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OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the effect of nimodipine combined with betahistine on the levels of CRP and other inflammatory cytokines, as well as vascular endothelial function in patients with hypertensive cerebral vasospasm. METHODS: A total of 80 patients with hypertensive cerebral vasospasm from March 2016 to September 2018 were enrolled and randomly equally divided into two groups. At 1 week before enrollment, the application of all antihypertensive drugs was stopped. Then amlodipine tablets were used in control group, based on which nimodipine tablets were applied in observation group. All the patients included were followed up for 1 month. The changes in the cerebral vasospasm index in the course of treatment as well as inflammatory cytokines and indicators related to vascular endothelial function at 1 month after treatment were measured and compared between the two groups. The correlations of the cerebral vasospasm index with the changes in inflammatory cytokines and vascular endothelial function-related factors in the body were analyzed. Finally, the effective rates of blood pressure regulation and cerebral vasospasm treatment were compared, while the adverse reactions and the overall clinical treatment effect of the two groups were evaluated. RESULTS: The cerebral vasospasm indexes in observation group were significantly lower than those in control group at 3 d, 1 week and 1 month after treatment (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: For the treatment of hypertensive cerebral vasospasm, combined application of betahistine on the basis of nimodipine can effectively reduce the body’s aseptic inflammatory responses, improve vascular endothelial function and increase the cerebral circulation blood flow, which offers a favorable strategy for clinical therapy.

Objectives To investigate the correlation between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and risk factors, as well as functional outcome in poststroke depression (PSD) or poststroke anxiety (PSA). Design Cohort study. Setting Stroke patients admitted to an urban rehabilitation hospital. Participants Stroke patients (N=162) without any previous history of depression and anxiety. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Sociodemographic information and comorbidities were recorded during hospital admission. Functional outcomes were assessed using FIM scores at time of admission and discharge. The influence of various factors such as BDNF and patient characteristics on functional outcome was investigated. Single-factor effect was examined using simple logistic regression, as was multi-factor effect using multiple logistic regression. The goodness-of-fit of those regression models was evaluated by the integrated area under ROC curve. Results PSD was diagnosed in 61 (37.7%) patients, and PSA was diagnosed in 40 (24.7%). Multiple logistic analysis showed that BDNF, divorce or separation, and history of smoking were significantly associated with the occurrence of PSD but not with the occurrence of PSA. The model combining low BDNF level and divorce or separation improved the prediction for PSD. Among the variables analyzed for prediction of functional outcome, serum BDNF had a minimum correlation with motor FIM scores in PSD but no significant correlation with motor FIM scores in PSA. Conclusions BDNF is a valuable prediction for the occurrence of PSD but not for PSA. More strikingly, ischemic stroke patients who are divorced or separated with low serum BDNF have a much higher risk for PSD. BDNF has a minimum correlation with motor function outcome in PSD but no significant correlation with motor outcome in PSA.

A compact high-resolution reconfigurable phase-tuning line (RPTL) based on self-shielded 3-D interdigital capacitors is presented in this letter. Such a capacitor with high- $Q$ and self-shielded characteristics is used to implement the digitally switchable capacitor array in the RPTL, which is integrated with a coplanar waveguide and can lead to merits of the low loss, high phase-tuning resolution, and compact size. Meanwhile, the grounded shield is utilized in the RPTL to further reduce the loss. To verify the mechanisms of aforementioned structure, a 6-bit digital controlled RPTL is implemented and fabricated using a 40-nm CMOS technology. At 30 GHz, the measured loss of the proposed RPTL is 2.1 dB, while a tuning resolution of 0.38° with an RMS phase error of 0.25° is achieved.

This article presents a broadband quadrature digital transmitter (TX) architecture for part of the fifth-generation new radio (5GNR) frequency range 2 (FR2) and backhaul communication. Synthesized impedance variation compensation (IVC) is introduced to improve the efficiency by manipulating the load impedance variation of sub-arrays in the power digital-to-analog converter (power-DAC) at mm-wave. The operation bandwidth is extended by 5 GHz with reconfigurable circuits of output matching in power-DAC, interstage matching, and quadrature signal generator. A mixed-signal sign map is adopted to provide LO gain as well as constellation quadrant selection. As a proof of concept, a $2\,\,\times10$ -bit 20–32-GHz quadrature digital TX is designed and fabricated in 28-nm CMOS technology. With a 1-V supply, the proposed quadrature digital TX achieves the peak output power of 19.02 dBm at 22.5 GHz, the peak drain efficiency of 34.4% at 22 GHz, and the peak system efficiency of 22.1% at 22 GHz. At 23/28 GHz, it demonstrates the EVM of −28.9/−28.4 dB, the average power of 9.96/9.17 dBm, and adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) of −33.6/−33.3 dBc for 3-Gb/s 64-QAM modulation, respectively. It also supports 1-Gb/s 256-QAM modulation signal.

In this letter, a wideband reflectionless filtering 90° coupler with a wide stopband is proposed, which consists of two parallel connected channels. The main channel is implemented by the stacked cross coupled-lines, which can not only introduce a filtering 90° coupler with a compact size but also achieve a wide-stopband response. Meanwhile, the stepped-impedance microstrip line, loaded cross-stub, and resistor are used to construct the absorptive bandstop filter in the auxiliary channel, which absorbs the reflected signal from the filtering coupler to obtain the wideband reflectionless operation. To verify the aforementioned mechanism, a wideband reflectionless filtering 90° coupler operating at 1.47–2.53 GHz is implemented and fabricated. The measured results demonstrate that the proposed coupler has the merits of low passband insertion loss, low amplitude and phase imbalances, wide stopband, and wide reflectionless range.

Background and purpose. The identification of a genetic role for cognitive outcome could influence the design of individualized treatment in poststroke rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to determine whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism is independently associated with poststroke functional outcome. Methods. A total of 775 stroke patients with genomic data were identified from the Partners HealthCare Biobank, which contains a large number of genotypes from Biobank’s consented patients. Of 775 stroke patients who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 86 were enrolled. Functional outcomes were assessed using the Functional Independence Measure scores at the time of admission and discharge. Logistic and linear regression models adjusted for covariate variables, including age, sex, and medical conditions, were used to evaluate the association between BDNF Val66Met and functional outcome. Results. We detected a significant correlation between Met alleles and lower cognitive function at discharge in both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. Genotyping findings confirmed that BDNF Met allele frequency was higher in contrast to Val/Val allele frequency in lower cognitive functional recovery. Furthermore, after adjusting for covariate variables, BDNF Met alleles were found to be associated with lower cognitive outcome [ P = .003; odds ratio (OR) = 5.95 (1.81-19.52)] and recovery [ P = .006; OR = 3.16 (1.4-7.15)], especially with lower problem solving, expression, and social recovery in all stroke patients. Conclusions. Met allele carriers exhibited impaired poststroke cognitive function. The BDNF genotype may be a useful predictor of cognitive function in inpatient poststroke rehabilitation.

Alpinia oxyphylla, a traditional herb, is widely used for its neuroprotective, antioxidant and memory-improving effects. However, the neuroprotective mechanisms of action of its active ingredients are unclear. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of various organic extracts of Alpinia oxyphylla on PC12 cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative injury in vitro. Alpinia oxyphylla was extracted three times with 95% ethanol (representing extracts 1-3). The third 95% ethanol extract was dried and resuspended in water, and then extracted successively with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and n-butanol (representing extracts 4-6). The cell counting kit-8 assay and microscopy were used to evaluate cell viability and observe the morphology of PC12 cells. The protective effect of the three ethanol extracts (at tested concentrations of 50, 100 and 200 µg/mL) against cytotoxicity to PC12 cells increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The ethyl acetate, petroleum ether and n-butanol extracts (each tested at 100, 150 and 200 μg/mL) had neuroprotective effects as well. The optimum effective concentration ranged from 50-200 μg/mL, and the protective effect of the ethyl acetate extract was comparatively robust. These results demonstrate that organic extracts of Alpinia oxyphylla protect PC12 cells against apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide. Our findings should help identify the bioactive neuroprotective components in Alpinia oxyphylla.

Modern multistandard wireless systems require reconfigurability for mult iband operat ion; therefore, switchable or reconfigurable frontend filters are in high demand. This article introduces a four-channel switchable filter bank, which was awarded first place in the Four-Channel Switchable/Reconfigurable Filter Bank category of the Student Design Competition (SDC) sponsored by Technical Committee 8 at the 2019 IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society International Microwave Symposium.

In this paper, two types (i.e., type-A and type-B) of hybrid microstrip/defected ground structure (DGS) cells are proposed for passive circuit implementation with ultra-wide stopband. Both cells consist of the stepped-impedance DGS and embedded folded slotline on the ground, which could obtain the dual-resonances. In type-A cell, a microstrip T-stub on the top side is introduced, which can not only allocate a strong coupling to the DGS with slotline on the bottom side, but also act as the input/output port. To finely adjust the dual-resonances of the type-B cell, a grounded microstrip patch is used. Meanwhile, such compact cells could feature an ultra-wide upper stopband, due to their own slow-wave effect. Based on the aforementioned hybrid microstrip/DGS cells, two dual-band bandpass filters (BPFs) and a dual-band filtering power divider (FPD) are proposed and fabricated. Measured and simulated results are in a fairly-close agreement. Both dual-band BPFs exhibit the ultra-wide upper stopband, which extends up to 40 GHz with a high rejection level about 30 dB. Besides, the dual-band FPD has merits of more than 18.7 dB of in-band isolation and 28 dB stopband rejection levels up to 40 GHz.

In this paper, a compact bandpass filter (BPF) with wide stopband and low radiation is proposed based on fully-packaged substrate integrated defected ground structure (SIDGS) resonant cell. Such resonant cell is composed of stepped-impedance defected ground structure (DGS) with top and bottom ground planes. It can not only introduce the fundamental resonance with wide stopband response, but can also suppress the radiation. To verify the mechanism, a compact BPF operating at 5.2 GHz is designed and fabricated. The measured upper-stopband is up to 16.7 GHz with a 34.7 dB rejection level. Meanwhile, the core size of the proposed filter is 9.8 mm $\times4.6$ mm (i.e., $0.32 \lambda_{g}\, \times 0.15 \lambda_{g}$, where $\lambda_{g}$ is the guided wavelength of the center frequency).

In this paper, a wideband filtering balun with wide stopband and imbalance compensation is proposed based on hybrid defected ground structure (DGS) with float stripline. The proposed dumbbell-shaped DGS could introduce multi resonances for a wideband operation. Then, the multi-section stepped-impedance microstrip feed-lines on the top- and bottomlayers can effectively extend the stopband bandwidth. Besides, a float strip-line is located in the middle of DGS, which could achieve phase- and amplitude-compensation of the balun. To verify the mechanisms mentioned above, a compact 0.46-3.3 GHz balun with wide upper stopband is implemented and fabricated. The measured upper stopband is expanded to 5.6 f 0 with attenuation level higher than 23 dB. Moreover, the core circuit-size of the balun is 0.38 λ g × 0.30 λ g , where λ g is the microstrip guided wavelength at the center frequency of 1.88 GHz.

Crescent formation is rare in primary membranous nephropathy (MN). The mechanism of crescent formation is unknown and the treatments are tentative.A 71-year-old woman presented with nephrotic syndrome, hematuria, and rapidly progressive kidney dysfunction.Kidney biopsy was performed, and the diagnosis was MN in combination with crescentic glomerulonephritis. Circulating anti-PLA2R was detected of a high level.The patient received rituximab besides corticosteroids.The patient achieved complete remission of proteinuria and recovery of kidney function.Our case suggests that there is a pathologic feature of MN and crescents in the absence of known immunologic factors as well as rituximab could serve as an effective cure and could be considered in serious MN conditions.

Due to its antimicrobial activity, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have become the most commonly applied nanomaterials. However, the potential ecotoxicological toxicity of AgNPs in the environment is still unclear. Here we assessed the trophic transfer and toxicity of commercially manufactured polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-coated AgNPs using a model food chain from Escherichia coli (E. coli) to Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Our results demonstrated that AgNPs could be accumulated in E. coli and transferred to C. elegans that preyed on the bacteria. Although low concentration of AgNPs had no significant inhibition on E. coli, they could affect germ cell apoptosis, reproduction ability and population size of C. elegans through food chain. Importantly, natural organic matter (NOM), which is omnipresent in environmental system, could increase the accumulation of AgNPs in E. coli and C. elegans, and significantly enhance the ecotoxicity of AgNPs. Our findings indicated that potential risks of nanomaterial through food chain should be considered for higher trophic organisms. And environmental factors could play an important role in transport of nanomaterials and altering their accumulation and toxicity in ecosystem.

In this paper, a Class-G impedance-modulation power oscillator is proposed to enhance the efficiencies at multiple PBOs. With the switch-combined reconfigurable matching-resonator, the output matching is optimized along with the tuning of oscillation frequency. Meanwhile, the digitally controlled tail resistor array is used to continuous tune the output power. The proposed power oscillator is fabricated in a 40-nm CMOS technology. Measurements exhibit a 33% tuning range from 2.3 to 3.2GHz. The peak output power is 10dBm while the efficiencies at 0/3/6/9dB PBOs are 39%, 37%, 33%, and 30%, respectively. The 1MHz-offset phase noise is −131.5 to −127.2dBc/Hz over the operation frequency.

In this paper, a high efficiency D-band 32-channel power divider/combiner is proposed. The design incorporates rectangular waveguide, coaxial line, radial waveguide, and three matching transitions. The electromagnetic wave is fed by a center rectangular waveguide port and then transmits to the radial waveguide through a coaxial line. Next, the electromagnetic wave is transferred from the radial waveguide to 32 rectangular waveguide ports. Note that three matching transitions are utilized to overcome the discontinuity in transport nodes. Based on such direct power divider configuration, this radial power divider/combiner has the merit of high efficiency with a large number of channels. To verify the mechanism, a D-band 32-channel radial power divider/combiner is fabricated and measured. The measured minimum insertion loss of two power dividers with back to back configuration is 2.74 dB, which is equivalent to the combination efficiency of 72.9 %.

In this work, we present a novel fractional-N sampling PLL architecture where the functions of a constant slope digital-to-time converter (CS-DTC) and a sampling phase detector (SPD) are merged into one block. This simplifies the PLL's critical phase detection path, saves power, reduces noise sources and improves the overall linearity. The 3.3-4.5GHz PLL implemented in 40nm CMOS achieves a 292fs rms jitter, integrated from 10kHz to 10MHz while consuming 2.4mW, leading to a PLL FoM of - 246.9dB. The in-band fractional spur is −54dBc and the PLL occupies a core area of 0.36mm2.

BackgroundTo establish the clinical breakpoint (CBP) of danofloxacin to G. parasuis, three cutoff values, including epidemiological cutoff value (ECV), pharmacodynamic cutoff value (COPD) and clinical cutoff value (COCL), was obtained in the present study.MethodsThe ECV was calculated using ECOFFinder base on MIC distribution of 347 G. parasuis collected from disease pigs. The COPD was established base on in vivo and ex vivo pharmacokinetic (PK) - pharmacodynamic (PD) modeling of danofloxacin both in plasma and pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) using Hill formula and Monte Carlo analysis. The COCL was established based on the relationship between possibility of cure (POC) and MIC in the clinical trials using “WindoW” approach, nonlinear regression and CART analysis.ResultsThe MIC50 and MIC90 of danofloxacin against 347 G. parasuis were 2 μg/mL and 8 μg/mL, respectively. The ECV value was set up as 8 μg/mL using ECOFFinder. Concentration-time curve of danofloxacin indicated a two-compartment model for PK analysis. The PK parameters of the maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under concentration-time curve (AUC) in PELF were 3.67 ± 0.25 μg/mL and 24.28 ± 2.70 h·μg/mL, higher than those in plasma (0.67 ± 0.01μg/mL and 4.47 ± 0.51 h·μg/mL). The peak time (Tmax) in plasma was 0.23 ± 0.07 h, shorter than that in PELF (1.61 ± 0.15 h). The COPD in plasma and PELF were 0.125 μg/mL and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively. The COCL calculated by WindoW approach, nonlinear regression and CART analysis were 0.125∼4 μg/mL, 0.428 μg/mL and 0.56 μg/mL, respectively. The 0.5 μg/mL was selected as eligible COCL. The ECV is much higher than the COPD and COCL, and the clinical breakpoint based on data in plasma was large different with that of in PELF.ConclusionsOur study firstly established three cutoff values of danofloxacin against G. parasuis. It suggested that epidemiological danofloxacin-resistant G. parasuis may lead to the ineffective treatment by danofloxacin.ImportanceG. parasuis, a gram-negative respiratory pathogen, can colonize in the upper respiratory tract in swine and cause Glasser’s disease. As the abuse of antibiotics, antimicrobial resistant G. parasuis emerged in different degrees, which brought serious threat to global economy and public health. Danofloxacin in quinolones are one of the best choices for treatment of G. parasuis infection, because of their strong bactericidal activity and good absorption into blood and great distribution in the lung. However, the clinical breakpoint (CBP) for danofloxacin against G. parasuis had not yet been established by clinical laboratory of standard Institute (CLSI) and European Commission of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (EUCAST). Our study firstly established three cutoff values of danofloxacin against G. parasuis. It suggested that epidemiological danofloxacin-resistant G. parasuis may lead to the ineffective treatment by danofloxacin.

A new researching and teaching project of basic programming was proposed and carried out for freshmen of computer science and software engineering including the refinement of training objective, the adjustment of course schedule, the argumentation of course content, the extension of practice training, the establishment of the evaluation system and the assessment index and the aggrandizement of the usage of online practice platform and online judge platform. Finally, the effectiveness of the project proposed in this paper is validated through the case study.

A wideband hybrid mode-switching push–push oscillator with low phase noise is presented in this paper. To achieve the wide tuning range, the inductive and capacitive hybrid mode-switching technique is proposed for the first time. It introduces more freedom of design parameters (i.e., inductance and capacitance) in the resonant tank. Under certain tuning range requirement, the hybrid mode-switching oscillator achieves higher input impedance of the resonator compared to the conventional mode-switching oscillators. Meanwhile, a transformer-coupled inductor ring with symmetrical layout configuration is proposed to realize the switch-less hybrid mode switching, which further improves the circuit performance at sub-THz. Therefore, a good phase noise performance can be obtained within a wide tuning range, which leads to a relaxed tradeoff between the phase noise and tuning range. To verify the aforementioned mechanism operating at sub-THz band, a hybrid mode-switching oscillator based on the dual-mode push–push topology is proposed and fabricated in a conventional 28-nm CMOS technology. The measured results show a 21.7% tuning range with the center frequency of 169.6 GHz and a state-of-the-art FoMT of −180.6 dBc/Hz. The core circuit only occupies 0.039 mm2, while drawing 95 mW with a 0.9-V supply.

Objective:The aim of this study was to validate a novel pictorial-based Longshi Scale for evaluating a patient’s disability by healthcare professionals and non-professionals.Design:Prospective study.Setting:Rehabilitation departments from a grade A, class 3 public hospital, a grade B, class 2 public hospital, and a private hospital and seven community rehabilitation centers.Subjects:A total of 618 patients and 251 patients with functional disabilities were recruited in a two-phase study, respectively.Main measures:Outcome measure: pictorial scale of activities of daily living (ADLs, Longshi Scale). Reference measure: Barthel Index. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to analyze the validity of Longshi Scale against Barthel Index.Results:In phase 1 study, from March 2016 to August 2016, the results demonstrated that the Longshi Scale was both reliable and valid (intraclass correlation coefficient based on two-way random effect (ICC2,1) = 0.877–0.974 for intra-rater reliability; ICC2,1= 0.928–0.979; κ = 0.679–1.000 for inter-rater reliability; intraclass correlation coefficient based on one-way random effect (ICC1,1) = 0.921–0.984 for test–retest reliability and Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.836–0.899). In the second phase, in March 2018, results further demonstrated that the Longshi Scale had good inter-rater and intra-rater reliability among healthcare professionals and non-professionals including therapists, interns, and personal care aids (ICC1,1= 0.822–0.882 on Day 1; ICC1,1= 0.842–0.899 on Day 7 for inter-rater reliability). In addition, the Longshi Scale decreased assessment time significantly, compared with the Barthel Index assessment ( P < 0.01).Conclusion:The Longshi Scale could potentially provide an efficient way for healthcare professionals and non-professionals who may have minimal training to assess the ADLs of functionally disabled patients.

In this paper, an adaptive synthesis using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) for implementations of resonator-coupled filters is proposed. The coupling matrix of in-band filtering response is achieved and optimized by the PSO-based synthesis. Meanwhile, the stopband coupling matrix of the filter is predicted based on the combination of extra resonant nodes representing stopband spurious and parasitic effect of input/output ports. In addition, an enhanced accurate prediction of filter performance is calculated by the proposed approach, considering the practical fabrication tolerance on filter design. To verify principles mentioned earlier, various resonator-coupled filters are implemented. The calculation, EM-simulation, and measurement of filters show good agreements in both passband and stopband.

The impact of donor quality on post-kidney transplant (KT) survival may vary by candidate condition. Characterizing this variation would increase access to KT without sacrificing outcomes. We developed a tool to estimate post-KT survival for combinations of donor quality and candidate condition. We studied deceased donor KT recipients (n = 120 818) and waitlisted candidates (n = 376 272) between 2005 and 2016 by using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Donor quality and candidate condition were measured by using the Kidney Donor Profile Index (KDPI) and the Estimated Post Transplant Survival (EPTS) score. We estimated 5-year post-KT survival based on combinations of KDPI and EPTS score using random forest algorithms and waitlist survival by EPTS score using Weibull regressions. Survival benefit was defined as absolute reduction in mortality risk with KT. For candidates with an EPTS score of 80, 5-year waitlist survival was 47.6%, and 5-year post-KT survival was 78.9% after receiving kidneys with a KDPI of 20 and was 70.7% after receiving kidneys with a KDPI of 80. The impact of KDPI on survival benefit varied greatly by EPTS score. For candidates with low EPTS scores (eg,40), the KDPI had limited impact on survival benefit. For candidates with middle or high EPTS scores (eg,40), survival benefit decreased with higher KDPI but was still substantial even with a KDPI of 100 (16 percentage points). Our prediction tool (www.transplantmodels.com/kdpi-epts) can support individualized decision-making on kidney offers in clinical practice.

In this paper, a 360° wideband phase shifter with current limited vector-sum and digital calibration is presented to achieve high phase resolution and low amplitude error. The output phase is synthesized from quadrature vectors by variable gain amplifiers (VGAs) with current-digital to analog converters (I-DACs). Several VGA control algorithms are investigated to find trade off among phase error, amplitude error, and power consumption. A current limited vector-sum method is proposed to achieve low phase error, amplitude error, and power consumption, simultaneously. Quadrant selection is realized by the reconfigurable VGAs without extra switch circuit. Coarse- and fine-scaling of quadrature vector amplitude is accomplished by I-DACs with segments of different current weights. The phase non-linearity is calibrated using digital pre-distortion to further improve the phase error. To verify the mechanism mentioned above, a fully integrated 10-bit phase shifter operating at 3–7 GHz with current limited vectors is implemented and fabricated in a conventional 40–nm CMOS technology. It exhibits root mean square (RMS) phase error of 0.41°–1.67°, RMS amplitude error of 0.42–0.89 dB, and effective phase resolution of 1.406° (8-bit) from 3–7 GHz. The core circuit occupies 0.19 mm2 and draws 11.4–16.2 mW from 1.1 V supply.

Delayed graft function (DGF) complicates 20%-40% of deceased-donor kidney transplants and is associated with increased length of stay and subsequent allograft failure. Accurate prediction of DGF risk for a particular allograft could influence organ allocation, patient counseling, and postoperative planning. Mitochondrial dysfunction, a reported surrogate of tissue health in ischemia-perfusion injury, might also be a surrogate for tissue health after organ transplantation. To understand the potential of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in clinical decision-making, we analyzed whether lower MMP, a measure of mitochondrial dysfunction, was associated with DGF. In a prospective, single-center proof-of-concept study, we measured pretransplant MMP in 28 deceased donor kidneys and analyzed the association between MMP and DGF. We used hybrid registry-augmented regression to adjust for donor and recipient characteristics, minimizing overfitting by leveraging Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data. The range of MMP levels was 964-28 333 units. Low-MMP kidneys (MMP

The increased use of split liver transplantation (SLT) represents one strategy to increase the supply of organs. Although outcomes after SLT and whole liver transplantation (WLT) are similar on average among pediatric recipients, we hypothesized that the relationship between graft type and outcomes may vary depending on patient, donor, and surgical characteristics. We evaluated graft survival among pediatric (50 years, recipient weight 8 hours. In an analysis that explored whether these characteristics modified the relationship between graft type and graft loss, many characteristics associated with loss actually had similar outcomes irrespective of graft type including weight

The cat is a reported reservoir for several zoonotic pathogens, including Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Blastocystis sp. These parasites represent a significant, but often neglected, threat to humans and animals. Furthermore, Tritrichomonas foetus has been described inhabiting the digestive tract of cats, and may be causative agents of gastrointestinal symptoms. However, scant data are available concerning the molecular epidemiology of these parasites in domestic cats in China. This study examined fecal samples from domestic cats in Eastern China to unravel the molecular epidemiology of four protozoans. Of the 346 samples examined, 47 (13.6%) were positive for the detected pathogens, including 8 (2.3%), 5 (1.4%), 2 (0.6%), and 35 (10.1%) samples positive for Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, Blastocystis sp., and T. foetus, respectively. Co-infection with Cryptosporidium spp. and T. foetus was detected in three cats, no other mixed infections were observed. No age, sex or fecal condition predisposition was observed with any of the four pathogens. The species/assemblages/subtypes/genotypes were C. felis, Assemblage A and F, ST1, and cat genotype for Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, Blastocystis sp., and T. foetus detected in this study, respectively. The presence of zoonotic species/assemblages/subtypes/genotypes poses a threat to public health. These findings provide useful information for the design of prevention and control strategies to reduce the burden of protozoal infections in cats.

The 3-D reconstruction methods based on structure from motion (SfM) pipeline mainly use the traditional scale invariant feature detecting methods for feature matching. This type of methods suffers from the accuracy with affine matching in the image-based modeling system. In this paper, we propose an affine-invariant feature detection and matching method which is accurate and fast based on the three types of critical points in Morse theory called precise extreme feature region (PEFR). We also exploit the evaluation method for the reconstruction results without the ground truth. We propose the average descending rate to quantitatively evaluate the accuracy of the reconstruction model. Using PEFR in an SfM pipeline to build 3-D point-cloud, our method presents better results and less runtime compared to the state-of-the-art approaches. In addition, our quality assessment method presents a practical comparison of the reconstruction result based on the geometric accuracy of the reconstruction models. The experimental results prove that our PEFR method is faster and more accurate and works well on the reconstruction pipeline. The assessment method is fit for the quality assessment on 3-D reconstruction.

In this paper, a reconfigurable wideband filtering balun with tunable dual-notched bands is proposed, using coplanar waveguide (CPW)-to-slot transitions and varactor-loaded shorted-slots. The wideband filtering balun consists of a triple-mode slot resonator, two CPW-to-slot transitions, and a CPW short-stub. Three transmission poles are allocated by the triple-mode slot resonator to achieve the wideband operation. To further improve the amplitude- and phase-imbalance responses, two CPW-to-slot transitions are used. Besides, the CPW short-stub is introduced to enhance the passband selectivity. Then, based on the proposed wideband filtering balun, a reconfigurable balun with tunable dual-notched bands is achieved by introducing two pairs of varactor-loaded shorted-slots. The measured results show that the frequency tuning ranges of the dual-notched bands are 1.28-1.58 GHz (21.6%) and 1.89-2.41 GHz (24.2%) with 15-dB rejection, respectively. The proposed filtering balun shows the advantages of wide fractional bandwidth, high selectivity, low insertion loss, and tunable notched band operation.

540 Background: Based on the results of the RxPonder trial, post-menopausal women over age 50 with estrogen receptor (ER)+ breast cancer, 1-3+ nodes, and a 21-gene Oncotype DX recurrence score (RS) score of 20 being associated with a significantly inferior overall survival (OS) (P value range: < 0.001-0.019). In women with RS of 20-25, CET was associated with a significant improvement in OS compared to ET alone, regardless of age (age < = 50: HR = 0.334, P = 0.002; age > 50: HR = 0.521, P = 0.019). Conclusions: Among women with ER+/HER2- breast cancer with 1–3 positive nodes, and RS of 20-25, in contrast to the RxPonder trial we observed that CET was associated with an OS benefit in women regardless of age.

Decellularized extracellular matrices have been clinically used for tendon regeneration. However, only a few systematic studies have compared tendon stem/progenitor cells to mesenchymal stromal cells on the tendon-derived decellularized matrix. In the present study, we prepared extracellular matrix derived from porcine tendons and seeded with tendon stem/progenitor cells, embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stromal cells or without stem cells. Then we implanted the mixture (composed of stem cells and scaffold) into the defect of a rat Achilles tendon. Next, 4 weeks post-surgery the regenerated tendon tissue was collected. Histological staining, immunohistochemistry, determination of collagen content, transmission electron microscopy, and biomechanical testing were performed to evaluate the tendon structure and biomechanical properties. Our study collectively demonstrated that decellularized extracellular matrix derived from porcine tendons significantly promoted the regeneration of injured tendons when combined with tendon stem/progenitor cells or embryonic stem cell-mesenchymal stromal cells. Compared to embryonic stem cell-mesenchymal stromal cells, tendon stem/progenitor cells combined with decellularized matrix showed more improvement in the structural and biomechanical properties of regenerated tendons in vivo. These findings suggest a promising strategy for functional tendon tissue regeneration and further studies are warranted to develop a functional tendon tissue regeneration utilizing tendon stem/progenitor cells integrated with a tendon-derived decellularized matrix.

Modern wireless communication systems in portable devices require transmitters (TXs) with watt-level output power $(P_{out})$, high data-rate, and high efficiency, especially at power back-off (PBO) for enhanced average efficiency. CMOS digital TXs demonstrate high integration and high efficiency at low cost, which are attractive attributes in practical applications. Compared to polar TXs, quadrature TXs [1 –6] show the advantages of a simpler architecture (without CORDIC and phase modulator) and higher data-rates. IQ cell sharing is used to increase the peak efficiency of quadrature TXs [2]. Besides, to achieve enhanced efficiency at PBO, various techniques are developed for digital TXs and digital power amplifiers (DPAs), such as Class-G Doherty [4], load modulation [5], hybrid Doherty with impedance boosting [6], 8 way-combined switched-capacitor power amplifier (SCPA) with a switched transformer [7], and time-interleaving Class-G Doherty [8], etc. In this work, a watt-level switched/floated-capacitor power amplifier (SFCPA) using reconfigurable self-coupling canceling transformer and IQ cell sharing is proposed, which achieves efficiency enhancement at 3/6/9/12/15dB PBOs in the complex domain without any supply switching.

Background: It is important to predict poststroke cognitive outcome to guide individualized treatment and prevention strategy. We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the combination of a serum biomarker for axonal damage (neurofilament light chain [NfL]) and neuroimaging markers (volume of infarction and white matter hyperintensities [WMH]) for neuronal abnormality in poststroke cognitive outcome. Methods: A total of 1028 patients were screened; among them, 144 patients with acute ischemic stroke (stroke group) and 30 patients without stroke (control group) were enrolled. Serum NfL levels of samples obtained from both groups were measured through single molecule array assay. Neuroimaging markers of neuroaxonal injury, including infarct volume and WMH in the stroke group were quantified on magnetic resonance images using an in-house MATLAB code (MATLAB 2017; MathWorks). The primary outcome was the functional independence measure (FIM) cognitive subscores on discharge. We assessed the association of serum NfL levels and neuroimaging markers with cognitive outcome. The prognosis value of the combination of serum NfL levels and imaging markers for predicting FIM cognitive subscores on discharge was calculated using the area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic. Results: Serum NfL levels of the stroke group were 9-fold higher than those of the control group (1449.7 vs 157.2 pg/mL, n = 144/30, P < .001). There was a correlation of serum NfL levels with infarct volume ( r = 0.530, P < .001) and functional outcome, including FIM cognitive subscores ( r = −0.387, P < .001) and FIM motor subscores on admission ( r = −0.306, P < .001), but not with WMH volume after adjusting for infarct volume ( r = −0.196, P = .245). Serum NfL levels on admission independently predicted poststroke FIM cognitive subscores on discharge (AUC = 0.672, P < .001). The predictive value for poststroke cognitive outcome was improved by combining serum NfL levels with infarct and WMH volume (AUC = 0.760, P < .001). Conclusion: The combination of serum NfL levels with volume of infarct and WMH shows an improved predictive value for cognitive function during acute rehabilitation phase after stroke, providing a promising panel of biomarkers for prognosis and guidance of treatment.

In today’s society, the Internet has penetrated into all aspects of daily life, and has become an indispensable part of people’s life. In the teaching of vocal music, teachers and students constantly put forward problems that need to be solved in teaching. For example, due to the lack of teaching time, teachers do not have enough classroom time to teach comprehensive vocal music skills for students. The homework assigned by teachers needs to be checked and scored uniformly. The workload is heavy, and there is no communication channel between teachers and students except classroom time. In this paper, the application of software engineering, computer network, web site architecture and other aspects of knowledge, the requirements of the system are analyzed, and on this basis, the overall architecture of the system and its internal modules are designed in detail. In the process of implementation, with the help of ThinkPHP, the mature software framework, on the basis of which, the data persistence layer and presentation layer of the system are realized, and the business logic layer of the system is set up between the two layers to realize the hierarchy and module structure of the system design. After the implementation of the system, we also use the system testing method to test the system in an all-round way to ensure the correct use of the system.

Introduction. Dermatomyositis (DM) is a chronic autoimmune disease of predominantly lymphocytic infiltration mainly involving the transverse muscle. Its pathogenesis is remaining unknown. This research is designed to probe the latent pathogenesis of dermatomyositis, identify potential biomarkers, and reveal the pathogenesis of dermatomyositis through information biology analysis of gene chips. Methods. In this study, we utilised the GSE14287 and GSE11971 datasets rooted in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databank, which included a total of 62 DM samples and 9 normal samples. The datasets were combined, and the differentially expressed gene sets were subjected to weighted gene coexpression network analysis, and the hub gene was screened using a protein interaction network from genes in modules highly correlated with dermatomyositis progression. Results. A total of 3 key genes—myxovirus resistance-2 (MX2), oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1), and oligoadenylate synthetase 2 (OAS2)—were identified in combination with cell line samples, and the expressions of the 3 genes were verified separately. The results showed that MX2, OAS1, and OAS2 were highly expressed in LPS-treated cell lines compared to normal cell lines. The results of pathway enrichment analysis of the genes indicated that all 3 genes were enriched in the cytosolic DNA signalling and cytokine and cytokine receptor interaction signalling pathways; the results of functional enrichment analysis showed that all 3 were enriched in interferon-α response and interferon-γ response functions. Conclusions. This is important for the study of the pathogenesis and objective treatment of dermatomyositis and provides important reference information for the targeted therapy of dermatomyositis.

Geotechnical monitoring of slopes has improved dramatically over the last 20 years due to the onset of new sensor technologies and improved computing resources. Each sensor type has its strengths and weaknesses and, although an array of different sensors is now typically deployed at large surface mines, the data and downstream analysis is not typically ‘fused’ in a signal processing sense. In this paper, we present technologies that are being developed using a fused sensor approach. The first fuses vision and radar to improve monitoring of three-dimensional (3D) deformation of slopes. The second fuses vision, radar, and microseismics to support 3D rockfall trajectory estimation. The third fuses vision and prior knowledge of the 3D topography for fast 3D surface reconstruction for slope characterisation. This paper presents ongoing industry funded research and field trials into the feasibility of using these technologies in surface mines.

Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can use their flexible maneuverability to effectively collect images of urban buildings, and use the current multi-view stereo method to generate advanced 3D urban models. But the quality of the generated 3D model largely depends on a flight plan. This paper proposes a method to automatically generate a rough 3D contour based on the 2D contour of the building extracted from the orthophoto of the drone, and plan a shooting viewpoint for 3D reconstruction based on the contour information. The optimized ant colony algorithm is used to plan the optimal power consumption cost path of the viewpoint, and the UE4 game engine is used to simulate the planning result. This method can effectively simplify the flight planning process and minimize the small UAV in the acquisition process The problem of excessive consumption caused by alternate lifting.

Building a high-quality 3D face model is one of the important issues in computer graphics. High-fidelity 3D face model can be obtained through 3D reconstruction methods from measured data, but the reconstructed models are often flawed with missing measurement data. In order to improve the usability and robustness of the 3D face models, repair and optimization of the face model are critically important. The traditional solutions rely on geometric heuristics to complete repairing work. Considering the characteristics of the face, it is possible to utilize the semantic information to improve the quality of repairing process for the three-dimensional face models, thereby improving the accuracy of the repaired models. In this paper, we combine artificial intelligence and computer graphics methods, and proposes a feature extraction and matching of 3D face model method based on facial landmark detection. Our method combines the facial feature recognition algorithm of 2D facial image and the mapping relationship of 3D face mesh model, and realizes the function of semanticsegmentation and extraction of the 3D face model features. It can be used for the next step of 3D face mesh repair research.