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Introduction Infections cause substantial morbidity and mortality in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other high-grade myeloid neoplasms. The contemporary regimen of CLAG-M (cladribine, high-dose cytarabine, G-CSF, mitoxantrone) has favorable hematologic outcomes compared to '7+3' (standard-dose cytarabine, anthracycline) in some studies but may be more myelosuppressive. The aim of this investigation was to determine and compare the incidence and spectrum of infections after CLAG-M and 7+3. Methods For this retrospective cohort study, we identified microbiologically documented moderate to severe infections (grade ≥2 infections; Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network Technical Manual of Procedures (BMT CTN MOP) guideline) after the first cycle of CLAG-M for newly-diagnosed (ND) or relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML or other high-grade myeloid neoplasms (≥10% blasts in marrow or peripheral blood) and compared these findings to adults receiving 7+3 for ND disease. We recorded infections for up to 90 days from the start of chemotherapy or until the start of a second cycle or death, whichever occurred first. We compared the cumulative incidence probability of time-to-first infection between cohorts using Gray's test with start of additional therapy and death as competing risk events. Infection rates, defined as average number of infections per 1000 patient days-at-risk, were compared between cohorts using Poisson regression. Results The study included 442 individuals consisting of 196 with ND disease and 131 with R/R disease receiving CLAG-M, and 115 with ND disease receiving 7+3 (Table 1). Fifty-four (28%), 65 (50%), and 19 (17%) individuals per cohort had one or more moderate to severe microbiologically documented infection, respectively. The absolute neutrophil count was Conclusions Moderate to severe microbiologically documented infections are common after the first cycle of chemotherapy for ND or R/R AML or other high-grade myeloid neoplasms. CLAG-M may be associated with more moderate to severe microbiologically documented infections than 7+3 for ND disease. Individuals with R/R disease are at the highest risk. Invasive fungal infections were relatively frequent but may be significantly reduced by mold-active azole prophylaxis. New approaches to improve neutrophil recovery and function may reduce infection risk. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Halpern: Abbvie: Consultancy; Tolero Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy; Gilead: Research Funding; Agios Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Imago Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Nohla Therapeutics: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding. Delaney: Deverra Therapeutics: Current Employment, Other: Founder, CSO. Pergam: Chimerix, Inc: Research Funding; Global Life Technologies, Inc: Research Funding; Merck & Co.: Research Funding; Sanofi Aventis: Research Funding. Boeckh: Merck: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; AlloVir: Consultancy; SymBio Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Helocyte: Consultancy; Evrys Bio: Consultancy; Moderna: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy. Walter: BMS: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; Agios: Consultancy; Amphivena: Consultancy, Other: ownership interests; Selvita: Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Jazz: Research Funding; Macrogenics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Immunogen: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy; Aptevo: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding. Hill: Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Karius: Research Funding; Octapharma: Consultancy; Allovir: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amplyx: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Allogene therapeutics: Consultancy; CRISPR therapeutics: Consultancy; CLS Behring: Consultancy; OptumHealth: Consultancy.

The adaptive beamformer of large-scale sensor array mainly suffers from two limits. One limit is an insufficient number of training snapshots, which usually results in an ill-posed sample covariance matrix in many real applications. The other limit is the high computation complexity of the beamformer that severely restricts its online processing. To overcome these two limits, two fast and robust adaptive beamforming algorithms are proposed in this paper, which refers to the linear kernel approaches and formulates the weight vector as a linear combination of the training samples and the signal steering vector. The proposed algorithms only need to calculate a low-dimensional combination vector instead of the high-dimensional adaptive weight vector, which remarkably reduces the computation complexity. Moreover, regularization techniques are utilized to suppress the excessive variation of the combination vector caused by an underdetermined estimation of the Gram matrix. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithms achieve better performance and lower computation complexity than algorithms in the literature. Especially, like the kernel approaches, the proposed algorithms achieve good performance under the small sample case.

Different from traditional small molecular plasticizers, poly( l -lactic acid) (PLLA)-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-PLLA triblock copolymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide on the end hydroxyls of PEG and blended with PLLA, to enhance the crystallization of PLLA. Non-isothermal and isothermal crystallization studies show that the triblock copolymer enhances the crystallization of PLLA due to the nucleation effect from PLLA segments and the plasticization effect from PEG segments, which strongly depends on the structure of copolymers. With shorter PLLA segment and longer PEG segment of the triblock copolymer, the glass transition temperature and cold crystallization temperature of the blends decrease, and the degree of crystallinity and spherulite growth rate increase owing to the higher content of PEG. However, triblock copolymers with relatively longer PLLA segment and shorter PEG segment show unique nucleation effects for PLLA, leading to the elevation of crystallization temperature of PLLA. The results confirm that the crystallization acceleration of PLLA can be ascribed to the nucleation and plasticization effect, and the plasticization effect is more significant. What’s more, the introduction of triblock copolymers improves the compatibility and durability due to the good interfacial interaction with PLLA matrix even at a high loading.

The performance of polymer blends greatly depends on the phase morphologies and the incorporation of nanofillers provides a low-cost but efficient strategy to tailor the morphology and performance of immiscible polymer blends. In this work, we obtained co-continuous like morphology in poly(l-lactide) (PLLA)/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate- co -4-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB- co -4HB)) blend with highly asymmetric composition (80/20, wt/wt) through the self-networking behavior of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). It was found that the electrical conductivity and the ductility of PLLA/P(3HB-co-4HB)/MWCNTs composites were enhanced at the same time compared with PLLA/MWCNTs composites. The percolation threshold of the prepared PLLA/P(3HB-co-4HB)/MWCNTs composites was 0.58 wt%, 36% lower than that of PLLA/MWCNTs composites and the highest value of elongation at break for PLLA/P(3HB-co-4HB)/MWCNTs composites was 226.4% when the content of MWCNTs was 1 wt%. The results indicate that MWCNTs can contribute to the formation of co-continuous like structure and our work provides a new way to prepare biodegradable high-performance conductive polymer composites with excellent conductivity and mechanical properties.

Background Increased CMV reactivation is observed following discontinuation of letermovir prophylaxis after hematopoietic cellular transplantation (HCT) and decreased CMV-specific polyfunctional T-cell immunity has been proposed as a possible mechanism (BBMT 2020;26:S68). COMPASS is a novel analytical tool that integrates polyfunctional T-cell cytokine responses into a single score value (Nat Biotechnol 2015;33:610). We employed COMPASS for the first time in the HCT setting to determine if CMV-specific immunodeficiency is associated with late CMV events in a prospective cohort of allogeneic HCT recipients receiving either letermovir or preemptive therapy. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected 3 months post-HCT and assessed with a 13-color intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) assay that includes 5 functional markers. Intermediate early-1 (IE-1) antigen and phosphoprotein 65 (pp65) were used to stimulate polyfunctional T-cell responses that were defined using COMPASS generated polyfunctionality scores (PFS). CMV DNAemia was monitored by weekly plasma PCR and patients who reactivated were treated with preemptive therapy per institutional standards. Cumulative incidence of clinically significant CMV infection (cs-CMV; ≥500 IU/mL or CMV disease) by day 270 was assessed. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression were used to estimate the association of polyfunctional T-cell responses (upper quartile versus lower 3 quartiles) with cs-CMV infection by day 270 post-HCT. Results 56 letermovir recipients and 93 preemptive controls were evaluated. Time to first clinically significant CMV (cs-CMV) infection after HCT and among day 100 survivors in both groups is shown in Figure 1. COMPASS PFS at 3 months were significantly lower in letermovir recipients (Figure 2). After adjusting for CMV infection before day 100, CD4 and CD8 PFS to IE-1 and pp65 below the upper quartile were associated with higher risk of late cs-CMV infection, with IE-1 CD8 PFS reaching statistical significance (Figure 3). Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that COMPASS is a valuable tool to evaluate multiple, T-cell cytokine responses to CMV in HCT recipients. COMPASS appears to be useful to identify patients at risk for late cs-CMV infection. Disclosures Elizabeth Duke, MD, Merck (Grant/Research Support) Michael Boeckh, MD PhD, AlloVir (Consultant)EvrysBio (Advisor or Review Panel member, Other Financial or Material Support, share options)Gilead (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)GSK (Consultant)Helocyte (Advisor or Review Panel member, Shareholder)Lophius (Grant/Research Support)Merck (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)SymBio (Consultant)VirBio (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)

Background Proven/probable lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) caused by seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoVs) is associated with mortality after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). However, risk factors for LRTI and the significance of virologic documentation of lower respiratory tract involvement by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) on outcome are not well characterized. Methods Patients receiving allogeneic HCT between 4/2008 and 9/2018 with HCoV (OC43/NL63/HKU1/229E) detected in nasopharyngeal or BAL samples by PCR were retrospectively analyzed. Proven/probable LRTI was defined as having virus detected from a BAL sample with or without new pulmonary infiltrates by chest radiography, respectively. Possible LRTI was defined as having virus detected from an upper respiratory tract sample with new pulmonary infiltrates. We used logistic regression models to evaluate risk factors for LRTI in patients with first documented HCoV infection during pretransplant conditioning or post-HCT. Overall mortality following proven/probable and possible LRTI was compared by the log-rank test. Results A total of 297 patients (61 children and 236 adults) developed HCoV infection as follows: 254 had upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) alone, 18 presented with LRTI, and 25 progressed from URTI to LRTI [median 16 days (range, 2–62 days)]. Multivariable analyses showed that male gender, higher immunodeficiency scoring index, albumin < 3 g/dl, glucose > 150 mg/dl and presence of respiratory copathogen at HCoV diagnosis were associated with the occurrence of LRTI (Figure 1). Patients with proven/probable LRTI (N=16) had significantly worse survival than those with possible LRTI (N=37) (p=0.006, Figure 2). Figure 1. Figure 2. Conclusion Our analyses identified risk factors (hypoalbuminemia, male gender, high glucose and presence of respiratory copathogen) uncommonly appreciated for LRTI due to other respiratory viruses in HCT recipients. Whether these factors are also relevant to LRTI due to SARS-CoV-2 after HCT requires further studies. The association of hyperglycemia with LRTI might provide an opportunity to reduce the risk of LRTI. Disclosures Alpana Waghmare, MD, Amazon (Grant/Research Support)Amazon (Employee, Shareholder)Ansun Biopharma (Scientific Research Study Investigator)Kyorin Pharmaceuticals (Advisor or Review Panel member) Janet A. Englund, MD, AstraZeneca (Scientific Research Study Investigator)GSK group of companies (Scientific Research Study Investigator)Meissa vaccines (Consultant)Merck (Scientific Research Study Investigator)Sanofi Pasteur (Consultant) Michael Boeckh, MD PhD, AlloVir (Consultant)EvrysBio (Advisor or Review Panel member, Other Financial or Material Support, share options)Gilead (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)GSK (Consultant)Helocyte (Advisor or Review Panel member, Shareholder)Lophius (Grant/Research Support)Merck (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)SymBio (Consultant)VirBio (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)

A facile and green route to fabricate sustainable and biodegradable tridimensional interconnected hierarchically meso- and macroporous polylactide (PLA) monoliths was developed. The tunable morphologies and controllable pore sizes of the monoliths based on the stereocomplex (sc) crystallization of poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(d-lactide) (PDLA) during the melt blending process were caused by the macro- and microphase separation between PLA and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). The proposed approach can be easily scaled-up and is environmentally sustainable, and it involves neither any toxic chemical reagents nor templates. The hierarchical morphologies of the porous materials contain mesopores regulated by the sc crystallite network formed during melt processing and macropores induced by macrophase separation. The porous structure was influenced by PDLA contents seriously, and the construction of interconnected pores made up of sc crystallite tridimensional network appears at a low PEO content of 20 wt %. The...

Background Clinically meaningful endpoints for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) treatment trials are lacking for hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. We evaluated supplemental oxygen use among HCT recipients with RSV infection. Methods Subjects were grouped according to the presence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) without lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), URTI progressing to LRTI, and LRTI at presentation. LRTI was defined as a positive lower respiratory tract sample with or without radiographic abnormality (defined as proven or probable LRTI, respectively) or a positive upper respiratory tract sample with radiographic abnormality (possible LRTI). Supplemental oxygen-free days were defined as any day while alive after diagnosis of RSV infection during which ≤2 L of supplemental oxygen per minute was received. Results Among 230 patients, supplemental oxygen use by day 28 after the first diagnosis of RSV infection was lowest in patients presenting with URTI (31 of 197 [16%]). Supplemental oxygen use was lower in patients with possible LRTI (12 of 45 [27%]) than in those with proven/probable LRTI (29 of 42 [69%]). Patients presenting with proven/probable LRTI had a median of 16 fewer supplemental oxygen-free days than those presenting with URTI (P < .0001). Death only occurred among patients with proven/probable LRTI (11 of 42 [26%]). Conclusions Confirmation of RSV infection in the lower respiratory tract provides prognostic information that may help prioritize therapies. Supplemental oxygen-free days as a clinical endpoint may allow smaller sample sizes for trials evaluating RSV antivirals.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)/graphene oxide aerogel (GA) composite phase change materials (PCMs) were prepared by introducing PEG into GAs from graphene oxide (GO) with different oxidation degree via vacuum impregnation. The structures of GAs were tuned by the oxidation levels of GO. A series of characterizations were used to analyze the chemical structure of GOs, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy analysis. Structural analyses confirmed that the oxygenated functional groups increased and the hydroxyl groups were transformed into carboxyl and epoxy groups with increasing oxidation level. In addition, the graphitic nature of GO decreased while the sp3 domains of GOs increased owing to the disruption of the graphitic stacking order. Morphology analysis showed that the breakage of graphene sheet became more serious with the oxidation level increasing. When GAs prepared with GOs of higher oxidation levels were used, the composite PCMs showed excellent shape-stability during phase change and excellent thermal repeatability. The change of dimension for PGA6-40 heated from 35 °C to 150 °C was negligible under the load of a constant force (7 N). Efficient photo-to-thermal energy conversion and storage was realized in the composite PCMs.

In recent years, the microgrid has rapidly developed because of its advantages, such as easy integration of distributed renewable energy and flexibility in operation. The megawatt (MW)-level isolated microgrid, which is composed of photovoltaic (PV)/wind units, energy storage, and diesel/gas units, can solve power supply problems for remote areas without electricity; therefore, more countries and regions are developing this type of microgrid project. However, the cost of the microgrid is high and the microgrid control system is complicated, so economic and stability control issues have restricted the development of a large-scale isolated microgrid.

Background Recent data suggest that human coronavirus (HCoV) pneumonia is associated with significant mortality in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. Investigation of risk factors for prolonged shedding and intrahost genome evolution may provide critical information for development of novel therapeutics. Methods We retrospectively reviewed HCT recipients with HCoV detected in nasal samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HCoV strains were identified using strain-specific PCR. Shedding duration was defined as time between first positive and first negative sample. Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate factors for prolonged shedding (≥21 days). Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) was conducted when ≥4 samples with cycle threshold values of

A highly efficient and convenient strategy has been developed for remote C–H bond halogenation of 8-aminoquinolines in good to excellent yields under transition-metal-free conditions. The reaction tolerates a variety of functional groups and can potentially be scaled up.

Phase change materials (PCMs) with high thermal conductivity and efficient solar energy conversion have recently attracted much attention. However, a facile strategy to enhance thermal conductivity and realize energy conversion and storage is still eagerly desired. In this work, a very low content of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) is introduced into poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)/boron nitride (BN) composite PCMs, resulting in great improvement in thermal conductivity and photoabsorption ability via a facile solution blending process. The presence of GNP contributes to enhancing thermal conductivity and realizing efficient solar energy conversion (including solar-to-thermal and solar-to-electric energy conversion) for the PEG/BN/GNP composite PCMs owing to the formation of improved BN/GNP thermally conductive network and the improvement of sunlight harvesting ability, respectively. Thermophysical properties demonstrate that compared with PEG/BN composite PCMs at the same BN content, PEG/BN/GNP composite PCMs containing a low GNP content maintain comparable energy storage density. The study sheds light on the realization of solar energy utilization and storage of the organic PCMs requiring high thermal conductivity.

A palladium-catalyzed regioselective ortho-halogenation of 2-pyridyl sulfoxides via a C–H activation pathway has been reported. Under the conditions established, this reaction proceeded smoothly and could tolerate a variety of functional groups under mild conditions.

Background. The possible role of human coronavirus (HCoV) in lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients and patients with hematologic malignancies (HM) has not been well studied. Methods. We conducted a retrospective review of HCT/HM patients with HCoV detected in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). HCoV strains were identified in BAL samples using strain-specific polymerase chain reaction. Mortality rates were compared among HCT recipients with LRTD caused by HCoV, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza virus, or parainfluenza virus (PIV) by multivariable Cox regression analysis. Results. We identified 35 patients (37 episodes) with HCoV LRTD. Among 23 available BAL samples, 48% were strain OC43, 22% were NL63, 17% were 229E, and 13% were HKU1. Overall, 21 patients (60%) required oxygen therapy at diagnosis and 19 (54%) died within 90 days of diagnosis. Respiratory copathogens were detected in 21 episodes (57%), including viruses (n = 12), fungi (n = 10), and bacteria (n = 8). Mortality rates were not different between patients with and without copathogens (P = .65). In multivariable models, mortality associated with HCoV LRTD was similar to that seen with RSV, influenza, and PIV LRTD in HCT recipients (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.34 [95% confidence interval, .66-2.71], P = .41 vs RSV, adjusted for cell source, cytopenia, copathogens, oxygen use, and steroid use). Conclusions. HCoV LRTD in patients with HCT or HM is associated with high rates of oxygen use and mortality. Mortality associated with HCoV LRTD in HCT recipients appears to be similar to that seen with RSV, influenza virus, and PIV.

A thermodynamic and kinetic method based on the selective distribution and migration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in polyoxyethylene (PEO)/ethylene-α-octene random copolymer (ORC) composite system was reported to improve the dispersion of MWCNTs in ORC. Scanning electron micrographs and transmission electron micrographs confirmed that MWCNTs could almost completely migrate from the PEO phase to the ORC phase during melt compounding and lead to tremendously improved dispersion of MWCNTs in ORC, compared with traditional melt compounded ORC/MWCNT composites. Rheological analysis revealed that better MWCNTs network was developed at a lower content of MWCNTs with an improved dispersion of MWCNTs in ORC. The percolation threshold was drastically reduced from 3.82 to 0.35 vol % and the electrical conductivity was tremendously improved. The mechanical properties were also fully enhanced in comparison with traditional melt compounded ORC/MWCNT composites owing to the homogeneous dispersion of MWCNTs. These results manifest that, by proper selection of components with a selective distribution of MWCNTs and controlling the migration process of MWCNTs in the composites, the dispersion of MWCNTs in polymer matrix and resulting performance of the nanocomposites can be greatly improved.

Sponge-like chitosan (CS)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/montmorillonite (MT) porous composite hydrogels were synthesized with a facile strategy of in situ reduction of graphene oxide (GO) without cross-linking of CS. Integral pore structure can be formed in the hydrogels when proper amount of MT was introduced. The composite hydrogel can restore to the original shape and dimension after compressive deformation like a sponge and show good stability in acid condition. Batch equilibrium measurements on the composite porous hydrogel were carried out to optimize the parameters for the removal of hexavalent chromium ions (Cr(VI)). The results reveal that the Cr(VI) ion sorption of the composite hydrogels is highly pH dependent and is the most effective at pH = 2. The sorption capacity increases with increasing temperature and the maximum Cr(VI) uptake of the composite hydrogel is 87.03 mg/g at 288 K. The sorption follows pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm. The composite porous hydrogels can ...

Photocatalysis is one of the most promising technologies for solar energy conversion. With the development of photocatalysis technology, the creation of low-dimensional structure photocatalysts with improved properties becomes more and more important. Metallic 1T-TiS2 nanodots with a low-dimensional structure were introduced into environmentally friendly two-dimensional g-C3N4 (2D-C3N4) nanosheets by a solvothermal method. It was found that the ultrathin TiS2 nanodots were uniformly anchored on the surface of the 2D-C3N4. The effective suppression of electron–hole recombination was realized due to the addition of the intrinsic metallic property of 1T-TiS2 in the prepared nanocomposite. The 5 wt% TiS2/2D-C3N4 nanocomposite exhibited the best photocatalytic performance and the degradation rate towards RhB was ca. 95% in 70 min, which showed an improvement of ca. 30% in comparison with 2D-C3N4. The results indicate that the obtained TiS2/2D-C3N4 nanocomposite is a promising photocatalyst for practical applications.

Nitrogen-enriched porous carbon spheres are synthesized through a one-pot carbonization process by decorating the as-made melamine–formaldehyde spheres with resorcinol and hexamethylenetetramine, exhibiting high surface areas of 518–828 m2 g−1 with a micropore size of 0.5–1.3 nm. Due to the successful incorporation of large amounts of highly dispersed N (4.3–10.8 wt%) into the carbon matrix, the synthesized microporous carbon spheres, having a large amount of narrow micropores (

The morphology evolution of an organic nucleating agent (NA) in poly(L-lactide)/poly(D-lactide) (PLLA/PDLA) blends was investigated under a series of multi-step isothermal and nonisothermal processes at identical NA solubility achieved via the same NA concentration and final molten temperature of heating (Tf). It was found that the morphology of NA frameworks depended on the supercooling determined by the recrystallization temperature of the NA in the polymer melt, except for NA solubility. When the NA partly dissolved in the matrix, the residuum of the original flat-plate NA acting as a nucleus induced recrystallization at a low degree of supercooling, and small sheet-like NA particles formed in the melt. When the NA dissolved in the matrix absolutely, NA aggregation increased in the melt due to the low nucleation density of the NA itself. The shape of the NA aggregation depended on the recrystallization temperature. With the increase in the supercooling, the large aggregated sheet-like NA transformed into a dendritic-like framework accompanied by a decrease in the stem size of the NA frameworks. Moreover, the stereocomplex efficiency of the blend was influenced by the effective nucleation surface induced by the shape of the NA aggregation. For PLLA/PDLA blends with 1.0 wt% NA, the crystallization half time (t1/2) of stereocomplex (sc) crystallites at the crystallization temperature of 180 °C is as long as 79.8 min for the sample with a large aggregated sheet-like NA, with 1 order of magnitude reduction for that with a dendritic-like NA framework, leading to a t1/2 of 7.9 min. The morphological control of NA frameworks is of great significance to guide the formation of various crystal morphologies of sc crystallites. The established relationship between the self-assembled morphology of NA and NA concentration, NA solubility and supercooling affords guidance in practical processing to control the crystal morphology and polymorphic crystalline morphology of PLLA/PDLA blends via tuning the crystal morphology of NA in the polymer matrix.

Introduction In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, prophylaxis with LET decreased clinically significant CMV infection after allogeneic HCT; however, there was an increase of CMV infection after discontinuation of prophylaxis at day 100 (NEJM 2017; 377:2433). Objective To determine the influence of LET prophylaxis on CMV-specific immune reconstitution after HCT as a possible mechanism for the observed effect, we compared CMV T-cell responses in a prospective cohort of allogeneic HCT recipients who received LET prophylaxis to CMV T-cell responses in historical controls transplanted prior to the introduction of LET. Methods We included CMV-seropositive adult patients given LET prophylaxis after first allogeneic HCT; controls received PCR-guided preemptive CMV-directed therapy prior to the introduction of LET (2010-17). PBMC samples collected ∼3 months post-HCT were cryopreserved and then analyzed for intracellular expression of TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ, CD107a, and Granzyme B in CD4 and CD8 T cells. Samples stimulated with CMV peptide mixes (pp65 and IE-1) and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) served as positive controls. Clinical data including baseline characteristics were obtained from medical records. Polyfunctional T-cell responses were defined as those expressing IFN-γ plus at least one additional cytokine. Univariable Wilcoxon ranksum tests were used to compare differences between LET patients and controls and multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to adjust comparisons for other factors affecting immune reconstitution, such as donor CMV serostatus, lymphopenia, and GVHD severity. Results Forty-two patients given LET and 95 controls were evaluated; patient characteristics were similar between groups. Polyfunctional CD8 T-cell responses at 3 months were lower in LET patients under all testing conditions while CD4 T-cell responses were decreased after stimulation with IE-1 only (Figures 1-3). After adjusting for CMV donor status, lymphopenia, GVHD and underlying disease, polyfunctional CD8 (Mean difference -5.736, 95% Confidence interval [CI] -11.17, -0.301, p=0.039) and CD4 (Mean difference -0.138, 95% CI -0.257, -0.019, p=0.023) T-cell responses to IE-1 remained significantly decreased in patients given LET prophylaxis compared to controls. Conclusion LET prophylaxis appeared to be associated with a delayed CMV-specific cellular immune response. Our study provides a potential mechanism for the observed increase of clinically significant CMV events after discontinuation of LET prophylaxis. Studies are ongoing to evaluate correlations of the observed CMV-specific immunodeficiency with post-day 100 CMV events. Measuring CMV-specific T cell responses at the conclusion of LET prophylaxis could identify patients who might benefit from extended surveillance or prolonged prophylaxis.

Background Human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) is the most frequent infectious cause of central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). HHV-6 species are unique among the herpesviruses for their ability to integrate into telomeric regions of chromosomes. If this occurs in a gametocyte, vertical transmission results in individuals with inherited chromosomally integrated HHV-6 (iciHHV-6) in every nucleated cell. Whether iciHHV-6 in HCT recipients or their donors increases risk for CNS dysfunction is unknown. It is also unknown whether HHV-6 detection, without recognition of iciHHV-6, drives unnecessary interventions. Objectives The aims of this study were to compare the incidence of CNS dysfunction and HHV-6-related interventions after HCTs that did and did not involve patients or donors with iciHHV-6. Methods We used a previously identified cohort of 87 allogeneic HCT recipients in which the recipient, donor, or both had iciHHV-6 (iciHHV-6pos). We matched each iciHHV-6pos HCT with two HCTs in which neither recipient nor donor had iciHHV-6 (iciHHV-6neg). Matching criteria were age at HCT, year of HCT, myeloablative conditioning, and advanced disease status. Clinical testing for HHV-6 with PCR in plasma or cerebrospinal fluid was symptom based. We compared the cumulative incidence of CNS dysfunction in the first 100 days after iciHHV-6pos and iciHHV-6neg HCT. We also compared the proportion of patients in each group who had neuroimaging, lumbar puncture (LP), or HHV-6-targeted antiviral therapy. Results There was a similar cumulative incidence of any CNS dysfunction after iciHHV-6pos and iciHHV-6neg HCT (Figure 1). None of the subjects in the iciHHV-6pos group developed CNS dysfunction directly attributable to HHV-6 compared to one subject (0.6%) in the iciHHV-6neg group diagnosed with HHV-6 encephalitis. HHV-6-targeted antiviral therapy was significantly more frequent after iciHHV-6pos HCT (OR, 12.7; 95% CI, 1.8-298.3), and two patients developed antiviral associated toxicities that contributed to their cause of death. IciHHV-6pos recipients also had increased odds of receiving a LP (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.9-2.8) but similar odds of neuroimaging (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.7-2.1). Conclusions The cumulative incidence of CNS dysfunction was similar after allogeneic HCT involving recipients or donors with and without iciHHV-6. However, potential misattribution of HHV-6 detection as active infection after iciHHV-6pos HCT may have resulted in increased healthcare utilization with related adverse events. These findings are likely more pronounced at institutions using routine HHV-6 screening. Reflexive testing for iciHHV-6 may reduce healthcare utilization and improve outcomes after allogeneic HCT.

Purpose: The logistics of conducting double-blinded phase III clinical trials with participants residing in remote locations are complex. Here we describe the implementation of an interventional trial for the prevention of late cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) subjects in a long-term follow-up environment. Methods: A total of 184 subjects at risk for late CMV disease surviving 80 days following allogeneic HCT were randomized to receive six months of valganciclovir or placebo. Subjects were followed through day 270 post-transplant at their local physician's office within the United States. Anti-viral treatment interventions were based on CMV DNAemia as measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (>1000 copies/mL) and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) was prescribed for neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count (ANC

Promoting healthy food choice is a central issue for public welfare and a continuous challenge for marketers and policy makers. This research examines how marketing communication elements, such as visuals and text, can be used to encourage healthy food choices. Extending previous research in automatic process mental simulation, this research examines whether visual presentations of food items can trigger a different type of automatic mental simulation that is outcome oriented. Results from four studies show that visual presentations of food items in an advertisement can trigger process and outcome automatic mental simulation (AMS) of food consumption, and AMS interacts with an advertisement’s instructed mental simulation (IMS) to influence consumer healthy food choice. Contributing to marketing research in using IMS in advertising to promote product offerings, this research demonstrates that the success of IMS cues varies depending not only on the amount, but more importantly, the type of AMS triggered from visual cues.

Self-nucleation is considered to be the ideal case for the nucleation of polymer crystallization; however, the nucleation effect of stereocomplex (sc) crystallites for sc crystallization of poly(l-lactic acid)/poly(d-lactic acid) (PLLA/PDLA) blend is hard to be evaluated, due to that sc crystallites form through intermolecular packing of PLLA and PDLA molecular chains and sc crystallite is a good nucleating agent for the homocrystallization (hc) crystallization of PLLA or PDLA. In the current work, we proposed a facile strategy to tailor the sc crystallization behavior of PLLA/PDLA blend through in-situ preformed sc crystallites. Herein, Multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) grafted PLLA-block-PDLA copolymer (CNT-L-D) was synthesized and incorporated into an equimolar high-molecular-weight PLLA and PDLA blend to study its effect on the sc crystallites formation. The results manifested that, sc crystallization is highly enhanced by the addition of CNT-L-D, and sc crystallites can be formed exclusively in the blend with 10 wt% CNT-L-D during isothermal and nonisothermal melt crystallization. With the addition of CNT-L-D into the PLLA/PDLA blend, the sc crystallites formed preferentially between grafted PLLA-b-PDLA induced by CNT work as self-nucleation sites for sc crystallization. The nucleation densities are increased, and the competition between hc and sc crystallization which is the key factor influencing the exclusive formation of sc crystallites is tailored simultaneously. With significantly improved nucleation density and reduced sc spherulites size, sc spherulites cannot be entered by any other growing hc crystalline lamellae and the surface of sc spherulites cannot be covered with hc crystallites, leading to exclusive formation of sc crystallites.

Background Hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients are frequently infected with respiratory viruses (RVs) in the upper respiratory tract (URT), but the concordance between URT and lower respiratory tract (LRT) RV detection is not well characterized. Methods Hematopoietic cell transplant candidates and recipients with respiratory symptoms and LRT and URT RV testing via multiplex PCR from 2009 to 2016 were included. Logistic regression models were used to analyze risk factors for LRT RV detection. Results Two-hundred thirty-five HCT candidates or recipients had URT and LRT RV testing within 3 days. Among 115 subjects (49%) positive for a RV, 37% (42 of 115) had discordant sample pairs. Forty percent (17 of 42) of discordant pairs were positive in the LRT but negative in the URT. Discordance was common for adenovirus (100%), metapneumovirus (44%), rhinovirus (34%), and parainfluenza virus type 3 (28%); respiratory syncytial virus was highly concordant (92%). Likelihood of LRT detection was increased with URT detection (oods ratio [OR] = 73.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 26.7–204) and in cytomegalovirus-positive recipients (OR = 3.70; 95% CI, 1.30–10.0). Conclusions High rates of discordance were observed for certain RVs. Bronchoalveolar lavage sampling may provide useful diagnostic information to guide management in symptomatic HCT candidates and recipients., High rates of discordance in PCR results between the upper versus lower respiratory tracts occur for certain respiratory viruses in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.

Through dual-period surveys in urban China, administered in the years 1996 and 2013, this study investigates changes in the relationship among personal factors and the attitudes toward the adoption of new food consumption patterns as food systems develop. A structural equation model (SEM) is used to measure the association among three personal factors (traditionalism, do-it-yourself [DIY] propensity, and time scarcity) and attitudes toward three new food consumption behaviors (use of processed food, eating out, and convenience shopping). The results reveal complex relationships between personal factors and attitudes toward the adoption of new food shopping behaviors, indicating that supply-side models of retailing development are insufficient to adequately predict changes in food systems.

Background: Human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) DNA is frequently detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from immunocompromised subjects with lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD). Whether HHV-6B is a pulmonary pathogen is unclear. Methods: We tested prospectively stored BALF for HHV-6B DNA using PCR in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients who underwent a BAL for evaluation of LRTD from 1992-2015. We used multivariable proportional hazards models to evaluate the association of HHV-6B+ BALF with overall mortality, death from respiratory failure, and the effect of anti-HHV-6B antivirals on these outcomes. We used branched chain RNA in-situ hybridization (RISH) to detect HHV-6 messenger RNA (U41 and U57) in lung tissue. Findings: We detected HHV-6B+ BALF from 147 of 553 (27%) individuals. Subjects with HHV-6B+ BALF, with or without copathogens, had significantly increased risk of overall mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.06; 95% CI, 1.33-3.21) and death from respiratory failure (aHR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.44-3.56) compared to subjects with HHV-6B- BALF. Subjects with HHV-6B+ BALF who received antivirals within 3 days pre-BAL had an approximately 1 log10 lower median HHV-6B BALF viral load and lower risk of overall mortality compared to subjects with HHV-6B+ BALF not receiving antivirals (aHR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.17-1.11). We detected intraparenchymal HHV-6 gene expression by RISH in lung tissue in all 3 tested subjects with HHV-6B+ BALF and sufficient tissue RNA preservation. Interpretation: These data provide evidence that HHV-6B is a pulmonary pathogen after allogeneic HCT. Definitive evidence of causation will require a randomized prevention or treatment trial. Funding: National Institutes of Health, the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, the HHV-6 Foundation. Declaration of Interest: J.A.H. served as a consultant for Chimerix, Nohla Therapeutics, Inc., and Amplyx and has received research support from Chimerix, Shire, and Karius, Inc. outside the submitted work. C.E.F. has received a grant from Gilead Sciences outside of the submitted work. L.C. has received research support from Sanofi and Immune Design and is a co-inventor on several patents associated with the development of an HSV-2 vaccine; he has no conflicts in the area of HHV-6. M.B. received grants and/or personal fees from Chimerix Inc. and Microbiotix outside the submitted work. L.K.V-V, H.X., E.L.C., S.S., T.S-A, M-L.H, K.R.J., F.M.S, D.M.Z., and W.M.L declare no competing interests. Ethical Approval: The study was approved by the FHCRC Institutional Review Board.

Aquifers and fault zones may interact through groundwater flow and stress redistribution, yet their spatiotemporal relationship remains enigmatic. Here we quantify changes in water storage and associated stress along the Wasatch Fault Zone in Salt Lake Valley, recently shaken by a M5.7 earthquake on March 18th, 2020. Ground deformation mapped by Sentinel-1 SAR imagery (2014-2019) reveals an elongated area with ∼50-mm seasonal uplift corresponding to 0.03-0.06-km3 water storage cycles. Phase shifts across active faults in both water level and deformation suggest control by the low-permeability structures. The seasonal stress changes on the adjoining faults from poroelastic volume strain are two orders of magnitude larger than those from hydrological surface loading, but both are small compared to the annual increase of tectonic loading at seismogenic depths. Historic seismic events, limited in number, do not exhibit statistically significant annual periodicity and hydrological modulation of microseismicity or triggering of the recent M5.7 event is not evident.

Well dispersed Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle suspensions with grain size of about 9 nm were coprecipitated and then compounded with different amount of GO (graphite oxide) followed by reduction of GO to obtain Fe 3 O 4 /rGO (reduced graphite oxide) composites with different component ratios. The as-obtained Fe 3 O 4 /rGO composites were used as anode materials for lithium ion batteries to investigate the best component ratio of the composite for the cycling performance. Fe 3 O 4 /rGO composite electrode containing 44.9 wt% Fe 3 O 4 displayed the best cycling capacity of above 300 mA h g −1 at 1000 mA g −1 after 100 cycles and it was interesting to find that the trend of impedance spectra of Fe 3 O 4 /rGO electrodes after some cycles of electrochemical reactions can be well related to the overall cycling performances.

A novel continuous segregated structure was constructed in polypropylene (PP)/carbon black (CB) composites, to improve the electrical conductive performance and achieve a balance of the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. Compared with traditional segregated structures reported in literature, PP matrix maintained a continuous structure instead of being separated completely by the electrical conductive fillers and CB particles formed a thorough conductive network in the continuous segregated PP/CB composites. A percolation threshold as low as 0.37 vol%, which is significantly lower than the percolation threshold of melt compounded PP/CB composites (2.75 vol%) and PP/polystyrene (PS)/CB composites (3.23 vol%) with a double percolation structure, was obtained because of the formation of the two-dimensional conductive network of CB particles. The mechanical performance tests showed that the tensile modulus, strength and elongation of break could be maintained well at CB contents around the percolation threshold. That is, with this novel continuous segregated structure, a balance of strength, toughness and electrical conductivity property can be achieved in conductive polymer composites.

This paper develops an efficient bi-iterative source location and velocity estimation method with time difference of arrival (TDOA) and frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) measurements. Because of the high nonlinearity in the TDOA and FDOA measurement equations, obtaining high source location and velocity estimation accuracy is far from straightforward. The developed bi-iterative method calculates the source location and velocity alternately, which significantly decreases the computational cost. The proof of convergence of the bi-iterative method is provided and the approximate efficiency is theoretically analyzed. Most importantly, the source location and velocity estimation accuracy of the bi-iterative method is closer to the Cramer–Rao lower bound (CRLB) than that of other existing localization methods. Simulation studies are given to confirm the approximate efficiency and to show the superior performance of the proposed method in comparison with relative methods.

Simultaneous improvement of stiffness and toughness of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) has caught tremendous effort for decades and previously we have shown that the modification of iPP with combined nanofillers and β-nucleating agent (β-NA) is an efficacious way to balance its stiffness and toughness. However, simultaneous introduction of reinforcing fillers and β-NA generates nucleation competition in the crystallization process and generally the formation of β crystals is depressed, while the nucleation competition induced by β-NA grafted onto the surface of reinforcing fillers was not clear yet. In this work, a kind of novel β-NA for iPP, N,N’-dicyclohexyl-1,5-diamino-2,6-naphthalenedi-carboxamide, was supported onto the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) through chemical bonds. The α and β nucleating competition among iPP nucleated by β-NA, physically mixed MWCNTs and β-NA (MWCNT + NA), and MWCNT supported β-NA (MWCNT-NA) was systematically investigated. Interestingly, in the presence of MWCNT-NA, iPP showed unique crystallization behaviors. The nucleation competition between α- and β-crystals became intensified and showed temperature dependence, and the relative content of β-crystals increased with increasing cooling rate, which is opposite to the general understanding of crystallization behaviors of semicrystalline polymers, but is highly desired in practical productions. A possible interpretation for this unusual crystallization behavior of iPP is provided.

By using a single correlation matrix, classic MUSIC algorithm estimates subspaces through traditional eigenvalue decomposition. Its performances suffered from these inaccurate subspaces greatly. In this paper, a set of spatial temporal correlation matrices are firstly constructed by exploiting the array received data. Secondly, in order to get more accurate subspace, we establish a uniform cost function that exploits these matrices. Thirdly, a cyclic optimization algorithm is designed to jointly estimate the signal subspace. Moreover, by the relation between signal and noise subspace, the corresponding projection matrix of noise subspace is obtained, hence an improved MUSIC algorithm is implemented by this projection matrix. Finally three experiments are conducted to validate the performances of the proposed algorithm. A set of spatial temporal correlation matrices are constructed.A uniform expression is established by the above matrices.A cyclic optimization algorithm is designed to calculate the signal subspace.Proposed algorithm possesses better subspace accuracy and RMSE than the MUSIC.Proposed algorithm has a higher resolution compared with the MUSIC algorithm.

Early detection of subclinical lung function decline may help identify allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients who are at increased risk for late noninfectious pulmonary complications, including bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome. We evaluated the use of handheld spirometry in this population. Allogeneic HCT recipients enrolled in a single-center observational trial performed weekly spirometry with a handheld spirometer for 1 year after transplantation. Participants performed pulmonary function tests in an outpatient laboratory setting at 3 time points: before transplantation, at day 80 after transplantation, and at 1 year after transplantation. Correlation between the 2 methods was assessed by Pearson and Spearman correlations; agreement was assessed using Bland-Altman plots. A total of 437 subjects had evaluable pulmonary function tests. Correlation for forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was r = .954 (P.0001) at day 80 and r = .931 (P.0001) at 1 year when the handheld and laboratory tests were performed within 1 day of each other. Correlation for handheld forced expiratory volume in 6 seconds (FEV6) with laboratory forced vital capacity was r = .914 (P.0001) at day 80 and r = .826 (P.0001) at 1 year. The bias, or the mean difference (handheld minus laboratory), for FEV1 at day 80 and 1 year was -.13 L (limits of agreement, -.63 to .37) and -.10 L (limits of agreement, -.77 to .56), respectively. FEV6 showed greater bias at day 80 (-.51 L [limits of agreement, -1.44 to .42]) and 1 year (-.40 L [limits of agreement, -1.81 to 1.01]). Handheld spirometry correlated well with laboratory spirometry after allogeneic HCT and may be useful for self-monitoring of patients for early identification of airflow obstruction.

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNT) grafted poly(l-lactide)-block-poly(d-lactide) copolymer (CNT-L-D) was synthesized by ring opening polymerization of d-lactide on the end hydroxyls of poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) prepolymers grafted on the surface of CNT. The stereocomplexation of solution cast and melt crystallized CNT-L-D, PLLA/CNT-L-D, and PDLA/CNT-L-D blends were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and optical microscopic observation. Solution cast and melt crystallized CNT-L-D copolymer form exclusive stereocomplex (sc) crystallites. The melting temperature, normalized crystallinity, and the fraction of sc crystallites for both solution cast and melt crystallized PDLA/CNT-L-D blends are higher than those of PLLA/CNT-L-D blends, indicating distinct stereocomplexation mechanisms in both blends. The heterogeneous nucleating effect of CNT makes the PLLA block grafted directly on CNT always participate in sc crystallite formation. So, for PDLA/CNT-L-D blends, the ste...

Hybrid graphene aerogels (HGA) consisting of graphene oxide (GO) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) were prepared and introduced into polyethylene glycol (PEG) via vacuum impregnation, aiming at obtaining composite phase change materials (PCMs) with high thermal conductivity, outstanding shape-stabilization, high energy storage density, commendable thermal repeatability and the ability to light-to-heat energy storage. GO nanosheets formed a three-dimensional supporting network to keep the shape of PEG stable during phase change and GNP dispersed uniformity along the network structure of GO and thus a thermal conductive pathway was constructed. The incorporation of HGA remarkably enhanced the thermal conductivity and shape-stabilization of the composite PCMs. The PEG/HGA composite PCM with only ca. 0.45 wt% GO and ca. 1.8 wt% GNP, showed an enhanced thermal conductivity of 1.43 W/mK from 0.31 W/mK of pure PEG and an improvement of 361%, much higher than the improvement that can be achieved by solution or melt blending. Moreover, an energy conversion from light to heat was realized with the composite PCMs. Thus, this work provides a simple, green and environmentally friendly way to achieve simultaneous enhancement of the thermal conductivity, energy storage density and shape-stabilization of PCMs and realize light-to-thermal energy conversion.

// Di Wang 1, * , Xin-lu Yang 1, * , Xiao-qing Chai 1 , Shu-hua Shu 1 , Xiao-lin Zhang 1 , Yan-hu Xie 1 , Xin Wei 1 , Yu-jing Wu 2 , Wei Wei 2 1 Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei 230001, China 2 Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Xiao-qing Chai, e-mail: xiaoqingchai@163.com Keywords: dendritic cells, flurbiprofen, PGE2, esophageal carcinoma, esophageal resection surgery Received: October 21, 2015 Accepted: February 14, 2016 Published: February 24, 2016 ABSTRACT The present study evaluated whether flurbiprofen increased the naturally circulating dendritic cells (DCs) subsets in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) undergoing esophageal resection. Compared to healthy donors (n=20), the significantly depressed percentages of plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), CD1c + myeloid DCs (mDCs), and CD141 + mDCs among ESCC patients (n=60) were confirmed. Flurbiprofen was administered before skin incision and at the end of operation in group F (n=30), as well as placebo in group C (n=30). The postoperative suppressed percentages of pDCs, CD1c + mDCs, and CD141 + mDCs increased significantly following the perioperative treatment with flurbiprofen. Flurbiprofen also significantly stimulated the postoperative IFN-f and IL-17 production, but inhibited the immunosuppressive IL-10 and TGF-β levels. Furthermore, flurbiprofen exerted a similar analgesic effect and brought a significantly less sufentanil consumption compared to group C. Taken together, flurbiprofen provided a short-term increase of postoperative naturally circulating DCs in ESCC patients.

In the present work, the accumulative roll bonding process was carried out on a 7005 aluminum alloy sheet to six passes. The microstructure and texture evolution was investigated by transmission electron microscope, electron backscatter diffraction analysis, and x-ray texture goniometer. With the increase of ARB passes, the microstructure was refined and the fraction of high angle boundaries increased. The hardness of different ARB process specimens was measured and showed that as the ARB passes increased, the hardness rose obviously. The tensile strength of 6 passes reaches 423.4 MPa and the elongation is 4.6%. The material is strongly textured where individual layers possess typical FCC rolling texture components and the variation of each texture is different. This is attributed to the microstructure evolution during the ARB process.

A large, crack-free ZnGeP2 single crystal with size of Φ26 mm×70 mm was grown in a vertical three-zone tubular furnace by modified vertical Bridgman method, i.e. real-time temperature compensation technique with small temperature gradient in double-wall quartz ampoule. The as-grown single crystal was characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that there is a face of (100) and its second-order XRD peaks were observed. The vertical elements distribution of the main part of the grown crystal has a stoichiometric ratio which is close to the ideal stoichiometry of 1:1:2. The IR transmittance of a sample of 2.5 mm thickness is above 58% in the range from 3500 to 800 cm-1. All these results demonstrate that the quality of the ZnGeP2 single crystal grown by the modified method is good, and could be used in the preparation of devices.

A high-quality ZnGeP2 (ZGP) single crystal with large size of Φ30 mm × 80 mm was grown by a modified vertical Bridgman method. ZGP wafers were annealed with ZGP polycrystalline powder for 300 h at 550, 600 and 650 °C, respectively. The as-grown and annealed crystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), IR microscope and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Results show that the quality of all wafers is improved evidently after annealing and the optimum annealing temperature obtained is 600 °C. The IR transmittance of the wafer measured by FTIR is up to 56.78 % at wavelength of 2.0 μm nearby and exceeds 59.00 % in the wavelength range of 3.0–8.0 μm. The deviations from stoichiometry decrease, and the homogeneity of the crystal is also improved after annealing. In this paper, scanning infrared map was proposed as a new nondestructive method to evaluate optical quality and homogeneity of crystal through comparing the IR transmittance with the three-dimensional IR spectral contour map.

By introducing a crater-shaped window (CSW) instead of the traditional square-shaped window (SSW), an edge detector with low false positive rate is proposed to rapidly extract thin edges of synthetic aperture radar images. For further refining the true positive rate, we skillfully introduce an edge compensation strategy. Using the CSW, the square successive difference of averages is calculated. Then, edge compensation strategy is used. The CSW has low sidelobe and high localization accuracy to ensure that a detector has low false positive rate. Moreover, by using edge compensation strategy, boundaries between two similar homogeneous areas can be easily extracted. The proposed detector, hence, has high true positive rate. Both objective and subjective experiment results show that the edge detector using CSW and having edge compensation strategy attains better performance than one using SSW and without edge compensation strategy.