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The article presents the methodology used by the Colombia Consortium to negotiate the first transformative agreements (TAs) in Latin America. These TAs are a strategy to manage costs associated with Article Processing Charges (APCs), facilitate the transition to Open Access (OA) and increase the visibility of Colombian publications. The road map for the design of TAs in Colombia is based on a methodology that considers both qualitative and quantitative aspects, with a key element being the analyses the scientific publication trends in Colombian institutions. This methodological route allowed the Colombia Consortium to sign with three commercial publishers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A hybrid convergent approach (endocardial and epicardial ablation) demonstrated superior effectiveness in a recent randomized study for long‐standing persistent atrial fibrillation (LSPAF). Yet, there is a lack of real‐world, long‐term evidence as to which patients are best candidates for a hybrid convergent approach compared to standard endocardial cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation (CB PVI). Methods and Results: This single‐center, retrospective analysis spanning from 2010 to 2015 compared two distinctly different atrial fibrillation (AF) cohorts; one treated with stand‐alone cryoablation and one treated with a hybrid convergent approach. Baseline characteristics described candidates for each approach. The following criteria were utilized to determine CB PVI candidacy: (1) paroxysmal AF (PAF) (stage 3A) with failed class I/III antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) or (2) persistent/LSPAF (stage 3B/3C/3D) with failed class I/III AAD unwilling to undergo hybrid procedure. Selection criteria for the hybrid procedure included: (1) PAF refractory to both class I/III AAD and prior CB PVI (stage 3D) or (2) persistent/LSPAF (stage 3B/3C/3D) with failed class I/III AAD agreeable to hybrid procedure. Prior sternotomy was excluded. Serial electrocardiograms and continuous monitoring evaluated primary efficacy outcome of time‐to‐first recurrence of atrial arrhythmia after a 90‐day blanking period. Secondary outcomes were procedure‐related complications and AAD use (at discharge, 12, and 36 months). Kaplan‐Meier methods evaluated arrhythmia recurrence. Of 276 patients, 197 (64.2 ± 10.6 years old; 66.5% male; 74.1% 3A‐PAF; 18.3% 3B/3D‐persistent AF; 1.0% 3C‐LSPAF; 6.6% undetermined) underwent CB PVI and 79 (61.4 ± 8.1 years old; 83.5% male; 41.8% 3D‐PAF; 45.5% 3B/3D‐persistent AF; 12.7% 3C/3D‐LSPAF) underwent hybrid procedure. Arrhythmia freedom through 36 months was 55.2% for CB PVI and 50.4% for hybrid (p =.32). Class I AAD utilization at discharge occurred in 38 (19.3%) patients in the CB PVI group and 5 (6.3%) patients in the hybrid group (p =.01). CB PVI class I AAD utilization at 12 months occurred in 14 (9.0) patients versus 0 patients for hybrid convergent (p =.004). Patients with one or more adverse event were as follows: two (1.0%) in the CB PVI group (both transient phrenic nerve palsy) and three (3.7%) in the hybrid group (two with significant bleeding and one with wound infection) (p =.14). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that patients with more complex forms of AF (3D‐PAF or 3B/3C/3D‐persistent/LSPAF) could be well managed with a convergent approach. In a real‐world evaluation, outcomes match safety and efficacy thresholds achieved for patients with earlier, less complex AF etiologies treated by CB PVI alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: COVID-19 has evolved during seven epidemic waves in Spain. Our objective was to describe changes in mortality and severity in our hospitalized patients. (2) Method: This study employed a descriptive, retrospective approach for COVID-19 patients admitted to the Hospital de Fuenlabrada (Madrid, Spain) until 31 December 2022. (3) Results: A total of 5510 admissions for COVID-19 were recorded. The first wave accounted for 1823 (33%) admissions and exhibited the highest proportion of severe patients: 65% with bilateral pneumonia and 83% with oxygen saturation under 94% during admission and elevated levels of CRP, IL-6, and D-dimer. In contrast, the seventh wave had the highest median age (79 years) and comorbidity (Charlson: 2.7), while only 3% of patients had bilateral pneumonia and 3% required intubation. The overall mortality rate was 10.3%. The first wave represented 39% of the total. The variables related to mortality were age (OR: 1.08, 1.07–1.09), cancer (OR: 1.99, 1.53–2.60), dementia (OR: 1.82, 1.20–2.75), the Charlson index (1.38, 1.31–1.47), the need for high-flow oxygen (OR: 6.10, 4.94–7.52), mechanical ventilation (OR: 11.554, 6.996–19.080), and CRP (OR: 1.04, 1.03–1.06). (4) Conclusions: The variables associated with mortality included age, comorbidity, respiratory failure, and inflammation. Differences in the baseline characteristics of admitted patients explained the differences in mortality in each wave. Differences observed between patients admitted in the latest wave and the earlier ones suggest that COVID-19 has evolved into a distinct disease, requiring a distinct approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will explore some of the Qing Empire's primary adaptations, mainly pastoral and agricultural, to the arid environments of southern, eastern and northern Xinjiang - that is, the Tarim, Hami-Turfan and Zünghar basins respectively. It first examines the region's arid climate and its constraining implications for, first, agriculture as the empire's standard form of territorial incorporation in the south and east; and, second, pastoralism and agro-pastoralism in the north. These relations were not purely social, but were conditioned within both human and natural parameters. Xinjiang's general aridity informed Qing interactions with the territory's diverse peoples, which presented both cultural and ecological - that is, environmental - obstacles and opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the first wave of the COVID�19 pandemic, a patient with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) was misdiagnosed as having bilateral severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pneumonia on admission. A comprehensive clinical evaluation would have led to the correct diagnosis earlier, as he had some data consistent with ASS on both physical examination and laboratory tests that were initially overlooked. In addition, a malignant lesion in the colon was found on screening for underlying malignancy. In this context, ASS has been considered a low-risk subgroup for cancer among idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. However, this should be interpreted cautiously and should not lead to neglect of adequate cancer screening adjusted for age, sex and other potential risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Trans-Pasando Fronteras is the property of Rafael Silva Vega and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives. This study aimed to compare the characteristics of fully and partially vaccinated or unvaccinated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who were hospitalised in a population of 220,000 habitants. Methods: Retrospective, observational, and population studies were conducted on patients who were hospitalised due to COVID-19 from March to October 2021. We assessed the impact of vaccination and other risk factors through Cox multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 500 patients were hospitalised, among whom 77 (15.4%) were fully vaccinated, 86 (17.2%) were partially vaccinated, and 337 (67.4%) were unvaccinated. Fully vaccinated (FV) patients were older and had a higher Charlson index than those of partially vaccinated and unvaccinated patients (NFV). Bilateral pneumonia was more frequent among NFV (259/376 (68.9%)) than among FV patients (32/75 (42.7%)). The former had more intensive care unit admissions (63/423) than the latter (4/77); OR: 2.80; CI (1.07–9.47). Increasing age HZ: 1.1 (1.06–1.14)) and haematological disease at admission HZ: 2.99 (1.26–7.11)) were independent risk factors for higher mortality during the first 30 days of hospitalisation. The probability of an earlier discharge in the subgroup of 440 patients who did not die during the first 30 days of hospitalisation was related to age (older to younger: HZ: 0.98 (0.97–0.99)) and vaccination status. Conclusions: Among the patients hospitalised because of COVID-19, complete vaccination was associated with less severe forms of COVID-19, with an earlier discharge date. Age and haematological disease were related to a higher mortality rate during the first 30 days of hospitalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Biomedica is the property of Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi; Facultad de Medicina, UADY and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As briefly stated by Li et al., the potential link between drugs and ED in SSc has been suggested for dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCB), which are widely used in the treatment of some major and long-term manifestations of scleroderma [[3]]. 10.1097/PAS.0b013e3181a755bd 17 Matsuda R, Yamamichi N, Shimamoto T. Gastroesophageal reflux disease-related disorders of systemic sclerosis based on the analysis of 66 patients. Keywords: Systemic sclerosis; Scleroderma; Esophageal dysfunction; Gastroesophageal reflux disease; Barrett's esophagus; Esophageal adenocarcinoma; Drugs; Therapy EN Systemic sclerosis Scleroderma Esophageal dysfunction Gastroesophageal reflux disease Barrett's esophagus Esophageal adenocarcinoma Drugs Therapy 1237 1240 4 07/27/22 20220801 NES 220801 Dear Editor, We have read with interest the review by Li and colleagues [[1]] in which the pathophysiology of esophageal dysfunction (ED) in patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma, SSc) has been discussed, providing valuable data on vascular, inflammatory, and pro-fibrotic factors possibly related to this visceral involvement. [Extracted from the article]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infection in elderly patients is more aggressive and treatments have shown limited efficacy. Our objective is to describe the clinical course and to analyze the prognostic factors associated with a higher risk of mortality of a cohort of patients older than 80 years. In addition, we assess the efficacy of immunosuppressive treatments in this population. We analyzed the data from 163 patients older than 80 years admitted to our institution for COVID‐19, during March and April 2020. A Lasso regression model and subsequent multivariate Cox regression were performed to select variables predictive of death. We evaluated the efficacy of immunomodulatory therapy in three cohorts using adjusted survival analysis. The mortality rate was 43%. The mean age was 85.2 years. The disease was considered severe in 76.1% of the cases. Lasso regression and multivariate Cox regression indicated that factors correlated with hospital mortality were: age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–1.22), alcohol consumption (HR 3.15, 95% CI: 1.27–7.84), CRP > 10 mg/dL (HR 2.67, 95% CI: 1.36–5.24), and oxygen support with Venturi Mask (HR 6.37, 95% CI: 2.18–18.62) or reservoir (HR 7.87, 95% CI: 3.37–18.38). Previous treatment with antiplatelets was the only protective factor (HR 0.47, 95% CI: 0.23–0.96). In the adjusted treatment efficacy analysis, we found benefit in the combined use of tocilizumab (TCZ) and corticosteroids (CS) (HR 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01–0.74) compared to standard treatment, with no benefit of CS alone (HR 0.95, 95% CI: 0.53–1.71). Hospitalized elderly patients suffer from a severe and often fatal form of COVID‐19 disease. In this regard, several parameters might identify high‐risk patients upon admission. Combined use of TCZ and CS could improve survival. Highlights: The COVID‐19 disease in the elderly population (> 80 years) is severe in most cases.We analyze which parameters at admission may be useful to better stratify the risk of mortality. Oxygen demand on admission is the most accurate parameter to determine prognosis.A combined use of corticosteroids and tocilizumab may improve overall survival versus corticosteroids alone or standard of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a 12 bit, 4.7 MS/s Digital Feed-Forward Incremental $\Sigma \!\Delta $ - Successive Approximation Register (DFF I- $\Sigma \!\Delta $ -SAR) Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for column readout of image sensors. An input range detection phase and a new switching scheme for the DAC in the first stage allow reaching the desired 4 bit resolution of the I- $\Sigma \!\Delta $ stage with an Over Sampling Ratio (OSR) of 8. A second stage SAR converts the I- $\Sigma \!\Delta $ residue voltage resolving the 8 Least Significant Bits (LSBs). The ADC is integrated in a test chip with a Source Follower (SF) test unit that emulates a pixel array and is fabricated using 2-Poly-4-Metal 130 nm CMOS technology. The ADC operates under 3.3 V/1.2 V supply voltages, achieving a DNL of −0.43/0.62 12 bit LSBs, $356~\mu \text{V}$ rms noise, equivalent to 9.2 bit ENOB at a sampling frequency of 4.7 MS/s with an OSR of 8. The proposed ADC consumes $260.5~\mu \text{W}$ of power, yielding a Walden Figure-of-Merit 94 fJ/c.s.. The core area is $18400~\mu \text{m}^{2}$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borderland studies are revising the historiography of imperialism in China. Two representative examples are reviewed here that insightfully consider the equivocal effects of Russian and Japanese influence on the formation of Chinese and Korean national space in northern Xinjiang and the Sino-Korean border. In this altered narrative of nation-state formation, however, indigenous peoples remain marginal to the discussion. This essay discusses the following works. Judd C. Kinzley. Natural Resources and the New Frontier: Constructing Modern China's Borderlands. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018. 234 pp. $105.00 (cloth), $35.00 (paper). | Nianshen Song. Making Borders in Modern East Asia: The Tumen River Demarcation, 1881–1919. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. 303 pp. $99.99 (cloth), $30.99 (paper). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient‐reported outcomes (PROs) are important measures of quality of life. Direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) drugs for hepatitis C virus (HCV) improved PROs in clinical trials. We prospectively evaluated the impact of DAA‐based HCV cure on PROs and liver‐related outcomes in real‐world patients at a large urban medical center. The short form (SF)‐36 and three additional validated instruments were used. F3‐4 fibrosis was defined as > 9.6 kPa by transient elastography (TE); S2‐3 steatosis was defined as > 270 dB/m by TE‐controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). Data were analysed by paired and unpaired t tests. Patients (n = 16) who did not achieve a sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR12) were excluded. The study achieved its primary endpoint and showed a significant 30% improvement in the SF‐36 vitality score, measured baseline to SVR12: 63 versus 82, P <.001 (n = 111). Scores in 24 of 25 PRO domains improved at SVR12 (P <.05). Nearly all gains exceeded 5%, indicating their clinical significance. Transaminase values and liver stiffness improved (decreased) significantly, baseline to SVR12 (P <.005), but steatosis was unchanged (P =.58). Patients with baseline F0‐2 fibrosis and those with F3‐F4 fibrosis both improved in 22 domains. Patients with baseline S0‐S1 steatosis improved in more domains (23) than patients with S2‐S3 steatosis (19). At baseline, patients with F3‐F4 fibrosis and patients with S2‐3 steatosis had worse scores in certain PRO domains than patients with F0‐2 fibrosis or S0‐S1 steatosis, but this difference resolved by SVR12. HCV cure led to meaningful gains in PROs, and these findings may encourage patients to seek treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dear Editor, We have read with interest the recently published report by Fu et al. describing risk factors and their predictive value for the development of progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) in patients with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) [[1]]. 31018961 6 Lv C, You H, Xu L. Coexistence of anti-Ro52 antibodies in anti-MDA5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis is highly associated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and mortality risk. In ASS, the coexistence of circulating anti-Ro52 antibodies has been associated with worse progression of ILD compared to non-anti-Ro52 patients, either in subjects with anti-Jo1 [[10]] or in those with other anti-synthetase antibodies such as anti-PL7 [[11]]. [Extracted from the article]

The article describes the case of a 63-year-old woman who presented with fever and chest pain. Topics covered include the medical history of the patient, the findings of the histopathological examination of the biliary tract and point-of-care ultrasonography in large vessel involvement which led to the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), and patient outcome following treatment with oral corticosteroids.

Back side illumination has become standard image sensor technology owing to its superior quantum efficiency and fill factor. A direct comparison of front and back side illumination (FSI and BSI) used in event-based dynamic and active pixel vision sensors (DAVIS) is interesting because of the potential of BSI to greatly increase the small 20% fill factor of these complex pixels. This brief compares identically designed front and back illuminated DAVIS silicon retina vision sensors. They are compared in term of quantum efficiency (QE), leak activity and modulation transfer function (MTF). The BSI DAVIS achieves a peak QE of 93% compared with the FSI DAVIS, peak QE of 24%, but reduced MTF, due to pixel crosstalk and parasitic photocurrent. Significant “leak events” in the BSI DAVIS limit its use to controlled illumination scenarios without very bright light sources. Effects of parasitic photocurrent and modulation transfer functions with and without IR cut filters are also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article describes the case of a 46-year-old man which reported an 18-month history of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and progressive thickening of the skin from the forehead, abdomen and fingertips to the high and forearm bilaterally, with puffy fingers. Topics discussed include laboratory testing which was positive for antinuclear antibody (ANA) and anti-centromere (ACA), and a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma revealed by histopathology from hepatic sectionectomy.

The long record of imperial China's Inner Asian borderland relations is not simply multi-ethnic, but 'multi-environmental'. Human dependencies on livestock, wild animals and cereal cultivars were the prerequisite environmental relations for borderland incorporation. This paper examines such dependencies during the Qing Dynasty's (1644-1912) establishment of the Manchurian garrison of Hulun Buir near the Qing border with Russia. Garrison logistics proved challenging because provisioning involved several indigenous groups--Solon-Ewenki, Bargut and Dagur (Daur)--who did not uniformly subsist on livestock, game or grain, but instead exhibited several, sometimes overlapping, practices not always confined within a single ethnicity. Ensuing deliberations reveal official convictions, some of which can be traced back to the preceding Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), regarding the variable effects of these practices on the formation of Inner Asian military identities. Such issues were distinctive of Qing borderland dynamics that constructed 'Chinese' empire not only in more diverse human society, but also in more diverse ecological spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long record of imperial China’s Inner Asian borderland relations is not simply multi-ethnic, but ‘multi-environmental’. Human dependencies on livestock, wild animals and cereal cultivars were the prerequisite environmental relations for borderland incorporation. This paper examines such dependencies during the Qing Dynasty’s (1644–1912) establishment of the Manchurian garrison of Hulun Buir near the Qing border with Russia. Garrison logistics proved challenging because provisioning involved several indigenous groups—Solon-Ewenki, Bargut and Dagur (Daur)—who did not uniformly subsist on livestock, game or grain, but instead exhibited several, sometimes overlapping, practices not always confined within a single ethnicity. Ensuing deliberations reveal official convictions, some of which can be traced back to the preceding Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), regarding the variable effects of these practices on the formation of Inner Asian military identities. Such issues were distinctive of Qing borderland dynamics that constructed ‘Chinese’ empire not only in more diverse human society, but also in more diverse ecological spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an article previously published in I Cancer i , Cattaneo et al1 analyzed a cohort of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and hematological malignancies in March 2020, and they highlighted that subjects with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) had a lower than expected frequency of COVID-19. COVID-19 in patients with hematological malignancies: Considering the role of tyrosine kinase inhibitors Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with COVID-19 severity in patients with haematological malignancies in Italy: a retrospective, multicentre, cohort study. [Extracted from the article]

Background. Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) achieve high sustained virological response (SVR) rates on sofosbuvir (SOF)-containing regimens in clinical trials. Real world data on patients coinfected with HCV and HIV treated with SOF-based regimens are lacking. Methods. This observational cohort study included HIV/HCV-coinfected adults with genotype 1 HCV who initiated treatment with a SOF-containing regimen between December 2013 and December 2014 (n = 89) at the Mount Sinai Hospital or the Brooklyn Hospital Center. The primary outcome was SVR at 12 weeks after the end of treatment. The secondary outcomes were risk factors for treatment failure, serious adverse events, and side effects. A post hoc per protocol analysis of SVR was performed on patients who completed treatment and follow-up. Results. In an intention-to-treat analysis, SVR rates were 76% (31/41) for simeprevir (SMV)/SOF, 94% (16/17) for SMV/SOF/ ribavirin (RBV), and 52% (16/31) for SOF/RBV. The SVR rates of SMV/SOF/RBV and SMV/SOF did not differ significantly in this small study (P = .15). However the SVR rate of SMV/SOF/RBV was higher than that of SOF/RBV (P < .01). In a per protocol analysis, SMV/SOF/RBV had a higher SVR rate than SOF/RBV: 100% (16/16) vs 57% (16/28) (P < .01). The most commonly reported adverse effects were rash, pruritus, fatigue, and insomnia. One patient who had decompensated cirrhosis prior to treatment initiation died after receiving SMV/SOF. Conclusions. SMV/SOF ± RBV is an effective option with minimal adverse effects for most HIV-positive patients with genotype 1 HCV. SMV should be used with caution in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HCV and liver disease have emerged as major causes of morbidity and mortality in HIV-positive patients. Treating HCV in patients with HIV has been challenging up until a few years ago due to poorer outcomes with interferon-based therapies in this population. The direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents offer a new era in the treatment of HCV for all patients regardless of HIV status. This article reviews multiple aspects of the care of the coinfected patient with a focus on the modern DAA agents. HCV clinical treatment trials involving HIV-positive patients and antiretroviral therapy/DAA drug-drug interactions are reviewed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the contradictory effects of state disaster relief on the Inner Mongolian steppe borderland of China's last dynasty, the Qing (1644–1911). As a Manchu-dominated polity most noted for its unprecedented unification of vast Inner Asian territories with China proper, the Qing had to manage complex environmental dependencies between humans, climate, vegetation, water resources, and animals across diverse borderlands. In Inner Mongolia these dependencies, ordered under what I term imperial pastoralism, were based on sustaining connections between Mongol herders and their livestock, which were continuously disrupted by harsh steppe conditions. Imperial state adaptation to these largely uncontrollable conditions constrained central administrators to provide “agrarian” (grain and silver), rather than “pastoral” (livestock) forms of disaster relief. This assistance helped alienate Mongols from their herds and, consequently, from the pastoral identity on which the Qing northern borderland order was based. This process predates the emergence of more direct and conventional pressures from nineteenth-century ethnic Chinese agrarian steppe migration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a low-power switched-capacitor \Delta \Sigma modulator for digital hearing-aid applications that features a novel summing successive approximation (SAR). The summing SAR performs multi-bit quantization together with the analog addition required in feed-forward (FF) \Delta \Sigma modulator (\Delta \Sigma M) topologies, with no attenuation of the input signals and no need for amplifiers. The prototype is implemented in a 0.18-\mum CMOS technology and its measurements demonstrate a dynamic range of 88 dB in 10 kHz bandwidth while consuming 155 \muW from a 1.8 V supply. The combined use of passive addition and SAR quantization reduces the complexity and power consumption of the modulator. The summing SAR ADC quantizer results in a calculated power saving of 40% when compared to a multi-bit FF \Delta \SigmaM using active addition and flash quantization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A complementary–metal–oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor replicating the perception of vision in insects is presented for machine vision applications. The sensor is equipped with in-pixel analog and digital memories that allow in-pixel binarization in real time. The binary output of the pixel tries to replicate the flickering effect of an insect's eye to detect the smallest possible motion based on the change in state of each pixel. The pixel level optical flow generation reduces the need for digital hardware and simplifies the process of motion detection. A built-in counter counts the changes in states for each row to estimate the direction of the motion. The designed image sensor can also sense polarization information in real time using a metallic wire grid micropolarizer. An extinction ratio of 7.7 is achieved. The 1-D binary optical flow is shown to vary with the polarization angle of the incoming light ray. The image sensor consists of an array of 128\,\times\,128 pixels, occupies an area of 5\,\times\,4 mm^2 and it is designed and fabricated in a 180-nm CMOS process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Material classification is an important application in computer vision. The inherent property of materials to partially polarize the reflected light can serve as a tool to classify them. In this paper, a real-time polarization sensing CMOS image sensor using a wire grid polarizer is proposed. The image sensor consist of an array of 128\, \times \,128 pixels, occupies an area of 5\, \times \,4 mm^2 and it has been designed and fabricated in a 180-nm CMOS process. We show that this image sensor can be used to differentiate between metal and dielectric surfaces in real-time due to the different nature in partially polarizing the specular and diffuse reflection components of the reflected light. This is achieved by calculating the Fresnel reflection coefficients, the degree of polarization and the variations in the maximum and minimum transmitted intensities for varying specular angle of incidence. Differences in the physical parameters for various metal surfaces result in different surface reflection behavior, influencing the Fresnel reflection coefficients. It is also shown that the image sensor can differentiate among various metals by sensing the change in the polarization Fresnel ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor used to detect the incoming light ray direction using polarization information is presented. The chip consists of an array of 128 \times128 pixels, and each pixel is embedded with a metallic wire-grid micropolarizer. It occupies an area of 5 \times 4\ \mm^2, and it has been designed and fabricated in a 180-nm CMOS process. Extinction ratios of 6.3 and 7.7 were achieved in two different polarization sense regions. The Stokes parameters, which are needed to evaluate the degree of polarization (DOP) and electric-field vector intensity, are computed from the pixel with the micropolarizer oriented at 0^\circ, 45^ \circ, and 90^\circ. We show that the variations in the DOP and the e-vector pattern with the incoming polarized light ray direction can be used as a directional reference source for autonomous agent navigation. We also show that the measurement results of ellipticity and azimuthal angles for the incoming light ray using the Stokes parameters can allow on-chip position detection based on the angle of the incoming light ray with little complexity. A very high correlation coefficient bigger than 0.94 was obtained between the measured and theoretical incoming light ray angles. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can accurately determine infarct size. Prior studies using indirect methods and CMR to assess infarct size have shown that patients with larger myocardial infarctions have worse prognoses. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) have been shown to improve survival among patients with severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. However, the majority of cardiac arrests occur in patients with higher ejection fractions. Methods: The Defibrillators To Reduce Risk By Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation study (DETERMINE) is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, clinical trial in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and mild-to-moderate LV dysfunction. The purpose of this trial is to test the hypothesis that patients with an infarct size ≥10% of LV mass, randomized to ICD plus appropriate medical therapy will have improved survival compared with patients randomized to medical therapy alone. Cine and myocardial delayed contrast CMR will be performed in patients with CAD. The primary endpoint will be death from any cause. At least 10,000 patients with CAD will undergo CMR. The target enrollment is 1,550 patients with an estimated 36-month enrollment period. The patients will be followed up for 24 months after the last patient randomization. During the follow-up period, 330 deaths are estimated to occur. This study is powered to detect a 28% reduction in mortality by ICD therapy. Conclusion: The DETERMINE trial will assess the efficacy of ICD therapy to improve survival among patients with CAD, mild-to-moderate LV dysfunction, and infarct size ≥10% of LV mass as measured by CMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria was one of the most important factors for the maintenance of the native chieftainship system and its attendant tribal identities in Yunnan's southwestern borderlands during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Qing dynasty (1644-1911) was forced to rely on chieftainship administrative space and its tribal inhabitants as unreliable bulwarks against incursions by "wild" tribals and Myanmar primarily because Han Chinese vulnerability to malaria precluded a more stable and direct Qing official presence. The article examines the Qing construction of both chieftainship and wild tribals, as well as the ethnic administrative spaces intended to keep these two identities separate, as products of the interaction between disease and human agency. It concludes that the Qing frontier order in southwest Yunnan was a compromise with both malarial nature and tribal culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the development of the opium problem in Qing, China during the nineteenth century. Cause of the opium traffic according to Western scholars; Role of indigenous people in the opium trade; Efforts made to prohibit opium trade.

This paper presents an in-situ storage topology for ultra-high-speed burst mode imagers, enabling low noise operation while keeping a high frame depth. The proposed pixel architecture contains a 4T pinned photodiode, a correlated double sampling (CDS) amplification stage, and an in-situ memory bank. Focusing on the sampling noise, the system level trade-off of the proposed pixel architecture is discussed, showing its advantages on the noise, power, and scaling capability. Integrated with an AC coupling CDS stage, the amplification is obtained by exploiting the strong capacitance to the voltage relation of a single NMOS transistor. A comprehensive noise model is developed for optimizing the trade-off between the area and noise. As a proof-of-concept, a prototype imager with a 30 µm pixel pitch was fabricated in a CMOS 130 nm technology. A 108-cell memory bank is implemented allowing dense layout and parallel readout. Two types of CDS amplification stages were investigated. Despite the limited memory capacitance of 10 fF/cell, the photon transfer curves of both pixel types were measured over different operation speeds up to 20 Mfps showing a noise performance of 8.4 e−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]