Enhancement of progesterone biosynthesis via kisspeptin stimulation: Upregulation of steroidogenic transcripts and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK1/2) expression in the buffalo luteal cells.

The presence of Kisspeptin (Kp) and its receptors in the corpus luteum (CL) of buffalo has recently been demonstrated. In this study, we investigated the role of Kp in the modulation of progesterone (P4) synthesis in vitro. The primary culture of bubaline luteal cells (LCs) was treated with 10, 50, and 100 nM of Kp and Kp antagonist (KpA) alongside a vehicle control. The combined effect of Kp and KpA was assessed at 100 nM concentration. Intracellular response to Kp treatment in the LCs was assessed by examining transcript profiles (LHR, STAR, CYP11A1, HSD3B1, and ERK1/2) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). In addition, the immunolocalization of ERK1/2 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) in the LCs was studied using immunocytochemistry. Accumulation of P4 from the culture supernatant was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results indicated that LCs had a greater p-ERK1/2 expression in the Kp treatment groups. A significant increase in the P4 concentration was recorded at 50 nM and 100 nM Kp, while KpA did not affect the basal concentration of P4. However, the addition of KpA to the Kp-treated group at 100 nM concentration suppressed the Kp-induced P4 accumulation into a concentration similar to the control. There was significant upregulation of ERK1/2 and CYP11A1 expressions in the Kp-treated LCs at 100 nM (18.1 and 37fold, respectively, p < 0.01). However, the addition of KpA to Kp-treated LCs modulated ERK1/2, LHR, STAR, CYP11A1, and HSD3B1 at 100 nM concentration. It can be concluded that Kp at 100 nM stimulated P4 production, while the addition of KpA suppressed Kp-induced P4 production in the buffalo LCs culture. Furthermore, an increment in p-ERK1/2 expression in the LCs indicated activation of the Kp signaling pathway was associated with luteal steroidogenesis.

Prevalence of the Onodi cell in the Polish adult population: an anatomical computed tomography study.

BACKGROUND: Onodi cell is a posterior ethmoid air cell with the optic canal bulging into it; the common position of the bulge is into the sphenoid sinus, usually immediately posterior to the posterior ethmoid air cells. Variable pneumatisation patterns lead to various structures of lamellae and sinuses occasionally exposing important nerves and vessels, such as the optic and vidian nerves, internal carotid artery and cavernous sinus. In clinical practice, special imaging techniques are used to navigate through the paranasal sinuses and hence avoid injury to these structures. This study is aimed to determine the prevalence of the Onodi cell in the Polish population and compare it with other reported occurrences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 296 computed tomography (CT) scans of patients treated in Krakow, Poland, using a Siemens Somatom Sensation 16 spiral CT scanner. No contrast medium was administered. RESULTS: The Onodi cell was found in 31 out of the 296 patients, or approximately 10.5%, consistent with the majority of research reporting on Onodi variants. Additionally, there was one presentation of a bilateral Onodi cell in a male patient. No statistically significant difference was found between the male and female populations with a positive identification of the variant (p = 0.095, Chi2 test). CONCLUSIONS: This study helped approximate the Onodi variant prevalence of 10.47%, falling within a commonly reported range 8-14%. This gives clinicians and surgeons a better understanding of this variant's structure and significance, and therefore an opportunity to improve treatment outcomes and research.

How to write an umbrella review? A step-by-step tutorial with tips and tricks.

The number of meta-analyses (MA) and systematic reviews (SR) on various medical issues has increased during the last two decades. The MA and SR results may differ from one another due to a number of factors such as inaccurate or diverse searches through the databases, discrepancies in the extraction process or in statistical analysis, among others. Some results may even contradict one another, resulting in confusion among readers. Umbrella reviews (UR) have allowed the collection of all available data on a medical issue into one concise study, making it the source of evidence-based medical knowledge to the highest degree. Furthermore, UR can resolve those problems by collecting all data and taking into account both MA and SR, making it the superior tool for physicians. Although the pros of UR are clear and the overall popularity of these types of study has increased tremendously, there is no available step-by-step guide on how to conduct one. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to provide researchers with a detailed tutorial on how to conduct an UR. UR represent the next major step in the advancement of evidence-based medicine, with great practical potential for physicians looking for the most up-to-date data on their topic of interest. We hope that our step-by-step guide may be a useful tool for researchers conducting UR in the future.

The occipital-vertebral anastomosis revisited.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the study was to provide relevant data about the location and prevalence of the occipital artery-vertebral artery (OA-VA) anastomosis in patients without visible occlusive disease, as well as to thoroughly discuss the clinical significance of these anastomotic channels. Furthermore, the morphometric properties of the OA and its branches were also analysed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out to indicate anatomical variations, their prevalence, and morphometrical data on the OA and its branches. The study was performed on 55 randomly selected computed tomography angiographies (CTA) of the head and neck region. Each CTA result was analysed bilaterally. Thus, 110 results were originally assessed. RESULTS: The OA median maximal diameter was demonstrated at 4.85 mm (lower quartile [LQ]: 4.11; upper quartile [UQ]: 5.53) and the median maximal diameter of VA at 3.60 mm (LQ: 2.79; UQ: 4.38). The distances between OA and its branches were also measured giving a median result of 21.73, 30.29, 60.84, 34.88, 18.02, 55.16 mm for the lower and upper sternocleidomastoid branch, meningeal branch, mastoid branch, and descending branch, respectively. The median distance between OA and its first anastomosis was set to be 51.15 mm (LQ: 37.20; UQ: 60.10). Moreover, a set of additional measurements was carried out in order to create a three-dimensional anatomical heat-map of the occurrence of the OA-VA anastomosis. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge about the anatomy of the OA-VA anastomosis might be of immense importance to avoid potentially fatal complications during embolisation of the OA and its branches.

Variations in extra-hepatic biliary tree morphology and morphometry: a narrative review of literature with focus on cystohepatic triangle.

The morphometry and morphology of the components of extrahepatic biliary tree show extensive variations. A beforehand recognition of these variations is very crucial to prevent unintended complications while performing surgeries in this region. This study was conducted to analyse the configuration of the extrahepatic biliary tree and its possible variations, as well as measure the components that limit the cystohepatic triangle. Articles were searched in major online indexed databases (Medline and PubMed, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science and Google Scholar) using relevant key words. A total of 73 articles matched the search criteria of which 55 articles were identified for data extraction. The length of left and right hepatic duct in majority of studies was found to be > 10 mm. A wide range of diameters of hepatic ducts were observed between 5 and 43 mm. The average length of cystic duct is around 20 mm. The length and diameter of the common bile duct are 50-150 mm and 3-9 mm, respectively. The most frequently observed pattern of insertion of cystic duct into common hepatic duct is right lateral, rarely anterior, or posterior spiral insertion can present. The results of this study will provide a standard reference range which instead will help to differentiate the normal and pathological conditions.

Morphometry and morphological analysis of carotico-clinoid foramen: an anatomical study with clinical implications.

BACKGROUND: The dural fold between anterior and middle clinoid processes on mineralisation leads to the formation of caroticoclinoid foramen (CCF). Different morphology of this foramen presents with different clinical features. The present study reports the frequency of CCF in the population of Bihar, while providing an account of assimilated information from previous literature regarding the association of caroticoclinoid ligament ossification with age and human genetics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 100 adult dry human skulls of unknown age and sex, and 50 lateral view radiographs of the head. RESULTS: Of the 100 dry skull bones, 9 presented with different forms of CCF. Bilateral complete foramina were noticed in 2 (2%) skull bones, while the incomplete foramina were observed bilaterally in 3 (3%) and unilaterally in 4 (4%) skulls. The lateral view radiograph data (n = 50) presented with a bilateral foramen in one subject and unilateral complete CCF in two different subjects. On measurements of the diameters of the complete CCF the mean values observed were 4.06 mm and 4.51 mm on the right side, while that on the left side were 5.15 mm and 4.14 mm. For the incomplete foramina, the mean values for the vertical diameter were 4.48 mm on the right and 4.19 mm on the left side, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of CCF in the present study population of Bihar was much lesser than that of previously studied populations. However, the variation in frequency of different morphological types of CCF was observed to be the same across populations. The variations in CCF's metric data could help in predicting the morphological changes it causes to the clinoidal segment of the internal carotid artery, as well as in distinguishing its varieties.

Variations in the branching pattern of tibial nerve in foot: a review of literature and relevant clinical anatomy.

Considerable variations have been reported regarding the branching pattern of tibial nerve (TN) close to its termination in foot. In order to comprehend the clinical anatomy of heel pain awareness of all the possible variations in relation to terminal branching pattern of TN (close to the tarsal tunnel) is essential. The present study was conducted to undertake a comprehensive review of the variations in TN branches in foot with particular emphasis on the implications for sensory distribution of these branches. Articles were searched in major online indexed databases using relevant key words. The pattern of termination of TN was noted as either trifurcation or bifurcation. Bifurcation pattern was more commonly observed and is associated with the medial calcaneal nerve (MCN) either arising high or low relative to the tarsal tunnel. The most commonly noted type of bifurcation was proximal to malleolar-calcaneal axis but within the tarsal tunnel. Across all five types of bifurcation reported in literature, the termination points of TN ranged from 3 cm proximal to 3 cm distal to malleolar-calcaneal axis and, therefore, the area beyond this region can be considered as safe zone for performing invasive procedures. MCN showed considerable variations in its origin both in trifurcation and bifurcation pattern pertaining to number of branches (one/two/three) at the point of origin. The origin of inferior calcaneal nerve was observed to be relativelyless variable as it mostly arose as a branch of lateral plantar nerve and sometimes as a direct branch from TN before termination. The frequent variation of MCN in the tarsal tunnel should be kept in mind while undertaking decompression measures in medial ankle region.

Understanding the effect of irradiation temperature on microstructural evolution of 20MnMoNi55 steel.

In this study, the effect of irradiation temperature on microstructural evolution of Indian RPV steel is reported. This study, by virtue of helium ion irradiation at 77, 300 and 573 K, could bring out the effect of the irradiation induced defects on microstructural and mechanical property changes at different stages of their existence starting from the state of cascade damage till the point of their free migration. Irradiation experiments were performed with varying ion energies to achieve nearly uniform irradiation damage of 0.05, 0.2 and 3 dpa in a ~ 300 nm wide region. Irradiated samples were characterized using GIXRD, PAS, TEM and nanoindentation. Unirradiated samples showed predominant presence of a combination of di- and tri-vacancy type of defects. Most of the dislocations present in unirradiated samples were screw dislocations, while mixed type was noticed upon irradiation irrespective of the irradiation temperature. PAS study showed formation of distinct defect types at different irradiation temperatures. TEM study confirmed formation of dislocation loops and defect clusters on irradiation. Higher irradiation temperatures resulted in the extension of the width of the damage region owing to increased migration of defects.

Cryoprotectant with a mitochondrial derived peptide, humanin, improves post-thaw quality of buffalo spermatozoa.

BACKGROUND: Semen cryopreservation results in deleterious effects on spermatozoa, including lipid peroxidation and a reduction in the total antioxidant components of seminal plasma. The ultimate outcome of these changes is a reduction in post-thaw semen quality. A mitochondrial derived peptide, humanin, a potent cytoprotective and antioxidant agent was used in the present study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a mitochondrial-derived peptide, humanin to improve the post-thaw quality of buffalo spermatozoa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 18 ejaculates from three Murrah buffalo bulls (n=6 each) were collected. Each ejaculate was divided into four aliquots. The first aliquot was diluted with standard EYTG dilutor (Group I, control), whereas the other three aliquots were diluted with EYTG supplemented with 2 µM (Group II), 5 µM (Group III) and 10 µM humanin (Group IV), respectively. Semen was evaluated for physico-morphological and functional attributes such as progressive motility, viability, abnormality, acrosome integrity, plasmamembrane integrity of fresh samples, pre-freeze and post-thaw stages. Oxidative stress parameters [lipid peroxidation (LPO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC)] were also measured at the pre-freeze and post-thaw stages. RESULTS: Humanin supplementation resulted in significantly higher (p < 0.05) post-thaw motility in all treatment groups and, higher (p < 0.05) viability in Groups III and IV in comparison to the control at the post-thaw stage. Spermatozoa with intact acrosome and plasma membrane were higher (p < 0.05) in Groups III and IV as compared to Groups I and II. The LPO levels at the post-thaw stage were found to be lower (p < 0.05) in all treatment groups versus the control group, whereas, higher (p≤0.05) TAC values were recorded in Groups III and IV in comparison to the control and Group II. CONCLUSION: Humanin supplementation in the extender improved the freezabilty of buffalo spermatozoa.

Effect of endogenous hormones, antisperm antibody and oxidative stress on semen quality of crossbred bulls.

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of factors like hormones, antisperm antibody (ASA), and oxidative stress and its relation with semen quality in crossbred bulls. Ejaculates from two bulls were categorized into good (n = 12) and poor (n = 12) based on initial progressive motility, that is, ≥70% and ≤50%, respectively. The level of hormones like Testosterone (p < 0.05) and PGE2 (p < 0.01) was significantly higher in good-quality ejaculates compared to poor-quality ejaculates; however, estradiol (p < 0.05), progesterone, oxidative stress, and ASAs were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in poor-quality ejaculates compared to good-quality ejaculates. Therefore, it could be concluded that oxidative stress and hormonal imbalance might have resulted in high number of dead and defective spermatozoa which was ultimately responsible for poor quality semen ejaculates.

Cryoprotection of humanin-like peptides in seminal plasma for ejaculated spermatozoa of crossbred bulls.

BACKGROUND: Cryopreservation process negatively affects spermatozoa functions. Humanin, a small polypeptide encoded in the mitochondrial genome, is well known for its role in cell survival. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the endogenous levels of humanin in seminal plasma of crossbred Frieswal bulls and to study its role in cryoprotection. The presence of humanin in bull spermatozoa was also investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 40 semen samples were separated into two groups based on the initial progressive motility (IPM): Good (IPM >70%) and Poor (IPM <50%) groups; and/or based on the post-thaw motility (PTM): Freezable (PTM>50%) and Non-freezable (PTM < 50%) groups. Humanin concentration in seminal plasma (SP-HN) was quantified using ELISA. RESULTS: SP-HN concentration ranged from undetectable to 67.6 pg/mL with a median level of 35.2 pg/mL. SP-HN level was significantly higher in the good quality semen group than in the poor quality semen group (p<0.001), and also significantly higher in the freezable group than in the non-freezable group (p<0.001). SP-HN level was positively correlated with initial progressive motility, post-thaw semen motility, viability, acrosome intactness and plasma membrane integrity, but negatively correlated the level of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde content. Immunochemical localization showed the presence of humanin in the proximal region of the middle piece of spermatozoa. CONCLUSION: Endogenous humanin level had significant correlation with semen quality and might protect sperm cells against freeze-induced oxidative stress. doi.org/10.54680/fr22510110712.

Correlation between dissolved oxygen level, antioxidants and oxidants in semen diluted with partially deoxygenated extender at various stages of cryopreservation.

BACKGROUND: Dissolved oxygen (DO) in semen dilutor may lead to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and buffalo sperm may become more prone to deleterious effects of ROS due to the presence of high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in their membranes. OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between dissolved oxygen level, antioxidants and oxidants in semen diluted with partially deoxygenated extender at various stages of cryopreservation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each semen sample was split into two aliquots viz., Aliquot I [diluted with Extender I (control: without deoxygenation)] and Aliquot II [diluted with Extender II: partially deoxygenated by liquid nitrogen (LN) flushing], which were diluted, filled in straws, cryopreserved and evaluated post-thaw. RESULTS: The DO levels (P < 0.05) decreased significantly after LN flushing of the extender and they increased significantly (P < 0.05) in post-thaw semen. The progressive motility, viability, hypo-osmotic swelling response, acrosomal integrity, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in both control and treated semen after thawing. SOD and TAC were positively correlated in semen treated with normal extender at the pre-freeze stage; however, in semen treated with partially deoxygenated extender, no correlation was found between SOD and TAC at the pre-freeze stage. ROS and total TAC were negatively correlated in semen treated with partially deoxygenated extender at the pre-freeze stage; however, no correlation was found between ROS and TAC in control semen. CONCLUSION: The partial deoxygenation of extender affects the correlation between sperm quality parameters, antioxidants, and oxidants during different stages of semen cryopreservation. doi.org/10.54680/fr22310110712.

Adrenal Myelolipoma Mimics Ectopic Adrenal or Renal Tissue: An Incidental Finding During Cadaveric Dissection.

CONTEXT: On naked eye examination adrenal myelolipoma (AML) tissue appears to be an ectopic adrenal or renal tissue, based on the similarity to their external texture. This necessitates a histo-pathological study for confirming the origin of the tissue. OBJECTIVE: To establish the origin and histological features of the incidental AML tissue found during cadaveric dissection and review the literature for similar findings with clinical picture and treatment description. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Unilateral adrenal gland obtained from cadaveric dissection was subjected to histological study by H & E staining of the slides prepared. The literature review was done from articles published in PubMed indexed journals. CASE REPORT: A case of an incidental finding of AML during cadaveric dissection is presented which on naked eye examination was appearing to be an ectopic adrenal or renal tissue, based on the similarity to their external texture. On histological examination, a thin rim of adrenocortical tissue, surrounding the mature adipose tissue, and attenuated by islets of myeloid, erythroid and megakaryocytic cell lines in varying proportions, resembling the mature bone marrow morphology, was observed. The literature review on PubMed explains similar incidental post-mortem autopsy findings due to the asymptomatic nature of the tumor. The incidence of AML varied between 0.08% and 0.2% in the last decade of the 20th century, which increased up to 10 - 15% of incidental adrenal masses due to the widespread use of non-invasive imaging modalities leading to an increase in the diagnosis of the pathology. CONCLUSIONS: Before considering the ectopic incidence of tissue during cadaveric dissection, a histo-pathological examination is mandatory for confirmation. Adreno-myelolipoma is an asymptomatic post-mortem finding in 10-15% of cases of adrenal tissue which mimics ectopic adrenal gland or renal tissue due to its external texture.

AFCNNet: Automated detection of AF using chirplet transform and deep convolutional bidirectional long short term memory network with ECG signals.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia and is characterized by the heart's beating in an uncoordinated manner. In clinical studies, patients often do not have visible symptoms during AF, and hence it is harder to detect this cardiac ailment. Therefore, automated detection of AF using the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals can reduce the risk of stroke, coronary artery disease, and other cardiovascular complications. In this paper, a novel time-frequency domain deep learning-based approach is proposed to detect AF and classify terminating and non-terminating AF episodes using ECG signals. This approach involves evaluating the time-frequency representation (TFR) of ECG signals using the chirplet transform. The two-dimensional (2D) deep convolutional bidirectional long short-term memory (BLSTM) neural network model is used to detect and classify AF episodes using the time-frequency images of ECG signals. The proposed TFR based 2D deep learning approach is evaluated using the ECG signals from three public databases. Our developed approach has obtained an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 99.18% (Confidence interval (CI) as [98.86, 99.49]), 99.17% (CI as [98.85 99.49]), and 99.18% (CI as [98.86 99.49]), respectively, with 10-fold cross-validation (CV) technique to detect AF automatically. The proposed approach also classified terminating and non-terminating AF episodes with an average accuracy of 75.86%. The average accuracy value obtained using the proposed approach is higher than the short-time Fourier transform (STFT), discrete-time continuous wavelet transform (DT-CWT), and Stockwell transform (ST) based time-frequency analysis methods with deep convolutional BLSTM models to detect AF. The proposed approach has better AF detection performance than the existing deep learning-based techniques using ECG signals from the MIT-BIH database.

Evolution of the fabric of cardiovascular science: Saga of an enduring process of refinement.

BACKGROUND: The core elements of cardiovascular science have been established by scholarly pursuits of numerous scientists across centuries. In this article, we have tried to trace the evolutionary journey of cardiovascular science from a rudimentary form in ancient period to a robust scientific discipline in modern times. METHODS: A literature search of relevant, peer-reviewed, published articles was undertaken from indexed databases (Medline & Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science and Google Scholar). RESULTS: Cardiovascular science has its roots in antiquity, when Greek scholars mostly relied on philosophical thoughts and ancient texts. This was followed by addition of few structural details to the theory of circulation by Galen based on animal dissection. Arab scholar Ibn al-Nafis provided new insights regarding circulation pathway in humans. Nevertheless, an erroneous concept prevailed into the onset of European Renaissance. Even with legalization of human dissection, little headway could be made till sixteenth century due to persistent reliance of anatomists on ancient Galenic principles. During seventeenth century, the circulatory pathway (as we know it today) was established due to significant contributions from scholars like Harvey and Malpighi. Their efforts were based on findings from experiments and logical conclusions. Eighteenth century witnessed the emergence of autopsy based methods which led to valuable contributions from Vieussens, Thebesius, Morgagni and Hunter regarding normal and pathologic anatomy of cardiovascular system. With structural details mostly established, researchers during nineteenth century focussed on innovations in diagnostic methods based on human experiments. Further development of advanced human experiment models during twentieth century led to emergence of contemporary treatment methods for various cardiac conditions. In the twenty-first century, cardiovascular science is undergoing comprehensive progress at an exponential rate due to technological advances. CONCLUSION: The evolutionary journey of cardiovascular science as a discipline across centuries has been intriguing and eventful.

Effect of Mito-TEMPO Incorporated Semen Extender on Physico-morphological Attributes and Functional Membrane Integrity of Frozen Thawed Buffalo Spermatozoa.

BACKGROUND: Sperm mitochondria are the major site of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and excess production during freezing-thawing process inflicts oxidative damages to spermatozoa. Buffalo spermatozoa are more prone to oxidative damage due to inherently more polyunsaturated fatty acids and low cholesterol to phospholipids ratio in the plasma membrane. A mitochondrial targeted antioxidant, Mito-TEMPO was used in this study. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Mito-TEMPO incorporated semen extender on the post-thaw semen quality in buffalo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 18 ejaculates from three murrah buffalo bulls with ≥70% individual progressive motility were utilized for the study. Each semen sample was equally divided and extended with five groups: Group I (Control, without Mito-TEMPO addition); Group II (10 µM Mito-TEMPO); Group III (50 µM Mito-TEMPO); Group IV (100 µM Mito-TEMPO); Group V (500 µM Mito-TEMPO) to have 80×106 progressive motile sperm/mL of extender, filled and sealed in French mini straws (0.25 mL) and frozen following equilibration. The effect of Mito-TEMPO was assessed at fresh/post-dilution and post-thaw stages by evaluating physico-morphological attributes and functional membrane integrity such as hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST). RESULTS: Initial progressive motility, viability, acrosomal integrity and HOS response was significantly (p<0.05) improved and sperm abnormality was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in extended semen with Mito-TEMPO (50 µM) compared to control at post-thaw stage, although improvement was also observed at 10 and 100 µM in post-thaw samples. CONCLUSION: Mito-TEMPO incorporated semen extender at 50 µM concentration, could be part of a rationale for improving post-thaw semen quality in buffalo.

Automated accurate emotion recognition system using rhythm-specific deep convolutional neural network technique with multi-channel EEG signals.

Emotion is interpreted as a psycho-physiological process, and it is associated with personality, behavior, motivation, and character of a person. The objective of affective computing is to recognize different types of emotions for human-computer interaction (HCI) applications. The spatiotemporal brain electrical activity is measured using multi-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. Automated emotion recognition using multi-channel EEG signals is an exciting research topic in cognitive neuroscience and affective computing. This paper proposes the rhythm-specific multi-channel convolutional neural network (CNN) based approach for automated emotion recognition using multi-channel EEG signals. The delta (δ), theta (θ), alpha (α), beta (ß), and gamma (γ) rhythms of EEG signal for each channel are evaluated using band-pass filters. The EEG rhythms from the selected channels coupled with deep CNN are used for emotion classification tasks such as low-valence (LV) vs. high valence (HV), low-arousal (LA) vs. high-arousal (HA), and low-dominance (LD) vs. high dominance (HD) respectively. The deep CNN architecture considered in the proposed work has eight convolutions, three average pooling, four batch-normalization, three spatial drop-outs, two drop-outs, one global average pooling and, three dense layers. We have validated our developed model using three publicly available databases: DEAP, DREAMER, and DASPS. The results reveal that the proposed multivariate deep CNN approach coupled with ß-rhythm has obtained the accuracy values of 98.91%, 98.45%, and 98.69% for LV vs. HV, LA vs. HA, and LD vs. HD emotion classification strategies, respectively using DEAP database with 10-fold cross-validation (CV) scheme. Similarly, the accuracy values of 98.56%, 98.82%, and 98.99% are obtained for LV vs. HV, LA vs. HA, and LD vs. HD classification schemes, respectively, using deep CNN and θ-rhythm. The proposed multi-channel rhythm-specific deep CNN classification model has obtained the average accuracy value of 57.14% using α-rhythm and trial-specific CV using DASPS database. Moreover, for 8-quadrant based emotion classification strategy, the deep CNN based classifier has obtained an overall accuracy value of 24.37% using γ-rhythms of multi-channel EEG signals. Our developed deep CNN model can be used for real-time automated emotion recognition applications.

Chiral singlet superconductivity in the weakly correlated metal LaPt3P.

Chiral superconductors are novel topological materials with finite angular momentum Cooper pairs circulating around a unique chiral axis, thereby spontaneously breaking time-reversal symmetry. They are rather scarce and usually feature triplet pairing: a canonical example is the chiral p-wave state realized in the A-phase of superfluid He3. Chiral triplet superconductors are, however, topologically fragile with the corresponding gapless boundary modes only weakly protected against symmetry-preserving perturbations in contrast to their singlet counterparts. Using muon spin relaxation measurements, here we report that the weakly correlated pnictide compound LaPt3P has the two key features of a chiral superconductor: spontaneous magnetic fields inside the superconducting state indicating broken time-reversal symmetry and low temperature linear behaviour in the superfluid density indicating line nodes in the order parameter. Using symmetry analysis, first principles band structure calculation and mean-field theory, we unambiguously establish that the superconducting ground state of LaPt3P is a chiral d-wave singlet.

Effect of Cryopreservation on Semen Quality Parameters in Relation to Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Profile in Indian Buffalo.

BACKGROUND: Lipid peroxidation (LPO) due to oxidative stress leads to structural and functional changes in spermatozoa. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate any association of various seminal characteristics at the pre- and post-cryopreservation stages with LPO and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in Murrah buffalo semen samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-five ejaculates from seven bulls were processed for cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen. RESULTS: Only 31 (47.7%) samples were found satisfactory for inclusion in the further artificial insemination. A strong negative correlation was observed between LPO and individual progressive motility, TAC, viability, plasma membrane integrity as well as acrosome integrity of fresh spermatozoa. At the post-thaw stage, post-thaw motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity and acrosome integrity had strong positive correlation with TAC. CONCLUSION: The effort to minimize LPO and enhance TAC shall play a pivotal role in improving buffalo semen quality upon cryopreservation.

Cosmic ray flux and lockdown due to COVID-19 in Kolkata - Any correlation?

Cosmic ray muon flux is measured by the coincidence technique using plastic scintillation detectors in the High Energy Physics Detector Laboratory at Bose Institute, Kolkata. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and nationwide complete lockdown, the laboratory was closed from the end of March 2020 till the end of May 2020. After lockdown, although the city is not in its normal state, we still were able to take data on some days. The lockdown imposed a strict restriction on the transport service other than the emergency ones and also most of the industries were shut down in and around the city. This lockdown has significant effect on the atmospheric conditions in terms of change in the concentration of air pollutants. We have measured the cosmic ray flux before and after the lockdown to observe the apparent change if any, due to change in the atmospheric conditions. In this article, we report the measured cosmic ray flux at Kolkata (22.58 ∘ N 88.42 ∘ E and 11 m above the Sea Level) along with the major air pollutants present in the atmosphere before and after the lockdown.