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Background This study investigated the predictive value of preoperative QRS duration (ORSd) in responsiveness of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients with pacemaker indications to the left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP). Methods Thirty-one CHF patients with cardiac function categorized as NYHA class II or above and indications for pacemaker therapy who successfully underwent LBBAP treatment were enrolled in this study. Based on the 12-month postoperative responsiveness to treatment, patients were divided into a responsiveness group (n=18) and a no-responsiveness group (n=13). Data from all patients were collected for analysis. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent factors associated with the responsiveness to LBBAP treatment. Results Among the 31 patients with LBBAP, 16 patients (51.6%) responded to the treatment, and 15 patients (48.4%) had no response. There were significant differences between these two groups with regard to complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB), preoperative QRSd, and preoperative left ventricular peak time (LVAT). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that CLBBB, preoperative QRSd, and preoperative LVAT were all significantly correlated with responsiveness to LBBAP. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that ORSd was an independent predictor of responsiveness to LBBAP. The maximum area under the ROC curve for QRSd was 0.827, the maximum Youden index was 0.679, with the optimal cutoff point of QRSd ≥ 153 ms, a sensitivity of 81.3%, and a specificity of 86.7%. Conclusion Preoperative ORSd predicts the responsiveness of CHF patients with pacemaker indications to LBBAP.

Over the past decade, the feed‐in‐tariff (FIT) subsidy policy of China has driven rapid growth in the photovoltaic power generation (PPG) industry. China now boasts the largest installed capacity of PPG around the world. However, the policy‐driven expansion of the PPG industry has not brought about a simultaneous improvement in quality. PPG costs remain high and it is difficult to sustain PPG competitiveness. Therefore, it is imperative to gradually withdraw from the implementation of photovoltaic subsidies. Using a game theory approach, this study investigates the impact of subsidy exit policy on China's PPG industry. The results show that stimulating research and development (R&D) can be difficult under current uncertain subsidy withdrawal plan. The government should announce the plan of subsidy reduction with clear adjustment as well as corresponding effective dates. In addition, under the condition of government‐controlled prices, the social welfare of the monopoly market is higher than that in the competitive market. In order to achieve the same technological progress and target output, the total cost (including enterprise cost and government expenditure) in competitive market is higher than that in monopoly market, which is caused by repeated R&D investment and technical cost. Technical cooperation could lower costs and increase profits, and is therefore recommended.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on the Terra spacecraft is completing two decades of successful Earth observations, providing the scientific community with numerous products and supporting applications, such as land surface cover, sea surface temperature, aerosol properties, and vegetation. The 20 reflective solar bands (RSBs) cover a wavelength range from 0.41 to 2.1 $\mu \text{m}$ and are calibrated primarily using a solar diffuser (SD), with lunar measurements and Earth-view (EV) response trends from desert sites used for the response versus scan-angle (RVS) characterization. Prelaunch analysis showed that a few short-wavelength RSBs of Terra MODIS are particularly sensitive to the polarization of the incident light, with on-orbit results further indicating that the polarization sensitivity has experienced changes that are wavelength, mirror side (MS), and scan-angle dependent. Although the primary calibrator, the SD, should provide an unpolarized light, supplemental inputs from the EV response trends used in the RVS characterization are impacted by the Earth scene polarization. The EV trends, uncorrected for polarization, pose a significant challenge in the RVS characterization for the short wavelength bands (3, 8, 9, and 10), therefore impacting the long-term trends and uncertainty characterization. Previous studies from the MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG) have independently estimated the polarization correction to be applied on the calibrated products to mitigate the impacts to some extent. In this article, the RVS is characterized using the EV response trends after correcting for the polarization effects. Results indicate a significant improvement in the long-term trending, reduced uncertainties in the forward prediction, and a more accurate per-pixel uncertainty provided by the uncertainty index (UI) in the MODIS L1B. This enhanced approach will, therefore, be considered for implementation in the future L1B reprocessing efforts. The enhanced approach also vastly simplifies the process of adding long-term trend corrections on top of the MODIS L1B, which should streamline the science data production in the future.

L-asparaginase (E.C.3.5.1.1) hydrolyzes L-asparagine to L-aspartic acid and ammonia, which has been widely applied in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Microbes have advantages for L-asparaginase production, and there are several commercially available forms of L-asparaginase, all of which are derived from microbes. Generally, L-asparaginase has an optimum pH range of 5.0–9.0 and an optimum temperature of between 30 and 60 °C. However, the optimum temperature of L-asparaginase from hyperthermophilic archaea is considerable higher (between 85 and 100 °C). The native properties of the enzymes can be enhanced by using immobilization techniques. The stability and recyclability of immobilized enzymes makes them more suitable for food applications. This current work describes the classification, catalytic mechanism, production, purification, and immobilization of microbial L-asparaginase, focusing on its application as an effective reducer of acrylamide in fried potato products, bakery products, and coffee. This highlights the prospects of cost-effective L-asparaginase, thermostable L-asparaginase, and immobilized L-asparaginase as good candidates for food application in the future.

Ridesharing platforms like Uber and Didi are getting more and more popular around the world. However, unauthorized ridesharing activities taking advantages of the sharing economy can greatly impair the healthy development of this emerging industry. As the first step to regulate on-demand ride services and eliminate black market, we design a method to detect ridesharing cars from a pool of cars based on their trajectories. Since licensed ridesharing car traces are not openly available and may be completely missing in some cities due to legal issues, we turn to transferring knowledge from public transport open data, i.e., taxis and buses, to ridesharing detection among ordinary vehicles. We propose a novel two-stage transfer learning framework, called CoTrans. In Stage 1, we take taxi and bus data as input to learn a random forest (RF) classifier using trajectory features shared by taxis/buses and ridesharing/other cars. Then, we use the RF to label all the candidate cars. In Stage 2, leveraging the subset of high confident labels from the previous stage as input, we further learn a convolutional neural network (CNN) classifier for ridesharing detection, and iteratively refine the RF and CNN, as well as the feature set, via a co-training process. Finally, we use the resulting ensemble of the RF and CNN to identify the ridesharing cars in the candidate pool. Experiments on real car, taxi and bus traces show that CoTrans, with no need of a pre-labeled ridesharing dataset, can outperform state-of-the-art transfer learning methods with an accuracy comparable to human labeling.

Region-level demand forecasting is an essential task in ridehailing services. Accurate ride-hailing demand forecasting can guide vehicle dispatching, improve vehicle utilization, reduce the wait-time, and mitigate traffic congestion. This task is challenging due to the complicated spatiotemporal dependencies among regions. Existing approaches mainly focus on modeling the Euclidean correlations among spatially adjacent regions while we observe that non-Euclidean pair-wise correlations among possibly distant regions are also critical for accurate forecasting. In this paper, we propose the spatiotemporal multi-graph convolution network (ST-MGCN), a novel deep learning model for ride-hailing demand forecasting. We first encode the non-Euclidean pair-wise correlations among regions into multiple graphs and then explicitly model these correlations using multi-graph convolution. To utilize the global contextual information in modeling the temporal correlation, we further propose contextual gated recurrent neural network which augments recurrent neural network with a contextual-aware gating mechanism to re-weights different historical observations. We evaluate the proposed model on two real-world large scale ride-hailing demand datasets and observe consistent improvement of more than 10% over stateof-the-art baselines.

Nucleotide‑binding oligomerization domain, leucine rich repeat, and pyrin domain‑containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has been implicated in a series of physiological and pathological processes. However, its correlation in coronary heart disease (CHD) still remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to determine the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome in peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs) of stable angina pectoris (SAP) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. In addition, the effect of rosuvastatin on their activities was analyzed in vitro. A total of 60 participants with SAP (n=20), AMI (n=20) and non‑CHD controls (n=20) were enrolled. Fluorescence‑activated cell sorting, real‑time PCR, western blotting and enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay were performed to reveal the role of NLRP3 inflammasome. NLRP3 inflammasome was expressed in the PBMCs, and revealed an increased expression along the downstream interleukin (IL)‑1β and IL‑18 in both SAP and AMI groups, compared to the control group. Moreover, there was a more marked increase in the expression of these indicators in AMI patients when compared to SAP patients. Interference with rosuvastatin in vitro revealed that the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream cytokines were significantly downregulated in both SAP and AMI groups in a time‑dependent manner. The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome may be involved in the development of CHD, and rosuvastatin could attenuate the inflammatory process of atherosclerosis by downregulating NLRP3 expression and its downstream mediators. These findings indicated a potential role of NLRP3 in the pathogenesis and management of CHD, and also provided new insights into the mechanistic framework of rosuvastatin activity.

To increase its domestic gas production and achieve cleaner end-use utilization of its coal resources, China is actively promoting its coal-to-gas (CTG) industry. However, one of the major concerns for CTG development is the consequent significant water usage. To better understand this aspect, this paper presents a quantitative assessment of the water footprint (WF) for China’s CTG industry. The results show that the WF of CTG in China is typically in the region of 0.055 m3 water per cubic meter of produced gas. In addition, the analysis of the components of this WF indicates that most of the water resources are used both in the process of CTG production itself, and also in the dilute discharge of pollutants. In terms of the planned production capacity of China’s CTG projects, this paper finds that the water use in some regions of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Liaoning may account 30–40% of regional water resources, which means the large-scale development of CTG projects may present significant risks to regional water resources. Therefore, this paper suggests that the status of regional water availability should be one of the key factors considered by policy makers in order to achieve sustainable development of the country’s CTG industry.

Background Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has demonstrated proven efficacy in some hematologic cancers. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of LCAR-B38M, a dual epitope-binding CAR T cell therapy directed against 2 distinct B cell maturation antigen epitopes, in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma (MM). Methods This ongoing phase 1, single-arm, open-label, multicenter study enrolled patients (18 to 80 years) with R/R MM. Lymphodepletion was performed using cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2. LCAR-B38M CAR T cells (median CAR+ T cells, 0.5 × 106 cells/kg [range, 0.07 to 2.1 × 106]) were infused in 3 separate infusions. The primary objective is to evaluate the safety of LCAR-B38M CAR T cells; the secondary objective is to evaluate the antimyeloma response of the treatment based on the general guidelines of the International Myeloma Working Group. Results At data cutoff, 57 patients had received LCAR-B38M CAR T cells. All patients experienced ≥ 1 adverse events (AEs). Grade ≥ 3 AEs were reported in 37/57 patients (65%); most common were leukopenia (17/57; 30%), thrombocytopenia (13/57; 23%), and aspartate aminotransferase increased (12/57; 21%). Cytokine release syndrome occurred in 51/57 patients (90%); 4/57 (7%) had grade ≥ 3 cases. One patient reported neurotoxicity of grade 1 aphasia, agitation, and seizure-like activity. The overall response rate was 88% (95% confidence interval [CI], 76 to 95); 39/57 patients (68%) achieved a complete response, 3/57 (5%) achieved a very good partial response, and 8/57 (14%) achieved a partial response. Minimal residual disease was negative for 36/57 (63%) patients. The median time to response was 1 month (range, 0.4 to 3.5). At a median follow-up of 8 months, median progression-free survival was 15 months (95% CI, 11 to not estimable). Median overall survival for all patients was not reached. Conclusions LCAR-B38M CAR T cell therapy displayed a manageable safety profile and demonstrated deep and durable responses in patients with R/R MM. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03090659; Registered on March 27, 2017, retrospectively registered Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13045-018-0681-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Studies have found that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play key roles in cardiovascular diseases. However, the function of circROBO2 in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of circROBO2 in AMI. Methods qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to determine the expression levels of circROBO2, miR-1184, and TRADD in AMI and sham-operated mouse models at mRNA and protein level, respectively. The relationship among miR-1184, circROBO2 and TRADD was evaluated by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) analysis and luciferase reporter gene analysis. The roles of circROBO2, miR-1184, and TRADD in myocardial cell apoptosis were evaluated using flow cytometry. Ultrasound echocardiography, serum creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), myocardial infarction area, and myocardial cell apoptosis were measured to examine the effects of circROBO2 on myocardial injury. Results The expression levels of miR-1184 were significantly reduced, and the expression levels of circROBO2 and TRADD were significantly increased in MI group. CircROBO2 acted as a sponge for miR-1184 by upregulating the expression of TRADD. In addition, overexpression of miR-1184 enhanced the protective effect of knockdown of circROBO2 by partially inhibiting the expression of TRADD in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion Knockdown of circROBO2 reduced the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes by increasing the expression levels of miR-1184, which in turn decreased the expression levels of TRADD in the myocardium post-MI.

Lo, C.-C.; Liu, H., and Geng, X., 2020. Cross-Boundary governance research of coastal rivers in Taiwan: Case study of the Nanshih River. In: Wan, Z. (ed.), Coordinated Sustainable Development in Coastal Areas: Environment and Economy. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 109, pp. 210–215. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.As a typical coastal city, Taiwan is made up of numerous river basins that can deeply affect the sustainable development of the whole coast. Taiwan's Nanshih River Basin is located in the Taipei Water Source Domain and governmented by different authorities. However, since the related departments lack interaction, the performance of governance is not satisfactory. In order to manage and sustainably use the Nanshih River Basin and protect local precious resources, it must focus on overall basin governance. This study is based on a basic question regarding the cross-boundary governance of the Nanshih River Basin: What is cross-boundary governance? It includes separated duties of basin authorities and conflicts among the regulations; limitations of land use and development; protection of residents' rights; water source and ecological environment issues caused by hot spring tourism; lack of base flow to downstream rivers of the Nanshih River.

Aim: To test the ability of carotid stiffness evaluated by using ultrafast ultrasound imaging to indicate coronary atherosclerosis and its association with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).Material and methods: This cross-sectional study included 131 patients with CAD and 60 normal controls. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) was measured by two-dimensional ultrasound. Carotid stiffness was determined by ultrafast ultrasound imaging, with which the carotid pulse wave velocity at the beginning (PWVBS) and end (PWVES) of systole were calculated. Gensini scores based on coronary angiography were used to estimate the severity of CAD.Results: Compared with normal controls, the CAD patients had higher carotid diameters, cIMT, PWVBS and PWVES (p < 0.05). In the CAD group, Gensini scores correlated significantly with cIMT, PWVBS and PWVES (r = 0.279, p = 0.001; r = 0.661, p < 0.001; r = 0.620, p < 0.001; respectively). The multivariate analysis further indicated that PWVBS, PWVES and body mass index were independently associated with the Gensini score (β = 0.466, p < 0.001; β = 0.308, p < 0.001; and β = 0.209, p = 0.001; respectively). In addition, the sensitivity and specificity were 54% and 83%, respectively, for PWVBS (cutoff value, 6.9 m/s; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.70) and 64% and 83%, respectively, for PWVES (cutoff value, 8.0 m/s; area under the curve, 0.73).Conclusions: Increased carotid PWVBS and PWVES detected by ultrafast ultrasound imaging as indices of carotid stiffness might serve as promising indicators for CAD and its severity.

Objectives To prospectively evaluate the diagnostic value of 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance 3-dimensional sampling perfection with application-optimized contrast using different flip angle evolution (3D-SPACE) in the detection of sinus wall invasion and sinus patency in parasinus meningiomas. Methods In this study, 28 patients with suspected meningiomas adjacent to the venous sinus underwent conventional magnetic resonance imaging, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance venography, and 3D-SPACE scans. We collected patient charts and surgical reports for demographic details, histologic analysis, and neurologic performance preoperatively and postoperatively. Images obtained by each technique were assessed independently by 2 neurosurgeons for characteristics of sinus infiltration, wall invasion, lumen patency, and collateral veins. Results The blood flow signal inside the lumen and collateral veins were depressed and presented as black, contrasting well with the sinus wall on 3D-SPACE imaging. When the curved-planar reconstruction images were combined, it was intuitive and accurate to detect the extent of sinus wall invasion by meningioma and also to detect lumen patency. An intratumoral “false lumen” was shown to maintain the blood flow inside the sinus at a totally invaded lesion. Moreover, collateral veins enveloped in a meningioma with their confluence points of the venous sinus were easily observed on 3D-SPACE images. Conclusion With an integrative presentation of parasinus meningioma, wall invasion, lumen patency, and collateral veins, high-resolution 3D-SPACE imaging provides a reliable technique to accurately assess venous sinus invasion preoperatively.

Postoperative continuous bloody cerebral spinal fluid drainage with external ventricular drainage catheter could decrease the incidence of inflammation. But the drainage catheter left in place will interrupt the watertight dura matter closure. To prevent the related cerebrospinal fluid leakage and subgaleal pseudomeningocele after the catheter removal, we developed a patched closure method to seal the dural outlet of the drainage catheter with a favorable clinical outcome.

On-orbit characterization of the response versus scan-angle (RVS) is one of the most challenging aspects of the reflective solar band (RSB) calibration for the MODIS instruments onboard the Terra and Aqua spacecraft. The degradation of the solar diffuser, together with the lack of onboard calibrators (OBCs) to cover additional scan angles, other than the one for the lunar observations, has resulted in the use of Earth view responses from the pseudo-invariant desert sites to track the on-orbit RVS changes. This approach has been implemented in Collection 6 (C6) and C6.1 for bands 1-4, 8 and 9 of both instruments and also band 10 of Terra MODIS. As the missions continue to operate over a decade beyond their designed life and the instrument optics continue to degrade, it is expected that the OBC based RVS currently applied to other bands, specifically the high-gain ocean bands, will be inadequate to maintain the long-term calibration stability. An interband calibration approach is formulated and implemented in this paper. The proposed approach relies on the use of a spectrally matching stable reference band to evaluate the long-term calibration stability of the high-gain ocean bands that typically saturate while viewing the selected calibration deserts. Results from this approach indicate a noticeable drift for Terra MODIS bands 11 and 12 whereas the Aqua bands continue to show excellent temporal stability. These results are consistent with the corrections derived by the NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG) and are expected to have minimum impacts on the downstream science products.

The Moon has played a vital role in the radiometric stability monitoring of NASAs Earth Observing System sensors, such as MODIS on the Terra and Aqua spacecrafts. The lunar calibration methodologies developed for the two MODIS instruments were later extended to apply to the VIIRS instrument on the Suomi-NPP spacecraft. The follow-on VIIRS instrument on the NOAA-20 (N20) spacecraft (previously JPSS-1) has been successfully operating since its launch in November 2017. Fifteen VIIRS spectral bands are in the reflective solar spectral region, covering wavelengths from 0.4 to 2.3 μm. Similar to the previous MODIS and VIIRS instruments, the N20 VIIRS views the Moon via a spacecraft roll maneuver on a near-monthly basis at a confined phase angle range (-51.5° to -50.5°) to facilitate radiometric stability monitoring with reduced uncertainties. In this paper, we briefly present the lunar calibration methodology and also report the derived instrument gain parameters from the regularly scheduled lunar calibrations. The USGS Robotic Lunar Observatory (ROLO) model is used to provide the predicted lunar irradiance for each lunar measurement to account for the variation in the observation geometry. The spatial characterization algorithms using the Moon, previously developed for MODIS and SNPP VIIRS, have also been extended to N20 VIIRS to track its on-orbit band-to-band registration (BBR).

Spatio-temporal prediction is a key type of tasks in urban computing, e.g., traffic flow and air quality. Adequate data is usually a prerequisite, especially when deep learning is adopted. However, the development levels of different cities are unbalanced, and still many cities suffer from data scarcity. To address the problem, we propose a novel cross-city transfer learning method for deep spatio-temporal prediction tasks, called RegionTrans. RegionTrans aims to effectively transfer knowledge from a data-rich source city to a data-scarce target city. More specifically, we first learn an inter-city region matching function to match each target city region to a similar source city region. A neural network is designed to effectively extract region-level representation for spatio-temporal prediction. Finally, an optimization algorithm is proposed to transfer learned features from the source city to the target city with the region matching function. Using citywide crowd flow prediction as a demonstration experiment, we verify the effectiveness of RegionTrans. Results show that RegionTrans can outperform the state-of-the-art fine-tuning deep spatio-temporal prediction models by reducing up to 10.7% prediction error.

The aim of this study was to determine the anatomical variations of the superior transverse scapular ligament (STSL) for better understanding the possible predisposing factors for suprascapular nerve entrapment. The study was using fifty 10% formalin solution-fixed human cadaveric shoulders. After dissection of the suprascapular region, the length, medial width, lateral width and middle width of the suprascapular opening were measured for each STSL. The STSL displayed six types as: (1) band-shaped in 11 cases; (2) fan-shaped in 27 cases; (3) triangular-shaped in 5 cases; (4) linear type in 2 cases; (5) bifid in 1 case; (6) absent in 1 case. The ossified type of STSL was found in 3 cases. There were statistically significant differences in the length (P = 0.009), medial width (P = 0.001), lateral width (P = 0.029) of the three types of fan-shaped, band-shaped and triangular-shaped. However, there was no statistical difference in the middle width of the suprascapular opening of the three types (P = 0.340). Knowing the morphological features and variations of the STSL is important for better understanding the anatomical conditions, which could be taken into consideration during open suprascapular operations or arthroscopic decompressions.

The MODIS instruments on the Terra and Aqua spacecraft are cross-track scanning radiometers that view the Earth scene, a space view port, and the on-board calibrators using a two-sided scan mirror. The reflectivity of the scan mirror varies with the angle of the incident light, and changes in this response versus scan angle (RVS) need to be tracked on orbit in order to maintain accurate calibration. In this paper, we review various methods of RVS calibration of the reflective solar bands using pseudo-invariant desert targets and discuss potential advantages and disadvantages for use in future calibration.

Based on resource constraints and environmental protection requirements, new energy vehicles have become one of the strategic emerging industries. Since 2009, China has introduced a series of policies of new energy vehicle. But when it comes about policy implementation there are many blocking factors. The existence of these obstructive factors has been adversely affected the development of new energy automotive industry, its industrialization and market process slow forward. On the basis of combing the relevant literature, this paper briefly introduces the development process of China's new energy industry policy and analyzes the relevant factors that block its development, including the imperfect development of policy, the blurring of authority, the lack of core technology, the lack of uniform standards, measures are not in place, serious local protectionism, the lack of policy advocacy. The paper put forward the corresponding measures to resolve these problems and hope that can make a contribution to the development of New Energy Vehicle Policy.

In this paper, we develop a new type planar bending flexible joint adopting rubber tube and elastic constraint components. When supplied the air pressure, the joint can elongate in axial direction or bend arbitrarily in the planar. Experiments study on contrast of mechanical character of planar bending flexible joint in different restrained conditions are done on the static experimental device, and the influence of the structure of constraints ring on the elongation and the bending angle of the joint. The experiments show that the deformation of the joint with arc-shaped restraints ring significantly larger than the joint with cylindrical-shaped restraints ring.

This paper introduces the structure and working principle of planar flexible bending joint .It uses compressed air to drive the deformation, which can realize elongation and bending. On the basis of force and torque balance analysis, the relationship between the elongation and bending angle of joint and the air pressure are acquired. Experimental system is constructed on the static experimental device. Due to the errors of manufacture technology, the correction coefficient is introduced. The statics model can better reflect the process of movement after introducing a correction factor.

The Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), launched in 1999 on Terra and 2002 on Aqua spacecraft respectively, is a scanning radiometer that covers a wavelength range from 0.4 μm to 14.4 μm and scans the Earth over an angular range from -55° to +55°. After a few years in the Terra mission, it became extremely challenging to characterize the changes in the sensor gain and response versus scan angle (RVS) at short wavelengths due to significant degradation and increased polarization sensitivity. To better characterize the system-level degradation, the MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST) developed an enhanced approach in Collection-6 (C6) L1B algorithm by supplementing the on-board calibration data with the Earth-scene response trends at various scan angles obtained from the pseudo-invariant desert sites. However, the trends at short wavelengths experienced significant impact due to the increased polarization sensitivity, especially at the end of scan. In this study, a polarization correction algorithm developed by MCST is applied to the Terra MODIS RSB response trends obtained from the desert sites. The trends after polarization correction are used to derive the gain and RVS based on the existing MODIS C6 calibration algorithm. Impact of the polarization correction is examined for gain, RVS and their fitting uncertainties over the entire mission. The results of this study provide useful information on how to further improve accuracy and stability of the calibrated L1B product.

Observations in the Terra MODIS PVLWIR bands 27 – 30 are known to be influenced by electronic crosstalk from those bands as senders and into those same bands as receivers. The magnitude of this crosstalk affecting L1B radiances has been steadily increasing throughout the mission lifetime, and has resulted in several detectors within these bands to be unusable for making L2 and L3 science products. In recent years, the crosstalk contamination has been recognized as compromising the climate quality status of several MODIS L2 and L3 science products that depend on the PVLWIR bands. In response, the MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST) has undertaken an effort to generate a crosstalk correction algorithm in the operational L1B radiance algorithm. The correction algorithm has been tested and established and crosstalk corrected L1B radiances have been tested in several Terra MODIS L2 science product algorithms, including MOD35 (Cloud Mask), MOD06 (Cloud Fraction, Cloud Particle Phase, Cloud Top Properties), and MOD07 (Water Vapor Profiles). Comparisons of Terra MODIS to Aqua MODIS and Terra MODIS to MetOp-A IASI show that long-term trends in Collection 6 L1B radiances and the associated L2 and L3 science products are greatly improved by the crosstalk correction. The crosstalk correction is slated for implementation into Collect 6.1 of MODIS processing.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments have successfully operated for more than 17 and 15 years, respectively, on-board the NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra and Aqua spacecraft. MODIS level 1B (L1B) data products include top of the atmosphere (TOA) reflectance factors for the reflective solar bands (RSB) and radiances for both the RSB and the thermal emissive bands (TEB), and their associated uncertainty indices (UI) at a pixel-by-pixel level. This paper provides a brief review of MODIS L1B calibration algorithms, including improvements made in recent years. It presents an update of sensor calibration uncertainty assessments with a focus on several new contributors resulting from changes in sensor characteristics and on-orbit calibration approaches and the impact due to these changes on the L1B data quality. Also discussed in this paper are potential changes that could be made to continue improving the quality of MODIS L1B uncertainty product.

The MODIS instruments aboard the Terra and Aqua spacecraft have 20 reflective solar bands (RSB) with wavelengths spanning 412 nm to 2130 nm. The primary on-board calibration source for the RSB is a sunlit solar diffuser (SD), with its degradation tracked by a SD stability monitor (SDSM). The SDSM measurements show that the decrease in SD reflectance over time has a strong wavelength dependence, with longer wavelengths showing less degradation. The SDSM has 9 detectors to track the SD degradation at wavelengths from 412 nm to 936 nm, but is not designed to track the degradation at short-wave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths. In recent years, the SDSM has measured non-negligible degradation in the SD reflectance at 936 nm for both Terra (>;2%) and Aqua (>0.5%) MODIS. In addition, comparison of SD calibration results to earth view targets suggests that smaller but non-negligible SD degradation also exists at the SWIR band wavelengths. In this paper, we review the current status of the MODIS SD degradation as measured by the SDSM. We present efforts to extend the SD degradation measurements to the SWIR band wavelengths (1240 nm to 2130 nm) by fitting a wavelength-dependent model to the SDSM results from the visible and NIR wavelength detectors. The predicted degradation results are used to correct the MODIS SWIR band degradation, and comparisons are made with trends from pseudo-invariant earth targets. Results are presented for both Terra and Aqua MODIS.

To improve the transversal stability and lateral stiffness, this paper develops a new type of pneumatic single bending joint. When supplied the air pressure, the joint bends under the action of the bending moment generated at the end of the joint. The bending experiments have been done on the static experimental device and the relation between the bending angle of joint and the air pressure is acquired. The study of this paper laid the foundation for further application of the single bending joint.

Background: In RRMM, the median overall survival (OS) of pts with RRMM who progressed after exposure to ≥3 prior therapies is ~13 mo, indicating a high unmet need. LCAR-B38M is a structurally differentiated CAR-T cell therapy containing a 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain and 2 BCMA-targeting single-domain antibodies designed to confer avidity. Earlier results from LEGEND-2 (NCT03090659), a first-in-human phase 1 study using LCAR-B38M CAR-T cells in 74 pts with RRMM conducted in 4 hospitals in China (Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital; Ruijin Hospital; Changzheng Hospital; and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University), showed encouraging efficacy and manageable safety. Key eligibility criteria included RRMM with ≥3 prior lines of therapy. Here, we present long-term follow-up data on safety and efficacy from the Xi'an site. Methods: In the Xi'an site-specific protocol (n=57), lymphodepletion was performed using cyclophosphamide (Cy; 300 mg/m2)alone for 3 days. LCAR-B38M (median CAR+ T cells, 0.5×106 cells/kg; range, 0.07-2.1 × 106) was infused in 3 split infusions. The primary objective was to evaluate the safety of LCAR-B38M; the secondary objective was to evaluate anti-myeloma response of treatment. Adverse events (AEs) were graded using the NCI-CTCAE v4.03, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was assessed per Lee et al. 2014, and response was evaluated using IMWG criteria. Results: As of the 12/31/18 cutoff date (median follow-up, 19 mo; 95% confidence interval [CI], 17-22), enrollment at Xi'an is complete, and 57 pts have been infused with LCAR-B38M. AEs were reported by all pts: pyrexia (91%), CRS (90%), thrombocytopenia (49%), and leukopenia (47%). Grade ≥3 AEs were reported by 65% of pts: leukopenia (30%), thrombocytopenia (23%), and increased aspartate aminotransferase (21%). CRS was mostly grade 1 (47%) and 2 (35%); 4 pts (7%) had grade 3 events; no grade 4/5 CRS was observed. Neurotoxicity was observed in 1 pt (grade 1 aphasia, agitation, seizure-like activity). The median time to onset of CRS was 9 days (range, 1-19) with a median duration of 9 days (range, 3-57); all but 1 CRS events resolved. Peak levels of LCAR-B38M (≥1x104 copies/µg genomic DNA) were observed in a majority of pts with blood samples for analysis (n=32). LCAR-B38M was not detectable in peripheral blood in 71% of pts at 4 mo; 5 pts showed CAR-T cell persistence for up to 10 months. The overall response rate (partial response [PR] or better) was 88% (95% CI, 76-95), complete response (CR) was achieved by 42 pts (74%; 60-85), very good partial response (VGPR) by 2 pts (4%; 0.4-12), and PR by 6 pts (11%; 4-22). Of pts with CR, 39/42 were minimal residual disease negative (MRD-neg, 8-color flow cytometry). The median time to first response was 1.2 mo. There was no relationship between best response and baseline BCMA expression level or weight-adjusted CAR+ cells infused (Fig 1a,b). At cutoff, the median follow-up was 19 mo [17-22]. Median OS has not yet been reached. The OS rate at 18 mo was 68% (54─79) with a median duration of response (mDOR) of 22 mo (13-29). Of MRD-neg pts with CR, 91% (75-97) are still alive at data cut, with a 27 mo (16-NE) mDOR. Overall, 26 (46%) of 57 all-treated pts and 25 (64%) of 39 MRD-neg pts with CR remain progression-free. The median progression-free survival (PFS) for all-treated pts was 20 mo (10-28); median PFS for MRD-neg pts with CR was 28 mo (20-31). At 18 months, the PFS rate was 50% (36-63) for all pts and 71% (52-84) for MRD-neg pts with CR. Factors contributing to long-term response are shown in Fig 1c,d. Seventeen pts died during the study and the follow-up period: progressive disease (PD; n=11), disease relapse, PD + lung infection, suicide after PD, esophageal carcinoma, infection, and pulmonary embolism and acute coronary syndrome (n=1 each). Of these, 4 did not achieve PR or better; 1 was not evaluable. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that LCAR-B38M is a highly effective therapy for RRMM, regardless of baseline BCMA expression. LCAR-B38M displayed a manageable safety profile consistent with its known mechanism of action and, with a median follow-up of 19 months, demonstrated deep and durable responses in pts with RRMM. A phase 1b/2 clinical study is ongoing in the United States (CARTITUDE-1, NCT03548207, JNJ-68284528), and a phase 2 confirmatory study has initiated in China (CARTIFAN-1, NCT03758417). Figure 1 Disclosures Zhuang: Nanjing Legend Biotech: Employment. Fan:Legend Biotech: Employment, Equity Ownership.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Background: Studies have shown that CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells suppress NKG2D expression on NK cells via a cell contact-dependent mechanism and increased TGF-β and IL-10 production in some cancer models. We herein aimed to explore whether CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs suppress NKG2D-mediated NK cell cytotoxicity in peripheral blood and elucidate the exact mechanism underlying this phenomenon. Methods: To explore the function of NKG2D, NK cell cultures were treated with an NKG2D-blocking antibody to block these receptors. Additionally, TGF-β- and IL-10-blocking antibodies were added to NK and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cell cocultures to evaluate whether the latter cells suppress NKG2D expression of NK cells via increasing the production of TGF-β and IL-10. The expression of NKG2D on NK cells was detected by 3-color flow cytometry, and NK cell activity was assessed by 3 assays: a nonradioactive cytotoxicity assay, an ELISA measuring IFN-γ production and a flow cytometry assay to evaluate CD107a expression. Results: Blocking NKG2D decreased NK cell cytotoxicity, IFN-γ production and CD107a expression. Moreover, blocking TGF-β and IL-10 substantially increased the NKG2D expression in NK and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cell cocultures. Similarly, blocking TGF-β and IL-10 enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity, IFN-γ production and CD107a expression; Transwell insert assays also revealed increased IFN-γ production and CD107a and NKG2D expression. Conclusion: CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs suppress NKG2D-mediated NK cell cytotoxicity in peripheral blood via a cell contact-dependent mechanism and increased TGF-β and IL-10 production.

Periodontitis is one of the risk factors associated with peripheral artery disease. This meta-analysis evaluates how periodontitis contributes to the pathogenesis and progression of peripheral artery disease. We systematically searched electronic databases Ovid Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Pubmed. Grey literature was also searched via Google Scholar. All studies evaluating the relationship between the incidence of periodontitis and peripheral artery disease were included. Subgroup analyses of carotid artery disease and lower extremity arterial disease were also conducted. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled and analyzed. The I² statistic was used to evaluate heterogeneity. Within a total of 25 studies, including 22,090 participants based on eligibility criteria, the incidence of peripheral artery disease was significantly higher among those with periodontitis (OR: 1.60, 95% CI 1.41-1.82, P < 0.001, I² = 80.5%). In subgroup analysis, periodontitis was still a risk for lower extremity arterial disease (OR: 3.00, 95% CI 2.23-4.04, P < 0.001, I² = 0%) and carotid artery disease (OR: 1.39, 95% CI 1.24-1.56, P < 0.001, I² = 79.4%). Periodontitis is significantly associated with the incidence of lower extremity arterial disease and carotid artery disease.

To improve the transversal stability and lateral stiffness, this paper develops a new type of pneumatic single bending joint. The single bending joint is pneumatic composite elastomer, and its driving system combined into one. The inside of the joint is elastic rubber tube and the outside is a set of closely constraints ring suit. When supplied the air pressure, the joint bends under the action of the bending moment generated at the end of the joint. The bending experiments have been done on the static experimental device and the relation between the bending angle of joint and the air pressure is acquired.

This paper develops a new type of flexible finger employing the pneumatic flexible joints base on the modular design concept. In this work, the mathematical model of the grasping force of the flexible finger is derived and analyzed on the relationship between the air pressure and the grasping force. Further the grasping force experiments of finger using dynamometer and acquire the normal pressure of the finger with different combinations ventilation of joints are conducted, Also, the experimental results are compared with the theoretical results, which confirm the validity of the presented model.

This paper developed a new type of hexapod robot using self-developed flexible space bending joints which can not only move from side to side or back and forth but also rotate. Then the principle of the movement and the gait of the hexapod robot were investigated, the kinematics model on translational displacement and velocity was followed. Furthermore, the test bench and pneumatic control system were set up, and the displacement, velocity and acceleration of the center of were acquired by high-speed camera shooting means. Finally, the stability of the gravity center and the control method of the hexapod robot were studied. The research of this paper provides a theoretical and practical basis for the application of bionic hexapod robot.

This paper has introduced the structure of elongational pneumatic artificial muscle, analyzed axial mechanics characteristics of elongation artificial muscle, established the axial mechanics model, verified the credibility of the model through the experiment.

Aiming at the subsistent problems in engineering, we have advanced the point of promoting and enhancing the engineering quality of public gradually from improving the engineering quality of college students. In this article, we mainly study the basic connotations and characteristics of engineering quality, the various requirements to college students of different disciplines, as well as the ways to cultivate the talents. Meanwhile, we think that both the scientific spirit and humanistic spirit are the souls of engineering quality, and the combination of both is the effective way to improve the engineering quality.

The engineering training center is the important base of universities for engineering education; it cultivates the engineering quality and practice ability of students mainly by various engineering practice activities. As a result, it has important significance of the success or failure in the construction of engineering training center. Combine with the construction reality, this article mainly elaborated the establishment and operation mode of university engineering training project system, as well as of cultivation of engineering quality, and so on.

MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) has 36 bands. Among them, 16 thermal emissive bands covering a wavelength range from 3.8 to 14.4 μm. After 16 years on-orbit operation, the electronic crosstalk of a few Terra MODIS thermal emissive bands develop substantial issues which cause biases in the EV brightness temperature measurements and surface feature contamination. The crosstalk effects on band 27 with center wavelength at 6.7 μm and band 29 at 8.5 μm increased significantly in recent years, affecting downstream products such as water vapor and cloud mask. The crosstalk issue can be observed from nearly monthly scheduled lunar measurements, from which the crosstalk coefficients can be derived. Most of MODIS thermal bands are saturated at moon surface temperatures and the development of an alternative approach is very helpful for verification. In this work, a physical model was developed to assess the crosstalk impact on calibration as well as in Earth view brightness temperature retrieval. This model was applied to Terra MODIS band 29 empirically for correction of Earth brightness temperature measurements. In the model development, the detector nonlinear response is considered. The impacts of the electronic crosstalk are assessed in two steps. The first step consists of determining the impact on calibration using the on-board blackbody (BB). Due to the detector nonlinear response and large background signal, both linear and nonlinear coefficients are affected by the crosstalk from sending bands. The crosstalk impact on calibration coefficients was calculated. The second step is to calculate the effects on the Earth view brightness temperature retrieval. The effects include those from affected calibration coefficients and the contamination of Earth view measurements. This model links the measurement bias with crosstalk coefficients, detector nonlinearity, and the ratio of Earth measurements between the sending and receiving bands. The correction of the electronic crosstalk can be implemented empirically from the processed bias at different brightness temperature. The implementation can be done through two approaches. As routine calibration assessment for thermal infrared bands, the trending over select Earth scenes is processed for all the detectors in a band and the band averaged bias is derived for certain time. In this case, the correction of an affected band can be made using the regression of the model with band averaged bias and then corrections of detector differences are applied. The second approach requires the trending for individual detectors and the bias for each detector is used for regression with the model. A test using the first approach was made for Terra MODIS band 29 with the biases derived from long-term trending of sea surface temperature and Dome-C surface temperature.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is one of the key sensors among the suite of remote sensing instruments on board the Earth Observing System Terra and Aqua spacecrafts. For each MODIS spectral band, the sensor degradation has been measured using a set of on-board calibrators. MODIS also uses lunar observations from nearly monthly spacecraft maneuvers, which bring the Moon into view through the space-view port, helping to characterize the scan mirror degradation at a different angles of incidence. Throughout the Terra mission, contamination of the long-wave infrared photovoltaic band (LWIR PV, bands 27-30) signals has been observed in the form of electronic crosstalk, where signal from each of the detectors among the LWIR PV bands can leak to the other detectors, producing a false signal contribution. This contamination has had a noticeable effect on the MODIS science products since 2010 for band 27, and since 2012 for bands 28 and 29. Images of the Moon have been used effectively for determining the contaminating bands, and have also been used to derive correction coefficients for the crosstalk contamination. In this paper, we introduce an updated technique for characterizing the crosstalk contamination among the LWIR PV bands using data from lunar calibration events. This approach takes into account both the in-band and out-of-band contribution to the signal contamination for each detector in bands 27-30, which is not considered in previous works. The crosstalk coefficients can be derived for each lunar calibration event, providing the time dependence of the crosstalk contamination. Application of these coefficients to Earth-view image data results in a significant reduction in image contamination and a correction of the scene radiance for bands 27- 30. Also, this correction shows a significant improvement to certain threshold tests in the MODIS Level-2 Cloud Mask. In this paper, we will detail the methodology used to identify and correct the crosstalk contamination for the LWIR PV bands in Terra MODIS. The derived time-dependent crosstalk coefficients will also be discussed. Finally, the impact of the correction on the downstream data products will be analyzed.

A humanoid flexible robot hand is introduced base on the single bending joint and bi-directional bending flexible joint we previously developed. The robot hand has human palm shape, and all the fingers have the same structure based on the modular design, which improve the versatility and interchangeability greatly. The position and posture of the fingers are acquired by means of homogeneous transformation matrix with parameter. The study in this paper lays the foundation for further research.

A novel pattern-reconfigurable pulse radiating antenna (PRA) and its time-domain characteristics are studied. According to different configurations of the switches, the antenna works in two symmetrical states, each operating as an antipodal Vivaldi antenna. Due to the symmetrical structure, the energy patterns of the two states are images of each other with respect to the symmetric axis. The 3-dB beam of the energy patterns can cover the angle of the antenna's symmetric axis. In the beam range, low cross polarization is also achieved. The two states share a common bandwidth from 2 to 6 GHz for ${ S}_{11} dB. The proposed antenna can also radiate a 2 $\,\sim\,$ 6 GHz Gaussian pulse with high fidelity. Both simulated and measured results are presented to verify the design.

It mainly focuses on the research of the occurred problems and the suggested solutions when the dimension of the injection part die is calculated. The algorithm we usually use in enterprises is mid-value difference method, but it often appears parts working dimensions out of tolerance; So a compensatory algorithm based on mid-value difference method was developed, and the compensation algorithm and modified formula used in the thickness direction are put forward for sheet part. A series of sheet part are analyzed by ANSYS thermal transient analysis module, and the parameters in the compensation algorithm in the thickness direction are determined. The compensation results show that parts working dimensions in the thickness direction is in tolerance.

To aim at the characteristics of combination of pneumatic elastomer of flexible joints, the uniform distributed mass of pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) was equivalent to the concentrated mass of the two ends by means of equivalent mass method; then the kinematics differential equation of the PAM was set up; and the natural frequency of PAM was consequently obtained. Based upon the above analysis, the dynamic model of joint with variable parameters was then analyzed; both the axial and bending dynamic performance of the two directional active bending flexible joint was studied and their natural frequency separation was obtained. And this study provides basis for making humanoid robot hand using this flexible joints.

This paper developed a novel elongation type of Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (PAM), which is mainly composed of the expandable internal rubber tube surrounded by the external cylindrical helical spring and the two ends are closed. The PAM is not only the actuator of the flexible joint but also the core components to make up of the flexible joint. Therefore, the mechanical properties of the PAM directly influence the performance of the flexible joint. A mathematical model on the axial deformation and bending stiffness of elongation type of PAM was built applying theoretical analysis and experimental research methods. The results show that the axial deformation of PAM and the air pressure supplying to the PAM are nonlinearly related due to the generic nonlinear of deformation of the rubber tube; the bending angle of the PAM is proportional to moment; Similarly, the bending angle of the PAM is also proportional to its length. Furthermore, it indicates that the air pressure indirectly affects the bending stiffness of PAM as the air pressure directly influences the elongation of PAM. Finally, this paper provides a powerful framework for the dynamic analysis and motion accuracy control of the flexible joint or the robot which is composed by the artificial muscles.

LCAR-B38M is a bispecific chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy directed against B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). The bi-epitope BCMA binding moieties confer high avidity binding and distinguish LCAR-B38M from other BCMA CAR constructs. Preliminary results of LCAR-B38M in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma (MM) showed encouraging efficacy and manageable safety (Fan et al.JCO 2017;35:18_suppl LBA3001). Here we present updated safety and efficacy results of the trial. LEGEND-2 (NCT03090659) is an ongoing phase 1, single-arm, open-label multicenter study evaluating LCAR-B38M in pts (18-80 years) with R/R MM. Lymphodepletion was performed using 3 doses of cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2 on days -5, -4, and -3. Five days after lymphodepletion, LCAR-B38M CAR T cells (median CAR+ cell dose = 0.5x106 cells/kg, [range, 0.07-2x106]) were given in 3 infusions (20, 30, and 50% of total dose). The primary objective is to evaluate the safety of LCAR-B38M CAR T cells; the secondary objective is to evaluate the anti-myeloma response of the treatment. Adverse events (AEs) were graded using the Common Terminology Criteria for AE, v.4.03, and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was assessed according to Lee et al. (Blood 2014;124:188-95). Response was evaluated using International Myeloma Working Group criteria. This analysis presents data from a single institution. As of June 25, 2018, 57 pts have been infused with LCAR-B38M CAR T cells. The median age was 54 years (range, 27-72), median number of prior therapies was 3 (range, 1-9), and 74% of pts had stage III disease by Durie-Salmon staging. The median duration of follow-up for all pts was 12 months (range, 0.7-25). AEs were reported by all pts; most common were pyrexia (91%), CRS (90%), thrombocytopenia (49%), and leukopenia (47%). Grade ≥3 AEs were reported by 65% of pts; most common were leukopenia (30%), thrombocytopenia (23%), and increased aspartate aminotransferase (21%). CRS was mostly grade 1 (47%) and 2 (35%); 4 pts (7%) had grade 3 cases. Liver function abnormalities were the most common signs of end organ injury among pts with CRS. The median time to onset of CRS was 9 days (range, 1-19). All but 1 CRS events resolved, with a median duration of 9 days (range, 3-57). No clear relationship was demonstrated between dose and CRS; there may be some effect at higher doses, but conclusions are limited by the small number of pts in the grade 3 CRS group (n=4; Figure 1A). Neurotoxicity was observed in 1 pt who had grade 1 aphasia, agitation, and seizure-like activity. The overall response rate (partial response [PR] or better) was 88% (95% confidence interval [CI], 76-95). Complete response (CR) was achieved by 42 pts (74%; 95% CI, 60-85), very good partial response was achieved by 2 pts (4%; 95% CI, 0.4-12), and PR was achieved by 6 pts (11%; 95% CI, 4-22; Figure 1B). Among pts with CR, 39/42 were minimal residual disease (MRD) negative by 8-color flow cytometry. The median time to initial response was 1 month (range, 0.4-4). No clear relationship between LCAR-B38M CAR T cell dose and response was observed (Figure 1C). BCMA expression did not correlate with clinical response. The median duration of response (DOR) was 16 months (95% CI, 12-not reached [NR]). The median DOR for pts who achieved a CR was 22 months (95% CI, 14-NR). At data cutoff, 18 pts (36%) who achieved PR or better progressed. The median progression-free survival (PFS) for all treated pts was 15 months (95% CI, 11-NR); median PFS for pts who achieved CR was 24 months (95% CI, 15-NR). The median overall survival was not reached. Overall, 17 pts died during the study and follow-up period; causes of death were progressive disease (PD; n=14), suicide after PD (n=1), esophagitis (n=1), and pulmonary embolism and acute coronary syndrome (n=1). Peak levels of LCAR-B38M (≥1x104 copies/µg genomic DNA) were observed in a majority of pts with blood samples for analysis (n=32). LCAR-B38M CAR T cells were not detectable in peripheral blood in 71% of pts at 4 months; 5 pts showed CAR T cell persistence up to 10 months. This ongoing first-in-human study has provided initial proof-of-concept that bispecific LCAR-B38M CAR T cells may be a highly effective therapy for R/R MM. LCAR-B38M CAR T cell therapy displayed a manageable safety profile consistent with its known mechanism of action and demonstrated deep and durable responses in pts with R/R MM. A phase 1/2 study of LCAR-B38M in R/R MM has been initiated in the US (NCT03548207). Disclosures Zhuang: Nanjing Legend Biotech: Employment. Fan:Nanjing Legend Biotech: Employment.

Flexible joint plays an important role in compliant motion of robot and bionic function and so on. We developed a new type bidirectional controllable flexible bending joint based on elongation artificial muscles, and which can axial elongate and bend two-dimensional two-way control in space. Furthermore, we had theoretical and experimental analysis on both axial elongation and bending deformation of joint, and get the pressure-elongation relationship and bending moment-angle properties. And this study could be valuable for the dynamic analysis and motion accuracy control of the robots driven by this type flexible joint.

Design and analysis of a five-fingered robot hand is presented. The robot hand has five multi-actuated fingers each with three flexible joints. Each joint is designed using a novel flexible mechanism based on elongation pneumatic artificial muscle. Its high flexibility and inherent compliance make them ideally suited for delicate tasks, e.g. grasp, pinch, and nip. Furthermore, this paper established the mathematical models to simulate the behavior of grasping; get the relationship between air pressure as well as position and posture of fingers. In view of all characteristics five-fingered robot hands are very well suited for automation and robotic applications.

Bioenergy, as a renewable energy resource, is expected to see significant development in the future. However, a key issue that will affect this trend is sustainability of bioenergy. There have been many studies on this topic but mainly focusing on only one or two-dimensions of the issue and also with much of the literature directed at studies of European regions. To help understand the wider scope of bioenergy sustainability, this paper reviews a broad range of current research on the topic and places the literature into a multi-dimensional framework covering the economic, environmental and ecological, social and land-related aspects of bioenergy sustainability, as well as a geographical analysis of the areas for which the studies have been carried out. The review indicates that it is hard to draw an overall conclusion on the sustainability of bioenergy because of limited studies or contradictory results in some respects. In addition, this review shows that crop-based bioenergy and forest bioenergy are seen as the main sources of bioenergy and that most studies discuss the final utilization of bioenergy as being for electricity generation. Finally, research directions for future study are suggested, based on the literature reviewed here.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments have successfully operated for more than 18 and 16 years, respectively, on-board the NASA’s Earth Observing System Terra and Aqua spacecraft. Both Terra and Aqua MODIS have significantly contributed to the advance of global Earth remote sensing applications with a broad range of science products that have been continuously produced since the beginning of each mission and freely distributed to users worldwide. MODIS collects data in 20 reflective solar bands (RSB) and 16 thermal emissive bands (TEB), covering wavelengths from 0.41 to 14.4 μm. Its level 1B (L1B) data products, which provide the input for the MODIS high-level science products, include the top of the atmosphere reflectance factors for the RSB, radiances for both the RSB and TEB, and associated uncertainty indices (UI) at a pixel-by-pixel level. This paper provides a brief review of MODIS L1B calibration algorithms, including a number of improvements made in recent years. It presents an update of sensor calibration uncertainty assessments with a focus on several new contributors resulting from on-orbit changes in sensor characteristics, approaches developed to address these changes, and the impact due to on-orbit changes on the L1B data quality. Also discussed are remaining challenges and potential improvements to be made to continuously maintain sensor calibration and data quality, particularly those related to the quality of MODIS L1B uncertainty.

For the detector in infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPA) with a large dynamic range of response, a nonlinear model of response curve of the detector in IRFPA is introduced in this paper. With the model, the Kalman-filter nonuniformity correction (NUC) algorithm with linear model, developed by Torres and Hayat, is extended. In the extended algorithm, the raw image is translated into a linearized one firstly by directly employing a logarithm-based transformation. Then the linearized image is corrected by the Kalman-filter NUC algorithm with linear model, and the corrected linearized image is obtained. Finally the uniformity image of the original one is achieved by fulfilling an exponent transformation to the corrected linearized image. The presented algorithm not only inherits the advantage of the original algorithm that resolves the problem of the temporal drift in the gain and the bias in each detector by updating NUC parameters with information of the current scene, but also reduce the influence of the detector nonlinear response to the NUC performance, so it is suitable for IRFPA under large response-range. The NUC ability of the presented algorithm is demonstrated by experiments with real infrared image sequences.