Lacrimal Gland Microenvironment Changes After Obstruction of Lacrimal Gland Ducts

Purpose: To investigate microenvironment changes of the lacrimal gland after obstruction of lacrimal gland ducts.Methods: The ducts of rat exorbital lacrimal gland were ligated by sutures for different durations. After that, the sutures in some animals were released, and they were observed for 21 days to evaluate the recovery of the lacrimal gland. Slit lamp and tear secretion test was performed to evaluate ocular surface and lacrimal gland function. The lacrimal gland and cornea were harvested and processed for hematoxylin and eosin staining, oil red O staining, LipidTOX staining, Masson staining, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction, and immunofluorescence staining.Results: After the lacrimal gland ducts were blocked, tear secretion and the weight of the lacrimal gland were reduced. Incidence of corneal neovascularization increased after seven days. Intraglandular ducts dilated and acini destroyed. Long-term ligation induced fibrosis and lipid accumulation of the lacrimal glands. Inflammatory cell infiltrated and inflammatory factors upregulated. Proliferative and apoptotic cells increased. Structure of myoepithelial cells and basement membrane was destroyed. The p63 expression increased whereas Pax6 expression decreased. After suture release, tear secretion and structure of acini could recover in less than seven days after ligation, with a decrease in inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis relief. Apoptotic cells and proliferative cells increased at five days thereafter. The structure of the myoepithelial cells and basement membrane could not recover three days after ligation, and the number of mesenchymal cells increased in ligation after five to 14 days.Conclusions: Blockage of the lacrimal gland ducts results in dystrophy of lacrimal gland acini cells, inflammation, and lipid accumulation of the lacrimal gland microenvironment. Long-term duct blockage will cause irreversible lacrimal gland failure

Forest Phenology Dynamics and Its Responses to Meteorological Variations in Northeast China

Based on time series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) data (2000–2009), we extracted forest phenological variables in Northeast China using a threshold-based method, which included the start of the growing season (SOS), end of the growing season (EOS), and length of the growing season (LOS). The spatial variation of phenological trends was analyzed using the linear regression method. In Northeast China, SOS was delayed at the rate of <1.5 days per year. The delay trend of EOS was well distributed in the entire region with almost the same rates. LOS increased slightly. The analysis of the relationship between forest phenology and meteorological variations shows that SOS was mainly affected by spring temperature, whereas SOS had a negative relationship with precipitation in the warm-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest region. The EOS in temperate steppe region was affected by temperature and precipitation in August, whereas the others were significantly affected by temperature. Because of the increased temperature in spring, the LOS of the temperate steppe region and temperate mixed forest region increased, and the LOS was positively correlated with the mean temperature of summer in the cool-temperate needleleaf forest region

Shared and Distinct Cortical Morphometric Alterations in Five Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (including anxiety, depression, apathy, impulse–compulsive behaviors and hallucinations) are among the most common non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease. Whether these symptoms should be considered as a direct consequence of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease is controversial. Morphometric similarity network analysis and epicenter mapping approach were performed on T1-weighted images of 505 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 167 age- and sex-matched healthy participants from Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative database to reveal the commonalities and specificities of distinct neuropsychiatric symptoms. Abnormal cortical co-alteration pattern in patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms was in somatomotor, vision and frontoparietal regions, with epicenters in somatomotor regions. Apathy, impulse–compulsive behaviors and hallucinations shares structural abnormalities in somatomotor and vision regions, with epicenters in somatomotor regions. In contrast, the cortical abnormalities and epicenters of anxiety and depression were prominent in the default mode network regions. By embedding each symptom within their co-alteration space, we observed a cluster composed of apathy, impulse–compulsive behaviors and hallucinations, while anxiety and depression remained separate. Our findings indicate different structural mechanisms underlie the occurrence and progression of different neuropsychiatric symptoms. Based upon these results, we propose that apathy, impulse-compulsive behaviors and hallucinations are directly related to damage of motor circuit, while anxiety and depression may be the combination effects of primary pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease and psychosocial causes

IGDT-based Robust Power Dispatch for Active Distribution Network Considering Demand Response

Considering increasing uncertain renewable energy sources (RES) and flexible loads in active distribution network (ADN), this study proposes a novel optimal model for robust hourly energy scheduling of ADN. Firstly, a deterministic optimal dispatching model is formulated, which aims at minimizing the total operation cost of distribution network; Secondly, the information gap decision theory (IGDT) is employed to handle uncertainties of RES generation. One of the features of the proposed model is to take into account the impact of demand response of flexible loads and energy storage system (ESS) as the effective tools to reduce unintended costs due to uncertainty of RESs. Also, the uncertainty of RESs is handled in a way that maximum tolerable uncertainty is achieved for a given worsening of total operation cost. The model is formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear optimization problem and solved in the genetic algorithm. Numerical simulation on the IEEE 33-bus system has been performed. Comparisons with two types of probabilistic techniques demonstrate the effectiveness and benefits of the proposal

A Distributionally Robust Power Dispatch Model for Active Distribution Network

The uncertainty of distribution network operation is increasing with the integration of large-scale renewable distributed generation (DG) units. To reduce the conservativeness of traditional robust optimization (RO) solutions, a data-driven robust optimal approach, which incorporates the superiority of both stochastic and robust approaches, is employed to solve the dispatch model in this paper. Firstly, a deterministic optimal dispatching model is established with the minimum total operation cost of distribution network; secondly, a two-stage distributed robust dispatching model is constructed based on the historical data of renewable-generators output available. The first stage of the model aims at finding optimal values under the basic prediction scenario. In the second stage, the uncertain probability distribution confidence sets with norm-1 and norm-∞ constraints are integrated to find the optimal solution under the worst probability distribution. The model is solved by column-and-constraint generation (CCG) algorithm. Numerical simulation on the IEEE 33-bus system has been performed. Comparisons with the traditional stochastic and robust approaches demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposal

Effect of Tiaoshen Shugan acupuncture on migraine and its influence on hemodynamics

Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture treatment of migraine by the method of Tiaoshen Shugan acupuncture. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 80 migraine patients admitted to Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital from October 2022 to March 2023. The patients were divided into a control group (n=38) and a research group (n=42) according to different treatment methods. The control group received flunarizine treatment, while the research group received acupuncture treatment with Tiaoshen Shugan method in addition to flunarizine. The treatment efficacy, incidence of adverse reactions, clinical symptom scores before and after 4 weeks of treatment, hemodynamics［blood flow velocity in anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and posterior cerebral artery (PCA)］, vascular-related bioactive substances ［plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), endothelin-1 (ET-1)］, and quality of life ［migraine-specific quality of life questionnaire (MSQ)］ were compared between the two groups. Results The research group exhibited a higher overall effective rate compared to the control group(92.86% vs 76.32%, P＜0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, the severity of headaches, associated symptoms, monthly attack frequency, duration of each attack, MCA, ACA, and PCA blood flow velocities, and plasma CGRP and ET-1 levels were significantly reduced compared to before treatment, and the research group showed a greater reduction compared to the control group (P＜0.05). After 3 months of treatment, both groups showed improved MSQ scores compared to before treatment, and the research group had higher scores than the control group (P＜0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P＞0.05). Conclusion Tiaoshen Shugan acupuncture treatment of migraine can effectively relieve clinical symptoms, improve cerebral hemodynamics, regulate the level of vasogenic active mediators, and improve the quality of life, with significant effects and high safety

Spinning Reserve Capacity Optimization of a Power System When Considering Wind Speed Correlation

Usually, the optimal spinning reserve is studied by considering the balance between the economy and reliability of a power system. However, the uncertainties from the errors of load and wind power output forecasting have seldom been considered. In this paper, the optimal spinning reserve capacity of a power grid considering the wind speed correlation is investigated by Nataf transformation. According to the cost&ndash;benefit analysis method, the objective function for describing the optimal spinning reserve capacity is established, which considers the power cost, reserve cost, and expected cost of power outages. The model was solved by the quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) algorithm, based on stochastic simulation. Furthermore, the impact of the related factors on the optimal spinning reserve capacity is analyzed by a test system. From the&nbsp; simulation results, the model and algorithm are proved to be feasible. The method provided in this paper offers a useful tool for the dispatcher when increasing wind energy is integrated into power systems

Retrospective analysis of 1 115 cases of maxillofacial fracture in the Kashgar Prefecture

Objective To explore the clinical epidemiological characteristics and treatment methods of maxillofa⁃ cial fracture patients in the Kashgar Prefecture to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods The medical records of 1 115 patients with maxillofacial fracture admitted to the First People's Hospital of Kashgar from November 2011 to November 2016 were retrospectively analyzed by age composition, sex ratio, cause of trauma, time of injury, site of injury and systemic complications. Results Among the 1 115 patients, the ratio of males to females was 4.7∶1, and those aged 21 to 30 years accounted for the majority of patients, with most injuries occurring in the summer (31.38%) and spring (29.69%). The most common cause of trauma was falling (38.57%), followed by traffic accidents (36.95%). Midfacial fractures were the most frequently observed (65.38%), followed by mandibular fractures(30.26%). In all, 42.15% of cases were complicated with systemic injuries, the majority being ocular injuries (35.55%), followed by limb injuries (21.67%). The majority of patients (50.04%) chose treatment by open reduction and internal fixation. Logistic regression analysis showed that males were more prone to midfacial fractures than females. The occurrence of midfacial fracture became more likely with increasing age. Conclusion In the Kashgar Prefecture, the majority of pa⁃ tients with maxillofacial fracture are male and young or middle⁃aged. Most maxillofacial fractures occur in the spring or summer and are mainly caused by falling or traffic accidents. Fractures in the middle part of the face are more common.Ocular injury is the most common complication, and in most cases, the fracture is treated by open reduction and inter⁃ nal fixation. The occurrence of midfacial fracture is closely related to age, sex and cause of trauma

Reconstruction of Vegetation Index Time Series Based on Self-Weighting Function Fitting from Curve Features

Vegetation index (VI) time series derived from satellite sensors have been widely used in the estimation of vegetation parameters, but the quality of VI time series is easily affected by clouds and poor atmospheric conditions. The function fitting method is a widely used effective noise reduction technique for VI time series, but it is vulnerable to noise. Thus, ancillary data about VI quality are utilized to alleviate the interference of noise. However, this approach is limited by the availability, accuracy, and application rules of ancillary data. In this paper, we aimed to develop a new reconstruction method that does not require ancillary data. Based on the assumptions that VI time series follow the gradual growth and decline pattern of vegetation dynamics, and that clouds or poor atmospheric conditions usually depress VI values, we proposed a reconstruction method for VI time series based on self-weighting function fitting from curve features (SWCF). SWCF consists of two major procedures: (1) determining a fitting weight for each VI point based on the curve features of the VI time series and (2) implementing the weighted function fitting to reconstruct the VI time series. The double logistic function, double Gaussian function, and polynomial function were tested in SWCF based on a simulated dataset. The results indicate that the weighted function fitting with SWCF outperformed the corresponding unweighted function fitting with the root-mean-square error (RMSE) significantly reduced by 26.82–52.44% (p p < 0.05) for 270 sample points selected in mid-high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover, SWCF showed excellent robustness and applicability in regional applications