A Case study of a snowstorm at the Great Wall Station, Antarctica

A case of a snowstorm at the Great Wall Station was studied using data of NCEP(National Centers for Environmental Prediction) analysis, in situ observations and surface weather charts. The storm occurred on August 29th, 2006, and brought high winds and poor horizontal visibility to the region. It was found that the storm occurred under the synoptic situation of a high in the south and a low in the north. A low-level easterly jet from the Antarctic continent significantly decreased the air temperature and humidity. Warm air advection at high level brought sufficient vapor from lower latitudes for the snowstorm to develop. The dynamic factors relating to strong snowfall and even the development of a snowstorm were deep cyclonic vorticity at middle and low levels, the configuration of divergence at high level and convergence at low level, and strong vertical uplift. There was an inversion layer in the low-level atmosphere during the later phase of the storm. This vertical structure of cold air at low levels and warm air at high levels may have been important to the longevity of the snowstorm

The Shared and Distinct White Matter Networks Between Drug-Naive Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Schizophrenia

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia (SZ) as two severe mental disorders share many clinical symptoms, and have a tight association on the psychopathological level. However, the neurobiological substrates between these two diseases remain unclear. To the best of our knowledge, no study has directly compared OCD with SZ from the perspective of white matter (WM) networks.Methods: Graph theory and network-based statistic methods were applied to diffusion MRI to investigate and compare the WM topological characteristics among 29 drug-naive OCDs, 29 drug-naive SZs, and 65 demographically-matched healthy controls (NC).Results: Compared to NCs, OCDs showed the alterations of nodal efficiency and strength in orbitofrontal (OFG) and middle frontal gyrus (MFG), while SZs exhibited widely-distributed abnormalities involving the OFG, MFG, fusiform gyrus, heschl gyrus, calcarine, lingual gyrus, putamen, and thalamus, and most of these regions also showed a significant difference from OCDs. Moreover, SZs had significantly fewer connections in striatum and visual/auditory cortices than OCDs. The right putamen consistently showed significant differences between both disorders on nodal characteristics and structural connectivity.Conclusions: SZ and OCD present different level of anatomical impairment and some distinct topological patterns, and the former has more serious and more widespread disruptions. The significant differences between both disorders are observed in many regions involving the frontal, temporal, occipital, and subcortical regions. Particularly, putamen may serve as a potential imaging marker to distinguish these two disorders and may be the key difference in their pathological changes

Finite element analysis of different fixation methods of screws on absorbable plate for rib fractures

Multiple rib fractures caused by trauma are common injuries and the internal fixation methods of these injuries have been paid more and more attention by surgeons. Absorbable plates and screws are the effective way to treat rib fractures, but there are no reports on which type of screw fixation method is most effective. In this study, finite element analysis was used to study the effects of five different types of screw fixation methods on anterior rib, lateral rib and posterior rib. The finite element model of the ribs was reconstructed from CT images, and the internal pressure (40 kPa) and intercostal force (30 N) on the surfaces of the ribs were simulated accordingly. An intercostal force of 30 N was applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the ribs to simulate the effect of intercostal muscle force. The pressure of 40 kPa was applied to the inner surface of the ribs, and the normal direction was applied to the inner surface of the ribs. The positive direction was considered inspiratory pressure, and the negative direction was considered expiratory pressure. The results indicate the optimal type of screw fixation on the absorbable plate for rib fractures, and provide a basis and reference for clinical application

Expression of HIWI in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is significantly associated with poorer prognosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HIWI, the human homologue of Piwi family, is present in CD34⁺hematopoietic stem cells and germ cells, but not in well-differentiated cell populations, indicating that HIWI may play an impotent role in determining or maintaining stemness of these cells. That HIWI expression has been detected in several type tumours may suggest its association with clinical outcome in cancer patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>With the methods of real-time PCR, western blot, immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry, the expression of HIWI in three esophageal squamous cancer cell lines KYSE70, KYSE140 and KYSE450 has been characterized. Then, we investigated HIWI expression in a series of 153 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas using immunohistochemistry and explored its association with clinicopathological features.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The expression of HIWI was observed in tumour cell nuclei or/and cytoplasm in 137 (89.5%) cases, 16 (10.5%) cases were negative in both nuclei and cytoplasm. 86 (56.2%) were strongly positive in cytoplasm, while 49 (32.0%) were strongly positive in nuclei. The expression level of HIWI in cytoplasm of esophageal cancer cells was significantly associated with histological grade (<it>P </it>= 0.011), T stage (<it>P </it>= 0.035), and clinic outcome (<it>P </it>< 0.001), while there was no correlation between the nuclear HIWI expression and clinicopathological features.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The expression of HIWI in the cytoplasm of esophageal cancer cells is significantly associated with higher histological grade, clinical stage and poorer clinical outcome, indicating its possible involvement in cancer development.</p

Effect of Aripiprazole on Mismatch Negativity (MMN) in Schizophrenia

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Cognitive deficits are considered core symptoms of the schizophrenia. Cognitive function has been found to be a better predictor of functional outcome than symptom levels. Changed mismatch negativity (MMN) reflects abnormalities of early auditory processing in schizophrenia. Up to now, no studies for the effects of aripiprazole on MMN in schizophrenia have been reported.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principal Findings</h3><p>Subjects included 26 patients with schizophrenia, and 26 controls. Psychopathology was rated in patients with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) at baseline, after 4- and 8-week treatments with aripiprazole. Auditory stimuli for ERP consisted of 100 millisecond/1000 Hz standards, intermixed with 100 millisecond/1500 Hz frequency deviants and 250 millisecond/1000 Hz duration deviants. EEG was recorded at Fz. BESA 5.1.8 was used to perform data analysis. MMN waveforms were obtained by subtracting waveforms elicited by standards from waveforms elicited by frequency- or duration-deviant stimuli. Aripiprazole decreased all PANSS. Patients showed smaller mean amplitudes of frequency and duration MMN at baseline than did controls. A repeated measure ANOVA with sessions (i.e., baseline, 4- and 8-week treatments) and MMN type (frequency vs. duration) as within-subject factors revealed no significant MMN type or MMN type × session main effect for MMN amplitudes. Session main effect was significant. LSD tests demonstrated significant differences between MMN amplitudes at 8 weeks and those at both baseline and 4 weeks. There was significant negative correlation between changes in amplitudes of frequency and duration MMN and changes in PANSS total scores at baseline and follow-up periods.</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Aripiprazole improved the amplitudes of MMN. MMN offers objective evidence that treatment with the aripiprazole may ameliorate preattentive deficits in schizophrenia.</p> </div

Amplitudes and latencies of MMN (presented as mean (SD)) of healthy controls (n = 26) and patients (n = 26) at baseline, 4- and 8- week treatments.

<p>Amplitudes and latencies of MMN (presented as mean (SD)) of healthy controls (n = 26) and patients (n = 26) at baseline, 4- and 8- week treatments.</p

Demographic characteristics of the sample.

<p>M: male. F: female. S.D.: standard deviation. R: right. M: mixed. L: left.</p

Increased Insular Cortical Thickness Associated With Symptom Severity in Male Youths With Internet Gaming Disorder: A Surface-Based Morphometric Study

With the rising increase in Internet-usage, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has gained massive attention worldwide. However, detailed cerebral morphological changes remain unclear in youths with IGD. In the current study, our aim was to investigate cortical morphology and further explore the relationship between the cortical morphology and symptom severity in male youths with IGD. Forty-eight male youths with IGD and 32 age- and education-matched normal controls received magnetic resonance imaging scans. We employed a recently proposed surface-based morphometric approach for the measurement of cortical thickness (CT). We found that youths with IGD showed increased CT in the bilateral insulae and the right inferior temporal gyrus. Moreover, significantly decreased CT were found in several brain areas in youths with IGD, including the bilateral banks of the superior temporal sulci, the right inferior parietal cortex, the right precuneus, the right precentral gyrus, and the left middle temporal gyrus. Additionally, youths with IGD demonstrated a significantly positive correlation between the left insular CT and symptom severity. Our data provide evidence for the finding of abnormal CT in distributed cerebral areas and support the notion that altered structural abnormalities observed in substance addiction are also manifested in IGD. Such information extends current knowledge about IGD-related brain reorganization and could help future efforts in identifying the role of insula in the disorder

INTERACTION BETWEEN ANTARCTIC SEA ICE AND ENSO EVENTS

In this paper, the theory of the cross-coupled correlation-resonance of two wave spectra is used to study the interaction between Antarctic sea ice and ENSO events. It is found that : (1) The principal period of the correlation time series oscillation is usually coincident with the principal period of sea ice itself. If the same periods of two elements were in resonance, the correlation oscillation period would be more significant. (2) The sea ice of the Ross Sea area with its principal period of quasi-11 years has a strong cross correlation oscillation with SSTA of Nino 4. Their common period produces a resonance from 96 months leading to 36 months lagging causing a sine-shaped correlation variation with a strong positive SSTA from 87 to 50 months leading and a strong negative one from 20 months leading to 24 months lagging. (3) The same is true for the Weddell Sea ice and SSTA of the central-eastern equatorial Pacific but with a common period of quasi-5 years. ENSO events have a good correlation with sea ice in the eastern Antarctic in their later stage. The feedback of sea ice to SSTA in the western equatorial Pacific is also significant with a quasi-5 year period, but it is very weak to SSTA of the central-eastern equatorial Pacific. SST of the central equatorial Pacific has a quasi-contemporary oscillation relationship with Ross Sea ice and a 1.5 years lag oscillation relationship with Weddell Sea ice. We call this oscillation relationship between Antarctic sea ice and ENSO events, the Southern Oceanic Oscillation (SOO)

Grand averages of Duration MMN (MMN waveforms were obtained by subtracting waveforms elicited by standards from waveforms elicited by duration-deviant stimuli) in patients (at baseline, after 4- week and 8- week treatments of aripiprazole) and controls.

<p>RM: right mastoid.</p