Hermansen McDonald (swisscub8)

This information provides another insight into blueberry anthocyanin biosynthesis.The purpose of this study was to directly and quantitatively measure BMD from Cone-beam CT (CBCT) images by enhancing the linearity and uniformity of the bone intensities based on a hybrid deep-learning model (QCBCT-NET) of combining the generative adversarial network (Cycle-GAN) and U-Net, and to compare the bone images enhanced by the QCBCT-NET with those by Cycle-GAN and U-Net. We used two phantoms of human skulls encased in acrylic, one for the training and validation datasets, and the other for the test dataset. We proposed the QCBCT-NET consisting of Cycle-GAN with residual blocks and a multi-channel U-Net using paired training data of quantitative CT (QCT) and CBCT images. The BMD images produced by QCBCT-NET significantly outperformed the images produced by the Cycle-GAN or the U-Net in mean absolute difference (MAD), peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), normalized cross-correlation (NCC), structural similarity (SSIM), and linearity when compared to the original QCT image. The QCBCT-NET improved the contrast of the bone images by reflecting the original BMD distribution of the QCT image locally using the Cycle-GAN, and also spatial uniformity of the bone images by globally suppressing image artifacts and noise using the two-channel U-Net. The QCBCT-NET substantially enhanced the linearity, uniformity, and contrast as well as the anatomical and quantitative accuracy of the bone images, and demonstrated more accuracy than the Cycle-GAN and the U-Net for quantitatively measuring BMD in CBCT.Evidence suggests that intranasal application of oxytocin facilitates empathy and modulates its underlying neural processes, which are often impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Oxytocin has therefore been considered a promising candidate for the treatment of social difficulties in ASD. However, evidence linking oxytocin treatment to social behavior and brain function in ASD is limited and heterogeneous effects might depend on variations in the oxytocin-receptor gene (OXTR). We examined 25 male ASD patients without intellectual disability in a double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled fMRI-protocol, in which a single dose of oxytocin or placebo was applied intranasally. Patients performed three experiments in the MRI examining empathy for other's physical pain, basic emotions, and social pain. All participants were genotyped for the rs53576 single-nucleotide polymorphism of the OXTR. Oxytocin increased bilateral amygdala responsiveness during the physical pain task for both painful and neutral stimuli. Other than that, there were no effects of oxytocin treatment. OXTR genotype did not significantly interact with oxytocin treatment. Our results contribute to the growing body of empirical literature suggesting heterogenous effects of oxytocin administration in ASD. To draw clinically relevant conclusions regarding the usefulness of oxytocin treatment, however, empirical studies need to consider methods of delivery, dose, and moderating individual factors more carefully in larger samples.Optical probing is an indispensable tool in research and development. In fact, it has always been the most natural way for humankind to explore nature. However, objects consisting of transparent materials with a refractive index close to unity, such as low-density gas jets, are a typical example of samples that often reach the sensitivity limits of optical probing techniques. We introduce an advanced optical probing method employing multiple passes of the probe through the object to increase phase sensitivity, and relay-imaging of the object between individual passes to preserve spatial resolution. An interferometer with four-passes was set up and the concept was validated by tomographic characterization of low-density supersonic gas jets. The results show an evident increase of sensitivity, which allows for the accurate quantitation of fine featu