Search Results (30)

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a substantially higher risk of developing cognitive impairment (CI) than the general population. Patients with CKD undergoing haemodialysis (HD) treatment also have an elevated risk of developing cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the cognitive performance of haemodialysis patients and cerebral and carotid haemodynamic indices. Methods: This study was a non-interventional observational study; the sample consisted of 32 patients (age 65 ± 12 years) undergoing chronic HD treatment. The patients underwent neuropsychological and haemodynamic instrumental investigations, including Supra-Aortic Trunk Echodoppler (SAT) and Transcranial Doppler (TCD). Results: Patients were 17% deficient at Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), 45% deficient at Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), 55% deficient at Trail-Making Test-A (TMT-A) and 65% deficient at TMT-B. The TCD investigation detected a decrease in flow (MFV) and an increase in Breath Hold Index (BHI) predominantly in the right cerebral arterial district. The SAT investigation revealed an altered IMT, plaques and the presence of severe carotid stenosis. A strong association between cerebral and carotid indices and cognitive scores was also observed. Correlation analyses reported statistically significant correlations between TMT-A and TMT-B and cerebral flow indices. Conclusions: Among haemodialysis patients, there is a high percentage of cognitive impairment associated and correlated with alterations in cerebral and carotid haemodynamics. Cerebral haemodynamics are a factor to be taken into consideration as a possible pathological mechanism underlying cognitive impairment in haemodialysis. Full article

Estimating confidence intervals in small or noisy datasets is a recurring challenge in biomolecular research, particularly when data contain outliers or exhibit high variability. This study introduces a robust statistical method that combines a hybrid bootstrap procedure with Steiner’s most frequent value (MFV) approach to estimate confidence intervals without removing outliers or altering the original dataset. The MFV technique identifies the most representative value while minimizing information loss, making it well suited for datasets with limited sample sizes or non-Gaussian distributions. To demonstrate the method’s robustness, we intentionally selected a dataset from outside the biomolecular domain: a fast-neutron activation cross-section of the ¹⁰⁹Ag(n, 2n)^108mAg reaction from nuclear physics. This dataset presents large uncertainties, inconsistencies, and known evaluation difficulties. Confidence intervals for the cross-section were determined using a method called the MFV–hybrid parametric bootstrapping (MFV-HPB) framework. In this approach, the original data points were repeatedly resampled, and new values were simulated based on their uncertainties before the MFV was calculated. Despite the dataset’s complexity, the method yielded a stable MFV estimate of 709 mb with a 68.27% confidence interval of [691, 744] mb, illustrating the method’s ability to provide interpretable results in challenging scenarios. Although the example is from nuclear science, the same statistical issues commonly arise in biomolecular fields, such as enzymatic kinetics, molecular assays, and diagnostic biomarker studies. The MFV-HPB framework provides a reliable and generalizable approach for extracting central estimates and confidence intervals in situations where data are difficult to collect, replicate, or interpret. Its resilience to outliers, independence from distributional assumptions, and compatibility with small-sample scenarios make it particularly valuable in molecular medicine, bioengineering, and biophysics. Full article

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a leading cause of global mortality, often sharing pathophysiologic pathways with cerebrovascular atherosclerosis. Carotid duplex ultrasonography provides a convenient, noninvasive assessment of both vascular structure and hemodynamics. However, the clinical implications of specific carotid flow velocities for predicting CHD risk have not yet been fully explored. Methods: We conducted a case–control study using two community-based cohort datasets from Taiwan’s northern coastal region, enrolling individuals during two periods: from September 2010 to May 2011 and September 2014 to May 2020. Among 4102 participants aged 40–74 years, 45 were excluded for insufficient Doppler waveforms, leaving 4057 eligible subjects. Of these, 165 individuals with physician-confirmed myocardial infarction or prior coronary intervention/surgery were classified as CHD cases; the remaining 3892 served as controls. Carotid blood flow parameters—peak systolic (PSV), end-diastolic (EDV), and time-average maximal flow velocity (MFV), as well as resistance and pulsatility indices (RIs and PIs)—were determined by color Doppler ultrasound at the bilateral common carotid arteries (CCAs). Associations between these measurements and CHD were evaluated through logistic regression, adjusting for conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Participants diagnosed with CHD exhibited significantly lower carotid flow velocities as well as higher RIs and PIs. After multivariable adjustments, right-sided common carotid artery (CCA) flow velocities have a relatively better predictive capacity than left-sided CCA flow velocities. However, left-sided RIs (adjusted OR per 0.1 increase = 1.41, p = 0.027) and PIs (adjusted OR per 1.0 increase = 1.60, p = 0.037) have better predictive value. Right-sided CCA MFV emerged as an independent predictor of CHD which was the most important (adjusted OR per 5.0 cm/s increase = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.77–0.95, p = 0.0038). As compared to subjects with high MFV (≥44.2 cm/s), the multivariable-adjusted OR of having CHD was significantly elevated for subjects with low MFV (<36.02 cm/s; OR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.13–2.84, p = 0.013). Combinatory analysis further revealed that individuals with low right MFV, particularly when combined with hypertension, had substantially elevated odds of CHD. Conclusions: Reduced right CCA MFV may serve as a clinically informative signal for the presence of CHD. These findings highlight the potential role of detailed carotid Doppler profiling in refining CHD risk assessment, especially among hypertensive patients. Future prospective investigations are warranted to validate the predictive utility of the MFV for coronary events and to explore whether modifying this parameter through targeted interventions can mitigate cardiovascular risk. Full article

This article focuses on the prescribed performance sliding mode fault-tolerant control problem for an unmanned morphing flight vehicle (MFV) with actuator faults and composite disturbances during wing deformation. Firstly, the longitudinal nonlinear dynamic model of the unmanned MFV is introduced. Then, a control framework is proposed by decomposing the integrated dynamic model into attitude and velocity subsystems, effectively simplifying controller architecture and improving fault tolerance. Further, the constrained tracking errors are systematically transformed into unconstrained counterparts via projection operators to facilitate controller design. For each subsystem, a prescribed performance sliding mode fault-tolerant controller is developed, ensuring both transient performance and steady-state tracking accuracy. Finally, the simulation results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed fault-tolerant control strategy. Full article

Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.), as a kind of combination of medicine and food, is rich in antioxidant components. However, the deep-processed products of wolfberry need to be developed to improve its added value. This study aimed to investigate the nutrients, active antioxidant ingredients, and liver-protective mechanism of mixed-culture fermented wolfberry vinegar (MFV). The results showed that MFV had significantly higher protein and significantly lower fat content than wolfberry juice before fermentation, indicating that MFV was a healthy product. The active ingredient content, which included total phenolics, total flavonoids, polysaccharides, betaine, and antioxidant activities, was significantly increased in MFV after mixed-culture fermentation. Moreover, MFV improved histopathological changes and reduced liver biochemical indicators in alcohol-treated mice, indicating the improvement of liver function. In addition, MFV effectively alleviated alcohol-induced liver injury by increasing the expression of alcohol metabolizing enzymes and inhibiting CYP2E1 activity. MFV regulated the equilibrium between pro-oxidant and antioxidant levels by downregulating pro-oxidant markers and upregulating antioxidant markers. Furthermore, MFV reduced the levels of inflammatory indexes by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway. These results suggest that MFV is a healthy food for liver protection, which provides a strategy for deep-processed products of wolfberry. Full article

Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) as a functional food is rich in nutrients and bioactive substances. However, the fresh wolfberry is difficult to preserve, and its deep-processing products are required to improve. In the present study, single-strain fermentation vinegar (SFV) and mixed-strain fermentation vinegar (MFV) were prepared, and the physicochemical, bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacities and volatile characteristics were examined to obtain an optimal method. The results showed that reducing sugar was sufficiently utilized during mixed-strain fermentation, and more acid substances were produced compared with single-strain fermentation. Meanwhile, total phenols content (2.64 ± 0.04 mg GAE/mL), total flavonoids content (1.81 ± 0.01 mg GAE/mL) and antioxidant activities in MFV were significantly increased compared with those in SFV. Rutin, p-hydroxycinnamic acid, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid presented higher contents in MFV than those in SFV. The contents of total organic acids (88.13 ± 0.13 mg/mL) and total amino acids (6.50 ± 0.17 mg/mL) in MFV were significantly improved compared with those in SFV. Proline, alanine and serine were the top three amino acids in MFV. Moreover, acids, eaters, and alcohols were the pre-dominant volatile organic compounds in MFV, which were higher 9.49%, 55.27%, 18.72% in MFV than those in SFV, respectively. The results suggest that MFV efficiently enhances potential health benefits and flavor, which increases the economic value of wolfberry. Full article

The worldwide rise in soil salinization is among the most critical consequences of climate change, posing a significant threat to food security. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a staple crop of paramount importance worldwide, encounters significant production limitations due to abiotic stressors, particularly salinity. Consequently, the development and cultivation of salt-tolerant wheat genotypes have emerged as an essential strategy to sustain agricultural productivity and safeguard global food security. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of salinity (150 mM) on the performance and combining ability of 10 hybrid combinations (F2) and their parents that were obtained through a line × tester mating design at the seedling stage. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits were assessed under both control and salt-stress conditions. Among the assessed traits, SFW emerged as the strongest predictor of salt tolerance, demonstrating the highest correlation with MFVS and the greatest contribution in the regression model. The results highlighted distinct responses among the studied genotypes. Hybrid H5 demonstrated particular promise, surpassing the performance of the superior parent for Na⁺, K⁺, K⁺/Na⁺ and proline (Pro). Furthermore, tester T1 emerged as a good combiner for proline (Pro), total soluble sugars content (Sug), chlorophyll content (Chl) and root length (RL) under saline conditions. In contrast, under control conditions, line L1 and testers T2, T3, and T5 exhibited superior performance, demonstrating significant general combining ability (GCA) effects for four traits simultaneously. Hybrid H4 emerged as outstanding under salt stress, exhibiting favorable specific combining ability (SCA) effects for Na⁺, K⁺/Na⁺ ratio, root length (RL), relative water content (RWC), and total soluble sugars content (Sug). Under normal conditions, hybrids H7 and H10 exhibited significantly superior performance across three traits simultaneously. Non-additive genetic effects predominantly influenced the studied traits under both conditions. The parental and hybrid combinations show promise for incorporation into breeding programs designed to improve salt tolerance under the specific conditions studied. Full article

Vibrotherapy has been gaining popularity as a conceivable rehabilitative physical agent modality to decrease the pain and time for proper return-to-sport. This study aimed to assess the administration of mechanical Focal Vibration (mFV) in an adult male amateur runner with a grade II lesion of the rectus femoris muscle. He had to stop training 2 years ago and recently started running at least 3 days a week (5 km for 30 min/session). Five sessions of mechanical vibration were performed (20 min application, with an approximately 30 s pause between sequential sessions) per week for 2 weeks. Four weeks after the therapy, the lesion was healed, with an early good recovery in balance (Centre of pressure (CoP) speed (mm/s) decreased from 70.2 ± 13 to 46.7 ± 8, CoP area (mm²) decreased from 258 ± 31 to 203 ± 25) and pain relief (NRS reduced from 8/10 to 2/10), allowing the patient a short-term return to sport. These case report results might suggest that the use of mFV is a safe and reliable approach for muscle injury recovery, combinable within a multidisciplinary rehabilitation model. Full article

Accurately predicting the filtration volume (FV) in drilling fluid (DF) is crucial for avoiding drilling problems such as a stuck pipe and minimizing DF impacts on formations during drilling. Traditional FV measurement relies on human-centric experimental evaluation, which is time-consuming. Recently, machine learning (ML) proved itself as a promising approach for FV prediction. However, existing ML methods require time-consuming input variables, hindering the semi-real-time monitoring of the FV. Therefore, employing radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) and multilayer extreme learning machine (MELM) algorithms integrated with the growth optimizer (GO), predictive hybrid ML (HML) models are developed to reliably predict the FV using only two easy-to-measure input variables: drilling fluid density (FD) and Marsh funnel viscosity (MFV). A 1260-record dataset from seventeen wells drilled in two oil and gas fields (Iran) was used to evaluate the models. Results showed the superior performance of the RBFNN-GO model, achieving a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.6396 mL. Overfitting index (OFI), score, dependency, and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) analysis confirmed the superior FV prediction performance of the RBFNN-GO model. In addition, the low RMSE (0.3227 mL) of the RBFNN-NGO model on unseen data from a different well within the studied fields confirmed the strong generalizability of this rapid and novel FV prediction method. Full article

By coordinating the rolling direction and mode, a multi-rolling plastic deformation process for an aluminum (Al) sputter target is proposed to achieve multiple excellent properties, including a uniform and fine grain structure and low defect risk, which are significant in producing high-quality sputtered films. In this work, therefore, DEFORM 3D 10.2 software is adopted to establish three strategies, clock-synchronous rolling, cross-synchronous rolling, and clock–snake rolling. The effect of different rolling routes and modes on the metal flow velocity (MFV), effective strain distribution (ESD), grain size distribution (GSD), damage, and rolling force (RF) are comparatively investigated. The simulation results show that clock–snake rolling can increase the MFV and effective strain by producing a deeper deformation than the others. It provides sufficient energy for dynamic recrystallization to promote grain refinement. In combination with the microstructure homogeneity promoted by the clock rolling route, the GSD from 6.5 to 44.3 μm accounts for about 80.5% of all the grains because of the fact that a randomly oriented grain region is full of high-angle grain boundaries. Compared with the synchronous rolling mode, the decrement in RF maximum reaches up to 51% during the asynchronous rolling process because component energy is consumed to form cross-sheering stress. It remarkably reduces the risk of defects, with a damage value of less than 73%, and simultaneously improves energy efficiency owing to smaller and uniform grains caused by less RF. The results obtained in this work are of great significance as they can guide practical production in the metal target industry. Full article

Reversing the multiple drug resistance (MDR) arising from the overexpression of the efflux transporters often fails mainly due to the high toxicity or the poor water solubility of the inhibitors of these transporters. Here, we demonstrate the delivery of an inhibitor targeting three ABC transporters (ABCB1, ABCC1 and ABCG2) directly to the cell membrane using membrane-fusing vehicles (MFVs). Three different transfected MDCK II cell lines, along with parental cells, were used to investigate the inhibitory effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) in solution versus direct delivery to the cell membrane. CsA-loaded MFVs successfully reversed MDR for all three investigated efflux transporters at significantly lower concentrations compared with CsA in solution. Results showed a 15-fold decrease in the IC₅₀ value for ABCB1, a 7-fold decrease for ABCC1 and an 11-fold decrease for ABCG2. We observed binding site specificity for ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters. Lower concentrations of empty MFVs along with CsA contribute to the inhibition of Hoechst 33342 efflux. However, higher concentrations of CsA along with the high amount of MFVs activated transport via the H-binding site. This supports the conclusion that MFVs can be useful beyond their role as delivery systems and also help to elucidate differences between these transporters and their binding sites. Full article

The early and accurate stratification of intracranial cerebral artery stenosis (ICAS) is critical to inform treatment management and enhance the prognostic outcomes in patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD). Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is an invasive and expensive procedure but is the gold standard for the diagnosis of ICAS. Over recent years, transcranial color-coded Doppler ultrasound (TCCD) has been suggested to be a useful imaging method for accurately diagnosing ICAS. However, the diagnostic accuracy of TCCD in stratifying ICASs among patients with CVD remains unclear. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of TCCD in the stratification of intracranial steno-occlusions among CVD patients. A total of six databases—Embase, CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science (core collection)—were searched for studies that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of TCCD in stratifying ICASs. The meta-analysis was performed using Meta-DiSc 1.4. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool version 2 (QUADAS-2) assessed the risk of bias. Eighteen studies met all of the eligibility criteria. TCCD exhibited a high pooled diagnostic accuracy in stratifying intracranial steno-occlusions in patients presenting with CVD when compared to DSA as a reference standard (sensitivity = 90%; specificity = 87%; AUC = 97%). Additionally, the ultrasound parameters peak systolic velocity (PSV) and mean flow velocity (MFV) yielded a comparable diagnostic accuracy of “AUC = 0.96”. In conclusion, TCCD could be a noble, safe, and accurate alternative imaging technique to DSA that can provide useful diagnostic information in stratifying intracranial steno-occlusions in patients presenting with CVD. TCCD should be considered in clinical cases where access to DSA is limited. Full article

Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) poses a major public health and socio-economic burden worldwide due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Accurate assessment of cerebral arteries’ haemodynamic plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment management of CVD. The study compared a non-imaging transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) and transcranial color-coded Doppler ultrasound (with (cTCCD) and without (ncTCCD)) angle correction in quantifying middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) haemodynamic parameters. A cross-sectional study involving 50 healthy adults aged ≥ 18 years was conducted. The bilateral MCAs were insonated via three trans-temporal windows (TTWs—anterior, middle, and posterior) using TCD, cTCCD, and ncTCCD techniques. The MCA peak systolic velocity (PSV) and mean flow velocity (MFV) were recorded at proximal and distal imaging depths that could be visualised on TCCD with a detectable spectral waveform. A total of 152 measurements were recorded in 41 (82%) subjects with at least one-sided open TTW across the three techniques. The mean PSVs measured using TCD, ncTCCD, and cTCCD were 83 ± 18 cm/s, 81 ± 19 cm/s, and 93 ± 21 cm/s, respectively. There was no significant difference in PSV between TCD and ncTCCD (bias = 2 cm/s, p = 1.000), whereas cTCCD yielded a significantly higher PSV than TCD and ncTCCD (bias = −10 cm/s, p < 0.001; bias = −12 cm/s, p ≤ 0.001, respectively). The bias in MFV between TCD and ncTCCD techniques was (bias = −0.5 cm/s; p = 1.000), whereas cTCCD demonstrated a higher MFV compared to TCD and ncTCCD (bias = −8 cm/s, p < 0.001; bias = −8 cm/s, p ≤ 0.001, respectively). TCCD is a practically applicable imaging technique in assessing MCA blood flow velocities. cTCCD is more accurate and tends to give higher MCA blood flow velocities than non-imaging TCD and ncTCCD techniques. ncTCCD is comparable to non-imaging TCD and should be considered in clinical cases where using both TCD and TCCD measurements is needed. Full article

The function of cerebral small vessels can be assessed using cerebral vasomotor reactivity (VMR). Our aim in this retrospective cross-sectional study was to investigate a correlation between carotid artery stenosis measured through ultrasonographic morphological and hemodynamic parameters and cerebral VMR. A total of 285 patients (125 males; mean age 54) were included. The breath-holding index (BHI) was used to evaluate cerebral VMR. Ultrasonographic carotid artery parameters were collected: the presence and characteristics of carotid plaques, the degree of carotid diameter stenosis, intima–media thickness (IMT), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and end diastolic velocity (EDV). Additionally, hemodynamic parameters of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) were evaluated, including the mean flow velocity (MFV) and pulsatility index (PI). The following was collected from patients’ medical histories: age, gender, and vascular risk factors. A negative correlation between the BHI and age (r = −0.242, p < 0.01), BHI and the presence of carotid plaques, BHI and IMT (r = −0.203, p < 0.01), and BHI and the PI of MCA on both sides (r = −0.268, p < 0.01) was found. We found a positive correlation between the BHI in the left MCA and EDV in the left internal carotid artery (r = 0.121, p < 0.05). This study shows the correlation between cerebral VMR and carotid stenosis but indicates a higher influence of morphological parameters on VMR values. Full article

The paper explores the application of Steiner’s most-frequent-value (MFV) statistical method in sensor data analysis. The MFV is introduced as a powerful tool to identify the most-common value in a dataset, even when data points are scattered, unlike traditional mode calculations. Furthermore, the paper underscores the MFV method’s versatility in estimating environmental gamma background blue (the natural level of gamma radiation present in the environment, typically originating from natural sources such as rocks, soil, and cosmic rays), making it useful in scenarios where traditional statistical methods are challenging. It presents the MFV approach as a reliable technique for characterizing ambient radiation levels around large-scale experiments, such as the DEAP-3600 dark matter detector. Using the MFV alongside passive sensors such as thermoluminescent detectors and employing a bootstrapping approach, this study showcases its effectiveness in evaluating background radiation and its aptness for estimating confidence intervals. In summary, this paper underscores the importance of the MFV and bootstrapping as valuable statistical tools in various scientific fields that involve the analysis of sensor data. These tools help in estimating the most-common values and make data analysis easier, especially in complex situations, where we need to be reasonably confident about our estimated ranges. Our calculations based on MFV statistics and bootstrapping indicate that the ambient radiation level in Cube Hall at SNOLAB is 35.19 $\mathsf{\mu }$Gy for 1342 h of exposure, with an uncertainty range of $+3.41$ to $-3.59$$\mathsf{\mu }$Gy, corresponding to a 68.27% confidence level. In the vicinity of the DEAP-3600 water shielding, the ambient radiation level is approximately 34.80 $\mathsf{\mu }$Gy, with an uncertainty range of $+3.58$ to $-3.48$$\mathsf{\mu }$Gy, also at a 68.27% confidence level. These findings offer crucial guidance for experimental design at SNOLAB, especially in the context of dark matter research. Full article