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The purpose of our study was to assess the extrarenal length of renal arterial branches and tumour-feeding arteries on multidetector CT (MDCT) angiography, in addition to the perihilar branching patterns, with relevance to segmental artery clamping.MDCT angiograms of 64 patients with renal masses4 cm were retrospectively reviewed by 2 radiologists. The perihilar branching patterns of the single main renal artery were assessed according to the number of pre-segmental and segmental arteries. The extrarenal lengths of segmental plus pre-segmental arteries and the tumour-feeding arteries, measured on volume-rendered images, were compared according to the vascular segmentation and the tumour location, respectively.In the 116 kidneys, 1 pre-segmental plus 5 segmental arteries (n=48) was the most common branching pattern. The mean extrarenal length of the inferior segmental plus pre-segmental arteries (33.05 mm) and the posterior segmental plus pre-segmental arteries (32.30 mm) was longer than any of the other segmental plus pre-segmental arteries (apical, 23.87 mm; superior, 26.80 mm; middle, 29.23 mm) (p0.05). The mean extrarenal length of the lower pole tumour-feeding arteries (35.94 mm) was longer than those of the upper and mid-pole tumour-feeding arteries (24.95 mm, 29.62 mm), with significant difference between the lower and the upper pole tumour-feeding arteries (p0.05).Tumours in the lower pole, supplied by the inferior or posterior segmental artery, may be more amenable to segmental artery clamping.MDCT angiography with volume rendering can demonstrate the extrarenal length of tumour-feeding arteries and may help in determining the accessibility for segmental artery clamping.

The possibility is addressed of improving the electromigration resistance of Al and Al–Cu thin‐film conductors with ‘‘quasi‐bamboo’’ structures by post‐pattern anneals that decrease the maximum polygranular segment length. Pure Al, Al–2Cu, and Al–2Cu–1Si lines were patterned and annealed at temperatures high enough to stimulate grain growth. Appropriate anneals led to predominantly bamboo structures with short polygranular segments. These grain structures had a high median time to failure with a relatively low deviation of the time to failure. Metallographic analyses showed that polygranular segment length was a dominant factor in determining the failure site. Post‐pattern annealing promotes a preferential shortening of the relatively long polygranular segments that cause early failures. However, even after annealing, failure occurred at the longest residual polygranular segments, even when these were significantly shorter than the ‘‘Blech length’’ under the test conditions. Statistical analysis of the failure of alloy lines revealed a simple exponential relation between the failure time and the longest polygranular segment length within a line, which is functionally identical to that previously found for lines tested in the as‐patterned condition.

The BES experiment at the Beijing electron-positron collider has observed the $\ensuremath{\xi}$(2230) signal in ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, ${K}^{+}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, ${K}_{S}^{0}{K}_{S}^{0}$, and $p\overline{p}$ final states with $4.6\ensuremath{\sigma}$, $4.1\ensuremath{\sigma}$, $4.0\ensuremath{\sigma}$, and $3.8\ensuremath{\sigma}$ statistical significances, respectively. The new observations of two nonstrange decay modes of $\ensuremath{\xi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and $p\overline{p}$ are important evidence for the glueball interpretation of the $\ensuremath{\xi}(2230)$.

Electromigration is a serious potential source of failure in the narrow, thin-film Al-Cu conductors used in modern microelectronic devices. The problem has become more acute as line widths have shrunk to below one micrometer, creating lines with quasi-bamboo microstructures. The usual mechanism of internal electromigration failure in such lines involves the formation of a transgranular void across a bamboo grain at the upstream end of a long, polygranular segment, preceded by the depletion of copper from both the polygranular segment and the upstream bamboo grain. At least three metallurgical mechanisms are available to inhibit this failure mechanism and improve the useful lifetime of the line, Each of these methods has been demonstrated in the laboratory environment.

The work reported here concerns the effect of a brief exposure to a reversed current on the electromigration failure of narrow Al-Cu thin-film conducting lines. While the precise mechanism by which Cu retards electromigration in AlCu alloys is not fully understood, the consistent observation that electromigration failure is preceded by the sweeping of Cu from the failure site can be used to improve electromigration resistance by stabilizing the distribution of Cu. One way of doing this is to expose the Al-Cu line to a reverse current for some period of time. The present work shows that this method is particularly effective in thin lines with “quasi-bamboo” microstructures. It has the effect of building a reservoir of Cu at the upstream ends of the polygranular segments that are the preferred failure sites, and significantly increases both the mean time to failure, and the time to first failure of a distribution of lines. It can be inferred from these results that Al-Cu lines that conduct alternating current should be exceptionally resistant to electromigration failure.

The development of the transitional boundary layers on a flat plate in uniform and non-uniform incoming flows was experimentally investigated. The mean velocity profiles and the wall shear stresses on a flat plate were measured in the wakes which were generated by circular cylinders and a flat plate ahead of the test plate. A computational Preston tube method (CPM) originally proposed by Nitsche et al. (1983) was adopted and refined to measure the skin friction coefficients in the transitional boundary layer. The CPM was verified as a useful tool to measure the skin-friction over the transitional boundary layer with reasonable accuracy. As the turbulence level in the wakes increased, the starting and ending points of the transition moved progressively upstream. For the same turbulence intensities, the transition was delayed with increase of the length scale. The skin-friction coefficients at the downstream stations in the wake flow were considerably and consistently smaller than the values in the equilibrium turbulent boundary layer of the uniform flow. The transition length for the cases of the plate-wake were shorter than those for the cases of the cylinder-wake as well as the uniform flow.

The Beijing Spectrometer (BES) Collaboration has observed exclusive pair production of D_s mesons at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider (BEPC) at a center-of-mass energy of 4.03 GeV. The D_s mesons are detected in the φπ^+, K¯^(*0)K^+, and K¯^0K^+ decay modes; two fully reconstructed events yield the value (3.9_(-1.9-1.1)^(+5.1+1.8))% for the D_s branching fraction to φπ. This is the first direct, model-independent measurement of this quantity.

Despite the great potential for flexible large-area applications in organic electronics, electrical and structural instabilities have been widely regarded as an unavoidable weakness of organic semiconductors. Electronic components made of organic molecules are considered more fragile and sensitive to external conditions than their inorganic counterparts and the lifetime of them is shorter than that of conventional devices. Despite these shortcuts it is even more surprising that organic field-effect transistors (FETs) can undergo a self-healing process, i.e. their electrical characteristics can counter-intuitively improve over time, due to the unstable nature of weakly bound molecules. This remarkable phenomenon has never been understood completely. In this work, we demonstrate that the self-healing in pentacene FETs is induced by a structural phase transformation and can be triggered by various extrinsic or intrinsic influences. We evaluate in detail the necessary conditions for electrical self-healing in pentacene FETs and reveal the structure-property relation at the heart of this phenomenon: a structural phase transformation from the metastable monolayer phase to the so called “thin film phase”. The transformation basically involves a tilt of the molecules against the surface normal near both interfaces of pentacene thin films (pentacene-dielectric and metal-pentacene) and has a profound influence on the electronic properties of pentacene FETs, which we demonstrate by way of electronic structure calculations using DFT and semi-classical transport theory. Finally, possible external triggers able to initiate the self-healing process are discussed. A case study adopting various fabrication procedures reveals that external triggers such as nitrogen gas or other organic compounds seem to be necessary to initiate the self-healing process.

The cross sections for e+e− → hadrons, e+e−, μ+μ− have been measured in the vicinity of the J Ψ resonance using the BES detector operated at BEPC. The partial widths for J Ψ to hadrons, electrons, muons and the total width have been determined to be Γh = 74.1 ± 8.1 keV, Γe = 5.14 ± 0.39 keV, Γμ = 5.13 ± 0.52 keV, and Γ = 84.4 ± 8.9 keV, respectively.

A study was carried out to observe a heat-affected zone (HAZ) in a deformed Fe-Cr-Ni system containing α′ martensite using high-Tc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscopy. Microstructure and remanent magnetization images were studied by an optical microscope and a SQUID microscope, respectively. The HAZ, in which only the face-centered-cubic austenite phase exists, could be visualized by the SQUID microscope. It was also found that the SQUID images were consistent with the results from the microstructural analysis. It was concluded that a simple SQUID measurement may serve as an effective method for a nondestructive evaluation of ferromagnetic steel phases by correlating remanent magnetization images to microstructural characteristics.

Dexmedetomidine has been shown to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in rats with sepsis and in severely ill patients. The aim of this study was to document the effects of dexmedetomidine on inflammatory responses during and after surgery.Patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were enrolled. After induction of anaesthesia, patients in the dexmedetomidine group (n = 24, group D) received a loading dose of dexmedetomidine (1.0 μg/kg), followed by infusion of dexmedetomidine at 0.5 μg/kg/h. A saline-treated group (n = 23, group S) served as a control. Intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and amount of rescue analgesic administered as post-anaesthetic care were compared between the groups. The pro-inflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, and anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 were quantified by sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay at three times: after anaesthesia induction (T0), at the end of peritoneal closure (T1), and 60 min after surgery (T2). The C-reactive protein (CRP) level and leukocyte count were measured on post-operative day 1.At time points T1 and T2, the IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 levels were lower in group D than in group S (P0.05). The CRP level and leukocyte count on post-operative day 1 were also lower in group D (P0.05), as were intraoperative MAP, HR, and amount of rescue analgesic administered after surgery.Dexmedetomidine administration during surgery reduced intraoperative and post-operative secretion of cytokines, as well as post-operative leukocyte count and CRP level.

Purpose: Hizikia fusiforme is renowned for the possession of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. In this study, the role of the ethyl alcohol extract of H. fusiforme (EAHF) in the induction of apoptosis in human leukemia U937 cells was investigated. Methods: Protein expression was investigated by Western blot analysis. Cell viability and apoptosis were analyzed by an MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis. Caspase activity was analyzed using a caspase-specific kit. Results: EAHF suppressed the proliferation of U937 cells in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was closely related to the induction of apoptosis via the downregulation of IAP family members such as IAP-1, IAP-2 and XIAP, as well as Bcl-2 proteins. The results also showed that caspases play an essential role in EAHF-induced apoptosis by generating of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, ROS scavenging by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and glutathione (GSH) decreased EAHF-induced apoptosis via the suppression of caspase activity. Although EAHF induced the phosphorylation of mitogenactivated protein kinases (MAPKs), treatment with MAPK inhibitors did not affect EAHF-induced apoptosis. Conclusion: These results suggest that EAHF induces apoptosis in U937 cells via ROS-dependent caspase activation. Keywords: Hizikia fusiforme , Apoptosis, Caspase, Reactive oxygen species

This study investigated the mechanism of action of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist, leuprolide, on proliferation of the hormone-refractory prostate cancer cell line DU145, transfected with short hairpin RNA (shRNA), to reduce expression of the GNRHR1 gene (which encodes the GnRH type 1 receptor). DU145 cell proliferation in the presence of leuprolide (10−9 and 10−7 M) or control medium was measured before and after GnRHR1 knockdown. Reverse transcription—polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were used to measure the degree of GNRHR1 silencing. DU145 cells treated with leuprolide (10−9 and 10−7 M) showed significant growth inhibition compared with control-treated DU145 cells. Transfection with GNRHR1–shRNA significantly decreased GNRHR1 expression at 48 h. DU145 cells transfected with silencing GNRHR1–shRNA showed normal growth patterns; however, there was no significant inhibition of proliferation of DU145 cells transfected with GNRHR1–shRNA compared with cells transfected with control—shRNA in response to leuprolide. These data demonstrated that the antiproliferative effect of leuprolide was mediated by the GnRHR1.

SETTING: Nucleic acid amplification tests can detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex rapidly and reliably. OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic performance of the artus ® M. tuberculosis PCR Kit and COBAS ® AMPLICOR™ Mycobacterium tuberculosis Test. In the artus assay, an appropriate cycle threshold (Ct) value was determined for positivity. DESIGN: A total of 238 clinical respiratory specimens were analysed using both the artus and COBAS AMPLICOR assays. In 221 specimens, these results were further compared with culture results. RESULTS: The overall agreement between artus and COBAS AMPLICOR was 96.2% (229/238). Among the nine (3.8%) discrepant specimens, three (1.3%) were artus-positive and COBAS AMPLICOR-negative, while the other six (2.5%) were artus-negative and COBAS AMPLICOR-positive. Using culture as a standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the artus assay were 97.8% and 85.1%, and those of COBAS AMPLICOR assay were 100% and 86.2%, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant. In the artus assay, the minimum Ct value for the positivity determination was 38. CONCLUSION: The artus and COBAS AMPLICOR assays showed comparable diagnostic performance and can be confidently used for detection of M. tuberculosis complex. In the artus assay, a Ct value of 38 could be suggested as an appropriate cut-off value.

There are many methods for determining a concrete mix proportion when the compressive strength is the design criterion; however, there is much less information available when other criteria, such as the fracture energy or the elastic modulus, are specified. For these cases, a new mix design nomogram has been developed from well-established concrete relationships. The application of this method is demonstrated by an experimental programme which shows the influence of cement content, water-to-cement ratio and aggregate-to-cement ratio on the compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, spliting tensile strength, fracture energy, and characteristic length of concrete. Six concrete mixtures with different water-to-cement ratios and workabilities were studied. The mix design nomogram, besides being a tool for the practitioner, can also help the researcher in selecting the most adequate mix parameters for experimental and scientific purposes. It is noted that when studying the effect of mix parameters on the properties of concrete certain constraints should be used: for instance when varying the water-to-cement ratio, the workability of fresh concrete should be kept constant and vice versa.

At the compacted, north-south line of the ice edge, phytoplankton were sampled during early austral autumn of 1986 in the northwestern Weddell Sea. Cells from discrete water bottle samples from 12 stations on two east-west transects were counted to gain quantitative information on the composition, abundance, distribution, and condition of the phytoplankton in water-column assemblages. Over 70 species were found. The highest numbers of total cells (integrated through the top 150 m) were found in open water, well-separated from and to the east of the ice edge on the southern transect, with 6.01×1010 cells m-2. The relative abundance of diatoms was low at ice-convered stations ( 80%); however, the relative abundance of the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis sp. was high at ice-covered stations (> 60%) and low at open-water stations (< 16%), with lower absolute abundances than during a previous austral-spring phytoplankton increase. In the open ocean, the dominants were the pennate diatoms Fragilariopsis cylindrus, Pseudonitzschia prolongatoides, F. curta, and a small form of the centric diatom Chaetoceros dichaeta in chains. Although the three pennate diatoms were frequently dominant in number, they represented less biomass than C. dichaeta in open waters. Mean phytoplankton abundance was low (0.2×106 cells l-1) but, overall, the diatom cell density (0.14×106 cells l-1) was similar to that found previously during a northward transect from ice-covered to ice-free water at the Weddell-Scotia Sea ice edge (spring 1983). The phytoplankton spatial patterns in the two autumn transects differed, with the more southerly transect exhibiting a higher abundance of diatoms and dinoflagellates. The ratio of full to empty diatoms was higher on the southern transect, indicating a healthy population, while lower ratios of full/empty frustules on the northern transect suggested a generally declining population. However, Phaeocystis sp. was more abundant on the northern transect.

This study compared postoperative symptoms in patients treated preoperatively with a single dose of ≤20 mg oral steroid during third molar surgery.A total of 450 patients were categorized randomly into three groups containing 150 patients each. Patients were in their second or third decade and had no specific medical history and findings involving infections of the mandibular third molar area. Two groups received preoperative steroids orally one hour before the operation; one group received 10 mg prednisolone and the other received 20 mg. No steroids were administered to the control group. Patients were asked to report by questionnaire any changes in postoperative symptoms, such as pain, facial oedema, or gastrointestinal disorders, and in masticatory disorders, trismus, or swallowing discomfort. They reported daily from days 1 to 6 post-extraction by evaluating their experience over the preceding 24 hours.A single preoperative oral administration of ≤20 mg prednisolone had no significant effect on postoperative symptoms of pain, facial oedema, or gastrointestinal upset, or on masticatory symptoms, trismus, or swallowing discomfort in mandibular third molar surgery.A single oral dose of ≤20 mg prednisolone before third molar extraction may not be helpful for the relief of postoperative symptoms.

2,5-Disubstituted tetrahydrofurans 11-13 were prepared by phenylselenoetherification of 1-alkyl-4-phenyl-(3E)-butenols 8-10 under kinetic conditions. Their stereochemical outcome and reactivity were controlled by solvent, reaction temperature and the alkyl substituent. While the cyclization was stereorandom in dichloromethane, its stereoinduction was moderate to good in propionitrile and good to excellent in diethyl ether. The reaction went to completion in dichloromethane and propionitrile, but it did not in diethyl ether. The results can be rationalized by the degree of reversibility in the formation of episelenonium cation and 1,3-diaxial interactions in the transition state of the formation of tetrahydrofuranonium cation.

An efficient stereocontrolled synthesis of cis-2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans from triethylsilyl ethers of trans-4-phenyl-3-buten-1-ol derivatives19-24 was developed by using phenylselenyl chloride in the presence of potassium carbonate in acetonitrile.

An ideal material has yet to be discovered that can completely treat dentin hypersensitivity; however, calcium phosphate precipitation has exhibited potential value for the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity by the occlusion of dentinal tubules. We hypothesized that a novel mesoporous silica biomaterial (nano CaO@mesoporous silica, NCMS) containing nano-sized calcium oxide particles mixed with 30% phosphoric acid can efficiently occlude dentinal tubules and significantly reduce dentin permeability, even with the presence of pulpal pressure. This highly supersaturated Ca2+-and HPO4 2−ion-containing NCMS paste was brushed onto dentin surfaces, and the ions diffused deeply into the dentinal tubules and formed a CaHPO4·2H2O precipitation with a depth of 100 μm. The results of the dentin permeability tests showed that the novel mesoporous material exhibited a significant reduction in dentin permeability (p < 0.05), even under simulated pulpal pressure, as compared with our previously developed material, DP-bioglass, and a commercial desensitizing material, Seal & Protect®.

In urban areas with a high building density, features such as roads, buildings, and river dykes significantly effect flow dynamics and flood propagation. This should therefore be accounted for in the model set-up. While 2D hydraulic models of densely urban areas are at the forefront of current research into flood inundation mechanisms, these models are constrained by inadequate parameters of topography and insufficient data. In order to solve these problems, topographic information obtained from DEM is directly programmed into the urban inundation model for a densely urban area, without exchanging the input data. In this paper, the extraction of building area is described using a tight coupling approach within a GIS environment, and its influence on the extent of flood inundation with a high building density is estimated.

Folate, a water-soluble B vitamin and one of the major micronutrients in vegetables, is known as an essential factor for the de novo biosynthesis of purines and thymidylate, and it plays an important role in DNA synthesis and replication. Thus, folate deficiency results in ineffective DNA synthesis, and has been shown to induce the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Recently, the incidence of CRC in Korea has increased markedly in both men and women; this trend may be related to the adoption of a more ‘westernized’ lifestyle, including dietary habits. A hospital-based case–control study was conducted to examine the relationship between folate intake and the risk of CRC within a Korean population. A total of 596 cases and 509 controls, aged 30−79 years, were recruited from two university hospitals. Site- and sex-specific odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using logistic regression models. Cases were more frequently found to have a family history of CRC among first-degree relatives, to consume more alcohol, to be more likely current smokers and less likely to participate in vigorous physical activity than the controls. In the overall data for men and women combined, multivariate ORs (95% confidence interval (CI), P for trend) comparing the highest vs the lowest quartile of dietary folate intake were: 0.47 (0.32–0.69

An efficient stereocontrolled synthesis of cis-2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans from triethylsilyl ethers of trans-4-phenyl-3-buten-1-ol derivatives19-24 was developed by using phenylselenyl chloride in the presence of potassium carbonate in acetonitrile.

One of the primary concerns in the manufacture of advanced microelectronic devices is to ensure that metallic contacts and interconnects do not fail by electromigration or stress-induced voiding. This article discusses the possibility of implementing two kinds of beneficial treatments within normal manufacturing processes—treatments that modify grain structure to minimize failures through diffusional flux divergence and treatments that control solute and precipitate distributions in order to avoid undesirable, overaged microstructures at the end of manufacturing.

We evaluated the clinical usefulness (leukocyte distribution classification, morphologic classification, and morphologic flags) of the following four hematology analyzers: CELL-DYN Sapphire (CD-Sapphire) (Abbott Diagnostics, Santa Clara, CA, USA), ADVIA 120 (Bayer Diagnostics, Tarrytown, NY, USA), Beckman Coulter LH 750 (Beckman Coulter, Miami, FL, USA), and Sysmex XE-2100 (TOA Medical Electronics Co., Kobe, Japan). Four hundred thirty samples from patients and 100 samples from healthy individuals were analyzed. For distributional classification, the sensitivity rates of CD-Sapphire, ADVIA 120, LH 750, and XE-2100 were 93.1, 95.9, 94.9, and 94.9%, respectively, and the efficiency rates were 80.7, 81.6, 84.1, and 84.2%, respectively. For morphologic classification, the sensitivity rates of CD-Sapphire, ADVIA 120, LH 750, and XE-2100 were 88.6, 93.2, 77.3, and 94.3%, respectively, and the efficiency rates were 80.9, 73.0, 79.5, and 74.2%, respectively. Comparing the findings in different morphologic flags, XE-2100 showed the highest sensitivity for Blasts flag (90.9%); CD-Sapphire showed the highest sensitivity for Immature granulocytes and/or Left-shift flag (85.5%); ADVIA 120 showed the highest sensitivity for Atypical lymphocytes flag (60.0%); and LH 750 showed the highest sensitivity for Nucleated RBC flag (75.0%). Our results demonstrate that the four analyzers are comparable in overall performance.

The relationship between the wax matrix in lipstick and sweating has been investigated by observing the change of size and shape of the wax matrix due to sweating by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). For observation by SEM, a lipstick sample was frozen in liquid nitrogen. The oil in the lipstick was then extracted in cold isopropanol (-70 degrees C) for 1-3 days. After the isopropanol was evaporated, the sample was sputtered with gold and examined by SEM. The change of wax matrix underneath the surface from fine, uniform structure to coarse, nonuniform structure resulted from the caking of surrounding wax matrix. The oil underneath the surface migrated to the surface of lipstick with sweating; consequently the wax matrix in that region was rearranged into the coarse matrix. In case of flamed lipstick, sweating was delayed and the wax matrix was much coarser than that of the unflamed one. The larger wax matrix at the surface region was good for including oil. The effect of molding temperature on sweating was also studied. As the molding temperature rose, sweating was greatly reduced and the size of the wax matrix increased. It was found that sweating was influenced by the compatibility of wax and oil. A formula consisting of wax and oil that have good compatibility has a tendency to reduce sweating and increase the size of the wax matrix. When pigments were added to wax and oil, the size of the wax matrix was changed, but in all cases sweating was increased due to the weakening of the binding force between wax and oil. On observing the thick membrane of wax at the surface of lipstick a month after molding it was also found that sweating was influenced by ageing. In conclusion, the structure of the wax matrix at the surface region of lipstick was changed with the process of flaming, molding temperature, compatibility of wax and oil, addition of pigment, and ageing. In most cases, as the size of the wax matrix was increased, sweating was reduced and delayed.

A style dress outlet usually purchases products from multiple suppliers with different cost, quality and selling price. It is assumed that some suppliers will sell their goods to the buyer outright, while some other suppliers will offer return policy for items unsold. In the latter case, the supplier buys back from the buyer the unsold items at the end of the selling season. The purpose of this study is to enable the buyer to develop a supplier selection and replenishment policy subject to limited budget. A minimal service level and uncertain market are assumed as well. Genetic algorithm (GA) is used to solve the problem.

A newsboy problem model in which a vendor has limited resource is developed. It is assumed that the supplier will either sell the items to the vendor outright or offer the items to the vendor with return policy. In the latter case, the supplier buys back at certain percentage of original cost from the vendor the unsold items at the end of the selling season. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the vendor should replenish the items with return policy, constrained resources and changing procured price. Three numerical examples are provided. In one example with two constrained variables, an optimal solution is derived by using KKT (Karush-Kuhn-Tucker) conditions. The other two multiple variables examples with a minimum service level or a limited budget are solved using GA (genetic algorithm).

A style dress outlet usually purchases products from multiple suppliers with differing cost, quality and selling price. It is assumed that some suppliers will sell their goods to the buyer outright, while some other suppliers will offer return policy for items unsold. In the latter case, the supplier buys back from the buyer the unsold items at the end of the selling season. The purpose of this study is to enable the buyer to develop a supplier selection and replenishment policy subject to limited budget. A minimal service level and uncertain market are assumed as well. Genetic algorithm (GA) is used to solve the problem.

We developed a detailed microscopic method that describes the shear modulus anomaly of solid helium at low temperature. The shear modulus was calculated using the pinning length of dislocations determined in detail for both crossing network nodes and 3He impurities. The strong suppression of the shear modulus is reproduced well as the temperature or stress increases. The shear modulus at low temperatures depends strongly on how the state was prepared. All the key features in the stress hysteresis can be quantitatively explained in terms of the thermomechanical path-dependent pinning length of dislocation networks.

This letter reports that electromigration lifetimes of Al–2Cu (wt. %) thin-film conducting lines increase by more than three times when the lines are optimally aged to facilitate finely dispersed Al2Cu precipitates in the interior of the grains. In contrast to other studies which did not report a beneficial aging effect for Al–Cu films, the present work substantiates the fact that proper control of Al2Cu precipitates improves resistance to electromigration failure. However, the benefit of aging the Al-2Cu lines investigated here was less pronounced and confined to a more narrow heat-treatment “window” than that previously found for the Al–2Cu–1Si lines.

A newly developed device that enables easy intraoperative colonic irrigation and subsequent colonoscopy was introduced recently.To evaluate the efficacy of the single-stage procedure with a new device and the significance of on-table colonoscopy, 112 patients with obstructive left colon cancer were recruited.Primary anastomosis after tumor resection was performed in 104 cases. The volume of saline used for irrigation averaged 13.5 l over 12.1 min. Subsequent colonoscopic examination added an average of 10.4 min to the operative time. There were three anastomotic leaks, two wound infections, four acute renal failures, and two operative mortalities. On-table colonoscopy resulted in extended resection in 17 cases.The new device enabled safe, simple, and time-saving, single-stage surgical management of left colon cancer obstruction. The ability to perform on-table colonoscopy enabled treatment and recognition of synchronous bowel pathology.

In many applications, centrifugal compressors experience various kinds of downstream pressure disturbances which can lead to unstable operation even at the design operating condition. In this paper, 3-D numerical simulations have been carried out to understand the dynamic behaviors of the centrifugal compressor for the pulsation of downstream pressure disturbances and 1-D model using the method of characteristics has been developed to predict the behaviors more effectively. Static pressure disturbances with a frequency range from 25Hz to 1300 Hz and constant amplitude have been introduced at the diffuser exit. Static pressure rise and mass flow rate deviated from the quasi-steady characteristic as the frequency increased. The fluctuation of mass flow rate at the diffuser exit was amplified or attenuated depending on the disturbance frequency. The fluctuation was severely amplified at a specific frequency which seemed to be an acoustic resonance of the present compressor model including an inlet duct, a blade passage and a diffuser. The result of 1-D model showed good agreements with that of 3-D numerical simulation.Copyright © 2005 by ASME

Termination access service on mobile networks is regarded as a bottleneck service in many countries, and is regulated based on its cost. For cost-based regulation, the historical cost based on accounting data was used in the past. Recently, however, the application of long run incremental cost (LRIC) based on the bottom-up approach has been on the rise, as is the case with wireline networks. In order to estimate LRIC, it is necessary to design a mobile network according to engineering criteria, to estimate the required numbers of individual network components and to convert them into an investment cost. In wireline sector, network design methodology has been established relatively well for estimating LRIC. In mobile sector, however, more studies are required on the methodology for designing networks and estimating required numbers of individual network components. This study reviews foreign cases of bottom-up approach for mobile LRIC and then presents methods of designing mobile networks and estimating required numbers of individual network elements suitable for Korean situation.

Aims To evaluate the involvement of multipotential stem and progenitor cells in the pathogenesis of pterygium. Methods Paraffin-embedded and snap-frozen primary pterygium (n=10) were serially sectioned and analysed immunohistochemically to determine the expression level of AC133 (marker for the primitive haematopoietic progenitors), CD34 (marker for the haematopoietic progenitor cells and endothelium), c-Kit (marker for haematopoietic and stromal progenitor cells), and STRO-1 (a differentiation antigen present on bone marrow fibroblast cells and on various nonhaematopoietic progenitor cells). Results In all the primary pterygium, immunoreactivity of AC133 and STRO-1 was found in some of the epithelial and stromal cells, CD34 was observed in the vascular endothelium, and some scattered ovoidal cells were found in the subepithelial connective tissue. C-Kit was expressed mainly in the basal epithelium of the head portions, and some spindle-shaped stromal cells. There is no immunoreactivity of AC133, c-Kit, and STRO-1 in normal conjunctiva, whereas CD34 was mildly stained with vessel wall. Conclusion Multipotential stem and progenitor cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of pterygium through its differentiation into fibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells.

In this paper, the skin blood flow for the stomach and forehead regions of 36 female patients with menstrual symptoms was studied using a moorLDI laser Doppler imager in which the results of 6 typical patients are included. The patterns obtained at the two sites are common to all women in the sample who have menstrual symptoms. Cold stress testing was also investigated to see if it was effective in bringing out any skin blood flow fluctuation at these regions caused by menstrual symptoms. Each patient attended two scanning sessions: one before and the other during menstruation. During each session, the patient was scanned three consecutive times, each on the stomach and the forehead skin regions. For each region, the first measurement was a bare scanning whereas for the second and the third, 85% denatured ethanol (cold stress test) was applied onto the required scan areas. It was found that cold stress testing was able to bring out distinct differences in LDI perfusion images before and during menstruation. Results were best captured when perfusion images were taken approximately after 85% denatured ethanol had been applied in two layers for 30 s, allowed to evaporate over the next 5 min (approximately the time taken to obtain one image), reapplied for another 30 s and then finally over the next 30 s allowed to evaporate further. However, it was impossible to deduce conclusively any correlation regarding migraine and skin blood flow since all the patients for this work had menstrual cramps only.

To estimate the prevalence of cigarette smoking and to determine the sociodemographic correlates of smoking among Korean American adults in Alameda County, California, 1994-1995.Korean surname-based telephone survey; contingency table and multinomial logistic regression analyses.Almost 39% of Korean American men and 6% of Korean American women were current smokers. Among Korean American men those who attended religious activities less than monthly had nearly three times the odds of being current smokers, and those who did not speak English well had 2 1/2 times the odds of being current smokers as compared to never smokers. Those 18 to 24 years of age had more than 8 1/2 times the odds, and those who attended religious activities less than monthly had more than 3 1/2 times the odds of being current smokers as compared to former smokers. Among Korean American women those who were not married had more than 3 times the odds of being current smokers, and those who attended religious activities less than monthly had 22 times the odds of being current smokers as compared to never smokers. Those who attended religious activities less than monthly had almost 8 times the odds of being current smokers as compared to former smokers.This study increases our understanding about the prevalence and correlates of cigarette smoking among Korean Americans and can contribute to the development of effective smoking cessation and prevention strategies in this understudied population.

The maize (Zea mays) CRINKLY4 (cr4) gene encodes a receptor-like kinase that controls a variety of cell differentiation responses, particularly in the leaf epidermis and in the aleurone of the endosperm. In situ hybridization indicated that the cr4 transcript is present throughout the shoot apical meristem and young leaf primordia. A genetic mosaic analysis was conducted to test whether CR4 signal transduction directly regulated the cellular processes associated with differentiation or whether differentiation was controlled through the production of a secondary signal. Genetic mosaics were created using gamma-rays to induce chromosome breakage in a cr4/Cr4+ heterozygote. The mutant cr4 allele was marked with the albino mutation, Oy-700. Breakage and loss of the chromosome arm carrying the wild-type alleles created a sector of albino, cr4 mutant tissue in an otherwise normal leaf. Analysis of such sectors indicated that cr4 functions cell autonomously to regulate cell morphogenesis, implying that CR4 signal transduction regulates cell differentiation through strictly intracellular functions and not the production of secondary intercellular signals. However, several sectors altered cell patterning in wild-type tissue adjacent to the sectors, suggesting that cr4 mutant cells are defective in the production of other lateral signals.

To investigate HLA class II associations with systemic sclerosis (SSc) in Koreans according to anti-topoisomerase I (anti-topo I), anti-centromere antibody (ACA), and anti-U1 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) status.HLA class II alleles (DRB1, DRB5, DQB1) were determined by DNA typing in 200 healthy control subjects and 74 patients with SSc: 35 anti-topo I positive, 3 ACA positive, and 19 anti-U1 RNP positive; among them were 34 diffuse and 40 limited subtypes, and 16 overlap syndrome.Anti-topo I positive SSc was strongly associated with DRB1*1502 compared with both controls (23% vs 5%; Pcorr = 0.003) and anti-topo I negative patients (23% vs 3%; p = 0.009); our study confirms observations in Japanese. HLA-DR 67FLEDR71, especially 38V-67FLEDR71 sequence (carried on DRB5*0102 in linkage disequilibrium with DRB1*1502, DRB1*0802, DRBI*1101), showed the strongest association with anti-topo I response (46% vs 16% in controls; Pcorr = 0.001), and 38L-67FLEDR71 group alleles were not associated with anti-topo I response. Anti-topo I response was not significantly associated with HLA-DQB1 alleles in Koreans. There were only 3 ACA positive patients, and all patients had DRB1*1501 and DQB1*0602 as heterozygotes. Anti-U1 RNP occurred at a high frequency (63%) among patients with overlap syndrome, and was not associated with HLA-DR or DQ genes. Among anti-topo I negative patients, diffuse and limited subtypes of SSc were significantly associated with DRB1*0803 (47% vs 15% in controls; Pcorr0.05) and DRB1*1501 (50% vs 17% in controls; Pcorr0.01), respectively. These HLA associations have not been reported in other ethnic groups and possible associations with certain autoantibody subsets remain to be confirmed.HLA-DR gene has a primary association with anti-topo I response, and HLA-DR 38V-67FLEDR71 group alleles including DRB5*0102 (in linkage disequilibrium with DRB1*1502) show the strongest association with anti-topo I response in Korean patients with SSc.

Ordered categorical data summarized in a 2 x K table usually consist of two-sample multinomial or K-sample binomial observations. In analysing these data, we usually assign scores to the K columns and perform a testing for the equality of two multinomial distributions in the former case and no trend among K binomial proportions in the latter case. Among the most popular score tests are the Wilcoxon rank sum test and the Armitage's linear trend test. In this paper we extend the score tests to be used for clustered data under diverse study designs. Our methods do not require correct specification of the dependence structure within clusters. The proposed tests are based on the asymptotic normality for large number of clusters and are a generalization of the standard tests used for independent data. Simulation studies are conducted to investigate the finite-sample performance of the new methods. The proposed methods are applied to real-life data.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a common endocrine disorder and CYP21 (21-OH, EC 1.14.99.10) deficiency is the most common cause of the disease. The presence of a pseudogene and a wide range of mutation types often makes DNA diagnosis difficult. Analysis of mutant alleles from patients with CAH identified a new DNA polymorphism in exon 10. To test the usefulness of this polymorphism, linkage analysis was performed using three RFLP's at both end of the CYP21 gene in patients and controls.Genomic DNA was extracted from 21 unrelated patients and 39 unaffected individuals. Haplotyping analysis was performed for three RFLPs, MspI and Fnu4HI in intron 2 and a new SmaI RFLP in exon 10. All three polymorphic sites were characterized by DNA sequencing and usefulness of these RFLPs for DNA diagnosis was tested in patients' families.CAH patients were diagnosed by clinical symptoms and biochemical tests. Allele frequencies and heterozygosities were studied for three RFLP's in patients and controls using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).A new SmaI RFLP showed a sequence difference as G or A at the nucleotide position 2694 in exon 10. Sequences at the MspI and Fnu4HI polymorphic sites were T or C at the nucleotide position 395 and 453, respectively. All of these RFLPs showed biallelic DNA polymorphisms and codominant segregation in family analysis. Heterozygosities were 0.31 for MspI, 0.48 for Fnu4HI and 0.44 for SmaI in normal individuals. There was no linkage disequilibrium for three RFLPs between patients and controls.The SmaI RFLP can be useful for linkage analysis and DNA diagnosis in conjunction with RFLPs in intron 2 in CAH families because the polymorphic site is within the active gene at the 3' end. DNA sequencing results revealed that these RFLPs were created by gene conversions as with other mutations in the CYP21 gene.