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As humanoid robot technology, anthropomorphized by artificial intelligence (AI), has rapidly advanced to introduce more human-resembling automated robots that can communicate, interact, and work like humans, we have begun to expect active interactions with Humanoid AI Robots (HAIRs) in the near future. Coupled with the HAIR technology development, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered our interest in using health care robots with many substantial advantages that overcome critical human vulnerabilities against the strong infectious COVID-19 virus. Recognizing the tremendous potential for the active application of HAIRs, this article explores feasible ways to implement HAIRs in health care and patient services and suggests recommendations for strategically developing and diffusing autonomous HAIRs in health care facilities. While discussing the integration of HAIRs into health care, this article points out some important ethical concerns that should be addressed for implementing HAIRs for health care services.

Background Ankle sprains are the most common orthopedic pathology experienced during sports and physical activity and often result in chronic ankle instability (CAI). The purpose of this study was to assess osteoarthritic changes in the ankle joint in a surgical CAI mouse model. Method The experiments were performed using 14-week-old ICR male mice (n = 19). Mice were randomly placed into the SH group (sham; control, n = 5), ATFL group (resected anterior talofibular ligament; mild ankle sprain, n = 7), or ATFL + CFL group (resected anterior talofibular ligament / calcaneofibular ligament; severe, n = 7) and housed individually. Behavioral analysis using the frequency of standing on the hind leg was performed. To evaluate the clinical severity of arthritis, bodyweight, paw thickness, and ankle thickness were assessed immediately before sacrifice. Immunohistochemical staining and micro-computed tomography were performed to analyze the arthritic changes of the ankle joint. Serological analysis of inflammatory cytokines and C-terminal telopeptide of type I bone resorption markers was performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Compared with the control group, the ATFL + CFL group significantly aggravated the clinical severity of arthritis. In the ATFL and ATFL + CFL groups, the number of mice standing on the hind leg was significantly decreased. ELISA confirmed that the inflammatory cytokines were significantly increased in the ATFL + CFL group. C-terminal telopeptide of type I levels were increased in the ATFL + CFL group but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the surgical induction of chronic ankle instability (ATFL + CFL) in a mouse model results in the development of osteoarthritis of an ankle joint.

Various additives ranging from inorganic nanoparticles to organic additives have been suggested to improve the insulation performance of polymeric materials for high-voltage engineering applications. Herein, we present a simple method for doping fluorine into a polypropylene (PP) matrix by melt-blending of isotactic PP (iPP) with a small amount of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a thermoplastic voltage stabilizer (TVS). During melt-mixing, the PVDF TVS, which is immiscible with PP, is gradually split into smaller domains within the iPP matrix and was finely distributed, especially at a low PVDF content. The well-distributed PVDF acted as a nucleating agent for the facile crystallization of PP molecules, thus increasing the crystallization temperature (Tc) and decreasing the spherulite size. We found that the direct current (DC) breakdown strength (BDS) values of the PVDF-doped iPP increased by 110% and 149% at 20 and 110°C, respectively, compared to those of the pristine PP. We hypothesize that the presence of fluorine sites as well as the increase in interfaces between spherulites with decreased size, without any significant degradation in the tensile strength and elongation at break below 1.0 phr of PVDF, were the reasons for our findings. Therefore, we anticipate that such PVDF-doped iPP is a potential candidate for high-voltage insulation systems.

An adaptable algorithm is proposed in this study, which can predict the complete load-shortening curve of a stiffened panel subjected to uniaxial longitudinal compression. The algorithm provides an extension to existing empirical formulae initially derived for predicting the ultimate compressive strength of stiffened panels. Based on observations from a series of nonlinear finite element analyses, the compressive load-shortening behaviour of stiffened panels is idealised with a linear pre-collapse response, an arc-shaped nonlinear ultimate collapse region and an asymptotic post-collapse decay. The algorithm allows direct modification of the elastic stiffness, ultimate strain, ultimate strength and post-collapse characteristics of the load shortening curve. This enables the load shortening curve to incorporate characteristics specific to the type of stiffened panel under analysis. The capability of the algorithm is demonstrated through an application with the simplified progressive collapse method to calculate the ultimate ship hull strength of four merchant ships and one naval vessel.

Osteoporosis and other manifestations of bone disease are frequent in patients with systemic mastocytosis (SM) in association with the presence of mast cell infiltrates in bone marrow, although the mechanisms behind bone disease remain poorly understood. We find that extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by neoplastic mast cells and present in the serum of patients with SM (SM-EVs) block osteoblast differentiation and mineralization in culture, and when injected into mice diminish the expression of osteoblast markers, and trabecular bone volume and microarchitecture. We demonstrate that miRNA-30a and miRNA-23a, increased in SM-EVs and neoplastic mast cell-derived EVs, attenuate osteoblast maturation by suppressing expression of RUNX2 and SMAD1/5, essential drivers of osteogenesis. Thus, SM-EVs carry and deliver miRNAs that epigenetically interfere with bone formation and can contribute to bone mass reduction in SM. These findings also suggest possibilities for novel approaches to the management of bone disease in mast cell proliferative disorders., Osteoporosis and bone disease are common in patients with systemic mastocytosis. Here, the authors show that extracellular vesicles released by neoplastic mast cells of the patients block osteoblast differentiation and bone mineralization when injected into mice, via a mechanism involving suppression of osteogenic factors via miRNA-30a and miRNA-23a.

This study proposes a simplified empirical formulation to predict the ultimate strength of the initially deflected plate subjected to longitudinal compression. The empirical formulation's applicability and accuracy were verified by comparing the nonlinear finite element method (NLFEM). In total, 700 cases of initially deflected plate scenarios by assuming the buckling mode shape were adopted as the input data. For the simplification of the plate design process, a general shape of the empirical formula is proposed based on input data. A reliable technical solution is obtained with good agreements (R2 = 0.98 to 0.99) compared to NLFEM. The advantage of the proposed outcome is documented by comparing the previous study. The obtained result could be beneficial for the structural design of the initially deflected plate in predicting its ultimate strength performance under longitudinal compression.

Background/Aims We investigated the efficiency of the indirect ratio of anti-HBc IgG at predicting HBsAg seroclearance in patients with nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA)-induced HBeAg seroclearance. Methods We performed a retrospective study that included 366 chronic hepatitis B patients (March 2007 to December 2016) at a single tertiary hospital. These patients were HBsAg seropositive, and experienced NA-induced HBeAg seroclearance. The indirect ratio of light absorbance of anti-HBc IgG levels were measured with chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay using the Architect Anti-HBc assay (Abbott Laboratories, IL, USA) as a qualitative method prior to antiviral therapy. We calculated the cumulative incidences of HBsAg seroclearance based on the anti-HBc IgG levels. Results After a 10-year follow-up, 48 patients experienced HBsAg seroclearance (13.1%). Thirty-three of 179 patients who had an indirect ratio of light absorbance of anti-HBc IgG

In this study, the technical papers on structural condition assessment of aged fixed-type offshore platforms reported over the past few decades are presented. Other ancillary related works are also discussed. Large numbers of researches are available in the area of requalification for life extension of offshore jacket platforms. Many of these studies involve reassessment of existing platforms by means of conducting pushover analysis, a static nonlinear collapse analysis method to evaluate the structure nonlinear behaviour and capacity beyond the elastic limit. From here, the failure mechanism and inherent reserve strength/capacity of the overall truss structure are determined. This method of doing reassessment is described clearly in the industry-adopted codes and standards such the API, ISO, PTS and NORSOK codes. This may help understand the structural behaviour of aged fixed offshore jacket structures for maintenance or decommissioning.

Considerable efforts have been devoted to developing rapid methodologies for predicting the residual strength of ship hull girders for a given damage scenario (e.g., R–D diagram). This task is usually challenged by the difficulty of a proper definition of damaged scenarios, which is a function of the damage location and extent. The concept of damage index (DI) was proposed to resolve this issue, and its application has been demonstrated previously through the incorporation of the Intelligent Supersize Finite Element Method (ISFEM) and Modified Paik–Mansour (P–M) approach. Alternatively, a Smith-type progressive collapse can be adopted. In fact, this may enable a more comprehensive application of the DI concept, as the Smith-type approach is codified in the Common Structural Rule (CSR) for assessing the longitudinal strength of the hull girder. In light of this, the damage index based assessment tools (i.e., R–D diagram) incorporated with a Smith-type progressive collapse method is presented in this paper. This also facilitates a comparison with the R–D diagram previously developed by ISFEM and Modified P–M approach. Discussion is given regarding the discrepancy between different methods, and recommendations for future research are outlined.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic recurrent inflammatory disease of the digestive tract and increases the risk of colon cancer.This study evaluates the effects of dietary intervention with freeze-dried plum (FDP), a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory fruit with no toxicity on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute and chronic experimental colitis in a mouse model and studies the molecular mechanisms of protection through the gut-liver axis. The results show that FDP decreases the levels of inflammatory mediators, which is a nitrative stress biomarker in both acute and chronic models. FDP markedly reduces DSS-induced injury to the colonic epithelium in both acute and chronic models. In addition, FDP significantly decreases the levels of pro-oxidant markers such as CYP2E1, iNOS, and nitrated proteins (detected by anti-3-NT antibody) in DSS-induced acute and chronic colonic injury models. Furthermore, FDP markedly reduces markers of liver injury such as serum ALT/AST, antioxidant markers, and inflammatory mediators in DSS-induced acute and chronic colonic injury.These results demonstrate that the FDP exhibits a protective effect on DSS-induced acute and chronic colonic and liver injury through the gut-liver axis via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Floods are among the most frequent and devastating natural hazards and disasters in many southern states in the United States. This study examined the relationship and reciprocal predictability between two theoretical constructs—risk perception attitude (RPA) and information-seeking efficacy (ISE)—in regard to pluvial floods. In addition, this study extended these theoretical constructs to investigate differences in RPA and ISE among potential audience segments, providing practitioners with applicable insights for designing effective flood prevention and risk management campaigns. Analysis of data from 716 residents in south Louisiana revealed a statistically strong relationship between RPA and ISE. This research also identified specific audience segments that would benefit from an increase in RPA and ISE concerning floods. These meaningful findings inform a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the relationship between RPA and ISE and guide future disaster preparation campaigns and policies.

Background In the emergency department (ED), adequate pain control is essential for managing patients; however, children with pain are known to receive less analgesia than adults with pain. We introduce the Pain Passport to improve pain management in paediatric patients with suspected fractures in the ED. Methods This was a before-and-after study. We reviewed the medical records of paediatric patients who were primarily diagnosed with fractures from May to August 2015. After the introduction of the Pain Passport, eligible children were enrolled from May to August 2016. Demographics, analgesic administration rates, time intervals between ED arrival and analgesic administration, and satisfaction scores were obtained. We compared the analgesic prescription rate between the two periods using multiple logistic regression. Results A total of 58 patients were analysed. The baseline characteristics of subjects during the two periods were not significantly different. Before the introduction of the Pain Passport, 9 children (31.0%) were given analgesics, while after the introduction of the Pain Passport, a significantly higher percentage of patients (24/29, 82.8%) were treated with analgesics (P < 0.001). The median administration times were 112 (interquartile range [IQR], 64-150) minutes in the pre-intervention period and 24 (IQR, 20-74) minutes in the post-intervention period. The median satisfaction score for the post-intervention period was 4 (IQR, 3-5). The adjusted odds ratio for providing analgesics in the post-intervention period was 25.91 (95% confidence interval, 4.36-154.02). Conclusions Patient-centred pain scoring with the Pain Passport improved pain management in patients with suspected fractures in the paediatric ED.

Objective Trampoline-related injuries have increased in South Korea. However, little research has been conducted on this topic. This study aimed to show the characteristics of pediatric trampoline-related injuries in South Korea and to investigate the factors associated with admission. Methods A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted using data from South Korea’s Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance registry for dates between January 2011 and December 2016. All patients under 18 years of age with trampoline-related injuries were included. We divided the patients into two groups based on whether they were admitted or discharged. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate the factors associated with hospital admission for pediatric trampoline-related injuries. Results A total of 2,745 patients were enrolled and the incidence increased over time (P for trend

Background Extracellular vesicle (EV)–mimetic nanovesicles (NVs) from embryonic stem cells have been observed to stimulate neurovascular regeneration in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic mouse. Pericytes play important roles in maintaining penile erection, yet no previous studies have explored the effects of pericyte-derived NVs (PC-NVs) in neurovascular regeneration in the context of erectile dysfunction. Aim To investigate the potential effect of PC-NVs in neurovascular regeneration. Methods PC-NVs were isolated from mouse cavernous pericytes, and neurovascular regeneration was evaluated in an in vitro study. Twelve-week-old C57BL/6J mice were used to prepare cavernous nerve injury model. Erectile function evaluation, histologic examination of the penis, and Western blots were assessed 2 weeks after model creation and PC-NVs treatment. Outcomes The main outcomes of this study are PC-NVs characterization, intracavernous pressure, neurovascular regeneration in the penis, and in vitro functional evaluation. Results The PC-NVs were extracted and characterized by cryotransmission electron microscopy and EV-positive (Alix, TSG101, CD81) and EV-negative (GM130) markers. In the in vivo studies, PC-NVs successfully improved erectile function in cavernous nerve injury mice (∼82% of control values). Immunofluorescence staining showed significant increases in pericytes, endothelial cell, and neuronal contents. In the in vitro studies, PC-NVs significantly increased mouse cavernous endothelial cells tube formation, Schwann cell migration, and dorsal root ganglion and major pelvic ganglion neurite sprouting. Finally, Western blot analysis revealed that PC-NVs upregulated cell survival signaling (Akt and eNOS) and induced the expression of neurotrophic factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3, and nerve growth factor). Clinical Implications PC-NVs may be used as a strategy to treat erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy or in men with neurovascular diseases. Strengths & Limitations We evaluated the effect of PC-NVs in vitro and in a mouse nerve injury model, cavernous nerve injury. Additional studies are necessary to determine the detailed mechanisms of neurovascular improvement. Further study is needed to test whether PC-NVs are also effective when given weeks or months after nerve injury. Conclusion PC-NVs significantly improved erectile function by enhancing neurovascular regeneration. Local treatment with PC-NVs may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neurovascular diseases.

Background: The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), especially the KPC-2-producing Klebisella pneumoniae, is rapidly increasing and becoming a menace to global public health. This study aims to present the molecular epidemiology of the KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae isolates emerged in a tertiary hospital in South Korea and describe its clinical significance. Methods: This study included carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates collected from a tertiary hospital from April to December in 2018. Antimicrobial susceptibility of K. pneumoniae isolates was tested using disk diffusion method. PCR and DNA sequence analyses were performed to identify the resistance genotype. In addition, the molecular epidemiology was investigated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequencing typing (MLST). Results: Total 100 KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae isolates were collected, which were mainly classified into two pulsotypes according to the XbaI restriction digestion pattern by PGFE analysis (pulsotype A, n = 31; pulsotype B, n = 63). The isolates exhibiting pulsotype A belonged to ST395 and the remaining isolates exhibiting pulsotype B were attributed to ST307 by MLST analysis. Conclusion: This study investigated clinical information and molecular bacterial profiles for KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae isolates. These findings indicate that the proper infection control activities are needed to prevent the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms such as CPE, which could cause high mortality in clinical field.

Drs Abhijit Banergee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their remarkable series of large-scale field experiments to lessen global poverty. The main ...

Background Isolated true aneurysms in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) have rarely been reported. Most cases are undiagnosed until rupture or the occurrence of complications. Case summary A 36-year-old woman presented with a palpable, pulsating mass on her right thigh which had increased in size over 2 months. She also had a swollen right leg and mild claudication (Stage II in Rutherford classification). For 2 months, the patient was treated by manual massage, acupuncture, and extracorporeal shock wave therapy in local clinics. Bed-side ultrasonography identified a 3.4-cm sized true aneurysm of the right SFA. There were no other aneurysms in arteries from head to toe. There was no evidence of atherosclerotic risk factors or connective tissue disease. The patient was successfully treated by a covered stent graft implantation without any complications. Discussion Isolated true aneurysm in the SFA is rare and tends to go undiagnosed especially in young women. Ultrasonography is an easy and useful diagnostic tool for differential diagnosis of thigh mass. In this case, endovascular treatment was safely applied for a true aneurysm without rupture.

Tubing is part of a typical vertical well system which functions to transport hydrocarbon from the producing formations to the field surface facilities for processing. With its exposure to the hars...

In this study (Part II), the empirical formulation of corrosion model of a ship’s ballast tank was developed to predict nonlinear time-dependent corrosion wastage based on the advanced data processing technique proposed by Part I. The detail on how to propose generalised mathematical formulation of corrosion model was precisely documented in the previous paper (Part I). The statistical scatter of corrosion data at any exposure time was investigated by the refined method and formulated based on a 2-parameter Weibull distribution which selected the best fit PDF. Throughout the nine (9) steps, empirical formulation of the ship’s seawater ballast tank was successfully proposed and four (4) key step results were also obtained. The proposed method in Part I was verified and confirmed by this application of seawater ballast tank, thus making it possible to predict accurate behaviours of nonlinear time-dependent corrosion. Developed procedures and obtained corrosion damage model for ship’s seawater ballast tank can be used for development of engineering software.

A reliable and cost-effective technique for the development of corrosion damage model is introduced to predict nonlinear time-dependent corrosion wastage of steel structures. A detailed explanation on how to propose a generalised mathematical formulation of the corrosion model is investigated in this paper (Part I), and verification and application of the developed method are covered in the following paper (Part II) by adopting corrosion data of a ship’s ballast tank structure. In this study, probabilistic approaches including statistical analysis were applied to select the best fit probability density function (PDF) for the measured corrosion data. The sub-parameters of selected PDF, e.g., the largest extreme value distribution consisting of scale, and shape parameters, can be formulated as a function of time using curve fitting method. The proposed technique to formulate the refined time-dependent corrosion wastage model (TDCWM) will be useful for engineers as it provides an easy and accurate prediction of the 1) starting time of corrosion, 2) remaining life of the structure, and 3) nonlinear corrosion damage amount over time. In addition, the obtained outcome can be utilised for the development of simplified engineering software shown in Appendix B.

The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) rule is commonly used for predicting the need for computed tomography (CT) scans in children with mild head trauma. The objective of this study was to validate the PECARN rule in Korean children presenting to the pediatric emergency department (PED) with head trauma. This study was a multicenter, retrospective, observational cohort study in two teaching PEDs in Korea between August 2015 and August 2016. In this observational study, 448 patients who visited PEDs were included in the final analysis. Risk stratification was performed with clinical decision support software based on the PECARN rule, and decisions to perform CT scans were subsequently made. Patients were followed-up by phone call between 7 days and 90 days after discharge from the PED. The sensitivity and specificity were analyzed. The sensitivity was 100% for all age groups, and no cases of clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI) were identified in the very-low-risk group. CT scans were performed for 14.7% of patients in this study and for 33.8% in the original PECARN study. The PECARN rule successfully identified low-risk patients, and no cases of ciTBI were missed despite the reduced proportion of patients undergoing CT scans.

Cylindrical shell is a common structural design solution in many engineering fields, such as the foundation supporting structures and buoyant column of the offshore wind turbine in the maritime sector. Operating in an ocean environment, these cylindrical shell structures need to withstand a combination of axial compression, bending moment, torsion and external pressure. This study contributes a parametric investigation for unstiffened cylindrical shells subjected to axial compression. Emphasis is placed on the ultimate strength characteristics and their relation with the initial geometric imperfection. The nonlinear finite element method is adopted by considering geometric and material nonlinearities in conjunction with an arc-length incrementation to solve the governing equilibrium equation. The numerical prediction is compared with the prevailing code-based approach, i.e. DNV, ABS, API and Eurocode. This study shows that the ultimate strength of unstiffened cylindrical shells in axial compression is highly sensitive to initial geometric imperfection. The code-based formulae appear to be overly conservative for predicting the ultimate compressive strength of cylindrical shells.

Introduction: We sought to determine whether the delta neutrophil index (DNI), a marker that is reported to be used to predict the diagnosis, prognosis, and disease severity of bacteremia and sepsis, is useful in differentiating bacterial infection without bacteremia (BIWB) from viral infections (VI) in pediatric febrile patients in the emergency department (ED). Method: We conducted a retrospective analysis of febrile patients’ medical records from the pediatric ED of the teaching hospital. The patients with BIWB and those with VI were identified with a review of medical records. The primary outcome was the diagnostic performance of DNI in differentiating BIWB from VI. The secondary outcome was a comparison of the diagnostic performances of DNI, CRP, WBC, and neutrophil count between the two groups. Results: A total of 151 (26.3%) patients were in the BIWB group, and 423 (73.7%) were in the VI group. There was no significant difference in DNI between the two groups (3.51 ± 6.90 vs. 3.07 ± 5.82, mean ± SD, BIWB vs. VI). However, CRP levels were significantly higher in the BIWB group than in the VI group (4.56 ± 5.45 vs. 1.39 ± 2.12, mean ± SD, BIWB vs. VI, p < 0.05). The AUROCs of DNI, WBC count, neutrophil levels, RDW, and CRP levels were 0.5016, 0.5531, 0.5631, 0.5131, and 0.7389, respectively, and only CRP levels were helpful in differentiating BIWB from VI. Conclusion: In the absence of bacteremia, DNI would not be helpful in differentiating BIWB from VI in pediatric febrile patients.

Croup treatment usually involves a single dose of systemic dexamethasone combined with nebulized epinephrine. However, the optimal dose of l-epinephrine remains unclear. We examined whether a low dose (0.1 mg/kg) was inferior to the conventional dose (0.5 mg/kg) of 1:1000 nebulized l-epinephrine in patients with moderate to severe croup.This randomized double-blind clinical non-inferiority trial was conducted in three pediatric emergency departments from May 2015 to October 2017. Children 6 months to 5 years old with moderate to severe croup (Westley scale scores 3-11) were eligible. Subjects were randomly assigned to the conventional dose (0.5 mg/kg: maximum 5 mg) or low dose (0.1 mg/kg; maximum 1 mg) group. All subjects received 0.6 mg/kg dexamethasone. Croup scores and other vital signs were measured before and at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after nebulized l-epinephrine administration. The primary outcome was the change in croup score after 30 min.The final analysis included 84 patients. The groups did not differ significantly in terms of demographic parameters. At 30 min after treatment with nebulized l-epinephrine, the croup scores in both groups were significantly reduced from the baseline values (p 0.05) and did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.42). Neither blood pressure nor heart rate differed between the two groups.Low-dose 1:1000 l-epinephrine was not inferior in croup score reduction to the conventional dose in patients with moderate to severe croup. Clinical trial No: NCT01664507, KCT0002318.

Controlling ferromagnetic thickness (t) and properties such as saturation magnetization (Ms) and effective magnetic anisotropy constant (Keff) has been regarded as critical for the performance of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Here, we report the effects of hybridizing a CoFeB layer with a FeNiSiB layer as part of a magnetic free layer structure. We deposited thin film stacks by magnetron sputtering on Si wafers with thermal oxides and carried out post-deposition heat treatment at 300 °C for 1 h in a vacuum under a magnetic field. We found that Ms and Keff could be tuned by adding a layer of amorphous FeNiSiB. While the Ms and Keff values were modified, the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratios of the MTJs were maintained, even though the CoFeB thickness was decreased by half. Moreover, an asymmetric bias voltage dependence of TMR was suppressed in the MTJs with FeNiSiB/CoFeB hybrid free layers due to improvements in the interface quality between the CoFeB/MgO interfaces.

Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (PPE)/Nylon 66 blends have been considered as the potential heat resistant engineering plastics with high mechanical toughness and flame retardancy, suitable for high temperature applications. However, incompatibility between PPE and Nylon 66 and poor thermal stability of Nylon 66 degrade mechanical toughness and flame retardancy. In this work, for the first time, the PPE/Nylon 66 blends with high mechanical toughness and flame retardancy simultaneously have been prepared through newly synthesized compatibilizer of PPE grafted with fumaric acid (PPE-g-FA) and environmental-friendly non-halogen organic phosphinate flame retardant. The PPE/Nylon 66 blend achieved not only V0 grade flame retardancy with the help of improved fire resistance through the solid phase reaction of non-halogenic flame retardant, but also large impact strength larger than 10 kJ/m2 due to the strong compatibility of PPE-g-FA.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD

Angiopoietin (Angpt)-Tie receptor 2 (Tie2) plays key roles in vascular development and homeostasis as well as pathological vascular remodeling. Therefore, Tie2-agonistic antibody and engineered Angpt1 variants have been developed as potential therapeutics for ischemic and inflammatory vascular diseases. However, their underlying mechanisms for Tie2 clustering and activation remain elusive and the poor manufacturability and stability of Angpt1 variants limit their clinical application. Here, we develop a human Tie2-agonistic antibody (hTAAB), which targets the membrane proximal fibronectin type III domain of Tie2 distinct from the Angpt-binding site. Our Tie2/hTAAB complex structures reveal that hTAAB tethers the preformed Tie2 homodimers into polygonal assemblies through specific binding to Tie2 Fn3 domain. Notably, the polygonal Tie2 clustering induced by hTAAB is critical for Tie2 activation and are resistant to antagonism by Angpt2. Our results provide insight into the molecular mechanism of Tie2 clustering and activation mediated by hTAAB, and the structure-based humanization of hTAAB creates a potential clinical application., Angiopoietin (Angpt)-Tie receptor 2 (Tie2) regulates vascular stability and is thus a potential therapeutic target in vascular diseases. Here, the authors report a Tie2-agonistic antibody which targets a site distinct from the Angpt 1-binding site and which influences Tie2 clustering and activation in an Angpt2 inhibition-resistant manner.

Cylindrical shell is a fundamental building block of many engineering structures. They are usually designed to be the primary load-carrying component to withstand different combinations of environmental loads. This paper presents a fibre-based approach to modelling the progressive collapse of cylindrical shells under combined axial compression and bending moment. In this method, the progressive collapse behaviour of cylindrical shells is incrementally evaluated by accounting for the local response of each fibre element. This approach offers a computationally efficient and robust scheme to compute the ultimate strength of cylindrical shells. Moreover, it enables the modelling of load-shedding between the buckled and intact shell elements on the compressive side, and the yielding failure on the tensile side, which appears to be ignored in existing design codes. Analyses are performed on cylindrical shells with a wide range of design parameters. Validation using the finite element method demonstrates a reasonably well performance of the proposed fibre-based modelling technique.

Environmental pollution causes severe damage to local communities, which is perceived differently by different victims, that is, the damage is discriminatory. However, previous studies have not focused on this aspect. Here, we explored the perceptions of different victims of the Hebei Spirit oil spill incident of Korea. Additionally, we explored the importance of considering discriminatory aspects of damage when planning recovery governance. The damages from the oil spill were analyzed using a text mining technique for each subject based on factor analyses. Women and residents older than 60 years were interested in the social relations of the village community, residents in their 40s, who were raising children and teenagers, were interested in the economic aspects, boat fishermen, who had discontinued fishing to participate in the pollution response activity in the early stages of the incident, were interested in disaster prevention, and women divers were interested in health issues. Hence, restoring the economy and environment and reversing indirect social damages are essential for recovery from pollution damage. Furthermore, governance for recovery must not exclude specific victims based on the discriminatory aspects of damages. A political process is necessary to secure the validity of governance and alternatives by involving different victim groups.

Wild birds can carry avian influenza viruses (AIV), including those with pandemic or panzootic potential, long distances. Even though AIV has a broad host range, few studies account for host diversity when estimating AIV spread. We analyzed AIV genomic sequences from North American wild birds, including 303 newly sequenced isolates, to estimate interspecies transmission and geographic diffusion patterns among multiple co-circulating subtypes. Our results show high transition rates within Anseriformes and Charadriiformes, but limited transitions between these orders. Patterns of interspecies transmission were positively associated with breeding habitat range overlap, and negatively associated with host genetic distance. Distance between regions (negative correlation) and summer temperature at origin (positive correlation) were strong predictors of diffusion. Taken together, this study demonstrates that host diversity and ecology can determine evolutionary processes that underlie AIV natural history and spread. Understanding these processes can provide important insights for effective control of AIV.

The simplified progressive collapse method is codified in the IACS Common Structural Rules (CSR) to calculate the ultimate strength of ship hull girders in longitudinal bending. Several benchmark studies have demonstrated the uncertainty of this method, which is primarily attributed to the variation in the load-shortening curve (LSC) of local structural components adopted by different participants. Quantifying this computational uncertainty will allow the model error factor applied for the ultimate strength of hull girder in a reliability-based ship structural design to be determined. A probabilistic approach is proposed in this paper to evaluate the prediction uncertainty of ultimate strength of the hull girder caused by the critical characteristics within the LSCs. The probability distributions of critical load-shortening characteristics of stiffened panels are developed based on a dataset generated by empirical formulae and the nonlinear finite element method. An adaptable LSC formulation, with the ability to cater for specific response features of local components, is utilised in conjunction with the Monte-Carlo simulation procedure and the simplified progressive collapse method to calculate the ultimate strength of a hull girder at each sampling. The proposed method is applied to four merchant ships and four naval vessels. The computational uncertainties of the ultimate strength of the case study vessels are discussed in association with their mean values and standard deviations. The study shows that the ultimate strength of ship hull girders is subjected to different uncertainties in sagging and hogging. Whist the strength of merchant ships are primarily governed by the ultimate compressive strength of critical stiffened panels, the strength of naval vessels are also sensitive to the post-collapse response of critical members.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the leading causes of respiratory infections, especially in infants and young children. Previous RSV sequencing studies have primarily focused on partial sequencing of G gene (200-300 nucleotides) for genotype characterization or diagnostics. However, the genotype assignment with G gene has not recapitulated the phylogenetic signal of other genes, and there is no consensus on RSV genotype definition.We conducted maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis with 10 RSV individual genes and whole-genome sequence (WGS) that are published in GenBank. RSV genotypes were determined by using phylogenetic analysis and pair-wise node distances.In this study, we first statistically examined the phylogenetic incongruence, rate variation for each RSV gene sequence and WGS. We then proposed a new RSV genotyping system based on a comparative analysis of WGS and the temporal distribution of strains. We also provide an RSV classification tool to perform RSV genotype assignment and a publicly accessible up-to-date instance of Nextstrain where the phylogenetic relationship of all genotypes can be explored.This revised RSV genotyping system will provide important information for disease surveillance, epidemiology, and vaccine development.