bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blow-Up Analysis for a Reaction-Diffusion Model with Nonlocal and Gradient Terms
Authors: Shen Xuhui , Lan Lun
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we investigate the blow-up phenomena for the following reaction-diffusion model with nonlocal and gradient terms:

u

t

=
Δ
u
+
a

u

p

∫

Ω

u

α

d
x

m

−

∇
u

q

in 
Ω
×

0
,

t

∗

∂
u

/

∂
ν

=
h

u

on 
∂
Ω
  
×

0
,

t

∗

u

x
,
0

=

u

0

x

≥
0

in 

Ω
¯

. Here

Ω
⊂

ℝ

N

N
≥
3

is a bounded and convex domain with smooth boundary, and constants

m
,
p
,
q
,
α

are supposed to be positive. Utilizing the Sobolev inequality and the differential inequality technique, lower bound for blow-up time is derived when blow-up occurs. In addition, we give an example as application to illustrate the abstract results obtained in this paper.
Dynamic Surface Control with High-Order LESO Compensation for Near-Space Vehicle
Authors: Li Ouxun , Deng Li , Huang Shutong , Wang Jianqi , Jiang Ju
Published: March 2022

Aimed at the flight control problem of a near-space vehicle (NSV) with uncertainties such as parameter perturbation and external disturbance, a novel dynamic surface control (DSC) method with high-order linear extended state observer (HLESO) compensation is proposed in this paper. In the proposed method, a tracking differentiator (TD) based on an inverse hyperbolic sine function is firstly designed, and the convergence of TD is also analysed with the Lyapunov stability theory. Furthermore, the numerical simulations are detailed to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed TD compared with others. Then, a dynamic surface controller based on the traditional backstepping control technique is designed, where the TD is adopted to obtain the differential signal of the virtual control law, in order to solve the “differential expansion,” and the HLESO is adopted to accurately estimate the “lumped disturbance” so as to realize the dynamic compensation of the controller and enhance the disturbance suppression ability of the system. The simulation results demonstrate the validity of the proposed method.
Lettuce as an Effective Remedy in Uremic Pruritus: Review of the Literature Supplemented by an In Silico Study
Authors: Sepehri Nazanin Zahra , Parvizi Mohammad Mahdi , Habibzadeh Sepideh , Handjani Farhad
Published: March 2022

Uremic pruritus is a frequent and prominent symptom in patients with advanced or end-stage renal disease. Lack of an effective treatment for kidney disease-associated pruritus often leads to many problems for these patients and makes it difficult to choose an appropriate treatment. The purpose of this evidence-based hypothesis is to share the scientific reasons and related mechanisms in order to claim that lettuce could be useful in the treatment of uremic pruritus. This hypothesis is based on studies related to lettuce and its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, sedative, hypnotic, nephroprotective, potassium balancing, and blood purification properties. As a result, we suggest that lettuce could be a good choice for improving and reducing uremic pruritus due to its certain characteristics. Although proof of this hypothesis requires further clinical trial studies, this hypothesis can nevertheless lead to formulating an appropriate therapy for uremic-induced pruritus. By conducting a molecular docking study, we investigated the interactions between nineteen natural bioactive components of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and human kappa opioid receptors. The in silico docking studies revealed that most of the ligands showed better antipruritic efficacy than gabapentin. Gamma-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, and campesterol demonstrated the highest binding affinities toward the target protein.
Target Recognition and Grabbing Positioning Method Based on Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Mei Feng , Gao Xingyu , Deng Shichao , Li Weiming
Published: March 2022

With the continuous reform of intelligent manufacturing, industrial production has gradually developed from automation to intelligence. The fusion of vision technology and industrial machines has become a hot research direction in current intelligent transformation. However, machines are not as flexible as humans when grabbing, and still have great limitations. Affected by various characteristics of target objects, such as shape, material, weight and other factors, as well as complex and changeable environmental factors, the research of machine grabbing still faces severe challenges. For the actual complex working conditions, the poor target detection effect leads to the inability to complete accurate grabbing, which affects the production efficiency. This paper proposes a grabbing system with convolutional neural network, which can achieve target detection, classification, positioning and grabbing tasks. First, by comparing the current mainstream target recognition and detection algorithms, select SSD that have both real-time performance and accuracy. Then make specific network structure improvements according to the detection requirements, and insert the Inception structure. At the same time optimize its loss function and nonmaximum suppression. The improved recognition rate is higher, and the target detection frame is closer to the real part, which greatly reduces the recognition error. Second, this research proposes an algorithm model for regional posture detection and grabbing positioning, which uses the output of the previous stage as input to perform posture detection and grabbing positioning of the grabbed target. In the network, the posture angle of the grabbing target is output in a classified manner, and the position coordinates of the grabbing point are output using a regression method. Experiments have proved that our method can perform efficient target recognition and grabbing positioning.
The Inhibitory Effect and Mechanism of Ferula akitschkensis Volatile Oil on Gastric Cancer
Authors: Han Rong , Sun Yun , Ma Ruoting , Wang Dexi , Sun Jianan , Zhao Shengjun , Zhang Haiying
Published: March 2022

Ferula akitschkensis volatile oil (FAVO) has a good inhibitory activity on gastric cancer cell proliferation, but the mechanism of action is not yet clear. In this study, we tested the antigastric cancer efficacy and mechanism of FAVO using both in vivo and in vitro models. The results showed that FAVO effectively inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells, the formation of small tubules of human umbilical vein endothelial cells as well as zebrafish intersegmental vessel and intestinal vein angiogenesis. In vivo experiments showed that FAVO significantly delayed the growth of SGC-7901 tumor-bearing nude mice and induced higher serum IL-2 and IFN-γ and reduced serum IL-6. Western blot results showed that FAVO reduced the expression of HIF-2α, VEGF, VEGFR2, P-VEGFR2, Akt, and P-Akt in SGC-7901 cells with CoCl2 induced hypoxia. We further clarified the main chemical components of FAVO through GC-MS analysis. In summary, FAVO may inhibit tumor growth and angiogenesis via inhibiting the HIF-2α/VEGF signaling pathway.
VAS and NRS, Same or Different? Are Visual Analog Scale Values and Numerical Rating Scale Equally Viable Tools for Assessing Patients after Microdiscectomy?
Authors: Bielewicz Joanna , Daniluk Beata , Kamieniak Piotr
Published: March 2022

Objectives. To compare the viability of the numerical rating scale (NRS) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) as a pain assessment tools among a large cohort of patients who underwent microdiscectomy. Summary of Background Data. The pain intensity (PI) reduction is a parameter of surgical treatment efficacy. The two most commonly used scales of PI are NRS and VAS. Many studies have shown strong similarities between those two scales, but the direct interchange is difficult. Methods. Patients, who underwent microdiscectomy, were prospectively enrolled into the study and assessed using VAS and NRS for the back (NRS-B) and the leg (NRS-L), Short Form of McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) included Pain Rating Index (PRI) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) 1 day before and 1 month and 3 months after the procedure. Results. 131 patients were included in the study. NRS-L, NRS-B, VAS, and ODI were significantly lower (

p
<
0.001

) 1 month after microdiscectomy. NRS-L and NRS-B ratings remained at a similar level while VAS and ODI decreased after 3 months. The rate of decline of PI measured by NRS-L correlated statistically significant (rs = 0.366;

p
<
0.001

) with ODI 1 month after surgery. Before surgery, the most significant correlation was found between ODI and NRS-L (rs = 0.494;

p
<
0.001

), the lowest with NRS-B (rs = 0.319;

p
<
0.001

). 3 months after surgery, there was higher correlations between ODI and VAS (rs = 0.634) than NRS-L (rs = 0.265). PRI correlated significantly (

p
<
0.001

) and more stronger with VAS than with NRS-L and NRS-B in every points of assessment. Conclusion. The results showed that PI measurements by NRS-L/NRS-B and VAS mutually correlate and impair functionality evaluated by ODI (convergent validity) but in different modes (differential validity). NRS and VAS are not parallel scales and assess different aspects of pain. The measurement of NRS-L 1 month after microdiscectomy seems to give quick insight into the effectiveness of the procedure.
Design Scheme of a Docker Container File Isolation against Computer Virus Spreading
Authors: Ju Hanji , Wang Jie , Zhu Enguo , Zhang Xiaoli , Zheng Feng
Published: March 2022

With the spread of computers and Internet of Things, the destructive power of viruses gradually becomes stronger, which threaten the daily life of people. In order to effectively restrain the virus spreading and reduce economic losses, humans need to hold the law and control of the virus distribution. Docker has obtained significant attention as a lightweight virtualization container technology. Compared to traditional virtualization technologies, docker possesses the advantages of fast deployment, low resource consumption, and high migration capability. Given that the differences between various virtualization technologies and combining the characteristics in electric power systems, this paper designs a scheme of the file isolation system based on docker containers. The isolation scheme could reduce the highly dependence on the underlying operating system in the current application deployment of electric power systems and facilitate the security access to the file system between containers.
Ambient Noise
H
/
V
Spectral Ratio in Site Effect Estimation in La Mesa de Macaracas, Panama
Authors: De Guevara José Ladrón , Mojica Alexis , Ruíz Alberto , Ho Carlos A. , Rodríguez Kenia , Toral Jaime , Fábrega José
Published: March 2022

In the last 10 years, the community of La Mesa de Macaracas (central Panama) has experienced considerable aftershocks due to earthquakes of magnitudes up to 5.7 Mw. Although most of the community consists of single-storey houses, the agricultural development in the region has led to multistorey building projects. To determine whether the characteristics of the soils could affect future construction in the study area, 16 stations were established to measure ambient vibrations and estimate the predominant frequencies and their corresponding

H
/
V

ratio peaks through the ambient noise

H
/
V

spectral ratio technique. According to the site class established by the Japan Road Association, the results revealed the existence of (a) soft soil with a range of predominant frequencies between 0.7 and 1.6 Hz, (b) medium soil with a range of predominant frequencies between 2.1 and 2.4 Hz, and (c) hard soil with a range of predominant frequencies between 2.6 and 2.9 Hz. In the first type (soft), the resonance effect could affect constructions of between 6 and 14 storeys with

H
/
V

ratio peak values (amplification factor) in the range of 2.1 and 4.3, while in the second and third types (medium and hard soils), buildings of between 3 and 5 storeys could be affected, with

H
/
V

ratio peak values (1.5–2.0) except at the SS-9 station. These results were complemented with the

V

s

30

values obtained in four seismic soundings carried out at the site.
Multitask Learning with Graph Neural Network for Travel Time Estimation
Authors: Yang Ling , Jiang Shouxu , Zhang Fusheng
Published: March 2022

Travel time estimation (TTE) is widely applied for ride dispatching, ride-hailing, and route navigation. Even for a given trajectory, the travel time is affected by many spatial-temporal factors, including static ones such as distance, road type, and so on and dynamic ones such as speed, traffic condition, and so on. Challenges of accurate estimation lie in proper representation of these spatial-temporal factors and more importantly capturing the complex relationship among them for TTE. To tackle such challenges, we present a framework based on the fact that the travel time of each road segment is affected by its adjacent segments. It features a graph convolutional neural network and a recurrent neural network for basic TTE for each road segment and a graph attention network for the relation to estimations on the adjacent road segments. Finally, a multitask learning model is proposed for the travel time of the entire given path and that for each road segment. Experimental results on real taxi trajectory datasets of two cities show that the percentage estimation error of the new approach is well controlled at 13.91% and the proposed method outperforms three state-of-the-art methods significantly.
Antimalarial Efficacy of Hydromethanolic Root Extract and Solvent Fractions of Urtica simensis Hochst. ex. A. Rich. (Urticaceae): An Experimental Study on Plasmodium berghei-Infected Mice
Authors: Sisay Woretaw , Andargie Yared , Molla Mulugeta
Published: March 2022

Background. Despite modern therapeutic armamentariums, malaria remains a 21st century public health menace. The issue of combating malaria is the ever-growing resistance to high-tech medications in which novel phytomedicines are highly demanding, a rapidly expanding research avenue. In Ethiopian folklore medicine, Urtica simensis has been used to treat malaria by drinking its juice after the dry roots have been mashed and combined with water. Hitherto, no in vivo study has been reported in the literature so far. To substantiate this folkloric claim, the present work herein was done. Methods. An acute oral toxicity study was conducted as per the standard protocol. To rule out, the extract’s inherent potential effects on bodyweight, basal body To, and PCV changes were tracked for two weeks. A four-day suppressive model and a curative assay model were utilized to investigate the antimalarial activity of the plant. Percent parasitemia suppression, packed cell volume, mean survival date, bodyweight, and rectal body temperature were used to determine antimalarial activity. Result. An acute toxicity study reveals that Urtica simensis was atoxic at a dose of 2000 mg/kg. It also affirms that U. simensis is free from intrinsic potential effects of interfering with bodyweight, temperature, and packed cell volume evolution. Both crude extract and its solvent fractions at all test doses exerted significant (

P
<
0.001

) inhibition of parasitemia as compared to the control group. CF400 mg/kg provided the greatest chemosuppressive effect (79.24%). In a curative experiment, crude extract and CF were able to prevent the cardinal indications of P. berghei-induced malaria, such as weight loss, hypothermia, parasitemia, and anemia. Both crude extracts and their solvent fractions prolong survival dates. Conclusion. The antimalarial activity of the crude extract and its solvent fractions was promising, confirming previous assertions. As a result, more research studies into chemical entities may be required.
Integrating LA and EDM for Improving Students Success in Higher Education Using FCN Algorithm
Authors: Hooda Monika , Rana Chhavi , Dahiya Omdev , Shet Jayashree Premkumar , Singh Bhupesh Kumar
Published: March 2022

EDM and LA are two fields that study how to use facts to get more academic learning and enhance the students’ entire performance. Both areas are concerned with a broad range of issues such as curriculum strategies, coaching, mental well-being of students, learning motivation, and academic achievement. The COVID-19 pandemic highly disrupted the higher education sector and shifted the old, chalk-talk teaching-learning model to an online learning format. This meant that the structure and nature of teaching, learning, assessment, and feedback methodologies also changes. With the empowerment in technology, timely and effective feedback is provided by the teachers to achieve greater learning. Through these studies, it is noted that negative feedback discourages the effort and achievement of learners, so it should be carefully crafted and delivered. In this work, a new methodology is planned based on an improved FCN (fully connected network). The key impartial of the proposed method is to regulate the assessment of the quality of students in Higher Education HE. The proposed methodology is composed of different phases: The first phase is data acquisition, in which the data are gathered from various sources for training and testing of the proposed method. The second phase is data orientation, in which the information is oriented in a specific file format. After that, data are cleaned, and preprocessing methods are applied. In the fourth phase, a machine learning-based model is developed to predict student’s academic performance. The fully connected neural network is enhanced with LA to better assess student quality in higher education. The proposed work is evaluated with the OULAD database, which was gathered from the students of Open University. The proposed methodology has attained an accuracy of 84%, more significant than the conventional ANN model accuracy rate. The proposed methodology’s Recall, F1-score, and precision rates are 0.88, 0.91, and 0.93, respectively.
Electron Number Density and Coherence Length of Boson-Fermion Pair in HTSC
Authors: Mukubwa Abel
Published: March 2022

A Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) of a nonzero momentum Cooper pair constitutes a composite boson or simply a boson. Previously, it has been shown that the quantum coherence of the two-component BEC (boson and fermion condensates) is controlled by plasmons where

<
1
%

of plasmon energy mediates the charge pairing but most of the plasmon energy is used to overcome the modes that compete against superconductivity such as phonons, charge density waves, antiferromagnetism, and damping effects. The dependence of plasmon frequency on the material of a superconductor reveals that modes within a specific range of frequency enhance superconductivity and therefore affect the critical temperature of a particular superconducting material. Against this background, we study the effect on doping on boson-fermion pairing energy and hence the critical temperature. While most hole doping agents are atoms lighter than copper, many of the electron doping agents are materials heavier than copper. This property defines the doping effect on the plasma frequency. Heavier dopants lower the critical temperature while lighter dopants increase the critical temperature of a superconductor. The number density of electrons is also found to be proportional to the square of critical temperature

T

c

while the size of a boson-fermion pair condensate (BFPC) is proportional to

T

c

−
2
/
3

. The size of a BFPC particle is less than boson-fermion (BF) coherence length by almost an order.
Secure and Efficient Communication in VANETs Using Level-Based Access Control
Authors: Thorncharoensri P. , Susilo W. , Chow Y.
Published: March 2022

In recent years, the development of vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) has received much attention in intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Unlike traditional ad-hoc networks, VANETs are emerging with unique characteristics that share similar technology with autonomous vehicles (AVs) and automated driving systems (ASDs). Communication between vehicles and the surrounding infrastructure unit, such as a roadside unit (RSU), must be secured, concise, and authentic. Hence, an access control system for the ad-hoc environment is required. We introduced a level-based controlled signcryption (LBS) scheme, which can be easily constructed and implemented into an access control system for VANETs environment. Our encrypted message has a short and constant size, which is better when compared with other attribute-based signcryption or encryption. Confidentiality, privacy, and authenticity are also provided in our scheme to ensure secure and authentic communication. Therefore, our scheme has addressed communication cost, scalability, security, and privacy issues in VANETs. This primitive can be applied to simplify attribute-based access control, as the only attribute required is an integer representing the security level. Our objective is to improve the quality and security of VANET communication. Moreover, an optional privacy mechanism in our scheme provides flexibility in controlling node privacy in VANETs.
In-Orbit Temperature Prediction of Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Based on the Neural Network Model
Authors: Yang Fei
Published: March 2022

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is a high-precision particle detector deployed on the International Space Station (ISS) to look for the origin of dark matter, antimatter's existence, and the origin and features of cosmic rays. Analyzing and forecasting the thermal status of electric equipment of AMS is of great significance to ensure that they operate within acceptable temperature limits. In this study, the orbital parameters of the AMS and thermal data of the main radiators are analyzed. Artificial neural network models are established for predicting the temperatures of AMS in orbit under the ISS normal and special operating conditions. The mean squared errors (MSE) of the predictions after the model training show that the established neural network models can accurately predict AMS temperatures. Comparison results between the recorded telemetry data and the predicted temperature obtained from the established neural network models show that the proposed models are precise enough for predicting AMS temperatures with the minimum MSE being 0.006. This work offers a reference for the thermal control of AMS and other spacecraft in orbit.
Gypenoside‐Induced Apoptosis via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Li Xiuming , Liu Hui , Lv Chengcheng , Du Jun , Lian Fangchao , Zhang Shouyi , Wang Zhiyong , Zeng Yu
Published: March 2022

Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino (G. pentaphyllum) is a natural herbal drug that has been widely used to treat many diseases. The antitumor effects of G. pentaphyllum were first described in the illustrated catalog of plants. Gypenosides are the major active components of G. pentaphyllum, and they have been widely reported to possess antitumor effects in prostate cancer, gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colon cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. However, research on the use of gypenoside in the treatment of bladder cancer has not been conducted. In this study, we explored the potential molecular mechanisms of gypenosides in the treatment of bladder cancer using network pharmacology and experimental validation. First, we used a network pharmacology–based method to identify both the effective components of gypenosides and the molecular mechanism underlying their antibladder cancer effects. The results were further confirmed by molecular docking, CCK8 and colony formation assays, and cell cycle and cell apoptosis analyses. Additionally, a mouse xenograft model of bladder cancer was used to investigate the antitumor effect of gypenosides in vivo. We identified 10 bioactive ingredients and 163 gene targets of gypenosides. Network exploration suggested that VEGFA, STAT3, and PI3KCA may be candidate agents for the antibladder cancer effect of gypenosides. In addition, analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway revealed that the phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway may play a crucial role in the mechanism of action of gypenosides against bladder cancer. Molecular docking revealed that gypenosides combine well with PI3K, AKT, and mTOR. As expected, gypenosides displayed apoptosis‐inducing properties in bladder cancer cells by inactivating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in vitro. Furthermore, gypenosides significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited the growth of bladder cancer cells in vivo. Mechanistically, gypenosides induced the apoptosis of bladder cancer cells via inactivation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
IVIG plus Glucocorticoids versus IVIG Alone in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Associated with COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rauniyar Robin , Mishra Aman , Kharel Sanjeev , Giri Subarna , Rauniyar Rohit , Yadav Shikha , Chaudhary Gajendra
Published: March 2022

Background. There is limited information available regarding the management of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with SARS-CoV-2. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the optimal treatment using IVIG alone versus IVIG plus glucocorticoids. Methods. PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched along with other secondary searches. Studies published within the time frame of January 2020 to August 2021 were included. We screened records, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the studies using NOS. Studies that directly compare the two treatment groups were included. Analyses were conducted using the random-effects model (DerSimonian-Laird analysis) if I2 > 50% and fixed-effects model was used if I2 < 50%. Results. We included three studies in the final quantitative analysis. The initial therapy with the IVIG plus glucocorticoids group significantly lowered the risk of treatment failure (OR 0.57, 95% CI (0.42, 0.79), I2 45.36%) and the need for adjunctive immunomodulatory therapy (OR 0.27, 95% CI (0.20, 0.37), I2 0.0%). The combination therapy showed no significant reduction in occurrence of left ventricular dysfunction (OR 0.79, 95% CI (0.34, 1.87), I2 58.44%) and the need for inotropic support (OR 0.83, 95% CI (0.35, 1.99), I2 75.40%). Conclusion. This study supports the use of IVIG with glucocorticoids compared to IVIG alone, as the combination therapy significantly lowered the risk of treatment failure and the need for adjunctive immunomodulatory therapy.
Bacterial Culture of Tear Duct Infections Secondary to Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstructions
Authors: Yang Weiming , Shen Li , Wang Anken , Li Meiyan , Yang Chenhao
Published: March 2022

Purpose. To investigate the microbial profile of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) in Chinese children. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 330 consecutive children (330 eyes) who were diagnosed with tear duct infections secondary to CNLDO and were admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University from January 2013 to January 2020. Bacterial cultures were grown from tear duct samples of each patient. Samples from conjunctival secretions were cultivated on blood or chocolate agar. Clinically significant bacterial growth was reported. Results. Of the 330 eyes considered, 62.7% (207/330) were associated with positive bacterial cultures. A total of 223 isolates were detected from 207 culture-positive eyes. Among the 223 isolates, 52.0% (116/223) were Gram-positive bacteria and 47.1% (105/223) were Gram-negative bacteria. The most prevalent Gram-positive bacteria were Streptococcus viridans (67 isolates, 30%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (36 isolates, 16.1%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (5 isolates, 2.2%). The most prevalent Gram-negative bacteria were Neisseria (nonpathogenic) (25 isolates, 11.2%), followed by Escherichia coli (16 isolates, 7.2%) and Haemophilus influenzae (16 eyes, 7.2%). Antibiotic susceptibility test results suggested that both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were highly sensitive to most of the tested antibiotics. Conclusions. S. viridans and S. aureus are the most prevalent bacteria in tear duct infections secondary to CNLDO. Broad-spectrum antibacterial eye drops are suggested as empirical antibiotic treatments.
Ventral Intermediate Nucleus of the Thalamus versus Posterior Subthalamic Area: Network Meta-Analysis of DBS Target Site Efficacy for Essential Tremor
Authors: Kondapavulur Sravani , Silva Alexander B. , Wang Doris D.
Published: March 2022

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting the ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim) of the thalamus or the posterior subthalamic area (PSA) are effective treatments for essential tremor (ET). However, their relative efficacy is unknown. Objective: Here, we present the first systematic review and network meta-analysis, examining the efficacy of Vim versus PSA DBS for treating medically refractory ET. Methods: We included all primary studies that reported validated Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale (FTM-TRS) scores pre-/postimplantation or on-/off-stimulation postimplantation, for patients receiving either Vim or PSA DBS. The primary outcome was FTM-TRS score reduction; the secondary outcome was percent reduction in score. We categorized all outcomes as short-term (≤12 months) or long-term (>12 months). Results: For pre-/postimplantation comparisons, 19 and 11 studies met inclusion criteria for short- and long-term follow-ups, respectively. For on-/off-stimulation tremor score comparisons, 8 studies met inclusion criteria for short-term follow-up. Network meta-analysis of pre-/postimplantation tremor scores showed greater tremor reduction with PSA implantation short-term (absolute tremor reduction: PSA: −30.94 [95% confidence interval (CI): −34.93, −26.95]; Vim: −26.26 [95% CI: −33.39, −19.12]; relative tremor reduction: PSA: 63.3% [95% CI: 61.8%–64.8%]; Vim: 57.8% [95% CI: 56.5%–59.0%]). However, there was no difference in efficacy between PSA and Vim DBS when comparing tremor on-versus off-stimulation at short-term follow-up or pre- versus postimplantation tremor reduction long-term. Conclusion: Our systematic review highlighted both heterogeneity in scoring systems used and lack of transparency in reporting total scores, limiting direct comparison across studies. We found a modestly superior efficacy with PSA stimulation in the short term, but no difference in tremor reduction long-term.
Self-Amputation in Patient with Body Integrity Dysphoria in Comorbidity with Gender Dysphoria: A Case Report
Authors: Vašečková Barbora , Patarák Michal , Petrušová Veronika , Forgáčová Ľubica
Published: March 2022

We present a rare, atypical case of a 24-year-old transgender male (assigned as a female at birth) admitted to the hospital after the planned self-amputation of his left hand. The patient described his motivation for this self-amputation as coming from deep-rooted and persistent feelings that this hand was not a part of his body. He identified himself as having, according to internet peer group definition, body integrity identity disorder. This condition is now referred to as body integrity dysphoria (BID). This patient was later diagnosed as having gender dysphoria and other conditions, including bipolar disorder and gaming disorder. The follow-up 2 years after self-amputation is presented, during which, despite antipsychotic and antidepressant treatment, the symptoms of BID remained unchanged and the high variability of other psychopathology was observed. This is an unusual case of BID simply because several other comorbidities are presented. Like many other rare clinical situations, this case also presents a particular challenge to our understanding of the dynamics and interrelationships between comorbidities, raising concerns and questions.
Mobile Data Collection of Cognitive-Behavioral Tasks in Substance Use Disorders: Where Are We Now?
Authors: Zech Hilmar G. , Reichert Markus , Ebner-Priemer Ulrich W. , Tost Heike , Rapp Michael A. , Heinz Andreas , Dolan Raymond J. , Smolka Michael N. , Deserno Lorenz
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Over the last decades, our understanding of the cognitive, motivational, and neural processes involved in addictive behavior has increased enormously. A plethora of laboratory-based and cross-sectional studies has linked cognitive-behavioral measures to between-subject differences in drinking behavior. However, such laboratory-based studies inevitably suffer from small sample sizes and the inability to link temporal fluctuations in task measures to fluctuations in real-life substance use. To overcome these problems, several existing behavioral tasks have been transferred to smartphones to allow studying cognition in the field. Method: In this narrative review, we first summarize studies that used existing behavioral tasks in the laboratory and self-reports of substance use with ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in the field. Next, we review studies on psychometric properties of smartphone-based behavioral tasks. Finally, we review studies that used both smartphone-based tasks and self-reports with EMA in the field. Results: Overall, studies were scarce and heterogenous both in tasks and in study outcomes. Nevertheless, existing findings are promising and point toward several methodological recommendations: concerning psychometrics, studies show that – although more systematic studies are necessary – task validity and reliability can be improved, for example, by analyzing several measurement sessions at once rather than analyzing sessions separately. Studies that use tasks in the field, moreover, show that power can be improved by choosing sampling schemes that combine time-based with event-based sampling, rather than relying on time-based sampling alone. Increasing sampling frequency can further increase power. However, as this also increases the burden to participants, more research is necessary to determine the ideal sampling frequency for each task. Conclusion: Although more research is necessary to systematically study both the psychometrics of smartphone-based tasks and the frequency at which task measures fluctuate, existing studies are promising and reveal important methodological recommendations useful for researchers interested in implementing behavioral tasks in EMA studies.
Effect of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells on Mouse Endometrial Cell Proliferation: A Potential Therapeutics for Endometrial Regeneration
Authors: Ahn Ji Yeon , Hong Yeon Hee , Kim Keun Cheon , Kim Ji Hyang , Lee Seo-Yeon , Lee Jung Ryeol , Lee Eun Ju
Published: March 2022

Objectives: The persistently thin endometrium is a major cause of repeated implantation failure; however, there is no definite treatment for it yet. This study aimed to confirm the potential of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs) as a therapeutic agent for endometrial regeneration. Design: An experimental study was carried out. Participants/Materials, Setting, Methods: To assess the in vitro effect of hPBMC, the human primary endometrial epithelial cell lines SNU-685 and SNU-1077 were co-cultured with or without 1 × 105 hPBMCs for 24 h. To evaluate the in vivo effect, either 1 × 105 hPBMCs in PBS or PBS alone were injected into the left uterine horn of nonobese diabetic-severe combined immune-deficient mice, and the right untreated uterine horn was used as control. Results: Co-culture with hPBMCs stimulated significant proliferation in both SNU-685 and SNU-1077 cell lines (p = 0.002 and 0.044, respectively). Moreover, treatment with hPBMCs significantly increased the thickness in all parts of the endometrium compared with that in the untreated control uterine horn (proximal: 1.69 ± 0.19 vs. 1.00 ± 0.10, p = 0.009; middle: 1.51 ± 0.14 vs. 1.00 ± 0.12, p = 0.010; distal: 1.72 ± 0.22 vs. 1.00 ± 0.12, p = 0.003, respectively). Compared with the PBS injection group, the hPBMC injection group had significantly thickened endometrium in the middle (p = 0.036) and distal segments (p = 0.002) of the uterine horn. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the presence of exogenously injected hPBMCs in the uterus of recipient mice. hPBMC-recipient mice had cyclic uterus with normal histology in the endometrium. Limitations: hPBMCs were not applied directly to a mouse model with thin endometrium, so further study is needed. Conclusion: The beneficial effect of hPBMCs on endometrium may suggest their clinical feasibility for the safe treatment of infertile patients with persistently thin endometrium.
Configuração da identidade em jovens pertencentes a povos indígenas: uma meta-etnografia
Authors: Garcés-Pérez Gabriela , Alarcón-Muñoz Ana María
Published: March 2022

(analítico)O objetivo deste estudo de síntese metaetnográfica é identificar os elementos que influenciam a configuração da identidade de jovens indígenas. Sujeitos e Método: Estudos primários qualitativos publicados nas bases de dados Scopus, WoS e Scielo, entre 2010 e 2021, sobre a configuração de identidades culturais em jovens indígenas. Procedimentos: busca sistemática e metassíntese qualitativa.Resultados: foram obtidos 17 artigos que se referem aos seguintes aspectos envolvidos na configuração da identidade: 1) Migração; 2) Dinâmica de poder e discriminação; 3) Tensões epistemológicas; 4) Gerenciamento de autoidentidade; 5) Conflitos de identidade; 6) Resistência e autonomia7) Recriação de identidade / diásporas. A síntese indica que os jovens carregam consigo uma heterogeneidade de mundos culturais que projetam de forma criativa e indeterminada de acordo comsuas possibilidades e desenvolvimento.
Palavras-chave: Revisão da literatura; meta-análise; povos indígenas; juventude; identidade.
Platelet‐Derived Growth Factor Receptor Type α Activation Drives Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling Via Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Induces Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Solinc Julien , Raimbault‐Machado Jessica , Dierick France , El Bernoussi Lamiaa , Tu Ly , Thuillet Raphaël , Mougenot Nathalie , Hoareau‐Coudert Bénédicte , Monceau Virginie , Pavoine Catherine , Atassi Fabrice , Sassoon David , Marazzi Giovanna , Harvey Richard P. , Schofield Peter , Christ Daniel , Humbert Marc , Guignabert Christophe , Soubrier Florent , Nadaud Sophie
Published: March 2022

Background

Platelet‐derived growth factor is a major regulator of the vascular remodeling associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension. We previously showed that protein widely 1 (PW1
+
) vascular progenitor cells participate in early vessel neomuscularization during experimental pulmonary hypertension (PH) and we addressed the role of the platelet‐derived growth factor receptor type α (PDGFRα) pathway in progenitor cell‐dependent vascular remodeling and in PH development.

Methods and Results

Remodeled pulmonary arteries from patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension showed an increased number of perivascular and vascular PW1
+
cells expressing PDGFRα. PW1
nLacZ
reporter mice were used to follow the fate of pulmonary PW1
+
progenitor cells in a model of chronic hypoxia–induced PH development. Under chronic hypoxia, PDGFRα inhibition prevented the increase in PW1
+
progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation into vascular smooth muscle cells and reduced pulmonary vessel neomuscularization, but did not prevent an increased right ventricular systolic pressure or the development of right ventricular hypertrophy. Conversely, constitutive PDGFRα activation led to neomuscularization via PW1
+
progenitor cell differentiation into new smooth muscle cells and to PH development in male mice without fibrosis. In vitro, PW1
+
progenitor cell proliferation, but not differentiation, was dependent on PDGFRα activity.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate a major role of PDGFRα signaling in progenitor cell–dependent lung vessel neomuscularization and vascular remodeling contributing to PH development, including in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension patients. Our findings suggest that PDGFRα blockers may offer a therapeutic add‐on strategy to combine with current pulmonary arterial hypertension treatments to reduce vascular remodeling. Furthermore, our study highlights constitutive PDGFRα activation as a novel experimental PH model.
Prognostic Impact of Chronic Vasodilator Therapy in Patients With Vasospastic Angina
Authors: Lim Yongwhan , Kim Min Chul , Ahn Youngkeun , Cho Kyung Hoon , Sim Doo Sun , Hong Young Joon , Kim Ju Han , Jeong Myung Ho , Baek Sang Hong , Her Sung‐Ho , Lee Kwan Yong , Han Seung Hwan , Rha Seung‐Woon , Choi Dong‐Ju , Gwon Hyeon‐Cheol , Kwon Hyuck Moon , Yang Tae‐Hyun , Park Keun‐Ho , Jo Sang‐Ho
Published: March 2022

Background

Chronic vasodilator therapy with long‐acting nitrate is frequently used to treat vasospastic angina. However, the clinical benefits of this approach are controversial. We investigated the prognostic impact of vasodilator therapy in patients with vasospastic angina from the multicenter, prospective VA‐KOREA (Vasospastic Angina in KOREA) registry.

Methods and Results

We analyzed data from 1895 patients with positive intracoronary ergonovine provocation test results. The patients were divided into 4 groups: no vasodilator (n=359), nonnitrate vasodilator (n=1187), conventional nitrate (n=209), and a combination of conventional nitrate and other vasodilators (n=140). The primary end point was a composite of cardiac death, acute coronary syndrome, and new‐onset arrhythmia at 2 years. Secondary end points were the individual components of the primary end point, all‐cause death, and rehospitalization due to recurrent angina.

The groups did not differ in terms of the risk of the primary end point. However, the acute coronary syndrome risk was significantly higher in the conventional nitrate (hazard ratio [HR], 2.49; 95% CI, 1.01–6.14;
P
=0.047) and combination groups (HR, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.15–9.75,
P
=0.027) compared with the no‐vasodilator group, as assessed using the inverse probability of treatment weights. Subgroup analyses revealed prominent adverse effects of nitrate in patients with an intermediate positive ergonovine provocation test result and in those with low Japanese Coronary Spasm Association scores.

Conclusions

Long‐acting nitrate‐based chronic vasodilator therapy was associated with an increased 2‐year risk of acute coronary syndrome in patients with vasospastic angina, especially in low‐risk patients.
Aspidistra saccata (Asparagaceae), a new species with erect stem from limestone areas in Guangxi, China
Authors: HUANG XUE-YAN , PENG YU-DE , NONG DONG-XIN , HUANG BAO-YOU , YU LI-YING
Published: March 2022

N/A
Which Is the More Effective Driver of the Poleward Eddy Heat Flux Variability: Zonal Gradient of Tropical Convective Heating or Equator-to-Pole Temperature Gradient?
Authors: Park Mingyu , Lee Sukyoung
Published: March 2022

Future projections of the poleward eddy heat flux by the atmosphere are often regarded as being uncertain because of the competing effect between surface and upper-tropospheric meridional temperature gradients. Previous idealized modeling studies showed that eddy heat flux response is more sensitive to the variability of lower-tropospheric temperature gradient. However, observational evidence is lacking. In this study, observational data analyses are performed to examine the relationships between eddy heat fluxes and temperature gradients during boreal winter by constructing daily indices. On the intraseasonal time scale, the surface temperature gradient is found to be more effective at regulating the synoptic-scale eddy heat flux (SF) than is the upper-tropospheric temperature gradient. Enhancements in surface temperature gradient, however, are subject to an inactive planetary-scale eddy heat flux (PF). The PF in turn is dependent on the zonal gradient in tropical convective heating. Consistent with these interactions, over the past 40 winters, the zonal gradient in tropical heating and PF have been trending upward, while the surface temperature gradient and SF have been trending downward. These results indicate that for a better understanding of eddy heat fluxes, attention should be given to zonal convective heating gradients in the tropics as much as to meridional temperature gradients.
Quasi-Biennial Variability of Indian Ocean Subtropical Mode Water Subduction Driven by Atmospheric Circulation Modes during the Argo Period
Authors: Jiang Jindong , Shi Jiuxin , Huang Fei
Published: March 2022

Argo data were used to investigate interannual variability in the subduction rate of the Indian Ocean Subtropical Mode Water (IOSTMW). The IOSTMW subduction rate in the southwestern part of the southern Indian Ocean subtropical circulation varies substantially from year to year without significant trend during the Argo period 2005–19. The variability of the IOSTMW subduction rate is quasi-biennial and dominated by the lateral induction term associated with the wintertime mixed layer depth (MLD). The contribution of vertical pumping to the change of subduction rate is relatively small. This variability in the subduction rate directly contributes to IOSTMW volume with a quasi-biennial variation. The quasi-biennial variations in the IOSTMW subduction and volume reflect the variability of the overlying atmosphere. The wintertime Mascarene high (MH) modulates the winter MLD in the subduction area through changes in heat fluxes and wind forcing. The quasi-biennial variability in MH is associated with the southern annular mode, but it was disturbed during two El Niño events in 2009 and 2015/16. Variability of the wintertime MH plays a key role in driving the quasi-biennial variability of the IOSTMW subduction during the Argo period.
Mediated Public Diplomacy: Frame-building Contest Between the United States and Pakistan During a Conflict
Authors: Garud-Patkar Nisha
Published: March 2022

This study examined the mediated public diplomacy (MPD) contest between the United States (US) and Pakistan in promoting their preferred frames in foreign media during a conflict: the death of Osama bin Laden. MPD is the process through which a nation constructs favourable frames and communicates them via the mass media to build a positive image in a foreign country ( Entman, 2008 ) and to promote its foreign policy. Using frame building and Entman’s (2008) theory of MPD, the study first content analyzed news articles published in The New York Times of the US and The Dawn of Pakistan and official releases published by the governments in the two nations to investigate frames they constructed about the death of bin Laden. Next, it analyses news articles published in the foreign media of Australia, India, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to examine the extent to which these frames were adopted by newspapers in these foreign nations. Analysis shows that the US-sponsored frames (government and media) dominated the foreign media in Australia, India and Saudi Arabia. However, in Egypt, the US was not successful in promoting its preferred frames. The study concludes that in contested public diplomacy over a single conflicting event, political and cultural proximities to a foreign nation do not imply that a nation will be successful in dominating the media of the foreign nation. The study suggests that MPD is a complex process that involves multiple factors and their interactivity that determines successful frame building in the international arena.