A motor imagery classification model based on hybrid brain-computer interface and multitask learning of electroencephalographic and electromyographic deep features.

Objective: Extracting deep features from participants' bioelectric signals and constructing models are key research directions in motor imagery (MI) classification tasks. In this study, we constructed a multimodal multitask hybrid brain-computer interface net (2M-hBCINet) based on deep features of electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) to effectively accomplish motor imagery classification tasks.

Methods: The model first used a variational autoencoder (VAE) network for unsupervised learning of EEG and EMG signals to extract their deep features, and subsequently applied the channel attention mechanism (CAM) to select these deep features and highlight the advantageous features and minimize the disadvantageous ones.

Improved Denoising of Cryo-Electron Microscopy Micrographs with Simulation-Aware Pretraining.

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Rehabilitation with brain-computer interface and upper limb motor function in ischemic stroke: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Upper limb motor dysfunction is a major problem in the rehabilitation of patients with stroke. Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a kind of communication system that converts the "ideas" in the brain into instructions and has been used in stroke rehabilitation. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of BCI in rehabilitation training on upper limb motor function among patients with ischemic stroke.

MarkerDetector: A method for robust fiducial marker detection in electron micrographs using wavelet-based template.

Fiducial marker detection in electron micrographs becomes an important and challenging task with the development of large-field electron microscopy. The fiducial marker detection plays an important role in several steps during the process of electron micrographs, such as the alignment and parameter calibrations. However, limited by the conditions of low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the electron micrographs, the performance of fiducial marker detection is severely affected.

Self-supervised noise modeling and sparsity guided electron tomography volumetric image denoising.

Cryo-Electron Tomography (cryo-ET) is a revolutionary technique for visualizing macromolecular structures in near-native states. However, the physical limitations of imaging instruments lead to cryo-ET volumetric images with very low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) with complex noise, which has a side effect on the downstream analysis of the characteristics of observed macromolecules. Additionally, existing methods for image denoising are difficult to be well generalized to the complex noise in cryo-ET volumes.

Efficiency Enhancing Technique for Rod Fiber Picosecond Amplifiers with Optimal Mode Field Matching.

A high power and high quality picosecond laser is crucial in MEMS fabrication regarding micromachines. Optimal seed beam coupling is an important precondition to enhance laser efficiency. However, empirical coupling limits its development.

Efficacy on gait and posture control after botulinum toxin A injection for lower-limb spasticity treatment after stroke: A randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To observe the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) for the spasticity of the lower-limb post-stroke on gait and posture control.

Methods: A total of 46 patients with hemiplegia gait were randomly divided into the experimental group (23 patients) and the control group (23 patients). In patients in the experimental group received injections of BoNT-A by electrical stimulation-guided.

Synthesis and Evaluations of Novel Apocynin Derivatives as Anti-Glioma Agents.

Apocynin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyacetophenone) is a natural polyphenolic compound with multiple biological activities. In the present study, a series of apocynin derivatives were designed and synthesized. The ADMET prediction, blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration assay, anti-NADPH oxidase activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and anti-glioma effects of these apocynin derivatives were evaluated.

Corrigendum: Evaluation of Metformin on Cognitive Improvement in Patients With Non-dementia Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Abnormal Glucose Metabolism.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.

Evaluation of Metformin on Cognitive Improvement in Patients With Non-dementia Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Abnormal Glucose Metabolism.

Recent studies have suggested that metformin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, protecting neurons anti-inflammatory action and improvement of brain energy metabolism. In this study, we aim to investigate the effect of metformin on cognitive function in patients with abnormal glucose metabolism and non-dementia vascular cognitive impairment (NDVCI). One hundred patients with NDVCI and abnormal glucose metabolism were randomly allocated into two groups: metformin and donepezil ( = 50) or acarbose and donepezil ( = 50).

Adenosine binds predominantly to adenosine receptor A1 subtype in astrocytes and mediates an immunosuppressive effect.

The four kinds of adenosine receptor subtypes (ARs), named as ARA1, ARA2A, ARA2B and ARA3, have multiple biological functions. ARs are differently distributed across the body and have distinguished ability of binding adenosine. We try to figure out how these ARs were expressed in astrocytes and which one has the first priority of utilizing adenosine.

Neurofilament Subunit L Levels in the Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum of Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Background: There are no reliable biomarkers that could evaluate the disease burden in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Objectives: The aim of our study is to evaluate the changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum neurofilament subunit L (NF-L) in patients with ALS and to analyze the correlations between the levels of NF-L and clinical parameters.

Method: CSF and serum samples were obtained from 80 ALS patients and 40 controls.

Bombesin attenuated ischemia-induced spatial cognitive and synaptic plasticity impairment associated with oxidative damage.

The dysfunction of spatial cognition is a character to various neurological disorders and therapeutic strategy. However, it is limited to known risk factors clinically so far. Gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) signaling is a neuropeptide system mediating emotional memory events.

Risk factors of carotid plaque and carotid common artery intima-media thickening in a high-stroke-risk population.

Introduction: To analyze the risk factors of carotid plaque (CP) and carotid common artery intima-media thickening (CCAIMT) and the association between the risk factors and CP numbers and the side of the CCAIMT in a high-stroke-risk population.

Methods: Carotid ultrasonography was conducted in 2025 participants with high stroke risk. Participants were divided into different groups according to the results of the ultrasound.

Vinpocetine Inhibits NF-κB-Dependent Inflammation in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients.

Unlabelled: Immunity and inflammation play critical roles in the pathogenesis of acute ischemic stroke. Therefore, immune intervention, as a new therapeutic strategy, is worthy of exploration. Here, we tested the inflammation modulator, vinpocetine, for its effect on the outcomes of stroke.

Evaluating the levels of CSF and serum factors in ALS.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify CSF and serum factors as biomarkers that may aid in distinguishing ALS patients from control subjects and predicting ALS progression as well as prognosis.

Methods: Serum and CSF samples from 105 patients with ALS and 56 control subjects were analyzed for 13 factors using ELISA. The revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-r) was used to evaluate the overall functional status of ALS patients, and we also followed up with ALS patients either by phone or with clinic visits for five years after enrollment in this study.

[Mechanism of neuroprotective effects of fibroblast growth factor 2 in the mouse model of ALS].

Objective: To examine the neuroprotective effects of FGF-2 and explore the underlying mechanisms involved in its effects on neural precursor cells (NPCs) and S-IR boutons.

Methods: The mice models were established, and the animals were randomly divided into 3 groups: non-transgenic wild type group (WT), superoxide dismutase (SOD)1 G93A G1H transgenic group (SOD1), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2-treated group (FGF-2), each group 40 mice. Mice of FGF-2 group were treated with FGF-2 at postnatal day 60 (P60).

Elevated Levels of IFN-γ in CSF and Serum of Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Objectives: To explore whether the levels of IFN-γ in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and serum are elevated in ALS patients and to analyze the correlations between the IFN-γ levels and disease progression.

Methods: CSF and serum samples were obtained from 52 ALS patients and 31 non-ALS patients. The levels of IFN-γ in CSF and serum were assessed, and disease progression parameters, including the disease interval (months from onset, MFO), the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-r) score and the disease progression rate (DPR) were analyzed by registered neurologists.

The neuron regrowth is associated with the proliferation of neural precursor cells after leukemia inhibitory factor administration following spinal cord injury in mice.

Objectives: To explore whether LIF could promote the proliferation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) and to analyze the correlation between increased NPCs and FluoroGold (FG) labeled neurons in mice after spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: Motor behavior was assessed using Rotarod and Platform Hang tests; neurons in the corticospinal and rubrospinal systems were labeled with FG, NPCs were immustained with nestin-FITC conjugate. The numbers of FG-labeled neurons and NPCs were estimated, and the correlation between FG-labeled neurons and NPCs was assessed.

VEGF levels in CSF and serum in mild ALS patients.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder involving both upper and lower motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, brainstem and spinal cord. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was originally described as a factor with a regulatory role in vascular growth and development, and now it also functions as a neurotrophic factor protecting motoneurons from insults such as oxidative stress, hypoxia and glutamate-excitotoxicity, but the role of VEGF in ALS is still unclear. The aim of this study is to measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum VEGF levels in patients with ALS, and to investigate whether there are correlations between CSF and serum VEGF levels and clinical parameters of the disease and whether VEGF has a prognostic and evaluating potential for ALS.

Background rhythm frequency and theta power of quantitative EEG analysis: predictive biomarkers for cognitive impairment post-cerebral infarcts.

In clinical settings, cerebral infarct is a common disease of older adults, which usually increases the risk of cognitive impairment. This study aims to assess the quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) as a predictive biomarker for the development of cognitive impairment, post-cerebral infarcts, in subjects from the Department of Neurology. They underwent biennial EEG recording.

Leukemia inhibitory factor promotes nestin-positive cells, and increases gp130 levels in the Parkinson disease mouse model of 6-hydroxydopamine.

Objective: To investigate the roles of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) mouse model of Parkinson disease (PD), and explore how the LIF improves PD symptoms.

Methods: This study was performed in Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China, between April 2008 and January 2010. Seventy-two mice were allocated into a control group (CON), sham operation group (SHA), physiological saline (NS) treatment group (PD), and LIF treatment group (LIF), n=18 for each group.