Characteristic analysis of epileptic brain network based on attention mechanism.

Constructing an efficient and accurate epilepsy detection system is an urgent research task. In this paper, we developed an EEG-based multi-frequency multilayer brain network (MMBN) and an attentional mechanism based convolutional neural network (AM-CNN) model to study epilepsy detection. Specifically, based on the multi-frequency characteristics of the brain, we first use wavelet packet decomposition and reconstruction methods to divide the original EEG signals into eight frequency bands, and then construct MMBN through correlation analysis between brain regions, where each layer corresponds to a specific frequency band. The time, frequency and channel related information of EEG signals are mapped into the multilayer network topology. On this basis, a multi-branch AM-CNN model is designed, which completely matches the multilayer structure of the proposed brain network. The experimental results on public CHB-MIT datasets show that eight frequency bands divided in this work are all helpful for epilepsy detection, and the fusion of multi-frequency information can effectively decode the epileptic brain state, achieving accurate detection of epilepsy with an average accuracy of 99.75%, sensitivity of 99.43%, and specificity of 99.83%. All of these provide reliable technical solutions for EEG-based neurological disease detection, especially for epilepsy detection.

Analysis of blood components of Yougui Yin in normal rats and rats with kidney deficiency caused by adenine based on UPLC-MS technology / 中国中药杂志

Based on the serum medicinal method, this study aims to investigate the migrating components of Yougui Yin in the blood after intragastric administration, and to provide reference for the basic research of its pharmacodynamics. The kidney deficiency rat model was replicated by adenine method. Normal rats and model rats were administered orally for a single gavage of Yougui Yin. The components in blood were rapidly analyzed and identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and multiple reaction monitoring(MRM), and the migrating components in blood of Yougui Yin were explored by multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that there were 42 characteristic peaks in the plasma of normal rats by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology and 13 chemical components were identified, including 6 alkaloids, 2 flavonoids, 2 triterpenoid saponins, 1 iridoid, 1 phenylpropanoid and 1 monoterpenoid. There were 22 characteristic peaks in the plasma of kidney-deficiency rats, and 12 chemical components were identified, including 2 iridoids, 6 alkaloids, 2 flavonoids, 1 monoterpenoid and 1 triterpenoid saponin. Verbascoside, isoacteoside, acteoside, pinoresinoldiglucoside, loganin and morroniside were identified by MRM both in the plasma of normal rats and kidney-deficiency rats. Compared with 85 monomer components in Yougui Yin, 17 common prototype components were found by UPLC-MS in the plasma of normal rats and kidney deficiency rats, including verbascoside, isoacteoside, acteoside, rehmapicrogenin derived from Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, pinoresinol diglucoside and geniposidic acid from Eucommiea Cortex, loganin and morroniside derived from Corni Fructus, mesaconine, benzoylmesaconine, benzoylaconitine, benzoylhypacoitine, mesaconitine, aconitine derived from Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, liquiritin, isoliquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid derived from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. Thirty-one metabolites of medicinal ingredients not found in the plasma of adenine-induced kidney deficiency rats were also detected in the plasma of normal rats. Twelve metabolites of medicinal materials not found in the plasma of normal rats were detected in the plasma of kidney deficiency rats. The results of the study provide reference for explaining the material basis and mechanism of Yougui Yin in the treatment of kidney deficiency.

Effect of parthenolide on serum expressions of interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in rabbits with knee osteoarthritis / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic effect of parthenolide (PTL) on rabbit knee arthritis (KOA) and its effects on serum expression of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and contents of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eight rabbits were randomly selected from 40 healthy pure-bred New Zealand rabbits as the normal control group. The KOA model was established in the rest 32 rabbits by plaster cast fixation of the right hind limb extension position. After modeling they were randomly divided into 4 groups, i.e., the model control group, the high dose PTL group, the middle dose PTL group, and the low dose PTL group, 8 in each group. Serum contents of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the model group, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha concentration decreased in the 3 PTL groups (P < 0.01). The decrement was positively correlated with PTL concentrations (IL-1beta: r = 0.55, P < 0.01; TNF-alpha: r = 0.56, P < 0.01). The inhibition reached the peak when the PTL concentration arrived at 20 micromol/L.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>PTL could down-regulate the blood IL-1beta and TNF-alpha concentrations of KOA rabbits. Besides, the decrement was positively correlated with the PTL concentration.</p>

[Cloning of four members of giant panda Dmrt genes].

Sex determining genes Mab-3 of C. elegans and Doublesex of Drosophila contain a common DNA binding motif called DM (Doublesex and Mab-3) domain, both of which regulate similar aspects of sexual development. Human Doublesex-related gene DMRT1 has been identified, which also contains the conserved DM-related DNA-binding domain and plays an essential role in gonadal differentiation. We amplified genomic DNA of the giant panda using the DM degenerate primers and detected two bands, approximately 140 bp and 250 bp. After cloned into T-easy vector and sequenced, four sequences showed high homology with the DM domain. Amino acid sequence of the first clone is 100% identical with the Dmrt1 of human, mouse and pig, hence we named it as pDmrt1. The second clone is 96% identical with human DMRTB1, and the third one 100% with the Dmrt3 of mouse and medaka, which were named as pDmrtb1 and pDmrt3 respectively. The last sequence contains an intron of 116 bp within the DM domain, which encodes an amino acid sequence 100% identical with human DMRTC2, accordingly we named it as pDmrtc2. Based on similarities of amino acid sequences of the DM domain, Dmrt protein sequences from human, mouse and giant panda were included in a phylogenetic tree. They revealed seven distinct subgroups: Dmrt1, Dmrt2, Dmrt3, Dmrt4 (DMRTA1), Dmrt5 (DMRTA2), Dmrt6 (DMRTB1) and Dmrt7 (DMRTC2). Our results further reveal the unexpected complexity and the evolutionary conservation of the DM domain gene family in both invertebrates and vertebrates.