Tapered Multimode Interference Combiners for Coherent Receivers

A new tapered multimode interference （MMl）-based coherent lightwave combiner is reported. A comprehensive theoretical analysis of mode behaviors in the tapered MMI waveguide is presented, and the output characteristics of the tapered MMI combiners with various structures are demonstrated. The combiner is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator （SO1） substrate. Due to its advantages of having no end-facet reflection,easy extension to a multi-port configuration, high tolerance for fabrication errors, and compact size, the tapered MMI is a good candidate for a coherent lightwave combiner to be used in large-scale photonic integrated circuits.

FAST CORRELATION ATTACKS ON BLUETOOTH COMBINER

A simple fast correlation attack is used to analysis the security of Bluetooth combiner in this paper. This attack solves the tradeoff between the length of the keystream and the computing complexity needed to recover the secret key. We give the computing complexities of the attack algorithm according to different lengths of the known keystream. The result is less time-consuming than before. It is also shown that the secu-rity of the modified Bluetooth combiner by Hermelin and Nyberg is not significantly enhanced.

Design of a Broadband E-Plane Power Combiner Based on Quarter-Arc Bent Rectangular Waveguides for Sub-THz and THz Wave

A method of designing an E-plane power combiner composed of two quarter-arc bent rectangular waveguides is proposed for sub-THz and THz waves. The quarter-arc bent-waveguide power combiner has a simple geometry which is easy to design and fabricate. By HFSS codes, the physical mechanism and performance of the power combiner are analyzed, and the relationship between the output characteristics and the structure/operating parameters is given. Simulation results show that our power combiner is suitable for the combining of two equalpower and reversed-phase signals, the bandwidth of the combiner is wide and can be adjusted by the radius of the quarter-arc, and the isolation performance of the combiner can be improved by adding thin film resistive septa at the junction of two quarter-arc bent waveguides. Meanwhile, an approximate method based on the analytic geometrical analysis is given to design this power combiner for different frequency bands.

Design of Transmitter Combiner for 800MHz Trucking Mobile Communication

The structural composition, scheme selection and component design of a five-channel transmitter combiner for 800MHz trucking mobile communication system (TMC) is proposed. More attentions have been paid to the analysis and design of the high-Q microwave resonant cavity with accurate tuning structure. Also, a model transmitter combiner designed by the authors is proposed. Test results of the combiner are given. It has been proved that the technical specifications of the combiner have reached an advanced technical level compared with the products of the same kind imported from abroad.

A terahertz on-chip InP-based power combiner designed using coupled-grounded coplanar waveguide lines

This article presents the design and performance of a terahertz on-chip coupled-grounded coplanar waveguide(GCPW)power combiner using a 50μm-thick InP process.The proposed topology uses two coupled-GCPW lines at the end of the input port to substitute two quarter-wavelength GCPW lines,which is different from the conventional Wilkinson power combiner and can availably minimize the coverage area.According to the results obtained,for the frequency range of 210-250 GHz,the insertion losses for each two-way combiner and four-way combiner were lower than 1.05 dB and1.35 dB,respectively,and the in-band return losses were better than 11 dB.Moreover,the proposed on-chip GCPW-based combiners achieved a compromise in low-loss,broadband,and small-size,which can find wide applications in terahertz bands,such as power amplifiers and signal distribution networks.

Modeling of a Planar Nine-Way Metamaterial Power Divider/Combiner

Analysis of the scattering parameters（S-parameters） of planar N-way metamaterial power dividers/combiners mostly uses commercial microwave circuit simulators due to the large circuit size involved. This paper presents an efficient circuit modeling approach, which is based on the multi-input and multi-output transmission matrix（T-matrix） method, to analyze the S-parameter of a planar nine-way metamaterial power-divider/combiner structure. S-parameter computation results are shown in good agreement with the simulation results by using the Agilent advanced design system（ADS） and measurement results. The computation time of an N-way metamaterial power divider/combiner with N=5, 9, 13, and 17 using T-matrix method is also compared with those of ADS and AWR Microwave Office（MWO） to demonstrate its computational efficiency.

Mismatch analysis of all-fiber coherent beam combiners based on the self-imaging effect

All-fiber coherent beam combiners based on the self-imaging effect can achieve a near-perfect single laser beam,which can provide a promising way to overcome the power limitation of a single-fiber laser.One of the key points is combining efficiency,which is determined by various mismatches during fabrication.A theoretical model has been built,and the mismatch error is analyzed numerically for the first time.The mismatch errors have been numerically studied with the beam quality and combining efficiency being chosen as the evaluation criteria.The tolerance of each mismatch error for causing 1%loss is calculated to guide the design of the beam combiners.The simulation results are consistent with the experimental results,which show that the mismatch error of the square-core fiber is the main cause of the efficiency loss.The results can provide useful guidance for the fabrication of all-fiber coherent beam combiners.

NONLINEAR THEORY OF 3-dB HYBRIDCOUPLED POWER COMBINER

A complete nonlinear model of the 3-dB hybrid-coupled power combiner is proposed forthe first time and a set of state equations describing this nonlinear system are derived.Nonlinear analysis on the hybrid-coupled power combiner is performed by using the Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion. All the operation parameters, such as the output power, thecombining efficiency, the operating frequency and the bandwidth, are calculated correctly.Therefore, it is possible to fulfil the computer-aided analysis (CAA) and the computer-aideddesign (CAD) of complex corporation and tandem power-combining systems.

Circulating proteomic biomarkers for diagnosing sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:a cross-sectional study

Biomarke rs are required for the early detection,prognosis prediction,and monitoring of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,a progressive disease.Proteomics is an unbiased and quantitative method that can be used to detect neurochemical signatures to aid in the identification of candidate biomarke rs.In this study,we used a label-free quantitative proteomics approach to screen for substantially differentially regulated proteins in ten patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral scle rosis compared with five healthy controls.Su bstantial upregulation of serum proteins related to multiple functional clusters was observed in patients with spo radic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Potential biomarke rs were selected based on functionality and expression specificity.To validate the proteomics profiles,blood samples from an additional cohort comprising 100 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 100 healthy controls were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Eight substantially upregulated serum proteins in patients with spora dic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were selected,of which the cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide demonstrated the best discriminative ability between patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and healthy controls(area under the curve[AUC]=0.713,P<0.0001).To further enhance diagnostic accuracy,a multi-protein combined discriminant algorithm was developed incorporating five proteins(hemoglobin beta,cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide,talin-1,zyxin,and translationally-controlled tumor protein).The algo rithm achieved an AUC of 0.811 and a P-value of<0.0001,resulting in 79%sensitivity and 71%specificity for the diagnosis of sporadic amyotrophic lateral scle rosis.Subsequently,the ability of candidate biomarkers to discriminate between early-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients and controls,as well as patients with different disease severities,was examined.A two-protein panel comprising talin-1 and translationally-controlled tumor protein effectively distinguished early-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients from controls(AUC=0.766,P<0.0001).Moreove r,the expression of three proteins(FK506 binding protein 1A,cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide,and hemoglobin beta-1)was found to increase with disease progression.The proteomic signatures developed in this study may help facilitate early diagnosis and monitor the progression of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis when used in co mbination with curre nt clinical-based parameters.

Combination treatment of inflammatory bowel disease:Present status and future perspectives

The treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD),especially those with severe or refractory disease,represents an important challenge for the clinical gastroenterologist.It seems to be no exaggeration to say that in these patients,not only the scientific background of the gastroenterologist is tested,but also the abundance of“gifts”that he should possess(insight,intuition,determ-ination,ability to take initiative,etc.)for the successful outcome of the treatment.In daily clinical practice,depending on the severity of the attack,IBD is treated with one or a combination of two or more pharmaceutical agents.These combin-ations include not only the first-line drugs(e.g.,mesalazine,corticosteroids,antibiotics,etc)but also second-and third-line drugs(immunosuppressants and biologic agents).It is a fact that despite the significant therapeutic advances there is still a significant percentage of patients who do not satisfactorily respond to the treatment applied.Therefore,a part of these patients are going to surgery.In recent years,several small-size clinical studies,reviews,and case reports have been published combining not only biological agents with other drugs(e.g.,immunosuppressants or corticosteroids)but also the combination of two biologi-cal agents simultaneously,especially in severe cases.In our opinion,it is at least a strange(and largely unexplained)fact that we often use combinations of drugs in a given patient although studies comparing the simultaneous administration of two or more drugs with monotherapy are very few.As mentioned above,there is a timid tendency in the literature to combine two biological agents in severe cases unresponsive to the applied treatment or patients with severe extraintestinal manifestations.The appropriate dosage,the duration of the administration,the suitable timing for checking the clinical and laboratory outcome,as well as the treatment side-effects,should be the subject of intense clinical research shortly.In this editorial,we attempt to summarize the existing data regarding the already applied combination therapies and to humbly formulate thoughts and suggestions for the future application of the combination treatment of biological agents in a well-defined category of patients.We suggest that the application of biomarkers and artificial intelligence could help in establishing new forms of treatment using the available modern drugs in patients with IBD resistant to treatment.

Dynamic simulation analysis of molten salt reactor-coupled air-steam combined cycle power generation system

A nonlinear dynamic simulation model based on coordinated control of speed and flow rate for the molten salt reactor and combined cycle systems is proposed here to ensure the coordination and stability between the molten salt reactor and power system.This model considers the impact of thermal properties of fluid variation on accuracy and has been validated with Simulink.This study reveals the capability of the control system to compensate for anomalous situations and maintain shaft stability in the event of perturbations occurring in high-temperature molten salt tank outlet parameters.Meanwhile,the control system’s impact on the system’s dynamic characteristics under molten salt disturbance is also analyzed.The results reveal that after the disturbance occurs,the controlled system benefits from the action of the control,and the overshoot and disturbance amplitude are positively correlated,while the system power and frequency eventually return to the initial values.This simulation model provides a basis for utilizing molten salt reactors for power generation and maintaining grid stability.

Back to the drawing board:Overview of the next generation of combination therapy for inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is entering a potentially new era of combined therapeutics.Triantafillidis et al provide an insightful review of the current state of combination therapy,with a focus on the use of a combined biologic and immunomodulator,as well as emerging data on the future potential of dual-biologic therapy(DBT).While current evidence for DBT is limited,encouraging safety profiles and ongoing trials suggest a brighter future for this approach.The importance of controlled trials should be stressed in establishing new treatment paradigms.Ongoing prospective randomized trials of DBT and perhaps future combinations of biologics and small molecule therapies will hopefully guide the next generation of IBD care.

Mechanical responses of anchoring structure under triaxial cyclic loading

Dynamic load on anchoring structures(AS)within deep roadways can result in cumulative damage and failure.This study develops an experimental device designed to test AS under triaxial loads.The device enables the investigation of the mechanical response,failure mode,instability assessment criteria,and anchorage effect of AS subjected to combined cyclic dynamic-static triaxial stress paths.The results show that the peak bearing strength is positively correlated with the anchoring matrix strength,anchorage length,and edgewise compressive strength.The bearing capacity decreases significantly when the anchorage direction is severely inclined.The free face failure modes are typically transverse cracking,concave fracturing,V-shaped slipping and detachment,and spallation detachment.Besides,when the anchoring matrix strength and the anchorage length decrease while the edgewise compressive strength,loading rate,and anchorage inclination angle increase,the failure intensity rises.Instability is determined by a negative tangent modulus of the displacement-strength curve or the continued deformation increase against the general downward trend.Under cyclic loads,the driving force that breaks the rock mass along the normal vector and the rigidity of the AS are the two factors that determine roadway stability.Finally,a control measure for surrounding rock stability is proposed to reduce the internal driving force via a pressure relief method and improve the rigidity of the AS by full-length anchorage and grouting modification.

PRaG 3.0 therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma:A case report

BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is a highly fatal disease with limited effective treatment especially after first-line chemotherapy.The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER-2)immunohistochemistry(IHC)positive is associated with more aggressive clinical behavior and shorter overall survival in PDAC.CASE SUMMARY We present a case of multiple metastatic PDAC with IHC mismatch repair proficient but HER-2 IHC weakly positive at diagnosis that didn’t have tumor regression after first-line nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine and PD-1 inhibitor treatment.A novel combination therapy PRaG 3.0 of RC48(HER2-antibody-drug conjugate),radio-therapy,PD-1 inhibitor,granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-2 was then applied as second-line therapy and the patient had confirmed good partial response with progress-free-survival of 6.5 months and overall survival of 14.2 month.She had not developed any grade 2 or above treatment-related adverse events at any point.Percentage of peripheral CD8^(+) Temra and CD4^(+) Temra were increased during first two activation cycles of PRaG 3.0 treatment containing radiotherapy but deceased to the baseline during the maintenance cycles containing no radiotherapy.CONCLUSION PRaG 3.0 might be a novel strategy for HER2-positive metastatic PDAC patients who failed from previous first-line approach and even PD-1 immunotherapy but needs more data in prospective trials.

Grain Yield,Biomass Accumulation,and Leaf Photosynthetic Characteristics of Rice under Combined Salinity-Drought Stress

Simultaneous stresses of salinity and drought often coincide during rice-growing seasons in saline lands,primarily due to insufficient water resources and inadequate irrigation facilities.Consequently,combined salinity-drought stress poses a major threat to rice production.In this study,two salinity levels(NS,non-salinity;HS,high salinity)along with three drought treatments(CC,control condition;DJ,drought stress imposed at jointing;DH,drought stress imposed at heading)were performed to investigate their combined influences on leaf photosynthetic characteristics,biomass accumulation,and rice yield formation.Salinity,drought,and their combination led to a shortened growth period from heading to maturity,resulting in a reduced overall growth duration.Grain yield was reduced under both salinity and drought stress,with a more substantial reduction under the combined salinity-drought stress.The combined stress imposed at heading caused greater yield losses in rice compared with the stress imposed at jointing.Additionally,the combined salinity-drought stress induced greater decreases in shoot biomass accumulation from heading to maturity,as well as in shoot biomass and nonstructural carbohydrate(NSC)content in the stem at heading and maturity.However,it increased the harvest index and NSC remobilization reserve.Salinity and drought reduced the leaf area index and SPAD value of flag leaves and weakened the leaf photosynthetic characteristics as indicated by lower photosynthetic rates,transpiration rates,and stomatal conductance.These reductions were more pronounced under the combined stress.Salinity,drought,and especially their combination,decreased the activities of ascorbate peroxidase,catalase,and superoxide dismutase,while increasing the contents of malondialdehyde,hydrogen peroxide,and superoxide radical.Our results indicated a more significant yield loss in rice when subjected to combined salinity-drought stress.The individual and combined stresses of salinity and drought diminished antioxidant enzyme activities,inhibited leaf photosynthetic functions,accelerated leaf senescence,and subsequently lowered assimilate accumulation and grain yield.

Erlotinib combination with a mitochondria-targeted ubiquinone effectively suppresses pancreatic cancer cell survival

BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths.Increased activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)is often observed in pancreatic cancer,and the small molecule EGFR inhibitor erlotinib has been approved for pancreatic cancer therapy by the food and drug administration.Nevertheless,erlotinib alone is ineffective and should be combined with other drugs to improve therapeutic outcomes.We previously showed that certain receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors can increase mitochondrial membrane potential(Δψm),facilitate tumor cell uptake ofΔψm-sensitive agents,disrupt mitochondrial homeostasis,and subsequently trigger tumor cell death.Erlotinib has not been tested for this effect.AIM To determine whether erlotinib can elevateΔψm and increase tumor cell uptake ofΔψm-sensitive agents,subsequently triggering tumor cell death.METHODSΔψm-sensitive fluorescent dye was used to determine how erlotinib affectsΔψm in pancreatic adenocarcinoma(PDAC)cell lines.The viability of conventional and patient-derived primary PDAC cell lines in 2D-and 3D cultures was measured after treating cells sequentially with erlotinib and mitochondria-targeted ubiquinone(MitoQ),aΔψm-sensitive MitoQ.The synergy between erlotinib and MitoQ was then analyzed using SynergyFinder 2.0.The preclinical efficacy of the twodrug combination was determined using immune-compromised nude mice bearing PDAC cell line xenografts.RESULTS Erlotinib elevatedΔψm in PDAC cells,facilitating tumor cell uptake and mitochondrial enrichment ofΔψm-sensitive agents.MitoQ triggered caspase-dependent apoptosis in PDAC cells in culture if used at high doses,while erlotinib pretreatment potentiated low doses of MitoQ.SynergyFinder suggested that these drugs synergistically induced tumor cell lethality.Consistent with in vitro data,erlotinib and MitoQ combination suppressed human PDAC cell line xenografts in mice more effectively than single treatments of each agent.CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that a combination of erlotinib and MitoQ has the potential to suppress pancreatic tumor cell viability effectively.

不同工况和应用场景下CAES-CFP三联产系统特性分析

To meet the goal of worldwide decarbonization,the transformation process toward clean and green energy structures has accelerated.In this context,coal-fired power plant(CFPP)and large-scale energy storage represented by compressed air energy storage(CAES)technology,are tasked with increasing renewable resource accommodation and maintaining the power system security.To achieve this,this paper proposes the concept of a CFPP-CAES combined cycle and a trigenerative system based on that.Considering the working conditions of the CFPP,thermal characteristics of three typical operation modes were studied and some general regularities were identified.The results of various potential integration schemes discussion indicated that extracting water from low-temperature points in the feedwater system to cool pressurized air and simultaneously increase the backwater temperature is beneficial for improving performance.In addition,preheating the pressurized air before the air expanders via lowgrade water in the feedwater system as much as possible and reducing extracted steam contribute to increasing the efficiency.With the optimal integration scheme,2.85 tonnes of coal can be saved per cycle and the round-trip efficiency can be increased by 2.24%.Through the cogeneration of heat and power,the system efficiency can reach 77.5%.In addition,the contribution degree of the three compression heat utilization methods to the performance improvement ranked from high to low,is preheating the feedwater before the boiler,supplying heat,and flowing into the CFPP feedwater system.In the cooling energy generation mode,the system efficiency can be increased to over 69%.Regardless of the operation mode,the benefit produced by integration is further enhanced when the CFPP operates at higher operating conditions because the coupling points parameters are changed.In addition,the dynamic payback period can be shortened by 11.33 years and the internal rate of return increases by 5.20%under a typical application scenario.Regarding the effect of different application scenarios in terms of economics,investing in the proposed system is more appropriate in regions with multiple energy demands,especially heating demand.These results demonstrate the technical advantages of the proposed system and provide guiding principles for its design,operation,and project investment.

Anisotropic shearing mechanism of Kangding slate:Experimental investigation and numerical analysis

The shear mechanical behavior is regarded as an essential factor affecting the stability of the surrounding rocks in underground engineering.The shear strength and failure mechanisms of layered rock are significantly affected by the foliation angles.Direct shear tests were conducted on cubic slate samples with foliation angles of 0°,30°,45°,60°,and 90°.The effect of foliation angles on failure patterns,acoustic emission(AE)characteristics,and shear strength parameters was analyzed.Based on AE characteristics,the slate failure process could be divided into four stages:quiet period,step-like increasing period,dramatic increasing period,and remission period.A new empirical expression of cohesion for layered rock was proposed,which was compared with linear and sinusoidal cohesion expressions based on the results made by this paper and previous experiments.The comparative analysis demonstrated that the new expression has better prediction ability than other expressions.The proposed empirical equation was used for direct shear simulations with the combined finite-discrete element method(FDEM),and it was found to align well with the experimental results.Considering both computational efficiency and accuracy,it was recommended to use a shear rate of 0.01 m/s for FDEM to carry out direct shear simulations.To balance the relationship between the number of elements and the simulation results in the direct shear simulations,the recommended element size is 1 mm.

Clinical analysis of colistin sulfate in the treatment of pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria

BACKGROUND Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria,exacerbated by excessive use of antimicrobials and immunosuppressants,are a major health threat.AIM To study the clinical efficacy and safety of colistin sulfate in the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli-induced pneumonia,and to provide theoretical reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.METHODS This retrospective analysis involved 54 patients with Gram-negative bacilli pneumonia admitted to intensive care unit of The General Hospital of the Northern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army of China from August 2020 to June 2022.After bacteriological culture,the patients'airway secretions were collected to confirm the presence of Gram-negative bacilli.The patients were divided into the experimental and control groups according to the medication used.The research group consisted of 28 patients who received polymyxin sulfate combined with other drugs through intravenous,nebulization,or intravenous combined with nebulization,with a daily dosage of 1.5–3.0 million units.The control group consisted of 26 patients who received standard dosages of other antibiotics(including sulbactam sodium for injection,cefoperazone sodium sulbactam for injection,tigecycline,meropenem,or vaborbactam).RESULTS Of the 28 patients included in the research group,26 patients showed improvement,treatment was ineffective for two patients,and one patient died,with the treatment efficacy rate of 92.82%.Of the 26 patients in the control group,18 patients improved,treatment was ineffective for eight patients,and two patients died,with the treatment efficacy rate of 54.9%;significant difference was observed between the two groups(P<0.05).The levels of white blood cell(WBC),procalcitonin(PCT),and C-reactive protein(CRP)in both groups were significantly lower after treatment than before treatment(P<0.05),and the levels of WBC,PCT,and CRP in the research group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).Compared with before treatment,there were no significant changes in aspartate aminotransferase,creatinine,and glomerular filtration rate in both groups,while total bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase decreased after treatment(P<0.05)with no difference between the groups.In patients with good clinical outcomes,the sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)score was low when treated with inhaled polymyxin sulfate,and specific antibiotic treatment did not improve the outcome.Sepsis and septic shock as well as a low SOFA score were independent factors associated with good clinical outcomes.CONCLUSION Polymyxin sulfate has a significant effect on the treatment of patients with multiple drug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli pneumonia and other infections in the lungs and is safe and reliable.Moreover,the administration route of low-dose intravenous injection combined with nebulization shows better therapeutic effects and lower adverse reactions,providing new ideas for clinical administration.

Immunotherapy for esophageal cancer:Where are we now and where can we go

Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has dramatically improved patient prognosis,and thereby transformed the treatment in various cancer types including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)in the past decade.Monoclonal antibodies that selectively inhibit programmed cell death-1(PD-1)activity has now become standard of care in the treatment of ESCC in metastatic settings,and has a high expectation to provide clinical benefit during perioperative period.Further,anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated protein 4(CTLA-4)monoclonal antibody has also been approved in the treatment of recurrent/metastatic ESCC in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody.Well understanding of the existing evidence of immune-based treatments for ESCC,as well as recent clinical trials on various combinations with chemotherapy for different clinical settings including neoadjuvant,adjuvant,and metastatic diseases,may provide future prospects of ESCC treatment for better patient outcomes.