Common Branch Research Articles

A Novel Description of Medial Meniscus Vascularization: A Multicenter Study Introducing the “Medial Meniscal Artery”

Background: The microvasculature of the human meniscus has been previously described by Arnoczky and Warren. However, to date, the qualitative and quantitative extra-articular vascular anatomy of the medial meniscus has not been characterized. Purposes: To perform a qualitative and quantitative anatomic study of the extra-articular medial meniscal vasculature and to introduce the novel “medial meniscal artery” (MMA), potentially providing future guidelines for the treatment of meniscal abnormalities. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: A total of 33 unpaired, frozen human cadaveric knees were dissected. The femoral artery was identified and cannulated using an angiocatheter. The arteries were perfused with a red acrylic paint solution, allowing for improved visualization. Artery dimensions and distances were measured using a digital caliper. Perfused specimens were imaged using computed tomography and segmented using 3D reconstruction software to identify vessels and repeat artery measurements digitally. Results: The MMA was consistently identified in all specimens. In 27 (82%) of 33 specimens, the MMA branched directly from the popliteal artery; in 5 (15%), the MMA shared a common trunk with the inferior medial genicular artery; and in 1 specimen (3%), the MMA shared a common branch with the inferior lateral genicular artery. The MMA was easily distinguishable from the superior, inferior, and middle genicular arteries, given its direct course to the medial joint line with terminal branches to the posterior horn of the medial meniscus and deep to the semimembranosus tendon. The MMA exhibited a consistently smaller vessel diameter relative to the genicular arteries. Conclusion: This is the first study to identify and quantitatively describe the MMA in the human knee. The MMA can be identified consistently on gross anatomic dissection in cadaveric donors of varying demographics. Further research is needed to identify and characterize the artery in vivo and to determine the MMA’s role in meniscus preservation surgery. Clinical Relevance: The findings of this study will provide future avenues of research toward understanding medial meniscus vascularization and the genesis of potential degenerative changes when vascularization is poor. This will help to further refine diagnostic and treatment options for meniscus revascularization and compartment preservation. Additionally, this study may help define safe zones in the knee during posterior approaches and expand the base of knowledge for emerging vascular procedures such as genicular artery embolization.

Caricature-visual face recognition based on jigsaw solving and modal decoupling

In recent years, face recognition technology has made significant progress in the field of real visual images, yet face recognition involving caricature-visual images remains a challenge due to the exaggerated and unrealistic features of caricature faces. To tackle this issue, this paper introduces the Caricature-visual Face Recognition Model Based on Jigsaw Solving and Modal Decoupling (CVF-JSM). The CVF-JSM consists of two modules: feature extraction and decoupling. The feature extraction module incorporates a graph attention network at the intermediate stage of the backbone network, which constructs and solves jigsaw puzzles to enable the network to extract shape features. The feature decoupling module features a three-branch structure that divides the features into modal and identity features. The real and caricature face recognition branches separate identity features for recognition through parameter sharing and orthogonality constraints. The feature common subspace alignment branch maps the anchor image, as well as the positive and negative sample images, into a common subspace to isolate identity features. Subsequently, by aligning the features, it further refines the effective identity features. The experimental results conducted on multiple datasets demonstrate that the CVF-JSM model outperforms existing technologies in the realm of caricature-visual face recognition.

A retrospective clinico epidemiological study of pattern of dermatosis involving trigeminal distribution in a tertiary care center

Trigeminal nerve is the principal sensory nerve of face. Many dermatological conditions known occur in relation to trigeminal nerve distribution clinically presenting as unilateral facial lesions with strict midline demarcation. To study the clinical pattern and epidemiological determinants of dermatoses along trigeminal nerve among the patients of both the sexes, involving all the age groups. Thirty two patients presenting with skin lesions along trigeminal nerve presenting to Dermatology department of a tertiary care center, Bangalore, Karnataka, are selected for the study. Study design is retrospective hospital record based study conducted from January 2023 to January 2024. In this study, out of 32 patients most common dermatoses along trigeminal nerve were infection of which herpes zoster was seen thirteen (40.62%) patients, followed by nevi (n=6, 18.75%), pigmentary disorders (n=5, 15.62%), vascular disorder (n=4, 12.5%) and auto inflammatory disorder (n=4, 12.5%) was seen. Most common branch affected was ophthalmic followed maxillary branch .Females were more common and mean age was 24 years. Small sample size and rare clinical cases are included Studies focusing on the pattern of dermatoses involving the trigeminal nerve contribute to the advancement of medical knowledge and facilitate the development of novel diagnostic techniques and therapeutic modalities. By elucidating the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and identifying potential risk factors, research in this field can lead to the development of more effective treatment strategies tailored to the specific needs of patients.

Post-procedural Brachial Neuritis: Clinical, Electrodiagnostic and Neuroimaging features.

Brachial neuritis is a monophasic condition affecting the brachial plexus and its branches, manifesting as acute shoulder and upper arm pain, followed by weakness and paresthesias. It can be triggered by antecedent events, including procedures such as surgery. Misdiagnosis and delay in diagnosis is common. Imaging is important to confirm the diagnosis of post-procedural brachial neuritis and exclude other etiologies. Clinical, electrodiagnostic, and neuroimaging features of patients with post-procedural brachial neuritis from a single quaternary care institution were identified and analyzed. Six (2 female) patients were identified with median age 62 (range 49-70) years. Antecedent procedures included 4 cervical spine surgeries, 1 rotator cuff repair, and 1 central venous catheter placement. Time to symptom onset ranged from 1-day to 2-weeks. The initial symptom for 5/6 patients was severe upper extremity pain followed by weakness. All patients had electrodiagnostic tests and MR neurography consistent with brachial neuritis. MR neurogram showed plexus and/or terminal branch abnormalities with associated muscular denervation edema. The C5 or C6 root, and/or upper trunk were always involved. The most common branches affected were the suprascapular, long thoracic, and axillary nerves. Hourglass constrictions of these nerves were seen in 3/6 patients. The average time to diagnosis was 3.4 (range 1.5-5) months. Post-procedural brachial neuritis is an underrecognized cause of acute upper extremity pain and weakness. MR neurography can exclude iatrogenic causes and document the presence of hourglass constrictions in affected nerves. Diagnostic neuroradiologists should be aware of this clinical entity and associated neuroimaging findings. HGC = hourglass constriction; EDX = electrodiagnostic; IRB = Institutional Review Board; ACDF = anterior cervical discectomy and fusion; NRS = Numerical Rating Scale; MUAP = motor unit action potential.

Influence of Transport Process Management on Exceeding Permitted Load Weights in Transport Companies

Poland is the leader in the performance of international transport in the EU, serving more than half of its market. The most common branch of transport is road transport, predominantly heavy goods transport, which contributes to the strain on road infrastructure. Furthermore, around one-fifth of those vehicles may exceed the permissible total mass. In this respect, the increasing demand for road transport further complicates the slowdown and prevention of road network degradation. Overloads have significant consequences for road infrastructure, economics, and traffic safety. Load management in transport companies is crucial for eliminating overloads. This article aims to assess how companies conducting freight transport manage the cargo weighing process in the context of potential overloads. Data from a survey among transport industry companies in Poland were analysed. Using non-parametric U Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, the influence between propensity for cargo overloading and the method of cargo weighing was examined. The results indicated that the propensity for cargo overloading in TSL industry companies is significantly associated with both the occurrence of the weighing process and its method, as well as the responsibility for this process among individual participants in the transport process.

Anekomochi glutinous rice provides low postprandial glycemic response by enhanced insulin action via GLP-1 release and vagal afferents activation

Glutinous rice (mochi rice), compared to non-glutinous rice (uruchi rice), exhibits a wide range of glycemic index (GI) values, from low to high. However, the underlying mechanisms behind the variation in GI values remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to identify rice cultivars with a low postprandial glycemic response and investigate the mechanisms, focusing on insulin and incretin hormones. We examined seven glutinous rice cultivars and three non-glutinous rice cultivars. We discovered that Anekomochi, a glutinous rice cultivar, has the lowest postprandial glycemic response. Anekomochi significantly enhanced glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion while suppressing insulin secretion. These effects were completely blunted by inhibiting GLP-1 receptor signaling and denervating the common hepatic branch of vagal afferent nerves that are crucial for sensing intestinal GLP-1. Our findings demonstrate that Anekomochi markedly enhances insulin action via GLP-1 release and vagal afferent neural pathways, thereby leading to a lower postprandial glycemic response.

Physiological trait coordination and variability across and within three Pinus species.

Studies have explored how traits separate plants ecologically and the trade-offs that underpin this separation. However, uncertainty remains as to the taxonomic scale at which traits can predictably separate species. We studied how physiological traits separated three Pinus (Pinus banksiana, Pinus resinosa, and Pinus strobus) species across three sites. We collected traits from four common leaf and branch measurements (light-response curves, CO2-response curves, pressure-volume curves, and hydraulic vulnerability curves) across each species and site. While common, these measurements are not typically measured together due to logistical constraints. Few traits varied across species and sites as expected given the ecological preferences of the species and environmental site characteristics. Some trait trade-offs present at broad taxonomic scales were observed across the three species, but most were absent within species. Certain trade-offs contrasted expectations observed at broader scales but followed expectations given the species' ecological preferences. We emphasize the need to both clarify why certain traits are being studied, as variation in unexpected but ecologically meaningful ways often occurs and certain traits might not vary substantially within a given lineage (e.g. hydraulic vulnerability in Pinus), highlighting the role a trait selection in trait ecology.

A hybrid multi-port HVDC circuit breaker that improves interruption and reset time through shared energy dissipation and fault current regeneration

This paper proposes a Hybrid Multi-Port DC Circuit Breaker (HMPDCCB) design that addresses the limitations of existing hybrid DC circuit breakers (HDCCBs), such as high cost, complexity, and slow response to high fault current and voltage demands. The HMPDCCB is based on a common breaker, energy dissipation, and regeneration branch for all connected HVDC lines, reducing interruption time to 1.8 milliseconds. It effectively manages fault energy through Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) of the main breaker branch with parallel surge arrester, reducing energy losses and enhancing power system efficiency. The HMPDCCB provides selective protection for all connected DC lines at a lower investment cost and incorporates current-limiting inductors (CLIs) to slow the rise of fault currents. The proposed HMPDCCB has been rigorously modelled and simulated using MATLAB Simulink®/Simpowersystems, and the simulations show that it achieves a fault current interruption time of 1.8 milliseconds and a reset time of fewer than 3 milliseconds, outperforming existing models.

Classification of Higher-Order Thinking Skills of the Teachers Based on Institution, Seniority, and Branch with Discriminant Analysis.

The present study aimed to determine the variations between higher-order thinking skills (critical, creative, and empathetic thinking) of the teachers based on institution, branch, and professional seniority. The study data were collected from 345 teachers with the Critical Thinking Tendency Scale, Marmara Creative Thinking Aptitudes Scale, and Basic Empathy Scale, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the data. The data were analyzed with discriminant analysis. The study findings demonstrated that there were significant differences between the critical, creative, and empathetic thinking skills of the teachers based on the institution of employment, their seniority, and their branch. The analysis of the discriminant functions revealed that the most discriminatory variables were empathy based on the institution and creative thinking based on seniority and branch. It was determined that the teachers employed in pre- and primary schools with less than 15 years of seniority scored higher in critical thinking skills, and teachers who were employed in middle schools with 16 years or more seniority scored higher in creative thinking skills. Foreign language teachers scored higher in both thinking skills. Finally, the mean empathy skill scores of the teachers employed in pre- and primary schools with 15 years or less seniority in the common branch were higher.

Expression Analysis and Interaction Protein Screening of CoGI, the Key Factor in Photoperiod Regulation of Flowering in Camellia oleifera Abel

Photoperiod is a pivotal regulatory factor in the flowering of Camellia oleifera Abel. (C. oleifera). GIGANTEA (GI) serves as a pivotal regulator, not only orchestrating the intricate circadian rhythm but also governing photoperiod-dependent flowering. In order to explore the function of GI in C. oleifera (CoGI), we obtained a CoGI gene-coding sequence and analyzed a CoGI protein sequence using bioinformatics. Furthermore, we conducted a spatiotemporal expression analysis of CoGI. And a yeast two-hybridization assay was used to screen the interacting proteins of CoGI. Evolutionary analysis revealed high conservation of the CoGI protein, which clustered with the GI protein from Camellia sinensis (CsGI) on a common evolutionary branch. The expression of CoGI was different in each part, and a tissue expression analysis revealed that the relative expression level of the CoGI gene is highest in the leaves of C. oleifera, while it is at its lowest in the seed coats. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) overexpressing CoGI exhibited early flowering under long-day conditions. In addition, the yeast two-hybrid library screening revealed interactions between seven C. oleifera proteins and CoGI: CoACR9, CoLAO, CoDExH12-like, CoIT1K-like, CoUPF0481, CoIDM3, and CoAt4g27190-like. The findings demonstrated that CoGI is crucial to C. oleifera’s flowering.

On the Origin of soft ticks (Parasitiformes, Ixodoidea, Argasidae)

The origin of the common evolutionary branch of soft and hard ticks is dated to the later Permian, approximately coinciding with the Permian extinction, and divergence of the common branch of Ixodoidea into ancestral forms of Argasidae and Ixodidae occurred in the Triassic. Ancestors of the common branch of Ixodoidea (Ixodidae, Argasidae, Nuttalliellidae) were not bloodsucking arthropods and were closely related to modern representatives of Holothyridae. Bloodsucking and, later, temporary ectoparasitism had developed only after divergence of the main branches (Ixodidae, Argasidae and Nuttalliellidae), independently in each group. At early stages of the soft tick evolution, bloodsucking was a short-time process, long-time feeding had developed later in larvae and promoted dispersal of ticks. Maintenance of the short-time feeding can be explained by adaptation to dwelling in bird nests or in shelters visited by birds, and later, also in mammal burrows. Displacements of gnathosomе to the ventral side of idiosome hampered combing of a parasite from the host during short-time bloodsucking. Short-time feeding resulted in maintenance and development of coxal glands as the main organ for removal of superfluous liquid during bloodsucking. Adaptation to shelter habitats (nests, burrows, rock crevices, under dead tree cork, etc.) promoted development of polyphagia and adaptations for long-term starvation.

Real-time ghost image characterization for panoramic annular lenses.

As a common but troublesome branch of stray light, ghost images in catadioptric optical systems greatly limit the performances of such optics, including panoramic annular lenses (PAL). A versatile and robust real-time characterization algorithm for ghost images in PAL systems is proposed, with a new ray behavior quantifying index. It characterizes any kind of ghost image in the catadioptric unit with a high reliability, regardless of the actual existence of the ghost images. With newly extracted common feature and properly designed numerical methods specified to PAL systems locating representative rays, the evaluation runs almost instantly, allowing itself to be implemented in optical design process to perform real-time analyses on and to suppress ghost images. Multiple examples show the ability of the method on analyzing ghost image behaviors and achieving ghost-image-suppressed PAL designs. Along with further discussions, the potential of extending the method and its possible wider prospects can be reflected.

#1622 Minimal changes disease and myasthenia gravis: a logical association

Abstract Background and Aims Minimal changes disease (MCD) is responsible for 10-25% of nephrotic syndrome cases in adults. It can have a primary or secondary aetiology, being associated with diseases like infections, atopy or even haematological malignancies. There is a described association between MCD and myasthenia gravis (MG) in the literature, which we will explore in this case report. Clinical Case An autonomous 67 years old female, healthy except for overweight develops diplopia and dysphagia, being diagnosed with anti-musk MG (antibodies titters 2,2002 nmol/L). Thymoma presence was excluded by CT scan. She starts oral treatment with pyridostigmine without response. Two months later she develops generalized oedema. Analytically she had normal kidney function (Cr 0.7 mg/dL; BUN 28.5 mg/dL), hypoalbuminemia (2.09 g/dL), dyslipidaemia and nephrotic proteinuria of PCR 8g/g creat, without leucoeritrocyturia. Reno-vesical echography was normal. No alterations in immunological study except for a low IgG 396 mg/dL. Anti-PLA2R was negative. Kidney biopsy was performed, having 4 glomerulus that looked normal in optical microscopy. In our centre we do not have electronic microscopy available, so the biopsy was interpreted as MCD. She started prednisolone (PDN) 1 mg/kg/day with clinical improvement and resolution of the symptoms and proteinuria (0.062 g/g creat). In November 2022, while she was tapering the PDN, she had a myasthenic crisis, with MCD recurrency. She did 5 plasmapheresis sessions, the PDN dose was increased to 1 mg/kg/day and two rituximab administrations (1000 mg each) were done. There was an improvement in MG symptoms during 3 weeks and then she aggravated again. The proteinuria slowly decreased during 6 weeks until RPC 1.3 g/g creat and then started to aggravate when the corticosteroids were tapered. It was decided to initiate mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), there was improvement and both diseases are controlled until today, the patient is asymptomatic under 7.5 mg/day of prednisolone, with a PCR 0.2 g/g creat. Discussion The production of a circulating permeability factor by abnormal T cells, that causes the podocytes damage, is one of the possible explanations for MCD. There are reports of improvements with plasmapheresis (PF) by permeability factor remotion from circulation. MG is also caused by T cells antibodies attack, but the attack occurs against channels essential for the neuromuscular membrane function. The similarities of the mechanisms make the existence of a common branch in the t cells dysregulation seem plausible. Anti musk MG is very responsive to PF but it has a limited effect in time. Rituximab depletes B cells responsible for promoting the impaired T cells responses. It has been associated with longer remissions in cortico-sensitive MCD with relapsing disease. The exact same mechanism occurs when rituximab is used in MG. In this case the patient did not have a satisfactory response to rituximab as the patient kept dependent of high PDN doses, so we decided to initiate MMF with a complete remission of both pathologies and allowing the use of lower PDN doses. Take Home Message The association between MCD and myasthenia gravis is rare, especially in patients without thymoma. When we analyse the diseases physiopathology, we find common mechanisms that can justify the association. The identification of this relation can be advantageous making possible early rituximab use, that has been showing good results in both pathologies. In this particular clinical case, there was a recurrence with rituximab when we tapered the PDN, so the patient started MMF with good response and allowing lower PDN doses.

P191 Giant cell arteritis relapses occur in a different arterial territory as compared to diagnosis

Abstract Background/Aims Ultrasonography (US) for diagnosis of large vessel vasculitis (LVV) is a recommended first line diagnostic procedure. We have been running an US led diagnostic pathway in our centre since January 2017. This pathway is also used to diagnose relapsing disease. We present US defined anatomical distribution of relapses in consecutive patients. Methods Patients in whom new and relapsing disease was diagnosed using US were included. Protocolised US examination of the common carotid system (segments of common carotid, external carotid and branches) and those of the subclavian system (segments from origin of subclavian to end of axillary artery and branches) were carried out at diagnosis and relapse. Halo sign in at least two different arteries was needed for establishing new or relapsing disease. Disease characterisation was classified as being in the carotid system, subclavian system, or both. The nature of the disease at relapse was compared to that at diagnosis. Results 279 patients were diagnosed with LVV using US since Jan 2017. 57 (20%) were diagnosed as having a relapse using US. 43/57 (75%) and 28/57 (49%) had involvement of the carotid system at baseline and relapse respectively. 22/57 (39%) and 44/57 (77%) had involvement of the subclavian system at baseline and relapse respectively. A comparison of the disease involvement is as in Figure 1. Conclusion The branches of the common carotid artery (external carotid artery) are commonly involved at diagnosis, but relapse occurs more frequently in the subclavian artery branches. This is especially true when disease affects the carotid system at baseline. The presentation of patients with subclavian system disease is often with only constitutional symptoms and with shoulder girdle pain and stiffness. This may be mistaken for being a polymyalgia rheumatica relapse. It is essential to examine the subclavian system of arteries in patients with LVV before diagnosing polymyalgia rheumatic relapse. Disclosure S. Alanoor: None. G. Ducker: None. C.B. Mukhtyar: None.

Vibrational resonance phenomena of the OCS isotopologues studied by resummation of high-order Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory

The high-order Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory (RSPT) can be applied for studying anharmonic vibrational problem formulated with the isomorphic Hougen Hamiltonian, but the resulting series usually possess slowly convergent or even divergent behavior. This flaw can be overcome by the resummation of such series with the multi-valued Hermite–Padé approximant (HPA) that accurately reproduces variational matrix eigenvalues provided the basis set is the same. Besides, the state-to-state juxtaposition of HPA branch points can provide an accurate quantitative description of resonance phenomena. Such resummation was earlier proven to be efficient for three- and four-atomic asymmetric top molecules, as well as for linear molecules CO2 and C2H2. In the present work, this technique was systematically applied for studying vibrational resonances of practically important isotopologues of the linear carbonyl sulfide molecule (16O12C32S, 16O12C34S, 16O13C32S, 18O12C32S, 16O12C33S, 16O13C34S). The isomorphic Hamiltonians were constructed using the ab initio equilibrium geometry and quartic PES calculated at the CCSD(T)/cc-pV(Q+d)Z level. The analysis of HPA common branch points of 125 vibrational states for each isotopologue predicted comprehensive resonance pictures. These resonances reproduced most of experimentally observed couplings and indicated a possible break down of the known polyad formula P=2v1+v2+4v3. The demonstrated efficiency of this purely ab initio approach opens a perspective of further studies of resonances phenomena of new and hardly accessible molecules.

Viral hepatitis E in pregnant women in Belarus: clinical examples and molecular genetic characterization of the virus

Objective. To conduct a clinical and molecular genetic study of two cases of acute hepatitis E in pregnant women from Belarus.Materials and methods. A total of 227 pregnant women with clinical symptoms of liver damage were included in the study. Blood serum samples were used for detection of antibodies to hepatitis E virus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, virus nucleic acid was detected from fecal samples by reverse transcription nested polymerase chain reaction. The nucleotide sequence was determined on an automated sequencer using the Sanger method. Nucleotide sequences were analyzed, genotyped and evolutionary distances calculated using MEGA X software.Results. Out of 227 sera tested, immunoglobulins of class G to hepatitis E virus were detected in 15, which is 6.61%. M immunoglobulins were also detected in the blood of six pregnant women, which is 2.6%. Two clinically evident cases of acute hepatitis E were identified. One of the two patients ended her pregnancy with antenatal fetal death. Virus nucleic acid was isolated from another woman diagnosed with hepatitis E, who had an episode of nutritional contact with raw minced pork. The virus RNA sequence isolated from this patient’s body is clustered into a common phylogenetic branch with the sequence obtained from the body of a patient from Belarus with a history of kidney transplantation and sequences isolated from the body of a domestic pig in the Republic of Belarus.Conclusion. Hepatitis E virus poses a significant threat to pregnant women. A set of preventive measures against hepatitis E in pregnant women has been proposed.

Staged Tendon Repair to Improve Range of Motion in Tamai Zone 4 Replantation: Two Case Reports.

Tamai zone 4 replantation, defined as the replantation at a level proximal to the flexor digitorum superficialis' insertion and distal to where the common digital artery branches into the proper digital artery, has poor functional results because making orthosis and rehabilitation protocols that protect the bone and the flexor and extensor tendons simultaneously difficult. Two cases of Tamai zone 4 replantation are presented: one case of an index finger replantation at the proximal phalanx and a case of ring finger replantation at the proximal interphalangeal joint. The author did not repair the flexor tendon intentionally in the primary replantation and performed two-stage flexor tendon reconstruction later. The total active motions (TAMs) at the last follow-up were 215 and 180 degrees, respectively, with the latter distal interphalangeal joint being an arthrodesis. Both cases had no extension lag in the proximal interphalangeal joint. These results were much better than those in previous reports, in which the mean TAM was 133 degrees or less. The good results appeared to be mainly due to the reasonable and clear postoperative rehabilitation protocols made by the proposed procedure. This procedure may be useful for obtaining reproducible functional results even in Tamai zone 4 replantation.

An Efficient Graph Learning System for Emotion Recognition Inspired by the Cognitive Prior Graph of EEG Brain Network.

Benefiting from the high-temporal resolution of electroencephalogram (EEG), EEG-based emotion recognition has become one of the hotspots of affective computing. For EEG-based emotion recognition systems, it is crucial to utilize state-of-the-art learning strategies to automatically learn emotion-related brain cognitive patterns from emotional EEG signals, and the learned stable cognitive patterns effectively ensure the robustness of the emotion recognition system. In this work, to realize the efficient decoding of emotional EEG, we propose a graph learning system Graph Convolutional Network framework with Brain network initial inspiration and Fused attention mechanism (BF-GCN) inspired by the brain cognitive mechanism to automatically learn graph patterns from emotional EEG and improve the performance of EEG emotion recognition. In the proposed BF-GCN, three graph branches, i.e., cognition-inspired functional graph branch, data-driven graph branch, and fused common graph branch, are first elaborately designed to automatically learn emotional cognitive graph patterns from emotional EEG signals. And then, the attention mechanism is adopted to further capture the brain activation graph patterns that are related to emotion cognition to achieve an efficient representation of emotional EEG signals. Essentially, the proposed BF-CGN model is a cognition-inspired graph learning neural network model, which utilizes the spectral graph filtering theory in the automatic learning and extracting of emotional EEG graph patterns. To evaluate the performance of the BF-GCN graph learning system, we conducted subject-dependent and subject-independent experiments on two public datasets, i.e., SEED and SEED-IV. The proposed BF-GCN graph learning system has achieved 97.44% (SEED) and 89.55% (SEED-IV) in subject-dependent experiments, and the results in subject-independent experiments have achieved 92.72% (SEED) and 82.03% (SEED-IV), respectively. The state-of-the-art performance indicates that the proposed BF-GCN graph learning system has a robust performance in EEG-based emotion recognition, which provides a promising direction for affective computing.

Facial artery: anatomical variations in the perioral region in cadavers.

In recent years, there has been an increase in reports of perioral vascular complications resulting from filler injections, such as necrosis of the lip or alar rim, occlusion, and in severe cases, blindness. Conversely, the use of perioral arterial flaps is becoming more prevalent in the treatment of cleft lips, cancer, and trauma. A thorough understanding of perioral arteries is essential to minimize complications and maximize the success of these flaps. However, the course of the facial artery (FA) in the perioral region remains incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to describe the variations of the FA in the perioral region. We dissected 52 embalmed and formaldehyde-fixed Vietnamese cadavers. We then studied the size and distribution of perioral arteries in 102 specimens. The superior labial artery (SLA) was the most common branch, occurring in 87.25% of cadavers, followed by the inferior labial artery (ILA) at 78.43%. The SLA primarily originated above the mouth corner (cheilion), accounting for 91.01% of cases, and predominantly exhibited a tortuous course within the submucosa (78.65%). The ILA's branching pattern varied, but it was primarily located below the cheilion (91.25%). The ILA also followed a twisted path, generally within the submucosa. The ILA exhibited two patterns: the typical pattern, distributed at the vermilion border of the lower lip (8.82%), and the horizontal labiomental artery pattern, which ran horizontally in the middle of the lower lip area (69.61%). At their origin, the SLA and ILA had average external diameters of 1.29 mm and 1.28 mm, respectively. Numerous anatomical variations in the FA in the perioral region were found. A detailed anatomic description, suggested landmarks, and angiography before the procedure will be useful to help doctors avoid complications.

A new classification of the shoulder girdle muscles in domestic fowl based on their innervation from the brachial plexus.

Many studies have described the muscle anatomy of the domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus), a commonly used animal in developmental experiments. However, some major differences in terminology existed among studies, making it difficult to precisely discuss the muscle homologies between domestic fowl and other animals. In this study, the innervations of shoulder girdle muscles in five sides of the domestic fowl were elucidated and the homology of the shoulder girdle muscles between domestic fowl and other tetrapods was discussed using terminology that conforms to Nomina Anatomica Avium (1993). Unlike previous descriptions, the supracoracoideus, being developed in domestic fowl, is thought to have a different muscular origin from the deltoid muscle. The coracobrachialis cranialis, coracobrachialis caudalis and coracobrachialis muscles, previously described as the coracobrachialis muscle group, had different innervations; the coracobrachialis cranialis should be grouped with the deltoid muscles, and the coracobrachialis caudalis appears to belong to the pectoral muscle group. I propose that the subcoracoscapularis in domestic fowl, keeping the reptilian form, is divided into the subcoracoideus and subscapularis muscles. Based on the innervation, the subscapularis in domestic fowl is homologous with the subscapularis in reptiles and a major part of the subscapularis in mammals. Unlike the descriptions in previous studies, the scapulohumeralis cranialis and caudalis in the domestic fowl in this study, being innervated by the common branch, were found to have a close relationship with the subcoracoscapularis muscle. Based on the observations in this study, a new classification of the shoulder girdle muscles in domestic fowl is proposed.