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Seismic random noise is one of the main factors that degrade the quality of seismic data. Therefore, seismic random noise attenuation should be performed appropriately through several stages during seismic data processing, and this requires sufficient experience and knowledge because the proper hyperparameters need to be determined based on the features of the noise in the target seismic data. Recently, machine learning–based seismic noise attenuation has been widely studied because it provides suitable results by learning noise features from noisy data, unlike conventional physics‐based approaches. There are many important factors in machine learning, and, here, we focus on the loss functions of machine learning in terms of seismic random noise attenuation. The most widely used loss function is l2, but we train a model with various kinds of single and multiple loss functions and attenuate seismic random noise. We analyse the efficiency of loss functions by comparing the noise‐attenuated results of synthetic and field seismic data qualitatively and quantitatively. Our analysis indicates that the multiple loss function with the l1 norm can be a proper choice for random noise suppression of seismic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pathogenic variants in several genes have been linked to genetic forms of isolated or combined dystonia. The phenotypic and genetic spectrum and the frequency of pathogenic variants in these genes have not yet been fully elucidated, neither in patients with dystonia nor with other, sometimes co‐occurring movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Objectives: To screen >2000 patients with dystonia or PD for rare variants in known dystonia‐causing genes. Methods: We screened 1207 dystonia patients from Germany (DysTract consortium), Spain, and South Korea, and 1036 PD patients from Germany for pathogenic variants using a next‐generation sequencing gene panel. The impact on DNA methylation of KMT2B variants was evaluated by analyzing the gene's characteristic episignature. Results: We identified 171 carriers (109 with dystonia [9.0%]; 62 with PD [6.0%]) of 131 rare variants (minor allele frequency <0.005). A total of 52 patients (48 dystonia [4.0%]; four PD [0.4%, all with GCH1 variants]) carried 33 different (likely) pathogenic variants, of which 17 were not previously reported. Pathogenic biallelic variants in PRKRA were not found. Episignature analysis of 48 KMT2B variants revealed that only two of these should be considered (likely) pathogenic. Conclusion: This study confirms pathogenic variants in GCH1, GNAL, KMT2B, SGCE, THAP1, and TOR1A as relevant causes in dystonia and expands the mutational spectrum. Of note, likely pathogenic variants only in GCH1 were also found among PD patients. For DYT‐KMT2B, the recently described episignature served as a reliable readout to determine the functional effect of newly identified variants. © 2024 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, examines the utilization pattern of emergency departments (ED) among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who have undergone deep brain stimulation (DBS). The study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 71 PD patients with DBS and 35 PD patients without DBS who visited the ED between January 2017 and June 2023. The results showed that neurological problems were the most common reason for ED visits in both groups, and a significant proportion of visits in the PD-DBS group were due to DBS-related issues. The study suggests the importance of providing education and special algorithms to neurologists and ED staff to better manage patients with DBS. [Extracted from the article]

INTRODUCTION: Isolated/idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is a powerful early predictor of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease (PD). This provides an opportunity to directly observe the evolution of prodromal DLB and to identify which cognitive variables are the strongest predictors of evolving dementia. METHODS: IRBD participants (n = 754) from 10 centers of the International RBD Study Group underwent annual neuropsychological assessment. Competing risk regression analysis determined optimal predictors of dementia. Linear mixed‐effect models determined the annual progression of neuropsychological testing. RESULTS: Reduced attention and executive function, particularly performance on the Trail Making Test Part B, were the strongest identifiers of early DLB. In phenoconverters, the onset of cognitive decline began up to 10 years prior to phenoconversion. Changes in verbal memory best differentiated between DLB and PD subtypes. DISCUSSION: In iRBD, attention and executive dysfunction strongly predict dementia and begin declining several years prior to phenoconversion. Highlights: Cognitive decline in iRBD begins up to 10 years prior to phenoconversion.Attention and executive dysfunction are the strongest predictors of dementia in iRBD.Decline in episodic memory best distinguished dementia‐first from parkinsonism‐first phenoconversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the use of molecular imaging in the field of movement disorders, specifically Parkinson's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, and dementia with Lewy bodies. Molecular imaging is used in conjunction with clinical diagnostic criteria to support or exclude specific diagnoses. However, there are disparities in access to nuclear medicine studies, particularly in underprivileged regions. The article explores the causes of these inequities and suggests strategies to overcome them, such as adopting standardized criteria, creating regional digital networks, and utilizing artificial intelligence for analysis. The authors emphasize the importance of training healthcare professionals in the field of molecular imaging to improve clinical decision-making and early biomarker identification for neurodegenerative disorders. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Several scales have been proposed to clinically evaluate the Motor Severity of Blepharospasm (BSP) but information about their measurement properties as a multicenter instrument is limited. Objective: To compare the measurement properties of four clinical scales in rating the severity of BSP in a large sample of patients from multiple sites. Methods: The Burke–Fahn–Marsden Scale (BFMS), the Global Dystonia Severity Rating Scale (GDRS), the Jankovic Rating Scale (JRS), and the Blepharospasm Severity Rating Scale (BSRS) were administered to 211 patients across 10 sites who were also requested to self‐complete the Blepharospasm Disability Index (BDI). Measurement properties to be assessed included inter−/intra‐observer agreement, item‐to‐total correlation, internal consistency, floor and ceiling effect, convergent/discriminant validity, and adherence to the distribution of BDI. Results: The BFMS had unsatisfactory measurement properties, the GDRS had acceptable reliability but other properties could not be completely testable; the JRS had satisfactory measurement properties but the scale did not accurately reflect the distribution of disability parameter (BDI) in the sample, and the BSRS had satisfactory measurement properties and also showed the best adherence to the distribution of BDI in the assessed sample. Conclusion: The comparison of the measurement properties of four rating scales to assess the motor state of the BSP in a large sample of patients from multiple sites showed that the GDRS should be used to simultaneously assess BSP and dystonia in other body parts, while the JRS (easier to use) and BSRS (better to discriminate severity) should be used to assess BSP alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The influence of peripheral inflammation on nonmotor symptoms (NMSs) in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore whether serum inflammatory marker profiles are associated with the progression of NMSs in early PD. Methods: We included 45 patients with early PD and 20 healthy control subjects. Six inflammatory markers, including interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐6, IL‐10, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, were measured. NMSs were assessed using the Non‐Motor Symptoms Scale, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Composite Autonomic Symptom Score‐31 at baseline and after 3 years. Results: Principal component (PC) analysis showed that only PC3 scores, mainly loaded by IL‐2 and IL‐6, were significantly elevated in the PD group compared with the control group. Higher PC3 scores in the PD group were associated with faster progression of Non‐Motor Symptoms Scale total and mood/apathy domain scores. There were no significant associations of PC scores with Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Composite Autonomic Symptom Score‐31 score changes. Conclusions: Peripheral inflammation may be related to the evolution of NMSs, particularly mood symptoms, in the early stages of PD. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a promising intervention using photodynamic therapy (PDT) to enhance the activity of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, current bladder cancer treatments involve high‐dose chemotherapy and high‐irradiance PDT which cause debilitating side effects. Moreover, low penetration of light and drugs in target tissues and cumbersome light delivery procedures hinder the clinical utility of PDT and chemotherapy combination for PCI. To circumvent these challenges, a photodynamic‐chemotherapy approach is developed comprising tumor‐targeting glycosylated nanocarriers, coloaded with chlorin e6 (Ce6) and gemcitabine elaidate (GemE), and a miniaturized implantable wirelessly powered light‐emitting diode (LED) as a light source. The device successfully delivers four weekly light doses to the bladder while the nanocarrier promoted the specific accumulation of drugs in tumors. This approach facilitates the combination of low‐irradiance PDT (1 mW cm−2) and low‐dose chemotherapy (≈1500× lower than clinical dose) which significantly cures and controls orthotopic disease burden (90% treated vs control, 35%) in mice, demonstrating a potential new bladder cancer treatment option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: SNCA multiplication is a genomic cause of familial PD, showing dosage-dependent toxicity. Until now, nonallelic homologous recombination was suggested as the mechanism of SNCA duplication, based on various types of repetitive elements found in the spanning region of the breakpoints. However, the sequence at the breakpoint was analyzed only for 1 case.Objectives: We have analyzed the breakpoint sequences of 6 patients with PD who had duplicated SNCA using whole-genome sequencing data to elucidate the mechanism of SNCA duplication.Methods: Six patient samples with SNCA duplication underwent whole-genome sequencing. The duplicated regions were defined with nucleotide-resolution breakpoints, which were confirmed by junction polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. The search for potential non-B DNA-forming sequences and stem-loop structure predictions was conducted.Results: Duplicated regions ranged from the smallest region of 718.3 kb to the largest one of 4,162 kb. Repetitive elements were found at 8 of the 12 breakpoint sequences on each side of the junction, but none of the pairs shared overt homologies. Five of these six junctions had microhomologies (2-4 bp) at the breakpoint, and a short stretch of sequences was inserted in 3 cases. All except one junction were located within or next to stem-loop structures.Conclusion: Our study has determined that homologous recombination mechanisms involving repetitive elements are not the main cause of the duplication of SNCA. The presence of microhomology at the junctions and their position within stem-loop structures suggest that replication-based rearrangements may be a common mechanism for SNCA amplification. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long-term population-representative data on motor fluctuations and levodopa-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease is lacking.Methods: The Cambridgeshire Parkinson's Incidence from GP to Neurologist (CamPaIGN) cohort comprises incident PD cases followed for up to 13 years (n = 141). Cumulative incidence of motor fluctuations and levodopa-induced dyskinesias and risk factors were assessed using Kaplan-Meyer and Cox regression analyses.Results: Cumulative incidence of motor fluctuations and levodopa-induced dyskinesias was 54.3% and 14.5%, respectively, at 5 years and 100% and 55.7%, respectively, at 10 years. Higher baseline UPDRS-total and SNCA rs356219(A) predicted motor fluctuations, whereas higher baseline Mini-mental State Examination and GBA mutations predicted levodopa-induced dyskinesias. Early levodopa use did not predict motor complications. Both early motor fluctuations and levodopa-induced dyskinesias predicted reduced mortality in older patients (age at diagnosis >70 years).Conclusions: Our data support the hypothesis that motor complications are related to the severity of nigrostriatal pathology rather than early levodopa use and indicate that early motor complications do not necessarily confer a negative prognosis. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholangiopathy is a diverse spectrum of chronic progressive bile duct disorders with limited treatment options and dismal outcomes. Scaffold‐ and stem cell‐based tissue engineering technologies hold great promise for reconstructive surgery and tissue repair. Here, we report a combined application of 3D scaffold fabrication and reprogramming of patient‐specific human hepatocytes to produce implantable artificial tissues that imitate the mechanical and biological properties of native bile ducts. The human chemically derived hepatic progenitor cells (hCdHs) were generated using two small molecules A83‐01 and CHIR99021 and seeded inside the tubular scaffold engineered as a synergistic combination of two layers. The inner electrospun fibrous layer was made of nanoscale–macroscale polycaprolactone fibers acting to promote the hCdHs attachment and differentiation, while the outer microporous foam layer served to increase mechanical stability. The two layers of fiber and foam were fused robustly together thus creating coordinated mechanical flexibility to exclude any possible breaking during surgery. The gene expression profiling and histochemical assessment confirmed that hCdHs acquired the biliary epithelial phenotype and filled the entire surface of the fibrous matrix after 2 weeks of growth in the cholangiocyte differentiation medium in vitro. The fabricated construct replaced the macroscopic part of the common bile duct (CBD) and re‐stored the bile flow in a rabbit model of acute CBD injury. Animals that received the acellular scaffolds did not survive after the replacement surgery. Thus, the artificial bile duct constructs populated with patient‐specific hepatic progenitor cells could provide a scalable and compatible platform for treating bile duct diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro size antennas have significant merits due to the small size effect, enabling new device concepts. However, the low‐quality factor (Q‐factor), the large size of impedance matching components, and the poor selectivity of the multi‐array design remain challenging issues. To solve these issues, a floating coil structure stacked on a loop micro‐antenna is suggested. Various floating coil designs are prepared with appropriate matching conditions at specific target frequencies, using an easy fabrication process without the need for additional space. A simple one‐loop antenna design shows a higher Q‐factor than other, more complicated designs. The micro‐sized loop antenna with the 80 µm trace width design exhibits the highest Q‐factor, around 31 within 7 GHz. The 8 different floating coil designs result in high‐frequency selectivity from 1 to 7 GHz. The highest selectivity contrast and WPT efficiency are above 7 and around 1%, respectively. Considering the size of the antenna, the efficiency is not low, mainly due to the good matching effect with the high Q‐factor of the floating coil and the loop antenna. This micro‐antenna array concept with high integration density can be applied for advanced wireless neural stimulation or in wireless pixel array concepts in flexible displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We deployed the first dense onshore‐offshore seismic survey profile across the ultrahigh/high‐pressure metamorphic Sulu Orogenic Belt (SLOB). By applying multiple seismic and gravity modeling, we obtained the crustal P wave velocity and density model across the SLOB and extending into tectonic units on both sides, including the eastern Sino‐Korean Block (SKB), and the lower Yangtze Block (YZB). A ∼120‐km‐wide high‐velocity and high‐density upper crust in the southern SLOB reveals the distribution of ultrahigh/high‐pressure metamorphism, which should be linking with the deep subduction, detachment, and exhumation of YZB midcrust. In the northern SLOB, the U‐shaped velocity contours throughout the crust and the low‐density midcrust reveals the downward bending of the crustal deformation due to the collision between SKB and YZB. The crustal deformation and detachment in the SLOB revealed by our results indicate that the orogenic spatial distribution should be wider than what we know before. Plain Language Summary: The Sulu Orogenic Belt has the world's largest ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphism and high‐pressure metamorphism tectonic unit, becomes a natural laboratory for studying the dynamics of formation and evolution of the solid earth. The tectonic boundaries of the Sulu belt, especially the offshore boundaries, are still in controversy due to the lack of high‐resolution deep structure studies in the offshore domains. Here we present the forward and inversion models from newly acquired dense onshore‐offshore wide‐angle seismic data, and discuss the different crustal structure features among the Sino‐Korean Block, the Yangtze Block, and the Sulu belt. The crustal deformation and detachment addressed the distribution of the Sulu belt, which should be much wider than what we know before, and the underestimation of the extent of collision belts might be widespread in other orogenic or suture belts. Key Points: We deployed the first dense onshore‐offshore wide‐angle seismic line across the Sulu orogen to constrain a high‐resolution crustal modelThe Sino‐Korean crust bended downward in the northern Sulu belt, the Yangtze crust was detached and exhumed in the southern Sulu beltHigh‐speed orogen upper crust indicates linkage among ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphism, deep subduction, and exhumation of Yangtze midcrust [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an autopsy case of a 56‐year‐old male patient with the coexistence of dentatorubral‐pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) and Parkinson's disease (PD). He presented with gait instability and dysarthria for 10 years. The removed brain showed general atrophy (988 g) with depigmentation of the substantia nigra. The neocortex and deep gray matter, including the red nucleus, subthalamic nuclei, and globus pallidus, were atrophic, and grumose degeneration of the cerebellar dentate nucleus was observed. Polyglutamine‐ and p62‐positive neuronal inclusions were present and widespread in the areas mentioned above. Interestingly, this case also had brainstem‐predominant PD pathology with α‐synuclein‐positive Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. Generalized white matter atrophy with patchy loss of astrocytes in the white matter suggested glial dysfunction by elongated CAG repeats in the atrophin 1 gene (atrophin 1). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fragment analysis revealed increased CAG repeats (61) on atrophin 1 encoding atrophin 1. The patient had a family history of DRPLA, including his daughter, who was confirmed positive on genetic testing (CAG repeat: 65). His father, brother, and niece were suspected of having the disease. Clinicopathologically, all of the above findings are consistent with the coexistence of DRPLA and PD. So far, various overlapping neurodegenerative disorders have been reported, but the coexistence of DRPLA and PD has never been demonstrated in the published literature. Even though the exact time of PD development is unknown in this case, PD might develop after DRPLA, and the overwhelming symptoms of DRPLA might mask those of PD. Here, we report a clinicopathologically definite case of the coexistence of DRPLA and PD. White matter degeneration with patchy loss of astrocytes was another remarkable finding of this case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although previous research provides insight into the role of neuroinflammation in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder, the association of this disorder with peripheral blood inflammatory markers remains unclear.Objective: To investigate inflammatory cytokines in plasma samples in patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and to explore whether these markers are associated with prodromal symptoms of α-synucleinopathies.Methods: We collected plasma from patients with polysomnographically confirmed idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder without parkinsonism or dementia (n = 54) and from healthy controls (n = 56). The following cytokines were measured: interleukin-1β, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α. The idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder patients underwent sleep, motor, cognitive, olfactory, and autonomic testing.Results: The anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10, levels in the idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder group were significantly upregulated compared to the control group (P = 0.022), but this difference did not withstand Bonferroni correction. The other proinflammatory cytokine levels did not differ between the groups. No correlation was found between the cytokine levels and any clinical variable.Conclusions: Our data do not provide evidence supporting the role of peripheral inflammation in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. However, considering the limited statistical power because of the small sample size, further large-scale longitudinal studies with a broader spectrum of cytokines are needed to clarify this issue. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The purpose was to assess the effect of bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) on diphasic dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and to assess the factors associated with the remission of diphasic dyskinesia. Methods: Medical records for PD patients who underwent bilateral STN DBS at the Movement Disorder Center of Seoul National University Hospital from March 2005 to November 2016 were reviewed. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and at 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery, and annually thereafter. The presence of peak‐dose dyskinesia and diphasic dyskinesia is based on the interview and examination of patients at baseline and at each follow‐up. Results: Amongst 202 patients who underwent STN DBS, 66 patients who had diphasic dyskinesia preoperatively were included in the analysis. Diphasic dyskinesia disappeared in 49 (74%) after surgery. In 27 (55.1%) patients whose diphasic dyskinesia disappeared after DBS, peak‐dose and diphasic dyskinesia disappeared persistently from as early as 3 months postoperatively. Age at onset was younger and disease duration at surgery was longer in patients whose diphasic dyskinesia persisted compared with patients whose diphasic dyskinesia disappeared. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that patients with greater postoperative decrease of dopaminergic medications were more likely to have remission of diphasic dyskinesia. Conclusion: This study showed that bilateral STN DBS is effective in controlling diphasic dyskinesia and should be considered in PD patients with diphasic dyskinesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinsonism has heterogeneous nature, showing distinctive patterns of disease progression and prognosis. We aimed to find clusters of parkinsonism based on 18F‐fluoropropyl‐carbomethoxyiodophenylnortropane (FP‐CIT) PET as a data‐driven approach to evaluate heterogenous dopaminergic neurodegeneration patterns. Two different cohorts of patients who received FP‐CIT PET were collected. A labeled cohort (n = 94) included patients with parkinsonism who underwent a clinical follow‐up of at least 3 years (mean 59.0 ± 14.6 months). An unlabeled cohort (n = 813) included all FP‐CIT PET data of a single‐center. All PET data were clustered by a dimension reduction method followed by hierarchical clustering. Four distinct clusters were defined according to the imaging patterns. When the diagnosis of the labeled cohort of 94 patients was compared with the corresponding cluster, parkinsonism patients were mostly included in two clusters, cluster "0" and "2." Specifically, patients with progressive supranuclear palsy were significantly more included in cluster 0. The two distinct clusters showed significantly different clinical features. Furthermore, even in PD patients, two clusters showed a trend of different clinical features. We found distinctive clusters of parkinsonism based on FP‐CIT PET‐derived heterogeneous neurodegeneration patterns, which were associated with different clinical features. Our results support a biological underpinning for the heterogeneity of neurodegeneration in parkinsonism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical metallization (ECM) cell is a feasible contender for high density resistance switching random access memory or neuromorphic devices. This work elucidates the detailed switching model based on the Cu conducting filament (CF) configuration and the interplay between the Joule heating and electric field effects in the Pt/TiO2/Cu ECM cell, which can explain the switching behaviors both in accordance and discordance with the conventional ECM theory. The Cu CF configuration is varied from the conventional conical one for a small compliance current (Icc, ≈1 mA) to the hourglass or even cylindrical one by adopting a high Icc value (≈30 mA). The rupture process of the Cu CF can be precisely modeled by considering the mutual constructive interference or the competition between the Joule heating and electric field effects for the rupture and rejuvenation of the Cu CF. These models are supported by an extensive thermal‐field simulation in 2D, and an hourglass‐shaped CF is identified by transmission electron microscopy, which is in accordance with the suggested model with a moderate Icc. The detailed geometry of the formed CF and relative bias polarity during the reset step play a critical role in determining the bipolar or unipolar switching mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although dementia is regarded as a contraindication for deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson's disease, there exist patients with Parkinson's disease dementia who can benefit motorically from deep brain stimulation. Aim To review the clinical outcome of deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson's disease dementia and discuss whether deep brain stimulation can be a therapeutic option in those patients. Methods We report five patients who underwent bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation despite the presence of dementia at the preoperative evaluations because of the presence of medically intractable motor and non-motor symptoms that could be relieved by deep brain stimulation. Results After surgery, motor symptoms improved greatly, and some non-motor symptoms also improved in all patients. However, in four patients, the motor improvements lasted just 2 or 3 years, and then, the patients deteriorated with the emergence of end-stage problems despite there being more continued benefit that could not have been achieved by medical treatment. The remaining one patient showed excellent response until the last follow-up at 7 years after surgery. Conclusion Deep brain stimulation provides some benefit not provided by medical treatment alone to patients with Parkinson's disease dementia, although its benefits do not last as long as in non-demented patients. However, this benefit does not necessarily mean that deep brain stimulation can be performed in patients with Parkinson's disease dementia. More discussion is required on whether deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease dementia can be justified and in which patients it should be carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Multiple system atrophy ( MSA) is a rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disorder without effective disease-modifying therapies. Because of a lack of reliable diagnostic biomarkers, there has been increasing interest in using magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) to improve the diagnostic accuracy of MSA. Methods This review summarizes recent literatures on the role of MRI in the diagnosis of MSA. Results Several MRI abnormalities on conventional MRI already are included in the current diagnostic criteria for MSA. Other features on conventional MRI are also used to make a diagnosis of MSA or to rule out alternative diagnoses. On the other hand, some of the MRI findings that were previously considered suggestive of a diagnosis of MSA are now being challenged, because it turned out that they were not as specific to MSA as previously thought. More advanced MRI modalities, including susceptibility-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, voxel-based morphometry, and cortical thickness analysis, are now used to study the changes in the brains of patients with MSA. Furthermore, studies have produced promising results demonstrating the use of MRI as a tool for monitoring and assessing disease progression in MSA. Conclusions MRI is useful and indispensable in the diagnosis of MSA and also possibly for monitoring disease progression. In this regard, well-designed, long-term, prospective studies on large numbers of patients are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dopaminergic degeneration is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD), which causes various symptoms affected by corticostriatal circuits. So far, the relationship between cortical changes and dopamine loss in the striatum is unclear. Here, we evaluate the gray matter (GM) changes in accordance with striatal dopaminergic degeneration in PD using hybrid PET/MR. Sixteen patients with idiopathic PD underwent 18F-FP-CIT PET/MR. To measure dopaminergic degeneration in PD, binding ratio (BR) of dopamine transporter in striatum was evaluated by 18F-FP-CIT. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to evaluate GM density. We obtained voxelwise correlation maps of GM density according to the striatal BR. Voxel-by-voxel correlation between BR maps and GM density maps was done to evaluate region-specific correlation of striatal dopaminergic degeneration. There was a trend of positive correlation between striatal BR and GM density in the cerebellum, parahippocampal gyri, and frontal cortex. A trend of negative correlation between striatal BR and GM density in the medial occipital cortex was found. Voxel-by-voxel correlation revealed that the positive correlation was mainly dependent on anterior striatal BR, while posterior striatal BR mostly showed negative correlation with GM density in occipital and temporal cortices. Decreased GM density related to anterior striatal dopaminergic degeneration might demonstrate degeneration of dopaminergic nonmotor circuits. Furthermore, the negative correlation could be related to the motor circuits of posterior striatum. Our integrated PET/MR study suggests that the widespread structural progressive changes in PD could denote the cortical functional correlates of the degeneration of striatal dopaminergic circuits. Hum Brain Mapp 37:1710-1721, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to compare Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA, Ipsen Biopharm, Slough, UK) and Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA, Allergan, Irvine, CA, USA) at a 2.5:1 ratio in the treatment of cervical dystonia (CD). A Dysport/Botox ratio of lower than 3:1 was suggested as a more appropriate conversion ratio, considering its higher efficacy and more frequent incidence of adverse effects not only in the treatment of CD but also in other focal movement disorders. A randomized, double-blind, multicenter, non-inferiority, two-period crossover study was done in CD, with a duration of at least 18 months. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment for the first period with Dysport or Botox, and they were followed up for 16 weeks after the injection. After a 4-week washout period, they were switched to the other formulation and then followed up for 16 weeks. The primary outcome was the changes in the Tsui scale between the baseline value and that at 1 month after each injection. A total of 103 patients were enrolled, and 94 completed the study. Mean changes in the Tsui scale between baseline and 4 weeks after each injection tended to favor Botox; however, this was not statistically significant (4.0 ± 3.9 points for the Dysport treatment vs. 4.8 ± 4.1 points for Botox; 95% confidence interval, −0.1-1.7; P = 0.091). The mean change of the Toronto western spasmodic torticollis rating scale score, the proportion of improvement in clinical global impression and patient global impression, and the incidences of adverse events were not significantly different between the two treatments. With regard to safety and efficacy, Dysport was not inferior to Botox in patients with CD at a conversion factor of 2.5:1. [: NCT00950664] © The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The promising energy storage properties of new lead‐free antiferroelectric HfxZr1‐xO2 (x = 0.1–0.4) films with high energy storage density are reported. The energy storage density of the Hf0.3Zr0.7O2 capacitor does not decrease with the increase in temperature up to 175 °C, and it decreases by only ≈4.5% after field cycling 109 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing annealing temperature ( Tanneal), the magnitude of the electric fields for the antiferroelectric-to-ferro-electric ( EAF) and ferroelectric-to-antiferroelectric ( EFA) transition of a 9.2 nm thick Hf0.3Zr0.7O2 film decreased. The energy storage densities of the Hf0.3Zr0.7O2 films crystallized at 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C were as large as 42.2 J/cm3, 40.4 J/cm3, and 28.3 J/cm3, respectively, at the electric field of 4.35 MV/cm. The maximum dielectric constant of the Hf0.3Zr0.7O2 film crystallized at 600 °C was the largest (∼46) as it had the smallest EAF and EFA, whereas the leakage current density of the film crystallized at 400 °C was the smallest. The 400 °C of Tanneal was the optimum condition for energy storage application. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the top electrode (TE) on the ferroelectric properties and switching endurance of thin Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 films was examined. The TiN/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/TiN capacitor can endure electric cycling up to 109 times, which is promising for the next‐generation memory. RuO2 TE was reduced during annealing due to the reactive TiN bottom electrode, resulting in the degradation of the ferroelectric properties and endurance. In addition, the endurance of the TiN/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/TiN capacitors was optimized by changing the film thickness and the postannealing temperature. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) Part of Focus Issue on “Functional Oxides” (Eds.: T. Frauenheim, J. M. Knaup, P. Broqvist, S. Ramanathan) The TiN/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/TiN capacitor can endure up to 109 times the electric cycling, which is promising for the next‐generation memory. RuO2 top electrode was reduced during annealing due to the reactive TiN bottom electrode, resulting in the degradation of the ferroelectric properties and endurance. The endurance of the TiN/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/TiN capacitors is optimized by changing the film thickness and the post‐annealing temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Defective visual information processing from both central and peripheral pathways is one of the suggested mechanisms of visual hallucination in Parkinson's disease (PD). To investigate the role of retinal thinning for visual hallucination in PD, we conducted a case-control study using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. We examined a representative sample of 61 patients with PD and 30 healthy controls who had no history of ophthalmic diseases. General ophthalmologic examinations and optical coherence tomography scans were performed in each participant. Total macular thickness and the thickness of each retinal layer on horizontal scans through the fovea were compared between the groups. In a comparison between patients with PD and healthy controls, there was significant parafoveal inner nuclear layer thinning, whereas other retinal layers, including the retinal nerve fiber layer, as well as total macular thicknesses were not different. In terms of visual hallucinations among the PD subgroups, only retinal nerve fiber layer thickness differed significantly, whereas total macular thickness and the thickness of other retinal layers did not differ. The retinal nerve fiber layer was thinnest in the group that had hallucinations without dementia, followed by the group that had hallucinations with dementia, and the group that had no hallucinations and no dementia. General ophthalmologic examinations did not reveal any significant correlation with hallucinations. There were no significant correlations between retinal thicknesses and duration or severity of PD and medication dosages. The results indicate that retinal nerve fiber layer thinning may be related to visual hallucination in nondemented patients with PD. Replication studies as well as further studies to elucidate the mechanism of thinning are warranted. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) provides greater relief from the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) than unilateral STN DBS, it has been suggested that unilateral STN DBS may be a reasonable treatment option in selected patients, especially those with highly asymmetric PD. In previous studies on the effect of unilateral STN DBS, the asymmetry of PD symptoms was not prominent and the mean follow-up durations were only 3 to 12 months. In this study, we report our findings in a series of 8 patients with highly asymmetric PD who were treated with unilateral STN DBS and were followed for 24 months. Serial changes in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor score and subscores in the ipsilateral, contralateral, and axial body parts were analyzed. Unilateral STN DBS improved the UPDRS motor score and the contralateral subscore in the on-medication state for 5 nonfluctuating patients and in the off-medication state for 3 fluctuating patients. However, the ipsilateral subscore progressively worsened and reversed asymmetry became difficult to manage, which led to compromised medication and stimulator adjustment. At 24 months, all the patients were considering the second-side surgery. Our results suggest that bilateral STN DBS should be considered even in highly asymmetric PD. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self‐rectifying memristor with a bilayer of trap‐rich HfO2 and insulating Ta2O5 oxide layers is considered one of the most promising candidates for the memristive crossbar array due to its superior switching performance, scalability with 3D stacking, and low operating power. However, the output current variation due to the electron detrapping from trap states can cause the failure of critical operations in neuromorphic applications. This work suggests two solutions to mitigate the switching variations and insufficient data retention time by embedding gold nanodots and modifying the bias voltage application methods for read, write, and erase operations in the crossbar array. The switching mechanism is studied by varying the embedded position of the gold nanodots across the thickness direction of the bilayered oxides, which helped to optimize device performance further. Combining the two solutions into the proposed self‐rectifying memristor enables a single device to have the 7‐possible, stable states by preventing interstate overlap and securing the retention. Consequently, the hardware neural network consisting of self‐rectifying memristors with gold nanodots with the modified bias voltage application methods demonstrates a high inference accuracy of 93.1% in MNIST handwritten digit classification, comparable to the software‐based accuracy of 93.4%, benefiting from the enhanced multi‐state uniformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights from the article: They suggested that concurrent tic disorders might be overlooked in PKD patients and tics share an unknown pathophysiological mechanism with PKD. Of 31 patients with PKD, no patient had been diagnosed or treated with a tic disorder, but 4 (13%) had self- reported symptoms of motor or vocal tics. Last, it is also possible that PKD symptoms could have mistakenly been perceived and diagnosed as tics, as described in a previous study.[3] Notwithstanding, our data do not disprove a possible association between PKD and tics suggested by Balint and colleagues.

The article presents a case report of a middle-aged man with acute abdominal pain. Medical examination and abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed segmental jejunal wall thickening and infiltration of adjacent mesentery. It is concluded that the patient had warfarin-induced intramural haematoma of small bowel.

The negative capacitance (NC) effect is now attracting a great deal of attention in work towards low‐power operation of field effect transistors and extremely large capacitance density in dynamic random access memory. However, to date, observation of the NC effect in dielectric/ferroelectric bilayer capacitors has been limited to the use of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films based on perovskite crystal structures, such as Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 and BaTiO3, which is not compatible with current complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology. This work, therefore, reports on the transient NC effect in amorphous‐Al2O3/polycrystalline‐Hf0.3Zr0.7O2 bilayer systems prepared using atomic layer deposition. The thin film processing conditions are carefully tuned to achieve the appropriate ferroelectric performances that are a prerequisite for the examination of the transient NC effect. Capacitance enhancement is observed in a wide voltage range in 5–10 nm thick Al2O3/Hf0.3Zr0.7O2 bilayer thin films. It is found that the capacitance of the dielectric layer plays a critical role in the determination of additional charge density induced by the NC effect. In addition, inhibition of the leakage current is important for stabilization of nonhysteretic charge–discharge behavior of the bilayers. The mean‐field approximation combined with classical Landau formalism precisely reproduces the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]