate of 0.3 mg per bird and day the effect was investigated of various forms of sodium humate administration in free and/or liposomal form as exerted on cadmium concentrations in liver, kidneys and muscle.

Pharmacokinetics of sodium humate in chickens.

Free or liposome-encapsulated sodium humate was administered to chickens intracardially, orally or subcutaneously and the following principal pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using the MW Pharm software for two-compartment models: elimination half-life (t1/2 el), steady state distribution volume (Vdss), blood clearance (Cl), maximal drug concentration (Cmax), time required for appearance of Cmax (tmax), area under the curve (AUC) and bioavailability (F). Blood clearance of liposome-encapsulated sodium humate was higher than that of free sodium humate regardless of the way of administration. On the other hand, the elimination half-life was longer after the extravascular than after the intracardial administration.

Secondary combined resistance to the multidrug-resistance-reversing activity of cyclosporin A in the cell line F4-6RADR-CsA.

Multidrug-resistant tumor cells can be resensitized by combined application of the selecting cytostatic drug and a chemosensitizer, such as cyclosporin A (CsA) or a calcium channel blocker. Since clinical trials on the circumvention of multidrug resistance (MDR) with chemosensitizers report disparate results, we investigated whether tumor cells of the MDR phenotype can develop additional resistance to the cytostatic chemosensitizer combination. Thus, the Adriamycin(ADR)-selected, P-glycoprotein-positive MDR Friend leukemia cell line F4-6RADR was exposed to stepwise increased concentrations of CsA at a constant level of 0.

In vitro prediction of cytostatic drug resistance in primary cell cultures of solid malignant tumours.

The in vitro monolayer proliferation assay (MP-assay) described here enables predictive determination of the efficacy of anticancer drugs considered for clinical application. The assay was designed (1) to achieve a high plating efficiency, (2) to adapt in vitro growth as close as possible to in vivo conditions, and (3) to prove that the cells in vitro correspond with the in vivo tumour cells they were derived from. From 452 freshly explanted or biopsied tumours, 321 (71%) proliferating cultures could be established.

[Influence of the migration of Ascaris suum larvae on blood parameters in the pig].

Biochemical and hematological blood parameters were investigated in pigs experimentally infected with Ascaris suum. The most marked changes were recorded on day 5-8 post inoculation, during fever. In this period there was a marked decrease of concentrations of albumin, iron, thyroxin, A and E vitamins in blood serum, while compared with the control group the contents of A vitamin in liver did not change.

[Digestibility of nutrients in a feed mixture in certain swine helminthiases].

The average digestibility coefficients of feed mixture nutrients in pigs infected medium severely to severely by the helminths Ascaris suum and Oesophagostomum dentatum were lower in comparison with the post-dehelminthization condition (dry matter by 3.1%, crude protein by 6.7%, fat by 8.

[Survival of Aujeszky's disease virus in infected pig slurry].

It has been demonstrated that after experimental infection of pig slurry from the space under the slatted floor (infection dose of 10(6)PFU per ml), the Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) survived for 72 hours at the temperature of 15 degrees C and at pH 6.5, but was inactivated after 96 hours. When technologically treated pig slurry from the storage tanks was saturated with water and infected with ADV at the dose of 10(5)PFU per ml, the virus survived for 23 days when kept at 15 degrees C and 4 degrees C and at pH 6.

[Metabolic test in pigs with experimental mycobacteriosis fed different amounts of nutrients].

Three trials were conducted with pigs at different levels of nutrition. Seven groups of pigs were perorally infected with a suspension of M. intracellulare.

[The importance of the infective dose, nutritional value of the feed and vitamin content for the susceptibility in pigs to Mycobacterium intracellulare].

The influence of infectious dose and nutrition on the pig susceptibility to Mycobacterium intracellulare, serotype 4, 8, was studied with 48 pigs--crossbreds LW X X L--divided into four equal groups. All groups of pigs were fed ad libitum by the mixture consisting of maize, wheat, barley, soybean meal, salt lick and MKP 1 mineral feed supplement. Individual groups were given different levels of meals of animal origin and biofactor supplements containing vitamins A, D2, B2, B12 and niacin.

[The effect of qualitatively different nutritional intakes on the development of experimentally induced atypical mycobacteriosis and the appearance of indicators in pigs].

A single infection with the culture of M. intracellulare at a rate of 0.1 mg per kg of weight in pigs fed the A 1 and SOL mixtures and the subsequent development of clinically confirmed mycobacteriosis did not exert any significant influence on the performance of the animals, as compared with the non-infected animals.

[The dependence of vitamin A and E concentrations in blood plasma on nutrition and age of growing pigs].

Four experiments (duration 21 to 137 days) were conducted where 112 pigs were divided into ten groups and fed dry mixtures with different content of nitrogenous substances, vitamin A and E. The repeated determination of the content of these vitamins in blood plasma and in liver proved the dependence of the circulating vitamin A first of all on its present alimentary intake; in the case of vitamin E its content is related to the animal age. As sufficient intake of the complete COS mixtures (2.

[Adrenocortical activity in pigs in relation to nutrition, body weight mycobacteriosis and pre-slaughter stress].

In 115 pigs divided into 10 groups, with different nutrition levels or with experimentally evoked atypical mycobacteriosis, during the experiments or at slaughter the concentration of 11-hydroxycorticosteroids (11-OHCS) in blood plasma, relative weight of adrenal glands and liver were determined. The increase in adrenocortical function was proved in the cases when the body weight was significantly influenced by malnutrition, and then in the pigs at slaughter, even after relatively careful handling. No changes were found in the course of mycobacteriosis.

[Biochemical changes in the blood of pigs after exertion].

15-minute forced movement of pigs evoked after 18 to 24 hours an increase in the activity of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase and in the level of non-esterified fatty acids in blood serum. The changes in the enzyme activity following muscular strain were individual. The pig group with higher average weight gains, fed the diet containing 284 g of crude protein per 1 kg, showed greater differences in the muscular enzymatic activity than the animals with lower weight gains, fed the diet containing 260 g crude protein per 1 kg.

[The effect of Ridzol P used in pig fattening on carcass characteristics and meat quality].

The meat and fat of slaughter pigs given diet with Ridzol P (60 mg per kg of feed) were studied. During the veterinary examination the additive was not found to have any adverse effect on the health of the animals. Judging from the studied meat and fat characteristics, there were no significant differences in the nutritive and technological value of the meat of the pigs given feed with Ridzol P, as compared with the controls.