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Supplier selection is an essential issue, particularly, for semiconductor manufacturing. Nowadays, since high demands in the globally competitive semiconductor manufacturing environment, multiple-line processes are quite commonly applied. In the paper, we consider a two-stage method composing of quality verification and selection decision for multiple-line supplier selection problems. Since quality performance is an important criterion in supplier selection, we test whether the new supplier has a significantly better capability than the existing supplier based on the multiple-line yield index in the stage of quality verification. In selection decision, when the magnitude of capability outperformance is significant, switching contracts to a new entrant supplier is suggested. In addition, analytical closed-form solutions for asymptotical critical values and required sample sizes are derived and tabulated for the investigated multiple-line supplier selection problem. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed supplier selection method by presenting a real-world example taken from a semiconductor packaging shop floor located in the Science-based Industrial Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which measured the thermal conductivity of heavily doped low-pressure chemical vapor deposited polycrystalline silicon films. Fabrication process for the bridges; Theoretical considerations; Experimental details.

Abstract Data for Asian kidney transplants are very limited. We investigated the relative importance of prognostic markers in Asian kidney transplants by using Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY) cohort. Prediction models were developed by data-driven variable selection approach. The relative importance of the selected predictors was measured by dominance analysis. A total of 4854 kidney transplant donor-recipient pairs were analyzed. Overall patient survival rates were 99.8%, 98.8%, and 91.8% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Death-censored graft survival rates were 98.4%, 97.0%, and 95.8% at 1, 3, and 5 years. Biopsy-proven acute rejection free survival rates were 90.1%, 87.4%, and 87.03% at 1, 3, and 5 years. The top 3 dominant predictors for recipient mortality within 1 year were recipient cardiovascular disease history, deceased donor, and recipient age. The dominant predictors for death-censored graft loss within 1 year were acute rejection, deceased donor, and desensitization. The dominant predictors to acute rejection within 1 year were donor age, HLA mismatched numbers, and desensitization. We presented clinical characteristics of patients enrolled in KOTRY during the last 5 years and investigated dominant predictors for early post-transplant outcomes, which would be useful for clinical decision-making based on quantitative measures.

In order to explore the evolution characteristics of cracks and strain energy during the progressive failure process of coal and rock mass around the gas drainage borehole, in this paper, complete samples and samples with holes are designed to carry out progressive failure tests. Through the VIC-3D observation system, we obtain the surface deformation of the sample, calculate and analyze the dynamic evolution process of the surface cracks, the distribution of the cracks and the evolution characteristics of strain energy, and obtain the following conclusion: the compressive strength of the sample with the hole is low, and there are many cracks around the drill hole, and the upper and lower sides of the hole are deformed seriously. It shows that: in the actual drilling process, the compressive strength of coal and rock mass will be greatly reduced, and many cracks will be generated around the drilling, which will cause the drilling damage and even the collapse of the hole. During the progressive failure process, the surface cracks of the coal and rock mass around the hole undergo dynamic evolution, and the dynamic evolution process corresponds to the loading stress. At the same time, by comparing the evolution characteristics of the crack opening and the dislocation amount, the main type of cracks for the sample failure can be determined. It is an open and staggered mixed type of fissure. During the progressive failure process, the evolution process of the surface cracks of the coal and rock mass around the hole maintains a corresponding relationship with the accumulation of deformation energy density in the localized area. The strain energy density evolution characteristics of different localized regions are different, which reflects the coal and rock mass around the hole. There is internal energy adjustment in the progressive destruction process.

Abstract Since the waiting time for deceased donor kidney transplantation continues to increase, living donor kidney transplantation is an important treatment for end stage kidney disease patients. Barriers to living kidney donation have been rarely investigated despite a growing interest in the utilization of living donor transplantation and the satisfaction of donor safety. Here, we retrospectively analyzed 1658 potential donors and 1273 potential recipients who visited the Seoul National University Hospital for living kidney transplantation between 2010 and 2017 to study the causes of donation discontinuation. Among 1658 potential donors, 902 (54.4%) failed to donate kidneys. The average number of potential donors that received work-up was 1.30 ± 0.66 per recipient. Among living donor kidney transplant patients, 75.1% received kidneys after work-up of the first donor and 24.9% needed work-up of two or more donors. Donor-related factors (49.2%) were the most common causes of donation discontinuation, followed by immunologic or size mismatches between donors and recipients (25.4%) and recipient-related factors (16.2%). Interestingly, withdrawal of donation consent along with refusal by recipients or family were the commonest causes, suggesting the importance of non-biomedical aspects. The elucidation of the barriers to living kidney donation could ensure more efficient and safer living kidney donation.

Targeting autophagy is a promising therapeutic approach in cancer therapy. Here, we screened 30 traditional herbal medicines to identify novel autophagy regulators and found that Platycodon grandiflorus (PG) and platycodin D (PD), a triterpenoid saponin from PG, inhibited autophagy in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells. Mechanistically, PD prevented lysosomal degradation and the fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes by inducing sequestration of free cholesterol in lysosomes. The autophagy inhibitory effect of PD was mimicked by both genetic and pharmacological inhibition of Niemann‐Pick C1 (NPC1), which exports low‐density lipoprotein (LDL)‐derived cholesterol from lysosomes. Moreover, PD promoted the uptake of exogenous LDL cholesterol via upregulation of LDL receptor (LDLR), leading to further accumulation of cholesterol within lysosomes and GBM cell death. Importantly, these phenomena were more pronounced in LDLR‐overexpressing GBM cells than in normal astrocytes. Finally, blockade of cholesterol uptake by LDLR knockdown reversed the PD‐induced inhibition of autophagy and GBM cell growth. Our study proposes that PD could be a potent anti‐GBM drug by disrupting cholesterol trafficking and autophagy.

Abstract Background Despite the benefits of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in cohorts of selected patients with cardiac arrest (CA), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) includes an artificial oxygenation membrane and circuits that contact the circulating blood and induce excessive oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, resulting in coagulopathy and endothelial cell damage. There is currently no pharmacological treatment that has been proven to improve outcomes after CA/ECPR. We aimed to test the hypothesis that administration of hydrogen gas (H2) combined with ECPR could improve outcomes after CA/ECPR in rats. Methods Rats were subjected to 20 min of asphyxial CA and were resuscitated by ECPR. Mechanical ventilation (MV) was initiated at the beginning of ECPR. Animals were randomly assigned to the placebo or H2 gas treatment groups. The supplement gas was administered with O2 through the ECMO membrane and MV. Survival time, electroencephalography (EEG), brain functional status, and brain tissue oxygenation were measured. Changes in the plasma levels of syndecan-1 (a marker of endothelial damage), multiple cytokines, chemokines, and metabolites were also evaluated. Results The survival rate at 4 h was 77.8% (7 out of 9) in the H2 group and 22.2% (2 out of 9) in the placebo group. The Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that H2 significantly improved the 4 h-survival endpoint (log-rank P = 0.025 vs. placebo). All animals treated with H2 regained EEG activity, whereas no recovery was observed in animals treated with placebo. H2 therapy markedly improved intra-resuscitation brain tissue oxygenation and prevented an increase in central venous pressure after ECPR. H2 attenuated an increase in syndecan-1 levels and enhanced an increase in interleukin-10, vascular endothelial growth factor, and leptin levels after ECPR. Metabolomics analysis identified significant changes at 2 h after CA/ECPR between the two groups, particularly in d-glutamine and d-glutamate metabolism. Conclusions H2 therapy improved mortality in highly lethal CA rats rescued by ECPR and helped recover brain electrical activity. The underlying mechanism might be linked to protective effects against endothelial damage. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effects of H2 on ischemia–reperfusion injury in critically ill patients who require ECMO support.

Abstract Background Cardiac arrest (CA) results in loss of blood circulation to all tissues leading to oxygen and metabolite dysfunction. Return of blood flow and oxygen during resuscitative efforts is the beginning of reperfusion injury and is marked by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can directly damage tissues. The plasma serves as a reservoir and transportation medium for oxygen and metabolites critical for survival as well as ROS that are generated. However, the complicated interplay among various ROS species and antioxidant counterparts, particularly after CA, in the plasma have not been evaluated. In this study, we assessed the equilibrium between pro- and anti-oxidants within the plasma to assess the oxidative status of plasma post-CA. Methods In male Sprague–Dawley rats, 10 min asphyxial-CA was induced followed by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Plasma was drawn immediately after achieving return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and after 2 h post-ROSC. Plasma was isolated and analyzed for prooxidant capacity (Amplex Red and dihydroethidium oxidation, total nitrate and nitrite concentration, xanthine oxidase activity, and iron concentration) and antioxidant capacity (catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, Total Antioxidant Capacity, and Iron Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay). The consequent oxidative products, such as 4-Hydroxyl-2-noneal, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, and nitrotyrosine were evaluated to determine the degree of oxidative damage. Results After CA and resuscitation, two trends were observed: (1) plasma prooxidant capacity was lower during ischemia, but rapidly increased post-ROSC as compared to control, and (2) plasma antioxidant capacity was increased during ischemia, but either decreased or did not increase substantially post-ROSC as compared to control. Consequently, oxidation products were increased post-ROSC. Conclusion Our study evaluated the disbalance of pro- and anti-oxidants after CA in the plasma during the early phase after resuscitation. This disequilibrium favors the prooxidants and is associated with increased levels of downstream oxidative stress-induced end-products, which the body’s antioxidant capacity is unable to directly mitigate. Here, we suggest that circulating plasma is a major contributor to oxidative stress post-CA and its management requires substantial early intervention for favorable outcomes.

A new vibro-acoustic method is presented to analyze the sound radiation behavior of orthotropic panel-form sound radiators using strip-type exciters to exert line loads to the panels for sound radiation. The simple first-order shear deformation theory together with the Ritz method is used to formulate the proposed method that makes the vibro-acoustic analysis of elastically restrained stiffened orthotropic plates more computationally efficient than the methods formulated on the basis of the other shear deformation theories. An elastically restrained orthotropic plate consisting of two parallel strip-type exciters was tested to measure the experimental sound pressure level curve for validating the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. The resonance characteristics (natural frequency and mode shape) detrimental to sound radiation are identified in the vibro-acoustic analysis of the orthotropic plate. For any orthotropic sound radiation plate, based on the detrimental mode shapes, a practical procedure is presented to design the line load locations on the plate to suppress the major sound pressure level dips for enhancing the smoothness of the plate sound pressure level curve. For illustration, the sound radiation enhancement of orthotropic plates with different fiber orientations for aspect ratios equal to 3, 2, and 1 subjected to one or two line loads is conducted using the proposed procedure. The results for the cases with two line loads perpendicular to the fiber direction and located at the nodal lines of the major detrimental mode shape may find applications in designing orthotropic panel-form speakers with relatively smooth sound pressure level curves.

In the machining of a five-axis machine tool with a double turntable, the dynamic characteristics of the machine tool are affected by different spatial positions of workpieces. Predicting the dynamic characteristics of machine tools at different spatial positions can effectively improve the machining accuracy of workpieces. In the present study, a five-axis CNC machine tool (Tuopu VMC-C50, China) is considered as the research object. Firstly, the bearing stiffness model of the double turntable rotary system is established, and the influence of the joint stiffness of the turntable bearing on the dynamic characteristics of the five-axis machine tool table rotary system is studied. Based on the established three-dimensional model and rigidity of the sliding joint surface of the machine tool, the machine tool modes at 81 working positions are analyzed. Accordingly, the influence of different swinging positions of the double turntable on the dynamic characteristics of the five-axis machine tool is studied. Finally, based on the three-dimensional Kriging prediction model, variations of the natural frequency and vibration amplitude of the system in the machining space for different swing table angles are analyzed.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze the expression levels of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), and Ki-67 proliferation index in the brain metastatic lesions and primary lesions in Chinese patients with breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) and determine the correlation between their changes and patients' survival.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on patients with BCBM. The clinical characteristic of these patients was collected. The differences in the expression levels of the ER, PR, HER-2, and Ki-67 index between the primary lesions and brain lesions were evaluated, and the association between the differences and survival was analyzed.ResultsThe conversion rate of anyone receptor (ER, PR, or HER2) between the primary lesions and brain metastatic lesions was 45.0% (18/40), of which the ER inconsistency rate was 25.0%, the PR inconsistency rate was 22.5%, and the HER-2 inconsistency rate was 15.0%, and the receptor conversion resulted in a subtype conversion of 27.5% (11/40). The patients with HER-2 expression discordance between the primary lesions and the brain metastatic lesions had significantly longer survival times (58.9 vs. 26.4 months, P = 0.04) after diagnosis of brain metastases.ConclusionIn this study, 45.0% of breast cancer patients developed biomarker-conversion between the primary lesions and brain metastatic lesions, and the differences in the expression levels of the ER, PR, and HER-2, the change in Ki-67 index between the primary lesions and brain lesions may predict patients' survival.

Product inspection and quality testing are very important, particularly for product sentencing in product acceptance determination. Because the production yield requirements for most high-tech processes are very stringent, processes with a very low fraction of defectives are common. In such cases, process capability indices have been widely applied to provide numerical evaluations in process capability, which are effective tools for quality assurance. In product acceptance determination, methods of evaluating yield for processes with a single manufacturing line have been investigated extensively, but processes with multiple lines have been comparatively neglected. However, multiple manufacturing lines are popular in many factory applications because of high demand. Consequently, in this paper, we consider the product acceptance sampling plan based on CMpk to deal with product acceptance determination for processes with multiple lines. The required sample sizes and the critical acceptance values for various levels of producers' and customers' risks with various values of acceptable quality level (AQL) and lot tolerance percent defective (LTPD) are tabulated. In addition, a Monte Carlo simulation is conducted and the coverage rates of producers' and customers' risks for various values of AQL and LTPD are provided. The product acceptance determination based on CMpu for processes with one-sided specification limits and multiple lines are also discussed. The computational results are useful to the practitioners for their in-plant applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands possess significant ecological value and play a crucial role in the environment. Recent advancements in remote exploration technology have enabled a quantitative analysis of wetlands through surveys on the type of cover present. However, the classification of complex cover types as land cover types in wetlands remains challenging, leading to ongoing studies aimed at addressing this issue. With the advent of high-resolution sensors in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), researchers can now obtain detailed data and utilize them for their investigations. In this paper, we sought to establish an effective method for classifying centimeter-scale images using multispectral and hyperspectral techniques. Since there are numerous classes of land cover types, it is important to build and extract effective training data for each type. In addition, computer vision-based methods, especially those that combine deep learning and machine learning, are attracting considerable attention as high-accuracy methods. Collecting training data before classifying by cover type is an important factor that which requires effective data sampling. To obtain accurate detection results, a few data sampling techniques must be tested. In this study, we employed two data sampling methods (endmember and pixel sampling) to acquire data, after which their accuracy and detection outcomes were compared through classification using spectral angle mapper (SAM), support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN) approaches. Our findings confirmed the effectiveness of the pixel-based sampling method, demonstrating a notable difference of 38.62% compared to the endmember sampling method. Moreover, among the classification methods employed, the SAM technique exhibited the highest effectiveness, with approximately 10% disparity observed in multispectral data and 7.15% in hyperspectral data compared to the other models. Our findings provide insights into the accuracy and classification outcomes of different models based on the sampling method employed in spectral imagery.

In order to synthesize a high-efficiency catalytic electrode for hydrogen evolution reactions, nano-MoS2 was deposited in situ on the surface of graphite substrates via a one-step hydrothermal method. The effects of the reactant concentration on the microstructure and the electrocatalytic characteristics of the nano-MoS2 catalyst layers were investigated in detail. The study results showed that nano-MoS2 sheets with a thickness of about 10 nm were successfully deposited on the surface of the graphite substrates. The reactant concentration had an important effect on uniform distribution of the catalyst layers. A higher or lower reactant concentration was disadvantageous for the electrochemical performance of the nano-MoS2 catalyst layers. The prepared electrode had the best electrocatalytic activity when the thiourea concentration was 0.10 mol·L−1. The minimum hydrogen evolution reaction overpotential was 196 mV (j = 10 mV·cm−2) and the corresponding Tafel slope was calculated to be 54.1 mV·dec−1. Moreover, the prepared electrode had an excellent cycling stability, and the microstructure and the electrocatalytic properties of the electrode had almost no change after 2000 cycles. The results of the present study are helpful for developing low-cost and efficient electrode material for hydrogen evolution reactions.

Background: Cardiac arrest (CA) can lead to neuronal degeneration and death through various pathways, including oxidative, inflammatory, and metabolic stress. However, current neuroprotective drug therapies will typically target only one of these pathways, and most single drug attempts to correct the multiple dysregulated metabolic pathways elicited following cardiac arrest have failed to demonstrate clear benefit. Many scientists have opined on the need for novel, multidimensional approaches to the multiple metabolic disturbances after cardiac arrest. In the current study, we have developed a therapeutic cocktail that includes ten drugs capable of targeting multiple pathways of ischemia–reperfusion injury after CA. We then evaluated its effectiveness in improving neurologically favorable survival through a randomized, blind, and placebo-controlled study in rats subjected to 12 min of asphyxial CA, a severe injury model. Results: 14 rats were given the cocktail and 14 received the vehicle after resuscitation. At 72 h post-resuscitation, the survival rate was 78.6% among cocktail-treated rats, which was significantly higher than the 28.6% survival rate among vehicle-treated rats (log-rank test; p = 0.006). Moreover, in cocktail-treated rats, neurological deficit scores were also improved. These survival and neurological function data suggest that our multi-drug cocktail may be a potential post-CA therapy that deserves clinical translation. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that, with its ability to target multiple damaging pathways, a multi-drug therapeutic cocktail offers promise both as a conceptual advance and as a specific multi-drug formulation capable of combatting neuronal degeneration and death following cardiac arrest. Clinical implementation of this therapy may improve neurologically favorable survival rates and neurological deficits in patients suffering from cardiac arrest.

Nisha S Joseph,1 Yu-Tzu Tai,2 Kenneth C Anderson,2 Sagar Lonial1 1Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; 2Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USACorrespondence: Kenneth C AndersonDana-Farber Cancer Institute, Blood Compont, D289, 44 Binney St, Boston, MA, 02115, USATel +1 617 632-2569Email kenneth_anderson@dfci.harvard.eduAbstract: Though survival outcomes in multiple myeloma patients have improved drastically over the past few decades, there still remains an ongoing need for effective and tolerable treatment options in the relapsed and refractory space. Encouragingly, there have been three recent FDA approvals for triple-class refractory multiple myeloma, and there is promising ongoing development of additional agents with varying novel mechanisms of action. Here, we will review the most recent data on both belantamab mafodotin, an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targeting BCMA, and selinexor, a first-in-class selective inhibitor of XPO1, as well as touch on some of the recently published data for other immunotherapies in development, namely bispecific T cell engagers, ADCs, and CAR-T cell therapies.Keywords: belantamab mafodotin, belamaf, selinexor, relapsed/refractory myeloma, myeloma

Background : The new kidney allocation system in the United States has introduced longevity matching, which gives priority to allocating the best quality organs to wait-listed candidates with the longest predicted survival for the efficient utilization of organs that are of limited availability. The estimated post-transplant survival (EPTS) score was developed in the United States to risk-stratify all wait-listed patients. However, prognostic indices used in Western countries were derived from data that may be different for Korea and do not necessarily reflect prognostic values for Korean deceased donor kidney transplantation. Prognostic indices for Korean wait-listed candidates therefore need to be developed from Korean data. Methods : We analyzed 6,731 adult solitary kidney transplant patients for candidate risk prediction using the national data from the Korean Network for Organ Sharing (KONOS) and National Health Insurance Data Sharing Service (NHISS). Cox regression analysis was used to model the risk of patient death. Results : The Korean EPTS (K-EPTS) score was developed based on four recipient parameters (age, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C virus, and duration of dialysis) that showed a significant association with post-transplant survival. K-EPTS scores showed good discrimination (C-statistics: 0.690; 95% confidence interval, 0.666–0.715). Moreover, the ability of the K-EPTS score to discriminate patient survival was better than that of the EPTS according to the criteria of the United Network for Organ Sharing (US-EPTS) score (P

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a serious global health threat. This raises an urgent need for the development of effective drugs against the deadly disease. SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 14 (NSP14) carrying RNA cap guanine N7-methyltransferase and 3′-5′ exoribonuclease activities could be a potential drug target for intervention. NSP14 of SARS-CoV-2 shares 98.7% of similarity with the one (PDB 5NFY) of acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) by ClustalW. Then, the SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 structures were modelled by Modeller 9.18 using SARS NSP14 (PDB 5NFY) as template for virtual screening. Based on the docking score from AutoDock Vina1.1.2, 18 small molecule drugs were selected for further evaluation. Based on the 5 ns MD simulation trajectory, binding free energy (ΔG) was calculated by MM/GBSA method. The calculated binding free energies of Saquinavir, Hypericin, Baicalein and Bromocriptine for the N-terminus of the homology model were −37.2711 ± 3.2160, −30.1746 ± 3.1914, −23.8953 ± 4.4800, and −34.1350 ± 4.3683 kcal/mol, respectively, while the calculated binding free energies were −60.2757 ± 4.7708, −30.9955 ± 2.9975, −46.3099 ± 3.5689, and −59.8104 ± 3.5389 kcal/mol, respectively, when binding to the C-terminus. Thus, the compounds including Saquinavir, Hypericin, Baicalein and Bromocriptine could bind to the N-terminus and C-terminus of the homology model of the SARS-CoV-2 NSP14, providing a candidate drug against SARS-CoV-2 for further study.

Generally, an optical vortex lattice (OVL) is generated via the superposition of two specific vortex beams. Thus far, OVL has been successfully employed to trap atoms via the dark cores. The topological charge (TC) on each optical vortex (OV) in the lattice is only ±1. Consequently, the orbital angular momentum (OAM) on the lattice is ignored. To expand the potential applications, it is necessary to rediscover and exploit OAM. Here we propose a novel high-order OVL (HO-OVL) that combines the phase multiplication and the arbitrary mode-controllable techniques. TC on each OV in the lattice is up to 51, which generates sufficient OAM to manipulate microparticles. Thereafter, the entire lattice can be modulated to desirable arbitrary modes. Finally, yeast cells are trapped and rotated by the proposed HO-OVL. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first realization of the complex motion of microparticles via OVL. Thus, this work successfully exploits OAM on OVL, thereby revealing potential applications in particle manipulation and optical tweezers.