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An open resonator antenna for orbital angular momentum (OAM) generation and dual-mode application is proposed. The excitation of OAM mode is deduced by the open resonator theory and the circular array theory. In the cavity, eight aperture coupled patch antenna elements are used to excite two higher-order Laguerre–Gaussian HE21 modes with a 90° phase difference. Verifying by simulation and experiment, the proposed low-profile antenna can radiate left-hand or right-hand circularly polarized waves of OAM modes $l=\pm 1$ , which have a relatively low divergence angle of ±9° and high gain of around 13 dBi.

Introduction Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is associated with the onset of several major liver diseases. Inactive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers (IHCs) may be successfully treated with PEGylated interferon-α2b (PEG-IFNα2b)-based antiviral therapy; however, studies on this treatment have been insufficient. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of PEG-IFNα2b treatment in IHCs. Methods Nineteen IHCs were treated with subcutaneous PEG-IFNα2b (180 μg/week) for 48 weeks (treatment group). Patients were followed up for 24 weeks after treatment discontinuation. Twenty untreated control patients were observed for 72 weeks (control group). HBsAg clearance (HBsAg

Introduction Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance is the treatment goal for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, its rate is extremely low with nucleoside (acid) analogues (NAs) monotherapy. Peginterferon could enhance HBsAg clearance. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of peginterferon alfa-2b (PegIFNα-2b) in NAs-experienced patients with CHB with negative HBeAg and low HBsAg level. Methods HBeAg-negative patients with CHB who had received NAs therapy over 24 weeks with HBsAg

Objectives: The treatment of acute herpangina is inconsistent. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of interferon α-2b spray versus Ribavirin for this disease. Methods: A randomized, controlled trial was conducted in eight hospitals in China between 2016 and 2018. 668 patients (1–7 years old) were randomized into an experimental group (treated with Interferon α-2b spray) or control group (received Ribavirin Aerosol). Body temperature returning to normal within 72 h and remaining so for 24 h was the primary outcome; release of oral herpes and adverse events were the secondary outcomes. Results: (1) The average age of onset was 2.5 years old. (2) After 72 h treatment, body temperature of 98.5% patients in experimental group and 94.3% in control group returned to normal and remained so for 24 h (P = 0.004). The differences were greater at 48 h treatment (95.2% vs. 85.9%, P < 0.001) and at 24 h (77.5% vs. 66.5%, P = 0.001). (3) The rate of improved oral herpes in the experimental group was higher than that in control group (46.7% vs.37.1%, P = 0.011). No adverse reaction occurred. Conclusions: Local application of recombinant interferon α-2b spray showed better efficacy for acute herpangina in children. It was safe for use.

Background Surgical resection remains the best option for long-term survival in colorectal cancer (CRC); however, surgery can lead to tumor cell release into the circulation. Previous studies have also shown that surgery can affect cancer cell growth. The role of perioperative factors influencing long-term survival in patients presenting for CRC surgery remains to be investigated. Methods This retrospective single–center cohort study was conducted to collect the clinical data of patients who underwent elective laparoscopic resection for CRC from January 2014 to December 2015, namely clinical manifestations, pathological results, and perioperative characteristics. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to compare hazard ratios (HR) for death. Results A total of 234 patients were eligible for analysis. In the multivariable Cox model, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (stage IV: HR 30.63, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.85–243.65; P = 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (yes: HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.09–3.92; P = 0.027), inhalational anesthesia with isoflurane (HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.19–3.21; P = 0.008), and Klintrup–Makinen (KM) inflammatory cell infiltration grade (low-grade inflammation: HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.20–3.43; P = 0.008) were independent risk factors affecting 5-year overall survival after laparoscopic resection for CRC. Conclusions TNM stage, lymphovascular invasion, isoflurane, and KM grade were independent risk factors affecting CRC prognosis. Sevoflurane and high-grade inflammation may be associated with improved survival in CRC patients undergoing resection.

Introduction Sepsis is a complication in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Early diagnosis of sepsis in ACLF patients can improve prognosis. This study aimed to explore potential effective biomarkers for the early diagnosis of sepsis in ACLF patients. Methods Ninety-four ACLF patients with sepsis were enrolled from 10 hospitals across China from January 2015 to June 2016 as well as 49 ACLF patients without infection from Xiangya Hospital. The first-day admission data and SOFA score and CLIF-SOFA score were collected. The differences of indicators between groups were compared with Kruskal-Wallis test. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was analyzed to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the selected factors. Results Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-1 (sTREM-1) and presepsin were significantly higher in ACLF-sepsis patients compared with ACLF patients with no infection (P

Background Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is a potentially lethal condition of pregnant women with a high mortality rate. Potential predictors related to postpartum recovery time and prognostic factors of AFLP are still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate potential predictors for prognosis and postpartum recovery time of AFLP. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 76 AFLP patients in our hospital from 2002 to 2017 and investigated potential predictors using univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) was found to be associated with prognosis in AFLP patients (P = 0.005, OR = 26.844). The postpartum recovery time analysis showed that AFLP patients with a age P = 0.134, OR = 5.952). The postpartum recovery time of patients with liver failure (LF) was significantly prolonged compared to those without LF (P = 0.036, OR = 10.052). Cryoprecipitate, and plasma infusion showed no significant effect on prognosis or recovery time. Artificial liver support therapy (ALST) had no effect on prognosis, but it might affect postpartum recovery time with no statistical significance (P = 0.128, OR = 5.470). Conclusion HE is a potential predictor for prognosis of AFLP. LF is a potential predictor for postpartum recovery time.

The mymargin metal–oxide–semiconductor mymargin (MOS)-controlled thyristor (MCT) has been characterized by MOS gating, high current rise rate, and high blocking capabilities. The anode-short MCT (AS-MCT) is distinguished from the conventional MCT by an anode-short structure, which forms an extracting path for the electron current at the gate ground and develops a normally-OFF characteristic. As a composite structure made of MOS and bipolar junction transistors, the AS-MCT is susceptible to ionization damage. The total ionization dose (TID) effects on the XND1 AS-MCT (breakdown voltage 1800 V grade) with a dose up to 9160 Gy(SiO2) are reported. The experimental results of transfer, forward conductive, and forward blocking characteristics are presented. A novel phenomenon, denoted as “self-trigger”, is identified for the AS-MCT following $\gamma $ -ray exposures, which can account for the significant increase in anode current in the AS-MCT. This article proposes the mechanism behind the characteristic degradation from the TID damage in the AS-MCT, from a device physics perspective.

A low-profile and high-gain Gaussian beam antenna (GBA) operating at 1 THz is demonstrated for the first time. Imprint and dry etching technologies in silicon are employed. A complementary antenna feed based on the magnetoelectric dipole is proposed for enhancing the radiation characteristics of the antenna. The microfabrication technologies are compatible with the Si-based integrated circuit manufacturing process. The terahertz (THz) antenna is realized with over 20 dBi in antenna gain. With high-precision fabrication technologies, a highly efficient THz GBA with smooth morphology and much lower profile than conventional horn and lens antennas is developed. Moreover, the antenna has the characteristic of low sidelobe levels which is advantageous in many wireless applications.

Multiferroic heterostructure CoFeB/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 is prepared by depositing CoFeB films on Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 single crystal through direct current magnetron sputtering. The electric field induced magnetism change of CoFeB film was studied by magneto-optical Kerr effect measurement. The magnetic hard/easy axis change was investigated under direct current electric field. Alternative current voltage magneto-optical Kerr effect test indicates the different magnetoelectric mechanism with the change of film thickness. The microwave frequency tunability was observed under the electric field and the tunable ferromagnetic resonance field reaches 190 Oe. Our study provides great opportunities for the application of electric-field tunable information storage devices.

Objective This study aims to investigate the burden of family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia, and its influencing factors Methods A total of 105 patients with schizophrenia and their caregivers were investigated using the positive and negative symptom scale (PANSS) and family burden scale of disease (FBS) Results There was a strong correlation between the patient's recovery and family burden, especially between positive and negative symptoms and family financial burden, family daily activities, family recreational activities, and family relationship Conclusion There is a strong correlation between the patient's recovery and family burden, and this is especially correlated to family economic burden, family daily activities, family recreational activities, and family relationship. Medical staff should pay attention to the psychological characteristics of patients and fully understand and avoid the adverse effects of family burden on the rehabilitation of patients., There is a strong correlation between the patient's recovery and family burden, and this is especially correlated to family economic burden, family daily activities, family recreational activities and family relationship. Medical staff should pay attention to the psychological characteristics of patients, and fully understand and avoid the adverse effects of family burden on the rehabilitation of patients.

Current liquid biopsy assays lack sufficient sensitivity to detect copy number loss, which limits the interrogation of critical tumor suppressor gene deletions during cancer progression and treatment. Here we describe a liquid biopsy assay with improved sensitivity for detection of copy number loss in blood samples with low levels of circulating tumor DNA, and demonstrate its utility by profiling PTEN, RB1, and TP53 genetic loss in metastatic prostate cancer patients.

Background Experimental and clinical trials have demonstrated the efficiency of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (bMSCs) in the treatment of myocardial infarction. However, after intravenous injection, the ineffective migration of engrafted bMSCs to the hearts remains an obstacle, which has an undesirable impact on the efficiency of cell-based therapy. Therefore, we attempted to identify a marker that could distinguish a subpopulation of bMSCs with a promising migratory capacity. Methods Here, CD51-negative and CD51-positive cells were isolated by flow cytometry from Ter119−CD45−CD31−bMSCs and cultured in specifically modified medium. The proliferation ability of the cells was evaluated by 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining or continuously monitored during culture, and the differentiation potential was assessed by culturing the cells in the appropriate conditioned media. Wound healing assays, transwell assays and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to measure the migratory ability. The mice were subjected to a sham operation or myocardial infarction (MI) by permanently occluding the coronary artery, and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labelled cells were transplanted into the mice via intravenous infusion immediately after MI. Heart function was measured by echocardiography; infarct myocardium tissues were detected by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. Additionally, immunofluorescence staining was used to verify the characteristics of CD51+bMSCs and inflammatory responses in vivo. Statistical comparisons were performed using a two-tailed Student’s t test. Results In this study, the isolated CD51−bMSCs and CD51+bMSCs, especially the CD51+ cells, presented a favourable proliferative capacity and could differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes and chondrocytes in vitro. After the cells were transplanted into the MI mice by intravenous injection, the therapeutic efficiency of CD51+bMSCs in improving left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) was better than that of CD51−bMSCs. Compared with CD51−bMSCs, CD51+bMSCs preferentially migrated to and were retained in the infarcted hearts at 48 h and 8 days after intravenous injection. Accordingly, the migratory capacity of CD51+bMSCs exceeded that of CD51−bMSCs in vitro, and the former cells expressed higher levels of chemokine receptors or ligands. Interestingly, the retained CD51+bMSCs retained in the myocardium possessed proliferative potential but only differentiated into endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts or cardiomyocytes. Transplantation of CD51+bMSCs partially attenuated the inflammatory response in the hearts after MI, while the potential for inflammatory suppression was low in CD51−bMSC-treated mice. Conclusions These findings indicated that the CD51-distinguished subpopulation of bMSCs facilitated proliferation and migration both in vitro and in vivo, which provided a novel cell-based strategy to treat acute MI in mice by intravenous injection.

BACKGROUND Bortezomib is a first-line drug approved for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and has significantly increased their overall survival. However, bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy (PN) remains a significant side effect that has led to its discontinuation in some patients. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is recognized as an immune-mediated PN characterized by the involvement of multiple nerve roots and peripheral nerves and albuminocytologic dissociation in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and plasmapheresis are effective. CASE SUMMARY A 45-year-old man diagnosed with stage III MM (λ type) was treated with bortezomib and dexamethasone. Fourteen days after the second course, he complained of intense burning sensation in the lower limbs and hands, loss of tactile sensation, and pain in the distal area of both thighs and in the distal part of both wrist joints. Neurological examination revealed absence of knee and ankle reflexes. CSF examination revealed albuminocytologic dissociation. Nerve conduction studies indicated sensory nerve action potential amplitudes, conduction velocity decrease, and F wave latency prolongation. He was diagnosed as MM complicated with GBS. Subsequently, he was treated with high-dose IVIG (400 mg/kg/d for five days). His symptoms fully resolved without relapse at the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION Our case highlights the differential diagnosis and management of complications after bortezomib treatment in MM.

In this paper, an explosion experiment was carried out on the OD1219mm-X90-12Mpa natural gas pipeline to study the vibration hazard. Based on a series of experiments, the spatial distribution of the vibration energy was studied. The vibration distribution field was drawn by interpolation method based on re-harmonic equation and it was found that the field was non-circular symmetry. Through in-depth research, it was preliminarily proved that the vibration field had interference characteristics, which was caused by the special vibration source of the pipeline explosion. There was a significant difference in the frequency components between the interference strengthened region and the weakened region. The results shown that the strengthening effect of the interference in the 90° and 30° direction should be taken into account when evaluating the damage scope of the explosion accident. Research provided reference for safety design of parallel pipelines and buildings.

In this study, a series of full-scale high-pressure natural gas pipeline physical explosion experiments were performed, in which the overpressure of the shock waves was measured and analyzed. The concept of “physical explosion linear energy (PEXLE)” was proposed and a “PEXLE model” was established to evaluate shock waves in a cylindrical pipeline with high length–diameter ratio. Equations were fitted to describe the characteristics of peak overpressure, positive pressure duration and specific impulse. Results showed that peak overpressure of shock waves is not influenced by the length of pipeline. With the increase of the propagation distance, specific impulse first increases and then decreases. This indicates that the position of the maximum value of overpressure does not correspond with that of the specific impulse.

Thalassemia is characterized by a hypercoagulable state in which the protein C (PC) pathway controls thrombosis. We investigated changes in PC, protein S (PS), antithrombin III (AT III) and soluble endothelial protein C receptor (sEPCR) in thalassemia.A group of 129 patients with β-thalassemia major (β-TM), β-thalassemia intermedia (β-TI), α-thalassemia intermedia (α-TI) and combined α-/β-thalassemia (α + β-thal) were compared with 32 gender- and age-matched controls. PC, PS, AT III, sEPCR, thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), and intercellular adhesion molecule1 (ICAM-1) antigens were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PC, AT III, and PS activity were assayed by substrate chromatography and a prothrombin time (PT)-based free protein S assay.PC deficiency was seen in 95.3% of the patients and PS deficiency was seen in 77.5%. Concomitant reductions in PC and AT III antigen and activity were observed in β-TM, β-TI, and α-TI than in controls (p 0.005). PC activity was lower in β-TM than in α-TI (p = 0.004). PS antigen was elevated in β-TM (p = 0.011) and sEPCR was elevated in α-TI (p = 0.018). Nonsplenectomized patients had lower PC (p = 0.001) and PS (p = 0.006) and higher sEPCR (p = 0.021) than postsplenectomy patients. Transfusion dependent thalassemia (TDT) patients had lower PC levels (p 0.005) than those with nontransfusion dependent thalassemia (NTDT). ICAM-1 was increased in patient subgroups (p 0.001), especially those with splenectomies (p = 0.009), and TAT was increased in all patient subgroups compared with controls (p 0.001) except for α + β-thal.Deficiencies of anticoagulant proteins and elevated sEPCR contributed to chronic hypercoagulability in these thalassemia patients of Chinese origin. Splenectomy alleviated these alterations in this patient cohort with the median duration since splenectomy of two years. Blood transfusion was not ideal for avoiding thrombosis.

It is well known that prototype and model behave differently under the conventional gravity field when the influence of gravity cannot be ignored such as the collapse of viaducts. In this paper, we derived a similarity relations that takes gravity effects into account and simulated the viaduct collapse process and the impact effect on underground tunnel under collapsing vibration through a prototype and a scaled model. The results show that when the gravity expands n times in the model which scaled ration is 1/n, the prototype and model are similar. This study provides a theoretical basis for research on viaduct collapse vibration based on the centrifugal model.

AIM: To explore retinal displacement after surgical treatment for idiopathic macular hole (IMH) with different internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling patterns. METHODS: Totally 22 eyes from 20 patients with IMH were randomly allocated into two groups, N-T group (11 eyes) and T-N group (11 eyes). For patients in N-T group, ILM was peeled off from nasal to temporal retina. For patients in T-N group, ILM was peeled off from temporal to nasal retina. Preoperative, postoperative 1, 3, and 6mo, autofluorescence fundus images were collected for manual measurement of distances of fixed nasal (N), temporal (T), superior (S), and inferior (I) retinal points (bifurcation or crossing of retinal vessels) around the macula to the optic disc (OD). These were respectively defined as N-OD, T-OD, S-OD, and I-OD. The retinal displacement, macular hole closure rate, and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were compared between the two groups after surgery. RESULTS: At postoperative 1, 3, and 6mo, the macula slipped toward the OD, manifested by the decreased T-OD, N-OD, S-OD, and I-OD (P

The application of big data has been widely adopted today, but the exploration of Energy Internet based on the big data is in its early phase. In the paper, firstly, the basic concept, characteristic and method of big data is described, and the current situation of Energy Internet is investigated. Then, the importance and implementation means of big data in Energy Internet is pointed out. Several application scenarios of big data used for Energy Internet are presented, and the advantage of big data is summarized. Finally, the application technology system and research framework of big data in Energy Internet are proposed.

Aiming at the application of cloud computing technology in Energy Internet, this paper introduces the work and research on the theory and practice of Energy Internet from the current situation at home and abroad. Then, this paper summarizes the data types and data sources in the Energy Internet. Based on the Summingbird real-time data processing platform, the paper proposes a practical cloud computing platform for the Energy Internet, and analyzes the feasibility and advantages of the Summingbird platform for the Energy Internet. Finally, based on cloud computing technology, an information system architecture of “wide area cloud” and “local area cloud” is proposed, which can play a crucial role in the Energy Internet.

This study aimed to establish and validate a comprehensive nomogram for predicting the cause-specific survival (CSS) probability in tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). We screened and extracted data from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database for the period 2004 to 2016. We randomly divided the 7243 identified patients into a training cohort (70%) for constructing the model and a validation cohort (30%) for evaluating the model using R software. Multivariate Cox stepwise regression was used to select predictive variables. The concordance index (C-index), the area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), the net reclassification improvement (NRI), the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), calibration plotting, and decision-curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the model. The multivariate Cox stepwise regression analysis successfully established a nomogram for the 1-, 3-, and 5-year CSS probabilities for TSCC patients. The C-index, AUC, NRI, and IDI were all showed that the model has good discrimination. The calibration plots were very close to the standard lines, indicating that the model has a good degree of calibration, and the DCA curve further illustrated that the model has good clinical validity. We have established the first nomogram for predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year CSS probabilities for TSCC based on a large retrospective sample. Our rigorous validation and evaluation indicated that the model can provide useful guidance to clinical workers making clinical decisions about individual patients.

As of May 5, 2020, the total number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) cases had reached over 3.5 million worldwide. The outbreak of COVID‐19 has been officially declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization because of global spread and severity. Accumulating evidence has been showed that patients with severe COVID‐19 have a cytokine storm syndrome. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

In this paper, the explosion experiment of OD1422-X80mm-12 MPa natural gas pipeline was carried out to study the vibration hazards. The classic Sodev’s empirical formula was improved to pre...

In this paper, a new rotation-magnified viscoelastic damper (RMVD) was developed. The damper applying the lever principle amplified the relatively small angular deformation manyfold at the beam-column joints, increased the shear deformation and hysteretic energy dissipation of viscoelastic materials to achieve an ideal energy dissipation effect. Firstly, the basic structure and working principle of the RMVD were introduced, and the quality index of high damping butyl rubber was discussed through the uniaxial tensile test and shear test. Secondly, the physical model of a new rotation-magnified viscoelastic damper was built, and its hysteresis curve was obtained through experiments. Additionally, the mechanical properties were compared with those of the traditional non-amplification function angle damper. Then, according to the structural characteristics and experimental results of the RMVD, the mechanical models were proposed to conduct a numerical simulation. Finally, the dynamic time-history analysis of the steel frame structure with the new damper installed at the beam-column joints was performed, and the results showed that the RMVD has a better damping control effect.

Background: Children with Kawasaki disease (KD) under 1-year old are at high risk for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance. The study was designed to explore the predictive measure of IVIG resistance in infants under 1-year old with KD. Methods: This study enrolled children under 1-year old suffering from KD in Peking University First Hospital and Wuhan Children's Hospital. All infants were divided into IVIG-responsive and IVIG-resistant groups. The differences in demographic characteristics, clinical features, and laboratory examinations were compared and the risk factors of IVIG resistant KD were analyzed. Furthermore, a scoring system was developed for predicting IVIG resistance in KD infants and an external validation was performed. Result: A total of 282 infants (194 boys, median age of 7.0 months) were enrolled in this study, of whom 23 children were IVIG-resistant. Compared with IVIG-responsive infants, those in the IVIG-resistant group had a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), high platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), high mean platelet volume-to-lymphocyte ratio (MPVLR) in peripheral blood, and low serum albumin, and low serum sodium before IVIG therapy (all P < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis indicated that high levels of peripheral NLR and MPVLR, and low levels of serum albumin and serum sodium were independent risk factors for IVIG resistant KD infants. A scoring system, which included peripheral NLR ≥ 2.69 (1 point), MPVLR ≥ 2.78 (1 point), serum albumin ≤ 30.7 g/L (1 point), and serum sodium ≤ 135.2 mmol/L (1 point), was established. A cut-off value of a total score of 2 points or higher yielded a sensitivity of 87.0% and a specificity of 78.4%, with an area under the curve of 0.891. External validation with clinical diagnostic standard showed that a cut-off value of total score of 2 points or higher for predicting the IVIG-resistance yielded a sensitivity of 70.0% and a specificity of 75.1%. Conclusion: For the first time, we proposed a predictive model of IVIG resistance in KD infants under 1-year old. The scoring system, which accounts for baseline peripheral NLR, MPVLR, and serum albumin and sodium, predicts with relatively high sensitivity and specificity for IVIG-resistant infants with KD under 1-year old.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)is a severe clinical disorder characterized by its acute onset, diffuse alveolar damage, intractable hypoxemia, and non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Acute lung injury(ALI) can trigger persistent lung inflammation and fibrosis through activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and subsequent secretion of mature IL-1β, suggesting that the NLRP3 inflammasome is a potential therapeutic target for ALI, for which new therapeutic approaches are needed. Our present study aims to assess whether pirfenidone,with anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory properties, can improve LPS-induced inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Male C57BL/6 J mice were intratracheally injected with LPS to induce ALI. Mice were administered pirfenidone by oral gavage throughout the entire experimental course. The mouse macrophage cell line (J774 A.1) was incubated with LPS and ATP, with or without PFD pre-treatment. We demonstrated that PFD remarkably ameliorated LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis and reduced IL-1β and TGF-β1 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF). Pirfenidone substantially reduced NLRP3 and ASC expression and inhibited caspase-1 activation and IL-1β maturation in lung tissues. In vitro, the experiments revealed that PFD significantly suppressed LPS/ATP-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased caspase-1 activation and the level of IL-1β in J774 A.1 cells. Taken together, the administration of PFD reduced LPS-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis by blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation and subsequent IL-1β secretion. These findings indicated that PFD can down-regulate NLRP3 inflammasome activation and that it may offer a promising therapeutic approach for ARDS patients.

The emerging applications of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) in ground-state cooling, quantum manipulation, communication devices, etc., call for a nanoresonator with high frequency, quality factor, and tunability, as well as easy integration. Here we show that such a nanoresonator can be achieved by using a unique assembly technique that transfers the stressed inner shell of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to a self-aligned device geometry. The as-fabricated nanoresonator shows excellent comprehensive performance, i.e., high frequency (2–3 GHz), high tunability (80–110 MHz/V), high quality factor (3 × 104), and single mode operation. The defect-free nature of the inner shell of the CNT gives rise to a high quality factor, and the preloaded tension improves the resonant frequency and tunability. This resonator with excellent performance also enables the integration of homogeneous devices and will play a key role in the emerging applications of NEMS.

This article is aimed to reveal the dynamic response of layered graded metallic foam under impact loading using a three-dimensional mesoscopic model. First, a mesoscopic model for closed-cell metallic foam is proposed based on the X-ray computed tomography images. Second, a numerical analysis approach is presented and validated with test data. Third, it studies the dynamic behavior of the layered graded metallic foam under impact loading numerically. The metallic foam specimen is composed layer by layer. The porosity, which is a fraction of the voids volume over the total volume, is different with each other for the layers. Simulations are conducted to the specimen with increasing and decreasing porosity arrangement. Results show that the layer arrangement is critical to the dynamic properties. The mesoscopic deformation of cell walls and the energy absorption capability are also affected significantly. This article gives insights into the mechanical properties and mesoscopic deformation of layered graded metallic foam.

BACKGROUND In longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation (LPeAF), the ideal endpoint of ablation remains to be determined. This study was to explore the value of pursuing AF termination or no with the same strategy during ablation on the long-term outcomes in patients with LPeAF. METHODS Utilized "CCL" strategy is a fixed ablation approach consisting of circumferential pulmonary vein antrum isolation, ablation of complex fractionated atrial electrogram, and linear ablation between two anatomical structures (the mitral isthmus, left atrial roof). Note that 400 patients were randomized to group A (technical endpoint) and group B (pursuing AF termination). RESULTS A group with technical endpoint had lower rate of acute AF termination (AF→sinus rhythm, 3.5% vs 18.1%; AF→atrial tachycardia, 23.7% vs 44.7%; P

Algorithmic trading requires tuning hyperparameters to fit the time series data; however, it often suffers from overfitting of data that can lead to loss of money in action. Further, only a few studies discuss how to select trading exchange pairs and frequencies in response to the fitness of machine learning models. To cope with these problems, we developed a log-distance path loss model (to measure and reduce the overfitting in data modeling and determine exchange pairs and frequencies effectively. We conducted several experiments for different metrics using several influential factors such as machine learning models, learning objectives, trading strategies, and hyperparameter turning cases to validate the proposed approach. The obtained results indicate that the proposed metric is significantly superior to other methods in terms of accuracy, in-sample return (i.e., return of training data), and F1-score. Thus, using our path loss metric to guide data modeling, we provide a method to deal with the overfitting problem and yield positive trading returns.

Part II of this paper is focused on the dynamic response of a steel plate of the centrifuge model which is fixed on the container. This plate is 5 cm thick, allowing for non-destructive elastic response to all the 19 blasts. Three accelerators and 10 sets of strain gauges are installed on the plate to monitor the acceleration and deformation histories induced by shock waves and bubble oscillations. This article presents the characteristic values measured for shock waves and bubble oscillations response. The detailed information can be found in a database available on the web. In order to obtain the correct acceleration time history, the cut-off frequency of low-pass filtering by Fourier transformation was applied. The results indicated that the acceleration and strain induced by shock wave was nearly unaffected by the increasing gravity, while the effect of gravity has remarkable influence on those induced by bubble oscillation. A preliminary study of comparing the measured dynamic response with numerical simulations has been carried out using ANSYS LS-DYNA. The results captured the dynamic response in terms of characteristics and trends, but deviated in magnitude due the theoretical and technological limitations involved in both the physical and numerical models. It certainly deserves further studies.

This work compares experimental and numerical results concerning the elastic dynamic response of air-backed plate to underwater explosion. Experiments were performed in a centrifuge, both the shock loadings and structure responses were tested, and the bubble oscillation considering centrifugal force was predicted with Geer and Hunter model. The experimental and numerical results illustrates that the centrifugal force have no effect on shockwave for the short duration of action, and with the increase of centrifugal force, the bubble pulse motion cycle, maximum bubble radius, and peak pressure of bubble pulse decreased; both the peak of high-frequency and low-frequency response of the plate decline slightly when alpha damping rising ,the high-frequency response mode almost have no change with different alpha damping ,while, the low-frequency response tends to be an obvious oscillation waveform when the alpha damping is too low; although the difference of the peak acceleration owing to shock wave and bubble reaches to tens of times, the strain responses caused by the two factors are very close, which enucleates that the train response is related to shock energy and has a higher sensitivity to time accumulation; both the peak acceleration and peak strain due to the shock wave remain steady and the two kinds of response by bubble pulse decrease with the centrifugal force increasing; when the target position is more close to the area that the shock wave vertically impact ,the linear correlation between peak velocity and shock factor is much better. Key words: underwater explosion; centrifugal effect; FEM.

Landing footprint is critical in generating feasible entry trajectories for hypersonic glide vehicles. In this paper, a new landing footprint generation algorithm that considers multiple uncertainty effects is proposed, based on the improved 3D acceleration profile planning method. First, a new entry corridor with uncertainty effects is derived, in which the angle of attack profile is adjustable at any time during the entire flight. Second, the longitudinal drag profile is designed as the interpolation results of the upper and lower fitting safe boundaries. The corresponding lateral lift-to-drag corridor is obtained using the quasi-equilibrium glide condition. A combined Proportion Integration Differentiation (PID) tracker is used to follow the planned profiles in the longitudinal and lateral corridors, and the feasible entry trajectories are completed. Finally, feasible footprint is generated by repeatedly computing the reachable boundaries for all the profiles in the new safe corridor, as well as the analytical calculation of the maximum range point. The approach is tested using the Common Aero Vehicle-H model. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can rapidly generate a feasible footprint of entry for vehicles while satisfying all the path and terminal constraints.

A high-resolution NH 3 emission inventory was developed based on the corrected emission factors and county-level activity data. To provide model-ready emission input, the NH 3 emission inventory was gridded for the modeling domain at 1 × 1 km resolution using source-based spatial surrogates and a GIS system. The best estimate of total NH 3 emission for the province was 228.02 kt in 2015 with a percentage uncertainty of ±16.3%. Four major contributors were farmland ecosystem, livestock wastes, humans and waste treatment, which contributed 39.4%, 43.1%, 4.9%, and 4.2% of the total emissions, respectively. The averaged NH 3 emission density for the whole region was 1.88 t km −2 yr −1 and the higher values were found in coastal areas with higher dense populations. The seasonal patterns, with higher emissions in summer, were consistent with the patterns of temperature and planting practices. From 2009 to 2015, annual NH 3 emissions increased from 218.49 kt to 228.02 kt. All of these changes are insignificant compared to the estimated overall uncertainties in the analysis, but indicative of changes in the source categories over this period. Between 2009 and 2015, the largest changes occurred in human emissions and waste treatment plants, which were consistent with the process of rapid urbanization. Meanwhile, the decrease of emissions from pigs was slightly higher than the increased emissions from broilers and the increased emissions from meat goats and beef cattle due to the combine effects of increasingly stringent environmental requirements for pig farms and shift away from pork consumption to beef, chicken and mutton. The validity of the estimates was further evaluated using uncertainty analysis, comparison with previous studies, and correlation analysis between emission density and observed ground ammonia. The inventories reflect the changes in economic progress and environmental protection and can provide scientific basis for the establishment of effective PM 2.5 control strategies.

EXPERIMENTS AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED TO STUDY THE SPATIAL DISPERSION PATTERNS AND PENE-TRATION PROPERTIES OF INTEGRAL MULTIPLE EXPLOSIVELY FORMED PENETRA-TORS (MEFP) WARHEAD WITH SEVEN ARC-CONE LINERS. TERMINAL EFFECTS OF MEFP WARHEAD WERE PERFORMED ON FIVE #45 STEEL TARGETS OF DIMEN-SION 160CM X 160CM X 1.5CM AT VARIOUS STANDOFFS (45CM, 60CM, 80CM, 120CM, 170CM). IT FINDS THAT THE NUMBER OF PERFORATIONS PRESENTED IN THE TARGET CHANGES FROM 7(45CM) TO 19(80CM, 120CM, 170CM) WITH THE INCREASE OF STANDOFF. NUMERICAL RESULTS HAD SUCCESSFULLY EXPLAINED DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF PERFORATIONS ON THE TARGET NAMELY EVERY SURROUNDING LINER WAS FINALLY BROKEN INTO THREE PENETRATORS DURING THE FORMATION PROCESS OF MEFP, FORMING A GROUP OF AIMABLE PENETRATORS CONSISTED A CENTRAL PROJECTILE SURROUNDED BY 18 PENETRATORS. MAXIMUM DIVERGENCE ANGLE OF SURROUNDING PENETRATORS GROUP IS 9.8° AND DAMAGE AREA CAN REACH 0.37M2 AT 1.7M. LAWS OF PERFORATION DISPERSION PATTERNS OF MEFP ARE ALSO OBTAINED BY A NONLINEAR FITTING ABOUT INFORMATION OF PERFORATIONS ON THE TARGET AT DIFFERENT STANDOFFS. IT HAS SHOWN EXCELLENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENT RESULTS. IN ADDITION, WE CONDUCTED EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL STUDY ON THE POWER OF MEFP REMAINDERS AFTER BREAKDOWN FRONT TARGET. IT REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT DISTRIBUTION OF REMAINDERS BECAME MORE DISPERSED AND TOTAL ENERGY OF REMAINDERS GOT RELATIVELY SMALLER WITH THE INCREASE OF STANDOFF.

Three-dimensional numerical simulations and experiments were performed to examine the formation and spatial dispersion patterns of integral multiple explosively formed penetrators (MEFP) warhead with seven hemispherical liners. Numerical results had successfully described the formation process and distribution pattern of MEFP. A group of penetrators consisting of a central penetrator surrounded by 6 penetrators is formed during the formation process of MEFP and moves in the direction of aiming position. The maximum divergence angle of the surrounding penetrator group was 7.8°, and the damage area could reach 0.16 m2 at 1.2 m. The laws of perforation dispersion patterns of MEFP were also obtained through a nonlinear fitting of the perforation information on the target at different standoffs. The terminal effects of the MEFP warhead were performed on three #45 steel targets with a dimension of 160cm ( 160cm ( 1.5cm at various standoffs (60, 80, and 120 cm). The simulation results were validated through penetration experiments at different standoffs. It has shown excellent agreement between simulation and experiment results.

Background The electrophysiological characteristics of patients without recurrence after ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) have not been systematically determined. This study compared the electrophysiological characteristics in patients with and without recurrence of AF after persistent AF ablation. Methods Forty-five patients without recurrence of AF after persistent AF ablation were enrolled to assess electrophysiological characteristics including pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection, the mitral isthmus (MI) line and the roof line reconduction. Ninety-five patients with recurrence of AF after ablation were used as the control group. Results Among patients without recurrence, recovery of PV conduction was observed in 37 of 45 (82.2%) patients: 3/45 (6.7%) reconnection in 4 veins, 7/45 (15.6%) in 3 veins, 11/45 (24.4%) in 2 veins, and 16/45 (35.6%) in 1 vein. No significant differences were seen in the proportion of patients with PV reconnection compared to patients with recurrence (p>0.05). Among patients without recurrence, the MI line reconduction was observed in 3/45 (6.7%) patients; the roof line conduction was observed in 5/45 (11.1%) patients. In comparison, patients with clinical recurrence of AF had recovery of the MI line conduction in 27/95 (28.4%) and recovery of the roof line conduction in 26/95 (27.4%). Significant differences were seen between these two groups (6.7% vs 28.4%, p=0.004; 11.1% vs 27.4%, p=0.031). Conclusion Although a high incidence of PV reconnection was similarly observed in patients with and without recurrence of AF, a lower incidence of lines reconduction was observed in patients without recurrence of AF.

For the sake of complexity, unpredictability, and exceeding sensitivity to initial conditions in the chaotic systems, there were many studies for information encryption of chaotic systems in recent years. Enhancing the security in information encryption of chaotic systems, an initial value control circuit for chaotic systems is proposed in this paper. By way of changing the initial value, we can change the behavior of chaotic systems and also change the key of information encryption. An analog circuit is implemented to verify the initial value control circuit design.

The waste generation rate (WGR) is used to predict the generation of construction and demolition waste (C&amp, DW) and has become a prevalent tool for efficient waste management systems. Many studies have focused on deriving the WGR, but most focused on demolition waste rather than construction waste (CW). Moreover, previous studies have used theoretical databases and thus were limited in showing changes in the generated CW during the construction period of actual sites. In this study, CW data were collected for recently completed apartment building sites through direct measurement, and the WGR was calculated by CW type for the construction period. The CW generation characteristics by type were analyzed, and the results were compared with those of previous studies. In this study, CW was classified into six types: Waste concrete, waste asphalt concrete, waste wood, waste synthetic resin, waste board, and mixed waste. The amount of CW generated was lowest at the beginning of the construction period. It slowly increased over time and then decreased again at the end. In particular, waste concrete and mixed waste were generated throughout the construction period, while other CWs were generated in the middle of the construction period or towards the end. The research method and results of this study are significant in that the construction period was considered, which has been neglected in previous studies on the WGR. These findings are expected to contribute to the development of efficient CW management systems.

Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects spine and paraspinal soft tissue. Ankylosing spondylitis is one of the causes of osteoporosis and patients with ankylosing spondylitis tend to have spinal fractures due to limited mobility and osteoporosis. In recent years, due to the increase in the number of patients with AS, patients with AS and thoracolumbar spine fractures have gradually increased. In the past 1 year, we have treated 3 cases of AS with thoracolumbar spine fractures via simple posterior internal fixation and this paper aims to report its clinic effect. Case presentation All the three patients selected had a history of ankylosing spondylitis for nearly 30 years, and one of them developed a thoracolumbar spine fracture after falling when he walked, and the other two developed a thoracolumbar spine fracture without any reason. They were hospitalized for “low back pain” and were diagnosed as fractures after careful physical examination and imaging examinations such as X-ray, CT, and MRI. After the preoperative preparation was completed, all the three patients underwent surgery with simple posterior internal fixation-reduction of the fracture and pedicle screw fixation via posterior approach. All the implants-pedicle screws and connecting rods-are made of titanium alloy. For postoperative management, we asked all the patients to stay in bed for 3 weeks after the operation, and then slowly move down with the help of crutches. Fracture healing and neurological function recovery were observed postoperatively. All the three patients recovered satisfactorily after surgery, and the follow-up confirmed that the fracture healed successfully after 3 months. Conclusions The 3 patients included 2 men and 1 women. All the 3 patients recovered well after surgery, and the follow-up confirmed that the fracture healed successfully after 3 months. One man developed urination dysfunction after operation and recovered to normal 3 months after rehabilitation exercise.

To explore the effect of double-stranded RNA-dependent kinase (PKR) in acute lung injury (ALI) and resultant acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI was used to evaluate the levels of phosphorylated (p)-PKR and NLRP3 in lung tissue, and the protective effects of a PKR inhibitor on lung injury. And in vitro, macrophages were incubated with LPS, with or without PKR inhibitor pre-treatment. It was observed that the levels of p-PKR protein and NLRP3 protein were significantly increased compared with those in control tissues after LPS administration. Meanwhile, treatment with PKR inhibitor decreased inflammation, injury score, wet/dry weight ratio, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein levels, neutrophil count in BALF, myeloperoxidase activity and expression of high-mobility group box1(HMGB1) and interleukin(IL)-1β in the lungs of LPS-challenged mice. In vitro, we demonstrated that the levels of p-PKR and NLRP3, and cell mortality rate were increased in macrophages which were incubated with LPS compared with those without LPS administration, and PKR inhibitor significantly suppressed the level of NLRP3, caspase-1, HMGB1 and IL-1β. These results indicate that PKR plays a key role in ALI through NLRP3-pyrotosis pathway and pharmacological inhibition of PKR may have potential therapeutic effects in the treatment of patients with ALI and ARDS.

In this paper, we present an open resonator antenna (ORA) operating at terahertz frequency. The proposed antenna which is based on open resonator theory consists of a spherical concave ground, a flat partially reflective surface (PRS) and a fifth-order height dielectric cavity. Fundamental Laguerre-Gaussian beam mode-HE 11 mode is excited. A 16.5 dBi realized gain with −12 dB side lobe in E-plane and −15 dB in H-plane is obtained at central operating frequency-307 GHz. This high-gain but simple structure antenna shows great application potential in many terahertz systems.

This paper presents a dual band-notched and dual-polarization antenna for base station. The proposed antenna contains three parts:radiator, feed structures and reflector. The main radiator has two crossed dipoles in the bottom of horizontal substrates to realize ±45° polarization; two vertical substrates, which have $\Gamma$ -shaped feeding lines on the front side and Balun on the back side. In addition, there are six resonator structures in the radiators or next to the feeding lines which could filter unexcept frequency band. The antenna operates at the DCS and WCDMA bands ( $\text{VSWR} ), while generating notches in the 1805-1880MHz and 2110-2170MHz bands. In this paper, a first-order filter and a second-order filter are realized by using the resonator characteristic.

A term neonate was hospitalised for progressive abdominal distension and delayed meconium passage on his third day of birth. Plain abdominal radiograph revealed no gas in the distal colon. Constrast enema study revealed narrow rectosigmoid and descending colon with a transitional zone at the left transverse colon (figure 1). Rectal biopsy was performed, which showed an absence of ganglion cells in the lamina propria. Diagnosed with long-segment Hirschsprung disease (HD), the patient was managed with rectal irrigations at home. At the age of 3 months, he underwent laparoscopic transanal pull-through procedure. At laparoscopy, the distal colon was collapsed with a classic …

The electricity information collection system plays an important role in improving the energy structure of the grid and improving the utilization efficiency. With the development of power consumption business, broadband technology has become an important part of the communication network of power information system, which is of great significance to support the construction of smart grid. In this paper, the application of high-speed broadband carrier communication counting in the use of electricity information collection and interconnection system is studied. In view of the problems frequently occurring in the electricity information collection system, it is proposed that information islands are easy to appear in the Datai district, and the line loss management is weak. The power information system solution in the case. Through the introduction of system communication performance, consistency and interoperability and other test programs, testing at each operation site, and achieved good results.