Physics of brain dynamics: Fokker-Planck analysis reveals changes in EEG delta-theta interactions in anaesthesia

We use drift and diffusion coefficients to reveal interactions between different oscillatory processes underlying a complex signal and apply the method to EEG delta and theta frequencies in the brain. By analysis of data recorded from rats during anaesthesia, we consider the stability and basins of attraction of fixed points in the phase portrait of the deterministic part of the retrieved stochastic process. We show that different classes of dynamics are associated with deep and light anaesthesia, and we demonstrate that the predominant directionality of the interaction is such that theta drives delt

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography of the Optic Disc; an Overview.

Different diseases of the optic disc may be caused by or lead to abnormal vasculature at the optic nerve head. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a novel technology that provides high resolution mapping of the retinal and optic disc vessels. Recent studies have shown the ability of OCTA to visualize vascular abnormalities in different optic neuropathies. In addition, quantified OCTA measurements were found promising for differentiating optic neuropathies from healthy eyes

Effects of dietary isoflavone-genistein on hematological and immunological parameters in pre-brood stock beluga, Huso huso

This study was carried out with the aim of detecting the dietary effects of isoflavone-genistein on hematological and immunological parameters in beluga, Huso huso in a 12-week feeding period. Five isonitrogenous (45% crude protein) and isoenergetic (19.5 MJ kg^-1) diets were formulated to contain four graded levels of isoflavone-genistein, namely 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 g kg^-1 diet. Fish (initial average weight: 26.1 ± 1.8 kg) were stocked in ponds in groups of 3 and fed the experimental diets in triplicate. At the end of experiment, physiological indicators, including hematological and immunological parameters, such as red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell count (WBC), hematocrit (Ht), hemoglobin (Hb), lymphocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil, monocyte, haematological indices, lysozyme, total immunoglobulin (IgM) and complementary activities were determined. Results suggested that mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and values of neutrophil had significant differences between treatments. The activities of serum lysozyme, IgM, C3 and C4 were significantly influenced by the dietary genistein concentrations. Results indicated that genistein had significant effects on some hematological and immunological parameters in beluga

Determinants of healthcare utilisation and predictors of outcome in colorectal cancer patients from Northern Iran

We aimed to assess healthcare utilisation (HU), its determinants, as well as its relationship with survival in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. This study was conducted on incident CRC cases from Northern Iran. Information on HU was collected using a valid questionnaire, considering eight diagnostic and four therapeutic services. The results were categorised as good and poor HU. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between HU and other variables. Cox regression analysis was performed to determine major predictors of survival. In total, 227 new cases of CRC were enrolled. HU could be assessed in 218 subjects (96). Living in rural areas was the strongest variable related to poor HU (adjusted OR, odds ratio=2.65; CI, confidence interval: 1.30-5.40). The median survival time was 40.5months. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 71, 52 and 44 respectively. Cox regression analysis showed a significant lower survival rate in patients with poor HU (HR=2.3; CI: 1.46-3.64). HU was an independent predictor of survival in our CRC patients. Patients' place of residence was a significant determinant of HU. Regarding its effects on patients' outcome, HU and its determinants should be considered in designing CRC controlling programmes in our region and similar high-risk populations. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Particle-Particle, Particle-Scaling function (P3S) algorithm for electrostatic problems in free boundary conditions

An algorithm for fast calculation of the Coulombic forces and energies of point particles with free boundary conditions is proposed. Its calculation time scales as N log N for N particles. This novel method has lower crossover point with the full O(N^2) direct summation than the Fast Multipole Method. The forces obtained by our algorithm are analytical derivatives of the energy which guarantees energy conservation during a molecular dynamics simulation. Our algorithm is very simple. An MPI parallelised version of the code can be downloaded under the GNU General Public License from the website of our group.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, submitted to: Journal of Chemical Physic