This study investigated the correlation between the levels of interleukin (IL)‑17 and IL‑18 and atherosclerotic plaques. A total of 60 Apo E gene (Apo E‑/‑) mice were fed with high‑fat diet in the model group and 20 wild male C57BL/6 mice were fed with the basic diet in the control group. The serum levels of IL‑17 and IL‑18 were determined by enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay. Carotid artery ultrasonography was performed and divided into stable plaque, unstable plaque and non‑plaque groups. The severity of plaque was estimated by semi‑quantitative method and divided into grades I, II and III. The expression levels of low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol, plasma total cholesterol and blood glucose level in the model group induced by high‑fat diet were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The level in the model group was significantly higher than in the control group at the 16th week (P<0.05). The expression of IL‑17 and IL‑18 in the model group was significantly higher than that in the control group (t=6.903, 11.02, P<0.05). The concentration of IL‑17 and IL‑18 in the non‑plaque group was significantly lower than that in the stable plaque and unstable plaque groups (P<0.05). The concentration of IL‑17 and IL‑18 in the stable plaque group was significantly lower than that in the unstable plaque group (P<0.05). Based on the correlation of IL‑17 and IL‑18 expressions in the model group, the expression of IL‑18 increased with the expression of IL‑17, indicating that the expression of IL‑17 was positively correlated with that of IL‑18 (r=0.7195, P<0.001). In conclusion, serum IL‑17 and IL‑18 played an important role in the formation and development of atherosclerotic plaque, and were related to the stability and severity of plaque. The expression of IL‑17 and IL‑18 was positively correlated.

This letter presents a vertically polarized omnidirectional antenna designed for operation within the 50-75 GHz (V-band) frequency range. The compact antenna structure and wide working bandwidth are achieved through the use of a radial waveguide radiator and an axial intermediate converter. The measured results from the manufactured prototype agree well with the simulated data in terms of radiation pattern and return loss. The antenna exhibits a 3 dB beamwidth in the elevation direction exceeding 30 $^\circ$ and a return loss greater than 10 dB across the working band. Owing to its wide bandwidth and omnidirectional radiation performance, the proposed antenna emerges as a promising candidate for indoor wireless communication system.

A 16-pixel terahertz (THz) receiver front-end working at room temperature was designed, built, and measured in this paper. The designed receiver front-end is based on the antenna-coupled AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) THz linear detector array (TeraLDA) and a 16-way THz power divider. The local oscillator (LO) signal is divided by the power divider into 16 ways and transmits to the TeraLDA. Each detector contains a planar unified antenna printed on a 150 $\mathsf{\mu }\mathrm{m}$-thick sapphire substrate and a transistor fabricated on AlGaN/GaN heterostructure. There are 16 silicon hemispheric lenses located on the TeraLDA to increase the responsivity of the TeraLDA. The focus of each lens is aligned in the center of the TeraLDA pixels. Depending on different read out circuits, the receiver front-end could work in homodyne and heterodyne modes. The 16-way power divider is a four-stage power divider that consists of fifteen same 2-way dividers, and was fabricated by bulk silicon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to achieve low insertion loss (IL). This designed receiver front-end could be a key component of a THz coherent focal plane imaging radar system, that may play a crucial role in nondestructive 3D imaging application.

In this letter, a high-mode-purity TM₀₁-to-TE₁₀ mode transducer operating at 340 GHz is designed, which has great potential in terahertz (THz) power combining. A compact configuration and high mode purity are realized through the integration of a five-step septum and an impedance matching structure within the transducer. By adopting a well-optimized septum and transition structure, high suppression of spurious modes (TE₁₁, degenerated TE₁₁ mode) greater than 50 dB can be achieved, resulting in a TM₀₁ mode purity as high as 99.9%. Notably, the septum-based transducer enables same-direction mode conversion from TM₀₁ to TE₁₀, which significantly simplifies subsequent assembly and enhances overall system integration. A back-to-back prototype of the transducer operating in the 310–355 GHz range was fabricated and tested. The measured results show that within the frequency range, the overall average insertion loss of single transducer is approximately 1.55 dB (1.5dB at 340 GHz), and the return loss of the input port is better than 10 dB.