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To maximize the synergistic effects of hybridized heteromaterials in terms of device performance of piezoelectric nanogenerators (PNGs), we demonstrate an unprecedented strategy for the direct growth of perovskite piezoelectric barium titanate (BTO) nanoparticles (NPs) on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) via a simple hydrothermal method. The mutual interactions between the strongly coupled heteromaterials in terms of their structural, chemical, and electrical variations are systematically explored. From these comprehensive spectroscopic and microscopic examinations, we ascertain that the hybridization of BTO NPs with GO enables to enhance the piezoelectric response of the PNGs compared with those of pristine BTO NPs-based PNGs and simply mixed BTO NPs/GO-based PNGs. This can be understood by the synergistic interplay of the heteromaterials associated with (i) the formation of homogeneous size distribution of the BTO NPs after the hybridization, (ii) healing of oxygen vacancies in the BTO crystals and a simultaneous improvement in the crystallinity of GO through chemical reduction.

We synthesized lead-free piezoelectric (Bi0.5Na0.5-xKx)TiO3 (BNKT) ceramics using a conventional solid-state reaction method. We have investigated the structural and electrical properties of the materials with x = 0.05 to 0.40. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis suggests that the BNKT ceramics show the transition from rhombohedral to tetragonal structure. The ratio of the tetragonal structure increased continuously in accordance with the increasing composition of x. The sample of x = 0.10 showed a similar ratio between the tetragonal and rhombohedral structures. Frequency-dependent dielectric measurements showed a sort of relaxor properties emerged with increasing x composition, this effect may be interpreted in terms of the formation of polar nano-regions (PNRs) in samples. The value of remnant polarization (Pr) decreases rapidly as x increases beyond the point of x = 0.10 from 25.3 µC/cm2 to 5.9 µC/cm2. On the contrary, as for inverse piezoelectric coefficient (d33*), a higher value of d33* (336 pm/V) at x = 0.10, was observed when compared with x = 0.05 (d33* = 51 pm/V). These results can be explained by the formation of PNRs and their variations with the external applied field. We here propose a possible mechanism showing the effects of dipolar defects, which can be resulted from the K ion substitution on (Bi,Na)TiO3 (BNT) ceramics.

Main text: We aim to summarize the available evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of imaging (index test) compared to surgery (reference test) for identifying lumbar disc herniation (LDH) in adult patients. For this systematic review we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL (June 2017) for studies that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of imaging for LDH in adult patients with low back pain and surgery as the reference standard. Two review authors independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We calculated summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity using bivariate analysis, generated linked ROC plots in case of direct comparison of diagnostic imaging tests and assessed the quality of evidence using the GRADE-approach. We found 14 studies, all but one done before 1995, including 940 patients. Nine studies investigated Computed Tomography (CT), eight myelography and six Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The prior probability of LDH varied from 48.6 to 98.7%. The summary estimates for MRI and myelography were comparable with CT (sensitivity: 81.3% (95%CI 72.3-87.7%) and specificity: 77.1% (95%CI 61.9-87.5%)). The quality of evidence was moderate to very low. Conclusions: The diagnostic accuracy of CT, myelography and MRI of today is unknown, as we found no studies evaluating today's more advanced imaging techniques. Concerning the older techniques we found moderate diagnostic accuracy for all CT, myelography and MRI, indicating a large proportion of false positives and negatives.

My dissertation, "Abstract Art in 1980s Shanghai," examines political, conceptual, historical, and formal aspects of abstract paintings produced in Shanghai from 1976 to 1989. This study argues that Shanghai abstract paintings were formulated in the unique historical and sociopolitical context of post-Mao Shanghai and, thus, have unique characteristics that do not always fit the conventional definition of abstract art. More specifically, it studies what kind of ideological meaning that abstract art held in the People's Republic of China (PRC), how the 1980s Chinese art circle defined abstract art, which cultural and historical background existed that allowed 1980s Shanghai abstract art to blossom, and how five select Shanghai artists, namely Li Shan (b. 1942), Zhang Jianjun (b. 1955), Qiu Deshu (b. 1948), Yu Youhan (b. 1943), and Ding Yi (b. 1962), each expressed their own understanding of abstract art through their paintings. Through this study, I ultimately aim to reveal that there are multiple versions of abstract art that are incongruent with its institutional description, thereby expanding our understanding of abstract art. This dissertation consists of five chapters. The first chapter, an introduction, establishes the problem with the canonization of the term, "abstract art," and the single narrative of its history; provides a historical background of 1980s China; explains the modern art history of Shanghai; and locates this study in the broad range of scholarship. The four subsequent chapters focus on the ideological meaning of Chinese abstract art constructed by China's socialist identity; the discourses of abstract art in 1980s China; the unique cultural history of Shanghai; and the artworks of five representative Shanghai abstract artists. I conduct extensive visual analyses of abstract paintings and scrutinize historical, social, political, and cultural aspects of 1980s Shanghai. As the first English publication on 1980s abstract art in China, my disserta

My dissertation, "Abstract Art in 1980s Shanghai," examines political, conceptual, historical, and formal aspects of abstract paintings produced in Shanghai from 1976 to 1989. This study argues that Shanghai abstract paintings were formulated in the unique historical and sociopolitical context of post-Mao Shanghai and, thus, have unique characteristics that do not always fit the conventional definition of abstract art. More specifically, it studies what kind of ideological meaning that abstract art held in the People's Republic of China (PRC), how the 1980s Chinese art circle defined abstract art, which cultural and historical background existed that allowed 1980s Shanghai abstract art to blossom, and how five select Shanghai artists, namely Li Shan (b. 1942), Zhang Jianjun (b. 1955), Qiu Deshu (b. 1948), Yu Youhan (b. 1943), and Ding Yi (b. 1962), each expressed their own understanding of abstract art through their paintings. Through this study, I ultimately aim to reveal that there are multiple versions of abstract art that are incongruent with its institutional description, thereby expanding our understanding of abstract art. This dissertation consists of five chapters. The first chapter, an introduction, establishes the problem with the canonization of the term, "abstract art," and the single narrative of its history; provides a historical background of 1980s China; explains the modern art history of Shanghai; and locates this study in the broad range of scholarship. The four subsequent chapters focus on the ideological meaning of Chinese abstract art constructed by China's socialist identity; the discourses of abstract art in 1980s China; the unique cultural history of Shanghai; and the artworks of five representative Shanghai abstract artists. I conduct extensive visual analyses of abstract paintings and scrutinize historical, social, political, and cultural aspects of 1980s Shanghai. As the first English publication on 1980s abstract art in China, my disserta

Mitogenome of female Ruditapes philippinarum organism was sequenced, and genomic variation and phylogeny were examined in this study. Length of the mitogenome was 22 089 bp showing 94.28% of sequence identity with previously reported sequence. Total 707 single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs, were detected and 50 residues were non-synonymous SNPs among the 202 SNPs in protein-coding genes. Deleted genomic fragments with of 265 bp and 322 bp were observed in non-coding regions, ND2 to ND4L and ND4L to tRNAIle, respectively. Phylogenic analysis confirmed that used organisms were female R. philippinarum, and the species has closer evolutionary distance with genus Paphia rather than genus Meretrix. Our finding will be help to set an insight for population and evolutionary genomics of Veneroida clams as well as application to marine industry.

Mass-customization is a form of consumer-centric business practice, which is a hybrid of customization and mass-production (Gilmore & Pine II, 1997). It is the use of flexible processes and organizational structures to produce individually customized apparel products at the low cost of a standardized mass-production system (Hart, 1995). Very limited academic consumer research has been conducted in the area of apparel mass-customization. The purposes of the study were (a) to investigate consumers' purchase intentions of mass-customized apparel, (b) to examine the relationships among consumer characteristics, perceived usefulness, perceived behavioral control, attitude toward using apparel mass-customization, and purchase intention of mass-customized apparel, and (c) to identify the predictors of the overall purchase intentions and those of the purchase intentions of specific types of mass-customized apparel (i.e., design, fit and personalization mass-customized apparel). A conceptual model was developed, and eight hypotheses were generated to test the proposed relationships among the variables. A questionnaire was developed as the instrument of collecting data. A national sample of 474 male adults was recruited by a market research company. Statistics such as descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the collected data. The results indicated that more than half of the respondents were willing to purchase mass-customized dress shirts. The relationships among consumer characteristics, perceived usefulness, perceived behavioral control, attitude toward using apparel mass-customization, and purchase intention of mass-customized apparel were confirmed, and the predictors of the overall purchase intention and of the purchase intention of specific types of mass-customized apparel were identified. Based on the results, in-depth discussions and related marketing implications were provided.

Migration to a new country presents many lifestyle challenges that may influence future health outcomes. In particular, eating patterns may be altered due to the expense or lack of availability of foods typical of the immigrant's usual diet and the relative abundance of unfamiliar, locally produced foods. Studies of migrants carried out in host countries have shown that the change of living environment is associated with changes in food choices, activity patterns and other lifestyle factors. This may then be reflected by changes in health indicators: e.g., body measurements, and consequently morbidity and mortality. The latest census indicates that Koreans are the fastest growing ethnic group and the third largest Asian ethnic group in New Zealand after Chinese and Indians. Nonetheless, to date no studies have examined the nutritional outcomes resulting from the migration of Koreans to New Zealand. Hence, a study is needed to determine the dietary habits and the possible impact of the diet on risk factors for health and disease among Korean migrants. As a pilot study, the purpose of this study was to assess dietary intake and other health related measures in a sample of 50 middle-aged (40-55 years) Korean females who have lived in New Zealand for at least 5 years. The study assessed sociodemographic characteristics, activity level, dietary intake, factors related to the dietary intake and anthropometric and biochemical measurements by questionnaires, 24-hour dietary recall and appropriate body measurements. The body measurements included weight, height, triceps and subscapular skinfolds, waist, hip, and upper arm circumference, elbow breadth, body fat using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, blood pressure and blood glucose level. The nutrient intakes of subjects were found to be generally adequate and the proportions of energy derived from macronutrients (Carbohydrate:Protein:Fat =55:17:26) were also considered to be in the adequate range. However, low intakes of ca

The problem of coordination of multiple robotic fingers grasping a passive object is studied. The general methodology is applicable to any robotic system in which multiple contacts occur between actively coordinated mechanisms and a passive object. The articulations are assumed to be massless and the problem is quasi-static. In other words, at every instant, the external load is balanced by forces generated at the contacts. In this work, two important subproblems are studied. First, the problem of completely restraining an object against arbitrary disturbances (forces & moments) is analyzed. Force distribution algorithms, that optimally allocate the external load between the different contacts, are developed. The field of contact forces is decomposed into two force fields. One consists of forces required to equilibrate the body, and the other consists of forces that squeeze the object in order to prevent slippage. This decomposition aids the characterization and determination of the contact forces. Based on this framework, a method to determine an admissible force distribution, which optimizes the contact conditions at the fingertips for any external load, is pursued. Efficient algorithms to compute the forces are developed. Secondly, the problem of fine manipulation is considered. By fine manipulation, we mean the positioning of the object relative to the palm as opposed to gross manipulation by the arm. The compliance in the fingers and the object is modeled by linear springs. It is shown that the motion of the fingers and object can be predicted by minimizing a quadratic objective function. A method for simulating position control algorithms is developed. In both cases, the algorithms are implemented and tested through computer simulation. Several examples are used to illustrate the methodology.

This represents a dynamic study on the adsorption equilibrium of nitrogen-oxygen mixtures and the process of oxygen concentration. The authors have made a study of oxygen concentration by molecular sieves as part of the fuel problem for metallurgical furnaces. Experimental results on the adsorption equilibrium on N2-O2 mixtures and on the various factors which affect oxygen concentration by a chromatographic process are discussed., Edited trans. of Hwakak Kwa Hwakak Kongop (North Korea) n2 p79-82 1971.