Behavior and Approximate Entropy of Right-eye Lateralization During Predation in the Music Frog

Brain asymmetry for processing visual information is widespread in animals.However,it is still unknown how the complexity of the underlying neural network activities represents this asymmetrical pattern in the brain.In the present study,we investigated this complexity using the approximate entropy(ApEn)protocol for electroencephalogram(EEG)recordings from the forebrain and midbrain while the music frogs(Nidirana daunchina)attacked prey stimulus.The results showed that(1)more significant prey responses were evoked by the prey stimulus presented in the right visual field than that in the left visual field,consistent with the idea that right-eye preferences for predatory behaviors exist in animals including anurans;(2)in general,the ApEn value of the left hemisphere(especially the left mesencephalon)was greatest under various stimulus conditions,suggesting that visual lateralization could be reflected by the dynamics of underlying neural network activities and that the stable left-hemisphere dominance of EEG ApEn may play an important role in maintaining this brain asymmetry.

Stratification of portal vein-invaded hepatocellular carcinoma treated with transarterial chemoembolization monotherapy

Purpose:The study aimed to establish a prognostic prediction model and an artificial neural network(ANN)model to determine who will benefit from transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)monotherapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)invading portal vein.Methods:Treatment-naive patients with HCC and portal vein invasion who were treated with TACE monotherapy at hospital A as training cohort and hospital B as validation cohort were included.The primary endpoint was overall survival(OS).In training cohort,independent risk factors associated with OS were identified by univariate and multivariate analysis.The prognostic prediction(PP)and ANN models based on the independent risk factors were established to find out who will benefit most from TACE monotherapy.The type of portal vein tumor thrombosis was classified based on the Cheng’s Classification.The accuracy of the models was validated in validation cohort.Results:Totally,242 patients(training cohort:n=159;validation cohort:n=83)were included.The median OS was 7.1 and 8.5 months in training and validation cohort,respectively.In training cohort,the PP model was established based on the following five independent risk factors:Cheng’s Classification,Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score,maximum tumor size,number of HCC nodules,and Child-Pugh stage.PP score of 17.5 was identified as cut-off point and patients were divided into two groups by PP score<17.5 and>17.5 in survival benefit and prognostication(8.8 vs.5.5 months;P<0.001).These five factors were included and ranked based on the importance associated with OS in the ANN model.Both of the two models received high accuracy after validation.Conclusions:Portal vein invaded HCC patients with PP score<17.5 may benefit most from TACE monotherapy.For these patients,TACE monotherapy should be considered.

Flexibility as a Strategy for Avoiding Call Overlap in Male Anhui Treefrogs

Male-male vocal competition is critical for mating success in anuran species;however,it remains unknown that how males regulate their competitive strategies dynamically during competition because calling is highly time-consuming,energetically demanding and likely to increase predation risks.Since different parts of calls will encode different information for vocal communication,we hypothesized that competitive strategies of male frogs may be modulated by the temporal and spectral features of different call notes.To test this hypothesis,the natural advertisement calls(OC),its modified versions with the first call note replaced by white noise(WN)or other notes and with the fifth call note replaced by WN,were played back to the Anhui tree frogs(Rhacophorus zhoukaiyae).Results showed that 1)males produced more competitive calls in response to acoustic stimuli compared to their baseline calling during silence;and 2)males emitted more non-overlapping calls compared to overlapping calls in response to the acoustic stimuli.These results are consistent with the idea that males are flexible to acoustic signals and their competition strategies are modulated dynamically by social contexts.