Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis associated with scrub typhus:A case report

Rationale:Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis(LETM)is a rare inflammatory demyelinating disease predominantly associated with autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.Scrub typhus can cause a variety of neurological complications,which may result in poor recovery and long-term disability.This report reveals a rare linkage between LETM and scrub typhus.Patient concerns:A 24-year-old female presented with a history of fever for 10 days associated with progressive quadriparesis.Physical examination revealed bilateral lower limb weakness(grade 0/5)and bilateral upper limb weakness(grade 2/5)with reduced sensation below the T3 dermatome.Diagnosis:Scrub typhus presenting with longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis.Interventions:Steroid pulse therapy with antibiotics supported by early intensive rehabilitation.Outcomes:Complete recovery was achieved.Lessons:This case report highlights the importance of considering scrub typhus as a potential cause of LETM in endemic regions,particularly in patients presenting with febrile illness and neurological symptoms.

Three-roller continuous setting round process for longitudinally submerged arc welding pipes

In order to solve the problems of excess ovality and cross-section distortion of longitudinally submerged arc welding pipes after forming,a new three-roller continuous setting round process was proposed.This process can be divided into three stages:loading stage,roll bending stage and unloading stage.Based on the discretization idea,the mechanical model of the primary statically indeterminate problem of the longitudinally submerged arc welding pipes at the roll bending stage was established,and the deformation response was obtained.The simulation and theoretical results show that there are three positive bending regions and three reverse bending regions along the circumference of the pipe.The loading force of each roller shows growth,stability and downward trend with time.The error between the theoretical fitting curve and the simulated data point is very small,and the simulation results verify the reliability of the theoretical calculation.The experimental results show that the residual ovality decreases with the increase of the reduction,and the reduction of the turning point is the optimum reduction.In addition,the residual ovality of the pipe is less than 0.7%without cross-section distortion,which verifies the feasibility of this process.

Analytical analysis for vibration of longitudinally moving plate submerged in infinite liquid domain

The vibration of a longitudinally moving rectangular plate submersed in an infinite liquid domain is studied analytically with the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The liquid is assumed to be incompressible, inviscid, and irrotational, and the velocity potential is used to describe the fluid velocity in the whole liquid field. The classical thin plate theory is used to derive mechanical energies of the traveling plate. As derivative of transverse displacement with respect to time in the compatibility condition equation exists, an exponential function is introduced to depict the dynamic deformation of the moving plate. It is shown that this exponential function works well with the Rayleigh- Ritz method. A convergence study shows a quick convergence speed for the immersed moving plate. Furthermore, the parametric study is carried out to demonstrate the effect of system parameters including the moving speed, the plate location, the liquid depth, the plate-liquid ratio, and the boundary condition. Results show that the above system parameters have significant influence on the vibration characteristics of the immersed moving plate. To extend the study, the method of added virtual mass incremental （AVMI） factor is used. The results show good agreement with those from the Rayleigh-Ritz method.

Dynamic stability of axially accelerating viscoelastic plates with longitudinally varying tensions

The dynamic stability of axially accelerating plates is investigated. Longitudi- nally varying tensions due to the acceleration and nonhomogeneous boundary conditions are highlighted. A model of the plate combined with viscoelasticity is applied. In the viscoelastic constitutive relationship, the material derivative is used to take the place of the partial time derivative. Analytical and numerical methods are used to investigate summation and principal parametric resonances, respectively. By use of linear models for the transverse behavior in the small displacement regime, the plate is confined by a viscous damping force. The generalized Hamilton principle is used to derive the govern- ing equations, the initial conditions, and the boundary conditions of the coupled planar vibration. The solvability conditions are established by directly using the method of mul- tiple scales. The Routh-Hurwitz criterion is used to obtain the necessary and sufficient condition of the stability. Numerical examples are given to show the effects of related parameters on the stability boundaries. The validity of longitudinally varying tensions and nonhomogeneous boundary conditions is highlighted by comparing the results of the method of multiple scales with those of a differential quadrature scheme.

Correlation between serum uric acid levels and clinical characteristics in patients with longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis A case-control study

Uric acid is reduced in demyelinating diseases, including multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica （NMO）. Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis （LETM） is often an early manifestation of NMO. Whether uric acid levels are reduced at presentation of LETM remains unknown. The present study investigated serum uric acid levels by evaluating 35 patients with LETM, 64 with NMO, 62 with multiple sclerosis, 63 with other neurological diseases and 65 healthy controls. In addition, we tested the correlation between serum uric acid and the clinical characteristics of LETM. All patients were in the acute phase, defined as less than 1 month from onset or relapse. The results revealed that serum uric acid levels in LETM were significantly lower than in multiple sclerosis, other neurological diseases and healthy controls, but no difference was found between LETM and NMO. A negative correlation between uric acid levels and Expanded Disability Status Scale scores was found in LETM patients （r = -0.545, P 〈 0.05）. The results suggest that uric acid levels are reduced in patients with LETM, raising the possibility that lower uric acid levels are an indicator of disease disability. Moreover, reduced uric acid levels may be a risk factor in NMO.

Occasional Forces and Displacements of Longitudinally Coupled Ballastless Jointless Turnout on Bridges

For the longitudinally coupled baUastless turnout on Leida bridge on Wuhan-Guangzhou passenger dedicated line （PDL） in China, a turnout （cross over）-track slab-bridge deck-pier integrated finite element model was established, in which two No. 18 jointless turnouts with movable frogs in form of crossover, longitudinally coupled ballastless track, bridges and piers were regarded as one system. Based on this model, the additional forces and displacement regularities of turnouts, track slab, bridges and piers under occasional loading were analyzed, and the effect of occasional loading position was researched. The results show that slab breaking is more influential on the longitudinal force and deformation of the whole system than rail breaking, that slab breaking on one line could deteriorate both the slab force on another line and the forces exerted on the piers and fastener components, and that a great slab force at the left end of the continuous bridge expansion joint should be particularly avoided in design.

Analysis of Transverse Vibration of a Longitudinally Moving Fabric

Fabric moves along running direction continuously in the processing of weaving,dyeing and finishing and its dynamic behavior is very complex.Running at a high speed,the fabric vibrates,which has great influence not only on the performance of machine,but also on the fabric itself.Analysis of transverse free vibration of a longitudinally moving fabric is put forward in this paper and the calculating formula of natural frequencies of the fabric is introduced accordingly.Meanwhile the effects of several parameters on the first order natural frequency are also discussed.

Analysis of the interaction between bolt-reinforced rock and surface support in tunnels based on convergence-confinement method

To investigate the interaction of the bolt-reinforced rock and the surface support,an analytical model of the convergence-confinement type is proposed,considering the sequential installation of the fully grouted rockbolts and the surface support.The rock mass is assumed to be elastic-brittle-plastic material,obeying the linear Mohr-Coulomb criterion or the non-linear Hoek-Brown criterion.According to the strain states of the tunnel wall at bolt and surface support installation and the relative magnitude between the bolt length and the plastic depth during the whole process,six cases are categorized upon solving the problem.Each case is divided into three stages due to the different effects of the active rockbolts and the passive surface support.The fictitious pressure is introduced to quantify the threedimensional(3D)effect of the tunnel face,and thus,the actual physical location along the tunnel axis of the analytical section can be considered.By using the bolt-rock strain compatibility and the rocksurface support displacement compatibility conditions,the solutions of longitudinal tunnel displacement and the reaction pressure of surface support along the tunnel axis are obtained.The proposed analytical solutions are validated by a series of 3D numerical simulations.Extensive parametric studies are conducted to examine the effect of the typical parameters of rockbolts and surface support on the tunnel displacement and the reaction pressure of the surface support under different rock conditions.The results show that the rockbolts are more effective in controlling the tunnel displacement than the surface support,which should be installed as soon as possible with a suitable length.For tunnels excavated in weak rocks or with restricted displacement control requirements,the surface support should also be installed or closed timely with a certain stiffness.The proposed method provides a convenient alternative approach for the optimization of rockbolts and surface support at the preliminary stage of tunnel design.

Semi-analytical investigation of heat transfer in a porous convective radiative moving longitudinal fin exposed to magnetic field in the presence of a shape-dependent trihybrid nanofluid

The thermal examination of a non-integer-ordered mobile fin with a magnetism in the presence of a trihybrid nanofluid(Fe_3O_4-Au-Zn-blood) is carried out. Three types of nanoparticles, each having a different shape, are considered. These shapes include spherical(Fe_3O_4), cylindrical(Au), and platelet(Zn) configurations. The combination approach is utilized to evaluate the physical and thermal characteristics of the trihybrid and hybrid nanofluids, excluding the thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity. These two properties are inferred by means of the interpolation method based on the volume fraction of nanoparticles. The governing equation is transformed into a dimensionless form, and the Adomian decomposition Sumudu transform method(ADSTM) is adopted to solve the conundrum of a moving fin immersed in a trihybrid nanofluid. The obtained results agree well with those numerical simulation results, indicating that this research is reliable. The influence of diverse factors on the thermal overview for varying noninteger values of γ is analyzed and presented in graphical representations. Furthermore, the fluctuations in the heat transfer concerning the pertinent parameters are studied. The results show that the heat flux in the presence of the combination of spherical, cylindrical, and platelet nanoparticles is higher than that in the presence of the combination of only spherical and cylindrical nanoparticles. The temperature at the fin tip increases by 0.705 759% when the value of the Peclet number increases by 400%, while decreases by 11.825 13% when the value of the Hartman number increases by 400%.

Super-resolution longitudinally polarized light needle achieved by tightly focusing radially polarized beams

Based on the vector diffraction theory, a super-resolution longitudinally polarized optical needle with ultra-long depth of focus(DOF) is generated by tightly focusing a radially polarized beam that is modulated by a self-designed ternary hybrid(phase/amplitude) filter(THF). Both the phase and the amplitude patterns of THF are judiciously optimized by the versatile particle swarm optimization(PSO) searching algorithm. For the focusing configuration with a combination of a high numerical aperture(NA) and the optimized sine-shaped THFs, an optical needle with the full width at half maximum(FWHM) of 0.414λ and the DOF of 7.58λ is accessed, which corresponds to an aspect ratio of 18.3. The demonstrated longitudinally polarized super-resolution light needle with high aspect ratio opens up broad applications in high-density optical data storage, nano-photolithography, super-resolution imaging and high-efficiency particle trapping.

Improving the utility of locally differentially private protocols for longitudinal and multidimensional frequency estimates

This paper investigates the problem of collecting multidimensional data throughout time(i.e.,longitudinal studies)for the fundamental task of frequency estimation under Local Differential Privacy(LDP)guarantees.Contrary to frequency estimation of a single attribute,the multidimensional aspect demands particular attention to the privacy budget.Besides,when collecting user statistics longitudinally,privacy progressively degrades.Indeed,the“multiple”settings in combination(i.e.,many attributes and several collections throughout time)impose several challenges,for which this paper proposes the first solution for frequency estimates under LDP.To tackle these issues,we extend the analysis of three state-of-the-art LDP protocols(Generalized Randomized Response–GRR,Optimized Unary Encoding–OUE,and Symmetric Unary Encoding–SUE)for both longitudinal and multidimensional data collections.While the known literature uses OUE and SUE for two rounds of sanitization(a.k.a.memoization),i.e.,L-OUE and L-SUE,respectively,we analytically and experimentally show that starting with OUE and then with SUE provides higher data utility(i.e.,L-OSUE).Also,for attributes with small domain sizes,we propose Longitudinal GRR(L-GRR),which provides higher utility than the other protocols based on unary encoding.Last,we also propose a new solution named Adaptive LDP for LOngitudinal and Multidimensional FREquency Estimates(ALLOMFREE),which randomly samples a single attribute to be sent with the whole privacy budget and adaptively selects the optimal protocol,i.e.,either L-GRR or L-OSUE.As shown in the results,ALLOMFREE consistently and considerably outperforms the state-of-the-art L-SUE and L-OUE protocols in the quality of the frequency estimates.

Characteristic analysis of 1.06μm long-cavity diode lasers based on asymmetric waveguide structures

In long-cavity edge-emitting diode lasers,longitudinal spatial hole burning(LSHB),two-photon ab⁃sorption(TPA)and free carrier absorption(FCA)are among the key factors that affect the linear increase in out⁃put power at high injection currents.In this paper,a simplified numerical analysis model is proposed for 1.06μm long-cavity diode lasers by combining TPA and FCA losses with one-dimensional(1D)rate equations.The ef⁃fects of LSHB,TPA and FCA on the output characteristics are systematically analyzed,and it is proposed that ad⁃justing the front facet reflectivity and the position of the quantum well(QW)in the waveguide layer can improve the front facet output power.

Bunch-length measurement at a bunch-by-bunch rate based on time–frequency-domain joint analysis techniques and its application

This paper presents a new technique for measuring the bunch length of a high-energy electron beam at a bunch-by-bunch rate in storage rings.This technique uses the time–frequency-domain joint analysis of the bunch signal to obtain bunch-by-bunch and turn-by-turn longitudinal parameters,such as bunch length and synchronous phase.The bunch signal is obtained using a button electrode with a bandwidth of several gigahertz.The data acquisition device was a high-speed digital oscilloscope with a sampling rate of more than 10 GS/s,and the single-shot sampling data buffer covered thousands of turns.The bunch-length and synchronous phase information were extracted via offline calculations using Python scripts.The calibration coefficient of the system was determined using a commercial streak camera.Moreover,this technique was tested on two different storage rings and successfully captured various longitudinal transient processes during the harmonic cavity debugging process at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility(SSRF),and longitudinal instabilities were observed during the single-bunch accumulation process at Hefei Light Source(HLS).For Gaussian-distribution bunches,the uncertainty of the bunch phase obtained using this technique was better than 0.2 ps,and the bunch-length uncertainty was better than 1 ps.The dynamic range exceeded 10 ms.This technology is a powerful and versatile beam diagnostic tool that can be conveniently deployed in high-energy electron storage rings.

Structural and functional connectivity of the whole brain and subnetworks in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury:predictors of patient prognosis

Patients with mild traumatic brain injury have a diverse clinical presentation,and the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood.Magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive technique that has been widely utilized to investigate neuro biological markers after mild traumatic brain injury.This approach has emerged as a promising tool for investigating the pathogenesis of mild traumatic brain injury.G raph theory is a quantitative method of analyzing complex networks that has been widely used to study changes in brain structure and function.However,most previous mild traumatic brain injury studies using graph theory have focused on specific populations,with limited exploration of simultaneous abnormalities in structural and functional connectivity.Given that mild traumatic brain injury is the most common type of traumatic brain injury encounte red in clinical practice,further investigation of the patient characteristics and evolution of structural and functional connectivity is critical.In the present study,we explored whether abnormal structural and functional connectivity in the acute phase could serve as indicators of longitudinal changes in imaging data and cognitive function in patients with mild traumatic brain injury.In this longitudinal study,we enrolled 46 patients with mild traumatic brain injury who were assessed within 2 wee ks of injury,as well as 36 healthy controls.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging data were acquired for graph theoretical network analysis.In the acute phase,patients with mild traumatic brain injury demonstrated reduced structural connectivity in the dorsal attention network.More than 3 months of followup data revealed signs of recovery in structural and functional connectivity,as well as cognitive function,in 22 out of the 46 patients.Furthermore,better cognitive function was associated with more efficient networks.Finally,our data indicated that small-worldness in the acute stage could serve as a predictor of longitudinal changes in connectivity in patients with mild traumatic brain injury.These findings highlight the importance of integrating structural and functional connectivity in unde rstanding the occurrence and evolution of mild traumatic brain injury.Additionally,exploratory analysis based on subnetworks could serve a predictive function in the prognosis of patients with mild traumatic brain injury.

Longitudinal vibration characteristics of a tapered pipe pile considering the vertical support of surrounding soil and construction disturbance

This research is concentrated on the longitudinal vibration of a tapered pipe pile considering the vertical support of the surrounding soil and construction disturbance.First,the pile-soil system is partitioned into finite segments in the vertical direction and the Voigt model is applied to simulate the vertical support of the surrounding soil acting on the pile segment.The surrounding soil is divided into finite ring-shaped zones in the radial direction to consider the construction disturbance.Then,the shear complex stiffness at the pile-soil interface is derived by solving the dynamic equilibrium equation for the soil from the outermost to innermost zone.The displacement impedance at the top of an arbitrary pile segment is obtained by solving the dynamic equilibrium equation for the pile and is combined with the vertical support of the surrounding soil to derive the displacement impedance at the bottom of the upper adjacent segment.Further,the displacement impedance at the pile head is obtained based on the impedance function transfer technique.Finally,the reliability of the proposed solution is verified,followed by a sensitivity analysis concerning the coupling effect of the pile parameters,construction disturbance and the vertical support of the surrounding soil on the displacement impedance of the pile.

Research on the longitudinal protection of a through-type cophase traction direct power supply system based on the empirical wavelet transform

This paper proposes a longitudinal protection scheme utilizing empirical wavelet transform(EWT)for a through-type cophase traction direct power supply system,where both sides of a traction network line exhibit a distinctive boundary structure.This approach capitalizes on the boundary’s capacity to attenuate the high-frequency component of fault signals,resulting in a variation in the high-frequency transient energy ratio when faults occur inside or outside the line.During internal line faults,the high-frequency transient energy at the checkpoints located at both ends surpasses that of its neighboring lines.Conversely,for faults external to the line,the energy is lower compared to adjacent lines.EWT is employed to decompose the collected fault current signals,allowing access to the high-frequency transient energy.The longitudinal protection for the traction network line is established based on disparities between both ends of the traction network line and the high-frequency transient energy on either side of the boundary.Moreover,simulation verification through experimental results demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed protection scheme across various initial fault angles,distances to faults,and fault transition resistances.

Transverse mode-coupling instability with longitudinal impedance

Transverse mode-coupling instability(TMCI)is a dangerous transverse single-bunch instability that can lead to severe par-ticle loss.The mechanism of TMCI can be explained by the coupling of transverse coherent oscillation modes owing to the transverse short-range wakefield(i.e.,the transverse broadband impedance).Recent studies on future circular colliders,e.g.,FCC-ee,showed that the threshold of TMCI decreased significantly when both longitudinal and transverse impedances were included.We performed computations for the circular electron-positron collider(CEPC)and observed a similar phenom-enon.Systematic studies on the influence of longitudinal impedance on the TMCI threshold were conducted.We concluded that the imaginary part of the longitudinal impedance,which caused a reduction in the incoherent synchrotron tune,was the primary reason for the reduction in the TMCI threshold.Additionally,the real part of the longitudinal impedance assists in increasing the TMCI threshold.

DAPK2 promotes autophagy to accelerate the progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament through the mTORC1 complex

Background:Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament(OPLL)is a prevalent condition in orthopedics.While death-associated protein kinase 2(DAPK2)is known to play roles in cellular apoptosis and autophagy,its specific contributions to the advancement of OPLL are not well understood.Methods:Ligament fibroblasts were harvested from patients diagnosed with OPLL.Techniques such as real-time reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and Western blot analysis were employed to assess DAPK2 levels in both ligament tissues and cultured fibroblasts.The extent of osteogenic differentiation in these cells was evaluated using an alizarin red S(ARS)staining.Additionally,the expression of ossification markers and autophagy markers was quantified.The autophagic activity was further analyzed through LC3 immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).An in vivo heterotopic bone formation assay was conducted in mice to assess the role of DAPK2 in ossification.Results:Elevated DAPK2 expression was confirmed in both OPLL patient tissues and derived fibroblasts,in contrast to non-OPLL controls.Silencing of DAPK2 significantly curtailed osteogenic differentiation and autophagy in these fibroblasts,evidenced by decreased levels of LC3,and Beclin1,and reduced autophagosome formation.Additionally,DAPK2 was found to inhibit the mechanistic target of the rapamycin complex 1(mTORC1)complex’s activity.In vivo studies demonstrated that DAPK2 facilitates ossification,and this effect could be counteracted by the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin.Conclusion:DAPK2 enhances autophagy and osteogenic processes in OPLL through modulation of the mTORC1 pathway.

Recent Construction Technology Innovations and Practices for Large-Span Arch Bridges in China

Arch bridges provide significant technical and economic benefits under suitable conditions.In particular,concrete-filled steel tubular(CFST)arch bridges and steel-reinforced concrete(SRC)arch bridges are two types of arch bridges that have gained great economic competitiveness and span growth potential due to advancements in construction technology,engineering materials,and construction equipment over the past 30 years.Under the leadership of the author,two record-breaking arch bridges—that is,the Pingnan Third Bridge(a CFST arch bridge),with a span of 560 m,and the Tian’e Longtan Bridge(an SRC arch bridge),with a span of 600 m—have been built in the past five years,embodying great technological breakthroughs in the construction of these two types of arch bridges.This paper takes these two arch bridges as examples to systematically summarize the latest technological innovations and practices in the construction of CFST arch bridges and SRC arch bridges in China.The technological innovations of CFST arch bridges include cable-stayed fastening-hanging cantilevered assembly methods,new in-tube concrete materials,in-tube concrete pouring techniques,a novel thrust abutment foundation for nonrocky terrain,and measures to reduce the quantity of temporary facilities.The technological innovations of SRC arch bridges involve arch skeleton stiffness selection,the development of encasing concrete materials,encasing concrete pouring,arch rib stress mitigation,and longitudinal reinforcement optimization.To conclude,future research focuses and development directions for these two types of arch bridges are proposed.

Parametric investigation of railway fastenings into the formation and mitigation of short pitch corrugation

Short pitch corrugation has been a problem for railways worldwide over one century.In this paper,a parametric investigation of fastenings is conducted to understand the corrugation formation mechanism and gain insights into corrugation mitigation.A three-dimensional finite element vehicle-track dynamic interaction model is employed,which considers the coupling between the structural dynamics and the contact mechanics,while the damage mechanism is assumed to be differential wear.Various fastening models with different configurations,boundary conditions,and parameters of stiffness and damping are built up and analysed.These models may represent different service stages of fastenings in the field.Besides,the effect of train speeds on corrugation features is studied.The results indicate:(1)Fastening parameters and modelling play an important role in corrugation formation.(2)The fastening longitudinal constraint to the rail is the major factor that determines the corrugation formation.The fastening vertical and lateral constraints influence corrugation features in terms of spatial distribution and wavelength components.(3)The strengthening of fastening constraints in the longitudinal dimension helps to mitigate corrugation.Meanwhile,the inner fastening constraint in the lateral direction is necessary for corrugation alleviation.(4)The increase in fastening longitudinal stiffness and damping can reduce the vibration amplitudes of longitudinal compression modes and thus reduce the track corrugation propensity.The simulation in this work can well explain the field corrugation in terms of the occurrence possibility and major wavelength components.It can also explain the field data with respect to the small variation between the corrugation wavelength and train speed,which is caused by frequency selection and jump between rail longitudinal compression modes.