Search Results (120)

Background/Objectives: In bilinguals, experience-based inter-individual differences, including language acquisition age, influence the functional and structural organization of the brain. Although many studies have explored the effects of age of acquisition on non-tonal languages, only a few studies have investigated the relationship between the age of tonal language acquisition and brain networks. Therefore, the aim of the study is to investigate how the age of language acquisition affects the topological organization of structural brain networks in proficient Japanese-Chinese/Chinese-Japanese speakers. Methods: A total of 33 proficient Japanese-Chinese/Chinese-Japanese speakers were recruited and divided into an early group into early and late groups according to their age of Chinese acquisition (AoCA). Sixteen of them constituted the early group, with AoCA at birth, whereas the late group consisted of 17 participants whose AoCA was after age 6. In addition to AoCA, the the age of second language acquisition (AoA-L2) was significantly younger in the early group than in the late group. All participants underwent diffusion MRI scanning. Structural brain networks were reconstructed, and graph-theoretical metrics were computed to compare topological properties between early and late groups. Results: Higher local efficiency and global clustering coefficient were found in the late group. For nodal parameters, the early group, compared to the late group, showed a higher nodal clustering coefficient in the right precuneus and higher betweenness centrality in the right Heschl’s gyrus (HG). Conclusions: Alterations in the right precuneus may be associated with earlier AoA-L2, consistent with its involvement in cognitive control processes required for managing multiple languages. Changes in the right HG could be related to earlier Chinese acquisition, particularly lexical tone learning, given the right HG’s role in pitch processing. This study showed how the linguistic environment, particularly language acquisition age, influences the topological properties of the structural connectivity, shedding light on its far-reaching effects on brain networks responsible for language processing and executive control. Full article

Spectro-polarimetric imaging systems can simultaneously acquire spatial, spectral, and polarimetric information during remote sensing, yet the multimodal fusion data are often constrained in practical applications by insufficient exploitation of complementary information across different modalities. To address this issue, we propose a multimodal image fusion method based on a Dual-Branch Cross-Attention Synergistic Transformer (DBCS-T). In our method, three complementary feature components are independently extracted, i.e., a Characteristic Polarization Image (CPI), a Characteristic Spectral Image (CSI) and a Characteristic Intensity Image (CII). For CPI, it is derived from Angle of Linear Polarization (AoLP) and Degree of Linear Polarization (DoLP) inputs via DBCS-T, which integrates a Cross-Channel Transposed Attention (CCTA) module for cross-modal interaction and a Multi-Scale Polarization Feature Adaptive Modulation (MPAM) module for local feature enhancement. CSI is obtained by leveraging maximum-divergence spectral band differences guided by prior spectral radiance curves. CII is computed from the Stokes parameter $S_0$. These three components are then fused via Principal Component Analysis (PCA) into a Multimodal Fusion Image (MFI). To demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, an experiment was conducted on a scene that contains real vegetation, artificial foliage, and same-color metallic objects. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves effective semantic segmentation of all three target categories. Furthermore, quantitative evaluation demonstrates that the MFI attains the lowest Kullback–Leibler (KL) and Jensen–Shannon (JS) Divergence values among all evaluated modalities, with image entropy exceeding that of individual source inputs. These results validate the complementarity of the extracted multimodal features, significantly enhance the interpretation performance for complex scenes, and demonstrate the broad application potential of the proposed fusion framework in remote sensing and multidimensional imaging. Full article

Modern autonomous systems rely on heterogeneous sensing modalities—including vision sensors, millimeter-wave radar, and LiDAR—yet each individual sensor exhibits characteristic failure modes in challenging real-world conditions. While LiDAR-vision co-processing has received extensive attention, the synergistic potential of 4D radar paired with monocular optics remains comparatively unexplored. To fill this gap, we develop a graph-enhanced multi-modal architecture that jointly leverages sparse 4D radar returns and high-resolution camera imagery for scene-level 3D perception. The proposed system is organized around four tightly coupled processing stages: (i) an image-guided point densification scheme (SAA) that augments sparse radar clouds with camera-derived pseudo measurements; (ii) a pose-invariant cross-modal fusion layer that harmonizes enriched radar features with image descriptors and object saliency maps; (iii) a dynamic hypergraph assembly stage that captures higher-order inter-object and cross-sensor dependencies; and (iv) a HyperGCN inference module that regresses 3D bounding parameters and class labels on the resulting relational graph. Integrating the temporal velocity cues native to radar with the rich appearance information from cameras, the system delivers reliable perception under diverse environmental conditions. On the View-of-Delft (VOD) evaluation suite, the proposed model records an mAP of 69.3 and mAOS of 59.8. A systematic ablation further quantifies how geometric invariance—across translation, rotation, and scale transformations—individually affects end-to-end detection fidelity. Full article

Background: Antibiotic-associated gut dysbiosis affects lung health and contributes to disease progression, but the individual response to antibiotics, which leads to host-specific reactions to the same respiratory insult, is not fully understood. Methods: Before infection with Aspergillus fumigatus, Albino Oxford (AO) and Dark Agouti (DA) rats received a mixture of antibiotics with poor systemic absorption to induce microbial perturbation only in the gut, and lung and gut tissue and colonic contents were analyzed. Results: Treatment with antibiotics induced gut inflammation in both rat strains, which was more pronounced in AO rats, and a disturbance in lung immunity was observed only in DA rats. Antibiotic-associated gut microbiota disturbance revealed rat strain-specific bacterial profiles (increased Gammaproteobacteria in DA and decreased Coriobacteriia in AO rats). Although gut dysbiosis increased the risk of lung A. fumigatus infection in both rat strains, a higher fungal burden was detected in the lungs of AO rats, whereas lymph node cell activation and lung tissue inflammation were observed in DA rats. Conclusions: Rat strain differences in response to antibiotic- and/or infection-induced gut dysbiosis suggest that basal gut microbiota may influence the lung immune response during A. fumigatus disease, highlighting the importance of the interplay of genotype-specific host gut microbial community with the environmental constraints in shaping individual immune makeup. Full article

Metaheuristic algorithms remain a widely used class of solvers for solving complex, non-convex optimization problems where gradient information is unavailable, yet two failure modes continue to limit their practical reach: premature convergence caused by inadequate exploration diversity in late iterations and population stagnation that persists even when individual agents are nominally assigned to the exploration phase. This paper proposes the Stagnation-Aware Aquila Optimizer (SAAO), a hybrid algorithm that addresses both failure modes by embedding three targeted mechanisms into the Aquila Optimizer (AO) framework: (i) an adaptive exploration probability that responds to global fitness-improvement history; (ii) individual-level stagnation counters that force exploration re-entry for any agent that fails to improve for more than 30 consecutive iterations, regardless of the global phase schedule; and (iii) a diversity-maintenance module that reinitializes completely stagnant agents via random sampling or opposition-based learning. The biological repertoire of search operators is simultaneously enriched by incorporating four physics-grounded operators from the Animated Oat Optimization (AOO) algorithm centroid-guided dispersal, elite-guided dispersal, hygroscopic rolling, and spring ejection, alongside the original AO operators, yielding six complementary update rules partitioned equally between exploration and exploitation. The SAAO was evaluated against nine state-of-the-art algorithms on the CEC2015 benchmark and CEC2022 under identical experimental settings. The SAAO achieved the best Friedman mean rank on both suites and delivered competitive or superior performance against the nine baselines, with Wilcoxon rank-sum tests confirming statistically significant advantages over most competitors. On three classical engineering design problems, the SAAO achieved competitive outcomes. In a real-world equipment anomaly prediction task, an SAAO-optimized ensemble classifier attained 98.23% accuracy, surpassing the compared baseline models. These results establish SAAO as a robust and computationally tractable optimizer for both benchmark and applied settings. Full article

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy is frequently limited by systemic toxicity, chemoresistance, and tumor recurrence. Natural products derived from marine algae and plants have attracted increasing interest as multitarget adjuvant agents capable of modulating apoptosis, oxidative stress, and tumor-associated signaling pathways. In the present study, we evaluated the anticancer activity of commercially available formulations enriched in fucoxanthin, fucoidan, tocotrienols, astaxanthin, and apple polyphenols, either alone or in combination with doxorubicin (DOX), using two-dimensional and three-dimensional colorectal cancer models. Initial IC₅₀ screening in ovarian (OVCAR3), prostate (PC3), colorectal (Caco2 and HT-29), and non-tumorigenic colon epithelial cells demonstrated that formulations 2.1 and 10.0 exhibited the most relevant cytotoxic activity, particularly in colorectal cancer cells. Combined treatments with DOX significantly reduced cell viability compared to individual treatments, particularly in Caco2 cells, where viability decreased to approximately 10% under combined exposure conditions. Mechanistically, combined treatments enhanced caspase-3/7 activation in both Caco2 and HT-29 cells, indicating apoptosis-associated effects. These findings were further supported in three-dimensional spheroid models, where supplement combinations impaired spheroid expansion, induced apoptotic AO/EB staining patterns, and reduced HT-29 spheroid growth by approximately 30–35%, reaching inhibitory effects comparable to DOX alone. Collectively, these results suggest that plant- and algae-derived formulations enriched in antioxidant bioactives may enhance chemotherapy-associated antitumor responses through apoptosis-related mechanisms and modulation of tumor-like growth behavior. The present findings support the further exploration of natural-product-based adjuvant strategies in colorectal cancer therapy using more clinically representative chemotherapeutic schemes and in vivo models. Full article

The global burden of diabetes mellitus and its chronic complications—including premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and microvascular impairments such as nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy—highlights the need for improved strategies for the early identification of individuals at risk of carbohydrate metabolism disorders. Growing evidence suggests that alterations in the microcirculatory bed occur concomitantly with, or may even precede, the development of cardiovascular disease. The eye, owing to its transparent anatomical structures, provides a unique opportunity for the in vivo assessment of microvascular changes and offers valuable insights into other vascular territories, serving as a potential “window” into cardiometabolic disorders. Recent advances in microcirculation imaging have enabled detailed, non-invasive evaluation of the retinal microvasculature. Techniques such as scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (SLDF), adaptive optics (AO), optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) allow for quantitative assessment of the retinal microvascular bed, demonstrating partial correlation with invasive measures of vascular function and sensitivity to therapeutic interventions. The integration of these imaging modalities into clinical and research settings may facilitate the early detection of microvascular dysfunction, improve risk stratification, and support the monitoring of disease progression and treatment efficacy in patients with carbohydrate metabolism disorders. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the current evidence on retinal microvascular alterations in carbohydrate metabolism disorders assessed using advanced imaging techniques, focusing primarily on early, subclinical retinal changes that precede the onset of diabetic retinopathy. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pediatric tracheotomy has evolved from an emergency procedure for acute infections to a planned intervention for chronic conditions requiring prolonged airway support. This study aims to describe the clinical characteristics, indications, and outcomes of pediatric tracheotomy over a 21-year period at a tertiary care center. Methods: A retrospective observational case series was conducted, including 246 pediatric patients (0–18 years) who underwent tracheotomy between 2004 and 2024. Data were collected from medical records and included demographics, indications, procedural details, complications, decannulation, and mortality. Patients were categorized into airway obstruction (AO) and respiratory support (RS) groups. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test, Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. Results: A significant increase in tracheotomy procedures was observed over time. Respiratory support was the predominant indication (75.2%), mainly due to neurological disorders, while airway obstruction accounted for 24.8%. Patients in the AO group were significantly younger and more likely to undergo urgent procedures (p < 0.001). Complication rates were comparable between groups (AO 16.4% vs. RS 21.1%; p = 0.295). Decannulation was significantly more successful in the AO group (16.4% vs. 5.4%; p = 0.012). Mortality did not differ significantly between groups and was associated with underlying comorbidities. Conclusions: Pediatric tracheotomy is increasingly performed for chronic respiratory support. While procedural safety is high, outcomes vary by indication, with better decannulation rates in airway obstruction cases. Multidisciplinary, individualized management is essential for optimizing patient outcomes. Full article

Microwave wireless power transfer (MWPT) for space solar power stations (SSPS) requires high-precision beam pointing in order to maintain effective aperture coupling and transmission efficiency under platform motion and disturbances. This paper proposes a dual-link beam pointing estimation framework that integrates guidance-link interferometric angle-of-arrival (AoA) measurements with power-link energy-field reconstruction. The interferometric chain provides high-rate azimuth and elevation observations for dynamic tracking, while the energy-field reconstruction estimates the energy-centroid displacement from the received-aperture power distribution to correct steady-state pointing bias. A Kalman filter (KF) is developed to fuse the asynchronous multi-rate measurements, yielding continuous and robust pointing estimates for closed-loop beam control. Simulation results show that the proposed fusion method achieves azimuth and elevation RMSEs of ${0.0069}^{°}$ and ${0.006}^{°}$ with interferometric and energy-centroid error levels of approximately ${0.05}^{°}$ and ${0.02}^{°}$, respectively, significantly reducing high-frequency fluctuations. In addition, a sensitivity model is established to quantify the impact of angular errors on capture efficiency. The expected efficiency improves from approximately 0.988 and 0.998 for the individual methods to nearly unity for the fusion output. Quantitative accuracy thresholds corresponding to different efficiency requirements are further derived, providing practical guidelines for SSPS MWPT system design. Full article

Background and Objectives: Intertrochanteric hip fractures (ITFs) are common in older adults and frequently coexist with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Although both conditions share key biomechanical risk factors, the specific relationship between KOA severity and ITF stability has not been well defined. Recent evidence suggests that degenerative knee changes may alter lower-limb load distribution and increase susceptibility to unstable fracture patterns. This study evaluated whether KOA severity, graded using the Kellgren–Lawrence (KL) system, is associated with ITF stability according to the 2018 AO/OTA classification. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted on 138 patients with IHFs treated between 2018 and 2023. KOA severity was assessed using KL grades I–IV on non-weight-bearing anteroposterior knee radiographs. Lateral wall thickness (LWT) was measured using the Hsu method, with <20.5 mm indicating fracture instability. Statistical analyses included correlation, linear regression, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to examine the association between KL grade and fracture stability. Results: Among 138 patients, 98 (71.0%) had unstable ITFs. Advanced KOA was significantly more common in the unstable group (KL III 45.9%, KL IV 48.0%; p < 0.001). KL grade showed a significant inverse correlation with LWT (Pearson’s r = −0.394, p < 0.001). Each one-grade increase in KL severity was associated with a 3.8 mm reduction in LWT (p < 0.001). In multivariable logistic regression, KL grade remained an independent predictor of fracture instability (adjusted OR = 4.9, 95% CI: 2.8–8.8, p < 0.001), whereas age and comorbidities were not significant. ROC analysis demonstrated good discriminatory power (AUC = 0.79). A KL ≥ III threshold achieved 95% sensitivity and 56% specificity for predicting instability. Conclusions: Higher KOA severity is strongly associated with unstable ITF patterns. KL grade independently predicts instability and may serve as a simple, accessible radiographic indicator of biomechanical vulnerability and fracture risk in older adults. Incorporating KOA severity into the preoperative evaluation may enhance risk stratification, guide selection of fixation strategy, and support individualized rehabilitation planning. Full article

Background/Objectives: Proximal femoral fractures (PFF) are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. Early identification of individuals at increased risk of death remains challenging. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inexpensive and readily available biomarker reflecting systemic inflammation and physiological stress, but its role as a risk stratification tool in surgically treated PFF patients is not fully established. The aim of this study was to validate NLR as a prognostic biomarker for mortality risk stratification in elderly hip fracture patients by evaluating its independent association with mortality, establishing clinically relevant risk categories, and assessing its ability to identify distinct mortality risk groups. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 1113 patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent surgery for AO/OTA 31.A (trochanteric) or 31.B (femoral neck) proximal femoral fractures between January 2021 and February 2024 at a single institution. NLR was calculated from routine admission bloodwork. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis stratified patients by clinically relevant NLR categories (<5, 5–10, >10). Cox proportional hazards regression identified independent predictors of mortality. ROC analysis was performed secondarily to identify an optimal binary threshold. Results: At mean follow-up of 33.9 months, overall mortality was 36.2% (352/972). Stratified survival analysis demonstrated a clear dose–response relationship, with mortality rates of 26.2%, 36.5%, and 54.4% for NLR < 5, 5–10, and >10, respectively (log-rank p < 0.001). In multivariable Cox regression, NLR remained independently associated with mortality (HR = 1.042, 95% CI: 1.032–1.053, p < 0.001) after adjusting for age and time to surgery. ROC analysis identified an optimal binary cut-off of 6.59 (AUC 0.614). Conclusions: Elevated preoperative NLR is independently associated with increased mortality following surgery for proximal femoral fractures, particularly in very elderly patients. Given its simplicity and universal availability, NLR may represent a useful adjunct for early perioperative risk stratification. Full article

The aim of this study was to obtain and characterize grape seed extract and to demonstrate its potential immunomodulatory properties in the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A Syrah grape seed extract was obtained using 70% aqueous ethanol, magnetic stirrer, 3 h. The obtained extracts were concentrated by vacuum evaporation and dryer at 40 °C. The total phenolic content (TPC), the total amount of flavonoids (TF) and procyanidins (PC), and the antioxidant (AO) capacity of the extract were determined by spectrophotometric methods. The individual composition of the extract was demonstrated by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The effect of grape seed extract (GSE) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy donors and patients with SLE was studied to compare Th1 and Th2 subsets and their expression of key activation markers—CD25 and HLA-DR. PBMC were cultured in the presence or absence of GSE, and the effects on Th1 and Th2 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. GSE treatment increased the proportion of Th1 cells in both healthy individuals and SLE patients. In addition, a significant upregulation of the late activation marker HLA-DR was observed on Th1 cells obtained from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). No significant effects were found on Th2 cell populations. These findings indicate that GSE can stimulate Th1-mediated immune responses in SLE, proving its potential immunomodulatory properties beyond its known antioxidant effects. Full article

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate correlations between Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Adaptive Optics (AO) of selected retinal parameters in individuals with increased BMI (≥25.0), including a subgroup analysis for hypertension (HTN). Methods: Sixty-three patients (120 eyes) were assessed using AngioVue OCT and rtx1TM AO devices. Retinal thickness (RT), optic nerve head (ONH), ganglion cell complex (GCC), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and photoreceptor (cone) parameters—density, spacing, regularity, dispersion—were analyzed. Results: A negative correlation between BMI and RT in the parafoveal superior and inferior quadrants was observed. Higher BMI was associated with thinner GCC in the superior and nasal parafoveal regions. Additionally, age negatively correlated with cone density and regularity, and positively with cone spacing and dispersion. Numerous correlations were noted between GCC values in OCT and cone parameters in AO, consistent across both HTN and non-HTN subgroups. Conclusions: The findings suggested that AO may detect retinal changes earlier than OCT. Multimodal imaging provides valuable insights into early structural changes associated with elevated BMI. Long-term monitoring is recommended to evaluate the progression and clinical impact of these findings. Full article

Background: Craniocervical pain and temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are prevalent, interconnected conditions. While Movement Representation Techniques (MRTs) are cognitive interventions targeting central pain mechanisms, their specific efficacy here lacks synthesis. This study systematically analyzes the effectiveness of MRTs, such as motor imagery (MI) and action observation (AO), on pain and function in individuals with craniocervical and orofacial pain. Methods: A systematic review of RCTs (PROSPERO: CRD420251155428) was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Four databases were searched for studies applying MRTs (MI, AO, laterality discrimination) to adults with craniocervical or orofacial pain. Primary outcomes were pain and functionality. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale and Cochrane RoB 2 tool. Results: Eight RCTs (n = 362) were included. Methodological quality was high (PEDro scores 8–9). MRTs significantly increased Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) in the masseter, trapezius, and cervical regions. Functional improvements included enhanced cervical range of motion and sensorimotor control. AO consistently demonstrated superior outcomes. However, results for orofacial variables were derived from asymptomatic subjects. Results for cervical muscle strength were inconsistent. Conclusions: MRTs, especially AO, show potential to reduce pain and improve function in craniocervical disorders. Evidence in symptomatic orofacial pain populations is non-existent. Protocol heterogeneity and limited research groups necessitate further high-quality, multicenter RCTs to establish robust clinical guidelines. Full article

Background/Objectives: Unstable intertrochanteric femur fractures (IFFs) in geriatric patients are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality due to poor bone quality, multiple comorbidities, and limited functional capacity. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty (BHA) performed via a transtrochanteric approach and proximal femoral nailing (PFN) in elderly patients with unstable IFFs. Methods: This retrospective comparative study included 131 patients aged ≥70 years who underwent surgery for AO/OTA 31-A2 and 31-A3 unstable fractures between January 2021 and July 2025 were retrospectively reviewed. 64 patients received cementless BHA and 67 underwent PFN. Eligible patients were ambulatory prior to fracture (independently or with a cane/walker); patients with pathological fractures/malignancy, alternative procedures (cemented or posterolateral BHA, total hip arthroplasty, tumor prosthesis, or other osteosynthesis methods), incomplete records, or <6 months of follow-up were excluded. Demographics, perioperative variables, mechanical complications, revision requirement, time to mobilization, and 1- and 6-month mortality rates were analyzed. Primary outcomes were mortality and perioperative clinical parameters. Results: The two groups were comparable in age, sex, ASA scores, and fracture patterns. Intraoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements were significantly higher in the BHA group (both p < 0.001). Mobilization was observed earlier in patients treated with BHA (1 [1,2] vs. 3 [2,3] days; p < 0.001). Mechanical complications were more frequently observed after PFN, which was associated with a higher revision requirement (17.9% vs. 4.7%; p = 0.018). Operative time, hospital stay, and 1- and 6-month mortality rates showed no significant differences between the groups. Conclusions: In geriatric patients with unstable IFFs, cementless BHA performed via a transtrochanteric approach may be considered a viable surgical option with appropriate patient selection, taking into account its association with earlier mobilization and the observed mechanical complication profile. PFN offers advantages of reduced blood loss and lower transfusion needs. Surgical decision-making should be individualized based on fracture morphology, bone quality, and the patient’s overall medical condition. Given the heterogeneity of unstable fractures within the AO/OTA classification and the retrospective nature of the present study, larger, multicenter prospective investigations incorporating functional outcomes are warranted to further clarify optimal treatment strategies. Full article