bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A flexible speller based on time-space frequency conversion SSVEP stimulation paradigm under dry electrode
Authors: Zhang Ze , Li Dandan , Zhao Yao , Fan Zhihao , Xiang Jie , Wang Xuedong , Cui Xiaohong 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionSpeller is the best way to express the performance of the brain-computer interface (BCI) paradigm. Due to its advantages of short analysis time and high accuracy, the SSVEP paradigm has been widely used in the BCI speller system based on the wet electrode. It is widely known that the wet electrode operation is cumbersome and that the subjects have a poor experience. In addition, in the asynchronous SSVEP system based on threshold analysis, the system flickers continuously from the beginning to the end of the experiment, which leads to visual fatigue. The dry electrode has a simple operation and provides a comfortable experience for subjects. The EOG signal can avoid the stimulation of SSVEP for a long time, thus reducing fatigue.MethodsThis study first designed the brain-controlled switch based on continuous blinking EOG signal and SSVEP signal to improve the flexibility of the BCI speller. Second, in order to increase the number of speller instructions, we designed the time-space frequency conversion (TSFC) SSVEP stimulus paradigm by constantly changing the time and space frequency of SSVEP sub-stimulus blocks, and designed a speller in a dry electrode environment.ResultsSeven subjects participated and completed the experiments. The results showed that the accuracy of the brain-controlled switch designed in this study was up to 94.64%, and all the subjects could use the speller flexibly. The designed 60-character speller based on the TSFC-SSVEP stimulus paradigm has an accuracy rate of 90.18% and an information transmission rate (ITR) of 117.05 bits/min. All subjects can output the specified characters in a short time.DiscussionThis study designed and implemented a multi-instruction SSVEP speller based on dry electrode. Through the combination of EOG and SSVEP signals, the speller can be flexibly controlled. The frequency of SSVEP stimulation sub-block is recoded in time and space by TSFC-SSVEP stimulation paradigm, which greatly improves the number of output instructions of BCI system in dry electrode environment. This work only uses FBCCA algorithm to test the stimulus paradigm, which requires a long stimulus time. In the future, we will use trained algorithms to study stimulus paradigm to improve its overall performance.
Targeting displacement as an indicator of binocular fixation in normal Chinese adults
Authors: Lan Jianqing , Li Yingan , Pang Shasha , Zhang Guanrong , Wu Dianpeng , Yang Cheng , Li Juan , Lin Junyu , Yang Xiyang , Li Zheng , Chu Hang , Yan Li , Zeng Jin 
Published: February 2023

PurposeThe stability of fixation is crucial for the development of visual function. In this study, we quantify the deviation of visual target during fixational and saccadic tasks using eye-tracking technology, reflecting the control ability and characteristics of fixational displacement among healthy adults in a convenient method.MethodsOne hundred healthy participants aged between 18 and 55 years were recruited in the study. All participants underwent a complete ophthalmic assessment. The eye positions in the fixational and saccadic tasks were documented and analyzed by the Tobii eye-tracking system. Participants were grouped by age and gender. Targeting displacement (TD), defined as the average displacement between visual target and the mean of fixation points corresponding to that stimuli, was used to quantitatively observe fixational displacement in the horizontal and vertical directions.ResultThere was a strong reproducibility of TD as an indicator of fixation (ICC 0.812 to 0.891, p &lt; 0.001). The TD in fixational task was significantly smaller than that of the saccadic task (3.884 ± 0.525 vs. 4.484 ± 0.509, p &lt; 0.001) among normal people. Moreover, the difference of TD in the horizontal and vertical meridians was related to the nature of the task: In the fixational task, the TD in horizontal was smaller than that in the vertical (p &lt; 0.001), whereas the TD in horizontal was larger than that in vertical in the saccadic task (p = 0.003). In the different age and gender groups: There was no significant difference between different gender and age groups in fixational task. However, during the saccadic task, males had smaller TD in the vertical direction than females (4.061 ± 0.495 vs. 4.404 ± 0.484, p = 0.002), and the average TD increased with age, mainly in the vertical direction (all p &lt; 0.05). The fixation stability decreased significantly in the group over 50-years-old.ConclusionBy reporting the fixational displacement of different genders and ages in fixational and saccadic tasks, as well as different longitude lines among normal people, our study might provide an objective, quantitative and convenient reference index for the evaluation of fixation stability in visual impairment diseases and aging phenomenon of visual function.
At-home sleep monitoring using generic ear-EEG
Authors: Tabar Yousef R. , Mikkelsen Kaare B. , Shenton Nelly , Kappel Simon L. , Bertelsen Astrid R. , Nikbakht Reza , Toft Hans O. , Henriksen Chris H. , Hemmsen Martin C. , Rank Mike L. , Otto Marit , Kidmose Preben 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionA device comprising two generic earpieces with embedded dry electrodes for ear-centered electroencephalography (ear-EEG) was developed. The objective was to provide ear-EEG based sleep monitoring to a wide range of the population without tailoring the device to the individual.MethodsTo validate the device ten healthy subjects were recruited for a 12-night sleep study. The study was divided into two parts; part A comprised two nights with both ear-EEG and polysomnography (PSG), and part B comprised 10 nights using only ear-EEG. In addition to the electrophysiological measurements, subjects filled out a questionnaire after each night of sleep.ResultsThe subjects reported that the ear-EEG system was easy to use, and that the comfort was better in part B. The performance of the system was validated by comparing automatic sleep scoring based on ear-EEG with PSG-based sleep scoring performed by a professional trained sleep scorer. Cohen’s kappa was used to assess the agreement between the manual and automatic sleep scorings, and the study showed an average kappa value of 0.71. The majority of the 20 recordings from part A yielded a kappa value above 0.7. The study was compared to a companioned study conducted with individualized earpieces. To compare the sleep across the two studies and two parts, 7 different sleeps metrics were calculated based on the automatic sleep scorings. The ear-EEG nights were validated through linear mixed model analysis in which the effects of equipment (individualized vs. generic earpieces), part (PSG and ear-EEG vs. only ear-EEG) and subject were investigated. We found that the subject effect was significant for all computed sleep metrics. Furthermore, the equipment did not show any statistical significant effect on any of the sleep metrics.DiscussionThese results corroborate that generic ear-EEG is a promising alternative to the gold standard PSG for sleep stage monitoring. This will allow sleep stage monitoring to be performed in a less obtrusive way and over longer periods of time, thereby enabling diagnosis and treatment of diseases with associated sleep disorders.
Helicobacter pylori infection increases the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in diabetic population
Authors: Chen Yi , You Ningning , Shen Chuchen , Wu Juju , Zhang Jinshun 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundThe effect of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the population is still controversial. Diabetes and NAFLD are both metabolically related diseases, and no studies have classified the population to study the effect of H. pylori infection on NAFLD in diabetics.MethodsA population of people who were examined in the Taizhou Hospital Health Examination Center from 2017 to 2022 was included, and hematological indicators, body parameters, ultrasound data, and H. pylori detection by urea nitrogen test were collected from patients. All physical examination populations were divided into diabetic and non-diabetic populations.ResultsAfter multivariate logistic regression, H. pylori infection remained an independent risk factor for NAFLD in diabetics, but it had no significant effect on NAFLD in non-diabetic population. Additionally, there was a nonlinear relationship between glycosylated hemoglobin and H. pylori infection in diabetic population. Moreover, the incidence of NAFLD in diabetics increased with persistent H. pylori infection.ConclusionIn the diabetic population, H. pylori infection does increase the risk of developing NAFLD. Glycemic control and eradication of H. pylori infection may have positive implications for reducing the incidence of NAFLD in diabetic population.
A clinical study comparing polymer and gold fiducials for prostate cancer radiotherapy
Authors: Lim Joon Daryl , Berry Colleen , Harris Benjamin , Tacey Mark , Smith Drew , Lawrentschuk Nathan , Schneider Michal Elisabeth , Fraser Olivia , Hall Megan , Chao Michael , Foroudi Farshad , Jenkins Trish , Angus David , Wada Morikatsu , Sengupta Shomik , Khoo Vincent 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionImage guidance with gold fiducials improves outcomes of prostate radiotherapy. However, gold produces artefact on CT imaging, interfering with contouring and verification. The purpose of this study was to compare polymer to standard gold fiducials using radiotherapy imaging modalities to assess the visibility and artefact.MethodsTwenty eight patients with locally advanced prostate cancer were enrolled, half had three polymer fiducials implanted into the prostate and half underwent insertion of gold fiducials. Patients were imaged with CT, T2 weighted MRI, cone-beam CT (CBCT) and planar KV images. Fiducials were scored for visibility and assessed for CT artefact in surrounding prostate tissue. The artefact was quantified from Hounsfield number histograms and separated into percentile ranges and proportion of voxels in HU normal tissue range of a 2cm sphere surrounding the fiducial.ResultsGold and polymer fiducials were sufficiently visible for CT and CBCT verification. The gold fiducials could be visualized well on KV planar imaging; however, the polymer markers were obscured by pelvic bones. Neither polymer nor gold fiducials could be visualized on MRI. The polymer fiducial produced less artefact than gold on CT, having less voxel spread for the HU percentile ranges and a greater proportion of voxels in the normal tissue range.ConclusionsPolymer fiducials are a more suitable fiducial than gold for CT/CBCT in prostate cancer radiotherapy, demonstrating minimal artefact and good visibility on CT. However, they were not well seen on MRI or KV imaging and thus not suitable for co-registration or planar KV verification.
Renal cell carcinoma with intracardiac tumor thrombus extension: Radical surgery yields 2 years of postoperative survival in a single-center study over a period of 30 years
Authors: Zacek Pavel , Brodak Milos , Gofus Jan , Dominik Jan , Moravek Petr , Louda Miroslav , Podhola Miroslav , Vojacek Jan 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundRenal cell carcinoma (RCC) with tumor thrombus extension into the right atrium (level IV) is a rare life-threatening clinical condition that can only be managed by means of a combined urological and cardiac surgical approach. The early and late outcomes of this radical treatment were analyzed in a large single-institution series over a period of 30 years.MethodsIn 37 patients with RCC and intracardiac tumor thrombus extension, nephrectomy was performed followed by the extraction of the intracaval and intracardiac tumor thrombus under direct visual control during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA). Recently, in 13 patients, selective aortic arch perfusion (SAAP) was instituted during DHCA.ResultsIn all patients, precise removal of the tumor thrombus was accomplished in a bloodless field. The mean duration of isolated DHCA was 15 ± 6 min, and 31.5 ± 10.2 min in the case of DHCA + SAAP, at a mean hypothermia of 22.7 ± 4°C. In-hospital mortality was 7.9% (3 patients). In Kaplan–Meier analysis, the estimated median survival was 26.4 months whereas the 5-year cancer-related survival rate was 51%.ConclusionsDespite its complexity, this extensive procedure can be performed safely with a generally uneventful postoperative course. The use of cardiopulmonary bypass with DHCA, with the advantage of SAAP, allows for a safe, precise, and complete extirpation of intracaval and intracardiac tumor mass. Late outcomes after radical surgical treatment in patients with RCC and tumor thrombus reaching up in the right atrium in our series justify this extensive procedure.
14-day pantoprazole- and amoxicillin-containing high-dose dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication in elderly patients: A prospective, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yang Qinyu , He Cong , Hu Yi , Hong Junbo , Zhu Zhenhua , Xie Yong , Shu Xu , Lu Nonghua , Zhu Yin 
Published: February 2023

Background: Currently, the management of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in elderly patients is controversial. We investigated whether high-dose dual therapy would serve as the first-line therapy in elderly patients.Methods: This was a single-center, randomized study of 150 elderly patients with H. pylori infection who were randomly assigned to 14-day therapy with pantoprazole 40 mg 3 times daily and either amoxicillin 1,000 mg 3 times daily or amoxicillin 1,000 mg twice daily, clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily and bismuth 220 mg twice daily. H. pylori eradication was evaluated by a 13C-urea breath test 4 weeks after the completion of treatment.Results: Successful eradication was achieved in 89.3% of the high-dose dual therapy (HT) group in the intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis, 91.7% in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analysis, and 93.0% for per‐protocol (PP) analysis which was similar to the bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (BQT) group (86.6%, 87.8%, and 90.3%, respectively). There were no significant difference between the HT group and the BQT group in the ITT analysis (p = 0.484), mITT analysis (p = 0.458), or PP analysis (p = 0.403). HT was associated with fewer side effects (10.6% of patients) than BQT (26.6%) (p = 0.026).Conclusion: In this trial, we found that 14-day HT had a similar eradication rate to BQT but fewer side effects, which may be better for elderly patients.
Short-term exposure to dimethyl fumarate (DMF) inhibits LPS-induced IκBζ expression in macrophages
Authors: Zhang Yong , Tang Jingshu , Zhou Yujun , Xiao Qiong , Chen Qiuyu , Wang Hongyue , Lan Jiaqi , Wu Lei , Peng Ying 
Published: February 2023

Background: The pharmacological activity of dimethyl fumarate (DMF) in treating psoriasis and multiple sclerosis (MS) is not fully understood. DMF is hydrolysed to monomethyl fumarate (MMF) in vivo, which is believed to account for the therapeutic effects of DMF. However, previous studies have provided evidence that DMF also enters the circulation. Given that DMF is short-lived in the blood, whether DMF has a therapeutic impact is still unclear.Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated RAW264.7 cell activation was used as a model of inflammation to explore the anti-inflammatory effects of short-term DMF exposure in vitro. Whole blood LPS stimulation assay was applied to compare the anti-inflammatory effects of DMF and MMF in vivo. Griess assay was performed to examined nitrite release. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and transcription factors were measured by quantitative PCR (qPCR), ELISA and Western blot. Depletion of intracellular glutathione (GSH) was evaluated by Ellman’s assay. Luciferase reporter assays were performed to evaluate DMF effects on Nrf2-ARE pathway activation, promoter activity of Nfkbiz and mRNA stability of Nfkbiz. Binding of STAT3 to the IκBζ promoter were examined using Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay.Results: Short-term exposure to DMF significantly inhibited the inflammatory response of RAW264.7 cells and suppressed LPS-induced IκBζ expression. Importantly, oral DMF but not oral MMF administration significantly inhibited IκBζ transcription in murine peripheral blood cells. We demonstrated that the expression of IκBζ is affected by the availability of intracellular GSH and regulated by the transcription factor Nrf2 and STAT3. DMF with strong electrophilicity can rapidly deplete intracellular GSH, activate the Nrf2-ARE pathway, and inhibit the binding of STAT3 to the IκBζ promoter, thereby suppressing IκBζ expression in macrophages.Conclusion: These results demonstrate the rapid anti-inflammatory effects of DMF in macrophages, providing evidence to support the direct anti-inflammatory activity of DMF.
Knowledge, attitudes, and uptake of mental health services by secondary school students in Gweru, Zimbabwe
Authors: Khombo Sibusiso , Khombo Kennedy , Stoddart Robert Shalom , Sifelani Innocent , Sibanda Theresi 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionThe study sought to investigate and examine knowledge, attitudes, and uptake of mental health services by secondary school students in the Gweru district.MethodsUsing a qualitative approach, 15 students from three secondary schools in Gweru were purposively sampled for inclusion in this study. Data collection was through semi-structured interviews. The study utilized thematic data analysis and the following themes emerged from the study; ignorance, misinformation, indifference, lack of trust, gender differences, and alternative support.ResultsGenerally, the research findings revealed that most secondary school students were aware of the existence of mental health services although they had distorted information on the same. Poor utilization of services was largely attributed to the consideration of “formal” mental health services as the last resort for remedy after the failure of “informal” services to yield positive results. Thus, mental health services were not on the priority list of intervention measures used by secondary students in light of mental health issues. The study recommends psycho-education sessions to promote the utilization of mental health services by secondary school students.DiscussionNotably, the current study revealed that participants lacked correct information about MHS and its related utility. Munson et al. (2009) concur by stating that some adolescents believed that their mental health challenges such as mood disorders were chronic, and as such, they thought that any form of intervention could not control or remedy their illness.
Impact of weight loss on sexual and psychological functions and quality of life in females with sexual dysfunction: A forgotten avenue
Authors: Abdelsamea Gehan A. , Amr Mostafa , Tolba Ahmed M. N. , Elboraie Haitham O. , Soliman Amir , Al-Amir Hassan Badr , Ali Faten , Osman Doaa A. 
Published: February 2023

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the impact of weight loss on sexual and psychological health as well as quality of life in females with sexual dysfunction.Materials and methodsThe study was done at Delta University for Science and Technology in Gamasa, Egypt, on 40 obese married females having sexual dysfunction. Their age ranged from 20 to 40 years old, with a mean of 28.98 ± 4.96 years. They followed a weight loss program in the form of diet regimen and physical training for 6 months. Anthropometric measures, Arabic Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Arabic version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Arabic version of Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) were evaluated prior to starting the study, after 3 and 6 months of the study.ResultsStatistical analysis revealed significant reductions in anthropometric measures, as well as significant improvements in HADS and SF-36 scores after both 3 and 6 months of weight loss intervention compared to the baseline measurements, while there were significant improvements in sexual arousal, lubrication, patient satisfaction as well as the total score of FSFI after 3 months and contrarily there were no statistically significant changes in any of the FSFI’s domains or overall score after 6 months of the weight loss program compared to baseline.ConclusionWeight loss improves females’ anthropometric measures, psychological function and quality of life; however, it has no direct effect on female sexual dysfunction (FSD) after 6 months compared to baseline, so increased awareness of FSD is necessary as this issue suffers from inadequate identification and management.
Transcriptomic and metabolomic studies on the protective effect of molecular hydrogen against nuclear electromagnetic pulse-induced brain damage
Authors: Ma Long , Tian Shuo , Zhang Hai-Ling , Wang Jing-Yi , Wang Jia-Wen , Yan Hong-Li , Hu Xu-Guang , Shao Qi , Guo Jia-Ming 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundExcessive doses of electromagnetic radiation pose a negative impact on the central nervous system and lead to mental disorders. Molecular hydrogen can scavenge intracellular hydroxyl radicals, acting as an antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory agent. We seek to assess the capability of molecular hydrogen to ameliorate brain damage induced by electromagnetic radiation.MethodsNEMP (nuclear electromagnetic pulse), a subset of electromagnetic pulse with high voltage value that could cause severe brain injury, was applied to this study. Male wild-type rats were divided into four groups: the control group, the H2 (Molecular hydrogen) group, the NEMP group and the NEMP+H2 group. Rats in the H2 group and the NEMP+H2 group were fed with saturated hydrogen-rich water from 3 days before NEMP exposure (electromagnetic field intensity 400 kV/m, rising edge 20 ns and pulse width 200 ns) to the day of sacrifice. One day after exposure, animal behavior experiments were performed, and samples for transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis were collected. Seven days after exposure, histopathological experiments were conducted.ResultsThe data from the elevated plus maze and the open field test showed that NEMP exposure elicited anxiety-like behavior in rats, which could be alleviated by H2 treatment. Histopathological results manifested that NEMP exposure-induced injuries of the neurons in the hippocampus and amygdala could be attenuated by H2 treatment. Transcriptomic results revealed that NEMP exposure had a profound effect on microtubule structure in the brain. And the combined analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics showed that H2 has a significant impact on the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, synaptic vesicle cycle and synapse etc. Moreover, it was indicated that the glutathione metabolic pathway played a vital role in the NEMP exposure-induced damage and the protective activity of H2.ConclusionsH2 is identified as a potent agent against NEMP exposure-induced brain damage and has the potential to be a promising electromagnetic radiation protectant.