Increase In Rate Research Articles

Temporal inequality of RR intervals like a new psychophysiological indicator of mental stress

Introduction: Gini coefficient (Gini index or Gini ratio) is a parameter that is normally used in economy to measure the income distribution in a country or in the whole wide world, but it can be used to measure any kind of distribution. In the present study it is exposed an innovative proposal of application of the Gini coefficient to Heart Rate Variability (HRV) like a psychophysiological indicator of mental stress.Objective: to assess the application of the Gini coefficient as a psychophysiological indicator of mental stress.Methods: a non-observational crossover study, carried out in the biomedical laboratory of the Medical University of Santiago de Cuba. The involved participants are 13 healthy individuals (age 19 ± 1,5 years). Heart rate was continuously recorded at rest (5 minutes) and during a mental stress (5 minutes). Linear and nonlinear methods of heart rate variability were assessed, and 2 new indicators (Sequential and Non-Sequential Gini) were calculated and proposed to measure HRV differences between states.Results: when comparing rest and mental stress conditions, a sensible decrease of the traditional indicators of the HRV was founded (p<0,05), an increase of the heart rate (p=0,004) and of the Sequential Gini (p=0,004) and Non-Sequential Gini (p=0,04).Conclusions: the results suggest that temporary inequality of the RR intervals analyzed from the Gini coefficient could be an adequate indicator of sympathetic activity present during the mental stress

Vinpocetine Exerts Neuroprotective Effects via Downregulating α-Syn in Rotenone-induced Cellular Models of Parkinson’s Disease

Objective: Vinpocetine (Vinp), a derivative of alkaloid vincristine with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, has been shown to have neuroprotective effects in Parkinson's disease (PD). Its role and mechanisms, however, are not fully understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of Vinp on PD cells. Methods: SH-SY5Y cells were treated with Vinp and then with rotenone to induce a cellular model of PD. The proliferation level and apoptosis rate of SH-SY5Y cells after different treatments were detected by MTT and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Western blot was used to determine the relative protein expression of α-Synuclein (α-Syn) in differently treated cells. Additionally, commercial kits and ELISA were used to determine oxidative stress-related indicators (superoxide dismutase [SOD], malondialdehyde [MDA], and reactive oxygen species [ROS]) and inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor α [TNF-α], interleukin-5 [IL-5], and interleukin-1β [IL-1β]) in SH-SY5Y cells after different treatments, respectively. Results: Vinp at different concentrations (5, 10, and 50 µM) had no significant effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells. For rotenone-induced SH-SY5Y cells, Vinp pretreatment could significantly reduce α-Syn expression, increased cell viability and decreased apoptosis, oxidative stress (downregulation of ROS and MDA levels and upregulation of SOD activity) and inflammation (increased levels of TNF-α, IL-5, and IL-1β). In contrast, overexpression of α-Syn in SHSY5Y cells with Vinp pretreatment and rotenone induction partially reversed the aforementioned protective effects of Vinp, causing a decrease in proliferation, an increase in apoptosis rate, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Conclusion: Vinp exerted neuroprotective effects by downregulating α-Syn to promote proliferation, inhibit apoptosis, and inhibit oxidative stress and inflammation in rotenone-induced SH-SY5Y cells.

Zero-Dollar Copayment Impact on Adherence Scores for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Star Ratings Generic Medications.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Star Ratings system pushes Medicare Advantage health plans to achieve ever greater attainments in key metrics, including adherence to hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor (statins), renin-angiotensin system (RAS) antagonist, and noninsulin antihyperglycemic (DM) medications. The purpose of this observational study was to evaluate the impact of expanding a $0 copayment (copay) benefit from mail order-only to mail order plus retail pharmacies on adherence to statin, RAS, and DM medications. Medicare beneficiaries with and without a $0 copay expansion who received ≥ 1 dispensing of a generic, CMS Star Ratings RAS, statin, and/or DM medication during both 2021 and 2022 were included. Outcomes included changes in proportion of days covered (PDC) from 2021 to 2022 and proportions of patients with a PDC ≥ 0.8 in 2022. Overall (N = 65,716), patients had a high ( > 0.930) mean baseline PDC. Patients with $0 copay expansion had a statistically significant greater mean PDC increase for statin (adjusted P = 0.038), reduction for RAS (adjusted P = 0.036), and no difference for DM (adjusted P = 0.696). Patients with a $0 copay expansion had statistically significant higher proportions of beneficiaries with a PDC ≥ 0.8 for statin (adjusted P = 0.003) and RAS (adjusted P = 0.003) but not DM (adjusted P = 0.256). An expanded $0 copay was associated with minor increased generic statin medication adherence. In populations with a high baseline PDC, expanding a $0 copay benefit on generic statin, RAS, and DM medications to dispensing outside of mail order may only contribute slightly to an increase or sustainment of a health plan's CMS Star Ratings.

The study of the calculation method of the triboelectric rate of particles and surface materials at different collision velocities

In this paper, a triboelectric rate calculation model based on the relative collision velocity between the material and the particle is put forward. The model demonstrates distinct trends of the triboelectrification rate's increase with velocity, ranging from a 9/5 power to a linear function increase. Meanwhile, a test system is devised to simulate the high-speed collision process between ions and materials, and the derived model is validated through experiments.

The Research on a Currency Board System: The Case of Hong Kong Region

The Currency Board System is a relatively old topic. But due to the successive increases of interest rates by the US Federal Reserve in 2022, the topic has received attention again. This paper will analyse the Currency Board System through a typical example-Hong Kong region. Firstly, the background of Currency Board System will be described. Then three conditions for the success of the Currency Board System will be analysed in the third part. After that, the suitable types of economy to apply the Currency Board System will be pointed out. Finally, it is recommend that different countries with different economic environment are better rationally implement the suitable exchange rate regime.

Deep learning prediction of electrospray ionization tandem mass spectra of chemically derived molecules

Chemical derivatization is a powerful strategy to enhance sensitivity and selectivity of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for non-targeted analysis of chemicals in complex mixtures. However, it remains impossible to obtain large sets of reference spectra for chemically derived molecules (CDMs), representing a major barrier in real-world applications. Herein, we describe a deep learning approach that enables accurate prediction of electrospray ionization tandem mass spectra for CDMs (DeepCDM). DeepCDM is established by transfer learning from a generic spectrum predicting model using a small set of experimentally acquired tandem mass spectra of CDMs, which converts a generic model with low predictability for CDMs into a specialized model with high predictability. We demonstrate DeepCDM by predicting electrospray ionization tandem mass spectra of dansylated molecules. The success in establishing Dns-MS further enables the development of DnsBank, a dansylation-specialized in silico spectral library. DnsBank achieves significant increases of accurate annotation rates of dansylated molecules, facilitating discovery of new hazardous pollutants from an environmental study of leather industrial wastewater. DeepCDM is also highly versatile for other classes of CDMs. Therefore, we envision that DeepCDM will pave a way for high-throughput identification of CDMs in non-targeted analysis to dig unknowns with potential health impacts from emerging anthropogenic chemicals.

Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) suppresses hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced rat H9C2 cardiomyocytes pyroptosis via Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

This study aimed to explore the mechanism that Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) suppress hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-caused pyroptosis in cardiomyocytes (H9C2) via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Initially, we established the cell model of H/R (6 h hypoxia plus with 24 h reoxygenation), and found that 90 μg/mL LBP was the optimal concentration. Subsequently, we confirmed that LBP reduced the apoptosis rate of cells after H/R, the activity of LDH, the inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-18, and the levels of pyroptosis-specific markers ASC, NLRP3, and Caspase-1 (mRNAs and proteins). It increased the cell survival rate and the mRNA levels of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway markers Nrf2 and HO-1, and allowed cytoplasmic Nrf2 protein to enter the nucleus to activate HO-1 protein. The Nrf2 siRNA2 caused the following events in H/R model: (1) the increases of the apoptosis rate, LDH activity, the levels of inflammatory factors (IL-1β and IL-18), the levels of ACS, NLRP3, and Caspase-1 (mRNAs and proteins); and (2) the decreases of the cell survival rate, the mRNA levels of Nrf2 and HO-1, and the protein levels of cytoplasm-Nrf2, nucleus-Nrf2, and HO-1. Therefore we concluded that 90 μg/mL LBP suppressed H/R-induced H9C2 cardiomyocyte pyroptosis via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Spatiotemporal trends in the burden of colorectal cancer incidence and risk factors at country level from 1990 to 2019.

Worldwide, the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to rise and remains a major public health concern. This study aimed to analyze the temporal and spatial trends in CRC incidence and related risk factors at the country level. Data on CRC and related risk factors were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019 study. Temporal trends were evaluated using estimated annual percentage change while spatial trends were analyzed using spatial autocorrelation and autoregression. Additionally, linear mixed-effects models were employed to identify risk factors linked to CRC incidence. Globally, from 1990 to 2019, the incidence cases of CRC increased by 157.23%. At the national level, the incidence of CRC increased in most countries, with the highest increases of age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) in Equatorial Guinea, Vietnam, and China. In both 1990 and 2019, global spatial clustering of CRC ASIR highlighted hotspots in Europe, characterized by elevated CRC ASIR levels. A comparative analysis of risk factors between hotspot countries and others indicated that gender and alcohol use exerted greater influence in hotspots than elsewhere. Although from 1990 to 2019, the highest growth in ASIR of CRC has been observed in African, Asian, and Latin American countries, the hotspots are still concentrated in Europe. In the identified hotspots, gender and alcohol use exert a more significant impact on CRC incidence compared with other countries. Thus, we should pay attention to countries where the CRC incidence is increasing and these risk factors.

A Commentary on the Silicon Valley Bank Debacle

SUMMARY KPMG issued its audit report for the parent company of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), SVB Financial Group, on February 24, 2023, and the bank’s assets were taken over by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation regulators on March 10. Although depositors began fleeing SVB in February, deposits declined by 13 percent during the preceding fiscal year. SVB invested substantially in long-term government bonds, whose value plummeted due to significant Federal Reserve interest rate increases, and the classification of the securities prevented their conversion to cash to meet depositor demands. Alongside explaining management and regulatory failings that led to SVB’s collapse, this paper formulates an argument of possible alternative actions the auditor could have pursued during the audit or upon release of its audit report. Due to inaction, KPMG may hinder its ability to defend against current litigation.

The influence of the guide vane positioning on the flow field of a turbo air classifier

AbstractAs the important component to guide the airflow in the classifier, installation position of the guide vane determines the width of the classification annular region and influences the flow field distribution. The influence of the guide vane positioning on the flow field in the annular region is analyzed through numerical simulation. The simulation results show the tangential velocities near the inner edge of the guide vanes increase, and the tangential velocity gradient decreases with decrease of the width of the annular region. The increases of turbulent dissipation rate near the guide vanes are beneficial to powder dispersion. However, the increases of turbulent dissipation rate near the rotor cage aren′t conducive to uniformity of the flow field. In case of the narrow annular region, the cut size gradually increases when the width of the annular region increases. However, when the width of the annular region continues to increase, the particle′s residence time become long, and the solid concentration increases significantly to increase the probability of particle aggregation. The reasonable range of the installation diameter of the guide vane in the classifier is between 504 mm and 524 mm.

Save It for a Rainy Day: Evidence from State Corporate Income Tax Rate Changes

ABSTRACT We examine the effect of state corporate income tax rate changes on firms’ liquidity management. Using a difference-in-differences design, we find that firms hold more cash when they are experiencing an increase in state corporate income tax rate. More specifically, on average, a 1 percent increase in state corporate income tax rate leads to a 2.51 percent increase in firms’ average cash holdings. We also find that the effect is stronger in firms with low and risky cash flows, more growth opportunities, and more financial constraints. We find no evidence of this relationship when the state corporate income tax rate decreases. Overall, these findings suggest that firms conserve more cash to mitigate tax-induced frictions, which is consistent with the precautionary motive of cash holdings. Our paper speaks to policymakers that the increase of state income tax rate has real effects on firms’ cash holdings. Data Availability: All data used in this study are from publicly available sources. JEL Classifications: H25; H710; M41; G33.

Effects of endwall clearances of variable diffuser vane on centrifugal compressor performance

To ensure the variable diffuser vane can rotate around a pivot fluently in practical applications, there have to be clearances between vanes and diffuser walls. As the compressor pressure ratio increases, the effects of the vane endwall clearances are enhanced and cannot be ignored. This paper investigates the effects of both-side vane endwall clearances on the centrifugal compressor performance. Results show that the existence of endwall clearances mainly enlarges the flow capacity of the vane diffuser and decreases the compressor efficiency, and these effects are more significant as the vane stagger angle decreases. A one-side endwall clearance of 2.7% of the diffuser width increases the choke mass flow rate by as much as 20% and decreases the compressor peak efficiency by 2.7%. Due to the non-uniform flow along span at the impeller outlet, the shroud-side vane endwall leakage plays a more important role than the hub-side in affecting the compressor performance. In additions, the respective contributions of the vane throat, the hub-side and the shroud-side endwall clearances to the increases of the vane choke mass flow rate are quantitatively studied. The flow physics and loss mechanisms of the endwall leakage are revealed.

Quantifying suicide contagion at population scale.

The spread of suicidal behavior among individuals is often described as a contagion; however, rigorous modeling of suicide as a dynamic, contagious process is minimal. Here, we develop and validate a model-inference system depicting suicide ideation and death and use it to quantify the contagion processes in the US associated with two prominent celebrity suicide events: Robin Williams during 2014 and Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, which occurred 3 days apart during 2018. We show that both events produced large transient increases of suicide contagion contact rates, i.e., the spread of suicidal thought and behavior, and a period of elevated suicidal ideation in the general population. Our modeling approach provides a framework for quantifying suicidal contagion and better understanding, preventing, and containing its spread.

Immunological disorders in patients with acute pleural empyema

In case of acute pleural empyema pronounced violations of cellular and humoral factors of immunity as well as non-specific resistance of the body are revealed. Dynamics of laboratory and immunological changes of 64 patients with acute pleural empyema who were treated with classical and minimally invasive surgical methods has been studied. Patients were classified into 5 groups in accordance with severity of the disease, which was determined according to the criteria which comprise such clinical and laboratory parameters as: respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature reaction, the number of affected particles, leukocytosis, SpO2. All the patients underwent a standard examination as well as determination of serum concentration InterLeykin 6 (IL-6), InterLeykin 8 (IL-8), Tumor Necrose Factor α (TNF-α), C-Reactive Protein (CRP). Assessment of cytokine spectrum of blood serum of patients with acute pleural empyema allows stating the condition of hypercytokinemia with an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines. Meanwhile the degree of their increase differed depending on the severity of course of acute pleural empyema. Study of structure of cytokine status allowed identifying those patients with severe course of pleural empyema had a significant increase in IL-6 and CRP concentrations. Nevertheless, the severe course of the disease is associated with insufficient increase of IL-8 and TNF-α. Deficiency of IL-8 and to a less extent IL-6 is expressed in patients of the older age group. In the general blood test, there have been identified higher indicators of total number of leukocytes, neutrophils, pronounced shift of the leukocyte formula to the left, increases of erythrocyte sedimentation rate in patients with a severe course of the disease. There have been identified factors which affect severe course of acute pleural empyema: decrease in oxygen saturation to less than 94%, severity of shortness of breath, which exceeds 2 points on the Borg scale, damage to 3 or more segments of lung tissue, and also numerous clinical signs of violation of anti-infective protection, pronounced decrease in neutrophils, an increase in the concentration of C-reactive protein and insufficient increase of IL-8 and TNF-α in blood serum. Keywords: acute purulent diseases of the pleura, respiratory failure, interleukin 6, interleukin 8, tumor necrosis factor α, C-reactive protein.

Sustained inflation and chest compression versus 3:1 chest compression to ventilation ratio during cardiopulmonary resuscitation of asphyxiated newborns (SURV1VE): A cluster randomised controlled trial

ObjectiveIn newborn infants requiring chest compression (CC) in the delivery room (DR) does continuous CC superimposed by a sustained inflation (CC+SI) compared with a 3:1 compression:ventilation (3:1 C:V) ratio decreases...

Increases in the Local Eddy Energetics of the Extratropical Atmosphere over the Last Four Decades

Abstract Changes in the vertical and meridional temperature gradients of the atmosphere drive competing influences on storm-track activity. We apply local eddy energetics to the ERA5, JRA-55, MERRA-2, and NCEP-2 reanalyses during 1980–2020 to determine the locations, magnitudes, and trends of the energy transfer mechanisms for synoptic-scale eddies. Eddy kinetic energy (EKE) increases more rapidly in the Southern Hemisphere at all altitudes and seasons, with larger increases during austral winter and spring. In the Northern Hemisphere, increases occur within the Atlantic and Pacific storm tracks at pressures below 300 hPa but only during boreal winter and spring and confined within a narrow zonal band; EKE decreases during boreal summer and fall. Most EKE changes correspond with trends in baroclinic energy conversion upstream of storm tracks and appear to align with increases in the growth rate of the most unstable baroclinic mode. Barotropic energy conversion of EKE to the mean flow becomes locally more intense downstream of the storm tracks. Conversion of EKE to long-period eddies plays a minor role averaged over a hemisphere but can be important locally. The primary strengthening pathway for removal of EKE is a combination of surface friction and viscous dissipation. The increased baroclinic conversion in the Southern Hemisphere appears related to upper-level tropical temperature increases. In the Northern Hemisphere, increased baroclinic conversion is enabled by a combination of increased vertical heat fluxes and a region of temperature increases within 30°–60°N. Significance Statement Traveling atmospheric disturbances arrange into storm tracks that determine the weather in the midlatitudes. Storm tracks are evolving in time due to anthropogenic warming; however, the location and strength of temperature changes compete for influence on the storm tracks. A framework to quantify the mechanisms of generation of kinetic energy contained by eddies pinpoints the extent of storm-track evolution. Storm tracks generally strengthen across the planet but have increased the most in the Southern Hemisphere. Strengthening in the Northern Hemisphere is limited to the winter in a narrow latitudinal band, because of warming in the Arctic that reduces the primary instability that drives eddies. The locations of northern warming and storm-track strengthening suggest a role for tropical dynamics.

Generative Adversarial Network for Wireless Communication: Principle, Application, and Trends

Generative adversarial network (GAN) has attracted wide attention because of its remarkable ability to learn highdimensional and complex data distributions based on game theory and machine learning. In this paper, we focus on the role that GANs play in wireless communications, which has been well researched and developed in recent years. With the gradual increase in communication rates and the complicacy of communication scenarios, some urgent issues have emerged, such as complex channel generation, high-dimensional channel estimation, and insufficient real-world signal acquisition. The powerful nonlinear fitting property of GAN can break through the bottleneck of traditional communication techniques, whose applications can be categorized into data generation, performance optimization, and data classification according to different purposes and network structures. For each category, a universal network structure summarizing the characteristics and targets is investigated, and the performance of GANs in communication is also analyzed with simulation examples. Moreover, the open research issues are discussed at the end to provide some directions for future study.

The effect of a short breathing intervention on postural control and heart rate variability

AbstractPurposeThe objective of this study was to determine the immediate effect of a short breathing intervention on postural control and heart rate variability in healthy individuals.Materials/MethodsThe study involved 28 participants. Heart rate variability and heart rate were measured using a Polar (H10) sensor, and the sway path during posturography was recorded using the NeuroCom system, with participants standing on a firm then a foam surface in the eyes open and eyes closed conditions. All measurements were performed before and after the breathing intervention to provide baseline and post-intervention data. A short breathing intervention was performed between testing to stimulate the autonomic nervous system. In the Wilcoxon matched pairs comparison using Statistica software, P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe breathing intervention caused a significant decrease in heart rate variability and an increase in heart rate. In the eyes closed condition, on a firm surface, the breathing intervention significantly reduced the sway path.ConclusionsThe breathing intervention reduced the sway path in conditions without visual information but appeared to have no effect on balance in conditions with visual information, suggesting that the postural function of the diaphragm becomes more prominent in nonvisual conditions. We obtained evidence of the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and postural control. The stimulation of the sympathetic tone by means of the breathing intervention had a significant effect on postural control on firm and foam surfaces without visual information and decreased postural sway.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Hydraulic Characteristics and Pressurization Deterioration Mechanism of a Three-Stage Mixed-Flow Electrical Submersible Pump Under Gas-Liquid Condition

Abstract Electrical submersible pump (ESP) is extensively utilized in industrial sectors such as petroleum, chemical, and nuclear energy. However, ESPs experience pressurization deterioration due to the high gas volume fraction (GVF), resulting in the pressurization failure. In this paper, a three-stage mixed-flow ESP with closed impeller structure is detailed analysis. The interstage hydraulic characteristics and pressurization deterioration mechanism of the mixed-flow ESP are investigated at various rotational speeds and inlet conditions by combining experimental and simulation. The population balance model (PBM) and renormalization group (RNG) k − ε model are employed. As the liquid flowrate increases, the ESP experiences a “three-stage” downward trend in pressurization. It is discovered that the first booster stage has a lower inflow velocity and flow separation degree compared to the subsequent booster stages, resulting in a greater liquid-phase pressurization capacity. The gas–liquid pressurization exhibits a wave-shaped downward trend due to significant deterioration in stage-wise pressurization when the liquid flowrate is low. Once the inlet gas volume fraction (IGVF) reaches the first critical GVF, the gas aggregates on the impeller's suction surface are removed at the impeller outlet, creating an annular air mass, which creates a chaotic vortex absorbing the fluids' kinetic energy.

1239 Trends in Geospatial Availability of Neuro-oncology Clinical Trials in the United States Over Two Decades

INTRODUCTION: Advances in brain tumors treatments rely on successful neuro-oncology (NO) clinical trials. To date, data on NO trials completion in the US is scarce. Understanding these factors could help improve access to and the design of future clinical trials. METHODS: NO clinical trials registered in the US were analyzed (2000-2019). Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to compare success rates among trials. Geospatial analysis was performed to determine the trial density and failure rates across different states. Trial density was estimated by the number of trials/state population. RESULTS: A total of 2,610 neuro-oncology clinical trials were registered in the US during the study period, of which 1,257 met a primary endpoint – completion or trial failure. North Dakota had the highest trial density (6.03 trials/100,000 residents), followed by South Dakota (5.83) and several Northeastern states (3.90-5.60). The change in trial failure rates did not correlate with trial density by state (p = 0.777). The states with the greatest increase in trial failure rates were Nevada (23.1%), West Virginia, Alaska, and Idaho (all three at 20.0%). Florida showed a trend towards a statistically significant increase in failure rates to 10.9% (p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study highlight the variations in success rates and geographic distribution of neuro-oncology clinical trials in the United States. Factors beyond trial density may be critical to trial success. The significant geographic variations in trial density and failure rates across states emphasize the need for targeted efforts to improve access participation to trials in certain regions. Further studies aimed at identifying the factors contributing to the increase in trial failure rates are needed to develop strategies to improve trial enrollment.