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This paper studies the strength and reversibility of direction-of-motion stereotypes and response times for a digital counter with 2-D (four-way) lever controls. The results showed that the forward-for-increase (FI), backward-for-decrease (BD), up-for-increase (UI), and down-for-decrease (DD) stereotypes were generally weak in the four-way lever-digital counter configuration, with the FI-BD and UI-DD stereotypes being dominant at the horizontal and vertical planes, respectively. The FI-BD stereotypes at the horizontal planes were generally stronger than the UI-DD stereotypes at the vertical planes, indicating that the horizontal planes are the desirable planes for positioning a four-way lever in working with the digital counter. In consideration of the mean stereotype strengths and indexes of reversibility, the compatibility of the lever control-digital counter was much lower than that of the four-way lever-circular display configuration found in a previous study. The analysis of the contribution of component principles also confirmed that the UI, DD, FI, and BD stereotypes were much weaker than the stereotypes found in the four-way lever-circular display combination. The findings suggested that a circular display is a better partner than a digital counter with a four-way lever. Index Terms--Digital counter, lever control, movement compatibility, stereotype reversibility.

Increased repolarization heterogeneity can provide the substrate for reentrant ventricular arrhythmias in animal models of cardiomyopathy. We hypothesized that ventricular repolarization heterogeneity is also greater in patients with cardiomyopathy and ventricular arrhythmia vulnerability (inducible ventricular tachycardia or positive microvolt T wave alternans, VT/TWA) compared with a similar patient population without ventricular arrhythmia vulnerability (no VT/ TWA). Endocardial and epicardial repolarization heterogeneity was measured in patients with (n = 12) and without (n = 10) VT/TWA by using transvenous 26-electrode catheters placed along the anteroseptal right ventricular endocardium and left ventricular epicardium. Local activation times (AT), activation-recovery intervals (ARI), and repolarization times (RT) were measured from unipolar electrograms. Endocardial RT dispersion along the apicobasal ventricle was greater (P < 0.005) in patients with VT/TWA than in those without VT/TWA because of greater ARI dispersion (P < 0.005). AT dispersion was similar between the two groups. Epicardial RT dispersion along the apicobasal ventricle was greater (P < 0.05) in patients with VT/TWA than in those without VT/TWA because of greater ARI dispersion (P < 0.05). AT dispersion was similar between the two groups. A plot of AT as a function of ARI revealed an inverse linear relationship for no VT/TWA such that progressively later activation was associated with progressively shorter ARI. The AT-ARI relationship was nonlinear in VT/TWA. In conclusion, patients with cardiomyopathy and VT/TWA have greater endocardial and epicardial repolarization heterogeneity than those without VT/TWA without associated conduction slowing. The steep repolarization gradients in VT/TWA may provide the substrate for functional conduction block and reentrant ventricular arrhythmias. action potential; dispersion; ventricular tachycardia; reentry; T wave alternans

Purpose: Recent literature has pointed out the seriously unmet treatment needs of delinquent youth with mental health problems in Hong Kong. This study pioneers to systematically develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a structured low-intensity cognitive behavioral intervention (LICBI) to concurrently address mental health issues and delinquent behaviors among Hong Kong Chinese youth. Method: A quasi-experimental controlled design was adopted with three assessments at baseline, postintervention, and 6-week follow-up. One hundred and eighty participants were recruited to the LICBI and 123 to the control group. Results: Multilevel modeling analyses showed that the LICBI might be effective in improving mental health–related factors (impulsivity, self-esteem, negative emotions, and loneliness) and delinquent behaviors. A mediation analysis suggested that LICBI might reduce participants' delinquent behaviors through reducing their impulsivity and enhancing their self-esteem. Discussion: The results provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of LICBI for Chinese delinquent youth in a community social service setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel crosstalk isolation structure which features simple operation, excellent isolation characteristics that can be used for practical realization of bulk complementary metal oxide semiconductor power integrated circuits (PIC) was developed. The effectiveness of the isolation structure was verified by using unique characterization techniques and two-dimensional simulations were used to understand the minority carrier flow in the various PIC structures. Results showed that the structure is applicable for isolation between integrated conductivity modulated power devices.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is curative for transfusion‐dependent thalassemia, but mixed chimerism (MC) may herald graft rejection. We report a child who failed bone marrow transplant (BMT) from matched unrelated donor (MUD) successfully salvaged with haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT), but had MC in T‐lymphocyte compartment despite near‐complete donor chimerism in myeloid compartment. MC was successfully improved by repeated CD45RA‐depleted donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI). A 2‐year‐old Chinese girl with beta‐thalassemia major underwent 12/12‐MUD BMT with HU/AZA/Cy/Flu/Bu/TT conditioning resulted in graft rejection. As donor refused second donation, rescue haploidentical PBSCT was performed with alemtuzumab/fludarabine/treosulfan conditioning. Harvest product was CD3/CD45RA depleted with extra products cryopreserved. Split cell chimerism performed 1‐month after haplo‐transplant showed 97% mother, 3% MUD, and 0% host for granulocytes but 38% mother, 62% MUD, and 0% host for CD3 + T cells. In view of low haploidentical donor chimerism in T‐lymphocyte compartment, CD45RA‐depleted DLI using cryopreserved product was performed on day + 38, after thymoglobulin 3 mg/kg given as T‐cell depletion 3 days beforehand. T‐cell chimerism improved to 51% mother and 49% MUD post‐DLI. Second cryopreserved CD45RA‐depleted DLI was given 17 days after the first DLI (day + 55), and 100% full chimerism of mother's T cells was gradually established without significant graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) or viral reactivation. To conclude, split lineage chimerism determination is beneficial to guide management strategy. For MC in T‐cell compartment, CD45RA‐depleted DLI is a potential alternative to unselected T cells as it carries lower risk of GVHD and infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatially extensive multi-year hydrological droughts cause significant environmental stress. Given the impacts of climate change, the UK is expected to remain vulnerable to future multi-year droughts. Existing approaches to quantify hydrological impacts of climate change are often scenario-driven and may miss out plausible outcomes with significant impacts. Event-based storyline approaches aim to quantify storylines of how observed events could hypothetically have unfolded in alternative ways. This study uses the 2010-2012 drought, the most recent period of severe hydrological drought in the UK, as a basis, and analyses counterfactual storylines based on changes to 1) precondition severity, 2) temporal drought sequence, and 3) climate change. Evidence from multiple storylines shows that maximum intensity, mean deficit and duration of the 2010-2012 drought were highly conditioned by its meteorological preconditions, particularly for northern catchments at shorter time scales. Recovery time from progressively drier preconditions reflect both spatial variation in drought conditions and the role of physical catchment characteristics, particularly hydrogeology in the propagation of multi-year droughts. Two plausible storylines of an additional dry year with dry winter conditions repeated either before the observed drought or replacing the observed dramatic drought termination confirm the vulnerability of UK catchments to a three dry winter scenario. Applying the UKCP18 climate projections, we find that drought conditions worsen with global warming with a mitigation of drought conditions by wetter winters in northern catchments at high warming levels. Comparison of the storylines with a benchmark drought (1975-76) and a protracted multi-year drought (1989-93) shows that for each storyline, drought conditions could have matched and exceeded those experienced during the past droughts at catchments across the UK, particularly for southern catchments. The construction of storylines based on observed events can complement existing methods to stress test UK catchments against plausible unrealized droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]