A robust multi-branch multi-attention-mechanism EEGNet for motor imagery BCI decoding

BACKGROUND

Motor-Imagery-based Brain-Computer Interface (MI-BCI) is a promising technology to assist communication, movement, and neurological rehabilitation for motor-impaired individuals. Electroencephalography (EEG) decoding techniques using deep learning (DL) possess noteworthy advantages due to automatic feature extraction and end-to-end learning. However, the DL-based EEG decoding models tend to show large variations due to intersubject variability of EEG, which results from inconsistencies of different subjects' optimal hyperparameters.

NEW METHODS

This study proposes a multi-branch multi-attention mechanism EEGNet model (MBMANet) for robust decoding. It applies the multi-branch EEGNet structure to achieve various feature extractions. Further, the different attention mechanisms introduced in each branch attain diverse adaptive weight adjustments. This combination of multi-branch and multi-attention mechanisms allows for multi-level feature fusion to provide robust decoding for different subjects.

RESULTS

The MBMANet model has a four-classification accuracy of 83.18% and kappa of 0.776 on the BCI Competition IV-2a dataset, which outperforms other eight CNN-based decoding models. This consistently satisfactory performance across all nine subjects indicates that the proposed model is robust.

CONCLUSIONS

The combine of multi-branch and multi-attention mechanisms empowers the DL-based models to adaptively learn different EEG features, which provides a feasible solution for dealing with data variability. It also gives the MBMANet model more accurate decoding of motion intentions and lower training costs, thus improving the MI-BCI's utility and robustness.

Heart rate detection method based on Ballistocardiogram signal of wearable device：Algorithm development and validation

Background

Heart rate, as the four vital signs of human body, is a basic indicator to measure a person's health status. Traditional electrocardiography (ECG) measurement, which is routinely monitored, requires subjects to wear lead electrodes frequently, which undoubtedly places great restrictions on participants' activities during the normal test. At present, the boom of wearable devices has created hope for non-invasive, simple operation and low-cost daily heart rate monitoring, among them, Ballistocardiogram signal (BCG) is an effective heart rate measurement method, but in the actual acquisition process, the robustness of non-invasive vital sign collection is limited. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method to improve the robustness of heart rate monitoring.

Objective

Therefore, in view of the problem that the accuracy of untethered monitoring heart rate is not high, we propose a method aimed at detecting the heartbeat cycle based on BCG to accurately obtain the beat-to-beat heart rate in the sleep state.

Methods

In this study, we implement an innovative J-wave detection algorithm based on BCG signals. By collecting BCG signals recorded by 28 healthy subjects in different sleeping positions, after preprocessing, the data feature set is formed according to the clustering of morphological features in the heartbeat interval. Finally, a J-wave recognition model is constructed based on bi-directional long short-term memory (BiLSTM), and then the number of J-waves in the input sequence is counted to realize real-time detection of heartbeat. The performance of the proposed heartbeat detection scheme is cross-verified, and the proposed method is compared with the previous wearable device algorithm.

Results

The accuracy of J wave recognition in BCG signal is 99.67%, and the deviation rate of heart rate detection is only 0.27%, which has higher accuracy than previous wearable device algorithms. To assess consistency between method results and heart rates obtained by the ECG, seven subjects are compared using Bland-Altman plots, which show no significant difference between BCG and ECG results for heartbeat cycles.

Conclusions

Compared with other studies, the proposed method is more accurate in J-wave recognition, which improves the accuracy and generalization ability of BCG-based continuous heartbeat cycle extraction, and provides preliminary support for wearable-based untethered daily monitoring.

Association between infarct location and haemorrhagic transformation of acute ischaemic stroke after intravenous thrombolysis

AIM

To evaluate the association between computed tomography (CT)-based imaging variables at the time of admission and haemorrhagic transformation (HT) after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and eight patients who were treated with IVT for acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) during January 2021 to July 2023 were analysed retrospectively. The infarct location was classified as cortical or subcortical in accordance with the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) system. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were performed to determine the relationship between ischaemic variables and HT.

RESULTS

Of the total, 18 (16.7%) patients had HT and seven (6.5%) had symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (sICH). Multivariate analysis revealed that cortical ASPECTS was independently associated with HT (odds ratio [OR], 0.197; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.076-0.511; p=0.001) and cortical ASPECTS was independently associated with sICH (OR, 0.066; 95% CI, 0.009-0.510; p=0.009). To predict HT and sICH, cortical ASPECTS (HT area under the curve [AUC] = 0.881, sICH AUC = 0.971) provided a higher AUC compared with ASPECTS (HT AUC = 0.850, sICH AUC = 0.918).

CONCLUSION

Cortical ASPECTS seen on CT at the time of admission is associated with HT and sICH after IVT.

EEGNet-based multi-source domain filter for BCI transfer learning

Deep learning has great potential on decoding EEG in brain-computer interface. While common deep learning algorithms cannot directly train models with data from multiple individuals because of the inter-individual differences in EEG. Collecting enough data for each subject to satisfy the training of deep learning would result in an increase in training cost. This study proposes a novel transfer learning, EEGNet-based multi-source domain filter for transfer learning (EEGNet-MDFTL), to reduce the amount of training data and improve the performance of BCI. The EEGNet-MDFTL uses bagging ensemble learning to learn domain-invariant features from the multi-source domain and utilizes model loss value to filter the multi-source domain. Compared with baseline methods, the accuracy of the EEGNet-MDFTL reaches 91.96%, higher than two state-of-the-art methods, which demonstrates source domain filter can select similar source domains to improve the accuracy of the model, and remains a high level even when the data amount is reduced to 1/8, proving that ensemble learning learns enough domain invariant features from the multi-source domain to make the model insensitive to data amount. The proposed EEGNet-MDFTL is effective in improving the decoding performance with a small amount of data, which is helpful to save the BCI training cost.

[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of high-risk anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery]

Objective: To analyze the diagnosis and surgical treatment of high-risk anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery (AAOCA). Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. From January 2016 to July 2023, 24 cases of high-risk AAOCA underwent surgical treatment in Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital. There were 18 males and 6 females, operatively aged (M (IQR)) 13 (26) years (range: 0.3 to 57.0 years). They were confirmed by cardiac ultrasound and cardiac CT, all of which had anomalous coronary running between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. There were 15 cases of the right coronary artery from the left aortic sinus of Valsalva, 6 cases of left coronary artery from the right aortic sinus of Valsalva, 3 cases of the sigle coronary artery. Only 3 patients had no obvious related symptoms (2 cases were complicated with a positive exercise stress test and 1 case with other intracardiac malformations), 21 cases had a history of chest tightness, chest pain, or syncope after exercise. Three patients suffered syncope after exercise and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (2 cases were treated with an extracorporeal membrane oxygenerator (ECMO)). The gap from the first symptom to the diagnosis was 4.0 (11.5) months (range: 0.2 to 84.0 months). The detection rate of coronary artery abnormalities suggested by the first cardiac ultrasound was only 37.5% (9/24). Seven patients were complicated with other cardiac diseases (4 cases with congenital heart defects, 2 cases with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, 1 case with mitral valve disease). Results: All 24 patients underwent surgical treatment (23 cases underwent abnormal coronary artery unroofing, 1 case underwent coronary artery bypass grafting), and 5 patients underwent other intracardiac malformation correction at the same time. There were no death or surgery related complications in the hospital for 30 days after the operation. A patient with preoperative extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation was continuously assisted by ECMO after emergency AAOCA correction and had complications such as limb ischemia necrosis and renal dysfunction after the operation. During the follow-up of 2.2 (3.3) years (range: 1 month to 7.2 years), one patient who previously underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with a stent implant experienced significant postoperative symptomatic relief, and the other discharged patients had no related symptoms. Conclusions: The accurate rate of initial diagnosis for high-risk AAOCA is still low, but the risk of cardiovascular accidents is high. For sports-related chest pain and other symptoms, more attention should be paid to the detection of AAOCA, especially for adolescents. Exercise stress testing can be helpful in evaluating the cardiovascular risk of asymptomatic AAOCA. Instant surgical treatment can achieve satisfactory curative effects.

Personalized motor imagery prediction model based on individual difference of ERP

Objective. Motor imagery-based brain-computer interaction (MI-BCI) is a novel method of achieving human and external environment interaction that can assist individuals with motor disorders to rehabilitate. However, individual differences limit the utility of the MI-BCI. In this study, a personalized MI prediction model based on the individual difference of event-related potential (ERP) is proposed to solve the MI individual difference.Approach.A novel paradigm named action observation-based multi-delayed matching posture task evokes ERP during a delayed matching posture task phase by retrieving picture stimuli and videos, and generates MI electroencephalogram through action observation and autonomous imagery in an action observation-based motor imagery phase. Based on the correlation between the ERP and MI, a logistic regression-based personalized MI prediction model is built to predict each individual's suitable MI action. 32 subjects conducted the MI task with or without the help of the prediction model to select the MI action. Then classification accuracy of the MI task is used to evaluate the proposed model and three traditional MI methods.Main results.The personalized MI prediction model successfully predicts suitable action among 3 sets of daily actions. Under suitable MI action, the individual's ERP amplitude and event-related desynchronization (ERD) intensity are the largest, which helps to improve the accuracy by 14.25%.Significance.The personalized MI prediction model that uses the temporal ERP features to predict the classification accuracy of MI is feasible for improving the individual's MI-BCI performance, providing a new personalized solution for the individual difference and practical BCI application.

Transcranial magneto-acoustic stimulation improves spatial memory and modulates hippocampal neural oscillations in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Introduction

In our study, we applied transcranial magneto-acoustic stimulation (TMAS), a technique based on focused ultrasound stimulation within a static magnetic field, in the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to explore the feasibility of TMAS on improving AD related spatial memory deficits and abnormal neural oscillations.

Methods

The mice treated with TMAS once daily for 21 days. We recorded local field potential signals in the hippocampal CA1 region of the mice after TMAS treatment with in-vivo electrophysiology and evaluated the neural rehabilitative effect of TMAS with sharp-wave ripple (SWR), gamma oscillations during SWRs, and phase-amplitude coupling (PAC). The spatial memory function of the mice was examined by the Morris water maze (MWM) task.

Results

We found that TMAS improved the performance of MWM related spatial cognitive functions compared with AD group. Furthermore, our results implied that TMAS alleviated abnormalities in hippocampal SWRs, increased slow gamma power during SWRs, and promoted theta-slow gamma phase-amplitude coupling. These findings suggest that TMAS could have a positive influence on spatial memory through the modulation of neural oscillations.

Discussion

This work emphasizes the potential of TMAS to serve as a non-invasive method for Alzheimer's disease rehabilitation and promote the application of TMAS for the treatment of more neurological and brain aging diseases in the future.

Antibacterial efficiency of the curcumin-mediated photodynamic inactivation coupled with L-arginine against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and its application on shrimp

The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial potency of a novel photodynamic inactivation (PDI) system with an enhanced bactericidal ability against Vibrio parahaemolyticus in vitro and in vivo. The synergistically bactericidal action of curcumin (Cur) and L-arginine (L-Arg) was firstly investigated, and then a novel curcumin-mediated PDI coupled with L-Arg was developed. Meanwhile, its potent inactivation mechanism against V. parahaemolyticus and preservation effects on shrimp were explored. Results showed that L-Arg disrupted the cell membrane by binding to membrane phospholipids and disrupting iron homeostasis, which helped curcumin to damage DNA and interrupt protein synthesis. Once irradiated by blue LED, the curcumin-mediated PDI produced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) which reacted with L-Arg to generate NO, and the NO was converted to reactive nitrogen species (RNS) with a strong bactericidal ability by consuming ROS. On this basis, the curcumin-mediated PDI coupled with L-Arg potently killed >8.0 Log CFU/mL with 8 μM curcumin, 0.5 mg/mL L-Arg and 1.2 J/cm2 irradiation. Meanwhile, this PDI also effectively inhibited the colour and pH changes, lipids oxidation and protein degradation of shrimp. Therefore, this study proposes a new potent PDI system to control microbial contamination in the food industry.

PD-L1 overexpression induces STAT signaling and promotes the secretion of pro-angiogenic cytokines in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

BACKGROUND

Monoclonal antibodies (ICI) targeting the immune checkpoint PD-1/PD-L1 alone or in combination with chemotherapy have demonstrated relevant benefits and established new standards of care in first-line treatment for advanced non-oncogene addicted non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, a relevant percentage of NSCLC patients, even with high PD-L1 expression, did not respond to ICI, highlighting the presence of intracellular resistance mechanisms that could be dependent on high PD-L1 levels. The intracellular signaling induced by PD-L1 in tumor cells and their correlation with angiogenic signaling pathways are not yet fully elucidated.

METHODS

The intrinsic role of PD-L1 was initially checked in two PD-L1 overexpressing NSCLC cells by transcriptome profile and kinase array. The correlation of PD-L1 with VEGF, PECAM-1, and angiogenesis was evaluated in a cohort of advanced NSCLC patients. The secreted cytokines involved in tumor angiogenesis were assessed by Luminex assay and their effect on Huvec migration by a non-contact co-culture system.

RESULTS

PD-L1 overexpressing cells modulated pathways involved in tumor inflammation and JAK-STAT signaling. In NSCLC patients, PD-L1 expression was correlated with high tumor intra-vasculature. When challenged with PBMC, PD-L1 overexpressing cells produced higher levels of pro-angiogenic factors compared to parental cells, as a consequence of STAT signaling activation. This increased production of cytokines involved in tumor angiogenesis largely stimulated Huvec migration. Finally, the addition of the anti-antiangiogenic agent nintedanib significantly reduced the spread of Huvec cells when exposed to high levels of pro-angiogenic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we reported that high PD-L1 modulates STAT signaling in the presence of PBMC and induces pro-angiogenic factor secretion. This could enforce the role of PD-L1 as a crucial regulator of the tumor microenvironment stimulating tumor progression, both as an inhibitor of T-cell activity and as a promoter of tumor angiogenesis.

A study of brain networks associated with Freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease using transfer entropy analysis

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. Freezing of Gait (FOG) is one of the common motor symptoms of PD, but the potential mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the changes of brain functional network topology in PD patients with FOG.

METHODS

The resting electroencephalogram (EEG) were acquired from15 PD patients with FOG (PD-FOG), 13 PD patients without FOG (PD-nFOG), and 16 healthy control (HC). Cognitive and motor functions were assessed using subjective scales. The whole-brain functional networks were constructed based on transfer entropy. Transfer entropy was used to analyse the information flow and causality in the network and the network connectivity was analyzed by graph theory. The characteristics of PD-FOG and PD-nFOG were compared by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

The θ bands brain network of PD-FOG, PD-nFOG and HC group was significantly different (P < 0.05). The average characteristic path length of the θ bands brain network was positively correlated with FOG Questionnaire (FOGQ). PD-FOG and PD-nFOG get high classification accuracy according to this feature. The information inflow in the frontal and occipital lobes and information outflow in the temporal lobe of PD-FOG patients in the θ bands increased significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

The whole-brain functional network characteristics of PD-FOG in the θ bands can serve as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of PD-FOG. Abnormal information flow of the frontal, occipital, and temporal lobes in the θ bands may be an important factor leading to FOG.

Effects of high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation on theta-gamma oscillations and coupling in the prefrontal cortex of rats during working memory task

High-frequency rTMS has been widely used to improve working memory (WM) impairment; however, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are unclear. We evaluated the effect of high-frequency rTMS on behaviors relevant to WM as well as coupling between theta and gamma oscillations in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats. Accordingly, Wistar rats received high-frequency rTMS daily for 14 days (5 Hz, 10 Hz, and 15 Hz stimulation; 600 pulses; n = 6 per group), whereas the control group received sham stimulation. Electrophysiological signals were recorded simultaneously to obtain the local field potential (LFP) from the PFC, while the rats performed T-maze tasks for the evaluation of WM. Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) was utilized to determine the effect of high-frequency rTMS on the theta-gamma coupling of LFPs. We observed that rats in the rTMS groups needed a smaller number of training days to complete the WM task as compared to the control group. High-frequency rTMS reinforced the coupling connection strength in the PFC of rats. Notably, the effect of rTMS at 15 Hz was the most effective among the three frequencies, i.e., 5 Hz, 10 Hz, and 15 Hz. The results suggested that rTMS can improve WM impairment in rats by modulating the coupling of theta and gamma rhythms. Hence, the current study provides a scientific basis for the optimization of TMS models, which would be relevant for clinical application.

An Integrated Multi-Channel Deep Neural Network for Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Identification Using Multi-Modal Medical Data

Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease with recurrent seizures. Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is the most common pathological cause of epilepsy. With the development of computer-aided diagnosis technology, there are many auxiliary diagnostic approaches based on deep learning algorithms. However, the causes of epilepsy are complex, and distinguishing different types of epilepsy accurately is challenging with a single mode of examination. In this study, our aim is to assess the combination of multi-modal epilepsy medical information from structural MRI, PET image, typical clinical symptoms and personal demographic and cognitive data (PDC) by adopting a multi-channel 3D deep convolutional neural network and pre-training PET images. The results show better diagnosis accuracy than using one single type of medical data alone. These findings reveal the potential of a deep neural network in multi-modal medical data fusion.

Cortical functional networks of transcutaneous electrical stimulation at acupoints on the pericardial meridian

To explore the relationship between pericardial meridian acupoints and brain, the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were collected synchronously during transcutaneous electrical stimulation at PC3, PC5, PC7, and PC8 on the pericardial meridian in 21 healthy subjects. The cerebral cortex functional networks were constructed by standard low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA), phase-locking value (PLV) and complex network methods. The prefrontal cortex (BA10), the orbitofrontal cortex (BA11), the middle temporal gyrus (BA21), the temporal gyrus (BA22), the temporal pole (BA38), the triangular part (BA44), the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA46), and the inferior frontal cortex (BA47) were activated by electrical stimulation at PC3, PC5, PC7, and PC8 on the pericardium meridian. These activated brain regions are able to modulate both local and remote emotion and cognitive networks. Acupoint stimulation of pericardium meridian mainly activated the frontal and the temporal lobes. Compared with non-acupoint stimulation, the node degree in the frontal lobe of electrical stimulation at PC3 (p < 0.05), PC5 (p < 0.05), PC7 (p < 0.01), PC8 (p < 0.05) and the temporal lobe of PC3 (p < 0.05), PC5 (p < 0.05), PC7 (p < 0.05), PC8 (p < 0.01) were significantly increased. The clustering coefficient in the frontal lobe of the stimulation at PC3 (p < 0.05), PC5 (p < 0.05), PC7 (p < 0.01), PC8 (p < 0.05) and the temporal lobe of PC3 (p < 0.05), PC5 (p < 0.05), PC7 (p < 0.01), PC8 (p < 0.05) were significantly increased. The characteristic path length decreased and the global efficiency increased during acupoint stimulation. The changes of functional network of stimulated pericardium meridian through cerebral cortex may provide theoretical support for the specificity of meridian and acupoints.

CT-based radiomics nomogram for the preoperative prediction of microsatellite instability and clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer: a multicentre study

AIM

To develop and validate a computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics nomogram for preoperative prediction of microsatellite instability (MSI) status and clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study enrolled 497 CRC patients from three centres. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was utilised for feature selection and constructing the radiomics signature. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify significant clinical variables. The radiomics nomogram was constructed by integrating the radiomics signature and the identified clinical variables. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to investigate the prognostic value of the nomogram.

RESULTS

The radiomics signature comprised 10 radiomics features associated with MSI status. The nomogram, integrating the radiomics signature and independent predictors (age, location, and thickness), demonstrated favourable calibration and discrimination, achieving areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUCs) of 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83-0.95), 0.87 (95% CI: 0.79-0.95), 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81-0.96), and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78-0.93) in the training cohort, internal validation cohort, and two external validation cohorts, respectively. The nomogram exhibited superior performance compared to the clinical model (p<0.05). Additionally, survival analysis demonstrated that the nomogram successfully stratified stage II CRC patients based on prognosis (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.357, p=0.022).

CONCLUSION

The radiomics nomogram demonstrated promising performance in predicting MSI status and stratifying the prognosis of patients with CRC.

Can SGRT be a Substitute for Plan Verification Procedure?

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Verification of plan (VP) has been part of our pre-treatment workflow for treatment isocenter verification. Currently, our center uses simulator for VP procedure for all our patients before the treatment. We would like to investigate if SGRT could be a good substitute for VP procedure to simplify our pre-treatment workflow.

MATERIALS/METHODS

In Group A (A-c, A-t, A-a), 20 patients of each treatment site (cranial, thorax and abdomen) were selected randomly. Patients did not go through VP procedure. During the first fraction of treatment, the therapists were guided by SGRT system (Vision RT, UK) and aligned the patient to 3mm and 1°using a standard region of interest (ROI). First CBCT was taken as a reference to customize the ROI for better suitability. Next, the patient was re-aligned to 1mm and 1°using the new ROI. Second CBCT was acquired, and 6 degrees of freedoms shifts were recorded. In Group B (B-c, B-t, B-a), 20 patients of each treatment site (cranial, thorax and abdominal) that were assigned for VP over the same period as Group A patients. Group B patients were aligned based on the skin markings drawn during VP procedure. CBCTs were taken at the first fraction of treatment and shifts were recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 60 CBCT images were analyzed for each group of patients. The absolute mean and standard deviations were shown in Table 1. The results indicated that Group A is superior, if not comparable, to Group B. Table 1: The absolute mean and standard deviations of first fraction of CBCT positioning errors for Group A and B patients.

CONCLUSION

With appropriate ROI, SGRT is a good or superior substitute for plan verification procedure. Localization verification can be done during day one of treatment which ease the pre-treatment workflow to both patients and clinical team. Analysis of customized ROI will be further studied in the future.

[Effects of advanced platelet-rich fibrin on deep partial-thickness burn wounds in nude mice]

Objective: To explore the effects of advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) on deep partial-thickness burn wounds in nude mice and its mechanism. Methods: The experimental study method was adopted. Forty healthy volunteers in Subei People's Hospital were recruited, including 32 females and 8 males, aged 60 to 72 years. Leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) and A-PRF membranes were prepared after venous blood was extracted from them. The microstructure of two kinds of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) membranes was observed by field emission scanning electron microscope. The number of samples was 3 in the following experiments. The L-PRF and A-PRF membranes were divided into L-PRF group and A-PRF group and cultured, and then the release concentrations of platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in culture supernatant were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on culture day 1, 3, 7, and 14. Mice L929 fibroblasts (Fbs) were divided into L-PRF group and A-PRF group, and cultured with L-PRF or A-PRF conditioned medium, respectively. On culture day 1, 3, and 7, the cell proliferation activity was detected by thiazole blue method. The cell migration rate was detected and calculated at 24 h after scratching by scratch test. Thirty-six male BALB/c nude mice aged 6-8 weeks were selected to make a deep partial-thickness burn wound on one hind leg, and then divided into normal saline group, L-PRF group, and A-PRF group, according to the random number table, with 12 mice in each group. The wounds of nude mice in normal saline group were only washed by normal saline, while the wounds of nude mice in L-PRF group and A-PRF group were covered with the corresponding membranes in addition. The wounds of nude mice in the 3 groups were all bandaged and fixed with dressings. On treatment day 4, 7, and 14, the wound healing was observed and the wound healing rate was calculated. Masson staining was used to observe the new collagen in wound tissue, and immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the percentage of CD31 positive cells in the wound. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, analysis of variance for factorial design, one-way analysis of variance, and least significant difference test. Results: L-PRF membrane's dense network structure was composed of coarse fibrin bundles, with scattered white blood cells and platelets with complete morphology. A-PRF membrane's loose network structure was composed of fine fibrin bundles, with scattered small amount of deformed white blood cells and platelets. On culture day 1, the release concentration of PDGF-AB in PRF culture supernatant in A-PRF group was significantly higher than that in L-PRF group (t=5.73, P<0.05), while the release concentrations of VEGF in PRF culture supernatant in the two groups were similar (P>0.05). On culture day 3, 7, and 14, the release concentrations of PDGF-AB and VEGF in PRF culture supernatant in A-PRF group were significantly higher than those in L-PRF group (with t values of 6.93, 7.45, 5.49, 6.97, 8.97, and 13.64, respectively, P<0.05). On culture day 3, 7, and 14, the release concentrations of PDGF-AB and VEGF in PRF culture supernatant in the two groups were all significantly higher than those in the previous time points within the group (P<0.05). On culture day 1, 3, and 7, the proliferation activity of mice Fbs in A-PRF group was 0.293±0.034, 0.582±0.054, and 0.775±0.040, respectively, which were significantly stronger than 0.117±0.013, 0.390±0.036, and 0.581±0.037 in L-PRF group (with t values of 8.38, 5.14, and 6.16, respectively, P<0.05). At 24 h after scratching, the migration rate of mice Fbs in A-PRF group was (60.9±2.2)%, which was significantly higher than (39.1±2.3)% in L-PRF group (t=11.74, P<0.05). On treatment day 4, the wound exudates of nude mice in L-PRF group and A-PRF group were less with no obvious signs of infection, while the wounds of nude mice in normal saline group showed more exudation. On treatment day 7, the wounds of nude mice in L-PRF group and A-PRF group were dry and crusted, while there was still a small amount of exudate in the wounds of nude mice in normal saline group. On treatment day 14, the wounds of nude mice in A-PRF group tended to heal; a small portion of wounds remained in nude mice in L-PRF group; the wound of nude mice was still covered with eschar in normal saline group. On treatment day 4, 7, and 14, the wound healing rate and percentage of CD31 positive cells of nude mice in L-PRF group were all significantly higher than those in normal saline group (P<0.05); compared with those in normal saline group and L-PRF group, the wound healing rate of nude mice in A-PRF group was significantly increased (P<0.05), the newborn collagen was orderly and evenly distributed, with no excessive deposition, and the percentage of CD31 positive cells was significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusions: The stable fibrin network structure of A-PRF can maintain the sustained release of growth factors, accelerate cell proliferation, and promote cell migration, so as to shorten the healing time and improve the healing quality of deep partial-thickness burn wounds in nude mice.

Dual stimuli interface with logical division using local move stimuli

Improving information transfer rate is a key to prompt the speed of outputting instructions of the event-related potential-based brain-computer interface. Our previous study designed a dual-stimuli interface that simultaneously presents two types of different stimuli to improve the speed. While, adding more stimuli into this interface makes subject easily affected by "flanker effect" that decreases the accuracy of recognizing intention. To achieve high recognition accuracy with many stimuli, this study proposes a dual stimuli interface based on whole flash and local move (DS-WL) and two rules of stimulus arrangement to induce the brain signals. Twenty subjects participated in the experiment, and their signals are recognized by a back propagation neural network classifier. The local move induces larger and later signals of targets to help discriminate the two kinds of stimuli; the rules reduce the N200 and P300 amplitudes of non-target, which improves accuracy. This study demonstrates that the DS-WL is a useful way to shorten the instruction output cycle and speed up the instructions outputting by local move and rules.

Identification of DNA Damage Repair Gene Signature as a Novel Prognostic Marker in Glioblastoma Multiforme

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is limited. The effect of DNA damage repair is an important factor.

METHODS

Expression data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (training dataset) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (validation dataset) databases. Univariate Cox regression analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were used to construct a DNA damage response (DDR) gene signature. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and Kaplan-Meier curve analysis were used to estimate the prognostic value of the risk signature. Moreover, consensus clustering analysis was used to investigate the potential subtypes of GBM according to DDR expression.

RESULTS

We constructed a 3-DDR-related gene signature through the survival analysis. The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis suggested that patients in the low-risk group have significantly better survival outcomes compared with the high-risk group in the training and external validation datasets. The results from the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the risk model has high prognostic value in the training and external validation datasets. Moreover, 3 stable molecular subtypes were identified and validated in the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases according to the expression of the DNA repair gene. The microenvironment and immunity of GBM were further investigated and showed that cluster 2 had higher immunity and a higher immune score compared with clusters 1 and 3.

CONCLUSIONS

The DNA damage repair-related gene signature was an independent and powerful prognostic biomarker in GBM. Knowledge of the GBM subtypes could have important implications in the subclassification of GBM.

Anti-Disturbance of Scale-Free Spiking Neural Network against Impulse Noise

The bio-brain presents robustness function to external stimulus through its self-adaptive regulation and neural information processing. Drawing from the advantages of the bio-brain to investigate the robustness function of a spiking neural network (SNN) is conducive to the advance of brain-like intelligence. However, the current brain-like model is insufficient in biological rationality. In addition, its evaluation method for anti-disturbance performance is inadequate. To explore the self-adaptive regulation performance of a brain-like model with more biological rationality under external noise, a scale-free spiking neural network(SFSNN) is constructed in this study. Then, the anti-disturbance ability of the SFSNN against impulse noise is investigated, and the anti-disturbance mechanism is further discussed. Our simulation results indicate that: (i) our SFSNN has anti-disturbance ability against impulse noise, and the high-clustering SFSNN outperforms the low-clustering SFSNN in terms of anti-disturbance performance. (ii) The neural information processing in the SFSNN under external noise is clarified, which is a dynamic chain effect of the neuron firing, the synaptic weight, and the topological characteristic. (iii) Our discussion hints that an intrinsic factor of the anti-disturbance ability is the synaptic plasticity, and the network topology is a factor that affects the anti-disturbance ability at the level of performance.

[Association between vitamin D level and blood eosinophil count in healthy population and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its association with blood eosinophil count in healthy population and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS

We analyzed the data of a total 6163 healthy individuals undergoing routine physical examination in our hospital between October, 2017 and December, 2021, who were divided according to their serum 25(OH)D level into severe vitamin D deficiency group (< 10 ng/mL), deficiency group (< 20 ng/mL), insufficient group (< 30 ng/mL) and normal group (≥30 ng/mL). We also retrospectively collected the data of 67 COPD patients admitted in our department from April and June, 2021, with 67 healthy individuals undergoing physical examination in the same period as the control group. Routine blood test results, body mass index (BMI) and other parameters were obtained from all the subjects, and logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between 25(OH)D levels and eosinophil count.

RESULTS

The overall abnormal rate of 25(OH)D level (< 30 ng/mL) in the healthy individuals was 85.31%, and the rate was significantly higher in women (89.29%) than in men. Serum 25(OH)D levels in June, July, and August were significantly higher than those in December, January, and February. In the healthy individuals, blood eosinophil counts were the lowest in severe 25(OH)D deficiency group, followed by the deficiency group and insufficient group, and were the highest in the normal group (P < 0.05). Multivariable regression analysis showed that an older age, a higher BMI, and elevated vitamin D levels were all risk factors for elevated blood eosinophils in the healthy individuals. The patients with COPD had lower serum 25(OH)D levels than the healthy individuals (19.66±7.87 vs 26.39±9.28 ng/mL) and a significantly higher abnormal rate of serum 25(OH)D (91% vs 71%; P < 0.05). A reduced serum 25(OH)D level was a risk factor for COPD. Blood eosinophils, sex and BMI were not significantly correlated with serum 25(OH)D level in patients with COPD.

CONCLUSION

Vitamin D deficiency is common in both healthy individuals and COPD patients, and the correlations of vitamin D level with sex, BMI and blood eosinophils differ obviously between healthy individuals and COPD patients.

Effects of theta burst stimulation on the coherence of local field potential during working memory task in rats

Theta burst stimulation (TBS), a highly efficient repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) paradigm, has been widely used to modulate the working memory (WM) ability in experimental and clinical study. However, the underly neuroelectrophysiological mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of iTBS, cTBS and rTMS on WM and explore the neural oscillatory communication changes in PFC involved in spatial WM task. 18 rats were treated by iTBS, cTBS and rTMS respectively (n=6 each), while the rats in control group (n=6) received no stimulation. T-maze WM task was used to assess the rats' performance of WM after stimulation. Local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded from a microelectrode array implanted in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) while the rats were performing the WM task. Functional connectivity (FC) strength was assessed by LFP-LFP coherence calculations. The results showed that the rats from the rTMS group and iTBS group are able to reach criteria in less time than the control group's duration of the T-maze task. The power and the coherence value of rTMS and iTBS groups show a significant increase in the theta-band and gamma-band activity, wheras there are no significant differences of the energy and the coherence value between the cTBS group and the control group in theta-band. Furthermore, significantly positive correlations were observed between changes of memory performance during the WM task and the changes of the coherence value of the LFPs. In conclusion, these results indicate that rTMS and iTBS may improve the ability of WM by modulating the neural activity and connectivity in PFC.

Optimal Design of Array Coils for Multi-Target Adjustable Electromagnetic Brain Stimulation System

Temporal interference magnetic stimulation is a novel noninvasive deep brain neuromodulation technology that can solve the problem of balance between focus area and stimulation depth. However, at present, the stimulation target of this technology is relatively single, and it is difficult to realize the coordinated stimulation of multiple brain regions, which limits its application in the modulation of multiple nodes in the brain network. This paper first proposes a multi-target temporal interference magnetic stimulation system with array coils. The array coils are composed of seven coil units with an outer radius of 25 mm, and the spacing between coil units is 2 mm. Secondly, models of human tissue fluid and the human brain sphere are established. Finally, the relationship between the movement of the focus area and the amplitude ratio of the difference frequency excitation sources under time interference is discussed. The results show that in the case of a ratio of 1:5, the peak position of the amplitude modulation intensity of the induced electric field has moved 45 mm; that is, the movement of the focus area is related to the amplitude ratio of the difference frequency excitation sources. The conclusion is that multi-target temporal interference magnetic stimulation with array coils can simultaneously stimulate multiple network nodes in the brain region; rough positioning can be performed by controlling the conduction of different coils, fine-tuning the position by changing the current ratio of the conduction coils, and realizing accurate stimulation of multiple targets in the brain area.

Quantitatively biomechanical response analysis of posterior musculature reconstruction in cervical single-door laminoplasty

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The current trend of laminoplasty is developing toward the goal of muscle preservation and minimum tissue damage. Given this, muscle-preserving techniques in cervical single-door laminoplasty have been modified with protecting the spinous processes at the sites of C2 and/or C7 muscle attachment and reconstruct the posterior musculature in recent years. To date, no study has reported the effect of preserving the posterior musculature during the reconstruction. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively evaluate the biomechanical effect of multiple modified single-door laminoplasty procedures for restoring stability and reducing response level on the cervical spine.

METHODS

Different cervical laminoplasty models were established for evaluating kinematics and response simulations based on a detailed finite element (FE) head-neck active model (HNAM), including ① C3 - C7 laminoplasty (LP_C37), ② C3 - C6 laminoplasty with C7 spinous process preservation (LP_C36), ③ C3 laminectomy hybrid decompression with C4 - C6 laminoplasty (LT_C3 + LP_C46) and ④ C3 - C7 laminoplasty with unilateral musculature preservation (LP_C37 + UMP). The laminoplasty model was validated by the global range of motion (ROM) and percentage changes relative to the intact state. The C2 - T1 ROM, axial muscle tensile force, and stress/strain levels of functional spinal units were compared among the different laminoplasty groups. The obtained effects were further analysed by comparison with a review of clinical data on cervical laminoplasty scenarios.

RESULTS

Analysis of the locations of concentration of muscle load showed that the C2 muscle attachment sustained more tensile loading than the C7 muscle attachment, primarily in flexion-extension (FE) and in lateral bending (LB) and axial rotation (AR), respectively. Simulated results further quantified that LP_C36 primarily produced 10% decreases in LB and AR modes relative to LP_C37. Compared with LP_C36, LT_C3 + LP_C46 resulted in approximately 30% decreases in FE motion; LP C37 + UMP also showed a similar trend. Additionally, when compared to LP_C37, LT_C3 + LP_C46 and LP C37 + UMP reduced the peak stress level at the intervertebral disc by at most 2-fold as well as the peak strain level of the facet joint capsule by 2-3-fold. All these findings were well correlated with the result of clinical studies comparing modified laminoplasty and classic laminoplasty.

CONCLUSIONS

Modified muscle-preserving laminoplasty is superior to classic laminoplasty due to the biomechanical effect of the posterior musculature reconstruction, with a retained postoperative ROM and loading response levels of the functional spinal units. More motion-sparing is beneficial for increasing cervical stability, which probably accelerates the recovery of postoperative neck movement and reduces the risk of the complication for eventual kyphosis and axial pain. Surgeons are encouraged to make every effort to preserve the attachment of the C2 whenever feasible in laminoplasty.

Photo-sterilization of groundwater by tellurium and enhancement by micro/nano bubbles

In rural areas where low-temperature groundwater is used as a drinking water source, cost-effective sterilization techniques are needed to prevent groundwater consumers from the disease risks triggered by pathogenic microorganisms like Escherichia coli and fungal spores. In this study, micro/nano bubbles (MNBs) coupled with the tellurium (Te)-based catalysts were used to considerably enhance the solar disinfection (SODIS) efficiency while overcoming the intrinsic defects of SODIS, particularly in low-temperature. Sterilization tests showed that 6.5 log₁₀ cfu/mL of E. coli K-12 and 4.0 log₁₀ cfu/mL of Aspergillus niger spores were completely inactivated within 5 min while applying this novel process for disinfection of raw groundwater, even in low-temperature. The underlying mechanisms of the extraordinary sterilization efficiency were revealed through comprehensive characterization of the catalysts and the physiological changes of the microorganisms. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of the Te catalysts was identified to take advantage of photothermal synergism to achieve cell death. The integration of MNBs with the facet-engineered Te catalysts improved the photothermal catalytic effect and extracellular electron transfer, which substantially strengthened disinfection efficiency. This study provides a targeted solution into microbial inactivation in groundwater and emphasizes a cost-effective groundwater sterilization process.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation enhances the neuronal excitability of mice by regulating dynamic characteristics of Granule cells' Ion channels

This study aims to explore the effects of acute high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (hf-rTMS) on neuronal excitability of granule cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, as well as the underlying intrinsic mediating mechanisms by which rTMS regulates neuronal excitability. First, high-frequency single TMS was used to measure the motor threshold (MT) of mice. Then, rTMS with different intensities of 0 MT (control), 0.8 MT, and 1.2 MT were applied to acute mice brain slices. Next, patch-clamp technique was used to record the resting membrane potential and evoked nerve discharge of granule cells, as well as the voltage-gated sodium current (I Na) of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs), transient outward potassium current (I A) and delayed rectifier potassium current (I K) of voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv). Results showed that acute hf-rTMS in both 0.8 MT and 1.2 MT groups significantly activated I Na and inhibited I A and I K compared with control group, due to the changes of dynamic characteristics of VGSCs and Kv. Acute hf-rTMS in both 0.8 MT and 1.2 MT groups significantly increased membrane potential and nerve discharge frequency. Therefore, changing dynamic characteristics of VGSCs and Kv, activating I Na and inhibiting I A and I K might be one of the intrinsic mediating mechanisms by which rTMS enhanced the neuronal excitability of granular cells, and this regulatory effect increased with the increase of stimulus intensity.

[DTX2 overexpression promotes migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells through the Notch2/Akt axis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of changes in DTX2 expression level on migration and invasion of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and explore the mechanism.

METHODS

Two CRC cell lines SW620 and LoVo were transfected with a specific shRNA targeting DTX2 (DTX2-shRNA) or a DTX2-overexpressing plasmid (pcDNA-DTX2), and the transfection efficiency was evaluated with RT-qPCR and Western blotting. Scratch and Transwell assays were used to assess the changes in migration and invasion ability of the transfected cells, and the cellular expression levels of Notch2, NICD, AKT, p-Akt and MMP-2/9 proteins were detected with Western blotting. The CRC cells were co-transfected with pcDNA-DTX2 and Notch2 siRNA to assess the effect of Notch2 knockdown on DTX2 overexpression-induced enhancement of cell migration and invasion.

RESULTS

The expression levels of DTX2 at both the mRNA and protein levels were significantly decreased in CRC cells transfected with DTX2- shRNA (P < 0.01) and increased in cells transfected with pcDNA-DTX2 (P < 0.01). Scratch and Transwell assays showed that the migration and invasion abilities of CRC cells were significantly lowered following DTX2 knockdown (P < 0.01) and were enhanced in cells with DTX2 overexpression (P < 0.01). The expression levels of Notch2, NICD, p-Akt and MMP-2 proteins decreased significantly in CRC cells with DTX2 knockdown (P < 0.05) and increased obviously in DTX2-overexpressing cells (P < 0.05). In both of the two CRC cell lines, transfection with Notch2 siRNA obviously reversed the effect of DTX2 overexpression in promoting cell migration and invasion (P < 0.01) and expressions of the related proteins.

CONCLUSION

DTX2 overexpression promotes migration and invasion of CRC cells through the Notch2/Akt axis, suggesting the potential of DTX2 as a new biological indicator of CRC.

Cerebral cortex Functional Networks of Transdermal Electrical Stimulation at Daling (PC7) Acupoint

The cerebral cortex functional network of Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals during transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on 21 healthy subjects was constructed by using three modules: standard low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA), phase-locking value (PLV), and complex network. We investigated the brain functional network triggered by PC7 stimulation by comparing with resting state and non-acupoint stimulation. The results showed that the PC7 stimulation mainly activated frontal lobe and temporal lobe including prefrontal cortex (BA10), insular lobe (BA13), temporal gyrus (BA22), anterior cingulate cortex (BA32), temporal pole (BA38), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA46), and inferior frontal cortex (BA47), which are all closely linked to cognition, spirit, and emotion in brain. Furthermore, the degrees of node in frontal, temporal, and whole brain are increased significantly or extreme significantly with p < 0.05, p < 0.05, and p < 0.01, respectively; clustering coefficient in frontal, temporal, and whole brain are all statistically significant (p < 0.05). The information transmission efficiency of cerebral cortex has been greatly improved. During PC7 stimulation, the topological changes in the activation of cerebral regions and cortical functional networks are consistent with the therapeutic effect, which may provide theoretical support for acupoint stimulation to regulate nerve function.

[Advances in methods and applications of electroencephalogram microstate analysis]

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is characterized by high temporal resolution, and various EEG analysis methods have developed rapidly in recent years. The EEG microstate analysis method can be used to study the changes of the brain in the millisecond scale, and can also present the distribution of EEG signals in the topological level, thus reflecting the discontinuous and nonlinear characteristics of the whole brain. After more than 30 years of enrichment and improvement, EEG microstate analysis has penetrated into many research fields related to brain science. In this paper, the basic principles of EEG microstate analysis methods are summarized, and the changes of characteristic parameters of microstates, the relationship between microstates and brain functional networks as well as the main advances in the application of microstate feature extraction and classification in brain diseases and brain cognition are systematically described, hoping to provide some references for researchers in this field.

[Bushen Huoxue Fang improves recurrent miscarriage in mice by down-regulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacy of Bushen Huoxue Fang (BSHXF, a traditional Chinese medicine formula) for improving recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) in mice and the role of tyrosine kinase (JAK2) and transcriptional activator (STAT3) signaling pathway in its therapeutic mechanism.

METHODS

Female CBA/J mice were caged with male DBA/2 mice to establish RSA mouse models, which were randomly divided into model group, dydrogesterone group and BSHXF group, with the female mice caged with male BALB/c mice as the control group (n=6). From the first day of pregnancy, the mice were subjected to daily intragastric administration of BSHXF, dydrogesterone, or distilled water (in control and model groups) for 12 days. After the treatments, serum levels of antithrombin III (AT-III), activated protein C (APC), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), progesterone, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and estradiol (E2) were detected in each group using ELISA. HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of the endometrium of the mice. Western blotting was performed to determine the expressions of p-JAK2, p-Stat3 and Bcl-2 in the placenta of the mice.

RESULTS

Compared with the control mice, the mouse models of RSA showed a significantly increased embryo loss rate with decreased serum levels of AT-III, T-PA, progesterone, APC and HCG, increased placental expressions of p-JAK2, p-STAT3 and Bax, and decreased expression of Bcl-2 (P < 0.05). Treatments with BSHXF and dydrogesterone both increased serum levels of AT-III, t-PA and HCG in the mouse models; Serum APC level was significantly reduced in BSHXF group and serum progesterone level was significantly increased in dydrogesterone group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

BSHXF can improve the prethrombotic state and inhibit cell apoptosis by downregulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway to increase the pregnancy rate in mouse models of RSA.

The role of mitochondrial fission in intervertebral disc degeneration

Low back pain (LBP) is an extremely common disorder and is a major cause of disability globally. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is the main contributor to LBP. Nevertheless, the specific mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of IVDD remain unclear. Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that continuously undergo fusion and fission, known as mitochondrial dynamics. Accumulating evidence has revealed that aberrantly activated mitochondrial fission leads to mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction, which are involved in the development and progression of IVDD. To date, research into mitochondrial dynamics in IVDD is at an early stage. The present narrative review aims to summarize the most recent findings about the role of mitochondrial fission in the pathogenesis of IVDD.

Identification of novel characteristic biomarkers and immune infiltration profile for the anaplastic thyroid cancer via machine learning algorithms

PURPOSE

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare and lethal malignant cancer. In recent years, the application of molecular-driven targeted therapy and immunotherapy has markedly improved the prognosis of ATC. This study aimed to identify characteristic genes for ATC diagnosis and revealed the role of ATC characteristic genes in drug sensitivity and immune cell infiltration.

METHODS

We downloaded ATC RNA-sequencing data from the GEO database. Following the combination and normalization of the dataset, we first divided the combined datasets into the training cohort and the validation cohort. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ATC by differential expression analysis in the training cohort. We used two machine learning algorithms, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) to identify ATC characteristic genes. The CIBERSORT algorithm was performed to calculate the abundance of various immune cells in ATC. Finally, we validated the expression of ATC characteristic genes by quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) in ATC cell lines and immunohistochemistry (IHC).

RESULTS

A total of 425 DEGs were identified in the training cohort, including 240 upregulated genes and 185 downregulated genes. Four ATC characteristic genes (ADM, PXDN, MMP1, and TFF3) were identified, and their diagnostic value was validated in the validation cohort (AUC in ROC analysis > 0.75). We established a practical gene expression-based nomogram to accurately predict the probability of ATC. We also found that ATC characteristic biomarkers are associated with the tumor immune microenvironment and drug sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

ADM, PXDN, MMP1, and TFF3 might serve as potential ATC diagnostic biomarkers and may be helpful for ATC molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

A study of action difference on motor imagery based on delayed matching posture task

Objective. Motor imagery (MI)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) provide an additional control pathway for people by decoding the intention of action imagination. The way people imagine greatly affects MI-BCI performance. Action itself is one of the factors that influence the way people imagine. Whether the different actions cause a difference in the MI performance is unknown. What is more important is how to manifest this action difference in the process of imagery, which has the potential to guide people to use their individualized actions to imagine more effectively.Approach.To explore action differences, this study proposes a novel paradigm named as action observation based delayed matching posture task. Ten subjects are required to observe, memorize, match, and imagine three types of actions (cutting, grasping and writing) given by visual images or videos, to accomplish the phases of encoding, retrieval and reinforcement of MI. Event-related potential (ERP), MI features, and classification accuracy of the left or the right hand are used to evaluate the effect of the action difference on the MI difference.Main results.Action differences cause different feature distributions, resulting in that the accuracy with high event-related (de)synchronization (ERD/ERS) is 27.75% higher than the ones with low ERD/ERS (p< 0.05), which indicates that the action difference has impact on the MI difference and the BCI performance. In addition, significant differences in the ERP amplitudes exists among the three actions: the amplitude of P300-N200 potential reaches 9.28μV of grasping, 5.64μV and 5.25μV higher than the cutting and the writing, respectively (p< 0.05).Significance.The ERP amplitudes derived from the supplementary motor area shows positive correlation to the MI classification accuracy, implying that the ERP might be an index of the MI performance when the people is faced with action selection. This study demonstrates that the MI difference is related to the action difference, and can be manifested by the ERP, which is important for improving MI training by selecting suitable action; the relationship between the ERP and the MI provides a novel index to find the suitable action to set up an individualized BCI and improve the performance further.

Number of Teeth and Denture Use Are Associated with Frailty among Chinese Older Adults: A Cohort Study Based on the CLHLS from 2008 to 2018

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to determine the association between oral health and the development of frailty over a 10-year period in older Chinese adults.

DESIGN

This was a cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

The data in this study were derived from the 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2018 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey (CLHLS). The final analysis included 1155 older adults who had complete data for the Frailty Index (FI) and the other factors(oral health, sociodemographics, etc) that were analyzed in the study.

MEASUREMENTS

Frailty was assessed by the FI, which consists of 40 deficits(self-health assessments, diseases, physical functions,etc). Multivariable logistic regression was carried out to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) of the independent variables,which were obtained from investigator surveys and self-reports, in association with the development of frailty.

RESULTS

The prevalence of frailty at baseline was 22.94%, and the 10-year incidence of frailty was 24.16% (215/890). Age, number of natural teeth, use of dentures, toothache and sex were independent risk factors for frailty at baseline. After full adjustment, multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that compared with having ≥21 teeth, edentulism (ORs 3.575; 95% CI 2.095,6.101) and partial tooth loss (ORs 2.448; 95% CI 1.592,3.766) were associated with progression to frailty. Compared with those with ≥21 teeth, those with <21 teeth and without dentures (ORs 2.617; 95% CI 1.713,3.999) were more likely to progress to frailty.

CONCLUSION

The loss of natural teeth is associated with the progression of frailty in older Chinese adults and denture using can help lower the odds of being frailty. Further research on maintain natural teeth and the appropriate use of dentures may help to establish effective frailty prevention strategies for the older adults.

[Research advances on the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers with autologous platelet-rich fibrin]

Diabetic foot is one of the serious complications of diabetic patients, which makes the society and public health bear a huge economic burden. In recent years, more and more studies at home and abroad have been conducted on the treatment of chronic wounds with autologous platelet-rich fibrin, and the therapeutic concepts and methods have been updated constantly. In this paper, we reviewed the general situation of autologous platelet-rich fibrin, the mechanism of autologous platelet-rich fibrin in promoting the healing of diabetic foot ulcers and the new progress in its application, so as to provide a new strategy for the repair of diabetic foot ulcers.

[The influence of two kinds of transnasal endoscopic surgery on the outcome status of sinus cavity in patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps]

Objective: To investigate the trend of postoperative cavity status in patients with eosinophilic chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps (eCRSwNP) who underwent total nasalization surgery and partial reboot surgery. And to discuss the relationship between tissue eosinophil counts and status of postoperative cavity. Methods: Patients with eCRSwNP in four tertiary medical centers (Longgang ENT Hospital, Xiamen Humanity Hospital, Guangdong Clifford Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University) from March 2018 to October 2021 were divided into 2 groups. The group without previous surgery history was performed for the nasalization surgery, and another group with previous surgery history underwent the part-reboot surgery. The follow-up time after operation was defined as the following 5 stages: 6, 12, 20-24, 36 and more than 42 months. According to FESS-95 Guangzhou standard, status of sinus cavity was assessed and classified into 3 categories: good, better and bad. The association between the sinus cavity status and tissue eosinophil counts in the above 5 stages was analyzed by one-way ANOVA, and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 72 eCRSwNP patients finished the follow-up in this study. There were 47 males and 25 females in these patients, aged from 11 to 67 years. A total of 50 cases underwent nasalization surgery and 22 cases underwent partial reboot surgery. With the follow-up time from 6 to 48 months, there were 72 cases (100.0%) who completed 6 months and 12 months follow up, 46 cases (63.9%) for 20-24 months, 36 cases (50.0%) for 32-36 months and 16 cases (22.2%) with the follow-up time more than 42 months. No matter what kind of surgery, there was no "bad" situation of the surgical cavity status 6 months after the operation, and the differentiation gradually occurred more than 12 months after the surgery. Moreover, the rates of "good" cavity status for the 5 stages in the group of nasalization surgery were 78.0%, 66.0%, 56.7%, 47.6% and 42.9%, and were 63.6%, 45.5%, 25.0%, 20.0% and 11.1% in the partial reboot surgery group, respectively, suggesting that the status of nasal cavity in nasalization surgery group was always better than that in partial reboot surgery group in every period. In addition, the "bad" rate was 0, 8.0%, 10.0%, 14.3% and 28.6% in the group of nasalization surgery, and was 0, 27.3%, 18.8%, 33.3% and 55.6% in the partial reboot surgery group, respectively. The average percentage of tissue eosinophil counts in the 72 cases was 42.1%, which had no obvious effect on the status of the surgical cavity (P>0.05). Conclusions: For eCRSwNP patients, the operative cavity status in the patients without previous operation history treated with nasalization surgery is good. The time of 1-2 years after surgery is the main period for sinus lesions. The counts of tissue eosinophils has no significant influence on surgical sinus cavity status in the eCRSwNP patients.

Qualitative and quantitative wall enhancement associated with unstable intracranial aneurysms: a meta-analysis

Background

Unstable intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) are more likely to rupture and cause serious consequences. Evaluating the stability of unruptured aneurysms facilitates clinical management stratification.

Purpose

To compare and evaluate the predictive performance of qualitative and quantitative wall enhancement (aneurysmal wall enhancement [AWE], circumferential aneurysmal wall enhancement [CAWE], wall enhancement ratio [WER]) on high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the vessel wall to predict the presence of UIA.

Material and Methods

Original articles describing the depiction of aneurysmal wall enhancement on 3.0-T or 1.5-T high-resolution vessel wall imaging were retrieved from the Web of Science, Medline/PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases up to 15 February 2022. The combined sensitivity, specificity, and summary area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were calculated, and meta-regression analysis was performed.

Results

In total, 12 original articles involving 1619 intracranial aneurysms (IAs) were included. The combined sensitivity and specificity of AWE, CAWE, and WER were 91% and 67%, 59% and 83%, and 86% and 75%, respectively, in the diagnosis of UIA. The summary AUC values of these items were, in order from high to low, 0.88 (WER), 0.84 (AWE), and 0.77 (CAWE), and the differences among them were significant ( z = 2.976, P = 0.003 and z = 2.950, P = 0.003). The meta-regression analysis identified average size and 2D/3D magnetic imaging technology as possible sources of heterogeneity.

Conclusion

Qualitative and quantitative wall enhancement showed moderate accuracy in predicting UIA, and WER had the highest accuracy among them in this meta-analysis. Two covariates were found to explain the heterogeneity.

Complex spiking neural networks with synaptic time-delay based on anti-interference function

The research on a brain-like model with bio-interpretability is conductive to promoting its information processing ability in the field of artificial intelligence. Biological results show that the synaptic time-delay can improve the information processing abilities of the nervous system, which are an important factor related to the formation of brain cognitive functions. However, the synaptic plasticity with time-delay of a brain-like model still lacks bio-interpretability. In this study, combining excitatory and inhibitory synapses, we construct the complex spiking neural networks (CSNNs) with synaptic time-delay that more conforms biological characteristics, in which the topology has scale-free property and small-world property, and the nodes are represented by an Izhikevich neuron model. Then, the information processing abilities of CSNNs with different types of synaptic time-delay are comparatively evaluated based on the anti-interference function, and the mechanism of this function is discussed. Using two indicators of the anti-interference function and three kinds of noise, our simulation results consistently verify that: (i) From the perspective of anti-interference function, an CSNN with synaptic random time-delay outperforms an CSNN with synaptic fixed time-delay, which in turn outperforms an CSNN with synaptic none time-delay. The results imply that brain-like networks with more bio-interpretable synaptic time-delay have stronger information processing abilities. (ii) The synaptic plasticity is the intrinsic factor of the anti-interference function of CSNNs with different types of synaptic time-delay. (iii) The synaptic random time-delay makes an CSNN present better topological characteristics, which can improve the information processing ability of a brain-like network. It implies that synaptic time-delay is a factor that affects the anti-interference function at the level of performance.

[Research on the effect of multi-modal transcranial direct current stimulation on stroke based on electroencephalogram]

As an emerging non-invasive brain stimulation technique, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has received increasing attention in the field of stroke disease rehabilitation. However, its efficacy needs to be further studied. The tDCS has three stimulation modes: bipolar-stimulation mode, anode-stimulation mode and cathode-stimulation mode. Nineteen stroke patients were included in this research (10 with left-hemisphere lesion and 9 with right). Resting electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were collected from subjects before and after bipolar-stimulation, anodal-stimulation, cathodal-stimulation, and pseudo-stimulation, with pseudo-stimulation serving as the control group. The changes of multi-scale intrinsic fuzzy entropy (MIFE) of EEG signals before and after stimulation were compared. The results revealed that MIFE was significantly greater in the frontal and central regions after bipolar-stimulation ( P< 0.05), in the left central region after anodal-stimulation ( P< 0.05), and in the frontal and right central regions after cathodal-stimulation ( P< 0.05) in patients with left-hemisphere lesions. MIFE was significantly greater in the frontal, central and parieto-occipital joint regions after bipolar-stimulation ( P< 0.05), in the left frontal and right central regions after anodal- stimulation ( P< 0.05), and in the central and right occipital regions after cathodal-stimulation ( P< 0.05) in patients with right-hemisphere lesions. However, the difference before and after pseudo-stimulation was not statistically significant ( P> 0.05). The results of this paper showed that the bipolar stimulation pattern affected the largest range of brain areas, and it might provide a reference for the clinical study of rehabilitation after stroke.

DOCK4 regulates ghrelin production in gastric X/A-like cells

PURPOSE

Ghrelin, a gastric hormone, provides a hunger signal to the central nervous system to stimulate food intake. Ghrelin also modulates neuroinflammatory and apoptotic processes. Dedicator of cytokinesis 4 (DOCK4), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), is involved in the regulation of neuronal polarization and axon regeneration. However, the effect of DOCK4 on ghrelin production has not been explored.

METHODS

The expression of DOCK4 in human and mouse stomach was examined by immunohistochemical staining. The synthesis and secretion of ghrelin in Dock4 null mice were evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot and ELISA. The effects of DOCK4 on ghrelin production in mHypoE-42 cells were measured by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot.

RESULTS

We showed that DOCK4 was expressed in both human and mouse gastric ghrelin cells. The mRNA and protein levels of gastric ghrelin, as well as ghrelin secretion, were remarkably diminished in Dock4 null mice. Furthermore, we showed that overexpression of Dock4 significantly stimulated ghrelin expression, while siRNA knockdown of endogenous Dock4 resulted in a marked decrease of ghrelin in mHypoE-N42 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results identify DOCK4 as a critical regulator for ghrelin production in gastric X/A-like cells.