bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Fourth-Order Compact Finite Difference Scheme for Solving the Time Fractional Carbon Nanotubes Model
Authors: Sweilam N. H. , Khater Khloud R. , Asker Zafer M. , Kareem Waleed Abdel
Published: March 2022

In this work, we deal with unsteady magnetohydrodynamic allowed convection inflow of blood with a carbon nanotubes model; the single and multiwalled carbon nanotubes of human blood are used as a based fluid. Two numerical methods used to study this model are the weighted average finite difference method and the nonstandard compact finite difference method. The proportional Caputo hybrid operator has been used to fractionalize the proposed model. Stability analysis has been construed by a kind of John von Neumann stability analysis. Numerical results are presented in diverse graphs, which manifest that the method is successful in solving the proposed model.
Asymmetry in the Prediction of Cojumps on Volatility and Its Reversal
Authors: Deng Liling , Wang Zhiqiang , Xiong Haifang
Published: March 2022

The asymmetry of volatility is an important feature of asset price changes, and studying the asymmetry of cojumps on volatility prediction can provide a reference for systemic risk monitoring. Based on high‐frequency data of CSI 300 stock index and futures index, SSE Composite Index, and industry index, the influence of cojumps on volatility in different directions is analyzed by HAR model. It is found that the explanation of volatility by cojumps still has leverage effect, and the symbolic cojumps covariance can obviously improve the prediction ability of the model; influenced by policy reform and market changes, the prediction of cojumps on volatility between the CSI 300 stock index and futures index shows a significant interval reversal effect; not only is the prediction of systematic cojumps on volatility of each industry index related to the periodicity of the industry, but also it shows different rules under the influence of policy reform.
Development of Advanced Artificial Intelligence and IoT Automation in the Crisis of COVID-19 Detection
Authors: Kollu Praveen Kumar , Kumar Kailash , Kshirsagar Pravin R. , Islam Saiful , Naveed Quadri Noorulhasan , Hussain Mohammad Rashid , Sundramurthy Venkatesa Prabhu
Published: March 2022

Internet of Things (IoT) is a successful area for many industries and academia domains, particularly healthcare is one of the application areas that uses IoT sensors and devices for monitoring. IoT transition replaces contemporary health services with scientific and socioeconomic viewpoints. Since the epidemic began, diverse scientific organizations have been making accelerated efforts to use a wide range of tools to tackle this global challenge and the founders of IoT analytics. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a key role in measuring, assessing, and diagnosing the risk. It could be used to predict the number of alternate incidents, recovered instances, and casualties, also used for forecasting cases. Within the COVID-19 background, IoT technologies are used to minimize COVID-19 exposure to others by prenatal screening, patient monitoring, and postpatient incident response in specified procedures. In this study, the importance of IoT technology and artificial intelligence in COVID-19 is explored, and the 3 important steps discussed such as the evaluation of networks, implementations, and IoT industries to battle COVID-19, including early detection, quarantine times, and postrecovery activities, are reviewed. In this study, how IoT handles the COVID-19 pandemic at a new level of healthcare is investigated. In this research, the long short-term memory (LSTM) with recurrent neural network (RNN) is used for diagnosis purpose and in particular, its important architecture for the analysis of cough and breathing acoustic characteristics. In comparison with both coughing and respiratory samples, our findings indicate poor accuracy of the voice test.
An Immunosenescence-Related Gene Signature to Evaluate the Prognosis, Immunotherapeutic Response, and Cisplatin Sensitivity of Bladder Cancer
Authors: Zhou Ranran , Liang Jingjing , Tian Hu , Chen Qi , Yang Cheng , Liu Cundong
Published: March 2022

Immunosenescence refers to the immune system undergoing a series of degenerative changes with advancing age and is tightly associated with the initiation and progression of cancers. However, the immunosenescence-related genes as critical biomarkers for bladder cancer (BLCA) have not been systematically analyzed. We retrieved the immunosenescence-related genes from the public database and verified their association with hallmarks of immunosenescence based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. Through gene pairing, Lasso, and univariate Cox regression, an 8-gene pair model was constructed to evaluate the overall survival of BLCA, which was then validated in the training cohort (

P
<
0.001
,
n
=
396

), two external validation cohorts (

P
<
0.05
,
n
=
165

;

P
<
0.001
,
n
=
224

), and local samples (

P
<
0.05
,
n
=
10

). We also downloaded the clinical information and gene expression matrices of other 32 different cancers from TCGA. The established model showed significant predictive value for the prognosis in 15 cancers (

P
<
0.05

). The risk model could also serve as a promising predictor for immunotherapeutic response, which has been verified by the TIDE algorithm (

P
<
0.05

), IMvigor210 dataset (

P
<
0.01
,
n
=
298

), and other two datasets correlated with immunotherapy (

P
<
0.05
,
n
=
56

;

P
=
0.17
,
n
=
27

). The TCGA dataset, in vitro cell experiments, and pan-cancer analysis displayed that the gene signature was associated with cisplatin sensitivity (

P
<
0.05

). Overall, we proposed a novel immunosenescence-related gene signature to predict prognosis, immunotherapeutic response, and cisplatin sensitivity of BLCA, which were validated in different independent cohorts, local samples, and pan-cancer analyses.
Numerical Simulation of the Diffusion of Fissure Slurry at High Temperature
Authors: Niu Jiandong , Sun Yong , Liu Jianxin , Li Huimei , Tan Xiaojun , Han Ning , Wang Bin , Qiu Liangliang
Published: March 2022

Deep-buried tunnel at high-ground temperature is prone to the sudden surge of water when crossing the water-rich formation, resulting in casualties and economic losses. Slurry injection is a common and effective method of governance for addressing this issue. However, there has been little research into pulping at high-ground temperature, with most of the existing research focusing on room temperature conditions. We studied two kinds of slurry commonly used in grouting, cement slurry and cement-sodium silicate slurry. Indoor testing was used in this paper to clarify the effect of temperature on slurry viscosity, and numerical simulation was used to study slurry diffusion in flat cracks at different temperatures. The results showed that in a hydrostatic environment, the spread rate of slurry was independent of temperature and type of slurry. For the same kind of slurry, the higher the temperature, the greater the maximum slurry pressure. The higher the temperature in a flow environment, the faster the slurry diffusion. As the temperature rised, the grouting pressure required for crack sealing decreased at first then rises. In a flow environment, the sealing effect of cement-sodium silicate slurry was superior to that of cement slurry.
Multimode Gesture Recognition Algorithm Based on Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory Network
Authors: Lu Ming-Xing , Du Guo-Zhen , Li Zhan-Fang
Published: March 2022

Gesture recognition utilizes deep learning network model to automatically extract deep features of data; however, traditional machine learning algorithms rely on manual feature extraction and poor model generalization ability. In this paper, a multimodal gesture recognition algorithm based on convolutional long-term memory network is proposed. First, a convolutional neural network (CNN) is employed to automatically extract the deeply hidden features of multimodal gesture data. Then, a time series model is constructed using a long short-term memory (LSTM) network to learn the long-term dependence of multimodal gesture features on the time series. On this basis, the classification of multimodal gestures is realized by the SoftMax classifier. Finally, the method is experimented and evaluated on two dynamic gesture datasets, VIVA and NVGesture. Experimental results indicate that the accuracy rates of the proposed method on the VIVA and NVGesture datasets are 92.55% and 87.38%, respectively, and its recognition accuracy and convergence performance are better than those of other comparison algorithms.
Study on the Synchronous Instability Mechanism of the Coal Wall and Direct Roof of High Soft Coal Seam
Authors: Fu Baojie , Li Jiawen , Tu Min , Jin Ningping
Published: March 2022

The advanced mining stress on a large working face can easily lead to the failure of the roof and coal mass; coal wall spalling and roof caving occur. The degree of coal wall failure and the depth of the plastic fracture zone are closely related to the advanced mining stress. The mechanical analysis model is established, and the stress distribution in the fracture and plastic zone is analyzed by the elastic-plastic theory, and the depth function expressions of two zones are determined. Comparative analysis of the factors affecting mining strength shows that the mining depth, mining height, and strength of coal are the key factors affecting the stability of the coal wall. The A1 coal of Zhangji mine in Huainan is soft and thick, and the direct roof is easily separated by the organic membrane, which is easy to form arc-shaped sliding instability. The increase in the unsupported roof area causes the direct roof caving and reduces its bearing capacity and stiffness. It is unable to provide enough support for the broken block of the overlying key stratum, which makes the broken block reverse rotation and further aggravate the roof fall; the synchronous instability of the coal wall and direct roof is formed.
Intelligent Transport Surveillance Memory Enhanced Method for Detection of Abnormal Behavior in Video
Authors: Zhang Deng-Hui
Published: March 2022

The purpose is to build a better intelligent transport platform and improve the performance of surveillance video abnormal behavior detection systems under rapid progress of science and technology, to process large-scale traffic surveillance video data. Autoencoder (AE) can detect abnormal behavior by using reconstruction error information. However, it cannot decode some abnormal codes well, so an AE based on memory needs improvement. The objective of this research is to propose a model where abnormal surveillance video can be handled. Therefore, a self-coding method based on memory enhancement is proposed. The steps are as follows: different abnormal behavior detection system algorithms are analyzed at first. The characteristics of three different methods, namely, the original autoencoder (AE), recurrent neural network, and convolutional neural network, are compared. Then, a memory module is proposed to enhance the automatic encoder to reduce the reconstruction error of normal samples and increase the reconstruction error of abnormal samples. The effect image is obtained by Laplace transform and convolution for the image with low definition, and the image with noise is processed by guided filtering. Finally, different methods are used for experimental comparison. Experiments show that, on the dataset Avenue, the frame-level result of the method proposed is about 2% higher than that of the optimal ConvLSTM in the comparison method; on the Ped1 and Ped2 datasets, it is also about 3% higher than ConvLSTM. The comparison of different methods shows that the effect of the method proposed is the best. The self-coding traffic surveillance video abnormal behavior detection system based on memory enhancement is designed with a modular structure and it uses the self-coding method based on memory enhancement. The effectiveness of the proposed method in the real scene is verified by comparing the performance of different methods in the same data set (Xia and Li, 2021).
Bioinformatics Analysis of mRNAs and miRNAs for Identifying Potential Biomarkers in Lung Adenosquamous Carcinoma
Authors: Nie Jin , Gong Ling , Li Zhu , Ou Dong , Zhang Ling , Liu Yi , Zhang Jianyong , Liu Daishun
Published: March 2022

Background. Lung adenosquamous carcinoma (LASC) is a special type of lung cancer. LASC is a malignant tumor with strong aggressiveness and a poor prognosis. Previous studies have revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs) are widely involved in the development of tumors by targeting mRNA. This study is aimed at identifying the key mRNAs and miRNAs of LASC and constructing miRNA-mRNA networks for deeply comprehending the latent molecular mechanisms. Methods. mRNA dataset (GSE51852) and miRNA dataset (GSE51853) were extracted and downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were picked out by the GEO2R web tool. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analyses were conducted in the DAVID database. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was performed and analyzed by using the STRING database and Cytoscape software, respectively. TransmiR v2.0 was applied to predict potential transcription factors of miRNAs. The target genes of DEMs were predicted in the miRWalk database. Results. In comparison to normal tissues, a total of 1458 DEGs (511 upregulated and 947 downregulated) and 13 DEMs (5 upregulated and 8 downregulated) were screened out in LASC tissues. The PPI network of the DEGs displayed five key modules and seventeen hub genes. Six target genes of the DEMs were predicted, and five essential miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs were established. Ensuingly, CENPF, one of the target genes, was also the hub genes of GSE51852, which was obtained from MCODE and cytoHubba and regulated by hsa-miR-205. Conclusions. We constructed the miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs, which are helpful to study the potential regulatory mechanisms and find out promising diagnosis biomarkers and therapeutic targets for LASC.
Efficacy of Bushen Yiqi Huayu Decoction on Ovarian Reserve and Inflammatory Factors in Patients after Hysterectomy plus Salpingectomy
Authors: Zhang Jinchun , Zhang Li , Cao Lei
Published: March 2022

Objective. To assess the efficacy of Bushen Yiqi Huayu Decoction on ovarian reserve and inflammatory factors in patients after hysterectomy plus salpingectomy. Methods. Between January 2020 and December 2020, sixty patients with benign uterine lesions scheduled for a hysterectomy plus salpingectomy in the obstetrics and gynecology department of our hospital were recruited and assigned at a ratio of 1 : 1 via the random number table method to receive conventional therapy (control group) or conventional therapy plus Bushen Yiqi Huayu Decoction (study group) for 2 months. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores, TCM efficacy, various postoperative recovery time indexes, inflammatory factor levels, and hormone levels were compared between the two groups of patients. Results. The study group had lower TCM symptom scores and milder inflammatory responses compared to the control group after treatment (

P
<
0.05

). The Bushen Yiqi Huayu Decoction plus conventional therapy achieved an efficacy of 96.67% versus the efficacy of 76.67% by conventional therapy alone (

P
<
0.05

). In contrast to the control group, a shorter postoperative recovery duration of patients was recorded in the study group (

P
<
0.05

). The study group showed significantly better improvement in hormone levels than the control group after treatment (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Bushen Yiqi Huayu Decoction can significantly mitigate the inflammatory response of patients after hysterectomy plus salpingectomy, improve the hormone level and the ovarian reserve of patients, and promote rapid recovery, so it is worthy of clinical promotion.
The Missing LNK: Evolution from Cytosis to Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia in a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis and Germline SH2B3 Mutation
Authors: Gundabolu Krishna , Dave Bhavana J. , Alvares Carmelita J. , Cannatella Jeffrey J. , Bhatt Vijaya R. , Maness Lori J. , Al-Kadhimi Zaid S. , Zabad Rana K. , Cushman-Vokoun Allison M.
Published: March 2022

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a rare but distinct hematological neoplasm with overlapping features of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Individuals with CMML have persistent monocytosis and bone marrow dyspoiesis associated with various constitutional symptoms like fevers, unintentional weight loss, or night sweats. It is established that there is a strong association of CMML with preceding or coexisting autoimmune diseases and systemic inflammatory syndromes affecting around 20% of patients. Various molecular abnormalities like TET2, SRSF2, ASXL1, and RAS are reported in the pathogenesis of CMML, but no such mutations have been described to explain the strong association of autoimmune diseases and severe inflammatory phenotype seen in CMML. Germline mutation in SH2B adaptor protein 3 (SH2B3) had been reported before to affect a family with autoimmune disorders and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In this report, we describe the first case of a female subject with many years of preceding history of multiple sclerosis before the diagnosis of CMML. We outline the evidence supporting the pathogenic role of SH2B3 p.E395K germline mutation, connecting the dots of association between autoimmune diseases and CMML genesis.
A Study of Dynamic Loading and Unloading Damage of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete under Confining Pressure
Authors: Lin Chao , Rao Li , Zhang Cheng-Lin , Yang Zhi-Wen , Chen Fang , You Qing , Tan Xian-Jun
Published: March 2022

Considering the influence of confining pressure in the actual service environment of concrete in underground projects, the damage characteristics of fiber-reinforced concrete under the action of confining pressure are evaluated according to the variation of measured permeability values by means of a triaxial ultralow permeability damage test system. The tests were carried out according to the stress loading and unloading paths of 1⟶5⟶10⟶15⟶20⟶10⟶5⟶1 MPa for an axial pressure when the confining pressure value was 1 MPa and kept constant. Firstly, the damage permeability of the fiber-reinforced concrete specimens was verified to be significantly lower than that of the ordinary concrete under the same confining pressure. Secondly, by conducting single loading and unloading tests at different loading rates (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 3.0 MPa/s), it was confirmed that the loading rate had a significant effect on the damage cracking of the specimens, with the faster the loading rate, the more pronounced the damage characteristics. Finally, a triaxial cyclic dynamic load test with a confining pressure value of 1 MPa and an axial loading speed of 1.5 MPa/s was carried out, revealing that the damage characteristics of the test blocks changed from elastic deformation to obvious plastic deformation damage as the number of loading times increased.
Delayed Treatment of Traumatic Cervical Dislocation: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Bechet Fabian Roland , Stassen Pierre , Scorpie Dan , Della Siega Thierry
Published: March 2022

Neglected unreduced cervical dislocation is very uncommon. In our case (a lady who stayed asymptomatic for 13 months before development of cervicobrachialgia), the anterior reduction/arthrodesis was easy, and we did not find any benefit from an additional posterior procedure thanks to a congenital block between C7 and T1 vertebral bodies. This point is nevertheless a matter of debate. After a review of the literature, we did not find any consensus about the ideal scheme and sequence to reduce and stabilize this delayed type of cervical trauma. We emphasize the need of dynamic radiographies to exclude unstable injuries but also a prereduction MRI (especially in unexaminable patients) to detect any dangerous disc fragment. If there is no visible change in the radiological status while attempting to reduce the dislocation by external maneuvers, there is little chance to reduce it successfully only by a single approach. Therefore, in irreducible delayed dislocations, it seems safer to prepare the reduction/fusion stage (either anterior/posterior, depending on the habits and skills of the surgeon) by a first stage carrying out a release of the fibrous tissues on the opposite side (either posterior to release the facet joints or anterior to release the intervertebral disc), followed by the reduction/fusion stage itself and then by a third stage to lock the level. Like many authors, we recommend an anterior approach first in case of an extruded disc visible on the MRI, and therefore, we show a preference for the anterior-posterior-anterior sequence in irreducible delayed cervical dislocations.
Systemic Bacterial Infection in a Captive Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Jones Kegan Romelle , Lall Kavita Ranjeeta , Suepaul Rod , Garcia Gary Wayne
Published: March 2022

The agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) is a neotropical rodent which has the potential to be domesticated. As such, some research studies have been done on the biology of this animal. Recently, these animals are being kept in captivity as a source of animal protein. Animals which are kept in captivity may present diseases that would not have been reported in the wild due to lack of observation or the lack of occurrence. The aim of this short communication is to report a case of systemic bacterial infection that affected the lungs and liver of a captive agouti. Bacterial analysis revealed that the infection was caused by Escherichia coli. Bacterial infections have been reported in the mammary tissue as well as the skin of the agouti, but to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of systemic infection in the agouti affecting several organs. This case was seen in a nine-month-old male agouti that was being housed at the University of the West Indies Field Station (UWI, UFS). The animal showed no apparent sign of disease except for lethargy and subsequently died before any treatment was administered. These findings showed that the agouti may have been under some stress (nutritional or environmental) which predisposed this animal to this infection. Future work has to address the nutritional requirements for the growing agouti as well as some treatment options for managements of similar cases in the future.
A Proposed Method for Predicting User Disinformation Forwarding Behavior
Authors: Fang Bing , Zhang Fan , Hou Limin , Hu Enpeng , Zhang Jingwen , Shen Junyang , Chen Yang
Published: March 2022

At present, social network sites (SNSs) have become the major channels by which disinformation is released and disseminated. Without the effective control of disinformation on social media, a serious threat to social stability may occur. Different from traditional media, forwarding has become the key approach to propagating information on social media. Therefore, if the users who will forward the disinformation are identified in advance, they can be prevented from forwarding the disinformation and the harmful effects of disinformation will be minimized. To identify the users who will forward the disinformation, we should predict the probability of an individual forwarding disinformation. We propose a novel method to predict the disinformation forwarding probability of individuals on a social network. The proposed method extracts the features that affect individual disinformation forwarding, especially extracting features related to the susceptibility of users to disinformation. With combining bootstrap sampling and expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to learn unobserved features, the proposed method utilizes both observed and unobserved features to predict the disinformation forwarding probability of individuals. Using data from “Weibo,” which is the largest social media platform in China, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Preoperative Serum Calcitonin Level and Ultrasonographic Characteristics Predict the Risk of Metastatic Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Functional Analysis of Calcitonin-Related Genes
Authors: Fan Yi , Xu Haishan , Lv Meiyan , Li Ning
Published: March 2022

Background. Early cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis is an important cause of poor survival in patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). This study evaluated whether the preoperative serum calcitonin level in combination with ultrasonographic features of MTC can be used to assess the LN status as well as predict the risk of metastasis in patients with MTC. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 95 patients with MTC, and a nomogram model was constructed and validated. Using integrated database analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), we mined pathways wherein CALCA is involved, identified calcitonin-related genes, and analyzed their functions. Results. Correlation analysis revealed a significant association between the infiltrating range, diameter, calcification, blood flow, the preoperative serum calcitonin level, and metastasis. The metastasis risk-prediction model showed great accuracy in determining the risk of metastasis in MTC (area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve: 0.979 [95% confidence interval 0.946–1.000]). Decision curve analysis (DCA) showed that the model has excellent clinical utilization potential. Significantly, CALCA, the mRNA for calcitonin, was highly expressed in thyroid cancer tissues and associated with the cytokine–cytokine receptor and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathways as well as the cell-adhesion molecules. ROC curve indicated that the CNTFR, CD27, GDF6, and TSLP genes, which are related to the cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction pathway, could indicate the risk of metastasis in MTC. Conclusions. The preoperative serum calcitonin level, in combination with ultrasonographic features, can be used to predict the risk of metastasis in patients with MTC and constitute a noninvasive accurate method for preoperative diagnosis of MTC.
The Histochemistry of Prefascial Lymph Vessels in Recurrent Erysipelas
Authors: Schneider I. , Thury G.
Published: March 2022

For histochemical examination, excisions were taken from the prefascial lymph vessels of the dorsum of the foot in the case of 54 patients with recurrent erysipelas immediately before lymphangiography. The results obtained were compared with the data of a simultaneous histological study. In the course of the studies, the lymph vessel adenosine triphosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, succinic dehydrogenase, nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide(-phosρhate) diaphorase, glutamate dehydrogenase and Na-dl-α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity were considered. In the inflammatory lymph vessel processes (thrombolymphangitis obliterans, endolymphangitis proliferans, perilymphangitis chronica, etc.), the activity of adenosine triphosphatase and mitochondrial (oxidative) enzymes was observed to be increased, while in lymphangiopathia obliterans of a degenerative nature they were found to be decreased. It is believed that in the processes accompanied by lumen narrowing, the infiltration of the vessel wall due to inflammatory tissue leads to the stiffening of the vessel wall, the discontinuing of its rhythmic movement, the development of edema in the distal part of the limb, and the further degeneration of the vessel wall.
Studies of Animal Models of ‘Toxaemia’ with Respect to Fibrinogen and Platelet Survival and Selectivity of Proteinuria
Authors: Wardle Nigel
Published: March 2022

Selenomethionine labelling of platelets and fibrinogen has been used in normal pregnant rats, and in non-pregnant and pregnant rats subjected to vasoconstriction by the use of ergometrine, pitressin, and 5-hydroxytryptophan. Since the latter agent only produced a generalised defibrination syndrome in pregnant animals, it is deduced that intravascular coagulation in ‘toxaemia’ also is within the placental bed. Further observations on DOCA hypertension microangiopathy emphasise the similarity of this model to malignant hypertension but its dissimilarity to toxaemia. Evidence from glomerular protein selectivity studies in rabbits indicates those mechanisms that cause increasing unselectivity of proteinuria.
Characteristics of Hormone-Stimulated Adenylate Cyclase in Vascular Smooth Muscle: Altered Activity in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat
Authors: Bhalla R.C. , Sharma R.V.
Published: March 2022

The stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity by guanine nucleotides, isoproterenol and fluoride has been investigated in KC1 washed rat aortic membranes. We observed that the presence of guanine nucleotides in the assay was obligatory for the isoproterenol stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity. Guanine nucleotides could stimulate adenylate cyclase in the absence of catecholamines; however, the extent of stimulation was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that observed with isoproterenol. The order of effectiveness of guanine nucleotides was guanosine 5’-0-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP-γ-S), 5’-guanylylimido diphosphate (Gpp(NH)p), and guanosine 5’-triphosphate (GTP). GTP stimulated enzyme activity without a noticeable lag period, while stimulation by Gpp(NH)p showed a lag period of 3–4 min. Addition of isoproterenol neither abolished the lag period, nor altered the apparent Ka value (concentration required for half maximal stimulation) for Gpp(NH)p stimulation. In a comparative study of adenylate cyclase activity between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Kyoto Wistar normotensive rats (WKY), using 0.6 M KC1 washed membranes from aorta and caudal artery, no differences were observed in the basal adenylate cyclase activity. However, guanine nucleotide-, isoproterenol-, and fluoride-stimulated enzyme activity was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the caudal artery of SHR as compared to WKY.
A Histochemical Evaluation of Metabolism in the Coronary Vasculature of the Primate
Authors: Cannon Samuel , Jones Carl E. , Peterson Thomas V.
Published: March 2022

Coronary arteries and arterioles in the left ventricle from the primate Macaca fascicularis were histochemically examined to evaluate their metabolic profiles. Succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase activities were assessed to evaluate aerobic metabolic capacity, while myosin ATPase activity was determined as an index of ATP utilization for contraction. Anaerobic capacity was evaluated from lactate dehydrogenase and glycogen reactivity. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was examined to determine capacity of the hexose-monophosphate-shunt, while the amounts of deoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic acids were assessed as possible indicators of protein synthesis. Succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase demonstrated slight reactivity in both coronary arteries and arterioles indicating a low capacity for aerobic metabolism. Myosin ATPase showed strong activity in arteries and even stronger reactivity in arterioles, suggesting that arteriolar smooth muscle is more capable of utilizing ATP. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was extremely low in both arteries and arterioles, while deoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic acids demonstrated only slight to moderate reactivity in both arteries and arterioles, indicating that under normal conditions the coronary vasculature appears quite stable with little cell proliferation.
Autoradiographic Analysis of Cell Proliferation and Protein Synthesis in the Pulmonary Trunk of Rats during the Early Development of Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: McKenzie James C. , Clancy, Jr. John , Klein Robert M.
Published: March 2022

The results of this study indicate that both cell proliferation and increased synthesis of extracellular matrix protein contribute to hypertrophy of the rat pulmonary trunk during the early development of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. As determined by autoradiography after 3H-thymidine injection, pulmonary hypertension results in increased labelling in all cell compartments of the pulmonary trunk wall, the most dramatic response occurring in the adventitia following 3 days’ hypoxic exposure. Autoradiography also demonstrated differences in the degree of incorporation of 3H-proline into extracellular protein between hypoxic (3 and 21 days) and control rats. The major focus of 3H-proline incorporation shifted from the adventitia at 3 days to the tunica media at 21 days, although incorporation was significantly higher at 3 compared to 21 days in all wall compartments. The patterns of hyperplasia and matrix protein synthesis in the extrapulmonary arteries of the rat, as reported here, are distinctly different from those seen in many large elastic arteries during development of systemic hypertension. For example, the hyperplastic response of arterial vessels follows a similar temporal sequence in pulmonary and systemic hypertension. However, the adventitia is the region of the pulmonary trunk with highest cell proliferation in pulmonary hypertension while the media is most affected by systemic hypertension. The relevance of the changing patterns of cell proliferation and protein synthesis in the wall of the pulmonary trunk of chronically hypoxic rats to the structural and biochemical properties of this vessel during the early development of pulmonary hypertension is discussed.
Adrenergic Transmitter Release
Authors: Göthert Manfred
Published: March 2022

Presynaptic release-modulating receptors on sympathetic nerve fibres have been found not only in a great number of animal tissues but also in various human blood vessels. Although basically the same types of receptors are present in animals and man (e.g., inhibitory muscarinic receptors and α2-adrenoceptors; facilitatory β-adrenoceptors), there may be considerable species differences if a certain blood vessel or the effect of a certain agonist or antagonist is considered. Hormones may also influence noradrenergic transmission by acting presynaptically. Thus, ACTH increases the impulse-evoked noradrenaline (NA) release in the rabbit pulmonary artery by activating presynaptic ACTH receptors, and an adenylate cyclase may be involved in this effect. Results obtained with new pharmacological tools (forskolin and selective inhibitors of cAMP phosphodiesterase) support the suggestion that the sympathetic nerves of the rabbit pulmonary arteries are endowed with an adenylate cyclase activation of which increases evoked NA release.
Effect of Low Sodium Diet on the Facilitatory Effect of Angiotensin on 3H-Norepinephrine Release in the Rat Portal Vein
Authors: Westfall Thomas C. , Xue Chun-Sheng , Meldrum Michael J. , Badino Laurice
Published: March 2022

The ability of angiotensin to enhance the field-stimulation induced release of 3H-norepinephrine from the superfused rat portal vein was examined in vessels obtained from animals fed a normal (0.5% Na+) or low sodium diet (0.05% Na+). Angiotensin was seen to enhance the field-stimulation (480 pulses, 2 Hz, 1 ms duration, supramaximal voltage) induced release of 3H-norepinephrine from vessels obtained from Sprague-Dawley, Wistar, Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) maintained on a normal sodium diet. The effect of angiotensin was attenuated when examined in vessels obtained from animals maintained on the low sodium diet. The selectivity of the low sodium diet for angiotensin was demonstrated by a lack of effect of the low sodium diet in altering the facilitatory effect of isoproterenol on the release of 3H-norepinephrine and an enhanced response to the α2-adrenoceptor-selective antagonist, yohimbine. The simultaneous treatment of rats with a low sodium diet plus captopril (estimated to be approximately 50 mg/kg/day for 7 days) prevented the attenuation of the angiotensin-induced enhancement of the release of 3H-norepinephrine seen by sodium alone. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that low sodium treatment increases circulating angiotensin levels which lead to a down-regulation of the angiotensin receptors located on adrenergic nerve varicosities.
Comparison of Cyclic AMP Accumulation and Morphological Changes Induced by β-Adrenergic Stimulation of Cultured Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Fibroblasts
Authors: Nabika Toru , Velletri Paul A. , Igawa Takehiro , Yamori Yukio , Lovenberg Walter
Published: March 2022

Cyclic 3’,5’-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation and morphological changes induced by isoproterenol (ISO) on cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) and vascular fibroblasts derived from spontaneously hypertensive rats, their stroke-prone strain and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats were investigated. At the time points studied, ISO-induced cAMP accumulation in SMC reached a peak level at 5 min. Accumulation was dose-dependent and was maximal at a concentration of 10–5 M ISO. Maximal cAMP levels were approximately 600-fold higher than basal levels. Maximal cAMP accumulation or half maximal stimulatory ISO concentrations were similar in SMC from the three strains. ISO had no effects on cyclic 3’,5’-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels in SMC. Phenylephrine had no effects on cAMP or on cGMP levels. In contrast to SMC, β-adrenergic stimulation of vascular fibroblasts resulted in only a 4-fold increase of cAMP levels. 1.5 h after administration of ISO to SMC cultures, the morphological changes were apparent in SMC but not in fibroblasts. Morphological changes induced by ISO were reversible and morphological appearances returned to normal 16 h after exposure to ISO. 10-3 M dibutyryl cAMP had similar effects on the moφhologies of both SMC and fibroblasts. These effects were antagonized by 5 × 10–6 M colchicine, an inhibitor of microtubule assembly. These results indicate that cultured vascular SMC possess the ability to increase markedly their cellular cAMP level in response to β-adrenergic stimulation, while fibroblasts are less responsive to the stimulation. Furthermore, cAMP accumulation results in morphological changes of SMC and fibroblasts probably through the alteration of intracellular microtubule systems. As the morphological response to intracellular cAMP (or its lipophilic derivatives) is similar in both SMC and fibroblasts, the difference in each cell line’s responsiveness to ISO may be due to a difference in: (1) the density or sensitivity of β -adrenergic receptors on the plasma membrane of each cell type, or (2) the catalytic activity of adenylate cyclase itself.
The Vasorelaxant Action of Parathyroid Hormone Fragments on Isolated Rat Tail Artery
Authors: Pang Peter K. , Yang May C.M. , Shew Ron , Tenner, Jr. Thomas E.
Published: March 2022

Previous studies have demonstrated that parathyroid hormone (PTH) and its 1–34 amino terminal fragment possess a hypotensive action in vivo which appeared to be direct and dose-dependent. However, attempts to demonstrate the phenomenon in isolated vascular tissue have been minimally successful at best. The present study reports that bovine PTH-(1–34) can relax isolated rat tail artery helical strips precontracted by either arginine vasopressin, depolarizing concentrations of potassium chloride, or norepinephrine. The phenomenon occurs in a dose-dependent manner and is not dependent upon the presence of the endothelial lining of the vessels. These studies support the hypothesis that bovine PTH-(l-34) produces a direct vasorelaxant action mainly in small arteries.
Does Smooth Muscle Cell Polyploidy Occur in Resistance Vessels of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats?
Authors: Black Jane , Campbell Julie H. , Campbell Gordon R.
Published: March 2022

The ploidy of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) enzymatically isolated from the aorta and superior mesenteric artery (elastic arteries), caudal artery (small muscular artery) and the small mesenteric arteries and arterioles (mesenteric resistance vessels) of the spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats at ages 12, 26, 32 and 40 weeks was determined by flow cytometric DNA analysis and Feulgen-DNA photometric measurements. Frequency of polyploid cells in the aorta and superior mesenteric artery of the SHR increased from 4.43 ± 1.35 and 7.58 ± 1.69%, respectively, at 12 weeks to 31.26 ± 3.00 and 14.13 ± 1.30% at 40 weeks. There was a smaller increase in the percentage of polyploid cells in these two vessels of the WKY from 4.73 ± 0.74 and 5.82 ± 0.33%, respectively, at 12 weeks to 10.64 ± 0.17 and 7.68 ± 0.64% at 40 weeks. The caudal artery and mesenteric resistance vessels showed no significant increase in the percentage of 4N (tetraploid) cells in the SHR from 12 weeks (6.80 ± 0.92 and 6.10 ± 0.75%) to 40 weeks (7.83 ± 0.67 and 7.57 ± 0.07%). Similarly, there was no significant change in ploidy in these arteries of the WKY. Hence, while polyploidy of SMCs increases in the aorta and superior mesenteric artery of the rat with increasing age and with duration of hypertension, there is no significant change in the number of polyploid cells in smaller vessels such as the caudal artery or mesenteric resistance vessels. Since it is the resistance vessels that are involved in the development and maintenance of hypertension, polyploidy of SMCs in the blood vessel wall appears to hold little relevance to the etiology of this disease. As well, increased incidence of polyploidy is not directly attributable to increases in blood pressure as the caudal artery has a high systolic pressure in the SHR yet the incidence of polyploid cells in this artery does not differ from
5-Hydroxytryptamine-Containing Fibers in Cerebral Arteries of the Cat, Rat and Guinea Pig
Authors: Yu Jun-Ge , Lee Tony J.-F.
Published: March 2022

The distribution of serotonin-like immunoreactive (5-HT-LI) fibers in pial arteries and arteries of the choroid plexus in the cat, rat and guinea pig was examined. Weak 5-HT-LI fibers were observed in cerebral arteries when these arteries were fixed by immersion after they had been dissected from the exsanguinated animals. The 5-HT-LI fibers, however, were not detected in arteries when they were fixed in situ or in vitro after they had first been perfused with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or Krebs solution in situ to flush the blood components from the lumen prior to dissection. In these arteries, 5-HT-LI fibers with intense immunofluorescence could however be demonstrated following incubation with serotonin (5-HT) in vitro. The distribution patterns of 5-HT-LI fibers and catecholamine fluorescence fibers were found to be similar. Following bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy, 5-HT-LI fibers were not detected in pial vessels even after incubation with 5-HT. Light-microscopic autoradiographic examination of [3H]-5-HT uptake in pial arteries showed that silver grain granules were concentrated only in the unmyelinated nerve profile in the adventitial layer. No uptake of [3H]-5-HT into smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells was found. The neuronal uptake of [3H]-5-HT was blocked by imipramine. Results from ultrastructural studies also showed that 5-HT-like immunoreactivities were found only in the axoplasm and were never detected following chronic superior cervical ganglionectomy. These results indicate that the presence of 5-HT-containing nerves in pial vessels in various species examined is due to the uptake of 5-HT into sympathetic nerves, and further support our hypothesis that cerebral pial vessels do not receive authentic serotonergic innervation. The present study also identifies the heterogeneity in characteristics of smooth muscle and endothelial cells among cerebral and peripheral arteries.
Dyggve-Melchior-Clausen Syndrome Caused by a Novel Frameshift Variant in a Japanese Patient
Authors: Obara Koji , Abe Erika , Toyoshima Itaru
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Dyggve-Melchior-Clausen syndrome (DMC) is a rare autosomal recessive spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia characterized by short stature, microcephaly, intellectual disability, and coarse face. This disorder is caused by pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants of the DYM gene which encodes dymeclin. Case Presentation: Herein, we report a 60-year-old Japanese man who was born to consanguineous parents. He presented with abdominal distention and rectal prolapse in addition to the common features of DMC. We identified a novel homozygous frameshift variant [c.1670delT, p.(Leu557Argfs*20)] in the DYM gene, which introduces a premature stop codon. Histological analysis revealed disarrangement of actin filaments in cultured fibroblasts. Discussion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Japanese case of DMC with a confirmed variant in the DYM gene. This report provides more information about the geographic distribution and phenotypic spectrum of DMC. Moreover, it presents a novel DYM variant and insights about DMC pathology that may be associated with the disarrangement of actin filaments.
Charcot’s Anglophilia
Authors: Coutinho Léo , Walusinski Olivier , Lees Andrew J. , Teive Hélio A.G.
Published: March 2022

Jean-Martin Charcot was one of the most influential physicians of the nineteenth century and is now rightly considered the father of Neurology. The aim of this paper was to review and describe Charcot’s close relationships to Britain and the influence of this particular affinity on his career.
Rapid On-Site Evaluation Technical Exercise Using Digital Pathology: Peer Comparison in an External Quality Assurance Setting
Authors: Greaves Janelle , Pagliuso Julia , Ross Jennifer , Badrick Tony
Published: March 2022

Background: The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs (RCPAQAP) is a world leader in the provision of external quality assurance (EQA) for pathology laboratories. The development and delivery of new programmes are designed to meet the evolving needs of our participants and pathology practice. A cytopathology technical programme was established in 2018 to provide proficiency testing in routine cytopreparatory techniques. The cytopathology technical pilot focused on standard operating procedures and laboratory performance during rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE). The exercise aimed to assess the diagnostic adequacy and provide technical recommendations on each of the whole slide images from four fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) samples of the thyroid in a setting of ROSE. Methods: Four whole slide imaging cases, each comprising one Diff-QuikTM stained preparation of an FNAB of the thyroid, were provided to all laboratories currently enrolled in the RCPAQAP Cytopathology diagnostic programmes. Each scanned image represented one slide from the first pass collected by a radiologist under ultrasound guidance. Participating laboratories were encouraged to distribute the exercise to individual staff members who attend ROSE procedures. A laboratory practice questionnaire was also conducted. Results: There were a total of 186 submissions received for the assessment across the four virtual cases provided. Although the assessment of on-site adequacy by participants showed high concordance across some of the cases, there was variation in the initial diagnostic evaluation and technical recommendation. Conclusions: ROSE has been adopted as a standard procedure in many laboratories worldwide. A peer comparison of participating laboratories in an EQA exercise has highlighted ROSE as susceptible to variation across standard operating procedures, the provision of diagnostic adequacy, diagnostic feedback to the attending clinician, and technical recommendation.