A document by He Jilong. Click on the document to view its contents.

We consider the two-parameter singularly perturbed problems, and there are two exponential boundary layers in its solution. The purpose of this paper is to obtain the uniform convergence of the finite element method under the balanced norm for this problems. For this reason, a special balanced norm is defined so that this balanced norm can capture each exponential layer well. Based on this, we obtain the uniform convergence of $k$th($k\geq 1$) order finite element method with respect to both parameters on a Shishkin mesh. Moreover, the optimal order is proved and some discussions on this balanced norm are presented. Finally, we give some numerical examples to verify our theoretical results.

Objective: To compare the estimated blood loss (EBL) and surgical outcomes between the pregnancy with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) who underwent cesarean hysterectomy with and without radiological intervention. Design: Retrospective cohort study Setting: Study site in tertiary care, university hospital in Thailand. Population: Pregnant women with pathological proven PAS Methods: Patient who undergone cesarean hysterectomy were defined as controls (n=21) and who undergone cesarean hysterectomy with radiological intervention were defines as intervention group (n=23). Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was EBL. The secondary outcomes were transfusion requirement, operation time, postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) admission, adverse surgical outcomes, neonatal Apgar score, and hospital cost. Result: Compared with the control group, pregnancy in the intervention group had significantly lower EBL (3590.48 vs 1993.48 mL; p = 0.017) and total blood component requirement (6 vs 1 units; p = 0.002) but longer operation time (232.61 vs 166.19 min; p = 0.002) and higher hospital cost (4,290 vs 1,844 USD; p < 0.001). Postoperative length of stay, ICU admission, and adverse surgical outcomes were not significantly different. Apgar score at 1-min and 5-min were not significantly different. Conclusions: Cesarean hysterectomy with adjunctive pelvic devascularization significantly improved surgical outcomes in pregnancy with PAS by reducing blood loss by 44.5% and transfusion decreased by 83.3%. The challenges included requirement for a multidisciplinary team, especially intervention radiologists and hybrid operating room, longer operation time, and higher hospital expense. Funding: none Keywords: placenta accreta spectrum, radiological intervention, cesarean hysterectomy, massive postpartum hemorrhage, adverse surgical outcome

Objective. The Foley balloon catheter (FC) is a viable method for cervical ripening, but concerns about infection risk restrict its use in cases of prolonged prelabour rupture of membranes (PROM). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the FC compared to oral misoprostol for cervical ripening after PROM. Design. A retrospective data-analysis. Setting. Two Dutch teaching hospitals. Population. 128 pregnant women underwent cervical ripening after ≥ 24 hours of PROM at 37-42 weeks’ of gestation. Main outcome measures. The incidence of intrapartum infection, as a composite of maternal and neonatal infection. In addition, we evaluated the mode of delivery, duration of priming and priming-to-delivery interval. Results. The incidence of intrapartum infection was higher in the FC group compared to oral misoprostol, respectively 32.7% (n = 16) vs. 12.7% (n = 10) (p = .006). However, after adjusting for epidural anaesthesia and pregestational BMI, the association was no longer significant. No difference was found in mode of delivery. The total priming-to-delivery interval was similar in both groups (median 21.3 hour vs. 22.0, p = .897). The duration of cervical ripening was shorter in the misoprostol group and duration of active labour longer (p <.001). Conclusion. In women who require cervical ripening after prolonged PROM at term, FC and oral misoprostol are similar in terms of efficacy and safety. Funding. The authors received no financial support.

For more than three decades, the Asian turtle crisis has resulted in the decline of every native species in China. For some species, such as the yellow pond turtle (Mauremys mutica), wild populations have dwindled to near functional extinction. Previous studies show there is deep genetic divergence of M. mutica sensu lato between populations north and south of the Pearl River Drainage but no data to show if phylogeographic structure occurs within these two main types. In this study, we found clear phylogeographic structure. In northern types, we found two main clades, corresponding to mainland China and island clades (Taiwan and Yaeyema Islands) with uncorrected p values of 0.00-2.0% divergence in our 2353 bp concatenated mtDNA data set. For the southern types, we found three main clades corresponding to Hainan, Mainland (Vietnam/Guangxi) and the Annam pond turtle (Mauremys annamensis) with divergence ranging from 1.0-1.8% among these three groups. Moreover, the identification of northern and southern types by phenotype was roughly 98% accurate, which, coupling with the deep genetic divergence in mtDNA (5.5-6.7%) and in the 6056 bp nuDNA data set (0.16-0.37%) provide sufficient evidence for northern M. mutica to be an independent species, and individuals from the southern clade should be regarded as subspecies of M. annamensis. Finally, we provide the most comprehensive database to date which can be used to determine the region of origin for captive stock. Making the large captive populations of M. mutica, under the right conditions, potentially valuable for restocking or augmentation of wild populations.

In this paper, we introduce a two-point nonlinear boundary value problem for a finite fractional difference equation. An associated Green's function is constructed as a series of functions and some of its properties are obtained. Some existence results are deduced from fixed point theory and lower and upper solutions.

This paper is concerned with new methods based on standard and nonstandard finite difference schemes for solving one-dimensional Bratu’s problem numeri- cally. Using quasilinearization technique, the original problem is converted into a sequence of linear problems. Chebyshev polynomials are employed to ap- proximate the second order derivative of function, y(x), after which Sumudu transform is applied to obtain a new form of trial function and this is then substituted into a linearized and discretized Bratu’s equation. We discuss the convergence analysis of the methods and also compare the numerical results with those obtained by other existing methods. The results show that the pro- posed methods yield accurate approximations to the exact solution of Bratu’s problem.

The objective of the research is to characterize the diversity of Aeromonas and verify the presence of ecotypes in an urban river of Northeast of Brazil along a salinity gradiente. 140 cultivable strains with morphological characteristics similar to Aeromonas species were isolated. Of the total, 59 strains (42%) were confirmed by biochemical tests, of which 28 were identified by gentotypic similarity to species and the remainder classified as Aeromonas spp, among them: A. hydrophila, A. cavie, A. veronii and A. media. According to the results obtained, the phenotypic identification key used in this work was very efficient for the identification of the genus Aeromonas, since it confirmed all the isolates tested as Aeromonas. Analysis of similarity among the isolated Aeromonas strains showed the presence of 29 Aeromonas ecotypes. However, the large number of ecotypes found suggests that the environment, over time, has caused substantial genotypic changes in the strains of the genus Aeromonas

Underreporting of behavioral adverse effects is well known in patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. The behavioral Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) could include delirium, insomnia, mood disturbances, or syndromal psychiatric diagnosis. Liaison with the psychiatry team is essential to address the evolution of new-onset behavioral symptoms and a high degree of sensitivity with good interdisciplinary coordination is expected during Pharmacovigilance of behavioral ADR. We report the emergence of Mania on Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin regimen in a case of carcinoma rectum. The possible role of the kynurenine pathway in the inflammatory cascade is hypothesized to be implicated in both cancer and mood disorders that require further research. A low dose of antipsychotics such as risperidone under supervised follow-up with psychiatrist is necessary to treat the organic mania. The report also highlights the importance of pharmacovigilance while reporting behavioral adverse effects in clinical practice and emphasizes the role of consultation-liaison psychiatry in the field of oncology.

Background and Purpose: Descending projections from neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) make synapses within the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord that is involved in acute nociception and the development of chronic pain and itch. In addition, this projection plays an important role in mediating the analgesic effects of opioids. However, our knowledge about the spinal synaptic targets of RVM projections and their modulation by opioids is unknown. Experimental Approach: We used ex vivo optogenetic stimulation of RVM descending fibres and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from superficial dorsal horn (SDH) neurons to identify the target neurons and to investigate their descending synaptic inputs. Key Results: We demonstrate that SDH neurons are targeted by descending GABA/glycine inhibitory inputs from the RVM, although glycinergic inputs predominate. These SDH neurons had diverse morphological and electrical properties. This inhibitory synapse was presynaptically suppressed by the kappa opioid receptor agonist U69593. By contrast, the mu-opioid receptor agonist DAMGO inhibited only a subset of RVM-SDH synapses, acting both pre- and postsynaptically, while the delta-opioid receptor agonist deltorphin II had little effect. Conclusion and Implications: Developing reliable and effective alternatives to opioid analgesics requires a detailed, mechanistic understanding of how opioids interact with nociceptive circuits. This study selectively and systematically characterises the synaptic connections between RVM projection neurons and their SDH targets to advance our knowledge of how this descending projection is organised and modulated. In addition, it improves our understanding of how opioids alter spinal pathways involved in the sensations of pain and itch.

Background: Smoking depresses pulmonary immune function and is a risk factor contracting more serious outcomes among people who become infected. The association between smoking and persistent respiratory symptoms which are resistant to oseltamivir for suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was evaluated. Methods: A total of 22 COVID-19 suspected medical personnel and their cohabitation families without hypoxia and lung diseases, who came to the adult fever clinic from March to September 2020 were studied. All patients received oseltamivir and antibacterial therapy together. And four patients suffering from constant cough were started on inhaled ciclesonide 400μg twice a day for a week. Results: Most of the infected patients were female [13 (59%)], 2 had diabetes (9%) and 4 hypertension (18%). The median age was 40 years (interquartile range [IQR] 25–47 years). The study patients were divided into 2 groups; individuals who currently smoke in 11 patients (current smokers) and never smoked in 11 (never smokers). Four (36%) of 11 current smokers experienced constant cough even after oseltamivir administration, compared with 0% of never smokers (χ 2=4.90; p<0.05). The cough score decreased from 1.5±0.5 at baseline to 0.3±0.5 during the one week after ciclesonide administration (p<0.001) and constant cough disappeared in three cases out of four current smokers. Conclusion: Because current smokers are at a higher risk to develop constant cough which is resistant to oseltamivir therapy for suspected COVID-19 as compared to never smokers, smoking cessation should be recommended at an early stage. Ciclesonide may improve the constant cough in suspected COVID-19.

One of the enhancement capabilities of modern software are the Trimming function, which we suggest in this letter to be used in step-by-step assessment of the Mitral valve (MV) and aortic valve (AV) . it didn’t overcome the required experience in loop acquisition and enhancement, but it makes interpretation a lot easier and allow for directly identification of the pathology in mitral valve leaflet. In Aortic valve it allows to directly assess the coaptation between the leaflets including the coaptation between the non-coronary and left coronary cusps which cannot be obtained even by biplane examination because of the horizontal cutting line in the Midesophageral aortic valve shorty axis view.

Background: Thunderstorm asthma is a term used to describe surges in acute respiratory illnesses following a thunderstorm and is often attributed to an intense exposure to aeroallergens. Several episodes of epidemic thunderstorm asthma have been observed worldwide; however, no such cases have been described in Sweden. In Sweden, the most prominent exposure to air-borne pollen occurs during the blooming of the birch. We aimed to explore the potential associations between the respiratory health and the combined exposure to thunderstorms and birch pollen. Methods: We investigated the association between the daily numbers of outpatient visits due to respiratory cases and the combined exposure to thunderstorms and birch pollen during a period of May 1 st - August 31 st in 2001-2017, in Stockholm County, Sweden, by using time series analysis with log linear models. Results: We detected a significant increase in the number of outpatient visits on both the same day and the day after the occurrence of a thunderstorm, when either the concentrations of ambient birch pollen or the number of thunderstorm-associated lighting discharges were within the highest categories. Conclusions: It is possible that co-exposure to heavy thunderstorms and high concentrations of birch pollen affects the respiratory health of the Stockholm population. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study addressing the thunderstorm-related respiratory illnesses in Sweden and the effect of birch pollen. Other similar studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn; however, our study may be important for future public health advice related to thunderstorm asthma.

In this study, we solve the non-relativistic radial part of the Schrödinger wave equation for the superposition of the Hulthen with spin-orbit plus adjusted Coulomb potential (SHSC) potential using the Nikiforov-Uvarov (NU) method for arbitrary states. The Hulthen with spin-orbit plus adjusted Coulomb (SHSC) potential is the simplest potential field for a nuclear system and has been used to obtain the single particle energy spectrum for both nucleon species orbiting a closed nuclear core. We also obtained in this study the corresponding single particle normalized wave function expressed in terms of the Jacobi polynomial. Besides, we obtained two special cases of the energy spectra for the SHSC potential.

Here we propose two metrics to assess the ecological resilience of communities based on how changes in the overall abundance of individuals affect the number of species. The community sensitivity expresses the rate of change in the log expected number of species with respect to the log expected total number of individuals, whereas the community resistance is the proportional reduction in community size that will reduce the expected number of species by one. Estimates of these metrics in four bird communities in European deciduous forests using a stochastic model for the community dynamics revealed large differences in the resilience to permanent changes of the environment. In particular, stochastic influences from environmental fluctuations strongly affected the sensitivity and the resistance caused by area loss or increased environmental stochasticity. This shows that ecological resilience is closely related to which processes that most strongly affect the temporal dynamics of communities.

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection involving rhinocerebral, pulmonary, cutaneous, gastrointestinal, disseminated forms with high morbidity and mortality with rare involvement of urinary bladder. Diagnosis is made by examining under a microscope, identifying broad, nonseptate, irregular, ribbon-shaped hyphae. Timely diagnosis and starting antifungal drugs are key for successful treatment.

In this paper, the scaling-law vector calculus, which is connected between the vector calculus and the scaling law in fractal geometry, is addressed based on the Leibniz derivative and Stieltjes integral for the first time. The scaling-law Gauss-Ostrogradsky-like, Stokes-like, and Green-like theorems, and Green-like identities are considered in sense of the scaling-law vector calculus. The scaling-law Navier-Stokes-like equations are obtained in detail. The obtained result is as a potentially mathematical tool proposed to develop an important way of approaching this challenge for the scaling-law flows.

In the present paper, non-linear Fisher’s reaction-diffusion equation is solved numerically by using Strang splitting technique with the help of Galerkin method combined with quadratic B-spline base functions. For this aim, Fisher’s equation is split into two sub-equations with respect to time such that one is linear and the other is nonlinear. Galerkin method using quadratic B-spline finite elements is applied to each sub-equation. To check correctness and reliability of the presented approach, we have realized on three numerical examples and have made a comparison with earlier current studies existing in the literature calculating the error norms $L_{2}$ and $L_{\infty}$. The solutions obtained during the article show that the present method is quite proper for using many partial differential equations in terms of being easy and convenient to computer application.

In recent years, the control of the larch budmoth has attracted a great deal of attention from experts, and spraying with insecticides is one of the main control strategies. The key of this strategy is the timing and efficiency of insecticide applications and how multiple insecticide applications affect the growth of budmoth. This paper extends a new two dimensional discrete model by adding chemical controls based on a dynamical model of plant quality interacting with larch budmoth proposed in the literature to cope with this problem. First, the parametric conditions required for the existence and local stability of the positive fixed point of the model are discussed, and under certain conditions, the presence of period-doubling bifurcation and Neimark-Sacker bifurcation of the system, which reveals a significant effect of the kill rates of insecticides on the budmoth growth. The results show that a paradox arises when low kill rates stimulate the growth of budmoth and high kill rates inhibit the growth of budmoth. Furthermore, we analyze the influence of various factors and cumulative effects on the paradox phenomenon. Therefore, the timing of insecticide application and its efficiency should be chosen wisely to prevent the paradox.

Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyoses (ARCI) are rare and genetically heterogeneous inherited disorders of keratinization characterized by hyperkeratosis, dry, and scaly skin. So far, a number of genes associated with ichthyosis have been identified that are involved in lipid metabolism and the formation of the stratum corneum

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used worldwide and have been linked to kidney diseases. However, it remains unclear about the role of PPI use in the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Aims: To examine the association between PPI use and risk of CKD. Methods: This is a prospective analysis of 472,373 participants free of any renal failure diagnosis from the UK Biobank. Incident CKD was identified based on medical history and linkage to data on primary care and hospital admissions. Self-reported PPI use was firstly assessed using a touchscreen questionnaire, and then confirmed by a trained staff. We estimated the hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence interval (CIs) with Cox regression models adjusting for potential confounders. The number needed to harm (NNH) was calculated at one and five years of follow-up. Results We documented 7,291 cases of CKD over a median of 8.1 years follow-up. After adjustment for potential confounders, regular PPI users had a 24% increased risk of CKD incident compared to non-regular PPI users (HR1.24, 95%CI1.16 -1.33). The NNH was 773.1 and 177.5 for one and five years of follow-up, respectively. Directly compared with H2 receptor antagonist, a less potent acid suppressor, PPI use was associated with 17% higher risk of CKD (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.36). Conclusions Regular use of PPI is associated with an increased risk of CKD. Healthcare providers should carefully weigh up the potential benefits against risk in prescribing PPIs, particularly for long-term continuous use.

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is challenging the health systems worldwide, and large population testing is a vital step to control this pandemic. Here, we developed a new method (named HCoV-MS), which combines multiplex PCR with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry to simultaneously detect and differentiate seven human coronaviruses (HCoVs). The HCoV-MS method had good specificity and sensitivity, with a detection limit of 1-5 copies/reaction. To validate the HCoV-MS method, we tested 151 clinical samples, and the results showed good concordance with real-time PCR. In addition, 41 D614G variants were identified, which were consistent with the sequencing results. This method was also used in EQAE-SARS-COV in 2020, and all the samples were accurately identified. Taken together, HCoV-MS could be used as an effective method for large-scale detection. It was also capable of detecting key single nucleotide polymorphism about variants.

Introduction: SARS-CoV2 serology testing is multipurpose provided to choose an efficient test. We evaluated and compared 4 different commercial serology tests, three of them had the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Our goal was to provide new data to help to guide the interpretation and the choice of the serological tests. Methods: Four commercial tests were evaluated: Cobas®Roche®(total anti-N antibodies), VIDAS®Biomerieux®(IgM and IgG anti-RBD antibodies), Mindray®(IgM and IgG anti-N and anti-RBD antibodies) and Access®Beckman Coulter®(IgG anti-RBD antibodies). Were tested: a positive panel (n=72 sera) obtained from COVID-19 confirmed patients and a negative panel (n=119) of pre-pandemic sera. Were determined the analytical performances and was drawn the ROC curve to assess the manufacturer’s threshold. Results: A large range of variability between the tests was found. Mindray®IgG and Cobas® tests showed the best overall sensitivity 79,2%CI95%[67,9-87,8]. Cobas® showed the best sensitivity after D14; 85,4%CI95%[72,2-93,9]. The best specificity was noted for Cobas®, VIDAS®IgG and Access® IgG(100%CI95%[96,9-100]). Access® had the lower sensitivity even after D14 (55,5% CI95%[43,4-67,3]). VIDAS®IgM and Mindray®IgM tests showed the lowest specificity and sensitivity rates. Overall, only 43 out of 72 sera gave concordant results (59,7%). Retained cut-offs for a significantly better sensitivity and accuracy, without altering significantly the specificity, were: 0,87 for Vidas®IgM(p=0,01), 0,55 for Vidas®IgG(p=0,05) and 0,14 for Access®(p<10-4). Conclusion: Although FDA approved, each laboratory should realize its own evaluation for commercial tests. Tests variability may raise some concerns that seroprevalence studies may vary significantly based on the used serology test.

Humans have the most sensory neurons of any terrestrial species, 18.83B, with more than twice as many as the runner up western gorilla. There are three aquatic species with more than humans and seven more with more than the western gorilla. The killer whale with more than twice as many as humans, long-finned and short-finned pilot whale with a little less than twice humans. With that many sensory neurons it would be assumed that those would be the species with the most emotional disturbance from anthropogenic influence. There is no data on killer whale endangerment, and both long and short finned pilot whales are LC, ranking them 23rd and 24th most disturbed species. It is important for us to consider what the species means to them in evaluating what species we should care about, it would be beneficial to base that on what species care about themselves the most.