The immune response in humans is usually assessed using immunogenicity assays to provide biomarkers as correlates of protection (CoP). Flow cytometry is the assay of choice to measure intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) of cell-mediated immune (CMI) biomarkers. For CMI analysis, the integrated mean fluorescence intensity (iMFI) was introduced as a metric to represent the total functional CMI response as a CoP. iMFI is computed by multiplying the relative frequency (percent positive) of cells expressing a particular cytokine with the MFI of that population, and correlates better with protection in challenge models than either the percentage or the MFI of the cytokine-positive population. While determination of the iMFI as a CoP can readily be accomplished in animal models that allow challenge/protection experiments, this is not feasible in humans for ethical reasons. As a first step toward extending the iMFI concept to humans, we investigated the correlation of the iMFI derived from a human innate immune response ICS assay with functional cytokine release into the culture supernatant, as innate cytokines need to be released to have a functional impact. Next, we developed a quantitatively more correlative mathematical approach for calculating the functional response of cytokine-producing cells by incorporating the assignment of different weights to the magnitude (frequency of cytokine-positive cells) and the quality (the MFI) of the observed innate immune response. We refer to this model as generalized iMFI. ' 2010 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry Key termsGiMFI; correlation analysis; functional response; culture supernatant; cytokine; flow cytometry; antigen-presenting cells; integrated mean fluorescent intensity WHILE direct measurement of protection from infection after a defined challenge provides the most meaningful information in vaccine trials, in human studies, intermediate biomarkers [e.g., antibody titers or various measurements of cell-mediated immunity (CMI)] are used as correlates or surrogates of protection (1). The CMI response is often determined by measuring cytokines within the cell or secreted in serum or in culture supernatant. Given that cytokines exert their function mostly after being secreted, both approaches potentially measure different aspects of CMI, yet are often used interchangeably. To our knowledge, a direct correlative comparison of these two approaches has not been conducted. While quantification of secreted cytokines can be conducted using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or multiplex bead arrays, these methods do not identify the specific cell source of these secreted cytokines. Alternatively, flow cytometric analysis of intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) is able to identify the specific cell/s producing a given cytokine but it does not allow their absolute quantification. ICS results are determined as either percent positive cells or as mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) of a population of cytokine-producing cells, with both measurements co...

Purpose In some three-dimensional (3D) printing application scenarios, e.g., model manufacture, it is necessary to print large-sized objects. However, it is impossible to implement large-size 3D printing using a single projector in digital light processing (DLP)-based mask projection 3D printing because of the limitations of the digital micromirror device chips. Design/methodology/approach A multi-projector DLP with energy homogenization (EHMP-DLP) scheme is proposed for large-size 3D printing. First, a large-area printing plane is established by tiling multiple projectors. Second, the projector set’s tiling pattern is obtained automatically, and the maximum printable plane is determined. Third, the energy is homogenized across the entire printable plane by adjusting gray levels of the images input into the projectors. Finally, slices are automatically segmented based on the tiling pattern of the projector set, and the gray levels of these slices are reassigned based on the images of the corresponding projectors. Findings Large-area high-intensity projection for mask projection 3D printing can be performed by tiling multiple DLP projectors. The tiled projector output energies can be homogenized by adjusting the images of the projectors. Uniform ultraviolet energy is important for high-quality printing. Practical implications A prototype device is constructed using two projectors. The printable area becomes 140 × 210 mm from the original 140 × 110 mm. Originality/value The proposed EHMP-DLP scheme enables 3D printing of large-size objects with linearly increasing printing times and high printing precision. A device was established using two projectors to practice the scheme and can easily be extended to larger sizes by using more projectors.

Study design: Retrospective cohortObjective: To determine if there are differences in important clinical outcomes between patients treated with a “preservation of the unilateral posterior muscular-ligament complex (PMLC) procedure” and a “hinge side anchoring procedure (HSAP)” for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).Methods: Nine hundred and forty-six patients underwent the above procedures for treatment of CSM between January 2006 and December 2009. Five hundred and fifty-two (58%) subjects met study criteria and 136 were analyzed (76% unavailable for follow-up). One group (70 patients) received a “preservation of unilateral PMLC procedure” and another group (66 patients) received an HSAP. The rate and severity of postoperative axial symptoms were assessed, and the changes of cervical-spine curvature and postoperative decompression were measured.Results: The mean time to follow-up in the preservation of unilateral PMLC group was 6.9 months (range, 6–8 months) and the HSAP group was 6.4 months (6–8 months). The overall rate of any axial symptoms (AS) among all subjects was 35%. No AS was reported in 45.7% of the preservation of unilateral PMLC group and 23.8% of the HSAP group (P = .008). Severe AS was reported in 4.3% and 11.1% of patients per group, respectively (P = .14). Cervical spinal lordosis was improved in the unilateral PMLC group and decreased in the HSAP group. The risk of losing lordosis was more than two times higher in the HSAP group compared with the unilateral PMLC group (70% and 34%, respectively; P < .001).Conclusion: Differences were observed between the two groups; however, a high loss to follow-up rate weakens the findings. Cervical expansive laminoplasty with preservation of unilateral PMLC may have the advantage of a lower rate of postoperative AS and maintenance of cervical spinal lordosis compared with the HSAP group.

TSP is a classic problem in the field of logistics, and ant colony algorithm is an important way to solve the problem. However, the ant colony algorithm has some shortcomings in practical application. In this paper, the ant colony algorithm is improved by particle swarm optimization algorithm, and the ant colony algorithm is obtained by giving the ant colony a certain "particle property". Finally, an example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the improved ant colony algorithm.

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