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An LLC-DAB bidirectional converter with reduced switch count as a DC-DC transformer (DCX) is proposed in this paper. It can achieve voltage regulation, full load range zero voltage switching (ZVS) for eight main switches and wide load range ZVS for four auxiliary switches, with consideration of the switch junction capacitors under different power direction. A part portion of total power is transferred through an auxiliary DAB circuit to achieve voltage regulation and bidirectional power conversion. The main power is transferred through LLC circuit with an easy PWM scheme achieving high conversion efficiency. Different from the existing LLC-DAB DCX structure, the two secondary side transformer outputs are in parallel, and connected to the same full-bridge circuit. In this way, the auxiliary DAB circuit can not only adjust the output voltage, but also can inject current into the secondary side to help achieving ZVS of switches without synchronous rectifier (SR) circuit. The converter operation principle is analyzed under different power directions, and ZVS is analyzed with the consideration of all the switch junction capacitors. Based on the analysis, the design consideration is introduced. Finally, a 2-kW prototype with 750V input and 400V output is built up to verify the effectiveness of the proposed solution.

To ensure the safety and reliability, the aging test of on-board charger (OBC) and dc/dc auxiliary power module (dc/dc-APM) in electric vehicles are indispensable. However, a wide range of battery voltage levels and fast response to power conversion between forward and backward operations are still challenging aspects of the aging test power system. In this article, an improved ac/dc converter is proposed for the aging test application in electric vehicles. The converter consists of two identical topologies, which is made up of three cascaded converters. The first stage is a single-phase ac/dc rectifier, which realizes unity input power factor and power transmission between the ac grid and dc bus. The second stage is the LLC-dc/dc transformer (LLC-DCX) which provides electrical isolation and fixed voltage transfer ratio. Besides, the natural bidirectional power flow can be achieved by the proposed solution. The third stage is a synchronous buck converter (SBC) which guarantees the high dynamic performance and wide range voltage regulation. Experiments based on an 8-kW prototype are conducted to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed converter and the related control strategies.

For the high-power Li-ion battery (LIB) formation and grading system, using a multistage conversion structure, an isolated bidirectional dc–dc converter with a high input voltage, and a large output current is needed to achieve isolation and a relatively fixed voltage conversion gain. This article proposes a modulation strategy and modifies the topology to achieve natural bidirectional power transfer, automatic power sharing, and power limitation for an input-series–output-parallel (ISOP) LLC-DC transformer (DCX) converter. First, an active pulsewidth modulation (PWM) strategy is proposed to avoid synchronous rectifier (SR) sensing and to achieve the natural bidirectional power flow for each submodule. The resonant current always keeps discontinuous, and the conversion gain can keep constant if ignoring the conductive resistance. Second, clamping diodes are added in the conventional LLC converter to limit the inrush current during startup, and to achieve a constant power limitation under an overload condition. Third, with the proposed modulation, the power sharing of the two-module ISOP LLC converter is analyzed and compared with the conventional ISOP LLC converter. Finally, experiments based on an 8-kW (output: 15 V/533 A) prototype composed of the two-module ISOP LLC converter are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed solution.

This study aimed to identify the independent contributions of lifestyle factors to depressive symptoms among Chinese middle school students, with a focus on gender differences. A cross-sectional study of 3081 middle school students was conducted in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China. Students were asked to complete a questionnaire including socio-demographics, lifestyle factors, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Chinese Secondary School Students Depression Scale. The total prevalence of depressive symptoms was 19.9%. Poor quality of sleep, smoking, drinking and longer mobile phone use time were related to increased prevalence of depressive symptoms after adjusting for potential confounders. A significant interaction between gender and quality of sleep on the depressive symptoms was found (

To realize the single-stage integration into medium-voltage de grids for renewable energy, a hybrid full-bridge boost module for input-parallel-output-series de-de converter is proposed. Except for a full bridge, the proposed module includes two blocking didoes and a resonant tank on the primary side, which can keep the current as zero and obtain reverse current, respectively. Along with the put forward novel control strategy, the zero current switching for all semiconductors is realized, including both the primary and secondary ones. The proposed module has been well verified by the simulation results.

Background Limited published research has examined the relationships of coping styles and sleep quality with anxiety symptoms in Chinese school adolescents. We aimed to explore the effect of coping styles and sleep quality on anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, we investigated the interactions of coping styles and sleep quality with anxiety symptoms. Methods The survey was conducted in Jiangxi Province, China. The Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Chinese Secondary School Students Anxiety Scale were utilized to assess sleep quality, coping styles and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to explore the relationships of coping styles and sleep quality with anxiety symptoms. Results A total of 3081 students participated in this study, 50.8% of whom were boys; the number of participants in grades 1, 2 and 3 were 979, 1085 and 1017, respectively. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 27.3%. Individuals with poor sleep quality were 3.558 (95% CI = 2.716–4.660) times as likely to have anxiety symptoms than those with good sleep quality. Higher negative coping style scores increased the prevalence of anxiety symptoms (OR = 2.101, 95% CI = 1.894–2.332), whereas higher positive coping style scores were related to reduced odds of anxiety symptoms (OR = 0.892, 95% CI = 0.800–0.995). Interactions of coping styles and sleep quality with anxiety symptoms were not found (all p > 0.05). The association between negative coping style and anxiety symptoms was mediated by sleep quality. Limitations This study was cross-sectional and limited to Ganzhou City. Conclusions The results of our study showed a higher prevalence of anxiety symptoms compared with the result of a previous study in Chinese school adolescents. Negative coping style and poor sleep quality were associated with an increased prevalence of anxiety symptoms, whereas positive coping style was related to a decreased prevalence of anxiety symptoms. Sleep quality was a mediating factor between negative coping style and anxiety symptoms.

Background Little is known about the impact of activities of daily living (ADL) disability on personal and spouse depression symptoms among Chinese. Methods We used data from the baseline and 2013 follow-up surveys of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative survey in 17,708 adults aged 45 years and older, to evaluate cross-sectional and prospective association between ADL disability and depression symptoms of subjects and their spouses. The derived basic ADL scale (BADL) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale short form were utilized to assess ADL disability and depressive symptoms, respectively. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), adjusting for depression risk factors and taking into account the complex survey design and response rate. Results There were 15,890 subjects included in the study. Prevalence of baseline depression symptoms was 29.5% (95%CI 27.9–31.1%), 58.0% (95%CI 54.5–61.4%) and 73.6% (95%CI 70.4–76.8%) in subjects with BADL scores of 0, 1 and ≥2, respectively, and 27.0% (95%CI 25.3–28.7%), 34.2% (95%CI 30.0–38.4%) and 43.8% (95%CI 39.1–48.5%) in subjects without ADL disability while having spouses with BADL scores of 0, 1 and ≥2, respectively. Prospectively, BADL score ≥2 was associated with higher risk of depression symptoms of subjects (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.03–2.57) and their spouses (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.01–2.22). Limitations Bias might be introduced because of observational study design, and findings may not be generalizable to younger population. Conclusions ADL disability might have potential to increase risk of depression symptoms of middle-aged and older Chinese adults and their spouses.

BackgroundDendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in antitumor immunity, but the therapeutic efficacy of DC-mediated cancer vaccine remains low, partly due to unsustainable DC function in tumor antigen presentation. Thus, identifying drugs that could enhance DC-based antitumor immunity and uncovering the underlying mechanism may provide new therapeutic options for cancer immunotherapy.MethodsIn vitro antigen presentation assay was used for DC-modulating drug screening. The function of DC and T cells was measured by flow cytometry, ELISA, or qPCR. B16, MC38, CT26 tumor models and C57BL/6, Balb/c, nude, and Batf3−/− mice were used to analyze the in vivo therapy efficacy and impact on tumor immune microenvironment by clotrimazole treatment.ResultsBy screening a group of small molecule inhibitors and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, we identified that clotrimazole, an antifungal drug, could promote DC-mediated antigen presentation and enhance T cell response. Mechanistically, clotrimazole acted on hexokinase 2 to regulate lactate metabolic production and enhanced the lysosome pathway and Chop expression in DCs subsequently induced DC maturation and T cell activation. Importantly, in vivo clotrimazole administration induced intratumor immune infiltration and inhibited tumor growth depending on both DCs and CD8+ T cells and potentiated the antitumor efficacy of anti-PD1 antibody.ConclusionsOur findings showed that clotrimazole could trigger DC activation via the lactate-lysosome axis to promote antigen cross-presentation and could be used as a potential combination therapy approach to improving the therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD1 immunotherapy.

In the paper, a novel AC/DC converter is proposed for the aging test of on-board charger in electric vehicles. This converter has advantages of unity input power factor, high efficiency, bidirectional energy flow, electrical isolation and wide range of output voltage. The converter consists of two identical topologies, which is made up of three cascaded converters. The front stage is a single-phase AC/DC rectifier and it realizes the unity input power factor. The next stage consists of a two-stage topology. The front stage of the two-stage topology is LLC resonant converter, which realizes electrical isolation, fixed voltage transfer ratio and natural bidirectional power flow. The back stage uses a bidirectional buck-boost converter to realize high dynamic performance and wide range voltage regulation ability. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed topology and control strategy are validated by the experimental results.

The technology of shore-to-ship electricity (SSE) refers to the use of land power supply to power the ship during the berthing period, so that the ship stops using low sulfur fuel, which can help to promote the energy saving and emission reduction, as well as improve the comprehensive competitiveness of port. In this paper, we use the evolutionary game to analyze the interaction mechanism of tripartite behaviors, where the strategic space for government is non-incentive and incentive, port company is non-implement and implement, power company is non-investment and investment. From the case study, we observe that in the early stage of SSE construction, it's difficult for the port company and power company to solve the huge investment; thus, the government support, especially in the financial help, shows a huge impact to cover the SSE investment. In addition, the government considers gradually withdrawing from the market and no longer takes incentive measure; further, port company and power company should cooperate with each other, so that both carry out SSE transformation and unify standard to make the efficient SSE.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a potentially fatal vascular disease, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that erythropoietin (EPO) may promote the formation of AAA. We found that EPO dose-dependently promoted the formation of AAA in both Apoe−/− (66.7%) and wild-type (WT) (60%) mice receiving a high dose of EPO. EPO monoclonal antibodies given to Apoe−/− mice receiving angiotensin II (AngII) stimulation resulted in a markedly lower incidence of AAA (from 86.7 to 20%, P

Third-harmonic injection two-stage matrix converter not only possess the same essential features as conventional MCs, but also have some superior performance such as enhanced input reactive power capability. However, as similar to the conventional MCs, the third-harmonic injection two-stage matrix converter still has limited linear voltage transfer ratio and poor input/output performance under the condition of overmodulation. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes an over-modulation method based on predictive control. This method has advantages of improved voltage transfer ratio and input/output waveforms. Moreover, the proposed method is elaborated and studied in detail in this paper and the effectiveness of the method is verified by simulation and experiments.

ObjectivesThe main objective of this study was to explore the associations of family relationships and negative life events with depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 3081 middle school students was conducted in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China. Students were asked to complete questionnaires regarding family relationships, negative life events, and depressive symptoms. A mediation analysis was carried out using a multiple regression analysis and the PROCESS macro method.ResultsOf all participants, 19.9% reported experiencing depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 13.0% and 29.2% in participants with good and poor parental relationships, and the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 11.4% and 30.9% in participants with closed and alienated parental-child relationships, respectively. Parental relationships, parental-child relationships, and negative life events were positively correlated with depressive symptoms. The effect of parental relationships on depressive symptoms was fully mediated by negative life events (Effect = 0.052, 95% CI = [0.023, 0.082]), while the effect of parent-child relationships on adolescent depressive symptoms was partially mediated by negative life events (Effect = 0.075, 95% CI = [0.048, 0.104]).ConclusionsOur results showed a high prevalence of depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. Poor family relationships may have the potential to increase the risk of depressive symptoms, and they could affect depressive symptoms through negative life events.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a rodent-borne disease caused by hantaviruses (HVs). Climate factors have a significant impact on the transmission of HFRS. Here, we characterized the dynamic temporal trend of HFRS and identified the roles of climate factors in its transmission in Changchun, China. Surveillance data of HFRS cases and data on related environmental variables from 2013 to 2017 were collected. A principal components regression (PCR) model was used to quantify the relationship between climate factors and transmission of HFRS. During 2013 to 2017, a distinctly declining temporal trend of annual HFRS incidence was identified. Four principal components were extracted, with a cumulative contribution rate of 89.282%. The association between HFRS epidemics and climate factors was better explained by the PCR model (F = 10.050, P

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Background: Tasquinimod is an oral quinoline-3-carboxamide derivative for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Tasquinimod has antiangiogenic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties, but it is also associated with toxicities, including skeletal pain, digestive disorders, fatigue, insomnia, and mental disorders. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and long-term survival for tasquinimod in patients with mCRPC. Methods: Searches were carried out in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Eligible articles included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing systemic or combination therapy (excluding primary or secondary androgen deprivation therapy, bone protective agents, or radionuclides) with placebo in men with mCRPC. Results: Three RCTs were selected for final evaluation. The pooled results from the 3 studies indicated that tasquinimod was associated with good radiologic progression-free survival (rPFS) in mCRPC. For adverse effects (AEs), the results of meta-analysis indicated that patients with mCRPC who received tasquinimod had obvious anemia (risk ratio (RR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–1.73, P = .02), back pain (RR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.01–2.47, P = .05), pain in the extremities (RR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.14–3.17, P = .01), insomnia (RR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.03–2.17, P = .03), vomiting (RR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04–2.21, P = .03), and peripheral edema (RR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.03–2.23, P = .03). Conclusions: Tasquinimod is associated with better rPFS in mCRPC. The toxicity of tasquinimod requires further investigation, it is not recommended for routine clinical use.

Two novel small molecules (SMs) of BDT(TPD-DPP)2 and BDTT(TPD-DPP)2 with a D(A-A′)2 framework were designed and synthesized, in which the electron-rich benzodithiophene (BDT) and thiophenyl-substituted benzodithiophene (BDTT) are used as a central donor (D) core, as well as the electron-deficient diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and thieno [3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) as dual acceptor (A and A′) units, respectively. Their optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties were investigated together with their counterparts, which bearing an accepter-donor-accepter (A-D-A) architecture. Wider and stronger solar photon responses and decreasing the lowest unoccupied orbital (LUMO) levels are observed in the D(A-A′)2 rather than A-D-A type SMs. The significantly increasing power conversion efficiency of 4.25% with a short-circuit current density of 10.08 mA cm−2 were obtained in the BDTT(TPD-DPP)2 based solar cells. This work demonstrates that using D(A-A′)2 architecture with dual acceptor units is an effective method to improve photovoltaic performance of SMs for solution-processed organic solar cells.

A family of modulation schemes based on mathematical construction for the multimodular matrix converter (MC) with ordinary multiwindings transformer is proposed in this paper. The key to the schemes are the calculation of offset signals. A geometric method is introduced to determine the range of the offset signals. The modulation schemes could be divided in two categories based on the geometric positions of the offset signals: continuous modulation (Method I) and discontinuous modulation (Method II). The former has the advantages of ease of use and good power quality. While the later has the advantage in power losses. Additionally, both methods can achieve the maximum linear voltage transfer ratio. To obtain better output current quality, a switching pattern with specific sequence is provided. Finally, a scaled-down prototype is built to verify the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed modulation strategies.

We report on efficient solution-processed phosphorescent white polymer light-emitting diodes (WPLEDs) with tunable color-correlated temperature (CCT) and color rendering index (CRI), through rationally controlling the composition of the emission layer (EML) based on a near-infrared (NIR)-emitting dinuclear cyclometalated platinum (II) complex bridged with NˆS anionic ligand, named (niq) 2 Pt 2 (μ-C 8 PhOXT) 2 (Pt-1, in which PhOXT is 5-(phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole)-2-thiol, niq is 1-naphthylisoquinolinato), a sky-blue emitter iridium (III) bis[(4,6-di-fluorophenyl)-pyridinato-N,C2] (picolinate) (FIrpic), and a yellow emitter bis[2-(thieno[3,2- c ]pyridin-4-yl)phenyl]iridium(III)(acetylacetonato) (PO-01). One of the best three-color WPLEDs shows a CCT of 3246 K as well as an excellent high CRI of 87, which are greatly beneficial in reducing deep-blue light damage and simultaneously meet the requirement for good color reproduction. Meanwhile, the relevant WPLED also achieves a maximum current efficiency of 12.1 cd/A, corresponding to an external quantum efficiency of 10.6%. This work presents an effective approach through rational combination of sky-blue, yellow, and NIR emitters towards high-performance solution-processable WPLEDs with a physiologically-friendly CCT and a high CRI.

Based on the equivalency between the full-bridge indirect matrix converters (MCs) and the 3 $\times$ 1-modular MCs, the carrier-based modulation strategy is first tailored for the 3 $3\!\times\! 1$ -modular MC. It can be directly expanded to $3\!\times\! N$ -modular MC, but in order to improve the power quality, the phase-shifted (PS) method and phase disposition (PD) method are proposed. The former is suitable for the $3\!\times\! N$ -modular MC with any multiwinding transformers (including phase-shifting transformers). Moreover, the latter is only applicable to the $3\!\times\! N$ -modular MC with ordinary multiwinding transformers. The PD method has advantages over the PS method in the output current quality and efficiency. However, the PS method is superior to the PD method in the input current quality. Experimental results verify the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed modulation schemes.

In aiming to build novel wide band-gap high-performance photovoltaic donor materials, a vertical benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-dicarboxylate (V-BDTC) with a weak electron-withdrawing character was primarily developed. And its wide band-gap (WBG) copolymers PV-BDTC1 and PV-BDTC2 were designed and synthesized, which contain a traditional electron-donating unit of 4,8-disubstituted benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′] dithiophene (BDT) derivative with diethylhexyloxy for the former and diethylhexylthiophenyl for the latter. It is found that the weak electron-withdrawing V-BDTC unit endows its copolymers with a WBG up to 2.09 eV and a deep HOMO energy level of ∼5.67 eV. Furthermore, PV-BDTC2 exhibits much better photovoltaic properties than PV-BDTC1 in the solution-processing polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a higher open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.03 V and an increased power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.49%. To the best of our knowledge, this PCE value is the highest level recorded for copolymers with a WBG over 2.0 eV in the PSCs to date, along with a remarkable Voc over 1.0 V. This work provides a feasible strategy to develop a novel promising electron-withdrawing building block and its high-performance WBG copolymers based on the BDT unit.

To improve the input and output waveform quality in terms of total harmonic distortion (THD) for the three-level diode-clamped matrix converter topology, the phase disposition carrier-based modulation method is a good option. However, it is difficult to implement because of the loss of zero-current commutations. Aiming at addressing the problem above, a hybrid switching sequence for the phase disposition method is presented to realise the safe commutation, and a prediction-based method is used to alternate the switching sequences. The current direction information of the switches in cascaded rectifier for commutations is obtained by a current reconstruction method. As demonstrated by experimental results, the phase disposition method contributes to lower input and output waveforms THD values compared with the phase opposition disposition method.

Objectives The study aimed to explore the association of coping styles and social support with psychological distress among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as well as gender differences in these associations. Methods A cross-sectional study of 769 ESRD patients was conducted at 25 hospitals in Qiqihar City, China. All information was collected using structured questionnaires that were self-administered by the patients. Patients’ psychological health status, coping styles and perceived social support were measured using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Student’s t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and binary logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. Results A total of 72.3% of participants reported psychological distress, and the prevalence of distress was higher in females (77.0%) than in males (68.8%). The usage of the acceptance-resignation coping style was positively related to psychological distress (B = 0.459, P P P for interaction term = 0.007). Conclusions Greater use of the acceptance-resignation style and lower social support are related to a higher risk of psychological distress. Greater use of the confrontation style is related to a lower risk of psychological distress in females but not in males.

Background: To explore the prognostic value of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of relevant literature on the association between CAR and NPC outcome. In recent years, an increasing number of studies has been published analyzing the possible prognostic utility of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but the results are still controversial. Methods: A relevant literature search was performed by using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CBM, Wanfang, VIP, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases to evaluate the prognostic value of CAR in patients with NPC. The last date of our primary search was December 5, 2017. This meta-analysis was conducted on the basis of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was utilized to estimate the association of CAR and overall survival (OS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Results: Five studies that enrolled 5533 patients with NPC were finally quantified. Our findings revealed that high pretreatment CAR was significantly associated with poor OS (HR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.36–1.83, P .05); however, publication bias was found for OS (P

A new topology based on indirect matrix converter (IMC) is proposed to enhance the input reactive power capability. This topology consists of a conventional IMC and an auxiliary switching network (ASN), which is connected to the dc-link of the IMC in parallel. With the aid of ASN, an implicit current source converter-based static synchronous compensator can be embedded into an IMC, which lays a foundation for the input reactive power control. Based on the proposed topology, two modulation schemes are presented, and the formations of the output voltage and input reactive current are decoupled in both of them. To minimize power loss and improve input current quality, a double closed-loop control algorithm is introduced, in which the current through the dc inductor in ASN is controlled to be minimum. Different from the conventional IMC, the input reactive power of the topology is independent of its load condition without considering the practical constraints. The effectiveness of the proposed topology and modulation scheme is confirmed by experimental results.

This study proposes a new power decoupling circuit applied to the single-phase current source converter (SCSC). Differing from the existing power decoupling technologies, the proposed power decoupling circuit could be viewed as a controlled voltage source in series with the DC inductor, and work with SCSC independently. That facilitates the separate design of the modulation schemes and the control algorithms for the power decoupling circuit and SCSC, and reduces the operation restrictions imposed by requirements. The fundamental principle of the proposed converter is analysed, and the voltage reference requirement for the buffer capacitor is investigated. To guarantee high input current quality of SCSC, a control method, where the input current is treated as a virtual control input, is proposed. Finally the effectiveness of this topology is verified by the simulations and experimental results.

A carrier-based modulation (CBM) method is proposed for indirect matrix converters (IMC) to reduce common-mode voltage (CMV). The proposed method is developed by utilizing two triangle carriers with opposite phase, and the phase with the minimum absolute output voltage uses the different carrier. The range of zero-sequence signals is given, and the selection of zero-sequence signals and the arrangement of carrier pattern are flexible. By choosing the zero-sequence signals as the central point or the boundary point, the proposed method can show the identical results with the existing space vector modulation (SVM) methods. The simulation results prove the validity of the proposed methods.

Although carvedilol, a nonselective beta-blocker with alpha-adrenergic blocking and multiple ancillary activities, has been demonstrated to be superior to metoprolol in chronic heart failure, it remains unclear whether the superiority of carvedilol still exists in myocardial infarction (MI). Therefore, we performed a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare the 2 drugs in patients with MI. All RCTs that compared either 2 of the following interventions, carvedilol, metoprolol, and placebo, for the treatment of MI were included. The Cochrane Collaboration Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, and PubMed were searched thoroughly for potential eligible studies. Finally, 12 RCTs involving 61,081 patients were included. Pooled results showed that compared with placebo, carvedilol and metoprolol significantly reduced composite cardiovascular events (risk ratio [RR] 0.63; 95% credible interval [CrI] 0.41, 0.85 for carvedilol; RR 0.78; 95% CrI 0.65, 0.93 for metoprolol) and re-infarction (RR 0.57; 95% CrI 0.37, 0.84 for carvedilol; RR 0.77; 95% CrI 0.62, 0.91 for metoprolol) in patients with MI. However, neither carvedilol nor metoprolol showed significant benefits on all-cause death, cardiovascular death, revascularization, and rehospitalization. Also, no obvious difference was found when comparing carvedilol and metoprolol on primary or secondary outcomes. In conclusion, there is insufficient evidence supporting the superiority of carvedilol over metoprolol for the treatment of MI. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.

This paper proposes a single-phase bidirectional AC/DC converter topology applied in V2G systems, which consists of an inverter and a bidirectional non-inverting buck-boost converter. This topology can operate in four modes: buck charging, boost charging, buck discharging and boost discharging with high input current quality and unity input power factor. The inverter switches at line frequency, which is different from conventional voltage source inverters. A bidirectional buck-boost converter is utilized to adapt to a wider charging voltage range. The modulation and control strategy is introduced in detail, and the switching patterns are optimized to reduce the current ripple. In addition, the semiconductor losses are analyzed. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed topology.

To adapt the battery voltage and increase charging efficiency in vehicle to grid (V2G) systems, an ac/dc matrix converter topology is presented. Aim to solve the problem of relatively large charging current ripple in the classical current space vector modulation strategy, a sectional optimized modulation strategy, is proposed, which can reduce the charging current ripple within the whole output range. And the comparative analysis is carried out between them. A simple controller with active damping is briefly introduced; it can work at two charging modes: constant voltage charging and constant current charging. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Owing to the direct coupling between the input and output of matrix converter, the abnormal power supply could disturb the output voltage easily. In this study, three modulation strategies for matrix converter based on mathematical construction are proposed under unbalanced input voltage conditions. The strategies are developed based on the construction of the rectifier and inverter modulation vectors in three different ways. By regulating appropriately the modulation index of inverter vector, the output voltages of matrix converter can maintain sinusoidal and balanced. The different rectifier vectors result in different input currents. Moreover, the analytical solutions for input currents with the three methods are presented, and the approximated solutions are derived to estimate their low-order spectrums. Comprehensive comparisons among the three methods are made in the aspects of the complexity of realisation, voltage-transfer capability and input current quality. Simulation and experimental results verify the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed methods.

This paper presents a carrier-based modulation strategy for 3×1-modular matrix converters (MC) to achieve zero common mode voltage (CMV). A geometric method is introduced to determine the range of the modulation signals. Due to the nonzero CMV during the commutation time with the traditional four-step current-based commutation method, a modified four-step current-based commutation method is presented. Additionally, to expand the modulation strategy to multi-modular MC properly, the phase-shifted (PS) method is applied. The 3∗3-modular MC is built on Matlab/Simulink platform to verify the validity of the proposed modulation strategy.

The aim of this study was to establish plasma cytokine/chemokine profiles in patients with 3 different presentations of active tuberculosis (TB), compared to the profiles observed in bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-vaccinated healthy individuals and patients with other pulmonary diseases (non-TB patients). To this end, plasma samples were collected from 151 TB patients including 68 pulmonary TB (PTB), 43 endobronchial TB, and 40 tuberculosis pleurisy (TP) patients, as well as 107 no-TB cases including 26 non-TB patients and 81 BCG-vaccinated healthy controls. A liquid array-based multiplexed immunoassay was used to screen plasma samples for 20 distinct cytokines and chemokines. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze associations between cytokines/chemokines and TB/non-TB patients. Compared to our findings with the no-TB donors, the median plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines TNF-α, IL-6, IP-10, IFN-γ, and MIP-1β were significantly elevated in TB patients, suggesting their potential use as biomarkers for diagnosing TB patients. Further comparisons with healthy donors showed that only the median TNF-α plasma level was highly produced in the plasma of all 3 types of TB patients. Plasma IL-6 production was higher only in TP patients, while the plasma levels of IP-10, IFN-γ, and MIP-1β were markedly enhanced in both PTB and TP patients. Unexpectedly, among the above cytokines/chemokines, MIP-1β was also highly expressed in non-TB patients, compared with healthy donors. Our results suggested that TNF-α may be an ideal biomarker for diagnosing the 3 forms of TB presentation, while the other factors (IL-6, IP-10, MCP-1, and IFN-γ) can potentially facilitate differential diagnosis for the 3 TB presentation types. Further characterization of immune responses associated with different types of TB diseases will provide a basis for developing novel TB diagnostics.

Active power decoupling methods are developed to deal with the inherent ripple power at twice the grid frequency in single-phase systems generally by adding active switches and energy storage units. They have obtained a wide range of applications, such as photovoltaic (PV) systems, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) drivers, fuel cell (FC) power systems, and electric vehicle (EV) battery chargers, etc. This paper provides a comprehensive review of active power decoupling circuit topologies. They are categorized into two groups in terms of the structure characteristics: independent and dependent decoupling circuit topologies. The former operates independently with the original converter, and the latter, however, shares the power semiconductor devices with the original converter partially and even completely. The development laws for the active power decoupling topologies are revealed from the view of “duality principle,” “switches sharing,” and “differential connection.” In addition, the exceptions and special cases are also briefly introduced. This paper is targeted to help researchers, engineers, and designers to construct some new decoupling circuit topologies and properly select existing ones according to the specific application.