Eulji University

Steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been widely studied because they provide high classification accuracy and information transfer rate (ITR) without requiring user training. To further enhance BCI performance, this study proposes a novel hybrid BCI that integrates single-channel SSVEP with the pupillary light reflex (PLR). Twelve healthy subjects participated in experiments involving three paradigms: SSVEP, PLR, and hybrid. Each subject completed a total of 90 trials (three blocks) for each of the four classes in every paradigm. The experimental protocols were identical across paradigms, except for differences in visual stimuli. The hybrid paradigm achieved an accuracy (ITR) of 95.70% (25.54 bpm) for four-class classification using a data length of 4 s across all subjects, representing increases of 8.54% (6.34 bpm) and 12.92% (8.91 bpm) compared with the SSVEP and PLR paradigms, respectively. In the poor performer group (SSVEP accuracy below 90%), the hybrid paradigm achieved an average accuracy (ITR) of 93.06% (23.03 bpm), showing an improvement of 11.67% (7.54 bpm) compared with the SSVEP paradigm (81.39% and 15.49 bpm). As the number of electroencephalogram channels increased from one to ten electrodes, the classification accuracy of the SSVEP paradigm improved from 87.15% to 91.28% (an increase of 4.13%). In contrast, the hybrid paradigm exhibited minimal change, with only a 0.55% increase (from 95.70% to 96.25%). These results suggest that the proposed hybrid BCI can serve as an effective approach to enhance overall BCI performance, which may contribute to the practical and widespread adoption of BCIs by improving usability and user experience.

Herein, RATSGO (Real-time Automated Training and Sensing for Gas Odor), a fully automated live-animal olfactory training platform, for the detection of GBL as a sexual assault-facilitating drug is reported. The system integrates four distinct operant conditioning-based training paradigms, all executed without human intervention, to enhance learning speed, consistency, and scalability. Using this fully automated framework, four rats were trained to identify gamma-butyrolactone (GBL). Three of the four animals successfully reached the predefined learning completion criterion, whereas one failed to meet the criterion. Across 320 automated trials, the GBL rats achieved a mean detection accuracy of 90%, with sensitivity and specificity values of 97% and 82%, respectively. The corresponding positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were 85% and 96%. When challenged with GBL diluted in drinking water (180 trials), performance remained high, yielding 88% accuracy, 89% sensitivity, 87% specificity, 85% PPV, and 90% NPV. Similarly, in experiments involving GBL mixed with whisky (200 trials), the rats demonstrated robust recognition capability, achieving 90% overall accuracy, perfect sensitivity (100%), 84% specificity, 79% PPV, and 100% NPV. Importantly, odor discrimination performance was preserved when reassessed four months after the completion of training, indicating strong long-term retention of the learned odor representations. Collectively, these findings confirm that the RATSGO system supports rapid, stable, and precise odor learning, underscoring its promise as a practical and extensible biological sensing platform for chemical detection applications.

BACKGROUND:Despite guideline recommendations, evidence from randomized trials evaluating the appropriate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol target for secondary prevention in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains limited. METHODS:In this open-label superiority trial conducted in South Korea, we randomly assigned patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in a 1:1 ratio to a target LDL cholesterol level of less than 55 mg per deciliter (1.4 mmol per liter) (intensive-targeting group) or less than 70 mg per deciliter (1.8 mmol per liter) (conventional-targeting group). The primary end point was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, any revascularization, or hospitalization for unstable angina at 3 years. Safety was also assessed. RESULTS:Of 3048 patients who underwent randomization, 1526 were assigned to the intensive-targeting group and 1522 to the conventional-targeting group. The median follow-up was 3.0 years. The median LDL cholesterol level during the trial was 56 mg per deciliter (1.4 mmol per liter) in the intensive-targeting group and 66 mg per deciliter (1.7 mmol per liter) in the conventional-targeting group. A primary end-point event occurred in 100 patients (Kaplan-Meier estimate of cumulative incidence, 6.6%) in the intensive-targeting group and in 147 patients (Kaplan-Meier estimate of cumulative incidence, 9.7%) in the conventional-targeting group (hazard ratio, 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.52 to 0.86; P = 0.002). The incidence of prespecified safety end points was similar in the two trial groups, except for a lower incidence of creatinine elevation in the intensive-targeting group. CONCLUSIONS:Among patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, targeting an LDL cholesterol level of less than 55 mg per deciliter resulted in a lower risk of cardiovascular events at 3 years than targeting a level of less than 70 mg per deciliter. (Funded by the Cardiovascular Research Center and Yuhan; Ez-PAVE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04626973.).

Obesity is the disease accumulating excessive fat in the body. The prevalence of obesity and related metabolic disorders is increasing every year worldwide. Immunologically, obesity is a chronic low-grade inflammatory state with the increase of M1 macrophages and decrease of regulatory T cells (Tregs). IL-2/anti-IL-2 complex (IL-2C) and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) are known to expand Tregs in vivo and suppress inflammation. Therefore, in this study, IL-2C and HBO were investigated for the preventive effect of obesity and related metabolic disorders. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks, and counterparts were fed with a low-fat diet (LFD). At the end of the experiment, the body weight gain and impaired glucose metabolism, elevated levels of insulin and total cholesterol induced by HFD were improved by the individual or combination treatment with Il-2C and HBO. Histological examination of the epididymal white adipose tissue showed adipocyte hypertrophy and many crown-like structures in the HFD control groups. In addition, the liver showed the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the HFD control groups, but it was significantly improved by the individual or combination treatment with IL-2C and HBO.As for the underlying mechanism, inflammation induced by obesity was decreased, and HIF-1α expression by adipocyte hypertrophy was also reduced by the individual or combination treatment with IL-2C and HBO. In addition, adipose tissue browning was activated in brown and inguinal adipose tissue, and the expression of UCP-1 involved in the thermogenesis was increased by the individual or combination treatment with IL-2C and HBO. Overall, these results suggested that IL-2C and HBO might be a new promising immunotherapy for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders by regulation of inflammation and activation of adipose tissue browning.

Hypereosinophilia (HE) is characterized by an abnormal increase of eosinophils in the peripheral blood. It is associated with conditions such as chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL) and hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). Splicing factor proline and glutamine rich (SFPQ) is a multifunctional protein implicated in various cancers. S100A8 and S100A9 are calcium-binding proteins that regulate inflammatory processes. This study aimed to investigate the interaction between SFPQ, S100A8, and S100A9 in human eosinophilic leukemia cells (EoL-1), imatinib-resistant EoL-1 (EoL-1-IR), and peripheral blood eosinophils derived from a patient with HES. Extracellular stimulation with S100A8 or S100A9 induced apoptosis in EoL-1 and EoL-1-IR cells. SFPQ was identified as an intracellular binding partner of S100A8 and S100A9. In both the nucleus and cytoplasm of EoL-1 and EoL-1-IR cells, S100A8 and S100A9 promoted the formation of SFPQ/S100A8 and SFPQ/S100A9 complexes, respectively, without altering the expression levels of S100A8, S100A9, or SFPQ. Apoptosis induced by S100A8 and S100A9 was positively correlated with the enhanced formation of these heterodimeric complexes in nucleus and cytoplasm. Collectively, these findings suggest that extracellular stimulation with S100A8 or S100A9 enhances the interaction of intracellular S100A8 or S100A9 with SFPQ, thereby contributing to the promotion of apoptosis in EoL-1 and EoL-1-IR cells. The interaction between SFPQ and S100A8 or S100A9 may play a critical role in promoting apoptosis in eosinophilic leukemia cells, including imatinib-resistant variants.