Although the output power of an induction motor (IM) is generally lower than that of the interior permanent magnet synchronous motor, IMs are widely used in industrial world due to their solidity, ...low cost, self-starting, etc. For designing high-performance IMs, a computer-aided engineering approach using the finite-element method is essential. However, because a finite-element analysis of IMs takes a long time due to the long transient state in the time domain, it is difficult to perform the optimization using evolutionary algorithms. To overcome this difficulty, a sensitivity-based topology optimization (TO) method for IMs in the frequency domain was proposed. However, this method has a drawback: because the magnetic nonlinearity in the rotor and stator cores cannot be considered, the physical quantities also cannot be accurately estimated. To consider the magnetic nonlinearity in the TO of the IM, the sensitivity analysis with the rotor rotation of the IM using the time-domain adjoint variable method is proposed here. The proposed sensitivity analysis method for the steady state of the IM was evaluated, and it was applied to the TO of a squirrel-cage IM. The effective rotor structure, which is composed of the iron core and secondary conductor, was derived from the multi-material level-set method.
Background
House dust mite (HDM) is the major indoor allergen for allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. Although sublingual immunotherapy is a curative treatment for ...HDM‐induced AR, data from large‐scale studies are limited. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of HDM tablets in adolescent and adult patients (aged 12–64 years) with HDM‐induced AR with or without intermittent asthma.
Methods
In a double‐blind trial in Japan, 968 subjects were randomized 1 : 1 : 1 to 300 index of reactivity (IR), 500 IR, or placebo groups. The primary endpoint was the Average Adjusted Symptom Score (AASS) in the last eight weeks of the 52‐week treatment. Secondary endpoints included individual nasal and ocular symptom scores, rescue medication use, and the Japanese Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (JRQLQ) scores.
Results
The AASS in the last eight weeks of treatment significantly improved in both the 300 IR and the 500 IR groups compared to that in the placebo group (P < 0.001). In the 300 IR group, the onset of action occurred at week 8–10. All four nasal symptoms significantly improved in both active treatment groups; rescue medication use and JRQLQ outcome improved in the 300 IR group. Most adverse events (AEs) were mild, and 16 serious AEs (SAEs) were reported; however, none of them were drug‐related.
Conclusions
One‐year treatment with 300 IR and 500 IR HDM tablets was effective without major safety concerns. The recommended therapeutic dose for AR is 300 IR.
We previously applied a neural network detector (NND) to the low-density parity-check (LDPC) coding and iterative decoding system in a shingled magnetic recording (SMR) system. In this study, we ...evaluate the performance of iterative decoding using a new NND by computer simulation. The conventional NND gets the log-likelihood ratio (LLR) as the reliability of the sequence recorded from the two-dimensional finite impulse response (TD-FIR) filter output and the sum-product (SP) decoder output, but the new NND finds the LLR by adding the SP decoder input in order to consider the difference between the SP decoder input and the decoding result. Furthermore, we clarify that the new NND brings the almost same effect as the a posteriori probability (APP) decoder in the iterative decoding system.
We performed a preliminary study of neutron resonance absorption imaging to investigate the spatial distribution of constituent elements in borosilicate glasses containing simulated high-level ...radioactive waste, in which elemental inhomogeneities affect the physical and chemical stabilities of the glass. Dips generated by the resonance absorptions of Rh, Pd, Na, Gd, Cs, and Sm were observed in the neutron transmission spectra of the glass samples. The spatial distributions of these elements were obtained from the neutron transmission images at the resonance energies. The distributions of Rh and Pd visualized the sedimentation of these platinum group elements. In contrast, the lanthanides (Gd and Sm) and Cs were uniformly dispersed. These results show that neutron resonance absorption imaging is a promising tool for characterizing borosilicate glasses and investigating the vitrification mechanism of high-level radioactive waste.
Background
Although Th2 cells are well known to play important roles in allergic diseases including allergic rhinitis (AR), the factors that induce and sustain the pathogenesis of AR remain unclear. ...The recent development of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is expected to allow changes to the underlying pathogenesis of AR. However, which Th2 cell subsets are important in house dust mite‐induced AR (HDM‐AR), the influence of SLIT on the pathogenic Th2 cells, and the association of Th2 cell subsets with SLIT efficacy have not been clarified.
Methods
The cytokine production and frequency of HDM‐reactive T‐cell subsets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were evaluated using flow cytometry in 89 HDM‐AR patients (placebo n = 43 and HDM 300 IR n = 46) who participated in a placebo‐controlled study of SLIT with HDM tablets. All patients provided samples both before treatment as a baseline and at the end of the 52‐week study. The PBMCs were stained with CellTrace™ Violet (CTV) before culture with HDM extract, and HDM‐reactive T cells were detected as the proliferated cells with diminished CTV.
Results
HDM‐reactive IL‐5+IL‐13+CD27−CD161+CD4+ cells and ST2+CD45RO+CD4+ cells were observed in the peripheral blood from each patient with HDM‐AR; these cells significantly decreased after SLIT in the group treated with active tablets. HDM‐reactive ST2+CD45RO+CD4+ cells were significantly lower in active‐responders.
Conclusion
Allergen‐reactive ST2+CD45RO+CD4+ cells or those combined with IL‐5+IL‐13+CD27−CD161+CD4+ cells may be useful as markers indicating the successful treatment of SLIT. These cells may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AR as pathogenic memory Th2 cells.
House dust mite (HDM)‐reactive IL‐5+IL‐13+CD27−CD161+CD4+ cells and ST2+CD45RO+CD4+ cells were observed in the peripheral blood from patient with HDM‐induced allergic rhinitis; these cells significantly decreased after sublingual immunotherapy. HDM‐reactive ST2+CD45RO+CD4+ cells were significantly lower after 1 year of sublingual immunotherapy in the responders in active group than those for the nonresponders. Allergen‐reactive ST2+CD45RO+CD4+ cells or those combined with IL‐5+IL‐13+CD27−CD161+CD4+ cells may be useful as markers indicating the successful treatment of sublingual immunotherapy.
The objective of this study was to validate the efficacy of Takeuchi classification for lateral hinge fractures (LHFs) in open wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO). In all 74 osteoarthritic knees (58 ...females, 16 males; mean age 62.9 years, standard deviation 7.5, 42 to 77) were treated with OWHTO using a TomoFix plate. The knees were divided into non-fracture (59 knees) and LHF (15 knees) groups, and the LHF group was further divided into Takeuchi types I, II, and III (seven, two, and six knees, respectively). The outcomes were assessed pre-operatively and one year after OWHTO. Pre-operative characteristics (age, gender and body mass index) showed no significant difference between the two groups. The mean Japanese Orthopaedic Association score was significantly improved one year after operation regardless of the presence or absence of LHF (p = 0.0015, p < 0.001, respectively). However, six of seven type I cases had no LHF-related complications; both type II cases had delayed union; and of six type III cases, two had delayed union with correction loss and one had overcorrection. These results suggest that Takeuchi type II and III LHFs are structurally unstable compared with type I. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1226-31.
Summary
Background
Antimelanoma differentiation‐associated protein (anti‐MDA)5 antibodies are associated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP‐ILD) in patients with clinically ...amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) or dermatomyositis (DM).
Objectives
We aimed to evaluate the relevance of monitoring anti‐MDA5 antibody levels for the management of RP‐ILD in patients with CADM or DM.
Methods
Twelve patients with CADM (n = 10) or DM (n = 2) accompanied by RP‐ILD were included. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were recorded. Serial measurements of anti‐MDA5 antibody levels were measured. All patients were treated with corticosteroids, tacrolimus and intravenous cyclophosphamide.
Results
All patients achieved RP‐ILD remission after combined immunosuppressive therapy for a mean of 6·8 months, with significant decreases noted in the mean anti‐MDA5 antibody levels at remission. Six (50%) patients became anti‐MDA5 antibody negative after therapy. After a mean follow‐up of 31 months, RP‐ILD relapse was observed in four (33%) patients in both the anti‐MDA5 antibody sustained positive group and the negative conversion group. However, relapsed patients in the sustained positive group relapsed earlier than those in the negative conversion group. Thus, a decrease in anti‐MDA5 antibody levels during remission was associated with longer remission. Relapses were associated with a reincrease of anti‐MDA5 antibody levels in four of four (100%) patients. In contrast, none of the patients without reincrease in anti‐MDA5 antibody exhibited symptoms of relapse during follow‐up. Therefore, reincrease in anti‐MDA5 antibody levels was associated with relapse.
Conclusions
The anti‐MDA5 antibody level is a novel parameter for monitoring and a good predictor of RP‐ILD relapse in patients with CADM or DM.
What's already known about this topic?
Myositis‐specific autoantibodies are strongly associated with distinct clinical phenotypes; thus, they can be used to classify patients into groups with more homogeneous clinical features.
Antimelanoma differentiation‐associated protein (anti‐MDA)5 antibodies are specifically expressed in patients with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) or dermatomyositis (DM), and are associated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP‐ILD).
What does this study add?
Anti‐MDA5 antibody levels correlate with disease activity.
Relapse is associated with a reincrease in anti‐MDA5 antibody levels.
What is the translational message?
Anti‐MDA5 antibody levels are a novel parameter for monitoring and a good predictor of RP‐ILD relapse in patients with CADM/DM.
Linked Comment: Jordan and Ghoreschi. Br J Dermatol 2017; 176:294–295.
Respond to this article
We have previously focused on a log-likelihood ratio (LLR) computed as the decoding reliability by <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">a </tex-math></inline-formula> posteriori probability ...(APP) decoder on the low-density parity-check (LDPC) coding and iterative decoding system for the shingled magnetic recording (SMR). Then, we clarified that the LLR modulator applying a neural network realizes an effective iterative decoding. In this article, we propose a new neural network LLR modulator considering magnetic transition information obtained from LLRs to reduce the influence of intersymbol interferences (ISIs).
3-D magnetic recording using microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) and a spin-torque oscillator (STO) for reading has been proposed as a candidate for prospective recording technologies. In ...3-D magnetic recording using STO as a reading, the temporal magnetization dynamics of the STO has the fluctuations for frequency and amplitude which depend on the recorded pattern. In our previous work, we have constructed the STO signal model considering both amplitude and frequency fluctuations to develop a combined signal processing using the amplitude and frequency fluctuation detections. We have applied the STO signal model to the low-density parity-check (LDPC) coding and iterative decoding system with the individual detectors for amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM). Furthermore, we have reported that the dual STO reading system with only AM detection provides the improvement of the bit error rate (BER) performance. In this study, we propose the dual STO reading system with AM-FM combined detection in the hope that the finite impulse response (FIR) filter output distribution will be easier to detect with the decoder. We evaluate the BER performances of the proposed system for carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR S ) of the system noise under an areal recording density of 1 Tbits/in 2 specification with bit-pattern medium stricture by computer simulation. The results show that the FIR filter output distribution for our proposed dual STO reading system at an FM detector output has become sharper, and the proposed system achieves the "No errors" with CNR S less by about 3.5 dB than the single STO reading system.
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