Managing common property in gated communities is challenging. Although numerous studies have demonstrated that there are several determinants of collective action effectiveness and performances in ...gated communities, empirical research drawing on a multidimensional social-ecological system (SES) framework in quantitatively exploring relationships between institutional–physical–social factors and gated community collective action remains lacking. Therefore, based on Ostrom’s social-ecological system (SES) framework, this study attempts to identify factors influencing the self-organizing system (collective action) of gated communities in China. Using stratified purposive sampling, ten gated communities with various characteristics in the Taigu district were selected, in which questionnaires were then distributed to 414 households to collect valid data within the communities. Taking the ridge regression as a more robust predictive SES model with a penalty value of k = 0.1 and regularization, R Square of 0.882, this study, among 14 factors, ultimately identified six key institutional–social–ecological factors based on the descending standardized effect size, and they are: (i) types of community; (ii) presence of leaders; (iii) exclusiveness systems of a gated community; (iv) age of gated community; (v) strict enforcement of rules; and (vi) number of households that affect residents’ collective action in terms of community security, hygiene and cleanliness, and facility quality. The research findings provide urban managers and communities novel insights to formulate strategic policies towards sustainable housing and building management.
Preemptive administration of analgesic drugs reduces perceived pain and prolongs duration of antinociceptive action. Whereas several lines of evidence suggest that endomorphins, the endogenous ...mu-opioid agonists, attenuate acute and chronic pain at the spinal level, their preemptive analgesic effects remain to be determined. In this study, we evaluated the anti-allodynic activities of endomorphins and explored their mechanisms of action after preemptive administration in a mouse model of inflammatory pain.
The anti-allodynic activities of preemptive intrathecal administration of endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2 were investigated in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain model and paw incision-induced postoperative pain model. The modulating effects of endomorphins on the expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and inflammatory mediators in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of CFA-treated mice were assayed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, or immunofluorescence staining.
Preemptive intrathecal injection of endomorphins dose-dependently attenuated CFA-induced mechanical allodynia via the mu-opioid receptor and significantly reversed paw incision-induced allodynia. In addition, CFA-caused increase of phosphorylated p38 MAPK in DRG was dramatically reduced by preemptive administration of endomorphins. Repeated intrathecal application of the specific p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 reduced CFA-induced mechanical allodynia as well. Further RT-PCR assay showed that endomorphins regulated the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines in DRGs induced by peripheral inflammation.
Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which preemptive treatment of endomorphins attenuates inflammatory pain through regulating the production of inflammatory cytokines in DRG neurons via inhibition of p38 MAPK phosphorylation.
During the period in which the Omicron coronavirus variant was rapidly spreading, the impact of the institutional-social-ecological dimensions on the case-fatality rate was rarely afforded attention. ...By adopting the diagnostic social-ecological system (SES) framework, the present paper aims to identify the impact of institutional-social-ecological factors on the case-fatality rate of COVID-19 in 134 countries and regions and test their spatial heterogeneity. Using statistical data from the Our World In Data website, the present study collected the cumulative case-fatality rate from 9 November 2021 to 23 June 2022, along with 11 country-level institutional-social-ecological factors. By comparing the goodness of fit of the multiple linear regression model and the multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model, the study demonstrated that the effects of SES factors exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity in relation to the case-fatality rate of COVID-19. After substituting the data into the MGWR model, six SES factors were identified with an R square of 0.470 based on the ascending effect size: COVID-19 vaccination policy, age dependency ratio, press freedom, gross domestic product (GDP), COVID-19 testing policy, and population density. The GWR model was used to test and confirm the robustness of the research results. Based on the analysis results, it is suggested that the world needs to meet four conditions to restore normal economic activity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: (i) Countries should increase their COVID-19 vaccination coverage and maximize COVID-19 testing expansion. (ii) Countries should increase public health facilities available to provide COVID-19 treatment and subsidize the medical costs of COVID-19 patients. (iii) Countries should strictly review COVID-19 news reports and actively publicize COVID-19 pandemic prevention knowledge to the public through a range of media. (iv) Countries should adopt an internationalist spirit of cooperation and help each other to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. The study further tests the applicability of the SES framework to the field of COVID-19 prevention and control based on the existing research, offering novel policy insights to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic that coexists with long-term human production and life for a long time.
•Applying social-ecological system framework to understand key factors influencing the COVID-19 severity of 134 countries and regions;•Based on a total of 11 institutional-social-ecological factors, 6 factors are found to be associated with COVID-19 case fatality rate;•The study adopted multiscale geographically weighted regression and the 6 factors identified have spatial heterogeneity;•Vaccination policy, age dependency ratio, press freedom, gross domestic products, COVID-19 testing policy, and population density are associated with COVID-19 fatality rate
•DN-9 attenuated orofacial formalin pain via mu- and kappa-opioid receptors.•NPFF system is not involved in the orofacial formalin pain.•DN-9 inhibited the neuronal activation in trigeminal ...ganglion.•DN-9 inhibited the expression of p-ERK in trigeminal ganglion.
Orofacial pain is one of the most common pain conditions and compromises the quality of life of the sufferer. Several studies have shown that opioid agonists produced significant analgesia in the orofacial pain, and combination of opioids with drugs belonging to other classes induced synergism in the orofacial pain. However, combination therapy of different analgesic drugs improves the risk of drug-drug interactions. Against this background, we sought to investigate the analgesic effects of the multi-functional opioid peptide DN-9, a mixed opioid and NPFF receptors agonist that produced robust analgesia in acute and inflammatory pain models, on formalin-induced orofacial pain. Our results showed that formalin injection caused significant spontaneous pain behaviors and increased the expressions of the mu-opioid receptor, c-Fos and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK1/2) in the ipsilateral trigeminal ganglion (TG). In mice pretreated with DN-9, there was a significant reduction in nociceptive behaviors, which was selectively mediated by the mu- and kappa-opioid receptors, independently of the NPFF system. Four hours after formalin injection, the level of c-Fos immunoreactivity in the ipsilateral TG neurons was much lower in mice pretreated with DN-9 or morphine. In addition, DN-9 exhibited a significant inhibition in the expression of p-ERK1/2, which was reversed by the selective antagonists of the mu- and kappa-opioid receptors. In conclusion, our present results demonstrate that central administration of DN-9 produces potential antinociceptive effects via the mu- and kappa-opioid receptors, independently of the NPFF system, and this antinociceptive action is tightly linked with the intracellular ERK activation in TG neurons.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) via biventricular pacing has demonstrated clinical benefits in patients with heart failure (HF) and ventricular dyssynchrony. Other approaches of CRT is little ...known.
The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) in patients with HF and left bundle branch block (LBBB).
Eleven consecutive patients with HF, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and LBBB and indicated for CRT were recruited. LBBAP was achieved via transventricular septal approach and characterized by narrower QRS duration, shortened peak left ventricular activation time, and right bundle branch conduction delay on the electrocardiogram. Electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and cardiac function were evaluated at baseline and follow-up. Interventricular mechanical delay and 3-dimensional tissue synchronization imaging during LBBAP and intrinsic LBBB status were measured by echocardiography at follow-up.
LBBAP significantly shortened QRS duration (from baseline 180.00 ± 15.86 ms to 129.09 ± 15.94 ms; P < .01) and left ventricular activation time (from baseline 108.18 ± 15.54 ms to 80.91 ± 9.95 ms; P < .01). Interventricular mechanical delay and the standard deviation of tissue synchronization imaging of 12 left ventricular (LV) segments were significantly shorter during LBBAP than in intrinsic LBBB status (both with P < .01). At a mean follow-up period of 6.7 months, New York Heart Association functional class, plasma level of B-type natriuretic peptide, LV end-systolic diameter, and left ventricular ejection fraction were significantly improved (all with P < .05 vs baseline).
The study demonstrates that LBBAP is clinically feasible in patients with systolic HF and LBBB. LBBAP can be a new CRT technique to correct LBBB, provide ventricular synchrony, and improve clinical symptoms with LV reverse remodeling.
Two new pyrophosphates nonlinear optical (NLO) materials, Rb3PbBi(P2O7)2 (I) and Cs3PbBi(P2O7)2 (II), were successfully designed and synthesized. Both compounds exhibit large NLO effects and ...birefringences. Material I presents the scarce case of possessing the coexistence of large birefringence (0.031 at 1064 nm and 0.037 at 532 nm) and second harmonic generation (SHG) response (2.8× potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP)) in ultraviolet NLO phosphates and its SHG is the largest in the phase‐matching (PM) pyrophosphates. Both I and II have three‐dimensional (3D) crystal structures composed of corner‐shared RbO12 (CsO11), RbO10 (CsO10), BiO6, PbO7 (PbO6) and P2O7 groups, in which P2O7 and PbO7 (PbO6) units form an alveolate PbPO∞ skeleton frame. Theoretical calculations reveal that the P−O, Bi−O and Pb−O units are mainly responsible for the moderate birefringence and large SHG efficiency of I.
An ideal balance has been achieved among nonlinear optical (NLO) effect, birefringence and cut‐off edge for Rb3PbBi(P2O7)2 pyrophosphate. Promising UV NLO materials, Rb3PbBi(P2O7)2 and Cs3PbBi(P2O7)2, were obtained in which PbPO∞ layers and BiO6 polyhedra containing two types of lone‐pair cations are present.
This report presents the application of left bundle branch pacing as a cardiac resynchronization therapy in a patient with systolic heart failure and complete left bundle branch block. At the 3-month ...follow-up, the patient had significant improvement in cardiac function accompanied by the recovery of left bundle branch conduction. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.)
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This report presents the application of left bundle branch pacing as a cardiac resynchronization therapy in a patient with systolic heart failure and…
Exploring novel photoelectric functional materials via chemical substitution-oriented design is an effective strategy, which can be expanded to the discovery of high-performance UV nonlinear optical ...(NLO) materials. Two new NLO pyrophosphates, Rb3BaBi(P2O7)2 (I) and Cs3BaBi(P2O7)2 (II), are rationally developed by a cation substitution technique based on A3PbBi(P2O7)2 (A = Rb and Cs), of which I inherits the large second-harmonic generation (SHG) response (exptl 2.5 × KDP; calcd 2.9 × KDP) and moderate birefringence (0.025@1064 nm) accompanied by a broadened UV transparent region. Compounds I and II are isomeric and exhibit different Ba–P–O frameworks. Especially, I possesses a large SHG effect benefiting from the favorable pentagonal-net topological structure. Detailed theory calculations elucidate the origin of the linear and nonlinear optical properties of the compounds. The insights obtained from the atomic-level module adjustment involving lone-pair-active optical anisotropy are useful for designing more efficient UV NLO materials.
Creating a heterostructure is crucial for achieving excellent performance in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), as it can result in novel electrochemical behaviors. In this work, we have constructed a ...SnS2/C3N heterostructure employing first-principles calculations, which greatly improves the stiffness of SnS2 and corrects the limitations of C3N, resulting in a new high-performance anode by combining their respective advantages. The results show that the SnS2/C3N heterostructure generates a built-in electric field, which greatly boosts the adsorption energy and promotes the electron transfer of rich Li ions to the substrate. Moreover, the electrochemical performance of the SnS2/C3N heterostructure demonstrates that it has a moderate average open circuit voltage, high Li-ion storage capacity, and a low diffusion barrier, making it an ideal anode material for LIBs. Our theoretical results on the proposed SnS2/C3N heterostructure deepen the understanding of LIB mechanisms and provide a reasonable design for advanced high-density LIBs.
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