Frequency steps and compositions determine properties of needling sensation during electroacupuncture

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the relationship of electro-parameters and the electroacupuncture sensation (EAS), which is thought to be an important factor for optimal treatment.MethodsThe frequency steps and compositions of three frequently used electrical stimulations were set when the switch of the electroacupuncture apparatus was turned to the second or third grade of the dense-disperse frequency wave (DD2 and DD3, respectively) or the second grade of the continuous wave (C2). Three groups of patients according to the three electroacupuncture stimulations were divided again into three sub-groups according to the stimulated acupoints: the face acupoint Quanliao (SI 18), the upper-limb acupoint Quchi (LI 11) and the back acupoint Dachangshu (BL 25). The EAS values were measured every 5 min during 30 min electroacupuncture treatments using a visual analogue scale.ResultsThe frequency compositions of the three electroacupuncture stimulations were 3.3 and 33 Hz, 12.5 and 66.7 Hz, and 3.3 and 3.3 Hz; each frequency step was 30, 54 and 0 Hz, respectively. In each sub-group of the C2 group, the EAS values from 10 to 30 min were significantly weaker than at 0 min. The sensation fluctuations in the DD2 and DD3 groups were different during the 30 min.ConclusionThe greater the frequency step of the electroacupuncture stimulation, the longer the needling sensation lasted. The electroacupuncture stimulations of the DD3 group were unsuitable for the facial acupoint because of its painful and uncomfortable EAS, but more suitable for the back acupoint

Improved fuzzy logic method to distinguish between meteorological and non-meteorological echoes using C-band polarimetric radar data

To obtain better performance of meteorological applications, it is necessary to distinguish radar echoes from meteorological and non-meteorological targets. After a comprehensive analysis of the computational efficiency and radar system characteristics, we propose a fuzzy logic method that is similar to the MetSignal algorithm; the performance of this method is improved significantly in weak-signal regions where polarimetric variables are severely affected by noise. In addition, post-processing is adjusted to prevent anomalous propagation at a far range from being misclassified as meteorological echo. Moreover, an additional fuzzy logic echo classifier is incorporated into post-processing to suppress misclassification in the melting layer. An independent test set is selected to evaluate algorithm performance, and the statistical results show an improvement in the algorithm performance, especially with respect to the classification of meteorological echoes in weak-signal regions

AN INVESTIGATION OF DESTINATION MANAGEMENT ORGANISATIONS (DMOS) IN CHINA - WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE BEIJING TOURISM DEVELOMENT COMMITTEE (BTDC)

Njima se bave mnoga istraživanja turizma. Organizacije za upravljanje destinacijama (DMO) smatraju se najprimjerenijim oblikom organizacije koji može u potpunosti zadovoljiti potrebe posjetitelja za novim iskustvima. Međutim, jedan od stalno prisutnih problema upravljanja destinacijama je pitanje koliko je mjerljiv doprinos napora koje ulažu DMO-i ukupnom uspjehu destinacija. Turizam se u Pekingu brzo razvija otkad je Kina 1978. prihvatila politiku “otvorenih vrata”. Pekinški odbor za razvoj turizma (BTDC) je, kao DMO zadužen za turističku industriju u Pekingu, najzaslužniji za toliki uspjeh. Međutim, nedostaje istraživanja o njemu i njegovoj ulozi u „turističkoj industriji“. Postoje tek neka istraživanja njegovih mjerila uspješnosti. Ovo istraživanje stoga ima za cilj istražiti DMO-e u Kini s posebnim osvrtom na Pekinški odbor za razvoj turizma (BTDC). Ono istražuje obilježja DMO-a u Kini, ocjenjuje njihove glavne funkcije/nadležnosti te mjerila uspješnosti koje primjenjuju.Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) have been perceived as the most appropriate organisational arrangement to meet fully the experiential needs of visitors. However, one of the perennial problems of destination management has been the extent to which the contribution of DMO efforts to the overall success of the destination can be measured. Tourism is developing rapidly in Beijing since China adopted an open door policy in 1978. Beijing Tourism Development Committee (BTDC), as a DMO in charge of the tourism in Beijing, has been paramount for such success. However, there is lack of research on its nature and role in its tourism industry. Meanwhile, very limited research has been undertaken on its performance measures. This research, therefore, aims to investigate DMOs in China with special reference to Beijing Tourism Development Committee (BTDC). It explores the nature of the DMOs in China. It also evaluates main functions/responsibilities of the DMOs. Performance measures adopted by the DMOs are also assessed

Quantitative Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Based on Task Completion Analysis

With the further development of the new generation of artificial intelligence science and technology, the new generation of artificial intelligence science and technology has been applied in many fields. AlphaGo program uses high technology of quantitative analysis to realize qualitative research and development of artificial intelligence, which has important reference significance for the research and development of a new generation of artificial intelligence in the future. From the perspective of task accessibility, this paper analyzes the defects of the disturbance, so as to achieve the quantitative implementation of the new generation of artificial intelligence task accessibility analysis method

High mobility group box 1 promotes radioresistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines by modulating autophagy

Resistance to radiotherapy results in relapse and treatment failure in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is reported to be associated with the radioresistance in bladder and breast cancer. However, the role of HMGB1 in the radiotherapy response in ESCC has not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the role of HMGB1 to radioresistance in ESCC clinical samples and cell lines. We found that HMGB1 expression was associated with tumor recurrence after postoperative radiotherapy in locally advanced ESCC patients. HMGB1 knockdown in ESCC cells resulted in increased radiosensitivity both in vitro and in vivo. Autophagy level was found depressed in HMGB1 inhibition cells and activation of autophagy brought back cell's radioresistance. Our results demonstrate that HMGB1 activate autophagy and consequently promote radioresistance. HMGB1 may be used as a predictor of poor response to radiotherapy in ESCC patients. Our finding also highlights the importance of the utility of HMGB1 in ESCC radiosensitization.Peer reviewe

Limitations and Challenges of the Application of Phages in the Field of Microbial Food Safety

In recent years, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated the role of phages in controlling harmful microorganisms in foods. Due to their host specificity, phages are considered as an ideal tool to guarantee food safety. However, there are a series of limitations to the application of phages, so there have been few cases of the application of phages in the food industry. In this context, this paper discusses the frontier and hot issues in the application of phages in food safety, with a focus on the acceptability of the application of phages in the food industry, the potential risk of drug resistance transmission, the problem of phage resistance of bacteria, and the influence of complex food matrices on the effect of phages. Moreover, scientific and reasonable suggestions on the application of phages in the food industry are put forward. We hope that this review will promote the shift from basic research on phages to their application in the food industry

Abnormal regional signal in the left cerebellum as a potential neuroimaging biomarker of sudden sensorineural hearing loss

ObjectiveWhile prior reports have characterized visible changes in neuroimaging findings in individuals suffering from sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), the utility of regional homogeneity (ReHo) as a means of diagnosing SSNHL has yet to be established. The present study was thus conducted to assess ReHo abnormalities in SSNHL patients and to establish whether these abnormalities offer value as a diagnostic neuroimaging biomarker of SSNHL through a support vector machine (SVM) analysis approach.MethodsResting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) analyses of 27 SSNHL patients and 27 normal controls were conducted, with the resultant imaging data then being analyzed based on a combination of ReHo and SVM approaches.ResultsRelative to normal control individuals, patients diagnosed with SSNHL exhibited significant reductions in ReHo values in the left cerebellum, bilateral inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), left superior temporal pole (STP), right parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), left posterior cingulum cortex (PCC), and right superior frontal gyrus (SFG). SVM analyses suggested that reduced ReHo values in the left cerebellum were associated with high levels of diagnostic accuracy (96.30%, 52/54), sensitivity (92.59%, 25/27), and specificity (100.00%, 27/27) when distinguishing between SSNHL patients and control individuals.ConclusionThese data suggest that SSNHL patients exhibit abnormal resting-state neurological activity, with changes in the ReHo of the left cerebellum offering value as a diagnostic neuroimaging biomarker associated with this condition

Intrinsic myocardial defects underlie an Rbfox-deficient zebrafish model of hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is characterized by underdevelopment of left sided structures including the ventricle, valves, and aorta. Prevailing paradigm suggests that HLHS is a multigenic disease of co-occurring phenotypes. Here, we report that zebrafish lacking two orthologs of the RNA binding protein RBFOX2, a gene linked to HLHS in humans, display cardiovascular defects overlapping those in HLHS patients including ventricular, valve, and aortic deficiencies. In contrast to current models, we demonstrate that these structural deficits arise secondary to impaired pump function as these phenotypes are rescued when Rbfox is specifically expressed in the myocardium. Mechanistically, we find diminished expression and alternative splicing of sarcomere and mitochondrial components that compromise sarcomere assembly and mitochondrial respiration, respectively. Injection of human RBFOX2 mRNA restores cardiovascular development in rbfox mutant zebrafish, while HLHS-linked RBFOX2 variants fail to rescue. This work supports an emerging paradigm for HLHS pathogenesis that centers on myocardial intrinsic defects