Publications by authors named "Ruth R"

Amoebic liver abscess (ALA) is the most common extra-intestinal complication of Entamoeba histolytica, accounting for 50,000 deaths annually, and is endemic in South Asia. Diagnosis based on microscopic examination is insensitive, and serological assays are not discerning of current infections in endemic settings with high exposure. For a rapid and confirmatory laboratory diagnosis of ALA, the performance of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), and a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay that detects E.

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Morvan's syndrome (MoS) is a rare, complex neurological disorder characterized by neuromyotonia, neuropsychiatric features, dysautonomia, and neuropathic pain. The majority of MoS cases have a paraneoplastic etiology, most commonly thymoma, usually occurring before the diagnosis of the underlying tumor and showing improvement following surgery. We present a case of 60-year-old patient presenting with suspicious of MoS and autoimmune encephalitis (AE), F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography as single imaging modality detected and confirmed both AE and thymoma.

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In neuroscience, electroencephalography (EEG) data is often used to extract features (biomarkers) to identify neurological or psychiatric dysfunction or to predict treatment response. At the same time neuroscience is becoming more data-driven, made possible by computational advances. In support of biomarker development and methodologies such as training Artificial Intelligent (AI) networks we present the extensive Two Decades-Brainclinics Research Archive for Insights in Neurophysiology (TDBRAIN) EEG database.

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Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is characterized by neurobiological heterogeneity, possibly explaining why not all patients benefit from a given treatment. As a means to select the right treatment (stratification), biomarkers may aid in personalizing treatment prescription, thereby increasing remission rates.

Methods: The biomarker in this study was developed in a heterogeneous clinical sample (N = 4249) and first applied to two large transfer datasets, a priori stratifying young males (<18 years) with a higher individual alpha peak frequency (iAPF) to methylphenidate (N = 336) and those with a lower iAPF to multimodal neurofeedback complemented with sleep coaching (N = 136).

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MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs, participate in the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of eukaryotic genes, and are potential biomarkers for diseases. Mature miRNAs can be located in both the nucleus and cytoplasm, where they perform their regulatory function. The discovery of new miRNAs and the identification of their targets and functions are fundamental to understanding the biological processes regulated by them, as well as the role they play in diseases.

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Since 2017, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has become eligible for reimbursement for the treatment of therapy-resistant depression in the Dutch healthcare system.
AIM: To initiate a guideline in the Netherlands and Belgium for the safe and effective application of rTMS for the treatment of depression.
METHOD: Based on literature review, existing guidelines and consensus among Dutch rTMS experts, recommendations were developed regarding the implementation of rTMS as a treatment of depression.

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Article Synopsis
  • There is a performance gap in monochromaticity and brilliance between conventional X-ray tubes and large-scale synchrotron sources, making synchrotrons impractical for smaller labs due to their size and cost.
  • Laser-driven compact synchrotron light sources (CLS) offer a solution by combining an infrared laser with a small electron storage ring to produce high-quality monochromatic X-rays through inverse Compton scattering.
  • A successful experiment demonstrated that CLS can achieve advanced X-ray multimodal tomography (including phase, dark-field, and attenuation-contrast) with impressive results, particularly in applications like CT scans of small animals, outperforming traditional methods.
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The Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) is a community resource of 205 sequenced inbred lines, derived to improve our understanding of the effects of naturally occurring genetic variation on molecular and organismal phenotypes. We used an integrated genotyping strategy to identify 4,853,802 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 1,296,080 non-SNP variants. Our molecular population genomic analyses show higher deletion than insertion mutation rates and stronger purifying selection on deletions.

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  • The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of grating-based X-ray dark-field imaging in diagnosing pulmonary emphysema and assessing its distribution more accurately compared to conventional X-ray projection images.
  • The researchers used ex vivo imaging of lungs from mice with and without emphysema, comparing different signal parameters to determine their diagnostic value through ROC curve analysis.
  • Results showed that the normalized scatter signal was the most effective in distinguishing between healthy and emphysematous tissue, providing detailed parametric maps that correlated well with histopathological findings.
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A laser-driven electron-storage ring can produce nearly monochromatic, tunable X-rays in the keV energy regime by inverse Compton scattering. The small footprint, relative low cost and excellent beam quality provide the prospect for valuable preclinical use in radiography and tomography. The monochromaticity of the beam prevents beam hardening effects that are a serious problem in quantitative determination of absorption coefficients.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study compares the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of dark-field versus transmission signals in X-ray imaging of murine lung tissue ex vivo with the aim of assessing image quality.
  • Lungs from three healthy mice were imaged, measuring background noise and image contrast in specific areas to calculate the relative contrast gain (RCG) of dark-field over transmission.
  • Results showed that dark-field imaging had a higher CNR, especially in peripheral lung areas, which indicates it may provide better image quality compared to transmission imaging for this tissue type.
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Iterative reconstruction has a wide spectrum of proven advantages in the field of conventional X-ray absorption-based computed tomography (CT). In this paper, we report on an algebraic iterative reconstruction technique for grating-based differential phase-contrast CT (DPC-CT). Due to the differential nature of DPC-CT projections, a differential operator and a smoothing operator are added to the iterative reconstruction, compared to the one commonly used for absorption-based CT data.

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Introduction: Both myocardial necrosis and ischemia can decrease the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). An accurate estimate of the relative contributions of these irreversible and potentially reversible factors could lead to better decisions regarding the risk and benefit of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The value of an Ischemia Index calculated by subtracting the ECG estimated infarction dependent LVEF from the measured LVEF to predict post-operative improvement of LVEF was studied in 55 patients with LVEF <40% before CABG.

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Article Synopsis
  • Early detection of pulmonary diseases like emphysema and fibrosis is challenging with traditional X-ray techniques, which struggle to reveal changes in lung tissue.
  • A new method using dark-field imaging, which captures small-angle scattering of X-rays, offers better differentiation between healthy and emphysematous lung tissues.
  • The research employs a compact synchrotron X-ray source and shows that dark-field images significantly enhance diagnosis by correlating the dark-field signal with the size of alveoli in lung tissues.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The Compact Light Source is a small synchrotron that generates X-rays by using a technique called inverse Compton scattering, combining a laser pulse with an electron bunch.
  • - It produces a highly coherent X-ray beam that has impressive monochromaticity and can be used for advanced imaging techniques, particularly high-sensitivity differential phase-contrast imaging.
  • - Recent experiments using this technology at a clinically relevant X-ray energy of 21 keV showed enhanced contrast in imaging tests compared to traditional methods, highlighting its potential for better medical diagnostics.
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Article Synopsis
  • Structural genomics projects need X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy for solving protein structures, and advanced facilities are often required for data collection.
  • The paper introduces a new laboratory-scale synchrotron light source called the Compact Light Source, which can replicate many key synchrotron applications in X-ray science.
  • Successful tests showcased its capability by determining the high-resolution structure of a protein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis using X-ray diffraction data from this new source.
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Patient data management systems (PDMS) may improve the quality of clinical documentation in intensive care medicine. In addition to the documentation, many PDMS offer the clinicians support for clinical decisions and workflow. The data recorded by the PDMS are available for data analysis to support administrative responsibilities (e.

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The first imaging results obtained from a small-size synchrotron are reported. The newly developed Compact Light Source produces inverse Compton X-rays at the intersection point of the counter propagating laser and electron beam. The small size of the intersection point gives a highly coherent cone beam with a few milliradian angular divergence and a few percent energy spread.

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Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment for depression has been under investigation in many controlled studies over the last 20 years. Little is known about the neurobiological action of rTMS in patients. We therefore investigated pre- and post-treatment effects on QEEG, ERP's and behavior (BDI and NEO-FFI).

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We propose and analyze a regenerative-amplifier free-electron laser (FEL) to produce fully coherent, hard x-ray pulses. The method makes use of narrow-bandwidth Bragg crystals to form an x-ray feedback loop around a relatively short undulator. Self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) from the leading electron bunch in a bunch train is spectrally filtered by the Bragg reflectors and is brought back to the beginning of the undulator to interact repeatedly with subsequent bunches in the bunch train.

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Objective: The effect of sustained silence was studied on the emergence of tinnitus perception in 120 normal hearing young adult Caucasians and African Americans.

Study Design And Setting: After sitting in a sound booth for a period of 20 minutes, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire documenting whether they perceived sounds in the silent setting and descriptions of the sounds they heard.

Results: Tinnitus-like sounds were perceived in 64% of listeners overall.

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Objective: To assess hearing impairment in adults admitted to a university surgical intensive care unit in order to identify patients at risk for impaired receptive communication.

Design: Prospective, clinical, observational study within the continuing quality improvement program.

Setting: Ten-bed adult surgical intensive care unit at a university hospital.

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Objectives/hypothesis: Auditory neuropathy is a relatively recently described pattern of hearing loss characterized by preservation of outer hair cell function despite absent brainstem auditory evoked responses. Intact outer hair cell function is demonstrated by the presence of otoacoustic emissions and/or a measurable cochlear microphonic on electrocochleography, whereas no synchronous neural activity (absent action potentials) is seen on acoustically evoked brainstem auditory evoked response testing. The study reviews the authors' experience with six patients diagnosed with auditory neuropathy, four of whom have undergone cochlear implantation.

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