Annual Trends Research Articles

Changing trends in penile prosthesis implantation in China and an overview of postoperative outcomes from a single center

BackgroundSurgical penile prosthesis implantation (PPI) procedures have only recently been introduced to mainland China, with the overall number of such procedures having been conducted to date remaining relatively low. Accordingly, relatively little remains known with respect to the annual trends in PPI. Accordingly, this study was developed with the goal of clarifying these trends across different hospitals in mainland China, while also providing a single-center overview of post-PPI patient outcomes.ResultsTo identify males in mainland China who had undergone PPI, a retrospective review of data from January 2019 – October 2023 was conducted. This approach revealed an increase in the total PPI caseload from 120 in 2019 to 413 within the first 10 months of 2023. Over this same interval, the number of surgeons performing PPI rose from 33 to 74. A retrospective review of the 112 patients who had undergone PPI at Shanghai General Hospital from 2019–2023 revealed that these patients had a median age of 39 [27–63] years, and PPI treatment led to a significant increase in median International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) scores from a baseline value of 10.23 ± 1.26 to a post-treatment value of 22.6 ± 2.73. The underlying causes of erectile dysfunction for these patients included vasculogenic factors (58/112; 51.8%), diabetes mellitus (21/112; 18.8%), and injuries to the spinal cord or pelvis (14/112; 12.5%). The overall rates of satisfaction with the PPI reported by patients and their partners were 93.0% and 90.4%, respectively, and the 3-year PPI survival rate for this cohort was 87%.ConclusionThese data highlight a rising trend in the number of PPI being performed in China, with these steadily increasing rates since 2019 emphasizing the increasingly high levels of acceptance of this procedure by patients and clinicians as a means of treating erectile dysfunction. However, the expertise is restricted to a small number of surgeons. Even so, it is a safe and efficacious approach to managing severe erectile dysfunction for patients in China, and when performed by experienced surgeons based on standardized protocols, low complication rates can be achieved while providing patients and their sexual partners with high levels of satisfaction.

Annual trends in atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome management in Japan and factors influencing early diagnosis and treatment: a retrospective study

Atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare disorder characterised by complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Despite clinical guidelines, the diagnosis and treatment of aHUS in its early stages remains challenging. This study examined the annual trends in aHUS clinical practices in Japan and explored factors influencing early diagnosis and treatment. Using data from the 2011–2020 Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, 3096 cases with the HUS disease code were identified, of which 217 were confirmed as aHUS and treated with eculizumab or plasma exchange. Early initiation, defined as starting eculizumab or plasma exchange within 7 days of admission, was the focus of the study. Our study revealed no significant changes over time in the number of aHUS diagnoses, cases treated with eculizumab, or early initiation cases. Early initiation cases underwent haemodialysis earlier and had ADAMTS13 activity measured earlier, shorter hospital stays, and lower hospitalisation costs than late initiation cases. In conclusion, we found no increase in the number of newly diagnosed aHUS cases or early treatment initiation over time. Early recognition of TMA and differentiation of the causative disease are crucial for identifying potential aHUS cases, which may lead to better patient prognoses.

The response of terrestrial vegetation carbon use efficiency to global environmental changes

Terrestrial vegetation carbon use efficiency (CUE) is a key measure for assessing carbon transfer from the atmosphere to terrestrial biomass, crucial for understanding carbon cycling and allocation in ecosystems. CUE provides valuable insights into how terrestrial ecosystems respond to environmental changes. In this study, we utilized satellite datasets (MODIS and GLASS), MsTMIP models, and TRENDY models to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of global vegetation CUE. We found that the average CUE for global land vegetation is 0.44 ± 0.06, with a slight annual increase and significant spatial heterogeneity, characterized by latitude gradients and vegetation types. High-latitude regions demonstrated higher CUE values compared to low-latitude regions. Further employing an integrated attribution approach, we identified the response mechanisms of vegetation CUE to global changes. The comprehensive response of vegetation CUE to climate change, land use change, atmospheric CO2, and nitrogen deposition was found to fluctuate and increase, with a model-averaged CUE increase of approximately 0.01. Land use change was identified as the largest contributor to the annual trend of overall global CUE (48.8%), while climate change was the main factor influencing the interannual variability (IAV) of global CUE (91.7%). Regarding global distribution, the IAV of vegetation CUE is mainly influenced by climate change. CUE annual trends in more regions were influenced by climate change, with 65% and 73% of the ensemble mean of the MsTMIP and TRENDY models, respectively. The results of the MsTMIP and TRENDY models consistently show that, globally, land use change affects about a quarter of the total annual trend of CUE. Land use change affected CUE annual trends to a greater extent than climate change. In addition, the vegetation type most affected by climate change is the deciduous needleleaf forests, and the CUE annual trend of cropland is most affected by land use change. Our findings reveal global patterns and drivers of CUE variability, highlighting the significant impact of climate change and land use change.

Bibliometric Analysis of Meningiomas from 2001 to 2023: Focus on the Top 100 Most Cited Papers

ObjectiveThe aim was to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of meningioma research, focusing on publication trends, top authors, universities, countries, and thematic analysis of keywords. MethodsFrom Scopus databases, first we analyzed 23180 papers (or 19,824 articles and 3,356 reviews) published between 2001 and 2023. Second, we selected the top 100 most cited papers and descriptively analyzed on Vosviewer and R Studio (bibliometrix/biblioshiny). ResultsFor both sets, we highlighted the annual publication trends and the impact of top-cited papers. We identified leading authors, universities, and countries contributing significantly to the field. Keywords analysis categorized research themes across all papers. Specific focus was given to the top 100 most cited documents in meningioma. Details about the annual number of papers, mean citations per year, and the citable years are provided. The top authors are presented by number of publications, citations, h-index, g-index and m-index. Co-words analysis was performed and the main focus of the 100 most cited papers are presented in more than 20 categories ConclusionOur findings may provide insights into the evolution of meningioma research and its scholarly impact. The analysis underscores the pivotal contributions of top authors and institutions, outlines thematic research trends, and highlights areas of significant interest and growth in the field. Our study may contribute to understanding the landscape of meningioma research, guiding future research directions and collaborations.

Sensitivity of Australian Rainfall to Driving SST Data Sets in a Variable‐Resolution Global Atmospheric Model

AbstractIn this study, we employ the Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM), a variable‐resolution global atmospheric model, driven by two distinct sea surface temperature (SST) data sets: the 0.25° Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (CCAM_OISST) version 2.1 and the 2° Extended Reconstruction SSTs Version 5 (CCAM_ERSST5). Model performance is assessed using a benchmarking framework, revealing good agreement between both simulations and the climatological rainfall spatial pattern, seasonality, and annual trends obtained from the Australian Gridded Climate Data (AGCD). Notably, wet biases are identified in both simulations, with CCAM_OISST displaying a more pronounced bias. Furthermore, we have examined CCAM’s ability to capture El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) correlations with rainfall during Austral spring (SON) utilizing a novel hit rate metric. Results indicate that only CCAM_OISST successfully replicates observed SON ENSO‐ and IOD‐rainfall correlations, achieving hit rates of 86.6% and 87.5%, respectively, compared to 52.7% and 41.8% for CCAM_ERSST5. Large SST differences are found surrounding the Australian coastline between OISST and ERSST5 (termed the “Coastal Effect”). Differences can be induced by the spatial interpolation error due to the discrepancy between model and driving SST. An additional CCAM experiment, employing OISST with SST masked by ERSST5 in 5° proximity to the Australian continent, underscores the “Coastal Effect” has a significant impact on IOD‐Australian rainfall simulations. In contrast, its influence on ENSO‐Australian rainfall is limited. Therefore, simulations of IOD‐Australian rainfall teleconnection are sensitive to local SST representation along coastlines, probably dependent on the spatial resolution of driving SST.

Spatiotemporal analysis of a population management intervention for dogs and cats in a municipality in central Mexico.

The overpopulation of dogs and cats has generated socioeconomic, political, and animal welfare problems, in addition to an important public health problem, due to the risk of zoonotic diseases. This study aimed to analyze the spatiotemporal coverage of canine and feline sterilization services provided by a governmental agency in the rural and urban areas of the municipality of Tequisquiapan, Querétaro. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Tequisquiapan's municipality, Querétaro, Mexico, from July 2019 to September 2022. The total number of sterilized dogs and cats was obtained from the monthly records of the Tequisquiapan Animal Health and Welfare Services Center (CESSBA, by its Spanish acronym). The collected information was related to the sterilized animals (species and sex) and their responsible guardians (sex and address). Access to dog and cat sterilization services was assessed using a geographic information system. Kernel density and directional ellipse tools were used to analyze the CESSBA coverage of care. Indicators were estimated to compare magnitudes and changes at the census tract level. A total of 4,489 animals were sterilized, with n = 2,611 (58%) dogs, of which 1,939 were female and 672 were male. The remaining n = 1,878 animals were cats, representing 42% of the total, with 1,257 females and 621 males. Up to 73% of the sterilized animals were owned by women. The population management of dogs and cats allowed us to increase the territorial coverage from 71.8% in 2019 to 92.3% in 2022. According to the temporal analysis (2019-2022), there was an annual upward trend in the number of sterilizations performed by CESSBA, with a rate of between 55.6 and 94.3 registered sterilizations per 100 inhabited dwellings and between 166.4 and 302.8 registered sterilizations per 1000 inhabitants. The analysis of the dog and cat sterilization service coverage revealed an upward trend, consisting of an increase in accessibility and participation of responsible caregivers who resided in both urban and rural areas of Tequisquiapan. Although it was not possible to evaluate the impact of the program, the use of georeferenced data and geospatial analysis showed that it can support the control of animal overpopulation.

Intersectional trends in child and adolescent suicide-related emergency department encounters in Florida (2016‒2021).

Emergency department (ED) visits resulting from suicidal thoughts and behaviors have increased at alarming rates among youth in the United States in recent years. Understanding trends among specific racial, ethnic, gender, and/or age subgroups can provide the foundation for tailored solutions for those with the greatest need for support. Using data from the Florida State Emergency Department Database from 2016 to 2021, we calculated annual rates of ED suicide-related diagnoses per 1000 young people aged 8‒21 years. We explored annual trends by age and intersectional race/ethnicity and sex subgroups. Additionally, we examined subgroup-specific stratified percent changes from 2016 to 2019 and 2016 to 2021. Among 8‒12-year olds, the highest rates of suicide-related ED encounters occurred among Black males and females and this trend was steady over time. Among 13‒21-year-old patients, Black and White females displayed the highest rates of suicide-related ED encounters across 2016‒2021, and all subgroups experienced a slight decline in 2020 and 2021. Rates generally increased between 2016 and 2019, with the largest percent increase (10.6%) occurring among Black females aged 18‒21 years, whereas there was a trend of decreased rates among most subgroups between 2019 and 2021. Across all years and age groups, Black females showed consistently higher rates of suicide-related ED encounters than almost any other subgroup, supporting previous research that Black adolescent females may be disproportionately suffering from the mental health crisis faced by young people. Furthermore, preteen Black males need additional mental health support, as do adolescent and young adult White females.

Long-lasting effects of control measures on trends in incidence in neonatal late-onset sepsis due to multiresistant bacteria in a Brazilian neonatal unit

In response to a 1995 outbreak of sepsis caused by multidrug-resistant (MR) Gram-negative bacteria (GNB), a Brazilian level III neonatal unit established a series of control and prevention measures. This study evaluated the long-term effects of these measures on late-onset neonatal sepsis (LONS) caused by MR bacteria from 2000 to 2020 and examined their impact on in-hospital mortality. Newborns with LONS and positive cultures for Staphylococcus aureus, GNB, and Enterococcus sp were selected, adhering to Center for Desease Control and Prevention and local criteria. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to assess annual trends. Over the 21-year period, the overall LONS rate was 4.6%, showing a significant decline from 2000 to 2016 (P < .0001, slope -0.36). However, from 2016 to 2020, there was a non-significant increase in sepsis rates (slope +0.92, P = .08). MR sepsis were in 15.8% of sepsis cases and displayed a non-significant upward trend (slope +0.50, P = .08) with no major shifts. In-hospital mortality rates for MR and non-MR LONS showed no significant differences (P = .413). The study indicates a low prevalence of MR sepsis due to effective antimicrobial use and educational interventions. MR sepsis prevalence remained low and stable, not increasing in-hospital mortality.

CHARTING THE LANDSCAPE OF CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY: A BIBLIOMETRIC EXPLORATION OF TRENDS AND THEMES

Purpose: This study identifies the main area and current dynamics of Corporate Philanthropy (CP) and offers recommendations for future research directions. Design/methodology/approach: Using bibliometrics, we examined a sample of 558 studies from Scopus, an online abstract and citation repository, to examine the research activities relating to CP between 1955 and 2022. Articles and authors with high citation impact scores are identified based on the publication’s position and significance within the field. We then explore contemporary issues, identify possible limitations towards the development of the literature, and propose new lines of inquiry for future studies. Findings: In addition to providing an in-depth analysis, this study discusses recent discoveries and shifts in mindsets pertaining to Corporate Philanthropy, taking into account previously documented findings which regarded CP disadvantageous to many companies mainly due to money outflow. The ‘agency theory’ considers the relationship between a principal and its hired representative. Past reports cited managers leveraging on CP as a way to justify unnecessary expenses. Meanwhile, the latest studies discovered that CP brings in various advantages to the companies such as additional profit avenues, enhanced visibility, and stronger market presence, benefiting its stakeholders and securing the sustainability of those companies. Future research on CP can be expanded through our suggested research directions. Research limitations/implications: This study focuses on using the Scopus database as the primary source of the journals. Hence, our findings may differ from the studies conducted using other databases. Originality/value: This is among the pioneer studies using Harzing and VOSviewer software to analyse the development of CP studies. Several future research agendas are generated due to the review, which focuses on annual publication trends, the most prolific authors, the most cited papers, the most prolific countries, the most prolific institutions and the most abundant sources. Keywords: Corporate philanthropy, bibliometric analysis, citation network, Scopus, systematic literature review. Cite as: Aziz, N. F., Ramli, R., Mohd Amir A., &amp; Wahid, H. (2024). Charting the landscape of corporate philanthropy: A bibliometric exploration of trends and themes. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 9(2), 160-184. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol9iss2pp160-184

Organizational learning capability: A bibliometric and content analysis based on Scopus data (1978–2023)

BACKGROUND: Organizational learning capability research has been gaining more attention. OBJECTIVE: Specifically, this paper examines annual trend publication, active journals, authors, institutions, nations, keywords, citation pattern and top cited articles over the past 45 years. It decides the frequent organizational learning capability topics and highlights future research directions. METHODS: A bibliometric was performed on 149 papers published between 1978–2023 from the Scopus database. A content analysis was also performed. RESULTS: Publication trends have exhibited growth over time. Learning Organization and Industrial Marketing Management are two key journals that publish organizational learning capability. Publications are contributed by Chiva, R. and Alerge, J. Universidad Jaume I and Universitat de València are the two main institutions that exert the influence over the publication. Spain has been contributing more publications. Citations pattern analysis revealed 158.78 citations per year and 7145 citations for 149 papers. Sixthly, publications use keywords such as “organizational learning”, “innovation”. Both highly cited articles accumulated 442 citations. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are useful for policy-makers seeking reference and evidence to guide them in designing organizational learning capability policies, implementing management actions and programs.

A bibliometric analysis of light chain amyloidosis from 2005 to 2024: research trends and hot spots.

Light chain (AL) amyloidosis stands as the most prevalent subtype of systemic amyloidosis, encompassing a group of rare diseases. Here, we evaluated the scientific landscape of AL amyloidosis to investigate research trends and identify hotspots within the field. Relevant studies on AL amyloidosis published over the past two decades were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The publications between 2005 and 2024 were subjected to bibliometric analyses, leveraging tools including CiteSpace, VOSviewer, RStudio and MS Excel to analyse and visualize the annual publication trend, co-occurrence patterns, collaborative networks among countries, organizations, and authors. Burst keywords and references were also examined to obtain the research history, and emerging hotspots. The bibliometric analysis included 2,864 articles published between 2005 and 2024. The most productive journal is Amyloid-Journal of Protein Folding Disorders. The United States, along with several developed nations, emerges as a dominant force in international AL amyloidosis research. "AL amyloidosis" and "cardiac amyloidosis" were the primary hotspots over the past two decades, and "Biomarkers," "Cardiac amyloidosis," and "treatment" would be future trends. This bibliometric analysis examined the research developments in AL amyloidosis over the past two decades using bibliometric software. Recent research in this field primarily focuses on two main areas: clinical diagnosis and treatment of AL amyloidosis, as well as cardiac amyloidosis. Emphasis is placed on understanding the mechanisms underlying immunoglobulin light chain aggregation and deposition to mitigate organ involvement.

A global urban heat island intensity dataset: Generation, comparison, and analysis

The urban heat island (UHI) effect, a phenomenon of local warming over urban areas, is the most well-known impact of urbanization on climate. Globally consistent estimates of the UHI intensity (UHII) are crucial for examining this phenomenon across time and space. However, publicly available UHII datasets are limited and have several constraints: (1) they are for clear-sky surface UHII, not all-sky surface UHII and canopy (air temperature) UHII; (2) the estimation methods often neglect anthropogenic disturbance, introducing uncertainties in the estimated UHII. To address these issues, this study proposes a new dynamic equal-area (DEA) method that can minimize the influence of various confounding factors on UHII estimates through a dynamic cyclic process. Utilizing the DEA method and leveraging various gridded temperature data, we develop a global-scale (>10,000 cities), long-term (over 20 years by month), and multi-faceted (clear-sky surface, all-sky surface, and canopy) UHII dataset. Based on these estimates, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the UHII and its trends in global cities. The UHII is found to be greater than zero in >80% of cities, with global annual average magnitudes around 1.0 °C (day) and 0.8 °C (night) for surface UHII, and close to 0.5 °C for canopy UHII. Furthermore, an interannual upward trend in UHII is observed in >60% of cities, with global annual average trends exceeding 0.1 °C/decade (day) and over 0.06 °C/decade (night) for surface UHII, and slightly surpassing 0.03 °C/decade for canopy UHII. Notably, there exists a positive correlation between the magnitude and trend of UHII, suggesting that cities with stronger UHII tend to experience faster growth in UHII. Additionally, discrepancies in UHII are found between different temperature data, stemming not only from distinctions in data types (surface or air temperature) but also from differences in data acquisition times (Terra or Aqua), weather conditions (clear-sky or all-sky), and processing methodologies (with or without gap filling). Overall, our proposed method, dataset, and analysis results have the potential to provide valuable insights for future urban climate studies. The UHII dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24821538.

Past and present: a bibliometric study on the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a gynecological malignancy with a high mortality rate worldwide. The unfavorable prognosis of OC is mainly attributed to the recurrent propensity. Recently, mortality from OC has exhibited a downward trend. These favorable patterns are likely to be driven by advancements in novel therapeutic regimens. However, there is a lack of visualize analysis of the application of these new drugs on women with recurrent OC (ROC). Therefore, we aimed to provide a bibliometric analysis of the evolving paradigms in the ROC treatment. Documents on ROC treatment were systematically collected from the MEDLINE database and Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC). The retrieved documents were exported in the plain text file format, and files were named and saved to the paths specified by the Java application. Microsoft Excel (version 2010), Citespace (6.2.R4) and VOSviewer (1.6.19) were used for data analysis, and included the following: 1) annual publication trend; 2) contributions of countries, institutions and authors; 3) co-citation of journals and references; and 4) co-occurrence of keywords. A total of 914 documents published in the MEDLINE and 9,980 ones in WOSCC were retrieved. There has been an upward trend in the productivity of publications on ROC treatment on by years. The United States was the leading contributor in this field, and the University of Texas System stood out as the most productive institution. Giovanni Scambia and Maurie Markman were the research leaders in the field of ROC treatment. The journal Gynecologic Oncology had the highest citation frequency. The reference entitled with "Niraparib Maintenance Therapy in Platinum-Sensitive, Recurrent Ovarian Cancer" got highest centrality of 0.14 in the co-citation network. Keyword analysis revealed that the focus of current ROC treatment was on platinum-based anticancer drugs, paclitaxel, angiogenesis inhibitors (AIs), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis). Scholars from a multitude of countries have been instrumental in the advancement of ROC treatment. The research hotspots and trend in the field of predominantly originated from leading international journals and specialized periodicals focused on gynecologic oncology. Maintenance therapy using AIs or (and) PARPis has emerged as a significant complement to platinum-based chemotherapy for patients with ROC.

Trend analysis of air temperature in a megacity between two continents: the synoptic weather station in İstanbul Atatürk Airport

İstanbul is the largest city located in the Mediterranean Basin and has a medium to high risk of climate change and future climate risks. Changes in temperature and other weather variables have had significant impacts on İstanbul. In this context, there is a need for studies on the issues of climate monitoring and climate change vulnerability to reduce the adverse impacts. The aim of this study is to investigate the temperature trends of synoptic weather station in İstanbul Atatürk Airport between 1973 and 2023 to have a general idea about how the temperature has changed over the last half-century and to establish statistically whether a trend is significant or not. The values of minimum (Tmin), maximum (Tmax) and mean (Tmean) temperature related parameters were estimated. Annual, monthly and seasonal temperature trends are also analyzed. The findings of this study indicate a significant (p < 0.001) rise in the mean air temperature (Tmean) of İstanbul over the past 51 years (1973–2023), with an annual warming trend of 0.06 °C. The strongest increasing trend in seasonal mean air temperatures has been observed in the summer season, with an increase of 0.08 °C per year. The trend analysis also shows a statistically non-significant increase in yearly average minimum temperature (Tmin) between 1973 and 2023, with a rate of 0.04 °C per year. However, the annual maximum temperature (Tmax) has shown no changes.

Drought trend and its association with land surface temperature (LST) over homogeneous drought regions of India (2001–2019)

Droughts pose significant challenges to food security, affecting millions of people and hectares of land in India. Despite their widespread impact, assessing drought patterns at a high spatial resolution remains a challenge, particularly in regions with poor data availability. Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) is one of the most widely accepted drought indices. The publicly available SPEI reanalysis dataset has a poor spatial resolution for regional drought studies. Land Surface Temperature (LST) has the potential to act as an effective proxy for SPEI and can be used for high-resolution drought studies. The study considered six homogeneous drought regions (NWH, CPR, NEI, NCP, NWI, and SPR) over India, and the recent trend in LST and SPEI over these regions was estimated using modified Mann-Kendell (MMK) trend and Sen’s slope estimator at monthly, seasonal, and annual time scales. The correlation between SPEI and LST was also checked at a 95% confidence level. Results indicate statistically significant decreasing annual LST trends in NWH (slope = −0.10), CPR (slope = −0.09), and NWI (slope = −0.11) regions, while increasing SPEI trends were observed in NWI (slope = 0.06) and NCP (slope = 0.01) regions during 2001–2019. Additionally, NCP (p = 0.025), CPR (p = 0.002), and NWI (p = 0.020) exhibited significantly decreasing LST trends during winter, with a notable post-monsoon decrease observed in NWI. Significant correlations between annual LST and SPEI were observed only in CPR (r =−0.527) and NWI (r = −0.601), with seasonal associations found predominantly in winter across CPR, NEI, NCP, and NWI regions. Notably, a significant correlation was observed in all months except July over NWI, with consistent correlations during most of the winter months in NWH, CPR, NCP, and NWI regions. The observed trends and correlations can provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in formulating effective drought mitigation strategies.

Spatiotemporal patterns in persistent precipitation extremes of the Chinese mainland (1961–2022) and association with the dynamic factors

Previous studies on extreme precipitation events have primarily focused on the intensity of such events during fixed periods, without considering the entirety of extreme precipitation events and conducting a comprehensive examination of the intensity and frequency of more disastrous persistent extreme precipitation (PEP) events. In this paper, persistent extreme precipitation indices (PEPIs) related to intensity, frequency, duration, and contribution rates were constructed, utilizing a gridded daily precipitation dataset and atmospheric circulation indices data from China for the period 1961–2022 to analyze the spatial distribution, spatiotemporal trends, and seasonal patterns and variations of PEPIs across different regions of China and the potential impact of the dynamic factors on the spatiotemporal variations of PEPIs. The results are crucial for effectively predicting future changes and informing planning for adaptation strategies: From 1961 to 2022, (1) China's PEP pattern displays distinct regional variations. PEP has been prevalent in Western Arid (Semi-Arid) Zone (WAS) and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QT) regions, with higher occurrence frequency, duration, and contribution rates to total extreme precipitation (44.91% and 42.01%) and overall precipitation (26.35% and 29.08%). Conversely, the humid eastern regions exhibit greater event intensity. (2) Intensity-related PEPIs show a significant increase, while the frequency and contribution rate-related PEPIs tend to decrease, indicating less frequent but more concentrated PEP events. (3) Seasonal distribution of PEP events shows a primary concentration in QT, North China (N), the Eastern arid zone (EA), and Northeast China (NE) from June to September and they occur more frequently during spring and summer in Central (C) and South China (S) regions. Summer variations predominantly account for annual PEP variability and trends. (4) WPSHII, SCSSHII, WPWPSII, APVII, NHPVII, NINO3 predominantly affect the WAS, QT, NE, C, and S regions, with WPSHII having the broadest impact, notably on the QT, C, S, and NE regions. In the WAS region during autumn, the interaction of NAO and WPSHII explains 72% of the intensity of PEP events.

Long-Term Seasonal and Annual Rainfall Trend Analysis of Giridih District, Jharkhand, India

District Giridih is primarily rain dependent on its 95 per cent net cultivable land under summer-monsoon crops. It is classified as a mono-cropping area as it lacks irrigation facilities, essential for winter crops. In the last few years, the district experienced water stress due to the shortage of monsoon rainfall. We study long term seasonal and annual rainfall trend analyses for the Giridih district of Jharkhand in India using linear regression modelling. The last 100 years of data were taken for the study and were divided into two-time phases of 50 years each to analyse the changing pattern of rainfall trends. We found a decreasing trend in monsoon rainfall from 1 mm y-1 to 3 mm y-1 between the initial (1921-1971) and final (1972-2021) phase of the study period. Similarly, the return period of droughts (rainfall deficit years) has also reduced from 11 years to 5 years. The study has shown that the rainfall pattern has changed, with the winter months showing a decrease and the pre-monsoon months an increase in their relative contributions to the annual rainfalls. The study may help in the formulation of water resource conservation-oriented decision-making to cope-up with the rainfall uncertainties and meet the future water demand.

A bibliometric analysis of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulators.

Cystic fibrosis (CF), a multisystem disease primarily affecting the lungs, arises due to pathogenic mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. This study embarked on a bibliometric analysis to survey the use of CFTR modulators in CF treatment. Utilizing the Scopus database, a comprehensive search was executed, incorporating terms related to CF and CFTR modulators. Various document types up to July 19, 2023, were included, with citation counts forming the basis of our analyses. Trends, contributor countries, leading institutions, top authors, journals, keywords, and annual citation trends were evaluated. Our search retrieved 2317 records, predominantly articles. The United States dominated in both publications and citations, followed by the United Kingdom. The University of Alabama, Birmingham, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Boston, were among the top institutions. Rowe S.M. was identified as a top-cited author. The Journal of Cystic Fibrosis emerged as the leading journal in terms of publication volume, while the New England Journal of Medicine had the highest citation count. The most-cited article addressed a CFTR potentiator's efficacy in patients with the G551D mutation. The keyword "Cystic fibrosis" appeared most frequently. This bibliometric analysis underscores the significant research focus on CF, especially concerning CFTR modulators. The results highlight the pivotal role of certain countries, institutions, authors, and journals in the progression of CF research, offering insights into current trends and future research directions.

Research hotspots and frontiers of essential tremor from 2013 to 2023: a visualization analysis based on CiteSpace.

ET, one of the most prevalent neurological disorders, presents a significant challenge in terms of disability. Despite the growing focus on ET in recent years, comprehensive bibliometric analysis has been lacking. This study delves into essential tremor research covering the period from 2013 to 2023, utilizing the Web of Science (WOS) database. Employing CiteSpace for quantitative analysis, it examines an array of metrics including annual publication trends, contributions from countries and institutions, authorship patterns, key terminologies, and patterns of reference co-citation. The primary objective is to use CiteSpace for a detailed visual exploration of the literature over the last decade, pinpointing the evolving landscape and key areas of focus in essential tremor research, and thus providing a foundation for future investigative endeavors. There were 2,224 literary works included in all. The amount of published works has been steadily rising in recent years. Of them, the majority originate from the United States, Louis, Elan D. is the publisher of the most publications (161 articles), and Movement Disorders is the journal that receives the most citations. The key words contribution and co-cited literatures suggest that the main research hotspots in recent years are the physiological and pathological mechanism of essential tremor, the determination of optimal targets for deep brain stimulation (DBS) and surgery transcranial magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) in the surgical management of essential tremor and the innovative research of botulinum toxin administration method.

Seasonal variation of NGF in seminal plasma and expression of NGF and its cognate receptors NTRK1 and p75NTR in the sex organs of rams

Nerve growth factor (NGF) has long been known as the main ovulation-inducing factor in induced ovulation species, however, recent studies suggested the NGF role also in those with spontaneous ovulation. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the presence and gene expression of NGF and its cognate receptors, high-affinity neurotrophic tyrosine kinase 1 receptor (NTRK1) and low-affinity p75 nerve growth factor receptor (p75NTR), in the ram genital tract. Moreover, the annual trend of NGF seminal plasma values was investigated to evaluate the possible relationship between the NGF production variations and the ram reproductive seasonality. The presence and expression of the NGF/receptors system was evaluated in the testis, epididymis, vas deferens ampullae, seminal vesicles, prostate, and bulbourethral glands through immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR (qPCR), respectively. Genital tract samples were collected from 5 adult rams, regularly slaughtered at a local abattoir. Semen was collected during the whole year weekly, from 5 different adult rams, reared in a breeding facility, with an artificial vagina. NGF seminal plasma values were assessed through the ELISA method. NGF, NTRK1 and p75NTR immunoreactivity was detected in all male organs examined. NGF-positive immunostaining was observed in the spermatozoa of the germinal epithelium, in the epididymis and the cells of the secretory epithelium of annexed glands, NTRK1 receptor showed a localization pattern like that of NGF, whereas p75NTR immunopositivity was localized in the nerve fibers and ganglia. NGF gene transcript was highest (p < 0.01) in the seminal vesicles and lowest (p < 0.01) in the testis than in the other tissues. NTRK1 gene transcript was highest (p < 0.01) in the seminal vesicles and lowest (p < 0.05) in all the other tissues examined. Gene expression of p75NTR was highest (p < 0.01) in the seminal vesicles and lowest (p < 0.01) in the testis and bulbourethral glands. NGF seminal plasma concentration was greater from January to May (p < 0.01) than in the other months. This study highlighted that the NGF system was expressed in the tissues of all the different genital tracts examined, confirming the role of NGF in ram reproduction. Sheep are short-day breeders, with an anestrus that corresponds to the highest seminal plasma NGF levels, thus suggesting the intriguing idea that this factor could participate in an inhibitory mechanism of male reproductive activity, activated during the female anestrus.