The Association Between Hearing Loss and Depression in a Large Electronic Health Record System.

Objective: Hearing loss (HL) is associated with depression, but existing datasets are limited by the type of data available for both hearing and mental health conditions. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is an association between HL and depressive disorders within a large bi-institutional electronic health record (EHR) system containing more granular diagnostic information.

Study Design: Cross-sectional epidemiologic study.

Emerging trends and innovations in polysaccharide-derived EMI shielding materials: A comprehensive review of bibliometric and performance analysis.

The increasing reliance on electronic devices has created a pressing demand for high-performance and sustainable electromagnetic interference shielding materials. While conventional materials, such as metals and carbon-based composites, offer excellent shielding capabilities, they are hindered by high costs, environmental concerns, and limitations in scalability. Polysaccharide-based materials, including cellulose, chitosan, and alginate, represent a promising alternative due to their biodegradability, renewability, and versatility.

FDuDoCLNet: Fully dual-domain contrastive learning network for parallel MRI reconstruction.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that is widely used for high-resolution imaging of soft tissues and organs. However, the slow speed of MRI imaging, especially in high-resolution or dynamic scans, makes MRI reconstruction an important research topic. Currently, MRI reconstruction methods based on deep learning (DL) have garnered significant attention, and they improve the reconstruction quality by learning complex image features.

Hirsutine Mitigates Ferroptosis in Podocytes of Diabetic Kidney Disease by Downregulating the p53/GPX4 Signaling Pathway.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease worldwide, and podocyte ferroptosis plays a crucial role in its pathogenesis. Hirsutine (HS) reduces blood glucose levels and improve insulin resistance in diabetic mice, suggesting its potential use in diabetes treatment. Here, we established a db/db mouse model of DKD and administered HS for 8 weeks.

Beyond Averaging: A Transformer Approach to Decoding Event Related Brain Potentials.

The objective of this study is to assess the potential of a transformer-based deep learning approach applied to event-related brain potentials (ERPs) derived from electroencephalographic (EEG) data. Traditional methods involve averaging the EEG signal of multiple trials to extract valuable neural signals from the high noise content of EEG data. However, this averaging technique may conceal relevant information.

Two Recombinant Cytomegalovirus Antigens Formulated with the SPA14 Adjuvant System: Impact of Temperature, pH and Excipients on the Stability of each Antigen and Adjuvant Component.

By evaluating the stability profiles of each component of a vaccine candidate (antigens, adjuvants), formulation conditions to mitigate vaccine instability can be identified. In this work, two recombinant Cytomegalovirus (CMV) glycoprotein antigens (gB, Pentamer) were formulated with SPA14, a novel liposome-based adjuvant system containing a synthetic TLR4 agonist (E6020) and a saponin (QS21). Analytical characterization and accelerated stability studies were performed with the two CMV antigens, formulated with and without SPA14, under various conditions (temperature, pH, excipients).

Early deficits in speech perception in carriers of the p.Pro51Ser variant in the COCH gene: a prospective longitudinal evaluation of speech perception in quiet and noise.

The primary concern among adults with regard to their hearing is the difficulty in comprehending speech, particularly in noisy environments. The constant need to listen attentively leads to heightened frustration, fatigue and decreased concentration. According to research, high-frequency hearing loss could have negative implications on speech perception and make it even harder to communicate.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and corticosteroids as combined treatment for acute acoustic trauma.

Purpose: Acute acoustic trauma (AAT) is a sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) due to exposure to high intensity impulse noise. There are no acceptable treatment guidelines, although several studies showed steroids could be effective in restoring hearing levels. A recent report suggested that steroids combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) are a superior regiment for AAT.

Identification of the conditions and minimum requirements necessary for the release of autologous fresh CAR T-cell products under hospital exemption: a position paper from the WP-bioproduction of the UNITC consortium.

The accessibility of CAR-T cells in centralized production models faces significant challenges, primarily stemming from logistical complexities and prohibitive costs. However, European Regulation EC No. 1394/2007 introduced a pivotal provision known as the hospital exemption.

Ultra high density imaging arrays in diffuse optical tomography for human brain mapping improve image quality and decoding performance.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has dramatically advanced non-invasive human brain mapping and decoding. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) non-invasively measure blood oxygen fluctuations related to brain activity, like fMRI, at the brain surface, using more-lightweight equipment that circumvents ergonomic and logistical limitations of fMRI. HD-DOT grids have smaller inter-optode spacing (~ 13 mm) than sparse fNIRS (~ 30 mm) and therefore provide higher image quality, with spatial resolution ~ 1/2 that of fMRI, when using the several source-detector distances (13-40 mm) afforded by the HD-DOT grid.

Integrated metabolomics and mass spectrometry imaging analysis reveal the efficacy and mechanism of Huangkui capsule on type 2 diabetic nephropathy.

Background: Huangkui capsule (HKC), a Chinese patent medicine, is clinically used for treating diabetic nephropathy. However, the core disease-specific biomarkers and targets of type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN) and the therapeutic mechanism of HKC are not fully elucidated.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of HKC for T2DN.

Breast ultrasound imaging systems performance evaluation using novel Contrast-Detail (C-D) and Anechoic-Target (A-T) phantoms.

Unlabelled: Ultrasound imaging plays an important role in the early detection and management of breast cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the imaging performance of a range of clinically-used breast ultrasound systems using a set of novel spherical lesion contrast-detail (C-D) and anechoic-target (A-T) phantoms.

Methods: C-D and A-T phantoms were imaged using a range of clinical breast ultrasound systems and imaging modes.

Efficacy analysis of intratympanic injection of dexamethasone at different concentrations for the treatment of unilateral idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Objective: Our study tried to evaluate and compare the therapeutic efficacy of intratympanic injection of dexamethasone (DEX) at different concentrations for the treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).

Methods: A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted on 203 patients with unilateral ISSNHL. Patients were divided into four groups: the control group (n = 47, systemic treatment only), the high-concentration group (n = 51, intratympanic injection of DEX 20 mg/ml), the medium-concentration group (n = 55, 10 mg/ml), and the low-concentration group (n = 50, 5 mg/ml).

ERK1/2 Inhibition Alleviates Diabetic Cardiomyopathy by Suppressing Fatty Acid Metabolism.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is associated with morphological and functional impairment of the heart primarily due to lipid toxicity caused by increased fatty acid metabolism. Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) have been implicated in the metabolism of fatty acids in the liver and skeletal muscles. However, their role in the heart in diabetes remains unclear.

Exploring the Effect of Annealing on PLA/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites: In Search of Efficient PLA/MWCNT Nanocomposites for Electromagnetic Shielding.

In this research, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposites with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were produced by extrusion, injection, and compression molding, focusing on electromagnetic shielding. Various amounts of carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were tested in PLA matrix, specifically ranging from 1 to 4 parts per hundred resin (phr). The resulting nanocomposites were analyzed before and after undergoing annealing heat treatment.

Poly(amic acid)-Polyimide Copolymer Interfacial Layers for Self-Powered CHNHPbI Photovoltaic Photodiodes.

Hybrid organohalide perovskites have received considerable attention due to their exceptional photovoltaic (PV) conversion efficiencies in optoelectronic devices. In this study, we report the development of a highly sensitive, self-powered perovskite-based photovoltaic photodiode (PVPD) fabricated by incorporating a poly(amic acid)-polyimide (PAA-PI) copolymer as an interfacial layer between a methylammonium lead iodide (CHNHPbI, MAPbI) perovskite light-absorbing layer and a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) hole injection layer. The PAA-PI interfacial layer effectively suppresses carrier recombination at the interfaces, resulting in a high power conversion efficiency () of 11.

Spectrum Sensing in Very Low SNR Environment Using Multi-Scale Temporal Correlation Perception with Residual Attention.

Spectrum sensing is recognized as a viable strategy to alleviate the scarcity of spectrum resources and to optimize their usage. In this paper, considering the time-varying characteristics and the dependence on various timescales within a time series of samples composed of in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) component signals, we propose a multi-scale time-correlated perceptual attention model named MSTC-PANet. The model consists of multiple parallel temporal correlation perceptual attention (TCPA) modules, enabling us to extract features at different timescales and identify dependencies among features across various timescales.

LoRa Resource Allocation Algorithm for Higher Data Rates.

LoRa modulation is a widely used technology known for its long-range transmission capabilities, making it ideal for applications with low data rate requirements, such as IoT-enabled sensor networks. However, its inherent low data rate poses a challenge for applications that require higher throughput, such as video surveillance and disaster monitoring, where large image files must be transmitted over long distances in areas with limited communication infrastructure. In this paper, we introduce the LoRa Resource Allocation (LRA) algorithm, designed to address these limitations by enabling parallel transmissions, thereby reducing the total transmission time () and increasing the bit rate (BR).

A Wideband Eight-Port MIMO Antenna with Reduced Mutual Coupling for Future 5G mm-Wave Applications.

An eight-element MIMO antenna with a neutralization line was utilized for future 5G mm-wave applications. The MIMO configuration was designed for two ports, four ports and eight ports to validate the desired impedance and radiation characteristics. The measured results in terms of MIMO and scattering parameters correlate well with the simulated one.

Design of Microstrip Antenna Integrating 24 GHz and 77 GHz Compact High-Gain Arrays.

The swift advancement of contemporary communication technology, along with the development of radar systems, has raised the requirements for antenna systems. In this work, an integrated array antenna operating in the 24 GHz and 77 GHz frequency bands is proposed. The microstrip antenna array element uses a width reduction approach to reduce its volume by 39.

A Vibration Signal-Based Active Noise Control Method for Liquid-Filled Pipelines.

Pulsation noise in the piping system generated by the excitation of the pump source seriously affects the reliability of the pipeline system and mechanical equipment. The active noise control can effectively suppress the low-frequency noise in the liquid-filled pipeline. Active control methods with intrusive secondary sources generally use dynamic pressure sensors or hydrophones to collect signals, which destroy the structure of the pipe.

An Ultra-Wide Range D-Shaped Fiber SPR Sensor with a Nanostructure of Gold-MoS and Sodium for the Simultaneous Measurement of Refractive Index and Temperature.

Refractive index (RI) and temperature (T) are both critical environmental parameters for environmental monitoring, food production, and medical testing. The paper develops a D-shaped photonic crystal fiber (PCF) sensor to measure RI and T simultaneously. Its cross-sectional structure encompasses a hexagonal-hole lattice, with one hole selectively filled with toluene for temperature sensing.

Enhancement of Spurious Signal Suppression in Microstrip Mixers by Load Resistor Termination.

The mixer is an essential component in RF transceiver subsystems. It has a role in shifting the signal frequency for more convenient processing of up-conversion as well as down-conversion. Despite generating the desired signal, the mixer also generates spurious noise that wastes power and reduces the performance of the overall system.

Novel Class-AB Operational Amplifier for Compact and Energy-Efficient Wake-Up Sensor Systems.

This paper presents a novel rail-to-rail Class-AB operational amplifier tailored for wake-up systems in motion sensor applications. By addressing limitations in free Class-AB designs, such as large inrush current, unstable bias conditions, and area ineffiiency, the proposed design achieves a gain of 59 dB and unity gain frequency of 550 kHz driving a 5 pF load. The inrush current is reduced from 1 mA to 7 µA, increasing the battery life.

Efficacy of Hearing Aids in Patients with Hearing Difficulties in Noise: Focus on Hidden Hearing Loss.

Hearing aids (HAs) have been used for standard high-frequency hearing loss and tinnitus, but their effects on speech intelligibility in noise (SIN) in people with normal hearing, including hidden hearing loss (HHL), have been little explored. We included in a prospective cohort study patients who experience poor SIN and have normal pure tone average in quiet conditions or slight HL. We used open-fit HAs.