The aim of this paper is to derive a containment maneuvering coordination strategy for a team of marine surface vehicles (MSVs) to track one parameterized path guided by two virtual leaders, where ...the tracking errors are constrained and the communications among MSVs are quantized. A two-level coordinated framework for containment maneuvering is proposed. For the kinematic level, to obtain the performance of tracking error constraints, guidance laws are derived by developing parameterized line-of-sight (LOS)-based symmetrical <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">ln</tex-math></inline-formula>-type Lyapunov functions, where the control functions are injected into the guidance laws to prevent constraint violations. For the coordination level, a communication protocol is proposed to reduce the amount of communication data by developing a quantized control strategy. Compared with the current containment maneuvering strategy, the whole design can bind the along-track and cross-track errors into the user-defined regions, increase the convergence speed of tracking errors, save bandwidth of the whole network and reduce the sensitivity of the initial positions of MSVs. Theoretical analysis shows that all signals are bounded. Experimental examples are also provided to verify the proposed containment maneuvering strategy.
Phosphate anodizing pretreatment of aluminum alloy A6061 was carried out before carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) was joined to A6061 using fiber laser. The results show that this kind of ...pretreatment could remarkably strengthen the joining between CFRP and A6061. With anodizing time varying between 10min and 30min, shear strength of over 35MPa were achieved for the CFRP/A6061 dissimilar joints. The highest shear strength could reach 41.8MPa under optimized joining parameters, which was approximately 8 times as high as that of the joint without anodizing pretreatment. From the observation with SEM, the nanoscale porous oxide layer that was produced on the surface of A6061 after anodizing pretreatment improved the wettability of CFRP on A6061, which leaded to a stronger mechanical anchoring effect at the interface. With the investigation of the transition layer at the interface by XPS, new chemical bonding of ׳Al–O–PA6׳ was detected in the dissimilar joint of CFRP and anodized A6061. Therefore, it made clear that the oxide layer could strengthen the mechanical anchoring effect as well as promote the potential of chemical reaction between CFRP and aluminum.
Background and Aims Adenoma detection rate (ADR), defined as the proportion of patients with at least one adenoma of any size, is a quality indicator. We tested the hypothesis that water exchange ...(WE) improves ADR but water immersion (WI) has no adverse effect on ADR compared with air insufflation (AI). Methods A prospective study was conducted at the Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital in southern Taiwan and the Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital in eastern Taiwan on patients randomly assigned to WE, WI, or AI with stratification by the 3 study colonoscopists. The primary outcome was ADR. Results From July 2013 to December 2015, 651 patients were recruited and randomized into 3 groups with a 1:1:1 ratio (217 patients per group). Overall, ADR met quality standards: WE 49.8% (95% CI, 43.2%-56.4%), AI 37.8% (95% CI, 31.6%-44.4%), and WI 40.6% (95% CI, 34.2%-47.2%). Compared with AI, WE significantly increased ADR ( P = .016). There was no difference between WI and WE. ADRs of WI and AI were comparable. Compared with AI, WE confirmed a longer insertion time, higher cleanliness score, but similar adenoma per positive colonoscopy (APPC) and withdrawal time with polypectomy. Subgroup analysis found WE significantly increased ADR in propofol-sedated patients. Multivariate generalized linear mixed model analysis revealed that age ≥50 years, WE (vs AI), colonoscopy indication, no previous history of colonoscopy, and withdrawal time >8 minutes were significant predictors of increased ADR. Conclusions Confirmation of prior reports showing WE, but not WI, increased ADR further strengthened the validity of our observations. WE significantly increased ADR in propofol-sedated patients. The outcome differences justify assessment of the role of WE in colorectal cancer prevention. Similar APPC and withdrawal times suggest that adequate inspection was performed on colonoscope withdrawal in each of the study arms. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT01894191 .)
To assess the clinical performance of an expanded noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) test (“NIPS-Plus”) for detection of both aneuploidy and genome-wide microdeletion/microduplication syndromes ...(MMS).
A total of 94,085 women with a singleton pregnancy were prospectively enrolled in the study. The cell-free plasma DNA was directly sequenced without intermediate amplification and fetal abnormalities identified using an improved copy-number variation (CNV) calling algorithm.
A total of 1128 pregnancies (1.2%) were scored positive for clinically significant fetal chromosome abnormalities. This comprised 965 aneuploidies (1.026%) and 163 (0.174%) MMS. From follow-up tests, the positive predictive values (PPVs) for T21, T18, T13, rare trisomies, and sex chromosome aneuploidies were calculated as 95%, 82%, 46%, 29%, and 47%, respectively. For known MMS (n=32), PPVs were 93% (DiGeorge), 68% (22q11.22 microduplication), 75% (Prader–Willi/Angleman), and 50% (Cri du Chat). For the remaining genome-wide MMS (n=88), combined PPVs were 32% (CNVs ≥10Mb) and 19% (CNVs <10Mb).
NIPS-Plus yielded high PPVs for common aneuploidies and DiGeorge syndrome, and moderate PPVs for other MMS. Our results present compelling evidence that NIPS-Plus can be used as a first-tier pregnancy screening method to improve detection rates of clinically significant fetal chromosome abnormalities.
Helicobacter pylori
is the principal cause of peptic ulcers, gastric cancer, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. The first treatment to
H. pylori
infection is dual therapy (a bismuth ...compound plus metronidazole). On the launch of omeprazole in 1988, dual therapy became omeprazole and amoxicillin (low dose). The poor
H. pylori
eradication rates by either bismuth-based or low-dose dual therapy drove more combinations of antibiotics were needed. Antibiotic resistance, especially clarithromycin and metronidazole, has made bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (BCQT) a savior for first-line and second-line treatments. However, its complicated dosing regimen commonly causes more adverse events and poor drug compliance. Thus, high-dose dual therapy (HDDT) has been re-arising. This article reviews the strengths and weaknesses of HDDT versus BCQT with proposed solutions.
In this study, the effect of ball-milling (BM, Mixer Mill MM 400) treatments on the physicochemical properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI) and its cold-set gels induced by glucono-δ-lactone was ...studied. BM of SPI increased the gel strength and water holding capacity of cold-set gels significantly after 4 min of BM treatments. BM treatments did not alter the primary structure of SPI, but caused minor changes of the secondary structure. Furthermore, surface hydrophobicity of SPI increased gradually from 2058 to 5051 after 10 min of BM, while free SH groups reduced from 3.92 to 2.65 μmol/g protein. Moreover, near-UV CD spectra indicated that the tertiary conformation stability was increased and the hydrophobic groups might shift to a more hydrophobic microenvironment. In conclusion, appropriate BM treatments could change the physicochemical properties of SPI and increased the gelation properties of SPI cold-set gels.
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•Soybean protein isolate (SPI) was treated by mixer ball mill (BM).•BM changed the secondary structure, tertiary structure and particle size of SPI.•BM increased the gel strength and water holding capacity of SPI cold-set gels.•Appropriate BM treatment can improve the gelation property of SPI cold-set gels.
Background & Aims
Oral antiviral therapy may reduce the disease progression of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. We aimed to further investigate the efficacy of long‐term entecavir therapy in ...reduction of the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cirrhotic events and mortality in a large group of CHB‐related cirrhosis patients.
Methods
The C‐TEAM (Cirrhosis‐Taiwanese EntecAvir Multicenter) study was a nationwide, multicenter, retrospective–prospective cohort study in Taiwan. We enrolled treatment‐naïve patients with CHB‐related cirrhosis and baseline HBV‐DNA≥2000 IU/mL receiving long‐term entecavir therapy and compared the development of HCC, cirrhotic events and mortality with that of a historical untreated cohort.
Results
In total, 1315 entecavir‐treated and 503 untreated patients with cirrhosis were enrolled, with median treatment and follow‐up durations of 4 and 6 years respectively. Compared with the untreated cohort, entecavir therapy was associated with a 60% HCC risk reduction hazard ratio (HR): 0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28‐0.57. Additionally, an older age, the male gender, HBeAg positivity, alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP)≥7 ng/mL before therapy were independent predictors of HCC development. Further analysis showed that entecavir therapy significantly reduced risks of variceal bleeding, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and liver‐related and all‐cause mortality. These findings were confirmed by propensity score‐matched cohorts in sensitivity analysis. In patients under entecavir therapy, an older age, the male gender, HBeAg positivity, AFP level ≥7 ng/mL before therapy, and 1‐year virological response were predictive of HCC development.
Conclusions
Four‐year entecavir therapy significantly reduces the risk of HCC, cirrhotic events and mortality in patients with CHB‐related cirrhosis.
See Editorial on Page 1752
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•TGase-catalyzed soy protein cold set gels (TSCGs) were formed at low temperature.•High intensity ultrasound (HIU) of SPI changed physicochemical properties of TSCG.•HIU increased the ...gel strength, water holding capacity and gel yield of TSCG.•HIU changed the microstructure and conformational structure of TSCG.•More inter-molecular covalent and non-covalent bonds may be formed after HIU.
The effects of high intensity ultrasound (HIU, 105–110W/cm2 for 5 or 40min) pre-treatment of soy protein isolate (SPI) on the physicochemical properties of ensuing transglutaminase-catalyzed soy protein isolate cold set gel (TSCG) were investigated in this study. The gel strength of TSCG increased remarkably from 34.5 to 207.1g for TSCG produced from SPI with 40min HIU pre-treatment. Moreover, gel yield and water holding capacity also increased after HIU pre-treatments. Scanning electron microscopy showed that HIU of SPI resulted in a more uniform and denser microstructure of TSCG. The content of free sulfhydryl (SH) groups was higher in HIU TSCG than non-HIU TSG, even though greater decrease of the SH groups present in HIU treated SPI was observed when the TSCG was formed, suggesting the involvement of disulfide bonds in gel formation. Protein solubility of TSCG in both denaturing and non-denaturing solvents was higher after HIU pretreatment, and changes in hydrophobic amino acid residues as well as in polypeptide backbone conformation and secondary structure of TSCG were demonstrated by Raman spectroscopy. These results suggest that increased inter-molecular ε-(γ-glutamyl) lysine isopeptide bonds, disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions might have contributed to the HIU TSCG gel network. In conclusion, HIU changed physicochemical and structural properties of SPI, producing better substrates for TGase. The resulting TSCG network structure was formed with greater involvement of covalent and non-covalent interactions between SPI molecules and aggregates than in the TSCG from non-HIU SPI.
The Snail transcription factor plays as a master regulator of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), one of the steps of tumor metastasis. Snail enhances expressions of a lot of mesenchymal genes ...including the matrix degradation enzyme matrix metalloproteinases 9 (MMP9) and the EMT transcription factor zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), however, the underlying mechanisms are not clarified. Herein, we investigated how Snail upregulated transcription of ZEB1 and MMP9 induced by the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) in hepatoma cell HepG2. According to deletion mapping and site directed mutagenesis analysis, the TPA-responsive elements on both MMP9 and ZEB1 promoters locate on a putative EGR1 and SP1 overlapping region coupled with an upstream proposed Snail binding motif TCACA. Consistently, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay showed TPA triggered binding of Snail, EGR1 and SP1 on MMP9 and ZEB1 promoters. Double ChIP further indicated TPA induced association of Snail with EGR1 and SP1 on both promoters. Also, electrophoresis mobility shift assay revealed TPA enhanced binding of Snail with a MMP9 promoter fragment. According to shRNA techniques, Snail was essential for gene expression of both ZEB1 and MMP9. In conclusion, Snail transactivates genes involved in tumor progression via direct binding to a specific promoter region.
The traction motor (TM) is an essential part of the high-speed train, the health condition of which determines the quality and safety of the vehicle. Hence, this study proposed a novel approach to ...diagnosing and predicting the TM stator interturn short-circuit fault (SISCF). Based on the Park vector (PV) of the stator current, this method could overcome the interference of current sensor errors, null shift, and motor frequency fluctuations in the actual conditions. More specifically, Park’s transformation was used to obtain the PV of the stator current. Then, the PV was fitted to obtain the elliptical trajectory and its parameters from which the negative sequence component of the stator current could be calculated. Finally, the SISCF diagnosis and prediction method were realized by the magnitude and trend of the negative current as well as the inclination of the trajectory ellipse. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed method was validated by a simulation model and a series of experiments. The simulation results were consistent with the experimental results, supporting the validity and correctness of the method proposed in this study.
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