A Multi-Branch Convolutional Neural Network with Squeeze-and-Excitation Attention Blocks for EEG-Based Motor Imagery Signals Classification

Electroencephalography-based motor imagery (EEG-MI) classification is a critical component of the brain-computer interface (BCI), which enables people with physical limitations to communicate with the outside world via assistive technology. Regrettably, EEG decoding is challenging because of the complexity, dynamic nature, and low signal-to-noise ratio of the EEG signal. Developing an end-to-end architecture capable of correctly extracting EEG data’s high-level features remains a difficulty. This study introduces a new model for decoding MI known as a Multi-Branch EEGNet with squeeze-and-excitation blocks (MBEEGSE). By clearly specifying channel interdependencies, a multi-branch CNN model with attention blocks is employed to adaptively change channel-wise feature responses. When compared to existing state-of-the-art EEG motor imagery classification models, the suggested model achieves good accuracy (82.87%) with reduced parameters in the BCI-IV2a motor imagery dataset and (96.15%) in the high gamma dataset

Short-and long-term outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 patients presenting with diarrhea

Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are frequently observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals at distinct time intervals after the initial diagnosis. Psychological distress in the form of anxiety, burnout, and depression is regarded as a common complication of COVID-19, but also as a risk factor for the development and exacerbation of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is highly prevalent among COVID-19 patients and the general population. The pathophysiological mechanisms culminating in the diagnosis of IBS are yet to be fully understood, however, factors including gut–brain interaction, COVID-19-related intestinal damage, and other external influences might play a role in this process. While long-term GI complications of COVID-19 such as IBS are speculated to develop as a result of a multifaceted interaction between the virus itself with the host, in addition to the effects of psychological distress, further research on this topic is warranted. The purpose of this study was to explore possible factors correlating with the development of IBS and depression during the follow-up period post-COVID-19 infection

Subcutaneous versus intraperitoneal insulin for patients with diabetes mellitus on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: Meta-analysis of non-randomized clinical trials.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading causes of end stage renal disease. Use of intraperitoneal (IP) nsulin in diabetic patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) can restore glucose control to near normal values. The safety and efficacy of this method is unclear. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis to study the safety and efficacy of IP insulin administration in diabetic patients on PD. The primary outcome measures is glycemic control: secondary outcome measures were plasma lipids, insulin dose requirement/day and the risk of peritonitis and hepatic subcapsular steatosis. Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and reference lists of eligible studies were searched. Eligible studies included randomized and non-randomized controlled trials that allocated adult PD diabetic patients to IP insulin and subcutaneous (SC) insulin. Results: Twenty one citations were identified and three met the eligibility criteria. Glycemic control with IP insulin, as assessed with HbA1C, was equal to or better than that obtained with SC insulin: weighted mean difference was −1.49 % (95% CI: -2.17 to - 0.27, p=0.0001). The insulin dose required was more than two-fold higher in the IP treatment. Serum HDL-cholesterol decreased during IP insulin therapy while serum triglyceride (TG) concentration tended to increase, in comparison with levels seen in patients treated with SC insulin. Conclusions: Use of IP insulin provides adequate glycemic control, which appears superior to that seen following treatment with conventional SC insulin. The plasma lipids are adversely affected by IP insulin, possibly contributing to increased cardiovascular risk. Data are limited and further studies are needed to assess for the long-term safety of this approach

Global Hospitalization Trends for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis in the 21st Century: A Systematic Review With Temporal Analyses

The evolving epidemiologic patterns of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) throughout the world, in conjunction with advances in therapeutic treatments, may influence hospitalization rates of IBD. We performed a systematic review with temporal analysis of hospitalization rates for IBD across the world in the 21st century. We systematically reviewed Medline and Embase for population-based studies reporting hospitalization rates for IBD, Crohn’s disease (CD), or ulcerative colitis (UC) in the 21st century. Log-linear models were used to calculate the average annual percentage change (AAPC) with associated 95% CIs. Random-effects meta-analysis pooled country-level AAPCs. Data were stratified by the epidemiologic stage of a region: compounding prevalence (stage 3) in North America, Western Europe, and Oceania vs acceleration of incidence (stage 2) in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America vs emergence (stage 1) in developing countries. Hospitalization rates for a primary diagnosis of IBD were stable in countries in stage 3 (AAPC, −0.13%; 95% CI, −0.72 to 0.97), CD (AAPC, 0.20%; 95% CI, −1.78 to 2.17), and UC (AAPC, 0.02%; 95% CI, −0.91 to 0.94). In contrast, hospitalization rates for a primary diagnosis were increasing in countries in stage 2 for IBD (AAPC, 4.44%; 95% CI, 2.75–6.14), CD (AAPC, 8.34%; 95% CI, 4.38–12.29), and UC (AAPC, 3.90; 95% CI, 1.29–6.52). No population-based studies were available for developing regions in stage 1 (emergence). Hospitalization rates for IBD are stabilizing in countries in stage 3, whereas newly industrialized countries in stage 2 have rapidly increasing hospitalization rates, contributing to an increasing burden on global health care systems. [Display omitted