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Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a disease characterized by recurring, short-lived, electric shock-like pain experienced on one side of the face. Microvascular decompression (MVD) is one of the most effective surgical interventions for resolving TN caused by neurovascular compression. This study aimed to determine the predictive and prognostic factors of surgical outcomes.This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients diagnosed with TN who underwent MVD at our hospital during 2013-2019. The demographic information, pain character, peri-operative Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) scale, medication, operative finding were recorded. And the outcome was Outcomes were divided into drug-free and drug-dependent group. Predisposing factors for each outcome were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, followed by a Mann-Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis test.A total of 104 consecutive patients received MVD to treat TN, and 88 patients were enrolled in this study. The overall postoperative drug-free outcome was 72.7%. A significant difference in drug-free outcomes was observed for patients with typical TN (80.8%) compared with patients with atypical TN (33.33%, p = 0001). When severe venous compression was encountered during MVD, the drug-free outcome fell to 50% (10/20, p = 0.009). The Mann-Whitney U test indicated typical TN as a positive predictive factor of a drug-free outcome, whereas severe venous compression was a negative predictive factor. The patients with preoperative BNI score of 4 had better improvement than others (p = 0.045). Age, onset duration, and arterial loop had no specific difference in this study.In our study, atypical TN and severe venous compression were associated with poor outcomes. Regrouping atypical TN into precise diagnosis represents an immediate priority according to our result. The preoperative BNI score could be used as an effective predictive tool for the outcome of MVD surgery.

BACKGROUND Nanoparticles (NPs) have wide potential applications in biolabeling, bioimaging, and cell tracking. Development of dual functional nanoparticles increases the versatility. METHODS we combined the fluorescent property of nano-epoxy (N-Epo) and the magnetic characteristic of FePt to fabricate the FePt-decorated N-Epo (N-Epo-FePt). The size in diameter of N-Epo-FePt (177.38 ±39.25 nm) was bigger than N-Epo (2.28 ±1.01 nm), both could be absorbed into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) via clathrin-mediated endocytosis and have multiple fluorescent properties (blue, green, and red). RESULTS N-Epo-FePt prevented N-Epo-induced platelet activation, CD68+-macrophage differentiation in blood, and intracellular ROS generation in MSCs. The induction of apoptosis and the inhibitory effects of N-Epo-FePt on cell migration, MMP-9 activity, and secretion of SDF-1α were less than that of N-Epo in MSCs. CONCLUSION N-Epo-FePt was more biocompatible without altering biological performance than N-Epo in MSCs. These results suggest that N-Epo-FePt nanoparticle can be used for fluorescence labeling of MSCs and is potential to apply to bioimaging and cell tracking of MSCs in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT).

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect countries worldwide. To inhibit the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), testing of patients, contact tracing, and quarantine of their close contacts have been used as major nonpharmaceutical interventions. The advantages of antigen tests, such as low cost and rapid turnaround, may allow for the rapid identification of larger numbers of infectious persons. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Biomed Central databases from inception to January 2, 2021. Studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of antigen testing for SARS-CoV-2 with reference standards were included. We included studies that provided sufficient data to construct a 2 × 2 table on a per-patient basis. Only articles in English were reviewed. Summary sensitivity and specificity for antigen tests were generated using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Fourteen studies with 8624 participants were included. The meta-analysis for antigen testing generated a pooled sensitivity of 79% (95% CI, 66%-88%; 14 studies, 8624 patients) and a pooled specificity of 100% (95% CI, 99%-100%; 14 studies, 8624 patients). The subgroup analysis of studies that reported specimen collection within 7 days after symptom onset showed a pooled sensitivity of 95% (95% CI, 78%-99%; four studies, 1342 patients) and pooled specificity of 100% (95% CI, 97%-100%; four studies, 1342 patients). Regarding the applicability, the patient selection, index tests, and reference standards of studies in our meta-analysis matched the review title. CONCLUSION: Antigen tests have moderate sensitivity and high specificity for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. Antigen tests might have a higher sensitivity in detecting SARS-CoV-2 within 7 days after symptom onset. Based on our findings, antigen testing might be an effective method for identifying contagious individuals to block SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

BACKGROUND Medial displacement calcaneal osteotomy (MDCO) is frequently used for the surgical correction of flatfoot. This study aims to investigate the biomechanical effect of the different diagonal screw design on a novel-designed embedded calcaneal plate for MDCO using finite element analysis (FEA), mechanical test and digital image correlation (DIC) measurement. METHODS Four groups according to the varied implanted plate were set as control group (Group 1), non-diagonal screw (Group 2), one-diagonal screw (Group 3), and two-diagonal screws groups (Group 4). For FEA, A 450 N load was applied to on the anterior process of the calcaneus from top to bottom. Observational indices included the stress on the cortical and cancellous bone of the calcaneus surrounding the implant, the plate itself as well as screws, and the displacement of the overall structure. In addition, this study also used in vitro biomechanics test to investigate the stiffness of the structure after implantation, and used DIC to observe the displacement of the calcaneus structure after external force. RESULTS Under a simulated load in FEA, there are significant overall instability and high stress concentration on the calcaneal surrounding host bone and the plate/screws system, respectively, in group 2 compared with other groups. Regard to the mechanical testing with DIC system, significant increased rotation stability, maximum force and stiffness with the addition of diagonal screws. In comparison to Group 2, the increase of 112% and 157% in maximum force as well as 104% and 176% in stiffness were found in Group 3 and 4, respectively. CONCLUSION For reducing stress concentration and enhancing overall stability, more than one-diagonal screw design is recommended and two-diagonal screws design will be superior. This study provided biomechanical references for further calcaneal implants design to prevent clinical failure after MDCO.

Background Chitosan (Chi) is a natural material which has been widely used in neural applications due to possessing better biocompatibility. In this research study, a novel of nanocomposites film based on Chitosan (Chi) with Hyaluronic Acid (HA), combined with varying amounts of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was created resulting in pure Chi, Chi-HA, Chi-HA-AuNPs (25 ppm) and Chi-HA-AuNPs (50 ppm). Methods This study focused on evaluating their effects on Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) viability, colony formation and biocompatibility. The surface morphology and chemical position was characterized through UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and contact-angle assessment. Results When seeding MSCs on Chi-HA-AuNPs (50 ppm), the results showed high cell viability, biocompatibility, and the highest colony formation ability. Meanwhile, the evidence showed that Chi-HA-Au nano film was able to inhibit Nestin and β-Tubulin expression of MSCs, as well as inhibit the ability of neurogenic differentiation. Furthermore, the results of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2/9 (MMP2/9) expression in MSCs were also significantly higher in the Chi-HA-AuNP (50 ppm) group, guiding with angiogenesis and wound healing abilities. In addition, in our rat model, both capsule thickness and collagen deposition were the lowest in Chi-HA-AuNPs (50 ppm). Conclusion Thus, in view of the in vitro and in vivo results, Chi-HA-AuNPs (50 ppm) could not only maintain the greatest stemness properties and regulate the neurogenic differentiation ability of MSCs, but was able to also induce the least immune response. Herein, Chi-HA-Au 50 ppm nano film holds promise as a suitable material for nerve regeneration engineering.

BACKGROUND Most reproductive system studies suggest the protective effects of vitamin D, but vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are growing global health issues. The present study investigates the association between vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency and gynecologic diseases to identify illness risks at different serum vitamin D levels in Taiwan. METHODS A total of 7699 female adults aged ≥20 years with results for both serum vitamin D and gynecologic-associated diseases were drawn from the Taiwan MJ cohort. We analyzed the correlation between serum vitamin D levels and results from reproductive system evaluations, including history of dysmenorrhea, results of Pap smear, high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the cervix, mammography, and ultrasound of breast and pelvis. RESULTS Over 80% of participants showed vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency. Participants with abnormal Pap smear results, high-risk HPV infection, and history of dysmenorrhea showed significantly lower levels of serum vitamin D (p < 0.001-0.05). Serum vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with positive high-risk HPV infection of the cervix (p < 0.05) and dysmenorrhea (p < 0.001). After controlling for age as a confounding variable for each gynecologic disease, level of serum vitamin D was significantly associated with abnormal breast ultrasound (odds ratio = 0.724) and uterus ultrasound (odds ratio = 0.673 - 0.8), and dysmenorrhea (odds ratio = 0.829). CONCLUSION Associations were found between vitamin D deficiency and endometriosis, uterine myoma, dysmenorrhea, abnormal Pap smear results, and high-risk HPV infection of the cervix. Therefore, vitamin D supplements may present a cost-effective benefit for the prevention and treatment of gynecologic diseases, and thus reduction of healthcare expenditures.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to the normal operation of the healthcare system. On a worldwide scale, hospitals suspended non-urgent surgeries and outpatient visits to downsized clinical loadings to redistribute manpower to counteract the pandemic's impact. So far, there is no evidence-based guideline defining a clear line between urgent and non-urgent indications of intravitreal injections (IVI). Herein, we aimed to summarize IVI algorithm modifications and discuss the patient prioritization according to medical needs in the hostile environment in the COVID crisis. Assessing current literature, we found that neovascular age-related macular degeneration is considered the utmost priority among conditions that require IVI. Other conditions assigned with a high priority include monocular or quasi-monocular patients (only one eye > 20/40), neovascular glaucoma, and new patients with significant vision loss. Although patients with central retinal vein occlusion and proliferative diabetic retinopathy are not advised to delay treatments, we found no consistent evidence that correlated with a worse outcome. Diabetic macular edema and branched retinal vein occlusion patients undertaking treatment delay should be regularly followed up every 2-3 months. Serving as the principle of management behind the algorithm modifications, the reduction of both patient visit and IVI therapy counts should be reckoned together with the risk of permanent visual loss and COVID infection.

Electronic healthcare (e-health) has gained more and more research attention in recent years, due to its flexibility and convenience. E-health is efficiently enabled by telecare medicine information system (TMIS). TMIS provides seamless transfer and timely sharing of medical information for specific healthcare services. Since communications in TMIS are carried out through unreliable channels, data security and user privacy concerns become prominent. With traditional single-server architecture, users must store massive credentials, which causes inefficient communication and significant overhead. Moreover, user credentials in previously proposed schemes are stored at server side, suffering potential risks. Our work proposes a three-factor user-controlled single sign-on (UCSSO) with fast authentication and privacy protection for TMIS. The contributions of this paper are as follows. Our work integrates three factors including password, smart card and biometrics in authentication procedure, for providing a high-security and privacy-preserved communication. We introduce single sign-on solution that allows users to log in to multiple servers using a single password. User-controlled mechanism is proposed to address insider attacks and the risk that registration center may be compromised. The proposed scheme is designed with fast authentication mechanism that helps to efficiently establishes new session key. Our work is proved secure using BAN logic, ROR model, and AVISPA toolset. The results of performance comparison show that our scheme provides more security properties and bears the least overhead, compared with competitive schemes.

Edge computing has played an important role in enabling 5G technology which supports a great number of connected narrow-band IoT devices. In an edge computing architecture enabled with global mobile network, edge or IoT devices are wirelessly connected to the edge of the network. Data acquisition and processing will be handled at or close to the edge of the network in a distributed way. Since edge computing is a heterogeneous distributed interactive system with multiple domains and entities, it might suffer from potential attacks and threats. To provide a trusted edge computing, there must have a robust scheme that allows all participants to mutually authenticate in a secure and privacy-preserved way. With the rapid development of IoT technologies, mobile networks and edge computing architecture, single server has been unable to meet the needs of users. In this paper, we propose a privacy-preserved end-to-end password-based authenticated key exchange protocol for multi-server architecture in edge computing networks. Our protocol allows an end user to use an easy-to-remember password to login to the server, then through foreign agent compute a shared key with another end user for specific use of services. The proposed protocol provides strong user anonymity during communication process. Besides, the proposed protocol is proved to be secure using BAN logic and AVISPA tool. Furthermore, performance analysis shows that the proposed protocol gains stronger security and better computational efficiency. Providing lightweight computation with short key size of ECC, our work is a solution to lower latency and improve efficiency in edge computing networks.

Terrible triad of the elbow injury is difficult to manage, and the role of the coronoid process in instability is very important. We describe a simple, modified suture technique to fix a coronoid process fragment using suture anchor fixation.Eight patients (three female and five male) with coronoid process injuries with the fragment involving50% of the total height (Regan-Morrey type I/II) in terrible triad of elbow injury were included. Patients were treated operatively via a lateral Kocher's approach, and coronoid process fractures were repaired with a single pulley double-strand suture technique. Structures were addressed in a sequential fashion-the coronoid process, radial head, lateral ulnar collateral ligament.All patients were treated with the single pulley double-strand anchor suture technique and the coronoid process fragment was found to be in good contact with the original avulsion site using the method. The final Mayo Elbow Performance Score was excellent (90) in six patients and good (between 85 and 89) in two patients after operation 6 months.The single pulley double-strand suture tie method using a suture anchor is a less invasive and simpler fixation method for the repair of coronoid process fractures in patients with terrible triad of the elbow injuries and results in good outcomes.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is one of the leading causes of death around the world. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an independent factor to improve OHCA survival. However, the prevalence of bystander CPR remains low worldwide. Community interventions such as mandatory school CPR training or targeting CPR training to family members of high-risk cardiac patients are possible strategies to improve bystander CPR rate. Real time feedback, hands-on practice with a manikin, and metronome assistance may increase the quality of CPR. Dispatcher-assistance and compression only CPR for untrained bystanders have shown to increase bystander CPR rate and increase survival to hospital discharge. After return of spontaneous circulation, targeted temperature management should be performed to improve neurological function. This review focuses on the impact of bystander CPR on clinical outcomes and strategies to optimize the prevalence and quality of bystander CPR.

Different dietary nutrients have distinct effects, including enhancing immune response activity and supporting mucous membrane integrity. These effects are critical in fighting against pathogenic agents, which cover coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the coronavirus disease that shuts down globally. Recent researches have shown that micronutrient deficiency is commonly associated with compromised immune responses, respiratory tract infections, or even susceptibility to COVID-19. The relationship between Vit A and infection is its role in mucosal epithelium integrity (skin and mucous membrane), the supplementation could be an option for assisted-treating the SARS-CoV-2 virus and a possible prevention of lung infection. Vit C/ascorbic acid stimulates oxygen radical scavenging activity of the skin and enhances epithelial barrier function. Ascorbic acid alone or with other natural compounds (baicalin and theaflavin) may inhibit the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme II in human small alveolar epithelial cells and limited the entry of SARS-CoV-2. Vitamin D receptors can be expressed by immune cells, and different immune cells (macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells, T cells, and B cells) can convert Vit D into its active form 1,25-(OH)2 D. Oral vitamin D intake can be a readily way to restrict the viral infection through downregulation of ACE2 receptor and to attenuate the disease severity by decreasing the frequency of cytokine storm and pulmonary pro-inflammatory response. Vit E supports T-cell mediated functions, optimization of Th1 response, and suppression of Th2 response. Vitamin E supplementation can lower the production of superoxides and may favors the antioxidants and benefit the progress of COVID-19 treatment. Zinc plays an essential role in both innate and adaptive immune systems and cytokine production, and Zinc-dependent viral enzymes to initiate the infectious process have proved the Zinc levels are directly associated with symptoms relieved of COVID-19. Iron is an essential component of enzymes involved in the activation of immune cells, lower iron levels predispose to severe symptoms of SARS-CoV-2, and monitoring the status can predict the disease severity and mortality. Selenium participates in the adaptive immune response by supporting antibody production and development. Deficiency can reduce antibody concentration, decreased cytotoxicity of NK cells, compromised cellular immunity, and an attenuated response to vaccination. The COVID-19 vaccines including three broad categories, protein-based vaccines, gene-based vaccines (mRNA vaccines and DNA vaccines), combination of gene and protein-based vaccines. Micronutrients are involved in immunity from the virus entering the human to innate immune response and adaptive immune response. Micronutrients are indispensable in immune response of vaccination.

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has brought an unprecedented impact upon the global economy and public health. Although the SARS-CoV-2 virology has been gradually investigated, measures to combat this new threat in public health are still absent. To date, no certificated drug or vaccine has been developed for the treatment or prevention of coronavirus disease Extensive researches and international coordination has been conducted to rapidly develop novel vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Several major breakthroughs have been made through the identification of the genetic sequence and structural/non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2, which enabled the development of RNA-, DNA-based vaccines, subunit vaccines, and attenuated viral vaccines. In this review article, we present an overview of the recent advances of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the challenges that may be encountered in the development process, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches that may help in effectively countering COVID-19.

Lung cancer (LC) causes the majority of cancer-related deaths. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) were reported to play roles in cancers by targeting pro- and anti-oncogenic miRNAs. However, the mechanisms of circRNAs in LC progression and their prognostic value of treatment response remain unclear. By using next generation sequencing (NGS) of LC cell lines&rsquo, transcriptomes, we identified highly overexpressed hsa_circ_0000190 and hsa_circ_000164 as potential biomarkers. By using the highly sensitive RT-ddPCR method, these circRNAs were shown to be secreted by cell lines and were detected in human blood. Clinical validation by RT-ddPCR was carried out on 272 (231 LC patients and 41 controls) blood samples. Higher hsa_circ_0000190 levels were associated with larger tumor size (p &lt, 0.0001), worse histological type of adenocarcinoma (p = 0.0028), later stage (p &lt, 0.0001), more distant metastatic organs (p = 0.0039), extrathoracic metastasis (p = 0.0004), and poor survival (p = 0.047) and prognosis. Using liquid biopsy-based RT-ddPCR, we discovered the correlation between increased hsa_circ_0000190 plasma level (p &lt, 0.0001) and higher programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) level in tumor (p = 0.0283). Notably, long-term follow-up of the immunotherapy treated cases showed that upregulated plasma hsa_circ_0000190 level correlated with poor response to systemic therapy and immunotherapy (p = 0.0002, 0.0058, respectively). Secretory circRNAs are detectable in blood by LB-based RT-ddPCR and may serve as blood-based biomarkers to monitor disease progression and treatment efficacy.

The fifth generation (5G) mobile network delivers high peak data rates with ultra-low latency and massive network capacity. Wireless sensor network (WSN) in Internet of Thing (IoT) architecture is of prominent use in 5G-enabled applications. The electronic healthcare (e-health) system has gained a lot of research attention since it allows e-health users to store and share data in a convenient way. By the support of 5G technology, healthcare data produced by sensor nodes are transited in the e-health system with high efficiency and reliability. It helps in reducing the treatment cost, providing efficient services, better analysis reports, and faster access to treatment. However, security and privacy issues become big concerns when the number of sensors and mobile devices is increasing. Moreover, existing single-server architecture requires to store a massive number of identities and passwords, which causes a significant database cost. In this paper, we propose a three-factor fast authentication scheme with time bound and user anonymity for multi-server e-health systems in 5G-based wireless sensor networks. In our work, the three-factor authentication scheme integrating biometrics, password, and smart card ensures a high-security sensor-enabled environment for communicating parties. User anonymity is preserved during communication process. Besides, time bound authentication can be applied to various healthcare scenarios to enhance security. The proposed protocol includes fast authentication, which can provide a fast communication for participating parties. Our protocol is also designed with multi-server architecture to simplify network load and significantly save database cost. Furthermore, security proof and performance analysis results show that our proposed protocol can resist various attacks and bear a rational communication cost.

Accumulating evidence indicates that exercise can improve learning and memory as well as attenuate neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In addition to improving neuroplasticity by altering the synaptic structure and function in various brain regions, exercise also modulates systems like angiogenesis and glial activation that are known to support neuroplasticity. Moreover, exercise helps to maintain a cerebral microenvironment that facilitates synaptic plasticity by enhancing the clearance of Aβ, one of the main culprits of AD pathogenesis. The purpose of this review is to highlight the positive impacts of exercise on promoting neuroplasticity. Possible mechanisms involved in exercise-modulated neuroplasticity are also discussed. Undoubtedly, more studies are needed to design an optimal personalized exercise protocol for enhancing brain function.

A group key agreement protocol can establish a secret key shared among some participants for secure group-oriented applications. Many authenticated group key agreement protocols are proposed, but some of them cannot provide user anonymity. Xiao et al. (Inf Sci 177:1136–1142, 2007) proposed an improved key agreement protocol based on chaotic maps with only a predetermined long-term key to ensure security. Guo and Zhang (Inf Sci 180:4069–4074, 2010) proposed a group key agreement protocol based on chaotic hash function, but Yoon et al. recently pointed out that Guo et al.’s protocol is vulnerable to off-line password guessing attack, stolen-verifier attack, and reflection attack. In this paper, we will propose an authenticated group key agreement protocol with user anonymity based on Chebyshev chaotic maps to resist above pointed out attacks and achieve the following properties with better performance: (i) It is suitable for multi-server and mobile environments; (ii) it achieves contributory group key agreement with user authentication; (iii) it provides mutual authentication, explicit key authentication, key confirmation, forward secrecy, and group key updating; (iv) user anonymity can simultaneously be preserved in the group key agreement procedure, which implies that identities of all participants are anonymously to outsiders; (iv) no public key certificates are used, which implies that authenticity of public keys are implicitly verified; (vi) it can also resist password guessing and stolen-verifier attacks.

Graphene sheets that can exhibit electrical conducting and semiconducting properties are highly desirable and have potential applications in fiber communications, photodetectors, solar cells, semiconductors, and broadband modulators. However, there is currently no efficient method that is able to tune the band gap of graphene sheets. This work adopts an efficient atomic layer oxidation (ALO) technique to cyclically increase the oxidation level of graphene sheets, thus, tuning their electrical conductance, band-gap structure, and photoluminescence (PL) response. The O/C atomic ratio as an increasing function of the ALO cycle number reflects two linear regions: 0.23% per cm2 per cycle (0-15 cycles) and 0.054% per cm2 per cycle (15-100 cycles). The excellent correlation coefficients reveal that the ALO process follows a self-limiting route to step-by-step oxidize graphene layers. The interlayer distance of ALO-graphene sheets shows an obvious increase after the ALO treatment, proved by X-ray diffraction. As analyzed by X-ray photon spectroscopy, the hydroxyl or epoxy group acts as a major contributor to the interlayer spacing distance and oxidation extent in the initial ALO stage, as compared to carbonyl and carboxyl groups. The ALO mechanism, based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood and Eley-Rideal models, is proposed to clarify the formation of oxygen functionalities and structural transformation from pristine graphene sheets to oxidized ones during the ALO cycle. With a tunable oxidation level, the electrical resistivity, semiconductor character, and PL response of ALO-graphene samples can be systematically controlled for desired applications. The ALO approach is capable of offering a straightforward route to tune the oxidation level of graphene sheets or other carbons.

Healthcare is now an important part of daily life because of rising consciousness of health management. Medical professionals can know users’ health condition if they are able to access information immediately. Telemedicine systems, which provides long distance medical communication and services, is a multi-functional remote medical service that can help patients in bed in long-distance communication environments. As telemedicine systems work in public networks, privacy preservation issue of sensitive and private transmitted information is important. One of the means of proving a user’s identity are user-controlled single sign-on (UCSSO) authentication scheme, which can establish a secure communication channel using authenticated session keys between the users and servers of telemedicine systems, without threats of eavesdropping, impersonation, etc., and allow patients access to multiple telemedicine services with a pair of identity and password. In this paper, we proposed a smartcard-based user-controlled single sign-on (SC-UCSSO) for telemedicine systems that not only remains above merits but achieves privacy preservation and enhances security and performance compared to previous schemes that were proved with BAN logic and automated validation of internet security protocols and applications (AVISPA).

Amorphous TiOx, WO3 and Ag mid-layer films were deposited on polyethersulfone (PES) and soda-lime glass via electron beam evaporation at room temperature. The crystallinity, microstructure and surface morphology of asymmetric TiOx/Ag/WO3 multilayers (TAW) and symmetric WO3/Ag/WO3 (WAW) multilayers were investigated. The polygrains oriented along the (111) planes in the inserted Ag thin films were adopted to supply carriers into both of the dielectric layers and reduce the sheet resistance of the multilayer. The TAW multilayer with a sufficiently large Ag thickness (>15 nm) exhibited low resistance, and highly visible transmittance, low infra-red transmittance, to serve as a transparent conductive electrode and a good heat mirror. The dependence of the Ag and TiOx thickness on the optical and electrical properties of TAW multilayers was also explored. A figure of merit (FOM) was used to find an optimal layer structure for a TAW multilayer with superior conductivity and highly visible transparency. A high FOM of 1.2 × 10−1 (Ω−1) was achieved at the visible wavelength of 550 nm for a asymmetric TAW stacked layer on PES with a 15-nm-thick Ag layer, a 40-nm-thick TiOx and a 40 nm-thick WO3 layer. The moisture resistances of the TAW stacking layer showed more robustness than that of the WAW sample after damp heat exposure.

Wearable devices are the most frequently used personal devices, in ail of wearable devices, the smart phones are the most popular and rapid development. The evolution of wearable devices such as smartphones will accelerate the development of Internet of Things (IoT). Furthermore, user can use the IoT services easily through the smartphone or wearing device. However, if the communication between the wearable device and other devices does not have enough access control and information protect, it may cause some problems, such as the data may be stolen and modified. In this paper, we presented an end-to-end authenticated key exchange agreement for wearable devices in IoT environments. The protocol can satisfy some properties of key exchange agreement and be used with wearable devices in IoT environments.

With the progress of information technology, the computer crimes are emerging in an endless stream. User's privacy should be protected. When a user submits a service request to a service provider, both should check the identity of each other and build a shared key to accomplish the service request. Furthermore, when a conference is held, the chairman must verify the identities of all participants. Afterwards, the chairman chooses a conference key and distributes it to legitimate participants. Besides, the participants should know who is in the conference. These manners prevent the malicious adversary from eavesdropping or impersonating to get some benefits. From mentioned above, we adopt identity-based cryptosystem and elliptic curve cryptosystem to propose a privacy-preserved conference key distribution protocol.

Wearable devices become the most personal devices nowadays. The smartphone may become a second screen Internet of Things (IoT) future shaped by wearable devices as wearable devices get smarter. Wearable devices can accelerate speed of leading users to IoT, and the entrance of IoT will be wearable devices. A setback in wearable devices adoption might delay the overall adoption of the IoT among users, such as security issues. Service providers may utilize identity authentication and secure communication protocols for ensuring legitimacy of users and information transferring security. In this paper, we presented an end-to-end authenticated key exchange agreement for wearable devices in IoT environments. The protocol can satisfy some properties of key exchange agreement and be used with wearable devices in IoT environments.

Stoke is the second of causes of deaths on the earth and the third of the top ten in Taiwan. About 70% of stoke patients can restore walking ability through rehabilitation, and 50% of stoke patients can live with daily life. In this paper, we designed and evaluated a user-centered stroke rehabilitation games. We used Information Systems Research (ISR) framework as guideline which Schnall et al. proposed, and we designed and developed stroke rehabilitation games based on clinical knowledge with virtual reality technology. Finally, we evaluated usability and acceptability through qualitative interviews.

A highly adaptive multi-sensor SoC comprising four integrated on-chip sensors and a smart wireless acquisition system is realized in standard CMOS process for the first time. To intelligently process different types (C, R, I, and V) of sensor signals, a linear (R-square is 0.999) and reconfigurable sensor readout is proposed based on switched-capacitor circuit technology. In addition, a dual-input energy harvesting interface with conversion efficiency of 73% is also integrated to pick up light energy and RF power, which potentiates long-term use without battery replacement. The entire SoC occupies die area of 11.25 mm 2 and consumes only 942.9 μW. Experimental results show that four physiological parameters (temperature, glucose and protein concentration, and pH value) can be simultaneously monitored using this chip. This system can be seen as a universal sensor platform. Different types of sensors can be easily integrated into it for convenient use, which dramatically reduces time consuming of building a new sensor system.

The beneficial effects of exercise on brain function have been demonstrated in animal models and in a growing number of clinical studies on humans. There are multiple mechanisms that account for the brain-enhancing effects of exercise, including neuroinflammation, vascularization, antioxidation, energy adaptation, and regulations on neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitters. Dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NE), and serotonin (5-HT) are the three major monoamine neurotransmitters that are known to be modulated by exercise. This review focuses on how these three neurotransmitters contribute to exercise affecting brain function and how it can work against neurological disorders.

Temporal focusing multiphoton microscopy (TFMPM) has the advantage of area excitation in an axial confinement of only a few microns; hence, it can offer fast three-dimensional (3D) multiphoton imaging. Herein, fast volumetric imaging via a developed digital micromirror device (DMD)-based TFMPM has been realized through the synchronization of an electron multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) with a dynamic piezoelectric stage for axial scanning. The volumetric imaging rate can achieve 30 volumes per second according to the EMCCD frame rate of more than 400 frames per second, which allows for the 3D Brownian motion of one-micron fluorescent beads to be spatially observed. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the dynamic HiLo structural multiphoton microscope can reject background noise by way of the fast volumetric imaging with high-speed DMD patterned illumination.

ZnO/Ag/ZnO (ZAZ) and ZnO/Cu/ZnO (ZCZ) were prepared. The dependence of crystalline, electrical, and optical properties for the multilayer on the postdeposition annealing (PDA) was studied. After PDA of 300°C for 20 min, the diffusion of Cu in ZnO occurs; this result is responsible for the increasing resistance of the annealed ZCZ. Ag with a thickness of 10 nm was deposited upon ZnO. The interface of ZnO and Ag is clearly revealed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The crystalline of ZnO and Ag films in the ZAZ with a sheet resistance (Rs) down to 4.17 Ω/sq. The ZAZ layer shows a better thermal stability (up to 400°C) than that of the ZCZ ones. The PDA degraded slightly the optical transmittance and increases the conductivity of ZAZ layer. The figure of merit (FOM) is applied to analysis of the ZAZ layer. The PDA can enhance the FOM of the ZAZ with Ag thickness >8 nm. The resultingRsand the transmittance ZAZ layers were analyzed by the Taguchi method to obtain the appropriate parameters. The optimized ZAZ has been verified with aRsof 2.3 Ω/sq, a high transmittance (71%), and the optimal FOM of 1.41 × 10−2 Ω−1.

The lateral and axial spatial resolutions of a temporal focusing multiphoton excitation microscopy are improved through second-order nonlinear structured-illumination and projected structured light, respectively. A deep tissue image can be achieved.

Methods: We used 2K-1C, DOCA-salt hypertensive models to induce learning and memory defects. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured by tail-cuff method. Elevated plus maze and novel object recognition task (NORT) models were used to evaluate the cognitive improvement. Plasma and brain concentrations of rolipram, roflumilast were studied after the behavioral task. In addition, mRNA expression of PDE4 sub-types A,B,C,D and phosphorylation of CREBwere also assessed in the hippocampus tissue. Results: SBP, kidney weight and heart index were significantly increased in hypertensive rats when compared with their age matched sham operated rats. There was no significant difference in SBP among the PDE4 treatment groups in both the models. The retention latency on the second day in the elevated plus maze model was significantly shortened after repeated administration of rolipram (0.03, 0.1and 0.3mg/kg i.p) or roflumilast (0.1, 0.3 and 1mg/kg p.o). Further, PDE4 inhibitors significantly reversed time induced memory deficit in NORT. Dose linear plasma and brain concentrations of rolipram, roflumilast were observed. The PDE4B and PDE4D gene expression was significantly enhanced in hypertensive rats compared with sham operated however PDE4A and PDE4C remained unaltered. Repeated dose treatment of PDE4 inhibitors caused down regulation of PDE4B and PDE4D leading to dose dependent increase in the pCREB levels. Conclusions: These results suggest that inhibition of PDE4 ameliorates HT-induced impairment of learning and memory functions. These data further support that PDE4 inhibition may be an attractive therapeutic strategy to improve memory performance.

Holographic recordings in a LiNbO3 crystal using ordinary and extraordinary light in transmission-type geometry were performed. The system parameters of storage capacity (M/#), sensitivity, and signal-to-noise ratio were measured. Although extraordinary light will induce stronger fanning light (nonlinear enhanced scattered light) in LiNbO3, our experimental results indicate that the system using extraordinary light is superior to that using ordinary light. Our demonstrations and results can help to optimize the holographic recording in some applications of volume holographic optical element (VHOE), such as wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) filters in optical communication.

In a single-server mobile network, authorized users can dynamically login to the server for requiring internet services or resources. A password authenticated key exchange protocol can be used to authenticate user's legitimacy and establish a secure communication between a user and his logon server by using his friendly memorized password. In generally, users can dynamically access internet resources and services from multiple servers via mobile networks. However, it is difficult for users and servers to easily and securely manage passwords and secret keys in multi-server mobile networks. This paper proposes a password authenticated key exchange protocol for multi-server mobile networks based on Chebyshev chaotic map. Properties of the proposed protocol are given below. (i) The user can easily memorize a single password to login different servers without the assistance of a trusted registration authority. (ii) The user can share distinct secret information with different servers, and hence a malicious server cannot use it to masquerade as the user to login the other server(s). (iii) It is secure against some potential attacks. (iv) An authenticated key shared between the user and the server can be established for securing their communications. (v) It can provide key confirmation for the shared session key. (vi) It can provide higher security assurance in generating secret keys.

We study the characteristics of a dual-frequency laser Doppler velocimeter (DF-LDV) based on an optically injected semiconductor laser. The laser operated in a period-one (P1) dynamical state with two optical frequencies separated by 11.25 GHz is used as the dual-frequency light source. With a microwave beat signal carried by the light, the DF-LDV possesses both the advantages of good directionality, high intensity, and high spatial resolution from the light and low speckle noise and good coherence from the microwave, respectively. By phase-locking the two frequency components with a microwave signal, the coherence of the dual-frequency light source can be further improved and the detection range can be much extended. In this paper, velocity resolutions of the DF-LDV with different amounts of speckle noise and at different detection ranges are experimentally measured and analyzed. Compared with the conventional single-frequency LDV (SF-LDV), the velocity resolution of the DF-LDV is improved by 8 × 10(3) times from 2.5 m/s to 0.31 mm/s for a target with a longitudinal velocity vz = 4 cm/s, a transverse velocity vt = 5 m/s, and at a detection range of 108 m.

Several recent works have demonstrated the benefits of through-silicon-via (TSV) based 3D integration [1–4], but none of them involves a fully functioning multicore processor and memory stacking. 3D-MAPS (3D Massively Parallel Processor with Stacked Memory) is a two-tier 3D IC, where the logic die consists of 64 general-purpose processor cores running at 277MHz, and the memory die contains 256KB SRAM (see Fig. 10.6.1). Fabrication is done using 130nm GlobalFoundries device technology and Tezzaron TSV and bonding technology. Packaging is done by Amkor. This processor contains 33M transistors, 50K TSVs, and 50K face-to-face connections in 5×5mm2 footprint. The chip runs at 1.5V and consumes up to 4W, resulting in 16W/cm2 power density. The core architecture is developed from scratch to benefit from single-cycle access to SRAM.

We develop a dual-frequency laser Doppler velocimeter based on an optically-injected semiconductor laser. Spectral broadening suffered from the speckle noise is much suppressed benefitted by the longer effective wavelength.

We describe the design and analysis of 3D-MAPS, a 64-core 3D-stacked memory-on-processor running at 277 MHz with 63 GB/s memory bandwidth, sent for fabrication using Tezzaron's 3D stacking technology. We also describe the design flow used to implement it using industrial 2D tools and custom add-ons to handle 3D specifics.

In angle multiplexing, the angle between the reference light and the object light is slightly changed in different recordings. In reconstruction, only the reference beam with an accurate angular position can retrieve the corresponding object beam due to the characteristics of Bragg condition. Accordingly, a suitable angular separation of the reference beam should be decided for angle multiplexing. A larger angular separation will decrease the storage density, and a smaller angular separation will increase the cross-talk noise in small bi-angles. In general speaking, only one condition of full angle of lights is involved to calculate the angular separation with coupled-mode theory or with experiment. Thus the angular separation is fixed in the whole procedure of angle multiplexing. As a result, the angular separations of most multiplexed holograms are either larger or smaller. Only one hologram is multiplexed in the critical angular condition. In this paper, angle multiplexing with different angular separations were performed to quantitatively demonstrate the effect. The possible method to deal with the issue was also proposed.

The main assignment of wafer transport automation in cluster-tools equipment is to transfer wafer between chambers and cassettes automatically. However, the operation of cluster-tools must be done in the clean room in consideration of the cleaning requirement, technology support of operator, and maintenance of equipment. With remote monitoring and e-diagnostics technology, an operator can monitor the procedures of wafer transport, the statuses of equipment, and more remote diagnosing/control of cluster-tools via Internet. Thus, it will be useful for maintenance, diagnosis, and productivity improvement. Besides, it can also use statistical process control system to predict the status of equipment. This system will know in advance whether the equipment is going to fail or not. The operator can handle the problems earlier with the prediction of the status of equipment. This research discusses the capability requirement of remote monitoring and diagnosing system for cluster-tools equipment. The CCD camera can take a picture when the arm goes into chamber. The data will be saved into SQL Server after program recognize the image and calculate the height of front arm. Then, use statistical process control to get capability of accuracy, capability of process, and process capability of the equipment. These three indexes will show the operator the status of equipment. Operator can call the engineer to check and fix the equipment ahead of time to avoid an accident when the index displayed a failing tendency. It will achieve the capability of e-diagnostics prediction.