3,444 research outputs found
Is Floppy Eyelid Syndrome More Prevalent in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Patients?
Controversial findings are reported about the relationship between floppy eyelid syndrome (FES) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The main goal of this study was to evaluate whether FES is more prevalent in OSAS patients by performing a meta-analysis. A comprehensive literature search of Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases was performed. Only studies related to the prevalence of FES in OSAS were included in the meta-analysis. We estimated a pooled odds ratio (OR) for the prevalence of FES in OSAS. In total, 6 studies with 767 participants met the inclusion criteria. Using a fixed-effects model, the pooled OR was 4.12. The test for the overall effect revealed that FES was statistically prevalent in OSAS patients when compared with that in non-OSAS subjects (Z=4.98, p<0.00001). In the subgroup analysis by OSAS severity, the incidence of FES in OSAS increased with severity of OSAS as indicated with increased OR values (OR = 2.56, 4.62, and 7.64 for mild, moderate, and severe OSAS). In conclusion, the results indicate that FES is more prevalent in OSAS patients. However, this result was based only on unadjusted estimates. Prospective cohort studies are needed to determine whether OSAS is an independent risk factor for FES
Investigating decay process within QCD sum rule approach
In this paper, the semileptonic decays with
are investigated by using the light-cone sum rule approach.
Firstly, the neutral meson mixing scheme between , ,
and pseudoscalar gluonium is discussed in a unified way, which leads to the
direct connection between two different channels for and by the
mixing angle. Then we calculated the transition form factors
(TFFs) within QCD light-cone sum rule approach up to next-to-leading order
correction. At the large recoil point, we have
and
. Furthermore, the TFFs are
extrapolated to the whole physical -region by using the simplified
-series expansion. The behaviors of TFFs and related three angular
coefficient functions , and
are given. The differential decay widths for with respect to and are
displayed, and also lead to the branching fractions and . These results show well
agreement with the recent BESIII measurements and theoretical predictions. Then
the differential distributions and integrated predictions for three angular
observables, {\it i.e.} forward-backward asymmetries, -differential flat
terms and lepton polarization asymmetry are given separately. Lastly, we
estimate the ratio for different decay channels .Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
Tunable nonlinear optical bistability based on Dirac semimetal in photonic crystal Fabry-Perot cavity
In this paper, we study the nonlinear optical bistability (OB) in a
symmetrical multilayer structure. This structure is constructed by embedding a
nonlinear three-dimensional Dirac semimetal (3D DSM) into a solution filled
one-dimensional photonic crystal Fabry-Perot cavity. OB stems from the third
order nonlinear conductivity of 3D DSM and the local field of resonance mode
could enhance the nonlinearity and reduce the thresholds of OB. This structure
achieves the tunability of OB due to that the transmittance could be modulated
by the Fermi energy. OB threshold and threshold width could be remarkably
reduced by increasing the Fermi energy. Besides, it is found that the OB curve
depends heavily on the angle of incidence of the incoming light, the structural
parameters of the Fabry-Perot cavity, and the position of 3D DSM inside the
cavity. After parameter optimization, we obtained OB with a threshold of 106
V/m. We believe this simple structure provides a reference idea for realizing
low threshold and tunable all optical switching devices. Keywords: Optical
bistability, Dirac semimetal, Fabry-Perot cavity
A DVH‐guided IMRT optimization algorithm for automatic treatment planning and adaptive radiotherapy replanning
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135098/1/mp5700.pd
Identification of key bioactive anti-migraine constituents of Asari radix et rhizoma using network pharmacology and nitroglycerin-induced migraine rat model
Purpose: To elucidate the bioactive constituents of Asari radix et rhizoma (ARR) in treating migraine based on network pharmacology and nitroglycerin-induced migraine rat model.
Methods: The potential bioactive constituents of ARR were identified with the aid of literature retrieval and virtual screening, and the migraine-related hub genes were identified using protein-protein interaction and topology analyses. Then, the interaction between the potential bioactive constituents and hub genes was determined with molecular docking and topology, leading to the prediction of the anti-migraine constituents of ARR. Moreover, a rat model of nitroglycerin-induced migraine was used to confirm the prediction by measuring the frequency of head-scratching and head-shaking behavior (FHHB) in the rats. In addition, levels of nitric oxide (NO) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in blood, norepinephrine (NE) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in brain were measured using appropriate commercial kits.
Results: Network pharmacology revealed that naringenin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and higenamine might be the key anti-migraine bioactive constituents of ARR. On addition of naringenin-7-O-β-D- glucopyranoside or higenamine to ARR, there was marked enhancement of the mitigating effect of ARR on nitroglycerin-induced abnormalities in levels of NO, CGRP, 5-HT and NE, as well as FHHB in rats (p < 0.05 or 0.01).
Conclusion: These findings indicate that naringenin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and higenamine might be the key bioactive and anti-migraine constituents of ARR. However, in addition to naringenin-7-O-β-D- glucopyranoside and higenamine, there were many other anti-migraine constituents in ARR. Therefore, there is need for further investigations on the actual contributions of these two constituents of ARR in treating migraine
On the identification of N-rich metal-poor field stars with future China space station telescope
During the long term evolution of globular clusters (GCs), a part of member
stars are lost to the field. The recently found nitrogen-rich (N-rich)
metal-poor field stars are promising candidates of these GC escapees, since N
enhancement is the fingerprint of chemically enhanced populations in GCs. In
this work, we discuss the possibility of identifying N-rich metal-poor field
stars with the upcoming China space station telescope (CSST). We focus on the
main survey camera with NUV, u, g, r, i, z, y filters and slitless spectrograph
with a resolution about 200. The combination of UV sensitive equipment and
prominent N-related molecular lines in the UV band bodes well for the
identification: the color-color diagram of (u-g) versus (g-r) is capable of
separating N-rich field stars and normal halo stars, if metallicity can be
estimated without using the information of u-band photometry. Besides, the
synthetic spectra show that a signal-to-noise ratio of 10 is sufficient to
identify N-rich field stars. In the near future, a large sample of N-rich field
stars found by CSST, combined with state-of-the-art N-body simulations will be
crucial to decipher the GC-Galaxy co-evolution.Comment: 13+2 pages, 11+2 figures, 4 tables, accepted by RA
Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Relieves the Unilateral Bias of a Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease
Abstract- The unilaterally lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease which fails to orient to the food stimuli presented on the contralateral side of its preferential side of body could be induced by the injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the medial forebrain bundle (MFB). We employed transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS, current intensity: 80 μA, and 40 μA; anodal electrode area: 3.14 mm 2 ; stimulation time: 30 minutes ) over the M1 area to relieve the ipsilateral bias in the rat model. A corridor test was set to count the ipsilateral bias of the rats. In this experiment, 30 Sprague-Dawley rats (80 μA: n = 8, 40 μA: n = 8, sham: n = 7, healthy control: n = 7) were chosen for the corridor test and the tDCS session. The lesioned rats exhibited increased ipsilateral bias 4 weeks after the lesion surgery (P < 0.01), and the anodal tDCS with the active electrode on the lesioned side relieved the ipsilateral bias significantly (P < 0.01) immediately after the surgery and the improvement lasted for nearly 1 day. The rats in the group of 80 μA exhibited more significant changes than the 40 μA group after one day. After all the experiments, the histological process showed no neurotrauma led by the tDCS. In conclusion, the modulatory function of the cortical excitability of the tDCS may awaken the compensatory mechanisms and the response mechanisms which modulate the loss of the brain function. Further studies should be done to provide more evidence about the assumption
Corticosteroids for the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: a network meta-analysis
Objective: To determine the comparative efficacy and safety of corticosteroids in the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. Study design: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. Two reviewers independently selected randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of postnatal corticosteroids in preterm infants. A Bayesian network meta-analysis and subgroup analyses were performed. Results: We included 47 RCTs with 6747 participants. The use of dexamethasone at either high dose or low dose decreased the risk of BPD (OR 0.29, 95% credible interval (CrI) 0.14 to 0.52; OR 0.58, 95% CrI 0.39 to 0.76, respectively). High-dose dexamethasone was more effective than hydrocortisone, beclomethasone and low-dose dexamethasone. Early and long-term dexamethasone at either high dose or low dose decreased the risk of BPD (OR 0.11, 95% CrI 0.02 to 0.4; OR 0.37, 95% CrI 0.16 to 0.67, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in the risk of cerebral palsy (CP) between different corticosteroids. However, high-dose and long-term dexamethasone ranked lower than placebo and other regimens in terms of CP. Subgroup analyses indicated budesonide was associated with a decreased risk of BPD in extremely preterm and extremely low birthweight infants (OR 0.60, 95% CrI 0.36 to 0.93). Conclusions: Dexamethasone can reduce the risk of BPD in preterm infants. Of the different dexamethasone regimens, aggressive initiation seems beneficial, while a combination of high-dose and long-term use should be avoided because of the possible adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. Dexamethasone and inhaled corticosteroids need to be further evaluated in large-scale RCTs with long-term follow-ups
Adenosine A2A Receptors Mediate Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Electroacupuncture on Synovitis in Mice with Collagen-Induced Arthritis
To study the role of adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) in mediating the anti-inflammatory effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on synovitis in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), C57BL/6 mice were divided into five treatment groups: Sham-control, CIA-control, CIA-EA, CIA-SCH58261 (A2AR antagonist), and CIA-EA-SCH58261. All mice except those in the Sham-control group were immunized with collagen II for arthritis induction. EA treatment was administered using the stomach 36 and spleen 6 points, and stimulated with a continuous rectangular wave for 30 min daily. EA treatment and SCH58261 were administered daily from days 35 to 49 (n=10). After treatment, X-ray radiography of joint bone morphology was established at day 60 and mouse blood was collected for ELISA determination of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels. Mice were sacrificed and processed for histological examination of pathological changes of joint tissue, including hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry of A2AR expression. EA treatment resulted in significantly reduced pathological scores, TNF-α concentrations, and bone damage X-ray scores. Importantly, the anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective effect of EA treatment was reversed by coadministration of SCH58261. Thus, EA treatment exerts an anti-inflammatory effect resulting in significant protection of cartilage by activation of A2AR in the synovial tissue of CIA
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