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A lightweight St-CNN architecture based on deep learning for stress level detection from human physical activities
Abstract Stress significantly affects both daily and professional life, highlighting the need for effective management strategies and continuous monitoring. While many methods have been developed, achieving accurate and objective stress detection remains a key challenge. This study proposes a lightweight Stress Convolutional Neural Network (St-CNN) architecture designed to detect individual stress levels based on physical activity data. The method was evaluated using the publicly available Stress-Lysis dataset, which contains 2,001 samples with features such as body temperature, humidity, and step count. The St-CNN model is composed of two fully connected layers, along with ReLU and normalization layers, forming a streamlined architecture optimized for low computational cost. It achieved a perfect accuracy rate of 100% and outperformed traditional machine learning (ML) methods, including Decision Tree (DT), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The model was additionally validated through 10-fold cross-validation with 95% confidence intervals, achieving an accuracy of 99.85%. The proposed method outperformed state-of-the-art approaches on the Stress-Lysis dataset, achieving superior performance with a lightweight architecture for stress level detection. In conclusion, the proposed St-CNN architecture provides a practical and efficient approach for real-time stress monitoring in edge computing environments, combining high classification accuracy with minimal computational overhead.
Seeking to improve criterion and construct validity of retrospective self-reports of physical activity with brief reporting periods and quantitative response scales
Abstract Self-reported information is central to many scientific fields and achieving high levels of validity for these data is paramount. Concerns have been voiced about the validity of retrospective self-reports because of possible distortion of recall by memory failures and cognitive heuristics. In this study we test two techniques with the potential to improve self-report validity: the use of brief reporting periods (near-momentary reports) and of quantitative response scales (duration in minutes). To evaluate validity, a set of self-reported physical activity outcomes were compared with objectively assessed physical activities. A total of 258 community-dwelling adults self-reported their momentary physical activity 5 times per day and wore accelerometers throughout 7 days; they also provided end-of-week assessments of physical activity. Regarding criterion validity, all self-reports indicated lower duration of sedentary behavior, however, momentary reports were closer in magnitude to accelerometry than were 1-week recall reports. All self-reports indicated greater duration of physical activity than accelerometry. Correlations between self-reports and accelerometry data were low to modest for momentary and retrospective reports; they were also low for reporting with quantitative versus relativistic, Verbal Response Scales, with the exception of momentary reports of sedentary duration (r = .61). Regarding construct validity, associations between most demographic variables and self-reports did not replicate those observed for accelerometry-based measures; in some cases, these associations showed opposite directions, indicating poor validity. In sum, apart from two criterion validity analyses showing higher validity for momentary reporting (compared with recall), the results did not support the hypotheses that the use of brief reporting periods and quantitative response scales improved validity over 7-day reporting and Verbal Response Scales, respectively. Particularly concerning was the poor performance of all methods in tests of construct validity.
The role of DAAO in cognitive impairment of offspring mice induced by arsenic exposure during early developmental stage
Arsenic exposure model of offspring mice was established and intervened with 6-chlorobenzo[d]isoxazol-3-ol (CBIO), a D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) inhibitor, to explore the role of DAAO in cognitive impairment of offspring mice induced by arsenic during early developmental stage. Female mice and their pups treated with 0 or 60 mg/L sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) via drinkable water from the first day of gestation till the end of lactation. On the 28th day after birth, the offspring mice in the drinking distilled water group were randomly divided into control and 1 mg/mL CBIO group. The offspring mice in the arsenic group were divided into 60 mg/L NaAsO2 group and 60 mg/L NaAsO2 + 1 mg/mL CBIO group, CBIO was administered to the lateral ventricle for one week. Additionally, D-serine and L-serine concentrations were detected by UHPLC-MS/MS, Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot were applied to measure DAAO, serine racemase (SR), N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), synaptophysin (SYP) and postsynaptic density (PSD95) levels in the hippocampus. Results disclosed that arsenic could reduce the levels of D-serine, L-serine, SR and NMDAR, while upregulate DAAO levels, however, inhibiting DAAO levels could increase D-serine and NR1 levels. These findings indicated that DAAO might be involved in cognitive impairment of offspring mice induced by arsenic during early developmental stage by affecting D-serine metabolism.
Quantum Zeno Dynamics of two interacting particles
The flexible Lomax-G family with estimation methods and applications in hydrology and biomedicine
Enhanced calibration method for wall-mounted RGSC cameras: Mitigating baseline drift caused by CT couch sagging
Purpose The drift signal due to CT couch sagging introduces intrinsic noise into respiratory signals, impairing the accuracy of tumor motion management. The purpose of this work is to present an enhanced calibration method to reduce calibration uncertainty and mitigate baseline drift caused by table sagging for the wall-mounted Respiratory Gating for Scanner (RGSC) camera. Methods A weight of approximately 70 kg, simulating a patient’s weight, was distributed on the CT table. The external ceiling laser light was adjusted laterally by ±10 cm to align three reflector blocks sequentially with the laser at predefined positions, ensuring accurate placement of the blocks at their corresponding positions. The blocks were then moved to the internal laser plane using the CT console. Subsequently, calibration measurements were performed at nine points at the combination of three lateral positions (the CT isocenter and ±10 cm laterally from the isocenter) and three longitudinal positions (the CT isocenter and ±15 cm longitudinally from the isocenter), by occluding the other two blocks and moving the couch longitudinally. For comparison, the Varian calibration method was also implemented. Results The block positioning uncertainty was reduced from the millimeter level to the sub-millimeter level. For a typical 40 cm scan length of DIBH, the residual baseline drift was significantly (p-value<0.001) mitigated from 2.84 ± 0.22 mm to 0.64 ± 0.06 mm. Conclusion The proposed calibration method provides a robust solution to minimize block positioning uncertainty and reduce baseline drift caused by CT couch sagging, enhancing the repeatability and accuracy of the wall-mounted camera calibration. Its versatility for wall- and ceiling-mounted cameras further expands its potential clinical utility.
Perceiving intimidation through kinematic cues in men’s gait
Abstract Male intrasexual competition has shaped the evolution of sexually dimorphic traits, influencing both physical and cognitive mechanisms for assessing physical dominance and formidability. While previous research has examined static visual cues such as height and upper body musculature to male formidability, the role of dynamic cues remains underexplored. We used 3D motion capture to investigate biomechanical markers that drive perceptions of male physical dominance. Fifty-two male participants’ walking gaits were recorded, and their upper-body strength, anthropometric measures, and self-reported aggression were assessed. A separate group of 137 raters evaluated the dominance of these walking patterns. Results revealed that one dynamic cue, lateral torso oscillation (sway) and one postural cue, shoulder abduction, were correlated with physical dominance as well as with anthropometric measures (e.g., height, chest size) and trait aggression scores. A linear mixed-effects model demonstrated that sway, shoulder abduction and body size/strength all contributed independently to predicting physical dominance, suggesting that gait dynamics provide robust social signals beyond static morphology. These findings highlight the adaptive significance of human locomotion in competitive social interactions. Future research should investigate the potential for a trade-off between static and dynamic cues to dominance, particularly in situations where static cues might be obscured.
Comparison of medic and 3D DESS with routine MRI to assess the diagnostic efficacy in symptomatic temporomandibular disorders: a cross sectional observational study
Long-term functional rescue of trauma-induced vision loss by a novel, small molecule TrkB modulator
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling through the tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptor promotes neuronal growth and survival following an injury. However, its short half-life and pleiotropic effects limit the clinical use of BDNF as a therapy in neurodegenerative disorders. Identification of novel and selective TrkB activators may ameliorate the damage caused to retinal neurons during eye-related injuries and may reduce adverse visual outcomes associated with visual trauma. We previously described a small molecule, N-[2-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl) ethyl]-2-oxopiperidine-3-carboxamide (HIOC), that activates TrkB and reduces the decline in visual function in a mouse model of ocular trauma. Using the lead optimization approach, we subsequently synthesized a fluoropyridine analog of HIOC, 2-fluoro-N-(2-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl) ethyl) nicotinamide (HIFN), which also successfully activates TrkB. HIFN is a more potent TrkB modulator than the parent compound, HIOC. Further, treatment with HIFN demonstrated neuroprotection in an animal model of overpressure ocular blast injury, ameliorating blast-related visual functional decline. Mice treated with HIFN had better visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and retinal function supported by enhanced survival of retinal ganglion cells compared to vehicle-treated animals. Moreover, HIFN exhibited better protective effects than HIOC. The therapeutic effects of HIFN were attributed to TrkB activation, as blocking the receptor with a selective receptor antagonist (ANA-12) abrogated the neuroprotection. Together, our results identify HIFN, a novel TrkB receptor modulator, as a strategy for decreasing retinal degeneration and progressive vision loss associated with traumatic ocular injury. In addition, this compound may have broader applications in treating other diseases with altered TrkB activity.
Multi-dimensional perception-guided iterative reflection removal network with deep features for painting images
Molecular characterization of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer patients from a public precision medicine service in the Southeast Brazilian population
Correction: Toward mapping pragmatic impairment of autism spectrum disorder individuals through the development of a corpus of spoken Japanese
The impact of slag swelling on building structures demonstrated through long-term measurement analysis: a case study lesson
Deep learning decodes species-specific codon usage signatures in Brassica from coding sequences
Association between traditional fermented milk (mursik) consumption and oesophageal carcinoma among patients presenting to two referral hospitals in Nandi County, Kenya: A case-control study
Background Oesophageal carcinoma (OC) is a prominent cause of morbidity and mortality in low and middle-income countries yet little evidence exists about its contextual drivers. The objectives of this study were to assess the association between traditional fermented milk (FM) (mursik) consumption and OC independent of known socio-demographic and lifestyle risk factors as well as to quantify its population impact among patients presenting to two referral hospitals in Nandi County, Kenya. Methods A hospital-based case-control study was employed to assess the FM-OC relationship among patients presenting to Kapsabet Surgical Care Centre and Kapsabet County Referral Hospital in Nandi County, Kenya for care between 23rd November 2023 and 13th January 2024. All 33 cases meeting specific eligibility criteria were prospectively recruited whilst 131 controls were simple randomly sampled and frequency-matched to the cases by hospital and day of presentation. A logistic regression model was fitted to assess the FM-OC association while adjusting for potential confounders. Subsequently, a population attributable fraction (PAF) for the association (along with its confidence interval) was estimated. Results A strong association between FM and OC was noted; the odds of OC among frequent and infrequent consumers of FM being over nine (OR 9.1, 95% CI: 3.1–26.6) and three (OR 3.2, 95% CI: 1.1–9.2) times higher, respectively, than non-consumers. This association was not substantially confounded by the studied socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. The PAF estimate for this association was 65.2% (95% CI: 40.1–90.7). Conclusions In this study setting, mursik consumption was strongly associated with OC independent of other risk factors. This association registered a high PAF suggesting that up to 65% of OC in the population could be prevented if mursik was not consumed. This finding calls for safe, community-owned alternatives for fermenting milk in order to mitigate the risk of OC in this population.
HLA-I genotype landscape in lung cancer and its prognosis value in Chinese small cell lung cancer
Design of rectangular patch antennas through machine learning
In-person social isolation in the age of smartphones: Examining age, period, cohort effects by gender
Objectives The rise of smartphones and social media is widely seen as a pivotal societal shift that has fueled what the U.S. Surgeon General in 2023 described as “our epidemic of loneliness and isolation.” The evidence for an increase in social isolation, however, has not accounted for age and cohort effects – i.e., variation in time spent alone over the life course and across generations. This study leverages the latest breakthrough in Age-Period-Cohort (APC) modeling to disentangle age-specific effects, societal changes, and generational shifts that contribute to social isolation in the era of smartphones. Methods We analyze data from the 2003–2022 waves of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), focusing on time spent alone in nonwork activities among individuals aged 15–79 (N = 240,576). Using a recent breakthrough in APC modeling, we identify net effects of age, period, and cohort separately for men and women. Results Social isolation has increased over the past two decades for both women and men, with a notable acceleration in the mid-2010s, suggesting that societal shifts during this period may have intensified isolation. However, age and cohort effects play a much larger role in explaining the social isolation crisis of the 21st century. Gender differences are substantial, particularly in cohort trajectories and in age patterns after age 70. Discussion While smartphone-era societal shifts have contributed to a general rise in isolation, aging and generational differences explain more of the variation. Public health efforts should prioritize mitigating isolation among older adults or earlier cohorts, with attention to gender-specific patterns.