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Spiking neural networks(SNNs) can potentially offer an efficient way of performing inference because the neurons in the networks are sparsely activated and computations are event-driven. SNNs with higher accuracy can be obtained by converting deep convolutional neural networks(CNNs) into spiking CNNs. However, there is always a performance loss between CNN and its spiking equivalents, because approximation error occurs in the conversion from the continuous-valued CNNs to the sparsely firing, event-driven SNNs. In this paper, the differences between analog neurons and spiking neurons in neuron models and activities are analyzed, the impact of the balance between weight and threshold on the approximation error is clarified, and an adaptive threshold mechanism for improved balance between weight and threshold of SNNs is proposed. In this method, the threshold can be dynamically adjusted adapting to the input data, which makes it possible to obtain as small a threshold as possible while distinguishing inputs, so as to generate sufficient firing to drive higher layers and consequently can achieve better classification. The SNN with the adaptive threshold mechanism outperforms most of the recently proposed SNNs on CIFAR10 in terms of accuracy, accuracy loss and network latency, and achieved state-of-the-art results on CIFAR100.

Ren-Feng Song,1,* Yu-Xia Jiang,2,* Jian-Chun Cui,3 Xue-Wei Yu,1 Yang Gao,3 Li Li,3 Xiao-Hua Pei4 1Department of General Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Huangzhong District, Xining, 811600, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Shexian, Handan, 056400, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, People’s Hospital of China Medical University (Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital), Shenyang, 110015, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of General Surgery, Xiamen Hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, 361001, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jian-Chun CuiDepartment of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, People’s Hospital of China Medical University (Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital), No. 33 of Wenyi Street, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110015, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-24 24016014Email cui_jc8e@163.comXiao-Hua PeiDepartment of Surgery, Xiamen Hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 1739 of Xianyue Street, Huli District, Xiamen, 361001, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-592 5579686Email pxhertt@163.comObjective: This study aims to investigate the feasibility of the horizontal rotary-cut technique in the removal of superficial benign breast tumors with a ≤ 1.0 cm distance between the upper margin of the tumor and the skin.Patients and Methods: A total of 69 patients with superficial benign breast tumors received horizontal rotary-cut surgery between July 2018 and June 2019 (horizontal group). The rotary cutter groove was in the true lateral position of the tumor and the ultrasonic probe was vertical to the rotary cutter groove. The patients were compared with 33 patients who underwent the traditional vertical rotary-cut surgery between July 2017 and June 2018 (traditional group) regarding the aspects of operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative skin ecchymosis, skin damage, and tumor residue. The rotary cutter groove was directly below the tumor and the ultrasonic probe was parallel to the rotary cutter groove in the traditional vertical rotary-cut surgery.Results: The operation time in the horizontal group was significantly shorter than in the traditional group (7.7 ± 1.1 minutes vs 9.5 ± 1.3 minutes, with t = − 7.458 and p = 0.000) and there was significantly less skin damage in the horizontal group than in the traditional group (0 cases vs 3 cases, with p = 0.032). The differences in intraoperative bleeding and postoperative skin ecchymosis between the two groups were not statistically significant (6.0 ± 1.3 mL vs 6.5 ± 1.5 mL, with t = − 1.853 and p = 0.067; 4 cases vs 2 cases, with χ2 = 0.003 and p = 0.958). Ninety-seven patients attended follow-ups for 6– 30 (16.5 ± 4.5) months. No residues or recurrences were observed under ultrasound reviews in either group.Conclusion: In superficial benign breast tumor removal, the horizontal rotary-cut breast technique can help avoid skin injury, shorten the operation time, and reduce tumor residue more effectively compared with the traditional vertical rotary-cut technique. It has certain popularization and application values.Keywords: three-dimensional stereotaxis, horizontal, rotary-cut/rotary cutting, superficial, breast tumors/masses

Soil-structure interaction (SSI) is involved in the pile-supported structures. Such effect is mainly accounted for soil-pile interaction (SPI) driven by the deformation of pile and surround...

Background Erythema multiforme major (EMM) is an immune-mediated mucocutaneous eruption mostly triggered by herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. A vicious circle of recurrence may be developed due to HSV reactivation and prolonged use of systemic corticosteroids to control EMM. Levamisole is an immunomodulator and has been applied to prevent relapses of recurrent HSV infection. Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of levamisole in patients with recalcitrant recurrent EMM. Methods We enrolled 23 patients with recurrent EMM treated with levamisole and 24 controls, and analyzed the demographics, treatments and outcomes. Results Patients with recurrent EMM for years (mean 3.99 ± 2.71) showed significantly reduced recurrences after various durations of levamisole treatment (recurrences after and before treatment: 3.98 ± 1.04 vs 6.75 ± 1.45 times per year, p = 1.33x10−8). The recurrences of EMM also significantly reduced after levamisole treatment comparing to that of patients without levamisole treatment (p = 3.77x10−9). No patient was reported to have severe side effects during or after levamisole treatment. Conclusions Levamisole was effective in reducing recurrences of recalcitrant recurrent EMM and can thus be considered an alternative or add-on therapy for this disorder.

Objective:To investigate the short-term efficacy and long-term oncological outcomes of different paclitaxelplus platinum regimens in patients with serous ovarian cancer.Method :This is an observational study.A total of 2835 patients with serous ovarian cancer were collected from January 2009 to June 2015 in Guangxi Province,China.Under the condition of real world research,Objective Remission Rate(ORR) and Adverse Reaction Rate(ARR) of 13 p-aclitaxel plus platinum regimens were compared retrospectively.According to the results of ORRand ARR,three schemes with better short-term curative effect were selected,and the PFS and OS of the three regimens were compared.Result: (1)ARR:Cisplatin-based regimen had the highest incidence of liver and kidney damage,gastrointe-stinal reaction and alopecia;Carboplatin-based regimen had the highest incidence of myelosuppr-ession;Paclitaxel-based regimen had the highest incidence of allergic reaction;Docetaxel+Oxalipl-atin group and Paclitaxel+Cisplatin group had the highest incidence of neurotoxicity,other chem-otherapy regimens was similar.(2)ORR:The ORR of Liposomal-Paclitaxel+Carboplatin group wa-s 88.3%,Docetaxel+Carboplatin group、Paclitaxel+Carboplatin/Cisplatin group and Docetaxel+Lo-baplatin group were similar,higher than 80%;Paclitaxel+Nedaplatin group was the lowest,only 69.7%.According to the results of ORR and ARR,Liposome-Paclitaxel+Carboplatin(Li-Pa/Ca),Docetaxel+Carboplatin(Do/Ca),Paclitaxel+Carboplatin(Pa/Ca) can obtain satisfactory short-term chemotherapy efficacy with low adverse reactions.we included these three egimens into the long-term pr-ognosis study.(3)PFS+OS:The median PFS and OS of Li-Pa/Ca were better than those of Do/Ca,while the 5-year PFS rate and OS rate were on the contrary(PFS:35m vs 28m,18.8% vs 22.0%;OS:55m vs 44m,25.04% vs 31.83%),but the results were not statistically significant.PFS and OS of Pa/Ca were significantly lower than those of Li-Pa/Ca and Do/Ca(PFS:25m,13.67%;OS: 40m,22.82%,P Conclusion: Li-Pa/Ca,Do/Ca and Pa/Ca regimens can achieve satisfactory short-term efficacy with low adver-se reactions.In particular,Li-Pa/Ca and Do/Ca have more obvious advantages than Pa/Ca in improving the long-term prognosis of patients.This study provides an important basis and referenc-e for patients with serous ovarian cancer in underdeveloped areas to choose traditional chemot-herapy.Doctors should fully follow the principle of "high efficiency and low toxicity",and give individualized treatment according to the individual differences of patients.

Background Severe COVID-19 is characterised by inflammation and coagulation in the presence of complement system activation. We aimed to explore the potential benefit and safety of selectively blocking the anaphylatoxin and complement protein C5a with the monoclonal antibody IFX-1 (vilobelimab), in patients with severe COVID-19.Methods We did an exploratory, open-label, randomised phase 2 trial (part of the adaptive phase 2/3 PANAMO trial) of intravenous IFX-1 in adults with severe COVID-19 at three academic hospitals in the Netherlands. Eligibility criteria were age 18 years or older; severe pneumonia with pulmonary infiltrates consistent with pneumonia, a clinical history of severe shortness of breath within the past 14 days, or a need for non-invasive or invasive ventilation; severe disease defined as a ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fractional concentration of oxygen in inspired air (PaO2/FiO(2)) between 100 mm Hg and 250 mm Hg in the supine position; and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection confirmed by RT-PCR. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive IFX-1 (up to seven doses of 800 mg intravenously) plus best supportive care (IFX-1 group) or best supportive care only (control group). The primary outcome was the percentage change in PaO2/FiO(2) in the supine position between baseline and day 5. Mortality at 28 days and treatment-emergent and serious adverse events were key secondary outcomes. The primary analysis was done in the intention-to-treat population and safety analyses were done in all patients according to treatment received. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04333420).Findings Between March 31 and April 24, 2020, 30 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the IFX-1 group (n=15) or the control group (n=15). During the study it became clear that several patients could not be assessed regularly in the supine position because of severe hypoxaemia. It was therefore decided to focus on all PaO2/FiO(2) assessments (irrespective of position). At day 5 after randomisation, the mean PaO2/FiO(2) (irrespective of position) was 158 mm Hg (SD 63; range 84-265) in the IFX-1 group and 189 mm Hg (89; 71-329) in the control group. Analyses of the least squares mean relative change in PaO2/FiO(2) at day 5 showed no differences between treatment groups (17% change in the IFX-1 group vs 41% in the control group; difference -24% [95% CI -58 to 9], p=0.15. Kaplan-Meier estimates of mortality by 28 days were 13% (95% CI 0-31) for the IFX-1 group and 27% (4-49) for the control group (adjusted hazard ratio for death 0.65 [95% CI 0.10-4.14]). The frequency of serious adverse events were similar between groups (nine [60%] in the IFX-1 group vs seven [47%] in the control group) and no deaths were considered related to treatment assignment. However, a smaller proportion of patients had pulmonary embolisms classed as serious in the IFX-1 group (two [13%]) than in the control group (six [40%]). Infections classed as serious were reported in three (20%) patients in the IFX-1 group versus five (33%) patients in the control group.Interpretation In this small exploratory phase 2 part of the PANAMO trial, C5a inhibition with IFX-1 appears to be safe in patients with severe COVID-19. The secondary outcome results in favour of IFX-1 are preliminary because the study was not powered on these endpoints, but they support the investigation of C5a inhibition with IFX-1 in a phase 3 trial using 28-day mortality as the primary endpoint. Copyright (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) is the observed continuation and deterioration of ischemic injury, and currently, there are no effective treatment strategies for the condition. It has been reported that microRNAs (miRNAs) serve an important role in CIRI by regulating pyroptosis. The present study demonstrated that miRNA-124 regulated CIRI by regulating STAT3. To explore the relationship between miRNA-124/STAT3 and pyroptosis in CIRI, CIRI was simulated using a middle cerebral artery occlusion model. Subsequently, miRNA-124 expression levels were altered via the intracerebroventricular injection of miRNA-124 agonist or antagonist. The degree of brain tissue injury was assessed by conducting TTC staining and neurological function scoring. Relative miRNA-124 expression levels were determined via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. A luciferase reporter gene system verified the targeted binding of miRNA-124 to STAT3. The expression levels of key proteins and proinflammatory cytokines associated with pyroptosis [caspase-1, gasdermin D, interleukin (IL)-18 and IL-1β] were detected via western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The increased expression levels of pyroptosis-associated proteins and proinflammatory cytokines in the I/R groups compared with the control group, indicated that pyroptosis intensified over time during CIRI, and miRNA-124 agonist significantly abrogated pyroptosis and improved neurological function compared with the control group. Furthermore, miRNA-124 inhibited STAT3 activation in a targeted manner, which also decreased the extent of pyroptosis. However, miRNA-124 antagonist reversed miR-124 agonist-mediated effects. Therefore, the present study indicated that miRNA-124 may provide neuroprotection against pyroptosis during CIRI, potentially via inhibition of the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Background Patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) have high mortality rates. Disseminated intravascular coagulation has been reported in SJS/TEN patients. The influence of this lethal complication in patients with SJS/TEN is not well known. Objective This study aimed to investigate the risk and outcomes of disseminated intravascular coagulation in patients with SJS/TEN. Methods We analyzed the disseminated intravascular coagulation profiles of patients receiving a diagnosis of SJS/TEN between 2010 and 2019. Results We analyzed 150 patients with SJS/TEN (75 with SJS, 22 with overlapping SJS/TEN, and 53 with TEN) and their complete disseminated intravascular coagulation profiles. Disseminated intravascular coagulation was diagnosed in 32 patients (21.3%), primarily those with TEN. It was significantly associated with systemic complications, including gastrointestinal bleeding, respiratory failure, renal failure, liver failure, infection, and bacteremia. Additionally, SJS/TEN patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation had elevated procalcitonin levels. Among patients with SJS/TEN, disseminated intravascular coagulation was associated with a greater than 10-fold increase in mortality (78.1% vs 7%). Limitations The study limitations include small sample size and a single hospital system. Conclusion Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a potential complication of SJS/TEN and associated with higher mortality. Early recognition and appropriate management of this critical complication are important for patients with SJS/TEN.

Background: Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is characterized by inflammation and coagulation in the presence of complement activation. Methods: We conducted an explorative phase 2 randomized, open label first part of an adaptive phase 2/3 trial of intravenous IFX-1, a monoclonal antibody selectively blocking the anaphylatoxin C5a, in adults with severe Covid-19. Patients were randomized between IFX-1 plus best supportive care (BSC) or BSC only. Results: 30 patients underwent randomization: 15 assigned to IFX-1 and 15 to BSC. PaO2/FiO2 ratio improvement on day 5, chosen as primary outcome parameter, did not show significant differences between groups. However, IFX-1 treatment was associated with consistent trends of improvement as evidenced by lower mortality rate, reduction in renal impairment, normalization of lymphocyte counts, and lowering of plasma lactate dehydrogenase concentrations. Kaplan-Meier estimates of mortality by 28 days were 13% for IFX-1 and 27% for BSC (HR for death, 0.56; 95%CI 0.09-3.74). Serious adverse events rates were comparable between groups but the rate of pulmonary embolisms was three-fold lower in the IFX-1 group (13%) compared to BSC group (40%). IFX-1 treatment was associated with significant increase of D-dimer levels suggesting a potential pro-fibrinolytic activity of anti-C5a treatment. Conclusion: In this exploratory part of the study, C5a inhibition with IFX-1 was shown to be safe in severe Covid-19. PaO2/FiO2 ratio at day five was comparable between groups, but consistent signals of benefit including a lower 28-day all-cause mortality rate, lower rate in impaired kidney function and a lower rate of pulmonary embolism warrant investigating C5a-inhibition with IFX-1 within a phase 3 trial. Trial Registration: This trial has been registered with the NIH, U.S. National Library of Medicine at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04333420). Funding Statement: The trial is funded by InflaRx GmbH. Declaration of Interests: NR and RG are founders, active officers and executive directors of InflaRx (InflaRx GmbH, InflaRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. and InflaRx N.V.) and hold shares and stock options in InflaRx. KP is Global Head of Clinical Development of InflaRx and holds stock options in InflaRx. SR is employee at Metronomia, a contracted statistical service provider for InflaRx. MW is supported by grants from the German Research Foundation, SFB-TR84 C6 and C9 and by the German Ministry of Education and Research in the framework of the CAPSyS (01ZX1304B) and the PROVID project (FKZ 01KI20160A). DvdB reports receiving departmental honoraria for serving on a scientific advisory board for InflaRx in 2017, paid to Amsterdam UMC. All other authors have no Conflict of Interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by the institutional review board of the Academic Medical Center, part of Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (IRB: 2020_067#B2020179). If direct informed consent of patients was not feasible, patients could be included with a deferred consent procedure. All patients or their legally authorized representatives gave written informed consent for the study.

Neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) is a rare acquired condition caused by the transplacental passage of maternal autoantibodies. It is characterized by cutaneous, cardiac, hepatobiliary, hematological and neurological involvement. Cutaneous findings of NLE are variable, but few reports in the literature describe the presence of erosions or epidermal loss in NLE. Herein, we describe the case of an infant with NLE presenting as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), with cardiac, hematologic, hepatobiliary and neurologic abnormalities. The characteristic features by which to differentiate SJS-like NLE from infant SJS include subacute course, cardiac abnormalities, positive serology tests and direct immunofluorescence, histopathologic findings with melanin incontinence, periadnexal infiltrates, and mucin deposit. Though rare, it is important to consider lupus erythematosus as a potential cause of acute syndrome with focal epidermal necrosis or pan-epidermolysis. Keywords: Epidermolysis, Neonatal lupus erythematosus, Stevens-Johnson syndrome

INTRODUCTION Medical students and residents will encounter many cutaneous fungal infections in medical practice. However, the training for identification of medical fungi has been insufficient due to limited lecture-based courses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of using smartphone-based wallpapers in learning the microscopic morphology and colony characteristics of medical fungi for medical students and residents. METHODS A smartphone-based wallpaper learning module using a wallpaper-changing software application (app) was introduced in this 3-week training course. Twenty-six participants were enrolled and divided into two groups: nondermatology trainees, including medical students and postgraduate year one (PGY-1) doctors who have not yet specialized, and dermatology trainees (dermatology residents). All of the participants completed a 3-week training course, and the effectiveness of the module was evaluated by pre- and post-course multiple-choice examinations. RESULTS Both nondermatology and dermatology trainees scored significantly higher in post-course examinations than pre-course examinations (P < 0.001). The dermatology trainees performed better than nondermatology trainees in the pre-course examinations (P < 0.001). In the post-course examinations, no significant difference in scores was noted between dermatology and nondermatology trainees (P = 0.573). DISCUSSION The smartphone-based wallpaper learning module was effective in helping medical students and residents learn and memorize morphologic characteristics of fungi. In comparison to conventional lecture-based learning, this new mobile module was more readily accessible and convenient for learners to engage in learning.

Semiconductor-based photoelectrolysis for water splitting to produce hydrogen and oxygen is a simple, relatively cheap and reliable way for energy utilization. Therefore, developing photoelectrode materials with high solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency has become a hotspot in the field of material science. Many semiconductor-based photoelectrolysis suffer from the lack of visible light response and low charge separation efficiency resulting in low photoelectrocatalytic activity. It is particularly important to developing modified photoelectrode materials. Ion beam technology, as an important semiconductor modification technology, has been generally used to modify the electronic property of silicon. It has great potential application in modification of photoelectrode materials. Comparing with traditional modification method, ion beam technology has many advantages, such as good repeatability and controllability. Ion beam technology is an effective method for doping. Various ion species can be doped into photoelectrode materials. The ion implantation process could ensure the uniformity and purity of the introduced elements in materials. Doped ions can be highly dispersed and present at the lattice positions deeply inside the film. Basing on the works of our and other research groups, this review briefly introduces the advantages, the recent progress, and the current issues of application of ion beam technology in modifying photoelectrode materials. Ion beam technology has been used to effectively improve visible light absorption of many photoelectrode materials. TiO 2 doping through metal ion implantation has been studied since 1998. Various metal ion implantations have been found to be effective in improving material’s visible light response. Compared with metal ion implantation, only few examples of nonmetal implantation are known. Since 2005, N ion implantation was reported to be effective to improve photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of TiO 2 , ZnO, WO 3 . Ion implantation is proven to be effective and reliable method of doping. In addition, a gradient distribution of dopants along the vertical direction of materials would be formed. The gradient distributed dopants not only enhance the visible light absorption, but also introduce a homojunction which efficiently drives photo-induced electrons and holes separation and transfers. Ion implantation introduces lots of defects into materials. The defects always are known as recombination sites of electrons and holes. Post-implantation thermal annealing process is critical for PEC performance by eliminating partial defects. However, defects introduced by ion implantation are controllable. On the one hand, by low energy ion irradiation, surface defect has formed under control in shallow zone of photoelectrode. Through defect engineering, the electronic structure of many semiconductors can be modified. An impressive promotion of electrical conductivity and more exposed of active sites can lead to remarkable enhancements in photoelectrocatalytic performance. On the other hand, by high fluence beam irradiation combination with thermal annealing, the irradiation damage can be used to form nanostructure like nanorods. Up to now, the application of ion beam technology in modifying photoelectrode materials is still at the comparatively primary stage. In order to achieve high performance photoelectrochemical water splitting using ion beam technology, more attention should be paid to the more precise control over the dopants and defects. A large number of more systematic and in-depth researches should be carried out.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is an inflammatory marker that is associated with the outcomes of ischemic stroke. However, the role of hs-CRP levels in the functional outcomes after large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) and small-artery occlusion (SAO) is poorly understood.We recruited 1299 patients diagnosed as having LAA and 453 patients diagnosed as having SAO from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013, from the Department of Neurology, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital. The hs-CRP values were classified into two groups based on the significant threshold of hs-CRP level in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (≥3.215 mg/L in LAA and ≥1.72 mg/L in SAO). We examined the relationship between hs-CRP levels on admission and the modified Rankin scale scores using univariate and multivariate analyses.Patients with LAA had a higher hs-CRP mean value than patients with SAO (7.69 vs. 4.12 mg/L). The ROC curve showed a significant hs-CRP threshold value at 3.215 mg/L in patients with LAA and at 1.72 mg/L in patients with SAO. Logistic regression analyses showed that patients with LAA with hs-CRP levels ≥3.215 mg/L had a significant risk of poor outcome compared with those with hs-CRP levels3.215 mg/L (odds ratio [OR], 1.545; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.155-2.067; p = 0.003). Meanwhile, patients with SAO with hs-CRP levels ≥1.72 mg/L had a significant risk of poor outcome compared with those with hs-CRP levels1.72 mg/L (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.02-3.801; p = 0.043). Moreover, combining hs-CRP with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale could predict outcome with satisfying clinical accuracy both in LAA and SAO subtype.Patients with LAA with hs-CRP levels3.215 mg/L and patients with SAO with hs-CRP levels1.72 mg/L on admission had favorable functional outcomes at 3 months after stroke onset.

Idiopathic lymphoplasmacellular mucositis (ILPM) is a group of disorders histologically characterized by dense infiltrates of lymphocytes and plasma cells in submucosa. These lesions were initially observed on the glans penis and vulva, and later on buccal mucosa, lips, gingiva, tongue, epiglottis, larynx and other mucosal surfaces have also been reported. We have reviewed the previously reported cases of ILPM with lip involvement, outlining the clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of the entity to date. The etiology of ILPM is unknown, and the diagnosis is largely one of exclusion. To date, no consensus or consistently effective treatment for ILPM is available. Herein, we report an 18-year-old woman presented with markedly swollen lips with severe erosions, bleeding and yellow to black crusts who was diagnosed to have ILPM by histopathological study. The case occurred on rare lip site with an unusual appearance. Various treatment modalities were tried, but the responses were unsatisfactory and the lesion only responded to long-term administration of oral steroids.

Using the material testing machine of electro-hydraulic servo fatigue tests had been carried out on ordinary concrete and steel fiber reinforced concrete. The fatigue life, strength, stress and strain had been measured under tension and compression loading. The variation of fatigue was analyzed based on the test results. Having regression analysis, obtained the fatigue strength. Mean-while, the fatigue strain-life curves of ordinary concrete and steel fiber reinforced concrete had been made after data processing. The results had been showed that the fatigue property of steel fiber reinforced concrete was significantly higher than that of ordinary concrete. And the fatigue strength increased about 32.6% compared with ordinary concrete. The tensile and compressive fatigue strain were slightly smaller than that of ordinary concrete.

This retrospective study was to compare the image quality of right coronary artery (RCA) and effective radiation dose on prospective ECG‐gated method between 320 row computed tomography (CT) and 2nd generation (128‐slice) dual source CT. A total of 215 candidates underwent CT coronary angiography using prospective ECG‐gated method, 120 patients enrolled in 320 row CT group, and 95 patients in dual source CT group. We divided RCA image quality scores as 1/2/3/4, which means excellent/good/adequate/not assessable and heart rates were considered, as well as the radiation dose. There is no statistically significant difference of RCA image quality of Score 1/2 between 320 row CT and 2nd generation dual source CT, but lower heart rate (

With the material testing machine of electro-hydraulic servo, fatigue test have been carried out on coarse aggregate concrete with pre-crack .The fatigue life and fatigue strength of the concrete have been measured under tension and compression loading. The effect of pre-crack on concrete fatigue behavior has been analyzed based on the test results. Having regression treatment, obtained the concrete S-N curve and S-lgN curve of fatigue life. Mean-while, applying ANSYS finite element software, analysis and comparison of the fatigue behavior have been performed. The results show that pre-crack has a great influence on the fatigue behavior of concrete, and the fatigue life is reduced for 75%~80%.

Harmonic navigation of multiple low-cost robotic wheelchairs in a topology of wireless sensor nodes that are deployed in a dynamic and crowded indoor environment is a Non-deterministic Polynomial-time hard (NP-hard) problem. To address this problem, we propose a distributed multi-wheelchair global harmonic navigation algorithm. The distinguishing features of the proposed navigation algorithm are global search and local conflict resolution abilities. In the proposed algorithm, a travel time prediction method adopts a penalty for potential conflicts based on wheelchairs' priority, velocity and distance between the nodes. Moreover, three harmonic rules are proposed for: (1) giving the highest priority to humans, (2) giving the highest priority to wheelchairs, (3) giving flexible priority to wheelchairs. Through extensive quantitative simulations, we explore the performance of wheelchairs in various floor plan topologies and different values for the system parameters, and demonstrate that the properties of crowded indoor environments have important influence on the performance of global navigation, such as service time. The third harmonic rule establishes the trade-off between the performance of humans and robotic wheelchairs. At the same time, physical prototype wheelchairs are implemented and they verify the proposed global harmonic navigation algorithm. Some suggestions for robotic wheelchair designers, building architects and building owners are provided based on the conclusion of the experimental results. HighlightsProposed a harmonic multiple low-cost wheelchair navigation algorithm for an indoor environment.Adopted a penalty for potential conflicts based on wheelchairs' priority, velocity and distance between nodes to predict its travel time.Carried out extensive simulation experiments of different topologies in an indoor environment by employing three harmonic strategies.The proposed method is verified by implementing a realistic prototype.

In the operation of a dynamic mode atomic force microscope, a micro-fabricated rectangular cantilever is typically oscillated at or near its mechanical resonance frequency. Lateral bending resonances of cantilevers are rarely used because the resonances are not expected to be detected by the beam-deflection method. In this work, we found that micro-cantilevers with a large tip produced an out-of-plane displacement in lateral resonance (LR), which could be detected with the beam-deflection method. Finite-element analysis indicated that the presence of a large tip is the major source of the out-of-plane coupling for the LR. We also imaged a heterogeneous sample by operating a cantilever in LR, torsional resonance, and tapping modes. LR mode yielded a small deformation and noise level in the height maps as well as a high contrast and small noise level in the phase maps. LR mode also had a resonance frequency that was orders of magnitude higher than that of tapping mode. Operation with LR mode may have the benefits of high-speed scanning, high-sensitivity imaging, and mapping of in-plane mechanical properties of the sample surface. In general, LR mode may become a powerful new atomic force microscopy technique for characterizing sample materials.

Force-distance (FD) curve-based atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been widely applied for characterizing the surface morphology and mechanical properties of soft materials at nanometer resolution. In this paper, we demonstrate FD curve-based AFM using a newly developed algorithm to detect contact points (CPs) from each FD curve and to determine properties such as stiffness, adhesion, and deformation. The performance of our method is compared with that of the tapping and peak force tapping (PFT) modes by imaging the same area of a heterogeneous blend of soft and hard polymers by using the same tip. The morphology obtained with our CP detection-based method is comparable to that obtained using the tapping mode, but PFT shows strong deviation in height images obtained on soft polymer regions. We also acquire FD curves at a much higher sampling rate than PFT. A site-dependent decaying oscillation following snap-in is detected, and the frequency of the decaying oscillation appears to be related to the stiffness of the region, pointing to a new direction for characterizing viscoelastic properties of sample surfaces with a high spatial resolution.

Radiesse is a soft tissue filler which has been widely used for cosmetic enhancement. The safety of Radiesse has been thoroughly investigated via numerous studies. A late-onset complication of Radiesse injection consists of foreign body granulomas, with only three case reports in over 10 years of clinical use. Herein, we describe the case of a patient who experienced alopecia with foreign body granulomas at the injection region one month after receiving a Radiesse injection. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the English literature of alopecia as an adverse event associated with Radiesse injection. The present case reminded physicians to evaluate more cautiously the necessity of injecting filler into hair-bearing area for lifting purpose. This procedure may cause foreign body granulomatous reaction, which may result in hair loss at the injection region.

For different structural system of cable-stayed bridge, the dynamic characteristics have obvious difference under seismic load. Dynamic time-history analysis of earthquake was applied, and the EI Centero seismic wave with modified peak acceleration was chose as the earthquake acceleration time-history input. As Jiangsu Siyang special-shaped single tower cable-stayed bridge for engineering background, considering geometric nonlinear of structure, the differences of dynamic characteristics of cable-stayed bridge structures were gained under two different situations. The single longitudinal seismic ground motion was chose under the first situation, while the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical seismic ground motion are introduced. For floating system, the displacements are the largest and the inner forces are the smallest. For rigid frame system, the displacements are the smallest and the inner forces are the largest. The others are not much difference. Comprehensively, semi-floating system has better performance under seismic load.

Quadricyclane (QC), synthesized from photoisomerization and commonly used for solar-energy conversion and storage, is found to be an excellent hypergolic fuel. The ignition delay time of QC–N2O4 is 29 ms, which is decreased to 18 ms by addition of boron nanoparticles. Importantly, quadricyclane has 18.9% higher specific impulsion than currently used but dangerous dimethylhydrazine.

Through extensive literature research, this paper from the principle of acoustic emission technology, development and application of acoustic emission technology at home and abroad, the characteristics of acoustic emission technology, acoustic emission instrument classification, structure and technical indicators of acoustic emission technique is applied to the aspects of pavement structure defect diagnosis about the prospect of the system in this paper. Introducing the SAEU2S acoustic emission system structure and technical indicators of acoustic emission instrument applied in pavement structure for the future defect diagnosis recognition provides the reference. Research results objectively show the non-destructive testing technology for pavement maintenance performance detection technology advantage, basic principle and method of then for pavement dynamic maintenance tracking and evaluation of real-time traffic all the way, maintenance decision information and the realization of the institutionalization of laid a foundation.

Stud shear connector corrosion is an important factor for the durability degradation of steel-concrete composite structures. Stud shear connector corrosion in the natural environment is a slow process, so the shear capacity of deteriorated stud shear connector was studied by accelerate d deterioration using a galvanstatic method in this paper. Then, bending tests were conducted to study the structural behavior of steel-concrete composite beam after stud shear connector corrosion. Experimental results show that with the increase of conduction time, the corrosion rate of stud increases, the shear capacity of stud as well as the flexural capacity of steel-concrete composite beam decreases and the relative bond-slip between steel beam and concrete increases when loading. By the regression analysis of experimental results, formula was proposed to predict the shear capacity of studs after corrosion and the flexural capacity of deteriorated steel-concrete composite beam.

Theory of elastic waves layered homogeneous medium or even medium for the study can not meet the actual demand for seismic exploration, especially for fine rock to construct reservoirs for the study, had to consider small-scale heterogeneity of seismic wave propagation effects. In this thesis, multi-scale model of a complex medium, in ensuring the premise to further improve simulation accuracy simulation efficiency issue, the introduction of a variable grid numerical simulation techniques, and were analyzed for different types of grid difference, establish a different media model simulation results verify the validity of simulation and analyzes its efficiency and accuracy problems.

Base on clinching process, an air-hydraulic intensifier clinching devices was designed. In order to accurately control the quality of clinching, the displacement sensor and pressure sensor were joined in the control loop. So two different control feedback loops were founded. With two different ways of clinching tests, a clinching test method was founded, and the joint strength is analyzed. The result was that the shears strength and fracture strength in different directions of clinching samples are different.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of phytoestrogen isoflavone on balloon catheter-induced hyperplasia of carotid artery.Forty-eight female New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into four groups: control (balloon-induced carotid artery injury only); ovariectomy control (ovariectomy and carotid artery injury), oestrogen (ovariectomy, carotid artery injury and nilestriol, 5mg/kg daily for 28 days), and isoflavone (ovariectomy, carotid artery injury and isoflavone 120 mg/kg daily for 28 days). The arterial wall thickness was assessed by coloured ultrasonography, and the oestrogen-α and oestrogen-β receptors in the abdominal aorta were measured by Western blotting.The medial layer thickness in the isoflavone group was less than in the ovariectomy control group (0.28±0.03 vs. 0.35±0.04 mm, p0.01), and the intimal/medial layer (I/M) ratio is the isoflavone group was also less than in the ovariectomy control group (16.85±3.79 vs. 48.94±8.92, p0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the medial layer thickness or I/M ratio between the isoflavone and the oestrogen groups. The optical density of the oestrogen-α receptors in the isoflavone group (0.317±0.002) was less than in the oestrogen (0.633±0.002) or ovariectomy control group (0.590±0.001, p0.01). The optical density of the oestrogen-β receptors in the isoflavone group (1.350±0.002) and the ovariectomy control group (1.2033±0.002) was less than in the oestrogen group (1.7699±0.003, p0.01).Isoflavone therapy in the ovariectomised rabbit model attenuated balloon catheter-induced intimal and medial layer hyperplasia in the carotid arteries. Down-regulation of the oestrogen-α receptors may be involved in the hyperplasia-preventative effect.

This study proposes a novel approach for load modelling fulfilled in Guangdong Power Grid, Southern China. Dynamic load modelling lies on real-time data provided by load disturbances. These data can be acquired by power quality equipment fixed on each substation. This study introduces the approach to data processing and load modelling during asymmetric disturbance to solve the problems of insufficient inartificial disturbance data. In order to improve the global optimisation capability and identification efficiency in multi-dimensional function, an improved clone selection algorithm is proposed, which includes adaptive-adjust Gaussian mutation operators and the directional evolution mechanism, and also using the character of parameters independence between induction motor model and ZIP model referring to the third-order induction-motor paralleling ZIP model in BPA. The results of practical load modelling prove that the proposed algorithm has great effects on improving model precision and adaptability. Finally, the influences on power angle, frequency, voltage and power between dynamic load model and ZIP are discussed.

This paper illuminates a new type of precision cropping process method with rotary striking action. The new process makes use of a controllable circumferential strike on a metal bar with a V-shaped notch. The working principle of the machine is described. Different types of metal bars have been tested, and both bad results and successful results were stated in the paper. The most ideal control mode has been obtained. The experimental results show that the new cropping process can crop bars with different materials and diameters. In some cases, it can be directly used in the subsequent industrial production.

In this paper, non-uniform dynamic analysis of a cable-stayed bridge is carried out using the large mass method. The Ed Yangtze River highway bridge, constructed in Hubei province, is chosen as a numerical example. In the non-uniform dynamic analysis, various wave velocities are used for the travelling ground motion. Displacements and internal forces solutions obtained for the spatially varying ground motions are compared with those of the uniform excitation. It is observed that the velocity of the ground motion greatly influences the response of the bridge and the variability of the ground motions should be included in the time-history analysis of cable-stayed bridges.

The normal and safe supply of gas is one key of the urban operations. The risk comprehensive evaluation of gas supply companies is even more important. According to the actual work needs, to construct the application system is indispensable based on the rich internet applications(RIA) and web-based GIS(WebGIS). Therefore the application system of risk comprehensive evaluation was established by taking gas supply company as main study object after analysis the application requirements and functions. Based on the WebGIS and representational state transfer(REST), the application framework was designed and the procedure of the risk comprehensive evaluation was drafted according to the evaluation works and the index model was constructed by the main risk factors. The application system meets the normal evaluation work, which can also be more useful for the company and government manager or decision maker.

Based on response spectrum method, the seismic behavior of a long span cable-stayed bridge is investigated through three dimensional finite element model established by ANSYS. By calculating the cumulative effective mass factors of the bridge, the minimum number of modes used for modal superposition analysis is obtained. Design acceleration response spectrums under two probabilities are used in the analysis. The response spectrums are input in the bridge longitudinal direction, vertical direction, transverse direction and combined horizontal and vertical directions. Displacements and internal forces results show that vertical component of the ground motion greatly influences the response of the bridge and there is significant difference between the results of the two probabilities.

For the bridge health monitoring it is very important to understand the information what factors lead to the bridge damage. Clearly know these factors and the correlation between them can improve the efficiency of the bridge operation. But, the informed researches of damage factors are based on the expert's opinion and not on a systematic method of as the basis. First around 30 candidate factors are Scientific selected in reinforced concrete bridge related database in this paper, then these factors are divided into four common type, and in turn using rough clustering in the light of the four types, the rank of each type and comprehensive class are partition. Finally, the most significant influence factors to the structural damage are searched by the rough set theory (RST), and the association rules of each factor are analyzed.

HMA dynamic modulus is one of key inputs to the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide. In order to analyze and evaluate bearing capacity of asphalt concrete pavement and to determinate the rules of pavement deterioration of modulus of asphalt layer under repeated wheel load and ambient, temperature correction for HMA is applied to the modulus so as to compare them with the same temperature. In order to get temperature correction coefficients for HMS moduli, a method of temperature correction for HMA moduli was put forward. In this method, the specimen of asphalt mixture or HMA cores from in-situ pavements were tested by Superpave Simple Performance Tester(SPT), or falling weight deflection(FWD) was tested on the site of in-situ pavements. The correlation between HMA dynamic modulus and temperature was regressed, and then dynamic modulus regression model was put forward. Results show that exponential function was fitted to the data to determine and adjust the modulus to a reference temperature, the recommendation regression equation can reflect the features of asphalt mixture at the reference temperature.

The application of ABAQUS in thermal stress analysis of mass reinforced concrete, focusing on the temperature field, crack propagation, ABAQUS modeling, finite element analysis approaches of thermal stress, is reviewed first in this paper. Then, based on the observation of one cable-stayed bridge pylon, a finite element analysis of existing crack tips in temperature stress is done, and the simulation results are compared with the measured ones to verify the validity and accuracy of the finite element calculation.

There is evidence in sepsis, both in rodents and in humans, that activation of the complement system results in excessive production of C5a, which triggers a series of events leading to septic shock, multiorgan failure, and lethality. In rodents following cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), which induces polymicrobial sepsis, in vivo blockade of C5a using neutralizing antibodies dramatically improved survival, reduced apoptosis of lymphoid cells, and attenuated the ensuing coagulopathy. Based on these data, it seems reasonable to consider therapeutic blockade of C5a in humans entering into sepsis and septic shock. Strategies for the development of such an antibody for use in humans are presented.

The numerical analysis method is applied to simulate the whole process of bending. Keeping the section dimensions and the types of loads constant in prestressed concrete hollow slab with mid-strength spiral-rib steel wire, strength of concrete, strength of steel bar, reinforcement ratio, span-depth ratio and stretching control stress are analyzed and compared. The influence of strength of concrete, strength of steel bar, reinforcement ratio, span-depth ratio and stretching control stress on ratio of cracking bending moment and design bending moment of prestressed concrete hollow slab is discussed by numerical simulation.

The maximum punch pressure force (TMPPF) of cold welding pressure affects not only the performance of the welding bonding but also the amount of the area of welding bonding. If punch force is more bigger, it may be take place cracks, stress concentration and welding concave pits, which affect application of materials and increase incidence of faults. The process that punch pressure of cold welding pressure applied on sheet materials to attain welding bonding is simplified beam in cold pressure welding. Under normal circumstances it is an important method to TMPPF by the manner of experiment, but the method to attain TMPPF is limited. In the paper completely inelastic collision theory is applied to explain the process of cold welding pressure, the theory of completely inelastic collision offers principle theory to attain TMPPF. In this paper, two supposes are put forward, on the basis of two supposes the critical velocity is attained. At the same time, critical kinetic momentum or critical kinetic energy will be attained. On the basis of the law of conservation of energy, energy balance equation is attained, which will drop in calculating difficulty of the non-linear process of cold pressure welding and decrease calculated amount. In this paper on the basis of the process of collision all phases are analyzed. Indeed elastic-plastic deformation phase is completely inelastic collision phase, and from point of view of collision to calculate energy loss. At the same time, to suppose other plate is utter stiff can attain critical velocity, thus, to achieve the equation of TMPPF.

This paper presents a new approach to precision cropping with radial forging, it skillfully utilizes the stress and strain concentration effect of the prefabricated V-shaped notch and the principle of the radial-forging machine to achieve the regular fracture of metal bar. The basic working principle of the new radial-forging cropping method is discussed in detail. Moreover, the distribution of the radial displacement loads is discussed in detail, and the loading rules are clearly explained under the conditions of the single cropping die, two cropping dies, three cropping dies and four cropping dies, as well as the radial-forging loading sequence. The model and equation of the movement with the radial-forging are established, the feasibility analysis of the radial-forging cropping method is carried out, which is in agreement with the experimental results.

This paper considers the problem of improving the accuracy of parallel kinematics machine tools through a low-cost and effective calibration method. A novel orientation constraint of keeping two attitude angles of the end-effector constant is presented to derive the calibration algorithm with special insight on the effect of using various combinations of two angles. The orientation constraint of the selected combination is realized physically through leveling a commercial biaxial inclinometer installed on the end-effector. Benefits of the proposed method include exempting the needs for precise pose (position and orientation) measurement and for mechanical fixtures, as well as rendering the independence of the measuring range and angular positioning accuracy of the inclinometer. Simulation based on the geometry of the Stewart platform of XJ-HEXA shows the position and orientation accuracy can reach 0.1 mm and 0.01° after calibration, when using an inclinometer with the repeatability of 0.001° and measuring the leg lengths with the precision of 0.002 mm at 80 configurations. Experiments on XJ-HEXA further verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

In today’s hyper-competitive business environments virtual organisations are becoming highly dynamic and unpredictable. Individuals may want to work together across organisation boundaries but do not have much prior knowledge about potential partners. The semantic web and its associated new standards appear very promising as candidates to support a new generation of virtual organisations. Whilst knowledge can be represented in a machine interpretable way, social-like behaviours can be expected in a virtual organisation. In this paper ontology definition techniques from the semantic web are applied to define a virtual state space of a virtual organisation. Actors involved in an organisation, from high level strategy making members to low level physical devices, advertise their skills and local knowledge in a community. A task initiator, with a virtual sensor to perceive the advertised skills and with an adaptive belief model about the community, seeks for the best matched partners for cooperation. The belief model is a fuzzy neural network based on Adaptive Resonance Theory which takes the advertisements of actors as its initial belief and learns actors’ actual capabilities through interaction experience. Dynamic alliances can then take place in an automated/semi-automated way that exhibit adaptive ability, self-organisation, unsupervised learning and competition ability. The alliances thus exhibit the inherent characteristics of realistic enterprises or human societies.

As the well-grown of technology, manifold detecting functions have been developed on the surface measurement. By using diverse physical/chemical effects, the 3D surface profile measurement can be developed to detect the sample surface structure. Through the delicate optical configuration, the astigmatic pick-up head can achieve the nano-scale measurement resolution. Furthermore for realizing a profilometer, the scanning performance also plays a significant function to detect the sample profile. This paper is to present our developed astigmatic profilometer integrated with a coplanar and biaxial electromagnetic scanning stage and an astigmatic pick-up head. The electromagnetic scanning function is based on the moving-coil principle which utilizes the Lorentz force to drive the coil attached to the elastic membrane. Each scanning axis possesses two opposite-working electromagnetic actuators with the pull-push actuation method to symmetrically create large actuating force. It has been experimentally verified that the coplanar and biaxial scanning stage can achieve the scanning range over 1 mm. The astigmatic profilometer can scan an surface area of 1 mm × 1 mm (500 pixels × 500 pixels) at the scanning rate of 20 Hz. Its maximum scanning speed is equivalent to 40 mm/s.