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Fissile material dissolved in the molten salt is employed in molten salt reactor(MSR), which circulates through the primary loop. Considering the flow characteristic of fuel in MSR, the neutron poison calculation model such as Xe is different from traditional solid reactor. As an important neutron poison, 135Xe is free to migrate with the flow of molten salt in MSR. The helium bubble system of molten salt reactor can blow the fission products of krypton, xenon and other gases out of the reactor core to improve the neutron economy. The recent TENDL2021 nuclear data library estimates the thermal neutron absorption cross section of 135Xem, which is much higher than 135Xe thermal neutron absorption cross section. In order to predict the effect of xenon on core reactivity more accurately, the effect of 135Xem thermal neutron absorption cross section was added into the Xe poison model based on the lumped volume method. The migration model is made up of cover gas calculation model and xenon worth calculation model. In order to calculate the xenon worth, the loop void fraction was calculated firstly, and the loop void fraction was inserted into the xenon worth calculation model. According to the rate balance equations and mass transfer equations, the concentration of xenon in loop could be calculated to compute the xenon worth. Firstly, the model results considering the flow effect of fuel salt were verified with the experimental results of 8 MW molten salt reactor experiment (MSRE). As the results shown, with the increase of loop void fraction, the steadystate xenon worth increases first and decreases later, which is in good agreement with experimental results of MSRE. Then the influence of fuel salt types and 135Xem on steadystate xenon worth was considered in this paper. The steadystate xenon worth of the 233U system with and without 135Xem is made and compared to a 235U system, indicating that the influence of 135Xem on xenon worth cannot be ignored, which is much higher with the increase of power. Finally, the contribution of graphite, fuel salt and helium bubble to Xe worth was evaluated by the interaction between graphite and helium bubble, indicating that the interaction between helium bubble and graphite cannot be ignored.

The purpose of this study was to understand the developmental experiences that unfold in youth development contexts, and why they matter for character development. Drawing on pre- and post-program data provided by 846 adolescents (47% female, 63% youth of color), this paper empirically investigated the role of three developmental experiences―developmental relationships, critical reflection, and intrinsic program engagement―in promoting civic, moral, intellectual, and performance character strengths in a conservation context in the United States. Results provide robust evidence of the pervasive power of all three developmental experiences, and especially youth-adult developmental relationships and critical reflection, in promoting key elements of character. Specific suggestions are described for organizational action to invest strategically and systematically in these program features to support young people's character development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is the most common white matter injury and a common cause of cerebral palsy in preterm infants. Postnatal epilepsy may occur after cystic PVL, but their causal relationship remains uncertain. Our aim was to validate the contribution of cystic PVL to postnatal epilepsy in very preterm infants and demonstrate their seizure characteristics. Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled 1,342 preterm infants (birth weight <1,500 g and gestational age <32 weeks) from 2003 to 2015. Cystic PVL was diagnosed by serial cerebral ultrasound, and other comorbidities were recorded during hospitalization. Neurological developments and consequences, including epilepsy, were serially accessed until the age of 5. Results: A total of 976 preterm infants completed a 5-year neurological follow-up; 47 (4.8%) had cystic PVL. Preterm infants with cystic PVL were commonly associated with other comorbidities, including necrotizing enterocolitis stage III, neonatal seizures, and intraventricular hemorrhage during hospitalization. At age 5, 14 of the 47 (29.8%) preterm infants with cystic PVL had postnatal epilepsy. After adjusting for gender, gestational age, and three common comorbidities, cystic PVL was an independent risk factor for postnatal epilepsy (adjust OR: 16.2; 95% CI: 6.8–38.4; p < 0.001). Postnatal epilepsy after cystic PVL was commonly the generalized type (13 of 14, 92.9%), not intractable and most occurred after 1 year of age. Discussion/Conclusion: Cystic PVL would independently lead to postnatal epilepsy. Preterm infants with cystic PVL are at risk of postnatal epilepsy after age 1 in addition to cerebral palsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Chen-Yu. Wu, Chih-Yi. Liu, You-Chen Serena. Liu Sir, The coexistence of vitiligo and frontal fibrosing alopecia, a distinct variant of lichen planus affecting hair follicles predominantly on the frontotemporal [...]

Owing to the global promotion of e-learning, combining recognition technology to facilitate learning has become a popular research topic. This study uses eye-tracking to analyze students' actual learning situations by examining their attention during the learning process and to provide timely support to enhance their learning performance. Using cognitive technology, this study can analyze students' real-time learning status, which can be utilized to provide timely learning reminders that help them achieve their self-defined learning goals and to effectively enhance their interest and performance. Accordingly, we designed a self-regulated learning (SRL) mechanism, based on eye-tracking technology, combined with online marking and note-taking functions. The mechanism can aid students in maintaining a better reading state, thereby enhancing their learning performance. This study explores students' learning outcomes, motivation, self-efficacy, learning anxiety, and performance. The experimental results show that students who used the SRL mechanism exhibited a greater learning performance than those who did not use it. Similarly, SRL mechanisms could potentially improve students' learning motivation and self-efficacy, as well as increase their learning attention. Moreover, SRL mechanisms reduce students' perplexities and learning anxieties, thereby enhancing their reading-learning performance to achieve an educational sustainability by providing a better e-learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symptoms and medication use in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) affect the quality of life of patients and caregivers, yet prior research seldom focused on their experiences with medications. This study explored comprehensive living and medication experience from patients with PD and their caregivers. Patients diagnosed with PD for ≥2 years, with or without their caregivers, were recruited from an outpatient clinic in Taiwan. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted based on the Common Sense Model. A qualitative content analysis was used to identify salient themes from verbatim transcripts. In total, 15 patients and eight caregivers were interviewed. Five themes were derived: (1) symptoms and help-seeking behaviours before a diagnosis, (2) emotional impacts and life adaptations after a PD diagnosis, (3) life affected by medications, (4) experiences of caregivers in taking care of PD patients, and (5) communication between doctors and patients. Patients frequently adjusted their daily schedules to live with PD and the medication side effects. Caregivers struggle to overcome caring burdens and to stay positive to support patients. More attention on providing medication information, mental support, and communication between stakeholders is needed to improve the quality of life of patients and caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the survival rates of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) continue to increase, noncancer causes of death cannot be ignored. The cause-specific mortality in patients with RCC is not well understood. Objective: Our study aimed to explore the mortality patterns of contemporary RCC survivors. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients with RCC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We used standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) to compare the death rates in patients with RCC with those in the general population. Results: A total of 106,118 patients with RCC, including 39,630 who died (27%), were included in our study. Overall, compared with the general US population, noncancer SMRs were increased 1.25-fold (95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.22 to 1.27; observed, 11,235), 1.19-fold (95% CI, 1.14 to 1.24; observed, 2,014), and 2.24-fold (95% CI, 2.11 to 2.38; observed, 1,110) for stage I/II, III, and IV RCC, respectively. The proportion of noncancer causes of death increased with the extension of survival time. A total of 4,273 men with stage I/II disease (23.13%) died of RCC; however, patients who died from other causes were 3.2 times more likely to die from RCC (n = 14,203 [76.87%]). Heart disease was the most common noncancer cause of death (n = 3,718 [20.12%]; SMR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.19–1.27). In patients with stage III disease, 3,912 (25.98%) died from RCC, and 2,014 (13.37%) died from noncancer causes. Most patients (94.99%) with stage IV RCC died within 5 years of initial diagnosis. Although RCC was the leading cause of death (n = 12,310 [84.65%]), patients with stage IV RCC also had a higher risk of noncancer death than the general population (2.24; 95% CI, 2.11–2.38). Conclusions: Non-RCC death causes account for more than 3/4 of RCC survivors among patients with stage I/II disease. Patients with stage IV are most likely to die of RCC; however, there is an increased risk of dying from septicemia, and suicide cannot be ignored. These data provide the latest and most comprehensive assessment of the causes of death in patients with RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of young people living in the margins of society reflects one of the most pressing social inequities of our time. Opportunity youth often face many complex challenges perpetrated by a range of systemic issues. These trajectories can be positively disrupted by surrounding youth with a cohesive web of relational and instrumental supports and spaces where their strengths and potential are seen. Opportunity Reboot, a technical assistance and program enhancement model, was developed to leverage the existing capacity and strengths of community programs to more effectively create pathways to school, career, and life success for opportunity youth. The impact of Opportunity Reboot was tested using a single‐group, non‐experimental design and a quasi‐experimental design with propensity score matching. Findings established associations between opportunity youths' experiences of three core Opportunity Reboot features and growth in select positive identity, social–emotional competencies, and skills for systems navigation outcomes. Opportunity Reboot youth were also more likely, on average, than comparison youth to be employed in the four quarters after endline data collection; this finding was even stronger when comparing youth of color in the Opportunity Reboot and comparison groups. This evaluation strengthens the evidence that program enhancement models like Opportunity Reboot hold promise for positively disrupting the lives of opportunity youth. Highlights: Opportunity Reboot youth experienced significant gains in critical short‐term youth outcomes.Strong relationships with program staff and other adults were core to improved youth outcomes.Opportunity Reboot youth secured employment at higher rates than comparison youth.Improved outcomes can be realized through a program enhancement model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crosstalk between gut microbiota and host immunity has emerged as one of the research foci of microbiome studies in recent years. The purpose of this study was to determine how gut microbes respond to fungal infection in termites, given their reliance on gut symbionts for food intake as well as maintaining host health. Here, we used Metarhizium robertsii , an entomopathogenic fungus, to infect Odontotermes formosanus , a fungus-growing termite in the family Termitidae, and documented changes in host gut microbiota via a combination of bacterial 16S rDNA sequencing, metagenomic shotgun sequencing, and transmission electron microscopy. Our analyses found that when challenged with Metarhizium , the termite gut showed reduced microbial diversity within the first 12 h of fungal infection and then recovered and even surpassed pre-infection flora levels. These combined results shed light on the role of gut flora in maintaining homeostasis and immune homeostasis in the host, and the impact of gut flora dysbiosis on host susceptibility to infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resistivity of the sintered Cu thick film decreases with the weight percentage of the SiO2–ZnO–B2O3 additive in the mixing glass frits up to 50 wt%. As the weight percentage of the SiO2–ZnO–B2O3 additive in the mixing glass frits is over 50 wt%, the resistivity of the sintered Cu thick films is quite similar. The lowest resistivity (6.62 × 10−6 Ω‐cm) of the sintered Cu thick films occurs at 75 wt% of the SiO2–ZnO–B2O3 additive. Also, we observe the extensive glass phase framing around the large Cu grains in the Cu thick films sintered with low SiO2–ZnO–B2O3 additives (less than 50 wt%) narrows the cross‐section area of the electrical path. On the contrary, the round‐shaped glass phase solidified among the small Cu grains allows a larger cross‐section of the electrical path (a possible lower resistivity) for the Cu thick films sintered with higher SiO2–ZnO–B2O3 additives (larger than 50 wt%). The above results imply that the resistivity of the sintered Cu thick film correlates well with the microstructure (Cu grain size and the glass/Cu composite structure) of the sintered Cu thick films. Twin grain boundaries can clearly be observed in the sintered Cu thick films, especially for the Cu thick film sintered with the higher SiO2–ZnO–B2O3 additives. Owing to small Cu grains size and high density of Cu grain boundary, the probability of the grain boundaries with a high grain‐boundary energy in the Cu thick film sintered with high SiO2–ZnO–B2O3 additive would be much larger, comparing to that in the Cu thick film sintered with low SiO2–ZnO–B2O3 additive. Thus, more annealing twin boundaries formed in the Cu thick film sintered with high SiO2–ZnO–B2O3 additive. Hence, the formation of the twin boundary in the sintered Cu thick film helps reducing the resistivity of the sintered Cu films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by destruction of articular cartilage. The inflammatory response is the most important factor affecting the disease process. As interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) stimulates several key mediators in the inflammatory response, it plays a major role in the pathogenesis of OA. Maslinic acid (MA) is a natural compound distributed in olive fruit. Previous studies have found that maslinic acid has an inhibitory effect on inflammation, but its specific role in the progression of OA disease has not been studied so far. In this study, we aim to assess the protective effect of MA on OA progression by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Our results indicate that, in IL‐1β‐induced inflammatory response, MA is effective in attenuating some major inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2, and inhibits the expression of IL‐6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase‐2, and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in a concentration‐dependent manner. Also, MA downregulated the expression levels of thrombospondin motif 5 (ADAMTS5) and matrix metalloproteinase 13 in chondrocytes, resulting in reduced degradation of its extracellular matrix. Mechanistically, MA exhibits an anti‐inflammatory effect by inactivating the PI3K/AKT/NF‐κB pathway. In vivo, the protective effect of MA on OA development can be detected in a surgically induced mouse OA model. In summary, these findings suggest that MA can be used as a safe and effective potential OA therapeutic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Patients with diabetes mellitus are prone to develop osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Furthermore, the presence of these complications in those with diabetes may lead to higher mortality. The aim of our study was to assess characteristics and mortality of osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, or rheumatoid arthritis in individuals with diabetes. Methods. We analyzed osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, and RA deaths associated with diabetes from 1999–2017 using the CDC WONDER system (CDC WONDER; https://wonder.cdc.gov). We used ICD-10 codes to categorize the underlying and contributing causes of death. Crude mortality rates (CMR) and age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 1,000,000 person-years were calculated. Results. The AAMR for osteoporosis in the population with diabetes was significantly higher in females (AAMR: 4.17, 95% CI: 4.10–4.24) than in males (AAMR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.07–1.16). Deaths due to osteoporosis increased gradually from 1999, peaked in 2003 (AAMR: 3.78, 95% CI: 3.55–4.00), and reached a nadir in 2016 (AAMR: 2.32, 95% CI: 2.15–2.48). The AAMR for RA associated with diabetes was slightly higher in females (AAMR: 4.04, 95% CI: 3.98–4.11) than in males (AAMR: 2.45, 95% CI: 2.39–2.51). The mortality rate due to RA increased slightly from 1999 (AAMR: 3.18, 95% CI: 2.97–3.39) to 2017 (AAMR: 3.20, 95% CI: 3.02–3.38). The AAMR for osteomyelitis associated with diabetes was higher in males (AAMR: 4.36, 95% CI: 4.28–4.44) than in females (AAMR: 2.31, 95% CI: 2.26–2.36). From 1999 to 2017, the AAMR from osteomyelitis in this population was 2.63 (95% CI: 2.44–2.82) per 1,000,000 person-years in 1999 and 4.25 (95% CI: 4.05–4.46) per 1,000,000 person-years in 2017. Conclusions. We found an increase in the age-adjusted mortality rates of RA and osteomyelitis and a decrease of osteoporosis associated with diabetes from 1999 to 2017. We suggest that increased attention should therefore be given to these diseases in the population with diabetes, especially in efforts to develop preventative and treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective * To establish the reference intervals of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in healthy women of childbearing age in different age groups in Shanghai. Methods * A total of 239 healthy women of childbearing age, who accepted staff physical examination in International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, during July 2019, were enrolled and detected for serum AMH level using chemiluminescence immunoassay. After the outlier exclusion, 234 subjects were finally included and divided into six age groups. The reference intervals of serum AMH in healthy women of childbearing age in different age groups in Shanghai were established. The natural logarithm of serum AMH level and age were fitted by quadratic regression model. Results * The reference interval of serum AMH level was expressed as M(P5-P95), which were 4.76 (0.96-14.17) ng/mL in women aged 19-24 years, 6.03 (1.38-16.56) ng/mL in women aged 25-29 years, 4.30 (0.95-10.73) ng/mL in women aged 30-34 years, 2.40 (0.33-9.27) ng/mL in women aged 35-39 years, 1.04 (0.05-4.00) ng/mL in women aged 40-44 years, and 0.21 (0.01-3.04) ng/ mL in women aged 45-49 years. After logarithmic transformation, serum AMH level and age could well obey the quadratic regression model (R²=0.502). Conclusion * The reference intervals of serum AMH level established for the first time in healthy women of child-bearing age in Shanghai may provide the basis for the evaluation of ovarian reserve function of women of different ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radial basis function (RBF) networks are widely adopted to solve problems in the field of pattern classification. However, in the construction phase of such networks, there are several issues encountered, such as the determination of the number of nodes in the hidden layer, the form and initialization of the basis functions, and the learning of the parameters involved in the networks. In this paper, we present a novel approach for constructing RBF networks for pattern classification problems. An iterative self-constructing clustering algorithm is used to produce a desired number of clusters from the training data. Accordingly, the number of nodes in the hidden layer is determined. Basis functions are then formed, and their centers and deviations are initialized to be the centers and deviations of the corresponding clusters. Then, the parameters of the network are refined with a hybrid learning strategy, involving hyperbolic tangent sigmoid functions, steepest descent backpropagation, and least squares method. As a result, optimized RBF networks are obtained. With this approach, the number of nodes in the hidden layer is determined and basis functions are derived automatically, and higher classification rates can be achieved. Furthermore, the approach is applicable to construct RBF networks for solving both single-label and multi-label pattern classification problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates event-based switching control for production inventory systems with time-varying delays. The different subsystems are established to describe the fact that the different production rates are adjusted to meet the different customer needs, and the conditions of average dwelling time are used to constrain the switchings. The event-triggered scheme, where the event generates when the relative error between the current review-data and the last transmission review-data exceeds a certain threshold, depicts the transmission of raw materials (or finished products) in practice. Then, the sufficient conditions of exponentially stable with a prescribed disturbance attenuation level γ and controller synthesis are formulated as linear matrix inequalitiess for the production inventory switching systems. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustering is the practice of dividing given data into similar groups and is one of the most widely used methods for unsupervised learning. Lee and Ouyang proposed a self-constructing clustering (SCC) method in which the similarity threshold, instead of the number of clusters, is specified in advance by the user. For a given set of instances, SCC performs only one training cycle on those instances. Once an instance has been assigned to a cluster, the assignment will not be changed afterwards. The clusters produced may depend on the order in which the instances are considered, and assignment errors are more likely to occur. Also, all dimensions are equally weighted, which may not be suitable in certain applications, e.g., time-series clustering. In this paper, improvements are proposed. Two or more training cycles on the instances are performed. An instance can be re-assigned to another cluster in each cycle. In this way, the clusters produced are less likely to be affected by the feeding order of the instances. Also, each dimension of the input can be weighted differently in the clustering process. The values of the weights are adaptively learned from the data. A number of experiments with real-world benchmark datasets are conducted and the results are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This work can be used in engineering and information applications. Multi-class classification is a very important technique in engineering applications, e.g., mechanical systems, mechanics and design innovations, applied materials in nanotechnologies, etc. A large amount of research is done for single-label classification where objects are associated with a single category. However, in many application domains, an object can belong to two or more categories, and multi-label classification is needed. Traditionally, statistical methods were used; recently, machine learning techniques, in particular neural networks, have been proposed to solve the multi-class classification problem. In this paper, we develop radial basis function (RBF)-based neural network schemes for single-label and multi-label classification, respectively. The number of hidden nodes and the parameters involved with the basis functions are determined automatically by applying an iterative self-constructing clustering algorithm to the given training dataset, and biases and weights are derived optimally by least squares. Dimensionality reduction techniques are adopted and integrated to help reduce the overfitting problem associated with the RBF networks. Experimental results from benchmark datasets are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractInformed by a positive youth development perspective, the current study develops and validates a brief social capital scale for adolescents and emerging adults from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. We first detail the development of the scale and examine its factor structure using exploratory factor analysis. Second, using a new and independent sample, we use confirmatory factor analysis to replicate and confirm the factor structure of the scale. Finally, we conduct measurement invariance by gender, age, and race-ethnicity to determine if the scale held similar meaning for participants from different groups. Findings support a multidimensional scale of youth social capital that captures three important elements: network strength, network diversity, and network mobilization. The creation of this scale expands possibilities for researchers and practitioners by providing a comprehensive and actionable measure for empirically assessing youth social capital, which can be leveraged to support positive youth development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of Ti top electrode material on the resistive switching properties of ZrO2-based memory film using Pt as bottom electrode was investigated in the present study. When Ti is used as top electrode, the resistive switching behavior becomes dependent on bias polarity and no current compliance is needed during switching into high conducting state. This phenomenon is attributed to the fact that a series resistance between Ti and ZrO2 film, composed of a TiOx layer, a ZrOy layer, and even the contact resistance, imposed a current compliance on the memory device. Besides, our experimental results imply that switching the device into high conducting state is a field driven process while switching back into low conducting state is a current driven process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: One up‐regulated host gene identified previously was found involved in the infection process of Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV), a single‐stranded positive‐sense RNA virus. The full length cDNA of this gene was cloned by 5′ and 3′‐rapid amplification of cDNA ends and found to encode a polypeptide containing a conserved really interesting new gene (RING) domain and a transmembrane domain. The gene might function as an ubiquitin E3 ligase. We designated this protein in Nicotiana benthamiana as ubiquitin E3 ligase containing RING domain 1 (NbUbE3R1). Further characterization by using Tobacco rattle virus‐based virus‐induced gene silencing (loss‐of‐function) revealed that increased BaMV accumulation was in both knockdown plants and protoplasts. The gene might have a defensive role in the replication step of BaMV infection. To further inspect the functional role of NbUbE3R1 in BaMV accumulation, NbUbE3R1 was expressed in N. benthamiana plants. The wild‐type NbUbE3R1‐orange fluorescent protein (NbUbE3R1‐OFP), NbUbE3R1/△TM‐OFP (removal of the transmembrane domain) and NbUbE3R1/mRING‐OFP (mutation at the RING domain, the E2 interaction site) were transiently expressed in plants. NbUbE3R1 and its derivatives all functioned in restricting the accumulation of BaMV. The common feature of these constructs was the intact substrate‐interacting domain. Yeast two‐hybrid and co‐immunoprecipitation experiments used to determine the possible viral‐encoded substrate of NbUbE3R1 revealed the replicase of BaMV as the possible substrate. In conclusion, we identified an up‐regulated gene, NbUbE3R1 that plays a role in BaMV replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive anti-Treponemal immunohistochemistry (original magnification ×200) gl Discussion Lues maligna (malignant syphilis) is a distinct form of secondary syphilis characterized by a widespread papulopustular eruption that rapidly transforms into necrotic, sharply marginated ulcers with hemorrhagic crusts organized in rupioid layers. Histopathological features of lues maligna may be similar to the common form of secondary syphilis, yet the infiltrates are more severe and more granulomatous. 2 Don PC, Rubinstein R, Christie S. Malignant syphilis (lues maligna) and concurrent infection with HIV. [Extracted from the article]

This paper presents the design of a divide-by-three frequency divider operating at 30 GHz with an injection-switched cross-coupled pair topology. A wider locking range as well as a lower operation voltage can be achieved because of this newly proposed topology. The divider is implemented in a 90-nm standard CMOS process. The total locking range of the divider core is 4.5 GHz with a power consumption of 2.85 mW from a supply voltage of 0.5 V. The total power consumption of the buffers is 2.65 mW from a supply voltage of 1.0 V. The measured output phase noise is −141 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset when the input referred signal has a phase noise of −131 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset from 30 GHz. The phase-noise difference of 10 dB is close to the theoretical value of 9.5 dB for division-by-three. The total chip size is 0.48 mm2, and the divider core size is only about 0.14 mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective RENAL nephrometry score (RNS) has been proposed as an anatomical classification system for renal masses to investigate the influence on perioperative outcomes and complications. The aim of this study was to assess the system for external validation on laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN). Materials and methods The single-surgeon database enrolled patients who had undergone LPN from December 2008 to September 2013. Renal tumors were divided into low-, intermediate-, and high-complexity groups according to the RNS sum score. We reviewed perioperative outcomes including operation time (OT), length of stay (LOS), estimated blood loss (EBL), ischemia time (IT), conversion to open surgery rate, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and complications. We also assessed the individual characteristic parameters in the present study. The data was collected retrospectively and analyzed by SPSS Statistics 18. Results A total of 53 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 49.2 years. Of the 53 patients, there were 15 low-, 26 intermediate-, and 12 high-RNS lesions. Significant difference was observed in major complication rate between low- and high-score groups. Both radius and nearness were independent predictors of major complication rate. Also, there was a significant difference in eGFR change between low- and high-complexity tumor group. Fair degree correlation was found between IT and eGFR change ( p < 0.05). Conclusion The RNS is a valuable tool to categorize renal tumors based on the anatomic features when predicting major complication rate. The renal function can be affected after a high-complexity tumor surgery is performed. Also, IT is a fair degree correlation factor of the renal function loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient polymer light-emitting diode (PLED) is demonstrated using the solution-processed octadecanamide (ODAD) as an electron injection layer (EIL). The ability for the EIL of ODAD to lower the electron injection barrier is systematically investigated by the analysis of structural analogs, photovoltaic measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). Devices with ODAD/Al and 2-phenylacetamide/Al cathodes show the higher luminance efficiency (8.5 and 11.0 cd A−1) than that with the Ca/Al cathode (5.9 cd A−1). On the contrary, the device with the octadecylamine/Al cathode shows the performance similar to that of the device with the Al cathode. It correlates the amide functional group with the enhanced electron injection. The corresponding photovoltaic measurements suggest the amide functional group be essential to decrease the work function (WF) of Al. XPS and UPS verify the mechanism for lowering electron injection barrier: the amide functional group forms the C-O-Al complex at the ODAD/Al interface to create the interfacial dipole for decreasing the WF of Al. This is the first demonstration that efficient PLEDs are achieved using amide-functionalized small molecules as EILs. The work here paves the way for developing interfacial materials with the amide functional group to achieve efficient organic/polymer optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]