bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on Early Warning and Forecasting System of Public Health Emergencies Based on Complex Network
Authors: Cheng Cheng
Published: March 2022

It is an important research field related to the national economy and the people’s livelihood to establish and improve the crisis early warning management of public health emergencies and improve the timeliness and accuracy of prediction and early warning. The outbreak and spread of infectious diseases is a typical complex system composed of etiology, host, and environment. From the perspective of complex network, this paper combines infectious disease dynamics with biostatistics and simulation, analyze the transmission characteristics and process of infectious diseases on complex networks, and simulate the implementation effect of various prevention and control measures. It seeks the optimal strategy for its prevention and control, so as to provide decision-making basis for the study of infectious disease emergencies. And it simulates the evolution process of social contact network driven by people's daily behavior. The results show that the transmission speed of infectious diseases in home networks is significantly lower than that in public networks. Through simulation analysis and effect evaluation, good results have been achieved, which can provide accurate and rapid decision-making for emergency managers. It proves the feasibility of the model. This study provides a new research perspective for infectious disease prevention and control.
Reduced Coefficient of Friction of Laser Surface Hardened AISI 4130 Steel Substrates
Authors: Furlani Matheus Rodrigues , Carvalho Sheila Medeiros de , Siqueira Rafael Humberto Mota de , Lima Milton Sergio Fernandes de
Published: March 2022

AISI 4130 steels have been used in several engineering applications, although presenting limited hardenability in conventional heat treatments. This contribution is aimed at determining the final hardness and reciprocating wear coefficient of friction (COF) after a given laser surface treatment (LST) with or without a carbon coating (C). The results indicated that the bare (B, without coating) condition produced a deeper case depth as a result of the carbon-rich plasma shielding. The observed microstructural features in the cases B and C showed martensite transformation and cementite formation; the latter is entirely in the C condition. Simple calculations using Rosenthal’s formalism indicate a high cooling rate, estimated as 32

′

280°C/s 40 μm below the irradiated surface and a heat-affected zone bounded by the austenite locus. The hardness near to the surface was higher in case C than in case B, but the overall final hardness is more pronounced when the surface is bare (B) due to plasma shielding. On the other hand, the final COF was very low in the C case (0.1) compared to the B condition (0.6).
Astragaloside IV Improves the Barrier Damage in Diabetic Glomerular Endothelial Cells Stimulated by High Glucose and High Insulin
Authors: Zhao Tingting , Tian Jiaye , Xu Tiancheng , Zhang Xi , Xiang Qian , Xiong Jianfeng , Gui Dingkun , Xu Youhua
Published: March 2022

Objective. To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of astragaloside IV (AS-IV) on damage in human glomerular endothelial cells (GEnCs) stimulated by high glucose and high insulin. Methods. The transwell method was used to detect the integrity of the cell barrier after AS-IV intervention in a high glucose and high insulin environment for 24 h; immunofluorescence and Western blot methods were used to detect the tight junction protein ZO-1 and claudin-5 expression; intracellular and extracellular 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) were determined by ELISA; expression and activation of AKT, p-AKT, GSK3α/β, and p-GSK3α/β were evaluated by Western blot. Results. The results showed that AS-IV had a significant protective effect on the cell barrier of GEnCs. High glucose or insulin inhibited cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. High glucose or insulin significantly inhibited glucose uptake and promoted release of reactive oxygen species in GEnCs. Administration with AS-IV dramatically preserved viability of the cells; moreover, the expression of intracellular tight junction proteins was upregulated, inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β and TNFα were decreased, and the AKT-GSK3 pathway participated in modulation of AS-IV in GEnCs cells. Conclusion. We found in the present study that AS-IV can preserve filtration barrier integrity in glomerular endothelial cells under diabetic settings, its effects on increasing the cell energy metabolism and cell viability, inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress damage, and enhancing tight junction between cells play a role in it; and the intracellular signaling pathway AKT-GSK modulated the above function. Our present finding supplied a new understanding towards development of DN and provided an alternative method on ameliorating DN.
Bank Credit Risk Avoidance and Countermeasures Based on Wireless Communication
Authors: Chen Jiongyong , Ma Li
Published: March 2022

Credit risk management refers to the main operating risks faced by banks, and its effective management is directly related to the bank’s operating performance. The main link of the credit risk management system is the measurement of bank credit risk, and this connection will run through the entire process of the bank’s credit risk management system. The measurement results directly affect the actual operation of the bank and therefore also affect risk management and business management. This article aims to study bank credit risk management in the context of wireless communication and big data. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of credit risk, the theory of credit risk and information asymmetry, and the credit risk measurement model, Bank S is taken as an example to construct Bank S’s credit risk influencing factor model. Finally, the bank is compared with three banks.
AI-Based Secure Undergraduates’ Ideological and Political Public Opinion Strategy
Authors: Chen Zhuo
Published: March 2022

The popularity of the Internet makes everyone have the right to speak. People are no longer passive receivers of information but propagators of information, and for this reason, cyber opinion comes into existence. Some social events that can arouse people’s sympathy and are related to people’s vital interests will eventually form cyber opinions through netizens’ comments, discussions, and forwarding. As members of the society, undergraduates have different interests, political tendencies, and social cognition. When making judgments and comments on controversial hot issues, undergraduates will make their own correct judgments of authenticity according to their own knowledge and social experience, which will make the propagation content of public opinion more diversified. Especially for ideological and political public opinion, it is very important to ensure the safety of the public opinion propagation model intelligently. In this paper, first, cellular automata (CA) of artificial intelligence (AI) is used to establish the propagation model of undergraduates’ ideological and political safety public opinion and the stochastic immune mechanism model is introduced. Then, a CA-based stochastic immune mechanism model is adopted to simulate the real propagation process of undergraduates’ ideological and political public opinion. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that the moving probability of public opinion subjects has a great impact on the propagation speed and homogenization rate of cyber public opinion and the proposed CA model can well describe the actual propagation process of cyber public opinion. Meanwhile, the proposed propagation model can ensure the propagation of undergraduates’ ideological and political public opinion on safety.
Synchronous Reluctance Motor: Dynamical Analysis, Chaos Suppression, and Electronic Implementation
Authors: Ramakrishnan Balamurali , Chéagé Chamgoué Andre , Natiq Hayder , Metsebo Jules , Kemnang Tsafack Alex Stephane
Published: March 2022

Dynamical analysis, chaos suppression and electronic implementation of the synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) without external inputs are investigated in this paper. The different dynamical behaviors (including monostable periodic behaviors, bistable periodic behaviors, monostable chaotic behaviors, and bistable chaotic behaviors) found in the SynRM without external inputs are illustrated in the two parameters largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE) diagrams, one parameter bifurcation diagram, and phase portraits. The three single controllers are designed to suppress the chaotic behaviors found in SynRM without external inputs. The three proposed single controllers are simple and easy to implement. Numerical simulation results show that the three proposed single controllers are effective. Finally, the dynamical behaviors found in the SynRM without external inputs and the physical feasibility of the three proposed single controllers are validated through circuit implementation on OrCAD‐PSpice software.
Research and Implementation of Intelligent Evaluation System of Teaching Quality in Universities Based on Artificial Intelligence Neural Network Model
Authors: Gao Bo
Published: March 2022

Scientific and objective education quality assessment is an important demand in the current education industry. Artificial intelligence empowering various industries has become an inevitable trend for future social development. The education quality assessment system combines big data and artificial intelligence technology. The system uses various human intelligence algorithms to analyze the collected image. Text data are related to teachers’ teaching quality and can give objective results for education quality evaluation. This paper introduces the research and implementation methods of constructing the quantitative evaluation index system of university teachers’ teaching quality and its quantitative processing method as well as the intelligent quantitative evaluation system of teaching quality and explores the technical ways to discover the effectiveness of measurable factors on the evaluation of teaching quality, and the obtained results have important practical significance for the scientific evaluation of teaching quality.
Salvianolic Acid B Suppresses ER Stress-Induced NLRP3 Inflammasome and Pyroptosis via the AMPK/FoxO4 and Syndecan-4/Rac1 Signaling Pathways in Human Endothelial Progenitor Cells
Authors: Tang Yubo , Wa Qingde , Peng Longyun , Zheng Yifan , Chen Jie , Chen Xiao , Zou Xuenong , Shen Huangxuan , Huang Shuai
Published: March 2022

Mounting evidence demonstrates uncontrolled endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses can activate the inflammasome, which generally results in endothelial dysfunction, a major pathogenetic factor of chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis. Salvianolic acid B (SalB), produced by Radix Salviae, exerts antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities in multiple cell types. However, SalB’s effects on ER stress-related inflammasome and endothelial dysfunction remain unknown. Here, we showed SalB substantially abrogated ER stress-induced cell death and reduction in capillary tube formation, with declined intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) amounts and restored mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), as well as increased expression of HO-1 and SOD2 in bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (BM-EPCs). ER stress suppression by CHOP or caspase-4 siRNA transfection attenuated the protective effect of SalB. Additionally, SalB alleviated ER stress-mediated pyroptotic cell death via the suppression of TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome, as evidenced by reduced cleavage of caspase-1 and interleukin- (IL-) 1β and IL-18 secretion levels. Furthermore, this study provided a mechanistic basis that AMPK/FoxO4/KLF2 and Syndecan-4/Rac1/ATF2 signaling pathway modulation by SalB substantially prevented BM-EPCs damage associated with ER stress by decreasing intracellular ROS amounts and inducing NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis. In summary, our findings identify that ER stress triggered mitochondrial ROS release and NLRP3 generation in BM-EPCs, while SalB inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptotic cell death by regulating the AMPK/FoxO4/KLF2 and Syndecan-4/Rac1/ATF2 pathways. The current findings reveal SalB as a potential new candidate for the treatment of atherosclerotic heart disease.
Analytical Solution for the Transient Current Induced along the Vertical Grounding Electrode
Authors: Soldo Ante , Šesnić Silvestar
Published: March 2022

The paper deals with the analysis of the Pocklington integro-differential equation in the time domain and its analytical solution for the transient current induced along the vertical grounding electrode and, as such, represents a continuation of the research pertaining to the horizontal grounding electrode previously reported by one of the authors. The electrode is excited by a current source impressed at one end of the electrode, representing the model of the lightning strike current. A novel analytical solution is derived using the Laplace transform. Results obtained with this time domain solution are compared with the results obtained via analytical solution of the corresponding Pocklington equation in the frequency domain in conjunction with inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT). The results obtained via different methods are shown to be in a very good agreement. The results of the time domain analytical solution for the vertical electrode are also compared with the results of the time domain analytical solution for the horizontal electrode, where greater influence of earth-air interface on an induced current is observed. These procedures can be implemented as benchmarking techniques as well as tools for rapid estimation of the observed phenomena.
ETC-1002 Attenuates Porphyromonas gingivalis Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in RAW264.7 Cells via the AMPK/NF-κB Pathway and Exerts Ameliorative Effects in Experimental Periodontitis in Mice
Authors: Li Hongyan , Zhang Peipei , Lin Hongbing , Gao Huan , Yin Jianyuan
Published: March 2022

Background. Clinically, the failure of periodontal therapy stems largely from an inability to control the inflammatory response. Resolution of inflammation is an active, energy-requiring repair process, not merely a passive termination of inflammation. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key energy sensor, has been shown to negatively regulate inflammatory signaling pathways. Thus, there is a crucial need for new therapeutic strategies to modulate AMPK and to promote enhanced resolution of inflammation. This study is aimed at investigating the anti-inflammatory effects of ETC-1002 through modulating AMPK in periodontitis. Methods. RAW264.7 cells were infected with Pg-LPS in the presence or absence of ETC-1002, following which the expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines and inflammation signaling-related proteins were evaluated by real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. ETC-1002 was applied in a murine model of periodontitis to determine its anti-inflammatory effect in vivo. Histological changes were investigated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, the levels of proinflammatory cytokines were detected using immunohistochemistry, and alveolar bone height was measured using micro-CT imaging. Results. ETC-1002 inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines, promoted AMPK phosphorylation, and decreased IκBα and NF-κB p65 phosphorylation levels in Pg-LPS-treated RAW264.7 macrophages. The inhibitory effects of ETC-1002 on the production of proinflammatory mediators were significantly abrogated by siRNA-mediated silencing of AMPKα in RAW264.7 cells. In vivo, ETC-1002 inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration, the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and the inflammation-mediated destruction of alveolar bone in mice with experimental periodontitis. The anti-inflammatory effect of ETC-1002 in the periodontium could be reversed by the administration of Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor. Conclusions. ETC-1002 exerts anti-inflammatory effects in Pg-LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells via the AMPK/NF-κB pathway in vitro and inhibits the progress of experimental periodontitis in mice in an AMPK signaling-dependent manner in vivo. These results provide evidence for the beneficial effects of ETC-1002 in the treatment of periodontitis.
Oncologic Outcomes of Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Radical Nephrectomy and Venous Thrombectomy: Prospective Follow-Up from a Single Center
Authors: Zhang Yu , Tian XiaoJun , Bi Hai , Hong Peng , Liu Zhuo , Yan Ye , Liu Cheng , Ma LuLin
Published: March 2022

Purpose. To evaluate the long-term oncologic outcomes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients with venous thrombus after radical nephrectomy and venous thrombectomy (RN-VT) and to determine the prognostic factors. Methods and Materials. We reported our follow-up data of RCC patients with venous thrombus from January 2014 to September 2020. We used the Kaplan-Meier method to assess the overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS). The Cox proportional hazards regression model and competing risk model were used. Results. After a median follow-up of 31 mon, eight-five patients (31.5%) died, and cancer-specific deaths occurred in 60 patients (22.2%). The 1 yr and 3 yr CSS were 89.3% and 72.7%, respectively. The median OS was 56.0 mon (95% CI 47.6-64.3 mon), and the 1 yr, 3 yr, and 5 yr OS were 87.0%, 62.1%, and 44.8%, respectively. For M1 patients, the median OS was 27.0 mon (95% CI 22.0-42.0 mon), and the 1 yr, 3 yr, and 5 yr OS were 78.0%, 41.5%, and 23.3%, respectively. For M0 patients, the median RFS was 38.0 mon (95% CI 32.5-43.5 mon), and the 1 yr and 3 yr RFS were 81.2% and 52.3%, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that papillary RCC (HR 2.95, 95% CI 1.80-4.82,

P
<
0.001

) or other RCC (HR 3.88, 95% CI 2.03-7.41,

P
<
0.001

), perinephric fat invasion (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.03-2.26,

P
=
0.04

), sarcomatoid differentiation (HR 2.85, 95% CI 1.64-4.95,

P
<
0.001

), Fuhrman grade 3 (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.28-3.44,

P
=
0.003

) or 4 (HR 3.55, 95% CI 2.09-6.03,

P
<
0.001

), and distant metastasis (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.18-2.63,

P
=
0.006

) were associated with a worse CSS. Adjuvant therapy (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.92,

P
=
0.02

) was associated with a better CSS. Conclusions. RCC patients can have an acceptable long-term survival after RN-VT. Prognostic factors influencing CSS included nonclear cell RCC histology, higher Fuhrman grade, sarcomatoid differentiation, perinephric fat invasion, distant metastasis, and adjuvant therapy.
Experimental Research on the Impact of Interest Rate on Real Estate Market Transactions
Authors: Chen Chang , Zhai Haoyu , Wang Zhiruo , Ma Shen , Sun Jie , Wu Chengliang , Zhang Yang
Published: March 2022

Based on the close relationship between real estate and capital financing, this paper specifically discusses the impact of interest rate changes in China on real estate market transactions. Housing price regulation has been a hot and focused topic of economics research. It is important to explore the effect of interest rate on real estate market transactions, for the interest rate is an important tool for the government to carry out macrocontrol of the real estate market and affects residents’ consumption choices of goods. Currently, most scholars believe that interest rate changes have a significant impact on house prices, but their studies are often based on empirical analysis of macro data, making it difficult to exclude the effects of economic differences, geographic characteristics, and other factors. Also, some scholars believe that it is difficult for interest rates to have a long‐term impact on real estate prices. This paper applies the experimental economics method to simulate real estate transactions in the real market and control the irrelevant variables to study the movements of housing prices, transaction volumes, consumer transaction intentions and bubble indices under different deposit and lending rates. The results show that: (1) The level of deposit interest rate has a significant inhibitory effect on housing price and a significant promoting effect on real estate market transaction volume and traders’ house‐buying behavior. The higher the level of deposit interest rate is, the better the degree of regulating house prices deviating from the theoretical price is and the better the effect of inhibiting market bubbles. (2) The level of lending rate has a significant inhibiting effect on the volume of real estate transactions and a significant promoting effect on the house‐buying behavior of traders, but its effect on housing prices and market bubbles is not significant. The higher the level of lending rate is, the better the degree of regulating housing prices deviating from the theoretical price is. (3) The effect of deposit interest rate and lending rate policies on the house selling behavior of market traders is not significant.
Origins and Timing of Emerging Lesions in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Wallace Andrew , Porten Sima P. , Lo Amy A. , Oreper Daniel , Lounsbury Nicolas , Havnar Charles , Pechuan-Jorge Ximo , Zill Oliver A. , Meng Maxwell V.
Published: March 2022

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with venous tumor thrombus (VTT) arising from the primary tumor occurs in approximately 10% of cases and is thought to represent more advanced disease. The intravascular nature of VTT suggests that it may serve as a source for hematogenous metastases. RCC with VTT and distant metastasis provides unique opportunities to examine the origins and emergence timing of these distinct tumor lesions, and to identify molecular correlates with disease state. We performed multi-region exome and RNA-sequencing analysis of 16 patients with RCC with VTT, with eight patients also having sequenced metastasis, to identify genomic alterations, biological pathways, and evolutionary processes contributing to VTT and metastasis, and to ask whether metastasis arises directly from or independent of VTT. No specific genomic alterations were associated with VTT. Hallmark copy-number alterations (deletions of 14q, 8p, and 4q) were associated with metastasis and disease recurrence, and secondary driver alterations tended to accumulate in metastatic lineages. Mismatch repair mutational signatures co-occurred across most tumors, suggesting a role for intracellular DNA damage in RCC. Robust phylogenetic timing analysis indicated that metastasis typically emerged before VTT, rather than deriving from it, with the earliest metastases predicted to emerge years before diagnosis. As a result, VTT in metastatic cases frequently derived from a metastatic lineage. Relative to the primary tumor, VTT upregulated immediate-early genes and transcriptional targets of the TNFα/NF-κB pathway, whereas metastases upregulated MTOR and transcriptional targets downstream of mTORC1 activation.

Implications:

These results suggest that VTT and metastasis formation occur independently, VTT presence alone does not necessarily imply more advanced disease with inevitably poor prognosis.
A Case of Diagnosis of Occipital Lobe Epilepsy Complicated by Right Hemianopsia Associated with Left Occipital Lobe Cerebral Infarction
Authors: Hirabayashi Hiroshi , Hirabayashi Kazutaka , Wakabayashi Masumi , Murata Toshinori
Published: March 2022

We report a case of occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) in a patient with occipital lobe stroke whose diagnosis was complicated by homonymous hemianopsia. An 81-year-old woman presented with a complaint of “blurred vision” on the right side and was kept under outpatient observation at the Hirabayashi Eye Clinic for homonymous lower right hemianopsia, glaucoma, and post-cataract surgery. Her past medical history included hypertension, angina pectoris, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, and left occipital lobe cerebral infarction. The corrected visual acuity and intraocular pressure were 20/16 and 12 mm Hg and 20/20 and 13 mm Hg in the right and left eye, respectively, and no change was observed in the fundus and visual field defect; hence, the patient was placed under observation. Two days later, the patient voluntarily visited a neurosurgical hospital and underwent magnetic resonance imaging. No abnormalities were detected other than the left obsolete occipital lobe stroke. Five days later, she returned to our clinic because she felt “something wobbly” on her right side. Upon examination, we suspected a transient ischemic attack based on the wobbling, closed eyelids, and loss of consciousness, and referred her to the same neurosurgical hospital. Electroencephalography (EEG) revealed spikes and waves with occipital lobe predominance, and the diagnosis of OLE was made. The patient had right-sided homonymous hemianopsia owing to left occipital lobe cerebral infarction and “blurred vision” on the same side. Thus, it is inferred that EEG is imperative for ruling out epileptic seizures.
Ischemic Preconditioning Alleviates Mouse Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Enhancing Autophagy Activity of Proximal Tubular Cells
Authors: Zhang Shun , Xia Weimin , Duan Huangqi , Li Xinyan , Qian Subo , Shen Haibo
Published: March 2022

Objectives: Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is one of the most vital pathogenesis leading to kidney injury but lacks effective prevention and treatment strategies. This study was conducted to investigate the influences of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) on the pathological process of mouse renal IRI (RIRI) and to figure out the role of autophagy of proximal tubular cells (PTCs) in this process. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were randomized to three groups, i.e., sham-operated group, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) group, and IPC + I/R group. Meanwhile, 3-methyladenine, an autophagy inhibitor, was administered when further verification was needed. Histological and functional severity of kidney injury, the autophagy and apoptosis activity of PTCs, as well as the characterization of the immune cell infiltration landscape in kidney tissues were investigated. Furthermore, HK-2 cells and primary cultured PTC were cultured to set up the hypoxic preconditioning and hypoxia/reoxygenation model for in vitro simulation and verification, and a microarray dataset derived from the Gene Expression Omnibus database was analyzed to explore the transcriptome profiles after IPC. Results: IPC could significantly attenuate I/R-induced kidney injury functionally and histologically both in the acute and recovery phase of RIRI by enhancing the autophagy activity of PTCs. Cell autophagy could regulate the release of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and sequentially decrease macrophages infiltration in kidney tissues in the acute phase of RIRI, thus mediating the reno-protective effect. Conclusions: IPC could attenuate mouse RIRI-induced kidney injury. IPC-mediated activation of autophagy of PTCs plays a vital role in affording protection in RIRI-induced kidney injury.
A Rare Case of Eosinophilic Ileitis and the Role of Motorized Spiral Enteroscopy in Its Diagnosis
Authors: Tarrio Isabel , Moreira Marta , Araújo Tarcísio , Guerreiro Emília , Rodrigues Carmélia , Lopes Luís
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders are rare idiopathic conditions characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of any area of the gastrointestinal tract. The clinical presentation is variable and depends on the location and depth of the eosinophilia. Peripheral eosinophilia or elevated serum IgE levels may be present and histological analysis is necessary to a definite diagnosis. Presentation: A 40-year-old male presented with generalized abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and anorexia for 1 month and unintended weight loss for 2 months. He had anemia, peripheral eosinophilia, slight hypokalemia, an elevated fecal calprotectin and “a thin sheet of bilateral pleural effusion, reduced-volume ascites and parietal thickening of the entire ileum” in the thoracoabdominal CT scan. An elevated serum IgE was absent and stool for parasites or bacteria, viral serologies, mycobacteria direct exam and culture, and celiac disease screening were negative. The endoscopic exams showed no significant alterations; random ileal biopsies were collected by antegrade motorized spiral enteroscopy and revealed a very fragmented mucosa with inflammatory infiltrate with about 35 eosinophils per high-power field and an altered eosinophil distribution in the ileal wall. The patient initiated oral prednisolone for eosinophilic ileitis, with clinical, analytical, and imagiological improvement. Conclusion: Eosinophilic ileitis is a rare condition but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms and ascites, particularly in the presence of peripheral eosinophilia. Motorized spiral enteroscopy can be helpful in the diagnosis, allowing the collection of biopsy specimens effectively and safely.
Psoriasis and Dry Eye Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wu Po-Chien , Ma Sheng-Hsiang , Huang Ya-Yun , Chang Jin-Yu , Chang Yun-Ting , Dai Ying-Xiu
Published: March 2022

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with potential systemic involvement. Some evidence suggests an increased risk of dry eye in patients with psoriasis. However, the relationship between these two conditions remains unclear. The aim of our study is to investigate the association between psoriasis and dry eye disease. Methods: This meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020199445) and adhered to MOOSE checklist and PRISMA guidance for all processes. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies examining the association between psoriasis and dry eye disease from inception to December 13, 2020. The primary outcome was the prevalence of dry eye disease in patients with psoriasis relative to controls. The secondary outcomes were the Schirmer I test score, tear film breakup time (TBUT), and ocular surface disease index (OSDI). The risk of bias of the selected studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: The meta-analysis showed a significant association between dry eye disease and psoriasis (OR, 8.49; 95% CI, 3.34–21.58). Moreover, patients with psoriasis had a significantly lower Schirmer I test score (MD, −2.80; 95% CI, −4.07 to −1.52), shorter TBUT (MD, −4.12; 95% CI, −5.22 to −3.02), and higher OSDI (MD, 20.15; 95% CI, 6.24–34.05; p < 0.01), compared to controls. Conclusions: The current evidence supports an association between dry eye disease and psoriasis. These results suggest ophthalmologic assessment for the early recognition and management of dry eye in patients with psoriasis.
Anterior Segmental Optical Coherence Tomography Analyses of Severe Corneal Irregular Astigmatism following Blepharoptosis Surgery
Authors: Zheng Xiaodong , Yamaguchi Masahiko , Kamao Tomoyuki , Goto Tomoko , Shiraishi Atsushi
Published: March 2022

We report a case of severe irregular corneal astigmatism resulting from delayed diagnosis of suture exposure following blepharoptosis surgery. An 81-year-old man who had bilateral blepharoptosis surgery and two revisions on his right eye before he complained foreign body sensation (FBS) and blurred vision of his right eye. The visual acuity was 0.4 and the MRD1 was 1 mm for his right eye. A very severe corneal astigmatism of 7.7D, eccentricity of 0.53, corneal thinning, and higher order aberration (HOA) of 3.346 μm was found. Scratch-like lesions on the upper cornea suggested the presence of suture exposure; however, no sutures were found by the previous physicians and at our fist ⇒ first examination. With greater effort, a large conjunctival fold on the back of upper tarsus was turned over to reveal 2 interrupted sutures protruding the palpebral conjunctiva. The sutures were removed, and the FBS quickly disappeared. However, the patient’s blurred vision persisted. His right eye’s visual acuity was 0.6, and the astigmatism (6.8D), eccentricity (0.72), and HOA (2.993 µm) were comparable to that before suture removal. Early diagnosis of suture exposure is critical to avoid severe complications and vision impairment. Attention should be paid to large conjunctival folds especially in re-operated cases.
Emerging Technologies for Understanding Platelet Diversity
Authors: Heemskerk Johan W.M. , West Jonathan
Published: March 2022

This review discusses our understanding of platelet diversity with implications for the roles of platelets in hemostasis and thrombosis and identifies advanced technologies set to provide new insights. We use the term diversity to capture intrasubject platelet variability that can be intrinsic or governed by the environment and lead to a heterogeneous response pattern of aggregation, clot promotion, and external communication. Using choice examples, we discuss how the use of advanced technologies can provide new insights into the underlying causes of platelet molecular, structural, and functional diversity. As sources of diversity, we discuss the proliferating megakaryocytes with different allele-specific expression patterns, the asymmetrical formation of proplatelets, changes in platelets induced by aging and priming, interplatelet heterogeneity in thrombus organization and stability, and platelet-dependent communications. We provide indications how current knowledge gaps can be addressed using promising technologies, such as next-generation sequencing, proteomic approaches, advanced imaging techniques, multicolor flow and mass cytometry, multifunctional microfluidics assays, and organ-on-a-chip platforms. We then argue how this technology base can aid in characterizing platelet populations and in identifying platelet biomarkers relevant for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Direct Oral Anticoagulants and Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Choxi Ravi , Kapoor Kunal , Mackman Nigel , Jovin Ion S.
Published: March 2022

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Acute coronary syndrome as a first presentation is common and patients with established disease have a high rate of recurrent ischemic events, despite antiplatelet therapy. Over the past several years, direct oral anticoagulants have become available and have been studied in patients with coronary artery disease. These medications directly inhibit either thrombin or factor Xa which contribute to atherothrombosis. This review will summarize the clinical data regarding the use of direct oral anticoagulants in different patient populations with coronary disease and the balance between protection against ischemia and bleeding. Additionally, the review will summarize the available data on the use of direct oral anticoagulants periprocedurally in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The future direction of coronary artery disease and the role of direct oral anticoagulants will rely on further studies determining the optimal combination of antiplatelet and oral anticoagulant regimens that derive ischemic benefit without increased rates of bleeding. Additional upstream blockade of the coagulation cascade with factor XIIa and factor XIa inhibitors may also improve treatment in the future.
Endothelial Senescence: A New Age in Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Culley Miranda K. , Chan Stephen Y.
Published: March 2022

Pulmonary hypertension is an enigmatic, deleterious disease driven by multiple heterogeneous causes with a burgeoning proportion of older patients with complex, chronic comorbidities without adequate treatment options. The underlying endothelial pathophenotypes that direct vasoconstriction and panvascular remodeling remain both controversial and incompletely defined. This review discusses emerging concepts centered on endothelial senescence in pulmonary vascular disease. This principle proposes a more heterogeneous, dynamic pulmonary endothelium in disease; it provides a potentially unifying feature of endothelial dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension irrespective of cause; and it supports a clinically relevant link between aging and pulmonary hypertension like other chronic illnesses. Thus, taking cues from studies on aging and age-related diseases, we present possible opportunities and barriers to diagnostic and therapeutic targeting of senescence in pulmonary hypertension.
Blood Pressure Hyperreactivity to Standing: a Predictor of Adverse Outcome in Young Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Palatini Paolo , Mos Lucio , Saladini Francesca , Rattazzi Marcello
Published: March 2022

The prognostic significance and the mechanisms of blood pressure (BP) hyperreactivity to standing remain controversial. This study aims to evaluate the association of orthostatic hyperreactivity with major adverse cardiovascular and renal events in a cohort of young hypertensive subjects. We studied 1207 untreated subjects screened for stage I hypertension with a mean age of 33.1±8.6 years. The orthostatic BP change was calculated as the difference between 6 standing and 6 supine BP readings obtained during 2 separate visits. Hyperreactivity to standing was defined as the standing-supine systolic BP difference in the top decile. The mean difference in the whole group was −2.5±7.3/4.6±5.4 mm Hg. Ambulatory hypertension evaluated with 24-hour recordings was more common in Hyperreactors than Normoreactors (90.8% versus 76.4%,
P
=0.001). In 630 participants in whom 24-hour urinary catecholamines were measured, epinephrine/creatinine ratio was higher in hyperreactors (118.4±185.6 versus 77.0±90.1 nmol/mol,
P
=0.005). During a 17.2-year follow-up, 105 major adverse cardiovascular and renal events were accrued. In a multivariate Cox model, hyperreactivity to standing was an independent predictor of major adverse cardiovascular and renal events with a hazard ratio of 1.97 (95% CI, 1.10–3.52). Hyperreactivity remained an independent predictor of adverse events even when ambulatory BP data and incident hypertension during follow-up were included in the Cox model (hazard ratio, 1.94 [95% CI, 1.10–3.44]). Our data indicate that in young-to-middle-age hypertensive subjects an exaggerated systolic BP response to standing is associated with sympatho-adrenergic hyperreactivity and is an independent predictor of major adverse cardiovascular and renal events. Orthostatic BP assessment gives the advantage of simple acquisition and provides prognostic information on top of ambulatory BP.
GELİŞMİŞ ASYA-PASİFİK VE KUZEY-AMERİKA ÜLKELERİ HİSSE SENEDİ PİYASALARININ VIX KORKU ENDEKSİNE TEPKİSİ
Authors: HAMURCU Cagri
Published: March 2022

Gelişmiş Asya-Pasifik ve Kuzey-Amerika Ülkeleri hisse senedi piyasalarının VIX endeksine tepkisini incelemek ve elde edilen sonuçları davranışsal finans perspektifinden değerlendirmek çalışmanın temel amacını oluşturmaktadır. Japonya, Avustralya, Yeni Zelanda, Amerika ve Kanada ülkelerine ait borsa endekslerinin, VIX endeksinden nasıl etkilendiği Granger nedensellik ve regresyon modelleri ile analiz edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, ele alınan borsa endekslerinin VIX endeksi ile Granger nedensellik ilişkisi bağlamında açıklanabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır. VIX endeksinin bir gecikmeli değerlerinin, borsa endekslerini tahmin edebileceği ve bu ilişkilerdeki katsayıların Amerika haricinde negatif işaretli olduğu, geleneksel regresyon analizlerinden anlaşılmaktadır. Japonya’nın VIX endeksinin bir gecikmeli değerinden Gelişmiş Asya-Pasifik ülkeleri arasında negatif anlamda en fazla etkilendiği, Japonya’yı Avustralya ve Yeni Zelanda’nın izlediği anlaşılmaktadır. Gelişmiş Kuzey-Amerika ülkeleri değerlendirildiğinde, Kanada’nın Amerika’dan daha fazla etkilendiği görülmektedir. Toplumlara ait yaygın kişilik profillerinin piyasa hareketlerinin belirleyicileri arasında olabileceği ve ülkelerin VIX endeksinden etkilenmelerindeki farklılığın bölgesel yakınlık esasında ele alınan nevrotizm kişilik faktörü ile bağlantılı olabilecek sürü davranışı eğiliminden kaynaklanmış olabileceği düşünülmektedir.
The Sense of Presence between Volumetric-Video and Avatar-Based Augmented Reality and Physical-Zoom Teaching Activities
Authors: Guo Xuanru , Yoshinaga Takashi , Hilton Aaron , Harumoto Shuji , Hilton Ema , Ono Shizuka , Seno Takeharu
Published: March 2022

Various types of Augmented Reality (AR) have been successfully applied to many highly operable and spatial teaching courses in medicine, chemistry, and others. AR has already shown advantages over traditional face-to-face and online teaching, such as Zoom or Teams meetings. However, it is unclear when comparing teaching activity whether new AR technologies can offer similar advantages disciplines that are non-highly operational or non-spatial in nature, such as Introduction to Psychology. In order to present teaching activities in three dimensions and all directions and realize the presence of a teacher's face movement, we developed two new methods: Volumetric video Augmented Reality (VAR) and Avatar-based Augmented Reality (AAR). We compared the effects of teaching psychology using four methods: VAR, AAR, face-to-face, and Zoom. The participants’ data were collected via questionnaires with which we conducted variance analysis and Pearson correlation analysis. Our experiments showed that there were no significant differences in the effects of teaching under the four different teaching methods, but the AAR and VAR groups had significantly higher curriculum novelty and satisfaction, 3D sensation and presence, and teacher's attractiveness than face-to-face and Zoom groups. The research demonstrated that both VAR and AAR can improve the sense of presence and satisfaction in teaching psychology-related courses.
A New Fragment for Peshitta Cod. 8 (Pusey-Gwilliam) and the Syriac Tradition of Mark
Authors: Zellmann-Rohrer Michael
Published: March 2022

Publication of a Syriac parchment codex fragment kept in the papyrus collection of the National Library of Austria (P. Vind. Syr. 5), which belongs to a gospel manuscript once in the “Syrian” monastery of Wadi el-Natrun, the rest of which is now in London (British Library, Add. MS 17114). The potential contribution of the reconstituted codex, which was adduced as cod. 8 in the edition of Pusey and Gwilliam, to the criticism of the text of the Syriac version is reexamined.
Populism and Law in Hungary – Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Hoffmann Tamás , Gárdos-Orosz Fruzsina
Published: March 2022

Populism is a nebulous concept that has almost as many definitions as scholars engaging with the concept that has a paradoxical relationship with law. On the one hand, populist politicians generally oppose the liberal ideal of separating politics and law, i.e. accepting that legal rules should limit political power, claiming that it would impede the expression of the popular will, yet they use legal regulation as their most important instrument to implement their policies. The chameleonic nature of populism and its instrumentalist approach to law presents a special challenge for lawyers that try to assess its impact on the domestic legal system. Populist legislation, after all, is seemingly indistinguishable from legislation adopted under non-populist regimes as populist regimes always claim to strictly adhere to formal procedural requirements and often justify the dramatic overhaul of previous rules invoking foreign examples.

Hungary is a perfect litmus test for the examination of legal changes under populist leaders, because in 2010 the right-wing Fidesz-Kdnp party coalition won two-thirds majority in Parliament – a self-described “revolution in the voting booths” -, which gave it the power to completely overhaul the Hungarian legal system, even changing the constitution. In the past 10 years, virtually every significant branch of Hungarian law was recodified, adopting inter alia new criminal, civil, administrative and labor codes. The authors of this special issue attempted to analyze some of the most pertinent changes, in the field of constitutional law, adjudication, tax law, labor law, criminal regulation and asylum legislation.
Two Decades of Penal Populism – The Case of Hungary
Authors: Boda Zsolt , Tóth Mihály , Hollán Miklós , Bartha Attila
Published: March 2022

Hungary Post-2010 has been ruled by Viktor Orbán and his right-wing Fidesz party and is generally regarded as a typical case of populist governance. Reforming the Penal Code was one of the first major policy changes initiated by Fidesz shortly after winning the 2010 elections. It introduced the ‘three-strikes’ principle into Hungarian penal policy which is considered a prime example of penal populism. It could be inferred that in the past decade Hungarian penal policy has been dominated by penal populism and punitive measures. This paper argues that reality is more nuanced and presents the concepts of penal populism and populist policy making, with a special focus on the Hungarian context. The article provides an overview of the most important penal policy measures in the past two decades and examines whether and how increased strictness of legislative acts influenced the sentencing practice. The paper highlights the related results of an empirical survey on public opinions about criminal law and ends with a case study exploration of the intersections of lowering the age limit of criminal responsibility and penal populism.
‘Everyday Judicial Populism’ in Hungary
Authors: Bencze Mátyás
Published: March 2022

Scholarly works on judicial populism tend to concentrate on the landmark judgments of constitutional courts and apex courts. Nonetheless, the examination of the activities of ordinary courts is of great importance as they shape the lives of citizens and can strengthen or curb populist politics. In this paper I analyze a phenomenon emerging in the adjudication of Hungarian ordinary courts which can be labelled ‘everyday judicial populism’. Based on case studies and empirical scrutiny I argue that the political populism of the Hungarian government has both a direct and an indirect, but clearly detectable, impact on judicial practice. As regards the latter, the government can manipulate (through its media) public opinion in certain court cases, and judges take this opinion - as the ‘vox populi’ - into consideration in their decision-making. At the end of the paper I examine the institutional conditions that have facilitated the emergence of judicial populism.
Labor Law Reforms after the Populist Turn in Hungary
Authors: Hungler Sara
Published: March 2022

The characteristics of Hungarian populism and its effects on labor and social policy are rather different compared to those of western Member States of the EU. These differences are due to the different experiences related to inter- and intra-EU migration and to the difference in how the EU’s austerity measures were imposed during the economic crisis. The two distinctive elements are the workfare regime which replaces the welfare state, and anti-pluralism. In the workfare model, ‘hard-working people’ are pictured as an idealized mass of employees who are disciplined and striving for betterment every day; and whose jobs and wellbeing are jeopardized by illegal migrants and the idle poor. However, labor law does not strengthen the rights of ‘hard-working people’ or support them in asserting their rights against their employers. While the Roma have been described as the undeserving poor and mainstreamed in everyday politics and practice, guarantees and protective measures have been severely curtailed in social policy, amplifying the insecurity and material deprivation of those who lose their jobs. Regarding collective labor law, the lack of an autonomous social dialogue supports anti-pluralist trends, a characteristic of populist governance. The fundamental elements of democratic control, such as participation or trade union rights have been largely eliminated to cement the executive power of the coalition.