Search Results (34)

Objectives: We aimed to examine the relationship of Dopamine transporter (DAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT-2) gene and protein levels with psychic experiences and other clinical parameters in individuals with Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD). Methods: This study included 50 males diagnosed with MUD and 50 males as a smoking control (SC) and nonsmoking control (NSC). Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) was administered to patients and controls; Addiction Profile Index, Treatment Motivation Questionnaire, and Substance Craving Scale were administered only to the patient group. DAT and VMAT2 gene and protein levels were determined in blood obtained from the controls and patient groups. Results: CAPE positive, depressive, total, and distress scores were significantly higher in the patient group. DAT protein level and VMAT2 gene and protein levels were lower in the patient group compared to the controls. The DAT gene expression level was higher in the patient group compared to the controls. There was no correlation between any clinical variables and expression levels. A low VMAT2 gene expression level could diagnose MUD with a 5% probability when NSCs were used as a reference. A high DAT gene expression level could diagnose tobacco use disorder (TUD) with a 99.9% probability when NSCs were used as a reference. Conclusions: The patient group showed more psychic experiences than healthy people. The low expression of the VMAT2 gene was identified as a predictor of MUD, while the high expression of the DAT gene was predictive of TUD. Full article

Children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (hemi-CP) frequently experience deficits in dynamic balance, a crucial factor influencing gait function. This imbalance can manifest as temporal–spatial gait asymmetry, where movement patterns differ between the affected and less affected sides. This study investigated how temporal–spatial gait asymmetries and dynamic balance are associated in children with hemi-CP. Eighty-five children with hemi-CP (age: 13.27 ± 1.72 years) were included. The temporal (AI_Temporal) and spatial (AI_Spatial) gait asymmetry indices were, respectively, computed with reference to the swing time and step length of affected and less affected sides, which were collected through a 3D gait analysis. Measures of dynamic balance included the directional dynamic limit-of-stability (D-LOS_directional) assessed across multiple directions (forward, rearward, affected, and less affected) and the overall dynamic limit-of-stability (D-LOS_overall) during static stance, in addition to the heel-to-heel base of support (BOS_H-to-H) during walking, the dynamic gait index (DynGI), and the Timed Up and Down Stair (TUDS) test.The D-LOS_overall correlated negatively with the temporal (r = −0.437, p < 0.001) and spatial (r = −0.279, p = 0.009) asymmetries. The D-LOS_directional (forward, rearward, affected, and less affected) correlated negatively with temporal asymmetry (r ranged from −0.219 to −0.411, all p < 0.05), but only the D-LOS_directional rearward (r = −0.325, p = 0.002) and less affected (r = −0.216, p = 0.046) correlated with spatial asymmetry. The BOS_H-to-H correlated positively with both temporal (r = 0.694, p < 0.001) and spatial (r = 0.503, p < 0.001) asymmetries. The variation in D-LOS_overall and BOS_H-to-H accounted for 19.1% and 48.2%, respectively, of the variations in the temporal asymmetry and 7.8% and 25.3% of the variations in the spatial asymmetry. The findings of this study suggest that dynamic balance control is related to the magnitude of temporal–spatial gait asymmetries in children with hemi-CP. This evidence lays the groundwork for further research into the mechanism linking gait asymmetry and dynamic balance, potentially leading to a deeper understanding of these impairments, while also highlighting the need for longitudinal studies with the inclusion of a broader population to enhance the generalizability of the findings. Full article

A cold-gas test campaign has been conducted at the DLR’s P6.2 test bench in Lampoldshausen, with the objective of investigating the linear aerospike nozzle flow in interaction with secondary injection thrust vector control (SITVC). In this campaign, the influence of nozzle truncation, injection position and injection pressure on the nozzle surface and base pressure is analysed using pressure probes and Schlieren flow-visualisation techniques. The effects of injection position and truncation on the nozzle surface pressure development are comparable for all geometric variations, resulting in a locally increased static pressure upstream and a locally decreased static pressure downstream of the injection. The magnitude and dimension of these high- and low-pressure regions are correlated with the injection pressure. However, the influence of injection position and truncation on the base pressure is not entirely predictable by the named parameters, indicating an interdependence between both geometric parameters. Finally, the required pressure ratio of injection to the primary flow to ensure sonic injection has been analysed on TUD’s cold-gas test bench. This allows the respective injection position-dependent threshold to be identified. The analysis reveals that these experiments have been conducted under transsonic injection conditions. Full article

Purpose: We assess the application and advantages of modifying the trans-unco-discal (TUD) approach which we underwent for cervical myelo-radiculopathy. We present the surgical techniques of the modified TUD approach. Materials and Methods: The material was 180 cases where anterior cervical decompression (ACD) was performed by the modified TUD approach. We classified the material into four groups based on the location of the nerve root and/or spinal cord compression: I, compression of the root at intervertebral foramen (IVF); II, compression of the posterior margin of the vertebral body; III, compression of the IVF and posterior margin of the vertebral body; IV, compression of the bilateral IVF and posterior margin of the vertebral body. We applied the modified TUD approach to these four types. We present the surgical procedures and techniques for the modified TUD approach. The Japanese orthopedic association (JOA) score and neuroradiological alignment were examined. Results: The improvement rate of the JOA score was 78.4% at 6 months post-surgery and 77.5% in the most recent examinations. By the modified TUD approach, compressive lesions of the spinal cord and/or nerve roots were removed, and good alignment was acquired and sustained. Conclusions: ACD by the modified TUD approach safely achieved appropriate decompression for the spinal cord and/or nerve roots, and the patients had a high improvement rate and good alignment. Complications were less common than with other surgical procedures. If the TUD approach and endoscopic approaches can be combined, their application to new area is anticipated. Full article

Background: Tobacco use disorder (TUD) adversely impacts older patients with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, CVD risk in chronic habitual cannabis users without the confounding impact of TUD hasn’t been explored. We aimed to determine the risk of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in older non-tobacco smokers with established CVD risk with vs. without cannabis use disorder (CUD). Methods: We queried the 2019 National Inpatient Sample for hospitalized non-tobacco smokers with established traditional CVD risk factors aged ≥65 years. Relevant ICD-10 codes were used to identify patients with vs. without CUD. Using multivariable logistic regression, we evaluated the odds of MACCE in CUD cohorts compared to non-CUD cohorts. Results: Prevalence of CUD in the sample was 0.3% (28,535/10,708,815, median age 69), predominantly male, black, and non-electively admitted from urban teaching hospitals. Of the older patients with CVD risk with CUD, 13.9% reported MACCE. The CUD cohort reported higher odds of MACCE (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.11–1.29, p < 0.001) compared to the non-CUD cohort. Comorbidities such as hypertension (OR 1.9) and hyperlipidemia (OR 1.3) predicted a higher risk of MACCE in the CUD cohort. The CUD cohort also had higher unadjusted rates of acute myocardial infarction (7.6% vs. 6%) and stroke (5.2% vs. 4.8%). Conclusions: Among older non tobacco smokers with known CVD risk, chronic cannabis use had a 20% higher likelihood of MACCE compared to those who did not use cannabis. Full article

The paradigm of comprehensive treatment approaches for children with cerebral palsy has gained traction, prompting clinicians to deliberate between independent and integrated treatment delivery. However, this decision-making process is often hindered by the dearth of empirical evidence available to inform optimal therapeutic strategies. This study, therefore, sought to compare the effects of Pilates-based core strengthening (PsCS), plyometric-based muscle loading (PlyoML), and their combination on postural control, balance, and mobility in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (ULCP). Eighty-one children with ULCP (age: 12–18 years) were randomized to PsCS (n = 27), PlyoML (n = 27), or a combined intervention (n = 27; equated for total sets/repetitions) group. The three interventions were applied twice/week over 12 successive weeks. Postural control (directional and overall limits of stability—LoS), balance, and mobility (Community Balance and Mobility Scale—CB&M; Functional Walking Test—FWT; Timed Up and Down Stair test—TUDS) were assessed pre- and post-intervention. The combined group exhibited greater increases in directional LoS compared to PsCS and PlyoML including the backward (p = 0.006 and 0.033, respectively), forward (p = 0.015 and 0.036, respectively), paretic (p = 0.017 and 0.018, respectively), and non-paretic directions (p = 0.006 and 0.004, respectively)], and this was also the case for overall LoS (p < 0.001 versus PsCS and PlyoML). In addition, the combined group displayed greater improvements compared to the PsCS and PlyoML groups regarding CB&M (p = 0.037 and p = 0.002, respectively), FWT (p = 0.012 and p = 0.038, respectively), and TUDS (p = 0.046 and p = 0.021, respectively). In conclusion, the combined PsCS and PlyoML exercise program promotes considerably greater improvements in postural control, balance, and mobility compared to unimodal training in children with ULCP. Full article

Background: Recent studies have been able to show certain benefits of Customized, Individually Made (CIM) compared to Off-the-Shelf (OTS) total knee arthroplasties (TKAs), but evidence is still lacking regarding the benefits of these implant systems. This study aimed to find differences in scores and functional outcome by comparing CIM and OTS implants, using Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and functional tests for activities of daily living in a single-surgeon setup. Methods: A total of 48 patients (16 CIM vs. 32 OTS) were consecutively enrolled and blindly examined. Functional testing was performed using four timed functional tests (TUG, WALK, TUDS, and BBS) and the VAS for pain. The Aggregated Locomotor Function (ALF) score was then calculated based on the addition of the average times of the three functional tests. Results: The CIM group showed significantly faster times in all functional tests and significantly better ALF scores. There were remarkable differences in the assessment of maximum pain sensation between the two groups, with superiority in the CIM group. The PROMs analysis revealed a higher proportion of excellent and good ratings for the items objective and function (KSS) in the CIM group. Conclusion: The study showed that time-limited activities of daily living (ADLs) can be completed significantly faster with a CIM prosthesis and that a significantly higher percentage in this group reports freedom from pain during certain loads. Partial aspects of the PROM scores are also better in this group; however, this superiority could not be shown with regard to most PROM scores collected in this study. Full article

The development of the county economy in China is a complicated process that is influenced by many factors in different ways. This study is based on multi-source big data, such as Tencent user density (TUD) data and point of interest (POI) data, to calculate the different influencing factors, and employed a multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model to explore their spatial non-stationarity impact on China’s county economic development. The results showed that the multi-source big data can be useful to calculate the influencing factor of China’s county economy because they have a significant correlation with county GDP and have a good models fitting performance. Besides, the MGWR model had prominent advantages over the ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models because it could provide covariate-specific optimized bandwidths to incorporate the spatial scale effect of the independent variables. Moreover, the effects of various factors on the development of the county economy in China exhibited obvious spatial non-stationarity. In particular, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomerations showed different characteristics. The findings revealed in this study can furnish a scientific foundation for future regional economic planning in China. Full article

Tobacco use treatment is not prioritized in substance use treatment centers (SUTCs), leading to tobacco-related health inequities for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) and necessitating efforts to enhance providers’ care provision. Training providers on how to treat tobacco use increases their intervention on patients’ smoking, but limited work addresses its effects on their non-cigarette tobacco use intervention provision. This study redressed this gap using data from 15 unaffiliated SUTCs in Texas (serving 82,927 patients/year) participating in a tobacco-free workplace program (TFWP) that included provider education on treating tobacco use, including non-cigarette tobacco use. SUTC providers completed surveys before (n = 259) and after (n = 194) TFWP implementation. Past-month screening/intervention provision for non-cigarette tobacco use (the 5A’s; ask, advise, assess, assist, arrange) and provider factors theoretically and practically presumed to underlie change [i.e., beliefs about concurrently treating tobacco use disorder (TUD) and other SUDs, self-efficacy for tobacco use assessment (TUA) delivery, barriers to treating tobacco dependence, receipt of tobacco intervention training] were assessed. Generalized linear or linear mixed models assessed changes over time from before to after TFWP implementation; low vs. high SUTC-level changes in provider factors were examined as moderators of changes in 5A’s delivery. Results indicated significant improvement in each provider factor and increases in providers’ asking, assisting, and arranging for non-cigarette tobacco use over time (ps < 0.04). Relative to their counterparts, SUTCs with high changes in providers’ beliefs in favor of treating patients’ tobacco use had greater odds of advising, assessing, assisting, and arranging patients, and SUTCs with greater barrier reductions had greater odds of advising and assisting patients. Results suggest that TFWPs can address training deficits and alter providers’ beliefs about treating non-tobacco TUD during SUD care, improve their TUA delivery self-efficacy, and reduce intervention barriers, ultimately increasing intervention provision for patients’ non-cigarette tobacco use. SUTCs with the greatest room for improvement in provider beliefs and barriers to care provision seem excellent candidates for TFWP implementation aimed at increasing non-cigarette tobacco use care delivery. Full article

Olefin epoxidation is an important transformation for the chemical valorization of olefins, which may derive from renewable sources or domestic/industrial waste. Different post-synthesis strategies were employed to introduce molybdenum species into mesostructured and hierarchical micro-mesoporous catalysts of the type TUD-1 and BEA, respectively, to confer epoxidation activity for the conversion of relatively bulky olefins (e.g., biobased methyl oleate, DL-limonene) to epoxide products, using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as an oxidant. The influences of (i) the type of metal precursor, (ii) type of post-synthesis impregnation method, (iii) type of support and (iv) top-down versus bottom-up synthesis methodologies were studied to achieve superior catalytic performances. Higher epoxidation activity was achieved for a material prepared via (post-synthesis) incipient wetness impregnation of MoO₂(acac)₂ (acac = acetylacetonate) on (pre-treated) siliceous TUD-1 and calcination; for example, methyl oleate was converted to the corresponding epoxide with 100% selectivity at 89% conversion (70 °C). Catalytic and solid-state characterization studies were conducted to shed light on material stability phenomena. Full article

Limb preservation with megaendoprosthesis in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with bone tumors is associated with functional limitations and gait abnormalities. The proGAIT trial evaluated the effectiveness of an exercise program on gait function and quality of life, functional scales (MSTS, TESS), functional mobility, and fatigue as secondary outcomes. Eleven AYA survivors of malignant osteosarcoma with a tumor endoprosthesis around the knee (mean age: 26.6 (±8.4) years) were randomized into an intervention group receiving an 8-week exercise program or into a control group. Gait function was assessed via 3D motion capture and analyzed using the Gait Profile Score (GPS) and the Gait Deviation Index (GDI). GDI and GPS scores of participants suggest deviations from a healthy reference group. The exercise intervention had small-to-medium positive effects on gait score GDI |d| = 0.50 (unaffected leg), |d| = 0.24 (affected leg), subjective functional scores TESS |d| = 0.74 and MSTS |d| = 0.49, and functional tests TUG and TUDS |d| = 0.61 and |d| = 0.52. None of these changes showed statistical significance. Promising intervention effects suggest that regular exercise could improve lower limb function and follow-up care for survivors; however, a powered RCT as a follow-up project needs to confirm the pilot findings. Full article

Delineating urban growth boundaries (UGBs) by combining the land-use/land-cover (LULC) change simulation method has become common in recent studies. However, few of the existing studies have integrated multi-source big data to analyze the driving factors of LULC dynamics in the simulation. Moreover, most of previous studies mainly focused on the UGBs delineation in macroscale areas rather than small-scale areas, such as the county area. In this study, taking Xinxing County of Guangdong Province as the study area, we coupled a system dynamics (SD) model and a patch-generating land-use simulation (PLUS) model to propose a framework for the LULC change simulation and UGBs delineation in the county area. Multi-source big data such as points of interest (POIs), night-time light (NTL) data and Tencent user density (TUD) were integrated to analyze the driving forces of LULC change. The validation results indicate that the coupled model received high accuracy both in the land-use demand projection and LULC distribution simulation. The combination of multi-source big data can effectively describe the influence of human socio-economic factors on the expansion of urban land and industrial land. The UGBs delineation results have similar spatial patterns with the LULC change simulation results, which indicates that the proposed UGBs delineation method can effectively transform the LULC simulation results into available UGBs for the county area. It has been proven that the proposed framework in this study is effective for the LULC change simulation and UGBs delineation in the county area, which can provide insight on territorial spatial planning in the county area. Full article

Aggressive invasiveness is a common feature of malignant gliomas, despite their high level of tumor heterogeneity and possible diverse cell origins. Therefore, it is important to explore new therapeutic methods. In this study, we evaluated and compared the effects of graphene (GN) and reduced graphene oxides (rGOs) on a highly invasive and neoplastic cell line, U87. The surface functional groups of the GN and rGO flakes were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The antitumor activity of these flakes was obtained by using the neutral red assay and their anti-migratory activity was determined using the wound healing assay. Further, we investigated the mRNA and protein expression levels of important cell adhesion molecules involved in migration and invasiveness. The rGO flakes, particularly rGO/ATS and rGO/TUD, were found highly toxic. The migration potential of both U87 and Hs5 cells decreased, especially after rGO/TUD treatment. A post-treatment decrease in mobility and FAK expression was observed in U87 cells treated with rGO/ATS and rGO/TUD flakes. The rGO/TUD treatment also reduced β-catenin expression in U87 cells. Our results suggest that rGO flakes reduce the migration and invasiveness of U87 tumor cells and can, thus, be used as potential antitumor agents. Full article

Aiming at the general integrated scheduling problem of tree-structured complex single-product machining and assembling, a reverse order hierarchical integrated scheduling algorithm (ROHISA) is proposed by considering the dynamic time urgency degree (TUD) of process sequences (PSs). The strategy of process sorting is put forward, and the TUD of PS is defined. The process tree is reversed using leaf alignment, and according to the order from leaf to root, the scheduling order of leaf nodes in the same layer is determined layer by layer according to the TUD values of the PSs to which the leaf nodes belong. In turn, the sorted leaf nodes in each layer are stored in a corresponding layered array (LA). Finally, the elements in each LA are reversed, and the LAs’ arranging order is reversed. A reverse order hierarchical scheduling strategy is proposed. Starting from the root node, every LA is taken as a unit to conduct trial scheduling each time. Under the condition of meeting the craft constraints, a set of quasi-scheduling schemes of same-layer processes (QSS_SLP) is obtained, and the one with the minimum end time is selected from it as the scheduling scheme of the same layer processes (SS_SLP). If it is not unique, the QSS_SLP that machines all the same layer processes (SLP) as early as possible is selected. The research shows that the ROHISA optimizes the integrated scheduling results of single-product manufacturing enterprises and improves its production efficiency. Full article

The urban open public spaces are the areas where people tend to gather together, which may lead to great crowd-gathering risk. This paper proposes a new method to assess the rank and spatial distribution of crowd-gathering risk in open public spaces in a large urban area. Firstly, a crowd density estimation method based on Tencent user density (TUD) data is built for different times in open public spaces. Then, a reasonable crowd density threshold is delimited to detect critical crowd situations in open public spaces and find out the key open public spaces that need to have intensive crowd-gathering prevention. For estimating the crowd-gathering risk in key open public spaces, the quantified risk assessment approach is conducted based on the classical risk theory that simultaneously considers the probability of an accident occurring, the severity of the accident consequence, and the risk aversion factor. A case study of the area within the Outer-ring Road of Shanghai was conducted to determine the feasibility of the new method. The thematic maps that describe the ranks and spatial distribution of crowd-gathering risk were generated. According to the risk maps, the government can determine the crowd control measures in different areas to reduce the crowd-gathering risk and prevent dangerous events. Full article