Technology and Health Care - Volume 32, issue S1

Authors: Yu, Mi | Kang, Young-Soek | Hong, Hwa-Young | Hong, Chul-Un | Kwon, Tae-Kyu

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Elevator-type evacuation devices have proven to be feasible in high-rise buildings through studies on safety performance and evacuation time. However, there is a lack of research on safety using biosignal analysis in the elderly population. OBJECTIVE: A carbon material is used in this study to reduce the weight of an evacuation elevator. The impact on the human body is evaluated by conducting a satisfaction survey involving elderly and youth groups and quantitatively analyzing biological signals, including electromyography (EMG) and plantar pressure, during five repeated uses of the proposed device. METHODS: The study …involves 12 healthy adults in their 20s and 20 elderly individuals with no experience in using an evacuation elevator. The EMG and left and right plantar pressures are analyzed to evaluate the physical factors affected by repeated use. RESULTS: The experiment results showed that the normalization of EMG to maximum voluntary contraction showed a significant decrease with repeated use, especially in the right tibialis anterior muscle. Moreover, plantar pressure shows a significant difference, which decreased with repetition, and the left and right balance gradually tilted to the left. CONCLUSION: This suggests that with more repeated use, muscle tension decreases owing to adaptation, resulting in lower muscle activity and plantar pressure. Particularly, the tibialis anterior muscle experiences significant muscle activity, indicating increased load, but without any apparent danger. In the future, it will be necessary to evaluate elevators for disabled individuals. Show more

Keywords: Elevator-type evacuation device, fire, elderly, plantar pressure, electromyography (EMG)

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248010

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 115-124, 2024

Authors: Tang, Jianer | Zheng, Xiangyi | Wang, Xiao | Mao, Qiqi | Xie, Liping | Wang, Rongjiang

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy is the gold standard diagnostic test for prostate cancer, but it is an invasive examination of non-targeted puncture and has a high false-negative rate. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to develop a computer-assisted prostate cancer diagnosis method based on multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) images. METHODS: We retrospectively collected 106 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy after diagnosis with prostate biopsy. mpMRI images, including T2 weighted imaging (T2WI), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic-contrast enhanced (DCE), and were accordingly analyzed. We extracted the region of interest (ROI) about the tumor …and benign area on the three sequential MRI axial images at the same level. The ROI data of 433 mpMRI images were obtained, of which 202 were benign and 231 were malignant. Of those, 50 benign and 50 malignant images were used for training, and the 333 images were used for verification. Five main feature groups, including histogram, GLCM, GLGCM, wavelet-based multi-fractional Brownian motion features and Minkowski function features, were extracted from the mpMRI images. The selected characteristic parameters were analyzed by MATLAB software, and three analysis methods with higher accuracy were selected. RESULTS: Through prostate cancer identification based on mpMRI images, we found that the system uses 58 texture features and 3 classification algorithms, including Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-nearest Neighbor (KNN), and Ensemble Learning (EL), performed well. In the T2WI-based classification results, the SVM achieved the optimal accuracy and AUC values of 64.3% and 0.67. In the DCE-based classification results, the SVM achieved the optimal accuracy and AUC values of 72.2% and 0.77. In the DWI-based classification results, the ensemble learning achieved optimal accuracy as well as AUC values of 75.1% and 0.82. In the classification results based on all data combinations, the SVM achieved the optimal accuracy and AUC values of 66.4% and 0.73. CONCLUSION: The proposed computer-aided diagnosis system provides a good assessment of the diagnosis of the prostate cancer, which may reduce the burden of radiologists and improve the early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Show more

Keywords: Computer-aided detection, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, prostate cancer, texture analysis

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248011

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 125-133, 2024

Authors: Yang, Fan | Sang, Pengzhi | Shen, Xiaojing | Yang, Sanjun | Meng, Yunchen | Hu, Huiming

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) holds profound implications for the holistic development of college students. However, students with chronic diseases or physical disabilities experience significantly limited PA during adaptive sports. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the relationship between physical activity and Functional Movement Screening (FMS) among university students who participate in the adaptive physical course. METHODS: 36 university students (from the adaptive physical course) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form (IPAQ-L). Body measurements and FMS were assessed. Correlation analysis and t -tests were used to determine relationships and differences between …various indicators. A two-way analysis of variance was used to investigate potential variations in FMS scores based on gender and weight status. RESULTS: The results show that gender, PA, and BMI significantly influence FMS scores in students participating in adaptive physical courses. FMS score is significantly negatively correlated with BMI and significantly positively correlated with PA. The FMS score for males, as well as the scores for Trunk Stability Push-Up and Rotary Stability, are significantly higher than those for females. CONCLUSION: University students in adaptive physical courses can benefit from increased PA and FMS scores. Improving functional movement and enhancing physical activity are crucial for promoting overall health in this population. Show more

Keywords: Physical activity, functional movement screen, adaptive physical courses

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248012

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 135-144, 2024

Authors: Zhang, Nan | Nie, Yanmin | Dong, Bingyue | Zhang, Da | Li, Guojun | Ning, Junyu | Xian, Bo | Chen, Weiyang | Gao, Shan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Caenorhabditis elegans is a widely used model animal. Chemotaxis assay is one of the experiments that study the effects of different chemicals on nematodes. It is mainly used to study the effects of different chemicals on the perception behavior of nematodes. By conducting this experiment, not only can the neurotoxicity of chemicals be reflected, but also the impact of chemicals on physiological functions regulated by the nervous system, such as nematode feeding behavior and basic motor ability. OBJECTIVE: The experiment of detecting the response of nematode to chemicals is also a common method of chemical …toxicity testing based on nematode models. In the analysis of worm tendency behavior, manual operations are generally used. Manually processing a large number of worms under a microscope is very time-consuming and labor-intensive. The current quantitative methods for nematode chemotaxis experiments are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also biased in experimental results due to differences in judgment standards among experimenters. The automatic and efficient quantification method for nematode chemotaxis experiments is a very important technical difficulty in the field of nematode experiments. METHODS: Here, we have designed an automatic quantification method for nematode chemotaxis experiments by incorporating image acquisition and processing techniques into the nematode experiment. RESULTS: The experimental results show that the Pearson correlation coefficient between manual and automatic counting results is 0.978. CONCLUSION: This proves the effectiveness of our method. Applying the automatic measurement method to replace manual counting by the experimenter can improve work efficiency, and reduce errors in human counting operations. Show more

Keywords: C. elegans, image processing, behavior analysis, automatic quantification

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248013

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 145-154, 2024

Authors: Kim, Heejun | Park, Chanhee | You, Joshua (Sung) H.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Conventional hamstring (HAM) stretching therapeutic effects are not substantiable in neuromusculoskeletal conditions with HAM tightness or shortness. We developed a kinetic chain stabilization exercise to provide a more sustainable effectiveness in adults with HAM tightness. However, its therapeutic effects and underlying motor mechanisms remain unknown. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of traditional active HAM stretching (AHS) and kinetic chain stretching (KCS) on electromyographic (EMG) amplitude and hip flexion range of motion (ROM) in participants with HAM tightness. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 18 participants (mean age: 25.01 ± …2.47 years) with HAM tightness were assigned to the AHS or KCS group. Hip joint movement, EMG amplitude, and onset times were recorded in the bilateral erector spinae, HAM, transverse abdominis/internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO), and rectus abdominis during a straight leg raise test. RESULTS: Compared to AHS, KCS led to greater increase in the hip flexion ROM and EMG activation amplitudes in the left and right EO and left IO. Post-test hip flexion ROM data in both the groups were higher than the pre-test data. CONCLUSION: KCS produced more sustainable effectiveness in hip flexion movement and EMG motor control patterns in participants with HAM tightness than AHS. Show more

Keywords: Electromyography, hamstring, kinetic chain, muscle tightness, range of motion, stabilization exercise

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248014

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 155-167, 2024

Authors: Zeng, Weijun | Xiao, Donggen | Chen, Ruitao | Lu, Yao | Liang, Weiguo | Sun, Haixuan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: High-quality control of the gas environment in incubators is crucial for in vitro embryo development, which requires high accuracy, fast recovery, and low gas consumption. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we propose a novel gas mixing and distribution system and method as an alternative solution for multi-chamber embryo incubators. METHODS: The system-based embryo incubator enables a controllable gas circulation process and a quantitative supply of CO2 and N2 . To determine the optimal parameters for the mixing time and flow rate of the circulated gases, we conducted contrast experiments on the …system-based incubator. To evaluate the performance of the gas system in the incubator, we conducted tests under four different initial conditions, simulating various practical application scenarios. Furthermore, we performed a mouse embryo assay to assess the system’s effectiveness. RESULTS: The results show that the system achieved a gas concentration accuracy of ± 0.2% (volume fraction) after stabilization, a minimum recovery time of 5 minutes, an average consumption of 8.9 L/d for N2 and 0.83 L/d for CO2 during routine operation, and a blastocyst rate exceeding 90% observed after 96 hours of culture in the incubator. CONCLUSION: The system and method demonstrate a significant advantage in terms of low gas consumption compared to existing incubators, while still maintaining high accuracy and fast recovery. Show more

Keywords: Gas mixing, gas distribution, concentration control, low gas consumption, embryo incubator

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248015

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 169-181, 2024

Authors: Chen, Yunyi | Quan, Lan | Long, Chao | Chen, Yuxuan | Zu, Li | Huang, Chenxi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Brain tumor is a highly destructive, aggressive, and fatal disease. The presence of brain tumors can disrupt the brain’s ability to control body movements, consciousness, sensations, thoughts, speech, and memory. Brain tumors are often accompanied by symptoms like epilepsy, headaches, and sensory loss, leading to varying degrees of cognitive impairment in affected patients. OBJECTIVE: The study goal is to develop an effective method to detect and segment brain tumor with high accurancy. METHODS: This paper proposes a novel U-Net+ ⁣ + network using EfficientNet as the encoder to …segment brain tumors based on MRI images. We adjust the original U-Net+ ⁣ + model by removing the dense skip connections between sub-networks to simplify computational complexity and improve model efficiency, while the connections of feature maps at the same resolution level are retained to bridge the semantic gap. RESULTS: The proposed segmentation model is trained and tested on Kaggle’s LGG brain tumor dataset, which obtains a satisfying performance with a Dice coefficient of 0.9180. CONCLUSION: This paper conducts research on brain tumor segmentation, using the U-Net+ ⁣ + network with EfficientNet as an encoder to segment brain tumors based on MRI images. We adjust the original U-Net+ ⁣ + model to simplify calculations and maintains rich semantic spatial features at the same time. Multiple loss functions are compared in this study and their effectiveness are discussed. The experimental results shows the model achieves a high segmention result with Dice coefficient of 0.9180. Show more

Keywords: Brain tumor segmentation, EfficientNet encoder, U-Net+⁣+ framework

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248016

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 183-195, 2024

Authors: Lee, Heonzoo | Park, Rayoung | Kim, Sejin | Cho, Hyong-Ho | Won, Yonggwan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The speech reception threshold (SRT), synonymous with the speech recognition threshold, denotes the minimum hearing level required for an individual to discern 50% of presented speech material. This threshold is measured independently in each ear with a repetitive up-down adjustment of stimulus level starting from the initial SRT value derived from pure tone thresholds (PTTs), measured via pure-tone audiometry (PTA). However, repetitive adjustments in the test contributes to increased fatigue for both patients and audiologists, compromising the reliability of the hearing tests. OBJECTIVE: Determining the first (initial) sound level closer to the finally determined SRT …value, is important to reduce the number of repetitions. The existing method to determine the initial sound level is to average the PTTs called pure tone average (PTAv). METHODS: We propose a novel method using a machine learning approach to estimate a more optimal initial sound level for the SRT test. Specifically, a convolutional neural network with 1-dimensional filters (1D CNN) was implemented to predict a superior initial level than the conventional methods. RESULTS: Our approach produced a reduction of 37.92% in the difference between the initial stimulus level and the final SRT value. CONCLUSIONS: This outcome substantiates that our approach can reduce the repetitions for finding the final SRT, and, as the result, the hearing test time can be reduced. Show more

Keywords: Hearing test, speech audiometry, pure tone threshold, speech reception threshold, convolutional neural network

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248017

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 197-206, 2024

Authors: Zhou, Xuezhong | Li, Chenxi | Su, Hai | Tang, Zhixian | Li, Ping | Li, Yijie | Hou, Jiawei | Sun, Xun

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Computer-aided tongue and face diagnosis technology can make Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) more standardized, objective and quantified. However, many tongue images collected by the instrument may not meet the standard in clinical applications, which affects the subsequent quantitative analysis. The common tongue diagnosis instrument cannot determine whether the patient has fully extended the tongue or collected the face. OBJECTIVE: This paper proposes an image quality control algorithm based on deep learning to verify the eligibility of TCM tongue diagnosis images. METHODS: We firstly gathered enough images and categorized them into five states. …Secondly, we preprocessed the training images. Thirdly, we built a ResNet34 model and trained it by the transfer learning method. Finally, we input the test images into the trained model and automatically filter out unqualified images and point out the reasons. RESULTS: Experimental results show that the model’s quality control accuracy rate of the test dataset is as high as 97.06%. Our methods have the strong discriminative power of the learned representation. Compared with previous studies, it can guarantee subsequent tongue image processing. CONCLUSIONS: Our methods can guarantee the subsequent quantitative analysis of tongue shape, tongue state, tongue spirit, and facial complexion. Show more

Keywords: Image quality control, tongue image classification, deep learning

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248018

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 207-216, 2024

Authors: Jiang, Yanan | Zhang, Chengyi | Zhang, Xinyue | Lan, Na | Zhao, Zihan | Xv, Yawei | Wang, Qi | Wang, Siwei | Chen, Baifeng | Chen, Xi | Wang, Yilin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In recent years, hyperuricemia and acute gouty arthritis have become increasingly common, posing a serious threat to public health. Current treatments primarily involve Western medicines with associated toxic side effects. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects of total flavones from Prunus tomentosa (PTTF) on a rat model of gout and explore the mechanism of PTTF’s anti-gout action through the TLR4/NF-κ B signaling pathway. METHODS: We measured serum uric acid (UA), creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α ), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β …), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Histopathological changes were observed using HE staining, and the expression levels of relevant proteins were detected through Western blotting. RESULTS: After PTTF treatment, all indicators improved significantly. PTTF reduced blood levels of UA, Cr, BUN, IL-1β , IL-6, and TNF-α , and decreased ankle swelling. CONCLUSIONS: PTTF may have a therapeutic effect on animal models of hyperuricemia and acute gouty arthritis by reducing serum UA levels, improving ankle swelling, and inhibiting inflammation. The primary mechanism involves the regulation of the TLR4/NF-κ B signaling pathway to alleviate inflammation. Further research is needed to explore deeper mechanisms. Show more

Keywords: Prunus tomentosa total flavones, hyperuricemia, acute gouty arthritis, TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248019

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 217-228, 2024

Authors: Li, Zongjin | Song, Changxin | Yang, Jiyu | Jia, Zeyu | Chen, Dongzhen | Yan, Chengying | Tian, Liqin | Wu, Xiaoming

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Selecting an appropriate similarity measurement method is crucial for obtaining biologically meaningful clustering modules. Commonly used measurement methods are insufficient in capturing the complexity of biological systems and fail to accurately represent their intricate interactions. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to obtain biologically meaningful gene modules by using the clustering algorithm based on a similarity measurement method. METHODS: A new algorithm called the Dual-Index Nearest Neighbor Similarity Measure (DINNSM) was proposed. This algorithm calculated the similarity matrix between genes using Pearson’s or Spearman’s correlation. It was then used to construct a nearest-neighbor table …based on the similarity matrix. The final similarity matrix was reconstructed using the positions of shared genes in the nearest neighbor table and the number of shared genes. RESULTS: Experiments were conducted on five different gene expression datasets and compared with five widely used similarity measurement techniques for gene expression data. The findings demonstrate that when utilizing DINNSM as the similarity measure, the clustering results performed better than using alternative measurement techniques. CONCLUSIONS: DINNSM provided more accurate insights into the intricate biological connections among genes, facilitating the identification of more accurate and biological gene co-expression modules. Show more

Keywords: Clustering, co-expression module, gene expression data, similarity measure

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248020

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 229-239, 2024

Authors: Dou, Yifeng | Liu, Jiantao | Meng, Wentao | Zhang, Yingchao

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: With the advent of artificial intelligence technology, machine learning algorithms have been widely used in the area of disease prediction. OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) seriously jeopardizes human health worldwide, thereby needing the establishment of an effective CVD prediction model that can be of great significance for controlling the risk of the disease and safeguarding the physical and mental health of the population. METHODS: Considering the UCI heart disease dataset as an example, initially, a single machine learning prediction model was constructed. Subsequently, six methods such as Pearson, chi-squared, RFE and LightGBM were …comprehensively used for the feature screening. On the basis of the base classifiers, Soft Voting fusion and Stacking fusion was carried out to build a prediction model for cardiovascular diseases, in order to realize an early warning and disease intervention for high-risk populations. To address the data imbalance problem, the SMOTE method was adopted to process the data set, and the prediction effect of the model was analyzed using multi-dimensional and multi-indicators. RESULTS: In the single classifier model, the MLP algorithm performed optimally on the preprocessed heart disease dataset. After feature selection, five features eliminated. The ENSEM_SV algorithm that combines the base classifiers to determine the prediction results by soft voting on the results of the classifiers achieved the optimal value on five metrics such as Accuracy, Jaccard_Score, Hamm_Loss, AUC, etc., and the AUC value reached 0.951. The RF, ET, GBDT, and LGB algorithms were employed in the first stage sub-model composed of base classifiers. The AB algorithm was selected as the second stage model, and the ensemble algorithm ENSEM_ST, obtained by Stacking fusion of the two stages exhibited the best performance on 7 indicators such as Accuracy, Sensitivity, F1_Score, Mathew_Corrcoef, etc., and the AUC reached 0.952. Furthermore, a comparison of the algorithms’ classification effects based on different training set occupancy was carried out. The results indicated that the prediction performance of both the fusion models was better than the single models, and the overall effect of ENSEM_ST fusion was stronger than the ENSEM_SV fusion. CONCLUSIONS: The fusion model established in this study improved the overall classification accuracy and stability of the model to a significant extent. It has a good application value in the predictive analysis of CVD diagnosis, and can provide a valuable reference in the disease diagnosis and intervention strategies. Show more

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease, prediction, supervised learning, comparison, feature selection, ensemble learning

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248021

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 241-251, 2024

Authors: Namkoong, Seung | Roh, Hyolyun

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The dominant feature of Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) is gradual cognitive decline, which can be reflected by reduced finger dexterity. OBJECTIVE: This review analyzed reports on hand function in AD patients to determine the possibility of using it for an early diagnosis and for monitoring the disease progression of AD. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane library were searched systematically (search dates: 2000–2022), and relevant articles were cross-checked for related and relevant publications. RESULTS: Seventeen studies assessed the association of the handgrip strength or dexterity with cognitive performance. …The hand dexterity was strongly correlated with the cognitive function in all studies. In the hand dexterity test using the pegboard, there was little difference in the degree of decline in hand function between the healthy elderly (HE) group and the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) group. On the other hand, there was a difference in the hand function between the HE group and the AD group. In addition, the decline in hand dexterity is likely to develop from moderate to severe dementia. In complex hand movements, movement speed variations were greater in the AD than in the HE group, and the automaticity, regularity, and rhythm were reduced. CONCLUSIONS: HE and AD can be identified by a simple hand motion test using a pegboard. The data can be used to predict dementia progression from moderate dementia to severe dementia. An evaluation of complex hand movements can help predict the transition from MCI to AD and the progression from moderate to severe dementia. Show more

Keywords: Alzheimer’s dementia, hand function, hand dexterity, handgrip strength, cognitive impairment

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248022

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 253-264, 2024

Authors: Hong, Shichai | Chen, Yihui | Lin, Yue | Xie, Xinsheng | Chen, Gang | Xie, Hefu | Lu, Weifeng

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: This study utilizes machine learning to analyze the recurrence risk of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) in elderly diabetic patients, aiming to enhance prevention and intervention efforts. OBJECTIVE: The goal is to construct accurate predictive models for assessing the recurrence risk of DFUs based on high-risk factors, such as age, blood sugar control, alcohol consumption, and smoking, in elderly diabetic patients. METHODS: Data from 138 elderly diabetic patients were collected, and after data cleaning, outlier screening, and feature integration, machine learning models were constructed. Support Vector Machine (SVM) was employed, achieving an accuracy …rate of 93%. RESULTS: Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of SVM in predicting the recurrence risk of DFUs in elderly diabetic patients, providing clinicians with a more accurate tool for assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the significance of machine learning in managing foot ulcers in elderly diabetic patients, particularly in predicting recurrence risk. This approach facilitates timely intervention, reducing the likelihood of patient recurrence, and introduces computer-assisted medical strategies in elderly diabetes management. Show more

Keywords: Elderly diabetic patients, machine learning, diabetic foot ulcers, recurrence risk

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248023

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 265-276, 2024

Authors: Gai, Xinghui | Cai, Huifang | Wang, Junying | Li, Xinyue | Sui, Yan | Liu, Kang | Yang, Dewu

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis is an important area of research in the field of clinical medicine. Due to the complexity in the MRI imaging sequences and the diverse structure of cartilage, there are many challenges in the segmentation of knee bone and cartilage. Relevant studies have conducted semantic fusion processing through splicing or summing forms, which results in reduced resolution and the accumulation of redundant information. OBJECTIVE: This study was envisaged to construct an MRI image segmentation model to improve the diagnostic efficiency and accuracy of different grade knee osteoarthritis by adopting the Dual …Attention and Multi-scale Feature Fusion Segmentation network (DA-MFFSnet). METHODS: The feature information of different scales was fused through the Multi-scale Attention Downsample module to extract more accurate feature information, and the Global Attention Upsample module weighted lower-level feature information to reduce the loss of key information. RESULTS: The collected MRI knee images were screened and labeled, and the study results showed that the segmentation effect of DA-MFFSNet model was closer to that of the manually labeled images. The mean intersection over union, the dice similarity coefficient and the volumetric overlap error was 92.74%, 91.08% and 7.44%, respectively, and the accuracy of the differential diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis was 84.42%. CONCLUSIONS: The model exhibited better stability and classification effect. Our results indicated that the Dual Attention and Multi-scale Feature Fusion Segmentation model can improve the segmentation effect of MRI knee images in mild and medium knee osteoarthritis, thereby offering an important clinical value and improving the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis. Show more

Keywords: Coronary atherosclerosis, morphological processing, regional growth, auxiliary diagnosis, vascular stenosis

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248024

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 277-286, 2024

Authors: Guo, Kai | Lu, Jingxin | Yang, Hongbo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Prosthetic hands have the potential to replace human hands. Using prosthetic hands can help patients with hand loss to complete the necessary daily living actions. OBJECTIVE: This paper studies the design of a bionic, compact, low-cost, and lightweight 3D printing humanoid hand. The five fingers are underactuated, with a total of 9 degrees of freedom. METHODS: In the design of an underactuated hand, it is a basic element composed of an actuator, spring, rope, and guide system. A single actuator is providing power for five fingers. And the dynamic simulation is carried …out to calculate the motion trajectory effect. RESULTS: In this paper, the driving structure of the ultrasonic motor was designed, and the structural size of the ultrasonic motor vibrator was determined by modal and transient simulation analysis, which replace the traditional brake, realize the lightweight design of prosthetic hand, improve the motion accuracy and optimize the driving performance of prosthetic hand. CONCLUSIONS: By replacing traditional actuators with new types of actuators, lightweight design of prosthetic hands can be achieved, improving motion accuracy and optimizing the driving performance of prosthetic hands. Show more

Keywords: Prosthetic hand, ultrasonic motor, analysis

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248025

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 287-297, 2024

Authors: Yang, Cuiyun | Bian, Taicheng | Yang, Jin | Hou, Junyi | Cao, Yiliang | Han, Zhihui | Zhao, Xiaoyan | Wen, Weijun | Zhu, Xijun

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Plane-wave imaging is widely employed in medical imaging due to its ultra-fast imaging speed. However, the image quality is compromised. Existing techniques to enhance image quality tend to sacrifice the imaging frame rate. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to reconstruct high-quality plane-wave images while maintaining the imaging frame rate. METHODS: The proposed method utilizes a U-Net-based generator incorporating a multi-scale convolution module in the encoder to extract information at different levels. Additionally, a Dynamic Criss-Cross Attention (DCCA) mechanism is proposed in the decoder of the U-Net-based generator to extract both local and global …features of plane-wave images while avoiding interference caused by irrelevant regions. RESULTS: In the reconstruction of point targets, the experimental images achieved a reduction in Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) of 0.0499 mm, compared to the Coherent Plane-Wave Compounding (CPWC) method using 75-beam plane waves. For the reconstruction of cyst targets, the simulated image achieved a 3.78% improvement in Contrast Ratio (CR) compared to CPWC. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed model effectively addresses the issue of unclear lesion sites in plane-wave images. Show more

Keywords: Reconstruction, multi-scale convolution, dynamic criss-cross attention

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248026

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 299-312, 2024

Authors: Lin, Zhong | Yang, Guang-Ming | Ye, Xiu-Bi | Liu, Xiang-Bo | Chen, Song-Sen | Zhang, Yu-Ling | Zhuo, Pi-Qi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: With the widespread use of low-dose spiral computed tomography (LDCT) and increasing awareness of personal health, the detection rate of pulmonary nodules is steadily rising. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the success rate and safety of two different models of Hook-Wire needle localization procedures for pulmonary small nodule biopsy. METHODS: Ninety-four cases with a total of 97 pulmonary small nodules undergoing needle localization biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. The cases were divided into two groups: Group A, using breast localization needle steel wire (Bard Healthcare Science Co., Ltd.); Group B, using disposable pulmonary nodule puncture …needle (SensCure Biotechnology Co., Ltd.). All patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for nodule removal on the same day after localization and biopsy. The puncture localization operation time, success rate, complications such as pulmonary hemorrhage, pneumothorax, hemoptysis, and postoperative comfort were observed and compared. RESULTS: In Group A, the average localization operation time for 97 nodules was 15.47 ± 5.31 minutes, with a success rate of 94.34%. The complication rate was 71.69% (12 cases of pneumothorax, 35 cases of pulmonary hemorrhage, 2 cases of hemoptysis), and 40 cases of post-localization discomfort were reported. In Group B, the average localization operation time was 25.32 ± 7.83 minutes, with a 100% success rate. The complication rate was 29.55% (3 cases of pneumothorax, 15 cases of pulmonary hemorrhage, 0 cases of hemoptysis), and 3 cases reported postoperative discomfort. According to the data analysis in this study, Group B had a lower incidence of puncture-related complications than Group A, along with a higher success rate and significantly greater postoperative comfort. CONCLUSIONS: The disposable pulmonary nodule puncture needle is safer and more effective in pulmonary small nodule localization biopsy, exhibiting increased comfort compared to the breast localization needle. Additionally, the incidence of complications is significantly lower. Show more

Keywords: CT-guided, pulmonary small nodule, needle localization, Hook-Wire needle

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248027

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 313-320, 2024

Authors: Yin, Shuang | Han, Fujun | Zhou, Chenliang | Zhao, Yonghou

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The process of wound healing is complex, and expediting it remains a challenge. The advantages of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields (ELF-EMF) are its non-invasive treatment, promotes healing and promotes myogenesis of C2C12 cells. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is known to play a vital role in promoting wound healing, so a combination of ELF-EMF and EGF can have far-reaching significance. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of recombinant murine epidermal growth factor (rmEGF) combined with ELF-EMF on wound healing. METHODS: Thirty-six rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control group, EGF …group, and ELF-EMF+ EGF group, and a 20 mm × 20 mm dorsal wound was made. The wound healing rate of rats was calculated on the 3rd, 7th, 11th and 15th day. HE staining was used to observe the micro-morphological changes during the wound healing process. RESULTS: The wound healing rate of EGF+ ELF-EMF group was better than other groups. On the 15th day of wound healing, the wounds of each group were completely healed. On the 3rd, 7th, 11th and 15th day of HE staining, the early inflammatory cell infiltration, the arrangement of fibroblasts and the number of new capillaries in the wounds of EGF+ ELF-EMF group were better than those of the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: rmEGF combined with ELF-EMF significantly promotes wound healing in SD rats. Show more

Keywords: Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field, ELF-EMF, recombinant murine epidermal growth factor, rmEGF, epidermal growth factor, EGF, epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR, sprague-dawley rats, SD rats

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248028

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 321-328, 2024

Authors: Zhang, Qiaohui | Xu, Demin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Heart failure poses a significant challenge in the global health domain, and accurate prediction of mortality is crucial for devising effective treatment plans. In this study, we employed a Seq2Seq model from deep learning, integrating 12 patient features. By finely modeling continuous medical records, we successfully enhanced the accuracy of mortality prediction. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to leverage the Seq2Seq model in conjunction with patient features for precise mortality prediction in heart failure cases, surpassing the performance of traditional machine learning methods. METHODS: The study utilized a Seq2Seq model …in deep learning, incorporating 12 patient features, to intricately model continuous medical records. The experimental design aimed to compare the performance of Seq2Seq with traditional machine learning methods in predicting mortality rates. RESULTS: The experimental results demonstrated that the Seq2Seq model outperformed conventional machine learning methods in terms of predictive accuracy. Feature importance analysis provided critical patient risk factors, offering robust support for formulating personalized treatment plans. CONCLUSIONS: This research sheds light on the significant applications of deep learning, specifically the Seq2Seq model, in enhancing the precision of mortality prediction in heart failure cases. The findings present a valuable direction for the application of deep learning in the medical field and provide crucial insights for future research and clinical practices. Show more

Keywords: Heart failure, Seq2Seq model, medical decision support, mortality prediction

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248029

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 329-337, 2024

Authors: Hao, Chenru | Su, Rui | Dong, Chunnan | Zhang, Jingjing | Chi, Ziqiang | Meng, Fanzhen | Zhao, Ruibin | Wu, Yanru | Wang, Linlin | Li, Pengfei | Chen, Chengwei | Lian, Qingjie | Cheng, Li

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Flight accidents caused by spatial disorientation (SD) greatly affect flight safety. OBJECTIVE: Few studies have been devoted to the evaluation of SD. METHODS: 10 pilots and 10 non-pilots were recruited for the experimental induction of SD. Videos for giving optical flow stimuli were played at two different flow speeds to induce SD. Subjective judgment and center of foot pressure (CoP) data were collected from the tests. The data were combined to determine the occurrence of SD and analyze the SD types. RESULTS: The number of self-reported SD events …was slightly smaller in the pilots than in the non-pilots. The average upper bound of the confidence interval for the standard deviation of CoP was 0.32 ± 0.09 cm and 0.38 ± 0.12 cm in the pilots and non-pilots, respectively. This indicator was significantly lower in the pilots than in the non-pilots (P = 0.03). The success rate of the experimental induction of unrecognized SD was 26.7% and 45.0% in the pilots and non-pilots, respectively. CONCLUSION: The method offered a new to analyze unrecognized SD. We could determine the occurrence unrecognized SD. This is an essential means of reducing flight accidents caused by unrecognized SD. Show more

Keywords: Optical flow, plantar pressure, spatial disorientation, unrecognized

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248030

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 339-349, 2024

Authors: Yang, Xiaorong | Hu, Jieping | Chen, Qiang | Yang, Lin | Liu, Yifu | Luo, Longhua | Ma, Ming | Xie, Wenjie | Gong, Binbin | Sun, Ting | Tang, Jiazhen | Liu, Fang

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: A growing body of evidence has shown that activating spinal cord glial cells (typically astrocytes and microglial cells) is closely related to hyperpathia and persistent pain. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of GFAP and CR3/CD11b in cornu dorsale medullae spinalis of rats with nonbacterial prostatitis, to explore the therapeutic efficacy and action mechanism of intrathecal injection of BNP alleviating chronic neuropathic pain. METHODS: Eighteen male SPF SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation control group, nonbacterial prostatitis group (NBP) and intrathecal injection BNP group, the NBP model was established by intraprostatic injection …of CFA, and the spinal cord of L6-S1 segment was extracted seven days after intrathecal injection of BNP; The expression of GFAP and CR3/CD11b in dorsal horn of spinal cord were detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot. RESULTS: The cumulative optical density values of GFAP and CR3/CD11b immunofluorescence assay in the NBP group were higher than those in the sham operation group, with statistical significance (p ⁢ < ⁢ ¼ ⁢ 0.01); The expression of GFAP and CR3/CD11b in intrathecal injection BNP group were lower than those in NBP group, the differences were statistically significant (p ⁢ < ⁢ ¼ ⁢ 0.01). Western blot results showed that the expression of GFAP and CR3/CD11B in NBP group were higher than those in sham operation group, with statistical significance (p ⁢ < ⁢ ¼ ⁢ 0.05). The expression of GFAP and CR3/CD11B in intrathecal injection BNP group were lower than those in NBP group, the differences were statistically significant (p ⁢ < ⁢ ¼ ⁢ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Intrathecal injection of BNP can down-regulate the expressions of GFAP and CR3/CD11b in L6-S1 spinal cord of NBP rat model and to further inhibit chronic pain caused by NBP. Show more

Keywords: Nonbacterial prostatitis BNP, GFAP, CR3/CD11b

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248031

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 351-359, 2024

Authors: Kim, Ji-Won | Cha, Sang-Ho | Lee, Min-Kyun | Ko, Junghyuk | Kwon, Yu-Ri

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Studies investigating postural balance during various infant care postures have not been reported yet. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to measure static postural balance when holding an infant dummy in-arms and carrying an infant dummy on back according to different infant dummy weights. METHODS: Sixteen healthy young subjects participated in a balance test. Infant dummies with weights of 4.6 kg (1-month) and 9.8 kg (12-month) were used in this study. All subjects were asked to naturally stand on a force platform in two infant care postures (holding an infant in-arms and …carrying an infant on one’s back). Center of pressure (COP) was measured from the force platform. Quantitative variables were derived from the COP. Two-way repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine main effects of infant care postures, infant weight, and their interactions on COP variables. RESULTS: Back carrying a 12-month infant dummy had the greatest amplitude in all COP variables. Back carrying posture showed significantly greater mean distance and peak power, faster mean velocity, and wider COP area compared to holding posture (P < 0.05). There were significant weight effects of most COP variables mainly in AP direction (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our results could contribute to the prevention of musculoskeletal diseases or prevention of fall due to various infant care activities by developing an assisting device to improve postural balance. Show more

Keywords: Infant care, center of pressure, static postural balance, infant carrying posture, infant weight

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248032

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 361-369, 2024

Authors: Jiang, Wei | Zhang, Youmeng | Yan, Jie | He, Zhiyan | Chen, Weixu

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Enterococcus faecalis biofilm was frequently found on the failed treated root canal wall, which survived by resisting disinfectant during endodontic treatment.Many researches have been conducted to explore the mechanisms of persistence of this pathogen in unfavorable conditions. However, no comprehensive proteomics studies have been conducted to investigate stress response in Enterococcus faecalis caused by alkali and NaOCl. OBJECTIVE: Enterococcus faecalis (E.f) has been recognized as a main pathogen of refractory apical periodontitis, its ability to withstand environmental pressure is the key to grow in the environment of high alkaline and anti-bacterial drug that causes chronic infection in …the root canal. This study aims to focus on the protein expression patterns of E.f biofilm under extreme pressure environment”. METHODS: Enterococcus faecalis biofilm model was established in vitro. Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS/MS)-based label free quantitative proteomics approach was applied to compare differential protein expression under different environmental pressures (pH 10 and 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)). And then qPCR and Parallel Reaction Monitoring Verification (PRM) were utilized to verify the consequence of proteomics. RESULTS: The number of taxa in this study was higher than those in previous studies, demonstrating the presence of a remarkable number of proteins in the groups of high alkaline and NaOCl. Proteins involved in ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter were significantly enriched in experimental samples. We identified a total of 15 highly expressed ABC transporters in the high alkaline environment pressure group, with 7 proteins greater than 1.5 times. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed considerable changes in expression of proteins in E.f biofilm during resistance to environmental pressures. The findings enriched our understanding of association between the differential expression proteins and environmental pressures. Show more

Keywords: Enterococcus faecalis, biofilm, proteomics, alkaline stress, sodium hypochlorite

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248033

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 371-383, 2024

Authors: Yang, Jiao | Zhao, Sha | Zhang, Rui | Huang, Cheng | Huang, Ke-Yao | Cheng, Ying | He, Cheng-Qi | Li, Ling-Xin

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of thoracic manipulation (TM) in patients with neck pain (NP). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of thoracic manipulation (TM) in patients with neck pain (NP). METHODS: Seven electronic databases were searched from their inception through October 2023 by two authors. The methodological quality assessments were performed with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Pain, cervical range of motion (ROM), disability, and quality of life (QOL) were estimated for TM treatment in patients with NP. …RESULTS: Eighteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 914 patients were included with a PEDro score of 6.923 ± 3.120. Pooled effect sizes of pain (SMD = - 0.481, 95% CI - 0.653 to - 0.309, P = 0.000), disability (SMD = - 1.435, 95% CI - 2.480 to - 0.390, P = 0.007), QOL-physical component score (PCS) (SMD = 0.658, 95% CI 0.290 to 1.025, P = 0.000), ROM of flexion (SMD = 0.921, 95% CI 0.287 to 1.555, P = 0.000), ROM of extension (SMD = 0.572, 95% CI 0.321 to 0.822, P = 0.000), ROM of left lateral flexion (SMD = 0.593, 95% CI 0.075 to 1.112, P = 0.025) and ROM of left rotation (SMD = 0.230, 95% CI 0.010 to 0.450, P = 0.04) were favored by the TM group. CONCLUSIONS: TM provides short-term effect on relieving neck pain, increasing cervical ROM, and disability in patients with NP without serious side effects. Continuous therapy and distraction therapy are recommended as optimal choice on reducing pain and improving cervical ROM, especially in patients with chronic NP (> 3 months). The TM-induced improvements in the QOL of patients with NP should be verified by more further high-quality RCTs. Show more

Keywords: Thoracic manipulation (TM), thoracic spine manipulation, chronic neck pain, neck pain, cervical range of motion (ROM), disability

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248034

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 385-402, 2024

Authors: Liao, Shijia | Wang, Bin | Lin, Shiming

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are the top cause of death in China. Manual segmentation of cardiovascular images, prone to errors, demands an automated, rapid, and precise solution for clinical diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: The paper highlights deep learning in automatic cardiovascular image segmentation, efficiently identifying pixel regions of interest for auxiliary diagnosis and research in cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: In our study, we introduce innovative Region Weighted Fusion (RWF) and Shape Feature Refinement (SFR) modules, utilizing polarized self-attention for significant performance improvement in multiscale feature integration and shape fine-tuning. The RWF module includes reshaping, weight computation, and feature fusion, enhancing …high-resolution attention computation and reducing information loss. Model optimization through loss functions offers a more reliable solution for cardiovascular medical image processing. RESULTS: Our method excels in segmentation accuracy, emphasizing the vital role of the RWF module. It demonstrates outstanding performance in cardiovascular image segmentation, potentially raising clinical practice standards. CONCLUSIONS: Our method ensures reliable medical image processing, guiding cardiovascular segmentation for future advancements in practical healthcare and contributing scientifically to enhanced disease diagnosis and treatment. Show more

Keywords: Cardiovascular image segmentation, self-attention mechanism, medical image processing, diagnostic accuracy

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248035

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 403-413, 2024

Authors: Gong, Wontae

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Maintaining gait stability is an important factor for preventing falls of normal adults. Thus, it is necessary to conduct research on gait variables in normal adults. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we conducted research on the effect of rhythmic exercise using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) patterns on gait variables in normal adults. METHODS: Thirty-two subjects were divided into two groups, the training and control groups, with 16 subjects in each group. We measured various gait variables step time difference (STD), step length difference (SLD), single support difference (SSD), stance phase difference (STPD) and …swing phase difference (SWPD) for the pre-test and post-test in each group. RESULTS: As a result of paired t-tests on various gait variables (STD, SLD, SSD, STPD, SWPD) of the training and control group, the training group showed significance in SLD, STPD and STD and the control group had no significance in all items. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, which verified the effect of rhythmic exercise using the PNF patterns on the gait variables of normal adults, there was statistical significance in SLD, STPD, and STD showing that dynamic exercise using the PNF pattern is helpful in improving the walking ability of normal adults. Show more

Keywords: Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, rhythmic exercise, OptoGait, gait analysis

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248036

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 415-422, 2024

Authors: Zhao, Xitong | Wen, Zhijie

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a noninvasive method used for investigating the microstructural properties of the brain. However, a tradeoff exists between resolution and scanning time in clinical practice. Super-resolution has been employed to enhance spatial resolution in natural images, but its application on high-dimensional and non-Euclidean DWI remains challenging. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop an end-to-end deep learning network for enhancing the spatial resolution of DWI through post-processing. METHODS: We proposed a space-customized deep learning approach that leveraged convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for the grid structural domain (x-space) and graph CNNs (GCNNs) for …the diffusion gradient domain (q-space). Moreover, we represented the output of CNN as a graph using correlations defined by a Gaussian kernel in q-space to bridge the gap between CNN and GCNN feature formats. RESULTS: Our model was evaluated on the Human Connectome Project, demonstrating the effective improvement of DWI quality using our proposed method. Extended experiments also highlighted its advantages in downstream tasks. CONCLUSION: The hybrid convolutional neural network exhibited distinct advantages in enhancing the spatial resolution of DWI scans for the feature learning of heterogeneous spatial data. Show more

Keywords: CNN, diffusion-weighted imaging, graph convolution, super-resolution

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248037

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 423-435, 2024

Authors: Zhao, Xingyu | Gai, Lulu | Wang, Liang | Xu, Lei

Article Type: Case Report

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Spleen Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-positive inflammatory follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) is rare, and the imaging signs are unclear. The COVID-19 has been confirmed to be the cause of pneumonia and can cause a variety of diseases including myocarditis. However, it has not been reported to be the cause of the exacerbation or activation of EBV-positive inflammatory FDCS. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to extract the imaging features of EBV-positive inflammatory FDCS in the spleen and analyze the reasons for the special features of this case. METHODS: By analyzing the patient’s treatment process and …imaging examinations (A 77-year-old female was admitted to the hospital due to generalized discomfort and pain symptoms. When she was admitted to the hospital a year earlier with COVID-19 pneumonia, a chest CT scan showed that she had a splenic tumor. During this admission, CT scans showed two irregularly shaped and unevenly dense soft tissue density masses within the spleen, with uneven enhancement on contrast-enhanced im-aging within the solid components and along the edges. PET/CT scans revealed elevated glucose metabolism in the masses. Postoperative pathological diagnosis confirmed splenic EBV-positive inflammatory FDCS.), reading the literature, sorting out the disease cognitive process, epidemiology, and pathological data of EBV-positive inflammatory FDCS, we discussed the imaging manifestations and possible differential diagnosis of the disease. RESULTS: The patient was finally diagnosed with splenic EBV-positive inflammatory FDCS. CONCLUSIONS: Imaging features of EBV-positive inflammatory FDCS in the spleen include a high incidence of hemorrhage and necrosis, persistent moderate enhancement of the solid portion, a “capsular-like enhancement” structure at the tumor edge, and possibly active glucose metabolism with high Standardized Uptake Values (SUVs). COVID-19 infection and long-term COVID-19 sequelae may exacerbate and activate EBV-positive inflammatory FDCS in the spleen, and the mechanism remains to be further studied. Show more

Keywords: Splenic tumor, inflammatory follicular dendritic cell sarcoma, computed tomography, positron emission tomography/computed tomography

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248038

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 437-445, 2024

Authors: Seo, Shinbae | Kwon, Taekyu | Shin, Miyeon | Jeong, Hochoon | Yu, Mi | Jeong, Jongkyun | Yu, Changho

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is a disease that has recently become an issue, and research on various assessment methods is being conducted based on guidelines published for the diagnosis of sarcopenia. However, most assessments are complex because the inspector must measure each device to collect data, or the elderly must directly manipulate and get assessment. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we developed an sarcopenia assessment system to assess and analyze various sarcopenia in one system. METHODS: The system consists of a scaffold sensor for balance ability assessment, a chair sensor for assessing the walking and lower extremity function, …and a hand-held dynamometer for assessing grip strength. The balance pad consists of 326 FSR (Force Sensitive Resistor) sensors, and the accuracy is 10 kg/± 10%. The chair sensor applied four weight sensors (Loadcells) to the corner of the hip of the chair, and the accuracy is up to 150 kg ± 10%, and the resolution is 1 kg ± 10%. All data is transmitted to the software through a USB cable to assess sarcopenia through data analysis. The software has built a database to manage user-specific data. The assessment items consisted of “Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) Test” and “Hand Grip Strength Test.” After completion, the software automatically terminates the assessment results and classifies sarcopenia according to the presented reference value. RESULTS: The average value of the total SPPB test scores, including the balance test, gait speed test, and chair stand test, of all participants was 9.06 ± 1.97. The average values of the balance test, gait speed test, and chair stand test scores of all participants were 8.48 ± 2.80 sec (score 3.28 ± 1.23), 1.05 ± 0.26 m/sec (score 3.69 ± 0.79), and 16.05 ± 4.62 sec (score 2.08 ± 1.13). The average value of the hand grip test of all participants was 28.57 ± 2.94 kgf. CONCLUSIONS: A preliminary assessment was conducted on the elderly in their 60 s or older with the developed system, and its performance confirmed that the assessment and result analysis were conducted well without any errors in software or hardware. Future studies intend to verify the reliability and accuracy of the assessment results compared to the existing direct measurement methods. In addition, we would like to conduct a study to establish data on the muscle reduction index by age group of Koreans. Show more

Keywords: Sarcopenia, assessment system, preliminary test, rehabilitation, healthcare

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248039

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 447-455, 2024

Authors: Yu, Xia | Ma, Liyong | Wang, Hongjie | Zhang, Yong | Du, Hai | Xu, Kaiyuan | Wang, Lianfang

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) seriously affects children’s health and quality of life, and early detection of CHD can reduce its impact on children’s health. Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and ventricular septal defect (VSD) are two types of CHD that have similarities in echocardiography. However, TOF has worse diagnosis and higher morality than VSD. Accurate differentiation between VSD and TOF is highly important for administrative property treatment and improving affected factors’ diagnoses. OBJECTIVE: TOF and VSD were differentiated using convolutional neural network (CNN) models that classified fetal echocardiography images. METHODS: We collected 105 fetal …echocardiography images of TOF and 96 images of VSD. Four CNN models, namely, VGG19, ResNet50, NTS-Net, and the weakly supervised data augmentation network (WSDAN), were used to differentiate the two congenital heart diseases. The performance of these four models was compared based on sensitivity, accuracy, specificity, and AUC. RESULTS: VGG19 and ResNet50 performed similarly, with AUCs of 0.799 and 0.802, respectively. A superior performance was observed with NTS-Net and WSDAN specific for fine-grained image categorization tasks, with AUCs of 0.823 and 0.873, respectively. WSDAN had the best performance among all models tested. CONCLUSIONS: WSDAN exhibited the best performance in differentiating between TOF and VSD and is worthy of further clinical popularization. Show more

Keywords: Congenital heart disease, fetal echocardiography images, tetralogy of Fallot, ventricular septal defect, deep learning

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248040

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 457-464, 2024

Authors: Chen, Rongcan | Wang, Qinglian | Huang, Xiaoyuan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Oral cancer is a malignant tumor that usually occurs within the tissues of the mouth. This type of cancer mainly includes tumors in the lining of the mouth, tongue, lips, buccal mucosa and gums. Oral cancer is on the rise globally, especially in some specific risk groups. The early stage of oral cancer is usually asymptomatic, while the late stage may present with ulcers, lumps, bleeding, etc. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to propose an effective and accurate method for the identification and classification of oral cancer. METHODS: We applied two deep …learning methods, CNN and Transformers. First, we propose a new CANet classification model for oral cancer, which uses attention mechanisms combined with neglected location information to explore the complex combination of attention mechanisms and deep networks, and fully tap the potential of attention mechanisms. Secondly, we design a classification model based on Swim transform. The image is segmented into a series of two-dimensional image blocks, which are then processed by multiple layers of conversion blocks. RESULTS: The proposed classification model was trained and predicted on Kaggle Oral Cancer Images Dataset, and satisfactory results were obtained. The average accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and F1-Socre of Swin transformer architecture are 94.95%, 95.37%, 95.52% and 94.66%, respectively. The average accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and F1-Score of CANet model were 97.00%, 97.82%, 97.82% and 96.61%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We studied different deep learning algorithms for oral cancer classification, including convolutional neural networks, converters, etc. Our Attention module in CANet leverages the benefits of channel attention to model the relationships between channels while encoding precise location information that captures the long-term dependencies of the network. The model achieves a high classification effect with an accuracy of 97.00%, which can be used in the automatic recognition and classification of oral cancer. Show more

Keywords: Oral cancer classification, attention mechanism, transformer

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248041

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 465-475, 2024

Authors: Park, Chanhee | Yoon, Hyunsik

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Patients with hemiparetic stroke experience diminished motor function, dynamic balance, and gait speed, which influence their activities of daily living (ADL). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the therapeutic effects of ultrasound biofeedback core exercise (UBCE) on Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), Time up and go (TUG), 10-meter walking test (10MWT) and functional independent measure (FIM) in participants with stroke. METHODS: Twenty-four stroke survivors consistently underwent UBCE or abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM) for 30 min/session, 3 days a week for 4 weeks. Clinical outcome measurements – the FMA, TUG, 10MWT, and FIM – were observed pre-and post-intervention. …RESULTS: We detected significant changes in the FMA-lower extremities, TUG, 10MWT, and FIM scores between the UBCE and ADIM groups. UBCE and ADIM showed significant improvements in FMA-lower extremities, TUG, 10MWT, and FIM scores. However, UBCE showed more favorable results than ADIM in patients with stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Our research provides novel therapeutic suggestion of neurorehabilitation in stroke patients. Show more

Keywords: Stroke, somatosensory-evoked potential, balance, gait

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248042

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 477-486, 2024

Authors: Liu, Zuoliang | Nie, Jiachen | Yang, Fan | Zheng, Yi | Ding, Li

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Shoes upper has been shown to affect the shoe microclimate (temperature and humidity). However, the existing data on the correlation between the microclimate inside footwear and the body’s physical factors is still quite limited. OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether shoes air permeability would influence foot microclimate and spatial characteristics of lower limb and body. METHODS: Twelve recreational male habitual runners were instructed to finish an 80 min experimental protocol, wearing two running shoes with different air permeability. RESULTS: Participants wearing CLOSED upper structure shoe exhibited higher in-shoe temperature and relative …humidity. Although there was no significant difference, shank temperature and metabolism in OPEN upper structure shoes were lower. CONCLUSIONS: This indicates that the air permeability of shoes can modify the microclimate of the feet, potentially affecting the lower limb temperature. This study provides relevant information for the design and evaluation of footwear. Show more

Keywords: Footwear, microclimate, thermal comfort, metabolism

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248043

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 487-499, 2024

Authors: Li, Xingcen | Li, Qianpeng | Li, Jinhan | Wang, Xiaoyi | Zou, Huaxiu | Wang, Shuyang | Fan, Jingyi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The etiology of Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To explore the differences in the therapeutic efficacy of pain improvement between medication therapy and laser therapy in patients with BMS. METHODS: 45 BMS patients were randomly divided into three groups: The Combination therapy group (Group A, n = 15), The Medication therapy group (Group B, n = 15), and the Laser therapy group (Group C, n = 15). The pain condition of the patients was evaluated …using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the improvement in pain before and after treatment was compared among the three groups. RESULTS: All three groups (A, B, and C) showed a significant reduction in NRS scores after treatment, with statistically significant differences observed among the different groups. Group A exhibited the most significant improvement, with a statistically significant difference before and after treatment. CONCLUSION: Laser and medication therapy are effective methods for reducing oral burning pain * symptoms, and their combined use yields more significant therapeutic effects. Show more

Keywords: Laser therapy, medication therapy, burning mouth syndrome

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248044

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 501-509, 2024

Authors: Park, Seonmi | You, Joshua (Sung) H.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: While the limited ankle dorsiflexion syndrome (ADS) is common in neuro-musculoskeletal conditions, the instrument-assisted mobilization focused on the shortened gastro-soleus myofascial structure (IMI) rather than the homologous structure (both gastrosoleus and tibiliais anterior muscles, HIM). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the immediate therapeutic effects between IMH and IMI treatment groups on the ankle dorsiflexion angle, muscle activation and foot pressure distribution during dynamic gait in ADS. METHODS: Neuromechanical tests including kinematics (ankle mobility), kinetics (center of pressure distribution), and electromyography were used to determine the immediate therapeutic effects between HIM and IMI …treatment groups in 24 participants with ADS. RESULTS: The ankle joint angle analysis demonstrated a more improved active DF angle in the group who received HIM intervention when compared to the group who received IMI intervention. (11.26% and 3.58%, respectively) EMG analysis showed more decreased mean and peak TA activation amplitudes in the group who received HIM intervention (9.1% and 9%) when compared to the group who received IMI intervention (11.48% and 1.48%). Plantar pressure distribution analysis showed difference that the forefoot/area decreased in the group who received HIM intervention (8.1%), but rather increased in the group who received IMI intervention (14.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Our neuromechanical results demonstrated promising positive effects on ankle joint mobility, muscle activation and foot pressure distribution during gait in ADS. Show more

Keywords: Limited ankle dorsiflexion syndrome, instrument-assisted mobilization, electromyography

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248045

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 511-522, 2024

Authors: Zeng, Ting | Ling, Caijin | Liang, Yong

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Colon cancer is the most prevalent and rapidly increasing malignancy globally. It has been suggested that some of the ingredients in the herb pair of Coptidis Rhizoma and ginger (Zingiber officinale ), a traditional Chinese medicine, have potential anti-colon cancer properties. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of the Coptidis Rhizoma-ginger herb pair in treating colon cancer, using an integrated approach combining network pharmacology and molecular docking. METHODS: The ingredients of the herb pair Coptidis Rhizoma-ginger, along with their corresponding protein targets, were obtained from the Traditional …Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology and Swiss Target Prediction databases. Target genes associated with colon cancer were retrieved from the GeneCards and OMIM databases. Then, the protein targets of the active ingredients in the herb pair were identified, and the disease-related overlapping targets were determined using the Venn online tool. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using STRING database and analyzed using Cytoscape 3.9.1 to identify key targets. Then, a compound-target-disease-pathway network map was constructed. The intersecting target genes were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses for colon cancer treatment. Molecular docking was performed using the Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) software to predict the binding affinity between the key targets and active compounds. RESULTS: Besides 1922 disease-related targets, 630 targets associated with 20 potential active compounds of the herb pair Coptidis Rhizoma-ginger were collected. Of these, 229 intersection targets were obtained. Forty key targets, including STAT3, Akt1, SRC, and HSP90AA1, were further analyzed using the ClueGO plugin in Cytoscape. These targets are involved in biological processes such as miRNA-mediated gene silencing, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling, and telomerase activity. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that PI3K-Akt and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signaling pathways were closely related to colon cancer prevention by the herb pair Coptidis Rhizoma-ginger. Ten genes (Akt1, TP53, STAT3, SRC, HSP90AA1, JAK2, CASP3, PTGS2, BCl2, and ESR1) were identified as key genes for validation through molecular docking simulation. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the herb pair Coptidis Rhizoma-ginger exerted preventive effects against colon cancer by targeting multiple genes, utilizing various active compounds, and modulating multiple pathways. These findings might provide the basis for further investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of Coptidis Rhizoma-ginger in colon cancer treatment, potentially leading to the development of novel drugs for combating this disease. Show more

Keywords: Colon cancer, Coptidis Rhizoma, ginger, molecular docking, network pharmacology

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248046

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 523-542, 2024

Authors: Cao, Yang | Fan, Chunjiang | Li, Gang | Huang, Jian | Zhang, Jinli

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Aphasia is a communication disorder that affects the ability to process and produce language, which severely impacting their lives. Computer-aid exercise rehabilitation has shown to be highly effective for these patients. OBJECTIVE: In our study, we proposed a speech rehabilitation system with mirrored therapy. The study goal is to construct a effective rehabilitation software for aphasia patients. METHODS: This system collects patients’ facial photos for mirrored video generation and speech synthesis. The visual feedback provided by the mirror creates an engaging and motivating experience for patients. And the evaluation platform employs machine …learning technologies for assessing speech similarity. RESULTS: The sophisticated task-oriented rehabilitation training with mirror therapy is also presented for experiments performing. The performance of three tasks reaches the average scores of 83.9% for vowel exercises, 74.3% for word exercies and 77.8% for sentence training in real time. CONCLUSIONS: The user-friendly application system allows patients to carry out daily training tasks instructed by the therapists or the prompt information of menu. Our work demonstrated a promising intelligent mirror software system for reading-based aphasia rehabilitation. Show more

Keywords: Aphasia, speech rehabilitation, mirrored therapy, video generation

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248047

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 543-553, 2024

Authors: Xie, Hefu | Wang, Bingbing | Hong, Yuanzhen

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Acute Liver Failure (ALF) is a critical medical condition with rapid development, often caused by viral infections, hepatotoxic drug abuse, or other severe liver diseases. Timely and accurate prediction of ALF occurrence is clinically crucial. However, predicting ALF poses challenges due to the diverse physiological differences among patients and the dynamic nature of the disease. OBJECTIVE: This study introduces a deep learning approach that combines fully connected and convolutional neural networks for effective ALF prediction. The goal is to overcome limitations of traditional machine learning methods and enhance predictive model performance and generalization. METHODS: …The proposed model integrates a fully connected neural network for handling basic patient features and a convolutional neural network dedicated to capturing temporal patterns in patient data. The combination allows automatic learning of complex patterns and abstract features present in highly dynamic medical data associated with ALF. RESULTS: The model’s effectiveness is demonstrated through comprehensive experiments and performance evaluations. It outperforms traditional machine learning methods, achieving 94.8% accuracy and superior generalization capabilities. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the potential of deep learning in ALF prediction, emphasizing the importance of considering individualized medical factors. Future research should focus on improving model robustness, addressing imbalanced data, and further exploring personalized features for enhanced predictive accuracy in real-world clinical scenarios. Show more

Keywords: Acute liver failure, deep learning, fully connected neural network, convolutional neural network

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248048

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 555-564, 2024

Authors: Shin, Eunji | Roh, Hyolyun

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Many people work in a sitting position where they have to use their upper extremities and hands. Muscle activity in sitting position is affected by the chair height of, the height of the worktable, and the distance to the working target. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in muscle activity between men and wemen at different chair heghts and working distances. METHODS: Surface electromyography (EMG) was employed to determine the muscle activity of the upper limbs and the trunk, while an arm-stretching task was performed in a sitting position. …RESULTS: Women’s muscle activity was higher than that of men in most muscles as the chair height and working distance changed. CONCLUSIONS: As the height of the chair or the working distance was changed, muscle activity was greater in women than in men for most of the muscles analyzed. Under the same conditions, women may feel more muscle fatigue than men, so it is necessary to consider gender in the working environment. Show more

Keywords: Chair height, working distance, sedentary work, surface EMG

DOI: 10.3233/THC-248049

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 32, no. S1, pp. 565-575, 2024