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Owing to climate change, abnormal climate phenomena occur frequently, damaging aging highway facilities. Therefore, it is necessary to develop adaptation projects for highway systems. Adaptation projects focus on mitigating the impact of climate change on highway facilities and enabling safe use. The present study aims to develop quantified evaluation indicators that are necessary for planning and selecting appropriate climate change adaptation projects. By analysing previous studies, the most important factors to be considered in the evaluation process of climate change adaptation projects were defined, and 20 preliminary evaluation indicators were divided into three layers. A feasibility study for each class was performed on the preliminary evaluation indicators by an expert panel; 16 evaluation indicators were selected through a feasibility study, and the weight of each indicator was calculated using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method. The priority of the evaluation indicators was service improvement through adaptation projects (weight 8.76), cost reduction and job creation (weight 8.46), and climate change impact reduction and vulnerability reduction (weight 8.31). These quantified evaluation indicators can help organizations that manage highways respond to climate change and establish adaptation projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of increasing concrete unit water content and artificially controlling water content on concrete performance in the production process of ready-mixed concrete. Results showed that changes in the unit water content of 20 concrete mix proportions without air-entraining significantly reduced concrete compressive strength, increased porosity, and in-creased occurrence of bleeding. A unit water content increase of 25 kg/m3 or more may reduce the compressive strength of concrete below the design standard and significantly affect the occurrence of bleeding water. Moreover, an extra unit water content of at least 25 kg/m3 could significantly affect the diffusion of chloride ions in the concrete. The carbonation depth of concrete was extremely high with the increase in unit water content and water addition. In the production of concrete requiring at least normal strength or durability, the extra water change to total unit water content should be maintained at 15 kg/m3 or less. And a water–cement ratio of 48% or less and a unit water content of 155 kg/m3 or less are considered effective for management of concrete quality. Considering the aggregate type, absorption rate, and moisture state, the management of unit water content error in concrete production processes requires greater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous monitoring of electrophysiology and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could guide the innovative diagnosis and treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases that are previously impossible. However, this technique is difficult because the existing metal‐based implantable neural interface for electrophysiology is not free from signal distortions from its intrinsic magnetic susceptibility while performing an MRI of the implanted area of the neural interface. Moreover, brain tissue heating from neural implants generated by the radiofrequency field from MRI poses potential hazards for patients. Previous studies with soft polymer‐based electrode arrays provide relatively suitable MRI compatibility but does not guarantee high‐resolution electrophysiological signal acquisition and stimulation performance. Here, MRI compatible, optically transparent flexible implantable device capable of electrophysiological multichannel mapping and electrical stimulation is introduced. Using the device, neuropathic pain (NP) relief with a 30‐channel electrophysiological mapping of the somatosensory area before and after motor cortex stimulation (MCS) in allodynia rats after noxious stimulation is confirmed. Additionally, artifact‐free manganese‐enhanced MRI of dramatic relief of pain‐related region activity by MCS is demonstrated. Furthermore, artifact‐free optogenetics with transgenic mice is also investigated by recording light‐evoked potentials. These results suggest a promising neuro‐prosthetic for analyzing and modulating spatiotemporal neurodynamic without MRI or optical modality resolution constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric double-layer capacitors have attracted considerable attention for energy storage because of their excellent power capability, high stability, and long cycle life. Activated carbon is the most widely employed electrode material for electric double-layer capacitors owing to its high specific surface area, hierarchical porous structure, and high electrical conductivity. However, to increase the energy density of the devices, new synthetic methods for enhancing their specific capacitances are required. We developed a facile preparation method for petroleum pitch-based activated carbon and investigated the optimal conditions to improve its electrochemical performance in terms of rate capability, specific capacitance, and cycle life. The obtained activated carbon exhibited a high specific capacitance (163.67 F/g at 0.1 A/g), which can be attributed to the efficient charge transport due to the micropores developed in the open macroporous walls of the carbon structure and the high electrical conductivity. Our approach provides an efficient strategy for synthesizing activated carbon with excellent properties. The results reveal a correlation between the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of activated carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains among the most challenging and costly complications. PJI rates vary from 0.39% to 3.9% after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study aimed to identify the causative microorganisms involved and to report our experience of subsequent treatment of PJI following over 7000 TKAs performed over 19 years. A retrospective study was conducted on 4547 patients (7019 cases) from March 2000 to September 2019. The incidence rate of PJI was 0.5%. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 88.8% (n = 16) of the 18 cases, and S. aureus was the most commonly isolated pathogen (n = 7, 38.8%). There were six cases of MSSA and one case of MRSA. Streptococcus species (n = 7, 38.8%) also showed the same pattern. The CoNS species (n = 2, 11.1%) and Gram-negative bacteria (n = 1, 5.5%) were also reported. Candida species were isolated from 1 patient (5.5%). Successful I&D and implant retention (DAIR procedures) was achieved at the final follow-up in 19 patients (82.6%). The incidence of causative microorganisms was different for each PJI onset type. The overall infection rate of PJI was less than 1%. Although the success rate of DAIR procedures is lower than the two-stage exchange arthroplasty in this study, it is possible to achieve acceptable success rates if DAIR procedures are carefully selected considering the virulence of the microorganism, duration since symptom onset, and early-onset infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ever‐increasing popularity of smart electronics demands advanced Li‐ion batteries capable of charging faster and storing more energy, which in turn stimulates the innovation of electrode additives. Developing single‐phase conductive networks featuring excellent mechanical strength/integrity coupled with efficient electron transport and durability at high‐voltage operation should maximize the rate capability and energy density, however, this has proven to be quite challenging. Herein, it is shown that a 2D titanium carbide (known as MXene) metallic membrane can be used as single‐phase interconnected conductive binder for commercial Li‐ion battery anode (i.e., Li4Ti5O12) and high‐voltage cathodes (i.e., Ni0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2). Electrodes are fabricated directly by slurry‐casting of MXene aqueous inks composited with active materials without any other additives or solvents. The interconnected metallic MXene membrane ensures fast charge transport and provides good durability, demonstrating excellent rate performance in the Li//Li4Ti5O12 cell (90 mAh g−1 at 45 C) and high reversible capacity (154 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C/0.5 C) in Li//Ni0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cell coupled with high‐voltage operation (4.3 V vs Li/Li+). The LTO//NMC full cell demonstrates promising cycling stability, maintaining capacity retention of 101.4% after 200 cycles at 4.25 V (vs Li/Li+) operation. This work provides insights into the rational design of binder‐free electrodes toward acceptable cyclability and high‐power density Li‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the main complications of liver cirrhosis (LC) and is classified into minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) and overt hepatic encephalopathy (overt HE). S100B is expressed mainly in astrocytes and other glial cells, and S100B has been reported to be associated with various neurological disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic ability of serum S100B to discriminate the grade of HE and the parameters correlated with serum S100B levels. Additionally, we investigated whether serum S100B levels can be used to predict 1-year mortality in cirrhotic patients. In total, 95 cirrhotic patients were consecutively enrolled and divided into the following three groups: (i) without any types of HEs; (ii) with MHE; and (iii) with overt HE. The diagnosis of MHE was made by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score (PHES). Among the three groups, there were no significant differences in serum S100B levels regardless of HE severity. The clinical parameters correlated with serum S100B levels were age, serum bilirubin, and creatinine levels. The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score showed a significant positive correlation with serum S100B levels. The relationship between serum S100B levels and MELD score was maintained in 48 patients without any type of HE. Additionally, hyperammonemia, low cholesterol levels, and the combination of serum S100B levels ≥ 35 pg/mL with MELD score ≥ 13 were factors for predicting 1- year mortality. In conclusion, serum S100B level was not useful for differentiating the severity of HE. However, we found that serum S100B levels can be affected by age, serum bilirubin, and creatinine in cirrhotic patients and are associated with MELD scores. Additionally, serum S100B levels showed the possibility of predicting 1-year mortality in cirrhotic patients. These findings suggest that serum S100B levels may reflect liver dysfunction and prognosis in liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]