Substrate-integrated waveguides (SIWs) maintain the advantages of planar circuits (low loss, low profile, easy manufacturing, and integration in a planar circuit board) and improve the quality factor ...of filter resonators. Empty substrate-integrated waveguides (ESIWs) substantially reduce the insertion losses, because waves propagate through air instead of a lossy dielectric. The first ESIW used a simple tapering transition that cannot be used for thin substrates. A new transition has recently been proposed, which includes a taper also in the microstrip line, not only inside the ESIW, and so it can be used for all substrates, although measured return losses are only 13 dB. In this letter, the cited transition is improved by placing via holes that prevent undesired radiation, as well as two holes that help to ensure good accuracy in the mechanization of the input iris, thus allowing very good return losses (over 20 dB) in the measured results. A design procedure that allows the successful design of the proposed new transition is also provided. A back-to-back configuration of the improved new transition has been successfully manufactured and measured.
•Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis) have shown dramatic benefit in patients with spondyloarthritis.•Tapering of TNFi medication may be considered in patients with sustained low disease activity ...or remission.•The strategy of TNFi tapering was associated with a significantly increased risk of disease flare compared to maintaining SpA patients at the standard TNF dose.
Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis) have shown dramatic benefit in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). Tapering of TNFi medication may be considered in patients with sustained low disease activity because continued use of TNFis at standard doses may increase the risk of side effects including infections and impose an economic burden. However, the optimal TNFi tapering strategy for SpA patients with inactive disease has not been established. In the present study, we investigated whether tapering TNFi doses is associated with similar risk of disease flare to maintaining SpA patients on TNFis at the standard dosage.
The MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were systemically searched to retrieve randomized control trials (RCTs) and observational studies published prior to August 2023, that compared disease flare in SpA (including axial SpA axSpA, psoriatic arthritis PsA, and SpA with IBD) patients who received standard TNFi doses and those who received a tapered dose of TNFi. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were directly retrieved or calculated, and meta-analyses were performed. Bias was assessed using funnel plots with Begg and Mazumdar rank correlation / Egger’s regression method.
Among 2,237 SpA patients in the 12 studies (9 RCTs and 3 observational studies) retrieved, 1,301 received the standard TNFi dose, while 936 SpA patients underwent TNFi tapering. Of these, 216 (16.6%) standard-dose TNFi and 217 (23.2%) TNF-tapering patients experienced disease flares. The pooled OR for disease flare in TNFi-tapering patients was 1.601 (95% CI 1.276 – 2.008) compared with the standard-dose patients. The funnel plot showed no publication bias.
The strategy of TNFi tapering was associated with a significantly increased risk of disease flare compared to maintaining SpA patients at the standard TNF dose. Further studies are needed to determine which patients can safely undergo tapering of TNFi and to develop safe tapering strategies.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A low profile, high gain 32 × 64-slot array antenna with unequal beamwidths in the E- and H-planes and low sidelobes is proposed for vehicular applications in the 71-81 GHz band. The antenna is ...composed of 512 (16 × 32) 2 × 2-slot subarrays arranged with equal spacing and excited by a nonuniform corporate-feed-network. A two dimensional amplitude-tapering (complying with Taylor distribution) is used to achieve the low sidelobe levels (SLLs). Combined with the different dimensions of the array, the sidelobes and the beamwidths in the E- and H-planes are independently controlled. A prototype slotted waveguide array is fabricated to verify the array properties. Measurements show that the matching of the array is better than −14 dB over the entire bandwidth. The first SLL is lower than −18.9 dB/−24 dB with the maximum 3-dB beamwidth of 2.3°/1.3° in the E-/H-plane, respectively. The peak gain of over 39.4 dBi and the cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) of below −36.2 dB are also achieved. The demonstrated features of high gain, low SLL, and independent controllability of the beam in the E- and H-planes are most desirable for vehicular communications and radars.
Abstract
The Molecules with ALMA at Planet-forming Scales Large Program (MAPS LP) surveyed the chemical structures of five protoplanetary disks across more than 40 different spectral lines at high ...angular resolution (0.″15 and 0.″30 beams for Bands 6 and 3, respectively) and sensitivity (spanning 0.3–1.3 mJy beam
−1
and 0.4–1.9 mJy beam
−1
for Bands 6 and 3, respectively). In this article, we describe the multistage workflow—built around the CASA
tclean
image deconvolution procedure—that we used to generate the core data product of the MAPS LP: the position–position–velocity image cubes for each spectral line. Owing to the expansive nature of the survey, we encountered a range of imaging challenges: some are familiar to the submillimeter protoplanetary disk community, like the need to use an accurate CLEAN mask, and others are less well known, like the incorrect default flux scaling of the CLEAN residual map first described by Jorsater & van Moorsel (the “JvM effect”). We distill lessons learned into recommended workflows for synthesizing image cubes of molecular emission. In particular, we describe how to produce image cubes with accurate fluxes via “JvM correction,” a procedure that is generally applicable to any image synthesized via CLEAN deconvolution but is especially critical for low signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) emission. We further explain how we used visibility tapering to promote a common, fiducial beam size and contextualize the interpretation of S/N when detecting molecular emission from protoplanetary disks. This paper is part of the MAPS special issue of the Astrophysical Journal Supplement.
Abstract
In order to alleviate the problem of excessive stress and easy wear on the rotary swaging die during the process of rotary swaging high-strength tungsten wire, the die structure was changed, ...the transition taper was designed, and the structural parameters were optimized to achieve the purpose of reducing the stress and extending the life of the rotary swaging die. The results show that the improvement of the die structure can largely reduce the effective stress of the die, and it is found that the transition fillet has the greatest influence on the effective stress of the die, followed by the cone angle of the transition taper, and the length of the transition taper has the least effect on the effective stress of the die. Finally, the optimal die structure parameters after improvement were obtained by orthogonal experiments: the cone angle of transition taper is 4°, the length of transition taper is 10 mm, and the radius of transition fillet is 3 mm.
Use of cell-based medicinal products (CBMPs) represents a state-of-the-art approach for reducing general immunosuppression in organ transplantation. We tested multiple regulatory CBMPs in kidney ...transplant trials to establish the safety of regulatory CBMPs when combined with reduced immunosuppressive treatment.
The ONE Study consisted of seven investigator-led, single-arm trials done internationally at eight hospitals in France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the USA (60 week follow-up). Included patients were living-donor kidney transplant recipients aged 18 years and older. The reference group trial (RGT) was a standard-of-care group given basiliximab, tapered steroids, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus. Six non-randomised phase 1/2A cell therapy group (CTG) trials were pooled and analysed, in which patients received one of six CBMPs containing regulatory T cells, dendritic cells, or macrophages; patient selection and immunosuppression mirrored the RGT, except basiliximab induction was substituted with CBMPs and mycophenolate mofetil tapering was allowed. None of the trials were randomised and none of the individuals involved were masked. The primary endpoint was biopsy-confirmed acute rejection (BCAR) within 60 weeks after transplantation; adverse event coding was centralised. The RTG and CTG trials are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01656135, NCT02252055, NCT02085629, NCT02244801, NCT02371434, NCT02129881, and NCT02091232.
The seven trials took place between Dec 11, 2012, and Nov 14, 2018. Of 782 patients assessed for eligibility, 130 (17%) patients were enrolled and 104 were treated and included in the analysis. The 66 patients who were treated in the RGT were 73% male and had a median age of 47 years. The 38 patients who were treated across six CTG trials were 71% male and had a median age of 45 years. Standard-of-care immunosuppression in the recipients in the RGT resulted in a 12% BCAR rate (expected range 3·2–18·0). The overall BCAR rate for the six parallel CTG trials was 16%. 15 (40%) patients given CBMPs were successfully weaned from mycophenolate mofetil and maintained on tacrolimus monotherapy. Combined adverse event data and BCAR episodes from all six CTG trials revealed no safety concerns when compared with the RGT. Fewer episodes of infections were registered in CTG trials versus the RGT.
Regulatory cell therapy is achievable and safe in living-donor kidney transplant recipients, and is associated with fewer infectious complications, but similar rejection rates in the first year. Therefore, immune cell therapy is a potentially useful therapeutic approach in recipients of kidney transplant to minimise the burden of general immunosuppression.
The 7th EU Framework Programme.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•Most of 708 users of antidepressants describe the prescriber of their drugs as uninformed about withdrawal symptoms.•Prescribers were also described as unable to provide effective support to ...withdraw from antidepressants.•Recommendations included individualised, gradual withdrawal plans, with small doses, liquids or tapering strips.•Psychotherapy, withdrawal support groups, patient-led services, nutrition advice and 24-hour crisis support also suggested.•Professional bodies should urgently disseminate evidence-based withdrawal information to GPs and Psychiatrists.
Approximately half of the tens of millions of people currently taking antidepressants will experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to reduce or come off them. Nearly half of these describe their symptoms as severe in surveys. Many prescribing doctors seem ill-informed and unprepared to provide effective discontinuation advice and support, often misdiagnosing withdrawal as a relapse of depression or anxiety. 708 members of online support groups for people on antidepressants, from 31 countries, completed a sentence in an online survey: 'A public health service to help people come off antidepressants should include ...'. Two independent researchers categorised their responses into themes, and then reached consensus via discussion. Seven themes emerged: ‘Prescriber Role’, ‘Information’, ‘Other Supports/Services’, ‘Strong Negative Feelings re Doctors/Services etc.’, Informed Consent When Prescribed’, ‘Drug Companies’ and: ‘Public Health Campaign’. The most frequently mentioned requirements of the Prescriber Role were that prescribers be properly informed, provide small doses/liquid/tapering strips, develop a withdrawal plan and believe patients about their withdrawal experiences. The most frequently recommended other services were psychotherapy/counselling, support groups, patient led/informed services, nutrition advice, 24-hour crisis support and ‘holistic/lifestyle’ approaches. Many respondents were angry about how uninformed their doctors were and how they had been treated.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In this communication, a very simple and extremely fast algorithm is proposed for the pencil beam synthesis of linear sparse arrays having uniform distribution of the excitations. The key idea is ...that of selecting, as a desired pattern, a Gaussian function having small standard deviation, so as to obtain a narrow beam. This immediately provides the excitation density of the corresponding continuous array of infinite length. Starting from this result and considering a linear array of length L with N elements having equal excitations, an extremely fast and accurate algorithm based on a density tapering approach is proposed that yields suitable positions of the elements, in such a way as to provide an array factor that well approximates the desired pattern. Numerical examples are presented to show the effectiveness of the developed procedure, also when compared with state-of-the-art algorithms. The proposed approach does not consider the mutual coupling between the array elements, but it is numerically shown that this effect produces quite acceptable degradation on the synthesized patterns. Finally, it is shown that also problems involving thousands of elements can be solved in a very accurate way in few milliseconds.
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