bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
24 An analysis of sentiment and publicity of functional neurological disorder and non-epileptic attack disorder on twitter
Authors: May Felix , Kandasamy Rohan
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Twitter may provide a platform for clinicians and allied health professionals to publicise Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder (NEAD), and also provides a platform for patients and their communities to discuss the disorders. The prevalence and sentiment of discussions of these disorders have not been reported before now. We wrote a program to collect and analyse ‘Tweets’ about the subjects in their sentiment, connectivity and content.

Methods

Preliminary searches and graph analyses identified the most relevant search terms. Tweets were collected automatically, along with available metadata. Sentiment analysis was performed using natural language processing with valence aware dictionary analysis, allowing automatic interpretation of text including idioms and ‘emojis’.

Results

13347 tweets were collected, with tweets not in English having been excluded from the analysis. The analysis showed a majority positive sentiment in the tweets. The most negative discourse was related to search terms: ‘Medically Unexplained Symptoms’ and ‘Psychosomatic’. Engagement with charities and tweets aiming to promote awareness of the disorders in question were common. Most frequent links to posts about FND were synonyms for the disorder, along with NEAD and charities and awareness movements. For NEAD, the most common links made were with FND, awareness campaigns, synonyms for NEAD, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Conclusions

FND and NEAD have active communities on Twitter. These include both health professionals, patients and lay advocates. The overall sentiment is positive (p<0.05), but with some negativity from sceptical patients and some who are disappointed with their care, and with more negativity associated with certain search terms. (For example, more negative sentiment in tweets about ‘Medically Unexplained Symptoms’ compared to ones about ‘Functional Neurological Disorder’, p<0.0005). Public discourse analysis on websites such as Twitter may prove fruitful for monitoring patient understanding, trends in patient acceptance of diagnosis and factors contributing to these.
28 The link between functional neurological disorder (FND) & migraine: a systematic review
Authors: Khoja Lujain A , Coebergh Jan , Nicholson Timothy R
Published: July 2020

Background

FND and migraine are both common disorders that occur in the absence of structural brain damage. Clinically, it is suspected that they might co- occur more often than would be expected by chance. It is important to distinguish them in some clinical situations, especially hemiplegic migraine from migraine that triggers FND with weakness but there are no systematic, and limited narrative reviews of the topic.

Objectives

To study the association of FND and migraine with a systematic review of the literature.

Methods

Searches for relevant literature were performed in July 2018 in MEDLINE and PsycINFO electronic databases without time limitation and augmented by hand searching the reference lists within these papers and the knowledge of literature from selected experts in the field

Results

Five studies were identified; two from electronic, one from hand searches and two from experts. The total number of the sample size from the included studies was 2385. Findings generally indicated a positive association between migraine and FND. A prospective epidemiological study found that number of FND symptoms reported by migraineurs was 2.2 and 1.1 on controls. In a retrospective review of medical report study functional movement disorders occurred within 6 months or concomitantly with migraine onset in 71% of chronic migraine (CM) & 87.5% episodic migraine (EM) cases and the outcome effect of treating migraine on FND symptoms was a decrease or remission in 91% in CM and by 67% in EM. In a retrospective chart review study in the epilepsy monitoring unit, migraine diagnosis had a predictive value for diagnosing PNES & epilepsy OR=1.83, p<0.037 (95% CI: 1.04–3.32) compared to other biological factors. 40% of people diagnosed with FND reported having headache compared to 9% of controls in patients with other neurological disorders (P<0.0001). Unpublished data from a case-control study by Stone et al, revealed that 36% of 107 FND patients with limb weakness experienced migraine. Additionally, a clinical-based observational study from India of 1000 patients highlighted the common occurrence of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) during acute migraine attacks.

Conclusions

Despite a limited evidence base, migraine and FND appear to co-occur at elevated rates. It is imperative to explore how treating either migraine or FND impacts on the other. More studies are needed to confirm these findings and to investigate any potential mechanistic overlap.
29 Shedding light on the relationship between dyskinesia and impulsive compulsive behaviour disorders in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Ricciardi Lucia , Angelis Andrea De , Siri Chiara , Horne Malcon , Leake Alison , Paviour Dominic , Edwards Mark , Morgante Francesca
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Impulsive compulsive behaviour disorders (ICB) and dyskinesia are common and disabling complications occurring during the course of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Their pathophysiology is not clear yet, however an association has been suggested. In the present study we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the presence of dyskinesia objectively detected using a wearable device and the presence of active and past ICB in PD patients.

Methods

Patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics were gathered, PD medications were converted in total levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD) and LEDD dopamine-agonists. Patients were assessed with: Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) parts I-IV and Rusk Dyskinesia Rating Scale (RDRS). To objectively measure dyskinesia we used a wearable devise, the Parkinson’s KinetiGraph™ system (PKG®), an accelerometry-based system for automated assessment of dyskinesia and bradykinesia. Past and active ICB were diagnosed with a semi-structured interview.

Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in PD-Rating Scale (QUIP-RS) was employed to rate ICB severity. Psychiatric symptoms were evaluated including depression, anxiety, apathy and impulsivity.

Results

Fifty-five PD patients were evaluated (36 males, mean age 60.7±6.7; mean disease duration 10.5±4.9). Twenty-five patients (45%) had dyskinesia as per PKG ‘Percent Time in Dyskinesia’ score. Nineteen patients had ICB (34%). There was no difference in active/past ICB between patients with and without dyskinesia (p=0.8 and 0.6). Patients with dyskinesia had higher LEDD dopamine-agonists (p=0.005), UPDRS-IV (p=0.02), RDRS (p=0.002). There was no difference between groups in psychiatric symptoms. We categorized patients in 3 groups (none, mild/moderate and severe dyskinesia) and we found no difference among groups in any demographic, clinical, psychiatric and behavioural variable except for LEDD dopamine-agonists (p=0.004), UPDRS-IV (p=0.06), RDRS (p=0.004).Binary regression analysis did not show any association between the presence of dyskinesia and ICB, depression, anxiety, apathy and impulsivity.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that ICB and dyskinesia are common but unrelated disorders in PD.
30 Examining the neuroanatomical pathology of post-stroke apathayuthors
Authors: Lam Joseph , Minioza Dennis , Tyagi Himanshu
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Apathy has been associated with frontal-subcortical pathway impairments. However, presentation of apathy and its subtypes (e.g. behavioural, cognitive, executive, social) differs amongst neurological and psychiatric disorders. Our review focused on the neuroanatomy of apathy following acquired brain injury (stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI)), with an aim to identify unique and shared neural networks underlying apathy presentation in different disorders. We aim to demonstrate a visual overview of the identified locations, types of lesion and neural pathways associated with apathy.

Methods

We explored peer-reviewed literature from Web of Science, PubMed and Psychinfo. Imaging studies looking at the association between brain lesion location and apathy symptoms in post-stroke or TBI patients were reviewed. A series of brain images would be used to depict the neural network of motivation in a healthy brain versus an apathetic brain. Identified regions of impairments related to apathy would be presented separately for TBI and stroke patients. We would further describe the association between stroke types and apathy.

Results

MRI studies consistently show that apathy appears related to impairments at the frontal-subcortical circuit. Apathy appeared to be more prevalent following lacunar stroke, with lesions at subcortical areas such as the pons and anterior cingulate cortex. Rate of apathy appears to be similar across ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke. Previous reviews did not identify an association between stroke volume with post-stroke apathy. Recent research explored the relationship between white matter microstructure reduction with post-stroke apathy without identifying any specific correlation with lesion locations.

Conclusions

Post-TBI apathy is highly prevalent yet under-researched. Evidence regarding the location of lesions was less consistent for post-stroke apathy. Due to the widespread use of apathy scales that do not specify subtypes, the current review could not speculate the relationship between brain injury with specific apathy subtype presentations. Null finding in previous reviews regarding lesion size and location could be potentially attributed to the poor differentiation amongst apathy subtypes.
33 Screening for post-stroke anxiety: is there an optimum measure? A critical review of the evidence
Authors: Ghamai Shazia , Tyagi Himanshu
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Post-stroke anxiety (PSA) is hugely under-diagnosed (Rafsten, Danielsson, &Sunnerhagen, 2018). As it can have a significant negative impact on both short- and long-term clinical outcomes, it is essential to have an accurate screening measure specific to stroke populations. While a considerable number of anxiety-screening instruments have been developed, there is wide variation in their applicability when used after stroke. The heterogeneity across these measures produces challenges for clinicians when selecting a reliable and valid measure for PSA.

Aim

The purpose of this review is to identify tools that have been used to screen for anxiety after stroke and to systematically review their usefulness and validity in this population.

Method

The literature on PSA was reviewed until 1969 using Medline (OVID version), PsychINFO and PubMed databases. Literature searches were conducted using the following keywords in multiple combinations: Post, stroke, anxiety, assessment, screening, tool, measure. Additionally, the literature search included reference lists in publications that measured anxiety in stroke populations and articles that reported the development and psychometric properties of instruments designed to measure PSA. Publications reporting measures assessing specific anxiety subtypes were excluded. All measures were reviewed individually with emphasis on the population demographic they were initially developed for, anxiety subtype they were most sensitive to, the psychometric data and advantages and disadvantages relevant to each measure.

Results

A review of the articles reporting the following six measures of anxiety was conducted i.e. The Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Behavioural Outcomes of Anxiety scale (BOA), the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Preliminary data indicated that while the clinical utility of all the screening tools with regards to case-finding was tolerable, the BOA and the GAI were viewed as the most satisfactory tools for screening PSA.

Conclusions

While there are several existing screening tools for anxiety, they do not show potential as suitable measures in stroke populations. Preliminary data suggests that although they are not without limitations, the GAI and the BOA serve as adequate measures of anxiety in stroke populations. Overall the literature review suggested an unmet need to develop an anxiety screening measure specifically for this population.

Reference

Rafsten L, Danielsson A, Sunnerhagen KS. Anxiety after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine2018;50:769–778. https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2384
35 A case of topiramate induced psychosis in a patient treated for seizure disorder and comprehensive literature review
Authors: Heinz Michael , Tauber Karissa , Schleyer William , Keller William
Published: July 2020

Objectives/aims

The objective of this paper is to present a case report of a patient with what we believe to be topiramate-induced psychosis. We also aim to persuade the reader to consider such a diagnosis in the differential of patients like ours. We present a comprehensive literature review of other similar cases, as well as a possible mechanism by which topiramate causes psychosis.

Methods

We reviewed the patient‘s chart in our electronic medical record and we conducted review of current case reports documenting associations between antiepileptic medications and psychosis. We used the PubMed database, using search terms ‘psychotic disorders,’ ‘hallucinations,’ ‘delusions,’ ‘psychosis’ in conjunction with ‘topiramate,’ ‘Topamax,’ ‘anti-seizure medication,’ ‘anti-epileptic medication.’

Results

We present the case of a 66 year old woman admitted to the psychiatric inpatient unit for management of severe, recent onset psychotic delusions and hallucinations. Prior to this psychotic episode, she had no known psychiatric history and had functioned independently at home. The patient was recently transitioned to topiramate 100 mg BID for migraines and seizures, the latter of which had started after traumatic subdural hematoma 9 years prior. The patient had an extensive medical work-up on the inpatient psychiatry unit, including head imaging, EEG, and lab tests, all of which were non-contributory. She was started on risperidone and showed little improvement. At the recommendation of neurology, topiramate was discontinued in favor of an alternative antiepileptic. With discontinuation of topiramate, the patient had almost complete resolution of psychotic symptoms. She was discharged home.

Conclusion

Topiramate-induced psychosis should be considered in patients being treated with topiramate who present with psychosis. Special consideration of this diagnosis should be made in patients like ours, in whom older age of onset makes primary psychotic illness less likely. Continued study in this area will be necessary to definitely establish a causal relationship and identify the mechanism of this phenomenon.
36 Cognitive functioning in patients aged 60 and older with chronic non- communicable diseases
Authors: Peceliuniene ¹Jurate , Karelis ²Guntis , Zukauskaite ³Irena , Kalnina Zane , Blagovescenska Diana , Zeltiņa Emilija , Miceviciene Jolanta , Valauskiene Narute
Published: July 2020

Objective

It is well established that chronic non-communicable diseases (CND) are linked to early cognitive impairment (CI) before or at the beginning of the old age, bringing those patients at higher risk for dementia.

The aim: to evaluate CI of aged 60 or older cognitively healthy patients visiting doctors due to different CND

Methods

107 patients aged 60 or older (mean age 74 years; 44 male, 63 female; 25 were visiting general practitioner (GP), 21 – neurologist (NE), 23 – pulmonologist (PU), 38 – otorhinolaryngologist (OT)) for their CND took part in pilot cross sectional study. They filled The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), Subjective Cognitive Complaints (SCCs), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Results were compared using Pearson Chi-Square and one-way ANOVA.

Results

OT patients had higher CFQ results (M=30.7) comparing to all groups (GP M=24.3; NE M=22.6, PU M=18.3, p=0.001). PU patients had less problems with Forgetfulness (M=8.6), comparing to GP (M=11.4) or OT (M=12.4) groups (p=0.022). OT (M=9.3) had more problems with Distractibility comparing to PU (M=5.7) and GP (M=6.7) groups (p=0.011). OT had higher scores in False Triggering (M=7.9) comparing to GP (M=5.92), NE (M=5.8) and PU (4.8) groups (p=0.011).

The cut-off point of row score 45 was overstepped in18.9% of OT group, 8% of GP group, but none in NE or PU group (p=0.026). Results of MMSE showed alike tendencies: PU patients (M=27.8) had higher results than GP (M=25.7) or OT (M=25.6) groups (p=0.029). CI was found in 39.1% of GP and 35.1% of OT, comparing to 19.0% in NE and 3.7% in PU groups (p=0.020). But groups did not differ by SCCs scores, even if 3 or more complains were found in 50.0% of GP, 52.2% of PU, 42.9% of NE and 71.1% OT groups. The only SCCs question where found differences between groups – limitation of daily activities: concerning about possible mistakes 62.5% of GP and PU groups would ask somebody’s help, while it would be done by 52.4% of NE and only 15.8% of OT group (p<0.001).

Conclusions

Cognitive health in elderly people with CND is not monitored well. About 2/3 of them have subjective cognitive complains (3 or more by SCCs), 1/4 would be named as having CI by MMSE, 8.5% have problems due to forgetfulness, distractibility, false triggering. Cognitive functions are predominantly impaired in OT group patients, however, they declare less need for helping them.
6 Perceptual pathology at the margins of hallucination
Authors: Ffytche Dominic
Published: July 2020

Dr Ffytche is Reader in Visual Psychiatry at King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital where he runs a national specialist clinic for visual hallucinations and related symptoms. He has published extensively on clinical and neuroscientific aspects of visual hallucinations and is an international expert on Charles Bonnet Syndrome.

Hallucinations - particularly those in the visual modality - are emerging as important symptoms in degenerative brain and eye disease because of their prevalence, clinical impact and implications for future cognitive trajectory. Yet hallucinations are only one of several visual perceptual pathologies that occur in these conditions and the question arises whether experiences traditionally considered distinct from hallucinations - illusions, misperceptions, pareidolias and metamorphopsias, for example - share the pathophysiological mechanism and prognostic implications of hallucinations. Using evidence from Parkinson’s disease, Charles Bonnet Syndrome and different dementias, I will argue that perceptual experiences at the margins of hallucination reflect a range of pathological mechanisms, some shared with hallucinations others not. The findings suggest that closer clinical attention to the phenomenological detail of visual perceptual pathology is required to better predict future outcome and inform treatment decisions.
7 Virtual reality (VR) for the treatment of mental health disorders
Authors: Freeman Daniel
Published: July 2020

Daniel Freeman is an NIHR Research Professor and Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, a consultant clinical psychologist in Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, a fellow of University College Oxford, and leads the Oxford Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis (O-CAP) research group at the University of Oxford.

Daniel has been working with virtual reality (VR) since 2001 and is a founder of Oxford VR, a University of Oxford spinout company.

Mental health disorders are very common, but far too few people receive the best treatments. Much greater access to the best psychological treatments may be achieved using automated delivery in virtual reality (VR). With virtual reality simulations, individuals can repeatedly experience problematic situations and be taught, via evidence-based psychological treatments, how to overcome difficulties. A key advantage of VR is that individuals know that a computer environment is not real but their minds and bodies behave as if it is real; hence, people will much more easily face difficult situations in VR than in real life and be able to try out new therapeutic strategies. VR treatments can also be made much more engaging and appealing for patients than traditional therapies. A systematic programme of work developing and testing automated VR psychological treatments will be described, with a particular focus on the gameChange (www.gameChangeVR.com) project for schizophrenia.
Prevalence of canine primary hyperparathyroidism recurrence in Keeshond and non‐Keeshond dogs after curative parathyroidectomy
Authors: Thompson Dan , Skelly Barbara
Published: July 2020

Background

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is an uncommon condition in dogs, for which there is a documented genetic predisposition in Keeshonden and sporadic cases in other breeds. Secondary literature reports a 10 per cent prevalence for recurrence in patients successfully treated by surgical parathyroidectomy, however there is no published primary literature available on which to base this assertion. This study sought to document prevalence of recurrence within Keeshonden and non‐Keeshonden breeds. The authors hypothesised that Keeshonden would have a higher rate of recurrence due to the genetic predisposition for the disease, as compared with sporadic cases in other breeds, and that Keeshonden might have an earlier age of detection of disease.

Methods

A retrospective review of medical records was undertaken to assess the prevalence of recurrence, the length of time after diagnosis that the recurrence occurred, and the age of initial diagnosis in both Keeshonden and non‐Keeshonden breeds.

Results

The study found that Keeshonden were significantly more likely to develop recurrence (6/12, 50 per cent) than non‐Keeshonden dogs (1/15, 7 per cent) (P=0.024), and were significantly younger (median 108 v 126 months, P=0.043) at initial disease detection. Recurrence in Keeshonden occurred at median 35 months after treatment.

Conclusion

This suggests all dogs treated by curative parathyroidectomy for PHPT should be monitored lifelong for recurrence of disease, and that this is particularly pertinent in the Keeshond population. Earlier screening of younger, apparently healthy Keeshonden may also be advisable.
Role of mitochondria in the differential action of sodium deoxycholate and ursodeoxycholic acid on rat duodenum
Authors: Pérez Adriana , Rivoira María Angélica , Rodríguez Valeria , Marchionatti Ana , Tolosa de Talamoni Nori
Published: July 2020

Sodium deoxycholate (NaDOC) inhibits the intestinal Ca2+ absorption and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) stimulates it. The aim of this study was to determine whether NaDOC and UDCA produce differential effects on the redox state of duodenal mitochondria altering the Krebs cycle and the electron transport chain (ETC) functioning, which could lead to perturbations in the mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis. Rat intestinal mitochondria were isolated from untreated and treated animals with either NaDOC, UDCA, or both. Krebs cycle enzymes, ETC components, ATP synthase, and mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis markers were determined. NaDOC decreased isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) and malate dehydrogenase activities affecting the ETC and ATP synthesis. NaDOC also induced oxidative stress and increased the superoxide dismutase activity and impaired the mitochondrial biogenesis and functionality. UDCA increased the activities of ICDH and complex II of ETC. The combination of both bile acids conserved the functional activities of Krebs cycle enzymes, ETC components, oxidative phosphorylation, and mitochondrial biogenesis. In conclusion, the inhibitory effect of NaDOC on intestinal Ca2+ absorption is mediated by mitochondrial dysfunction, which is avoided by UDCA. The stimulatory effect of UDCA alone is associated with amelioration of mitochondrial functioning. This knowledge could improve treatment of diseases that affect the intestinal Ca2+ absorption.
Knockdown of bone morphogenetic protein type II receptor leads to decreased aquaporin 1 expression and function in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells
Authors: Vassiliou Alice G. , Keskinidou Chrysi , Kotanidou Anastasia , Frantzeskaki Frantzeska , Dimopoulou Ioanna , Langleben David , Orfanos Stylianos E.
Published: July 2020

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) were once considered only to have a role in bone formation. It is now known that they have pivotal roles in other organ diseases, including heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), where genetic mutations in the type II BMP receptor (BMPR2) are the commonest cause of receptor dysfunction. However, it has also recently been demonstrated that aquaporin 1 (Aqp1) dysfunction may contribute to PAH, highlighting that PAH development may involve more than one pathogenic pathway. Whether reduction in BMPR2 affects Aqp1 is unknown. We therefore studied Aqp1 in BMPR2-silenced human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs). We demonstrated reduced Aqp1 mRNA, protein, and function in the BMPR2-silenced cells. Additionally, BMPR2-silenced cells exhibited lower expression of BMP-signaling molecules. In conclusion, decreased BMPR2 appears to affect Aqp1 at the mRNA, protein, and functional levels. This observation may identify a contributory mechanism for PAH.
Exercise training suppresses Mst1 activation and attenuates myocardial dysfunction in mice with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Zhao Hao-Xi , Zhang Zhigang , Zhou Hui-Ling , Hu Fang , Yu Yongsheng
Published: July 2020

Our study was to test the effects of aerobic exercise on myocardial function in mice with type 1 diabetes and investigate the underlying mechanism associated with mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (Mst1). Wild-type mice and Mst1(−/−) mice were injected with streptozotocin to induce diabetes and given moderate-intensity exercise for 12 weeks. Phosphorylation of Mst1 was significantly enhanced in the left ventricles of diabetic mice, which was reversed by exercise training. Exercise training or Mst1 deficiency improved myocardial function and reduced myocardial fibrosis in diabetic mice. Exercise training or Mst1 deficiency reduced TUNEL-positive cells and caspase-3 activity in the myocardium of diabetic mice. Exercise training or Mst1 deficiency abated oxidative stress and reduced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species formation, attenuated mitochondrial swelling, and enhanced mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate formation and mitochondrial membrane potential in the myocardium of diabetic mice. Exercise training or Mst1 deficiency suppressed inflammation in the myocardium of diabetic mice. Furthermore, exercise training did not provide further protection in Mst1 knockout mice in diabetes. In conclusion, chronic exercise training attenuated myocardial dysfunction in mice with type 1 diabetes, at least in part, through suppressing Mst1 activation.
Effect of rotation and magnetic field in the gyroscopic precession around a neutron star
Authors: Nath Kamal Krishna , Mallick Ritam
Published: July 2020

General relativistic effects are essential in defining the spacetime around massive astrophysical objects. The effects can be captured using a test gyro. If the gyro rotates at some fixed orbit around the star, then the gyro precession frequency captures all the general relativistic effects. In this article, we calculate the overall precession frequency of a test gyro orbiting a rotating neutron star or a rotating magnetar. We find that the gyro precession frequency diverges as it approaches a black hole, whereas, for a neutron star, it always remains finite. For a rotating neutron star, a prograde motion of the gyro gives a single minimum, whereas a retrograde motion gives a double minimum. We also find that the gyroscope precession frequency depends on the star’s mass and rotation rate. Depending on the magnetic field configuration, we find that of the precession frequency of the gyro differs significantly inside the star; however, outside the star, the effect is not very prominent. Also, the gyro precession frequency depends more significantly on the star’s rotation rate than its magnetic field strength.
Embedding with Vaidya geometry
Authors: Nikolaev A. V. , Maharaj S. D.
Published: July 2020

The Vaidya metric is important in describing the exterior spacetime of a radiating star and for describing astrophysical processes. In this paper we study embedding properties of the generalized Vaidya metric. We had obtained embedding conditions, for embedding into 5-dimensional Euclidean space, by two different methods and solved them in general. As a result we found the form of the mass function which generates a subclass of the generalized Vaidya metric. Our result is purely geometrical and may be applied to any theory of gravity. When we apply Einstein’s equations we find that the embedding generates an equation of state relating the null string density to the null string pressure. The energy conditions lead to particular metrics including the anti/de Sitter spacetimes.
Circuit Lower Bounds for MCSP from Local Pseudorandom Generators
Authors: Cheraghchi Mahdi , Kabanets Valentine , Lu Zhenjian , Myrisiotis Dimitrios
Published: July 2020

The Minimum Circuit Size Problem (MCSP) asks if a given truth table of a Boolean function
f
can be computed by a Boolean circuit of size at most θ, for a given parameter θ. We improve several circuit lower bounds for MCSP, using pseudorandom generators (PRGs) that are local; a PRG is called
local
if its output bit strings, when viewed as the truth table of a Boolean function, can be computed by a Boolean circuit of small size. We get new and improved lower bounds for MCSP that almost match the best-known lower bounds against several circuit models. Specifically, we show that computing MCSP, on functions with a truth table of length
N
, requires

•
N

3−
o
(1)

-size de Morgan formulas, improving the recent
N

2−
o
(1)

lower bound by Hirahara and Santhanam (CCC, 2017),

•
N

2−
o
(1)

-size formulas over an arbitrary basis or general branching programs (no non-trivial lower bound was known for MCSP against these models), and

• 2

Ω(
N
1/(
d
+1.01))

-size depth-
d
AC
0
circuits, improving the (implicit, in their work) exponential size lower bound by Allender et al. (SICOMP, 2006).

The AC
0
lower bound stated above matches the best-known AC
0
lower bound (for PARITY) up to a small
additive
constant in the depth. Also, for the special case of depth-2 circuits (i.e., CNFs or DNFs), we get an optimal lower bound of 2

Ω(
N
)

for MCSP.
Polynomial Regression and Measurement Error
Authors: Aguirre-Urreta Miguel I. , Rönkkö Mikko , Hu Jiang
Published: July 2020

Many of the phenomena of interest in information systems (IS) research are nonlinear, and it has consequently been recognized that by applying linear statistical models (e.g., linear regression), we may ignore important aspects of these phenomena. To address this issue, IS researchers are increasingly applying nonlinear models to their datasets. One popular analytical technique for the modeling and analysis of nonlinear relationships is polynomial regression, which in its simplest form fits a "U-shaped" curve to the data. However, the use of polynomial regression can be problematic when the independent variables are contaminated with measurement error, and the implications of error can be more severe than in linear models. In this research, we discuss a number of techniques that can be used for modeling polynomial relationships while simultaneously taking measurement error into account and examine their performance by using a simulation study. In addition, we discuss the use of marginal and response surface plots as interpretational aides when evaluating the results of polynomial models and showcase their use through a practical example using a well-known dataset. Our results clearly indicate that the use of a linear regression analysis for this kind of model is problematic, and we provide a set of recommendations for future IS research practice.
Nonesterified free fatty acids enhance the inflammatory response in renal tubules by inducing extracellular ATP release
Authors: Sun Hong , Sun Zilin , Varghese Zac , Guo Yinfeng , Moorhead John F. , Unwin Robert John , Ruan Xiong Z.
Published: July 2020

In proteinuric renal diseases, excessive plasma nonesterified free fatty acids bound to albumin can leak across damaged glomeruli to be reabsorbed by renal proximal tubular cells and cause inflammatory tubular cells damage by as yet unknown mechanisms. The present study was designed to investigate these mechanisms induced by palmitic acid (PA; one of the nonesterified free fatty acids) overload. Our results show that excess PA stimulates ATP release through the pannexin 1 channel in human renal tubule epithelial cells (HK-2), increasing extracellular ATP concentration approximately threefold compared with control. The ATP release is dependent on caspase-3/7 activation induced by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, extracellular ATP aggravates PA-induced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 secretion and monocyte infiltration of tubular cells, enlarging the inflammatory response in both macrophages and HK-2 cells via the purinergic P2X7 receptor-mammalian target of rapamycin-forkhead box O1-thioredoxin-interacting protein/NOD-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome pathway. Hence, PA increases mitochondrial reactive oxygen species-induced ATP release and inflammatory stress, which cause a “first hit,” while ATP itself is a “second hit” in amplifying the renal tubular inflammatory response. Thus, inhibition of ATP release or the purinergic P2X7 receptor may be an approach to reduce renal inflammation and improve renal function.
ANO1 in urethral SMCs contributes to sex differences in urethral spontaneous tone
Authors: Chen Defang , Meng Wen , Shu Ling , Liu Shuang , Gu Yongzhong , Wang Xiaoyan , Feng Mei
Published: July 2020

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is more common in women than in men, and sex differences in anatomic structure and physiology have been suggested as causes; however, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The spontaneous tone (STT) of the urethra has been shown to have a fundamental effect on preventing the occurrence of SUI. Here, we investigated whether the urethral STT exhibited sex differences. First, we isolated urethral smooth muscle (USM) and detected STT in female mice and women. No STT was found in male mice or men. Furthermore, caffeine induced increased contractility and intracellular Ca2+ concentration in urethrae from female mice compared with male mice. EACT [an N-aroylaminothiazole, anoctamin-1 (ANO1) activator] elicited increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration and stronger currents in female mice than in male mice. Moreover, ANO1 expression in single USM cells from women and female mice was almost twofold higher than that found in cells from men and male mice. In summary, ANO1 in USM contributes to sex differences in urethral spontaneous tone. This finding may provide new guidance for the treatment of SUI in women and men.
Causal graphs for the analysis of genetic cohort data
Authors: Hines Oliver , Diaz-Ordaz Karla , Vansteelandt Stijn , Jamshidi Yalda
Published: July 2020

The increasing availability of genetic cohort data has led to many genome-wide association studies (GWAS) successfully identifying genetic associations with an ever-expanding list of phenotypic traits. Association, however, does not imply causation, and therefore methods have been developed to study the issue of causality. Under additional assumptions, Mendelian randomization (MR) studies have proved popular in identifying causal effects between two phenotypes, often using GWAS summary statistics. Given the widespread use of these methods, it is more important than ever to understand, and communicate, the causal assumptions upon which they are based, so that methods are transparent, and findings are clinically relevant. Causal graphs can be used to represent causal assumptions graphically and provide insights into the limitations associated with different analysis methods. Here we review GWAS and MR from a causal perspective, to build up intuition for causal diagrams in genetic problems. We also examine issues of confounding by ancestry and comment on approaches for dealing with such confounding, as well as discussing approaches for dealing with selection biases arising from study design.
Existence of Homoclinic Orbits for a Singular Differential Equation Involving p-Laplacian
Authors: Yin Honghui , Du Bo , Yang Qing , Duan Feng
Published: July 2020

The efficient conditions guaranteeing the existence of homoclinic solutions to second-order singular differential equation with p-Laplacian ϕpx′t′+fx′t+gxt+ht/1−xt=et are established in the paper. Here, ϕps=sp−2s,p>1,f,g,h,e∈Cℝ,ℝ with ht+T=ht. The approach is based on the continuation theorem for coincidence degree theory.
Estimating Weak Pulse Signal in Chaotic Background with Jordan Neural Network
Authors: Su Liyun , Ling Xiu
Published: July 2020

In target estimating sea clutter or actual mechanical fault diagnosis, useful signal is often submerged in strong chaotic noise, and the targeted signal data are difficult to recover. Traditional schemes, such as Elman neural network (ENN), backpropagation neural network (BPNN), support vector machine (SVM), and multilayer perceptron- (MLP-) based model, are insufficient to extract the weak signal embedded in a chaotic background. To improve the estimating accuracy, a novel estimating method for aiming at extracting problem of weak pulse signal buried in a strong chaotic background is presented. Firstly, the proposed method obtains the vector sequence signal by reconstructing higher-dimensional phase space data matrix according to the Takens theorem. Then, a Jordan neural network- (JNN-) based model is designed, which can minimize the error squared sum by mixing the single-point jump model for targeting signal. Finally, based on short-term predictability of chaotic background, estimation of weak pulse signal from the chaotic background is achieved by a profile least square method for optimizing the proposed model parameters. The data generated by the Lorenz system are used as chaotic background noise for the simulation experiment. The simulation results show that Jordan neural network and profile least square algorithm are effective in estimating weak pulse signal from chaotic background. Compared with the traditional method, (1) the presented method can estimate the weak pulse signal in strong chaotic noise under lower error than ENN-based, BPNN-based, SVM-based, and -ased models and (2) the proposed method can extract the weak pulse signal under a higher output SNR than BPNN-based model.
Double Controlled Quasi-Metric Type Spaces and Some Results
Authors: Shoaib Abdullah , Kazi Sabeena , Tassaddiq Asifa , Alshoraify Shaif S. , Rasham Tahair
Published: July 2020

Abdeljawad et al. (2018) introduced a new concept, named double controlled metric type spaces, as a generalization of the notion of extended b-metric spaces. In this paper, we extend their concept and introduce the concept of double controlled quasi-metric type spaces with two incomparable functions and prove some unique fixed point results involving new types of contraction conditions. Also, we introduce the concept of α−μ−k double controlled contraction and prove some related fixed point results. We give several examples to show that our results are the proper generalization of the existing works.
Improved Error Reduction and Hybrid Input Output Algorithms for Phase Retrieval by including a Sparse Dictionary Learning-Based Inpainting Method
Authors: Su Jian-Jia , Tien Chung-Hao
Published: July 2020

The phase retrieval (PR), reconstructing an object from its Fourier magnitudes, is equivalent to a nonlinear inverse problem. In this paper, we proposed a two-step algorithm that traditional ER/HIO iteration plays as the coarse feature reconstruction, whereas the KSVD-based inpainting technique deals with the fine feature set accordingly. Since the KSVD allows the content of oversampled dictionary with sparse representation to adaptively fit a given set of object examples, as long as the ER/HIO algorithms provide decent object estimation at early stage, the pixels violating the object constraint can be restored with superior image quality. The numerical analyses demonstrated the effectiveness of ER + KSVD and HIO + KSVD through multiple independent initial Fourier phases. With its versatility and simplicity, the proposed method can be generalized to be implemented with more PR state-of-the-arts.
Curcumin, a Multifaceted Hormetic Agent, Mediates an Intricate Crosstalk between Mitochondrial Turnover, Autophagy, and Apoptosis
Authors: Rainey Nathan Earl , Moustapha Aoula , Petit Patrice Xavier
Published: July 2020

Curcumin has extensive therapeutic potential because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative properties. Multiple preclinical studies in vitro and in vivo have proven curcumin to be effective against various cancers. These potent effects are driven by curcumin’s ability to induce G2/M cell cycle arrest, induce autophagy, activate apoptosis, disrupt molecular signaling, inhibit invasion and metastasis, and increase the efficacy of current chemotherapeutics. Here, we focus on the hormetic behavior of curcumin. Frequently, low doses of natural chemical products activate an adaptive stress response, whereas high doses activate acute responses like autophagy and cell death. This phenomenon is often referred to as hormesis. Curcumin causes cell death and primarily initiates an autophagic step (mitophagy). At higher doses, cells undergo mitochondrial destabilization due to calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum, and die. Herein, we address the complex crosstalk that involves mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial destabilization accompanied by mitophagy, and cell death.
Speckle Noise Removal by Energy Models with New Regularization Setting
Authors: Chen Bo , Zou Jinbin , Zhang Weiqiang
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we introduce two novel total variation models to deal with speckle noise in ultrasound image in order to retain the fine details more effectively and to improve the speed of energy diffusion during the process. Firstly, two new convex functions are introduced as regularization term in the adaptive total variation model, and then, the diffusion performances of Hypersurface Total Variation (HYPTV) model and Logarithmic Total Variation (LOGTV) model are analyzed mathematically through the physical characteristics of local coordinates. We have shown that the larger positive parameter in the model is set, the greater energy diffusion speed appears to be, but it will cause the image to be too smooth that required adequate attention. Numerical experimental results show that our proposed LOGTV model for speckle noise removal is superior to traditional models, not only in visual effect but also in quantitative measures.
Rifaximin Improves Visceral Hyperalgesia via TRPV1 by Modulating Intestinal Flora in the Water Avoidance Stressed Rat
Authors: Yang Chang-qing , Guo Xiao-shu , Ji-Li  , Wei Zi-bai , Zhao Li , Zhao Gan-ting , Sheng Shu-ting
Published: July 2020

Background. Rifaximin is effective in relieving pain symptoms with IBS patients, although the mechanisms were not clear. The aims of the research were to investigate whether the visceral hyperalgesia was alleviated by rifaximin via TRPV1 channel in rats. Methods. Rats were subjected to water avoidance stress (WAS) and were pretreated with rifaximin by oral gavage. The visceromotor response to colorectal distension was measured. The changes of TRPV1 in peripheral and central neurons of rats were detected by immunofluorescence, western blot method, and RT-PCR. Bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA in ileal contents was assessed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The effect of intestinal flora on TRPV1 channel was observed by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) methods. Results. Rifaximin could relieve the visceral hyperalgesia and reduce the TRPV1 expression of neurons and ileum mucosa in rats induced by WAS. The reduced relative abundance of intestinal flora induced by WAS could be partly prevented by rifaximin. The electromyographical activities and immunoreactivity of TRPV1 in rats could be changed after FMT. Conclusions. Rifaximin could improve visceral hyperalgesia via TRPV1 channels of peripheral and central neurons by modulating intestinal flora in rats.
CARTA: Coding-Aware Routing via Tree-Based Address
Authors: He Xingyu , Yang Guisong
Published: July 2020

Network coding-aware routing has become an effective paradigm to improve network throughput and relieve network congestion. However, to detect coding opportunities and make routing decision for a data flow, most existing XOR coding-aware routing methods need to consume much overhead to collect overhearing information on its possible routing paths. In view of this, we propose low-overhead and dynamic Coding-Aware Routing via Tree-based Address (CARTA) for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In CARTA, a Multi-Root Multi-Tree Topology (MRMTT) with a tree-based address allocation mechanism is firstly constructed to provide transmission paths for data flows. Then, a low-overhead coding condition judgment method is provided to detect real-time coding opportunities via tree address calculation in the MRMTT. Further, CARTA defines routing address adjustments caused by encoding and decoding to ensure the flows’ routing paths can be adjusted flexibly according to their real-time coding opportunities. It also makes additional constraints on congestion and hop count in the coding condition judgment to relieve network congestion and control the hop counts of routing paths. The simulation results verify that CARTA can utilize more coding opportunities with less overhead on coding, and this is ultimately beneficial for promoting network throughout and balancing energy consumption in WSNs.
Early Warning Method and Model of Inland Ship Collision Risk Based on Coordinated Collision-Avoidance Actions
Authors: Cheng Zhiyou , Li Yaling , Wu Bing
Published: July 2020

To reduce the occurrence of ship collisions, immediate danger, and close-quarters situations in narrow inland waterways, a step-by-step early warning system for ship collision-avoidance actions was developed, along with an early warning method and model of collision risk based on coordinated collision-avoidance actions. This study first analyzed the importance of coordinated collision-avoidance actions in inland waterways, and the process and key components of coordinated collision-avoidance actions were studied. Then, the early warning method of inland ship collision risk based on coordinated collision-avoidance actions was introduced; the effectiveness of the early warning method was comparatively analyzed via experimental observations. A framework of early warning model of inland ship collision risk was created based on the early warning method; a collision risk early warning model for inland ships based on coordinated collision-avoidance actions was proposed according to the relationship between the distance/time to the closest point of approach (DCPA, TCPA), coordination degree of collision-avoidance actions of the two considered ships and collision risk; moreover, the early warning model of inland ship collision risk was further considered for quantitative calculation. Finally, the application of the early warning method and model was demonstrated using a case study. The results indicate that the early warning method of inland ship collision risk based on coordinated collision-avoidance actions could effectively reduce the emergence of close-quarters situations and immediate danger, and the early warning model could quantitatively show the evolution of collision risk of two ships along with the process of coordinated collision-avoidance actions.