Esophageal microbial dysbiosis impairs mucosal barrier integrity via toll-like receptor 2 pathway in patients with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms.

Background: Previous research on the lower gastrointestinal tract has proved that microbial dysbiosis can lead to intestinal barrier dysfunction and enhanced visceral sensitivity, thus triggering bowel symptoms. Whether esophageal microbial dysbiosis also contributes to the development of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms, which are known to be associated with impaired esophageal barrier integrity, remains to be explored.

Methods: Patients with GER symptoms (gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD] and functional esophageal disorders [FED]), duodenal ulcer patients and healthy controls were prospectively included for esophageal microbial analysis.

Comparative Efficacy of P-CAB vs Proton Pump Inhibitors for Grade C/D Esophagitis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

Introduction: Los Angeles grade C/D esophagitis is a severe manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease that require active treatment and close follow-up. Potassium competitive acid blockers (P-CAB) are promising alternatives to proton pump inhibitors (PPI). We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of P-CAB and PPI in healing grade C/D esophagitis to aid clinical decision-making.

Current complementary and alternative therapy forgastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a widely prevalent gastrointestinal disorder, affecting ∼13.3% of the global population. There are shortages and limitations of current GERD treatment modalities, and complementary and alternative therapy (CAT) is a promising option to fill in the gap.

Development and Validation of Serum Markers as Noninvasive Diagnostic Methods for Achalasia.

Introduction: Currently, the diagnosis of achalasia mainly relies on invasive or radioactive examinations. This study aimed to develop a noninvasive diagnostic method for achalasia based on specific serum markers.

Methods: Serum levels of profilin-1, galectin-10, immunoglobulin heavy variable 3-9, vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein, and transgelin-2 were measured in patients with achalasia and controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Numerical Study on Local Entropy Production Mechanism of a Contra-Rotating Fan.

Contra-rotating fans (CRFs) have garnered significant attention due to their higher power-to-weight ratio compared to traditional fans; however, limited focus has been given to the localization and development of local aerodynamic losses. Furthermore, there is a need for further research on the impact of load distribution along the radius on local entropy production. Therefore, this study aims to investigate a contra-rotating fan as the research subject.

Achalasia: The Current Clinical Dilemma and Possible Pathogenesis.

Achalasia is a primary esophageal motility disorder manifested by dysphagia and chest pain that impair patients' quality of life, and it also leads to chronic esophageal inflammation by food retention and increases the risk of esophageal cancer. Although achalasia has long been reported, the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of achalasia are not fully understood. The current clinical dilemma of achalasia is mainly due to its unclear pathogenesis.

Effect of the Radial Velocity Distribution on the Loss Generation of a Contra-Rotating Fan in a Ventilation System.

Quantification of the loss generation of ducted contra-rotating fan (CRF) blades is difficult to achieve, since there are no guide vanes between rotors. A blade design program was established to investigate the relationship between radial velocity distribution and incurred loss. Numerical and experimental techniques were used to confirm the optimal configuration's overall performance.

Fast measurement of the thickness and group refractive index distribution of solid plates by line-field dispersive interferometry.

Real-time measurement of the thickness and group refractive index is crucial for semiconductor devices. In this paper, we proposed a fast synchronous method for measuring the thickness and group refractive index distribution of solid plates based on line-field dispersive interferometry. The proposed method measured the line-field distribution in an illuminated region through a single step.

Dynamic cascade-model-based frequency-scanning interferometry for real-time and rapid absolute optical ranging.

A new frequency-scanning interferometry (FSI) scheme using in-phase and quadrature (IQ) detection for real-time and rapid absolute optical ranging is presented. Dynamic measurement with FSI modulates interference signal frequency by both target movement and time-varying optical-frequency scanning rate; hence, a dynamic model is proposed to decouple dynamic absolute distance from the instantaneous frequency of interference signals. The unscented Kalman filter and particle filter algorithms are implemented for the nonlinear first-layer and non-Gaussian second-layer models, respectively.

Real-time dynamic absolute ranging with frequency scanning interferometry using a robust Monte-Carlo-based particle filter.

A particle-filter-based data processing for a frequency-scanning interferometry system for dynamic long absolute ranging is presented in this paper. Because the particle filter is not restricted by linearity or noise Gaussianity requirements, the proposed system achieves high robustness and accuracy levels when tracking dynamic objects at long standoff distances. We experimentally demonstrate that the proposed system exhibits a standard deviation below 6 μm for a quasi-static target, and superior tracking performance for a vibrating target with vibration amplitude exceeding 10 μm and frequencies of 1-5 Hz at a 15 m standoff distance.

Extraction of interference phase in frequency-scanning interferometry based on empirical mode decomposition and Hilbert transform.

Nonlinear optical frequency scanning is inevitable in frequency scanning interferometry with tunable lasers and seriously reduces the accuracy of interference signal phase extraction. To address this, we propose a phase-extraction algorithm based on empirical mode decomposition and Hilbert transformation. The method can effectively eliminate the influence of the optical frequency scanning nonlinearity.

Frequency-scanning interferometry using a time-varying Kalman filter for dynamic tracking measurements.

Frequency scanning interferometry (FSI) with a single external cavity diode laser (ECDL) and time-invariant Kalman filtering is an effective technique for measuring the distance of a dynamic target. However, due to the hysteresis of the piezoelectric ceramic transducer (PZT) actuator in the ECDL, the optical frequency sweeps of the ECDL exhibit different behaviors, depending on whether the frequency is increasing or decreasing. Consequently, the model parameters of Kalman filter appear time varying in each iteration, which produces state estimation errors with time-invariant filtering.