Detection of mild cognitive impairment based on attention mechanism and parallel dilated convolution.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a precursor to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, and an early diagnosis and intervention can delay its progression. However, the brain MRI images of MCI patients have small changes and blurry shapes. At the same time, MRI contains a large amount of redundant information, which leads to the poor performance of current MCI detection methods based on deep learning. This article proposes an MCI detection method that integrates the attention mechanism and parallel dilated convolution. By introducing an attention mechanism, it highlights the relevant information of the lesion area in the image, suppresses irrelevant areas, eliminates redundant information in MRI images, and improves the ability to mine detailed information. Parallel dilated convolution is used to obtain a larger receptive field without downsampling, thereby enhancing the ability to acquire contextual information and improving the accuracy of small target classification while maintaining detailed information on large-scale feature maps. Experimental results on the public dataset ADNI show that the detection accuracy of the method on MCI reaches 81.63%, which is approximately 6.8% higher than the basic model. The method is expected to be used in clinical practice in the future to provide earlier intervention and treatment for MCI patients, thereby improving their quality of life.

Pose estimation and motion analysis of ski jumpers based on ECA-HRNet.

Ski jumping is a high-speed sport, which makes it difficult to accurately analyze the technical motion in a subjective way. To solve this problem, we propose an image-based pose estimation method for analyzing the motion of ski jumpers. First, an image keypoint dataset of ski jumpers (KDSJ) was constructed. Next, in order to improve the precision of ski jumper pose estimation, an efficient channel attention (ECA) module was embedded in the residual structures of a high-resolution network (HRNet) to fuse more useful feature information. At the training stage, we used a transfer learning method which involved pre-training on the Common Objection in Context (COCO2017) to obtain feature knowledge from the COCO2017 for using in the task of ski jumper pose estimation. Finally, the detected keypoints of the ski jumpers were used to analyze the motion characteristics, using hip and knee angles over time (frames) as an example. Our experimental results showed that the proposed ECA-HRNet achieved the average precision of 73.4% on the COCO2017 test-dev set and the average precision of 86.4% on the KDSJ test set using the ground truth bounding boxes. These research results can provide guidance for auxiliary training and motion evaluation of ski jumpers.

Pose ResNet: 3D Human Pose Estimation Based on Self-Supervision.

The accurate estimation of a 3D human pose is of great importance in many fields, such as human-computer interaction, motion recognition and automatic driving. In view of the difficulty of obtaining 3D ground truth labels for a dataset of 3D pose estimation techniques, we take 2D images as the research object in this paper, and propose a self-supervised 3D pose estimation model called Pose ResNet. ResNet50 is used as the basic network for extract features. First, a convolutional block attention module (CBAM) was introduced to refine selection of significant pixels. Then, a waterfall atrous spatial pooling (WASP) module is used to capture multi-scale contextual information from the extracted features to increase the receptive field. Finally, the features are input into a deconvolution network to acquire the volume heat map, which is later processed by a soft argmax function to obtain the coordinates of the joints. In addition to the two learning strategies of transfer learning and synthetic occlusion, a self-supervised training method is also used in this model, in which the 3D labels are constructed by the epipolar geometry transformation to supervise the training of the network. Without the need for 3D ground truths for the dataset, accurate estimation of the 3D human pose can be realized from a single 2D image. The results show that the mean per joint position error (MPJPE) is 74.6 mm without the need for 3D ground truth labels. Compared with other approaches, the proposed method achieves better results.

Effects of wild, local, and cultivated tobacco varieties on the performance of Spodoptera litura and its parasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis.

BACKGROUND: Plant domestication can alter plant and insect interactions and influence bottom-up and top-down effects. However, little is known about the effects of wild, local, and cultivated varieties of the same plant species in the same region on herbivores and their parasitoids. Here, six tobacco varieties were selected: wild Bishan and Badan tobaccos, local Liangqiao and Shuangguan sun-cured tobaccos, and cultivated Xiangyan 5 and Cunsanpi. We examined how wild, local, and cultivated tobacco types affect the tobacco cutworm herbivore Spodoptera litura and its parasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis. RESULTS: Levels of nicotine and trypsin protease inhibitor in leaves and the fitness of S. litura larvae varied significantly among the varieties. Wild tobacco had the highest levels of nicotine and trypsin protease inhibitor, which reduced the survival rate and prolonged the development period of S. litura. The tobacco types significantly influenced the life history parameters and host selection of M. pulchricornis. The cocoon weight, cocoon emergence rate, adult longevity, hind tibia length, and offspring fecundity of M. pulchricornis increased, whereas the development period decreased from wild to local to cultivated varieties. The parasitoids were more likely to select wild and local varieties than cultivated varieties. CONCLUSION: Domestication of tobacco resulted in reduced resistance to S. litura in cultivated tobacco. Wild tobacco varieties suppress S. litura populations, adversely affect M. pulchricornis, and may enhance bottom-up and top-down control of S. litura. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nitrogen use aggravates bacterial diversity and network complexity responses to temperature.

Rising temperature affects microbial composition and function in agriculture field, especially under nitrogen fertilization. In this study, we investigated the bacterial community of paddy soil incubated at controlled temperatures (5 °C, 15 °C, 25 °C, and 35 °C). Results showed that the response of bacterial communities to temperature was not uniform. Temperature elevation from 15 to 25 °C abruptly shifted the soil bacterial community, whereas elevation from 5 to 15 °C and from 25 to 35 °C had a marginal effect. The bacterial α-diversity was higher at 5 °C and 15 °C, owing to the massively distributed taxa with low abundance. However, as the temperature increased to 25 °C and 35 °C, these taxa were diminished, whereas Firmicutes significantly increased, resulting in a strong decline in α-diversity. Simultaneously, bacterial network complexity significantly increased at 25 °C and 35 °C, indicating the bacteria had closer interactions. Nitrogen application aggravated the variation in bacterial diversity and network complexity among temperatures. Interestingly, most complex network was observed under higher temperatures in fertilized soils. Collectively, these results indicate that nitrogen exacerbates the response of the soil bacterial community to temperature, and association between diversity and network complexity may be present.

[Simulation Study on the Influence of Sampling Delay on the Accuracy of Energy Metabolism Measurement].

Indirect energy metabolism measurement is the gold standard for providing nutritional support for critical illness. The accuracy of the measurement data directly affects the outcome of the disease. In order to study the influence of sampling delay on the accuracy of energy metabolism measurement under mechanical ventilation, the Matlab/Simulink platform and respiratory electrical model were used for simulation and quantitative analysis. The results show that the error of indirect energy metabolism measurement increases with the increase of sampling delay, the error of sampling delay in mechanical ventilation mode is larger than that of spontaneous breathing, and the error of sampling delay in PCV mode of mechanical ventilation is larger than that in VCV mode. Therefore, there should be different sampling delay compensation strategies under severe mechanical ventilation and its different control modes.

[Design and Verification of Lung Diffusion Function Detection System].

A lung diffusion function detection system is designed. Firstly, the controllable collection of air, test gas source and calibration gas source was based on single-breath method measurement principle. Secondly, pulmonary diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DlCO) was calculated by gas concentration measured by the non-dispersive infrared sensor to measure, the gas flow measured by the differential pressure sensor, and the temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure sensors to test and evaluate the quantitative detection and evaluation of lung diffusion function. Moreover, a preliminary verification of the lung diffusion function detection system was implemented, and the results showed that the error of the lung carbon monoxide diffusion and the alveolar volume did not exceed 5%. Therefore, the system has high accuracy and is of great value for early screening and accurate assessment of COPD.

Effect of Eight-Month Exercise Intervention on Bone Outcomes of Young Opioid-Dependent Women.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the bone response to an 8 month aerobic gymnastics training program in young opioid-addicted women. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial (parallel design). SETTING: Women's Specific Drug Rehabilitation Center in China. PATIENTS: One hundred and two young women with low bone quality and previous opioid addiction were divided into two groups: (a) the low bone quality intervention experimental group (n = 55; age: 30.3 ± 6.1) and (b) the low bone quality observed control group (observation group; n = 47; age: 29.0 ± 5.3). INTERVENTIONS: The intervention group took aerobic gymnastics regularly for 80 min/d and 5 d/wk for 8 months and completed follow-up testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Substance use history and other life habits affecting bone quality were assessed by questionnaire-based interviews. Bone quality (stiffness-index, T-score, Z-score) was examined with quantitative ultrasound. Anthropometric characteristics (body weight, fat-free mass, fat mass) were obtained by bioelectrical impedance analysis. RESULTS: After the 8 month intervention, the stiffness index of bone quality increased significantly (before: 82 ± 6, after: 108 ± 14, p < 0.05) in the experimental group. However, the bone quality did not change significantly in the controls (before: 79 ± 10, after: 77 ± 13, p > 0.05). The bone change in the difference group was significant (experimental group: 31.7% vs observation group: -0.03%). Fat mass decreased in the experimental group (experimental group: before: 19.6 ± 3.7 kg, after: 18.8 ± 4.0 kg, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the change in fat-free mass was the determination of the change in bone quality in the experimental group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that aerobic gymnastics intervention can be an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of drug-induced osteoporosis in detoxification addicts.

Influence of wild, local and cultivated tobacco varieties on the oviposition preference and offspring performance of Spodoptera litura.

The influences of different plants on herbivores have recently attracted research interest; however, little is known regarding the effects of wild, local and cultivated varieties of the same plant from the same origin on herbivores. This study aimed to examine the effects of different tobacco varieties from the same origin on the oviposition preference and offspring performance of Spodoptera litura. We selected two wild ('Bishan wild tobacco' and 'Badan wild tobacco'), two local ('Liangqiao sun-cured tobacco' and 'Shuangguan sun-cured tobacco') and two cultivated ('Xiangyan No. 5' and 'Cunsanpi') tobacco varieties from Hunan Province, China. We found that female S. litura varied in oviposition preferences across the tobacco varieties. They preferred to lay eggs on the cultivated varieties, followed by the local varieties, with the wild varieties being the least preferred. Furthermore, different tobacco varieties significantly influenced the life history parameters of S. litura. Survival rate, pupal weight, emergence rate and adult dry weight decreased in the following order: cultivated varieties > local varieties > wild varieties. Conversely, the pupal stage and development period decreased in the following order: wild varieties > local varieties > cultivated varieties. Therefore, we conclude that wild tobacco varieties have higher resistance to S. litura than cultivated and local varieties, reflecting the evolutionary advantages of wild tobacco varieties.

Preliminary evaluation of the Chinese version of the Baby Eating Behaviour Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to develop a Chinese version of the Baby Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (BEBQ) and to evaluate its reliability and validity. METHODS: The Chinese version of the BEBQ was developed by translation and back-translation of the original BEBQ, followed by revision according to experts on the most appropriate item content. Mothers of 300 infants aged <12 months were recruited for survey participation from the paediatric outpatient departments of two large general hospitals in Xi'an, China. Fifty of the mothers were selected randomly for retesting after 2 weeks. Face-to-face surveys included explanation of the process, administration of the Chinese version of the BEBQ with regard to the exclusive breast-feeding period, and demographic data collection. The reliability, validity and discrimination of the questionnaire were evaluated through correlation coefficient calculation, factor analysis, parallel analysis and other methods. RESULTS: The Chinese version of the BEBQ consists of 15 items in four dimensions (food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, slowness in eating and satiety responsiveness). The cumulative variance contribution rate was 58.4%, the Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.93, the Guttman split-half reliability coefficient was 0.87 and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.75. The satiety responsiveness and food responsiveness scores differed significantly according to gestational age at birth, infant sex and average monthly weight gain (all P < 0.05). The enjoyment of food score differed significantly according to average monthly weight gain (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the BEBQ showed good reliability and validity and can be used to evaluate infants' appetite through the assessment of eating behaviour.

Caregivers' feeding behaviour, children's eating behaviour and weight status among children of preschool age in China.

BACKGROUND: Childhood overweight and obesity have become significant public health challenges worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate whether caregivers' feeding behaviour and children's eating behaviour were associated with the weight status of preschool children in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 912 caregivers of preschool children from April to July 2016. Caregivers' feeding behaviours were assessed by the Chinese Preschooler's Caregiver Feeding Behaviour Scale. Children's eating behaviours were evaluated using the Chinese Preschooler's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. After controlling for demographic characteristics, multiple linear regression and logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between caregivers' feeding behaviour, children's eating behaviour and children's body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: The results showed that weight concerns on the part of caregivers (ß = 0.53) and food responsiveness on the part of children (ß = 0.93) were positively correlated with children's BMI, whereas caregivers' responsibility for feeding (ß = -0.68) and children's external eating (ß = -0.53) were negatively correlated with BMI. Among caregiver feeding behaviours, weight concerns [odds ratio (OR) =4.54, p < 0.001] and behaviour-restricted feeding (OR =0.29, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with children's BMI. A child's food responsiveness (OR =4.04, p < 0.001) was also positively correlated with his/her BMI, whereas the child's satiety responsiveness (OR =0.42, p < 0.001) and emotional eating habits (OR =0.56, p < 0.001) were negatively correlated with overweight/obesity status. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that children's eating behaviour and caregivers' feeding behaviour were associated with weight status among preschool children in China. Behaviour interventions on caregivers and their children may prevent or reduce weight problems in preschool children.

On explosive boiling of a multicomponent Leidenfrost drop.

The gasification of multicomponent fuel drops is relevant in various energy-related technologies. An interesting phenomenon associated with this process is the self-induced explosion of the drop, producing a multitude of smaller secondary droplets, which promotes overall fuel atomization and, consequently, improves the combustion efficiency and reduces emissions of liquid-fueled engines. Here, we study a unique explosive gasification process of a tricomponent droplet consisting of water, ethanol, and oil ("ouzo"), by high-speed monitoring of the entire gasification event taking place in the well-controlled, levitated Leidenfrost state over a superheated plate. It is observed that the preferential evaporation of the most volatile component, ethanol, triggers nucleation of the oil microdroplets/nanodroplets in the remaining drop, which, consequently, becomes an opaque oil-in-water microemulsion. The tiny oil droplets subsequently coalesce into a large one, which, in turn, wraps around the remnant water. Because of the encapsulating oil layer, the droplet can no longer produce enough vapor for its levitation, and, thus, falls and contacts the superheated surface. The direct thermal contact leads to vapor bubble formation inside the drop and consequently drop explosion in the final stage.

Value of Liver Regeneration in Predicting Short-Term Prognosis for Patients with Hepatitis B-Related Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The value of hepatocyte regeneration in predicting the outcomes of hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is not fully assessed. The present study was aimed at establishing a novel scoring system to predict patients' outcomes within 3 months by applying serological indicators of hepatic regeneration and liver injury. METHODS: Patients with chronic hepatitis B who had a rapid deterioration were investigated. Patients were observed for 90 days, and the endpoint of follow-up was death or liver transplantation. Serum parameters were estimated on the diagnosis of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Cox proportional hazard regression was used to identify independent prognostic factors and create a novel prognostic scoring system, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the performance of the model. RESULTS: A total of 308 patients with HBV-ACLF were incorporated and divided into the training cohort (n = 206) and testing cohort (n = 102) randomly. Creatine (Cre), age, total bilirubin (TBil), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and international normalized ratio (INR) were found to be independent prognostic factors. According to the results of Cox regression analysis, a new prognostic model (we named it the TACIA score) was calculated. The areas under ROC (AUROC) for the new model were 0.861 and 0.763 in the training and testing cohorts, respectively, and patients with lower TACIA scores (<4.34) would survive longer (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A pertinent prognostic scoring system for patients with HBV-ACLF was established in our study, and the novel model could predict patients' short-term survival effectively.

Flavonoids from Rosaroxburghii Tratt prevent reactive oxygen species-mediated DNA damage in thymus cells both combined with and without PARP-1 expression after exposure to radiation in vivo.

This study aimed to evaluate the role of FRT in ROS/DNA regulation with or without PARP-1 in radiation-injured thymus cells. The administration of FRT to PARP-1-/- (KO) mice demonstrated that FRT significantly increased the viability of thymus cells and decreased their rate of apoptosis through PARP-1. Radiation increased the levels of ROS, γ-H2AX and 53BP1, and induced DNA double strand breaks. Compared with wild type (WT) mice, levels of ROS, γ-H2AX and 53BP1 in KO mice were much less elevated. The FRT treatment groups also showed little reduction in these indicators in KO mice compared with WT mice. The results of the KO mice study indicated that FRT reduced ROS activation through inhibition of PARP-1. Furthermore, FRT reduced the concentrations of γ-H2AX by decreasing ROS activation. However, we found that FRT did not regulate 53BP1, a marker of DNA damage, because of its elimination of ROS. Levels of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), exhibited no significant difference after irradiation in KO mice. To summarize, ROS suppression by PARP-1 knockout in KO mice highlights potential therapeutic target either by PARP-1 inhibition combined with radiation or by treatment with a drug therapy alone. AIF-induced apoptosis could not be activated in KO mice.

[Research Progress on Evaluation Method of Parkinson's Disease Bradykinesia Detection Based on Wearable Device].

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that occurs in the middle-aged and elderly population and has dyskinesia as the main clinical symptom. Bradykinesia is a typical dyskinesia symptom of Parkinson's disease. The evaluation of bradykinesia based on wearable devices is an important support for individualized diagnosis and telemedicine. This paper focuses on the bradykinesia, expound the existing detection and evaluation techniques for wearable devices and data analysis methods. This paper also analyzes and discusses some current problems in the field and future research directions.

[Freezing of Gait Detection System for Parkinson's Patients Based on Inertial Measurement Unit].

In order to detect freezing of gait of Parkinson's patients automatically, a system based on inertial measurement unit to detect freezing of gait for Parkinson's patients is established. The two inertial measurement units are respectively fixed on the left and right ankles of the patient to be measured, the freezing index is calculated by windowed Fourier transform, the freezing threshold is calculated based on the freezing index during normal walking, and the freezing index and the freezing threshold are compared to complete the detection of freezing of gait. The experimental results show that the number of freezing of gait occurrences in Parkinson's patients is accurately detected, and it has high sensitivity and specificity, which can assist doctors to objectively assess the patient's condition.

Development and Preliminary Evaluation of Chinese Preschoolers' Caregivers' Feeding Behavior Scale.

BACKGROUND: Caregivers' feeding behavior plays a crucial role in the development of overweight and obesity in preschoolers. However, to date, there is no broadly accepted scale or questionnaire for assessing preschoolers' caregivers' feeding behavior in China. OBJECTIVE: To develop a scale that can be used to assess preschoolers' caregivers' feeding behavior in China and to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the scale's reliability, validity, and discriminative ability. DESIGN: The scale was created through a literature review and qualitative interviews with the target population. Items were reviewed by 50 caregivers of preschoolers and 10 experienced pediatricians, and 95 items were selected to form a draft scale. The draft scale underwent three rounds of investigation, and the results from these evaluations were used to select items that formed the final scale. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Three groups of caregivers (n=175, 400, and 912) were sampled and stratified from urban and suburban kindergartens in the cities of Jinan and Xi'an between March 2016 and October 2017 to participate in evaluations of the draft scale. From these caregiver groups, 146, 362, and 768 participants completed valid questionnaires, respectively, which were used in the scale's evaluation. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The general demographic data of the participants and scores of each item in the scale were the primary outcome measures. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Exploratory factor analysis and variability analysis were used to evaluate the draft scale, based on data from two rounds of investigation. The structure of the scale was explored through confirmatory factor analysis, and its reliability, construct validity, and discriminative ability were evaluated based on data from a third round of investigation. RESULTS: The Chinese Preschoolers' Caregivers' Feeding Behavior Scale (CPCFBS) consisted of 35 items and seven dimensions; the total cumulative variance contribution rate was 58.6%; the Cronbach's α coefficient was .91; the split-half reliability coefficient was 0.89; and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.85. The age and weight status of the children and the caregivers' age and education levels, as well as family incomes and child-caregiver relationships, were correlated with feeding behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The CPCFBS appeared to have good reliability and construct validity in specific Chinese populations. Future studies are needed to confirm existing findings in different Chinese populations with larger sample sizes.

MicroRNA-216a suppresses the proliferation and migration of human breast cancer cells via the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential anticancer effects of microRNA-216a on the growth of human breast cancer and the possible underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrated that serum microRNA-216a was significantly decreased in patients with breast cancer compared with healthy controls. MicroRNA-216a overexpression led to a decrease in cell proliferation and migration, as well as increases in apoptosis, caspase-3/8 activities, Bax expression and p53 protein expression in MCF-7 cells. It was also revealed that microRNA-216a suppressed Wnt and ß-catenin expression in MCF-7 cells. The anticancer effects of microRNA-216a were reversed by anti-microRNA-216a by promoting the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Inactivation of the Wnt pathway increased the anticancer effects of microRNA-216a in MCF-7 cells. Collectively, the results of the present study indicated that microRNA-216a suppressed the growth of human breast cancer cells by targeting the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway.

[Application of Static Characteristics of Plantar Pressure Distribution in the Assessment of Knee Joint Injury].

OBJECTIVE: This paper used plantar pressure analysis equipment to discuss the plantar pressure distribution pattern and balance ability of patients with the knee joint injury under static standing. METHODS: Zebris FDM-S plantar pressure analysis equipment was used to collect plantar pressure data from subjects with the knee joint injury and healthy control subjects. We compared the pressure values in each region of pelma, and then assessing the balance ability of the subjects based on the trajectory of the overall pressure center movement. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy control group, patients with knee joint injury have a significantly lower pressure in the heel areas and a significantly higher pressure in the middle foot area. And the total pressure of the injured limb foot in the patient group is lower than that in the contralateral foot. In addition, there is a significant increase in the parameters of the balance ability index in the patient group. CONCLUSIONS: The plantar pressure distribution pattern of patients with knee joint injury is different from that of normal people in static standing, and the balance ability is poor. Therefore, this method has a positive guiding significance in the evaluation and application of knee joint injury.