bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kinematic Reliability Analysis of a 7-DOF Redundant Robot
Authors: Ding Li , Gu Jiahui , Li Ziyi , Kang Shaopeng , Ma Rui
Published: March 2022

The kinematic reliability of robots, defined as the probability that the end-effector falls inside the specified safe boundary, is of great significance in predicting the accuracy achieved in reality. This work selects the 7 degrees-of-freedom (7-DOF) redundant robot as an example to conduct reliability analysis by utilizing the envelope method against time-related issues in this work. Since variables in industrial robots are very small relative to their means, the motion error functions are commonly linearized by the first-order Taylor’s formula to simplify calculation, and the failure models in all directions and attitude angles are then established through the probability method over the entire input interval. As a result, the actual accuracy of the robot in each pose component will be displayed, instead of merely considering the position error like other scholars. The principle of the proposed method is to transform a time-dependent problem into a time-independent one with the help of the failure extreme points and endpoints, so as to enhance the operation efficiency under the premise of ensuring accuracy. Finally, the simulation results verify that the relative error of the envelope method is less than 6.0% compared with that of the Monte Carlo simulation method, and the computational efficiency is higher than that of the Monte Carlo method, which demonstrates that the envelope method has better comprehensive performance.
Prediction of Per Capita Ecological Carrying Capacity Based on ARIMA-LSTM in Tourism Ecological Footprint Big Data
Authors: Xu Ping
Published: March 2022

Reasonable and effective regional ecological evaluation and analysis methods can be an effective help for urban sustainable development, but there are still some errors in the current ecological prediction and analysis methods. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a prediction method of per capita ecological carrying capacity based on the autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) and long short-term memory (LSTM). First, the method improves the ecological footprint model based on energy analysis and constructs a comprehensive regional ecological data model; considering the complex characteristics of ecological data set, based on the ARIMA network model and LSTM model, a reliable and efficient big data prediction model of per capita ecological carrying capacity is established by analyzing the linear or nonlinear data sets in the data set. Finally, according to the actual ecological data set collected in Shenzhen, China, the results show that the economic and ecological trend of Shenzhen is generally good.
Correlations between Distribution of Producer Services and Urban Built Environment in Metro Station Areas: A Case of Xi’an, China
Authors: Zhang Qi , Zhang Yu-Jie , Ding Xin , Wang Qiu-Ping
Published: March 2022

Since impacts of rail transit on urban industries and space most obviously appear in metro station areas, correlations between the spatial distribution of producer services and urban built environment in metro station areas are studied in Xi’an, China. At first, the scope determining methods of a metro station area were separately proposed for both single‐line station and multiline transfer station based on their construction and transportation modes. Then, when the producer services were divided into 6 categories of business, POI numbers of enterprises of each category in metro station areas were collected and weighted to calculate the distribution intensity for categories. Finally, on condition that the urban built environment of a metro station area included job and residence space, outdoor activity space, and municipal road space, correlation performances between the distribution intensity of categories and indexes representing 3 space elements of the built environment were calculated through second‐order partial correlation analysis, while the corresponding mechanisms of correlations were explained too. The main conclusions of this paper indicate that there are significant positive correlations between the distribution intensity and the diversity index of job and residence space for most categories, whereas significant negative correlations between it and the openness index of outdoor activity space for most categories. Moreover, positive but weak correlations were appeared between the distribution intensity and the street network density index of municipal road space only for categories of intermediary consulting and leasing.
Deep Learning‐Based Diffusion‐Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Ischemic Penumbra in Early Cerebral Infarction
Authors: Sheng Hui , Wang Xueling , Jiang Meiping , Zhang Zhongsheng
Published: March 2022

The prefiltered image was imported into the local higher‐order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) denoising algorithm (GL‐HOSVD)‐optimized diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) image, which was compared with the deviation correction nonlocal mean (NL mean) and low‐level edge algorithm (LR + edge). Regarding the peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (PSNR), root mean square error (RMSE), sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and consistency, the application effect of the GL‐HOSVD algorithm in DWI was investigated, and its adoption effect in the examination of ischemic penumbra (IP) of early acute cerebral infarction (ACI) patients was evaluated. A total of 210 patients with ACI were selected as the research subjects, who were randomly rolled into two groups. Those who were checked by conventional DWI were set as the control group, and those who used DWI based on the GL‐HOSVD denoising algorithm were set as the observation group, with 105 people in each. Positron emission tomography (PET) test results were set as the gold standard to evaluate the application value of the two examination methods. It was found that under different noise levels, the peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (PSNR) of the GL‐HOSVD algorithm and the root mean square error (RMSE) of the FA parameter were better than those of the nonlocal means (NL‐means) of deviation correction and low‐rank edge algorithm (LR + edge). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and consistency (8.76%, 81.25%, 87.62%, and 0.52) of the observation group were higher than those of the control group (57.78%, 53.33%, 57.14%, and 0.35) (P < 0.05). Moreover, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the DWI images of the observation group was basically consistent with that of the PET images, while the control group had a poor display effect and low definition. In summary, under different noise levels, the GL‐HOSVD algorithm had a good denoising effect and greatly reduced fringe artifacts. DWI after denoising had high sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and consistency in the detection of IP, which was worthy of clinical application and promotion.
Somatostatin Treatment for Ectopic ACTH Syndrome due to Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: Review of the Literature
Authors: Zhang Da , Lu Lin , Zhu Hui-Juan , Xiao Yu , Han Xian-Lin , Du Shun-Da , Xue Hua-Dan , Liu Qing-Xing , Zhu Zhao-Hui , Hu Ming-Ming , Zhai Xiao , Xing Xiao-Ping , Lu Zhao-Lin
Published: March 2022

Objectives. To analyze and summarize the effect of SSA treatment on EAS due to p-NETs (EAS-p-NETs). Methods. Thirteen patients with EAS-p-NETs treated with SSAs at our center or described in the literature were included in this study. Clinical characteristics, laboratory data, imaging studies, histopathologic results, the effect of SSA treatment, and the prognosis of these EAS-p-NET patients were evaluated. Results. Four males and 9 females with an average age of 42.9 years were included in the study. The mean duration of follow-up was 38.8 ± 28.2 months. As one of the combined treatment measures, SSAs controlled the levels of ACTH and cortisol in 9 of the 13 patients (69.2%). Partial response was observed in 3 patients (23.1%), stable disease in 2 patients (15.4%), and progressive disease in 6 patients (46.2%). The median time to tumor progression was 24 months, and the median overall survival was 61 months. The side effects of SSA treatment included temporary mild abdominal pain, diarrhea, gallstones, and cholecystitis. Conclusions. As a supplemental therapy, SSA treatment led to clinical and biochemical improvement with a good safety profile in patients exhibiting EAS-p-NET with metastasis. However, tumor progression was inhibited by SSA treatment in only a few patients. Combined with other treatments, SSAs may improve the prognosis of patients with EAS-p-NETs.
Development of Biodegradable Delivery Systems Containing Novel 1,2,4-Trioxolane Based on Bacterial Polyhydroxyalkanoates
Authors: Lipaikin Sergei Y. , Yaremenko Ivan A. , Terent’ev Alexander O. , Volova Tatiana G. , Shishatskaya Ekaterina I.
Published: March 2022

In this work, delivery systems in the form of microparticles and films containing 1,2,4-trioxolane (ozonide, OZ) based on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) were developed. Main systems’ characteristics were investigated: the particle yield, average diameter, zeta potential, surface morphology, loading capacity, and drug release profile of microparticles, as well as surface morphology and release profiles of OZ-containing films. PHA-based OZ-loaded microparticles have been found to have satisfactory size, zeta potential, and ozonide loading-release behavior. It was noted that OZ content influenced the surface morphology of obtained systems.
On Randic, Seidel, and Laplacian Energy of NEPS Graph
Authors: Han Kun , Ahmad S. , Kirmani Syed Ajaz K. , Siddiqui M. K. , Ali Y. , Bashier E.
Published: March 2022

Let Z be the simple graph; then, we can obtain the energy E(Z) of a graph Z by taking the absolute sum of the eigenvalues of the adjacency matrix of Z. In this research, we have computed different energy invariants of the noncompleted extended P‐Sum (NEPS) of graph Zi. In particular, we investigate the Randic, Seidel, and Laplacian energies of the NEPS of path graph with any base ℬ. Here, n denotes the number of vertices and i denotes the number of copies of path graph Pn. Some of the results depend on the number of zeroes in base elements, for which we use the notation j.
An Investigation of Multicultural Personality Traits of Iranian High School EFL Learners
Authors: Cheraghi Zahra , Karamimehr Parisa
Published: March 2022

The current study aimed to investigate the Iranian high school EFL learners’ multicultural personality traits (MPTs) based on their differences in age. To this end, a convenient sample of 138 junior and senior high school learners aged between 14 and 18 years old were selected. Data were collected through a Multicultural Personality Questionnaire. It measures MPTs (open-mindedness, cultural empathy, emotional stability, social initiative, and flexibility) on a five-point Likert scale. An independent samples t-test was used to check the differences between MPTs of junior (14–16) and senior (16–18) high school students. MANOVA was utilized to see the differences between components of MPTs of participants in these two groups. Findings indicated that there is a significant difference between MPTs of junior and senior high school learners in terms of open-mindedness and cultural empathy. That is to say the younger group exhibited more open-mindedness and cultural empathy. Moreover, the results revealed that they were not different in terms of other components of MPTs as social initiative, emotional stability, and flexibility. Besides considering differences between target and native language cultural values and society norms, teachers should attempt to improve students’ cultural empathy and open-mindedness in order to gain the students’ knowledge of language and attain educational purposes.
Effects of Different Physical Exercises on Physical and Mental Health of Female College Students
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Min Hyun Joo
Published: March 2022

Objective. To explore the effects of different physical exercises on the physical and mental health of female college students. Methods. This study focuses on the influence of sports intervention on the physical and mental health of female college students in H University. With the methods of literature review, investigation, measurement, experiment, and mathematical statistics, this paper discusses the influence of different physical exercises on the physical and mental health of female college students in H University. Results. The average total score of female college students’ health status is 10.25, which is between the average level of L 0.34–10.72 in some universities in China. Before and after the experiment, there were significant differences in five dimensions of self-respect, balance of personality structure, natural intimacy, belief value, and ideal transcendence among all female college students in the aerobics option group. Basketball exercises have significant effects on female college students’ sense of unity of body and mind, self-structure coordination, interpersonal affinity, natural affinity, belief value, self-respect, and role adaptation. Compared with before and after taking part in table tennis exercise, the mental health level of girls has significant differences in four dimensions: self-respect, balance of personality structure, interpersonal affinity, and natural affinity. Conclusion. Different physical exercises have a significant impact on female college students’ physical and mental health, can improve their physical health, and have no significant impact on their social adaptability.
Artificial Intelligence of Things- (AIoT-) Based Patient Activity Tracking System for Remote Patient Monitoring
Authors: Malche Timothy , Tharewal Sumegh , Tiwari Pradeep Kumar , Jabarulla Mohamed Yaseen , Alnuaim Abeer Ali , Hatamleh Wesam Atef , Ullah Mohammad Aman
Published: March 2022

Telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) have been critical components that have received substantial attention and gained hold since the pandemic’s beginning. Telehealth and RPM allow easy access to patient data and help provide high-quality care to patients at a low cost. This article proposes an Intelligent Remote Patient Activity Tracking System system that can monitor patient activities and vitals during those activities based on the attached sensors. An Internet of Things- (IoT-) enabled health monitoring device is designed using machine learning models to track patient’s activities such as running, sleeping, walking, and exercising, the vitals during those activities such as body temperature and heart rate, and the patient’s breathing pattern during such activities. Machine learning models are used to identify different activities of the patient and analyze the patient’s respiratory health during various activities. Currently, the machine learning models are used to detect cough and healthy breathing only. A web application is also designed to track the data uploaded by the proposed devices.
A Multihead ConvLSTM for Time Series Classification in eHealth Industry 4.0
Authors: Wang Yilin , Sun Le , Peng Dandan
Published: March 2022

Healthcare time series classification is to classify the collected human physiological information based on artificial intelligence technologies. The main purpose is to use pattern recognition technology to enable machines to analyze characteristics of human physiological signals based on deep learning in electronic health (E-health) industry 4.0. Healthcare time series classification can analyze various physiological information of the human body, make correct disease treatments, and reduce medical costs. In this paper, we propose a multiple-head convolutional LSTM (MCL) model for healthcare time series classification. MCL is a convolutional LSTM (ConvLSTM) model with multiple heads. It can extract both time and spatial features of healthcare data and increase the number of features to achieve more accurate classification results.
D-dimer, CRP, PCT, and IL-6 Levels at Admission to ICU Can Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia
Authors: Milenkovic Marija , Hadzibegovic Adi , Kovac Mirjana , Jovanovic Bojan , Stanisavljevic Jovana , Djikic Marina , Sijan Djuro , Ladjevic Nebojsa , Palibrk Ivan , Djukanovic Marija , Velickovic Jelena , Ratkovic Sanja , Brajkovic Milica , Popadic Viseslav , Klasnja Slobodan , Toskovic Borislav , Zdravkovic Darko , Crnokrak Bogdan , Markovic Olivera , Bjekic-Macut Jelica , Aleksic Aleksandra , Petricevic Simona , Memon Lidija , Milojevic Ana , Zdravkovic Marija
Published: March 2022

Introduction. Health care workers have had a challenging task since the COVID-19 outbreak. Prompt and effective predictors of clinical outcomes are crucial to recognize potentially critically ill patients and improve the management of COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study was to identify potential predictors of clinical outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Methods. The study was designed as a retrospective cohort study, which included 318 patients treated from June 2020 to January 2021 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Clinical Hospital Center “Bezanijska Kosa” in Belgrade, Serbia. The verified diagnosis of COVID-19 disease, patients over 18 years of age, and the hospitalization in ICU were the criteria for inclusion in the study. The optimal cutoff value of D-dimer, CRP, IL-6, and PCT for predicting hospital mortality was determined using the ROC curve, while the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to assess survival. Results. The study included 318 patients: 219 (68.9%) were male and 99 (31.1%) female. The median age of patients was 69 (60-77) years. During the treatment, 195 (61.3%) patients died, thereof 130 male (66.7%) and 65 female (33.3%). 123 (38.7%) patients were discharged from hospital treatment. The cutoff value of IL-6 for in-hospital death prediction was 74.98 pg/mL (Sn 69.7%, Sp 62.7%); cutoff value of CRP was 81 mg/L (Sn 60.7%, Sp 60%); cutoff value of procalcitonin was 0.56 ng/mL (Sn 81.1%, Sp 76%); and cutoff value of D-dimer was 760 ng/mL FEU (Sn 63.4%, Sp 57.1%). IL-

6
≥
74.98

 pg/mL,

CRP
≥
81

 mg/L,

PCT
≥
0.56

 ng/mL, and D-

dimer
≥
760

 ng/mL were statistically significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. Conclusion. IL-

6
≥
74.98

 pg/mL,

CRP
 
values
≥
81

 mg/L,

procalcitonin
≥
0.56

 ng/mL, and D-

dimer
≥
760

 ng/mL could effectively predict in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients.
Prediction Model of the Slope Angle of Rocky Slope Stability Based on Random Forest Algorithm
Authors: Xie Hongyang , Dong Jianjun , Deng Yong , Dai Yiwen
Published: March 2022

The slope angle of a slope is one of the important parameters affecting the stability of rocky slopes. In this paper, a new method based on the random forest (RF) algorithm is proposed to study the slope angle of rocky slopes. Based on the international typical rocky slope actual measurement data, the RF model for predicting the foot of the rocky slope is constructed by determining ten influencing factors affecting the slope angle of the rocky slope, namely, rock strength, rock quality designation (RQD), joint spacing, continuity, openness, roughness, filling, weathering, groundwater, and engineering direction as independent variables. The experimental results show that (1) the RF model has the smallest out-of-bag error when the number of decision trees ntree is four and the number of features in the split feature set mtry is five hundred; (2) engineering direction, fill degree, RQD, groundwater, and joint spacing have a large influence on the foot of a rocky slope; (3) relative to artificial neural networks (BP), artificial neural networks optimized by genetic algorithm (GA-BP), support vector machine (SVM), and multiple linear regression (MLR), the RF regression model has obvious advantages in terms of prediction accuracy and model stability, which provides an effective method for achieving accurate prediction of slope angle of rocky slopes.
Retrotransposons in the Mammalian Male Germline
Authors: Zhou Shumin , Sakashita Akihiko , Yuan Shuiqiao , Namekawa Satoshi H.
Published: March 2022

Retrotransposons are a subset of DNA sequences that constitute a large part of the mammalian genome. They can translocate autonomously or non-autonomously, potentially jeopardizing the heritable germline genome. Retrotransposons coevolved with the host genome, and the germline is the prominent battlefield between retrotransposons and the host genome to maximize their mutual fitness. Host genomes have developed various mechanisms to suppress and control retrotransposons, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA), for their own benefit. Thus, rapidly evolved retrotransposons often acquire positive functions, including gene regulation within the germline, conferring reproductive fitness in a species over the course of evolution. The male germline serves as an ideal model to examine the regulation and evolution of retrotransposons, resulting in genomic co-evolution with the host genome. In this review, we summarize and discuss the regulatory mechanisms of retrotransposons, stage-by-stage, during male germ cell development, with a particular focus on mice as an extensively studied mammalian model, highlighting suppression mechanisms and emerging functions of retrotransposons in the male germline.
Evolving Autoimmune Gastritis Initially Hidden by Active Helicobacter pylori Gastritis
Authors: Kotera Tohru , Yoshioka Utako , Takemoto Takahiro , Kushima Ryoji , Haruma Ken
Published: March 2022

Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) gastritis are considered different diseases but exhibit overlapping features. We herein report a case of evolving AIG that had been initially hidden by active H. pylori gastritis. The patient was diagnosed with active H. pylori gastritis and received first-line eradication therapy in 2014 and successful second-line therapy in 2017. She was suspected of having early-stage AIG in 2019 based on the endoscopic finding of salmon roe-like nodular lesions on the greater curvature of the corpus. Parietal cell antibody was positive and the serum gastrin level was slightly elevated. Although subsequent endoscopy in 2020 revealed no significant changes in gastric atrophy, a sharp rise in the serum gastrin level was noted. A biopsy specimen taken from a nodular lesion showed pseudohypertrophy of residual parietal cells, lymphocytic infiltration, and enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cell hyperplasia. Upon retrospective reviews, endoscopic and serological findings obtained before eradication were consistent with active H. pylori gastritis. However, endoscopic salmon roe-like nodular lesions were detected in close-up views. In addition, lymphocytic destruction of fundic glands, pseudopyloric metaplasia, and ECL cell hyperplasia was histopathologically identified on a background of full-thickness inflammation, which suggested that early-stage AIG had coexisted with active H. pylori gastritis.
A Panel of Three Serum MicroRNAs as a Potential Diagnostic Biomarker for Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Li Hang , Huang Guocheng , Lai Yulin , Ni Liangchao , Lai Yongqing
Published: March 2022

Objective: Urothelial carcinoma (UCa) is one of the most common malignancies of the genitourinary system, and its early diagnosis is vital to improve the survival of UCa patients. Therefore, novel noninvasive markers are urgently needed to improve the diagnosis of UCa. The present study aims to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) relevant for the diagnosis of UCa. Materials and Methods: We enrolled a total of 152 UCa patients and 135 healthy controls at a single institution, between 2012 and 2020. The expression levels of candidate miRNAs were calculated from serum samples based on quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. miRNAs with a good diagnostic value were selected and confirmed step by step in a four-phase test. The area under the curve (AUC) of each miRNA was obtained by analyzing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, which was used to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and corresponding cutoff values of miRNAs. Backward stepwise logistic regression was used to identify a panel of miRNAs that could distinguish UCa from healthy controls. Results: Four miRNAs were relevant for diagnosis: miR17-5p (AUC = 0.786, p < 0.001), miR-125a-5p (AUC = 0.681, p < 0.01), miR145-5p (AUC = 0.737, p < 0.001), and miR-224-5p (AUC = 0.872, p < 0.001). These miRNAs were used to construct a diagnostic panel. The final optimal combination to diagnose UCa included three miRNAs, namely, miR17-5p, miR145-5p, and miR-224-5p. The ROC curve of the panel was constructed, and its AUC was 0.961 (95% CI: 0.931–0.991; sensitivity = 93.8%, and specificity = 87.5%). Conclusion: In this study, we discovered four miRNAs (miR17-5p, miR-125a-5p, miR145-5p, and miR-224-5p) that were relevant for UCa diagnosis, and successfully developed a panel using three of these miRNAs. This panel may serve as a new biomarker tool with high sensitivity and specificity to diagnose UCa in patients.
Accuracy and Reliability of Smartphone Virtual Shade-Matching Technique: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Tew In , Pow Edmond , Suhaimi Shahira , Tan Peter , Shaharuddin Najwa , Soo Suet , Said Shahida , Wong Lishen
Published: March 2022

Purpose: To determine and compare the accuracy and reliability of shade matching using the conventional and smartphone virtual methods. Materials and Methods: A phantom head with both maxillary central incisors removed was set up. A central incisor of various standard shades was inserted into the phantom head. Five undergraduate and five postgraduate students were asked to select the closest shade to match the central incisor using the Vita Classic shade guide. The procedure was then repeated using images taken by a smartphone. Each technique was repeated three times. Differences in accuracy of shade matching between the two techniques for every shade tab and between undergraduate and postgraduate dental students were compared using chi-square statistical analysis. The P value was set at .001. Differences in intra-rater and inter-rater reliability between the two techniques and among the three sessions were compared using paired t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), respectively, with a P value of .05. The reliability of both techniques was further measured using Cohen kappa statistical test. Results: The smartphone virtual shade-matching technique showed significantly higher accuracy in shade matching with most of the tested shade tabs than the conventional method (P < .001), irrespective of observers’ clinical experience. Higher repeatability was found in the virtual technique than the conventional technique, with higher intra-rater and inter-rater reliability observed. Conclusion: Smartphone virtual shade matching showed better accuracy and reliability than the conventional method and could be used as an alternative shade-matching method.
Synergistic Effect of Uroguanylin and D
1
Dopamine Receptors on Sodium Excretion in Hypertension
Authors: Zeng Cindy , Xia Tianyang , Zheng Shuo , Liang Lijia , Chen Yue
Published: March 2022

Background

Oral NaCl produces a greater natriuresis and diuresis than the intravenous infusion of the same amount of NaCl, indicating the existence of a gastro‐renal axis. As one of the major natriuretic hormones secreted by both the intestines and the kidney, we hypothesized that renal uroguanylin interacts with dopamine receptors to increase sodium excretion synergistically, an impaired interaction of which may be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension.

Methods and Results

In Wistar‐Kyoto rats, the infusion of uroguanylin or fenoldopam (a D
1
‐like receptor agonist) induced natriuresis and diuresis. Although subthreshold dosages of uroguanylin or fenoldopam had no effect, the coinfusion of subthreshold dosages of those reagents significantly increased sodium excretion. The coinfusion of an antagonist against D
1
‐like receptors, SCH23390, or an antagonist against uroguanylin, 2‐methylthioadenosine triphosphate, prevented the fenoldopam‐ or uroguanylin‐mediated natriuresis and diuresis in Wistar‐Kyoto rats. However, the natriuretic effects of uroguanylin and fenoldopam were not observed in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The uroguanylin/D
1
‐like receptor interaction was also confirmed in renal proximal tubule cells. In renal proximal tubule cells from Wistar‐Kyoto rats but not spontaneously hypertensive rats, stimulation of either D
1
‐like receptors or uroguanylin inhibited Na
+
‐K
+
‐ATPase activity, an effect that was blocked in the presence of SCH23390 or 2‐methylthioadenosine triphosphate. In renal proximal tubule cells from Wistar‐Kyoto rats, guanylyl cyclase C receptor (uroguanylin receptor) and D
1
receptor coimmunoprecipitated, which was increased after stimulation by either uroguanylin or fenoldopam; stimulation of one receptor increased renal proximal tubule cell membrane expression of the other.

Conclusions

These data suggest that there is synergism between uroguanylin and D
1
‐like receptors to increase sodium excretion. An aberrant interaction between the renal uroguanylin and D
1
‐like receptors may play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension.
Macrophage Polarization in the Perivascular Fat Was Associated With Coronary Atherosclerosis
Authors: Farias‐Itao Daniela Souza , Pasqualucci Carlos Augusto , de Andrade Renato Araújo , da Silva Luiz Fernando Ferraz , Yahagi‐Estevam Maristella , Lage Silvia Helena Gelas , Leite Renata Elaine Paraízo , Campo Alexandre Brincalepe , Suemoto Claudia Kimie
Published: March 2022

Background

Inflammation of the perivascular adipose tissue (PvAT) may be related to atherosclerosis; however, the association of polarized macrophages in the pericoronary PvAT with measurements of atherosclerosis components in humans has not been fully investigated.

Methods and Results

Coronary arteries were dissected with surrounding PvAT. We evaluated the percentage of arterial obstruction, intima‐media thickness, fibrous cap thickness, plaque components, and the number of vasa vasorum. The number of proinflammatory (M1) and anti‐inflammatory (M2) macrophages in the periplaque and control PvAT were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables were used. In 319 segments from 82 individuals, we found a correlation of the M1/M2 macrophage density ratio with an increase in arterial obstruction (
P
=0.02) and lipid content (
P
=0.01), and a decrease in smooth muscle cells (
P
=0.02). M1 and the ratio of M1/M2 macrophages were associated with an increased risk of thrombosis (
P
=0.03). In plaques with thrombosis, M1 macrophages were correlated with a decrease in fibrous cap thickness (
P
=0.006), an increase in lipid content (
P
=0.008), and the number of vasa vasorum in the adventitia layer (
P
=0.001). M2 macrophages were correlated with increased arterial obstruction (
P
=0.01), calcification (
P
=0.02), necrosis (
P
=0.03) only in plaques without thrombosis, and decrease of the number of vasa vasorum in plaques with thrombosis (
P
=0.003).

Conclusions

M1 macrophages in the periplaque PvAT were associated with a higher risk of coronary thrombosis and were correlated with histological components of plaque progression and destabilization. M2 macrophages were correlated with plaque size, calcification, necrotic content, and a decrease in the number of vasa vasorum in the adventitia layer.
Mental Health Conditions and Nonpersistence of Direct Oral Anticoagulant Use in Patients With Incident Atrial Fibrillation: A Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Teppo Konsta , Jaakkola Jussi , Airaksinen K. E. Juhani , Biancari Fausto , Halminen Olli , Putaala Jukka , Mustonen Pirjo , Haukka Jari , Hartikainen Juha , Luojus Alex , Niemi Mikko , Linna Miika , Lehto Mika
Published: March 2022

Background

Mental health conditions (MHCs) are associated with poor outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, persistence of oral anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation and MHCs is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the effect of MHCs on the persistence of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) use in patients with atrial fibrillation based on a nationwide cohort.

Methods and Results

The nationwide registry‐based FinACAF (Finnish Anticoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation) cohort included 67 503 patients with incident atrial fibrillation and indication for permanent oral anticoagulation (CHA
2
DS
2
‐VASc score >1 in men and >2 in women) starting DOAC therapy between 2011 and 2018. MHCs of interest were depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and composite of any MHC. The main outcome was nonpersistence of DOAC use, defined as the first 120‐day period without DOAC purchases after drug initiation. The mean age of the patients was 75.3±8.9 years, 53.6% were women, and the prevalence of any MHC was 17.8%. Persistence after 1 year from DOAC initiation was 79.3% in patients without MHCs and 77.2% in patients with any MHC, and after 2 years were 64.4% and 60.6%, respectively (
P
<0.001). Higher incidence of nonpersistence to DOACs was observed in all MHC categories: adjusted subdistribution hazard ratios, 1.16 (95% CI, 1.11–1.21) for any MHC, 1.32 (95% CI, 1.22–1.42) for depression, 1.44 (95% CI, 1.15–1.80) for bipolar disorder, 1.25 (95% CI, 1.11–1.41) for anxiety disorder, and 1.30 (95% CI, 1.02–1.64) for schizophrenia. However, patients with only anxiety disorder without other MHCs were not at higher risk of nonpersistence.

Conclusions

MHCs are associated with nonpersistence of DOAC use.

Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT04645537.
Chelation Therapy in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ravalli Filippo , Vela Parada Xavier , Ujueta Francisco , Pinotti Rachel , Anstrom Kevin J. , Lamas Gervasio A. , Navas‐Acien Ana
Published: March 2022

Background

EDTA is an intravenous chelating agent with high affinity to divalent cations (lead, cadmium, and calcium) that may be beneficial in the treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although a large randomized clinical trial showed benefit, smaller studies were inconsistent. We conducted a systematic review of published studies to examine the effect of repeated EDTA on clinical outcomes in adults with CVD.

Methods and Results

We searched 3 databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane) from database inception to October 2021 to identify all studies involving EDTA treatment in patients with CVD. Predetermined outcomes included mortality, disease severity, plasma biomarkers of disease chronicity, and quality of life. Twenty‐four studies (4 randomized clinical trials, 15 prospective before/after studies, and 5 retrospective case series) assessed the use of repeated EDTA chelation treatment in patients with preexistent CVD. Of these, 17 studies (1 randomized clinical trial) found improvement in their respective outcomes following EDTA treatment. The largest improvements were observed in studies with high prevalence of participants with diabetes and/or severe occlusive arterial disease. A meta‐analysis conducted with 4 studies reporting ankle‐brachial index indicated an improvement of 0.08 (95% CI, 0.06–0.09) from baseline.

Conclusions

Overall, 17 studies suggested improved outcomes, 5 reported no statistically significant effect of treatment, and 2 reported no qualitative benefit. Repeated EDTA for CVD treatment may provide more benefit to patients with diabetes and severe peripheral arterial disease. Differences across infusion regimens, including dosage, solution components, and number of infusions, limit comparisons across studies. Additional research is necessary to confirm these findings and to evaluate the potential mediating role of metals.

Registration

URL:
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/
; Unique identifier: CRD42020166505.
Repolarization Dispersion Is Associated With Diastolic Electromechanical Discoordination in Children With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Schäfer Michal , Frank Benjamin S. , Ivy D. Dunbar , Mitchell Max B. , Collins Kathryn K. , Jone Pei‐Ni , von Alvensleben Johannes C.
Published: March 2022

Background

Electromechanical dyssynchrony is a well described comorbidity in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). ECG‐derived measurements reflective of diastolic dysfunction and electromechanical imaging markers are yet to be investigated. In this study we investigated the ECG‐ derived marker of repolarization dispersion, interval between the peak and end of T wave (TpTe), in pediatric patients with PAH and left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction.

Methods and Results

We measured TpTe from a standard 12‐lead ECG and in 30 children with PAH and matched control subjects. All participants underwent same‐day echocardiography and myocardial strain analysis to calculate the diastolic electromechanical discoordination marker diastolic relaxation fraction. When compared with control subjects, patients with PAH had increased TpTe (93±15 versus 81±12 ms,
P
=0.001) and elevated diastolic relaxation fraction (0.33±0.10 versus 0.27±0.03,
P
=0.001). Patients with PAH with LV diastolic dysfunction had significantly increased TpTe when compared with patients with PAH without diastolic dysfunction (
P
=0.012) and when compared with control group (
P
<0.001). Similarly, patients with PAH with LV diastolic dysfunction had increased diastolic relaxation fraction when compared with PAH patients without diastolic dysfunction (
P
=0.007) and when compared with control group (
P
<0.001). A 10‐ms increase in TpTe was significantly associated with 0.023 increase in diastolic relaxation fraction (
P
=0.008) adjusting for body surface area, heart rate, right ventricular volumes, and function.

Conclusions

Prolonged myocardial repolarization and abnormal LV diastolic electromechanical discoordination exist in parallel in children with PAH and are associated with worse LV diastolic function and functional class.
Revisiting Passive Participles: Category Status and Internal Structure
Authors: Bešlin Maša
Published: March 2022

This article challenges the view that eventive and stative passive participles are verbs and adjectives, respectively. Instead, I argue that existing diagnostics are sensitive to the eventive/stative contrast and to independent restrictions on word order. I show that both eventive and stative participles in Serbo-Croatian have the external syntax and morphology of adjectives, and propose that passive participles in various languages are adjectives that embed varying amounts of verbal structure. Finally, I contend that agentive phrases are always available with stative participles that entail a prior event in languages that obligatorily express grammatical aspect on the verb stem.
Adjective Order and Adnominal Modification in Naasioi
Authors: Brown Jason
Published: March 2022

This squib presents new data involving adjective orders that are problematic for analyses of adjectives as merged in the specifiers of fixed sequences of functional heads. Evidence is presented from Naasioi to suggest that adjectives in this language are freely ordered within the DP, both with respect to other adjectives and also with respect to the noun they modify. It is argued that the Naasioi data are incompatible not only with the analysis of attributive adjectives as occupying the specifier of functional heads, but also with the hierarchy that is assumed to underlie this ordering.
Nordic Migration Cases before the UN Treaty Bodies
Authors: Ford Sarah Scott
Published: March 2022

The UN human rights treaty bodies have decided an extensive amount of complaints brought by asylum seekers and immigrants against the Nordic states. This development forms part of a larger shift in international accountability routes that have emerged from the uptake of migrants’ rights claims by human rights courts and treaty bodies. The article examines what this development engenders in both international and national contexts, using the Nordic litigation as a focal point. The first part posits that the litigation has played a significant role in developing international law. It further explains that the significant amount of these cases in the region, but also variance across states, partly comes down to the degree of strategic litigation and the design of national asylum systems. The second part examines what emerges from this oversight, and identifies four factors from which to understand these national contexts: the design of the asylum system; the question of ‘credibility’; existence of parallel jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights; and communicative and functional processes that exist beyond final merits decisions. Overall, attention to the aftermath of these – formally soft law – decisions reveals that they do have quasi-judicial effects in the national contexts.
Policy Analysis
Authors: Tan Nikolas Feith
Published: March 2022

While efforts by destination states in the Global North to externalise their asylum are not new, Denmark’s current proposal to establish a reception centre outside the EU is novel in the Nordic context. Since 2018, the Danish Social Democrats have proposed transferring all asylum seekers arriving on Danish territory to a third country for the processing of their asylum claims. This contribution provides an account of the Danish extraterritorial asylum effort, from the origins of the 2018 Social Democrats’ platform to the 2021 amendments to Denmark’s Aliens Act. The contribution pays particular attention to international reactions to the Danish policy, before reflecting on the current and potential role of extraterritorial asylum policies in the international protection regime.
Giovanni Alfonso Borelli’s Last Will (1679, December 31st)
Authors: Favino Federica
Published: March 2022

The paper provides an annotated edition of the original copy of the last will by the mathematician, physicist, and astronomer Giovanni Alfonso Borelli (1608–1679), discovered among the papers of the Curia of the Cardinal Vicary, kept in the State Archives of Rome. Up until now, the document was known only through the incomplete copy guarded in the General Archives of the Piarists religious Order—Borelli’s sole heir—at the General House of San Pantaleo in Rome. The testament was found during the implementation of the Horizon 2020 Borelli Galaxy project (2018–2021, www.borgal.eu), aimed at editing a unified electronic catalogue of Borelli’s correspondence and to use his letters as a source of data suitable to map and chart Borelli’s overlapping intellectual, social, and political networks. The will is treated here as a “socio-text,” that is, as a freeze-frame of Borelli’s networks in his last years in Rome. By coding and processing—through the web infrastructure Nodegoat and the relational modes of analysis it provides—the interactions between Borelli and his heirs and legatees, as well as the interactions that occurred among his legatees outside this scope, the paper tries to reconstruct and visualize the social structure of this network, to single out Borelli’s place within that complex system, as well as to figure out its genesis. Compared with Borelli’s contemporary correspondence, this data also offers a glimpse into his later editorial choices.
The genus Raysymmela Saylor, 1947 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Sericini): taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis
Authors: Pacheco Thaynara L. , Wipfler Benedict , Monné Marcela L. , Ahrens Dirk
Published: March 2022

Here we revise the taxonomy of the South American genus Raysymmela Saylor, 1947 and perform a phylogenetic analysis based on 126 morphological characters. We propose one new synonym, Raysymmela pallipes (Blanchard, 1850) (= Symmela boliviensis Moser, 1919 syn. n.), and three new combinations, Raysymmela costaricensis (Moser, 1924) comb. n., Raysymmela seticollis (Moser, 1921) comb. n., and Raysymmela varians (Erichson, 1847) comb. n. Two new species are described: Raysymmela equatorialis sp. n. (Ecuador) and R. erwini sp. n. (Bolivia). Lectotypes of following taxa were designated: Symmela boliviensis Moser, 1919, S. bruchi Moser, 1924, S. costaricensis Moser, 1924, S. curtula Erichson, 1835, S. pallipes Blanchard, 1850, S. seticollis Moser, 1921, and S. varians Erichson, 1847. Species are redescribed and a key to species is given, external morphological features as well as aedeagus are illustrated for all taxa. Distribution maps as well as a key to currently known South American genera of Sericini are provided. From phylogenetic analysis using parsimony, Raysymmela is not recovered as monophyletic.
From phrase to word: The syntactic derivation of the Adjectival Have-Construction in Chinese
Authors: Jingqi Fu
Published: March 2022

The study of a special kind of Have-Construction in Chinese shows that it exhibits both word-like (adjective) and phrasal (VP) behavior. The word itself shows a mixture of lexical, syntactic and phonological properties. It will be argued that an approach combining Head Movement and Reanalysis is the most suitable to derive the word, not only because it accounts for the mixed properties of the word, but also because it can derive the long-observed correspondence between word and phrase in Chinese.
Subjective cognitive decline, APOE e4 allele, and the risk of neurocognitive disorders: Age- and sex-stratified cohort study
Authors: Liew Tau Ming
Published: March 2022

Objective:

Subjective cognitive decline and APOE e4 allele (APOE4) are known predictors of mild cognitive impairment and dementia (mild cognitive impairment/dementia), with recent evidence showing interaction between subjective cognitive decline and APOE4 in amplifying the risk of mild cognitive impairment/dementia. However, the literature is unclear whether the interaction effect is seen across various age and sex strata. This study examined the interaction between subjective cognitive decline and APOE4—across different age and sex strata—on the risk of mild cognitive impairment/dementia.

Methods:

This cohort study included 16,221 participants aged ⩾50 years and had normal cognition at baseline. Participants were evaluated for subjective cognitive decline and APOE4 at baseline, and followed-up almost annually for mild cognitive impairment/dementia (median follow-up = 4.5 years). Interaction effects were examined in Cox regression using Relative Excess Risk due to Interaction, stratified by age (⩽70 vs >70 years) and sex.

Results:

Subjective cognitive decline and APOE4 were independently associated with mild cognitive impairment/dementia (hazard ratio: 1.4–1.8), with the highest risk when subjective cognitive decline and APOE4 co-occurred (hazard ratio: 2.6). APOE4 amplified the association between subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment/dementia in older women (Relative Excess Risk due to Interaction 1.0; 95% confidence interval = [0.3, 1.6]), but not in other age or sex strata. Among older women, half of them developed mild cognitive impairment/dementia by 12.1 years in the absence of subjective cognitive decline or APOE4. This duration shortened to 8.1–10.3 years in the presence of either subjective cognitive decline or APOE4, and to 4.4 years in the presence of both subjective cognitive decline and APOE4. Interaction effect among older women remained consistent when alternate outcomes were used (i.e. mild cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease; dementia; and Alzheimer’s dementia) (Relative Excess Risk due to Interaction 1.2–2.5).

Conclusions:

APOE4 amplifies the association between subjective cognitive decline and neurocognitive disorders in older women, with the findings suggesting the need for further research to delineate underlying neurobiology. APOE4 may potentially have a role in facilitating further risk stratification of older women with subjective cognitive decline in clinical practice.