The association between serum phosphorus and common carotid artery intima–media thickness in ischemic stroke patients

PurposeAn elevated concentration of phosphorus is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Common carotid artery intima–media thickness (cIMT) is an imaging marker of atherosclerosis. However, data on the relationship between phosphorus and cIMT in ischemic stroke are scarce. We aimed to evaluate the association between serum phosphorus levels and cIMT in patients who had experienced ischemic stroke.Patients and methodsA total of 1,450 ischemic stroke patients were enrolled. Participants were divided into four groups (quartiles) according to baseline serum phosphorus level. Carotid atherosclerosis was identified by measurement of cIMT; abnormal cIMT was defined as a maximum cIMT or mean cIMT ≥ 1 mm. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association between serum phosphorus level and the presence of abnormal cIMT.ResultsIn the multivariable adjusted analysis, falling into the highest quartile for serum phosphorus (Q4) was associated with a 2.00-fold increased risk of having abnormal maximum cIMT [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.00; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.44–2.79] and a 1.76-fold increased risk of having abnormal mean cIMT (adjusted OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.22–2.53) in comparison to Q1. Furthermore, the association between serum phosphorus and abnormal cIMT was confirmed in analyses treating serum phosphorus as a continuous variable and in subgroup analyses.ConclusionIn acute ischemic stroke patients, baseline elevated serum phosphorus level was found to be independently associated with carotid atherosclerosis, as measured by cIMT

Antidepressant Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Over Prefrontal Cortex of Parkinson's Disease Patients With Depression: A Meta-Analysis

Objective: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the antidepressant effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and to determine the optimal rTMS parameters, such as the intensity, frequency and the delivered pattern of rTMS stimulation.Methods: EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and Cochrane data bases were researched for papers published before March 12, 2018. Studies investigating the anti-depression effects of rTMS over PFC in patients with PD were considered. The main outcomes of pre- and post-rTMS treatment as well as score changes were all extracted. The mean effect size was estimated by calculating the standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) by using fixed or random effect models as appropriate.Results: Nine studies containing 137 PD patients with depression were included. The pooled results showed significant pre-post anti-depressive effects of rTMS over PFC in PD patients with depression (SMD = −0.80, P < 0.00001). The subgroup analyses of stimulation intensity, frequencies, and models also revealed significant effects (Intensities: 90% RMT: SMD = −1.16, P = 0.0006; >100% RMT: SMD = −0.82, P < 0.0001. Frequencies: < 1.0 Hz: SMD = −0.83, P = 0.03; 5.0 Hz: SMD = −1.10, P < 0.0001; ≥10.0 Hz: SMD = −0.55, P = 0.02. Models: Continuous: SMD = −0.79, P < 0.0001; Discontinuous: SMD = −0.84, P = 0.02). But the results of the studies with place-controlled designs were not significant (Overall: SMD = −0.27, P = 0.54. Intensities: 90% RMT: SMD = 0.27, P = 0.68; 100% RMT: SMD = −0.32, P = 0.33. Frequencies: 5.0 Hz: SMD = −0.87, P = 0.10; ≥10.0 Hz: SMD = 0.27, P = 0.66. Models: Continuous: SMD = −0.28, P = 0.68; Discontinuous: SMD = −0.32, P = 0.33). The greater effect sizes of rTMS with 90% RMT, 5.0 Hz in discontinuous days can be observed rather than the other parameters in both kinds of analyses across study design.Conclusions: rTMS may have a significant positive pre-post anti-depressive effect over PFC on patients with depression, especially by using 5.0 Hz frequency with 90% RMT intensity in discontinuous days, which may produce better effects than other parameters. The real effect, though, was not different from that of the placebo. Future studies with larger sample sizes and high-quality studies are needed to further corroborate our results and to identify the optimal rTMS protocols

On a New Integral Inequality: Generalizations and Applications

In this paper, we present some generalizations and improvements of a new integral inequality from the 29th IMC in 2022. Some applications of our new results are also provided

On a New Integral Inequality: Generalizations and Applications

In this paper, we present some generalizations and improvements of a new integral inequality from the 29th IMC in 2022. Some applications of our new results are also provided

On BID{\mathbb{BID}}-Cone <em>b</em>-Metric Spaces over Banach Algebras: New Topological Properties and Fixed Point Theorems

In this paper, we introduce the concepts of an inferior idempotent cone and a BID-cone b-metric space over Banach algebra. We establish some new existence theorems and fixed point theorems in the setting of complete BID-cone b-metric spaces over Banach algebra. Some fundamental questions and examples are also given

Editorial Conclusion for the Special Issue “Fixed Point Theory and Computational Analysis with Applications”

Fixed point theory is a fascinating subject that has a wide range of applications in many areas of mathematics [...

Spatial Effects of Urban Agglomeration on Energy Efficiency: Evidence from China

The rapid expansion of large cities in China has substantially increased energy consumption. With ever stringent environmental policy in force, energy efficiency becomes an important issue. As the emergence of these urban agglomerations (UAs) is usually due to externality effects of spatially concentrated factors, this paper investigates how these factors can affect energy efficiency. Based on mono index, which is used to describe the spatial location information, we have constructed the spatial-structure index of UAs. Using panel data on ten major UAs in China from 2008 to 2017, we find that, in the whole sample, there is an inverse relationship between the spatial structure of UAs and energy efficiency: The higher the concentration degree of factors of UAs, the lower the energy efficiency. Across different regions, however, the relationship between spatial structure and energy efficiency is heterogeneous. The concentration degree of factors in the eastern and central regions of China is relatively high, and the spatial structure there does lead to a decrease in energy efficiency. By contrast, UAs in China&rsquo;s western region are in a period of factor concentration, with spatial structure playing, in that region, a positive role in improving energy efficiency

Monitoring initial solder layer degradation in a multichip IGBT module via combined TSEPs

With the development of high power converters, the safe operation of large IGBT modules with parallel chips is of increasing importance. In a multichip module, uneven solder layer degradation translates into higher thermal resistance for some of the chips, leading to junction temperature differences between them. However, the specific meaning of a virtual junction temperature extracted from any external electric characteristic parameter of the module is not yet clear. This paper studies the physical meanings of the temperatures estimated by the threshold voltage and the Miller platform duration as well as the quasi turn-off delay time. Experimental results show that the temperature estimated from the threshold voltage is close to the highest temperature of all the chips, while that estimated from the Miller platform duration or quasi turn-off delay time is close to the average chip temperature. Making use of the difference between the two, this paper proposes a new method to monitor the initial solder layer degradation in the multichip IGBT module. Such a method using combined temperature sensitive electric parameters (TSEPs) is verified for different levels of degradation

On the coupling effects of piezoelectricity and flexoelectricity in piezoelectric nanostructures

Flexoelectricity is a novel kind of electromechanical coupling phenomenon that is prevalent in all solid dielectrics and usually of vital importance in nanostructures and soft materials. Although the fundamental theory of flexoelectric solids and related beam or plate theories were extensively studied in recent years, the coupling effect of flexoelectricity and piezoelectricity in piezoelectric nanostructures has not been completely clarified yet. In the present work, a geometrically nonlinear piezoelectric plate model is established with a focus on the coupling effect. The constitutive equations for piezoelectric plates are derived under both the electrically short-circuit and open-circuit conditions. It is found that due to the coupling between flexoelectricity and piezoelectricity, stretching-bending coupling stiffness arises in the homogeneous plate and its specific value relies on the applied electrical boundary conditions. The effects of the flexoelectric-piezoelectric coupling on the effective mechanical behavior and the electromechanical behavior of nanobeams and nanoplates are also discussed. The developed model and presented results are expected to benefit the design and analysis of piezoelectric and flexoelectric devices and systems