MD Values Research Articles

Age-related topographic map of magnetic resonance diffusion metrics in neonatal brains.

Accelerated maturation of brain parenchyma close to term‐equivalent age leads to rapid changes in diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics of neonatal brains, which can complicate the evaluation and interpretation of these scans. In this study, we characterized the topography of age‐related evolution of diffusion metrics in neonatal brains. We included 565 neonates who had MRI between 0 and 3 months of age, with no structural or signal abnormality—including 162 who had DTI scans. We analyzed the age‐related changes of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values throughout brain and DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy [FA] and mean diffusivity [MD]) along white matter (WM) tracts. Rate of change in ADC, FA, and MD values across 5 mm cubic voxels was calculated. There was significant reduction of ADC and MD values and increase of FA with increasing gestational age (GA) throughout neonates' brain, with the highest temporal rates in subcortical WM, corticospinal tract, cerebellar WM, and vermis. GA at birth had significant effect on ADC values in convexity cortex and corpus callosum as well as FA/MD values in corpus callosum, after correcting for GA at scan. We developed online interactive atlases depicting age‐specific normative values of ADC (ages 34–46 weeks), and FA/MD (35–41 weeks). Our results show a rapid decrease in diffusivity metrics of cerebral/cerebellar WM and vermis in the first few weeks of neonatal age, likely attributable to myelination. In addition, prematurity and low GA at birth may result in lasting delay in corpus callosum myelination and cerebral cortex cellularity.

Gaze tracker parameters have little association with visual field metrics of intrasession frontloaded SITA-Faster 24-2 visual field results.

PurposeTo determine the usefulness of Humphrey Field Analyser (HFA) SITA‐Faster 24–2 gaze tracker outputs on interpreting intra‐visit visual field (VF) result pairs.MethodsAnalysis of 1380 right–left eye pairs and 1432 pairs of test 1‐test 2 intrasession VF results of patients seen within a university‐based glaucoma service was undertaken to understand gaze deviation distributions. Output gaze tracker results were aggregated into total ticks, sum of amplitudes and average amplitudes. Correlations between visual field indices (mean deviation [MD], “events” and overall hill of vision) and independent variables (age and test order) were performed using one eye from each subject.ResultsThere was no association of test order (right–left, test 1‐test 2) with eye movements. There was a significant, but weak correlation between eye movements and age (r = 0.16). Correlations of eye movements with MD were driven by more severe MD values. There were no significant correlations between intrasession difference in eye movements and the change in MD, number of “events” and hill of vision, or in the root mean square of sensitivity and total deviation values. There was also no significant correlation between gaze tracker outputs and another commonly used “reliability” metric, false positive rate.ConclusionsEye movement parameters as currently reported by the HFA do not appear to be correlated with key sensitivity parameters when considering the repeatability of intrasession SITA‐Faster 24–2 VF results. Thus, current gaze tracker outputs do not appear to provide clinically meaningful information for interpretation of intra‐visit visual field results that cannot already be garnered using other strategies.

The Function of the Autonomic Nervous System in Asian Patients With Chronic Migraine.

BackgroundThe pathogenic mechanisms underlying the autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction in patients with chronic migraine (CM) remain unclear. This study investigated the pathogenesis of ANS dysfunction in this population.MethodsA total of 60 patients diagnosed with CM and 60 healthy subjects were recruited to participate in this study. The pupil diameter, pupil contraction velocity, latency, amplitude, and the maximum gradient recovery time were examined before, at 2 min and at 5 min after the cold pressor test, which was combined with the pupillary light reflex method. A brain 3D T1-weighted structural imaging scan, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scan were also acquired.ResultsPatients with CM exhibited a longer recovery time to the maximum gradient at 2 min and at 5 min after cold pressing compared with the control group (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). There was no significant difference in the pupil diameter, pupillary contraction velocity, latency, amplitude, blood pressure, or heart rate between the two groups (all P > 0.05). In the CM group, the regional homogeneity (ReHo) values of the left amygdala and left lateral hypothalamic area were significantly higher than those of other brain areas (P < 0.001, Alphasim corrected). The DTI scan of the whole brain area showed a lack of significant difference in DTI indices, including FA, MD, AD, and RD values between the two groups (P > 0.05, Alphasim corrected).ConclusionThe dysfunction of the left amygdala and left lateral hypothalamic area may be related to ANS dysfunction in patients with CM.

On the FAULT-TOLERANT Resolvability in Line Graphs of Dragon and Kayak Paddles Graphs

Because of its wide range of applications, metric resolvability has been used in chemical structures, computer networks, and electrical circuits. It has been applied as a node (sensor) in an electric circuit. The electric circuit will not be able to flow current if one node (sensor) in that chain becomes faulty. The fault-tolerant selfstable circuit is a circuit that permits the current flow even if one of the nodes (sensors) becomes faulty. If the removal of any node from a resolving set (RS) of the circuit is still a RS, then the RS of the circuit is considered a fault-tolerant resolving set (FTRS) and the fault-tolerant metric dimension (FTMD) is its minimum cardinality. Even though the problem of finding the exact values of MD in line graphs seems to be even harder, the FTMD for the line graphs was first discussed by Guo et al. [13]. Ahmad et al. [5] determined the precise value of the MD for the line graph of the kayak paddle graph. We calculate the precise value of the FTMD for the line graph in this family of graphs. The FTMD is a more generalized invariant than the MD. We also consider the problem of obtaining a precise value for this parameter in the line graph of the dragon graph. It is concluded that these families have a constant FTMD.

Perimetry Criteria For Assessing The Effectiveness Of Retinoprotective Therapy

Objective — To evaluate the effect of the frequency of retinoprotective therapy courses on perimetry parameters, to compare Octopus 900 perimeter with Octopus 600 perimeter, and to assess threshold perimetry results of G-dynamic versus 24-2 programs. Material and Methods — The study involved 17 patients (34 eyes) diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma of advanced stage. Group 1 included subjects receiving a course of Retinalamin every 3 months. Group 2 comprised patients undergoing Retinalamin therapeutics every 6 months. Results — At the onset of the study via G-dynamic and 24-2 programs, we did not observe any statistically significant differences between the groups in mean deviation of retinal photosensitivity (MD) and pattern standard deviation of mean retinal photosensitivity (PSD). However, the absolute values differed between groups and between programs. On average, the differences in MD and PSD values obtained in the photosensitivity study with G-dynamic vs. 24-2 programs were -0.36 dB (CI 95%: -4.27; 3.54) and 0.63 dB (CI 95%: 2.37; -1.11), respectively. Hence, studies performed via 24-2 and G-dynamic programs yielded comparable results (no statistically significant differences). However, they could not be identical due to different spatial arrangement of points in different programs. Conclusion — As a result of conducted treatment, retinal photosensitivity did not exhibit statistically significant changes; however, we observed positive dynamics in both groups in MD and PSD parameters of mean retinal photosensitivity. Different devices (Octopus 600 and Octopus 900 perimeters) and different programs (24-2, G-dynamic) yielded different outcomes due to their technical features and capabilities of reproducibility; however, these differences were not statistically significant.

Dirac-type theorems in random hypergraphs

For positive integers d<k and n divisible by k, let md(k,n) be the minimum d-degree ensuring the existence of a perfect matching in a k-uniform hypergraph. In the graph case (where k=2), a classical theorem of Dirac says that m1(2,n)=⌈n/2⌉. However, in general, our understanding of the values of md(k,n) is still very limited, and it is an active topic of research to determine or approximate these values. In this paper we prove a “transference” theorem for Dirac-type results relative to random hypergraphs. Specifically, for any d<k, any ε>0 and any “not too small” p, we prove that a random k-uniform hypergraph G with n vertices and edge probability p typically has the property that every spanning subgraph of G with minimum d-degree at least (1+ε)md(k,n)p has a perfect matching. One interesting aspect of our proof is a “non-constructive” application of the absorbing method, which allows us to prove a bound in terms of md(k,n) without actually knowing its value.

Effect of acupuncture on retinal and choroidal thickness in patients with optic atrophy

To observe the effect of acupuncture on visual acuity, intraocular pressure, visual field, retinal and choroidal thickness on optic disc and macular area in patients with optic atrophy. A total of 33 patients with optic atrophy were treated with acupuncture. Acupuncture was given at Chengqi (ST 1), Shangjingming (Extra), Qiuhou (EX-HN 7) and Fengchi (GB 20) etc., 30 min each time, once a day, for 14 days. The visual acuity, intraocular pressure, visual field indexes (mean deviation [MD], pattern standard deviation [PSD] and visual field index [VFI]), optic disc retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, macular retinal thickness and choroidal thickness of optic disc and sub-foveal were compared before and after treatment. Compared before treatment, the visual acuity was increased (P<0.05), the MD value was decreased (P<0.05), the thickness of nerve fiber layer on the upper temporal side of optic disc was thinner (P<0.05), and the choroidal thickness of average, nasal side and lower temporal side of optic disc was increased (P<0.05). There was significant correlation between visual field MD and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in different quadrants before and after treatment (P<0.01). Acupuncture could improve visual acuity, increase choroidal thickness in part of optic disc area in patients with optic atrophy.

Design and simulation of an all-optical 2 × 1 plasmonic multiplexer

Plasmonic devices enable nanophotonics and nanodevices as an alternative to address the miniaturization and diffraction limit problems in photonics devices. An all-optical 2 × 1 multiplexer (MUX) based on aplasmonic multilayer structure (insulator–metal–insulator) is proposed. The working wavelength is 1550 nm and the design area is (350 nm × 250 nm). The proposed device works under the principle of destructive and constructive interference, which happens between inputs and selector signals. The performance of the proposed device is measured by three criteria: transmission, extension ratio, and modulation depth. In transmission signals, an amplifying process occurs; two states are exceeding 100%. The proposed structure dimensions are excellent and optimum according to the value of MD (98.85%). In addition, the operation of the proposed structure is achieved without the need for the control signal, which adds more complicity and degrades the device efficiency. The proposed structure has a major role in building the all-optical arithmetic logic unit, photonics integrated circuits, and THz applications.

Sistem Pakar Diagnosis Penyakit Lupus Berbasis Mobile Application Android dengan Metode Certainty Factor (CF)

The objectives of this research are; 1) Creating Android software or applications using the Certainty Factor method, and 2) Early diagnosis of a person's indications using the Certainty Factor (CF) method. The research methodology uses interviews, collects information obtained, the next stage is used with the Certainty Method used to calculate the probability value of MD, MB and CF, researchers to display the diagnosis of Lupus, testing techniques using Acceptance Testing techniques. The results of the study have succeeded in making an application using the JAVA programming language assisted by the Android SDK Platform. The results of the disease obtained a confidence value indication of Dry Eyes, Shortness of Breath due to Lung Inflammation, Continuous Chest Pain for Lupus is 0.968815.

Characterization of Clinical Symptoms of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Based on DKI Imaging Parameter Ratios.

In recent years, people's living conditions have significantly improved, and their lifestyles have been diversified. However, the incidence of various diseases has also increased with it, including cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Spinal cord cervical spondylosis is one of the spinal cord compression disorders that can be severely disabling and accounts for 10% to 15% of all cervical spondylosis. In this paper, DKI image processing technology is used to study the symptoms of cervical spondylosis, which is helpful to help them explore the symptoms and causes. The onset of cervical spondylosis has a longer period of time, and the period of conservative treatment will inevitably require a longer period of time. The clinical symptoms of cervical spinal cord compression are mainly pain, and after the cervical spinal cord nerve is compressed, ischemia and hypoxia will occur, the nerve sensitivity will increase, and the patient will have reflex neck muscle pain symptoms. This causes degeneration of the patient's intervertebral disc tissue, degeneration of facet joints, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, and formation of spurs on the posterior edge of the vertebral body. The condition will become more complicated, so it is very important to identify the characteristics of the clinical symptoms of cervical spondylotic myelopathy to help patients with cervical spondylosis recover. This paper identifies the clinical symptoms of cervical spondylosis based on the parameter ratio method of Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging (DKI). The current state of diffusion kurtosis imaging and the treatment of cervical spondylosis and the treatment operation are introduced, and the image enhancement technology in medical imaging is used to analyze the disc herniation of each segment in the overflexion, neutral and hyperextension positions. After comparing the FA, MK, and MD values in the spinal cord between the normal group and the patient group, the results showed that the FA, MD and MK values in the patient group were lower than those in the normal group, and the findings showed that the MD and MK values were positively correlated with the JOA score, reflecting that as the clinical symptoms of spinal cervical spondylosis worsened. The size and number of cervical intervertebral disc bulge on the hyperextension image is obvious and the number increases (especially the C4/5, C5/6, and C6/7 intervertebral discs with greater mobility), and the highest is 0.82 and 27%, respectively.

Reduced White Matter Integrity in Patients With End-Stage and Non-end-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease: A Tract-Based Spatial Statistics Study.

Background and Purpose: Reduced white matter (WM) integrity has been implicated in chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, whether the differences in WM abnormalities exist in ESRD and non-end-stage CKD (NES-CKD) remains unclear. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the WM microstructural changes between the two stages using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and explore the related influencing factors.Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging’ images were prospectively acquired from 18 patients with ESRD, 22 patients with NES-CKD, and 19 healthy controls (HCs). Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was performed to assess the voxel-wise differences in WM abnormalities among the three groups. The relationships between DTI parameters and biochemical data were also analyzed.Results: Compared with NES-CKDs, FA value was significantly decreased, and AD value increased in ESRDs mainly in brain regions of bilateral anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), the genu and body of corpus callosum (CC), bilateral anterior corona radiata, superior corona radiata, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. Besides, extensive and symmetrical deep WM damages were observed in patients with ESRD, accompanied by increased MD and RD values. Multiple regression analysis revealed that uric acid and serum phosphorus level can be used as independent predictors of WM microstructural abnormalities in clusters with statistical differences in DTI parameters between ESRD and NES-CKD groups.Conclusion: In the progression of CKD, patients with ESRD have more severe WM microstructural abnormalities than NES-CKDs, and this progressive deterioration may be related to uric acid and phosphate levels.

All-Optical Universal Logic Gates at Nano-scale Dimensions

Though photonics displays an attractive solution to the speed limitation of electronics, decreasing the size of photonic devices is one of the major problems with implementing photonic integrated circuits that are regarded the challenges to produce all-optical computers. Plasmonic can solve these problems, it be a potential solution to fill the gaps in the electronics (large bandwidth and ultra-high speed) and photonics (diffraction limit due to miniaturization size). In this paper, Nano-rings Insulator-Metal-Insulator (IMI) plasmonic waveguides has been used to propose, design, simulate, and perform all-optical universal logic gates (NOR and NAND gates). By using Finite Element Method (FEM), the structure of the proposed plasmonic universal logic gates are designed and numerically simulated by two dimensions (2-D) structure. Silver and Glass materials were chosen to construct proposed structure. The function of the proposed plasmonic NOR and NAND logic gates was achieved by destructive and constructive interferences principle. The performance of the proposed device is measured by three criteria; the transmission, extension ratio, and modulation depth. Numerical simulations show that a transmission threshold (0.3) which allows achieving the proposed plasmonic universal logic gates in one structure at 1550 nm operating wavelength. The properties of this devise was as follows: The transmission exceeds 100% in one state of NAND gate, medium values of Extension Ratio, very high MD values, and very small foot print. In the future, this device will be the access to the nanophotonic integrated circuits and it has regarded fundamental building blocks for all-optical computers.

Segmental Abnormalities of White Matter Microstructure in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients: An Automated Fiber Quantification Tractography Study.

Background and Purpose: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) results in extensive white matter abnormalities, but the specific damage segment cannot be identified. This study aimed to determine the segmental abnormalities of white matter microstructure in ESRD and its relationship with cognitive and renal function indicators.Methods: Eighteen ESRD patients and 19 healthy controls (HCs) were prospectively recruited. All participants underwent DTI and clinical assessments. Automatic fiber quantification (AFQ) was applied to generate bundle profiles along 16 main white matter tracts. We compared the DTI parameters between groups. Besides, we used partial correlation and multiple linear regression analyses to explore the associations between white matter integrity and cognitive performance as well as renal function indicators.Results: In the global tract level, compared to HCs, ESRD patients had greater MD, AD, and RD values and lower FA value in several fibers (P < 0.05, FDR correction). In the point-wise level, extensive damage existed in specific locations of different fiber tracts, particularly in the left hemisphere (P < 0.05, FDR correction). Among these tracts, the mean AD values of the left cingulum cingulate correlated negatively with MoCA score. Urea and UA level were independent predictors of the AD value of superior component of the left corticospinal. Besides, urea level was the independent predictors of mean MD value of left anterior thalamic radiation (ATR).Conclusion: White matter fiber tract damage in ESRD patients may be characterized by abnormalities in its specific location, especially in the left hemisphere. Aberrational specific located fibers were related to cognitive impairment and renal dysfunction.

Evaluation of crossed cerebellar diaschisis after cerebral infarction in MCAO rats based on DKI.

To observe the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), apoptosis and the effect on neurological function recovery in rat model with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) was used to evaluate crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) and to provide experimental and theoretical basis for the clinical treatment. The MCAO models were established in rats. Eighty-four rats were randomly and evenly divided into 7groups, including control group, 6-h group, 12-h group, 24-h group, 48-h group, 7-day group and 14-day group. The rats were scanned by MRI at the above time points. Then, rats were sacrificed for H&E staining, immunohistochemical staining and TUNEL staining to detect the expression of NMDA in the core infarct area and cerebellum. At the end, the discussion of relationships between molecular biology and MRI parameters (ADC derived from DWI, and MD, MK and FA derived from DKI) was performed. The values of MD, ADC and FA in MCAO rats were all lower than those in the control group. All MRI parameters of the contralateral cerebellum were lower than those of the ipsilateral cerebellum (p<.05). The parameters reached the lowest value at 12h, except that the MK reached the highest at 12h. The expression of NMDA showed a fluctuation along time in the MCAO group. Overall, it is higher in the MCAO group than in the control group, reaching the maximum at 24h (p<.05). At the same time, the expression of NMDA in the contralateral cerebellum was higher than in the ipsilateral cerebellum. It is found that NMDA and DKI of CCD have the same changing trend, which indicates that the intervention of NMDA receptor apoptosis may become a new target for the treatment of cerebral infarction, and MRI parameters can predict the occurrence and development of CCD.

Expert System for Early Diagnosis of Tropical Malaria and Tertiana Malaria using Certainty Factor

Twano Health Center is one of the technical implementing units of the Jayapura City Health Office which organizes Health Efforts, but the constraints regarding the facilities and infrastructure of the Puskesmas are not yet adequate in supporting health services. Based on observations, the increase in the level of malaria sufferers in the Jayapura area is caused by parasites (protozoa) of the genus Plasmodium and the mode of transmission is through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. There are two types of malaria that are often experienced by Jayapura residents, namely Tropical Malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) and Tertiana (Plasmodium vivax). The purpose of this study is to create an expert system that can diagnose early diseases such as an expert or doctor using the Certainty Factor method which expresses belief in an event (fact or hypothesis) based on evidence or expert judgment in early diagnosis of Tropical Malaria and Tertiana. The research subjects taken were 5 patients who had symptoms of Malaria and 1 doctor to determine the symptoms of the disease) The expert system using the Certainty Factor method was used because this method was suitable in determining the disease, and the result was a percentage which was the level of accuracy in determining the patient's disease. Determination of the percentage is influenced by the MB value (a measure of the increase in confidence) and the MD value (a measure of the increase in distrust) obtained from the assessment of an expert. For data modeling using data flow diagrams (DFD) and website-based. Total accurate patient recapitulation results are 80% of the Expert System for Early Diagnosis of Tropical Malaria and Tertiana using Certainty Factor

Comparison of dental pulp periodontal therapy and conventional simple periodontal therapy as treatment modalities for severe periodontitis.

BACKGROUNDSevere periodontitis is a major oral health concern today as it can lead to loss of teeth. Conventional periodontal therapy has numerous pitfalls as it does not address the pulp-periodontal complex in its entirety.AIMTo investigate the effect of dental pulp periodontal therapy on the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-10 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in patients with severe periodontitis.METHODSEighty-six patients with severe periodontitis were randomly divided into a research group (n = 43) and a control group (n = 43). The control group was treated with simple periodontal therapy, and the research group was treated with dental pulp periodontal therapy. The total effective rates of the treatments; periodontal status before and after treatment through the measurement of the periodontal pocket probing depth (PPD), gingival sulcus bleeding index (SBI), mobility (MD), and plaque index (PLI); the levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-10 in the GCF; and the incidence of complications were calculated for both groups and compared using the Student’s t test and the χ2 test.RESULTSThe total effective rate of treatment in the study group (93.02%) was higher than that in the control group (76.74%; P < 0.05). While before treatment, there was no significant difference in the PLI, MD, SBI, or PPD between the two groups, the post-treatment values of PLI, MD, SBI, and PPD (4.71 ± 0.16 mm, 0.61 ± 0.09 mm, 0.96 ± 0.17 mm, and 0.76 ± 0.26 mm, respectively) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the research group than in the control group (5.35 ± 0.24 mm, 0.93 ± 0.15 mm, 1.35 ± 0.30 mm, and 1.04 ± 0.41 mm, respectively). There was no significant difference in the level of IL-1β or IL-10 in the GCF before treatment between the two groups; after treatment, the IL-1β level in the research group (139.04 ± 15.54 pg/mL) was significantly lower than that in the control group (156.35 ± 18.10 pg/mL), and the level of IL-10 in the research group (7.98 ± 1.01 ug/L) was higher than that in the control group (5.56 ± 0.96 ug/L) (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications in the study group (4.65%) was significantly lower than that of the control group (18.60%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONEndodontic therapy and periodontal treatment for patients with severe periodontitis can effectively reduce the levels of inflammatory factors in the GCF and the inflammatory reaction. In addition, it can improve the periodontal condition and the overall treatment effect, reduce the risk of complications, and ensure the safety of treatment.

Magnetic Resonance Image Feature Analysis under Deep Learning in Diagnosis of Neurological Rehabilitation in Patients with Cerebrovascular Diseases.

To explore the impact of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image features based on deep learning algorithms on the neurological rehabilitation of patients with cerebrovascular diseases, eighty patients with acute cerebrovascular disease were selected as the research objects. According to whether the patients were with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), they were divided into VCI group (34 cases) and non-VCI group (46 cases). In addition, based on the convolutional neural network (CNN), a new multimodal CNN image segmentation algorithm was proposed. The algorithm was applied to the segmentation of MRI images of patients with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and compared with the segmentation results of CNN and fully CNN (FCN). As a result, the segmentation results of the three different algorithms showed that the Dice coefficient, accuracy, and recall of the multimodal CNN algorithm were 0.78 ± 0.24, 0.81 ± 0.28, and 0.88 ± 0.32, respectively, which were significantly increased compared to those of other two algorithms (P < 0.05). The neurological evaluation results showed that the MMSE and MoCA scores of VCI patients were 15.4 and 14.6 ± 5.31, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of the non-VCI group (P < 0.05). The TMT-a and TMT-b scores of VCI patients were 221.7 and 385.9, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the non-VCI group (P < 0.05). The FA and MD values of nerve function-related fibers shown in the MRI images of the VCI group were significantly different from those of the non-VCI group (P < 0.05). Therefore, the neurological recovery process of VCI patients was affected by multiple neurocognitive-related fiber structures. To sum up, the multimodal CNN algorithm can sensitively and accurately reflect the degree of neurological impairment in patients with cerebrovascular disease and can be applied to disease diagnosis and neurological evaluation of VCI patients.

Hypothalamic structural integrity and temporal complexity of cortical information processing at rest in migraine without aura patients between attacks

The hypothalamus has been attributed an important role during the premonitory phase of a migraine attack. Less is known about the role played by the hypothalamus in the interictal period and its relationship with the putative neurocognitive networks previously identified in the pathophysiology of migraine. Our aim was to test whether the hypothalamic microstructure would be altered during the interictal period and whether this co-existed with aberrant connectivity at cortical level. We collected multimodal MRI data from 20 untreated patients with migraine without aura between attacks (MO) and 20 healthy controls (HC) and studied fractional anisotropy, mean (MD), radial (RD), and axial diffusivity of the hypothalamus ROI as a whole from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Moreover, we performed an exploratory analysis of the same DTI metrics separately for the anterior and posterior hypothalamic ROIs bilaterally. From resting-state functional MRI, we estimated the Higuchi’s fractal dimension (FD), an index of temporal complexity sensible to describe non-periodic patterns characterizing BOLD signature. Finally, we correlated neuroimaging findings with migraine clinical features. In comparison to HC, MO had significantly higher MD, AD, and RD values within the hypothalamus. These findings were confirmed also in the exploratory analysis on the sub-regions of the hypothalamus bilaterally, with the addition of lower FA values on the posterior ROIs. Patients showed higher FD values within the salience network (SN) and the cerebellum, and lower FD values within the primary visual (PV) network compared to HC. We found a positive correlation between cerebellar and SN FD values and severity of migraine. Our findings of hypothalamic abnormalities between migraine attacks may form part of the neuroanatomical substrate that predisposes the onset of the prodromal phase and, therefore, the initiation of an attack. The peculiar fractal dimensionality we found in PV, SN, and cerebellum may be interpreted as an expression of abnormal efficiency demand of brain networks devoted to the integration of sensory, emotional, and cognitive information related to the severity of migraine.

Short-Term Prediction Methodology of COVID-19 Infection in South Korea

The purpose of this study is to predict the short-term trend of the COVID-19 pandemic and give insights into effective response strategies. Based on the basic SIR model, a compartment method for modeling the course of an epidemic, the short-term infection change ratio md, is derived. The number of infected people can be predicted using this ratio. We calculated different md values on a weekly basis. As we tested different combinations of md, the prediction from the combination of md based on a week and md based on 4 weeks was found to be statistically reliable. According to our regression analysis, our approach has an explanatory power of 96%. However, this method could only predict 1 week ahead of current data. Thus, we use LSTM, a deep learning method applied for time series data, to forecast the trend 4 weeks ahead. The forecasted trends show that the number of infected people in South Korea will reach its peak a week after the writing of this work and start to gradually decline after that.

Clinical study of central cholinergic pathway damage in two mild cognitive impairment patients

ObjectivesTo explore the role of the central cholinergic system in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and mild vascular cognitive impairment (vMCI).MethodsTwenty-five aMCI patients and 25 vMCI patients were enrolled in this study, and 25 healthy people were chosen as a control group. All participants performed a set of cognitive function scales and were subjected to a brain MRI. We analyzed differences in neuropsychological damage between groups, as well as the degree of brain atrophy and changes in the microstructure of central cholinergic pathways (CCP) in relation to effects on neuropsychological scores.Results(1) Regarding neuropsychological characteristics of the three groups, scores on the MoCA scale, immediate memory, delayed recall, cued recall, long time prolonged recognition, and CDR-SB of the control group were significantly better than those of the aMCI and vMCI groups. Scores on immediate memory, delayed memory, cued recall, long time delayed recognition, and Forward of Digital Span Test (FDST) in the aMCI group were lower than those in the vMCI group. Compared with the aMCI group, the vMCI group was significantly delayed in Trail Making Test (TMA)-A, TMT-B, and TMT B-A. There were no significant differences in HAMA, HAMD, MMSE, MoCA, the Boston Naming Test (BNT), language fluency or visual scale of posterior atrophy (Koedam score) between the vMCI and aMCI groups. (2) As for microstructure changes in the central cholinergic pathway, vMCI group had a decreased FA value in the cingulum (Cing) of the medial pathway, but an increased MD value in the external capsule (Excap) of the lateral pathway when compared to other two groups. Furthermore, the CingMD value of the vMCI group was higher than that of the control group, but the difference was not obvious when compared to the aMCI group. (3) Last, we researched microstructural changes to CCP, degree of brain atrophy, and neuropsychological scores by using partial correlation analysis for all participants. CingFA was negatively correlated with TMT-B, B-A, and FDST. CingMD was negatively correlated with FDST. ExcapFA was positively correlated with MMSE and Backward of BDST, while ExcapMD was negatively correlated with MMSE and MoCA. Claustrum (Claus)FA was positively related to MoCA and FDST, but was negatively related to TMT-A. ClausMD was negatively correlated with MoCA and language fluency. Koedam score was positively correlated with CDR-SB, ExcapMD, and ClausMD, but negatively correlated with MMSE score and inverse BDST.ConclusionThe central cholinergic system is involved in the cognitive impairment of both aMCI and vMCI, and their mechanisms may be distinct. aMCI patients may present with primary CCP impairment while vMCI patients probably exhibit impairment secondary to vasogenic damage to the cholinergic system projection network. The lateral cholinergic pathway was more severely impaired than the medial pathway in vMCI patients, in addition to being associated with decreased executive and general cognitive functions. The damage to CCP was related to the degree of brain atrophy, and both may be involved in the development and progression of cognitive dysfunction.