DG PET image and a group-based NC connectivity matrix. The result has shown the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed individual metabolic network in differentiating disease groups in AD. Future studies should include investigation of inter-individual variability and the correlation of individual network features to disease severities and clinical performance.Sensory deprivation prompts extensive structural and functional reorganizations of the cortex resulting in the occupation of space for the lost sense by the intact sensory systems. This process, known as cross-modal plasticity, has been widely studied in individuals with vision or hearing loss. However, little is known on the neuroplastic changes in restoring the deprived sense. Some reports consider the cross-modal functionality maladaptive to the return of the original sense, and others view this as a critical process in maintaining the neurons of the deprived sense active and operational. These controversial views have been challenged in both auditory and vision restoration reports for decades. Recently with the approval of Luxturna as the first retinal gene therapy (GT) drug to reverse blindness, there is a renewed interest for the crucial role of cross-modal plasticity on sight restoration. Employing a battery of task and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI), in comparison to a gr to meet the demand for the newly established retinal signals, remaining or dormant visual neurons are revived or unmasked for greater participation. These neurons or a subset of these neurons respond to both the visual and non-visual demands and further strengthen connectivity between the auditory and visual cortices.Early detection is critical for effective management of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and screening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common practice. Among several deep-learning techniques that have been applied to assessing structural brain changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), convolutional neural network (CNN) has gained popularity due to its superb efficiency in automated feature learning with the use of a variety of multilayer perceptrons. Meanwhile, ensemble learning (EL) has shown to be beneficial in the robustness of learning-system performance via integrating multiple models. Here, we proposed a classifier ensemble developed by combining CNN and EL, i.e., the CNN-EL approach, to identify subjects with MCI or AD using MRI i.e., classification between (1) AD and healthy cognition (HC), (2) MCIc (MCI patients who will convert to AD) and HC, and (3) MCIc and MCInc (MCI patients who will not convert to AD). For each binary classification task, a large number of CNN models were trained applying a ss, and the generalizability of the advocated CNN-EL approach to locate the most discriminable brain regions in the detection of other brain disorders such as schizophrenia, autism, and severe depression, in a data-driven way.Introduction Ghana has a partial smoking ban with smoking allowed in designated smoking areas. Studies evaluating smoke-free laws are scarce in Sub-Saharan Africa. Evaluation of smoke-free laws is an effective means of measuring progress towards a smoke-free society. This study assessed the level of compliance to the provisions of the current smoke-free policy using air quality measurements for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in hospitality venues in Ghana. Methods This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in 2019 using a structured observational checklist complemented with air quality measurements using Dylos monitors across 152 randomly selected hospitality venues in three large cities in Ghana. Results Smoking was observed in a third of the venues visited. The median indoor PM2.5 concentration was 14.6 μg/m3 (range 5.2-349). PM2.5 concentrations were higher in venues where smoking was observed (28.3 μg/m3) compared to venues where smoking was not observed (12.3 μg/m3) (p less then 0.001). Hospitality locations in Accra, Ghana's capital city, had the lowest compliance levels (59.5%) and poorer air quality compared to the cities of Kumasi and Tamale. Conclusions The study shows that while smoking and SHS exposure continues in a substantial number of hospitality venues, there is a marked improvement in PM2.5 concentrations compared to earlier studies in Ghana. There is still a considerable way to go to increase compliance with the law. Efforts are needed to develop an action plan to build upon recent progress in providing smoke-free public spaces in Ghana.Introduction Since June 2017, heated tobacco products (HTPs) have been on sale in Korea, comprising approximately 11.8% of total tobacco sales in April 2019. This research illuminates hitherto unexplored gendered factors influencing the use of HTPs. Methods The participants for the focus group interviews (FGI) were recruited among those who use or have used HTPs. Participants were separated into six groups (a total of 38 persons 20 men and 18 women). Each FGI, lasting for two hours, was audio-recorded and transcribed, and subsequently coded to conduct a content analysis using NVivo V12. Results Both male and female participants shared the same opinion that HTPs were 'less smelly' and that despite their significant merit, HTPs had slightly different usages and places of use. First, male participants used them to avoid family members' pressure to quit smoking, and female participants used them to avoid the stigma associated with female smoking. Second, men tended to use HTPs indoors, mostly in non-smoking areas, while women used them outdoors, mainly in the streets. Both genders were dissatisfied with the taste of HTPs and often used them in combination with combustible cigarettes (CCs). In terms of taste, dual use, absence of smoking cessation, and perception of harm, no definite gendered difference was found. Almost half of the participants considered HTPs to be less harmful than cigarettes, while others contended that they were equally harmful. Many agreed that there was no strong correlation between the use of HTPs and smoking cessation. selleck chemicals Conclusions Since HTPs have the potential to weaken motivating factors for smoking cessation in both male and female users, an understanding of their characteristics with gendered factors is beneficial to establishing policies to prevent the spread of HTP use and increase the overall rate of smoking cessation.