In this paper, we present a 6-bit phase shifter designed and fabricated using the 150 nm GaN HEMT process. The designed phase shifter operates within the n260 (37~40 GHz) band, as specified in the 5G ...NR standard, and employs the structure of a switched-filter phase shifter. By serially connecting six single-bit phase shifters, ranging from 180° to 5.625°, the designed phase shifter achieves a phase range of 360°. The fabricated phase shifter exhibits a minimum insertion loss of 5 dB and an RMS phase error of less than 5.36° within the 37 to 40 GHz. This phase shifter is intended for seamless integration with high-power RF circuits.
Display omitted
•We investigated ABO-incompatible LDLT for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.•ABO-incompatible and -compatible LDLT show comparable recurrence-free survival rates.•Overall ...patient survival is similar among these two groups.•ABO-incompatible LDLT is a feasible hepatocellular carcinoma treatment option.
Living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) can simultaneously cure hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and underlying liver cirrhosis, improving long-term results in patients with HCC. ABO-incompatible LDLT could expand the living-donor pool, reduce waiting times for deceased-donor liver transplantation, and improve long-term survival for some patients with HCC.
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients undergoing LDLT for HCC from November 2008 to December 2015 at a single institution in Korea. In total, 165 patients underwent ABO-incompatible and 753 patients underwent ABO-compatible LDLT for HCC. ABO-incompatible recipients underwent desensitization to overcome the ABO blood group barrier, including pretransplant plasma exchange and rituximab administration (300–375 mg/m2 /body surface area).
We performed 1:1 propensity score matching and included 165 patients in each group. 82.4% of ABO-incompatible and 83.0% of -compatible LDLT groups had HCC within conventional Milan criteria, respectively, and 92.1% and 92.7% of patients in each group had a Child-Pugh score of A or B. ABO-incompatible and -compatible LDLT groups were followed up for 48.0 and 48.7 months, respectively, with both groups showing comparable recurrence-free survival rates (hazard ratio HR 1.14; 95% CI 0.68–1.90; p = 0.630) and overall patient-survival outcomes (HR 1.10; 95% CI 0.60–2.00; p = 0.763).
These findings suggested that ABO-incompatible liver transplantation is a feasible option for patients with HCC, especially for those with compensated cirrhosis with HCC within conventional Milan criteria.
Despite hypothetical immunological concerns that the desensitization protocol for breaking through the ABO blood group barrier might have a negative impact on the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, our experience demonstrated no significant differences in the long-term overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates between patients receiving ABO-compatible or ABO-incompatible liver transplantation. In conclusion, results from our institution indicated that ABO-incompatible living-donor liver transplantation constitutes a potentially feasible option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, especially those with compensated cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma within conventional Milan criteria.
Liver transplant (LT) recipients were considered a vulnerable population during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The clinical efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine is unknown in ...immunocompromised patients. The purpose of this study was to provide evidence of antibody responses after COVID-19 vaccination in LT recipients.
This study enrolled 46 patients who underwent LT at Samsung Medical Center (Seoul, Korea) before implementation of the one-dose vaccine in Korea. Those who completed the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine between August 2021 and September 2021 were included and followed through December 2021. Semiquantitative anti-spike serologic testing was performed using the Roche Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 S enzyme immunoassay (Roche Diagnostics, Rotkereuz, Switzerland) with a positive cutoff of at least 0.8 U/mL.
Among all 46 participants, 40 (87%) demonstrated an antibody response after the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while six (13%) had no antibody response after the second dose. Upon univariate analysis, patients with higher antibody titer had longer years since LT (2.3 ± 2.8 vs. 9.4 ± 5.0,
< 0.001). A lower median tacrolimus (TAC) level before vaccination and after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine indicated a significantly higher antibody response (2.3 1.6-3.2 vs. 7.0 3.7-7.8,
= 0.006, 2.5 1.6-3.3 vs. 5.7 4.2-7.2,
= 0.003). Period between 2nd vaccination and serologic testing was significantly higher in the antibody-response group compared to the no-antibody-response group (30.2 ± 24.0 vs. 65.9 ± 35.0,
= 0.012). A multivariate analysis of antibody responses revealed TAC level before vaccination as a statistically significant factor.
A higher TAC level before vaccination resulted in less effective vaccination in LT patients. Booster vaccinations are required, especially for patients in the early stage after LT who have compromised immune function.
Copper (Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) have received extensive interest owing to their advantageous properties compared with their bulk counterparts. Although the natural oxidation of Cu NPs can be ...alleviated by passivating the surfaces with additional moieties, obtaining non-oxidized bare Cu NPs in air remains challenging. Here we report that bare Cu NPs with surface excess electrons retain their non-oxidized state over several months in ambient air. Cu NPs grown on an electride support with excellent electron transfer ability are encapsulated by the surface-accumulated excess electrons, exhibiting an ultralow work function of ~3.2 eV. Atomic-scale structural and chemical analyses confirm the absence of Cu oxide moiety at the outermost surface of air-exposed bare Cu NPs. Theoretical energetics clarify that the surface-accumulated excess electrons suppress the oxygen adsorption and consequently prohibit the infiltration of oxygen into the Cu lattice, provoking the endothermic reaction for oxidation process. Our results will further stimulate the practical use of metal NPs in versatile applications.
In this study, we investigated the effects and molecular mechanisms of 2‐phenylbenzimidazole‐5‐sulphonic acid (PBSA), an ultraviolet B protecting agent used in sunscreen lotions and moisturizers, on ...ovarian cancer cell responses and tumour angiogenesis. PBSA treatment markedly blocked mitogen‐induced invasion through down‐regulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and activity in ovarian cancer SKOV‐3 cells. In addition, PBSA inhibited mitogen‐induced cell proliferation by suppression of cyclin‐dependent kinases (Cdks), but not cyclins, leading to pRb hypophosphorylation and G1 phase cell cycle arrest. These anti‐cancer activities of PBSA in ovarian cancer cell invasion and proliferation were mediated by the inhibition of mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase 3/6‐p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MKK3/6‐p38MAPK) activity and subsequent down‐regulation of MMP‐2, MMP‐9, Cdk4, Cdk2 and integrin β1, as evidenced by treatment with p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580. Furthermore, PBSA suppressed the expression and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor in SKOV‐3 cells, leading to inhibition of capillary‐like tubular structures in vitro and angiogenic sprouting ex vivo. Taken together, our results demonstrate the pharmacological effects and molecular targets of PBSA on modulating ovarian cancer cell responses and tumour angiogenesis, and suggest further evaluation and development of PBSA as a promising chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Display omitted
Nanoencapsulation with water-soluble chitosan and poly-γ-glutamic acid can be used to improve the solubility and antimicrobial activity of silymarin.
•Silymarin was nanoencapsulated ...using chitosan and γ-poly (glutamic acid).•The solubility of silymarin was significantly increased by nanoencapsulation.•The antimicrobial activity of silymarin effectively improved by nanoencapsulation.•Film containing silymarin nanoparticles could control growth of food microorganism.
The aims of this study were to improve the water solubility and antimicrobial activity of milk thistle silymarin by nanoencapsulation and to assess the functions of silymarin nanoparticle-containing film as an antimicrobial food-packaging agent. Silymarin nanoparticles were prepared using water-soluble chitosan (WCS) and poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA). As the WCS and silymarin concentrations increased, particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) significantly increased. Nanoencapsulation significantly improved the water solubility of silymarin 7.7-fold. Antimicrobial activity of silymarin was effectively improved when silymarin was entrapped within the nanocapsule compared to when it was not entrapped. Films incorporating silymarin nanoparticles had better antimicrobial activity than films incorporating free silymarin. The results suggest that silymarin nanoparticles have applications in antimicrobial food additives and food packing.
This paper introduces a digital-assisted multiple echo detection scheme, which utilizes the waste time of the full serial data readout period in a focal plane array (FPA)-based laser detection and ...ranging (LADAR) receiver. With the support of an external digital signal processor (DSP) and additional analog memory inserted into the receiver, the proposed readout scheme can effectively enhance multi-target resolution (MTR) three times higher than the conventional FPA-based LADAR, while maintaining low power consumption and a small area. A prototype chip was fabricated in a 0.18-μm CMOS process with an 8 × 8 FPA configuration, where each single receiver pixel occupied an area of 100 μm × 100 μm. The single receiver achieved an MTR of 20 ns with 7.47 mW power dissipation, an input referred noise current of 4.48 pA/√Hz with a bandwidth 530 MHz, a minimum detectable signal (MDS) of 340 nA, a maximum walk error of 2.2 ns, and a maximum non-linearity of 0.05% among the captured multiple echo images.
This clinical practice position statement, a product of the Fatty Liver Research Group of the Korean Diabetes Association, proposes recommendations for the diagnosis, progression and/or severity ...assessment, management, and follow-up of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patients with both T2DM and NAFLD have an increased risk of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis and a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetic complications compared to those without NAFLD. With regards to the evaluation of patients with T2DM and NAFLD, ultrasonography-based stepwise approaches using noninvasive biomarker models such as fibrosis-4 or the NAFLD fibrosis score as well as imaging studies such as vibration-controlled transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter or magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction are recommended. After the diagnosis of NAFLD, the stage of fibrosis needs to be assessed appropriately. For management, weight reduction achieved by lifestyle modification has proven beneficial and is recommended in combination with antidiabetic agent(s). Evidence that some antidiabetic agents improve NAFLD/NASH with fibrosis in patients with T2DM is emerging. However, there are currently no definite pharmacologic treatments for NAFLD in patients with T2DM. For specific cases, bariatric surgery may be an option if indicated.
PDF
