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To design a model to predict the early prognosis of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) based on parameters that can be quickly obtained in emergency conditions from medical history, physical examination, and supplementary examinations.The medical records of TBI patients who were hospitalized in two medical institutions between June 2015 and June 2021 were collected and analyzed. Patients were divided into the training set, validation set, and testing set. The possible predictive indicators were screened after analyzing the data of patients in the training set. Then prediction models were found based on the possible predictive indicators in the training set. Data of patients in the validation set and the testing set was provided to validate the predictive values of the models.Age, Glasgow coma scale score, Apolipoprotein E genotype, damage area, serum C-reactive protein, and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels, and Marshall computed tomography score were found associated with early prognosis of TBI patients. The accuracy of the early prognosis prediction model (EPPM) was 80%, and the sensitivity and specificity of the EPPM were 78.8% and 80.8% in the training set. The accuracy of the EPPM was 79%, and the sensitivity and specificity of the EPPM were 66.7% and 86.2% in the validation set. The accuracy of the early EPPM was 69.1%, and the sensitivity and specificity of the EPPM were 67.9% and 77.8% in the testing set.Prediction models integrating general information, clinical manifestations, and auxiliary examination results may provide a reliable and rapid method to evaluate and predict the early prognosis of TBI patients.

In this article, a design method for the reflectionless absorber (RLA) is proposed based on the principle of the band-stop reflectionless filter (RLF). Compared with the traditional absorbing structures, the RLA can effectively absorb the electromagnetic (EM) waves within its operating band with small out-band reflection. Besides, the RLA has layer-independent characteristics due to its small reflection. Therefore, multiband and wideband RLAs can be achieved by simply stacking several single-band RLAs. After theoretical analysis and discussion of the single-band RLA, multiband and wideband RLAs are designed. Finally, two samples are fabricated to verify the presented design method. The theoretical calculated, simulated, and measured results agree well.

In this article, absorbers with open boundary condition are analyzed theoretically. First, a complex analysis method is used to obtain integrations of the reflection and transmission over the whole frequency band for slab with general boundary condition, which can be regarded as a general extension of Rozanov’s discussion. Second, integration relations with open boundary condition for single-layer slab and multilayer slab are obtained successively. Third, theoretical limitations for the absorbers with open boundary condition are deduced. As an application, complete analytic limitations between the reflection, transmission, operating band, and thickness are provided for single-layer nonmagnetic absorber with small reflection and transmission required. Finally, after presenting optimal design method for single-layer nonmagnetic slab, several absorbers are designed as examples.

Aim To establish an artery and venous sinus occlusion image score (AVOIS) which is compatible in both cerebral arteries and venous system diseases. Methods A total of 188 consecutive patients with the final diagnosis of anterior circulation infarct (ACI) and 56 consecutive patients with cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVST) were retrospectively studied. The AVOIS was developed based on the severity of occlusive changes of main intracranial arteries and venous sinuses (present = 0, partial occlusion = 1, absent = 2), and divided into four groups (CVST group: 0, 1‐5, 6‐10, >10. ACI group: 0, 1‐5, 6‐10, >10) arbitrarily. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to discover the sensitivity and specificity of AVOIS. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Clot Burden Score (CBS) were set as the reference. Logistic regression models were developed to adjust for baseline clinical variables and AVOIS. Length of hospital stay (LOS) was also evaluated using the Kaplan‐Meier estimator. Results For the CVST group, a positive correlation between AVOIS and NIHSS was discovered (Spearman's ρ = 0.54, p, A novel score system called the Artery and Venous Sinus Occlusion Image Score (AVOIS) was developed based on quantification analysis of the intracranial thrombus in both artery and venous sinus (Table 1). According to the CTA or MRA, anterior circulation and venous sinuses were allotted different scores (present = 0, partial occlusion = 1, absent = 2) by researchers. The total score on AVOIS in anterior circulation or venous sinus was accumulated to 14 points.

The focus of this communication is to study about the optimal radiation pattern of the feed of Luneburg lens for high-gain application. Based on geometric optics and equivalent aperture theory, the effect of the radiation pattern of the feed on the gain of Luneburg lens is analyzed first. Then the optimal radiation pattern of the feed is predicted by theoretical calculation to guarantee the maximum radiation gain of Luneburg lens, and the half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of the optimal radiation pattern of the feed is near 68° for the Luneburg lens with a radius greater than three wavelengths. To verify the theory, the Luneburg lens antennas fed by the feeds with different radiation patterns working at 10 GHz are analyzed. Finally, a prototype of Luneburg lens with a radius of 100 mm and several different feed antennas are manufactured to verify the theory and the simulation. The final simulated and measured results are consistent with the theory.

An ellipsoidal Luneburg lens (LBL) binary array is proposed and implemented for wide-angle scanning. In order to solve the occlusion problem between the lens elements in the array, the spherical LBL is transformed into the ellipsoidal LBL based on the transformation optics. The permittivity distribution of the LBL is revised to increase the lens’ aperture efficiency when the lens is not particularly large compared with the feed. Further, by introducing the local-beam shifting method, the number of feeds under each lens and the mutual coupling between the feeds can be reduced with the scanning characteristics remained. To validate the proposed design, a ${1 \times 2}$ ellipsoidal LBL array has been designed, fabricated, and tested. Each ellipsoidal LBL with 110 mm long-axis radius and 88 mm short-axis radius is fabricated by means of 3-D printing technology. Patch antennas operating at 2.25 GHz are employed as feeds. The measured results show that the proposed ellipsoidal LBL binary array can realize the maximum gain of 15.5 dB at zenith direction and 13.3 dB at 62°. The maximum scanning angle of ±68° can be achieved with a 3 dB gain reduction and −8 dB sidelobe.

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a nuclear-associated cytokine of the IL-1 family. IL-33 and its receptor ST2 axis exert conflicting anti-tumor and pro-tumor effects in various tumors. In this study, we examined the role of endogenously produced IL-33 in the colon-26 tumor model, in which involvement of the IL-33:ST2 pathway was negligible on the tumor side. We found that the generation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and CD8+ T cells, and IFN-γ expression by both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (T cell activation) were impaired in IL-33-deficient mice. Overall antitumor responses, assessed by tumor growth and IFN-γ expression by tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, were also impaired, even after Treg adjustment prior to tumor inoculation. These results indicate that endogenous IL-33 augmented CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor responses in this colon carcinoma model, with higher CD8+ T cell-infiltration and overcoming pro-tumor effects by increased Tregs. Exogenous application of IL-33 into the tumors did not enhance CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor responses despite marked elevation of innate responses showing upregulation of proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine expression, neutrophil recruitment, and dendritic cell activation. Our results suggest a dual role for endogenous IL-33 in antitumor responses and suggest that the balance of CD8+ T cells:Tregs in the tumor microenvironment is one of key factors for estimating the contribution of IL-33-mediated antitumor responses. Therefore, the development of IL-33-based cancer immunotherapy may require a target cell-specific approach.

To investigate the influence of apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymorphism on regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScOclinical data of TBI patients who were admitted to the neurosurgery intensive care unit (NICU) were retrospectively evaluated and studied, and data of healthy volunteers were recruited as control. The APOE genotypes were genotyped by quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR). The rScOThe average rScOThe APOE ε4 allele may be associated with poor rScOTo clarify the effect of APOE gene polymorphism on the condition of patients with TBI may be helpful for the design and management of individualized treatment programs.

A four-way power combiner with small cross-sectional size and high power capacity is investigated in this study. The design is based on the cascaded structure of three rectangular hybrid rings and one coaxial-to-waveguide transition. The combiner consists of coaxial and waveguide structures to ensure high power capacity. The compact cross-sectional size (0.71 λ × 0.74 λ at the centre frequency) is achieved by employing transverse electric magnetic (TEM)-mode coaxial line structures. A prototype power combiner is fabricated and tested to verify the design results. It has been demonstrated that the proposed power combiner has a power capacity of 16 kW. The return loss is better than 25 dB, isolation degree higher than 27 dB, and amplitude imbalance within 0.16 dB limits in the operating band 8–9 GHz, validated with both simulations and experiments. The proposed structure is suitable for kW-level power combining and it can also be implemented in planar forms for a wider range of applications.

Objectives The immune status of the tumor microenvironment has a marked impact on clinical outcomes. Here we examined the immune environments of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes (TILes) in two murine models of squamous cell carcinoma and compared the effects of immunotherapeutic agents, including a TLR7 agonist and an immune checkpoint inhibitor, and a chemotherapeutic agent, gemcitabine, in these models. Materials and methods TILes from NR-S1- and SCCVII-grafted mice were analyzed by flow cytometry. NR-S1-inoculated mice received resiquimod (a synthetic TLR7 agonist), an anti-PD-L1 antibody, or both, and tumor growth and TILs were examined. Gemcitabine was administered to deplete CD11b+ cells. Results More than 50% of TILes from NR-S1- and SCCVII-inoculated mice were CD11b+Gr-1+ cells. A major fraction of NR-S1 CD11b+ cells was Ly6GhighLy6Clow-negaF4/80− tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) and the majority of SCCVII CD11b+ cells were Ly6GlowLy6C−F4/80+ tumor-associated macrophages. NR-S1 TANs did not express MHC class II and CD86, but did express reactive oxygen species and PD-L1. Resiquimod, alone and in combination with an anti-PD-L1 antibody, did not regress NR-S1 tumors, but the combination increased the CD8/regulatory T cell-ratio, and IFN-γ and PD-1 expression in CD8+ TILes. Pre-administration of low-dose gemcitabine prior to the combination treatment suppressed the progression of NR-S1 tumors. Conclusions NR-S1 tumors with abundant recruitment of TANs were resistant to treatments with a TLR7 agonist, alone and in combination with PD-1 blockade, and required an additional gemcitabine treatment. The phenotype and status of tumor-infiltrating CD11b+ myeloid cells may influence the efficacy of immunotherapeutic agents.

A novel antenna integrated the advantages of the Yagi–Uda and the dielectric rod antenna (DRA) is presented in this communication. The antenna mainly consists of a tapered printed Yagi–Uda, a tapered dielectric cover, and a periodic dielectric rod. First, a tapered printed Yagi is designed as the primary feeder and embedded inside a tapered dielectric rod to improve the directive gain, radiation efficiency, and sidelobe levels. The influence of the dielectric cover to the Yagi is discussed. Then, a dielectric rod with triangular periodic surface is also loaded to the end of the dielectric cover to obtain higher gain and better front-to-back ratio. Finally, a sample of the antenna working at 8.5–9.7 GHz with 18 dBi maximum gain and −23.37 dB sidelobe level is designed. A prototype is fabricated and tested; the measured results match well with the simulated. Compared with the traditional Yagi–Uda antenna and DRA with the same length, the presented integrated antenna has higher gain with lower sidelobe level.

The deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) require large number of training data to avoid overfitting, which makes it unsuitable for processing small-scale image datasets. The transfer learning using DCNN (TCNN) reuses pre-trained layers to generate a mid-level image representation so that the optimization of more than millions CNN parameters can be avoided. By this way, overfitting problem in small-scale data can be alleviated. However, although now many public DCNNs have been trained and can be reused, the existing TCNNs are formed by only a single pre-trained DCNN structure and cannot make full use of multiple structures of pre-trained DCNNs. At the same time, the existing ensemble CNNs have not enough good representation ability. To address this problem, we combine the conventional ideas of ensemble CNNs and propose three ensemble TCNNs (TECNN). They are the voting method based on the combination of all TCNNs, the PickOver method by finding the optimal combination, and weighted method by finding weighted combination. Different from the existing ensemble CNNs, the proposed methods do not need to retrain the component CNNs and generate ensemble transferring representations by transferring the pre-trained mid-level parameters. The mathematical models of those three methods are also provided. Their versions of using fine-tuning are also compared in the experiments. In addition, we replace the Softmax classifier with ensemble linear classifiers in the full-connection layer. They outperform the current state of the art algorithms on Caltech ImageNet and some internet image data. All this research has released as an open source library called Transferring Image Ensemble Representations using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (TECNN). The source codes and relevant datasets in different versions are available from: http://www.cquptshuyinxia.com/TECNN.html .

Objective. The pathophysiologic mechanism of how thyroid function is related to the development and prognosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains under explored, and there has been a lack of clinical investigations. In this study, we investigate the relationship between triiodothyronine (T3) level and cardiac ejection fraction (EF) as well as probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) on admission and subsequent prognosis in AMI patients. Methods. We measured admission thyroid function, NT-proBNP, and EF by echocardiography in 345 patients diagnosed with AMI. Simple and multiregression analyses were performed to investigate the correlation between T3 level and EF as well as NT-proBNP. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including new-onset myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, and cardiac death, were documented during the follow-up. 248 participants were separated into three groups based on T3 and free triiodothyronine (FT3) levels for survival analysis during a 2-year follow-up. Results. 345 patients diagnosed with AMI were included in the initial observational analysis. 248 AMI patients were included in the follow-up survival analysis. The T3 levels were found to be significantly positively correlated with EF (R square=0.042, P<0.001) and negatively correlated with admission NT-proBNP levels (R square=0.059, P<0.001), which is the same with the correlation between FT3 and EF (R square=0.053, P<0.001) and admission NT-proBNP levels (R square=0.108, P<0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed no significant difference with regard to different T3 or FT3 levels at the end of follow-up. Conclusions. T3 and FT3 levels are moderately positively correlated with cardiac function on admission in AMI patients but did not predict a long-time survival rate. Further studies are needed to explain whether longer-term follow-up would further identify the prognosis effect of T3 on MACE and all-cause mortality.

An X-band leaky waveguide antenna (LWA) with high aperture efficiency and high power capacity is investigated in this paper. The antenna is mainly composed of two parts: a sectorial waveguide power divider and an LWA array. First, in the design of the power divider, the magnitude uniformity and phase consistency are ensured by adjusting the channel central angles and introducing phase adjusting structures, respectively. Then, the analysis and design of the LWA array are carried out. New formulas and conditions have been proposed for realizing uniform radiation distribution and maximum aperture efficiency. Five supporting beams are introduced to increase the antenna gain and power capacity. An LWA array as a prototype is fabricated and tested to verify the analysis and simulation. Experimental results agree well with the simulation. The return loss is better than 17 dB at the center frequency 9.7 GHz, the gain is 38.75 dB, and the corresponding aperture efficiency is 80.7%. The power capacity of the LWA array reaches 1.5 GW. These characteristics demonstrate that the proposed LWA array is suitable for radiating high power microwaves. The analysis and design method proposed in this paper is a useful guide for designing the high-aperture efficiency antenna in the future.

Introduction: At present, there are numerous researches on the migration of components in tablets and granules, however, the investigation in the pharmaceutical literatures concerning the effect of drying rate on the migration of water-soluble components of pellets is limited. Temperature and Relative Humidity (RH) are crucial parameters during the drying process, which is an essential step in the preparation of pellets via wet extrusion/spheronization. To quantify these variables, the water loss percentage of pellets per minute is defined as the drying rate. Aim: The study aimed to investigate the influence of drying rate on the migration of water-soluble components in wet pellets and the potential migrated mechanism. Methods: The pellets containing tartrazine as a water-soluble model drug and microcrystalline cellulose as a matrix former were prepared by extrusion/spheronization and dried at four different drying temperatures and relative humidity. Afterwards, the extent of migrated tartrazine was assessed regarding appearance, in-vitro dissolution test, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, X-Ray Powder Diffraction, Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Confocal Raman Mapping. Results: Results demonstrated that red spots of tartrazine appeared on the surface of pellets and more than 40% tartrazine were burst released within 5 minutes when pellets were dried at 60°C/RH 10%. When pellets were dried at 40°C/RH 80%, none of these aforementioned phenomena were observed. Conclusion: In conclusion, the faster the drying rate was, the more tartrazine migrated to the exterior of pellets. Adjusting drying temperature and relative humidity appropriately could inhibit the migration of water-soluble components within wet extrusion/spheronization pellets.

Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was proven to be a prognostic indicator of cardiovascular events. However, the modifying effect of blood pressure (BP) on the longitudinal association between baPWV and new-onset hypertension is not well established. This study included 1849 non-hypertensive Chinese subjects from Shougang cohort study during December 2011 to July 2014. BaPWV was obtained using an Omron Colin BP-203RPE III device. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations of baPWV and outcomes. During a mean follow-up time of 2.36 years, 248 (13.41%) developed hypertension. BaPWV independently and gradably predicted the risk of incident hypertension and the SBP level at revisit (odds ratio or β (95% confidence interval) for participants with baPWV in quartile 4 vs. quartile 1: 2.72 (1.54, 4.78) for incident hypertension and 5.92 (4.26, 7.58) for SBP, P for trend

The sublingual mucosa (SLM) in the oral cavity is utilized as the site for sublingual immunotherapy to induce tolerance against allergens. We previously reported that CD206+ round-type macrophage-like cells were induced in the SLM after repeated antigen (e.g. cedar pollen or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC))-painting. In this study, we examined the phenotypic and functional properties of CD206+ cells induced by repeated FITC-painting on the SLM. CD206+ cells after the repeated FITC-painting possessed a macrophage-like CD11b+Ly6C+ F4/80+CD64+ phenotype and expressed TIM-4, which was expressed in tolerogenic tissue-resident macrophages, at a high level. SLM CD206+ cells preferentially expressed molecules related to endocytosis and homeostatic processes, including the novel B7 family of immune checkpoint molecules, as assessed by microarray analyses. SLM CD206+ cells showed preferential expression of M2-related genes such as Fizz1, Aldh1a1 and Aldh1a2 but not Ym-1 and Arginase-1. A CD206+ cell-rich status inhibited OVA-specific CD4+ T-cell responses but reciprocally enhanced the proportion of both IL-10+CD4+ cells and Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells in regional lymph nodes. Co-culture of CD206+ cells with dendritic cells (DCs) showed that IL-12 production was suppressed in DCs concurrent with the decline of the MHC class IIhiCD86+ population, which was restored by neutralization of IL-10. These results demonstrate SLM CD206+ cells show the feature of tolerogenic macrophages and down-regulate the antigen-presenting cell function of mature DCs resulting in the inhibition of CD4+ T-cell responses.

This study aimed to develop an evaluation approach for supersaturation by employing an in vitro bio-mimicking apparatus designed to predict in vivo performance. The Biphasic Gastrointestinal Simulator (BGIS) is composed of three chambers with absorption phases that represent the stomach, duodenum, and jejunum, respectively. The concentration of apatinib in each chamber was detected by fiber optical probes in situ. The dissolution data and the pharmacokinetic data were correlated by GastroplusTM. The precipitates were characterized by polarizing microscope, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Powder X-ray diffraction and Differential scanning calorimetry. According to the results, Vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymer (CoPVP) prolonged supersaturation by improving solubility and inhibiting crystallization, while Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) prolonged supersaturation by inhibiting crystallization alone. Furthermore, a predictive in vitro-in vivo correlation was established, which confirmed the anti-precipitation effect of CoPVP and HPMC on in vitro performance and in vivo behavior. In conclusion, CoPVP and HPMC increased and prolonged the supersaturation of apatinib, and then improved its bioavailability. Moreover, BGIS was demonstrated to be a significant approach for simulating in vivo conditions for in vitro-in vivo correlation in a supersaturation study. This study presents a promising approach for evaluating supersaturation, screening precipitation inhibitors in vitro, and predicting their performances in vivo.

Research on immune checkpoint blockade therapy has made great progress in cancer immunotherapy, but the number of patients who benefit from this therapy remains limited. In this study, we examined the effects of monotherapy with systemic low-dose resiquimod, a synthesized TLR7 agonist, and examined its combined effects with PD-L1 blockade in two PD-L1 blockade-resistant tumor models (SCCVII and Colon 26). Resiquimod monotherapy in SCCVII tumors, representing impaired CD8+ T cell function and accelerated regulatory T cells (Tregs) within the tumors, efficiently reduced tumor growth with more recruitment of CD8+ T cells and a reduction of Treg. The results of resiquimod monotherapy in Colon 26, representing impaired Treg recruitment, were inferior to that in SCCVII. Combined resiquimod treatment with PD-L1 blockade exerted clear additional effects, as it was associated with reduced tumor size, attenuation of Tregs, and an increased ratio of CD8+ T cells/Tregs in both tumors. Systemic administration of low-dose resiquimod induced a transient and rapid activation of plasmacytoid and conventional dendritic cells, resulting in enhanced priming of T cells in regional lymph nodes. Experiments with more limited doses of resiquimod that did not yield beneficial effects after single treatment, showed additional effects to PD-L1 blockade and comparable antitumor effects when the frequency of anti-PD-L1 therapy was decreased. Our results suggest that systemic administration of low-dose resiquimod is useful as a companion drug to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect on the dissolution behavior when silica was added in different ways. The solid dispersion was prepared by hot-melt extrusion (HME) using indomethacin (IND) as a model drug and Kollidon VA64 as a carrier. In order to change the dissolution behavior, the silica was added during or after the HME respectively, to obtain the corresponding silica internal-added solid dispersion (InSD) and silica external-added solid dispersion (ExSD). According to the results, the internal-added silicon dioxide could reduce the dissolution rate from 66.91%/h to 24.12%/h and the water infiltration rate from 0.37mm/h to 0.16mm/h in the phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of pH 6.8, so the formulation of InSD had a significant sustained release effect. But the infiltration rate of the ExSD was increased to 13.22mm/h when silica was added external, and the density of VA64 in the powder was decreased from 541.87mg/cm3 to 141.87mg/cm3, leading to a weak resistance to the external force, and the powder was easy to be dispersed after wetted by water so that the formulation of ExSD had a relatively higher dissolution rate. This phenomenon was more visible when the phosphate buffer solution was changed to pH 5.6 in which the API was more difficult to be dissolved. Accordingly, different addition ways of aerosil would change release behavior of the HME preparation.

Background Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are known to present with multiple vessel lesions during coronary angiography. The underlying mechanism remains elusive and there is a shortage of serum prediction markers. In this study, we investigate the relationship between admission HbA1c and severity of coronary artery stenosis and subsequent prognosis in AMI patients with or without diabetes. Research design and methods We measured admission HbA1c, and vessel scores based on the number of diseased coronary vessels with significant stenosis in 628 patients diagnosed with AMI. Simple and multi-regression analysis were performed to investigate the correlation between HbA1c and the severity of coronary artery stenosis. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including new-onset myocardial infarction, acute heart failure and cardiac death, were documented during the follow-up. 272 non-DM participants and 137 DM participants were separated into two groups based on HbA1c levels for survival analysis during a 2-year follow up. Results 448 non-DM patients and 180 DM patients were included in the initial observational analysis. 272 non-DM patients and 137 DM patients were included in the follow-up survival analysis. The admission HbA1c level was found to be significantly positively correlated to the number of affected vessels suffering from significant coronary artery stenosis both in DM (R square = 0.012; 95% CI 0.002 to 0.623, P = 0.049) and non DM patients (R square = 0.025; 95% CI 0.009 to 0.289, P = 0.037). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed no significant difference with regard to different HbA1c levels either in DM or non-DM patients at the end of follow-up. Conclusions In patients with AMI, admission HbA1c is an important predictor for the severity of coronary artery stenosis in non-DM and DM patients. Further studies are needed to determine whether longer term follow-up could further identify the prognosis effect of HbA1c on MACE.

The water holding ability of powder masses greatly influences their extrusion/spheronization performance during pellets preparation. To quantify this ability and explore its influence on pellets preparation, two characterized parameters were proposed. One was the maximum water content that could be retained by the mass (WHAmax), the other was the remaining water content in the mass subjected to certain extrusion force (WHAextrusion). The methods to determine WHA were established by centrifugation. MCC, κ-carrageenan, mannitol were employed to investigate the relationship between WHA and their extrusion/spheronization performance. The results showed that the WHAmax and WHAextrusion of MCC were 1.0 g/g and 0.85 g/g, which were less than that of κ-carrageenan (WHAmax > 6.0 g/g, WHAextrusion = 3.0 g/g), accordingly. Since mannitol had the lowest parameter values (WHAmax = 0.3 g/g, WHAextrusion = 0.25 g/g), it was hard to be extruded. Therefore, κ-carrageenan (≥ 10%) or mannitol (≥ 30%) were added to prepare satisfactory pellets by increasing the WHA values (≥ 0.53 g/g) of the mixed masses. In addition, the WHA of mixed masses could be predicted based on WHA of each mass. To obtain enough extrudates and non-agglomerated pellets, the water content added in the mass should be equal with WHAmax. In conclusion, the established two parameters were useful to predict the extrusion/spheronization performance of masses, therefore, selecting the potential pelletization aids and determining the optimal water content.

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a nuclear-associated cytokine of the IL-1 family. IL-33 and its receptor ST2 axis exert conflicting anti-tumor and pro-tumor effects in various tumors. In this study, we examined the role of endogenously produced IL-33 in the colon-26 tumor model, in which involvement of the IL-33:ST2 pathway was negligible on the tumor side. We found that the generation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and CD8

In order to improve the dissolution rate and oral bioavailability of lurasidone hydrochloride (LH), LH nanosuspensions (LH-NSP) were prepared by an antisolvent precipitation–ultrasonication method and characterized in this study. Three important formulation factors including the concentration of LH in the solvent, the amount of sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) and poloxamer 188 (F68) in the antisolvent were optimized by the central composite design response surface methodology. Besides, the impacts of three important process parameters, namely the precipitation temperature, the power input and the duration of ultrasonication, on the particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) of LH-NSP were also investigated. The optimal values of these formulation factors were 0.21% (w/v) LH, 0.06% (w/v) SDS and 0.16% (w/v) F68, respectively, while for the process parameters, the precipitation temperature, power input and duration of ultrasonication were 5 °C, 100 W and 10 min, respectively. The particle size and PDI of the optimized LH-NSP were 124.6 ± 11.9 nm and 0.097 ± 0.0024, respectively. There was no crystalline change in the LH-NSP compared with LH raw material on the basis of powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis results. With the reduced particle size, the solubility and in vitro dissolution rate of LH in the LH-NSP were significantly improved. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that the Cmax and AUC0–24 of the group with oral administration of the LH-NSP were both 1.5 times higher than that of raw LH.

A Printed monopole antenna was designed and manufactured with the wideband performances in two frequency bands. The antenna is compatible with WiMAX and WiFi standards. After reviewing a couple of literatures, the antenna was designed, analyzed and proven for two central frequencies, 2.5 GHz and 5.6 GHz, with much improved bandwidths. Finally, the antenna was manufactured with the overall size of 4 cm × 4.4 cm on Rogers (RO4003) substrate. The antenna is made into three L-shaped radiators. A 50 Ω microstrip feed line connects the port to the two L-shaped radiators of different lengths, thus providing two frequency bands. An inverted L-shaped radiator is printed on the less radiation upped side, to tune the antenna for wide band performances. The raised problem was solved with the integral equation solver of the Ansoft high frequency simulator structure (HFSS-IE). Optimal results are presented in this article: the simulation results in comparison with measured results. This antenna prototype’s overall dimensions would be readjusted according to any industrial and manufacturing requests.

The purpose of this study was to apply the phenomenon of liquid jet breakup to the preparation of sustained-release microspheres. The mechanisms of liquid jet breakup in different jet states were investigated and the single factor method was used to study the effect of each process parameter on the particle size and size distribution of microspheres. Meantime, the prepared microspheres were characterized by morphology, drug loading, encapsulation efficiency and in vitro release. The results indicated that the process of liquid jet breakup could have 5 different states. The laminar flow state dominated when the Reynolds number (Re) was low, and the prepared microspheres had larger particle sizes. When the Re was high, the turbulent state was dominant and the microspheres had smaller particle sizes. And during the transition state from the laminar flow to the turbulence, the microspheres had a wide particle size distribution. Different process parameters could affect the particle size and distribution of microspheres by changing the Re, surface tension coefficient and viscosity. The microspheres prepared by liquid jet breakup were smooth and round with the drug loading of 35% and the encapsulation efficiency of 88%. In addition, when the polymeric carrier materials were different, the microspheres could have various drug release models such as sustained release with a lag phase, sustained release with no lag phase, pulsed release and so on, which could be applied widespread in the future.

Background Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are known to present with multiple vessel lesions during coronary angiography. The underlying mechanism remains elusive and there is a shortage of serum prediction markers. In this study, we investigate the relationship between admission HbA1c and severity of coronary artery stenosis and subsequent prognosis in AMI patients with or without diabetes. Research design and methods We measured admission HbA1c, and vessel scores based on the number of diseased coronary vessels with significant stenosis in 628 patients diagnosed with AMI. Simple and multi-regression analysis were performed to investigate the correlation between HbA1c and the severity of coronary artery stenosis. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including new-onset myocardial infarction, acute heart failure and cardiac death, were documented during the follow-up. 272 non-DM participants and 137 DM participants were separated into two groups based on HbA1c levels for survival analysis during a 2-year follow up. Results 448 non-DM patients and 180 DM patients were included in the initial observational analysis. 272 non-DM patients and 137 DM patients were included in the follow-up survival analysis. The admission HbA1c level was found to be significantly positively correlated to the number of affected vessels suffering from significant coronary artery stenosis both in DM (R square = 0.012; 95% CI 0.002 to 0.623, P = 0.049) and non DM patients (R square = 0.025; 95% CI 0.009 to 0.289, P = 0.037). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed no significant difference with regard to different HbA1c levels either in DM or non-DM patients at the end of follow-up. Conclusions In patients with AMI, admission HbA1c is an important predictor for the severity of coronary artery stenosis in non-DM and DM patients. Further studies are needed to determine whether longer term follow-up could further identify the prognosis effect of HbA1c on MACE.

A cylindrical conformai microstrip Yagi antenna working around 10 GHz with endfire radiation and vertical polarization is proposed. The presented Yagi antenna has advantages of low profile, small size and high endfire gain. Each element of the Yagi antenna is a microstrip antenna (MSA) with one edge shorted, which can be regarded as a half MSA (HMSA). Furthermore, a cylindrical conformal Yagi array consisted of 24 above Yagi antennas is presented to improve the endfire radiation performance. Simulated results show that an exactly endfire radiation with 21 dB gain can be provided. Besides, beaming scanning in the endfire direction with side lobe level (SLL) lower than −20 dB can also be realized by adjusting the amplitudes and phases of the antennas in the array.

The present study was aimed to develope a proliposomal formulation to decrease the hepatic first-pass metabolism of protocatechualdehyde (PD), followed by pellet coating to modify the drug release for angina chronotherapy. PD proliposomes were prepared by depositing PD-phospholipid complex on mannitol powders to improve the drug encapsulation. Afterwards, the PD proliposomes were prepared into pellet cores via extrusion-spheronization using 10% κ-carrageenan as pelletization aid prior to the development of PD sustained-release pellets (PD-SRPs). Eudragit® NE 30D was chosen as coating material and the desired drug release profile of PD-SRPs was calculated for formulation optimization by deconvolution based on the circadian rhythm of variant angina. A high similarity factor (f2=85.72) was achieved when the coating weight was 30% and the sustained release behavior also prevented the destruction of liposomes by gastric fluids. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed a basically consistent trend between the actual and the predicted plasma concentration-time curve with absolute percent errors (%PE) of concentrations