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HighlightsThis study used data normalization, radar chart and weighting difference analysis to compare the performances of four types of tea dryers in terms of drying efficiency, energy, costs, qualities, and total efficiency.The electro-thermal dryers were more energy-saving and environment friendly.The vacuum drum dryer has the potential for useful application in high quality tea drying. Abstract. Tea dryers are essential equipment for tea manufacturers whereby, the hot-air tea drying machines, such as multiple-layer conveyor dryer (MLD), electric hot-air dryer (HAD), and low-humidity dryer (LHD), are commonly used. The vacuum drum dryer (VDD), a new type of tea dryer, has the potential to improve the drying quality and efficiency. Hence, it is necessary to assess its performance in comparison with the other three dryers to facilitate its application in the tea industry. This study used data normalization, radar chart, and weighting difference analysis to compare the performance of these four dryers in terms of drying efficiency, energy, costs, qualities, and total efficiency. The evaluation results indicated that the investment cost of the HAD was the lowest among all, followed by LHD and MLD, while the VDD was the highest. In terms of the drying quality, the opposite trend was observed in which the VDD gave the best performance, and followed by LHD, MLD, and HAD. For the rating of total efficiency, HAD outperformed VDD and LHD, where the lowest total efficiency was attained by the MLD. Considering the equal weighting of cost and quality, it can be concluded that HAD showed the best performance while MLD was the worst. Different requirements for cost and qualities affect the final evaluation of tea dryers. The electro-thermal dryers were more energy-saving and environment friendly than the fuel dryer. The VDD has better performance in terms of drying rate and qualities. Despite its energy consumption and equipment costs are higher, it still has the potential for useful application in high-quality tea drying. The continuous effort of researchers and dryer manufacturers in reducing the input costs and enhancing the benefits can improve the energy consumption and machinery cost of VDD. Keywords: Dryer, Performance evaluation, Radar chart, Tea.

To investigate the clinical characteristics and laboratory data in Behcet’s syndrome (BS) patients in China and analyze the risk factors of disease activity. A retrospective analysis method was used and the demographic data and laboratory results were collected from 174 BS patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the demographic data and laboratory indexes whether that are risk factors or not of disease activity. The most common clinical manifestations of BS patients enrolled were mouth ulceration (48.85%), followed by erythema nodosum (20.69%), and eye involvement (13.75%), while the least common was headache (0%). Most active BS patients (96.55%) used 2 or ≥ 3 immunosuppressants to control disease, while most inactive patients (75%) used 0 or 1 immunosuppressant. The associated risk factors of disease activity consisted of disease duration, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, platelets, fibrin degradation products, IgG, IgM, complement 3, complement 4, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), albumin, albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P < 0.05 or P = 0.00). Disease duration (≤ 60 months) (OR 8.49, 95% CI 2.09–34.49, P = 0.003), NLR (≥ 2) (OR 8.68, 95% CI 2.12–35.49, P = 0.003), CRP (≥ 10 mg/L) (OR 41.12, 95% CI 8.43–200.70, P = 0.000), ESR (≥ 20 mm/H) (OR 9.60, 95% CI 2.41–38.18, P = 0.001), and AGR (< 1.5) (OR 12.42, 95% CI 2.92–52.80, P = 0.001) were the independent risk factors of disease activity in BS patients. Attention should be paid to the risk factors of disease activity and the medicine should be adjusted correspondingly.

The utilization of diffusive solar energy through photocatalytic processes has received tremendous attention. Herein, a full-solar-spectrum photocatalyst with strong near-infrared (NIR) photoactivi...

In order to solve environmental problems and reduce the cost of building materials, this study used waste diatomite from brewing industry to develop novel cement mortar and compared it with pristine one. After pretreatment with water, soaking, drying, it is shown in the microscope that the treated diatomite has recovered its porosity. The thermogravimetric analysis also showed that the purity of treated diatomite was greater than 93%, confirming that most of the originally adsorbed organic matter was removed. Further, the diatomite after the treatment was used to prepare a novel cement mortar, and it was found that the optimum compressive strength was obtained when the water-cement ratio was 0.65 and the amount of diatomite added was 20%. It was found that the average compressive strength after 28 days was 284.03 kg/cm2, which was 81.22 kg/cm2 higher than that of the pristine cement mortar. It is proved that the addition of diatomite can increase the strength of the cement mortar and effectively reuse the waste diatomite.

Epoxy-based isotropic conductive adhesives (ICA) have become the dominant materials in the microelectronic packaging field due to their advantages of low technological temperature, ultrafine line p...

International audience; Objectives.-Rhythmic, stereotyped movements occur in some epileptic seizures. We aimed to document time-evolving frequencies of antero-posterior rocking occurring during prefrontal seizures, using a quantitative video analysis. Methods.-Six seizures from 3 patients with prefrontal epilepsy yet different sublobar local-izations were analyzed using a deep learning-based head-tracking method. Results.-Mean rocking frequency varied between patients and seizures (0.37-1.0 Hz). Coefficient of variation of frequency was low (≤ 12%). Discussion.-Regularity of body rocking movements suggests a mechanism involving intrinsic oscillatory generators. Since localization of seizure onset varied within prefrontal cortex across patients, altered dynamics converging on a ''final common pathway'' of seizure propagation involving cortico-subcortical circuits is hypothesized.

Importance The treatment of cryptogenic stroke patients with patent foramen ovale to prevent recurrence of stroke, especially when patients consider drug prevention alone, has caused serious treatment dilemmas in clinical practice. Objective To study the safety and efficacy of different treatment strategies using a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in this population with cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale. Study Selection PUBMED, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, WangFang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched to identify RCT comparing different treatment strategies. Eleven randomized studies were included (n = 5706). Main Outcomes The primary efficacy outcome was recurrence of ischemic stroke, including fatal and non-fatal ischemic strokes. The primary safety outcome was major hemorrhage, but closure surgery includes systemic thrombotic events, persistent atrial fibrillation, surgical deaths and other major events. Results In terms of efficacy and safety events, compared with antiplatelet, the OR of vitamin K antagonists for stroke recurrence was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.41–1.6), the OR of surgical closure was 0.38 (95% CI, 0.16–0.63), and the OR of NOAC was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.27–2.3). Compared with antiplatelet, the safety event OR of vitamin K antagonists was 1.7 (95% CI, 0.65–4.8), the OR of surgical closure was 1.7 (95% CI, 0.68–3.8), and the OR of NOAC was 2.2 (95% CI, 0.67–7.6). Conclusion In terms of effectiveness, surgical occlusion has the best performance, while anticoagulation is the second best. Vitamin K antagonists and non-vitamin K antagonists are difficult to distinguish between the best in effectiveness. Antiplatelet drugs are considered the worst option. Regarding the safety results, it is generally believed that there are no obvious beneficial interventions, but antiplatelet drugs are considered to be relatively best, followed by surgical intervention and vitamin K antagonists, and non-vitamin K antagonists are considered to be the least safe.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) nanowire array chips with a microfluidic system are an effective detection method for a rapid test device. This study investigated a capped gold nanowire array and a microfluidic test platform to provide a fundamental understanding of the kinetic binding of SPR nanowires and the surface gold refractive index. The device sensitivity of the SPR nanowire array was 485 nm RIU-1 and the detection limit was 4.1 × 10-5 RIU. Moreover, a kinetic binding analysis also indicated that a peak shift resulted from a specific hybridization of the target molecule with the immobilized probe on the gold nanostructures. The peak shift (red-shift) value of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) DNA was 2.21 nm. The results demonstrated that this new method had high sensitivity to detect amplified DNA products without labeling or complex sample treatment. The SPR nanowire chip can detect the PCR products at lower cycle numbers compared to gel electrophoresis due to probe and DNA specificity. Furthermore, the mechanisms of SPR nanowire array fabrication and the detection of the LMP1 gene were studied. The findings can assist in improving the biosensing of DNA-amplified products and in developing rapid detection devices with a small-footprint nanostructured SPR chip.

Background: The potential benefit of arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritic knee associated with medial meniscus tear is controversial. This study was conducted to determine the effect of pre-operative medial meniscus extrusion (MME) on arthroscopic surgery outcomes in the osteoarthritic knee associated with medial meniscus tear during a minimum 4-year follow-up. Methods: This was a retrospective review of a total of 131 patients diagnosed with osteoarthritic knee associated with medial symptomatic degenerative meniscus tear who underwent arthroscopic surgery from January 2012 to December 2014 and were observed for more than 4 years. Patients were classified into two groups: MME ≥3 mm (major MME group, n = 54) and MME

Malnutrition is an important issue in hospitalized patients. Poor nutrition may lead to increased risk of morbidity and death, impaired mental and physical conditions, apathy, depression, self-neglect, increased risk of medical complications, increased risk of pressure ulcers, reduced immune response, delayed wound healing, longer hospital stays, and reduced quality of life. However, few studies have investigated malnutrition in psychiatric patients. Psychiatric patients are known to have an increased risk of malnutrition, but psychiatric hospitals rarely conduct physical examinations and nutritional assessments. In this preliminary study, patients from a psychiatric ward of the Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital were chosen using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool. We used the before-and-after analysis to test the effect of a nutrition intervention on the selected parameters. We found that patients who had an impaired nutritional status showed significant increases in body weight (mean: 43.6 ± 7.5 vs. 46.5 ± 8.2 kg; P < 0.001), BMI (mean: 16.8 ± 2.0 vs. 17.9 ± 2.1 kg/m2; P < 0.001), and total calorie intake (mean: 1128 ± 230 vs. 1378 ± 320 Kcal; P < 0.001). Nutritional intervention significantly improved body weight, BMI, and total calorie intake. Nutritional intervention may help prevent malnutrition and improve the management of psychiatric patients.

The prevention and forecast of coal and gas outburst has always been one of the key issues in coal mining safety. By simulating the process of tunneling in coal seam with different dip angle through FLAC3D software, the dangerous zone in which outburst may occur and the probability of outburst near the working face were predicted through the distribution of stress, displacement and plastic zone. Then we discussed the size of unstable area in the surrounding rock through the distribution of stress and the variation curve of the displacement on the roadway wall. The results show that, with an increase of the coal seam dip angle, the risk of outburst in the working face rises gradually. And the dangerous areas in which may outburst occur moves to the upper part of coal seam. The size of unstable area in the surrounding rock increases with the increase of coal seam dip angle.

Continuum robots have significant advantages in terms of high dexterity level and adaptability, leading to potential applications in narrow space operation and minimally invasive surgery. Endowing the tactile perception to the continuum robots will make them aware of collision. Here, we propose a self-powered triboelectric tactile perception ring (TTPR) that can sense tiny collision pressure in 4 directions. Integrating TTPR into each joint of the continuum robot enables the robot to aware collision and adjust posture. The demonstration of obstacle avoidance and adaptive crawling reveals that the proposed TTPR has the potential of being a promising solution for collision-aware of continuum robot.

The efficacy and safety of adjunctive nonconvulsive electrotherapy (NET) for patients with depression are undetermined. This systematic review was conducted to examine the efficacy and safety of adjunctive NET for patients with depression. Chinese (WanFang and Chinese Journal Net) and English (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library) databases were systematically searched from their inception until Jan 27, 2021 by three independent investigators. One randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 3 treatment arms (n = 108) and two observational studies (single-group, before-after design, n = 31) were included. In the RCT, the antidepressant efficacy of NET on depression was similar to that of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) (P > 0.05) but with significantly fewer neurocognitive impairments as measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) (P

In recent years, Edge computing for AI applications has been the focus of research by various companies and academic units in order to achieve high speed real-time computations. Therefore, the submitted work separates the convolution operations so that the proposed accelerator can not only operate in the convolutional networks, but also operate in the lightweight neural networks. The main design focus is to utilize a tiled structure to optimize the suitable size resided in the block of input data. The proposed design also implements the data flow and parallelism analysis to minimize the access of the memory for the DNN hardware circuit and to achieve the high efficiency of the operation. The PE hardware utilization rate of 100% for different kernel sizes can be realized through the PE design and the reduced kernel size without accounting for the data loading time. The proposed accelerator is constituted with 32 MACs and internal logic of 450k gates by implemented in TSMC 40nm process. The simulated energy efficiency can reach to 213.3 GOPS/W while operating at 500MHz.

Summary This article proposed a high-performance triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid wind energy harvester (WEH). By adopting the revolution and rotation movements of tapered rollers, which serve as both the rotor of the electromagnetic generator (EMG) part and freestanding layers of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) part, the WEH can work as a sustainable power source and a self-powered wind speed sensor. When the wind speed is 12 m/s, super-high open-circuit voltage peaks of 47.4 and 683 V can be achieved by the EMG and TENG, respectively, corresponding to the high-power outputs of 62 and 1.8 mW. It was demonstrated that the WEH can easily light up over 600 red light-emitting diodes and even a 5-W globe light. A self-powered wireless temperature and humidity sensing network was also systematically demonstrated. In summary, the proposed WEH exhibits bright future toward IoT applications, such as in border detection, smart buildings, and so on., Graphical abstract, Highlights • A triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid generator based on tapered rollers is proposed • The high-performance WEH has been systematically optimized and tested • A self-powered anemometer system has been successfully established • The WEH shows bright prospect in future IoT applications, Electromagnetics ; Energy Resources ; Energy Systems ; Device

Intestinal Behçet's syndrome (IBS) has high morbidity and mortality rates with serious complications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins in the intestinal tissues of IBS patients and explore the role of plasma exosomes derived from IBS patients in the pyroptosis of intestinal epithelial cells.Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression of nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and gasdermin D (GSDMD). Quantitative real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in the intestinal tissues. Plasma exosomes were isolated and observed by transmission electron microscopy. The exosomes were co-cultured with intestinal epithelial cells in vitro. Western blot was used to measure the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins including NLRP3, full-length GSDMD, N-terminal GSDMD, pro-caspase-1, and cleaved caspase-1. The levels of IL-1β and IL-18 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cell death was measured by using the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay.Expression of NLRP3 (12.2% ± 1.2%, 8.1% ± 0.9%, t = 4.692, p = 0.009), caspase-1 (24.6% ± 2.1%, 4.2% ± 1.8%, t = 12.842, p = 0.000), and GSDMD (16.6% ± 1.9%, 9.8% ± 1.3%, t = 5.194, p = 0.007) were significantly increased in the intestinal tissues of patients with IBS compared with normal control (NC) group, respectively. The relative mRNA levels of IL-1β (t = 4.308, p = 0.005) and IL-18 (t = 3.096, p = 0.021) in the intestinal tissues were significantly higher in IBS patients than in NC group, while the protein levels of IL-1β (t = 3.873, p = 0.018) and IL-18 (t = 4.389, p = 0.012) were also significantly increased, which was consistent with the results of the relative mRNA levels. Moreover, we found that exosomes from IBS patients significantly induced pyroptosis of intestinal epithelial cells via the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in vitro experiments.Plasma exosomes derived from IBS patients may induce pyroptosis of intestinal epithelial cells via the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. Key Points •The role of exosomes in IBS is first reported in this study. • In this study, we explored the mechanism that plasma exosomes derived from IBS patients may induce pyroptosis of intestinal epithelial cells via the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome.

Background Whereas previous studies found that concomitant antidepressant and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) use may increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, either drug alone increases the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Objective To assess the risk for ICH in patients on concomitant treatment with antidepressants and NSAIDs. Methods This was a nested case-control study using national insurance claims data in Taiwan between 2005 and 2013. Drug exposure was measured and compared during 3 time windows: 1 to 30, 31 to 60, and 61 to 90 days before the index date, which is the date of the ICH event. Both traditional and newer-generation antidepressants were considered in this study. Results Patients exposed to both antidepressants and NSAIDs 1 to 30 days before the index date presented a 50% increased odds of developing ICH (OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.31-1.80) compared with patients receiving antidepressants alone. Specifically, the concomitant use of nonselective NSAIDs and antidepressants increased these odds compared with antidepressants alone (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.31-1.84), but using a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor with antidepressant did not alter ICH risk. Regarding antidepressant class, newer-generation antidepressants generally increase the odds of developing ICH by 60% when used concomitantly with NSAIDs. Conclusion and Relevance Our results suggested that the concomitant use of antidepressants and NSAIDs was associated with an increased odds of developing ICH. NSAIDs, especially nonselective NSAIDs, and serotonergic antidepressants played an important role in this risk. Given the prevalent use of these 2 classes of drugs, this potential drug interaction deserves more attention.

Background: Intestinal Behçet’s syndrome (BS) has high morbidity and mortality rates with serious complications. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and laboratory indicators of intestinal BS compared with mucocutaneous BS patients in China and analyzed the risk factors of intestinal complications in BS patients.Methods: A retrospective analysis was used to collect the demographic data and laboratory results from 97 patients newly diagnosed with intestinal BS and 154 patients newly diagnosed with mucocutaneous BS. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the demographic data and laboratory indexes whether a risk factor of intestinal involvement in BS patients.Results: The most common clinical manifestations of first onset in intestinal BS patients were oral ulceration (100.00%), followed by genital ulcers (62.89%) and erythema nodule (28.87%), gastrointestinal lesions (28.87%), pseudofolliculitis (25.77%), fever (17.53%), arthritis (16.49%), ocular involvement (5.15%), while the least common were vascular involvement (2.06%) and blood system involvement (2.06%). The most common intestinal segment involved in intestinal BS patients was terminal ileum (30.9%), followed by ileocecal (18.6%), colon (15.5%). Most intestinal BS patients (89.7%) used ≥ 3 immunosuppressants to control disease while most mucocutaneous BS patients (92.9%) used 1 or 2 immunosuppressant. By univariate logistic regression analysis, we found gender, age at hospitalization, age of disease onset, BDCAF, T-SPOT, fever, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), serum amyloid A (SAA), complement 3 (C3), albumin, total cholesterol(TCH), high-density lipoprotein(HDL) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were all risk factors of intestinal involvement in BS patients (P10mg/L), HGB (7pg/ml) were the independent risk factors of intestinal involvement in BS patients (all PConclusions: More attention should be paid to gender, BDCAF, ESR, CRP, HGB and IL-6 of intestinal involvement in BS patients and therapeutic regiment should be adjusted timely to prevent the occurrence of serious clinical complication in BS patients.

Background: prediabetes prevention and management are the main methods used to combat the prevalence of diabetes. Exploratory factor analysis is an upcoming method that is successful in identifying dietary patterns that correlate with healthy or unhealthy outcomes. Aim: this study aims to identify dietary patterns in Taiwan that are associated with the risk of prediabetes. Methods: anthropometric, blood glucose, 3 d/24 h dietary records, and food frequency questionnaire data were collected from subjects recruited at Taipei Tzu-Chi Hospital. The following five dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis: Western, prudent, convenience, Asian traditional, and continental. This cross-sectional study compares tertiles of dietary patterns and analyzes the significance of the characteristics. Results: the Western and the prudent patterns are the major dietary patterns found in other studies. A higher factor loading in the Western pattern is significantly related to a higher risk of prediabetes. A higher factor loading in the continental pattern is significantly related to a lower risk of prediabetes. Conclusion: decreasing meat and seafood consumption while increasing egg, coffee, and milk consumption may be associated with a decreased risk for prediabetes.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of types of horticultural activities among elderly individuals in a senior citizen learning camp. We arranged four horticultural activities: Grass Doll, Kokedama, Rocky Leaf Prints, and Herb Tasting and Smelling. Twenty-seven senior citizens (60 to 76 years) were recruited to participate. We assessed their physiological and mental state before and after the activities by measuring heart rate variability (HRV), pulse rate, blood pressure, salivary amylase activity (SAA), and Profile of Mood States (POMS). Results showed that SAA was significantly lower after the Rocky Leaf Prints, Herb Tasting and Smelling, and Kokedama. Pulse rate had a downward trend after the four horticultural activities. The ratio of low frequency (LF) over high frequency (HF) results showed that the Rocky Leaf Prints had a larger downward trend, followed by Herb Tasting and Smelling. POMS scores indicated significant improvement for Rocky Leaf Prints and Herb Tasting and Smelling. The types including artistic creation and food tasting were promising methods for psychological relaxation, stress reduction, and vigor enhancement for elderly persons. Findings showed that the impact of activities involving contact with plants was more significant in short-term activities. We hope this study can help plan the horticultural activities of the elderly in the future.

Corticosteroids are commonly used as first-line treatment for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD); however, they are effective in only approximately one-half of patients. This study prospectively evaluated the use of ruxolitinib combined with 1 mg/kg methylprednisolone in the initial treatment of aGVHD. A total of 32 patients were enrolled. aGVHD involved the skin (53.1%), gastrointestinal tract (68.8%), and liver (6.0%). The complete response rate at day +28 was 96.9%. The 1-year and 2-year cumulative incidence rates of chronic GVHD were 9.4% and 13.8%, respectively. The 1- year cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality was 8.7%, and the Kaplan-Meier curve estimated 1-year overall survival after transplantation at 73.4%. This prospective study suggests that patients with aGVHD show a high response rate to ruxolitinib (5 mg/day) combined with 1 mg/kg/day methylprednisolone. This novel regimen was seen to spare steroid exposure, alleviate toxicity, and improve long-term survival.

A 4-channel 850nm VCSEL array optical transmitter module for 50 Gb/s PAM-4 transmission applications was proposed and demonstrated without digital signal processing (DSP). The proposed module was separately measured by 25 Gb/s NRZ and 25GBaud PAM-4 transmissions over 100-meter OM4 multi-mode fiber (MMF). For 25 Gb/s NRZ transmission, the module can be achieved the error-free (BER < 1.0E-12) transmission under test with the forward error correction (FEC). Also, the clear eye diagrams can be measured for 50 Gb/s PAM-4 transmissions. Therefore, the 4-channel 850 nm VCSEL transmitter module was verified to suitable for 200GBASE-SR4 applications and beyond.

For the first time, below 400°C-fabricated poly-Si MOSFETs and 6T -SRAM fabrication process was demonstrated on polyimide (PI) substrate for flexible and transparent monolithic 3DIC. Key enablers are 400–900 nm transparent laser-stop layer (LsL), laser-crystallized/CMP-thinned poly Si channel and pulse UV-laser S/D activation. These advanced low thermal budget fabrication technologies enable stackable polySi MOSFETs on flexible 6” -wafer-scale PI substrate with high device uniformity $(\mathrm{V}_{\mathrm{th}}$ ‘SS~16.2%/16.6%) and bending stability $(\mathrm{V}_{\mathrm{th}}/\mathrm{SS}\sim 4.2\%/9.8\%)$ after cycle-bending at radius of 10mm. Such CMOS compatible technologies envision flexible 3D heterogeneous integration of circuits/optical sensors for human-skin adaptable Internet of Things (IoT) chips.

Non-pneumatic tires (NPTs) have wide application prospects due to their advantages of no run-flat, no need of air pressure maintenance, and low rolling resistance. In this paper, the static and dynamic behaviors of NPTs with different honeycomb spokes were investigated. Based on the static behavior of three types of NPTs with the same cell wall thickness of honeycomb or the same reference load carrying capacity, it is shown that the maximum stresses in spokes and tread of a NPT are much lower than that of traditional pneumatic tires, but its load carrying capacity is higher than the latter. In comparison with the dynamic behavior of three types of NPTs designed with the same load carrying capacity, it is found that the stress level in spokes and tread under dynamic loading are higher than that under static loading. The rolling resistance of NPTs with the smallest cell expanding angle is lowest, which is due to the lowest mass and smallest deformation of honeycomb spokes. Taking all these factors into account, it is suggested that an optimal NPT in applications is one with a small cell expanding angle and wall thickness.

Visualization of simulated crop growth and development is of significant interest to crop research and production. This study aims to address the phenomenon of organs cross-drawing by developing a method of collision detection for improving vivid 3D visualizations of virtual wheat crops. First, the triangular data of leaves are generated with the tessellation of non-uniform rational B-splines surfaces. Second, the bounding volumes (BVs) and bounding volume hierarchies (BVHs) of leaves are constructed based on the leaf morphological characteristics and the collision detection of two leaves are performed using the Separating Axis Theorem. Third, the detecting effect of the above method is compared with the methods of traditional BVHs, Axis-Aligned Bounding Box (AABB) tree, and Oriented Bounding Box (OBB) tree. Finally, the BVs of other organs (ear, stem, and leaf sheath) in virtual wheat plant are constructed based on their geometric morphology, and the collision detections are conducted at the organ, individual and population scales. The results indicate that the collision detection method developed in this study can accurately detect collisions between organs, especially at the plant canopy level with high collision frequency. This collision detection-based virtual crop visualization method could reduce the phenomenon of organs cross-drawing effectively and enhance the reality of visualizations.

Vegetarian diet is usually thought to be healthy for the population; however, an unbalanced vegetarian diet may result in hyperlipidemia. Here, we report the case of a 55-year-old lacto-ovo vegetarian with hypercholesterolemia who underwent an effective dietary intervention. After the dietitian’s assessment, an educational and individual meal plan was designed, which complied with the Taiwan vegetarian guideline. Results indicated that the total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein levels returned to their normal ranges within 4 weeks of intervention. Therefore, the intervention (i.e., dietitian’s individual nutritional education) and consuming 2 meals per day, designed to comply with the Taiwan vegetarian guideline, could be beneficial for serum lipid profiles.

To effectively and precisely manage crop production is important to meet increasing demands of high quality and safe agricultural products. In this study, evaluation of water stress in terms of water potentials of leafy vegetables using hyperspectral imaging technology was conducted for the future development of an agri-robotic system in greenhouses. The leafy vegetable Fengjing Pakchoi was cultivated under water stress treatments in a phytotron; both water potential and hyperspectral images were measured. The Modified Partial Least Squares Regression (MPLSR) with a correlation coefficient of 0.826 was successfully developed to determine the water potentials of leaves using hyperspectral imaging. Uneven distribution of water potentials on leaves was illustrated and discussed. Water stress which reflected irrigation status was visualized and compared by pseudocolor contour figures. This study had established a basis for the subsequent development of an agri-robotic system for automation and precision irrigation in greenhouses.

Background Studies on the relationship between vegetarian diet and breast cancer in Asian populations are limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between vegetarian diet, dietary patterns, and breast cancer in Taiwanese women. Methods This case-control study compared the dietary patterns of 233 breast cancer patients and 236 age-matched controls. A questionnaire about vegetarian diets and 28 frequently-consumed food items was administered to these 469 patients in the surgical department of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital. Serum biochemical status was also examined. Results There were no significant differences between the two groups for age, education, family history, oral contraceptive usage, or regular exercise. However, the cancer group presented with both a higher body mass index and an older age of primiparity (P

The interaction integral method combining with the extended finite element method (XFEM) is proposed to evaluate the stress intensity factors (SIFs) and T-stress at the crack tip for the central cracked Brazilian disks (CCBD) subjected to both confining pressure and diametric forces in this paper. Three examples for CCBD specimens with different properties are calculated, which are assumed as homogeneous and isotropic material, functionally graded material (FGM) and discontinuous material with a material interface, respectively. It is shown that the results for homogeneous and isotropic material from interaction integral method are in very good agreement with those from weight function method. The effects of confining pressure on the SIFs and T-stress are investigated, the results shows that confining pressure has a significant effect on the SIFs of mode I and T-stress, but has no effect on the SIFs of mode II. When relative crack length and loading angle are certain values, the dimensionless SIFs of mode I is decreasing and T-stress is increasing with increasing of the confining pressure. A larger confining pressure may keep the crack close. Meanwhile, the effects of confining pressure on the critical loading angle for pure mode II crack are also investigated. It is found that the critical loading angle for pure mode II crack decreases as the confining pressure increases. In addition, the variation of Young's modulus has a significant effect on the critical confining pressure coefficient. When the Young's modulus gradually increases along the direction of the radius r, the critical confining pressure coefficient will be >1. These results obtained from the present work explicate the effects of confining pressure on SIFs and T-stress for the CCBD specimens from numerical aspect.

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a condition involving several molecular mechanisms related to the intestinal microbiota for its development. Intestinal fatty acid‐binding protein (I‐FABP) is a sensitive marker to study enterocyte damage. A prebiotic is a non‐digestible food ingredient that improves host health by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activities of bacteria in the colon. We aimed to clarify the currently described effects of prebiotics in the prevention and management of T2DM. Methods In this case‐control study, we chose 68 participants with T2DM and 52 healthy participants. Both groups were further divided based on consumption of prebiotics. Forty participants with T2DM consumed prebiotics, and 28 did not; 30 healthy volunteers consumed prebiotics, and 22 did not. We used the analysis of variance to compare the inflammation levels between the case and control groups. Multiple linear regression was performed for the significantly correlated groups to estimate the influence of prebiotics on inflammation level. Results Age was a significant factor for difference in I‐FABP levels (standardized coefficient: 0.06; P = .047). The analysis of eating habits showed that vegetarian diets produced lower I‐FABP levels than non‐vegetarian diets (standardized coefficient: −2.55; P = .022). Results showed that patients with T2DM who consumed prebiotics expressed lower I‐FABP levels, reflecting an improvement in inflammation level, than the healthy volunteers who did not consume prebiotics (standardized coefficient: −3.20; P = .019). Conclusions For patients with T2DM, prebiotics supplemented produced no significant impact on serum I‐FABP levels., To evaluate effects of prebiotics in the prevention and management T2DM, totally 120 patients were recruited for the initial screening with I‐FABP. The participants in this study had no history of gastrointestinal disease and had not been treated with antibiotics or laxatives within 3 months before the experiment; all T2DM patients received dietary advice to control and treat diabetes. Blood or urine samples were collected at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months, followed by proper statistical analysis.

Background: The association between liver enzymes and the future development of atrial fibrillation (AF) from observational studies is unclear. We, therefore, performed a meta-analysis to systemati...

Protein-energy wasting is prevalent in peritoneal dialysis patients, which causes a heavy burden for individuals and healthcare systems. We aimed to investigate the effect of nutritional education, and/or protein supplementation on nutritional biomarkers in hypoalbuminemic peritoneal dialysis patients. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in two dialysis centers at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital and Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital. Patients were allocated in three groups including control (n = 12), milk protein (n = 21) and soy protein (n = 20). All patients received dietary guidelines from dietitians and completed 3-day dietary records during monthly visits for consecutive three months. Nutrients were analyzed using Nutritionist Professional software. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, albumin, total protein, hemoglobin, serum calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium were assessed monthly. Total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured every three months. After three-month intervention, protein intake (percent of total calories), and serum albumin were significantly increased in three groups. Protein, phosphorus intake, and BUN were increased in two intervention groups. Total serum protein increased in control and milk protein groups, and creatinine increased the control group. Serum phosphorus was not significantly changed. Nutritional education alone, or combined with protein supplementation, significantly improve protein intake, and nutritional status by increasing serum albumin, but not serum phosphorus in hypoalbuminemic peritoneal dialysis patients.

The optimal rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis regimen in matched sibling donor peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (MSD-PBSCT) remains to be elucidated. In this prospective study, we used low-dose rATG for GVHD prophylaxis in patients or donors aged ≥ 40 years with hematological malignancies receiving MSD-PBSCT. rATG was administered to 40 patients at an intravenous dose of 5 mg/kg divided over day 5 and day 4 before graft infusion. No graft failure occurred. Median times to leukocyte engraftment and platelet engraftment were 11.0 days and 13.9 days. The cumulative incidence of grades 2–4 and grades 3–4 acute GVHD at day +100 was 30.0% and 2.6%. The 2-year cumulative incidence of extensive chronic GVHD and severe chronic GVHD was 11.4% and 14.7%. 93.5% (29/31) of patients had discontinued immunosuppressive medication within 3 years after transplantation. The 2-year cumulative incidence of transplant-related mortality (TRM) and relapse was 14.0% and 22.6%. The cumulative incidence of cytomegalovirus reactivation, Epstein–Barr virus reactivation, and fungal infection was 22.3%, 12.9%, and 12.5%. Kaplan–Meier estimates for overall survival, disease-free survival, and GVHD-free and relapse-free survival 3 years after transplantation were 68.9%, 68.9%, and 54.0%. rATG for GVHD prophylaxis is tolerable and efficacious at a 5 mg/kg total dose administered over 2 days (days −5 to −4) in patients receiving allogeneic MSD-PBSCT.

Introduction: In recent years, many studies have focused on the association between plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 gene 4G/5G polymorphism and risk of allergic diseases, but the results have been inconclusive. Objective: We conducted this meta-analysis to study the exact relationship between PAI-1 polymorphism and susceptibility to allergic diseases. Methods: All eligible studies were determined by an electronic literature search. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of association under all of the models. Results: A total of 14 studies involving 2,327 cases and 2,838 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, we found a significant association between PAI-1 polymorphism and risk of allergic diseases (4G/4G + 4G/5G vs. 5G/5G: OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.39–2.22, p < 0.00001). In a subgroup analysis by ethnicity, we found a markedly increased risk in Asians (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.26–2.09, p = 0.0002) and Caucasians (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.26–2.52, p = 0.001). In addition, significant associations between PAI-1 polymorphism and risk of allergic diseases were observed in both adults (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.23–2.38, p = 0.001) and children (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.42–2.46, p < 0.00001). In a subgroup analysis by different allergic diseases, a significantly increased risk was found for asthma (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.33–2.39, p = 0.001) but not for rhinitis (OR 1.51, 95% CI 0.79–2.89, p = 0.22). Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated that PAI-1 gene 4G/5G polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of allergic diseases.

BACKGROUND Allogeneic transplantation remains one of the best therapies for high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (HR-AML). MATERIAL AND METHODS This study retrospectively analyzed 126 patients with HR-AML after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCST). RESULTS The disease-free survival (DFS) rates of 1 year and 3 years were 58.83% (95%CI: 50.75-68.20%) and 53.09% (95%CI: 44.59-63.22%) respectively. The cumulative relapse rates of 1 year and 3 years were 21.1% (95%CI: 14.4-28.8%) and 25.9% (95%CI: 18.1-34.5%) respectively. The cumulative incidences of III to IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) for 100 days was 8.70% (95%CI: 4.6-14.5%). The cumulative rate of extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) for 1-year was 4.1% (95%CI: 1.5-8.7%). The cumulative transplantation related mortality rate of 1 year and 3 years were 20.1% (95%CI: 13.6-27.6%) and 21.0% (95%CI: 14.3-28.6%) respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that lower overall survival was correlated with age, bacterial or fungal infection, disease status at transplantation, III-IV aGVHD, post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD), white blood cell engraftment, and extramedullary involvement (P

In this paper, a unified approach combining the interaction integral method with the extended finite element method is proposed to evaluate the mixed-mode stress intensity factors (SIFs) and T-stress for center cracked circular discs (CCCD) of concrete. In order to predict the crack initiation angles and fracture resistances, the generalized maximum tangential stress (GMTS) criterion is employed, which simultaneously involves the effects of the mixed-mode SIFs, the T-stress and a physical length scale rc (the size of the fracture process zone, FPZ). Moreover, a series of mixed-mode fracture experiments are conducted in the full range from pure mode I to pure mode II using the concrete CCCD specimens. The dimensionless SIFs and T-stress, calculated by the numerical method, are firstly compared with the available results in the literature to verify its accuracy and practicability. By incorporating the above dimensionless fracture parameters, a simple strength based hypothesis, the GMTS criterion and the mode I fracture resistance obtained by the diametral compression tests, the mixed-mode crack initiation angles and fracture resistances are predicted. Finally, the predicted results are compared with the experimental results. It is shown that both the fracture resistances and the crack initiation angles predicted by the GMTS criterion are more close to the experimental results than those predicted by the traditional maximum tangential stress (MTS) criterion.

We theoretically present a ring cavity optomechanical system including four interactions which are two optomechanical coupling with coupling strength G 1 and G 2 , the interaction of the two resonators with coupling strength V , and the cavity–cavity coupling with coupling strength J . With the standard methods of quantum optics and input–output theory, the processes of evolution of the coherent reflection and transmission properties of the probe field varying significantly under different detuning regimes have been investigated, which presents obvious modes splitting by manipulating the four interactions. Furthermore, the coherent optical propagation such as the tunable fast-to-slow light propagation (or vice versa) can be achieved by manipulating the four interactions. The scheme may indicate a platform for controllable photon transport and potential applications in quantum information processing.

We investigate the probe-field transmission in a hybrid cavity quantum electrodynamic (CQED) system, where one optical cavity containing a quantum dot (QD) with high cavity dissipation is coupled to another auxiliary cavity with a high quality factor. We also investigate the hybrid system operating in the weak coupling regime of the light-matter interaction via comparing the QD photon interaction with the dipole decay rate and the cavity field decay rate. It is shown that the dipole induced transparency (DIT) regime similar to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) can be achieved due to the destructive interference of the cavity field in the weak coupling regime, which is extremely significant for the field of semiconductor CQED. The auxiliary cavity plays a key role in the hybrid system, which affords a quantum channel to affect the probe transmission leading to enhanced DIT. Further, DIT induced coherent optical propagation properties such as fast and slow light effects are also investigated based on the hybrid system for suitable parametric regimes. By controlling the coupling strength J and the decay rate ratio δ of the two cavities, tunable and controllable fast-to-slow light propagation can be achieved. This study provides a promising platform for understanding the dynamics of QD-CQED systems and may open up promising on chip applications in quantum information processing.

PURPOSE To assess the existence of alterations in the micro-integrity of the fasciculus in prediabetic subjects. The issue of micro-integrity in white matter tracts has not been adequately addressed in prediabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty-four prediabetic subjects and 54 controls were enrolled. All participants completed 24-hour diet records and 3-day diet records and received diffusion tensor imaging at 3T. The data for white matter micro-integrity were analyzed and compared between prediabetic subjects and controls with age and gender as covariates. In addition, voxel-wise regression between white matter micro-integrity, diet, and preprandial glucose levels were used to explore the relationship between white matter micro-integrity and diet or serum glucose levels. RESULTS We found that prediabetic subjects had significant reductions in the micro-integrity of bilateral anterior thalamic radiation, left inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and left superior longitudinal fasciculus (corrected P < 0.05). In addition, total carbohydrate intake amount and preprandial serum glucose levels were negatively correlated with the micro-integrity in the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus and left anterior thalamic radiation (r: -0.47, corrected P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Restrictive alterations in the white matter micro-integrity of the anterior thalamic radiation and inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi might represent the initial "hot spots" for white matter tract alterations, which might play a role in the development of prediabetes. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;43:1500-1506.

This paper develops an indoor intelligent service mobile robot that has multiple functions, can recognize and grip the target object, avoid obstacles, and accurately localize via relative position. The locating method of the robot uses the output values of the sensor module, which includes data from a gyroscope and a magnetometer, to correct the current rotation direction angle of the robot. An angle correction method can be divided into three parts. The first part calculates the angle values obtained from the gyroscope and the magnetometer that are installed on the robot. The second part explores the error characteristics between the sensor module and the actual rotation direction angle of the robot. The third part uses the error characteristic data to design the fuzzy rule base and the Kalman filter to eliminate errors and to get a more accurate orientation angle. These errors can be described as either regular or irregular. The former can be eliminated by fuzzy algorithm compensation, and the latter can be eliminated by the Kalman filter. The contribution of this paper is to propose an error correction method between the calculus rotation angle determined by the sensor and the actual rotation angle of the robot such that the three moving paths, i.e., specified, actual, and calculus paths, have more accurate approximation. The experimental results demonstrate that the combination of fuzzy compensation and the Kalman filter is an accurate correction method.

Purpose – This paper aims to use the Matsuoka’s neural oscillators as the basic units of central pattern generator (CPG), and to offer a new CPG architecture consisting of a dual neural CPG of circular three links responsible for oscillator phase adjustment, to which an external neural oscillator is added, which is responsible for oscillator amplitude adjustment, to control foot depth to balance itself when treading on an obstacle. Design/methodology/approach – It is equipped with a triaxial accelerometer and a triaxial gyroscope to obtain a real-time robot attitude, and to disintegrate the foot tilt in each direction as feedback signals to CPG to restore the robot’ horizontal attitude on an uneven terrain. The CPG controller is a distributed control method, with each foot controller consisting of a group of reciprocally coupling neural oscillators and sensors to generate different locomotion by different coupling patterns. Findings – The experiment results indicated that the gait design method succeeded in enabling a steady hexapod walking on a rugged terrain, the mode of response is such that adjustments can only be made when the tilt occurs. Practical implications – The overall control mechanism uses individual foot tilts as the feedback signal input to the neural oscillators to change the amplitude and compare against the reference oscillators of fixed amplitude to generate the foot height reference signals that can balance the body, and then convert the control signals, through a trajectory generator, to foot trajectories from which the actual rotation angle of servo motors can be obtained through inverse kinematics to achieve the effect of restoring the balance when traveling. Originality/value – The controller design based on the bionic CPG model has the ability to restore its balance when its body tilts. In addition to the model’s ability to control locomotion, from the response waveforms of this experiment, it can also be noticed that it can control the foot depth to balance itself when treading on an obstacle, and it can adapt to a changing environment. When the obstacle is removed, the robot can quickly regain its balance.

The main purposes of this paper are to achieve human face detection and head posture recognition, as well as to track a dynamic image in real time via camera. First, skin-color region is detected. After morphological operations, unnecessary noise is removed, and the method of seed region growing is used to mark pixel blocks. Then the skin-color region is determined whether or not each block is a human face. If it is not human face, it is discarded. Otherwise, wavelet transform is used to decompose the face image. A low-frequency sub-band face image is captured by wavelet transform, and two-dimensional principle component analysis (2DPCA) is used to recognize head posture. Face color histograms are used to build face models, and faces are traced by the self-organizing hierarchical particle swarm optimizer with time-varying acceleration coefficients (HPSO-TVAC) algorithm. In order to solve the face masking problem, adaptive seeking windows are applied. When a human face is not detected, a large seeking window will be used, which will zoom in or out depending on the best global fitness.

Novel p-type NiO/n-type CeO2 heterojunctions, with cubic NiO particles embedded on the CeO2 nanofibers, were successfully prepared by the electrospinning technique. The photocatalytic activity for MB degradation under UV light irradiation of the NiO/CeO2 heterojunction is much higher than that of pure NiO or CeO2. The rate constant of MB degradation by NiO/CeO2 is about 4 times and 2 times than those of pure NiO and CeO2 under UV light irradiation, respectively. The excellent photocatalytic activity of the NiO/CeO2 heterostructures is closely related to the fast transfer and efficient separation of electron–hole pairs between NiO and CeO2 due to the formation of the heterojunction and their matching band positions.

In this paper, a set of voltage disturbance detection device based on DSP2812 was designed and a method of transient voltage disturbance detection based on DSP and Wavelet Transform was studied. The device collects electrical signal through a Hall sensor and the parallel A/D converter and regards TMS320F2812, a kind of high-performance digital signal processor (DSP), as a core data processing unit. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) algorithm on DSP board was carried out to detect transient voltage disturbance. Software modules including the main program module, A/D module, interrupt module, communication module and so on was designed. The DWT algorithm on DSP board which could detect transient voltage disturbance on line was carried out based on the strong operation ability of DSP and the high effectiveness of DWT algorithm. This device can simultaneously realize power acquisition and voltage disturbance analysis in real-time. Contrast tests show that the device is of high-precision, of high-data-processing-speed and has a capability of voltage disturbance detecting in real-time.

The strong aromatic Chinese liquors are batch-brewed in mud cellars, but the changes in the brewing microflora and their effects on the production of flavors are mostly unclear. In the liquor brewing industry, it is a mystery that older cellars produce better tasting liquors. In this study, by pyrosequencing the 16S rRNA gene, we found that the microflora in a 10-year-old cellar and a 1-year-old cellar significantly reduced the differences of microbial communities between the top, middle and bottom mud layers, but became surprisingly more diverse in the old cellar than that in the new cellar. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry assays indicated that the liquors produced in the old cellar contained higher concentrations of certain ester ingredients that are important for the liquor flavor. We further demonstrated that different bacterial isolates from cellar mud were all able to produce diverse organic compounds. These results indicate that long-term spontaneous batch-fermentation accumulates diverse adaptive microbes, which comprehensively produce more flavorful Chinese liquors.

The increasing aging and diabetes mellitus (DM) patients in dialysis population make the quality maintenance of dialysis an imperative issue. Recently, an increasing number of dialysis centers were run by private dialysis providers, many of which apply quality assurance programs and performance management systems to dialysis care. We studied patients in dialysis facilities in Taiwan run by a private chain to see clinical outcomes of centers operating under these systemic strategies. Hemodialysis patients from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2012 in 25 dialysis facilities in Taiwan, which received the management and consultation from a dialysis service provider, NephroCare (NC), were included. Data pivotal to quality of dialysis were analyzed. During a 5-year interval, 5161 hemodialysis patients were included. For volume control, the proportion of patients with weight gain ≥4.5% decreases from 41.7% to 30.2%. Mean Kt/V is 1.74 ± 0.28. Mean albumin level is 3.92 ± 0.38 g/dL. Patients with phosphate

This study employed a two-phase methodology to assess the environmental impacts from offset lithographic printing on color-box packaging. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to prioritize improvement options and the life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach was used to assess environmental impacts quantitatively. This study quantified the total amount of energy consumption and CO2 emissions caused by the printing processes of color-box packaging and showed that the total reduction of GHG emissions of the system that omitted the laminating and varnishing process was approximately 239 kg. Moreover, incineration contributes 2905–3004 kg of CO2 to potential global warming in the case of color-box packaging. The study demonstrated the viability of the AHP for evaluating environmental impacts of printing processes, ranking them in order of pollution potential, and subsequently identifying those critical for reducing environmental pollution on the printing operation. This study also showed how the LCA approach may be used together with expert opinion to identify opportunity to alter printing processes in order to address environmental impacts and improve the environmental profile of offset lithographic printing.