An Intelligent Auxiliary Vacuum Brake System

The purpose of this paper focuses on designing an intelligent, compact, reliable, and robust auxiliary vacuum brake system (VBS) with Kalman filter and self-diagnosis scheme. All of the circuit elements in the designed system are integrated into one programmable system-on-chip (PSoC) with entire computational algorithms implemented by software. In this system, three main goals are achieved: (a) Kalman filter and hysteresis controller algorithms are employed within PSoC chip by software to surpass the noises and disturbances from hostile surrounding in a vehicle. (b) Self-diagnosis scheme is employed to identify any breakdown element of the auxiliary vacuum brake system. (c) Power MOSFET is utilized to implement PWM pump control and compared with relay control. More accurate vacuum pressure control has been accomplished as well as power energy saving. In the end, a prototype has been built and tested to confirm all of the performances claimed above

Non-prompt surgery for patients with acute type A aortic dissection without pre-operative shock and malperfusion

BackgroundAcute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) requires urgent surgical treatment. However, during daily practice, there were some patients with ATAAD sought for medical attention several days after symptoms occurred and some other patients hesitated to receive aortic surgery after the diagnosis of ATAAD was made. This study aims to investigate the surgical outcomes of non-prompt aortic surgery (delayed diagnosis caused by the patient or delayed surgery despite immediate diagnosis) for ATAAD patients.MethodsFrom November 2004 to June 2020, of more than 200 patients with ATAAD patients who underwent aortic surgery at our hospital, there were 30 patients without pre-operative shock and malperfusion who sought for medical attention with symptoms for several days or delayed aortic surgery several days later despite ATAAD was diagnosed. Of the 30 patients (median age 60.9, range 33.4~82.5 years) in the study group, there were 18 patients undergoing surgery when they arrived at our hospital (delayed diagnosis by the patient) and 12 patients receiving surgery days later (delayed surgery despite immediate diagnosis). Patients with prompt surgery after symptom onset (control group) were matched from our database by propensity score matching. The surgical mortality rate and post-operative morbidities were compared between the study group and control group.ResultsThe in-hospital mortality was 3.3% for the study group and 6.7% for the control group (p = non-significant). The incidence of post-operative cerebral permanent neurological defect was 0% for the study group and 13.3% for the control group (p = 0.112). There were three patients receiving aortic re-intervention or re-do aortic surgery during follow-up for the study group and two patients for the control group.ConclusionPrompt surgery for ATAAD is usually a good choice if everything is well prepared. Besides, urgent but non-prompt aortic surgery could also provide acceptable surgical results for ATAAD patients without pre-operative shock and malperfusion who did not seek medical attention or who could not make their minds to undergo surgery immediately after symptom onset. Hospitalization with intensive care is very important for pre-operative preparation and monitoring for the patients who decline prompt aortic surgery

Enterovirus type 71 2A protease functions as a transcriptional activator in yeast

Enterovirus type 71 (EV71) 2A protease exhibited strong transcriptional activity in yeast cells. The transcriptional activity of 2A protease was independent of its protease activity. EV71 2A protease retained its transcriptional activity after truncation of 40 amino acids at the N-terminus but lost this activity after truncation of 60 amino acids at the N-terminus or deletion of 20 amino acids at the C-terminus. Thus, the acidic domain at the C-terminus of this protein is essential for its transcriptional activity. Indeed, deletion of amino acids from 146 to 149 (EAME) in this acidic domain lost the transcriptional activity of EV71 2A protein though still retained its protease activity. EV71 2A protease was detected both in the cytoplasm and nucleus using confocal microscopy analysis. Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease also exhibited transcriptional activity in yeast cells. As expected, an acidic domain in the C-terminus of Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease was also identified. Truncation of this acidic domain resulted in the loss of transcriptional activity. Interestingly, this acidic region of poliovirus 2A protease is critical for viral RNA replication. The transcriptional activity of the EV71 or Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease should play a role in viral replication and/or pathogenesis

Fixel-Based Analysis Effectively Identifies White Matter Tract Degeneration in Huntington’s Disease

Microstructure damage in white matter might be linked to regional and global atrophy in Huntington’s Disease (HD). We hypothesize that degeneration of subcortical regions, including the basal ganglia, is associated with damage of white matter tracts linking these affected regions. We aim to use fixel-based analysis to identify microstructural changes in the white matter tracts. To further assess the associated gray matter damage, diffusion tensor-derived indices were measured from regions of interest located in the basal ganglia. Diffusion weighted images were acquired from 12 patients with HD and 12 healthy unrelated controls using a 3 Tesla scanner. Reductions in fixel-derived metrics occurs in major white matter tracts, noticeably in corpus callosum, internal capsule, and the corticospinal tract, which were closely co-localized with the regions of increased diffusivity in basal ganglia. These changes in diffusion can be attributed to potential axonal degeneration. Fixel-based analysis is effective in studying white matter tractography and fiber changes in HD

Nanoscale visualization and spectral fingerprints of the charge order in ScV6Sn6 distinct from other kagome metals

Charge density waves (CDWs) have been tied to a number of unusual phenomena in kagome metals, including rotation symmetry breaking, time-reversal symmetry breaking and superconductivity. The majority of the experiments thus far have focused on the CDW states in AV3Sb5 and FeGe, characterized by the 2a0 by 2a0 period. Recently, a bulk CDW phase (T* ~ 92 K) with a different wave length and orientation has been reported in ScV6Sn6, as the first realization of a CDW state in the broad RM6X6 structure. Here, using a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we reveal the microscopic structure and the spectroscopic signatures of this charge ordering phase in ScV6Sn6. Differential conductance dI/dV spectra show a partial gap opening in the density-of-states of about 20 meV at the Fermi level. This is much smaller than the spectral gaps observed in AV3Sb5 and FeGe despite the comparable T* temperatures in these systems, suggesting substantially weaker coupling strength in ScV6Sn6. Surprisingly, despite the three-dimensional bulk nature of the charge order, we find that the charge modulation is only observed on the kagome termination. Temperature-dependent band structure evolution suggests a modulation of the surface states as a consequence of the emergent charge order, with an abrupt spectral weight shift below T* consistent with the first-order phase transition. The similarity of the electronic band structures of ScV6Sn6 and TbV6Sn6 (where charge ordering is absent), together with the first-principle calculations, suggests that charge ordering in ScV6Sn6 may not be primarily electronically driven. Interestingly, in contrast to the CDW state of cousin AV3Sb5, we find no evidence supporting rotation symmetry breaking. Our results reveal a distinctive nature of the charge ordering phase in ScV6Sn6 in comparison to other kagome metals

Visible Light Responsive Photocatalyst Induces Progressive and Apical-Terminus Preferential Damages on Escherichia coli Surfaces

BACKGROUND: Recent research shows that visible-light responsive photocatalysts have potential usage in antimicrobial applications. However, the dynamic changes in the damage to photocatalyzed bacteria remain unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Facilitated by atomic force microscopy, this study analyzes the visible-light driven photocatalyst-mediated damage of Escherichia coli. Results show that antibacterial properties are associated with the appearance of hole-like structures on the bacteria surfaces. Unexpectedly, these hole-like structures were preferentially induced at the apical terminus of rod shaped E. coli cells. Differentiating the damages into various levels and analyzing the percentage of damage to the cells showed that photocatalysis was likely to elicit sequential damages in E. coli cells. The process began with changing the surface properties on bacterial cells, as indicated in surface roughness measurements using atomic force microscopy, and holes then formed at the apical terminus of the cells. The holes were then subsequently enlarged until the cells were totally transformed into a flattened shape. Parallel experiments indicated that photocatalysis-induced bacterial protein leakage is associated with the progression of hole-like damages, further suggesting pore formation. Control experiments using ultraviolet light responsive titanium-dioxide substrates also obtained similar observations, suggesting that this is a general phenomenon of E. coli in response to photocatalysis. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The photocatalysis-mediated localization-preferential damage to E. coli cells reveals the weak points of the bacteria. This might facilitate the investigation of antibacterial mechanism of the photocatalysis