RIS-Position and Orientation Estimation in MIMO-OFDM Systems with Practical Scatterers

In this paper, we investigate the problem of estimating the position and the angle of rotation of a mobile station (MS) in a millimeter wave (mmWave) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) system aided by a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS). The virtual line-of-sight (VLoS) link created by the RIS and the non-line-of-sight (NLoS) links that originate from scatterers in the considered environment are utilized to facilitate the estimation. A two-step positioning scheme is exploited, where the channel parameters are first acquired, and the position-related parameters are then estimated. The channel parameters are obtained through a coarser and a subsequent finer estimation processes. As for the coarse estimation, the distributed compressed sensing orthogonal simultaneous matching pursuit (DCS-SOMP) algorithm, the maximum likelihood (ML) algorithm, and the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) are utilized to separately estimate the channel parameters. The obtained channel parameters are then jointly refined by using the space-alternating generalized expectation maximization (SAGE) algorithm, which circumvents the high-dimensional optimization issue of ML estimation. Departing from the estimated channel parameters, the positioning-related parameters are estimated. The performance of estimating the channel-related and position-related parameters is theoretically quantified by using the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB). Simulation results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed positioning algorithms.Comment: This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessibl

Clinicopathological Characteristics and Outcomes of Chinese Patients with Scanty Immune Deposits Lupus Nephritis: A Large Cohort Study from a Single Center

Objective. To assess clinicopathological characteristics of lupus nephritis patients with scanty immune deposits. Methods. The data of patients with scanty immune deposits lupus nephritis were retrospectively analyzed. Plasma ANCA and complement components were detected. Results. Among 316 cases with renal biopsy-proven lupus nephritis, 40 cases were diagnosed as scanty immune deposits. There were significantly higher value of serum creatinine (P = 0.002) and lower hemoglobin level (P = 0.009) and higher score of cellular crescents (P = 0.015) in scanty immune deposits group compared with immune complex deposits group. The frequency of positive plasma ANCA was significantly higher in scanty immune deposits group than that in immune complex deposits group (52.5% versus 10.1%, P < 0.001). As for comparisons of plasma complement components, there were significantly higher levels of C1q (P = 0.005) and Bb (P = 0.02) and lower level of factor H (P = 0.003) in scanty immune deposits group. The ratio of treatment failure was significantly higher in scanty immune deposits group than that in immune deposits group (42.5% versus 19.20%, P = 0.001). The renal outcomes were similar between the two groups. Conclusions. Patients with scanty immune deposits lupus nephritis had more severe kidney damage. ANCA and activation of complement alternative pathway might be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.Multidisciplinary SciencesSCI(E)[email protected]

Absolute-energy-scale calibration of ARGO-YBJ for light primaries in multi-TeV region with the Moon shadow observation

In 2011 ARGO-YBJ experiment has reported a work to study the absolute rigidity scale of the primary cosmic ray particles based on the Moon's shadow observation. Given the progress in high energy hadronic interaction models with LHC data, in cosmic ray chemical composition measurement and in experimental data accumulation, more updates can be researched. This paper aims to further disentangle the composition dependence in absolute-energy-scale calibration by using specific moon-shadow data which mainly is comprised of light component cosmic rays. Results show that, 17% energy scale error is estimated from 3 TeV to 50 TeV. To validate the performance of this technique, the light component cosmic ray spectrum in the same energy region is shown. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Proposed clinical phases for the improvement of personalized treatment of checkpoint inhibitor–related pneumonitis

BackgroundCheckpoint inhibitor–related pneumonitis (CIP) is a lethal immune-related adverse event. However, the development process of CIP, which may provide insight into more effective management, has not been extensively examined.MethodsWe conducted a multicenter retrospective analysis of 56 patients who developed CIP. Clinical characteristics, radiological features, histologic features, and laboratory tests were analyzed. After a comprehensive analysis, we proposed acute, subacute, and chronic phases of CIP and summarized each phase’s characteristics.ResultsThere were 51 patients in the acute phase, 22 in the subacute phase, and 11 in the chronic phase. The median interval time from the beginning of CIP to the different phases was calculated (acute phase: ≤4.9 weeks; subacute phase: 4.9~13.1 weeks; and chronic phase: ≥13.1 weeks). The symptoms relieved from the acute phase to the chronic phase, and the CIP grade and Performance Status score decreased (P<0.05). The main change in radiologic features was the absorption of the lesions, and 3 (3/11) patients in the chronic phase had persistent traction bronchiectasis. For histologic features, most patients had acute fibrinous pneumonitis in the acute phase (5/8), and most had organizing pneumonia in the subacute phase (5/6). Other histologic changes advanced over time, with the lesions entering a state of fibrosis. Moreover, the levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-10 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) increased in the acute phase and decreased as CIP progressed (IL-6: 17.9 vs. 9.8 vs. 5.7, P=0.018; IL-10: 4.6 vs 3.0 vs. 2.0, P=0.041; hsCRP: 88.2 vs. 19.4 vs. 14.4, P=0.005).ConclusionsThe general development process of CIP can be divided into acute, subacute, and chronic phases, upon which a better management strategy might be based devised

Canagliflozin and Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Chronic Kidney Disease in Primary and Secondary Cardiovascular Prevention Groups

Background: Canagliflozin reduces the risk of kidney failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, but effects on specific cardiovascular outcomes are uncertain, as are effects in people without previous cardiovascular disease (primary prevention). Methods: In CREDENCE (Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes With Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation), 4401 participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease were randomly assigned to canagliflozin or placebo on a background of optimized standard of care. Results: Primary prevention participants (n=2181, 49.6%) were younger (61 versus 65 years), were more often female (37% versus 31%), and had shorter duration of diabetes mellitus (15 years versus 16 years) compared with secondary prevention participants (n=2220, 50.4%). Canagliflozin reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events overall (hazard ratio [HR], 0.80 [95% CI, 0.67-0.95]; P=0.01), with consistent reductions in both the primary (HR, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.49-0.94]) and secondary (HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.69-1.06]) prevention groups (P for interaction=0.25). Effects were also similar for the components of the composite including cardiovascular death (HR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.61-1.00]), nonfatal myocardial infarction (HR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.59-1.10]), and nonfatal stroke (HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.56-1.15]). The risk of the primary composite renal outcome and the composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure were also consistently reduced in both the primary and secondary prevention groups (P for interaction >0.5 for each outcome). Conclusions: Canagliflozin significantly reduced major cardiovascular events and kidney failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, including in participants who did not have previous cardiovascular disease

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years