Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Granger Causality of the Electroencephalogram Reveals Abrupt Global Loss of Cortical Information Flow during Propofol-induced Loss of Responsiveness

Background: It is a commonly held view that information flow between widely separated regions of the cerebral cortex is a necessary component in the generation of wakefulness (also termed “connected” consciousness). This study therefore hypothesized that loss of wakefulness caused by propofol anesthesia should be associated with loss of information flow, as estimated by the effective connectivity in the scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) signal. Methods: Effective connectivity during anesthesia was quantified by applying bivariate Granger to multichannel EEG data recorded from 16 adult subjects undergoing a slow induction of, and emergence from, anesthesia with intravenous propofol. During wakefulness they were conducting various auditory and motor tasks. Functional connectivity using EEG coherence was also estimated. Results: There was an abrupt, substantial, and global decrease in effective connectivity around the point of loss of responsiveness. Recovery of behavioral responsiveness was associated with a comparable recovery in information flow pattern (expressed as normalized values). The median (interquartile range) change was greatest in the delta frequency band: decreasing from 0.15 (0.21) 2 min before loss of behavioral response, to 0.06 (0.04) 2 min after loss of behavioral response (P < 0.001). Regional decreases in information flow were maximal in a posteromedial direction from lateral frontal and prefrontal regions (0.82 [0.24] 2 min before loss of responsiveness, decreasing to 0.17 [0.05] 2 min after), and least for information flow from posterior channels. The widespread decrease in bivariate Granger causality reflects loss of cortical coordination. The relationship between functional connectivity (coherence) and effective connectivity (Granger causality) was inconsistent. Conclusions: Propofol-induced unresponsiveness is marked by a global decrease in information flow, greatest from the lateral frontal and prefrontal brain regions in a posterior and medial direction. Loss of information flow may be a useful measure of connected consciousness. In healthy adult volunteers, propofol anesthesia–induced loss of consciousness was associated with an abrupt, substantial, and global decrease in connectivity. These changes are comparably reversed at regain of consciousness. These observations suggest that information flow is an important indicator of wakefulness. Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.
A systematic review of cognitive event-related potentials in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

This systematic review examined whether event-related potentials (ERPs) during higher cognitive processing can detect subtle, early signs of neurodegenerative disease. Original, empirical studies retrieved from PsycINFO and PubMed were reviewed if they analyzed patterns in cognitive ERPs (≥150 ms post-stimulus) differentiating mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), or cognitively intact elders who carry AD risk through the Apolipoprotein-E ε4 allele (ε4+) from healthy older adult controls (HC). The 100 studies meeting inclusion criteria (MCI = 47; AD = 47; ε4+ = 6) analyzed N200, P300, N400, and occasionally, later components. While there was variability across studies, patterns of reduced amplitude and delayed latency were apparent in pathological aging, consistent with AD-related brain atrophy and cognitive impairment. These effects were particularly evident in advanced disease progression (i.e., AD > MCI) and in later ERP components measured during complex tasks. Although ERP studies in intact ε4+ elders are thus far scarce, a similar pattern of delayed latency was notable, along with a contrasting pattern of increased amplitude, consistent with compensatory neural activation. This limited work suggests ERPs might be able to index early neural changes indicative of future cognitive decline in otherwise healthy elders. As ERPs are also accessible and affordable relative to other neuroimaging methods, their addition to cognitive assessment might substantively enhance early identification and characterization of neural dysfunction, allowing opportunity for earlier differential diagnosis and targeting of intervention. To evaluate this possibility there is urgent need for well-powered studies assessing late cognitive ERPs during complex tasks, particularly in healthy elders at risk for cognitive decline.
Protective and therapeutic effect of protocatechuic acid in assessment of letrozole–induced polycystic ovary syndrome in rats

Objective: To investigate the potential activity of protocatechuic acid in female Wistar rats with letrozole-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: Thirty rats were divided into five groups of six each. Group 1 received 0.5% carboxy methyl cellulose orally and served as the normal control group; group 2 was treated orally with 1 mg/kg of letrozole daily for 21 days and served as the PCOS induced group; group 3 was orally administered with letrozole of 1 mg/kg for 21 days and further administered with standard drug of clomiphene citrate at a dose of 1 mg/kg body weight in 0.5% carboxy methyl cellulose per oral and served as the standard group; groups 4 and 5 were administered with letrozole of 1 mg/kg for 21 days and further treated with protocatechuic acid orally at low dose of 5 mg/kg body weight and high dose of 15 mg/kg body weight respectively for 15 days. At the end of the study period, rats were subjected for the estimation of invasive blood pressure and heart rate, biochemical estimations and antioxidant assay. In addition, ovarian histomorphology was examined. Results: The PCOS was confirmed in the letrozole induced rats with increased concentration of androgen, abnormal lipid levels, glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin and also depletion of antioxidants. After protocatechuic acid treatment, the increased levels of testosterone due to induction of PCOS were restored to normal levels. Additionally, there was a consistent decrease in luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone levels in the treatment groups, followed by decrease in the number of cysts after treatment with protocatechuic acid. Histopathological observations showed a remarkable recovery of the ovarian tissue and the presence of normalized structure of antral follicle. Protocatechuic acid treatment restored all the parameters to normalcy and abolished cysts formation in ovaries of female rats. Conclusions: Protocatechuic acid shows potential protective effects in letrozole-induced PCOS rats. The protective effect is comparable to that of clomiphene citrate and thus shows its potential in the treatment of PCOS.
Effectiveness and Safety of Metformin versus Canthex™ in Patients with Acanthosis Nigricans: A Randomized, Double-blind Controlled Trial

Background: Acanthosis nigricans has been associated with conditions of insulin resistance such as obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Metformin and alpha-lipoic acid, two types of insulin-sensitizing agents, have been demonstrated to reduce insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Alpha-lipoic acid is available as a fixed-dose combination with biotin, calcium pantothenate, and zinc sulfate as Canthex™. Aims: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness, safety, and improvement of the insulin resistance profile of Canthex™ and metformin in acanthosis nigricans. Materials and Methods: In this double-blind, randomized (1:1), active-controlled trial (CTRI/2017/02/007880), participants received either metformin 500 mg BD or Canthex™ BD for 12 weeks. Effectiveness parameters were improvement of severity of neck lesions and neck texture. Serum fasting insulin level, glucose, lipids, body weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were also assessed at baseline and at the end of the study. Adverse effects and changes in routine laboratory parameters were taken as safety parameters. Results: Thirty-three patients were analyzed by modified-intention-to-treat criteria. Severity of neck lesions and texture were comparable at baseline and it showed significant reduction (P<0.001) in both the treatment arms from the first follow-up onward. No intergroup variation was observed in any of the follow-ups. There was reduction in the values of fasting insulin, blood sugar, total cholesterol, and thyroid-stimulating hormone in both the groups. Weight, BMI, and waist circumference and BMI reduced significantly in both the groups. HOMA-IR decreased significantly in metformin group (P<0.001). Conclusion: Canthex™ is as effective and safe as metformin in the management of acanthosis nigricans and associated features of insulin resistance.
NEURAL SELECTION METHOD BY RELATIVE NEURONAL IMPORTANCE FOR NEURAL DECODING

In a Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) system based on neural spike signals, the increased number of involved neurons does not always guarantee the higher decoding performance. The inclusion of lowly-tuned input neurons to the intended movement can aggravate a computational burden, and even degrade the decoding accuracy of the BMI system. In this paper, to find highly-tuned neurons, we present a new metric for evaluating the information content of neurons recorded in primary motor cortex (M1) area of non-human primate during complex finger movements. Selecting a subpopulation of rank-ordered neurons improves decoding accuracy irrespective of the decoding algorithm. In the maximum-likelihood (ML) neural decoding of finger movements, each neuron’s activation is quantified by the change in firing rate before and after finger movement, and the quantified value is then represented by the absolute importance indicating the contributions of each neuron to the intended movement. Since this absolute importance varies with the intended movement, we define the relative importance of each neuron independent of specific intended movements. The relative importance of each neuron is determined by the variance of absolute importance values corresponding to each intended movement. 1
OBJECT TRACKING USING IMPROVED DEEP SORT YOLOV3 ARCHITECTURE

This paper proposes a new architecture for object tracking. This design is the improved version of the deep sort yolov3 architecture. The correlation tracker of the Dlib is also inserted into the proposed architecture to reduce the identity switches. In addition, the novel architecture is designed with a parallel approach to boost the operating speed. Experimental results with diﬀerent videos showed that the proposed architecture obtained lower identity switches and higher operating speed compared to the conventional deep sort yolov3 approach
Pathological Features of Ruptured Coronary Plaque and Thrombus Interfaces: Fibrin and von Willebrand Factor as Platelet Scaffolds on Rupture Sites

Abstract Arterial thrombus formation is thought to be initiated by platelet adhesion to the subendothelial matrix, but ruptured atherosclerotic plaques are characterized by substantial reduction of matrix proteins compared with stable plaques. Intraplaque erythrocytes and/or fibrin have been reported in high-risk coronary plaques. The aims of the current study were to identify factors that provide scaffolds for platelets at the sites of ruptured coronary plaques and investigate depositions of iron and bilirubin as hemoglobin catabolites in the ruptured plaques. Histological characteristics of plaque components and the thrombus interface were examined in 73 acute coronary aspirated thrombi. Necrotic debris (95%), macrophages (95%), and cholesterin clefts (81%) were observed frequently at the ruptured plaque and thrombus interface. A fibrous matrix (47%), calcification (32%), and extracellular deoxyribonucleic acid (15%) were identified as small foci. Tissue factor was localized in the necrotic core and macrophages. Fibrin and von Willebrand factor were consistently deposited within the plaques and beneath platelet aggregations. The citrullinated histone H3-immunopositive area accounted for only 0.5% of the plaque area. Bilirubin and iron depositions were detected in approximately 20% of the plaques in addition to biliverdin reductase and ferritin expression in macrophages. Fibrin and von Willebrand factor rather than matrix proteins and neutrophil extracellular traps may be major adhesive molecules at the sites of ruptured plaques. Iron and bilirubin deposits may be markers for rupture-prone plaques.
Strain‐Sensitive Magnetization Reversal of a van der Waals Magnet

By virtue of the layered structure, van der Waals (vdW) magnets are sensitive to the lattice deformation controlled by the external strain, providing an ideal platform to explore the one‐step magnetization reversal that is still conceptual in conventional magnets due to the limited strain‐tuning range of the coercive field. In this study, a uniaxial tensile strain is applied to thin flakes of the vdW magnet Fe3GeTe2 (FGT), and a dramatic increase of the coercive field (Hc) by more than 150% with an applied strain of 0.32% is observed. Moreover, the change of the transition temperatures between the different magnetic phases under strain is investigated, and the phase diagram of FGT in the strain–temperature plane is obtained. Comparing the phase diagram with theoretical results, the strain‐tunable magnetism is attributed to the sensitive change of magnetic anisotropy energy. Remarkably, strain allows an ultrasensitive magnetization reversal to be achieved, which may promote the development of novel straintronic device applications.
Clinical Performance of Posterior Inlay-Retained and Wing-Retained Monolithic Zirconia Resin-Bonded Fixed Partial Dentures: Stage One Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE To prospectively compare the clinical performance of posterior inlay-retained and wing-retained monolithic zirconia fixed partial dentures (FPDs). MATERIALS AND METHODS After simple randomization, 30 participants received either one inlay-retained (n = 15; mean age: 56.38 ±12.70 years; 10 men [66.7%]) or one wing-retained (n = 15; mean age: 45.90 ±13.24 years; 7 men [46.7%]) FPD. The restorations, which predominantly replaced first molars, were fabricated from translucent, 3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia and attached with self-etching resin cement. Restorations and abutment teeth were clinically followed up for complications one week and 3, 6, and 12 months after cementation. Plaque and gingival scores, probing pocket depths, and attachment levels were recorded for the abutment and contralateral reference teeth both before treatment and during follow-up examinations. The restorations were also assessed in accordance with FDI World Dental Federation criteria. Statistical analyses were conducted with R (α = .05). An adaptive, 2-stage study design based on the incidence of failure-free survival in the groups after 12 months (stage 1) was implemented. Predefined decision rules were used to determine whether further recruitment (stage 2) would enable the detection of a statistically significant difference between the restoration designs with sufficient power. RESULTS During 12 months, only one wing retainer debonded which required removal of the FPD. Failure-free survival was thus 93.3% for wing-retained and 100% for inlay-retained FPDs (log-rank test, p = 0.317). Moderate aftercare resulted in intervention-free rates of 78.8% and 86.7% for inlay-retained and wing-retained restorations, respectively (log-rank test, p = 0.605). Based on FDI World Dental Federation criteria, all restorations were acceptable at the 12-month follow-up (Fisher-Boschloo test, p = 0.161). Plaque, gingival, and periodontal scores remained practically unchanged from before treatment to the 12-month follow-up. Recruitment was stopped after stage 1 because, based on the small difference in the incidence of failure-free survival in the groups, it was accepted that it would not be possible to recruit the necessary number of participants to show a statistically significant difference between the retainer designs. CONCLUSIONS Both inlay-retained and wing-retained monolithic zirconia resin-bonded FPDs performed well for the 12 month, short term follow up period. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Dapagliflozin Influences Ventricular Hemodynamics and Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Type 2 Diabetes Patients　- A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND This prospective randomized multicenter open-label trial evaluated whether sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2-i) improves left ventricular (LV) pump function and suppresses elevation of LV filling pressure (LVFP) and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) during exercise in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.Methods and Results:Based on HbA1c and LV ejection fraction, 78 patients with poorly controlled T2DM were randomly assigned to D-group (dapagliflozin 5 mg/day add-on) or C-group (conventional therapy add-on). Physical examination, home and office blood pressure examination, blood tests, and echocardiography at rest and during ergometer exercise were performed at baseline and at 1.5 and 6 months after treatment. The primary endpoint was defined as the change in RVSP (mmHg) between baseline and 6-month follow up. The secondary endpoints were changes in LVFP (ratio), stroke volume index (SVi; mL/m2), and cardiac index (CI; L/min/m2). Both RVSP and LVFP during exercise significantly decreased from baseline to 6 months after starting treatment in the D-group (P<0.001). No changes to either parameter was observed in the C-group. The SVi and CI did not improve in either group. Both home and office blood pressure significantly decreased in the D-group. Decreases in HbA1c were somewhat greater in the C-group. CONCLUSIONS Dapagliflozin significantly improved RVSP and LVFP during exercise in patients with T2DM and cardiovascular risk, which may contribute to favorable effects on heart failure.
Comparison of VMAT complexity‐reduction strategies for single‐target cranial radiosurgery with the Eclipse treatment planning system

Abstract Complexity in MLC‐based radiosurgery treatment delivery can be characterized by the efficiency of monitor unit (MU) utilization and the average MLC leaf separation distance for a treatment plan. A reduction in plan complexity may be desirable if plan quality is not impacted. In this study, a number of strategies are explored to determine how plan quality is affected by efforts to reduce plan complexity. Ten radiosurgery cases of varying complexity are retrospectively planned using six optimization strategies: an unconstrained volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique, a MU‐constrained VMAT technique, three techniques using various strengths of the aperture shape controller (ASC), and a hybrid technique consisting of a final‐stage VMAT optimization applied to a dynamic conformal arc leaf sequence (ODCA). The plans are compared in terms of MU efficiency, MLC leaf‐separation, conformity index (CI), gradient index (GI), and QA measurement results. The five VMAT techniques exhibited only minor differences in CI and GI values, though the ASC and MU‐constrained techniques did require 6–20% fewer MU and had mean field apertures 5–19% larger. On average, the ODCA technique had CI values 3.5% lower and GI values 1.0–2.5% higher than the VMAT techniques, but also had a mean field aperture 24–47% larger and required 16–32% fewer MU. The QA measurement results showed a 0.61% variation in mean per‐field 2%/1 mm gamma passing rates across all techniques (range 96.81%–97.42%), with no observed correlation between passing rate and technique. For simple targets, the ODCA technique achieved CI results that were equivalent to the unconstrained VMAT technique with an average 30% reduction in required MU, an average 50% increase in mean leaf separation distance, and brain V12Gy values within 0.38 cc of the VMAT technique for targets up to approximately 2 cm diameter. For MLC‐based single‐target radiosurgery, plan complexity can often be significantly reduced without an equivalent reduction in plan quality.
Does visualisation help or hinder concrete word processing?

In an iconicity judgement task, participants were asked whether word pairs were iconic (e.g., nose–tongue; joy–sorrow) or reverse-iconic (e.g., tongue–nose; sorrow–joy), and an advantage for abstract word pairs (i.e., joy–sorrow) was found. Malhi and Buchanan proposed that this reverse concreteness, or abstractness, effect was the result of participants taking a visualisation/imagining (time-costly) approach towards the concrete word pairs and an emotional/intuitive (time-efficient) approach towards the abstract word pairs. This study tested this proposal by asking participants questions about strategy use (Experiment 1). In the forced-choice questions, all participants reported using a visualisation/imagining approach towards the concrete word pairs and most participants reported using an emotional/intuitive approach towards the abstract word pairs. In the open-ended responses, visual-spatial reasoning and real-life experience emerged as themes for the concrete word pairs and social norms and values emerged as themes for the abstract word pairs, adding to our understanding of the grounding of abstract words. In Experiment 2, participants were supplied with pictures as an aid to visualisation with the expectation that this would reduce the time required for concrete word processing. Supplying pictures made participants faster and more accurate at completing the task. Experiment 3 manipulated the type of visual aid by also supplying pictures that did not match the orientation of the word pairs. Participants were only more accurate when the pictures were in the correct and iconic spatial arrangement. A flexible abstractness and concreteness effects (FACE) theory is proposed which integrates symbolic and embodied accounts and introduces constructs such as direct and constrained imageability for concrete words and indirect and free imageability for abstract words.
How to Safely Prevent Venous Thromboembolism in Severe Trauma Patients.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a life-threatening complication after trauma. Several studies have reported VTE prophylaxis using low-molecular-weight heparin; however, there is no consensus for prophylaxis after trauma. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of our new anticoagulation therapy protocol using unfractionated heparin (UFH) plus intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) to prevent post-traumatic VTE in high-risk trauma patients.This study enrolled 70 trauma patients who were admitted to the emergency medical center of Nagasaki University Hospital and had Risk Assessment Profile (RAP) scores ≥ 5. After stopping bleeding at the trauma site, all patients received intravenous UFH (10,000 U/day) plus IPC, which was continued for 14 days or until the patients could walk. On days 7 and 14, all patients underwent lower extremity sonography for deep-vein thrombosis screening. VTE incidences between patients with the above intervention and historical controls with IPC alone were compared.No significant differences in age, sex, and the RAP score were observed between the 105 controls and intervention patients. VTE occurrence was fewer in patients with the intervention (14.3%) than in the controls (28.6%; P = 0.029). No hemorrhagic complications occurred after UFH administration. Multivariable logistic analysis revealed a significant association between the intervention and low incidence of VTE (odds ratio: 0.390; 95% confidence interval: 0.163-0.913; P = 0.030). Routine UFH administration with IPC may prevent post-traumatic VTE without adverse events.