Tuning the plasmonic properties of silver nanopatterns fabricated by shadow nanosphere lithography

Regular silver (Ag) nanopatterns, from disconnected nanotriangles to well coupled triangular clusters of nanoparticles, were prepared by shadow nanosphere lithography at different incident angles θ from 0 degrees to 20 degrees with continuous azimuthal rotation. The resulting nanopatterns were consistent with predictions by numerical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations of adatoms with high diffusivity. The visible localized surface plasmon resonance of these nanopatterns was tuned by θ systematically due to the change in size, shape, and arrangement of Ag nanopatterns. These resonances were consistent with finite-difference time-domain simulations using realistic nanopatterns based upon scanning electron micrographs. Such a simple fabrication strategy can be used to optimize surface enhanced Raman scattering substrate fabrication, as well as other plasmonics based applications

Communication Efficiency Optimization of Federated Learning for Computing and Network Convergence of 6G Networks

Federated learning effectively addresses issues such as data privacy by collaborating across participating devices to train global models. However, factors such as network topology and device computing power can affect its training or communication process in complex network environments. A new network architecture and paradigm with computing-measurable, perceptible, distributable, dispatchable, and manageable capabilities, computing and network convergence (CNC) of 6G networks can effectively support federated learning training and improve its communication efficiency. By guiding the participating devices' training in federated learning based on business requirements, resource load, network conditions, and arithmetic power of devices, CNC can reach this goal. In this paper, to improve the communication efficiency of federated learning in complex networks, we study the communication efficiency optimization of federated learning for computing and network convergence of 6G networks, methods that gives decisions on its training process for different network conditions and arithmetic power of participating devices in federated learning. The experiments address two architectures that exist for devices in federated learning and arrange devices to participate in training based on arithmetic power while achieving optimization of communication efficiency in the process of transferring model parameters. The results show that the method we proposed can (1) cope well with complex network situations (2) effectively balance the delay distribution of participating devices for local training (3) improve the communication efficiency during the transfer of model parameters (4) improve the resource utilization in the network.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, accepted by Frontiers of Information Technology & Electronic Engineerin

Object-Centric Multiple Object Tracking

Unsupervised object-centric learning methods allow the partitioning of scenes into entities without additional localization information and are excellent candidates for reducing the annotation burden of multiple-object tracking (MOT) pipelines. Unfortunately, they lack two key properties: objects are often split into parts and are not consistently tracked over time. In fact, state-of-the-art models achieve pixel-level accuracy and temporal consistency by relying on supervised object detection with additional ID labels for the association through time. This paper proposes a video object-centric model for MOT. It consists of an index-merge module that adapts the object-centric slots into detection outputs and an object memory module that builds complete object prototypes to handle occlusions. Benefited from object-centric learning, we only require sparse detection labels (0%-6.25%) for object localization and feature binding. Relying on our self-supervised Expectation-Maximization-inspired loss for object association, our approach requires no ID labels. Our experiments significantly narrow the gap between the existing object-centric model and the fully supervised state-of-the-art and outperform several unsupervised trackers.Comment: ICCV 2023 camera-ready versio

Coordinated Silencing of MYC-Mediated miR-29 by HDAC3 and EZH2 as a Therapeutic Target of Histone Modification in Aggressive B-Cell Lymphomas

We investigated the transcriptional and epigenetic repression of miR-29 by MYC, HDAC3, and EZH2 in mantle cell lymphoma and other MYC-associated lymphomas. We demonstrate that miR-29 is repressed by MYC through a corepressor complex with HDAC3 and EZH2. MYC contributes to EZH2 upregulation via repression of the EZH2 targeting miR-26a, and EZH2 induces MYC via inhibition of the MYC targeting miR-494 to create positive feedback. Combined inhibition of HDAC3 and EZH2 cooperatively disrupted the MYC-EZH2-miR-29 axis, resulting in restoration of miR-29 expression, downregulation of miR-29-targeted genes, and lymphoma growth suppression in vitro and in vivo. These findings define a MYC-mediated miRNA repression mechanism, shed light on MYC lymphomagenesis mechanisms, and reveal promising therapeutic targets for aggressive B-cell malignancies

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Expert Consensus on Microtransplant for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Elderly Patients -Report From the International Microtransplant Interest Group

Recent studies have shown that microtransplant (MST) could improve outcome of patients with elderly acute myeloid leukemia (EAML). To further standardize the MST therapy and improve outcomes in EAML patients, based on analysis of the literature on MST, especially MST with EAML from January 1st, 2011 to November 30th, 2022, the International Microtransplant Interest Group provides recommendations and considerations for MST in the treatment of EAML. Four major issues related to MST for treating EAML were addressed: therapeutic principle of MST (1), candidates for MST (2), induction chemotherapy regimens (3), and post-remission therapy based on MST (4). Others included donor screening, infusion of donor cells, laboratory examinations, and complications of treatment

Application of ε‐polylysine in extending the storage period of pork jerky

Abstract In this experiment, natural nontoxic preservative ε‐polylysine (ε‐PL) was used as a natural preservative in pork jerky. The pork jerky samples with ε‐PL (experimental group) and without ε‐PL (blank group) were stored at the 27 and 37℃. Then, the number of microorganisms, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N), pH, and water activity (Aw) of each group were tested to test the antiseptic effect of ε‐PL. The results showed that due to the Staphylococcus aureus was detected, the storage period of the blank group at 27 and 37°C was 15 and 9 days, respectively. However, Coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Shigella were not detected in the experimental group on the 60th day. The experimental group all accord with the national standard for the quantity of microorganisms in meat jerky. The TVB‐N content of the blank group reached 14.00 mg/100 g (15th day, 27°C) and 14.93 mg/100 g (9th day, 37°C) at the end of the storage period, while the TVB‐N content of the experimental group was 11.20 mg/100 g (60th day, 27℃) and 15.86 mg/100 g (60th day, 37℃), and the increase rate of TVB‐N in the blank group was greater than the experimental group, indicating that ε‐PL can play a better microbial stabilization effect in pork jerky. The test of pH and Aw showed that ε‐PL can stabilize the quality of pork jerky. Finally, the antiseptic effect of ε‐PL was comparable to many chemical preservatives. This experiment confirms that ε‐PL played an important role in extending the storage period of pork jerky

Retrospectively Analysis of Factors Influencing the Relapse (or Progression) of Newly Diagnosed Nonoperative Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background and objective Most small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients relapse or progress and have low survival rate although they have significant response to initial chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This study intends to explore the factors affecting the relapse (or progression) of nonoperative SCLC and to explore the correlations between progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Methods Clinical data of 182 patients diagnosed with SCLC between January 2009 and December 2011 at Shanghai Chest Hospital has been reviewed and retrospectively analyzed. All of these patients accepted chemotherapy combined (or not combined) with radiotherapy, and relapsed or progressed after first-line therapy. Univariate Kaplan-Meier survival estimates as well as multivariate Cox regression survival analysis were used to locate the potential factors affecting PFS. The correlation between PFS and OS was analyzed via Bivariate Correlation Analysis method. Results The univariate estimates showed that the TNM stage, liver metastasis or not, brain metastasis or not, first-line chemotherapy cycles, effect of initial chemotherapy, and thoracic radiotherapy combined or not were the significant contributive factors to PFS. In the subgroup of the patients without brain metastases, those received prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) had longer PFS. Cox regression indicated that the three independent variables of first-line chemotherapy cycles, effect of initial chemotherapy and thoracic radiotherapy combined or not were closely related to PFS. In addition, significant positive correlation between PFS and OS had been observed. Conclusion PFS could be prolonged by having more first-line chemotherapy cycles (>4 cycles), obtaining better effect of initial chemotherapy (partial response or complete response), combining with thoracic radiotherapy and implementing PCI for patients without brain metastasis

Wind-Induced Vibration and Vibration Suppression of High-Mast Light Poles with Spiral Helical Strakes

In this study, three-dimensional finite element models of high-mast light poles without and with spiral helical strakes were built using ANSYS software to investigate their vibration characteristics in a wind environment. Based on a two-way, fluid–structure interaction simulation method, the dynamic responses of the high-mast light poles under different windspeeds were analyzed. The results indicate that the high-mast light pole structure without spiral helical strakes may suffer from evident vortex-induced vibration, which is dominated by the third vibration mode in the windspeed range of 5~8 m/s, whereas the light pole with spiral helical strakes had no obvious vortex-induced vibration. The external helical strakes can amplify the along-wind response of the light pole to a certain extent, while significantly decreasing its crosswind vortex-induced response. The vibration suppression effect is better when the value of pitch P is small. Practically, if P = 7.5 D (D is the diameter of the dominant vibration mode), the vibration suppression effect is best. On the other hand, if the value of pitch P remains constant, the vibration suppression effect increases with the height H of the outer helical strakes. However, excessively high outer helical strakes may also increase the along-wind response of the structure. In general, when spiral helical strakes are used in design, the recommended values of P and H are P = 7.5 D and H = 0.20 D