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The presented study opens a perspective to investigate the effects of local flow on nematic liquid crystals. A particle rotated in nematic fluids typically generates a rotationally symmetric local flow, which causes a change in the director orientation. The director above the threshold velocity has a particular angle determined by the ratio of Leslie coefficients, α_{2}/α_{3}. In 5CB liquid crystals, this director angle with respect to the flow is approximately 13^{∘}. The angle is calculated through Ericksen-Leslie theory. The angle is not dependent on rotation frequency or particle size but temperature. The area of the influenced region increases with the rotation frequency and particle size. The changes in radius of the influenced region are calculated theoretically using Ericksen number. Further, an interference pattern appears at the edge of the influenced region by the refractive indexes mismatch between the influenced region and the rest. We experimentally obtain the thickness of the influenced region analyzing intervals of the pattern.

The photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectra of molybdenum disulfide (MoS

Plant projects, referred to as Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC), generate massive amounts of data throughout their life cycle, from the planning stages to the operation and maintenance (OM) stages. Many EPC contractors struggle with their projects due to the complexity of the decision-making processes, owing to the vast amount of project data generated during each project stage. In line with the fourth industrial revolution, the demand for engineering project management solutions to apply artificial intelligence (AI) in big data technology is increasing. The purpose of this study was to predict the risk of contractor and support decision-making at each project stage using machine-learning (ML) technology based on data generated in the bidding, engineering, construction, and OM stages of EPC projects. As a result of this study, the Engineering Machine-learning Automation Platform (EMAP), a cloud-based integrated analysis tool applied with big data and AI/ML technology, was developed. EMAP is an intelligent decision support system that consists of five modules: Invitation to Bid (ITB) Analysis, Design Cost Estimation, Design Error Checking, Change Order Forecasting, and Equipment Predictive Maintenance, using advanced AI/ML algorithms. In addition, each module was validated through case studies to assure the performance and accuracy of the module. This study contributes to the strengthening of the risk response for each stage of the EPC project, especially preventing errors by the project managers, and improving their work accuracy. Project risk management using AI/ML breaks away from the existing risk management practices centered on statistical analysis, and further expands the research scalability of related works.

Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects span the entire cycle of industrial plants, from bidding to engineering, construction, and start-up operation and maintenance. Most EPC contractors do not have systematic decision-making tools when bidding for the project; therefore, they rely on manual analysis and experience in evaluating the bidding contract documents, including technical specifications. Oftentimes, they miss or underestimate the presence of technical risk clauses or risk severity, potentially create with a low bid price and tight construction schedule, and eventually experience severe cost overrun or/and completion delays. Through this study, two digital modules, Technical Risk Extraction and Design Parameter Extraction, were developed to extract and analyze risks in the project’s technical specifications based on machine learning and AI algorithms. In the Technical Risk Extraction module, technical risk keywords in the bidding technical specifications are collected, lexiconized, and then extracted through phrase matcher technology, a machine learning natural language processing technique. The Design Parameter Extraction module compares the collected engineering standards’ so-called standard design parameters and the plant owner’s technical requirements on the bid so that a contractor’s engineers can detect the difference between them and negotiate them. As described above, through the two modules, the risk clauses of the technical specifications of the project are extracted, and the risks are detected and reconsidered in the bidding or execution of the project, thereby minimizing project risk and providing a theoretical foundation and system for contractors. As a result of the pilot test performed to verify the performance and validity of the two modules, the design risk extraction accuracy of the system module has a relative advantage of 50 percent or more, compared to the risk extraction accuracy of manual evaluation by engineers. In addition, the speed of the automatic extraction and analysis of the system modules are 80 times faster than the engineer’s manual analysis time, thereby minimizing project loss due to errors or omissions due to design risk analysis during the project bidding period with a set deadline.

In recent years, innovation of alternative energy technologies to manage climate change has become an important goal worldwide. South Korea has been focusing on the innovation of alternative energy technologies through its investments and innovation systematic capabilities. This study quantitatively examines the effect of national innovation systems that are designed to improve the performance of innovation. To do so, this study analyzes the effects of financial support from the national research and development (R&amp, D) project, and collaborations between institutions regarding the national innovation systems on patent performance based on citation count, which is a useful indicator of patent quality. Specifically, this study analyzes the effects of financial support from the national R&amp, D project, as well as collaborations between universities, industries, and the government regarding patent performance using the patent data of South Korea. These data were used in congruence with a hurdle negative binomial model, using data from 2010 to 2017. Consequently, this study establishes that financial supports from national R&amp, D project are generally inefficient. The relational aspects of the South Korean innovation systems are also generally inefficient, while collaborations between universities and industries contribute toward improving the performance of alternative energy patents.

This study proposes a neural network framework for modeling the foam effects found in liquid simulation without noise. The position and advection of the foam particles are calculated using the existing screen projection method, and the noise problem that occurs in this process is prevented by using the neural network. A significant problem in the screen projection approach is the noise generated in the projection map during the projecting of momentum onto the discretized screen space. We efficiently solve this problem by utilizing a denoising neural network. Following the selection of the foam generation area using a projection map, the foam particles are generated through the inverse transformation of the 2D space into 3D space. This solves the problem of small-sized foam dissipation that occurs in conventional denoising networks. Furthermore, by integrating the proposed algorithm with the screen-space projection framework, it is able to maintain all the advantages of this approach. In conclusion, the denoising process and clean foam effects enable the proposed network to model the foam effects stably.

The authors report a single case of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma arising in the lacrimal sac. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is a third most common primary ocular adnexal lymphoma, which is the most common primary ocular malignant disease in adults. A patient came to our clinic with epiphora and a growing mass in the lacrimal sac. Enhanced computed tomography imaging suggested the presence of a malignant tumor and surgical excision and biopsy were performed. A final diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was reached by immunohistological and immunochemical staining. Two months after surgery, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma relapse occurred in the lacrimal sac and the patient underwent 6 cycles of chemotherapy. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is a curable disease when diagnosed early, and aggressive biopsy during surgery of the lacrimal sac is necessary to diagnose diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the early stage. It is important to distinguish diffuse large B-cell lymphoma from other lacrimal system diseases.

Uncontrolled cell proliferation associated with cancer depends on the functional abrogation of at least one of tumor suppressor. In response to nutrient cue, tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) works as a tumor suppressor which inhibits cell growth via negative regulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTORC1). However, the regulation mechanism of nutrient-dependent cell proliferation in TSC-null cells remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that leucine is required for cell proliferation through the activation of leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LARS1)-mTORC1 pathway in TSC-null cells. Cell proliferation and survival were attenuated by LARS1 knock-down or inhibitors in TSC-null cells. In addition, either rapamycin or LARS1 inhibitors significantly decreased colony formation ability while their combined treatment drastically attenuated it. Taken together, we suggest that LARS1 inhibitors might considered as novel tools for the regression of tumor growth and proliferation in TSC-null tumor cells which regrow upon discontinuation of the mTORC1 inhibition.

Advancements in the nuclear industry have led to the development of fully digitized main control rooms (MCRs)—often termed advanced MCRs—for newly built nuclear power plants (NPPs). Diagnosis is a major part of the cognitive activity in NPP MCRs. Advanced MCRs are expected to improve the working environment and reduce human error, especially during the diagnosis of unexpected scenarios. However, with the introduction of new types of tasks and errors by digital MCRs, a new method to analyze the diagnosis errors in these new types of MCRs is required. Task analysis for operator diagnosis in an advanced MCR based on emergency operation was performed to determine the error modes. The cause-based decision tree (CBDT) method—originally developed for analog control rooms—was then revised to a modified CBDT (MCBDT) based on the error mode categorizations. This work examines the possible adoption of the MCBDT method for the evaluation of diagnosis errors in advanced MCRs. We have also provided examples of the application of the proposed method to some common human failure events in emergency operations. The results show that with some modifications of the CBDT method, the human reliability in advanced MCRs can be reasonably estimated.

Chemical control of mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergetics can unravel fundamental biological mechanisms and therapeutics for several diseases including, diabetes and cancer. We synthesized stable, water-soluble gold(III) complexes (Auraformin) supported by biguanide metformin or phenylmetformin for efficacious inhibition of mitochondrial respiration. The new compounds were characterized following the reaction of [C N]-cyclometalated gold(III) compounds with respective biguanides. Auraformin is solution stable in a physiologically relevant environment. We show that auraformin decreases mitochondrial respiration efficiently in comparison to the clinically used metformin by 100-fold. The compound displays significant mitochondrial uptake and induces antiproliferative activity in the micromolar range. Our results shed light on the development of new scaffolds as improved inhibitors of mitochondrial respiration.

Currently, continuous polymer fibers are usually manufactured in versatile forms such as, aramid fiber. In this study, continuous polycarbonate (PC) fiber having the uniform diameter was manufactured from a thermoplastic PC resin using a twin screw extruder. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were uniformly dispersed in the PC resin, using a solvent dispersion method. The effect of CNT on the mechanical properties of PC fiber was analyzed statistically, using Weibull distribution, by single PC fiber tensile test. Dynamic contact angle was measured to compare the surface energies of PC fiber and PC-CNT fiber on the water droplet. The difference in the wetting patterns was also observed by injecting a solvent between two fibers. Tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the PC fiber was significantly increased by the addition of even a small amount of CNT. This improvement can be attributed to the excellent reinforcing and stress transferring effects of the CNT filler. Composites were made of both types of PC film and PC fiber as a matrix and their impregnation properties were investigated by inspection of photographs of their cross-sections. The mechanical properties of the two-types of composites were also compared by tensile testing. From the cross-sectional fractography and the permeated PC weight, PC fiber type exhibited better impregnation property than the PC film type, and thus resulted in the improved tensile strength.

We report experimental results on the microfabrication of three types of folded waveguide circuits with a high aspect ratio by using a high-energy X-ray LIGA technique. A W-band folded waveguide with a total of 80 periods was designed for a traveling-wave-tube (TWT) amplifier operating at 90 GHz–100 GHz. The measured return loss and insertion loss of the W-band fabricated circuit were–10 dB and 0.42 dB/cm, respectively. A G-band circuit showed a higher insertion loss of 1.57 dB/cm. An additional circuit fabrication for a 850-GHz folded waveguide TWT was also successfully carried out. The broad-wall angle measured with respect to the narrow wall of the rectangular waveguide was very close to 90◦, indicating an excellent resolution compared to that of other microfabrication techniques, such as deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and ultraviolet (UV) lithography, electroplating, and polymer replication (LIGA).

In this paper, we provide a layered non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) technique that automatically extracts the depth of field (DoF) shown in the picture and adjusts the degree of abstraction accordingly. We use an RGB channel to efficiently classify the DoF region anisotropically. Based on the DoF values, we abstract the color and adjust the thickness of the line. We use anisotropic DoF-based filtering to improve the abstraction quality by finding the blur region using cross-correlation filtering and anisotropically calculating the weight map. Our approach has greatly improved the quality of abstraction in terms of performance and design. The algorithm is also fast and simple to implement. Experimental results show well the characteristics and style of the DoF of the original photograph.

Ti5NbO14 (T5NO) films were developed on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by electrophoretic method by using T5NO3− nanosheets. The film deposited at room temperature (RT) contained organic defects, which were almost eliminated in the film annealed at 700 °C. The film deposited at RT revealed (100) planes with an inter-planar distance of 1.1 nm because of the existence of TBA+ defects. However, for the films annealed at higher temperatures (≥400 °C), two types of structures formed: (100) planes with 0.55 nm inter-planar distance (group-1 structure), and (100) planes with 1.42 nm inter-planar distance (group-2 structure). The dielectric constant (er) of the film annealed at 700 °C was 61 with a low dielectric loss of 1.0%. Variations in the er according to the film thickness, electric field, and temperature were small. This film displayed a high insulating property up to 300 °C with a small temperature coefficient of capacitance (−56.7 ppm/K) up to 400 °C.

OBJECTIVE To determine post-operative physical performance factors associated with gait speed in patients surgically treated for hip fracture. METHODS Cross-sectional data from 59 patients (16 males and 43 females; mean age, 79.2±9.1 years) who underwent hip fracture surgery were enrolled. Patients completed a 10-meter walk test (10MWT) to assess gait speed. Additional physical performance tests included the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the knee extensors and flexors on the operated and non-operated sides as well as of the hip abductors (all tested using air-resistance weight machines), and analysis of spatio-temporal gait parameters at about 6 weeks after hip surgery. RESULTS Bivariate analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between the post-operative 10MWT and the post-operative TUG, age, swing phase duration, and gait cycle duration along with a significant negative correlation between post-operative BBS score, MVIC of the knee extensors and flexors on the operated and non-operated sides, MVIC of the hip abductors, and cadence and stance phase duration. Linear regression analyses revealed that the post-operative TUG (β=0.85, p

Objective To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) subjected to prone positioning before extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Design A retrospective analysis of a multicenter cohort was carried out. Setting Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Units of 11 hospitals in Korea. Patients Patients were divided into those who underwent prone positioning before ECMO (n = 28) and those who did not (n = 34). Interventions None. Variables of interest Thirty-day mortality, ECMO weaning failure rate, mechanical ventilation weaning success rate, mechanical ventilation-free days at day 60. Results The prone group had lower median peak inspiratory pressure and lower median dynamic driving pressure before ECMO. Thirty-day mortality was 21% in the prone group and 41% in the non-prone group (p = 0.098). The prone group also showed a lower ECMO weaning failure rate, and a higher mechanical ventilation weaning success rate and more mechanical ventilation-free days at day 60. In the non-prone group, median dynamic compliance marginally decreased shortly after ECMO, but no significant change was observed in the prone group. Conclusions Prone positioning before ECMO was not associated to increased mortality and tended to exert a protective effect.

Paraffin is a phase change material that can store thermal energy, and it has been used in a variety of applications. However, the low thermal conductivity of paraffin hinders the further expansion of its use in many applications. Thus, it is of great interest to identify and develop composites that can improve the thermal conductivity of paraffin to maximize its heat capacity. Here, we report a facile fabrication method for producing spherical paraffin/graphene composites with thermal conductivities enhanced by 57%. We used fused deposition 3D printing to build a prototype mold in which spherical paraffin/graphene composites were successfully fabricated.

Microencapsulated phase change materials (MPCMs) are materials that store thermal energy, and emulsion polymerization is the preferred encapsulation method for their synthesis because it is economical and simple. In this work, we used the emulsion method to synthesize two different MPCMs, i.e., poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) PCMs and PMMA-1-dodecanethiol (DDT) PCMs, by using 1-dodecanethiol as the chain transfer agent. To explore the effect of the chain transfer agent, the two MPCMs were characterized chemically, physically, and thermally by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The analyses showed that 1-dodecanethiol promoted the uniform formation of spherical MPCMs by enhancing the stability of the oil–water interface of the emulsions. Also, 1-dodecanethiol was not included in the structures of the MPCMs, and it did not affect the thermal properties of the MPCMs, such as heat capacity and melting point, which demonstrated that the 1-dodecanethiol acted only as a surfactant.

The evaluation of interfacial properties between fiber and epoxy resin is very important. An advanced microdroplet pull-out test was introduced to quantitatively evaluate the interfacial ad...

Background Thin-walled regions (TWRs) of aneurysm surfaces observed in microscopic surgery are thought to be vulnerable areas for growth and rupture of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs). Objective To identify hemodynamic features of TWRs of aneurysms by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses of unruptured middle cerebral artery bifurcation (MCAB) aneurysms. Methods Nine patients with 11 MCAB aneurysms were enrolled, and their TWRs were identified. CFD analysis was performed using 3 parameters: pressure, wall shear stress (WSS), and WSS divergence (WSSD). Each parameter was evaluated for its correspondence with TWR. Results Among 11 aneurysms, 15 TWRs were identified. Corresponding matches with CFD parameters (pressure, WSS, and WSSD) were 73.33, 46.67, and 86.67%, respectively. Conclusion WSSD, a hemodynamic parameter that accounts for both magnitude and directionality of WSS, showed the highest correspondence. High WSSD might correspond with TWR of intracranial aneurysms, which are likely high-risk areas for rupture.

A monolayer of Sr2Nb3O10 (SNO) is deposited on the Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si (Pt-Si) or Pt/Ti/polyimide (Pt-PI) substrate by using the Langmuir-Blodgett method and employed as a seed-layer for the growth of a crystalline (Na1−xKx)NbO3 (NKN) film at 350 °C. The crystalline NKN film is grown along the [001] direction on the SNO/Pt-Si (or SNO/Pt-PI) substrate. Due to the presence of oxygen vacancies in the SNO seed-layer, the NKN film exhibits low ferroelectric properties and large leakage current. To ameliorate these properties, the SNO/Pt-Si substrate is annealed in a 50 Torr oxygen atmosphere at 300 °C, which removes the oxygen vacancies. Consequently, the NKN film deposited on this substrate exhibits promising electrical properties, namely a dielectric constant of 278, dissipation factor of 1.7%, a piezoelectric constant of 175 pmV−1, and a leakage current density of 6.47 × 10−7 Acm−2 at −0.2 MV·cm−1. Similar electrical properties are obtained from the NKN film grown on the flexible SNO/Pt-PI substrate at 350 °C. Hence, the NKN films grown on the SNO seed-layer at 350 °C can be applied to electronic devices with flexible polymer substrates.

This study investigated the effect of surface roughness for improving interfacial adhesion in hybrid materials with aluminum (Al)/carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites (CFREC). The surface roughness of the Al was controlled using different types of sanding paper and varied sanding times. Al surface roughness were evaluated using static contact angle (CA) and 3D surface scanning measurements after the different sanding processes. Lap shear strength (LSS) tests were performed to evaluate the interfacial adhesion between CFREC and Al with the different Al surface treatments. The theoretical maximum cohesive strength (TMCS) and work of adhesion, Wa between the Al and CFREC were correlated with surface energy of epoxy adhesive and LSS. The surface energy of epoxy adhesive and TMCS between CFREC and Al exhibited a proportional relationship. The TMCS was also directly related to the LSS between Al and CFREC. It was found that an optimum sanding process yielding a Ra, 1.4 μm Al surface roughness exhibited the highest work of adhesion, as well as the largest LSS and TMCS for hybrids of Al-CFREC. Proper Al surface control in these materials shows real promise for enhancing the mechanical properties for aerospace, automotive and other practical applications.

Purpose There are limited population-based data regarding herpes zoster in children. Thus we conducted a multi-institutional epidemiological analysis of herpes zoster in children and comparative analysis according to their immune status. Materials and Methods The study included 126 children under the age of 18 years who were hospitalized for herpes zoster at 8 hospitals in South Korea, between July 2009 and June 2015. The subjects were divided into 2 groups according to their immune status, and medical records were reviewed. Results There were 61 cases (48.4%) in the immunocompetent group and 65 cases (51.6%) in the immunocompromised group. Median age was older in immunocompromised group (11.4 vs. 8.6) (p

The Committee on Infectious Diseases of the Korean Pediatric Society recommended immunization schedule for children and adolescents aged 18 years or younger in the 9th (2018) edition of Immunization guideline. This report provides the revised recommendations made by the committee and summarizes several changes from the 2015 guideline. National immunization program (NIP) launched a human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization for girls aged 12 years in 2016. NIP has also expanded age indication for inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) to 12 years of age in the 2018-2019 season. Quadrivalent IIVs with a full dose (0.5 mL) are approved for all children of 6 months or older. Recommendations of live attenuated influenza vaccine were removed. For inactivated Japanese encephalitis vaccine, first 2 doses are considered as the primary series. Recommendations for use of newly introduced vaccines (diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis/inactivated poliovirus/Haemophilus influenzae type b, 9-valent HPV, new varicella vaccine, new quadrivalent IIV, and attenuated oral typhoid vaccine) were added. Lastly, monitoring system for adverse events following immunization was updated. Other changes can be found in the 9th edition of Immunization guideline in detail.

To increase the efficiency of jumping-droplet condensation, this study proposes a hierarchical superhydrophobic surface that promotes coalescence-induced jumping. Inspired by the phenomenon in which a growing droplet moves spontaneously within a superhydrophobic V structure, we fabricated nanograssed zigzag structures on the surface to induce the spontaneous motion of condensed droplets. The direction of the motion was parallel to the surface, so the condensed droplets easily coalesced on it. Compared with a conventional nanograssed superhydrophobic surface, the proposed surface increased the frequency of coalescence-induced jumping by ≥17 times and increased the cumulative volume of jumping droplets by ∼1.8 times. The proposed surface has great potential to increase the efficiency of applications such as water- and energy-harvesting and cooling systems that exploit jumping-droplet condensation.

Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) as a glass fiber (GF) coating is useful as a flame retardant for glass fiber reinforced composites (GFRC). Three different ADP weight fraction coatings on GF resulted in distinctly different behavior. Single fiber tensile tests were conducted and statistically evaluated by Weibull distribution, for the three different ADP coatings. The tensile strength of neat GF and ADP coated GFs was not significantly affected by the ADP weight fraction. GFRC was manufactured using ADP coated GF mat reinforcement in unsaturated polyester (UP). The flame retardant test was used to access and compare the flame retardant property for the different composite specimens. The GFRC with the 20 wt% ADP coating exhibited the best flame retardant property. Interfacial/wettability properties were determined using static contact angle measurements. The static contact angle increased with increasing ADP weight fraction. Interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) were measure using the short beam and microdroplet pull-out tests respectively. Both ILLS and interfacial adhesion decreased somewhat in the ADP coated GF, while the flame retardant property markedly improved in GFRC, for ADP coated GF mat.

Background Subdural hygromas are often found bilaterally in spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). They frequently progress to chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs), and if the hematomas are formed, it is difficult to consider SIH as an underlying cause. Whether SIH is underlying or not among the patients presenting bilateral subdural fluid collections (hygromas or CSDHs) is clinically important because the treatment strategy should be different between them. Objectives We designed a retrospective case-control study to figure out differential clinical features of the patients presenting bilateral symptomatic subdural fluid collections owing to SIH. Methods Sixty-two patients with bilateral symptomatic subdural fluid collections were enrolled, and their data on general demographics, clinical courses, radiological findings, treatments, and outcomes were collected. The patients were divided into "SIH" and "Non-SIH" groups, and a simple logistic regression analysis was performed to clarify the differences between the groups. The consequent receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were performed with the significant predictors. Results Eight patients (13%) were diagnosed with SIH. Young age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.831, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.743-0.929, P = .0012), no underlying disease (OR = 0.062, 95% CI: 0.007-0.544, P = .0121), radiological features of brain sagging (OR = 10.36, 95% CI: 0.912-93.411, P = .0017), pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR = 15.6, 95% CI: 2.088-116.52, P = .0074), and small amount of fluid collections (OR = 0.719, 95% CI: 0.579-0.893, P = .0029) were significantly associated with SIH group. ROC curve analyses were performed in parameters of age and amount of fluid collection and the cut-off values for each parameter were ≤55 years old and ≤22.08 mm, respectively. Patients diagnosed with SIH underwent epidural blood patches and showed good results, except 1 patient who underwent burr-hole trephinations. Conclusion Bilateral subdural fluid collections due to underlying SIH is associated with young age (≤55 years old), no underlying diseases, smaller amount of fluid collections (≤22.08 mm of depth), and radiological findings of brain sagging or pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhages.

Juvenile Paralichthys olivaceus (mean length 7.29 ± 0.59 cm, mean weight 2.41 ± 0.35 g) were exposed to several concentrations of ammonia (0, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg/L), nitrite (0, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/L), and nitrate (0, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 mg/L) for 96 h in 20-L glass tanks. Lethal concentration 50% (LC50) was determined after removing and counting dead fish at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of exposure. Exposure was significantly toxic to P. olivaceus, and LC50 at 96 h was 26.008 mg/L for ammonia, 768.078 mg/L for nitrite, and 1431.343 mg/L for nitrate. The toxicity profile found for P. olivaceus juveniles was ammonia > nitrite > nitrate. For antioxidant activity analysis such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity, liver and kidney tissues were dissected after 96 h of exposure. In liver and kidney tissues, SOD activity was significantly increased at 25 mg/L of ammonia, above 400 mg/L of nitrite, and at 1000 mg/L of nitrate. At these concentrations, CAT activity also increased, except in the kidney, where no change in CAT activity was detected under exposure to nitrate. The results of this study suggest that exposure to nitrogenous compounds such as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate can induce significant toxicity and alterations in the antioxidant responses of P. olivaceus.

We examined the use of cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum gallium garnet (GAGG:Ce) as a material for scintillation screens in synchrotron X-ray radiography (SXR). Highlighted for gamma-ray detection, GAGG:Ce is also an attractive material for SXR because of its high X-ray stopping power and the high light yield at around 530 nm. A thin and transparent screen prepared from our grown ingot of GAGG:Ce was compared with commonly used scintillators of CdWO4 and YAG:Ce in terms of image quality under monochromatic X-ray illumination. Micron spatial resolutions were achieved with comparable image quality, suggesting that a single crystal of GAGG:Ce is competent scintillation material for SXR.

Frost retardant of glass fiber (GF)/unsaturated polyester (UP) composites was evaluated with surface roughness. Glass fiber reinforced composites (GFRCs) were manufactured, using 8 ply fabric type GF mats and UP at 50 vol% volume fraction, using a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). Surfaces of the GFRCs were sanded using different grit sand papers. Static and dynamic contact angle (CA) measurements were performed to determine the hydrophobicity of specimens with different surface roughness. Observation of frost thickness versus time was performed to evaluate frost retardant as a function of surface roughness. An atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to quantify the surface roughness produced by sanding with different grit sand paper. It was found that surface roughness, CA and frost formation thickness were all-dependent on the grit of sand paper used in the sanding process. These behaviors appeared to be interrelated with an optimal sanding grit size of 320 CC.

This study was designed to investigate (i) extracellular matrix to specify adhesive substrates to human dura mater cell (hDMC); (ii) the alteration on adhesion-related molecules in hDMC; and (iii) secreted matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) linked with extracellular matrix remodeling after exposure to inflammation. The hDMC was cultured from human dura mater tissue, and the studies were performed with hDMC after co-culturing with macrophage like THP-1 cells (Mϕ). The adhesion of co-cultured hDMC through collagen I increased 6.4-fold and through collagen IV increased 5.0-fold compared with the adhesion of naive cells (p < 0.001). Integrin subtype α2 β1 expression was increased 6.3-fold (p < 0.001) and α1 expression was decreased 2.0-fold (p < 0.001) in the co-cultured cells compared with the naive cells. Co-culturing induced significant increases in MMP-1 (13.9-fold, p < 0.01), MMP-3 (7.6-fold, p < 0.01), and VEGF (VEGF: 3.8-fold, p < 0.05) expression and decreases in MMP-9 (0.1-fold, p < 0.01) compared with the sum of naive hDMC and Mϕ values. Increased hDMC adhesion under inflammatory conditions is caused by an increased cellular affinity for collagen I and IV mediated by increased hDMC levels of integrin subtype α2 β1 and environmental MMP-1, -3 and decreased MMP-9. Selective integrin subtype α2 β1 inhibition assay showed 37.8% and 35.7% reduction in adhesion of co-cultured hDMC to collagen I (p < 0.001) and IV (p = 0.057), respectively. The present study provides insight into the pathological conditions related to dura mater adhesion in inflammation. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 9999:1-11, 2019.

In this paper, we propose a sprite animation synthesis technique that can efficiently represent the fire-flake effects seen in the natural phenomenon of fire. The proposed method uses the actual fire video or animated fire video as inputs and performs the following steps: 1) Extraction of feature vectors that can predict the direction of flame from image, 2) calculation of artificial buoyancy field, 3) creation and advection of fire-flake texture, 4) calculation of artificial motion blur using buoyancy flow, and 5) high quality composition. First, we detect the edges from the image and calculate the feature vectors needed to calculate the artificial buoyancy field. The computed 2D feature vectors are integrated into the Navier-Stokes equation and used to calculate the buoyancy field, which generates and advects anisotropic fire-flake textures. Finally, we apply artificial motion blur according to buoyancy direction to improve composition result of sprite animation. As a result, this method is based on image synthesis, which is faster than the existing 3D simulation-based approach. Experimental results show that high quality results can be easily and reliably obtained. In addition, since the final result is a sprite animation format, it can be easily used in existing game engines.

For most fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery treatment plans, daily imaging is not routinely performed, because there is little expectation that lesions will change significantly in the short term. However, here, we present the case of an abrupt increase and decrease in tumor volume during fractionated gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for metastatic brain cancer. A 65-year-old man with a history of nephrectomy due to renal cell carcinoma was admitted to our hospital because of mild cognitive disorder and gait disturbance. An initial MRI of the brain demonstrated a 5 × 3 × 4.5 cm-sized, heterogeneously well-enhanced tumor with a large cystic component compressing the left thalamus and corpus callosum near the lateral ventricle. Owing to its large size and proximity to critical structures, we decided to perform 3 fractionated GKRSs over 3 consecutive days. After the first fraction of 9 Gy with 50% isodose, follow-up MRI the next day revealed an unexpected increase in tumor volume up to 30%. Therefore, the radiosurgical plan was adjusted, and GKRS was performed again using the same dose for the second fraction. The image taken on the third day showed rapid shrinkage of the tumor volume. This case shows that a tumor may change its shape and volume unexpectedly even during the short period of a fractionated GKRS session. Hence, for optimal fractionated GKRS treatment of tumors with the likelihood of an abrupt change in the short term, interval imaging should be considered.

The evaluation of damage sensing for flexural, interfacial and fatigue conditions was studied for carbon fiber reinforces plastic (CFRP) rope, with 4 different formulations of epoxy resin. Thermal analysis and tensile tests were used to investigate the thermal and mechanical properties for different epoxy formulations. Using these experimental results along with the empirical equation between tensile strength, glass transition temperature, T g , and enthalpy, ΔH, optimum conditions for the epoxy formulations were found. Eddy current and static contact angle measurements were made to evaluate the wettability of epoxy into the carbon fibers with the different epoxy types. Flexural strength, fatigue strength and inter-laminar shear strength (ILSS) were evaluated for manufactured CFRP rope via pultrusion process. Changed ratio of electrical resistance (ER) of CFRP rope were measure during flexural testing, for signs of micro-cracking leading up to final fracture. The signal of CFRP rope were measured by changes in electrical resistance (ER) to predict the fracture failure. From the results of these studies it was concluded that an acid anhydride-based epoxy was the optimal epoxy formulation for manufacture of CFRP rope.

We propose an anisotropic constrained-boundary convolutional neural networks (hereafter, AnisoCBConvNet) that can stably express high-quality meshes without oscillation by applying super-resolution operations to low-resolution cloth meshes. As a training set for the neural network, we use a pair between simulation data of low resolution (LR) cloth and data obtained by applying the same simulation to high resolution (HR) cloth with increased quad mesh resolution of LR cloth. The actual data used for training are 2D geometry images converted from 3D meshes. The proposed AnisoCBConvNet is used to train an image synthesizer that converts LR geometry images to HR geometry images. In particular, by controlling the weights anisotropically near the boundary, the problem of surface wrinkling caused by oscillation is alleviated. When the HR geometry image obtained through AnisoCBConvNet is converted back to the HR cloth mesh, details including wrinkles are expressed better than the input cloth mesh. In addition, our results improved the noise problem in the existing geometry image approach. We tested AnisoCBConvNet-based super-resolution in various simulation scenarios, and confirmed stable and efficient performance in most of the results. By using our method, it will be possible to effectively produce CG VFX created using high-quality cloth simulation in games and movies.

LIGA process was carried out to fabricate the copper mold insert for a micro piezoelectric array. X-ray mask was fabricated using UV lithography and PMMA which is the X-ray photoresist was bonded to the titanium substrate done lapping. The bonded PMMA was exposed to X-ray exposure with the total amount of 4.0 kJ/cm3. Copper was then electroplated above the PMMA. After the post-processing, the copper mold insert with the pattern size 400 μm, the height 924 μm, was fabricated. To replicate the patterned micro rod array, PIM process was used. The entire optimized PIM process corresponding to the previous research was applied. The fabricated copper mold insert was used in injection molding process. The ejection pins were also fabricated using the same LIGA process for metal mold and used to extract the injection-molded specimens. After injection molding, two-step debinding and sintering processes were conducted and finally, micro piezoelectric rod array with a pattern size of 322 μm was fabricated without any defects such as collapse and break. The dimension accuracy was ensured through the SEM image analysis and dilatometry results. The physical and piezoelectric properties of sintered part were measured to confirm the part performance made by PIM process. Results indicated the possibility of using the metal mold for mass production system to produce the micro piezoelectric rod array.