Objectives
Patients with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) typically respond well to initial glucocorticoid therapy, but always relapse with tapered or maintenance dosage of steroid. We aimed to identify the risk factors for relapse of IgG4-RD and explore the impact of active intervention on the serologically unstable condition.
Methods
We performed a retrospective study of 277 IgG4-RD patients at Peking University People’s Hospital from February 2012 through February 2019. They were all followed for >4 months. The primary outcome was patient relapse. Data on recurrence of IgG4-RD symptoms, laboratory and image findings were recorded, along with information on treatment in the serologically unstable condition.
Results
The cumulative relapse rate was 12.86%, 27.84% and 36.1% at 12, 24 and 36 months, respectively. Younger age at onset, younger age at diagnosis, longer time from diagnosis to treatment and history of allergy were associated with relapse. Identified independent risk factors were longer time from diagnosis to treatment and history of allergy. When serum IgG4 level was 20%, 50% or 100% higher than that of the remission period, similar percentages of patients finally relapsed, regardless of whether they were in the immunosuppression intensified or non-intensified group. Median duration from serum IgG4 level instability to relapse in the intensified and non-intensified group was not statistically different.
Conclusion
The risk factors of relapse were longer time from diagnosis to treatment and history of allergy. Intervention in the serologically unstable condition was not helpful for reducing relapse rate.
It is not yet clear whether there is any difference in using remote sensing data of different spatial resolutions and filtering methods to improve the above-ground biomass (AGB) estimation accuracy of alpine meadow grassland. In this study, field measurements of AGB and spectral data at Sangke Town, Gansu Province, China, in three years (2013)(2014)(2015) are combined to construct AGB estimation models of alpine meadow grassland based on these different remotely-sensed NDVI data: MODIS, HJ-1B CCD of China and Landsat 8 OLI (denoted as NDVI MOD , NDVI CCD and NDVI OLI , respectively). This study aims to investigate the estimation errors of AGB from the three satellite sensors, to examine the influence of different filtering methods on MODIS NDVI for the estimation accuracy of AGB and to evaluate the feasibility of large-scale models applied to a small area. The results showed that: (1) filtering the MODIS NDVI using the Savitzky-Golay (SG), logistic and Gaussian approaches can reduce the AGB estimation error; in particular, the SG method performs the best, with the smallest errors at both the sample plot scale (250 m × 250 m) and the entire study area (33.9% and 34.9%, respectively); (2) the optimum estimation model of grassland AGB in the study area is the exponential model based on NDVI OLI , with estimation errors of 29.1% and 30.7% at the sample plot and the study area scales, respectively; and (3) the estimation errors of grassland AGB models previously constructed at different spatial scales (the Tibetan Plateau, Gannan Prefecture and Xiahe County) are higher than those directly constructed based on the small area of this study by 11.9%-36.4% and 5.3%-29.6% at the sample plot and study area scales, respectively. This study presents an improved monitoring algorithm of alpine natural grassland AGB estimation and provides a clear direction for future improvement of the grassland AGB estimation and grassland productivity from remote sensing technology.
Tungsten borides are a unique class of compounds with excellent mechanical properties comparable to those of traditional superhard materials. However, the in-depth understanding of these compounds is hindered by the uncertainty of their phase relations and complex crystal structures. Here, we explored the W-B system systematically by ab initio variable-composition evolutionary simulations at pressures from 0 to 40 GPa. Our calculations successfully found all known stable compounds and discovered two novel stable phases, P4[combining macron]21m-WB and P21/m-W2B3, and three nearly stable phases, R3m-W2B5, Ama2-W6B5, and Pmmn-WB5, at ambient pressure and zero Kelvin. Interestingly, P4[combining macron]21m-WB is much harder than the known α and β phases, while Pmmn-WB5 exhibits the highest hardness. Furthermore, it is revealed that the much debated WB4 becomes stable as the P63/mmc (2 f.u. per unit cell) phase at pressures above ∼1 GPa, not at ambient pressure as reported previously. Our findings provide important insights for understanding the rich and complex crystal structures of tungsten borides, and indicate WB2, WB4, and WB5 as compounds with the most interesting mechanical properties.
The
purpose of this paper is to explore the fuel and ash characteristics
of maize straw (MS) char briquettes. The biochar briquettes were made
from different pyrolysis temperatures and additives. The pyrolysis
and combustion processes were performed in a fixed-bed furnace system.
Ash fusion temperatures were tested in an ash fusion point analyzer.
Pyrolysis product properties under different pretreatments were analyzed
by a combination of X-ray powder diffractometry, scanning electron
microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry, Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence. The high fusion tendency
of MS char was observed thorough ash fusion indexes. The softening
temperature decreased with a deduced base to acid and an elevated
pyrolysis temperature. Aromatization became obvious in a high-temperature
pyrolysis product. KH2PO4 and Ca(PO3)2 were detected in MS ammonium dihydrogen phosphate and
MS calcium phosphate monobasic, accompanied by the decreasing intensity
of KCl. Phosphorus grains attached on fibers, reacted, and transformed
the K element into K–Ca–P compounds. As a result, ash
fusion temperatures and fusion phenomena were greatly improved by
adding NH4H2PO4 and Ca(H2PO4)2 in the pretreatment.
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