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The migratory insertion of isonitriles into metal C bonds is a potentially important method for the formation of C C bonds in organic and pharmaceutical syntheses. In this context, the reaction mechanism of Cp * (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)(Cl)Zr(diene) with isonitriles was studied using density functional theory calculations. Zr imido complexes and α-methylene cyclopentenimines are the confirmed products for N-t Bu-, N -2,6-diMePh-, and N -1-adamantyl-substituted isonitriles, whereas six-membered zirconacycles are the thermodynamically favored products for Me- and Et-substituted isonitriles. The β-H elimination pathway is responsible for the formation of α-methylene cyclopentenimines and zirconacycles. The kinetically favored products for MeNC and EtNC are diazazirconacyclopentanes ( σ complexes), which are formed via an isomerization pathway. The effects of substituents on the isonitrile nitrogen atom in the main elementary reactions are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The prevalence of obesity has increased strikingly in recent years. Obesity is associated with increased left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), ventricular wall thickness, left ventricular (LV) mass, left atrial diameter, subtle myocardial systolic as well as diastolic dysfunction and has been identified as an independent predictor of these changes. It’s convinced that weight reduction results in cardiac reverse remodelling, while the functional changes after weight reduction are variable. Here, we present a recent case of man with moderate obesity who acquires favourable regression in chamber size, wall thickness and significant improvement in cardiac function. Briefly, after life-style modifications and comprehensive secondary prevention, great amounts of weight loss was achieved simultaneously with decreased LVEDD and increased LV ejection fraction. As dietary intervention and regular physical activity are pivotal for these benefits, this non-invasive approach for weight loss should be advocated in selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and reliable colorimetric sensor in both solution and paper-based membrane was presented for the determination of nickel ions. Commercial organometallic reagent zincon had been incorporated within hollow ZnSiO 3 nanospheres to serve as hybrid ionophore, the blue color of which faded after successive addition of Ni 2+ due to competition and displacement of Zn 2+ in the ionophore. The selectivity was very good and can be further improved using Na 2 -EDTA as a masking agents which eventually becomes a co-ionophore. The detection solutions were further used to coat cellulose membrane modified with TiO 2 and silylating reagent to fabricate paper-based sensors for naked-eye detection of Ni 2+ . With optimum conditions selected, the assays in solution obtained a detection limit of 35.6 nM with linear range from 32 nM to 9.2 mM, while for the paper-based assays, the detection limit goes to 83 nM with linear range between 78 nM and 76 μΜ. Besides, the assay enable naked-eye differentiation of nickel ions down to 0.1 μΜ. Testing the present paper sensor on real river turbulent water shows a maximum 5% relative error, demonstrating the feasibility of present assays for real applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthohumol is the major prenylated flavonoid in the hop plant ( Humulus lupulus L.). The aim of our study was to determine the effects of xanthohumol on the U87 glioma cell line. In the present study, the U87 glioma cell line was treated with xanthohumol. Our results showed that xanthohumol reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis detected by the MTT assay and PI–Annexin V doubling staining, respectively, in glioma cells. In the acridine orange staining experiments, we also found that xanthohumol induced autophagy, as detected by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Western blot also showed that xanthohumol inhibited the Akt/mTOR/S6K pathway and promoted LC3-II formation and p62 degradation. Moreover, we found that the Erk inhibitor or JNK inhibitor could partially reversed the xanthohumol-induced LC3-II formation and cell death. Otherwise, autophagy inhibition by bafilomycin A1, Atg5 shRNA, or Atg7 shRNA partially protected xanthohumol-induced cell death. These findings indicated that xanthohumol may induce glioma cell death through induction of autophagy. In addition, we also demonstrated that xanthohumol inhibited tumour growth in a mouse xenograft model. In conclusion, xanthohumol may induce autophagy in glioma cells through both Akt/mTOR/S6K pathway and MAPK cascade and inhibit tumour growth in vivo . Our findings also support that autophagy induction may provide benefits to increasing therapeutic efficacy of anti-cancer drugs for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Present a new polymer-based (Locatite3525) microbottle resonator fabricated by UV light irradiation and thermal reflow technology. • By optimizing the concentration of the dip impregnation GO solution, the microbottle resonator exhibited high RH sensitivity and figure of merit of 0.161 nm/%RH and 2.01/%RH. • After high-temperature annealing at 300 °C, temperature sensitivity of the microbottle resonator decreased by an order of magnitude, which significantly reduces the cross-sensitivity between humidity and temperature. A polymer-based micro-bottle resonator coated with graphene oxide (GO) film is presented to improve the relative humidity (RH) sensing performance. Polymeric material Loctite 3525 was coated onto a quartz fiber and cured by using UV light irradiation and thermal reflow technology. A layer of GO film was prepared on the micro-bottle resonator by the dip impregnation method, which realized a high Q-factor (>104) transmission of energy by appropriately designing a wave-guide resonator coupling. By optimizing the concentration of GO dip impregnation solution, high sensitivity and figure of merit (FoM) of 0.161 nm /%RH and 2.01/%RH were achieved in the RH range of 22–81%. In addition, after high-temperature annealing at 300 °C, the temperature sensitivity decreased by an order of magnitude from 0.793 nm /°C to 0.068 nm /°C, which significantly reduces the cross-sensitivity between humidity and temperature. The proposed resonator has the advantages of being compact in size, low in cost, high sensitivity, and low in temperature crosstalk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: One of the main symptoms of patients with myasthenia gravis is dysphagia, which will reduce the patients’ nutritional absorption and influences the quality of living. The activity of swallowing involves interaction and coordination between a variety of muscles and the nervous system. It is, therefore, difficult for clinicians to detect dysphagia. Furthermore, the symptoms of myasthenia gravis are unstable, making clinical judgment troublesome. How to accurately diagnose the severity of dysphagia in the clinic has become an important research topic. This paper proposes a dysphagia severity discrimination system for patients with myasthenia gravis. It uses a non-invasive Adam''s apple microphone and surface electromyography to collect the swallow signal generated by sound and muscle activity when the patient swallows water. The system then extracts features to discriminate the severity of dysphagia during each swallow phase. The experimental results show that the system can provide concrete features for clinicians to diagnose dysphagia in myasthenia gravis patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Circulating antibodies of the acetylcholine receptor (AchRAb) are detectable in most patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (MG). A newly discovered antibody against muscle-specific kinase (MuSKAb) has been detected in 40–70% of AchRAb-negative MG patients. We report a series of Taiwanese MuSKAb-positive patients, and compare their clinical features with MuSKAb-negative patients and also with MuSKAb-positive Caucasians. Five out of 44 seronegative generalized MG patients (11.4%) were positive for MuSKAb. Patients with MuSKAb tended to have severe disability and bulbar involvement, and more often experienced crisis or impending crisis. Although all of these patients showed an initial response to immunosuppressant therapy, they had greater disability at follow-up. The clinical features of Taiwanese MuSKAb-positive patients were not different from those of Caucasians, except for a lower prevalence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, a hydrodynamic model is developed to simulate the six degrees of freedom motions of the underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) including the umbilical cable effect. The corresponding hydrodynamic forces on the underwater vehicle are obtained by the planar motion mechanism test technique. With the relevant hydrodynamic coefficients, the 4th-order Runge–Kutta numerical method is then adopted to solve the equations of motions of the ROV and the configuration of the umbilical cable. The multi-step shooting method is also suggested to solve the two-end boundary-value problem on the umbilical cable with respect to a set of first-order ordinary differential equation system. All operation simulations for the ROV including forward moving, ascending, descending, sideward moving and turning motions can be analyzed, either with or without umbilical cable effect. The current effect is also taken into consideration. The present results reveal that the umbilical cable indeed significantly affects the motion of the ROV and should not be neglected in the simulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Our study aims to develop a personal digital assistant (PDA)-based wireless application in medical information processing by using Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11b wireless standards and SyncML codes. Methods: In this study, an “integrated database access module” is used to provide a unified integrated access interface while consistency of wireless data transmission is achieved by using the standardized SyncML protocol. A prototype of the system has been developed, implemented, and tested for its mobility, usability, stability, and performance with questionnaire survey. Results: Response time for browsing/searching was usually less than 3s. The average time intervals needed for data transmissions were 68.6±8.5s for Bluetooth and 47.0±4.8s for 802.11b. The five-point Likert scale (from 1=least to 5=most) questionnaire survey of 30 medical professionals yielded a high degree of satisfaction with the system''s mobility (4.18±0.89), usability (4.69±0.90), stability (3.81±0.94), and performance (3.97±0.88). Conclusion: The results of our study suggested that PDA applications which exploit wireless communication are convenient and feasible in clinical practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is a neurodegenerative disorder with highly variable clinical presentation, including the childhood cerebral form, adult form adrenomyeloneuropathy, and Addison disease. The biochemical hallmark of the disorder is the accumulation of saturated very long chain fatty acids in all tissues and body fluids. This accumulation results from mutations in the ABCD1 gene localized to Xq28. Using polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing of deoxyribonucleic acid, we identified five novel mutations, including a microdeletion (1624 del ATC), a splicing site mutation (intervening sequence 1 [IVS1] -2a>c), and three missense mutations (1172 T>C, 1520 G>A, and 1754 T>C), from Taiwanese kindred with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. A polymorphism involving a single nucleotide deletion in the intervening sequence 5 (IVS5 -6 del c) of the ABCD1 gene, previously misattributed as a mutation in the Chinese population, was also identified. The dinucleotide deletion (1415 del AG) mutation common in Japan and Western countries was not found as frequently in the Chinese and Taiwanese populations. Instead, a higher mutation frequency was observed in exon 6 of the ABCD1 gene among Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese kindred with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, representing a potential mutational hotspot for future mutational screening among these Asian populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study focuses on the glucose concentrations by an U-shaped spiral fiber optical probes device. In this article, we used zero-knotted and double-knotted U-shaped spiral fiber optical probes with 0.6 mm bending radius for measuring glucose solutions was investigated. The fiber optical probe is worked on the different concentrations of the glucose solution and obtain the effective refractive index changes. The principle theory underlying the probe is the whispering gallery mode (WGM). The experimental results show that the double-knotted transmission loss sensitivity can achieve 0.061 dB/% and the highest linearity was 0.99 at the same time. The indicated that the double-knotted U-shaped spiral optical fiber probe with small radius has good the resolution of glucose concentration measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance measurement and removal of copper ions is highly desirable in both clinical and environmental applications. Herein, an efficient, reliable and recyclable functional material was prepared to adsorb and determine Cu 2+ using N -[3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl] ethylenediamine modified mesoporous hollow shells (HMS-NHs). By stepwise coating with mesoporous silica at highly mono-dispersed PS spheres, removal of template materials, and modification with functional diamine groups, higher absorption capacity of about 138.58 mg/g was obtained. After optimization of PS template size, thickness of SiO 2 layers, pore size of the shell, and etc, as-prepared HMS-NHs gave clear colorimetric response after color development using cupron solution. Selectively measure Cu 2+ in a wide concentration ranges from 0.025 to 49 μΜ was observed with a detection limit around 0.025 μΜ (3δ). More importantly, the functional absorbent can be regenerated by treatment with hydrochloric acid and maintains high efficiency upon repeated use for at least 10 times. Extensive investigation demonstrated that the HMS-NHs can serve as not only high-performance absorption materials but also sensitive sensor for Cu 2+ , thus offering a good alternative for potential removal and detection of copper ions in real applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, cheap and effective functional paper has been fabricated to absorb and detect Cu 2+ with good sensitivity and selectivity. Using commercial cellulose filter papers as substrate, Magneli phase structure of Ti 6 O 11 was coated at the surface to serve as intermediate linker to modify N-[3-(Trimethoxysilyl) propyl] ethylenediamine for Cu 2+ binding. Under optimized conditions, i.e. at 50 °C with electromagnetic stirring, the functional paper can adsorb Cu 2+ with high performance and give clear color response using cupron as chromogenic agent. The concentration-dependent colorimetric response (Δ B value) matches well with the exponential linear curve under dynamic adsorption conditions, where the linear range was from 33.6 nM to 39.8 μM and the detection limit was measured to be about 33.6 nM. Measurement of a group of possible interfering ions and spiked real water samples demonstrated the good selectivity of the proposed paper. Furthermore, the performance can be further improved using microwave irradiation, where a lower detection limit of 16.8 nM was achieved within a wider linear range from 16.2 nM to 0.98 mM. The reaction time can be shortened to 20 min to reach final equilibrium and the saturated adsorption amount of Cu 2+ for a single piece of paper (diameter = 1.0 cm) was as high as 4.5169 μg/cm 2 . The proposed functional papers would offer an effective alternative for potential adsorption and determination of copper ions in real applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that AITC can effectively control pathogenic fungi, which cause fruits and vegetables decay and rotting during storage. However, because of its strong irritant, AITC has not been conveniently used in fruits and vegetables preservation. Microencapsulation techniques may solve this problem. Up to 2% (w/v) gelatin and 2% (w/v) gum arabic (as wall material and materials), as well as AITC (as core material) were prepared used to form microcapsules with a ratio of 1:2 (the core material: to wall material). On the basis of the microcapsule option conditions, the AITC microcapsule encapsulation efficiency is above 90%, which can effectively control AITC release decrease irritant. Compared with control group, the storage time of the tomato of AITC microcapsule preservation was prolonged significantly, and the sensory quality of the tomato was better. Thus, the AITC microcapsule preservation has broad application prospects and development value prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous positive airway pressure treatment (CPAP) is administered to treat the common disorder of obstructive sleep apnea. However, patients receiving CPAP treatment without a sleep assessment and clinical diagnosis often do not feel or understand the improvement in their condition, necessitating a sleep quality improvement index for physicians to analyze improvements in patient treatment rapidly. This work presents a novel sleep quality evaluation system that calculates the improvement value for sleep quality using electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram signal features, as well as fuzzy inferences. Experimental results indicate that the sleep quality improvement rating of the proposed system and that of the apnea-hyponea index correlate with each other. Importantly, the proposed system can identify considerable levels of improvement in the physiological signals of patients having undergone CPAP treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The rational design of two-dimensional (2D) heterogeneous photocatalysts is considered to be one of the effective methods to achieve high-efficiency migration and separation of photo-excited electrons and holes. Nevertheless, if these separated photo-excited electrons fail to be removed as soon as possible, they tend to recombine with photo-generated holes due to their own instability, losing its excellent photocatalytic activity. Therefore, by means of the combination of 2D semiconductor heterostructures and noble metal modifying technology, we reported the preparation of novel 2D Ag-Bi 7 O 9 I 3 -Bi 25 VO 40 composite photocatalyst through a facile partial chemical conversion strategy coupling with photo-reduction method, employing the pre-prepared Bi 25 VO 40 microcubes as starting materials. The resulted Ag-Bi 7 O 9 I 3 -Bi 25 VO 40 ternary heterostructure exhibited outstanding photo-degradation ability by comparison of pure Bi 7 O 9 I 3 , Bi 25 VO 40 as well as Bi 7 O 9 I 3 -Bi 25 VO 40. In addition, some active species produced during the photocatalytic reaction process were identified by the introduction of corresponding trapping agents. The improved photodegradation efficiency might be attributable to the effective separation of photo-induced electrons and holes derived from the energy level difference between two heterogeneous components, unique 2D layered structure, strong internal electric field and the famous "electronic sink effect" of Ag nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Novel Ag-Bi 12 GeO 20 -Bi 2 WO 6 heterojunction was developed and demonstrated as an excellent photocatalyst to degrade the Rhodamine B (RhB) aqueous solution with the help of UV–vis light. The Bi 12 GeO 20 -Bi 2 WO 6 heterojunction was firstly fabricated through a facile partial chemical conversion strategy, employing pre-prepared Bi 2 WO 6 nanosheets as Bi3+ source. Under the high temperature and high pressure environments, partially released Bi3+ ions derived from the Bi 2 WO 6 nanosheets could react with Ge source, leading to the formation of Bi 12 GeO 20 tetrahedrons. Meanwhile, the remaining Bi 2 WO 6 nanosheets were also anchored in situ onto the surface of the Bi 12 GeO 20 tetrahedrons, thus forming a unique heterojunction with "face-to-face" connection form of heterogeneous interface. After the loading of Ag nanoparticles, the as-obtained Ag-Bi 12 GeO 20 -Bi 2 WO 6 heterogeneous structure exhibited outstanding catalytic efficiency toward the decomposition of RhB. Due to the structural and compositional features such as matching band structure, intimate interfacial contacts, unique interface contact structure and the well-known "schottky barriers", the photo-generated charges of the resulting ternary composite photocatalyst was efficiently separated and thus exhibited improved catalytic activity. This rational construction of Ag-Bi 12 GeO 20 -Bi 2 WO 6 ternary photocatalytic system based on energy band engineering is ingenious and can provide a mirror for the fabrication of other photocatalytic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensor made of Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 @NG@Au@ETBD was developed to specifically detect Pb 2+ in a significantly toxic aqueous environment. Nitrogen–doped graphene (NG) was utilized as the substrate material of the sensor by a self–assembly method. The synergistic effect of the Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 as well as the expanded activated surface and good electrical conductivity of the gold nanoparticles enhanced the detection of Pb 2+ . 2, 2′–((1E)–((4–((2–mercaptoethyl) thio) −1, 2–phenylene) bis (azanylylidene)) bis (methanylylidene)) diphenol (ETBD) was employed as the capture probe for the label–free detection. The electrical characteristics of the Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 @NG@Au@ETBD sensor were monitored to measure and investigate the performance of the sensor. Compared with conventional detection technologies and electrodes, this sensor enabled a wide linear range from 4 × 10 −13 mol/L to 2 × 10 −8 mol/L. Lower limits of detection and quantification for Pb 2+ , 7.5 × 10 −13 and 2.5 × 10 −12 mol/L, respectively, were achieved. Furthermore, the Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 @NG@Au@ETBD sensor could distinguish Pb 2+ from other metal ions despite the interfering metal ions with concentrations 10 3 –fold higher than that of Pb 2+ . The proposed sensor could potentially be used in heavy–metal detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct detection of Fe 3+ ions is of significant importance in view of both clinical and environmental applications. In the present study, we presented the construction of a paper-based colorimetric sensor by alternative modification of commercial cellulose paper with TiO 2 membrane as intermediate layer, hydrophobic/hydrophilic coating to obtain uniform diffusion, and decoration of –NH 2 and –SH groups for gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) immobilization. After optimization of fabrication and detection conditions, the colorimetric sensor showed a linear concentration-dependent colorimetric response (ΔG) in the presence of Fe 3+ concentrations ranging from 1.0 to 37 μM (R 2 > 0.98). The detection limit was calculated to be 0.85 μM (3δ) with good selectivity. Besides, the sensor also showed high resistance to AuNPs leaking in aqueous solutions, and demonstrated consistent measurement of Fe 3+ in serum samples. Those results suggested that as-prepared sensor strip is potential useful for Fe 3+ ion determination in clinical and environmental samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) is a member of the ABCC subfamily of the adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporters that remove cyclic nucleotides from platelets and uptake ADP into dense granule in platelets. However, whether MRP4 directly involves platelet activation remains unclear. Thus, the aim of our study was to determine the detailed mechanisms underlying the regulation of MRP4 in platelet activation. Our results revealed that the MRP4 inhibitor MK571 inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation which was partially reversed by the PKA inhibitor H89, but not by the adenylyl cyclase (AC) inhibitor SQ22536 and the guanylyl cyclase (GC) inhibitor ODQ, suggesting that MK571 can prevent collagen-induced aggregation via a route independent of cyclic nucleotide production. In the present study, we found that MK571 inhibited collagen-induced ATP release and calcium mobilization. The phosphorylation of protein kinase C, JNK, and Akt was also inhibited by MK571, and electron spin resonance experiment showed that MK571 significantly reduced hydroxyl radical formation. Moreover, MK571 delayed platelet plug formation in vitro by a PFA-100 device, and delayed thrombus formation in mesenteric venules of mice irradiated by fluorescein sodium. However, previous studies have reported that MK571 also blocks MRP1 and leukotriene D4 (LTD4) receptor. Therefore, whether MK571 inhibits platelet activation through MRP1 or LTD4 receptor needs to be considered and further defined. In conclusion, in addition to blocking the transport of cyclic nucleotides, MRP4 inhibition may prevent thrombus formation in vitro and in vivo. Our findings also support the idea that MRP4 may represent a potential target for the development of novel therapeutic interventions for the treatment of thromboembolic disorders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. However, the relationship between blood levels of MMPs and the extent of carotid atherosclerosis remains uncertain. We assessed blood levels of active MMPs in relation to the extent of carotid plaque formation and intima–media thickness (IMT) in a community population in Taiwan. Methods: In 433 subjects from a community primary stroke prevention program, blood levels of active MMP-1, total and active MMP-3 and active MMP-9 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, carotid plaque score (PS) and IMT by high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography and the common MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9 promoter low- and high-activity genotypes by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: Study subjects were separated into 3 groups based on PS: group 1 (PS=0), group 2 (PS=1–2) and group 3 (PS≥3). Blood levels of active and total MMP-3 bear a highly significant relationship with PS (both p <0.0001). A multiple ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that blood levels of active MMP-3 are correlated with PS (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1–1.8; p =0.0038) but not IMT. MMP-3 −1612 6A6A is a dominant genotype in this population, which is associated with higher levels of blood active MMP-3. Conclusion: Blood levels of active MMP-3 are associated with the extent of carotid atherosclerosis based on PS but not IMT in this community population in Taiwan and the MMP-3 −1612 6A6A genotype is associated with higher levels of blood active MMP-3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The healthcare industry is recently going through extensive changes, through adoption of robust, interoperable healthcare information technology by means of electronic medical records (EMR). However, a major concern of EMR is adequate confidentiality of the individual records being managed electronically. Multiple access points over an open network like the Internet increases possible patient data interception. The obligation is on healthcare providers to procure information security solutions that do not hamper patient care while still providing the confidentiality of patient information. Medical images are also part of the EMR which need to be protected from unauthorized users. This study integrates the techniques of fingerprint verification, DICOM object, digital signature and digital envelope in order to ensure that access to the hospital Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) or radiology information system (RIS) is only by certified parties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The measurement range is enlarged from 25 °C to −195 °C by using TiN-coated FBG. • The results showed that temperature sensitivity of 10.713 pm/ °C and R2 is 0.995. • The sensors have highly responsive when used at cryogenic temperature sensing. In this study, single metal-coated Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors and bare FBG sensors were placed in an aluminum alloy mold, which were in turn packaged in a thermal insulation container to monitor the temperature response, and used as cryogenic temperature sensors. Specifically, the performance of titanium nitride (TiN)-coated FBG sensors in cryogenic temperature environments was evaluated. Using an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA), the reflection spectra of the TiN-coated FBG sensors were measured and compared with those of bare FBG for temperatures ranging from 25 to −195 °C. The results showed that the TiN-coated FBG exhibited a temperature sensitivity of 10.713 pm/°C and R-squared value of 0.995. The TiN-coated on the FBG altered the non-linear characteristics of the thermo-optic and thermal expansion coefficients of the FBG. Through this research to get thermo-optic coefficient (ξ = 5.12 × 10−6) and thermal expansion coefficient (α = 1.81 × 10−6) and resulted in more precise measurements at cryogenic temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Large hemispheric infarcts cause high mortality and morbidity. Understanding the clinical course and prognostic factors in patients with LHI, thereby enabling the identification of patients who will benefit from early aggressive intervention, is important. This study describes the clinical course of patients who had LHI and identifies the predictors for mortality. Methods: A retrospective collection of clinical and laboratory data in patients admitted to a neurologic intensive care unit of a medical center was examined. Large hemispheric infarct was defined as an infarct that involved at least 2 of the 3 (deep, superior, and posterior) MCA territories. Patients who received a hemicraniectomy were not included. Results: Fifty patients with radiologically confirmed LHI were analyzed. The 30-day mortality rate was 22%. Only patients who had massive infarcts (complete MCA territory infarcts and beyond) died, whereas none with i-MCAs died (P < .001). For the 26 patients with massive infarcts, the 30-day mortality was 42.3%. Early deterioration, ipsilateral pupil dilation, and a low GCS were associated with mortality. Further analysis revealed that an age less than 70 years (OR 24.5, 95% CI 2.3-262.6) and a GCS less than 10 at the second day of stroke (OR 15, 95% CI 1.5-149.5) predicted a fatal outcome among patients with massive infarcts. A GCS less than 12 at the first day of stroke and early CT findings of hypodensity more than one half of the MCA territory were associated with massive infarct. Conclusions: The extent of infarction is a crucial factor for mortality. The consciousness level may identify patients at risk for massive infarct at the first day of stroke and predict a fatal outcome as early as the second day. Early identification of the extent of infarction and close monitoring of the consciousness level help predict outcome. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]