Search Results (155)

Objective: Retained primitive reflexes are associated with delayed motor and behavioral development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined the effects of a 12-week structured exercise intervention on reflex integration, motor coordination, and socio-behavioral outcomes in these populations. Method: Fifteen children with ASD (13 boys, 2 girls) and twelve with ADHD (8 boys, 4 girls), aged 6–12 years, participated in rhythmic, balance, and coordination-based exercises. Primitive reflexes, including the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR), were assessed using standardized protocols, and fine motor coordination was evaluated using the Finger and Thumb Opposition Test (FOT). Behavioral outcomes were measured using the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) for the ASD group and the Conners 3 for the ADHD group. Results: The ASD group showed significant reductions in left-standing ATNR retention scores (p = 0.012) and improvements in right-hand FOT scores (p = 0.023). In the ADHD group, significant improvements were also observed in right-hand FOT scores (p = 0.007). Furthermore, Conners 3 Total and Global Index scores significantly decreased in the ADHD group (p = 0.016 and 0.020, respectively). Reflex retention patterns appeared broader and more bilateral in ASD than in ADHD, suggesting distinct motor developmental profiles. Conclusions: Short-term rhythmic, balance, and whole-body coordination exercise interventions may support behavioral and motor development in children with ASD and ADHD. Tailored programs emphasizing reflex integration hold promise for clinical and educational applications. Full article

A fuzzy extractor is a foundational cryptographic component that enables the extraction of reproducible and uniformly random strings from sources with inherent noise, such as biometric traits. Reusable fuzzy extractor guarantees the security of multiple extractions from the same noisy source. In addition, although isogeny-based cryptography has become an important branch in post-quantum cryptography, the study of fuzzy extractors based on isogeny assumptions is still in its early stages and holds much room for improvement. In this paper, we give two reusable fuzzy extractor schemes derived from isogeny-based assumptions: one is based on the linear hidden shift assumption over group actions, while the other is built upon the group-action decisional Diffie–Hellman assumption within the isogeny framework. Both proposed constructions achieve post-quantum security and are capable of correcting a linear proportion of errors. They rely solely on fundamental cryptographic primitives, which ensure simplicity and efficiency. Additionally, the second construction is based on restricted effective group action, which is weaker than the effective group action used in the first construction, thereby offering greater practical applicability. Full article

To understand the effect of the hydroxyl group and processing temperatures on dielectric losses of flame retardants and flame-retardant polymers, the performance difference between 6-methyldibenzo[c,e][1,2]oxaphosphinine 6-oxide (DOPO-Me) and 6-(hydroxymethyl)dibenzo[c,e][1,2]oxaphosphinine 6-oxide (DOPO-HM) has been investigated, respectively, in non-polar and polar polymers at 7–20 GHz. DOPO-HM and DOPO-Me differ by only one OH group. The former demonstrates a lower dissipation factor (Df) than the latter, owing to hydrogen bonds. In polystyrene and crosslinked polyphenylene oxide, both flame retardants increase a dielectric loss of flame-retardant polymers, with DOPO-HM being less detrimental because of its higher crystallizability and lower plasticization. In polar poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), conformational changes in PMMA main chains caused by flame retardants and high processing temperatures lead to an early Df drop of PMMA at low loadings of the flame retardants. At high loadings, a change in the physical form of flame retardants from a primitive crystalline state to an amorphous state increases a dielectric loss of flame retardant PMMA, with DOPO-HM resulting in a slightly higher dielectric loss than DOPO-Me. These results prove that the effect of a hydroxyl group in organophosphorus structures on the dielectric loss of flame-retardant polymers is crucially dependent on its interaction with the polymer matrix. Full article

Background and Objectives: Uveitis-masked syndromes or masquerade syndromes (UMSs) are a group of ocular conditions with several systemic underlying causes, malignant or nonmalignant, that mimic the inflammatory status of the uvea. They are often difficult to detect and diagnose with traditional techniques, such as ophthalmic exams. Ocular B (bidimensional)-ultrasound (OBU) is a non-invasive, repeatable, rapid ultrasound method effective in indirect signs that lead back to systemic diseases. It is comparable in effectiveness with other imaging tools. The cause of UMSs can often be serious, and therefore early diagnosis and prompt treatment are critical. This study aimed to identify the sonographic signs of these forms, which can help physicians discover the cause underlying UMS. Materials and Methods: This was a consecutive, retrospective, nonrandomized study. This study was conducted at the University Hospital Polyclinic of Bari, Italy, from January 2022 to December 2024. A total of 186 patients were included, from 10 to 85 years old. They all underwent B-scan ultrasonography (Quantel Medical ABSolu Ocular Ultrasound). Results: All patients reported blurred vision, which could be accompanied by visual reduction (<20/40, Snellen charts), photophobia, floaters, flashes, proptosis, and redness. In all cases, we noted peculiar ultrasonographic signs, which allowed us to discriminate the underlying systemic diagnosis, such as vitreous corpuscles, choroid thickening, and primitive or metastatic solid tumors. Finally, we identified different diseases, such as primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL), other lymphoproliferative conditions, orbital plasmacytoma, uveal melanoma, metastasis, endogenous endophthalmitis, retinal detachment, central serous retinopathy, metallic foreign bodies, ocular amyloidosis, and drug-induced UMSs. The sensitivity and specificity of ocular ultrasound compared to multimodal ocular imaging in UMSs were as follows: for primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL) and other lymphoproliferative conditions, 0.98 (95% CI, 0.80–1) and 0.68 (90% CI, 0.40–0.92), respectively; for orbital plasmacytoma, 0.64 (92% CI, 0.52–0.86) and 0.66 (93% CI, 0.48–0.89), respectively; uveal melanoma, 1.00 (98% CI, 0.88–1.00) and 0.98 (95% CI, 0.86–0.98), respectively; metastasis, 0.75 (95% CI, 0.53–0.85) and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.48–0.98), respectively; endogenous endophthalmitis, 1.00 (95% CI, 0.50–1.00) and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.48–0.98), respectively; retinal detachment, both were 1.00 (95% CI, 0.87–1.00 and 0.84–0.97, respectively); central serous retinopathy, 0.60 (80% CI, 0.41–0.88) and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.52–0.98), respectively; metallic foreign bodies, 1.00 (95% CI, 0.78–1.00) and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.99–1.00), respectively; ocular amyloidosis, 0.77 (82% CI, 0.52–0.90) and 0.83 (80% CI, 0.49–0.88), respectively; and drug-induced UMSs, 0.64 (95% CI, 0.49–0.88) and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.52–0.98), respectively. Conclusions: Diagnosing UMS accurately can be quite challenging, and many of its different types frequently go undetected. This complexity in identification often leads to underdiagnosis, meaning it is essential to improve awareness and understanding of the condition in order to achieve better recognition and treatment. Early detection of these forms is imperative. The use of OBU can help diagnose indirect signs of these forms early and treat them promptly. It compares well with other diagnostic imaging techniques, such as MRI, but this does not mean that it replaces them; it can offer added value in multimodal imaging. Full article

Genomic adaptations of parasitic crustaceans in deep-sea extreme environments are poorly understood. This study presents the first genome survey of Pleurocryptella shinkai, a bopyrid isopod parasitizing deep-sea squat lobsters, using Illumina sequencing. The genome size was estimated to be 1.06 Gb via a K-mer analysis, smaller than its free-living relatives. The repeat content and heterozygosity were 66.31% and 1.14%, respectively, indicating a complex genome. The draft genome assembly yielded 0.93 Gb of scaffolds with an N50 length of 989 bp, and a complete mitochondrial genome of 14,711 bp was obtained. Phylogenetic analyses of 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes confirmed the monophyly of Bopyridae, supporting Pleurocryptella as the most primitive genus within the group and the key role of deep sea in the origin and diversification of bopyrids. A mitochondrial gene variation analysis identified NAD2 and NAD4 as promising DNA markers for a population genetic study of P. shinkai. Twenty-four positively selected sites across COX1, NAD2, and NAD4 genes in P. shinkai explained the genetic basis of its adaptive evolution at the mitochondrial level. These findings provide valuable genomic resources for deep-sea parasitic crustaceans and establish a foundation for further high-quality genome assembly and adaptive mechanism studies of P. shinkai. Full article

An even Eisenstein integer is a multiple of an Eisenstein prime of the least norm. Otherwise, an Eisenstein integer is called odd. An Eisenstein integer that is not an integer multiple of another one is said to be primitive. Such integers can be used to construct signal constellations and complex-valued codes over Eisenstein integers via a carefully designed modulo function. In this work, we establish algebraic properties of even, odd, and primitive Eisenstein integers. We investigate conditions for the set of all units in a given quotient ring of Eisenstein integers to form a cyclic group. We perform set partitioning based on the multiplicative group of the set. This generalizes the known partitioning of size a prime number congruent to 1 modulo 3 based on the multiplicative group of the Eisenstein field in the literature. Full article

A group signature scheme allows a user to sign a message anonymously on behalf of a group and provides accountability by using an opening authority who can “open” a signature and reveal the signer’s identity. Group signature schemes have been widely used in privacy-preserving applications, including anonymous attestation and anonymous authentication. Fully dynamic group signature schemes allow new members to join the group and existing members to be revoked if needed. Symmetric-key based group signature schemes are post-quantum group signatures whose security rely on the security of symmetric-key primitives, and cryptographic hash functions. In this paper, we design a symmetric-key based fully dynamic group signature scheme, called DGMT, that redesigns DGM (Buser et al. ESORICS 2019) and removes its two important shortcomings that limit its application in practice: (i) interaction with the group manager for signature verification, and (ii) the need for storing and managing an unacceptably large amount of data by the group manager. We prove security of DGMT (unforgeability, anonymity, and traceability) and give a full implementation of the system. Compared to all known post-quantum group signature schemes with the same security level, DGMT has the shortest signature size. We also analyze DGM signature revocation approach and show that despite its conceptual novelty, it has significant hidden costs that makes it much more costly than using the traditional revocation list approach. Full article

The Harnischia generic complex, a significant assemblage within the tribe Chi-ronomini, extensive global sampling and the integration of multi-characteristic data for comprehensive analysis are essential to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships within the Harnischia generic complex. We sequenced, assembled, and annotated the mitochondrial genomes of a single species each from the genera Parachironomus Lenz, Robackia Saether and Saetheria Jackson. Additionally, we incorporated 26 previously published mitogenomes into our analysis to delve deeper into the characteristics of these mitogenomes. Our findings indicate the close affinity between (Cryptochironomus + Demicryptochironomus) and (Harnischia + Microchironomus), aligning consistently with previous research outcomes showing that the Harnischia generic complex and Chironomus are phylogenetically close, and their clade forms a sister group with the Polypedilum generic complex. Based on mitochondrial genome data, Robackia is identified as the basal taxon being relatively primitive, with Parachironomus and Saetheria also appearing as primitive within the complex. Full article

Motion primitives are a highly useful and widely employed tool in the field of Learning from Demonstration (LfD). However, obtaining a large number of motion primitives can be a tedious process, as they typically need to be generated individually for each task to be learned. To address this challenge, this work presents an algorithm for acquiring robotic skills through automatic and unsupervised segmentation. The algorithm divides tasks into simpler subtasks and generates motion primitive libraries that group common subtasks for use in subsequent learning processes. Our algorithm is based on an initial segmentation step using a heuristic method, followed by probabilistic clustering with Gaussian Mixture Models. Once the segments are obtained, they are grouped using Gaussian Optimal Transport on the Gaussian Processes (GPs) of each segment group, comparing their similarities through the energy cost of transforming one GP into another. This process requires no prior knowledge, it is entirely autonomous, and supports multimodal information. The algorithm enables generating trajectories suitable for robotic tasks, establishing simple primitives that encapsulate the structure of the movements to be performed. Its effectiveness has been validated in manipulation tasks with a real robot, as well as through comparisons with state-of-the-art algorithms. Full article

Design-for-test/debug (DfT/D) introduces scan chain testing to increase testability and fault coverage by inserting scan flip-flops. However, these scan chains are also known to be a liability for security primitives. In previous research, the dynamically obfuscated scan chain (DOSC) was introduced to protect logic-locking keys from scan-based attacks by obscuring test patterns and responses. In this paper, we present DOSCrack, an oracle-guided attack to de-obfuscate DOSC using symbolic execution and binary clustering, which significantly reduces the candidate seed space to a manageable quantity. Our symbolic execution engine employs scan mode simulation and satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) solvers to reduce the possible seed space, while obfuscation key clustering allows us to effectively rule out a group of seeds that share similarities. An integral component of our approach is the use of sequential equivalence checking (SEC), which aids in identifying distinct simulation patterns to differentiate between potential obfuscation keys. We experimentally applied our DOSCrack framework on four different sizes of DOSC benchmarks and compared their runtime and complexity. Finally, we propose a low-cost countermeasure to DOSCrack which incorporates a nonlinear feedback shift register (NLFSR) to increase the effort of symbolic execution modeling and serves as an effective defense against our DOSCrack framework. Our research effectively addresses a critical vulnerability in scan-chain obfuscation methodologies, offering insights into DfT/D and logic locking for both academic research and industrial applications. Our framework highlights the need to craft robust and adaptable defense mechanisms to counter evolving scan-based attacks. Full article

Superpixel segmentation aims to produce a consistent grouping of pixels. In recent years, the importance of superpixel segmentation has increased in computer vision since it offers useful primitives for extracting image features and simplifies the complexity of other image processing steps. In this work, we propose the TurboPixels algorithm, whose main contribution is a hardware architecture for superpixel segmentation. Compared with previous approaches, our superpixels are computed without the need for iterative loops. This makes it possible to reduce algorithmic complexity and increases processing speed. The experimental results indicate that our approach enables a small-scale FPGA-based implementation suitable for embedded applications. In addition, the results demonstrate that robust superpixel segmentation can be achieved with processing speeds up to 86 times faster than in previous works in the current literature. Full article

Background: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a highly malignant soft tissue tumor derived from primitive embryonal mesenchymal tissue that differentiates into striated skeletal muscle. Despite the improved outcome based on the EFS and OS using the three different treatment modalities-chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical treatment, the survival of patients depends on their IRS groups—pathological and surgical. On the other hand in the last thirty years a great improvement of the five-year overall survival (OS) of children with RMS have been observed based on the results of large multinational collaborative trials and successive studies dedicated to children, though prognosis is variable and dependent on several factors including histologic variant, primary sites of the tumor, extent of disease (disease resectability), and molecular-level characteristics. Case presentation: We present a clinical case of a five-year-old male with initial complains of left side peripheral facial nerve palsy and secondary cervical and retroauricular lymphadenomegaly. After an exam, surgery of the temporal bone, CT and MRI embryonal type of rhabdomyosarcoma was diagnosed, and adjuvant chemotherapy was initiated in combination with concomitant local radiotherapy. Results: The results show that in these areas surgery itself is insufficient for RMS treatment(usually it is limited to taking a biopsy only). The combination of chemotherapy and local control with radiotherapy achieved a good result in our patient. Conclusions: Middle ear Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma is a common solid tumor, which could mimic middle ear inflammation or mastoid inflammation in patients. The multimodal approach seemed to be the ideal management of RMS. It involves a combination of chemotherapy and local control with surgery and/or radiotherapy. Full article

A comprehensive understanding of the cardio-spleen-bone marrow immune cell axis is essential for elucidating the alterations occurring during the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM). This study investigates the dynamics of immune cell kinetics in DM after myocardial infarction (MI) over time. MI was induced in diabetic and healthy control groups using C57BL/N6 mice, with sacrifices occurring at days 1, 3, 7, and 28 post-MI to collect heart, peripheral blood (PB), spleen, and bone marrow (BM) samples. Cell suspensions from each organ were isolated and analyzed via flow cytometry. Additionally, the endothelial progenitor cell-colony-forming assay (EPC-CFA) was performed using mononuclear cells derived from BM, PB, and the spleen. The results indicated that, despite normal production in BM and the spleen, CD45+ cells were lower in the PB of DM mice at days 1 to 3. Further analysis revealed a reduction in total and pro-inflammatory neutrophils (N1s) in PB at days 1 to 3 and in the spleen at days 3 to 7 in DM mice, suggesting that DM-induced alterations in splenic neutrophils fail to meet the demand in PB and ischemic tissues. Infiltrating macrophages (total, M1, M2) were reduced at day 3 in the DM-ischemic heart, with total and M1 (days 1–3) and M2 (days 3–7) macrophages being significantly decreased in DM-PB compared to controls, indicating impaired macrophage recruitment and polarization in DM. Myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) in the heart were higher from days 1 to 7, which corresponded with the enhanced recruitment of CD8+ cells from days 1 to 28 in the DM-infarcted myocardium. Total CD4+ cells decreased in DM-PB at days 1 to 3, suggesting a delayed adaptive immune response to MI. B cells were reduced in PB at days 1 to 3, in myocardium at day 3, and in the spleen at day 7, indicating compromised mobilization from BM. EPC-CFA results showed a marked decrease in definitive EPC colonies in the spleen and BM from days 1 to 28 in DM mice compared to controls in vitro, highlighting that DM severely impairs EPC colony-forming activity by limiting the differentiation of EPCs from primitive to definitive forms. Taking together, this study underscores significant disruptions in the cardio-spleen-bone marrow immune cell axis following MI in DM, revealing delayed innate and adaptive immune responses along with impaired EPC differentiation. Full article

The enantioselective mechanism of the esterase QeH against the two enantiomers of quizalofop–ethyl (QE) has been primitively studied using computational and experimental approaches. However, it is still unclear how the esterase QeH adjusts its conformation to adapt to substrate binding and promote enzyme–substrate interactions in the catalytic kinetics. The equilibrium processes of enzyme–substrate interactions and catalytic dynamics were reproduced by performing independent molecular dynamics (MD) runs on the QeH-(R)/(S)-QE complexes with a newly developed residue-specific force field (RSFF2C). Our results indicated that the benzene ring of the (R)-QE structure can simultaneously form anion–π and cation–π interactions with the side-chain group of Glu328 and Arg384 in the binding cavity of the QeH-(R)-QE complex, resulting in (R)-QE being closer to its catalytic triplet system (Ser78-Lys81-Tyr189) with the distances measured for the hydroxyl oxygen atom of the catalytic Ser78 of QeH and the carbonyl carbon atom of (R)-QE of 7.39 Å, compared to the 8.87 Å for (S)-QE, whereas the (S)-QE structure can only form an anion–π interaction with the side chain of Glu328 in the QeH-(S)-QE complex, being less close to its catalytic site. The computational alanine scanning mutation (CAS) calculations further demonstrated that the π–π stacking interaction between the indole ring of Trp351 and the benzene ring of (R)/(S)-QE contributed a lot to the binding stability of the enzyme–substrate (QeH-(R)/(S)-QE). These results facilitate the understanding of their catalytic processes and provide new theoretical guidance for the directional design of other key enzymes for the initial degradation of aryloxyphenoxypropionate (AOPP) herbicides with higher catalytic efficiencies. Full article

(1) Background: Contracting diseases or being exposed to adverse environmental factors in the first year of life may impair the development of body posture and motor coordination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between data on the speed of passive verticalization, the number of risk factors and the quality of development in the first year of life, and the results of the functional examination of these individuals in adolescence. (2) Methods: Two groups of 60 volunteers, aged 9–14 years, were examined by performing functional tests and the retrospective analysis of their development up to the age of 1 year. The first group consisted of patients diagnosed with postural defects. The control group consisted of healthy people of the same age who volunteered for this study. (3) Results: Statistical analysis showed statistically significant differences between groups in terms of posture (p = 0.001), motor coordination (p = 0.001), and accumulated primitive reflexes (p = 0.001), as well as a high correlation between these disorders and the quality of development in the first year of life. In the first group, for the ages of 3–6 months (r = 0.96; p = 0.001), 6–9 months (r = 0.871; p = 0.001), and 9–12 months (r = 0.806; p = 0.001), no significant correlations were found with the age of 0–3 months. In the second group, the results were as follows: 0–3 months (r = 0.748; p = 0.001), 3–6 months (r = 0.862 p = 0.001), 6–9 months (r = 0.698; p = 0.001), and 9–12 months (r = 0.740; p = 0.001). In the group of adolescents with posture defects, we observed an earlier time of passive verticalization and sitting, as well as more frequent use of loungers, seats, and walkers (p = 0.026). (4) Conclusions: The analysis of this study’s data indicates that the development of body posture and motor coordination may be impaired due to accelerated and passive verticalization in the first year of life. Full article