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For mission-critical massive machine-type communications (mMTC) applications, the messages are required to be delivered in real-time. However, due to the weak security protection capabilities of the low-cost and low-complexity machine-type devices, active jamming attack in the uplink access is a serious threat. Uplink access jamming (UAJ) can increase the number of dropped/retransmitted packets and restrict or prevent the normal device access. To tackle this vital and challenging problem, we propose a novel UAJ detection method based on the joint space-time sparsity (JSTS). Our key insight is that the JSTS-based feature will be significantly impacted if UAJ happens, since only a small fraction of the devices are active and the traffic pattern for each device is sporadic in the normal state. Unlike the existing detection methods under batch mode (i.e., all sample observations are collected before making a decision), the JSTS-based detection is performed in a sequential manner by processing the received signals one by one, which can detect UAJ as quickly as possible. Moreover, the proposed JSTS-based method does not rely on the prior knowledge of the attackers, since it only cares the abrupt change in the JSTS-based feature on each frame. Numerical results evaluate and confirm the effectiveness of our method.

Supplemental Material for Visibility and symbolism of corporate architecture: A multi-method approach for visual impact assessment by Gianni Talamini, Ting Liu, Roula El-Khoury and Di Shao in Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science

Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase deficiency (PORD) is a rare recessive disease with multiple clinical manifestations, which is usually diagnosed in neonates and children because of ambiguous genitalia or skeletal malformations. Moreover, the paucity of studies does not allow us to establish whether adult-onset PORD is associated with infertility. Here, we report clinical and laboratory findings in two phenotypically normal women diagnosed with PORD who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) and frozen embryo transfer (FET). We modified the gonadotropin stimulation protocol during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and suggest the use of the vaginal 17β-estradiol route for endometrium preparation in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) cycles. We presume that PORD may be associated with infertility in several aspects, including disordered steroidogenesis, endometrium impairment, attenuation of drug metabolism, and the high risk of miscarriage. Our observations will help the early diagnosis and make a tailored approach to infertility management in adult-onset PORD.

In this letter, we consider downlink transmission of a multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) system with zero-forcing (ZF) precoders in the presence of multiple attackers. We propose a cooperative pilot spoofing attack (CPSA), where the attackers collaboratively impair the channel estimations in the uplink channel training phase, aiming at deteriorating the downlink throughput of the whole cell. We first evaluate the impacts of CPSA on the channel estimation and the downlink ZF precoding design, and then we derive an analytical expression for the achievable downlink sum-rate. Furthermore, we investigate the optimal attack strategy to minimize the achievable downlink sum-rate. We show that the optimization problem under consideration is a convex one so the global optimum could be obtained conveniently. Numerical results show that the CPSA attack results in a severe performance deterioration with the increase in the attacking power and the number of attackers.

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-sre-10.1177_23326492221114809 for Is There a Bamboo Ceiling? The Asian-White Gap in Managerial Attainment for College-Educated Workers by Di Shao in Sociology of Race and Ethnicity

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-sre-10.1177_23326492221114809 for Is There a Bamboo Ceiling? The Asian-White Gap in Managerial Attainment for College-Educated Workers by Di Shao in Sociology of Race and Ethnicity

Purpose Pauwels type-3 femoral neck fractures are challenging injuries to manage with high rates of complications after internal fixation and no consensus has been reached regarding the optimal fixation construct. The current study aims to evaluate the effect of dynamic limited axial compression in parallel screws combined with medial buttress plate (SMBP) or lateral compression plate (LCP) fixation of Pauwels type-3 femoral neck fractures. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 51 cases of Pauwels type-3 femoral neck fractures who were fixed by SMBP or LCP. Specifically, the screw fixing the femoral head in the buttress plate was omitted. Postoperative complications and functional outcomes were mainly studied. Results With a mean follow-up of 19.9 months, the rate of neck shortening was higher in the LCP group than that in SMBP group (32.1% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.04). Neither nonunion nor avascular necrosis was observed in both groups. Good-to-excellent Harris hip score accounts for 95.2% in SMBP group and 89.3% in LCP group (p = 0.40). Moreover, older age, fracture comminution and compression plate fixation predispose to neck shortening. Conclusion Dynamic limited axial compression by SMBP or LCP fixation was effective to improve the functional outcome of patients with Pauwels type-3 femoral neck fractures.

Background Effect of serum calcium levels on prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is not well evaluated. We aimed to assess the associations of baseline serum calcium levels with both short-term and long-term outcomes in CAD patients. Methods This study included 3,109 consecutive patients with angiographically confirmed CAD. Patients were categorized into quartiles according to admission serum calcium. Multivariable regression analysis was used to determine the association of serum calcium with mortality. Results Compared to patients in the lowest quartile of serum calcium, patients in upper quartiles were presented with lower all-cause mortality (Hazard ratios [HRs] were −0.636 [95% CI: −0.424 to −0.954], −0.545 [95% CI: −0.351 to −0.846] and −0.641 [95% CI: −0.450 to −0.913] for three upper quartiles versus lowest quartile respectively), cardiovascular mortality (HRs 0.594 [0.368−0.961], 0.261 [0.124–0.551] and 0.407 [0.229–0.725]), and in-hospital mortality (Odd ratios [ORs] 0.391 [0.188–0.812], 0.231 [0.072–0.501] and 0.223 [0.093–0.534]). Consistent associations between serum calcium and long-term mortality were also obtained in subgroup analysis of ACS patients, stable CAD patients and discharged patients. Conclusions Serum calcium is inversely associated with CAD and can independently predict both in-hospital and long-term mortality among CAD patients.

This study sinters the mixture of CaF2 and dredged reservoir sediment into lightweight aggregate (LWA) at 1000–1100 °C, which is considerably lower than the temperature used by LWA manufacturing industry. The study is aimed to reduce energy demand and carbon emission, and to recycle waste. The sintering temperature is reduced approximately 200 °C by partial replacement of the reservoir sediment with CaF2. Furthermore, LWAs we made have relatively lower water sorption capacity and particle density than the requirement of present construction and civil engineering industries. In addition, F- leaching level from the LWAs is negligible. Using LWA as normal coarse aggregate to make lightweight concrete (LWC) meets the requirement of high-strength concrete. The LWC using our LWA is stronger than the LWCs using commercial LWAs in compressibility strength. Potentially, this study can be applied in the recycling of CaF2-containing sludges, discharged by wafer and liquid crystal display manufacturing plants, as a flux promoter for LWA manufacturing.

Additional file 1. Text of the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire for Patients.

Additional file 2. Text of the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire for diabetes management services delivery.

Additional file 1: Table S1. List of mainly β proteins collected from the CASP11–13 datasets.

The corrosion inhibition behavior of an imidazoline derivative, namely, 2-undecyl-N-carboxymethyl-N-hydroxyethyl imidazoline (UHCI) for carbon steel in 4 wt.% citric acid solutions was characterized by weight loss method and electrochemical techniques in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) technique. The inhibitor has a good anti-corrosion effect on the carbon steel in 4 wt.% citric acid solutions. The inhibition efficiency increases with UHCI concentrations from 0 up to 0.4 wt.%, yet declines a bit at 0.6 wt.% per contra with further augmentation of concentration. The inhibition efficiency declines with the rise of temperature from 20°C to 95°C, while it rises with the extension of soaking time from 2 h to 24 h. Two N1s peaks that appeared in XPS spectra give proof of UHCI inhibitor adsorbed on the carbon steel surface.

The structural behavior of precast concrete segmental bridges (PCSBs) is affected by the joints between the concrete segments. In this study, a numerical model was established to investigate the direct shear behavior of single-keyed dry joints in PCSBs. The numerical model was validated by the full-scale test results published by the authors. It was found that the numerical results of the joints, such as the ultimate shear load, cracking pattern, and load-displacement curves, matched the test results well. The validated numerical model was further used for extending parametric studies. The factors affecting the shear behavior of single-keyed dry joints include the confining pressure, concrete strength, and key depth. It was found that the ultimate shear capacity increased about 121% when the confining pressure increased from 0.1 to 3.0 MPa, it was very low under confining pressure of 0.1 MPa; it increased about 44% when the concrete strength increased from C40 to C100; it increased about 203% when the key depth increased from 15 to 40 mm. However, the ultimate shear capacity decreased about 20% when the key depth increased from 40 to 60 mm, hence 40 mm was recommended for the design depth of the single-keyed dry joints in PCSBs. Finally, the parametric analysis results were compared with the AASHTO specification. When the key depth was 35, 40 and 45 mm, the AASHTO specification conservatively predict the shear strength capacity of single-keyed dry joints.

Table S3. Cases with familial and personal histories of HBOC-related tumors. (DOCX 16 kb)

Table S2. Cases with deleterious mutations. (DOCX 28 kb)

Table S1. Cases with deleterious germline and somatic mutations. (DOCX 22 kb)

Background The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score has been extensively validated to predict risk during hospitalization in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Recently, serum calcium has been suggested as an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction; however, the relationship between the 2 has not been evaluated. Hypothesis The combination of GRACE risk score and serum calcium could provide better performance in risk prediction. Methods The study enrolled 2229 consecutive patients with ACS. Independent predictors were identified by a multivariate logistic regression model. The incremental prognostic value added by serum calcium to the GRACE score was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Results Patients in the upper quartiles of serum calcium presented with lower in-hospital mortality (odds ratios for 3 upper quartiles vs lowest quartile, respectively: 0.443, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.206-0.953; 0.243, 95% CI: 0.090-0.654; and 0.210, 95% CI: 0.082-0.538). Area under the curve increased significantly after adding serum calcium to the GRACE score (0.685 vs 0.746; Z = 2.617, P = 0.009). Furthermore, inclusion of serum calcium in the GRACE score enhanced NRI (0.524; P = 0.009) and IDI (0.011; P = 0.003). Conclusions Lower serum calcium level on admission is a possible indicator of increased risk of in-hospital mortality in ACS patients. Inclusion of serum calcium in the GRACE score may lead to a more accurate prediction of this risk. Large prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Objectives Calcium has a critical role in a spectrum of biological processes related to cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to evaluate associations of baseline serum calcium levels with both short-term and long-term outcomes in CAD patients. Materials and methods 3109 consecutive patients with angiography confirmed CAD, admitted to West China hospital of Sichuan University between July 2008 and September 2012 were enrolled and were categorized into quartiles according to admission serum calcium to determine the association of serum calcium level with in-hospital and long-term mortality by multivariable Logistic and Cox regression analysis respectively. Results The admission serum calcium was normally distributed with a mean level of 2.20±0.15 mmol/L. A total of 259 deaths, including 58 in-hospital deaths, occurred during a mean follow-up of 20 months. Patients in the upper quartiles of serum calcium, as compared to the lowest quartile of serum calcium, were presented with lower in-hospital mortality [HR was 0.391 (95% CI: 0.188–0.812), 0.231(95% CI: 0.072–0.501) and 0.223 (95% CI: 0.093–0.534) for three upper quartiles versus lowest quartile respectively] and long-term mortality [HR was 0.614 (95% CI: 0.434–0.869), 0.476(95% CI: 0.294–0.698) and 0.553 (95% CI: 0.349–0.777) respectively]. Similar association between serum calcium and long-term mortality as showed in total cohort were also obtained when restricting analyses to subgroups: stable CAD patients, ACS patients and discharged patients. Conclusions As a widely available clinical index, serum calcium was an independent predictor of both in-hospital and long-term mortality among CAD patients. Further studies are warranted to determine mechanisms and whether patients with hypocalcaemia could benefit from calcium supplement.

A laser spot measuring system was designed to improve the position precision of a laser designator surveillance systems.All the components of the laser spot measuring system were introduced,respectively,and the relationship of all connected signals among these components was given.According to the laser backscattering in collecting laser spot images,a method was proposed to restrain the laser backscattering based on an asynchronous range-gating technology.To weakening the impact of atmospheric turbulence on laser spot imaging,an improved blind deconvolution algorithm was applied to the image process after the events for the laser spot image.Finally,the distortion of the spot image was adjusted and the spot position was computed by Gauss surface fitting method.The simulation experiments were designed and a practical field experiment was performed by the proposed system.The experimental results show that the precision of this laser spot measuring system is better than 0.3 pixel.

To investigate the clinical efficacy of excision of necrotic and infected tissues combined with induced membrane and external fixator technique to treat chronic osteomyelitis in tibia after fracture operation.From June 2011 to June 2014, a total of 13 patients with tibia osteomyelitis were treated with excision of necrotic and infected tissues and external fixator technique in the first stage. There were 8 males and 5 females, ranging in age from 16 to 67 years old with an average of (37.3±14.3) years old. Within 6 to 8 weeks the induced membrane was formed and the induced membrane technique was applied to promote new bone forming in the second stage.Thirteen patients had no reinfection and achieved complete bone healing after 24 to 52 months follow-up. All the patients had satisfactory function.Excision of necrotic and infected tissues combined with induced membrane and external fixator technique to treat chronic osteomyelitis in tibia after fracture operation can provide satisfactory results.

BACKGROUND: The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score has been extensively validated to predict risk during hospitalization in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Recently, serum calcium has been suggested as an independent predictor for in‐hospital mortality in patients with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction; however, the relationship between the 2 has not been evaluated. HYPOTHESIS: The combination of GRACE risk score and serum calcium could provide better performance in risk prediction. METHODS: The study enrolled 2229 consecutive patients with ACS. Independent predictors were identified by a multivariate logistic regression model. The incremental prognostic value added by serum calcium to the GRACE score was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). RESULTS: Patients in the upper quartiles of serum calcium presented with lower in‐hospital mortality (odds ratios for 3 upper quartiles vs lowest quartile, respectively: 0.443, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.206‐0.953; 0.243, 95% CI: 0.090‐0.654; and 0.210, 95% CI: 0.082‐0.538). Area under the curve increased significantly after adding serum calcium to the GRACE score (0.685 vs 0.746; Z = 2.617, P = 0.009). Furthermore, inclusion of serum calcium in the GRACE score enhanced NRI (0.524; P = 0.009) and IDI (0.011; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Lower serum calcium level on admission is a possible indicator of increased risk of in‐hospital mortality in ACS patients. Inclusion of serum calcium in the GRACE score may lead to a more accurate prediction of this risk. Large prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Background Cytochrome P450 (CYP)2C19 is expressed in vascular endothelium and metabolizes arachidonic acid to biologically active epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, which play a key role in regulating vascular tone. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the genetic functional variant 681G>A (*2) of cytochrome CYP2C19 is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in Chinese patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods Between July 2008 and September 2009, 654 consecutive patients with CAD were enrolled in this study. All participants underwent CYP2C19 genotyping. The primary study endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke. Secondary endpoints included the components of the primary endpoint, death from any cause, and recurrent revascularization. Results The baseline characteristics were well-balanced between carriers (heterozygous *1/*2, n =291; homozygous *2/*2, n =57) and non-carriers ( n =306) of the CYP2C19*2 variant. During the follow-up period (11.42±4.23 months), the primary endpoint occurred more frequently in homozygous *2/*2 than in non-carriers ( n =306) of CYP2C19*2 variant (12.28% versus 3.27%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR]=5.191; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.936–13.917; P =0.001); however, no such increase was evident in heterozygous *1/*2 patients (4.12% versus 3.27%; adjusted HR=1.208; 95% CI 0.517–2.822; P =0.662). Conclusions The homozygous CYP2C19*2/*2 genotype is an independent determinant of adverse vascular events in Chinese patients with CAD.

A network training method for star pattern recognition was designed by combining a classific Radial Basic Function(RBF) neural network and star pattern samples.Firstly,the star pattern Abstraction method was discussed and a triangulation based on star magnitudes was induced to connect the stars which probably appear in the same field of view.By taking extrated angular distances as the characteristic of star pattern,a star pattern sample set with completion,translation and rotation invariance was established.Then,RBF neural network was studied to recognize the star patterns.RBF network training method was classified as sequence learning and batch learning.Some typical algorithms that could represent the two methods were studied on their advantages and disadvantages,and a new training method was designed based on the specialty of above star pattern sample sets.Experiments indicate that the designed method is more appropriate than those typical algorithms.Several star images were simulated through software,which was regarded as the observatory data and entered into the trained RBF neural network to test.The experiment results show that the network can recognize all the star patterns successfully.

Objectives: To assess the impact of different CYP2C19*2 polymorphisms on clinical outcomes and the effects of CYP2C19*2 polymorphism on predicting clinical outcomes in association with classic risk factors in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods: Between July 2008 and September 2009, 497 consecutive patients with ACS who were admitted to the West China Hospital of Sichuan University were enrolled and underwent CYP2C19*2 determination. The clinical outcomes were the composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and nonfatal stroke. Results: Baseline characteristics were balanced between noncarrier, heterozygous and homozygous groups of the CYP2C19*2 variant. The clinical endpoint occurred more frequently in the homozygous group (HR 4.86, CI 1.62–14.56, p = 0.005). After multivariable analysis, the CYP2C19*2 genetic variant was an independent predictor of cardiovascular events (HR 5.96, CI 1.77–20.03, p = 0.0039) as well as GRACE score and Killip class. The combination of CYP2C19*2 with GRACE score and Killip class increases the potential to predict adverse outcomes. Conclusions: Homozygosity (A/A) for CYP2C19*2 mutant is an independent determinant of prognosis in patients with ACS. The combination of CYP2C19*2 polymorphism with classic risk factors may be a useful tool to predict the risk of cardiovascular events.

Background Sudden cardiac death (SCD) from cardiac arrest, one of the most common types of cardiac-related death, is most often triggered by ventricular arrhythmia (VA). It has been reported that aldosterone antagonists (AAs) have the benefit of reducing SCD in patients with heart failure (HF). It also has been indicated in animal experiments and clinical trials that AAs may have an antiarrhythmic effect. Hypothesis AAs have an effect on VA in patients with HF or coronary artery disease. Methods We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Current Controlled Trials, and the National Research Register, and identified randomized controlled trials on the effect of AAs on VA. Results All together, 7 trials with a total of 8635 patients were identified and extracted. AAs reduced the risk of SCD in patients with HF by 21% (relative risk [RR]: 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67–0.93). AAs significantly reduced the episodes of ventricular premature complexes (mean difference 705 ± 646 episodes per 24 hours). Risk of ventricular tachycardia was reduced by 72% (RR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.10–0.77). Conclusions The additional administration of AAs in patients with HF or coronary artery disease shows a benefit in reducing the risk of SCD and may also be effective for reducing episodes of ventricular premature complexes and ventricular tachycardia. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The work was supported by grants from the Chinese National Nature Science Foundation (grant numbers 30600607 and 30770877, Beijing, China), and the National High-tech Research and Development Program of China (2006AA02A406, Beijing, China).

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the number of oocytes retrieved and clinical outcomes in young women with normal ovarian reserve who were undergoing their first in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycle. The transfer strategy based on yielded oocytes was also discussed in this article.A total of 1567 patients who underwent first long protocol of IVF treatment in our reproductive medical center between January 2010 and June 2014 were categorized into five groups based on the retrieved oocyte number, namely, 4∼6, 7∼9, 10∼12, 13∼15, and ≥16. Baseline parameters were similar among the groups. Primary outcome was defined as the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR), and secondary outcomes included the rate of patients with high risks for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).It was found that the CLBR increased with the number of oocytes, as well as the rate for high risks of OHSS. In fresh cycles, 10∼12 oocyte group demonstrated the highest implantation rate (53.32 %), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) (73.13 %), and live birth rate (LBR) (61.14 %), with no significant differences. Moreover, both cumulative CPR (CCPR) and CLBR became significantly higher in the 10∼12 oocyte group, compared with 4∼6 and 7∼9 groups. However, when the retrieved oocytes increased to 13∼15 or ≥16, the cumulative results did not have a significant increase. Also, the high risk rate of OHSS was much lower in the 10∼12 group (11.53 %) than that in the 13∼15 group (29.97 %) and ≥16 group (77.30 %). Unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that when ≥10 oocytes were retrieved, the CLBR increased significantly (P 0.01). When oocyte number exceeded 16, the CPR of frozen embryo transfer cycle was much higher than that of fresh cycle (P 0.05).For young women with normal ovarian reserve, retrieving 10∼12 oocytes might result in optimized pregnancy outcomes in a fresh cycle with low OHSS risk and would not compromise cumulative outcomes. When ≥16 oocytes were retrieved, a "freeze-all" embryo strategy might be preferable.

The p73 gene is a structural and functional homolog of the p53 gene, which has a crucial role in mediating cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Numerous previous studies have investigated the polymorphism of p73 G4C14-to-A4T14 at exon 2, as it was suggested to affect gene expression and result in functional significance. However, the correlation of this polymorphism with clinicopathological variables of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between the gene polymorphism of p73 G4C14-to-A4T14 and the risk of developing NSCLC. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms of p73 G4C14-to-A4T14 were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction with confronting two-pair primers and direct DNA sequencing in 186 NSCLC patients and 196 cancer-free controls. χ(2)-tests and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the experimental data, including the determination of odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) and P-values. The results demonstrated that the AT/AT genotype was associated with a significantly decreased risk of NSCLC (P=0.010; OR=0.370; 95% CI=0.170-0.806) compared with the GC allele genotypes including GC/GC and GC/AT. In addition, carriers of the AT allele exhibited a significantly reduced risk of NSCLC (P=0.038; OR=0.713; 95% CI=0.517-0.983) compared with non-carriers. In conclusion, these results indicated that the p73 G4C14-to-A4T14 polymorphism was a potential marker of NSCLC genetic susceptibility. However, further studies with a larger population are required in order to confirm these results.

To study the effect of estradiol supplementation during the luteal phase on mouse endometrial expression of leukaemia inhibitory factor and pinopodes in controlled ovarian stimulation cycles.Female mice were randomly divided into four groups: group A [controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) group], group B (COS group with progesterone for luteal-phase-support), group C (COS group with progesterone and estradiol for luteal-phase-support), and group D of natural cycle group. Pinopodes were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) in the uterine endometrium of pregnant mice on pregnancy days (pd) 3 - 5. Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) protein was determined by immunohistochemistry in the uterine endometrium of pregnant mice on pd 3 - 5.(1) In groups B, C, and D, there were small developed pinopodes in the endometrial surface of pregnant mouse on day 3; there were large fully developed pinopodes in endometrial surface, which was smooth with well defined borders resembling a mushroom on day 4. The regressing pinopodes were observed on day 5. In group A, there were small developed pinopodes in endometrial surface of pregnant mouse on day 3. The regressing pinopodes were seen on day 4. (2) In the pregnant mice of groups C and D, the level of LIF protein on days 3 - 5 (138.5 +/- 20.3, 143.1 +/- 19.0) was significantly higher than group A (103.2 +/- 5.0, P0.05), and strong immunostaining of LIF protein was found on day 4 of gestation. In group B, the level of LIF protein on days 3 - 5 (123.5 +/- 10.8) was significantly higher than group A (P0.05), but significantly lower than groups C and D (P0.05). Strong immunostaining of LIF protein was found on day 4 of gestation. In group A, weak immunostaining of LIF protein peaked on day 3 of gestation. In groups B, C, and D, the level of LIF protein on day 4 was significantly higher than group A on day 3 (F = 55.76, P0.01).Estradiol supplementation during the luteal phase can improve the expression of LIF and pinopodes in mouse endometrium in controlled ovarian stimulation cycles and redress the harmful effect on implantation window by COS. Therefore, estradiol supplementation can improve the endometrial receptivity.

Earthquake may increase the risk of hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachyarrhythmias (HUSVTs). However, it was unclear how these arrhythmias were triggered during the period of earthquake. Medical records of patients in the Cardiovascular (CV) Department of West China Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, during the month after the Wenchuan earthquake and the 2 control periods (1 month before the earthquake and April 12 through July 11, 2007) were reviewed. The HUSVT event rate/10,000 person-days was higher during the month after the earthquake than during the 2 control periods (67 events/10,000 person-days vs 7 and 14 events/10,000 person-days; p = 0.000006 and p = 0.0004, respectively). Most HUSVT events in the earthquake month occurred in afternoon hours, consistent with the temporal trend of strong seismic activities and different from the pattern of diurnal distribution of HUSVT events occurring in the control periods. In the subpopulation consisting of patients admitted to the CV Department before the earthquake who continued to be treated the CV Department during the earthquake period, all HUSVT events occurred during the interval after the earthquake in comparison to no HUSVT event during the interval before the earthquake. Hypokalemia without identifiable cause, acute myocardial ischemia, and heart failure without evidence of ischemia were associated with HUSVT events in the earthquake month. In conclusion, the earthquake and its aftershocks could trigger the occurrence of HUSVT events in hospitalized patients with heart disease.

In a recent issue of the Journal , Popp [(1)][1] reviewed the modern techniques to measure cardiac troponin (cTn) and the value of increased cTn as a marker of myocardial injury and predictor of future heart failure. More importantly, we have read and agree with the author’s hypothesis: “cTn…

Effective multicast congestion control mechanism is urgently needed with the deployment of multimedia multicast application in Internet. Layered multicast is considered to be an efficient approach to cope with the network heterogeneity. A Differentiated Services (DiffServ)-based layered multicast model is presented firstly. Then a congestion control algorithm for DiffServ-based layered multicast, called DSLMCC (DiffServ-based layered multicast packet dropping), including DSLMPM (DiffServ-based layered multicast packet marking) and DSLMPD (DiffServ-based layered multicast packet dropping) algorithm, is proposed through introducing probability-based priority packet marking and dropping mechanisms. Simulation results show that DSLMCC algorithm is more responsive, more stable and fair, and can adapt to network heterogeneity better.

In this paper, we study the coordinated multi-point secure transmissions in mmWave cellular networks against randomly distributed eavesdroppers. We analyse and optimize security performance in terms of secrecy throughput under a stochastic geometry framework. We first introduce coordinated multi-point (CoMP) transmission schemes with and without exploiting artificial noise (AN), and then derive analytical expressions for connection outage probability (COP) and secrecy outage probability (SOP) which are used to characterize transmission reliability and secrecy, respectively. Based on the obtained analytical results, we maximize the secrecy throughput subject to an SOP constraint by jointly designing transmission rates and the power allocation of the AN scheme. Numerical results are also presented to validate the theoretical analyses and to demonstrate the security performance of our proposed transmission schemes. Interestingly, our results show that the CoMP with AN can bring a remarkable improvement for secrecy throughput particularly when facing a rigorous secrecy constraint.