BACKGROUND & AIMS: Treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with entecavir suppresses virus replication and reduces disease progression, but could require lifelong therapy. To investigate clinical outcome events and safety associated with long-term treatment with entecavir, we followed up patients treated with entecavir or another standard-of-care HBV nucleos(t)ide analogue for up to 10 years. We assessed long-term outcomes and relationships with virologic response.

ObjectiveThe reliable risk factors for mortality of COVID-19 has not evaluated in well-characterised cohort. This study aimed to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality within 56 days in patients with severe infection of COVID-19.DesignRetrospective multicentre cohort study.SettingFive tertiary hospitals of Daegu, South Korea.Participants1005 participants over 19 years old confirmed COVID-19 using real-time PCR from nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs.MethodsThe clinical and laboratory features of patients with COVID-19 receiving respiratory support were analysed to ascertain the risk factors for mortality using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The relationship between overall survival and risk factors was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method.OutcomeIn-hospital mortality for any reason within 56 days.ResultsOf the 1005 patients, 289 (28.8%) received respiratory support, and of these, 70 patients (24.2%) died. In multivariate analysis, high fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4; HR 2.784), low lymphocyte count (HR 0.480), diabetes (HR 1.917) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (HR 1.714) were found to be independent risk factors for mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving respiratory support (all p<0.05). Regardless of respiratory support, survival in the high FIB-4 group was significantly lower than in the low FIB-4 group (28.8 days vs 44.0 days, respectively, p<0.001). A number of risk factors were also significantly related to survival in patients with COVID-19 regardless of respiratory support (0–4 risk factors, 50.2 days; 49.7 days; 44.4 days; 32.0 days; 25.0 days, respectively, p<0.001).ConclusionFIB-4 index is a useful predictive marker for mortality in patients with COVID-19 regardless of its severity.

Background/Aims: Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly worldwide, the implication of pre-existing liver disease on the outcome of COVID-19 remains unresolved.<br/>Methods: A total of 1,005 patients who were admitted to five tertiary hospitals in South Korea with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were included in this study. Clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients with coexisting liver disease as well as the predictors of disease severity and mortality of COVID-19 were assessed.<br/>Results: Of the 47 patients (4.7%) who had liver-related comorbidities, 14 patients (1.4%) had liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis was more common in COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia than in those with non-severe pneumonia (4.5% vs. 0.9%, <i>P</i>=0.006). Compared to patients without liver cirrhosis, a higher proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis required oxygen therapy; were admitted to the intensive care unit; had septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or acute kidney injury; and died (<i>P</i><0.05). The overall survival rate was significantly lower in patients with liver cirrhosis than in those without liver cirrhosis (log-rank test, <i>P</i>=0.003). Along with old age and diabetes, the presence of liver cirrhosis was found to be an independent predictor of severe disease (odds ratio, 4.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20–17.02;<i>P</i>=0.026) and death (hazard ratio, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.04–9.30; <i>P</i>=0.042) in COVID-19 patients.<br/>Conclusions: This study suggests liver cirrhosis is a significant risk factor for COVID-19. Stronger personal protection and more intensive treatment for COVID-19 are recommended in these patients.

A palm‐sized antenna is proposed for the hybridisation of fifth generation (5G) and long‐term evolution‐advanced (LTE‐A) communication modes. The antenna has the overall volume of 70 mm (l) × 40 mm (w) × 0.254 mm (h) clutched by four multiple‐input–multiple‐output chip antennas (CAs) operating at 2.4 GHz for LTE‐A on the sides of a flat substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) four‐by‐four Butler matrix (BM) beamforming antenna operating over the band from 27 to 29 GHz for 5G communication. Advantages are the broad bandwidth gained by a low‐profile BM and this metal SIW structure of high isolation above 10 dB with neighbouring CAs, which is impossible for the microstrip BM and coplanar waveguide (CPW) version. The simulated and measured results of the impedance matching as well as the gains and radiated field patterns of all the ports reveal the antenna is proper for the multi‐mode communication as a compact geometry. Besides, high isolation between the closely placed radiating elements is observed.

In this paper, a new design method is proposed for a planar and compact dual-band dipole antenna. The dipole antenna has arms as a hybrid CRLH (Composite right- and left-handed) transmission-line comprising distributed and lumped elements for the dual-band function. The two arms are fed by the outputs of a compact and printed CRLH dual-band balun which consists of a CRLH hybrid coupler and an additional CRLH phase-shifter. Its operational frequencies are 2.4 and 5.2 GHz as popular mobile applications. Verifying the method, the circuit approach, EM (Electromagnetics) simulation and measurement are conducted and their results turn out to agree well with each other. Additionally, the CRLH property is shown with the dispersion diagram and the effective size-reduction is mentioned.