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Gears are the most important transmission component in machines. The rapid development of the machines in industry requires a shorter time of the analysis process. In traditional, the gears are analyzed by setting up the complete mathematical model firstly, considering the profile of cutter and coordinate systems relationship between the machine and the cutter. It is a really complex and time-consuming process. Recently, the CAD/CAE software is well developed and useful in the mechanical design. In this paper, the Autodesk Inventor® software is introduced to model the spherical gears firstly, and then the models can also be transferred into ANSYS Workbench for the finite element analysis. The proposed process in this paper is helpful to the engineers to speed up the analyzing process of gears in the design stage.

The tundra ecosystem is quite vulnerable to drastic climate change in the Arctic, and the quantification of carbon dynamics is of significant importance regarding thawing permafrost, changes to the snow-covered period and snow and shrub community extent, and the decline of sea ice in the Arctic. Here, CO2 efflux measurements using a manual chamber system within a 40 m × 40 m (5 m interval; 81 total points) plot were conducted within dominant tundra vegetation on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska, during the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012, for the assessment of driving parameters of CO2 efflux. We applied a hierarchical Bayesian (HB) model – a function of soil temperature, soil moisture, vegetation type, and thaw depth – to quantify the effects of environmental factors on CO2 efflux and to estimate growing season CO2 emissions. Our results showed that average CO2 efflux in 2011 was 1.4 times higher than in 2012, resulting from the distinct difference in soil moisture between the 2 years. Tussock-dominated CO2 efflux is 1.4 to 2.3 times higher than those measured in lichen and moss communities, revealing tussock as a significant CO2 source in the Arctic, with a wide area distribution on the circumpolar scale. CO2 efflux followed soil temperature nearly exponentially from both the observed data and the posterior medians of the HB model. This reveals that soil temperature regulates the seasonal variation of CO2 efflux and that soil moisture contributes to the interannual variation of CO2 efflux for the two growing seasons in question. Obvious changes in soil moisture during the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012 resulted in an explicit difference between CO2 effluxes – 742 and 539 g CO2 m−2 period−1 for 2011 and 2012, respectively, suggesting the 2012 CO2 emission rate was reduced to 27% (95% credible interval: 17–36%) of the 2011 emission, due to higher soil moisture from severe rain. The estimated growing season CO2 emission rate ranged from 0.86 Mg CO2 in 2012 to 1.20 Mg CO2 in 2011 within a 40 m × 40 m plot, corresponding to 86 and 80% of annual CO2 emission rates within the western Alaska tundra ecosystem, estimated from the temperature dependence of CO2 efflux. Therefore, this HB model can be readily applied to observed CO2 efflux, as it demands only four environmental factors and can also be effective for quantitatively assessing the driving parameters of CO2 efflux.

In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) films were prepared on Corning glass substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and treated without and with O 2 plasma conditions, and then were used to fabricate metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs). The effects of the changes on TiO 2 films were investigated by using field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), photoluminescence (PL) system and four-point probe measurement. With a 360-nm illumination and 5 V applied bias, it was found that the responsivities of the fabricated TiO 2 PDs without and with 2 minutes O 2 plasma treatment were 36 and 153 A/W, respectively.

Phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast gene (rbcL, matK), intron (rpl16, rps16, rpoC1) and nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and chloroplast DNA restriction sites, with supplementary data from variation in size of the chloroplast genome inverted repeat, have been used to elucidate major clades within Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) subfamily Apioideae Drude. This paper summarizes the results of previously published molecular cladistic analyses and presents a provisional classification of the subfamily based on taxonomic congruence among the data sets. Ten tribes (Aciphylleae M. F. Watson & S. R. Downie, Bupleureae Spreng., Careae Baill., Echinophoreae Benth., Heteromorpheae M. F. Watson & S. R. Downie, Oenantheae Dumort., Pleurospermeae M. F. Watson & S. R. Downie, Pyramidoptereae Boiss., Scandiceae Spreng. and Smyrnieae Spreng.) are erected or confirmed as monophyletic, with Scandiceae comprising subtribes Daucinae Dumort., Scandicinae Tausch and Torilidinae Dumort. Seven additional clades are also recognized but have yet to be treated formally, and at least 23 genera examined to date are of dubious tribal or clade placement. The utility of these different molecular markers for phylogenetic inference in Apioideae is compared based on maximum parsimony analyses of subsets of previously published molecular data sets. Of the six loci sequenced, the ITS region is seen to be evolving most rapidly and rbcL is the most conservative. Intermediate in rate of evolution are matK and the three chloroplast introns; with rpl16 and rps16 evolving slightly faster than matK or rpoC1. The analysis of restriction sites, however, provided 2–4 times more parsimony informative characters than any single DNA locus sequenced, with estimates of divergence just slightly lower than that of the ITS region. The trees obtained from separate analyses of these reduced data sets are consistent with regard to the major clades inferred and the relationships among them. Similar phylogenies are obtained by combining data or combining trees, representing the supermatrix and supertree approaches to phylogenetic analysis, respectively. The inferred relationship among the tribes and informally recognized major clades within Apioideae is presented.

Strains of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae that are virulent to rice lines carrying the Xa21 resistance gene were widely distributed in Korea. A total of 105 strains collected during 1987 to 1996 in Korea was characterized by pathogenicity tests and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the XorII methyltransferase (xorIIM) and avrXa10 genes. Although the lesion lengths on rice line IRBB21, which carries Xa21, decreased as plant age increased, resistance and susceptibility of the plants to 31 strains were clearly differentiated at the seedling (14, 21, and 28 days old), maximum tillering, and flag leaf stages. The resistance or susceptibility of seedlings was correlated with bacterial populations within an inoculated leaf. There was a significant change in the population structure of X. oryzae pv. oryzae with regard to virulence to Xa21 over the last 10 years; this change in population was confirmed by genome analysis. Lineage I, which is avirulent to Xa21 and does not have a genomic xorIIM homolog, was the predominant lineage found between 1987 and 1989, while lineage II, which is virulent to Xa21 and contains the xorIIM homolog, was predominant in strains collected between 1994 and 1995. Our results demonstrate that introduction of Xa21 into commercial rice should be based on the regional structure of X. oryzae pv. oryzae populations and suggest that Xa21 will not be useful in Korea.

The paper presents an application of the discrete wavelet transform to the monitoring of tool failure in end milling operations using the spindle motor current. The discrete wave-let transform performs a multilevel signal decomposition to extract the tool failure feature from the spindle motor current. Experimental results have shown that tool failure in end milling operations can be clearly detected even under varying cutting conditions.

Lower thermospheric winds have been determined from Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) measurements of the Doppler shift of the 5577-A O(1S) emission over Thule Air Base (76.5°N, 69.0°W) and Sondre Stromfjord (67.0°N, 50.9°W), Greenland. These winds normally correspond to the altitude of the peak of the airglow O(1S) emission layer, near 97 km. The altitude ambiguity due to auroral contamination has been reduced by eliminating data when the intensity of the emission increases significantly. Contamination by airglow emission of 5577-A O(1S) originating from higher altitudes has been investigated by an FPI simulation code. The simulation results indicate that this latter emission may contribute an anomalous diurnal oscillation to ground-based 5577-A O(1S) FPI measurements of lower thermospheric wind. The agreement of diurnal phases between that deduced from the green-line measurements and that determined from simultaneous red-line observation supports this conclusion. The same simulation applied to observations from Sondre Stromfjord shows that the upper layer contamination is much weaker and is not serious. Significant day-to-day variation is evident in the lower thermospheric wind field. Average neutral winds are calculated, and a harmonic analysis is carried out to examine the major low-frequency wind components. The seasonal variations of these wind components are compared with radar data and model predictions. The observations are generally in good agreement with model results. The comparison between FPI and radar results also shows reasonable agreement. The semidiurnal amplitudes observed with the Sondre Stromfjord radar during the Lower Thermospheric Coupling Study (LTCS-I) and LTCS-2 periods are always greater than the climatological values obtained from averaging FPI and Chatanika radar observations. This result shows the variability that can be expected when comparing “instantaneous” estimates of tidal parameters with climatological results.

Evolutionary relationships among 116 representatives (80 genera) ofApiaceae (Umbelliferae) subfam.Apioideae were investigated by comparative sequencing of the two internal transcribed spacers of the 18S–26S nuclear ribosomal DNA repeat. The resultant phylogenies, inferred using maximum parsimony and neighbor-joining methods, clarified the relationships of several genera whose phylogenetic placements have heretofore been problematic. Comparisons between the phylogenies inferred and the distribution of several phytochemical (coumarins, flavonoids, and phenylpropenes) and morphological (stomates, pollen, and cotyledonary shape) characters were also made, revealing that many of these characters (like those morphological and anatomical characters of the fruit) are highly homoplastic. It is not surprising then that systems of classification ofApioideae based on these characters, particularly with regard to tribal and subtribal designations and relationships, are unsatisfactory. The results of recent serological investigations of the subfamily support several relationships proposed herein using molecular data.

With an increase in the interest in the energy conservation for buildings, and the emergence of many methods and easily-understandable approaches to it, energy conservation has now become the public’s main interest, as compared to in the past when it was only focused upon by experts. This study aims to help the occupants of a building to understand the energy efficiency and consumption of the building by providing them information on the building’s energy efficiency through a mobile application. The energy performance assessment models are proposed on the basis of the actual energy usage and building characteristics such as the architectural scheme and the building equipment. The university buildings in Korea are used as a case to demonstrate the mobile application., {"references":["L. Pérez-Lombarda, J. Ortizb, and C. Poutb, \"A review on buildings energy consumption information,\" Energy and Buildings, vol. 40, no. 3, pp.394–398, Mar 2008.","Korea Energy Economics Institute, Energy Consumption Survey, Korea, Ministry of Knowledge Economy, pp.151-152, 2012.","K. J. Tu, J. F. Lai, and C. H. Lin, \"Strategies and critical issues of building energy management on university campus: case study of NTUST,\" Journal of Property Management, vol. 1, no. 1, pp.55-64, 2010.","J. Laing, B. Li, Y. Wu, and R. Yao, \"An investigation of the existing situation and trends in building energy efficiency management in China,\"Energy and Buildings, vol. 39, no. 10, pp.1098-1106, Oct 2007.","Å. L. Haugea, J. Thomsenb, and T. Berkerc, \"User evaluations of energy efficient buildings: Literature review and further research,\" Advances in Building Energy Research, vol. 5. no. 1, pp.109-127, Jun 2011.","H. M. Chena, C. W. Lina, S. H. Hsiehb, H. F. Chaoc, C. S. Chenb, R. S. Shiub, S. R. Yeb, and Y. C. Dengb, \"Persuasive feedback model for inducing energy conservation behaviors of building users based on interaction with a virtual object,\" Energy and Buildings, vol. 45 , pp.105-115, Feb 2012.","M. H. Chung and E. K. Rhee, \"Development of a pilot mobile application for user centered building energy assessment,\" Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, submitted for publication.","J. J. Hirsch and Associates, eQuest Introductory tutorial, version 3.63, Simulation research group Lawrence Berkely National Laboratory CA: University of California, 2009.","D. B. Crawley, L. K. Lawrie, F. C. Winkelmann, W. F. Buhl, Y. J. Huang, C. O. Pedersen, R. K. Strand, R. J. Liesen, D. E. Fisher, M. J. Witte, and J. Glazer, \"EnergyPlus: creating a new-generation building energy simulation program,\" Energy and Buildings, vol. 33, pp.319-331, 2001.\n[10]\tS. A. Klein, W. A. Beckman, J. W. Mitchell, J. A. Duffie, N. A. Duffie, T. L. Freeman, J. C. Mitchell, J. E. Braun, B. L. Evans, andJ. P. Kummert, TRNSYS 16–A TRaNsient system simulation program, user manual, Solar Energy Laboratory. Madison: University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2004.\n[11]\tB. R. Park, B. Y. Lee, M. H. Chung, and E. K. Rhee, Development of resident-based energy evaluation model(REEM) for implementation of mobile applications, Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning& Design, to be published.\n[12]\tB. R. Park, A Study on development of building energy evaluation application by using augmented reality, Master thesis, Chung Ang University, Seoul, Korea, 2013.\n[13]\tM. C. Chen, J. L. Chen, and T. W. Chang, \"Android/ OSGi-based vehicular network management system,\" Computer Communications, vol. 34, no. 2, pp.169-183, 2011."]}

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the plasma-protein binding of docetaxel in two different formulations, Taxotere and SID530, a new docetaxel formulation with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD), in human plasma in vitro, using equilibrium dialysis. Unbound docetaxel concentration in the human plasma was determined by LC-MS/MS analysis. SID530 showed a plasma-protein binding profile comparable to that of Taxotere in the clinically relevant concentration range of docetaxel. In both formulations, the unbound fraction of docetaxel increased in a concentration-dependent biphasic manner. The resulting data indicate that the excipient used in SID530, HP-beta-CD, generates similar effects as polysorbate 80 of Taxotere in terms of plasma-protein binding of docetaxel.

We describe our 3-year experience using spiral CT in the evaluation of small renal masses in order to determine the usefulness of this technique for classifying the lesions and to correlate specific CT features with pathologic findings.We retrospectively analyzed spiral CT scans and results of pathologic examinations of surgically extirpated small (or = 3 cm) renal masses in 35 patients. The masses included 27 renal cell carcinomas, two transitional cell carcinomas, one leiomyoma, one angiomyolipoma, and four benign cysts. Several imaging features, including attenuation, pattern of contrast enhancement, presence and type of calcification, cyst wall, and septation, were correlated with pathologic findings.Most renal cell carcinomas had a solid growth pattern (n = 19), had attenuation values on unenhanced scans of 20 H or greater (n = 26), and had attenuation values that increased by at least 10 H with contrast enhancement (n = 26). Only three renal cell carcinomas were mostly cystic on pathologic examination. Heterogeneous enhancement correlated with the presence of acellular regions (p = .02). Of 12 cystic masses, spiral CT showed the absence of a thick or nodular fibrous capsule in seven of nine masses (specificity, 0.78) and the absence of several (or nodular) septations in six of seven masses (specificity, 0.86) but was not as sensitive in detecting these features.Spiral CT can show many of the key imaging features of small renal masses used to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions. However, despite the theoretical benefits of volumetric CT, some lesions remain indeterminate and require surgical removal for diagnosis.

Placental hypoxia has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is activated by low oxygen tension and is a key regulator of genes involved in the cellular responses to hypoxia.We determined whether maternal blood c.1722CT (Pro582Ser) and c.1790GA (Ala588Thr) polymorphisms in exon 12 of the HIF-1α gene are associated with pre-eclampsia.Subjects included 163 pre-eclamptic patients (48 mild and 115 severe preeclampsia) and 194 healthy pregnant women. Polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR and direct DNA sequencing.There were no significant differences in genotype or allele frequencies of the c.1772CT and c.1790GA polymorphisms of the HIF-1α gene among the study groups. Moreover, subgroup analysis according to pre-eclampsia severity revealed no significant differences in genotype or allele frequencies of the HIF-1α c.1772CT and c.1790GA polymorphism in mild pre-eclamptic compared to severe pre-eclamptic group. In addition, there were no significant differences in the frequencies of 3 haplotypes (C-G,-G, T-G, and C-A) between the control and pre-eclamptic groups.Our results suggest that the HIF-1α gene polymorphisms are not associated with the development of pre-eclampsia in the studied Korean women population.

Uterine müllerian adenosarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth (MASO), uncommon in premenopausal women, is a rare variant of uterine adenosarcomas characterized by a sarcomatous portion constituting25% of the tumor. Uterine MASO often appears as a benign, protruding cervical polyp. However, in contrast to typical müllerian adenosarcomas (MAs), MASO is a highly aggressive tumor, frequently associated with a fatal outcome. Though very rare in premenopausal women, because of the high aggressiveness and malignant potential, uterine MASO should be considered, even in women of a young age with benign-appearing polypoid masses, and treated aggressively at the time of initial diagnosis without delay. We present herein a case of uterine MASO in a 25-year-old woman with lung metastasis who was lost to follow-up for one month after the initial diagnosis had been established.

This paper applied DEFORM software to construct a 2-D analysis model of micro-cutting SKD61 mold steel, by utilizing local grid to distinguish the shear zone between material and chips so that the grid could show a certain amount of quadrilaterals. Then, different cutting conditions were experimented to simulate orthogonal cutting and change the tool geometry (rake angle and relief angle), cutting velocity and cutting depth, and failure criteria were utilized to simulate material fracture. Lastly, FEM model was employed to simulate chip formation in micro-cutting, and the result was consistent with the actual milling. Therefore, the micro-cutting model constructed by FEM model could be used to perform micro-milling performance analysis.

A protein with a molecular mass of 19 kDa was isolated and purified from enriched membrane fractions of the virulent Erdman strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The protein is different from another 19-kDa protein, a lipoprotein, that was recently described (D. B. Young and T. R. Garbe, Res. Microbiol. 142:55-65, 1991). The sequencing strategy applied to this major membrane protein employed four different endoproteinases and resulted in sufficient overlapping peptide sequences for assignment of the entire protein sequence. Electron spray ionization mass spectrometry demonstrated a measured mass of 16,100, deviating from the predicted mass by only 2.86 atomic mass units. The sequence of this protein is unique. However, some similarities with other low-molecular-weight heat shock proteins were observed. Immunoblotting indicated that this protein is highly expressed in the virulent strains of M. tuberculosis. Its application to sera from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis showed promise as a serodiagnostic tool.

The area under the curve (AUC) of mirodenafil after intravenous administration in diabetes mellitus induced by streptozotocin (DMIS) rats was significantly smaller (by 28.0 %) than the control value, and the AUC(SK3541)/AUC(mirodenafil) ratio was significantly greater (by 130 %) in DMIS rats. This may be explained by the significantly faster hepatic CL(int) of mirodenafil, owing to increased hepatic CYP1A, CYP2B1/2, CYP2D, and CYP3A expression, and a faster hepatic blood flow rate, compared with control values. The AUC of mirodenafil after oral administration was comparable between DMIS and control rats, possibly because of the comparable intestinal CL(int), which may be attributable to increased CYP1A2 expression and decreased CYP2D expression in the intestines of DMIS rats.

Bovine brucellosis is a major animal health problem in the Republic of Korea. Further, a number of human cases of brucellosis have recently been detected. This paper provides an overview of surveillance (to detect new cases) and control (to clear infection following case detection) of bovine brucellosis in the Republic of Korea during 2000-2006. Using data from AIMS (the national animal infectious disease data management system), we conducted separate descriptive analyses, initially using farm and then episode as our unit of interest. An episode was defined as a period of compulsory herd trading restriction, following detection of infection with Brucella abortus in one or more cattle. We also identified risk factors for two measures of disease control: episode duration (logistic generalised estimating equation model) and time to re-restriction (Cox's proportional-hazard model). There were 8530 and 52,739 reactor farms and reactor cattle, respectively, during 2000-2006. From 2004 to 2006, there was a substantial increase in the number of new outbreaks, particularly within the beef sector. The probability of a prolonged episode (>150 days) and the hazard of a second episode each increased with herd size. Further, the hazard of a second episode was higher in 2005 (compared with other years) and in the southeast of Korea (compared with other provinces). The effect of outbreak size on control varied between the beef and dairy sectors. The increase in beef cattle reactors in 2004-2006 is closely aligned to an increase in surveillance effort. Nonetheless, it is likely that this is a genuine reflection of the recent establishment and spread of brucellosis in the Korean beef cattle population. The recent increase in surveillance coverage in the beef sector is central to national eradication efforts. Current strategies to control infection following detection have generally been effective, leading to rapid clearance of infection on most farms. Control becomes problematic with increasing herd size. This work provides a detailed insight into surveillance and control of bovine brucellosis in Korea, and should assist both policy-makers and field veterinarians to improve the effectiveness of national eradication efforts.

In November 2004, antibodies to classical swine fever virus (csfv) were detected in finishing pigs during the annual serological surveillance in Jeju Province, Korea. In addition, csf vaccine viruses (lom strain) had recently been isolated from pigs raised on farms known to have csfv antibody-positive pigs. In contrast with mainland Korea, Jeju Province had been csf free and its pigs had not been vaccinated against csf for more than five years. An epidemiological investigation team from the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service investigated the current status of csf prevention on the Korean mainland and in Jeju Province to determine possible routes of introduction of the virus into the province. It was concluded that improperly processed blood meals, manufactured on mainland Korea, had been contaminated with the csf vaccine lom strain, and that the lom strain had been transmitted to pigs fed feed or feedstuffs containing the contaminated meal.

Sox genes encode transcription factors that are involved in a variety of embryonic developmental pathways. Sox2 and Sox14 are located on the same chromosomal arm in several mammalian and bird species and on the basis of comparative maps were suggested as candidate genes for the major sex-determining locus on tilapia LG3. We have sequenced the sox2 and sox14 genes in four tilapia species and mapped them to different chromosomes, LG17 and LG23 respectively. Although excluded as being one of the major sex-determining genes so far mapped in tilapia, sox14 did fall within a QTL region for growth, stress response, embryonic mortality and a minor effect on sex determination.

The complete genomic nucleotide sequence and structure of Daphne virus S (DVS), a daphne-infecting member of the genus Carlavirus, were determined. The genome of DVS was 8,739 nucleotides long, excluding the poly (A) tails. The genome of DVS contained six open reading frames coding for proteins of Mr 227 kDa (viral replicase), 25 kDa, 11 kDa and 7 kDa (triple gene block TGB) proteins 1, 2 and 3), 35 kDa (coat protein; CP), and 12 kDa from the 5' to 3' ends; respectively. This is the typical genome structure of members of the genus Carlavirus. Overall amino acid sequence similarities for the six ORFs of DVS were from 58.5% to 13.2% to those of the other carlaviruses. The 227 kDa replicase of DVS shared 45.5-39.2% amino acid similarities to that of 8 other known carlaviruses. Results from phylogenetic analyses of viral replicases and CPs demonstrated that DVS is a close relative of Helenium virus S and Chrysanthemum virus B. A total of 13 isolates of DVS shared 100-95.9% identities for the amino acid level and 99.5-81.0% identities for the nucleotide level. This is the first report of the complete genome sequence and structure of DVS and supports the conclusion that DVS is a typical species of the genus Carlavirus.

Sex determination in the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is thought to be an XX-XY (male heterogametic) system controlled by a major gene. We searched for DNA markers linked to this major locus using bulked segregant analysis. Ten microsatellite markers belonging to linkage group 8 were found to be linked to phenotypic sex. The putative Y-chromosome alleles correctly predict the sex of 95% of male and female individuals in two families. Our results suggest a major sex-determining locus within a few centimorgans of markers UNH995 and UNH104. A third family from the same population showed no evidence for linkage of this region with phenotypic sex, indicating that additional genetic and/or environmental factors regulate sex determination in some families. These markers have immediate utility for studying the strength of different Y chromosome alleles, and for identifying broodstock carrying one or more copies of the Y haplotype.

A very low power 8-bit CPU core has been designed based on an original pass-transistor logic family, the SPL (single-rail pass-transistor logic) and SPHL (single-rail pass-transistor and holders logic). The instruction set and external timings are compatible with the Zilog Z80. The average supply current is 740 /spl mu/A at 3 V with a 10 MHz-clock, equivalent to 26% of that of the commercial CMOS Z80 CPU cores using the same design rules.

We have developed (CA)n microsatellite markers for the cichlid fish, Oreochromis niloticus using a variation of the hybrid capture method. The resulting genomic library was highly enriched in repetitive DNA with 96% of clones containing CA repeats. The number of repeats ranged from four to 45 with an average of 19. Two-thirds of the sequenced clones had 12 or more repeats and sufficient flanking sequence to design primers. The resulting markers were tested in an F2 cross of O. niloticus x O. aureus. Nearly 90% of the markers amplified in this cross and 74% of these were informative. This work demonstrates the importance of minimizing the number of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification cycles before and after the enrichment steps to reduce PCR recombination and the generation of chimaeric clones.

Nine vitamin K3 analogs were compared with respect to the induction of the cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) expression in mouse hepatoma Hepa-1c1c7 cells. 6-(4-Diethylamino)phenyl-7-chloro-5,8-quinolinedione (EA4) caused a significant induction of the CYP1A1-mediated ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The induction was accompanied by an increase of the Cyp1a1 mRNA transcription. The transient expression of the mouse Cyp1a1-CAT gene into cells showed that EA4 induced CAT activity. However, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and its nuclear partner, aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator mRNA transcription, were unaffected by the EA4 treatment. When the cells were incubated with EA4 in the presence of 1 nM TCDD, the ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity that was induced by TCDD was significantly suppressed by EA4. Inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide strongly enhanced the EA4-dependent Cyp1a1 mRNA expression. Up-regulation of protein kinase C by a 2 h preincubation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate increased the EA4-dependent expression of the Cyp1a1 gene. In human cells, such as HepG2 (human hepatocarcinoma), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma cell line), and HL-60 (human promyelocytic cell line), the expression of CYP1A1 mRNA was also induced by EA4 treatment. Moreover, CYP1B1 mRNA was increased by EA4 in MCF-7 cells. These results indicate that EA4 modulates CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 expressions by transcriptional activation. Also, protein kinase C may be involved in the induction mechanism of CYP1A1 by EA4.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), an anticancer treatment modality, has recently been shown to be an effective treatment for several autoimmune disease models including antigen-induced arthritis. PDT was found to induce the expression of IL-10 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein in the skin, and this expression has similar kinetics to the appearance of PDT-induced suppression of skin-mediated immune responses such as the contract hypersensitivity (CHS) response. Some aspects of the UVB-induced suppression of the immune response have been linked to the induction of IL-10. IL-10 has been shown to inhibit the development and activation of Th1 cells, which are critical for many cell-mediated immune responses, including CHS. We have examined the effect of PDT and UVB irradiation on the activity of the IL-10 gene promoter and on IL-10 mRNA stability using the murine keratinocyte line, PAM 212. In vitro PDT induces IL-10 mRNA and protein expression from PAM 212 cells, which can be correlated with an increase in AP-1 DNA binding activity and activation of the IL-10 gene promoter by PDT. Deletion of an AP-1 response element from the IL-10 gene promoter was shown to abrogate the PDT-induced promoter activity indicating that the AP-1 response element is critical to IL-10 induction by PDT. In addition, PDT results in an increase in IL-10 mRNA stability, which may also contribute to the increased IL-10 expression in PAM 212 cells following PDT. In vitro UVB irradiation also results in activation of the IL-10 promoter. However, in contrast to PDT, UVB-induced activation of the IL-10 promoter is not AP-1 dependent and did not increase IL-10 mRNA stability.

Between September 1998 and May 1999, 265 cases of encephalitis were reported from among those involved in pig rearing. A few cases were also reported among abattoir workers. This raised questions of the risk of transmission among those who handled raw pork. A serosurvey was conducted among pork sellers in Seremban town, which is about 20 km from one of the pig rearing areas which had reported cases of encephalitis. It was found that out of the 28 pork sellers tested, only one tested positive for Nipah virus antibodies and that this pork seller also worked in an abattoir in the same district, removing the urinary bladders from slaughtered pigs. Based on these findings, it was concluded that the risk of transmission of the virus from handling raw pork appeared to be low.

Observations on nutritional disorders were made by a physician inmate in a concentration camp before and during the Great Starvation in China.Based on therapeutic response, many unique abnormalities should be considered as a part of clinical picture of malnutrition, such as mucocutaneous pigmentation, nail layering phenomena and intranail hemorrhage, palmar/plantar fissures, vegetative system crisis, a avitaminostic fevers, multiple premature beats, and enlargement of cartilage, lymph nodes, and submandibular glands.Thiamin deficiency should be also considered as one, if not the only, etiologic factor of several common disorders, including submandibular gland cyst, Baker's cyst, stenosing tenosynovitis, direct inguinal hernia, among others.

This study documented streaming potentials generated in vivo by maturing osteotomy calluses in 10 canine tibiae. Gap osteotomies were allowed to heal for 6 or 12 weeks and were stabilized by an external fixator. Then, with the dogs under anesthesia, electrical measurements were made from 3 silver-silver chloride electrodes placed surgically in direct contact with the callus, with adjacent cortical bone, and with the medullary canal (reference electrode). Streaming potentials were recorded during step loading and sinusoidal bending (0.1-30 Hertz) as the tibia was deformed by 2 threaded pins coupled to a servohydraulic device. Streaming potentials were generated at callus and adjacent cortical sites, but the magnitude was greater on the immature, flexible callus, where bending strain was concentrated; as the callus became increasingly rigid, strain and streaming potential magnitude were distributed more evenly over the callus and adjacent cortical fragments. When normalized to surface strain, mean streaming potential per strain was less dependent on the microscopic structure, although on individual specimens streaming potential per strain at callus and adjacent cortical bone sites tended to increase with decreasing porosity. Despite a wide variation in data in this pilot series, these observations are consistent with the natural history of callus maturation: the maximum magnitude of streaming potentials in callus appears to decrease as the strain gradient across the site decreases, whereas streaming potentials normalized to strain increase as bone matures and becomes more dense.

The disabling pain of intermittent claudication (IC) arises from oxygen deprivation in the lower limbs during walking. Measurement of the oxygen deficiency within the limb tissue now appears possible with recently expanded understanding of the photon transport through tissue for photons in the visible and near infrared range. Noninvasive measurement consists of preferentially measuring photons that have traveled more deeply into limb tissues and that, therefore, may reach locations of ischemic tissue. Oxygen measurements appear to be possible up to a depth approaching 1.5 cm beneath the surface of the skin. The present study reports on data acquired from the limbs of 11 subjects with IC and 12 subjects without IC. The subjects with IC are patients with clinical findings of claudication based upon segmental Doppler pressure profiles and subjective reports by the patient of pain during exercise. The subjects without IC are individuals with no prior history of ischemic vascular disease. The results consist of photon reflectance measurements at red and infrared wavelengths (approximately 660 nm and 880 nm respectively) taken before, during, and after exercise. Infrared reflectance indices are plotted as well as oxygenation indices generated from combining red and infrared reflectances. A compilation of exercise data shows responses that are generally consistent with the expected physiological responses to mild exercise in subjects with and without IC. We anticipate that the findings of this study may lead to an objective noninvasive testing procedure for measuring the ischemic and exercise-induced changes in muscle oxygenation in the presence of claudication. If the testing of ischemic hypoxia continues to show consistency and accuracy in determining the disability of the subjects with IC, future studies can more effectively test modes of conservative management, such as cessation of smoking, alternative exercise regimens, weight loss, and alternative pharmacological agents.

The compartment syndrome is a well-described clinical entity that results from increased pressure within a myofascial compartment. The infection in a diabetic foot usually presents in the whole compartment and can spread to a neighboring compartment. The association of infection and increased compartment pressure in the diabetic foot makes its treatment a formidable challenge. Fasciotomies of the feet when indicated may accelerate infection control and wound healing in the diabetic foot. The presence of a compartment syndrome in the diabetic foot is seldom recognized. Awareness of this problem is mandatory for physicians dealing with diabetic feet.

Pulmonary scar carcinoma was described as a distinct clinicopathological entity over 50 years ago. There are many theories on the formation of this entity. We present three cases of pulmonary scar carcinoma with a high ratio of adenocarcinoma. One patient had a favorable postoperative course despite a 14-month delay in treatment. Necropsy specimen of another patient showed two primary scar carcinomas unrelated to each other. Literature review and discussion of etiology, diagnosis, and treatment modalities of pulmonary scar carcinoma were done. Pathogenesis and prognosis of the neoplasms associated with apical scars are not clearly understood.

In this paper, a method is proposed for studying the sound radiation behaviors of elastically restrained stiffened orthotropic plates. The plate stiffened by a number of relatively thick beams on the bottom surface of the plate is elastically restrained around the periphery of the plate. In the vibro-acoustic analysis of the plate, the deformation of the stiffened plate is formulated based on the first-order shear deformation theory and the peripheral elastic restraint modeled as a set of distributed springs. The Ritz method is used to construct the equations of motion for the elastically restrained stiffened plate. The response (amplitudes and phases) at any point on the top surface of the plate subjected to harmonic excitation is used in the Rayleigh first integral to calculate the sound pressure generated by the plate. The sound pressure level (SPL) curve of the plate in the audible frequency range (20-20kHz) is constructed for the plate. The proposed method is then used to study the effects of materia...

Perovskite oxides with higher phase transition temperature receive much attention as promising candidates which possess excellent and stable dielectric properties over wide temperature range. In the present research, dense ceramics of Ba-based perovskite oxides of Ba(Cu1/3Nb2/3)O3 (BCN) were fabricated by powder sintering. Mn-substituted BCN (Mn-BCN) ceramics were also fabricated for improving the insulating property of the BCN ceramics. Mn-BCN ceramics were fabricated by powder sintering using fine precursor powders derived from sol-gel solutions. The chemical composition of the precursors were Ba[(Cu1/3Nb2/3)1-yMny]O3 with Mn content of y = 0-0.05. The cylindrical compacts of the powders were heat-treated at 1200-1350°C for 1-6 h for sintering. All of Mn-BCN ceramics consisted of perovskite-type crystal structure in tetragonal system at room temperature. The relative density of the pure and Mn-BCN ceramics sintered at 1300°C for 1 h were higher than 90%. The densities were degraded by firing at higher temperature and/or for longer time, owing to the thermal decomposition of the BCN crystalline phase. The Mn-substitution for BCN ceramics resulted in disappearing the dielectric relaxation and suppressing the leakage current conduction.

Data from 90 lumbar sympathectomies were reviewed to assess the role of a distal thigh/arm Doppler systolic index (DTAI) and of external magnetic flowmeter (MCBF) measurements for predicting patient outcome following lumbar sympathectomy. The presenting symptoms included impending gangrene, gangrene, rest pain, nonhealing ulcers, and disabling claudication. Of the 90 cases, clinical improvement occurred in 57% of the limbs. Major amputation was not required in 73% of the limbs. The MCBF data showed variability which masked the relationship to the effects of sympathectomy. DTAI test results were significantly related to outcome. For DTAI0.6 (57 patients), improvement occurred in 70% of the limbs, with major amputation not required in 86% of the limbs. For DTAI0.6 (33 patients), improvement occurred in only 33% of the limbs, and major amputation was not required in 52% of the limbs. The Doppler systolic index has provided a noninvasive measure that can be used in conjunction with good clinical judgment for predicting the outcome of lumbar sympathectomy.

SynopsisCrinum asiaticum Linne var. japonicum has long been used as a rheumatic remedy, as an anti-pyretic and as an anti-ulcer treatment, and for the alleviation of local pain and fever in Korea and Malaysia. In order to investigate the possibility of Crinum asiaticum Linne var. japonicum extract as a cosmetic ingredient, we measured its anti-inflammatory effect by its inhibition of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) and the release of PGE2, IL-6, and IL-8. We also measured its anti-allergic effect by its inhibition of beta-hexosamidase release. An HPLC experiment after extraction with 95% EtOH at pH 3.5 showed that Crinum asiaticum Linne var. japonicum was mainly composed of lycorine (up to 1%), a well-known immunosuppressor. The content of lycorine varied, depending on the type of plant tissue analysed and the extraction method. In an anti-inflammatory assay for inhibition of nitric oxide formation on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells, the ethanol extract of Crinum asiaticum showed an inhibitory activity of NO production in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 = 58.5 μg ml-1). Additional study by RT-PCR demonstrated that the extract of Crinum asiaticum significantly suppressed the expression of the iNOS gene. Moreover, the extract of Crinum asiaticum did not show any cytotoxicity, but did show a cell proliferation effect against LPS (a 10–60% increase in cell viability). In an assay to determine inhibition of the H2O2-activated release of PGE2, IL-6, and IL-8 in human normal fibroblast cell lines, the release of PGE2 and IL-6 was almost completely inhibited above concentrations of 0.05% and 1%, respectively. Moreover, the release of IL-8 was completely inhibited over the entire range of concentration (> 0.0025%). In order to investigate the skin-sensitizing potentials of the extract of Crinum asiaticum, a human clinical test was performed after repeated epicutaneous 48-h applicaticons under an occlusive patch (RIPT). The repeated and single cutaneous applications of Crinum asiaticum Linne var. japonicum extract under the occlusive patch did not provoke any cumulative irritation and sensitization reactions. The result showed that the extract of Crinum asiaticum Linne var. japonicum has a sufficient anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, Crinum asiaticum Linne var. japonicum extract may be useful for development as an ingredient in cosmetic products.

This study evaluated two changes in fluorometric assessment of fluorescein dye delivery: (1) monitoring the proportional, rather than the absolute, increase above the preinjection background reading at each site to obviate the effect of skin color and (2) employing gradual means of dye administration to facilitate monitoring uptake kinetics and to lessen the likelihood and severity of histamine-mediated reactions. In 15 beagles, background and postdye readings were obtained with the fiberoptic fluorometer at 27 pairs of matched light- and dark-skin sites of intact perfusion. After dye administration, the absolute increase in fluorescence at light sites averaged more than twice (approximately 225%) that at dark sites. However, the newly introduced proportional increase (PI) was independent of pigmentation. The PI of comparably perfused light and dark sites differed by an average of 3.9% (p greater than 0.05 for difference between PIdark and PIlight). This consistency was maintained after each of three methods of fluorescein administration. After the color independence of the PI was established, its relation to perfusion was assessed in nine 3 X 12 cm pedicle flaps of varied pigmentation. Background fluorometric readings were obtained at eight sites along the longitudinal axis of each flap. Dye was administered as a 20-minute 0.25 mg/kg/min infusion. The PI clearly delineated gradations in perfusion, correlating highly with more time-consuming kinetic indexes and accurately predicting viability. The pedicle row, last viable row (V1), and first nonviable row (N1) had mean PI values of 10.5 +/- 4.5, 4.2 +/- 2.6, and 0.1 +/- 0.1, respectively, at 25 minutes after the start of infusion (p less than 0.05 for pedicle vs V1, pedicle vs N1, and V1 vs N1).

A 2.6 inch VGA SOP (System On Panel) employing an advanced CMOS LTPS technology has been developed for mobile applications. Sequential analog data sampling scheme was adopted to achieve the narrow bezel comparable to a-Si panel. The integrated gate driver includes dual logic structure to increase the products yield and the display quality. The data driver applies the line/block overlap driving method to exclude the block-dim. The pixel density is over 300ppi and the aperture ratio is about 40%.