Time Variability Research Articles

How do red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) explore their environment? Characteristics of movement patterns in time and space

Abstract Background Many animals must adapt their movements to different conditions encountered during different life phases, such as when exploring extraterritorial areas for dispersal, foraging or breeding. To better understand how animals move in different movement phases, we asked whether movement patterns differ between one way directed movements, such as during the transient phase of dispersal or two way exploratory-like movements such as during extraterritorial excursions or stationary movements. Methods We GPS collared red foxes in a rural area in southern Germany between 2020 and 2023. Using a random forest model, we analyzed different movement parameters, habitat features—for example landclasses and distances to linear structures—and time variables (season and time of day) within red fox exploratory, transient and stationary movement phases to characterize phase specific movement patterns and to investigate the influence of different variables on classifying the movement phases. Results According to the classification model, the movement patterns in the different phases were characterized most strongly by the variables persistence velocity, season, step length and distance to linear structures. In extraterritorial areas, red foxes either moved straight with high persistence velocity, close to anthropogenic linear structures during transient movements, or more tortuously containing a higher variance in turning angles and a decrease in persistence velocity during exploratory-like movements. Transient movements mainly took place during autumn, whereas exploratory-like movements were mainly conducted during winter and spring. Conclusion Movement patterns of red foxes differ between transient, exploratory and stationary phases, reflecting displacement, searching and resident movement strategies. Our results signify the importance of the combined effect of using movement, habitat and time variables together in analyzing movement phases. High movement variability may allow red foxes to navigate in extraterritorial areas efficiently and to adapt to different environmental and behavioral conditions.

Functional contractility of young soccer players' muscles in the context of playing positions

The high-intensity activity of soccer players during a match are affected by the basic contractile properties of lower limb muscles. Several studies have confirmed that playing position crucially determines absolute performance and physical load and also determines the intensity of fast movements during matches. However, little is known whether muscle contractile properties vary in relation to a specific playing position. The aim of this paper is to describe differences in functional contractility of muscles in young soccer players in the context of playing position. U14-U15 soccer players (n = 127) were divided into 6 groups based on their playing position: G - Goalkeeper (n = 14), FB - Fullback (n = 23), CB – Centre-back (n = 28), W – Winger (n = 15), M – midfielder, (n = 28), F - Forward (n = 19). Functional contractility of the biceps femoris and rectus femoris in the dominant lower limb was assessed from the following variables: contraction time (tc), maximal displacement of the muscle contraction (dm) and contraction velocity (vc) measured by a non-invasive method of tensiomyography using a TMG S2 system (TMG-BMC Ltd, Slovenia). The Shapiro-Wilk test showed a violation of normality of the data distribution. Differences in contractile properties in terms of the playing position factor were evaluated using Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance (K-W Anova) with multiple pairwise comparisons. The K-W Anova results showed significant differences in the maximal amplitude (dm) and velocity of contraction (vc) for the biceps femoris muscle (H = 19.008; p = 0.002 and H = 24.421; p = 0.001, respectively). In the variable of time of contraction (tc), a significant difference between the playing positions was identified for the rectus femoris muscle (H = 18.257; p = 0.003). The results of the study suggest that different playing positions of young soccer players are associated with specific muscle contractility requirements. These differences suggest that muscle characteristics are influenced by the functional demands of each playing position. The findings point to the need for personalised training interventions that consider the specific biomechanical and functional demands of playing positions, which may contribute to performance enhancement and injury prevention.

Exploring Accelerated Failure Time Models for Tuberculosis Survival: Loglogistic and Weibull Survival Regression Model

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health burden, necessitating robust statistical models to understand survival dynamics and inform interventions. Most survival analyses rely on the Cox Proportional Hazards (Cox PH) model, which may not adequately capture the survival time distribution. This study focuses on data from the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Center (NTLC), Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria, to identify factors influencing TB survival and assess alternative parametric survival models. The study aims to identify factors associated with TB mortality, assess their impact on survival outcomes, and compare the performance of Weibull, and Log-Logistic Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) models to determine the most suitable model for TB survival data from NTLC Zaria. This study compares the performance of two Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) models, the Weibull, and the Log-Logistic in analyzing TB survival data. The analysis evaluates model fit using p-values, log-likelihood, and Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Results indicate that the Weibull AFT model outperforms the Log-logistic, with the highest log-likelihood (-228.6) and the lowest AIC (485.11), and the Log-Logistic AFT model (AIC: 492.02, log-likelihood: -232.0). The p-values for both models demonstrate statistical significance, highlighting their effectiveness in modelling TB survival data. However, the Weibull model's higher performance suggests it better captures survival time variability in TB patients. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting appropriate survival models for TB data analysis and support the application of the Weibull AFT model for future studies. Further research should explore integrating advanced statistical techniques and machine learning approaches to enhance predictive accuracy and improve TB management strategies. This study contributes to this growing field by applying parametric survival models, to analyse TB survival data from the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Centre (NTLC) in Zaria, Nigeria.

Risk Factors for Acute Pancreatitis Following Intragastric Balloon Insertion: A 7-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a rare but serious complication of intragastric balloon (IGB) therapy. Despite the popularity of IGBs for weight loss, the incidence and risk factors of AP post-IGB insertion are not well understood. This study aimed to identify potential predictors and risk factors of AP in IGB patients. A retrospective time-to-event study was conducted over 7years, encompassing patients who received IGBs between January 2017 and 2024. Cox regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors. The incidence of AP was evaluated as a secondary outcome. Patients were categorized into the AP and non-AP groups at a 1:3 ratio. The Revised Atlanta Classification was used to diagnose AP. Among 450 patients with IGB, 25 developed AP, yielding an incidence of 5.56%. The Orbera balloon was associated with a lower AP risk (HR 0.29, 95% CI: 0.09-0.96; P = 0.042). The median time to AP onset was 40days. Higher preprocedural BMI and age > 30years showed a trend toward reduced AP risk, though not statistically significant. AP following IGB insertion is uncommon but may be underreported, with substantial variability in onset time. The Orbera balloon demonstrated a protective effect, highlighting the role of balloon type in AP risk. These findings underscore the importance of balloon selection and the need for further prospective studies to confirm these results and optimize AP risk management in IGB patients.

Gemcitabine and docetaxel for high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: EuroGemDoce group results.

To evaluate the oncological efficacy and safety of sequential intravesical gemcitabine/docetaxel (Gem/Doce) therapy in a European cohort of patients with high-risk and very-high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) after previous Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment. Data were retrospectively collected from 95 patients with NMIBC, treated with Gem/Doce at 12 European centres between 2021 and 2024. Patients previously treated with BCG who had completed a full induction course and received at least one follow-up evaluation were included. One-year disease-free survival (DFS), high-grade DFS and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded through medical interviews. Of 75 patients, 63 (84%) were classified as having high-risk and 12 (16%) as having very-high-risk NMIBC. Over a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 9 (5-14) months, 20 patients (27%) relapsed and five (6.7%) underwent radical cystectomy. The 1-year DFS was 73% (95% confidence interval [CI] 62-86%), 1-year high-grade DFS was 79% (95% CI 68-91%) and 1-year PFS was 95% (95% CI 90-100%). AEs occurred in 34 patients (45%), with six (8.7%) experiencing severe AEs. Limitations of the study include the short follow-up and variability in both treatment dwelling times and dosage across centres. The intravesical Gem/Doce regimen demonstrated promising short-term oncological outcomes and was well tolerated in this cohort of patients with high- and very-high-risk NMIBC previously treated with BCG. Prospective studies and randomised trials are awaited to define the ideal candidates for Gem/Doce therapy and to standardise treatment protocols.

Optimal timing for epinephrine administration in adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A retrospective observational study.

This study aimed to clarify the appropriate timing for epinephrine administration in adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), particularly those cases with nonshockable rhythms, by addressing resuscitation time bias. We performed a retrospective observational study utilizing a multicenter OHCA registry involving 95 hospitals in Japan between June 2014 and December 2020. We included patients with OHCA and nonshockable rhythms who received epinephrine during resuscitation. The primary and secondary outcomes were favorable 30-day neurological status and survival, respectively. A favorable neurological outcome was defined as a cerebral performance category score of 1 or 2. The time from emergency medical service (EMS) personnel contact to epinephrine administration was categorized in 5-min intervals. We used the Fine-Gray regression to calculate the time-dependent propensity score in each group. After risk set matching, we employed a generalized estimating equation (GEE) to adjust for within-patient clustering. A total of 36,756 patients were included in the analysis. When involving timing variables and GEE, epinephrine administration significantly affected favorable 30-day neurological status at 1-5 and 6-10 min, with risk ratios (RR; 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) of 9.36 (1.19-73.7) and 3.67 (1.89-7.14), respectively. Epinephrine administration significantly affected 30-day survival at 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, and 16-20 min, with RRs (95% CIs) of 2.33 (1.41-3.85), 2.09 (1.65-2.65), 1.64 (1.32-2.05), or 1.70 (1.29-2.25), respectively. Epinephrine administration within 10 min of EMS personnel contact may be associated with favorable neurological outcomes in patients with OHCA and nonshockable rhythms.

Unravelling sources of variability on rocuronium pharmacokinetics: Implications for prolonged recovery in older patients.

Residual neuromuscular blockade (RNB) commonly occurs when using neuromuscular blockers and increases the risk for pulmonary complications, such as airway obstruction and severe hypoxemia, in extubated patients. Rocuronium exhibits a high variability in recovery time, contributing to an increased risk for RNB. This study aimed to identify and characterize the sources of variability in rocuronium exposure and response via a population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analysis and to apply the developed PK/PD model to investigate clinical implications. A nonlinear mixed-effect model was developed for rocuronium in patients undergoing general anaesthesia, using doses of 0.3-1.2mg/kg. Plasma concentrations and the neuromuscular block (train of four ratio) were assessed up to 6h after dosing. The influence of age, body mass index, renal function and sex on PK and PD was explored. Simulations were performed to predict the recovery time. A two-compartment model with linear elimination and an indirect sigmoid I-max model was used to describe PK and PD. The transfer rate into the periphery increases with age. The predicted recovery time was significantly longer in older subjects aged 85 years (median: 2.8h; interquartile range [IQR]: 2.18-4.0) compared to young adults aged 25 years (median: 2.5h; IQR: 2.0-3.1) following single bolus administrations of doses ≥ 0.7mg/kg. Our findings suggest that older patients take slightly longer to recover than younger adults due to an age-dependent increase in tissue uptake. However, a priori dose adjustments for rocuronium in older patients are not feasible, since age contribution is overshadowed by the overall variability in the recovery time.

Flow channelling and variability in transit times and tortuosity in a fractured rock model with small scale heterogeneity

Flow channelling and variability in transit times and tortuosity in a fractured rock model with small scale heterogeneity

An Acetylcholine M1 Receptor–Positive Allosteric Modulator (TAK-071) in Parkinson Disease With Cognitive Impairment

Fall risk and cognitive impairment are prevalent and burdensome in Parkinson disease (PD), requiring efficacious, well-tolerated treatment. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of TAK-071, a muscarinic acetylcholine M1 positive allosteric modulator, in participants with PD, increased fall risk, and cognitive impairment. This phase 2 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial was conducted from October 21, 2020, to February 27, 2023, at 19 sites in the US. Participants included patients aged 40 to 85 years with a diagnosis of PD, with at least 1 fall in the prior 12 months, with a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of 11 to 26, and receiving stable antiparkinsonian medications and no acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. One-to-one randomization to once-daily oral TAK-071 or placebo for 6 weeks, followed by washout and 6 weeks of crossover treatment. The primary end point was change from baseline in gait variability (stride time variability [STV]) during a 2-minute walk test with or without cognitive load. The secondary efficacy end point was change from baseline in a cognitive composite score consisting of tests of attention, executive function, and memory. Among the 54 participants included in the analysis, 45 (83%) were male, mean (SD) age was 69.7 (6.9) years, and median Montreal Cognitive Assessment score was 24 (range, 17-26). After 6 weeks of treatment, the primary outcome was negative: the change from baseline in STV did not differ between participants receiving TAK-071 or placebo, with cognitive load (geometric mean ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.94-1.41; P = .16) or without cognitive load (geometric mean ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.88-1.18; P = .78). TAK-071 improved the secondary efficacy outcome (cognitive composite score) vs placebo. The least squares mean difference of the change from baseline was 0.22 (95% CI, 0.05-0.38; P = .01). Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 18 of 49 participants (37%) while receiving placebo and in 19 of 53 (36%) while receiving TAK-071. Four participants (8%) receiving TAK-071 had adverse events resulting in withdrawal of study drug; 4 had gastrointestinal tract adverse events. In this study, in participants with PD, risk for falls, and cognitive impairment, TAK-071 was well-tolerated. The treatment did not improve the primary outcome of gait variability, but did improve cognition compared with placebo. Larger and longer studies in more diverse populations are needed to better understand the safety and efficacy of TAK-071 in broader populations. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04334317.

Dynamic interplay of autophagy and membrane repair during Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection.

Autophagy plays a crucial role in the host response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, yet the dynamics and regulation of autophagy induction on Mtb-containing vacuoles (MCVs) remain only partially understood. We employed time-lapse confocal microscopy to investigate the recruitment of LC3B (LC3), a key autophagy marker, to MCVs at the single cell level with our newly developed workflow for single cell and single MCV tracking and fluorescence quantification. We show that approximately 70% of MCVs exhibited LC3 recruitment but that was lost in about 40% of those MCVs. The LC3 recruitment to MCVs displayed a high variability in timing that was independent of the size of the MCV or the bacterial burden. Most notably, the LC3-positive MCVs did not acidify, indicating that LC3 recruitment does not necessarily lead to the formation of mature autophagolysosomes. Interferon-gamma pre-treatment did not affect LC3 recruitment frequency or autophagosome acidification but increased the susceptibility of the macrophage to Mtb-induced cell death. LC3 recruitment and lysotracker staining were mutually exclusive events, alternating on some MCVs multiple times thus demonstrating a reversible aspect of the autophagy response. The LC3 recruitment was associated with galectin-3 and oxysterol-binding protein 1 staining, indicating a correlation with membrane damage and repair mechanisms. ATG7 knock-down did not impact membrane repair, suggesting that autophagy is not directly involved in this process but is coregulated by the membrane damage of MCVs. In summary, our findings provide novel insights into the dynamic and variable nature of LC3 recruitment to the MCVs over time during Mtb infection. Our data does not support a role for autophagy in either cell-autonomous defense against Mtb or membrane repair of the MCV in human macrophages. In addition, the combined dynamics of LC3 recruitment and Lysoview staining emerged as promising markers for investigating the damage and repair processes of phagosomal membranes.

In search of lost time: Discrete- versus continuous-time models of working alliance and symptom severity.

The therapeutic alliance is one of the most stable predictors of symptom burden over the course of therapy. So far, this effect has only been examined on the basis of sessions. Continuous-time models (CTM) allow this relationship to be modeled as a continuous process in which the actual time interval between measurements is considered. The aim of the present study was to compare the fit of discrete-time models (DTM) of the alliance-symptom relationship with CTM using different time variables (sessions vs. actual time interval). Data from 1,413 patients at a university psychotherapy outpatient clinic were analyzed. The alliance and symptom burden were assessed each session with the Bernese Session Report and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-Short-Form, respectively. Different DTM and CTM were estimated using the R-package ctsem and compared in their fit via the Akaike information criterion. CTMs with session as the time unit fitted the data best. Significant negative within-person effects of alliance and symptom burden were found. These effects showed a significant positive correlation, implying that individuals with a stronger effect of the alliance on symptom severity also showed a stronger effect of symptom severity on the alliance. When modeling the relationship of symptom severity and alliance, it seems to be of more importance to capture the fact that a session occurred than to capture the exact time intervals between sessions. Future studies should examine this finding for other psychotherapeutic factors. Interpersonal factors might explain the positive association of the reciprocal alliance-symptom effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Reliability of running gait variability measures calculated from inertial measurement units.

Changes to the variability within biomechanical signals may reflect a change in the health of the human system. However, for running gait variability measures calculated from wearable device data, it is unknown whether a between-day difference reflects a shift in system dynamics reflective of a change in human health or is a result of poor between-day reliability of the measurement device or the biomechanical signal. This study investigated the reliability of stride time and sacral acceleration variability measures calculated from inertial measurement units (IMUs). Nineteen runners completed six treadmill running trials on two occasions seven days apart. Stride time and sacral acceleration signals were obtained using IMUs. Stride time variability and complexity were calculated using the coefficient of variation (CV) and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), respectively. Sacral acceleration regularity was quantified using sample entropy with a range of input parameters m (vector length) and r (similarity threshold). Between-day reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimum detectable change. Stride time CV displayed moderate relative reliability (ICC = 0.672), but with a large absolute minimum detectable change=0.525%, whilst stride time DFA-α displayed poor relative reliability (ICC = 0.457) and yielded large minimum detectable changes (≥ 0.208). Sample entropy displayed good relative reliability in mediolateral and resultant sacral acceleration signals for certain combinations of the parameters m and r, although again with large minimum detectable changes. Researchers should be cognisant of these reliability metrics when interpreting changes in running gait variability measures in clinical contexts.

Spatiotemporal modeling of long-term PM2.5 concentrations and population exposure in Greece, using machine learning and statistical methods.

The lack of high-resolution, long-term PM2.5 observations in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean hampers the development of spatial models that are crucial for providing representative exposure estimates to health studies. This work presents a spatial modeling approach to address this gap and assess PM2.5 spatial variability for the first time on a national level in Greece, by integrating in situ observations, meteorology, emissions and satellite AOD data among others. A high-resolution (1km2) gridded dataset of PM2.5 concentrations across Greece from 2015 to 2022 was developed, and seven statistical, machine learning, and hybrid models were evaluated under different prediction scenarios. Random Forest (RF) models demonstrated superior performance, (R2=0.73, MAE=2.2μgm-3), validated against ground-based measurements. Winter months consistently showed the highest PM2.5 levels, averaging 16.8μgm-3, over the domain, due to residential biomass burning (BB) and limited atmospheric dispersion. Summer months had the lowest concentrations, averaging 10.3μgm-3, while substantial decreases nationwide were observed during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Population exposure analysis indicated that the entire Greek population was exposed to long-term PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the WHO air quality guideline (AQG) of 5μgm-3. Moreover, the dataset revealed elevated PM2.5 levels across several regions of mainland Greece. Notably, 70% to 90% of the population experience levels exceeding 10μgm-3 in Central and Northern regions of continental Greece like Thessaly, Central Macedonia, and Ioannina. The Ioannina region, which is severely impacted by residential BB, recorded pollution levels up to five times the WHO AQG highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions. The high-resolution RF model's superior performance for monthly average concentrations, compared to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) dataset, renders it a reliable tool for long-term PM2.5 assessment in Greece that can support air quality management and health studies.

Memory load influences our preparedness to act on visual representations in working memory without affecting their accessibility.

It is well established that when we hold more content in working memory, we are slower to act upon part of that content when it becomes relevant for behavior. Here, we asked whether this load-related slowing is due to slower access to the sensory representations held in working memory (as predicted by serial working-memory search), or by a reduced preparedness to act upon those sensory representations once accessed. To address this, we designed a visual-motor working-memory task in which participants memorized the orientation of two or four colored bars, of which one was cued for reproduction. We independently tracked EEG markers associated with the selection of visual (cued item location) and motor (relevant manual action) information from the EEG time-frequency signal, and compared their latencies as a function of memory load. We confirm slower memory-guided behavior with higher working-memory load and show that this is associated with delayed motor selection. In contrast, we find no evidence for a concomitant delay in the latency of visual selection. Moreover, we show that variability in decision times within each memory-load condition is associated with corresponding changes in the latency of motor, but not visual selection. These results reveal how memory load affects our preparedness to act on sensory representations in working memory, while leaving sensory access itself unaffected. This posits action readiness as a key factor that shapes the speed of memory-guided behavior and that underlies delayed responding with higher working-memory load.

Tracking the journey: Gastrointestinal transit and intraluminal pH dynamics in aging populations using wireless motility capsule.

Gastrointestinal (GI) changes may alter drug absorption, potentially impacting both efficacy and safety of oral pharmacotherapy. However, the GI physiology is rarely studied in the aging population. This study aimed to explore GI transit time and pH in geriatric inpatients and older adults, and compare these findings with those from young volunteers. A prospective study was performed in geriatric inpatients and community-dwelling adults aged≥75years. GI transit and intraluminal pH were assessed by using a wireless motility capsule system. Participants' data were pooled with those from a previous study in healthy young volunteers (n=11). Multivariable linear regression models were developed to identify explanatory variables for GI transit time and pH value. We recruited 30 subjects (median age 80 [interquartile range (IQR)=77-83] years). When compared to young volunteers (median age 21 [20-33]) years), geriatric inpatients (N=8) exhibited prolonged gastric emptying times (median=0.63h [IQR=0.32-0.86h] vs median=2.98h [IQR=1.50-20.35h], p<0.01). Community-dwelling older adults (N=22) did not demonstrate delayed gastric emptying (median=0.42h [IQR=0.36-0.53h]; p=0.85. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) use was associated with increased gastric pH (median pH=3.75 [IQR=1.69-4.96] vs. non-PPI median pH=1.28[IQR=1.01-1.70]; p<0.01) in the pooled analysis. The total older cohort had significantly lower small intestine pH compared to young group (median pH=6.8 vs. 7.2; p<0.01). Older age did not necessarily alter GI physiology with respect to gastric emptying time and luminal pH values. Only geriatric inpatients exhibited delayed gastric emptying of the motility capsule as compared to young volunteers, while community-dwelling older adults did not. Prevalent PPI use in the aging population led to higher gastric pH levels, with substantial intersubject variability.

Data Leakage of NSQIP Present at Time of Surgery Variables

Data Leakage of NSQIP Present at Time of Surgery Variables

Evaluation of artificial intelligence-based autosegmentation for a high-performance cone-beam computed tomography imaging system in the pelvic region.

A novel ring-gantry cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging system shows improved image quality compared to its conventional version, but its effect on autosegmentation is unknown. This study evaluates the impact of this high-performance CBCT on autosegmentation performance, inter-observer variability, contour correction times and delineation confidence, compared to the conventional CBCT. Twenty prostate cancer patients were enrolled in this prospective clinical study. Per patient, one pair of high-performance CBCT and conventional CBCT scans was included. Three observers manually corrected contours generated by the artificial intelligence (AI) model for prostate, seminal vesicles, bladder, rectum and bowel. Differences between AI-based and manual corrected contours were quantified using Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) and 95th percentile of Hausdorff distance (HD95). Autosegmentation performance and interobserver variation were compared using a random effects model; correction times and confidence scores using a paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test, respectively. Autosegmentation performance showed small, but statistically insignificant differences. Interobserver variability, assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient, was significantly different across most organs, but these were considered clinically irrelevant (maximum difference=0.08). Mean contour correction times were similar for both CBCT systems (11:03 versus 11:12min; p=0.66). Delineation confidence scores were significantly higher with the high-performance CBCT scans for prostate, seminal vesicles and rectum (4.5 versus 3.5, 4.3 versus 3.5, 4.8 versus 4.3; all p<0.001). The high-performance CBCT did not (clinically) improve autosegmentation performance, inter-observer variability or contour correction time compared to conventional CBCT. However, it clearly enhanced user confidence in organ delineation for prostate, seminal vesicles and rectum.

Truncated Euler-Maruyama Method for Time-Changed Stochastic Differential Equations with Super-Linear State Variables and Hölder’s Continuous Time Variables

Truncated Euler-Maruyama Method for Time-Changed Stochastic Differential Equations with Super-Linear State Variables and Hölder’s Continuous Time Variables

The effects of neurofeedback training on behavior and brain functional networks in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with an unclear pathogenesis to date. Neurofeedback (NFB) had shown therapeutic effects in patients with ASD. In this study,we analyzed the brain functional networks of children with ASD and investigated the impact of NFB targeting the beta rhythm training on these networks. The Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Social Response Scale (SRS) were employed to evaluate the effects of NFB training on the behavioral abilities of children with ASD. We compared the differences in static and dynamic brain functional networks between ASD and Typically Developing (TD) children, also explored the changes in these networks in ASD children after 20 sessions of NFB training. The Weighted Phase Lag Index (wPLI) was used to construct static functional networks, and the Fuzzy Entropy (FuzzyEn) algorithm was further employed to measure the complexity of static functional connectivity and construct dynamic functional networks. This allowed the analysis of functional connectivity and fluctuations in the static functional networks of ASD and TD children, as well as the time variability of the dynamic functional networks. Additionally, the study explored the changes in brain functional networks and behavioral scales before and after NFB training. Results from behavioral scales indicated significant improvements in cognitive, communication, language, and social scores in ASD children following NFB intervention. EEG analysis revealed that static functional connectivity was lower, connectivity variability was higher, and temporal variability was greater in ASD children compared to TD children. Following NFB training, increased functional connectivity, reduced connectivity variability in the Delta frequency band, and decreased temporal variability were observed in ASD children. The results revealed abnormalities in both static and dynamic functional networks in children with ASD, with NFB training showed potential to modulate these networks. While our results showed that NFB training can assist participants in regulating connectivity and temporal variability in specific brain regions, robust evidence for its effectiveness in alleviating core symptoms of ASD remained limited.

Evaluating gait and postural responses to subthalamic stimulation and levodopa: A prospective study using wearable technology.

The efficacy of subthalamic stimulation on axial signs of Parkinson's disease (PD) is debated in the literature. This study delves into the dynamic interplay of gait and posture, specifically probing their nuanced response to subthalamic stimulation and levodopa. We used wearable sensor technology to examine alterations in the spatiotemporal parameters of gait and posture in individuals with PD before and 6 months after subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) surgery. Thirty-three subjects with PD were evaluated in two pre-operative and four post-operative conditions comprising OFF/ON medication and stimulation states. Standardized response mean (SRM) values were calculated to assess treatment responsiveness. Significant improvements in spatiotemporal gait parameters, including speed, stride length, cadence, and turning, were observed following STN-DBS surgery. Quantitatively, stimulation outperformed levodopa in enhancing gait speed, stride length, and turning, as indicated by SRM. Levodopa moderately improved stride time variability and asymmetry, while stimulation alone demonstrated limited efficacy. Postural parameters exhibited minimal change following STN-DBS, although stimulation showed a slight benefit in certain postural aspects. Our findings suggest positive effects of stimulation and levodopa on gait and postural parameters, with STN-DBS demonstrating superior efficacy in enhancing gait speed, stride length, and turning. However, gait variability remains unaddressed by current therapies, highlighting the need for novel treatments targeting regions beyond the basal ganglia.