Method of optical treatment

US7506983; US7506983 B2; US7506983B2; US7,506,983; US 7,506,983 B2; 7506983; Application No. 10/954,631Inventor name used in this publication: Chi Ho ToInventor name used in this publication: Siu Yin LamUSVersion of Recor

Lack of structural rearrangement in c-kit and stem cell factor genes in Hong Kong Chinese patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukaemia

Stem cell factor is a haemopoietic growth factor that interacts with the c-kit--encoded transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor during signal transduction in haemopoietic progenitor stem cells. We have screened 127 Chinese patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukaemia for structural rearrangements in the stem cell factor and c-kit genes using Southern blot analysis. No structural rearrangements were detected in any of the bone marrow samples that were tested. It seems that structural rearrangements in the stem cell factor and c-kit genes are rare in Hong Kong patients who have a haematological malignancy.published_or_final_versio

Association of anti-CLIC2 and anti-HMGB1 autoantibodies with higher disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by numerous autoantibodies. In this study, we investigated the presence of anti-chloride intracellular channel 2 (anti-CLIC2) and anti-high mobility group box 1 (anti-HMGB1) autoantibodies in SLE patients (n = 43) versus healthy controls ([HCs] n = 43), and their association with serological parameters (antinuclear antibody [ANA], anti-double-stranded DNA [anti-dsDNA], and C-reactive protein [CRP]) and disease activity using Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score (active or inactive). Settings and Design: Case– control study at Rheumatology Clinic of Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital. Subjects and Methods: The sera of SLE patients and HCs were tested for the presence of anti-CLIC2 and anti-HMGB1 autoantibodies using human recombinant proteins and ELISA methodologies. Other serological parameters were evaluated according to routine procedures, and patients' demographic and clinical data were obtained. Statistical Analysis: Mann– Whitney U-test, Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: Anti-CLIC2 autoantibody levels were significantly higher in SLE patients compared to HCs (P = 0.0035), whereas anti-HMGB1 autoantibody levels were not significantly elevated (P = 0.7702). Anti-CLIC2 and anti-HMGB1 autoantibody levels were not associated with ANA pattern, anti-dsDNA, and CRP. Interestingly, SLEDAI score (≥6) was associated with anti-CLIC2 (P = 0.0046) and with anti-HMGB1 (P = 0.0091) autoantibody levels. Conclusion: Our findings support the potential of using anti-CLIC2 autoantibodies as a novel biomarker for SLE patients. Both anti-CLIC2 and anti-HMGB1 autoantibody levels demonstrated potential in monitoring SLE disease activity

Air in the kidney: between emphysematous pyelitis and pyelonephritis

Presence of air in the kidney can be problematic as the location of the air in different parts of the kidney greatly affects the subsequent management and outcome of the patient. We present here a case of a patient who had emphysematous pyelitis, in which CT scan was able to display presence of air only in the collecting system, thus differentiating this condition from the more fulminant emphysematous pyelonephritis. This leads to a more favourable prognosis and outcome to the patient

High-efficiency Urban-traffic Management in Context-aware Computing and 5G Communication

With the increasing number of vehicle and traffic jams, urban-traffic management is becoming a serious issue. In this article, we propose novel four-tier architecture for urban-traffic management with the convergence of vehicle ad hoc networks (VANETs), 5G wireless network, software-defined network (SDN), and mobile-edge computing (MEC) technologies. The proposed architecture provides better communication and rapider responsive speed in a more distributed and dynamic manner. The practical case of rapid accident rescue can significantly cut down the time for rescue. Key technologies with respect to vehicle localization, data pre-fetching, traffic lights control, and traffic prediction are also discussed. Obviously, the novel architecture shows noteworthy potential for alleviating the traffic congestion and improving the efficiency of urban-traffic management

Simulation and Experimental Verification for a 52 GHz Wideband Trapped Surface Wave Propagation System

Trapped surface wave (TSW) provides a flexible 2-D wireless solution when compared to existing wired and free space communications systems. This work aims to provide the theoretical guidance, supported by simulation techniques and experimental verifications, for 1) designing the wideband and highly efficient rectangular aperture TSW transducers and 2) selecting the best reactive surface impedance for high efficiency. First, a method for computing the TSW excitation efficiency is proposed for the first time and it can be applied to different kinds of reactive surface geometries and transducer apertures. Then, the relation between the TSW excitation efficiency, surface reactance, and aperture height is derived. Then, the maximum excitation efficiency, the corresponding optimal surface reactance, and aperture height are presented. Furthermore, the relation between the TSW angular coverage and aperture width is determined. These studies show that the aperture height mainly determines the TSW excitation efficiencies, while the aperture width controls the TSW angular coverage; hence, the two aperture parameters of a transducer can be independently determined. Finally, an experiment setup, based on the provided guidelines, has been built to demonstrate a 52 GHz wide 3 dB-transmission-bandwidth for high-performance communications systems

The incidence and outcome of septic shock patients in the absence of early-goal directed therapy

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the present study was to measure the incidence and outcome of septic patients presenting at the emergency department (ED) with criteria for early goal-directed therapy (EGDT). METHOD: This hospital-based, retrospective, observational study using prospectively collected electronic databases was based in a teaching hospital in Melbourne, Australia. We conducted outcome-blinded electronic screening of patients with infection admitted via the ED from 1 January 2000 to 30 June 2003. We obtained data on demographics, laboratory and clinical features on admission. We used paper records to confirm electronic identification of candidates for EGDT and to study their treatment. We followed up all patients until hospital discharge or death. RESULTS: Of 4,784 ED patients with an infectious disease diagnosis, only 50 fulfilled published clinical inclusion criteria for EGDT (EGDT candidates). Of these patients, 37 (74%) survived their hospital admission, two (4%) died in the ED, eight (16%) died in the intensive care unit and three (6%) died in the ward. After review of all ward cardiac arrests and non-NFR ('not for resuscitation') ward deaths, we identified a further two potential candidates for EGDT for an overall mortality of 28.8% (15 out of 52 patients). Analysis of treatment showed that twice as many (70%) of the EGDT candidates received vasopressor therapy in the ED, and their initial mean central venous pressure (10.8 mmHg) was almost twice that in patients from the EGDT study conducted by Rivers and coworkers. CONCLUSION: In an Australian teaching hospital candidates for EGDT were uncommon and, in the absence of an EGDT protocol, their mortality was lower than that reported with EGDT

Simulating the Hydraulic Characteristics of the Lower Yellow River By the Finite-Volume Technique

The finite-volume technique is used to solve the two-dimensional shallow-water equations on unstructured mesh consisting of quadrilateral elements. In this paper the algorithm of the finite-volume method is discussed in detail and particular attention is paid to accurately representing the complex irregular computational domain. The lower Yellow River reach from Huayuankou to Jiahetan is a typical meandering river. The generation of the computational mesh, which is used to simulate the flood, is affected by the distribution of water works in the river channel. The spatial information about the two Yellow River levee, the protecting dykes, and those roads that are obviously higher than the ground, need to be used to generate the computational mesh. As a result these dykes and roads locate the element interfaces of the computational mesh. In the model the finite-volume method is used to solve the shallow-wave equations, and the Osher scheme of the empirical function is used to calculate the flux through the interface between the neighbouring elements. The finite-volume method has the advantage of using computational domain with complex geometry, and the Osher scheme is a method based on characteristic theory and is a monotone upwind numerical scheme with high resolution. The flood event with peak discharge of 15 300 m(3)/s, occurring in the period from 30 July to 10 August 1982, is simulated. The estimated result indicates that the simulation method is good for routing the flood in a region with complex geometry. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd

Far-infrared photo-conductivity of electrons in an array of nano-structured antidots

We present far-infrared (FIR) photo-conductivity measurements for a two-dimensional electron gas in an array of nano-structured antidots. We detect, resistively and spectrally resolved, both the magnetoplasmon and the edge-magnetoplasmon modes. Temperature-dependent measurements demonstrates that both modes contribute to the photo resistance by heating the electron gas via resonant absorption of the FIR radiation. Influences of spin effect and phonon bands on the collective excitations in the antidot lattice are observed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure