Radiofrequency ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for recurrent liver cancer

BACKGROUND The recurrence rate of liver cancer after surgery is high.Radiofrequency ablation(RFA)combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)is an effective treatment for liver cancer;however,its efficacy in recurrent liver cancer remains unclear.AIM To investigate the clinical effect of TACE combined with RFA in the treatment of recurrent liver cancer.METHODS Ninety patients with recurrent liver cancer were divided into 2 groups according to treatment plan:Control(RFA alone);and experimental[TACE combined with RFA(TACE+RFA)].The incidence of increased alanine aminotransferase levels,complications,and other indices were compared between the two groups before and after the procedures.RESULTS One month after the procedures,the short-term efficacy rate and Karnofsky Performance Status scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).Alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)and total bilirubin levels were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05);The overall response rate was 82.22%and 66.67%in the experimental and control groups,respectively;The disease control rate was 93.33%and 82.22%in the experimental and control groups,respectively,the differences are statistically significant(P<0.05).And there were no statistical differences in complications between the two groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION TACE+RFA was effective for the treatment of recurrent liver cancer and significantly reduced AFP levels and improved various indices of liver function.

Robust fixed-time flight controller for a dual-system convertible UAV in the cruise mode

This paper investigates the attitude tracking control problem for the cruise mode of a dual-system convertible unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)in the presence of parameter uncertainties,unmodeled uncertainties and wind disturbances.First,a fixed-time disturbance observer(FXDO)based on the bi-limit homogeneity theory is designed to estimate the lumped disturbance of the convertible UAV model.Then,a fixed-time integral sliding mode control(FXISMC)is combined with the FXDO to achieve strong robustness and chattering reduction.Bi-limit homogeneity theory and Lyapunov theory are applied to provide detailed proof of the fixed-time stability.Finally,numerical simulation experimental results verify the robustness of the proposed algorithm to model parameter uncertainties and wind disturbances.In addition,the proposed algorithm is deployed in a open-source UAV autopilot and its effectiveness is further demonstrated by hardware-in-the-loop experimental results.

Precision Motion Control of Hydraulic Actuator Using Adaptive Back-Stepping Sliding Mode Controller

Hydraulic actuators are highly nonlinear when they are subjected to different types of model uncertainties and dynamic disturbances.These unfavorable factors adversely affect the control performance of the hydraulic actuator.Although various control methods have been employed to improve the tracking precision of the dynamic system,optimizing and adjusting control gain to mitigate the hydraulic actuator model uncertainties remains elusive.This study presents an adaptive back-stepping sliding mode controller(ABSMC)to enhance the trajectory tracking precision,where the virtual control law is constructed to replace the position error.The adaptive control theory is introduced in back-stepping controller design to compensate for the model uncertainties and time-varying disturbances.Based on Lyapunov theory,the finite-time convergence of the position tracking errors is proved.Furthermore,the effectiveness of the developed control scheme is conducted via extensive comparative experiments.

Path Tracking Controller Design of Automated Parking Systems via NMPC with an Instructible Solution

Parking difficulties have become a social issue that people have to solve.Automated parking system is practicable for quick par operations without a driver which can also greatly reduces the probability of parking accidents.The paper proposes a Lyapunov-based nonlinear model predictive controller embedding an instructable solution which is generated by the modified rear-wheel feedback method(RF-LNMPC)in order to improve the overall path tracking accuracy in parking conditions.Firstly,A discrete-time RF-LNMPC considering the position and attitude of the parking vehicle is proposed to increase the success rate of automated parking effectively.Secondly,the RF-LNMPC problem with a multi-objective cost function is solved by the Interior-Point Optimization,of which the iterative initial values are described as the instructable solutions calculated by combining modified rear-wheel feedback to improve the performance of local optimal solution.Thirdly,the details on the computation of the terminal constraint and terminal cost for the linear time-varying case is presented.The closed-loop stability is verified via Lyapunov techniques by considering the terminal constraint and terminal cost theoretically.Finally,the proposed RF-LNMPC is implemented on a selfdriving Lincoln MKZ platform and the experiment results have shown improved performance in parallel and vertical parking conditions.The Monte Carlo analysis also demonstrates good stability and repeatability of the proposed method which can be applied in practical use in the near future.

On-Chip Micro Temperature Controllers Based on Freestanding Thermoelectric Nano Films for Low-Power Electronics

Multidimensional integration and multifunctional com-ponent assembly have been greatly explored in recent years to extend Moore’s Law of modern microelectronics.However,this inevitably exac-erbates the inhomogeneity of temperature distribution in microsystems,making precise temperature control for electronic components extremely challenging.Herein,we report an on-chip micro temperature controller including a pair of thermoelectric legs with a total area of 50×50μm^(2),which are fabricated from dense and flat freestanding Bi2Te3-based ther-moelectric nano films deposited on a newly developed nano graphene oxide membrane substrate.Its tunable equivalent thermal resistance is controlled by electrical currents to achieve energy-efficient temperature control for low-power electronics.A large cooling temperature difference of 44.5 K at 380 K is achieved with a power consumption of only 445μW,resulting in an ultrahigh temperature control capability over 100 K mW^(-1).Moreover,an ultra-fast cooling rate exceeding 2000 K s^(-1) and excellent reliability of up to 1 million cycles are observed.Our proposed on-chip temperature controller is expected to enable further miniaturization and multifunctional integration on a single chip for microelectronics.

Laboratory Implementation of Direct Torque Controller based Speed Loop Pseudo Derivative Feedforward Controller for PMSM Drive

This paper,evaluate the effectiveness of a proposed speed loop pseudo derivative feedforward(PDFF)controller-based direct torque controller(DTC)for a PMSM drive against the performance of existing PI speed controller-based DTC and hysteresis current controller(HCC).The proposed PDFF-based speed regulator effectively reduces oscillation and overshoot associated with rotor angular speed,electromagnetic torque,and stator current.Two case studies,one using forward-to-reverse motoring operation and the other involving reverse-to-forward braking operation,has been validated to show the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.The proposed controller's superior performance is demonstrated through experimental verification utilizing an FPGA controller for a 1.5 kW PMSM drive laboratory prototype.

Development characteristics and controlling factors of fractures in lacustrine shale and their geological significance for evaluating shale oil sweet spots in the third member of the Shahejie Formation in the Qikou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin

Natural fractures are critical for shale oil and gas enrichment and development. Due to the extremely high heterogeneity of shale, the factors controlling the formation of internal fractures, especially horizontal fractures, remain controversial. In this study, we integrate thin section analysis and microcomputed tomography(CT) data from several lacustrine shale samples from the third member(Es3) of the Shahejie Formation, Qikou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, to assess the fractures in detail. The goal is to reveal the development characteristics, controlling factors, and geological significance for evaluating sweet spots in a shale oil play. The fractures in the Es3contain high-angle structural and horizontal bed-parallel fractures that are mostly shear and extensional. Various factors influence fracture development,including lithofacies, mineral composition, organic matter content, and the number of laminae. Structural fractures occur predominantly in siltstone, whereas bed-parallel fractures are abundant in laminated shale and layered mudstone. A higher quartz content results in higher shale brittleness, causing fractures, whereas the transformation between clay minerals contributes to the development of bedparallel fractures. Excess pore pressure due to hydrocarbon generation and expulsion during thermal advance can cause the formation of bed-parallel fractures. The density of the bed-parallel and structural fractures increases with the lamina density, and the bed-parallel fractures are more sensitive to the number of laminae. The fractures are critical storage spaces and flow conduits and are indicative of sweet spots. The laminated shale in the Es3with a high organic matter content contains natural fractures and is an organic-rich, liquid-rich, self-sourced shale play. Conversely, the siltstone, massive mudstone, and argillaceous carbonate lithofacies contain lower amounts of organic matter and do not have bed-parallel fractures. However, good reservoirs can form in these areas when structural fractures are present and the source, and storage spaces are separated.

基于MobileViT轻量化网络的车载CAN入侵检测方法

车载控制区域网络(controller area network,CAN)总线因缺少安全措施而易被攻击,因此入侵检测系统(intrusion detection system,IDS)在保护车载CAN总线免受网络攻击中发挥着重要作用.现有基于深度学习的车载CAN总线入侵检测方法存在资源开销大和延迟较高的问题.为减少检测延迟,提高检测率,提出一种利用改进的轻量化MobileViT模型对车载CAN总线进行入侵检测的方法.首先,将攻击流量可视化为彩色图,再使用GELU替换MobileViT的MV2模块中常规ReLU6,从而作为该模块的激活函数,可有效解决神经元死亡问题,提升模型收敛速度.使用指数衰减自动更新学习率,并通过迁移学习加速训练过程实现对彩色图分类,从而达到对入侵行为的检测.基于CAR-HACKING DATASET数据集的实验表明,改进后的MobileViT在消耗较少算力的情况下对入侵行为的检测准确率为100%,模型参数仅为2.12 MB,平均响应时间仅为1.6 ms,节省了训练资源,并保证了检测的准确率.

Structural Controls Analysis and Its Correlation with Geothermal Occurrence at Barrier Volcanic Complex (BVC), Turkana, Kenya

Geothermal is a clean energy source that is freely available in the subsurface. The exploitation of this vital resource needs intensive exploration in order to identify and quantify its occurrence. The three parameters considered when assessing the viability of a geothermal system include;heat source, fractures and fluids. Geological structures are important in transportation of fluids to and from the heat source aiding in recharge of the geothermal system and enhancing productivity. Remote sensing method was applied in mapping the structures at Barrier Volcanic Complex (BVC) by using hill shading technique which utilized four illumination angles of the sun (azimuth) i.e. 45°, 90°, 150°, and 315°, constant elevation of 45° and exaggeration of 10. The data used was Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) Satellite Imagery. ArcGIS Software was used for lineaments delineation and density mapping, PCI Geomatica was used to generate major faults, while Georose and Rockworks 17 were used to generate the rose diagrams. Geological structural analysis was done by delineating lineaments, determining the density distribution of lineaments and finally determining the structural trends of lineaments. The generated major faults in the area and the location of the occurrence of surface manifestations were compared with the generated lineaments. A total of 260 lineaments were generated whereby at 45° there was a total of 60 lineaments, at 90° 95 lineaments, at 150° 61 lineaments, and at 315° 44 lineaments. The results of structural analysis in the area as shown by the rose diagrams indicate an NNE-SSW and N-S trending of structures. In conclusion, the study area is highly fractured as indicated by the presence of numerous lineaments. These lineaments provide good recharge to the geothermal system and enhance the geothermal reservoir in the area.

Effects of dust controls on respirable coal mine dust composition and particle sizes:case studies on auxiliary scrubbers and canopy air curtain

Control of dust in underground coal mines is critical for mitigating both safety and health hazards.For decades,the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)has led research to evaluate the effectiveness of various dust control technologies in coal mines.Recent studies have included the evaluation of auxiliary scrubbers to reduce respirable dust downstream of active mining and the use of canopy air curtains(CACs)to reduce respirable dust in key operator positions.While detailed dust characterization was not a focus of such studies,this is a growing area of interest.Using preserved filter samples from three previous NIOSH studies,the current work aims to explore the effect of two different scrubbers(one wet and one dry)and a roof bolter CAC on respirable dust composition and particle size distribution.For this,the preserved filter samples were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis and/or scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray.Results indicate that dust composition was not appreciably affected by either scrubber or the CAC.However,the wet scrubber and CAC appeared to decrease the overall particle size distribution.Such an effect of the dry scrubber was not consistently observed,but this is probably related to the particular sampling location downstream of the scrubber which allowed for significant mixing of the scrubber exhaust and other return air.Aside from the insights gained with respect to the three specific dust control case studies revisited here,this work demonstrates the value of preserved dust samples for follow-up investigation more broadly.

Adaptive Nonlinear PD Controller of Two-Wheeled Self-Balancing Robot with External Force

This paper proposes an adaptive nonlinear proportional-derivative(ANPD)controller for a two-wheeled self-balancing robot(TWSB)modeled by the Lagrange equation with external forces.The proposed control scheme is designed based on the combination of a nonlinear proportional-derivative(NPD)controller and a genetic algorithm,in which the proportional-derivative(PD)parameters are updated online based on the tracking error and the preset error threshold.In addition,the genetic algorithm is employed to adaptively select initial controller parameters,contributing to system stability and improved control accuracy.The proposed controller is basic in design yet simple to implement.The ANPD controller has the advantage of being computationally lightweight and providing high robustness against external forces.The stability of the closed-loop system is rigorously analyzed and verified using Lyapunov theory,providing theoretical assurance of its robustness.Simulations and experimental results show that the TWSB robot with the proposed ANPD controller achieves quick balance and tracks target values with very small errors,demonstrating the effectiveness and performance of the proposed controller.The proposed ANPD controller demonstrates significant improvements in balancing and tracking performance for two-wheeled self-balancing robots,which has great applicability in the field of robot control systems.This represents a promising solution for applications requiring precise and stable motion control under varying external conditions.

Preoperative controlling nutritional status as an optimal prognostic nutritional index to predict the outcome for colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND The controlling nutritional status(CONUT)score effectively reflects a patient’s nutritional status,which is closely related to cancer prognosis.This study invest-igated the relationship between the CONUT score and prognosis after radical surgery for colorectal cancer,and compared the predictive ability of the CONUT score with other indexes.AIM To analyze the predictive performance of the CONUT score for the survival rate of colorectal cancer patients who underwent potentially curative resection.METHODS This retrospective analysis included 217 patients with newly diagnosed colorectal.The CONUT score was calculated based on the serum albumin level,total lymphocyte count,and total cholesterol level.The cutoff value of the CONUT score for predicting prognosis was 4 according to the Youden Index by the receiver operating characteristic curve.The associations between the CONUT score and the prognosis were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis.RESULTS Using the cutoff value of the CONUT score,patients were stratified into CONUT low(n=189)and CONUT high groups(n=28).The CONUT high group had worse overall survival(OS)(P=0.013)and relapse-free survival(RFS)(P=0.015).The predictive performance of CONUT was superior to the modified Glasgow prognostic score,the prognostic nutritional index,and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.Meanwhile,the predictive performances of CONUT+tumor node metastasis(TNM)stage for 3-year OS[area under the receiver operating characteristics curve(AUC)=0.803]and 3-year RFS(AUC=0.752)were no less than skeletal muscle mass index(SMI)+TNM stage.The CONUT score was negatively correlated with SMI(P<0.01).CONCLUSION As a nutritional indicator,the CONUT score could predict long-term outcomes after radical surgery for colorectal cancer,and its predictive ability was superior to other indexes.The correlation between the CONUT score and skeletal muscle may be one of the factors that play a predictive role.

Contact detumbling toward a nutating target through deformable effectors and prescribed performance controller

Detumbling operation toward a rotating target with nutation is meaningful for debris removal but challenging. In this study, a deformable end-effector is first designed based on the requirements for contacting the nutating target. A dual-arm robotic system installed with the deformable end-effectors is modeled and the movement of the end-tips is analyzed. The complex operation of the contact toward a nutating target places strict requirements on control accuracy and controller robustness. Thus, an improvement of the tracking error transformation is proposed and an adaptive sliding mode controller with prescribed performance is designed to guarantee the fast and precise motion of the effector during the contact detumbling.Finally, by employing the proposed effector and the controller,numerical simulations are carried out to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the contact detumbling toward a nutating target.

Hierarchical Controller Synthesis Under Linear Temporal Logic Specifications Using Dynamic Quantization

Linear temporal logic(LTL)is an intuitive and expressive language to specify complex control tasks,and how to design an efficient control strategy for LTL specification is still a challenge.In this paper,we implement the dynamic quantization technique to propose a novel hierarchical control strategy for nonlinear control systems under LTL specifications.Based on the regions of interest involved in the LTL formula,an accepting path is derived first to provide a high-level solution for the controller synthesis problem.Second,we develop a dynamic quantization based approach to verify the realization of the accepting path.The realization verification results in the necessity of the controller design and a sequence of quantization regions for the controller design.Third,the techniques of dynamic quantization and abstraction-based control are combined together to establish the local-to-global control strategy.Both abstraction construction and controller design are local and dynamic,thereby resulting in the potential reduction of the computational complexity.Since each quantization region can be considered locally and individually,the proposed hierarchical mechanism is more efficient and can solve much larger problems than many existing methods.Finally,the proposed control strategy is illustrated via two examples from the path planning and tracking problems of mobile robots.

Can Tibetan medicine Honghua Ruyi pills relieve endometriosisassociated dysmenorrhea?Protocol for a randomized placebocontrolled trial

Objective:To provide high-quality clinical evidence of the efficacy of Tibetan medicine Honghua Ruyi(HHRY)pills for endometriosis-associated dysmenorrhea.Methods:This study constitutes a multicenter,randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled trial encompassing a three-menstrual cycle intervention followed by a three-menstrual cycle follow-up period.A total of 164 eligible females with endometriosis-associated dysmenorrhea were randomly divided into HHRY pills and placebo groups in a 1:1 ratio.The primary outcome included dysmenorrhea symptoms assessed using Visual Analog Scale(VAS)scores and quality of life,whereas the secondary outcome measures included the maximum VAS for non-menstrual pelvic pain,duration of pain episodes(in days),frequency and quantity of the consumption of ibuprofen sustained-release capsules(or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs),and days off work/study for staff/student due to dysmenorrhea,ovarian cyst,and/or pelvic nodule size.The safety was monitored throughout the treatment period.All the analyses were based on the intention-to-treat principle.For continuous outcomes,simple or multiple linear regressions were used to estimate the differences between the HHRY pills and placebo groups,with categorical data expressed as the number and percentage of occurrences.Differences were compared using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test.The predefined analysis was adjusted for concomitant treatment,a variable considered to be associated with outcomes but unaffected by treatment allocation.Estimates of treatment effects were reported with 95%confidence intervals.Two-tailed P values≤.05 were considered statistically significant.Conclusion:Positive results from this trial,upon completion would provide robust evidence for the efficacy and safety of HHRY pills in treating dysmenorrhea in patients with endometriosis.

Lithostructural Control of the Gold Mineralization of the Douta Permit of African Star Resources (Kédougou-Kéniéba Inlier, Southeastern Senegal)

The Douta permit of African Star Resources/Thor Explorations, located in the southeast of Senegal, in the Kédougou-Kéniéba Inlier (western part of the West African Craton), is dominated to the East by metasedimentary formations such as greywackes, shales, graphitic shales, quartzites, cherts, claystones and breccias characteristic of the Dialé-Daléma basin. To the West, the mafic formations of the Mako volcanic belt are the most common. Metasedimentary rocks are associated with metavolcanosedimentary terms found at the contact zones between the two (2) Birimian groups. These different geological formations are cut by mafic dolerite and gabbro sills and/or dykes, as well as quartz and microgranite veins. The Douta gold project is crossed from North to South by the MTZ (Main Transcurrent Zone), generally oriented NE-SW and becoming N-S towards the North. The permit is characterized by several shear corridors. The rocks are affected by brittle, brittle-ductile to ductile deformations. The gold mineralization is hosted by a NE-trending shear corridor called the Makosa corridor (Makosa shear zone), therefore sub-parallel to the MTZ. It has a subvertical dip (75˚ to 85˚ to the NW). It is associated with a hydrothermal phase characterized by quartz-sericite-epidote-fine, disseminated pyrite and arsenopyrite ± albite ± chlorite paragenesis. These minerals testify to the existence of a low degree of metamorphism (greenschist facies, epizonal domain) in the area. However, metamorphism reaches amphibolite facies in some places, particularly in the vicinity of intrusive bodies, with the presence of hornblende (amphiboles) and plagioclase. The gold mineralization is mainly hosted by two (2) metasedimentary lithological units: meta-greywackes and shales.

Intelligent Fractional-Order Controller for SMES Systems in Renewable Energy-Based Microgrid

An autonomous microgrid that runs on renewable energy sources is presented in this article.It has a supercon-ducting magnetic energy storage(SMES)device,wind energy-producing devices,and an energy storage battery.However,because such microgrids are nonlinear and the energy they create varies with time,controlling and managing the energy inside them is a difficult issue.Fractional-order proportional integral(FOPI)controller is recommended for the current research to enhance a standalone microgrid’s energy management and performance.The suggested dedicated control for the SMES comprises two loops:the outer loop,which uses the FOPI to regulate the DC-link voltage,and the inner loop,responsible for regulating the SMES current,is constructed using the intelligent FOPI(iFOPI).The FOPI+iFOPI parameters are best developed using the dandelion optimizer(DO)approach to achieve the optimum performance.The suggested FOPI+iFOPI controller’s performance is contrasted with a conventional PI controller for variations in wind speed and microgrid load.The optimal FOPI+iFOPI controller manages the voltage and frequency of the load.The behavior of the microgrid as a reaction to step changes in load and wind speed was measured using the proposed controller.MATLAB simulations were used to evaluate the recommended system’s performance.The results of the simulations showed that throughout all interruptions,the recommended microgrid provided the load with AC power with a constant amplitude and frequency.In addition,the required load demand was accurately reduced.Furthermore,the microgrid functioned incredibly well despite SMES and varying wind speeds.Results obtained under identical conditions were compared with and without the best FOPI+iFOPI controller.When utilizing the optimal FOPI+iFOPI controller with SMES,it was found that the microgrid performed better than the microgrid without SMES.

Establishment and Application of Prevention and Control Techniques of New Sugarcane White Leaf Disease

Aiming at the basic and key technical problems in prevention and control of sugarcane white leaf disease(SCWL),this study systematically overcame key technical bottleneck of prevention and control of new SCWL after 10 years of collaborative research,and achieved several innovative achievements.SCWL phytoplasmas newly recorded in China and the new subgroup of SCWL phytoplasmas(16SrXI-D)were discovered for the first time in Yunnan,and the whole genome analysis of the epidemic subgroup was completed.The main transmission source of SCWL pathogens has been identified as infected seed canes,and Tettigoniella viridis and Clovia conifer were newly discovered as vectors for virus transmission.The disease resistance of 25 main varieties was identified,and 10 control varieties were selected.The prevention and control strategy of"emphasizing early warning,strictly carrying out quarantine,blocking the vectors and controlling residual plants"was put forward,and a comprehensive prevention technique was established through integration of various techniques,and standardized technical regulations were formulated for demonstration application.The promotion and application of these achievements have realized scientific prevention and control of SCWL,effectively curbed the spread of SCWL,and ensured the safety of sugarcane producing areas in China,achieving great economic,social and ecological benefits and providing technical support for high-quality development,loss reduction and efficiency improvement of China's sugar industry.

Is nutritional status a new indicator to use in clinical practice for colorectal cancer patients?

In this editorial we comment on the interesting article by Liu et al.The topic of discussion is the need for a cost-effective and easy-to-use scoring system for predicting the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients.In this context,nutritional assessment plays a crucial role in the multimodal evaluation of patients.In particular,the controlling nutritional status score was found to be an effective tool in the clinical decision-making process,in order to customize treatment strategies and to improve patient outcomes.

Can propensity score matching replace randomized controlled trials?

Randomized controlled trials(RCTs)have long been recognized as the gold standard for establishing causal relationships in clinical research.Despite that,various limitations of RCTs prevent its widespread implementation,ranging from the ethicality of withholding potentially-lifesaving treatment from a group to relatively poor external validity due to stringent inclusion criteria,amongst others.However,with the introduction of propensity score matching(PSM)as a retrospective statistical tool,new frontiers in establishing causation in clinical research were opened up.PSM predicts treatment effects using observational data from existing sources such as registries or electronic health records,to create a matched sample of participants who received or did not receive the intervention based on their propensity scores,which takes into account characteristics such as age,gender and comorbidities.Given its retrospective nature and its use of observational data from existing sources,PSM circumvents the aforementioned ethical issues faced by RCTs.Majority of RCTs exclude elderly,pregnant women and young children;thus,evidence of therapy efficacy is rarely proven by robust clinical research for this population.On the other hand,by matching study patient characteristics to that of the population of interest,including the elderly,pregnant women and young children,PSM allows for generalization of results to the wider population and hence greatly increases the external validity.Instead of replacing RCTs with PSM,the synergistic integration of PSM into RCTs stands to provide better research outcomes with both methods complementing each other.For example,in an RCT investigating the impact of mannitol on outcomes among participants of the Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage Trial,the baseline characteristics of comorbidities and current medications between treatment and control arms were significantly different despite the randomization protocol.Therefore,PSM was incorporated in its analysis to create samples from the treatment and control arms that were matched in terms of these baseline characteristics,thus providing a fairer comparison for the impact of mannitol.This literature review reports the applications,advantages,and considerations of using PSM with RCTs,illustrating its utility in refining randomization,improving external validity,and accounting for non-compliance to protocol.Future research should consider integrating the use of PSM in RCTs to better generalize outcomes to target populations for clinical practice and thereby benefit a wider range of patients,while maintaining the robustness of randomization offered by RCTs.