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Demand for energy and the environmental consequences associated with emissions have created a need for alternative energy sources. To avoid conflict over distributing agricultural land to fuel crops rather than food, bioenergy crops could instead be cultivated on marginal land. This study compared the performance of bioenergy candidate crops including M. × giganteus, switchgrass, big bluestem, and prairie cordgrass when cultivated on the same waterlog-prone marginal land. Across all treatments, annual biomass yield was 14.16 Mg ha− 1. Row spacing had significant impacts on productivity for these species. Higher biomass yields were observed in 45cm spacing than in 90cm spacing. Additionally, the biomass yield responses to row spacings varied depending on grass species, which may be due to rhizome structure and vegetative growth types. Regarding feedstock quality, feedstock composition (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash concentration) was not influenced by row spacing, and did not deviated from grass species grown on agricultural lands. During experimental periods, our results provide evidence that all four grass species could be cultivated on waterlogged marginal land while maintaining comparable biomass yields.

Chromosome 16p11.2 is one of the susceptible sites for recurrent copy number variations (CNVs) due to flanking near-identical segmental duplications. Five segmental duplications, named breakpoints 1 to 5 (BP1–BP5), have been defined as recombination hotspots within 16p11.2. Common CNVs on 16p11.2 include a proximal ~593 kb between BP4 and BP5, and a distal ~220 kb between BP2 and BP3. We performed a search for patients carrying 16p11.2 CNVs, as detected using chromosome microarray (CMA), in the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), in Galveston. From March 2013 through April 2018, a total of 1200 CMA results were generated for germline testing, and 14 patients tested positive for 16p11.2 CNVs, of whom 7 had proximal deletion, 2 had distal deletion, 4 had proximal duplication, and 1 had distal duplication. Herein, we provide detailed phenotype data for these patients. Our study results show that developmental delay, abnormal body weight, behavioral problems, and hypotonia are common phenotypes associated with 16p11.2 CNVs.

Background Familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) is caused by a genetic defect in triglyceride (TG) metabolism that leads to severe hypertriglyceridemia, which in turn is associated with multiple morbidities and may cause severe pancreatitis that is both recurrent and progressive. Management of hypertriglyceridemia in FCS is challenging, as both dietary and medical interventions are often ineffective. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has been shown to rapidly decrease circulating levels of chylomicrons and TGs in patients presenting with acute hypertriglyceridemic-associated pancreatitis. Conversely, limited evidence exists to suggest that prophylactic use of TPE is effective at preventing recurrence of acute pancreatitis. Case report Herein, we report our experience with the use of chronic, prophylactic TPE to reduce the incidence of recurrent acute pancreatitis in a patient with FCS.

Background Crepidiastrum denticulatum (CD) is a well-known, traditionally consumed vegetable in Korea, which was recently reported to contain bioactive compounds with detoxification and antioxidant properties. Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major problem after renal transplantation. Furthermore, inflammatory responses to IRI exacerbate the resultant renal injury. In the present study, we investigated whether CD extract exhibits renoprotective effects against IR-induced acute kidney injury in mice. Materials and methods Renal IRI was induced in male C57BL/6 mice by bilateral renal pedicle occlusion for 30 minutes followed by reperfusion for 48 hours. CD extract (75 mg/kg) was administered orally 5 days before IRI. Results Treatment with CD extract significantly decreased blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels as well as kidney tubular injury. CD also prevented IRI-induced renal glutathione depletion and increased malondialdehyde levels. Western blotting and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction indicated that CD extract significantly attenuates inducible nitric oxide synthase and toll-like receptor 2/4 protein levels 48 h after IRI. The expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β was significantly decreased in the CD extract treatment group. Conclusion CD extract improved acute renal IRI through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. These findings suggest that CD extract is a potential therapeutic agent for acute ischemia-induced renal damage.

Objectives This study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of intra-operative frozen section for the evaluation of microscopic extrathyroidal extension (ETE) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Dong-A University Medical Center, Busan, Korea. Participants Three hundred and sixty-four patients who underwent thyroid surgery from January 2000 to December 2010 with PTC confined to one unilateral lobe as diagnosed using preoperative ultrasonography were enrolled. Main outcome measures The patients who had microscopic ETE on frozen section were classified into “group A,” and those who did not have microscopic ETE on frozen section were classified into “group B.” Clinicopathologic factors including age, gender, size of the tumour, extent of operation, ETE, multifocality, bilaterality, lymph node metastasis and recurrence were compared between the two groups. Results Of the 364 patients enrolled, ETE was confirmed in 100 patients (group A, 27.5%) on frozen biopsy. The nodule size in group A (0.94±0.87 cm) was larger than that in group B (0.86±0.79 cm) (P=.042). In group A, 15 patients (15%) showed multifocality and 11 patients (14.47%) showed bilaterality. In group B, 37 patients (14.02%) showed multifocality and seven patients (43.35%) showed bilaterality. They did not differ significantly between the two groups (P=.811, P=.182). There was a higher frequency of lymph node metastases in group A (52/86, 60.47%) than in group B (7/16, 43.75%, P=.214). Recurrence was observed in only two patients who had received thyroid lobectomy as the initial surgery in group A. Conclusions Intra-operative frozen biopsy can be a useful method for identifying the microscopic ETE. During the surgery, it can also help the surgeon to decide the optimal extent of surgery and the need for central compartment neck dissection in PTC patients.

Background: Heterozygous loss of function mutations in GH1 are a cause of autosomal dominant isolated growth hormone deficiency (GHD) or IGHD type II. However, this condition is rare and a genotype/phenotype association is often based on single case or pedigree reports. Clinical Case: The male proband was born at 38 weeks following an uncomplicated pregnancy, birthweight 2585 gm (˗1.3SD), length 43 cm (˗2.7SD). At 20 months old: length ˗3.2SD, weight/length 16%. Peak growth hormone (GH) levels 4.42 ng/mL and 3.2 ng/mL following clonidine and arginine stimulation, respectively; cortrosyn-stimulated cortisol was 41.4 mcg/dL. Prolactin was 61.2 ng/mL (reference range 2.6 to 13.1 ng/mL); T4 and TSH levels were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a flattened anterior pituitary gland, consistent with empty sella, with normal bright spot. He has had an intermittent and variable response to GH treatment due to noncompliance; recent recorded height was ˗3.6SD at 13.9 and he was early pubertal. Father had a history of childhood growth hormone treatment and is 151 cm tall, 2 paternal aunts did not receive treatment and are 145 cm tall, 3 children of these aunts are diagnosed with GHD. There is no maternal family history of GHD; mother is 155 cm. Proband testing revealed heterozygous GH1 c.291 + 34G>C (EGL Genetics), classified as a variant of unknown significance; father was also found to have this variant, mother was negative. Genetic testing for of additional family members is under consideration. Conclusion: Nine of 96 heterozygous GH1 variants are located in intron 3. Two have been classified as pathogenic and are predicted to cause exon skipping. Our proband’s variant cannot be considered a canonical splice site or in a mutational hot spot but has extremely low frequency in population databases. Functional studies clan clarify if our proband’s variant results in a 17.5 kDa GH isoform and dominant negative effect on full length GH production with potential detrimental effects on other anterior pituitary hormones. We present the second GHD pedigree with GH1 c.291 + 34G>C mutation. As in the previous report (1), no other hormone deficiencies are identified, despite the appearance of an empty sella for our proband. Reference: (1) Cho SY, Ki, CS, Park, HD, et al. Genetic investigation of patients with undetectable peaks of growth hormone after two provocation tests. Clin Endocrinol 2013; 78: 317-20.

Persistent mullerian duct syndrome (PMD) with antimullerian hormone (AMH) deficiency is usually associated with mutations or deletions of the AMH gene, although many cases have no identified gene association. We report on a genetic male with PMD and AMH deficiency associated with distal monosomy 10q. A term 3,230 g infant was born to a healthy 27-year-old. Fetal ultrasound had shown possible genital ambiguity. Postnatal exam showed a 0.5 cm phallus with basal meatus, normal scrotum with no palpable gonads, no vaginal orifice, and a rectal fistula with an imperforate anus. Voiding cystourethrogram with ultrasound, cystoscopy, and laparoscopy showed normal bladder, urethral orifice, distal vagina, cervix, and bilateral abdominal testis. At 24 hours of life, testosterone was within normal range with low AMH level. Chromosome microarray analysis showed 46, XY, del10(10q25.3q26.13) involving an 8.2 MB interstitial deletion. Whole exome sequencing identified a NOTCH2 variant (1p11.2). AMH sequencing revealed no abnormalities. Following multidisciplinary team and parent discussion, male gender was assigned. Testosterone treatment resulted in penile length of 1.5 cm. Bilateral orchiopexy and posterior sagittal anorectoplasty were performed at 11 months of age; rudimentary mullerian structures were identified. This observation suggests an association of 10qter elements with male differentiation including AMH expression and is similar to a patient with 46, XY, del(10q26.1) in which AMH levels were not reported. Regional candidate genes include FGFR2 (10q26.13). The possible contribution of a NOTCH2 variant cannot be excluded. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Osteocalcin (OCN), a marker of osteoblast activity, has been implicated in the regulation of energy metabolism by the skeleton and thus may affect body fat measures. We examined the relationships of OCN to body fat measures and whether they vary according to markers of energy and vitamin D metabolism. Data was obtained from 58 obese adolescents aged 13–17.9 years (38 females, 8 black or African-American). We calculated total fat mass (FM) [dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)] and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) [computerized axial tomography (CT)]. Blood tests included leptin, OCN, 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], parathyroid hormone (PTH), thyroid function tests, and triglycerides. Markers of glucose metabolism were obtained from fasting and OGTT samples. Adolescents with 25(OH)D

Summary Recently, the use of electrical prospecting with high spatial density of electrodes has increased and is being applied to underground investigations for mineral exploration and other civil engineering purposes. In order to characterize rock mass using the resistivity distribution of ground, which is obtained from these investigations, it is important to understand the relationship between the electrical resistivity and physical properties of rocks. In this paper, the resistivity of various types of rocks is measured to elucidate the effect of the physical properties of rock on resistivity. The resistivity of rocks has a tendency to decrease with increasing porosity. However, the resistivity does not always correspond to porosity even in the same type of rock, because of different mineral compositions and pore geometries. The resistivity of the rocks increases with the increase in the pore fluid resistivity, regardless of the rock types. However, between 20 and 100 ohm-m, which is the available groundwater resistivity in rock masses, the resistivity of pore fluids had a little effect on the rock resistivity. The resistivity of the rocks decreases with increasing water saturation up to a certain point, beyond which the degree of this drop becomes insignificant. Further, the resistivity of unsaturated rocks exponentially increases with the decrease in the water saturation of 20% or less.

In-vessel cryo-pump (IVCP) of the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) has been designed, fabricated, and installed in the vacuum vessel for effective particle control by pumping through a divertor gap. For the final engineering design of the IVCP supports to withstand all external forces, a structure analyses were performed for two cases. The first is the thermal stress due to cool-down from room temperature to operating temperature (cryo-panel: 4.4 K, thermal shield: 77 K), and the other is the electro-magnetic stress due to the induced eddy currents during plasma disruptions. When the plasma disrupts, the maximum stress and displacement on the supports were estimated to be 849 MPa and 5.36 mm, respectively. These results were taken into account in the support design. The IVCP system was fabricated in two half-sectors and a pre-assembling test was successfully completed in the factory. Final installation of the IVCP in the vacuum vessel was fulfilled in parallel with a pressurization test (thermal shield: 30 bar, cryo-panel: 10 bar), a helium leak test, and a thermal shock test using liquid nitrogen. As a result, the IVCP system was successfully installed in the vacuum vessel.

It is possible to detect the presence of small field errors in a tokamak with an electron beam. This was demonstrated earlier on T-15 and TEXTOR. This paper discusses the concept, past experience on these tokamaks, calculations for the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device, an electron beam source, measurement devices for these measurements, and some results. It is shown that small toroidally averaged field errors can be detected by this method. A low voltage electron beam (e-beam) gun and fluorescent screen were mounted in a vertical port and inserted into the vacuum vessel at the end of the KSTAR 2nd campaign plasma experiments. A camera with a narrow field of view was mounted in midplane port in a tube tangent to the field lines at R ∼ 1.3 m and photographed the beam striking the screen. The poloidal field (PF) currents were held constant during the camera exposure period. Many shots with various PF coils energized were made and the deflections of the e-beam were measured. The measurements were made with a camera integration time of 300 ms because of the low light intensity. The results show that there are large field errors that diminish as the PF currents are raised. There appears to be no significant up–down asymmetry for static fields. Measurements with a 7 PF coil scenario with a calculated field null located at e-beam radial position show much larger fields than calculated. KSTAR was constructed with Incoloy 908 conduit using cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC) in 10 of the 14 PF coils and all 16 of the toroidal field (TF) coils. Incoloy 908 has a relative magnetic permeability, μ, of about 10. The field errors appear to be largely due to Incoloy 908.

This paper studies the effect of mesostructured materials in the stereo-selective hydrogenation of 3-hexyne at 298 K and 40 psig pressure of H 2 over Pd-supported catalysts at different substrate:palladium (S:Pd) molar ratios. The catalysts were prepared by impregnation using a toluene solution of Pd(acac) 2 to obtain a metal content close to 1 wt.% over SBA-15 with one-dimensional hexagonal structure, MCM-48 silica with cubic structure and three-dimensional pore system and MSU-γ alumina with a lathlike particle morphology. All the supports were characterised by nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms at 77 K, TEM, XRD and H 2 chemisorption and TEM measurements. The reactions were found to be zero order with respect to 3-hexyne concentration. The starting 3-hexyne produces primarily cis -3-hexene, which subsequently is either hydrogenated to hexane or isomerized to trans -3-hexene and 2-hexenes that are found in very small amounts depending on the nature of the support used. Palladium catalysts supported on SBA-15 was the most active and selective catalyst.

The electrical transport properties of mayenite (Ca₁₂Al₁₄O₃₃ or 12CaO·7Al2O3; mostly abbreviated as C₁₂A?) can be controlled in a wide range by varying the oxygen deficiency: At high temperatures mayenite becomes either an oxygen solid electrolyte, a mixed ionic/electronic conductor or an inorganic electride with metal-like properties upon chemical reduction (removing oxygen). The underlying defect chemistry can be understood on the basis of a relatively simple model ? despite the complex cage structure: A point defect model based on the assumption that the framework [a₁₂Al₁₄O₃₂]²? acts as a pseudo-donor describes well the high temperature transport properties. It accounts for the observed conductivity plateau at higher oxygen activities and also describes the experimentally observed oxygen activity dependence of the electronic conductivity with ?1/4 slope at temperatures between 800 and 1000℃. Doping effects in mayenite are still not well explored, and we review briefly the existing data on doping by different elements. Hydration of mayenite plays a crucial role, as Mayenite is hygroscopic, which may be a major obstacle for technical applications.

Background: Data on the relation between vitamin D status and body fat indexes in adolescence are lacking. Objective: The objective was to identify factors associated with vitamin D status and deficiency in obese adolescents to further evaluate the relation of body fat indexes to vitamin D status and deficiency. Design: Data from 58 obese adolescents were obtained. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was measured by computed tomography. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure total bone mineral content, bone mineral density, body fat mass (FM), and lean mass. Relative measures of body fat were calculated. Blood tests included measurements of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin, type I collagen C-telopeptide, hormones, and metabolic factors. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25(OH)D 65 ng/mL. Results: The mean (±SD) age of the adolescents was 14.9 ± 1.4 y; 38 (66%) were female, and 8 (14%) were black. The mean (±SD) body mass index (in kg/m2) was 36 ± 5, FM was 40.0 ± 5.5%, and VAT was 12.4 ± 4.3%. Seventeen of the adolescents were vitamin D deficient, but none had elevated PTH concentrations. Bone mineral content and bone mineral density were within 2 SDs of national standards. In a multivariate analysis, 25(OH)D decreased by 0.46 ± 0.22 ng/mL per 1% increment in FM (β ± SE, P = 0.05), whereas PTH decreased by 0.78 ± 0.29 pg/mL per 1% increment in VAT (P = 0.01). Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, our results show for the first time that obese adolescents with 25(OH)D deficiency, but without elevated PTH concentrations, have a bone mass within the range of national standards (±2 SD). The findings provide initial evidence that the distribution of fat may be associated with vitamin D status, but this relation may be dependent on metabolic factors. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00209482","term_id":"NCT00209482"}}NCT00209482, NCT00120146.

During the ICP (inductively coupled plasma) process, a very high self-bias voltage is induced along the coil, which can cause sputtering of dielectric materials covering the coil. This problem can be solved by installing a capacitor between the coil end and ground. The effect of the capacitance termination was investigated by measuring the voltages at both of coil ends, plasma parameters and the impurity contents on the Si substrate after Ar plasma treatment at different ICP powers. The voltages at the coil ends decreased by half and the induced self-bias voltage approached zero under resonance conditions. The capacitance was approximately 200 pF, with both coil inlet and outlet voltages the same. In the range of this critical capacitance of 200 pF, the harmonics between coil and plasma decreased and the plasma density increased to 120–250% by controlling pressure and power compared to that with the grounded coil end. When the pressure was 1 and 5 mTorr, the plasma density doubly increased. Impurity concentrations were also suppressed drastically by the capacitance termination.

Iron-overload associated endocrinopathy is the most frequently reported complication of chronic transfusion therapy in patients with thalassaemia (Thal). This study compared iron-overloaded subjects with Thal (n = 142; 54%M; age 25.8 +/- 8.1 years) and transfused sickle-cell disease (Tx-SCD; n = 199; 43%M, 24.9 +/- 13.2 years) to non-transfused SCD subjects (non-Tx-SCD; n = 64, 50%M, 25.3 +/- 11.3 years), to explore whether the underlying haemoglobinopathy influences the development of endocrinopathy. Subjects were recruited from 31 centres in the USA, Canada and the UK. Subjects with Thal had more evidence of diabetes (13% vs. 2%, P < 0.001), hypogonadism (40% vs. 4%, P < 0.001), hypothyroidism (10% vs. 2%, P =

The ability of Loligo opalescens paralarvae to resist and recover from starvation was examined by measuring their survival, growth rate and RNA/DNA ratios during starvation and refeeding. Paralarvae were fed Artemia sp. nauplii, zooplankton and mysid shrimp. Fourteen days after hatching they were separated into five feeding treatments: a control treatment (food was always available) and treatments starved for 2, 3, 4 and 5 days, and then refed. Each day, 5–7 paralarvae from each treatment were anesthetized to measure mantle length and wet weight (WW), and then RNA and DNA were extracted using an ethidium bromide fluorometric technique. Paralarvae did not survive 4 and 5 days of starvation, showing that at 15 days of age and at 16 °C the limit to recovery was 3 days of starvation. Paralarvae starved for 2 and 3 days showed compensatory growth that mitigated the effects of starvation, in that at the end of the experiment (10 days), they attained mean final body weights similar to the control treatment. Differences in the RNA/DNA ratios between control and starved paralarvae were detected within 2 days of food deprivation. For paralarvae starved 2 and 3 days, it took 1 day after refeeding to attain RNA/DNA ratios not significantly different from the control treatment. Additionally, RNA/DNA ratios were highest during the day (0800, 1200, 1600 h) and lowest at night (0000, 0400 h), suggesting daytime feeding activity. Growth rates ranged from − 14% to 21% WW day− 1 and the resulting equation between RNA/DNA ratio and growth rate (GR) of paralarvae was GR = 1.74 RNA/DNA − 11.79 (R2 = 0.70). After starvation, there was a reduction in growth variability in all starved treatments, while growth variability remained high in the control treatment. Findings from the present study indicate that nucleic acids are a valid indicator of nutritional condition and growth in squid paralarvae.

The KSTAR (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) superconducting magnet system adopts a superconducting CICC(Cable-In-Conduit Conductor) type conductor. It consists of 16 TF (Toroidal Field) coils and 14 PF (Poroidal Field) coils and it also uses two different types of CICCs-Nb3Sn cable with Incoloy 908 conduit and NbTi cable with 316LN stainless-steel conduit. A special CICC jacketing system is developed for the KSTAR CICC fabrication: the tube-mill process, which consists of forming, welding, sizing and squaring procedure. The cabling process for TF and PF superconducting cable and the fabrication process of each CICCs (TF CICC and PF CICC) is described. The welding of conduit materials are also discussed. The fabrication results such as the geometrical specification, micro structure and the void fraction will be discussed

Carbon nitride films were deposited on a Si (100) wafer by an inductively coupled plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) at room temperature. A mixture of N 2 and C 2 H 2 were used as the precursor. Additional r.f. power (13.56 MHz) was applied to the substrate with various negative self bias voltages ( V self =0 to −60 V), and the effect of the substrate bias on the structure and properties of the films was investigated. The composition and chemical bonding of the films were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The surface roughness of films was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that nitrogen content of films were in the range of 13.5–21.4 at.%, decreased with increasing bias voltage. As the bias voltage was increased, the deposition rate decreased due to resputtering and the substrate temperature increased as a result of the energetic ions. The film hardness increased with increasing bias voltage up to 30 GPa at −60 V. The results from Raman and XPS analyses showed that the amount of sp 3 C C or sp 3 C N bonds increased with increasing bias voltage, while the number of the C H, N H and sp 2 C N bonds decreased.

There is strong evidence that the ICRH applied to the central cell (CC) of Hanbit does not result in complete ionization. Two techniques are being tried in an attempt to improve the degree of ionization. The first of them is ECRH preionization by application of microwave power from one 2-kW CPI klystron at 14 GHz as well as two 1.8-kW VA-806 klystrons at 7.67 GHz and 7.87 GHz. The second technique is production of a reflex discharge using a 76 mm diameter LaB{sub 6} cathode heated to incandescence and biased negatively in the cusp end cell of Hanbit. The ECRH preionization has shown beneficial effects on the plasma. There are no results from the reflex discharge.

Although it is life saving, transfusion therapy has resulted in the majority of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia patients being at risk for hemosiderosis-induced organ damage. It is unknown whether the complications of iron overload are affected by the underlying disease. In order to address this problem, we compared the prevalence of organ dysfunction in both groups of patients receiving chronic transfusion therapy (beta thalassemia, N = 30; sickle cell anemia, N = 43). Both groups had similar quantitative liver iron. Thalassemia patients had greater cardiac disease (20% vs. 0%), growth failure (27% vs. 9%), and endocrine failure (37% vs. 0%). The strongest predictors of combined endocrine and cardiac disease in multivariate analysis were duration of chronic transfusion (P = 0.03) and diagnosis (P = 0.03). Quantitative liver iron concentration on a single liver biopsy was not predictive of cardiac or endocrine injury. Viral hepatitis is the strongest predictor of hepatocellular damage (P = 0.009), while the development of liver fibrosis is more closely related to liver iron concentration (P = 0.04). In conclusion, sickle cell anemia and thalassemia differ in the prevalence of organ injury. This difference is related to the duration of iron exposure and the specific hemoglobinopathy. A prospective study with a larger number of subjects is needed to confirm the relationships between specific diagnosis, liver iron concentration over time, and organ dysfunction.

Carbon nitride films were deposited on (100) silicon substrates by inductively coupled plasma (ICP)–CVD using a gas mixture of Ar, C 2 H 2 , and N 2 . During deposition, an rf bias was applied to the substrate to increase the ion bombardment energy. The results of the microhardness test and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the films showed abrupt changes in their hardness and bonding characteristics when the rf bias voltage was >−40 V. The ion energy at −40 V was estimated to be 50 eV from the IEA measurement. Such changes were attributed to the structural and compositional modifications of the growing film as a result of the bombarding ions. The bombardment of high-energy ions removed hydrogen atoms from the adsorbed C x H y radicals on the growing surface. At >50 eV, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data show the chemical bonding changes from sp 2 C N to sp 3 C–C and sp 3 C–N bondings. The abrupt increase in hardness was caused by the increased number of sp 3 bonds in the carbon nitride coating.

In high temperature superconducting (HTS) transformer with double pancake windings, the perpendicular component of leakage magnetic flux density (B/sub r/) applied to HTS tapes of double pancake windings is larger than that of solenoid windings, which acts as a cause to decrease the critical current in HTS tape and increase AC loss. In this paper, in order to reduce the B/sub r/ applied to HTS windings, the use of ferrite flux diverters is presented. Flux diverters are located in between the primary windings and the secondary windings, and must be made of low-loss materials to minimize the heat. And electromagnetic analysis of a single-phase 1 MVA 22.9 kV/6.6 kV HTS transformer with flux diverters in HTS windings was accomplished. The variation of B/sub r/ applied to the secondary windings and magnetic flux density in flux diverters were analyzed by changing their relative permeability of flux diverters respectively. Suitable relative permeability of flux diverters to reduce B/sub r/ applied to HTS windings was selected, considering flux diverter losses by increment of B in flux diverters.

Strong red photoluminescence (PL) spectra appeared at porous silicon (PS) samples prepared by a chemical anodization of Fe-contaminated Si substrates. The Fe1000 sample with Fe contamination of 1000 ppb showed a ten times stronger red PL than that of the reference PS sample without any Fe contamination, and this sample also showed the higher thermal stability for PL spectra as compared with the reference PS sample. Furthermore, the PL intensity from the PS with Fe contamination is linearly proportional to the Fe-related trap concentrations of Si substrates obtained from DLTS. Especially, all the PS samples exhibit the same PL peak position regardless of Fe contamination concentrations, as compared with that of the reference PS. This means that there is no significant effect such as the variation of size distribution of nanocrystalline Si in PS layer formed on Fe-contaminated Si substrate. Based on the results of PL and DLTS, we found that the PL efficiency depends strongly on the Fe-related trap concentration in Si substrates.

We report a case of a girl with clinical features of Peters' Plus Syndrome (PPS) (association of anterior eye chamber defects; peculiar facies; cleft lip/palate; brachymelia; developmental delay; growth retardation) and documented growth hormone deficiency (height -3.5 SDS at chronological age 5 years 8 months; low growth factors; bone age delay; growth velocity 4.4 cm/year (

HANBIT is a magnetic mirror confinement device. Recently, after finishing the first campaign for the basic system development, it started the second campaign for high-temperature plasma confinement physics study in a mirror configuration. Here, we introduce briefly the HANBIT device and report initial physics experiment results on RF-plasma heating and confinement in the simple mirror configuration. It appears that the discharge characteristics of HANBIT are quite different from those in other mirror devices, and an explanation is presented to clarify the difference.

(Ti 1− x Al x )N films were deposited on M2 high-speed steel (HSS) and α-Al 2 O 3 substrates by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, and the change in hardness and the phase transformation of the coatings after heat treatment were examined. The hardness of the (Ti 1− x Al x )N coatings deposited on HSS increased with increasing heat treatment time at 1100 °C, reaching a maximum hardness. Further increases in heat treatment time led to a decrease in hardness. However, the hardness of the (Ti 1− x Al x )N coatings deposited on alumina substrates decreased slightly after heat treatment. XRD and TEM analysis indicated that the hardness change of the (Ti 1− x Al x )N coatings after heat treatment is related to the precipitation of a stable wurzite AlN phase from the metastable NaCl-(Ti 1− x Al x ) phases. Moreover, this precipitation effect depends on the Al content and the grain size of the as-deposited coating.

A simple one-dimensional analytic formulation is developed for approximate determination of the preload force that must be applied by tie-rods and/or tie-plates for a multimodule central solenoid coil assembly in tokamak devices. The primary purpose of the preload is to ensure that vertical tensile stress does not develop between any two adjacent module coils within the assembly. The absence of the tensile force is a minimal requirement needed to prevent lateral movements of the coils, when friction is the sole means available. An excessive preload, on the other hand, can damage insulation and conductor jackets. The analysis is based on a model system in which the vertical motion of the coil winding is described through representation of the coil conductors and tie-rods/-plates with linear springs. The coupled spring system is represented by a system of simultaneous linear equations, which is solved analytically to obtain the compression force at each spring in terms of the applied preload, electromagnetic forces on the springs, and spring constants. Although this procedure lacks the rigor of complex two- or three-dimensional analyses, it is expected to be able to play some useful role.

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), first described in 1956, is a unique genetic condition with a prevalence of 1 in 10,000 - 25,000. Features include severe lifelong hypotonia, insatiable appetite, short stature, obsessive-compulsive behaviour, morbid obesity, hypogonadism, kyphosis, scoliosis and osteoporosis. Studies beginning in the 1970s demonstrated that PWS is associated with a deficiency in growth hormone. Growth hormone treatment in children with PWS improves linear growth and more importantly leads to an increased muscle mass, bone mineral density and physical performance. In mid-2000, growth hormone became the first pharmaceutical approved in the US and Europe for the treatment of childhood PWS. It is now considered an essential part of comprehensive care for this condition. Ongoing studies address issues of growth hormone dosage, long-term efficacy, effects on neonatal and childhood growth and development and effects in adults with PWS.

Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements were carried out on bamboo-shaped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition. They were deposited on Al2O3/Ti and SiO2/Ti substrates using cobalt and iron catalysts, respectively. As a result, a metallic conductivity, i.e. resistivities with a positive temperature slope, was observed for the MWNTs grown on the SiO2/Ti substrates. The different temperature behaviors of the resistivity for the MWNTs grown on different substrates are discussed in view of the substrate morphology and crystallinity.

The central solenoid (CS) magnet system of the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device consists of four pairs of segmented CS coils and a CS coil structure. The maximum repulsive force between CS coils is about 12 MN. The functions of the CS structure are to apply preload on the CS coils and to support the repulsive force between CS coils during operation. The designed axial compression of 15 MN at 4.5 K will be applied partly by assembling the preload structure at room temperature with preload of about 13.4 MN and partly by the thermal contraction difference between the CS coils and the structure during cool down. Additional preload will be given by minute adjustment of wedges. The structural analysis of the CS magnet system has been performed to verify the CS structure design reliability.

Several types of Lorenz forces and Joule heating generated in the magnet system of the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device have been studied numerically and analytically. We have examined 225 plasma equilibrium states to calculate the maximum magnetic forces and to determine which equilibrium state(s) generate such forces. The obtained results are used as input for structural analysis. A precompression should be applied to the eight-segmented central solenoid (CS) coil assembly to prevent free motion of each coil due to attractive and repulsive forces during operation. We have also evaluated the maximum values of the vertical and lateral forces for each of the CS coils and poloidal field coils and also for the entire CS coil stack. The in-plane force due to toroidal field (TF) coil charging and the out-of-plane force due to interaction of the TF coil current with the poloidal field have been computed. The Joule heating on the TF structure due to plasma disruption has also been calculated.

The toroidal field (TF) magnet system of Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device consists of 16 superconducting coils enclosed in steel cases. The TF cases are wedged along the inboard straight legs to sustain in-plane centering forces. The inter-coil structures contain adjustable shear keys and conical bolts to provide pre-loading in toroidal direction and to resist in-plane and out-of-plane forces, which are the most critical loads on the TF magnet system. For effective cooling of the TF case, a pad-type cooling channel has been designed to ensure structural and thermal stability. In order to investigate the structural integrity and to increase the structural reliability of the KSTAR magnet system, structural analyses have been conducted. From the analysis results, it has been found that the TF magnet structure can safely withstand the reference scenario operations.

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of crowding (stocking density) on food consumption and growth of juvenile Sepia officinalis reared at 17 and 25 °C. Two groups of 75 cuttlefish each were reared in closed seawater systems with water temperatures of 17 and 25 °C. Each group was subdivided into two treatments (three replicates per treatment): low-density (equivalent to 100 Sepia m−2) and high-density (equivalent to 400 Sepia m−2). Food consumption was measured daily and live wet body weight (g) was measured weekly over a 5-week study. The 25 °C treatment resulted in significantly higher growth rates and food consumption compared to the 17 °C treatment. Stocking density had no statistically significant effect on food consumption, gross growth efficiency (GGE), or weight at either temperature. However, the high-density treatments had slightly lower GGE values overall and growth in weight at 25 °C was slightly but consistently lower in the high-density treatment suggesting that stocking densities of 400 Sepia m−2 may be approaching levels that impact feeding and growth.

Introduction: The liver is the main source of serum insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) and the concentration of these proteins might reflect liver function. Methods: In a retrospective longitudinal study we examined serum levels of total and free IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-6 in 21 adult patients with end-stage liver disease before and after orthotopic liver transplantation (LTX) by sensitive and specific RIAs. In each patient, the mean value of at least three measurements before and after LTX was calculated. Results: Before LTX, serum levels of total and free IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-3 were low and showed a rapid and significant increase in almost all patients after successful LTX (total IGF-I: 30 ± 7 vs. 256 ± 30 ng/ml, p < 0.001; free IGF-I: 1.3 ± 0.3 vs. 3.5 ± 0.6 ng/ml, p < 0.01; IGF-II: 177 ± 28 vs. 618 ± 30 ng/ml, p < 0.001; IGFBP-3: 1,230 ± 136 vs. 3,665 ± 264 ng/ml, p < 0.001). In contrast, IGFBP-1 was found to be high immediately before LTX, and declined to normal levels after LTX (210 ± 40 vs. 90 ± 15 ng/ml, p < 0.01), while IGFBP-2 did not show any significant changes (1,154 ± 296 vs. 1,303 ± 192 ng/ ml). Positive correlations were found between IGF-I, IGF-II or IGFBP-3, and serum pseudocholinesterase (R = 0.50, 0.72 and 0.61 respectively, p < 0.001). Negative correlations were found between IGF-I, IGF-II or IGFBP-3, and prothrombin time (R = 0.50, 0.59 and 0.51 respectively, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with severe liver disease show decreased levels of total and free IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP-3, and increased levels of IGFBP-1. These abnormalities are promptly normalized after successful LTX. Thus, serum levels of IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP-3 might be useful parameters for the assessment of liver function.

The extensive design effort for KSTAR has been focused on two major aspects of the KSTAR project mission - steady-state-operation capability and advanced tokamak physics. The steady state aspect of the mission is reflected in the choice of superconducting magnets, provision of actively cooled in-vessel components, and long pulse current drive and heating systems. The advanced tokamak aspect of the mission is incorporated in the design features associated with flexible plasma shaping, double null divertor and passive stabilizers, internal control coils and a comprehensive set of diagnostics. Substantial progress in engineering has been made on superconducting magnets, the vacuum vessel, plasma facing components and power supplies. The new KSTAR experimental facility with cryogenic system and deionized water cooling and main power systems has been designed, and the construction work is under way for completion in 2004.

A combination of chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques was used to evaluate the extent and distribution of glycation within the glycated hemoglobin (GHb) molecule. Studies on quantification of hemoglobin (Hb) glycation by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ES-MS) of intact globins employed specimens from 10 diabetic individuals and five normal controls. Detailed structural analysis of the phenylboronate affinity chromatography/ion-exchange (IE) HPLC-separated sub-populations of GHb was performed on a specimen carrying 13.7% GHb. An efficient protocol for mapping glycation sites within alpha and beta globins was developed, e.g., Glu-C/Asp-N proteolytic digestion followed by LC-ES-MS. Relative site occupancy within discrete components of GHb was evaluated. A correlation between the degree of glycation measured at Hb level (by affinity chromatography) and at globin level (measured by ES-MS) was carried out. The above studies led us to conclude that during the process of phenylboronate chromatography GHb dimers, rather than tetramers, are bound to the affinity resin so a fraction of glycated dimers rather than tetramers is measured. This finding implies that a process of glycation affects a much higher number of native Hb tetramers than was previously contemplated. No glycation sites appear to be missed by phenylboronate affinity chromatography. We have found no evidence of the presence of multiple glycations within a single globin chain. While glycation of both globins within a dimer cannot be excluded, it is unlikely to be a significant phenomenon. According to ES-MS data, an equivalent of about one globin per alphabeta dimer of the affinity chromatography-isolated GHb carried glycation.

A closed, recirculating seawater system with a denitrification process was designed for the culture of black tiger shrimp broodstock. The system comprised a circular rearing tank (9 m3 volume), a nitrifying biofilter (6 m3 volume) and denitrification process. The denitrification process comprised a deoxygenation column, a bacterial substrate column (143 L volume) and a re-aeration column connected to the biofilter. The experimental period was 81 weeks, consisting of 3 sequential trials using different substrates, bacterial inoculates and carbon sources: Trial 1- porous plastic balls for substrate, mangrove soil for inoculant and ethanol for the carbon source; Trial 2- crushed oyster shell for substrate, a strain of laboratory cultured bacteria for inoculant and ethanol for the carbon source; and Trial 3- crushed oyster shell for the substrate, no inoculant and methanol for the carbon source. The nitrifying biofilter controlled ammonium-N and nitrite-N within acceptable ranges ( 160 to

In order to provide better estimates of the thermal‐induced stress encountered by salmon migrating to their spawning grounds, a model is used to hindcast temperatures throughout the mainstem Fraser and Thompson Rivers back to 1953. Tributary and headwater temperatures that are not available prior to 1993 are estimated with both linear regression and neural network techniques. The average root mean square difference between model temperatures and those observed at Hell's Gate, on the lower Fraser River, is computed to be 1.12°C. Historical flow and temperature observations are also used to establish patterns and trends for the Fraser River watershed. The Julian day numbers by which one‐third and one‐half of the integrated yearly discharge had occurred were computed and found to be progressing earlier at the rates of 0.11 and 0.09 days per year, respectively. Both values are significant at the 95% level. Average summer Hell's Gate temperatures from 1941 to 1998 are warming at the rate of 0.012°C pe...

Quantification of the acid-labile subunit (ALS) has to date been restricted to immunoassays utilizing polyclonal antibodies. By immunization with N-terminal and C-terminal specific ALS oligopeptides, we generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that target ALS-specific sequences outside the nonspecific leucine-rich repeats in the ALS molecule. For mAb selection, a special screening method was developed. Monoclonal antibody 5C9, which targets the N-terminus of ALS, is immobilized and the anti-ALS mAb 7H3, directed against the C-terminus, is biotinylated and used as tracer Ab. Due to the extreme pH-lability of ALS, changes in immunorecognition of ALS were investigated after acidification for protein unfolding in different pH ranges and in a time-dependent manner. It was determined that acidification of the serum samples to pH 2.7 for 30 min, followed by neutralization and dilution to 1:100 was the optimal acid-neutralization method. For standardization purposes, a serum pool derived from healthy volunteers was assigned the value 1 U/ml ALS. The sandwich assay has a working range with a linear dose-response curve in a log/log system between 0.005 and 10 U/ml. ALS levels in seven acromegalic patients ranged from 2.0 to 4.2 U/ml, and in 12 untreated growth hormone deficient patients from 0.036 to 0.986 U/ml (mean=0.45 U/ml). After 12 months of growth hormone therapy, ALS levels increased significantly to 1.18+/-0.45 U/ml (mean+/-SD; p0.0006). The increase ranged from 0.48 to 1.4 U/ml. The change in ALS with growth hormone (GH) therapy correlated closer with the change in IGF-I (r=0.798, p=0.0057; Spearman rank correlation) than with the change in insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP3; r=0.549, p=0.057). This specific sandwich assay for the measurement of ALS provides a potentially valuable indicator of growth hormone secretory status. With this mAb-based immunofluorometric assay, the nonspecific detection of other proteins containing leucine-rich repeat sequences can be excluded.

The Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device is a steady-state-capable experimental fusion device with a fully superconducting magnet system, including toroidal field (TF) coils, central solenoid (CS) coils, and poloidal field (PF) coils. The major design consideration of the magnet system is to meet the KSTAR mission with plasma current of 2 MA and toroidal field of 3.5 T at the major radius 1.8 m and z=0. The preliminary analyses show that the magnet structure design has mechanical, electrical, and thermal stability during operation. The TF magnets have a wedged structure, including coil cases, inter-coil structures, and inter-octant joints. The CS and PF structures are designed to support the electromagnetic forces. To support the coil system against gravity and lateral loads, gravity support and lateral load structures are designed.

Standard weight-for-age and height-for-age charts have been used for many years to assess growth and body compositions of children, including curves specific to the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). However, a number of direct measures of body compositions have been developed in recent years. Dural-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) provides a measure of bone mineral content and bone mineral density for the whole body and at specific bone regions (spine, hip, forearm). This technology now has been extended to include assessment of the body's lean tissue mass and body fat mass. An alternate technique, called bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), has gained wide use in recent years as an indirect measure of the fat-free mass. The older, underwater weighing method is giving way to the air-displacement plethysmographic technique for assessing body fatness. Total body potassium still remains the method of choice for a direct assessment of body cell mass, and body nitrogen is recognized as the best assay for body protein mass. Imaging techniques, such as a computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, continue to receive increasing attention for body composition assays, especially for the subcutaneous vs. visceral distribution of body fat. Although total body water and extracellular water can be measured by dilution techniques, these methods are slowly being replaced by the BIA assay. When these various techniques are used in combination, the patient's nutritional status can be obtained based on a comprehensive 5-level multicompartment model of the body composition. Each of these methods will be reviewed, and their specific strengths and limitations presented, relative to their application for assessing changes in body composition of the PWS patient.▪ The Endocrinologist 2000; 10: 57S-62S