Connectivity differences between adult male and female patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder according to resting-state functional MRI

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder（ADHD） is a pervasive psychiatric disorder that affects both children and adults. Adult male and female patients with ADHD are differentially affected, but few studies have explored the differences. The purpose of this study was to quantify differences between adult male and female patients with ADHD based on neuroimaging and connectivity analysis. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained and preprocessed in 82 patients. Group-wise differences between male and female patients were quantified using degree centrality for different brain regions. The medial-, middle-, and inferior-frontal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, precuneus, supramarginal gyrus, superior- and middle-temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, and cuneus were identified as regions with significant group-wise differences. The identified regions were correlated with clinical scores reflecting depression and anxiety and significant correlations were found. Adult ADHD patients exhibit different levels of depression and anxiety depending on sex, and our study provides insight into how changes in brain circuitry might differentially impact male and female ADHD patients.

Age-related connectivity differences between attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder patients and typically developing subjects：a resting-state functional MRI study

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder（ADHD） is a disorder characterized by behavioral symptoms including hyperactivity/impulsivity among children,adolescents,and adults.These ADHD related symptoms are influenced by the complex interaction of brain networks which were under explored.We explored age-related brain network differences between ADHD patients and typically developing（TD） subjects using resting state f MRI（rs-f MRI） for three age groups of children,adolescents,and adults.We collected rs-f MRI data from 184 individuals（27 ADHD children and 31 TD children;32 ADHD adolescents and 32 TD adolescents;and 31 ADHD adults and 31 TD adults）.The Brainnetome Atlas was used to define nodes in the network analysis.We compared three age groups of ADHD and TD subjects to identify the distinct regions that could explain age-related brain network differences based on degree centrality,a well-known measure of nodal centrality.The left middle temporal gyrus showed significant interaction effects between disease status（i.e.,ADHD or TD） and age（i.e.,child,adolescent,or adult）（P 0.001）.Additional regions were identified at a relaxed threshold（P 0.05）.Many of the identified regions（the left inferior frontal gyrus,the left middle temporal gyrus,and the left insular gyrus） were related to cognitive function.The results of our study suggest that aberrant development in cognitive brain regions might be associated with age-related brain network changes in ADHD patients.These findings contribute to better understand how brain function influences the symptoms of ADHD.

Planning for selective amygdalohippocampectomy involving less neuronal fiber damage based on brain connectivity using tractography

Temporal lobe resection is an important treatment option for epilepsy that involves removal of potentially essential brain regions. Selective amygdalohippocampectomy is a widely performed temporal lobe surgery. We suggest starting the incision for selective amygdalohippocampectomy at the inferior temporal gyrus based on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging（MRI） tractography. Diffusion MRI data from 20 normal participants were obtained from Parkinson＇s Progression Markers Initiative（PPMI） database（www.ppmi-info.org）. A tractography algorithm was applied to extract neuronal fiber information for the temporal lobe, hippocampus, and amygdala. Fiber information was analyzed in terms of the number of fibers and betweenness centrality. Distances between starting incisions and surgical target regions were also considered to explore the length of the surgical path. Middle temporal and superior temporal gyrus regions have higher connectivity values than the inferior temporal gyrus and thus are not good candidates for starting the incision. The distances between inferior temporal gyrus and surgical target regions were shorter than those between middle temporal gyrus and target regions. Thus, the inferior temporal gyrus is a good candidate for starting the incision. Starting the incision from the inferior temporal gyrus would spare the important（in terms of betweenness centrality values） middle region and shorten the distance to the target regions of the hippocampus and amygdala.

A thermosensitive chitosan-based hydrogel for controlled release of insulin

Present study aims at synthesizing a thermosensitive hydrogel for controlled release of insulin. According to a modified method, hydroxybutyl chitosan （HBC） hydrogel possessed thermal sensitivity is prepared which can form hydrogel at over 25℃. The HBC hydrogel is non-cytotoxic to mice fibroblasts cells （L929）. Insulin is 100% entrapped in the hydrogel, 38% of which is released in vitro from the concentration of 5% hydrogel after 48 h, whereas by enzymolysis with lysozyme, 80% of the total insulin is released after 48h. This study suggests that HBC hydrogel could be utilized for controlled release of insulin in a non-invasive manner.

Development of part-dissolvable chitosan fibers with surface N-succinylation for wound care dressing

To enhance the liquor absorptivity of chitosan fibers （CS-Fs）, N-succinyl surface-modified chitosan fibers （NSCS-Fs） were developed and evaluated for wound healing, The NSCS-Fs exhibited cracks on the surface and high liquor absorbing capacity with absorbing-dissolvable equilibrium state in phosphate buffer solution （PBS）. The bacteriostasis ratios of NSCS-Fs against E. coli, S. aureus and C. albicans were higher than 80%. No cytotoxicity has been found for mouse embryo fibroblasts （MEFs） treated with NSCS-Fs leach liquor, Acute oral toxicity and skin irritation experiment were taken to evaluate the safety of NSCS-Fs in vitro. Muscle implant study showed that NSCS-Fs were biodegradable and non-toxic in vivo. These results suggested that the surface modified NSCS-Fs had favorable biological properties and improved liquor absorptivity, indicating that they could be used as promising dressing materials for wound care.

Wearable EEG electronics for a Brain–AI Closed-Loop System to enhance autonomous machine decision-making

Human nonverbal communication tools are very ambiguous and difficult to transfer to machines or artificial intelligence(AI).If the AI understands the mental state behind a user’s decision,it can learn more appropriate decisions even in unclear situations.We introduce the Brain-AI Closed-Loop System(BACLoS),a wireless interaction platform that enables human brain wave analysis and transfers results to AI to verify and enhance AI decision-making.We developed a wireless earbud-like electroencephalography(EEG)measurement device,combined with tattoo-like electrodes and connectors,which enables continuous recording of high-quality EEG signals,especially the error-related potential(ErrP).The sensor measures the ErrP signals,which reflects the human cognitive consequences of an unpredicted machine response.The AI corrects or reinforces decisions depending on the presence or absence of the ErrP signals,which is determined by deep learning classification of the received EEG data.We demonstrate the BACLoS for AIbased machines,including autonomous driving vehicles,maze solvers,and assistant interfaces.