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Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporine (CsA) is the standard treatment for children with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) with no human leukocyte antigen-matched siblings. Due to the unavailability of horse ATG in China, porcine antilymphocyte globulin (p-ALG), which is less expensive and more effective than rabbit ATG, is widely used. We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of modified IST with p-ALG plus delayed CsA at day 21 in 50 SAA children. Eighteen SAA patients who progressed from nonsevere aplastic anemia (NSAA) were classified as SAA-II; the other 32 patients were classified as SAA-I. Overall response (OR) rates at 3, 6 and 12 months were 56, 64 and 62%, respectively. The 10-year overall survival (OS) rate and disease-free survival (DFS) rate were 80 and 56%. The OR, OS and DFS rates in the SAA-I group were clearly better than those in the SAA-II group. Death rate from infection within 30 days was 4%. Modified IST with p-ALG plus delayed CsA is a reliable and well-tolerated treatment for children with SAA, and reduces early death due to infection. Modified IST is more suitable for children with SAA-I.

We report the case of a 59-year-old Chinese man who showed an asymptomatic coagulation factor V deficiency pattern after second intravenous treatment with ceftazidime. Normal pooled plasma failed to correct the abnormalities in a mixing test, and the presence of factor V inhibitor was confirmed by the Bethesda method. The coagulopathy was not corrected by transfusion of fresh frozen plasma and prothrombin complex concentrate, but rather by treatment with prednisone and withdrawal of dubious drugs. The findings reported here should prompt clinicians to watch for drug-induced coagulation factor deficiency.

To investigate the clinical characteristics of seronegative hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia (AA) (SNHAA) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection complicating AA (HBVAA), and thereby compare the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy (IST). An analysis was conducted on the clinical data of ten patients with SNHAA out of 332 cases of AA from our center at AA diagnosis, and on the efficacy of IST. This was compared to 22 cases of HBVAA at AA onset as well as the associated IST outcomes. Nine patients with SNHAA developed severe aplastic anemia, with a median age of 18 years. After IST, six (60%) of the SNHAA patients achieved complete remission and two achieved partial remission. The patients with HBVAA had a total response rate of 82.3%. The disease recurred in two HBVAA patients. No statistically significant differences were observed in response rate, mortality, and recurrence rate between both groups. As compared with HBVAA, patients with SNHAA had a shorter interval from the acute episode of hepatitis to AA onset (4 months versus 92 months, P=0.00), a quicker response to IST (2.5 months versus 4.5 months, P=0.018), a lower proportion of bone marrow hematopoietic tissues (20.6% versus 23.6%, P=0.03), and lower white blood cell and absolute neutrophil count (0.8 × 10(9)/L versus 1.23 × 10(9)/L and 0.26 × 10(9)/L versus 0.58 × 10(9)/L, P=0.026 and P=0.0009, respectively). No significant liver damage or hepatitis B fulminant infection was observed in either group during the follow-up. The prevalence of SNHAA is 3.01%. SNHAA often presents as severe AA and responds to IST quickly. Neither hepatitis prior to AA nor AA complicating HBV infection have been shown to influence the early efficacy of IST and adverse events, and HBV may not be the causative agent of AA.

A method combing simple linear and nonlinear filters is proposed for real-time ‘non-uniformity correction’ of infrared video sequences, which suppresses ‘ghosting’ artefacts due to both lack of motion and strong edges. In this ‘least mean square’ (LMS)-based method, a mean filter is used first, when the ‘fixed pattern noise’ (FPN) level is high, taking advantage of its noise smoothing capability. When the FPN level drops to a low level, a sigma filter is used instead to reduce edge smearing. The sigma filter is also used to detect abnormal pixels like dead pixels and pixels contaminated by impulse noise, in addition to adaptive adjustment of the learning rate, with no extra cost. Experiments with simulated data and real infrared sequences show that the proposed method outperforms several other LMS methods. It is of the same computational complexity as Scribner's method, which makes it a good candidate for real-time hardware implementation.

0.94(K 05 Na 0.5 )NbO 3 −0.03LiNbO 3 −0.03LiSbO 3 (KNLNS) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by conventional mixed oxide route with normal sintering method. The samples were sintered at different temperatures with KNLNS powder atmosphere to prevent volatilization of alkali metal oxides at high temperature. The effects of sintering temperature on the density, structure and electric properties of KNLNS ceramics were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the crystal structure of the crushed KNLNS ceramic powders were pure perovskite phase with tetragonal phase structure when sintered at T  ≤ 1080°C. However a K 3 Li 2 Nb 5 O 15 phase with tetragonal tungsten bronze structure began to appear when the sintering temperature was higher than 1080°C. The optimum sintering temperature was 1080°C which was determined by measuring the density of the samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation indicated that the sintering temperature had a great effect on the microstructure of the samples. The KNLNS ceramics under the optimum sintering temperature showed excellent electric properties: ρ  = 4.29 g/cm 3 , ε r  = 826, tanδ = 0.049, d 33  = 190 pC/N, k p  = 0.30, and T c  = 385°C. The results show that the KNLNS ceramics are promising candidate for lead-free piezoelectric ceramics.

0.94(K sub(05)Na sub(0.5))NbO sub(3)0.03LiNbO sub(3)-0.03LiSbO sub(3) (KNLNS) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by conventional mixed oxide route with normal sintering method. The samples were sintered at different temperatures with KNLNS powder atmosphere to prevent volatilization of alkali metal oxides at high temperature. The effects of sintering temperature on the density, structure and electric properties of KNLNS ceramics were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the crystal structure of the crushed KNLNS ceramic powders were pure perovskite phase with tetragonal phase structure when sintered at T less than or equal to 1080 degree C. However a K sub(3)Li sub(2)Nb sub(5) O sub(15) phase with tetragonal tungsten bronze structure began to appear when the sintering temperature was higher than 1080 degree C. The optimum sintering temperature was 1080 degree C which was determined by measuring the density of the samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation indicated that the sintering temperature had a great effect on the microstructure of the samples. The KNLNS ceramics under the optimum sintering temperature showed excellent electric properties: rho =4.29 g/cm super(3), epsilon sub(r)=826, tan delta =0.049, d sub(33)=190 pC/N, k sub(p)=0.30, and T sub(c)=385 degree C. The results show that the KNLNS ceramics are promising candidate for lead-free piezoelectric ceramics.

Utilizing hot carriers is the crucial approach for solar cell to exceed the thermodynamic detailed balance limit, yet effective extraction of hot carriers in absorber materials via most commonly used semiconductor acceptors has been a challenge in both materials and photophysics research for many years. Herein, we build series of CsPbI3 quantum dot and fullerene derivative systems to explore the decisive factors of this process and have for the first time realized efficient hot carrier extraction in these systems (maximum extraction efficiency ~ 84%). We find building the systems as state-coupled complexes creates new carrier transport channels at about 0.22 eV above CsPbI3 quantum dot bandgap, which facilitates highly efficient HC extraction. Our research directly visualizes the inner connection of molecule interaction and ultrafast hot carrier extraction. The knowledge and strategy gained here are of universal meaning, taking an important step forward true hot carrier photovoltaics.