Temperature Estimation of SiC Power Devices Using High Frequency Chirp Signals

Silicon carbide devices have become increasingly popular in electric vehicles, predominantly due to their fast-switching speeds, which allow for the construction of smaller power converters. Temperature sensitive electrical parameters (TSEPs) can be used to determine the junction temperature, just like silicon-based power switches. This paper presents a new technique to estimate the junction temperature of a single-chip silicon carbide (SiC) metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). During off-state operation, high-frequency chirp signals below the resonance frequency of the gate-source impedance are injected into the gate of a discrete SiC device. The gate-source voltage frequency response is captured and then processed using the fast Fourier transform. The data is then accumulated and displayed over the chirp frequency spectrum. Results show a linear relationship between the processed gate-source voltage and the junction temperature. The effectiveness of the proposed TSEPs is demonstrated in a laboratory scenario, where chirp signals are injected in a stand-alone biased discrete SiC module, and in an in-field scenario, where the TSEP concept is applied to a MOSFET operating in a DC/DC converter

Gold-catalyzed dehydrogenative cycloisomerization of 1,4-Enyne Esters to 3,5-Disubstituted Phenol derivatives

A method to prepare synthetically important 3,5-disubstituted phenol derivatives that relies on the sequential gold(I)-catalyzed dehydrogenative cycloisomerization of 1,4-enyne esters in the presence of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) or N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSI) is described. The synthetic versatility of the methodology was exemplified by a gram-scale reaction of one example, the ease to realize subsequent functional transformations of an adduct, and the application of the method to the synthesis of the bioactive molecule LUF5771

Health literacy and ethnic disparities in health-related quality of life among rural women: results from a Chinese poor minority area

Background: We examined the relationship between health literacy (HL) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as well as relationship differentials by ethnicity among rural women from a Chinese poor minority area. Methods: We conducted in-person interviews with 913 rural women aged 23 - 57 (57.5% Hui minorities/42.5% Han ethnicity) enrolled in the Ningxia Women Health Project, gathering data on EQ-5D, self-designed HL, socio-demographic characteristics, and chronic diseases. The extent of impairments in the five dimensions of the EQ-5D was used to measure HRQoL. Factor analysis yielded a single HL factor, which was used as a dichotomous variable in multivariate log-binomial regression models that examined the adjusted association of HL with HRQoL. Results: Nearly half of the women had no formal education. The most prevalent impairments were pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression (42.42% and 32.09%, respectively). The Hui minorities had 1.65 times higher rates of low HL (defined as less than mean of the factor score for HL) and 1.22 and 1.25 times for pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression impairments, respectively. Low HL was associated with poor HRQoL, with a 23% increase in the prevalence of pain/discomfort impairments after adjusting for socio-demographics. This association was significant in the Hui group (PR=1.30, 95% CI=1.06-1.58) but not for the Han group (PR=0.99, 95% CI=0.76-1.30). HL-stratified analysis revealed modification for ethnic disparities in HRQoL; for pain/discomfort impairments, high HL-PR=0.88 (95% CI=0.71-1.08), low HL-PR=1.24 (95% CI = 1.01-1.52); for anxiety/depression impairments, high HL-PR=0.98 (95% CI=0.73-1.32), low HL-PR=1.44 (95% CI = 1.05-1.98). Conclusions: Low HL is associated with poor HRQoL across the entire sample and the association may be modified by ethnicity. Similarly, ethnic disparities in HRQoL may be modified by HL, larger in low HL group. Health services should address HL in vulnerable minority women to improve their HRQoL.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000324526700001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701Health Care Sciences & ServicesHealth Policy & ServicesSCI(E)SSCI12ARTICLEnull1

Identification of PDCD1 as a potential biomarker in acute rejection after kidney transplantation via comprehensive bioinformatic analysis

BackgroundAcute rejection is a determinant of prognosis following kidney transplantation. It is essential to search for novel noninvasive biomarkers for early diagnosis and prompt treatment.MethodsGene microarray data was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) expression profile database and the intersected differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was calculated. We conducted the DEGs with Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Distribution of immune cell infiltration was calculated by CIBERSORT. A hub gene marker was identified by intersecting the rejection-related genes from WGCNA and a selected KEGG pathway—T cell receptor signaling pathway (hsa04660), and building a protein-protein interaction network using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. We performed flow-cytometry analysis to validate the hub gene.ResultsA total of 1450 integrated DEGs were obtained from five datasets (GSE1563, GSE174020, GSE98320, GSE36059, GSE25902). The GO, KEGG and immune infiltration analysis results showed that AR was mainly associated with T cell activation and various T-cell related pathways. Other immune cells, such as B cells, Macrophage and Dendritic cells were also associated with the progress. After utilizing the WGCNA and PPI network, PDCD1 was identified as the hub gene. The flow-cytometry analysis demonstrated that both in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, PD1+CD57-, an exhausted T cell phenotype, were downregulated in the acute rejection whole blood samples.ConclusionsOur study illustrated that PDCD1 may be a candidate diagnostic biomarker for acute kidney transplant rejection via integrative bioinformatic analysis

Association of lifestyle with deep learning predicted electrocardiographic age

BackgroundPeople age at different rates. Biological age is a risk factor for many chronic diseases independent of chronological age. A good lifestyle is known to improve overall health, but its association with biological age is unclear.MethodsThis study included participants from the UK Biobank who had undergone 12-lead resting electrocardiography (ECG). Biological age was estimated by a deep learning model (defined as ECG-age), and the difference between ECG-age and chronological age was defined as Δage. Participants were further categorized into an ideal (score 4), intermediate (scores 2 and 3) or unfavorable lifestyle (score 0 or 1). Four lifestyle factors were investigated, including diet, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and smoking. Linear regression models were used to examine the association between lifestyle factors and Δage, and the models were adjusted for sex and chronological age.ResultsThis study included 44,094 individuals (mean age 64 ± 8, 51.4% females). A significant correlation was observed between predicted biological age and chronological age (correlation coefficient = 0.54, P < 0.001) and the mean Δage (absolute error of biological age and chronological age) was 9.8 ± 7.4 years. Δage was significantly associated with all of the four lifestyle factors, with the effect size ranging from 0.41 ± 0.11 for the healthy diet to 2.37 ± 0.30 for non-smoking. Compared with an ideal lifestyle, an unfavorable lifestyle was associated with an average of 2.50 ± 0.29 years of older predicted ECG-age.ConclusionIn this large contemporary population, a strong association was observed between all four studied healthy lifestyle factors and deaccelerated aging. Our study underscores the importance of a healthy lifestyle to reduce the burden of aging-related diseases

Corporate philanthropy and corporate financial performance: The roles of social response and political access

Corporate philanthropy is expected to positively affect firm financial performance because it helps firms gain sociopolitical legitimacy, which enables them to elicit positive stakeholder responses and to gain political access. The positive philanthropy-performance relationship is stronger for firms with greater public visibility and for those with better past performance, as philanthropy by these firms gains more positive stakeholder responses. Firms that are not government-owned or politically well connected were shown to benefit more from philanthropy, as gaining political resources is more critical for such firms. Empirical analyses using data on Chinese firms listed on stock exchanges from 2001 to 2006 support these arguments

Next-generation sequencing yields the first complete mitochondrial genome of the ruby dragonet Synchiropus sycorax (Syngnathiformes, Callionymidae)

The complete mitogenome sequence of the ruby dragonet Synchiropus sycorax was first determined using next-generation sequencing strategy in this study. The circle genome was 16,656 bp in length and consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 1 control region. The mitochondrial gene arrangement of S. sycorax is similar to those of most other fish species. Results from neighbor-joining phylogenetic analysis showed that S. sycorax clustered with S. splendidus and other species of the family Callionymidae. This study will be valuable for phylogenetic analysis of the genus Synchiropus and the other genera of the order Syngnathiformes

Complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of Stonogobiops yasha (Perciformes, Gobiidae)

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Stonogobiops yasha was first determined in this study. The circle genome was 16,566 bp long and consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 1 control region. The mitochondrial gene arrangement of S. yasha is similar to those of most other gobies. The phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor-joining method showed that the kinship between Stonogobiops and Acentrogobius is closer than those between Stonogobiops and other selected genera. This is the first record of the complete mitogenome for the genus Stonogobiops