bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shexiang-Wulong Pills Attenuate Rheumatoid Arthritis by Alleviating Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Collagen-Induced Arthritis
Authors: Zhang Zhihui , Cao Ying , Yuan Qiang , Zhang Aiguo , Zhang Kaiqi , Wang Zhiwen
Published: February 2019

Shexiang-Wulong Pill (SWP) is derived from “Moschus Yuan,” first formulated during the Song Dynasty for the treatment of joint pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of SWP in a mouse model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Forty-five DBA/1 mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, and SWP-treated group. SWP was administered by oral gavage for 22 days after the booster immunization. The clinical arthritic scores and joint histopathology, including synovial hyperplasia and hypoxic regions, cartilage erosion, and bone destruction, were evaluated. Microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) was used to assess microstructural changes in the bone. Serum levels of TNF-a, IL-6, and IFN-γ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed a statistically significant improvement in joint pathological changes in the SWP-treated group. Imaging assessment confirmed that SWP protected the bone tissue from CIA-induced erosion and increased the bone density. In addition, the serum levels of TNF-a, IL-6, and IFN-γ in SWP-treated mice were significantly lower than those in the model group (P<0.05). Taken together, Shexiang-Wulong Pill can effectively alleviate joint swelling in CIA mice, inhibit synovial tissue hyperplasia, reduce inflammatory cell infiltration, and delay bone destruction. These results indicate that Shexiang-Wulong Pills could be an efficient medication for the treatment of RA.
Improved Absolute Stability for a Class of Nonlinear Switched Delay Systems via Mode-Dependent Average Dwell Time
Authors: Liu Juan , Huang Qingdao
Published: February 2019

In this paper, the absolute stability for a class of switched delay systems with time-varying uncertainties is analyzed. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, a new and less conservative criterion is proposed based on the MDADT method. Besides, the idea of N–segmentation is also utilized to make it more flexible to solve the LMIs. Finally, a numerical example is given to show the feasibility and advantages of the method proposed in this paper.
Identification of Candidate Genes and MicroRNAs for Acute Myocardial Infarction by Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis
Authors: Li Yan , He Xiao_nan , Li Chao , Gong Ling , Liu Min
Published: February 2019

Background. Identification of potential molecular targets of acute myocardial infarction is crucial to our comprehensive understanding of the disease mechanism. However, studies of gene coexpression analysis via jointing multiple microarray data of acute myocardial infarction still remain restricted. Methods. Microarray data of acute myocardial infarction (GSE48060, GSE66360, GSE97320, and GSE19339) were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. Three data sets without heterogeneity (GSE48060, GSE66360, and GSE97320) were subjected to differential expression analysis using MetaDE package. Differentially expressed genes having upper 25% variation across samples were imported in weighted gene coexpression network analysis. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were conducted for genes in the most significant module using DAVID. The predicted microRNAs to regulate target genes in the most significant module were identified using TargetScan. Moreover, subpathway analyses using iSubpathwayMiner package and GenCLiP 2.0 were performed on hub genes with high connective weight in the most significant module. Results. A total of 1027 differentially expressed genes and 33 specific modules were screened out between acute myocardial infarction patients and control samples. Ficolin (collagen/fibrinogen domain containing) 1 (FCN1), CD14 molecule (CD14), S100 calcium binding protein A9 (S100A9), and mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) were identified as critical target molecules; hsa-let-7d, hsa-let-7b, hsa-miR-124-3, and hsa-miR-9-1 were identified as potential regulators of the expression of the key genes in the two biggest modules. Conclusions. FCN1, CD14, S100A9, ALDH2, hsa-let-7d, hsa-let-7b, hsa-miR-124-3, and hsa-miR-9-1 were identified as potential candidate regulators in acute myocardial infarction. These findings might provide new comprehension into the underlying molecular mechanism of disease.
Frequency of Depression-Related Symptoms in Caregivers of Patients with Silicosis
Authors: He Jianjun , Dai Weirong , Li Ying , He Li , Huang Ruixue
Published: February 2019

Background. Few studies have evaluated depression in female caregivers of patients with silicosis. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depression in such caregivers and to clarify the factors associated with symptoms of depression. Methods. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results. A total of 561 participants met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. The mean CES-D score was 16.68, with a standard deviation (SD) of 8.57; the sex-classified analysis indicated that the mean CES-D score of female caregivers was 17.79 (SD: 10.17), while the mean score of male caregivers was 14.98 (SD: 8.36) (p<0.05). 68.6% caregivers who were beyond the cutoff score (16) with the following factors were more likely to report depression-related symptoms: unemployed status (OR = 1.752, 95% CI: 1.35–2.01, p=0.032) and caregiver for more than 48 months (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.61–2.43, p=0.027). Conclusions. Collectively, there is statistical difference between female caregivers of patients with silicosis and male ones. More effort is needed to meet the psychosocial needs of these caregivers.
Elephantiasis and Directed Occupational Rehabilitation
Authors: de Godoy Jose Maria Pereira , de Godoy Henrique Jose Pereira , de Godoy Ana Carolina Pereira , Godoy Maria de Fátima Guerreiro
Published: February 2019

The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the cure of elephantiasis over a ten-year follow-up period and novel discoveries with directed occupational rehabilitation. A 66-year-old female patient with a history of bilateral lower limb lymphedema reported the aggravation of the condition over the years, reaching stage III (elephantiasis). The physical examination confirmed elephantiasis. The circumference of the left lower limb was 106 cm. Her body weight was 106 kilograms, height was 160 cm, and the body mass index (BMI) was 41.6 kg/m2. The patient was submitted to intensive treatment for three weeks, which led to a 21-kg reduction in weight and 66 cm reduction in leg circumference. Ten years after treatment, the patient has maintained the results with the compression stockings. Elephantiasis can be cured, although lymphedema cannot. The cure of elephantiasis depends on maintaining the treatment of lymphedema after normalization or near normalization. Directed occupational therapy stimulates the search for new activities and a life closer to normality.
On the Norms of r−Hankel and r−Toeplitz Matrices
Authors: Shi Baijuan
Published: February 2019

In this paper, using the properties of r−Hankel and r−Toeplitz matrices, combining the properties of exponential form, we shall study the spectral norms of r−Hankel and r–Toeplitz matrices involving exponential form e(x).
Malware Detection Based on Deep Learning of Behavior Graphs
Authors: Xiao Fei , Lin Zhaowen , Sun Yi , Ma Yan
Published: February 2019

The Internet of Things (IoT) provides various benefits, which makes smart device even closer. With more and more smart devices in IoT, security is not a one‐device affair. Many attacks targeted at traditional computers in IoT environment may also aim at other IoT devices. In this paper, we consider an approach to protect IoT devices from being attacked by local computers. In response to this issue, we propose a novel behavior‐based deep learning framework (BDLF) which is built in cloud platform for detecting malware in IoT environment. In the proposed BDLF, we first construct behavior graphs to provide efficient information of malware behaviors using extracted API calls. We then use a neural network‐Stacked AutoEncoders (SAEs) for extracting high‐level features from behavior graphs. The layers of SAEs are inserted one after another and the last layer is connected to some added classifiers. The architecture of the SAEs is 6,000‐2,000‐500. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed BDLF can learn the semantics of higher‐level malicious behaviors from behavior graphs and further increase the average detection precision by 1.5%.
Human Sensitivity to Community Structure Is Robust to Topological Variation
Authors: Karuza Elisabeth A. , Kahn Ari E. , Bassett Danielle S.
Published: February 2019

Despite mounting evidence that human learners are sensitive to community structure underpinning temporal sequences, this phenomenon has been studied using an extremely narrow set of network ensembles. The extent to which behavioral signatures of learning are robust to changes in community size and number is the focus of the present work. Here we present adult participants with a continuous stream of novel objects generated by a random walk along graphs of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6 communities comprised of N = 24, 12, 8, 6, and 4 nodes, respectively. Nodes of the graph correspond to a unique object and edges correspond to their immediate succession in the stream. In short, we find that previously observed processing costs associated with community boundaries persist across an array of graph architectures. These results indicate that statistical learning mechanisms can flexibly accommodate variation in community structure during visual event segmentation.
6-Gingerol Attenuates Ischemia-Reperfusion-Induced Cell Apoptosis in Human AC16 Cardiomyocytes through HMGB2-JNK1/2-NF-κB Pathway
Authors: Zhang Weiyue , Liu Xiaoyan , Jiang Yiping , Wang Nani , Li Feng , Xin Hailiang
Published: February 2019

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a key factor in deterioration of myocardial function. The c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activation and the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) nuclear translocation have been found in I/R injury. 6-Gingerol, an important bioactive ingredient of ginger, has been reported to have cardiovascular pharmacological effects. However, the molecular mechanism through which it is beneficial is unclear. In this work, I/R induced the increase in the apoptosis and reactive oxygen species level in AC16 cardiomyocytes. 6-Gingerol administration decreased cardiomyocyte apoptosis and improved oxidative stress indexes. 6-Gingerol administration also inhibited I/R-induced HMGB2 expression upregulation and JNK activation and reduced Cleaved Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP) and Caspase-3 expression. HMGB2 treatment mimicked the effect of I/R-induced cell damage, which was reversed by 6-gingerol administration. On the other hand, transcriptional activity of NF-κB was reduced in 6-gingerol treated cells. Thus, overall results indicated that 6-gingerol administration protected I/R-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis via JNK/NF-κB pathway in the regulation of HMGB2. This work supported the efficacy of 6-gingerol on cardiovascular disease and partially revealed its mechanism, which was helpful for understanding the therapeutic effects of this natural drug.
Paeoniflorin Inhibits Hepatocyte Growth Factor- (HGF-) Induced Migration and Invasion and Actin Rearrangement via Suppression of c-Met-Mediated RhoA/ROCK Signaling in Glioblastoma
Authors: Yu Guoyong , Wang Zhaotao , Zeng Shulian , Liu Sisi , Zhu Chunping , Xu Ruxiang , Liu Ru-en
Published: February 2019

Paeoniflorin (PF), as one of the important valid natural compounds of the total glucosides of peony, has displayed a potential effect in cancer prevention and treatment. Aggressive migration and invasion, as an important process, can contribute to tumor progression through infiltrating the surround normal tissue. Actin cytoskeleton rearrangement plays a key role in cells migration and invasion, involving multiple signal pathways. HGF/c-Met signal, as an important couple of oncoprotein, has been demonstrated to regulate actin cytoskeleton rearrangement. In our study, we aim to explore whether paeoniflorin can inhibit migration and invasion and actin cytoskeleton rearrangement via regulation of HGF/c-Met/RhoA/ROCK signal. Various approaches were applied to demonstrate the mechanism of paeoniflorin-mediated anticancer effect, including cell wound healing assay, invasion assay, immunofluorescence staining and transfection, and western blotting. We observed that paeoniflorin inhibited HGF-induced migration and invasion and actin cytoskeleton rearrangement in glioblastoma cells. Furthermore, the inhibition of HGF-induced migration and invasion and actin cytoskeleton rearrangement involved c-Met-mediated RhoA/ROCK signaling in glioblastoma. Thus, our study proved that paeoniflorin could inhibit migration and invasion and actin cytoskeleton rearrangement through inhibition of HGF/c-Met/RhoA/ROCK signaling in glioblastoma, suggesting that paeoniflorin might be a candidate compound to treat glioblastoma.
Gnidia glauca- and Plumbago zeylanica-Mediated Synthesis of Novel Copper Nanoparticles as Promising Antidiabetic Agents
Authors: Jamdade Dhiraj A. , Rajpali Dishantsingh , Joshi Komal A. , Kitture Rohini , Kulkarni Anuja S. , Shinde Vaishali S. , Bellare Jayesh , Babiya Kaushik R. , Ghosh Sougata
Published: February 2019

Rapid, eco-friendly, and cost-effective one-pot synthesis of copper nanoparticles is reported here using medicinal plants like Gnidia glauca and Plumbago zeylanica. Aqueous extracts of flower, leaf, and stem of G. glauca and leaves of P. zeylanica were prepared which could effectively reduce Cu2+ ions to CuNPs within 5 h at 100°C which were further characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Further, the CuNPs were checked for antidiabetic activity using porcine pancreatic α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition followed by evaluation of mechanism using circular dichroism spectroscopy. CuNPs were found to be predominantly spherical in nature with a diameter ranging from 1 to 5 nm. The phenolics and flavonoids in the extracts might play a critical role in the synthesis and stabilization process. Significant change in the peak at ∼1095 cm−1 corresponding to C-O-C bond in ether was observed. CuNPs could inhibit porcine pancreatic α-amylase up to 30% to 50%, while they exhibited a more significant inhibition of α-glucosidase from 70% to 88%. The mechanism of enzyme inhibition was attributed due to the conformational change owing to drastic alteration of secondary structure by CuNPs. This is the first study of its kind that provides a strong scientific rationale that phytogenic CuNPs synthesized using G. glauca and P. zeylanica can be considered to develop candidate antidiabetic nanomedicine.
Intensive Outpatient Treatment of Depression in a Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 Patient
Authors: Black Eric
Published: February 2019

Objective. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is but one subtype of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), each of which can possibly be considered a separate neurological condition (N. Whaley, S. Fujioka, Z. K. Wszolek, 2011). SCA is hereditary, progressive, and degenerative. SCA1 symptoms initially include coordination problems and ataxia. SCA1 can also include speech and swallowing difficulties, spasticity, ophthalmoplegia, cognitive difficulties, and even sensory neuropathy, dystonia, atrophy, and fasciculations. Literature has established that depressive symptoms can be exhibited with spinocerebellar ataxia patients regardless of type (T. Schmitz-Hübsch, 2011). While a higher risk for depression occurs with more severe SCA disease, successful treatment to mitigate symptoms has been documented (N. Okamoto, M. Ogawa, Y. Murata, et al., 2010). In this case a SCA1 patient with advanced neurological disease was enrolled in a psychiatric intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment program in the midwestern United States to address his comorbid depressive symptoms. This treatment option allowed a less restrictive environment while providing a more structured therapeutic setting and social support for the patient, much more so than that which is typically offered in a traditional outpatient setting. Case Report. A patient with relatively advanced SCA1 successfully participated in a psychiatric IOP program or depressive symptoms and benefitted from the program’s structure and additional psychosocial support. Conclusion. Awareness among physicians, particularly psychiatrists and neurologists, regarding IOP programs as a treatment option for comorbid depression in the clinical setting of progressive SCA or other neurological conditions can be beneficial to patients requiring an increased level of psychiatric treatment.
Hydraulic Abrasion-Resistant Elastic Epoxy Resin Materials
Authors: Xu Liqun , Zhang Kai , Liu Yanhui
Published: February 2019

The abrasion of hydraulic concrete structures caused by the washing action of flowing water is a common problem and cannot be solved by simply increasing the strength of the concrete. To ensure safe operation, increase in service life and reduction of maintenance costs of hydraulic concrete structures and the development of abrasion-resistant materials are required. In this work, polyurethane-modified epoxy resin was synthesized using the interpenetrating network technology (IPN). After many mixing experiments, the ratio of polyether amine to alicyclic amine in Component B was determined to be 29 : 14 and the ratio of Component A to Component B was 7 : 3. With these ratios, elastic epoxy achieved a tensile strength of more than 15 MPa and an elongation rate of more than 20%, thus balancing strength and toughness. The effects of the curing conditions, the ratio of Component A to Component B, and diluents and fillers on tensile strength and elongation of the elastic epoxy resin were analyzed. The results of the analysis indicated that the curing duration should be over 7 days, the optimal proportion of Component A to Component B should be 7 : 3, and the diluent of the elastic epoxy material should be the bifunctional butanedioldiglycidyl ether (622). The reliability of this material was determined by pull-out testing, adhesion, and tensile strength testing. The underwater steel ball test and ring test were adopted as the abrasion-resistance tests for the elastic epoxy resin material. The results showed that the abrasion-resistance performance of elastic epoxy coating improved hundreds of times over that of common concrete. Although the wearing strength was reduced with pressure, the elastic epoxy coating still retained excellent abrasion-resistance performance. At last, future application prospects of elastic epoxy improvement products are introduced and need further reach.
Joint Time Switching and Transmission Scheduling for Wireless-Powered Body Area Networks
Authors: Zhu Jiaming , Zhang Guopeng , Zhu Zongwei , Yang Kun
Published: February 2019

Outfitting humans with on-body/in-body sensor nodes, wireless body area networks (WBANs) are positioned as the key technology to enhance future telehealth service. The newly emerged wireless power transfer (WPT) and energy harvesting (EH) technology provides a potential of continuous power supply for WBANs. Since the radio frequency (RF) signals can carry energy as well as information at the same time, the time switching between the WPT phase and the wireless information transfer (WIT) phase should be carefully scheduled. By considering a telehealth application scenario (in which multiple patients coexist in a ward and each of them is monitored by multiple sensor nodes), this paper proposes to allocate the duty cycles for the WPT and WIT phases and schedule the transmission time for the WIT links in a joint manner. First, a frame structure for simultaneous information and power transfer (SWIPT) is designed over the time-and-spectrum domain. With the aim to satisfy the minimum rate demands of all the sensor nodes, the optimal duty time for the WPT phase and the optimal transmission time for the WIT links are jointly found by using the convex optimization technique. Finally, a fast algorithm is developed to search the optimal solution by introducing an admission control. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively exploit the broadcasting property of RF energy radiation. If the network load were controlled below a certain level, the rate demands of all the sensor nodes in the network can be satisfied.
Thyroid Ultrasound Reports: Deficiencies and Recommendations
Authors: Qadan Laila , Ahmed Adel , Kapila Kusum
Published: February 2019

Objective: Thyroid ultrasound plays a major role in the clinical management of patients with thyroid nodules. Comprehensive reporting enables malignant risk stratification and biopsy decisions. In this study, we aimed at a systematic evaluation of the content and completeness of thyroid radiology reports. Methods: A retrospective study was undertaken. A total of 200 thyroid ultrasound reports of examinations performed over a 1-year period were reviewed. After excluding 18 reports, the remaining 182 were evaluated for the inclusion of the following nodule characteristics: size, 3-axis dimensions, location, presence or absence of five signs suspicious of malignancy, namely microcalcification, hypoechogenecity, irregular margin, height-to-width ratio, and intranodular vascularity. Results: While all reported nodules could be stratified easily as being more or less than 1 cm in size, only 23.6% of these nodules were reported in 3 dimensions, and 33.5% of the nodules were specifically localized. For any described nodule, the frequency of reporting on echogenicity was 50%, on vascularity 19.2%, on margin 10.4%, on calcifications 9.3%, and no report contained a description of the height-to-width ratio. The cumulative frequency of reporting on one characteristic per nodule was 84%, of two characteristics 27%, three characteristics 4.4%, and no report included ≥4 characteristics per nodule. Conclusion: Despite easily accessible templates, reporting of thyroid nodule sonogram continues to be incomplete and inconsistent. This in turn constitutes a waste of a significant tool that could otherwise help in making timely informed medical decisions and in providing a significant platform for patients’ future follow-up.
A relação entre fenômeno de ser e ser dos fenômenos: o anti-idealismo de Sartre na introdução de O Ser e o Nada
Authors: Cenachi Matheus De Oliveira
Published: February 2019

A intenção deste artigo é mostrar de que maneira Jean-Paul Sartre depara com a hipótese do idealismo, que se revela logo na introdução de O ser e o nada, bem como suas estratégias para evitá-lo. Ao lançar mão de uma fenomenologia, Sartre sente a necessidade de se debruçar sobre uma questão já antiga, porém fundamental para o rumo de seu projeto: seria possível reduzir as coisas que aparecem às suas aparições? Tratar defenômenos e objetos é tratar do mesmo ser? Tendo como fim o esclarecimento dessa questão, o texto se divide em sete seções: a primeira visando uma ambientação do cenário fenomenológico no qual Sartre se insere; a segunda evidenciando uma aparente necessidade do ser dos fenômenos serem transfenomenais; a terceira focando uma falha do princípio berkeleniano, esse est percipi; a quarta voltada à função do percipere/percipiens na percepção; a quinta ilustrando a maneira com que o percipi remete ao percipiens e o impacto de tal relação; a sexta sobre a prova ontológica de Sartre; a sétima traçando algumas considerações finais e o resultado da análise.
Adorno e a pesquisa empírica no contexto norte-americano
Authors: Mira Lutti
Published: February 2019

O artigo tem como intuito mostrar de que maneira a experiência da emigração para os EUA marcou indelevelmente a opinião e a concepção adorniana acerca da relação entre teoria social e pesquisa empírica. A partir da análise do envolvimento de Adorno com o Princeton Radio Research Project, pretendemos indicar de que maneira Adorno contrastou sua formação sociológica e filosófica alemã, como também a concepção de teoria social desenvolvida no seio do Instituto de Pesquisa Social, com a administrative research promovida no Radio Project. Trata-se assim, sobretudo, de salientar o vínculo necessário entre teoria e pesquisa tal como Adorno o formulou em resposta à sociologia empírica norte-americana.
Circadian-Regulated Cell Death in Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Rabinovich-Nikitin Inna , Lieberman Brooke , Martino Tami A. , Kirshenbaum Lorrie A.
Published: February 2019

Background:

Over the past several years, a variety of human and animal studies have shown that circadian clocks regulate biological cardiovascular rhythms in both health and disease. For example, heart rate and blood pressure fluctuate over 24-hour daily periods, such that levels are higher in the morning and progressively decline in the evening.

Methods and Results:

It is interesting to note that the timing of the administration of various cardiac treatments can also benefit some cardiovascular outcomes. Circadian rhythms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, ischemia-reperfusion injury after myocardial infarction, and heart failure. Cell death is a major component of ischemia-reperfusion injury and posited as the central underlying cause of ventricular remodeling and cardiac dysfunction following myocardial infarction. It is notable that the time of day profoundly influences cardiac tolerance and sensitivity to cardiac injury.

Conclusions:

Herein, we highlight the novel relationship between circadian rhythms and homeostatic processes that governs cell fate by apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. Understanding how these intricate processes interconnect at the cellular level is of paramount clinical importance for optimizing treatment strategies to achieve maximum cardiovascular outcome.
Greater Blood Pressure Variability Is Associated With Lower Cognitive Performance
Authors: Zhou Tan Lai , Kroon Abraham A. , van Sloten Thomas T. , van Boxtel Martin P.J. , Verhey Frans R.J. , Schram Miranda T. , Köhler Sebastian , Stehouwer Coen D.A. , Henry Ronald M.A.
Published: February 2019

An increasing number of individuals will face age-related cognitive difficulties because life expectancy has increased. It is, therefore, important to identify modifiable risk factors for cognitive impairment. Very short–term to mid-term blood pressure variability (BPV) may be such a factor because it may cause cerebral ischemia. To this end, we investigated whether greater systolic and diastolic BPV are cross-sectionally associated with memory function (n=1804), information processing speed (n=1793), and executive function (n=1780) in 40- to 75-year-old individuals from The Maastricht Study. A composite BPV-index was derived by standardizing within-visit, 24-hour, and 7-day BPV. We performed linear regression with adjustments for age, sex, educational level, 24-hour systolic or diastolic pressure, and cardiovascular risk factors. We found that a 1-SD greater systolic BPV was not associated with information processing speed (β [SD difference], −0.10; 95% CI, −0.14 to 0.06), or executive function (−0.09; 95% CI, −0.20 to 0.02) but was marginally associated with lower memory function (−0.11; 95% CI, −0.21 to 0.00). A 1-SD greater diastolic BPV was associated with lower information processing speed (−0.10; 95% CI, −0.20 to −0.00) and executive function (−0.12; 95% CI, −0.22 to −0.01) and marginally associated with lower memory function (−0.09; 95% CI, −0.20 to 0.01). These effects on cognitive performance are equivalent to ≈3 additional years of aging. In conclusion, greater very short-term to mid-term diastolic and, to a lesser extent, systolic BPV may be a modifiable risk factor for cognitive deterioration in 40- to 75-year-old, community-dwelling individuals.
Impact of Coming Demographic Changes on the Number of Adults in Need of Care for Hypertension in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa
Authors: Sudharsanan Nikkil , Geldsetzer Pascal
Published: February 2019

Over the coming decades, middle-income countries are expected to undergo substantial demographic changes. We estimated the consequences of these changes on the number of adults in need of hypertension care between 2015 and 2050 using nationally representative household-survey data collected in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa (N=770 121). To reflect unmet need for healthcare, we defined hypertension as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg regardless of treatment status. Using a mathematical disease projection equation, we calculated the change in the number of individuals in need of hypertension care in each country that was due to changes in population size, age composition, and age-specific prevalence under various epidemiological scenarios. If the current age-specific prevalence schedule of hypertension remains unchanged until 2050, demographic changes alone will increase the number of adults in need of hypertension care by 319.7 million individuals, ranging from a relative growth of 55% in China to 151% in Mexico. Even if the age-specific prevalence of hypertension is reduced by 25% by 2050 among adults aged ≥40 years, the number of individuals in need of hypertension care will still increase by 145.9 million individuals, with relative increases ranging from 16% in China to 88% in Mexico. Overall, our results suggest that coming demographic changes in middle-income countries will overpower even ideal prevention efforts. Middle-income countries will need to massively expand healthcare services for aging-related diseases, such as hypertension, if they are to meet the virtually inevitable future increase in care needs for these conditions.
Combined Heart and Kidney Transplantation: Clinical Experience in 100 Consecutive Patients
Authors: Awad Morcos Atef , Czer Lawrence S. C. , Emerson Dominic , Jordan Stanley , De Robertis Michele A. , Mirocha James , Kransdorf Evan , Chang David H. , Patel Jignesh , Kittleson Michelle , Ramzy Danny , Chung Joshua S. , Cohen J. Louis , Esmailian Fardad , Trento Alfredo , Kobashigawa Jon A.
Published: February 2019

Background

Combined heart and kidney transplantation (
HKT
x) is performed in patients with severe heart failure and advanced renal insufficiency. We analyzed the long‐term survival after
HKT
x, the influence of age and dialysis status, the rates of cardiac rejection, and the influence of sensitization.

Methods and Results

From June 1992 to December 2016, we performed 100
HKT
x procedures. We compared older (≥60 years, n=53) with younger (<60 years, n=47) recipients, and recipients on preoperative dialysis (n=49) and not on dialysis (n=51). We analyzed actuarial freedom from any cardiac rejection, acute cellular rejection, and antibody‐mediated rejection, and survival rates by sensitized status with panel‐reactive antibody levels <10%, 10% to 50%, and >50%, and compared these survival rates with those from the
United Network for Organ Sharing
database. There was no difference in 15‐year survival between the 2 age groups (35±12.4% and 49±17.3%, ≥60 versus <60 years;
P
=0.45). There was no difference in 15‐year survival between the dialysis and nondialysis groups (44±13.4% and 37±15.2%,
P
=0.95). Actuarial freedom from any cardiac rejection (
acute cellular rejection
>0 or
antibody‐mediated rejection
>0) was 92±2.8% and 84±3.8%,
acute cellular rejection
(≥2R/3A) 98±1.5% and 94±2.5%, and
antibody‐mediated rejection
(≥1) 96±2.1% and 93±2.6% at 30 days and 1 year after
HKT
x. There was no difference in the 5‐year survival among recipients by sensitization status with
panel‐reactive antibody
levels <10%, 10% to 50%, and >50% (82±5.9%, 83±10.8%, and 92±8.0%;
P
=0.55). There was no difference in 15‐year survival after
HKT
x between the
United Network for Organ Sharing
database and our center (38±3.2% and 40±10.1%, respectively;
P
=0.45).

Conclusions

HKT
x is safe to perform in patients 60 years and older or younger than 60 years and with or without dialysis dependence, with excellent outcomes. The degree of
panel‐reactive antibody
sensitization did not appear to affect survival after
HKT
x.
Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in Black Versus White Medicare Beneficiaries With Implanted Cardiac Devices
Authors: Chen Monica L. , Parikh Neal S. , Merkler Alexander E. , Kleindorfer Dawn O. , Bhave Prashant D. , Levitan Emily B. , Soliman Elsayed Z. , Kamel Hooman
Published: February 2019

Background

Black individuals in the United States experience higher rates of ischemic stroke than other racial groups but have lower rates of clinically apparent atrial fibrillation (
AF
). It is unclear whether blacks truly have less
AF
or simply more undiagnosed
AF
.

Methods and Results

We performed a retrospective cohort study using inpatient and outpatient claims from 2009 to 2015 for a 5% nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries. We included patients aged ≥66 years with at least 1 documented
Current Procedural Terminology
code for interrogation of an implantable pacemaker, cardioverter‐defibrillator, or loop recorder and no documented history of
AF
, atrial flutter, or stroke before their first device interrogation. Kaplan–Meier statistics and Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between black race and the composite outcome of
AF
or atrial flutter while adjusting for age, sex, and vascular risk factors. Among 47 417 eligible patients, the annual incidence of
AF
/atrial flutter was 12.2 (95%
CI
, 11.5–13.1) per 100 person‐years among blacks and 17.6 (95%
CI
, 17.4–17.9) per 100 person‐years among non‐black beneficiaries. After adjustment for confounders, black beneficiaries faced a lower hazard of
AF
/atrial flutter than non‐black beneficiaries (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95%
CI
, 0.70–0.80). Despite the lower risk of
AF
, black patients faced a higher hazard of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 1.37; 95%
CI
, 1.22–1.53).

Conclusions

Among Medicare beneficiaries with implanted cardiac devices capable of detecting atrial rhythm, black patients had a lower incidence of
AF
despite a higher burden of vascular risk factors and a higher risk of stroke.
Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Survival After Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Chen Gongbo , Wang Anxin , Li Shanshan , Zhao Xingquan , Wang Yilong , Li Hao , Meng Xia , Knibbs Luke D. , Bell Michelle L. , Abramson Michael J. , Wang Yongjun , Guo Yuming
Published: February 2019

Background and Purpose—

China bears a heavy burden of stroke because of its large population of elderly people and the propensity for stroke. Previous studies have examined the association between air pollution and stroke mortality or hospital admission. However, the global evidence for adverse effects of air pollution on survival after stroke is scarce.

Methods—

We used the first national hospital-based prospective registry cohort of stroke in China, which included 12 291 ischemic stroke patients who visited hospitals during 2007 to 2008. All patients were followed for 1-year poststroke. Deaths during the follow-up period were recorded. Participants’ 3-year prestroke exposures to ambient PM
1
, PM
2.5
, PM
10
(particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤1, ≤2.5, and ≤10 μm, respectively) and NO
2
(nitrogen dioxide) were estimated by machine learning algorithms with satellite remote sensing, land use information, and meteorological data. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between air pollution and survival after ischemic stroke.

Results—

In total, 1649 deaths were identified during the 1-year follow-up period. After controlling for potential confounders, significant associations were observed between exposure to PM
1
and PM
2.5
and incident fatal ischemic stroke. The corresponding hazard ratios and 95% CIs associated with 10 µg/m
3
increase in PM
1
and PM
2.5
were 1.05 (1.02–1.09) and 1.03 (1.00–1.06), respectively. No significant association was observed for PM
10
or NO
2
(hazard ratios and 95% CIs, 1.01 [1.00–1.03] and 1.03 [0.99–1.06], respectively). Higher hazard ratios (and 95% CIs) were observed for male, elderly and obese individuals.

Conclusions—

Prestroke exposure to PM
1
and PM
2.5
was associated with increased incident fatal ischemic stroke in the year following an ischemic stroke in China. Improved air quality may be beneficial for people to recover from stroke.
Clinical Effects of Early Edaravone Use in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated by Endovascular Reperfusion Therapy
Authors: Enomoto Masaya , Endo Akira , Yatsushige Hiroshi , Fushimi Kiyohide , Otomo Yasuhiro
Published: February 2019

Background and Purpose—

Although several clinical studies suggested the beneficial effects of edaravone in acute ischemic stroke, most were performed under settings that differ from those in the current treatment strategy, which has dramatically changed with progress in reperfusion therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of edaravone in patients with acute ischemic stroke treated by emergent endovascular reperfusion therapy.

Methods—

We conducted a retrospective observational study using a national administrative database. Patients with acute ischemic stroke treated by emergent endovascular reperfusion therapy were identified and dichotomized by whether edaravone was used within 2 days of admission. We compared the functional independence at hospital discharge, in-hospital mortality, and intracranial hemorrhage after admission between groups, adjusted by a well-validated case-mix adjustment model, in multivariate mixed-effect regression and propensity score matching analyses.

Results—

Of 11 508 patients eligible for analysis, 10 281 (89.3%) received edaravone therapy. The established risk adjustment model had good predictability for functional independence at hospital discharge, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.74. In the mixed-effect regression analysis, edaravone use was significantly associated with greater functional independence at hospital discharge (32.3% in the edaravone group versus 25.9% in the control group; adjusted odds ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.41), lower in-hospital mortality (9.9% in the edaravone group versus 17.4% in the control group; adjusted odds ratio, 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.43–0.62), and reduced intracranial hemorrhage after admission (1.4% in the edaravone group versus 2.7% in the control group; adjusted odds ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.37–0.82). Results of the propensity score matching analysis corroborated these results.

Conclusions—

This retrospective analysis of a Japanese nationwide administrative database suggested that combination therapy with edaravone and endovascular reperfusion therapy could be a promising therapeutic strategy in acute ischemic stroke. Further randomized control trials are warranted.
Faces of Merseyside: Exploring Cognitive Bias through Facial Averages
Authors: Wilkinson Caroline , Mackenzie Stenton , Smith Kathryn
Published: February 2019

Faces of Merseyside is a gallery/online exhibition of digitally processed facial averages produced from Merseyside image collections by Face Lab, a research group at Liverpool School of Art & Design. The project seeks to foreground the question of cognitive bias in relation to facial images that claim to represent particular communities, in the context of a resurgence of interest in physiognomic judgments and discrimination. By revisiting Francis Galton's nineteenth-century composite portraiture, as informed by current craniofacial research, Faces of Merseyside explores the claims advanced in relation to the representation of human diversity and how they both inform and challenge social stereotyping.
Taxonomic revision of Triplostegia (Caprifoliaceae: Dipsacales)
Authors: NIU YAN-TING , BARRETT RUSSELL L. , ZHANG ZHU-ZHI , LU LI-MIN , CHEN ZHI-DUAN
Published: February 2019

The genus Triplostegia is revised and only a single, geographically variable species, Triplostegia glandulifera, is recognised. Triplostegia grandiflora is formally included as a synonym of T. glandulifera. A revised description is presented encompassing the full range of observed morphological diversity following examination of 525 specimens. All names published in or referrable to Triplostegia are considered and discussed. Details of type specimens are enumerated to enhance the correct application of names. Three names were published independently in 1901, so the dates of publication must be carefully considered to establish priority if any taxa are segregated from T. glandulifera in future. A lectotype is designated for Triplostegia delavayi. Triplostegia aschersoniana is considered to be a valid combination based on Hoeckia aschersoniana.
New species and records of Dicraeus Loew, 1873 from China (Diptera: Chloropidae)
Authors: LIU XIAOYAN , YANG DING , NARTSHUK EMILIA P.
Published: February 2019

A review of the species of the genus Dicraeus from China is provided. The following five described species are new to science: D. crassispinus sp. n., D. curvus sp. n., D. dentatus sp. n., D. liupanshanensis sp. n. and D. minutidentatus sp. n. Four species, D. fuscipennis Kanmiya, D. malaisei Nartshuk, D. nartshukae Kanmiya and D. rossicus Stackelberg, are recorded from China for the first time. A key to the species of the Dicraeus from China is given.
Taxonomic, distributional and biological study of the genus Agrilus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Part II
Authors: JENDEK EDUARD , NAKLÁDAL OTO
Published: February 2019

Two hundred and twenty-six species of the genus Agrilus (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) mostly from the Palaearctic and Oriental regions are studied and their taxonomic, nomenclatural, distributional or biological data are updated. For some species, the biological information is supplemented by images from the field, and distributional data by maps showing the whole range of the species. Two west palaearctic species Agrilus angustulus (Illiger, 1803) and A. graminis Kiesenwetter, 1857 are recorded from the Russian Far East. The following three new junior subjective synonyms are proposed. Agrilus alexeevi Bellamy, 1998 syn. nov. (synonym of A. relegatus Curletti, 1990); A. bicoloratus Abeille de Perrin, 1894 syn. nov. (synonym of A. angustulus (Illiger, 1803)) and A. splendidicollis Fairmaire, 1889 syn. nov. (synonym of A. sinensis Thomson, 1879).
Ambient Factors Controlling the Wintertime Precipitation Distribution across Mountain Ranges in the Interior Western United States. Part II: Changes in Orographic Precipitation Distribution in a Pseudo–Global Warming Simulation
Authors: Jing Xiaoqin , Geerts Bart , Wang Yonggang , Liu Changhai
Published: February 2019

Two high-resolution (4 km) regional climate simulations over a 10-yr period are conducted to study the changes in wintertime precipitation distribution across mountain ranges in the interior western United States (IWUS) in a warming climate. One simulation represents the current climate, and another represents an ~2050 climate using a pseudo–global warming approach. The climate perturbations are derived from the ensemble mean of 15 global climate models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). These simulations provide an estimate of average changes in wintertime orographic precipitation enhancement and finescale distribution across mountain ranges. The variability in these changes among CMIP5 models is quantified using statistical downscaling relations between orographic precipitation distribution and upstream conditions, developed in Part I. The CMIP5 guidance indicates a robust warming signal (~2 K) over the IWUS by ~2050 but minor changes in relative humidity and cloud-base height. The IWUS simulations reveal a widespread increase in precipitation on account of higher precipitation rates during winter storms in this warmer climate. This precipitation increase is most significant over the mountains rather than on the surrounding plains. The increase in precipitation rate is largely due to an increase in low-level cross-mountain moisture transport. The application of the statistical relations indicates that individual CMIP5 models disagree about the magnitude and distribution of orographic precipitation change in the IWUS, although most agree with the ensemble-mean-predicted orographic precipitation increase.
Tornado-Resolving Ensemble and Probabilistic Predictions of the 20 May 2013 Newcastle–Moore EF5 Tornado
Authors: Snook Nathan , Xue Ming , Jung Youngsun
Published: February 2019

An ensemble of 10 forecasts is produced for the 20 May 2013 Newcastle–Moore EF5 tornado and its parent supercell using a horizontal grid spacing of 50 m, nested within ensemble forecasts with 500-m horizontal grid spacing initialized via ensemble Kalman filter data assimilation of surface and radar observations. Tornadic circulations are predicted in all members, though the intensity, track, and longevity of the predicted tornado vary substantially among members. Overall, tornadoes in the ensemble forecasts persisted longer and moved to the northeast faster than the observed tornado. In total, 8 of the 10 ensemble members produce tornadoes with winds corresponding to EF2 intensity or greater, with maximum instantaneous near-surface horizontal wind speeds of up to 130 m s−1 and pressure drops of up to 120 hPa; values similar to those reported in observational studies of intense tornadoes. The predicted intense tornadoes all acquire well-defined two-cell vortex structure, and exhibit features common in observed tornadic storms, including a weak-echo notch and low reflectivity within the mesocyclone. Ensemble-based probabilistic tornado forecasts based upon near-surface wind and/or vorticity fields at 10 m above the surface produce skillful forecasts of the tornado in terms of area under the relative operating characteristic curve, with probability swaths extending along and to the northeast of the observed tornado path. When probabilistic swaths of 0–3- and 2–5-km updraft helicity are compared to the swath of wind at 10 m above the surface exceeding 29 m s−1, a slight northwestward bias is present, although the pathlength, orientation, and the placement of minima and maxima show very strong agreement.