Search Results (564)

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a dose-limiting toxicity affecting 30–40% of patients treated with neurotoxic chemotherapy. Sensory symptoms arise from injury to dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and their axons; yet, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. While human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived sensory neuron (iSN) monolayers have provided mechanistic insight, they lack the three-dimensional architecture and cellular heterogeneity of native DRG tissue. Here, we generated human iPSC-derived DRG organoids (iDRGOs) containing mixed neuronal and peripheral glial populations and established a quantitative neurite outgrowth assay to model chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity in a 3D context. iDRGOs from three healthy donors were exposed to bortezomib, vincristine, or paclitaxel. All three drugs caused dose-dependent neurite outgrowth impairment without significant short-term changes in organoid size, consistent with early axonal injury. Vincristine reduced MAP2 levels when normalized to total protein, whereas bortezomib and paclitaxel showed divergent microtubule-associated responses compared to monolayer cultures. The developmental stage significantly influenced the baseline neurite outgrowth, highlighting the need for age standardization. These results establish iDRGOs as a physiologically relevant human platform that complements monolayer models for mechanistic studies and therapeutic screening in CIPN. Full article

With the deployment and application of the Fifth-Generation (5G) mobile communication technologies and the ongoing research and development of the Sixth-Generation (6G) mobile communication technologies, the space–air–ground–sea integrated network has become the core development vision for future communications. As aerial nodes, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can be applied in a wide range of scenarios, including emergency rescue, surveying and mapping, environmental monitoring, and communication coverage enhancement. In terms of communication coverage enhancement, the space–air–ground integrated network, with UAVs as a key component, can provide seamless communication coverage for the full-domain three-dimensional space such as remote areas, deserts, and oceans. Benefiting from advantages such as low cost and high flexibility, UAVs have become a critical research focus, and the one-hop Base Station (BS)–relay UAV–slave UAV architecture for communication coverage enhancement has emerged as an important development direction. However, the high mobility and wide coverage characteristics of UAVs also pose significant synchronization challenges. Aiming at the uplink synchronization problem on the sidelink between slave UAVs and the relay UAV, a two-step random-access scheme based on Asynchronous Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (A-NOMA) is designed to mitigate the Doppler Frequency Offset (DFO), improve access efficiency, reduce resource consumption, and accommodate the asynchrony among different users. This scheme leverages the existing preamble sequences of the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) and realizes DFO estimation in combination with the pairing index. On this basis, a Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) algorithm based on DFO and phase compensation is designed to complete the demodulation of user data. For the downlink synchronization problem on the sidelink between slave UAVs and the relay UAV, the frequency offset estimation performance is improved by redesigning the resource allocation scheme of the Sidelink Synchronization Signal Block (S-SSB). Meanwhile, considering the energy constraint of UAVs, a downsampling-based detection scheme is designed to reduce UAV power consumption, and a full-link algorithm is developed to support the practical implementation of the proposed scheme. Full article

This paper investigates the application of cooperative relaying systems with non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) in low-altitude intelligent networking-enabled medical Internet of Things (IoT) and analyzes their transmission performance. First, to enhance the communication quality of remote base stations, we deploy a relaying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A two-slot NOMA cooperative transmission mechanism is proposed accordingly. Next, for the NOMA-enhanced UAV-relayed smart healthcare system under Rician fading channels, an exact closed-form expression for the achievable rate is derived using the incomplete Gamma function. Then, to improve computational efficiency, a low-complexity approximation method based on Gauss–Chebyshev quadrature is designed, overcoming the high complexity of the exact expression. Finally, the simulation results validate a close match between the proposed approximation and the exact values (average approximation error below 6.17%), and demonstrate superior achievable rate performance compared to three state-of-the-art schemes. Full article

This paper develops a teletraffic-based energy-efficiency analysis of QoS-constrained NOMA using an order-statistics framework for underlay secondary-access operation. Throughput is derived from the ordered SIR distribution for an orthogonal reference and for NOMA under minimum-rate requirements. A linear base-station power model is then incorporated to define energy efficiency, including both transmit power and SIC-related processing. For the multiuser case, the analysis shows that QoS constraints impose a structural feasibility limit on the supported number of users, which is also approximated in closed form through the Lambert W function. By coupling this feasibility result with a birth–death teletraffic model, the average energy efficiency is obtained as a function of the offered load. The results show that stricter QoS requirements reduce energy efficiency, while NOMA preserves a wider feasible region than the orthogonal reference in the setting considered. From a symmetry/asymmetry perspective, the orthogonal reference provides a more symmetric access structure, whereas NOMA introduces asymmetry through user ordering, unequal power allocation, and SIC. The resulting framework links ordered-user operation, QoS feasibility, SIC-aware power consumption, and traffic dynamics in the energy-efficiency characterization of underlay secondary access. Full article

Background/Objective: Sex-based disparities in cancer outcomes have gained increasing attention in women’s health research. We examined the relationship between sex and overall survival (OS) among patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with particular emphasis on the survival advantage observed in women across different clinical stages and treatment settings. Sex-related differences in cancer outcomes have become an important focus in oncology and women’s health research. This study aimed to investigate the association between sex and overall survival (OS) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with particular attention to the observed survival advantage in women across clinical stages and treatment contexts. Methods: A total of 129,864 patients diagnosed with NSCLC were identified, including 78,460 men and 51,404 women. Demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, tumor features, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes were compared between sexes. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses and stage-stratified Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate overall survival differences between female and male patients. Results: Women demonstrated significantly superior OS compared with men across all stages of NSCLC (all p < 0.001). This survival advantage persisted regardless of receipt of chemotherapy. Among patients receiving chemotherapy, survival improvements were observed in both sexes; however, women consistently exhibited longer median OS at each stage. From stage IB to IV, median OS in women was 52.0, 30.0, 13.0, and 5.0 months, respectively, compared with 33.0, 23.0, 11.0, and 4.0 months in men. Notably, the magnitude of sex-related survival differences was more pronounced in earlier stages (IB/II) than in advanced stages (III/IV), suggesting potential biological or treatment response differences favoring women. Age-stratified analyses further demonstrated that women older than 45 years experienced a consistent survival advantage across all stages. Multivariable Cox regression confirmed that female sex was independently associated with reduced mortality risk at every stage (HRs ranging from 0.766 to 0.857; all p < 0.001). Conclusions: Women with NSCLC exhibit a significant and independent survival advantage over men across clinical stages, regardless of chemotherapy status, particularly among patients older than 45 years. These findings highlight the importance of considering sex in prognostic assessment and support further investigation into factors contributing to survival differences in NSCLC. Full article

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has become one of the main enabling technologies for next-generation cellular networks. The ability to allocate multiple users on the same frequency resources simultaneously leads to improved spectral efficiency. This paper examines power allocation and user pairing for NOMA networks with an objective to enhance the sum spectral efficiency (sum capacity, bps/Hz) while guaranteeing the target rate of the far user. Two benchmark methods were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme: (1) fixed power allocation, in which fixed power coefficients are allocated to the near and far users, and (2) random power allocation, where random coefficients are assigned to the users. However, these static methods fail to adapt to instantaneous channel conditions and may lead to reduced performance for the weak user and inefficient power utilization. To manage these limitations, a novel interference-limited power allocation (IL-PA) scheme is proposed. In the IL-PA, the power allocation coefficients are dynamically allocated to users according to an interference threshold. The proposed scheme guarantees that the interference induced by the near user does not exceed a predefined interference threshold; thus, the target rate of the far user is achieved. The proposed interference threshold is derived theoretically to enhance the overall system capacity and optimize the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). Additionally, a user pairing scheme, which separates users into two groups according to their channel gains, is proposed to reduce complexity while preserving good performance. The simulation results show that the proposed power allocation and user pairing scheme outperforms the benchmark methods in terms of overall capacity. Full article

Background/Objectives: Preterm infants often experience impaired swallowing function, and objective assessments for this population remain limited. In this prospective single-center study, we aimed to propose and validate an automated framework that quantitatively assesses neonatal sucking behavior by tracking facial key points in bottle feeding videos. Methods: Fifty-eight preterm infants (corrected age [CA] ≤ 2 months) were enrolled, and 2 min videos of bottle-feeding were recorded. Certified therapists manually evaluated the videos using the Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale (NOMAS), and an artificial intelligence (AI)-based analysis classified the videos into the following three groups: Normal, Disorganization, and Dysfunction. At 12 months CA, developmental outcomes were assessed using the Mental Development Index (MDI) and the Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition (BSID-II). Results: Among the 58 infants, the AI-based tool correctly classified 47 and misclassified 11. The classification accuracy was 82.76 for the Normal group, 82.76 for Disorganization, and 96.55 for Dysfunction. The mean PDI was lower in the Dysfunction group than in other groups; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: This novel AI-based video analysis demonstrates preliminary potential as a noninvasive tool for evaluating sucking behavior in preterm infants, potentially enabling early identification of dysphagia even by non-specialists in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) without hazard exposure. This feasibility study demonstrates preliminary technical viability of a video-based framework for neonatal sucking behavior assessment; however, further validation is required before clinical implementation. Full article

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been recognized as a promising technique to alleviate the bandwidth limitation in visible light communication (VLC) downlinks. Nevertheless, the corresponding power allocation problem is typically non-convex and computationally challenging under practical system constraints, which limits the effectiveness of conventional optimization approaches. To address this issue, this paper proposes an improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO)-based strategy that aims at maximizing the system sum rate and employs adaptive mechanisms including an adaptive dynamic inertia weight, cooperative evolutionary learning factors, and enhanced elite opposition-based learning (EEOBL) to strengthen both global search capability and convergence performance. Simulation results indicate that the proposed scheme significantly improves the overall system capacity across diverse interference scenarios, while achieving accelerated convergence and enhanced robustness. Full article

As mobile networks increasingly support sustainable and green Internet of Things (IoT) applications, energy-efficient solutions that address coverage constraints have become paramount. Although backscatter communication (BackCom) offers a low-power option for IoT devices, particularly battery-less IoT nodes, it can suffer from limited coverage. To overcome this, we exploit aerial platforms (UAVs) integrated with non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) to enhance both coverage and spectral efficiency. In this paper, we propose a UAV-supported NOMA-enabled BackCom system to serve massive backscatter node (BN) networks. We aim to maximize system throughput by jointly optimizing the power allocation and reflection coefficients of the BNs, along with the trajectory and data collection locations of the UAV. We derive closed-form solutions for the reflection coefficients and the optimal collection locations of the UAV and achieve global optimality in power allocation by utilizing the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions in conjunction with the golden-section search (GSS). In addition, we formulate the UAV trajectory optimization problem as a Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) and propose an efficient low-complexity genetic algorithm (GA)-based solution. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed scheme outperforms the benchmark schemes in terms of sum-throughput rate and achieves an overall performance enhancement of $8.983$ dB, underscoring the potential of our approach for large-scale battery-less IoT deployments. Full article

Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has emerged as a promising technique to enhance spectral efficiency and coverage in fifth- and sixth-generation wireless networks. However, asymmetric indoor propagation conditions characterized by heterogeneous line-of-sight (LoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) links often degrade user fairness. This paper investigates a downlink RIS-assisted NOMA system under the standardized 3GPP indoor office (InH) channel model to address fairness-oriented design under realistic link-budget constraints. We formulate an optimization problem for max–min fairness that jointly considers discrete RIS element partitioning and NOMA power allocation to achieve a symmetrical allocation of quality of service (QoS). To enable efficient computation, the non-convex problem is transformed into an epigraph form and solved using a low-complexity, bisection-based quasi-convex optimization framework combined with enumeration over RIS partitions. Numerical results demonstrate significant fairness gains; for instance, doubling the RIS array size yields a substantial improvement in the ergodic max–min rate, corresponding to approximately a 66% gain at moderate transmit power levels. Furthermore, by accounting for practical impairments such as imperfect successive interference cancellation (iSIC), imperfect channel state information (iCSI), and RIS implementation losses, the results reveal that fairness-optimal operation consistently prioritizes the far user to overcome severe indoor NLoS attenuation. The proposed framework is also compared with alternating optimization (AO)-based RIS-NOMA, conventional RIS beamforming without partition and RIS-assisted orthogonal multiple access (OMA) schemes. Simulation results confirm that the proposed framework achieves low computational complexity, making it suitable for practical indoor wireless environments. Full article

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumour with a poor prognosis and few effective treatment options. Development of resistance to conventional therapies and occurrence of severe side effects highlight the urgent need for novel, low-toxicity interventions. Natural products are promising candidates for HCC drug development thanks to their multi-target activity and favourable safety profiles. Previous studies reported that Lingonberry extract, a bioactive natural product, inhibits proliferation of HepG₂ cells. However, the key molecular targets and underlying anticancer mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we analysed gene chip data from Lingonberry extract-treated HepG₂ tumour-bearing mice using bioinformatics tools, employing a cross-species, multi-level screening strategy to identify PSMB8 as the core regulatory gene. In vitro functional validations (Western blotting, RT-PCR, CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry and TUNEL staining) confirmed these findings. Downregulating PSMB8 was found to effectively induce late apoptosis in HepG₂ cells, and Lingonberry extract was found to significantly reduce PSMB8 protein expression. This study identifies PSMB8 as a key mediator of the anticancer effect of Lingonberry extract in HepG₂ cells. It provides a reliable methodological reference for screening anticancer targets of natural products and supports further exploration of Lingonberry extract as a potential adjuvant/lead compound for HCC. Full article

In NOMA-enabled CR systems, superposed PU signals with unequal power levels and independent activity significantly complicate spectrum sensing and channel state discrimination. To address this issue, ML-based sensing exploits spectrum-domain features to perform channel state classification. However, the ML-based methods remain limited under independent PU activity and suffer from the performance tradeoff issue since the spectrum sensing constraints are not explicitly incorporated into the learning process. In this paper, we propose an OCL method that aligns LightGBM multiclass training with spectrum sensing objectives and leverages eigenvalue-based features to capture discriminative signal patterns under dynamic NOMA transmission. The cost-sensitive learning strategy is used to guide the classifier while the objective-driven tuning is used to optimize hyperparameters toward spectrum sensing objectives. To evaluate the overall performance toward $P_d$ and $P_{fa}$, we propose an overall sensing ability score by adopting the SPOTIS method. As a result, the proposed OCL method achieves the highest overall sensing ability scores with an average score of 0.638, outperforming EBSS-RF at 0.610 and FBSS-LR at 0.221. Under challenging signal pattern discrimination conditions, the OCL method improves the overall sensing ability score by 6.26% and 0.9 under different power coefficients compared to EBSS-RF, highlighting its effectiveness in addressing the performance tradeoff issue. Full article

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is the second most common retinal vascular disorder after diabetic retinopathy and represents a major cause of visual impairment worldwide. In addition to venous congestion, endothelial dysfunction, and inflammation, accumulating evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of RVO. The excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during ischemia–reperfusion injury induces endothelial damage, disruption of the blood–retinal barrier, and upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), thereby contributing to macular edema and progressive visual dysfunction. This review summarizes current knowledge from both experimental and clinical studies regarding the mechanisms of oxidative stress generation in RVO and its underlying molecular pathways, highlighting the pathological consequences of impaired antioxidant defense systems. We further review reported alterations in oxidative stress markers and antioxidant factors in serum, aqueous humor, and vitreous fluid, and discuss their potential associations with disease activity and visual prognosis. In addition, the interplay between oxidative stress and current standard treatments, including anti-VEGF therapy and corticosteroids, is discussed, together with the translational potential of antioxidant strategies such as polyphenols, vitamins, and Nrf2 pathway activators. At the same time, we address critical challenges limiting clinical application, including insufficient interventional evidence, the lack of validated biomarkers, and uncertainties regarding optimal timing of antioxidant intervention. By providing a comprehensive overview of oxidative stress in RVO, this review aims to identify emerging therapeutic targets and opportunities for personalized treatment approaches, and to outline future research directions toward improving long-term visual outcomes in patients with RVO. Full article

Background: Early identification of small choroidal melanomas is important, as metastatic risk increases with tumor size. However, distinguishing small melanomas from benign choroidal nevi is challenging and may lead to unnecessary referrals and overtreatment. Both the MOLES scoring system and the deep learning algorithm MelAInoma have been developed to support assessment of pigmented choroidal lesions in non-expert settings. This study aims to compare the association between MOLES and MelAInoma scores and to assess their relative association with expert melanoma versus nevus diagnosis. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 86 patients with small pigmented choroidal lesions (29 melanomas and 57 nevi) diagnosed at a national ocular oncology referral center were included. MOLES scores were assigned by ocular oncologists based on multimodal examination, whereas MelAInoma scores were generated solely from color fundus photographs. Associations between scores were assessed using linear regression and the Jonckheere–Terpstra test. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression was used to evaluate associations with melanoma diagnosis. Results: MelAInoma scores increased monotonically with higher MOLES categories (p = 0.0001). Linear regression showed a statistically significant association between MOLES and MelAInoma scores, but with substantial dispersion (R² = 0.16). In univariable logistic regression, both MOLES and MelAInoma scores were associated with increased odds of melanoma diagnosis. MelAInoma showed a stronger association with diagnosis than MOLES (R² = 0.38 vs. 0.27). In multivariable analysis including both scores, each remained independently associated with melanoma diagnosis. Conclusions: Both MOLES and MelAInoma are effective for differentiating small choroidal melanomas from nevi. Although the scores are statistically associated, they capture partly distinct information. MelAInoma demonstrates slightly stronger association with melanoma diagnosis and provides fully reproducible output, supporting its role as a complementary aid in lesion triage. Full article

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been identified as one of the key technologies for 6G capacity and latency gains. However, existing implementation challenges of the NOMA technique, related to carrier, timing, and phase offsets, successive interference cancellation (SIC) error propagation, packet loss dynamics, and host to software defined radios processing jitter, create obstacles in the practical implementation of NOMA. This paper bridges the gap between theory and hardware by introducing a complete two-user NOMA transmit–receive chain on a low-cost ADALM-Pluto software defined radio (SDR) platform. The proposed implementation integrates matched filtering, offset estimation and correction, SIC with waveform reconstruction and subtraction, and reliability reinforcement via rate-1/2 convolutional coding with Viterbi decoding. We have performed a complete validation of the proposed design in both downlink and uplink modes. We collected data regarding the packet-level and system-related metrics, such as end-to-end latency, bit error rate (BER), and success rate. Moreover, we demonstrate the implementation of the uplink NOMA without need for expensive GPS-disciplined oscillators by leveraging the Pluto Rev-C dual-transmit channels that share a common oscillator. We present detailed experimental results at 915 MHz with BPSK modulation for the downlink performance, and also show a full implementation of the uplink NOMA. We observe excellent reliability for the downlink setup and good reliability for the uplink system. Full article