Method to measure tree-ring width,density,elemental composition,and stable carbon and oxygen isotopes using one sample

Tree-ring width(RW),density,elemental com-position,and stable carbon and oxygen isotope(δ^(13)C,δ^(18)O)are widely used as proxies to assess climate change,ecology,and environmental pollution;however,a specific pretreat-ment has been needed for each proxy.Here,we developed a method by which each proxy can be measured in the same sample.First,the sample is polished for ring width meas-urement.After obtaining the ring width data,the sample is cut to form a 1-mm-thick wood plate.The sample is then mounted in a vertical sample holder,and gradually scanned by an X-ray beam.Simultaneously,the count rates of the fluorescent photons of elements(for chemical characteriza-tion)and a radiographic grayscale image(for wood density)are obtained,i.e.the density and the element content are obtained.Then,cellulose is isolated from the 1-mm wood plate by removal of lignin,and hemicellulose.After producing this cellulose plate,cellulose subsamples are separated by knife under the microscope for inter-annual and intra-annual stable carbon and oxygen isotope(δ^(13)C,δ^(18)O)analysis.Based on this method,RW,density,elemental composition,δ^(13)C,and δ^(18)O can be measured from the same sample,which reduces sample amount and treatment time,and is helpful for multi-proxy comparison and combination research.

Relationship between Inter Canine Width and Inter Alar Width, Inter Commissural Width, and Inter Canthal Distance: A Pilot Study

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between inter canine width (ICW) and inter alar width (IAW), inter commissural width (ICoW), and inter canthal distance (ICaD) in Bantu population. Materials and Methods: It was a pilot study included all participants who were aged at least 18 years, without a history of orthodontics treatment from Prosthodontics Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Kinshasa. The Ethics committee of the National Center of Research for Dental Sciences in DR Congo approved the study protocol (CNRSB 1504.218). The participants medical records were obtained from the interview and dental examination. Nature of the study was explained with participant information sheet, and an informed consent of all participants was obtained. The inclusion criteria were no missing maxillary and mandibular teeth, no diastema, and no anterior restorations, 18 years old before enrollment in the study. The exclusion criteria were inability to meet the above requirements, pregnancy, and refusal to participate in the study. The inter-canine width (ICW), inter alar width (IAW), inter canthal distance (ICaD) and inter-commissural width (ICoW) of each participant were measured with a digital Vernier caliper (Mitutoyo, UK Ltd.,) (0.01 mm) three times and the average value was recorded. The inter canthal distance (ICaD) was measured without applying pressure by bringing the recording parts of the caliper just in contact with the medial angle. The inter alar width (IAW) was marked with a fine marked pencil on the widest outer surface of the alae of the nose on either side or width. Those two points were measured without applying pressure by bringing the recording parts of the caliper just in contact with the outer surface. The participant was told to stop breathing shortly to avoid any change in shape of the nose. The inter-commissural width (ICoW) was determined by measuring the maxillary lip vermilion from commissure to commissure without the application of pressure on the tissue in the relaxed state. The inter-canine width (ICW) was measured indirectly using a dental floss. A dental floss was marked on one end prior to placement in the mouth. Using that point as reference, the dental floss was circumference along the curvature of the anterior dentition such that it passed along the contact point of all the teeth. The distal end of the canine teeth on both sides was then marked on the floss while it was stretched in the patients mouth. Floss was marked on both sides with the marker pencil. The distance between the two proximal contact points was measured and recorded. Data, analysis and validation were performed by the SPSS software (version 22.0, IBM SPSS Statistics, Chicago, IL, USA). Unpaired t-test was used, of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to test for comparability between socio-demographic characteristics dental measurements. Pearsons correlation coefficients test was calculated to determine the relationship between facial and dental parameters. Significance was set at P 0.01. Results: Of 314 participants enrolled, 202 were included. The age ranged from 18 to 68 years, with a mean age of 40.62 12.99 years. Although the Pearsons correlation coefficients were negative. Ninety-three participants (46%) were men and one hundred and nine (54%) were women. The overall mean age was 40.62 12.99 years. Facial and dental measurements were greater in women than men with significant differences for ICW (p = 0.04). However, no significant difference was seen between men and women for IAW, ICaD and ICoW (p = 0.44, p = 0.23, p = 0.31 respectively). The correlation including Pearsons correlation coefficient and P-values for all participants is not demonstrated. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest that IAW, ICaD and ICoW cannot be used as a preliminary method for determining the width of the maxillary for anterior teeth for edentulous patients.

Red cell distribution width/platelet ratio estimates the 3-year risk of decompensation in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease-induced cirrhosis

BACKGROUND For compensated advanced chronic liver disease(cACLD)patients,the first decompensation represents a dramatically worsening prognostic event.Based on the first decompensation event(DE),the transition to decompensated advanced chronic liver disease(dACLD)can occur through two modalities referred to as acute decompensation(AD)and non-AD(NAD),respectively.Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension(CSPH)is considered the strongest predictor of decompensation in these patients.However,due to its invasiveness and costs,CSPH is almost never evaluated in clinical practice.Therefore,recognizing noninvasively predicting tools still have more appeal across healthcare systems.The red cell distribution width to platelet ratio(RPR)has been reported to be an indicator of hepatic fibrosis in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease(MASLD).However,its predictive role for the decompensation has never been explored.AIM In this observational study,we investigated the clinical usage of RPR in predicting DEs in MASLD-related cACLD patients.METHODS Fourty controls and 150 MASLD-cACLD patients were consecutively enrolled and followed up(FUP)semiannually for 3 years.At baseline,biochemical,clinical,and Liver Stiffness Measurement(LSM),Child-Pugh(CP),Model for End-Stage Liver Disease(MELD),aspartate aminotransferase/platelet count ratio index(APRI),Fibrosis-4(FIB-4),Albumin-Bilirubin(ALBI),ALBI-FIB-4,and RPR were collected.During FUP,DEs(timing and modaities)were recorded.CSPH was assessed at the baseline and on DE occurrence according to the available Clinical Practice Guidelines.RESULTS Of 150 MASLD-related cACLD patients,43(28.6%)progressed to dACLD at a median time of 28.9 months(29 NAD and 14 AD).Baseline RPR values were significantly higher in cACLD in comparison to controls,as well as MELD,CP,APRI,FIB-4,ALBI,ALBI-FIB-4,and LSM in dACLD-progressing compared to cACLD individuals[all P<0.0001,except for FIB-4(P:0.007)and ALBI(P:0.011)].Receiving operator curve analysis revealed RPR>0.472 and>0.894 as the best cut-offs in the prediction respectively of 3-year first DE,as well as its superiority compared to the other non-invasive tools examined.RPR(P:0.02)and the presence of baseline-CSPH(P:0.04)were significantly and independently associated with the DE.Patients presenting baseline-CSPH and RPR>0.472 showed higher risk of decompensation(P:0.0023).CONCLUSION Altogether these findings suggest the RPR as a valid and potentially applicable non-invasive tool in the prediction of timing and modalities of decompensation in MASLD-related cACLD patients.

Climatic implications in earlywood and latewood width indices of Chinese pine in north central China

Latewood width(LWW)indices of trees are considered a reliable proxy of summer precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere.However,the strong coupling and high correlation between earlywood width(EWW)and LWW indices often prevent registration of climate signals of the LWW index.In this study,328-year-long earlywood width and latewood width chronologies were developed from Chinese pine at two sites in the Hasi Mountains,north central China.The climate responses of these chronologies were analyzed and the LWW index used to derive sum-mer precipitation signals.Correlation analyses showed that LWW was particularly influenced by earlywood growth and recorded stronger climate signals of the previous year as EWW,rather than those of the current year with infrequent summer climate signals.However,after removing the effect of earlywood growth using a simple regression model,the adjusted LWW chronology(LWW_(adj))showed a strong relationship with July precipitation in dry years.This suggests that the LWW_(adj) chronology has the potential to be used to investigate long-term variability in summer precipitation in drought-limited regions.

A mechanically coupled MEMS filter with high-Q width extensional mode resonators

This work presents a novel radio frequency(RF)narrowband Si micro-electro-mechanical systems(MEMS)filter based on capacitively transduced slotted width extensional mode(WEM)resonators.The flexibility of the plate leads to multiple modes near the target frequency.The high Q-factor resonators of around 100000 enable narrow bandwidth filters with small size and simplified design.The 1-wavelength and 2-wavelength WEMs were first developed as a pair of coupled modes to form a passband.To reduce bandwidth,two plates are coupled with aλ-length coupling beam.The 79.69 MHz coupled plate filter(CPF)achieved a narrow bandwidth of 8.8 kHz,corresponding to a tiny 0.011%.The CPF exhibits an impressive 34.84 dB stopband rejection and 7.82 dB insertion loss with near-zero passband ripple.In summary,the RF MEMS filter presented in this work shows promising potential for application in RF transceiver front-ends.

Predictive value of red blood cell distribution width and hematocrit for short-term outcomes and prognosis in colorectal cancer patients undergoing radical surgery

BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported that low hematocrit levels indicate poor survival in patients with ovarian cancer and cervical cancer,the prognostic value of hematocrit for colorectal cancer(CRC)patients has not been determined.The prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width(RDW)for CRC patients was controversial.AIM To investigate the impact of RDW and hematocrit on the short-term outcomes and long-term prognosis of CRC patients who underwent radical surgery.METHODS Patients who were diagnosed with CRC and underwent radical CRC resection between January 2011 and January 2020 at a single clinical center were included.The short-term outcomes,overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)were compared among the different groups.Cox analysis was also conducted to identify independent risk factors for OS and DFS.RESULTS There were 4258 CRC patients who underwent radical surgery included in our study.A total of 1573 patients were in the lower RDW group and 2685 patients were in the higher RDW group.There were 2166 and 2092 patients in the higher hematocrit group and lower hematocrit group,respectively.Patients in the higher RDW group had more intraoperative blood loss(P<0.01)and more overall complications(P<0.01)than did those in the lower RDW group.Similarly,patients in the lower hematocrit group had more intraoperative blood loss(P=0.012),longer hospital stay(P=0.016)and overall complications(P<0.01)than did those in the higher hematocrit group.The higher RDW group had a worse OS and DFS than did the lower RDW group for tumor node metastasis(TNM)stage I(OS,P<0.05;DFS,P=0.001)and stage II(OS,P=0.004;DFS,P=0.01)than the lower RDW group;the lower hematocrit group had worse OS and DFS for TNM stage II(OS,P<0.05;DFS,P=0.001)and stage III(OS,P=0.001;DFS,P=0.001)than did the higher hematocrit group.Preoperative hematocrit was an independent risk factor for OS[P=0.017,hazard ratio(HR)=1.256,95%confidence interval(CI):1.041-1.515]and DFS(P=0.035,HR=1.194,95%CI:1.013-1.408).CONCLUSION A higher preoperative RDW and lower hematocrit were associated with more postoperative complications.However,only hematocrit was an independent risk factor for OS and DFS in CRC patients who underwent radical surgery,while RDW was not.

OsDA1 positively regulates grain width in rice

The size and shape of rice grains influence their yield and commercial value.We investigated the role of OsDA1,a rice homolog of the Arabidopsis DA1 gene,in regulating grain size and shape.OsDA1 was highly expressed in young spikelets and glumes.Its overexpression led to enlarged seeds with increased width and decreased length/width ratio(LWR)and knocking out OsDA1 reduced grain width and increased grain length and LWR.A R310K point mutation in the DA1-like domain is a potential target for breeding for increased grain width and length.OsDA1 interacted with TCP gene-family proteins to regulate grain size and shape.Our findings deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying grain size regulation and provide useful information for improving grain yield.

A chaotic hierarchical encryption/watermark embedding scheme for multi-medical images based on row-column confusion and closed-loop bi-directional diffusion

Security during remote transmission has been an important concern for researchers in recent years.In this paper,a hierarchical encryption multi-image encryption scheme for people with different security levels is designed,and a multiimage encryption(MIE)algorithm with row and column confusion and closed-loop bi-directional diffusion is adopted in the paper.While ensuring secure communication of medical image information,people with different security levels have different levels of decryption keys,and differentiated visual effects can be obtained by using the strong sensitivity of chaotic keys.The highest security level can obtain decrypted images without watermarks,and at the same time,patient information and copyright attribution can be verified by obtaining watermark images.The experimental results show that the scheme is sufficiently secure as an MIE scheme with visualized differences and the encryption and decryption efficiency is significantly improved compared to other works.

Evaluation of hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery system in type 1 diabetes in real-world clinical practice:One-year observational study

BACKGROUND In 2016,the Food and Drug Administration approved the first hybrid closed-loop(HCL)insulin delivery system for adults with type 1 diabetes(T1D).There is limited information on the impact of using HCL systems on patient-reported outcomes(PROs)in patients with T1D in real-world clinical practice.In this independent study,we evaluated glycemic parameters and PROs over one year of continuous use of Medtronic’s 670G HCL in real-world clinical practice.AIM To assess the effects of hybrid closed loop system on glycemic control and quality of life in adults with T1D.METHODS We evaluated 71 patients with T1D(mean age:45.5±12.1 years;59%females;body weight:83.8±18.7 kg,body mass index:28.7±5.6 kg/m2,A1C:7.6%±0.8%)who were treated with HCL at Joslin Clinic from 2017 to 2019.We measured A1C and percent of glucose time-in-range(%TIR)at baseline and 12 months.We measured percent time in auto mode(%TiAM)for the last two weeks preceding the final visit and assessed PROs through several validated quality-of-life surveys related to general health and diabetes management.RESULTS At 12 mo,A1C decreased by 0.3%±0.1%(P=0.001)and%TIR increased by 8.1%±2.5%(P=0.002).The average%TiAM was only 64.3%±32.8%and was not associated with A1C,%TIR or PROs.PROs,provided at baseline and at the end of the study,showed that the physical functioning submodule of 36Item Short-Form Health Survey increased significantly by 22.9%(P<0.001).Hypoglycemia fear survey/worry scale decreased significantly by 24.9%(P<0.000);Problem Areas In Diabetes reduced significantly by-17.2%(P=0.002).The emotional burden submodules of dietary diversity score reduced significantly by-44.7%(P=0.001).Furthermore,analysis of Clarke questionnaire showed no increase in awareness of hypoglycemic episodes.WHO-5 showed no improvements in subject’s wellbeing among participants after starting the 670G HCL system.Finally,analysis of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index showed no difference in sleep quality,sleep latency,or duration of sleep from baseline to 12 mo.CONCLUSION The use of HCL in real-world clinical practice for one year was associated with significant improvements in A1C,%TIR,physical functioning,hypoglycemia fear,emotional distress,and emotional burden related to diabetes management.However,these changes were not associated with time in auto mode.

Application of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and red blood cell distribution width in diabetes mellitus complicated with heart failure

BACKGROUND Accumulating clinical evidence has shown that diabetes mellitus(DM)is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disorders and an important factor for adverse cardiovascular events.AIM To explore the value of the combined determination of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and red blood cell distribution width(RDW)in the early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of DM complicated with heart failure(HF).METHODS We retrospectively analyzed clinical data on 65 patients with type 2 DM(T2DM)complicated with HF(research group,Res)and 60 concurrent patients with uncomplicated T2DM(control group,Con)diagnosed at Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021.The NLR and RDW values were determined and comparatively analyzed,and their levels in T2DM+HF patients with different cardiac function grades were recorded.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to determine the NLR and RDW values(alone and in combination)for the early diagnosis of HF.The correlation between NLR and RDW with the presence or absence of cardiac events was also investigated.RESULTS Higher NLR and RDW levels were identified in the Res vs the Con groups(P<0.05).The NLR and RDW increased gradually and synchronously with the deterioration of cardiac function in the Res group,with marked differences in their levels among patients with grade II,III,and IV HF(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis revealed that NLR combined with RDW detection had an area under the curve of 0.915,a sensitivity of 76.9%,and a specificity of 100%for the early diagnosis of HF.Furthermore,HF patients with cardiac events showed higher NLR and RDW values compared with HF patients without cardiac events.CONCLUSION NLR and RDW were useful laboratory indicators for the early diagnosis of DM complicated with HF,and their joint detection was beneficial for improving diagnostic efficiency.Additionally,NLR and RDW values were directly proportional to patient outcomes.

Enhancing predictive accuracy in hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis:Role of red cell distribution width and prospective studies

This letter addresses the study titled“Red cell distribution width:A predictor of the severity of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis”by Lv et al published in the World Journal of Experimental Medicine.The study offers a valuable analysis of red cell distribution width(RDW)as a predictive marker for persistent organ failure in patients with hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis.The study results suggest that RDW,combined with the Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis score,could enhance the predictive accuracy for severe outcomes.Further investigation into the role of RDW in different severities of acute pancreatitis is recommended.Additionally,the need for large-scale and multicenter prospective studies to validate these findings is emphasized.

Crack Width Comparison between ACI 318, Eurocode 2 and GB 50010 for Flexural RC Members

Comparative research on different countries’ structural design codes holds great importance and can gain valuable insights: Awareness of Design Levels, Identifying Code Deficiencies and Optimizing Designs. The crack width of concrete structure is an important design aspect of the civil design. The four highly recognized and widely used crack width theories are systematically summarized. Based on the mentioned theories and project practices, American code ACI system, Eurocode 2 1992-1 and Chinese code GB 50010 have different crack width control requirement and calculation methods. The crack width control method based on ACI system code has evolved from the Z-factor method to the steel bar spacing control method which is simple and easy to be adopted for engineering. Meanwhile, the ACI 224.1R also gives a direct crack width calculation method consistent with the steel bar spacing control method. The Eurocode 2 and GB 50010 based on the bond-slip & no-slip theory consider much more affecting factors than ACI for predicting crack width. Taking the crack width calculation of Tunnel 5 intake as an example, the crack widths of the structure are calculated according to ACI system code, Eurocode 2 and GB 50010 respectively, the results show that the crack width results in various codes are not much different. The EN 1992-1 and GB 50010 results are almost the same which are less than the ACI 224.1Rresults.

The Prognostic Value of Red Cell Distribution Width in Critically Ill Cerebral Infarction Patients:A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective:Red blood cell distribution width(RDW)has been utilized as a prognostic indicator for mortality risk assessment in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular patients.Nevertheless,the prognostic significance of RDW in critically ill patients with cerebral infarction is yet to be investigated.The objective of this study is to examine the association between RDW and the risk of all-cause mortality in cerebral infarction patients admitted to the intensive care unit(ICU).Method:A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV 2.2(MIMIC-IV)intensive care dataset for data analysis.The main results were the all-cause mortality rates at 3 and 12 months of follow-up.Cumulative curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method,and Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to examine the relationship between RDW and mortality rates in critically ill cerebral infarction patients.Results:The findings indicate that RDW serves as a significant prognostic factor for mortality risk in critically ill stroke patients,specifically at the 3 and 12-month follow-up periods.The observed correlation between increasing RDW levels and higher mortality rates among cerebral infarction patients further supports the potential utility of RDW as a predictive indicator.Conclusion:RDW emerges as an independent predictor of mortality risk during the 3 and 12-month follow-up periods for critically ill patients with cerebral infarction.

Developing nonlinear additive tree crown width models based on decomposed competition index and tree variables

Crown development is closely related to the biomass and growth rate of the tree and its width(CW)is an important covariable in growth and yield models and in forest management.To date,various CW models have been proposed.However,limited studies have explicitly focused on additive and inherent correlation of crown components and total CW as well as the influence of competition on crown radius from the corresponding direction.In this study,two model systems were used,i.e.,aggregation method system(AMS)and disaggregation method system(DMS),to develop crown width additive model systems.For calculating spatially explicit competition index(CI),four neighbor tree selection methods were evaluated.CI was decomposed into four cardinal directions and added into the model systems.Results show that the power model form was more proper for our data to fit CW growth.For each crown radius and total CW,height to the diameter at breast height(HDR)and basal area of trees larger than the subject tree(BAL)significantly contributed to the increase of prediction accuracy.The 3-m fixed radius was optimal among the four neighborhoods selection ways.After adding decomposed competition Hegyi index into model systems AMS and DMS,the prediction accuracy improved.Of the model systems evaluated,AMS based on decomposed CI provided the best performance as well as the inherent correlation and additivity properties.Our study highlighted the importance of decomposed CI in tree CW modelling for additive model systems.This study focused on methodology and could be applied to other species or stands.

Value of red blood cell distribution width in prediction of diastolic dysfunction in cirrhotic cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND Clinical diagnosis of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy(CCM) often encounters challenges of lack of timeliness and disease severity, with the commonly positive indicator usually associated with advanced heart failure.AIM To explore suitable biomarkers for early CCM prediction.METHODS A total of 505 eligible patients were enrolled in this study and divided into four groups according to Child-Pugh classification: Group Ⅰ, Class A without CCM(105 cases);Group Ⅱ, Class A with CCM(175 cases);Group Ⅲ, Class B with CCM(139 cases);and Group Ⅳ, Class C with CCM(86 cases). Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve analyses were performed to determine whether red blood cell distribution width(RDW) was an independent risk factor for CCM risk. The relationships between RDW and Child-Pugh scores, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease(MELD) scores, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.RESULTS A constant RDW increase was evident from Group Ⅰ to Group Ⅳ(12.54 ± 0.85, 13.29 ± 1.19, 14.30 ± 1.96, and 16.25 ± 2.13, respectively). Pearson correlation analysis showed that RDW was positively correlated with Child-Pugh scores(r = 0.642, P < 0.001), MELD scores(r = 0.592, P < 0.001), and NT-proBNP(r = 0.715, P < 0.001). Furthermore, between Group Ⅰ and Group Ⅱ, RDW was the only significant index(odds ratio: 2.175, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.549-3.054, P < 0.001), and it reached statistical significance when examined by ROC curve analysis(area under the curve: 0.686, 95%CI: 0.624-0.748, P < 0.001).CONCLUSION RDW can serve as an effective and accessible clinical indicator for the prediction of diastolic dysfunction in CCM, in which a numerical value of more than 13.05% may indicate an increasing CCM risk.

Indirect Vector Control of Linear Induction Motors Using Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation

Vector control schemes have recently been used to drive linear induction motors(LIM)in high-performance applications.This trend promotes the development of precise and efficient control schemes for individual motors.This research aims to present a novel framework for speed and thrust force control of LIM using space vector pulse width modulation(SVPWM)inverters.The framework under consideration is developed in four stages.To begin,MATLAB Simulink was used to develop a detailed mathematical and electromechanical dynamicmodel.The research presents a modified SVPWM inverter control scheme.By tuning the proportional-integral(PI)controller with a transfer function,optimized values for the PI controller are derived.All the subsystems mentioned above are integrated to create a robust simulation of the LIM’s precise speed and thrust force control scheme.The reference speed values were chosen to evaluate the performance of the respective system,and the developed system’s response was verified using various data sets.For the low-speed range,a reference value of 10m/s is used,while a reference value of 100 m/s is used for the high-speed range.The speed output response indicates that themotor reached reference speed in amatter of seconds,as the delay time is between 8 and 10 s.The maximum amplitude of thrust achieved is less than 400N,demonstrating the controller’s capability to control a high-speed LIM with minimal thrust ripple.Due to the controlled speed range,the developed system is highly recommended for low-speed and high-speed and heavy-duty traction applications.

Red cell distribution width: A predictor of the severity of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND Compared with patients with other causes of acute pancreatitis,those with hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis(HTG-AP)are more likely to develop persistent organ failure(POF).Therefore,recognizing the individuals at risk of developing POF early in the HTG-AP process is a vital for improving outcomes.Bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis(BISAP),a simple parameter that is obtained 24 h after admission,is an ideal index to predict HTG-AP severity;however,the suboptimal sensitivity limits its clinical application.Hence,current clinical scoring systems and biochemical parameters are not sufficient for predicting HTG-AP severity.AIM To elucidate the early predictive value of red cell distribution width(RDW)for POF in HTG-AP.METHODS In total,102 patients with HTG-AP were retrospectively enrolled.Demographic and clinical data,including RDW,were collected from all patients on admission.RESULTS Based on the Revised Atlanta Classification,37(33%)of 102 patients with HTG-AP were diagnosed with POF.On admission,RDW was significantly higher in patients with HTG-AP and POF than in those without POF(14.4%vs 12.5%,P<0.001).The receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrated a good discrim-inative power of RDW for POF with a cutoff of 13.1%,where the area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity,and specificity were 0.85,82.4%,and 77.9%,respectively.When the RDW was≥13.1%and one point was added to the original BISAP to obtain a new BISAP score,we achieved a higher AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of 0.89,91.2%,and 67.6%,respectively.CONCLUSION RDW is a promising predictor of POF in patients with HTG-AP,and the addition of RDW can promote the sensitivity of BISAP.

A compact and closed-loop spin-exchange relaxation-free atomic magnetometer for wearable magnetoencephalography

Atomic magnetometers operated in the spin-exchange relaxation-free(SERF)regime are the promising sensor to replace superconducting quantum interference devices(SQUIDs)in the biomagnetism field.The SERF magnetometer with compact size and good performance is crucial to the new generation of wearable magnetoencephalography(MEG)system.In this paper,we developed a compact and closed-loop SERF magnetometer with the dimensions of 15.0×22.0×30.0 mm^(3)based on a single-beam configuration.The bandwidth of the magnetometer was extended to 675 Hz while the sensitivity was maintained at 22 f T/Hz^(1/2).A nearly 3-fold enhancement of the bandwidth was obtained in comparison with the open-loop control.The implementation of the closed-loop control also greatly improved the dynamic range,enabling the magnetometer to be robust against the disturbance of the ambient field.Moreover,the magnetometer was successfully applied for the detection of humanα-rhythm and auditory evoked fields(AEFs),which demonstrated the potential to be extended to multi-channel MEG measurements for future neuroscience studies.

Subspace Identification for Closed-Loop Systems With Unknown Deterministic Disturbances

This paper presents a subspace identification method for closed-loop systems with unknown deterministic disturbances.To deal with the unknown deterministic disturbances,two strategies are implemented to construct the row space that can be used to approximately represent the unknown deterministic disturbances using the trigonometric functions or Bernstein polynomials depending on whether the disturbance frequencies are known.For closed-loop identification,CCF-N4SID is extended to the case with unknown deterministic disturbances using the oblique projection.In addition,a proper Bernstein polynomial order can be determined using the Akaike information criterion(AIC)or the Bayesian information criterion(BIC).Numerical simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed identification method for both periodic and aperiodic deterministic disturbances.

Type Synthesis of Fully Decoupled Three Translational Parallel Mechanism with Closed-Loop Units and High Stifness

In order to solve the problem of weak stifness of the existing fully decoupled parallel mechanism, a new synthesis method of fully decoupled three translational (3T) parallel mechanisms (PMs) with closed-loop units and high stifness is proposed based on screw theory. Firstly, a new criterion for the full decoupled of PMs is presented that the reciprocal product of the transmission wrench screw matrix and the output twist screw matrix of PMs is a diagonal matrix, and all elements on the main diagonal are nonzero constants. The forms of the transmission wrench screws are determined by the criterion. Secondly, the forms of the actuated and unactuated screws can be obtained according to their relationships with the transmission wrench screws. The basic decoupled limbs are generated by combination of the above actuated and unactuated screws. Finally, a closed-loop units construction method is investigated to apply the decoupled mechanisms in a better way on the high stifness occasion. The closed-loop units are constructed in the basic decoupled limbs to generate a high-stifness fully decoupled 3T PM. Kinematic and stifness analyses show that the Jacobian matrix is a diagonal matrix, and the stifness is obviously higher than that of the coupling mechanisms, which verifes the correctness of the proposed synthesis method. The mechanism synthesized by this method has a good application prospect in vehicle durability test platform.