A Lattice-Based Identity-Based Proxy Blind Signature Scheme in the Standard Model

A proxy blind signature scheme is a special form of blind signature which allowed a designated person called proxy signer to sign on behalf of original signers without knowing the content of the message. It combines the advantages of proxy signature and blind signature. Up to date, most proxy blind signature schemes rely on hard number theory problems, discrete logarithm, and bilinear pairings. Unfortunately, the above underlying number theory problems will be solvable in the postquantum era. Lattice-based cryptography is enjoying great interest these days, due to implementation simplicity and provable security reductions. Moreover, lattice-based cryptography is believed to be hard even for quantum computers. In this paper, we present a new identity-based proxy blind signature scheme from lattices without random oracles. The new scheme is proven to be strongly unforgeable under the standard hardness assumption of the short integer solution problem (SIS) and the inhomogeneous small integer solution problem (ISIS). Furthermore, the secret key size and the signature length of our scheme are invariant and much shorter than those of the previous lattice-based proxy blind signature schemes. To the best of our knowledge, our construction is the first short lattice-based identity-based proxy blind signature scheme in the standard model

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue and recombinant human growth hormone treatment for idiopathic central precocious puberty in girls

PurposeTo investigate the effectiveness and safety of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) in combination with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP).MethodsClinical data of 80 girls diagnosed with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) between January 2017 and June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment strategy involved GnRHa alone (group A: n=34) and GnRHa+rhGH (group B: n=46). Children’s heights (Ht), weights (Wt) and sex hormone levels were measured every 3 months after treatment and bone age (BA) every six months. Heights, growth velocity (GV), predicted adult height (PAH), weights, body mass index (BMI), sex hormone levels and bone age were compared between the two groups.ResultsChildren in group B showed greater height gain at the 12th, 24th and 30th months after treatment (p<0.05) than those in group A, had faster growth rates in the first and second year following treatment (p<0.05) and better PAH (p<0.05). No statistical differences in weight or BMI were found between the two groups before treatment or at any time after treatment (p>0.05). Levels of LH and FSH were lower in both groups after treatment with no statistical differences between groups (p>0.05). The gap between bone age and chronological age gradually decreased in both groups and no abnormal progression of bone age or other adverse side effects occurred.ConclusionsThe combination of GnRHa with rhGH produced better height gains than GnRHa alone for patients with CPP. The gonadal axis was suppressed and progression of bone age delayed with good safety and efficacy

Meta-Analysis: Overweight, Obesity, and Parkinson's Disease

Objective. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a severe neurological disease and its risk factors remain largely unknown. A meta-analysis was carried out to investigate the relationship of overweight and obesity with PD. Methods. We used PubMed, EMBASE, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases to identify studies of associations between overweight/obesity and PD. Overweight, obesity, and PD were used as keywords, and published works were retrieved until September 30, 2013. The extracted data were classified (BMI≥30,25≤BMI<30,  and BMI<25) according to BMI values and analyzed using RevMan5.2 and Stata11.0. Results. Four cohort studies and three case-control studies were used to evaluate the association between overweight/obesity and PD, including 2857 PD patients and 5, 683, 939 cases of non-PD controls. There was a statistically significant difference between 25≤BMI<30  and BMI<25 in the cohort study (RR=1.17, 95% CI, 1.03–1.32,  P=0.03), but there was no difference between BMI≥30  and BMI<25 or BMI≥30  and 25≤BMI<30, where the respective RR was 1.16 and 0.84; the respective 95% CI was 0.67–2.01 and 0.61–1.15, respectively, and the P values were 0.60 and 0.28, respectively. Case-control studies showed that there was no statistical difference between any two groups. Conclusion. Meta-analysis showed that overweight might be a potential risk factor of PD. Demonstration of a causal role of overweight/obesity in PD development could have important therapeutic implications

Structural Reliability Based Dynamic Positioning of Turret-Moored FPSOs in Extreme Seas

FPSO is widely used during the deep-sea oil and gas exploration operations, for which it is an effective way to keep their position by means of positioning mooring (PM) technology to ensure the long-term reliability of operations, even in extreme seas. Here, a kind of dynamic positioning (DP) controller in terms of structural reliability is presented for the single-point turret-moored FPSOs. Firstly, the mathematical model of the moored FPSO in terms of kinematics and dynamics is established. Secondly, the catenary method is applied to analyze the mooring line dynamics, and mathematical model of one single mooring line is set up based on the catenary equation. Thereafter, mathematical model for the whole turret mooring system is established. Thirdly, a structural reliability index is defined to evaluate the breaking strength of each mooring line. At the same time, control constraints are also considered to design a state feedback controller using the backstepping technique. Finally, a series of simulation tests are carried out for a certain turret-moored FPSO with eight mooring lines. It is shown in the simulation results that the moored FPSO can keep its position well in extreme seas. Besides, the FPSO mooring line tension is reduced effectively to ensure mooring lines safety to a large extent in harsh sea environment

Ultra-high pressure balloon angioplasty for pulmonary artery stenosis in children with congenital heart defects: Short- to mid-term follow-up results from a retrospective cohort in a single tertiary center

ObjectiveBalloon angioplasty (BA) has been the treatment of choice for pulmonary artery stenosis (PAS) in children. There remains, however, a significant proportion of resistant lesions. The ultra-high pressure (UHP) balloons might be effective in a subset of these lesions. In this study, we analyzed the safety and efficacy with short- to mid-term follow-up results of UHP BA for PAS in children with congenital heart defects (CHD) in our center.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study in a single tertiary heart center. Children diagnosed with PAS associated with CHD were referred for UHP BA. All data with these children were collected for analysis with updated follow-up.ResultsA total of 37 UHP BAs were performed consecutively in 28 children. The success rate was 78.4%. A significantly (P = 0.005) larger ratio of the balloon to the minimal luminal diameter at the stenotic waist (balloon/waist ratio) was present in the success group (median 3.00, 1.64–8.33) compared to that in the failure group (median 1.94, 1.41 ± 4.00). Stepwise logistic regression analysis further identified that the balloon/waist ratio and the presence of therapeutic tears were two independent predictors of procedural success. The receiver operating characteristic curve revealed a cut-off value of 2.57 for the balloon/waist ratio to best differentiate success from failure cases. Signs of therapeutic tears were present in eight cases, all of whom were in the success group. Perioperative acute adverse events were recorded in 16 patients, including 11 pulmonary artery injuries, three pulmonary hemorrhages, and two pulmonary artery aneurysms. During a median follow-up period of 10.4 (0.1–21.0) months, nine cases experienced restenosis at a median time of 40 (4–325) days after angioplasty.ConclusionsThe UHP BA is safe and effective for the primary treatment of PAS in infants and children with CHD. The success rate is high with a low incidence of severe complications. The predictors of success are a larger balloon/waist ratio and the presence of therapeutic tears. The occurrence of restenosis during follow-up, however, remains a problem. A larger number of cases and longer periods of follow-up are needed for further study

Overexpression of LCMR1 is significantly associated with clinical stage in human NSCLC

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lung cancer is one of the most common human cancers and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The identification of lung cancer associated genes is essential for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Differential Display-PCR technique was used to achieve the novel cDNA, which were then verified by real-time PCR. Northern blot was utilized to observe the expression of LCMR1 in different human tissues. 84 cases human NSCLC tissues and normal counterparts were analyzed for the expression of LCMR1 by immunohistochemistry.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A novel 778-bp cDNA fragment from human large cell lung carcinoma cell lines 95C and 95D was obtained, and named <it>LCMR1 </it>(Lung Cancer Metastasis Related protein 1). LCMR1 was differentially expressed in different human tissues. LCMR1 was strongly overexpressed in NSCLC and its expression was significantly associated with clinical stage.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data indicated that <it>LCMR1</it>, strongly overexpressed in NSCLC, might have applications in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.</p

Epidemiology, Quality and Reporting Characteristics of Systematic Reviews of Traditional Chinese Medicine Interventions Published in Chinese Journals

Systematic reviews (SRs) of TCM have become increasingly popular in China and have been published in large numbers. This review provides the first examination of epidemiological characteristics of these SRs as well as compliance with the PRISMA and AMSTAR guidelines.To examine epidemiological and reporting characteristics as well as methodological quality of SRs of TCM published in Chinese journals.Four Chinese databases were searched (CBM, CSJD, CJFD and Wanfang Database) for SRs of TCM, from inception through Dec 2009. Data were extracted into Excel spreadsheets. The PRISMA and AMSTAR checklists were used to assess reporting characteristics and methodological quality, respectively.A total of 369 SRs were identified, most (97.6%) of which used the terms systematic review or meta-analysis in the title. None of the reviews had been updated. Half (49.8%) were written by clinicians and nearly half (47.7%) were reported in specialty journals. The impact factors of 45.8% of the journals published in were zero. The most commonly treated conditions were diseases of the circulatory and digestive disease. Funding sources were not reported for any reviews. Most (68.8%) reported information about quality assessment, while less than half (43.6%) reported assessing for publication bias. Statistical mistakes appeared in one-third (29.3%) of reviews and most (91.9%) did not report on conflict of interest.While many SRs of TCM interventions have been published in Chinese journals, the quality of these reviews is troubling. As a potential key source of information for clinicians and researchers, not only were many of these reviews incomplete, some contained mistakes or were misleading. Focusing on improving the quality of SRs of TCM, rather than continuing to publish them in great quantity, is urgently needed in order to increase the value of these studies